Spider Quinn 18 A Birthday and Stormy Sonnets Part 5

 

However, something happened when they brought William into the daylight. He began to transform, with some of his skin stretching and his eyes turning dark. “William, are you OK?” SpiderGirl asked as she and Ninja Talon let go.

 

“You should have listened to me!” William said in a deeper voice. He then turned against her and sent her flying.

 

She caught herself with webbing. “Ow! Run Talon!”

 

 

Ninja Talon didn’t have to be told twice. She dashed to another tree, but William came after her. “William, what are you doing?” she asked.

 

“Get out of here!” William said as he approached her.

 

She put herself in a defensive stance, ready to defend herself if need be.

 

However, whatever effect the daylight had on him, increased his speed, and she found herself struggling.

 

SpiderGirl tried to web him up, but he broke the webbing, and so, William knocked Ninja Talon over before bolting from the yard.

 

 

SpiderGirl was at Talon’s side in an instant. “Are you OK?”

 

“Ow! I think I sprained something.”

 

“I’ll get you to the hospital. I’ll help you change somewhere.”

 

“Anywhere would be fine. Just not here,” Ninja Talon said.

 

 

They headed directly to Cedars of Lawndale from the Morris’s, with Ninja Talon changing to the usual Brittany on the hospital roof. “But now William is on the loose,” Brittany said.

“I’ll look for him afterwards as well as the Shadow or Dafoanairi.”

 

“I think Dafoanairi may be a liability. You may need to take a risk with the Enigma.”

 

“I’ll consider it, but I’ll sooner find Peterson, but she might not be on duty as she was on this morning,” SpiderGirl said. “But first I’ll call Ashley-Amber.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

“SpiderGirl?” One of the orderlies asked, when she brought Brittany into the ER.

 

“I found Brittany somewhere,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I was running and slipped,” Brittany said.

 

“I see. It will be an hour before the X-Ray machine is available,” the orderly said.

 

“I can wait,” Brittany said.

 

“I’m heading out now,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“Thanks, Spidey. See you later.”

 

 

It was less than 10 minutes before Ashley-Amber arrived, as SpiderGirl had called her on her cell phone from one of the public phones at the hospital.

 

“Your Brittany’s next of kin?” the orderly asked.

 

“Her stepmother,” Ashley-Amber said. “Her father is on business out of town.”

 

“Got it.”

 

 

“What happened, Brittany?” Ashley-Amber asked in concern.

 

“I was running and I slipped, and SpiderGirl happened to be nearby.”

 

“You’re usually so careful. Were you thinking about Kevin?”

 

Brittany had told Ashley-Amber about the breakup and the reasons for it before heading to Quinn’s party. “That wasn’t it. Probably the changes in my life, besides the break up.”

 

“Oh,” Ashley Amber said. “You know, ‘Break a leg’, isn’t literal.”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived at the Historia, certain that either Daria or Peterson would be there. ‘Maybe Daria is Dafoanairi, but do I want to put her at risk? But maybe she’ll know how to find the Enigma, as I have no idea how to find the Shadow.’

 

 

Daria was thinking about William as she ate her afternoon snack with Jane. She hoped that Peterson had managed to get a warrant.

 

“You’re thinking about that boy?” Jane asked.

 

“Wondering if Peterson has got a warrant yet.”

 

“Probably not. I figure that if she had, she would be here telling you that he had been rescued.”

 

“Probably,” Daria said.

 

 

SpiderGirl hung upside down, as she usually did when hanging from an eave, and looked into the café. She saw that Daria and Jane were there. ‘I don’t see Peterson. But how to get Jane’s attention without drawing Daria’s?’

 

She then looked around at the café where Daria and Jane weren’t looking. ‘Got it, Jennifer! I can ask her to tell Daria and Jane!’

 

 

Jennifer Burns was sitting by herself in a corner of the café when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She was startled and turned to find SpiderGirl hanging upside down from the ceiling next to her. “Ah! SpiderGirl!”

 

SpiderGirl made a shush motion, putting her finger over where her lips were hidden beneath her mask.

 

Jennifer sighed. “Yes?” she asked quietly.

 

“Meet me up on the roof, quickly. I want you to tell you something.”

 

“Why? Why not someone else? What are you hiding?”

 

“I have my reasons,” SpiderGirl answered. “I’ll see you up there in a minute,” she added before crawling away on the ceiling and into the Historia’s HVAC system.

 

“Fine!” Jennifer said as she got up.

 

 

SpiderGirl looked around at Lawndale as she waited for Jennifer on the roof. ‘I’d likely have better chance of finding William from there,’ she thought as she glanced at the Giant Strawberry. She heard the door open and turned to find Jennifer winded from having ran up the stairs.

 

“What is it?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Ninja Talon and I heard at school that there was a boy who was trapped by his parents.”

 

“You mean that boy who was leaving love letters at Mr. Morgendorffers’ grave?”

 

“Yes. The news reached us as our secret identities,” SpiderGirl answered. It wasn’t strictly a lie. She and Talon had spread William’s story around the school so that as many people as possible knew about the situation. ‘Just as well it came in helpful.’

 

“So, did something happen?”

 

“Yes. Something happened when he was brought into the daylight and he’s now dangerously loose on Lawndale’s streets.”

 

“What do you mean?” Jennifer asked.

 

“When we brought him out, he started changing and lashed out, like something was triggered.”

 

“Right.”

 

“So, tell Daria and Jane that,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“I will.”

 

“And also, that Ninja Talon got injured.”

 

“She did?” Jennifer asked in surprise.

 

“That’s how powerful he is, and he ripped through my webs.”

 

“I’ll tell them that.”

 

“Also, Daria knows the fourth vigilante,” SpiderGirl added. “She might go and find her.”

 

“I met her last week, during the situation with the critics. Very intense. But doesn’t she want to confront you?”

 

“She does, but I’m willing to take the risk.”

 

 

Daria was surprised when Jennifer came over to her and Jane. “Jen?” she asked.

 

“I just met SpiderGirl, up on the roof,” Jennifer said.

 

“SpiderGirl?” Jane asked.

 

Jennifer then explained.

 

 

Daria listened as Jennifer relayed what SpiderGirl said.

 

“So, William is dangerous and has escaped?” Jane asked.

 

“If we didn’t need to find Peterson before…” Daria began.

 

“We need to find her,” Jane said.

 

“And the fourth vigilante?” Jennifer asked.

 

Daria thought for a moment. She hadn’t seen Sandi since lunch. She wasn’t sure where she would be. “I’ll look for her too.”

 

 

Meanwhile, SpiderGirl headed to the Vitale et al office. Her mother needed to know.

 

 

“Quinn?” Helen asked when her younger daughter entered her office. “Are you OK?”

 

“I’m fine, Mom, and so is Daria. It’s William. Like, I ran into Ninja Talon after I left school and was heading to the Historia.”

 

“What? Ninja Talon?”

 

“Yes. She had heard about William at school as her secret identity and she and SpiderGirl had tried to rescue him,” Quinn answered.

 

“Tried? Did they find that he had been moved?”

 

“I wasn’t finished. Something happened when they brought him into the daylight. Like it caused him to change, and Ninja Talon barely got away, and he couldn’t be held by SpiderGirl’s webs. He’s now loose on Lawndale’s streets.”

 

“Oh my!” Helen said.

 

“We need to find Peterson,” Quinn said.

 

“I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough. But there is something else we can do.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“We’ll go and try to talk to his parents again,” Helen answered. She turned to Marianne, who had turned from her desk. “Marianne, tell Eric that I had to duck out due to an emergency.”

 

“I will, Helen.”

 

“Come on, Quinn.”

 

“Right behind you,” Quinn said.

 

 

Daria, Jane and Jennifer left the Historia out the rear entrance. “So, what are we doing?” Jennifer asked.

 

“I’ll drop you two at Jane’s and then look for the fourth vigilante,” Daria answered.

 

“You don’t want us to know her secret identity too,” Jane concluded.

 

“Exactly, and you’re likely to be safe there,” Daria said.

 

“True,” Jane said.

 

“I’d likely to be just as safe at the Historia. I’d like to help,” Jennifer said. “Even if SpiderGirl conveniently roped me into this.”

 

Daria could see that Jennifer was struggling a little. “You can do it. You’re helping with the play after all,” she said as she turned on the engine.

 

“Thanks,” Jennifer said.

 

“And you can help Jane. She has been gathering various maps of Lawndale. Maybe you two can try to figure out where William might go.”

 

“Good idea, Daria,” Jane said.

 

 

Jane thought about it as Daria drove towards Howard Drive. ‘It would be difficult for me to leave as the Shadow if Jennifer is there, but Daria would be suspicious if I refuse Jennifer’s help now. I’ll have to wait five minutes and get Trent to help Jennifer with my project.’

 

 

Helen and Quinn got out of the car outside the Morris’. They could hear William’s mother in a panic. Helen then rushed up to the door and knocked on it.

 

William’s mother came to the door. “You really shouldn't be here. My husband is out looking for William. He’ll be back soon.”

 

“We want to help,” Helen said. “My daughter wants to help after she told everyone at school and SpiderGirl found out.”

 

“You just... you can't imagine how hard it was for both of us. You probably think we're horrible parents.”

 

“When Ninja Talon and SpiderGirl took William out into the light, why did he change?” Quinn asked.

 

“ It was one of the side effects of the drug. He can't be out in the sun. I wish we'd never gotten involved in that mess. They promised that the drug would make him better. It would make him normal.”

 

“There has to be somebody somewhere that can help your son. And did you try legal recourse?” Helen asked.

 

“We tried everything. Dr. Jenners watched five other boys die trying to reverse the side effects. They had Byron hooked up to all those machines like he was some sort of alien. We did seek legal advice, but Oscorp would have got off.”

 

“Is that why the death certificate was faked?” Quinn asked.

 

“We didn't know what to do. Finally, we-- we locked him in the cellar. He cried for days. He didn't understand why we had to keep him down here. We felt like the monsters.”

 

“But if William is taken out of the sun, will he change back?” Quinn asked.

 

“If somebody is strong enough, but if SpiderGirl was unable to, I don’t know who would be able to.”

 

 

Daria pulled into the Lane’s driveway. “Here we are.”

 

“Looks unkempt,” Jennifer commented quietly.

 

“We do look after the place,” Jane said as she got out.

 

“I’ll be back later,” Daria said.

 

“Good luck finding the fourth vigilante,” Jane said.

 

“I’m sure that I’ll find her, but thanks,” Daria said.

 

 

Jane watched as Daria drove off. ‘I hope she knows what’s she’s doing when it comes to the Enigma.’ She then opened the door and led Jennifer up to her room.

 

 

“This is a lot of maps,” Jennifer said as she looked about the cluttered room.

 

“Yes. I have been doing a project based on the streetscape,” Jane responded.

 

“It seems fairly big.”

 

“I have been working on it for a few weeks.”

 

Jennifer picked up one of the maps. “The thing is, SpiderGirl didn’t say where his house was.”

 

“And all Daria was that it was somewhere halfway between the Historia and the cemetery.”

 

“That could still be anywhere.”

 

“Definitely. Listen, I’m going to get my brother,” Jane said. “He can help.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Hopefully, he’s awake.”

 

 

Jane quickly found that Trent was awake, playing one of his guitars in the room.

 

“What’s up, Janie?” he asked.

 

She quickly explained the situation with William, Daria, and Jennifer.

 

“Hmm, you want to find William as the Shadow,” Trent stated. “Yet Jennifer is here.”

 

“Yes. I want to find him before the fourth vigilante does. There’s no telling what she could do to him.”

 

“But if Ninja Talon got injured and SpiderGirl couldn’t restrain him, he could hurt you to.”

 

“I’ll be careful. Besides Mom gave me gadgets that can work at range, and that may be stronger than SpiderGirl’s webs,” Jane said.

 

“I’ll keep Jennifer company.”

 

 

“This is Trent,” Jane said to Jennifer. “He’ll help you with the maps while I try to gather information.”

 

“You’re leaving?” Jennifer asked.

 

“I won’t be gone long.”

 

 

At the same time as the Shadow leaving Casa Lane, Daria pulled up into the Griffin’s driveway. She rang the doorbell and Sandi’s brother Sam answered it. “Hi Daria,” he said. “Sandi is up in her room.”

 

“Thanks, Sam.”

 

“Up the stairs, and to the left,” Sam said as Daria entered.

 

 

Daria found Sandi’s room to be the girly space she had expected, except that she also had an investigation wall. ‘I suppose she had started putting it together after she saw mine the first time.’

 

“Daria? I didn’t expect to see you here,” Sandi said in surprise.

 

“Something’s happened,” Daria began and explained what happened with SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.

 

 

Sandi took in what Daria had said. “So, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon heard about him and tried to rescue him, and he turned out to be a dangerous metahuman.”

 

“And he could be anywhere in Lawndale. I’m sure you could succeed where SpiderGirl didn’t.”

 

“I know I could, like, find him, but I’m not sure I could restrain him telekinetically without injuring him.”

 

“Maybe not directly,” Daria said.

 

“That’s a good point. But first we need to find him,” Sandi said as she grabbed a map from her desk. “And first an energy drink.”