The Ghoul Kid!!

Chapter Two ~ Varian Hudson

"Wait!" Eli called out as he and his friends ran across the rooftops. "Who are you?"

"Just follow me," their mysterious rescuer replied. They couldn't see much of his except a bit of black hair that poked out of his hood, and a pair of gold eyes. His cloak covered his entire body except for his legs and left arm.

A blaster barrel appeared in his right sleeve and shot out an Arachnet slug that spun a bridge of web that allowed the group of run across the streets. The boy snatched his slug up and fired, again and again, running across the rooftops until they reached the edge of the town where the boy jumped off the roof onto the top of a strange lizard-like Mecha with a pair of sharp fangs.

The Shane Gang jumped off as well to find their own Mechas parked nearby. They jumped on and ran full-pelt out of that town and cavern.

"Not to sound ungrateful," Eli said as he rode up next to their rescuer. "But who are you?"

"Name's Varian Hudson," the boy replied. "I saw that you were in a bit of trouble and thought you could use a bit of help. I suggest you lay low for a while."

"Any ideas where?" Eli smiled.

Varian smirked. "Maybe. If you're not too picky about the company you keep."

"Are you?" Eli asked. He didn't get an answer.

*************

They rode through a series of tunnels to a cavern filled with a glowing blue crystal. They came up to a three-storey building that had the same round design as the Shane Hideout. There was an overhanging roof that provided parking space for their Mechas.

"A day or two here and you'll be in the clear," Varian told them as they walked inside. "Kitchen and Slug Area's up top and the bedrooms and bathroom are on the second floor. Everything else is here. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks for this," Eli said.

"No problem. I hate Dr Blakk and what he's doing to slugs," Varian said, loading his slugs into a chute that shot them up to the top floor. "Some people only look out for themselves. Most just don't care about their slugs."

"I know the feeling," Eli told him. "I'd hate it if anything happened to Burpy." The Infurnus slug chirped and cooed as Eli gave him a scratch. Varian smiled at the sight of them.

"Does that take your slugs to the top?" Trixie asked.

"Yeah. Want to see?" Varian took them up the stairs while their slugs took the chute. Or the Slug-Evator as he liked to call it. When they reached the top floor, they saw the kitchen pushed to one side while the rest of the floor was full of tubes, wheels, and toys for all Varian's slugs. There was a cabinet-like box set into the wall, protected by a pair of steel doors.

"Woah!" Kord exclaimed. "How many slugs to do you have!?"

"I've been trying to collect two of each breed," Varian explained. "The rest are in that cabinet sleeping. So I'd appreciate it if you could leave them alone."

"Sure," Eli promised, only giving the box a cursory glance.