Non Trek Fic: Spider Quinn (Spider-Man/Daria)

[USS Fardell]

The characterization of Norman Osborn should be similar to Willem Defoe's portrayal in the 2002 movie.

12 Rise of the Green Goblin Part 1
Norman Osborn threw aside the latest Sun-Herald in disgust. More reports of crime that hadn’t been foiled by SpiderGirl or those two new vigilantes. ‘Of course it hasn’t!’ He then went to his laptop and logged into a specific server on his company’s network. He looked at the progress in testing of the Glider design.

Prototype complete.

That was good news. He could take it and use it. He left the office and went to the workshop.


“Mr. Osborn!” one of the techs said.

“Mr. Cross. You report that the prototype is ready?”

“It is Mr. Osborn. Testing will start this afternoon.”

“Excellent! Keep me apprised.” He grabbed a document that lay on the table next to them. It was a manual for the prototype. He looked around. There was no one there. He took the manual and left.


He then took it to his office. ‘I’ll read it later,’ he decided. He had a grand opening to attend.


Quinn and Daria arrived at the Historia early. “Today is going to be a great day,” Quinn said.

“I hope so, with how busy that week was,” Daria responded.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Quinn said, feeling the achievement at the Spelling Bee. But she knew she would be continuing to visit Sarah Robyn in the hospital. They then entered the lobby, where they found that Stacy, Joey, Robert and Angie were there before them.

“Morning, Quinn, Daria,” Stacy said as she came up to them.

Quinn saw that Stacy was quite excited. “Morning, Stacy.”

“The place has come alive,” Stacy said.

“It’s amazing what a few weeks of refurbishment can do,” Daria commented.


It wasn’t long before Norman Osborn arrived, along with his son, Harry. “Welcome, young people. Is everyone here?”

“We’re waiting on a few more people,” Quinn said.

“Of course,” Osborn said.

The door opened again and Jane and Trent entered. “This looks rather cool,” The latter said.

“Yes, it is rather like those old photos from before World War II,” Jane said. “Except in color.”

“I knew you would say something like that,” Daria said.

“This is going to be very good for Lawndale,” Jane said.

“Jane Lane, an optimist?” Daria asked.

“She can be optimistic about something,” Trent said, enigmatically.

That gave Daria something to think about.


Brittany arrived at the Historia with Kevin, Donna and Nikki. She saw that Quinn, Daria, Jane, Stacy, Osborn, Joey, Angie and Robert were already there. “Good Morning,” she said.

“Wow, like, this looks really old,” Kevin said.

“That was the point, Kevy,” Brittany said.


Soon, more people came as the time came.

“Welcome to the Historia, the former Global Theater,” Osborn said. “It is the vision of four ordinary high school students, but it is something extraordinary for the people of Lawndale. A place where young people can meet and socialise without fear of the crime occurring elsewhere in this town. It is a coffee house, bookshop and more. A place for plays and the occasional exhibition. A place for connection. Please stay for brunch.”


“Interesting speech,” Jodie Landon told Daria.

“It certainly is, but I’m sure you’re concerned about the crime he mentioned.”

“Absolutely, including those vigilantes. SpiderGirl may have good intentions, but I’m not sure about the other two.”

“I’m not sure either,” Daria admitted.


Jane heard what Jodie and Daria were talking about. ‘I have the best intentions,’ she thought. She hadn’t been sure about SpiderGirl and less sure about Ninja Talon, but the interactions they had as they investigated the compound the cheerleaders were held in had erased most of the concerns she had. ‘They will find out that we have the best of intentions towards the people of Lawndale.’ She looked around at the other Lawndale High students and wondered whether any of them were SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. ‘I seriously doubt Daria would be either of them’


Quinn was talking to Tori when she saw Sandi enter and approach Harry. ‘Uh oh!” she said.

“Sandi?” Tori asked. “The Historia is open to everyone, isn’t it.”

“Of course, but I didn’t think she’d be here now,” Quinn said.

Tori put a hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she won’t cause trouble.”

“I hope so,” Quinn said. But that wasn’t all that was on her mind. ‘I wonder if the Shadow is here?’ She hoped it wasn’t Sandi. ‘That would be quite awkward.’


Brittany had also noticed Sandi arrived. ‘Why is she hanging out with Harry Osborn?’ she wondered.

Like Quinn, she also wondered whether the Shadow was there. She knew it wasn’t Daria, as Quinn had told her so. ‘If she is here, I have no idea who her secret identity could be. But she was sure that the Shadow was wondering the same thing about her.’


The morning tea went well, and more Lawndale High students and their families arrived as noon approached.


Daria, Quinn, Joey and Robert joined Norman at the podium. “And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for. Daria.”

Daria went to the microphone. “I now declare the Historia open as a place for the young people of Lawndale to be able to come together despite their differences and no matter what they’re going through. Thank you.”

The crowd went into an applause and Daria stepped down, hoping that the Historia would make a difference.

Then it was time for lunch, which Elisabeth Rowe had catered for.


Daria found herself sitting across from Brittany. “That was a great speech, Daria.”

“Thanks.”

“More inspiring than Mr. Osborn.”

“You think so?” Daria asked, although she knew that Brittany would answer in the affirmative.

“I know so. I know you, Daria. But Mr. Osborn, I don’t know him. I think he’s just here for the publicity.”

“That’s a good point. I became involved in this because I knew that helping Joey and Robert save the theater would help this town and help it overcome this time of crisis.”

“I’m sure it will,” Brittany added. “But I’m sure it will take more to turn things around.”

Daria looked into the cheerleader’s eyes and saw determination there. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.


“Sandi?” Harry asked.

“Yes?” Sandi asked.

“You’ve hardly touched your plate.”

“Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“About your former friends?” Harry asked.

“Yes, they’re all here and enjoying themselves. Qui-inn has a crowd around her of both sexes, as usual. It’s like she’s thriving despite her grief.”

“Oh, maybe you should forgive her.”

“No!” Sandi shot back, quietly. “She ruined everything.”

“It’s eating you up.”

Sandi just looked down at her plate and ate slowly.


Jane found herself next to Joey. “So, what are your hopes for this place?” she asked.

“Much like what Daria said,” Joey answered.

“Good answer,” Jane said. “But I asked you.”

“I hope it would be for our peers as it was for our grandparents and parents’ generations,” Joey answered.

“A good answer. I seem to recall my mother talking about this place once, as a place she hung out with her friends at.”

“Seems to be a common story,” Joey added.

“That’s true.”


Quinn found herself across from Jodie. She looked in her eyes and asked. “What do you think about recent events?”

“You mean with the Oakwood cheerleaders? Or more generally?”

“Generally.”

“I’m not sure that SpiderGirl has been actually helping, The crime has been getting worse.”

“Oh?” Quinn asked, hiding her reaction.

“Mostly in the poorer neighborhoods. Did you know that most of Lawndale’s Black population lives in Lawndale Flats?”

“I didn’t know.”

“It isn’t widely advertised,” Jodie said. “A stain on the town’s reputation. But my parents made sure that I knew it.”

“Of course.”

“But, so far SpiderGirl’s mostly been seen on the west side of the Creek.”

“But that’s where most of the town lies,” Quinn responded. ‘I guess I’ll have to make more patrols in Lawndale Flats.’

“I suppose so.”


Anna Coultard found herself across from Robert. “So, what does the Historia mean to you?” she asked.

Robert gave a similar answer to Joey. “A place where we can hang out like our parents and grandparents.”

“Good answer,” Anna said.


The lunch continued, but it was soon over. Some stayed at the Historia to explore the bookshop, like Daria and Jane. But others, including Quinn and Brittany left. So did Norman Osborn.


Quinn headed home, to continue her new mask design, for a while before returning to the Hospital to keep Sarah Robyn company in the evening as SpiderGirl.


Norman Osborn headed to the Lawndale City Hall, for he had an appointment with Lawndale’s Mayor.
“Norman Osborn, at 1:30,” he said to the receptionist.

“Mayor Lawson will see you, sir,” she said.

“Thank you,” Osborn said.


Mayor William Lawson was a busy man. The stresses of governing Lawndale were growing every passing week and it was showing on him. He was sure that he was going bald faster than he had been before SpiderGirl showed up. He was already annoyed that he had to work on Saturdays, so having an appointment with Norman Osborn was unwelcome. He saw the tycoon enter his office.

“What is the purpose of this meeting?”

“An exchange,” Norman answered.

“What do you mean?”

“I would like access to the municipal CCTV network.”

“For what purpose?” the Mayor asked.

“I may be able to help with your vigilante problem.”

“SpiderGirl has brought good publicity to Lawndale. With crime increasing, people need hope. SpiderGirl provides it.”

“But what about those two new ones?” Osborn asked. “A ninja and some shadowy figure? They don’t sound like they would inspire hope to me.”

“Maybe not…” Lawson began.

“I can make it worth your while,” Osborn grinned. “Both personally and I’ll be willing to help with any civic improvements that may be needed in proximity to my various facilities, including around the Historia.”

“The Historia, you say? How did that go this morning?” the Mayor said.

“Very well, and one of the girls behind the idea gave an inspiring speech as she declared it open. But, what do you say?”

“I’ll have to give it some consideration.”

“I’ll let you think on it, but don’t take too long,” Osborn said.

“I won’t. I’ll get back to you on Monday.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Osborn said as he left. ‘I’ll be sure to have better luck with the High School Principal.’


SpiderGirl arrived at the hospital two hours after leaving the Historia.

Sarah Robyn greeted her with a sign.

“Learning ASL I see?” SpiderGirl asked. “I’m sorry, I don’t know it.”

Sarah Robyn then wrote; I might not regain my ability to speak, but I still want to communicate.

“Maybe I could learn it with you.”

You don’t have to. I know you’re quite busy looking after Lawndale, along with whatever you do as your secret identity.

“That’s true, but I may need it for communicating with others.”

That’ll be good.

“I’m also working on an expressive mask.”

Don’t do all this on my account.

“You’re as important as any other person, Sarah Robyn. Your situation has inspired me, that’s all.”

Thanks

SpiderGirl stayed a while, keeping Sarah Robyn company.


While SpiderGirl was at the hospital, Ninja Talon was patrolling downtown in the vicinity of the Historia. She wanted to be sure that the area was peaceful. But then she heard some sirens from the edge of town to the south. ‘Another time,’ she thought as she headed in that direction.


‘That’s Officer Peterson,’ Ninja Talon thought, as she had seen SpiderGirl talk to her on more than one occasion. She approached her.

“Who’s there?” Peterson asked. “Ninja Talon?”

“That’s me,” she said. “What’s happened?”

“We caught a someone in a stolen vehicle. There’s nothing else to be concerned about.”

“Oh. Good to know it’s been handled,” Ninja Talon answered.

“Tell SpiderGirl I know she’s been visiting Sarah Robyn more.”

“I haven’t yet,” Ninja Talon admitted. “Maybe I should.”

“Probably.”


Ninja Talon soon left the scene. ‘I’ll visit the hospital later,’ she decided. She then continued to patrol for a while.


Meanwhile, Daria continued to look through the books at the Historia’s bookshop. There were many volumes she wanted to read, but she was sure that they’d still be there later.

“Daria?” Jane asked, coming over from where she had been looking at art books.

“Yes?” Daria asked.

“I’m heading out, continuing my project.”

“Oh,” Daria said. She had hoped to spend more time with Jane.

“You can come over tonight, if you want.”

“Sure.”

Jane then headed out, leaving Daria to wonder which part of Lawndale would get Jane’s attention that afternoon.


Jane exited the Historia to find Trent waiting for her. “So, what did you tell Daria?” he asked.

“The cover,” she answered.

“Of course,” Trent said. “We’ll head home first.”

“I didn’t bring the suit with me,” Jane said as she got into the car.

“Good idea.”


As the old Plymouth drove away, Sandi stepped out of the shadows next to the Historia. “What is Jane hiding?” she asked herself. She had gone off earlier, and then wanted to return to the old theatre, to look at it further. With Lawndale on edge with the recent events she wanted to get away from what she usually did. She missed the companionship that the Fashion Club had provided, even if she held resentment against Quinn.


Daria saw Sandi enter the bookstore and come over to her. “Sandi?”

“This has nothing to do with Quinn.”

“I think it might,” Daria said as she picked up a historical novel.

“Actually not. I like, heard Jane say something mysterious outside.”

“You were eavesdropping on her.”

“Be as it may, I think you would be interested in what she and her brother said,” Sandi rebutted.

“Trent too?” Daria asked rhetorically. “No! Whatever they had to say is between them.”

“I’ll tell you anyway! He said ‘What did you tell Daria’ and she said…”

Daria interrupted. “Stop!”

“She said, ‘the cover.’ She’s hiding something.” Sandi continued.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 2
Daria paused. She knew Jane was hiding something. But she didn’t want to give Sandi the satisfaction. “I know what you’re doing. You destroyed your friendship with Quinn and the other two former fashion drones. Now, you’re trying to drive a rift between Jane and I.”

Sandi was undeterred “She also mentioned a suit.”

“Ah! Stop! Sandi!” Daria said. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“No, I’m annoyed. I will be later, but now, you’re facing my ire!”

“You don’t think I have ire?” Sandi asked.

“If we come to blows, it would be your fault,” Daria said, her nose not far from Sandi’s.

“Good point, but at least think about what I have said.”

“I know I will.”

Sandi then turned and left.


Daria wasn’t sure what to make of that. ‘What is Sandi trying to prove?’ She turned back to the historical fiction, hoping to distract herself from thinking about what Sandi had said about Jane.


Sandi left the Historia, heading for home. She didn’t expect her confrontation with Daria to end up the way it did.


The Lanes got home, and soon, the Shadow was jumping from rooftop to rooftop along Howard Drive.


Norman Osborn got home, where he retreated to his study, where he began reading through the manual for the glider.


SpiderGirl looked out the window. The sun would set soon and she needed to patrol before heading home for dinner. She turned back to Sarah Robyn. “I’ll be going now. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Sarah Robyn smiled wrote and wrote I’ll see you then.

SpiderGirl waved goodbye as she left the room. She found a nearby courtyard, where she swung away, heading towards Lawndale Flats.


The Shadow arrived back in the vicinity of the Historia, where she saw Daria leaving. But she knew that others would still be there. She climbed to the old theatre’s roof, where she looked out over the area and took in the afternoon scene. She knew that she would commit it to canvas at some point. She noticed something down the street, in an allyway.


Samara Collins had been at the Historia’s opening and had witnessed the standoff between Daria and Sandi. Thus, she was preoccupied thinking about that when a mugger appeared.

“Hand it over!” he said, brandishing a knife.

However, some kind of fog appeared between them and a hand grabbed hers. “Run!”

They ran and then the figure fired a grappling hook and Samara found herself on the rooftop looking at her rescuer and the afternoon sun reflecting off Lawndale’s rooftops. “You’re not SpiderGirl.”

The figure chuckled, sounding like a teenage girl. “No, I’m the Shadow. You need to be careful. Situational awareness is a thing! Especially with Lawndale going the way it is.”

“Oh, I was preoccupied,” Samara explained. “Two girls were arguing in the Historia’s bookshop before I left. But I will make sure to look around me in future.”

“I see,” the Shadow responded. “I hope you weren’t eavesdropping.”

“No, they were too far away.”

“Right. Can I get you anywhere?”

“Home, I suppose. It’s on the east side of the creek, but not in Lawndale Flats,” Samara said.

“You didn’t need to clarify that. Lawndale Flats is a small part of East Lawndale.”

“But it is near to it.”

“Right.”

They then descended to the street level and were on their way.


It was a relatively quiet afternoon. Ninja Talon headed home early.

“How was the Historia, honey?” Ashley-Amber asked once she had changed and come down to the lounge room.

“It was great. Many people from school were there, and Daria gave an inspiring speech.”

“Not Norman Osborn?”

“He did say something, but Daria’s was on point. That the Historia will be a place where people in Lawndale can come together,” Brittany answered.

“That’s inspiring,” Ashley-Amber responded.


SpiderGirl approached Lawndale Flats. The subdivision looked different to the rest of Lawndale, with many more apartment blocks than houses. She could see various people walking around taking in the Saturday afternoon sunshine.

As she patrolled she noticed the people looking at her. Most of them appreciated her purpose, but see did see some individuals who seemed fearful. ‘There is a lot to be afraid of,’ she thought as the sun began to set. ‘But there is hope.’


Quinn arrived home half an hour after sunset and found Daria pacing in the kitchen. “Daria?”

“Hi, Quinn.”

“What’s wrong, did something happen this afternoon?”

“Yes. It was Sandi, she said something about Jane.”

“Whatever it was, ignore it,” Quinn said, trying not to see red.

“Thing is, Quinn, she overheard something I can’t ignore.”

“I know Sandi, she’s trying to drive a wedge between you two,” Quinn said as she sat down.

“I know that,” Daria said as she also sat. “She said something about a cover and a suit.”

“That could mean anything,” Quinn said quickly. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. ‘I doubt Jane is the Shadow. It’s someone else.’

“I am going over after dinner,” Daria declared, “But that was decided when Jane left the Historia to do more on her project.”

“Tell her straight up that it was Sandi who said it,” Quinn said.

“Of course I will,” Daria said. “I don’t intend otherwise.”

“I don’t want you to lose Jane as a friend over a misunderstanding.”


Helen entered the kitchen and saw her daughters talking. “How was the Historia opening?”

“It was great,” Quinn answered, showing her usual enthusiasm. “Daria gave an inspiring speech.”

“That’s great, Daria!” Helen praised. “What about?”

“That the Historia can be a place where Lawndale’s young people can come together despite their differences.”

“Sounds great, but it’s going to take more than that to turn Lawndale around,” Helen said.

“I know that,” Daria said.


The dinner was quiet, before Daria headed off to Casa Lane.


Meanwhile, Sandi’s dinner was more tense.

“How was the Historia?” Linda asked.

“It was fine,” Sandi responded.

“Just fine?” Linda asked.

“Yes. There was morning tea, everyone talked, then there was lunch and the building declared open.”

“That sounds good, but I think you’re hiding something.”

“Daria Morgendorffer was the one who declared it open,” Sandi responded with ire in her voice.

“I see. Helen is spreading her influence in Lawndale…”

“I don’t think Mrs. Morgendorffer has anything to do with it. It was apparently Joey and Robert reaching out to Daria for help that lead to the old theatre becoming the Historia.”

“Maybe, but I’m sure Daria and Quinn talked to their mother about it,” Linda responded.

Sandi remained silent.


Daria arrived at Casa Lane with the discussion with Sandi on her mind. She thought on what Quinn had said as she knocked on the door.

Trent opened it. “Janie will be back from a run shortly,” he said.

“I can wait,” Daria responded as she entered the house.


Jane changed from the Shadow into her usual self in the garage and entered the house.


“Daria! You’re here,” she noticed something up with her friend as she entered the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”

“I had an encounter with Sandi soon after you left the Historia. It was something she said.”

“What did she say?”

“That she had overheard you and Trent talking as you left,” Daria responded.

‘What did she hear?’ Jane asked herself.

Daria noticed her silence. “She said something about a cover and a suit. Quinn said not to worry about it, but…”

“Daria, sometimes words can mean different things,” Jane said as she sat down.

“I know that. But, are you involved in something? Like, are you SpiderGirl?”

“I’m not SpiderGirl, Daria. I have as much as a lack of clue as you do about who she is.”

“Or Ninja Talon?” Daria asked.

“Same answer.”

“But you are involved in something?”

“Something I can’t tell you about,” Jane answered, her voice quiet. “Not yet. But it does have something to with my project.”

“I see.”

“See, Sandi is trying to split us.”

“I know, that and Quinn pointed that out,” Daria responded.

“She’s growing isn’t she?” Jane said with a smile.

“Yes, but I wish that it didn’t take Dad’s death.”

With Daria thinking on that, Jane realised the immediate crisis was past. ‘Daria will find out sometime, just not soon.’


While Daria was out, and their mother working in her room, Quinn went down to the basement. She wasn’t only working on an expressive mask, she was wondering if there was somewhere in the house other than her room that her mother and sister wouldn’t be able to get into. A place to store SpiderGirl related objects secretly. She found the blueprints to the house where they were stored in an old dresser. ‘Question is, can the house be modified without Mom or Daria knowing?’ She went over to a table next to the washing machine and unfurled them.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 3
While Quinn was looking at the Schloss Morgendorffer architectural blueprints, Norman Osborn was looking at the engineering blueprints for the prototype glider. It was perfect for his needs.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Sunday 28 January 2001
Historia Opening is a Great Success
SpiderGirl emerged from the house in the early hours after about four hours of sleep. She did what usually did, sat on the roof, closed her eyes and listened to Lawndale. ‘Of course, I realize that I’m mostly listening to the part of town on the west side of the Creek,’ she thought as she did so. ‘Anything in Lawndale Flats would have to be particularly loud.’ She paused, opened her eyes and walked to the edge of the roof and looked in that direction. The downtown area hid that neighborhood from view.
She went back to her previous position and closed her eyes again and listened.

Half an hour later, she heard a cry for help a few streets to north. Opening her eyes, she swung into action.


Quinn arrived at the Historia, ready to start her first shift, at 11:00. She had spent most of the morning either on patrol, copying the blueprints or designing the mask. She saw Stacy there, ready to start. “Stacy!”

“Hi, Quinn!” Stacy said enthusiastically. “I’m ready for my first day.”

“That’s great!”


Sandi was at home, in the backyard, which still bore the scars of her frustrated use of her powers following the Fashion Club’s dissolution. She was wondering whether she could use her powers in a way that would be helpful. ‘But I’m not like SpiderGirl,’ she thought again. She was tempted to try to find SpiderGirl’s secret identity using an aspect of her powers, but her mother had warned her against that when she had broached the subject the night before.

“Sandi, I told you before if you try to locate someone not in Lawndale, you’ll get knocked out by the sensory overload of perceiving all of Lawndale at once.”

“But SpiderGirl is in Lawndale.”

“If she’s her secret identity at the time, you may not locate her.”

“So, I risk getting knocked out if I try to find a random girl in Lawndale?”

“I would not suggest going through the yearbook and trying to locate every girl. That would be exhausting.”


Sandi blinked and brought her mind back to the present. ‘Of course, I would need a disguise,’ she thought. With that, she went back to her room to see if she had anything that could hide her identity.


Anna Coultard entered the Historia. She wanted to see if the bookshop had books on Welsh folkflore. Quinn came over to her. “Would you like something, Anna?” she asked.

“I’m just browsing for now,” Anna answered. “Seeing if there are books on what I’m looking for?”

“What the High School library doesn’t have?”

“Exactly.”

“Let me know if you find anything,” Quinn said playfully, “either today or tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Anna said.

“What about Ben?”

“He might visit here at some point, after the fuss has died down.”

“When there aren’t that many people,” Quinn surmised.

“Exactly,” Anna said.


Meanwhile, Brittany was at home musing on changes to the Ninja Talon suit. She was still wondering how to use flames in a way that wasn’t dangerous. ‘How did the Shadow come up with those paint bombs anyway?’ she wasn’t sure. She continued to design the changes.


After her shift at the Historia ended, SpiderGirl headed to Cedars of Lawndale.


Sarah Robyn saw the superheroine enter her room. You’re here! She wrote.

“Sorry, I was carried away designing a new mask this morning,” SpiderGirl said. “Also thinking of ways to modify my house without the rest of the family noticing.”

Why?

“So, I can have a secret place for my superhero stuff. It will help me keep my secret identity better.”

OK.

“Then I was at work.”

SpiderGirl spent another hour there before heading out to patrol.


Later that night, Quinn looked at her copy of the house blueprints in her room. She noticed something that could be useful. ‘A laundry chute down from my closet to the basement?’ she realized. She hadn’t noticed anything in her closet that could indicate that, but then she didn’t really look at it other than to sort her ever growing wardrobe. She went over and started putting most of her clothes onto her bed.

She looked at the floor of the closet. She saw that it was a couple of boards of wood. ‘But is there anywhere to lift it if it’s not nailed down?’ she wondered. She looked at the one on the right and saw that there was an indent near the corner. She webbed the board near the indent and pulled. It came up and she grabbed her flashlight and looked down. She saw the disused laundry chute. ‘It’s fairly large,’ she thought. Perfect for storing the SpiderGirl suits and useful as a quick way to leave the room unseen.
‘But I have to look at the other end before I decide anything further.’


Back down in the basement, Quinn found that the other end had a large counterweighted hatch. She pushed it open and saw the light coming down from her room two stories above. ‘Good!’ she thought. ‘I can use it.’ She went back up to her room thinking of ways to use the chute.


‘Some kind of pulley system to store the suit and to lower myself down the chute,’ Quinn wrote on a piece of paper. ‘And an inconspicuous locking mechanism for the closet floor and the hatch, that would allow both of them to be opened and closed from either end.’ That was a start. She looked at the time. ‘Time for a patrol,’ she thought as she put the copy of the blueprints and the notes away. But first she put the board in the closet back where it was and put her clothes back.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Monday January 29, 2001
SpiderGirl seen in Lawndale Flats

The talk of most of the students as the school day began was of the opening of the Historia. Quinn found herself congratulated more for her win at the Spelling Bee. But only a few students saw Norman Osborn park instead of merely dropping off Harry. Hardly anyone saw him make a beeline for Ms. Li’s office.


“Good Morning Mr. Osborn,” Ms. Li said. “What can I do for you?”

“The question is, what can I do for Lawndale High in exchange for something.”

“It would depend on what that something is, wouldn’t it?”

“Access to your surveillance system. Specifically, your CCTV cameras,” Osborn answered.

“Out of the question!” the Principal said.

“I am aware that SpiderGirl has been sighted on school grounds from time to time.”

“So, you want to find her secret identity?”

“Yes,” Osborn answered.


Angela reconsidered. “I too want to know which of my students is that vigilante.”

“Good,” Osborn said. “What can I do for Lawndale High? I have looked into the records. You have outlaid vast sums on security improvements. However, early last year, the Library roof fell in due to lack of maintenance. Then there was a hastily planned medieval fair to raise funds for repairs.”

“So, improvements to the buildings. I can work with that,” Li considered.

“And my company can also improve your security systems, making it more likely that SpiderGirl, and possibly Ninja Talon and the Shadow, get caught.

“I doubt the latter two are students here, Mr. Osborn.”

“But they might be. If it comes out, think of the reputational damage,” Osborn said.

‘He can’t blackmail me!’ Angela thought. “I will handle whatever issues come up, Mr. Osborn. Lawndale High will survive any scandal.”

“So, your answer is no?”

“My answer is ‘Maybe.’ I have to think about it. I’ll get back to you later in the week,” she sat down. “Good Day, Mr. Osborn.”


Osborn left Lawndale High and headed towards City Hall to get the Mayor’s answer.


In the meantime, the principal tried to get the conversation out of her mind as she tried to focus on her paperwork.


“Mr. Osborn to see you sir,” the secretary said.

“Send him in,” Mayor Lawson said in a resigned tone.


“Good Morning, Mr. Lawson,” Osborn said as the door closed behind him.

“Morning, Osborn,” Lawson said in a tired tone.

“I’ll get straight to the point. What is your answer?”

“Yes. I will provide access to Lawndale’s CCTV network, but not right away. I’ll have to negotiate with the Council first. They might vote against it.”

“Are you trying to stall me?”

“Maybe. But I still need to inform the Council that I have been approached in some manner. I won’t say who.”

“And how soon will you call this vote?” Osborn asked.

“Tomorrow. I’ll let you know as soon as I know the answer.”

“Then I’ll be back tomorrow!”


Quinn met Anna, Ben and Gerald in the library after school. “So, you found a Welsh folklore book at the Historia?” Quinn asked.

“Yes,” Anna answered. “I haven’t bought it here, but it’s great!”

“That’s good. Maybe we could see those standing stones you mentioned,” Quinn suggested.

“Remember what Ms. Li said,” Gerald said.

“That any field trip has to be outside school hours,” Quinn responded. “I remember.”

“So, how far are these standing stones anyway?” Ben asked.

“Not far, only a third of the way to Oakwood,” Anna answered.

“I see where this is going,” Gerald said.

“Not right away,” Quinn said.

“But soon, within the next couple of weeks?” Gerald asked.

“Yes, but we could do it around sunset. Think of how bright the stars would be outside Lawndale,” Quinn said.

“There would still be the light pollution,” Gerald said.

“Probably,” Quinn considered.

“Sunset at the standing stones would be great!” Anna said with wonder in her eyes.

“Why am I getting the feeling that something is going to happen there too,” Gerald murmured. “Maybe we could wait until the equinox.”

“But that is two months away,” Quinn objected.

“Fine!” Gerald said.

“Thanks, Quinn,” Anna said.

They then continued their session, with Quinn reading from her design book first.


After the mentoring session, Quinn changed to SpiderGirl on the school roof and headed downtown. It wasn’t long before she reached her destination.


As her usual self, albeit with oversized sunglasses, Quinn entered the hardware store. She had to see what was available before she started designing the locking mechanisms for the chute. ‘It’s not like I can just intuit it, right?’ she pondered as she looked around at the large selection of merchandise. It was both like, and unlike, any other shopping experience in her life.

She looked around taking note of various tools, and other items, before realizing that she need to do more research to find what she needed, so she grabbed a brochure and approached one of the staff members.

“How may I help you?”

“I’m looking at some locking mechanisms for a school project,” Quinn answered.

“What kind of locking mechanisms?”

“Something complex, possibly involving electronics with a manual backup.”

“I’ll see what we have.”

“Sure.”


The salesman soon came back. “We have many different locks, including pinpads.”

“Also, I would like some tools, mostly screwdrivers and hammers.”

“Sounds like you’d need a drill set too.”

“Then I’ll take two,” Quinn said.

“That will be expensive.”

“Then I’ll just have one,” Quinn decided. She could come back for another one later. She didn’t want her mother to be questioning her about unusual purchases on the credit card if she could help it.


Quinn headed home from the hardware store and placed the tools beneath the table where the blueprints were still laid out. She looked at the blueprints again. She knew where to start, but there were other ways she could use the house for her superheroic purposes. She looked at the attic. Could she create a discrete opening from her closet into the attic? She knew that the attic windows opened, especially the ones facing into the back yard. ‘But there is another way,’ she considered. There were stairs up from the basement to a hatch in the back yard also.
‘Two ways,’ she thought. It would be best to have two routes rather than just one in case she needed to leave in a hurry. She decided to have a look in the attic.


Quinn looked around the attic. There was a lot of stuff stored up there, including a lot of her father’s belongings that they hadn’t given away. The grief intensified as she looked around. ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ she thought. She located the spot above her closet and saw that the floor was a simple masonite slab. ‘It should be relatively simple to modify.’


However, she then heard Daria calling for her downstairs.


“Why were you in the attic?” Daria asked as Quinn pushed the stairs into their closed position.

“Just looking for something,” Quinn answered.

“OK,” Daria said.

“Anything else?”

“I was just curious,” Daria answered.

“OK. Wait…”

“What?”

“I’ve just noticed, your hair is growing,” Quinn said.

Daria grabbed some strands of her hair, where it reached where it hadn’t reached before. “Well, I haven’t been to a salon since before Dad died.”

“Whereas I’ve been twice.”

“I haven’t thought about it, but I guess I’m growing it out now.”

“It looks good on you, Daria.”

“That wouldn’t be the reason.”

“Of course not.”


Quinn went into her room. ‘I have to be more careful,’ she thought as she closed the door. ‘As far as Daria growing her hair goes, I meant what I said’.
She went over to the closet and looked at the ceiling as she pushed clothes aside. ‘Looks like a false ceiling.’ It would probably be easier to make the modifications than she thought. ‘But I’ll start with the chute first.’ She went over to her desk and looked at the copy of the blueprints again.

But then there was a knock and Quinn hastily pushed the page aside. “Come in,” she said.

Daria came in with a thoughtful expression on her face. “I’m thinking on what we just talked about.”

“Your hair?”

“Yes. I’m not sure I want to go to a salon, but I also know there would be split ends.”

“I can help you with that,” Quinn said.

“You can?” Daria asked in surprise.

“Yes, I have experience, helping those who had a terrible cut, or didn’t want to wait. Both here and in Texas.”

“Oh,” Daria said. “Let’s do it then.”

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 4
In the bathroom, Daria looked in the mirror. She saw herself and Quinn, two sisters who were more alike than she would have expected before her father passed. One with auburn hair that was longer than it had ever been and round spectacles. The other with shoulder length dyed brown hair caught up in high pigtails, as it had been most of the time since the funeral (and it was obvious to her that Quinn was continuing to dye her hair, as her roots weren’t visible).


“OK, so, I’ll just trim it at the bottom, where there are split ends,” Quinn said. “But what about your bangs?”

Daria moved a hand through her bangs where they hung over the top of her glasses. “I’ll grow those out too. I guess I’ll need a couple of clips soon.”

“I guess you’ll be looking for plain ones,” Quinn said with a giggle.

“Of course.”

As she began, Quinn considered that Daria definitely wouldn’t have trusted her to trim her hair before she became SpiderGirl. ‘But she can’t know. She wouldn’t understand, and I don’t want her to be in danger as a result. That’s the main reason why I’ll be making these modifications slowly.’


Daria was also thinking as Quinn was trimming her hair. ‘I don’t know what the future will hold, but I know that we’ll survive High School in Lawndale.’


Quinn took her time, as she usually did when she did someone’s hair. She felt the trust that Daria had given her, trust that didn’t come easily. “I have done the bottom,” she said.

Daria took off her glasses and closed her eyes, ready for her sister to trim her bangs. “Alright.”

Quinn carefully snipped at the split ends she found in the bangs and saw her sister’s eyelids twitch as she waited. She didn’t take long.


“Done,” Quinn said. Daria opened her eyes and put on her glasses. She saw that her hair looked better than it did before. “Thanks, Quinn,” she said with a rare smile.


Trent answered the phone. “Hey, Daria. Janie is out on a run.”

“I see. I just wanted to tell Jane something.”

“What about.”

“Oh, Quinn and my hair.”

“What about Quinn and your hair?”

“I’d like to tell her first.”

“Sure, I’ll let her know you called when she gets back.”

“Thanks, Trent.”


The Shadow was downtown, near the Historia. She was watching as Stacy and Joey finished their evening shift. She didn’t want anything to happen that would jeopardize the vision of the Historia as Daria laid out during the opening. After five minutes Stacy and Joey drove off, leaving the Shadow relieved. She then continued her patrol of that stretch of Main Street.


At the same time, Sandi had her yearbook from the previous year open, along with an energy drink. She was ready to start to try to locate the secret identity of the heroes, especially SpiderGirl. ‘But one at a time,’ she had decided, as in one per evening. That would take time, possibly months, but that would be better than her overextending her ability every night. She located the first female freshman (now sophomore) in the yearbook. “Elly Aitkin,” she considered, looking at the short haired blonde on the page.

She barely knew her, but that was fine.

Sandi downed the energy drink. She then closed her eyes and chanted; “Finndu mann sem heitir: Elly Aitkin!”
At first she perceived herself and her room, as she usually did when she used her locate ability. Then her perception expanded out into the streetscape of Lawndale.

At first, the perception close to her house was colorful, as she perceived the inside of her neighbors’ houses along with the yards and the streets. But as it extended outwards it grew more vague as more information flooded into her mind. Then her perception narrowed in as Elly Aitkin was located halfway across town, in a house not far from the High School. It appeared that she was doing her homework while watching some animated show on her TV.

Sandi then returned her perception to normal and opened her eyes. She marked a small ‘x’ next to Elly Aitkin’s picture. “One down,” she said, with fatigue in her voice.


At the same time, as she was cleaning up the small amount of Daria’s hair in the bathroom, Quinn felt something. Her Spider Sense tingled briefly, at a low volume. ‘What was that?’ she asked herself. She finished cleaning up the hair and then went into her room and looked out the windows. ‘Nothing,’ she thought. Yet there was something, or someone, in Lawndale that was searching for something to do with her secret, she was sure of it. ‘What else is new,’ she thought as she put away the copy of the blueprints and took out her homework.


After recovering from searching for Elly Aiken, Sandi decided to do something else, practice using her other powers.


Linda went out into the backyard and saw Sandi taking shots at old tin cans using her powers. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Practicing, trying to improve my aim.”

“I noticed you searched for someone earlier.”

“So?” Sandi asked as she took another shot and hit one of the tin cans.

“So, what are you up to, Cassandra?”

“SpiderGirl, she confronted me in my room.”

“When was this?”

“Just after the Fashion Club ended, not recently,” Sandi answered as she took another shot.

“I see. You want to know who she is, then confront her. What then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Meaning, are you just going to keep fighting her?” Linda asked. “You know that our powers can have a deleterious affect on people.”

“Because you told me. I haven’t actually seen it.”

“I have, it’s not good.”

“So, tell me!” Sandi said. “All you have said is that it’s deleterious.”

Linda shot at one of the cans herself, knocking it down. “They disrupt neural pathways, causing temporary paralysis and/or vocal slurring.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad.”

“That takes until the next day to recover from!” Linda added. “I don’t know what repeated exposure would cause. I don’t want SpiderGirl to experience that! I don’t want to find out her secret identity by finding out that you’ve injured her permanently. I don’t want that to happen, Sandi!”

“I’ll be careful,” Sandi said. She deactivated the purple glow and walked to where the cans were. “That’s not all I can do.” She reached out and drew one of the cans into her hand.

“I know,” Linda said as she did the same. “But using this power to restrain her wouldn’t be any better. I don’t want you confronting Lawndale’s superhero out of jealousy. She’s bringing hope to this town.”

“Not jealousy!”

“Resentment then. Think about what you’re doing, that is what I’m asking of you. Both as your mother and as your mentor.”

“Mentor,” Sandi considered.

“I taught you how to use your powers so that you would use them responsibly.” She then went back inside, knowing that she would have many more such conversations with Sandi in future.


Sandi looked at where her mother had gone inside. She considered what she had said. But she knew that she would continue what she had started and confront SpiderGirl. ‘But not as myself.’


After an hour and a half of homework, Quinn headed out as SpiderGirl, leaving the house by the hall window, as she had been usually doing. ‘But leaving via the attic would be better,’ she thought as she swung away.


Jane entered the kitchen after her patrol as the Shadow.

“Daria called,” Trent said. “Something about her sister and her hair.”

“Her sister’s hair, or her own hair?” Jane asked, wondering what her friend was going to tell her.

“Her own hair,” Trent clarified.

“I’ll call.”


“What’s this about your hair?” Jane asked.

“I let Quinn trim it. It is a little hard to explain how it felt, but I now trust her more than I ever have.”

“How much did she take off.”

“That’s the thing. I asked her to just deal with the split ends. I have decided to grow it out, including the bangs,” Daria answered.

“I have noticed it getting longer.”

“Changes happen.”

“It goes back to your father, doesn’t it?” Jane asked.

“Yes. The changes due to him not being here anymore.”


Out in the night, SpiderGirl rescued a squirrel from a truck on the Interstate, before meeting Ninja Talon nearby.

“I have visited Sarah Robyn,” the latter said. “Twice. Once, like this. The other as the cheerleader.”

“That’s good,” SpiderGirl said in encouraging tone.

“There were some muggings I prevented earlier.”

“I was bonding with Daria.”

“That’s good. I don’t think I could do so with Brian.”

‘There’s something there,’ SpiderGirl thought.

“Anyway, Sarah Robyn will be released tomorrow, even though she still can’t speak.”

“Then I’ll see her early in the morning.”


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Tuesday January 30, 2001
Historia Proving Popular

SpiderGirl arrived at the Hospital as the sun rose. She wanted to spend time with Sarah Robyn and get to school with time to spare.


Sarah Robyn saw SpiderGirl enter. She wrote Thanks for coming and handed the note to her.

“You’re welcome,” SpiderGirl said. “I couldn’t stay away today without saying goodbye. It’s not likely I’ll be in Oakwood any time soon. I’ll be focusing on Lawndale.”

Of course.

“But it may be that I may be there, just not very often.”

That’s OK

They spent a while in silence before they parted ways.


I’ll keep an eye on the news from Lawndale and keep thinking of you and the other two.

“Thanks, Sarah Robyn. That means a lot,” SpiderGirl responded. “Although most of what we do is small and doesn’t make the news.”

That’s fine.

SpiderGirl left, although not before saying goodbye and getting a signed farewell in return.


As the business day began, so did a tumultuous session of the Lawndale City Council. Especially when Mayor Lawson brought up Norman Osborn’s request to access the municipal CCTV, albeit without naming him.

He suspected that Osborn had continued to work behind the scenes, as several of the councillors he had expected to reject the proposal supported it. ‘Of course he would!’ he groused to himself. “Lets call a vote.”

The motion succeeded by one vote.

‘Now I have to delay Osborn some other way!’ Lawson thought.


Osborn entered Lawson’s office at midday. “I heard the motion passed,” he said.

“Yes, it did. You’ll have access later this week.”

“Very good. My technicians will liaise with yours about the details.”


Quinn met with Angie after school in the library. “When are you next at the Historia?” Angie asked.

“Tomorrow,” Quinn answered.

“Right, I’ll drop by before work.”

“That would be great.”

“Now, where are we up to?” Angie asked.

“History, specifically, the Gilded Age.”

Angie opened her textbook. “Got it.”


After school, Sandi headed to Cranberry Commons. She didn’t want to go to the other Mall, as that was where she usually shopped. She didn’t want any classmates to see her shop for clothes that would make her inconspicuous. She found a small out of the way shop and started looking.


At the same time, Daria entered Lawndale Mall, hoping to be in and out as quickly as possible. After her decision to grow out her hair and the trim Quinn gave her, she decided to get the clips as soon as possible. She soon found what she was looking for in a small shop.

“Are you sure you want something that plain?” the saleswoman asked.

“Look at what I’m wearing already,” Daria responded. “Do I look like someone who wants something fancy?”

“You could change up your style a bit.”

“I may be growing my hair, but my style isn’t changing.”

“OK, I won’t press.”

“Good.”

“That will be four dollars.”

Daria handed over the exact change.


Sandi found several outfits that matched what she was looking for. All purple ensembles that matched the glow of her energy projection powers. ‘Now I need to find a mask,’ she thought as she paid for the clothes.


After tutoring Angie, SpiderGirl headed out from the school roof. After an uneventful patrol around the downtown, she headed home.


She entered the basement through the backyard hatch and changed back to her usual self. She took out the blueprints again. She looked again at something she had noticed. That the basement on the blueprints seemed to take up the same floor space as the stories above, but Quinn was sure that it looked smaller. ‘The laundry area is below the dining room and the kitchen and Daria’s room. This table and the dresser are below the garage and my room.’
She went over to the chute and looked at the blueprints again. ‘It looks like there is more empty space than the chute beneath my closet.’ She looked at the wall ahead of her. It didn’t look as far away as the end of the living room did from the front door. ‘I’ll probably need to measure it.’

She found the measuring tape in the tools she had bought the day before. She measured along the wall from where she was sure the front door was, to the wall, which was of plasterboard, rather than the other three walls which were of the same red brick as the walls above. “Fourteen feet.”

Up on the ground floor, she checked that her mother and Daria weren’t home before measuring from the side of the front door to the corner window. “Twenty one feet. That’s a whole seven feet.” Was there a hidden area of the basement six and half feet wide?


Back down in the basement, she looked at the wall. The plasterboard was held in place by screws. ‘So, I can get in there at some point and look.’ But first she needed to make the other modifications before considering what to use the hidden space for. ‘I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.’

She went back to the desk and continued designing the locking mechanisms for the chute.


Sandi found some purple fabric she could make a mask out of. ‘Perfect,’ she thought.


Daria saw Quinn enter the kitchen from the basement door. “I got the clips today,” she said.

“That’s good. Are you going to wear them soon.”

“Probably tomorrow.”


After dinner, Sandi was ready again. “Robyn Allen,” she considered, looking at a long haired brunette. She didn’t really know her either. She downed the energy drink. “Finndu mann sem heitir: Robyn Allen!”

Robyn Allen wasn’t quite as far as Elly Aitkin, but her house was in the opposite direction, near Newridge, the southwestern-most of Lawndale’s subdivisions. Sandi saw that she was having desert with her large family.

“Two down.”


Again, Quinn felt her Spider Sense tingle at a low volume. This time as she did some homework. “Again?” she commented. ‘Is it going to happen every night?’ She took out the journal she had been using since she had started being SpiderGirl. “Low intensity tingle again. Someone is still searching for my secret.”


Linda watched as Sandi again practiced against tin cans in the back yard. “I hope she took our discussion last night to heart,” she murmured. She looked around, and saw that she was alone. She then generated a forcefield around her. “Sandi isn’t here yet, but she will be soon.”


Later, after her parents had gone to sleep. Sandi slipped out of the house wearing one of the purple ensembles, the mask she had made earlier in the evening and her hair tied back into a high ponytail. She looked down Grandstaff Drive towards the downtown. She was already the fourth of Lawndale’s vigilante heroes, or in her case an antihero. “Watch out SpiderGirl, the Enigma is on your case!” she said as she ran off down the street.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 5
Half an hour after leaving home, the Enigma arrived in the vicinity of the Historia. She remembered her conversation with Daria after the opening. ‘Is Jane SpiderGirl?’ she wondered. ‘Or she could be one of the other two?’ She wasn’t sure. ‘I’ll continue as I have been with the Sophomores. I’ll find her eventually.

Suddenly, there was a sound nearby. She turned, her hands aglow with her powers. A stray cat came out of an alleyway. ‘But there was something else,’ she thought. She looked down the street and saw that a window had been smashed in. ‘On it!’ she thought as she ran as quietly as she could.


“Quickly, before SpiderGirl comes!” one of the thieves said.

The other two thieves came over to the window with their misbegotten wares. “She’s just one person.”

They exited through the window they have smashed. “Stop right there!” came a voice.

They looked and saw a dark figure against the glare of the street lights. Suddenly, their misbegotten wares were yanked out their hands by a strong invisible force and returned into the store through the window.

“Who are you,” one of the thieves asked in fear.

“I am the Enigma,” the feminine voice said quietly. “Now, like, make yourselves scarce. You don’t want to face my other power and what it might do to you.”

The thieves with their hearts pounding then ran off down the street.


The Enigma looked at the broken window of the store. There was no way she would be able to piece it back together. She made herself scarce as a police siren made itself known in the distance.


Officer Xanthe Peterson looked at the scene. The window had been broken and merchandise strewn all over the place. “It looks like the thieves were interrupted in action,” she said.

“By SpiderGirl?” one of her colleagues asked.

“I don’t think so. There are no webs and she usually leaves the suspects webbed up for capture,” Peterson answered.

“Oh.”

“It could have been Ninja Talon or the other one.”


The Enigma continued down the street, looking for things that indicated that something would go down. It was deserted. She heard something down one of the side streets and looked. She saw that there was a store alight there. ‘Not much I can do,’ she thought. ‘But I’ll see if people need rescuing or if SpiderGirl will respond.’


The Enigma saw that the Fire Brigade had already responded. ‘Of course. I’ll head home. I stopped some thieves, that’s good enough for a first night.’


She arrived back at 512 Grandstaff Drive half an hour later. ‘It was a good first night,’ she thought, thinking of how she had thwarted the thieves.


At the same time, Ninja Talon arrived at the scene of the fire. The Fire Brigade had done their job. She saw Officer Peterson nearby.

“Ninja Talon,” the officer acknowledged.

“Any idea what happened here?

“Arson,” Peterson answered. “Any evidence of who it was lost in the blaze. Whoever it was made themselves scarce before the fire brigade arrived.”

“Oh.”

“Did you intervene at a shop break and enter earlier tonight?”

“I didn’t,” Ninja Talon answered. “It wasn’t SpiderGirl?”

“No webs and she leaves suspects webbed up.”

“Oh, of course. The Shadow then.”

“I haven’t met her yet,” Peterson confessed.

“She helped SpiderGirl and I a lot last week when we infiltrated that compound and rescued Sarah Robyn.”

“That’s good. But if it’s not you, not SpiderGirl and if it’s not the Shadow as you say, that would mean there’s a fourth.”

“There’s no proof of that,” Ninja Talon said.

“No, there isn’t.”

“If nothing else. I’ll keep an eye out tonight and other nights.”

“That would be good.”


Ninja Talon looked into the store briefly before leaving silently. She wondered if there was another vigilante hero out there.


SpiderGirl awoke at the now usual early hour. She climbed out onto the roof and listened to Lawndale. ‘Something’s a little… discordant,’ she thought. It was as if something had changed. “But what and where is it?” she murmured. She listened a while longer, trying to narrow it down. ‘Downtown? Or is it Lawndale in general?’ She then swung away, eyes closed, using her intuition to guide her.


She landed at the spot and opened her eyes. She saw a store that had been broken into and police tape around it. ‘I missed this, tonight,’ she thought. But how was it responsible for the discord? She wasn’t sure. She looked around and saw that it wasn’t far from the Historia. She went up to the old theater and saw that the Art Deco building was untouched. ‘I’ll find Ninja Talon.’ She headed to the bridge where they found out each other’s secret identities.


Ninja Talon saw SpiderGirl arrive. “I was talking to Peterson earlier,” she said.

“About that shop that was broken into?” SpiderGirl asked.

“Yes, she said someone interfered in the robbery, and she knows it’s not me and it’s not you.”

“But that would leave the Shadow.”

“She thinks there’s a fourth, and I do to,” Ninja Talon said.

“A fourth vigilante hero. That would explain the discord.”

“Huh?”

“You know I spend time listening to Lawndale at night,” SpiderGirl answered. “Tonight there was a discord. And in the evening and last evening my Spider Sense tingled briefly at a low volume. I know there’s someone out there trying to find out who I am.”

“I’m here with you.”

“Thanks.”


They sat there for a while in silence, contemplating the changes in Lawndale over the past few months. It seemed to SpiderGirl that the real changes were yet to come.


Norman Osborn awoke. It was that dream again. The one where a presence whispered terrible things to him. It was getting worse, despite his many secret visits to a counselor he had hired. He got out of bed and went over to where he had placed the glider blueprints. ‘I won’t use it for what the whispers say!’ he thought, not entirely convinced. He tried to get back to sleep.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Council Divided Over Controversial Proposal
A contentious vote on allowing an unnamed organization access to Lawndale’s Municipal CCTV footage passed with one vote yesterday after a tumultuous session of the City Council.

‘Unnamed?’ SpiderGirl asked herself. ‘It’s likely to be Oscorp!’ Was Osborn the one seeking her identity? ‘No, it’s someone else,’ she concluded. She looked through the rest of the newspaper, but she knew that the interrupted robbery had occurred after it had gone to press. She then placed it back on the stand and continued towards the school.


Sandi awoke and looked at the time. “Oops!” she said as she leapt out of bed. She had forgotten to set her alarm after she had come back from her first foray as the Enigma. She looked around the room, making sure that she had packed away the purple clothes she had worn. She then got dressed and raced out.


“Sandi, you need breakfast!” Linda said. She suspected that her daughter had snuck out in the middle of the night, whether to confront SpiderGirl or not, but she didn’t have proof. ‘I’ll talk to her tonight as she practices.’


Jane arrived at school to see Daria waiting. She had gone by the store that had been broken into, as Max had called Trent about it when he had seen it. She knew that she hadn’t interfered, and she knew of SpiderGirl’s habit of leaving suspects webbed up. ‘So, it has to be Ninja Talon, right?’ she asked herself again. A fourth vigilante in Lawndale seemed a bit much to her. ‘But I can’t rule it out.’

“Jane?” Daria asked.

“Just thinking about my project,” she responded. She then noticed something different about Daria. Her bangs were held to the sides by plain hair clips. “You’re a little different. I didn’t expect that.”

“I figured that I better get the clips as soon as possible,” Daria responded.

“You mentioned Quinn trimming it, but not clips.”

“I guess I didn’t.”


Sandi got to school just in time for the bell to ring for Homeroom. ‘I’ll have to make sure I set my alarm.’


“Changes,” Jane murmured as she and Daria sat on the roof during study hall.

“What was that?” Daria asked.

“Changes. Lawndale is changing. Now you’re changing,” Jane clarified.

“I may be growing my hair, but I’m still the same Daria. Still sarcastic and cynical of the world around me, including of whether SpiderGirl is actually making a difference.”

“What about last week?”

“SHIELD would still have done something,” Daria answered.

“Probably. It’s the Historia that will make a difference.”

“But that will take time.”

“I know.”


Quinn entered the Library to find Anna and Ben already there. ‘I don’t think either of them are the new vigilante,’ she thought.

“Quinn!” Anna said as she came up to the duo. “I have found out more about the standing stones.”

“That’s great.”

“Including the specific Irish stonemasons who worked on them,” Anna added enthusiastically.

“What’s this about stonemasons?” Gerald asked as he came up.

“The people who put the standing stones in place,” Anna answered.

“Oh, of course,” Gerald responded.

Anna took out a book. “This was in the town library.”

“A History of Irish Immigration to Carter County,” Quinn read. “Carter County?”

“Yeah, Lawndale County was renamed from Carter County over a decade ago,” Anna answered. “It is still sometimes referred to that way.”

“Oh,” Quinn said.

“Because Lawndale is the largest town in the county?” Ben asked.

“Probably,” Anna said.

“Anyway. Let’s, look at the original idea,” Quinn suggested.

“Sure,” Anna said as she turned to table of contents.


And so, for the next half hour they took turns reading from the book, including Gerald, who still had issues with projecting his voice.


“I could look for someone to help you,” Quinn said to Gerald after the other two had left.

“You don’t have to.”

“It would be part of what Ms. Li asked me to do.”

“And you’re going above and beyond,” Gerald said.

“I know. Maybe I’ll ask Mr. O’Neill about it tomorrow.”


She then left the school as SpiderGirl, patrolling for an hour and a half before arriving at the Historia for her first shift.


“Quinn!” Elizabeth Rowe said, as the younger Morgendorffer girl appeared in the café.

“Hi, Mrs. Rowe.”

“How’s your mother? I haven’t heard from her since before the holidays.”

“Oh, she’s busy, but I’ll tell her you asked when I get home.”

“Thanks.”


While Quinn was talking to Stacy’s mother, Daria arrived home. She went up to her room and looked in the mirror in her closet. ‘I am changing,’ she thought as she glanced at the hairclips. It wasn’t just that, or the decision to grow out her hair. It was indeed the absence of her father, affecting her more than she thought. It wasn’t only Quinn who was changing due to grief, she was as well. She took a deep breath and closed the closet. ‘I’ll take it each day as it comes,’ she thought. She also decided to talk to Jane about it the next day.


The Griffin’s dinner was awkward as the five of them ate, with only Sam and Chris talking about their day at school. “And the teacher said that my design was impractical!” Sam said.

“What design was this again?” Linda asked.

“For a slide in the playground,” Sam answered.

“That takes up most of the playground?” Sandi guessed quietly.

“That’s the whole idea of it!” Sam said.

“Sam, try to start small,” Linda said.

“I did start small. Having a slide cover all of Lawndale is too much,” Sam said.

“Was that your first idea?” Chris asked.

“Yes,” Sam answered.

“Sounds good,” Chris said.

Linda and Sandi both sighed.


As Sandi turned to go up to her room after her father and brothers had made themselves scarce, her mother called out to her. “Sandi! We need to talk.”

“Yes?”

“I know you sneaked out last night and I don’t have proof. But there are rumors of a fourth vigilante.”

“I am using my powers responsibly,” Sandi countered quietly.

“So, you did!” Linda said.

“Maybe.”

“But, there is still the fact that you want to confront SpiderGirl!”

“And maybe Lawndale needs a new hero,” Sandi said.

“And you think I haven’t been tempted to go out and use my abilities to fight crime? Especially after SpiderGirl appeared? And now this Ninja Talon and the shadowy one? I don’t want to bring danger to this family. Think about that, Sandi, please.”

“I don’t think SpiderGirl will trace me here.”

“She might when you find her identity and I know you will,” Linda said.

“I will be ready and I’m sure you will be too.”

Linda sighed, knowing that she wasn’t getting anywhere with her daughter. She saw her grab an energy drink from the fridge. “That may give you a boost, but it’s not exactly healthy.”

“What do you use?”

“Potato salad.”


Sandi entered her room and opened the yearbook again. Next after Robyn Allen was Erin Archer, another short haired blonde, although hers was slightly longer and curlier than Elly Aitkins’.

She looked at the energy drink. ‘Potato Salad would take longer to eat!’ she thought. She then downed it. “Finndu mann sem heitir: Erin Archer!”

Her perception again spread out across Lawndale. Erin Archer was found close to the Historia, heading towards it.

“Three down.”


“Quinn?” Mrs. Rowe asked.

“Something,” Quinn said, noting the third low tingle of her Spider Sense.

“Are you OK?”

“Yes.”

“Good, you just looked out of it for a second,” Mrs. Rowe said with concern.

“Stress: school, social life, here and I miss Daddy.”

“Of course. You can talk to me about that at some time, if you want to.”

“That would be great!” Quinn responded.


Sandi practiced again and noticed that she was getting better at aiming her shots.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 6
As she sat down for dinner, Helen noticed something different about Daria. “Hairclips, Daria? I’m happy that you’re changing something up.”

“That’s all I’m changing,” Daria responded. “I may have decided to grow my hair, and grief for Dad is changing me, but I’m still your sarcastic daughter who doesn’t dress to fit in.”

Helen chuckled. “I just didn’t expect it, that’s all. But, change is a constant in life, Daria. You may find that you’re changing in ways you don’t expect.”

“I already know that.”

“At some point you may not want to wear that jacket anymore.”

“I intend to wear this for the rest of high school,” Daria said.

“All I’m saying is, that you might reconsider as you change.”


Daria thought on that as she ate. She hoped that her mother was wrong on that score. ‘But she’s rarely wrong on this. Time will tell.’


At the same time, Quinn served one of the girls from school. “Erin Archer, is it?” she asked.

“Yes,” the girl answered. “I don’t hang out with the so-called popular crowd. But, Anna has spoken highly of you.”

“Really?”

“That you’re going above and beyond. It’s too bad Ben got bit by that snake.”

“You heard about that?” Quinn asked.

“Yes. Most of the students would know about it by now.”

“Of course. I shouldn’t underestimate the rumor mill.”

“And you’ve been in them a lot since the Fashion Club ended,” Erin said.

“And I tried to counter what Sandi said.”

“I’d say that was successful. I haven’t heard much since before the holidays.”

“That’s good,” Quinn said. “But what would you like?”

“Cocoa with small chips please.”

“Coming right up.”


Quinn soon finished her first shift. She said goodbye to Mrs. Rowe, and then went up to the roof and swung away as SpiderGirl.


At the same time, the Shadow was on a rooftop across from the store that had been broken into, sketching the scene. ‘A fourth,’ she considered. ‘Who could it be? Do they have powers?’ For she didn’t have powers, relying on the technology and gadgets her mother and mentor was providing her. As she continued to sketch she considered the changes taking place, both in Lawndale and in her best friend.


From the Historia, SpiderGirl headed over the creek to Lawndale Flats, thinking that she needed to put in an appearance there, as she hadn’t since the weekend.


Ninja Talon left Crewe Neck, heading into the main part of Lawndale. She wanted to find the new vigilante, and she had most of the night to do so. ‘I hope I find her tonight, otherwise tomorrow will be tiring,’ she thought. Being a sleep deprived cheerleader was not really fun. But at that moment she was alert for anything the night would throw at her.


After half an hour in Lawndale Flats, SpiderGirl headed home, as she had homework to do, a mother to talk to, and a journal to write in.


“Quinn?” Helen asked when she saw her daughter enter the front door. “How was the Historia?”

“It was great! But Mrs. Rowe is concerned about you,” Quinn answered.

“Oh, I guess I just got caught up at work,” Helen said. “When I’m here, it makes me think more of him. You two are not the only one’ changing due to grief.”


Quinn hugged her mother. “You’re not alone. Call her, Either that, or talk to Daria and I more.”

“I didn’t realise how much Daria’s changing. I was focused on you.”

“It’s not too late.”

“I had a talk with her earlier,” her mother said as the hug ended and wiped a tear from her eye. “She’s changing more than she realises.”

“I know.”


Quinn went up to her room. ‘There’s no time for the modifications tonight,’ she thought. It was already late and she had homework to do.


“Helen?” Elizabeth said.

“It is me. I’m sorry I haven’t reached out to you earlier.”

“I see Quinn talked to you.”

“Yes,” Helen began and told Elizabeth what she told her younger daughter.

“I’m here. You can come to the Historia tomorrow night.”

“That would be great. I haven’t been out since before the holidays.”


The Enigma left 512 Grandstaff Drive after midnight, having had an hour and half of sleep. Despite that, she was alert. She headed downtown along the street with purpose, to protect the innocent, or to stops crimes in progress as she had the previous night.


Linda awoke at the same time. It was a mother’s intuition, telling her that Sandi had left again. She went out to the kitchen and took out a potato salad. But she paused. She knew that Sandi would adopt a hero persona and simply going ‘Finndu mann sem heitir: Cassandra Aphrodite Griffin’ wouldn’t work while she was in that persona and that she would succumb to sensory overload by perceiving all of Lawndale and some of the surrounding countryside at once. She sighed and put the potato salad back in the fridge.
‘I’m probably not going to get much sleep,’ she thought. ‘But I’m going to learn her hero name sooner or later.’


Ninja Talon had taken a stakeout point on the top of the Historia. It may have been a small theatre, but it was still relatively tall compared to other buildings in downtown Lawndale. She listened to the radio, waiting for reports on the movements of the new vigilante. She looked at the time, nearly one AM. Then she heard something. Something like gunshots, but different. It was somewhere on the street, to the south of her position. She looked and saw three figures being chased by a fourth with purple flashing between them.

She then climbed down the side of the building and carefully went to have a closer look.


The Enigma had cornered some thieves after they had broken into a store and made off with some goods. They had ran and somehow evaded her telekinetic attempts to restrain them. ‘I still need some practice there,’ she thought as she continued to try to head them off with her energy projections. Then she saw a dark figure dart out to the side, and a shuriken slipped past her. She stopped. She turned and said; “The thieves are getting away!”

The figure said nothing, but simply sent out a zip line across the street, causing the thieves to trip. She then ran around, tying them up in the zip line. “That will hold them for a while,” she said.

“I guess you’re Ninja Talon,” the Enigma said as the other retrieved the shuriken.

“That’s right,” Ninja Talon answered as she came back. “And you’re the mysterious fourth vigilante.”

“Yes, an antihero. Call me the Enigma.”

“Antihero?”

“Yes. I will do whatever it takes to keep Lawndale safe,” the Enigma responded. “SpiderGirl hasn’t been doing much of a good job.”

“She has been!” Ninja Talon responded. “She’s only one person and she has been giving Lawndale hope.”

“That’s what my mentor said,” the Enigma responded quietly, trying not to give anything away.

“And you should listen to them.”

“They don’t want me doing this either, but I want to do this, to help Lawndale and to confront SpiderGirl.”

“How would you confronting SpiderGirl help Lawndale?” Ninja Talon asked.

“I’m not sure!”

“Then you shouldn’t.”

“It is something I need to do!” The Enigma said quietly.

“To prove yourself?”

“Probably.”

“But is that what Lawndale needs?” Ninja Talon asked.

“Maybe.”

“I’m doing this because I think Lawndale needs me to do it, and I was inspired by SpiderGirl.”

“It all comes back to SpiderGirl!” The Enigma said. She turned away from Ninja Talon.

“I see that there’s more.”

“Of course there is. But there’s nothing more to discuss.”


Ninja Talon watched the Enigma disappear into the distance. ‘I definitely need to keep an eye on her.’

She yawned. ‘But I have to tell Peterson and SpiderGirl something.’


It wasn’t long until Peterson arrived on the scene and secured the thieves. “It was actually the new vigilante who caught them in the act,” Ninja Talon said.

“What happened?” Peterson asked.

Ninja Talon filled her in on what happened.

“So, she has some sort of energy projection powers?”

“Yes, either that it was technology. But if was that, it would have be very advanced.”

“Another headache,” Peterson murmured, her voice low. “And I’m overstretched as it is.”

“What else is new?”

“Thanks for bringing it to my attention, but did she identify herself?”

“She called herself the Enigma, but I think that should be between us and SpiderGirl for now.”

“I agree, Lawndale is on edge enough.”


Ninja Talon then headed westwards, hoping to find SpiderGirl awake.


SpiderGirl did wake at the usual time and saw Ninja Talon on the roof when she climbed out onto it. “How long have you been waiting?” she asked, trying to hide her surprise.

“Not long,” Ninja Talon answered. “I encountered that new vigilante, earlier tonight.”

“What happened?” SpiderGirl asked.

She then listened as Ninja Talon relayed her interactions with the Enigma and Peterson.

“Troubling,” SpiderGirl commented as Ninja Talon finished. “That she seemingly has powers and wants to confront me. I agree that we should keep the name secret, though. It will come out soon enough.”

“That’s true,” Ninja Talon said. She yawned. “I need to get to bed.”

“I could take you. It will be quicker.”

“Sure.”


Indeed, SpiderGirl could see that Ninja Talon was drifting off to sleep as she swung towards Crewe Necke. Her mind was on what the fatigued ninja had revealed. A new antihero in Lawndale who seemed to be out to get her out of a sense of rivalry.


As SpiderGirl ferried Ninja Talon home, the Enigma returned to her own home, where she found her mother asleep on the couch. “Please, don’t wait up for me,” Sandi said quietly as she took off her mask. She didn’t want her mother loosing too much sleep over what she had decided to do. As she went up the stairs, she went over the conversation with Ninja Talon again. ‘She does have some points, mostly about what’s good for Lawndale,’ she thought. ‘But what we think is good for Lawndale is almost certainly different.’


SpiderGirl arrived on the roof of the Taylor mansion and shook Ninja Talon awake. “We’re here.”

“Thanks. But what are you going to do about the Enigma?”

“Avoid her, for now, while I think about what to do.”

“Is that a good idea?” Ninja Talon asked.

“It is if she has powers, or advanced technology. I don’t know what it would do to me, even with my enhanced healing.”

“Good point.”

“And it will give me time to think, to plan and prepare, and see how people react,” SpiderGirl added.

Ninja Talon nodded and then climbed down and through her bedroom window.

SpiderGirl then sat there, listening to Lawndale from the different perspective for a while before heading home.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Thursday, February 1st, 2001
Rumors of a fourth vigilante

“A fourth?” Norman Osborn asked himself as he put the paper aside. ‘This could be what I need.’ He knew how to proceed to convince Mayor Lawson to allow Oscorp to access the municipal CCTV.


Linda awoke. She stirred from the couch and went up to wake Sandi. She didn’t want a repeat of the previous morning.


Sandi was already awake. “Oh!” Linda said.

“I may have been out, but I was prepared.”

“Good! But I’m disappointed in you. You disobeyed me!”

“So, I’m rebellious. You can’t control me, Mother!” Sandi said.

“It’s not about control. I know you’re growing up. It’s concern! You heard what I said.”

“That you’re concerned for the family. So am I.”

“You’re still using the house as a base,” Linda pointed out.

“I could go out back, instead of the front, if you want.”

“Not much of a compromise.”

“If nothing else, I need to get to school,” Sandi said.

“I want you to take your brothers to school today.”

“Of course,” Sandi said sarcastically.

“And we’ll talk more this evening, and see how far you’ve developed your powers.”


Brittany awoke and thought on what had happened during the night as she got ready to go to school. ‘I will help Quinn prepare,’ she thought.


Daria looked at herself again as she put the clips in her hair a second time. She found that she liked what she saw. She remembered her conversation with her mother the evening before. ‘I’ll have to take each change as it comes,’ she thought. She only admitted to herself that the prospect scared her a little.


After nearly an hour of patrolling as SpiderGirl, reading the paper’s speculations on the fourth vigilante and thinking about what Brittany had revealed, Quinn arrived at school early. She hoped to find Mr. O’Neill before Homeroom. She entered the Language Arts office. “Mr. ’O’Neill?”

Mr. O’Neill was there. “Quinn?”

“You know how I’m mentoring four other students?”

“Of course.”

“It’s Gerald Brown. He’s having trouble with projecting his voice.”

“Hmm. And you want me to help?”

“More like you could find someone else who could help?” Quinn asked.

“True. It sounds like he needs an elocutionist. There should be several in Lawndale. But I should say that they charge.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I will look them up and get to you by the end of the day,” O’Neill decided. “How does that sound?”

“It sounds very good,” Quinn said.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 7
Mayor Lawson was on edge. He read through the Sun-Herald’s article again. “Pure speculation!” he groused to himself. ‘There’s no proof there’s an actual fourth costumed vigilante.’

There was a buzz.

“What?”

“Norman Osborn is here demanding to see you.”

“Send him in!” he said.

“I see you’re aware of the news.” Osborn said.

“Are you behind this rumor?” Lawson asked. “Lawndale doesn’t need more people taking the law into their own hands!”

“I am not,” Osborn responded. “But this is exactly the sort of thing my proposal is designed to deter.”

“I doubt it. They will find a way to hide. And I know you’re out to get SpiderGirl. I may not like that she’s taking the law into her own hands, but she’s giving this city hope.”

“But what about the other two?”

“SpiderGirl vouches for Ninja Talon, it seems. The Shadow is more elusive. I doubt that whatever you’re planning will work,” Lawson answered.

“And if there is an actual fourth?”

“Then whoever they are will make themselves known at some point.”

“With my proposal we’ll catch them quicker,” Osborn argued.

“I will think about it!”

“And don’t forget that the Council approved it. You can’t drag your heels too much.”

“And I know you influenced the vote!” Lawson shot back. “Now get out.”


Osborn left City Hall with annoyance. He was sure that the Mayor would be instringeant every step of the way.


“Quinn Morgendorffer and Gerald Brown, please report to the Principal’s Office.”

“What?” Gerald asked himself.


Quinn knew it had something to do with what she had talked about with Mr. O’Neill that morning. She entered the Principal’s office.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Morgendorffer. We’ll wait for Mr. Brown to get here.”

“Of course.”


It didn’t take long for Gerald to get there. “What is this about?”

“Miss Morgendorffer asked Mr. O’Neill to find some elocutionists for you, and so he did. However, I must inform you that the school will not pay the fees for you.”

“So, they would teach me how to project?” Gerald asked.

“Yes, along with pronunciation and dramatic reading,” the Principal answered.

“How much are we talking about here?” Quinn asked.

“About 30 to 40 dollars an hour,” the Principal answered.

“Doesn’t seem that steep,” Quinn said. “What do you think?”

“I depends how often the sessions are and how long they are.” Gerald responded.

“Then it sounds good,” Quinn said.

“I knew you would say that,” the Principal said as she handed a sheet to Gerald.


Quinn and Gerald stepped out of the Principal’s office.

“What do you think?” Quinn asked.

“I will think about it,” Gerald responded.


At the same time, Daria and Jane were on the roof. “So, you’re concerned that you’ll change too much?” Jane asked.

“That’s it,” Daria confessed.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still be you.”

“I know. It’s just happening quite fast.”

“I’ll be here for you,” Jane promised. ‘Just as I am out there for Lawndale. I will find a balance.’


‘Angie is doing a lot better,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung away from the school that afternoon. Her thoughts turned from the tutoring session she had just had back to the question of the Enigma. ‘I’m still not sure what to do. But I will be looking out for her.’


Sandi was at the pizza place, sitting in a booth with Harry Osborn. “Penny for your thoughts?” Harry asked.

“Just thinking about things,” Sandi responded. “Family is complicated.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Harry said. “My father means well, but he’s distant.”

“It’s more that I’m clashing with my mother’s restrictions,” Sandi said.

“A rebel?”

Sandi nodded.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be too bad, right?”

“No, it isn’t,” Sandi responded with determination.


Gerald got home, to his family’s small house in an older subdivision of Lawndale a few blocks west of the downtown. He saw that his mother was home. “Ms. Li called earlier,” she said,

“Yes?”

“We can afford the lessons, but it depends on how often and how long each one is.”

“Good,” Gerald responded.

“It is up to you.”

“As I told Ms. Li and Quinn, I will think about it.”


As Helen finished work, she looked towards the Historia from her office window and remembered her conversation with Elisabeth. “Have you been to the Historia yet, Marianne?”

“Not yet, Helen. I haven’t had time,” Marianne answered as she got ready to leave.

“You could come now.”

“No thanks. Another time.”

“That’s OK.”


Helen entered the Historia and saw that the restoration was better than she thought. “How much of it was Daria and Quinn, though?” she asked herself.

“Helen!” Elisabeth said.

“Coming.”


SpiderGirl arrived back at the Morgendorffers and entered by the basement, where she changed back to her usual self. She then had another look at her design for the chute locking mechanism. ‘It shouldn’t take long, but I better check that Daria isn’t home.’


That didn’t take long and Quinn started on the instalment of the locks on the bottom of the chute.


After dinner, Sandi was ready again. ‘But what is Mom going to talk to me about?’ she wondered. She knew that there was more to her powers that her mother hadn’t told her yet.

She opened the yearbook again. After Erin Archer was Tania Ashworth, with short dark hair. She downed the energy drink. “Finndu mann sem heitir: Tania Ashworth!”

She found Tania at her home, which was also on Grandstaff Drive, a few blocks away.

“Four down.”


This time, Quinn didn’t feel a tingle as the Ashworths were closer to the Griffins than the Morgendorffers.


Linda came up to where Sandi was practicing in the backyard. “There is more to your powers than I have taught you so far.” she said.

“That’s not surprising,” Sandi responded. “You, like, taught me what I already know gradually after all.”

“True.”

“What’s next then?”

“This,” Linda said as she generated a forcefield around her. “It contains aspects of both the energy projection and the telekinesis.”

“How?”

“Hold out your arms and then think ‘protection’. That’s how I started with it. I was a little older than you are now and I figured it out without your grandmother instructing me, but given what you are doing…”


“Got it,” Sandi said. She held out her hands and thought ‘Protection!’ The energy projection sparked in front of her, forming a partial shield.

“That’s a good start,” her mother praised. “Now the telekinetic component. This will also help you use the two powers in tandem.”

Sandi concentrated, focusing on where the energy shield was. The shield then stabilised, looking more like the one that surrounded her mother. “Yes!”

“Now, try to make it bigger.”

Sandi nodded and concentrated more and it got larger. But she quickly tired out.

Her mother deactivated hers. “It will get easier, like it did with everything else.”

Sandi nodded.

“But I still disapprove of you wanting to confront SpiderGirl.”


Quinn looked at the completed locking mechanism. “Done.” She then tested it, locking and unlocking it. ‘Perfect, for now. But I need to test the other side.’


Quinn drew up the board covering the chute in the closet. “I’m definitely going to need some pulleys,” she murmured. She shot a couple of webs to the sides of the closet after pushing clothes aside. “Here goes.” She then lowered herself down the chute. She then tested the locking mechanism from the other side. It worked! She then pulled herself back up to the closet.

“That will do for now,” she decided as she placed the board back. But she still had to clean up in the basement.


When she came back up from the basement, she saw that both her mother and Daria were in the kitchen. “Quinn, I have brought some takeaway from the Historia,” her mother said.

“That’s good. Did you have a good time?”

“I did.”

“That’s good,” Quinn said.

“The restoration seems to be done rather well.”

“That was more Mrs. Rowe working with Mr. Osborn, than us,” Daria responded.

“I knew it wasn’t just you two,” her mother said.


Before bed, Quinn wrote in the journal. No low tingle tonight. Did whoever it was take a break? ‘That’s likely.’


At midnight, the Enigma emerged from the Griffin’s backyard into the lane behind. She was sure that she would be less likely to be seen there than from Grandstaff Drive. ‘Not all of Lawndale has laneways, but that doesn’t matter.’ She then headed downtown, keeping to the laneway to the north of Grandstaff Drive.


As she came to the rear of the Ashworth’s place, she looked into the yard. ‘I doubt Tania is SpiderGirl or Ninja Talon,’ she thought. She continued.


The Shadow arrived at the store that had been broken into two nights before. ‘Was there a fourth vigilante? Was it just a rumor? Or was it true? I guess I am looking tonight.’ She turned and looked towards the Historia. ‘It offers a better vantage point.’


On top of the restored theatre, she activated her mask’s magnification mode and started looking at the streets she could see.


The Enigma saw something on the top of the Historia as she turned a corner. She took out a pair of binoculars. ‘Doesn’t look like SpiderGirl or Ninja Talon,’ she thought. ‘Could it be the Shadow?’ She didn’t want to meet the Shadow. Meeting Ninja Talon had been awkward enough. ‘I am doing this for Lawndale!’ she thought once again. She thought some more. She didn’t need to connect with the other vigilantes who weren’t SpiderGirl to help Lawndale. ‘Another time,’ she thought. But still, maybe she could gain some information.


The Shadow saw someone approaching the Historia, a girl clad in purple with brown hair in a high ponytail. ‘The new vigilante?’ she asked herself. ‘It seems it’s another teenager.’ But she knew that most of the students at Lawndale High had brown hair. ‘It doesn’t really narrow it down.’ She then climbed down to meet her.


“The Shadow, I presume?” the Enigma asked as the other approached her.

“Yes. But I don’t know who you are,” the other said.

“The Enigma.”

“The Enigma?”

“You’re the one calling herself the Shadow,” the Enigma pointed out.

“SpiderGirl came up with it, otherwise I would have been ‘Lawndale’s Nameless Hero’ for a while.”

“Again, it all comes back to SpiderGirl!” the Enigma projected.

“You have something against SpiderGirl?” the Shadow asked.

“Yes! She hasn’t been doing much of a good job.”

“I’m sure she has been.”

“That was what Ninja Talon said,” the Enigma said.

“Then listen to her. Why call yourself the Enigma anyway?”

“Like, I’m figuring things out.”

“That’s everybody isn’t it?” The Shadow asked. “Wait, you want to confront SpiderGirl? How would that help Lawndale?”

“Like, that’s also what Ninja Talon asked. But what we think would help Lawndale is different!”

“Of course. I’m certain that SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and I disagree on that, but we worked well together.”

“Wasn’t that outside Lawndale?” the Enigma asked.

“It was still in the County,” the Shadow pointed out.

“I guess so. But I only have your word on that.”

“It didn’t come up with Ninja Talon?”

“No, I had had enough and left,” The Enigma answered.

“Gave you a lot to think about, didn’t she?”

“No comment.”

“I have got you there,” the Shadow said.

“Maybe, but do you have powers?”

“I’m neither confirming or denying, but I do use some theatricality in my escapades.”

“Such as?” the Enigma asked.

“You’ll see when I leave. But do you?”

“Yes,” the Enigma said. She fired off an energy projection to the side and then drew the debris it produced into her hand.

“Impressive,” the Shadow responded. “But think about what Ninja Talon and I have said.” She turned and produced a cloud.

The Enigma stepped through the cloud but the Shadow had vanished. ‘I guess that’s what she meant by theatricality.’


The Shadow watched as the Enigma walked off down the street. ‘That power is certainly different to what SpiderGirl does!’ she thought. She didn’t want to know what it would do to people. ‘Did she demonstrate it to Ninja Talon? And has she warned SpiderGirl? I have no idea where to find her.’ She wasn’t sure what would happen next. ‘At least I need to tell Trent,’ she decided. ‘But maybe not the name. I don’t want him including it in a Spiral lyric by mistake.’


The Enigma thought about what the Shadow said as she walked off. ‘I will still confront SpiderGirl, when I find her,’ she decided. She went a short distance before looking back at the Historia.


Nearly an hour later, Trent saw Jane come into the kitchen. “Janie?”

“I met the new vigilante,” Jane said.

“Oh.”

“She has some kind of energy projection powers.”

“Energy projection?” Trent asked rhetorically “Hmm, sounds dangerous.”

“Yes, potentially dangerous for Lawndale, and for SpiderGirl. She wants to confront her. I couldn’t dissuade her of that, nor could Ninja Talon it seems.”

“You met Ninja Talon again?”

“Not since last week,” Jane answered “The new vigilante did at some point.”

“Oh. Did you get a name?”

“I did, but I don’t want you putting it in Spiral lyric before it becomes publicly known.”

“I guess putting SpiderGirl in a song less than a month after she first appeared wasn’t a good idea,” Trent mused. “But, Janie. I haven’t put the Shadow in yet.”

“I thank you for that, but I know you’re figuring out how to mention Ninja Talon.”

“Good point.”

“I guess I will have to keep an eye out for SpiderGirl,” Jane said.

“How do you figure?”

“She needs to know this new vigilante is out to confront her.”

“But maybe Ninja Talon has already told her. They seemed pretty close,” Trent said.

“Probably. But I will try to find her anyway.”


A short while later, SpiderGirl sat on the roof, listening to Lawndale. ‘It seems peaceful. But is this the calm before the storm? The Enigma is still out there, and who knows what people are planning.’


Norman Osborn awoke from another of his dreams. “No! No! No!” he said, his hands on his temples, looking towards where he had put the glider blueprints. “I won’t do it!”


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Friday, February 2, 2001
Will SpiderGirl appear at the Groundhog Day Festival?

‘Somehow, I don’t think trying to outcompete Punxsutawney is the way forward,’ SpiderGirl thought as she put the paper aside. She then continued her pre-school patrol.


Brittany arrived at the Town Square, where the first of the festivities was to be held. She wasn’t sure why Ms. Li had asked her to represent the School. She soon found the Principal.

“There you are, Ms. Taylor,” she said. “Here is a speech that Ms. Landon wrote. Go and make Lawndale High proud.”

‘You mean, make you proud,’ Brittany thought, but she kept that to herself.


“Now Representing Lawndale High School, Brittany Taylor!”

“On behalf of Principal Li, Faculty and Students of Lawndale High School, I welcome you to Lawndale's inaugural Groundhog Day Festival! Soon, the Groundhog is going to come out and see if there will be another six weeks of winter. Please enjoy yourselves, and breakfast will be served afterwards…” She then continued the speech.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 8
Sandi came down to breakfast and saw that her brothers were watching Brittany talk at the Groundhog Day Festival. ‘I doubt she’s the Shadow,’ she thought. She had been thinking about what that other vigilante had said, that she, Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl had worked together despite their differences. ‘I doubt I’d work with any of them,’ she thought as she reached for a cereal box.


Brittany finished her speech with a cheer. “Give me a G. Give me an R. Give me an O…”


“You did well.” Ms. Li said.

“Thanks,” Brittany responded.

“Remember, tonight at the Lawndale Center…”

“I will be there,” Brittany said before the Principal could say more.


Ms. Li entered her office fifteen minutes later, to find Norman Osborn waiting for her.

“You said you would get back to me later in the week,” Norman said.

“So, I did,” Angela said. “But I need some assurances that you would notify me if you do find out a student is one of the vigilantes.”

“Or more than one. I’m sure you’re aware of yesterday’s headline.”

“There’s no proof of a fourth vigilante. There’s not even a name.”

“Ninja Talon and the Shadow weren’t named at first either,” Osborn pointed out.

“Be that as it may, my point stands.”

“Fine, You will be notified if any of your students is one of the vigilantes.”

“Good, Mr. Osborn. I will have my people coordinate with yours,” Li said.

Osborn took out a piece of paper. “Here is a contract.”

“I didn’t agree to a contract, but I will read it and get back to you.”

“I will be back on Monday.”


Through the day, the various students talked about the Groundhog Day festival, their various visits to the Historia, as well as the rumors of the fourth vigilante. At Lunch, Quinn caught up with Stacy, Tiffany and Tori.

“It’s getting out of control,” Tori said.

“Is it?” Quinn asked.

“SpiderGirl appeared three months ago,” Tori pointed out.

“That’s true,” Stacy said. “A little over three months.”

“And Ninja Talon two and a half weeks ago. Then the Shadow later that week,” Tori said.

“That quickly?” Tiffany asked.

“Yes, and this week the rumors of a fourth emerge,” Tori added.

“A lot has been happening,” Quinn said. “I doubt there would be any more.”

“And SpiderGirl has partnered with Ninja Talon it seems,” Tori added.

“I think her words were ‘We’re colleagues, not rivals’. Doesn’t mean they’re partners,” Stacy said.

‘We work well together, but not always. But last week proved that we work well together,’ Quinn thought as she looked around the cafeteria. She saw Brittany talking with Jodie and Donna in the distance. ‘And knowing each other’s secret identities helped with that.’

“That’s pedantic,” Tori responded to Stacy.

Stacy shrugged.


“You did well this morning,” Jodie said to Brittany.

“Thanks, although I think Ms. Li is in it for herself,” Brittany said.

“When is she isn’t?” Jodie asked rhetorically. “I assume you will be there tonight?”

Brittany nodded. “Yes.”

“I wonder if SpiderGirl will appear as the Sun-Herald suggests,” Donna said.

“Probably not,” Jodie said. “She may have been appearing in Lawndale Flats, but crime is still occurring.”

“And there are the rumors of a fourth,” Donna said.

“What are they saying?” Brittany asked.

“Just that there’s a fourth,” Jodie answered. “No name mentioned.”

‘Good,’ Brittany thought. “I see. Is anything else mentioned? Like with the other vigilantes?”

“Nothing. SpiderGirl has been seen at the usual places, as has Ninja Talon. The Shadow is more elusive, true to her name,” Donna answered.

“There is one that SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are cooperating more,” Jodie said.

‘Not surprising,’ Brittany thought. She looked at where Quinn was talking with Stacy, Tiffany and Tori. ‘It’s great that we trusted each other with our secret identities.’

“I don’t think that would be a bad thing,” Donna said.

“Like, working together, they can do more,” Brittany said.

“True,” Donna said.

“But will it be good for Lawndale in the long run?” Jodie asked.

‘I hope so,’ Brittany thought. ‘But that is why we’re doing what we’re doing.’


After school, Quinn entered the library to find Gerald there, but not Anna and Ben.

“I talked to Mom about the lessons,” he said.

“And?”

“I will do it, but we still need to know how long and how frequent they would be.”

“That’s great!”

Anna and Ben then entered, hand in hand.

‘So, they are dating now?’ Quinn wondered.

“Hey, we are going to the Standing Stones this time next week, right?” Anna asked as they came up to the other two.

Ben rolled his eyes.

“Probably, but after the usual session. And it would depend on when Gerald’s elocution lessons are,” Quinn answered.

“Of course,” Anna said as she and Ben let go of each other’s hand and sat at the table.

“But we will go,” Quinn added.

Anna’s smile widened.


SpiderGirl left the school at the usual time. ‘I’ll go to the Lawndale Center later, but as my usual self,’ she decided. She headed to the downtown.


After averting a couple of muggings, she arrived home to find Daria and Jane talking in the kitchen, having a conversation like the one she had had at lunch.

“So, you think the Shadow is doing good?” Daria asked.

“It’s been reported that she mostly helps those who are alternative,” Jane said.

“But what about the rumors of a fourth?” Quinn asked, wondering if they had heard anything.

“Unsubstantiated,” Daria said.

“But persistent,” Jane said. “But there’s no mention of a name. None at all.”

“Ninja Talon’s name didn’t come out until a few days after she first appeared,” Quinn pointed out as she sat with the other two.

“That’s true,” Jane said.

“What do you think, Quinn?” Daria asked. “Is Lawndale going to be crawling with vigilantes.”

“I think that the three or four we have now is enough,” Quinn answered. ‘It would be difficult to handle if there are more than ten,’ she thought. She had been considering what Tori had said about the frequency of emergence. ‘Ninja Talon was inspired by me. It could be that the Shadow was inspired by me as well, although she didn’t say. And now the actual fourth who wants to confront me. There could be more. But I hope not. I’m not sure that’s what Lawndale needs.’

“I agree,” Jane responded. “Any more and there might be infighting.”

“And what have you seen in your project?” Daria asked.

“Project?” Quinn asked.

“She’s doing sketches based on Lawndale’s streetscape,” Daria explained.

“Oh,” Quinn said. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Slowly,” Jane said. “Inspiration can be fickle.”

“Of course,” Daria said.

‘It sounds like something I could do,’ Quinn thought. ‘Along with everything else. I hope I’m not overloading myself.’

“But there’s something I can show you tomorrow,” Jane said to Daria.

“Sure,” Daria said.


It wasn’t long before Jane went home. She wanted to be ready in case something happened at the Groundhog Day Festival and the Shadow need to leap into action.

She saw that her mother was home. “Mom?” she asked as she came into the kitchen.

“I see that you’ve been busy.”

“I have been.”

“That rescue last week was good,” her mother said.

“It was mostly SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon…” Jane began humbly.

“I know. But I’m sure that SpiderGirl only has her powers and Ninja Talon is just a teenager skilled in martial arts.”

“There were times when we relied on the tech you gave me,” Jane admitted. “I thank you for that. Those cheerleaders would still be captives otherwise.”


Amanda took what her daughter said in. “That’s true. SHIELD wouldn’t have rescued them otherwise. But the situation in Lawndale is now escalating. I have seen it before.”

“The fourth?” Jane asked.

“Trent told me you met her. I agree that her name should be kept secret.”

“Good.”

“But using Trent’s car wasn’t a good idea. It was an oversight on my part not to give you a vehicle,” Amanda said.

“So, you’re giving me one now?”

“Yes. It’s in the garage.”


Jane looked at the vehicle her mother was providing. “So, it’s still yours, right?”

“Legally, yes. But I’m giving it to you.”

“Of course,” Jane said as she looked closer at it. It looked like a black ordinary car. ‘Black, a perfect color for the Shadow to use.’

“There is a manual in the glove box, for the various gadgets it has, complementing what I have already given you.”

“That makes it easier.”

“Anything to help make Lawndale better than what it has become,” her mother said.

“But what is your opinion on SpiderGirl now?”

“She’s doing well with what she’s doing, but you worked with her; what do you think?”

“That she’s doing what she can for Lawndale,” Jane answered. “But there’s also something else that drives her. Something in her past.”


“It is promising to a good night here at the Lawndale Center, where Mayor Lawson has promised a new start for Lawndale after the last several months of struggles with crime and the rise of vigilantism after the appearance of SpiderGirl…”

Sandi turned off the radio and opened her yearbook again. ‘Tania Ashworth last night,’ she thought as she looked at the page. The next person was Julia Barbero. She drank the energy drink. “Finndu mann sem heitir: Julia Barbero!”

She found Julia at the Lawndale Center, where she also noticed that the festivities were yet to start.

“Five down.”


SpiderGirl noticed the low tingle as she approached the Lawndale Center. ‘I guess they’re still looking,’ she thought.


At the Lawndale Center, Brittany saw Ms. Li come over. “Hi, Ms. Li.”

“It will be a while before things start,” the Principal said. “Mr. Dewit-Clinton will recite a poem. Then Ms. Coultard will tell a short story.”

“So, Quinn’s mentoring has been good for her?”

“Yes, Don’t interrupt, Ms. Taylor!”

“Sorry,” Brittany said.

“Then your speech will take place.”

“Got it.”


It wasn’t long before Mayor Lawson declared the festivities open. Xanthe Peterson, who was off duty, looked around. There were hundreds of people there. She saw one of the people she was looking for. Her change in appearance since what happened didn’t confuse her. “Ms. Morgendorffer.”

“Officer Peterson,” the other said guardedly.

“I was wondering how you’re holding up.”

“It’s been difficult,” Quinn answered. “But with family and friends around me, it’s getting better. It’s just Lawndale these days, it’s changing.”

“I know that, what with these vigilantes,” Peterson said, putting meaning into the last word.

“True,” Quinn responded, looking away briefly. “It’s been nice catching up.”

‘But is she SpiderGirl? I’m still not sure,’ Xanthe thought as Quinn went over to someone else. She looked around again. ‘Is Ninja Talon here too if that is the case?’


Quinn thought about the encounter with Officer Peterson. ‘She does suspect I’m SpiderGirl,’ she thought. ‘I’ll have to be more careful around her. But I don’t think she suspects Ninja Talon is Brittany.’ It was like a web, weaving through all the interactions and relationships in Lawndale. ‘But what else is new,’ she thought. She saw Ms. Li go up on the stage.


“And now, for some presentations from Lawndale High students. First will be Ted Dewit-Clinton with a poem he composed comparing Lawndale to various legendary localities.”


Ted finished his poem, which was inspired by some of JRR Tolkien’s writings, although not specifically the Middle-earth legendarium.

However, as Anna got up to read her story, something happened…


No one noticed the small object as it flew in the sky above Lawndale. A small glider craft that was ridden by a pilot that looked like a creature out of legend. It approached the Lawndale Center Hall quickly and fired a missile!


The Hall rocked and the fire alarm went off as debris rained down as the missile exploded. ‘Uh oh!’ Quinn thought as her eyes meet Brittany’s across the room. They needed to leap into action. The two of them then left the Hall as more explosions occurred outside.


“This just in, explosions have been reported at the Lawndale Center, where Groundhog Day festivities have been taking place. Police on the scene have started an evacuation. Eyewitnesses have seen a small aircraft in the vicinity.”

Jane heard the report. “I have to go,” she said.

“Go,” her mother said.

“The Shadow is on it.”


Less than two minutes later, the Shadow pulled out of the Casa Lane garage and easily drove around the Plymouth. She then drove down the street, the powerful engine accelerating easily. The quiet of Howard Drive was a stark contrast to the chaos that awaited down at the Lawndale Center.


At the same time, both Linda and Sandi saw the scene on the television.

Explosions at the Lawndale Center in the midst of Groundhog Day celebrations. SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are both on the scene.

“You have put aside your desire for tonight, Sandi,” Linda said.

“Obviously,” Sandi said. “I’m going to help.”

“So am I,” Linda said.

“Mother?”

“I can’t stand by while that is happening.”

“Good,” Sandi said.

“You get changed, while I also do so.”


The Enigma emerged into the backyard where her mother was waiting. ‘But I’m still not going to tell her my hero name.’ She saw that she had a suit much more refined than hers that was still purple.

“I see you had a similar idea,” her mother said.

“Yes.”

“And you’re not sharing your hero name?”

“No.”

“Then I won’t share mine either. All I’ll say is that I wore this as I fought crime in Boston when I was in college and a while afterwards before I met your father and moved back to Lawndale.”

The Enigma nodded.

“But for tonight we’re the Moretti’s.” The older Moretti took out a fob and unlocked the car.

“Is that a good idea?” the younger one asked.

“We’ll park down the street.”


The car pulled out of the Griffin’s driveway into Grandstaff Drive. “Trying to do this down the laneways wouldn’t be a good idea,” the older Moretti said.

“Do what?” the younger one asked.

“This,” the older one said as she accelerated and flipped a switch.

“Nitrous?”

“Yes!”

The car roared down Grandstaff Drive.


At the Lawndale Center, the Hall was threatening to collapse. SpiderGirl had taken many people to safety and Ninja Talon was helping Peterson and on duty officers with the evacuation. Li came up to her. “Have you seen Brittany Taylor?” she asked.

“Who?” Ninja Talon asked, her voice low.

“A teen, with blonde hair in pigtails,” the Principal answered.

“I think I saw her leave earlier.”

“Good. I saw Ted Dewit-Clinton, Anna Coultard and Ben Harrod leave.”

“Better keep going,” Ninja Talon prompted.

“Of course.”


SpiderGirl bought another two people to safety. Then she saw that the aircraft was still in the vicinity. ‘Oh no!,’ she thought. “Keep moving, go home,” she said. She looked back at the Hall. There were still people inside. She swung back and saw that more of the roof was threatening to fall in. She then re-entered and saw that most of the crowd had left. ‘There’s that at least.’ She then looked at the roof. ‘Could I try to stabilize it with webs?’ she decided to try. She saw that the remaining people were leaving in an orderly fashion.

SpiderGirl started webbing up the ceiling.


Back at Casa Lane, a suited up Amanda left via one of the rear upstairs windows with a jetpack and followed her daughter down the street.


SpiderGirl swung onto a stable part of the Hall structure and webbed up some of the roof. She then heard something.

“There you are SpiderGirl!” It was the pilot of the small aircraft.

“Are you the fourth vigilante?”

“No! I’m someone else, who has a different vision for Lawndale than you!”

“One that includes this destruction? That seems to be one of a villain rather than a hero.”

“Everyone is the hero of their own story. And every hero needs a villain. Good bye SpiderGirl!”

SpiderGirl leapt aside as another missile was fired. A villain, in Lawndale! That wasn’t what she wanted to happen. ‘Things are getting out of control,’ she thought as her Spider Sense blared again.

 

[USS Fardell]

The Shadow parked as close as she could to the devastated Hall as she could, given the traffic of people trying to leave the vicinity. She saw a large concentration of fires in that direction as she got out of the car. “OK, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon, backup is here.” She then opened the trunk to see that there was more gear. “Good.”


Ninja Talon urged people to run as she saw SpiderGirl try to fight the aircraft. “I have to get up there!” she said to Peterson, who was nearby.

“Go!”


The Moretti’s arrived on the scene after having similar trouble to the Shadow in finding a place to park. The older one looked at where Ninja Talon was scaling the wall of the Hall. “I will go over there, and discretely use a forcefield to hold the roof up. You can look out for that aircraft and try to disable it. Our powers also have a disruptive effect on electronics.”

“Got it!”


Ninja Talon shot her grapple gun, hoping that it wouldn’t make things worse by dislodging something. It held. She then climbed up.

SpiderGirl was still attempting to web up the aircraft, which was hovering nearby. ‘He’s too elusive,’ she thought. She saw Ninja Talon climbing up. ‘I’ll give her some time.’ She then attempted to web up the pilot’s helmet, but she still missed.


The older Moretti walked up to the building unnoticed. She closed her eyes and perceived the inside of the building where people were still waiting to get out. She then focused on the ceiling where it was threatening to fall in and generated a forcefield to hold it in place. She was thankful that she had found the time to continue to develop her powers in the midst of the busyness of motherhood and work.


The Shadow ran up to the scene. ‘There’s lots I can do. But what first,’ she wondered quickly. ‘Help SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon fight the aircraft? Or help with the evacuation.’ She decided to do the former.


Anna and Ben huddled in a phone booth down the street. “Are you OK?” Anna asked as she dialled home.

“With you here, I’m better than I could have been,” Ben answered. “It’s a good thing SpiderGirl showed up when she did.”

“Yes.”

“Feli, is that you? Are you OK?” her mother asked.

“I’m fine, Ben and I got out quickly,” Anna Felicia answered.

“I’m glad to hear that, with what is happening. It looks like SpiderGirl is having the fight of her life.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Ninja Talon and the Shadow are there with her.”


The Enigma (since she was on her own) found a spot beneath a tree near the devastated building and saw the situation with the other vigilantes. SpiderGirl was leaping from side to side, trying to web up the craft, with the Shadow using her clouds to try to hide her. She then started shooting energy projections at the craft.


Amanda arrived on the scene and saw that SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and her daughter needed help. She also saw that there were energy projections being shot at the craft from somewhere nearby. ‘All of Lawndale’s protectors are here tonight. I hope it’s enough.’


The Enigma continued firing at the craft. ‘It’s has to succumb at some point,’ she thought.


SpiderGirl was running on adrenaline. She knew those energy projections were coming from the fourth vigilante, who was somewhere in the shadows.


Ninja Talon aimed a shuriken at one of the glider’s air intakes. ‘I hope this works!’ she thought. Then she concentrated as she threw it.


Amanda flew in, trying to avoid the energy protections, and fired dry ice at the pilot.


The pilot, was getting annoyed. He thought it would be easy to just take out SpiderGirl, but against multiple vigilantes he was failing. He lined up for another shot, then he noticed something. Some of the gilder’s avionics were failing. ‘It has to be those energy projections,’ he realised. He fired the last missile past SpiderGirl to into the roof and then retreated back the way he came.


By that time the Hall had been evacuated and the older Moretti (who was known in Boston as the Purple Avenger) relaxed. She opened her eyes and retreated as the last explosion caused more of the roof to cave in.


The news was about to spread across the United States.

“It is 8 o’clock. Breaking news; there are reports of some kind of terrorist attack in Lawndale, Pennsylvania…”


The Enigma saw the aircraft retreat. She then retreated herself, back to her mother’s car.


Amanda saw the aircraft retreat. ‘Should I follow?’ she wondered. She reconsidered. ‘Not a good idea,’ she added as she remembered one time when following a villain to their base went awry. She then headed home.


SpiderGirl brought Ninja Talon and the Shadow down to the ground, near where Peterson and a few on duty officers were waiting and watching the fire brigade deal with the fires. “Exhausted,” she said.

“You did very well,” Peterson said.

“I couldn’t have done it without these two,” SpiderGirl said,

“And the fourth,” Ninja Talon added.

“I saw the projections,” SpiderGirl said. “But, a villain, in Lawndale!”

“What did he say to you?” Peterson asked.

“That he had a different vision for Lawndale and that every hero has a villain.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Peterson said.

“Definitely not. We have to be vigilant. Lawndale needs us,” SpiderGirl said, with determination.

“But this will take a while to recover from,” the Shadow pointed out.

“Lawndale is resilient, it will recover,” Peterson said.

“But what if it’s someone from Lawndale?” Ninja Talon asked.

“Then, we will need to find him as soon as possible,” SpiderGirl responded.

They were silent for a while as they contemplated that.


The Moretti’s returned to their car. “I’d say you did well under the circumstances,” the older one said.

“It still took me a while,” the younger one responded.

“Keep practicing, you will get better.”

“I will.”

“I know you will go out again later, but try to rest when we get home,” the older one said as she started the engine.

“OK.”


“Another thing,” the Shadow said as she saw SpiderGirl getting ready to leave. “The fourth is after you.”

“I know, she told me,” SpiderGirl said, indicating Ninja Talon.

“But what you may not be aware of is that she has powers, not technology,” the Shadow responded.

“Are you sure?” Ninja Talon asked.

“Quite sure.”

“And it was those powers that helped you win tonight,” Peterson mused. She sighed. “More unpredictability. There is going to be a very difficult time ahead.”

“I’ll be off,” the Shadow said.


SpiderGirl watched the Shadow leave. She turned to Ninja Talon. “We need to talk, on the bridge.”

“Of course,” Ninja Talon said.

“But first to a phone booth.”

“Definitely.”

“See you later,” Peterson said.


Daria answered the phone. “Is that you, Quinn?” she asked in concern.

“Daria! I got out of the Hall quickly, along with others,” Quinn answered.

“I’m glad to hear that. The news is coming thick and fast. It seems that SpiderGirl barely escaped.”

“She had others helping her. I’ll be home soon, bye.”


Ashley-Amber answered the phone. “Brittany? Are you OK?”

“I’m OK. I got out as soon as I could!”

Ashley-Amber sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. The news isn’t good. The Hall is falling down. It seems the vigilantes, including that ninja, helped the police with the evacuation.

“That’s good. I will be home soon.”

“I’ll be waiting.”


Jane arrived home and left her Shadow gear in the car. She entered the kitchen. “I know you were there,” she said to her mother.

“Helping a little. You, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon did most of the work.”

“And the fourth,” Jane added.

“How so?” Trent asked.

“She was firing at the craft,” their mother explained.

“What do you make of the villain?” Jane asked.

“Looks like some sort of Green Goblin…” her mother mused.

“Green Goblin, attacks Lawndale. Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl team up yet again…” Trent murmured.

“That is what happened,” Jane mused. “But I think that calling him that in a song isn’t the way to go.”

“Like the fourth, got it,” Trent said.

“Exactly,” Jane said. “But what does this mean for Lawndale? He’s still out there.”

“It’s up to you and others to figure that out,” her mother said.

“That’s certainly true,” Jane said quietly.


SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon reached the spot below the bridge where they had revealed their secret identities to each other. Both of them looked around before taking off their masks.

“A villain in Lawndale!” Quinn exclaimed. “I didn’t expect that. But, with great power comes great responsibility.”

“I didn’t expect it either,” Brittany said quietly. “But we dealt with it, for now.”

“For now. But that pilot is still out there somewhere. And there’s something else. Officer Peterson suspects that I’m SpiderGirl.”

“She does?”

“Yes, But I don’t think she suspects you as Ninja Talon,” Quinn said.

“Good, but what are you going to do about it?”

“Other than being more careful around her, I’m not sure. What I haven’t told you is that she was there when Daddy died.”

“Oh,” Brittany said quietly.

“’With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility’ were his last words,” Quinn confessed with tears in her eyes.

Brittany hugged Quinn. “You’re not alone.”

“Thanks,” Quinn responded. “And so, she must have overheard.”

They sat their quietly, hugging each other for another minute.


“We need to get home,” Quinn said, wiping another tear from her eyes.

“Yes, Ashley-Amber and Daria are expecting us after those calls,” Brittany said.

“Maybe, you can talk with Peterson from now on,” Quinn suggested.

“That would probably just make her more suspicious.”

“I know, I was just thinking out loud. I’ll see you tomorrow, when I finish at the Historia.”

“OK, have a good night, Quinn.”


SpiderGirl headed home, as Ninja Talon also did.


Xanthe arrived home. She closed the door and said; “you can trust me, Quinn. If you are SpiderGirl, your secret is safe with me.”


At SHIELD headquarters, Nick Fury arrived back at his office. The news from Lawndale wasn’t good. He called up the information that SHIELD had gathered so far.

Attacker: Unknown
Craft profile matches an Oscorp Industries prototype.

Fury had his suspicions. But rumors of Osborn’s mental instability were unsubstantiated. He clicked to another screen and satellite footage of the devastated Lawndale Center Hall was shown. He tried rewinding it, but there were no SHIELD satellites looking at Lawndale during the attack. He sighed and clicked on another screen.

SpiderGirl: Identity Unknown

Ninja Talon: Identity Unknown

The Shadow: Identity Unknown
Suspected Identities:
Lane, Summer
Lane, Penelope
Lane, Jane
Lane, Courtney

Rumored Fourth Vigilante: Identity Unknown

‘We are getting somewhere,’ Fury thought as he clicked on the information related to the Shadow.

The Alternative Defender sighted fighting the attacker alongside SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Shadow. Energy Projections similar to those used by the Purple Avenger in Boston in the late 1970s, early 1980s were also observed.

Alternative Defender: Lane, Amanda Hannah

‘Purple Avenger?’ Fury asked himself.

Purple Avenger: Griffin (nee Moretti), Linda Antiope
Current residence: Lawndale, PA

‘Children?’ he asked himself.

Griffin, Cassandra Aphrodite age: 16
Griffin, Samuel Alexander age: 12
Griffin, Christopher Odysseus age: 10

He then updated the information on the Rumored Fourth Vigilante

Rumored Fourth Vigilante: Identity Unknown
Suspected Identities:
Griffin (nee Moretti), Linda Antiope
Griffin, Cassandra Aphrodite

He then tried to get more information from on the ground in Lawndale.


Back in Lawndale, SpiderGirl arrived home, entering through the basement. She grabbed some spare clothes from the laundry basket. ‘Maybe that’s what I could use part of the hidden space for, extra closet space, to hide the superheroism part,’ she considered. She then went up to the kitchen.


Daria saw that Quinn looked tired. “Did you run all the way?” she asked.

“Not all the way,” she answered.

“I’m just happy that you got away,” Daria said as she hugged her sister. “To think that terrorists would attack here.”

“They would attack anywhere, I suppose.”

“I guess so, It’s just that Lawndale is out of the way.”

“True,” Quinn said.

Their mother then came into the kitchen. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“I got away quickly.”


Ashley-Amber saw Brittany enter the lounge room. “Did you run all the way here, honey?”

“Some of the way,” Brittany answered.

“It must have been quite scary! It certainly looked that way on the TV.”

“It was, but I got out quicky.”

“That’s good,” Ashley-Amber said. “I’ll make you some cocoa.”

“You don’t have to,” Brittany said with a yawn.

“I don’t want you to have nightmares.”

“I think that might happen anyway.”

“We can talk about other stuff,” Ashley-Amber suggested.

“Sure.”


After talking to her mother and Daria, Quinn went up to her room. She then wrote down everything in her diary, including the low tingle, Peterson’s suspicion of her identity, the attack itself and her chat with Brittany. It was good to get it down on paper.

She then looked at the time. ‘9:23,’ she thought. There was time to do more designing. ‘I need a more resilient suit.’ The one she had worn that day had gotten torn from the fight. It was just as well she had made spares.

‘More resilient suit. Tougher fabric that will hold up in a fight against that green goblin of a pilot,’ she thought as she wrote that down.

She brainstormed on various fabrics for a while before going to bed.


Harry came down at 10:30 to find his father sleeping on the couch. ‘Not again,’ he thought. He noticed something. A leaflet. “Oscorp Industries Glider Prototype Blueprints?” he asked himself. Why did his father have it at home? But there were many things his father didn’t talk to him about. ‘Where was he earlier?’ he wondered. He had wanted to talk to him about the situation at the Lawndale Center and Bernard had been quiet about it. ‘Maybe in the morning.’


At midnight, the Enigma left the Griffin’s place via the laneway. She hadn’t had much sleep, the gravity of the earlier events and her mother’s revelation that she had been a superhero in Boston were heavily on her mind. ‘I suppose I could look up ‘Boston superheroes’ and find out her hero name that way,’ she considered. She shook her head as she came to a cross street. ‘Not yet, another time. I’ll focus on finding my way as I help Lawndale through this crisis and be SpiderGirl’s rival.’ For she was certain that was what her confronting SpiderGirl would lead to, a rivalry between them.


Half an hour later, she stood on the top of the Historia, looking towards where the devastated Lawndale Center was. ‘I will find who’s responsible for what happened tonight,’ she decided. Lawndale was owed that much.


SpiderGirl hadn’t slept much either. She was still restless when she crawled out on the roof at the usual time and started listening to the town. ‘It was the calm before the storm last night,’ she considered. ‘Now it’s more discordant than when the Enigma first appeared.’


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Saturday February 3, 2001
Lawndale Center Devastated in Terrorist Attack in the Midst of Groundhog Day Celebrations
SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Shadow assist in Evacuations and confront the attacker
Police Chief and Mayor Lawson vow to find the attacker

SpiderGirl read through the paper. There wasn’t much she didn’t know already. ‘It’s still very early.’ She thought. She then headed towards the Historia, to start her shift.


Mayor Lawson was at work early. The consequences of the previous night’s events were severe. The Lawndale Center looked like it was a write off.

“Norman Osborn to see you, sir.”

He sighed. “Stall him.”

“I’ll try, sir.”


Osborn was annoyed. “Tell the Mayor, that I won’t leave until I talk to him.”

“He is very busy, sir, dealing with the fallout of last night’s events.”

“I know that! Oscorp can help Lawndale recover! Tell him that!”


“I don’t doubt that Oscorp can help us recover! But I don’t want to see him right now!”

“He is insistent, sir.”

Lawson sighed. “Send him in.”


“I know what you’re going to say,” Lawson said. “That you want access to the CCTV in return for helping the Council rebuild the Lawndale Center.”

“Exactly, and it will be better than before.”

“I’m tempted to resign and stymie you that way, but Lawndale doesn’t need a special election right now.”

“And if it comes out that the Mayor is stonewalling my efforts to help Lawndale recover?” Osborn asked.

“That can work both ways.”

“I know you don’t want the bad publicity, and Oscorp has one of the best public relations departments in the country.”

“It comes down to the fact that you’re blackmailing me and I could potentially expose some of the corruption in Oscorp,” Lawson said.

Osborn threw a business card down.

Lawson picked it up. “You have hired Jim Vitale?”

“Yes, I know the reputation he has and I’m sure you do too.”

“You still won’t get away with this,” Lawson said. “Future historians will find out.”

“History is written by the victors.”

Lawson grabbed a piece of paper and signed it. “There! Oscorp has access.”

“Very good,” Osborn responded.

 

[USS Fardell]

Spider Quinn 13 Aftermath and Investigations Part 1
At the Historia, various Lawndale High students were talking about what the previous night’s events meant.

Stacy Rowe was thankful that she was working, otherwise she would have been worrying about the possibility of another attack.

She came up to Jodie Landon and Mack Mackenzie, where they were conversing in a corner.

“…Like, it’s not likely to happen again, right?” Mack asked.

“The person wasn’t caught, so it is likely to happen again,” Jodie said. “I don’t like to admit this, but it seems that SpiderGirl did good. Her powers allowed her to evacuate a lot of people before she got distracted.”

“But how soon?” Stacy asked in her usual worried tone.

“That is the question,” Jodie said.

“And SpiderGirl is one person,” Stacy said.

“But Ninja Talon and the Shadow were there too,” Mack pointed out.

“True,” Stacy said. She took a deep breath. “May I take your order?”

“White tea,” Mack said.

“Black Coffee,” Jodie added.

“Sure. It will be a while.”


“But it was luck that all three of them were there,” Jodie added once she was sure that Stacy was out of earshot.

“That’s true,” Mack considered. “Thus, SpiderGirl might be on her own next time.”


As she worked the tables, Quinn overheard the various teens talk about the previous night. Most of them were nervous, wondering what the future lay in store for Lawndale. ‘That pilot needs to be caught,’ she thought.


It was two in the afternoon when SpiderGirl joined Ninja Talon on the Historia’s roof. “What’s the talk?” the latter asked.

“They’re still taking it in,” SpiderGirl said. “But they’re resilient. Stacy is holding up better than I expected.”

“That’s good. Ashley-Amber and Dad didn’t say much about it this morning.”

“Nor did Daria, but I know she’s thinking about it.”

“That’s obvious,” Ninja Talon said.

“Sometimes I think that I’m not doing enough, or that Lawndale is changing despite what I’m doing, or what we’re doing.”

“But we are making a difference.”

“We definitely made a difference last night,” SpiderGirl said. “It’s another thing. Like, sometimes I feel that many of the things that have happened in the past several months have happened because I got bit by that spider.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“I know it isn’t, like those cheerleaders would have been kidnapped anyway and they, including Sarah Robyn, would still be in a worse predicament.”

“Maybe you should get in touch with her,” Ninja Talon said.

“I’m not sure how. But I remember that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility,” SpiderGirl said, with determination. “Like I am SpiderGirl,” she lowered her voice; “and Quinn Morgendorffer both and I can handle my double life despite not getting enough sleep.”

“I don’t get enough sleep either as Ninja Talon and Brittany Taylor. Last night was exhausting and Ms. Li asked me directly where the cheerleader was, but I did what I could for Lawndale.”

“She did?”

Ninja Talon nodded.

“I haven’t been asked where I am yet, other than by Gerald, but I’m sure it will happen at some point.”

They sat in silence for a while before agreeing to meet again that night and patrolling in opposite directions.


Daria Morgendorffer arrived at Casa Lane at the same time.

“Hey, Daria,” Trent Lane said. “Janie’s out for a run. She’ll be back soon.”

“That’s fine,” Daria said as she entered. “How are you holding up, given last night’s events?”

“I’m fine, mostly, other than being worried for others I know. Lawndale doesn’t seem to be as safe anymore.”

“I know how you feel.”


It wasn’t long before Jane Lane returned. She found Daria reading in the kitchen. “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier,” she said.

“That’s OK. What was this thing you wanted to show me?”

“Come on up.”


Daria looked around. More of Jane’s room was taken up by her project. More maps of Lawndale were scattered about, and she saw more sketches of various places around town. “Wait, some of these are from rooftops.”

“Some rooftops are easy to get to if you know how,” Jane said.

But Daria remembered what Sandi had told her the weekend before. ‘What is she hiding? She’s not SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon or the fourth vigilante!’ she thought. “Maybe you could show me,” she said.

“Sometime,” Jane said enigmatically. She took a couple of sketches out of a folder. “One is one I did earlier today.”

Daria saw that it was of the devastated Lawndale Center Hall. “I see that it’s totally destroyed.”

“Yeah, it will need to be demolished before any rebuilding can start,” Jane said.

“And the City Council would be significantly out of pocket.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And that would make things worse,” Daria considered, “if the Council can’t maintain the roads or other infrastructure due to this.”

“I agree,” Jane said.

Daria looked at the other. It was of her house, but she noticed there was a figure on the roof. “You didn’t get a good look?”

“No,” Jane admitted. “You see that it’s on the rear of the roof. It could have been SpiderGirl, or Ninja Talon, or one of the other two, keeping an eye on the neighborhood from there.”

“When was this?”

“A few days ago.”

‘The house is one of the largest in the neighborhood, so it offers a good vantage point,’ Daria considered. “Doesn’t mean that anything untoward is happening.”

“True,” Jane responded.


Jane waited as Daria looked at more of the sketches. She knew Daria was going to investigate the vigilante that she had seen on the top of Schloss Morgendorffer. ‘I’m still not sure which one it was.’

“There’s still no pattern,” Daria said to herself.

“Or one that is obvious,” Jane said. She handed over one of the maps. “I have even made one with dates on it. SpiderGirl is red, Ninja Talon is black and the fourth is purple.”

“What about the Shadow?” Daria asked as she looked at the time picture.

“She’s too elusive. I haven’t put together anything,” Jane answered. ‘Sorry, Daria, I’m not making it easy for you there.’


‘She’s still hiding something,’ Daria thought. ‘It might be that the Shadow truly is elusive, though.’ She looked at the purple markers. Only three places, one of which was the Historia and one of the others, the Lawndale Center. ‘Have rumors placed her there too? But what about the Historia? I better go check to see if anything is amiss there.’

“What do you think?”

“The fourth at the Historia. I think I need to check something there.”

“I don’t think anything happened there,” Jane said.

“I would still like to have a look.”


Fifteen minutes later, Trent dropped Daria off at the Historia. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for, the building looks OK to me.”

“It’s more that I don’t want anything to happen to it.”

“Now, last night has you paranoid.”

“Not just that. Everything that has been going on recently,” Daria said, as she glanced at her hairclips in the side mirror.

“You think you’re changing too much? I have noticed your hair is longer, I just didn’t say anything.”

“Mom and Quinn have also said something similar and I have decided to grow it.”

“No matter how much you change, you’re still Daria Morgendorffer.”

“That’s true,” Daria said as she got out of the car.


Sandi Griffin saw Daria get out of Trent’s car and enter the Historia. ‘Did she find out what I told her about?’ she wondered. She followed her in.


Daria found that many of the Lawndale High students in the café were talking about the previous night’s events.

“Daria?” It was Mrs. Rowe.

“I’m just checking something.”

“Or everything?”

“Maybe,” Daria considered.

“You’re not the only one who’s jittery due to what happened last night.”

“How is Stacy holding up?”

“Surprisingly, she’s not the one I’m talking about,” Mrs. Rowe said.

“Quinn?”

“No, not her either. It was Andrea.”

“I don’t know her, really,” Daria said. “She couldn’t have been the only one.”

“No, just the most noticeable. What specifically are you worried about?”

“Just that the rumored fourth vigilante has been sighted here.”

“None of them have been here,” Mrs. Rowe said. “If they have been, it’s as their secret identities.”

Daria looked around. ‘Any of these teens? But what else is new?’ “I’ll not hold you up for longer.”


Elisabeth watched Daria look around. ‘Better let her check.’ Helen had told her how stubborn she could be.


Sandi had overheard the conversation. ‘Somehow, someone witnessed my encounter with the Shadow,’ she thought. She had thought they were alone. ‘I don’t think Daria is her.’

“May I help you, Sandi?” Mrs. Rowe asked.

“I’m fine. I’ll have several energy drinks.”

“Not healthy to have so many.”

“That’s what Mother said,” Sandi said in annoyance.

“You should listen to her. How are you holding up, given last night?”

“I’m fine,” Sandi said. She walked off looking for Daria.


Daria wasn’t sure what she was looking for exactly. Every room in the old theater looked as it should. ‘Maybe the outside,’ she thought, as she went to the main stairs.


She emerged onto the roof. She quickly found that there wasn’t anything out of place. ‘Then why did I come here?’ she asked herself as she looked out over Lawndale. ‘I may have only been here for 16 months, but it feels more like home than Highland ever did,’ she thought. ‘What is happening here is what is happening in many other places across the country, but last night was an aberration, something unusual.’ She looked around at the town, towards the School, then over the sprawl northwest, towards the Giant Strawberry.
‘One place I haven’t been to yet,’ she considered. She continued looking at the town, circling around to the court house clock tower, and then the Creek, looking at the bridges and some of the apartment complexes in Lawndale Flats. ‘I did hear Jodie tell Quinn that most of the Black population lives there,’ Daria considered. That was another thing. ‘I’d like to know the demographic data, but it’s probably out of date.’ She looked around at the Strawberry again. ‘But maybe there’s something there?’
As unlikely as that seemed, she couldn’t rule out a connection to the vigilante heroes. ‘There has to be someone here who would be willing to drive me there,’ she thought as she turned back to the roof door.


Daria found Sandi waiting on the stairs. “What do you want?” she asked.

“Did you ask Jane about what we talked about?” Sandi asked.

“Yes! She’s not one of the vigilantes.”


Sandi considered Daria’s response. ‘I can draw suspicion away from myself,’ she thought. “What about the fourth?” she asked.

Daria’s eyes narrowed. “She isn’t. All she’s doing is putting together an art project that involves Lawndale’s streetscape!”

“I doubt that.”

“You can doubt it as much as you want. It’s the truth.”

“But not the whole truth,” Sandi insisted.


“I still think you’re trying to drive a rift between Jane and I. I’m having none of it,” Daria said before pushing past the other girl.

“Haven’t there been times when she has been unavailable?”

“So? The same is true of Quinn and I know why she is so.”

“I thought I knew her,” Sandi said sadly. “But I didn’t.”

“She’s changing due to grief, and so am I,” Daria explained as she continued down the stairs.

“Wait!”


Daria dashed into the café, hoping to lose Sandi. She looked around and found Kevin Thompson. ‘Kevin? Why him? I have no assurance that his jeep would run well or that he wouldn’t be distracted.’

“Daria!” Kevin called out.

“Oh no! What is it? I don’t want to talk about last night with you.”

“Really?”

“No! Find Jodie, or something,” Daria said.

“Mrs. Rowe says she and Mack Daddy were here earlier.”

“You know he hates that, right?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Kevin denied.

Daria sighed. “Is Brittany here?”

“She isn’t. Like, I called earlier, and Ashley-Amber said she was out. She has been out a lot lately.”

‘Maybe she’s taking last night hard. Maybe I’ll find her at the Strawberry. But still, who to hitch a ride with other than Kevin or Sandi?’


Sandi entered the café. She saw Daria talking to that idiot of a Quarterback and overheard him say that Brittany had been out a lot. ‘That’s interesting,’ she thought, although she wasn’t sure how. “Daria!”


Daria turned from Kevin. “Sandi! I told you!”

“At least look more into it!” Sandi said.

“Look more into what?” Kevin asked.

“Jane is up to something and Daria doesn’t know about it,” Sandi said.

“Really?” Kevin asked.

“No,” Daria answered. “It’s like when the Fashion Club ended. She’s just stirring up trouble.”

“Yeah, Quinn and Tori said that you didn’t like how Quinn changed, or something,” Kevin said.

“I never knew Quinn!” Sandi said.

“Or you had a warped view of her,” Daria said. “And Stacy and Tiffany didn’t.”

“That’s not it!” Sandi said.

“What’s going on here?” Mrs. Rowe asked as she came over.

Daria looked around. She saw that the conversation had drawn attention.

“Sandi is stirring up trouble, again. But she can stay, I was heading out.”

“Oh. But did you find anything out of order?” Mrs. Rowe asked.

“Nothing.”

“What did you think was out of order?” Sandi asked.

“Jane said the fourth vigilante was here,” Daria answered.

“There’s no fourth vigilante,” Kevin said. “There were only SpiderGirl, the ninja and the Shadow last night.”

“Maybe you could take this into the lobby?” Mrs. Rowe asked.

“I’m finished,” Daria said. “I was looking for a ride to the Giant Strawberry.”

“Something there too?” Mrs. Rowe asked.

“Probably.”

“I can take you,” Sandi said.

“Great!” Daria groused.


Sandi and Daria drove away from the Historia. Daria was silent.

“So, what is Quinn up to?” Sandi asked.

“None of your business, other than trimming my hair and designing things.”

“I see those clips. They suit you.”

“I didn’t wear them to impress you,” Daria said. “Or anyone else. Merely practicality, given my growing hair.”

“You’re growing it?”

“Yes. One of many changes.”

Sandi then turned into a less busy street. “Want to get to the Strawberry in less than five minutes?” she asked in a mischievous tone.

“Not without breaking the speed limit,” Daria responded. “But you’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I’m a rebel now.”

“You still look like the Queen Bee you’ve always been.”

“My style is the same,” Sandi said as she flicked a switch on the dashboard and accelerated.

“Don’t tell me that’s nitrous! Why would your mother have that?”

Sandi just chuckled as she burned rubber.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 2
True to her word, Sandi pulled up into the Giant Strawberry’s parking lot with screeching rubber just over four minutes later. Daria stopped trembling and got out of the car. ‘How did she manage to drift around those corners?’ she wondered. Were teens in Lawndale secretly street racing? ‘If so, I hope Quinn isn’t involved.’ It was another thing for her to look into.

“What are you looking for?” Sandi asked as she locked the car.

“You’re staying?”

“I get the feeling you will want to go elsewhere shortly, just as you did at the Historia.”

“A wild goose chase across Lawndale,” Daria commented. “Probably.”

“Again…”

“The vigilantes.”

“Only one time, SpiderGirl was mentioned being here,” Sandi said.

“When was that?”

“Around the time the Fashion Club ended.”

“There may still be something,” Daria responded, “Come on.”


Daria and Sandi cooperated in their search of the Strawberry and then climbed to the top and looked out over Lawndale. “Where to next?” Sandi asked.

“Probably back to Jane’s,” Daria responded as she looked through a telescope at High Hills Park.

“Not that much of a wild goose chase if it’s only two places.”

“Good point,” Daria said as she moved the telescope southwards. “The Mall.”

“Which one?” Sandi asked.

“The Lawndale Mall, but that would take the rest of the afternoon and I’m sure my sister told you I hate shopping, even window shopping. The parking lot looks as full as ever. I guess the term ‘retail therapy’ is accurate.”


Sandi looked through another telescope. “These are powerful enough to see individual people halfway across town. Maybe we could sight SpiderGirl in the distance,” she suggested. ‘But how to change to the Enigma without Daria noticing?’ she shook her head. She wanted to see where the wild goose chase went.

“Just as likely to see that fourth vigilante and not recognize her,” Daria said as she looked at another spot.

‘How right you are, Daria,’ Sandi thought with an inward chuckle.

“We will go to High Hills Park. Then to Jane’s,” Daria decided.

“And if you find something there?”

“It’s getting late.”


It was another high speed run to High Hills Park. ‘I suppose I could get used to Sandi’s use of nitrous, if she did it on the Interstate. Maybe that is where the racing is happening.’ She shook her head, if it was happening, it was certainly happening on Lawndale’s streets.


Sandi watched as Daria walked around the park, looking on the ground and in the bushes. ‘She’s certainly after something,’ she thought.


‘This has been a wild goose chase,’ Daria thought as she came back to Mrs. Griffin’s car. ‘But how am I going to explain to Quinn that I spent part of the afternoon with Sandi? It’s best that she hears about it from me rather than on the grapevine!’

“So, Jane’s?” Sandi asked.

“Yes. I’m sure you know where it is.”

Sandi nodded. “Howard Drive.”


Sandi pulled up outside Casa Lane as the sun began to set. “This has been an interesting afternoon,” she said.

“Yes. Thanks for the ride, even if you went fast,” Daria said as she got out.

“Like, see you another time,” Sandi said before speeding off.


“What? Sandi?” Jane asked.

“It was either her, or Kevin.”

“I would have picked Kevin.”

“I’m sure Quinn will say the same thing,” Daria said. “It was, interesting, crossing Lawndale with her. But I probably won’t do it again.”

“Probably.”

“If I do a wild goose chase across town again, I’ll probably do it with you or Quinn.”

“Probably?” Jane asked.

“I think I’m going to investigate what is happening in Lawndale, including the person who attacked last night, and the vigilantes.”

“I’ll help you then.”

“But first, I need to get home,” Daria said.


As Daria walked off, Jane thought about what she said. ‘She won’t find out that I’m the Shadow easily,’ she thought.


In the kitchen, Quinn heard Daria explain what had happened that afternoon. She wasn’t disappointed, annoyed or angry that Daria had hung out with Sandi. Daria knew how to handle herself.

“… I didn’t want to betray your trust by not being honest,” Daria concluded.

“Daria, it’s fine,” Quinn responded. “I would have done the same in your place. But what were you worried about to begin with?”

“I saw that Jane had marked an appearance of the fourth vigilante at the Historia and I wanted to check it over. I guess last night’s events have me a little spooked.”

“They would spook anyone. I heard many people talk about that this morning.”

“Then I went up on the roof and looked at the roof and at the town, including the Giant Strawberry,” Daria added.

“And then you wanted to check it out.”

“Did you know Sandi is involved in street racing?”

“Yes,” Quinn answered.

“Right. But are you?”

“No, but Stacy is, as surprising as that may seem.”

“Stacy,” Daria considered. “Anyway. Sandi asked me if I wanted to get to the Strawberry in less than five minutes…”


“…and so I am going to investigate what’s happening in town.”

“It comes back to what you said in Freemont, doesn’t it?” Quinn asked.

“If you want to,” Daria said.

“Then yes, Daria, of course I’ll help solve crime with you. As well as with Jane. But probably not alongside Sandi.”

Daria could hear the stress in her sister’s tone. “I wouldn’t ask you to.”


Quinn went back up to her room. ‘Another thing, on top of everything else. Helping Daria investigate without her finding out I’m SpiderGirl or that Brittany is Ninja Talon.’ She looked out the window and down the street. ‘I can do it,’ she thought with determination. ‘But I will tell Brittany what is happening.’


After dinner, Sandi went up to her room, ready for another search. But first, she reflected on the time spent with Daria. ‘I’ll probably join her again on those wild goose chases, and if they’re not, it would probably be another way Lawndale can be helped.’ She opened the yearbook. “Kerrie-lea Bayliss,” she considered.

She downed one of the energy drinks she had bought at the Historia earlier. “Finddu mann sem heiter: Kerrie-lea Bayliss!”

She found Kerrie-lea Bayliss at the Historia, where more people were present in the café than when she was there with Daria.

“Six down.”


Quinn felt the tingle again. She took out the notebook. ‘Saturday night: Low tingle again. Whoever it is is keeping it up. Last night’s events haven’t changed it. Also, Daria wants to investigate crime.’ She then continued her designs for a resilient suit.


Shortly before bed, Daria emerged into the backyard. She went into the middle of the yard and looked back at the house as she shone her flashlight on the roof. ‘The vigilantes certainly can use it to watch the neighborhood while remaining unobserved from the street,’ she thought. ‘But I need sleep.’


The Enigma left home at the now usual time. She decided to head toward the Historia and then re-trace the journey she had with Daria across Lawndale. ‘Maybe I’ll find what we missed earlier.’


Linda was still awake. She had had nightmares the night before, and she knew that Sandi had used the nitrous that day. She also was not unaware of the street racing that Sandi had partaken in in the past. ‘Just as well she doesn’t have her own car yet.’


The Enigma climbed the Historia and then looked out over the town much as Daria had over nine hours earlier. She looked at the Giant Strawberry first. ‘It probably would be difficult to see if the Moon wasn’t up,’ she thought. She then looked around at the town. ‘Nothing unusual,’ she thought as she glanced towards Lawndale Flats. ‘I won’t go there yet.’ She looked towards High Hills Park, but saw it was hidden by a rise covered in houses and trees. ‘I’ll look at it from the Strawberry.’
She saw that the downtown was deserted. ‘The Shadow isn’t here. I can’t see SpiderGirl. So, to the Strawberry it is!’


As the Enigma headed across Lawndale from the Historia, an Oscorp satellite passed overhead and took images of the town…


Ninja Talon had kept to the shadows beneath the trees as she headed to Glen Oaks Lane from Crewe Neck. She approached the Morgendorffers from the laneway and saw that Daria’s light was out and that SpiderGirl was waiting for her on the roof.


SpiderGirl saw Ninja Talon arrive. “How was this afternoon?” the latter asked.

“It was fine. The usual, but something else has come up.”

“What?”

“Daria is going to investigate the situation. And by situation, I mean everything, including us and the other heroes,” SpiderGirl answered.

“Because of last night?”

“Yes. I think she was going to anyway, but it was like an accelerant.”

“Oh,” Ninja Talon commented.

“And she had a wild goose chase across town with Sandi. It seems she was on the top of the Historia not long after we were.”

“So, we need to be more careful there.”

“Yes,” SpiderGirl added, before explaining what Daria had done with Sandi.


“So, we make sure she doesn’t find out,” Ninja Talon said when SpiderGirl had concluded. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“I agree, but we will have to be even more careful.”

Ninja Talon nodded. “And I haven’t heard anything about the attacker. It’s like he just vanished.”

“Or biding his time, while he repairs that glider.”

“Good point.”


The Enigma arrived at the Giant Strawberry and looked around much as she did earlier. ‘Nothing that I didn’t notice earlier,’ she thought as she climbed up again. She looked through the telescopes, hoping to find SpiderGirl as she had suggested to Daria earlier. ‘She would stick out like a sore thumb, much more than I would.’


After talking to Ninja Talon, SpiderGirl had patrolled between the Morgendorffers’ neighborhood and the downtown, rescuing one person in Dega Street from a mugger. She was out of sight from the vantage point of the Giant Strawberry.


The Enigma spent fifteen minutes looking through the telescope before deciding to head towards High Hills Park.


At High Hills Park, she found nothing other than a few Wiccans performing a ritual. She watched them from the distance before wandering the rest of the park, before heading towards Howard Drive.


She looked at the Lanes’ place. ‘What exactly, is Jane up to? What is Daria refusing to see?’ She was sure that the Lanes were up to something. ‘Is Jane one of the other vigilantes?’ she asked herself once again. ‘I could keep an eye on the house, but that would be boring.’ She decided to head home.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Sunday February 4, 2001
What does the Groundhog Day Attack Mean For Lawndale?

Lawndale collectively was still in a state of shock following the Groundhog Day Attack. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise that it was a common topic at the various church communities in the town.


After breakfast Daria was ready to start her investigation. ‘But Quinn is sleeping in,’ she thought as she finished her tea and put the cup in the dishwasher. ‘I guess I’ll start without her.’


She went to the ruins of the Lawndale Center first. Armed with a notebook, she spent about an hour taking observations.


“Daria?”

“Brittany?”

“I see you’re looking into the attack too?” Brittany asked while twirling her hair.

“Yes. What has been happening in Lawndale. It’s unusual, what with the vigilantes and all.”

“Especially SpiderGirl?”

“Including SpiderGirl,” Daria said. “That was the start of the unusual events. When she appeared.”

“I see,” Brittany said. ‘It is going to be difficult to protect Quinn’s secret, but not impossible,’ she thought. “What about the others?”

“Of course,” Daria said. “There is a connection with Ninja Talon. The Shadow, not so much. The fourth, even less so.”

‘At least she’s unaware of the name,’ Brittany thought. “So, you’re starting with the attack?”

“Yes.”

“By yourself?”

“Probably not. With Quinn, sometimes. Also using Jane’s art project,” Daria answered. “In which she’s been inspired by Lawndale’s streetscape.”

“Oooh!”

“And I spent part of yesterday racing across town with Sandi. Did you know…”

“Street racing,” Brittany interrupted. “I know she is into it.”

“Right. Is there anyone who doesn’t know?”

“Kevin doesn’t.”

“I stepped into that one,” Daria admitted. “Besides Kevin.”

“I’m not sure.”

“So, what do you know of the vigilantes?”

“Nothing,” Brittany lied.

“You do know something.”

“I have met SpiderGirl, the Shadow and the fourth.”

“When were these?”

“Last year, just after DeMartino was arrested, for SpiderGirl. Two weeks ago for the Shadow. A few days ago for the fourth.”


Daria considered Brittany’s answer. ‘Doesn’t seem like she’s lying,’ she thought. “Would you like to help me as well as the others?”

“Sure!” Brittany said enthusiastically. “But what have you found this morning?”

“Not much,” Daria admitted. “I have just written down what I found here. I haven’t analysed it yet.”

“You could make a copy,” Brittany suggested.

“Sure. Maybe you’ll have an insight I wouldn’t.”


Daria took out a spare sheet of paper and a clipboard, and copied what she had written down, before giving it to Brittany. “Maybe we can talk about it at school tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“I’m going to Jane’s now.”

“To contribute to the project?”

“Maybe.”

“Those clips look good by the way.”


Brittany watched Daria leave, remembering the discussion with Quinn the previous night. Once she had gone some distance, she went to the amenities block and changed to Ninja Talon.


Jane yawned as she answered the door. “Daria, it’s still early.”

“I have spent most of the morning at the ruins and talking to Brittany afterwards,” Daria said as she entered.

“What did Brittany want?” Jane asked.


“So, she’s helping you to?” Jane asked as she poured the coffee in the kitchen.

“Yes,” Daria answered.

“Let me get this straight. You’re looking over my project, racing on wild goose chases with Sandi, investigating with Quinn and now getting help from Brittany. That is a lot, Daria.”

“I know, but I will be able to manage it.”

“Just not all in one day,” Jane said.

“Obviously, not with all four on school days. Today might be an exception, if I run into Sandi again.”

“It might be unlikely.”

“I will go to the Historia for lunch. I’ll see if she’s there or not.”

“Still unlikely.”


Over the next couple of hours, Daria analysed what she had found at the ruins, while also looking at Jane’s sketch. At the same time, Jane made more sketches from her existing ones and marked more spots on the maps of Lawndale.


Ninja Talon watched the house in Howard Drive for a short while, before heading back downtown.


SpiderGirl came along a short while later. ‘But is Daria there now?’ she asked herself. She wasn’t sure. She decided to retrace Daria and Sandi’s wild goose chase in reverse, so she headed towards High Hills Park.


SpiderGirl looked around the park and saw that it was mostly deserted. ‘People are probably afraid to be out after the attack. I will find that attacker. Or at least take out that glider craft somehow.’ She already had some ideas about that, mostly involving alleys. ‘But how, without causing more destruction.’

She then headed to the Giant Strawberry.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 3
Daria and Jane arrived at the Historia. “So, what did you find?” Jane asked as they entered.

“Not much beyond what the Sun-Herald reported,” Daria admitted. “The attacker used missiles to destroy the Hall. There was what looked like scraps of fabric lying around, like the vigilantes were injured as they fought the attacker.”

‘That’s true,’ Jane thought. ‘SpiderGirl did get scratched.’

“But there’s not much more. I would need to get closer.”

“Maybe you need to approach the police,” Jane suggested.

“Maybe, but would they give me the time of day?” Daria asked as they came up to the counter.


SpiderGirl arrived at the Giant Strawberry. ‘I’m sure there’s nothing here,’ she thought. She swung up to the top and looked through a telescope towards the Historia. ‘It looks fine from here.’ She then looked around at the rest of the town as it was visible from that vantage point.


“Daria!” It was Stacy, who was also working that day.

“Hi, Stacy.”

“Mom says you were running around town yesterday.”

“I was, I’m sure she told you I left here with Sandi,” Daria said.

“Yes. I hope you didn’t come to blows.”

“I didn’t, although I was tempted to.”

“Thank goodness,” Stacy said.

“I found out about the street racing.”

“You didn’t already know?”

“No, and getting to the Strawberry in less than five minutes from here was slightly shocking,” Daria said.

“In the daytime? She never used to do that!”

“She did say that she’s a rebel now.”

“I guess that explains it,” Stacy said, although she sounded uncertain.

“Also, your mom also said you’re holding up well given what happened Friday.”

“I guess I’m still taking it in.”

“Every person is different,” Daria said.


Daria and Jane were still having lunch when Quinn entered the café. “Sorry, I slept in,” she said as she came up to them.

“It’s fine,” Daria said.

“I’m sure you needed the sleep,” Jane said.

“Thanks. I’ll order something.”


Quinn returned to the table and Daria laid out what she had found that morning, although she didn’t mention meeting Brittany.


‘Maybe I’ll head there by myself afterwards,’ Quinn thought. ‘I’m thankful for the enhanced healing, otherwise there would have been scars.’

“What do you think?” Daria asked.

“I think you have found important clues,” Quinn answered. “But what caused the scratches and the fabric to come off SpiderGirl’s suit? Was it shrapnel from the explosions, or something else?”

“Good questions, Quinn,” Daria said as she wrote in her notebook.

“Anything else?” Jane asked.

“That all I can think of at the moment. We need to go there after I have lunch,” Quinn answered.

“Sure,” Daria agreed.


After lunch, Quinn, Daria and Jane went down the street, to the Lawndale Center. Jane started taking photos as the Morgendorffer sisters looked around taking notes.


“It will take until tomorrow for the photos to be developed,” Jane said, as they came to a photo development store.

“Obviously,” Daria said.


They then returned to the Historia, where they looked over Daria and Quinn’s notes. “Not much more than this morning,” Daria said.

“But there’s still more?” Quinn asked.

“Yes. Some of the debris seems to be in strange positions,” Daria answered.

“What do you mean?” Jane asked.

Daria grabbed one of the sketches. “I’m not sure. It just seemed unusual. I will probably need to consult with Ms. Barch or Miss Sanderson.”

“I would recommend Miss Sanderson,” Quinn said.

“She’s easier to work with?” Daria asked.

“I think so,” Quinn answered. “And not as likely to get distracted by dislike of males as Ms. Barch.”

“That’s a good point,” Jane said.

“Miss Sanderson then,” Daria decided.


Quinn wondered what Daria’s finding meant. ‘Does it have something to do with what the Enigma did?’ She wasn’t sure. ‘I’ll come back later tonight.’


“What’s next, Daria?” Jane asked as the three left the Historia again.

“Not much. Tomorrow I will go to Sanderson after school and talk to Ted about interviewing all the students at school about the past few months. I will also go to the Library and look at the Sun-Herald’s documentation of the same period.

“That’s a lot,” Quinn said.

“I know that. It will take time to interview each student. Therefore, I will start with the Seniors. I’m sure I’ll get through them all before they graduate.”

“I think that’s a tall order,” Jane said.

“I know it is,” Daria said with a sigh. “I will try to take it slowly, but Lawndale may not have time, especially if whoever is responsible for Friday night is still out there.”


“You’re welcome to come back with us to my place,” Jane said to Quinn.

“Thanks, but I’ll be doing some shopping here,” Quinn said. That, and she wanted to check in on Angie, she said pointing towards Angie’s mother’s shop across the street.

“OK,” Daria said. “See you at home.”


Quinn entered Zammits Boutique and saw that Angie was working that day. “Angie?”

“Hi, Quinn. You were working at the Historia today?”

“Yesterday. But how are you, given what happened Friday?”

“I’m fine,” Angie answered. “But, the attack has increased my determination to leave Lawndale!”

“If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.”

“That’s true, but with a fourth vigilante…”

“I see that has you more concerned,” Quinn said.

“Like, SpiderGirl was fine.”

“But?”

“Ninja Talon too, I could handle that. But the Shadow? That doesn’t sound good,” Angie said.

‘Oops!’ Quinn thought. “It sounds good to me.”

“How?”

“Like, casting a shadow on crime.”

“I see that we see things differently,” Angie murmured.

“Maybe. But maybe we could talk about it.”

“Maybe,” Angie considered.


Leaving Zammit’s Boutique, Quinn knew she had her work cut out for her reassuring Angie. ‘I’ll probably not name any further heroes on a whim.’


As the sun set, Daria found her mother placing the lasagne in the oven.

“Quinn tells me you’re investigating what is happening in town now,” she said.

“Yes,” Daria answered. “Especially after the attack on Friday night.”

“I’m sure the Police, FBI and SHIELD already have some idea of what happened.”

“I doubt it. If the person was captured, it would have already been in the news.”

“True,” her mother said. “But with Quinn and Jane? As well as with Sandi? Sounds like it’s going to be taking up a lot of your time.”

“I’ll be careful not to let it,” Daria said, wondering if her mother knew anything about the street racing. ‘Probably not.’

“Good. But why Sandi? Given that Quinn and her have fallen out?”

“I’m not sure why. It’s a stone I’m not leaving unturned.”

“Just make sure that she’s not using you as she used Quinn,” her mother said.


Sandi was ready for another search. “Melissa Berridge,” she considered. She downed the energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Melissa Berridge!”

She found Melissa in her house, which was not far from the Giant Strawberry. “Seven down.”

‘Maybe to the Strawberry again tonight?’ she wondered. She shook her head. ‘It’s time for Daria to meet the Enigma.’


Linda watched as Sandi practiced. She saw that her forcefield generation was improving. ‘That’s good. She will need it if she confronts that pilot again.’


Jane looked at one of her sketches of the Enigma. ‘Who are you? Someone who’s figuring herself out? Daria?’ She shook her head. ‘That’s unlikely.’ But she couldn’t rule it out. ‘I guess that’s what the Shadow is doing tonight!’ She then looked at her sketches of SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. ‘I still have no idea who you are.’


“You think Daria is the fourth vigilante?” Trent asked as Jane suited up as the Shadow.

“I can’t rule it out.”

“Maybe, but casing the Morgendorffers’ house? There has to be another way.”

“I can’t think of one,” Jane said.

“What if it is Daria? What then?”

“Then I’ll reveal my secret identity to her. The same if she’s Quinn.”

“I guess that’s fine,” Trent responded.

“I’ll probably be a while.”


The Shadow took up a position on a neighbor’s roof, where she could see the back of the house. She also saw that Daria’s light was on and that Quinn’s was off.


SpiderGirl returned to Glen Oaks Lane and saw that the Shadow was on a neighbor’s roof. ‘Has to be a coincidence, right? Why would she be watching our house?’


“SpiderGirl?” the Shadow asked when the other hero swung up in front of her.

“Hi, Shadow. I see that you are watching that house.”

“I am.”

“Why? As far as I know, the Morgendorffers are just a normal grieving family.”

“So, you know there was a death in the family,” the Shadow said.

“Like, there was an obituary. I read it. But why are you here?”

“One of the daughters could be the fourth vigilante.”


SpiderGirl took what the Shadow said in. ‘She thinks Daria or myself is the Enigma? I don’t want her finding out about me this way!’

“So, they could be?” the Shadow said, having noticed her hesitation.

“Maybe. Or maybe not. I could watch the house for you, if you like. Or we could do it together,” SpiderGirl said. ‘Until she grows tired of waiting.’

“Sure.”


They sat there for over an hour. The Shadow refused SpiderGirl’s attempts at small talk, merely talking about what they had found out so far about the attack. ‘She doesn’t know much more than I do,’ the Shadow thought.


The Shadow looked at the time. Well over an hour. Daria’s light was still on and Quinn’s light was still out. ‘I guess she’s on a date,’ she thought. ‘Not the Enigma.’ She turned to SpiderGirl, who was fidgeting. “I’ll be off then.”


‘Finally!’ SpiderGirl thought. She didn’t know whether the Shadow would just sit there all night. “Sorry I bothered you with the small talk.”

“That’s fine, see you another time,” the Shadow said, as she turned, produced a cloud and vanished off the roof.

‘But which way did she go?’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung down next to the house. She crept around to the basement hatch.


The Shadow waited on Glen Oaks Lane for a short while. Quinn’s light stayed off, although she noted that Helen’s light was on. ‘I guess she’s doing work in her room, rather than the lounge room.’


Quinn sneaked into her room, not turning on the light. She grabbed her notebook and went back down to the basement.


Down in the basement, she brainstormed. “Now, who would suspect a Morgendorffer is the fourth vigilante?” she wondered out loud. She could think of a number of fellow Lawndale High students right up.

Possible secret identities for the Shadow (in no particular order)

Stacy Rowe
Tiffa

‘Not Tiffany.’

Tori Jericho
Sandi Griffin

“I hope not! Ugh!”

Anna Felicia Coultard
Jane Lane
Jodie Landon
Angie Zammit

‘I doubt it.’

She then wrote several more names, including Donna Bolton, Tania Ashworth and Jenna Oberton-Schwartz.

“That’s a lot of people,” she considered.

She then continued her design for the hatch from the closet to the attic.


The Shadow arrived back at Casa Lane.

“Did you find anything?” Trent asked.

“No. SpiderGirl showed up though. We cased the Morgendorffers together for over an hour. Daria was there, and Quinn’s light was out, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t there.”

“True. Are you going to do it again?”

“Not tomorrow night,” Jane answered.

“It’s probably not a good idea to do it too often.”


After midnight, Daria awoke and went out to the hallway. She had considered that trying to climb onto the roof from one of her windows would be dangerous without a tree nearby, so she opened the attic hatch.

A few minutes later, she climbed out onto the roof from a rear window that had been opened slightly. ‘I guess Quinn has been climbing out here too. Maybe that is who Jane saw?’ But that seemed unlikely.

She found that there was someone there, clad in a purple suit and mask, with brown hair tied back in a high ponytail. “Oh! I guess you’re the fourth vigilante who’s more than a rumor?”

“Yes, I’m the Enigma.”

“Daria Morgendorffer, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

“You’re an infamous nonconformist at Lawndale High.”

“Yes, but why Enigma?”

“Like, I am sorting things out. Ninja Talon and the Shadow also asked that.”

“I guess I have that in common with them. But why are you here?” Daria asked.

“I heard on the grapevine that you’re investigating what’s going on in Lawndale.”

“Yes, including you and the other vigilantes.”

“I have nothing to do with the other heroes,” the Enigma said. “I didn’t want to meet Ninja Talon and I tried to meet the Shadow on my own terms.”

“It didn’t work out that way? But what about SpiderGirl?”

“It didn’t! And I want to confront SpiderGirl and then be her rival.”

“How would a rivalry between you and SpiderGirl be good for Lawndale?” Daria asked.

“Much the same as Ninja Talon and the Shadow asked.”

“Maybe you need to reconsider your priorities.”

“I will do what it takes to protect Lawndale!” The Enigma said vehemently. “That includes helping you in your investigation.”

“I admit that you’re the only one who has sought me out so far. And that you can help me get places I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”

“Exactly. So, where to first?”

“The ruins of the Lawndale Center,” Daria answered. “I’d like to get in there and see more than what can be seen from the street.”

“Sure. Let’s go then,” the Enigma said. She walked to the east end of the roof, above Daria’s room. She threw a rope over to a tree in the neighbor’s yard. “Hold on.”

“Sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Daria grabbed on to the Enigma, who then swung down from the top of the house.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 4
“Ah!” Daria called out as she reached the ground a little quickly.

“Sorry,” the Enigma said. “I’m still getting used to this.”

“But you have powers don’t you?” Daria asked as she let go. “I noticed something just then; our trajectory changed a little as we came to the ground.”

“Yes. Telekinesis,” the Enigma answered. Her hands then glowed with purple. “And energy projections.”

“I see,” Daria responded. “And you haven’t mastered them yet.”

“No,” The Enigma admitted. “But my mentor is continuing to teach me, despite not wanting me to do this.”

“I’m sure they’re looking out for you.”

“Yes. But let’s go. I’m sure you don’t want to take too long, given it’s a school night.”

“I’ll manage,” Daria responded.

They quietly walked quickly along the street.


They reached the Lawndale Center twenty minutes later. “My mentor and I helped during the situation,” the Enigma said.

“And the news reports focused on SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Shadow,” Daria added as she wrote in her notebook. ‘Enigma’s mentor helped.”

“I hid behind that tree,” the Enigma said, pointing at a tree. “And I shot energy projections at the attacker’s craft. It was difficult, as I didn’t want to hit SpiderGirl and the other two.”

Daria wrote that down. “What did your mentor do?”

“She said that she found an out of the way place and held up the roof, where it was threatening to collapse, with her powers.”

“So, she’s not a vigilante?”

“No,” the Enigma answered. “At least not in Lawndale, and not recently.”

‘That might explain the strange debris patterns. If the Enigma’s mentor was intervening with telekinetic powers.’


They entered the ruins and started looking around. The Enigma took out a camera and started taking photos.


SpiderGirl crawled out on the roof at the usual time and noticed that one of the rear windows was ajar. She looked around. ‘Has Daria been on the roof?’ she wondered before she began listening to Lawndale as she usually did.


After an hour and a half, Daria had gathered more data. It had been slow going, given that she and the Enigma were trying to not dislodge any debris.

“Time?” the Enigma asked.

“Yes, I’m getting tired and I want to be focused to continue my investigation tomorrow at school.”

“Oh?”

“I will be asking Ted Dewit-Clinton to interview the Seniors about their experiences over the last few months,” Daria answered.

“That’s a tall order.”

“That’s what Jane and my sister said.”

“It will take a lot of time,” the Enigma pointed out.

“True, along with going through the newspaper articles since SpiderGirl appeared.”

“So, it’s a long term thing.”

“Most likely,” Daria said. “Although things in Lawndale will certainly get worse.”


SpiderGirl arrived near the northern edge of town, near the Interstate after hearing something in that direction. She saw Peterson there. ‘Act normal,’ she thought.

“SpiderGirl,” Peterson said. “We have this situation in hand. A would be break and enter, and a citizen’s arrest.”

“That’s good.”

“I’m afraid there is no clue who attacked the Festival yet.”

“What has been found so far?” SpiderGirl asked.

“Nothing. Either that or I haven’t been made privy to the information.”

‘Because the Department knows that she interacts with Ninja Talon and I,’ SpiderGirl considered. “Right, I’ll tell Ninja Talon that when I meet her next.”


The Enigma and Daria returned to the Morgendorffers’ house. “I’m sorry It hasn’t been more helpful,” the former said as she flung a rope onto the roof from the backyard.

“Actually it was quite helpful. I found out some things I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Daria responded.

“Cool.”

Daria climbed up the rope slowly, making it up onto the roof two minutes later. The Enigma followed her. “You probably need a grapple gun.”

“I’ll probably refine my powers first, but I’ll think about it.”


The Enigma headed home, sure that she had done enough for the night. Daria went to sleep as soon as she got back in her room.


SpiderGirl returned and saw that the attic window was now closed. ‘What is Daria up to?’ she wondered. She looked around, there was no way for her sister to get down without help. ‘Did the Shadow come back and talk to her somewhere?’ She wasn’t sure.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Monday, February 5, 2001
No Progress in Search for Person Responsible for the Groundhog Day Attack
Quinn came down for breakfast and saw Daria already eating. ‘How to broach this?’ she wondered. “Were you on the roof last night?” she asked. ‘Not like that!’

“Did you hear something?” Daria asked.

“I didn’t,” Quinn answered. “But I noticed that one of the windows was open when I went outside.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“No.”

“I was up there,” Daria said. “And I found the fourth vigilante waiting for me.”

‘What?’ Quinn asked. ‘First the Shadow and now the Enigma?’ She opened a cupboard and grabbed the cereal.

“Exactly as I said.”

“Right. What happened?”

“We went off and looked at the Lawndale Center,” Daria answered.

“You might be getting in over your head,” Quinn said in a worried tone.

“I know how to look after myself.”

“I know, but maybe you’re biting off more than you can chew. That's four people you are investigating with. Five if you include Ted.”

Daria then looked thoughtful.

‘Then again, if she is bogging herself down, she’s less likely to find our secret identities. But is that good for Lawndale?’ Quinn wondered as she poured the milk.


“Good Morning, Students of La-awndale High! An emergency Assembly will be held next period to discuss the impact of the Attack on Friday Night!” Ms. Li announced straight after Homeroom.

‘Of course,’ Daria thought.


At an Oscorp facility on the northern edge of Lawndale, Norman Osborn met one of his engineers. “How are the repairs coming?” he asked.

“Almost complete,” the engineer reported. “The failed avionics have been replaced. But there is something else concerning.”

“What is that?”

“We found what appears to be the remains of a shuriken in one of the port engine bays.”

“Really?” Osborn asked.

“Yes. Was there a confrontation with a ninja, like say, Ninja Talon?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you saying that I’m responsible for that attack?”

“I’m not saying anything,” the engineer said. “Whoever tested it might have gone off and did something.”

“Is the engine repaired?”

“Not yet, but it will be later today.”

“Good, and I don’t want to hear any further accusations,” Osborn said.


Osborn left the facility. He needed to see his counselor, but she was back in New York. He had to be in Lawndale! ‘I’m sure she’ll come here if I say it’s urgent.’ He headed back to the office, before he would go to the High School for Ms. Li’s answer about the CCTV later in the day.


Back at the High School, the Emergency Assembly started.

“As you know, there was an attack on the Lawndale Center on Friday night,” Ms. Li said. “Full counselling will be available for any student or staff member who wants it. Mrs. Manson will provide the details.”

Mrs. Manson then went to the podium.


Ms. Li then continued. “As far as I know, only four students were present at the festivities at the time of the attack, although more may have been present. They were Ted Dewit-Clinton, Anna Coultard, Brittany Taylor and Ben Harrod. All of them were accounted for afterwards. And now, Anna Coultard will read the story she was about to read when the attack started,” Ms. Li said.


Daria caught up with Ted at Lunch. “How are you holding up, Ted?” Daria asked when she had sat down.

“I’m fine, Daria, thanks,” Ted said. “I was close to the door when it started. So, I was able to get out quickly.”

“That’s good.”

“I was able to see SpiderGirl help in the evacuation, so that was good. It will be in the Lowdown this week.”

“Good, because that’s what wanted to talk to you about.”

“Something to do with the Lowdown?” Ted asked. “You want to contribute? Quinn has been occasionally since the holidays.”

“Really?” Daria asked.

“Yes. She’s not only branching out by mentoring Anna, Ben, Gerald and Angie. It was after I got out of the hospital that she started.”

“I will be asking more about that.”

“Really?” Ted asked.

“Anyway, I’m investigating what’s going on in Lawndale since SpiderGirl appeared.”

“She has been doing good, and giving the town hope.”

“Maybe, but more vigilantes isn’t the answer to the crime,” Daria said.

“I’m not sure what to make of Ninja Talon and the Shadow either.”

“And the rumored fourth,” Daria added, trying to put the events of the previous night out of her mind for the time being.

“Yes, quite interesting.”

“I was also looking to interview the Seniors about the past few months before they graduate.”

“There are about 80 seniors and about three months, not counting spring break,” Ted pointed out.

“I’m aware of that, which is why I’m asking you today.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“And access to the Lowdown’s back catalogue,” Daria added.

“Done! That’s how Quinn started. She was looking into the background of the people Angie got involved with that week.”

“Really?” Daria asked. ‘What else is she now doing?’ she wondered.

“Yes.”

“It would probably be easy to go by Alphabetical order by surname.”

They talked for a while longer.


In his office, Osborn made the call to New York.

“Norman. I was wondering when you would call,” his counselor said.

“I need you to come to Lawndale! It’s urgent.”

“I do have appointments this afternoon, but I can be there tonight.”

“Thanks.”

“They’re getting worse?” she asked.

“Yes.”


Ms. Li saw Norman enter her office.

“What is your answer.”

“I agree, with some caveats,” the Principal said.

“What caveats?”

“I get a say in what gets shared.”

“Of course,” Osborn said.

“But, if I find you’re going outside what is laid out in that document, I will have legal recourse.”

“A High School suing Oscorp? Sounds a little absurd doesn’t it?”

“Not just this School, Mr. Osborn,” Li said. “The Lawndale County School District.”

“Even the School District can’t succeed against Oscorp.”

“But the publicity would be brutal no matter how good your PR machine is.”

“Good point,” Osborn conceded. “I will stick to what it says.”


Angela watched him go. She didn’t trust him at all.


After school, Brittany entered the library. She saw that Daria and Quinn weren’t there yet and Anna and Ben were waiting for the latter. ‘I can wait,’ she thought as she went over to where she had found books on martial arts.


Daria arrived in the library at the same time as Gerald. “Hi, Daria,” the latter said.

“Wait, Gerald. I’d like to ask you something later.”

“Oh?”

“About when SpiderGirl drove the bus to the hospital,” Daria said.

“Sure, it was an interesting situation. I’d say that was a coincidence that she was in the area at the time. But what did Quinn say at the time?’

“That she had ran off to find you and ran into SpiderGirl, but I would like your view of things.”

“Sure,” Gerald said.

“And how are you coping with the situation after Friday night.”

“It’s not likely to happen again, right?”

“The person responsible is still out there,” Daria said as she came up to the table where Anna and Ben were waiting.


Quinn came up to where the trio was waiting and saw Daria go over to Brittany. ‘Many things at once,’ she thought.


“Hey, Daria,” Brittany said.

“I didn’t realize that you were there, during the attack,” Daria said.

“I was. Ms. Li wanted me to make a speech. I had already made one that morning. There were TV cameras there.”

“Right. I have analyzed the data I did find.”

“So have I,” Brittany said.

They went over to a table to discuss their findings.


At the same time, Anna laid out a map of the County on the table. “The Standing Stones are here,” she said, pointing to a spot a third of the way between the western edge of Lawndale and the eastern edge of Oakwood.

“That’s not far at all,” Quinn said. “We can easily do it.”

“How?” Gerald asked. “We don’t have a car, do we?”

“I do,” Quinn said. “Well, one I share with Daria. It belonged to our father.”

“That works,” Anna said.

“Of course it comes back to that,” Gerald grumbled. “So, Friday night?”

“Yes, after school,” Quinn said. “But not in the night time. We’ll leave while there’s still plenty of daylight.”

“But I still don’t know when my lessons will be,” Gerald said.

“That’s true,” Quinn said.

“Mom is still considering which one,” Gerald added.

“That’s fine,” Quinn said. She turned to Anna. “That story was interesting.”

“I had been working on it for a while,” Anna said. “But I wouldn’t have been reading it out loud without this. I wasn’t as confident before.”

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 5
Daria was impressed. Brittany had deduced as much as she had, although her word choices were not as eloquent as hers. ‘But what else is new,’ she thought. “So, you think there’s something unusual too?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Miss Sanderson will be here shortly.”

“That’s good,” Brittany said. “Ms. Barch can be tough to deal with.”


Olivia entered the Library and looked for Daria. She found her talking with Brittany at one of the back tables. “What was this about unusual debris patterns?” she asked.

Daria pushed over a piece of paper. “Something inconsistent at the Lawndale Center.”

She looked over what Daria had found.


“Telekinesis? Really?” Olivia asked.

“It’s only one explanation. How do you explain SpiderGirl?”

“Good point. SpiderGirl’s abilities certainly come from somewhere. But back to this, Telekinesis is still a leap from a girl swinging from webs.”

“Certainly. Which is why I want to see if there are any other explanation to the patterns we found,” Daria said.

“I will have to have a look myself. Probably tomorrow or Wednesday morning.”

“That’s fine. I have other avenues I’m pursuing.”

“Such as?” Olivia asked.

“I’m looking into the newspaper reports since SpiderGirl first appeared.”


SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon swung off the school roof and headed towards the Creek. “What have we found out?” SpiderGirl asked when they were there.

“Not much more,” Ninja Talon admitted. “Miss Sanderson will get back to us tomorrow or Wednesday.”

“And Daria has met the Enigma.”

“She told me, and Miss Sanderson, although she didn’t mention the name.”

“She didn’t tell me the name either,” SpiderGirl said.

“Miss Sanderson isn’t sure about the telekinesis.”

“What else did she say?”

“That your powers are more believable.”

“That’s good. Learning more from the ruins and how strong the Enigma’s powers are can help us deal with what is ahead. I’m sure she still wants to confront me. But the attacker is the bigger concern right now. Lawndale needs us. Another thing, I met Peterson again last night.”

“And?”

“She still has no clues about the attacker, or the information isn’t being shared with her,” SpiderGirl answered.


Daria arrived at the Public Library, and quickly found the newspaper archives. ‘Now, Dad’s funeral was on the 13th of November, so I’ll start on the 16th.’


Sandi entered the Pizza place to find Harry waiting for her.

“An interesting weekend,” he said.

“It definitely was.”

“Is it true you’re involved in street racing?”

“Yes, just not in the winter,” Sandi answered, thinking of the experience with Daria on the weekend.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Yes, but it’s exhilarating.”

“I see,” Harry said. “Anyway. I’m more worried about my father.”

“How so?” Sandi asked.

“He has been more distant than usual over the weekend and I saw that he had been reading a manual for some kind of aircraft.”

Sandi’s eyes widened. ‘What is he up to?’ she wondered. “What kind of craft?”

“It said ‘Glider Craft Prototype,’ and he hasn’t told me, but he’s seeing a counsellor secretly.”

‘Something,’ Sandi thought. She knew she would share it with Daria, either as her usual self or as the Enigma. ‘But the Enigma will infiltrate Oscorp first.’


Jane returned home with the photos from the previous afternoon to find Daria waiting for her in the kitchen.

“I have the photos,” she said as she put the envelope on the table.

“That’s good,” Daria said. “I talked with Ted at lunch.”

“How did that go?”

“Apparently Quinn is involved in the Lowdown. How did I miss that?”

“You weren’t paying attention?” Jane asked.

“Apparently not. I was focused on getting the Historia running, working with Joey, Robert and Mr. Osborn on that.”

“That makes sense.”

“As well as wondering about Tananda’s questions in that particular week and wondering what you were up to before you told me about the project,” Daria added.

“Isn’t Quinn involved in the Historia too?”

“Yes, but she didn’t mention the Lowdown.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.”


They went up to Jane’s room and started going through the photos. “I met the fourth vigilante last night,” Daria said.

“What?”

“That was how Quinn responded too.”

Jane could see that Daria wasn’t pulling her leg. “What happened?”

“I went up on the roof because of that sketch you showed me. Then I saw that she was waiting.”

“So, what happened next?”

Daria then explained what happened.


‘She certainly sounds like she’s telling the truth,’ Jane thought. ‘So, I probably made the wrong conclusion last night and it’s probably not Quinn either. At least I spent time with SpiderGirl.’

“So, what do you think?” Daria asked.

“I think you took a risk.”

“I can handle it.”

“Does she have powers?” Jane asked.

“She does,” Daria said. “Telekinesis and energy projections.”

“Sounds impressive.”

Daria nodded.


Osborn received a message in his office. The Gilder Prototype was repaired. ‘Good. But I hope that Verity will be able to help tonight.’


Daria stood in her room. She placed one of the photos Jane had taken on her wall, next to the closet. Next to it was a note saying Lawndale Center after February 2. She then placed a photocopy of the Sun-Herald’s first article about SpiderGirl further down the wall. ‘There’s plenty of space here,’ she thought. ‘But I hope I don’t run out. I don’t want to look crazy to Jane, Quinn, Mom, the Enigma and any other visitors.’


At the same time, Jane told Trent what Daria had said about meeting the fourth vigilante. “So, you were jumping to conclusions last night?” he asked.

“Yes,” Jane admitted. “But I did get to spend time with SpiderGirl.”

“That’s true, but I hope you don’t case houses like that again.”

“At least not straight away.”


Sandi was ready for another search. After Melissa Berridge was Laura Bildhouse, with short blonde hair that barely reached her ears. ‘She still has that style,’ Sandi thought. She shook her head and downed the energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Laura Bildhouse!”

Sandi found Laura at the Historia.

“Eight down.”


Quinn was looking in her closet at the false ceiling, when she felt the latest low tingle. ‘Who are you? Why are you searching for my secret?’ she wondered as she reached for her notebook. She wrote about the tingle and then went back to wondering how to remove the false ceiling in a way that wouldn’t damage it.


At the same time, Verity Beresfield, Osborn’s counselor, looked out of the airplane window at Lawndale. ‘Pretty much what I expected,’ she thought as she looked at the expanse of lights below.


At the airport, Verity was met by Bernard.

“He didn’t come himself?” she asked.

“He has been working late most nights,” Bernand answered.

“Most?”

“Saturday night was an exception.”

“I see.”


Norman arrived back at the mansion to find Verity there.

“Thank you for coming. I’m sure you heard about what happened here on Friday night,” he said once they were in his home office.

“I did. Was one of your prototypes involved? Are you saying that you’re responsible?” Verity asked with wide eyes.

“I’m afraid that I might be.”


Verity was shocked but she hid it. What he had revealed was still protected by Doctor Patient Confidentiality. She was sure that she would be able to help him, and stop any further attacks in Lawndale or elsewhere. “Tell me everything,” she said as she steeled herself for what she might hear.


“Sandi, it’s the Osborn boy,” Linda said as she held out the phone.

“Thanks, Mother,” Sandi said as she took the phone.

Linda noted that Sandi had put up a blank poster on one of her walls, except that there was a photocopy of a yearbook picture of Daria Morgendorffer on it. ‘Why is that there?’ she wondered.


“Is your mother gone?” Harry asked.

“Yes.”

“Remember what I said this afternoon?”

“About the counselor?” Sandi asked.

“Well, she’s now here. Bernard said that she flew from New York. Why would she do that instead of drive, unless it’s urgent?”

“Only a couple of hours…”

“Around that, depending on traffic. So, why fly?” Harry asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“I am concerned that something has happened to him.”

“Why not ask him after the session?” Sandi asked.

“He won’t answer.”

“Maybe you should try.”

“You know, maybe your rebelliousness is rubbing off on me,” Harry said. “I will.”

“Good,” Sandi said with a slight chuckle. “Let me know how it goes.”


Harry hung up, the talk with Sandi had been good. ‘But how long will the session last?’


An hour later, Verity left Norman. She was still concerned, but she would return in the afternoon. She found Harry waiting.

“Ms. Beresfield?” he asked.

“Yes?” she asked.

“How is my father?”

“You know that anything he says to me is in confidence, right?”

“I know that,” he said in a worried tone.

“But he is making progress.”

“You aren’t just saying that, right? To make me feel better?”

‘I’m not sure,’ she thought. She just took his hand in hers and gave him a reassuring squeeze.


Sandi did her homework for an hour and half. As she got ready for bed, she wondered whether Daria needed to know what Harry had told her. ‘But would he still trust me if I told her, even if it’s as the Enigma.’ She then made her decision. She would tell Daria, right away.


Helen was surprised to hear Sandi’s voice on the other end. “Sandi? You are calling Daria, right? Not Quinn?”

“Definitely Daria. I never want to talk to Quinn again! I thought I knew her, but I didn’t!”

“Or maybe you did…”

“Just put Daria on please!”

“Of course.”


Helen looked at Daria’s wall as she gave her the phone. “Is this what I think it is? A conspiracy wall?”

“Not a conspiracy wall. Just a way to visualize my investigation.”


“What’s this about a conspiracy wall?” Sandi asked.

“What I just said,” Daria responded when her mother had left. “What have you found?”

“You know I have befriended Harry Osborn, right?"

“Yes,” Daria answered. “Go on.”

“This is private, I didn’t ask him if I could tell anyone.”

“Then I don’t want to know.”

“But this could connect to what is going on, including Friday night!” Sandi said.

Daria’s curiosity got the better of her. “OK, what is it?”

“And you won’t tell Jane, Brittany or your sister?”

“I won’t.”

“Osborn’s counselor was there and she had flown into Lawndale from New York. That seems urgent given that we’re in eastern Pennsylvania,” Sandi said.

Daria grabbed her notebook. “It certainly does,” she responded as she wrote the information down.

“And Harry also has said that his father was more distant than usual over the weekend.”

“It’s certainly something to think about,” Daria considered.

“And he mentioned something about him reading a manual on a glider craft prototype. That matches some of the reports from Friday night.”

“Which reports were those? I don’t listen to the radio or watch the television constantly.”

“I’m sure it was the radio. WLND,” Sandi responded.

“I’ll try to catch the next bulletin.”


Daria thought on the matter after she hung up. ‘Something is going on there. But is there a connection between Oscorp and the attack?’ she wasn’t sure. ‘But it’s not something I can ignore.’


Sandi knew Daria would investigate. ‘But the Enigma can still infiltrate Oscorp, but probably not tonight.’ She needed to prepare first, and maybe gain more information.


At the same time, Harry knocked on his father’s home office door. “Father?”

“I’m here, Harry.”

Harry entered. “Why was Ms. Beresfield here? Is there something I need to know?”

“It was a normal session.”

“Normal, when she flew in, despite Lawndale only being around two hours drive from New York? That sounds urgent to me.”

“I’m fine, son. Now get some sleep.”


After midnight, Daria climbed out on the roof from the attic again. This time, there wasn’t anyone. ‘I guess not,’ she thought as she looked in the direction of the Giant Strawberry, which couldn’t be seen from there. She waited for twenty minutes before going back down to her room and back to sleep.


As the Enigma set out, she wondered where she was going this time. ‘Not Oscorp. But maybe the Strawberry.’


She wasn’t alone in the night. Ninja Talon was also patrolling Lawndale, and arrived at the Historia around the same time. She climbed to the roof and thought about what she, Daria and Sanderson had discussed.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 6
The Enigma arrived at the Strawberry and started using the telescopes. Soon, she saw something. She recognized it straight away. ‘It’s the attacker, who destroyed the Lawndale Center on Friday night!’ The glider craft was moving slowly over the rooftops, looking for something. ‘Or someone, probably SpiderGirl as he seemed to be focused on her.’

She watched the glider move around for a while longer.


Ninja Talon also saw the glider in the distance, as she looked westwards from the Historia. ‘What can I do alone? I’d need SpiderGirl. But how to get to Glen Oaks Lane without drawing its attention?’ She decided to try anyway.’


The Enigma saw that it was closer to the downtown, rather than over a mainly residential area. ‘But that’s not really helpful, and I can’t get there quickly without a car.’ Was there one nearby? The parking lot had been empty, but that didn’t matter. She quickly ran down the stairs.


Once off the Historia, Ninja Talon quickly ran through the various alleyways that ran through the downtown area.


The Enigma broke into the first car she found parked on a street near the Strawberry, hot wired it and sped off.


SpiderGirl awoke. She found that it was a little early. ‘Does that matter?’ she wondered before getting out of bed.

Up on the roof, she heard something near the downtown. She also heard a racing car somewhere to the northwest. ‘Street racing starting again?’ she wondered, before refocusing downtown. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was; the craft from Groundhog Day! She swung off in that direction.


The Enigma pulled up in an older street, close to where she had seen the glider craft. She leapt out of the car, leaving the engine running. She saw it down the street. She reached out with her powers and tried to grab it….


The pilot noticed something. The controls were sluggish suddenly. ‘What just changed?’ he wondered. He then noticed someone on a street below. A purple clad figure, clearly visible in the moonlight. ‘A telekinetic metahuman?’ he wondered. He grabbed one of the new bombs and cackled as he turned towards them.’


The Enigma let go and dashed off the side as the craft came towards her. Then there was an explosion. Some sort of orange bomb had been thrown. She then threw some projections in response.


The pilot evaded the purple shots as they came towards him and threw another bomb!


‘Protection!’ the Enigma thought, hoping that the progress she had made with the forcefield aspect of her powers would be enough. The forcefield rose, stronger than it had been during her practice sessions. It was the adrenaline, she realized, reinforcing her reflexes and resolve. The bomb exploded, pushing her back, but she was unharmed. ‘But how to do defense and offense at the same time?’ she wondered. She looked around, and saw an alley nearby. She ducked into it.


SpiderGirl heard the explosions in the distance as she swung in that direction. She also had seen the purple shots. ‘Is it the Enigma fighting the attacker?’ she wondered. She then saw Ninja Talon on a rooftop nearby.


“SpiderGirl. I see you noticed it,” Ninja Talon said.

“Yes. But the Enigma is there as well.”

“That’s true, but I doubt she would confront you while we’re all fighting the attacker.”

SpiderGirl nodded. “It just makes it awkward and she probably won’t cooperate.”

“I agree.”

“But we go in anyway and try to minimize any damage.”

“Lead the way,” Ninja Talon said.


The Enigma ducked out of the alley and saw that the glider had moved. She ran to the car she arrived in and got back in behind the wheel. She then shot a projection at the gilder, put the car into gear and floored the accelerator.


SpiderGirl saw the Enigma firing as she drove. ‘A bit dangerous,’ she thought. ‘But she knows what she’s doing.’

She and Ninja Talon approached the glider, as they swung across the street.


‘There’s SpiderGirl!’ the pilot thought. ‘And she has Ninja Talon with her. Better and better. Now we just need the Shadow.’


Ninja Talon watched the movements of the glider craft. She was ready to act as she did three days earlier.

“Right, I’ll try to hold it with a web and try to web up the pilot, and draw it down into an alley where it might crash,” SpiderGirl said.

“But wouldn’t that cause damage?”

“Yes, but we’ll try to make sure it hits the ground rather than a building.”

“But it’s more likely to hit a building,” Ninja Talon pointed out.

“I know that.”


The Enigma pulled up inside an alley, then backed out quickly and shot a projection through a side window before raising a forcefield to protect herself from the shards of glass. She was getting better at it. She managed to avoid crashing into the building behind and drifted in reverse, before reselecting first gear. ‘should have found an automatic,’ she thought as the clutch grinded. She peeled off. ‘Maybe if I can lure it out of town.’ But that wasn’t likely.


“Here it comes,” Ninja Talon said.

SpiderGirl shot a web, which caught on a wingtip, and then jumped off the roof.


The pilot fired a missile at the car.

The Enigma saw and made a sharp turn left into a side street. The missile missed and exploded, merely damaging the road surface.

‘How many missiles left?’ he wondered. There weren’t many, but he still had plenty of those bombs. He then noticed the craft shaking as SpiderGirl pulled on the wingtip.


SpiderGirl shot many webs to the side as the glider pulled her along.


The craft slowed. The pilot threw a bomb at SpiderGirl!


As her spider sense blared, SpiderGirl let go of the web that held her to the glider and swung off to the side. The bomb exploded in mid-air. ‘Maybe we can get him to exhaust his supply of those bombs?’ she considered. She then saw the glider turn around. ‘Uh oh!’ She swung to the ground and ducked around a corner, where Ninja Talon was waiting.

“We need to do something else,” the latter said.

“If I can get you close, maybe we can get a shuriken into an engine.”

“I did that Friday; it didn’t cause it to crash.”

“But it could put it out of commission again,” SpiderGirl pointed out.


The Enigma returned to the scene. This time she fired projections through the windshield at the glider. They hit home and the glider made an abrupt turn.


“Looks like the Enigma just did something,” Ninja Talon said.

“This is our chance,” SpiderGirl said.

“You’re right.”


They swung up to a rooftop as close as they could get and Ninja Talon threw a couple of shuriken towards an air intake.


Indicator lights lit up as the glider stuttered. “Uh oh!” the pilot said. It was just as well there was an Oscorp facility close by. He withdrew, heading in that direction.


The Enigma pulled up as she saw the glider withdraw. ‘But where is it going? Is it a good idea to follow?’ She wasn’t sure.


SpiderGirl saw it withdraw. “I’d like to follow,” she said. “But I think that would be poking a fire ant nest.”

“I agree,” Ninja Talon said.

“It’s probably going to be out of commission for a few days, during which time we can investigate further.”

“You mean, Oscorp?”

“Yes,” SpiderGirl said. “But for now, a good night’s sleep would probably be a good idea.”

Ninja Talon agreed with a yawn. “But we still need to patrol on the way back.”

“True, and if we run into Peterson, to fill her in, and to watch out for the Enigma. We’ll talk after school again.”

Ninja Talon nodded. “Good night, Spidey.”

“Night, Talon.”


They headed back to their homes, alert for anything that was amiss and for the Enigma.


The Enigma mounted a rooftop and looked for SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. “They’re probably on the ground,” she groused. She yawned and decided to head home herself.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
Attacker Still a Mystery. LDPD Still has no leads.

Of the three involved in the previous night’s incident, Quinn awoke first. She found that she was still tired. ‘What else is new?’ she thought as she leapt out of bed. She looked at herself as she brushed her hair and tied it in the now customary pigtails. ‘At least I don’t have bags under my eyes.’


Daria noticed that Quinn was a little tired. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.

“Nightmare,” Quinn answered. “I’ll be fine.”

“Want to talk about it?” Daria asked.

“Not right now, but sometime.”

“Sure.”

Quinn then made her breakfast.


Linda entered the kitchen to see that Sandi looked tired as she made breakfast. “Out again last night?” she asked.

“I haven’t stopped and I’m not stopping,” Sandi said.

“But you need your sleep.”

“I know, but the attacker appeared again.”

“He did?” Linda asked.

“I managed to hit it again. He did try to attack me, but the forcefields worked. I was unharmed.”

“You should be more careful!”

“I tried to be,” Sandi said. “SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon were there too, but they made themselves scarce afterwards.”

“It probably would go south for you if Ninja Talon is there beside her. Think about that too. It’s not just SpiderGirl’s webs you would have to deal with, but whatever weapons she would have.”

“Good point.”

They were then silent as Sandi’s brothers entered the kitchen.


Ashley-Amber saw Brittany enter the kitchen. “Are you OK, sweetie? You look tired.”

“I’m fine, just couldn’t sleep,” Brittany answered.

“You have been tired more often lately.”

“Maybe, but I’m growing up.”

“Nightmares?” Ashley-Amber asked, “with what’s going on in town?”

“Sometimes.”

Ashley-Amber hugged her stepdaughter. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“Thanks.”


Harry found his father sleeping on the couch again. “What aren’t you saying? What isn’t Ms. Beresfield saying? What’s going on with you?”

“I’m asking the same things myself,” Bernard said as he entered the room.

Harry thought about what he had told Sandi. ‘Is Beresfield leaving today, or staying in Lawndale?’


Norman awoke and saw his son and butler looking at him. “I’m fine. It was just a late night.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Of course I am. I’m just very busy. Running Oscorp from Lawndale is proving to be more difficult than I thought, that’s all.”

“And Ms. Beresfield’s visit?”

“What did I say last night?”

Harry looked away.


Harry reflected on what just happened. He knew he would be talking Sandi’s ear off more later that day.


At the same time, Sandi was thinking things over as she got ready to head to school. The events of the previous night were fresh in her mind, as well as the phone conversations with Harry and Daria. ‘If the pilot is Osborn, then Harry’s worries are confirmed and the counselor might be in danger.’ She looked in the mirror. ‘But what can I do about that?’ I don’t know where she is or who she is. And how do I tell Daria about last night as myself without revealing my secret identity? I guess she’s getting a visit from the Enigma tonight.’


In the area close to the downtown of Lawndale where the fight had occurred, Peterson looked at the damage. ‘It is clear something happened here. Would SpiderGirl and/or Ninja Talon be able to tell me?’


Jesse arrived at Casa Lane as Jane was leaving to go to school.

“Jesse?” Jane asked.

“Something happened last night.”

“What happened?” Jane asked.

“There were explosions reported on Hoopes Street. SpiderGirl was seen near there.”

“Janie was having well deserved sleep.”

“Oh,” Jesse said.

“Fill Trent in when he gets up and I’ll find out after school.”

“Sure.”


The atmosphere at the school was still tense following the events on the Friday night.


Ted found Daria and Jane at lunch.

“I haven’t told Ms. Li about your project to interview all the seniors,” Ted said to Daria.

“Good,” Daria responded. “I’m sure she would have refused it.”

“But I will help you with it. We’ll find the first one, Elena Anderson, this afternoon,” Ted said.

“But will she oblige?” Jane asked.

“No idea,” Daria said.


At the same time, Sandi caught up to Harry.

“Sandi. He was on the couch again, this morning.”

“Was he?”

“Yes, he tried to reassure me last night, but I’m sure now that something is happening to him!”

Sandi wasn’t sure what to say. She also wasn’t much of a hugger, so she just took his hand and gave it a rub.

“Um, thanks, but I don’t know what is going to happen now.”

“Hope that the counselor can do her job?” Sandi asked quietly.

“There is that,” Harry responded. “But it’s not much of one.”

‘Was it him last night?’ she asked herself again.

At Casa Lane, Jesse filled Trent in on what he had told Jane earlier.

“It’s certainly something for Janie to check,” Trent remarked when Jesse had finished. “I’ll tell her when she gets back from school.” He took out a notebook and wrote it down.

He added. ‘Was it SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon or the fourth?’


After school, Angie and Brittany entered the library to find Quinn waiting. “What are we working on today?” Angie asked.

“More history,” Quinn answered.

“Sure.”


While Quinn tutored Angie, Brittany wrote down her thoughts regarding the events of the previous night.


At the same time, Mayor Lawson looked at the Council engineers preliminary report on the damage in Hoopes Street. “Days to fix!” he groused. “This on top of Friday night!” he called his assistant. “Get in touch with the Police Commissioner again, is there any progress on finding the person responsible for Friday night?”

“Yes sir!”


Elena Anderson arrived at the Pizza place to find Ted waiting for her. “What does this Daria want?” she asked him. “All I have heard about her is that she’s a sarcastic recluse.”

“Not that reclusive. She was willing to connect with me.”

“Not everyone was home schooled until they were 16, Ted.”

“That’s true,” Ted said. “There she is, with Jane.”

“I’ll order something first.”


Daria looked at Elena. ‘White, as most people in Lawndale are, with brown hair in a high ponytail and green eyes, wearing clothes that make her ‘fit in’.’

“So, what did you want to know?” Elena said.

“What do you know of SpiderGirl?” Daria asked.

“Not much,” Elena said. “You may as well ask me about the fourth vigilante.”

“Just SpiderGirl for now,” Daria said. “She appeared in the middle of November, three weeks before Mr. DeMartino was mistakenly arrested for being an illegal immigrant.”

“I remember that. There were rumors of alien activity going around school too,” Elena said.

“Yes, I was in the middle of those,” Daria said. “The three weeks before then.”

“Just that SpiderGirl was fighting crime, which had recently increased, in Lawndale.”

“Is that all?” Jane asked.

“That’s all,” Elena said. “This is a waste of time!”

“Wait! It isn’t. What about afterwards, during December?” Daria asked.