fardell24

A minute later, they were on top of the Historia.

“So, those goggles have night vision?” Philippa asked.

“Yes, amongst other modes.”

“And you don’t have powers?”

“I’m neither confirming nor denying. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be doing this without these gadgets,” the Shadow explained. “It’s like my own play. It seems that in the drama of Lawndale, I have taken this role to help.”

“And the other vigilantes?”

“SpiderGirl does have powers. But I am not sure if her webs are organic or not. Ninja Talon seems to be just a teenager skilled in martial arts who also uses some gadgets alongside her weapons. The fourth vigilante is telekinetic and can project energy blasts. I haven’t yet met the apparent fifth.”

“You don’t know what name she’s taken?” Philippa asked.

“I do, but it seems she wants to remain in the shadows as she helps Lawndale in her way. I just hope any battle between her and SpiderGirl is short.”


The Shadow was about to say more, but she then heard something to the northwest of the Historia, in Dega Street. “Duty calls!” she said to Philippa.

“You are going to leave me here?” Philippa asked.

“You’d be a liability. I trained with my mentor a while before I started doing this,” the Shadow then handed her the spare grapple gun. “It is relatively easy to use. But I’ll be back soon. Keep an eye on Daria and Sandi.”


Daria and Sandi also heard the noise as they examined an Oscorp building. “What’s that?” Daria asked.

“Sounds like something to respond to,” Sandi replied.

Daria nodded. “Right. There are plenty of places along here…”

Sandi nodded and ran off to some cover.


‘What are they doing?’ Philippa wondered.

( Read More )

Quinn arrived at school not long after. She began hearing rumors of Jamie’s claim as she headed to Homeroom. ‘What is Jamie doing?’ she groused to herself. ‘He wouldn’t have found the off switch or the Solarium itself if he hadn’t joined me on the search!’ She wasn’t sure what to do about his bragging other than to insist on the truth.


Conflicting claims would spread through the school as the day went on.


At lunch, Jamie was eating with Elly and Freya. Joey saw that and turned to Jeffy Brown-Mercer. “We need to do something about this?”

“But how?” Jeffy asked.

“We’ll go to Quinn,” Joey said.

“Or Daria?” Jeffy asked.

“Quinn first,” Joey decided.

“Sure.”


“And so, it’s annoying,” Quinn said. “But I have been insisting on the truth. That I was there at the Solarium and he wouldn’t have been there if he hadn’t come with me.”

“That’s all you can do,” Tori Jericho said.

“I know,” Quinn said.

“Quinn?” Joey said as he approached.

“Jeffy?” Stacy Rowe asked.

“It’s about Jamie,” Joey said.

“He’s bragging that he was the teen investigator that stopped the brownouts,” Jeffy said.

“I know,” Quinn said with annoyance.

“But what can we do about it?” Joey asked.

“Also, it seems he’s going after Elly,” Jeffy said.

“I’d say let him,” Stacy said.

“What?” Tiffany Blum-Deckler asked.

“So, he wouldn’t annoy Quinn,” Stacy said.

“He hasn’t been doing that lately,” Quinn pointed out.

“Nor have I,” Joey said. “I mean we have gone on dates, but it’s been more as friends, especially given we’re partners in the Historia.”

“That’s a good point,” Stacy said.

“But Jamie?” Jeffy asked.

“I guess you can ask Daria,” Quinn said. “I’m at a wits end.”

( Read More )

Jamie looked around as Mr. Elders gave a tour of the Solarium. “It looks more like a lair than a solarium.”

“Jamie!” Quinn said. “I don’t think so. Besides, an actual lair could be anything, like an office building or an ordinary house.”

“Lair? I suppose it could be,” Mr. Elders said.


‘I hope he’s joking,’ Quinn thought as she looked around. ‘Lawndale doesn’t need any new villains.’

“But that word sounds sinister,” Mr. Elders added.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Quinn asked.

“But this place looks like one of those places in one of those movies,” Jamie said.

“But this isn’t a movie!” Quinn objected.

“No, it isn’t,” Mr. Elders said. “But this building has been used for other purposes in its history.”

“Of course,” Quinn said, as she remembered what she told Jamie about the Historia earlier.

“What?” Mr. Elders asked.

“What else is here?” Quinn asked. “Maybe something that’s still drawing power?”

“I doubt it,” Mr. Elders responded. “I had a good look at the place before I bought it.”


Jamie thought about it as he, Quinn and Mr. Elders searched the building the Solarium was in. It looked more like a lair than he had thought. ‘But Lawndale hasn’t had villains in it’s past?’


They went down to the basement. “I guess I didn’t really look down here,” Mr. Elders said. “I was focused on the rest of the building and establishing the solarium.”

“Sometimes it’s something that’s overlooked that can cause a problem,” Quinn said.


Meanwhile, as his grandfather and other two were searching the building, a bored Sam Elders was thinking. While his grandfather had pushed aside Jamie’s comment about the Solarium being a lair, he had overheard it and was considering it. ‘We can be villains and be worthy opponents to SpiderGirl and the others,’ he thought. ‘Groundhog Day was too far of course.’


‘There’s definitely something here,’ Quinn thought, as her enhanced hearing was picking something up. She wandered in that direction and threw a tarp aside. “Look here,” she said. “It looks like some kind of electric furnace.”

“You’re right,” Mr. Elders said. “Here I thought the building just had really good insulation.”

“Now we just need to find the off switch,” Quinn said.

“Over here,” Jamie said. He flipped off the switch and the glow of the antiquated furnace started to fade.


Quinn and Jamie emerged from the solarium and saw that the street lights were no longer flickering. “We did it, Quinn,” Jamie said. “But what now?”

“We head back to the Historia and fill the others in,” Quinn said.

“Right.”

( Read More )

After midnight, Dafoanairi climbed out the hall window and down the ivy covered trellis. She then left the Morgendorffers place into the laneway behind and headed towards High Hills Park that way. She was wearing dark clothes and a cloak that effectively hid her long auburn hair which she had tied in a simple ponytail and the fact that she was squinting without her glasses.


Sandi arrived a few minutes later and saw that Daria’s light was out. “Oh. Looks like she’s asleep,” she commented. She then changed to the Enigma and headed downtown.


Dafoanairi arrived at High Hills Park and heard the Wiccans chanting as they started their nightly worship. ‘But how can I find Tania without my glasses?’ she wondered. She didn’t really think that through. It was even worse with it being around New Moon. She decided to wait until the Wiccans had finished and then call Tania.


Tania Ashworth was about to go home when she heard her name being called from nearby, within the Park. “Who’s there?” she asked. “Is it the Shadow trying to accuse me again?”

“No,” a feminine voice said. A cloaked figure appeared. “I’m Dafoanairi, Lawndale’s snarky fifth vigilante.”

Tania raised an eyebrow. That was certainly new. “A snarky fifth?” she asked rhetorically. “Why are you here?”

“I’m investigating the brownouts that have been plaguing downtown Lawndale since the early afternoon.”

“I heard about them,” Tania said.

“So, you may have heard that various businesses were having issues related to them, including the Historia, boutiques unable to process credit card transactions and dojos having to deal with poor lighting.”

“I knew about some of that,” Tania admitted, “but why are you asking me about it?”

“I heard that you were investigating the other vigilantes last Friday.”

“The Morgendorffers may be involved or they may not be, and I still have an eye on Sandi Griffin, but I need more proof.”

“What is your answer?” Dafoanairi asked.

“I’ll help you with the brownouts.”

( Read More )

15 The New Challenges
Helen Morgendorffer entered her kitchen to see an unusual sight. “Quinn? Why is Jamie getting his hair cut in our kitchen?”

“Because his usual barber has left Lawndale,” her daughter, Quinn, answered.

“That doesn’t answer the question,” Helen said.

“And Daria was in the bathroom,” Quinn added.

“You could have waited.”

“I didn’t want to wait, Mrs. Morgendorffer,” Jamie said.

“I see.”

“And he really needed one,” Quinn added.

“At least clean up when you’re done,” Helen said.

“I always do,” Quinn said.

“You’re taking a lot off,” Helen noted.

“That’s what he wants,” Quinn said. “And he’ll thank me.”


Soon, Quinn was done and Jamie White looked at himself in a hand mirror. “It’s great Quinn,” Jamie said.

“Thanks!”

( Read More )

They came to a corner office, after evading another of those robot arms. “She’s in there,” the Enigma said.

“The door could be trapped,” Daria pointed out.

The heard the ding of the elevator somewhere behind them.

“Uh oh!” Daria said. She turned around and put her staff in a ready position “Whatever you’re going to do…”

“Got it,” the Enigma said.


The Enigma telekinetically pushed the door open and smoke came from the lock mechanism.

“Now, Daria,” Peterson said.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Daria said.


They entered the room and found Verity tied beneath a desk. Peterson took out a pocket knife and cut her ties.

“Thanks,” Beresfield said. “I didn’t see who it was, but I suspect it was Osborn.”

“We have to get out of here first,” the Enigma said.

“And I can see them coming,” Daria said from the door.

“The ventilation system,” the Enigma said as she pulled a vent off.

“Better than the window,” Daria quipped. “Get her up first.”

“Sure,” Peterson said. “But I don’t want to have to come back for you.”

“You won’t need to,” Daria said.


Verity climbed up the rope into the ventilation shaft, followed by Peterson.

( Read More )

( 24th – 26th )

Total: 1051