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?”