[DISCONTINUED] Spider-Girl | Supergirl/You

Introduction

Today is the day that my life changed forever.

It was a Thursday night, nothing out of the ordinary. The weather was normal, I hadn't experienced any unusual encounters. Yet, when I got home from school, something felt off. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the house, or maybe it was the fact that my 'foster' father, Ben, was home early.

I call Ben my 'foster' father because he is not my biological father. You see, my parents had both died in a terrible accident when I was just about 7 years old. I was devastated and scared as a little kid because I didn't understand that my parents would be gone forever. I remember how much I loved them and it hurt that they weren't around anymore.

Ben was my father's best friend and, although he didn't want anything to do with me, he made a promise to my father that he would look after me if something happened to them. Ben was a very quiet old man who didn't show much emotion. Maybe it was because his wife and his best friend had died. Maybe he was incapable of feeling love because he was so numb from all the pain in his life. Maybe it was all of these things, but, as my foster father, he has never once told me that he loved me. I mean, sure, he cares for me. He feeds me and he drives me to school, but that's only because he had to keep his promise.

He was never around either. He was a cop and he always seemed to be busy with something. We never really talked. We were both going through the same thing, except, I was just a confused kid. Maybe that's why I never said 'I love you' to him either. Maybe I had also become numb from the pain. Or maybe I had resented him for ignoring me when I was a scared kid who needed my parents.

I knew, deep down, that I felt angry at him for just sitting there and letting me cry. I had to grow up by myself and learn how to deal with my own problems. He never made anything easier.

But, I also knew that, deep down, there was a part of me that had forgiven him for what he did. There was a part of me that realized what he was going through and felt sympathy for him. There was a part of me that loved him. Because I knew there was a part of me that loved everyone, no matter what they had done to me. And sometimes I wonder if I got that from my parents.

Ben used to tell me that I thought like my dad and looked like my mom. I'm still not really sure whether that was a good thing or not, but I choose to believe that it was. I remember how smart both my parents were. They would always go out of their way to teach and explain new ideas and concepts to me. There was always something new to learn about the world and it fascinated me. That's why I grew fond of science. I loved discovering new things because it made me feel closer to my parents.

"I need to talk to you about something." Ben coughed out in his usual gruff, low voice. He was sitting up straight at the kitchen table, fiddling with his hands in his lap. I had never seen him like this before. It seemed like he was nervous, which was unusual. He was normally a calm and collected man, he was never afraid of anything. Maybe that was because he had already been through the worst in life.

I set my backpack down and sat in the chair across from him. I didn't really know what to expect, so I just stayed quiet and let him continue.

"It's about your family." He said gently, yet nothing about that sentence was gentle. That word, 'family', sent a wave of emotions crashing over me. I was suddenly reminded of my parents and my relaxed mood immediately shifted to a somber one.

"W-what about my family?" I couldn't help but get a little choked up. Anytime I think of my parents I always start to tear up. It's pretty pathetic really. I mean, you'd think I'd have it under control after 10 years without them. But every time I think of them, I'm reminded of the last day I saw them.

Flashback

"Where are you going?" I asked sadly when my dad started to throw papers and other important work things into his briefcase.