FIREWEAVER | A Spiderverse Fanfic

Chapter One

       It was a quiet, or at least not as loud as usual, evening in New York. The street was empty at this time of day, a warm breeze flooding through Esmerelda's window as she placed her head against the cool wood of her desk, her eyes closed. The plant beside her swayed lightly.

The sun was setting behind the Brooklyn bridge, her apartment building having a clear view of the river. She heard the familiar sound of muffled keys jingling against each other, and the twist of the pad lock. She lifted her head, watching her roommate walk inside.

"Hey Sophia, how was work?" Esme yawned, stretching her arms.

Sophia groaned from her pretty red lips, her dark lashes fluttering over her hazel eyes before she pressed a palm against her pale forehead.

"It was terrible. One of the specimens escaped in the lab, we all practically turned the place upside down looking for it. I tried to stay as long as I could to help, but I wasn't going to clock overtime, not after this week." Sophia sunk into the bottom bunk of their beds.

Esme twisted her chair around, leaning back as she heard Sophia's bag thunk to the floor.

"Well, did they at least find it?" Esme asked. "I'd hate to have to deal with one of your rodents running around when I do my shift tonight."

Sophia shook her dark head, sighing into her pillow in exhaustion. Esme smirked and slowly stood up, moving to grab her lab coat from the door.

Sophia turned her head slightly to watch her. "If you see a tarantula tonight, be sure to just corner it and ask one of the higher ups for help, don't try to grab it yourself."

Esme stiffened. "Ugh, seriously? That's even worse than a lab rat. Why do we have a tarantula?"

Sophia shrugged and rolled over to her back.

"I don't know, some extinct species we brought back to life. Nooo idea why there's so much fuss over finding it."

Esme rolled her eyes over Sophia's sarcasm. She grabbed her bag, her hand scouring through Sophia's things to trade off their notes. She paused, feeling something fuzzy brush her skin.

"Hey do you mind if I borrow your scrunchie? I can't find my usual hair claw, and I dig the retro look of it." Esme laughed, blindly trying to grab it.

Sophia was about to reply before Esme shrieked, something piercing her skin. She lifted her hand, a large, hairy, arachnid seated on it. It jumped off, leaving two incisions on her throbbing wrist.

Esme yelped again, quickly stomping on the spider.

"No! Esme! That's the tarantula! Oh my god!" Sophia dashed forward, pulling Esme back, her foot leaving an imprint of brown and orange guts on the floor.

"is it dead!?" Esme screeched, grabbing a book and raising it.

"Yeah, you killed it!" Sophia yelled back. "Esme if the boss finds out we're both going to be screwed out of our jobs!"

Esme looked at Sophia. "To hell with Spectre, I hate spiders! That thing bit me!"

Sophia rolled her eyes, calming down and taking Esme's hand, setting aside the book. Her eyes widened. "Let's just hope that thing wasn't venomous. I mean, I don't think it was. Tarantulas aren't, right?"

Esme reeled back, holding her hand. She could feel heat radiating from the wound, like her veins were slowly setting on fire. "How should I know? Ay por dios, should I see a doctor?"

Sophia shook her head. "What good would that do? They wouldn't have anything on hand for a spider that's been extinct for over three hundred years."

Esme groaned. "Why me?!"