The Amazing Spider-Mare: A Long Way From Home

by SuperPinkBrony12

Cured?

Black Cat took a deep breath. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. Spider Mare wasn't just Spider Mare, she was his partner in crime fighting and of course his wife. Never in his wildest of wild dreams would he have ever imagined going up against her in any state, let alone when she was currently transformed into a mare spider that was now threatening to lay waste to most of (if not all of) Manehattan.

But that was precisely why he was doing what he was doing. He had the only way to turn Spider Mare back to who she would be (at least, he hoped so. The alternative was something he didn't want to think about). And now all he had to do was get close enough to her to inject the serum. With a little help from the new Green Griffon of course. Funny how the world worked sometimes.

"All right, are we ready?" Black Cat asked The Green Griffon as he steeled his nerves in preparation for the task that was to unfold.

The Green Griffon gulped hard as she hopped onto her glider. "As ready as we'll ever be, I guess. For the record, I still say this is crazy. We're going to die!"

"Just get me close to Spider Mare," Black Cat replied. "I'll do the rest." And with that, he stood at the ready and waited for The Green Griffon to pick him up. As he did so, he couldn't help but think. "Just hang on, Pinkie. The Green Griffon and I are gonna save you. Or die trying."

Soon, The Green Griffon had swung around and grabbed ahold of Black Cat. In a matter of seconds they took to the air, heading straight for the rampaging monster spider that was currently unaware of their presence.

However, The Green Griffon's glider seemed to strain under the weight. And The Green Griffon herself didn't seem to be doing much better.

Black Cat shouted in concern! "Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

Even as she strained, The Green Griffon shouted back! "You try carrying a full grown pony in your claws! You're not exactly a paperweight, you know! I'm trying my best!"

"Just hold on for a little longer! We're almost there!" Black Cat pleaded as he locked eyes with his target. Just a few more seconds and he was confident he could make a clear shot.

Yet it was at that very moment that the rampaging monster spider seemed to become aware of the approaching duo. It turned around and let out a guttural roar that split the air!

The Green Griffon let out a gasp as she swerved, her glider straining to deliver maximum thrust! "She's onto us!"

Black Cat could only reply. "I know that! But we're so close! We can't turn back now! Just a little bit closer!"

They wouldn't get the chance to do so, however. The monster spider swung one of its arms around, striking them head on!

The Green Griffon felt her grip loosen as her glider spun out of control! "You're on your own now!" She shouted at Black Cat as she fought desperately to keep her glider from crashing!

As for Black Cat, he expected to fall until he hit the water below. But he never did. Instead, he was snatched up within the mare spider's huge arms and brought close to her face. "Spider Mare!" He desperately pleaded as he looked into the monster's eyes. "I know you're still in there, somewhere! You gotta fight back! This isn't you! You don't wanna hurt me!"

The plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as the monster spider roared again and licked its chops. It seemed ready to eat, and Black Cat would be its first meal.

Yet as it pulled Black Cat close, the mare spider seemed to inexplicably hesitate. Looking into its eyes, it was possible to detect the faintest hint of uncertainty, as if it suddenly realized what it had in its possession.

"Yes, that's right," Black Cat nodded, speaking in a way that made it seem like he knew what the monster was trying to say. Then, he picked up the injector device and brought it close. "This will only hurt for a moment, I promise." He shot the serum into one of the monster's exposed arms!

The monster screamed and howled at the top of its lungs! It dropped Black Cat as it seemed to wince in pain, struggling and straining with all its might!

That seemed like a positive sign as far as Black Cat was concerned! The serum was working!

Sure enough, after several minutes worth of thrashing about and screaming and hollering, the monster spider was no more! The transformation was undone, and Spider Mare returned to normal. She had been cured!

---

Black Cat quickly shot out some webbing from his baton in order to pull Spider Mare safely to him. Then he brought her back to the base of the Statue of Freedom for a closer inspection.

By now, The Green Griffon had miraculously managed to regain control of her glider. She brought it over to Black Cat's location and set it down, before jumping off it. Spider Mare hadn't moved at all since the transformation had been undone. Hesitantly, The Green Griffon asked the first question that came to her mind. "Is she...?"

"No," Black Cat replied with a shake of his head as he brought a hoof towards Spider Mare. "She's just sleeping. Transforming into the mare spider and back must've taken a lot out of her. But the nightmare is over, that mutant monstrosity is no more!"

The Green Griffon breathed a small sigh of relief upon hearing the news. "Good. At least I don't have that to worry about," She hopped back onto her glider. "Well, I should probably go before that dweeb wakes up and freaks out upon seeing me. Not a fan of explaining myself twice in one night," Before leaving, though, she pulled out one of her pumpkin bombs that she had forgotten to use. Hastily, she scribbled something on it and gave it to Black Cat. "Just give this to Spider Mare with my regards, or whatever."

"Will we ever see you again?" Black Cat pondered.

The Green Griffon shrugged her claws. "If you're lucky, probably not. Still, it was nice to work with you, for however brief it was." And then she departed as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Black Cat alone with Spider Mare.

Black Cat smiled as he gently nuzzled his sleeping wife. She looked so peaceful now. Free from worry, free from stress. He really liked her that way. He hadn't seen her this at peace since the night after their wedding, when she'd been so exhausted after all the intense planning that she'd only barely had enough strength left to carry him to their shared bedroom.

Just as Black Cat leaned in to plant a kiss on his slumbering wife's cheek, however, the peace and quiet of the night was suddenly and abruptly disturbed. He looked up, and thought he spotted something hovering up above him. He had a pretty good feeling what it was and what it would involve. It seemed S.M.I.L.E. and its head had a need for them.

---

Spider Mare opened her eyes very slowly. Her head felt heavy and kind of fuzzy. Everything was still a blur. She could only remember having felt something overtake her atop the Statue of Freedom, and everything after that was a blank.

"Ah, you're finally awake," A voice vaguely familiar to the wall crawler greeted. "About time."

Suddenly, standing before Spider Mare was a familiar looking unicorn mare with a dark orchid coat, and an eye patch over her left eye. Most noticeable of all, though, was the unicorn's lack of a horn and the scar across her exposed eye. At once, Spider Mare recalled that said mare was Commander Tempest Shadow of S.M.I.L.E.

Commander Tempest seemed to be smiling ever so slightly if the expression on her face was anything to go by. "There's no need to worry, Spider Mare. We already know everything. S.M.I.L.E. has had you on radar for quite some time."

The wall crawler couldn't help but remark. "If that's true, then where were you and those ponies under your command? You know, The Fantastic Four? Could've really used their help!"

"My apologies," Commander Tempest replied. "We would've come sooner, but unfortunately we were kept busy with our own little problem. It seems Venom figured out how to create more offspring besides just the Carnage symbiote. The Fantastic Four and I were kept busy tracking down every last one of those... creations across the galaxy. We only just managed to round up the last of 'em."

Spider Mare let out a sigh. "Guess I'm not the only one who's had symbiote trouble. Black Cat and I, we found a whole bunch of symbiotes being generated right here in Manehattan. Fortunately, we took care of them all," She then questioned. "Do you know anything about a pony who calls himself 'The Big Man'?"

At that Commander Tempest shook her head. "I'm afraid not. No such records exist of anypony calling themselves 'The Big Man'. I assure you, if there were we would know who that pony is. There's not a pony or other creature in existence with a criminal record that S.M.I.L.E. doesn't know about," She then changed the subject. "Now, wall crawler, the reason why I waited specifically for you to wake up is because I've got some good news..."

"'And some bad news'?" Spider Mare guessed, receiving a confirming nod in response. "That's what I was afraid of."

Commander Tempest merely nodded before explaining. "The good news is, that serum your husband shot at you worked like a charm. You are one hundred percent cured, you'll never have to worry about turning into the mare spider ever again," Then she lowered her head. "However, you're really not gonna like the bad news."

Spider Mare tried to brace herself for whatever it was she was about to hear. "Just tell it to me straight. Don't sugarcoat it."

With a long, drawn out and mournful sigh, the hornless unicorn confessed. "We were able to locate and extract your Aunt Suzanne from the bad guys' clutches. But, she's not doing too hot. For reasons we can't figure out, we're losing her."

Spider Mare's eyes widened in shock and disbelief! "What?! No! That can't be! She can't be dying! I can't lose her!"

The commander could only reply. "Trust me, I didn't like hearing the news either. Believe me, we've done all we can for her. Might just be that her time has come," She proceeded to a nearby panel and pressed a button. "We've got her down in the medical bay. You might wanna hurry up and get down there to say your goodbyes, don't know how much longer she'll be there," She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to break the news to you."

Immediately, Spider Mare jumped up from the holding cell she'd been in and ripped off her mask! Any concern for her secret identity had vanished! "Where's the medical bay?!" She frantically asked!

Tempest pointed a hoof. "Down the hall, to your left. It's the third door down. You can't miss it."

Pinkie Pie immediately rushed off in that direction! "Thanks!" Was all she had time to say.

Author's Note:

Tempest and S.M.I.L.E. are from my previous Spider Mare fanfic, with Tempest occupying the role of Nick Fury and S.M.I.L.E. taking the place of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Comments

[Comickook]

Really emotional chapter (appropriately so). Appreciated the effort that went into the action, exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up as usual. Glad the antidote for the Mare-Spider mutation worked and I can understand why Gilda would be so reluctant to talk to Spider-Mare after she wakes up. And, yeah, also appreciated the reason S.M.I.L.E. and the Fantastic Four were too busy to help out on this case until now. Hopefully, whatever's wrong with Aunt Suzanne is something the villains have an antidote for so that Spider-Mare and Black Cat have SOME chance of being able to actually save her after fighting through Chameleon, Vulture and a few more of the Big Man's goons for the last time in THIS story.

Definitely looking forward to more of this.