Ninja Talon hadn’t been waiting long on the Hecuba-Croft’s roof when SpiderGirl arrived. “Ready?” the former asked.

“Of course,” SpiderGirl said. “I’m just worried that she didn’t find anything.”

“Same here. But we will find Jane and the critics anyway.”

“But just searching near the Lake probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Not if it’s done randomly,” Ninja Talon said.

“Another plan?” SpiderGirl asked with a slight giggle. “I’d like to hear it.”

“After we talk with Andrea.”


Andrea saw the two vigilantes enter her room again. “I did find something,” she said.

“Which was?” SpiderGirl asked.

Andrea brought up a document she had compiled the data on. “Someone was seen leaving the Historia at the time, carrying someone else to a manhole nearby.” She then brought up a collage of screenshots.

“So, that proves Jane was taken,” SpiderGirl said after she had had a look.

“It does, but not where she was taken,” Ninja Talon pointed out.

“Too true,” SpiderGirl considered.

“So, what now?” Andrea asked.

“We’ll scout the area now, and return sometime tomorrow for more intensive search,” SpiderGirl decided.

“I agree,” Ninja Talon said.

“Let me know how it goes,” Andrea said. “I’ll be at the Historia for morning tea.”

“Great!” Ninja Talon said.


Up on the roof the heroes paused. “Which way?” Ninja Talon asked. “By the Creek, or along the road?”

“Probably the Creek, but what do you think?”

“The Creek would have more cover, if he’s looking out for us.”

“He probably wouldn’t be, in the middle of the night,” SpiderGirl said. “But we’ll be careful anyway.”

They then swung away.

( Read More )

The third of the previous applicants entered the bookstore.

“Let’s see. Dani Moreno, a sophomore at Lawndale State,” Quinn said.

“That’s right,” Dani said.

“I looked over your CV again. You said that you study visual arts and also are experienced with sound equipment.”

“Yes. But I may ask.”

“You can,” Quinn said.

“Is the person you actually hired responsible for Jane Lane’s disappearance.”

“Possibility.”

“I see,” Dani said with a frown.

“Do you know Jane?”

“Yes, my brother is in Mystik Spiral.”

“I guess that’s some of your experience in sound equipment comes from,” Quinn guessed.

Dani nodded.

“Right. I need to talk to more people, but I think you might be in.”

“I’ll wait in the café.”

“Thanks.”


Dani entered the café and saw that Scott Ashworth was there. ‘I didn’t think he was interested in Shakespeare,’ she thought. She then went up to the counter.

“How may I help you,” the pigtailed waitress asked.

“A white tea, thanks.”

“Coming right up.”

( Read More )

SpiderGirl re-entered the theater area and saw that it was still full of the green mist, she saw Peterson nearby, as well as three young men, including Trent, talking to her.


“I tried going in there,” Trent said. “But it was disorienting.”

“He clearly rigged this,” Peterson said. “But your sister could be gone by now.”

“I’ll find her,” SpiderGirl said as she came over. “They can’t have gone far, even if they’re in the drains.”

“Quickly,” Peterson said.

SpiderGirl nodded and dashed off.


“We may need to interrupt the power,” Dafoanairi said. “But the power box is out the back. It will take a while to either go around the block or over the building.”

“The latter can be quick,” the Enigma said.

“Or we could try the basement,” Dafoanairi said. “There are two entrances, but there’s a lot of props down there.”

“Lead the way.”


Backstage, SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon met up. “What’s the situation?” the latter asked.

“There’s an illusion of green mist in there, like at the bridge,” SpiderGirl answered. “And Jane has already been abducted, but he could still be here or nearby.”

“Then we have to get out there and make sure he doesn’t enter the drains again.”

“Got it.”

They then ran out back.


The emerged from the Historia and looked around the parking lot quickly. The found a manhole. “It doesn’t look like it has been used,” SpiderGirl said.

“Probably one on the street,” Ninja Talon suggested.

SpiderGirl nodded and shot a web to the roof of the theatre. “Let’s go.”


Shortly after SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon had swung away, the Enigma and Dafoanairi emerged from one of the back doors. “It’s over here,” Dafoanairi said. She then went over and opened the power box.

“What are you waiting for?”

“I’m going to turn it off and then off again. That should stop the illusions.”

“Should?” the Enigma asked.

“It might not, but we have to try. When I turn it back on, we’ll rush back in.”

“Ready.”

Dafoanairi then switched off the power.


SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon swung down in front of the Historia and looked around. “There it is!” Ninja Talon said.

They ran to the spot and saw that the manhole cover had been displaced. “Right!” SpiderGirl said.

“Right after you,” Ninja Talon said. They then went down into the stormwater system.

( Read More )

17 Tempestuous Origin Of Mysterio
The figure had light. SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon also had flashlights. The first pipe was easy, as it was mostly dry, but they noticed that there was more water as they continued towards the creek.

“Is he trying to lose us at the Creek?” Ninja Talon asked.

“Probably,” SpiderGirl considered.


‘That makes sense,’ the Shadow thought as she followed along. Just as well her shoes were waterproof. But she wasn’t so sure of SpiderGirl’s suit.


But SpiderGirl had planned for that. She had used waterproof materials in that particular suit. Ten minutes after leaving the vicinity of the WSBC studio, they approached the Creek.

The water was waist deep in the last pipe before the Creek, which made it difficult for them to move quickly.

When they emerged from the pipe into the creek, they saw that the figure had a speedboat waiting. “Quickly!” SpiderGirl told the other two. She shot a web to the boat as it started up.

Ninja Talon and the Shadow both fired their grapple guns. Both lines held as the boat speed off.


“Is this a good idea?” the Shadow asked as the figure went downstream, towards the lake.

“Not really,” SpiderGirl admitted. “But we’re coming up to the Jefferson Bridge.”

“You’re going to web the bridge?” the Shadow asked.

“Yes!” SpiderGirl said.

“Good idea,” Ninja Talon said.


They approached the bridge a half minute later. SpiderGirl shot webs to the road deck and to two of the pylons as they approached. “Be ready to hold on!” she said.

The other two nodded.


As they passed beneath the bridge, SpiderGirl shot more webs and signalled the other two. They retracted their grapples and held onto their superpowered team member. She then swung up onto the bridge. She shot more webs at the boat once they were on the bridge. That happened in less than five seconds. The boat stopped on the water, although the engines were still running at full throttle.

“Did it work?” Ninja Talon asked.

A green mist appeared on the boat.

“What?” SpiderGirl asked. “Get down!”

They hit the pavement of the walkway, with the Shadow holding a camera out over the edge. “He’s gone,” she said.

“What?” SpiderGirl asked. “Wait… I heard him go as we got down.”

“An illusion?” Ninja Talon asked.

“Most likely,” the Shadow said. She looked downstream. “He could be anywhere.”


SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon waited until several minutes after the Shadow had gone before swinging below the bridge to their spot and unmasking.

“So, you think it’s Beck, given the illusion?” Brittany asked.

“It certainly makes him a suspect, but I haven’t seen his special effects yet,” Quinn answered.

“I guess we will have to wait until Friday.”

“I doubt we have that long.”

“Tomorrow night is the dress rehearsal. Maybe Daria will want to see the effects that he has come up with then,” Brittany said.

“Maybe.”

“But in the meantime, all we know is that he might be holding the critics between here and the lake.”

“That’s still not much to go on,” Quinn said.

Brittany nodded.

They stood there in silence for a while before Quinn headed off to the Historia for her shift in the café and Brittany began a patrol before dinner.

( Read More )

Across the cafeteria, Quinn joined Stacy, Tori and Tiffany.
“Have you found out anything else?” Tori asked.

“Not much,” Quinn answered. “Daria and I are going to talk to him this afternoon.”

“What do you think he’s up to?” Stacy asked.

“I’m not sure. That’s what we’re going to try to find out,” Quinn responded.

“But, if he’s hiding something, won’t he just not say it?” Tiffany asked.

“That’s true. But Daria and I have different ways of asking,” Quinn answered. “It would be like good cop, bad cop, but different.”

“Not that different,” Stacy said.

“But different enough,” Quinn said.


Around 2:00, Xanthe had returned to the Historia, where Quentin Beck had yet to show up. ‘Suspicious,’ she thought. ‘But nowhere near proof.’ She then saw a journalist she was familiar with enter the café.

“Officer Peterson,” Penelope Jericho said. “I’d like an interview about what you have found out so far about the disappearance of Kalina Ondrovick.”

“On the record?” Xanthe asked.

“Of course.”

“Yes.”


Penelope ordered a coffee first, before she interviewed Peterson.

“First, off the record. I have sources that say that you cooperate with SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon, the fourth vigilante and now this Dafoanairi.”

“That’s true, regarding SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. I haven’t met the fourth vigilante more than twice and the same is true of Dafoanairi.”

“And what is your reasoning regarding cooperating with them?”

“That it is best to cooperate than to be antagonistic,” Peterson answered.

“Good answer.”

( Read More )

Shortly afterwards, Quinn changed to SpiderGirl on the roof of the theatre. The themes of change resonated with her, specially with the changes she had undergone since she got bit by that spider and after her father died. ‘Daddy! I will always miss you! Thank you for saying ‘With Great Power. Comes Great Responsibility.’ It has given me something to strive for.’ She then thought about Brittany as Ariel. ‘She’s pouring herself into the role.’ Then she heard sirens to the east, across the creek in Lawndale Flats. ‘Responsibility calls,’ she thought as she swung away.


Daria and Jane left the Historia, heading towards the pizza place. “That was rather good for a first rehearsal,” Jane said.

“The actors had time to learn the script. And many were already familiar with The Tempest,” Daria said.

“Including Brittany? That was a surprise.”

“Apparently she had read Shakespeare since she was young.”

“I must have missed that,” Jane mused. “What do you think about the guy playing Prospero?”

“Tom? He’s good. It must be because Fielding covers Shakespeare better than a public school would.”

“I mean, he’s cute.”

“I don’t think so,” Daria said. “He’s like all the other boys.”

Jane shrugged. “Maybe. Still, all of them were good, including Tania.”

“She did well in her audition. Just because she was running around town accusing people of being the vigilantes over a week ago doesn’t mean I would not give her the opportunity.”

“Of course. Of course.”

( Read More )

16 Tempest and Change
Quentin Beck got off the bus. He looked at the terminal in front of him. “Lawndale,” he considered. Two weeks before he hadn’t heard of the place. Then the Groundhog Day Attack made national news. Some sort of crazed villain had attacked the place. But that wasn’t why he was there. He was there because there was a job offer at some sort of community theater.


After picking up his luggage in the terminal, he found a copy of the local newspaper, the Sun-Herald.

Lawndale Sun-Herald
Saturday, February 17, 2001
Brownouts resolved a second time
SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon and an apparent fifth vigilante responded and disconnected the problematic electric furnace in the Elders Solarium.

“Five vigilantes,” he considered. There were only three when the Groundhog Day Attack occurred, he was sure.


Quinn Morgendorffer entered the theatre area of the Historia. She looked at the time. 5:30. “Is the guy here yet?” she asked.

“Not yet, Quinn.” Robert Allen responded.

Quinn sighed. “How hard is it to find a special effects person?”

“He’s probably a little late.”

“I know, but I don’t want to wait too long.”


Quentin found the Historia and went inside. He took out the note he had made. “Interview will be in the theater, not the café or bookstore,” he reminded himself as he looked around. He saw that the café was to the right of the lobby and the bookstore to the left. The theater doors were straight ahead.

( Read More )

24th March
Excerpt from: The Bratty Cheerleader
“I don’t have to like it.”


Brittany still wasn’t sure what to do about the situation as school let out. “I’ll talk to Ashley-Amber,” she decided.

“Babe!”

Brittany sighed. “Kevie!”

“What’s up, Babe?”

“You know what’s up! We’re not lab partners!”

“Oh!”


Excerpt from: Mysteries of Aurora
“I’ll have another look before going back to the Hall,” Olivia said.

“I’ll come too.”


It was already getting late as they arrived back at the Library. The evening crowd of students using the various study nooks were already there. But Olivia had already determined that the Ancient Section didn’t have many of those.

Talia and David were still there, and there were are few others there too.

“You talked to Freya?” Talia asked.

( Excerpt from Spider Quinn )