The following day at school, Lincoln had one goal. Find Emma and get some answers about the picture that Chloe sent. He hoped to talk to them on the bus, but he didn't spot either of them. It was fine, it's easier to talk to them another way.
Lincoln walked through the halls on his way to lunch, spotting his girlfriend Emma putting stuff away in her locker right beside Chloe. This was his chance to speak to them both.
"Emma! Chloe!" Lincoln called.
Immediately Emma's face turned pale, knowing what Lincoln would likely bring up. Slowly and nervously she turned to her boyfriend, "Hey Linky, how's it going?"
"Great...but you and I kind of have to talk about something," Lincoln said. "Both of you come meet me afterschool by the courtyard."
"Sure thing, Lincoln," Chloe said, winking at the boy while holding up a peace sign.
A weirded out Lincoln made his leave as Emma furiously turned to her friend, "Uh, what was that? Why are you acting so casual? You know what he wants to talk to us about."
"Yeah, I do know," Chloe insisted. "I'm just lightening the mood a bit, make this a bit easier."
"Ugh, we're really going to discuss this, aren't we?" Emma said. "I really can't believe I went through with your dumb plan! He probably thinks I'm weird now."
"Hey come on, it's Lincoln, one of the most understanding guys in school," Chloe said. "It'll be fine."
"I hope so," Emma said, closing her locker.
At the Cafeteria, Lincoln had grabbed some lunch and sat with his friends, still with Emma and Chloe on his mind, especially once he had spotted Clyde, wondering if the boy knew anything.
"Hey Lincoln, saved you a seat," Clyde patted the empty space next to him.
"Thanks Clyde," Lincoln took a seat between his best friend and Stella, the girl having just taken a bite out of her sandwich. "Hi everyone."
"Hey bro," Rusty said.
"Hi Linky," Girl Jordan replied in her usual flirty tone.
"Good to see ya," Liam said.
"Man, what a day today," Lincoln said.
"Tell me about it, one pointless lecture after another," Rusty said. "Why does Math need to be so dang complicated?"
"Math? What about science?" Liam said. "Country folk like me don't have time fer such convoluted chemicals and stuff."
"It's actually really fun once you get down to it," Stella said. "I am a bit worried about our Geography Test though."
"Oh yeah, aren't we supposed to be researching stuff about Wakanda?" Rusty asked. "Where even is that?"
"Somewhere out in Africa," Lincoln said. "I hear that their King is also a Superhero, The Black Panther."
"Sounds like the only interesting thing about Wakanda, everything else sucks," Rusty said.
"Come on Rusty, it can't be too bad, you might find something interesting about Wakanda if you researched hard enough," Clyde said.
"Yeah, I mean, what do you think Zach?" Stella asked, hearing no response. "Zach?"
Rusty looked to the side, seeing that his friend fell asleep. He began shaking him up, "Hey Zach!"
"Minnesota!" Zach shouted, waking up. "Huh, what?"
"Someone's tired," Mollie teased.
"Dude, did you not get enough sleep last night?" Rusty asked.
"Yeah, sorry, I was up late doing some research," Zach said.
"School project?" Stella asked.
"Watching hentai?" Jordan teased.
"Even better, aliens!" Zach said, to the annoyance of his friends, and the surprise of Jordan.
"Wow...so unique," Rusty mocked.
"Don't you have any other hobbies?" Mollie asked.
"I'm serious about this," Zach said. "Look, word on the street is that Spider-Man is a mutant. Me, I don't totally buy that, I still think he's an alien."
"Yeah I heard about them rumors about Spider-Man being a mutant," Liam said, both Stella and Lincoln briefly glancing at each other, both fully aware themselves.
"I honestly say that's a bit more likely than him being an alien," Rusty said.
"Hey we had aliens before, or did everyone here forget about the Chitauri?" Zach asked.
"No one forgot about them Zach, and no one is denying aliens existing," Stella said. "But the idea of Spider-Man being an alien is still very slim."
"Not quite, I've been researching rumored alien spiders for a while, called 'The Spider-Men', and guess what the hero here is called?" Zach asked. "That's right, 'Spider-Man'! I'm telling you, he's got to be an alien! He's part of that spider race!"
"Zach, are you sure you have your facts straight?" Stella asked. "Plus, lets say you're right, that still doesn't prove anything. I mean, Spider-Man is a very basic name, it doesn't take that much creativity to come up with it."
Lincoln furrowed his brow at Stella, he'd be sure to bring this up again later, "Look, whether or not Spider-Man is an alien or a mutant shouldn't matter. Fact is, he's on our side, maybe we should focus less on who or what he is and be grateful that he's keeping us safe."
"Yeah seriously, kind of tired of the paranoia," Jordan said. "Spider-Man saved my life the other day, he's a really nice guy and I'd rather people stop treating him like some type of menace."
"Don't get me wrong, I respect Spider-Man, but I still want to learn all I can about him," Zach said. "Plus if we can prove he's an alien, he might be immune to these rumored mutant laws. I mean, Royal Woods wants to crack down on mutants, suppose that includes Spider-Man? He might even have to give them his real name and who knows what they can do with that info."
"My what!?" Lincoln began to worry. He wasn't ready to tell the Mayor about his identity, even if she did seem nice it's still a very delicate situation and he does not want the wrong person to get this info. "Well...maybe run this Spider-Men thing by the Mayor and see what she thinks."
"Gonna be hard, I can't exactly just waltz into the Mayor's office about aliens," Zach said. "My parents did once, and now they're no longer allowed in City Hall."
"I'm familiar with the Mayor, I did help her out during the time that one lady tried flooding Royal Woods," Lincoln said. "I'll put in a good word."
"I appreciate that," Zach said.
"You know, speaking of mutants, has no one really seen any in our school?" Rusty asked. "All these kids here, I bet at least one of them has a superpower. Could be right under our nose."
"Oh, is it really so hard to believe everyone is just a regular kid?" Lincoln nervously asked.
"Yeah Rusty, maybe you shouldn't worry about who has powers, that person might not want to be bothered," Stella said.
"I'm just saying, anyone here could have powers," Rusty pointed across the room. "Like maybe Joy." He moved his finer, "Or probably Chandler." He moved his finger again, "Or that brown haired girl with the purple highlights." He moved once again. "It could even be Paige."
"Paige?" Lincoln asked.
"Have you seen the way she dances? Or how freakishly good she is at video games?" Rusty asked.
"Rusty, that's such a dumbass reason to think someone has powers," Jordan said.
"Have to agree with Jordan there," Stella said, then took note of something. "Wow, Christina looks really bothered over there."
Lincoln focused on seeing Paige seemingly comforting Christina, "Wonder what's up?"
"Should we ask?" Clyde suggested.
"It might be personal," Stella said.
"Yeah, let's not bother them," Mollie said.
"Wow...they are pretty close though," Rusty said, excitedly rubbing his chin.
"Uh...Rusty, you really shouldn't be staring, it's kind of creepy," Lincoln said.
"I'm just waiting to see if they kiss," Rusty said, earning confusion from his friends.
"Rusty, they're not dating, I don't even think either of them swing that way, they're just friends," Lincoln said.
"Hey, you never know, besides two cute girls kissing and making out? That's way more exciting than talk of mutants, aliens, Wakanda and even Spider-Man," Rusty said.
"You're such a pig," Jordan said.
"Hey! Pigs aren't like that!" Liam shouted.
"Seriously Rusty, they're just friends, just because they only seem to hang out with each other doesn't mean they're dating," Lincoln said. "Christina has always been a bit introverted around others, more than normal lately. Paige is probably just the only friend she has right now, not everyone can be part of a big group."
"Maybe we should let them join us," Jordan said.
"That sounds good, I'm all fer it," Liam said.
"Plus, it'd be nice to have an even amount of girls and boys," Mollie said. "Not that you boys are bad but sometimes girls just need each other's company."
"I won't argue that," Rusty said.
"And it's NOT to make out," Mollie said. "Seriously, there's plenty of girl on girl make out videos if you're that interested in the concept."
"I am more than familiar with those," Rusty said, earning an eye roll from the three girls present and a look of shame from Liam.
"Well, should we ask them?" Clyde asked.
"Maybe later, their conversation looks personal, I don't want to get between them just yet," Lincoln said.
"You know, speaking of girls, shouldn't Emma and Chloe be here too?" Rusty asked.
"They weren't even on the bus, are they in school?" Jordan asked.
"They are, I saw them earlier today," Stella said.
"Same..." Lincoln replied. "Say Clyde, has Chloe talked to you much recently?"
"Huh? Of course, we text each other frequently, why?" Clyde sked.
"I know you two had a bit of a rocky path in your relationship, I'm just hoping things are okay between you two," Lincoln said.
"Oh that, it's nothing," Clyde said. "Chloe was just focused on helping Emma with stuff, she said she's sorry she and I weren't dating much, but now that you're with Emma, she has more time to hang out with me, so it worked out. Her best friend and my best friend are dating, and the two of us are still happy. All is right with the world."
"That's great...I really think you and Chloe are great for each other and I hope you two can stay together, no matter what," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, we will," Clyde said. "Just like you and Emma."
"I hope me and Emma could stay together," Lincoln said.
Jordan could detect some worry in his voice, "Everything alright Lincoln?"
"Huh?" Lincoln quickly shook away those worries, "Everything's fine, don't worry about me."
Stella raised her eyebrow as well, wondering if there's anything strange going on between Lincoln and Emma.
Later in the day, the final bell rang, many of the kids had gone on the bus, but Lincoln was on a mission. He went to the courtyard where he spotted Chloe and Emma under a basketball hoop.
"Here comes Lincoln," Chloe said, gesturing to the boy.
Emma nervously looked away, worried as Lincoln made his approach. "Hi girls."
"Hi, Lincoln..." Emma nervously greeted.
"Hey Linc..." Chloe said. "So...what did ya-"
"Let's cut to the chase," Lincoln said, pulling out his phone and showing the picture. "Explain this please."
Emma immediately turned away in shame, seeing that picture on Lincoln's phone really freaked her out, knowing her boyfriend saw so much more of her.
Meanwhile Chloe seemed to be playing it cool, "Oooh, so you got that picture?"
"Yeah, you sent me this picture yesterday," Lincoln said. "Something about them fitting."
"Wow, isn't that embarrassing," Chloe said. "I meant to send them to my cousin. She suggested those bra and panties for me and Emma. They match really well, don't they?"
"So, you didn't intend to send me this picture?" Lincoln asked.
"I can honestly say I did not have you in mind when I got those clothes, sorry if you got the wrong idea," Chloe said. "I mean, why would I send that picture anyway? I am dating your best friend. Speaking of Clyde though, he doesn't know about this stuff, does he?"
"No, I never told any of my friends," Lincoln said.
"Well good, anyway now you know what happened, it was all one big misunderstanding," Chloe said. "Isn't that right Emma?"
"R-right, misunderstanding," Emma said. She immediately began making her leave, "I should go, I have some homework and stuff."
Once she left, Chloe turned back to Lincoln, "I should go and help her. Sorry about this awkwardness, but hey, you got yourself a nice treat. Emma has a nice body, doesn't she? Not bad for a girl her age."
"Right..." Lincoln said. "Has Emma told you anything about us? Like our own dating habits?"
"You mean how you seem to like her butt? Yeah, I know all about that," Chloe said.
"Hey don't get the wrong idea, I like Emma for who she is, not her body," Lincoln said.
"I'll trust you on that, but I am a bit worried about one thing," Chloe said. "Emma says you're really busy all the time, she doesn't get to see you as much as she'd like to."
"It's beyond my control, believe me I would see her if I could, and I spend any chance I can with her," Lincoln said. "I've been meaning to take her on a nice date."
"How nice? I hope you don't plan on half-assing it," Chloe said. "Given how little time you spend with her, I think you owe her something big."
"Hey it's not like I'm trying to blow her off, I really care about Emma," Lincoln said.
"Prove it. Take her to a nice restaurant, and before you suggest it, I don't mean the one your dad owns." Chloe said. "Take her to Jean Juan's French/Mexican restaurant, that's way more fitting and the perfect place for a date."
"Not that I disagree, but why is that a perfect place?" Lincoln asked.
"That's where you kissed Ronnie Anne Santiago right?" Chloe asked. "If you can kiss a girl like that at one of Royal Woods's most romantic spots, you can definitely do the same for Emma, who is way more deserving than that brute."
"Huh? Ronnie Anne isn't a brute!" Lincoln said.
"Please, I remember how much of a bully she was, did you know she poked fun at Emma's teeth once? It really hurt her feelings," Chloe said.
"Well...that was in the past, Ronnie Anne didn't mean to be a bully," Lincoln said. "She was just stressed out a lot, she's gotten so much better since moving to Great Lakes. I mean, you saw her at the Block Party, you didn't have an issue then."
"I barely spoke to her, that's why," Chloe said. "Even if she is better, it doesn't change how hurtful she's been and if you can be that romantic with a bully, you can definitely be romantic with Emma. She's a very sensitive girl, and even if she doesn't show it, she gets bothered if you comment on her appearance. That's why I wanted her to get with you because you seemed like a nice enough guy to make her feel more confident about herself and her looks, I don't want to regret setting the two of you up."
"I know how sensitive she gets, that's why I do my best to be with her when possible, but I get swamped," Lincoln said.
"With what exactly?" Chloe asked. "What's more important than my best friend?"
"I...can't say," Lincoln said. "You just have to take my word for it."
"Uh-huh, don't wanna tell me? Fine," Chloe said.
"Are you even in any position to criticize how much time I spend with Emma? I mean you at one point barely spent time with Clyde," Lincoln said.
"Because Emma needed me, that's why," Chloe said. "I'll tell you this right now Lincoln Loud, Emma is VERY important to me. She is my best friend and I care about her more than anyone. Much as I like Clyde, Emma still comes first. Boyfriends come and go, friendship lasts forever. If you do anything to hurt Emma, anything at all, I will NEVER forgive you. If this affects my relationship with Clyde, so be it, I don't want to lose him but I have to consider Emma's feelings overall, because she would do the same for me. But, if Clyde gets heartbroken because of something you did? Well you're the one who has to live with that."
Lincoln couldn't believe how vindictive Chloe sounded, even in her kindness, the fact that she would say such things seemed terrible in his mind, "Fine, but this goes both ways. I expect you to be a good girlfriend for Clyde, do not break his heart."
"I have no plans to, see me and Emma, we do our best not to hurt the guys we're with because that's the treatment we wants," Chloe said. "But like I said, I have an obligation to Emma."
Lincoln did have to admire how much Chloe cared about Emma, and he would probably do the same for his friends, but this still seemed like a bad situation. "Alright, I'll tell Emma about the restaurant, and prove to her and you that I am a good boyfriend."
"I hope so," Chloe said, making her leave. "Anyway I'll ser you around. Do whatever you want with that picture, personally I couldn't care less if you see me in my underwear, not like I have anything to show."
Lincoln looked back at the picture, once again taking in the sight of the two half-naked girls. He hovered his finger to delete it when he got a call from Stella. Quickly he answered it, "Yeah?"
"Hey Lincoln, where are you?" Stella asked.
"At the courtyard talking to Emma and Chloe," Lincoln said. "Sorry if I missed the bus."
"That might be a good thing, I got an alert on my phone, there's some frenzy happening in town, apparently regarding mutants," Stella said. "I don't know the details but you should go and check it out, making sure everything's alright."
"You got it," Lincoln said, hanging up and immediately going to change into his hero gear.
In the midst of all this, during Lincoln's conversation with Emma and Chloe, Paige and Christina were on their way to a nearby ice cream shop, the two hoping to find a way to cool off for the day, literally in Christina's case.
On the way there, they passed by three High School Bullies, those being Anderson, Pablo and Taylor.
"Hey check it out, Middle School Runts," Anderson teased.
"Ignore them, they're not worth our time," Paige said.
"What was that?" Anderson asked, stepping in front of the two.
"Hey move out the way, we're just trying to go about our day," Paige said.
"I don't think so, see you girls look kind of familiar to me," Anderson said.
"Yeah, weren't they friends with that dork, Lincoln Loud?" Taylor asked.
"Lincoln's more of an acquaintance to us," Christina said.
"Not that it matters, I don't know what you have against Lincoln, aside from the time he kicked your ass, but it has nothing to do with us," Paige said.
Anderson's eyes twitched, still lamenting the day he lost to Lincoln in a fight, "That dork got lucky, I'll return the favor to him so enough." The teen began cracking his knuckles. "Though, I wouldn't mind a practice dummy, unless you're willing to bypass it with the ass-kicking waiver fee."
"You would hit girls?" Paige asked.
"Of course, just ask Stella Zoo," Anderson said.
"It's 'Zhau'!" Christina shouted.
"What was that!?" Anderson shouted, shoving Christina.
"Hey you jerk! Don't touch my friend!" Paige said, trying to fend him away, but was grabbed by Taylor and Pablo.
"You'll get your turn," Taylor taunted. "For now, your friend is first on Anderson's shit list."
"Christina, run!" Paige shouted, trying to break free.
"But what about-" Anderson grabbed Christina's hair, preventing her from moving.
"Now why would you run? I mean, if you did, I'd have to give your friend your beating in addition to the one she's already going to get," Anderson said. "That would just be plain selfish, wouldn't it?"
"Not good, if Christina gets freaked out enough, she might accidentally use her powers! I gotta give her an escape, regardless of what happens to me," thinking quickly, Paige stomped hard on Taylor's foot.
"Ow!" As Taylor backed off to check on her foot, Paige quickly kicked Pablo in a very painful area.
"Oooooh...crap!" Pablo said, falling over in pain.
Paige took the chance to jump on Anderson's back, bonking on his head, "Christina, run!"
"But..." Christina knew what would happen if she left Paige behind.
"Don't worry about me! Just-" Taylor grabbed Paige and aggressively flung her against some garbage cans.
"You little bitch, I'm really going to make this hurt now!" Taylor said, cracking her knuckles.
Christina began to worry, there was no was she would abandon the one girl who's been there for her in her hardest time. "Get away from her!"
Taylor glanced at Christina, the girl looking ready to unleash her mutant abilities and take these bullies by surprise.
Anderson was about to lunge at Christina, but felt his shirt collar grabbed, "What the hell?"
"Hey kid, didn't yer parents teach you to treat ladies nicely?" the man who showed up was Logan, the adult pulling Anderson aside.
"Hey mind your own business gramps, this is between her and us!" Anderson shouted, getting a punch in the nose for his effort.
"Shut yer damn mouth," Logan warned, then turned to Taylor. "You, take your fat friend and get the hell out of my sight!"
"Who do you think you are!? You can't do this to us!" Taylor shouted. "You're an adult!"
"Ma'am," Logan unsheathed his claws. "Do I look like I give a damn about society's rules?"
Taylor immediately freaked out, fearing for her life, "Boys, run, now!"
"Ugh, my nose is broken!" Anderson shouted, trying to hold in the blood.
"Deal with it later! Move your ass!" Taylor shouted, running off with her friends.
"Damn kids," Logan turned his attention to the two girls beside him. "You girls alright?"
"Yeah, thank you," Paige said. "Um, pardon me for asking but, are you a mutant?"
"...Yeah, hope it don't scare ya or nothing," Logan said. "It's fine if it does, I'll just get out of yer hair."
"W-wait, I'm not scared, I mean, you just saved us from those bullies," Paige said. "You must be a nice guy if you did that."
"I'm not a nice guy, I just freaking hate bullies," Logan said.
"Still, thanks," Paige said.
"Yes, thank you sir," Christina added.
"Just get home, you kids probably had a bad scare just now," Logan said.
"Wait, maybe you can help us with something before you go," Paige said.
"What? Need me to walk you home?" Logan asked.
"No...well actually I wouldn't mind but...what would you say if I told you I knew a girl with mutant powers?" Paige asked.
"Paige!" Christina shouted in shock.
"Hey he might be able to help," Paige said.
"Whoa, hold on, you know a mutant girl?" Logan asked.
"Yeah, we do," Paige said.
"Any chance she uses fire or something?" Logan asked.
"Actually it's more of a microwave...wait, you know about her?" Paige asked.
"Yeah, I heard talk and came by to check on the kid, see if she needed a helping hand," Logan said.
"See! You are a nice guy!" Paige said.
"Hey it wasn't my idea, it was my friend's," Logan said. "I'm just helping him out."
"Still sounds really nice," Paige said.
"Look, I'm not exactly out to be a superhero or nothin', now if you know this girl, just tell me where I can find her," Logan said.
"You already did," Christina said, briefly glowing, bright enough to show off bit light enough not to draw a lot of attention.
"So yer the girl, maybe-" Logan immediately sensed danger. "Watch out!"
He grabbed the two girls and rolled out of oncoming danger, that being the Brotherhood Mutant Toad who attempted to leap in for a sneak attack.
"So close..." Toad said, turning his attention to Logan. "If it isn't Wolverine."
"I knew I smelt amphibian," Logan said. "The hell are you doing here?"
"Who's he?" Paige asked. "Also your name is Wolverine? That's so cool!"
"Focus Paige!" Christina said.
"You kids need to run, it ain't safe here," Logan said.
"Got that right, runt," Came another voice, one that sent a chill down Logan's spine. He and the two girls slowly turned to see the dreaded enemy of Wolverine. "Good to see you again, Logan."
"Creed..." Logan said, the man gritting his teeth.
Sabretooth flashed a sharp and toothy grin, "What a nice surprise. I was hoping to find you out here, and you led me right to the girl I was looking for."
"What do you want with her?" Logan asked.
"Easy there Logan, we just want to have a nice word with this child, we promise not to hurt her," Toad said.
"So long as she gives us reason not to," Sabretooth said. "I'd rather not hurt a child after all, but I'm also not against doing so if need be."
"What's going on?" Christina asked. "Who are these guys?"
"They're trouble, a bad crowd you don't want to get mixed up in," Logan said.
"Toad, I need some time to catch up with the runt here," Sabretooth said, cracking his knuckles. "You can handle this child."
"You got it," Toad said, making his way toward the girls.
"Hey! Back the hell away-" Suddenly Logan was tossed against a nearby car, setting it's alarm off as Sabretooth rushed in and kicked Logan through the car itself.
"Mr. Wolverine!" Christina called, suddenly her path was blocked by Toad.
"You're coming with me," the mutant said.
Paige stood in front of Christina, "Stay away from her you creep!"
"Out of the way, human!" Toad said, knocking the young girl aside.
"Paige!" Suddenly Christina was grabbed by her shirt. "Let me go!"
"No use struggling, wouldn't want you to get hurt," Toad said.
"Let...me...GO!" Christina used her powers to knock Toad back a bit, though it wasn't enough to send him too far.
"You pack quite a punch," Toad said. "Fine then, if you want to do this the hard way, then we'll do it the hard way!"
Meanwhile Lincoln was swinging over to the mutant incident in question, keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble.
"Stella said there was a fight around here," Lincoln said, leaping through the air. "Could it really be mutants though? Is this actually happening? Was it because of those rumors?"
Suddenly he could see people running in fear, seemingly away from something.
"MUTANTS!"
"Run for your lives!"
"It's not safe!"
Lincoln grew even more concerned, especially once his spider sense began to activate. "This is not good."
Up ahead, Stella was observing the fight from a safe distance. In one area, she could see Logan battling with Sabretooth, but what surprised her was seeing Paige and Christina, the latter having superpowers.
She heard someone land nearby, and turned to see who she expected, "Lincoln, you made it."
"Just in time," Lincoln said, looking ahead. "Why are they fighting?"
"I don't know, check out who's there though," Stella said.
Lincoln squinted his eyes, "Paige and Christina? Wait, is Christina using powers!?"
"Looks like it," Stella said.
Lincoln could not believe his eyes, "But, that would mean..."
"That she's a mutant," Stella confirmed. "Unless she got her powers in an accident like you did."
"Still, how could...hey wait a minute, that guy right there!" Lincoln said, gesturing to Logan. "I know him! He knocked out some bad guys yesterday!"
"You mean the short, hairy guy?" Stella asked. "You saw him before?"
"Yeah, he was riding a motorcycle through town, then started saying some rude stuff to me," Lincoln said.
"Well, looks like he's a mutant too," Stella said. "I mean, wow, those are some long claws."
Lincoln seemed to admire the claws, "Wow, that's actually kind of cool. Wonder how his claws are made out of metal? Is it a special coating? Is it natural?"
"Lincoln, focus," Stella said. "Worry about how his claws work later."
"Yeah, sure. I just hope the guy with the claws isn't an enemy," Lincoln said. "Regardless, I have to put a stop to this."
"Be careful," Stella said as Lincoln jumped ahead.
Logan and Sabretooth continued to claw at each other, though the older hero was more worried about Christina.
"Eyes this way runt!" Sabretooth shouted, clawing Logan's jaw. "Lack of focus could lead to your death!"
Logan's cuts immediately healed and returned the favor to Sabretooth, clawing him a couple of times and kicking him back to focus on Toad. "I'll save you kid!"
Sabretooth was quick to recover and rammed Logan to the ground.
"Wolverine!" Paige called. She went to help but Toad used his tongue to grab the girl and fling her away.
"Take a hike!" Toad shouted as Paige went flying.
Fortunately Lincoln was quick to catch the girl, "I got you!" He landed down safely with the girl safely in his arms.
"Spider-Man?" Paige said in disbelief. "Is it really you?"
"Huh?" Logan turned to face the hero. "It's that kid."
"Spider-Man..." Sabretooth said, stepping toward the boy. "So we meet at last."
"Yeah, we do..." Lincoln said, somewhat confused. "Who are you?"
"Call me Sabretooth," the villain said. "I came to town to find my buddy Logan here, but I'd be more than happy to add you to my list of targets, just to piss off the town."
"Wait hold on, maybe we should make him an offer first," Toad said. "A guy with his skills could be of some use to us."
"Who are you?" Lincoln asked.
"Call me 'Toad'," the other villain said. "Sabretooth and I are on a mission, aside from killing Logan that is. We're trying to recruit an army of powerful mutants in hopes of overthrowing many in the world government, especially those who look down upon mutants like us."
"Yeah, these Mutant Registration Laws tend to piss off guys like me and Toad here," Sabretooth said. "Sometimes, you gotta fight back, through any means possible."
"Right, so is that why you're bothering this girl?" Lincoln asked, gesturing to Christina.
"We're trying to get her to see the light, but she's being rather reluctant," Toad said.
"I'm not joining your criminal organization!" Christina shouted.
"Oh is it really criminal to want to change the world?" Toad asked. "We're the ones being oppressed after all, I mean, do you think this town would care about a mutant like you?"
"I care about her!" Paige shouted. "She may be a mutant but she's my best friend! I'm not gonna let you two drag her into your criminal underworld!"
"I'm with Pa...this young girl here." Lincoln said. "I get being oppressed and stuff, I have a guy who constantly talks trash about me on TV, but if I give in and become a villain, it's just gonna prove him right, and I absolutely do not want to do that. Plus, how do you even know I'm a mutant? Not all people who have powers are mutants."
"Kid's got a point," Toad said. "Not to mention he looks too pure to convince."
"Fine by me, all the more reason to kill him," Sabretooth said, extending his claws.
"Kid, you need to take that girl and run!" Logan shouted. "Don't worry about these guys right now!"
"I can't just ignore them, they're clearly dangerous," Lincoln said, getting into a fighting position. "Heroes like me, we beat up bad guys."
"That eager to die huh?" Sabretooth said, sinisterly stepping forward. "Allow me to oblige!"
"No!" Logan jumped in and impaled Sabretooth from behind. "I ain't gonna let ya!"
"Bastard!" Sabretooth shouted, backhanding Logan, knocking him back. "Fine, I'll kill you first!"
"I won't let you!" Christina ran to attack Sabretooth, but the mutant monster kicked the girl away, landing near Toad.
"I'll take you by force!" Toad said, but just as he was going to grab her, Lincoln rushed in and kicked the amphibious creature away.
"Not while I'm around!" Lincoln said. "Chri...young girl, get away if you can!" Lincoln said. "I'll keep this creep busy!"
Paige ran over to lift Christina up, "Come on, Spider-Man and Wolverine can stop those two."
"You're not going anywhere!" Toad tried to follow but Lincoln blocked his way. "Move!" Using his tongue, he flung the hero aside into a pair of garbage cans and gave chase to the two girls.
"Was that his tongue?" Lincoln wondered. "That's so gross, and he grabbed me with it too, double gross."
"Come back here you little vermin!" Toad shouted.
"Oh boy, gotta move fast," Lincoln said, hopping back to his feet and chasing after Toad. "I'm not letting him get away that easily!"
Paige and Christina ran as fast as they could, trying to put distance between themselves and Toad, the mutant catching up fast.
"Get back here you pests!" Toad leapt to grab the girls but Lincoln was quick to kick the villain in the back, slowing him down as he skidded across the ground.
"I'm not letting you anywhere near them!" Lincoln said, going for another attack that Toad managed to sidestep and kicked Lincoln against a car. He went to attack again but Lincoln moved just in time and hit an uppercut that sent Toad flying.
"Stupid kid!" Toad shouted, landing on a fence, keeping an eye on the two girls as well. "I'm not letting anyone get the better of me!"
Lincoln leapt to attack but Toad evaded, and used his tongue to fling a nearby garbage can at the hero. Lincoln dodged but this did give Toad enough time to make another dash toward the girls.
"That guy's way too persistent!" Lincoln said, chasing Toad yet again.
Christina and Paige kept running, the latter looking over her shoulder to spot the incoming Toad, "That creep just won't go away!"
"You're mine now!" Toad got in close but Lincoln rushed in to kick him off yet again, skidding him past the two girls, unintentionally blocking their path.
"Keep moving! I'll make sure he doesn't get to you!" Lincoln leapt over to attack again but Toad grabbed him and flung him aside, but not without Lincoln using his webs to grab Toad and bring him over, the two crashing against a fence.
"Hurry!" Christina said, leading Paige further away.
Meanwhile Logan and Sabretooth were still fighting, destroying just about anything in their way, mostly the latter, as they did their best to take each other out.
Sabretooth went for a claw swiple that Logan barely dodged, a car being destroyed in the process as the villain charged after Logan again, punching him through a windshield of another car.
"Getting really tired of you dropping in on my business, runt!" Sabretooth said, grabbing the car and slamming it with Logan still inside, then throwing it against a nearby building, with Logan leaping out just before impact, causing massive damage to the architecture.
"This guy's insane!" Stella commented, grabbing her phone. "Should I even call the cops? Can they even handle someone like that? Lincoln's strong but I'm not sure if he could-"
Suddenly she was grabbed by her shirt, Sabretooth lifting the young girl off the ground, "What do we have here?"
"AH! Let me go!" Stella shouted, struggling to get free.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to eavesdrop?" Sabretooth said, readying his claws, the mere sight freaking Stella out. "Looks like I'll have to teach you some manners myself."
"Y-y-you wouldn't hurt a..." Stella nervously gulped but did her best to put on cute face for the monstrous creature. "Sweet and adorable little girl, would you?"
"Wouldn't be the worse thing I've done," Sabretooth said, preparing to strike. "Besides, you non-mutants are all going to die anyway once the boss unleashes his plan. Consider this a mercy."
Stella braced for her impending doom, fortunately Logan was quick to jam his claws into Sabretooth's abdomen.
"Yer fight's with me!" Logan shouted, jabbing at Sabretooth again, the monster releasing Stella, the girl scurrying away as Sabretooth delivered a massive punch to Logan, sending him flying across the streets.
Stella went to hide somewhere nearby so she could keep an eye on things, but also stay out of danger, "Hope that shorter wins somehow!"
Outside The Loud House, Lana was seen playing in the mud as per usual. Within seconds, she noticed both Christina and Paige running past, the latter stopping to take a breath.
"Keep going, before that creep catches up to you," Paige said.
"If I leave you, then he'll just take you hostage to find me," Christina said.
"Better me than you," Paige said.
"I'm not leaving behind the one friend I can trust!" Christina said.
"Listen, if you don't then..." Paige then noticed Lana at the corner of her eye, completely forgetting that she and her friend were out in the open. "Oh...you're one of Lincoln's sisters, right?"
"Yeah...do I know you?" Lana said.
"I'm Paige, not sure if you know me," Paige said.
"Oh yeah...you're the one he thought you sent a love letter to, and then he sent one to you," Lana said, a scowl appearing on her face. "Then I heard that you turned him down."
"Oh, well it's nothing personal, I like Lincoln, just not that way," Paige said. "Plus I was eleven at the time, I wasn't ready to be in a committed relationship."
"And your friend, I heard you switched classes because my brother had a crush on you too before," Lana said.
"Oh...right," Christina awkwardly said. "I meant no disrespect, it was just too awkward to be around Lincoln. Plus he did show off a video of him kissing my picture, so I had reason to be a little weirded out."
"Well sucks for you girls, he's found a girlfriend who can appreciate him," Lana said. "Unlike you two who can't see something good when it punches you in the jaw."
"Wow, Lincoln's sisters sure are defensive of him," Paige said, then remembered her situation. "Gah! What are we doing standing around!? We have to go before-"
"You!" Toad landed beside the girls. "Enough running! Now surrender and-"
Lincoln webbed in to kick Toad from behind, sending him flying into a streetlight. "You two, go, quickly!"
"Spider-Man!?" Lana said, getting Lincoln's attention. "No way! You're really here!?"
"How did I not notice he was going to my house!?" Lincoln saw Toad recovering, the boy feeling unpleasant flashbacks. "I am NOT allowing potential danger to fall onto Lana, or any of my sisters for that matter!"
"Hey is that frog?" Lana asked. "Mister, are you a frog?"
"I'm a Toad, not a frog!" the mutant said. "Go back to your silly mud games you disgusting child."
"Wow...jerk," Lana said. "Finally get to see someone with amphibian powers and he turns out like this."
Toad stumbled over to Lincoln, "You are really getting on my nerves, screw Sabretooth's offer to you, if you choose to side with humans, then you are a disgrace to mutants!"
"Why do you hate humans so much anyway? I mean, you're technically human too, but with powers," Lincoln said.
"Look at me, do I look human to you?" Toad asked. "No one sees me as a human, just another mutant. But that's fine by me, at least when the world crumbles, it will only have itself to blame!"
"Sorry if you've gone through troubles, but that's no reason to turn into a villain," Lincoln said. "I've been picked on too, and I never thought to use my powers to take over the world or something. All you're doing is turning into the monster everyone thinks you are."
"Please, you're just a dumb kid, I doubt you'd understand the cruelty of the world," Toad said. "Give it time, you'll grow to hate everyone, just like me and my teammates have."
"Or maybe you can try to love again, I mean there has to be someone out there who can see you as a genuine friend, even if you are a toad," Lincoln said. "It's like that one Fairy Tale I heard about, only it had a Frog but you're both amphibians."
"You expect me to chase Fairy Tales?" Toad asked.
"Hey Superheroes turned out to be more than comic books, who says Fairy Tales aren't similar," Lincoln said. "I've been around, I've seen Fairy Tales come to life."
"Wow, you really are one foolish child," Toad said. "Do you always read Fairy Tales."
"Hey I'm a Sci-Fi guy first and foremost, but I'm just trying to be open minded," Lincoln said. "You have a chance here, ether give up this life of evil, or I pound your face into the pavement. Considering you were just chasing two girls, I think I'm being more than generous here, now stop being stubborn and just do the right thing."
"I am not getting lectured by a little child," Toad said.
"I'm a teenager! Not a child!" Lincoln shouted.
"Same thing, now get out of my way," Toad said. "If you continue to pester, I will destroy you."
"Alright, I'm done being the nice guy, you want to get a beatdown, fine, but you asked for it," Lincoln said, cracking his knuckles.
"Beat him up Spider-Man!" Lana cheered. "Beat up that disgrace to all amphibians!"
"Quiet!" Toad sent his tongue at Lana, but Lincoln quickly grabbed it, squeezing it hard.
"Don't you ever try to hurt her!" Lincoln shouted, angrily pulling Toad in for a punch that sent him flying across the street breaking a window. Taking a moment to calm down, he realized he had grabbed something gross. "Ew...I touched his tongue. Good thing I'm wearing gloves."
"Hey, thanks for the assist Spider-Man," Lana said, looking across the street. "Oooh, but it looks like you broke a window. Good thing the Yates family isn't home...I think."
"Uh, right..." Lincoln said. "Really need to be more careful."
"Spider-Man..." Christina said, getting Lincoln's attention. "Thanks for coming to save us."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Lincoln said. "Just doing my job."
"You know, you kind of sound familiar," Paige said. "I just can't put my finger on it."
Lincoln nervously and subconsciously changed the tone of his voice to sound a bit deeper, "It might be nothing really. I'm just a run of the mill guy with spider powers."
"Hey, what's going on out here," Came Lynn's voice as she stepped outside with Lola, Luna and Luan. "What's with all the noise?"
"Check it out, Spider-Man's here!" Lana said. "He just beat up a mutant!"
"Oh what, you're hunting poor, innocent mutants now?" Lola asked.
"Huh? No I'm not!" Lincoln said.
"Yeah, that guy was being a jerk!" Lana said.
"He chased me and my friend all the way here, he's trying to kidnap her," Paige said.
"And I'm tired of the interruptions!" Toad shouted, appearing behind everyone. "I suggest you girls clear out the way so I can squash this spider!"
"Fine by me," Lola said, taking her leave.
"Seriously Lola!?" Lana shouted, then turned to Toad. "Whatever, I'm not afraid of you, ya big bully!"
"Same here," Lynn said, cracking her knuckles. "Step aside webhead, let a real athlete take care of this pest."
"I am not letting you fight him, you're a civilian!" Lincoln said.
"And you're a vigilante," Lynn said. "Now step aside and-"
Toad rushed in and kicked Lynn through the house window, laughing to himself afterwards. "Gooooaaaal!"
"Hey you jerk! How dare you kick my sister! Even if it was slightly hilarious to see!" Lana shouted.
"Quiet," Toad grabbed Lana with his tongue and flung her to the top of the roof. "Stay out of my way!"
"Why you!" Lincoln grabbed Toad and flung him against some garbage cans. "I told you not to endanger that girl!"
Lincoln went to clash with Toad as Paige quickly turned to the Loud sisters, "Mind if we take shelter inside?"
"Wait, isn't that creep after you? If you come inside, you'll just endanger all of us," Lola said.
"Not cool Lola!" Luna scolded, then turned back to Paige. "You can come inside, it's way safer than out here. We just gotta let Spider-Man take this guy down, it'd be easier if we weren't around, less liabilities for him."
"Thank you," Paige took her friend's hand as they went inside with the Loud Sisters. "Let's hurry."
"Meet you inside!" Lana said, entering the house through a window.
Outside Lincoln and Toad continued to do battle, both trying to one-up the other. Toad went for a few strikes but Lincoln was fast and got some more hits in.
"Didn't have to be this way, but you left me no choice!" Lincoln said, pulling Toad in with his webs for a kick. "There's never an excuse for being a villain!"
"One day, you'll come to realize that those you fight to protect would cast you out in a heartbeat if it meant protecting their own status quo!" Toad shouted, leaping in to kick Lincoln in the face. "Then reality will hit you hard, kid!"
"That's enough!" Lincoln jumped in and kicked Toad hard across the head, knocking him through a window. "Crap...that's Mr. Grouse's house!"
"What in tarnation!?" Mr. Grouse shouted, Lincoln quickly checking inside.
"Sorry sir, my mistake!" Lincoln said.
"Young man, if you're going to fight crime, watch the collateral damage!" Mr. Grouse scolded.
"Sorry sir," Lincoln said, pulling Toad out and flinging him away. "I'll try not to let it happen again. Now if you can, mind calling the cops while I make sure this crook stays down?"
"Yeah sure," Mr. Grouse said, grabbing his phone and dialing. "This town better have supervillain insurance."
Lincoln turned to face Toad, "As for you-"
"Take this!" Toad went for a kick that Lincoln narrowly ducked.
"Whoa!" Lincoln then dodged another attack.
"You should know you can't win, Toads eat bugs!" Toad said.
"Spiders aren't bugs, they're arachnids!" Lincoln then hit an uppercut that knocked Toad into the air and then slammed him down and finished it off with one final kick, knocking him to the sidewalk while he webbed Toad up. "He should stay stuck for a while. Not sure if I should leave him here or not thought."
Suddenly he got a phone call, upon answering it, he heard Stella's frantic shouting, "Lincoln, you gotta hurry back here! This fight is getting crazy!"
"I just knocked out the other guy, Paige and Christina are hiding at my house," Lincoln said.
"Good, now...wait, how did they get to your house?" Stella asked.
"By pure luck," Lincoln said. "Anyway Mr. Grouse is calling the cops so we should be good."
"Good, now hurry back here," Stella said.
"On my way," Lincoln swung off, leaving Toad tied up for the cops.
Inside the Loud House, Christina is taking a breath, feeling terrified from this whole ordeal. The fact that she was nearly captured by evil mutants was a lot for her. Fortunately Paige comforted her, holding her hand as she gently stroked her back.
"It'll be fine, Spider-Man's got this under control," Paige said.
"I hope so," Christina said.
"You two doing alright?" Luna asked, kneeling down beside them.
"She's a bit scared, but she'll be calm soon," Paige said.
"I don't blame her for being scared, she was chased by some weird frog guy...or toad, whatever he was," Luna said.
"It wasn't just him, he had a friend, a much scarier friend," Paige said.
"Scarier?" Lana asked, making her way over with Luan and Lola. "How much scarier are we talking?"
"He didn't even look human, he was a terrifying monster," Paige said. "He's like a werewolf, but part tiger instead of wolf."
"That sounds cool," Lucy said, her sudden appearance startling the two girls.
"Luce! Come on! they were just being chased by evil mutants!" Luna said.
"Yeah, I saw from my window," Lucy said. "I wanted to go see Spider-Man up close but, he seemed busy. Plus Lily overheard the fighting and I went to comfort her. She's fine now, I made Lisa keep an eye on her."
"Wait, where was Lisa?" Luna asked.
"Working, then looking into mutants the moment she saw that amphibian creature," Lucy said. "She barely even cared that Lily was sitting and hugging Lincoln's old stuffed bunny."
"Geez..." Luna said. "Well, good thing Lori's at school and Leni's at work, I could only imagine how freaked out either of them would have been."
"What about Lincoln?" Paige asked.
"He mentioned that he would be home late, he had to talk to his girlfriend about something," Luna said. "Hope that went well."
"Hey, how's your other sister doing? The one that got kicked through the window?" Paige asked.
" I went to check on her a moment ago, she told me to take a hike and stomped away," Luan said. "Getting beaten up like that really hurt her pride."
"She thinks she's superhuman or something," Lana said. "She might be the strongest in this family, but compared to the other heroes and villains, she's basically a fly."
"As long as she's not hurt," Paige said. "Physically at least."
"Say, why was that guy chasing you anyway?" Luna asked. "Did you tick him off?"
"No...it's for another reason," Paige said.
"It's personal," Christina said.
"You can tell us, maybe we can help in some way," Luan said. "I mean, the cops will be here soon, they can also-"
"No!" Christina said. "They can't know why."
"Uh...that's suspicious, why can't they know?" Lola asked.
"It's...well..." Christina wasn't sure how to explain this.
"Do you want to tell them?" Paige asked. "I mean, they are Lincoln's sisters, so we kind of know them."
"If it's a secret you want kept, we're great at that," Luna said. "In a house like this with paper thin walls, you quickly learn the value of privacy."
"Works well when we plan surprise parties too," Luan said. "Until Leni spoils it that is. Thankfully she's not here, she is bad at keeping secrets."
"I'm a master at keeping secrets," Lola said. "It's come in handy at times."
"Yeah, when you want to blackmail us," Lana said.
"Blackmail!?" Christina asked.
"She won't do that to you," Luna said, glaring at her sister. "Right Lola!?"
"As long as you don't give me reason to," Lola teased.
"Alright, someone get her out of here," Luna said.
"I'm joking!" Lola shouted, keeping her distance. "Like dang, is Luan the only one here allowed to make a joke?"
"This isn't a joking matter," Lana said, then turned to Christina. "We won't make you tell us, but if we knew, we could help in some way."
"Well, do you want to tell them?" Paige asked.
Christina figured she was in pretty deep to avoid this, she could only hope these girls were as trustworthy as Paige made them seem. She really hoped her connection to Lincoln would be of help, "Alright...I'll tell them."
"We're all ears," Luna said.
"The truth is...I'm a mutant," Christina admitted. Obviously the Loud Sisters were taken by surprise, though her being chased now made sense in hindsight.
"A mutant?" Luan asked. "So...you have super powers?"
"Yeah...basically I store ambient electromagnetic energy that I can project and manipulate," Christina said.
"...Alright, Lisa's not here to translate, so mind telling us in words we understand?" Lola asked.
"I'm basically a walking microwave, I can manipulate heat and use it to my advantage," Christina said, standing up. "I can surround myself in a golden aura, it makes me look like I'm covered in fire."
"Covered in fire...wait, you must be the girl Sam was telling me about," Luna said.
"You mean the girl in Tall Timbers Park that was surrounded by fire?" Luan asked.
Christina immediately felt some lament and regret, "Right, I forgot someone saw me. Figures it was your bandmate. She didn't recognize me, did she?"
"No, she had no clue who you were," Luna said. "She was worried about you though, she said you looked sad."
"It might have been around the time my powers completely materialized," Christina said. "I had no idea what to do or what to expect. I was a mutant now, and I know how mutants are treated."
"Very harshly," Lucy said.
"Yeah, we know it must have been hard for you to tell us, but don't worry, we won't tell anyone else," Lana said. "This secrets stays with everyone in the room. We won't even tell the rest of our siblings."
"Well, we wouldn't mind if Lincoln knew, he's a very nice boy and he would keep the secret," Paige said. "Lily can know too, unless you think she might get scared."
"Actually, it'd be great to tell her, we'd show her early on that mutants aren't all troublemakers," Luan said. "But yeah, I don't feel comfortable telling Lori."
"Or Leni, she can't keep a secret," Lola said.
"Lynn would probably try to fight her," Lana said.
"And Lisa would treat this like a science experiment," Luna said.
"Even mom and dad shouldn't know," Lucy said.
"We really appreciate this," Paige said. "Thank you."
"It's all good," Luna said. "And we won't tell any of our friends either, not even Sam."
"If you want, you can tell her you met Christina without telling her who she is," Paige said. "Just in case you want to alleviate any worries she has."
"If I do that, she's just gonna wanna ask who Christina is, and if I keep it a secret, she might get ticked off at me," Luna said. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
"So, since you have superpowers, are you going to be a superhero?" Lana asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure," Christina said. "I mean, it sounds appealing but it also sounds troubling. I don't even have a name. What would I call myself, Microwave Girl? That's kind of weird."
"I agree, plus no one's gonna think Microwave with you anyway," Paige said. "Your powers make you seem bright."
"Yeah, like I'm covered in fire," Christina said. "Should I just call myself Fire Girl?"
"Well try a catchy saying like, your Fire burns bright like a Star," Lana said.
"Right, stars are burning, they're basically Great Balls of Fire," Luna said.
"Fire in the Stars huh?" Paige joked. "Wait, I think I know a good name!"
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Luna asked.
"Yeah...Christina can be called 'Firestar'!" Paige said.
"Um, actually...I was gonna say 'Starfire'," Luna said.
"That sounds nice, but for some reason, I feel like it's a name another hero would use," Paige said. "Plus, Firestar sounds unique."
"Firestar huh?" Christina said. "That...could work. Actually, I really like it. It sounds pretty."
"Sure sounds more creative than 'Spider-Man'," Lola said, earning some glares. "What? It's so lame. He couldn't be more unique with it? Like, what about Kid Arachnid."
"Wow, you know what an Arachnid is?" Lana joked.
"Hey we've been around Lisa's science talk to pick up a few phrases, even if it is just so irritating that she uses science terms to describe things," Lola said. "You know, the other day she called salt 'Sodium Chloride', like why can't she just say 'salt'?"
"You know Lisa, she loves to flex that big brain of hers," Lana said. "Well Christina, I wish you luck in becoming a hero. Maybe you can be Spider-Man's sidekick."
"Yeah, you'd be a pair of Amazing Friends," Luan said. "Maybe your team could grow and you'd form your own Avengers, you just need to find another member to really get going."
"Make sure it's someone Cool though," Lana said.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I still need to train my powers first, and come up with a costume," Christina said.
"Right...too bad we can't tell Leni," Luna said.
"Well, we can tell her, we just don't need to tell her who Firestar really is," Lola said. "Knowing Leni, she won't ask if we tell her it's a secret."
"Well then, let's get planning," Luan said. "Starting with catchphrases, according to Lincoln, heroes need cool catchphrases."
"Let's check his comics for any info," Lana said.
"Whoa, hold on, you know it's a bad idea to touch Lincoln's comics," Luna said. "He's very protective of them."
"Plus, remember when you messed with his game?" Lola asked. "It'd be worse if you mess with his comics."
"Wait, you messed with his game once?" Paige asked.
"Yeah, I lost his last life on Total Trash Takedown just when he got to the last level," Lana said.
"You what!?" Paige asked. "Wow, if it were me, I don't think I could ever forgive you, that game is super tough to get through."
"Well we made up, but yeah, he was pretty mad," Lana said. "On the bright side, it made me realize how fun games could be, and when he noticed my interest, he made me his official partner in other games, especially Battle Royals. Me and him are unstoppable in Duel Week."
"Pfft, probably because you never went against me," Paige said. "I could solo an entire squad, honestly I once won Squad Mode without teammates."
"You wanna bet?" Lana asked.
"Alright, don't get hyper competitive now," Luna said. "Save it for later."
"Right, sorry. Well as for the comics, he did give a few to Lily, let's just use those," Lana said. "And clue her in on Firestar."
"Wow, this is kind of exciting," Paige said. "How are you feeling?"
"Oddly optimistic," Christina said. "At least this way, I can not only learn to protect myself, but also others who need help."
"That's the spirit," Paige said. "Come on, lets check out those comics."
Meanwhile Lincoln had finally made his way back to where he first encountered the mutants. "Alright, now to find those other two guys, maybe-"
Suddenly Logan was flung through a Laundromat Window, taking Lincoln by surprise.
"Wow you've gotten soft since our last showdown, you need to sharpen your skills more, runt," Sabretooth taunted. He walked over and grabbed Logan by the shirt and flung him against a truck.
"Knock it off!" Lincoln rushed in and kicked Sabretooth, the villain using his claws against the walls to halt his momentum.
"You again, where's Toad?" Sabretooth asked.
"I took him down, now you're next!" Lincoln said, running to attack again, but took a punch to the jaw, sending him flying through a car window.
"Stupid kid," Sabretooth said. He went to attack again but Logan jumped on him from behind and jammed his claw into his opponent's shoulder.
"Son of a bitch!" Sabretooth grabbed Logan and angrily tossed him toward Lincoln, causing a collision that sent both flying.
"I really fucking hate that guy," Logan said, propping himself back up. "You alright there, kid?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lincoln said, briefly taking note of some damage Logan had taken, some blood on his clothes. It worried him but he seemed more distracted by Sabretooth. "That guy is relentless."
"Tell me about it," Logan said as Sabretooth got closer. "So, you took down Toad?"
"Yeah, the girl's safe too, and so is her friend," Lincoln said. "We just gotta stop this guy."
"Leave him to me," Logan said, readying his claws. "We go way back after all."
"Wait, let me help though," Lincoln said as Logan rushed at Sabretooth. Just as he was about to attack, Sabretooth jammed his claws through Logan's chest, Lincoln cringing at the brutal attack.
Logan returned the favor by jamming both his claws through Sabretooth's chest, and kicking to free himself, though not without a large wound covering his upper body.
Lincoln nearly puked, seeing the sight of all the blood that started to stain Logan's clothes, and seeing just how much blood came from the mutant villain as well.
"You're pissing me off, Logan!" Sabretooth rushed in and started clawing at Logan, getting him across the face and chest, Logan returning the favor with claw swipes of his own.
Lincoln couldn't believe how violent this fight was getting, and the blood he was seeing. This was so unlike his comics, things never got this bad with Ace Savvy, or a lot of comics that he read.
Logan got punched near Lincoln once again, the mutant standing up, paying little mind to his any of his injuries, even the ones that were still bleeding.
"You look really hurt," Lincoln said.
"It'll heal," Logan said. True to his word, his wounds closed, much to Lincoln's surprise.
"Wow..." Lincoln said.
Logan extended his claws, "Still ain't done with you, Creed!"
Suddenly some police sirens went off, "Actually, I'm done with you." Sabretooth's wounds also began to heal instantly. "We'll pick this up another time."
"I ain't letting you escape!" Logan rushed to attack but he got knocked back. Lincoln went to web him, but Sabretooth pulled the boy in and swiped his claws across the young hero's face, and immediately followed up with a kick that sent him flying toward a streetlight.
Sabretooth made his escape, leaving both Lincoln and Logan behind to tend to their own wounds.
"Damn..." Logan propped himself up, turning his attention to Lincoln. "You hurt kid?"
"I'll be fine," Lincoln said, checking his face. He too was bleeding a bit, and it freaked him out, but he didn't want to show weakness in front of Logan. "Who was he anyway?"
"His name's Victor Creed, but everyone calls him 'Sabretooth'," Logan said. "He's usually a mercenary for hire, but lately he's pledged his loyalty to a man named Magneto, a powerful mutant who plans to wipe out all of humanity for his own goal."
"This Magneto guy, is he stronger than Sabretooth?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, just about," Logan said. "There's a lot of powerful people in this world kid, like Loki, the villain who showed up in New York last year."
"Yeah, I know him," Lincoln said. "Weird, I always thought he and Thor were myths."
"You and everyone else," Logan said. "The world's full of dangerous people, yer strong but yer still young, I wouldn't advise you get into too much trouble. You did well to beat Toad, but don't go thinking you can handle any mutant now."
"I won't," Lincoln said. "What's your name by the way?"
"Most folks call me 'Wolverine'," the older mutant said. "But you can call me 'Logan'."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Logan," Lincoln said. Suddenly the cops had gotten closer. "I should get you out of here, the cops might pin this fight on you."
"I can handle that on my own," Logan said, standing up. "Stay out of trouble, Spider-Man."
He quickly made his escape, leaving Lincoln to himself a moment. He felt like a failure despite catching Toad, since the stronger one, Sabretooth, had gotten away. Lincoln felt powerless at the moment and worried what further damage a monster like that could doo.
Moments later, cop had shown up beside Lincoln, "You alright there Spider-Man?"
"Yeah...I'm fine," Lincoln said. "Sorry, one of the villains got away. There should be another one near 1216 Franklin Avenue."
"A squad should be on the way there, if they haven't arrived by now at least," the cop said. "So, how many mutants were there in total?"
"Just...two dangerous ones," Lincoln said.
"Two? Some witnesses said there were more," the cop said.
"Sort of...but they were just trying to protect themselves," Lincoln said. "Doesn't matter, they got away, I couldn't ID them."
"Well we'll keep a lookout," the cop said. "Meanwhile you should get that injury checked out."
"Crap, how am I gonna explain how I got hurt? Uh, maybe I can tell my sisters I fell," Lincoln nodded his head. "Sure, I will, thanks."
The cops began to leave, Lincoln being left alone for the moment. Though he was joined by Stella a second later.
"Hey, I saw the fight from a safe distance," Stella said. "Got pretty violent, like something out of a video game."
"Yeah, sure did..." Lincoln said, still a little weirded out. "This would never have happened in Ace Savvy."
"Yeah, but this isn't Ace Savvy," Stella said. "Things aren't going to be as tame."
"Funny, that guy before, his name's Logan by the way, he said hero comics were...well, he had not nice things to say. Guess this is why."
"Yeah, he's dealing with a monster," Stella said. "Probably why he's so grouchy."
"Got quite a mouth on him too," Lincoln said.
"Well, he's an adult, he can say certain words," Stella said.
"I'm used to it, Lynn's the same way, especially if my parents aren't around," Lincoln said. "Anyway, I should get home soon, my sisters are probably worried."
"I should get back too..." Stella shuddered a bit. "That was so scary though, that one monster was about to kill me. If it wasn't for Logan..."
Lincoln could see that Stella was bothered, makes sense since her life was in danger. Lincoln knows that feeling, having been through that trauma, even before he got his powers. He pulled Stella in for a hug, hoping to calm her worries.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Lincoln said. "I know Logan was, but you're my friend. It's my responsibility to keep you safe."
"It's fine," Stella said, returning the hug. "You had others to protect too. I shouldn't have been that close to the action."
After a few seconds, Lincoln pulled back, he and Stella briefly sharing a glance at each other, both of them feeling a bit strange and turning away from one another.
"Do you need me to walk you home?" Lincoln asked.
"I...would like that actually, thanks," Stella said.
"Just give me a moment to change out of my costume," Lincoln said. "I still need to also figure out how to hide my injury."
"Uh, your injury's gone," Stella said.
"Huh?" Lincoln checked a nearby car for the reflection, and saw that his injury was completely gone. "Wow, wasn't as fast as Logan's, but at least I can heal quicker than most humans."
"Lucky you," Stella said.
"Well, one less thing to explain," Lincoln said, about to switch out of his clothes. "Give me a second."
"Sure..." Stella waited near the car, still feeling weird about a moment ago. It seemed like for a second, she felt safe in Lincoln's arms, and a connection when they exchanged glance. "Is something changing between me and Lincoln? Why now though? When he has a girlfriend already? Maybe it's just adrenaline, but...I can't be sure yet. I hope it's nothing."
Nearby, Logan was on the phone, "Hey Chuck, I found the girl…Things got hectic though once Sabretooth and Toad showed up. Looks like Magneto's recruiting fer himself…At least she seems to trust me so I can try again another time, right now it's better to just leave her be…One more thing, I ran into Spider-Man…Not sure if he's a mutant to but, he seems adamant on playing superhero…I'll explain more once I get back. See you later."
Meanwhile in Great Lakes, Doctor Connors was on the phone with Carlos, "I will be seeing you soon for that dinner, I can't wait."
"Neither can I," Carlos said. "It's a great chance for our families to connect."
"Plus we can discuss more projects, like perhaps..." Suddenly Connors felt weird.
"Curt? Is something wrong?" Carlos asked.
"I'm fine, I just felt a bit dizzy, perhaps I am not fully hydrated," Connors said.
"Well better fix that," Carlos said. "Can't change the world unless you take care of your own wellbeing."
"Sure, I will see you later my friend," Connors said, hanging up the phone.
His dizziness started to really take over, the man feeling like the entire world was spinning and he was stuck in the middle as he collapsed and fell on his desk, accidentally scattering his work everywhere.
He tried standing but stumbled back against a corner, his mind racing and his heart pounding. Suddenly his skin started to transform into a scaly green, his eyes turning yellow, his teeth sharpening and a tail growing.
"What...is...happening!" Connors shouted, his voice sounding more distorted and aggressive. By the end of it all, Curt had checked a mirror, and immediately shattered it in shame and disgust. What was once Curt Connors, had become a Lizard.
While Royal Woods was temporarily free of mutant problems, Great Lakes may have troubles of its own soon.