Spider Quinn 17 Tempestuous Origin of Mysterio Part 4

 

Linda had felt Sandi’s search for Jane and thus knew what had happened when she opened the door to find Daria holding up her daughter.

 

“I know about her powers, Mrs. Griffin. I promised to keep them secret.”

 

Linda took Sandi into her arms. “You know everything, I suppose?”

 

“Not everything,” Daria said. “She did tell me about her powers and that the ESP only works within Lawndale, or very close to it.”

 

“And about her mentor?”

 

“I think it might be you, Mrs. Griffin. I’ll keep your secret as well. You didn’t look that surprised when you opened the door.”

 

Linda sighed. “Come in.”

 

 

“Will Sandi be OK?” Daria asked after Mrs. Griffin had placed her on the couch.

 

“She just needs to rest,” Mrs. Griffin said as she went over to the kitchen. “Yes, I am her mentor and I have had similar experiences in the past.”

 

“And I suppose you still don’t approve of her being the fourth vigilante?”

 

“No,” Mrs. Griffin said with shake of her head. “She’s being rebellious, challenging my authority, going through a phase. But at least she’s accepting my advice. But what about your mother? What does she think about what you’re doing?”

 

“She’s supportive,” Daria answered. “She’s worried, of course, about both of us taking on too much with the Historia and investigating what’s going on in Lawndale. But otherwise, she’s still working overtime and coping with her own grief.”

 

“Good to hear,” Mrs. Griffin said as she turned on the kettle. “Cocoa?”

 

“Sure,” Daria answered. ‘Better than the energy drink I got earlier.’

 

 

Daria stayed just long enough to have the cocoa, to be sure that Sandi would be fine and to tell Mrs. Griffin about what happened at the Historia. There was a lot she wanted to ask Mrs. Griffin about, especially what she thought about the recent events in Lawndale since SpiderGirl appeared, but she decided that it could wait until after Jane was found and the opening weekend of the play.

 

 

Linda watched Daria go. ‘I’m certain that she will keep the secret. She seemed very sincere about that.’ She turned back to where Sandi was sleeping on the couch. ‘I hope she has learned something from this, but I also hope that Jane and the critics will be found soon.’

 

 

Daria changed to Dafoanairi as soon as she was out of sight of the Griffin’s place. She then headed back home through the back alleys, keeping alert for anything that might happen.

 

 

At the same time, Quinn arrived home.

 

“Quinn, what happened?” her mother asked.

 

Quinn then explained what had happened at the theater.

 

 

Daria entered the kitchen as Quinn finished explaining what had happened.

 

“Daria! Are you alright,” her mother asked.

 

“I’m fine,” Daria answered. “Concerned for Jane and determined that the show must go on, but fine. It’s Trent that you should be worried about.”

 

“Good. I will call Trent shortly,” her mother responded.

 

“That would be a good idea,” Daria said.

 

“And the show will go on?” her mother said.

 

“Of course,” Quinn said. “It’s what Jane would want.”

 

“Of course,” their mother said. “I haven’t heard back from the PI about the other theaters. They could still be behind the abductions. They could have hired Beck themselves.”

 

“That’s a possibility,” Daria allowed.

 

“Or Beck could have been approached by people in Oscorp,” Quinn said. “Those illusions couldn’t have come cheap. And how would he have knowledge of the stormwater system otherwise?”

 

“That’s a good point,” Daria said. ‘The others would have told her about the stormwater system,’ she thought.

 

 

“Stormwater system?” Helen asked.

 

Daria then explained about what the vigilantes had found.

 

“Oh my. It is unlikely that someone new to Lawndale would know how to use it without help. But Oscorp would have to have Council files.”

 

“I wouldn’t put that past them,” Daria said.

 

“Good point,” Helen said. She then wrote that down. “But it’s still far from proof.” She decided to call Trent.

 

 

Trent was in the kitchen, wondering how to go about searching for Jane when the phone rang.

 

Jesse picked it up. “It’s Mrs. Morgendorffer,” he said as he handed it over.

 

‘Of course,’ Trent thought. “Hello?”

 

“Hi, Trent. How are you holding up, with what happened?” Mrs. Morgendorffer asked.

 

“I’m worried for Janie, but otherwise I’m fine.”

 

“That’s good to hear, but you’re welcome to come over if you want someone to talk to.”

 

“Thanks. I might take up that offer.”

 

“I’ll be up for a while.”

 

 

Trent hung up. He knew what he was going to do. He wasn’t going to mope around. But he wasn’t going to the Morgendorffers either. “Time for the Shadow’s off sider to look for her.”

 

“Offsider?” Jesse asked.

 

“I’m sure that’s what either SpiderGirl or Ninja Talon called me in Middlebury.”

 

“Right.”

 

 

Trent then suited up as he had when the cheerleaders were rescued and went to the garage.

 

“This is the Shadowcar? It looks like an ordinary car,” Nick said.

 

“It’s been modified,” Trent said. “It will help me find Janie.”

 

“But where are you going to start?” Nick asked. “Are you just going to drive around Lawndale aimlessly?”

 

“To start with,” Trent said. “Be ready to follow with the Tank or the Plymouth.”

 

 

A while later, Sandi awoke. She regretted it, as she still had a headache and was still woozy. “Ugh!”

 

“You shouldn’t be up yet,” her mother said.

 

“I searched for Jane…”

 

“Daria told me.”

 

“Of course she did,” Sandi groused.

 

“She also told me about what happened at the theater. It seems to be the same person who was at work.”

 

“That makes sense. How long does it take to recover? You haven’t told me that.”

 

‘You’ll feel better in the morning,” her mother said.

 

 

After midnight, Daria crept out onto the roof. She looked out over Lawndale, and wondered where Jane was being held. ‘It has to be somewhere close by.’ She took out a map of Lawndale County. ‘She said that Oakwood is too far for her locate ability to work. Five miles between Lawndale and Oakwood.’ She looked at the area south of Lawndale, and saw that Lake Lawndale was only three and a half miles from the center of Lawndale at the closest point. ‘Or maybe she’s being held somewhere there. But I can’t get there tonight.’

She then went down to try to get some sleep.

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived on the roof of the Historia in the early hours to find Ninja Talon waiting. “Hey.”

 

“Hey, Spidey. It was an interesting evening.”

 

“And complicated. I got the impression that the Enigma doesn’t like the civilian me personally. I’m not sure why.”

 

“I got to the creek with Trent and Dafoanairi but we were too late,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“They said that.”

 

“What happened with the theater?”

 

“There were no traps, and most of the other actors were still there. But you weren’t the only one who left,” SpiderGirl answered.

 

“Good.”

 

“Your secret identity is still safe.”

 

“I still took a risk,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“So did I.”

 

“And you still think Dafoanairi might be Daria?”

 

SpiderGirl nodded. “She had run off and said that she had gave chase to the abductor when she returned.”

 

“But she could have done that anyway.”

 

“That’s a good point.”

 

“But now we need to find Jane,” Ninja Talon said. “I have an idea.”

 

“We’re going to ask Andrea?”

 

“Yes. Either that or infiltrate Oscorp again to get the CCTV footage.”

 

“Andrea first,” SpiderGirl decided. “But would she be up?”

 

“We could go there anyway.”

 

SpiderGirl agreed, and so they headed in that direction.

 

 

As it turned out, Andrea was up, gaming, as she couldn’t sleep with everything that had been going on. She heard Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl enter the house from the back door. Just as well her parents were heavy sleepers. She met them in the hallway. “Why are you here?” she asked quietly. “You’re not asking me to hack Oscorp again, are you?”

 

“Maybe,” SpiderGirl said. “It’s to do with the missing critics.”

 

“I doubt Oscorp is responsible,” Andrea said as she lead them into her room.

 

“Jane Lane is also missing,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“I heard her interview about the play,” Andrea said. “Wait, are you saying that something happened?”

 

“Yes,” SpiderGirl said and explained what had happened at the Historia earlier in the night.

 

 

Andrea took it in. “I’m not sure what I could do about it. Even if there are cameras outside the Historia that might have seen this mysterious person take Jane into the stormwater system, trying to download the video over a dial up connection won’t work.”

 

“I see,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“But there could be a way,” Andrea considered.

 

“What would that be?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“If I had access to one of Lawndale State’s computer labs, I would be able to do it.”

 

“I have no idea about that,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“My mother will refuse to help,” Andrea said to Ninja Talon, “But other students at Lawndale High have siblings at Lawndale State, could get back to you at lunch. What do you say?”

 

“That could work. We can meet in the library. But Spidey won’t be there!”

 

“I won’t,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“Relax. I still don’t want to know your identity.”

 

“Good. Then Talon can tell me later.”

 

Ninja Talon nodded.

 

“Then I’ll see you later.”

 

 

The two heroes didn’t leave immediately, rather they then swung up from Andrea’s window onto the roof  “What was that about her mother?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“She’s a professor of Ancient History,” Ninja Talon responded.

 

“I see,” SpiderGirl responded. “Anyway, it’s complex.”

 

“I know, but I’m not sure what else we could do.”

 

“True.”

 

“I’ll make sure no one else is around as we usually do,” Ninja Talon said in a reassuring tone.

 

SpiderGirl nodded, and then yawned. “I need to get going. Daria and I will be talking to Joey and Robert. And I need to find a new special effects person before the play opens.”

 

“Good luck.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Friday, February 23, 2001

Abduction from Historia in the midst of illusions. Is Tempest Cursed?

… 17 year old Jane Lane is the latest victim in the serial abductions related to Tempest being mentioned on radio.

 

Tori Jericho took the paper inside. “Mom!”

 

“What is it?” her mother, Penelope, asked. “That was entirely on Melinda. I don’t think the play is cursed.”

 

“No, but now the paper has mentioned the play…”

 

“Don’t worry. The paper has security.”

 

 

Daria was also reading the paper. “A curse?” she asked herself incredulously.

 

“What’s that?” Quinn asked as she entered the kitchen.

 

“Speculation that my play is cursed!”

 

“Of course there isn’t. It’s just one person out to get it.”

 

“Or more than one person,” Daria responded.

 

“Still, not a curse.”

 

“True.”

 

“Besides, ticket sales are still going up,” Quinn said as she grabbed some cereal.

 

“Or they were last night.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

 

After a quick breakfast, Daria and Quinn arrived at the Historia, where they found Robert and Joey waiting, along with Peterson and another man.

 

“Daria, Quinn, this is Agent Leung from the FBI,” Peterson said.

 

“Of course,” Daria said.

 

“Peterson has told me everything the LDPD has about the case.”

 

“So, the critics and Jane and what the vigilantes had found?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes. I will need to make my own search of the Historia of course.”

 

The four looked at each other and found they were in agreement.

 

“Go right ahead,” Joey said.

 

 

“Some good news,” Joey said after Leung and Peterson had gone on their search. “Tonight is sold out, and Saturday has 243.”

 

“That’s great!” Quinn said. “But we still need a special effects person, given that Beck has gone off.”

 

“He’s missing?” Robert asked.

 

“He hasn’t been seen here since Tuesday, when we talked to him about his backstage measurements,” Daria answered. “Although he was sighted here just before the rehearsal.”

 

“So that’s why he’s a suspect in Jane’s abduction?” Joey asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

“So, you’re just going to call the previous applicants?” Robert asked.

 

“Yes, I will be back here as soon as school lets out,” Quinn answered. “It’s going to be a long day.”

 

 

“Amazing,” Agent Leung said as he looked around the theater. “I thought it was crazy that teens were running this place after they convinced Osborn with a business plan.”

 

“The business plan was Daria’s,” Peterson said.

 

“I had heard that.”

 

“And what do you think now?”

 

“That they seem to be doing very well,” Leung answered. He then came to the end of a row. “You say that he used projectors for the illusions?”

 

“That’s what I saw when the power was interrupted last night.”

 

“There seem to be a lot of them.”

 

 

Sandi awoke again and saw that it was the morning. She felt a lot better. “I better get ready for school,” she said.

 

“How are you feeling?” her mother asked, as she handed her a plate with bacon and eggs.

 

“A lot better,” Sandi answered as she took the plate.

 

“And what have you learned?”

 

“Not much, other than that Daria is becoming a friend, much like Harry Osborn.”

 

Her mother smirked. “Just don’t expect me to accept a dinner invitation by Helen.”

 

Sandi nearly spat out some egg. She swallowed and said, “Of course not, Quinn would be there!”

 

“Anyway, what else have you learned.”

 

“That I know my limits. My perception didn’t even reach the Lake. Jane is being held further out than that, maybe even at the Lake.”

 

“Or maybe in Oakwood or Middlebury,” her mother responded. “You can’t jump to conclusions.”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“And you’ll take your brothers to school again.”

 

‘Of course,’ Sandi thought. It seemed to be a way of teaching her responsibility as well as a punishment.

 

 

Back at the Historia, Agent Ken Leung had examined the entire building, including the various apartments. There was nothing to indicate that Quentin Beck had been there since the previous night’s incident. “Other than the projectors, it appears completely normal,” he said to Peterson and the four teens.

 

“So, we’re still at square one?” Quinn asked.

 

“Not necessarily,” Agent Leung said. “There is what the vigilantes said. That he took a boat southwards from the stormwater outlet.”

 

“That’s true,” Daria said. “But that would be a large area, wouldn’t it?”

 

“True, but the Agency can concentrate their searches in the area downstream of Lawndale between the town and the Lake,” Leung said.

 

“I see,” Quinn said, appearing to be in thought.

 

 

The four then ordered breakfast and Quinn started calling the previous applicants.

 

 

“Done?” Daria asked Quinn as they left for school.

 

“Yes. They will meet here straight after school. Looks like I’ll be doing that at the same time as my usual session with Anna, Ben and Gerald.”

 

“I’m sure they’ll understand cancelling,” Daria said.

 

“True, but at this short notice?”

 

“Good point.”

 

“I can handle it,” Quinn said.

 

‘I hope so.’