A/N

This new arrangement is working nicely, I actually have a good bit of time to think up my next bit for this story while I progress the Morphos Effect at a better rate.

"They never complain about being hungry, they're probably loaded with food!" Jamie insisted, dragging the younger mutant along beside him. It wasn't as if they weren't being fed, but young mutant had a tendency to be hungry all the time.

"I think that's because they're both eating bugs."

"The Professor doesn't eat bugs!"

"How do you know?!""

"Because he's the man!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know, I heard Bobby say it."

"Mom's gonna kill Bobby if she hears he has such a profound influence on my life."

"What?" Jamie looked at him puzzled.

"Nothing."

"Okay, my guess is that if we follow them long enough they'll lead us to food!"

"They aren't going anywhere. They've been sitting out the in front of the Blackbird jet thingy just talking."

"They have to be talking about food."

"I told you not to eat those mushrooms."

"I didn't!"

"Are you sure?" The young mutant picked up a long ear questioningly.

"Okay, maybe I took a bite out of one but I spit it right back out, it tasted nasty."

"I wonder where Kurt is."

"Who knows? He might be trying to find a way to fish without using his tail."

"His tail is the only useful bait we had. It's the only thing that caught anything."

"You could have used your tail." Jamie said as he hid behind a tree just out of sight of the talking Professor and Mr. Logan. Mr. Wings had joined them. He looked remarkably better, after having a few days of rest. Arcane was nowhere to be found.

"I like my tail the way it is. Hey, have you seen Arcane?"

"Creepy guy I can't remember the face of? No. He's probably gone by now."

"No, he's still in the forest, I think. He's probably just hiding from the rest of us."

"He'll show back up. His car is still parked outside the shack."

"I wonder what they're talking about?" Julian asked as he climbed halfway up the trunk so he could look with Jamie.

"Can't you hear them?"

"Well, if I concentrate real hard, but I'm still not used to isolating sounds yet. I hear everything all at the same time, and I can usually hear voices because they're louder than the background noise."

"Background noise?"

"It's not like Mom's where she hears thoughts, I just hear what you hear, only better."

"Oh. Well, onto better things. Have they made the move to get food yet?"

"What move am I supposed to be looking for?"

"The Move!"

"You're making as much sense as Amara does half the time!"

"Okay, now those are fighting words." Jamie said seriously.

"I don't understand what you're talking about! What move?!"

"What are you two doing?" Mr. Logan growled as he walked over towards their tree.

"Uh…Nothing!" Jamie said swiftly.

"I think you two are doing something, and you better be moving along. I don't want to have to give you two danger room sessions when we get back to the Institute." Mr. Logan ordered.

Julian hopped off the tree and walked back into the woods, only pausing to wait for Jamie.

A few seconds later, Jamie leaned towards Julian's ear. "He says he doesn't want to give Danger room sessions, but I swear he lives for them."

"What was that, Multiple?!" Mr. Logan roared.

"Oh, crud! Run!" Jamie ran off as fast as he could.

A few hours later, Julian was climbing up a tree carefully, hoping not to slip down the side of the trunk into the river. Doggy was watching him with feigned interest, more worried that he'd fall into the river and wouldn't be able to get out than what he was doing.

He was doing some food finding.

Across the river was a large branch. The branch, f he could find a way to cling to it long enough, would swing downwards under his weight, in theory, and leave him a few inches above the water to catch fish by shooting his paws under the water and catching them. He was a good swimmer, but only in still water, not running, like the river. He wasn't all that coordinated with swimming yet.

Climbing to the point on the trunk he wanted, he estimated how much power it would take to hop to the center of the branch. Hopping sideways was always harder than hopping up or hopping down.

When he figured out what he thought he needed he tensed his legs and kicked off the tree trunk—

Too far.

--and landed in a heap on the other side of the river, banging his nose painfully on the dirt.

"Woof!" Doggy voiced his concern.

"I'm okay. Just jumped too far." He'd have to work on that.

"How'd you end up over there without getting wet?" Jamie called as he came down through the forest.

"I was fishing."

"Figures. Hey, want to go see what Kurt is up to?"

"Yeah sure, why not."

"Maybe he's fishing with his tail again."

"I don't think so."

"Maybe we could go spy on the Professor again!"

"I think Mr. Logan might hurt us if we do that."

"Like he doesn't enjoy younger mutants' pain anyway." Jamie said.

"Yeah, but I don't enjoy pain."

"All the more reason not to get caught!"

Hmm…a little short, I shall have to take care of that in the future…

Raliena: Oh really? Has it been working the way you wanted? The Broadband, I mean. Hope you like this chapter!

PrincessOfWildfire: Heh, thank you very much. Hope you like this chapter too!

Anon(girl): But if you made everything fireproof, he wouldn't be happy! Glad you liked the last chapter!

asp: Driving people nuts happens to be one of my better abilities. No, just kidding. I haven't fished in a long time either. Glad you liked the chapter!

Laureate: There goes symbolism, rearing it's ugly head. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and as far as Arcane, I'm sure he'll pop up again.

Kally will be fishing for reviews! Remember to add the needed fins!