"Well..." he began to explain, "I'm actually here to rescue you. But it looks like you don't need any help at all." He tried to ease the atmosphere a bit with his sympathetic daddy charm.
"Worked well," she teased him back.
"Yeah... sorry I got you in trouble, but this guy just came up to me in the jungle forest, and after I told him I was looking for my daughter and showed him this picture of you, he hit me with his gun and cuffed my arms," he said, pulling out a photo showing the two of them. "Looks like this wasn't your first encounter with these guys..."
"Um, well, we may have met earlier," she replied, feeling a bit caught. "But how did you even know I was here?" she added.
"Do you really think I have no security cameras in my lab? I also saw the logs that the teleporter had been used. At first I was a bit shocked, but according to the logs, the teleportation process was successful. Congratulations, you are the first successful teleported human on Earth," he joked. "But speaking of the logs, there was something else..."
"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.
"The logs said something about multiple lifeforms in the chamber... it might be possible that your DNA was fused with that of a spider. It would also explain your abilities. Tell me about it," he asked, his scientific curiosity kicking in and washing away any strangeness that their daughter might not be fully human anymore.
"Makes sense. Well, it all started with my senses becoming sharper and my endurance and strength increasing. At first I thought it was due to extra adrenaline, but with each passing hour I became stronger and faster. My reflexes and agility improved beyond human capabilities. And then, in the first revelation of my inner spider nature, I discovered that I could shoot silk and webs from the palms of my hands. And they are really robust. Later, my climbing ability was enhanced to inhuman levels. And just a few hours ago, my body underwent a drastic transformation as my inner self broke free and my skin turned into an exoskeleton, my already superhuman strength skyrocketed, and everything about me was enhanced. And then the four limbs emerged from my back. It feels so natural to use them," she said, trying to summarize her transformation.
"Extraordinary," he said, already pointing at Juan, "and what about him?"
"Well, two or three days ago. He was a prisoner of the drug men and I freed him... That might have pissed them off a bit. Or that a girl bet them," she grinned. "He was shot a few hours ago and then passed out..."
Her father, despite his own poor health, quickly checks on Juan's condition. "He is weak but alive, but the bullet needs to be removed. It's a good thing you covered the wound," he explained.
"Then let's not waste any time," she said as she pushed herself up on her four new legs. "Can you walk? Or should I give you a ride?" she asked.
Mary's father tried to get up, but he was a little weak on his legs, so Mary lowered herself so that her chest almost touched the floor and let her father pull himself onto her back. She turned and grabbed Juan and put him in her strong arms like a baby. She pushed herself up and began to crawl along the narrow corridors towards the exit. Her spider friends guided her once again.
For the first time in hours, daylight touched her face.
But the pleasant feeling was interrupted by the sound of two approaching choppers.