Maverick Tends to Arrive on Halloween
I don't own anything but my OC's.
Chapter 10
Maverick understood how the boy felt.
He understood that it was probably difficult to find out that an arm did not belong to you, but to a dead person (especially since no one was aware that that dead person was wandering around). Cobweb was probably wondering where he belonged. If the arm wasn't his, then what about the rest of his body?
There was an uncomfortable silence, then Cobweb whispered, "No…"
I'm sorry, I know this is a shock-" Jack began, but Cobweb interrupted him.
"No!" Cobweb stood up, so fast, in fact, that the chair toppled over. "You're lying!"
"Cobweb, please-"
"No! This arm is mine!"
Jack stood, pressing his palms onto the table. He trudged over to Cobweb and took hold of his right wrist, using his other hand to roll his sleeve up. "I knew it."
On the humerus was a long, jagged scar.
Maverick tensed at seeing the scar. He clutched at his own humerus subconsciously. He remembered all too well the pain he went through with that spider.
"Do you know how you got this?" Jack asked, his voice laced with seriousness.
Cobweb shook his head.
"You couldn't have gotten this while under my care. But that person, they had that spider living around them that whole time. The spider must've bitten them. That's how they died." Jack's eye sockets widened. "This is their arm!"
Cobweb shoved Jack away harshly, running passed him and into the living room.
"Cobweb!" Jack called, running after him.
Cobweb ran into the hallway, Jack hot on his heels. He jerked open the door and ran for all he was worth.
"Cobweb!" Jack called again.
Cobweb ran through town, pushing passed the crowds. He blended in and Jack soon lost him. "Cobweb!"
Maverick had followed Jack, but not as hurriedly. He had walked a simple, casual walk. When Jack disappeared into the crowd, Maverick decided not to follow. Why should he? What could he do to bring Cobweb back? Maverick did, however, step into town. He sat down beside the fountain, looking into the green water (if it could be called water).
This was one of he and Eleanor's favourite spots when they were dating and when Edwin had been born. They would sit there, on the bench Maverick currently sat on, and laugh and talk. They'd share memories and secrets.
John had liked it there too. He and Maverick would also go down there, share jokes, eat ice cream and just enjoy each other's company.
He missed those times. He missed Eleanor. He missed John.
Good ol' Eleanor Skellington.
Good ol' Jonathon Jones.
…
Maverick didn't know how long he'd stayed out there. He had just sat there at the fountain, recalling good memories and muttering, "Why so glum, chum?" when a depressed Jack had walked by.
At least an hour later, Maverick returned to Skellington Manor and stopped.
Standing there were two figures. One looked like an older version of Cobweb, with the exception of the moustache that grew under his nose, and the other looked like a female Jack, with black hair and a dress that resembled Shadow's. Maverick raised an invisible eyebrow. "The hell…?"
"Thank you for taking care of Cobweb, Mr Skellington." The woman said.
"Oh…um…You're welcome."
"Come along, dear." Cobweb's father turned to his wife. "We must be going."
"Wait…You're taking him?" Jack questioned.
Maverick tilted his head.
"Of course," Cobweb's mother replied. "He is our son."
"No, 'e ain't. 'e's Oogie's creation…" Maverick said.
"Oh…of course." Jack said uncertainly.
"I'm sorry, but we must be going." The man said. "Come along, Cobweb."
"Wait…You mean I can't stay here?" Cobweb asked, sounding like he was about to burst into tears.
"Of course not. We've been looking for you, Cobweb." Cobweb's mother said. "We need to go. Now."
Both parents took hold of each of Cobweb's hands, walking down the steps to Jack's home and walking off, the door still open.
Maverick stared in the direction they'd left in and his 'eyes' narrowed in concentration. Those two had called him Cobweb. However, Jack had called him that, so how were they to know that that their 'son's' name was Cobweb? Surely, they would've called him by his real name…Besides, how could the creation of Oogie Boogie have parents, besides those little rug rats Maverick had come across when he first got here. So, then that meant-
"They're not his parents…" Maverick muttered, then ran off.
…
Maverick had gotten lost.
That was his reason. That was why he was late. He. Had. Gotten. Lost.
"I swear, Mav," John had once said to him. "One o' these days, I'm gonna stick a compass into ya head."
Maverick would've still been lost, if it weren't for the shout of "JACK!". That had been Cobweb, he knew, and had run toward it. What he saw made him all the more angry.
Cobweb's wrists were tied together with rope and he was stuck on a hook. Oogie Boogie stood next to him, grinning the best he could without teeth or proper lips. "Oh, bugger…" Maverick muttered.
Oogie placed a hand over Cobweb's mouth. "Shh, now, kid. I ain't gonna hurt ya."
"You just said you would!" Cobweb countered, somehow finding courage.
"That's just somethin' we do around here!" Oogie chuckled. "Just a little trick, don't worry!"
"…Really?"
"Sure! See? Nothing to worry about."
Cobweb watched him carefully.
"Now, back to business." Oogie said. "Don't ya recognise me?"
Cobweb tilted his head. "Should I?"
"Sure! You and I, we're ol' pals!"
Maverick scoffed at that.
"Really?"
"Sure!" Oogie rolled some dice in one hand. "You a gamblin' man, Cobweb?"
"…I'm…not sure what gambling is…" Cobweb replied.
"What? Not know what gambling is?" Oogie exclaimed, clearly astonished at Cobweb's lack of knowledge of his hobby. "Why, it's the thing that makes the world go 'round! Other then money, of course!"
"And women…" Maverick muttered.
"Hm." Cobweb hummed thoughtfully. "What about Jack? When is he getting here?"
"Jack?" Oogie asked. He faked a worried expression. "Oh, I sure hope he doesn't come! He's a real jerk, he is!"
"Jerk? What's a jerk?"
"Mean! He's mean! Born mean, that's what he is!" Oogie explained.
"Mean? He's been taking care of me!"
"That's what 'e wants ya to think! I thought that too when he and I were friends! But now…" Oogie sighed dramatically and turned away from Cobweb, gesturing to the casino. "I'm stuck down here…"
Maverick scowled. "You lying bas-"
"It was horrible, Cobweb!" Oogie suddenly turned back to Cobweb, unknowingly interrupting Maverick. "And not in a good way! He killed me, Cobweb. Just when I was making friends with Sandy Claws, he came down 'ere and killed me!"
"Sandy Claws? You know Sandy Claws?"
"I sure do!…Or…I did…" Oogie saddened. Fake sadness. "Lock, Shock and Barrel had to patch me up."
"You're lying!" Cobweb accused. "Jack would never do that! Never!"
"You're damn right 'e wouldn't! 'e only 'urt 'im cause 'e deserved it!" Maverick exclaimed, hands on his hips.
"It's true!" Lock called down. He came flying out of the pipe, Shock and Barrel in tow.
"No, it bloody well ain't!" Maverick exclaimed.
"It was hard finding enough bugs to put Oogie back together again!" Shock exclaimed.
"Like hell!" Maverick added.
"Without him, we were left on our own!" Barrel added. "Jack never took us in!"
"Would've if ya bloody asked!" Maverick said. He stopped when he noticed Cobweb rubbing the rope against the hook, wearing it down and breaking it. "Clever git…"
When the rope snapped, Cobweb ran for it. However, Oogie saw this and grabbed his shoulder. "Hey! Where you goin'?"
"To find Jack!" Cobweb told the boogie man. "I need to get out of here!" The innocent Cobweb was back in a split second. "Please…Just let me go…"
"We're protecting you, kid!" Oogie wrapped an arm around Cobweb's shoulders. "Jack's a bad man! We're keeping ya safe!" Oogie pretended to pause in thought. "Say…You could stay with us!"
"Yeah!" Lock, Shock and Barrel exclaimed in unison. "Become one of the Boogie's boys!"
"I don't think so!"
Everyone turned and Maverick would've grinned if he could. "And the cavalry have arrived!" He put both hands to his mouth and pretended to blow a trumpet. "Buh-buh-da-da!"
"Jack!" Cobweb exclaimed happily.
"I knew it." Jack said angrily as he began walking towards them all. "I knew you were up to something." He was talking to Lock, Shock and Barrel, who began backing away. Jack pointed at Oogie. "And you brought him back!"
"Jack!" Oogie spoke up. "Glad ya could join us!"
"What're you doing with Cobweb, Oogie? What's he ever done to you?" Jack asked, demanding the answers.
"Nothing! It's what I've done for him!" Oogie answered, placing both hands on Cobweb's shoulders. "And a little for you, I guess." He shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Jack said.
"Don't ya get it, Jack?" Oogie sneered. "I created Cobweb!"
Jack's mouth hung open and his eye sockets were the size of dinner plates.
Shadow cupped her hands over her mouth, her mismatched eyes widening.
Alistair looked utterly confused.
Cobweb just stared at Oogie.
"Pretty sure I'm the only one who saw that coming…" Maverick muttered.
"…What?" Jack asked.
Oogie just laughed.
…
Author's note:
Me: *Gasps* Next chapter! The fight!
Mav: Excitin', eh?
Me: So, will Maverick manage to help them?
Mav: Will I be able to talk to them, at least?
Mav + Me: Find out next time!
Mav: MissBliss8527, that is a good guess, but incorrect, however. I won't tell ya who is the 'other part' of that pairing, but it ain't Marcus. Good guess though, hon. And, MysteriousMoonCo, trust me, From Little Flame to Raging Fire will be worth the wait. And, don't worry, you'll get the answer to your pondering later, in a different story.
