Authors Note/Disclaimer: I don't own Wild ARMs 3, it belongs to Media Vision/Sony/Not me.
I'm really sorry this next chapter took me so long to finish and post, but I've just had a major case of writers block for the last few months. Plus the computer that was on the net died so the connection got frozen for the remainder of our stay in this house. So yeah, that and all the other shit that's been going on lately has kept me from writing. Now that most of that seems to be dealt with or will be dealt with shortly, I'm getting back on track, so expect to hopefully see the next chapters of this fic really soon. Whoo hoo! Anyway, next chapter of EtW coming right up! (And I apologize if Clive starts sounding like Benton Fraser. That's what happens when I watch four straight episodes of Due South as I write.)
Month 3- The Sign
"It's too strong!"
Kovan looked over to Goodwin. "What can we do?" he asked, firing off another shot at the creature to keep it at bay. Goodwin shrugged helplessly.
"We'll have to send someone for help. Who's the fastest rider in town?"
Kovan turned to Mock, the young boy standing behind him. "Go get Annette and tell her to head to the next town to get help!" The boy nodded and ran off to find the town ARMsmith.
Clive ducked the paper missile aimed at his head, a hurt expression on his face. "Catherine," he whined. She just scowled at him.
"Get out of the kitchen and let me cook!"
Virginia chose that moment to step in and dragged Clive forcibly from the room. "Let her be, Clive. Supper'll be ready sooner."
The sniper grumbled in response and started pacing. Virginia just sighed and rejoined Jet and Gallows at the card game they were playing. Picking up her cards, she studied her hand.
"Hey, my cards are out of order! Gallows, were you cheating?!"
"No!" exclaimed the big Baskar, waving his hands, "it wasn't me! It was Jet, I swear!"
Virginia gave him a disbelieving look. "You expect me to believe that Jet was cheating?"
The silver haired youth shot Gallows a dirty look as the Baskar continued. "We ARE playing for gella, you know!"
Clive glanced over at the poker game as it erupted into a full out shouting match and sighed. He was about to head over and break it up when the front door opened and Kaitlyn came running in, followed by a young boy.
"Daddy, I want you to meet my new friend! This is David, he's here visiting his grandfather," she informed him. David gave him a look.
"Oh hey, it's you. Still not dead, huh?"
Clive sweatdropped. "Um, not as such, no."
Kaitlyn smiled again. "We're going to go play." With that, the two children ran off.
Once that was over with, Clive headed over to where his friends were still busy quarrelling. He was pulling Virginia off Gallows as she tried to beat him over the head with a couch cushion when Catherine reentered the room.
"Hey! Don't damage the furniture!" she bellowed, and the four drifters froze in an odd looking tableau before Gallows fell over. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready."
Clive dropped Virginia back to the floor. "I will go get Kaitlyn." With that, he headed off in the direction the two children had disappeared in.
"Is that right?"
Kaitlyn had just spent the last few minutes telling David about her mother's pregnancy and how her father overreacted and his friends played pranks on him as punishment. He found all of this highly amusing.
The little girl nodded in response to his question. "He's been pestering mommy again, but aunt Virginia hasn't come up with any pranks yet."
The boy thought for a moment before a grin split his face. "Balleana, I'll have to thank you later," he murmured to himself. But before he could share his idea aloud, Clive knocked on his daughter's door.
"Kaitlyn, it is time for supper. You and your friend can come join us at the table now."
"Okay daddy, coming!" answered Kaitlyn. Turning back to David, she lowered her voice. "You can share your idea with aunt Virginia and the others after dinner." With that, the two children headed off the dining room.
After supper, Kaitlyn told Virginia about David's idea and the older woman called a council of war. Once the group was assembled (namely everyone but Clive), David related his idea to them. Virginia chuckled evilly.
"It's so simple and childish. He'll never expect it! It's perfect, David," she said. "Shall we implement the plan tomorrow morning?" With that she looked at Catherine. "Can you do it?"
Catherine nodded. "Of course. Should we warn the other townspeople not to clue him in?"
Virginia snapped her fingers. "Great idea! David, Kaitlyn, think you can handle that?"
David nodded, a small smirk plastered across his face. He was enjoying this. He and Kaitlyn ran off to take care of their part of the plan as the others planned the rest.
The next morning dawned bright and early. Clive was just pulling on his jacket when Catherine approached him and gave him a big hug. Clive was a little taken aback by it, but he returned it just the same.
"What brought that on?" he asked once she pulled away, a small grin on his face. Catherine returned the smile and shrugged.
"Can I not give my husband a hug whenever I feel like it anymore?"
"Of course you can, I just... no, never mind. Now, I have some errands I must run. I will return shortly." With that, he turned and left. Catherine snickered as he went.
"Oh yeah," said Canceco, "I can have this fixed in maybe an hour, absolutely."
"Thanks. I'll be back later to pick it up, then." Clive relinquished his ARM to the town's ARMsmith and turned to leave when he heard the man trying to stifle his laughter. He turned back around. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing," replied Canceco, a big grin still plastered across his face, "at least, nothing you would understand unless you were an ARMsmith."
Clive blinked. "...Ah." He left the building. Once he was sure Clive was out of hearing range, Canceco broke down into gales of laughter.
There must have been some joke that had been passed around town that he was unaware of, Clive was sure. Everywhere he'd gone that day, everyone was practically doubled over laughing. What was going on?
He was about to go find Catherine and ask her if she knew anything when the rider arrived. She was nearly falling out of her saddle, she was so exhausted. He ran over to help.
"Little Rock...in trouble..." she gasped between breaths, "monster attack..."
Clive recognized her as the ARMsmith from Little Rock. "Annette? What's wrong?"
She took a few seconds to catch her breath before responding. "There's a monster attacking the town and we can't seem to get rid of it. And there hasn't been any drifters coming by to help."
Clive helped her to her feet and began to lead her to his house. "I am sure Virginia and the others would be willing to help. Let us go talk to them."
"Thanks." Annette fell in behind him. "...Um..."
"Yes?"
"Are you aware that you have a 'kick me' sign on your back?"
I'm really sorry this next chapter took me so long to finish and post, but I've just had a major case of writers block for the last few months. Plus the computer that was on the net died so the connection got frozen for the remainder of our stay in this house. So yeah, that and all the other shit that's been going on lately has kept me from writing. Now that most of that seems to be dealt with or will be dealt with shortly, I'm getting back on track, so expect to hopefully see the next chapters of this fic really soon. Whoo hoo! Anyway, next chapter of EtW coming right up! (And I apologize if Clive starts sounding like Benton Fraser. That's what happens when I watch four straight episodes of Due South as I write.)
Month 3- The Sign
"It's too strong!"
Kovan looked over to Goodwin. "What can we do?" he asked, firing off another shot at the creature to keep it at bay. Goodwin shrugged helplessly.
"We'll have to send someone for help. Who's the fastest rider in town?"
Kovan turned to Mock, the young boy standing behind him. "Go get Annette and tell her to head to the next town to get help!" The boy nodded and ran off to find the town ARMsmith.
Clive ducked the paper missile aimed at his head, a hurt expression on his face. "Catherine," he whined. She just scowled at him.
"Get out of the kitchen and let me cook!"
Virginia chose that moment to step in and dragged Clive forcibly from the room. "Let her be, Clive. Supper'll be ready sooner."
The sniper grumbled in response and started pacing. Virginia just sighed and rejoined Jet and Gallows at the card game they were playing. Picking up her cards, she studied her hand.
"Hey, my cards are out of order! Gallows, were you cheating?!"
"No!" exclaimed the big Baskar, waving his hands, "it wasn't me! It was Jet, I swear!"
Virginia gave him a disbelieving look. "You expect me to believe that Jet was cheating?"
The silver haired youth shot Gallows a dirty look as the Baskar continued. "We ARE playing for gella, you know!"
Clive glanced over at the poker game as it erupted into a full out shouting match and sighed. He was about to head over and break it up when the front door opened and Kaitlyn came running in, followed by a young boy.
"Daddy, I want you to meet my new friend! This is David, he's here visiting his grandfather," she informed him. David gave him a look.
"Oh hey, it's you. Still not dead, huh?"
Clive sweatdropped. "Um, not as such, no."
Kaitlyn smiled again. "We're going to go play." With that, the two children ran off.
Once that was over with, Clive headed over to where his friends were still busy quarrelling. He was pulling Virginia off Gallows as she tried to beat him over the head with a couch cushion when Catherine reentered the room.
"Hey! Don't damage the furniture!" she bellowed, and the four drifters froze in an odd looking tableau before Gallows fell over. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready."
Clive dropped Virginia back to the floor. "I will go get Kaitlyn." With that, he headed off in the direction the two children had disappeared in.
"Is that right?"
Kaitlyn had just spent the last few minutes telling David about her mother's pregnancy and how her father overreacted and his friends played pranks on him as punishment. He found all of this highly amusing.
The little girl nodded in response to his question. "He's been pestering mommy again, but aunt Virginia hasn't come up with any pranks yet."
The boy thought for a moment before a grin split his face. "Balleana, I'll have to thank you later," he murmured to himself. But before he could share his idea aloud, Clive knocked on his daughter's door.
"Kaitlyn, it is time for supper. You and your friend can come join us at the table now."
"Okay daddy, coming!" answered Kaitlyn. Turning back to David, she lowered her voice. "You can share your idea with aunt Virginia and the others after dinner." With that, the two children headed off the dining room.
After supper, Kaitlyn told Virginia about David's idea and the older woman called a council of war. Once the group was assembled (namely everyone but Clive), David related his idea to them. Virginia chuckled evilly.
"It's so simple and childish. He'll never expect it! It's perfect, David," she said. "Shall we implement the plan tomorrow morning?" With that she looked at Catherine. "Can you do it?"
Catherine nodded. "Of course. Should we warn the other townspeople not to clue him in?"
Virginia snapped her fingers. "Great idea! David, Kaitlyn, think you can handle that?"
David nodded, a small smirk plastered across his face. He was enjoying this. He and Kaitlyn ran off to take care of their part of the plan as the others planned the rest.
The next morning dawned bright and early. Clive was just pulling on his jacket when Catherine approached him and gave him a big hug. Clive was a little taken aback by it, but he returned it just the same.
"What brought that on?" he asked once she pulled away, a small grin on his face. Catherine returned the smile and shrugged.
"Can I not give my husband a hug whenever I feel like it anymore?"
"Of course you can, I just... no, never mind. Now, I have some errands I must run. I will return shortly." With that, he turned and left. Catherine snickered as he went.
"Oh yeah," said Canceco, "I can have this fixed in maybe an hour, absolutely."
"Thanks. I'll be back later to pick it up, then." Clive relinquished his ARM to the town's ARMsmith and turned to leave when he heard the man trying to stifle his laughter. He turned back around. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing," replied Canceco, a big grin still plastered across his face, "at least, nothing you would understand unless you were an ARMsmith."
Clive blinked. "...Ah." He left the building. Once he was sure Clive was out of hearing range, Canceco broke down into gales of laughter.
There must have been some joke that had been passed around town that he was unaware of, Clive was sure. Everywhere he'd gone that day, everyone was practically doubled over laughing. What was going on?
He was about to go find Catherine and ask her if she knew anything when the rider arrived. She was nearly falling out of her saddle, she was so exhausted. He ran over to help.
"Little Rock...in trouble..." she gasped between breaths, "monster attack..."
Clive recognized her as the ARMsmith from Little Rock. "Annette? What's wrong?"
She took a few seconds to catch her breath before responding. "There's a monster attacking the town and we can't seem to get rid of it. And there hasn't been any drifters coming by to help."
Clive helped her to her feet and began to lead her to his house. "I am sure Virginia and the others would be willing to help. Let us go talk to them."
"Thanks." Annette fell in behind him. "...Um..."
"Yes?"
"Are you aware that you have a 'kick me' sign on your back?"
