covered her in it’s rays. He had never noticed her like this before, and smiled him self, as he started to see just how pretty she was.

In the room Kit looked at Shade as he walked in only giving him a funny look seeing the gear he had on, but then stopped when Molly ran up and smiled. “Shade you came to play.” with that Shade looked down at Molly and smiled, as he knelt down to the little bear.

“Yep that’s what I came to do little one.” As Shade stood up he looked at Kit, who was giving him a funny look, mostly from the stuff he was wearing. “Please to meet you, my name is unimportant, but you may call me Shade and I will respond.” with that Kit looked at Shade now confused.

“High I’m Kit… Kit Cloudkicker.” Kit said, as he shook Shade’s hand. “So you live in the building?” this question only got a laugh from Molly who looked at Kit.

“No, Shade spent the night because he fell, down and hit his head in the hall. Mommy said that he helped her last night.” with that Kit looked at Shade for a moment and smiled.

“So what did you do for her?” Kit asked, interesting in knowing a little more about Shade.

“I brought her antibiotics for young Molly here.” with that Kit smiled slightly.

“So you ran to the store for her that was nice.” with that Shade tilted his head forward slightly as if bowing in away.

“Na-ah, mommy said he was like danger woman.” in a flash Shade covered Molly’s mouth and smiled.

“Now little one, as a favor I wish that you not tell everyone what your mommy has told you. Got to keep it a secret O.K.?” with that Molly looked at Shade for a moment, and then nodded. “But I’m pretty sure I’m no where near the level of Danger woman.” with that Shade turned to Kit and whispered. “Who is danger woman?” Shade didn’t get a response from Kit as he kept giving him a funny look. This question was soon answered as Molly started to tell him just who her favorite super heroin was. Two hours passed, before Rebecca walked into the room and saw that Shade was listening to Molly nodding his head and smiling as she kept going on about Danger woman, while Kit was, leaning against the wall asleep.

As the five sat down at the Cunningham dinning table, Baloo told tales to Molly with Kit adding in his own quips in and correcting Baloo every so often, while Rebecca smiled to see how her daughter looked up at the big bear, and seem to smile even more to see that her plan was working on Shade. As he sat and listened to the tales as well. It wasn’t until later as the four bears sat down that Rebecca noticed that Shade didn’t join them, as she was about to see where he had gotten off to she heard the sound of a piano key being struck. As Rebecca turned and looked at the piano she saw Shade standing in front of it looking down at the keys, though she couldn’t see his eyes she could tell as his hands slowly stroked the keys that he was trying to remember something.

“Do you play?” with that Shade turned his head slightly and looked over his shoulder at Rebecca.

“I only learned a little from a good friend of mine.”

“Really what was their name?” Kit asked, wanting to know a little more about Shade.

“Her name… her name was Nicole, she was a kind woman that knew a lot, and she taught me a lot, one of the things she always told me about music is that it was very powerful, it could raise ones spirits, or cause grown adult to cower in fear, but the most important thing of all is that the music should always come from the heart, and when it‘s done right, when the player of the music puts everything into the music, they can make those listening to it feel those very emotions.” Rebecca could hear the pain in Shad‘es voice as he spoke, and watched as he sat down at the piano. “May I?” Rebecca nodded, wanting to know what music kind of melody Shade would play after such a moving statement.

As the four bears listened to Shade play the piano, none of them really noticed it but slowly and surely the music was relaxing them, while making them happy. Baloo sat on the couch and closed his eyes letting the music take him away, giving him the feeling of flying as he put his arm around Kit, who was sitting beside him. While Kit leaned up against Baloo, and smiled looking across, seeing Rebecca sitting on the other side of his pa-pa bear. As Kit closed his eyes and let him self pretend that he was apart of a big family. Rebecca smiled as she held Molly in her lap, as the little yellow cub leaned up against her and started to fall asleep, Rebecca thought about getting up to put her to bed, but wanted to keep hearing the music as she failed to notice that she was now leaning up against Baloo. A feeling that she hadn’t felt since she was with her first husband started to fill her, as Baloo‘s arm came around her, and pulled both her and Molly in close.

After several minutes Shade stopped playing the piano, and then turned to the four. As he looked at the sleeping family, he smiled, as something inside of him longed to be apart of it. After a few moments he took a step towards them, the urge was starting to take hold, his heart told him that he might be able to lower his guard around them. He then took it back, as he clinched his fist, and turned his head away from the scene as if he was disgusted by it.

As he retrieved his gauntlet Shade headed for the door, putting his mask over his face and carefully closing the door behind him. Out in the elevator Shade looked up at the pale moon light bathing him in it’s glow. “Never again.” was all Shade said, as doors opened, and he walked away from the apartment complex.

*************************************************************************************Few things

1. This is only the first chapter, what Karnage is working on will slowly come to light in other chapters.

2. Shade is kind of a tip of the hat to not only Tale spin, but also a lot of the old 1930 heroes, but I mostly got an idea from The Grey Ghost, and his gear, as I put it, is mostly home made, and Steampunk. That’s right folks I’m trying to make, maybe the first, 1930’s Steampunk furry. (but his creations are within reason… even the flame thrower gauntlet… yes I‘ve made one.)

3. Shade’s past will slowly come to light in the next few chapters (when I finish tweaking them.)

4. though it happens in a lot of Talespin fictions, about how a fan character some how winds up with the main crew, I haven’t quite resolved that in my own mind, so he might or he might not.

5. Shade will not replace any characters, I will try my hardest on keeping that promise, because the show it self was great, the characters perfect, thought I still say they should of made more episodes.

6. Continuity As your read this story I just want to point out that I’m mixing continuity, from both the T.V. show and the Comics.