A day had passed, and it was Friday. Lincoln made it to school feeling confident, knowing that he and Stella did great with this spider project and were gonna get an awesome grade.
This wasn't the only reason he felt confident, for now he believed he was one step closer to achieving his superhero dream. He had mixed opinions however, part of him wanted to bring Spider-Man to life, but he also wondered if he should use his abilities to bring Ace Savvy into the spotlight, this time as an actual hero figure.
"I could be Ace Savvy in public, but do I really want to just ride off the success of an established character? I mean, I love Ace, and I've always wanted to be Ace, but still..." Lincoln pondered to himself. "Spider-Man is such a cool design though, and it fits my powers. Maybe it's destiny's way of granting my wish to be a hero. Wow, this is a tougher decision than I thought. Still, if I'm gonna be a hero, I should go somewhere where there's more superhero opportunities. Maybe when I graduate High School I can go to the New York City University, if I'm lucky I'll even get the attention of The Avengers. Ugh, but that means waiting five years to be a hero, oh well, can't be helped."
As he made his way through the halls, he spotted some familiar classmates and the like. First there was Chloe and Emma, the two girls conversing with one another. He remembered his promise to Clyde about a double date, and while it still felt a little strange to him, he did think Emma was nice and he wouldn't mind hanging out with her.
He also passed by Christina, who was seen lecturing a couple of kids, whom Lincoln recognized as Poppa Wheelie and Flat Tire regarding some poor behavior they were displaying. Seems like she's become quite outspoken as of late.
He then spotted Rusty trying to flirt with a girl, that happened to be another classmate of his, a girl named Joy.
"So, doing anything tomorrow night?" Rusty asked.
"I'm busy," Joy said, blowing him off.
Rusty seemed disappointed by the answer, then noticed Lincoln passing through the halls. "Yo! Linc!"
"Hi Rusty, hi Joy," Lincoln said.
Joy turned around, bashfully waving, "Hey Lincoln, you look like you're in a good mood today."
"Let's just say things are looking bright for me, and it starts at Science class," Lincoln said. "See you around."
"Bye..." Joy said, sighing to herself. "That is one good-looking boy."
Joy walked off with her books in her arms, while Rusty groaned in annoyance, "Why do all the girls seem to only want Lincoln? What does he have that I don't?"
"Looks, charisma, charm," came Mollie's voice, then turned to Girl Jordan besides her, "Did I miss anything?"
"He's got a really cute butt," Girl Jordan said.
"Wow, you're so naughty, girl," Mollie joked. "But I won't deny that."
"Yeah, sure, real catch Lincoln Loud is," Rusty said.
"You're not jealous of Lincoln, are you?" Girl Jordan asked.
"Well, I mean..." Rusty began. "Look, don't take it as me not liking Lincoln. He's still my friend and a good one at that. I just wish I had what the girls wanted in him."
"My advice, stop trying too hard, you'll make yourself seem desperate," Girl Jordan suggested.
"Right, don't try too hard..." Rusty had a realization. "Oh, that might actually work, Lincoln almost never flirts, and he has all these girls. He's playing hard to get and that's what makes girls like him!" Rusty licked his hand and used it to style his hair back, albeit a brief second. "Time to put this awesome plan into action."
As he walked off with newfound confidence, Girl Jordan turned her attention to Mollie, "Think this is gonna blow up in his face?"
"Oh totally," Mollie said. "But a little failure is good for him, makes him wiser, I think."
"Yeah..." Girl Jordan had a realization. "Hey, you think the reason either of us like Lincoln is because he doesn't try to hard?"
"Well, I don't know about you, but I just think he's funny, not to say I desperately want him to notice me, I just won't mind if he does," Mollie said.
"Same here," Girl Jordan said. "Still, if any of us get Lincoln, we both know it's gonna be Stella. I mean how can Lincoln turn down her goods?"
"You mean her boobs? Lincoln doesn't seem like that type of boy," Mollie said.
"All boys are that type of boy, Lincoln just chooses to be respectful, but I bet a girl flaunting her body at him would make him all types of hormonal," Girl Jordan said.
"When did you become all about physical attraction?" Mollie asked.
"Since I turned thirteen, like most girls," Girl Jordan replied, checking her breast area. "But I will give you this, Stella has me beat in the boob department." She lowered her hands to her hips, "Fortunately I have an ass-et that will help me."
Mollie laughed out loud for a second, "That was a terrible pun. Anyway, I like you and all girl, but if you want Lincoln, play to his strength. He values personality, which Stella has, and hormones or not, Lincoln prefers that way over boobs or butts."
"Yeah, you're right, I shouldn't worry about that," Girl Jordan said. "It's fine, I mean I like Lincoln but I'm not gonna go too crazy over him."
"And remember, Stella doesn't care for her developed assets, probably for good reason, it gets her unwanted attention, especially from turds like Chandler," Mollie said, then hear the bell ring. Dang it! We're gonna be late, let's hurry Jordan."
As Mollie ran off, Jordan placed her hands briefly over her chest, then down to her hips, "Honestly, I don't even see a developed body as a bad thing, if boys want stare, let them, give them a little tease, and make them wish they had you."
Later in science class, Lincoln and Stella had turned in their project their teacher looking pleased with the project.
"A+"
"Sweet!" Lincoln and Stella Hi-Fived one another.
"We're rocking this class so far," Stella said. "I still don't know why you chose spiders, but it worked out great!"
"I just came to me," Lincoln said. "You can pick the next project if you want to though."
"Thanks, I'll think about it," Stella said. "Hey, um, do you have plans this weekend?"
"Clyde wants me to hang out with him, Emma and Chloe," Lincoln said.
"Oh, like a double date?" Stella asked.
"I think so, why? Did you want to hang out?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Stella nervously admitted. "I was gonna make some plans, but I couldn't figure anything out, so I hoped for your input. Maybe I'll just hang out with Jordan and Mollie, I think they're going to the mall, and they have been asking me to join them for some time, probably to pick out clothes."
"Looking to change your look?" Lincoln asked.
"Not exactly..." Stella said, subconsciously covering her breasts with her arm. "I just might need bigger clothes since I'm growing."
"Oh, right," Lincoln somewhat understood. "Hey if I think of anything, I can call you. My double date is tomorrow, but we can hang out Sunday. I might just take my younger sisters to the park, you can come with us."
"Oh I'd love that," Stella said. "Well we should get back to it, the project is over but we do have a test coming up."
"Oh yeah, well it shouldn't be too bad," Lincoln said.
"Well you are a Straight A student," Stella said.
"So are you," Lincoln said. "We both got this. Oh, if you want, you can come over after school and study with me."
"I'd love to, but I promised my dad I'd go run some errands with him," Stella said. "It's a pain in the butt to do, but she always benefits from my help, and my mom usually gets nervous when he does it on his own, he tends to be a bit forgetful about things."
"That's fine," Lincoln said. "We got all weekend."
"Right, and more beyond that," Stella said.
After school, Lincoln began walking home, though on the way he received a phone call, it looked to be from Ronnie Anne, and she wanted to do a video chat.
The boy activated the video, seeing not just Ronnie Anne, but Sid too, "Hi girls, been a while since I heard from either of you."
"Sid and I were grounded the last week, and we lost our phone privileges," Ronnie Anne explained.
"It sucked, we couldn't even see each other, I was so lonely!" Sid said.
"Sid, we saw each other in school," Ronnie Anne reminded. "But to her point, we weren't allowed to hang out at home."
"Sorry you went through that, but you really should not have skipped out on school," Lincoln said.
"Hey, we only did that to hang out with you, next time we'll just blow you off," Ronnie Anne said.
"It's not that..." Lincoln stopped himself, he knew this wasn't going anywhere, plus he'd rather not argue with a friend he hasn't seen in a while. "Never mind. I'm just happy to talk to you again."
"Oh um...same here," Ronnie Anne said. "Anyway we just wanted to give you a heads up about things on our end. How are things over there? Have you gotten sick again?"
"No, after I got home, I just went to bed and woke up feeling great the following day," Lincoln said. He'd rather not go into detail about some other stuff, though it did remind him of something. "By the way, Sid. Does your mom's zoo have anything regarding spiders?"
"Spiders?" Sid nervously asked.
"Yeah, like is there a special type of spider or anything?" Lincoln asked.
"I...can't say, I don't know the breed of spiders she had," Sid said.
"That's a shame," Lincoln said. That really would have helped him figure out how he got powers from this spider bite.
"Why the sudden interest in spiders?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Stella and I had a science project about Spiders, so I got interested," Lincoln said. "It's just curiosity, nothing more."
"Oh yeah, Stella mentioned you two have a science class together, must be nice having a partner like her," Ronnie Anne said.
"Yeah, she's really smart, she can disassemble technology and piece it back together like a puzzle," Lincoln said. "She might be able to rival Sid in tech."
"You let me know when she builds a functioning Breakfast Bot," Sid boasted. "Then we'll see if she's at my level."
"I think Stella will be more than willing to answer that call," Lincoln said.
"You just say a time and place," Sid said.
"Is this some kind of 'Nerd-Off'?" Ronnie Anne teased.
"Did...did you just call me a 'nerd'?" Sid asked, putting on an exaggerated sad face.
"Come on, you know I didn't mean anything by it bud," Ronnie Anne said, rubbing her friend's hair.
"Yeah, I know," Sid said, giving Ronnie Anne a quick hug. "Anyway Lincoln, sorry I can't be of more help with this spider question."
"Don't worry about it," Lincoln said. "Well I should be...huh?"
"What's wrong?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"I see some cop cars in front of my house," Lincoln said. "Hope it wasn't another neighbor complaining about us, or none of my sisters caused damage to the town."
"Seems like your family always have bad luck," Ronnie Anne said. "We'll call you back later."
"Bye Lincoln," Sid said.
"Yeah, see ya," Lincoln said, hanging up as he made his way toward his house. He could see his parents talking to a cop on the front porch. He recognized this cop as the same cop who twice had to bring Leni home due to her car accidents while doing drivers training, as well as once giving his parents a ticket due to the ruckus caused by him and his sisters inviting friends over.
What worried him was that his parents looked very distraught, his mom looked to be crying while his dad comforted her, trying to keep it together himself.
"We'll do everything we can ma'am, unfortunately this issue's been happening a lot lately," the cop said. "Regardless, we won't rest until your kids are back home."
"Mom, dad?" Lincoln said, getting their attention. "What's going on?"
"Lincoln!" Rita rushed over to hug her son. "Oh you're home safe."
"Home safe? What's happening?" Lincoln asked, growing a bit nervous.
"It's Lana and Lily son," Lynn Sr said. "They're missing, we think they might have gotten kidnapped."
Lincoln's eyes widened, his heart rate accelerating. He's heard rumors of kids going missing, and he had hoped that his family would be safe. Now two of his sisters were gone, Lincoln could only imagine how scared they might be.
"The cops are gonna find them, at least they'll try to," Rita said, wiping her eyes. "My poor babies, who would do something like this!?"
"Lately people have spotted some delinquents around town, a few families have even been given ransoms for their kids," the cop said. "Seems like some low lives are trying to make a quick buck. My advice, make sure all your kids stay inside for the time being."
"Of course, and please, bring my girls back," Lynn Sr pleaded.
"We'll give it our all," the cop said, making his way back to his car to contact his other teammates.
Lincoln still could barely register this situation, his two sisters being who knows where. Suddenly he recalled seeing some men last night, drinking and enjoying themselves, and his danger sense went off.
"It couldn't have been them? Could it? Oh no, did I...Did I let this happen!?" Lincoln clenched his fists, the boy feeling enraged by this reveal.
"Lincoln? You alright there son?" Lynn Sr asked. He felt like that was a foolish question to ask, he knows his son isn't alright, especially after hearing about his sisters. His kids always had a close bond with each other after all. "Lincoln, I know you're really angry, but everything will be fine, the cops will bring Lana and Lily home just fine."
"Yeah...sure," Lincoln said, angrily marching inside. "They will be fine..."
Lynn Sr sighed in worry, "Poor Lincoln. I don't blame him for being upset, I'm pretty dang mad myself. I just want to find whoever took my girls and..." Lynn Sr then began doing a clenching gesture with his hands. "I may not be much for violence but to those rats who took my girls...oh I can't even think of the words befitting my frustration!"
"Let's just call around the neighborhood for now, maybe someone spotted anyone suspicious," Rita said, trying to keep it together herself.
"Yeah, good idea," Lynn Sr said. "I'm not resting until my little girls are back home."
Inside Lincoln had made his way upstairs, still trying to contain his anger. As reached the top, he could hear his sisters gathered in the shared room of Luna and Luan, the boy making his way over and overhearing them talking.
"Did anyone call Leni yet?" Lynn asked.
"I did, she's on her way over," Luan said. "I just left a message for Lori too, I imagine she'll be quick to come over as well."
"How could this have happened!?" Luna said. "I mean, they were just outside! We've never had to worry about any of us playing in the front yard before."
"Yeah, this was such a nice neighborhood," Luan said. "What could be going on?"
"Hard to say, though crime is rare in Royal Woods, it isn't nonexistent, plus there are rumors that many cities have started up gangs in response to the recent appearance of The Avengers and other superheroes," Lisa said. "Many of them can't stay in New York, so they pick other towns to settle in and out of the watchful eye of The Avengers."
"That sounds ironic," Luan said. "The arrival of heroes may have led to more trouble for the world than less."
"This sounds like one of Lincoln's comics," Lucy said.
"Speaking of which, anyone get in contact with him?" Luna asked, taking a look around.
"I'm right here actually," Lincoln said, getting the attention of his sisters.
"Oh thank goodness," Luna said.
"Linky!" Lola ran over, pulling her brother into a tight hug. "Oh Linky, you're back!"
"Yeah, I'm back," Lincoln said, returning the hug to his little sister. Looking down at her face, he could tell she's been crying, understandably so given how close she is to her twin sister.
"Mom and dad told you what happened?" Lynn asked.
"Yeah, they sure did," Lincoln said, the boy still feeling enraged as he gently parted with Lola as he knelt in front of her. "How are you feeling right now, Lola?"
"Scared...and worried," Lola said. "I miss my sisters."
"I know you do, but it won't be for long, they're gonna come back home," Lincoln said. "No more tears, a pretty face like yours should be smiling."
Lola began blushing from her brother's compliment, "Oh Linky, even now you know how to make my heart go aflutter."
"Uh...that sounded kind of weird," Lynn said.
"Put a sock in it, Lynn!" Lola snapped. "I'm emotionally vulnerable right now after all, so I greatly appreciate Linky being so kind to me."
"This event has us all shaken up," Lucy said.
"Yeah, none of this shouldn't have happened," Lincoln said.
"Preaching to the choir there bro," Luna said. "I hope the cops have luck finding Lana and Lily."
"Why leave it to the cops?" Lynn asked. "I say we find those kidnappers ourselves and deal out some Loud Justice!"
"Are you even thinking straight?" Lucy asked. "What can we do against people like that?"
"Come on! Did you all forget about Morag?" Lynn asked. "We went against a power-hungry woman who was riding a fire-breathing dragon! If we can handle that, I think we can handle this."
"She's got a point," Luna said. "We shouldn't be standing around here doing nothing! We're the Loud Sisters! We gotta go and kick some butt!"
"I'm down with that," Lola said, cracking her knuckles. "No one messes with my sisters and walks away with their face in one peace!"
That did set something off in Lincoln, he has superpowers now, and this was his big opportunity to do a superhero job.
"I say we march out there and attack!" Luan said.
"Yeah...one problem, we don't know where to find them," Luna said.
"Wait, Lisa, don't you have tracking devices?" Lynn asked.
"I did but mother made me destroy...I mean NO! Never did," Lisa said, nervously laughing.
Lynn groaned in annoyance, "Well what about those security cameras you have around town?"
"Uh...what cameras?" Lisa asked, trying to hide how nervous she was.
"Lisa!" Lynn shouted.
During this commotion, Lincoln slowly snuck out of the room and towards his room. He checked through his backpack to find his Ace Savvy gear. "Time to go to work." Lincoln quickly slipped into his costume, checking the mirror afterward to make sure it looked good. "Hm...thinking about it, I don't think this mask is gonna cover up my face well enough. I mean I'm one of the only thirteen-year-old boys in town with white hair, if not the only one." Lincoln turned to his cape, getting an idea.
Within seconds, he had turned his cape into a mask that covered his face as he pulled out a deck of cards.
"Time to deal out some justice!" With that, Lincoln jumped out his window, ready to track down whoever took his sisters.
Meanwhile at an abandoned warehouse, both Lana and Lily are in a room with three men, each of them wearing masks resembling characters from the Ace Savvy comic. Lily looked very frightened, not knowing what was happening and wanting to be back home. Lana however seemed a bit annoyed, not knowing why she got dragged to a dump.
The leader was wearing a mask of Ace Savvy himself as he got a look at the two, "So...these the new recruits?"
"Yeah, sure is boss," Card Shark said. "Grabbed them both from near some rickety old house."
"Hey! That rickety old house is my home!" Lana shouted in annoyance.
"Well...yeah, I figured as much," Card Shark said. "I mean, it's a house so..."
"Why are we here anyway? Who are you guys?" Lana asked.
"We're businessmen, we do business," Ace said.
"Wow, really? Here I thought businessmen just partied all day," Lana said.
"I wish," Snake Eyes said.
"Put a sock in it," Ace said, then focused back on Lana. "Let me explain kid, see our business needs workers, so we go out and recruit workers, preferably kids. They're easier to move around, and less likely to cause trouble."
"I am not promising you that, pal," Lana said.
"Can I go home?" Lily asked.
"Uh, how old is she?" Ace asked.
"I don't know, six, seven?" Villain 1 said.
"She's three, moron," Lana said.
"Three? You two morons took a three-year-old!?" Ace shouted. "What am I gonna do with a three-year-old!?"
"Uh...I don't know?" Card Shark said.
"Good grief..." Ace said. "Eh, just write a ransom note, kid can go home once her folks fork over some dough."
"Oh, are we making cookies!?" Card Shark asked.
"No stupid! I mean Money! Cash! Dollars!" Ace shouted. "Ugh, this is why things are going slow for us, I got you two mooks to worry about."
"Sorry boss," Card Shark said.
"Yeah, sorry boss," Snake Eyes said.
"Wow, you guys just seem incompetent, I'm almost embarrassed to have been caught by you," Lana said.
"Oh a tough girl huh? I'll have you know we're the roughest, toughest gang in Royal Woods, ain't no one messes with us!" Ace said. "We're gonna make a fortune off this run-down town. Starting with you twerps."
"I want my mommy and daddy!" Lily shouted.
"Ugh, someone shut the kid up, anyone got a rattle or something?" Ace asked.
Suddenly the lights began to fizzle in and out, freaking Lily out more, "What's happening!?"
"It's just some faulty lights! Ugh, that stupid electrician didn't do squat, like what do we pay people for?" Ace said.
"Yeah, what a letdown," Card Shark said.
"Yeah, what he said," Snake Eyes agreed.
"I swear you morons share half a brain," Ace said. Suddenly the lights went back to normal. "Huh, that was fast, usually they're like that until someone bangs the wall or something."
"Man, that electrician you guys hired did a really crummy job," Lana said, walking back with her tools. "I haven't seen a job that bad since that time hotel room during a family vacation."
"Wait, kid, you fixed that?" Ace asked.
"Yeah, not to brag, I'm pretty handy with tools, not just electricity, but plumbing too," Lana said, stretching her overalls in confidence.
"Wait, plumbing too?" Ace said, rubbing his chin. "Mind demonstrating on a nearby sink, it runs dirty water."
"Sure, why not, sounds easy enough," Lana said.
Within seconds, she was seen fixing the sink up, checking the water and it was not only clean, but sparkling. "There, easy as pie."
Ace and his henchmen saw nothing but dollar signs in their eyes, immediately recognizing the talent that Lana displayed.
"Kid, you're gonna make us a fortune!" Ace said. "Your work is a million times better than anything we've seen those crummy electricians and plumbers do!"
"Heh, thanks," Lana said.
"You two, take this little shrimp and put her in another room, write up that ransom letter and send it back to the Louds, we're fine with just this kid," Ace said.
"Uh, hold up, you make it seem like I'm not going back home," Lana said.
"Duh, that's kind of the whole point kid, wow you're a genius at what you do but everything else you kind of fall short," Ace said.
"Hey pal, I'll have you know that I took Finishing School and passed with honor!" Lana said.
"I never even finished High School," Snake Eyes said.
"Put a lid on it," Ace said. "Now, get the smaller one out of here and send our Golden Goose to the work line."
"Did you call me a 'Goose'!?" Lana shouted in annoyance.
"Hurry, get her out of here," Ace said, sending everyone off.
Another henchman wearing a One-Eyed Jack mask made his way to Ace, "Hey boss, what do we do about that old guy?"
"Leave him be for now, we'll get rid of him later," Ace said.
The old guy in question, sitting in a room alone was none other than Bill Buck, who had gotten caught trying to rescue the kids. He was bound and gagged, currently at the mercy of the villains.
Meanwhile Lincoln kept combing through town, trying to find the location of the thugs. "This is a pain, I barely even know where to look. Come on, think Lincoln. Maybe I should get Clyde since...no that's way too risky, I can't ask Clyde to go against real villains."
Lincoln kept an ear out, his hearing had gotten better over the last few days, hoping to listen in for some clues.
"It happened so fast," came a familiar voice. "One minute my little brother was playing in the front yard, the next, some weird black van stopped by and grabbed him before I could react!"
"I know that voice, that's Leni's friend Jackie," Lincoln said. He looked down to see her talking to a cop.
"Did you see where the van went?" the cop asked.
"That way," Jackie pointed up north. "Please find my little brother officer! I couldn't take it if something bad happened to him!"
"Alright, a lead," Lincoln said, thwipping away to find the gangsters' hideout.
In Great Lakes City, Ronnie Anne, Sid, Adelaide, Bobby and the Casagrande siblings were busy watching TV together. This was a big moment of freedom for the two girls, they can finally enjoy themselves after being grounded for a week.
They heard a door knock, to which Rosa answered. "I'll get it!" She opened to reveal the guest in question, "Ah, Doctor Connors, here to see Carlos?"
"Actually ma'am, I was told that Becca Chang was here," Connors said.
"In the kitchen!" Becca said, coming out. "Well this is a surprise, I didn't expect to see you here. How are things with Mr. Warren?"
"Fine, at the moment," Connors said. "Sorry to bother you here, I did go to your apartment, that's when your husband told me you were here."
"I'm just here watching over my daughters, and helping a bit in the kitchen," Becca said. "Did you need me for anything in particular?"
"I was actually hoping to borrow one of your rats, particularly one that's missing one of its limbs," Connors said.
"Oh, that's..." Becca couldn't help but glance toward the stub in Connor's arm. "Interesting."
"I know it's a strange request, but it would mean a lot if you could grant it," Connors said.
"Sure," Becca turned to Rosa. "I'll be back down."
"Take your time, I'm good in the kitchen, and I don't mind keeping an eye on your kids, they're like family after all," Rosa said.
"You have such a wonderful family dynamic Mrs. Casagrande," Connors said. "Many would be lucky to have such a tight-knit bond."
"Yes, I do always count my blessings," Rosa said. "Speaking of family, have you considered-"
"NO WAY!" Bobby shouted, startling everyone.
"Bobby! Keep your voice down!" Rosa scolded.
"Sorry Abuela, but there's a big emergency in Royal Woods!" Bobby said. "Lori just texted me and said that Lana and Lily went missing!"
"Wait, they're what!?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Is Lana in danger?" Adelaide nervously asked.
"And Lily?" Carlitos said.
"Lori's going down to Royal Woods, I gotta go meet her," Bobby said.
"Wait, take us with you," Ronnie Anne said.
"No way, mom would not like me driving you all the way down there, especially after what happened," Bobby said.
"But Bobby!" Ronnie Anne pleaded.
"Ronnie Anne, enough. Bobby is right, you cannot go down there, Maria would not be happy, and neither would I," Rosa said.
"You can come down when things are resolved," Bobby said, grabbing some stuff as he made his way to the door. "I'll be back later, if not tomorrow Abuela."
"Yes, of course," Rosa said as her grandson left. "Those poor chicas, I do hope they're alright."
"Yes, same here, you never know in this world, danger seems to lurk behind every corner," Connors said.
Ronnie Anne pouted in annoyance, "This is bogus."
"Why do you even want to go? It might be dangerous," Carl said.
"Because I'm worried about Lincoln's sisters, that's why," Ronnie Anne said.
"That's understandable cuz," Carlota said. "But to Bobby's point, it may be a bit dangerous right now."
"Yeah, for all we know they got abducted by aliens," Carl said.
Carlota stated blankly at her brother, "Are you for real?"
"Did you forget about the Alien Invasion in New York a year ago!?" Carl reminded. "What if they're coming for Royal Woods now! Or worse! What if they come to Great Lakes!"
"Didn't The Avengers beat those aliens though?" CJ asked.
"There could be more! Like ones who can shapeshift into regular people, and strike when you least expect it!" Carl said.
"...Alright, I think you've been watching too much TV," Carlota said. "Anyway let's save the theories for now until those girls are safe."
"Isn't there anything we can do for Lana and Lily?" Adelaide asked.
"Sorry sweetheart, I know you're worried about them, especially Lana, but the best we can do now is leave it to the Royal Woods authorities," Carlota said. "I mean, it's not the best idea to go vigilante or anything."
Meanwhile in Royal Woods.
"To Lana! And Lily!" Lynn shouted as she led her sisters down the streets of Royal Woods, aiming a bat in a manner like a parade baton. "We shall bring justice to our family!"
"Heck yeah! Let's Rock and Roll!" Luna shouted.
"I can't wait to deliver a Punch Line to those crooks!" Luan said, cracking her knuckles. "Get it?"
"Seriously, even now you joke?" Lola said.
"Helps keep me calm," Luan said.
"Hurry up," Lucy said. "Remember, Lincoln's out there too."
"Why would he go alone?" Luan asked. "Why didn't he wait for us?"
"I say props to him for taking charge, he's finally manning up, now let's go help our only brother save our sisters!" Lynn shouted, leading her sisters across town.
Meanwhile Lincoln had finally stumbled across the warehouse where the gang had brought Lana and Lily, the hero waiting just outside the window.
"This might be the place, alright, gotta figure this out," Lincoln said. "Lana and Lily obviously aren't the only ones who got taken, I have to be able to rescue everyone here and send them back to their families."
"Hey keep working!" a lady shouted. Lincoln carefully opened one of the windows and peeked inside, spotting a woman who wore a mask resembling Old Maid from the Ace Savvy comics. "What are we paying you kids for!?"
"You're not paying us at all!" whined a familiar boy as he worked on a line. "Also Old Maid is a lousy villain!"
"Can it twerp!" Old Maid shouted. "If you want your dinner, then I suggest you keep working!"
"I know that boy, that's Mrs. Carmichael's son," Lincoln said. "And why is that lady wearing a mask resembling an Ace Savvy villain?"
Lincoln scanned the area, trying to see which kid he recognized, "Let's see, aside from Mrs. Carmichael's son, I see Jackie's little brother too. I also see the only sister of the Fox Quintuplets, Pam I think her name is, like me she's the only opposite-sex sibling in her big family. I see some girls from Lisa's class too, including her friends David and, wait that's Darcy. Did Lisa know? Or did they just bring her here? No matter, she'll be saved too." Lincoln continued scanning the area, "Oh, that boy's Winston, I think Lola used to have a crush on him. Huh, I think that's Beau Yates. I did see his mother crying the other day, so that makes sense. Wow, these people are such crooks, taking these kids and forcing them to work in a factory, I'm not letting this continue!"
As the kids worked, a crook wearing a Wild Card Willy mask walked in with another kid, "Found another, she's kind of a crybaby though."
Old Maid looked down to see Lola's friend, Meli Ramos. "Eh, they're all crybabies at first. Looks like you at least got er dressed for work."
"Uh, no, she already looked like this," Willy said.
"G-gray is my f-favorite c-color," Meli nervously admitted.
"Wow, really?" Old Maid asked. "I mean, it's none of my business but I have never heard a little girl admit she likes the color gray. Anyway, get her on the line."
"Sure, come on Gray Girl," Willy said, taking Meli to the line.
"By the way, we gotta talk to the boss later," Old Maid said. "Two of the kids here are pretty gifted, that nerdy boy with the glasses and the one with the big chin. Could make us more money than just working in this factory."
"My chin isn't that big, is it?" Beau asked.
"At least you have something more distinguishing than glasses," David said. "And I don't appreciate being called a 'nerd'!"
"Quiet nerd, or you're sleeping with the rats!" Old Maid warned.
Lincoln perched himself on a nearby railing, "Meli too? Oh they've gone too far, how dare they endanger that sweet little girl. Time to Deal out some Justice...wait, didn't I say that earlier? Maybe I need another catchy saying, something spider-related, let's see. Oh, I know. Time to tangle them in my web...uh, still needs some-"
"Hey who the hell are you!?" Old Maid shouted, startling Lincoln to the point where he lost his balance and fell.
All the kids stopped to look to the direction of this boy wearing what looked like an Ace Savvy Uniform, except his face was covered by his cape, leaving only his eyes exposed, though even still he had a mask on to cover his eyes.
"Is that Ace Savvy?" Little Carmichael asked.
"Is he going to save us?" Pam Fox asked.
Willy turned to the Old Maid, "He's not one of us, is he?"
Lincoln quickly dusted himself off and stood heroically, acting as if nothing happened. He then spoke in a tone that made his voice sound deeper in an attempt to be intimidating, "Your day of reckoning has come villains. I am here to free these children from your tyrannical rule!"
"Is he serious?" Old Maid asked. "Look kid, this is not some game, we're the real deal. Now go home before you get hurt."
"Wait, why send him home, we just got another potential worker for us," Willy said.
"Oh right," Old Maid said, grabbing a taser. "Alright kid, let's make a deal. You quietly come work with us, and I won't have to hurt you."
"Fool! It is you who will be hurt!" Lincoln said, bringing out his cards. "For you are no match for-HEY!" Old Maid rushed in to attack with the taser, causing Lincoln to jump back. "You're not supposed to interrupt the hero when he's doing his speech!"
"Can it! You're going down!" Old Maid said, trying to tase Lincoln, the boy leaping and rolling out of the way.
"Hey, cut that out!" Lincoln rushed in and punched her hard in the stomach, knocking her against a wall, leaving a crack as she fell unconscious. "Uh...yeah, that's right! I'm not afraid to hit a girl! At least one that's evil! Which you are! Ugh, whatever, point is I'm saving these kids and you're not gonna stop me!"
Willy then grabbed a large pipe and ran to Lincoln, ready to attack. The boy leaped out the way as Willy's pipe smashed through some boxes. Lincoln could only look on in worry, knowing that those boxes could have been him.
The villain turned back to Lincoln, looking ready to attack again. Lincoln was still a bit shaken up but did his best to keep himself together. "Come on Lincoln, snap out of it! These kids need you!"
Willy slammed the pipe down again, Lincoln blocking with his right forearm, busting the pipe in half but leaving a stinging feeling. Lincoln in the heat of things delivered a strong left to the jaw of Willy, knocking him across the floor and out cold.
Lincoln did his best to calm his nerves, this was way more exhilarating than he hoped. Somehow this felt a bit different from the comics because this was real. No panels on paper, not a video game, something he was really doing, and if he wasn't careful, either he or one of the kids could get hurt.
Fortunately everything seemed good for now as he turned to all the kids in the room, "You kids feeling ok?"
"That was so cool!" Little Carmichael shouted. "Are you a real-life superhero!? Like The Avengers!?"
"Uh...yeah, I am." Lincoln said. "I'm a real superhero."
"That's really neat! What's your hero name?" Darcy asked.
"Uh..." Lincoln was not sure how to answer that, truth be told he hasn't fully decided who he wants to be. "Well, I haven't picked a name yet."
"Huh? What kind of hero are you?" Little Carmichael asked.
"The one who's saving you from this factory!" Lincoln said.
"Why do look like Ace Savvy?" Beau said.
"It was all I had at the time," Lincoln said.
"Why do you have a blanket wrapped around your head?" David asked.
"It's not a blanket, it's a cape, and it's for my secret identity!" Lincoln said. "Look, I can answer your questions later, can we please-"
"Are you single?" Pam asked.
Lincoln immediately went speechless, glancing at the young girl, "Pardon me?"
"You're strong, I like a strong man," Pam said. "So, are you single?"
"Uh..." Lincoln started to feel nervous. "Listen, I'd love to talk to you some more Pam but-"
"You know my name!?" Pam asked.
"Wow, real smooth Lincoln," the boy mentally berated. "Uh, well...I heard about you kids getting captured, and your name was listed...and I just guessed that your name is Pam because...well you just look like one."
"Oh, I get it, you think my name's pretty, and you think I'm pretty, so you put two and two together," Pam said.
"Is she serious? Oh well, at least she's buying it," Lincoln cleared his throat. "Look, I'm gonna get you kids out of here, but first thing's first. Are there any girls from the Loud Family here? A Lana and Lily?"
"No sir, they're not here," Winston said.
"Dang, well they're probably around here," Lincoln said. "Look, let's just-"
"What's happening down there?" Came the voice of Snake Eyes, the villain opening the door and looking down at the factory. "Who said you kids could stop working! The boss is gonna be mad if you fall behind!"
"We're not taking orders from you, loser!" Pam shouted. "We have a superhero here to save us!"
"Huh?" Card Shark spotted Lincoln. "Who is-"
Lincoln immediately sped over, appearing beside Card Shark within a few seconds, "Hold it!"
"Gah!" Card Shark grabbed a combat knife, aiming it at Lincoln. "Hey back off weirdo!"
Lincoln kicked the blade out of the guy's hands and grabbed him by the shirt, "Where are they!"
"Uh, where are who!?" Card Shark nervously asked.
"Lana and Lily Loud! I know they're somewhere in here!" Lincoln shouted, using a raspy voice to sound tough.
"Loud? Wait, you mean that little brat and that electrician girl?" Card Shark asked.
"Brat!" Lincoln held Snake Eyes in the air, threatening to drop him. It wasn't too long a fall, only one story down, but it could still result in a broken leg at least. "Tell me where they are!"
"Uh...a partner of mine put the little one in another room! We were gonna ransom her back to her folks," Card Shark said. "The other one's with the boss, he's trying to find work for her on account of her being so talented."
"Do you have any other kids I should be aware of?" Lincoln asked.
"N-no sir, everyone's here, we just make basic items here, like chairs, and tables, and the occasional lava lamps," Card Shark said. "None of these other kids were talented enough to potentially be traded off."
"Jerk!" Pam shouted.
"Look man, I was just following orders!" Card Shark insisted. "I got nothing against these kids, I swear!"
"Doesn't change what you did," Lincoln said, glaring right into Card Shark's eyes, a glare that sent shivers down the villain's spine. "But...I'll spare you for now."
"Oh thank good-AH!" Lincoln tossed the villain down, landing on a pile of boxes.
"You kids! Follow me!" Lincoln called, gesturing for all the kids upstairs.
Many of the kids were more than eager to follow, if so that they can get back home, but Meli still looked really frightened, hesitant to follow.
Darcy noticed the girl hesitating, so she walked over to take her by the hand, "Come on, the sooner we follow, the sooner we can go home, then we can see our friends."
"Ok," Meli said as Darcy led her upstairs.
In his office, Ace is seen talking on the phone with Lana beside him, the gangster boss shouting into the phone, "I'm telling ya! This kid's a prodigy! She can do work that puts grown men to shame! You want her service then you're gonna have to cough up a pretty penny!"
Lana groaned in annoyance, she had to think of a way out of here, she was not going to spend her life working for free. She spotted a vent that she could crawl through, she just needed a good distraction.
"Look, all I'm asking for is $500 as a start-up, that's a generous offer," Ace said. "Hey, you trying to screw me out of a deal here? Come by this place and I'll show you how talented-"
"Sir!" Jack shouted, barging into the room.
"How many times do I need to tell all you numb skulls!? Knock before entering! Especially when I'm on the damn phone!" Ace shouted.
"Sorry boss, but we got a problem, the kids are escaping!" Jack said.
"They're what!?" Ace shouted as he hung up. He turned his attention to Lana. "You, stay!" He ran out of the room with his henchman.
"Pfft, no one tells me what to do," Lana said, making her way to the vent.
Lincoln gathered the kids nearby, "Alright, I'm gonna call for the police so they can pick you up and send you kids home. But first I gotta find my...I mean, find the two Loud girls."
"Alright mister," Little Carmichael said.
"Mister? That sounds kind of weird," Lincoln said.
"Hey!" Came Ace's voice as he and Jack stood side by side. "What's going on?"
This sight hurt Lincoln, seeing two crooks pretending to be Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack. This was an insult to their legacy. "Alright, I'm mad now."
"Who the hell are you kid!?" Ace shouted.
"I'm your worst nightmare," Lincoln said. "Now, before stomp on your faces, tell me. Where are Lana and Lily Loud."
"Oh, you ain't getting my meal ticket," Ace said. "That Lana girl is gonna make me rich, and I ain't giving up that other kid until her parents fork up the cash! In fact, I ain't giving up any of these kids so long as they can make me money!"
"You're such a dirtbag, kidnapping kids just to make a quick buck, don't you have any shame!?" Lincoln shouted.
"Hey, you do what you gotta do to make money kid," Ace said. "It starts in Royal Woods, and soon I'll stretch all the way nearby, to places like Hazeltucky, Baskerfoot and Great Lakes! With luck, I can make it to New York, the big boy's playground!"
"Great Lakes huh? That happens, Adelaide will be in danger too, same with those other kids, I am not letting that happen," Lincoln got into a stance. "Last chance to surrender!"
"Ain't gonna happen," Ace said.
Moments later, Snake Eyes came out of a nearby room, "Hey boss, that kid won't stop crying, and shaking the rattle isn't working."
Lincoln could hear the crying, it was Lily. Something about his sister crying in fear enraged the boy, "I'm really mad now."
In a split second, Lincoln rushed over and punched Snake Eyes in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and hitting him with an uppercut that knocked him through the ceiling.
"Holy crap!" Ace shouted. "What is that kid? Is he a mutant!?"
"I'm a superhero!" Lincoln said, turning to face the boss, "And I'm going to take you down!"
"Not if I take you out first!" Ace shouted, grabbing a handgun and firing. Lincoln's sense allowed him to dodge, but the shock of being fired at did settle in a second later. "I ain't letting you ruin this for me!"
Ace began firing as Lincoln frantically dodged, the other kids running to hide. Lincoln's heart was accelerating, even with his speed, just seeing a gangster with a gun made him more nervous than he wanted to be.
"Dang it, how can I be a superhero if I get scared every time someone grabs a weapon!?" Lincoln had to pick up the pace somehow, this guy needed to be in jail before he endangered anyone else.
"So you wanna dodge huh?" Ace grabbed a machine gun, aiming it at Lincoln. "Well try dodging this!"
He began firing all over the room, the kids staying low and hoping that they did not get caught in the crossfire.
"Boss, be careful, you might hit one of the kids!" Jack warned.
"Shut up! If you're so worried you get them out of here!" Ace shouted, still trying to hit Lincoln.
Lincoln had to move fast, times like this he wished he had the webbing he saw in the Spider-Man prototype design. "Why couldn't I be able to make webbing!? It's such a big part of the spider! Ugh, at this point I'll take shooting that web from elsewhere if it meant saving those kids!"
Ace kept firing until the gun ran out of bullets. This was Lincoln's chance, in the blink of an eye, he ran over and knocked the weapon out of Ace's hands and did a jumping roundhouse kick to the gangster's head. Lincoln jumped and did one more kick, knocking him through the door leading downstairs, breaking it on impact, and leaving the guy unconscious.
"That takes care of that," Lincoln said, forgetting that Jack was still nearby. The sidekick henchman grabbed a baseball bat, slowly approaching Lincoln, hoping to sneak up on him.
"Hero Guy! Look out!" Pam called.
Lincoln's sense already alerted him to the danger, the boy immediately turning around. Before anything could happen, some ruffling was heard in the vents, distracting both hero and villain. Suddenly Lana came falling out of the vents, landing on Jack's head, knocking him down.
"Is this the way out?" Lana asked.
"Lana!" Lincoln pulled his sister into a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Huh!? Hey who the heck are you!?" Lana shouted, pulling back. She immediately pulled out her wrench, aiming it at the hero she did not know was her brother. "Back off, I know how to use this! Well, I know another way to use it!"
"Hey easy, it's..." Lincoln had to remember that he needed to keep his identity secret, even from his sister, which meant disguising his voice again. "Just a typical hero out to Save the World."
"Well I never heard of you, do you even have a hero name?" Lana asked.
"Not yet," Lincoln said.
"Wow, really?" Lana asked.
"Hey give me a break, it's my first hero gig," Lincoln said.
Lana took a moment to notice the damage done. "Hey what happened here?"
"He beat up the bad guys!" Pam said.
"It was so cool!" Beau added.
"Huh, guess you are a superhero," Lana said.
"Y-yeah, I came to save you kids," Lincoln said, then saw Lily awkwardly stepping out of her room. "Oh, hi Li...ttle girl, you must be Lily!"
"Wh-what's happening?" Lily asked.
"Lily!" Darcy rushed over to her best friend's little sister. "It's alright, we're safe now."
"Darcy?" Lily said, then saw all the other kids. "I know some of you." She focused on Meli, "You're Lola's friend." She saw Pam. "You're one of the kids that Lynn babysits." She saw David. "You go to Lisa's class."
"Hey Lily," Lana said, checking on her little sister. "Feeling alright?"
"Yeah, I think so...I just want to go home," Lily said.
"We will, this Superhero will get us home," Darcy said, gesturing to Lincoln.
"You're a superhero?" Lily asked. "Like, The Avengers?"
"Yes, a superhero just like them," Lincoln said.
Lily made her way over to Lincoln, looking up at her disguised older brother, "I don't know why, but something feels familiar about you."
"Uh...that can't be, I'm new, this is my first real rescue," Lincoln said.
"And it looks to be quite the success," David said. "We really appreciate your help."
"Yeah, you were so cool," Jackie's brother said. "Even if it did get a little scary."
Lincoln knelt before Lily, "I'm gonna take you home now, alright? I just need to call the cops and let them know you're here." He gently rubbed her head, "You're gonna be alright, no one's gonna put you in danger again, I'll make sure of it."
"Alright, thank you," Lily said, hugging Lincoln. A feeling that still felt familiar, perhaps it was her own imagination, but something about this boy did remind her of Lincoln, still unaware of how accurate she was.
"Oh wait, you should know that there's an old man here as well," Little Carmichael said.
"An old man?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh yeah, he had a ponytail, one of the guys even called him 'our creator' or something," Darcy said.
"Ponytail? Creator? Wait..." Lincoln immediately broke the hug, keeping an ear out. He could hear faint breathing coming from another room, so he quickly dashed to a nearby door and opened it to reveal Bill Buck, the old comic artist looking very distressed. "Bill!"
"Huh?" Bill looked up at the boy, wondering if he was imagining things. "Ace Savvy?"
"I got you sir," Lincoln said, untying him and helping him out of the chair. "I'm gonna get you to safety."
"Who...who..." Bill began to collapse, landing on the floor while trying to catch his breath.
"Bill, sir, is something wrong?" Lincoln asked. "Are you hurt? Do you need water or something?"
"I..I need..." Bill began clutching his chest, the old man hyperventilating.
"Sir, please," Lincoln said, the boy panicking at seeing the man he's idolized in such a situation. "Tell me what's wrong!" Taking a chance, Lincoln unmasked himself, hoping the familiar sight of him would help the old man. "It's me, Lincoln Loud."
"Lincoln...Loud?" Bill said.
"Yeah, a real superhero, all thanks to you. You've inspired me so much, I want to be a hero, just like Ace Savvy," Lincoln said, trying to force a smile in spite of his tears. "I just need you to be alright, please sir."
Surprisingly, Bill began to chuckle, "What a nice surprise..." Bill coughed a bit loudly, before forcing a smile again. "I knew you were special, thank you..."
Seconds later, Bill completely went limp, the old man not moving a muscle, causing a great deal of worry for Lincoln. "Bill?" Lincoln tried nudging the old man. "Bill please, wake up! Bill!?" He continued nudging, no response. Lincoln pressed his ear against his chest, praying for the sound of a heartbeat. "Please sir, you can't be gone!" No heartbeat, no breathing, no sign of life whatsoever. In a last-ditch effort, Lincoln began attempting to resuscitate him, trying to restart his heart, "No...please, I...I can't lose you! This was going so well, I can't not have saved the man who inspired me so much!" Lincoln tearfully tried restarting his heart, but to no avail, Bill was gone, no longer of this mortal realm. Lincoln could not save him.
A couple of hours had passed, the police had arrived and the henchmen had been incarcerated, including leader Ace, better known as Dave Carradine, his sidekick Jack, better known as Spike, and the other henchmen involved.
The families of the children had arrived, each of them relieved and grateful that their kids were safe. Mrs. Carmichael reunited with her son, Jackie reunited with her little brother, and the Fox Family were happy to see their only daughter.
The Loud Sisters were there too, bummed out at not being able to fight any of the villains, though Lynn and Lola had to be restrained from a couple of them, their mere anger sparking fear into a few henchmen, namely Card Shark and Snake Eyes.
Lori had made it as well, alongside Bobby, making near-record time in getting to Royal Woods, even if Lori narrowly avoided a ticket for speeding. Thankfully the police officer understood her situation and helped in the rescue.
Lisa was thrilled that David and Darcy were safe, surprised she didn't even know right away, and Lola was especially happy to not only see that her twin sister was safe but also her best friend Meli.
While everything was being tended to, Leni had only one question, "By the way, where's Lincoln?"
"He should be here, unless he never found the place," Lynn said. "We were barely able to, the police sirens led us here."
Luna looked around until she spotted Lincoln, the boy sulking to himself against a wall, "I see Lincoln!"
"Linky?" Lily said, the girl stepping away from her parents and police officers along with Lana to go meet with her brother.
"Uh, Lily, don't go too far!" Rita said.
"It's fine, there's cops everywhere," Lynn Sr said. "Plus, she just wants to see her brother, poor kid looks distraught."
"Might have to do with the old man we found, poor guy couldn't handle the stress of this situation his heart gave out," the cop said.
"Old man?" Rita asked.
"It was a comic book artist and part-time Private Investigator," the cop said. "Bill Buck."
Both parents recognized the name and understood even more why Lincoln was upset.
The boy sat against the wall, crying to himself at his failure. Despite how brave tried to be, despite that he kept the kids safe, he felt like he failed miserably. He goofed up several times during the rescue, and was too scared at times to properly retaliate, if things had gone worse, so many kids could have been hurt, or worse. He could not bear the thought, especially when it involved his sisters.
"Linky?" Lily said, the boy looking up. Lily could see the tears running down his face, it broke her heart. Her brother always had a smile, and was always optimistic. He was usually the one who stopped her from crying, now she had to do the same for him. She leaned in to hug him, holding him tightly. "I'm here for you Linky."
"We all are," Lana said, leaning against her brother.
"That's what family's for," Lola said, hugging her brother as well. Eventually, all the sisters sat by him, comforting Lincoln during this tragic moment. It wasn't long before Lori spotted her siblings together, the girl going to join them in the group hug. In a bittersweet moment, Lincoln saved his sisters, but could not save his own hero.
He had to improve; he knew he had to Be Better. New York could wait, for now, Lincoln needed to protect Royal Woods, and more importantly, he had to protect his family. That is what a hero does.