The New Spider-Woman (Book 1)

1 - Memory Loss

Elayna's POV

"I can't believe you have the chance to take a break from school and you didn't take it," Mikey said as I closed my locker, putting away my notebook from music theory. "That's just stupid." 

"Michael! Her father died." Fizzy scolded him. 

I sighed and walked away from the two. As I walked out of the school doors, Luke came running up.

"You doing anything?" He asked. 

"Going to the tracks," 

"You know, one day you'll get in trouble for that." He chuckled. "Want me to come with?" 

"No, I just wanna be alone right now. But thanks, Lu." 

"You know we're here for you, right?" 

I nodded as Luke leaned in for a hug. 

He broke off and ran towards our other friends, who I knew was watching me walk. 

I got to the rail tracks a few minutes later and climbed up onto the roof of the blue train. I reached into my bag and pulled out the comics my mom had given me a few days before. Something to try and distract me, though she would never admit it. 

I looked at the cover and saw a girl in a black and white suit fighting a guy with a giant glowing sword. I couldn't remember the villain's name but I know the hero almost died fighting him. Too bad the ending was a cliff-hanger.

I had already read all the ones she gave me. I was thinking about buying the next few in the series with the money I save from teaching guitars. 

I put the comics back in and took out my sketchbook.

NOW

It had only been less than a week since the event at the rail yard but the doctors said I was healthy enough to go home and back to school in a week, though none of us knew where any of my injuries—which were mainly scratches and bruises—came from. They also said I had some memory loss, probably from hitting my head so hard and a deep cut on my stomach.

I sat just outside my room on the fire escape, looking down at the street below.

I heard a knock. "Yeah," I called out.

My bedroom door opened and my mom came in. "Hey, Layn." She said softly. "Some of your friends are here." She moved to the side, revealing two boys who I couldn't remember.

One looked about my age with swept-back brown hair wearing a sweater. The other had dark skin with a small afro, dressed in a hoodie covered in paint.

I felt bad that I couldn't remember my supposed friends.

I looked down at the street again.

"Elayna, this is Peter-"

I felt a sharp pain in my head. 

"If you can pin me, I'll take off my mask." He said. 

"Are you serious?"  

"Yeah, come on." 

I shrugged, I reached forward and pulled the wristband off him, attaching it to my own. I kicked his feet out from under him, knocking him down. I shot a web down on his arm. 

He sighed. "Well, I can't take it off now." 

I smirked and pulled the mask off him. 

He smiled. "Hi, I'm Peter."

I looked back at the two boys. "-and Miles." 

"Come on Pete, just hear the little guy out," I said looking down at the kid from the rooftop. "He's like us. You remember how long it took me to get you to talk to me when I got my powers?" 

He sighed before jumping off the building, landing just in front of him. 

I jumped down and landed just behind Peter. 

He looked starstruck once he saw us.

"So what's your name kid?" 

"M-Miles, Miles Morales."

I smiled softly at the two. "Um, hi." 

"I'll, uh, leave you three." My mom said before closing the door, leaving us alone. 

I looked back down at the city, but I knew they went to sit on the window bay. 

"Do you... remember us?" Miles asked.

I knew who they were now but I felt like I shouldn't. 

I wasn't missing many memories but the ones that came back felt wrong. Like they weren't... mine.

"Yes," I said quietly, looking over at the buildings across the street. 

 "Do you remember who we are?" Peter asked slowly. 

"Yes,"

"Do you remember who you are?" 

"Spider-girl?" Peter asked, looking over the sketch of a suit for me. 

"Too childish," 

"Spider...woman?" 

"It's not very creative, but it's better than the other 20 you've come up with."

Peter smiled. "Congrats, Gwe-"

The sharp pain got worse.

"-Layn."

I sighed."I guess I'm Spider-Woman."

"That isn't who I am." 

"What do you mean?" Miles asked. 

"I am not Spider-Woman!" I said loudly. 

Peter looked down at his hands. 

"It's not me," I whispered. 

"Then who are you?"

"It's like I've been dropped in a world where everything is different." I turned towards the two and lifted my shirt above my stomach. "5 days ago, I was stabbed in the stomach, and now it's just a scar. But I don't remember being stabbed. I don't remember fighting a guy with a glowing sword, I don't remember anything after the ground shaking. But I somehow remember things in my life that I know didn't happen. It's like I have memories of a life that isn't mine." I let my shirt fall.

"Elayna, you're healing fast because that's one of your powers. You can't remember stuff because the doctor said you have a concussion that could cause memory loss." Peter explained. 

"Boys, maybe you should go," I heard my mother say to them.