fardell24 | Entries tagged with quentin beck

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 )

“So, where are you headed?” Daria asked. “I could drive you?”

“The Historia at first,” Anna answered. “Apparently, SpiderGirl is often on the roof.”

“I have heard that,” Daria said. “Probably because it offers a good vantage point. I have been up there, looking at the town, myself.”

“The Historia too,” Ben added.

“Just no making out while I’m driving,” Daria said.

“Um, we don’t do that,” Anna said. “The hypochondria.”

“Anna!” Ben said as they came up to the parking lot.

“Sorry,” Anna said, as she kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.

Ben rubbed the cheek.

Daria sighed as she unlocked the Lexus.

Quinn and Brittany left the school grounds before changing to SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon respectively. They then went in different directions, with SpiderGirl heading southwards, to patrol the downtown.

Daria parked in the parking lot behind the Historia. “I didn’t really know this was here,” Anna said as she got out.

“It’s one of those hidden places that people don’t think about,” Daria said.

“Like in those stories you like, only more mundane,” Ben said.

“That makes sense,” Anna said.

“I’ll show you the backstage area if you want,” Daria said.

“What about the apartments?” Anna asked.

“They’re hardly used, and therefore boring,” Daria responded.

“Oh, right,” Anna said.

Daria and the couple entered the backstage area and saw Quentin measuring something near the stage. “Anna, Ben, this is Quentin Beck, the new special effects person.”

“Hi,” Anna said.

“Hi,” Quentin said.

“What are you doing?” Daria asked.

“What does it look like?” Quentin asked.

“I don’t think anything needs to be done back here,” Daria said.

“I need to know what I’m working with,” Quentin said.

“Draw up a plan for what you want to do, then bring it to Quinn and I before the rehearsal tomorrow,” Daria said.

“Sure thing,” Quentin said.

“A little suspicious,” Anna said as they entered the theatre room.

“I agree,” Daria said. “I’ll tell Quinn later.”

( 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 )

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 )

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 )