I Woke Up in the Marvel Universe, But All the Heroes Are Women?-Chapter 48: Unc

The December wind whips across the dorm rooftop, biting through my jeans like they’re made of tissue paper. My golden mask catches the midday light as I pace along the edge.
"Do you think she'll text back?" I ask, glancing at Venom's massive form beside me. Her alien silhouette looks even more menacing against the gray winter sky, all rippling darkness and predatory grace.
"No," Venom growls, those milky white eyes somehow managing to convey annoyance despite having no pupils. "Parker probably doesn't want our help."
I check my phone for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. Still nothing from Piper. It's been two days since she rushed out of the cafeteria after getting that call about her uncle. Two days of silence that's starting to feel less like grieving and more like avoidance.
"Maybe she's just busy with hospital stuff," I offer, tucking my phone back into my utility belt. "Family emergencies are complicated."
Venom makes a dismissive sound, something between a hiss and a scoff.
I tap my foot against the rooftop edge, restless energy building inside me. We've been up here for over an hour, just waiting and watching, and I'm starting to get antsy.
"Hey," I say, turning to Venom. “Do you think I can do a backflip?"
Venom's face twists into what I can only assume is the symbiote equivalent of an eye-roll. "No," she says firmly. "Don't even try to…"
Before she can finish, I'm already launching myself backward, my body arching through the cold December air in what I hope resembles an actual backflip. Time seems to slow as I realize mid-rotation that I've severely miscalculated. My body isn't turning fast enough, and the concrete rooftop is rushing up to meet my face instead of my feet.
In a moment of panic-induced brilliance, I focus on a spot about ten feet higher in the sky. Golden energy surges through me as reality bends, and suddenly I'm teleporting upward. The extra height gives me just enough time to complete my rotation, and I land on my feet with only a slight wobble. The ten foot drop practically nothing to me now.
Venom stares at me, her massive shoulders slumping with a resigned sigh. "That was actually pretty cool," she admits, sounding almost surprised.
I can't help but grin beneath my mask, a warm surge of pride rushing through. Venom's admission feels like winning an Olympic medal.
"That was pretty high up too, for a normie," she adds, her massive head tilting as she studies me. "Your body's definitely getting stronger. Pretty sure the version of you I first met would've ended up with ankles shattered like glass trying to stick that landing."
"True," I chuckle, bouncing on my heels to test said ankles. They feel rock solid. "All that training with Masters is paying off."
“I don’t know I think theres more to it…”
My phone buzzes cutting through our moment. I fumble to pull it out, my heart leaping when I see Piper's name on the screen.
"She texted back!" I exclaim, scanning the message quickly. "She's asking if we can come to Queens Hospital while she goes home for a change of clothes."
Venom lets out a deep, exaggerated groan, her massive shoulders slumping dramatically. "This is so fucking lame. Babysitting Parker's uncle? Really?"
"I promise I'll make it up to you tonight, alright?" I say, my voice dropping to that suggestive tone that always gets her attention.
"Yeah, yeah," she mutters, but I can hear the slight softening in her voice.
Venom turns her back to me, the black tendrils of her form shifting as she crouches slightly. "Come on then, get on," she says, her dual-layered voice somehow managing to sound both annoyed and affectionate.
I wrap my arms around her neck, pressing my chest against her back as I climb on. The symbiote feels surprisingly warm against the December chill, pulsing with alien life beneath my touch. I can't help but savor the closeness, the feeling of her powerful body against mine.
"Hold tight," she warns before launching us into the air.
The wind tears at my mask as we soar between buildings, Venom's powerful arms shooting webs from rooftop to rooftop. The city blurs beneath us as we swing over the East River, the Queensboro Bridge stretching out below like a steel serpent. My stomach drops with each arc, a rollercoaster of exhilaration and terror that never gets old.
Fifteen minutes of web-slinging later, we touch down on the Queens Hospital rooftop. Spider-Woman is already waiting for us, her red and blue suit a stark contrast against the drab concrete. She looks exhausted, even through her mask.
"Thanks so much," she says, her voice strained with relief. "I couldn't get ahold of Harriet, and honestly, I just didn't want to call Mario."
"It's no problem at all," I reply, sliding off Venom's back. "How's your uncle doing?"
Spider-Woman's shoulders slump as she shakes her head. "He hasn't woken up yet. The doctors are running test after test, but they have no idea what's wrong."
I nod.
"He's in room 0451," she continues, gesturing vaguely toward the hospital below us. "You just have to watch him until I get back."
I shrug off my jacket and flip it inside out, transforming it from hero gear to normal streetwear in seconds. "No problem," I say, tucking my golden mask into the pocket.
Beside me, Ellie's transformation is far more dramatic. The symbiote flows across her massive form, reshaping itself into a casual outfit of jeans and a leather jacket. Her short blonde hair reappears as the alien substance recedes from her face, those blank white eyes giving way to piercing blue ones that haven't stopped glaring at Piper since we arrived.
Piper shifts her weight from one foot to another, clearly uncomfortable under Ellie's hostile stare. "I really, really appreciate this, Shane," she says, her voice softening with genuine gratitude.
"I'm sure you do," Ellie mutters under her breath, just loud enough for all of us to hear.
I shoot Ellie a warning glance before turning back to Piper. "Family emergencies happen. I'm happy to help."
Without another word, Spider-Woman fires a web at a nearby building and launches herself into the air, her form quickly disappearing between the Queens skyline.
"Let's get this over with," Ellie sighs, heading toward a door marked "Roof Access."
The hospital corridors are a maze of squeaking linoleum. Nurses rush past us with clipboards, doctors huddle in corners discussing cases, and somewhere distant, a monitor beeps in steady rhythm. No one gives us a second glance as we navigate toward room 0451, like two college students wandering a hospital is the most normal thing in the world.
"I hate hospitals," Ellie mutters as we turn down another identical hallway. "They smell like death and cleaning supplies."
"I do too," I reply, trying not to let my mind wander back to when I was ten. The antiseptic smell and beeping machines threaten to drag me back to another hospital, another time, the worst day of my life. I push those memories down where they belong, focusing instead on the task at hand.
Finally, we reach room 0451. I push the door open, expecting to find an unconscious older man in a hospital bed. Instead, I freeze in the doorway, my brain struggling to process what I'm seeing.
There's a girl standing over Uncle May's bed. She looks exactly like Piper, same face, same height, same build, but with blonde hair instead of brown, and no glasses perched on her nose. She's staring down at the unconscious man with an expression that's hard to read. Intense, troubled, her lips pressed into a thin line as her fingers clutch the metal railing of the hospital bed.
I blink several times, wondering if the teleporting has somehow affected my vision. The resemblance is uncanny, impossible even.
"Is this the right room?" I whisper, turning back to Ellie with confusion written all over my face.
Ellie's blue eyes narrow dangerously, her nostrils flaring slightly as she leans closer to me. When she speaks, her voice is so quiet only I can hear it, her breath warm against my ear.
"She smells like Parker."