Spider Woman: Origin

Spider-Woman: First Day

I startled awake. The sound of music started off gentle but built into a crescendo that forced me to peel my eyes open. I sat up and searched for the sound to find my alarm clock on my nightstand. I made aim to press the snooze button. Upon doing so, the device shattered, the pieces scattering across the wooden surface. I froze and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself with the shock of what I did vibrating through me.

I stared at the alarm clock. Well, the many pieces of it, with it now being nothing more than shards and broken plastic.

I laid back against the pillow and took a sharp breath in. There was no use denying it any more. I had to get a handle on this if I were to conceal this... strength. I exhaled slowly.

I have super strength. The thought was repeated, like a mantra, with the hope that I'd come to terms with it the more I repeated it.

I chuckled. Honestly, it was to keep myself from crying. I burrowed myself back into the comfort of my blanket and threw it over my head. I'd been prepared to let myself linger there longer; hoping to disappear into a safe cocoon where nothing was expected of me. But a thought struck me.

It's Tuesday.

I groaned and begrudgingly pulled the blanket back off and rose from my bed. I stared briefly at the pieces of my alarm clock and opted to stuff it all into the top drawer of my nightstand. I pulled it open and swept the pieces in with my arm. This was now going to be a problem for future me.

The outfit I picked out laid against the edge of my mirror in a hanger. I reached for it but stopped when I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection. I raise my arm, pressing my fingers against the toned muscles of my bicep. I flexed, just a little, and felt the unfamiliar but undeniable strength in my muscles. Had I always---?

No, I wasn't imagining this. I could feel it in my body, this new power. It wasn't just strength. It was agility, too. My movements felt smoother, lighter, as though my body had been recalibrated in some way. I jumped in place once, testing myself. The weightlessness felt... good. I could learn to control this, maybe then it wouldn't be such a curse. But I had no idea where to start.

I smiled at the girl in the mirror and pried my bonnet off to free my curls.

I carefully twisted the doorknob with my clothes in hand then trickled out of my room. I ran to the bathroom, my feet silent with every step.

"Whoa, slow down!" My mother shouted when I passed her along the way.

"Sorry!" I called back. I entered the bathroom and shut the door closed.

"So eager," I heard her mutter.

I got ready for the day. The buzz of energy vibrating beneath my skin was hard to ignore. I attempted to shove it down. I ground myself in the quiet of the bathroom before getting ready to face the chaos of the day.

******** S P I D E R W O M A N : O R I G I N ********

With Jordyn at my side, I strolled in through the opened double doors of Midtown. Not as a visitor as before, but now, as a student. Conversations drifted down the large hallway and I made aim for the office door that I remembered was to the right of the entrance upon entering.

Jordyn led me to the counselor's office who greeted me behind square lenses and ushered me in. I did so, alone.

"Welcome! You must be Jessica Drew." She greeted with a smile. "I am Ms. Allen. I will be your support and navigate you through Midtown's courses and college preparation. But," she clapped and rubbed her hands together, "I'm sure you're eager to get your schedule." Ms. Allen motioned towards a chair across from her desk.

I sat while she typed away at her keyboard and then shifted the screen for my viewing. "Our bell schedule follows 6 periods. 4 being your classes, one for lunch and a study hall period."

I inched closer and studied the document. My schedule was as followed:

Algebra 2

BSSG

Lunch

American Literature 1

--blank--

Study Hall

I stared at BSSG for a moment, recalling Jordyn's explanation. It sounded... heavy. It wasn't just a class, it was something about dealing with the aftermath of the Blip. But then my eyes landed on the gap between American Literature and Study Hall.

I leaned back and Ms. Allen whirled the computer back around. "You have a choice of an elective for your fifth period. However, here are the ones that are open." She went on a tangent of available electives and I listened intently for any that stood out to me. When she mentioned weight training, the words stuck. I'd have to conceal it, of course, but it could be an opportunity to test the limits of my strength.

"Weight training," I interjected in her spiel. I couldn't conceal the excitement behind my words.

She repeated my choice and clicked away at the mouse. Ms. Allen rose at the sound of a nearby printer going off. When the document flew onto the tray, she grabbed it and outstretched her hand to provide me my schedule.

"Thank you," I said with a smile, despite the unease gnawing at my stomach.

"Have a great first day."

I turned and exited her office. Jordyn stood in wait and took the schedule from my outstretched hand, a smile being an indicator of her eagerness to take a look. We exit the offices and I hold the door open for Jordyn who's staring intently at the paper. "We have no classes together." Her smile fell at the same time her brows rose. "Weight training? Interesting choice." I said nothing and let the silence stretch as we made our way down the hall. She handed back my schedule which I carefully fold before stuffing into my pocket. "Anyway, let's move. We have two minutes to get to class."

I follow in her rushed paced down the academic hallway to get to my location. She points frantically at a door and bids me adieu. "See you at lunch!" Jordyn says in a shout over her shoulder. I rush in just as the bell rings overhead. A wave of uneasiness washes over me upon crossing the threshold. I clutch the straps of my backpack.

My gaze finds over a dozen pairs of eyes looking in my direction. I swallow and search for an empty seat but feel a wave of relief when I spot a familiar face--- Yessenia. She beams and waves me over to an empty seat nearby. I take it and pry the backpack off to place on the floor against my seat. A greet her with a subtle nod and look ahead at the teacher as he begins. I'm lost at first, but pick up the skill of focus when it's modeled.

I grab a pencil from my backpack and, at first, hold it with two fingers. I gently bring pull it out make aim to rest my arms against the desk. I was determined to not repeat what happened-

I found Yessenia eyeing me curiously. I quickly hold the pencil normally and force a silent laugh to appease her. I'm relieved to find the pencil remains intact.

I breeze question one of the activity when it's given. We're then instructed to complete the rest on our own or with a partner. Yessenia casts a glance at me over her shoulder.

"Partner?" She asks and I shake my head. The sound of her desk scraping against the floor fills the room. She doesn't appear to care, meanwhile, I swallow the feeling that washes over me. "You get your schedule?"

I pull it from my pocket to hand to her. While she glances over it, I proceed to complete question two. Still, no broken pencil. I can do this.

"Weight training? Do you hate life or something?"

I chuckle at her words. "No, I mean, I think it could be a great way to learn new exercises and-"

"Oh, yeah, you hate life. At least we have one class together."

We then take turns completing the set of problems. After an hour and half, class is dismissed. Yessenia turns in our papers and then stands over my desk as I collect my things. She guides me to the area in which my next class is in. It's quiet, at first, with chairs arranged in a circle. I'm one of the first ones to enter. I choose a seat across the room and facing the door. I tuck my backpack on the back of the chair and eyed the others as they trickled in.

A frown sets in when Dennis wandered in. His hands are tucked away in his jacket. A newly formed scar sits on his cheek. Dennis' eyes skate around the room and linger on me for a moment too long. He takes an empty chair and I'm grateful it's away from me.

If I recalled correctly, he didn't blip. So, why was he here?

The seats fill. The bell signaling the start of second period signals overhead. A woman meanders to the center of the circle and I recognize her as Ms. Allen, the counselor who helped me create my schedule this morning. She is holding a round object. I think it's an ordinary ball until she begins squishing it.

"I know some of you are here because you think you should be, but don't quite know why. Some of you are here because someone told you to be. And some of you—" She looks around the room, making eye contact with several people. "—are here and you feel lost. And I get that. We all do. The world you left behind is not the one you came back to. It's different. And so are you."

She lets the weight of his words settle. They are cause for the goosebumps that rise to my skin. I look around the room with a different set of eyes than before and acknowledge that we have all been through the same thing and are most likely dealing with similar emotions involving it. I look back at her as she continued.

"When we... blipped, the universe didn't wait for us. People moved on. Lives were rebuilt, and those of us who returned had to figure out where we fit in all of that. You thought it would be like picking up where you left off, right? But it's not. The place you fit, the role you once played— it's not there anymore."

She takes a breath, choosing his words carefully. "We're going to talk a lot about purpose in here. Because I think that's something a lot of us struggle with. If the universe keeps moving forward, how do you find a place in it? What is your purpose when everything around you has changed?" She smiles gently, though it's tinged with sadness.

"Purpose isn't always about saving the world or having a big, heroic moment. It's about finding meaning in the small things, in the daily choices we make. It's about understanding that we're part of something bigger, even if we don't always see it. And sometimes—sometimes it's just about learning how to live with the fact that we're here again, and that means we still matter."

"I mentioned roles and I want to come back to that for today's activity. What role did you play in other people's lives before the Blip? Were you a friend, a sibling, a mentor? Second, what role do you think you play in your own life now? What do you feel you've become? Or maybe, what would you like to become? The point isn't to find a perfect answer. It's to start thinking about what has changed, and how that might shape who you are going forward."

There is a long, silent pause while Ms. Allen gives us think time. My mind races with thoughts of my family and who I was before the Blip. My family dynamic has changed drastically.

The weight of the questions hang heavy in the air as I continue to process them.

Then she explains that she is going to pair us off and I think it would be good to talk this out with someone.

So, why do I still have this dreaded feeling?

She begins and my breath catches when she pairs Dennis and I together.