A/N: And now, the continuing saaaaga of…

(I'm sure it feels that way to you too!)

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Chapter 4: An Alternate Spidey?

Peter sighed, then got up and got another soda out of the fridge for them both. "Here," he said, handing the can to Erica, "You must be thirsty after that, I know I am." He took a couple of swigs and sat down again. Erica sat on the couch taking sips from her drink.

Peter sighed again. "Either you've done an incredible amount of research, and then cooked up some story from it all for some reason, or… I've got to believe it's all true. And I think I do, for several reasons, including what I've just seen and heard. But also…" Another swig of his soda.

He still hesitated. He was feeling almost as shocked and wiped with all the revelations as he had been when he lost his spider powers, and to find them again, but with someone else! He looked hard at her - could he trust her? He had no spider-sense to guide him on this, only his native intuition. She had been scared and nervous, and he felt it wasn't an act. He decided to chance it, admit it, though it was not an easy thing to admit to; he had spent years avoiding it whenever possible.

"At the time you blacked out, I had just lost my powers." He smiled wanly at her.

"You're right. I am Spider-Man. Or was. I had been fighting a villain, a costumed one I hadn't come across before. He had intercepted me as I was swinging across town, and challenged me. Naturally, I didn't want to fight just for the hell of it, but he started to threaten some people. I couldn't let him do that, to hurt innocent bystanders, so I led him away, and was going to… web him up and leave him for the authorities. But…once on a roof-top, he pointed a strange device at me before I could put him down and move… and I… found I had lost all my… abilities. Man! That was a bad moment! He said it was an 'alter-ray', and my spider powers had gone to an alternate universe where there was no such thing as super powers. They were gone forever, he said."

Erica almost choked on some hastily gulped down soda. "But they weren't!" she exclaimed excitedly. "He stuffed up! That 'alter-ray' must have transported me here. I actually received your powers, because I was from an alternate universe, but because I somehow also got in this one, they worked. And your villain didn't realise that the alternate universe he was sending your powers to had this reality's super heroes as fictionalised ones. I'd heard about Spider-Man and his background and how to contact him!" Erica calmed down.

"Of course, the stuff up doesn't really help us a heck of a lot, does it?" She looked crestfallen.

"Well, it might…" Peter stopped. "It's getting late and I'm starved. How 'bout that pizza?"

He had to admit to himself that he was feeling better, more hopeful, now he knew the reason why Erica hadn't seemed quite right. Erica's spider-sense must have gone off just before the phone rang - that figured.

"Aunt May! I'd better ring her back. She'll be wondering what the matter was. What am I going to tell her?"

"Would the long lost cousin story do? I mean, it did for you…"

"Yeah. O.K."

"Also… Look, I hate to sponge off you, but…my credit card will reach it's limit pretty quickly if I stay at the hotel. I haven't got anywhere else to stay. If I can't stay here, maybe at your Auntie's...? Just until we sort things out, um, that is."

"Yeah, O.K."

Peter made the call. "That was 'relatively' painless. She wants us to come for dinner tomorrow night, to meet you. Come on, finish your soda and grab your coat. We've got pizza to eat and plans to make after!"

Later, when they had returned to the apartment, Peter told Erica "You can sleep here for tonight - I'll sleep on the couch." They had gone to Erica's hotel before eating, so she could check out, where Peter was able to see for himself that the only extra luggage Erica had was a plastic bag full of brochures.

"Unh-uh," Erica replied shaking her head. "I'll sleep on the couch - I'm not going to turn you out of your bed; you need the sleep more than I do. Besides, I've found I don't need as much sleep as I did, eh."

"Oh. Right…" It was going to take some getting used to. They both sat on the couch; they were a little more at ease with each other, now he knew the whole story.

"We really need to know more about this 'alter-ray'. What would happen if it was turned on me again? Would I get my powers back, and would you end up back in your own reality?" said Peter, thinking aloud. "If only we could find out more about that villain, find him out somehow; I dunno, pretend to be a newspaper reporter and photographer visiting a mad scientist…mad scientists love publicity… Heck, all scientists love publicity!"

"You think he's a scientist then, and not some goon who's got hold of a piece of fancy gear that fell off the back of a truck? Ha, what sort of a name is 'alter-ray' - pretty dumb, sounds like 50's sci-fi jargon, death-ray stuff." Erica mused.

"Hey, you could be on to something! Not about the criminal, but age-wise. A couple of other things the guy said makes me think he's a lot older. Perhaps he's an older scientist who feels he hasn't received the recognition he deserved, and so has turned to a life of crime…"

"Nah, too silly. It's as stupid as the idea of gaining super powers by being bitten by a radio-active spider!" Erica covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment at what she had just said.

Peter laughed. "So much for speculation - the improbable can sometimes be true, and often is!" He smiled. He looked completely relaxed for the first time that day. "If we have no idea who that villain is, we'll have to flush him out somehow…"

"Show him that Spider-Man still has his powers. That would bring him out. He'd have been so certain his invention couldn't fail, that when it appears it did, he's bound to want to find out what went wrong. I'm sure you can rig something up - you've done it in the past to trick villains."

Peter went absolutely still, his eyes glazed over, in a land of his own. "No…no…" he slowly mumbled, "I couldn't. It might work, but…no, I can't…." He drifted off again.

"What?" said Erica, eventually interrupting his reverie, "What are you thinking of?"

Peter stirred. "I had an idea, but I can't do it, it's too risky. It's my fault you're in this jam. And besides…"

"What? What was it?"

"It involved you being Spider-Man…"

There was a big pause. Erica sucked in her breath, seeing the possibilities, seeing where he was coming from.

"I admit, I'm still scared of these Spider powers…But why not? If you can help me with them, If I've got the abilities…"

"But not the years of experience. And probably not the levels of strength and agility I had either."

"You didn't have any of those when you first became Spider-Man. Besides, I think I have a few advantages even over a nerdy fifteen year old male. Probably at least as strong, more agile, and I have the knowledge, and other, different experience…"

"You don't have web-shooters. You don't know how to use web."

"Then show me! That's another advantage - you've got the experience; we can put it to use! And besides…. If it's a possible means of getting back home…it might be my only way home."

"Well…" Peter replied, "We can thrash out the details tomorrow.' He sighed and got up off the couch. "I'm whacked. I'm off to bed. We'll talk more in the morning." He headed to the bedroom and paused by the door. "If there's anything you need, just help yourself."

"I'll be fine." Erica caught the blanket Peter threw. "See ya tomorrow."

Peter woke to singing. Singing? Then he remembered. He hurriedly threw on some clothes and went into the other room, where Erica was frying eggs, flipping them up high and catching them expertly in the pan "…just direct your feet, to the sunny side of the street…" She saw Peter standing there bemused. "Morning! How'd you like your eggs? Sunny side up?" She chuckled.

"Very American, heh!" She seemed a lot brighter this morning. She flipped the eggs onto a couple of plates, handed one to Peter and headed for the little table, which had already been set for breakfast.

"Uh, thanks. Any coffee?" he said, as he sat down too.

"Sorry mate. I don't drink the stuff - you'll have to make it yourself if you want a decent cup. I make a dreadful brew."

"Uh. O.K." Peter went to the kitchen and went through the automatic process of brewing his coffee. He peered up through the window at the clear sky. "It looks like it'll be another warm day today," he said. "You got any cooler clothes?"

"No, this is it." Erica was in her jeans and long top again. "I'd say I'd need another change of clothes though; these one's may get a bit pongy…"

"Aah, I guess I'm not one to talk - all those years of wearing long shirt sleeves even through the summers when it was like an open oven out there, because I never knew when I might be needed, when I'd need to be ready instantly." Peter turned from the window, poured his coffee and took it over to the table and plonked himself down.

"Are you… sad to miss it?" asked Erica, hesitating.

"I'll miss the freedom, the swinging through the city, maybe. I used to think I enjoyed the thrills and action of it all, but now… I dunno, I've had the feeling for years that I was stuck on a carousel I couldn't get off… I won't miss the fighting. I won't miss feeling responsible for all those eight million people out there. I won't miss having all those close to me getting hurt." He finished quietly and started eating. Erica had already polished off her eggs, and was drinking a glass of water.

"No tea." She smiled. She watched Peter finish his breakfast, then took the plates out to the kitchen and absently started washing up. Peter started on his coffee.

"Do you want your powers back?" she said. "It sounds as if you're having second thoughts."

"And third thoughts. I …can't decide. I'll enjoy the break anyway!" he said, trying to sound as if he hoped it would only be that.

"So," said Erica, "What are we doing today? What are we going to do to flush out 'Ray-Man?"

"I thought about that last night." Peter hadn't had a very good night's sleep. Too many of those same thoughts had been whirling around in his head, unsettling him. What of the risks involved? What if in trying to flush out 'Ray-Man', they succeeded in flushing out one of his older, more powerful foes? Would Erica be another to get hurt because of Spider-Man too? She would need careful training if his plan was to succeed… He outlined it to Erica.

"… and swing around in the same area I last encountered him."

"What! I had more in mind a little masquerade - standing around on a roof-top until he appeared."

"More of a demonstration would be needed. If you just stood there, you could be anybody dressed up in a Spidey costume for the kicks. He needs to believe he's getting the real Spider-Man. That involves training you, and that may take some time."

"I suppose so…" She didn't sound keen on the idea.

"Come, I've got something to show you."

He quickly got up and walked into his room, and opened up his closet. He reached into the back, and pulled out something red and blue. He turned and handed it to Erica, who had followed and was just behind him. "Here, it's my Spider-Man costume. A spare. Try it on." He indicated the bathroom with his head as he closed the closet door.

Erica took it quietly at arms length and stared at it. "But…"she started.

"We talked about it last night. Don't say you've changed your mind!" said Peter, leaning back against the closet.

"No, but it won't fit me. You must be about 5' 9 or 10. I'm only 5' 6-and-a-half. And you're a different shape..."

"Well try it on anyway, and we'll see."

Erica went into the bathroom, closed the door behind her. Peter heard a few muffled mutterings, and then silence. After a while, the door slowly opened, and Erica emerged, looking a bit shy and self-conscious.

"It's… a bit long in the arms and legs," she commented, "Otherwise, I suppose it fits very well." Peter handed her the gloves, boots and mask. Slowly, she put them on too. "Even the boots fit well; I've got big Kiwi feet."

Peter looked at her thoughtfully when she had done, then stepped aside and opened up his closet door again. On the inside of the door was a full-length mirror.

Erica gazed at the sight, tentatively touched the mask, her arm, and the spider in the middle of her chest. Well-defined muscles moved as she did so. She half turned. The large eyes turned in Peter's direction. "I look…sleek and strong!" she whispered in amazement, "I…I look like - Spider-Man!"

All of a sudden she did a neat back-flip, another leap, and landed on the wall above Peter's bed, facing down and still able to see her reflection in the mirror. "Crikey!!" She leapt back in front of the mirror again.

"We can shorten the arms and legs a bit," said Peter, "And I'll fit you for the web-shooters as well."

"The large eyes in the mask are good; lots of peripheral vision."

"I used to have them quite small, but you're right, it's easier with them larger." He grinned. "How does it feel to be Spider-Man?"

"Amazing! Well, perhaps more like Spider-Woman, eh." she murmured. "I don't really think I could pass for a man, even though this is the first time in my life I've been thankful to have an almost non-existent bust!"

"If you're fast, and the light's not good you'll pass. People won't be expecting a woman. They'll see a man. And… um, you know," he continued, eyeing her form critically, "It's not only the bust - you've got broad shoulders as well. You haven't exactly got an overly female figure…" That wasn't the most tactful thing to say… Peter couldn't see her reaction under the mask, but she remained silent. He moved over to his desk, opened a drawer and took something out. "Let's go into the lounge." Erica went ahead of him, not seeming as self-conscious now that she had seen what she looked like, seen herself move as Spider-Man.

"Sit at the table and take your gloves off." Peter told her. As she did so, he lay the two objects on the table. "These are the web-shooters…"

"I know how they work in principle," interrupted Erica, "The web fluid is stored in refillable high-pressure cartridges, and the lever requires a double-tap to release the flow."

Peter stared at her. "How do you know that?" Had she bizarrely got his memories along with the costume? He shuddered - no. Not that.

"I read it," she said.

"Oh. Right."

He scrabbled around until he found a small case of tools. "I've got to adjust the size for you, and make sure the levers sit in the right spot on your palms. He set to work with a small screwdriver and a pair of long-nosed pliers. "There! Let's try them out." He fitted one of the web-shooters onto her right wrist. "You'll soon get used to them being there. Now, aim at the…"

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a 'thwip', and a strand of webbing stretched from Erica to the bedroom door.

"Heh," said Erica. Peter couldn't see her reaction behind the mask, but guessed she was pleased.

"You catch on fast, but I guess you already knew the mechanics involved. However, you will need practise aiming and producing different web effects before you're ready. But not inside." He added, as she lifted her hand up again. He handed her the other shooter, and watched her put it on her left wrist, and then replace the gloves and find where the spinnerets went.

"I want to practise now!" said Erica standing up, "I feel like I need to do something, be active. Can't put a good suit like this to waste!"

Peter felt rather peculiar. He could see how excited Erica was, and was almost…jealous? That someone else had his powers. He quashed it. Did he really want his powers back? Would he be disappointed if their unformed plan didn't work out?

But he said, "No not now. Not during the day, at least…not yet. I have to go in to work for a short time, and we need to get some food and stuff. Change into your normal clothes. We'll do some training this evening, when it gets dark out."

Erica's head moved down, the opaque eyes looking at her out-stretched hand, her body once more. Then she nodded and left the room without comment.

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Cheers 'til next time…