Dafoanairi
also emerged onto the first floor, and had heard Ninja Talon point out the
‘fourth vigilante’
“I
know you’re there, fourth vigilante,” Sam taunted. “I also know you took my
grandfather out.”
Dafoanairi
grasped her staff tighter and stepped out into the fray.
“Someone
is behind us,” SpiderGirl said.
“I
hear it,” Ninja Talon said.
“Another
vigilante,” Sam said. “Is it the Shadow?”
“It
doesn’t sound like her,” SpiderGirl said.
“A
fifth?” Ninja Talon asked.
Dafoanairi
came up alongside the other two and inflicted her voice high. “Dafoanairi, the
snarky fifth vigilante of Lawndale. I know you’re the first two, SpiderGirl and
Ninja Talon. But what is the plan? Are we just going to talk his ear off and
let the fourth vigilante do the work?”
“Dafoanairi?”
Ninja Talon considered.
“The
fourth vigilante is here, but she doesn’t know where the furnace is,”
SpiderGirl said.
“Not
any less than you would,” Dafoanairi said.
‘Great!’
SpiderGirl thought. ‘How to do this without revealing our secret identities to
Dafoanairi. As if Lawndale needed a snarky vigilante who might be reminding me
of my sister. Like, Daria is far from the only one who is sarcastic.’
“Now
there are three of us we can all take him,” Ninja Talon said.
“I
must point out that I’m inexperienced,” Dafoanairi pointed out.
“Don’t
worry,” Ninja Talon said. “I’ll plan for that.”
“A
plan on the fly?” Sam asked.
“Yes!”
Ninja Talon said. “That’s something I am as good at as I am with martial arts.”
“That’s
good,” Dafoanairi said. “Then lets do it!”
“OK,
you follow behind while Spidey webs up stuff and I look around.”
“Sure,”
SpiderGirl said.
At
the same time, Jamie entered the Pizza place, which wasn’t experiencing the
brownouts as of yet. He wasn’t sure where SpiderGirl was. He then saw that Elly
and Freya were there, waiting for him. “Hi, Elly.”
“I
have heard that it was Quinn Morgendorffer who actually stopped the brownouts,”
Elly said.
“I
was there,” Jamie said. “Was it Freya who told you?”
“No!”
Freya said. “It was Stacy Rowe.”
“As
well as Tori and Tiffany,” Elly said.
“I
see,” Jamie said.
“You
were just trying to impress me!” Elly said, and she slapped him across the
face.
At
the same time as Dafoanairi joining SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon at the solarium
and Jamie getting slapped by Elly, Jane got home and found Trent in the kitchen
listening to the radio. “A situation, Janie,” he said.
“What
kind of situation.”
“SpiderGirl,
Ninja Talon, the fourth vigilante and an apparent fifth are all in the
solarium, trying to resolve the brownouts, a second time.”
“That
seems like too many cooks,” Jane considered. “I thought I’d come back here
first.”
“Maybe
you’ll be needed anyway, if SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante come to blows.”
“Maybe
that’s why the apparent fifth is there.”
“How
to you figure?” Trent asked.
“Probably
trying to mediate,” Jane said as she headed upstairs.
Back
at the solarium, the Enigma approached the power box. ‘I’m sure he’s trapped
it, somehow,’ she thought. She opened it telekinetically and flour fell from
above. She raised a forcefield as it hit the floor.
Sam
laughed at the sound.
“What’s
that about?” SpiderGirl asked.
“The
fourth vigilante was just covered in flour,” Sam answered.
“That’s
not so bad,” Dafoanairi said.
“But
it’s not the only stuff,” Sam said. The lights then went out. “What?”
The
Enigma had telekinetically flipped the main switch. “Now!” she called out.
“Someone turn off the furnace!”
“I’ll
do it,” SpiderGirl said.
“You
sure?” Ninja Talon asked.
“Yes.
I have a better chance of avoiding the traps,” SpiderGirl said.
“Of
course,” Ninja Talon said.
“I
didn’t quite believe that she could do that,” Dafoanairi said as she watched
SpiderGirl climb along the ceiling.
“Back
to back,” Ninja Talon said. “How good are you with that staff?”
“Good
enough for whatever you’re planning,” Dafoanairi responded as she backed up
against the other.
“Good.”
Sam
watched SpiderGirl climb along the ceiling. He was annoyed. He hadn’t thought
about that! ‘Time to get out of here,’ he thought. He ran towards the stairs.
Ninja
Talon saw an opportunity and signalled Dafoanairi, who then tripped him with
her staff. ‘Good work,’ she thought.
“Now.
The police are waiting for you outside,” Dafoanairi said.
Sam
leapt up and grabbed the staff and tried to wrestle with Dafoanairi for it. But
only briefly as Ninja Talon then tackled him from behind.
“You
left yourself open,” she said. She then took out some ties and tied his hands.
Sam
squirmed. “What is this? A citizen’s arrest?”
“That’s
exactly what it is,” Dafoanairi responded.
“We’ll
wait for Spidey to come back, then go out to the waiting cops,” Ninja Talon
said.
Back
at Casa Lane, the Shadow was ready to leave. “Are you sure?” Trent asked.
“Apparently the brownouts have just stopped again.”
“If
so, I’ll just do a patrol, just a bit early.”
“I
suppose so.”
SpiderGirl
switched off the furnace again. ‘Now where’s the cable, so I don’t have to come
down here a third time?’ She found it and pulled it out.
SpiderGirl
rejoined the others. “Good work,” she said to the others. “The furnace is
disconnected,” she called out.
The
lights then came back on as the Enigma turned the power back on.
Peterson
saw the door open and Ninja Talon leading Sam Elders out, followed by
SpiderGirl and Dafoanairi. “Good work,” she said. “The power is back to
normal.”
“Glad
to hear,” Dafoanairi said.
Ninja
Talon handed Sam over.
Peterson
cut the ties and cuffed him. “Sam Elders, you are under arrest. You have the
right to remain silent. Anything you do say will be used against you in a court
of law.”
“I
would have gotten away with it, if It wasn’t for those meddling vigilantes.”
The
Enigma watched from the roof as Sam was pushed into a car by Peterson. She saw
that SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon were walking away to the east. ‘Now’s not the
time,’ she thought. She then looked to where Dafoanairi was walking away in the
opposite direction. ‘Maybe I’ll follow her instead.’
Dafoanairi
realised someone was following her and looked around. She saw the Enigma on a
nearby rooftop. “You can come down here,” she said.
“Sure,”
the Enigma called out. She climbed down the side of the building.
“I’m
glad you and SpiderGirl didn’t come to blows,” Dafoanairi said once the other
had joined her.
“There
wasn’t much of a chance. There will be another time.”
“Of
course.”
“But
what did you do, given your inexperience?” the Enigma asked.
“Not
much less than you.”
“Good
point, but…”
“I
helped Ninja Talon subdue him,” Dafoanairi explained.
“Right.
Where are you going?”
“A
base. I don’t want you following me there.”
“I
have my suspicions,” the Enigma said.
“And
I have my suspicions about you. Let’s not wreck things by confirming them.”
“I
doubt it would wreck things.”
“Maybe
not,” Dafoanairi responded. “But it will make things more awkward than they
already are.”
The
Enigma considered what Dafoanairi had just said. ‘She may be right. Let’s
continue as things are and hope we don’t slip up.’ She stopped. “Then I’ll head
to the Pizza place,” she said. “See you another time.”
“Bye.”
SpiderGirl
and Ninja Talon arrived at the spot beneath the Bridge. They looked around
before removing their masks.
“Did
Dafoanairi seem familiar to you?” Quinn asked.
“Not
really,” Brittany answered. “She was snarky, but many people are snarky. I can
be snarky.”
“That’s
true, but something reminded me of Daria.”
“Daria?
I don’t think so.”
“I
don’t think it is either,” Quinn said, not entirely sure. “But it also could
be. I still don’t want her finding out.”
“I
don’t think she noticed anything about either of us.”
“It
was a short time, wasn’t it?”
“Like
only a few minutes,” Brittany said.
“True,
but I’m glad that the brownouts are resolved.”
“But?”
“Jamie,”
Quinn said. “I need to talk to him.”
“But
you don’t know where he would be.”
“True,
he might be at home, the Pizza place, the Historia, or even at Elly Aitkins’
place.”
“You
could try the Historia first,” Brittany suggested.
“Well,
it is the closet,” Quinn said.
At
the Historia, Daria entered the café. She found that there were many people
there.
“Daria!”
It was Mrs. Rowe.
“The
school let out early,” Daria said.
“I
know. The brownouts. But it seems they have been resolved.”
“What
is the news saying?”
“That
SpiderGirl turned up and resolved the situation, along with Ninja Talon and an
apparent fifth vigilante,” Mrs. Rowe said.
“I
see,” Daria said as she went up to the counter. “As if Lawndale needs that.”
“It
seems that Quinn’s resolution of the issue was temporary.”
“Maybe,”
Daria considered.
Quinn
entered the café soon afterwards. “Daria? Has Jamie been here?”
“I
haven’t seen him,” Daria answered. “But I haven’t been here for long, you might
ask Mrs. Rowe.”
“I
shall.”
‘Haven’t
been here for long,’ Quinn thought. She shook her head. ‘That doesn’t prove
anything!’ She entered the office.
“Quinn?”
Mrs. Rowe asked.
“Has
Jamie been here?”
“I’m
sorry, he hasn’t been.”
“Then
I’ll have to look at the Pizza place,” Quinn said.
Daria
saw Quinn leave just as quickly as she arrived. ‘I guess Jamie is somewhere
else,’ she thought. She then saw Brittany enter through another door.
“Brittany,” she said.
“I’ll
order something first,” Brittany responded.
‘I
wasn’t asking her to sit with me,’ Daria thought. ‘Or maybe I was.’ It seemed
she and Brittany had bonded more than she thought. ‘And yesterday evening, she
did say that I’m her friend.’
Brittany
returned. “You have heard the brownouts have been resolved again?”
“Yes,”
Daria answered. “From Mrs. Rowe. You have a portable radio with you?”
Brittany
took one out of a pocket. “Of course.”
“Oh.”
“They’re
also saying that there’s an apparent fifth vigilante.”
Daria
hid her reaction. “What are they saying?”
“Just
that she was there along with SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.”
“Is
that all?”
Brittany
nodded.
‘I
don’t need the media attention SpiderGirl has been getting.’
The
Shadow arrived on a rooftop across the road from the solarium. ‘Of course,
Trent was right,’ she thought. She took out her sketchpad and began to sketch
the view to the north. ‘Once again I catch Lawndale in the late afternoon,’ she
mused. ‘I wonder what Daria would make of this.’
Quinn
entered the Pizza place not long after leaving the Historia. “Jamie?” she asked
as she entered. She then saw him sitting alone in a booth, holding a soda can
to his face. She went to order a cheese less pizza before going over to him.
“Jamie?”
It was Quinn.
“Quinn?
What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I
want to talk to you about what you have been doing.”
Jamie
took the can off of his face.
Quinn
saw that there was a welt there. “What happened?” she asked.
“It
was Elly. She slapped me! She found out that it was you who was the
investigator who stopped the brownouts the first time.”
“Oh,
Jamie! She shouldn’t have done that.”
“I’m
sorry, Quinn. I wanted to impress her.”
“Is
that all?”
“Yes.
I was bragging,” Jamie said in a contrite tone. “I’m sorry for taking the
credit.”
“That’s
not all is it?”
“No.
I like, I have seen how you have changed and I thought I could change too.”
“Oh
Jamie…” Quinn said with a sigh. “Was that why you asked me to cut your hair?”
“Yes,”
Jamie admitted.
“You
know that I have changed due to grief, right?”
“You
may have said that.”
“I
changed my hair as part of my grieving,” Quinn said, leaving out the fact that
it was also part of her becoming SpiderGirl. “It’s just a reflection of what I
am still going through because Daddy died. If not for that, there would still
be a Fashion Club and I wouldn’t be helping Angie, Anna, Ben and Gerald, and
probably would not be involved in the Historia. I would still be a shallow,
selfish girl. Do you understand, Jamie?”
“That
change came from a tragedy?”
“Yes.
Just trying to change because you want to probably isn’t helping either.”
“I
see,” Jamie said as he put the can back on the welt. “I’ll be myself. At least
you remember my name now.”
Quinn
giggled. “There is that.”
Quinn
was thinking on that as she arrived home before dinner. She entered the kitchen
from the basement to find Daria setting the table. “You don’t usually set the
table.”
“I
have been trying to do more,” Daria said. “We both have to be responsible, so
Mom doesn’t have to do too much.”
“Too
true,” Quinn responded. “She’s still doing twelve hour days.”
“Not
that much,” her mother said as she entered the kitchen. “More like 10 hours.”
“That’s
still a lot,” Daria commented.
“That
part of me hasn’t changed due to grief,” her mother said. “There is regret that
I didn’t spend more time with him of course. I hope that I’m not missing things
in your lives.”
‘Just
one major thing,’ Quinn thought. ‘She can’t find out.’
Soon,
they started dinner. “So, SpiderGirl stopped the brownouts permanently,” Helen
said. “And caught the young man responsible?”
“I’m
sure it was Ninja Talon who did the latter,” Quinn responded.
“I guess,”
Helen said. “Point is, it was the vigilantes who resolved the situation.”
“Are
you saying the police are incompetent?” Daria asked.
Helen
thought for a moment. That wasn’t where she was going with that. But she could
see how Daria could come to that conclusion, given her opinion about the power
company. “No. I guess they were trying to figure out how to go in without
causing collateral damage. Anyway, I’m relieved that the brownouts are gone,”
she said. She then wondered what would happen in Lawndale next.
Quinn
took a bite and glanced towards Daria. She had decided not to worry about
whether Dafaonairi was her or not. ‘But I will be careful around her as
SpiderGirl.’
Daria
had also come to a decision. She realised that she did know that Sandi was the
Enigma. But she also remembered what they talked about after helping stop the
brownouts. ‘I will make a note of it,
but that is all I will do. I’ll see what happens next.’
