The Spider: Origins

September 12, 2021

I blinked when I suddenly remembered that one of my favorite streamers uploaded a video almost 2 weeks ago.

I was off today and Emily was at school, so I figured I had time to catch up on some of them. Starting with his video.

I pulled out my phone and brought up his page and clicked on the video on the top.

I'm honestly only half paying attention to the video as I start to clean up what small amount of mess around the apartment in preparation for the bed getting here.

When I tune back into the video a couple minutes, the first thing I hear is, "The reason my arm hurts is because I have cancer." There's a pause, "That's not a joke."

My heart drops and I quickly throw away the trash in my hands and pick up my phone, going back to the start of the video to listen to it from the beginning.

As I listen, I sit down heavily on the bar stool. I click off the app and turn off my phone, putting it down on the island.

Not even a minute later, my phone buzzes with a notification. I sigh wearily and pick it up to look at it.

The bed was here. The perfect distraction.

I pick up the relatively large bed in a box easily and carry it up, dismissing the startled and surprised look from the delivery man.

After setting the box down, I open it up and smile at the dark leather.

I was originally going to order it in its original white, but I didn't want to make that mistake again, so the burgundy version it was.

It was actually relatively simple to put together, all things considered. Once the base board was put in place, I placed the rolled up and shrunken mattress in the frame and cut it open, watching it expand and fill up the area.

Modern technology never ceased to impress me. Even simple things like this.

Both Emily and myself hated sheets both fitted and flat, so we decided to hunt down a fluffy and soft black blanket to act as a sheet to sleep on.

We also went to Walmart and as we were browsing the blankets and pillows, feeling each one. We picked out some that I liked, some she liked, and some we both liked.

While we were doing that, Emily let out an abrupt giggle, throwing off the vibe of calm conversation.

"Emily?" I questioned, amused.

"You know what omegaverse is, right?" She giggles.

My eyebrows spiked up, "Yeah?" I can't say I'm too surprised she knows what it is. I was reading shit I shouldn't have been reading since I was twelve, maybe even younger.

Emily was fifteen and was raised on the internet.

So yeah, unsurprising.

"I feel like we'd both be omegas in a world like that, with the way we're fussing over the blankets and pillows." She whispers to me, more giggles slipping from her. She then pauses, "Or it could just be our neurodivergence."

I snort, "I would be completely unsurprised if I ended up as an omega in another world. And honestly, I wouldn't have minded."

She looks at me, "I think you'd make a good one."

I smile a bit, "Thanks, that's good to hear."

And that was that. At the moment, I just threw all our blankets and pillows onto the bed and we'll fix it together when she gets back.

I grab my phone from the island and shuffle back, allowing myself to fall back into the (round!) bed.

I was never going to be able to get over that. I giggled hysterically.

Things were falling into place. After everything I've been through, I was on a slow incline that's just been going up since leaving Trade and cutting off my parents.

When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.

I've got an okay job, a new sister, my biological sister, a flat and bed and lights. And in three months or so, I'd be out on the streets fighting crime like a real vigilante.

I take a deep breath and exhale, the news from earlier finally sinking in.

I frown and try to ignore the tears welling up in my eyes.

I take another breath.

He'd survive this. He had to. Technoblade never dies, after all.

I look over at Emily as we approach the courthouse, my sister's aunt and our lawyer on her other side.

"Ready for this, luv?" I ask her.

She fidgets with a cube, anxiety clear on her face. She glances over at me, "As I'll ever be."

"Your case is solid and you did a good job documenting everything. Very brave of you." Ally soothes her.

Emily looks at Ally before looking back at me, giving a firm nod, "Okay. Let's do this."

I smiled at her and kept a hand on her shoulder as we were guided through the courthouse.

We sat on one side and Emily quietly pointed out her mother on the other side of the aisle. The lady had beautiful dark skin and long healthy looking locs in a ponytail. She wore a long sleeved black dress that fell off her shoulders.

I glance between Emily and her. Emily appeared to have inherited her facial structure with a round face and her curly as fuck hair. Though, she seemed to take after her father (with what few pictures I've seen of him) with thin lips, a wider nose and his build.

I lean into her and whisper quietly, "You're prettier."

She muffles a giggle in her hands and looks at me, "Don't lie. Mother is drop dead gorgeous."

I scuff, "Nah man, you're just underestimating your looks. You could be a model if you so desired."

I looked down at her and realized she was being serious. I frown, "I'm being serious. Darling, you've got killer looks."

She also frowns, looking over at her mom, "But her hair…"

"Is that what this is about?" I bring my hand up and gently run my fingers through her fluffy hair. The moment I realized Emily was going to be around for good, I had immediately started doing research on how to help her take care of her hair when we were homeless.

I tilt my head as I start thinking, "Your birthday is coming up."

She looks up at me, confused by the seemingly random change in topic, "Yes?" She draws out the word.

"Would you like to go to a salon to get your hair done? It can double as a birthday gift and an adoption gift." I suggest.

"But that can get expensive."

"Nothing but the best for ya, luv." I smile at her gently.

She stares up at me in silence before slowly nodding her head, "Okay. But nothing else, you got that?"

I huff a laugh and nod, "Sure thing. We'll just go to Pizza Hut for dinner then, yeah?"

"Okay." She says again.

As Ally had predicted, it wasn't a big fight. The lady clearly didn't care much for her daughter and had zero problems with signing over her parental rights to me.

I made decent money, had an apartment and food so the courts also had no problem with giving me guardianship.

Her mother didn't even glance back as she walked and I scoffed in annoyance. I get Emily was an accident, but to treat her as if she were nothing more than a dirty big was abhorrent behavior.

I steered her to the Starbucks near the court, the two of them splitting from Ally after I informed the lawyer that I'd send her a check within the week. Regardless of the fact she didn't actually have to do much and even got a free trip to California out of it, I still felt the need to pay her at least a little bit.

"Start of a new chapter, Emily. You won't have to worry about this anymore." I sigh as I link our arms together.

She simply hums in agreement.