A/N
Hey everybody, I'm back! And feeling good! In fact, so good, that I may update more than one thing today! Yes, I'm back in business and writing up a storm, or maybe just a wind gust. A light breeze? A drizzle? Who knows? However, as a side note, the musical that stopped me from writing went very well, though I may never forget the dialog of the Wizard of Oz EVER again, and the songs shall be with me as long as I hum to myself mentally. Which may be forever. Another note, I'd like to thank all of you for being patient with me, I know how much it stinks to have an author suddenly stop their stories for weeks at a time, and I apologize for that. But I talk too much and am in danger of breaking my solemn code not to bore people with long, useless author notes. Therefore, on with the chapter!
^^**^*^^**^*^*^^*^*^**^^*^*
"Mom said that guns were bad unless you knew how to use them responsibly."
"Is that so." Arcane finished putting together his newly cleaned gun. He had been sitting at his desk cleaning when the little mutant had popped up and started talking.
"I heard Jubilee say that mom has a thing for guys that can shoot. Does she have a thing for you?"
Arcane was seriously considering the risks of throwing these mutants out. So far, they were acceptable. All he had wanted was a little break from wandering. It had been a rough few weeks, not to mention that the usual bunch of thugs had tried to pick a fight with him earlier in the week. He got tired messing around with amateurs, so every once in awhile he took a break and disappeared for a few weeks, just to be alone.
The young furry mutant was looking at him with curious eyes.
"But Jubilee also says that Jean has a thing for one-eyed guys. I don't know any one-eyed guys. How can Jean have a thing for them if there are none around?"
Unfortunately, alone seemed to be a flexible word.
The little mutant suddenly tipped his head to the side pensively.
"Do you have a thing for my mom? What is a 'thing'?"
"Why don't you go talk to some animal or something?" Arcane growled.
"Why doesn't anybody tell me these things? It's like Bobby when I asked him what he was reading."
"What?"
"He blushed and said it was a gaming magazine. Do gaming magazines usually have women on the front?"
Arcane just stared at him. The words coming out of his mouth just didn't seem to fit him.
"As interesting as this conversation is, I have no answers for you."
"If I get Jamie to ask you, will you tell him?"
"No. Now go away."
"Oh." He looked a little crestfallen. Then he lifted his ears. "Somebody's coming. I think it's Mr. Wings."
"Who?"
^*^**^^**^^^*^*^**^*^^**^^*^*
"Open up!" Warren banged on the door, panicking. The tracks he had followed, thank whoever he took that hunting class when he was younger, until he had ended up at this old shack.
If they weren't here, he didn't know where to look.
"Open up!" There was no answer. "OPEN UP!"
The door suddenly opened. "What?"
He only glimpsed the man in the trench coat briefly before the door slammed in his face. A muffled voice sounded through the door.
"You are not coming in here smelling like that."
"I'm looking for a few kids that I'm supposed to be watching, they wandered off!"
"Can you blame them?"
"That is not the point! I've been going through intense amount of torture to give these kids an 'outdoor experience' and let them learn about the forest. You know what's happened to me? I was chased up a tree by a bear! One of the tents is missing, I was sprayed by a skunk, and on top of that I've had to deal with the three worst troublemakers at the Institute! Xavier, you have no idea how much I want to thank you for this wonderful experience!"
"Then leave and go thank him." A spray of water hit Warren hard and he turned to see his attacker covering his mouth and nose and holding a hose. That just happened to be turned on full blast.
"What was that for?!" Warren asked, enraged. He got sprayed right in the face.
"The stench."
"I hate you."
"Must be a record. We've only seen each other for two minutes. Usually it takes five to make a lasting impression."
His attacker had a hat on covering his features and a trench coat, even though it had to be seventy degrees.
"Who are you?"
"You first."
"On what grounds?"
"The fact that this is my house, at least for now."
"Fine. My name is Warren. Warren Worthington the Third. Have you seen the kids I've been looking for?"
"Two furry ones and ones that keeps making multiples of himself? They invaded my house. They're probably still in there."
"I have to talk to them immediately-ACK!" Another blast of water hit him in the face.
"You aren't going into that shack until you don't stink. I want to stay there for another few weeks."
"Fine, FINE! Stop spraying me in the face."
His attacker shut off the hose, still covering his nose and face. Warren suddenly realized he didn't get the man's name.
"What is your name?"
"Call me Arcane, everyone does."
"An odd moniker."
"Whatever. You step a foot into my house before the smell is gone and I'll shoot you. Got it?"
"Yes." Warren said grudgingly.
"Good. There's a river back there you can bathe in, I'm sure you passed it on the way."
"Cause of my problems…"
"I thought Xavier was the one you wanted to thank."
"Him too." Warren stalked off towards the river.
*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Zat's funny, he didn't ask if we were okay." Kurt commented from his perch on the roof. He had teleported there when Warren had gotten a safe distance away.
"If I were in his position, I wouldn't either." The older man commented below as he tossed the hose back to wherever it came from.
"Vhy not?"
"You'll learn a hard lesson when you finally get to be in the company of yourself when you get older."
"Vhat's zat supposed to mean?"
"It's an awful curse for just about everyone." The older man walked back into his house.
^*^**^^**^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**
A/N
Heh, poor Warren. And pretty soon it'll be poor Arcane, unless he plays it smart.
Asteria: Well, I figure everyone needs a break from their job, so I guess in a way he's on vacation. Kally thanks you for the music!
Raliena: Don't like rats? Oh well. She thanks you for the toy anyway. Glad you love the story!
Laureate: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, because I want to see them too. Anyway, I'm glad you're so happy to see Arcane again, and I hope you liked the chapter! And thanks for the eggs, I love Reeses's!
Anon(girl): Don't let the dudes get you down. Kally thanks you, and I hope you like this chapter.
Aicha: That's horrible! I certainly hope that your day got better. Glad you like it!
Chaotic Dreamer: Thank you very much, I hope you like this chapter as much as the others!
Chrissy: Yep, it should be quite interesting. I wonder how long he'll last? Anyway, Kally thanks you for the trampoline! Glad you like the story1
Rogue77: Sorry, no bees or squirrels yet, but I'll try to get it in there, should be quite funny.
Anee/Arain Rowan/Arin Ross: And believe me, I'm glad to see you back! Even though you've been back for awhile. Anyway, I hope Anee is back to normal, or at least something resembling it. Wow, I did not know about St. Jude. I mean, I heard of them, but I didn't know what they did. Learn something new everyday, eh?
Kally would like to thank everyone for the food and toys! She will take the reviews today.