Near the outskirts of the town, a man in a leather jacket and a cowboy hat and a cigar in his mouth is seen making his way toward bar, which happened to be mostly inhabited by bikers. He took a seat at the stool, all while taking a puff from his cigar.
"What'll it be pal?" the bartender asked.
The man looked up, pulling off his hat, revealing himself to be the legendary mercenary known as Logan. "Whatever's popular around here."
"You got it," the bartender said, creating a mix.
Logan puffed a bit more before putting his cigar out on a nearby ash tray. He took a look at the TV, seeing that The Avengers were being talked about, having saved the world yet again.
"Look who saved the world again," Logan smirked momentarily. "Good to have you back in action, Cap. Haven't lost a step since the old days."
A world full of heroes, unique individuals with incredible power. Logan knew that he himself was one in a million, the gift of powers, or rather a curse as he sees it.
Unbeknownst to him, a large man with razor, sharp claws seemed to be on the hunt for something, or rather someone.
He wasn't alone however, a strange amphibious creature was by his side, "How much longer before we find this guy Creed? Feels like we've been searching forever."
"He's here, I can smell it," the man Victor Creed said, better known as Sabretooth. "Just hang tight Toad, it won't be long."
"Better not be, Magneto wants us back ASAP," Toad said.
"The old man can wait; besides he'd want Logan out of the way, one less person to mess with his plans," Sabretooth said as the two continued on.
It had been a few days since Lincoln's latest victory against Vulture, using his skills to take down some vandalizers who were spraying graffiti everywhere, mostly stuff against Mayor Davis.
"I get that you guys have a lack of faith in the mayor, and I respect that," Lincoln scolded. "But defacing property is still a crime."
"Come on Spider-Man, you should be on our side!" one of the vandalizers said. "Your status as the town hero could be in jeopardy thanks to Mayor Davis."
"Huh? What for? She's never had any issues with me," Lincoln said.
"Not you directly, but...it may involve mutants in whole," the guy said.
"They think I'm a mutant? I mean, I do come off as one," Lincoln shook it off, wanting some more answers. "What does this have to do with mutants?"
"Rumor is they're trying to run them out of town because of the last two major villain fights!" the guy said.
"Huh? But the last two fights weren't even with mutants!" Lincoln said. "You sure you have your facts straight?"
"It ain't the guys you fought, it's your presence," the guy said. "Jameson's words are reaching people, watch your back Spider-Man!"
"Huh?" Lincoln was a bit confused. "Seriously, what's going on now?"
"Ignore them," a cop said. "We'll take it from here."
"You got it officer," Lincoln said. "Go easy on them, I think it's just a misunderstanding of sorts."
"Hey, Spider-Man!" a person shouted. "Are you a mutant!?"
"Uh...does it matter?" Lincoln asked. "I'm just a Friendly Neighborhood Superhero."
"But how did you get your powers then!? How long have you been living here exactly?" the person said.
"What's with people all of a sudden, why are they so freaked out about mutants now? I mean, it's always been a hot topic but now…" Lincoln shook it off. "Hey I might not even be a mutant, I can easily be an alien!"
"From what planet!?" a person asked.
"Again with the pestering," Lincoln waved it off. "I'm just pointing out the possibility, plus you may not have even heard of the planet anyway!"
"Ignore them Spider-Man," the cop said. "Town's just going nuts over silly rumors, that's all."
"Uh, alright," Lincoln said, swinging away as people continue to stare at him. "Are they really that worried about me being a mutant? I mean...do I count? I wasn't born with these powers after all."
Eventually he got home, having switched out of his costume and back into his normal clothes as he made his way inside.
"I'm home!" Lincoln called.
"Hey sport! Dinner's almost done!" Lynn Sr said.
Lincoln took a seat on the table, next to Lynn who was quick to notice her brother. "You're home late again."
"I keep myself pretty busy," Lincoln said. "Say what's dad making anyway?"
"Shepherd's Pie with some spinach on the side," Lynn said. "Not a bad combination."
"Well, eating green veggies is important, I guess," Lincoln said.
"Helps bulk up, even if veggies kind of suck," Lynn said. "But we got meat on the side so that evens it out."
As Lincoln enjoyed his dinner, the mutant situation remained on his mind, wondering what those vandalizers were referring to when they mentioned a mutant agenda, and how it could affect him.
"Hey, question..." Lincoln said, getting his family's attention. "Has anyone here encountered a mutant?"
"Not me, haven't seen one," Lynn said.
"Same, that I know of anything," Luna said.
"Yeah, most mutants try not to let people know they have powers, brings unwanted attention to them," Luan said.
"Which is a shame, people should just be themselves," Lucy said. "If they exceed mortality, that's something to be proud of, not ashamed."
"Any reason you're asking about mutants, bro?" Lana said.
"I heard some talk in town about the Mayor enforcing some anti-mutant rules," Lincoln said. "Rumor is that it might affect Spider-Man."
"That would be pretty bogus dude, I'm not down for that," Luna said.
"Yeah, bothering mutants is just going to cause trouble," Luan said. "Especially when the closest we have to a mutant in town that we know off is on our side."
"Well, Sam said she saw a girl with fire powers a couple of weeks back, so there's definitely other mutants in town," Luna said. "She wasn't causing harm, I think she just wanted some alone time."
"Oh right, I remember hearing Luna mention that a while ago, with all the ruckus caused by Shocker and Vulture, I nearly forgot," Lincoln made a note to look more into this mystery mutant girl.
"I'm all for mutant freedom, but the idea of Spider-Man being gone sounds tempting," Lola said.
"Oh you would say that, wouldn't you!?" Lana shouted. "Did you forget that Spider-Man saved your life!"
"Yeah, and it ruined my dress too," Lola said.
"You mean that dress that you have like twenty versions of?" Lana asked.
"First off, you're one to talk, given that you wear the same overalls practically every day," Lola said. "Second, this is a new dress to fit my eight-year-old figure!"
"Kids, no more yelling," Rita said. "Now I have to say that I don't think that the Mayor is actually going to do anything regarding the mutants, Royal Woods hasn't had a mutant problem yet and she's smart enough not to fix what isn't broken. So we don't have anything to worry about regarding Spider-Man."
"Assuming he is a mutant," Lincoln said. "I mean, some might say he's an alien."
"You know, being an alien would be worse since they actually caused trouble for us," Lynn said. "At least the ones in New York caused trouble, wouldn't be surprised if that made its way here one day."
"Ew, I don't want to think about aliens showing up!" Lola said. "If Spider-Man is an alien, I'd want him gone ASAP."
"I'm with Lola, being an alien spider is worse than being a mutant," Leni said.
"He could be a government experiment like Captain America," Lisa said. "According to old reports, he was formed as part of the Super Solider initiative to protect our country from trouble, though that was about eighty years ago, when he went missing until recently."
"How does that even work? Like does he age?" Lynn asked.
"I believe he was frozen for all of that time, though some rumors are that the hero in New York is in fact a second Captain America, rumors that I personally do not fully believe," Lisa said. "In any case, if it's not a government experiment, it could be the result of a lab accident, similar to The Hulk."
"How do you know this stuff?" Luan asked. "Was it revealed online somewhere?"
"Uh...sort of?" Lisa nervously said.
"Lisa honey, I hope you're not hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data," Rita said. "I do not want them knocking on my door."
"Hey if that happens, maybe we'll see Iron Man," Lynn said.
"OH! Maybe Thor will be there too!" Leni said, the girl fantasizing about the God of Thunder. "I'd love to know how he keeps his hair looking so smooth."
"Wow, you really want Thor to bring the hammer down on you," Lynn teased.
"Huh? Why would I want that? It would hurt," Leni said, Lynn groaning in annoyance.
"Junior, please don't use that type of phrasing when talking to your sister," Lynn Sr said.
"What's wrong with it?" Lily asked.
"...Uh, it's just...unusual, and confusing for her," Lynn Sr said.
"Tch, sure pops," Lynn said, shoving some food into her mouth.
"Speaking of romance...how are things between you and Emma, Linky?" Lola asked.
Lincoln's face turned red, the boy turning away, "Fine..."
"Is that a blush I see? Things certainly aren't slowing down for you, are they?" Lola asked.
"Everything's fine, don't worry about it," Lincoln said.
"Dial it back Lols, talking about relationships can be a bit embarrassing," Luna said.
"Embarrassing doesn't even begin to cover it," Lincoln mentally noted. "Wish I could tell one of my sisters about the other day, but it's way too embarrassing. Might need to eventually since they're the only ones who could probably help me out."
"You alright bro?" Luna asked. "You look a bit bothered."
"Something totally happened between you two, didn't it?" Lynn asked.
"No!" Lincoln defended. "I mean...nothing happened."
"Ohoho, I'm so getting to the bottom of this, little brother," Lynn said.
"Lynn, please don't prod," Rita said. "Still, my motherly instincts tell me that something is worrying Lincoln about Emma. He is a teenager and prone to hormones. Fortunately Lynn and I gave him the talk, and for once Lynn didn't faint, if anything he was too proud to explain this stuff to Lincoln. Anyway talk or not, Lincoln's still going to be a bit confused, maybe Lynn and I can try checking up on him, but it would require a subtle approach."
Later at school, Lincoln is seen at his locker putting some stuff away, still mowing over the whole mutant debacle.
"Lincoln!" Stella greeted, making her way over. Once she was close and out of hearing range of the other students, she began to prod. "I heard weird stuff happened yesterday regarding those vandalizers."
"It's some political stance against The Mayor, something about anti-mutant agendas," Lincoln said. "Apparently some people think that I'm a mutant."
"Well, aren't you technically one? I mean, you have powers," Stella asked.
"I wasn't born with them though, I got them in an accident," Lincoln said. "That'd be like calling Captain America a mutant."
"Well, maybe you are a mutant, but for different reasons," Stella said.
"Huh?" Lincoln asked. "What reasons?"
"Maybe your power is that you gain abilities from coming into contact with different animals," Stella said.
"But I've come into contact with my pets for years, and I never acted like a dog, a cat, a hamster or a bird," Lincoln said. "I even came into contact with a dragon, I didn't remember breathing fire after that."
"Alright, long shot," Stella said. "Though, it could be one of those things that recently manifested."
"Stella, I am ninety-nine percent sure that I don't have that type of mutant power," Lincoln said. "It was probably the spider itself; it might have been a mutant spider."
"Yeah, we'll never know though," Stella said. "Especially since you crushed it, so much science wasted."
"It bit me!" Lincoln reminded. "When a bug, or a spider, bites a person, the first instinct is to whack it away. Like was supposed to know it had powers!?"
"What had powers?" Clyde asked, startling Lincoln.
"Oh...nothing, just talking about..." Lincoln tried to think of something.
"Uh, if animals can be mutants," Stella said.
"Oh, I get it, you heard about the anti-mutant rumors too," Clyde said. "It's just some hullabaloo that's getting spread around, I wouldn't take it so seriously."
"But what if this is real Clyde?" Lincoln asked. "It could affect Spider-Man."
"He's the town hero, anyone who tries to get rid of him will be met with ridicule," Clyde said. "Kind of like how people make cracks at that Jameson guy for all the dumb stuff he says about Spider-Man."
"Oh yeah, he did not have nice things to say about the last two villains," Stella said. "Like, what's it going to take to get him to realize that Spider-Man's a hero?"
"Some people are stubborn," Clyde said.
"Don't I know it," Lincoln said, then heard the bell ring. "Class is about to start, let's hurry."
Unbeknownst to them, Christina was listening in nearby, the girl feeling an immense form of dread of what was to come. She too hoped those rumors were nothing to be worried about, but there was only so much hope she could muster.
At the end of the school day, Lincoln resumed his hero work, taking a quick swing around town, "Hopefully if I finish patrol in time, I can meet up with Emma and take her on a date. She probably really misses my company, I know I miss hers."
As he was thinking that, some robbers were seen driving in a getaway car, with Lincoln immediately giving chase.
Nearby Logan was riding his motorcycle through town, waiting at a red light. Suddenly that's when the getaway car drove past him, with Lincoln following.
"The hell was that?" Logan wondered, accelerating the moment the light turned green, following the hero and robbers.
It didn't take long for Lincoln to catch up, webbing the top of the car as jumped back to stop it, skidding across the streets.
Eventually the vehicle came to a full stop, the robbers stepping out and immediately firing machine guns at Lincoln.
"Oh come on, really!?" Lincoln shouted, dodging the bullets. He webbed all four guns away and immediately pulled on guy in for a KO punch, knocking him against a car.
Two of the guys tried making a run for it, Lincoln immediately leapt up and kicked one guy in the back, knocking him forward as he thwipped over to kick another guy.
The last guy tried running in the opposite direction, towards where Logan was riding in.
"Hey pal!" he pulled out a handgun. "Hand over the motorcycle and no one gets hurt!"
Logan immediately punched the guy out, leaving him unconscious, "Punk."
Lincoln landed near the crook, amazed by how easily this new guy took him out, "Did you knock him out?"
"That a problem?" Logan asked.
"Uh, no, that's great that you were able to protect yourself," Lincoln said. "That was a really quick strike though, are you a boxer? Or any type of mixed martial artist?"
"Not professionally," Logan said. "Huh, from those tights, you look like that Spider-Man kid I've been hearing about."
"Yeah, that's me, the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," Lincoln said.
"How do yer powers work anyway?" Logan asked. "You a mutant?"
"Again with this question," Lincoln shook his head. "It's complicated."
"Well as long as yer not causing trouble, it's no concern to me," Logan said. "Then again you are going all vigilante like."
"The Mayor's fine with it," Lincoln said. "I'm like Ace Savvy come to life in a sense."
"Ace Savvy?" Logan asked.
"Really popular comic book," Lincoln said. "You may have heard of it at least once."
"I don't care about them bullshit comic books," Logan said, much to Lincoln's offense. "All they do is full kids' head with dumb garbage. Seems like yer another example of that, running around like some superhero."
"Hey, I'm the real deal pal," Lincoln said. "I took down two supervillains! I'm practically an Avenger."
"Don't get ahead of yerself," Logan said.
"Also, comic books aren't...that word you said," Lincoln said.
"Mommy won't let you swear, kid?" Logan taunted.
"I can swear...I just choose not to," Lincoln insisted. "I'm a superhero, I have to set an example."
"Alright, sure kid," Logan said, revving up his motorcycle. "I gotta go now, good luck with your superhero game."
"It's not a game!" Lincoln shouted as Logan sped off, Lincoln coughing due to the dust left behind. "The nerve of that guy, he knocks out one bad guy and thinks he's all cool? I knock out way more bad guys!"
Not too far off, Toad and Sabretooth were observing from the distance.
"Looks like Logan had a run in with that superhero kid," Toad said. "Think the twerp will be any trouble?"
"He's nothing I can't handle," Sabretooth said.
Meanwhile Logan continued speeding through town, thoughts running through his mind, "Might be hard to say if that Spider-Man kid is really a mutant or not. He's definitely an Earthling so that rules out him being an alien or something from another dimension. Still, what is the source of his power if he's not a mutant? Some lab experiment? An accident like Banner had? Not my problem right now, I gotta look into that girl I heard about, and see if she's someone Chuck will wanna see."
Later at home, Lincoln laid in bed, a bit tired from all his crime fighting, and annoyed that he couldn't make time for his friends or girlfriend. Stella at least helps cover for him but he wants a bit more than that.
He then heard the phone ringing, the boy looking to see who was calling, "Ronnie Anne?" Curiously he answered the phone, "Yeah?"
"Sup Lincoln, how's it going?" Ronnie Anne said.
"Busy, very busy for me," Lincoln said.
"I hear you're very busy these days, is it that girlfriend of yours?" Ronnie Anne asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"No...well sometimes but I can barely make time for her lately, I have...things to do," Lincoln said.
"Tough break," Ronnie Anne said. "Hey wanna hear something cool? You know that scientist that works with Tio Carlos?"
"I think I do, his name's Doctor Connors, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, well apparently he worked on a new cure to regrow lost limbs," Ronnie Anne said. "Doesn't that sound awesome?"
"Lost limbs? Wow that is cool," Lincoln said.
"He already cured one of Sid's pets, it's so cool knowing my uncle knows a scientist like this," Ronnie Anne said. "Tempted to see if he could give me and Sid, superpowers or something."
"What are you planning to do with superpowers?" Lincoln asked.
"Eh, I don't know, whatever we want I guess," Ronnie Anne said. "They'd just be neat to have."
"Just be careful, having powers may not be as fun as it sounds," Lincoln said. "I mean, have you heard how people treat mutants?"
"Pfft, if I had powers, I wouldn't give a crap what anyone had to say about me," Ronnie Anne said.
"Still, just be careful what you ask for," Lincoln said.
"It's all good," Ronnie Anne said. "Anyway, just wanted to ask, when are you coming by again? Be nice to hang out in the city, without me cutting school that is."
"I'll have to check and see, maybe one of these weekends," Lincoln said.
"Sounds great, you and I can hang out together, just like the old days," Ronnie Anne said.
"What about Sid?" Lincoln asked.
"We can leave her home, I just want to catch up between us too, without a third wheel," Ronnie Anne said.
"Can I do that? It wouldn't be a date would it? Though I do hang out with Stella alone, but that's more superhero stuff," Lincoln cleared his throat. "Well, I guess that's fine. Just make sure your family doesn't get the wrong idea, I don't want this getting back to Emma."
"Hey if she's a good girlfriend, she'd be cool with you hanging out with another girl and not getting jealous," Ronnie Anne said. "Plus I don't recall a rule saying a guy with a girlfriend can't hang out with his female friend."
"Pretty sure there is a rule for that," Lincoln said.
"One Lori probably came up with," Ronnie Anne said. "Just let me know when you're coming by."
"I'll let you know, see ya," Lincoln said.
"Peace out," Ronnie Anne hung up, placing her phone down. "Is it alright to hang out with Lincoln despite having a girlfriend? Yeah, it's fine."
Meanwhile with Paige, the girl was walking through Tall Timbers Park, calling out for her friend, "Christina? Are you around here!?" Paige scratched her head in confusion, "Where could she be? We said we were meeting here at this time."
Suddenly she saw some bright lights near some trees. Quickly she made her way over and spotted a girl surrounded by fire, one who seemed to be scared and terrified. This same girl turned to face Paige, locking eyes for a few seconds.
"You know you shouldn't be doing this in public Christina," Paige said as the girl dimmed her lights. "Someone might catch you."
"I can't help it, I needed to go for a walk, but I got so stressed out that, well..." Christina completely shut off her powers. "Things just happened."
"I get that, but you still need to be more careful than this," Paige said. "There's a big mutant scare going on right now, I don't want you to get caught. They'll make you register and everyone in school will know you have powers."
"I can't control it sometimes," Christina said. "At this point it's inevitable that someone's going to find out, I might as well just come out and admit it."
"Don't give up," Paige said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "You can get control of this."
"How? I don't have anyone to teach me this stuff," Christina said.
"You can figure something out, I mean, Spider-Man seems to be doing well, I don't think anyone taught him, Not to my knowledge at least," Paige said. "Oh, maybe he can help."
"How exactly?" Christina asked. "He doesn't have my type of powers."
"No, but he probably had to learn to control his powers just like you are doing," Paige said. "I don't know for sure, but we can ask."
"Spider-Man travels through town on patrol for crime, how are we meant to find him?" Christina asked.
"Well, we do the same, we look for a crime, and wait for him to show up," Paige said. "Once he beats up the bad guys then-"
"You know what, I'm gonna stop you right there because this is a poorly thought-out idea," Christina said. "You're asking to put ourselves in a dangerous situation. I mean suppose a crime happens due to a supervillain? Or what if those creepy aliens from New York come back?"
"I don't see any reason those aliens would come to Royal Woods," Paige said. "They only showed up in New York because of The Avengers."
"Still, it's not a safe idea," Christina said.
"Well, how about we fake an emergency!" Paige said. "This way he'd come over and we won't be in actual danger."
"I don't feel right lying about an emergency," Christina said. "Suppose an actual emergency happens? Plus it might make him mad since we basically tricked him and he wouldn't want to talk to us then."
"Wow this is tougher than I thought," Paige said. "Might be easier just to call him. Run into town, calling for Spider-Man."
"But what if brings unwanted attention?" Christina asked. "Paige, I appreciate you wanting to help but I really don't think it's worth this much trouble."
"I think you're worth this trouble," Paige said. "You're my best friend, Christina. I know developing these powers has been scary for you, that's why I'm here, to help it be less scary."
"You've done a great job so far," Christina admitted, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Thanks for being there for me. I just wish I didn't have to deal with this nonsense."
"Hey it can't be too bad, I mean you have super powers, something most people would love to have," Paige said. "And it's a cool power too. Maybe when you get older, you can become a superhero! Or you can do it now."
"Now? I'm trying not to draw attention to myself," Christina said.
"I never said everyone has to know, do like the Ace Savvy comics, he has a secret identity," Paige said. "It's working for Spider-Man."
"I don't know if I can handle that," Christina said.
"Just food for thought," Paige said. "Now let's get you home."
Meanwhile at Emma's house, the girl was in her room, checking through her phone. She was looking at pictures she and Lincoln took together, mostly a bunch of selfies of the two taking turns kissing each other on the cheek.
"Lincoln's such a sweet guy, too bad he's so busy lately," Emma noticed. She heard a knock on her door. "Come in!"
"Hey Emma," Chloe said, coming inside holding a shopping bag. "I got those new clothes."
"Oh wow, is it those new biker shorts?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, I found them at Reininger's. Leni let me use her store discount since I'm friends with her brother's girlfriend, that being you of course" Chloe said, holding out a pair. "I got two, do you prefer black kor orange?"
"Orange?" Emma asked. "Oh, you mean like Lincoln's hoodie vest?"
"Yeah, same color," Chloe said. "I mean, if you two are dating, you should try to match."
"I see your point," Emma said, taking the shorts. "Can't wait to try both pairs on."
"Go for it, I gotta try on my new skirt too," Chloe said, grabbing a pair. "I was thinking blue or yellow."
"Your old skirt's fine," Emma said, deciding on which pair of shorts.
"Yeah, but I want to try some new looks too," Chloe said. "I mean we're getting older, soon we're going to be women. We need to look as pretty as possible."
"Looks are subjective," Emma said, lining up her choice. "Lincoln's never cared what I wore."
"Hey you gotta look pretty for Lincoln too," Chloe said, picking her choice as well. "You already got the good down below. Your butt has that soft, cushiony look."
Emma began to blush, recalling her very intimate encounter with Lincoln, "He noticed. Things actually got a little weird between us the other day."
"How weird?" Chloe asked. "Did he try to get you in bed?"
"No way, I mean we're only thirteen, that's not something I want to do until I'm at least eighteen," Emma said. "Maybe older."
"Older? You should want it now. You've heard the stories, sex is supposed to be amazing!" Chloe said, then got shushed by Emma.
"Don't say that word!" Emma scolded.
"What word?" Chloe asked, much to Emma's annoyance.
"You know what word, that...'S' word," Emma said.
"Huh? I didn't say 'shit'," Chloe said. "I'm talking about sex."
"Chloe!" Emma shouted, covering her face. "Please don't say...s-e-x."
"Oh wow, are you serious right now?" Chloe asked in a very teasing tone. "It's just a word. Sex is normal, that's how humans reproduce, it's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I know how reproduction works, but...I just don't feel comfortable thinking about it," Emma said. "I really like Lincoln but I'm YEARS away from sex. I'd rather just cuddle with him."
"Alright, but sooner or later, he's going to want it," Chloe said. "You know how male hormones are, I mean given how cute your butt looks, he's probably itching to have more."
"Chloe, can we change the subject please? Besides boys don't even mature as fast, Lincoln's still a kid at heart," Emma said. "Boys Lincoln's age would rather be playing video games or reading comics. Or even doing sports, not sex."
"Well, you said things got weird, what exactly happened?" Chloe asked.
"...He touched my butt," Emma said. "By accident, he apologized."
"Right, accident," Chloe said. "So is that all he did?"
"Then...he...I mean, I was laying on him, with our clothes on mind you!" Emma shouted. "And, you know how intimately you hug when you make out?"
"I wouldn't know, I never made out with anyone," Chloe said.
"Well I...wait, what about Clyde?" Emma asked.
"Clyde faints when I kiss him on the cheek, I have not gotten to making out with him," Chloe said. "Don't get me wrong, I still like him and I'm willing to wait but yeah, I have not gotten that far in my relationship."
"Wow really? Hasn't it been over a year?" Emma asked.
"He's very shy about that stuff, but he's nice and that's all that matters to me," Chloe said. "Honestly I'm amazed you and Lincoln even got that far, and you've only been dating a few weeks."
"Guess he's more comfortable around girls, I mean, he kissed Ronnie Anne Santiago once," Emma said.
"Oh yeah, that's a daring feat," Chloe said.
"Anyway, since we were close, I felt something...poke me," Emma said. Seeing Chloe's eyes widen made Emma worry, "Nothing happened though! He fell off the couch and he apologized for everything."
"I'm sorry, but, wow, you got him that excited!?" Chloe asked. "Are you quite sure he isn't ready for sex? I think you two should do it."
"No way!" Emma shouted. "I told you I am not ready for that. I mean we're still kids, we can't do that type of stuff!"
"Says who? Just buy some protection for him and do it," Chloe said.
"I can't, I'm too afraid," Emma said. "I'm not ready to take that step."
"He might be though," Chloe said. "Face it, he probably wants you in bed with him."
"If he cared that much about that stuff, he would have done it with Girl Jordan," Chloe said. "I mean, she practically throws her body at Lincoln."
"Yeah, she's a bit of a tramp," Chloe said. "Still, I'd keep my eye out. In fact...let's try an experiment."
"What experiment?" Emma asked as Chloe looked through her bag.
"I didn't just get shorts and skirts, I got us some new underwear," Chloe said. "Matching bra and panties for us. I mean I don't need it, but I know you do since you're developing a little."
"Uh, that's nice but what's the point?" Emma asked as Chloe handed her pair over.
"Put them on, I'm gonna take a picture of you right afterward and show it to Lincoln," Chloe said.
Emma's eyes widened in shock, "Are you insane!? I'm not showing off a picture like that to Lincoln! What if he thinks I've lost my mind!?"
"It's a good way to be sure if he's lusting for your body," Chloe said.
"So what? Am I supposed to pose all sexy like?" Emma asked. "I don't want to lead him on!"
"I can make it look like an accident, like I took your picture and accidentally sent it to him," Chloe said. "I have his phone number, I don't really use it unless I need to ask him about Clyde or something."
"I'm still not sure about this," Emma said. "I don't want to look like a tramp."
"Look, how about I pose with you then? We can do a selfie," Chloe said. "That way it looks less obvious. Also you wouldn't be doing this alone, and I can still 'accidentally' send the picture to him."
"Are you really alright with that?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, plus this is a good chance to test his faithfulness," Chloe said. "I mean he's going to see my pics too. If he flirts with me, then you know he's all sex hungry."
"What about Clyde?" Emma asked.
"Let me worry about Clyde, but I think we'll be fine," Chloe said.
"This still feels mean, I know Lincoln isn't that type of guy," Emma said.
"I don't think he is either, but we need to be sure," Chloe said. "So, what do you say?"
"...So, you and I together?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, together," Chloe said.
Despite her hesitation, Emma agreed, "Alright, lets do it."
Later at home, Lincoln was on his couch, playing some video games, still thinking about everything that's happened today, and that mysterious stranger. "That guy seemed so strange." Suddenly he got a text message, he picked up his phone to see. "Chloe? Is this another Clyde question? She planning Christmas shopping early or something?"
Upon loading the text, his face immediately turned red as the selfie of both Emma and Chloe in their bra and panties were right before his eyes. It was awkward enough seeing Chloe considering she was with Clyde but honestly it was his own girlfriend that got him riled up. She was already developing, not as much as Stella but she really showed off her stuff.
The only text there was 'Looks like they fit'.
"Holy crap!" came Lynn's voice, the jock leaning on the couch behind him. "Damn Lincoln! You're juggling two girls now!?"
"Lynn! Where'd you come from!?" Lincoln shouted in worry.
"I came by to tell you that dinner's ready, but I can see you have another menu item in mind," Lynn said.
"Come on, this isn't funny!" Lincoln said.
"Hey be proud that your girlfriend sent you that," Lynn said. "Something to go off on when you're having that private time in your room."
"How did you know-!" Lincoln immediately cleared his throat. "I don't have a clue what you're saying. Anyway Emma didn't send this, Chloe did. I don't even know why though, after the other day...I mean-"
"Whoa, back up there," Lynn said. "What happened the other day?"
"I can't tell you! It's embarrassing!" Lincoln said.
"Can't be more embarrassing than ready Princess Pony, now spill it," Lynn said.
"I was hoping she'd forget about Princess Pony by now, hope the other sisters have," Lincoln took a sigh of worry. "Just don't tell the other sisters yet, it's really awkward."
"You got it, baby bro," Lynn said, plopping down next to him. "I'm all ears."
"Well, the other day Emma and I were...kissing," Lincoln said, trying to ignore Lynn's snarky grin. "Then I accidentally...touched her somewhere."
"Was she mad?" Lynn asked.
"No, she was understanding..." Lincoln said. "Unfortunately, my body had a weird reaction, one that Emma felt."
Lynn did her best not to audibly react, wanting to respect how delicate this might have been for her brother. "So, you...um what's the nice word for it? You...felt something rising."
"Yeah...I may have poked her," Lincoln said. "I'm a bit worried now, I hope she's not feeling anything...sexual...right now. I'm not ready for that."
"Really? A hot girl like that and you don't want to get her in bed?" Lynn asked.
"This isn't funny!" Lincoln shouted, startling his jock sister. "Lynn, I'm not ready for sex. I'm...too afraid."
Lynn could tell that her little brother wasn't messing around, this was really ragging on his mind, "Sorry Lincoln, didn't mean to upset you. Well I did sort of just to mess with you but, if it's really bothering you then I'll lay off."
"I appreciate that," Lincoln said. "I'm just...I'm really worried Lynn. I don't want to do anything I'm not ready to do.""
"Look, if you're really not ready, let her know," Lynn said. "She's your girlfriend, she'll understand."
"You really think so?" Lincoln asked.
"You're a good judge of character, and I'd like to think me and the rest of our sisters taught you well about girls," Lynn said. "I don't know why you got sent this picture, if it's worrying, then you need to talk to Emma about it."
"I just hope she's willing to listen," Lincoln said.
"If Emma doesn't respect your opinion about something, then she's not worth holding onto," Lynn said.
"Funny, this feels like something Lori would tell me the opposite of," Lincoln said. "That I need to put her feelings before mine."
"Ignore her, Lori doesn't always know what she's saying. I mean, yeah you need to think about what Emma wants but your opinion matters too, that's why it's a partnership," Lynn said. "I know I said we taught you well but Lori has her faults, if anything you learn from her mistakes, not her examples."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Lincoln said.
"Look, I can't really comment much since I never had a boyfriend," Lynn said. "But if it's anything like playing in a team, then I know that the foundation of a good team is good communication among the ranks. You're a nice guy, but don't anyone take advantage of that, not our sisters, not your friends and definitely not Emma."
Lincoln was amazed, Lynn usually isn't this insightful, but when she had those moments, she really showed her mature side well. "I'll keep that in mind, Lynn."
Lincoln went to hug her, but Lynn immediately backed away. "Hey, none of that mushy stuff with me!"
"Sorry," Lincoln sheepishly said.
Lynn somewhat regretted reacting that way, she'd like to think she loved Lincoln enough to not care about that stuff but it was instinct for her. "Look, if you want better relationship advice, go see Luna or Luan, they have more experience with that stuff."
"Sure, good idea," Lincoln said, taking his leave. "Amazing that this girlfriend stuff is somehow more difficult than crime fighting. All the superpowers in the world can't help me here."
Lincoln had gone upstairs, knocking on the door leading to the shared room of Luna and Luan.
The musician of the sisters had answered, "Hey bro, need something?"
"Well firstly, I think dinner's ready, that's what Lynn said at least," Lincoln said. "Second, before you go down, I have something to ask you girls, it's a relationship matter."
"Relationship?" Luan asked, getting off her bed. "Oooh, give us the details."
"Before I do, promise you won't flip out or let the other sisters find out," Lincoln said. "Lynn is the only one who knows, and that's because she was basically snooping."
"Sure sounds like Lynn," Luna said. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone."
"Please don't, especially Lori, I'm more worried about her than anyone else," Lincoln said.
"Wow, this must be big, did something happen?" Luna asked.
"Sort of, the other day me and Emma were hanging out and then, well...we started kissing," Lincoln said.
Luna raised her eyebrow, "That's normal dude, boyfriends kiss girlfriends."
"Yeah, you and Emma kissed during the Block Party," Luan said.
"It was...intimate kissing," Lincoln said. "I kind of got a bit excited and started thinking...thoughts."
"Oooooh," Luna said. "So, nothing happened between you two, right?"
"No, I she and I didn't...do the deed," Lincoln said. "I'm not ready for that."
"Of course not, you're still a kid," Luan said. "But we know how you're feeling, it's only natural that boys think about this stuff during their teen years. Your body starts craving female affection."
"I placed my hand on her butt though, I felt so dirty," Lincoln said.
"Uh, how so? Did you pat her like an athlete would or was it full on groping?" Luna asked.
"Well it was on there for a few seconds before she noticed," Lincoln said. "She didn't seem to mind but she definitely felt awkward. Has that happened with you and Sam? What about you and Benny, Luan?"
"Sam and I have...explored each other a bit," Luna sheepishly admitted. "We haven't done the deed, not yet, but we've definitely gotten frisky."
"Benny hasn't much with me, I've given him a few butt pats but it's more friendly than me wanting to get in bed with him," Luan said.
"Point is, if you're not ready, then that's fine, because neither are me or Luan, even if we're older too," Luna said.
"How does Emma feel though?" Luan asked.
"She said she's not ready but...her friend did send me this," Lincoln said, pulling out his phone and showing off the half-naked picture of Emma and Chloe.
"Whoa...Emma's got curves," Luna said.
"Her friend is a bit flat though, which makes sense, she's only thirteen," Luan said.
"Wait, so that other girl sent this to you?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, she said something about them fitting too, probably their...under garments," Lincoln could not bring himself to say anything else. "I don't know why she sent this or why they even took this picture in the first place."
"Get to the bottom of that, but if this girl is eager for sex and you're not, you gotta be honest with her," Luna said.
"Yeah, you don't want to lead her on, and if she really is a good girlfriend, she'll wait like she said she would," Luan said. "Emma seems like a nice girl, I can't imagine her wanting to do anything like this."
"With her friend no less," Luna said. "Isn't that other girl dating Clyde?"
"Yeah she is, granted Clyde said they did go a few weeks without hanging out together, but that's because Chloe was trying to help Emma," Lincoln said. "That and Clyde still gets nervous on dates, it might be off putting for her."
"Hope she isn't thinking about breaking his heart or anything," Luan said. "I couldn't forgive that girl if she hurt Clyde that way."
"Same, he's a nice kid," Luna said. "Lincoln, make sure you get to the bottom of things, not just with Emma, but Chloe too."
"Yeah, it's one thing if Emma wanted to send you a picture like that, but Chloe shouldn't be in that," Luan said. "For all we know, that picture wasn't even meant for you."
"Who else could it have been for, Clyde?" Lincoln asked. "I mean...why would Clyde want a picture of Emma?"
"Lets not jump to any conclusions, you know Clyde wouldn't do anything that scummy to you," Luna said. "I mean, aside from the time he got jealous of your awesome singing skills."
"Oh right, that was a really low moment for him," Luan said.
"Clyde apologized though, we're good," Lincoln said. "And I do trust that Clyde wouldn't try anything funny with Emma."
"Well, make sure they're not seeing someone else," Luna said.
"Yeah, I hope that's not it either," Lincoln said. "Ugh, this is so frustrating, I knew dating was a big responsibility, but I didn't expect the drama. You two make it look so easy."
"Believe me bro, it's not," Luna said. "Sam and I have had our moments, like she tells me I get too into my music. We're in a band, music's our thing! I know she has hobbies but I want to work toward my dream."
"Benny says something similar about me, but with my comedy and theater stuff," Luan said. "Plus he gets too jealous lately. Since my braces came off, I've had a lot of guys hitting on me. Benny gets too mad about that, I mean, I like the flattery but I'm still faithful to my boyfriend."
"Well point is bro, all relationships have issues, I mean Lori and Bobby go through a lot," Luna said. "They have far from an easy relationship."
"Yeah, they've even broken up at least once, mainly since I said those mean things about Ronnie Anne," Lincoln said.
"That was low for Lori, I mean, she made it seem like her relationship meant more than your feelings," Luan said.
"Well to be fair sis, can either of us say we would have sided against Lori that day?" Luna asked. "She has this way of getting in our heads and making us think she's right about the things she says."
"It's like she has superpowers..." Luan had a realization. "Wait, what if it is a superpower? You think Lori's a mutant?"
"Right, this talk of mutants again..." Lincoln lamented.
"She's not a mutant, she's just intimidating," Luna said. "Besides if any of our sisters are mutants, it's Lola. No way a girl her age is that naturally strong."
"Or Lucy, she does have weird powers," Luan said.
"Or Lana, I mean how does she not get sick being near garbage all the time?" Luna asked. "Also she can totally speak to and understand different animals. She'd do well in those nature shows."
"Yeah, like that one nature show on TV with that guy traveling the world and documenting animals," Luan said. "What was his name?"
"Uh, Strawberry or something?" Luna said. "Love the dude's accent though."
"You would find a British Accent appealing," Luan teased. "But enough talk of mutants, I hear about it enough at school. Nothing against them but I'd like to think no one in our family has those powers. It'd be too much drama."
"Same," Luna turned to Lincoln. "But there's a bright side to this. When you think you have it rough with puberty, just remember that at least all you have to worry about is normal kid stuff. Other people going through puberty get weird superpowers that make life tougher for them."
"Yeah, of course..." Lincoln nervously said. "Well thanks for helping me out with this. I'm heading downstairs before Lynn eats everything."
"Meet you in a second," Luna said, waiting for her brother to leave. She quickly turned to Luan, "This is nothing for us to worry about, right?"
"Of course not, Lincoln's a smart boy, and he's respectful of girls," Luan said. "No one prepared Lincoln for girls more than any of us."
"I mean, that's sort of true, but lets face it, we give him mixed signals," Luna said. "I don't know what Lynn told him, but considering he came to us for advice, she probably didn't help much. Leni would probably find this romantic, Lori would flip out because she still wants Linc with Ronnie Anne, and the younger sisters...aside from their age, the only thing that worries me is their mixed reactions too."
"Well the difference between our sisters and us is that we're in relationships," Luan said. "Lori is too but we've established her relationship with Bobby is not exactly a model one."
"So we don't need to worry then," Luna said.
"I'm saying we don't need to worry so much," Luan said. "We'll keep an eye on things but we gotta trust that Lincoln can handle this. He's a pretty smart guy."
"Yeah, no doubt about that," Luna said. "Alright, I'll trust him on this as well."
With Lincoln, the boy still had plenty on his mind, "Wonder if my spider powers affect how girls might feel around me? Or how I feel around them? I read about pheromones somewhere, can I bring them out of girls? Is that why Chloe sent me a picture of her and Emma half naked? I gotta figure this out, puberty is hard enough without my superpowers making things worse."
The boy entered the kitchen where Lynn was seen patting a chair, "Saved you a seat."
"Wow, really?" Lincoln asked, sitting down next to his sister. "You almost never do that, and you usually eat my food if I'm late."
"Hey if I want to, I could still knock you out and snatch away your food, don't question my kindness," Lynn warned.
"Right, shutting up then," Lincoln said, grabbing his fork. "Still, considering dad made meatloaf, this is definitely a lot of restraint from Lynn. She's so much nicer than she acts, I still don't get why she feels she needs to be tough, but knowing Lynn she's just emotionally insecure. Maybe I should do more for her, just wish I knew what."
While Lincoln was lost in thought, even Lynn seemed to be a bit worried, "Much as I want Lincoln to get intimate with a girl, he did seem really bothered by that picture. Too bad I don't go to his school, I'd get the answers out of Emma myself. Really wish I could do more to protect my brother, but he's a tough kid, much tougher than he thinks he is. I just have to be there when he needs me."
Meanwhile at Great Lakes, Ronnie Anne herself is enjoying her dinner, thinking about her conversation with Lincoln earlier, thinking about all the fun activities they could do together. She just needs to figure out how to prevent Sid from wanting to tag along.
"Here you go everyone," Rosa said, passing around her Spicy Chicken Taquitos. "Enjoy."
"Thanks Abuela," Ronnie Anne said, about to dig in when she heard a loud yelp,
"Carl Casagrande, I told you a million times to stop leaving this giant lizard toy around!" Frieda scolded, having nearly lost her balance after stepping on her son's toy.
"It's not a lizard mom, it's a dinosaur," Carl said. "His name is Reptar."
"I don't care what his name is, put it away," Frieda said. "You shouldn't be leaving your toys in your abuela's apartment! Take it back to ours!"
"Alright, fine," Carl said, getting up and picking his toy up. "Come on Reptar, you're more appreciated elsewhere."
Frieda sat down, groaning in annoyance, "Honestly I don't know why Carl likes that toy, it looks so creepy."
"Not a fan of big, green lizards, tia?" Ronnie Anne teased.
"Who is?" Frieda said.
"Lizards are actually great in gardens, they keep it free of bugs," Carlos said.
"Well I'm not a gardener, I'm an artist," Frieda said.
"Speaking of science stuff Uncle Carlos, how's Doctor Connors doing?" Bobby asked. "Is he coming by?"
"I think he wanted to, but he told me he wasn't feeling well," Carlos said. "I hope it's not a side affect of his serum, I'd hate for it to get him sick."
"Didn't he test it out though?" Ronnie Anne asked. "He used Sid's rat, and she told me he's been doing fine so far."
"It might have a different affect on humans," Carlos said. "But Curt is a smart man, I don't think he would do anything that would be dangerous to his own health."
"Yeah, it's probably just a cold or something, he'll be fine," Ronnie Anne said.
"Indeed, just needs lots of rest," Carlos said. "Now, can someone please pass the salsa?"
Nighttime in Royal Woods, Logan is once again in a bar, listening to the local TV.
"This is J Jonah Jameson here, bring you the facts," Jameson began. "More crime on the rise in Royal Woods, shame that this is happening among a very peaceful town. Of course we all know who's front and center of that, Spider-Man!"
"Pfft, not this nonsense again," came the voice of Bolhofner, the man sitting next to Wolverine. "Spider-Man isn't exactly the best hero ever but he still does something."
"To make matters worse, now he has his followers spreading rumors about this town's Mayor, accusing her of being anti-mutant," Jameson began, this definitely catching Logan's ear. "Now, I will start by saying that I have nothing against mutants, I think they're normal people who have a right to co-exist. As long as they're not breaking the law, we shouldn't judge them."
"Spider-Man ain't breaking any laws," Bolhofner said. "This guy's such a blowhard."
"He sure is opinionated," Logan said.
"Spreading false rumors about the mayor being anti-mutant is not helping mutant cause, it's just going to make thing worse!" Jameson said. "I can only imagine how many innocent lives could be affected because of Spider-Man's meddling. The sooner he's gone, the sooner things can go back to normal in this town. This is J Jonah Jameson, signing off."
"What's this talk about anti-mutant stuff?" Logan asked.
"Just some rumors about the mayor tightening up on the Mutant Registration Act due to Spider-Man's recent crime fighting, especially his last two fights," Bolhofner said. "Even though the last two fighters didn't even have mutants, just some guys with tech. People think mutants are bad act like a normal guy can't be bad either. They make their own superpowers, that's just as dangerous."
"No one knows who Spider-Man is, right?" Logan asked.
"Not a clue, keeps that identity a secret," Bolhofner said. "Seems like he's kid though, given his small size, plus anyone who talks to him says he sounds like he's somewhere between the ages of 12 and 15. Kind of young to be a hero, for all I know he could even by one of my students at the middle school I teach at. I just wonder if his parents know, though I can't imagine anyone letting their kid risk his or her own life."
"You'd be amazed how uncaring some parents could be," Logan said.
"That's just a damn shame," Bolhofner said, taking his stand. "Well I should get home, got another day of teaching tomorrow."
"See you around, bub," Logan said, grabbing his drink. "This town gets more interesting by the second, sounds like it may be more than that one girl I heard about. Guess while I'm here, I can see if any mutant kids need any help, just to make sure they don't get mixed up in the wrong crowd."
Not too far off, Sabretooth was still tracking down Logan with Toad right beside him.
"Are you sure he's around here?" Toad asked.
"He is, I can smell him," Sabretooth said. "Won't be long before he's done. Might miss the days of hunting him down, but fun's gotta end sometime."
"Just be careful, especially with that Spider-Man guy around," Toad said.
"You saw him earlier, he's just a runt, nothing we can't handle," Sabretooth said. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind sticking around town a bit, if a superhero is here, might be other interesting characters. I hear there's a mutant scandal here, might be able to find some recruits to join us."
"Good point," Toad said.
Even in the bar, Logan could tell there was danger in the air, he had to keep an eye out, not just for himself, but for others.