Rise of the Summer Camp Six

RISE OF THE SUMMER CAMP SIX
By SF Jawa and SF Noah

The Beginning of the End
Just Another Day – Oingo Boingo

I know I should be excited about writing another case file, but goodness gracious. I used to be so enthusiastic about these missions and whatever, but honestly I am so ready for a break. Why do so many weirdos feel the need to be supervillains, man? I’ve fought the Chameleon, I’ve fought Artron, I’ve fought Carnagami, I’ve fought Knulligami. How many more Spider-Man villains are there? Turns out there’s a ton.

And yet, despite all of this, I still haven’t been made an OrigAvenger. I discussed this as I was walking to class with Kev, one of the newest OrigAvengers. 

“I still can’t believe he made you an OrigAvenger,” I muttered, incredulously.

“Yeah, tough luck, man,” Kev said, not really listening. He was the same grade as me, but Kev did have an aloofness to him. It could be that he still didn’t like people all that much. 

And that’s when all the stupid stuff started happening. Well, you know, happening again. Just as everyone was getting to their first class, the morning announcements came on over the loudspeaker.

“Good morning students, and happy month of May. We have a couple annou—”

Silence.

Static.

Music.

Metallica.

A muffled robotic voice came over the loudspeaker as Master of Puppets faded out: “Attention students of Kirby High School. My name is TaskPlaster, and I am the leader of the Summer Camp Six, The SCS.”

“Hey, the robotic voice was my idea!” complained Kev. 

TaskPlaster continued on, “My team and I want to show some of that ‘Back to School’ spirit by making you aware that Kirby is our domain. All of these other origami groups are worthless. We are the law.”

Well, at least they were straightforward. I sighed. I was sure that the OrigAvengers could handle it. Take ‘em down in an afternoon.

“Me and the other guys can’t handle this right now.” Clark said. “I’m giving you this one.”

“Does that mean I get to be an OrigAvenger now?”

Clark face-palmed. “You know what, fine, go for it. You’re an OrigAvenger.” he tapped his hands on my shoulders as to ‘knight’ me.

I will admit that I bounced once, but for the most part I kept my excitement to a minimum. 

“I will not let you down, bro!” 

Suddenly, I’m not so down anymore. I’m excited! Finally, I’m a member of the OrigAvengers! I have my own villains to take down, all by myself. Well, I mean, I have before, but this time it’s official! Clark, you will not be disappointed.

 

The Name of the Game
This is War – Ben Kweller

Lacey shared my excitement; she was super proud of me, or at least I think she was. I had kinda been worried that she would demand the rest of the OriSpiders to join the OrigAvengers. I was pretty sure Clark wouldn’t be too keen on having like twelve more OrigAvengers on the team. But Lacey was super cool about it, like she usually is.

“So, if you’re a full hero now, could I be your sidekick?” she asked. She laughed afterwards, so I’m pretty sure she was joking.

“I mean, nobody really has sidekicks here…” I said, shrugging. 

Robby’s Comment: How dare you.

Me and Lacey were on the way to the gym. As the day had passed, there had been no other word from the ‘SCS’. As you probably know by now, I get restless when I’m faced with intense situations, and I enter what I call “Joke Mode”. Basically it’s a more unfortunate version of Spidey Sense. At the worst times, awkwards silences, first dates, etc. I start cracking jokes. I can’t help it, it’s just part of my wiring. But where were we? Oh yeah…P.E.

First off, I couldn’t care less about P.E., but I have to take it so I’m not stuck here like Mark the Senior, who’s been a Senior since the dawn of man.

Coach Raimi stepped entered the gym and stared. “Alright, everyone! Split into two teams: shirt…and skins! We’re playing dodgeball!”

Oh great. Just what I needed this morning: “A dodgeball to the face, part of a balanced breakfast.”

As we all know, Shirts V Skins is just a codename for Jocks V Nerds, and I just so happen to be a nerd, so I got put on skins.

It was a massacre. One by one, we were picked off. At first, everything seemed normal, ya know. Just a couple of football players decking the computer geeks. Until we got down to the final three: Me, and two new kids.

I would later find out that these new kids were none other than Ash and Ian from the SCS, wielders of an origami Vulture and Sandman, respectively.

The rest of the match was kind of a blur. Remember “Joke Mode” I mentioned a few minutes ago? And how it always seems to happen at the worst times? Well this was one of those times. I made pun after pun, but Ian and Ash just wouldn’t let up. Until I caught one of Ian’s dodgeballs.

It was like slow motion. Ash shouting, Ian roaring…? They both ran out of the gym in a rage. At first I thought the nerds would lift me up on their shoulders and cheer for winning the game, but then I realized they weren’t strong enough to lift me because they had never worked out a day in their lives.

 

Manic Messhall Monday
Wipeout – The Ventures

Ah, lunch. Arguably the best part of school after you outgrow recess. You get to hang out with your friends for twenty minutes eating rib-bq and talking about whatever you want. Except I don’t have any friends. Well, I mean I do, but I don’t have any friends during lunch, except for Lacey. Lunch here at Kirby is split into three different lunch periods, and I just so happen to have third lunch, which is the worst.

By the time third lunch rolls around, all of the “good” food is gone and you’re stuck with all the crappy leftovers that nobody wanted. And on top of that, it always seems like fights break out at least once a week. My guess is because people get hangry.

So, I walk up to the lunch line and get my food. You know, the usual routine. (Lunch today was macaroni and cheese with jello, which is beside the point.) I went to go sit down next to Lacey, when I was…detained, I guess?

“Oh, hey, Cal,” A nearby girl called to me. “Spider-Man! Over here!”

I was…confused. I walked in the direction of the voice. Two girls were sitting at a lunch table. That wasn’t the interesting part; the interesting part was that Jonathan Zeck was right next to them, nonchalantly flexing. Jonathan was a villain that me and Ezra had fought a while ago; he used an origami Kraven that he called ‘Krease the Hunter’. Aside from the terrible names, he was also a generally terrible person.

“I just wanted to say how gorgeous you two are,” Jonathan in what I thought was the worst Gaston impression I had ever heard. Yes, even worse than the live-action one. “Would either of you like to come see a movie with me later?”

The girl who had called me over looked at me, pleadingly. I could tell going to the movies with Jonathan Zeck was not her idea of a good time. Still holding my tray of mac and cheese, I decided I should intervene. 

“Uh, hey, Jonathan,” I said. “What’s up?”

Jonathan looked up at me and glared. “Hey, Cal. What are you doing here?”

I shrugged. “Just making sure you’re not being a villain. Part of my duties.”

“Duties?” Jonathan said this with a look of pure disdain on his face. “Well, if you don’t mind, I’m in the middle of something.” He turned to talk to the girls again.

“Actually, we should probably go, right, Kirsten?” the first girl said, nudging her friend.

“Uh, yes, Emma, definitely.” 

Kirsten and Emma stood up and took their trays with them. Kirsten mouthed a small ‘thank you’ to me as she passed. I nodded.

Jonathan stood up, outraged. “Look what you did! Two beautiful chicks, gone. And I was just about to seal the deal.”

“Uh-huh,” I replied, nodding. “Well, it was good to see you, Jonathan.”

I started to walk away but Jonathan quickly ran around the table and grabbed my shirt. “You’ll pay for that, Largent Jr.”

“I would like to eat my mac and cheese, please,” I said, unfazed. 

“Go right ahead,” Jonathan growled. He slammed the bottom of my lunch tray and I was immediately inhaling cheesy noodles. The tray hit me directly in the face, so all of my lunch was all over me. I was really looking forward to that jello, too.

“Tell me how it tastes,” Jonathan said, smirking. 

“Could use some salt. But I guess that’s why you’re here.” 

Okay, yeah, that remark was probably uncalled for. As soon as I made it Jonathan picked up his own lunch tray and threw it at me. I was prepared for it, this time; I ducked pretty expertly, if I do say so myself.

Unfortunately, a guy sitting behind me was not prepared. He was hit in the back of the head by Jonathan’s tray, and pretty soon he too was covered in Kraft.

Of course, it didn’t take long for some other jerk to notice. And that jerk yelled, at the top of his lungs, “FOOD FIGHT!”

Instantaneously, everything went nuts. I’d have thought that high schoolers would know better, but turns out guys are the same at every age. The girls tried to stay out of the way, but a few joined in. I even saw Lacey splash her water bottle onto a guy.

I tried to stay out of it. Food fights have not and never will be my thing; I don’t like finding crumbs in your pants a week later. My time as Spider-Fold had given me some good training on ducking and dodging, so aside from a splatter of jello on my shirt and a splash of chocolate milk on my pants, I stayed fairly clean.

Jonathan wouldn’t leave me alone, though. “Largent! Get back here!” He chased after me, not even caring about the flurry of foodstuffs he was wading through. 

I was way smaller than him, and way more agile, but he still managed to get to me. For the second time today he grabbed my shirt and held on tight. “You messed up, Cal. Can’t you let a guy mind his own business?”

“Once that ‘business’ becomes self-reflection, sure,” I said. 

Jonathan growled and moved to punch me. However, he was pulled off of me just in time. 

“Okay, time for you to leave,” Clark said, holding Jonathan back.

“What?” Jonathan shouted. “Why?” 

“Multiple people witnessed you starting this food fight,” Clark replied, annoyed. “Go down to the principal’s office so I don’t have to deal with you anymore.” He let go of Jonathan and let him wander off.

“He’s not going to go to the principal’s office,” I said. 

Clark shrugged. “Better than getting punched.” Clark looked around at the cafeteria. It was covered is mac and cheese and various shades of gelatinous puddles. The fight had died down, and now people were realizing that they were covered in food. “You caused this, you know.”

“What? No, I-“

“Tried to do good and just made things worse?” Clark asked.

I thought back, and slowly nodded. “I guess.”

“I know exactly when you made the mistake, too. You smarted off to the bad guy.”

“Yeah.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “Okay, Cal, what you gotta realize…it’s cool to be a hero. Go for it. But your responsibility as one only extends so far. This is high school, man. You have to know when to leave well enough alone. If you keep pressing, you will get a face-full of mac and cheese.”

“So…with great power comes great apathy?”

“If you want to skew it like that, sure.”

I lowered my head. “Okay, but this is one of my bad guys. I need to be able to do more.”

Clark was quiet for a moment. “Well, I was on my way here to tell you about that, anyway. Jesse told me that he saw that Kasdan guy on the way to the drama department. He’s probably up to no good, so, why don’t you go check that out? That’ll make up for…this.” Clark gestured to the…well, everywhere.

“Oh, sweet! Thanks, bro!” I gave Clark a bear-hug, knowingly covering him in mac and cheese as well.

“You son of a-“

“Cuss later!” I ran off, hopefully to find Kasdan and give myself some slight redemption. 

 

It’s Time To Play The Music…
Dentist! – Little Shop of Horrors

I ran through the hall to the theater as fast as I could, tracking mashed potatoes all the way there. I swung open the door and ran down the aisle to find Mike Kasdan, Mysterigami, reciting his lines.

“…No my friend, to you! …To our agreement!”

“Kasdan, I’ve come to bargain!”

“No, no, that’s not the line-” He looked up from his script and saw me.

“How’s it going?” I asked, nonchalantly.

And of course he took off, throwing his script which hit me directly in the…uh, you get the idea.

I ran backstage after him, but that little blubber-nugget shut the lights off! I pulled my phone out of my pocket for a flashlight, but the chocolate milk from the food fight must’ve seeped into my phone because there wasn’t a chance in the Bifrost that it was gonna turn on.

While feeling my way around, I heard a big crash to the right of me, but I heard Kasdan’s voice to the left.

“Spidey-Fold, Spidey-Fold. The Amazing Loser, Spidey-Fold!”

“Ha ha, very funny Kasdan.” I said, as I pushed what I assumed were boxes to my left and hopefully on top of Mysterigami. But then I heard him behind me. Then in front. That turd blossom was throwing his voice. At least it was in character, I guess.

CRASH!

“Ow!”

He tripped over something. I knew where he was, and it wasn’t good. I saw the glowing “Exit” sign in the dark, and he was heading for it. I ran as fast as I could and tackled him, or so I thought. While throwing his voice, Kasdan was dressing a mannequin in his costume. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. I looked up, and there was a giant, freshly painted flat headed straight for me.

SPLAT!

“Better luck next time, web-head! To life, to life, l’chaim; l’chaim, l’chaim, to life…” sang Kasdan as he ran through the exit and back into the school. I tried to lift the flat, but my left arm was pinned underneath the mannequin, and I had no more strength after all this running, not to mention the food fight and dodgeball game of death from earlier.

So there I sat, covered in sweat, food, paint, and tears, while trying to lift this giant piece of drywall. After a bit of squirming, I was able to get my arm unpinned and lift up the flat. I turned the lights back on and realized how messy I was. If I was gonna take down any more baddies today, I was gonna need a change of clothes, and another clue.

 

A Fiddler on the Roof. Sounds Crazy, No?
To Life – Fiddler on the Roof

It took me awhile, but I eventually found Clark and a few of the OrigAvengers. They were helping Tilly in the former F.O.L.D. HQ reorganize documents and things like that.

“Hey, guys.” I said, but everyone was so busy reorganizing they didn’t notice me at first. I walked up to Clark and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Not now, Cal. I’ve got- what the heck happened to your clothes?”

“Long story. Dodgeball, food fight, paint, the works. Anyways, I was wondering if I could borrow your gym clothes.”

“Yeah, sure, I guess. Just don’t put those- are they even considered clothes at this point? Just don’t put ‘em in my duffle bag, alright? I don’t want wet paint all over everything.”

“Yeah, uh, sure thing.” I said, quietly removing my paint stained shirt from his duffle bag.

After I changed, I walked over to the table and looked at all of the files scattered everywhere.

“Wow.” I said. “I can’t believe it. There’s been so many missions over the years.”

Jesse walked over and saw me staring. “Crazy, right? I’ve probably been on a third of them myself.”

“Ignore him,” Jessica said, from across the room.

“So how did your talk with Kasdan go?”

“Well, first I got hit in the, uh, yea, with a script; then tripped over a bunch of stuff; and finally got a freshly painted flat dropped on me while Kasdan escaped scot free. So overall I’d say it went pretty well.”

“Is that why you looked like Oscar the Grouch’s bathroom a minute ago?” Jesse asked.

“Hurtful, but accurate,” Clark said. “Kasdan’s a chatty guy. He’d have to know something about the Summer Camp Six. Any names, places? Any leads at all?”

I thought about it for a minute. “He did start singing as he left. He was singing the same song when I entered the theater, so maybe it was part of the play.”

“What song was it?” Jessie asked.

“Um, I’m not sure. I think it was something like, ‘lock-hi-am, to life’? It was really weird.”

“Oh, you mean ‘To Life’ from Fiddler on the Roof?” Jessie said immediately.

Everyone just kinda stared at him. 

“…How do you know that?” Clark asked, confused.

“What? I’m playing Tevye. We open on Friday.”

“I’m playing Golde,” Jessica said, walking over to Jesse and leaning on his arm romantically. I gagged.

“Do you think the SCS are going to do something to the play?” I asked Clark, and blocking Jesse and Jessica from my vision. 

“I’m not sure. But it’s not a bad idea to go check it out. Here’s $5 to get in tomorrow night.”

“Thanks, Clark. I won’t let you down. The SCS are as good as gone.”

 

Opening Night
Octopus’s Garden – The Beatles

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the KHS Players production of Fiddler on the Roof!” Mr. Hatfield said as he introduced the musical. “We’ve worked very hard on this show over the last few months…” He kept rambling on, but I was too busy looking around in the audience and in the tech booth for anything suspicious.

I knew I was looking for TaskPlaster, but at that point I still didn’t know his true identity. I was about to give up when I saw what looked like a skull poking through the curtain. He was here.

Mr. Hatfield finished his spiel and ran backstage. The lights dimmed, and the curtains opened. A sign that said “Ahatebka” was hanging from the rafters, and a small cart was on the left of the stage.

Instead of hearing the opening notes of “Tradition”, heavy metal music starts to fade in. At first people start laughing, but as the music got louder people started to mumble to each other trying to figure out what was going on. The Master of Puppets was here, and standing center stage. The same robotic voice that I heard on the announcements started up again.

“I am TaskPlaster, leader of the Summer Camp Six. We have-”

The voice stopped. TaskPlaster looked around, confused. He signaled to the booth, but nothing happened. The longer he stood there, the more people started to laugh. He was about to walk offstage when “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles started playing over the speakers.

Several figures emerged from the darkness. Six figures, to be exact. Ash, Ian, Jonathan, Mike…and Alfred? I knew Alfred from my Cybersecurity class. He was always talking about how childish and stupid the whole puppet thing is. So why was he pushing TaskPlaster out of the way, taking center stage…with an origami Doctor Octopus?

“Attention, students and staff of Kirby High.” he said in his annoyingly high pitched voice. The kid sounded and looked like that one kid from The Polar Express that everyone hates.

“My name is Alfredo Russo, and I am the leader of the Summer Camp Six, not this mute phony over here.” he said, pointing to TaskPlaster.

“TaskPlaster here, or Aaron Martin, as he’s more commonly known, tried to assemble the most villainous team of all time this summer at Camp Kirby…and succeeded. Until now. As of today, Aaron is expelled from the group. What an idiot, am I right? He thought that Taskmaster could lead the Sinister Six! He’s never even been a member in the comics, let alone the leader! Everyone knows that Doc Ock, or Doc Octogami here, is the true mastermind behind the Six. So get lost, mutey!”

Everyone was shocked, but I don’t think anyone as much as TaskPlaster. Er, Aaron. The robot voice makes sense now though: Aaron isn’t able to talk, so he had to use text-to-speech.

Aaron jumped off the stage, and threw TaskPlaster on the ground before running out of the theatre. The rest of the SCS started to laugh, and put on new and improved puppet counterparts. I jumped to my feet and put Spider-Fold on my finger, but it was too late. The SCS were heading backstage again. I tried to go after Alfred, but I was blocked by Ian and Sandpaper Man. Then Mike threw down another smoke bomb, masking the rest of their getaway.

How could I have let this happen? Where did I go wrong? Now I know how the villains must feel when the OrigAvengers outnumber them six to one.

Mr. Hatfield rushed back into the auditorium, just missing the SCS’s departure. He looked and me and yelled for me to get off the stage. I did as he asked because the last thing I need is another round of detention. 

I walked down the aisle and Michael flew past me, brushing my shoulder. “I know it ruins the great exit, but I still have to be in the show, so…” I watched him jump onto the stage and bolt behind the curtains.

As I was leaving however, I picked up the crumpled TaskPlaster and put him in my pocket to take back to out resident chronicler, Tilly.

 

Epilogue

It’s been a couple weeks since Fiddler. Surprisingly, the show did go on; everyone kind of treated the Summer Camp Six’s arrival as some sort of pre-show. Gotta love Kirby.

So far we’ve had radio silence from the SCS. I hope that they’ve fallen apart or couldn’t think of a good plan or something. But in the back of my mind I know that they’re out there, planning something big in the shadows…

Advertisement