Tale Spin Fan Fic
by Katie Sullivan
Chapter 5
Interlude...
Flashback
June 1941
Almost one year before Karnage met Scarlet
It was a drizzly, miserable day, typical of winter in Cape Suzette, the sort of day when it takes supreme effort simply to get out of bed. Karnage's pirates were no exception, and he had to yell at the top of his lungs before they were all awake and moderately alert.
"Rise and be shiny, my useless lackeys!" he bellowed into the barracks. "Time is ticking past like the little choo-choo train! There are planes to plunder, you pathetic pirates!"
When only half of them attempted to get up, he grabbed an old pistol and fired it into the ceiling. The entire crew jumped in fright and began scrambling for their boots and clothes.
"That's better," Karnage said. "I want everyone ready and in the Iron Vulture in fifteen minutes, or I will keel-haul the lethargic lot of you!"
The grumbling pirates hurried to comply.
Some nautical miles away from Pirate Island, Louie was having a bad day. Half his staff was in bed with the Sowbuggian Flu, the jukebox was broken, he was out of mangos, and Baloo's tab had reached an all-time high. One of his only healthy waitresses, a black-haired vixen who looked barely old enough to have a job, was literately running to keep up with the constant barrage of orders.
She was new, but she learned quickly. Her intelligence was obvious, although she only spoke broken English. Louie had been exposed to a myriad of accents in his days, and he was quite sure hers was Italian.
The young fox rushed up to the counter and exchanged a tray of empty glasses for a load of fresh drinks. She looked so stressed that Louie felt compelled to say something. "Relax, cupcake. It'll all get done."
She grinned. "Is okay. Good exercise." Then, with a flourish of her tail, she was off again, serving drinks with paper umbrellas to a table of thirsty Khan pilots in the corner.
Soon there came a lull in business, and the flustered waitress returned to the bar, flopping down with a sigh that meant fatigue in any language.
Louie poured her a tall drink and slid it down the whole length of the counter until it came to a stop directly in front of her. She gave a grateful smile and took a sip. Quickly, as if remembering, she pushed the glass away. "No alcohol," she said.
Louie slid the glass back to her. "There isn't any in there, sweetface. Ol' Louie don't want the help drunker than the customers!"
She paused, seemingly translating silently, and resumed drinking. Before long she began to catch her breath, and her posture became more relaxed.
A hearty voice called from the doorway, "Hiya, Louie! You'll never guess what just happened!"
Louie stopped wiping off the counter. "Lemme guess...a gorilla bird ate your wallet? Martians came back for Wildcat? You outran nineteen pirates at once? Becky give you a raise?"
Baloo plopped his considerable weight onto a stool next to the waitress. Kit Cloudkicker was a step behind him. "Naw, nothing that boring," the pilot scoffed. "My navigator just aced his spelling test!" He clapped a proud hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Two Krakatoa Specials to celebrate, Louie my man!"
Louie decided this wasn't the time to nag him to pay his tab, so he scooped out two sundaes from the freezer and lit a handful of sparklers. "Well, congratulations, kiddo! You've earned this here ice cream!"
Kit laughed happily. "Thanks, Louie!"
"Spell it," Baloo challenged.
"T-H-A-N-K-S!" Kit recited effortlessly.
"That's my boy!" Baloo beamed, raising an ice cream-laden spoon in salute. "Y'know, Louie I dunno about those Martians and gorilla birds, and Becky'll never give me a raise, but you weren't far off about the pirates. Karny's on the prowl today, over by the Twin Spires again. Boy, was he steamed when he found out we weren't carryin' any cargo! 'Course, that's the only reason we let him catch us, right, Kit?"
"Right, Papa Bear," Kit said through a mouthful of ice cream.
"Nothing like irritating pirates to brighten up a rainy day," Baloo said with a grin. "A bad day for Karnage is a good day for us!"
The waitress beside him suddenly turned and spoke. "You know Don Karnage?" she asked in halting English.
Baloo chuckled. "Well, I dunno if you'd say that, but we cross paths pretty often."
"How is he as?" she asked. Seeing no comprehension on the grey bear's face, she re-phrased. "Uh...I am meaning, how is he like?"
"What's he like? He's a no-good son of a swine herder, that's what he's like," Baloo said bitterly.
"Much problem for you, this pirate?" the vixen asked.
"You don't know the half of it, kid," he snorted. "If I had a shaboozie for every time I lost a cargo to that worthless piece of sky scum, I could buy back the Sea Duck and have enough left to pay off my tab!"
Louie mumbled, "That'd be a first." Kit fought back a giggle.
"This Karnage," the waitress said, leaning forward to listen, "where is he? To see him is important for me."
"Whoa, girl, I don't think you realize what I'm talkin' about, here," Baloo said. "Karnage is a dirty rotten crook! Why would a pretty lil' thing like you want to see him?"
"Where is he?" she pressed.
"It wasn't my day to watch him, kiddo. Last I saw he was over by the Twin Spires making me late...again."
"Twin Spires?" she repeated carefully.
"Yeah, but trust me, you don't want anything to do with that two-bit buccaneer!"
Heedless of his warning, the vixen jumped to her feet, smiling from ear to ear. "Grazie! Thank you!" She grabbed a bulky duffel bag from behind the bar and ran out the door.
Moments later there was the sound of airplane engines starting. Baloo and Kit watched through the window as a small, old plane badly in need of new green paint took off into the grey sky. Baloo scratched his head. "Now what d'ya suppose got into her? Strange kid."
Kit peered wistfully out the rain-streaked windowpane. "Gosh, she has her license? No way is she old enough!"
Louie shrugged. "Don't look at me, cuz. All I know is, she came in here a couple weeks ago asking about Karnage. When everybody looked at her funny she dropped the pirate questions and just asked for a job. I needed a waitress, she looked old enough for that, and so I hired the gal. Don't know nothin' about her, though. Italian, I think."
Kit turned away from the window. "Did you notice her tail?"
Baloo gave a reproachful look. "Now, Kit, you ain't old enough to be noticing things like that."
"No," Kit said, raising his eyes. "I mean, she looks like a fox and all, but her tail is colored on the underside, not the tip."
"So?" Baloo shrugged.
"That's not normal. Weird markings like that usually mean you're a hybrid!"
A few of the nearby patrons paused in their conversations to stare at Kit. Hybrids were social outcasts of the worst kind, and openly accusing someone of being one was a terrible insult. The boy had heard much worse in his days, however.
Louie resumed wiping the counter with a none-too-clean rag. "Now, Kit, you musta been seein' things. I never have any hybrids workin' for me. You know that. Makes the whole place look bad."
Kit frowned. "But she was asking about Karnage, and--"
"What, Lil' Britches?" Baloo prompted.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything." The young bear returned his
attention to his slowly melting Krakatoa Special.
Don Karnage was getting frustrated. He had hijacked four planes that morning. Two, including that pesky Sea Duck, were empty. From the other two, he managed to acquire a crate of dental floss and a shipment of radios. Dental hygiene is not a major concern for pirates, and the radios would only bring a few hundred dollars on the black market. Hardly a victorious day of plundering.
There had to be something truly valuable in the skies that day. All he had to do was find it. Or, perhaps, let it find him.
"Cap'n, there's another plane coming," Mad Dog said, squinting into the ship's peri-telescope. "You want us to capture it?"
"No, I want you to invite it in for coffee and donuts!" When Mad Dog looked confused Karnage put a disgusted hand to his head and growled, "Yes, you idiot, of course I want you to capture it!"
The pirates scrambled to their planes while Karnage took a look through the telescope for himself. It was an old plane, a single-engine model that was twenty years old if it was a day. A small craft, but perhaps it held something worthy of his time. Still, it was best to let the others do the actual attack this time. That way is something went wrong, he could easily blame them. And the way his luck was going that day, blunders were a real possibility.
As the small plane neared, Karnage realized it was the same model as his own very first aircraft. A Flyright 400. That brought back memories! For the sake of nostalgia, he ordered into the radio, "See what cargo there is to steal, but do not harm the plane, men. I wish to add that antique to my collection."
Half-hearted "ayes" came from the others. Karnage stood at the huge window on the bridge of the Iron Vulture with his hands on his hips, watching as his crew surrounded the little green plane. Oddly enough, the newcomer didn't attempt to elude them. If anything it seemed to be veering toward the massive airship.
An unexpected voice came from the radio. "Carlotta Barzini calling Iron Vulture. Hello?" It was a female voice, heavily accented. "Hello Iron Vulture. I come to see Don Felipe Karnage."
Karnage whirled in surprise at the mention of a first name he usually avoided using. What in the world...? No, who in the world? That wasn't a Spanish accent. Sounded Italian. And what did she say her last name was?
He grabbed the radio mike in one hand and unconsciously laid the other on his sword hilt. "This is Don Karnage," he said with authoritative hauteur. "What foolish person approaches the mighty Iron Vulture?"
"I am called Carlotta," said the stranger. "I am the daughter of Isabella Barzini. It is necessary for me to speak at you."
He pondered. She didn't sound threatening. And--wait a minute...Isabella Barzini? There was a name he hadn't heard in eons!
"Mad Dog, Dumptruck," he said at last, "escort this new lady-person on board."
"Yessir, Cap'n."
"And do not harm her. Yet."
Several minutes later, a vixen in a leather flight jacket and denim shorts was led onto the bridge of the Iron Vulture at sword point. She was surprisingly young, clearly no more than thirteen. Her dark beauty, although just budding, was indesputable. Black fire shone in her Mediterranean eyes, and a halo of long, raven hair surrounded her calm face. "Don Felipe Karnage?" she asked.
"Yes..." he said with a wary frown. "And just who are you?"
"I tell you, I am the daughter of Isabella Barzini. Carlotta."
"Isabella Barzini of Florence, Italy?"
"Si. Yes."
"I know her. But I did not know she had a daughter. What are you doing here?" He studied her around the blade of his sword, keeping the weapon visible to discourage lying.
"Can I speak at you, signior, without these men?" she asked, gesturing at the pirates behind her.
"No. You will tell me now. What do you want? Why are you here?"
The young vixen smiled a little and cocked her head. "Because you are my father."
Karnage blinked, suddenly finding himself stared at by everyone on the bridge. Hastily, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the corridor. "We speak alone."
"Good," she said with a sly smile.
He took her down the hall to an empty room, furnished with bookshelves and an ancient desk: his cabin. He locked the door and spun to face the young vixen, angrily jabbing a finger at her. "What are you talking about, seņorita? What kind of joke is this?"
She faltered, searching for the right words. "Do you remember the Italian? My English is bad."
"Si, si," he said with an impatient wave of his hand. He was only somewhat more fluent in Italian than English.
"Oh, good," she said in Italian, smiling in relief. "I don't speak English very well."
"I understand," he said, also in Italian. "Now what do you mean, you are my daughter? Is this a joke?" Behind his frown was a real cast of anxiety.
"It's no joke. My mother is Isabella Barzini, the pirate of Florence, Italy. She says you are my father, Don Felipe Karnage."
"But--" he began. "She never said anything about you!"
"She didn't know about me until after you left Italy for Usland."
"But-- But-- She never tried to contact me!"
"She was angry at you for leaving her behind, and she didn't need you."
Karnage's frown deepened. "Not need me? Me? The great, noble and dashing pirate?"
"Well, whatever the reason, until last year I didn't even know who you were, and until today, apparently, you didn't know I existed. I had a terrible time tracking you down. You're a very difficult person to find."
"I know. That is intentional!" he snapped. "Now tell me, Signorina...Carlotta, you said?"
"Yes."
"Tell me...how do I know you are my daughter? Isabella was not the most...shall I say, discreet woman in Florence."
Carlotta held up a hand to stop him and turned halfway around. "See this?" she said, pointing to her tail. "My tail markings are not that of a fox. It's like a huge banner announcing to the world that I'm a hybrid." Her tone was bitter. "You, at least, can pose as a red wolf. I'm stuck like this. I even tried dying my tail, but it turned all greeny-colored!"
"That only proves your father was all or part wolf." Karnage crossed his arms on his chest and tried to look defiant. Frankly, her certainly of his own hybrid status was unsettling. Here she was, blabbing his most closely-guarded secret as if it were common knowledge!
She nodded. "True. But look at me." Her dark eyes bored into him stubbornly, forcing him to meet her gaze. Through her eyes...her ears...her chin...she was a Karnage. He was forced to admit, at least to himself, that they shared a striking resemblance.
Flustered, he drew himself up to his full height and scowled. "Yes, well, you are good-looking like me, but so is your mother also beautiful. That does not prove anything." He wondered if his words sounded any more convincing to her than they did in his own ears. Judging by her expression, probably not.
"Are you calling my mother a liar?"
"Yes."
She stamped her foot in frustration. "Look, signior, I'm not looking for money or anything. I just wanted to meet you and to find out about this half of my heritage. That's all. I don't need you to raise me. Mama did a fine job of that. But I am curious about you. And I thought perhaps you would want to know I existed."
"Your mother sent you?"
"No," she said quickly. "She didn't want me to go. But I just had to meet you." Her frown softened into a smile, and she put a hand on his chest. "Father."
He backed away, nearly tripping on the rug. "No, no, no. The ruthless pirate Don Karnage is no one's father!"
She grinned impishly. "Oh, yes you are! Like it or not, I'm here. Don't worry, I won't cramp your style. It's not like you've got to change my diapers or anything. I don't even need you to teach me to fly. Like I said, I just wanted to meet you, see what you were like." Carlotta unbuttoned a pocket of her flight jacket and withdrew a diamond-shaped crystal medallion on a heavy gold chain. "Remember this? You gave this to my mother after stealing it from a countess. You told her to keep it as a remembrance of her Prince of Pirates. And then less than a month later you left the country without even really saying good-bye."
Karnage gawked briefly at the pendant and the story, both of which matched up with his memories. He angrily opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words would come.
Carlotta raised an eyebrow and displayed a very Karnage-like grin. "Now do you believe me?"
"All right, fine, so it is possible you are my daughter. You said you just wanted to meet me. You have met me. Now leave!"
"But I want to know about you."
"Did not your mother tell you?" he snapped.
"Just that you were from somewhere near Cuba, ran away from home, and stayed in Italy for a few years while you learned how to be a pirate from my great-uncle Vincenzo."
"Anything else?"
"She said you were very charming and good-looking."
He smirked. "That is true."
"And that she had to break out of jail about a dozen times."
"What?" he seethed. "It was only four times, and I was-- I mean, that is a load of-- I never-- She didn't-- Ooh, that wench and her free tongue have gotten me into more problems than a mouse at a cat convention!"
"And...she said you're a foxwolf hybrid. Which makes me one-fourth wolf."
"I-- I-- I--" Karnage stammered. "That is a lie!"
Carlotta pointedly flashed her tail at him. "Then how come we both have these tail markings? And how come you don't have ear markings like a fox?"
"I-- I-- That is none of your business!" he sputtered furiously.
"And you called my mother a liar. You're a hybrid."
"I am no such thing!"
Carlotta pulled a flask from her jacket. "Then drink this. It's brandy. Strong brandy. If you're not a hybrid, nothing will happen. If you are...well, let's hope you've got a doctor on board this overgrown airship of yours."
He kept his arms tightly crossed on his chest. "I do not need to prove anything to you!"
She held the flask in front of his face and sneered. "If you're not a hybrid, what are you afraid of?"
"You may have put the poison in there."
"If you're a hybrid, it might as well be poison, right? Or do you enjoy hallucinating while you have convulsions and vomit? My mother warned me, but I didn't listen. No, I learned the hard way. But now I know. Hybrids and alcohol don't mix. So, what are you waiting for? Bottoms up!" she taunted.
Don Karnage's temper finally snapped. He knocked the flask from her hand, sending it careening across the room to ricochet off the steel wall. With a growl, he drew his sword, only to find his blow blocked by Carlotta's rapier. It was a short blade that fit inconspicuously on her belt, but she obviously knew how to make the most of it. Still, he was far stronger, and soon she was on her knees, struggling to free her weapon from beneath his sword. He knocked her off-balance with his foot and put a knee on her stomach, keeping her flat on the floor.
"Now you listen to me, little one. I would run you through with my blade right now for talking to me like that if not for one thing: I believe you. I believe you are my daughter. So I let you live. But you need to learn some manners."
Carlotta was shaken but defiant. "Manners? I don't even remember what they are anymore. When you're a hybrid, no one respects you. I've been beaten, laughed at, spat upon... But then, I'm sure you know all too well what that's like. How could you even think of spreading your tainted genes to an innocent child? Your mixed blood has been a lifelong curse to me!"
Karnage laughed ironically. "In case you had not noticed, you were not something that happened on purpose!"
"Oh, I've noticed. There's hardly been a day in my life I haven't been reminded. I'm a bastard hybrid, and I know it!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she relaxed the muscles in her arms, letting her rapier fall to the floor. "I know what I am! I can't help it! I just thought...I don't know what I thought. I just..." She began sobbing.
Don Karnage stood up and resheathed his sword, utterly confused. He could deal with opponents who kicked, fought, swore, and hit. But tears? He had no idea what to do. "Stop that," he snapped. "Stop with the cryingness!"
The command only made her weep harder. Before long her face was glistening with moisture, and she tried to dry it with the back of her sleeve. For lack of anything better to do, Karnage got a handkerchief from a desk drawer and dropped it in front of her. She nearly smiled at the kind gesture, but his dark scowl dashed her lightened mood. She loudly blew her nose into the handkerchief and leaned back against his desk with renewed sobs. "Everybody hates me! I can't help who I am! I didn't choose to be born a hybrid! And it's not my fault my parents were never married!"
"Married? I would not have married your miserable mother for all the sea in China! She had the temper of a thousand scorched tigers! And, most worst of all, she did this to me!" he yelled, pointing to his tattered ear. "Did she tell you that?"
Carlotta shook her head, her watery eyes wide.
"She did! With her dagger, she ruined my wonderful ear! She maimed my magnificent self! Horribly harmed my handsome head!"
"Why?" she asked with a sniff.
"Why? Because she is a dirty, rotten, sneaky, nasty little...mean-person!"
"But what did you do to make her mad?" Carlotta asked. The fiery sparkle was soon rekindled in her eyes.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Yeah, right!"
"Do not sass me, little one! If I am your father, I can send you to bed without your supper, yes-no?" A smug grin spread over his face.
"Shut up," she grumbled through the handkerchief.
"If you must know, you rude and nosy child, I was telling her that our romance was over, and that I was leaving Italy."
Carlotta thought for a moment, then smiled half-heartedly. "That sounds like Mama, all right." She mulled over the situation for a moment, then asked, "If you had known I was to be born, would you have stayed?"
"Of course! Probably. Maybe. Perhaps. I don't know."
She shrunk down and sighed. "I thought so."
There was a few seconds of exceedingly awkward silence, broken only by Carlotta's sniffles. At last, Karnage said, "You said you wanted to know about me?" She nodded meekly. "Then get your running nose off the floor and into a chair. I suppose I can tell you the highlights."
And the highlights was exactly what he gave her. Names of his parents and sister, but nothing about Ignacio. Basic odds and ends of information, but no details. Enough to satisfy the girl's curiosity.
After a few days of reluctant bonding, Karnage was both strangely relieved and disappointed to see Carlotta leave. The crew was gullible enough to believe him when he said the whole thing was a misunderstanding. She didn't know English well, obviously, and so thought the word for "cousin" was "father." That explained away the family resemblance while maintaining his reputation.
Carlotta hugged him self-consciously once before departing, to his
embarrassment, and hopped back in her plane. Well, his plane, technically. It had
been his very first plane, one he left behind in Italy after acquiring his famous tri-wing
CT-37. He was secretly amazed that she was able to fly at her young age. And she flew
perfectly well, over the horizon and out of his life as quickly as she had appeared. He
had been in more or less a state of denial since then.
On to Chapter 6
Back to Chapter 4
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This story and the characters Scarlet, Carlotta, Gonzalo, Lorita, Dolores, Isabella and Ignacio are (c) Katie Sullivan and may not be used without permission. Katarina is (c) Kayleen Connell and may not be used without permission, either. Don Karnage, the Iron Vulture, the Air Pirates, Mad Dog, Dumptruck, Cape Suzette, Tale Spin and all related indica, etc, are (c) The Walt Disney Company and are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes only.