Title:  Will the Real Spider-Man Please Stand Up?

Author: Autumn

E-mail: autumnleaves@autumnpenguins.com

Summary: Logan reveals the truth about the 'real' Spiderman.

Disclaimer: The Characters belong to Marvel and Fox, not me,,,,, * sigh *  The lyrics belong to 'The Cure'

Archives:  DDFH, Autumn's Penguin Emporium others please ask

Category:  Humor and horror, odd combo, but there you have it.

A/N:  This is mainly inspired by the Cure's 'Lullaby' video, which is creepy enough to induce nightmares to even the, most veteran horror fan.

Set about 4 years after the first movie. 

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


On candystripe legs the spiderman comes
Softly through the shadow of the evening sun
Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead
Looking for the victim shivering in bed
Searching out fear in the gathering gloom and
Suddenly!
A movement in the corner of the room!
And there is nothing I can do
When I realise with fright
That the spiderman is having me for dinner tonight!

          Life at the mansion had been surprisingly easy for Logan to adjust too.  He'd stopped chasing ghosts two years ago, and had finally came back to the one place he wanted to call home. He knew as well as the next person did that he didn't come home for Jean.  He'd come back for the girl with the tags.  She had also been acclimated to mansion life rather quickly and had developed close relationships with Jubilee, Kitty, St. John and Bobby among others.  Rogue had had no lack of a social life and had a semi-serious boyfriend when Logan returned. 

          He didn't expect her to be waiting for him like a little girl waiting for her favourite uncle to come home.  A quick 'hi Logan' was all he got from her before she swept out the door with her boyfriend.  Scott found the entire situation funny he'd poked jibes at Logan resembling a lovesick puppy, rather bravely in many mutants' opinions.  Logan got over it eventually and settled down into a 'friendly' relationship with Marie.  He wanted more, everyone could see it, even Raymond, Marie's boyfriend knew it. In fact, the only one who seemed oblivious was the object of Logan's affections herself. 

          Raymond eventually grew deeply jealous over Logan and Marie's friendship.  When he gave her an ultimatum, Marie walked away from him and he was gone from her life.  That finally gave Logan the chance to pursue a romantic relationship with Marie.  After nearly a year of chasing her, she finally consented to date him, and they'd been together ever since.  In that time, Logan had found himself wanting to be near Marie as often as possible.  The untouchable girl had stolen his heart, and for once in his life, he didn't mind the complications that came with that. Involvement with Marie meant spending a lot of time with the younger kids the mansion housed.  She was a favourite with nearly every child and Logan was willingly drug along to several field trips, school functions and camping trips. 

          He was currently assembling one of the four pup tents that were to be scattered around the campsite.  Marie and he would be settled comfortably in a four-man tent, but the kids would be in two man tents, as they requested.  The kids were all between 8 and 11 so it was still safe enough to have the sexes mixed as there were at least two pairs of best friends that consisted of a girl-boy duo.  Marie had already assembled the larger tent as well as two of the smaller tents before she moved over towards Logan to assist him. 

                 "Face it Logan, there's just some things you're not good at."  Marie grinned as she took in Logan struggling with the tent. 

          "Fair enough darling," he began as he pulled a nearly transparent scarf from his pocket and kissed her.  "But I am good at some things" he grinned, leaving Rogue to finish the tents. 

          That evening as dusk settled, the eight kids and Marie had all changed into their pyjamas and were settled around the fire roasting, hot dogs, marshmallows and pickles.  The children happily stuffed their face, chocolate and graham cracker crumbs smudged on most of them until they were all stuffed.  Inevitably, the interest of the kids wavered in the direction of ghost stories.  "I've got one!" A little girl named Genavive said excitedly. 

          "I do too."  Jeff cried out. 

          "I want to hear Logan tell a story," Jessyca said shyly. 

          A chorus of 'me too' followed the girl's statement. 

          "What do you say Logan, gonna grace us with a tale?" Marie asked with laughter in her eyes. 

          Logan returned her smile before setting his face to a more serious look.  "I gotta warn you, its scary.  Probably too scary.  Ah, forget it" he said, getting up and acting like he would leave the circle. 

          "We're brave!  We can handle it!"  A boy shouted.

          "Please Mr. Logan."  Jeff pleaded. 

          Logan turned around and sat himself back down around the campfire.  "Alright, but you've gotta promise that you are not going to come crawling into our tent if I tell you the story." 

          "We promise!" the kids voiced immediately.

          "This is a true story.  Its about me and Marie and Spiderman."  Logan began gravely.

          "That's not scary!  Spiderman's a hero, we saw the movie!" Genevive said in indignation. 

          "You don't know the story about the real Spiderman" Logan stressed. 

          The kids were all quiet as Logan dove into the story.   "Marie and I had been sent out to investigate a supposed kidnapping.  It was one of the kids from the school, so of course we hurried over." 

***********

          Logan and Marie crept silently out of the range rover.  They'd located the caves with relative ease and now it was just a manner of finding their charge and getting the hell out of there.  It was easier said than done.  Neither of them had any experience spelunking and the entrance to the cave appeared to be a good 45 feet below ground. Not for nothing were they X-Men.  Rogue retrieved a gun from the trunk of the vehicle that would shoot an anchor to embed into the hardest of rocks.  It would leave them a rope to climb down and an avenue of escape. 

          Rogue quickly descended into the cave, and was followed by Logan moments later.  They found themselves in pitch darkness.  "You wanna split up or stay together down here?" Logan asked.

          "I don't think its such a good idea to split up in a cave. Its dark, there are probably plenty of holes all over the place, one of us could trip and get hurt." Rogue said. 

          "You're just afraid of the bats." Logan teased. 

          "No, I was just trying to save you the trauma of trying to find yourself around in the dark.  We all know you're afraid of it.  Remember that incident with Scott?" 

          "I'll get something just as good on him." Logan muttered.

          "Lets just find her and get out of here Logan.  This place gives me the creeps."

          "Chicken."  Even in the dark, she could see his smirk.

          The pair walked in silence for about 70 feet, when Logan slyly took her hand in his.  Rogue turned her flashlight towards him so he could see the smile on her face.  It was a special moment for the new couple, but an unforgivable moment of weakness for the X-men.  Had they been looking, they would have seen the large figure slowly descend from the roof of the cave.  "Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the flies" an unpleasantly raspy voice hissed. 

          A shot of tight white binding shot forth and the two X-Men found themselves meeting the ground…….

TBC……