Spider Quinn 20 The Imitation Tempest Part 8

 

Sandi entered Cashmans and saw that the knockoff clothes were still on sale. “There are still a lot of them,” she said.

 

Theresa appeared from behind a rack. “Sandi,” she said. “They haven’t really been selling.”

 

“They haven’t?” Sandi asked.

 

“No. Only the occasional person. But most look at the quality and just put them back with disappointment.”

 

“Just as well.”

 

“I haven’t heard anything of clothes based on the other heroes of Lawndale,” Theresa added.

 

“That’s probably just as well,” Sandi said. “Like, SpiderGirl as the first, draws all the attention.”

 

“I don’t think that’s right.”

 

“Ninja Talon too, I guess, as she was the second, but it was Dafoanairi who disabled that robodactyl.”

 

“I’m sure they did it together,” Theresa said.

 

“You’re right.”

 

“I have also heard people talking. Many people don’t like the fact that someone is trying to commodify SpiderGirl.”

 

“That is exactly what is happening,” Sandi groused. “It’s like what happened with the interview, just different.”

 

Theresa nodded. “I knew something was wrong when I watched it. What was surprising was that Lynn Anders went along with it.”

 

“I know. Like, I met her briefly in the Historia just before the robodactyl incident, and how she acted then was completely different to when she took over the airwaves.”

 

“You’re saying that it was more than that she was drinking?”

 

“Exactly,” Sandi answered.

 

 

Fields arrived at the Historia shortly after six. She went up to the box office. “One to see Tempest tonight, please,” she said.

 

“That will be 25 dollars,” the girl said. “It will start at 6:30.”

 

“Thanks,” Fields said as she took the ticket. She then went to the café. There were many teenagers there. ‘Any of girl’s could be SpiderGirl or Ninja Talon,’ she thought as she went to the counter.

 

 

Quinn was having dinner with Daria and Jane when she saw Fields go up to the counter. ‘Maybe she knows some part of what Osborn is up to with all these agents and clothes,’ she thought. ‘But I’ll have to meet her as SpiderGirl another time.’

 

“Something up?” Jane asked.

 

“Just thinking about something. About how Mom thought Lawndale was normal before we moved here,” Quinn answered.

 

“And it turned out to be anything but?” Daria asked rhetorically.

 

“It may have been boring suburbia on the surface, but there was always things lurking underneath,” Jane added.

 

“Besides the subcultures of the unpopular?” Quinn asked. “Like the places Mystik Spiral plays?”

 

“That’s part of it,” Jane said.

 

“More that Oscorp has been here for a while,” Daria said.

 

“You told me that last week, after the incident with William was resolved,” Quinn said.

 

“I remember,” Daria said.

 

“Have you found out much more?” Jane asked.

 

“No. It’s buried deeply, like Osborn knows what he’s doing. But I have found that Oscorp first bought what is now the headquarters a little over fourteen years ago, shortly after Harry’s mother passed away,” Daria answered.

 

“That might be more of a clue,” Quinn commented.

 

“I thought so too,” Daria said. “That his grief started him and his company on the path they are now.”

 

‘It’s like we’re twisted reflections of each other,’ Quinn thought. ‘Different responses to grief. She didn’t say ‘with great power comes great responsibility’.’

 

 

Daria could tell that Quinn was thinking about their father again. “I’m sure he would be proud of how we’re thriving without him.”

 

Quinn smiled at that. “Thanks Daria.”

 

 

Sandi was ready to search again. After Petra Hollier in the yearbook was Lara Ingurman, with short brown hair. “I don’t know Lara either,” Sandi considered. She picked up the energy drink.

 

“Findu mann sem heitir: Lara Ingurman!”

 

She found Lara at the Historia, waiting for the play to start.

 

 

That evening’s production of Tempest went well.

 

As the curtain went down, Fields reflected on the play. ‘This Daria Morgendorffer is very good,’ she thought. It was still raw in some places but it was obvious that Daria had potential as a playwright. The same was true of the actress playing Ariel.

 

 

She was still thinking about that when she emerged onto the roof to find SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon already there.

 

 

Ninja Talon saw the lady first. “Someone’s here,” she said.

 

“Relax, Talon,” SpiderGirl said. “It’s the woman who was the fake me. I’m sure she has a reason for being here.”

 

Ninja Talon nodded. “I’m sure you know who we are,” she said in a more welcoming tone.

 

“Lawndale’s first two vigilante heroes,” the woman said. “You can call me Fields.”

 

“Fields,” Ninja Talon considered as she fidgeted with one of her throwing stars in her belt.

 

“Why are you here?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“I have brought something Osborn has me working on,” Fields answered.

 

“What is that?” SpiderGirl asked. “And why?”

 

“Maps of the routes through Lawndale’s rooftops,” Fields answered.

 

“So, that is how the agents are able to find us?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“But they’re incomplete,” Fields added.

 

“So, you want to give us an advantage?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Yes,” Fields answered, as she handed a folder over.

 

Ninja Talon opened it and they both saw a map of Lawndale’s downtown with many lines marked.

 

SpiderGirl also looked at it. “It looks like a lot of work has already been done.”

 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Fields said.

 

“Wait!” Ninja Talon said.

 

“I have no idea if Osborn is using satellites to spy on Lawndale or not,” Fields said.

 

“He wouldn’t get much that way. Oscorp would have to have a limited number of satellites,” SpiderGirl said. “And limited opportunities to photograph Lawndale in a way that would show you up here with us.”

 

“You have thought about it before?” Fields asked.

 

“Sometimes,” SpiderGirl responded with a shrug. “Thanks for the heads up.”

 

 

SpiderGirl watched Fields go back through the door and down the stairs before turning to Talon. “Yet another thing.”

 

“There seems to be two copies here,” Talon said.

 

“Then we can both have a look before we decide what to do about it.”

 

“True.”

 

 

Fields looked around as she got back to the Lobby. Most of the people had already left after the play. No one looked suspicious. Still, she was nervous after giving the folder to the vigilantes. She then dashed out.

 

 

As soon as she got home, Quinn started looking at the maps in the hidden room. ‘Fields is meticulous, but where did she get this information from, if not from satellite imagery?’ She looked closer. “Not satellites,” she murmured. Some of the paths were obscured by trees, rooftop equipment or other buildings, depending on the angle. She pinned one of the maps up on the wall, and wrote on a post it. Cameras. ‘I wouldn’t put it past Oscorp to use tech like the robodactyl to hover over the rooftops.’

 

But she knew that she hadn’t seen anything like that while on patrol. ‘And I’m sure Brit hasn’t either.’ She thought about it more. ‘Could I ask Daria if the Enigma has?’ She shook her head. That would just make Daria suspicious. ‘It’s bad enough that I suspect that she’s Dafoanairi, and that Peterson strongly suspects my identity. I don’t want Daria doing so too.’ She looked at where she had placed a picture of Peterson on the board. ‘But I can ask her about it. It’s likely that she would be at the Historia in the morning.’

 

 

After midnight, the Enigma looked out over Lawndale towards the downtown from her rooftop. ‘I know Osborn is trying to stop us with those agents,’ she thought, not for the first time. She thought about the previous night’s encounter. She didn’t want to damage too many houses while confronting agents. ‘I don’t want to be seen as a threat to Lawndale, when I’m trying to protect it, even when I’m willing to do anything to protect it.’  She clenched her fists, and raised a forcefield, as the memory of Peterson talking to her on the night of Quinn’s party came up.

 

She calmed herself. She knew what she was going to do. Talk to Osborn in the morning. ‘Probably won’t achieve anything more than what happened with Mother this morning, but I have to try.’ She then jumped down, ready to patrol. ‘But maybe it would be a good idea to ask Dafoanairi for backup.’

 

 

“You’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes. It’s like the way I want to confront SpiderGIrl,” Sandi said.

 

“Which you haven’t done yet.”

 

“The opportunity hasn’t come up.”

 

“Or you’re having second thoughts. You know, at some level, that it mightn’t be good for Lawndale,” Daria said.

 

Sandi sighed as she looked at Daria’s investigation wall. “Maybe Peterson did get to me. But back to Osborn.”

 

“I will provide backup, as I don’t want you to get captured. I want to see where this unexpected friendship will go.”

 

“Like Eclipsing Jane?”

 

“I don’t think so,” Daria answered. “We’re friends in a different way.”

 

“Because we’re superhero partners?”

 

“That’s part of it.”

 

 

“Anyway. I was thinking quite early,” Sandi said.

 

“Just after sunrise?”

 

“A little later. Like, he probably wouldn’t go to the office first thing.”

 

“Showing up at the office when he’s not there probably isn’t the best way to confront him,” Daria said, as she made a note on the wall.

 

“Obviously not.”

 

Daria went over to her computer and brought up a diagram of the Headquarters building she had put together.

 

“You drew this?” Sandi asked.

 

“Yes. I may not be as visually creative as Jane, but I can draft.”

 

“It is functional, which is what matters.”

 

“Yes,” Daria said as she zoomed in on the office. “I shall wait outside on one of the ledges while you confront him in the office. As far as I could tell, the CCTV is on the roof, but not on the walls.”

 

“Risky.”

 

“I know, but I have been practicing and improving my balance,” Daria answered. She briefly remembered rescuing that man who had tried to imitate one of Lynn Anders’ stunts, which she still hadn’t told Sandi about.

 

 

Sandi smiled at that and looked at the wall again. At the map of Oscorp’s footprint in Lawndale, which had grown slightly over the past month. ‘How much more?’ she wondered, not for the first time. “We’re also not sure what Osborn wanted Conner’s research for.”

 

“Whatever it is, certainly isn’t good. It wouldn’t surprise me that there are more like William out there.”

 

“I hope not! But you may be right, which is why I have to do this.”

 

“I agree,” Daria said. She grabbed her staff. “But scoping it out first might be a good idea. We can’t go in without much of a plan.”

 

“I knew you would say that.”

 

 

Twenty minutes later, Dafoanairi and the Enigma looked at the headquarters from the top of the building next door. “At least it’s not all smooth glass,” Dafoanairi said. “That would have made it difficult.”

 

“Apparently Lawndale’s more stylized.”

 

“Or just old fashioned.”

 

 

SpiderGirl listened to the town on her roof at the usual time. The town sounded subdued, as if it was holding it’s breath for something. ‘There are more difficult times ahead,’ she thought.

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Saturday, March 10, 2001

No comment from Norman Osborn About Possible Surveillance

 

Ninja Talon put the paper back. She saw that Penelope Jericho had asked a question of Osborn about the agents that had been seen. ‘Maybe I’ll talk to Peterson later,’ she thought. But she wasn’t sure where.

 

 

The Enigma and Dafoanairi arrived behind the headquarters at 6:45. “Harry says that he leaves about 6:30 on most days,” the Enigma said.

 

“So, he’ll be here in a few minutes.”

 

“Like, better be prepared.”

 

“I know a way up,” Dafoanairi said confidently.

 

The Enigma smiled as her hands glowed faintly.