Spider-Woman: Origin

5. Spider-Woman: Bite

"Jessica!" Jordyn called, her voice echoing in the night.

I quickened my pace down the dimly lit sidewalk, illuminated only by nearby street lamps. Darkness enveloped the city, but above, countless stars twinkled like angry sparks, mirroring the turmoil inside me. My heart hammered in my chest, and tears brimmed in my eyes as the recent revelation roared in my mind.

I weaved around pedestrians, silently grateful for the obstacles that momentarily separated my sister and me. A stray tear slipped down my cheek, and I angrily wiped it away as I descended the steps into the subway station.

"Jessica, will you please wait?"

"For what?!" I shouted, spinning around to face her. "For you to spew whatever excuse you have for hiding my father's death?" My voice cracked, betraying the emotions I fought to control.

"You don't understand," she replied, her expression pained.

"Then help me understand!" I pleaded, my frustration boiling over. I could see the regret swimming in her eyes as she searched for words that seemed to elude her. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, before I shook my head in disbelief. How could they not tell me this? How could they keep something so monumental hidden?

Footsteps echoed behind me, and I scrambled to pull out my metro card, only to watch it slip from my fingers and clatter to the ground. "Goddammit," I muttered, bending down to retrieve it. I swiped it through the turnstile and wiped my tear-streaked cheeks as I hurried to the platform.

The board displayed a few minutes until the next train. Crossing my arms tightly over my chest, I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the storm within me. When Jordyn's footsteps drew near, I steeled myself.

"You were gone five years—"

I whirled on her, the reminder igniting a flare of anger. But the pain in her expression made my retort die on my lips.

"Five years, Jess, and you came back unchanged. We knew it would take time to adjust, especially with everything that happened while you were gone. We didn't want to add to that, not until we felt the time was right."

Her words settled in the silence, resonating with a truth I couldn't ignore. My anger simmered down, replaced by a hurt that felt almost palpable. I swallowed hard, fighting the lump forming in my throat. "Facing—" I gestured vaguely, searching for the right words. "Facing the blip is one thing, but learning my mother and sister hid my father's death? Imagine the adjustment needed now."

The hope that had flickered in her eyes faded. I pressed a hand to my chest, as if trying to feel the weight of my sadness. Jordyn glanced at my gesture before looking down, defeated. "We thought we were protecting you. I didn't intend for you to find out this way."

We stood in silence until the rumble of the subway broke through. As the train screeched to a halt, we stepped inside, sitting in the empty seats across from each other. I stared out the window at the darkness beyond, feeling a chasm of emotions—anger, confusion, betrayal—crashing inside me.

Finally, I turned to Jordyn, who sat with her hands tucked in her lap, her eyes downcast. "How?" My voice was softer this time. "How did he die?"

She shifted uncomfortably, and a heavy sigh escaped her. "Dad was working a case on a gang of drug traffickers in our borough-- the Wits, they called themselves." Her gaze grew distant, as if she were pulled back into that time. "His work became his obsession."

I watched as she grappled with the memories, her face shadowed with pain. "He brought his work home," she continued. "He'd stay cooped up in his office for hours. I remember looking at one of the files on his desk one night... and seeing things I shouldn't have. It was horrific." Her voice wavered, tears pooling in her eyes. "He was convinced they had intentions that went beyond drugs. He left for work one day, hopeful it would be the day he'd finally catch them."