"Damn you, Arcane! Now what are you up to?" Alec Holland's voice rumbled angrily as a surge of power from the ground hurled him backwards, momentarily before an overhead power line veritably exploded; whipping down to the ground where it sparked and crackled like a dying snake. It had narrowly missed him, not that even that much electricity would have been remotely injurious to a being partly composed of the elements themselves. Nonetheless, had a human been under it...well...?

This wasn't an isolated incident. That he knew. He's sensed minor power surges for the last few hours. Not just in the ground though: In the earth, the water, the very air itself. He looked around to where the Langford house was standing. It would be prudent to see if Will and Tressa were all right. Undoubtedly they would be feeling this too.

"Alec!?" Will's voice screamed from the doorway of the house as he bolted outside, the sound of exploding glass clearly audible from within. "Alec!! Are you here?"

"I am here, Will" Alec intoned in customary melodramatic fashion as he emerged from the trees.

"Alec, what the hell is going on?" Will demanded. "Things are just exploding round the house...the TV, the radio, all the lights. Tressa's computer went ten minutes ago. It was a laptop, Alec. No mains power supply! I tell you, there's something really weird going on!"

"Yes....and dangerous!" Alec frowned and looked at Will. Will looked back at him in silence for a moment, recognizing that weary and somber expression crossing his face. Will closed his eyes and looked down. He sighed before looking back up at Alec.

"It's that jerk again, isn't it. He's doing this? What's with that guy, Alec?"

"We don't know that for certain, Will....but it does seem likely."

"This sure ain't natural; and I can't think of anyone else who makes a hobby out of screwing around with people's lives for fun!"

"And with the intellect and resources to make it happen.....Although I cannot work out how he's managing to do this, or why"

"Like he needs a reason, Alec!"

"We need to find out more."

"I'm on it. Time to pay Arcane a visit, I think."

"No Will, not on your own. It would be too dangerous. We will both go!" Will nodded and smiled.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!" A shriek echoed from within the house, causing Will and Alec to turn their heads abruptly.

"TRESSA!!" They both exclaimed in unison, almost knocking each other over in an attempt to get to the house first.

It was the damned microwave. It had exploded and Tressa was bleeding to death on the floor, hundreds of shards of glass embedded into her flesh. No! Not the microwave, as Will remembered the ironing he'd been doing. The steam iron had been hurled off the table and was even now scarring her for life. Maybe it was the scalding water from the pan that had been bubbling away with the eggs in. Yes, that was it. It must be. Will rushed up the steps and onto the porch and headed for the door, before rebounding unceremoniously off Alec, who had reached there at the same time. After a few moments of undignified shoving through a space not designed for two people that size, they both entered the house in trepidation.

"Tressa!?" Will called out. "Tressa, are you OK?"

"So there you are, Will!! Oh, good morning, Alec." A distinctly annoyed voice greeted Will, before mellowing somewhat upon seeing who was with him.

"Tressa, you're all right!" Will gasped. Alec just smiled comfortingly. Tressa looked somewhat confused before anger spread across her face again.

"What ARE you talking about, Will? Look, Alec, I'm sorry but you haven't caught me at a particularly good moment. I'll be right with you....just as soon as I've killed Will!" She spat sarcastically. Now Will looked confused as she turned to him. "Two chores I give you....Just two little chores. It wasn't so much to ask, was it?"

Will closed his eyes and grimaced as he remembered the kitchen. He looked up at her pathetically.

"How bad is it?" He winced. She said nothing, merely holding out what would have been a lovely red silk shirt....lovely if there hadn't been a fist sized hole burnt through the middle of it. Will winced again. "I'll buy you a new one?" He put in meekly. Tressa just continued to survey him, an accusatory sneer crossing her face.

"I haven't finished with you yet, young man! There's the matter of the eggs. You remember those from long ago this morning? My delicious, LIGHTLY boiled eggs! Those tasty LIGHTLY boiled eggs that are now sitting in a burnt out dry pan? Hmmm?"

"PMS is bad this month" Will whispered in a barely audible voice to Alec.

"I....I must go, Will. I have to find out what Arcane is up to" Alec intoned before gently backing off from the scene.

"Coward!" Will spat quietly. "Why do you always take the easy jobs?" He backed off with Alec. "Look, Tressa. I have to go. It's important. I'll pick some more up for you. Promise."

"There AREN'T any more. The shops were out of them. We bought the last.. Remember???......Where are you going!?" Will gave a hurried shrug, combined with a hopelessly desperate look on his face.

"I'll figure something. Promise. Bye!" He dashed out of the house without looking back.

"WILL!!" A voice shrieked behind him. Outside, Alec looked at him.

"Shouldn't you try to sort this out with her?"

"We've got work to do, Alec. Arcane, remember?"

"Yes, but....."

"WILL!!!!"

"Indeed, Will, we have to get to Arcane's complex as soon as possible before people are hurt." They crept Surreptitiously away from the house.

"WILL!! I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE EGGS!!!"

"Damn it, Graham! I was looking forward to those eggs. Is that the best you could do?" Arcane dismally surveyed the ruins of his breakfast as he picked out the remains of the shattered teflon from his plate. "I don't know! Is one little breakfast too much to ask for?" Graham just shrugged helplessly.

"I've sent out for more supplies, Sir, but there's a shortage. The last eggs were sold this morning. I'm sorry, Doctor."

"I do recall, Graham, asking you to send out for some breakfast, did I not?"

"All the diners and restaurants are closed, Sir. Public safety regulations. These...incidents...They've been happening elsewhere as well."

Arcane frowned deeply as he briefly wondered which looked the most sorry; the remains of his breakfast, or his still dripping wet and sticky, mousse-filled wilted hair. It just seemed to sit there on his head, like a semi sentient trained mop, benign and patient as it waited in the hope of a new and glorious hairdryer to breathe life into it and tell it what to do.

A sudden crash and a squeaky shriek made them both turn in surprise. Stella came rushing in.

"Doctor Arcane!" She gasped; "Doctor Arcane!"

"Yes, Stella, that is my name! Do impart whatever the latest doom laden news is."

"Doctor, there's been a gosh huge explosion from your bedroom. I was in your quarters, Doctor, getting the spinal feed files. You remember you asked me to get them for you for this morning's experiment? I would have been there sooner but there was this absolutely terrible accident in the generator room. I had to attend to Mr. Donnelly who had been injured. He was the one who was hired last month. Well....He's all right now, by the way. Well he wasn't. He was in shock really...but he's fine now. Well, fine probably isn't the best word...more sort of coping with things. His family are coming for him and...."

"Stella!!"

"Yes, Doctor Arcane?"

"As sorry as I am for Mr. Donnelly and his heartrending experience, WHAT about the explosion in my bedroom."

"Well...There..."

"Oh never mind. I'll go and see for myself. Come along, Graham! Try and do something for the pay I give you."

Arcane surveyed his quarters carefully from the doorway. Nothing seemed amiss. He gave a quizzical look and a small shrug.

"It came from over there, Doctor." Stella put in helpfully, pointing to just beyond the bed. Arcane and Graham went over to investigate.

Arcane looked down. Smoke was clearly rising from the far bedside cabinet. He knelt down slowly and carefully opened the cabinet drawer a fraction to peer inside. He frowned. Graham looked down at him, somewhat concerned.

"Is everything all right, Sir?" He asked.

"Oh yes, everything is fine. Absolutely bloody fine! Why wouldn't it be!?" he snapped at his assistant. Graham looked momentarily puzzled before a wave of understanding hit him. He frowned too.

"Something's exploded inside the cabinet?" Stella helpfully stated the obvious.

"That's right, Stella. Something's exploded inside the cabinet. Just an insignificant little electrical item. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about at all." Arcane moved away, as if to leave the room, everything having been sorted out. Stella moved towards the cabinet.

"Don't worry, Doctor. I'll get it all nice and cleaned up for you." She said. Behind her back, Graham opened the cabinet door a few inches himself and took a look inside. His frown deepened. Seeing Stella heading towards him he swiftly shut the door again in the blink of an eye and blocked it with his body. Arcane became suddenly revitalized and headed Stella off at the pass.

"Haven't you got the spinal feed files to collate, Stella. Graham can take care of cleaning up the damage; can't you, Graham?" He said, ushering her in the direction of the door.

"Yes, Doctor Arcane. Right away."

"Well, off you go Stella. No need to worry your head about one little exploded....shaver." He paused, as though thinking, and approving of what he'd said, before flashing her one of his best oily, winning smiles. Stella nodded politely and smiled as she left.

She stopped at the door and turned back.

"Doctor Arcane?"

"Yes, Stella?" Arcane said warily.

"Doctor, didn't I see your shaver in the bathroom?"

"No!/Yes! Arcane and Graham said simultaneously. Stella looked puzzled. Arcane gave Graham a look that would have killed a charging rhino at twenty paces.

"The Doctor keeps two shavers." Graham smiled triumphantly.

Arcane's glare lifted to an expression of satisfaction. "Yes....Two shavers...."

".....In case of......" Graham added falteringly.

".....of....explosions" Arcane finished. Stella gave them both a puzzled look, then turned and left with a mild shrug. When out of sight she allowed herself a sly grin.

Back in the bedroom, Arcane and Graham surveyed each other.

"That was close, Doctor."

"Oh shut up, Graham!" He sat down on the bed sullenly, briefly looking up to make sure the in-built Hi Fi system didn't explode all over him. His limp hair chose that particular moment to finally give up all pretense of life, and flopped wearily over his forehead and eyes. He shook his head slowly, his depressed state of mind going through a list of how things could possibly get any worse; before deciding that firmly that they couldn't!