Spider Quinn 12 Rise of the Green Goblin - Part 7

 

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

 

There was a buzz.

 

“What?”

 

“Norman Osborn is here demanding to see you.”

 

“Send him in!” he said.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“But what about the other two?”

 

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

 

“And if there is an actual fourth?”

 

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

 

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

 

“I will think about it!”

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

“What?” Gerald asked himself.

 

 

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

 

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

 

“Of course.”

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Then it sounds good,” Quinn said.

 

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

 

 

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

 

“What do you think?” Quinn asked.

 

“I will think about it,” Gerald responded.

 

 

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

 

“That’s it,” Daria confessed.

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll still be you.”

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“A rebel?”

 

Sandi nodded.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

“Yes?”

 

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

 

“Good,” Gerald responded.

 

“It is up to you.”

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

“You could come now.”

 

“No thanks. Another time.”

 

“That’s OK.”

 

 

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

 

“Helen!” Elisabeth said.

 

“Coming.”

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Four down.”

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

“True.”

 

“What’s next then?”

 

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

 

“How?”

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Now, try to make it bigger.”

 

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

 

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

 

Sandi nodded.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

“I did.”

 

“That’s good,” Quinn said.

 

“The restoration seems to be done rather well.”

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

“The Enigma.”

 

“The Enigma?”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“I’m sure she has been.”

 

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

 

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

 

“Like, I’m figuring things out.”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“It didn’t come up with Ninja Talon?”

 

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

 

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

 

“No comment.”

 

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

 

“Maybe, but do you have powers?”

 

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

 

“Such as?” the Enigma asked.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

“I met the new vigilante,” Jane said.

 

“Oh.”

 

“She has some kind of energy projection powers.”

 

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

 

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

 

“You met Ninja Talon again?”

 

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

 

“Oh. Did you get a name?”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“Good point.”

 

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

 

“How do you figure?”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Friday, February 2, 2001

Will SpiderGirl appear at the Groundhog Day Festival?

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

“Now Representing Lawndale High School, Brittany Taylor!”

 

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