It started innocently enough. Megan was to entertain everyone with a magic show before the kids went off to trick-or-treat that evening. The twelve-year-old was thrilled and had practiced her tricks with the teachers and the older students over the previous days until it was pretty well known what her show would entail. That’s why, when she turned off the lights at the end and darkened the library down to just a firelight ambiance, the children were surprised when she called up her favorite teacher and had him sit in a chair.
“For my final act,” the girl said with a flourish of her wand and a wink of her yellow eyes, “I will hypnotize Logan.”
Scott stiffened ever so slightly and Jean leaned closer to murmur in his ear, “What? I’m sure they rehearsed this.”
“I’m not,” Scott said as he read Logan’s confused expression. “He just got back into town this morning. She hasn’t practiced this with him.”
Megan took out a gold pocket watch and let it sway back and forth on its chain in front of Logan’s eyes as she recited some soothing words. She said something that sounded familiar, but not English, and Logan’s face, showing surprise for a split second, relaxed visibly.
Now Jean felt Scott’s arm muscles tense under her fingertips. “What?”
“That sounded an awful lot like what Graves said to Logan in Canada, right before Logan went ballistic.”
“It couldn’t be,” Jean said, more confidently than she felt. She watched Logan’s eyes close on command and Megan raise and drop his limp arm. “The odds are against it. I’m sure he is playing along.”
When Megan produced a tiny pocket knife and cut Logan with it, there was no response from Logan, but lots of oohs and aaahs from the smaller kids as his wound healed quickly in front of them.
“Give him a post-hypnotic suggestion!” yelled Jubilee. When Megan frowned, Jubilee offered, “Tell him to take a shower every time he hears the word Halloween.”
“Jubes!” yelled Rogue, “Just ask for him to wear tiny towels and be done with it.”
Many others shouted suggestions and laughter ensued, but Scott noticed Megan seriously say all of them to Logan as she tried to keep up.
“When you hear the word Halloween, you are to wear tiny towels and be a werewolf and howl at the moon and…”
“Megan!” said Scott, stepping forward. “This isn’t nice. Tell Logan to forget what you told him and then wake him up.” He glared at Jubilee, Sam, Remy, Bobby, and Kitty. “I don’t think this is funny at all.”
“Yes, Mr. Summers,” said Megan. “Logan, forget all of those suggestions. Sleep. Just wake up when I snap my fingers.”
She tried, she really did, but Megan had trouble snapping her fingers with the white magician’s gloves on her hands. Rogue rushed to her aid while the younger children happily assembled into line before following Ororo and Hank toward the waiting bus. For many, this was their one chance to be themselves, interact with normal children, laugh, have fun, and get treats.
Scott held a tense pose until the children were out of sight. With Xavier gone for the evening, he was definitely in leader mode. Jean put a hand on his shoulder and tried to ease the situation.
“I seriously doubt there is any danger,” she said, glancing over at the young X-Men, framed by flickering firelight, quietly watching in a group as Rogue assisted Megan. Logan sat placidly in the chair, head bowed in slumber. “He couldn’t be that easy to manipulate.”
“Sometimes the simple methods work the best,” argued Scott. “For all we know, we could unwittingly unlock the monster Striker never could.” He shook his head and said, “If he’s really under, there’s no telling what could happen. Logan could hear the word ‘Halloween’ and turn into a raving lunatic.”
Snap.
All breathing stopped at the ominous sound and Megan blushed proudly as she held up her ungloved hand. “Okay, Logan, wake up!” When Logan blinked sleepily and looked around, she rushed at him, flung her small arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you!”
She raced to the door and paused, waving happily at all their shocked faces. “Bye! Happy Halloween!”
They all looked back at Logan in the chair, only to find it empty.
*=*
“Thank you for waiting for me in the kitchen,” whispered Rogue. “It took forever for me to slip away. I wish I had a video camera. They are so funny to watch right now. I don’t think they expected you to say that. It wasn’t part of anyone’s plan. You were perfect! You snapped your fingers just at the right time, too.”
“You’re welcome.” Megan squeezed her hand. “Their faces were so funny! Oh, watch out. There’s a root right in front of your left foot. Step higher,” she said as she led the older woman through the inky woods.
“I can take it from here,” said a low, dangerous voice.
Megan giggled. “Rogue’s heart just sped up but it’s not because she’s scared.”
“Ha!” said Rogue. “You can't hear a heartbeat and I know it. You better get going or you will miss the bus.”
Megan turned and spotted the vehicle patiently waiting at the end of the footpath. “Dr. McCoy said he wouldn’t leave without me. Besides, I have to know what will happen so I can tell him who won.” She turned to Logan as he caught Rogue’s hand in his. “So Mr. Summers thought he was using you to get back at Dr. Grey for something she did, Dr. Grey thought you were helping her get Mr. Summers back for a prank he pulled on her, and the others thought you would help them get back at Dr. Grey and Mr. Summers for locking them up in the mansion with a robot? Who is really getting who?”
There was a dark chuckle. “Here. Push this remote control.”
Megan pushed the little red button even Rogue could see glowing in front of her. Instantly, the mansion far behind them went dark. After a few minutes, there were faint screams. She looked up at her favorite teacher with a questioning gaze only he could see.
“Bats,” he said lightly. “You just turned off all the lights and opened the doors on a lot of little cages all over the mansion.”
“Too cool! You’re getting all of them back for trying to use you, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
She sighed happily. “Then you were the winner after all. I want to be you when I grow up. Save a bat for me, will you? Bye Rogue! Bye Logan! Happy Halloween!” the child said as she scampered away to meet up with the other trick-or-treaters.
“Bye, sweetie!” said Rogue. She turned and blindly felt for Logan’s face with gentle fingertips. “Now that we’re alone, want to find the moon and howl at it for a bit?”
There was a low growl and a fuzzy cheek tickled the side of her neck as he nuzzled her.
“How about a nice steamy shower instead? I have this urge to see you in a little white towel and nothing else.”
He picked her up and carried her so she wouldn’t stumble. As she clung to his neck, Rogue whispered, “Did she hypnotize you?”
“I can only be under one spell at a time, darlin’. You got to me first.”
“In that case, don’t expect me to snap my fingers any time soon.”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
Around September, I usually request prompts on my lj that lead to Halloween stories I share in October. Most of these are original tales of creepiness. This year one of the reqests was rather specific. Xbedhead (author "Beth" on this list) wanted Logan, Megan, bats, and dark woods in a story. The characters approved and this is the result.