Chapter 2
As they took to the skies and left Cape Suzette, the pair let the beauty of the horizon overwhelm them. Baloo had been flying, for as long as he could remember and secretly he loved the fact he now had someone to share it with. Normally his young navigator would be full of questions, but today.
Baloo turned to him. "Are you all right kid?" Kit nodded his typical response to any question he didn't want to answer. As they docked at Nigella, Kit took the opportunity to look round. He had never seen the point of Nigella; it was the standard Cape with nothing to pay attention too. At least Cape Suzette had Shere Khan, fabulous wealth, and of course Baloo.
After an hours wander, he met up with Baloo who was compiling the paperwork Rebecca insisted on. Baloo was hoping the trip back would lift both their spirits, but Kit had picked up on Baloo's feelings the entire time and felt more depressed. He was causing Baloo pain, and he couldn't tell him why, and Kit hated himself because of it.
As they dropped to a lower attitude, Baloo in an attempt to lighten the mood suddenly said "Fancy a bit of Cloud Surfing?" The first smile of the day etched across Kit's face, "Thanks Papa Bear". Kit loved Cloud Surfing more than anything else on the planet, as he headed for the bay doors, pulling at the rope with the handle Wildcat had fashioned. Leaping into the skies, Kit attached the airfoil to his feet, and leapt out of the plane, the total exhilaration of the air whipped his fur. With the total control, he had over his movements; Kit lost himself completely, and began to turn the death defying stunts which always caused Baloo's stomach turn. He was always concerned that Kit would go too far and hurt himself; no matter how many times the young cub assured him it was safe.
Baloo kept one eye on the horizon and the other on Kit, and then something else caught out of the corner of his eye. Immediately he activated the pulley to bring Kit back in, he heard the complaints, a full minute before Kit entered the cockpit. "What gives Baloo? I was having fun".
Baloo didn't answer, just stared ahead with grated teeth, as the Iron Vulture suddenly appeared from the clouds. Kit gasped as Baloo stalled the plane in mid-air, or else risk collision with the flying behemoth. "Ahhh Baloo". They heard the voice, before they saw him, as Don Karnage opened his landing door and strolled out. Baloo could feel the arrogance filtering across the skies. "And can I assume Kit Cloudkicker is with you…no?"
Baloo began to look for an exit strategy, not that he didn't want to fight Karnage. Over the years the pair had fought so often, Baloo was beginning to think his antagonistic existence, was Karnage's hobby! But this time he had to be responsible, this time he had Kit to worry about
"Get away from us, Karnage". The smaller voice boomed over the air. "Thanks Kit", Baloo muttered under his breath
"Ahhhh young Cloudkicker, I didn't think you'd take to the skies again, as last time I saw you, you were falling from it hahahahaha". Anger seethed through both Kit and Baloo, only a few weeks earlier, Baloo had thought himself betrayed by the young cub. Thankfully he had realised his mistake, and raced to rescue the boy, only to see Karnage throw him from the Iron Vulture. It took all Baloo's skills to stop Kit from hitting the sea, at such a velocity, he would have been killed. Baloo had played that scene in his mind several times, and often imagined a different outcome.
"What do you want Karnage?" Baloo demanded. "Well, I could have your cargo but I know you've already taken it to Nigella". Karnage emphasized the last word, in a tone that caused a bead of sweat to run down Kit's spine. "No, you can keep, whatever you have on your dinky little plane…all I want is young Cloudkicker, and we will be happy again…No?"
Baloo glanced over at Kit; his face looked like ash and Baloo couldn't tell if he was trembling or seething with rage. In the meantime, Baloo adjusted his controls for the Overdrive; it had only recently been reinstalled, courtesy of Wildcat…he just hoped it worked. In the silence between the two planes, Baloo did some mental calculations and knew what he had to do.
With a twinkle in his eye, Baloo addressed the Iron Vulture in a sing song voice. "Oh Karnage. Do you know what the fastest plane in the skies is?"
Baloo could see the confusion on Karnage's face as he mumbled something behind him, and then one of his henchmen walked over with a book about planes. "Ummmmm" Karnage hadn't bothered to turn off his megaphone, and Baloo almost laughed as Karnage stumbled through the book "Aha it's a Douglas DC-3", Karnage declared with triumph.
"Wrong Karnage, it's me" Baloo roared as he hit the switch, as the Overdrive flooded into life, Karnage immediately gave the order to fire. Baloo barely registered the sound of the bullets hitting the plane, but quickly pushed Kit down into his chair. It only took a few seconds for them to cover the necessary miles, to get away from the Iron Vulture and re-enter Cape Suzette, as Baloo quickly turned the Overdrive down, before sparks could fly from the consoles.
As they entered Cape Suzette the plane was down to its normal speed and Karnage was miles behind them. "Woo whee Kit", Baloo chuckled as he brought the plane to its natural decent. "That was a close one eh?" He looked up at Kit, who had been so quiet, and realized how upset the boy was. The plane had been hit by several bullets…nothing out of the ordinary, but one had clearly missed the boy's head by a few inches. "Ahhh Kit", Baloo said, "I'm sorry, but with old Baloo around there's nothing to be afraid of".
"I'm not afraid, all right", Kit outburst left Baloo stunned as they brought the plane to the dock. Kit not bothering to open the Sea planes doors, jumped from the window and made his way across the pier, Baloo hastily parked the plane and rushed from the cockpit, stopping the boy in his tracks "Get out of my way Baloo", Kit yelled at the top of his lungs, causing Rebecca to rush from her office. "What on earth is going…?" She stopped, taking In the Sea Duck's bullet holes and Kit's reaction. "Not until you tell me what's going on in that head of yours Kit?" Baloo countered, moving with the boy, blocking his exit with his body.
There was an unnatural silence in the air, and Baloo saw the shift in Kit's face, the same defensive look in his eyes he encountered on that first day at Louie's.
"You think it's all a game don't you Baloo? Have a run in with Karnage and laugh about it later? Share your story with a beer at Louie's don't you?" Kit's tone was becoming bitterer with each word. "You have no idea do you? You have no idea what it was like…and how can you?" Kit shook his head. "And he will never let me go; he will be there every time I'm in the sky until he gets me back". Kit gestured to the Sea Duck. "No matter how many bullets he uses".
Kit finally made his way past Baloo who grabbed his arm in an attempt to pull him back "Just wait Kit", Baloo cautioned. "We can talk about this". Baloo's pull on Kit's green sweater caused something to rise within Kit, the true face of his life with the Sky Pirates, the face that deep down terrified him. Baloo could barely register the red look in Kit's eyes, before the boy's small fist landed across his face.
They both heard a gasp and realized it came from Rebecca. Baloo seemed oblivious to the pain and dropped his grip on Kit's arm as blood began to seep from his nose. Realization returned to Kit in a heartbeat as he stood back in shock. He had done it; he had finally crossed the line with Baloo. Baloo would punish him; Baloo would… Kit turned round and raced from the dock, ignoring Rebecca calling out to him.
Baloo came to his senses and joined her, as they both called out his name. Baloo moved to chase after him, but Rebecca held out her hand to stop him. "Let him calm down, just let him calm down. He'll be back soon", she told her Pilot. Rebecca hoped she wasn't lying as Baloo looked into her reassuring face and proceeded to tell her everything, looking out as the boy tore through the docks, he hoped the same thing as Rebecca.
Well chapter 2 is over please review if you liked it xxx