Title: Spiderman

Author: Abbie

Previous parts/series: Part 6 of 'Spike Versus The Spiders'.

Couple(s): S/B A/B W/O X/C G/Jo X/Ab

Rating: R

Summary: An old friend turns up in Sunnydale and creates a little 8-legged problem for the Scooby's! 

Spoilers: Post becoming skews off onto my own little tangent.

Disclaimer: All the BtVS characters in this story belong to Joss o mighty and mutant enemy and all other characters that aren’t mine are the property of their respective creators.

Authors note: For all those with a hate for spiders and a love for Xander... turn away now!

Email: Feedback is welcome at any time to mailto:holly.smith@ntlworld.com

Spiderman

Spike vs. The Spiders 6

 

Part 1

   "Cor Luv, do I have to?" Spike moaned.

   "Yes you promised remember now your going to deliver." Buffy said folding her arms and giving him 'the look.'

   "Bloody hell." Spike moaned flopping down on to the bed and looking at the small card in his hands. When he had promised to take the Slayer to some fancy Ball in the summer of last year he'd thought that the opportunity would never arise. Now here was the Slayer with an invitation to some Gala at her mother’s museum to raise money for some exhibit. 

    He stared long and hard at the invitation, its flawless penmanship gold leaf framing the words and expensive looking paper. Spike hardly noticed, he was far too caught up in the realization that this was one thing he wasn't getting out of. He was going to have to pull out his old tux and hope he didn't see anyone he knew. The last time he'd done this had been fifty years ago, if he did see anyone who recognized him he was either going to have a long job of explaining how young he looked, or he'd have to lie his way thought the evening pretending to be his own son.

    "Remind me why I stick around with you." Spike sighed falling backwards to lie full out on the bed. He smiled when he felt Buffy move to lie on top of him straddling his hips. She laid her head in her hands her elbows resting on either side of his head. He gave her a devilish smile and reached his hands up under her top caressing her back. 

    "Persuade me and I just might." Buffy grinned down at him. Spike smiled back at her and did just that.

*****

    Abby lay on her bed in the factory and stared up at the ceiling. Her mind was formulating a plan. She'd been watching her prey for little over three months now with out detection, finding out as much about him as she could, who his friends and his enemies were, where he lived, his like's and dislikes, his strengths and his weaknesses. She liked what she saw so far. 

    He was a close friend of the slayer so as well as gaining a mate she would hurt the Slayer. He was cute, strong and funny but underestimated by those around him. Abby saw a side to him that was half hidden by his goofy attitude to life, The intelligent part more of the practical than the academic, his quick thinking in tough situation's. The pain, the part that hated when his parents fought, and even more when the ignored him. 

    Apart from the airhead chick of his and the rest of the 'Scooby gang' he was totally starved of affection. In Abby's eyes he needed her, needed her to take away the pain and the hurt and replace it with strength. He would make a wonderful vampire under her guidance. 

    Beside her the vampire stirred. She looked over at him as he smiled evilly. He was young, barely 50 and had the stamina of a sick kitten. Abby made a mental note to kill him later and to make sure Xander like the rest of her bloodline could keep it going for more than five minutes without falling asleep. *Oh well better than being alone, you know how you hate being alone.* Abby told herself for the tenth time that night as he began to growl playfully beside her. She plastered a fake 'This won't hurt a bit' look on her face and returned to growl.

*****

    <So is he coming?> Buffy read the note in class from Willow and smiled.

    <He complained like hell.>

    <But he is coming?>

    <Yes, he is. Can't wait 2 C him in the tux.>

    <Yum?>

    <Yum, definitely a yum moment.> Buffy passed back the note and tried to look like she was paying attention to Mr. Dejean's French lesson. 

    <Oz is yum in a tux.> 

    <When has Oz worn a tux?>

    <Wouldn't you like to know.>

    <Oh secrets is it? It's a shame Xander and Cordy can't go.> Buffy replied adding a little unhappy face to the note.

    <Yeah, it's not gonna be right somehow without them.>

    <I know what you mean. Even though Cordy's going to be away my mom offered to let Xander in for free, but I think his pride got in the way of his mouth and he said no.>

    <Men!>

    <Well, just so long as Big bad evil doesn't come calling we should be go for fun... in a charity ball kinda way.>

    <Jinxed much?>

    "Ms. Summers, Ms. Rosenberg." Mr. Dejean Smiled lightly as he plucked the note from Buffy's fingers. "Interesting, But If you are going to pass note's in my class be sure to write them in French, you might get extra credit."

*****

Part 2

Welcome to Sunnydale! 

    A light grey van skidded to a halt beside the town sign. The Driver's door opened and a young brunette stumbled out, falling to his knee's he clutched at his chest.

    "Please no, not now." He grasped out wishing for just a few more minutes of daylight as the familiar changes began. A thin layer of course rigid hair sprung up across his body, His eye's turned completely black and began to swell until they stood out from his head. 

    His fingers disappeared and the bone of his hands grew out past the flesh matting together to create simple hooked claws where the hand's had been. The joints in his hips twisted and reversed forcing him forward onto all fours. Six more ugly swollen black eyes opened over his head and two more legs burst from each side of his body. 

    His mouth twisted and distorted until it opened to his chin and two wicked fangs sat prominent in his mouth. His neck disappeared pulling his head into his upper body, just as his nose was sucked into his face. The creature bucked wildly tearing away all its remaining clothes. 

    The half human half giant spider that was left Let out a high pitched howl into the night shattering the windows of the van it ran with lightning speed down the highway toward town.

*****

    Spike and Angel clapped their hands over their ears bending double with pain just as all the dogs in Sunnydale began to howl at once.

    "What's wrong?" Buffy asked as they slowly removed their hands. The three of them where doing an early evening pass in the cemetery picking off the early risers, namely Andrew Tanner who'd been found with a ruptured jugular vein a couple of night's ago. 

    "There was a, noise." Angel said looking around confused

    "Noise? More like Deafening scream mate." Spike corrected wiggling a finger around in his ear in an attempt to get it to stop ringing, or at least not so loudly.

    "I didn't hear anything." Buffy frowned.

    "Too high pitched, just us vampires and those damn dog's could hear it."

    "Want we should check it out?" She asked.

    "No, it's too far away. What ever it is would be gone when we got there. Better keep an eye out though." Angel nodded.

    "Better let Giles know just in case, we can swing by the library when we're done patrolling." 

    "Good Idea pet." Buffy looked round for a few more minutes before sighing and jumping to sit on a head stone opposite Andrew Tanners grave. 

    "It's too quite around her lately." She frowned "In fact it's *way* too quiet around here lately."

    "Meaning?"

    "Meaning do you think Abby's cooking something up?" 

    "Abby's always cooking something up." Angel told her.

    "Yeah, can't wait to find out what." Spike grinned enthusiastically.

    "Hey, your on our side, remember." Buffy told him folding her arms.

    "Well I like to think I could still play both sides of the line." He didn't notice Angel walking up behind him until it was too late.

    "Spike, my boy, you will always play both side's of the line." With that Angel grabbed a hold of Spike's ass, causing him to let out a startled shriek. The shock wore off quickly though and he turned round purring:

    "Wrong side mate." And cupped his sire. Silence echoed through the cemetery Buffy's eyes grew to a record size as the two vampires stood faces inches apart. She gulped as Angel began to lean closer and his lips brushed against Spikes softly. 

    Suddenly Andrew Tanner burst from the grave between them and they jumped apart. Buffy leapt down from her perch and grabbed the half emerged vampire from the grave, throwing him over his head stone she vaulted after him. She ducked a punch and kicked him in the stomach. Tanner doubled over and she took the opportunity to stake him in the back.

    Buffy walked back to the two Vampires and looked between them.

    "I don't know if I should be jealous or horny"

    "Your always horny Luv." 

*****

    Xander walked up the driveway to his house. That feeling was back again, like someone was watching him, it had been there at the bronze earlier, so much that he had trouble concentrating on the conversation. Turning the key in the lock Xander pushed the thought away wandering into the semi-dark house. The TV cast an eerie blue glow over the dark sitting room and its occupants.

    "Mom, I'm home." Xander called in softly. There was movement from the sofa and a blurry-eyed Mrs. Harris looked up, confused for a second, before shrugging and focusing once more on the TV. Xander shook his head wandering up the stairs to his room. 

    Dumping his bag on the floor he picked up the telephone and quickly dialed in Cordelia's cell phone number. 

    "Hello, Cordelia Chase..."

    "Cordy!" Xander greeted quickly "How's Mau..."

    "Can't get to the phone right now, she's off having lots of fun with lot's of very important people. But if you leave a message then She'll work out whether you’re interesting enough to talk to."  Bleep. Xander put the phone down on the answer machine message. 

    Looking out of the window he was sure he saw something move across the street. He felt the eyes again watching, studying. He knew that there was something there; he hadn't said anything to the others they seemed to be busy enough. But he knew it was there.

*****

    "Spike?"

    "Yep?"

    "What happened in the cemetery, was that a purely... vampire thing, or what?" Buffy asked later that night. She and Spike where doing the late night patrol down Main Street towards the park.

    "Vampire's will shag anything that moves Luv, and quite a few things that don't."

    "Um, eew. Interesting mental imagery." 

    "Now Angel, Believe me when I say that was not all vampire back there." Spike winked at her.

    "Angel?" Buffy asked rising her eyebrows.

    "His revolving door turned both ways." Spike assured her.

    "Again with the imagery." They reached the park and Buffy sat down on the roundabout. While Spike leaned up against the swing set frame.

    "You think there's imagery in that, there are things I could tell you about Peaches would make your eyes water." 

    "I'd rather you didn't." Buffy said holding her hand up. "Spike push me." Buffy ordered waving her feet in the air like a little child.

    "How about off a cliff?" Spike asked. 

    "Spike!" Buffy warned.

    "Ok, Ok I'm... not coming." Spike said frowning.

    "But Spike! I don't wanna get up." Buffy whined poutily.

   "No Luv, you’re not getting me. I'm not coming, I'm not moving, I *can't* move, I'm stuck." Spike clarified trying to pull himself away from the swing set but not having much luck.

   "Why what's going on?" Buffy asked getting up.

   "I have no idea but there's something sticky on this post and I'm stuck to it." Spike frowned. Buffy looked at the post there was a thin layer of white threads on it.

    "Looks like a spiders web." Buffy frowned. 

    "Spiders web!" Spike shouted eyes widening. "If there's one thing I hate more than spiders it's their webs. They get in your hair and across your face and where there's a spider's web there's going to be a spider, you know it's around you just don't know where it is. Can you see a spider?" Spike asked

    "You know your just as cute as Willow when you babble."

    "Cute? Me? No chance, I'm evil, grrr." 

    "It's just your coat that's stuck, you can take it off and...."

    "Take it off are you tripping?" Spike frowned "There has to be a way to get this off of here." Spike reached round grabbing the post with his hand and tried to push his shoulder away.

    "Oh that was clever." Buffy commented crossing her arms.

    "What?" Spike asked not changing his position. Buffy reached out and tapped the back of his hand. Spike tried to let go of the post and realized what he'd done.

    "Bugger!"

    The creature watched them from the bushes, one of them was caught already, but from somewhere deep inside it knew the girl, knew she was strong. It waited.

    "So what the hell do you suggest I do about this then?" Spike asked her tugging at his hand.

    "I think I'm going to have to get Willow. She's at Oz's house and that's closer than Giles's and she'll know what to do, I hope." 

    "What you’re just going to leave me here?" 

    "Well it's either that or I can cut your hand off." Buffy shrugged.

    "It'll grow back." Spike tried to shrug but came off with something weird looking due to the face that one of his shoulders and the opposite hand where stuck to a swing set pole.

    "Fine, but you'll have to leave the coat." Buffy told him.

    "You go fetch the red head, I'll stand here and try to look normal." Spike replied.

    "That'll be a first." She grinned. "I won't take long, don't go anywhere." 

    "Ha bloody Ha pet!" Spike shouted as the blonde Slayer disappeared from sight. Spike looked himself over and sighed. "Another fine mess you've gotten yourself into. You look like an idiot."

    Spike reached up into his pocket retrieving a packet of cigarettes. He struggled to open them using his teeth and fingers.

    "Oh Bollocks!" Spike swore as he dropped the pack. He reached down with his free hand but the duster and the arm across his throat stopped him getting far enough down. Spike shrugged the duster off of his free side and reached down again brushing the pack with the tips of his fingers.

    There was a rustling of leaves. Spike stood stock still, left hand still out stretched he just knew what sight would greet him when he looked up. He could feel the creatures acrid breath on his skin, hear its panting. Spike raised his head and looked straight into its eight black eyes.

    "Well, Shit."

 

Part 3

 

    Spike moved quickly straightening up he kicked the man-sized spider as far as he could. The spider righted itself stunned for a second as Spike yanked as hard as he could at his hand. The Spider began its charge it was almost on him when Spike managed to rip his hand loose. Spike howled his face morphing with the pain as he left his little finger and half the skin from his palm on the swing set 

    "It's a bloody good job I'm a lefty." Spike managed to gasp out as he took off toward the road. Spike was a fast vampire, but the spider was faster, it blocked the exit from the park, rearing up on its hind legs displaying its huge fangs.

    Spike's eye's sought desperately for a weapon as he backed away. The trip wire made of a fine strand of web was something Spike hadn't counted on. The spider was on him the instant he fell. Spike fought back as best he could, he felt the spiders fangs driving into his shoulder and the venom being pumped into his body. In a last ditch effort Spike managed to push the Spider off kicking it on to it's back. He tried to stand but the venom was already beginning to shut down his nervous system. He crawled a few yards before the world went black.

    "Come on, we're nearly there." Buffy smiled as she Willow and Oz headed for the park. 

    "I can't wait to see...." Willow stopped walking as they reached the park entrance, Spike's duster hung from the swing set post but Spike was no where to be seen, instead there was a track dug out of the ground running towards the tree's to one side of the park. Buffy walked forward crouching next to the trench.

    "Spike?" She whispered. Oz walked up beside her frowning.

    "Look's like something was dragged away."

    "Yeah, or someone." Buffy replied.

    "How did he get free?" Oz asked.

    "I think I have the answer to that." Buffy turned to where Willow was standing next to spike's coat one hand covering her mouth.

    "What is it?" She asked.

    "Half of his hand."  Willow replied.

    "Something grabbed him and dragged him away." Buffy concluded walking up to where Willow stood.

    "Not quite." Oz told her. "If he'd been pulled off by some creature feature the coat would be gone too, I think he did the hand damage himself. It's easier to fight back when you can move, and run away."

    "So we follow the tracks." Buffy nodded beginning to walk away.

    "Shouldn't we get Giles?" Willow asked 

    "No time Spike could be in danger and it's going to be dawn in half an hour. Where ever he is we've got to get him inside."

    "Well just give me a second." Willow chanted a few words and the duster fell to the ground. She passed it to Buffy who fingered it for a second before puling it on.

    "Let's go."

*****

    "You know, I'm wondering what are we saving Spike from?" Oz asked as they reached the cemetery where the tracks where leading.

    "You don't think its vampire?" Willow frowned.

    "I'm going to go with giant spider." Buffy told her.

    "Giant spider?" Willow squeaked grabbing Oz's arm. "As in large hairy eight legs big teeth giant spider?" 

    "That's the one."

    "Well Okay, er, I can handle this." Willow nodded.

    "Willow you don't have to come if you don't want to, I won't hold it against you, this is my job not yours you've done more than I could have ever asked for," Buffy said turning to her.

    "No." Willow replied putting on her resolve face. "I can do this I know spiders I could help."

    "If your sure."

    "I'm sure, I'll be fine." Willow assured her.

    "Looks like the tracks go into that jumbo crypt over there." Oz pointed to a large ornate crypt a little way off. 

    "Right, we go in, we find Spike, we get him out. If anything need's killing I'll do the slaying you two get him out of there. It's ten minute's 'til sunrise, well have to get him to Giles's." The trio walked hesitantly forward.

    "Oh god!" Willow gasped looking into the crypt. The room was crisscrossed with strands of web making it impossible to get past the door, the stench was unbearable, and in the centre of it all was a large Spike shaped bundle covered in thick silken strands of web.

    "Well I'd say we found him." Oz nodded.

    "Willow can you get rid of these?" Buffy asked pointing at the cords lacing the room.

    "I-I don't know. I can try but there's a lot. I can probably clear a way in but I don't think I can do much more."

    "Go for it." Willow concentrated on the strands chanting under her breath as slowly one by one they began to disintegrate. Willow swayed nearly falling Oz caught her holding her upright as Willow's legs gave way.

    "Whoa, bit light headed." Willow frowned steadying herself. "I'm okay, I can stand"

    "That should do it, good job Will. What about Spike? He's still covered in.... that." Buffy said.

    "Don't worry about that, it's not sticky like the webs that's just for containing the food." 

    "Oh, right. Well here goes." Buffy shrugged "You stay here." She stepped forward into the crypt ducking a strand that was missed she made her way over to where Spike was suspended. Pulling out a knife she worked on the thread holing him up.

    "Um Buffy, you may wanna hurry." Oz called

    "Why?"

    "We'll I think It's coming back."

    "Okay, just give me another minute." Spike dropped down from the cord and Buffy lifted him in a fireman's carry. "Let’s get to Giles's."  The three hurried out of the cemetery as the creature watched from the shadows.

Continued...