Spider Quinn 11 The Huntsmans Part 3
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fardell24It didn’t take long for the cheerleading team to arrive in Middlebury, which was a little over 10 miles from Lawndale.
“Now, the competition is being held at Middlebury High,” Ms. Morris said. “We need to sign up before going to the hotel.”
“Of course,” Brittany said. She hoped that she would get the opportunity to find out more about what was going on.
SpiderGirl left the school after the mentoring session for the day had ended. She knew that she wasn’t going to hear from Ninja Talon for a while yet. She went on one of her usual patrols.
Daria arrived home with Tananda in tow. “Mom won’t be home for a while yet.”
“I know that she’s a lawyer.”
“Yes. So you should be prepared for her to be questioning you a lot about your motives.”
“But one question. How is she doing? This house can’t be cheap,” Tananda said.
“Her income is more than enough to cover everything,” Daria answered. “Of course, that does include the overtime she was doing anyway.”
“Oh.”
“The kitchen is this way.”
Trent entered Jane’s room and saw what she was drawing. “I see that you’re still planning on using my car.”
“I can’t afford one,” Jane commented.
Trent laughed and coughed. “True.”
“And trying to find one like it would take even more time.”
Brittany discretely asked around for more information after she and the others from Lawndale signed in.
“…There’s another new team as well as Lawndale High,” the girl from Middlebury said.
“And where are they from?” Brittany asked.
“I don’t know, somewhere in a neighboring county. The leader introduced them as the Huntsmans.”
“Sounds ominous,” Brittany commented as she twirled her hair.
“They’re also themed after the spider.”
“Spider. Like SpiderGirl, probably.”
“That reminds me. Is SpiderGirl actually real? She does have superpowers?” the other girl asked.
“She does. I have met her,” Brittany answered carefully.
“And seen her use her powers?”
“Yes.”
“Cool,” the girl responded. “But it does make you wonder what else is real.”
“I agree. Anyway, I’m Brittany.”
“Charli.”
After talking to Charli, Brittany wondered if Quinn was home yet. ‘I’ll wait a little longer,’ she decided. She decided to look more into it. But first, she looked to where Angie was sitting by herself at a table. ‘I’ll give her company for a short while.’
SpiderGirl saw that Daria wasn’t alone inside. She knew of Tananda, but hadn’t interacted. She retreated to the laneway to change before going into the house.
Tananda saw Quinn enter through the kitchen door. “Good Afternoon,” she said.
“Tananda right?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m here to interview your family for Mr. O’Neill’s project.
“OK,” the other said guardedly.
“I won’t press about your grief too much.”
“Good!” Quinn responded as she went to the fridge.
It wasn’t long before Brittany called. Daria answered the phone. “Brittany?”
“Hi, Daria, I’d like to talk to Quinn, please,”
“Um, Sure,” Daria said, wondering why Brittany would want Quinn. “Quinn! Phone! It’s Brittany.”
“I’ll take it upstairs,” Quinn said.
“She’ll be there in a minute,” Daria told Brittany.
“Thanks!”
“I’m in my room,” Quinn said.
“There isn’t much more information,” Brittany said.
“But there is some.”
“There’s another team signing up as well, called the Huntmans.”
“I haven’t heard of them,” Quinn admitted.
“They’re from another county apparently.”
“I see. I’ll try to find information on them online and get back to you on that. No other information on what happened to the other team?”
“None, but I’ll keep trying.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
After hanging up, Quinn turned on her laptop.
Brittany looked around after hanging up. There weren’t any others nearby other than Angie and Donna who were talking to each other. She hoped that Quinn would be able to find more information. ‘But first I need to unpack.’
Helen got home to find an unfamiliar girl in her kitchen. “Tananda is it?” she asked.
“Yes,” the girl, Tananda, responded.
“Daria says that you two are doing a journalism related assignment.”
“That’s right.”
“She says that you had put together rather intrusive questions,” Helen said in her full lawyer persona.
“That is what she said,” Tananda responded defensively.
“I would to have a look at these questions if you don’t mind. Then I’ll talk to Daria and Quinn about them. Then you can conduct the interview.”
Tananda considered that Mrs. Morgendorffers’ reputation was well earned. She felt that she was on the witness stand in a court room. “Certainly,” she said as she slid the question sheet to her over the kitchen table.
The other took it. “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Brittany questioned another of her rivals about what was going on. “I’m afraid that I don’t know why they were kidnapped. It is probably related to whatever is going on in Lawndale.”
“Maybe,” Brittany considered as she twirled a pigtail. But she wasn’t sure that it was connected.
“I know you have been asking around.”
“Yes?”
“I think it’s drawing attention,” the other said.
“Oops....” Brittany said.
“Not too much. It’s just that I notice these things.”
“Right.”
“Anyway, I’m Anna May.”
“Brittany.”
“Nice to meet you, Brittany,” Anna May said.
Helen finished reading through the list of questions Tananda had brought. “Some of these are too personal and leading.”
“That’s what Daria said.”
“And you should have listened to her.”
“OK, point those out and I’ll come back tomorrow with them rephrased,” Tananda said.
“I’ll shall point them out, right now,” Helen said as she grabbed a pen from a drawer.
Tananda looked at the sheet and sighed. Mrs. Morgendorffer had marked almost half of the questions! “Have you looked at Daria’s questions?”
“Not yet, but I will now.”
“Right.”
“I see that you’re new at this. That it was one of Mr. O’Neill’s whims,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said. “But you should have listened to Daria when she said that questions were too personal. Now I have my eye on you. And don’t forget that it’s only two months since Jake… My husband died!”
Tananda could see that there were tears on her face. “Sorry that I brought that up,” she said sincerely.
“I’m fine.”
Quinn was in her room. “Nintendo. N I N T E N D O.” ‘I doubt it,’ she thought, but she thought she would cover her bases. Next….
The door opened. “Mom?”
“I thought I would check in on you,” her mother said.
“I’m fine. I just preparing for the Spelling Bee on Friday.”
“Right. You are aware of Daria’s latest project.”
“What about it?” Quinn asked.
“It’s just that this Tananda is being rather inquisitive about her questions.”
“She hasn’t asked me anything yet.”
“I thought I would give you some warning,” her mother said.
“Thanks.”
“Anything else you want to talk to me about?”
“Nothing comes to mind,” Quinn answered.
In Middlebury, Brittany had settled in to her room, before heading out to investigate again. She thought about what Anna May had said. ‘Inconspicuous,’ she thought.
“Brittany!” she heard someone call after she turned a corner.
She looked and saw that it was Charli. “What’s up?” she asked as she came over to her.
“After we talked, I decided to look into it myself.”
“OK.”
“Apparently, the Huntmans haven’t arrived yet,” Charli explained.
“They haven’t?” Brittany asked, while twirling her hair.
“They haven’t. It’s quite strange, and the person who signed in for them seemed quite weird also.”
“In what way?”
“The one who told me that didn’t say how,” Charli said, ruffling her short brown hair.
“Then I’ll have to find out more.”
As Tananda left, she looked back at the Morgendorffers’ house. She thought again about what the widowed mother had said. ‘I’ll try not to pry too much,’ she thought. She turned around and headed home. She was sure she would get home before it was too dark.
SpiderGirl headed out shortly after Tananda had left. ‘It’s not likely that she’s the Shadow,’ she thought as she sighted the demure looking blonde in the distance. ‘But I want to rule the possibility out.’ She then followed, keeping to the rooftops.
Tananda’s place was only a few blocks away, halfway towards the Rowe’s and Coultards’ place. SpiderGirl saw her go inside, so she waited while listening to the radio in some trees across the street.
“The Shadow has been reported rescuing a woman from a mugger in Dega Street…”
‘So, she’s not the Shadow,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung away. She then heard some sirens in a street nearby.
Peterson saw SpiderGirl land. “There was a break and enter, and neighbors called,” she said.
“Right.”
“And there are still no clues as to the whereabouts to those cheerleaders.”
“Ninja Talon is in Middlebury, investigating there,” SpiderGirl said.
Some things connected in Peterson’s mind. “You know who she is, don’t you?”
“I might,” SpiderGirl said enigmatically.
“Anyway, being proactive, that’s good. I’ll give a friend in Middlebury’s Department a call when I get off duty.”
“That will be great!”
“She’ll look out for Ninja Talon and help her in her search.”
“Thanks!”
Lawndale Sun-Herald
Thursday January 25, 2001
Cheerleaders from Oakwood Still missing despite search.
SpiderGirl wondered whether to skip school and join in the search. ‘No,’ she decided. That wasn’t a good idea. It would increase the chances of her secret identity being discovered. So, she headed towards the school.
In Middlebury, the various cheer teams practiced in between lessons. However, the Huntsmans didn’t show up until after school, when the competition was being held.
SpiderGirl left the school as soon as the last bell rang. She headed to the northern edge of Lawndale, planning on calling a Taxi. She didn’t see the Shadow leaving the school to the west.
Trent was awake when Jane got home. “So, Middlebury, is it?”
“Yes. It’s where the competition is being held, so it’s a good place to start.”
“Sure,” Trent said. “I’m ready to go.”
“Good.”
SpiderGirl could see that the taxi driver was surprised that she was his customer. “SpiderGirl? Is this a prank?”
“No! Why would I prank a taxi driver?”
“I don’t know. But where do you want to go?”
“Middlebury,” SpiderGirl answered.
“Middlebury? That will be expensive.”
“I can afford it.”
“Hop in then.”
“This is far enough,” SpiderGirl said when the taxi passed the Welcome to Middlebury sign.
“Are you sure.”
“Yes,” SpiderGirl said taking out an amount of cash just over the amount displayed on the meter.
“Sure,” the driver said before telling her the amount.
SpiderGirl handed over the cash and told him to keep the change as she swung away.
Trent drove into Middlebury five minutes later. “So, where is this competition at?”
“The Middlebury High,” Jane said.
“Got it.”
SpiderGirl got to Middlebury High first and saw that a performance was already underway. ‘Too bad Talon and I don’t have personal radios,’ she thought. She looked around for the Lawndale team.
“Brittany, isn’t that SpiderGirl?” Donna asked.
Brittany looked up at the nearby rooftop. “It is. I think she’s investigating the situation.”
“I’m not sure what she could do,” Donna added.
“Something.”
SpiderGirl saw Brittany and Donna talking. ‘They have probably seen me.’ She looked around again. Many of the teams were there. ‘There’s a commotion over there.’
Trent had pulled up near the Hall. “OK, Janie. This is as close as I can get.”
“No problem, Trent,” Jane said as she got out.
Jane quickly changed into the Shadow and then made her way towards the Hall, getting there as the Lawndale team started their routine.
The team finished their routine.
“Lawndale High Lionesses 9/10.”
“Yes!” Brittany exclaimed.
However, something then happened. A helicopter was landing outside the hall.
‘What?’ Brittany asked herself.
SpiderGirl saw the large helicopter land. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked herself as she looked closer at it. It was decorated like a large huntman. ‘Going all out are they?’
She then watched as the team marched out from the helicopter into the Hall. She then followed them.
‘That’s certainly some entrance,’ the Shadow thought. She approached the helicopter slowly, noting the SpiderGirl had also watched the team arrive and was following them into the Hall. She then attached one of the tracking devices her mother had given her to the craft and dashed around to another entrance.
“There’s something strange about them…” Donna commented as the Huntsmans came up on the stage. ‘And not just that they’re wearing masks.’
“I agree,” Brittany said.
“SpiderGirl…” Donna said as she turned around.
“She’s here?” Brittany asked.
“Yes.
Brittany turned and looked. ‘Good,’ she thought. “I see.”
SpiderGirl saw that Brittany had noticed her. ‘I hope she’s ready to leap into action if she needs to,’ she thought. She then looked at the team. They were just standing still on the stage. “That is very strange,” she murmured. Usually cheer teams were more active just before a performance.
“And now the Huntsmans!” the announcer said.
The Huntsmans got a perfect 10.
“That’s impossible!” Ms. Morris fumed. “They had to have cheated!”
‘I agree,’ Brittany thought. She placed a hand on Ms. Morris’ shoulder.
“Ms. Taylor?”
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine! It’s just what they just did has to be impossible!” Ms. Morris stated.
“You may be right,” Brittany considered. She had to investigate. She then dashed off.
“Brittany?” Donna asked. Her friend had just disappeared.
The Huntsmans did an encore presentation, but something went wrong as they did a pyramid. They all collapsed in a heap. Most of them got up without saying anything. The coach went over to one of them. “Are you OK?”
The girl got up. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine…” she said over and over.
SpiderGirl looked at the girl. She certainly didn’t look hurt, but normal people didn’t repeat ‘I’m fine,’ over and over again. The others weren’t doing anything. ‘Maybe they’re special,’ she considered. She shook her head. Those who were special were just as concerned for others as those who were more normal. ‘Something else is up.’ She swung down. “She doesn’t seem fine.”
“SpiderGirl? This isn’t Lawndale.”
“No, but it isn’t far away,” SpiderGirl responded.
“Of course. But she is fine. No need to concern yourself.”
“She’s saying ‘I’m fine’ over and over. That doesn’t sound fine.”
“She will be looked over later,” the other said. “We’re leaving now.”
‘Probably the stress,’ SpiderGirl thought, although she was sure that didn’t explain everything.
The Huntsmans then started walking out of the hall, only to find Ninja Talon blocking the way.
“Ninja Talon! Out of the way!”
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.”
“Why is she saying that?”
“None of your business!” the coach said. “Out of the way.”
“No. This is suspicious!” SpiderGirl said.
“Out of our way!”
“No!” It was the Shadow, coming up behind SpiderGirl.
“I see it. You are all doing something.”
Daria turned on the TV as she got home. Instead of Sick Sad World, there was a breaking news bulletin.
“A stand off between the three Lawndale vigilantes and the coach of the Huntsman.”
She could see SpiderGirl there. “I knew she would go too far,” she murmured. She took out the list of questions she would ask Tananda later.
“Team! Form up around Tania,” the Coach said, noting that the various news crews were reporting on the situation. ‘Too much publicity! I may need to move early.’
“Tania,” she heard the Ninja vigilante murmur as she made a nervous gesture with her hand.
The team obeyed her order. “Now, force your way through the vigilantes, avoid the Spider Girl’s webbing.”
“See, suspicious!” said vigilante said. “You planned for this!”
“Maybe,” the Coach responding, producing a shock baton.
“Now, the competition is being held at Middlebury High,” Ms. Morris said. “We need to sign up before going to the hotel.”
“Of course,” Brittany said. She hoped that she would get the opportunity to find out more about what was going on.
SpiderGirl left the school after the mentoring session for the day had ended. She knew that she wasn’t going to hear from Ninja Talon for a while yet. She went on one of her usual patrols.
Daria arrived home with Tananda in tow. “Mom won’t be home for a while yet.”
“I know that she’s a lawyer.”
“Yes. So you should be prepared for her to be questioning you a lot about your motives.”
“But one question. How is she doing? This house can’t be cheap,” Tananda said.
“Her income is more than enough to cover everything,” Daria answered. “Of course, that does include the overtime she was doing anyway.”
“Oh.”
“The kitchen is this way.”
Trent entered Jane’s room and saw what she was drawing. “I see that you’re still planning on using my car.”
“I can’t afford one,” Jane commented.
Trent laughed and coughed. “True.”
“And trying to find one like it would take even more time.”
Brittany discretely asked around for more information after she and the others from Lawndale signed in.
“…There’s another new team as well as Lawndale High,” the girl from Middlebury said.
“And where are they from?” Brittany asked.
“I don’t know, somewhere in a neighboring county. The leader introduced them as the Huntsmans.”
“Sounds ominous,” Brittany commented as she twirled her hair.
“They’re also themed after the spider.”
“Spider. Like SpiderGirl, probably.”
“That reminds me. Is SpiderGirl actually real? She does have superpowers?” the other girl asked.
“She does. I have met her,” Brittany answered carefully.
“And seen her use her powers?”
“Yes.”
“Cool,” the girl responded. “But it does make you wonder what else is real.”
“I agree. Anyway, I’m Brittany.”
“Charli.”
After talking to Charli, Brittany wondered if Quinn was home yet. ‘I’ll wait a little longer,’ she decided. She decided to look more into it. But first, she looked to where Angie was sitting by herself at a table. ‘I’ll give her company for a short while.’
SpiderGirl saw that Daria wasn’t alone inside. She knew of Tananda, but hadn’t interacted. She retreated to the laneway to change before going into the house.
Tananda saw Quinn enter through the kitchen door. “Good Afternoon,” she said.
“Tananda right?”
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m here to interview your family for Mr. O’Neill’s project.
“OK,” the other said guardedly.
“I won’t press about your grief too much.”
“Good!” Quinn responded as she went to the fridge.
It wasn’t long before Brittany called. Daria answered the phone. “Brittany?”
“Hi, Daria, I’d like to talk to Quinn, please,”
“Um, Sure,” Daria said, wondering why Brittany would want Quinn. “Quinn! Phone! It’s Brittany.”
“I’ll take it upstairs,” Quinn said.
“She’ll be there in a minute,” Daria told Brittany.
“Thanks!”
“I’m in my room,” Quinn said.
“There isn’t much more information,” Brittany said.
“But there is some.”
“There’s another team signing up as well, called the Huntmans.”
“I haven’t heard of them,” Quinn admitted.
“They’re from another county apparently.”
“I see. I’ll try to find information on them online and get back to you on that. No other information on what happened to the other team?”
“None, but I’ll keep trying.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
After hanging up, Quinn turned on her laptop.
Brittany looked around after hanging up. There weren’t any others nearby other than Angie and Donna who were talking to each other. She hoped that Quinn would be able to find more information. ‘But first I need to unpack.’
Helen got home to find an unfamiliar girl in her kitchen. “Tananda is it?” she asked.
“Yes,” the girl, Tananda, responded.
“Daria says that you two are doing a journalism related assignment.”
“That’s right.”
“She says that you had put together rather intrusive questions,” Helen said in her full lawyer persona.
“That is what she said,” Tananda responded defensively.
“I would to have a look at these questions if you don’t mind. Then I’ll talk to Daria and Quinn about them. Then you can conduct the interview.”
Tananda considered that Mrs. Morgendorffers’ reputation was well earned. She felt that she was on the witness stand in a court room. “Certainly,” she said as she slid the question sheet to her over the kitchen table.
The other took it. “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Brittany questioned another of her rivals about what was going on. “I’m afraid that I don’t know why they were kidnapped. It is probably related to whatever is going on in Lawndale.”
“Maybe,” Brittany considered as she twirled a pigtail. But she wasn’t sure that it was connected.
“I know you have been asking around.”
“Yes?”
“I think it’s drawing attention,” the other said.
“Oops....” Brittany said.
“Not too much. It’s just that I notice these things.”
“Right.”
“Anyway, I’m Anna May.”
“Brittany.”
“Nice to meet you, Brittany,” Anna May said.
Helen finished reading through the list of questions Tananda had brought. “Some of these are too personal and leading.”
“That’s what Daria said.”
“And you should have listened to her.”
“OK, point those out and I’ll come back tomorrow with them rephrased,” Tananda said.
“I’ll shall point them out, right now,” Helen said as she grabbed a pen from a drawer.
Tananda looked at the sheet and sighed. Mrs. Morgendorffer had marked almost half of the questions! “Have you looked at Daria’s questions?”
“Not yet, but I will now.”
“Right.”
“I see that you’re new at this. That it was one of Mr. O’Neill’s whims,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said. “But you should have listened to Daria when she said that questions were too personal. Now I have my eye on you. And don’t forget that it’s only two months since Jake… My husband died!”
Tananda could see that there were tears on her face. “Sorry that I brought that up,” she said sincerely.
“I’m fine.”
Quinn was in her room. “Nintendo. N I N T E N D O.” ‘I doubt it,’ she thought, but she thought she would cover her bases. Next….
The door opened. “Mom?”
“I thought I would check in on you,” her mother said.
“I’m fine. I just preparing for the Spelling Bee on Friday.”
“Right. You are aware of Daria’s latest project.”
“What about it?” Quinn asked.
“It’s just that this Tananda is being rather inquisitive about her questions.”
“She hasn’t asked me anything yet.”
“I thought I would give you some warning,” her mother said.
“Thanks.”
“Anything else you want to talk to me about?”
“Nothing comes to mind,” Quinn answered.
In Middlebury, Brittany had settled in to her room, before heading out to investigate again. She thought about what Anna May had said. ‘Inconspicuous,’ she thought.
“Brittany!” she heard someone call after she turned a corner.
She looked and saw that it was Charli. “What’s up?” she asked as she came over to her.
“After we talked, I decided to look into it myself.”
“OK.”
“Apparently, the Huntmans haven’t arrived yet,” Charli explained.
“They haven’t?” Brittany asked, while twirling her hair.
“They haven’t. It’s quite strange, and the person who signed in for them seemed quite weird also.”
“In what way?”
“The one who told me that didn’t say how,” Charli said, ruffling her short brown hair.
“Then I’ll have to find out more.”
As Tananda left, she looked back at the Morgendorffers’ house. She thought again about what the widowed mother had said. ‘I’ll try not to pry too much,’ she thought. She turned around and headed home. She was sure she would get home before it was too dark.
SpiderGirl headed out shortly after Tananda had left. ‘It’s not likely that she’s the Shadow,’ she thought as she sighted the demure looking blonde in the distance. ‘But I want to rule the possibility out.’ She then followed, keeping to the rooftops.
Tananda’s place was only a few blocks away, halfway towards the Rowe’s and Coultards’ place. SpiderGirl saw her go inside, so she waited while listening to the radio in some trees across the street.
“The Shadow has been reported rescuing a woman from a mugger in Dega Street…”
‘So, she’s not the Shadow,’ SpiderGirl thought as she swung away. She then heard some sirens in a street nearby.
Peterson saw SpiderGirl land. “There was a break and enter, and neighbors called,” she said.
“Right.”
“And there are still no clues as to the whereabouts to those cheerleaders.”
“Ninja Talon is in Middlebury, investigating there,” SpiderGirl said.
Some things connected in Peterson’s mind. “You know who she is, don’t you?”
“I might,” SpiderGirl said enigmatically.
“Anyway, being proactive, that’s good. I’ll give a friend in Middlebury’s Department a call when I get off duty.”
“That will be great!”
“She’ll look out for Ninja Talon and help her in her search.”
“Thanks!”
Lawndale Sun-Herald
Thursday January 25, 2001
Cheerleaders from Oakwood Still missing despite search.
SpiderGirl wondered whether to skip school and join in the search. ‘No,’ she decided. That wasn’t a good idea. It would increase the chances of her secret identity being discovered. So, she headed towards the school.
In Middlebury, the various cheer teams practiced in between lessons. However, the Huntsmans didn’t show up until after school, when the competition was being held.
SpiderGirl left the school as soon as the last bell rang. She headed to the northern edge of Lawndale, planning on calling a Taxi. She didn’t see the Shadow leaving the school to the west.
Trent was awake when Jane got home. “So, Middlebury, is it?”
“Yes. It’s where the competition is being held, so it’s a good place to start.”
“Sure,” Trent said. “I’m ready to go.”
“Good.”
SpiderGirl could see that the taxi driver was surprised that she was his customer. “SpiderGirl? Is this a prank?”
“No! Why would I prank a taxi driver?”
“I don’t know. But where do you want to go?”
“Middlebury,” SpiderGirl answered.
“Middlebury? That will be expensive.”
“I can afford it.”
“Hop in then.”
“This is far enough,” SpiderGirl said when the taxi passed the Welcome to Middlebury sign.
“Are you sure.”
“Yes,” SpiderGirl said taking out an amount of cash just over the amount displayed on the meter.
“Sure,” the driver said before telling her the amount.
SpiderGirl handed over the cash and told him to keep the change as she swung away.
Trent drove into Middlebury five minutes later. “So, where is this competition at?”
“The Middlebury High,” Jane said.
“Got it.”
SpiderGirl got to Middlebury High first and saw that a performance was already underway. ‘Too bad Talon and I don’t have personal radios,’ she thought. She looked around for the Lawndale team.
“Brittany, isn’t that SpiderGirl?” Donna asked.
Brittany looked up at the nearby rooftop. “It is. I think she’s investigating the situation.”
“I’m not sure what she could do,” Donna added.
“Something.”
SpiderGirl saw Brittany and Donna talking. ‘They have probably seen me.’ She looked around again. Many of the teams were there. ‘There’s a commotion over there.’
Trent had pulled up near the Hall. “OK, Janie. This is as close as I can get.”
“No problem, Trent,” Jane said as she got out.
Jane quickly changed into the Shadow and then made her way towards the Hall, getting there as the Lawndale team started their routine.
The team finished their routine.
“Lawndale High Lionesses 9/10.”
“Yes!” Brittany exclaimed.
However, something then happened. A helicopter was landing outside the hall.
‘What?’ Brittany asked herself.
SpiderGirl saw the large helicopter land. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked herself as she looked closer at it. It was decorated like a large huntman. ‘Going all out are they?’
She then watched as the team marched out from the helicopter into the Hall. She then followed them.
‘That’s certainly some entrance,’ the Shadow thought. She approached the helicopter slowly, noting the SpiderGirl had also watched the team arrive and was following them into the Hall. She then attached one of the tracking devices her mother had given her to the craft and dashed around to another entrance.
“There’s something strange about them…” Donna commented as the Huntsmans came up on the stage. ‘And not just that they’re wearing masks.’
“I agree,” Brittany said.
“SpiderGirl…” Donna said as she turned around.
“She’s here?” Brittany asked.
“Yes.
Brittany turned and looked. ‘Good,’ she thought. “I see.”
SpiderGirl saw that Brittany had noticed her. ‘I hope she’s ready to leap into action if she needs to,’ she thought. She then looked at the team. They were just standing still on the stage. “That is very strange,” she murmured. Usually cheer teams were more active just before a performance.
“And now the Huntsmans!” the announcer said.
The Huntsmans got a perfect 10.
“That’s impossible!” Ms. Morris fumed. “They had to have cheated!”
‘I agree,’ Brittany thought. She placed a hand on Ms. Morris’ shoulder.
“Ms. Taylor?”
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine! It’s just what they just did has to be impossible!” Ms. Morris stated.
“You may be right,” Brittany considered. She had to investigate. She then dashed off.
“Brittany?” Donna asked. Her friend had just disappeared.
The Huntsmans did an encore presentation, but something went wrong as they did a pyramid. They all collapsed in a heap. Most of them got up without saying anything. The coach went over to one of them. “Are you OK?”
The girl got up. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine…” she said over and over.
SpiderGirl looked at the girl. She certainly didn’t look hurt, but normal people didn’t repeat ‘I’m fine,’ over and over again. The others weren’t doing anything. ‘Maybe they’re special,’ she considered. She shook her head. Those who were special were just as concerned for others as those who were more normal. ‘Something else is up.’ She swung down. “She doesn’t seem fine.”
“SpiderGirl? This isn’t Lawndale.”
“No, but it isn’t far away,” SpiderGirl responded.
“Of course. But she is fine. No need to concern yourself.”
“She’s saying ‘I’m fine’ over and over. That doesn’t sound fine.”
“She will be looked over later,” the other said. “We’re leaving now.”
‘Probably the stress,’ SpiderGirl thought, although she was sure that didn’t explain everything.
The Huntsmans then started walking out of the hall, only to find Ninja Talon blocking the way.
“Ninja Talon! Out of the way!”
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.”
“Why is she saying that?”
“None of your business!” the coach said. “Out of the way.”
“No. This is suspicious!” SpiderGirl said.
“Out of our way!”
“No!” It was the Shadow, coming up behind SpiderGirl.
“I see it. You are all doing something.”
Daria turned on the TV as she got home. Instead of Sick Sad World, there was a breaking news bulletin.
“A stand off between the three Lawndale vigilantes and the coach of the Huntsman.”
She could see SpiderGirl there. “I knew she would go too far,” she murmured. She took out the list of questions she would ask Tananda later.
“Team! Form up around Tania,” the Coach said, noting that the various news crews were reporting on the situation. ‘Too much publicity! I may need to move early.’
“Tania,” she heard the Ninja vigilante murmur as she made a nervous gesture with her hand.
The team obeyed her order. “Now, force your way through the vigilantes, avoid the Spider Girl’s webbing.”
“See, suspicious!” said vigilante said. “You planned for this!”
“Maybe,” the Coach responding, producing a shock baton.
