Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.
This chapter and the next crosses over with my story First Crisis.

.

Chapter Three

New Hero

.

Spider-man cursed as he hurled himself through the air after the armoured personnel carrier which had been stolen from the local reservist base. As soon as he had heard of the theft, he had gone in pursuit, passing the wreckage of several burnt out vehicles that had been hit by cannon fire.

There were several people being given medical care and at least one still form covered by a blanket a mile back.

The sound of gunfire ahead of him told him exactly where his target was and he used his webs to hurl himself high into the air. Spotting the armoured car, he fired several web-bombs at it, trying to entangle the gun, but it just tore through the sticky substance like it was wet paper. The cannon pointed at one of the cops who was shouting something on his radio, then the muzzle flashed as the projectile was launched…

…only to be caught by a suddenly-appearing man in black and silver, a silver cape fluttering from the shockwave.

As Peter watched in shock, the new arrival caught a second shell, then he flew forwards, grabbing the gun and ripping it from its mountings, bending it as he did so. Peter leapt towards the new hero just as the pintle-mounted machine guns joined the warped barrel on the ground, then the mystery figure ripped the side open and started to pull out the sweating criminals.

Landing by him, Peter looked up as he spoke and found himself looking at a very familiar chin.

"Thanks for the assist… Clark? What's with the new outfit?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your new outfit." Peter said, motioning at him. "Man, it looks cool and all, but I really think I preferred the blue-and-red. We colour-co-ordinated. What does Martha think about it?"

"…martha?"

"Clark… it's me, Spider-man." Peter said worriedly. "You remember me, right? We talked at breakfast?"

"Sorry I'm late, I was rescuing a ferry in New Zealand." A new voice said and Peter did a double-take as Superman, clad in his blue and red, landed. "What happened?"

"…what the hell?"

The newly arrived Superman looked round and blinked in shock.

"I… think we need to talk. Can you fly? Good, follow me."

Peter watched them fly off, then a message flashed across his lenses.

Baxter Building Roof.

.

Swinging through Manhatten, Peter noted the two figures talking on top of the privately-owned distant skyscraper that was his destination. Using his webs to ascent the tower at high speed, he somersaulted over the lip, reflexively catching the can that had been tossed in his direction. Glancing at it, Peter touched down on the wall and then lounged along it, cracking open the can of Pepsi as he did so.

"…how?" The black-clad Clark asked.

"Spider-type powers." Clark explained. "Peter, meet Kal, he's me from an alternate dimension."

"Explains a lot." Peter said in belated realisation, lifting his mask enough that he could take a sip of his drink. "So, is there a me there who hangs out with you?"

"No." Kal said. "In fact, I don't even know if you exist in my world. On my way in, I noticed that you were missing at least one city."

"What?" Peter asked curiously. "Which city?"

"Metropolis. And I didn't see Gotham either."

"As far as I know, we don't have those cities." Clark confirmed before he took another sip. "You know, I'll have to show you a map to see what's different."

"Hi, Clark." A new voice said as the door opened and Clark waved lazily to the new arrival.

"Hi, Reed. Kal, this is Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic. He's one of the greatest scientific minds on the planet and has stretching powers. Reed, this is Kal-El, my analogue from another reality where he was adopted by a different family."

"Nice to meet you." Reed said, extending his arm (literally). Kal shook it with a wry smile.

"Plastic Man has similar powers."

"Oh, he a scientist too?"

Kal coughed. "Actually, he's a reformed villain."

Peter almost lost control of his powers as he laughed, both at the thought of Reed's alternate being a criminal and at how his expression went blank with shock.

"Reed and the others got their powers from an odd type of cosmic radiation." Clark interjected. "They used to be called the Fantastic Four."

"Used to be?" Kal asked worriedly and Clark smiled.

"They're the Fantastic Five now, they have a Kryptonian on their team. Where is Karsta anyway?"

"She and Susan are out shopping." Reed said with a slight shrug. "Susan's been very happy since Karsta joined us."

"Karsta?" Kal repeated. "I know of a Kara…"

"She was the first one I had revived from stasis. Um, you have checked Argo for survivors, haven't you?"

"I have." Kal said slowly. "And Kara was the only one."

"Interesting." Clark frowned. "Very interesting."

"Aha!"

Everyone turned to look at Reed, who was using one hand to type on three different keyboards while the other was making notes that spread across three whiteboards that flanked the door.

"Aha?" Peter asked curiously as he quickly scanned the equations. "What do you… oh wow. Um, have you taken the dimensional tension co-efficient into account?"

Reed paused, the made a couple of quick alterations to his equation.

"Okay, now I need to contact Tony. With his help, we can create a portal…"

"Whoah!" Peter interrupted as he remembered something that they had been laughing about at breakfast. "Remember SHIELD Agent rule 336 in the newest booklet?"

"Stop asking Stark to build Portal devices." Reed recited. "I know, but we really don't have much of a choice here."

"I'm going to get Forge to help." Peter decided as he leapt off the wall. "We'll need all the tech-help we can get."

Diving off the balcony, Peter activated his web-shooters and danced through the air as he headed to where he had stashed his bike.

.

"Another Kryptonian?" Xavier asked in a voice which revealed only a trace of his surprise. "Whatever next."

"Another Kryptonian? Cool." A voice said and Peter looked round to see Spyke entering the room, an unopened pair of bottles in his hands. "Hey, I picked you up one of those new drinks you like on my way back."

"Thanks." Peter said gratefully as he accepted the bottle of Pow-R8. Twisting off the lid, he took a deep swig. "Ah, I needed that. Web-swinging is fun, but damn, it leaves you tired afterwards."

Spyke raised his own bottle to his lips, then paused as an alarm sounded.

"What's that?"

"A new mutant has activated their powers." Charles said as he tapped a couple of controls on his chair. The alarm cut off while a small circlet rose on a thin metal tentacle from the top of the backrest, placing itself over Charles' head.

"Now let me see… oh my! He's in Bayville, he's confused… almost feral…"

Xavier's eyes shot open. "Peter, go! I'll link his location to your HUD, restrain him without hurting him!"

Peter nodded and, dropping his empty bottle, he sprinted out of the door and leapt onto his bike.

"Who is this new mutant?" Spyke asked, raising his bottle, then pausing in shock as Xavier answered.

"Doctor Hank McCoy."

"What!?"

Spike screwed the lid back onto his own untasted bottle and stowed it in his rucksack.

"Prof, I may be able to help."

"I have already asked for volunteers to help Peter." Xavier said. "Suit up."

Spyke sprinted out of the entrance hall.

.

Peter's danger sense screamed at him and he somersaulted sideways, parallel to the ground as a pair of clawed hands sliced through the space that he had been. Unleashing another barrage of webbing, Peter watched wide-eyed as the blue-furred beserker ripped through the webs as if they had been made from tissue paper.

"Oh, come on!" He groused as he somersaulted backwards, evading the attacking beast by bare millimeters. "How the hell am I meant to deal with this?"

"With backup!" A voice called and Peter exhaled in relief as Clark swooped down and grabbed the rampaging beast's wrists. The furred monstser tried to break free, then kicked at Clark.

"I got this."

Kal swooped down and as if it had been rehearsed, Clark spun round, the sudden movement allowing Kal to grab the creature's ankles.

"Teach! I know you're in there!" Spyke shouted as he raced towards them on his hoverboard. "Teach! Come on! You're not a monster! Come on, Teach! There's more stuff in skies and ground, Horace, then you dream in your thinking…"

McCoy flinched. "It's 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy' Evan. If you must quote the Bard, please try to get it right."

"Worked, didn't it?" Spyke grinned as he coasted to a stop beside them. "You feeling yourself now, Teach?"

"I… think so." McCoy replied cautiously as Kal lowered him to the ground. Once he was steady,Clark released his wrists. "Oh my word! What… no!"

"Your mutation activated." Clark said gently and McCoy shook his head.

"But… how? I've been keeping it under control for years, ever since I realised… Oh, this is not good…"

"What's going on? Clark?" A new voice asked and McCoy sagged in depression.

"Principal Kelly."

Edward Kelly walked up and stared at the group, then behind them at the approaching members of Generation X. "What's going on? There was this animal…"

"It was an unexpected X-gene activation." Clark explained quickly. "I assure you, the situation is under control and he has regained his mental balance."

"For whatever I did during my temporary insanity, I apologize most humbly." McCoy said sadly and Kelly stared at him.

"Hank? That you?"

McCoy nodded slowly. "I fear that you may need to find a new science teacher."

"Why?" Kelly shrugged.

"Because… I'm a mutant?"

"So are Roberto and Ray." Kelly said as he walked up to McCoy. "I realised a while back that it doesn't matter if someone's a human, mutant, alien or whatever. Heck, after Clark was outed as being Superman, my staff were almost buried under transfer requests from people wanting to be closer to a hero."

"I'm uncertain my landlady will agree." Frank mourned and Clark placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I can offer you lodgings at the Xavier Institute. Even a holo-emitter if you want to appear baseline human again."

"I haf vun zo I don't look like zis." Nightcrawler said from behind Kelly.

"Kurt?"

"Ach! Principal Kelly! I didn't vecognize you!"

Kelly stared at the blue-skinned teen for a moment. "Does… Amanda know?"

"Ja, she says I'm her personal plushie."

Kelly blinked a few times before nodding.

"Frank, I'll expect to see you at school on monday, assuming you don't have a mental relapse. Clark, if Frank can't make it, can you cover?"

"I don't think I'll be needed, but I will." Clark smiled and Kelly looked at the assembled teens, a wry smile twitching his lips.

"It would seem that it is slightly more than a fifth that have powers."

"In my defence, I only said more than a fifth." Peter pointed out before remembering that he was still in costume. "Aw, crap."

"You also said you weren't a mutant." Kelly pointed out.

"He isn't. He got his powers through an accident involving a genetically-modified spider." Clark explained. "Although I must ask that you not tell anyone who he is."

"I won't." Kelly said with a laugh. "I don't want May angry with me."

"Phew, I'm parched." Spyke sighed as he pulled a bottle out of his bag. McCoy's eyes widened at the label on the bottle as Spyke began drinking.

"That… the last thing I remember is drinking some of that before…"

"Spyke! Stop!" Clark shouted.

Spyke dropped the bottle. "Wha… aaaaargh!"

Clark seemed to blur round Spyke as bone projectiles erupted from all over the teen's body. Everyone else backed away quickly, except for Kal who joined Clark in shielding the onlookers. A moment later, Spyke collapsed onto his knees, his head now partially covered in bony armour and spikes sticking out through his uniform.

"What… happened?" Kelly gasped in shock.

"I'm not sure, but until we find out, no-one is to drink any of this stuff." Superman said firmly.

"…but I love it." Peter moaned, earning a long look from Clark.

"Interesting… Peter, have you felt any change in your powers?"

"No. Why?"

"Just curious."

"Oh, man!" Spyke moaned as he stared at his bone-covered hands. "How the hell am I supposed to explain this to my friends?"

"Come on, Evan." McCoy said as he placed a paw on Spyke's shoulders. "We can get through this together. At least you still look mostly human. I look like a blue monkey!"

"Gorilla." Evan said absently as he continued to stare at his hands, then he facepalmed. "Sorry! Sorry!"

McCoy started to laugh ruefully.