Near the edge of a pond in Tall Timbers Park, Stella was still in a state of shock. To see that Spider-Man was her best friend Lincoln was quite a surprise to the young teen.
"This can't be real...can it?" Stella immediately pinched herself, the pain confirming that she's awake. "Oh it's definitely real!"
This explained a lot though, considering his frequent absences and how exhausted he sometimes looked. At the very least, she's glad he didn't develop some secret substance addition like Rusty thought he did.
She had so many questions to ask him, though in the middle of her pondering, she remembered one crucial detail.
"Oh right, I gotta save his life!" Stella started pumping on his chest, taken a back a bit by his muscles. "Wow...being a superhero must really...dang it Stella, focus on saving your friend's life!"
She pumped his chest a few times, trying to get the water out of him. In addition, she tried breathing into his lungs, an awkward feeling for sure but it was a necessity to save him.
Eventually Lincoln sat up, coughing some water out of his body, feeling out of it. "Oh man, that was not pleasant."
"Lincoln?" Stella said, getting his attention.
"Stella, what are you..." Lincoln immediately noticed that she was in her bathing suit, a lot of her natural skin showing. This was the moment he noticed how truly curvy she was, and how well endowed some features were. He shook it off, not wanting to think so impurely about her when he knows she's sensitive about this type of situation. There was one pressing matter, he could see that she had his mask in her hands, and it was then he remembered what happened. While chasing Adrian, he fell into the water after he passed out from the high altitude. Which means Stella just found out about a major secret. "Oh boy..."
"I'm going to need a lot of answers here Lincoln," Stella said. "First, I want to hear this straight from your mouth, are you really Spider-Man?"
"Quick, play dumb!" Lincoln scrambled to say something. "Who's Spider-Man?" "Not that dumb!"
"Lincoln! Don't screw around with me!" Stella shouted, startling her friend. "I already have your mask, I saw you falling into the lake, so you're just going to have to be straight with me. Now admit that you're Spider-Man!"
"Stella...I..." Lincoln really couldn't think of a way out of this. Stella clearly saw him fighting and she had his mask, trying to deny it would likely upset her. He knows that Stella is very intelligent, so it would take a near miracle to trick her. "Fine, it's true. I'm Spider-Man."
Despite seeing it for herself, despite Lincoln admitting it, she still could hardly believe her friend is an actual superhero, much like Captain America, much like Iron Man, it was truly amazing. "Lincoln...I...I don't know what to say."
"Just promise you won't tell anyone," Lincoln said. "It's supposed to be a secret."
"I figured that much, and I won't say anything, I just really need some answers," Stella said. "How did this happen? Are you a mutant? Is it a suit you made? Or did Lisa make it? Does anyone else know? Fill me in!"
Before Lincoln could say anything, he heard Emma and Chloe making their way over. Not wanting anyone else to know, not even his girlfriend, Lincoln quickly grabbed the mask from Stella. "I'll explain everything later, but I have to go before more people see me!"
"Lincoln!" Stella didn't want him to leave but before she could register anything, he was gone. Stella was still in a state of shock, she still could not believe what she discovered. Just a day ago, she was wondering who Spider-Man was, not she's wondering how one of her closest friends could be a superhero.
"Stella!" Emma called, the girl coming over with Chloe, both dressed in their bathing suits. "Sorry if we're late."
"No, you're on time, I was just early," Stella said. "Good thing too, Lincoln could have drowned if I wasn't here to save him."
"Is something wrong?" Chloe asked. "You look troubled."
"Huh?" Stella turned to the girls. "It's nothing, let's just..." Stella took a look at the two of them. Emma wore a one-piece suit, like she had wanted to wear. From what she could tell, Emma was slightly developed in the chest area but pretty modest. She did have some hips though, slightly less modest but nothing like Girl Jordan. Chloe, who had a two piece that only exposed her belly button, had nothing from her chest or her hips, a figure she wishes she had.
"Something wrong?" Emma asked.
"No, it's just...you have nice bathing suits," Stella said, subconsciously covering up.
"So you do, your bikini is so nice," Emma said. "You have a really amazing body, you're so lucky, I wish I could be as developed as you."
"You don't, believe me, you do not want this type of body," Stella said, feeling awkwardly shy. "It's not great."
"What's not great? You have boobs, girls would be thrilled to have those so young," Chloe said. "I'm almost surprised you're not dating any of your friends."
"It'd be pretty bad if any of them only dated me because I had a nice body," Stella said.
"Yeah, I guess you're not wrong there," Chloe said.
"Look, can we move on from this? I don't like talking about my figure," Stella said.
"Oh, sorry, we didn't mean any offense," Emma said.
"It's fine, let's just hit the water," Stella said, dunking her feet in. "By the way, did either of you girls notice anything weird?"
"Weird how?" Emma asked.
"I saw Spider-Man earlier, did you see anything happening?" Stella asked.
"No, I just left a veterans assembly that Lincoln's grandfather was attending, the mayor started going on with a long speech," Emma said.
"I was in the car most of the day, we picked Emma up when she was ready and drove here," Chloe said.
"Oh, alright then," Stella said. "I was just wondering if something was happening, maybe it's nothing."
"Spider-Man's probably just patrolling, keeping us safe," Chloe said. "What a cool guy."
"Yeah..." Stella said, thinking a lot of things over. "Hey Emma, does Lincoln tell you a lot about himself?"
"About himself?" Emma asked. "Well, kind of. He told me he likes magic, and he likes comics, but I already knew the last one. I definitely know he likes superheroes, he's very knowledgeable."
"How close would you say you two are now?" Stella asked.
"Pretty close I guess, closer than we were a couple of years ago," Emma said.
"How long have you been crushing on Lincoln?" Stella asked.
"A year now, probably because of how handsome he looks doing that Action Six News Team stuff," Emma said.
"She swooned over him," Chloe said, making Emma blush.
"Come on Chloe, don't put it like that," Emma said.
"What's the big deal? He's your boyfriend now, be happy you got that win," Chloe said.
"Of course. I am happy, because Lincoln makes me happy," Emma said, her face turning redder. "He makes me feel so pretty."
"Sounds like your heart's pretty smitten," Stella said. "Just...promise me you'll be good to him, treat him well. He's a very nice boy."
"Oh yeah, he really is, so emotionally honest and open with his feelings," Emma said. "You don't see that in a lot of boys, they usually put on a tough act or hide their feelings. I mean Lincoln does act a little tough, it's to be expected. But he's not afraid to show a softer side, I think it's because of the fact that he grew up with so many sisters."
"Have you interacted with his sisters much?" Stella asked. "I mean, I know you spoke to Leni the other day, but I don't recall if you've really had a chance to really get to know any of them."
"I haven't," Emma said. "I've seen them in school though, last year his sister Lynn was in our middle school, she was a big sports star. The year before four of his little sisters were in our elementary school. I know one of them is a pageant queen."
"Another one of his sisters gives me the creeps, and she hung around with other weird students," Chloe said.
"Lynn is still very into sports, I've interacted with her a few times, she can be a bit rowdy," Stella said. "I've had at least one interaction with a lot of his sisters. One time I even asked his sister Lana to tame my pet rabbit Jazzy, and she was able to pull it off, she's really good at talking to animals, it's like a superpower."
"In this day and age, it might literally be a superpower," Chloe said.
"Oh, right," Stella said. She did have to wonder if Lana really could communicate with animals, the Loud Siblings continue to be a subject of interest for her.
"Honestly, given this talk of mutants and stuff, you think any of Lincoln's sisters fit that mold?" Chloe asked. "What if that spooky one actually has supernatural abilities? What if she's like a ghost!?"
"Uh..." Stella did recall Lincoln saying that Lucy can summon spirits, at one point she would have dismissed that, but nowadays, she couldn't be so sure. "I...don't know. Far as I know, no one in that family are mutants."
"Well, I'll keep my eyes open, just in case," Emma said.
"Lets say Lincoln turned out to be a mutant, Emma," Stella said. "Would you still date him?"
"Well yeah, he's a nice boy, and I think mutants should be treated like people," Emma said.
"But not without a bit of caution," Chloe said, earning herself a side eye from her friend. "Hey I'm not anti-mutant or anything, but some of them are evil, so you want to be careful."
"I know that's a possibility and you do have a point there, but still, I'd rather try being nice," Emma said. "I mean, I haven't seen any mean mutants, but I've seen mean normal people, like Chandler."
"Oh yeah, he's such a creep, really hope you didn't take his crack against you being unattractive seriously," Stella said. "You're actually really pretty."
"Aw, thanks. And don't worry, I didn't take him seriously. I mean being told how pretty I am from a guy I like means much more than hearing the opposite from a bully," Emma said.
"Speaking of bullies, so far I haven't heard from those three from the movies a couple weeks back," Chloe said. "Have you or Lincoln run into them?"
"No, I haven't, and I don't think Lincoln has," Stella said. "Since they go to High School, we don't see them as often. Plus I feel like one of them is too nervous to go near Lincoln now, since he knows Lincoln could easily trash him in a fight."
"No doubt, we know he's as strong as he is sensitive," Chloe said.
"I feel so lucky to have a guy like that," Emma said. "But, Stella, question. About Lincoln's sister Lori, is she like, really judgmental? I mean, it feels like she side-eyes me on occasion. Does she not think I'm suitable for Lincoln?"
"Lori is a bit complicated," Stella said, trying her best to describe the eldest Loud sibling. "Like, she's a nice girl usually, but according to Lincoln, she can be a bit selfish and wants things done her way. She uses the fact that she's the oldest sister to do just about whatever she pleases."
"Oh I see," Emma said.
"Sometimes I feel like she doesn't like me either, I mean it's not like that all the time, but some days, she just seems so uncomfortable with me near Lincoln," Stella said. "Guess if you're not her boyfriend's sister, then she doesn't want you near her brother."
"His other sisters are cool with Emma though, aren't they?" Chloe asked.
"They should be, they just want Lincoln to have a girlfriend," Stella said. "I mean you saw how happy Leni was when she met you the other day. If you can, try to get to know some of his sisters, like Lily, the youngest. She's a real sweetheart and I promise it would be worth it. Lincoln is very loyal to his sisters, even when they annoy him, a good way to really be a good girlfriend to him is to be as close as you can to them as well."
"Sure, I'll do my best," Emma said. "Thanks for helping me with this Stella, I really want to be a good girlfriend for Lincoln, and show him the kindness he shows me."
"You have what it takes, you can do this Emma," Stella said. "I feel so weird rooting for this, but Emma's so sweet, I can't help but want her to be happy, and I want Lincoln to be happy. In the end, that's all that matters. Still, I have plenty to talk to him about soon."
Meanwhile Lincoln had returned to where his family was, the boy still beating himself up for losing track of Adrian, angry mumbling about it. "I can't believe that guy got away, not only that I nearly drowned. Now Stella knows my secret identity. I really thought I would be better at this given my fight with Shocker, and even those Enforcer guys. But now..."
"Linky!" Came Lola's voice, the pageant girl running in to hug her brother. "Oh thank goodness you're safe!"
"Oh, hey Lola," Lincoln greeted. "Uh, where is-"
"Lincoln!" Lana also rushed in to hug her brother. "You had us worried!"
"Huh?" Lincoln could see the rest of his family coming, especially Lily, the third sister to jump and hug him.
"You're ok!" Lily exclaimed, relieved to see her big brother.
"Oh thank goodness, there you are," Rita said, the woman feeling relieved.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lincoln said. "You all seemed kind of worried."
"Of course we were, you disappeared, again!" Luan said.
"Just like with that Shocker guy," Luna said.
"Oh right, guess I just got lost in the crowd or something," Lincoln nervously said.
Lynn marched over and angrily punched his shoulder, "I told you not to make me worry like that again!"
"Ow, geez Lynn," Lincoln said, rubbing his arm. It didn't really hurt but it was still irritating.
"Junior, please don't punch your brother," Lynn Sr said. "But still, Lincoln, we were all really worried about you."
"Oh it's fine," Albert said, kneeling beside the boy. "He's safe and that's all that matters. He's tough, just like his Pop-Pop."
"Dad, please take this seriously," Rita said.
"I am, look he's safe, and that's all that matters, I trust that Lincoln is more than capable of taking care of himself," Albert said.
"You really think so, Pop-Pop?" Lincoln asked.
"I know so," Albert said.
"Still, we need to work on staying together a lot better in times like these," Rita said.
"For starters, make sure you keep your phones on," Lynn Sr said. "I tried calling you Lincoln, you didn't answer."
"Wait, really?" Lincoln checked his phone. Indeed there were calls from his parents and his sisters, even Girl Jordan. "Wait, was Jordan looking for me too?"
"Yeah I was!" Girl Jordan said, surprising Lincoln with her presence. She surprised him more when she pulled him into a hug. "You really gave me a scare, that's the third time this month!"
"Third time?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, like the concert a week ago," Girl Jordan said, pulling back. "Plus, that trip to the zoo where I found you unconscious."
"Oh right, you're the one who got me medical help," Lincoln said. "Really didn't mean to worry you so much."
"Just please be careful, Royal Woods is not as safe as it used to be, if something happened to you..." Jordan turned away in worry. "I don't know what I'd do. You're one of my best friends, Lincoln. I need you to be safe."
Lincoln placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her worries, "I'll be fine, I won't make you or my family worry."
Girl Jordan began to blush a bit, still barely able to look at Lincoln without feeling even more flustered, "I'm holding you to that." "Dang, he's just too cute sometimes. Oh Emma, you lucky girl, maybe I should have moved in when I had the chance."
"Ahem..." Lori said. "Lincoln, if you're going to have a girlfriend, mind how forward you are with others girls."
"He's just consoling her, friends do that sort of thing," Luna said.
"It's no different than if he was consoling Clyde," Lola said.
"Oh right, Clyde, wonder if he knows what happened?" Lincoln wondered.
"Well I did see Katherine Mulligan earlier," Luan said. "She might have gotten this on video."
"Everyone's going to be talking about this, a new villain in town," Lola said.
"Eh, I bet Spider-Man already caught him," Lana said.
Lincoln grumbled in annoyance, "I wish..."
"Look, it's been a long day, we should head home," Lynn Sr said.
"Call me later Lincoln, I want to make sure you got home safe," Girl Jordan said.
"Sure, I will," Lincoln said as Jordan when to find her parents. "It's so weird seeing her so worried, she's usually a lot more positive about situations. But even she has her limits I guess. Seems like my whole family does. If I'm gonna be Spider-Man, I really need to make sure I do so without my family thinking I might be in danger. Well, technically I am but they don't need to know that. There's gotta be a way, I just have to strategize."
Later in the Sunset Canyon Retirement home, Adrian is seen plotting for his next scheme. "So, there are many old veterans that this family wishes to pay homage too, something the Mayor of this town is more than willing to assist with. That's fine, I am more than ready to do what I must do. I will make everyone pay for what they've done to me, and the work they've stolen."
As he checked his gear, he saw remnants of Lincoln's spider web on his gear, this bringing back an unpleasant realization for the old villain.
"Oh right, that irritating spider hero, I should hope that after today that I will no longer have to deal with his nonsense, a spider cannot surpass a vulture," Adrian said. "When I'm done, no one, not even The Avengers will stop me."
The following morning, Lincoln had just finished having his breakfast alongside his sisters, a rather large breakfast consisting of his usual breakfast burrito along with some waffles and a bowl of cereal.
"Is it me, or have you been eating a lot more than normal?" Lola asked.
"Uh...probably?" Lincoln said.
"Of course he is, Lincoln's a growing boy," Lynn said. "When I hit thirteen, there was no end to my appetite."
"Tell me about it," Luna said, having unpleasant memories of Lynn's constant eating. "Well it's all cool bro, but try to slow down a bit. You're gonna get cramps if you eat so much."
"Sorry, I'm just really hungry lately," Lincoln said.
"That's all good, lets check the boob tube and see what's on," Luna said.
As everyone turned on the TV, the first thing they spotted was J Jonah Jameson on one of his rants, "Our fine veterans in the air force were put in danger today, by a strange birdman and that menace Spider-Man!"
"Not this guy again," Lana said.
"Who knows what could have happened if these brave men had not scared the two off, they truly are the greatest heroes of this nation," Jameson said. "Unlike that blowhard Spider-Man who causes nothing but trouble for the fine town of Royal Woods!"
"How does this guy even have a job?" Luna wondered.
"Eh, he's not wrong, Spider-Man sucks," Lynn said.
"How can you say that after he saved Pop-Pop and the others!?" Luan asked.
"It's called jealousy, because Spider-Man's way cooler than she'll ever be," Lana said.
"Oh shut your yap," Lynn said. "I'm way more awesome than that tight wearing geek."
"Funny how Lynn constantly puts me down even when I'm someone else," Lincoln mentally lamented.
Moments later, the doorbell rang, Rita going to answer the door, "I'll get it!" Rita opened up to reveal one of Lincoln's friends. "Oh, Stella, this is a surprise."
"Hello Mrs. Loud, is Lincoln home?" Stella asked.
"He is, he's in the living room," Rita said. "I must say, you're here rather early."
"Sorry if this is an inconvenience, I just need to talk to Lincoln about something very important," Stella said.
"It's no trouble dear," Rita insisted. "Lincoln! Stella's here!"
"Stella? What's she doing here so early?" Luna asked.
"That is a bit weird," Lola said. "Usually Clyde's the one who's here super early."
"Better a pretty girl than Clyde at least," Lynn said.
"Lynn, I have a girlfriend," Lincoln reminded.
"I know, but it's good to have options," Lynn said. "Plus, if you ever get curious about your urges, well let's just say, we can keep a secret."
"Lynn!" Luna scolded. "Ignore her bro, being unfaithful to a girl is a terrible thing to do, and you're too good to do something that scummy."
"Appreciate the confidence, if I've learned anything from having ten sisters is to never toy with a girl's heart," Lincoln said, getting off his seat. "I'll go see what Stella wants, hope everything's alright."
As he left, Luna could only grin in satisfaction, "We taught him well."
"Did we? He kind of made it seem like girls are fragile," Lynn said.
Luna raised her eyebrow at the jock, "Uh, no. He's respecting a woman's feelings. It has nothing to do with fragility, even the toughest girls wouldn't take heartbreak well."
"Guess Lynn will never know the feeling of a broken heart," Lola said. "She won't even come close considering she can't even get a boyfriend."
"Hey, you want to eat dirt!?" Lynn warned.
"See talk like that makes it hard for a guy to like you," Lola said. "You're just not feminine enough."
"Hey I can be feminine if I want to," Lynn insisted.
"I don't know Lynn, you don't strike me as being able to," Lola taunted, much to the jock's annoyance.
"Got that right," Lana said, the girl sloppily chugging a can of soda, letting out a large belch afterwards. "Being girly takes true talent to pull it off."
"Not talent per say, it's just a natural part of being a girl," Luan said. "I mean, it's natural for me at least."
"Eh, I mean even you can be not so dainty," Lola said.
"Benny seems to think otherwise," Luan said.
"Benny's a bit of a...what's a nice way to say it," Lola said. "A beta male."
"He is NOT!" Luan said. "Benny's the most masculine guy I know!"
"Pfft yeah, not compared to Thor he isn't," Lola said.
"That's a bit unfair Lols," Luna said. "Any guy would look like less of a man compared to Thor, dude's a literal God with a mighty hammer that can crush enemies with ease. Plus he's got rockin' hair, bet the dude's into old school rock."
"Yeah, he's amazing," Lola said, fantasizing about the God. "Strong voice, big muscles, such pretty hair too."
"Can't argue with that," Luna said.
"Same," Luan said.
"Wish I had a hammer that big," Lana commented.
While this was happening in the kitchen, Lincoln had met with Stella, the two going into the backyard for a bit of privacy.
"So, I take it you want some answers?" Lincoln asked.
"Well yeah, I mean it's not every day you..." Stella looked around before whispering to Lincoln. "Find out your best friend is a superhero."
"It is quite a shock, isn't it?" Lincoln said.
"Well yeah, I've been thinking about it all night," Stella said. "I still don't even know how you got those powers of yours, can you explain?"
"Well, thing is..." Lincoln began.
"Hey Loud!" Mr. Grouse called from the next yard, the old man holding a soccer ball. "Tell that jock sister of yours to keep track of those balls, or next time I'm shoving it back under my staircase!"
"Uh, sure thing Mr. Grouse," Lincoln said, holding his hands out. "You can toss it over."
"Here you go," Grouse said, throwing the ball for Lincoln to catch. "Oh, by the way, saw what happened on TV with your family, hope everything's alright."
"We're fine, thanks," Lincoln said. "Spider-Man was there to keep us safe."
"Yeah, that Spider-Man, more like Spider-Boy," Grouse said. "It's clearly a little kid running around pretending to be a superhero, what in tarnation did his parents teach him in life?"
Not only was Lincoln mildly annoyed, but now Stella feel much different than before whenever she's heard criticism. Now each time Spider-Man is criticized, it's not just a hero, it's her friend taking the brunt.
"Stella, I'd love to tell you everything, but for now, let's go somewhere private," Lincoln said.
"Sure, like where?" Stella asked.
It wasn't long before the two were at the Royal Woods City Dump. "Not what I had in mind, but alright."
"Sorry, it's the most private place I could think of, only Lana comes around here, but she's got work today pet sitting for the Fox Family," Lincoln said.
"Aren't those the same kids that torment your sisters?" Stella asked.
"Usually, though no one's home, plus the Fox Kids are a bit more respectful to someone looking after their pets than after them," Lincoln said. "And Lana's really good with animals, they wouldn't tick her off."
"Can't argue that, especially after the miracle she performed with Jazzy," Stella said, recalling her pet bunny. "So, since we're here, tell me your fascinating origin."
"Well, I was born to a family of ten sisters," Lincoln began. "Of course at the time it was only five-"
"I meant your powers Mr. Smart Mouth," Stella said, Lincoln chuckling to himself.
"Sorry, couldn't resist," Lincoln said. "One more time then. It all started when we went on that field trip to the zoo, remember when I fainted?"
"Yeah you went to the souvenir stand by yourself, then after some alarms went off, Girl Jordan found you and started calling for anyone in hearing distance to help you," Stella said.
"Well, the main reason I fainted is because I got bitten by some weird spider while shopping to get a present for Lily," Lincoln said. "Somehow, I think that spider bite gave me superpowers."
"Wait, you got powers from being bitten by a spider?" Stella asked. "No offense, but that sounds hard to believe, I doubt you're the only person in the world, or at all to be bitten by a spider."
"Probably not, but I am the only one bitten by a special type of spider," Lincoln said. "Look, I can't fully explain it, all I know is before the spider bite, I was a normal guy. After the spider bite, I started gaining all these weird powers. Super strength, super speed, enhanced hearing and sight, the ability to crawl on walls. I actually became like a real spider."
"So you're not a mutant then," Stella said. "And it's not just the suit."
"No, these are for real," Lincoln said, demonstrating by lifting a nearby wrecked car with ease. "See? No suit, all me."
"That is pretty cool," Stella said. "So you have strength and speed?"
"Sure, wanna see me run around that trash pile and back?" Lincoln asked. "Wanna see me do it again?"
"Did you even move?" Stella asked.
"Sure," Lincoln said, now behind her and startling the girl.
"Cheese and crackers! Don't do that!" Stella shouted in annoyance.
"Sorry," Lincoln said, jumping onto a nearby crane to show off his crawling abilities. "But yeah, those are my basic powers. Pretty neat right?"
"I'll say, you're moving around like an actual spider, it's weird and cool at the same time," Stella said.
"I also have this weird ability to sense danger," Lincoln said, leaping in front of her. "It's hard to describe, but it's like some tingly feeling that something's wrong, or there's danger nearby." Stella immediately grabbed a nearby banana peel and threw it at Lincoln, the boy standing all confused. "Uh, why'd you do that?"
"To see if that tingle thing works," Stella said.
"I'm gonna need a bit more than that," Lincoln said, then saw Stella picking up a large rock. "Actually, I'd rather you not throw dangerous items at me."
"Fine, sorry," Stella said, dropping the rock. "But that reminds me. That night we came back from Ronnie Anne's apartment in the city, you suddenly woke up to stop Lori from crashing, was that the tingle thing?"
"Yeah, I think so," Lincoln said. "My head really started ringing and my body just reacted. It was so strange."
"What about your webs? Are they natural?" Stella asked. "Do they only come out of your wrist? Or do they also-"
"I don't shoot webs from my butt if that's what you're about to ask," Lincoln said, a bit annoyed by the idea being brought up.
"Right...good to know," Stella sheepishly said.
"Anyway, they're not natural, I have to make the fluid," Lincoln said, reaching into his backpack to pull the devices out. "I used some stuff from science class to do so."
"Wow, you made these?" Stella asked, taking them in her hands. "Or did Lisa help you?"
"She didn't help me, no one did," Lincoln said. "No one else knows about me being Spider-Man, only you."
"Me? I'm the first to find out?" Stella asked.
"Yeah the only other..." Lincoln seemed hesitant to speak.
"The only other what? Does someone else know?" Stella asked.
"...Yeah but..." Lincoln seemed a bit hesitant to speak, despite how long ago this happened, the memory still hurt him.
Stella could immediately tell something was bothering her friend, "Lincoln, what's wrong?"
"Sorry, it's just...really tough to talk about," Lincoln said, turning away in shame.
Stella took his hand in hers, looking into her friend's eyes, "Hey, you know you can tell me anything. We're friends, I mean you hear me out when I'm feeling stressed about stuff, now it's my turn."
Despite his hesitation, Lincoln solemnly nodded and agreed to tell her, "The night Lana and Lily got kidnapped I went to find those guys to save them. Bill was there too, since he's also a Private Investigator," Lincoln said. "Just before he died, he saw me without my mask. Honestly, I owe the Spider-Man name to him."
"How so?" Stella asked.
"Spider-Man was actually a character Bill created about sixty years ago," Lincoln said. "He wanted to create someone as popular as Ace Savvy, but apparently spiders were too creepy. After he died, I used the Spider-Man name in his honor, to bring to life the hero he created."
"That's sweet of you," Stella said. "Bill would be happy for you."
"It's my fault though, I'm the reason he's dead," Lincoln said. "It's my fault my sisters were kidnapped in the first place!"
"Lincoln, how could it be your fault?" Stella asked. "It's not like you led them there."
"I knew though," Lincoln said. "The night before, I passed by a suspicious group that set my spider sense off. I should have known they were dangerous, but stupidly I ignored it because I failed to see the danger. If I had taken it more seriously, I could have ended this much sooner, my sisters wouldn't have been endangered, and Bill would not have had to die."
"Don't blame yourself for that, it's the fault of those crooks," Stella said.
"Crooks I could have stopped," Lincoln said. "I can only imagine the grief his family might be feeling, because of my inability to take action."
"Lincoln, you still did something good," Stella said. "You saved all those kids, you should be proud of your accomplishment. Bill would want you to feel proud too, no one's perfect, but you made due with the cards dealt to you."
"Heh, cards..." Lincoln said, thinking about Ace Savvy. "Sorry, I know you weren't trying to make a pun. Still, it is relieving to get that off my chest."
"Still, I can't believe I'm the only one who knows," Stella said. "You never told your family?"
"No, I was afraid of what they would say, I mean some of my sisters hate Spider-Man," Lincoln said.
"Even so, if they knew he and you were one in the same, I think they'd understand. They love you after all," Stella said.
"Even so, I can't tell them, they'd just worry too much," Lincoln said. "I mean, how do you explain to them that I've gone through such a weird transformation? My sisters can be a bit...judgmental, like I won't go into detail but they've crossed a line or two before. I'm just not comfortable telling any of them right now."
"What line could have been crossed?" Stella wondered. "Well, what about Clyde? Or Ronnie Anne? They're your best friends."
"I thought about it, but anyone who knows might be in danger, honestly I'm worried about you knowing," Lincoln said.
"Not like I'll tell anyone, and it's not like anyone has to know that I know," Stella said. "It's really not that hard to keep it fully secret."
"Still, I'm too nervous to tell them, maybe one day but I can't help but feel like it'd be better if no one else knew," Lincoln said.
"What about Emma?" Stella asked.
"I can't tell her either, I mean, I thought about it since she's my girlfriend, but we've only started dating, this is way too big a secret to tell yer just yet," Lincoln said. "If we last longer than several months and things get serious between us, then I'll tell her. But for now, I'd rather it stay between us."
"You can count on me," Stella said. "This is a lot for Lincoln, guess I'm not the only one going through a troubling change. But I feel like Lincoln has it much worse than me, I shouldn't complain about my developing body while a good friend of mine is going through something so abnormal. I mean a bit of teasing about my figure is nothing compared to Lincoln's dilemma."
"It's funny, I really wanted to tell someone, guess my wish came true, I just hope I don't regret it," Lincoln noticed Stella carefully eyeing the web shooters. "How do they look by the way?"
"Well it's very quality work, I'm actually impressed," Stella said. "Can I see your costume?"
"Sure," Lincoln pulled it out of the bag. "Needless to say that I made this myself."
"Cool," Stella said, looking it over. "Impressive work, amazing what you can do on your own."
"Well Leni did teach me how to sew," Lincoln said. "Anyway, I do need to make more web shooters, my last batch got destroyed by the water since those things aren't waterproof. That reminds me, I really appreciate you saving me when you did, I didn't even know you knew CPR."
"One of my relatives taught me at an early age, as a safety precaution," Stella said.
"Still, I owe you big time, you saved my life," Lincoln said.
"You're my friend, it's the least I can do," Stella said. "Plus you save the lives of others, you did save us from Shocker after all."
"Oh yeah, that was a tough fight," Lincoln said.
"It's funny, even though I unmasked you yesterday, I've always had a feeling you might be Spider-Man," Stella said.
"Really? Why?" Lincoln asked.
"The day you and Shocker fought, I had gone to grab a hot dog," Stella said. "I remember seeing you run opposite of the stage. I went to follow you because I was worried, and that's when Spider-Man came through your direction. I didn't think too much about it because I couldn't be sure you and Spider-Man were one in the same. Hearing your story though, it just makes all the more sense."
"Oh...wow, so you spotted me like that huh?" Lincoln said, getting worried. "Hope no one else has."
"Just try to be more careful," Stella said. "I mean, that wasn't my only suspicion, I did find it strange how you were so suddenly fascinated with spiders, in fact Spider-Man first showed up right afterwards. Probably should have pieced it together then."
"Yeah, in hindsight that is weird timing," Lincoln said.
"Whatever happened to the spider that bit you by the way?" Stella asked.
"Oh that weird spider? I kind of crushed it," Lincoln said.
"You crushed it!?" Stella shouted in disbelief.
"It bit me! It's a normal reaction!" Lincoln insisted. "If a spider bit you, I bet you'd crush it!"
"I mean...you're not wrong, still, such a waste," Stella said.
"Say, does anyone else think I'm Spider-Man?" Lincoln asked.
"So far, I don't think any of our friends suspect you and him are one in the same," Stella said. "Though Rusty thinks you're off getting high so that might be troubling."
"Excuse me!? Does Rusty really think that lowly of me? I would never do something like that!" Lincoln said. "One thing I learned from Ace Savvy is to avoid the plant."
"Glad heroes teach morals," Stella said. "Anyway, your suit's really nice, so are your web shooters, if you want I can make some modifications for you. Maybe I can make your web shooters waterproof."
"Would you do that for me?" Lincoln asked.
"Sure, now that I know I can't just sit back and do nothing, I want to help you be the best hero possible," Stella said. "I know I'm not Tony Stark, and I may not be as smart as Lisa, but I know tech stuff really well. It would really help having an extra pair of hands on deck."
"Well, if you really want to help, I could use something in my suit so I don't get altitude sickness, that's how I crashed yesterday," Lincoln said.
"Makes sense, you're going against an air powered villain," Stella said. "But I can whip up something nice for you. Might take some time though."
"How much?" Lincoln asked.
"Give it a week," Stella said. "Do you have some back-up gear?"
"Yeah, my Ace Savvy Suit, I don't mind too much but it does look amateurish," Lincoln said.
"Let your actions speak for you," Stella said. "You're already doing great, suit or not."
"That's actually really comforting to hear," Lincoln said.
"By the way...have you met any of The Avengers?" Stella asked.
"Not yet," Lincoln said. "Hopefully one day I can meet them. Especially Captain America."
"Try not to leave me out of that," Stella playfully warned. "I still want to meet Iron Man."
"We'll achieve those goals," Lincoln insisted.
After a day of added demonstration and dropping Stella off at her house. Lincoln had finally returned home, only this time, without his spider suit in tow. He had left it with Stella, the girl offering to overlook it and his web shooters to make them more efficient.
So until then, Lincoln would be whipping out his amateur suit, the boy was already in his room preparing it, "I hope people don't make too big of a deal out of this."
Back in her house, Stella had brought Lincoln's suit to her room, doing well to make sure her mom didn't see it or even question why she seemed so protective of her backpack.
"This is so exciting, I can't believe I'm actually part of something superhero related! I feel like I'm in on some top secret stuff," Stella was really getting excited when she began to calm herself down, "Easy there Stella, this is a huge responsibility. Lincoln keeps Royal Woods safe, I have to help him prevent bad things from happening, like what happened to Bill Buck. I at the very least need to help him keep his sisters safe."
Stella laid the costume on her bed, admiring the work that Lincoln had put into making it, "He really put his all into this suit, the stitching is top notch. Leni really is a great teacher but um..." Stella began patting the suit, realizing something interesting. "Wow, there's no chest padding or anything, that means..."
Stella began thinking about thinking about Lincoln's muscles, the realization dawning on her that they're real. Lincoln got really fit at Spider-Man, and just the thought of her friend being muscular sent her mind into a daze as she began to imagine him shirtless.
"Ugh, snap out of it Stella! Don't be like those creeps that eyeball you," Stella said to herself. "Also, I really should stop talking in the third person." Stella tapped her chin, "Actually thinking about it, Lincoln saw me in my bathing suit earlier, wonder what he thought of my body?" Stella shook her head, "I shouldn't be thinking these things, he's my friend and that's all he sees me as, that is what I wanted, I think."
The following day at school, things seemed normal as usual, Lincoln getting off the bus alongside his friends as well as his girlfriend.
"So, Jordan, busy weekend?" Rusty asked.
"What do you think? I nearly got attacked by a supervillain," Girl Jordan said. "If Spider-Man hadn't been there, I probably would have been taken hostage."
"Wait, wasn't this bird guy only going after the old people?" Clyde asked.
"I don't freaking know, I just know that I could have been in serious danger!" Girl Jordan lamented.
"Well we're glad you're safe Jordan," Emma said. "I bet Spider-Man is still out trying to find that guy."
"He flew off though, he seemed to be heading in the direction of Tall Timbers Park," Girl Jordan said. "Not sure if anyone's seen him around there."
"Chloe, weren't you, Emma and Stella at Tall Timbers Park?" Clyde asked. "Did you see anything?"
"No, I didn't see anything, neither did Emma," Chloe said.
"Stella, you mentioned seeing Spider-Man, didn't you?" Emma asked.
"Uh...well, I thought I did, but it was really hard to tell," Stella nervously said, Lincoln glancing at the girl, hoping she didn't spill any beans. "Still, he was pretty far away, not like it means anything."
"Uh…alright?" Chloe said. "That was weird."
"You know, Spider-Man's secret identity is probably the biggest story in town, right?" Rusty asked. "Everyone wants to know who he is."
"Pretty much, yeah, I think everyone wants to know," Zach said.
"You know what I think we should do?" Rusty said. "We should get the Action Six News Team to figure it all out!"
Lincoln and Stella each went quiet, both feeling worried as the rest of the group seemed to come to agreement.
"That sounds awesome, it'd be the biggest story if the year!" Zach said. "Actually, the biggest story in all of Royal Woods!"
"I'm down with that," Liam said.
"Me too, and hey, maybe he'll be so impressed, we can all be his sidekicks," Clyde said. "Right Lincoln?"
"...Right..." Lincoln said. "Sidekicks..."
"You're down with this too, right Stella?" Rusty asked.
"Oh, um, sure, totally," Stella said.
"That'd be amazing if you could," Mollie said.
"Big 'if' though," Girl Jordan said.
"Emma, Chloe, you want in on this?" Rusty asked.
"Thanks but I'll stick to being the audience," Emma said, leaning closer to Lincoln. "And watch a handsome anchorman unmask a superhero."
"Heheh..." Lincoln couldn't stop blushing. "Come on, Emma. You're making me feel embarrassed."
"Get a room you two," Stella teased.
"By the way, Lincoln, Emma, Chloe, what say we hit the laser tag place later?" Clyde said. "Just the four of us."
"I'd like that," Emma said.
"Yeah, sounds fun," Chloe said.
"Sure, I'll make time," Lincoln said. "Hopefully."
"Great, we can even figure out later how to unmask Spider-Man, getting our laser tag on will rile up our brain energy," Clyde said. "Fame, here we come."
"Are you losers serious?" Chandler said, passing by. "Like you have a chance to unmask Spider-Man, but hey don't let that stop you from trying, I could use a blooper reel."
"Your face is a blooper reel," Mollie said.
"Ha, good one," Rusty said, hi-fiving the girl.
"Like I care what you losers think," Chandler said. "Yo Stella, you still haven't wised up and joined my squad. I can make you so much more popular, if you be my girl."
"Buzz off," Stella said.
"Yeah, go away will you," Emma said.
"Oh I'm sorry, is the bad dental hygiene girl telling me what to do?" Chandler said. "I'd tell you to look at yourself in a mirror to see what I mean, but you'd probably crack it with that face of yours, hahaha."
Lincoln furrowed his brow, about to step over to Chandler when Emma held him back, "Ignore him, don't worry about it."
"I can't just let him talk to you like that," Lincoln said.
"Better listen to your girlfriend, the only girl dumb enough to date you, Lincoln Lame," Chandler said, making his way inside.
"What a tool," Mollie said.
"Like seriously, what the hell is his problem with Lincoln?" Girl Jordan asked.
"I don't care if he has a problem with me, I'd just rather he leave Emma out of this," Lincoln said.
"You're so sweet," Emma said, kissing Lincoln's cheek. "You make me feel so lucky."
"At this point, he'd probably listen if Spider-Man told him to shut his dang mouth," Zach said.
That did give Lincoln an idea to try out soon, though he wasn't sure how to make it sound organic. Last thing he wants is that Chandler somehow puts two and two together.
"Worry about him later, for now, class awaits," Clyde said.
As Stella went inside, something dawned on her. Lincoln is Spider-Man, and if he wanted to, he could actually beat up Chandler, he's definitely got the strength to. She kind of wishes Emma had let Lincoln do so, even if she understands why the girl talked him out of it. Still, Stella would love to see Lincoln physically destroy Chandler.
The week went by, Lincoln continued his patrols, but back in his Ace Savvy outfit while Stella worked on the suit's modifications. Lincoln did his best to juggle his hero duties with his social life, but that proved to be quite difficult given that a crime could happen at any time.
One thug was sneaking away with a pile of cash he nabbed from a nearby store when Lincoln landed on the car beside him and immediately webbed him up, "I swear you guys are just being thieves for the heck of it. There's just no creativity! Are you really thugs or do you just want to see a superhero up close!"
"Hey give me a break man, I'm behind on my bills," the thief said.
"That's not a good excuse to steal from others, dimwit!" Lincoln said.
"Spider-Man! We'll take it from here!" a cop said.
Lincoln did a brief salute, "Thanks, I'm off to-"
"Hey your suit looks different, what happened to your other one?" the cop asked.
"It's back at the superhero dry cleaners," Lincoln said, ready to leave, then heard some sirens. "My works never ends."
"I'll send a squad that way to help," the cop said as Lincoln left. "Hm, Superhero Dry Cleaners? Is that real? Though I suppose it makes sense that a hero needs somewhere to wash a suit."
All the while as he was patrolling and stopping crooks, Lincoln kept an ear out for his new enemy, that being Adrian, the old man bidding his time and plotting his next move, which would be the following weekend when another veterans meeting took place.
That weekend, Lincoln was laying on his couch, texting Emma about a potential date the two could go on. They were deciding between Gus's, the park and the movies. The latter was troubling because nothing good was out that Lincoln wanted to see, though Emma seemed interested in a romance comedy.
There was a knock on the door, which was answered by Lana, "Hey, Stella, how's it going!"
"Hi Lana, is your brother home?" Stella asked.
"He's on the couch, texting his girlfriend," Lana said. "It's a bit weird, he reminds me of Lori when he does that, at least he's not being as mean."
"Well, that's good, I guess," Stella said.
"You know, I kind of thought you and Lincoln would end up together, Emma's nice but she did take me by surprise," Lana said.
"She took everyone by surprise," Stella said. "It's fine, I mean Lincoln and I are just friends."
"Yeah, I know, still, a girl can hope," Lana said, closing the door behind Stella. She walked into the living room, "Yo Linc, Stella's here."
"Stella?" Lincoln put his phone away. "Hey Stella, you're here early."
"I have something to show you," Stella said. "Come on."
Stella went upstairs with Lincoln following, Lana curious by what was happening but shrugged it off, letting the two have their privacy.
In his room, Stella had closed and locked the door, "Finally, I've been waiting for this chance."
"Uh...what chance?" Lincoln asked.
Stella then opened up her backpack and pulled out the brand new spider suit, "Ta-da! Your new and improved suit."
"Wow, you really did it!" Lincoln said, taking the suit in hand.
"I designed it so that you won't get altitude sickness, you'd be much more aero dynamic," Stella said, then activated part of the suit. "I also added some retractable web wings, they should help you glide through the air."
"Wow, it'd be like flying," Lincoln said, trying to contain his excitement, knowing his sisters could be nearby.
Stella then showed off the new web shooters, "While I was at it, I made your web shooters waterproof so you don't have to worry about the webbing getting wet," She showed off a bit of the inside, "In addition, it can contain more web fluid, and be less bulky, so you don't have to worry about running out of webs."
"Oh cool!" Lincoln said, trying it out by hitting part of his wall. "It looks great, might create less of a mess when I'm swinging, making nets or tying up bad guys."
"I also designed these," Stella said, showing off some spider trackers. "You can stick them on your enemies, so if they ever give you the slip, you can find them later."
"I never even thought to do that...mainly since I have bad experiences with trackers," Lincoln said.
"Huh?" Stella replied.
"Lisa..." Lincoln said.
"Oh, right, she doesn't track me too, does she?" Stella asked.
"...I would double check your house, and your clothes," Lincoln said. "Still, you really out did yourself, thank you so much Stella."
"What are friends for," Stella said, then found herself in a hug, which she graciously returned, though it ended much too soon for her.
"All of this stuff looks so amazing, my suit's so top notch now. I gotta try it on," Lincoln said, about to pull his pants down.
"Whoa! Don't pull your pants down yet!" Stella said, embarrassing Lincoln a bit.
"Right, sorry, got a little carried away," Lincoln said.
"I'll give you some privacy," Stella said, unlocking the door to find Lynn on the other side, the girl looking like she had her ear pressed against the door. "Lynn!?"
Lincoln quickly tossed the suit away, hoping Lynn didn't see anything.
"Oh, hey Stella, I was just...checking up on things, like if you were thirsty, because we have...water downstairs, amazing stuff, you ever try it?" Lynn asked.
A bemused Stella glared at Lynn, "Quite a bit, thanks."
"Well, just let me know if you need any..." Lynn said, nervously walking away and right back into her shared room.
"Lincoln, your sisters need to learn about privacy," Stella said.
"Pfft, good luck teaching them," Lincoln said.
"Do you have a secret lair of sorts? Like Ace Savvy's Fortress of Solitaire," Stella said.
"No, I can't afford one," Lincoln said.
"Well I would brainstorm the idea if I were you then. You need a private area to plan superhero stuff, preferably not the town dump," Stella said.
"I'll think of something," Lincoln said. "Anyway, I should change now, give me a few minutes."
"Sure thing," Stella said, stepping outside, making sure none of the other sisters were eavesdropping. The twins' room was open, but no one was inside. Makes sense since Lana was downstairs, Stella imagines Lola is with friends or at a some type of pageant.
She looked next to her, no sign of Lisa. She could see Lily, but the girl was taking a nap. Stella found it completely adorable, glad she didn't wake up from any of the noise. "Funny, this happened because he wanted to get you a present Lily. Now he's a superhero fighting crime. Imagine if you knew what your brother is now capable of. I know you'd be thrilled to see your brother becoming a superhero, but I suppose he already is in your eyes. It's adorable how much you two love each other, sometimes I wish I had a younger sibling to have this bond with. Oh well."
Five minutes later, Stella had returned to Lincoln's room the boy wearing his improved suit. It didn't feel too different for Lincoln yet, though he expects to see results later when he goes to find Adrian.
"Wow, you look amazing," Stella said, making sure no one was behind her as she kept the door closed. She couldn't help but gawk at Lincoln's features, especially his muscles, though she mentally scolded herself for it.
"Time to take this on a test run," Lincoln said, leaping to the window. "I'm going on Patrol, hopefully I can find that bird guy, and bring him to justice."
"Good luck, I hope the suit works," Stella said.
"It should, after all, you designed the extra features, and I trust your skills," Lincoln swung off, leaving Stella behind.
"Huh...how about that," Stella said, feeling proud of herself. "Good luck Lincoln."
Lincoln swung into the city as Adrian prepared his next move.