9. 'Happy Girl'
First Appearance: Esteemsters
Last Appearance: Is It College Yet?
January '24: https://fardell24b.tumblr.com/post/740735564661276672/church-notes-january-2024
February '24: http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/272608.html
March, April '24: http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/274262.html
May - December '24: https://fardell24b.tumblr.com/post/771172805766152192/church-notes-may-december-2024
29th
Psalm 68
Psalm 69
Emmanuel - God With Us
Grow like Jesus
Luke 2:41 - 52
A learning moment for Mary and Joseph
It was OK for them to emotional as they searched for Jesus.
In Jewish tradition turning 13 is the coming of age.
How do we need to grow so that we can be about the Father's business in 2025?
Verity
had held sessions with various clients over the phone (although one had taken
the trouble to drive to and from Lawndale) as she waited for Osborn to be ready
for another session. She thought about Harry’s worries. ‘Is he sharing them
with at least one friend?’ she wondered. Norman had told her that he had made
at least one. She knocked on the mansion door, and Bernard opened it.
“He
is waiting for you.”
“It
happened again,” Norman said. “The glider is out of commission again, mostly
due to Ninja Talon, although SpiderGirl and some metahuman with telekinetic
powers were there too.”
“I
would be remiss if I didn’t say that you probably need more help than I can
give. I wasn’t able to help you last night! And I lied to Harry!” Verity said.
“Then
stay here, in Lawndale! I need to be here!”
“Tell
me why? Is it New York? Or some Oscorp project?”
“Both,
besides, Harry has made a friend. I can’t take him away from her,” Norman said.
“But
I insist that you need more than what I can provide.”
“Oscorp
has developed something that may help.”
“Oh
no! I don’t approve of you taking any medication that hasn’t been approved by
the FDA!” Verity exclaimed.
“It’s
in the process now.”
Elena
finished telling Daria what she thought about Ninja Talon appearing in the Mall
alongside SpiderGirl. “…I mean it’s good that they’re not competing against
each other, but SpiderGirl clearly handled the situation by herself.”
“Yes,
but what else did you see?” Daria asked. “Was anyone acting unusually before or
afterwards?”
“I
didn’t see anyone act strangely, but then the Mall was quite busy that
afternoon…”
“I
see.”
After
the tutoring session, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon headed to the usual spot. “So,
how do we investigate Oscorp?” the latter asked.
“We’ll
need to find out the locations of their facilities in Lawndale, for a start,”
SpiderGirl answered. “Then figure out which would be the easiest to investigate
first.”
“That’s
true.”
“So,
we’ll look it up online and then talk later.”
Ninja
Talon nodded.
“…As
for Friday night, I wasn’t there, as I didn’t want to go. Why did Lawndale
decide to have it’s own Groundhog Day festival anyway?” Elena concluded.
“I
have asked the same question,” Daria said. “Thanks for your time.”
“It
was wasted in my opinion,” Elena said. “Others may be more helpful though.” As
she had finished her pizza, she then left.
“What
do you think?” Jane asked.
“There
isn’t much here, but it is just one perspective,” Daria responded.
“The
Police Commissioner is here, sir.”
“Send
him in,” Lawson said.
Oliver
Roberts, the Police Commissioner of Lawndale, entered. “William, I’m afraid
that my officers are still stumped. There are some clues, but they lead in the
direction of Oscorp.”
“Oscorp?
What do you mean?”
“That
someone in Oscorp may be involved. This is off the record of course.”
“Thanks
for letting me know. And to think I have had enough of talking to Osborn for a
while!” Lawson groused.
“It
is certain that he might know something.”
Jane
arrived home to find Trent waiting. “So, what happened?” she asked, after she
had poured herself some coffee.
Trent
filled her in on what Jesse had said, including that one of the other
vigilantes may have been there.
“…So,
the street was damaged by some kind of fight?” Jane surmised. “I will have a
look after dinner, as well as on the way to school tomorrow.”
Upon
getting home, Quinn looked up Oscorp. One of the pages on their site did show
the locations of their facilities in Lawndale. There were more than she
thought. ‘Is Osborn looking to control the town financially?’ she wondered.
That was another thing she didn’t like. ‘That’s something SpiderGirl can’t
fight, but maybe Quinn Morgendorffer can.’ She plugged the printer in.
Daria
looked at the page Quinn had printed out. “This is a large presence,” she said.
“But
what can we do about it?”
“Nothing
at the moment. But we can look into Osborn’s business practices. Maybe there’s
something we can use against him.”
“I
was thinking of that,” Quinn said. “But that will take time.”
“I
know, and this on top of what else is happening. I will look at the business
pages as well as those talking about the vigilantes and crime.”
“And
I’ll look at them too, when I have the time.”
“When
were you going to tell me?” Daria asked.
“Tell
you what?”
“That
you’re in the Lowdown?”
“Oh,
I guess I just forgot to say,” Quinn said apologetically.
“Apology
accepted.”
Quinn
returned to her room. ‘I thought the secret was out for a moment,’ she thought.
‘Sorry, Daria, this isn’t something I’m forgetting to say. It’s not only myself
I have to look out for, it’s Brittany as well. All of Lawndale is depending on
us.’ She went over to the closet. “Wait!” she said. She had figured it out, she
then started removing the false ceiling.
Sandi
was ready to search again. After Laura Bildhouse was Nadia Blackwood. But she
then realised that Tiffany was the one after Nadia. ‘I will deal with that
tomorrow!’ she thought as she calmed herself. She didn’t want to search with
her heart rate up. Her mother had warned her that strong emotions made their
powers unpredictable. “Nadia Blackwood, not Tiffany Blum-Deckler,” she
murmured. She calmed, a bit. “Belinda Berridge, Laura Bildhouse, Nadia
Blackwood…” She then downed the energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Nadia
Blackwood!”
Linda
noticed that Sandi was slightly overwrought as she searched. ‘But not by much.’
Sandi
found Nadia at her house, close to Cranberry Commons.
“Nine
down.”
After
that she looked up Oscorp, and found the same information Quinn had. ‘So, where
to start?’ she wondered. She printed the map out. ‘Another thing to talk to
Daria about.’
Daria
emerged onto the roof at the same time she had the previous two nights. She saw
that the Enigma was there. “Of course,” she said.
“Hi,
Daria,” the Enigma said. “Something happened last night.”
“What
was this?”
The
Enigma then told Daria of what happened from when she saw the glider from the
Strawberry until the pilot had retreated.
“Interesting,”
Daria commented when the Enigma had finished. “But did you have to steal a car?”
“I’m
sure their insurance will cover it. Besides, using my mentor’s car would be a
bad idea. A clear sign pointing to my secret identity.”
“That’s
a good point. But that the glider could be fixed so quicky. And more evidence
that SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are working together.”
“Exactly.
When I confront her, I’ll have to make sure the Ninja is somewhere else. My
mentor is right about that!” the Enigma said.
“So,
you’re in touch with them currently.”
“Yes,
we’re quite close.”
“Like,
family?” Daria asked.
“I’m
not giving you any further clues about myself; you’ll deduce it soon enough.”
“That’s
not my focus. At the moment, I’m more concerned about how powerful Oscorp is in
Lawndale.”
“Oh?”
the Enigma asked.
Daria
took out a piece of paper. “This was printed out earlier tonight.”
The
Enigma looked at the map again. She could see that Oscorp’s presence in
Lawndale was significant. “Like, I was thinking of infiltrating a facility.”
“We
wouldn’t know what to look for.”
“Maybe
the closest to where I battled the glider.”
“That
could work. It could be being repaired there. Or it may have been moved and any
evidence also taken,” Daria said.
“We
won’t know if we don’t try.”
“Good
point. Let’s go then.”
As
the Enigma and Daria headed along the laneways from the Morgendorffers’ towards
the Oscorp facility they had decided on, Ninja Talon left Crewe Neck on her
patrol of the southern area of town.
Daria
looked at the facility. It just looked like any other warehouse she had seen in
Lawndale, other than the Oscorp logos at the entrances. “I’m sure there’s
surveillance,” she pointed out.
“Security
cameras are usually visible,” the Enigma pointed out. “And therefore easy for
me to take out.”
“You’re
just going to rip them off the wall or ceiling?”
“As
tempting as that is, I’ll just disrupt them with my projections. It worked on
the gilder, after all.”
“Of
course,” Daria said.
They
approached a door and the Enigma took out the camera watching it with a
projection.
“It’s
sure to be locked,” Daria said.
“True,”
the Enigma said. She raised her hands and the door got pushed in
telekinetically, causing the door jamb to be broken.
“Or
you could have just picked it.”
“Look
at it this way: the more they spend on repairs, the less they have to try to
take over Lawndale.”
“I
doubt minor damage like that would make any difference,” Daria responded as she
followed the Enigma inside.
Meanwhile,
Linda was awake. She remembered Sandi’s picture of Daria. ‘Is Daria working
with her? Is that why the picture is there?’ Was that a way to figure out what
Sandi was doing at that moment as the fourth vigilante? ‘Is it even a good
idea? Like, she will know I searched for Daria if Daria’s there.’ She then made
her decision, she would do it. She went down to the kitchen.
She
ate the potato salad quickly. ‘Findu mann sem heiter: Daria Morgendorffer!’
Linda’s
perception spread out across Lawndale more quickly than Sandi’s usually did. It
was less than ten seconds before she found Sandi and Daria infiltrating the
Oscorp facility. ‘Oscorp?’
“Enigma?”
Daria asked, as she noticed the antihero look a little distant.
“My
mentor just searched for you and knows we’re here.”
“What?”
“It’s
an ESP thing. We most often use it to locate people. But it requires us to know
the person’s identity. They don’t know I’m calling myself the Enigma. I’m in
this persona, not as they know me as their protégé.”
‘That’s
something,’ Daria thought. ‘I can worry about it later, after we’re out of
here.’ “So, they know we’re here?”
“Yes,
because you’re considering yourself Daria Morgendorffer at present.”
“I’m
not becoming a vigilante.”
“You’re
already kinda are,” the Enigma said.
“True,
I’m an accomplice to your trespassing. But let’s keep looking.”
Linda
thought on the matter. ‘Sandi and Daria infiltrating Oscorp? Why?’ She had
infiltrated many places in Boston when she was the Purple Avenger, but that
didn’t mean she wanted Sandi to do the same. She paced. ‘I will ask her for her
reasons. Maybe Osborn is up to something I could expose.’
Daria
and the Enigma entered a large room. It looked like it had been cleaned out. “Looks
like we’re too late,” Daria said.
“True,
but there should be something here.”
Daria
looked around and found some documents, but they all seemed unrelated. “It’s
clear they left in a hurry, but I think it was hours ago.”
“I
agree. Let’s keep looking.”
After
half an hour they left the building by crawling onto the roof. “Just in case
there’s security,” the Enigma said.
Daria
looked around. “We’re close to other buildings here.”
“Yes,
we can go some distance on the roofs.”
“I’m
not good at going on roofs.”
“Just
as before,” the Enigma said.
At
the same time, back at the Morgendorffers, SpiderGirl climbed out onto the roof
and swung off, intending to meet Ninja Talon at the Historia.
The
Enigma and Daria made their way across the rooftops and trees. “There!” the
Enigma said. “SpiderGirl!”
“You
want to confront her now?”
“Why
not, I’ll put you back on the ground.”
“Good,
but I probably won’t wait,” Daria groused.
SpiderGirl’s
spider sense blared, and she avoided the projection that had been aimed in her
direction. ‘The Enigma!’ She swung into a tree and looked. She found the Enigma
on a nearby rooftop. ‘Great! Now is not the time! With everything that’s going
on, I haven’t really planned this out.’ She decided to try to go around.
‘Look’s
like she’s trying avoid me,’ the Enigma thought. She shot a barrage of
projections in the direction she had seen her.
Daria
looked at what the two metahumans were doing. ‘SpiderGirl is trying to avoid
the confrontation, probably because she doesn’t know what those projections can
do. But the Enigma is persistent.’
SpiderGirl
swung down to the ground and saw someone in the distance. ‘Daria? Great! I
don’t want her to see me as SpiderGirl!’ She swung in the opposite direction
and around a corner. She then swung up on the roof and looked to see where the
Enigma was. Nowhere.
The
Enigma returned to Daria. “She retreated,” she said.
“Looks
like she doesn’t want a confrontation. Probably because she doesn’t know what
your powers can do.”
“Well,
my mentor says that they are deleterious to others, causing temporary
paralysis.”
“You
haven’t seen it?” Daria asked.
“No.”
“Then
why risk it with SpiderGirl?”
“I
just need to do it!” the Enigma said.
“Right.
Maybe you need to think on it more.”
“That’s
what my mentor said.”
“You
should listen to them in that case,” Daria said
“I
will think about it.”
“Maybe
there’s another way.”
Ninja
Talon arrived on top of the Historia to find SpiderGirl looking pensive.
“Something up?” she asked.
“Two
things,” SpiderGirl said. “First, Oscorp’s presence here is larger than we
thought.”
“And
the other?”
“I
just had a near miss with the Enigma, and she had Daria with her.”
“Daria
did say that the Enigma is helping with the investigation,” Ninja Talon said.
“True,
but I didn’t expect to cross paths with my sister and my rival at the same
time. Like how would you feel?”
Ninja
Talon shuddered. “I’m afraid that Brian is more likely to be a villain than a
hero.”
“You
haven’t said much about your brother,” SpiderGirl said.
“It’s
that he does things to animals I don’t want to think about. I’m sure that you
remember what happened to that lab mouse?”
“Daria
told me at the time. I don’t want to think about it either.”
“Anyway,
you haven’t prepared?” Ninja Talon asked.
“No,
what with the attack and all,” SpiderGirl answered. She took out a copy of the
map of Oscorp’s presence in Lawndale.
“That
is a lot of buildings.”
“Yes.
It seems to list the Historia, but as something separate.”
Ninja
Talon looked closer at the map. “You’re right. There are several office spaces
along the street.”
“We
could look at the closest one.”
“I
agree.”
At
the same time, Daria was thinking about the ESP capability of the Enigma and
her mentor. ‘It allows them to locate people across town…’ “Wait?”
“Yes?”
“What’s
the limit of your location ability?”
“Several
miles. Effectively just Lawndale, Oakwood is too far,” the Enigma answered.
“Got
it. So, you can locate anyone in Lawndale, if you know who they are, except if
they’re undercover.”
“Yes.”
“And
if they are undercover or not undercover as the case might be?” Daria asked.
“Sensory
overload by perceiving all of Lawndale and the surrounding area at once.”
“That,
probably wouldn’t be pleasant.”
“No,
and it’s tiring if someone is located,” the Enigma added.
5th November 2023: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2023/11/church-notes-5th-november-2023.html
12th November 2023: https://www.deviantart.com/brenorenz/journal/Church-notes-12th-November-2023-993976347
19th November 2023: http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/263305.html
26 November 2023: http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/263960.html
3rd December '23: https://fardell24b.tumblr.com/post/735663164588523520/church-notes-3rd-december-2023
10th December '23: https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1733720927106695531
17th December '23: https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1736250253366739050
24th December '23: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2023/12/church-notes-24th-december-2023.html
25 December '23: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2023/12/church-notes-25th-december-2023.html
31st December '23: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2023/12/church-notes-31st-december-2023.html
Half an hour later, Summer left the café. She wasn’t sure
what to think about Timothy causing her heart to flutter. It was different than
with her ex’s. (But then it was different with each of them too.) ‘But isn’t it
wrong for a teacher to go out with a former student?’ she wondered. ‘And is it
just me?’
There were some times she had thought it was mutual, but
wasn’t. But she wouldn’t know the first time she met someone. Or was it just
wishful thinking?
She continued thinking over it on the way home.
“Quinn?” Daria asked on the other end.
“Hi, Daria.”
“You don’t usually call in the middle of the week.”
“That’s true,” Quinn conceded.
“So, something has happened.”
“Yes. Jane’s sister is visiting.”
“Which one? Summer or Penny?” Daria asked.
“Summer, the one with the kids.”
“And the kids are there too?”
“Only two of them,” Quinn answered.
“Courtney and Adrian?” Daria asked.
“Yes.”
“It seems they are the only ones who go to Lawndale.”
“Right,” Quinn said.
“And they have been interrupting the tutoring
sessions?”
“No, that’s not the problem.”
“So, what is?” Daria asked.
“I’m not sure,” Quinn admitted. “Something seems, off.
I’m not sure how.”
“Just a feeling, then.”
“I know you don’t put much stock in hunches.”
“That’s an understatement,” Daria said.
“But something is up.”
“Of course, but I shouldn’t have to warn you not to go
into the Lane’s personal business.”
“I know that!” Quinn said.
“Good!”
They talked for a short while longer before Quinn heard
her mother call her down for dinner.
Meanwhile, Summer was still thinking about O’Neill. She
wasn’t sure what to make of it. ‘Should I talk to Jane or Trent?’ She needed to
talk to someone. ‘Probably Jane?’
“Summer?” Jane asked.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Summer asked.
“Sure,” Jane answered guardedly.
“I may have met someone here,” Summer said.
“Who?”
“I’m not going to say.”
“Really?” Jane asked.
“No.”
“OK.”
“At least, not straight away,” Summer clarified.
“But it has you considering moving back here?”
Summer nodded. “As if I needed the hassle.”
Jane thought about it. ‘Summer back in Lawndale?’ She
wasn’t sure what to think about it. ‘Just as well I am going to BFAC, but what
about Trent?’ Casa Lane was spacious, but she wasn’t sure that it was large
enough for Summer and all four of her children, as well as herself and Trent.
She decided to talk to Trent about it.
“Janie?” Trent asked.
“A heads up, Summer might stay here.”
“She’s already staying here.”
“I mean permanently,” Jane clarified.
“Really?”
“She’s thinking about it.”
Merry Christmas
Isaiah 9:6, 7
Luke 2:10, 11
John 1:14
Immanuel
Matthew 1:18 - 25
Isaiah 7:14
Jesus is the one Isaiah talked about.
Dwelling amongst the people.
He attends to His creation. Nothing is apart from His purpose.
Are you prepared for God to dwell among you?
God's gift to mankind was Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6, 7
John 1:14
John 1:1 - 5
John 3:16
Christmas is all about Jesus
Luke 2:8 - 20
Jesus is totally God and totally man
He died in our place, to take our sins, and rose again.
We all have a God shaped hole in us.
Freya burst out of her room
shortly after 8 o’clock. “Today is a new day!” She wanted to start the day in a
way that would put her mind off the historical mysteries until later in the
day. ‘The morning is for art,’ she decided. ‘But first, breakfast!’
Dana saw Freya enter the dining
hall with her usual exuberance. ‘I know she has decided on something.’
Freya soon came over to her with
a breakfast similar to those she had the previous three days. “Good Morning!”
“Good Morning.”
“What are you up to today?”
“Attending lectures,” Dana answered.
“Only two though.”
“The same. First Year Musical
Composition, and Overview of Influences on Auroran Art.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It’s not just the Auroralic,
Roman and Nordic influences, but the rest of Europe too,” Freya said. “It’s
that that those are the most prominent.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.
But it seems obvious now that I think about it.”
“Like, most think that Aurora
was isolated on the edge of Europe, but it has been a crossroads of ideas for
all of its history.”
“Between Europe and the Atlantic
islands,” Dana said, with a thoughtful look on her face.
“Exactly. Europe had the most
influence on Aurora, given the Romans and Norse came from there. But there was
some from the Atlantic islands too.”
“Funny you could bring that up.”
“Huh?” Freya asked.
“I’m doing an assignment on
butterfly species that migrate between Aurora and the islands this semester.”
“That sounds interesting. I know
that the patterns on their wings have inspired artists in the past.”
“I have heard about that,” Dana
said.
“And other insects too. Like,
beetles, I think.”
“Many beetle species are
colourful.”
“And I’m sure there are other
animals that have inspired artists.”
Janara awoke, and wondered why
Olivia was up early again. ‘I’m sure she was awake when I went to sleep!’ she
thought. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” Olivia said as
she sipped her coffee.
“How much sleep did you get?”
“Enough,” Olivia answered in an
evasive tone.
‘There’s something there,’
Janara thought, ‘but it’s none of my business.’
‘Not yet, Janara,’ Olvia
thought. But she couldn’t deny it to herself. Her insomnia was getting worse.
They soon headed to breakfast.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Janara asked.
“The sports activities are
starting,” Olivia said.
“Somehow, I didn’t think you
were the sporty type.”
“Well, not team sports, but
athletics and swimming.”
“That makes sense,” Janara
considered.
“I’ll have a look at the
swimming activities.”
“I’m not a sporty type,” Janara
admitted. “Like, I’m a gamer, but I don’t even play sports games.”
“What kind of games?”
“Mostly RPGs, real time strategy
and platformers.”
“That’s a variety,” Olivia
commented.
“It’s what I’m interested in.”
Freya arrived where the Musical
Composition lecture was to be held. She saw many other students there, some of
whom she had seen the previous day. One of the came up to her. “Hi! I saw you
yesterday in the Renaissance lecture.”
“I was there.”
“Julia.”
“Freya.”
“I guess that you’re into music
too,” Julia stated.
“Not as much as I’m into art,
but I do play and compose a little.”
“More of an artist I see.”
“Yes,” Freya answered. “I find
that I can focus better when I’m creating art, than trying to compose
something.”
“What kind of art?”
“Mostly sketching, painting and tactile
art, and you?”
“Mostly music, but I sketch
too,” Julia answered.
“That’s cool.”
The lecture soon started and
Freya found herself engaged in the lesson. As the lecture ended, the lecturer
called her up. He gave her a reassurance similar to the other two. “…and if you
still struggle, you can go to the support services,” he added.
“I have already signed up.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Olivia arrived at the
University’s Aquatic Center, located between the western dorms and the main
part of the campus. She had seen it as she went by the past few days, but found
that it was more impressive close up. ‘Art Deco, of course, although she had
heard that the actual facilities were refurbished often.’
“Name?”
“Olivia Marcus.”
“Personal best over 100 meters?”
“One minute, fifty seven
seconds.”
“Impressive,” the young man
stated.
Olivia shrugged modestly.
“Done. You’re signed up. The
first carnival will be on Sunday afternoon.”
“That’s fine. I can get some
practice in before then.”
1935
North
America
The
effects of the Dust Bowl continue into this year.
Wyoming
gains statehood.
South
America
Argentina
turns down a request of official alliance with Germany. They don’t want to
commit themselves to any war in Europe.
Africa
The
Toubou people continue their resistance against the French.
Resistance
in Ethiopia is defeated by Italian forces.
Europe
The
United Kingdom continues to build up its air force and land forces.
The
Silesian communists continue to loose ground against the Nazi regime.
The
numbers of people in the employ of the SS doubles of the course of the year.
Asia
The French
Middle-East is divided into a separate Syria and Lebanon, owing to the differences
between the ethnic groups in the region, which was creating tensions that the French
wanted to diffuse.
Anti-Stalin
uprisings in Central Asia are defeated.
The
Chinese Warlord period continues.
Pyongyang
is captured by the Japanese, most of the remaining defenses in northern Korea
collapse.
Oceania
Severe
social unrest in Sydney ends after the Commonwealth government uses Federal
Police to do what the State Government is unwilling to do. A New South Wales
election is called and the corrupt Lang Labor Government is voted out.
Lawndale High has a visitor. An egotistical alum named Tommy Sherman, who back in the day had helped the Lawndale Lions win the state championship. When Sherman dies in a tragic accident, the Morgendorffer sisters and their friends find themselves bereaved.
Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6963544/10/Quinn-s-Code
Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61567687
22nd
Love
Matthew 22:34 - 40
Luke 4:14 - 21
Selfless peace
Luke 2:13, 14
Shepherds were low status people.
John 14:27
Glory to God in the highest.
Judges 6:24
Gideon recognised that God is peace.
Goodwill to men.
Luke 6:32 - 36
All of us have fallen short of God. We are all sinners.
Peace will set us free.
Luke 4:14 - 21
Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is more interested in our character, than our comfort.
Jesus hears your cry for help.
The
Enigma arrived at the Strawberry and started using the telescopes. Soon, she
saw something. She recognised it straight away. ‘It’s the attacker, who
destroyed the Lawndale Center on Friday night!’ The glider craft was moving
slowly over the rooftops, looking for something. ‘Or someone, probably
SpiderGirl as he seemed to be focused on her.’
She
watched the glider move around for a while longer.
Ninja
Talon also saw the glider in the distance, as she looked westwards from the
Historia. ‘What can I do alone? I’d need SpiderGirl. But how to get to Glen
Oaks Lane without drawing its attention?’ She decided to try anyway.’
The
Enigma saw that it was closer to the downtown, rather than over a mainly
residential area. ‘But that’s not really helpful, and I can’t get there quickly
without a car.’ Was there one nearby? The parking lot had been empty, but that
didn’t matter. She quickly ran down the stairs.
Once
off the Historia, Ninja Talon quickly ran through the various alleyways that
ran through the downtown area.
The
Enigma broke into the first car she found parked on a street near the
Strawberry, hotwired it and sped off.
SpiderGirl
awoke. She found that it was a little early. ‘Does that matter?’ she wondered
before getting out of bed.
Up
on the roof, she heard something near the downtown. She also heard a racing car
somewhere to the northwest. ‘Street racing starting again?’ she wondered,
before refocusing downtown. Her eyes widened as she realised what it was; the
craft from Groundhog Day! She swung off in that direction.
The
Enigma pulled up in an older street, close to where she had seen the glider
craft. She leapt out of the car, leaving the engine running. She saw it down
the street. She reached out with her powers and tried to grab it….
The
pilot noticed something. The controls were sluggish suddenly. ‘What just
changed?’ he wondered. He then noticed someone on a street below. A purple clad
figure, clearly visible in the moonlight. ‘A telekinetic metahuman?’ he
wondered. He grabbed one of the new bombs and cackled as he turned towards
them.’
The
Enigma let go and dashed off the side as the craft came towards her. Then there
was an explosion. Some sort of orange bomb had been thrown. She then threw some
projections in response.
The
pilot evaded the purple shots as they came towards him and threw another bomb!
‘Protection!’
the Enigma thought, hoping that the progress she had made with the forcefield
aspect of her powers would be enough. The forcefield rose, stronger than it had
been during her practice sessions. It was the adrenaline, she realised,
reinforcing her reflexes and resolve. The bomb exploded, pushing her back, but
she was unharmed. ‘But how to do defence and offence at the same time?’ she
wondered. She looked around, and saw an alley nearby. She ducked into it.
SpiderGirl
heard the explosions in the distance as she swung in that direction. She also
had seen the purple shots. ‘Is it the Enigma fighting the attacker?’ she
wondered. She then saw Ninja Talon on a rooftop nearby.
“SpiderGirl.
I see you noticed it,” Ninja Talon said.
“Yes.
But the Enigma is there as well.”
“That’s
true, but I doubt she would confront you while we’re all fighting the
attacker.”
SpiderGirl
nodded. “It just makes it awkward and she probably won’t cooperate.”
“I
agree.”
“But
we go in anyway and try to minimise any damage.”
“Lead
the way,” Ninja Talon said.
The
Enigma ducked out of the alley and saw that the glider had moved. She ran to
the car she arrived in and got back in behind the wheel. She then shot a
projection at the gilder, put the car into gear and floored the accelerator.
SpiderGirl
saw the Enigma firing as she drove. ‘A bit dangerous,’ she thought. ‘But she
knows what she’s doing.’
She
and Ninja Talon approached the glider, as they swung across the street.
‘There’s
SpiderGirl!’ the pilot thought. ‘And she has Ninja Talon with her. Better and
better. Now we just need the Shadow.’
Ninja
Talon watched the movements of the glider craft. She was ready to act as she
did three days earlier.
“Right,
I’ll try to hold it with a web and try to web up the pilot, and draw it down
into an alley where it might crash,” SpiderGirl said.
“But
wouldn’t that cause damage?”
“Yes,
but we’ll try to make sure it hits the ground rather than a building.”
“But
it’s more likely to hit a building,” Ninja Talon pointed out.
“I
know that.”
The
Enigma pulled up inside an alley, then backed out quickly and shot a projection
through a side window before raising a forcefield to protect herself from the
shards of glass. She was getting better at it. She managed to avoid crashing
into the building behind and drifted in reverse, before reselecting first gear.
‘should have found an automatic,’ she thought as the clutch grinded. She peeled
off. ‘Maybe if I can lure it out of town.’ But that wasn’t likely.
“Here
it comes,” Ninja Talon said.
SpiderGirl
shot a web, which caught on a wingtip, and then jumped off the roof.
The
pilot fired a missile at the car.
The
Enigma saw and made a sharp turn left into a side street. The missile missed
and exploded, merely damaging the road surface.
‘How
many missiles left?’ he wondered. There weren’t many, but he still had plenty
of those bombs. He then noticed the craft shaking as SpiderGirl pulled on the
wingtip.
SpiderGirl
shot many webs to the side as the glider pulled her along.
The
craft slowed. The pilot threw a bomb at SpiderGirl!
As
her spider sense blared, SpiderGirl let go of the web that held her to the
glider and swung off to the side. The bomb exploded in mid-air. ‘Maybe we can
get him to exhaust his supply of those bombs?’ she considered. She then saw the
glider turn around. ‘Uh oh!’ She swung to the ground and ducked around a
corner, where Ninja Talon was waiting.
“We
need to do something else,” the latter said.
“If
I can get you close, maybe we can get a shuriken into an engine.”
“I
did that Friday; it didn’t cause it to crash.”
“But
it could put it out of commission again,” SpiderGirl pointed out.
The
Enigma returned to the scene. This time she fired projections through the windshield
at the glider. They hit home and the glider made an abrupt turn.
“Looks
like the Enigma just did something,” Ninja Talon said.
“This
is our chance,” SpiderGirl said.
“You’re
right.”
They
swung up to a rooftop as close as they could get and Ninja Talon threw a couple
of shuriken towards an air intake.
Indicator
lights lit up as the glider stuttered. “Uh oh!” the pilot said. It was just as
well there was an Oscorp facility close by. He withdrew, heading in that
direction.
The
Enigma pulled up as she saw the glider withdraw. ‘But where is it going? Is it
a good idea to follow?’ She wasn’t sure.
SpiderGirl
saw it withdraw. “I’d like to follow,” she said. “But I think that would be
poking a fire ant nest.”
“I
agree,” Ninja Talon said.
“It’s
probably going to be out of commission for a few days, during which time we can
investigate further.”
“You
mean, Oscorp?”
“Yes,”
SpiderGirl said. “But for now, a good night’s sleep would probably be a good
idea.”
Ninja
Talon agreed with a yawn. “But we still need to patrol on the way back.”
“True,
and if we run into Peterson, to fill her in, and to watch out for the Enigma.
We’ll talk after school again.”
Ninja
Talon nodded. “Good night, Spidey.”
“Night,
Talon.”
They
headed back to their homes, alert for anything that was amiss and for the
Enigma.
The
Enigma mounted a rooftop and looked for SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. “They’re
probably on the ground,” she groused. She yawned and decided to head home
herself.
Lawndale
Sun-Herald
Tuesday,
February 6, 2001
Attacker
Still a Mystery. LDPD Still has no leads.
Of
the three involved in the previous night’s incident, Quinn awoke first. She
found that she was still tired. ‘What else is new?’ she thought as she leapt
out of bed. She looked at herself as she brushed her hair and tied it in the
now customary pigtails. ‘At least I don’t have bags under my eyes.’
Daria
noticed that Quinn was a little tired. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.
“Nightmare,”
Quinn answered. “I’ll be fine.”
“Want to talk about it?” Daria asked.
“Not
right now, but sometime.”
“Sure.”
Quinn
then made her breakfast.
Linda
entered the kitchen to see that Sandi looked tired as she made breakfast. “Out
again last night?” she asked.
“I
haven’t stopped and I’m not stopping,” Sandi said.
“But
you need your sleep.”
“I
know, but the attacker appeared again.”
“He
did?” Linda asked.
“I
managed to hit it again. He did try to attack me, but the forcefields worked. I
was unharmed.”
“You
should be more careful!”
“I
tried to be,” Sandi said. “SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon were there too, but they
made themselves scarce afterwards.”
“It
probably would go south for you if Ninja Talon is there beside her. Think about
that too. It’s not just SpiderGirl’s webs you would have to deal with, but
whatever weapons she would have.”
“Good
point.”
They
were then silent as Sandi’s brothers entered the kitchen.
Ashley-Amber
saw Brittany enter the kitchen. “Are you OK, sweetie? You look tired.”
“I’m
fine, just couldn’t sleep,” Brittany answered.
“You
have been tired more often lately.”
“Maybe,
but I’m growing up.”
“Nightmares?”
Ashley-Amber asked, “with what’s going on in town?”
“Sometimes.”
Ashley-Amber
hugged her stepdaughter. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”
“Thanks.”
Harry
found his father sleeping on the couch again. “What aren’t you saying? What
isn’t Ms. Beresfield saying? What’s going on with you?”
“I’m
asking the same things myself,” Bernard said as he entered the room.
Harry
thought about what he had told Sandi. ‘Is Beresfield leaving today, or staying
in Lawndale?’
Norman
awoke and saw his son and butler looking at him. “I’m fine. It was just a late
night.”
“Are
you sure?” Harry asked.
“Of
course I am. I’m just very busy. Running Oscorp from Lawndale is proving to be
more difficult than I thought, that’s all.”
“And
Ms. Beresfield’s visit?”
“What
did I say last night?”
Harry
looked away.
Harry
reflected on what just happened. He knew he would be talking Sandi’s ear off
more later that day.
At
the same time, Sandi was thinking things over as she got ready to head to
school. The events of the previous night were fresh in her mind, as well as the
phone conversations with Harry and Daria. ‘If the pilot is Osborn, then Harry’s
worries are confirmed and the counsellor might be in danger.’ She looked in the
mirror. ‘But what can I do about that?’ I don’t know where she is or who she
is. And how do I tell Daria about last night as myself without revealing my
secret identity? I guess she’s getting a visit from the Enigma tonight.’
In
the area close to the downtown of Lawndale where the fight had occurred,
Peterson looked at the damage. ‘It is clear something happened here. Would
SpiderGirl and/or Ninja Talon be able to tell me?’
Jesse
arrived at Casa Lane as Jane was leaving to go to school.
“Jesse?”
Jane asked.
“Something
happened last night.”
“What
happened?” Jane asked.
“There
were explosions reported on Hoopes Street. SpiderGirl was seen near there.”
“Janie
was having well deserved sleep.”
“Oh,”
Jesse said.
“Fill
Trent in when he gets up and I’ll find out after school.”
“Sure.”
The
atmosphere at the school was still tense following the events on the Friday
night.
Ted
found Daria and Jane at lunch.
“I
haven’t told Ms. Li about your project to interview all the seniors,” Ted said
to Daria.
“Good,”
Daria responded. “I’m sure she would have refused it.”
“But
I will help you with it. We’ll find the first one, Elena Anderson, this
afternoon,” Ted said.
“But
will she oblige?” Jane asked.
“No
idea,” Daria said.
At
the same time, Sandi caught up to Harry.
“Sandi.
He was on the couch again, this morning.”
“Was
he?”
“Yes,
he tried to reassure me last night, but I’m sure now that something is
happening to him!”
Sandi
wasn’t sure what to say. She also wasn’t much of a hugger, so she just took his
hand and gave it a rub.
“Um,
thanks, but I don’t know what is going to happen now.”
“Hope
that the counsellor can do her job?” Sandi asked quietly.
“There
is that,” Harry responded. “But it’s not much of one.”
‘Was
it him last night?’ she asked herself again.
At
Casa Lane, Jesse filled Trent in on what he had told Jane earlier.
“It’s
certainly something for Janie to check,” Trent remarked when Jesse had
finished. “I’ll tell her when she gets back from school.” He took out a
notebook and wrote it down.
He
added. ‘Was it SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon or the fourth?’
After
school, Angie and Brittany entered the library to find Quinn waiting. “What are
we working on today?” Angie asked.
“More
history,” Quinn answered.
“Sure.”
While
Quinn tutored Angie, Brittany wrote down her thoughts regarding the events of
the previous night.
At
the same time, Mayor Lawson looked at the Council engineers preliminary report
on the damage in Hoopes Street. “Days to fix!” he groused. “This on top of
Friday night!” he called his assistant. “Get in touch with the Police
Commissioner again, is there any progress on finding the person responsible for
Friday night?”
“Yes
sir!”
Elena
Anderson arrived at the Pizza place to find Ted waiting for her. “What does
this Daria want?” she asked him. “All I have heard about her is that she’s a
sarcastic recluse.”
“Not
that reclusive. She was willing to connect with me.”
“Not
everyone was homeschooled until they were 16, Ted.”
“That’s
true,” Ted said. “There she is, with Jane.”
“I’ll
order something first.”
Daria
looked at Elena. ‘White, as most people in Lawndale are, with brown hair in a
high ponytail and green eyes, wearing clothes that make her ‘fit in’.’
“So,
what did you want to know?” Elena said.
“What
do you know of SpiderGirl?” Daria asked.
“Not
much,” Elena said. “You may as well ask me about the fourth vigilante.”
“Just
SpiderGirl for now,” Daria said. “She appeared in the middle of November, three
weeks before Mr. DeMartino was mistakenly arrested for being an illegal
immigrant.”
“I
remember that. There were rumors of alien activity going around school too,”
Elena said.
“Yes,
I was in the middle of those,” Daria said. “The three weeks before then.”
“Just
that SpiderGirl was fighting crime, which had recently increased, in Lawndale.”
“Is
that all?” Jane asked.
“That’s
all,” Elena said. “This is a waste of time!”
“Wait!
It isn’t. What about afterwards, during December?” Daria asked.