Spider Quinn 19 Making the News Amidst the Storms 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.