Background info on this scene:
How Kit and Karnage managed to wind up stranded in the middle of the TaleSpin world's largest rain forest, you won't know until the complete fic is released. Sorry!

This short excerpt occurs just after their first night in the jungle. The extreme temperatures had forced them to huddle up for the night, to their chagrin. It's also worth mentioning for detail that Kit's wearing a pair of fatigues, and they do have a few supplies with them (such as the blankets and knife mentioned hereafter).




When the sun rose, the light found Kit and Karnage sound asleep, peacefully slumbering in the comfortable temperature, which had begun to increase as quickly as it decreased during the night. Kit never took his shift, and Don Karnage had spent a grand total of fifteen minutes keeping guard before falling asleep.

Their blankets, formerly wrapped snugly around them, now rested loosely on their laps. Kit slumped over Karnage’s legs, which were poking out of the covers.

But the sunlight wasn’t the only thing that found them… From out of the surrounding bushes, a vine slowly slithered along the ground and approached the two. It recoiled, as if in surprised discovery, as it touched Karnage’s hand. Then, continuing its examination of the strange creature it just found, it slid across the Captain’s chest, then down to Kit, skimming the boy’s face. Kit scratched his nose and continued to snore softly.

Then, the tip of the vine circled twice around Karnage’s ankle, and tightened. Karnage’s eyes flew open. "What? Boy, what are you doing?"

"Wha’?" Waking abruptly, Kit immediately pushed himself away from Karnage. "What’s goin’ on?"

"That is what I am wanting to kno-oooow!" The vine tugged hard, and Karnage desperately clung to the tree he was resting on.

Kit eyes widened when he saw the vine. "What is that thing?" It reminded him of the horrific drawings he saw in books of seamen’s tales, where a giant squid would capsize a galleon and capture the crew with its squirming tentacles.

"Well do not just be doing something, stand there!" Karnage hollered. His fingernails shaved the bark of the tree as the vine pulled harder, lifting his leg up in the air.

Kit dug in his pocket and unleashed his buck knife. But before he had time flick it open, Karnage lost his grip, and therefor the battle, but he wasn’t about to lose alone. He grabbed onto Kit’s ankle.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Kit shouted, but it was no use. Yelling, both were dragged through the bush the vine came from, and hoisted into the air upside down.

"What is it?" Kit screamed.

Gasping, Karnage dropped him on his head when he saw… Kit looked up, and saw the same. Rising from its nest of large leaves and regurgitated skeletons of former prey, the jaws of a carnivorous plant prepared for an incoming meal. Kit recognized it as the type of plant Khan kept in his office, but Khan didn’t have one as big as an automobile.

Karnage frantically tried to pry his foot free from its grasp, but to no avail.

"You gotta cut it!" Kit shouted.

"With what?"

Kit showed him the buck knife. "With this! Catch!" He threw it to the Captain, but Karnage wasn’t ready. The handle hit him in the head and deflected back to the ground somewhere.

"Ow!" Karnage yelped. "What are you trying to do?"

Kit cupped his head. "Aw, man, you’re hopeless!" Suddenly, his ankle was stealthily snatched by another vine, lifting him up as well. "Wha’? This isn’t good!"

"Whatever makes you say that?" Karnage huffed. "If you have any more estupid ideas, I suggest you say them now!"

"I’m… I’m all out of ideas!" Kit replied. "Maybe one… Help!"

The plant went for Karnage first. It dangled him right above its jaws, opening wide. Kit looked away; the Captain’s cries were suddenly muffled as the plant dropped and engulfed him in its mouth.

"Ohmygosh!" Kit breathed.

Its cheeks puffed with its capture, but it was seemingly having trouble chewing… Suddenly, Karnage stood up inside, pushing its jaws apart with his hands and feet. "Get me out of this thing!"

"You’re alive!"

"No, I am a ghost, you simpering simpleton! Do something!"

"Hold on!" Kit managed to pry his ankle from the vine’s grasp, and once again fell on his head. "Ugh," he moaned, getting to his feet. "You know, I’m gettin’ kinda tired of that." He had to find the knife, fast. "Just keep it busy!"

Given the struggle he was in, Karnage had no problem doing that. The plant scrunched down hard on him, and between that and Karnage pushing up, the Captain folded up and down like an accordion. "Hurry!"

Kit searched frantically, keeping a weary eye on the squirming vines at the same time. "I’m trying!"

Carefully avoiding the plant’s small, but many jagged teeth, Karnage put his hands and feet on its ‘lips,’ one at a time, a last ditch effort to get out. "What is taking so long?!"

"I can’t find the knife," Kit answered. "I don’t suppose you saw where it fell after you hit your head?"

Karnage gave him an exasperated but murderous look.

"Okay, okay. I guess you didn’t," Kit said.

"Whoa!" Suddenly snapping its jaws shut and jerking its head back, the plant sent Karnage flipping like a flapjack. But the Captain hadn’t given up just yet. He landed back on the head, and clamped the plant’s mouth shut with his arms and legs.

Over a patch of long grass, Kit came to a pond, and when he looked inside, he saw an object glistening at the bottom. "I found it!" he exclaimed. "Hold on!"

"I am! I am!"

Kit suddenly had the strangest feeling of déjà vu. He pulled off his sweater and undershirt, dropping them on the ground, and waded into the water. Unfortunately, his feet kicked up a brown cloud of mud with each step, blanketing the ground. Closing his eyes, he dunked down, and felt for the knife until he found it, then resurfaced. "All right, I’m com—ack!" No sooner than he opened his eyes, another treacherous vine quickly wrapped around his neck and yanked him out of the pond.

The plant’s head tried desperately to shake Karnage off like a wild bull, but the Captain was holding tight. "Oh no you don’t!" Out of a sheer impulse of anger, Karnage bit down on its green flesh and tore a chunk off. "*ptooey* How do you like it, you worthless weed?"

Though choking, Kit tried to keep his head, and a hold of his knife. He plunged the blade hard into the vine, slicing it lengthwise. Bleeding a green liquid all over his chest, it loosened its grip, and he could breath again. After a small gasp, he wheezed, "See how you like this," and plunged the knife in a second time. It let go completely and retreated into the bush of which it came. Kit fell to the ground, coughing. Then he noticed the green muck on him. "Ugh, what is this stuff?"

"Boy!" Still clinging for dear life, Karnage was getting a little desperate.

"I got it," Kit said, raising the knife. "Uh… now what?"

"Attack it!" Karnage ordered. The mouth was beginning to beat him in their test of strengths, and inched open.

Kit looked at the giant plant in awe. "Attack it?" He couldn’t reach the head even if he wanted to; it was too high, and too far back in its nest of thick foliage. "How?"

"Stab it, you eediot!"

"I can’t reach it!" Kit had an idea, though. "Look, I’ll throw the knife up to you. It can’t stand being cut!"

Karnage gripped the mouth harder, his forehead burning red with anger. "And… just… how am I supposed to catch it?"

"Uh… dang." Kit thought for a few seconds. He knew Karnage wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. "I got it! I’ll make the knife stick to it, then you grab it!"

Karnage’s eyes became like saucers. "Stick? You do not mean…"

Kit unfolded the knife, and holding the blade with his fingers, wound it back over his head. "Just don’t move."

"No no no no, bad idea!" Karnage shouted. "Bad!"

"I can do this," Kit said confidently, although to himself. It had over a year since he last threw a knife, and both he and the Captain knew it. Not to mention the plant was still violently shaking to make Karnage let go, making it even more difficult to throw the knife close to his hands, without actually hitting him.

Karnage shut his eyes. "If there is one thing I taught you that you remember well, let it be this!"

Kit’s fingers tingled as he concentrated on his throw. He had to pick just the right moment. Easy…easy…

"Will you get it over with already?" Karnage demanded.

Gritting his teeth, Kit thrust his arm forward, just as Karnage lost his grip. The plant’s jaws opened wide, swallowing the Captain… and the knife.

"Oh no…" Kit’s voice seemed to scrape his throat. "I… I blew it."

Kit backpedaled, keeping his vigilant eyes focused on the beast. For some reason, it froze, as if stunned. Wait a minute… what’s it doing?

The blade of Kit’s knife suddenly punched through the roof of the its mouth, then tore all the way down to the jaw, spraying green goo everywhere like a geyser of slime. The plant hissed and quivered in agony, then fell to the ground with a heavy, squishy thud.

"What the—" Kit tripped over his own feet and fell backwards, but not taking his eyes off the thing.

Panting, Karnage protruded from the cut he just made, and threw the knife in the dirt, seething, "You chose the wrong Pirate for breakfast, didn’t you, you overgrown shrub!"

Kit could hardly believe it. Despite himself, he had to admit that Karnage’s performance was quite impressive.

The Captain was having trouble pulling his legs out, though, and ended up tumbling to the ground, which made him even angrier. He wasn’t hurt, but when he got to his feet, he noticed he was completely covered in the slimy film the plant bled. He whimpered in horrified disgust and outstretched his arms.

"You want a napkin?" Kit grinned.

Karnage threw his arms around violently, sending green globs flying. "Shut up, you! I hate plants!" He went to kick the dead plant, but slipped on the slime, and landed on his back.

Kit fell back in hysterics as Karnage let out a scream of frustration.

"What are you laughing at?" Karnage tried to get to his feet, but slipped again, this time doing the splits. He felt like yelling again, but wouldn’t give Kit such pleasure. So, calmly and slowly, he raised himself up, trying not to shudder at the goo dripping from his body. "There."

Kit finally stopped laughing at looked at him. "What? Should I clap now?"

Karnage scowled, and started stepping towards Kit. "Perhaps you should run before I—" Two steps and he slipped again… this time he absolutely refused to fall, but his feet just wouldn’t catch traction. The result: Kit watched him sway, kick, and spin like a dizzy cancan dancer away from the plant… towards the pond.

*splash*

Kit casually walked to the water, grinning smugly. "Well, that’s one way to get cleaned off."

Karnage muttered in Spanish and swiped his hand across the pond.

Kit knelt down and cupped some water with his hands, rinsing his chest off. Geez, the nights’ve got nothing on the mornings around here.