fun-seeking attitude to life, I really should be going.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Baloo took off his cap, bowing before her. “May I offer you a ride home, my fair lady?”

 

Karnage was quick to give him an answer. “Many thanks, but… I am expecting a Taxi-Plane anytime soon. Goodbye.”

 

“Aww,” Baloo waved her off. “Old Baloo can get you any place in no time flat. Just tell me where you wanna go, and I’ll get you there, no charge.”

 

Karnage grinded her teeth in annoyance. Didn’t this guy know how to take a hint?

 

“I offer you my sincerest thanks,” she said, seemingly grateful. “But it is not necessary. Thank you!”

 

Baloo seemed to finally take the hint, and backed up slowly, replacing his pilot’ cap. “Well, err… “ he said unsurely. “If you’re ever in the neighbourhood again, or anywhere near Cape Suzette, be sure to look me up. Okay?”

 

“I will be sure to do that,” she said, and added lowly. “When the pig’s they can fly.”

 

Baloo turned and started to make his way back to Louie’s. As he walked away, he muttered something to himself, just loud enough for Karnage to make out.

 

“Probably wouldn’t have been able to take her anyway. Got those emeralds to ship early tomorrow morning.”

 

Karnage felt as though someone had just punched her in her now delicate stomach, and drawn all the breath from out of her lungs. She looked up to the sky, looking for answers she so desperately wanted.

 

‘Why do you torment me in this fashion?’ she pleaded. ‘What did I ever do to deserve this type of punishment…? Besides multiple thefts, piracy, endangerment of lives, attempted manslaughter, and so on and so forth. Oh, and the occasional mistreatment of some of my crew, but I hardly think that qualifies, do you?’

 

She shook her head, briefly loosing track of the situation, and turned her head. She watched Baloo, as he was halfway back to Louie’s now. She watched him as he scratched his back, making some more tiresome tunes with his would-be singing voice, and shaking his hips.

 

She didn’t want to do this… She sooo did NOT want to do this. But alas, the more she thought about it, the less choice she could see for herself. If what Baloo had just said was true, then tonight was her final chance for obtaining the precious stones.

 

She knew now that the delivery was due tomorrow, but that was not enough. She had no idea where they were being shipped to, as they could be heading in the opposite direction from her ship for all she knew, and she could risk missing them completely. Plus, there was still the problem of how she was going to get back to her ship?

 

Karnage could see no alternative, but to go with the original plan that she had set out on, and what her men were expecting. With admirable strength of will, she took a deep breath and grinded her teeth, clenched her fists tightly, and made a silent prayer for strength, before turning slowly around, just as Baloo was nearing the entrance door to his friend’s club.

 

“Mr. Baloo?!” she called out, softening her voice a little, attempting to sound pleasant.

 

Baloo turned at the sound of her voice, looking at her quizzically.

 

Karnage gave him her best smile; a forced one through clenched teeth, but a smile nonetheless. “Perhaps I have been a bit too hasty,” she stabbed her hands with her own fingernails, as she continued clenching her fists. “I was unfair to be so rude. Forgive me, but I am, how they say, going through a few changes as of lately. So perhaps we could… maybe… “ She bit her lip, forcing herself to continue. ”Maybe we could go for a ride in your aeroplane?”

 

Baloo’s face brightened up immediately. “Well, sure thing, doll!” he said, as he practically leapt over the pier, right up to her. “I thought you’d never ask me!”

 

Karnage felt faint, as Baloo put his arm around her, guiding her to his plane.

 

“Neither did I,” she commented lowly.

 

“You’ll love my baby,” Baloo assured her, his arm still around her, as they walked up to the Sea Duck. “Built her myself, right from scratch… Well, the first time anyway, before she got shot down and blew to bits by the Air Pirates.”

 

“Fascinating,” Karnage smiled briefly, remembering that night. It had been the only good thing that had come out of that entire operation, when they had launched an attack on Cape Suzette, destroying Baloo’s precious plane. It had been one of the very first times that Karnage and Baloo had crossed swords.

 

“But believe me,” Baloo opened the door for her. “You ain’t ever flown in anything like the Sea Duck before. Trust me, this baby is gonna blow your mind away!”

 

“I can imagine,” Karnage said, forcing herself to sound interested. Was it her, or did this guy have a serious crush on his aeroplane?

 

She allowed Baloo to help her up into the plane, seeing as her new dress was making it hard to do so… and yelped, as Baloo touched her backside while helping her up.

 

Baloo laughed. “Up you go, honey-buns!” he said, as he patted her rump, pushing her up into the plane.

 

Karnage took deep breaths, trying to keep herself under control. She had to play along if she wanted to get back to her ship. She started to make her way into the passenger area, but Baloo was quicker, and took her by the hand.

 

“No way Jose!” he exclaimed. “The one perfect place to sit on a plane is in the pilot’s seat, and if that seat is occupied, then the navigator’s.” he guided her to the front of the plane.

 

Karnage walked into the pilot’s cockpit, hastily shrugging Baloo’s hand away, but continued giving him a smile in case he suspected anything. She sat down in the navigator’s seat, grateful for the fact that there was a reasonably long gap between it and the pilot’s.

 

“So where do you fancy heading?” Baloo asked her, switching on his engines. “You staying in Cape Suzette?”

 

“No,” Karnage smoothed back her hair. This smile was beginning to feel like it was plastered on her face. “Err, what I mean is… how is about we just go for a fly about first? I mean, I rarely go on the plane rides anymore, so I would hate for this to end so soon.”

 

“Okay with me, babe,” Baloo agreed. “Long as there’s flying to do with it, I’m there.” He pulled on his steering wheel, starting the plane’s take-off.

 

“How is about we start by going east?” Karnage suggested.

 

Baloo winked at her. “Wherever and whatever you want, I got it, babe.”

 

Karnage wondered whether she should be grateful, or petrified.

 

“Better fasten your seatbelt though,” Baloo told her, adjusting his controls. “Looks like we’ve got some rough winds ahead. Nothing I can’t handle though. Rain and storm, I’m gone.”

 

Karnage smiled again, but this time it was a genuine smile. There were indeed some rough winds ahead, and an even bigger storm… for Baloo.

 

* * * * *

 

A Few Minutes Later; The Sea Duck:

 

Baloo had not been incorrect about the high winds. He had assured her that nothing was wrong, as he had flown in far worse conditions than this before. The winds made the Sea Duck do the odd occasional jilt and shake, but nothing serious.

 

In fact, Baloo seemed to make it a tradition to keep talking about himself every fifteen seconds. So far, Karnage had been listening to stories about how many fights he had been in with the Air Pirates, spies, Dinosaurs (though she wasn’t sure how?), giant squids, ghosts and magical idols. Not to mention all the dangerous and difficult flights he had had to handle over the years.

 

The first thing that Karnage decided she was going to do, once she was a he again, was cut out Baloo’s tongue, and then sew his mouth shut.

 

“So what about you then?” Baloo suddenly asked her unexpectedly.

 

“Huh?” Karnage said, woken up out of her reverie.

 

“Where you from?” Baloo asked. “Spain? You got a Spanish accent.”

 

Karnage nodded. “Yes, I am originally from Spain, though my mother was French.” she answered. “I went to Paris once… a truly marvellous and magnificent culture of a city. You should go there some time.”

 

Baloo laughed. “I’m afraid me and culture don’t go well together.”

 

“What a surprise,” Karnage muttered.

 

“Afraid the only place where you’ll see me getting any culture,” Baloo acted as if he hadn’t heard her, “is at the nearest dance club, or wherever there’s a party where there’s some music on.” He clicked his fingers.

 

Karnage gave him a half-smile. ‘What a buffoon,’ she thought, and then decided the only way she could keep him from asking questions about herself, was if she kept asking questions about him, considerably boring as

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