Saturday 19 October 2024

Spider Quinn 12 Rise of the Green Goblin - Part 6

 

As she sat down for dinner, Helen noticed something different about Daria. “Hairclips, Daria? I’m happy that you’re changing something up.”

 

“That’s all I’m changing,” Daria responded. “I may have decided to grow my hair, and grief for Dad is changing me, but I’m still your sarcastic daughter who doesn’t dress to fit in.”

 

Helen chuckled. “I just didn’t expect it, that’s all. But, change is a constant in life, Daria. You may find that you’re changing in ways you don’t expect.”

 

“I already know that.”

 

“At some point you may not want to wear that jacket anymore.”

 

“I intend to wear this for the rest of high school,” Daria said.

 

“All I’m saying is, that you might reconsider as you change.”

 

 

Daria thought on that as she ate. She hoped that her mother was wrong on that score. ‘But she’s rarely wrong on this. Time will tell.’

 

 

At the same time, Quinn served one of the girls from school. “Erin Archer, is it?” she asked.

 

“Yes,” the girl answered. “I don’t hang out with the so-called popular crowd. But, Anna has spoken highly of you.”

 

“Really?”

 

“That you’re going above and beyond. It’s too bad Ben got bit by that snake.”

 

“You heard about that?” Quinn asked.

 

“Yes. Most of the students would know about it by now.”

 

“Of course. I shouldn’t underestimate the rumor mill.”

 

“And you’ve been in them a lot since the Fashion Club ended,” Erin said.

 

“And I tried to counter what Sandi said.”

 

“I’d say that was successful. I haven’t heard much since before the holidays.”

 

“That’s good,” Quinn said. “But what would you like?”

 

“Cocoa with small chips please.”

 

“Coming right up.”

 

 

Quinn soon finished her first shift. She said goodbye to Mrs. Rowe, and then went up to the roof and swung away as SpiderGirl.

 

 

At the same time, the Shadow was on a rooftop across from the store that had been broken into, sketching the scene. ‘A fourth,’ she considered. ‘Who could it be? Do they have powers?’ For she didn’t have powers, relying on the technology and gadgets her mother and mentor was providing her. As she continued to sketch she considered the changes taking place, both in Lawndale and in her best friend.

 

 

From the Historia, SpiderGirl headed over the creek to Lawndale Flats, thinking that she needed to put in an appearance there, as she hadn’t since the weekend.

 

 

Ninja Talon left Crewe Neck, heading into the main part of Lawndale. She wanted to find the new vigilante, and she had most of the night to do so. ‘I hope I find her tonight, otherwise tomorrow will be tiring,’ she thought. Being a sleep deprived cheerleader was not really fun. But at that moment she was alert for anything the night would throw at her.

 

 

After half an hour in Lawndale Flats, SpiderGirl headed home, as she had homework to do, a mother to talk to, and a journal to write in.

 

 

“Quinn?” Helen asked when she saw her daughter enter the front door. “How was the Historia?”

 

“It was great! But Mrs. Rowe is concerned about you,” Quinn answered.

 

“Oh, I guess I just got caught up at work,” Helen said. “When I’m here, it makes me think more of him. You two are not the only one’ changing due to grief.”

 

 

Quinn hugged her mother. “You’re not alone. Call her, Either that, or talk to Daria and I more.”

 

“I didn’t realise how much Daria’s changing. I was focused on you.”

 

“It’s not too late.”

 

“I had a talk with her earlier,” her mother said as the hug ended and wiped a tear from her eye. “She’s changing more than she realises.”

 

“I know.”

 

 

Quinn went up to her room. ‘There’s no time for the modifications tonight,’ she thought. It was already late and she had homework to do.

 

 

Helen?” Elizabeth said.

 

“It is me. I’m sorry I haven’t reached out to you earlier.”

 

I see Quinn talked to you.”

 

“Yes,” Helen began and told Elizabeth what she told her younger daughter.

 

I’m here. You can come to the Historia tomorrow night.”

 

“That would be great. I haven’t been out since before the holidays.”

 

 

The Enigma left 512 Grandstaff Drive after midnight, having had an hour and half of sleep. Despite that, she was alert. She headed downtown along the street with purpose, to protect the innocent, or to stops crimes in progress as she had the previous night.

 

 

Linda awoke at the same time. It was a mother’s intuition, telling her that Sandi had left again. She went out to the kitchen and took out a potato salad. But she paused. She knew that Sandi would adopt a hero persona and simply going ‘Finndu mann sem heitir: Cassandra Aphrodite Griffin’ wouldn’t work while she was in that persona and that she would succumb to sensory overload by perceiving all of Lawndale and some of the surrounding countryside at once. She sighed and put the potato salad back in the fridge.

‘I’m probably not going to get much sleep,’ she thought. ‘But I’m going to learn her hero name sooner or later.’

 

 

Ninja Talon had taken a stakeout point on the top of the Historia. It may have been a small theatre, but it was still relatively tall compared to other buildings in downtown Lawndale. She listened to the radio, waiting for reports on the movements of the new vigilante. She looked at the time, nearly one AM. Then she heard something. Something like gunshots, but different. It was somewhere on the street, to the south of her position. She looked and saw three figures being chased by a fourth with purple flashing between them.

 

She then climbed down the side of the building and carefully went to have a closer look.

 

 

The Enigma had cornered some thieves after they had broken into a store and made off with some goods. They had ran and somehow evaded her telekinetic attempts to restrain them. ‘I still need some practice there,’ she thought as she continued to try to head them off with her energy projections. Then she saw a dark figure dart out to the side, and a shuriken slipped past her. She stopped. She turned and said; “The thieves are getting away!”

 

The figure said nothing, but simply sent out a zip line across the street, causing the thieves to trip. She then ran around, tying them up in the zip line. “That will hold them for a while,” she said.

 

“I guess you’re Ninja Talon,” the Enigma said as the other retrieved the shuriken.

 

“That’s right,” Ninja Talon answered as she came back. “And you’re the mysterious fourth vigilante.”

 

“Yes, an antihero. Call me the Enigma.”

 

“Antihero?”

 

“Yes. I will do whatever it takes to keep Lawndale safe,” the Enigma responded. “SpiderGirl hasn’t been doing much of a good job.”

 

“She has been!” Ninja Talon responded. “She’s only one person and she has been giving Lawndale hope.”

 

“That’s what my mentor said,” the Enigma responded quietly, trying not to give anything away.

 

“And you should listen to them.”

 

“They don’t want me doing this either, but I want to do this, to help Lawndale and to confront SpiderGirl.”

 

“How would you confronting SpiderGirl help Lawndale?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“I’m not sure!”

 

“Then you shouldn’t.”

 

“It is something I need to do!” The Enigma said quietly.

 

“To prove yourself?”

 

“Probably.”

 

“But is that what Lawndale needs?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“Maybe.”

 

“I’m doing this because I think Lawndale needs me to do it, and I was inspired by SpiderGirl.”

 

“It all comes back to SpiderGirl!” The Enigma said. She turned away from Ninja Talon.

 

“I see that there’s more.”

 

“Of course there is. But there’s nothing more to discuss.”

 

 

Ninja Talon watched the Enigma disappear into the distance. ‘I definitely need to keep an eye on her.’

 

She yawned. ‘But I have to tell Peterson and SpiderGirl something.’

 

 

It wasn’t long until Peterson arrived on the scene and secured the thieves. “It was actually the new vigilante who caught them in the act,” Ninja Talon said.

 

“What happened?” Peterson asked.

 

Ninja Talon filled her in on what happened.

 

“So, she has some sort of energy projection powers?”

 

“Yes, either that it was technology. But if was that, it would have be very advanced.”

 

“Another headache,” Peterson murmured, her voice low. “And I’m overstretched as it is.”

 

“What else is new?”

 

“Thanks for bringing it to my attention, but did she identify herself?”

 

“She called herself the Enigma, but I think that should be between us and SpiderGirl for now.”

 

“I agree, Lawndale is on edge enough.”

 

 

Ninja Talon then headed westwards, hoping to find SpiderGirl awake.

 

 

SpiderGirl did wake at the usual time and saw Ninja Talon on the roof when she climbed out onto it. “How long have you been waiting?” she asked, trying to hide her surprise.

 

“Not long,” Ninja Talon answered. “I encountered that new vigilante, earlier tonight.”

 

“What happened?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

She then listened as Ninja Talon relayed her interactions with the Enigma and Peterson.

 

“Troubling,” SpiderGirl commented as Ninja Talon finished. “That she seemingly has powers and wants to confront me. I agree that we should keep the name secret, though. It will come out soon enough.”

 

“That’s true,” Ninja Talon said. She yawned. “I need to get to bed.”

 

“I could take you. It will be quicker.”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

Indeed, SpiderGirl could see that Ninja Talon was drifting off to sleep as she swung towards Crewe Necke. Her mind was on what the fatigued ninja had revealed. A new antihero in Lawndale who seemed to be out to get her out of a sense of rivalry.

 

 

As SpiderGirl ferried Ninja Talon home, the Enigma returned to her own home, where she found her mother asleep on the couch. “Please, don’t wait up for me,” Sandi said quietly as she took off her mask. She didn’t want her mother loosing too much sleep over what she had decided to do. As she went up the stairs, she went over the conversation with Ninja Talon again. ‘She does have some points, mostly about what’s good for Lawndale,’ she thought. ‘But what we think is good for Lawndale is almost certainly different.’

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived on the roof of the Taylor mansion and shook Ninja Talon awake. “We’re here.”

 

“Thanks. But what are you going to do about the Enigma?”

 

“Avoid her, for now, while I think about what to do.”

 

“Is that a good idea?” Ninja Talon asked.

 

“It is if she has powers, or advanced technology. I don’t know what it would do to me, even with my enhanced healing.”

 

“Good point.”

 

“And it will give me time to think, to plan and prepare, and see how people react,” SpiderGirl added.

 

Ninja Talon nodded and then climbed down and through her bedroom window.

 

SpiderGirl then sat there, listening to Lawndale from the different perspective for a while before heading home.

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Thursday, February 1st, 2001

Rumors of a fourth vigilante

 

“A fourth?” Norman Osborn asked himself as he put the paper aside. ‘This could be what I need.’ He knew how to proceed to convince Mayor Lawson to allow Oscorp to access the municipal CCTV.

 

 

Linda awoke. She stirred from the couch and went up to wake Sandi. She didn’t want a repeat of the previous morning.

 

 

Sandi was already awake. “Oh!” Linda said.

 

“I may have been out, but I was prepared.”

 

“Good! But I’m disappointed in you. You disobeyed me!”

 

“So, I’m rebellious. You can’t control me, Mother!” Sandi said.

 

“It’s not about control. I know you’re growing up. It’s concern! You heard what I said.”

 

“That you’re concerned for the family. So am I.”

 

“You’re still using the house as a base,” Linda pointed out.

 

“I could go out back, instead of the front, if you want.”

 

“Not much of a compromise.”

 

“If nothing else, I need to get to school,” Sandi said.

 

“I want you to take your brothers to school today.”

 

“Of course,” Sandi said sarcastically.

 

“And we’ll talk more this evening, and see how far you’ve developed your powers.”

 

 

Brittany awoke and thought on what had happened during the night as she got ready to go to school. ‘I will help Quinn prepare,’ she thought.

 

 

Daria looked at herself again as she put the clips in her hair a second time. She found that she liked what she saw. She remembered her conversation with her mother the evening before. ‘I’ll have to take each change as it comes,’ she thought. She only admitted to herself that the prospect scared her a little.

 

 

After nearly an hour of patrolling as SpiderGirl, reading the paper’s speculations on the fourth vigilante and thinking about what Brittany had revealed, Quinn arrived at school early. She hoped to find Mr. O’Neill before Homeroom. She entered the Language Arts office. “Mr. ’O’Neill?”

 

Mr. O’Neill was there. “Quinn?”

 

“You know how I’m mentoring four other students?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“It’s Gerald Brown. He’s having trouble with projecting his voice.”

 

“Hmm. And you want me to help?”

 

“More like you could find someone else who could help?” Quinn asked.

 

“True. It sounds like he needs an elocutionist. There should be several in Lawndale. But I should say that they charge.”

 

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

 

“I will look them up and get to you by the end of the day,” O’Neill decided. “How does that sound?”

 

“It sounds very good,” Quinn said.

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