The second prompt. Really... not one of my favorites. I tried to keep Xigbar fun but still keep in mind that he was a scientist and therefore had considerable brains and talent. He just doesn't use them much.

I love the Original Six, but man are they hard to write sometimes.

--

Sus prompt #2: "fork" and "contraption"

--

An ominous rattling was heard from one of the rooms in the Castle That Never Was. An explosion rattled the windows and was followed by muffled cursing. Finally, the door opened, and a figure emerged in a cloud of greasy, dark smoke.

"Hey! Dudes!" Xigbar yelled, waving a contraption above his head, "I did it! Dudes, ya gotta come see!"

A head covered in black braids craned around a corner as its owner halted his pace down the hall.

"What is it you were working on, exactly, Number II?" he inquired.

"Xaldin! Man, it's the best invention ever! Check this out!"

Xigbar balanced the machine in one hand as he dug in his pockets for something.

"... a fork." said Xaldin, unimpressed, when he was handed the object.

"Yeah, but check out what this baby can do with it!" Xigbar waved enthusiastically.

He took the fork from his companion and carefully fit it into a slot on his invention. He pushed a button and the machine started shuddering suspiciously, steam pouring from numerous cracks and openings. Xaldin took a cautious step sideways so as not to be standing directly in front of the device, and Xigbar gave another whoop as he swung it to point at the far end of the hall.

"Hang on to your sideburns, compadre! FIRE!"

A loud bang reverberated throughout the building. The fork shot out of the machine and embedded itself in the far wall, inexplicably on fire.

"..."

"Dude, think of the possibilities!"

"... you can find a way to make solid metal flammable, yet you still haven't found a way to retrieve our hearts?"

"Ya can't tell me ya wouldn't almost rather have something like this?"

"..."

"..."

"... No."

"Had to think about it, didn't ya?"