2, 3, 5, 9, 17, _ What is the next number in the sequence?

Can you figure out the logic I used to decide the order of the following words:
gun, shoe, spree, door, hive, kicks, heaven, gate, line, den

Given that

(78)^9 = 6
And (69)^4 = 11

Can you find out

(99)^2 =?

(Note: This is Logical, not Mathematical)

What does below Rebus say?

XLR8

Three friends decide to distribute the soda cans they had among them. When all of them had drunk four cans each, the total number of cans that remained was equal to the cans each one of them had after they had divided the cans.

Can you calculate the total number of cans before distribution?

There is a basket full of hats. Three are white and two are black. Three men, Tom, Tim, and Jim, each take a hat out of the basket and put it on their heads without seeing the hat they selected or the hats the other men selected. The men arrange themselves so Tom can see Tim and Jim’s hats, Tim can see Jim’s hat, and Jim can’t see anyone’s hat. Tom is asked what color his hat is and he says he doesn’t know. Tim is asked the same question, and he also doesn’t know. Finally, Jim is asked the question, and he does know. What colour is his hat?

A deaf and mute man goes to the train station. Tickets for the train are 50 cents each. The man goes to the ticket booth and hands the man inside just a dollar. The man in the booth hands him two tickets.

How did the man in the booth know to give him two tickets without even looking at him?

A new Engineering building containing 100 offices had just been completed. John was hired to paint the numbers 1 to 100 on the doors. How many times will John have to paint the number nine (9)?

If you say my name, I will no longer exist. What am I?

A landlord calls both of his sons and tells them that their horses will now decide who will transfer the inheritance. He tells them to race along the land till the end and the one whose horse will be slower will win and be the heir to all the property.

Both of them keep wandering for days but to no result. Then they ask a wise man regarding it. The man advises them on the matter after which they jump on the horses and race as fast as they can till the end. Why did they do it?

What did the wise man say?