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

[USS Fardell]

Part 8
Sandi hung up from the third member of the AV Club she had called. “No one,” she murmured. Then the phone rang again.

“Hi, this Sandi.”

“Samara Collins here. I’m letting you know that I did tape the interview, and I’m heading to the Historia now and will give it to Daria after the performance finishes.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”


There was chatter amongst those in the café when Samara arrived at the Historia. She looked at the clock. “Another hour. May as well have supper.”

As she had her supper, she thought about the changes in Lawndale in the past few months.


After the play had ended for the night, Samara found Daria backstage talking to Brittany.

“You did very well,’ Daria said.

“Thanks,” Brittany said. “Tomorrow night should be slightly better.”

“Good. But now I have to deal with this fake SpiderGirl business,” Daria said.

Brittany nodded. “I want it to be dealt with too.”

“Daria?” Samara asked.

“Yes?” Daria responded.

“Samara Collins, in the AV Club.”

“You have the tape?” Daria asked.

“Yes,” Samara answered as she handed it over. “But it’s after a lot of other stuff.”

“That’s fine. I’ll make a copy and give this back to you later,” Daria said.

“Thanks.”


“I’ll come over later,” Daria said to said to Sandi. “We can analyse it together then.”

“Just as well it’s Friday night,” Sandi said as she looked at the clock. ‘Already after 9:30,’ she thought. “Mother won’t complain too much.”

“Just make sure Sam’s already in bed. I’m sure he already knows too much.”

“Oh, he’s already asleep,” Sandi responded.

“Good to hear. It’ll be the usual time.”


It was after 10:00 when a group including Daria, Quinn, Jane, Stacy, Tori, Brittany, Jennifer and Tania met at Schloss Morgendorffer to examine the interview.

Helen looked on in bemusement at the eclectic group as Daria put the tape in the VCR. “I hope you’ll be able to prove that Anders was being irresponsible,” she said.

“I’m sure that we will, Mrs. Morgendorffer,” Jane said.

“OK, Samara said to fast forward,” Daria said as she handled the remote. “But she didn’t say how far.”


Daria soon found footage. She turned to Jane. “I’m sure that you’re the only one here that has seen her.”

“I have too,” Brittany piped up.

“You too?” Daria asked.

“Yes. She carried me home one night, in early December,” Brittany said. “And she took me to the hospital when I slipped earlier this week.”

“OK,” Daria said. There was something, careful, about how Brittany said that. She shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to think about, but she did recall that one of the early newspaper articles mentioned a cheerleader being carried by SpiderGirl one night, and that Brittany had told her soon after Groundhog Day that she had met SpiderGirl around the time DeMartino had been arrested. “So, you’ll be able to tell as well?”

“Yes,” Brittany answered.

“That will help with the proof,” Daria said. “OK, we’re at the beginning of the interview.”


Quinn wasn’t surprised that Brittany had spoken up. ‘She knows how to keep our secret,’ she thought.

She watched the interview again.

“Pause!” Jane said.

“Almost right away,” Daria said as she paused.

“She’s too rigid. SpiderGirl’s more animated that that!” Jane explained.

‘She’s right,’ Quinn thought.

“Like, she moves about more,” Brittany added.

“That’s not proof in of itself,” Daria said.

“Exactly, we can’t just go with, she’s too stiff,” Quinn added.


Daria pressed play again.

She took notes and Jane sketched as she commented on some things the fake SpiderGirl said in response to Ander’s questions.

They went through it twice; the second time as Daria copied it, using an older VCR that she had found in the attic.

“What do you think?” Daria asked her mother.

“You have plenty of proof with both Jane and Brittany’s recollections. That is enough for Anders to not to have a leg to stand on.”

“But someone must have put her up to it,” Quinn said.

“True, but there is no proof,” her mother said.

“There isn’t,” Quinn said.


“Another thing,” Tania said.

“What is that?” Helen asked.

“Whoever was the fake SpiderGirl is not an actor,” Tania answered.

“I agree,” Brittany said. “An actor would have been more convincing.”

“Like she was chosen at random?” Daria asked. “Or known to Anders or whoever put her up to it?”

“That seems likely,” Tori said.

“That’s a good point,” Helen said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that there is only evidence against Lynn Anders and whoever else was at the studio who knew that the woman behind the mask is not the real SpiderGirl.”

The girls all nodded.

“We’ll tell the studio in the morning,” Daria decided.


They then had a late snack before most of them headed home.


“…I heard about the fake SpiderGirl thing,” Trent said when Jane had come in. “A few called to inform either you or myself about it. Another called asking if I had taped it.”

“Daria managed to find a tape.”

“Cool.”

“But it’s not cool that someone impersonated SpiderGirl,” Jane said. “What if it was a fake Shadow?”

“I see your point. But how are you going to prove it.”

“Given that I was rescued by SpiderGirl, alongside the critics last week…”

“Got it,” Trent said with a slight smile.”

“And Brittany was carried by SpiderGirl sometime late last year, so it won’t just be me.”


The flurry of calls throughout Lawndale petered out by midnight. Shortly afterwards, Dafoanairi arrived at the Griffin’s and climbed in through Sandi’s bedroom window.

“You don’t have to do that here,” Sandi said.

“I figure that If you’re doing it at my place…” Daria said as she doffed the cloak and propped the quarterstaff against a wall.

“Got it, but what have you figured out.”

“It’s definitely a fake,” Daria said before launching into a description of what she and the others had found.


“I’m certain that Anders will be in serious trouble,” Sandi said when Daria had finished.

“Mom, Quinn, Jane, Brittany and I will present our findings to the studio in the morning.”

“But Anders was certainly set up.”

“I have thought about that, including the fact that others in the studio must have known that it was a fake,” Daria said.

“At least a producer, and one or two assistants,” Sandi mused.

“And their heads may roll as well as Anders’.”

Sandi nodded.


In the early hours, Ninja Talon arrived on the Morgendorffers’ roof where SpiderGirl had been listening to the town as she usually did. “Hey, Spidey.”

“Hey, Talon. Lawndale sounds, pensive.”

“Amazing how you seem to pick up on that.”

“I just get the general mood,” SpiderGirl explained. “And it’s centered around this neighborhood, which is why I sometimes choose other places to listen from from time to time.”

“Anyway…”

“I’m sure that Jane’s perspective, as well as yours, will be enough to convince them that Anders did wrong.”

“I hope so. But someone else obviously put Anders up to it,” Ninja Talon said.

“Norman Osborn. It’s no secret that he’s awake now. But of course, there’s no proof.”

“There’s also the person who was the fake SpiderGirl.”

“She may have been forced into it,” SpiderGirl said. “Could be some hapless Oscorp employee as far as we know.”

“Most likely.”


At the same time, Fields was unable to sleep. She was pacing the lounge room of her apartment after drinking some cocoa. ‘I’ll go to Osborn early in the morning,’ she thought. But what she would talk to him about, she still wasn’t sure.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Saturday, March 3, 2001
Lynn Anders Interviews SpiderGirl, or Does She?

SpiderGirl read the article. It was Melinda Parris’s usual speculative style. ‘I guess Mrs. Jericho is waiting on what we find out,’ she thought. She sighed, a lot was riding on how the studio executives would respond. If it ended up as being Anders’ word against the students of Lawndale High who agreed that the interview was fake, she was sure that the tension in Lawndale would continue to increase. She put the paper back and continued her early morning patrol. ‘I hope there won’t be another trap.’


Fields arrived at a nearby convenience store as the Sun started to rise. She picked up the paper. ‘People were already questioning it last night?’ she asked herself before reading further. “Phones rang hot last night as teenagers who had actually seen SpiderGirl in action questioned whether the person on screen was actually the superheroine that has been the talk of Lawndale for the past several months…”
For the first time since she was in the studio her regret and shame faded a little. ‘I hope that they would see the truth,’ she thought. ‘But what will Osborn’s reaction be?’


Osborn was awake soon after the sun rose. As soon as the nurse had checked his vitals, he asked her to turn on the television.

“Yes, sir.”

“Controversy in Lawndale this morning. Did Lynn Anders conduct an interview with a fake SpiderGirl?”

“They’re already speculating. Good.”


“Yes, Eric, this is serious!” Helen said as she saw Quinn enter the kitchen for breakfast. “I can’t let this misinformation stand.”

“I don’t want it to blow back on the firm if you’re wrong,” Eric Schecter said.

“I know I’m not wrong, something seemed off about SpiderGirl in that interview, and I trust Jane Lane.”

“I think you are taking a risk, that’s all. But the Senior Partner has thrown his weight.”

“Good,” Helen said. ‘But why would Vitale support me on this?’ she wondered. She shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to dwell on. She wanted to continue preparing her case in case the studio wasn’t reasonable.

“Thus you can take time to deal with it next week if it’s not dealt with this weekend.’

“Thanks. But I’m sure the executives will listen to us.”

“Good luck.”


Tori arrived at the Morgendorffers at the same time as Jane, who clearly looked tired. “Burning the midnight oil?” she asked.

“Yes,” Jane answered. “I had to go on a run to clear my mind. And inspiration struck for my streetscape project.”

“I see,” Tori said, as she opened the door. She saw that Daria and Quinn were rewatching the video, while their mother was taking notes.

“Morning, Tori,” Quinn said.

“I see you are making sure you have everything in order,” Tori said.

“Absolutely,” Daria said.

“We’ll be ready to go soon,” Helen said as she closed as she closed a briefcase.


It was a busy morning at the Historia. Angie and Stacy could barely keep up with the orders as the café was full of students talking about the fake interview.

Sandi was also there, with Harry.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Harry asked as she took a slow sip from her cappuccino.

“Thinking about Anders’ reason again.”

“For staging a fake interview?”

“From my brief talk with her on Thursday, I thought she would, like, just be persistently chasing interviews with the vigilantes,” Sandi responded.

“So, you’re thinking that someone pushed her, like my father?”

“The thought has passed my mind. I’m certain that Daria has thought about it too.”

“But he’s still in the hospital,” Harry said uncertainly.

“I doubt that would stop him.”

“True. He is running Oscorp again, even if it’s part time.”

Sandi looked out the window. The usual Saturday morning foot traffic was there, but it seemed a little subdued.


Brittany was waiting with Ashley-Amber outside the studio when the Morgendorffers, Jane and Tori arrived.

“Ashley-Amber?” Helen asked, when she got out of the car.

“Hi, Helen. Brittany told me about it,” Ashley-Amber said. “And I got calls from some of the other parents last night.”

“Sure,” Helen said.


“Hey,” Brittany said as she came up between the sisters. “I see that you’re ready.”

“As I’ll ever be,” Daria said.

“We have to succeed,” Quinn said.

“I’m certain we will,” Brittany said in her usual cheerful tone.

Quinn smiled. “I know we will.”

“That’s the spirit,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said. “But it will take determination.”


“Do you have an appointment?” the young lady behind the desk asked.

“Yes. Morgendorffer at 9:00,” Helen said.

“A yes, the complaint about Lynn Anders’ show last night. Lynn Anders is here, as is one of the executives.”

“Good.”

“Is everyone coming in?” the assistant asked.

“Yes.”

“It might a tight squeeze in the meeting room.”

“I’m sure we can handle it,” Helen said. “Although I might insist on a larger room.”


Anders hadn’t expected to be called into the studio on a Saturday, as she had the weekends off. She had figured out that people were onto the fake right away. She didn’t expect those against her to be a pair of sisters, their lawyer mother and some of their friends.

“Welcome, Mrs. Morgendorffer,” the executive, Leonard, said. “These are very serious accusations you and your clients are bringing against Ms. Anders, so let’s get to the point.”

“Very, good,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said. “Because misinforming the public about a public figure, even an elusive one like SpiderGirl, is immoral.”


‘What is right is one thing, and what’s legal is another,’ Tori thought. She had said it before, regarding rumors of SpiderGirl and the others investigating Oscorp, but she felt it applied to the current situation. ‘But I’m sure that Anders did is also illegal.”

“Let’s get to it,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said.

“What proof can you provide, besides Ms. Lane’s affidavit from her rescue from Quentin Beck.”

“It should be enough,” Jane said with slight annoyance.

“Jane, your turn will come,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said.

“There’s my experience,” Brittany added.

“We’ll need more than your unsubstantiated experience from December last year, Ms. Taylor,” Leonard said. “But Ms. Lane’s evidence is rather compelling.”

“Changing your mind?” Mrs. Morgendorffer asked.

“I’m considering things,” Leonard said.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 9
Daria then made her play. “I have compiled newspaper reports of SpiderGirl’s activities from November, through to just before Groundhog Day. There are also excerpts from interviews I have conducted with some of Lawndale High’s seniors over the past few weeks. They paint a picture of a rather confident young lady who isn’t afraid to talk to people. What I saw when I watched last night’s interview was not that.” She handed a binder over to Leonard. “These are copies of many of those articles, including of the report covering the time she and Ninja Talon responded to a thief in the Mall.”

“Thanks, Ms. Morgendorffer,” Leonard said as he leafed through the binder.

“And that’s my mother’s impression,” Tori added.

“Jericho. You’re Penelope’s daughter, aren’t you?” Leonard asked.

“That’s right,” Tori said. “And I will tell her everything.”

‘That’s what I expected,’ Helen thought.

Leonard took the binder from Daria, and skimmed it. “I see.”

“So, you see that this is not the hysterical outburst of a few teens who only thought that they saw something wrong,” Helen said.


Twenty minutes went by, as Leonard looked through the evidence the Morgendorffers and the others had brought. Anders was stressing the entire time. ‘Anders’ didn’t expect something like this to occur,’ Daria thought.

“I see from the Mall incident that SpiderGirl was confident when she said that she and Ninja Talon were colleagues rather than rivals,” Leonard said. “That can easily be corroborated.”

“I would think so,” Brittany commented.

“But that will take time,” Leonard said.

“I expect that it will,” her mother said.


“I have examined enough,” Leonard said.

“Meaning?” Helen asked.

“That I’m convinced that this needs to be investigated,” Leonard said. He turned to Anders. “Pending investigation, you are suspended from your duties until further notice.”

“What?” Anders asked.

“You heard me, and Mrs. Morgendorffer. These accusations are serious. Go to your office and clear out any personal items.”

“Yes, sir,” Anders said in a contrite tone.


Anders stormed out of the small meeting room. ‘I shouldn’t have listened to Osborn! It’s his fault!’ She thought as she held back tears. ‘What will he do when he finds out?’


Daria watched as Anders stormed out. “I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of her.”

“Well, this is just the beginning,” her mother said.

“Of course,” Daria responded.

Her mother turned back to the executive. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Leonard.”

“Your welcome. And now I must begin the investigation.”

“Then we won’t keep you.”


The group emerged from the studio.

“We did it!” Brittany said, as she hugged both Quinn and Daria.

“We certainly did,” Quinn said.

“But as Mom said, it’s just the beginning,” Daria said.


Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Historia.
“I’ll see you later,” Helen said. “But be prepared if whoever put Anders up to it reacts.”

“I have some ideas,” Daria said.

“I know, but there is no proof. If Oscorp, for example, wants to sue for defamation, I wouldn’t be able to get you off.”

“I’ll find proof,” Daria said. “Although I know it will take time.”

“You have a lot on your plate,” Helen said.

Daria nodded as she got out of the car.


Daria found Sandi in the bookstore looking through books on journalism.

“Like, a good collection here,” Sandi said.

“Thanks. I wanted a broad selection.”

“How did it go?”

“Anders has been suspended,” Daria answered. “Pending further investigation.”

“That’s good news.”

“But the investigation will take time. Who knows what might happen in the meantime.”

Sandi shrugged. “Anything. But at least she won’t be trying to interview the vigilantes while she’s under investigation.”

“There’s that at least.”

“Now, like, we go back to the other concerns.”

“Like who was controlling that robo-dactyl,” Daria mused.

“Maybe we could look at the Mall later.”

“You can. I’ll look into the reports.”

“Are you sure it’s because you don’t like shopping?” Sandi asked playfully.

“Not when there’s something better to do.”


Quinn and Brittany went up to the roof.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief as she looked towards the studio. “It might not be over, but at least people know it was a fake. Like it was the last thing I thought I needed.”

“But we did it, didn’t we?” Brittany asked.

Quinn brightened up. “We did. Daria was meticulous in the presentation of her research.”

“As she usually is.”

“But.”

“But?” Brittany asked.

“The robot pterodactyl. Who was responsible for it?”

“And was it even Oscorp?”

“That is one thing we need to know,” Quinn said.


Jane found Trent and Jesse waiting in a corner of the café.

“How did it go?” Trent asked.

“Anders was suspended,” Jane answered quietly as she sat.

“Sounds like good news,” Jesse responded.

“It does, but Mrs. Morgendorffer said that it was just the beginning.”

“I guess so, but at least it’s a start,” Trent said.

“But what if Osborn had put her up to it?” Jane asked.

“Then he might have succeeded at something. Removing Anders from her job,” Trent answered.

“But what would he get out of that?” Jane wondered.

“No idea. But it does give me inspiration,” Trent said.


Quinn changed to SpiderGirl and went on patrol, and to think about what might be next. Brittany went down to the theater, where Andrea was waiting inside.

“I heard about the fake interview from a few people,” Andrea said.

“We exposed Anders’ role in it,” Brittany said.

“But?”

“But she wasn’t alone, and I’m sure the studio’s internal investigation will focus on what happened there.”

“Are you saying someone, like possibly a certain tycoon, put her up to it?” Andrea asked.

Brittany nodded. “But no proof.”

“There wouldn’t be. But the investigation might reveal it.”

“Might. But, back to the robo-dactyl.”

“Certainly,” Andrea said. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Tania Ashworth.”

“She was at the Morgendorffers last night after the play.”

“And she wasn’t at home this morning.”

“She wasn’t?” Brittany asked.

“She was probably doing something.”

“But there are others that have siblings at Lawndale State.”

“I sent out a message to the Programming Club mailing list,” Andrea said, as she took out her PDA. “Some of them may come here this morning.”

“I’ll be waiting.”


It was late morning when Fields arrived back in Osborn’s hospital room.

“I suppose you have heard?” he asked.

“Heard what? About Anders being suspended? I thought that is unconfirmed.”

“It isn’t,” Osborn said. He clicked something on his laptop.

“It has been confirmed that Lynn Anders has been suspended from her duties at WSBC pending an investigation into the interview with SpiderGirl that has allegedly been faked.”

“I knew it wasn’t a good idea, asking me to do it.”

“You didn’t project the confidence that the real SpiderGirl has.”

“I couldn’t have!” Fields projected.

“I know. But it has been exposed rather quickly.”

“It must have been the real SpiderGirl.”

“She may have set things in motion,” Osborn said. “But, according to my sources it was Helen Morgendorffer who contacted the studio.”

“Isn’t she the one who drew up the agreement with the Historia?”

“The very same. She must have seen the broadcast, or obtained a taped copy.”

Fields was then quiet. She had interacted with Helen briefly when the Morgendorffers and the other two teens had approached Osborn with the business proposal for the Historia. The impression was that she was very capable. ‘If she thinks she has a case, I’m sure that Anders will be let go. But will she find out my involvement?’


Osborn watched Fields. He knew what she was thinking; that Helen Morgendorffer would likely find out that she was involved in the fake interview. ‘That’s a risk I’m willing to take,’ he thought.

Fields breathed heavily. “But were you expecting something else?”

“I knew that Helen would get involved at some point, but not so quickly.”

“I should have guessed.”

“Besides, I know who the fourth vigilante and her mentor are,” Osborn said with a hardness in his voice. “That is an angle I can use.”

“And the alias she uses?”

“Naturally, Ms. Fields, but I’m not revealing that to you yet.”


As the morning passed, Brittany remained at the Historia to wait for the Programming Club members to reply to Andrea’s message. She walked through the bookstore looking at various items.

“Are you looking for something in particular, or are you just killing time?” Daria asked as she came up.

“Maybe the latter,” Brittany admitted as she twirled a pigtail.

“You may as well find something you would like.”

“I guess I was also thinking about recent events.”

“It does seem that events in Lawndale are spiraling,” Daria said. “But we need to remind ourselves that it could be worse, that our town isn’t absolutely riven in crime, and that there haven’t been attacks like Groundhog Day again.”

“That’s true, but the robo-dacytl could have caused a lot more damage than it did.”

“True, but Dafoanairi and Ninja Talon showing up when they did, rather than SpiderGirl a while later stopped that situation escalating.”

‘If you knew….’ Brittany shook her head. It was enough that Quinn and Andrea knew that she was Talon. She smiled. “I agree. I was just wondering something.”

“I have started to investigate that, but the interview took precedence.”


Daria could tell Brittany was after something, but she wasn’t sure what. “Maybe a book would help?” she asked.

“Something on this kind of situation?”

“There are superhero novels here, some even in towns similar to Lawndale.”

“Really?” Brittany asked. “I haven’t read any. And I was more interested in games than comics when I was younger.”

“Never too late to start.”

“That’s true. What do you recommend?”

Daria lead her to the shelf with the superhero novels. “There is a wide selection. You would just have to pick whichever piques your interest.”


Quinn arrived back at the Historia shortly after noon. She looked at a clock as she walked down the stairs. “A little early for lunch,” she considered. “But I’ll catch up with Brit first.”

She found Brittany reading one of the superhero novels in the café while drinking a tea. “Daria recommended it, didn’t she?” she asked.

“Yes. I wanted to see if our reality is stranger than fiction,” Brittany answered quietly.

“I also read one of those books a while ago, shortly after Groundhog Day,” Quinn said, in a reassuring tone.

“What did you think of it?”

“It was a good story, but there were only a few similarities.”

“Right,” Brittany said she put the book aside. “Anyway, Andrea is looking for others who may allow her to search for the Mall security footage.”

“That’s good,” Quinn said. But then there was an interruption.

“Quinn!”


Brittany winced at Kevin’s voice. She didn’t expect that he would be in the Historia that day. She glared at him.

“Kevin, I told you. I’m not interested,” Quinn said.

“I know what you said,” Kevin said.

“Like, how Anders didn’t actually interview SpiderGirl, Jamie mostly made up what he wrote,” Quinn said with annoyance.

“Oh!” Kevin said. “So, you are saying that Jamie lied?”

“More like exaggerated,” Quinn clarified.

“So, he did lie, or not?” Kevin asked.

“Unlike Anders, he did think he was telling the truth, but he embellished it.”

“Got it,” Kevin said as he went.


“I don’t think he got it,” Brittany said with annoyance when Quinn had sat down again.

“Clearly not,” Quinn groused. “But he has to think about it more.”

“It will take him a while.”


Lynn Anders arrived back at her apartment on the southern edge of the downtown. She slammed the door closed. “I shouldn’t have listened to Osborn!” she groused to herself loudly, scaring her cat. ‘If I’m fired, I won’t be able to afford this place!’

She went to the living room and switched on the radio.

“What do you think of the Lynn Anders, fake SpiderGirl situation?”

‘Ugh! Of course Z93 would be talking about that!’ She thought as she turned the tuning nob. She soon found WLND. But they were also talking about it. ‘Fine! Oakwood, or Middlebury, or even Cumberland!’

WOKW.

“…Lawndale is again in the middle of controversy with an airing of a fake interview last night.’

‘Not Oakwood!’

WMBY.

With music playing, Lynn tried to relax, despite the spiral of self-recrimination and guilt occupying her mind.


Back at the Historia, Andrea found Brittany and Quinn, along with Stacy and Angie, having lunch. “Brit?” she asked.

“Andy, did someone get back to you?” Brittany asked.

“Yes,” Andrea said.

“I’ll be right back,” Brittany said.


They entered the stairwell. “Dewey Rogers’ sister is a sophomore. He said that she might allow me to use her account,” Andrea said.

“Dewey Rogers,” Brittany said as she twirled a pigtail. “He moved to Lawndale the year before, the same time as the Morgendorffers, right?”

“He did,” Andrea said. “I might be able to do it tonight while the play is on.”

“That would be great.”

“If Dewey is able to get hold of her.”

“I hope so,” Brittany said.


It was mid afternoon when Fields knocked on Lynn Anders’ door. Osborn had sent her to ask her to meet him in the hospital again. He wouldn’t say what for. ‘He’s keeping it close to his chest,’ she thought again.

Anders answered it and Fields could see that she had been crying, and also drinking. The latter was going to make things difficult. She doubted that the hospital would admit her if she was in an inebriated state (and that Osborn wouldn’t be able to pull strings to allow her to be admitted anyway). “Have you been drinking?” she asked.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 10
“Why wouldn’t I?” Anders asked as she allowed Fields in. “Your boss has ruined my career! Interviewing SpiderGirl was going to be a stepping stone, but now it’s a stumbling block.”

“I guess that’s one reason why I’m here.”

“Why did he send you?”

“He didn’t tell me,” Fields answered as they arrived in the kitchen.

“Figures,” Anders said as she picked up a wine glass from the cupboard. “You want some?” she asked as she lifted the bottle, which Fields recognized was from a local vineyard.

Fields shook her head. “I’m working.”

“Of course,” Anders said as she took a sip.

“I think you have had enough.”

“You can’t tell me what to do!”

“I feel guilty too!” Fields said. “But I’m not crawling into a bottle!”

“I’m not you!”

“No, but drinking yourself silly isn’t the way to deal with your situation. Osborn may have come up with a way salvage your situation.”

Anders took a swig and grimaced as she did so. “So, I would be in even more debt to him? You don’t sound like you believe him.”

“I know, but I also need this Oscorp job. I don’t want to go back to New York to live with my parents as I search for another job. Besides I have settled into Lawndale.”

Anders was quiet and was starring at her glass.


Fields then looked at Anders’ kettle. “I’ll make you some coffee.”

“You know that’s a myth right.”

“Come to think of it…”

“Nice try,” Anders said.

“But Osborn still wants to see you.”


“Fields for you,” the orderly said.

“Finally!” Osborn said. ‘What’s taking so long,’ he thought as he took the phone. “Is Anders there?”

“She is, but she has been drinking.”

That wasn’t shocking but then he figured that an inebriated Anders would be more amenable to what he was going to suggest than a sober one. “I see. Bring her in anyway.”

“I’ll try, sir. But what about the hospital.”

“I’ll deal with the Hospital staff, at least that Cuddy. If not, bring her to the office instead.”

“Yes, sir.”


SpiderGirl noticed a slight commotion as she swung past the Hospital. “Is that Lynn Anders?” she asked herself as she swung closer. She arrived and saw that Anders was being refused entry by a woman with curly brown hair. ‘What’s happening here?’ she wondered as she got ready to intervene as she could tell that Anders had been drinking.


Lisa Cuddy was annoyed. “Osborn may have asked you to come, but you can’t visit patients in your condition. Come back when you have sobered up!”

“No!” Anders said as she stepped forward.

“Don’t make me have you removed by force,” Cuddy said as she noticed SpiderGirl nearby.

“See, I told you,” Fields said from next to Anders. “Let’s go to the office.”

“Yes, go to the office,” SpiderGirl said.


Anders turned from Cuddy to SpiderGirl. “Come to gloat at destroying me?”

“You’re the one who faked an interview with me,” SpiderGirl said. “But I forgive you.”

“It’s too late!” Anders said. “My career is ruined.”

“Come on,” Fields said, as she lead her away. Even in the state she was in, Anders noticed that Fields avoided looking at SpiderGirl.


Cuddy watched them walk away before turning to SpiderGirl. “Thanks for the help,” she said.

“You’re welcome, although I didn’t expect Anders to…”

“To drown her sorrows?” Cuddy asked rhetorically. “I have seen many people; even close colleagues fall to addiction.”

“Like, one thing I have been doing is trying to stop drug deals, but it’s like whack-a-mole, and they are dealing in areas that are under cover, or otherwise out of my sight.”

“I’m afraid that is something a superhero can’t do much about, as long as the demand is there.”

SpiderGirl nodded. “Which is one reason why I hang around the Historia. It’s a place that is giving people hope at this time.”

“I have been thinking of seeing Tempest. A modern take on Shakespeare by a teen is, intriguing.”

“It certainly is. I’ll see you around. There’s more of Lawndale to check up on.”

“Of course, Spidey,” Cuddy responded as the superheroine swung away.


SpiderGirl followed as Fields drove to the Oscorp headquarters.

She swung to the roof after Fields had taken Anders inside, but she found that there were cameras watching there. ‘Of course, Osborn has done that!’ she thought. She then went to the Historia to watch over the town from there.


Fields escorted Anders into the office, where the video set up was still set up. She switched it on and Osborn was there on the other end waiting.

“I heard what happened,” he said, “Cuddy complained to me personally.”

“You have ruined my career, Norman!” Lynn slurred.

“I have not. It can still be recovered.”

“And I’m not going to be working for Oscorp!”

“And you won’t have to. Fields, you come back here now. I don’t want you to hear what I’m talking to her about.”

Fields sighed. “Yes, sir.

“I want her here!” Anders said.

“She doesn’t need to know.”


Fields stepped out of the office and closed the door. Osborn definitely didn’t want her to know what he was talking to Anders about. She tired listening but found that the office was soundproofed. ‘Of course,’ she thought as she headed off.


Fields got off work at 5:00. Osborn had been tight lipped about what he had talked to Anders about. She headed towards the Historia, as she knew SpiderGirl had been hanging around there.

The café was busy, as it seemed that people were getting ready for the production of Tempest at 6:30. She went to get a coffee.


Donna Bolton hadn’t expected to find the Historia as busy as it had been. But she had quickly got used to it. “Welcome to the Historia, how may I serve you?” she asked the lady with short dark hair.

“Coffee,” the young lady answered.

“2 dollars.”

The young lady handed over a two dollar note. “I heard that SpiderGirl hangs around here,” she said.

“Apparently, although I haven’t seen her myself,” Donna responded. “Sometimes with Ninja Talon.”

“I see.”


While Fields waited for her coffee, she watched the teens in the café. ‘Any one of the girls could be SpiderGirl, even the barista.’ It wasn’t long before her coffee was ready and the red headed barista came over.

“Are you coming to the play?” she asked.

“Not yet, but I might next week.”

“I saw it last week, and last night. It’s quite good,” the barista said.

“I have heard good things, despite Ondrovick’s negative critique.”

The barista shrugged. “Not everyone likes it.”


SpiderGirl returned to the Historia after another patrol to find the lady who had been with Anders at the hospital on the roof.

“SpiderGirl?” the lady asked.

“I saw you with Anders earlier.”

“I want to talk to you about the situation. Osborn is up to something.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” SpiderGirl responded.

“It’s to do with the fake interview. Osborn is behind it!”

“I have suspected such.”

“And I was the stand in,” the lady confessed with shame in her voice. “I’m sorry, but I’m sure that Osborn would have fired me if I had refused!”

SpiderGirl came closer to the lady. “I see that you are regretting it. What’s your name?”

“You can just call me Fields,” the lady answered. “I don’t like my name.”

“Fields,” SpiderGirl considered. “I forgive you, although the forgiveness isn’t easy.”

“I’d be understanding if you didn’t.”

“But resenting you wouldn’t have been the answer.”


Fields paused as she considered that. ‘It seems SpiderGirl is more mature than I expected,’ she then looked turned and looked towards the hospital. “I know Osborn is manipulating Anders further. Into what, I can’t guess. But It certainly can’t be good. For her, or for Lawndale.”

“Thanks for letting me know, although it is something else that Talon and I will worry about.”

“You mean, Ninja Talon? You are partners?”

“More that we’re friends that team up when something serious is happening,” SpiderGirl answered. “Which seems to be happening more often.”

“But she teamed up with Dafoanairi when that robot pterodactyl appeared.”

“I was busy, as my secret identity. Like, we have lives.”

“That makes sense.”


After Fields had left, SpiderGirl pondered what the woman had revealed. “I’ll try to keep an eye on Anders.” She glanced towards the Court House clock tower. Five twenty. ‘Talon will be downstairs.’

There was time before the play for them to catch up. She waited a few minutes before changing to the ordinary Quinn and heading down.


Brittany saw Quinn enter the auditorium in a determined manner and went over to her. “Something happened?” she asked quietly.

“Anders and Osborn,” Quinn began, and she quietly explained what had happened at the hospital and what Fields had told her.


Brittany took in what Quinn had said and was annoyed. “Osborn needs to be stopped!” she said vehemently.

“I agree,” Quinn responded.

“I’ll see if Andrea can obtain evidence of illegal activity.”

Quinn nodded. “Good idea. We’ll talk more after the play.”

Brittany nodded.


At 6:25 Daria checked the theater over. After the events of the past two weeks, she wanted to be sure that the performance wouldn’t be interrupted.

She entered the former projection room.

“All is going well,” Dani Moreno said. “I haven’t found any more of Beck’s surprises since yesterday.”

“That’s good, but we need to be prepared,” Daria reminded her.

Dani nodded. “If something comes up, I’ll deal with it and let you know.”

“Thanks.”


The curtain went up and the play started.

As the play went on, Quinn kept an eye on the news. She had a feeling that something was going to happen that SpiderGirl would need to respond to. ‘And as Brit is in the play, she won’t be able to respond as Talon, nor would Daria if she’s Dafoanairi.’ She was still uncertain of that. ‘But that leaves the Shadow and the Enigma. I guess I’ll have to handle it alone.’


At the same time, Andrea was in the café, waiting for Dewey Rogers. She wondered yet again how she had got involved with two of Lawndale’s superheroes. ‘Although I’m sure, Brittany is just skilled in martial arts.’ She hadn’t yet seen Ninja Talon in action, but what she had heard about had impressed her. She looked outside, and still didn’t see Dewey, just Sandi Griffin arriving.


Sandi entered the Historia. She had spent the early evening patrolling as the Enigma and had decided to get an energy drink from there before heading home to conduct her usual nightly search. She saw Andrea nearby. “Hi, Andrea,” she said.

“More change,” Andrea said. “You giving me notice.”

Sandi shrugged. “Like, I’m friends with Daria now.”

“That’s still difficult to believe.”

“Compared to Lawndale having superheroes?”

“Yes,” Andrea answered. “I’m sure you’re up to something.”

“I’m helping Daria investigate what’s going on in Lawndale.”


Quinn considered ducking back into the theater as she saw Sandi and Andrea talking. But then something caught her attention. The television in the café, which had been showing the local station had gone to static. ‘Something’s up,’ she thought. ‘But how is that linked to the static?’

She saw Donna grab the remote. “Could it be the aerial?” Donna asked.

“Maybe,” Quinn said. “I could check.”

Donna changed the channel. That channel was also out. “If it’s not the aerial…”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Donna changed the channel again. The third channel was also out. However the reception then cleared, showing a disheveled Lynn Anders. “What?” she asked.

“What?” Quinn asked herself.

“Good Evening Lawndale and surrounding towns, I wouldn’t change the channel. I have taken over all of them for the duration. I’m sure that you’re aware that I have been suspended because of last night’s interview with a fake SpiderGirl.”

“How is she doing this?” Donna asked.

“I’m not sure,” Quinn answered.


Sandi turned from Andrea and looked at the TV. “Looks like she’s taken over the broadcasts. I have to call home.”

“I know your mother works at a station, but what could she do?” Andrea asked.

“More than you think,” Sandi responded as took out her cell phone.


Quinn was ready to head out, she just needed to know where Anders was, and what she was up to she looked back to Andrea and saw that Sandi had already ducked out into the lobby. ‘How to go about this without revealing that I’m SpiderGirl.’

“…SpiderGirl. I want you to come.”

‘No real choice there, but not for your reason,’ Quinn thought.

“She’s focused on SpiderGirl, isn’t she?” Donna asked.

Quinn nodded. “It’s a little weird, like I would have thought she would have mentioned Ninja Talon or the Shadow more.”

“Maybe because SpiderGirl is the most well known,” Donna considered

“…And I have kidnapped a member of the Lawndale Lions!” Anders revealed.

“She’s definitely gone too far,” Quinn murmured.


“I’m watching it now,” her mother said. “But she hasn’t said which member of the Lawndale Lions was kidnapped. What I can say is that she must have gained access to the Emergency Alert System.”

“And you would know where that would be?” Sandi asked.

“There are a few around Lawndale, but one of them is halfway to Oakwood, so that’s a bit far for us to search. And another is next to Lawndale Flats…”

‘So, one of us goes to get close to the one on the way to Oakwood…’ Sandi mused. It would be a waste of time if Anders turned out to be in the one next to Lawndale Flats. “We could head to two of them, then converge to at the one in the middle.”

Her mother sighed. “My Boston hero identity isn’t appearing in Lawndale. Besides, Sam already knows too much.”

“You don’t have to use the name you used in Boston, and Father can watch Sam.”

“When did you get so mature?”

Sandi rolled her eyes. “Not that mature. Just, like, being pragmatic. And I suppose Daria is rubbing off on me.”

“I shall go to the one towards Oakwood. You can go to Lawndale Flats. The third is downtown on Bernstein and Mertz.”

“Bernstein and Mertz, got it.”


At the same time, Fields was making dinner when she saw Anders on the TV. ‘Osborn must have talked her into this!’ she thought as she put the meal in the oven. ‘But I don’t know where she would be broadcasting from.’

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 11
Quinn continued watching the broadcast, even as Donna kept changing the channels. “No good. It looks like she has taken control of the Emergency Alert System,” Donna said.

“Would you know where that is?” Quinn asked.

“I know there’s one nearby, on Bernstein and Mertz,” Andrea answered.

‘I could try that, but how to get away.’


Sandi passed Dewey Rodgers as she left the Historia and headed eastwards towards the Jefferson Bridge.


“Dewey!” Andrea said as she saw him enter the café.

“Hi Andrea, what’s this about Anders?”

“Calling SpiderGirl out. Speaking of…”

“My sister, Mina, said that you could do it,” Dewey responded. “She’ll be here shortly.”

“Good. I’ll just need to inform Ninja Talon in a short while.”


‘Good,’ Quinn thought as she overheard. She turned her attention back to the TV.

“You have half an hour, SpiderGirl. There are only three Emergency Alert stations in Lawndale. Can you find the right one?”

“What kind of sick challenge is that?” Quinn groused as she headed out of the café. She then went to the stairs upwards.


Linda arrived at the Emergency Alert station between Lawndale and Oakwood five minutes after talking to Sandi. It looked like it was deserted. ‘Like on Groundhog Day, I’m the older Moretti,’ she thought as she got out of the car.

She approached the fence and closed her eyes. She sensed that there was no one inside. ‘She’s not here. But she did sense someone nearby. She opened her eyes and brought up her flashlight. “Who’s there?”

A police officer appeared. “Officer Xanthe Peterson. I’m investigating Lynn Anders’ takeover of Lawndale’s television signals.”

“So, am I.”

“And I suppose you’re the fourth vigilante’s mentor?”

Linda sighed. ‘I suppose she’s the one who helped Sandi and Daria rescue Beresfield,’ she thought. “I’m neither confirming nor denying.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” Peterson said. “What can I call you?”

‘I can’t use ‘Moretti,’ she thought. “The Violet Force.”

“Sounds good.”

“It looks like there’s no one here.”

“Then she’s at one of the other ones,” Peterson said.

“I was going to check the one at Bernstein and Mertz with my protégé next.”

Peterson nodded.


At the same time as her mother meeting Peterson, the Enigma approached the Emergency Alert station in East Lawndale. She approached close to the building and then used her enhanced perception to sense the interior. However, she was still uncertain as that aspect of her powers still wasn’t developed as much as her mother’s, despite it being an advantage against Mysterio a week earlier. She carefully opened a window telekinetically and entered.

She quickly found that the place was deserted. She then sent a message to her mother.

The one near Lawndale Flats is empty. Heading to Bernstein and Mertz.


SpiderGirl arrived at the Bernstein and Mertz intersection, which was one of Lawndale’s main ones. She saw that the Emergency Alert Station building was nondescript. She had passed it many times before without knowing what it was. As she approached, she felt a slight tingle of her SpiderSense. ‘Some danger, but not obvious.’ It was more of a warning than an indication of immediate danger. ‘But that’s what I knew already.’ She looked at the time. Twenty five minutes before Ander’s warning expired.
And over an hour before the play went to intermission. ‘Have I come to rely on Talon too much?’ she asked herself. She considered it as she landed on the roof. ‘Probably not. I have been doing my own thing, as she has been. It’s that the major events haven’t really left off since we rescued Sarah Robyn.’
She crawled in through one of the high windows and swung down through the attic space.


Lynn Anders heard something that wasn’t her captive squirming in his attempts to escape. A tell-tale thwip! “Ah! SpiderGirl! You’re here!” she said. “Now all of Lawndale will see what happens next.”

SpiderGirl looked pensive as she swung down next to the cage where her captive was bound. “And, what will exactly happen next? And the play is on, not all of Lawndale would be watching.”

“Oh, yes. Tempest. A nice distraction that is. But enough people will see your attempt at rescuing that oaf of a quarterback.”

“Who are you calling an oaf?” the captive, Kevin Thompson, asked as struggled against his ties yet again.

“You are an oaf!” Anders said. “I have obtained your non-bye grades. And yes, Lawndale, your star high school quarterback gets by on byes!”

“Who will believe that?” SpiderGirl asked.

“Enough people.”


SpiderGirl examined the cage. “I’ll have you out of there soon.” But as she prepared to pick the lock. Her SpiderSense blared.

“What’s wrong Spidey?” Kevin asked.

SpiderGirl spun and faced Anders. “The cage is electrified, isn’t it?”

“Drat!” Anders said.

“Don’t worry, Kevin, I’ll figure out a way.”

“Oh, yeah, you go to Lawndale High, right?” Kevin asked.

“I doubt a Fielding girl would be seen around Lawndale High.”


The Enigma arrived at Bernstein and Mertz first, but the did hear her mother’s car approaching, so she waited.

Less than half a minute later, her mother pulled up, followed by Officer Peterson.

“Is she in there?” Peterson asked.

“Give us a moment,” her mother said and closed her eyes.

The Enigma did so too. And sensed that there were people inside.

“Anders is there,” her mother confirmed. “Along with SpiderGirl, who’s trying the rescue the quarterback.”

“Ugh, Kevin!” the Enigma said.

“Kevin Thompson?” Xanthe considered. “He has a knack for getting into minor trouble.”

“Then let’s rescue him,” the Enigma said.

“Without confronting SpiderGirl in front of most of Lawndale,” her mother said.

“Wouldn’t have said it better myself,” Peterson said.

“Not right now. Another time.”

Both Peterson and her mother sighed.


SpiderGirl looked at the cables connecting the cage to the various outlets.

“Problem, Spidey?” Kevin asked.

“This is more complicated than I thought.”

“You could just web the cage open.”

“I thought about that,” SpiderGirl said. “But this is tricky.”

Anders laughed.

“What?” SpiderGirl asked.

“It’s quite complicated.”

“You’ve had help didn’t you? Was it Oscorp?”

“It was someone,” Anders started before she interrupted herself and looked to the side.

SpiderGirl followed her gaze and saw that Peterson had arrived, along with the Enigma and who seemed to be her mentor. ‘Oh great! At least Peterson will keep her in line.’

“Yay, the cavalry!” Kevin said. “Is that Dafoanairi?”

“No, it’s the fourth vigilante,” SpiderGirl responded.


“I’m not Dafoanairi,” Sandi said to Kevin. “But I’m not saying my hero name in front of the majority of Lawndale’s population!”

“Of course not,” SpiderGirl groused.

Her mother sighed. “Of course you aren’t.”

“Oh,” Kevin said.

“But we need to get him out of there,” Peterson said.

“Easier said than done of course,” Anders interrupted. “But you have about fifteen minutes.”

“Is there a bomb?” her mother asked.

“Nothing so crude,” Anders answered.

“I have an idea,” Sandi said.

“What is it?” SpiderGirl asked. “Because your energy blasts might intensify the electricity.”

“I had thought of that,” her mother said.

“The telekinesis. We pull from both sides while SpiderGirl webs up the top of the cage from the ceiling,” Sandi said.

“That sounds like a plan,” Peterson said. “I’ll cover Anders, in case she tries anything.”

“Everything you just said has been broadcasted,” Anders said.

“You know I’m tempted to just shoot the equipment with my energy powers,” Sandi said. “But I doubt that would restore normal service.”

“And people in Lawndale heard that.”

“She’s just riling you up,” SpiderGIrl said. “Let’s do this.”


They quickly moved into position and SpiderGirl shot the web to the top of the cage.

“Um, what is going to happen?” Kevin asked.

“The cage is going to fall apart, so be ready for that,” Peterson said.

“Um, OK.”

“Now!” The Violet Force said to her protégé,

The cage groaned as their telekinetic forces pulled in opposite directions.


It took about ten seconds as the Violet Force and her protégé slowly ramped up their efforts, although the latter had less finesse. It broke apart suddenly with Kevin falling to the floor in a yelp as SpiderGirl sent the roof clattering elsewhere in the room, before swinging down and cutting his ties.


“Thanks, SpiderGirl,” Kevin said.

“You’re welcome, but we’re not clear yet,” SpiderGirl said.

“You think you’ve won?” Anders asked.

“Maybe not,” Peterson said, as she drew out her cuffs. “Lynn Anders, you are under arrest for kidnapping, and interrupting broadcast signals. You have the right to remain silent, anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law.”

Anders struggled.

“And I might add resisting arrest to the charges.”

The Violet Force went up to the set up. “It looks like someone may need to called in to fix this.”


“I did call it in,” Peterson responded. “And someone is coming, along with an ambulance to check Kevin over.”

“No need, Officer,” Kevin said. “I’m fine.”

“No, you were kidnapped,” Peterson said. “You still need to be checked over.”

“Alright,” Kevin said.


More officers and paramedics entered and the superheroes made themselves scarce. The Violet Force and her daughter met outside near the former’s car. “You changed the plates,” her daughter asked.

“If Peterson traces them, they’ll come up with an address SHEILD set up for me back in the day,” the Violet Force answered, as she unlocked and opened the car. She then opened the glove box and pressed a button inside. The plates then rotated to the normal ones.

“Like, You’re not out of it as you said,” her daughter said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Old habits die hard. But this is still the second time I have been active in Lawndale. I know why Dafoanairi didn’t respond.”

“No, you don’t.”

The Violet Force sighed. “You don’t think I wouldn’t figure out that it’s Daria. It’s obvious, given that you two are working together. But her secret is safe with me as ours is with her.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“I still don’t know who SpiderGirl is, nor Ninja Talon or the Shadow.”

“I’ll still figure that out eventually,” her daughter said. “Anyway, I’m heading back to the Historia.”

“Yes, fill her in on what just happened when the play goes into intermission, which should be soon.”


“A technician is enroute, normal service should be restored soon,” the female police officer, Peterson, said.

Osborn switched off the television and then dialled a number, but not Fields’, as he knew she wouldn’t be back at work until Monday.

“Yes, Mr. Osborn?”

“Find out all you can about Officer Xanthe Peterson of the Lawndale Police Department.”

“Yes, Mr. Osborn. I shall have the dossier ready as soon as possible,” the other person said before hanging up. ‘I know she’s working with SpiderGirl and the others,’ he thought. The situation at the Emergency Alert Station had gone as he had expected, although he hadn’t expected Linda to call herself the Violet Force rather than the Purple Avenger. But he still had no idea who SpiderGirl was. ‘Even with Lynn Anders out of the game, but she was unpredictable,’ he thought.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 12
In the Historia café, Andrea breathed a sigh of relief, although Mina Rodgers had yet to arrive. She then saw Quinn re-enter. “Quinn?” she asked.

“Looks like SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante showed up and didn’t fight each other,” Quinn said as she sat down next to Andrea.

“The fourth vigilante’s mentor showed up too,” Andrea said. “That makes six.”

“But what do you think caused Anders to act like she did?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I’m not sure either.”


The Enigma arrived on the Historia’s roof and looked at the time. “Like, it’s still a while before the play goes to Intermission. She then reflected on what had happened as she observed Lawndale. The Lynn Anders she had just faced was different to the woman she had spoken to briefly two days earlier. ‘It’s not just the booze,’ she considered. ‘The situation has broken her, and someone has manipulated her. There’s no proof that it’s Osborn, of course.’


Mina entered the café not long after Quinn returned. She saw her brother and went over to him. “Sorry I’m late, my roommate wanted me to watch what Anders was doing.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Dewey said. “This is Andrea.”

“So, one of the vigilantes wants you to look into what happened with the robot pterodactyl?” she asked.

“Yes. We want to see if the Mall’s security footage picked up who was controlling it. Ninja Talon said that she and Dafoanairi were focused on stopping it.”

“I’ll have to think about it,” Mina answered. “It is quite risky to share my account.”

“You don’t have to answer right away,” Andrea said.

“I’ll get back to you tomorrow,” Mina said.

“You’ll sleep on it, in other words,” Andrea surmised.

Mina nodded.


As the play went into intermission, Sandi caught up with Daria before she could enter the café.

“Has something happened?” Daria asked.

“Yes, but not here,” Sandi answered.

“Up on the roof,” Daria decided.


At the same time, Quinn met up with Brittany backstage.

“Something did happen during the play?”

“Yes,” Quinn answered. “I’ll tell you in the apartment.”

“That would be easier than the roof.”


Daria looked out over Lawndale as she took in what Sandi had said. That Lynn Anders had apparently gone off the deep end, kidnapped Kevin and interrupted Lawndale’s television signals seemed hard to believe. ‘And yet it happened,’ she thought. “It’s definitely not her by herself,” she said.

“Do you think it’s Osborn too?” Sandi asked.

“Yes, he manipulated her in her vulnerable state. He may be responsible for the fake SpiderGirl idea in the first place. But of course, there’s no proof of that. We need to keep an eye on him.”

“Harry isn’t all that forthcoming, other than the worries about him.”

“I wouldn’t ask Harry to spy on his own father,” Daria responded as she turned back to Sandi.

“I know that,” Sandi said. “There is another thing.”

“What?”

“Mother figured out that you’re Dafoanairi.”

Daria sighed. “And she said that she’d keep my secret?” she asked rhetorically

Sandi nodded. “As you’re keeping ours.”

“Of course,” Daria said, as she glanced at the court house clock tower in the distance. The play would resume in another ten minutes.


Brittany sipped some cocoa as she thought about what Quinn had revealed. “But, what happens next? Are local journalists disappearing in Lawndale now?”

“I’m not sure that’s what’s happening,” Quinn said. “I’d say that Anders may be a one off.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“It’s more the trend.”

“Trend?” Brittany asked. “The Violet Force?”

“The Enigma’s mentor and she’s now active as a sixth vigilante. There’s a new one around every two weeks at this rate.”

“That is a trend.”

“Like, how long before we’re all stepping on each other’s toes and contributing further to Lawndale’s chaos?” Quinn asked.

“Or maybe she’ll only be active from time to time.”

“Probably, I’ll talk to Daria about it later. Even so, more will come out of the woodwork.”

“We’ll deal with it as it comes,” Brittany said.

Quinn cheered up a bit. “Of course, but it’s still a worry. Not everyone has the same sense of responsibility.”

Brittany could tell she was thinking about her father again. She placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks.”


Peterson and the paramedics dropped Kevin home.

“I know it was SpiderGirl and the other two who got Kevin out of that cage,” Charlene Thompson said. “But thanks for rescuing him.”

“You’re welcome,” Peterson said. “We’re rarely thanked in our work.”

“Really?” Charlene asked.

“Unfortunately,” Peterson answered. “People see all the negatives.”

“I thought he was home, rather than moping about town.”

“I would keep an eye on him.”

“It’s difficult enough… I’ll see you later,” Charlene said as she closed the door.

Peterson sighed. It was time to go back to the Station, in case something else happened.


Sandi went back to the café as the play resumed. ‘I may as well have dinner here,’ she thought. She was about to go home for dinner when Anders had interrupted the broadcasts afterall.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Donna asked when she had come up to the counter.

“Just thinking about what’s going on,” Sandi answered.

“It is a lot,” Donna admitted.

“But it could be worse.”


Daria thought about the situation as the play went on.

‘What is Osborn up to?’ She wondered. She was sure of one thing; that Oscorp presented a threat, not just to Lawndale, but to the country at large. ‘I don’t know where he would stop.’


As the play ended, the Historia was filled with speculation about what had happened earlier in the evening. Quinn, Daria and Jane sat in a corner of the café after ordering supper. “So, you caught up with the fourth vigilante earlier?” Jane asked.

“The Enigma,” Quinn said.

“Really?” Jane asked, feigning surprise.

“Yes,” Daria said. “She told Quinn and a few others in the play the night you were abducted.”

‘That makes sense,’ Jane thought. “So, the Enigma caught up with you earlier?”

“Yes,” Daria answered. “She couldn’t just locate Anders, as there are three Emergency Alert Stations around Lawndale, one of which is on the way to Oakwood and there is also one next to Lawndale Flats.”

“So, she brought in her mentor?” Quinn asked.

Daria nodded. “The mentor went to the west while she went to the east, but Anders turned out to be in the one in the middle, and the rest was shown on that broadcast. I guess I’ll be asking Samara if she taped that too.”

“Someone probably did,” Jane responded.

“But it’s a bit late to be making more calls tonight, even if it’s Saturday,” Daria said.

“First thing tomorrow?” Quinn asked.

“Not first thing, it’ll be Sunday,” Daria said. “We’ll wait to mid afternoon.”

“And I bet your mother’s going to be wanting to talk to you when you get home.”

Daria sighed. “Of course.”


At the same time, Andrea caught up with Brttany in another corner. “Mina said that she would think about it overnight,” Andrea said.

“That’s good news,” Brittany said.

Andrea could tell she was thinking about something. “Did SpiderGIrl tell you something earlier?”

Brittany nodded. “That the fourth vigilante’s mentor was there when she helped rescue Kevin from Anders.”

“I did see a fourth person there, other than SpiderGirl, the fourth vigilante and the policewoman.”

“Probably Officer Peterson.”

“Peterson?” Andrea asked. “You know her?”

“As much as I can know her when I occasionally meet her as Talon.”

“Of course.”

“But Spidey has known her a lot longer,” Brittany answered.

“From the beginning?”

“I don’t think so, but certainly before I started. But there’s another thing. She suspects Spidey’s identity.”

“She does?” Andrea asked with surprised. “But she wouldn’t have known SpiderGirl like I knew you.”

“Of course not,” Brittany said, “But that’s the fact.”

Andrea thought about it. She had promised to keep Brittany’s secret, but she wasn’t sure about Peterson.


Quinn and Daria got home to find their mother waiting for them, as expected.

“I was watching something when Anders interrupted the broadcasts. It changes things,” she said.

“I knew you would say that,” Quinn said.

“She’s certain to be fired now, if she hasn’t already,” Daria added.

“But now that I have seen SpiderGirl in action, I must say that whoever she is must be brave,” their mother said.

‘Thanks, Mom,’ Quinn thought, although she knew that she still wouldn’t tell her and Daria anything. ‘It’s enough that Brit knows.’

“That’s obvious,” Daria commented.

“But someone else must be behind it. It’s not like she would have done it on her own,” their mother said.

“It could be Osborn,” Daria added.

“Maybe, but there’s no proof,” their mother said.

“That’s true,” Daria said.

“I know you’re investigating what’s going on, but trying to investigate Oscorp could be dangerous.”

“I’m aware of that,” Daria said as she went up the stairs.


Quinn leaned against the stairs and ran a hand through one of her pigtails. “I also know it’s dangerous,” she said.

“Is it because of William?” Helen asked

“That is part of it. You know Daria, always standing for what she thinks is right.”

“That is a part of her that hasn’t changed.”

Quinn yawned. “Goodnight.”


But Quinn didn’t go to bed just yet as she still wanted to write in her journal about the rescue of Kevin, the Violet Force and what had caused Lynn Anders to do what she did.


SpiderGirl awoke and crawled out onto the roof at the usual time. Lawndale sounded as it usually did at that hour. She pondered the situation. ‘Maybe there is a way I can tell my story without risk,’ she wondered. ‘But I’ll need to talk to Talon first and see what she thinks about it.’


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Sunday, March 4, 2001
The Fall of Lynn Anders

Lynn Anders awoke in the Police cell with a massive hangover and winced at the early morning light that was coming in through the barred window. She groaned as she remembered what she could remember about her conversation with Norman Osborn in the afternoon.
“You ruined my life, Norman!” she cried out.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 13
Andrea arrived at the Historia for breakfast.

“I’m still not sure why you wanted to be here this early,” her mother complained.

“I’m meeting someone, but I wasn’t sure when she’d be here.”

“So you’re going to wait all day? Is it SpiderGIrl or Ninja Talon?”

“Could be the latter,” Andrea said.

Her mother turned towards her. “Don’t think that their visits have gone unnoticed, Andrea,” she said quietly.

“I thought you and Dad were asleep.”

“Only one time, but I heard you talking to both of them in your room. I didn’t hear what you were talking about though.”

“Good.”


Andrea ordered her breakfast and read the paper. She found that it was Melinda Parris who had wrote the article on Anders’ fall. ‘I suppose Penelope Jericho is taking her time with her more detailed version.’


It wasn’t until she had started drinking her coffee that Brittany arrived. “I didn’t think you would be awake this early.”

“Practice,” Brittany said with a yawn.

“So, you have been going without enough sleep?”

“Most nights.”

“That’s not good,” Andrea said with concern.

“But I need to do it. Lawndale and Spidey rely on me, as their second superhero and her friend.”

“But you don’t have powers.”

Brittany shook her head. “No, but I have trained.”

“I know. SpiderGirl might be more obvious, but your exploits are also recorded.”


It wasn’t until after 9:00 that Mina arrived at the café. She saw Andrea and a blonde girl with pigtails in a corner of the cafe. ‘Wait, is she the one playing Ariel?’ She ordered something and then went over to them.

“Hi, Mina,” Andrea said.

Mina sat next to Andrea. “This is?”

“Brittany,” the blonde said. “I’m also looking into what’s happening in Lawndale.”

There was something about the way she said that. ‘Brittany sounds like she’s deep into it,’ Mina thought. “I suppose you know about what Andrea asked me about.”

Brittany nodded.

“And your answer is?” Andrea asked as she raised one of her eyebrows.

Mina sighed. “I’ll let you use my account for trying to find out about the robot pterodactyl. But it will be a one-time thing. Once is risky enough!” she said quietly.

“Looks you you’ll need broadband,” Brittany said to Andrea.

Andrea nodded. “I have been asking Mom about it.”

Brittany twirled a pigtail. “I suppose you could use mine, but Ashley-Amber is a light sleeper.”

“You didn’t say that before,” Andrea said.

“You didn’t ask, and I didn’t think of it,” Brittany said.

“You can do it after lunch,” Mina added. “But will you be there?” she asked Brittany.

“No. I’ll be doing something else.”


Ninja Talon met SpiderGirl on the roof shortly afterwards. “Hey, Spidey.”

“Hey, Talon,” SpiderGirl said she looked out over the town.

“Mina allowed Andrea to use her account. They will look through the Mall’s footage this afternoon.”

“That’s good. I hope they find something.”

Ninja Talon noticed that her friend was slightly pensive. “Something on your mind? Besides the robo-dactyl and Anders?”

“About Anders, in a way. I was thinking, after last night, that we have been reacting to things since Anders and Jamie had decided to interview me.”

“Not entirely true.”

“That was Daria and most of the teens of Lawndale calling each other,” SpiderGirl said. “But that was a good thing.”

“So, what is your idea.”

“I put together some questions earlier that Mrs. Jericho can interview me with.”

“Mrs. Jericho?” Ninja Talon asked. “What about Jamie?”

“I know Jamie would want to ask further questions.”

“Wouldn’t Mrs. Jericho?”

“She’ll respect my intentions a lot more than Jamie,” SpiderGirl responded.

“That’s a good point. It’s still risky, but I agree that we have to do something.”

SpiderGirl nodded. “I’ll try to talk to her this afternoon.”

“You want me to come with you?”

“But then she’ll want to interview you too.”

“That’s a good point,” Ninja Talon said. “I’ll patrol around here and wait for what Andrea may find.”


It was after 1:00 when Andrea arrived at the same computer lab she had used with Scott Ashworth over a week early and found Mina waiting outside. “Let’s do this,” she said.

“Quickly,” Mina said as she swiped the door open with her Student ID.

“This can’t be rushed,” Andrea responded as she entered. “It took me hours last time.”

Mina sighed. “Just as well I brought my laptop.”

“Something due this week?”

“Later in the week, and midterms are before Easter.”


At the same time, Tori answered the doorbell. She didn’t quite believe her eyes. “SpiderGirl?”

“Hi, Tori,” SpiderGirl said. “Is your mother in?”

“You want to see her?” Tori asked, surprised.

“Yes. It’s like I want to tell my own story. Not the one Anders, and whoever put her up to interviewing a fake, wanted to tell.”

“I can understand that.”


Penelope was as surprised as her daughter. Seeing Lawndale’s first superhero in her living room was nearly a shock. “I suppose you found me through the phone book?” she asked.

“Of course. Jericho. P. Not hard to find,” SpiderGirl said.

‘Or she already knew as her secret identity, but Tori knows most of the students at that school,’ she thought. “So, you have written out something then?”

“Of course,” SpiderGirl answered as she handed over a piece of paper.


Penelope read through the questions twice. She could tell that SpiderGirl wanted her side of the story told, but in a way that protected her secret identity. ‘I’ll help her do that then,’ she decided. “I’ll do it,” she said.

“You will?” SpiderGirl asked.

“Yes.” Penelope said.

“We can do it this afternoon?”

“I was planning to relax before the new week, but yes, we can. And we can do it here in the living room or the home office if you prefer.”

“The Living Room seems more natural,” SpiderGirl responded.

“I suppose it is. I just want to prepare first.”


Tori sat across from SpiderGirl as her mother went to prepare. “So, what do you think of Anders’ fall?”

“She made a deal with someone, and she paid the price.”

“That makes sense, but what about the one who actually impersonated you?”

“I met her, and she apologized,” SpiderGirl answered. “And I forgave her.”

“That must have been awkward,” Tori commented.

SpiderGirl shrugged. “She found me on top of the Historia.”

“I have heard that you’re there often.”

“That’s right. It’s provides a very good vantage point of Lawndale’s downtown area.”

“It’s like you appeared out of nowhere back in November, and Lawndale suddenly started getting crazy,” Tori said.


SpiderGirl thought about that. “More like, it wasn’t until later, after New Year. More like Groundhog Day was the trigger point, if that makes sense.”

“I guess so, but there are rumors of strange things from before then.”

“That’s true.”


It didn’t take long for Penelope to prepare. She read through SpiderGirl’s questions again before boiling some tea. As she entered the lounge room, she saw SpiderGirl drink a cup of water quickly before covering the lower part of her face again. ‘White, but that’s all I got,’ she thought. Then again, Lawndale was majority white.

SpiderGirl turned. “You didn’t see that, did you?”

“Relax. It was no where near enough for me to guess your secret identity.”

“Good. Only one other knows it.”

Penelope raised an eyebrow. “Ninja Talon?”

“Off the record?”

“Yes. I promise.”

“Yes and I know hers,” SpiderGirl answered. “But that won’t be an official answer. She turned to Tori, who had just come back into the room. “You’ll keep it secret too, right?”

“Of course,” Tori answered.

“Are you ready?” Penelope asked.

SpiderGirl nodded.

“First question: Your motto is ‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.’ Can you tell us why this is so?


The interview proceeded well.

“Finally, has Lawndale become more weird since Groundhog Day?” Penelope asked.

“Yes. It’s not just the brownouts, what Quentin Beck was doing or Oscorp’s plans. It’s something Talon and I are looking into.”

“Thanks for your time.”

“And now I need to be going,” SpiderGirl said.


Tori watched SpiderGirl swing away from her yard. “Go get them, Spidey.”


At the same time, Andrea found something.

“What is it?” Mina asked.

“Someone was standing still, observing as Ninja Talon and Dafoanairi fought it,” Andrea answered.

Mina looked closer. “I can’t make them out. They’re in the shadows.”

Andrea nodded. “I need to find another angle. There isn’t much to tell Ninja Talon about here.”

“Would there be a camera in the right spot, though”

“Only one way to find out.”


Ten minutes later, Andrea had loaded an image of the same spot from a different angle. “They are more visible here.”

“Looks like a young woman.”

“That it does, but her face is hidden.”

“So, you’ll need to find a third angle?” Mina asked.

“Possibly. We know it was five minutes between when Dafoanairi responded to the robo-dactyl appearing, to when she and Ninja Talon had put it out of commission. She may have moved around during that time.”


Andrea fast forwarded and rewound the footage. She got a clearer shot at the young woman’s face, and the fact that she was holding a large controller “it’s still not enough. The resolution isn’t clear enough.”

“It is quite pixilated.”

“But it is what Ninja Talon asked me to find. What she and SpiderGirl will make of it, I’m not sure, but I’ll try to find another camera that’s closer.”


Half an hour later, Andrea had found more footage, but with a similar result. “Thanks for allowing me to use your account.”

“I just hope we weren’t caught,” Mina said.

“I made sure that we weren’t traced.”

Mina breathed a sigh of relief.”


Andrea logged off.

“I guess you’re going to meet Ninja Talon somewhere?”

“She’ll probably just show up tonight at home.”

“She does that?” Mina asked in surprise.

“Both her and SpiderGirl, but not that often.”

“You know who she is, don’t you?”

“I’m not answering that,” Andrea responded.

“Relax, I don’t want to know.”

“I know, but I’m still not answering.”

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 14
After sunset, the Enigma looked out over Lawndale from her roof. The normal appearance of the suburbia belied the tensions and changes that were happening. She looked at some of the brighter stars that managed to peak through the cloud cover. ‘Lawndale is continuing to change,’ she thought. The downfall of Lynn Anders was only part of it. She then grabbed her yearbook, which she had brought up with her. “Lara Edgars on Friday night, after that fake interview,” she said to herself. “Next is Therese Edwards.”

She grabbed the energy drink and downed it. “Findu mann hem heiter: Therese Edwards!”

She found Therese at the Historia, having dinner.


At the same time, Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl met at their spot below the Jefferson Bridge and unmasked.

“You did it?” Brittany asked.

Quinn nodded. “Yes, I did it. It’s up to Mrs. Jericho now. It might be in tomorrow’s paper. Or Tuesday’s.”

“You sound like it went well.”

“More, that I’m relieved.”

“But there’s still who’s behind the robo-dactyl,” Brittany said.

“I hope Andrea found something.”

“I’ll be at her place around midnight.”

“Then we can meet back here towards sunrise,” Quinn said with a yawn.

“Or maybe before school?”

“It will be fine. It’s that these last two weeks have been more busy than usual.”


Before she got into bed, Fields opened her closet and looked at the fake SpiderGirl suit she had brought home. ‘I could use it,’ she thought. ‘Not as SpiderGirl, of course, but as a new vigilante, countering Oscorp, after I dye and make changes to it.’

She thought about it some more. ‘But that will take time, which I’ll use to train myself.’


It was after midnight when Ninja Talon arrived at Andrea’s. She didn’t get there any earlier, as she was sure that Ashley-Amber was suspecting something after the hospital admission the previous week. ‘But my leg is feeling better,’ she thought as she opened the Hecuba’s back door.


Andrea turned and saw Brittany enter her room and close the door before unmasking.

“Hey Andy.”

‘Still with the nickname,’ she thought. But Brittany was unlikely to stop using it. “Hi, Brit.”

“So, did you find something?” she asked as she sat on the bed.

“Yes,” Andrea answered as she brought up a collage of screenshots from the footage she had put together.

Brittany looked. “There is a controller there, but it’s otherwise blurry.”

“I agree, there weren’t cameras very close to her position, but it does prove that someone was controlling it.”

Brittany looked through the footage. “All I can say is that she’s as white as we are.”

“That’s not much to go on at all.”

“Still, maybe Spidey would make more of it.”

“I’ll burn you a copy,” Andrea said.


It didn’t take long for Andrea to burn another CD. Brittany was patient, and listened to her radio through an earbud as she waited.

“Here,” Andrea said.

“Thanks.”

“I hope it helps.”

“We’ll get something out of it,” Brittany said, as she fidgeted with her mask. She then put it back on. “Later, Andy.”


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Monday March 5, 2001
What Really Happened to Lynn Anders?
Melinda Parris

SpiderGirl in Her Own Words
Penelope Jericho


Quinn finished re-reading her interview as Brittany arrived where she had been waiting beneath the Bridge.

“Hey Quinn. Is your interview there?” Brittany asked.

“Yes, right here,” Quinn answered as she showed Brittany.

“Andrea did find something,” Brittany said as she looked at the interview.

Quinn could tell it wasn’t entirely good news. “But it wasn’t much?”

“No,” Brittany answered as she handed over the disk. “We could see that there was a controller, but we couldn’t see the lady’s face.”

Quinn thought about it as Brittany read the interview. They were nowhere near solving that mystery. Was it Oscorp, or was it something unrelated. And there was still the question of why someone would try to draw her out in that manner.

“You did very well,” Brittany said.

“Thanks.”

“But we still don’t know.”

“No, but what is happening in Lawndale may have drawn the attention of others,” Quinn said. She looked out where the dawn was appearing.

Brittany nodded.

“Anyway, I need to get back before breakfast.”

“Same here.”


Quinn entered the kitchen early to see her mother reading the interview article.

“Quinn! You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t get back to sleep,” she said truthfully. She was wondering if Ted had managed to come up with the retraction article in a satisfactory manner.

“That seems to be the problem lately. Sometimes I dream that he’s still here…”

“I have similar dreams. Where Lawndale is the same as it was.”

“If I knew the town was going to change so much, I would got a place in Oakwood,” her mother said.

“That would have been different,” Quinn said, quietly. “But what do you think about that interview?”

“It makes sense that SpiderGirl would want to put her own story out there in a way that she could control, especially after what happened with Lynn Anders.”

“I agree.”

“But there is something I’m missing,” her mother said in a pondering tone.

“What’s that?”

“I’m not sure. It’s like the phrasing of the questions is reminding me of something.”

‘Oops!’ Quinn thought. “It’s probably nothing.”

“You may be right,” her mother said as she turned the page and took a bite from her toast.


Lawndale Lowdown
March 5, 2001
Retraction of Previous Article
Quinn isn’t Into Kevin

Most of the students of Lawndale High were talking about the fake interview and the fall of Lynn Anders as they arrived at school.


In homeroom, Quinn read through the retraction article. Ted had done a rather good job, effectively refuting what Jamie had written. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“You think Kevin is going to get it?” Aleecia Nibblet asked.

“I hope so,” Quinn answered, “but I’m sure he will.”

“Or maybe that kidnapping has affected him,” Aleecia suggested.

“I’m sure it did in some way.”


Quinn met Ted on the way to her first class.

“Morning Quinn.”

“You did well with the article.”

“Thanks, but I hope that it got through to Kevin,” Ted said.

Quinn giggled a little. “I hope so too. But if he doesn’t, it’s not a failure on your part.”

“But would Ms. Li see it that way?”

“I’m sure she’s read it by now.”


It wasn’t until lunch time when Quinn crossed paths with Kevin, after getting her food.

“Hey, Quinn!” Kevin said in a tone that was contrite for him.

“You read the Lowdown?” Quinn asked rhetorically.

Kevin nodded. “Yes. It seems Jamie was lying.”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“He misunderstood something. He thought I liked you when I didn’t,” Quinn answered. “Do you understand?”

“A little.”

“Good.”

“But now I realize that I was kind of, what is it?” Kevin started.

“Rebounding.”

“Yeah, rebounding from Brittany. I wasn’t, still not sure what to do.”

“Take time, Kevin,” Quinn said, although she knew that he would ignore that advice.

“Maybe, but SpiderGirl! She’s cool.”

‘Oh great!’ Quinn thought. “She is cool, but she’s busy.”

“I know what they say, that her secret identity is here at the school.”

“She could be anybody.”

“I mean, she’s really cool!” Kevin clarified.

“You’re not just saying that because she rescued you on the weekend?”

Kevin was then in thought. “Probably,” he admitted. “But I have to say, she’s cute.”

“I’m not going to repeat that,” Quinn responded.

“The fourth vigilante, not that cool. The Violet Fierce wasn’t either.”

‘The Violet Force,’ Quinn corrected mentally. “I guess not,” she said with a giggle.

Then someone called out for Kevin at the end of the cafeteria.

“Oops, gottta go!”


“Weird,” Quinn said when she had sat with Stacy, Tori and Tiffany.

“That Kevin is now crushing on SpiderGirl?” Tori asked. “Not that much.”

“But at least Ted got through to him with the article,” Stacy said.

“Totally,” Quinn said.


“So, that’s the end of that,” Sandi said to Daria and Harry as she reread the article.

“Yes, Kevin knows Quinn doesn’t like him in that way,” Daria said. “Which is a relief, but it seems that he now has a crush on SpiderGirl.”

“Well, he was rescued by her,” Sandi said.

“But it doesn’t seem that he also has a crush on the fourth vigilante,” Harry added.

‘Thank goodness,’ Sandi thought.

“Probably because she doesn’t give her hero name,” Daria responded.

“And probably her attitude turned him off,” Sandi added.

“That too,” Daria said with a slight smirk.

Tania then joined them. “Talking about Kevin?” she asked.

“A little,” Daria said. “More the weekend.”

“I lost track of how many phone calls after that interview,” Tania said. “Was it worth it to destroy Lynn Anders’ career?”


Daria considered Tania’s question. “She didn’t deserve it, even if she might have been manipulated into giving the interview and kidnapping Kevin.”

“I agree. Something happened,” Tania said.

“I have my suspicions,” Daria said.

“My father?” Harry asked quietly.

Daria nodded. “No proof, just a hunch. I’m sorry.”

“True, and he’s out of the hospital tomorrow. It appears that he has completely recovered,” Harry said.

“That is good news at least,” Sandi said as she took a bite.

“But the question is; what does he have planned for Lawndale?” Daria posited.

“That he hasn’t said,” Harry said.

“And he’s unlikely to say,” Daria added.

 

[USS Fardell]

20. The Imitation Tempest
Part 1
It was an ordinary lunch time in the Lawndale High cafeteria. As ordinary as a lunch time got at Lawndale High after the Groundhog Day Attack, anyway. Quinn Morgendorffer looked at the questionable contents of the servery. “What is that?” she asked.

“I think it’s turkey and vegetable,” Tori Jericho answered.

“But it looks liked they have been pureed together,” Quinn complained.

Tori shrugged. “There’s not much else.”

“No, there isn’t,” Quinn agreed as she began to fill her plate.

“But it’s wrong!”

Quinn turned and saw that it was Jamie White. “How is it wrong?” she asked.

“It’s looks like a pudding, which is a desert,” Jamie said.

“I suppose it does,” Tori said.


Quinn sat at their table and saw her sister, Daria, as well as Sandi Griffin sitting with a few seniors. “I guess Daria’s trying to speed up her investigation,” she said.

“She did say that she was worried that she wouldn’t’ get to them all before they graduate,” Tori said.

‘She’s has been looking more tired recently,’ she thought. ‘More evidence that she’s Dafoanairi.’


Daria took a bite from the pureed turkey-vegetable ‘soup’ (as that she supposed it was). “Ugh.”

“It is a little bland,” Sandi commented.

“But this isn’t what we’re talking about, is it?” One of the seniors, Holly Galway, asked.

“No,” Daria said. “More what has been going on in Lawndale since SpiderGirl appeared.”

“Where to start?” one of the others, Matt Green, asked.

“When she appeared,” Sandi said. “But you can start later if you want?”

“I’m sure you have heard it before,” the third, Margot Gillan, said dismissively.

“But I would like to know your perspective,” Daria said.

“That’s what the others said,” Holly said. “But I think you’ll find that most of us will agree.”

“That’s true,” Sandi said. “But everyone has offered a unique picture of how Lawndale has been changing.”

“I guess so,” Margot considered.

“Or you could start from Groundhog Day,” Daria said. “Or when SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon appeared in the Mall.”

“I was there in the Mall…” Margot again.


At the same time, Andrea Hecuba-Croft came up to where Brittany Taylor was sitting with her friends and fellow cheerleaders Donna Bolton and Angie Zammit.

“Andrea?” Donna asked.

“I’d like to talk to Brittany about something.”

“I’ll be finished soon,” Brittany said.

“Sure,” Andrea said. “I’ll be in the library.”


“What’s that about?” Angie asked.

“I can guess,” Donna said.

“You know how I’ve been changing?” Brittany asked.

“Like, how you’re getting tutoring from Daria and are involved in her play?” Angie asked.

“Yes,” Brittany answered. “Like, I also thought, that I could reconcile with her, as a friend,” she added, leaving out the fact that she was working with her as Ninja Talon.

“And how is that going?” Donna asked with curiosity.

“Slowly,” Brittany answered, with a quieter tone than usual.


Brittany found Andrea in the library.

“You found something that’s up?” she asked. “Something that you want Spidey and I to investigate?”

“Yes,” Andrea answered. “There was chatter last night, about Alchemax, they’re one of Oscorp’s rivals. More specifically, that they also have a presence in Lawndale.”

“So, investigate them too?”

“More that Oscorp is planning to steal something from them.”

“Do you have proof?” Brittany asked.

Andrea took a printout out of her backpack. “Here’s a printout of the forum thread in question.”

Brittany looked at it. “This isn’t much, but I’ll tell Spidey.”


“…And so I have seen Tempest twice, after what happened to Jane,” Margot concluded.

“Thanks for your time,” Daria said.


“We’re reaching a lot of overlaps,” Sandi said as they left the cafeteria.

“I know,” Daria said. “But I want to keep it up. I don’t want to miss anything.”

“But I also see that’s it’s adding to your exhaustion.”

“Along with everything else. Not that you have any more sleep than I do.”

“True, but I’m not involved in the Historia,” Sandi pointed out.

“Not yet,” Daria added with a slight smirk.

“I guess I’m still looking for something.”


After school, Quinn and Brittany met at the back of the Library before their respective tutoring sessions would start.

“Did something come up, Brit?” Quinn asked quietly, using a tone she usually used as SpiderGirl.

“Andrea found something online, about Oscorp. That they are planning to steal something from an Alchemax office in Lawndale.”

“Did she find about where it is in Lawndale?”

Britany handed over a printout. “It says that it’s in the northern business park, but there’s not much information beyond that.”

“I suppose I could find the office tonight, but this doesn’t really say when the Oscorp agents would strike.”

“That’s a good point.”

Quinn then heard something. “Looks like Daria and Anna are here already.”


Daria entered the library with Anna Coultard.

“I saw that you and Sandi were talking to three seniors.”

“At the current pace, I should get to all of them by the end of the school year.”

“There are times when I met SpiderGirl, other than two weeks ago,” Anna said.

“Really?”

“It was in December, just after Quinn had started mentoring us.”

“And you talked to her about it,” Daria surmised.

“Yes. She listened.”

“That’s what I have heard. She listens to those she crosses paths with.”


“Where are Ben and Gerald?” Quinn asked when she came up to where Anna was waiting.

“Ben was in the nurse’s office. He thinks Spring is coming early,” Anna answered. “I’m not sure about Gerald.”

“It’s still quite cold out yet,” Quinn said. “He probably thinks the chill is hay fever.”

“That’s probably it.”


Brittany came up to Daria. “The weekend was busy, but I did get some questions done.”

“Well, we did need to expose that interview,” Daria said.

“Of course.” Brittany said as she nodded. “It might be something I could write an essay on,” she added as she twirled a pigtail.

“That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure how O’Neill would take it.”

“You’re right.”

“But I’d like a look at the math questions,” Daria said.


Ben and Gerald arrived at the Library at the same time. “I thought you and Anna were joined at the hip,” Gerald said.

“No. We may be together but we aren’t ‘lovey-dovey.’ Besides, I had to go the nurse.”

“Still bothering her?”

“Hypochondria doesn’t just go away!” Ben said.

“I thought after that Copperhead…”

“No. But that was a shock,” Ben added as they came up to where Anna and Quinn were waiting.

“You want to talk about it?” Quinn asked with concern.

“He talks about it with me,” Anna said.

“And Mom has organized a therapist, after what happened,” Ben added. “But I haven’t had a session yet.”


Quinn thought about that for a moment. ‘Apparently it does take time.’

“So, what are we working on today?” Anna asked.

“The usual dramatic reading, but with some changes,” Quinn answered.

“What sort of changes?” Gerald asked warily.

“I’d like to see how you go reading the others interests,” Quinn said. “I’ll start with Anna’s folklore.”

“I knew you would change it up,” Ben said. “Then I’ll go for your drawing and design thing.”

“I do stargaze sometimes,” Anna said. “I’ll do a planet.”

Gerald sighed. “Something medical or biomechanical…”


Brittany and Daria finished their tutoring first. Brittany stopped outside the door of the library.

“You’re going to do more reading?” Daria asked.

“Something like that,” Brittany said. She was going to wait for Quinn.


Quinn noted that Gerald had shown slight improvement in his projection. ‘But he’s only had several sessions with the elocutionist. I’m sure these things take time.’

“And that’s why one should rest when they have the cold,” Gerald concluded.

“You did well,” Ben said.

“And you did too,” Quinn said. “I changed it up to see how you would handle going out of your comfort zone, in a schoolwork setting. Not like when we did that field trip.”

“It was a nice change,” Anna said. “I have read up on the Greek legends around Europa.”

“So, you wanted to know about the moon?” Quinn asked.

Anna nodded and stood up. “I heard that Cashman’s has had a new shipment today. All hush hush.”

“I had heard the same thing, from Tori, but she didn’t know much about it,” Quinn said.


Quinn reflected on what Anna had said as she watched her mentees leave.

“They seem to have come a long way,” Brittany said as she came over.

“Gerald has gained some confidence, Ben may still have hypochondria but he’s connecting with both Gerald and myself, and Anna’s growing in confidence as well.”

“Good to hear. Daria thinks I’m getting better at math. But it’s slow going.”

Quinn looked around. “That’s great!” She changed her tone. “I’m going to scope out the Alchemax place before sunset. Check the entrance and exit points.”

Brittany nodded. “I’ll patrol downtown.”


Ten minutes later, SpiderGirl approached the location. The Alchemax facility looked rather ordinary, much like any other office in the area. She noted that the front entrances were all marked. ‘But that’s obvious,’ she thought, as she swung around to one of the sides.

She found that the rear of the building was as expected too. ‘But there is plenty of places where Oscorp agents could hide,’ she thought as she looked at the rear alley between it and another building. Then her cell phone briefly rumbled.

‘What is it?’ she thought as she took it out. There was a text from Stacy.

OMG Quinn, you have to see what is at Cashman’s now!

SpiderGirl sighed. Stacy was still her excitable self despite everything that had happened.

On my way.


Quinn found Stacy in the Lawndale Mall’s Food Court, sipping a diet soda. “What is it, Stacy?” she asked after she had sat down.

“A new shipment of clothes has come in,” Stacy said.

“Really?” Quinn asked. “We haven’t really talked about clothes since the Club dissolved.”

“I know. We have been caught up with everything, including the Historia, and the superheroes…”

Quinn knew Stacy was going to ramble. “I know,” she said. “But what are these clothes?”

“The pattern SpiderGirl used in her suit,” Stacy answered.


Quinn was incredulous. She was sure that it wasn’t likely. “Like, SpiderGirl suits. That explains how the fake got her suit,” she said referring to the previous Friday when someone interviewed a fake SpiderGirl.

Stacy waved her hands as she usually did when someone thought she was wrong. “No, No. It’s ordinary clothes, I’d like you to see.”

“So, someone was inspired by the way SpiderGirl designed her suit,” Quinn said, as she wondered whether she should be flattered or annoyed that her design was being used.

“I’m sure they’ll say that they were inspired,” Stacy said.

“Let’s have a look then.”


There was a larger than normal crowd in Cashmans as they arrived. Quinn and Stacy pushed their way through. “You’re right,” Quinn said. “They are certainly inspired.” None were the actual suit. More like various ordinary clothes that one would wear in the Spring. ‘But spring hasn’t started yet,’ Quinn thought. It was still quite cold out. “We need to find out more.”

“How?” Stacy asked.

“We’ll ask Theresa first.”


Theresa Thomas saw Quinn and Stacy come up to her counter at Junior Five.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” she said.

“We’ve been busy with the Historia,” Stacy said.

“I have only been there once or twice,” Theresa admitted. “But I’m sure you’re not here to talk about that.”

“No,” Quinn said. “It’s because of the new line of herowear.”

“The SpiderGirl patterned clothes?” Theresa asked rhetorically. “I’m as surprised as you are. I only heard about it this morning, when I started work.”


Quinn thought about what Theresa said. ‘They hadn’t talked about it before today, or hadn’t told Theresa about it. But that doesn’t mean that Oscorp has anything to do with it.’

“So, we just need to look at them ourselves,” Stacy said to Quinn.

“That is what I suggest,” Theresa said.


They went back to the section where the new clothes were displayed. Up close, Quinn could see subtle differences between them and her actual design.

Stacy was also examining a shirt. “This seems to be of poor quality,” she said.

“Well, it was probably a rush job.”

“Like it was made in some sweatshop somewhere?”

“That is quite likely,” Quinn answered as she looked closer.

“Then we do need to know more!”

But Quinn wasn’t sure where to start. ‘I’ll have to talk to Daria, as well as Brit.’

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 2
At the same time, Norman Osborn was being released from the hospital.

Fields met him as he entered the Lobby.

“There you are, Fields,” he said.

“You were given a clean bill of health?”

“Not exactly, but more than healthy enough to no longer need observation.”

“I see,” Fields said quietly.


They were silent until they got in the car. “Home first,” Norman said to the driver. He then turned back to Fields. “What is the reaction to the delivery so far.”

“Subdued. There hasn’t been much online chatter yet.”

“That’s to be expected, but with the clothes out, Operation rooftop can proceed.”

“But there was also a leak about the Alchemax operation,” Fields added.

Osborn gauged Fields. ‘Did she also leak additional information, or not?’ he wondered. “Of course, how else to draw out the vigilantes for a confrontation?”


Fields thought about that. ‘Of course. He’s expecting both SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante to show up and maybe have that long delayed confrontation.’


Stacy left the Mall after Quinn had dashed off saying that she would talk to Daria about the clothes. ‘She’s dashing off a lot lately.’ But that had been the case since before the Fashion Club had dissolved. She headed home, as she wanted to get a start on something Mr. DeMartino had assigned that day.


SpiderGirl got home after patrolling the area between the Mall and her neighborhood and entered the basement through the backyard hatch. She then went into the hidden room and took off her mask as she glanced at the clutter of the maps of Lawndale on the wall. She grabbed a post it and wrote Delivery of Costume Knock-offs to Cashmans before sticking it on the Mall on one of the maps.

“But, what about other stores in town?” she wondered. “Like, Angie’s mother’s boutique?”


Angie Zammit had got home when her cell phone rang. She answered it. “Hello? Quinn?”

“Hey, Angie.”

“Hi, Quinn, what’s up?” She didn’t expect Quinn to call, as she didn’t have a tutoring session until Thursday.

“Have you heard about the new clothes in Cashmans?”

“Really, Quinn?”

“This isn’t a Fashion Club resurgence thing,” Quinn said. “It’s that they’re knock offs of SpiderGirl’s suit!”

“Really? I have heard rumors at school.”

“Stacy and I were there earlier and we saw them. Most were of poor quality.”

“If they’re of poor quality, I doubt Mom would sell them.”

“Maybe not, but let me know if you hear anything more.”


At the same time, Sandi arrived at Cashmans. She had also heard rumors about what had been delivered and wanted to see for herself. “SpiderGirl inspired outfits,” she said. “Lame.”

“What are you calling lame?”

Sandi turned and saw that it was Nikki Dowling, one of Lawndale High’s cheerleaders. “Why has it to be of SpiderGirl?”

“The other heroes all wear nondescript clothes don’t they?” Nikki asked as she came up.

“They do, but SpiderGirl hypes herself up, a lot.”

“Maybe she does, but it’s what Lawndale needs right now.”

Sandi rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but the other heroes are doing their part.”

“I’m going to have a look.”

“Go ahead. I’m going to do so too.”


Sandi came to the same conclusion Quinn and Stacy had. “I guess Osborn had something to do with this,” she said to herself quietly. ‘I’ll ask Theresa.’


Theresa saw Sandi coming. “You want to know about the SpiderGirl inspired clothes too?”

“Who else has asked?” Sandi asked in a tone of curiosity.

“Quinn and Stacy.”

“I guess they’re not as past fashion as I thought.”

“More that they were more curious about where they came from,” Theresa said.

“I guess so,” Sandi said. ‘Maybe Daria’s investigative instinct has rubbed off on her.’

“I can say that it’s quite mysterious.”

“Like, you don’t say.”


Quinn entered Daria’s room.

“Quinn?” Daria asked.

“There was something weird at Cashman’s this afternoon.”

“Define weird.”

Quinn then explained what she had Stacy had found.


Daria thought about it. SpiderGirl knock offs, possibly made in sweatshops? It was definitely not right. ‘Another thing to investigate.’

“What do you think?” Quinn asked.

“That it’s yet another thing to investigate. Oscorp probably isn’t involved.”

“But it might be.”

“Most likely it’s some other opportunist,” Daria said “We might see Ninja Talon or Dafoanairi branded items next. The Shadow and the Enigma are still too elusive for such marketing.”

“It would more likely be Ninja Talon. Dafoanairi is still quite recent by comparison.”

Daria nodded.


When Sandi got home, her mother called her into the kitchen. “Yes, Mother?” She asked, wondering why she was called.

“I still have contacts from the old days,” her mother said, referring to when she was a superhero in Boston during her college years.

“They told you something about Oscorp?” Sandi asked quietly.

“Yes, that they are planning to steal something from Alchemax’s Lawndale facility tonight.”

“Any idea when?”

“All I know is that it would be sometime after midnight,” her mother answered. She then sighed. “Even on a school night.”

“And you know I’d be out anyway. Now I have a reason.”

“Along with Daria.”

“Only some nights,” Sandi said quietly. “But we’ll look.”


Norman was in his home office, which had been prepared for his arrival home. He received a call.

“We’re ready to go, sir,” the person said.

“Very good. Just be prepared for SpiderGirl, or any of the other vigilantes, to show up.”

“No teenage girls can stop us, no matter what powers or training they have.”

“Just don’t be overconfident,” Norman added before hanging up. ‘It is in place. Alchemax moved into Lawndale after me. I found this town first.’


After dinner, Sandi was ready for another search. ‘What will happen when I actually find her? I haven’t thought of that yet,’ she thought as she looked at the next girl in the yearbook. She grabbed the energy drink.

“Findu mann sem heitir: Lena Haroldson!”

She found Lena at the Historia, looking around the theater.

‘What is she doing?’


After midnight, SpiderGirl approached the Alchemax facility again. ‘Which way in?’ she wondered. But she decided to wait to see if the Oscorp team would approach in an obvious way or not. ‘I’ll keep an eye on the comings and goings.’


At the same time, the Engima arrived at the Morgendorffers. But she saw in one of Daria’s windows the signal that indicated that she had already left as Dafoanairi.

‘Elsewhere in Lawndale tonight,’ she thought. ‘I guess I’ll go to Alchemax by myself.’ She then left.


Dafoanairi was at High Hills Park, waiting for Tania Ashworth to arrive before her usual meeting with other Wiccans. She didn’t have to wait long.

“Dafoanairi?” Tania asked.

“I heard something today.”

“Which was?”

“More about SpiderGirl, but not much,” Dafoanairi admitted.

“You just wanted to talk to me, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I’d like to know if you have seen anything unusual lately.”

“There are the SpiderGirl knockoffs in Cashmans,” Tania said.

“I had heard about those.”

“There’s not much more. But the others may have heard more.”

“I’ll wait then,” Dafoanairi said.

“You can join if you want.”

“No. I don’t believe that stuff, no offense.”

“None taken,” Tania said.


Back at the Alchemax facility, the Oscorp team began their move.

SpiderGirl saw them. ‘Talon isn’t here yet, but I have to follow,’ she thought as she swung down and started following.


The Enigma approached the Alchemax facility after SpiderGirl had followed the team inside. Therefore she didn’t see that her rival was already there.


SpiderGirl crawled along the ceiling of the corridor as the Oscorp team moved through the facility. It was obvious to her that they were after something specific, rather than it being a smash and grab. ‘But where?’ she wondered.


Five minutes later, the Oscorp agents found the room they were looking for and flung the door open.

“Hands up!” the leader said to the scientist who had been working overnight.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“We’re here for what it is you’re working on,” the leader responded. He moved towards the scientist. However, he found himself immobilised as SpiderGirl had shot a web at his feet.

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” She said.

“SpiderGirl!” the leader said. “Get her, and get me out of this.”

SpiderGirl was a blur as she moved about and avoided their weapons fire, which damaged some of the lab.

“Stop shooting!” the scientist said.


SpiderGirl finished webbing up the Oscorp team. That was hectic. ‘The most hectic since Groundhog Day!’ she thought. She dropped to the floor and turned to the scientist.

“Thanks SpiderGirl!”

“You’re welcome, but you need to call the cops. Ask for an Officer Peterson. She might be on duty.”

“Right.”

SpiderGirl turned to the webbed up team. “What are you after?” she asked as the scientist dialed 911.

“No comment, SpiderGIrl!”

SpiderGirl sighed and then she tensed as the Enigma arrived on the scene.

“Who are you?” the scientist asked.

“The fourth vigilante.”

“Oh, right. I wasn’t sure if it was the other one, the Violet something,” the scientist said.

“My mentor isn’t usually active.”

“So, what is it that you’re working on that Oscorp thought was worth sending in a team to steal?” SpiderGirl asked, trying to ignore the Enigma’s glare.

“Just a formula for regenerating lost appendages,” the scientist said. “But it’s nowhere near ready.”

SpiderGirl glanced at the fact that he was missing his lower left arm, and saw that his name tag read Conners. ‘I guess he has a personal reason for it,’ she thought. “Even so, Norman Osborn probably thought it was ready enough.”

“You think it’s him personally?” Conners asked.

“You have been following the news in Lawndale, right?” the Enigma asked.

“Of course. Groundhog Day, brownouts, kidnapped theater critics, a metahuman attacking the hospital, a robot pterodactyl, and a fake interview. Are you saying Osborn is behind those things?” Conners asked.

“No,” SpiderGirl answered. “Not all of them, but some of them, even if there is no proof.”

“You’re right. No proof,” the leader of the team said.

“But Conners will tell Peterson that you admitted that Osborn is behind your attempt to get his research,” SpiderGirl said.

“That won’t be proof,” one of the other team members said.

“That’s true, unfortunately,” SpiderGirl mused.


Peterson had been about to finish her shift when the call had come in. However, she somehow knew SpiderGirl was involved. She looked at the Alchemax facility as she entered.

“Why Oscorp had to get caught in corporate espionage like this…” she murmured as she entered the room to find both SpiderGirl and the Enigma staring tensely at each other over the webbed up Oscorp team, as well as Conners sitting at his desk. (She too noticed the amputation.)

“I don’t know,” Conners said. “Arrest them.”

“I intend to,” Peterson said before turning to SpiderGirl and the Enigma. “You must have heard about it somehow. Separately of course.”

“It was online chatter,” SpiderGirl responded.

“I heard from my mentor,” the Enigma said in a slightly defensive tone.

‘Online chatter and however the Violet Force heard about it,’ Peterson considered as she drew out a pair of cuffs. “You are all under arrest,” she said to the Oscorp agents. “You have the right to remain silent…”


SpiderGirl took the opportunity to make herself scarce. She shot a web to the ceiling and swung up.


“SpiderGirl’s gone,” the Enigma said to Peterson after the officer had cuffed the leader.

“Not unexpected,” Peterson said.

“Does she usually do that?” Conners asked.

“She does, especially since Groundhog Day,” Peterson answered.

“I’ll be off too,” the Enigma said.

“Wait!” Peterson said.

“I can’t say much more on what my mentor said,” the Enigma said as she rose a forcefield around herself. She then went to the door.

“Powers…” Conners considered. “Webs and whatever her deal is.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Peterson said as she Enigma left. “But they’re the only ones with powers.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the others are either trained, or use gadgets or gile to fight crime.”


SpiderGirl left the facility via the roof and breathed a sigh of relief as she swung away. She still didn’t want to confront the Enigma. ‘Still, I have to fill Talon in on what Conners may be working on later.’ She then went to patrol the northern area of Lawndale before heading home.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 3
The Enigma left the facility the way she had come in. “SpiderGirl is sure to be far away by now,” she said to herself. ‘But I’m not far from the Giant Strawberry.’ She headed in that direction.


Tania saw that Dafoanairi was still there after the service had ended. “You must have a reason to stay,” she said.

“I did want to talk with you about what’s happening in town further.”

“Here? In the park?”

“I was thinking of the Historia,” Dafoanairi said.

“Up on the roof again?”

Dafoanairi nodded.

“Sure.”


The Enigma looked at the town through a telescope on the top of the Giant Strawberry. The town looked peaceful, but she knew that belied the reality. ‘It’s not like Osborn has another glider that can be seen,’ she thought after fifteen minutes. She then glanced at the Historia and saw two figures on the top. “Can’t make them out, as the Moon isn’t full,” she murmured. ‘I know it isn’t SpiderGirl, but it could be Dafoanairi. I’ll go and tell her about what happened.’


Tania wasn’t sure why Dafoanairi had wanted to talk to her. They had talked about what had happened in town over the past two weeks. ‘Harrowing enough with the illusions in the theater when Jane was abducted,’ she thought. SpiderGirl knockoffs where tame compared to that. “One thing,” she said.

“What’s that?” Dafoanairi asked.

“You just wanted someone to talk to, other than the Enigma, didn’t you?”

“Probably. I have been thinking about what this town has been coming to.”

“Obviously…” Tania started. She stopped as she heard something on the western side of the roof.

“It’s the Enigma,” Dafoanairi said.


“Something happened,” the Enigma said as she came over to Dafoanairi and Tania.

“Something to do with the clothes in Cashmans?” Dafoanairi asked.

“No, Oscorp and Alchemax,” the Enigma responded. “And SpiderGirl was there too.”

“I think you better start from the beginning,” Dafoanairi said with a sigh.

‘She still doesn’t want SpiderGirl and I to fight,’ she thought, as she put the conversation on that topic with Peterson a week earlier out of her head. “My mentor still has contacts from the old days…”


Dafoanairi took in what the Enigma had revealed. ‘I figured something has happening in Lawndale tonight,’ she thought. “That’s another thing I need to investigate,” she said.

“What this Conners is up to?” Tania asked.

Dafoanairi nodded “That is part of it.”

“What else?” the Enigma asked.

“Why Osborn decided to send a team in to take his research. I’m sure there were other ways he could have done it,” Dafoanarii answered.

“But how did SpiderGIrl hear about it?” Tania asked.

“She didn’t say and she made herself scarce rather quickly,” the Enigma answered.

“Some other way,” Dafoanairi said.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Wednesday, March 7, 2001
Page 1: Osborn released from Hospital
Penelope Jericho

Page 2: SpiderGirl knockoff clothes. Are people cashing in?
Melinda Parris


Quinn and Brittany met beneath the Jefferson Bridge shortly before sunrise.
“You were at Alchemax?” Brittany asked after they had unmasked.

Quinn nodded. “And so was the Enigma,” she answered. “But Peterson arrived quickly after I asked the scientist to call her…” she began and explained what happened, what Conners was working on, and his condition.


Brittany thought about what Quinn had said.
“So, Oscorp thought that what Conners is working on was worth stealing?”

“I think they saw something in it.”

“But why they thought that…”

“It may be something Osborn is planning,” Quinn said quietly. “He’s seen me in action. Seen the Enigma in action. He might be planning to create his own metahumans.”

“Rather than use what he took when he was the Goblin,” Brittany added.

“Like, that was probably unstable.”


They sat there for a short while before the started coming up, although it didn’t reach the Creek flat yet.

Brittany yawned. “I better get home.”

“Same here,” Quinn said. “See you at school or tonight.”


Norman was up early, as he wanted to hear about the result of the infiltration of the Alchemax facility.

Bernard showed the Chief of Security into the home office. “Thanks,” Norman said before closing the door. “I see that it didn’t go as expected.”

“No, sir. SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante showed up and restrained the team. Conners then called the police. They sent Peterson,” the Chief of Security reported.

“And they were arrested?” Norman asked.

“Yes, sir. The vigilantes slipped away. It seems Peterson’s still on their side.”

“Of course she is. But did they get anything?”

“No. It seems that SpiderGIrl webbed them up as soon as they entered Conners’ office,” the Chief of Security said with annoyance.

“Thanks for telling me,” Norman said.


Harry watched the Chief of Security leave as he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. ‘Father is up to things again,’ he thought. He knew he would tell Sandi and maybe Daria.


Quinn arrived at the Historia forty minutes before Homeroom saw that Tori had got her message and was already having breakfast. She went and ordered her own breakfast before joining her.


“So you and Stacy think those clothes were made in a sweatshop?” Tori asked.

“Yes, they’re poor quality, especially the stitches.”

“So, you want Mom to investigate?”

“That is if she’s not too busy with what else she might be working on,” Quinn answered.

“I’ll talk to her about it tonight.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to Ted too.”

“Do you think the Lowdown would be able to investigate?” Tori asked.

“A school newspaper can be underestimated.”

Tori gave a chuckle. “That’s obvious.”

“They won’t see it coming.”


Sandi found both Harry and Daria waiting for her near her locker. “Morning,” she said with a quirked eyebrow to Daria.

Daria gave a slight smirk; they would talk about the night just gone later. “Harry has something to say,” she said.

Sandi saw his expression of concern. “What is it?”

“The security chief was at home this morning,” he said.

‘So, he may know that SpiderGIrl and I interfered,’ Sandi thought. “So, something happened.”

“That is quite likely,” Harry said.

“But the question is, what is he up to?” Daria asked.

“He still not confiding,” Harry said as the bell rang.


Quinn ran into Ted between first and second period. “Ted! I have an idea for the Lowdown.”

“Usually you wait until lunch.” Ted said.

“I know,” Quinn responded with a giggle and a slight twirl of one of her pigtails. “But this is different.”

“What is it?”

Quinn quickly explained what she and Stacy had found.

“It’s not the usual fair for a school paper,” Ted pointed out.

“I know, but we can talk more at lunch.”

“This is will be interesting.”


At Homeroom, the various students talked about the SpiderGirl inspired clothes.

“I’m tired of hearing about them,” Stacy said to Quinn as they met outside their first class of the day.

“Same here,” Quinn responded.

“The clo-othes? Tiffany asked as she came up.

Quinn nodded. “I wonder what else is coming?”


At lunch, Sandi and Daria sat on the roof.

“Where’s Jane?” Sandi asked.

“She’s talking to Ms. Dafoe about something,” Daria answered.

Sandi looked out towards where the Alchemax facility was in the distance. “I still want to confront SpiderGirl, but doing so in that facility wouldn’t have been good, any more than confronting her while rescuing Kevin wouldn’t have been.”

“I still don’t know it’s a good idea.”

“Anyway, I think if we did meet up earlier, it would have gone differently.”

Daria rolled her eyes. “I’d think SpiderGirl would have handled it alone.”

Sandi sighed. “That’s true.”

“I hadn’t talked to Tania as Dafoanairi for a while.”

“You think she suspects?”

“Maybe,” Daria admitted. “But she probably doesn’t suspect you.”

“I wasn’t concerned about that.”

“But you are concerned about something.”

Sandi thought for a moment. Was it worth it to tell Daria that Osborn had found out her identity. “Something,” she said.


Daria knew Sandi was hiding something. ‘She’ll tell me when she’s ready,’ she thought as she also looked to northwest where the Alchemax facility lay. “Any more thoughts on Conners?” she asked, to change the topic.

“He’s either harmless or could be a problem. It depends on what his research is.”

“I think so too. We need to keep an eye on him.”

“I’ll see if Mother’s contacts can help in that area.”

“I’ll look into other ways, but that will do for now.”


Quinn entered the Lowdown office. “Ted?”

“Hi, Quinn. You want to ask something.”

“Yes,” Quinn began and explained about the clothes.


“it’s quite a lot,” Ted said when she was finished.

“I know,” Quinn responded. “But what do you think?”

“It isn’t something that a school paper usually does.”

“But it is a current event in Lawndale.”

“That’s true,” Ted admitted. “But I guess I’ll have to have my own look.”


Fields entered Osborn’s office. “Officer Peterson to see you,” she said.

“Oh? I thought she would have been off duty.”

“She does look tired, but put together.”

Osborn raised an eyebrow. “Lets see what she has to say.”


Peterson entered the office and saw that Osborn was curious about her appearance. ‘As he should be.’

“I know why you’re here,” Osborn said as she approached the desk.

“I’m letting you know that the LDPD is pursuing our inquiries into the intrusion at Alchemax last night.”

“I deny all involvement.”

“I know you do,” Peterson said as she leaned forwards.

“I will get to the bottom of it.”

“As in, deny all involvement and try to come up with another way to get Conners’ research.”

“I know what Curt Conners’ goal is,” Osborn said. “But it’s not mine.”

“I’m keeping an eye on you.”

“And I know that you are often seen with SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.”

Peterson heard the harshness in Osborn’s voice when he said the former name. “You can’t hold that against me.”

“No, it seems that your superiors have allowed your relationship with them to flourish.”

“I’m not here to talk about myself, or the heroes.”

“Then what are you here for?” Osborn asked.

“Letting you know that I’m keeping an eye on you. Oscorp is growing too powerful in Lawndale.”

She saw that Osborn looked more calculated.
“So, you’re supporting the vigilantes as a way to counter that?”

“Yes.”


Osborn watched as Peterson left. He then took out the dossier that he had received that morning. Her record was clean, meaning that there wasn’t anything that he could use against her. ‘But maybe there is something in her cases before SpiderGirl appeared,’ he thought.


Quinn emerged onto the roof at the end of the school day. She saw that Brittany was already there.

“I heard that Ted agreed,” Brittany said.

“He did, but I know it’s going to take a while.”

“Like with everything else that’s going on.”

“Daria’s been saying that it takes her time to look into the news since I started doing what I have been doing,” Quinn said.

“She’s told me the same.”

Quinn looked out towards where the Alchemax facility was. “I might have another look around there before I head to the Historia.”

“But it’s likely that infiltrating Oscorp could be more informative.”

“But they have increased their security over the past few weeks.”

Brittany sighed. “I have had run ins on their roof tops, but I have figured out when they are lax.”

“But is that helpful?”

“Not really, especially since Osborn has recovered.”

“I’ll have to take the risk,” Quinn decided.

“We’ll take the risk, you mean.”

Quinn smiled. “Of course, but it would be at the usual early hours.”

Brittany nodded before changing to Ninja Talon.

Quinn waited for another five minutes before changing to SpiderGirl and swinging away.


She patrolled around the school and the northern portion of Dega Street before heading in the direction of the Alchemax facility.


She looked around the area, but it didn’t look any different than the previous day. ‘Time to head to the Historia,’ she thought after looking around a it a second time.


Meanwhile, Osborn had another meeting. “We’re ready. Mr. Osborn,” the man said.

“Remember, just spook her, for now. Mr. Danielson,” Osborn said. “I want to her to feel more under pressure, so that she’ll slip up and make mistakes.”

“But didn’t you hire us to…”

“Yes, but not right away. Later this week.”

“So, you just want us to chase her down?” Danielson asked.

“Exactly.”

“We can do that. Just give us the word when you want us to catch her.”

“I will,” Osborn said.


Danielson emerged on the roof of the Oscorp building on First Street and looked out over the town with binoculars. He recalled the reports on SpiderGirl’s habits that Osborn had given him and looked towards the Historia. ‘She has been reported near there consistently on Wednesdays,’ he thought.

After several minutes he saw her swing onto the Historia from behind. “Got you,” he said.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 4
SpiderGirl looked out over the town from the top of the theater as she usually did. ‘Something feels off,’ she thought. ‘It’s not like the usual feeling when looking over the town,’ she thought. She waited and went towards the door downwards. She was about to change to the ordinary Quinn when her Spider Sense tingled. ‘Uh oh!’ she thought as she looked around. She saw someone jump between two nearby buildings from rooftop to rooftop. She decided to lead swing down the opposite side of the building.


SpiderGirl entered the Historia via one of the side doors and went towards the apartments to change to ordinary Quinn there. ‘I may need a base here, like at home.’


Danielson stopped on the roof of the Historia. SpiderGirl had vanished. ‘She must have seen me,’ he thought. ‘But that means that she knows the other vigilantes by sight and knew I wasn’t one of them.’ He looked around at the town before deciding to head down.


Quinn entered the café, although it was still another half hour before her shift started. She saw that Stacy was already there.

“Quinn? Are you OK?” Stacy asked as she came into the servery area.

“Oh, just thinking about last week.”

“You mean, what happened with Lynn Anders, or the robodactyl?”

“Both,” Quinn admitted, as a distraction from the near encounter she had just had.


Danielson entered the Historia through the main entrance. “This is the teen run theater I heard about,” he murmured. ‘She could be anywhere here, and could slip out while I am looking. So where first? Bookstore, theater or café?’ He went to the café first.


Elisabeth Rowe saw Quinn writing when she re-entered the office. “You don’t usually do homework here,” she said.

“True, but I’m pondering what has been happening in Lawndale.”

“What happened last night? WLND still isn’t saying much.”

“That’s part of it,” Quinn admitted.

“I know you go up on the roof often.”

“I look at the town and think.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Elizabeth said. “You have been taking a lot on, especially over the past month.”

“Not much,” Quinn said.

“You can tell me, if you want.”


Quinn thought about it. ‘Sorry, Mrs. Rowe, I don’t want to take the risk of revealing that I’m SpiderGirl. I’ll talk to Brit later.’


Danielson ordered. “…I’m new here in Lawndale. What could you tell me of SpiderGirl?” he asked the teen barista with braided pigtails, who seemed a little nervous.

“Um. That she’s actually fighting crime, and she does rescue people,” the barista answered.

“I see, but that doesn’t actually tell me any more than what’s in the media.”


Quinn heard Stacy talking to the customer. ‘That doesn’t happen often,’ she thought. But something else was off.


“You could go to the Library,” Stacy suggested. “That’s what a friend has been doing when she investigates.”

“I’ll think about that,” the man said as he took his coffee.

‘Why do I get the feeling that he’s working for Oscorp?’ Stacy wondered, as she watched him leaving the café.


Danielson looked through the bookstore and in the theater space before leaving the Historia.


“I heard someone was asking about SpiderGirl,” Quinn said to Stacy as she started her shift.

“Very strange,” Stacy said. “He wasn’t the usual tourist who was passing through Lawndale, having heard about recent events.”

“I think there’s more.”

Stacy dropped her voice. “You think he’s working for Oscorp?”

“Most likely,” Quinn answered. “I’d tell Daria when you get the chance.”

“I’ll try to remember.”


After dinner, Sandi was ready to search again. But she paused as she grabbed the energy drink. ‘Would it be better to see what Curt Conners is up to, or maybe I’ll leave that to Mother.’ She looked in the yearbook again and put Curt Conners out of her mind. After Lena Haroldson was Tamiko Hirakawa, who had moved to Lawndale from the West Coast in Middle school. She downed the energy drink. “Findu mann hem heiter: Tamiko Hirakawa!”

She found Tamiko at the Historia, where Quinn was delivering her meal.

“Quinn, right,” Sandi said with annoyance. She looked at the yearbook again. It would be nearly two weeks before she would get to Quinn, if she didn’t have to search for others in the meantime. ‘I might still search for Conners first,’ she thought as she put the yearbook away.


Quinn felt the tingle as she delivered the meal to Tamiko. “Here you go,” she said.

“Thanks, Quinn,” Tamiko said.

“You’re welcome.”

“You think, Lawndale will calm down? My parents moved here because it was quiet.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Quinn answered. “You think they will want to move, with everything that’s happening?”

“They have been talking about it occasionally since Groundhog Day.”


Later, Quinn reflected as she emerged onto the roof after her shift. She quickly looked around but didn’t see anyone. ‘I might be able to swing, but Brit could keep up with me when she first started being Talon, and so could the Shadow. I haven’t had such a run in with Dafoanairi yet, but she too might be able to keep up.’ She didn’t want potential Oscorp agents chasing her across Lawndale every evening or night! She then heard something in the direction of Lawndale Flats. ‘Responsibility calls anyway!’ she thought before changing to SpiderGirl and swinging away.

She swung quicker than usual, having ran off the Historia’s roof while leaping and continuing to run along the available roofs before swinging across the Creek via various trees on the creek flat. ‘I don’t think they would be in Lawndale Flats,’ she thought as she arrived on the opposite side.


After rescuing preventing a break-in at an apartment block, SpiderGirl hung around Lawndale Flats for half an hour before heading back across the Creek and towards Glen Oaks Lane.


She entered the basement through the backyard hatch and went into her hidden room before unmasking. She took out a tape recorder. “March 7th, 10:09 PM. Oscorp might have hired agents to chase me over the rooftops…”


After midnight, Sandi arrived at the Morgendorffers to find Daria writing in a notebook on the roof above her room. “Listening to the town?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Daria admitted. “But I just hear the murmur of a town at rest, even when I know that’s just the surface.”

“You’re concerned about Osborn, aren’t you?”

“It seems that he has many plans in motion, not just one.”

“I thought so too,” Sandi said as she looked at some of the visible stars.

“Could you tell me more about last night?”

“Not much, and I couldn’t get an opportunity to talk to Mother about her contacts.”

“Then we’ll have to do the legwork as usual,” Daria said as she stood up. “I’ll go down first and change.”

Sandi nodded.


Dafoanairi and the Enigma soon left the Morgendorffers in the direction of the Giant Strawberry. The former thought it would be a good idea to look over the town to see if they could see anything that would be out of place.

“I’m thinking you need a different way out of your room,” the Enigma said they started along the laneway.

“I have thought about it,” Dafoanairi admitted. “There have been times Quinn has almost caught me like this. I could put a hatch from my closet into the attic, but I’ll have to examine the area first.”

“That’s a good idea. At least my window is more hidden.”

“The next door neighbors haven’t noticed, and there are plenty of trees.”

“Not surprising that it’s just Quinn,” the Enigma said. “She always noticed things first.”

“Which is one reason why she’s been helpful at this time.”


At the Strawberry, they looked over the town through the telescopes.

“We can only see some of the town, though,” Dafoanairi said after fifteen minutes.

“That’s true. But maybe we can spot something.”

“It may not be as obvious as the Goblin’s glider.”

“But if Harry is right…” The Enigma began.

Dafoanairi pointed her telescope in the direction the Enigma was pointing hers. She saw someone jumping from rooftop to rooftop on the edge of the downtown. “Doesn’t look familiar,” she said. “They’re not masked.”

“Certainly not one of the other three. They look male for one.”

“That is one thing I have been wondering about.”

“Another time, we need to get there,” the Enigma said.

“Even if we take a car, he would be gone by the time we get there.”

“Good point, but now we know that something additional is up.”

“But whether it’s Oscorp related is an open question,” Dafoanairi said.

They spent another half hour looking, before heading off on their usual patrols for Wednesday night.


After arriving at the spot below the bridge, Brittany saw that Quinn wanted to talk about something. “What happened?” she asked.

“I think he was an Oscorp agent. Like he was following me along the rooftops, and later asked Stacy about me,” Quinn answered.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Brittany responded. “If Osborn is using agents to follow us.”

“Like I could web them up, but I don’t know how many there would be. Stacy was her usual self…”

“And you think Stacy wouldn’t be able to handle it? She’s stronger than you think.”

“I know she’s strong, but you know how she gets,” Quinn said.

Brittany nodded. She had known Stacy in passing for years. She gave Quinn a slight hug of reassurance.

“Thanks.”


They stayed there and watched the sun come up, until Quinn yawned. “All the worry is tiring.”

“We’ll get through this,” Brittany said in a reassuring tone.

Quinn nodded with a small smile. She then heard sirens in the distance. “I’ll see you at school,” she said as she pulled her mask back on. “Responsibility calls.”

“Go get ‘em, Spidey!”


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Thursday, March 8, 2001



Fields arrived at work early, as she knew Osborn would want her to look into things. And sure enough…

“Fields!” Osborn said as she entered the office.

“Mr. Osborn.”

“I want you to look over the quickest routes through town.”

“Which routes. The streets, or laneways?” Fields asked. ‘Probably the stormwater system too, if he did help Beck.’ But those rumors were still unsubstantiated.

“Both,” Osborn answered. “As well as how close the buildings are to each other in the suburban subdivisions.”

“You’re trying to figure out how the vigilantes are moving around.”

“Exactly. It’s not only SpiderGirl who’s moving over rooftops.”

‘As I suspected,’ Fields thought. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Good.”

Fields turned to start her research. ‘Maybe I can use the information myself.’


Quinn met Ted in the Lowdown office at lunchtime. She gave him a proposal that she had written in the middle of the night.

Ted looked at it. “You want us to investigate the SpiderGirl inspired clothes?”

“Given that they are of a poor quality and were possibly made in a sweatshop.”

“It’s a good idea.”

“But?” Quinn asked, although she knew what Ted was going to say.

“I’m not sure that Ms. Li would go for that.”

“I’ll come up with a reason.”

Ted raised an eyebrow. “It would have to be good.”

“I’ll think of something.”


In the cafeteria, Daria and most of the other students she had been investigating the events in Lawndale with sat at the usual table.

“What’s this about Alchemax?” Jane asked. “WLND says that something happened there two nights ago, but Alchemax isn’t saying anything.”

“Rumors,” Daria said. “Mostly. But I know what the fourth vigilante told me.” She glanced quickly at Sandi, who gave a barely perceptible nod, before glancing at Tania who was sitting on the other side of her.

“And that was?” Jane asked.

“That they were after a serum that regenerates damaged tissue, more specifically, that of amputated limbs.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “That seems far-fetched, even with what I have seen SpiderGirl do.”

“That’s what she said,” Sandi said quietly.

“Oh, you believe it, do you?” Jane asked.

“I see no reason why not,” Sandi said defensively.

“I also believe it, Jane,” Daria said.

“So, Oscorp believed it enough to want to steal it,” Jane said, trying to not get into an argument with Sandi.

“Exactly,” Daria said. “But it is what they might want it for that may be disturbing.”

“Creating monsters?” Tania asked. “I can believe that after Groundhog Day.”

“And if they get loose?” Daria asked rhetorically. “We saw what happened last week when the Hospital got locked down…”

“But the news of that was drowned out by the Robodactyl and the interview,” Tania said.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 5
After school, Daria changed to Dafoanairi on the school roof. She looked over towards the Oscorp headquarters in the distance. ‘I know you’re planning something for this town. But, not if I have anything to say about it.’ She then headed off in the direction of the Historia.

However, she was almost there, when she noticed that the man that had joined her on the rooftops shortly after she had left the school was still a couple of buildings behind her. She stopped and turned around while twirling the staff. “I don’t think you’re a new vigilante,” she said.

“No,” he said as he came closer.

“Tell Osborn that Lawndale is under our protection.”

She saw him tense up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he deflected in a hard tone.

“And you made a mistake. I can tell that you were hired by Oscorp to harass Lawndale’s heroes. But the thing is, we know this town better than you do.”


Dafoanairi then ran off to the west, towards the suburban sprawl in that direction. She quickly jumped into the trees as she headed westwards, and lost the man. ‘I still need to get to the Historia rather than home,’ she thought as she took a breather a couple of blocks west of the downtown.


Stacy saw Daria enter the café out of breath.

“Usual tea,” Daria said as she came up to the counter.

“Are you OK?” Stacy asked.

“I’m fine. I just did some jogging,” Daria answered.

“I think it’s more than that.”

“I was also thinking about what’s going on.”

“Same here,” Stacy said. “But that’s not all. I have noticed things since the Historia has opened.”

“Like?” Daria asked in a wary tone.

Stacy took a deep breath as she made sure her hands weren’t trembling. “I have noticed the vigilante heroes hanging around here.”

“And you’re thinking I’m one of them?” Daria asked quietly.

Stacy nodded. “I don’t know which one, and I will keep the secret.”

Daria took a deep breath. “Thanks. We’ll have to talk more later, but for now, I want to rest a bit.”

“Sure.”


Daria thought about it as she waited for Stacy to make the tea. She remembered Quinn telling her that Stacy had photographic memory. ‘But not just anyone would be able to piece it together. They would if they were here as much as Stacy has been.’ She took out her notebook.

Historia regulars
Stacy Rowe – barista in the afternoons
Angie Zammit – barista in the mornings
Quinn Morgendorffer – barista and theater manager
Daria Morgendorffer – bookstore manager, playwright and director
Joseph Green – partner
Robert Allen – partner
Elisabeth Rowe – café manager
Jane Lane – Set Designer

‘There are more of course,’ Daria thought. Others who had been hired, and the actors in the play.

Donna Bolton – barista
Brittany Taylor – actor
Tania Ashworth – actor
Dani Moreno – Special Effects

‘That’s a stretch. She’s only been here nearly two weeks,’ Daria thought.

Sandi Griffin

Daria crossed the name out. ‘She’s not here that often. I don’t think Stacy has seen her as the Enigma, but she might have.’ She wrote some more names down. Then looked at Jane’s name again. ‘I think her being abducted rules her out, and the Shadow hasn’t been seen here.’ Even so, she didn’t cross it out.

Stacy brought the tea over. “I see you’re thinking about it. The others.”

“Yes. But now is not the time.”

“It isn’t?”

“I have to get ready for tonight’s rehearsal,” Daria answered. “But I will be here early in the morning.”

“I’ll be here,” Stacy said before heading back to the counter.

Daria turned back to the sheet and put it away. She didn’t know who would be looking in the café.


It was shortly after sunset when SpiderGirl noticed another of the Oscorp agents following her. ‘This time I’m not going to let you intimidate me,’ she decided. She turned and glared at him (as much as she could through her mask). “Osborn is not going to stop us from protecting Lawndale!” she said.

She then looked around. They were on the southern edge of the downtown. ‘Perfect,’ she thought. She started swinging back and forth, before heading towards Lawndale State.


On the edge of the campus, she turned around. She saw that the agent was growing tired, although it was subtle. “How long can you keep this up?” she taunted before turning again and swinging onto the campus.


She headed to the main building where there was a clock tower. She watched the agent from the top, as he made his way along the rooftops towards her.

“I doubt Osborn prepared you for the wild goose chase,” she said when he had started climbing it. “I have explored every part of Lawndale, every path over the rooftops.”

“That won’t deter me,” he said.

“Really?” she asked. “Then are you prepared for what I’ll do next?”

“What?”


She swung down the side of the clock tower opposite to him, before swinging back around, and shooting more webs at him. He tried to move out of the way, but his options were limited. He ended up webbed to the side of the clock tower, without his equipment. “The webs will last a while, and when they fail, they’ll fail slowly, you’ll be able to climb down. Gotta go!”

“Come back here!”

SpiderGirl made herself scarce, as she swung back into town and headed back home.


After dinner, Sandi was ready to search again. After Tamiko Hirakawa in the yearbook was Petra Hollier, with rather short red hair. ‘Another I don’t really know,’ she thought. She grabbed the energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Petra Hollier!”

She found Petra at home at her place to the south of the downtown, playing some Nintendo game.


The rehearsal had gone well, and Brittany joined Daria in the café shortly after it had entered.

“You have improved,” Daria said.

“Thanks, but practice makes perfect,” Brittany said.

“That it does, and it helps that you have recovered from your injury.”

“I just needed a few days rest. But that’s not all, is it?”

“No, there’s more going on besides SpiderGirl knockoff clothes and the ongoing media speculation about what happened to Lynn Anders,” Daria answered.

“I have heard some things.”

“But whether those are true or not.”

“Given that there are superheroes in Lawndale, I’m keeping an open mind,” Brittany said.

“That’s good.”

“But Oscorp is up to something. How do you stop getting into conspiracy theories?”

“That is a challenge, but usually I try to look at multiple sources, which is why I have been taking time to investigate what’s happening,” Daria answered.

Brittany twirled her hair. “That makes sense.”


After Daria had left, Brittany went up to the roof and changed to Ninja Talon. But before leaving, the roof, she thought about what she and SpiderGirl had talked about that morning.


She left the Historia to the southwest. The night was quiet, as was usual for Lawndale on a Thursday night. Thus, she could hear the agent that began tailing her a block from the Historia.
‘Just as well Spidey told me,’ she thought, as she changed direction to the east.

She approached the Jefferson Bridge, but then turned north again, heading up the street alongside the Creek.

She led the agent to the dock and turned back towards him.


The agent had been tailing Ninja Talon for about twenty minutes. He didn’t expect her to be a ferocious opponent.

The two fought along the dock, with Ninja Talon giving no quarter, using karate and taekwondo moves.

It was over in less than a minute, with the ninja vigilante expertly hitting pressure points while leaving no opening for him to take advantage of her. She tied him with zip ties and left him on the dock.

She picked up his radio. “I’m aware that Oscorp sent him,” she said. “Tell Mr. Osborn that we will protect Lawndale, despite being followed.”

“Who is this?” the woman on the other end asked.

“Ninja Talon. Lawndale’s second hero.”

“Ah yes, SpiderGirl’s colleague.”

“Her friend and partner,” Ninja Talon clarified. “Osborn is going too far. Has already gone too far.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe not, but I’m not standing for it. I’m not going to allow Oscorp to stop us from fighting crime or rescuing people in Lawndale!”

“Look, I’m just doing my job,” the lady said.

“Then relay the message to Osborn,” Ninja Talon said, before throwing the radio down and crushing it under her foot. She then headed southwards again, to patrol for a while, before going home, to clear her head.


After midnight, the Enigma was halfway between her place and the Morgendorffers when she noticed an agent was tailing her. She changed direction, heading southwest instead of northwest. The agent continued following her.

She climbed to the top of a roof, and saw the agent climb to a neighboring roof. ‘I can’t lead them to the Morgendorffers like this. Osborn can’t find out that Dafoanairi is Daria!’ She then fired a projection as a warning shot over the agent’s head.

The agent barely flinched and drew a pistol.

‘Protection!’ the Enigma thought as she raised a forcefield. She then pulled the gun out of the agent’s hand telekinetically. It was quite rough, as she was still practicing operating her powers in a fine manner at a distance.

The agent yelped but steadied himself on the rooftop.

“Now, like, make yourself scarce. Tell Osborn to not stalk us!”

“This isn’t stalking!”

“Oh, it is!” the Enigma objected.

“You’re dangerous. He wants you watched.”

“Is that, like, how he has justified himself?”

The agent was silent but took out some throwing stars.

“He’s right about one thing,” the Enigma said in a low menacing tone. “I am dangerous. I have been fighting crime in Lawndale for over a month, and I haven’t come across the same low level crooks twice.”

“You’re boasting.”

“Am I?”

The agent threw some of the throwing stars.

The forcefield held, and then the Enigma pushed, causing the agent to fly backwards on the roof, with many of the tiles having been dislodged.

He got up. “You shouldn’t have done that!”

“Then leave me alone. I can’t help Lawndale if I’m being stalked.”

“It’s not stalking.”

The Enigma was more annoyed. She threw some projections directly at him and then pushed downwards on the roof, causing a collapse, and he fell down inside. She then called 911, as she knew where she was.

“911 emergency.”

She gave the location and then continued towards the Morgendorffers.


Daria knew something was up when Sandi entered her room directly through one of the windows. “One of those agents?” she asked.

Sandi nodded. “And he was armed.”

“I didn’t see weapons on the one I encountered, but I don’t think he went for one.”

“Maybe Osborn has, like, given each of them latitude.”

“Most likely,” Daria admitted. She stood up and walked over to her wall where she had placed a picture of Norman Osborn below her SpiderGirl investigation timeline. “We need to do more.”

“More than just making it difficult for the agents.”

“Osborn is up to something in Lawndale. We know that. But my question is: why go to all this effort? Is he that afraid of us and the others?”

“We do know that Oscorp has been here for years,” Sandi pointed out.

“That’s true, but something has drawn Osborn here, and it can’t just be that SpiderGirl became active,” Daria responded with a sigh. “It’s something I have been thinking about for a while.”

“It does line up with what Harry has been saying.”

Daria nodded. “I will see if Peterson is at the Historia in the morning.”

“Or maybe on duty tonight?”

“Maybe, but it’s unlikely we’d cross paths.”


Soon, Dafoanairi and the Enigma headed out along the laneways.


After leaving High Hills Park, where she had participated in a Wiccan service as usual, Tania knew she was being followed. She turned. “Who’s there?” she asked. “It better not be the Shadow!”

No response.

Tania tensed up. She considered back to the Park. Then she saw the Enigma and Dafoanairi ahead.

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 6
Dafoanairi saw Tania running up. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she held her staff in a ready manner.

“I was in the park, and then there was someone following me,” Tania explained.

“There is someone nearby. It could be one of those agents,” the Enigma said.

“Agents?” Tania asked.

“Oscorp, intimidating the hero vigilantes by having them followed,” Dafoanairi answered.

“As if people in Lawndale aren’t on edge enough!” Tania responded. “What’s your plan?”

“We were doing our usual late-night patrolling and rescuing,” Dafoanairi snarked. “But if you want to go home, we can take you there.”


Tania thought for a moment. ‘It’s probably a good idea to go home.’ But she did also enjoy the occasional night with the two heroes as they did what they did. ‘And they seem mismatched, but they work.’

“Tania?” Dafoanairi asked.

“Not yet,” Tania said.

“We were headed to the Giant Strawberry,” the Enigma said.

“It is a good lookout spot,” Tania said. “But on a cloudy night like this?”

“Things can still be seen,” Dafoanairi said.


At the Strawberry, the town still seemed quiet, but the Enigma was able to spot some agents as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop downtown. “That’s about four or five so far,” she said after fifteen minutes.

“Four or five too many,” Dafoanairi murmured.

“It’s not like you can fight them all,” Tania said.

“A war between the heroes and Oscorp wouldn’t be good for Lawndale,” the Enigma said. She thought about her encounter with the agent an hour before, and the damage she did to the that house. ‘More buildings damaged, but at least it got off a lot better than the Lawndale Center.’

“That’s an understatement,” Dafoanairi said.

“So, what will you do about it?” Tania asked.

“Not sure yet,” Dafoanairi admitted. “But we can’t just lie low. That won’t be good for Lawndale either, and it would be like admitting defeat.”


SpiderGirl climbed out on the roof at her usual time to listen to Lawndale. She didn’t hear any of the agents anywhere near her neighborhood. That at least was reassuring. The town sounded, pensive, as if it was waiting for something. ‘For what?’ she wondered. After around fifteen minutes, she heard sirens near the Creek, southwards of the Jefferson Bridge. “Responsibility calls,” she said as she swung away.


In Dega Street, the Shadow was watching the area near the Zon/Zen nightclub when she heard something nearby. She looked after switching her mask to night vision mode and saw a figure watching her. ‘It doesn’t look like one of the others,’ she thought. She knew it wasn’t a new vigilante hero; something felt off.

She then took out a dry ice pellet, moved quickly and disappeared down a fire escape to the ground.

Down on the ground she watched the person go to her last position and look around in confusion. ‘It has to be Oscorp,’ she thought.


Nearly five minutes later, she was on top of the Historia, looking around. ‘If Osborn is scouring the rooftops, he’s up to more than just trying to discredit SpiderGirl through the media and shoddy merchandise.’ She looked towards the Oscorp headquarters down the street. ‘I know what else I’m going to do tonight.’

But she wasn’t going to do it straight away. ‘How to catch one of them?’ she wondered.


It wasn’t long before one climbed up the side of one of the neighboring buildings. They then just stared at each other for a first time. ‘I doubt it would be as easy as using my grappling hook as a zipline,’ the Shadow mused. ‘But I’ll give it a try.’ She quickly lined up the grappling hook.

However, the figure moved as she fired it, sprinting to the street side of the rooftop.

The Shadow quickly retracted it and dashed to behind an HVAC vent. ‘That was impulsive!’ she thought. She took out a camera and threw it to the side. Her HUD then showed the image. The figure had moved.

“I know you’re there!” she said.

No response.

‘Osborn probably just wants them to tail.’ But still, she wanted to know why. ‘Undoubtedly the others may have had their own encounters.’ But that wasn’t really helpful, as she often worked alone, and hadn’t really worked with SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon since Groundhog Day.


After another five minutes again, she moved out to the open and looked around again. She spotted what looked like the same figure one two rooftops over. ‘Keeping his distance, but I can work with that,’ she thought as she grabbed another dry ice pellet.


This time the agent didn’t see it coming. He was enveloped by fog and then was tied by a zip line. When the fog had cleared, he saw that the Shadow had captured him.

“Why is Osborn having the heroes followed?” she asked.

He remained silent.

“I want to know!”

She sighed and took out a pen.

“You’re making notes?”

“Usually do art, but taking notes works.”

The agent was silent again.

But then there was pain, like he was being tased!


The Shadow didn’t want to resort to that, but she was getting rather impatient. But it was short. ‘What would Trent say?’ she asked herself. ‘Something the Enigma would do!’ She didn’t want to think that it was because of her abduction by Beck.

“I knew it! The vigilantes aren’t heroes!”

“We are heroes. At least SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are. The fourth and Dafoanairi, I’m not sure of.”

“I’m still not saying anything!” the agent said.

“I can infer something. That Osborn, or the middleman, told you that the heroes aren’t what we appear to be.”

“You’re getting close.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” the Shadow said. It was all she wanted to get for the moment. She picked up a dry ice pellet. ‘No, I can’t leave him on the Historia’s roof!’ She thought as she looked around. She looked at the Oscorp headquarters again. ‘There!’


It was difficult to carry the agent across the rooftops, but it didn’t take too long and the agent was placed on the rooftop next to a camera. She sprayed paint over it and rappelled down the side, to an alley where she placed a graffiti tag before making herself scarce.


At the same time, the Enigma and Dafoanairi arrived at the rear of the Ashworth’s place with Tania. They hadn’t come across any agents on their meandering way from the Strawberry. “It may be that Oscorp is aware that High Hills Park is a regular meeting place,” Dafoanairi said.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Tania said.

“Like, we can’t be there every night,” the Enigma said.

Tania shrugged. “I have been going to a dojo, learning self defense.”

“Good idea, given that you’re involved with us,” Dafoanairi said.

“That wasn’t the only reason. My parents wanted me to do it, given that I have been going out late at night.”

“So, they accept that you’re Wiccan?” Dafoanairi asked.

Tania shrugged. “They don’t understand it, but they are open minded and have tried to raise me the same.”


The Enigma thought about what Tania had said as she and Dafoanairi left. ‘It seems Mrs. Ashworth is letting Tania follow her heart.’


As the coming dawn started to appear in the east the Shadow returned to Casa Lane. She knew she wasn’t going to tell Trent about the tasing.

She entered the kitchen and took off her mask and saw that Trent was there with Jesse, brainstorming a Mystik Spiral song.

“Hey Janie, long night?” Trent asked.

“You could say that,” Jane answered.

“Something is up?” Trent asked.

“Oscorp,” she said and explained about the agent.


Trent took in what Jane had said. “We knew Oscorp was up to something.”

“Yes, but I don’t know what it has to do with that break in at Alchemax, nor with the fake SpiderGirl clothes,” Jane said.

“Are you sure those are from Oscorp?” Jesse asked.

“I doubt it would be something separate,” Jane answered, although she couldn’t on finger on why.

“But it still could be,” Trent pointed out.

“I know that, but it would be difficult for me to check,” Jane said.

“You could ask Daria,” Trent said.

“I know that, but between her existing investigation, the Historia, school, tutoring Brittany and hanging out with Sandi, she’s busy enough.”

“Hmmm, Isn’t Sandi helping with the investigation?” Jesse asked.

“She is,” Jane answered with a sigh. ‘Dani must have told him,’ she thought. “I’ll ask Daria anyway.”

“Isn’t the play on again tonight?” Jesse asked.

“It is,” Jane confirmed.


Lawndale Sun-Herald
Friday, March 9, 2001
Mysterious Figures seen on rooftops
Norman Osborn put the paper aside. It was inevitable that the agents would be noticed by the Lawndale public at large. His cell phone rang. “It is early,” he said.

“The agents were taken out,” the Chief of Security reported.

“So quickly?” Norman asked with disappointment.

“By all five.”

“It was just two yesterday evening.”

“And the Shadow vandalised an outside wall of the headquarters,” the Chief of Security added.

“Not surprising. I’ll look at it later.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I will,” Norman said as he hung up.

Bernard then entered the room. “A masked woman calling herself the Violet Force is here to see you, sir.”

“Of course. Bring her here.”


The Violet Force entered the office.

“Welcome, Linda,” Osborn said.

“I knew that you had figured it out,” she said.

“I think I know why you’re here.”

“You’ve gone too far.”

“And you and Sandi are going to stop me?” Osborn said.

That brought the Violet Force up short. She hadn’t realized that Osborn knew about Sandi. ‘I hope he doesn’t know about Daria too!’ she thought as she raised a forcefield.

“Yes, I know that Sandi is the fourth vigilante.”

She could tell that Osborn was telling the truth, but she wasn’t going to let that dissuade her from what she was there to do. But first. “What about the others?”

“I still have no idea who they are.”

“But you’re trying to find out.”

“Naturally,” Osborn answered.

“I’ll make sure that won’t happen.”

“You’re going to stop the agents?”

“I don’t need to. Sandi has already stopped one, and I heard that others have been stopped by other heroines as well,” the Violet Force responded.

“I could expose both of you.”

“I know, but I think you won’t, because of whatever plan you have.”

“I admit that,” Osborn responded.

“Still, I want you to stop tailing the other heroines.”

“No. I’ll continue putting pressure on them as I have been.”

“I’m sure you’re aware of what I did in Boston?” the Violet Force asked.

“I am, but Oscorp isn’t the Mafia!”

“I know that, but it’s more insidious!”

Osborn just stared. “I admit there are ethical lines I’m willing to cross, but that is more than an exaggeration.”

“It isn’t an exaggeration!”

“Are you referring to William Morris? The LDPD haven’t been able to corroborate his story.”

“A stalemate,” the Violet Force grumbled. “But know that I’m keeping an eye on you, along with Sandi, whoever the other four vigilantes are, as well as others.”

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 7
It was still quite early when Daria arrived at the Historia. It was early enough that Angie was still setting up the café when she arrived.

“You haven’t been this early before,” Angie said.

“I wanted to get here with plenty of time to spare before school.”

“It has been one of those weeks, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. But every week is different. This time last week, the robodactyl had just appeared and the fake interview was about to happen that night.” Daria answered.

“Don’t remind me,” Angie said, as she checked the coffee machine. “Over a month since Groundhog Day.”

“I’m looking into something a lot less troublesome, although it’s still troublesome in a different way.”

“You mean the knock offs? Mom told me there aren’t that many coming into her store asking about them.”

“There aren’t?” Daria asked.

“There haven’t been. But maybe most would know that the boutique wouldn’t have them.”

“That could be it.”


Peterson arrived at the Historia shortly after seven. She saw that Daria was already there, waiting for her breakfast. She went to order a coffee first.


“Morning,” Daria said when Peterson had sat across from her.

“You’re here early.”

“I wanted to be sure that I met you this morning, as I’ll be busy with the play this evening.”

“You mean the new rooftop activity?” Peterson asked.

“Yes. I encountered one yesterday evening.”

“And the Enigma?”

“She did too,” Daria answered. She didn’t mention the fact that the Enigma had damaged a house in dealing with him. ‘She would think she’s more of an antihero than she already is.’

“And you have suspicions.”

“Oscorp, but there’s still no proof.”

“And actual proof might be difficult to obtain,” Peterson mused.

“Even if the other heroes may have had their own encounters.”

“Yes.”

“And then there was Tania last night,” Daria added.

“Tania Ashworth? What happened?”

Daria explained what had happened.


Peterson took in what Daria had said. That Oscorp were suspecting Tania as one of the vigilantes and was having her followed was troubling. ‘It still doesn’t mean that she’s not one of them, either Ninja Talon or the Shadow.’

“Obviously LDPD can’t be present at the Park all the time,” Daria said.

“We can’t, but I can talk to Tania after school, or tonight before the play starts.”

“That might be a better idea.”

“As for the agents, we can only intervene if they are caught red handed,” Peterson said. “But I will talk to Osborn later.”

“I suspected that.”

“I can’t tell you everything, of course.”

“Such is the lot of an amateur when working with someone with a badge,” Daria responded.

“You’re lucky I like your wit,” Peterson murmured lightly.


SpiderGirl looked at the High School from the strip mall across the street. It wasn’t open yet, but she wanted to get there early, to be sure of catching Ted before homeroom. The area was calm, quiet compared to later when students would be rushing to get to class. She didn’t see any Oscorp agents nearby. ‘One thing at a time,’ she thought.


Tania was still a little jittery as she arrived at school. She heard a sound and turned to see Quinn walking towards her. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Are you OK?” Quinn asked.

“Not really,” Tania admitted.

Quinn put her hand on Tania’s shoulder. “If you want to talk about if…”

“I did talk to a couple of people last night, but thanks.”

Quinn smiled.


Quinn and Tania waited near the front doors for a short while before Pavlov opened them.


Ted arrived at school at his usual time. “Quinn?” he asked when she came up to him.

“We’ll have to talk to Ms. Li about the clothes today,” she said.

“Have you come up with a reason?”

“A few,” Quinn answered.


Daria parked the Lexus in the school’s parking lot to find Jane waiting for her. “You’ve been waiting long?”

“I didn’t want to head downtown this morning,” Jane said with a slight shrug.

But Daria could tell that something was up. “Something happened?”

“More the ongoing situation with Oscorp. I have seen agents on the rooftops during my runs.”

“Are you sure they aren’t the vigilantes?”

“They are different to the sketches I have of them,” Jane answered.

“Of course.”

“Just more evidence that Lawndale is changing,”

‘There’s more to it than that,’ Daria thought as they walked into the school.


Norman Osborn arrived at the Headquarters, but first he looked at the graffiti that the Shadow had left in the night. It showed the Oscorp logo being squished by a stylized version of Lawndale’s municipal crest, along with a stylized ‘S’ in a dark grey.

“What message do you think it’s sending?” one of his workers asked.

“Defiance,” Osborn answered. “Clean it off.”

“Yes, sir.”


Fields saw Osborn come in. She then turned back to her screen, where a small portion of the routes through West Lawndale had been mapped.

“What’s your progress?” Osborn asked.

“Not sure. Lawndale is sprawling, remember.”

“I am well aware of that. I still expect results, Ms. Fields.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll post daily updates,” Fields said.

“Get on with it then.”


At the beginning of lunch, Quinn and Ted entered Ms. Li’s office.

“So, you want me to let the Lowdown investigate the SpiderGirl knockoff clothes?” Ms. Li asked.

“Yes,” Ted answered. “It is obvious that they are aimed at Lawndale’s young people.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t seem to be something a high school publication should be investigating.”

“Or maybe it is,” Quinn said.

“What are you getting at Ms. Morgendorffer?”

“I have looked at them a few times. It obvious that whoever had them made is looking to exploit not only the image of Lawndale’s first superhero, but also the young people who look up to her! You’re always going on about the honor and glory of this school. But what would be more honorable than exposing such a scheme?” Quinn answered as she leaned forward.

“You make a good argument,” Ms. Li said. “But it is very risky.’

“I know that, but that is part of journalism isn’t it?” Quinn responded.

“I agree,” Li said. “But I am allowing you to do it.”

“Thanks!” Ted said.

“But I expect updates every week; say each Friday,” the principal said.

“No problem,” Quinn said. “I’m sure we’ll have something to start with by this time next week.”

Ms. Li nodded. “That will be all.”


After the two students left, the principal opened a document on her computer. It contained a picture of Norman Osborn. “You think you have this school under control because of our agreement, Norman?” she said quietly. “I can outmaneuver you by encouraging the curiosity of my students. Lawndale High will thrive where Oscorp won’t.” She then closed the document and went back to work.


“That was easy,” Ted said as they walked away from the office.

Quinn shrugged. “I knew what to say.”

“Maybe.”

‘But it was easy,’ Quinn thought. ‘Li probably has her own reasons for agreeing.’


At the same time, Daria, Jane, Sandi, Tania and Harry were talking as they had lunch.

“So, you were followed last night,” Harry asked Tania.

“Yes,” Tania answered. “It’s good that the fourth vigilante and Dafoanairi were there. But I’m sure it was Oscorp.”

“My father wouldn’t be aware of everything,” Harry responded.

“I’m sure he’s aware of this!” Tania said.

“He’d probably deny it anyway,” Daria said.

“Unfortunately,” Sandi added.

Daria took out a sheet of paper a mind map she had made earlier that morning on it. “This is what we already know. That Oscorp has been present in Lawndale for nearly a decade…”

“That long?” Tania asked.

“Yes,” Daria answered. “The Morris incident proves that.”

“Oh, of course,” Tania said.

“But, there was still no proof of wrongdoing there,” Harry said.

“Didn’t your father say he’s chasing down those responsible?” Sandi asked, in a tone of slight disbelief.

“That’s what he said,” Harry answered. “But I’m absolutely certain he was obfuscating.”

“That’s obvious,” Sandi responded while rolling her eyes.

“But if he is having people followed because he thinks they are the vigilantes, even if they aren’t, that just makes Lawndale more dangerous!” Tania said with a tremor in her voice.

“I’ll try to talk to him about it,” Harry said.


Daria thought about it. ‘Dafoanairi can’t always be there to protect Tania, nor can the Enigma or the others.’

“What good will that do?” Jane responded to Harry.

Harry shrugged. “Something.”

“Probably would make him more on his toes,” Sandi said.


“Penelope Jericho to see you, sir,” his assistant said.

Osborn sighed. “Send her in.”

The journalist entered the office like a silent storm.

“Good Afternoon, Ms. Jericho.”

“There have been reports of figures moving along rooftops downtown and in some neighborhoods that don’t match the hero vigilantes,” Penelope said.

“And you think I have something to do with them?”

“They match what has been reported of Oscorp agents in other places with an Oscorp presence.”

“What do you expect me to say, Penelope?” Osborn asked.

“So, you’re denying that you have anything to do with them?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you,” Penelope said.

“No, you believe in facts. And the fact is, you don’t have proof.”

“I don’t. But I will keep digging.”

“You won’t find anything,” Osborn said.

“I will find something. If there are agents, they will be noticed by more people. They will think that Oscorp is spying on Lawndale for some reason.”

“No comment.”


After Penelope left, Osborn went up onto the roof and looked out over the town. “How difficult is it to find the four vigilantes in this suburban town!” he complained to himself. ‘The information so far indicates that they have been seen all over town. That doesn’t give me any information on where their secret identities are.’


As school let out, Quinn entered the library to see that Anna and Ben were waiting.

“I heard you went to Ms. Li earlier,” Anna said.

“I did,” Quinn responded. “She agreed to let me investigate the knockoffs with school resources.”

“She did?” Ben asked in surprise.

“Like, I said that It’s the school’s responsibility to protect it’s students, even from something like a dubious clothing line,” Quinn said.

“That’s taking things further than people would usually expect,” Ben said.

“Not the first time,” Quinn responded with a shrug.


Gerald entered the library to find Quinn, Anna and Ben looking over back issues of the Sun-Herald. “Reading the paper?” he asked.

“Yes. I thought we could talk about recent events,” Quinn answered.

“I suppose,” Gerald said. “But not just Groundhog Day.”

“Of course not,” Quinn responded. “More what has been happening since then.”

“Like the robodacytl or may have happened to Lynn Anders? Pass,” Gerald said as he sat down.

“More those clothes that have appeared,” Quinn said.

“Like, I was going to buy some, but I realized that they probably wouldn’t last long.”

“Really?” Gerald asked.

“Yes. Quite poorly made, probably in a sweatshop,” Quinn answered.

“I suppose that is why you want to investigate. But it will be difficult,” Gerald said.

“Duh!” Quinn said as she turned a page in one of the papers.

Gerald sighed. “I will help you.”

“Good,” Anna said.


Fields got home from work. After making some tea she got out a map of Lawndale she had bought earlier in the week. ‘Now, how to sabotage Osborn’s plans?’ she wondered. She colored in the areas she remembered working on that day. ‘But how to get it to one of the vigilantes? Just leaving it on the Historia’s roof wouldn’t be a good idea.’ She looked at the Historia on the map. ‘Maybe it is a good place to start. Seeing the play might be comforting.’ She made a decision, she would see Tempest and try to meet SpiderGirl or Ninja Talon afterwards.