Digging In and Digging Out

What is the Professor's is the Professor's, what belongs to Marvel is Marvel's. I'm not making money from this so please no suing. Only Gwyneth belongs to me.

Wolverine was tired. Tired of digging and tired of rebuilding. He growled and popped his claws as he heard movement from up above. Remy who was beside him whispered, "What you hear Logan hein? Tell Remy what you hear?"

"Somebody digging down to us Cajun get the Gen-Xers back by the Professor and the wounded they can have guard duty. Let the Prof know what's going down and then get back here with anyone else who's able and we'll just see who comes down the hole. For who's ever sake it is I hope it's a friend 'cause if it ain't…" snickt-snackt went the claws.

Remy smiled and ran off down the passage. When he came back he had Beast and Colossus with him. "Here we are Wolverine now where do you want us?" Remy asked

"Why ask me you're all big boys capable of defending yourselves and all our hurt friends in the basement. My only wish is that we had those two flaming idiot brats to beat the crap out of them for not being able to have Gwyneth of Mags to block those flaming missiles."

"I understand the desire for Gwyneth's powers but why Magneto?" Colossus asked his voice sounding slightly tinny because of his metal skin.

Wolverine sighed with all that Colossus had seen he still didn't get it. "Piotr, Magneto could have messed with the missiles targeting system which are or can be messed with by messing with the electromagnetic spectrum. Now think about it for a minute and ask me again why I and I repeat I wanted Magneto here.

"I'm sorry Logan. It has been a weird day and all this I forgot I'm sorry."

"I know what you mean Piotr and don't let me get to you too much. I really want to clobber something right now and Wanda and Pietro just make grand targets at the moment."

"Hey Cajun! Where's Jeannie?"

"The Firebird be wit' the Headman trying to get the phone to Scotland to work and she be none too pleased it's on the wonky side." Remy grinned.

"Please Remy stop that or people will think you like all this danger and excitement." Beast teased gently.

"Now where de people goin' to git an idea like that Henri? Where you tell Remy hein?" Remy smirked and whirled his staff around his head a couple times to get the kinks out of his arm muscles.

"Will you shut up and spread out a little for cryin' out loud? The diggers will be down here in a minute why give them a good shot at you three?" Logan hissed from the dark.

"And who he think made 'im boss man? Cyclops? Remy think this whole situation stinks."

"Shut up Cajun or I'll tell Rogue about that time you stole a kiss from Gwyneth." Logan rumbled

"Now that not be playin' fair mon ami."

Remy and the others sank into silence as the sounds of digging above them stopped. Then there was a bright flash and then…

Meanwhile…

The Northern Wastes as the men called them were really rather lovely. Eric thought they reminded him of the best parts of home and Wales all mixed together of course it was nothing to sneeze at to travel in these lands. Gandalf had insisted that they take at least one pack horse and they'd stopped at one of the suttleries to buy more supplies. He looked over at Gwyneth she was dozing as she rode he didn't like the way she looked she was too pale and her sleep at night had been fitful. Gandalf and Eric had decided to let her rest and divided the watch between the two of them. It made for longer nights but in truth both were worried about Gwyneth. Eric was beginning to suspect treachery. He hadn't liked the reports before they had left the camp. Construction on the fortresses was going well but something niggled at him. It was something that had happened at the last party they had had to attend a Lord Dergas had been talking up his sword skill and had said he was better than Gwyneth and Gwyneth had happened to overhear she tapped Dergas on the shoulder and called him on the carpet for his boasting. She'd beat him in a minute flat. He remembered the laughter had started with Isildur first of all people and had rapidly spread about the room. Gwyneth had no smile on her face instead her face was sort of sad. Dergas had been furious and vowed revenge. Something since that night had been off and Eric didn't like leaving Isildur, Anarion and Elendil to face trouble without Gwyneth and him oh not that they couldn't handle it but he wanted to be there. He sighed he was turning into an action junkie if this kept up he'd be as bad as Remy Lebeau.

"We'll camp here for the night." Gandalf said cutting in on Eric daydreaming.

"May I ask why?" Eric drawled.

"Friends of mine are supposed to meet me here. And no you can't come someone has to watch the horses or we'll be robbed. I don't think Gwyneth is going to be much help tonight. You should check the bandages again."

"Really? How would I have ever lived this long without you around?" Eric snapped.

"Stop no fighting mustn't fight each other or enemy wins." Gwyneth said softly and to no one in particular.

The old wizard stared at the woman. This wound was obviously poisoned but he couldn't tell with what he racked his brains for any plant juice or something that could have had this effect on her and so far he'd come up with nothing that's why he was crabby. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry Eric, it's just that I've tried and tried to think of what could have caused this and I can't remember it's maddening but it was wrong to take it out on you. I'm sorry and can you forgive an old fool?"

"Yes, I'm no less worried than you are. Perhaps these friends of yours can identify the poison?"

"I hope so, but I'll warn you the elves you will meant are not like the Sea-Elves at the Havens. These are Sindarin Elves and they have short tempers and this one in particular is very temper mental and refers to himself in the royal we quite often. I do hope we can make a suitable impression to appeal to his aid."

Eric heard a laughing hiss above them and a voice drifted down from the tree, "N-n-not likely old one. We will eat you and your horrssssess and the pretty woman. Nasty SSSSindar not help you much." Eric watched in horror as a huge spider drifted down from the tree he could now see other eyes glittering in the forest behind them and his eyes began to glow reddish-blue. Gwyneth was still sitting upon her horse and the other horses crowded closer to her as if seeking her protection. The spider who had spoken was on the ground now inching closer to the horses one of them aimed a kick at the spider and sent it rolling away it picked itself back up and growled and shrieked and charged again. This time it got a two for one deal as two horse kicked it away to send it splatting against a tree. The other spiders hissed and murmured but they began to close the circle limiting the horses' mobility and sooner or later Eric knew the spiders would get lucky, this made him angry. He picked up one of the spiders and threw it against a tree it made a bigger mess than the first. He called to Gwyneth, "I don't know if you can hear me or not Gwyneth but shield the horses and yourself we are under attack."

She didn't move. The horses neighed and whinnied frightened by the spiders when wonders of wonders the horses' whinnies were answered by more horses. Gandalf then let loose a spectacular flash of blue fire incinerating five spiders at once. The other riders broke into a gallop and the spiders began melting away into the shadows but it didn't seem to matter the riders pursued them and shot them with arrows and stabbed them with spears. One group of riders stopped in front of Gandalf the leader of these riders was the most beautiful person Eric had yet seen. He was tall, slender and his hair reminded Eric of an opal it shone with its own light from within it was spectacular. "Well wizard we give you greetings but we must tell you that we are not impressed you let yourself be surrounded and if these are the kind of warriors the humans are fielding we are sorely tempted to stay at home. As you've seen we have troubles of our own to deal with."

"I understand my lord but my friends are not like most men and women they posses other gifts…"

And Gandalf was interrupted as Eric and Gwyneth struck the larger spider that had been descending to bite the elf lord's horse. Eric shielded the lord and his horse from the spider while Gwyneth shot a light arrow through its head.

The lord seemed shocked he stared at the two Captains for a moment before dismounting and bowing to them. "We had never thought to be saying this to humans but thank you. We will take you back to our halls. But what is wrong with your friend wizard she does not look well."

"That is part of the trouble my lord. I don't know what is wrong with her the wound does not heal properly and she does not respond to us like she should both of us suspect poison but we do not know what kind it may be."

"Perhaps our healer can help you. You two will dine with us and our personal healer shall attend your friend. When you are rested and ready to leave we shall travel together to meet the Noldorin High King and his councilor Elrond Half-Elven."

"I really do so hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think we're going anywhere anytime real soon." Eric said and pointed to the shadows amongst the trees.

"Oh wonderful." Gandalf sighed "I hope my lord that your men are ready to dig in until a relief force comes."

"We shall be ready to take all comers. You heard the wizard, dig in we all shall give the spiders a battle."

Author's Note: Sorry if this seems short but I've got so many things I'm trying to juggle right now. Real life so often intrudes on writing but I promise to make the next chapter longer.