MiST: Properties of Life
by Joseph "Cloudheart" Greenlee
Talespin is property of Walt Disney Co. The characters of Kit Cloudkicker, Baloo, Rebecca Cunninham, Molly Cunningham, Wildcat, Sher Khan, Don Karnage, Ernie, Louie, Ratchet, Maddog, and Dumptruck are all property of Walt Disney Co. as well. This is being written without permission, and absolutely no money will be made from it as well, so for the love of everything decent DON'T SUE ME!! All of my characters as well as this story, are property of I, my *most* glorious self, and is not to be used without my permission. (If you want it for your site, just ask..:)
The MST3K crew has been replaced by that of the Talespin one. While they intrepidly attempt escape, our TS crew is now faced with the challenges that present themselves in the Sattelite of Love......
"The Properties of Life"
Plot synopsis- this story takes place directly after Plunder and Lightning. Life's changing for all of the main characters, none more so than Kit and Baloo. Wildcat and Louie are attempting to adjust to the new addition to Baloo's life, his navigator.
Kit: Oh, yeah, they really have to get used to me. I don't even *live* with them!
Baloo: Well, you are a little annoying..
Kit: (humorlessly) eh heh heh...Funny
Kit is dealing with his first frustrations with finally having to really answer to someone and is feeling the pinch on his old freedoms, but is still surprised by the relative comfort of his new life.
Becky: Kit, that reminds me....did you remember to clean out the sceptic tank?
Baloo is dealing with the stress of having to take care of someone else. Rebecca and Molly are adjusting to life in Cape Suzette after Winger City and have found their new apartment. Then, on an important mission to the Island of Pinasta, the Sea Duck is attacked and crashes in the surrounding Sea of Lascal- (It took me forever to think of some of these names),
Baloo: Oh, yeah..we can tell.
where the on-gong Civil War on the island is about to life much more difficult for the pilot and navigator of the famous sea-plane. Consider it a jumping off point for.
Baloo: our attention spans!
Kit: We just started! Give it a chance!
the series and the many different adventures these characters will have.
Timeline- July 7, 1936
The Sea Duck's engines hummed with new life.
Becky: As a newly formed artificial intelligence, it decided to join the other planes in a rebellion to, oh sorry! Too much DWD.....
Looking at the plane, one could never tell that it had been the main instrument in putting a stop to Karnage and his pirates when they had invaded the city nearly three weeks ago. Kit had had a difficult time convincing Baloo that he was the only pilot capable of taking out Karnage's lightning gun and Ms. Cunningham-
Baloo: It wasn’t easy to bump her off, but I easily recovered.
Kit didn't know if he would ever be comfortable calling her Rebecca, certainly not Becky as Baloo did- had assured the pilot and newly restored navigator of the plane that rubber and electricity don't mix. But when the plane had been totalled on a wild ride through the Iron Vulture, Ms. Cunningham had paid the price of returning the now historic sea-plane back to it's original model. She had even managed to something more difficult than that, convince Baloo to be her pilot.
Becky: Hey, I managed to something....*how* about that?
Kit chuckled, remembering that first flight with the plane. *That was some _great_ cloudsurfing* Thinking of his favorite pastime, the boy smiled and heard a now familiar voice break through his reverie.
Baloo: Kit ! You're hearing voices! Oh. They mean me!
"Man, Lil' Britches, it's like she just got out of the factory, smooth, what a great plane."
Kit: Wasn’t the plane smooth before? Oh, wait, the ride was smooth. Got it..
Kit rolled his eyes, "That's because it _did_ just come out of the factory, remember Baloo?" The gray bear didn't seem to hear him.
Kit: Maybe he has some sort of tropical disease....
Becky: Memory loss, loss of hearing, cant follow directions..has trouble operating heavy machinery if he doesn’t feel like it, complains a lot....sounds as good an explanation as any.
"Yeah, kiddo, never thought 'ol Baloo'd be flying this baby again, they can work miracles nowadays. Still don't have a lot of my personal modifications, though,
Baloo: Like the hidden compartments I use to hide Wildcats stash!
guess there'll be plenty 'o time for that later." Baloo lovingly patted the console like Kit had seen him do nearly a hundred times before.
Kit: Baloo’s apparently an obsessive-compulsive in this fic.
"But still no overdrive, huh, Papa Bear?" the cub asked without really thinking. It had been a sketchy explanation at best as to how Baloo had appeared out of nowhere to grab him as Karnage had gleefully dropped him to his death. Rebecca and more so, Molly had told him how the three had escaped from Pirate Island and the high speed modification on the engines.
"Yup, kid, had it when I needed it though." the bear looked over at his navigator with an odd expression on his face.
Becky: He had had a lot of burritos for lunch.
He still really hadn't gotten used to someone else being there. Especially not an 11-year old cub- 12 soon!, Kit reminded him daily- who showed remarkable abilities in almost any area he applied himself to.
Baloo often found himself wondering at the strange partnership. Kit acted so much older than most _adults_ that it was often hard to remember that he was just a kid. *An independent one at that* the bear thought ruefully. Kit didn't complain, wasnt' demanding and wasn't obvious about anything personal, and so, he was about the opposite of any kid Baloo had ever been around. *That's what caught my eye, he's different. Nah, more 'n that, he's special.*
Kit: (putting his hands behind his head with a smirk) Its true…*Im* incredible.. (Becky and Baloo both make gag gestures)
Looking over, Kit saw Baloo staring at him. "What?" he asked suddenly. "Nothin', just thinking, that's all. How far to Cape Suzette partner?"
Kit smiled, it was nice to have someone who not only called him by name, but by several nicknames as well. "'Bout an hour, not far. Say Baloo, how about letting me take the board out, thanks!" Kit finished without letting Baloo say anything and grabbed the foil out from beneath his sweater. He began to head to the cargo hold when he felt himself being picked up and sat back down in his seat.
Kit: Well that was kind of demeaning....
"Just a minute, Kit." "Look, I don't know much about that thing and..." Baloo began.
Becky: (Baloo) And I need a subplot where I get to complain about something...
"Come on, Baloo! It's safe, I _have_ done it before." Kit tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice but he wasn't used to having to supply explanations to anyone, usually he was the pesky kid everyone either ignored or told to buzz off. But the large bear not only liked to hear explanations, he seemed to expect them. Baloo seemed to think of Kit as a new part of the Sea Duck,
Kit: He thinks of me as an inanimate object?? Oh yeah, theres a step up from being a pirate...
and Baloo never let anything happen to his plane.
Becky: (starts laughing uncontrollably)
Baloo: Hey!
At least that's what Kit thought about Baloo's concern.
"Yeah, I know you've done it before, kid. Who'da think was flying when you were out there?" "But this isn't yer old board, it it trustworthy?"
Becky: It it? Well, that’s a Sea Duck of a different color...
"I've used it before Baloo, don't you think I know how to build one?"
Kit: Yeah, its not like you’ve never seen one before and...oh.
"I don't know kid, I didn't know anyone knew how to build one." "Besides, I thought about heading to Louie's, we got time."
Becky: Ha! Pay up!
Kit grudgingly hands money over to Rebecca
Baloo: You bet on me?!
Kit scowled at Baloo, something in him knew that Louie's was just the pilot's excuse for ending an upcoming argument. "Baloo, this is me, remember?"
Kit: Do you have amnesia again? Should I call someone?
"I've been doing this a long time before I met you!" Kit said in a last-ditch effort to get some use out of the board.
"Well, when you're in my plane and when you're my navigator, what I say, _goes_!" Baloo sounded irritated, which he was, at himself for sounding and thinking like a ....well, parent, and because he knew the argument was about to ensue.
Kit was now definitely more than a little angry.
Baloo: Hes also a little navigator, a little cloudsurfer, a little Jungle Ace..
Kit: We get the point!
Baloo sounded pretty serious and the boy wasn't sure he liked being told what to do. "I don't get it Baloo, why are you getting on my case now? My airfoil is safe, I did a good job building it and I know what I'm doing....quit treating me like a little kid."
"You're 11 Kit, I know, I know, 12 soon," the bear said when he saw that Kit was about to interrupt, "and sure, you don't act like a kid, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. In my book, 11 means that once in a while you've gotta trust my judgement."
Kit: I thought it meant being able to completely wander about the world as I please. Guess I was wrong...
"What about my judgement? Here Papa Bear, take a look at it, it's fine." Kit made an effort to calm down, mainly because in the three weeks he had known Baloo, he didn't like quarreling with him. The pilot took the crescent-shaped board and looked at it dubiously.
Kit: (Baloo) Ooh! shiny.....
He then flicked it open and shut a few times, patted it, looked at it from the side, back and front then repeated the process before handing it back to a very impatient Kit.
Kit: Im pretty darned hard to please in this thing.
"See, it's fine now...." Kit stopped when he saw Louie's place on the horizon and gritted his teeth in frustration.
Ted: Grit! WOOHOO!
Kit: What the heck was that?
Becky: I don’t know....I just want to go home!
"Sorry Kit-boy, looks like we're here." Baloo said sounding happy and a little....relieved? "Next time you can have a go at it."
The pilot said to the cub who was fingering the board.
"Yeah, sure Papa Bear, next time," and was silent as the Sea Duck docked.
*Amazing* Kit thought, *he always seems to get twice as much energy whenever we get here*
Becky: Louie’s was now a coffee house...
and smiled as the large bear bounded out of the plane and helped his navigator down, then both walked in.
Kit: And got stuck in the door!
"Hey, 'ol buddy, came by to see your pal Louie, huh?" came a colorful voice from behind the bar.
Wildcat: Were Huey and Duey there too?..Oh. Prob’bly not!
Becky: Wildcat, go back to the lobby!
Baloo: That was rude..
Becky: He likes it better there....besides, I don’t know the rating to this fic, and I don’t want to expose him to anything too graphic!
"Hey Louie, yeah, new job ya know, haven't been able to come by as often, how's business?" the bear looked around.
"See for yourself," the red ape motioned an arm to the near-empty room, "empty one day, full the next, kinda like your finances, heh Baloo?"
Kit: Why did you just ask such an obvious question?
Baloo: (shrugs)
"Mostly empty buddy, but just wait...pretty soon."
"Yeah, sure cuz, howya doing shortstop?"
Kit: Oh, gee golly, I love my new nickname!
Louie asked Kit who had stood quietly to the side feeling a little out of place during the good-natured bantering.
"Uh...fine, thanks....Louie." Kit had to stop himself from adding a Sir to the orangutan's name. He still didn't know the bartender very well, but being Baloo's friend and a pretty friendly adult, the boy included him into his ever widening circle of friends.
Becky: Oooh! Is Chris O’Donnell in this?
Kit: Uh, no...
"Glad to hear it, Kit." "By the way, just 'cause you're hanging out with 'ol fuzzy here, don't pick up any of his bad habits, like an unpaid tab?" here Louie looked pointedly at Baloo who was fidgeting uncomfortably.
Kit: Yep, he had burritos for lunch, alright.
Kit laughed and had a seat next to the big pilot.
"So, how is that new job, Ms. What's-her-name treating you two alright?"
"Cunningham," Kit said as Baloo said "Becky" at the same time.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She working you boys like a pair of pack mules, what's the scoop?"
Kit was about to explain that their new boss was actually pretty likeable when Baloo started in on a long tirade about the agony he had suffered under Rebecca.
(Kit holds his hand out expectedly. Becky shells out Kits money and gives it back to him, Baloo and Becky sulk in their seats, while Kit grins..)
Halfway through Baloo's bluster Louie winked at Kit and flipped him a key.
While Baloo was still complaining, (and showing no sign of stopping), Louie leaned over to whisper to the cub.
Kit: (Louie) Quick! Go to the back and find a plot!
"Fuzzy here told me how hung up you are on airplanes. Got me something special in one of my rooms, go ahead and take a look, I'll have to tell you about it some other time. Second floor, Sixth door on the right."
Kit: (Kit) Aaand hide Baloo’s crowbar whileyoureatit!..
and the ape leaned back over to nod sympathetically to the bear's tale of woe.
Kit was a little touched, first that Baloo had mentioned his all-time passion to Louie and second, because the ape had taken the time to single him out. A warm feeling spread in his chest as he walked up the stairs holding the key.
Kit: Man, theres all sorts of stuff going around. I guess I’m stuck with another disease..
Baloo had stopped complaining.
Becky: When?!
and watched Kit ascend the staircase.
"I tell ya Louie, sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here."
Baloo: That was deep.
Kit: Oh, its going to be one of thooooose fics...
"Whatcha mean, Baloo?" Louie asked, surprised. "Man, I thought you and the kid was gettin' along just fine."
"Well, we do, most of the time, but it's like what happened earlier, before we got here." Baloo explained about the small fight he and Kit had had in the plane. "Kid sure is stubborn, an' I feel like I don't know nothin' bout him most of the time." "Don't get me wrong, I really care about him, but...."
Kit: Im thinking of trading him in for some spare parts. You know...
Baloo stopped here.
"Yeah, go on, I'm listenin'"
Becky: This is Dr. Frasier Crane..
"Well, what happened to his folks? What if all of a sudden he decides to up and leave again, he's done it with other places, what's stopping him here? I tell ya, buddy, don't know how I ever got so attached so fast but I don't think I could handle it if he left, of it something happened to him. He's still just a kid and I feel sort of responsible for him, trouble is, he won't open up, and he just does what he wants."
Kit: Problem, problem! Do you....see a problem here?, I cant seem to think of one!
"Don't get the wrong idea, he's a good kid, but he's done everything by himself for so long, he doesn't think about asking about something, and I really can't say much about it, or try to stop him. It's as if, maybe, if I push him too far, he'll just move on."
Kit: "to another show where he can get some cash."
Throughout this long speech, several emotions had crossed Louie's face; concern, surprise, worry, but when the bear stopped talking, his friend just looked thoughtful. "I don't know what to tell you, Baloo."
Kit: (Louie) Youre good enough, youre smart enough, and doggone it! People like you!
Becky: Well that was pointless!
"I don't really know a lot about shortstop there and I ain't promising a solution to your problems. But Baloo, that kid thinks the world of you, you haven't known each other for very long but this old ape hasn't seen anything like the way you two connected." "Besides, can't spend all your time worrying?"
"Man, four weeks ago I thought you had to be the luckiest so-and-so in Cape Suzette, but I sure wouldn't trade places with ya now, cuz!"
Here Louie laughed uproariously while Baloo just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
Kit: I think Louie’s been on that island a little bit too long…
"Just wait, Louie, your time's coming, then I'm guessing I'll have the last laugh."
Becky: Sounds like a horror movie trailer..
Kit: (in an announcer type voice) They came to the island and all was peaceful... until they started getting picked off one by one by some lameass villain that shouldve died a hundred billion times before but didn’t.
"Well," the bartender said, wiping him eyes,
Becky: him eyes? Is that a typo or should I just be scared?
"the kid looks better now than when he first came crashing through those doors."
Kit: Uh, yeah! Im not covered with *wall* material...
"Yeah," Baloo smiled at the memory. "He's put on more weight, couldn't convince him to give up that old sweater though. I would at least like him to wear something newer, and that patch makes him look like he don't have a place to call home."
Kit: (smiling cheerfully) But it smells like mint and summer rain! Few people know that...
"He'll grow out of it, you watch, Baloo." "Kid's that age grow like the jungle on this island, you blink and it's caught up to you."
Baloo: Yeah, if you blink like Barbara Eden....
Both friends stopped when they saw the subject of their discussion descending the stairs two steps at a time.
"You wouldn't believe the stuff he's got in there, Baloo!" "Old flying manuals, autographs, even stuff from the Great War!" the cub said excitedly breathing hard.
Becky: This would be where Aly’s hobbies manage their to make their way into the fic..(
Both Louie and Baloo grinned at the boy's enthusiasism.
Kit: That’s right....keep grinning.....just a little while longer and I can take the Duck....and take a joyride.....keep grinning...
"Well, guess we'd better pull chocks, Lil' Britches, be seeing ya, inn-keeper." Baloo started to walkout, Kit on his heels.
Baloo: Wouldn’t that hurt?
"Glad you liked that shortstop, guess I'll seeing you two later. Don't want Ms. Cumbersome blowing her top, huh?"
"Cunningham!" was the last thing Kit said before walking out to the Sea Duck with Baloo.
Near late afternoon, they arrived at Higher for Hire with ,surprisingly, some time to spare. The city of Cape Suzette was just getting on it's feet again after the vicious attack weeks ago. The re-building as already well under way, with the first things to be put back into place being the necessary defensive cliff guns.
Baloo: Its intermission!
All exit to join Wildcat in the lobby and make sure he isn’t lost..
At an intermediate skit, the MST3K gang are gathered around in the front of the ship.
"Well, this is turning out to be one interesting fic, Crow" said Mike. "In fact, I think Ive been inspired.. I never thought I had it in me before to become a parent, but if that charmer Baloo can do it....Well, I guess anyone can"
"Now, now, hold on a minute, Mike" said Servo, "That sort of thing takes years of paperwork and you have to inform the authorities at least…its not the same now as it was back then!"
"Ive completely anticipated this," said Mike "So I guess what Ill have to do is time travel back to the 1930’s and pick myself up a tough little street kid with a heart of gold! Oh, Ill be sure and give him everything he never had: VCR access..a beeper, maybe a new sweater....I mean, c’mon, after ten years, I think you deserve a new wardrobe.."
"Uh, are you planning on trying to find a kid exactly like Kit?" Crow asked," Because it might be difficult to find someone who has navigational abilities..’
"Yeah," said Servo, "If were going to take on another passenger, hes got to at least promise to help us escape..and this whole lightning gun idea isn’t working out as well as I thought it would.."
The camera motions towards a smaller version of the lightning gun...the frame of circles about 3 ft. wide.
"Well," said Mike "Maybe we shouldn’t have gone with cardboard and magnetic tape.."
"But magnetic tape is the most scientific of tapes.." began Servo..
"Hey Mike," said Crow.. "Tell me about this street orphan idea again. Even if we did find someone who could navigate us out of here and could give us the unlimited possibility of redeeming ourselves through his hope and all over bright-eyed angst filled outlook on the world, wouldn’t we just wind up ignoring him??"
"Yeah," said Servo, “Just look at what happened to that ficus we got just last month.." He motions to a pathetic jar of withered grass.
"Hnh.." said Mike, "I guess adoption isnt the best idea!"
"And besides its one that’s already taken!" said Crow.
"I still think I could be pretty good at it, though.." said Mike.."Baloo adopted Kit, without really adopting him..so why has he been concerned with being a parent figure if he doesn’t want to actually make a full commitment.?"
"Well, my theory," said Crow, "is that Baloo just doesn’t have the maturity or grace to outwardly express his feelings toward Kit, so he has to mask them with line after line of bad allusions to his past turmoil, so I think he’ll eventually just lose interest and find something new to lavish his attention on..."
"Like a combination plate.." said Gypsy..
"Alright, I think we’re getting a little too hostile towards Baloo here," said Mike. "Besides, maybe if nothing else, we’ll get to learn what the work 'chocks' means."
"You do have a point.." said Crow..
"Well be back right after this MiST.." said Mike with a beaming smile on his face..
The Talespin crew finds their way back to their seats.
Kit: Gee, those MST3K guys are deep.
Becky: I wasn’t listening...they weren’t even talking about me..
Baloo: Aw, cheer up Becky! Im sure youre in this fic *someplace*.(both Baloo and Kit lose it and laugh hysterically)
Becky: That’s it! Im docking your pay!
Baloo: You cant do that!
Becky: I can do anything I want! Nyah!
Rebecca was
Becky: (braggingly) Oh, would you look at that...
Baloo: Oh, youre scenes wont last long..
putting some tape on the last boxes which contained the
Kit: Ark of the Covenant!
possessions she and Molly had brought with them while looking for an apartment. She had found one a few days before,
Baloo: A possession or an apartment?
it had been difficult with many buildings destroyed by the pirates. Kit hadn't seen it but from Molly's glum expression he drew the conclusion that it was _nice_, meaning expensive and not the place for a six year old to run wild.
They were going to spend their first night there tonight, but Molly wasn't going quietly. She followed her mother around begging to stay at Higher for Hire one more night, much to the amusement of the pilot and navigator of the Sea Duck.
Kit: The little fool! A ha ha!
Kit was feeling some unexplained pangs
Baloo: Doesn’t look good for you, does it Kit?
Kit: Im tellin’ ya.
when he thought about the fact that Ms. Cunningham and her daughter wouldn't be staying there anymore. *It won't be the same* the boy thought. It was nice having them all together, especially with what the group had gone through the first week that they had known each other. *Like, a family* Kit shifted his feet thinking about the closeness they had felt, even taking into account Baloo's resistance.
Becky: Resistance is futile.. You *will* be a drone in my sweatshop!
Kit wasn't sure, but felt that the other three had taken their time together for granted, but the cub had never had any similar experiences to compare it to, so the expression on his young face was mixed.
He laughed at Molly's carrying-on, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Kit: Just my ears..oy.
"Mommy, it's nice here!!" the little girl tried again, "Lucy doesn't want to move _again_" with emphasis on the last word and with tears welling up in her brown eyes for effect.
Kit: (Molly) makes faux blubbering noise.. Buh. Buh-me Meh-nee Nee he henh.. Get over it, already!
"Molly, I told you, that's enough," Rebecca had reached the end of her patience. Balancing looking for a new apartment, getting her business started in the current economy and dealing with her daughter was too much for the efficient lady.
"Baloo, would you give me a hand with these last boxes? The taxi's here."
"Sure, Beckers." Baloo easily picked up three packages, then took the other two from the faltering Rebecca and walked outside.
Becky: Why is it Im always so incapable? I mean, faltering?
Baloo: (sings) Falteraaaall.....faltereeee...
Rebecca blinked, then smiled. *Sometimes he can be such a gentleman. Can't let on that I'm getting soft, though* she thought with an inward smile.
Becky: Oh, brother..
Baloo: Becky, youre such a softie.
She turned around to see Molly being comforted by Kit.
"See Molly, you can come and visit anytime and I'll go over there to check up on you. Besides, I heard that there's a waterfall by your window, neat, huh?"
Kit: Don’t play high diver queen when I’m not around now..
"And," he added quickly when the little girl's face threatened to make a waterfall of it's own, "uh...Danger Woman!....yeah, uh, Danger Woman needs to move to a new location! Think of it as going undercover, ok?" then the boy gave the little girl a tight hug. "Cheer up button-nose, you're gonna love this." Molly hugged him back.
Rebecca, still standing in the doorframe, felt her heart melt at the touching scene. Kit had to be one of the most considerate young men she had ever met. Molly adored him and Rebecca knew that she herself was having a hard time leaving the earnest young navigator. He never asked or openly showed it, but she knew how starved he was for love and affection.
Kit: Oh, yeah. Starved, right. When do I get paid?
*Well* she thought with a touch of happiness and ....something else touching her,
Becky: Baloo’s leg..
Baloo: (makes wretching sound)
*now he has us, we can make up for lost time, I hope* Caring for Kit was probably the easiest and the most worthwhile thing she had accomplished since coming here.
Kit: Who couldn’t love me? I mean...Ive got everything...
Becky and Baloo exchange a look of ‘Yeah, right..’
She heard Baloo softly clearing his throat behind her and saw him taking off his hat when she turned around which tipped her off that he'd had just seen, and more importantly, felt the same thing she did.
Becky: Uh, that was one enormous sentence...
The two cubs walked over to the adults and Kit took off his baseball cap. "Take care, Ms. Cunningham, guess I'll be seeing you in the morning," Kit mumbled suddenly very interested in a crack in the floor.
Rebecca felt her throat tighten and impusively gave the boy a hug. "Right Kit, get a good night's rest and I'll be here bright and early.." they both heard Baloo groan," to start things rolling." She finished giving the pilot a scowl. Then she turned back to Kit, they looked at each other, she lightly brushed his hair out of his face, gave him a small smile and stepped outside and into the cab.
Baloo was desperately trying to disengage the howling Molly from the doorframe and
Baloo: cover her mouth with a muzzle..
put her in the cab with her mom. "Come on...ah!.....muffin, you don't want .....ouch! don't be doin'....umph! Kit! give me a hand here!" Baloo, finally appealed to the boy. Gently Kit pulled on Molly's small fingers until she finally released her iron grip, then he handed her doll to her and walked inside, a pained expression on his face he didn't want them to see.
Kit: I knew it..I have some sort of weird disease.
"Bye, Baloo." Molly said tearfully.
"Bye for now, cupcake," the large bear said quietly, "come visit 'ol Baloo anytime." Then he gave Molly to Rebecca, shut the taxi's door and watched as the two drove off.
Baloo: A cliff..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rebecca was as good as her word the next morning and since it was still summer, Kit accompanied Baloo on a 8:15 a.m. flight to Spango-Bango. It had been decided by both Baloo and Rebecca that Kit would start sixth grade in the fall.
Thinking that far into the future used to a pastime that Baloo avoided, but thinking of Kit still being in the navigator's seat come fall was something that made him strangely happy.
The two arrived at the small city hours later. Spango-Bango was located on a plateau and was known for it's dense surrounding forests. It was also known to pilots by it's tricky wind currents. Pilots made sure their planes were in tip-top shape before attempting the plateau's hazards, even ace pilots like Baloo. Any kind of
All: (make snoring noises)
engine trouble and the Sea Duck would do a swan dive right into the outlying forests surrounding the boom town, and Baloo certainly knew that land was much less forgiving than water. However, the bear had been here a few times, although he didn't like the shady atmosphere that prevailed throughout the location.
Kit: Uh, yeah....forests do have shade.. Or was that a pun?
A town with everything vested in mining, with hundreds of men desperately looking for work and quite a lot of bootlegging and gangster problems occuring about a decade ago, was a recipe for churning out unsavory individuals and businesses. The large pilot had never been here with Kit, as well.
Baloo looked over at the boy who was watching the dock workers unload the cargo
Kit: I must not have that much going on...first Im watching a crack, then Molly, then cargo.. Whats next, I take up gardening?
and nearly told him to stay close to him, then stopped himself, remembering Kit's comment about treating him like a little kid and thinking that the cub had been in worse spots, but without him. Sighing and shaking his head, Baloo motioned to Kit.
"Come on, Lil' Britches, got to check in with," he stopped to squint at the paper he was holding," Rastan Lumber Inc."
Kit: The only lumber company that deals in 100% hemp...
"Sure Baloo, you know, I've never been here," Kit remarked off-handedly as they walked down the crowded streets.
"Yeah, basic boom town. I doubt it'll be here in 10 years,
Becky: when the next warfic hits....but I say blow it up now!!!
too much mining means no more profits, then this place'll dry up faster than a drop on a skillet." As they continued to walk something caught Kit's eye. Located next to the post office was a small building that had several old, battered guns and helmets on display. Kit recognized their origin and stopped to stare interestedly.
Becky: Charlton Heston was having a yard sale.
Baloo, already ahead, looked back and called his name. Snapping back with the sound of Baloo's voice he jogged to catch up and they both turned the corner, Kit checking his bearings so he would remember to come back.
Baloo had been haggling with the burly-looking otter for some time. Only half of Ms. Cunningham's order was there to ship back to a waiting client in Cape Suzette and Baloo's argument was that he was _not_ going to take the heat for their mistake.
Kit, sitting on a chair against the wall had long since grown fidgety and kept thinking of that display. The more he thought about it's contents, the more he wanted to see it. His mind elsewhere, the boy began retracing his steps out the door, back down the street and to the place of destination.
Kit: Anyone else getting that oh-so-Afternoon Special feel??
Inside was dusty, but filled to the brink with old photos, some artillery, basically any kind of memoribilia from the Great War, twenty years ago one could imagine. Ever since seeing pieces of Louie's collection, Kit's interest in the well-known conflict had grown.
Kit: Wasn’t that just a couple of hours? I *must* not have that much going on..
He had almost been tempted to ask Baloo if he had fought overseas, but for some unknown reason, decided against it.
"Can I help you, son?" came a raspy voice behind the dark counter. Kit jumped not realizing someone had been there.
Becky: Good deduction, Kit..Hello! It’s a store!
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I was just curious and...."
Kit: A-and I cant decide which violently destructive weapons of slaughter I like the best...that’s all!
The voice chuckled and the navigator could see it's owner step out, an old koala who had a cane and was visibly feeble and shaky. "No trouble son, came to see what I got here in me collection, eh?" Kit could now hear a faint accent in the voice.
"Where did you get all of this stuff.....sir." Kit asked, his eyes taking in the various pieces of history that could probably tell quite a story if allowed.
Again, the koala chuckled, "Well, my boy, you don't serve with Her Majesty's army for 'bout four years, beginnin' to end and not come away with a bit o' junk, eh?" He now had Kit's attention.
"You served for four years in the war?"
Baloo: (sarcastically) No, I served four years at Amway!
"Sure, from the Marse, to the great defensive at Vernun, to the offensive at the Solme." "Seen me a bit o' action in me younger days." The koala looked at the boy sharply. "You like learnin' about this stuff, son?"
Kit: No, just trying to kill time.
"For the moment," the cub said nonchalantly prompting another chuckle. "Can I take a look around?"
"Sure thing." the koala slowly made his way over to an interesting looking gun. "Want to hear the story about this lovely?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
Kit: Was it about your exciting days growing up on Pepperidge Farm??
Becky: No, no...the butterscotch factory!
Baloo: Well, where would the gun come into it?
Kit: Maybe they had..rat problems or something....
Kit walked over to him and the old koala pointed out many other items, telling a different story with each one and losing
Baloo: it, we know.
track of the time as they covered nearly the entire, crowded room.
"What's this one?" Kit pointed to a picture of four dirty, grinning young soldiers. "One of them looks like you."
Kit: Hmm....its in his store and it looks like him....YA THINK?!?
The koala's eyes grew sad, "Yep, that's three of me mates from school. Thought we'd have an adventure, real punch-up with the Almenians, you've heard the stories." Kit nodded.
Kit: Yeah, nodded off.
"I remember it, minor battle to the experts, I'd wager, but going over the top weren't easy." "It was Courcelette, first wave took two of them, but me and me best mate, Chester, tha's him, grinning fit to kill."
Becky: Oh, he sounds lovely! (through her teeth) Its been fun Mr. Gunguy...gotta get back to people who don’t collect ammunition now.
he motioned at one figure. Kit, by now, had sat down and was oblivious to the growing darkness.
"Yeah, him an' me were holed up, pinned you could say, in a pit made by one of those Howitzers, nasty piece that." Again he motioned to a shell fragment on the opposite wall, Kit was still all ears. "Well, he says,-Alec-, tha's me for sure, -Alec- this is it, our last chapter. Chester was always sayin' rot like that, and I sez, - Clam up you fool!, those bastards don't need any help from you!- and then I smelled the acidy odor. I had my mask on before me brain knew what the problem was. It was just, danger! Look out!, I weren't about to end up like those poor sums-bitches I heard about, coughing up on themselves, not able to breath through that filth."
Baloo takes his hands off from over Kit’s ears....Kit wakes up..
Kit: Huh? Wha? What are we doing here?
Becky: Sattelite of Love, remember?
Kit: Oh, yeah.
"Gas, son!" Alec snapped at Kit's blank look, "but poor Chester, he grabbed for his mask and put it on, but boy, mask's no good with a bloody crack in it!
Becky: Okay, was there blood on it or was it just a plain old crack??
He died spitting up heaven knows what
Becky: My guess would be the gas...duh!
and alls I could do was watch him." The room was eerily quiet as the old koala waded through memories best forgotten.
Baloo: Nice going, Kit..
Kit: I just cant help my morbid fascinations, I guess.
Kit felt sympathy. All of the war stories he'd heard weren't like this. Where was the glory, the conquest? At 11, even after what he had seen, the boy had a little idealism in him,
Kit: It was hard after they came out with “Hercules”, but hey, life goes on…
but the koala's hard, matter-of- factness was something new to the cub.
"Well son, guess I've chewed your ear off, you didn't come here to hear me sniffling." Alec's sharp eyes seemed to glaze over
Baloo: (Kit) Fake eyes, huh?
as he tucked those four years back into the private places of his mind.
"Actually Mr....," Kit stopped when he realized he didn't even know the koala's last name. "Sedgwick"
"Actually Mr. Sedgwick, I think this is exactly what I came in here for,"
Kit: Can anyone say "Afterschool Special moment"?
the boy said quietly showing a disturbing amount of understanding on his face.
Suddenly, an unsettling emotion hit Kit, twisting his stomach as his mind remembered something important he had forgotten. "Baloo!"
"Excuse me, son?"
Kit: Great, now he thinks Im his son...me no thinka he has all his boomerangs in one bag...
Alec turned to the boy.
"Mr. Sedgwick, thanks for everything, but I really need to head out."
"Sure thing, son, time to be closing up for me too." "You got somewhere to be?"
Kit groaned inwardly. He had forgotten to tell Baloo where he was going! And it had been hours now, he might miss his ride back to Cape Suzette!
Kit: (quickly) Oh well, that’s the way the fur flies..
"Thanks again, Mr. Sedgwick, I appreciate your showing all of this to me," and Kit was running out of the door.
"Anytime, son," the koala said softly, still staring at the photograph, "Anytime"
When Kit arrived back at Raston Lumber, Inc. the building was dark and all of the doors were locked. *Rats!* the boy thought, not relishing the thought of having to spend the night in this cold place if Baloo was already gone. He then headed back to where the Sea Duck had landed.
When he was in sight of the sea-plane but still quite a ways away, he stopped in surprise. Not only was the Duck still there, but flashing red and blue lights indicated
Baloo: Becky’s people had come back to take her to the mother ship..
two local police cars there as well.
Kit's stomach was now in his heels as he made his way to the plane.
Kit: Seeing as hed come this far without consulting a doctor, I’m not surprised!
Baloo was standing by the cargo hold and was twisting his cap in his hands
Becky: (to Baloo) You do that a lot! Is that one of your "rituals"?
talking to an officer while another officer was on his radio.
Baloo: He just happened to be a jazz singer!
Kit's sharp ears picked up a description of himself
Kit: All *good* things, of course....
Becky and Baloo roll their eyes.
Kit: What?! Like Im supposed to ignore the bounty that is my looks??
being radioed out as he approached Baloo from behind.
"Yeah," the large bear was saying, "one minute he was there, then _poof_ he
Becky: turned into a cabbage!
had disappeared!
Becky: That trick isn’t as good!
I scoured the streets but I'm just one guy, how much ground could I cover?" "Look," the bear had genuine fear in his voice, "I don't have a lot in the way of money, so a ransom's no good
Kit: I don’t know! Mel Gibson had his moments.
if he's been....kidnapped." The pilot seemed to have trouble saying the word. "But I'll do whatever I have to."
Becky: Big scam, drag show....whatever!..
Kit was stunned, not only had no one ever bothered to check up on him wherever he had gone, certainly no one had acted like this. Kit plucked up his courage. "Hey, Baloo," the cub said sheepishly.
Baloo whirled around to stare incredously at his navigator. "Well, that was easy," the one officer said to his partner, "guess we're done here." Baloo didn't seem to notice when they left.
Kit: Why would he? There wasn’t even a description of them.
Kit was wincing, expecting the gray bear to start screaming about how much trouble he'd cost him and how late they were going to be getting back. Instead, the boy found himself in a large hug from the pilot. Both were silent as Baloo held the boy tightly, visibly showing his relief. He didn't release Kit until a few minutes later, then he stood eye to eye with the cub, places his paws on Kit's shoulders and looked him over as if to reassure himself that the boy was here and in one piece. Then he hugged the cub again. Kit was more than slightly surprised.
Kit is heard sniffing..
Becky: (to Kit) Are you al-
Kit: I have something in my eye, okay?!
Baloo gives Kit a friendly rub on the head.
"Um....Baloo, I'm sorry...are you okay?" Kit looked at his friend who was wiping his forehead.
"Kit," Baloo said with uncharacteristic seriousness, "I'm only gonna say this once, when we're in a strange place or any place for that matter, you stick close or at least tell me if you're gonna run off! Do you know how bad you scared me? One minute my navigator's there and when I blink, you're gone!
Kit: I wasn’t gone....Id just turned into a cabbage and ..oh, never mind!
I didn't know what happened or if you'd been hurt..." Baloo stopped.
Kit felt strange
Baloo: The tropical disease was taking its toll..
and was pretty sure it showed on his face. The bear was sure acting funny,
Kit: Yeah, he’s been a real laugh riot!
Kit didn't know what to make of it, but he felt guilty for causing the pilot such a hassle. In spite of himself, the boy felt a deep emotion relatively unfamiliar spread through him.
Becky: He is entering those teen years...
*He was worried about me, he'd would have had the entire police force out looking.*
The expression of concern marked by the deep shadow caused by worry on the big bear's face made Kit feel really....strange, almost good, like he was wanted, no, even needed by the pilot.
Baloo gently manuevered the still pondering cub towards the cockpit, boosted him up, then walked around to climb into the pilot's seat. There was an awkward tension in the air as Baloo tried to find the right words to use for really chewing the kid out, without sounding too parentish. Unfortunately, words like, responsibility, maturity and consideration kept popping into his head.
Kit: Wow, Baloo, you’ve turned into Mike Brady!
Kit was looking at him strangely, still. Baloo sighed and said, "Ok, kid, from the top. Just tell me where you were at."
Kit: Well, you know all the stereotypes about gun store owners?.. Theyre true and…
So, Kit explained about the store, Alec Sedgwick and the story he had heard.
"I can understand all that, Lil' Britches, next time, just _tell_ me, got it?"
"Well, Baloo, I would have been back sooner, but I went to the lumber building first"
"Why didn't you just come back to the Duck, Kit-boy? That's where I'da been."
"I wasn't sure it would still be here, and...." Here Baloo interrupted,
"What?, course it would be here, whadya think, I was just gonna pull up stakes and leave you here?"
*choke, sob*
Baloo: Kit, you okay?
Kit: Im tellin’ you, Im chokin’ up here!
Kit didn't respond but the expression on his face made it obvious.
Kit: Im gonna hurl now, right?
Baloo now gave vent to all of the pent-up feelings of frustration and helplessness he'd been feeling for hours, in the form of anger.
"Kit, do we gotta have this conversation again? What you did today was not only thoughtless, but selfish, too! You could have at least told me that you were gonna run off like that, given me some warning! Instead, you just waltz away
Becky: Being one of the Von-Trapps is never easy...
like everything you do won't matter later on and not have a thought in your head that someone else could be worried sick! Spango-Bango, or anywhere else if you get right down to it, is no place for a kid to be running off! You're a smart boy, Kit, but I wonder if you have any sense of self-preservation, sometimes!"
Kit: Geez, Baloo. *Youre* sympathy just went out the door!
Kit now felt a touch of anger besides his shame. His cheeks were flaming and his temper mounted at Baloo's lecture, mostly because of how bad he felt at causing the big bear to worry.
The boy wondered if he would ever get used to asking someone beforehand, maybe never. He was in the habit of doing things for himself.
"I didn't _waltz_ off Baloo,
Kit: It was the flamenco!!
I said I was sorry, ok!" "Don't you think you're making a big deal out of this? I'm not used to begging to go anywhere and even if I had asked, you'd probably had said no! I'm your navigator, that's it. You really don't have any right to tell me off or to give me orders. We're partners, that's all! And as for my _self preservation_, Baloo, if I didn't have any, you'd never have met me!"
Kit: Yeah, see...that’s what I was thinking and..yeah..
The boy ended, his voice up to a shout, and with that ugly truth finally brought to light. It was one of the first times Kit had talked about his difficult past, willingly Baloo immediately
Becky: Wait..who was willing?
felt saddened because he knew Kit was right on almost every count, he didn't have any right to lecture and order. He didn't even have the right to worry.
All: Yeah he does..
Kit: That’s lame!
All the rights he had were those that Kit gave him and if the boy decided that a line was drawn at the pilot-navigator symbiosis,
Kit: Great, now Im being compared to a lichen..
then Baloo really couldn't overstep that and try to protect someone who didn't want to be protected.
All sing theme to The Bodyguard: But I.....will always...love you....
The bear cleared his throat self-consciously and Kit, who'd been staring out of the window, turned to look at him. "Um...Kit, look, I didn't mean to jump down yer throat. It's forgotten, ok? Water under the bridge."
Kit smiled, "Sure Papa Bear, sorry I was yelling...and sorry again...for...you know."
Kit: Oh, good. *Back* to happy!
Both bears smiled at each other and the flight back to Cape Suzette occurred with small talk between the two, but not much else. Both, however, knew things were unresolved and the problems
Kit: Or not, whatever of each still hung between them, creating an invisible barrier.
Baloo: Like the shields in Star Trek?? Cool.
*To be continued.....
Kit: Okay, intermission!!!
Becky: Oh, look, its Wildcat!
Baloo: And he has food!
All leave to go to the lobby...
Part II
Rebecca was at her usual spot behind her desk
Kit: Huddled in a corner having a nervous breakdown...
working away at some documents, but her mind was a million miles away.
Baloo: Aliens were studying it. Why is anyone’s guess...
Although Rebecca hadn't known her two...no- she corrected herself- make that three employees
Becky: Two is good! Im thinking of *making* it two!..(gives Baloo a dirty look)
very long, she knew that something was wrong. Ever since Baloo and Kit had come back from Spango-Bango two days ago, Baloo had been moping.
Becky: They decided to stop selling discount week-old food down at the bakery..
Knowing she'd have a better chance getting an honest answer out of Kit, she had taken him aside and asked him.
Baloo: (Becky) Are you on drugs?
Kit: (Becky) Is Baloo eating paste and the cheese out of ratraps?
All the boy said was the two had had a fight and then had shifted his feet uncomfortably.
Becky: To shove the several assorted weapons he had bought earlier behind a couch..
Rebecca frowned, remembering, and looked up from her desk as Baloo walked in, Kit was still outside she assumed, and flopped down in the easy chair.
Baloo: She had just turned back into a mermaid..
"Baloo, we have an important run tomorrow, I want you and Kit geared and ready."
"Huh?"
Kit: You make plane go boom-boom fast! Take the little showsaver too..
obviously the bear hadn't been listening, "Oh sure, Becky, spit-shined and looking fine....tomorrow."
"Baloo!" Rebecca said sharply drawing his full attention to her. She sighed, straightened up some papers and walked over to face the pilot.
"Pinasta Island? Sea of Lascal? Dangerous mission? Is any of this ringing a bell with you?"
Kit: Sounds like the plot of a Mission:Impossible ep...
"Oh yeah," Baloo slapped his forehead, "better make sure Wildcat has the engines in tip-top shape."
*He certainly sounds excited* Rebecca thought sarcastically. "Baloo, I don't mean to pry,"
(Baloo and Kit start laughing amiably..Rebecca sulks..)
the bear looked at her suspiciously,
Baloo: To see if she was packing heat..
"but is everything alright? Between you and Kit, I mean, you've been so quiet around each other, and Kit mentioned something about a fight."
Kit: Well, I do have a schedule to keep, and...oh, she means Baloo...
"He's my navigator, Rebecca," Baloo said flatly. "We talk when we need to, he tells me which way to go and I fly where he says, end of story."
Kit: In that case, fly me to the mall so we can the hell away from tedious conversations like this one...
Baloo got up to leave.
Becky: But instead the chair collapsed..
"Wait just a minute, buster!" Rebecca stopped him in his tracks. "You may be able to fool some people, but you can't fool me. I know how you feel about that boy. He isn't just your navigator, you care about him."
Kit: And this is surprising becaaaause......?
Rebecca looked at the large bear trying to get him to respond.
Becky: but that didn’t work, so she tried squeaky toys..
"Then I'm settin' myself up for a world of hurt, we don't know if that kid will one day just decide to up and go or decide to do something that'll cause him to get hurt,
Kit: Like mountain bike-bungee jumping or skydiving or backwards luge!!!
and I can't stop him!
Kit: Why would you? I could make a ton of cash!
Besides, who do you think you are, lady? You're overstepping your bounds, you're my boss, I'm your pilot." "You're not his mother and I'm sure not his father!"
Kit: Thank God for genetics!.. No offense, Baloo..
Baloo: Oh, no offense.. You need any help with that skydiving?
Rebecca stood very still, stunned by Baloo's harsh words
Becky: (Baloo) To denounce the evils of truth and love!
and the terrible expression of pain on his face.
Kit: Those damn burritos...
He had hit a very sensitive spot with her and it was with great difficulty that she regained her composure.
"You're right, Baloo," she said after a moment of silence, "but that doesn't mean that I can't love him. That's what love is, it's hard, sometimes impossible and you always run the risk of being hurt, but you do it anyway.
Kit: Yeah, listen to Oprah.. I mean, Becky....
Even though it means going through hell if something happens to the boy, it just can't be helped. You just go on and keep loving him, regardless."
Kit: Yeah, Baloo!
Baloo looked at her, the light of comprehension beginning to show. "Besides Baloo, regardless of what you think, I don't believe Kit is going anywhere.
Kit: Oh, thanks..
Do you know how much he looks up to you?
Kit: Well, I kinda have to....the height thing..
I know you really can't tell, but you're like his support, he leans to you. It's just...this is all so new to him, give it time, Baloo. He needs to adjust, then who knows? But don't spend all your time worrying about something that may or may not happen." With that, Rebecca walked back to her desk, feeling that she needed to sit down.
Becky: Conducting therapy was always so tiring for her..
Baloo shot one more remark in his boss's direction as he walked out the door.
Kit: KA-BOOM!
Baloo: Well, that was pointless..
"This sure ain't an easy way to do things, is it Beckers? How did we get roped into this?"
Becky: What’s with this fascination with rope? Hint, hint..
"I don't know Baloo," Rebecca said laughing," but isn't it great?" The two shared a look of understanding
Baloo: Because Becky had been into her stash of nitrous oxide again..
before the bear walked out.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He had known him for nearly a month, but for Kit to try and comprehend about anything Baloo's mechanic, Wildcat said was nearly impossible, even for someone as versatile as him. Still, he found himself liking the lion. Most of the things he said sounded incredibly
Kit: high..
odd, but he was always open and honest. The mechanic just acted like himself with everybody and never asked for anything but an engine to tinker with. The lion, in fact, seemed to have set up his own kind of bond with the bear cub, almost like a brother.
Kit: A brother I never speak with, or hang out with, or have anything in common with, or..
Although who was supposed to be the older and who was supposed to be the younger Kit was still trying to decipher.
Kit: The Rosetta Stone.
The boy was in Wildcat's shed and was looking slightly ill at ease with the various....things scattered everywhere.
Kit: Hemp bracelets, letters to Santa, brownies made with some extra love, tricycles, various stolen engine and plane parts that were part of a massive crime syndicate..
"It's okay, Wildcat" the boy said, "if you're busy with something, I can come back later," then winced as he heard
Kit: Baloo singing in the shower..
a loud crash from the back.
"Nah, man, I found it!" Wildcat emerged and held up a pretty sorry excuse for a hammer. "Delilah can fix even the sickest engine...
Becky: Sounds like some waitress he picked up on a highway somewhere..
.'specially when it starts going put..put....crash!!" He flopped to the floor of the shed in a fit of coughing and pretended agony.
Becky: It was part of his latest insurance scam..
"Um....great Wildcat, but it's my airfoil that needs to be looked at, it's been sticking a bit when I try to flick it open."
Kit: If anyone says anything, Ill kick your stupid face in...
With quite a bit of apprehension Kit handed the board over. "See" he demonstrated the problem.
Becky: Of sepearation anxiety
Calmly the lion took the airfoil and began a frenzy of pounding and other ear-deafening noises. Kit, not being able to bear watching, closed his eyes and waited for the racket to subside.
"Good as ever, Kit" With remarkable speed the mechanic finished and handed the board back to the boy.
"Thanks, Wildcat!" Kit looked at the lion, a smile lighting up his face.
"Sure, man. I mean, can't call it cloud-surfing without a board. It wouldn't be surfing.
Kit: (disinterested) Yeah, good one. Gotta go now. Buh-bye..
What would you call it?"
"Wildcat, I think there are more important problems to worry about." Kit said, trying not to laugh.
Baloo: The nitrous oxide was spreading..
"Like what, man?"
*Oh, I don't know, plummeting to a grisly death is pretty high on my list* the boy thought walking out and shaking his head. *Nice guy, _wierd_ but nice*
Wildcat walked out behind him with his faithful Delilah to resume work on the engines.
Kit: (Kit) Maybe Ill just uh…leave the two of them alone now..
Kit, for the twentieth time that day, began thinking about
Kit: What it means to be alive, and what it was I wanted to accomplish in this great, wide world..
the run him and Baloo were taking the next morning.
Kit: Oh yeah, that too...
He remembered hitching a ride to the island of Pinasta. He hadn't stayed very long on account of
Baloo: It sounded too much like pinata, and he didn’t want to be mistaken for one..
Kit: HEH HEH!..shut up..
he really didn't like the atmosphere.
Becky: So he fully supported the hole in the ozone? What?
The government was actually some large corporation that ran all of the island's economic ventures. *Exploited would be the better word* Kit thought remembering the stark contrast between the poor living conditions of the natives and the wealthy landowners and businessmen.
So, the boy really hadn't been surprised when he heard Rebecca
Baloo: Yelling the Xena warcry! it was her new thing..
cautioning about the ongoing civil war, as she was describing the run Kit and Baloo would have. Kit wasn't sure he liked aiding the corrupt government in getting some trade supplies through the rebel blockade. Rebecca hadn't like the idea very well either, but she argued that one small delivery couldn't take that much away from the rebel's cause and as long as their money is green!
Becky: What’s a little dealing with militia governments between friends?
Baloo, never one for political commentary,
Becky: Oh really? I thought he was an expert...
had only been concerned about getting through the tight blockade in one piece. Rebecca had softened him up about this whole business by first, telling him just how much money they were getting and second, by complimenting his
Kit: Fill in your own thought here, folks..
B&B: Kit!
piloting skills.
Remembering the whole scene, Kit shook his head. *Tomorrow* he thought,
Kit: (sings) TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I NEED YA TOMORROW! TOMORROW IS "ONLY"A DAY... A-WAY!
the unease he felt about the flight made worse when he thought about the growing distance between him and Baloo.
He didn't enjoy the thought of having to go on a dangerous mission walking on
Kit: without anything cool to wear on my feet..
eggshells around the large bear. For some reason, the knowledge of him and Baloo not getting along as well as they usually did hurt the cub's feelings.
Kit sat down at the end of the pier and watched the sun
Becky: explode into a fiery supernova killing this fic once and for all....
sink through the cliffs. He couldn't remember a time in his life that he'd enjoyed more than his stay at Higher for Hire. He had enough to eat, more than enough actually since Baloo was convinced that his navigator was too skinny and tried to tempt his appetite with all sorts of junk. He also had a warm place to sleep and was staying with individuals who seemed to want to have him around.
Kit: (Becky) Kit, that reminds me....can you repaint my apartment this weekend?
The more Kit thought about the confrontation between him and Baloo at Spango-Bango, the more he realized how
Kit: cool it was that he’d hung out with a lunatic..Fun, fun, fun!
right the pilot had been and how wrong his own attitude had always been where the gray bear was concerned. Kit took the new realization that Baloo cared about him, not just the Sea Duck or anything else with new found gratitude, it actually made the boy feel lighter than air.