Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 7

 

“Jane?” O’Neill asked. “What about you?”

 

“Being conventional.”

 

“And how is that going?”

 

“I have just started. It’s difficult to tell,” Jane responded.

 

“Excellent!”

 

 

O’Neill then turned to Brittany. “How about you?”

 

“I have started studying it.”

 

“So you’ve just started?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He then turned to Daria.

 

 

 

He also asked the Junior class. “Quinn?” he asked.

 

“I have started reading a Charles Dickens novel.”

 

“A Christmas Carol?” O’Neill asked.

 

“No. One of the other much longer ones,” Quinn responded. “I finished one chapter last night.”

 

“Another long term one if she’s persistent,” O’Neill noted. “Sandi?”

 

“I’m still deciding,” Sandi stated.

 

“But what are you trying to decide on?”

 

 

Sandi sighed. “An extracurricular activity,” she answered, although she was sure that anything O’Neill would suggest wouldn’t be helpful.

 

“Too many too choose from?” he asked unhelpfully.

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

 

“See, you’ve succeeded at failing to choose something.”

 

‘Great!’ Sandi thought.

 

 

Despite the continuing fad and the murmurs related to the assignment it was mostly an ordinary day at Lawndale High.

 

Daria considered this as she waited for Brittany in the Library after school let out. ‘The students are resilient,’ she thought. ‘They have taken these changes in stride.’ She took out the Math textbook and opened it. Brittany was making progress. She wanted to continue with the Math first, then Science.

 

Brittany entered with her enthusiastic bounciness “So, we’re starting with Math as usual?”

 

“Yes, consistency is key.”

 

Brittany nodded. “I agree. Science can be later,” she said as she twirled a pigtail.

 

 

At the same time, Fields entered Osborn’s office. “One of the engineers is here,” she said.

 

“Send him in.”

 

The engineer entered quickly and placed a folded blueprint on the desk. “Does she know?” he asked, referring to Fields.

 

“I trust her, as much as I trust any of my close colleagues,” Osborn answered.

 

“It is ready for testing as you requested,” the engineer said.

 

“Good to hear,” Osborn said as he unfurled the blueprint.

 

The engineer turned to leave. “I guess you know what that is?” he asked Fields.

 

“Yes,” Fields answered as he left.

 

 

Osborn looked over the glider blueprints again. ‘It should prove more effective against SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Shadow now.’ He paused. It was still vulnerable to Linda and Sandi’s powers, but he had to be sure to tie them up elsewhere in Lawndale while he dealt with the Country Club.

 

“Are you going to use it for something?” Fields asked boldly.

 

“You are being bold,” Osborn commented. “I intend to use it for observation.”

 

‘Observation of the vigilantes no doubt,’ she thought.

 

“Reports of Oscorp involvement on Groundhog Day are false.”

 

“I wasn’t thinking otherwise.”

 

“Good. I have been looking over your rooftop maps. When do you think you’ll get to the whole town?”

 

“A few weeks, given it’s not the only thing I’m working on,” Fields answered.

 

“Of course.”

 

 

At the same time, Jane’s brother Trent saw Jane arrive home. “Janie? What are you wearing?”

 

“Something conventional,” Jane answered.

 

“Why? Is it something to do with being the Shadow? Or when you were abducted?”

 

“I don’t think it has to do with either. It’s more to do with this assignment that O’Neill assigned.”

 

“I don’t see how being conventional would have much to do with Language Arts,” Trent said.

 

“I don’t either.”

 

 

In her room, Jane looked at her maps of Lawndale. More specifically, at the various schools in town. “Is the fad present at all of them?”

 

Lawndale Schools

Lawndale High

Glenfield Middle

Lawndale Middle

Lawndale East Middle

Lawndale West Middle

Lawndale Elementary

Glenfield Elementary

Lawndale East Elementary

Lawndale West Elementary

Fielding Private School

St. Agnes Catholic

St. Augustine Catholic College

 

 

“That is a lot,” Jane said to herself. She had gone to Lawndale Elementary and Glenfield Middle before starting Lawndale High. ‘But the Shadow just showing up to the Elementary and Middle schools out of the blue might not be the way to go. SpiderGirl might be the only one who could pull that off. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote that down. ‘It’s Wednesday. SpiderGirl might well be at the Historia. I could ask her and If Kevin is there too, I could probably stop him from doing something stupid.

 

She then heard Trent knock on the door. “Come in.”

 

“I was thinking,” Trent said. “Is this assignment something I need to worry about?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“I mean, you being conventional.”

 

“Maybe it means that being the Shadow has changed me more than I thought,” Jane responded.

 

“Or it could be your experience with Beck.”

 

“Could be, Trent. Could be.”

 

Trent sat on her bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“Not at the moment. But you’ll know when I want to.”

 

“Have you been talking to Daria about it?”

 

“Not yet either,” Jane answered as she turned to her easel.

 

 

Daria and Brittany finished their session, with Daria going over the various sub fields of science.

 

“Maybe more on biology, or zoology, or botany?” Brittany asked herself as she twirled a pigtail.

 

“You don’t have to choose straight away,” Daria said in a reassuring tone.

 

“Good point. We can do all of them!” Brittany decided. She grabbed her backpack. “I’m heading off.”

 

“Where?”

 

“The Pizza Place. I have mostly being going to the Historia, but I don’t want the pizza place to close either.”

 

“I don’t think it’s suffering. We’re not competing with it directly,” Daria pointed out. “We don’t make pizzas.”

 

“Good point.”

 

 

Daria waited until Brittany had left before heading up the library’s roof, and changing to Dafoanairi there. She looked out over Lawndale before heading off. First, to the Historia to the south, and to where the strip mall that contained the pizza place hidden behind some houses to the southwest. ‘But where first,’ as she glanced towards the Zon, partially hidden behind some of the other establishments in Dega Street. ‘Haven’t patrolled Daga Street for a while.’

 

 

Quinn entered the Historia shortly before her shift. The café was nearly full with the now usual early evening crowd. Stacy was already working and quickly came over to Quinn. “Something up, Stacy?” she asked.

 

“Oh, just our classmates still talking about the fad. They’re mostly laughing about it. Like most of them think it’s funny,” Stacy said.

 

“I can see how favorite animals could be seen as funny,” Quinn mused.

 

“But it’s now old, even though it’s only been two days.”

 

Quinn knew when Stacy’s thoughts were swirling due to her anxiety, even when she wasn’t hyperventilating. “Let’s focus on work for now, OK.”

 

“That’s what Mom said,” Stacy said, referring to her mother, who managed the café. “Easier said then done.” Even so, Stacy calmed.

 

 

Dafoanairi arrived on the Historia’s roof as the sun was setting. She briefly looked at the sunset as it made patterns though the trees and buildings in Lawndale Flats. She then looked at the door downwards. ‘But would Kevin be waiting for SpiderGirl now, or later.’ He was sure that he would be at the Historia at some point. She placed her staff next to the door, changed to the ordinary Daria and headed down.

 

 

Jane entered the Historia and saw Daria emerge from the door to the stairs. “You were watching the sunset?” she asked.

 

“You’re still wearing conventional clothes?”

 

“That’s what Trent asked; more or less. So, we’re going to observe our peers at dinner?”

 

“They’d be less guarded than at school,” Daria answered. “That, and Kevin’s determination to try to meet SpiderGirl.”

 

“I doubt we’d be able to dissuade him.”

 

 

“You’re having dinner here?” Quinn asked Daria when she and Jane had come up to the counter.

 

Daria nodded. “I’ll have the usual.”

 

“Sure, and you, Jane?”

 

“Why not?” Jane responded rhetorically. “I’m sticking around here tonight anyway.”

 

“Got it.”

 

 

“Sticking around?” Daria asked when they had sat.

 

“I thought, why not be conventional while hanging around the Historia.”

 

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

 

“And try to stop Kevin from being stupid with SpiderGirl if I happen to be in the same place at the same time,” Jane answered.

 

“Wouldn’t want the quarterback to be webbed to the roof.”

 

 

As she opened her yearbook, Sandi reflected on the day. ‘The fad is very much present,’ she thought as she grabbed her yearbook.

 

After Emma King was Marta Lamaris. ‘She’s another who keeps to herself,’ she thought as she grabbed her energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Marta Lamaris!”

 

She found Marta at the Historia, where she was watching Kevin being his usual goofy self.

 

“Right, Kevin wanting to ask SpiderGirl out,” she mused with her usual post search fatigue. “That’s why he’s waiting there.” But did that mean Marta was SpiderGirl? ‘Unlikely.’ But she couldn’t ignore the concidence of Marta watching Kevin while Kevin was intending to meet SpiderGirl. She then noticed something in the memory of the perception. That Daria was there too. ‘I won’t tell her about the possibility, but I can still be there shortly, if I can give Mother an excuse.’

 

 

“And why are you patrolling as the fourth vigilante at this hour?” Linda Griffin asked. She knew Sandi was up to something, probably related to her intention to confront SpiderGirl.

 

“Criminals have seen through our patterns,” Sandi answered. “Not just Osborn either.”

 

“I concede that, and I have heard that the Shadow often patrols at this time.”

 

“I haven’t heard that.”

 

“I keep my ear on the ground,” Linda responded. “Or is it due to Kevin Thompson? You’re using him as bait?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“A bad idea, Sandi.”

 

“I don’t doubt you used similar tactics in Boston,” Sandi said as she tied her hair back before putting on her mask.

 

‘You may not intend to be my ‘mini me’ but you still take after me in many ways.’

 

 

By the time the Enigma arrived on the Historia’s roof and had abseiled down the eastern side next to the café, Kevin was being more annoying than usual. Her attention was drawn to the quarterback who was trying to regale Marta and a rather annoyed Daria with a story. Jane was sketching something near the counter, where Quinn and Stacy were serving some other customers.

Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 6

 

“No,” the Enigma answered. “It’s Sam Griffin.”

 

“Why would Sam Griffin be here?” Tania asked as she looked out the window.

 

“He probably followed us here,” Dafoanairi said, “as we were going along the ground.””

 

“I can think of one reason,” Tania said.

 

‘That she’s guessing that either of us is Sandi,’ Dafoanairi thought. ‘It was going to happen sooner or later.’

 

“That’s probably not it,” the Enigma responded, although her voice wavered a bit.

 

“We’ll let’s see what he’s up to,” Tania said.

 

 

Sam saw Sandi and Daria as their vigilante alter egos come down from the roof with Tania. “You’re recruiting Tania?” he asked.

 

“No,” Dafoanairi answered. “She’s an ally.”

 

“I don’t want to be a vigilante,” Tania said. “I just investigate with them sometimes.”

 

“Sounds like you’re into it,” Sam said.

 

“I’m not into it. If I was, I would have been wearing a disguise on the roof as well,” Tania said.

 

“She isn’t a seventh vigilante,” the Enigma said.

 

“Oh yeah, the Violet Force is the sixth,” Sam murmured, barely remembering to use his mother’s moniker.

 

“Why are you here?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“I wanted to ask something,” Sam answered.

 

“What about?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“What’s going on. The middle school has the favorite animal fad too,” Sam replied.

 

“Is that all?” the Enigma responded in an irritated tone.

 

“My sister didn’t help much,” Sam said.

 

 

‘I didn’t,’ the Enigma thought. ‘I was still being selfish. I’m still ‘Linda’s mini me’ in that respect.’

 

“I’m sure she’ll make it up somehow,” Dafoanairi said with a quick glance in the Enigma’s direction.

 

 

Tania caught the glance Dafoanairi made. ‘That narrows it down.’ That the Enigma was Sandi, not one of the Morgendorffers as she originally thought, made sense. But she still wasn’t entirely sure.

That the fad was present at the middle school also made sense. “I was saying to these two that I was annoyed by it too,” she said to Sam.

 

“But what to do about it?” Sam asked.

 

“That, I have been thinking about, but I’m still not sure,” Dafoanairi answered.

 

“Is that all?” the Enigma asked.

 

“Not really,” Sam said.

 

“No, you can’t come along with us on a patrol. I’m sure you saw our confrontation with that Oscorp agent?” Dafoanairi said.

 

“Not even to the Historia roof?” Sam asked.

 

“No,” the Enigma said. “Oscorp could be watching there.”

 

“Unlikely,” Sam shot back.

 

“Very likely,” Dafoanairi responded.

 

“Go home,” the Enigma said.

 

 

Sam sighed. He didn’t want to accidentally reveal his sister and Daria’s identities to Tania. He turned around dramatically. “But what if there are more of those agents?”

 

“It’s not far to your place,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“Or he could stay here,” Tania suggested.

 

“Up on the roof?” Sam asked.

 

“Of course not,” Tania responded. “You can wait in the rumpus room. Just don’t make any noise.”

 

“Fine,” Sam said.

 

 

Soon, Tania, the Enigma and Dafoanairi headed downtown. “What are we looking for?” Tania asked as they soon as they were in the laneway.

 

“The usual,” Dafoanairi responded. “We find crimes in progress and intervene.”

 

“Rescuing people from muggers,” Tania commented.

 

“And stopping robberies,” the Enigma said.

 

“And helping the other vigilantes if Oscorp agents are confronting them,” Dafoanairi added with a twirl of her staff. Tania was sure that she was showing off.

 

 

They scaled the Historia to find that they weren’t alone on the roof. The Shadow, the third vigilante, was already there.

 

 

The Shadow hadn’t expected any of the other vigilantes to show up. She turned and saw the Enigma, Dafoanairi and Tania come towards her. “I should have known.”

 

“Known what?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“That other vigilantes would come here while I was here,” the Shadow responded.

 

“You wanted to be alone?” Tania asked.

 

“I’m sure you’re aware of what’s happening at Lawndale High,” the Shadow groused. “Not something that one can battle with gadgets or superpowers.”

 

“No, it’s something we investigate,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“I know that. It’s that I don’t know where to start. Other than that the fad probably came from either Middlebury or the internet, and that Mr. O’Neill might have got the idea for the failure assignment from a professional development seminar.”

 

“How did you find that out?” the Enigma asked.

 

“I snooped as my secret identity.”

 

 

Earlier

Shortly after school let out, Jane approached the Language Arts Faculty Office. She hoped Mr. O’Neil would still be in. She knocked on the door. But there was no response. ‘Maybe he isn’t there,’ she thought. But that was unlikely. She took out a lock picking tool her mother had given her and quickly opened the door.

 

Once inside, she carefully closed the door and went towards Mr. O’Neill’s desk. She found a binder with the name of the professional development conference he and the other teachers had been attending on Monday. “Maybe there’s something in here,” she murmured before opening it.

 

She quickly found a piece of paper with Mr. O’Neill’s neat handwriting.

 

Failure is the signpost that points the way to success!

 

What if there is an Edison in one of my classes waiting to be encouraged.

 

Succeed at failing.

 

There were several more aphorisms written down.

 

“I guess that answers that question,” she murmured as she closed the binder and placed it exactly where she had found it.

 

 

On the Historia rooftop

“That makes a lot of sense,” Dafoanairi commented.

 

“So, that’s how,” the Enigma said. “But there’s no way to dissuade him.”

 

“I suppose he would listen to DeMartino or Barch, for different reasons,” Tania said.

 

The Shadow didn’t want to think of the reason O’Neill would listen to Barch, but then she realized something. Both Tania and the Enigma were there. “Oh.”

 

“Oh, what?” the Enigma asked.

 

“You’re here, and Tania is here. Therefore, Tania is not your secret identity,” the Shadow said.

 

“We have all leapt to conclusions regarding the others’ secret identities,” Dafoanairi said.

 

 

A while later, Dafoanairi thought about the encounter as they headed back to the Ashworth’s. That the Shadow had suspected Tania as the Enigma didn’t surprise her that much. It was more what she had revealed. “I suppose someone could go to Ms. Li about it,” she said.

 

“But wouldn’t she then know that someone broke into the faculty office?” Tania asked.

 

“She wouldn’t know who did so,” Dafoanairi argued.

 

 

The Shadow had remained watching Lawndale from the Historia rooftop. ‘There’s something about Dafoanairi,’ she thought. She took out her sketchbook and quickly sketched the staff wielding vigilante after turning the page from where she had sketched the conflicted Kevin at the Strawberry.

 

“I know who she is not,” she murmured when she was finished.

 

Who Dafoanairi isn’t

-          Tania Ashworth

 

“But still many at school.”

 

 

Sam was playing chess against himself when Tania led the two vigilantes into the room.

 

“Finally,” he said.

 

“We just talked to the Shadow,” the Engima said.

 

“The third vigilante,” Sam asked.

 

“Yes,” Dafoanairi answered.

 

“Right,” Sam said, disappointed.

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Wednesday, March 14, 2001

Rumors of potential hostile takeovers of local companies by Oscorp

 

SpiderGirl put the paper aside. ‘So, what Jodie said to Talon may be true,’ she thought. She still didn’t want to think much of the implications of an Oscorp takeover of Landon Engineering. She looked towards the Oscorp tower in the distance. ‘I will expose what you’re up to, Osborn!’

 

 

As the school day started, the students were less involved in the favorite animal fad than the day before. Mostly because they had found out their friends’ favorities then and it was starting to become old hat. Even so, many were asking those they didn’t hang out with all that often.

 

Daria saw that Jane was dressing more conventionally. “Is that your response to Mr. O’Neill’s assignment?” she asked.

 

“Yes. To see if I would fail at being conventional or not.”

 

The old Daria, before everything that had happened since her father passed away, would have hated it. The new, still changing, Daria was merely uncertain. “Really?” she asked.

 

“You really have changed, haven’t you?”

 

“I’m still a sarcastic cynic.”

 

“Yeah, but your cynicism has changed,” Jane said.

 

“If it’s change, it’s because it has been redirected.”

 

“To Osborn.”

 

“Not just him,” Daria responded, as they came to a door.

 

“To those not holding him to account as well.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

 

On the roof, Sandi sighed after changing from the Enigma. She still hadn’t chosen an extracurricular activity after looking at the list before breakfast. “I’ll ask Harry about it,” she decided as she headed down.

 

 

Down on the ground floor, she found two of her classmates arguing. “What’s going on?” she asked.

 

“What is it to you, Sandi?”

 

“I’m curious as to why you would be close to fighting in the corridors.”

 

Freya Daniels relaxed. “We were talking about Mr. O’Neill’s assignment.”

 

“Oh. I’m struggling with that myself,” Sandi said.

 

“And Freya was saying it has nothing to do with the fad,” Erin Archer said.

 

“And you think it does?” Sandi asked.

 

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Erin said.

 

‘I can’t tell them what the Shadow said without potentially revealing that I’m the Enigma,’ Sandi thought, as she pondered telling them that. “I’m sure it is,” she said before the bell rang.

 

 

The juniors had Language Arts before Lunch.

 

“First I’d like to ask how your assignments are going?” Mr. O”Neill said.

 

“I haven’t found SpiderGirl,” Kevin answered. “Although I went to the Historia and the Giant Strawberry.”

 

“Did you wait?” O’Neill asked.

 

“At the Strawberry I did.”

 

“Maybe you can wait longer at the Historia tonight. I have heard that she’s often there after the café closes on Wednesdays.”

 

 

Brittany tensed. She had to tell Quinn!

 

“Are you OK?” Jane asked nearby.

 

“Just annoyed at Kevin for choosing that for his assignment,” Brittany obfuscated.

 

“Uh huh,” Jane said.

 

Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 5

 

Brittany was doing her homework, going over a problem she and Daria had talked about at the tutoring session, when she heard an email notification on her laptop.

 

“Oh, Andrea sent something,” she murmured before reading it.

 

She then forwarded it to Quinn, adding I think we need to talk about this tonight.

 

Quinn soon responded. Can you be at the Bridge in half an hour, given what Jodie told you today?

 

Brittany twirled a pigtail as she thought about it. She could pull it off. I’ll be there.

 

 

SpiderGirl slipped out of the house via one of the rear attic windows a few minutes later. She decided that she could patrol for a short time before meeting Ninja Talon at the Bridge.

 

She averted a few muggings before arriving at the Bridge to find that Brittany wasn’t there yet. ‘She’ll be here soon,’ she thought as she unmasked.

 

 

She didn’t have to wait long. Brittany arrived and unmasked a few minutes later. “Hey, Quinn,” Brittany said in her usual playful tone.

 

“Hey, Brit,” Quinn responded with her usual exuberance.

 

Brittany took out a map of Lawndale. “Landon Engineering is larger than I thought, but I found the location of the warehouse.”

 

Quinn looked at the map, which also showed the locations of other Landon Engineering properties. “I suppose that’s one reason why Osborn wants to take it over.”

 

“I agree. But we need to be cautious, given the agents.”

 

“I wouldn’t put it past Osborn to have agents present around there, but they wouldn’t be there all the time.”

 

“That’s true, but they may be there tonight,” Brittany argued.

 

“Then we’ll approach along the ground. They won’t expect that.”

 

“The streets or the alleys?”

 

“The alleys,” Quinn decided. “Less open.”

 

 

Ten minutes later, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon approached the warehouse in question. They saw agents moving on the rooftops nearby.

 

“Oscorp is definitely doing something,” SpiderGirl whispered.

 

“We can approach slowly,” Ninja Talon said.

 

SpiderGirl nodded and the two heroes approached the warehouse carefully.

 

 

Osborn was present personally. He had wanted to see if what his sources told him about what Andrew Landon was working on was true. He had broken into the premises when he realized something was wrong. Some of the agents tensed up as radio channels went silent. “Vigilantes!” he said to one of the agents. “Find out who they are.”

 

But the agent hadn’t moved when he heard a tell tale thwip! “SpiderGirl. You’re always getting into my business!”

 

“Always?” SpiderGirl asked. “Not always. Just when you’re breaking the law.”

 

“Just as well, I’m prepared, SpiderGirl,” Osborn said as he took out a pumpkin bomb.

 

A shuriken knocked it out of his hand before he could arm it. “Ninja Talon!” he grumbled.

 

“Why are you breaking into a place you’re trying to acquire?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“Seeing what Andrew Landon is up to.”

 

“So, you admit that Oscorp is trying to take over Landon Engineering?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“It must have leaked,” Osborn murmured. “Or… you were told by Andrew’s daughter.”

 

“You can’t find out who we are that way,” SpiderGirl taunted.

 

“No? I’ll try,” Osborn said. “But this hasn’t been a total loss. I know you’re here.”

 

“A distraction,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“We’ll find out what you’re up to though,” Ninja Talon added.

 

“True, but too late,” Osborn said. He wanted to do what he came for, but the vigilantes’ presence made that impossible for the time being. He brought up his radio again. “Withdraw,” he ordered.

 

 

SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon watched Osborn and his agents withdraw from the roof. “That was weird,” SpiderGirl commented.

 

“But what do you think he meant when he said he wanted to know what Mr. Landon is up to.”

 

“His trade secrets probably,” SpiderGirl said. “But that means we probably need to infiltrate Landon Engineering too.”

 

“Andrea probably wouldn’t go for that.”

 

“Maybe if we tell her everything, even if we don’t have much.”

 

“She’ll at least think about it,” Ninja Talon responded, as she made a twirling motion with her left hand as if her hair was in its usual pigtails.

 

“Then let’s go there now.”

 

 

Osborn returned to his mansion. He was still annoyed that the first two vigilantes had shown up. ‘They had to have found out somehow.’

 

One of his security division was waiting for him in the home office as ordered. “You wanted to see me, sir.”

 

“Yes. I want you to find out who Jodie Landon hangs out with most, besides Michael Macckenzie, at school.”

 

“Wouldn’t Fields be better suited, sir?”

 

“No, I’m asking you. Fields won’t do it well, or drag her feet.”

 

“Understood, sir. First thing in the morning.”

 

 

SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon arrived at the Hecuba-Croft’s to find that only Andrea’s light was on, as usual.

 

Andrea opened her bedroom window. “Quickly,” she said.

 

The two vigilantes clambered inside.

 

 

Andrea took in what Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl said. That Norman Osborn was trying to take over Landon Engineering didn’t surprise her.

 

“But he might be right that Andrew Landon might be up to something,” SpiderGirl added.

 

“Or he wants you distracted,” Andrea said.

 

“I realize that,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“But maybe finding out what he might be working on will help us,” Ninja Talon added.

 

“And provide something to the Sun-Herald again,” Andrea mused.

 

“Penelope Jericho has been digging up information on her own,” SpiderGirl said, referring to one of the paper’s more serious journalists. “We only leaked the expansion plans shortly after Groundhog Day.”

 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Andrea said.  “I’ll dp it tomorrow night,” she decided.

 

 

It was in the early hours when Dafoanairi and the Enigma met on the Morgendorffers’ rooftop. Dafoanairi could see that the Enigma was tired. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.

 

“I was thinking about the list, as well as the fad,” the Enigma answered with a yawn.

 

“I didn’t to sleep straight away myself. I’m sure that all this nighttime vigilantism has given me insomnia.”

 

“Most likely.”

 

“But I have the feeling that something is happening tonight,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“Sounds like a hunch.”

 

“More that the fad is a distraction, even if Osborn has nothing to do with it.”

 

“Probably,” the Enigma said, as she looked to the south, over Glen Oaks Lane towards where the Osborn mansion was hidden behind many blocks of houses and the occasional warehouse.

 

“I was thinking we’ll talk to Tania first.”

 

“Isn’t it a bit late for that? The Wiccans would have finished by now.”

 

“But she might still be up,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“Lead the way,” the Enigma said with a sigh.

 

They swung down to the back yard with a rope and headed towards the Ashworth’s to the southeast through the laneways.

 

 

But something happened halfway. Oscorp agents appeared at the end of one block. The Enigma reacted quickly, and raised a forcefield protecting both her and Dafoanairi.

 

“Fourth Vigilante! Mr. Osborn doesn’t want you out this late,” one of them said.

 

“Oh, really?” the Enigma asked rhetorically. “Then this is my message. He would have to do a lot more to stop me from defending Lawndale!”

 

“We’re not stopping,” Dafoanairi added as she twirled her staff for emphasis.

 

“I knew you would say that.”

 

“And you know what happened the last time…” the Enigma said as a threat, while breaking a nearby tree branch telekinetlically.

 

“Mr. Osborn is on edge due to an encounter with other vigilantes earlier tonight.”

 

“You mean SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“No comment.”

 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Dafoanairi said. “Where was this?”

 

“We’re not answering your questions.”

 

“You’re not escalating,” the Enigma noted. “Probably because Mr. Osborn wants minimal disruptions. Like, not disturbances of the peace.”

 

The agent was then silent.

 

“Then we’ll be, like, on our way,” the Enigma said, as she expanded the forcefield in his direction.

 

“No!” the agent said as he extended a baton.

 

“That’s not a threat,” Dafoanairi stated.

 

“Actually….” The Enigma started as she picked something up through her enhanced perception.

 

“It’s not a normal baton, got it,” Dafoanairi snarked. “It’s going to be one of those nights.”

 

 

The agent swung the baton against the forcefield. Electricity and the Enigma’s energy sparked. “That’s the best Oscorp can come up with?” the Enigma asked.

 

The agent just lunged again.

 

“Enough!” the Enigma said with annoyance before telekinetically exploding the baton in the agent’s hand, although the part he was grasping remained intact.

 

“Agh” the guard said as he dropped the remains of the baton. He then ran off.

 

“Like, he won’t be scared off for long,” the Enigma commented as she lowered the forcefield.

 

 

Tania Ashworth was still awake when she heard something out in the yard. She looked out and saw the Enigma and Dafoanairi there. “Of course,” she groused to herself.  She opened the window. “I’ll meet you on the roof.”

 

On the roof, Tania listened as Dafoanairi told her what had just happened.

 

“It’s like last week,” Tania groused as she recalled being followed by agents after leaving High Hills Park.

 

“It is likely to get worse before it gets better,” Dafoanairi said.

 

“And now there’s this fad and Mr. O’Neill!” Tania grumbled.

 

“How did you handle the question?” Dafoanairi asked.

 

“By saying something unusual, like a bee, ant or butterfly,” Tania answered. “Eventually I refused to answer, but that was after Language Arts.”

 

“That is quite annoying,” the Enigma said.

 

“More than annoying!” Tania said. “I know what failure is like! I don’t need Mr. O’Neill’s wishy washy… What does it have to do with Language Arts anyway?”

 

“Not much,” Dafoanairi admitted. “But others are using it for Language Arts adjacent assignment attempts.”

 

“Of course they would,” the Enigma commented.

 

“Who?” Tania asked.

 

Dafoanairi hesitated before answering, “According to rumor, Quinn Morgendorffer.”

 

“I could believe that,” the Enigma said quietly.

 

“That doesn’t surprise me. Probably due to her tutoring Anna and the others,” Tania said.

 

 

Dafoanairi didn’t think saying what she said about Quinn would expose their identities. She then noticed the Enigma looking out the window.  “Is there an agent there?”