Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 7

 

The Enigma lowered the forcefield she had used to protect herself and Dafoanairi. “Of course he’d trap it like that!” she groused.

 

“Whatever this thing is, he’s considering it worth the risk to sacrifice vehicles for,” Dafoanairi snarked.

 

SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon then swung down from the trees. “You tripped a trap?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“You’d do the same,” the Enigma retorted.

 

“Not the same way,” SpiderGirl responded. “I’d throw the parts clear.”

 

“But if we’re might careful, he might also booby trap the mound,” Dafoanairi pointed out.

 

“I won’t let that happen,” SpiderGirl said. She swung back up into the canopy.

 

 

She approached the spot where Osborn was talking to the new arrivals.

 

“According to the satellite scans, Aldridge was going to find it either tonight or tomorrow. Just hold off the vigilantes and I’ll have it unearthed by sunrise,” Osborn said.

 

“But they may act in unpredictable ways,” one of the agents spoke up.

 

“I’m aware of that, but it would take them time to come up with a strategy that would work for them. Time they won’t have.”

 

‘That’s what you think,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung back in the direction of the other vigilantes.

 

 

Ninja Talon had been thinking about a strategy. But the biggest issue was that she hadn’t really seen the silent vigilante in action. But she did know the Enigma and Dafoanairi’s strengths and weaknesses well enough. ‘We can disrupt Osborn’s plans by keeping the agents busy, but also feinting attacks on him. Spidey and the Enigma can be flashy and can use their powers to disarm and restrain them. Dafoanairi and I can keep them on their toes and try to distract Osborn.’

 

SpiderGirl returned. “Osborn thinks we’ll take too long to come up with a strategy.”

 

“I already have the basics,” Talon said.

 

“That’s great!”

 

 

Dafoanairi thought about the strategy Ninja Talon laid out. She had to admit that it was very good. ‘That still doesn’t narrow down who she is,’ she thought. But that wasn’t what she wanted to dwell on while trying to stop Osborn from desecrating a First Nations site. “I can certainly do it. But it will get tiring well before sunrise, given it’s still several hours.’

 

“Let’s do it,” the Enigma said.

 

“Of course you would be enthusiastic about this,” SpiderGirl said. “We have to be responsible about this.”

 

The Enigma rolled her eyes. “Oh, like, this again?”

 

“I’m not going to argue about it now,” SpiderGirl said. She then paused and twirled on her feet. “Someone is coming.”

 

Dafoanairi looked and saw another vigilante arrive. A young woman, about their age, wearing a mask and cloak with yellow accents, climbing up the trees.

 

 

SpiderGirl waited until the new vigilante had come up to their level in the canopy and sat on a branch close to her and Ninja Talon. “So, you’re new, and from Lawndale or Oakwood?”

 

“Oakwood,” the new vigilante answered. “I haven’t been active much yet, but I heard about what was going on here earlier tonight.”

 

“We were just talking about how to deal with Osborn,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“That’s cool, Ninja Talon, right? I’m Spark,” the new vigilante said as she held out a hand.

 

Ninja Talon shook it.

 

“Spark?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“Yeah,” Spark responded. “I can generate electricity.” She held out her hand and sparks shot out of it a short distance.”

 

“Impressive,” the Enigma responded. “Although that’s not much compared to my powers.”

 

“I was holding back,” Spark said defensively.

 

“That’s fine,” SpiderGirl said. “But we now need to include you in our plan.”

 

Spark nodded. “Go on,” she said.

 

Ninja Talon laid out the plan again, this time including Spark alongside herself and Dafoanairi.

 

 

“Ready?” Ninja Talon asked when she had finished.

 

All five other vigilantes nodded.

 

 

SpiderGirl quickly webbed up two of the agents, but the third was quick to use the web dissolving fluid. “How much of that do you have?”

 

“I’m sure your webs are finite too,” the agent responded.

 

“Maybe,” SpiderGirl said. “But I haven’t yet run out at a critical moment.” She had wondered what would happen if she did, so she had been working on a mechanical solution. (But that was slow going.) Even so, she shot more webs such that the agent couldn’t access the fluid.

 

“Hey!”

 

SpiderGirl turned and signalled the silent vigilante who was still waiting in the tree canopy.

 

 

The Enigma shot projections around where Osborn was walking to the exact site where Aldridge had been digging.

 

“You’re holding back, Enigma,” Osborn said. “You don’t want to damage the site.”

 

“Well, I have no idea what is under there, nor how it would react to my projections at their full power.”

 

“That is a good attitude to have.”

 

“Yeah, but we’re still going to stop you,” the Enigma said.

 

Osborn just smirked.

 

 

Dafoanairi watched Ninja Talon swiftly take out an agent nearby. ‘The Enigma better not get too cocky when she eventually confronts SpiderGirl.’

 

 

This continued for the rest of the early hours, with Osborn slowly calling in more agents from Lawndale, and the hero vigilantes defeating them.

 

“Problem,” Ninja Talon said as she looked at the early dawn light appearing over the glow of Lawndale’s streetlights.

 

“The agents could recover,” SpiderGirl guessed.

 

“Exactly,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“We just take them out again,” the Enigma stated.

 

“That is irresponsible,” SpiderGirl said. “Increases the risk of permanent injury.”

 

“I’m aware of that!” the Enigma said as she stepped closer to SpiderGirl.

 

Dafoanairi interjected by placing her quarterstaff between the two. “That’s enough. There’s little time for this.”

 

“Do you do this a lot?” Spark asked.

 

“Yes, I’m her rival!” The Enigma answered.

 

“It’s just unresolved due to everything that’s happening,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“But what we can do, we have already been doing,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“I think we need to secure the actual site, or Osborn may dig it up as the sun rises,” SpiderGirl said.

 

Ninja Talon looked at her watch. “We have about forty minutes.”

 

“That isn’t much time,” Dafoanairi pointed out.

 

“Then we force our way through,” Ninja Talon decided. “With all of our abilities we can do it.”

 

“So, we just overwhelm Osborn?” Spark asked incredulously.

 

Ninja Talon nodded. “But he might have some of those pumpkin bombs with him.”

 

“He did Saturday morning,” the Enigma said.

 

“Nothing happened Saturday morning,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I confronted him in his office about the agents,” the Enigma said. “Something you didn’t do.”

 

“I didn’t because it’s reckless and irresponsible,” SpiderGirl said.

 

 

“Enough!” Dafoanairi said.

 

SpiderGirl backed off and leaned back against the trunk and Ninja Talon. The Enigma calmed down and also sat back. “Sorry,” she said, more to Dafoanairi than to SpiderGirl.

 

‘I know Enigma is impatient about the confrontation, despite her changes,’ Dafoanairi thought.

 

“Right… We modify the earlier plan, and go on the offensive,” Ninja Talon said. “Enigma, your forcefields are really the only we defense we have in close quarters if he uses those pumpkin bombs.”

 

“I’m ready,” the Enigma said.

 

 

Osborn wasn’t that surprised when a bolt of Spark’s lightning followed by one of the Enigma’s projections shot past him.

 

“Making a move now, are you?” he asked rhetorically.

 

Dafoanairi and Ninja Talon flanked Spark and the Enigma. “You won’t get whatever it is you’re after,” Dafoanairi deadpanned.

 

“Repetition won’t help you,” Osborn said. He clicked his fingers and agents flanked him, firearms raised. “Move any closer and I’ll give the order.”

 

“I don’t think so,” SpiderGirl said as she webbed one of the guns from an agent’s grasp.

 

“Can you stop them all?” Osborn asked.

 

“We don’t have to,” Ninja Talon said as she threw a shuriken past him, knocking a firearm out of another agent’s grasped.

 

“Fire!”

 

The Enigma raised a few forcefields, blocking the bullets. She then pulled two out of guns out of the agents hands telekinetically.

 

 

As this was happening, the silent vigilante slipped around, behind Osborn, and arrived at the site. She looked towards the increasing brightness on the eastern horizon. ‘Now to hold.’

 

 

Osborn was annoyed. ‘Even without the Shadow, and Linda,’ they are besting my agents. He grabbed a remote. He still had more aces in the hole.

 

“Are you really going to use bombs in a sensitive archaeological site?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“I’m taking the risk. Think of it as a bluff,” Osborn responded.

 

“Given your track record, I don’t think so,” SpiderGirl said as she swung and webbed another gun out of an agent’s hand.

 

“You’ve got very good at that.”

 

“This is America, duh!” SpiderGirl said.

 

“More light,” Spark commented.

 

“If there’s nothing else, I have an appointment with the sunrise, and I don’t want to miss it,” Osborn said as he turned and headed back towards the mound.

 

“I, like, still have tricks up my sleave,” the Enigma said.

 

 

SpiderGirl grabbed Ninja Talon and Spark and swung with them around the mound to the dig site. The Enigma marched forwards with Dafoanairi, keeping her forcefields up.

 

 

Osborn reached the spot and grabbed the shovel. “If I have to do it myself… Or is it just one of the brushes.” He put the shovel down and grabbed a brush. He quickly brushed some of the soil away, and something was revealed. It looked like plain stone, but he knew it was what his satellites had picked up. He heard something nearby, and turned to see the silent vigilante with a tarpaulin very close by. “You can’t block the sunlight with that.”

 

“No?” the Enigma said from nearby. “Because I can see a lot of things that can block it.”

 

“I don’t think your powers are that strong,” Osborn said.

Convergence on Lawndale - Part 15

 

The Doctor noticed something. There were many subtle energy readings scattered around Lawndale. ‘Do these have to do with the portal device or the flicker?’ He wasn’t sure. “I’ll have to look at each one.”

 

 

Kim, Ron and Kaelyn hurried to the portal.

 

“So, Middleton. It’s in Colorado, right?” Kaelyn asked.

 

“Yes,” Kim answered as they crossed a street.

 

 

High Hills Park was mostly deserted, and the portal was still unguarded. “I would have thought that it would be cordoned off,” Kim said.

 

“Maybe the LDPD, that is Lawndale’s police, have their attention elsewhere,” Kaelyn said.

 

“Maybe that flicker,” Kim considered as they came up to the portal and took out the Kimmunicator.

 

“Probably,” Kaelyn responded.

 

Wade responded quickly. “I haven’t found anything else, Kim, other than rumors that UNIT may have covered something up.”

 

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Kim said.

 

“But they have confirmed that something is happening,” Wade said.

 

“So, they may be aware, through Peter,” Ron added. “Who they sent and we have met.”

 

“Peter who?” Wade asked.

 

“Peter Parker. There’s something about him, like he’s more capable than he appears,” Kim said.

 

“I doubt I’ll find information on UNIT’s agents.”

 

“I know. But there is something else,” Kim said.

 

 

Wade saw another girl move into the frame next to Kim.

 

“I’m Kaelyn. A robot who lives in Lawndale.”

 

“But you look human,” Wade responded.

 

“That was how I was built.”

 

“Right,” Wade considered.

 

“And there’s another thing too,” Ron interjected.

 

“More than one thing,” Kim interjected.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Ron said.

 

 

“And we ran into an alien time traveller,” Kim added. “But that’s not all.”

 

“I can guess which one, because there is some information about him online, even if it’s contradictory,” Wade responded.

 

“He calls himself the Doctor and he travels in something he calls a TARDIS,” Kim said.

 

“It looks like a blue box, right? That is the most consistent part of the stories.”

 

“Yes,” Kim answered. “He also says that the portal is causing disruptions to spacetime.”

 

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

 

 

Ron also explained about the flicker and how Stacy reacted to it.

 

“Quite a lot going on there,” Wade commented. “But I should remind you, it is well into the early hours here.”

 

Kim yawned. “We’re coming back into Middleton now,” she said to Wade. She turned to Kaelyn. “Tell the Doctor that we’ll be back in Lawndale after we’ve slept, assuming a missing doesn’t come up in our time.”

 

“I will.”

 

 

Kaelyn examined the portal after Kim, Ron and Rufus had gone back through it. She couldn’t make much of the distortion of space time around the edges. ‘I better get back to the TARDIS. The Doctor might have found more,’ she thought.

 

 

The Doctor was modifying the sonic screwdriver when Kaelyn re-entered the TARDIS. “They went back home, did they?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Kaelyn answered.

 

“I hope they get enough sleep. Humans and their sleep requirements.”

 

“You sleep less than humans?”

 

“Three hours a day at most,” the Doctor answered.

 

“That’s not much at all.”

 

“It’s enough for me, even if it’s on the short side for Time Lords in general. I suppose you’re not always active?”

 

“Not always. I recharge in a low power state, but I’m still aware,” Kaelyn said. “Even have what could be described as dreams; mostly reviewing my memories of the day and comparing it to earlier memories and generating scenarios based on those.”

 

“That is quite advanced for this era.”

 

Kaelyn shrugged. “I’m quite aware of that. My parents are geniuses.”

 

“I didn’t have a doubt about that.”

 

“So, Time Lord? That has to be a title, right?”

 

 

The Doctor thought about the answer. He didn’t want to go into too much depth about Gallifrey. “I’m from the planet Gallifrey, in the constellation Kasterbouros. The Time Lords are the elite of Gallifreyan society,” he answered, not wanting to refer to his people in the past tense. Kaelyn didn’t need to know about the Time War. He turned back to the Scanner.

 

 

As soon as school let out, Quinn, Daria, Jane, Stacy, Brittany and Peter met up in the parking lot.

 

“So, we’re heading to your place?” Brittany asked Daria and Quinn.

 

“That’s where the TARDIS is parked,” Quinn answered.

 

“You’re going to have to explain it,” Stacy said. “It’s the Doctor’s ship?”

 

“More than a ship,” Brittany said. “it’s a time machine.”

 

“Time travel too,” Stacy responded, slightly panicked.

 

“Relax, Stacy, the Doctor knows what he’s doing,” Quinn said.

 

“I suppose so,” Stacy said.

 

“We need to get moving,” Peter suggested.

 

“Of course. We need to know what the Doctor has found,” Daria said.

 

 

The girls crowded into Brittany’s convertible. “We’ll be there in five minutes,” Brittany said.

 

“I can do it in four,” Stacy said.

 

“We don’t need to,” Quinn responded.

 

“I’m driving,” Brittany said. “We’ll get there,” she added as she turned the engine on.

Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 6

 

“Waiting can be difficult,” SpiderGirl said.

 

Ninja Talon knew that SpiderGirl wasn’t talking about the current situation, although that would have made sense, but more about the ongoing situation between her and the Enigma. “You think a confrontation is inevitable?’”

 

SpiderGirl sighed. “As inevitable as the situation in Lawndale getting worse before it gets better. But I think I know how to handle it when it does come. But to the situation on hand. We also have the advantage against Oscorp.”

 

“We improvise,” Ninja Talon confirmed.

 

“Exactly. And Osborn may think he understands us in some way, but he doesn’t,” SpiderGirl added with determination.

 

Then there was a sound. They turned and saw that it was the silent vigilante approaching from the forest.

 

“I see you wanted to know what was happening here,” SpiderGirl said.

 

I felt that I needed to be here, even though I’m getting tired.

 

“Welcome to our world,” SpiderGirl said with a yawn. She turned to Ninja Talon. “She said that she wanted to be here despite being tired.”

 

“Lack of sleep is a given,” Ninja Talon added.

 

 

It wasn’t long before something happened. An Oscorp vehicle pulled up nearby and Norman Osborn himself stepped out, along with some security personnel. “Fan out,” Osborn said. “SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are almost certain to be here, or nearby. Remember, they are very skilled and adaptable.”

 

“Yes, sir,” one said as the team spread out.

 

Osborn looked at the mound. He wasn’t sure that the oral histories were accurate, but the energy readings that his satellites had picked up were real. He had to move before his competitors or SHIELD did.

 

 

The Enigma noticed the agents first.

 

“They’re here?” Dafoanairi asked rhetorically when she saw her friend tense up.

 

“Yes. Two coming towards us.”

 

 

The agents came closer.

 

“Let’s be careful about this,” Dafoanairi said. “We don’t know what they’re packing.”

 

“Good point, but we do need to know what they know,” the Enigma responded. She then sent a small projection to the side.

 

The agents responded immediately. “Fourth vigilante, we won’t allow you to interfere!”

 

“Oh, I’m, like, interfering,” the Enigma said as she stepped out.

 

 

One of the agents grabbed his radio.

 

“I’ll take that!” the Enigma said as she pulled it out of his hand and crushed it telekinetically.

 

But the other agent was quick. “Osborn. Fourth Vigilante!”

 

“Crap,” the Enigma said as she destroyed his radio too.

 

“It was bound to happen,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“He may be here.”

 

“You may be right, but let’s not rush into danger.”

 

“Of course not,” the Enigma responded.

 

 

Osborn heard the report. “Ms. Griffin!” he grumbled. “And probably Dafoanairi, whoever she is.”

 

One of the guards turned to him. “Orders, sir.”

 

“Stay here. She’s still declaring herself SpiderGirl’s rival. I can use that to my advantage.”

 

 

SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Silent vigilante had crept around and heard what Osborn was saying from a tree nearby.

 

“We’re not that easily manipulated,” SpiderGirl groused.

 

Are we just waiting for him to make a move? The silent vigilante asked.

 

“The agents are just looking for us at the moment,” SpiderGirl answered. “There hasn’t been any activity at the mound yet.”

 

“But that is likely to change,” Ninja Talon pointed out.

 

“Definitely,” SpiderGirl said.

 

So, you’re just going to be annoying Osborn? The silent vigilante asked.

 

“Maybe, but he does want something buried here. That’s the thing,” SpiderGirl answered.

 

 

‘Another ten minutes,’ Osborn decided.

 

He listened. Although the Goblin formula hadn’t conferred any physical changes, the experience had increased his situational awareness. SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Enigma all had rhythms to their movements, even if they changed things up.

 

 

From her vantage point in the tree, Ninja Talon looked over the mound site. Her tactical mind was working out how to prevent Osborn and his agents from getting what he wanted without exposing herself and the other four to too much risk.

 

 

“There he is!” the Enigma said when she had sighted Osborn. “Even dressed for the occasion. I guess Harry is asleep and unaware that his father isn’t home,” she added quietly.”

 

“Probably,” Dafoanairi said, “But we’ll catch up with him at school.”

 

“Yes,” the Enigma responded, her eyes on Osborn.

 

 

Osborn didn’t wait ten minutes. He only waited nine before signalling the agents to move into the archaeological site.

 

Immediately, the hero vigilantes moved into action, including the silent one. She watched as SpiderGirl webbed up one of the agents and pulled him up into a tree and Ninja Talon fought another before tying him up in a zip line. She then went up Osborn himself.

 

“You’re the one from Oakwood, aren’t you?” Osborn asked.

 

The silent vigilante didn’t make a response, but tried to spar with Osborn, but found that he was quite skilled and found herself mostly dodging.

 

“Interesting style. I’d say you’re a cheerleader who decided to fight crime after some traumatic event. Am I getting warm?”

 

Osborn was indeed warm, but the silent vigilante didn’t respond, but kept up sparring.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Enigma knocked out one vigilante with projections. She remembered her mother’s warnings about deleterious effects but considered it worth it if the paralysis caused was temporary.

 

Dafoanairi knocked out another with her quarterstaff. “He’ll be up sooner, but with a possible concussion,” she said. “Possible incentive to rethink his allegiance to Osborn.”

 

“One would hope so,” the Enigma responded, as she looked in the direction where the silent vigilante was distracting Osborn.

 

“But we may need to do more to stop Osborn.”

 

 

SpiderGirl and Talon took out another two agents.

 

“You’re running out of agents,” SpiderGirl taunted as she hung upside down from a branch.

 

That didn’t distract Osborn from his sparring with the silent vigilante. “More are on their way from Lawndale. How long before you’re exhausted. Can you keep it up until sunrise?”

 

 

SpiderGirl swung up into the tree where Ninja Talon was waiting. “Sunrise,” she said. “He specifically said that.”

 

“I doubt there would be something time dependent,” Ninja Talon mused.

 

“Or something that the sun would hit as it rises. Like, Anna was telling me about stone circles in Britain. They may be pre Celtic, but she’s interested in those too,” SpiderGirl said, referring to a fellow Lawndale High student she was mentoring.

 

“Like Stonehenge?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“Exactly,” SpiderGirl said.

 

 

Dafoanairi heard SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon as she crept from tree to tree in Osborn’s direction. She didn’t hear SpiderGirl mention Anna but caught Ninja Talon bring up Stonehenge.

‘Stonehenge?’ she asked herself. ‘I doubt the mound is that old,’ she thought. ‘Or is there something else? Some calendar thing that Osborn may be after? Or thinks he’s after.’

 

 

“Someone’s there,” Ninja Talon said, as she looked. “Dafoanairi.”

 

“I guess she and the Enigma took out a couple of agents already,” SpiderGirl surmised.

 

“She’s approaching Osborn.”

 

“Then we’ll back them up.”

 

Ninja Talon then lowered herself from the tree with her grappling hook as SpiderGirl swung down.

 

 

“This is enough,” Osborn said to the silent vigilante.

 

He heard SpiderGirl swing down.

 

“Predictable.”

 

“Really?” SpiderGirl quipped as she signalled.

 

Osborn leapt aside as one of the Enigma’s energy projections shot past.

 

“That was a warning,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“We’re at an impasse,” Osborn responded. “But this is temporary.”

 

 

“I know that,” SpiderGirl said. “But you said something about Sunrise earlier.”

 

“No comment,” Osborn responded.

 

“Then we’ll continue this impasse and make sure that whatever is there won’t be exposed to the sunlight,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“As I said…” Osborn started.

 

“Yes, more agents coming from Lawndale,” Dafoanairi interrupted. “But enough to overwhelm us?”

 

Osborn didn’t answer, but remained impassively staring at the vigilantes.

 

 

“The five of us may be enough,” Dafoanairi said to the Enigma a few minutes later. “But I still have no idea who the Shadow is, nor how to contact her.”

 

“And attempting to locate her would require me to be back in Lawndale, probably as far as the Giant Strawberry if she happens to be in on the eastern side of Lawndale Flats.”

 

“Probably not that far,” Dafoanairi said. “It’s only slightly less than two miles between the Historia and the Giant Strawberry.”

 

“But, still, I’d need to be at least be on the western edge,” the Enigma asked.

 

“What about your mentor?” Dafoanairi asked quietly, knowing that SpiderGirl, at least, was listening in.

 

“She’d likely be asleep,” the Enigma answered.

 

 

“We’re on our own,” SpiderGirl said. “Besides which other vigilantes Oakwood might have.”

 

“It’s up to us five,” Ninja Talon said. “We can handle it.”

 

I’m the only one in Oakwood as far as I know the silent vigilante signed.

 

“What was that?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“That she’s the only one in Oakwood as far as she knows.”

 

“But there could be one other you haven’t met or heard about,” Ninja Talon responded, looking at the silent vigilante.

 

The silent vigilante shrugged.

 

 

It wasn’t long before another Oscorp vehicle approached. The Enigma shot at it’s engine compartment with projections, causing the engine to stall before telekinetically letting the air out of the tyres. “That will slow things down,” she said to Dafoanairi.

 

“A little,” Dafoanairi admitted. “But not by much,” she added as five more agents emerged from the stalled vehicle. “And I’m sure there’s more equipment and weapons in there.”

 

“Now that they’re out, I can crush it.”

 

“It may be reinforced.”

 

The Enigma focused and the vehicle began to crumple around the door handles.

 

 

Osborn heard the vehicle crumble. Then there was an explosion.

Church notes - 3rd May 2026

 3rd

1 Timothy 3

Leadership

What is it?

Philippians 2:1 - 4

The Church of God

Qualifications as church leaders are all about character, rather than those the World cares about.

What are the pitfalls?

Proverbs 29: 1, 2

There have been scandals and failures amongst church leaders in recent history.

Therefore

We need - 

King Jesus

Our Prophet, Priest and King

Godly Leaders

Those who imitate Christ in their ministry

Philippians 2:5 - 8

Followship

Discovering the path of Jesus.