Heroes Assemble!

He's Not Alone!

Spider-Man was barely managing not to choke, held as he was around the neck by the Lizard's tail.

For the briefest of instances, Spider-Man wondered whether coming here to Oscorp Tower really was the smartest thing to do. He'd had to battle a squad of police officers; had his secret identity exposed to his girlfriend's father, who also happened to be a New York City Police Captain, no less; had been shot; and was now on the losing end of a battle with his father's scientific partner who'd managed to turn himself into a giant green lizard of all things. Even his web-shooters had been destroyed.

And all in the smallest hope that he'd be able stop Doc Conner's plan to turn the entire city into giant mutated lizards through the release of an airborne virus.

Getting to the roof of Oscorp Tower had been one thing. Reaching the ganali device attached to the tower mast seemed to be a completely different kettle of fish. Currently, Spider-Man knew that there were two – well, three really when it came down to it – problems with saving the city.

For one, he didn't have an antidote to the lizard serum that could be used to disperse across the city for those already affected. Gwen, he knew, had gone to create one, but what had happened there, he had no idea.

Secondly, even if he managed to destroy the ganali device before it detonated, there would still be some residue gas that would infect people. Which led back to the first problem of no antidote being available.

Oh, and thirdly, was the fact that the Lizard had caught him and didn't seem to be in any mood to let him go anytime soon. Or even to let him live for that matter.

Spider-Man's eyes widened in horror as one massive paw reached up and over his head, its razor-sharp talons dragging across his face as the Lizard removed his mask.

"Poor Peter Parker. No Mother. No Father. No Uncle. All alone."

Peter stared defiantly back at him, unable to speak due to the pressure around his neck.

"He's not alone."

Both Peter and the Lizard's heads whipped around to find Captain Stacy standing behind them, a flak jacket to protect his torso, a shotgun in his hand.

"No, he's not."

This time there were three heads whipping about to stare at the other side of the rooftop.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight of the Avenger, Mage, standing there, his arms crossed and his blue-grey cloak flapping about his feet in the breeze.

Crack!

The sound of Captain Stacy's gun firing distracted Lizard just enough for Peter to get his hands free and catch the flailing hose spewing liquid nitrogen. Instantly, he directed it at the Lizard's face, distracting him even more and allowing Captain Stacy's shotgun and Mage's bright red flashes of magic to hurt the giant Lizard man.

Peter wasted no time, using the liquid nitrogen on the Lizard's tail to freeze it solid and shatter it, allowing Peter to break free and flip himself back to the ground.

A combined effort of bullets, magic and a final kick from Peter pushed Lizard into the pit filled with liquid nitrogen tanks.

"A gift from Gwen," Captain Stacy said, pulling out a vial of blue liquid from inside his vest.

Peter took it, his head switching between the two men before him and the Lizard behind him.

"Don't look at me, kid, I don't have a clue about that device up there," Mage stated. "If you know how to stop it, do it."

"Go, Peter, we've got this," Captain Stacy added.

Peter wasted no time, racing across the roof top and jumping high before climbing as rapidly as he could up the mast towards the ganali device.