"Ssspider-Mannn", called the large, green spider.
Peter woke up with a large headache. Squinting his eyes from the light, he attempted to sit up. He found help doing so.
"Dad? You ok?", May asked him. Peter turned his head, the effort almost making him pass out again, to look at her.
Her face was the same he started associating with his teenage daughter. From the neck down however, looked like a Rule 63 Anti-Venom.
"Me?", the tired hero asked, "what about you? Are you ok?"
"I'm great", she gave him a smile. "It worked."
"It did indeed", Reed Richards added, walking into the lab.
Peter noticed he was laying in one of Reed's other labs, one for medical observations if he had to guess. He rolled off the gurney, May helping catch him and stand him up.
"So April and Jessica?", he asked, hanging onto May for support.
"I'm still running tests on Jessica, but April-"
May hugged her dad a little harder, "I'm fine. She's fine. We're fine."
Giving her a squeeze, he moved away slightly, finding he could stand up on his own again.
Score one for Spider-Recuperation powers. Wait a minute...
He turned and placed his hand on the bed he was laying on. He pulled it upward with his palm. Spider-Strength and Stick 'em powers were a go.
He questioned Mr. Fantastic.
"I'm aware of Anti-Venom's effect on your biology", he began, running through a few notes on some palm top device. "My theory is that the radiation in your body acted as a binding agent between your DNA and the spider's. Anti-Venom could remove that radiation, which would put your body into shock and prevent your abilities from functioning. Even in his proximity, his unique power set could draw radiation from standing too close."
He turned to May. "This young lady finally removed the entirety of the radiation from your bloodstream, the shock of it rendering you unconscious. However, the radiation binding your DNA also, I believe, had the effect of preventing your genetics from mutating into its ultimate conclusion."
Peter looked at the scientist in concern and slight dread. "And what would be that conclusion?"
Reed's smile belonged on a 6 year old in a toy store. "I do not know." He chuckled slightly, "exciting, isn't it?"
"Yeah doc", the possible genetic time bomb stared at his hands. "I'm all a twitter."
"I don't believe this to be a problem Peter", Reed attempted to cheer the younger hero. "From initial scans it does not appear you will irreparably mutate into a large spider monster. Merely, you should become some perfect form of Spider and Human."
Peter chuckled. "Oh is that all?"
"Yes", Reed, satisfied that his friend appeared fine for the moment, returned to his work.
Peter shook his head free of the last of the cobwebs and willed his suit to him. Across the room on a counter, the red and blue pile dropped to the floor and slid across the room to form over his body, becoming Spider-Man once more.
"May, how are you two doing?"
"Ok", she looked confused. "Kind of? I mean, we're better than we were. Or I guess I am. We're the same now. No May, no April, just me."
He didn't know how to take that. "Ok? Is that- did I lose one of you?" Que parental concern.
She was quick to correct herself though. "No! No, we're still here. Just, there's no we anymore. Just me."
"Ok May, if you're sure."
"April", she corrected him. "You already have a May, even if you never met her." She hugs him tight. "I think I'll give April a chance."
"O... k?" The Web-Head agreed reluctantly. Sounds like something major happened, but if she says she's ok, then it can wait.
"So, April", back to business. "Status report."
She mocked standing at attention and saluting. "Myself and Jessica show no more signs of deterioration. Anya and Miles have stabilized and are humanoid again."
He thwiped a web to snag his phone from where his costume was sitting while she continued. "The cure was shipped to various locations around New York. Cable, the Cuckoos, and various recipients of cloned organs are stable."
Huh. He didn't even think of cloned organs. Well he was glad they got help.
He scanned his messages.
"Doreen almost turned into a super villain."
THAT made him pause.
April chuckled a bit. "I know! But Pete was depressed about Jessica and was pulling the "my Parker luck puts everyone in danger, so I'm breaking up with you to save you" bit. Found her plotting to steal the world's supply of airline peanuts. Got the scoop and gave her a pep talk. Parkers act like that from time to time, but if she truly wanted to be with him, she had to fight that depression of his. And know that it'll probably happen from time to time. She cheered up and last I heard she had him pinned in the hallway giving him an earful that mom would be proud of."
After she dropped the M bomb, April saddened a bit and looked away.
He wasn't having any of that though.
He threw his arm around her shoulders. "You did good kid. I'm sure they would be as proud of you as I am."
Her smile made him feel 100x better.
Disengaging from her, he returned to his messages.
"It is too late for it to work. I will stay with them until it is over."
That message hurt him a little. He text back a quick 'ok' and pocketed his phone.
"Do we know what caused this?"
April looked confused on how to answer, but a rocky voice cut in.
"The big bad the X-Men are trying to head off", Thing announced from the lab entrance. "That Apocalypse guy."
Apocalypse? He figured. Ever since Beast was working on his Apocalypse Strain cure, things have been leaning in that direction. Word was, Cable was the first hit and it spread from there.
His family was just bystanders that got hit in the crossfire.
This just got personal.
Spider-Man tightened his fists. "What's going on?"
Ben Grimm, now that the Spiders noticed, looked a little roughed up. His black and white unitard was torn in some spots, and he carried grass and dirt on him like he had been thrown down a lot.
"Apocalypse got some of the students and started building some kinda flying pyramid gizmo from an old Weapon X base", the orange rock man informed him. "He's gotta weird red eye thing on top firing lasers all over the place. Looked like that eye thing from the hobbit movie Franklin likes. The whole thing is covered in a force field too."
He popped something in his neck before continuing. "The brain washed kids are fighting a war with the rest of the X-Men on the Canadian border. The Marvel Knights got their hands full keeping panic down in the streets. Avengers and everyone else is staying out of it cause it's a "mutant problem", he finished in a disappointed tone.
Figures. Mutants involved and no one wants to lend a hand. And Iron-Pants staying out of it wasn't really that surprising. But...
Thing interrupted his train of thought. "Your big brain friends wanted me to get you over there when you woke up".
McCoy, Banner, and Pym? Hopefully they got a plan.
"We need to hurry, I left Johnny making a fool out of himself out there."
"Wow. I'm surprised you left him without a baby sitter", Spider-Man quipped. It took some of the edge off.
"I know. We need to hurry", Grimm replied with a grin. "Susie and Stretch have things locked down here, and I think most of your bug buddies are either helping in the streets or out of the fight."
"Dad, I can help", April added.
The eager look in her eyes almost made him change his mind. "No April, I need you to stay here."
Her disappointment hurt worse than Hulk's handshake.
"It's not that I want to keep you safe, because I do", he tried to explain. "But if Reed or someone else needs your particular skills, I want you here. I'm about to fight a war. You're here saving lives, and that's way more important".
Her small smile and quick hug gave him the boost he needed.
A hair ruffle later and him and his large, rocky partner were on their way.
"Time to save the world", Spider-Man told his friend.
"Again", they both added at the same time.