Daria considered Harry’s remark. ‘Not that harmless,’ she considered. She could see how some of her peers might have favorites that would cause them to be teased about it. “It’s at best, a distraction,” she said.
“A distraction from what has been going on since Groundhog Day?” Jane asked.
“Yes,” Daria responded. “A very Lawndale thing to do. Something earth shattering happens. They try to get on as if nothing happened.”
“Not everyone is like you, Daria,” Sandi said.
“That’s certainly true. But the town’s changed, and most of the students are trying to ignore it,” Daria said.
“Not entirely true,” Jane said. “Remember what happened after the fake interview?”
Daria recalled that nearly all of the students had called around when the fake interview had aired, and they had managed get a copy of the interview within a few hours. “Good point.”
“And then there’s Mr. O’Neill’s latest brainstorm,” Jane added.
“Ugh!” Sandi said. “He’s foisted it on the junior class too. I have no idea what to succeed or fail at.”
“We could talk about that later,” Daria said.
“Sure,” Sandi said.
‘Is Daria just trying to make sure we’re focused?’ Harry wondered. He thought about what had happened since he had arrived in Lawndale.
Daria saw Tori exit the server area. ‘I should ask her about it now.’ She got up.
“Daria?” Jane asked.
“Tori’s here.”
Tori Jericho saw Daria Morgendorffer wave her over. She looked around and saw that Quinn wasn’t there yet, so she went over and sat next to her and across from Harry. “I suppose you’ve been talking about the latest craze?” she asked.
“Yes,” Daria answered. “It’s spread through the school like wildfire.”
“Tell me about it. It’s exhausting giving the same answer over and over,” Tori responded.
“And that is?” Jane asked mischievously.
“A Meercat,” Tori answered as she took a bite. “They observe their environment.”
“You liked Timon when you saw The Lion King, didn’t you?” Jane asked.
Tori felt a flush of embarrassment. “That might have something to do with it,” she admitted.
“But how did this fad start?” Daria asked.
“How does anything start?” Tori asked. “I have no idea at that the moment. I just find it annoying.”
“It’s more of a distraction than anything,” Daria said. “But a distraction nonetheless.”
“Not everyone is interested in what’s causing Lawndale to go out of control,” Tori said. “But I have been keeping my ear on the ground, as it were.”
“And you haven’t heard anything?” Daria concluded.
“It might have come from Middlebury,” Tori answered after some thought. “My cousin there said something about it a week ago. But it might also have come from the Internet.”
“So, a meme, or more like one of those chain emails,” Daria considered as if she wasn’t sure what to make of that.
Quinn saw Tori sitting with Daria and Sandi. “I’ll talk to her later,” she murmured. She then noticed Anna Coultard and Ben Harrod, two of her fellow students she was mentoring.
Anna turned to Quinn as she sat. “Hi, Quinn.”
“I see you’re not asking what everyone else is,” Quinn said.
“I got tired of answering after the first half dozen times,” Anna responded.
“I’m tired of it too,” Ben added. “A few even joked about the time I got bit by that Copperhead!”
That almost startled Quinn. “Really?”
“Yes,” Ben answered with annoyance.
“That’s not right,” Quinn said.
“I told them that,” Anna interjected as she took Ben’s in hers.
Quinn changed the topic. “How do you feel about Mr. O’Neil’s assignment?”
“Like, why set us up for failure?” Anna asked. “Either way we fail something, or fail the assignment.”
“That’s a good point,” Quinn responded. “Do you think I should bring that up with Ms. Li?”
“It may be a good idea,” Ben answered as he paused in his careful eating.
Meanwhile, Brittany had joined her friends and fellow cheerleaders Angie Zammit and Donna Bolton.
“So, Brit, tired of this fad yet?” Donna asked. “I’m sure I have given more than five answers.”
“A little,” Brittany answered. “But I am a little curious.”
“Really, Brit?” Angie asked in annoyance. “Besides, my favorite is a spider.”
“You mean, SpiderGirl,” Brittany said in a slight ribbing tone.
Angie shrugged. “Well, her powers had to come from somewhere.”
“But what answer have you been giving, Brit?” Donna asked.
“Like a marmoset,” Brittany answered while twirling a pigtail.
“Good choice,” Angie said.
“It has been cat, mouse, dog and giraffe most often,” Donna added.
“That makes sense,” Brittany said.
At the Oscorp tower, Osborn’s assistant Fields was having a usual day, trying to organize Oscorp’s operations in Lawndale in a way that Osborn would find appropriate. She didn’t jump when Osborn entered the office in a storm.
“Find out more on Angier Sloane that is not publicly known,” he directed.
“Yes, sir.”
“And look into the ownership structure of Winged Tree Country Club.”
Fields nodded, although she was sure that the members were the owners.
Osborn entered his office, and looked out over Lawndale towards where the Country Club lay to the southeast. ‘But maybe an Oscorp buyout would be too obvious.’ He opened a file on his computer that he had read earlier that morning.
Oscorp Industries Glider Prototype Mark II
Construction complete.
Entering testing phase.
‘Maybe I can use it to destroy that building. But what about the vigilantes?’ He knew that the agents hadn’t really stopped them in their tracks. ‘But there are many ways they can be distracted.’ He looked at a map of Lawndale on one of the walls. ‘Five or six places…’
Daria and Sandi met on the roof as school let out. “Brittany is waiting in the Library,” Daria said, as she tutored Brittany in various subjects twice a week.
“She can wait,” Sandi said as she looked out over the town.
“She’ll ask why I’m late, but alright.”
“You said we could, like, talk about Mr. O’Neill’s assignment later.”
“I was going to suggest choosing an activity from the list of extracurricular activities,” Daria said.
“I’ll have another look.”
“And that way, even if you don’t like it, Mr. O’Neill will be satisfied, in a way.”
“I guess so,” Sandi said, as she tied her hair back, ready to be the Enigma for the afternoon.
“But otherwise, no pressure.”
“There’s still, like, some pressure from O’Neill, but it could still be worse.”
“Let’s not tempt fate,” Daria responded.
In the Library, Quinn saw Anna and Ben arrive. “Have you seen Gerald?” she asked, referring to the third of the students she was mentoring alongside the couple.
“I saw him between fifth and sixth period,” Ben said. “Arguing that he doesn’t need to pick a favorite animal.”
“Good for him,” Quinn commented, “but where is he? Is he concerned that I’d be asking? Or that you two would be?”
“I wouldn’t,” Ben said.
“Let’s start anyway,” Quinn said with a sigh. “But we’ll wait about five minutes.”
Gerald Brown arrived in a huff in slightly less of that time. “A very annoying day!” he grumbled.
“Don’t worry, I’m not asking you the question,” Quinn said.
Gerald breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down.
“I may not be asking about that fad….” Quinn began.
“But about O’Neill’s crazy assignment,” Gerald interrupted.
“Yes,” Quinn said. “What are you doing about it?”
“I was wondering what you are going to say about it,” Gerald responded.
“What Mr. O’Neill probably intends. For us to use it as a learning opportunity,” Quinn answered. “It’s like what my mom sometimes says. That you’ll never know what we can handle until we try.”
“That’s a good point,” Ben said. “Looking back. The past couple of months, since this started have been good for us, despite what else may be happening in town.”
“That’s obvious. I have been keeping track,” Quinn said. “But I’m not having Mr. O’Neill inadvertently sabotage this.”
“He won’t and he hasn’t,” Anna said.
“A good attitude,” Quinn said.
“But what are you getting at?” Ben asked. “Something like O’Neill’s challenge. Pick something we’ll know we’ll fail at and learn from that?”
“Something like it,” Quinn said with slight annoyance. “More like, going out of your comfort zone. I’ll be doing that myself. Reading at least one book Daria will recommend.”
“Given how Tempest is layered with meaning, that book could be anything that’s a classic,” Anna said.
“But whether I’ll like it would be another thing,” Quinn said. “But at least I’ll know my tastes for literature better.”
“Maybe I’ll do something similar,” Anna said. “Branch out to Greek mythology and try to read The Odyssey.”
“That’s a good choice,” Quinn said.
Ben thought about what Quinn had said, and what Anna had chosen. He too could branch out. “Something related.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Quinn said.
He looked to Anna, and her expression backed up what Quinn just said.
“I guess it could be trying to memorize the names of all the insect orders,” he said.
“That sounds achievable,” Quinn said.
“But it’s tricky. The naming convention seems consistent, but it isn’t that straightforward, and there are so many,” Ben said.
“But it is the challenge. The balance between what O’Neill tried to set out and being defiant against it,” Anna contributed.
“Absolutely,” Ben said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
“And you, Gerald?” Quinn asked.
Gerald sighed. Quinn was her usual enthusiastic self. ‘The favorite animal thing hasn’t really affected her,’ he thought. But it had affected him, so he hadn’t really given O’Neill’s brainwave of an assignment challenge much thought. He said so.
“Something to do with Astronomy, right?” Quinn asked. “Trying to view something in the sky despite the streetlights?”
Gerald shook his head. “That would just cause eye strain. That’s not worth it over this.”
“That’s a good point. I’ve seen Daria struggle at the times she needed new glasses,” Quinn said. “It obviously not pleasant for her. But what else could there be.”
“And I still haven’t got far with the elocutionist. So, no dramatic reading yet,” Gerald added.
Peter considered webslinging back to Glen Oaks Lane, but decided against it. Spider-Man appearing in Lawndale would draw too much attention. ‘But I can still get there quickly. Maybe Claire is still here.’
Claire was surprised when Peter came up to her. “Peter?”
“I need a lift,” he said.
“Why? Lawndale has a good bus service.”
“I need to get to Glen Oaks Lane quickly.”
“Is that where you’re staying?” Claire asked.
“Yes.”
“I’ll take you.”
Brittany pulled up into the Morgendorffers’ driveway. “See, five minutes. I guess they’re out the back,” she said as she turned off the engine, while also twirling a pigtail.
“Yes,” Quinn answered.
“In the yard?” Stacy asked.
“Yes, we don’t need to go through the house,” Daria said a she got out.
Kaelyn emerged from the TARDIS as Quinn lead the group around the side of the house past the kitchen door. “Kim and Ron have gone home overnight,” she said.
“But has the Doctor found more?” Daria asked.
“Yes, but it’s best that he explains it.”
“We still need to wait for Peter,” Quinn said.
“The Morgendorffers,” Claire said as she pulled up. “That’s where you’re staying?”
“For now,” Peter answered.
“Or something’s going on,” Claire said.
“No comment,” Peter said as he got out of the car.
The Doctor saw Quinn lead the other girls into the TARDIS.
“It’s bigger on the inside!” Stacy commented in a slight panic.
That was new. No one had been in a panic before as they said that.
“Dimensionally transcendental, according to the Doctor,” Quinn said. “And it’s perfectly safe, Stacy. It’s where the Doctor would take it that would be dangerous.”
“Oh.”
“But she’s stuck in Lawndale for the time being,” the Doctor added.
“What happened?” Brittany asked.
“She picked up the portal machine before Quinn and I activated it,” the Doctor answered.
“But what have you found?” Quinn asked as she and Stacy came up to the console.
“Energy readings, scattered around Lawndale,” the Doctor answered.
“Not scattered,” Stacy murmured.
“There’s a pattern you recognise?” the Doctor asked.
“A little,” Stacy answered. She pointed to one of them, in the middle of the extensive suburbia to the west of the downtown area and southeast of the Morgendorffers. “This is the Coulthard’s, my next-door neighbors.”
“Anna is in our grade,” Quinn added.
“What about the others?” Kaelyn asked.
“One is the Giant Strawberry,” Stacy added.
“I see that,” Daria commented.
“Wait!” Jane said as she came up to scanner screen.
“You see something?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes. It’s like a flower blooming across Lawndale. The Strawberry is at the end of one petal,” Jane explained.
“I don’t see any flower,” the Doctor objected.
“It’s not just the flower,” Jane said. “But the floral part is the most obvious to my mind.”
“Right, but what does this mean?” Brittany asked. “What are the energy readings?”
“They’re similar to the portal,” the Doctor answered. “Meaning that they may be similar tech.”
“And would there be similar readings in Middleton?” Kaelyn asked.
“I guess I’ll have to go and check,” the Doctor answered. “Kim and Ron won’t be back for a while.”
Jane took out a sketchpad and started copying the flower pattern. “All of Lawndale,” she commented.
“I said that, didn’t I?” the Doctor asked.
“No, you said ‘across Lawndale’, not ‘across all of Lawndale,’” Kaelyn responded.
“Semantics,” the Doctor said as he watched Jane continue to sketch.
“Can you broaden the range?” Jane asked.
“Certainly,” the Doctor responded. “How far?”
“Oakwood for a start,” Jane answered.
“Sure,” the Doctor responded. He input a few commands, and the screen zoomed out to show Oakwood, not far to the west of Lawndale. “There are only two readings in Oakwood.’”
“And in the eastern subdivisions,” Daria commented.
“Maybe it is just Lawndale,” Jane considered, “But zoom out to the entire county to be sure.”
The Doctor zoomed the screen out.
Carter Lawndale County
Energy reading concentration, Lawndale
“Nowhere near Middlebury or Cumberland,” the Doctor said.
“So, practically just Lawndale,” Kaelyn considered.
“The furthest is on the other side of the lake,” the Doctor confirmed.
Quinn thought about the situation. “But did they appear before, or after we activated the portal?” she asked the Doctor.
“Checking that now,” the Doctor said. He scanned back to the morning again, and they saw that the energy readings slowly appeared after the portal was activated.
“Would that mean they would be in Middleton too?” Brittany asked.
“Quite likely, but the TARDIS can’t scan through the portal, and I’m not sure she would travel there.”
“You can try,” Daria said after crossing her arms.
“Right,” the Doctor said. He input the coordinates in Middleton, and set the TARDIS in motion.
It was still in the early hours when SpiderGirl responded to alarms at the facility on Lawndale’s northern edge, not far from the Interstate.
She saw that a window had been smashed. “Subtle, aren’t they?” she quipped as she swung onto the roof, where she found an open vent and crawled inside.
On the ground floor, she found a mess. “You must be new. There usually isn’t much of a mess,” she quipped as she crawled on the ceiling.
She soon found the thief and was surprised. “Sam Elders?” she asked.
The would-be thief turned from where he was upending some materials. “SpiderGirl?” he asked in surprise. “I thought it would be one of the others.”
“You knew you would get caught by one of Lawndale’s heroes, and yet you’re here.”
“It was worth the risk,” Sam responded.
SpiderGirl swung down. “It totally wasn’t,” she said as she tried to web him up.
He avoided the webs by ducking behind equipment.
“Uh!” SpideGirl said. “You know that will just make me make more of a mess, right?”
“And get arrested by Officer Peterson again?” No thanks.”
“Well, duh! How did you get out anyway?”
“How else? Bail!” Sam answered as he was cornered and got caught by a web. “Crap.”
“Of course,” SpiderGirl groused as she webbed Sam up securely.
Half an hour later, as the Sun rose, Officer Xanthe Peterson found Sam webbed up in the facility foyer. She sighed. “Yes, SpiderGirl called it in,” she said as she took out her cuffs. “Sam Elders, you’re under arrest for breaking and entering.”
“What about SpiderGirl?”
“It’s the same as at the Solarium,” Peterson answered.
Sam was silent as she led him away. Of course it was.
Lawndale Sun-Herald
Tuesday, March 13, 2001
Oscorp Interference with Mound Site Unconfirmed
Melinda Parris
SpiderGirl arrived on the school roof a half hour before homeroom. She then changed to her usual persona of Quinn Morgendorffer, slowly improving, involved, sophomore student. ‘Brit should be here shortly,’ she thought.
Indeed, it was only a few minutes before another vigilante hero arrived on the rooftop and changed to her student persona; Ninja Talon, or rather, Brittany Taylor. “You said something happened in that message,” she said.
“Yes,” Quinn answered and explained about finding Sam in that facility.
“You think he’ll get out again?” Brittany asked.
“Most likely,” Quinn said as she opened the door to the stairs down. “But the next question would be, who?”
Brittany twirled a pigtail. “No real idea, other than maybe Osborn.”
“That’s only one possibility,” Quinn said as she opened the door.
On the ground floor after she and Brittany had gone in different directions, Quinn ran into Jamie White.
“Morning, Quinn.”
“Morning, Jamie. Something up?”
“It’s that most people are talking about their favorite animals,” Jamie answered.
“It’s probably just a fad,” Quinn responded. “As a way to distract from what’s going on.”
“I guess so. But some advice? You're about to embark on a journey that will change your life. What snacks would you bring along?”
“My life has already been changed, but my snack preferences haven’t.”
“So, carrot sticks?” Jamie asked as they walked along.
“But what does that tell you about my favorite animal?”
“A rabbit?”
“Not really,” Quinn responded. Her actual favorite animal was a small mammal, but Rabbits and Hares weren’t it.
The junior grade had Language Arts first period. Brittany wondered what Mr. O’Neill would be talking about as she entered the classroom. She was sure to arrive early, to make sure that she and her ex-boyfriend, Kevin Thompson, wouldn’t be sitting near each other. As she entered the classroom, she saw that Jodie Landon was already there. “Good Morning, Jodie.”
“Morning, Brittany,” Jodie said, with an undertone of sadness.
“Is something up?”
“Oh, it’s just that Oscorp is trying to make moves on my father’s company. But you didn’t hear that from me.”
“I won’t spread it,” Brittany responded. ‘I’d tell at least Quinn, maybe Daria.’
“Thanks, Brittany.”
Then Mr. O’Neill arrived. “Oh! Only you two,” he said.
“Yes, Mr. O’Neill,” Brittany said.
“I don’t understand why the homerooms are scattered about the school,” O’Neill murmured.
“Probably the best that Ms. Li could do,” Jodie murmured, before more students entered the classroom.
“So class, your assignment is to pick something you know you'll fail at. To prove that failing isn't the end of the world,” O’Neill said to the class.
“There goes my motivation,” Quinn’s older sister, Daria, commented.
“Relax,” Jane Lane said. “At least he’s not making us guess people’s identities by feeling their hands.”
“Again?” Daria asked rhetorically.
“Brittany, what is something you’re sure you’d fail at?” O’Neill asked.
Brittany twirled a pigtail. “I suppose, learning something really complicated.”
“Excellent! Although it depends on what that is.”
“Some science thing.”
‘That will have to do, although Janet won’t be pleased, ’O’Neill thought, thinking of the Science teacher he was involved with despite the principal’s anti fraternization policy. “Brittany! You’ll fail at the science thing.”
‘I hope not, because I’m sure she’ll bring it up at the next tutoring session,’ Daria thought.
“Who else wants to pick what they are going to fail at? Kevin, what about you?”
“Me?” Kevin asked. “I’m the QB. But I’m going to ask SpiderGirl out.”
Brittany heard Kevin. ‘Quinn told me about that. That he got a crush on her as Spidey after she rescued him.’
“So, you’re going to fail at trying to get a date with Lawndale’s first superhero? Isn’t that a bit much?” O’Neill asked.
“No!” Kevin said. “I’ll find her.”
“She may say no,” O’Neill said.
“Probably. But I’ll ask again.”
‘I’ll have to tell Quinn later,’ Brittany thought.
O’Neill turned to Jodie. “My parents make me spend my entire summer doing volunteer work that'll look good on my college application. I'd never be able to get the summer off.”
“Perfect. Mack?” O’Neill responded.
After the class, Jane Lane and Daria talked about it as they headed to their next class. “This is the most stupid idea he’s had,” Daria said. “If not for everything else happening in Lawndale these days, it would have been one of the strangest.”
“Especially with there being two superheroes with strange powers.”
“Especially that. Speaking of, what do you think of Kevin’s quest?”
“He’s wasting his time,” Jane said. “SpiderGirl appears where she wants to.”
“Then there is the fact that people are asking each other about their favorite animal.”
“I don’t know how that started.”
“I guess I could ask Tori,” Daria responding, referring to one of Quinn’s friends.
“But that probably won’t be until lunch,” Jane responded.
“I know, but we can ask others if we run into them.”
Elsewhere in Lawndale, Norman Osborn entered the Main Office of Grace, Sloane and Page, a so called ‘class firm’. He went up to the reception desk.
“How may I help you?” the impeccably put together receptionist asked.
He handed over a business card. “Osborn to see Sloane at 10:00.”
“Mr. Sloane is ready now, sir.”
Angier Sloane didn’t really want to meet Norman Osborn. But circumstances had brought the meeting about, and he couldn’t put it off any longer. He saw Osborn enter. “Welcome to Grace, Sloane and Page, Mr. Osborn.”
“Lets get to the point shall we,” Osborn said.
“Of course,” Angier said as he grabbed a printout. “Your request to join Winged Tree Country Club is denied.”
“I knew that,” Osborn said with annoyance.
“I was getting to the reason. That recent news regarding Oscorp has brought up concerns about your influence on Lawndale.”
“But that’s hearsay!”
“Nonetheless, that is the truth,” Angier responded.
“That isn’t all is it?”
“I am aware of your manipulations of the City Council, and of what really happened to Lynn Anders.”
“All just malicious rumors,” Norman said.
“I know there’s no real proof, but whatever you’re going to say is not going to change my mind.”
“You’re going to regret this.”
“And that’s another reason,” Angier added.
The refusal stung. ‘Just because the Sloanes retained their wealth, and Angier went to Bromwell!’ Norman groused as he stepped out of Grace, Sloane and Page a few minutes later. He had to work to get himself through Empire State, work to establish and grow Oscorp. He turned and looked at the old-style building. He had done his research, and knew that the Sloanes had been in Lawndale since it’s founding. ‘I will bring you down, Angier!’ But that was a long-term project.
But he had another idea.
Shorty after the beginning of lunch, Daria entered the cafeteria and heard the students already in there discussing the ‘favorite animals’ fad, as well as participating in it. ‘But is Tori here?’ she wondered as she looked around. She found that Tori Jericho wasn’t there yet, but she saw Jane sitting across from Sandi Griffin, with the two glaring at each other the way they usually did, as well as Harry Osborn.
“Daria!” Jane called when Daria arrived with her meal. “Harry has heard something.”
“What is that?” Daria asked. “Is it something to do with this fad? Or is it something else?”
“Something else,” Harry answered.
“He’s been talking about the vigilantes again,” Sandi guessed.
“Not this time,” Harry said. “He was saying something about the Country Club refusing him.”
“They probably resent that he is trying to take over Lawndale,” Sandi suggested.
“I can see how they would think that,” Harry said in a thoughtful tone.
‘Thing is, Harry, your father is trying to take over Lawndale,’ Jane thought. She kept that to herself, as she was sure that no one at school still knew that she was the Shadow, the third of Lawndale’s hero vigilantes to appear, after SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon.
“Still, it’s probably a good thing that they refused him,” Daria said.
“But he’s going to be complaining about it,” Harry said.
“And probably plotting,” Sandi added.
“Of course,” Daria said. “But we can probably do more about the favorite animal thing.”
Healing
Luke 4:14 - 21
Jesus was announcing that He was Messiah and what He was going to do.
Paul
Galatians 4:13 - 15
Galatians 6:11
2 Corinthians 12:6, 7
Thorn in the flesh.
God wanted Paul to the humble.
You don't have to be perfect for God to use you.
Acts 9:40
Peter was praying to God, calling upon Him.
Peter prayed first. We shouldn't jsut tell dead people to get up! It's not in our authority. We don't get to tell God what to do. It is according to His will.
God answered Peter's prayer.
God was doing the healing.
Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 8
“Are you sure?” Dafoanairi asked, having figured out what the Enigma intended to do.
“Not entirely, but do you or Ninja Talon have any better ideas?”
“Not right at the moment,” Dafoanairi admitted.
“Um, no,” Ninja Talon added.
Dafoanairi figured that Ninja Talon had figured it out too. “We need to defend her,” she said.
“I’ll do so too,” SpiderGirl said.
Dafoanairi saw that an agent had exposed more of the stone. ‘Trying to bury it in the short time left would be difficult,’ she thought.
The sun began to rise, illuminating everyone there.
“Now, you’re going to witness something.”
“That’s, like, what you think,” the Enigma said. She then concentrated as she tried to telekinetically lift a large amount of soil nearby.
Dafoanairi watched as the Enigma strained. ‘It would take at least ten minutes to get her home if she exhausts herself,’ she thought.
The Enigma strained and realised that she was trying to pick up too much soil too fast. She settled for just ripping up a sheet of grass.
“How long can you hold that up?” Osborn asked as he watched the grass block the rising Sun.
“Long enough,” the Enigma said, although she wasn’t sure.
But the lack of sleep that night had taken its toll on her and her hold on the grass slipped after another half of a minute. “Sorry,” she murmured to Dafoanairi.
“We’ll have to….” Dafoanairi started before the Enigma let go of the grass and leaned against her in exhaustion. ‘She’s not as out of it as before,’ she thought.
The stone glowed as the sunlight hit it. The mound started shaking.
“Uh olh!” SpiderGIrl said.
“Finally!” Osborn said.
The vigilantes struggled to maintain their footing, with SpiderGirl struggling the least. She took Ninja Talon’s hand and steadied her.
“I would have thought I’d be able keep my balance,” Ninja Talon said in slight embarrassment.
“This isn’t like anything else we’ve experienced,” SpiderGirl said.
The soil shook free of the mound, revealing that they were standing on a structure similar to a ziggurat. Bright lines covered it. It stopped shaking and Dafoanairi examined some of the inscriptions she could see.
“Sort of looks like hieroglyphics, from Egypt,” SpiderGirl commented.
“Not really,” Ninja Talon added.
“It isn’t that,” Osborn said.
“Not hieroglyphics,” Dafoanairi said. “More like Cuneiform. But what would something similar to Egypt or Sumeria be doing in what is now Pennsylvania?”
“I have no idea,” Spark responded. “But it’s going to spark interest once it gets out.”
“But it won’t get out,” Osborn said.
“Not in the way you think,” Ninja Talon said as she pointe to the southeast.
Everyone looked and saw a large craft approaching. It had a pair of dirigible envelopes with a platform between them.
“SHIELD!” Osborn declared with annoyance.
“Must be one of the calls the professor made last night,” Ninja Talon said.
A quinjet lifted off of the Dirigible Carrier platform and approached the site.
The quinjet landed and three men stepped out. One of them produced his badge. “Agent Phil Coulson. Director Fury has ordered us to secure this site.”
Osborn grumbled. “Of course he has.”
Coulson turned to SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. “Ninja Talon, is it? The professor sends his regards.”
“So, what now?” Ninja Talon asked.
“Despite the events that occurred here both yesterday and this morning, and at the Oakwood hospital last night, Osborn hasn’t done anything technically illegal,” Coulson answered with annoyance in his professional tone. “This is officially a warning.”
“Got it,” Osborn said. “I shall clear off. But Fury will be receiving a complaint!”
“And he’ll read it,” Coulson responded with the same tone of annoyance. “But please leave immediately.”
“We’ll be leaving also,” Dafoanairi said. “I need to get this one somewhere to rest,” she added, indicating the Enigma.
“Go ahead,” Coulson said.
SpiderGirl thought about it, as she and Ninja Talon headed back into Oakwood. “SHIELD,” she murmured.
“Huh?” Ninja Talon asked.
“I was just thinking about what that agent said, I think he was saying that SHIELD has no solid proof that Osborn was up to something.”
“I think he was saying that he’s aware that he’s up to his neck in it… Exactly.”
“I think the First Nations people probably wouldn’t be happy with SHIELD occupying the site. I don’t know what they would think of the step pyramid thing.”
“I don’t know either.”
Dafoanairi and the Enigma reached the latter’s mother’s car where they had parked it earlier before changing back into the usual Daria and Sandi respectively. Daria looked at Sandi, who still looked exhausted. “We should go back to Lawndale.”
“You know that Mother will just tell me to go to sleep.”
“And she’d be right.”
“I know,” Sandi said with slight annoyance. “I’m not sure what she’ll make of this situation though.”
“She does need to know,” Daria said as she started the car.
Sandi nodded.
Oakwood Chronicle
Monday, March 12, 2001
Police Called to Hospital Last Night
SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon arrived on the Story Oak’s roof half an hour after sunrise.
“I don’t think Joey will be up yet,” SpiderGirl said. “But I probably won’t get much sleep.”
“Neither will I, but I better get back before Ashley-Amber sees that I’m not home again,” Ninja Talon said, referring to her step mother.
“I’ll see you later, Talon.”
Elsewhere in Oakwood, the silent vigilante arrived back at her home and took off her mask, certain that her mother was still asleep. But she was wrong. Her mother emerged from the kitchen. “Sarah Robyn? You’ve been out again?” she asked rhetorically.
Alex Brown knew that her daughter had been up to something. The look on her face confirmed her suspicions. “I know that you think you need to do what you’re doing, Sarah Robyn, but I don’t want to lose you. She went up and hugged her. You know that I miss hearing your voice.”
Sarah Robyn backed off and signed. I met SpiderGirl last night.
“Have you been going over to Lawndale?”
No, it was here in Oakwood, at the hospital.
“Oh! But I hope that what’s happening in Lawndale is not going to happen here too.”
I hope so too.
“But we do need to talk about what you’re doing.”
Sarah Robyn breathed out in a silent sigh.
Quinn entered the apartment to find that Joey was still asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, how long until breakfast? I think Larissa said that the Story Oak will open at 8:00 today.” She looked at the time. 7:55. “It’ll be quite soon, and I get the feeling that I need to be in Lawndale by noon.”
After waking up and dressing, Joey saw that Quinn was waiting in the main room of the apartment. “Oh, you’re here,” he said. “But you…”
“Look like I haven’t slept?” Quinn finished for him. “I didn’t get much sleep at all, but I’ll be fine.”
“We don’t have to go to breakfast right now if you don’t want to.”
“No, I’m up and so is the sun, let’s go.”
The café wasn’t that busy yet, so Quinn saw that Larissa was already there. “Morning, Larissa,” she said as she came up.
“Morning, Quinn,” Larissa responded with a yawn.
“I guess you’re worried about how the Story Oak will do.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure it will do fine,” Quinn said in reassurance.
“Did you find anything last night?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were investigating what is happening out in the mound right?” Larissa asked. “Everyone is going to notice that SHIELD Dirigible Carrier.”
“Not much, but I’m sure that the professor knows,” Quinn answered. ‘Sorry, Larissa, only Brittany and Officer Peterson know I’m SpiderGirl.’
“So, you’r going to talk to him before going back to Lawndale?”
“Yes, but after breakfast.”
Larissa watched Quinn go to order as she reflected on the night just passed as a crackle of static flickered between her and the table.
“So, what did you do last night?” Joey asked.
“Looking around Oakwood,” Quinn answered, as she did do that on her way towards the mound. “And we’re going to talk to the professor before we go home.”
“I want to know more myself. But what if SHIELD is at the hospital?”
“I’ll just talk my way past them.”
“But they aren’t teachers or other students,” Joey responded.
“I’ll make it work.”
It turned out that SHIELD wasn’t at the hospital, but Quinn saw that Officer Vale was. He didn’t look in her direction more than once. She relaxed. Peterson had kept her promise and hadn’t shared her knowledge of her secret identity with him.
“Professor Aldridge is awake,” an orderly said, after Quinn asked about him.
“Thanks,” Quinn responded.
Professor Aldridge was looking out the window at the Dirigible Carrier when Quinn and Joey came in.
“Good Morning, Professor,” Quinn said.
He turned to face her and Joey before motioning for them to sit. “Morning, Ms. Morgendorffer. Ï’m sure you and Mr. Green have a reason for stopping in so early.”
“We’re heading back to Lawndale today,” Quinn responded. “And I have heard about SHIELD taking over the site instead of Oscorp.”
Aldridge sighed. “Yes. I can tell you that SHIELD is now occupying the site. A necessary evil. It’s better they have taken it over than Oscorp. As an aside, I knew Agent Coulson when he was a student.”
“So, you called in a favor?” Joey asked.
“Yes,” Aldridge answered.
“But what do the First Nations people think?” Quinn asked.
“They don’t like it, but Coulson has allayed their concerns,” Aldridge said.
Quinn thought about that answer. ‘That has worked out,’ she thought. ‘But there being a ziggurat, or whatever it is, there is probably their biggest concern.’
17th
Evangelism
One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.
Luke 15:1 - 10
Lost people matter to God.
vs 1, 2
The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law muttering about who Jesus was associating with.
God's heart is broken when His children are lost.
vs 10
Luke 15:11 - 32
Therefore they should matter to you.
You can share the Gospel and be yourself.
As there are many ways of teaching, there are many ways to be an evangelist.
Peter - Confrontationist
Paul - Intellectual
Acts 17:22, 23
Blind Man - Testimonial
John 9:25
Matthew - Friendship
Samaritan Woman - Invitational
Dorcus - Service
Ephesians 4:7 - 16
Roles
Apostles
Pastor
Teaching
Evangelism
Prophecy
We are all called to be evangelists
Matthew 28:18 - 20
Acts 1:8
2 Timothy 4:8
Do the best you can
God has given us the responsibility, to tell other beggars where to find bread.
Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 7
The Enigma lowered the forcefield she had used to protect herself and Dafoanairi. “Of course he’d trap it like that!” she groused.
“Whatever this thing is, he’s considering it worth the risk to sacrifice vehicles for,” Dafoanairi snarked.
SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon then swung down from the trees. “You tripped a trap?” SpiderGirl asked.
“You’d do the same,” the Enigma retorted.
“Not the same way,” SpiderGirl responded. “I’d throw the parts clear.”
“But if we’re might careful, he might also booby trap the mound,” Dafoanairi pointed out.
“I won’t let that happen,” SpiderGirl said. She swung back up into the canopy.
She approached the spot where Osborn was talking to the new arrivals.
“According to the satellite scans, Aldridge was going to find it either tonight or tomorrow. Just hold off the vigilantes and I’ll have it unearthed by sunrise,” Osborn said.
“But they may act in unpredictable ways,” one of the agents spoke up.
“I’m aware of that, but it would take them time to come up with a strategy that would work for them. Time they won’t have.”
‘That’s what you think,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung back in the direction of the other vigilantes.
Ninja Talon had been thinking about a strategy. But the biggest issue was that she hadn’t really seen the silent vigilante in action. But she did know the Enigma and Dafoanairi’s strengths and weaknesses well enough. ‘We can disrupt Osborn’s plans by keeping the agents busy, but also feinting attacks on him. Spidey and the Enigma can be flashy and can use their powers to disarm and restrain them. Dafoanairi and I can keep them on their toes and try to distract Osborn.’
SpiderGirl returned. “Osborn thinks we’ll take too long to come up with a strategy.”
“I already have the basics,” Talon said.
“That’s great!”
Dafoanairi thought about the strategy Ninja Talon laid out. She had to admit that it was very good. ‘That still doesn’t narrow down who she is,’ she thought. But that wasn’t what she wanted to dwell on while trying to stop Osborn from desecrating a First Nations site. “I can certainly do it. But it will get tiring well before sunrise, given it’s still several hours.’
“Let’s do it,” the Enigma said.
“Of course you would be enthusiastic about this,” SpiderGirl said. “We have to be responsible about this.”
The Enigma rolled her eyes. “Oh, like, this again?”
“I’m not going to argue about it now,” SpiderGirl said. She then paused and twirled on her feet. “Someone is coming.”
Dafoanairi looked and saw another vigilante arrive. A young woman, about their age, wearing a mask and cloak with yellow accents, climbing up the trees.
SpiderGirl waited until the new vigilante had come up to their level in the canopy and sat on a branch close to her and Ninja Talon. “So, you’re new, and from Lawndale or Oakwood?”
“Oakwood,” the new vigilante answered. “I haven’t been active much yet, but I heard about what was going on here earlier tonight.”
“We were just talking about how to deal with Osborn,” Ninja Talon said.
“That’s cool, Ninja Talon, right? I’m Spark,” the new vigilante said as she held out a hand.
Ninja Talon shook it.
“Spark?” Dafoanairi asked.
“Yeah,” Spark responded. “I can generate electricity.” She held out her hand and sparks shot out of it a short distance.”
“Impressive,” the Enigma responded. “Although that’s not much compared to my powers.”
“I was holding back,” Spark said defensively.
“That’s fine,” SpiderGirl said. “But we now need to include you in our plan.”
Spark nodded. “Go on,” she said.
Ninja Talon laid out the plan again, this time including Spark alongside herself and Dafoanairi.
“Ready?” Ninja Talon asked when she had finished.
All five other vigilantes nodded.
SpiderGirl quickly webbed up two of the agents, but the third was quick to use the web dissolving fluid. “How much of that do you have?”
“I’m sure your webs are finite too,” the agent responded.
“Maybe,” SpiderGirl said. “But I haven’t yet run out at a critical moment.” She had wondered what would happen if she did, so she had been working on a mechanical solution. (But that was slow going.) Even so, she shot more webs such that the agent couldn’t access the fluid.
“Hey!”
SpiderGirl turned and signalled the silent vigilante who was still waiting in the tree canopy.
The Enigma shot projections around where Osborn was walking to the exact site where Aldridge had been digging.
“You’re holding back, Enigma,” Osborn said. “You don’t want to damage the site.”
“Well, I have no idea what is under there, nor how it would react to my projections at their full power.”
“That is a good attitude to have.”
“Yeah, but we’re still going to stop you,” the Enigma said.
Osborn just smirked.
Dafoanairi watched Ninja Talon swiftly take out an agent nearby. ‘The Enigma better not get too cocky when she eventually confronts SpiderGirl.’
This continued for the rest of the early hours, with Osborn slowly calling in more agents from Lawndale, and the hero vigilantes defeating them.
“Problem,” Ninja Talon said as she looked at the early dawn light appearing over the glow of Lawndale’s streetlights.
“The agents could recover,” SpiderGirl guessed.
“Exactly,” Ninja Talon said.
“We just take them out again,” the Enigma stated.
“That is irresponsible,” SpiderGirl said. “Increases the risk of permanent injury.”
“I’m aware of that!” the Enigma said as she stepped closer to SpiderGirl.
Dafoanairi interjected by placing her quarterstaff between the two. “That’s enough. There’s little time for this.”
“Do you do this a lot?” Spark asked.
“Yes, I’m her rival!” The Enigma answered.
“It’s just unresolved due to everything that’s happening,” Ninja Talon said.
“But what we can do, we have already been doing,” Dafoanairi said.
“I think we need to secure the actual site, or Osborn may dig it up as the sun rises,” SpiderGirl said.
Ninja Talon looked at her watch. “We have about forty minutes.”
“That isn’t much time,” Dafoanairi pointed out.
“Then we force our way through,” Ninja Talon decided. “With all of our abilities we can do it.”
“So, we just overwhelm Osborn?” Spark asked incredulously.
Ninja Talon nodded. “But he might have some of those pumpkin bombs with him.”
“I confronted him in his office about the agents,” the Enigma said. “Something you didn’t do.”
“I didn’t because it’s reckless and irresponsible,” SpiderGirl said.
“Enough!” Dafoanairi said.
SpiderGirl backed off and leaned back against the trunk and Ninja Talon. The Enigma calmed down and also sat back. “Sorry,” she said, more to Dafoanairi than to SpiderGirl.
‘I know Enigma is impatient about the confrontation, despite her changes,’ Dafoanairi thought.
“Right… We modify the earlier plan, and go on the offensive,” Ninja Talon said. “Enigma, your forcefields are really the only we defense we have in close quarters if he uses those pumpkin bombs.”
“I’m ready,” the Enigma said.
Osborn wasn’t that surprised when a bolt of Spark’s lightning followed by one of the Enigma’s projections shot past him.
“Making a move now, are you?” he asked rhetorically.
Dafoanairi and Ninja Talon flanked Spark and the Enigma. “You won’t get whatever it is you’re after,” Dafoanairi deadpanned.
“Repetition won’t help you,” Osborn said. He clicked his fingers and agents flanked him, firearms raised. “Move any closer and I’ll give the order.”
“I don’t think so,” SpiderGirl said as she webbed one of the guns from an agent’s grasp.
“Can you stop them all?” Osborn asked.
“We don’t have to,” Ninja Talon said as she threw a shuriken past him, knocking a firearm out of another agent’s grasped.
“Fire!”
The Enigma raised a few forcefields, blocking the bullets. She then pulled two out of guns out of the agents hands telekinetically.
As this was happening, the silent vigilante slipped around, behind Osborn, and arrived at the site. She looked towards the increasing brightness on the eastern horizon. ‘Now to hold.’
Osborn was annoyed. ‘Even without the Shadow, and Linda,’ they are besting my agents. He grabbed a remote. He still had more aces in the hole.
“Are you really going to use bombs in a sensitive archaeological site?” Dafoanairi asked.
“I’m taking the risk. Think of it as a bluff,” Osborn responded.
“Given your track record, I don’t think so,” SpiderGirl said as she swung and webbed another gun out of an agent’s hand.
“You’ve got very good at that.”
“This is America, duh!” SpiderGirl said.
“More light,” Spark commented.
“If there’s nothing else, I have an appointment with the sunrise, and I don’t want to miss it,” Osborn said as he turned and headed back towards the mound.
“I, like, still have tricks up my sleave,” the Enigma said.
SpiderGirl grabbed Ninja Talon and Spark and swung with them around the mound to the dig site. The Enigma marched forwards with Dafoanairi, keeping her forcefields up.
Osborn reached the spot and grabbed the shovel. “If I have to do it myself… Or is it just one of the brushes.” He put the shovel down and grabbed a brush. He quickly brushed some of the soil away, and something was revealed. It looked like plain stone, but he knew it was what his satellites had picked up. He heard something nearby, and turned to see the silent vigilante with a tarpaulin very close by. “You can’t block the sunlight with that.”
“No?” the Enigma said from nearby. “Because I can see a lot of things that can block it.”
“I don’t think your powers are that strong,” Osborn said.
06 The Lawndale Files
A pair of government agents at school, and strange behavior by Quinn and Trent, serve to amp up Daria and Jane's paranoia levels, with the weirdness quickly spreading to everyone else. SpiderGirl tries to avoid attention, but is noticed by Brittany Taylor, amongst others.
The Doctor noticed something. There were many subtle energy readings scattered around Lawndale. ‘Do these have to do with the portal device or the flicker?’ He wasn’t sure. “I’ll have to look at each one.”
Kim, Ron and Kaelyn hurried to the portal.
“So, Middleton. It’s in Colorado, right?” Kaelyn asked.
“Yes,” Kim answered as they crossed a street.
High Hills Park was mostly deserted, and the portal was still unguarded. “I would have thought that it would be cordoned off,” Kim said.
“Maybe the LDPD, that is Lawndale’s police, have their attention elsewhere,” Kaelyn said.
“Maybe that flicker,” Kim considered as they came up to the portal and took out the Kimmunicator.
“Probably,” Kaelyn responded.
Wade responded quickly. “I haven’t found anything else, Kim, other than rumors that UNIT may have covered something up.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Kim said.
“But they have confirmed that something is happening,” Wade said.
“So, they may be aware, through Peter,” Ron added. “Who they sent and we have met.”
“Peter who?” Wade asked.
“Peter Parker. There’s something about him, like he’s more capable than he appears,” Kim said.
“I doubt I’ll find information on UNIT’s agents.”
“I know. But there is something else,” Kim said.
Wade saw another girl move into the frame next to Kim.
“I’m Kaelyn. A robot who lives in Lawndale.”
“But you look human,” Wade responded.
“That was how I was built.”
“Right,” Wade considered.
“And there’s another thing too,” Ron interjected.
“More than one thing,” Kiminterjected.
“Oh, yeah,” Ron said.
“And we ran into an alien time traveller,” Kim added. “But that’s not all.”
“I can guess which one, because there is some information about him online, even if it’s contradictory,” Wade responded.
“He calls himself the Doctor and he travels in something he calls a TARDIS,” Kim said.
“It looks like a blue box, right? That is the most consistent part of the stories.”
“Yes,” Kim answered. “He also says that the portal is causing disruptions to spacetime.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
Ron also explained about the flicker and how Stacy reacted to it.
“Quite a lot going on there,” Wade commented. “But I should remind you, it is well into the early hours here.”
Kim yawned. “We’re coming back into Middleton now,” she said to Wade. She turned to Kaelyn. “Tell the Doctor that we’ll be back in Lawndale after we’ve slept, assuming a missing doesn’t come up in our time.”
“I will.”
Kaelyn examined the portal after Kim, Ron and Rufus had gone back through it. She couldn’t make much of the distortion of space time around the edges. ‘I better get back to the TARDIS. The Doctor might have found more,’ she thought.
The Doctor was modifying the sonic screwdriver when Kaelyn re-entered the TARDIS. “They went back home, did they?” he asked.
“Yes,” Kaelyn answered.
“I hope they get enough sleep. Humans and their sleep requirements.”
“You sleep less than humans?”
“Three hours a day at most,” the Doctor answered.
“That’s not much at all.”
“It’s enough for me, even if it’s on the short side for Time Lords in general. I suppose you’re not always active?”
“Not always. I recharge in a low power state, but I’m still aware,” Kaelyn said. “Even have what could be described as dreams; mostly reviewing my memories of the day and comparing it to earlier memories and generating scenarios based on those.”
“That is quite advanced for this era.”
Kaelyn shrugged. “I’m quite aware of that. My parents are geniuses.”
“I didn’t have a doubt about that.”
“So, Time Lord? That has to be a title, right?”
The Doctor thought about the answer. He didn’t want to go into too much depth about Gallifrey. “I’m from the planet Gallifrey, in the constellation Kasterbouros. The Time Lords are the elite of Gallifreyan society,” he answered, not wanting to refer to his people in the past tense. Kaelyn didn’t need to know about the Time War. He turned back to the Scanner.
As soon as school let out, Quinn, Daria, Jane, Stacy, Brittany and Peter met up in the parking lot.
“So, we’re heading to your place?” Brittany asked Daria and Quinn.
“That’s where the TARDIS is parked,” Quinn answered.
“You’re going to have to explain it,” Stacy said. “It’s the Doctor’s ship?”
“More than a ship,” Brittany said. “it’s a time machine.”
Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 6
“Waiting can be difficult,” SpiderGirl said.
Ninja Talon knew that SpiderGirl wasn’t talking about the current situation, although that would have made sense, but more about the ongoing situation between her and the Enigma. “You think a confrontation is inevitable?’”
SpiderGirl sighed. “As inevitable as the situation in Lawndale getting worse before it gets better. But I think I know how to handle it when it does come. But to the situation on hand. We also have the advantage against Oscorp.”
“We improvise,” Ninja Talon confirmed.
“Exactly. And Osborn may think he understands us in some way, but he doesn’t,” SpiderGirl added with determination.
Then there was a sound. They turned and saw that it was the silent vigilante approaching from the forest.
“I see you wanted to know what was happening here,” SpiderGirl said.
I felt that I needed to be here, even though I’m getting tired.
“Welcome to our world,” SpiderGirl said with a yawn. She turned to Ninja Talon. “She said that she wanted to be here despite being tired.”
“Lack of sleep is a given,” Ninja Talon added.
It wasn’t long before something happened. An Oscorp vehicle pulled up nearby and Norman Osborn himself stepped out, along with some security personnel. “Fan out,” Osborn said. “SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon are almost certain to be here, or nearby. Remember, they are very skilled and adaptable.”
“Yes, sir,” one said as the team spread out.
Osborn looked at the mound. He wasn’t sure that the oral histories were accurate, but the energy readings that his satellites had picked up were real. He had to move before his competitors or SHIELD did.
The Enigma noticed the agents first.
“They’re here?” Dafoanairi asked rhetorically when she saw her friend tense up.
“Yes. Two coming towards us.”
The agents came closer.
“Let’s be careful about this,” Dafoanairi said. “We don’t know what they’re packing.”
“Good point, but we do need to know what they know,” the Enigma responded. She then sent a small projection to the side.
The agents responded immediately. “Fourth vigilante, we won’t allow you to interfere!”
“Oh, I’m, like, interfering,” the Enigma said as she stepped out.
One of the agents grabbed his radio.
“I’ll take that!” the Enigma said as she pulled it out of his hand and crushed it telekinetically.
But the other agent was quick. “Osborn. Fourth Vigilante!”
“Crap,” the Enigma said as she destroyed his radio too.
“It was bound to happen,” Dafoanairi said.
“He may be here.”
“You may be right, but let’s not rush into danger.”
“Of course not,” the Enigma responded.
Osborn heard the report. “Ms. Griffin!” he grumbled. “And probably Dafoanairi, whoever she is.”
One of the guards turned to him. “Orders, sir.”
“Stay here. She’s still declaring herself SpiderGirl’s rival. I can use that to my advantage.”
SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Silent vigilante had crept around and heard what Osborn was saying from a tree nearby.
“We’re not that easily manipulated,” SpiderGirl groused.
Are we just waiting for him to make a move? The silent vigilante asked.
“The agents are just looking for us at the moment,” SpiderGirl answered. “There hasn’t been any activity at the mound yet.”
“But that is likely to change,” Ninja Talon pointed out.
“Definitely,” SpiderGirl said.
So, you’re just going to be annoying Osborn? The silent vigilante asked.
“Maybe, but he does want something buried here. That’s the thing,” SpiderGirl answered.
‘Another ten minutes,’ Osborn decided.
He listened. Although the Goblin formula hadn’t conferred any physical changes, the experience had increased his situational awareness. SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and the Enigma all had rhythms to their movements, even if they changed things up.
From her vantage point in the tree, Ninja Talon looked over the mound site. Her tactical mind was working out how to prevent Osborn and his agents from getting what he wanted without exposing herself and the other four to too much risk.
“There he is!” the Enigma said when she had sighted Osborn. “Even dressed for the occasion. I guess Harry is asleep and unaware that his father isn’t home,” she added quietly.”
“Probably,” Dafoanairi said, “But we’ll catch up with him at school.”
“Yes,” the Enigma responded, her eyes on Osborn.
Osborn didn’t wait ten minutes. He only waited nine before signalling the agents to move into the archaeological site.
Immediately, the hero vigilantes moved into action, including the silent one. She watched as SpiderGirl webbed up one of the agents and pulled him up into a tree and Ninja Talon fought another before tying him up in a zip line. She then went up Osborn himself.
“You’re the one from Oakwood, aren’t you?” Osborn asked.
The silent vigilante didn’t make a response, but tried to spar with Osborn, but found that he was quite skilled and found herself mostly dodging.
“Interesting style. I’d say you’re a cheerleader who decided to fight crime after some traumatic event. Am I getting warm?”
Osborn was indeed warm, but the silent vigilante didn’t respond, but kept up sparring.
Meanwhile, the Enigma knocked out one vigilante with projections. She remembered her mother’s warnings about deleterious effects but considered it worth it if the paralysis caused was temporary.
Dafoanairi knocked out another with her quarterstaff. “He’ll be up sooner, but with a possible concussion,” she said. “Possible incentive to rethink his allegiance to Osborn.”
“One would hope so,” the Enigma responded, as she looked in the direction where the silent vigilante was distracting Osborn.
“But we may need to do more to stop Osborn.”
SpiderGirl and Talon took out another two agents.
“You’re running out of agents,” SpiderGirl taunted as she hung upside down from a branch.
That didn’t distract Osborn from his sparring with the silent vigilante. “More are on their way from Lawndale. How long before you’re exhausted. Can you keep it up until sunrise?”
SpiderGirl swung up into the tree where Ninja Talon was waiting. “Sunrise,” she said. “He specifically said that.”
“I doubt there would be something time dependent,” Ninja Talon mused.
“Or something that the sun would hit as it rises. Like, Anna was telling me about stone circles in Britain. They may be pre Celtic, but she’s interested in those too,” SpiderGirl said, referring to a fellow Lawndale High student she was mentoring.
“Like Stonehenge?” Ninja Talon asked.
“Exactly,” SpiderGirl said.
Dafoanairi heard SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon as she crept from tree to tree in Osborn’s direction. She didn’t hear SpiderGirl mention Anna but caught Ninja Talon bring up Stonehenge.
‘Stonehenge?’ she asked herself. ‘I doubt the mound is that old,’ she thought. ‘Or is there something else? Some calendar thing that Osborn may be after? Or thinks he’s after.’
“Someone’s there,” Ninja Talon said, as she looked. “Dafoanairi.”
“I guess she and the Enigma took out a couple of agents already,” SpiderGirl surmised.
“She’s approaching Osborn.”
“Then we’ll back them up.”
Ninja Talon then lowered herself from the tree with her grappling hook as SpiderGirl swung down.
“This is enough,” Osborn said to the silent vigilante.
He heard SpiderGirl swing down.
“Predictable.”
“Really?” SpiderGirl quipped as she signalled.
Osborn leapt aside as one of the Enigma’s energy projections shot past.
“That was a warning,” Dafoanairi said.
“We’re at an impasse,” Osborn responded. “But this is temporary.”
“I know that,” SpiderGirl said. “But you said something about Sunrise earlier.”
“No comment,” Osborn responded.
“Then we’ll continue this impasse and make sure that whatever is there won’t be exposed to the sunlight,” SpiderGirl said.
“As I said…” Osborn started.
“Yes, more agents coming from Lawndale,” Dafoanairi interrupted. “But enough to overwhelm us?”
Osborn didn’t answer, but remained impassively staring at the vigilantes.
“The five of us may be enough,” Dafoanairi said to the Enigma a few minutes later. “But I still have no idea who the Shadow is, nor how to contact her.”
“And attempting to locate her would require me to be back in Lawndale, probably as far as the Giant Strawberry if she happens to be in on the eastern side of Lawndale Flats.”
“Probably not that far,” Dafoanairi said. “It’s only slightly less than two miles between the Historia and the Giant Strawberry.”
“But, still, I’d need to be at least be on the western edge,” the Enigma asked.
“What about your mentor?” Dafoanairi asked quietly, knowing that SpiderGirl, at least, was listening in.
“She’d likely be asleep,” the Enigma answered.
“We’re on our own,” SpiderGirl said. “Besides which other vigilantes Oakwood might have.”
“It’s up to us five,” Ninja Talon said. “We can handle it.”
I’m the only one in Oakwood as far as I know the silent vigilante signed.
“What was that?” Ninja Talon asked.
“That she’s the only one in Oakwood as far as she knows.”
“But there could be one other you haven’t met or heard about,” Ninja Talon responded, looking at the silent vigilante.
The silent vigilante shrugged.
It wasn’t long before another Oscorp vehicle approached. The Enigma shot at it’s engine compartment with projections, causing the engine to stall before telekinetically letting the air out of the tyres. “That will slow things down,” she said to Dafoanairi.
“A little,” Dafoanairi admitted. “But not by much,” she added as five more agents emerged from the stalled vehicle. “And I’m sure there’s more equipment and weapons in there.”
“Now that they’re out, I can crush it.”
“It may be reinforced.”
The Enigma focused and the vehicle began to crumple around the door handles.
Osborn heard the vehicle crumble. Then there was an explosion.
Spider Quinn 21 A View of Oakwood and Ruins - Part 5
Sandi wasn’t sure what Quinn had been up to, but she focused on the Oakwood map. The Story Oak was in the middle of town and Oscorp had no offices nearby. “Just that place on the east side,” she murmured.
“What’s that?” Daria asked.
“Just noting where Oscorp is present,” Sandi responded.
“The only one we’re aware of,” Daria pointed out.
“I agree.”
Back at the hospital, Officer Vale finished interviewing Ninja Talon. “Thanks for letting me know,” Vale said. “Although there is stuff you held out on.”
“As I said, that’s up to Spidey.”
“And I see you are good friends.”
“We help each other with what we do,” Ninja Talon said.
“I suspect more.”
“But that’s all I’m saying,” Ninja Talon said as she left.
She headed back to the room where Professor Alder had been again placed for observation, where she found him and the silent vigilante playing a game of Go Fish.
“I’ve been thinking,” the Professor said.
“What about?” Ninja Talon said.
“There is no one at the mound right now. Oscorp could make a move and try to locate what they are looking for without regard for keeping the site intact,” the professor said.
“I could go out there and check,” Ninja Talon suggested.
“That would be a good idea,” the Professor said.
“I’ll do it,” Ninja Talon said before sending a text to SpiderGIrl and slipping out of the room.
Quinn read the message from Brittany as she sipped her latte.
“A message?” Joey asked.
“Yes,” Quinn answered. “Nothing to worry about.”
Sandi looked from the map of Oakwood she had been looking at to Larissa, who was sitting nearby.
“Maybe we’re, like looking at this wrong,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Larissa asked.
“Maybe it’s not Oakwood itself, but in th forest. That mound where Quinn and Joey were,” Sandi said.
“Good point,” Daria said. “Do you have a map of the forest?”
“I’m not sure,” Larissa answered. “But we have at least one of the entire county.”
“That would be better than nothing,” Daria said.
Larissa didn’t take long to find a fairly large map of Lawndale County. “So, you’re not sure where the mound is?” she asked as she placed the map on the table.
“Just from Quinn’s description,” Daria said. “That it’s closer to Oakwood than to Lawndale.” She looked at the map.
As did Sandi. “There,” she said as she pointed to the spot. “Right next to the State Route.”
“Quinn has always liked the scenic route,” Daria commented as she had a closer look.
“That makes sense, with the way she sometimes got distracted,” Sandi commented.
“But It wouldn’t be a good idea to look at it at night,” Larissa said.
“The Moon is still nearly full,” Daria pointed out.
“But it has been a little cloudy,” Larissa said.
“Not too cloudy,” Sandi said.
“You’re adamant about this, aren’t you?” Larissa asked rhetorically.
“Yes,” Sandi answered.
“Some things can’t wait until morning,” Daria said.
“So, you’re doing it?” Quinn asked.
Daria nodded. “In a short while.”
Five minutes later, Daria and Sandi looked out over Oakwood from the roof.
“It is indeed much like Lawndale,” Sandi commented.
“Or rather, like Lawndale before Groundhog Day,” Daria clarified.
“That is one reason why we’re here isn’t it?” Sandi asked. “To stop something similar from happening here?”
“That is yet to be determined,” Daria responded as she looked out towards the east.
Sandi’s hands glowed purple with her powers. “As I’ll do anything to protect Lawndale, I’ll do the same for Oakwood,” she declared.
“Let’s get going,” Daria said as she extended her quarterstaff and thus adopted her Dafoanairi persona.
Sandi tied her hair back and then threw off her jersey, showing the Enigma’s purple ensemble beneath. “Absolutely,” she said as she put on her mask.
Meanwhile, Ninja Talon approached the mound. The place looked deserted in the moonlight. ‘But that could change quickly,’ she thought as quickly looked at her watch. 10:40! It was still early in the night.
Back at the Story Oak, Quinn headed to the apartment after the café closed for the night. ‘Larissa is suspicious, but not as much as Daria.’ What Daria thought, she wasn’t sure. ‘I know she doesn’t suspect me as SpiderGirl, but she might realise that I’m one of the heroes after tonight if I’m not careful,’ she thought. Then there was Joey. She knew that he would be thinking about it also.
She entered the apartment to find that Joey was probably already asleep, as the light was out in the main room. She quietly went over to her room and switched on the light there, as she knew that she most likely wasn’t getting any sleep. She checked her phone, and noted that Brittany was already at the mound. ‘If Oscorp is going to make a move, it’s probably going to be later in the night.’
It was slightly past eleven when the Enigma and Dafoanairi emerged from the relatively sparse forest into the clearing around the mound. The fencing around the archaeological site was a stark contrast to the nature of the forest.
“Do you sense anyone?” Dafoanairi asked the Enigma.
The Enigma closed her eyes briefly. She then looked at Dafoanairi. “One person. But I don’t think it’s one from Oscorp.”
“Another of us Lawndale vigilantes?”
“I know it’s not Mother.”
“But it could be SpiderGirl,” Dafoanairi pointed out, as the Enigma considered herself SpiderGirl’s rival.
“I won’t confront her tonight, if it is,” the Enigma decided.
Ninja Talon heard something and turned. She saw the Enigma and Dafoanairi approaching her position. “You heard about what happened earlier too?” she asked.
“Yes,” Dafoanairi said. “Through our contacts.”
“Same here,” Ninja Talon responded.
“But it’s going to be difficult to counter whatever Oscorp is going to try to do,” Dafoanairi said.
“They probably don’t expect us to be here,” the Enigma said.
“Just SpiderGirl,” Dafoanairi said.
“And me too. Osborn saw me,” Ninja Talon said.
“What?” Dafoanairi asked.
“He was on a video connection when we rescued the professor,” Ninja Talon answered.
“He may have seen you and SpiderGirl, but he still doesn’t know we’re here,” Dafoanairi said. “Besides, I have seen you improvise. Osborn and his agents can’t predict everything.”
Back at the Story Oak, Quinn couldn’t sleep, and so went up to the roof. ‘Just as well Larissa is likely at home,’ she thought as she headed upwards through the deserted theater.
Up on the roof, Oakwood was quieter than it had been earlier. ‘OK, listen here as I do to Lawndale from home,’ she thought before changing to SpiderGirl.
The silent vigilante left the hospital after the professor had fallen asleep. She left by a side entrance, as the OWPD still had a large presence out the front. She listened as she walked slowly to the park near the side entrance. It appeared that Oscorp had withdrawn. ‘Does that mean they’re making a move on the mound again?’ she wondered. She looked back at the hospital and wondered if waking the professor would be a good idea. She shook her head. ‘No, he needs his rest.’
She was going to head home, but paused. ‘Mom already suspects something,’ she thought. But there was no choice. She had to be ready in case Oscorp moved on the mound again.
She then headed in the direction of the mound.
SpiderGirl arrived back at the mound shortly after midnight. She had received a message from Ninja Talon, so she knew that the Enigma and Dafoanairi were there. She swung to where Ninja Talon was waiting. “Nothing else happened?” she asked.
“The silent one was still at the hospital when I left,” Ninja Talon answered.
“And Oscorp was still there?” SpiderGirl asked.
“Yes,” Ninja Talon answered. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t be here soon.”
“But with four of us, we can keep watch on each side,” the Enigma said from where she stood next to Dafoanairi.
“Or are you suggesting that because you don’t want to be near me?” SpiderGirl asked.
Dafoanairi sighed. “Not now, Enigma.”
“That is only one reason,” the Enigma answered quietly.
“Maybe we just need to be near the road, on both sides,” Ninja Talon suggested. “They’re more likely be approaching from the road than the forest, whether they be coming from Lawndale or Oakwood.”
“That makes sense,” Dafoanairi responded.
“We’ll watch at either approach,” SpiderGirl decided.
The Enigma and Dafoanairi went to the east side of the mound. “Did you have to stir things up?” Dafoanairi asked.
“I was a valid suggestion,” the Enigma answered.
“But you didn’t need to antagonise SpiderGirl.”
“She may be more alert to what may be happening next.”
“I guess so, but she would have been alert anyway,” Dafoanairi argued.
The Enigma was then silent as she watched.
‘How she worked with her a week ago at Alchemax, I’m not sure.’
As they waited on the western side of the mound, Ninja Talon glanced at SpiderGirl. To anyone who didn’t know her, SpiderGirl would have looked distracted. But Ninja Talon had come to know that in that state, her friend was very focused. She was trying to put the Enigma’s attempts at riling her up out of her mind by focusing on the situation.
