The night had gone by, despite Lana and Lily being safe at home, almost no one could sleep well. This was such a terrible incident, especially for Lincoln. The boy kept wondering what he could have done to save Bill, running so many scenarios in his head, figuring what could have been done to keep him around.
It didn't matter, nothing he could think of would make a difference, because the past could not be undone, which made this even harder. Nothing can be done to save Bill Buck, it was all over.
That morning Lincoln awoke to the sad reality of what had gone by the previous night. Of course he's happy that he kept Lana, Lily and those other kids safe. But he felt like with his abilities, no one should have died that night.
Despite his grief, the boy pulled himself out of bed, making his way out the room. No line for the bathroom, that's always a good thing.
Lincoln had gone inside to do his bathroom duties, trying to continue the morning like normal. As he washed up near the sink, he caught glance on himself in the mirror, a look of shame and disappointment etched upon his face.
"After all Bill's done to help me, I couldn't help him…" Lincoln looked down in shame. "I wanted to be a hero, I wanted to save everyone, so why couldn't I? Why is he gone"
As he stared into the mirror, he heard the bathroom door knock, "Anyone in there?"
That was Lynn's voice, brushing his feelings aside, he immediately went to answer the door to greet his athletic sister, "Hey Lynn, you can use the bathroom if you want, I'm done."
"Oh, yeah, sure," Lynn said. She could immediately tell Lincoln was in a pretty sour state, though of course given what happened last night, it should be obvious why. "Hey, Lincoln, you know that if something's bothering you, that you can tell us. We're all here for, that's what sisters are for."
"Yeah, I know," Lincoln said.
Channeling her big sister nature, Lynn pulled Lincoln into a hug, gently as she could. This was not her area of expertise; her instinct is always to be tough and bring that toughness out of others. But now was not the time for rugged behavior, that could come later. Right now, her little brother needed just a hint of sensitivity.
"I'm really sorry about last night, but you shouldn't beat yourself up, I mean, it's not like you could have done anything, you're just a kid, it's not your job to have done anything," Lynn said, pulling away and gently fixing Lincoln's hair. "Sometimes bad things happen, and they can't be helped."
"Uh-huh..." Lincoln said.
"I mean, even a superhero couldn't save the guy, all those powers and he couldn't even safe an old man," Lynn said, unintentionally causing more grief for Lincoln. "It was out of your control, and the sooner you realize that, well it should help. I know it's not enough to overcome the grief, but I hope it's enough to help you on the path of healing. So, what do you say? Wanna kick this sad state and move forward?"
"I'll try," Lincoln said.
"Well, that's all I can ask for," Lynn said, then left a kiss on Lincoln's cheek. "Look, we'll go at your pace, more than anything I want what's best for you, baby bro."
"Yeah, I know Lynn," Lincoln said, somewhat cheering up. He did appreciate Lynn actually being more caring and affectionate rather than her usual jock self, even if that part of her personality seeped through.
Lincoln had made his way downstairs, plopping down onto the couch, just lying there in sorrow. Suddenly he felt a hand on his head, someone rubbing it gently. He turned to the side and saw Lucy, the goth girl doing her best to console him.
"Good morning Lincoln," Lucy greeted.
"Hey Lucy, surprised you didn't sneak up on me," Lincoln said.
"I thought about being extra careful, I know you're in the process of grieving," Lucy said. "I'm used to comforting those who are mourning after all."
"Thanks, I do appreciate that," Lincoln said. "I kind of envy you, I mean death doesn't even seem to bother you."
"I will admit, I have built a strong resistance to the topic, mainly since I believe in spirits and I like to think that those who have left the physical realm simply enter another, where they are truly free and happy," Lucy said. "If you want, I can summon Bill's spirit, it might be hard but-"
"No, just...I'm not ready for that," Lincoln said. "Plus, it might be insensitive to do that right now. Even I feel a bit silly knowing I'm this upset. I looked up to Bill and all, but this is definitely harder on his family than it is on me. Not like he's our relative."
"You just care Lincoln, that's a good thing," Lucy said, then leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Just remember, I'm not too far away if you need me."
"Thanks Luce," Lincoln said. Within seconds, Lucy was gone, as if she had disappeared. "Maybe Lucy is a mutant. At least I wouldn't be the only one if the family with powers."
"Linky!" Came Lola's voice, the girl leaping onto the couch and landing on top of Lincoln, taking the wind out of him.
"Lola..." Lincoln groaned. She was a lot heavier than she looked.
"Sorry about that, I guess I got excited," Lola said wrapping her arms around her brother. "I guess once I saw you were awake, I just needed to comfort you. You did your best to cheer me up yesterday when I was sad, I need to return the favor, it's what a good little sister would do."
"You don't need to Lola, I comforted you because I'm your big brother, it's my job to look out for you," Lincoln said.
"And you do an amazing job with that," Lola said, stroking under Lincoln's chin. "I'm so lucky to have a brother like you, I actually have you set as a bar for all the other boys I like, including would be suitors, only boys as good as my brother are worthy of my attention."
"That's flattering, I think," Lincoln said. It amazed him that his sisters were being this affectionate this morning. Lynn tried being softer, Lucy tried being understanding, even Lola's showing more of her nice side. Of course, Lola's behavior has improved as of late, likely due to her friendship with Meli keeping her down to Earth. That reminded him.
"Have you called Meli? Is she doing alright?" Lincoln asked.
"I tried to, her mom said she's still a bit shaken up and isn't ready to talk to anyone," Lola said. "It's fine, when she is ready I'll go over to her house with some flowers or something, and give her a nice big hug."
"That's really nice of you, I'm happy that you and Meli are such good friends, and that you care so much about her," Lincoln said, rubbing Lola's head. "You're a really nice girl Lola."
"Aw, you're so sweet Linky," Lola said, thanking her brother with a kiss on the cheek. "I do try my best, I know I'm not perfect but I really do care about my friends, and I do love my family," Lola glanced back at Lincoln, a light blush on her face. "I have you to thank for my friendship with Meli though, after all, you're the one who suggested the idea of helping out a new student."
"Glad I can help, and I really hope she's doing alright, I kind of want to see her too," Lincoln said, trying to cover up his true reasoning. "Just out of concern for my sister's friend."
"Oh she'd love that, she kind of likes you actually," Lola said. "Well she likes all my siblings, but she did say you were handsome."
"Uh, that's nice I guess," Lincoln said. "I hope this doesn't make things weird."
"It won't, Linky you are a very handsome boy, and a lot of girls I know have a crush on you, the only exception being Lindsey Sweetwater, but that girl has really poor taste," Lola said. "Actually it's better if she doesn't like you, I don't want my sworn enemy crushing on my brother." She clenched her fist in an angry way as a sinister look formed on her face, "Otherwise I'd have to crush her!"
Lincoln began to sweat a moment, feeling a bit awkward from hearing that exchange. "Uh-huh…"
"Yo Linc!" Came Luna's voice, the rocker girl appearing overhead on the couch. "Glad you're awake bro, how you feeling?"
"A little better," Lincoln said.
"Thanks to me," Lola bragged.
"Yeah, Lola came to cheer me up, Lucy and Lynn did as well," Lincoln said.
"That's great," Luna said, plopping over the couch. "Hey Lols, mind giving us a second?"
Lola groaned as she reluctantly got off, "Fine, but once you're done, I'm coming back."
"Fine by me," Luna said as Lola made her leave. "She's really become attached to you lately."
"Yeah, any reason?" Lincoln asked. "Usually she's very independent."
"She is independent, but given weird stuff that's been happening, first with you fainting at the zoo, then that gang showing up and kidnapping Lana and Lily, I guess she needs to feel comfort, and you're one of the easiest siblings for her to go to," Luna said. "It's always been like that though, hasn't it? Whenever there was a problem, the sisters would usually go to you or Lori. When Lori moved out they tried Leni but we know how much she struggles with being the oldest sibling at home.
"Now she has stress marks under her eyes like I do," Lincoln focused back on Luna. "So why was I the second gone after sibling?"
"Well for starters, you're very mature for your age," Luna said. "Also you have this way of talking to us girls that kind of makes us feel at peace, kind of like a perfect gentleman."
"I'm not perfect," Lincoln said. "And I hardly consider myself a gentleman."
"Well you're right, you're not perfect, even you can get on our nerves sometimes," Luna said. "No offense bro, you know I love ya, but that includes being honest with you about your shortcomings."
"Fair enough," Lincoln said.
"But you do set a good example more often than not, probably because you read so many comics and you try to emulate a hero's personality of being an upstanding citizen," Luna said. "Plus it could be your masculine instincts, it's in a guy's nature to be protective of girls, especially his sisters. Likewise sometime about you brings out a motherly instinct for all of us, especially Lori."
"Think Lori will become a mom herself soon?" Lincoln asked. "She and Bobby are pretty serious."
"It's her call," Luna said. "After last night though, I can't see her wanting to be away from home for much longer, that was quite a scare."
"How did you find the place?" Lincoln asked.
"We asked around for anything suspicious, I mean I'm guessing that's how you found it," Luna said.
"Y-yeah, that's what I did," Lincoln said. Truthfully he was worried that his abrupt absence would be cause for suspicion, especially with his powers.
"We were ready to kick some butt too, but then that hero kid showed up," Luna said. "According to Lana, he was new to the scene, didn't even have a name."
"Yeah, I saw him, for a brief second, looked like he was in a hurry to leave," Lincoln said.
"It's a shame, I would have liked to meet the guy who saved my sisters," Luna said. "Though thinking about it, it's kind of weird that there was a Superhero in Royal Woods. I mean, we're a small town that rarely has anything dangerous, not saying I'm not grateful he showed up, but it's still quite a surprise."
"Maybe it's a mutant who wanted to help those kidnapped kids?" Lincoln suggested. "Maybe he wants to be a hero like The Avengers."
"That could be possible, though it's weird, I haven't even heard any rumors about mutants in town," Luna said.
"Well most mutants wouldn't admit it, they do get treated differently after all, and they probably don't want to deal with that," Lincoln said.
"Guess you're right. Kind of bogus though, getting treated differently for something you can't control. I ain't down with something like that that." Luna then remembered the bad luck incident, how the entire family including herself treated Lincoln poorly due to their superstitious beliefs. "Not anymore at least."
"I think it's wrong for them to get judged too," Lincoln said. At least he knew Luna would not think little of him, though of course she doesn't know his secret.
"Well anyway, I just wanted to check on you, I mean, I know about Bill Buck, we all do," Luna said. "I know it must hurt too, even if he's not a friend or family member, he's still someone you idolized. I know if it were Mick Swagger who died, I would be just as bummed out. He's my biggest Rockstar inspiration, and by Breadstick Buddy. I know me and the sisters liked to tease you about your comics in the past, even if The Avengers existing proved that maybe those comics weren't too far from reality. But point is, were all here for you, and we all understand that this is hard on you. Just come to any one of us if you're feeling sad, alright bro?"
"Yeah, sure, thanks Luna," Lincoln said, hugging his rocker sister.
"Let's see what's on the boob tube, take our mind off of things," Luna said, turning on the TV.
"It was a tragic scene last night, the loss of comic writer Bill Buck will be felt for years to come," came the voice of Katherine Mulligan.
"Of course," Luna said, about to change the channel.
"Hold on," Lincoln said as Katherine continued.
"In spite of that, Royal Woods may have its own blooming Avenger as a kid in what appeared to be an Ace Savvy Cosplay came to rescue some kidnapped children from an old factory," Kathrine said. "We go live to former Daily Bugle's chief editor, J. Jonah Jameson. Take it away sir."
"Thank you Katherine," Jameson began. "One year ago, The Avengers shocked the world with their grand debut, fighting off an evil army of aliens. That's all fine and dandy, but that leads to another problem. Nowadays, anyone with powers or the ability to fight will put on a mask and play vigilante, which is going to lead to more chaos on the streets as both sides treat life like one big comic book! This is a true threat to our society; a lack of order will be the downfall of us all."
"So you're saying what that child did was bad?" Katherine asked.
"If that IS a child, could be some short person who for all we know, one who was in cahoots with those thugs. I mean, the thugs were wearing Ace Savvy villain masks, and the vigilante in question was dressed up like Ace Savvy himself, doesn't that strike you as suspicious!? All of this was probably just some publicity stunt, well I ain't falling for it," Jameson said. "Mark my words mystery 'hero', and I use that term very loosely. You will be found out, and your actions will be exposed!"
"Strong words Mr. Jameson," Katherine said. "We now have to wonder, if this is truly a hero, or just one big con. This is Katherine Mulligan, and-"
Luna switched the channel, "That's total rubbish."
"I can't believe that guy slandered m...y sisters' rescuer!" Lincoln shouted in annoyance.
"And I thought Katherine Mulligan was full of hot air," Luna said. "That hero saved Lana, Lily and those other kids. It's thanks to him that Sam doesn't have to worry about her brother getting taken. I swear these reporters just want to cause drama for ratings. This stuff is good for TV shows and movies, not for things actually happening in our lives!"
"I don't think Katherine is too bad, she's really cool, and someone me and my friends know pretty well by now. But I'll admit, she does tend to be overdramatic," Lincoln said. "Still, what's with that guy? Where did he even come from? What's The Daily Bugle?"
"Actually, that does sound familiar," Luna said. "I think mom mentioned a new boss from a place in New York called The Daily Bugle. Oh man, is that guy mom's new boss?"
"That's gonna make things awkward," Lincoln groaned in annoyance. "I hope mom never invites him over for dinner then."
"I can only imagine how lively he would be," Luna joked.
"About as lively as Mr. Bolhofner," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln?" Lana said, getting the boy's attention.
"Lana," Lincoln said, spreading his arms so that Lana could come to him, the girl sitting across his lap as he held her in the hug. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, I wasn't scared or anything," Lana said, hugging her brother. "I'm more worried about you."
"I'm fine, really I am," Lincoln insisted.
"It's alright to not be fine though, I mean, someone you looked up to died," Lana said. "I know what it's like to look up to someone, Bill Buck was to you what Bobbie Fletcher is to me."
"Look, while I am sad, I'm just more relieved that you and Lily are safe," Lincoln said.
"Honestly those guys weren't even that tough," Lana said. "Two of them were so dumb, and the boss was such a whiner. I've seen bad guys in Saturday Morning Cartoons more dangerous than them. I mean, maybe it's weird to say since they're indirectly responsible for what happened to Bill, but I just didn't find them that intimidating."
"Weren't they armed or something?" Luna asked.
"Well, yeah, but I doubt they would have done anything to us," Lana said. "Still, it was cool when that hero showed up."
"The hero?" Lincoln figured this would be a good chance to see how well he did as a superhero. "Yeah, I remember hearing about that. What was he like?"
"Well for starters, he was a total dork," Lana said, immediately deflating Lincoln's hopes.
"Oh, was he?" Lincoln asked. "No redeeming qualities?"
"His powers were cool, and I give him credit for saving us," Lana said. "He just came off as really awkward. One of the kids I talked to last night said when he showed up, he tried too hard acting like a hero, at least that's what Lisa's friend David said. Darcy thought he was funny, especially when he spoke in a raspy voice."
"So much for sounding intimidating," Lincoln mentally lamented.
"That Fox girl Pam, I think she has the hots for him, she said she wants to marry him or something," Lana said.
"I remember that Pam seemed very infatuated with me," Lincoln recalled. "Well, at least a hero showed up, that's a good thing right?"
"It is, I mean I really am grateful for him, but he seemed so in over his head that he really could have messed up big time and gotten hurt," Lana said. "He seems like a really nice guy too, I would have hated to see him get hurt trying to save us."
"That's a good point, if I'm rescuing someone, I have to look strong to make the person I'm saving feel safe," Lincoln noted. "Gee, if Lana was that concerned about who she considered a total stranger, imagine how she would feel if she knew it was me, or any of my sisters knew for that matter."
"Hey Lincoln, you alright?" Lana asked. "You look lost in thought."
"Oh, um...I'm fine," Lincoln insisted. "And I'm glad you're doing alright."
"Well, I'm here for you if you need me," Lana said, kissing Lincoln on the cheek before heading off.
"Lana's one tough girl," Luna said. "Gotta respect that."
"Yeah, that's a relief," Lincoln said. "I'm just surprised she was more worried about me."
"We're your sisters Linc, we'll always worry," Luna said, leaning in for a kiss of her own to his cheek.
"Five kisses from five different sisters, feels like a record," Luna said.
"Well we love you, even if we don't say it much," Luna said. "Oh, by the way, Sam texted me last night, and again this morning, I think she's worried about you too."
"Her too?" Lincoln asked.
"Well yeah, you know Sam likes you, she thinks you're adorable, and you are nice to her little brother," Luna said. "Just watch out, if she and I ever want kids, she just might ask for your help."
"What do you mean..." Lincoln's eyes widened in realization, the boy starting to grimace at the thought. "Uh...that's not happening in the near future, is it?"
"Oh, so you would consider helping us with our baby?" Luna asked.
"Never said that!" Lincoln hastily defended. "I...just don't want to deal with a question like that."
"I get it, and no she's not thinking about that right now, she and I are only seventeen, that's too young to be having kids," Luna said. "We didn't even finish High School. Not to knock on anyone who may have ended up in that situation."
"It's fine as long as they love each other," Lincoln said.
"Anyway she may not ask you about it at all, we'll probably just adopt," Luna said. "But it's way too soon for me to consider this, probably won't consider being a parent til I'm like thirty or something. And I don't plan to have as many kids as the 'rents do."
"Yeah, I probably wouldn't either," Lincoln said. "Maybe about four or five kids, seems manageable."
"Thinking about fatherhood bro?" Luna asked. "Got a girl in mind?"
"Uh...no," Lincoln nervously insisted. "I mean, I see pretty girls and stuff, but I don't think I'm ready for a girlfriend."
"It's your call, personally I think you'd do well though, you're a nice enough guy, just don't be too nice or she'll walk all over you," Luna said. "And you have options, especially Stella. Or if you want, I can call up Tabby, at least for a date. It doesn't have to be anything serious."
"Oh, speaking of date, I was supposed to meet a girl but..." Lincoln thought it over. "I just don't think I'd be in the mood to hang out, hope she doesn't mind."
"After last night, I think she'd understand," Luna said. "And if she doesn't, well she isn't the girl for you. Who is this girl anyway though?"
"A friend of a girl Clyde has a crush on," Lincoln said. "Which is weird because Clyde had a crush on this girl too once, but he moved on."
"Clyde's really been busy after Lori," Luna said. "He's a nice kid, he'd make a good boyfriend too. He just needs to toughen up so the girls don't walk all over him."
"That's what we all tell him," Lincoln said, then felt his stomach rumble. "Right, I suppose I should eat breakfast."
"Pops saved something for you in the microwave, it should be there," Luna said.
"Wow really? Usually I'm not so lucky," Lincoln joked.
"Well we're all feeling generous this morning," Luna said. "I'd get to it soon, Lynn restrained herself but she can only do it for so long."
"I appreciate her trying," Lincoln hopped off the couch and made his way into the kitchen.
He peeked inside the microwave, and found that there was a Breakfast Burrito in the microwave, a typical favorite for the boy. He heated it up a bit more to get it a little bit warmer as he went to grab some juice from the fridge.
"You're awake!" Came Luan's voice. Lincoln turned and found himself in a hug, "How are you feeling Linc?"
"Oh, hi Luan," Lincoln said, breaking away from the hug. "I'm feeling a little better, our sisters have been all over me all morning."
"Well yeah, we know last night was hard on you, what happened to Bill Buck was terrible," Luan said.
"I'll be fine," Lincoln insisted. "I just...really can't believe he's gone, it's a hard thing to accept."
"That's normal when grieving," Luan said. "If I were in your shoes and my idol Joannie Sassafras was in Bill's place, I'd be just as upset. But if there's anything I can do to help cheer you up, I will. I wrote down some jokes for a comedy routine, I'm not sure if you're in a laughing mood, but sometimes laughter is the best medicine."
"Maybe later, after breakfast," Lincoln said.
"Sure, and if anything I can call over Benny to help, we've been working on our own routines," Luan said. She leaned in and kissed Lincoln on the cheek. "Feel better little brother."
"Sure, thanks," Lincoln said, taking a bite from his burrito as Luan left. "I don't mind the attention from my sisters, but it feels weird seeing them this nice to me."
"Linky?" Came Lily's voice, the young girl appearing beside her brother.
"Lily? Where'd you come from?" Lincoln said as he lifted his youngest sister onto his lap. "Actually that's not important, what is important is how you're feeling."
"Not so great, I had a lot of bad dreams last night," Lily said, hugging her brother.
"Aw, really?" Lincoln asked. "You should have came to me, I would have let you sleep on my bed."
"I wanted to, but our sisters said not to bother you, because you're feeling sad," Lily said.
"Lily you had it worse than me, you have more of a reason to be scared than I do," Lincoln said, gently stroking her hair.
"But I'm safe now, that's all that matters," Lily said. "Someone you like went away, that seems sadder to me."
"Oh, well...maybe. But I still would have let you come, you being there would have helped me feel less sad," Lincoln said.
Oh, sorry Linky," Lily said.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for, listen if you get more bad dreams, then come to my room, there's nothing I like better than a sleepover with my baby sister," Lincoln said, gently rubbing her head.
"Thanks Linky, you're my hero," Lily said.
"Speaking of heroes, you saw one last night, didn't you?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh yeah, he was nice," Lily said. "He saved me and those other kids, just like one of The Avengers."
"What do you think of him?" Lincoln asked. "Did he seem cool?"
"Yeah, a little," Lily said. "He's not as cool as you though, I wish you could have been there to save me instead of him, I'd feel much safer if it was you."
"Wow...that's great," Lincoln said, shedding a tear.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Lily asked, wiping the tear from her brother's eye. "Are you still sad? Do you need hugs and kisses? I can give you hugs and kisses, just like you do when I'm sad."
"No, it's fine," Lincoln said. "I mean, you can if you want, I'm just relieved that you at least felt somewhat safe. I was just really worried about you, and if I could, I would have been there."
"You did come though, at the end," Lily said. "The bad guys already lost, but you still came to save me, and that makes me happy."
"Anything for you Lil," Lincoln said, kissing her on the cheek. "You're very special to me."
"You're special to me too, Linky," Lily said, giving a kiss of her own. "Lori always tells our sisters that if we get a boyfriend, then he'd have to be as nice as you."
"Lori said that?" Lincoln asked. "Are you sure you heard that right? Lori's' nice, but she isn't that nice."
"I was surprised too, she said he has to be nice and cute, like you," Lily said.
"Wow, that's really kind of Lori," Lincoln said.
"But she also he had to be less of a dork than you," Lily added.
"I take it back," Lincoln said, mildly annoyed. "Also how am I a dork!?"
"Yeah, it's weird that she thinks that, you're the coolest guy I know," Lily said.
"I'm glad you think so, and that you think I'm cooler than a superhero," Lincoln said. "Weird, I was that superhero. Then again I'm not surprised, Lily is very fond of me, she probably thinks I'm cooler than all The Avengers. Wonder what the rest of my sisters would think of my superhero side?"
Lily felt her stomach rumble, "Im hungry, I should eat something, but I don't know if daddy left me something."
"You can have some of my burrito," Lincoln said.
"Huh? But that's your favorite food," Lily said.
"And you're my favorite sister," Lincoln said, then realized what he just uttered. "Wait, that's wrong of me to say, I shouldn't pick favorites, especially after how nice the sisters were so far."
"I won't tell anyone," Lily said, almost deviously. "Just knowing I'm your favorite is enough."
Lincoln nervously laughed it off, truthfully he did find himself playing favorites, and it was usually towards Lily, since she's the only sister who hasn't annoyed him over the years. Lucy and Leni are a close second since they never bother him, unless it's a group thing. Lana is also usually nice to Lincoln, even if she plays rough. But the other sisters have provoked or bullied him at least once, some more than others.
"I just hope you know that I love you and our sisters all the same," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, I know," Lily said, taking a bite from the burrito. "I love you all the same too, but you're still my favorite."
"I'll take that as a win," Lincoln wrapped his arms around Lily for a hug, grateful to have such a wonderful little sister.
After breakfast, Lincoln made his way back to the Living Room, where this time he was greeted with a hug from Leni.
"Linky!" The older girl pressed Lincoln's face into her breasts, unaware of how uncomfortable this was making him. "You're finally awake, how do you feel right now?"
"Mmmph! Mmph!" Lincoln flailed his arms, not only was this an awkward position, he also couldn't breathe.
"Huh? What does 'mmmph' mean?" Leni asked.
"Leni! He needs air," Came Lori's voice, Leni getting the hint and pulling apart.
"Oh...sorry Linky," Leni said.
"That's fine," Lincoln said, taking a breath.
Lori knelt beside her brother, gently rubbing his hair, "How are you feeling Linky?"
"Fine, just couldn't breathe for a couple of seconds," Lincoln replied.
Lori shook her head at the answer, not what she was looking for, "No I meant about last night. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm fine, really," Lincoln said.
"Are you sure?" Leni asked, kneeling down as well. "You looked really depressed."
"It's nothing," Lincoln insisted. "Lana and Lily are safe, that's more important."
"It is important, but so is how you feel," Lori said. "Lana brushed it off really well, Lily took some time but she's more relieved to be home. You however, you just seem so down like, if you feel like it's your fault these things happened."
"You don't think it is, do you Linky?" Leni asked.
That was a tough question for Lincoln, while he did feel that way, he couldn't say why since it would likely blow his cover. "I just...wish I could have done something, you know, like a superhero."
"But you're not a superhero Lincoln, that's just in comic books" Lori said.
"Lori, The Avengers," Leni pointed out.
Lori blushed upon realization, not only did she forget something so major, Leni was the one who pointed it out, "Right...wow, one year and I'm still not used to superheroes being real. They look so much different than Ace Savvy."
"Cuter too, especially Thor," Leni said, the girl blushing hard while imagining the God of Thunder.
"Focus Leni," Lori said. "Point is Lincoln, nothing about last night was your fault, the only ones at fault are the crooks that kidnapped those children for free labor."
"Besides, an actual superhero was there, and even he couldn't save that poor old man," Leni said, unintentionally making things worse for Lincoln.
Lori could tell that statement bothered Lincoln, though not for the reason she was thinking, "Leni, you need to word that better."
Leni took a moment to think what she said over, the girl then realizing that it sounded a bit harsh, "But he tried his best at least, and that's all that matters.
"Thanks Leni," Lincoln muttered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"If you need someone, anyone to talk to, you know me and the sisters are always there," Lori said, planting a kiss on Lincoln's cheek.
"We love you Linky, you're totes our favorite brother," Leni said, planting a kiss on Lincoln's cheek as well.
The boy was close to refuting that he was their only brother, but he did not want to ruin the moment, "Thanks Leni, you too Lori."
"Bobby's here as well, well he borrowed my car for a moment to get something but if you want to talk to him later too, you know he will listen. He sees you as a little brother after all," Lori said.
"That sounds great," Lincoln said. He then heard his phone buzzing, it was a message from Clyde. From the looks of things, he had more text messages from his other friends. "Wow, I really have not been paying attention to my phone."
"Well you were pretty distracted today it's understandable," Lori said. "Why don't you check in with your friends for now?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Lincoln said, taking his leave to his room.
Leni looked understandably concerned for her little brother, "This is really upsetting him, isn't it?"
"Well it's hard to blame him, I mean this wasn't easy for any of us, but someone Lincoln looked up to did pass away," Lori said.
"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" Leni asked.
"There's a lot I want to do for him," Lori said. "I really should come by more often."
"But what about your college classes?" Leni asked.
"I'll work around it, but I really need to be here," Lori said, then began to ponder. "Something seems really strange about Lincoln, and I need to find out what."
"By the way, was dad making something for the Yates family?" Leni asked.
"Yeah, one of the reasons he and mom are out right now," Lori said. "I know dad said to keep the doors locked but it is weird that he chose now to go out, same with mom. Of course they did promise it wouldn't take long, and Mr. Grouse is next door keeping an eye on things too. Plus I'm here, and if any more crooks come, they'll need plenty of salt for their new look."
Lincoln made his way upstairs, still checking through his phone to see who had contacted him. He then passed by Lisa's room, overhearing a static charge and minor explosion. "Dang it!"
Lincoln turned to see that something had blown up in Lisa's face, the girl removing her glasses momentarily to wipe off the soot. As she used her sleeve to get rid of it, she noticed a tissue at the corner of her eye, courtesy of her brother that he found near Lily's side of the room.
"This might work better," Lincoln said.
"Thank you big brother," Lisa replied, grabbing the tissue and wiping her face clean.
"You look hard at work, as usual," Lincoln said. "Is if for school, your lectures or something else?"
"Security measures," Lisa said. "After what happened yesterday, I began brainstorming different ways to keep the house and our sisters safe."
"This again? Talk about resurfacing old ideas," Lincoln said. "But go easy, mom and dad weren't too happy with how overboard we went."
"Father's the one who got us all worried about a burglar stealing our stuff, even to the point of bribing Mr. Grouse to put a scare into us," Lisa said.
"That could have been avoided if we just locked the door," Lincoln said. "I mean looking back, it wasn't really that difficult, we just got too comfortable because we live in such a nice town."
"Well it isn't such a nice town these days, now that we know there are those who would stoop so low as to kidnap children for money, I decided we should go back to our prior security measures," Lisa said. "But don't worry, I'll design it in a way that isn't totally inconvenient to this family. Just a few cameras, some traps, maybe some voice and retinal ID."
"Mom says no cameras in the house," Lincoln said. "Especially after that lie detector thing."
"Maybe I can convince her otherwise, thinking about it, that lie detector thing is a great idea to bring back too," Lisa said.
"Lisa...last time it drove us nuts," Lincoln said.
"Then I'll make it private so only I know," Lisa said. "I can keep a secret, I just need to keep our family safe. There's so many things that could have prevented what happened to Lana and Lily yesterday. If we still had those security measures, then those gangsters never would have gotten near the two, with cameras we could have identified them easier, and if mother had not made me get rid of the tracking devices, we could have found them so much easier! I know I've done weird things in the past, and I did invade privacy, but this time it's for safety. Suppose it wasn't just Lana and Lily? Suppose Lucy or Lola got taken? Or me for that matter? Suppose those gangsters had worse ideas than just factory work?"
"Yesterday must have really bothered you, huh?" Lincoln said, kneeling beside Lisa. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"What's there to tell you? I mean you already know, and I know how much it bothered you, just like it bothered all of us," Lisa said.
"It did bother me, I was really worried, but I'm more worried for you," Lincoln said.
"You don't need to be, I'm a super genius remember, I can think rationally," Lisa insisted, the doubt in her eyes saying otherwise. "Look, I'm fine, you don't need to worry."
"I'm your big brother, I gotta worry," Lincoln said. "It's my job to look after my little sisters."
"I can take care of myself," Lisa said. "I don't let emotions rule over me."
"You're a smart girl Lisa, but you're also still really young, intelligence can't always win over emotions. I know this was a lot scarier than you want to admit, but I do want you to know that if you really are worried, that I'm right here," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln..." Lisa groaned in frustration, but she can't be mad because she knew that Lincoln wasn't wrong. This ordeal was more stressful than she wanted to admit. Between two of her sisters getting taken, not to mention her best friend Darcy and her other friend David.
"You can take your time to process, but I'm here for you if you need me," Lincoln said. "Don't hesitate to come to my room for anything."
"You're a great big brother Lincoln," Lisa said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."
"It's no trouble," Lincoln said, getting ready to leave.
"Also, I'm sorry about the loss of Bill Buck," Lisa said. "He may not be family, but when you admire someone, you hate to know that they're gone, because they became a big part of your life. You never should have had to go through that, I wish there was something I can do to help."
"I appreciate it, and I'm fine," Lincoln said, making his way to his room. "Just take care of yourself."
As Lincoln left, Lisa turned back to her work, muttering to herself, "That goes for you too. Sometimes I wish I could articulate how much you and our family mean to me, but hopefully I can work on my actions more than my words."
Lincoln hopped onto his bed, checking through all of his text messages. There were some from Liam, Rusty and Zach of course, all wanting to check on him and his sisters, asking if he's alright.
"Hey man, it's Rusty. Damn, what a really bad situation you had last night, that must have been freaky for you to deal with. Listen, I'm not really good with emotional stuff but just know that the Rust-man's here and he has your back. Come swing if you want, or I can come over, up to you what you wanna do. My brother gives his regards too. Also, I heard there was a superhero there, any details on that? Let me know."
"Howdy Lincoln, it's Liam It's a dagum shame what you went through, as a big brother mahself, ah know how stressful it'd be to know yer sister was taken. Thank the Lord they're fine, thanks in part to that mysterious feller with them superpowers, sure gave those gangster varmints what they had coming. Give me a holler sometime."
"Yo Lincoln, glad your sisters are alright, same with those other kids. Sucks about Bill though, I know you admire that guy. I'm here if you need me man. Still, to hear that a superhero is in town, just when things looked bad, justice still prevails. Your sisters are lucky a hero was around."
Lincoln sent some texts replying to them that he was fine, grateful for their concern and promised to meet with them later to talk. He also saw got a voice message from Emma Lincoln remembering that there was a double date planned. Unfortunately he just wasn't in the mood for that, of course he still gave the message a listen.
"Hi Lincoln, it's me Emma. I know Clyde said we were all going out today but, given what happened with your sisters last night and the scare you must have had, it's fine if you want to put it off. I'm really glad your sisters alright though, they're so adorable and they seem really nice. I also heard about Bill Buck, I know this is upsetting, Clyde's pretty upset too. I wish that mysterious hero could have helped him as well. But call me if you want, and if you need company, I'm here for you.'
Lincoln considered calling her back, then saw that even Chloe left him a message.
"Hey, it's Chloe. I heard about what happened last night, to think someone would do that. I'm glad your sisters are safe, I don't know them well but Clyde always talks about how great they are, and how much you love them. I always liked that about you actually, that you're such a good big brother, and I know how much you like superheroes, I'm actually willing to bet that if you had powers, you'd barge in and kick butt. To think something similar happened, I mean I know it wasn't you but the fact that a hero really did show up. Anyway call me if you want to, I'd like to hear your voice and be sure you're alright."
Lincoln was amazed how nearly on point Chloe was. He then saw yet another voicemail.
"Lincoln, it's me, Jordan. What happened last night, I can't even put into words but, I'm just so relieved your sisters are alright, and I hope those thugs get what they deserve for messing with your family. Call me the first chance you get, and don't keep me waiting too long, otherwise I'll worry. And if you make me worry, well I think you can figure that part out."
Lincoln wasn't sure if he should be flattered that Girl Jordan cares this much or worried about what seemed like a threat. He still had more voicemail to sort out.
"Hey Lincoln, it's Mollie. Listen call or text me later, I want to make sure you're doing alright. Your call but truthfully it's easier if I just heard your voice."
Lincoln proceeded to send a few more texts out, thanking anyone who called and promising to return those calls later. Then came four more from four kids he feels he has the closest bond with.
"Yo Lincoln, it's Ronnie Anne. Bobby told me that Lana and Lily are safe, thankfully too. You know we love your sisters, I know Bobby has a soft spot for them of course, he's dating the oldest Loud. My cousins are relieved too, especially Carlitos, he was so worried about Lily. But Bobby also told me someone you knew died last night, and that you seemed bummed out. Call me when you have a chance, better yet, video chat me. I'll get Sid there too if you want but I need to make sure you're alright. I'll call you again later if I don't hear back from you. I know there's a lot you'd want to get off your chest, especially after everything that's happened."
"Lincoln! It's Sid! I heard about what happened, and while I'm glad Lana and Lily are alright, and I know my sister Adelaide is happy they're alright too, especially Lana, I still know this must have been really hard on you. I heard about Bill Buck as well. I know how upsetting this is, you admired the guy after all, he was like an unofficial mentor. I mean as a huge Twelve is Midnight fan, I'd be sad if something happened to Yun Kwan. Funny though, knowing that an actual superhero was there too, what could that be about? I wouldn't be surprised if you knew though, you're the hero expert after all. Call me later if you want, or you can do a video chat with me and Ronnie Anne."
"Hey Lincoln...it's Clyde...I...I'm really happy that your sisters are safe. You know how much I care about them, they're like family to me too. But...I know this is hard on you too but, why did we have to lose Bill Buck? I wasn't ready for something like that I just...Ugh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be calling you just to mourn, I mean Lana and Lily being safe is way more important, anything happening to the would be so much worse...I just don't know how to feel right now. You'll call me later, right bud? We'll get through this."
"Lincoln, it's Stella. First off, thank God that your sisters are safe, the big man upstairs must have been looking out for us if not only did they come back home fast, but the fact that all those kids are safe and sound. I guess it wasn't without some consequence, after what happened to Bill. I mean, I'd like to think he's just as happy for the safety of Lana and Lily. I'm just really happy they're alright, such cute little angels should be home safe and sound, not forced to do the bidding of such villains. Call me later when you have a chance, better yet, I'd like to see you face to face, because I bet you could really use a hug right now."
Upon hearing everything, Lincoln sent out a few more texts. Seems like he has a lot of friends to catch up with, and so little time. He did want to see his friends but deep down, he was still hurting. The more time went on, the more he came to fully realize that Bill was indeed gone, despite his powers, and his ability to save those children, Lincoln could not save someone he admired so much. It just infuriated him, the boy mentally berating himself for such a bad start.
"So much for being this cool superhero, what a load of crap. I bet Captain America would have saved everyone with no trouble, in half the time too. Better yet, Ace Savvy would have, if only he were real, if only Spider-Man was real," Lincoln turned to his desk, seeing the concept art of the arachnid superhero. "Kind of tempted to take Lucy upon her offer. Or maybe Lisa can build a time machine, I think she had a concept in mind once, unless she scrapped it. But...even so, there's no guarantee that would work, what if it just creates another reality? Or it creates some really bad Butterfly Effect? Or does something not so nice..."
This was a pain in the neck for Lincoln, the boy did not know what to do right now. He felt like just calling a friend to discuss his troubles with, at least to the best of his abilities. He wasn't quite ready to tell anyone his secret after all. As he was going to, he saw another voicemail, this one from yesterday afternoon, one that would really put things into perspective.
"Hey there little Lincoln Loud, it's me, Bill Buck. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing, I know you got home pretty late. Anyway I just wanted to be sure you were going home just fine, I'd hate for you to end up like one of those kidnapped children. Believe it or not, I'm actually on my way to figuring that case out, pretty cool right? Anyway I just wanted to say that, I'm glad I ran into you last night, it was so nice talking to a true fan, especially one as nice as you. When I look at you, I can see what I imagined a young Ace Savvy to be, better yet, a young Spider-Man. That hero could have been the next big thing and possibly become a greater superhero than Ace Savvy ever was. I feel like the kids could use a guy like that to look up to, to show that no matter who you are, and where you're from, anyone can make a difference. Maybe one day you'll bring that character to life, I know you have it in you, after all, you show the heart of a hero. Well, I gotta get back to work. One day though, I can tell you're gonna make it big, you'll have so many looking up to you and what you can do. There's power in creativity, using media to embrace or start a culture. But remember, with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. I know you'll always make the right choice."
Lincoln felt a tear dropping from his eye, hearing Bill's voice once more really put things into perspective for him. All this time he felt like he was wearing a blindfold and it took him recent events to actually open his eyes. He was given a gift, he was given power, and when he sensed danger was near he didn't even do anything with them and it cost him his idol and almost cost him his sisters; he was selfish and would never forgive himself for what had happened and he shouldn't wait for New York to be a hero. He finally understood Bill Buck's words; that with Great Power, there must also come Great Responsibility. Maybe he can make a difference with this character, and prove to the world the greatness that is Spider-Man. Nobody ever gave Buck a chance to bring this character to life, he wouldn't be any different if he didn't gave him a chance either, especially with the powers he had. That is who he will be, that is the hero he wants to be. Royal Woods' Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.