The weekend finally came, the morning of Royal Woods' big Block Party. Everyone that morning was excited and ready to start the day, everyone except Lincoln.
The poor boy was out late stopping robberies and muggings, the crooks were busy and Lincoln had to keep everything in line. He didn't get to sleep until the late hours of the night.
While he hoped to sleep in a bit longer, the boy was jolted awake by the sound of Luna shredding her guitar, startling him out of bed.
"Good morning Loud House!" Luna shouted.
Lincoln grumbled in annoyance, opening his door and glaring down the halls at his musical sister. He wasn't the only one annoyed, Lily peeked her head out, just as irritated.
"I was still sleeping!" Lily said.
"Yeah, me too," Lincoln said.
A sheepish Luna had made her way over to her two younger siblings, "Sorry about that, guess I got excited. But wow bro, you look really tired, more than usual."
"I was...busy last night," Lincoln said. "You know, schoolwork."
"You've been really hitting the books, huh?" Luna asked. "Don't get carried away, it's not healthy. I get you want to brush up on your intelligence, but it's not worth these all nighters you're pulling."
"I know you're worried, but I have to do this, I have to think about...the future," Lincoln said.
"Don't worry about the future, focus on the now," Luna said, making her leave. "Anyway, I'm gonna get something to eat, you two should do the same."
"Yeah, might as well," Lincoln said.
"I'm still tired though," Lily said, then found herself being picked up by her brother.
"I'll carry you," Lincoln said, holding his baby sister.
"Thanks Linky," Lily said.
Lincoln walked his sister downstairs, relieved at how not so difficult it was, "Lily was always pretty light, but with these new powers, it's like carrying a feather."
A little while after Breakfast, Lincoln was relaxing on the couch, trying to relax a bit while Luna was looking over the songs she had prepared for the Block Party, including some stuff she wrote.
"Hey Luna, I trust you're ready to blow everyone away at the party today," Lynn Sr said, stepping into the living room.
"You bet Pops, I got my songs ready, hope you did too," Luna said.
"Worked it out with the other dads, it's going to blow everyone's mind," Lynn Sr said.
"I bet," Luna said, then turned to her brother. "Hey bro, got any suggestions on what you wanna hear?" She noticed that the boy dozed off. "Lincoln!"
"Huh!?" Lincoln, putting his hands up in a defensive position. "What's happening!?"
"Easy there bro," Luna said. "Wow, tired and jumpy."
"Have you been getting enough sleep son?" Lynn Sr asked. "I'll be honest, I'm getting a bit worried about your sleeping habits lately."
"I'm fine dad, I've just been catching up on schoolwork and making sure I don't fall behind on anything," Lincoln said.
"I'm happy to know that you're taking your education seriously son, but you still need to manage your time better," Lynn Sr said. "Make sure you take care of yourself, important as school is, your well being is even more important."
"I'll do better, dad," Lincoln said.
"I will say bro, you're one determined kid, especially when you're putting your mind to something," Luna said.
"It's a Loud special ability, almost like our own superpower," Lynn Sr said.
"That's quite a superpower," Luna said. "But one I'm down with."
"If determination is a superpower, then my family is definitely The Avengers in that department," Lincoln felt.
"Now let's see here, who's performing?" Lynn Sr grabbed a list. "There's your band Luna, The Moon Goats, my band, the Do Dads, Chandler and his boys..."
"Chandler? You mean that scummy kid from Lincoln's school?" Luna asked. "What does he know about music?"
"Now, now dear, it's fine, maybe he'll find this as a better outlet for his insecurities than picking on other kids...especially your brother," Lynn Sr said.
"Speaking of bullies, hey Lincoln, those three kids, the ones you first met on the bus back in sixth grade, have they been bothering you recently?" Luna asked.
"No, I haven't seen them, why?" Lincoln asked.
"Just keep an eye out, they've been causing trouble and I don't want you getting hurt," Luna said. "I mean, you can definitely take care of yourself, just be doubly sure."
"I'll be fine," Lincoln insisted.
"Bullies are never easy, I've dealt with my share as a kid, and sometimes now," Lynn Sr said. "What matters is always standing your ground against them."
"I will, and don't worry about Chandler or Anderson's group, they don't intimidate me," Lincoln said.
"That's good son," Lynn Sr said, looking at the list. "Here's an interesting band. 'The Shockers', says the lead singer is a guy named Herman Shultz."
"Herman Shultz?" Luna asked. "I knew I recognized that guy."
"You know him, Luna?" Lincoln asked.
"He was Mick Swagger's former lead guitarist, he apparently did some stupid stunt so Mick had to fire him," Luna said.
Lincoln then remembered what he heard the other day from that guy making a deal with The Enforcers, about his boss wanting revenge on a guy named Mickey. Between what Luna said and the story he heard at the warehouse, Lincoln began putting the pieces together. The Shockers were out for revenge on Mick Swagger, who is confirmed to be attending the event.
"If that Herman guy has those shockwaves now, that means everyone in attendance will be in danger! Including my family!" Lincoln began to freak out a bit, wondering how he would help his sisters and parents. "Uh, you know, I've been thinking."
"About what son?" Lynn Sr asked.
"There's been a lot of crime lately, and well...is it a good idea to go to this Block Party?" Lincoln asked. "What if a bad guy shows up or something? Someone in our family could get hurt."
"You know, Lincoln has a point," Lynn Sr said. "In all the excitement, I forgot that Royal Woods has had an increase in theft and mugging attempts."
"It's all good pops, if something bad happens, Spider-Man will show up and show those punks the door," Luna said.
"That's even worse! I don't want that guy near me, what if he infects me or something?" Lynn Sr asked.
Lincoln furrowed his brow, "I'm not contagious..."
"Pops, you know as well as I do that Spider-Man is a good guy, regardless of what that Jameson guy says," Luna said. "We've been working too hard; we can't let these bad guys scare us. You said it yourself, stand your ground against bullies. If we let these crooks walk all over us, they'll think they run this town."
"You're right, I did say that," Lynn Sr said. "Plus, it's just some muggers, not like the stuff they deal with in New York. There will be some policemen at the event, I think we'll be fine."
"But dad, what if something really bad happens?" Lincoln said. "Spider-Man's tough but he's not perfect, and policemen are only human, I don't want you, mom or my sisters getting hurt."
"We'll be fine, baby bro," Luna said, rubbing his head. "Nothing bad's gonna happen, just trust Spider-Man. He's saved Lily and Lana, along with those other kids, he can save us."
"But...what about Bill?" Lincoln said, the boy feeling immediate remorse. "He couldn't save him. What if he fails again?"
"Lincoln, sometimes you gotta take a chance, I'm not giving up my opportunity to rock all over some lame street tough wannabes," Luna said. "Look, if you don't feel comfortable coming, that's your call. I won't be mad if you stayed home, that way if something did happen, at least you're safe. But I'm not afraid of some villains."
"Neither am I," Lynn Sr said. "If something bad happens, I'll protect this family myself. It's my duty as a man to keep everyone safe."
"You rule Pop Star," Luna said.
"Yeah," Lynn Sr flexed his arm. "I do rule."
Luna had a brief chuckle, turning her attention back to her brother, "Look, I'll be fine, remember, we fought a lady and a dragon, this is nothing compared to that."
"Yeah, I know," Lincoln said. "But, even that was dangerous, ever since that scare with Lana and Lily, I've been worried that something else like that could happen, but worse."
Luna scooted over, bringing Lincoln in with a one-armed side hug, "I get why you're worried, we all are. But you can't let that worry rule your life. Sometimes you just gotta go out and take a chance, like me and the band is doing. Not to say we'll be reckless, we'll be cautious, but we also won't let fear stop us."
"You're really cool, Luna," Lincoln said.
"I know I am," Luna playfully boasted, then kissed Lincoln's head. "But it's nice hearing it from my favorite little brother."
"Luna's got a point, I can't let fear stop me...I just have to make sure I don't make the same mistake I made against those five guys, "Lincoln wrapped his arms around Luna to fully hug her, the girl doing the same. "I have to keep my family safe, if I can't stop them from going, I just have to be extra cautious for their sake."
Meanwhile Lori was seen driving from Great Lakes all the way to Royal Woods, with four passengers in tow, three in the back, and one in the passenger seat.
"This Block Party's going to rule!" Sid said. "Music, dancing, festivities!"
"And the chance to see Spider-Man, right Sid?" Ronnie Anne teased.
"Well yeah," Sid admitted. "I do want to see Spider-Man."
"Typical Sidney," Adelaide teased. "Always with an ulterior motive."
"Oh put a sock in it," Sid said.
"Be nice back there," Bobby said, the boy sitting next to his girlfriend. "But I am with you on this Sid, seeing Spider-Man would be cool."
"You too, Bobby?" Lori asked. "What's so amazing about Spider-Man? He looks like some weird kid in cosplay."
"He's a superhero babe, they're cool," Bobby said.
"Too bad Carl couldn't come," Ronnie Anne said. "He would have loved to see it."
"Well I didn't have enough room for everyone, and his parents don't have time to drive to Royal Woods," Lori said. "Plus, every time he's around Lola, she ends up beating him up."
"Well I'm glad you had room to bring me, Lori," Adelaide said. "I look forward to seeing Lana again, Lola too."
"They'll be happy to see you," Lori said.
"This will be your first time seeing Lana since that incident a few weeks back," Sid said.
"Yeah, I want to give her a big hug, just to squeeze out whatever remaining worry she has," Adelaide said.
"There probably isn't much, Lana didn't even seem that bothered," Lori said. "She's a brave kid and all, but I feel like she should be a little scared."
"Well she did help fight a dragon," Sid said.
"Ugh, everyone brings that up like it's nothing, we literally could have died that day," Lori said, feeling a little stressed out remembering the showdown against Morag. "Just because we got lucky once doesn't mean it's bound to happen every time. At any moment, our luck can run out, and something really bad could happen to us."
"She's got a point, from what Lincoln told me, the dragon was under mind control, if that dragon was genuinely destructive, I don't think anyone would have survived," Ronnie Anne said.
"Too bad I didn't know about the dragon, I would have packed a sword and shield just in case," Bobby said.
"Bobby, what the hell could you have done against a dragon?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Well first off, watch that mouth of yours," Bobby warned. "Second, I could totally take a dragon."
"You really don't have to Boo-Boo Bear, I know you're plenty brave," Lori said.
"Got that right, anything for you, babe," Bobby said.
"Ugh, get a room you two," Ronnie Anne said.
"Anyway Adelaide, if you do want to give a sister a reassuring hug, that's best left for Lily, she was actually traumatized from that experience," Lori said. "She still has nightmares sometimes, thankfully Lincoln and our sisters take good care of her, same with mom and dad, but it was a bad experience for her."
"Poor Lily, she's such a sweet girl," Adelaide said. "It's fine, I have more than one hug in me."
"How's Lincoln doing?" Bobby asked. "Regarding that old guy I mean."
"He's gotten past it, he's still bummed out but he's a strong-willed kid, he won't let it drag him down," Lori said.
"Does he need a hug too?" I don't mind hugging Lincoln," Adelaide said. "He's a nice boy, very handsome. I bet he has nice, firm muscles too."
"Ha! Lincoln? With muscles?" Ronnie Anne said. "He's in shape but he's no Captain America in regard to physique."
"Also, crushing on Lincoln there Adelaide?" Sid said. "You can't crush on your best friend's brother, that's a violation of the Bro Code."
"Huh? I'm a girl, wouldn't it be Sis Code?" Adelaide said.
"Whatever it's called, it's all types of wrong, that'd be like if I started crushing on Bobby," Sid said.
"Which you don't, right?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Of course not, he's like an older brother to me," Sid said.
"Aw, thanks Sid, you're kind of like a second little sister to me too," Bobby said.
"See that Adelaide? Lincoln should be like a big brother to you, not some guy for you to get all crushy on," Sid said.
"Pfft, you're only saying that to have less competition since you obviously like Lincoln," Adelaide said.
A blush appeared on Sid's face, "Excuse me? I don't have a crush on Lincoln! Why would you even think that!?"
Ronnie Anne looked just as curious, "Yeah, what makes you say that Adelaide?"
"I have my ways..." Adelaide said.
"Kid, I will hold you out the window in this 50 mile per hour wind if you don't start talking!" Sid said.
"Alright, can it you two," Lori said. Though she did have to wonder if Sid really did like Lincoln that way and hoped this wouldn't be an issue in regards to seeing Ronnie Anne hook up with him in the future. "Let's just focus on the drive ahead. We still have a little more than halfway to go."
"Sounds good," Ronnie Anne said. "Kind of hoping to see Spider-Man myself, but more importantly, I really want to check up on Lincoln."
It was eventually time for the Royal Woods Block Party. Though the party officially began in the morning, it wasn't until noon that the turnout started to increase. The first performance was Chandler and his band, whom were immediately booed off stage.
"You people suck!" Chandler shouted, taking a bottle to the head, courtesy of Paige, the girl high-fiving Christina.
"Two points!" Paige cheered.
That was around the time the Louds had arrived, Luna immediately going off to meet with her band. "I'll see you from the stage!"
"Catch you later Luna!" Lincoln said, looking around. "Wonder where my friends are?"
"Lincoln!" Clyde called, the boy turning to see his best friend with his two dads.
"Hey Clyde," Lincoln greeted, then turned to his family. "I'm going to hang out with Clyde."
"That's fine, the rest of you are free to do what you want, but remember the rules," Rita said. "Monitor your phones, and the moment there's an emergency, it's back to Vanzilla. I don't want anyone looking to see if they could find Spider-Man, alright?"
"What if we see Spider-Man and there's no emergency?" Lana asked.
"Spider-Man wouldn't be here if there wasn't an emergency," Luan said. "Best play it safe."
"Exactly, now everyone run along, go have fun," Lynn Sr said, all the kids spreading out, except for Lily. "Oh kiddo, don't you want to go with one of your sisters?"
"I'd rather stay here, I feel safer with you, daddy," Lily said.
"Aw, how about that," Lynn Sr said, picking his daughter up. "The one true superhero for my little girl, is me."
"That's fine, as long as you don't let it get to your head and go vigilante yourself," Rita said.
"I won't...unless my girls are in danger," Lynn Sr said. "That's when I become Super Dad!"
Rita groaned in annoyance, but she couldn't blame her husband, any good father would risk his life for his daughter, and Lynn Sr was ready to without second thought.
The twins looked around to see if they saw any of their friends, then heard one familiar voice, "Lana! Lola!"
"Adelaide!" Lana ran over, Adelaide catching her in a big hug that brought her off the ground briefly.
"Hi Adelaide, nice to see you," Lola said, getting a more gentle hug from the city girl.
"I'm so happy to see you both! Come on, let's play some games!" Adelaide said, running off with her friends.
Meanwhile Lincoln had met up with Clyde, the two of them waiting near a corn dog stand for the rest of their friends to arrive. While Clyde was enjoying himself, and his corn dog, Lincoln seemed very vigilante, keeping an eye out for any sign of danger.
"You look kind of tense buddy," Clyde said, snapping Lincoln out of his thoughts. "Something up?"
"Oh sorry, it's nothing really," Lincoln said. "I'm just a little nervous, I mean there have been a number of thefts lately."
"Don't worry about it, whenever something happens, Spider-Man is usually quick to stop it," Clyde said. "We have nothing to worry about."
"Still, what if there's something Spider-Man can't stop?" Lincoln asked. "I mean, even Ace Savvy's been on the ropes from time to time."
"Yeah, but he always finds a way to bounce back, just like a true hero," Clyde said. "Something tells me that Spider-Man is that type of hero, plus most of the thugs here are just powerless humans, they're not supervillains or aliens."
"Well, what about mutants?" Lincoln asked. "I mean, Spider-Man himself is probably a mutant, who's to say another won't show up, but evil?"
"You worry too much," Clyde said.
"You know, that's strange to hear coming from you," Lincoln said. "Usually I'm the one reassuring you."
"Well now it's my turn," Clyde said. "You gotta stop worrying too much on the what-ifs, danger is possible but it's like I tell my dads, sometimes you just have to throw a little caution to the wind to get the most out of life."
"Yeah, you're right," Lincoln said. "I guess that incident with Lana and Lily just spooked moe more than I thought it would."
"I perfectly understand, I was spooked too," Clyde said. "I know they're not my sisters, but they are like family. I'm really glad they're alright."
"Appreciate that buddy," Lincoln said, looking around. "Wonder how long before any of our friends show up?"
"Not much longer, but I do see a pair of familiar faces nearby," Clyde said, gesturing to the oncoming Emma and Chloe.
"Hi Clyde! Hi Lincoln," Emma greeted.
"Hey boys, good to see you," Chloe said.
"Emma, Chloe, pleasure to have you ladies," Clyde said, trying to look and sound cool.
"Hi girls, glad you could make it," Lincoln said, unintentionally charming the two.
"I'm glad too Lincoln," Emma said, blushing from the sight of the boy.
"You girls excited? Bands should be playing soon, including a band my dad's in, another that one of my sisters is in," Lincoln said.
"Definitely can't wait for that, it's going to be fun," Chloe said. "I hear some big names are here, I could have sworn I saw one of the band members from Twelve is Midnight."
"Oh, that's the band that Ronnie Anne and Sid really like," Lincoln said. "I'm really surprised that they got such big names to show up, does anyone even know the occasion for this?"
"It's probably the Mayor trying to bring attention to Royal Woods," Clyde said. "She does seem to love the publicity."
"Is that really it? The Mayor seems a little more modest than that, it was mostly her assistant that was the jerk," Lincoln said. "Well, former assistant, she kicked him to the curve after that time Leni ran for mayor."
"Yeah, I remember how close that all was," Chloe said. "Really heated competition."
"Maybe it's a special occasion," Clyde said. "I mean, for all we know, it's to pay homage to Spider-Man and his arrival to Royal Woods."
"That I can totally get behind," Chloe said. "It'd be cool if he was here."
"Wouldn't Spider-Man being here also mean there's danger?" Emma asked. "He is a superhero; he goes where the danger is."
"Emma's got a point, hopefully Spider-Man won't need to come here, hopefully things stay safe," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, hopefully they do, but if danger comes, I'm not worried, I have faith in Spider-Man," Chloe said.
"So do I, it's like I was telling Lincoln, he's got this under control," Clyde said. "Who knows, he might be looking for sidekicks too, and I know two strapping young guys perfect for that role."
"I bet the girls would love to see Lincoln in tights," Chloe teased, earning a blush from the boy.
"No girl wants to, I'm just an average kid, I'm no superhero," Lincoln insisted.
"Well, we might get our answer soon," Chloe said. "I hear you're saving for a Captain America costume, that might be our big chance to see how well you'd look."
"The costume has fake muscle, it won't matter," Lincoln insisted. "Would I even need it though? This spider-bite did give me a gym body after all."
"Yo! Lincoln!" Called Ronnie Anne, the girl making her way over alongside her best friend.
"Ronnie Anne, you made it!" Lincoln said, fist bumping the girl. "And Sid too, of course."
"Of course, we weren't going to miss a chance to come here!" Sid said.
"Wow, sounds like you were eager for this party," Clyde said.
"No, not for the party, I came to see if I can see Spider-Man up close!" Sid admitted, much to the annoyance of Ronnie Anne.
"Sid's been really eager to see Spider-Man for herself," Ronnie Anne said. "She brought it up a lot on the car ride over, really got on Lori's nerves."
"You talked about Spider-Man too," Sid said. "You, your brother and my sister were just as excited."
"Oh, so you brought Adelaide, that's great," Lincoln said. "Where is she?"
"She went to find Lana and Lola," Sid explained. "Lori and Bobby went to find your parents."
"I should try to find her myself later, I know she'd want to see me," Lincoln said.
"Makes sense, since that kidnapping thing, she's been super nervous for the safety of you and your sisters," Ronnie Anne said.
"The burden of the oldest sibling," Lincoln said. "Though as an older sibling myself, I definitely relate. I know Sid would feel the same way."
"Well I'm not too worried, Adelaide's a Black Belt," Sid nonchalantly said. "She can take care of herself."
Lincoln furrowed his brow at Sid, while he knows she didn't mean that in a malicious sense, he felt like she should be a little less casual about the way she responded.
"Bobby's been worried too, Great Lakes isn't too bad compared to a place like New York, but even that place has it's crime problems," Ronnie Anne said. "Bobby still hasn't forgotten the time the Mercado got robbed, the only reason he wasn't more scared is because he thought it was an act at first."
"Maybe Great Lakes will get it's own superhero one day!" Sid said. "That'd be so cool!"
"Rumor is that there's a vigilante in Chicago, which isn't too far from Great Lakes," Ronnie Anne said. "It's definitely possible."
"That sounds awesome," Sid said.
"With heroes comes villains though," Lincoln said. "This isn't a comic book; things could get really bad with villains around."
"Eh, I'm not worried, I faced off against warriors from an ancient past," Sid said.
"You did what?" Lincoln asked. "That sounds a bit outlandish Sid."
"Aren't you the one who said you rode on a dragon? How is my story outlandish?" Sid asked. "Time Travel is real, I saw it for myself."
"Eh, it seems like science fiction though," Lincoln said.
"There's literally a God of Thunder living in New York, and we know aliens exist, I think Science Fiction is becoming Science Fact," Ronnie Anne said.
"Maybe the multiverse exists too!" Sid said.
"Now you're starting to sound a bit like Lisa," Lincoln said. "She's gotten more interested in this stuff since The Avengers showed up."
"Loads and loads of possibilities exist now Lincoln! It's time we embrace and accept it," Sid said.
"It's a bit much to handle right now, I mean not too long ago, it felt like this stuff was rare or nonexistent, now it's all coming at once," Lincoln said.
"Tell me about it, I mean now there's a mutant watch in Great Lakes," Ronnie Anne said.
"What's that?" Lincoln asked.
"Since the widespread of mutants across the country, the officials back home are checking to see if anyone in town is a possible mutant, so far nothing but that doesn't get people to stop worrying," Ronnie Anne said. "At any moment, a mutant can use his or her powers to take over."
"Well, hopefully it's nothing," Lincoln said. "I mean, I don't think it's bad to be a mutant, most of them probably just want peaceful lives, so they'll keep their powers on the down low."
"Might be hard, after all, you've heard about the Mutant Registration Act, haven't you?" Ronnie Anne said. "Mutants have to sign up and register their abilities, and their powers become public knowledge. Their lives aren't the same after that."
"I've heard of that, but what does this mean for me as Spider-Man? Is this why some people don't trust me?" Lincoln wondered. "So...everyone needs to sign up?"
"Technically, yes," Ronnie Anne said.
"That would also mean that Spider-Man needs to sign up, wouldn't it?" Clyde asked.
"Probably, my guess is that since there's no confirmation that he is a mutant he's fine for now," Ronnie Anne said. "I mean, he could very well be an alien. So far there's no Alien Registration Act, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was next."
"If you ask me, people make such a big deal about little things," Sid said. "I mean, so someone might have powers, so someone might be from another planet, just let them be themselves, if they're not hurting anyone, then it's all good."
"Good luck telling that to the suits in DC," Ronnie Anne said.
While the four were talking, Emma began twiddling her fingers, not sure what to do. Even Chloe seemed a bit left out, she understands these four were good friends but she didn't really appreciate feeling like a fifth wheel, with her own friend feeling just as awkward.
"So...aliens...mutants...cool stuff," Chloe said.
"Oh sorry girls, didn't mean to leave you out," Lincoln said. "Ronnie Anne, Sid, you remember Chloe and Emma, right?"
"No, not really," Sid bluntly said, then took a punch to the arm from Ronnie Anne.
"Don't word it like that!" Ronnie Anne scolded.
"Ow, my arm," Sid whined.
"Oh man up," Ronnie Anne said, then turned to the two girls. "Hey, sorry for taking over the conversation."
"It's fine, you and Lincoln are old friends right?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, good friends," Ronnie Anne said.
"Weren't you also a bully?" Chloe asked. "I remember you used to terrorize other kids."
Ronnie Anne turned away in embarrassment, "Yeah, I had a lot of personal issues I was venting."
"But that was a long time ago, Ronnie Anne's changed a lot, she's really nice once you get to know her," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln does say nice things about you nowadays, plus there were those rumors that you two were dating," Emma said.
Ronnie Anne's face turned red, shaking off the idea, "We weren't dating, we were just really good friends. My brother is dating his sister, so that's one of the reasons we started hanging out."
"Yeah, me and Ronnie Anne are just friends," Lincoln insisted. "I'm single."
Sid immediately hugged Lincoln from the sides, "For now at least."
Lincoln's blushed intensified, "Uh...Sid? What are you..."
Sid began laughing a bit, "Sorry, couldn't resist busting your chops." Sid turned away as she made a mental note to herself, "He felt a bit stiff, has he been working out? Now I actually am a bit interested."
"Lincoln! Clyde!" Called Rusty. Lincoln turned to see him alongside Zach and Liam.
"Here comes the red-head trio," Ronnie Anne said.
"Ah, you got some female company," Liam said. "Greetings lady."
"Hey Liam, Rusty, Zach," Ronnie Anne greeted.
"Glad you three could make it," Lincoln said.
"Of course we'd make it, it's a big party, with lots of single ladies," Rusty said, brushing his hair back.
"Plus, all the free food," Zach said.
"So, are yer sisters around, Lincoln?" Liam asked.
"They're doing their own thing," Lincoln said. "Luna's getting ready for her performance, Luan went to find her boyfriend, Benny, Lana and Lola are probably with Sid's little sister by now."
"Is Lynn around?" Liam asked. "Kind of want to know if she'll be needing my pitching."
"Lynn should be with her friends at the dunk tank, assuming she doesn't get banned for aggression," Lincoln said.
"I'll be sure to catch her later on," Liam said, subconsciously buffing out his chest, something only Rusty seemed to notice.
"Well, most of your friends are here, but we're still missing at least one," Sid said.
"Three actually," Liam corrected. "And they'll be here momentarily, in fact ah think that's them now."
Liam gestured to the trio of Girl Jordan, Mollie and Stella, the latter whom noticed the gathering of friends, "Lincoln!"
"Stella! This way!" Lincoln said.
"Alright, Stella! My favorite among your friends," Sid said.
"You're a brutally honest girl, ain't ya?" Liam asked.
"Yeah, guess so," Sid said. "Yo Stella!"
"Hi Sid!" Stella said, walking over to give a quick hug to her city friend, "How are things back home? Did you work on anything cool?"
"Things are good, though I haven't had much time to tinker around with anything," Sid said.
"Me neither, I've been busy myself," Stella said, then noticed Sid's own best friend. "Hi Ronnie Anne, how's the city?"
"All good," Ronnie Anne said. "How's life here?"
"A bit more interesting with a superhero swinging around," Stella said.
"Have you seen him up close at all!?" Sid excitedly asked.
"No, sorry," Stella said, to Sid's disappointment.
"Well maybe we'll get lucky today," Sid said. "Assuming things don't also go bad because a villain showed up."
"I'd rather just enjoy the party and not risk my life being endangered," Stella said.
"Yeah, that's a better outcome," Lincoln said.
"Linky..." Girl Jordan said, leaning in close to the now awkward boy. "When's your sister gonna play? Is she going to do a slow song? One we could dance intimately to?"
"Uh...well, she said she'd do what she thought was cool and..." Lincoln awkwardly took a step back. "Well it's up to her."
"Well, if you need a dance partner, I'm not too far away," Girl Jordan said, winking at the boy. While the guys seemed to either envy or be proud of Lincoln, the girls seemed to have different opinions.
Stella was used to Girl Jordan flirting with Lincoln, knowing it's mainly to mess with him, but she still didn't care to see it. Ronnie Anne found the situation slightly annoying, feeling like Girl Jordan's changed a bit too much lately and liked it better when she stayed to the background. Sid was fully jealous and had half a mind to tell Girl Jordan to step back. Emma felt awkward, not sure what to think or say considering the two were already friends. Chloe was impressed by how many cute girls Lincoln seemed to surround himself with, she could understand his appeal. Mollie kept an eye out, sensing that some of the girls might be jealous and hoped this didn't get awkward.
"Alright, give him room to breathe, Jordan," Mollie said.
"Sure thing, Mollie," Girl Jordan said, taking some steps back.
"Whoa, seems like there's a party of its own here," Came the voice of Tabby, the young rocker making her way to the small group.
"Hey Tabby, not surprised to see you here," Lincoln said.
"Hanging out in the crowd for a bit, I'm actually performing later," Tabby said. "Gonna be up there alongside your sister."
I'll definitely keep an eye out for you," Lincoln said.
"Same here on my end," Tabby said. "Well, just wanted to say 'hi'', I'l let you get back to your own little party."
"Hey you can hang out with us a bit more if you want to," Lincoln said. "Always good to have another friend."
"Yeah, sure, I got time. Be good to catch up with you again. If I have time, maybe you and I could get a little dance in ourselves, hopefully without you juggling three other girls." Tabby took note of all the girls present. "Though, seems like I have more competition than I did then."
"Damn right you do," Girl Jordan said, placing her hand on her backside in a seductive way. "I'm not giving up on Linky that easily."
"Remember, that night Lincoln did choose me in the end," Ronnie Anne said. "It was to play some arcade games, but we still had actual fun."
"Or we could just dance together, for fun," Stella said.
"Oh, we'll have fun alright," Sid said. "This could be my chance to really get close to Lincoln, can't let anyone stop me, not even my two best female friends. Ronnie, Stella, I love you both, but I need to know my own feelings."
Chloe nudged Emma, speaking in hushed tone, "Remember, you're the one who likes Lincoln, don't blow this opportunity for yourself."
"Seems like hard work," Emma said.
"Hey, if you don't nab Lincoln, someone else will," Chloe said. "You have a lot of competition."
Lincoln for some reason felt his senses go off, Tabby may have said something that ignited some type of rivalry among these girls, "Look, let's just stick together and have fun, I don't want this to turn into a competition."
"Yeah, plus Lincoln isn't the only guy here, you have a stud like me joining you," Rusty said.
"Right, so manly..." Ronnie Anne mocked.
"Hey, I got a girl that night, remember Polly?" Rusty asked.
"Didn't she dump you afterwards?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Still counts as a win," Rusty said.
"Dude, girls don't exist for you to 'win them over'," Ronnie Anne said.
"Hey, I never said that, don't put words in my mouth!" Rusty said.
"I do remember going with Liam that night actually," Tabby said. "Hey Liam, it's cool that things didn't work out between is, right?"
"Not everyone's compatible, still had fun with ya, but maybe I'm better suited fer someone else, just like you are," Liam said.
Rusty leaned in to Liam, low enough so only the farmer boy could hear him, "Like a certain Loud jock?"
Liam's face turned slightly red, "What are you..."
"I know these things, you have everyone else fooled, but not me," Rusty said. "You totally like Lincoln's sister, Lynn."
Lincoln's ear twitched, "Did someone mention Lynn?"
"No! No mention of Lynn here!" Liam nervously said, then spoke low to Rusty. "Don't blow it, Lincoln doesn't exactly know yet."
"I got your back, bro," Rusty said.
"Look, let's just go have fun, I kind of want to try the bobbing for apples," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, that sounds fun, let's go," Sid said, everyone making their way off, though not without some lingering tension and awkwardness.
From the distance, Herman was seen making his way out of a vehicle, alongside his bandmates.
"Here's the place boys, we're about ready to rock," Herman said. "Get the stuff checked in, I'm going to check on our 'special' equipment."
"You got it, move out everyone," with that the members made their move as Shocker checked on the equipment his teammate got from The Enforcers.
"You're in for a big surprise, Mick," Herman said.
Luna and her band had gotten their stuff checked in as well, the Loud girl looking out to the crowd nearby. "So many people are gonna hear us rock, it's gonna be epic!"
"Got that right," Sam said. "Your whole family's here, right?"
"Yeah, Lori should have gotten here by now too," Luna said. "Where's Tabby?"
"I think she went to find your brother, she'll be by soon," Sam said. "So, you still want to play a love song?"
"Eh, I don't want to embarrass Lincoln, even if it would be a bit fun," Luna said. "Also, you've had a chance to practice that other song, right?"
"You bet, the crowd's gonna love it!" Sam said.
"Bet it would even get Mick Swagger's attention," Sully said.
"Or the attention of the guy you made it for," Mazzy said.
"That'd be great," Luna said, then briefly noticing Herman. "It's that guy again."
"What guy?" Sam asked, trying to look where Luna was.
"The dude with the black and white pants and jacket," Luna said, pointing where she was looking. "I think he used to be Mick Swagger's guitarist, Herman Shultz."
"Isn't that the guy who tried a stunt that nearly zapped the entire crowd with electricity?" Sully asked.
"Yeah, heard that cost him his job," Luna said.
"Eh, he wasn't as good as Mick's current guitarist," Mazzy said.
"Still, I'm almost surprised to see him with his own band," Luna said. "Guess he really wants to get back into music."
"As long as he doesn't pull another stupid stunt," Sam said.
"We should be fine," Luna said. "Come on, let's get our stuff set and have a little fun before the show starts."
The day went on, everyone enjoyed the beginning parts of the Block Party, some of them playing all types of games, from ring toss to hoops, Lynn dominating everything and getting subsequently banned from every booth for her poor sportsmanship or out of control attitude.
It didn't take long for a few bands to start playing, the first being the Do-Dads, Lynn Sr taking the stage rocking on his cow bell.
"Da, da, da! Yeah! Alright! How's it going Royal Woods!?" Lynn Sr shouted, emulating that of a rockstar.
Herman observed nearby, shaking his head in disappointment, "This is what counts as music these days? What an embarrassment."
Nearby Sam was seen giggling from the crowd below, "You're dad's so cool."
"Yeah...cool," Luna said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's little much though."
"Aw don't be like that, he's just having fun, and he really loves playing music," Sam said. "It's kind of adorable how alike you and your dad are, you're lucky to have a father like him."
"Yeah, he's cool, and he doesn't nag me as much as my mom does, especially about college," Luna said. "One thing I learned from my dad is to follow your dream, he followed his to open his own restaurant, and I'm following mine all the way to being a Rockstar."
"Crowd surf!" Lynn Sr shouted, jumping off the stage and landing on no one, much to Luna's concern.
"You alright pops!?" Luna rushed over to check on her dad.
"I'm fine, not the first time this happened," Lynn Sr said, pulling himself up. "Alright, let's try again."
Lynn Sr got back on stage, a relieved Luna happy he wasn't hurt, "My dad's kind of nuts sometimes, but I guess it runs in the family."
Nearby the sound of water splashing was heard, Lynn dancing to herself near a dunk throw, "YEAH! Get dunked on, BOOOOOOY! Uh-huh! Lynner, Lynner, chicken dinner!"
"Lynn's really competitive," Sam said.
"I'll say," Luna said. "It's cool though, as long as she doesn't get carried-"
"Kiss my first-place ass, chumps!" Lynn shouted, briefly smacking her butt.
"Hey! Away with you kid!" a person was heard saying, chasing Lynn off.
"I'm Number One!" Lynn shouted as she made a break for it.
"She better not embarrass me tonight, or I'll totally cream her," Luna said.
Meanwhile Lincoln is seen spending time with his friends at a horseshoe toss, though was too distracted to fully be in the moment. He was looking over his shoulder every second to see if Herman would make his move or not.
"You alright Lincoln?" Ronnie Anne said, getting his attention. "You look really distracted."
"Am I?" Lincoln asked.
"You keep looking around like if you're expecting someone, did you invite any more friends?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Uh, no I'm just..." Lincoln scratched his head a moment. "Just taking in the sights."
"Uh-huh...you know if something's bothering you, then you can tell me," Ronnie Anne said.
"Nothing's bothering me, I'm fine," Lincoln said, offering a double thumbs up with a forced smile.
"Keep telling yourself that, maybe one of us will actually believe you," Ronnie Anne said.
"Ronnie Anne's more perceptive than I thought," Lincoln noted. "Look, I don't mean to worry you, I'm just a little...cautious lately, that's all."
"Worried about a villain attacking or something?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I mean I get it, your family went through a scare recently, but try not to let it ruin your fun. If anything happens, we'll have each other's back."
"You sound confident," Lincoln said. "I mean, I admire that but-"
"No buts, unless it's yours out there having fun," Ronnie Anne said. "Just enjoy yourself. There's a lot of cops nearby, so it's not like anyone's going to be that stupid."
"If only Ronnie Anne knew, still I probably should try acting a little less worried, plus with that danger sense of mine, I could probably tell when trouble's going to start, I just have to be fast enough to act upon it," Lincoln nodded in reassurance. "Thanks for the confidence boost, I'll try to lighten up."
"Anytime bud," Ronnie Anne said, Lincoln going to play his turn, to Ronnie Anne's satisfaction.
Not too far off, Adelaide and Lana were seen enjoying some ice cream together while Lola was seen showing off for some nearby photographers.
"Yes, I won the Little Miss Royal Woods pageant several times in a row, I'm basically untouchable," Lola said, bragging a bit for the cameras.
"Where did those cameramen even come from?" Adelaide asked.
"Probably some paparazzi waiting for the famous musicians, and I guess they recognized Lola for the pageants," Lana said. "Me and my sisters actually get recognized a lot. I mean some people might know me for being part of Bobbie Fletcher's pit crew."
"Your family must be famous," Adelaide said.
"Well, we're at least known, for better or worse," Lana said. "Granted since Spider-Man's been around, we haven't been much of a topic for conversation. Which is probably another reason Lola seems to hate him and is more than happy to pose for some photographers."
"Real shame Lola doesn't like him, and she's not the only one of your sisters who doesn't, that right?" Adelaide asked.
"You nailed it," Lana said, then heard a mic check nearby. She turned to see what was happening, the girl being taken by surprise. "Looks like my dad's done with his set, but wow, what a follow!"
"ROYAL WOODS!" Came the voice of Smooch lead singer, Pucker Uppenheimer. "Are you ready to ROCK!?"
This got Lincoln's attention, "It's Smooch!"
"Oh sweet!" Clyde said. "Come on everyone! To the dance floor!"
"Let's go Lincoln!" Emma said, taking Lincoln by the hand and bringing him up to dance.
"Time to show off my moves for the ladies," Rusty said, brushing his hair back.
"Grab life by the lips! And give them a SMOOCH!" Pucker sang, everyone rocking out to their beat.
Lincoln and Emma danced together, the boy finally putting his worries aside and enjoying himself. Emma couldn't help but notice how smooth of a dancer Lincoln was, made sense as she knows he's a Smooch fan and likely has heard these songs before, knowing all the cool dance moves.
After a bit of dancing, Lincoln was pulled over to Sid's direction, "Hey bud, show me your style."
"Uh, sure," Lincoln said, Emma looking a bit dejected and slightly annoyed. She pulled Lincoln back to her, surprising and annoying Sid.
"Hey! It's my turn!" Sid said, pulling him again but flinging him too hard, sending him nearly crashing into Girl Jordan.
"Whoa Lincoln, if you want to dance, just say so," Girl Jordan teased.
"Sure, that'd be great," Lincoln said, dancing yet again while Girl Jordan danced a bit more promiscuously, turning around and twerking right in front of Lincoln, nearly getting in close, making the boy feel even more awkward.
After a few seconds, Sid brought Lincoln back to her, a confident smile on her face, "It's me again."
"Huh?" Girl Jordan looked over her shoulder and noticed Lincoln with Sid. "Oh, want to play that game, do you. Fine, I like the challenge."
As she marched toward him to get him back, this time Mollie pulled Lincoln away, "Hey, I see you dancing with some girls, care to show why you're so popular?"
"I don't even know why," Lincoln said.
Suddenly Tabby cut in front of the two, "Hey Linc, fancy a dance before my performance later?"
"Hey, I called dibs," Mollie said.
"You can't call dibs, he's a person, not a toy," Tabby said.
"Plus, he was with me," Sid said.
"Actually, he preferred my company," Girl Jordan said.
While they argued in front of an awkward Lincoln, Chloe came in and dragged him off, "You're supposed to be dancing with my best friend."
"Well I wanted to..." Lincoln said.
"Hey! Now Chloe wants Lincoln!" Mollie said, embarrassing the boy and annoying the girl.
"Not my intention here," Chloe said, pushing Lincoln toward Emma. "He's all yours!"
"Thanks Chloe!" Emma said, taking him further away. "Come on, let's get somewhere private."
"Hey get back here!" Sid said, marching after the two with the other arguing girls.
Stella and Ronnie Anne stood by Chloe, all three worried and confused now.
"So, how long has Lincoln been popular with girls?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"I have told Emma to nab him before a girl does," Chloe said. "I've heard talks about how handsome he is."
"He has gotten his share of admirers lately," Stella said, looking visibly unhappy, something that Ronnie Anne noticed.
"Must be interesting being friends with a pretty boy," Ronnie Anne said.
"Well he is your friend too, a burden we both share," Stella said.
"Burden? That's an interesting way to say it," Chloe commented.
"Don't think too much into it," Stella said.
Emma had led Lincoln further away, hoping the large crowd of people would keep the other girls distracted long enough for her to spend a little more time with her crush.
"This is so weird, last time I juggled between girls was the time I had four dates to the school dance," Lincoln said.
"Well Chloe did warn me this would be tough," Emma said. "It's fine, let's try to enjoy ourselves a bit."
"Sure, I could use less running around," Lincoln said. "Plus, that's all the girls I know that like me, I think. We should be good."
"Lincoln!" Came the voice of Paige, the girl getting his attention. "Wow, so great to see you!"
"Paige?" Lincoln asked, much to Emma's concern.
"Oh, is this your date?" Paige asked. "Wait, you're Emma from school right? Wow, on a date with Lincoln, lucky you."
"Yeah, lucky me," Emma said with a blush on her face. "So, are you here with a date or..."
"No, well yes, but she's not my date, she's just my best friend," Paige said. "You remember Christina right?"
"Yeah, I've been talking with her a bit," Lincoln said. "Weird since she used to hate me."
"Oh she never hated you, it's just that you totally embarrassed her and she didn't want to be seen by you for a while," Paige said. "She's over it now, says she has more important things to worry about than such a trivial matter."
"Well, gee, glad that got resolved," Lincoln said, looking annoyed.
"You know, I remember you tried asking me out once, hope me turning you down didn't sting too much," Paige said. "You're a nice boy but I wasn't ready for that type of relationship."
"That's fine, better to just take a chance than to not know at all," Lincoln said.
"Well I'll see you around, I look forward to hearing your sister play later," Paige said, making her leave.
"Another girl, you really are popular," Emma said. "Is there a girl that doesn't like you?"
"Well yeah, there's a few," Lincoln admitted. "Everyone calls me a ladies man but I am really not that popular with girls, I've even been bullied by girls. Not just Ronnie Anne either. Believe me, this whole thing of me being popular with the girls is so overhyped, I'm willing to be the girls who tried dancing with me gave up, they probably weren't even serious in the first place, just continuing a little inside joke."
Meanwhile with the other girls.
"Lincoln!" Sid called. "Dang it, I will not be denied!"
"Come on Linky! I really wanted to share a nice dance with you!" Girl Jordan called.
"You can't hide forever Lincoln, I will find out where you are," Mollie said.
"Lincoln, mate, one more dance before I have to perform!" Tabby called.
Also currently, Stella and Ronnie Anne were still standing around, a look of jealousy from the former and mild annoyance from the latter.
"So...how long are you two going to stand there?" Chloe asked, the girl having not left yet.
"Aren't you supposed to be dancing with Clyde or something?" Stella asked.
"I...don't know where he is," Chloe said, taking her leave. "I should go check on Emma and Lincoln."
Stella curiously gazed at the retreating girl, "Emma and Lincoln? What about her and Clyde? Why is she more concerned with helping Emma than herself?"
"Maybe she doesn't like Clyde," Ronnie Anne said.
"She does, they've been together for a while," Stella said.
"Well maybe she's tired of him," Ronnie Anne said.
"Pfft, Clyde's one of the nicest boys in town, aside from Lincoln he's easily a good candidate for a quality boyfriend," Stella said.
Ronnie Anne raised her eyebrow at Stella, "That's an interesting thing to say about Lincoln."
"H-hey, I'm just looking at this objectively, you've seen how popular Lincoln is with girls, especially if your own best friend is any indication," Stella said.
"And Nikki too apparently," Ronnie Anne thought to herself. "Sid's just messing around with Lincoln, mostly because she knows he and I used to...hang out a lot...so she wants a similar bond so the three of us could be true besties."
"Uh-huh..." Stella said, turning away. "I'm going to grab a snack."
"Be my guest," Ronnie Anne said as Stella made her leave. "That girl is so out of touch with her emotions."
Back with Lincoln, he and Emma continued to dance for a bit as Smooch finished up their set.
"Thank you, Royal Woods!" Pucker shouted into the mic. "We have plenty more sick bands for you, some big names, like Mick Swagger!" That got a cheer from the crowed, and a worried look from Lincoln. "And hometown names, like The Moon Goats!" That got a good cheer itself, many in town being fans of Luna's band. "Now, let me tell you, I know it's easy to anticipate the big names, but I've heard the Moon Goats leader sing, and let me tell you, that girl knows how to rock! She's got a promising future as a Rockstar! Make sure when she comes on stage, that you give her EXTRA cheer!"
The crowd continued to cheer, Emma excitedly clapping her hands, "Wow, it sounds like he knows your sister."
"Makes sense, my sisters once got them to give me a private concert, as a thanks for me helping them get stuff they wanted," Lincoln said.
"A private concert!? That's amazing!" Emma said. "You're so lucky."
"Yeah, my sisters can be really cool," Lincoln said. "Wonder what band's next."
"Hey Royal Woods, ready to take it slow?" Coming on stage was Boyz will be Boyz, readying their hit song. "Oh girl...if I could, oh girl..."
"Heh...this song's kind of slow, isn't it?" Emma asked. "Good song but...I'm not sure if you could dance to it."
"I can try," Lincoln said, taking Emma in close. "Sorry if I suck at slow dancing."
"I'm not expecting anything perfect," Emma said, allowing herself to dance with Lincoln.
"First that stupid cow bell, now this?" Herman commented, getting ready for his own performance later. "Those guys look like a bunch of pansies; the music industry sucks now."
Nearby Lori was geeking over the band playing, "I love this song so much, I can literally never get tired of it."
"Wanna hit the dance floor, babe?" Bobby said, taking Lori in close.
"Oh do I ever," Lori said as Bobby twirled her. "Let's make it memorable."
"That's my specialty babe," Bobby said, twirling her again but causing her to lose control and spin into the crowd. "Oh dang it!"
Lori had crashed into another couple, one she was fortunately familiar with, "Lori!?
"Luan?" Lori up to see her mildly annoyed sister. "Oh hey Luan."
"Hey Lori, mind getting off my boyfriend?" Luan said.
Lori looked down and saw who she landed on, "Oops, sorry about that Benny."
"It's good," Benny said, Lori helping him up. "Thanks."
"Sorry, that was my fault," Bobby said, running over. "I got carried away with the twirling."
"Took Lori for a spin, did you?" Luan asked, chuckling to herself.
"Well, I did tell Bobby to make it memorable," Lori said, almost smiling to herself. "This is one way to do it."
As Benny dusted himself off, he noticed Lincoln in the corner of his eye, "Luan, Lori, I see your brother, and he's dancing with a girl."
"He is!?" Luan shouted in excitement. "Who is it!? I bet it's Stella! Or that Jordan girl!"
"Imagine if it's with Ronnie Anne," Bobby said.
Lori turned to see who it was with, and she knew for sure it wasn't Ronnie Anne, "I don't know who that girl is."
"Me neither, it's probably a friend of his from school," Luan said. "Still, it's sweet, and she looks really cute too, Lincoln picked out a good one."
"Sure...can you excuse me for a second," Lori said, nervously stepping away.
Luan rubbed her chin in suspicion, "What is she up to?"
Lori snuck over to where Lincoln and Emma were dancing, the two genuinely enjoying each other's company. For the first time, Lincoln was starting to see Emma as a bit more than a girl she knew, the adorable look in her eyes hypnotizing him to an extent, the girl just as mesmerized by the boy of her dreams.
"I'm having a lot of fun, are you?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, I am," Emma said, a huge blush appearing on her face.
Nearby Chloe was seen observing the two, very eager to see where this would go, "Come on, come on...one of you needs to make a move."
Lincoln and Emma gazed into each other's eyes, briefly locked on as they leaned in close to each other, the distance between their faces closing.
"Yes! Yes! You got this Emma!" Chloe cheered. "Get that kiss!"
Just before the two could connect, Lori came in, interrupting their flow, "Hey Lincoln! Who's your friend!?"
"Ah! Lori!" Lincoln shouted in annoyance, starling Emma.
"What in the world!?" Chloe shouted in frustration.
"Oh sorry, hope I didn't ruin anything," Lori said. "Still, it's nice seeing you with such a cute girl."
"Well, actually Lori..." Lincoln began explaining. "I was in the middle of-"
"So, girl, who are you exactly? I don't think I know you," Lori said.
"E-emma," The now nervous girl said.
"Emma, such a cute name, how long have you known my brother?" Lori asked.
"Uh, a couple of years..." Emma said, taking a step back. "I should go, see how a friend of mine is doing."
"A friend? Who is this friend? Another girl perhaps? Or a guy? That Lincoln probably doesn't know about," Lori said.
"Lori!" Lincoln shouted in annoyance.
"I'll see you later Lincoln," Emma said, running off in embarrassment.
"Weird girl," Lori said, then turned to her brother. "Probably could do a little better than someone who just runs off randomly, wouldn't you say?"
"AAUGH! Lori!" Lincoln shouted. "Why'd you interrupt my dance!? We were really connecting!"
"Well if you were connected, she wouldn't get so easily distracted," Lori said. "Not all girls are a good fit for you I guess, you'll just have to keep trying."
"I can't believe you," Lincoln said, storming off.
"Don't be like that Lincoln!" Lori called. "What a shame, I hoped he'd be better than that."
"Lori!" Luan shouted, startling her. "Have you lost your mind!?"
"Geez Luan, don't sneak up on people!" Lori said.
"I am so disappointed in you! Why'd you mess things up for Lincoln!?" Luan said.
"I didn't, I just asked who the girl was and she ran off like a weirdo," Lori said.
"I know what you're doing, you just want to see Lincoln hook up with Ronnie Anne. Well that's not up to you, that's up to him, don't pull this stunt again."
"Ok, Luan, you haven't forgotten who the older sibling is, have you?" Lori asked.
"Don't give me that nonsense, you don't even live at home these days, so you have no pull over us," Luan said.
"Watch it..." Lori warned. "I'm still the oldest here."
"You're also the most selfish, I thought you were over this while Ronnie Anne thing, I mean she doesn't even live in Royal Woods, you want Lincoln to deal with a long-distance relationship at his age!?" Luan said. "What if Ronnie Anne has a boyfriend back home?"
"She doesn't, I asked Bobby, she spends most of her time with Sid," Lori said. "And don't even think about suggesting that they're a couple, Sid makes it clear that she's still looking for a boy."
"Gee, imagine that boy ends up being Lincoln?" Luan said.
"Like I wasn't worried about that enough already..." Lori shook it off. "I know what's best for Lincoln."
"Clearly you don't," Luan said. "Now I'm gonna go find that girl and see if I can get her to dance with Lincoln again, do NOT mess this up. Otherwise you'll be dealing with more angry sisters."
"Fine, have it your way, not like it'll matter," Lori said, storming off.
"Three hours away form home and she still thinks she can control us, I figured that scare weeks back would teach her there's more important things to life than her own shipping fantasies," Luan said, going to find Emma.
Lincoln angrily walked off, feeling like things just got ruined for no real reason, "I know Lori means well but she can get so carried away with her controlling nature. Actually this is beyond controlling, this is ridiculous."
"Hey Lincoln!" Tabby said, running over. "Finally caught up with ya, where's Emma?"
"My oldest sister scared her off," Lincoln said. "If you don't want Lori intimidating you, then I suggest you leave as well."
"Let her come, I don't scare off easily," Tabby said. "Anyway, turns out Luna's playing much later in the show, I think she has the near final gig, that's gonna be awesome!"
"Well I'm happy for her," Lincoln said. "Luna's earned it, she's very talented after all."
"I'm excited to be playing with her, if I do well enough, she'll make me a permanent member of the band," Tabby said.
"That's great Tabby," Lincoln said.
"Which means, you and I might be seeing more of each other," Tabby said, giving Lincoln a flirty look.
"Yeah...that'd be great," Lincoln said. "Really not in the mood for flirty stuff, plus I don't want to give up on Emma just yet."
"Royal Woods!" Came Mick Swagger's voice. "How's it going everyone!?"
"No way, Mick's already up?" Tabby said.
"Maybe he's just hyping everyone," Lincoln said. Suddenly he started to have a bad feeling, "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?" Tabby asked.
"Uh...I gotta use the bathroom, I drank too much soda," Lincoln said.
"Oh, there should be some Port-a-Potty's nearby, personally I hate those things but when you gotta go, you gotta go," Tabby said.
"I'm not a fan either, but I'll suck it up," Lincoln said, making a mad dash.
"Wow...he really had to go, how much soda did he drink?" Tabby wondered to herself.
Lincoln made his way close to the stage, trying to keep an eye on things, "That Herman guy is probably going to make his move, I have to be ready."
"We still got some great performances for you all, including K-Pop Sensation, Twelve is Midnight," Mick said, suddenly hearing a really loud cheer from the crowd.
"WHOO! TWELVE IS MIDNIGHT ROCKS!" Sid shouted, Ronnie Anne and Adelaide both looking embarrassed from where they were.
"Love the excitement kid!" Mick Swagger said. "Also coming later is The Moon Goats!"
"My sister's in that band!" Leni shouted.
"You should be proud! She's a very talented girl!" Mick said. "Now, without further ado, give it up for-"
"Hold on there Mick," Herman said, getting on stage with his bandmates, much to everyone's confusion. "There's one band you forgot to hype up...us."
"Oh, Herman...haven't seen you for a while there, mate," Mick said. "How's it been?"
"Things have been great, ever since the day that you fired me!" Herman said.
"Right...well, I didn't have much choice, you kind of endangered a lot of people," Mick said. "But, it's all good right? You've got your own band, just try not to hurt anyone this time and you're golden."
"Oh, someone's already been hurt Mick," Herman said. "You're looking at a man who's been in pain the last several years! Because of what YOU did!"
"What's going on?" Sam said from the sides.
"Not sure, but this probably won't end well," Luna said.
"Where's the security?" Mazzy asked.
"I think I see some guys, won't be long now," Sully said.
"Herman, you gotta understand, I didn't have much of a choice," Mick said. "So many people could have been seriously hurt that night, or worst."
"I could have given you a great show!" Herman shouted, getting in Mick's face. "I could have made you a bigger star than you are now! Everything I did that night, was for you!"
"Come on Herman..." Mick pleaded.
"I gave up so much for you!" Herman shouted, his patience dipping. "I practiced the guitar for hours a day just to reach a level befitting your performance! I dropped out of High School just to be part of your band! I left my whole damn family behind just to follow my dreams! Ones you threw in the trash! Because of you, I struggled for years! I could have gone to college, I had a scholarship for MIT, but NO! I choose YOUR band! And this is what happens!?"
"Mate, it wasn't an easy choice for me," Mick said.
"You know it's funny, after that night, people started nicknaming me 'The Shocker', and it actually caught on, lead to my band name," Herman said. "This band is going to finally going to wipe you and your franchise off the face of this planet!"
"Hey dude!" Luna shouted, getting his attention. "Hey man, sorry that all happened to you. It's not easy following your dream, but you can't fault Mick for what happened. That's on you man, and you could have still gone to college or something, it ain't too late."
"Kid, the adults are talking, go back to your mommy," Herman said.
"Yeah Luna, it isn't safe here," Mick said.
"Wait, Luna? As in, Luna Loud? From the Moon Goats?" Herman asked.
"Oh, you heard of me?" Luna asked. To her surprise, the moment Herman snapped his fingers, his bandmates surrounded her. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Luna!" Sam went to help but one of the bandmates shoved her back.
"Hey don't hurt my girlfriend dudes!" Luna warned as she was pulled onto the stage.
"Herman, what are you doing mate!?" Mick asked.
"I just want to show this girl what happens when she tries looking up to scummy Rockstars," Shocker said.
"She's just a kid mate! Leave her out of this!" Mick pleaded. "Your beef is with me, not her!"
"Oh don't worry, I won't forget you, but I am going to crush the last bit of your legacy before I send you packing to a retirement home," Herman held out his gauntlets. "If you're lucky enough to make it to one."
Everyone in the crowd seemed worried, especially the Loud Family from the danger Luna was in.
"Rita, call the kids and get to safety," Lynn Sr said, making his way to the stage.
"Where are you going!?" Rita asked.
"To get our little girl away from those thugs!" Lynn Sr said.
"Lynn! Are you crazy!? What if you get hurt!?" Rita asked.
"It's worth it!" Lynn Sr ran down to the stage.
"Daddy! Wait!" Lily called.
"He'll be fine, daddy's a strong man, he can handle anything," Rita said, hoping to calm her daughter. "Please be careful Lynn!"
"Hey you!" Lynn Sr shouted.
"Dad!?" Luna said.
"That's your dad? The dumbass with the cow bell?" Herman asked.
"First off, how dare you! Cowbells are a classic!" Lynn Sr said. "Second, let my daughter go! Otherwise I'll have no choice but to throw down!"
"Dad! It's not safe here!" Luna said.
"Don't worry honey, I'm not leaving you for anything!" Lynn Sr said, holding his fists up. "In fact! Everyone, if we band together! We can stop these guys! Who's with me!?"
No one spoke up, everyone just kept their distance, to the delight of Herman, "At least this town's smarter than I thought." He aimed his gauntlets at Lynn Sr. "Aside from you."
"Dad no!" Luna shouted in worry.
Suddenly Lincoln, donned in his costume, swooped in and kicked Herman to the ground, "That's enough of that!"
"Spider-Man!" Luna shouted in relief, Sam, Mazzy and Sully also looking just as satisfied.
Many in the crowd seemed overjoyed at the sight of their Friendly Neighborhood hero, including half of Lincoln's sisters. Lana, Lily, Luan and Lucy were thrilled alongside Benny and Adelaide, while Lori, Leni, Lynn, Lola and Lisa all looked displeased.
"Holy crap, there he is!" Ronnie Anne said, gesturing to the hero, along with Sid who was speechless.
Tabby, Emma, Chloe, Mollie and Girl Jordan looked just as surprised, the latter blushing at the sight of the hero. Bobby was also geeking out, grabbing his phone to take some pictures to send back home.
Rusty, Zach and Liam were all geeking out while Clyde went to find his best friend, "Lincoln! Spider-Man's here!" He continued to look around, "Lincoln!? Where are you!?"
Rita was also relieved to see him while Lynn Sr looked annoyed at having his heroic thunder stolen, mostly away from his daughter.
"I don't know why you're here, but I won't let you thugs ruin this Block Party!" Lincoln said.
"Let's get him!" A band member said.
Herman's three band mates went to attack but Lincoln leapt overhead and webbed two of them down. He focused on the third member in the group, "That's the guy who was at the warehouse!"
The Band Member then grabbed a guitar to use as a weapon. "Don't come any closer!"
"Don't need to." Lincoln webbed the guitar away, then webbed in the guy to kick him aside. "Easy as pie."
"Spider-Man, I had a feeling you'd show up," Herman said, readying his gauntlets. "Heard you tried busting my deal with The Enforcers! How'd that end up for you?"
"Your guy may have gotten lucky, Shultz, but lighting won't strike twice," Lincoln said.
"We'll just see about that," Herman said, readying his gauntlets.
"Spider-Man! Be careful!" Luna said.
"I'll be fine Luna! Just get to our...I mean, get to your family!" Lincoln said, trying to disguise his voice.
Mick leapt off the stage as well, assisting Luna in the process, "Come on, I gotta get you to your parents."
"We'll settle this later, Mick!" Herman said, then focused on Lincoln. "I have a spider to squash."
"Gotta be careful, this guy feels like an actual supervillain," Lincoln got into a stance. "Do you really want to fight me Shultz? After the way I took out your men?"
"You better believe I want this web-head," Herman readied his gauntlets. "By the way, maybe you didn't hear me before, but I ain't just Herman Shultz. I am, The Shocker!" He aimed his weapons at Lincoln. "It's time to Shock and Roll!"
"Wow, that's worse than any of Luan's bad jokes," Lincoln got into a stance of his own. "Bring it!"
Lincoln's major showdown against a supervillain, in front of a crowd no less, for the boy, it definitely was something out of a comic book, and he intended to win like the heroes there do.