In the town of Royal Woods, all seemed pretty normal, no hero and villain battles, no major drama, just a seemingly peaceful night.
However, in the midst of this, a mysterious figure was seen approaching a Bank's ATM. Holding his hand out, he used some electricity generating from his hand to access a saving's account and started depositing money out of it.
"Perfect, these powers are finally under better control, took long enough," the man said. Stepping into the light, it's seen that this was the Mayor's Former assistant, Vic.
Two weeks prior, Vic was seen driving a getaway car with bags of stolen money, trying to outrun the police in the countryside. He had gotten desperate in the years after losing his job in the mayor's office and resorted to various forms of theft to stay afloat.
Eventually he pulled over and retreated into a lightning field house, hoping for the heat to die down before he tried again.
However, this house's duty was active, as a storm was brewing overhead. At first Vic believed this meant that maybe the cops will leave if there's a storm, and he can finally make his clean getaway.
Then lightning began striking the house, much to Vic's worry. He wasn't sure how stable this place was and opted to leave, deciding to take a chance with the cops rather than the weather. Just before he left, the place got struck by lightning and was seemingly destroyed.
However, sometime after the wreckage, Vic emerged, dragging himself out and trying to stand back on his feet as lightning began to surround his body.
"What...is...happening!" Vic shouted in agony as lightning began flying out all around him, the fear of this newfound power overtaking him at first, until the realization of what he could do dawned on him. In that time he thought to master this ability before using it for bigger things.
Back to the present, Vic was still effortlessly using his powers to create a light path as he carried his newfound fortune.
"I thought after getting these powers, that I'd never be the same man again," Vic said, a sinister smile forming on his face. "Turns out, I'm even better than before. It won't be long before I have the fortune I deserve, and rule over these people like a God!"
That same night in Royal Woods, Rosa had dropped off Lincoln on the edge of town, the boy making his way out of the car and stretching his legs.
"The ride between Royal Woods and Great Lakes always feels so long," Lincoln said.
"Oh, have you gone to our city before?" Rosa asked.
"Uh, once or twice, for reasons..." Lincoln said, hoping she'd take it.
"You don't need to tell me, I know you superheroes have this big secret identity thing," Rosa said. "That's what I've figured from my grandson Carl and that El Falcon character he likes so much. Same with my granddaughter Ronnie Anne and this one guy, Ace Savvy."
"I personally like Ace Savvy myself," Lincoln said. "You granddaughter has good tastes."
"To me, it seems like she only likes it because of a friend of hers," Rosa said. "Really nice boy, big superhero fan."
"Ah, this boy must be a good friend," Lincoln said.
"Si, he is a good boy," Rosa said. "I sometimes wonder if my granddaughter likes him, she's a bit shy when it comes to emotions so she won't say anything."
"Uh...well maybe she just sees him as a friend," Lincoln said. "Just suggesting it."
"It's possible, maybe I just want to see that boy become her boyfriend, but if they stay only friends, that's fine too," Rosa said. "She's young, she's got plenty of time to figure that out."
"She seems really smart, I think she'll be fine," Lincoln said.
"I appreciate that," Rosa said. "I will be heading back now."
"Are you sure? It's kind of late," Lincoln said.
"It's fine, I don't mind the drive," Rosa said. "Good to clear my mind, plus traffic isn't too bad around this time. If there is a problem I can just stop off somewhere to sleep, I know of a few hotels. Adios, and thank you for your help today!"
Rosa began making her way back home while Lincoln swung through town, keeping an eye on everything.
"I hope there hasn't been much crime here, at least nothing the police couldn't handle alone," Lincoln said, swinging toward the park. "Hey Stella, are you awake?"
"Yeah, it's not that late," Stella said. "I actually picked up some Burpin' Burger if you want."
"You bet I do!" Lincoln said, swinging toward their secret base.
Lincoln had gone inside the makeshift home, one he still wished to decorate more, preferably with a few posters from Ace Savvy, David Steele and The Avengers.
"Hey Lincoln," Stella greeted, holding some food. "Got a double for you."
"Thanks," Lincoln said as he grabbed the burger. He took a huge bite, relishing in the taste. "Been too long since I had one of these."
"Glad you like it," Stella said. "The city must have been quite an adventure for you."
"Sure was," Lincoln said. "Little tough at first, Connors put up a fight the first time, but I managed to slow him down the next day, with a bit of help."
"I'm just glad you were able to cure him in time before Kraven took him down," Stella said. "And that you saved Sid."
"I hate that she was in danger in the first place, but yeah, as long as she's safe then that's all that matters," Lincoln said. "Ronnie Anne was pretty brave too, she's the one who injected Connors with the cure."
"Man, I kind of wish I was there for this," Stella said. "Hearing it over the phone just isn't the same, though watching it on replays is almost as good."
"Replays?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, they put it all over the news feed, plus a few people recorded the fight on their phone," Stella said, showing it off. "Some of it was your first fight, partially at least. Seems like people fled once things got too intense."
"I do remember one girl tried interviewing me," Lincoln said. "She probably went in to record some more."
"Carlota got some bits too, it's all over her blog," Stella said, showing it off. "A lot of it was selfies from when you were at the Casagrandes's apartment building."
"Huh? When did she do that?" Lincoln asked. "She's sneaky with that phone."
"That's people on social media, they always gotta go for the likes," Stella said. "Personally I hope this is just a fad that will go out of style one day."
"Really?" Lincoln asked. "That's surprising of you to say, I thought you liked tech."
"There's liking tech and being an attention hog," Stella said.
"But you were once obsessed with being cool in Middle School, remember when you didn't want me to do my magic show?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, not my best moment, but I've learned from it at least," Stella said. "Anyway what matters is that you really saved the day, Great Lakes owes you big time."
"It's all in a day's work," Lincoln said.
"Funny, you got your powers in Great Lakes, but this is the first time you fought crime there," Stella said. "I mean you've only been Spider-Man for a little bit so maybe it wasn't that long but still."
"Wait, spider..." Lincoln's eyes widened. "That reminds me, when I was at Doctor Connors's place, I saw something about radioactive spiders."
"You did?" Stella asked. "So does that mean..."
"The spider that bit me, it might be associated with Doctor Connors somehow," Lincoln said. "With all the excitement, I forgot to ask him about the spider, dang..."
"Well maybe you can next time, it might lead to some answers as to why a spider like that even existed," Stella said.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Lincoln said, taking a load off. "Listen, since we're still camping, do you want to just sleep here tonight?"
"Just the two of us?" Stella asked, feeling a bit strange. "Weird, I don't think we've ever done a sleepover before. Not alone that is."
"Hey if you're not comfortable, I can sleep on a building," Lincoln said. "I just can't go back home because my family will get suspicious."
"No, it's fine," Stella said. "I honestly felt kind of bad knowing you were sleeping so uncomfortably on the roof last night, it'd be much better if you slept indoors tonight."
"Good to know, because I feel kind of beat," Lincoln said. "Well, physically I can probably keep going but mentally, I need to catch some Zs."
"Yeah, understandable," Stella said. "Let's finish our dinner and turn in for the night."
Later on both Lincoln and Stella had begun drifting off to sleep, both on the floor on opposite sides of their room. Despite the hour and the exhaustion, especially for Lincoln, both teens couldn't help but acknowledge the rampant thoughts in their heads.
Lincoln couldn't help but think about what he heard from the Casagrandes, especially when it came to girls like Ronnie Anne and Stella.
He liked both of them, but he didn't feel any strong feelings towards either one. He did once consider Ronnie Anne, recalling their most intimate moment happening at Jean-Juan's Mex-French Buffet.
"Sometimes, I still can't believe I worked up the nerve to kiss Ronnie Anne that day, granted it was done to shut some bullies up, I will admit it wasn't too bad of a kiss. But, I just couldn't really see Ronnie Anne as more than a friend, not without effort. Maybe we were too young, or maybe it was weird since her brother is dating my sister. In the end, it didn't matter, she moved to Great Lakes, and given how poorly Lori took the move, I don't think I'd be much better. It bothered me enough to be distant from a friend, being distant from a girlfriend would have been even harder."
Another thought passed through Lincoln's head regarding his city friend.
"Gotta say, while I prefer Ronnie Anne as a friend, she's really gotten pretty since moving to Great Lakes. Maybe it's because she isn't scowling all the time, and she's actually happy. Not a mean type of happy, but genuinely happy to be around people she loves. She's just so much nicer too, it's easier to see the outer beauty when the inner beauty is just as amazing."
With Stella, he recalled the first day she came to town, and the immediate crush he developed on the taller girl. She wore different clothes at the time, likely due to her parents' suggestion. While not overbearing, they can be a bit strict on their daughter and would have been very likely to encourage that way of dressing.
"Stella hated the dress she had to wear the day I met her, along with the bow on her head. Honestly it wasn't that bad, she looked really cute, one of the reasons I developed a crush on her. But I like what she wore later, that star on her shirt became something of a signature look for her. Whenever she wears something, she tends to put a star on it. Fitting since the word Stella does mean 'Star' in Latin. Thinking about it, it's such a pretty name, fitting for the girl it belongs too."
Lincoln's eyes widened at what went through his head as thought more of her, coming to realize just the type of friend and partner Stella turned out to be.
"Stella...she's very smart and charismatic, and very pretty. Funny, I had a better first impression with her than Ronnie Anne. With Ronnie, my sisters gave me bad advice and it resulted in me getting punched in the eye. With Stella, they gave me good advice and she liked me right away. Guess they learned to trust me, that or they didn't care enough about Stella to care, and still hoped I could get with Ronnie Anne."
Lincoln shook his head, slightly ashamed of himself for such a thought.
"They wouldn't do that, my sisters like Stella. Well they had to get to know her first but, I think they really would have liked it if we hooked up. Though these days, Lori still wants me to be with Ronnie Anne, she's very critical of other girls too. Well, as long as she's not being outright mean, I mean Stella did say that Lori was willing to talk to her about a personal issue, so Lori's mature enough to not antagonize or scare away Stella. Not that I would let her, Stella is too precious to me to let go off."
Lincoln glanced back to the girl, who was still trying to sleep.
"To think, Stella is one of the few things that could have broken me and my friends apart. We all had a crush on her and tried asking her out. She wasn't interested in any of us though, I felt kind of bad for putting her through that. It worked out at least she's our friend, and someone I value deeply. Still, I do wonder what it would be like if we did hook up, would I be a good boyfriend? How would she be as a girlfriend? How would my friends react? How would my sister react? Is she even a good kisser? Closest is the CRP she gave me but that really doesn't count, mainly since I wasn't even conscious for it, and it was to save my life...wow, sometimes I forget that Stella actually saved me. I mean, I returned the favor a couple of times but still, that's really kind of her. She probably would make a good girlfriend."
Despite all these questions, Lincoln put them all aside right now, as they were basically moot points.
"It doesn't matter, far as I know, Stella isn't looking for a boyfriend. I don't think she's interested in being in a relationship, which is fine. She's already got her own issues, such as worrying about her developing body. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with her body. I would never say this out loud but she does have a nice body, I think she's blessed more than cursed. Wow...I would definitely sound like a pervert saying that. I like Stella for her personality though, her body is just icing on the cake. Plus she's pretty, even without a body like that she's worth dating."
Much as Lincoln did like entertaining the idea of Stella being girlfriend material, the boy did recall something very important.
"What am I even thinking anyway? I have a girlfriend, Emma! Geez, I can't believe I let myself get that lost in my thoughts. I really need to spend more time with Emma, she's a really nice girl, really sweet, caring, and loving. I can't give that up. Geez, if she knew what I was thinking, she'd dump me, and my sisters wouldn't like knowing I was thinking about another girl. Alright, I know what I need to do...at least I think I do. No, I know, I gotta do something nice for Emma the next chance I get."
Stella also recalled the gossip she heard from the Casagrandes, and had her own thoughts and worries.
"I can't believe half the stuff that Carlota and her brother Carl said, like I do not make it obvious I have a crush on Lincoln. It shouldn't be obvious because I don't! He's my friend, that's all there is to it. Is he a nice boy? Yes, he is. He's a very nice boy, very caring, thinks about others, including me, especially during my first day of Royal Woods, where he was the only boy who spoke to me and tried to make me feel welcome in town. He's very cute too, especially his chipped tooth smile...ugh, but I do not have a crush on him!"
The girl shook her head, trying to focus on sleep, but she couldn't ignore her feelings.
"Geez, why am I thinking so hard about this now? If I wanted to date Lincoln, I would have done so back when he tried asking me out. I just didn't like him that way, I didn't want a boyfriend, I just wanted friends. Lincoln and his friends looked really fun to hang out with, it didn't even cross my mind that they were boys, because I really didn't care. Thankfully it worked out, now they treat me like one of their own, though lately they have been glancing at me because of my body. I mean, I guess it's normal, they don't mean to be perverts, and they are trying to be respectful, it's not their fault that they feel attraction to something any boy would feel attracted to. I mean, Jordan goes through this too, her butt's pretty developed, probably about the same as mine, if not more, most of the boys seen to care more about my boobs if anything."
Despite all the excitement, Stella could not just forget about her insecurities about her body, not that she wanted to let it get to her.
"I wonder, does Lincoln stare? Is he infatuated with my body? Probably, but he at least tries to be respectful too. Not that I mind him staring, the fact that he still finds me attractive is kind of nice, and I know that if he did want to date me, he'd want more than my body. Besides, he's got a nice body himself, especially those muscles I felt when I gave him CRP. Oh wow, I actually did that to him, wonder if it counts as a kiss? Man, since finding out about Lincoln's secret, I felt so much closer to him and now I get to be around him more, helping him save the day. I feel so lucky to spend so much time with such a cute guy."
Stella's eyes widened in shock, amazed that she could not stop thinking about this.
"Come on Stella, Lincoln's taken! He's got a girlfriend, one I was perfectly fine with him getting! He's happy with her and...that's all that matters. Yeah, it's all that...ugh. It's no use, I can't help my feelings, and honestly, I feel some attraction to Lincoln. But, he's with Emma, and honestly he may not ever ask me out because of how long I kept him in the friend zone. He might not even have feelings for me, for all I know, he sees me as one of his sisters. It's my fault, I ruined my chances, all I can do is deal with it. I just hope I don't get too jealous though. Emma's a nice girl, and I can't see myself being mean to her or trying to sabotage their relationship. It'll be fine, crushes come and go, and so will this."
Meanwhile in Great Lakes, Ronnie Anne was looking out the window, still thinking about the events of today.
"You alright there, Ronnie Anne?" Sid asked, the girl standing by her friend.
"Yeah, I'm good," Ronnie Anne said.
"Crazy week, at least The Lizard's been defeated, though we both got heavily involved with the end of that fight," Sid said.
"I still feel an adrenaline rush, I mean...I just risked my life to apply an antidote," Ronnie Anne said.
"Which was totally badass by the way," Sid said. "Plus thanks to you, Doctor Connors is safe."
"I can't take all the credit, Spider-Man did most of the work after all," Ronnie Anne said. "You know, it's weird. Something about him just feels so familiar. I know we met before this but I still feel like there's more to him that should be familiar."
"You think you might know who he really is under that mask?" Sid asked.
"I can't say for sure, but it feels like it's there, like, you ever have that moment where you know something, it's at the tip of your tongue but you can't say it? That's me with Spider-Man," Ronnie Anne explained.
"Imagine if you did know, imagine if we both knew," Sid said. "We'd be the talk of the town, the girls who know Spider-Man's secret."
"Sid, if we let people know, villains are gonna target us for information," Ronnie Anne said.
"Oh right...and I'd probably blab it all," Sid admitted. "Didn't you compare Spider-Man to Lincoln though?"
"Sort of, I mean, I know Lincoln can't be Spider-Man, I just can't see him doing the stuff Spidey does," Ronnie Anne said. "I mean, if he did, wouldn't he have used his powers sooner? Especially back when I bullied him?"
"Maybe he doesn't like to hit girls?" Sid said.
"Lincoln's gotten into physical fights with his sisters, mostly Lynn, he's not afraid to hit a girl," Ronnie Anne said.
"Eh, if it's his sisters, some of whom are stronger than him anyway, he probably wouldn't hold back because they'd pound him if he did," Sid said.
"Okay but then he'd use his powers on them, wouldn't he?" Ronnie Anne said.
"Probably not, he doesn't want to really hurt them, they're still his sisters," Sid said. "If he had these powers back when you bullied him, he still wouldn't use them, because you're a girl who wasn't his sister, plus socially it would make him look bad if he hit a girl."
"I would hate it if I got pitied because Lincoln hit me for bullying him, like if I'm tough enough to bully him, I'm tough enough to handle a punch," Ronnie Anne said.
"Didn't he hurt your feelings and make you cry once though?" Sid asked. "That's what Bobby said happened."
"Pfft, he's exaggerating," Ronnie Anne insisted, not that Sid believed her. "Look, point is I just can't see Lincoln as Spider-Man. It might just be a boy with a similar personality though, if anything we can keep a lookout for that."
"You might be right, honestly if Lincoln was Spider-Man, I think he would have told us," Sid said. "Or at least, he would have told you since you're one of his best friends."
"You really think he would?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Of course, if he got powers, you and Clyde would have been the first to know," Sid said.
"Well yeah, Clyde's understandable, those two are bros," Ronnie Anne said.
"You and Lincoln are bros too," Sid said, then realized that sounded weird. "Well, not bros per say but something close to that."
"I know what you mean," Ronnie Anne said. "Guess we can worry about it later, honestly I kind of want to hit the sack."
"Same, I should head upstairs," Sid said.
"Hold on," Ronnie Anne said. Once she had Sid's attention, she pulled her best friend into a hug. "Never got to say this but, you really had me worried today when you got taken hostage, I'm really glad you're safe, I'd hate it if something bad happened to you."
Sid was a bit surprised by the sudden affection, but understood it and slowly returned the hug, "You're sweet, thanks Ronnie Anne. I'm sorry I got myself into that."
"As long as you're safe," Ronnie Anne said, pulling away. "But next time, please stay close to me. Unless I'm the one in danger, and in that case, you run."
"Huh? I'm not gonna ditch you if you're in danger!" Sid said.
"Please Sid, I'd be ten times more worried if you were caught than if I was," Ronnie Anne said.
"So it's okay for me to worry? Not a chance, you and I go together," Sid said. "You and I are basically soul mates, we handle things together. Plus we go better as a team."
"I guess, alright, we'll worry about that if the time comes," Ronnie Anne said.
"Got that right," Sid said. "Hey, let's listen to one Twelve is Midnight song before we sleep, should help us ease our minds."
"With you, totally," Ronnie Anne said, going with her best friend to her room.
Meanwhile Lori was thinking over the events of today while she sat at the kitchen table, glad it was all resolved but worried about how bad things could have gotten.
She hates to admit it, but Spider-Man did seem to help. What bothered her was just how infatuated Ronnie Anne seemed with the webbed hero. She's still hoping to see her end up with Lincoln, she does not want any more distractions from that.
"You alright babe?" Bobby asked.
"I'm fine, still a bit shaken up," Lori said.
"I don't blame you, but Spider-Man saved the day, so it's all good," Bobby said.
"I'm still surprised he made his way out here, it just seems so weird," Lori said.
"He probably just heard about the monster and came to help," Bobby said. "He's a superhero, that's what they do."
"I guess..." Lori said. "Well I did text my family, they're relieved to know that there's nothing to worry about."
"Your family's been through a lot thanks to these villains," Bobby said.
"It's just so weird, I mean we've met shady people before, but the most dangerous until now was that woman, Morag," Lori said. "It's just frustrating too. I mean, Lincoln and my sisters act indestructible because we went against a woman with her dragon. They act like they can handle anything, but something about these villains just seemed scarier. Dangerous as that dragon was, in the end she was just under mind control, and without the dragon, Morag had no power. Guys like Shocker, Vulture, those mutants and now The Lizard, they all have actual powers. I mean, I know Connors is cured and we don't have to worry about the Lizard, but there could be others like him. I mean, can you imagine being in New York last year with those aliens? I would be terrified if that happened in Royal Woods. No way my family could handle something like that!"
"That's why we should be relieved that superheroes that are willing to protect us," Bobby said. "We got The Avengers, we got Spider-Man, even that Kraven guy came to town to help."
"Kraven? He's a glory hog, not a superhero," Lori said. "Mrs. Chang outright despised him for endangering Sid."
"...Yeah, good point, kind of hate that myself," Bobby said. "But still, Spider-Man's good at least."
"Even I would take him over Kraven, but barely," Lori said. "I just can't help but feel like that kid's a type of fraud."
"Come on babe, he's just a nice guy who wants to do the right thing," Bobby said. "Can't argue with today's results."
"I guess not," Lori said. "I'll think about it."
"Cool," Boby said. "Well anyway, I'm gonna head back to my place if you want to come."
"Can we see Adelaide first? Make sure she's alright," Lori said.
"Oh, good idea, I can even get something from the Mercado for her," Bobby said.
"Isn't it closed?" Lori asked.
"Babe, my family owns it, I can go in and get it with no problem," Bobby insisted. "I know her favorite snack, it will keep her cheered up."
"That's sweet that you know what she likes," Lori said.
"You can thank Carlota, she does babysit Adelaide from time to time," Bobby said. "I do too, she's a sweetheart, just like her sister, and just like Ronnie Anne."
"It's like having multiple siblings," Lori said.
"Sure is, except I'm not the oldest out of us Changs, Santiagos and Casagrandes," Bobby said. "Guess that makes me more like Leni than you."
"Well like Leni, you are very easy going, especially compared to me and Carlota," Lori said. "Gotta say, Leni's done a great job as the oldest sibling while I was away. Things really changed over the years and I'm happy everyone's adapting."
"Do you miss living at home?" Bobby asked.
"...Sometimes, but life goes on," Lori said. "I wasn't going to stay there forever after all. Even you moved away eventually."
"Yeah, tough choice, but I'm happy with it," Bobby said. "Anyway, let's go get Adelaide that snack."
"Sure, lets," Lori said, following her boyfriend.
That morning in Royal Woods, Lincoln was slowly waking up from his sleep. He looked ahead and saw that Stella was right next to him, the two were face to face.
The boy laid there frozen, wondering how long Stella had been right next to him, when it happened, if she was even aware that she moved.
"Don't make a fuss Lincoln, just back away slowly, maybe Stella rolled over here by mistake," Lincoln was about to move but the boy seemed smitten "Gotta say, she's really cute up close. Ugh, what am I thinking? This is my friend!"
Slowly Stella herself opened her eyes, the two locking contact with one another before the star shirt girl had jumped back. "Whoa!"
"Uh...hey, good morning," Lincoln nervously said. "How'd you sleep."
"Fine...just fine," a very awkward Stella said. "What in the world just happened? How did I get so close to Lincoln?"
"Quick, keep the subject moving," Lincoln said to himself. "So, we should probably go back home today. I suggest going around noon so that it seems more believable."
"Yeah, good idea," Stella said. "What time is it now?"
"It's...10:37 a.m., we got time," Lincoln said.
"I have some breakfast in a mini fridge, you can have a bowl of cereal or some yogurt," Stella said.
"Kind of hoped for some bacon and eggs, but I suppose it's hard to do without a pan," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, maybe we should expand this base more, if we keep at it, it can really be like a home away from home, and not just some place to do hero work in secret" Stella said.
"We'll add that on our to-do list, now let's eat," Lincoln said.
A few hours later, after having lunch together, both Lincoln and Stella had returned home, the latter happy to be back in her own house and her own bed while the former stood before his house.
He had to wonder what happened while he was gone, how the house managed without him being there. He's of course been away from home before, such as going on camping trips prior for an extended period, and by comparison, he wasn't away that long.
But given all that happened in Great Lakes, it sure felt like a long time to him, and truthfully he's happy to be back home, and just wants to be sure his entire family was safe and sound.
He knocked on the door before going in anyway, just to get everyone's attention. "Hey! I'm back!"
"Linky!" Came Lola's voice, the girl running down the stairs and grabbing her brother in a hug. "So good to see you, big brother!"
"Somehow Lola's kinder nature is still foreign to me, not that it bothers me. Meli and Cricket must be great influences," Lincoln returned the hug. "You too Lola."
"Lincoln!" Lana rushed over for a hug as well. "How was the trip!? Was it fun!?"
"It was definitely exciting," Lincoln said.
"Did you see any cool animals?" Lana asked.
"Well, I saw a really big lizard, kind of creeped me out," Lincoln said.
"A lizard? A big one? Lucky," Lana said.
"Lucky? He just said it creeped him out, not that I blame him, lizards suck," Lola said.
"Your face sucks!" Lana shouted, irritating Lola.
Lincoln was quick to step between the two, not eager to deal with a twin fight. "Come on girls, please don't start. The lizard thing wasn't too bad in the end, it just took me some getting used to. Also Lola's face doesn't suck, it's very pretty."
"Ha! Linky says I'm pretty!" Lola said, then tapped her cheek. "You earned the right to kiss me."
"Sure," Lincoln placed a quick kiss on his sister's cheek, getting a blush from the girl.
"Hey no fair! I want a kiss from Lincoln!" Lana said.
"Since when do you like kisses from anyone aside from your frogs?" Lola asked. "Plus I bet your face is dirty, you'll give Linky a disease."
Lincoln couldn't deny that the older twin didn't exactly have great hygiene, but he could tell the statement bothered her a bit. "Well I don't want Lana to be left out." Moving quicky he left a kiss on her cheek as well, earning a satisfied grin from the girl.
"The things you do for our sisters, Linky," Lola said. "But that's what makes you a good brother. If only certain sisters could see it that way."
"Come on, Lola, give out sister some credit," Lincoln said. "We're the Loud Siblings, and we all have each other's back, no matter what."
"You would turn your back on Lola?" Lana asked.
"Well that could be taken two ways," Lincoln said. "I wouldn't turn my back on Lola, because I wouldn't abandon her. But honestly, I trust her more nowadays, she's actually gotten nicer."
"What do you mean, 'Gotten Nicer', I've always been nice," Lola said, earning a look of disbelief from Lana and Lincoln. "Okay fine, maybe I was a tiny bit bratty once."
"Tiny bit?" Lana asked.
"Go easy, Lana," Lincoln said. "Look, let's not get into this again. Hard to focus on the future while dwelling too much on the past."
"Wow, that was really insightful, Linky," Lola said.
"Learn that from a superhero?" Lana asked.
"I may have heard it in a comic somewhere," Lincoln said. "Point is, Lola's grown, and I'm proud of how great of a girl she's turning into. I just want to see her maintain that momentum."
"I'll keep doing my best," Lola said. "I'm glad at least one sibling has faith in me."
"Speaking of siblings, where are the others?" Lincoln asked.
"Lily's probably napping, otherwise she'd be here before either of us," Lola said. "Lisa's in her room, probably didn't even hear you come in, and Leni's at work right now. The rest of the sisters should be in the backyard, helping dad move some new satellite he recently bought."
"New satellite?" Lincoln asked.
"It's supposed to get him a lot of extra channels or something, got it at a cheap price somewhere," Lana said. "Mom thinks he got scammed but we'll find out."
"Alright, let's go see our parents and sisters," Lincoln said.
"Oh, by the way, not sure if you know but that lizard from Great Lakes, it got defeated," Lana said. "And you'll never guess who came to take it down!"
Lincoln of course knew the answer, but decided to humor his little sister, "Was it Iron Man?"
"Even better, Spider-Man did it!" Lana said.
"What do you mean, 'even better'?" Lola asked. "Are you suggesting some scrawny so-called hero is better than the product of Stark Industries, led by one of the richest men in the world?"
"Hey, Iron Man's cool, and I'd love to tinker with his suit," Lana said. "But I like that Spidey's becoming more known, and venturing out to do cool stuff. He's a loyal Royal Woods superhero, it's nice that our town has someone like that doing good, gives us a good reputation in a way, and it gives Spidey more time to shine."
"Well on the bright side, maybe he'll move," Lola said.
"Uh, do I need to remind you that he's saved our lives? Multiple times on different occasions?" Lana said. "And here Lincoln said you were turning into a good girl."
"Hey, I'm allowed to have opinions!" Lola said.
"Look, let's head outside," Lincoln said.
"Okay," the twins said, following Lincoln said.
Outside Lynn Sr was moving the antenna, though not without struggle. Thankfully Luna, Luan and Lynn were providing much needed assistance, especially the latter.
"I still don't think this is a good idea, Lynn," Rita said.
"Honey, it's fine, I know what I'm doing," Lynn Sr insisted.
Lincoln stuck his head out the back door, "I'm home!"
"Lincoln!" Luna said, rushing to greet her brother, Luan doing the same, both dropping the satellite, and causing Lynn Sr to lose his balance.
"Lincoln, welcome back!" Luan greeted.
"Salutations big brother," Lucy said.
"How was the trip?" Luna asked.
"Enlightening," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln! You're home!" Rita said, making her way over to hug her son. "Sooner than I thought too, sorry I don't know if I have anything for you. We made some spaghetti and meatballs last night and saved some for you."
"But Lynn decided to be a hog and eat the rest," Luna said.
"What can I say?" Lynn said, she too leaving her father alone with the satellite. "I needed to keep up the protein. Not my fault you went camping."
"You're so full of it," Luna said.
"It's fine, Stella and I stopped off and grabbed some burritos, so I'm good," Lincoln said.
"How is Stella doing?" Lola asked.
"She's going great, she seemed to enjoy herself on the trip as well," Lincoln said. "She sends her regards."
"I'm glad you two had fun," Rita said, then saw her husband struggling. "Give me a moment kids, I should help your father before he throws his back out."
Once the mother of eleven left, Lynn immediately turned to Lincoln, a devious look in her eyes, "So, spill it, what went down between you and Stella?"
"Huh? What do you mean 'went down'?" Lincoln asked.
"You went on a camping trip with a girl," Lynn said. "A pretty girl, with big boobs."
"Lynn!" Lola scolded.
"Hey you've seen her body, she developed young," Lynn said, the girl now feeling envious. "Lucky."
"Well yeah, but you don't need to point it out like that," Lola said.
"Eh, not the point anyway, point is Lincoln, is that you and a pretty girl went camping," Lynn said. "So, did anything happen?"
"Of course she would act like this, the sad thing is that she probably isn't too far off since Stella and I had a weird moment this morning, but she doesn't need to know that," Lincoln shook his head. "No, nothing happened."
"Nothing at all?" Lynn asked.
"You know I have a girlfriend right?" Lincoln said.
"Yeah, Linky wouldn't cheat on Emma," Lola said.
"Hey, I see it more as him keeping his options open," Lynn said.
"Wow, you're so terrible," Luna said.
"At least Lincoln can rely on me for honesty," Lynn said. "But seriously, I find it hard to believe you didn't feel anything being with a cute girl like that, even if you are dating another."
"Does it matter?" Lincoln asked. "I'm with Emma and I refuse to be disloyal to her. Anyway shouldn't you be helping dad out?"
"Oh right, dad," Luna said. "Lincoln, mind giving us a hand?"
"Sure," Lincoln said, going with his sisters to help his father.
"Hey son, glad you're back, can't wait to hear about your trip," Lynn Sr said. "Let's just get this satellite back up."
"Why is it so heavy anyway?" Luan asked.
"Well it is pretty big, hopefully iy doesn't fall through the roof," Luna said.
"We'll be fine, now, lift!" Lynn Sr said, having a much easier time. "Huh, feels lighter now."
"Yeah, same here," Luna said.
"Told you putting your back into it was a good idea," Lynn said. "Ironically by lifting more with your legs than your back."
"I gotta be careful with my powers," Lincoln noted. "Don't want to raise suspicion."
A bit later, Lincoln had gone inside and made his way to the shared room of Lisa and Lily. He could see the former working on another experiment and the latter perfectly asleep.
"Hi Lisa, I'm back," Lincoln greeted.
"Ah, greetings elder brother," Lisa said. "How was your trip?"
"Interesting to say the least," Lincoln said. "Had to learn a bit about lizards and stuff."
"That's nice, good that you're really going all in with your scientific endeavors," Lisa said. "If you practice enough, I might let you assist me in my experiments. Without being a test subject at least."
"How kind," Lincoln said, somewhat sarcastically. He then approached the side of Lily's bed, gently stroking the head of the young girl. "Has Lily been good?"
"Very good, though she has missed your presence," Lisa said. "Her admiration for has become a source of envy for some of our other sisters."
"It's not meant to be a competition, any of our sisters could form this kind of bond," Lincoln said.
"Despite that, you, our only male sibling, managed to capture her attention more than any of us did, even Leni," Lisa said. "Don't get me wrong, not like all our sisters are mad or anything. Helps that you have that bond with them too, and some sisters do have others that they're close with. Like the bond between Luna and Luan, helps being roommates."
"I remember when Lily was my roommate, only for like a day though," Lincoln said. "It wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't chew all my comics, make noise at night and...you know, that thing babies would do since they weren't potty trained."
"You mean poop?" Lisa said. "Honestly Lincoln, it's a normal human function, don't treat it like a taboo."
"Well some might be for her age," Lincoln thought to himself.
"For what it's worth, sexual reproduction shouldn't be a talk of taboo either," Lisa said.
"L-Lisa!" Lincoln scolded.
"Lincoln, aside from Lily, all our sisters know what sex is, again, not a big deal," Lisa said. "Animals, including humans, need it to keep our species going."
"That's...one way to put it," Lincoln said. "Still, all our sisters?"
"Well Lucy and Lola might not know either, they might have an idea since they hear just about everything in the house," Lisa said. "Lana has a lot of pets and she's likely seen them doing intercourse. She figured it out on her own through that."
"Really? No one tried telling her the animals were just 'playing'?" Lincoln asked.
"Lana's not as dumb as she acts, she figured it out," Lisa said. "Some of our sisters are very keen eyed."
"Something I'm gonna need to beware of, otherwise my secret identity is as good as scrapped," Lincoln thought to himself. "Well I was hoping to talk to Lily but I don't want to disrupt her nap...especially in the middle of talk like this."
"She's gonna find out eventually," Lisa said.
"Yes, when she's old enough," Lincoln said. "I'd like to keep one of our sisters pure of mind."
"Again, Lincoln, stop treating it like a taboo, it's science, nothing more," Lisa said.
"Lisa, while you're technically correct, it's more than science, it's about love," Lincoln said.
"Tch, not the way Lynn talks about it," Lisa said.
"Lynn is...Lynn," Lincoln said. "Just promise you'll be careful with this topic around her."
"Not like I bring it up, willy-nilly," Lisa said. "I only did it because we were on the topic, and I had a feeling it was on your mind anyway."
"...You never learned to read minds, did you?" Lincoln asked.
"I can't read minds, but I can read you sometimes," Lisa said. "Look, don't worry, even if I don't see the big deal, I know it is to others, especially our parents. I shudder to think what they would do if I told Lily they themselves probably want to tell her at the age they deem appropriate."
"Well point is, Lily may have been troublesome then, but these days, I wouldn't mind having her as a roommate," Lincoln said.
"Don't get too carried away, Lily still has her moments," Lisa said. "She tends to hum or sing a lot, sometimes off key, and can be very restless some nights, and will either start drawing or playing loudly with her toys. I've gotten used to it but it would take some adjusting for you."
"Well, I'd still wouldn't be too against it, not that it would probably happen but if I had a choice, Lily would be at the top," Lincoln said. "No offense to you, Lisa."
"None has been taken," Lisa said.
"Well I'll let her sleep some more," Lincoln said, turning to Lily and placing a kiss on her head. "See you later, Lil."
"Linky..." Lily said in her sleep, a faint blush appearing on her face.
Lincoln left the room, leaving Lisa to herself, the girl chuckling a bit, "It's amazing how he just brings that happiness out of our sisters. Honestly, kind of want to see why, what is it about our male sibling that brings out security our female siblings simply cannot?"
As Lincoln made his way to his room, he overheard Luna and Luan coming upstairs. "I wonder if they could..." He turned his attention to the two. "Luna? Luan?"
"Oh hey bro, need something?" Luna asked.
"Hey, can I talk to you two in private? It's...girl stuff," Lincoln said.
While both of them immediately wanted to gush, wondering what their brother had to say, they also knew that if they weren't careful, they could scare him off.
"Sure, come with us," Luan said.
"Thanks," Lincoln said, looking around a bit before following the two to their shared room, closing the door behind him.
"So, what's up little bro?" Luna asked.
"First, please don't let this reach our other sisters, especially Lynn and Lori," Lincoln said.
"Your secret is safe with us," Luan said.
"And promise you won't be too mad at me when I tell you what's on my mind," Lincoln said.
"Mad?" Luna asked. From what she can deduce, Lincoln seemed really bothered by something, if his demeanor was any indication. "Well, it might depend on what you say but, I promise I will keep a cool head."
"I'll take that," Lincoln said. "So, you know I like Emma, and that I'm happy with her, don't you?"
"You sure seem like you do," Luna said.
"I feel strong physical attraction to her too, to the point that...when I hug her, I feel...strange," Lincoln said.
"Wait, is this what you're worried about?" Luan asked. "That's a normal reaction for boys, Lincoln."
"Yeah, you're at that age," Luna said. "I mean, you're still young so don't get too carried away but I know you're a smart kid so I don't have to worry about that."
"I touched her butt once, by accident, does that count as getting carried away?" Lincoln asked.
"Eh...sort of, though stuff like that can happen," Luan said. "But I suppose you could have done more...like...stuff."
"Wait, do you want to do that?" Luna asked.
"N-no, not yet at least," Lincoln said.
"Well that definitely delay's Sam's desires at least," Luna thought to herself. "So, you're cool with your emotions? Or is it that you don't want to, but your body is betraying you?"
"It's not really about that at all, and it's more than just Emma," Lincoln said. "During the trip, at one point...I found myself attracted to Stella."
"Oh..." Luan's eyes widened in realization. "Ooooh! So is that it then? You thought Stella looked nice?"
"Yeah...this morning she looked really cute when she was asleep and...I almost wanted to kiss her," Lincoln said. "I felt really bad because one, she's my friend and not looking for a boyfriend, and two, I'm dating Emma. I really like Emma but Stella looked cute too."
"That is tricky," Luna said. "Well, first thing's first. Don't be too hard on yourself. I get that you feel guilty but it's not the worst thing in the world."
"Even though I found another girl cute?" Lincoln asked.
"Did you do anything? Like kiss Stella? Or hit on her?" Luan asked.
"No way, I couldn't hurt Emma like that," Lincoln said.
"Then that's good, it shows you care about her," Luan said.
"Still, I found Stella attractive, I feel really terrible about that," Lincoln said.
"It can happen, I mean remember how much Lori liked Hugh?" Luna asked. "She was dating Bobby but gushing over your tutor."
"We all did," Luan sheepishly admitted.
"She liked him but stayed loyal to Bobby," Luna said. "Well, to the best of her ability, honestly I don't recall her expressing any remorse over liking Hugh. Kind of terrible when you think about it."
"Sounds like a Hugh-Ge, disappointment, hahaha, get it?" Luan joked. "But seriously, that is pretty bad."
"Well how about that Lincoln, you're a step ahead of Lori, even though you and Emma weren't even dating as long as Lori and Bobby at the time," Luna said.
"I want to be more than a step ahead, I need to figure out how to not find Stella attractive," Lincoln said.
"That might be hard, I mean Stella's very pretty, and she's nice too," Luan said.
"But, it's not impossible, just focus more on Emma's qualities," Luna said. "Look, even I sometimes see a cute boy or girl, and I know it's risky because I don't want to hurt Sam."
"Same here, I see lots of cute boys, even though it could hurt Benny," Luan said. "So I get the temptation."
"What should I do?" Lincoln asked.
"Well I'm no expert, for me I could just brush the other person off since I actually know Sam as opposed to any of them," Luna said. "But...Stella is your friend."
"Just remind yourself that Stella doesn't see you that way," Luan said. "Even though I don't get why she wouldn't, I mean she knows you and you're a cute boy so I don't get why-"
"Luan, not the time," Luna said.
"R-right," Luan said. "Point is Lincoln, just remember that Emma wants to date you, and Stella just wants to be friends."
"Alright, thanks for hearing me out," Lincoln said.
"No prob, hey we know how hard dating can be, and you're still new and want to do a good job," Luna said. "Good to get your worries out in the open."
"Yeah, you can trust us with anything," Luan said.
"Glad to hear," Lincoln said, making his leave. "See you girls later."
"Bye Linc," Luna said. "Come back to us any time."
"Will do," Lincoln said, exiting the room.
"Wow...our little brother's really growing up," Luan said.
"Yeah, he's really taking his relationship seriously, I can respect that," Luna said.
"Still, his attraction to Emma...you think the two will...you know?" Luan said.
"I think Lincoln's too young for that, I mean it's up to him in the end but he should wait until he's eighteen or something," Luna said. "Maybe older."
"Ironic, neither of us waited that long," Luan said, the girl blushing. "I still can't believe me and Benny did what we did."
"Do you feel any regrets?" Luna asked.
"No, not really," Luan said. "I mean, maybe a little, I can't tell if we rushed it. We only got the idea because he got so excited seeing you and Sam topless."
"Oh yeah, sorry if I accidentally flashed your boyfriend," Luna said.
"It's fine, at least I was on his mind that night," Luan said, the girl blushing at the memory. "He was really gentle too. Honestly, that bond really was special."
"You did use protection, right?" Luna asked.
"Of course, so it all worked out," Luan said.
"Well glad you enjoyed it," Luna said.
"What about you and Sam?" Luan asked.
"Yeah, it was special for us too," Luna said, the girl blushing at the memory. "She's a little freaky though."
"Well at least you enjoyed yourself," Luan said. "Funny how we both experienced this at the same time."
"At this rate, we'll end up getting married at the same time," Luna said.
"Heh, imagine that, a double wedding," Luan said. "You know, I kind of want to see Benny now."
"I want to see Sam, let's call them, hang out a bit," Luna said. "Just...don't expect us to rile him up again."
"I won't expect you, but Sam did seem to have fun teasing him," Luan said.
"She'll dial it back," Luna said. "Come on, let's call them."
In his room, Lincoln seemed a bit relieved, "Glad I could talk to Luna and Luan, they're really good listeners, and they're good at keeping secrets for me." Lincoln looked to his web shooters, "Wonder if I should...no, that's too much. Telling them about my teen troubles is way different than telling them I have superpowers. I'll wait a bit on that." He then heard a knock on his door. "Come in!"
Opening up was his youngest sister, the girl with a wide smile on her face, "Linky!"
"Oh Lily, you're aw-OOF" Lincoln was interrupted by his sister's glomp. "Wow, you're so happy."
"I missed you! Tell me all about your trip!" Lily said.
"Sure, I will," Lincoln said. "Gotta word this carefully and believably. Kind of wish I could tell Lily sometimes but she might not be able to keep a secret."
Later that night, the Loud siblings are seen testing out the TV that their father installed. So far it looked good but the feed was a bit wonky.
"I don't think dad got a good deal, at all," Lynn said.
"Where did he even get the satellite thingy?" Leni asked.
"Not sure, that might be part of the problem, he got it from some random place," Luna said.
"Maybe it'll work out," Lincoln said.
Outside the Loud House, Vic was seen charging up some electricity, "With my new powers, I can finally have revenge on this family for all the trouble they've caused, especially that little brat Lincoln Loud and his annoying sister Leni. It's time for me to take charge."
While the siblings were watching TV, Vic went to work, using his powers to affect the electricity all around the house, starting with the TV going haywire.
"Huh? What's going on?" Lola wondered, then noticed the lights flickering. "And why are the lights going weird?"
"Great, it's probably this stupid satellite, it's messing with the rest of our stuff!" Lynn shouted in annoyance.
In the kitchen, many electric appliances started turning on, to the confusion of The Loud Parents.
"What in the ding-dang world?" Lynn Sr said, going to check on his blender, the machine going haywire as the microwave started freaking out as well.
"Still think that satellite was a good deal?" Rita said.
"I don't think it's that," Lynn Sr said, the ice machine suddenly blasting him in the face, much to his annoyance. "Lisa! Is one of your machines doing this!?"
"I don't think so, my machines are all turned off..." Lisa's eyes widened in worry. "Gah, but what if they too are being affected by such a strange turn of events."
Lisa quickly ran upstairs as the fans and lamps started acting weird as well.
"Hey Lucy, is this some type of spirit thing?" Lana asked, the girl somewhat worried.
"I don't sense any spirits," Lucy said, focusing her mind. "Though, maybe I should try to see if that's why."
"Oh great, just what we need, prankster ghosts," Lola said, freaking out the moment a spark went off near her. "Luna, did you leave something plugged in!?"
"What are you blaming me for?" Luna asked, then heard her music gear going off in her room. "I gotta check on my things!"
Lincoln looked very confused, wondering if something or someone was causing this. He looked outside and spotted what was to him a mysterious hooded figure using some electricity.
"Is that a mutant? I should look into this," while everyone was distracted, Lincoln quietly switched into his hero gear.
"Ha! Take that louds! I bet you're all freaked out right now, yeah I'm only getting started," Vic said. "When this is over, you're gonna end up with nothing, living on the streets like I had to do!"
"Stop right there!" Lincoln shouted, this getting the villains' attention. "Is that Vic? The Mayor's former assistant? Wait, when did he get superpowers? Did he always have them? Was he always a mutant?"
"Well if it isn't The Amazing Spider-Man!" Vic said. "Figured I'd run into you sooner or later."
"What are you doing here?" Lincoln asked. "And why are you terrorizing m-this family's house!?"
"It's personal kid, so do me a favor, and stay out of my way," Vic said, generating more power. "Then again, might be smart to get rid of you now, don't want you thwarting my plans to take back my city!"
Vic attempted to blast Lincoln, the boy immediately rolling out of the way and trying to web his new rival. Vic leapt into the sky, sending a blast of electricity down that Lincoln backflipped away from.
"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Vic flew in to attack some more, trying to land a blow, but Lincoln was fast and got a kick in.
"Just give up!" Lincoln said.
"I'm not letting you get in my way either!" Vic sent a blast of electricity, zapping Lincoln, stunning him briefly, before taking a kick to the face.
"This guy's getting annoying," Lincoln said, dusting himself off.
"Had enough?" Vic taunted, taking a punch from Lincoln.
"I have super strength, you jerk!" Lincoln shouted.
"Ow...that kind of hurt..." Vic said. "Gotta move fast!" Channeling a bunch of electricity, he drained the entire neighborhood of its power and sent a massive blast at Lincoln, one powerful enough to send him flying.
"That'll show him!" Vic said, then stumbled a bit. "Took some damage though, plus I get the feeling cops will be here soon, I should scram for now."
Vic made his escape through a phone wire, savoring his temporary victory.
Meanwhile Lincoln was dusting himself off when he felt something strange going on with his web shooters.
"Huh?" Lincoln tried using his webs but they wouldn't come out. He tried some more, resulting in the device exploding, Lincoln quickly removing the web shooters and tossing them to the ground. "Great..."
Back at the Loud House, Lynn Sr is seen grumbling in annoyance as the families got some candles out. "I'm telling you; it wasn't my satellite."
"LOUDS!" Grouse shouted from next door.
"Of course, the moment there's a major blackout, we get blamed for it," Lynn Sr lamented.
"Well it has happened to us, thanks especially to Luna, Leni and Lincoln," Lynn said.
"Can it..." Luna looked around. "Say where is Lincoln?"
They heard the door open, Lincoln on the other side, out of his costume, but hair all frizzy. "Hi."
"Son, what happened?" Lynn Sr asked.
"Uh...I went to check on the electric box outside...and I got zapped," Lincoln said, hoping they would buy it.
"Son, I appreciate the initiative, but that thing's dangerous, you could have really gotten hurt!" Lynn Sr said.
"Right, sorry dad," Lincoln said, relieved they bought his story. "Now we have a new problem though..."
Next day in Great Lakes, Ronnie Anne and Sid were making their way through the front door when they heard some commotion.
"What's going on?" Sid wondered, the two spotting Carl boasting to his classmates.
"Yeah, Spider-Man totally came to my house the other day, the two of us are pretty much buds now," Carl said.
"Oh great, he's using Spider-Man's fight with Doctor Connors to boost his reputation," Ronnie Anne lamented.
"He really loves the spotlight," Sid said.
"That monster stood no chance with me by Spider-Man's side," Carl said.
"And Kraven helped too, didn't he?" Laird asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah, that guy with the Russian accent, he did alright as well," Carl said.
"Now he's giving credit to Kraven? That guy saw me as nothing more than collateral damage!" Sid said.
"Ignore him, let's just get to class," Ronnie Anne said.
"Yo! Ronnie! Sid!" Nikki called, making her way over with Casey and Sameer. "Crazy weekend you two had."
"Hey guys, it's nothing really," Ronnie Anne said.
"Nothing? You fought a mutant lizard!" Casey said.
"I didn't fight him, Spider-Man did," Ronnie Anne said.
"Still, we heard you were there at the end," Casey said.
"Also we checked your cousin's website, she streamed so many cool things, including the fact that Spider-Man was at your house!" Sameer said.
"She had pictures too," Nikki said.
"Look, Spider-Man came over because the Lizard thing was connected to a guy my uncle worked with, he didn't really come to see me," Ronnie Anne said.
"I mean, still cool that he showed up at your place," Casey said. "Did you see him without his mask?"
"No, he kept it a secret," Ronnie Anne said. "Even if he told us, not like we would say anything."
"Yeah, superheroes are supposed to have secret identities," Sid said.
"Some of the Avengers don't," Casey said.
"Well Spider-Man told me he likes the old-fashioned comic stuff, like Ace Savvy," Ronnie Anne said.
"Ah, so you did talk to him," Nikki said.
"Of course, he was at our house, doesn't mean anything," Ronnie Anne said.
"He's really nice though, I bet he's fun to hang out with," Sid said.
"Well we want more details, so spill," Nikki said.
As this was happening, a classmate named Becky had overheard, a mischievous smile on her face. "So, Ronnie Anne and Sid met Spider-Man. Wonder if there's more they're not telling us?"
Meanwhile in Royal Woods, Lincoln was making his way through the halls, coming across one girl he needed to speak to. "Hey, Stella."
"Oh, hi Lincoln," Stella said. "Hey I heard there was a big blackout near your house. Is everything alright?"
"Not exactly," Lincoln said. "For starters, the neighbors are mad at us since our family usually causes those blackouts."
"So I've heard," Stella said. "Was it Lisa and her machines? Or did Lynn break something?"
"It wasn't any of my sisters...it was a villain," Lincoln said.
Stella's eyes widened, "A villain? Another one? Geez you really can't catch a break."
"Well duh, superheroes deal with this stuff all the time," Lincoln said.
"Still, back home not even a day and you have stuff to deal with," Stella said. "Who was this villain? Anyone you fought before?"
"Well, sort of, I met this person before," Lincoln said. "But back then, he didn't have powers, and neither did I."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Stella asked.
"Do you remember when Leni ran for mayor?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, that was pretty weird," Stella said.
"Well the Mayor had an assistant who was a total jerk, he tried sabotaging Leni and our family just so he can keep Mayor Davis in power," Lincoln said. "Mainly since he wants that power for himself, and tried ruling the city through Mayor Davis. Once that was exposed, he got fired, and kind of became a nuisance for me and my family."
"Yeah, you've mentioned this guy to me once or twice, his name's Vic right?" Stella asked. "Wait, was he the one you fought?"
"Yeah, somehow he gained electric powers," Lincoln said. "He could control and blast electricity."
"How though? When did he have those powers? Is he a mutant?" Stella asked.
"That's what I wondered, but he came by my house to mess with my family," Lincoln said. "I fought him and...the fight resulted in my web shooters getting damaged, now I can't use them."
"Bring them to my house after school, I'll see if I can fix them," Stella said. "Maybe work on some extra upgrades."
"Thanks, I'm happy I can rely on you, Stella," Lincoln said.
Stella turned away a second, hiding her blush, "It's what friends do."
"Yeah, friends," Lincoln said, still thinking about his talk with Luna and Luan. "Say, Stella, I gotta ask. Is there a reason-"
"Excuse me, Lincoln?" came the voice of Emma, the girl having just arrived. "Sorry to interrupt, but you and I need to talk, it's urgent."
"Oh, alright," Lincoln said. "I'll talk to you later, Stella."
"Sure," Stella said as Lincoln left with Emma. "Hope she didn't overhear anything."
Not too far away, a woman with red hair, wearing a dress suit along with some glasses was seen glancing their direction. "Finally spotted you, Lincoln Loud."
Not too far away, Lincoln and Emma were alone, the boy confused by what's happening, "Hey Emma, good to see you. I was hoping to talk to you, I had ideas for our next date. I wanted to take you to-"
"Lincoln, I should probably say what I need to say first before you talk," Emma said.
"Uh, okay, what is it?" Lincoln asked.
"I don't want to drag this on too long, so I'll cut to the chase," Emma said. "Lincoln, I want to break up."
Lincoln could feel his emotions struck like bowling pins, he at first thought he imagined that saying, or hoped he did. "Am...did I hear you right?"
Emma shamefully nodded her head, "You did."
Lincoln could still barely process what he heard, the fact that Emma wanted to end things with him, somehow this began to stress him out much more than any of his past villain fights, "But...I don't..."
"I get that you need time to process this, but...I just want to end it between us," Emma said.
"But...I don't understand..." Lincoln said. "Did I upset you? I know I haven't been seeing you enough but-"
"It's not because of anything you did..." Emma began, looking shamefully to the side. "Well, you did do something but, it's still mostly on me. I've been feeling weird lately. It started when you and I got too close on the couch. I was fine as first, flattered that you found me so physically attractive. But then things just got weird, like with that picture that Chloe sent to your phone, it just felt like...things were moving fast and, while I like you, I'm not ready to do certain things."
"We don't' have to! I'm not ready either," Lincoln said. "I know things got weird but I wouldn't have you do anything you weren't ready to."
"I know, but the temptation is too strong," Emma said. "I don't want to risk rushing into anything, and it just might be easier for both of us if we split up."
"But...I really like you Emma," Lincoln said, the boy's eyes tearing up a bit. "Please, you make me happy, I don't want to lose that."
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you," Emma said, the girl tearing up herself. "This isn't easy for me either. I want us to work but, I just don't see it as possible right now. These last few days showed me that I'm just not ready to commit to a boyfriend."
"So...you might come back to me?" Lincoln asked. "Do you just need a little time apart? I'm good with that! I'll be here when you're ready!"
"Lincoln, you're a great guy," Emma said. "Please, don't wait for me. If you can find happiness with another girl, I'm not gonna hold you back. I don't know when I'll be ready to date, and it's not fair for me to keep that hold on you. If fate allows it, maybe we will reunite, but until then, it's better if you explored other options."
"...Emma, I'm just not ready to do that," Lincoln said. "I want you."
"I know, and I'm sorry," Emma said, leaving a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Good-bye Lincoln, I hope you can find a girl that will make you happier than I could."
Emma made her leave, trying to hold back her own tears as Lincoln stood in disbelief. Just like that, one of the best things that could have happened to him was gone. He had to wonder if this fate punishing him for even thinking about Stella the way he did. Despite everything, losing Emma as his girlfriend made him realize that he had something good, and now it's gone.
"Emma..." Lincoln wiped the tears from his eyes as the bell rang. He had a class to attend to, but given what happened, focusing today would be tough. Out of all his battles, this conflict he felt in his heart was the toughest one yet.