The next days were chaotic but beneficial. I grew into my restored powers more; now magical. It felt like a new kind of high. But it felt right. The right kind of high as it were.
I didn't really have to make any new costumes. I still had a few extra. I retrieved them and anything else I could get. I also wanted to see the city and how things had changed.
Not good at all to put it mildly. As for reliable communication that was all but gone. Reports were conflicting. Hard to say who was dead or alive.
My focus was getting Teresa back on her feet; literally.
As for her ankle Fisk had done a good number on it. It wasn't healing like it ideally should be. There was severe bruising but that was to be expected. There was no sign of infection though at least so that was something.
I returned with things; including supplies and what not. Being Spidey again made that a helluva lot easier. Teresa was hobbling about as I swung in. I watched her quietly for a moment atop the open windowsill as she did so.
She turned and saw me. "How's it going?" The pain on her face said it all. I dropped down with the stuff and pulled off my mask. She collapsed into a chair and breathed great relief. "I don't think it's gonna get completely better Peter." I was tempted to tell her not to think that way but didn't. I just knelt by her and took her hand.
I did have an idea... "what?" She said; reading my face well enough. "There might be a solution." "I'm all ears." "I could... make you spider woman..." now that had her thinking. "The serum would create the powers in you at my previous levels before the magical upgrade. Your ankle would completely heal with the mutation creating a healing factor. Plus... you could become a super crime fighter like yours truly."
She smiled a little at that. It made all the sense in the world. Especially now with the old civilized order being all but gone due to my new archenemy. There was definitely need for more superheroes the world over. New York alone.
She looked at me. "Can you really do it?" "Yeah. It'll take longer without power obviously. It'll all have to be done manually..." "I wanna help too. I was good at science. Not like you but good enough." "Cool then. Honestly, it'll take longer to make the serum than to heal the injury once injected. You'll see." "Then let's quit talking and get things done." "Cool beans." Or hot cold or warm beans too right!
We got to work.
Xxx
It took us a week. I stole/salvaged whatever I could to create a makeshift lab and get the things needed. I knew the formula down to the molecular level. But it was a hell of a concoction to be sure.
Teresa proved a true lab assistant. It was hard but we ignored everything else taking place outside. There were shootings screaming and chaos; but we refused to be pulled away. Plus Teresa's injury wasn't healing as fast as it should; and likely wouldn't heal completely. Still, there was no infection or immediate surgery need and that too was an advantage. It bought us some time to make things right.
Time went by. We parkers worked tirelessly. But then we had it.
The spider serum. Tada!
I put the fancy blue liquid into a needle. She watched me load up the needle. "Ready for the shot of a lifetime?" "Will this work?" "There's a good chance it will. I made some changes..." she just wanted to try it. "Okay. Here goes something. Ever notice how people always say nothing in movies..." "brother." "Yeah." "Just inject the damn stuff already. Please." "Right."
Dork alert moment there. Okay. Needle in; stuff in; wait and see. "How long will it take before I start climbing the walls?" "Took me overnight originally. I made some biochemical alterations to speed up the catalytic agents..." I was losing her. "Six hours."
She nodded. I helped her to the bed and to lie down. "Trust me. When you wake up you'll be a new person altogether." "Will I be able to shoot webs too?" "Oh yeah. Organic and all that. You'll be amazing sis. Wait and see." "Okay..."
She was out soon later. I napped too.
Xxx
"Peter!"
I awoke. I was quick to her side. "You okay?" I looked at her ankle. It was totally healed. "Let me see your wrists." She gasped at the sight of web glands being there. "Ah. We have a new bad ass on the block." She was stunned. "It really worked?" "Empirically; I would say yes so far."
I took her wrist shaped her fingers into the famous hand shape I shot my shot my webs from and angled her upturned hand at the wall. "It'll take take some time but most of it is instinctive."
I pressed her two inner fingers to her palm center to trigger the gland. Thwip! Love that sound! A strong silky strand shot right out from her wrist at the small spinneret orifice there that matched mine; the webbing stuck to the wall. She gasped at this and clutched her wrist to her chest.
"It's fine sis. I had the same reaction. It's working fine. Now stand and walk around." She did so and and expected pain. None came. She was in disbelief. Marvelous.
She hugged me fast crying a little. "Thanks brother. Thank you." "Well, thank the genetically enhanced black widow variant that bit me all those years ago. It was her that set me, now us, on this path." She laughed. "Yeah; her too." Pause "so now what?"
I took a seat. "Well, spider boot camp now. Fortunately you have an experienced trainer handy. I didn't have that luxury. You'll need a costume so people don't get us confused." "Does it really matter? We're the spider ass kickers now." "Well that too."
She stiffened. There was screaming outside. "What the hell is that I feel?" "Your Spidey sense tingling buzzing; back of skull." "Yeah. It hurts." "That's your best friend. Danger sense. Trust it. It'll save you and others many times over."
"What about the people out there?" I sighed then stood. "We gotta leave them for now. We need to prepare. We're not ready for that yet." She didn't like it. Neither did I. She nodded though. We would get there soon enough and help make things better.