Kit’s Innocence

By

Ben Gingell

Author’s Note:- All Talespin character’s are copyright Walt Disney and are being used without permission. No money is being made from this fic, and is written with great respect to the Talespin team. So please don’t sue me as I am a poor student with little or no money. All other characters are the property of the author, but I don’t think you would want to use them anyway.

 

 

Mad Dog was worried. Not for the first time in his life, but this time it was quite severe. Looking around the crew quarters, he could not find what he was looking for, and the Captain had already been waiting nearly a half hour. He paused for a moment and scratched his head. After thinking for a short while, he suddenly knew where his quarry would be found. Waiting, a few moments longer to double check the crew quarters, he sprinted off to find it.

The hanger area of the Iron Vulture was empty and quiet. Kit liked it that way. He could be alone here with his thoughts and dreams. Looking behind him to make sure he was on his own, he descend the stairs and walked out across the deck towards the planes. He stopped at one, and just looked at it. It was Karnage’s. Stepping forward, he ran his hand over the shining body work.

"I bet I could fly it." he said, quietly to himself.

He pulled his hand back, and observed at his reflection, staring back at him from the polished metal.

"I agree with you." he said, but pretending it was his reflection which spoke.

Kit again checked to see if the coast was clear, before climbing into the open cockpit, putting on a flight cap and radio headphones.

"This is captain Cloudkicker to enemy aircraft." he said under his breath as he put his hands on the controls. "You are ordered to leave our airspace or face immediate attack." he continued. Kit waited a few seconds, before looking to his sides, then turning his attention back to the controls "No reply. Go weapons hot." He flicked a few switches.

"Wait until they are in range." he gripped the control stick tighter in his hands. "Now! Break and attack."

Kit continued to play in the plane, adding occasional orders to his pretend squadron.

"Form up on my wing…. You’ve got a fighter on your tail…… Watkins, evasive manoeuvres." before finally saying "Job well done guys. Return to base."

Kit returned all the switches he had moved to their original position. If Don Karnage had found out he had been in his plane, Kit would have probably been skinned, and he knew it. With a last look at the controls Kit jumped back onto the deck.

"I will learn to fly one day." he sighed as he walked back up the stairs.

Mad Dog was now beyond worry and getting close to panic. He had searched nearly the whole length of the Iron Vulture, yet his task was still not yet complete.

"The Captain is not going to like this." he said as yet again he failed to locate the object of his search in the mess.

Turning to leave he saw Kit Cloudkicker enter.

"At last!" Mad Dog cried before leaping over a few tables and landing right in Kit’s way.

"You’re in my way." Kit said in a tougher voice as he could manage.

"The Captain has been looking for you." Mad Dog informed him, oblivious to the fact that for the last hour and a half it was he who had searched the ship.

"What for?" Kit asked, slightly worried. Had he found out about his games in his plane?

"Go and find out." Mad Dog pointed out of the mess, with one hand and turned Kit and pushed him with the other.

"Ok, ok I’m going." Kit said.

Don Karnage, leader of the air pirates was also having a bad day. He had yet again tried, and yet again failed to get into Cape Suzette. Now he had been waiting for Mad Dog to find his protégé to arrive. The crew were silent as he paced back and forth on the bridge, occasionally back handing one of them for failing to get into Cape Suzette. That worked a little bit, he found it a very good way to burn up excess stress.

"Uh Captain?" a nervous sounding voice broke through the silence. Karnage turned ready to yell at the owner of the voice only to see a young bear cub standing behind him. In a moment all his anger melted away.

"Ah, my protégé. I am glad to see you. The same goes for seeing me? Yes, no?"

"As all ways, Captain." Kit replied, trying to hide his worry.

"Come, come let me tell you a little secret." he looked around "But not here, there are too many of the listening inner types." as he grabbed a helpless member of the flight crew and yelling into his ear "Aren’t there?"

Karnage led Kit away from the bridge and towards his private quarters. Kit was experiencing a mixture of pleasure and terror. Pleasure because in the four months he had been with the air pirates he had never been summoned to the captain, and terror because he did not know if it was a good thing, or a bad one. They reached the door and Karnage paused, then bent down and faced Kit.

"If you get any ideas about the snitching of things, I will not be a happy bunny. Got it?"

Kit nodded. Karnage pulled out a bunch of keys from his trouser pockets and unlocked the door. He gestured to Kit, to follow him inside.

Karnage slammed the door shut and stood over his apprentice, looking at him through one eye as if he was thinking of something. Kit didn’t know what to do. He looked at his face, the floor, his hands, the door, till Karnage broke the silence.

"I think you will do." Do? Do what?

Kit just stood, nervously fidgeting, when Karnage asked him the most unexpected question "Are you happy here, my boy?"

Kit’s mind raced. Trick question? What does he want to hear? Will it be the right one? Eventually he just said "Yes." Which was true. He was warm, he had food in his belly, if you could call the stuff in the mess food and he had a roof over his head. What more could a guy want?

"Good. Now I know you want to learn how to fly so," Kit ears pricked up, he might like this after all "I want to make a little deal with you, okey-dokey?" Kit nodded "I have decided to make you the main player in my next raid. If you do well….I will teach you to fly. If you fail" He smiled, evilly, flashing his teeth "You won’t fail me, will you? As you are such a good little boy." Karnage leaned forward, patting Kit on the head. "And I will be very upset if you do." Karnage leant back and stood tall "You may now throw huge amounts of praise in my direction." Karnage puffed his chest out.

Kit turned to Karnage and jumped at him, throwing his arms around his neck. "Thanks for giving me a chance, Captain. I won’t let you down." He nearly kissed him. In the four months that Kit had been with the pirates the nearest he had got to a raid was counting the raided goods.

Karnage brushed Kit of his chest "Yes, well, I the great and very feared pirate leader can, at times, be generous. Now here is the plan" He led Kit over to a large map and started to explain. Kit in the mean time had completely forgotten his doubts about staying with the pirates that he had been having lately. Now all he had to do was to listen to Karnage, do what he says and he can learn to fly.

 

One week later…

Kit sat in at the bar in the diner, chewing slowly on his burger, waiting for the correct type of plane to land. He was at Freeport, trying to get a friendly flight into Port Talbot. Karnage had chosen him, as he was about the only member of his crew that was not known to the Port Talbot police, in fact most local police knew of Karnage’s gang. That however was the first easy part. There were a few more easy parts for Kit to do, before the hard part. One hard part that Kit had found early on was that the pistol, gaffer taped to his chest, was uncomfortable, and the tape pulled on his fur when he lent forward. It was only a minor distraction.

"Carl!" the Cat behind the bar, shouted at a boar entering the diner. Kit turned to look at the new comer. He was a pilot, that he could tell, but what really drew his attention was the friendly flight logo on his flight cap.

"Hello Adam." the pilot said as he sat next to Kit "My usual."

"Coming right up." the cat replied and turned to the cookers "Where are you going this time?" he asked.

"Port Talbot." the pilot replied "Got some radio transistors to deliver to some factory there."

"When are you leaving?"

"Soon as I have loaded it, and it is a lot this time."

"You sure your plane will take it?" Adam asked with genuine concern.

"Hell, sure she can. Carried half as much before." he replied as his meal arrived.

"Well, I guess no one knows your plane better than you do." Adam replied as he gave the bar top a wipe with a cloth.

Kit watched the pilot eat, checking him over, for any signs that he might try to abuse, hurt or exploit a kid. It did not occur to him that Don Karnage may be exploiting him. He trusted Karnage. Karnage had taken him in, cared for him, nurtured him, given him hope and a future.

"Excuse me, sir." Kit began.

The boar turned to his left and saw the young bear cub, he flicked his flight cap back and bent towards him. "What can I do for you, young man?" he said in a pleasant tone. Kit knew from his days as a hobo that a nice tone did not always mean a nice man.

"I heard you were going to Port Talbot, and I was wondering if I could…..take a ride." he asked pointing to the friendly flight symbol on his hat.

The boar studied Kit for a moment before asking "Why do you want to go there?" as if it were a challenge.

"I have my reasons." Kit snapped back.

The boar thought for a moment. "You strong?"

"Depends on how you define strong. Compared to you, no, other kids my age." he shrugged "probably."

"Can you load cargo?"

"Tell me where."

"Ok, ok, kid, you can come. Just don’t be running away from no-one, who might track you down." the pilot said in that kind tone again.

Kit shook his head "I don’t have anyone. To run from, or to go to." a lie, he had Karnage, but he was not going to reveal his criminal connections to this pilot. It would give the whole plan away.

"Sure kid, sure. You ready?"

"Say the word."

"Lets go." and with that he got of his stool, left some money for his meal and left. Kit leaving some money for his half eaten burger, followed.

"Awww, can’t we go and steal something?" Mad Dog complained, only to get a viscous backhanded slap across his face.

"Ediot." Karnage bellowed "how many times do I have to tell you, we wait for the signal from my young apprentice?"

"How many times to you have to tell me. what?" Mad Dog scratched his head.

Karnage went a deep purple colour. "Get out of here and do…..things that you do." he yelled, before slumping into his chair on the bridge. "If only they were all as smart and loyal as that boy." he thought.

When Carl said there was a lot of cargo to load, he was not understating. Kit stared at the pile and wished he could find an easier way to enter the city. Not being able to come up with anything, he rolled up his sleeves and picked up a box. It was heavy, not too heavy for him to carry, but too many would be tough. Carl picked up two and walked towards, what Kit assumed was his plane. On arriving Carl placed the boxes on the tarmac, and opened the door to the hold. He placed the boxes he was carrying just inside the door. Turning to see Kit, looking ill at ease with his box, he grinned.

"Thought you were strong, kid" he said.

"I’m strong enough." Kit quickly retorted.

"Well, I don’t think carrying too many of those boxes out from the hanger to here is going to do you any good, especially to your back." He picked Kit up, box and all and placed him in the hold "When I place the boxes in the door way, you stack them in the plane. Got it?"

"Yeah." Kit nodded.

This arrangement worked pretty well, and in about half an hour, the plane was fully loaded.

"Wow kid, you did well, never saw cargo stacked so well and," he inspected the ropes around them, putting his finger behind one to see how taught it was "well kept in place too. Where did you learn all this?"

"I’ve had to work to get a friendly flight before." Kit replied wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

"Right time to go." Carl said walking to the cockpit. "Coming?" he asked the bear cub, pointing at the co-pilot’s seat.

Kit’s grin, if any wider, would have ripped his face in two.

"There it is Kid. Port Talbot." Carl said to the young cub in the co-pilot’s seat.

"Wow." was the only word for which Kit could come out with.

"It’s the second centre for trade, culture and fortunes, other than Cape Suzette." Carl informed him..

As Kit watched the city get larger, as they flew across the bay, the radio came to life.

"You will be boarded and searched in a random cargo manifest check. Land at quay 9."

Carl’s eyes widened, he turned to his passenger. "Listen kid, I don’t have you down as a passenger. Hell, I’m not licensed to carry them. So here is what you will do. When I land. There is an access panel in the floor of the cockpit. It will lead to the belly of the plane. If you don’t want to get caught and sent to some home for runaways…"

"Hobos." Kit reminded him.

"Hobos , then kid. You will swim for it." He reached into his pocket "Here is a few quid to get your clothes dry." He handed Kit the money "And stay out of trouble." As he spoke, Carl removed the cap with the friendly flight logo on it and put on a regular pilot’s one.

"Will do." Kit replied putting the money in a plastic bag, then in a pocket. "And Carl…"

"Yeah kid?"

"Thanks."

"Any time kid. Any time."

As the plane got lower, Kit entered the belly of the plane, and waited for Carl to land. As he did, Kit held on tightly to the supporting struts, as he expected to be thrown around a lot. He was impressed when, the landing came to feel how smooth it was. He lay quiet and still for a few moments, listening to the men talking above him. He could hear Carl assure them that all was in order, and that this check was a waste of time. When he was satisfied that they were in the rear of the plane checking the cargo, Kit crept to the front of the plane, still below the floor. There he found another of the access panels, Carl told him about. Opening one, he slipped into the harbour, by slowly lowering his body into the cool, green water, and with the minimum of sound, he swam away, just over hearing…

"Your plane is clean. We thank you for your co-operation."

Karnage was for once happy. Things were going well. It had taken longer than he would have liked for the boy to gain entry to the city, but he had at last. He had phoned Karnage on Pirate Island, on the only phone they had there and it was kept in Karnage’s study. The phone line itself was tapped into an undersea wire, which ran nearby.

"Excellmondo." Karnage said into the reciver. "Now we will launch as soon as you have completed part two." and hung up.

He then did a little dance around his study. "Oh what a fantastico pirate I yam, I yam" he sang.

Kit hung up the public phone and walked towards the shops. Seeing one which sold linen, he quickly ran past in, snatching a towel from the stand outside. No one in the shop saw anything, and they knew nothing of it. Kit had honed his skills at stealing from shop fronts, when stealing fruit from green grocers, while he was still living on the streets.

Removing the price tag and disposing of it in a litter bin, he walked to the nearest launderette. However before entering he paused. Looking at the money Carl had given him, he pocketed it. Hey, if this guy wanted to hand his money out, that was fine. Who said he had to spend it on what it was meant to be spent on? Kit walked past the launderette, drying his hair, face arms and legs with the towel, before disposing of it.

He lay in the sun on a pier. It was going to be a hot day, and Kit used the sun to dry his clothes. It was cheaper than Carl had thought. Kit’s pirate instincts had taken over on the money. He had also learned this trick when living on the streets. However, the large amount of money Karnage had given him, Kit knew better than try to steal. It was needed for the mission, and as is the rule of capitalism "You have to spend money, to make money" or in his case "You have to spend money, to steal money", either way Kit walked away with a profit.

He continued to lay there, eyes closed, like he hadn’t a worry in the world. It was like being a free spirited hobo again, only this time he had an objective, to serve his captain. So, he corrected himself, he was not really a free spirit. Now he had purpose. He sat and thought about what he had just concluded, and decided it didn’t make any sense, so he ignored it, and let his mind go blank.

After about an hour, Kit decided it was time to make his move. Getting up, he dusted himself down with his hands and began walking along the water front towards the passenger entrance of "Aptidon Airways."

"Yes?" said the bored female cheetah behind the desk.

"One child return to Cape Suzette, please." Kit asked. He had rehearsed this speech with Karnage many times. The money given to him earlier was for this ticket. Everything was being done to make Kit seem like every other child passenger the airline had ever carried.

"Gate three, they are boarding now." The cheetah informed him, before blowing a bubble with her gum.

Kit walked towards the gates, wondering why Karnage wanted this flight of all the ones here to be robbed. He had this flight in mind for a reason. If only he knew why. Still he felt that all answers would be given in due course.

The Iron Vulture hovered in position near the flight path of the passenger plane Kit was on. The crew were getting excited, it had been a long time since they held up a whole passenger plane.

The flight had been in the air for about twenty minutes, and by Kit’s calculations, he should be near the Iron Vulture by now. Time to put the next phase into action.

"Can I go and see the cockpit?" Kit asked the stewardess, in the best *I’m a sweet little boy and it would really make my day if you would say yes* voice.

"Sure you can. Just don’t touch anything, sweetie." the stewardess said and led him to the cockpit.

"There they are" Mad Dog yelled to Karnage, who happened to be standing right behind him, now with a bad headache.

In the cockpit, Kit put a hand up his jumper and undid the pistol. Pointing it in the face of the pilot, he said calmly "Fly into the beak and land." While pointing at the Iron Vulture.

"They’ve changed course. He’s done it." Karnage was ecstatic. "My little protégé has grown up so fast." and wiped a tear from his eye.

The plane landed in the main hanger of the Iron Vulture, and waited for its fate. Kit, still holding the crew captive, looked out of a side window to see armed pirates surround the plane. A grin grew across his face. Karnage was walking towards the plane. He had done it. He had made his captain proud.

Karnage opened the door of the plane and stepped inside.

"Hello victim type people. It is me, the great Don Karnage. No don’t all faint of terror at once." He looked around, rather disappointed that no-one did faint "I have come to take all your valuable nicky nacks. So please have them ready to hand……" He didn’t get very much further. Two large dogs jumped out of their seats and pined him to the ground, one held a pistol to Karnage’s head.

"Don Karnage," the one with the pistol said "You under arrest for piracy on the high skies. Move and I will kill you."

Kit watched the scene with horror. His captain was about to be arrested. What would happen to him? Go back to the orphanage? Go to gaol? He had to do something. Anything. He raised the pistol, pointed it at the chest of the dog with the gun and fired two shots. Not taking the correct firing stance though, he recoiled, and fell on his back, the gun, slipped from his fingers and went skimming across the floor, where the pilot picked it up.

"You were right Karnage. He would kill to save you." He said.

"Ha. You own me 100 bucks!" Karnage laughed getting up from the floor.

The whole plane burst out laughing at the expression on Kit’s face.

Kit now was very confused. What was going on? The pilot leant forward and emptied the pistol, showing Kit the blank bullets inside.

"Karnage bet you would use force to save his life, so he put this whole plan into action to test you."

"And you pasted it. Isn’t that wonderful?" Karnage laughed.

"What about the riches?" Mad Dog asked. He was more confused than Kit, but he was always slow.

"There aren’t any. It was a test." Karnage backhanded him. "These people are street pirates."

"Okay, so, do we rob them now?" Mad Dog asked again, raising up his rifle, hopefully.

Soon Mad Dog was tied to a rope and tied to the back of the Iron Vulture while Karnage took his now proven loyal protégé for a feast, with his friend from the street pirates.

 

THE END.