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fardell24At the same time, Norman Osborn was being released from the hospital.
Fields met him as he entered the Lobby.
“There you are, Fields,” he said.
“You were given a clean bill of health?”
“Not exactly, but more than healthy enough to no longer need observation.”
“I see,” Fields said quietly.
They were silent until they got in the car. “Home first,” Norman said to the driver. He then turned back to Fields. “What is the reaction to the delivery so far.”
“Subdued. There hasn’t been much online chatter yet.”
“That’s to be expected, but with the clothes out, Operation rooftop can proceed.”
“But there was also a leak about the Alchemax operation,” Fields added.
Osborn gauged Fields. ‘Did she also leak additional information, or not?’ he wondered. “Of course, how else to draw out the vigilantes for a confrontation?”
Fields thought about that. ‘Of course. He’s expecting both SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante to show up and maybe have that long delayed confrontation.’
Stacy left the Mall after Quinn had dashed off saying that she would talk to Daria about the clothes. ‘She’s dashing off a lot lately.’ But that had been the case since before the Fashion Club had dissolved. She headed home, as she wanted to get a start on something Mr. DeMartino had assigned that day.
SpiderGirl got home after patrolling the area between the Mall and her neighborhood and entered the basement through the backyard hatch. She then went into the hidden room and took off her mask as she glanced at the clutter of the maps of Lawndale on the wall. She grabbed a post it and wrote Delivery of Costume Knock-offs to Cashmans before sticking it on the Mall on one of the maps.
“But, what about other stores in town?” she wondered. “Like, Angie’s mother’s boutique?”
Angie Zammit had got home when her cell phone rang. She answered it. “Hello? Quinn?”
“Hey, Angie.”
“Hi, Quinn, what’s up?” She didn’t expect Quinn to call, as she didn’t have a tutoring session until Thursday.
“Have you heard about the new clothes in Cashmans?”
“Really, Quinn?”
“This isn’t a Fashion Club resurgence thing,” Quinn said. “It’s that they’re knock offs of SpiderGirl’s suit!”
“Really? I have heard rumors at school.”
“Stacy and I were there earlier and we saw them. Most were of poor quality.”
“If they’re of poor quality, I doubt Mom would sell them.”
“Maybe not, but let me know if you hear anything more.”
At the same time, Sandi arrived at Cashmans. She had also heard rumors about what had been delivered and wanted to see for herself. “SpiderGirl inspired outfits,” she said. “Lame.”
“What are you calling lame?”
Sandi turned and saw that it was Nikki Dowling, one of Lawndale High’s cheerleaders. “Why has it to be of SpiderGirl?”
“The other heroes all wear nondescript clothes don’t they?” Nikki asked as she came up.
“They do, but SpiderGirl hypes herself up, a lot.”
“Maybe she does, but it’s what Lawndale needs right now.”
Sandi rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but the other heroes are doing their part.”
“I’m going to have a look.”
“Go ahead. I’m going to do so too.”
Sandi came to the same conclusion Quinn and Stacy had. “I guess Osborn had something to do with this,” she said to herself quietly. ‘I’ll ask Theresa.’
Theresa saw Sandi coming. “You want to know about the SpiderGirl inspired clothes too?”
“Who else has asked?” Sandi asked in a tone of curiosity.
“Quinn and Stacy.”
“I guess they’re not as past fashion as I thought.”
“More that they were more curious about where they came from,” Theresa said.
“I guess so,” Sandi said. ‘Maybe Daria’s investigative instinct has rubbed off on her.’
“I can say that it’s quite mysterious.”
“Like, you don’t say.”
Quinn entered Daria’s room.
“Quinn?” Daria asked.
“There was something weird at Cashman’s this afternoon.”
“Define weird.”
Quinn then explained what she had Stacy had found.
Daria thought about it. SpiderGirl knock offs, possibly made in sweatshops? It was definitely not right. ‘Another thing to investigate.’
“What do you think?” Quinn asked.
“That it’s yet another thing to investigate. Oscorp probably isn’t involved.”
“But it might be.”
“Most likely it’s some other opportunist,” Daria said “We might see Ninja Talon or Dafoanairi branded items next. The Shadow and the Enigma are still too elusive for such marketing.”
“It would more likely be Ninja Talon. Dafoanairi is still quite recent by comparison.”
Daria nodded.
When Sandi got home, her mother called her into the kitchen. “Yes, Mother?” She asked, wondering why she was called.
“I still have contacts from the old days,” her mother said, referring to when she was a superhero in Boston during her college years.
“They told you something about Oscorp?” Sandi asked quietly.
“Yes, that they are planning to steal something from Alchemax’s Lawndale facility tonight.”
“Any idea when?”
“All I know is that it would be sometime after midnight,” her mother answered. She then sighed. “Even on a school night.”
“And you know I’d be out anyway. Now I have a reason.”
“Along with Daria.”
“Only some nights,” Sandi said quietly. “But we’ll look.”
Norman was in his home office, which had been prepared for his arrival home. He received a call.
“We’re ready to go, sir,” the person said.
“Very good. Just be prepared for SpiderGirl, or any of the other vigilantes, to show up.”
“No teenage girls can stop us, no matter what powers or training they have.”
“Just don’t be overconfident,” Norman added before hanging up. ‘It is in place. Alchemax moved into Lawndale after me. I found this town first.’
After dinner, Sandi was ready for another search. ‘What will happen when I actually find her? I haven’t thought of that yet,’ she thought as she looked at the next girl in the yearbook. She grabbed the energy drink.
“Findu mann sem heitir: Lena Haroldson!”
She found Lena at the Historia, looking around the theater.
‘What is she doing?’
After midnight, SpiderGirl approached the Alchemax facility again. ‘Which way in?’ she wondered. But she decided to wait to see if the Oscorp team would approach in an obvious way or not. ‘I’ll keep an eye on the comings and goings.’
At the same time, the Engima arrived at the Morgendorffers. But she saw in one of Daria’s windows the signal that indicated that she had already left as Dafoanairi.
‘Elsewhere in Lawndale tonight,’ she thought. ‘I guess I’ll go to Alchemax by myself.’ She then left.
Dafoanairi was at High Hills Park, waiting for Tania Ashworth to arrive before her usual meeting with other Wiccans. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Dafoanairi?” Tania asked.
“I heard something today.”
“Which was?”
“More about SpiderGirl, but not much,” Dafoanairi admitted.
“You just wanted to talk to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’d like to know if you have seen anything unusual lately.”
“There are the SpiderGirl knockoffs in Cashmans,” Tania said.
“I had heard about those.”
“There’s not much more. But the others may have heard more.”
“I’ll wait then,” Dafoanairi said.
“You can join if you want.”
“No. I don’t believe that stuff, no offense.”
“None taken,” Tania said.
Back at the Alchemax facility, the Oscorp team began their move.
SpiderGirl saw them. ‘Talon isn’t here yet, but I have to follow,’ she thought as she swung down and started following.
The Enigma approached the Alchemax facility after SpiderGirl had followed the team inside. Therefore she didn’t see that her rival was already there.
SpiderGirl crawled along the ceiling of the corridor as the Oscorp team moved through the facility. It was obvious to her that they were after something specific, rather than it being a smash and grab. ‘But where?’ she wondered.
Five minutes later, the Oscorp agents found the room they were looking for and flung the door open.
“Hands up!” the leader said to the scientist who had been working overnight.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“We’re here for what it is you’re working on,” the leader responded. He moved towards the scientist. However, he found himself immobilised as SpiderGirl had shot a web at his feet.
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” She said.
“SpiderGirl!” the leader said. “Get her, and get me out of this.”
SpiderGirl was a blur as she moved about and avoided their weapons fire, which damaged some of the lab.
“Stop shooting!” the scientist said.
SpiderGirl finished webbing up the Oscorp team. That was hectic. ‘The most hectic since Groundhog Day!’ she thought. She dropped to the floor and turned to the scientist.
“Thanks SpiderGirl!”
“You’re welcome, but you need to call the cops. Ask for an Officer Peterson. She might be on duty.”
“Right.”
SpiderGirl turned to the webbed up team. “What are you after?” she asked as the scientist dialed 911.
“No comment, SpiderGIrl!”
SpiderGirl sighed and then she tensed as the Enigma arrived on the scene.
“Who are you?” the scientist asked.
“The fourth vigilante.”
“Oh, right. I wasn’t sure if it was the other one, the Violet something,” the scientist said.
“My mentor isn’t usually active.”
“So, what is it that you’re working on that Oscorp thought was worth sending in a team to steal?” SpiderGirl asked, trying to ignore the Enigma’s glare.
“Just a formula for regenerating lost appendages,” the scientist said. “But it’s nowhere near ready.”
SpiderGirl glanced at the fact that he was missing his lower left arm, and saw that his name tag read Conners. ‘I guess he has a personal reason for it,’ she thought. “Even so, Norman Osborn probably thought it was ready enough.”
“You think it’s him personally?” Conners asked.
“You have been following the news in Lawndale, right?” the Enigma asked.
“Of course. Groundhog Day, brownouts, kidnapped theater critics, a metahuman attacking the hospital, a robot pterodactyl, and a fake interview. Are you saying Osborn is behind those things?” Conners asked.
“No,” SpiderGirl answered. “Not all of them, but some of them, even if there is no proof.”
“You’re right. No proof,” the leader of the team said.
“But Conners will tell Peterson that you admitted that Osborn is behind your attempt to get his research,” SpiderGirl said.
“That won’t be proof,” one of the other team members said.
“That’s true, unfortunately,” SpiderGirl mused.
Peterson had been about to finish her shift when the call had come in. However, she somehow knew SpiderGirl was involved. She looked at the Alchemax facility as she entered.
“Why Oscorp had to get caught in corporate espionage like this…” she murmured as she entered the room to find both SpiderGirl and the Enigma staring tensely at each other over the webbed up Oscorp team, as well as Conners sitting at his desk. (She too noticed the amputation.)
“I don’t know,” Conners said. “Arrest them.”
“I intend to,” Peterson said before turning to SpiderGirl and the Enigma. “You must have heard about it somehow. Separately of course.”
“It was online chatter,” SpiderGirl responded.
“I heard from my mentor,” the Enigma said in a slightly defensive tone.
‘Online chatter and however the Violet Force heard about it,’ Peterson considered as she drew out a pair of cuffs. “You are all under arrest,” she said to the Oscorp agents. “You have the right to remain silent…”
SpiderGirl took the opportunity to make herself scarce. She shot a web to the ceiling and swung up.
“SpiderGirl’s gone,” the Enigma said to Peterson after the officer had cuffed the leader.
“Not unexpected,” Peterson said.
“Does she usually do that?” Conners asked.
“She does, especially since Groundhog Day,” Peterson answered.
“I’ll be off too,” the Enigma said.
“Wait!” Peterson said.
“I can’t say much more on what my mentor said,” the Enigma said as she rose a forcefield around herself. She then went to the door.
“Powers…” Conners considered. “Webs and whatever her deal is.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Peterson said as she Enigma left. “But they’re the only ones with powers.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the others are either trained, or use gadgets or gile to fight crime.”
SpiderGirl left the facility via the roof and breathed a sigh of relief as she swung away. She still didn’t want to confront the Enigma. ‘Still, I have to fill Talon in on what Conners may be working on later.’ She then went to patrol the northern area of Lawndale before heading home.
Fields met him as he entered the Lobby.
“There you are, Fields,” he said.
“You were given a clean bill of health?”
“Not exactly, but more than healthy enough to no longer need observation.”
“I see,” Fields said quietly.
They were silent until they got in the car. “Home first,” Norman said to the driver. He then turned back to Fields. “What is the reaction to the delivery so far.”
“Subdued. There hasn’t been much online chatter yet.”
“That’s to be expected, but with the clothes out, Operation rooftop can proceed.”
“But there was also a leak about the Alchemax operation,” Fields added.
Osborn gauged Fields. ‘Did she also leak additional information, or not?’ he wondered. “Of course, how else to draw out the vigilantes for a confrontation?”
Fields thought about that. ‘Of course. He’s expecting both SpiderGirl and the fourth vigilante to show up and maybe have that long delayed confrontation.’
Stacy left the Mall after Quinn had dashed off saying that she would talk to Daria about the clothes. ‘She’s dashing off a lot lately.’ But that had been the case since before the Fashion Club had dissolved. She headed home, as she wanted to get a start on something Mr. DeMartino had assigned that day.
SpiderGirl got home after patrolling the area between the Mall and her neighborhood and entered the basement through the backyard hatch. She then went into the hidden room and took off her mask as she glanced at the clutter of the maps of Lawndale on the wall. She grabbed a post it and wrote Delivery of Costume Knock-offs to Cashmans before sticking it on the Mall on one of the maps.
“But, what about other stores in town?” she wondered. “Like, Angie’s mother’s boutique?”
Angie Zammit had got home when her cell phone rang. She answered it. “Hello? Quinn?”
“Hey, Angie.”
“Hi, Quinn, what’s up?” She didn’t expect Quinn to call, as she didn’t have a tutoring session until Thursday.
“Have you heard about the new clothes in Cashmans?”
“Really, Quinn?”
“This isn’t a Fashion Club resurgence thing,” Quinn said. “It’s that they’re knock offs of SpiderGirl’s suit!”
“Really? I have heard rumors at school.”
“Stacy and I were there earlier and we saw them. Most were of poor quality.”
“If they’re of poor quality, I doubt Mom would sell them.”
“Maybe not, but let me know if you hear anything more.”
At the same time, Sandi arrived at Cashmans. She had also heard rumors about what had been delivered and wanted to see for herself. “SpiderGirl inspired outfits,” she said. “Lame.”
“What are you calling lame?”
Sandi turned and saw that it was Nikki Dowling, one of Lawndale High’s cheerleaders. “Why has it to be of SpiderGirl?”
“The other heroes all wear nondescript clothes don’t they?” Nikki asked as she came up.
“They do, but SpiderGirl hypes herself up, a lot.”
“Maybe she does, but it’s what Lawndale needs right now.”
Sandi rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but the other heroes are doing their part.”
“I’m going to have a look.”
“Go ahead. I’m going to do so too.”
Sandi came to the same conclusion Quinn and Stacy had. “I guess Osborn had something to do with this,” she said to herself quietly. ‘I’ll ask Theresa.’
Theresa saw Sandi coming. “You want to know about the SpiderGirl inspired clothes too?”
“Who else has asked?” Sandi asked in a tone of curiosity.
“Quinn and Stacy.”
“I guess they’re not as past fashion as I thought.”
“More that they were more curious about where they came from,” Theresa said.
“I guess so,” Sandi said. ‘Maybe Daria’s investigative instinct has rubbed off on her.’
“I can say that it’s quite mysterious.”
“Like, you don’t say.”
Quinn entered Daria’s room.
“Quinn?” Daria asked.
“There was something weird at Cashman’s this afternoon.”
“Define weird.”
Quinn then explained what she had Stacy had found.
Daria thought about it. SpiderGirl knock offs, possibly made in sweatshops? It was definitely not right. ‘Another thing to investigate.’
“What do you think?” Quinn asked.
“That it’s yet another thing to investigate. Oscorp probably isn’t involved.”
“But it might be.”
“Most likely it’s some other opportunist,” Daria said “We might see Ninja Talon or Dafoanairi branded items next. The Shadow and the Enigma are still too elusive for such marketing.”
“It would more likely be Ninja Talon. Dafoanairi is still quite recent by comparison.”
Daria nodded.
When Sandi got home, her mother called her into the kitchen. “Yes, Mother?” She asked, wondering why she was called.
“I still have contacts from the old days,” her mother said, referring to when she was a superhero in Boston during her college years.
“They told you something about Oscorp?” Sandi asked quietly.
“Yes, that they are planning to steal something from Alchemax’s Lawndale facility tonight.”
“Any idea when?”
“All I know is that it would be sometime after midnight,” her mother answered. She then sighed. “Even on a school night.”
“And you know I’d be out anyway. Now I have a reason.”
“Along with Daria.”
“Only some nights,” Sandi said quietly. “But we’ll look.”
Norman was in his home office, which had been prepared for his arrival home. He received a call.
“We’re ready to go, sir,” the person said.
“Very good. Just be prepared for SpiderGirl, or any of the other vigilantes, to show up.”
“No teenage girls can stop us, no matter what powers or training they have.”
“Just don’t be overconfident,” Norman added before hanging up. ‘It is in place. Alchemax moved into Lawndale after me. I found this town first.’
After dinner, Sandi was ready for another search. ‘What will happen when I actually find her? I haven’t thought of that yet,’ she thought as she looked at the next girl in the yearbook. She grabbed the energy drink.
“Findu mann sem heitir: Lena Haroldson!”
She found Lena at the Historia, looking around the theater.
‘What is she doing?’
After midnight, SpiderGirl approached the Alchemax facility again. ‘Which way in?’ she wondered. But she decided to wait to see if the Oscorp team would approach in an obvious way or not. ‘I’ll keep an eye on the comings and goings.’
At the same time, the Engima arrived at the Morgendorffers. But she saw in one of Daria’s windows the signal that indicated that she had already left as Dafoanairi.
‘Elsewhere in Lawndale tonight,’ she thought. ‘I guess I’ll go to Alchemax by myself.’ She then left.
Dafoanairi was at High Hills Park, waiting for Tania Ashworth to arrive before her usual meeting with other Wiccans. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Dafoanairi?” Tania asked.
“I heard something today.”
“Which was?”
“More about SpiderGirl, but not much,” Dafoanairi admitted.
“You just wanted to talk to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’d like to know if you have seen anything unusual lately.”
“There are the SpiderGirl knockoffs in Cashmans,” Tania said.
“I had heard about those.”
“There’s not much more. But the others may have heard more.”
“I’ll wait then,” Dafoanairi said.
“You can join if you want.”
“No. I don’t believe that stuff, no offense.”
“None taken,” Tania said.
Back at the Alchemax facility, the Oscorp team began their move.
SpiderGirl saw them. ‘Talon isn’t here yet, but I have to follow,’ she thought as she swung down and started following.
The Enigma approached the Alchemax facility after SpiderGirl had followed the team inside. Therefore she didn’t see that her rival was already there.
SpiderGirl crawled along the ceiling of the corridor as the Oscorp team moved through the facility. It was obvious to her that they were after something specific, rather than it being a smash and grab. ‘But where?’ she wondered.
Five minutes later, the Oscorp agents found the room they were looking for and flung the door open.
“Hands up!” the leader said to the scientist who had been working overnight.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“We’re here for what it is you’re working on,” the leader responded. He moved towards the scientist. However, he found himself immobilised as SpiderGirl had shot a web at his feet.
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” She said.
“SpiderGirl!” the leader said. “Get her, and get me out of this.”
SpiderGirl was a blur as she moved about and avoided their weapons fire, which damaged some of the lab.
“Stop shooting!” the scientist said.
SpiderGirl finished webbing up the Oscorp team. That was hectic. ‘The most hectic since Groundhog Day!’ she thought. She dropped to the floor and turned to the scientist.
“Thanks SpiderGirl!”
“You’re welcome, but you need to call the cops. Ask for an Officer Peterson. She might be on duty.”
“Right.”
SpiderGirl turned to the webbed up team. “What are you after?” she asked as the scientist dialed 911.
“No comment, SpiderGIrl!”
SpiderGirl sighed and then she tensed as the Enigma arrived on the scene.
“Who are you?” the scientist asked.
“The fourth vigilante.”
“Oh, right. I wasn’t sure if it was the other one, the Violet something,” the scientist said.
“My mentor isn’t usually active.”
“So, what is it that you’re working on that Oscorp thought was worth sending in a team to steal?” SpiderGirl asked, trying to ignore the Enigma’s glare.
“Just a formula for regenerating lost appendages,” the scientist said. “But it’s nowhere near ready.”
SpiderGirl glanced at the fact that he was missing his lower left arm, and saw that his name tag read Conners. ‘I guess he has a personal reason for it,’ she thought. “Even so, Norman Osborn probably thought it was ready enough.”
“You think it’s him personally?” Conners asked.
“You have been following the news in Lawndale, right?” the Enigma asked.
“Of course. Groundhog Day, brownouts, kidnapped theater critics, a metahuman attacking the hospital, a robot pterodactyl, and a fake interview. Are you saying Osborn is behind those things?” Conners asked.
“No,” SpiderGirl answered. “Not all of them, but some of them, even if there is no proof.”
“You’re right. No proof,” the leader of the team said.
“But Conners will tell Peterson that you admitted that Osborn is behind your attempt to get his research,” SpiderGirl said.
“That won’t be proof,” one of the other team members said.
“That’s true, unfortunately,” SpiderGirl mused.
Peterson had been about to finish her shift when the call had come in. However, she somehow knew SpiderGirl was involved. She looked at the Alchemax facility as she entered.
“Why Oscorp had to get caught in corporate espionage like this…” she murmured as she entered the room to find both SpiderGirl and the Enigma staring tensely at each other over the webbed up Oscorp team, as well as Conners sitting at his desk. (She too noticed the amputation.)
“I don’t know,” Conners said. “Arrest them.”
“I intend to,” Peterson said before turning to SpiderGirl and the Enigma. “You must have heard about it somehow. Separately of course.”
“It was online chatter,” SpiderGirl responded.
“I heard from my mentor,” the Enigma said in a slightly defensive tone.
‘Online chatter and however the Violet Force heard about it,’ Peterson considered as she drew out a pair of cuffs. “You are all under arrest,” she said to the Oscorp agents. “You have the right to remain silent…”
SpiderGirl took the opportunity to make herself scarce. She shot a web to the ceiling and swung up.
“SpiderGirl’s gone,” the Enigma said to Peterson after the officer had cuffed the leader.
“Not unexpected,” Peterson said.
“Does she usually do that?” Conners asked.
“She does, especially since Groundhog Day,” Peterson answered.
“I’ll be off too,” the Enigma said.
“Wait!” Peterson said.
“I can’t say much more on what my mentor said,” the Enigma said as she rose a forcefield around herself. She then went to the door.
“Powers…” Conners considered. “Webs and whatever her deal is.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Peterson said as she Enigma left. “But they’re the only ones with powers.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the others are either trained, or use gadgets or gile to fight crime.”
SpiderGirl left the facility via the roof and breathed a sigh of relief as she swung away. She still didn’t want to confront the Enigma. ‘Still, I have to fill Talon in on what Conners may be working on later.’ She then went to patrol the northern area of Lawndale before heading home.
