22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 1
It was
still in the early hours when SpiderGirl responded to alarms at the facility on
Lawndale’s northern edge, not far from the Interstate.
She saw
that a window had been smashed. “Subtle, aren’t they?” she quipped as she swung
onto the roof, where she found an open vent and crawled inside.
On the
ground floor, she found a mess. “You must be new. There usually isn’t much of a
mess,” she quipped as she crawled on the ceiling.
She soon
found the thief and was surprised. “Sam Elders?” she asked.
The
would-be thief turned from where he was upending some materials. “SpiderGirl?”
he asked in surprise. “I thought it would be one of the others.”
“You
knew you would get caught by one of Lawndale’s heroes, and yet you’re here.”
“It was
worth the risk,” Sam responded.
SpiderGirl
swung down. “It totally wasn’t,” she said as she tried to web him up.
He
avoided the webs by ducking behind equipment.
“Uh!”
SpideGirl said. “You know that will just make me make more of a mess, right?”
“And get
arrested by Officer Peterson again?” No thanks.”
“Well,
duh! How did you get out anyway?”
“How
else? Bail!” Sam answered as he was cornered and got caught by a web. “Crap.”
“Of
course,” SpiderGirl groused as she webbed Sam up securely.
Half an
hour later, as the Sun rose, Officer Xanthe Peterson found Sam webbed up in the
facility foyer. She sighed. “Yes, SpiderGirl called it in,” she said as she
took out her cuffs. “Sam Elders, you’re under arrest for breaking and
entering.”
“What
about SpiderGirl?”
“It’s
the same as at the Solarium,” Peterson answered.
Sam was
silent as she led him away. Of course it was.
Lawndale
Sun-Herald
Tuesday,
March 13, 2001
Oscorp
Interference with Mound Site Unconfirmed
Melinda
Parris
SpiderGirl
arrived on the school roof a half hour before homeroom. She then changed to her
usual persona of Quinn Morgendorffer, slowly improving, involved, sophomore
student. ‘Brit should be here shortly,’ she thought.
Indeed,
it was only a few minutes before another vigilante hero arrived on the rooftop
and changed to her student persona; Ninja Talon, or rather, Brittany Taylor.
“You said something happened in that message,” she said.
“Yes,”
Quinn answered and explained about finding Sam in that facility.
“You
think he’ll get out again?” Brittany asked.
“Most
likely,” Quinn said as she opened the door to the stairs down. “But the next
question would be, who?”
Brittany
twirled a pigtail. “No real idea, other than maybe Osborn.”
“That’s
only one possibility,” Quinn said as she opened the door.
On the
ground floor after she and Brittany had gone in different directions, Quinn ran
into Jamie White.
“Morning,
Quinn.”
“Morning,
Jamie. Something up?”
“It’s
that most people are talking about their favorite animals,” Jamie answered.
“It’s
probably just a fad,” Quinn responded. “As a way to distract from what’s going
on.”
“I guess
so. But some advice? You're about to embark on a journey that will
change your life. What snacks would you bring along?”
“My life has already been changed, but my snack
preferences haven’t.”
“So, carrot sticks?” Jamie asked as they walked along.
“But what does that tell you about my favorite animal?”
“A
rabbit?”
“Not
really,” Quinn responded. Her actual favorite animal was a small mammal, but
Rabbits and Hares weren’t it.
The
junior grade had Language Arts first period. Brittany wondered what Mr. O’Neill
would be talking about as she entered the classroom. She was sure to arrive
early, to make sure that she and her ex-boyfriend, Kevin Thompson, wouldn’t be
sitting near each other. As she entered the classroom, she saw that Jodie
Landon was already there. “Good Morning, Jodie.”
“Morning,
Brittany,” Jodie said, with an undertone of sadness.
“Is
something up?”
“Oh,
it’s just that Oscorp is trying to make moves on my father’s company. But you
didn’t hear that from me.”
“I won’t
spread it,” Brittany responded. ‘I’d tell at least Quinn, maybe Daria.’
“Thanks,
Brittany.”
Then Mr.
O’Neill arrived. “Oh! Only you two,” he said.
“Yes,
Mr. O’Neill,” Brittany said.
“I don’t
understand why the homerooms are scattered about the school,” O’Neill murmured.
“Probably
the best that Ms. Li could do,” Jodie murmured, before more students entered
the classroom.
“So
class, your assignment is to pick something you know you'll fail at. To prove
that failing isn't the end of the world,” O’Neill said to the class.
“There
goes my motivation,” Quinn’s older sister, Daria, commented.
“Relax,”
Jane Lane said. “At least he’s not making us guess people’s identities by
feeling their hands.”
“Again?”
Daria asked rhetorically.
“Brittany,
what is something you’re sure you’d fail at?” O’Neill asked.
Brittany
twirled a pigtail. “I suppose, learning something really complicated.”
“Excellent!
Although it depends on what that is.”
“Some
science thing.”
‘That
will have to do, although Janet won’t be pleased, ’O’Neill thought, thinking of
the Science teacher he was involved with despite the principal’s anti
fraternization policy. “Brittany! You’ll fail at the science thing.”
‘I hope
not, because I’m sure she’ll bring it up at the next tutoring session,’ Daria
thought.
“Who
else wants to pick what they are going to fail at? Kevin, what about you?”
“Me?” Kevin asked. “I’m the QB. But I’m going to ask
SpiderGirl out.”
Brittany heard Kevin. ‘Quinn told me about that. That he
got a crush on her as Spidey after she rescued him.’
“So, you’re going to fail at trying to get a date with
Lawndale’s first superhero? Isn’t that a bit much?” O’Neill asked.
“No!”
Kevin said. “I’ll find her.”
“She may
say no,” O’Neill said.
“Probably.
But I’ll ask again.”
‘I’ll
have to tell Quinn later,’ Brittany thought.
O’Neill
turned to Jodie. “My parents make me spend my entire summer doing
volunteer work that'll look good on my college application. I'd never be able
to get the summer off.”
“Perfect.
Mack?” O’Neill responded.
After the class, Jane Lane and Daria talked about it as
they headed to their next class. “This is the most stupid idea he’s had,” Daria
said. “If not for everything else happening in Lawndale these days, it would
have been one of the strangest.”
“Especially
with there being two superheroes with strange powers.”
“Especially
that. Speaking of, what do you think of Kevin’s quest?”
“He’s
wasting his time,” Jane said. “SpiderGirl appears where she wants to.”
“Then
there is the fact that people are asking each other about their favorite
animal.”
“I don’t
know how that started.”
“I guess
I could ask Tori,” Daria responding, referring to one of Quinn’s friends.
“But
that probably won’t be until lunch,” Jane responded.
“I know,
but we can ask others if we run into them.”
Elsewhere
in Lawndale, Norman Osborn entered the Main Office of Grace, Sloane and Page, a
so called ‘class firm’. He went up to the reception desk.
“How may
I help you?” the impeccably put together receptionist asked.
He
handed over a business card. “Osborn to see Sloane at 10:00.”
“Mr.
Sloane is ready now, sir.”
Angier
Sloane didn’t really want to meet Norman Osborn. But circumstances had brought
the meeting about, and he couldn’t put it off any longer. He saw Osborn enter.
“Welcome to Grace, Sloane and Page, Mr. Osborn.”
“Lets
get to the point shall we,” Osborn said.
“Of
course,” Angier said as he grabbed a printout. “Your request to join Winged
Tree Country Club is denied.”
“I knew
that,” Osborn said with annoyance.
“I was
getting to the reason. That recent news regarding Oscorp has brought up
concerns about your influence on Lawndale.”
“But
that’s hearsay!”
“Nonetheless,
that is the truth,” Angier responded.
“That
isn’t all is it?”
“I am
aware of your manipulations of the City Council, and of what really happened to
Lynn Anders.”
“All
just malicious rumors,” Norman said.
“I know
there’s no real proof, but whatever you’re going to say is not going to change
my mind.”
“You’re
going to regret this.”
“And
that’s another reason,” Angier added.
The
refusal stung. ‘Just because the Sloanes retained their wealth, and Angier went
to Bromwell!’ Norman groused as he stepped out of Grace, Sloane and Page a few
minutes later. He had to work to get himself through Empire State, work
to establish and grow Oscorp. He turned and looked at the old-style building.
He had done his research, and knew that the Sloanes had been in Lawndale since
it’s founding. ‘I will bring you down, Angier!’ But that was a long-term
project.
But he
had another idea.
Shorty
after the beginning of lunch, Daria entered the cafeteria and heard the
students already in there discussing the ‘favorite animals’ fad, as well as
participating in it. ‘But is Tori here?’ she wondered as she looked around. She
found that Tori Jericho wasn’t there yet, but she saw Jane sitting across from
Sandi Griffin, with the two glaring at each other the way they usually did, as
well as Harry Osborn.
“Daria!”
Jane called when Daria arrived with her meal. “Harry has heard something.”
“What is
that?” Daria asked. “Is it something to do with this fad? Or is it something
else?”
“Something
else,” Harry answered.
“He’s
been talking about the vigilantes again,” Sandi guessed.
“Not
this time,” Harry said. “He was saying something about the Country Club
refusing him.”
“They
probably resent that he is trying to take over Lawndale,” Sandi suggested.
“I can
see how they would think that,” Harry said in a thoughtful tone.
‘Thing
is, Harry, your father is trying to take over Lawndale,’ Jane thought.
She kept that to herself, as she was sure that no one at school still knew that
she was the Shadow, the third of Lawndale’s hero vigilantes to appear, after
SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.
“Still,
it’s probably a good thing that they refused him,” Daria said.
“But
he’s going to be complaining about it,” Harry said.
“And
probably plotting,” Sandi added.
“Of
course,” Daria said. “But we can probably do more about the favorite animal
thing.”
“It’s harmless,
isn’t it?” Harry asked.
