As Shere Khan and his privet army took off for the island, Gibber was praying; he had never prayed in his life and now he was. He feared for the lives of his former crew and for the lives of his friends. Gibber wasn't one for begging, but now, he was begging God for help.
Stephen was doing something different than praying, he was cleaning his rifle, getting it ready to put a bullet in Karnage's heart. One shot! One kill! he thought. A smile grew as more thoughts of killing his captain popped into his head.
But in the skies ten miles to the east was the Iron Vulture. The massive air ship slowly made its way to the island. It was bright and sunny, but in the brig no one was happy. Karnage was putting his "guests" to work, and if they were caught slacking off, then there was going to be some punishment.
Kit was busy mopping the hallway of the brig. Sweat was running down his back and he was getting very tired. "I hate this," he grumbled under his breath.
"I know you do," Karnage said smiling at Kit. "But I think it is time for your next job."
Kit knew better than to delay following the captain, so he put down the mop and walked beside Karnage as they headed to the hanger.
"So what's my next job? Cleaning the planes?" he asked in a disrespectful tone. Karnage stopped and faced Kit. His face was full of anger when he stared down at the teen. Kit knew he had crossed the line with Karnage, and now, he was going to be punished. But what surprised him was that Karnage only slapped his hand.
Kit was puzzled.
Why did he not hit him or beat him?
When they got to the hanger two big planes came flying in through the open beak and landed with ease. Kit's hands shot up to keep his cap from being blown away, but Karnage, being rather happy by the new arrivals smiled. "I have some new crew members joining us, Mr. Cloudkicker," he stated. "I took the liberty of calling a few friendly faces to join up."
The first plan was a cargo plane, but other was a small charter plane. The first one to step out of the charter was MacNee, the child-hating koala. He wanted nothing more then to get even with Molly for ruining his chance to bag the mythical, but gentle Inkaras.
Then there was Muffy and Buffy Vanderschere, the fox con artist couple that posed as rich, snobbish clients to trick Higher for Hire out of their only plane, but failed. Now here they were; looking for some payback against the Bruinwalds.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the seductive blond feline ex-Starrywood starlet, Kitten Kaboodle stepped out. Her reason of joining Karnage was for her own gain. She looked at Kit and smiled.
"Well, Kit," she said with a husky Lauren Bacall-like voice. "I see you have grown into a strong young man." Kit was the one who saw the twinkle in her eye as she winked at him. A shiver ran up the teens back.
Then the last one showed himself. He was the one and only, Ace London. Why he would join up with Karnage? No one could have guessed it if they tried. But he was here for a chance at redemption. Ace thought if he could sneak two or three of the prisoners off the Iron Vulture, then, he would be back on top.
"Ace London?" Baloo gasped seeing his old rival again. "I thought that you got-"
"Got what?" Ace sneered, "fired? Yes, and it was all because of you." Baloo sneered back at him.
"Hey, don't you start that again."
But before Ace could reply back, a gunshot rang out. The gray wolf pilot looked over at Karnage, who had a smoking revolver in his hand.
"I know why you're really here Mr. London," the captain smiled as he took aim at Ace. "You came to redeem yourself, but..." three more shots rang out as Karnage shot Ace's feet. "How can you stop me if you are locked up."
Turning to MacNee, he smiled and shouted, "Brig." MacNee nodded and took Ace to the brig at gun point. Ace felt like a loser all over again. Things were not going his way, plus, he had lost his chance at being number one.
"You black heart pirate!" Baloo shouted, and took a step toward Karnage, but stopped when the captain pointed his weapon at Kit. As any father would do, Baloo backed off to protect his son. He hated Karnage even more then he did two years ago, even to the point where he could only think of breaking his neck and putting Karnage in a unnamed grave.
Smiling, Karnage sighed with confidence. "I'm sorry that your old friend couldn't be a better liar, because I know a spy who just can't act right under pressure." He looked over a Mad Dog and scoffed. "He really pulled the hood over the eyes of me. Yes? No?"
"Yes, I did Captain Karnage," he nodded.
Later that night, the mess hall was full. The crew was marry with rum and fresh food, but still, something was lacking. "We need some entertainment," Karnage cheered raising mug of ale. The crew raised their ale in agreement and cheered.
Karnage shouted a loud command, "Bring Rebecca Bruinwald in here!"
In the brig, Rebecca was sleeping peacefully beside her husband and two children, but was awakened by their cell door swinging open. She looked up to see Hal standing at her.
He didn't say a thing, he just grabbed Rebecca by the arm and dragged her out of the cell.
"Hey! Where are you taking her?" Lotta shouted, Hal smiled.
"To the captain's party."
"I swear if she is hurt then I'll kill everyone of you pirates!" Baloo shouted, exploding with anger.
At the party, Kitten was enjoying the show that Muffy and Buffy were putting on. The con artist couple was doing the robot and singing like parrots being strangled. It was the funniest thing any one could see.
But before Muffy and Buffy could finish their act, Rebecca was rudely pushed the floor in front of them. The con artist couple looked at her, then at each other, and back at her with smiles that worried her. The crew began to mummer among themselves.
"Rebecca Bruinwald, my normally annoying business lady-I am proud of you." The crew suddenly turned dead silent. Was their captain off his rocker? He must be. Karnage continued. "Not only did you become the mother of Kit, but you also became Baloo's wife and as of right now going to have a third child. So I thank you and your family for all the good times they gave me."
Rebecca blushed, shocked as well by his words. "Gee-thanks."
Karnage walked up to her and pulled out his sword. "In fact, I want to give you a gift," he said, before putting the blade to her cheek. "Bring the rest in here. I think it is time we show them what happens when someone sends a coded message just yesterday."
The crew suddenly turned violent, throwing their mugs and insults at Rebecca, who tried to avoid getting hit by the projectiles.
A little time went by before the rest of the captives were brought before the whole crew.
"Shoot them!" one pirate shouted.
"Hang them!" another shouted, as he threw knife at Kit, but missed him by six inches.
"Hit'em with a rock!" Hal shouted. The mess hall suddenly turned quiet and the crew, who seemed awe struck, looked at him. "Uhh...Kill them?" he added.
"Never mind about that," Karnage put in as he stood before his crew and captives. "One of you sent a coded message to Cape Suzette, and I, the great Don Karnage will find out who."
The captain picked out three captives. "Baloo, Kit and Charles Adler." The three of them stepped forward, feeling like they were being picked out for a firing squad. Then Karnage pointed to Ratchet and Mad Dog. They to got put in the line.
"Now, I will find the one who ratted on us," Karnage smiled.
The crew snickered.
The captive gasped with fear.
And the five in the line prayed.
Was this going to be the end of line for one of them? They hoped not.
Karnage stepped up to Baloo and smiled. "If I were you, I would think about begging for your miserable life." Baloo frowned.
"Jerk," he snapped. The captain's smile did not fade.
"A loser to the end, I like that." turning to his crew, Karnage start up with getting them all riled up. "What can I say? There hasn't been a day like this since you all became pirates. I was very proud of you all, but, two years ago we were betrayed by one of our own." The crew started growing restless.
Karnage turned and pointed at Mad Dog. "Matthew Dogsdon! He turned on us. He did it because he wanted to be a weakling." Two pirates forced Matthew to his knees. "It was you! You lied! Betrayed us all. Then you were spying on us, but I forgave you." Karnage then turned back to his crew who were wild with anger.
"But yesterday, I found the book with coded messages in the radio room," he stated. "Someone has betrayed us again, now I will find out who did it."
Ratchet felt his heart beat faster knowing that Karnage was going to find out the truth. If that happened, not only would he be punished, but also his sister. Maybe Karnage would think it was Matthew again, and he would only punish him instead.
Matthew felt his fear washing over him as Karnage looked him in the eye. Without saying a word, Karnage reached out and took hold of his neck. "I didn't use the radio!" he chocked, as the captain's grip tighten, blocking his airway.
Matthew was helpless.
"No! Leave him alone!" Jenna shouted as she jumped onto Karnage's back. He didn't let go, but only squeezed harder. Matthew started gasping for air, his face turned a light shade of blue. Karnage was going to kill him.
"I'll let him live if the guilty one comes forth," he said offering a chance to save Matthew's life. Ratchet was about to confess when...
"I did!" Baloo lied, walking up to Karnage. Kitten pulled Jenna off Karnage's back and held her down. The whole crew began to laugh at Baloo's bravery. Letting go of Matthew, the captain took his coat off, then crossed his arms and stared at Baloo with disbelief.
"You were the one?" he asked.
Baloo nodded, adding more onto his lie.
Well...Karnage believed the lie. "In the words of my father: The skillful liar will tell his enemy the truth and say it is a lie, but only then will he be made man when he is proven truthful." Karnage smiled and then kicked Baloo off his feet.
"Hold him down."
MacNee, Buffy and several crew members held Baloo down. Switchblade walked up with his medic kit. He pulled out a syringe that had liquefied cocaine in it. Rebecca, Molly and Kit watched sadly as Baloo was injected with the awful drugs. But to make it worse, Will walked up with a branding iron and burned Baloo's face, blinding him in his left eye.
Rebecca held her daughter and son close as they heard Baloo screaming.
When Will pulled the branding iron away, a big K was clearly seen on his left eye.
"Send them all back to the brig," Karnage ordered, before he slapped Matthew across the face. "And take him to."
"You are completely crazy, Karnage!" Matthew shouted.
"What?" Karnage gasped, he was shocked, but that shock became anger. "Never. Use. That. Word." he said waving a cautionary finger.
But Matthew didn't care anymore. "You're nothing more than a rotten low life who can't take a hint that he is losing the loyalty of the crew. You think I-I'm weak, don't you? But no! I had enough of you and so has the crew." He pointed to many of the crew were looking around at each other.
"I see it in their eyes," Matthew continued. "Some of them joined because you promised them riches, some freedom from a life they no longer wanted, and just like me, I joined because you promised me adventure and greatness."
"Why you little-" Karnage began to say, but was cut off.
"I'm not done!" Matthew shouted. "It was you who lied, Karnage."
Karnage was burning with rage. The young weasel spoke the words that caused him to really go wild. "And you know what? You are...crazy."
Karnage slowly walked over to Matthew, bloodthirsty and with a murderous look in his eyes. He quickly but brutally smacked Matthew in the side of the head, throwing him to the floor.
"You didn't die those two years ago, so now I'll make sure you die this time." Karnage smiled bringing his sword out and brought it across Matthew's chest causing him to cry out in pain.
"Is this all you can do to me!" Matthew bravely questioned as he held his bleeding wound on his chest.
"Is this all I can do to you? Maybe this will make you see what I can do." Karnage grabbed Matthew's head and plowed it into the floor breaking one of his teeth.
Soon there were deep open wounds across his chest and stomach and arms.
Matthew was losing blood fast as Karnage continued to slowly torment him to death. He felt each cold, unforgiving, hard slash from the captain's sword penetrate his delicate skin. He could feel the warm, sticking blood stream from each wound and pool out around him. The pain he felt was unbearable, with each cut he felt his eyes droop more and more.
Suddenly! There was a loud explosion. The Iron Vulture was rocked so strongly that everyone lost their footing and fell to the floor. Another explosion was followed quickly by another, and another. The air ship was under attack.
Matthew closed his eyes and smiled. Thank you God. Now, let me come home and protect my friends. He prayed in his mind.