So meant to be the final chapter...but the Fanfiction fairies have been working overtime and they came out with this. Hope you all like it...and please review

Scar of his Past: Final Chapter, part 5

"Kit Cloudkicker." His own name came out of the Captains's mouth like a sneer, "Here you are, after all the nights I dreamed of this moment...tell me Kit". He said as he cocked the gun. "How would you like to die?"

Kit felt nothing apart from his own fear, as Mad Dog, suddenly moved forward, "Captain, no. You've lost…just put the gun down". There was an air of maturity and strength in the voice, which Karnage even in his maddened state noticed. "You, you are with him?"

"I don't want anyone to die here Captain, and if you're the Captain, I know you are. Then neither do you". the fact that he was talking to the man, who with no hesitation had thrown the boy overboard to his intended death only a few months earlier, didn't escape Kit's notice, but he said nothing and just kept his eyes on the gun, almost willing him to drop it.

"You know, you're right. I don't want this boy to die". Mad Dog's and by extension Kit's body sagged with relief as a more aggressive look crossed Karnage's face. "Before you that is" the gun fired, in a flash of smoke and fire, as Mad Dog released his grip on Kit, who fell down with him as both were strewn on the deck.

Kit turned to see Mad Dog lying on the deck, a stunned look on his face, whilst his hands clutched at his stomach, the bullet had gone through him as his blood was spreading out on the on the deck, staining Kit's clothes as he scrambled over to him.

The weasel's face was ashen, as Kit could see his lips turning white. "Mad Dog I'm so sorry" Kit whispered, feeling his body turn to shock as he could feel Mad Dog's life fading. Mad Dog was trying to something, but It was a struggle as his eyes began to flicker, but Kit could hear the ghost of one word"...Sally" As Kit could hear Karnage stepping behind him. "Ahh young Cloudkicker, now you die on your knees". He laughed, as he cocked the gun once more, and aimed it straight between Kit's eyes, as he felt another wave of terror.

So this is where he would die, this would be the moment. Feeling the cold of the gun, which was still smouldering courtesy of the injury to Mad Dog, Kit wouldn't give him the satisfaction of closing his eyes or looking away, and Karnage's finger inched on the trigger, and from almost nowhere, or perhaps it was Kit's blood deprived body trying to make sense of it as a flash of yellow and an almighty roar filled the air, and the arm made contact with Karnage's face. "Baloo." Breathed Kit, as he shook his head to keep awake.

Karnage flew across the deck, his gun clattering to the ground as he looked up, to look straight into six feet on unbridled fury.

Baloo had finally managed to land the plane, and had got out of it, just in time to see the gun fired at the weasel, and using speed he had no idea he even possessed, had run as fast as he could to get there. To Baloo it was his biggest nightmare, one that he had never shared with anyone. That it would come to this, it had all come to life, and now he was pissed beyond belief, feeling a moment of rage that he hadn't felt in so long.

As he looked and noticed the blood dripping from Kit's arm, and surmised the situation in a second, which was met with another wave of rage, as he advanced at the Captain. "You." He practically roared, as Karnage got to his feet, "You hurt my kid! You shot my boy, you beat him, you abused him. You're going to die".

With no mercy or even thought, Baloo finally unleashed his fury, every emotion he had kept back for Kit's sake, every moment of anger he had felt on those long nights when he was consoling the boy as he described his year of abuse.

Karnage got to his feet, perhaps in an attempt to fight off the bear, but Baloo wasn't going to give him the satisfaction, as he rained blow after blow on Karnage, his face soon a bloody and bruised pulp, as Kit watched this unfolding, with a growing sense of terror at this sight.

He knew Karnage deserved it, as he felt Mad Dog's neck for a pulse and was relieved it was still there, but this was the side of Baloo he never wanted to see, desperately never wanted to see. As he felt footsteps coming up behind him, and before he could protest was lifted straight into the arms of Shere Khan.

Kit peered up, and noticed how immaculate he looked, and felt bad for a second that his blood was staining his suit, which Khan didn't notice, in fact he barely didn't notice Kit as he just looked ahead with, what could only be described as a smirk on his face.

"We've secured the men, and our crews are working on putting the fires out." A second voice joined them as Bagheera raced up to them, taking stock of Mad Dog lying on the ground, along with Kit's blood stained body, and had the good grace to gasp. "He's not dead, and there is a little girl in one of the planes he wanted to save." Kit found himself mumbling as he desperately tried to cling on to conciseness as all three of them began to watch the drama unfold in front of them, the sight of Baloo ripping Don Karnage apart.

Perhaps in a futile attempt to fight back, which seemed akin to a feather going against a cannon ball, Karnage swung his arms out, only have Baloo reach out and grab him around the throat and march him to the edge of the deck. With no hesitation, his face still full of fury, he held him over. The ocean beneath him, the only thing stopping his fall was Baloo's grip on his throat, as the bear squeezed tighter.

"Do you remember this Karnage; do you remember the moment you held Kit over the edge? Do you remember the look of fear on his face, when you let go…you almost killed my son Karnage, and now I'm going to do the same to you". Baloo roared as Mad Dog's feet dangled in the air, "Let me go, please let me go…I'll do anything, anything". Karnage begged in a voice that was pathetic to anyone who was listening. Baloo even in his state of fury was lucid enough to know exactly what he was doing. All he had to do was release his hands, slowly and that was it, as suddenly from across the deck a small thin voice called out his name.

"No Baloo, don't."

Baloo began to pull himself out of the rage at the sound of Kit's voice, it was like music to his ears as he turned to the boy, and saw him in Khan's arms.

"I'm doing what I have to do Kit. I have to do this". Baloo yelled back as Khan still holding the boy, began to step close, possible to save Kit's voice which everyone had noticed was faltering.

"But you don't please…don't do this" Kit practically begged the older bear, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.

"Give me one good reason not to". Stated Baloo, his eyes never leaving Karnage's who was still struggling desperately.

"Because I don't want my dad to be a killer…I don't want you to get in trouble".

"Like he would get in "trouble" for doing it" Bagheera reported in an almost glib tone, as Kit looked up, to see the smirk still on Khan's face. "Baloo if you do as you intend to, I assure you, you will not face any charges." Confirmed the Tiger, as Kit managed to throw him a look, which no one noticed.

"I was in the War, Kit…do you think I wasn't a killer. You have no idea what I did, what I was forced to do. This is just another number to the list". Baloo explained as reality was beginning to thread back into his brain.

"But that was then, you're not that bear now. You're Baloo, you're my Baloo you're a pilot and you're my dad…please don't do it. Please. The last words produced a coughing fit, which drew Baloo's attention. "Kit." He finally looked up at the boy, and taking stock of the bleeding battered child in Khan's arms, began to draw his arms back, any words he had to say to Karnage were unneeded as he saw the tears begin to fall from the Captains eyes, in pure and total terror and he almost unceremoniously threw him back onto the deck.

Almost immediately, the Police were at his side, to put the red fox into handcuffs, and read him his rights. Whilst Baloo rushed back to his son. "Kit…Kit". Baloo's voice was ragged, clearly returning to his old self.

Kit was now feeling cold and clammy and it was getting harder to stay awake. "Kit are you alright?" Panic was replacing the anger in Baloo's voice as he took the boy off Khan and held him tight in his arms, "Baloo, there is a little girl". Kit uttered trying and failing to keep his eyes open.

"We know Kit; my men have told me they've got her from the plane." He heard Bagheera's voice Kit could only nod in reply.

"Baloo, my plane is at your disposal; let's get your son to the hospital." Kit heard the edge in Khan's voice and knew they were all concerned about him as his head suddenly jerked up "Mad Dog…"

"Of course he's going to come with us…if he doesn't die on the way", Kit was vaguely aware of the smell of the smoke, the comfort of Baloo, and feeling on being placed on a stretcher, whilst he heard the sounds of a second one for the weasel. Before everything went dark.

Three Days Later

Baloo had always hated hospitals, the cleanliness, the small. The way everyone acting too forced in hushed whispers, it didn't matter that Kit was receiving the best treatment money could buy. All he wanted to do was get the boy home, but even he knew that could be a long time coming. It had been three days since the "Attack on the Vulture" as the Press had coined it as they spoke of the brave actions of both the police and Shere Khan's private air force. Kit's name had naturally been kept out of it, at Baloo's demands; the boy had been through enough. And this was the last thing he wanted or needed his son to go through.

All Baloo could do was sit and wait, and patience was never a virtue of his, and neither was keeping calm, as clutching the two coffees he had been sent out to get, he went back to Rebecca and Kit's still sleeping form. "Did he wake up?"? Baloo said again for the hundredth time, which was clear was beginning to test Rebecca's own patience. "For the last time Baloo, you have to stop saying that, he'll wake up when he needs to…not before. I swear you're worse than Kit sometimes". Baloo caught the humour in her tone and could only smile sadly back.

As he sat back in his chair, which seemed to be invented to be purposely painful, Baloo's mind kept travelling back to that moment, the moment had could have killed Karnage, and couldn't shake off the fact that on some level still wanted to. From what he could remember, he was holding that vile fox's body of the edge of the Vulture, and was more than happy to let go, until he recalled Kit practically begging him not to become a killer! In some cases, it was too late for that, but his soul had come to terms with his past long ago as he finally threw the Captain to the deck and raced over to the boy.

Both Kit and Mad Dog had been practically flung onto a plane and brought straight to a private hospital in Cape Suzette. Baloo was relieved to learn that the bullet, had managed to miss any major arteries, but the blood loss was still a problem, and required immediately surgery, but he had fared a lot better then Mad Dog, who was bleeding internally, and had flat lined twice in the plane, before he could be stabilised.

This was all witnessed by the little girl who was still wearing Kit's bullet proof vest, she had looked totally traumatised as she was taken to be checked, and child services arrived. Baloo hadn't seen her since but had heard of the hospital rumour mill that she was going to be fine. The same couldn't be said for Mad Dog, who was in recovery, flanked by two guards and was currently in a drug induced coma to let his body heal. The moment he woke up, he had to face the consequences of his actions, even though everyone was certain that his actions would yield a lesser sentence then the rest. Don Karnage however was in custody, with a change of attempted murder adding to his list of crimes against the skies and especially Kit.

And all Baloo could do was wait for the boy to wake up, sit by his bed and wait for the infection that had set in during surgery to break. The oxygen mask over his face and needles in his body, and each time he looked at the boy's face he felt sicker. In the last three days, he hadn't left Kit's side, and from the look on his face when he was brought in everyone was too scared to tell him to leave. In the end Rebecca had left Khan's home, when Baloo had called her, left Molly in Wildcats care and headed to the hospital.

Even though they didn't say much, after Baloo had told her everything but she was there holding his paw, telling Baloo that Kit would be alright, and only going home to change and nap before returning to the hospital to do the same thing all over again. Neither of them saying much, since there were no words to be said, however one of them was holding it in, as on the start of the third day, as they were sitting on either side of Kit, willing him to wake up, they heard the succulent tones across the corridor and Rebecca was first on her feet.

If Baloo would have blinked, he would have missed it as Rebecca came charging out of the room as Shere Khan approached them, a look on concern was etched on his face Baloo noted, and he was being flanked by Bagheera. "You! It was your job to make sure Kit wasn't hurt. He trusted you…we" She gestured to Baloo, who was getting to his feet "trusted you. Did you think about what you were going, the fact that hanging about in the air, for god knows how long could have caused this. He's only twelve years old, and you threw him back into that…the only casualties of that night are that Pirate friend of his and that little boy in that bed. And don't tell me, you know how I feel…because no parent should see their child go through something like this!"

Baloo's head tilted, at this statement wondering if she was just talking figuratively (another word he had picked up from Kit) or she actually saw herself as a mother figure for the boy. He certainly didn't have one after all!

"Mrs Cunningham, I assure you that I feel apologetic for what has befallen Kit, please be aware that it was never my intention, and naturally my company will compensate you in any way or form."

If Baloo wasn't standing there letting his manager rant at the tiger, he wouldn't have believed the right hook which spring out from Rebecca to smack Khan round the face, he was at least two foot taller, a thousand times stronger but even he for a brief moment looked stunned at the action as he rubbed his face with one his hands, as Bagheera who had been standing next to him jaws just dropped along with Baloo.

"You think this is about money…you think that all of this has been about money?" Rebecca caught her breath, and perhaps seemed to realise she was shaking with anger or perhaps shock anther outburst "You know I've come to the conclusion, that you're now part of our lives, and you have since the moment Kit arrived, all I want is your word that this will never happen again. That boy will never be hurt again or used by you or anyone".

There was a moment of silence, as the Tiger absorbed the woman's words before nodding "You have my agreement on that Mrs Cunningham". As the tension suddenly broke and Khan, perhaps to lick his wounds stepped away, muttering to his bodyguard "You do remember that I pay you to protect me". To this Bagheera almost cheerfully responded "Are you kidding me...that was the most fun I had had all year".

Baloo and Rebecca just stood in the corridor, whilst the petite bear waited for her temper to cool down, as both their heads turned by a small cough from the room. Looking at each other for a second before darting back inside, there was Kit still on the end, struggling to kick the blanket off his body in panic.

"Kit…Kit". Baloo urged, being careful not to touch his body as he willed the boy to wake up, which occurred a minute later as Rebecca rushed to get a nurse.

"Baloo." Kit's lips were dry, but since he was no longer nil-by-mouth. Baloo helped him drink some water threw the aid of a straw until the boy was sufficiently hydrated. "What happened?" The boy asked which caused Baloo to think he had some sort of amnesia "Did you kill Karnage". Kit's voice was in a whisper, as he struggled to stay awake, something they learned would be common courtesy of the painkillers as Baloo shook his head "He's in custody right now". He assured the boy, making it clear that he was no longer a target "And what about Mad Dog and Sally?"

There was urgency in the Kit's voice as Baloo quickly filled him in on what had happened and what was going to happen to both of them, something that seemed to leave Kit content, as he suddenly said "Mad Dog helped save my life. I want to do something for him…to let them know he's not a bad guy". The Doctors had by this point slipped into the room, and were looking over his charts as exhaustion overtook Kit, and he closed his eyes once more, slipping away on a river of morphine. As Rebecca begun to stroke his forehead the same way, she did when it was Molly. "You look terrible, by the way." Kit murmured which almost caused Baloo to laugh. "Ok fine, I'll go home and get changed…but I'll be here when you wake up, I promise."

"Thanks dad" Kit said as he fell asleep again, and after Rebecca had planted a kiss on his forehead, both of them finally left the room and the ward. It was only when in the elevator, Baloo finally said out loud "My son's just called me dad…Becky I feel sick right now, but I think this is one of the best moments of my life"

Rebecca said nothing, and just took his hand "Welcome to parenthood Baloo…well you've been his dad all along haven't you!"

Next up, the epilogue, and some happiness for all. thanks for reading and please review xx