The Princess and the Spider-Man

Chapter 44

Spider-Man and Mera arrived back at the shelter, and looked for Dr. Michaels. Thankfully, he was just outside of the building and he instantly noticed the bottle of anti-serum in Spider-Man's hand.

"Is it still viable?" Spider-Man asked.

"I'll need to check. Come along." Michaels said, securing the serum and heading into the shelter. Mera glanced at Spider-Man's shoulder as they followed him inside of the shelter. It still was as gnarly as it was when Octavius first punctured his shoulder, and she noticed Spider-Man favoring that shoulder as he walked.

"Is it very painful?" Mera asked, motioning to Spider-Man's injury.

"It's fine." Spider-Man said, as they arrived in May's office. Spider-Man's gaze then rested upon May as Michaels examined the serum. He could only pray that there is enough time for him to somehow, someway save his aunt from the same fate as his parents and his uncle. Mera grasped Spider-Man's hand in comfort, not really sure what to say at the moment to calm him down.

"It's still viable." Michaels said after a minute. "But we'll need the entire sample as a base to produce more doses."

Mera and Spider-Man turned in his direction. "How long will that take?" Mera asked, just as MJ came into the room with an equally concerned facial expression at the two of them.

"A few hours. Maybe a day." Michaels said. Spider-Man then turned back to May, who was still seemingly trying to fall asleep, but failing miserably due to the coughing. He knew that she would not have that much time left before the worst happened.

"What if we use it to cure someone right now?" Spider-Man asked with hope. Both MJ and Mera looked at Michaels intently for his response.

Dr. Michaels instantly knew that he was referring to May, despite not knowing who exactly she was or why she was so important to Spider-Man. He then put on a sympathetic look as he said, "Then there won't be enough to cure the others."

Spider-Man then looked out to all the others of the shelter that were being cared for. And this was just a fraction of the number of infections spreading around in New York. And now he was left with quite possibly the hardest decision of his life. Let his own aunt die in order to save everyone else, or save his aunt, but allow everyone else in the city suffer.

Mera just glanced at Spider-Man with extreme sympathy, not knowing what to say or do at the moment. She turned to Mary Jane for support, but she seemed to be in a similar situation that she was in right now.

"I'll give you a few minutes." Michaels said, before getting up and heading towards the door to that room. He touched MJ on the arm as he passed her to follow his example. MJ looked back at Spider-Man, who was now completely focused on his aunt.

MJ then walked up to Mera and touched her shoulder. Mera needed no explanation as to what she was trying to get her to do, but she wasn't willing to do that. "He needs his time with his aunt." MJ pressed as she observed Mera's look of warning towards her.

"I'm not going to abandon him. Not now." Mera replied quietly.

"It's fine." Spider-Man said in a weak and shaky voice.

"Doesn't sound like it." Mera pressed on.

"Go. I'll.......I'll be okay for a little while." Spider-Man said. Truth be told, as much as he loved Mera, he just wanted a bit of time with his aunt, seeming as if there is so little time left to enjoy with her.

Mera's hard expression softened at Spider-Man's words. She walked up and whispered, "I'll be right outside if you need me. Just say the word and I'll be back in a nanosecond." She then gave May one last look, before following MJ outside of the room.