The following day at school, an assembly was held in the auditorium, gathering students from all across the school. Lincoln sat down next to Clyde, the two talking over what was to come.
"Think it's sports related, new club or some type of fundraising thing?" Lincoln asked.
"My money's on a field trip, must be somewhere really nice, like Argentina," Clyde said.
"Huh? That's a bit random, any reason?" Lincoln asked.
"It sounds fancy," Clyde said.
"I guess it does," Lincoln said. "If we did go on a field trip, I'd love to go to Scotland so I can show-"
"Hey Linky," Jordan said, the girl sitting next to her friend. "No one's sitting here, right?"
"Uh, no, you're good," Lincoln said.
"Hey Girl Jordan," Clyde said. "Excited about this assembly?"
"Not really, probably gonna be Principal Ramirez talking about something boring for the next hour or whatever," Jordan said. "Fine by me, I can catch up on some sleep."
"Last time Principal Ramirez saw someone sleeping during her assembly, he got detention," Clyde said.
"Oh yeah, Chandler had that one coming," Jordan said.
"Plus, do you really want more detention?" Clyde asked. "We just finished a week of it, because of Chandler no less."
"Stupid Chandler, got me into hot water with my dad because of his dumb actions," Jordan said. "Actually, this all goes back to Emma."
"Emma?" Lincoln asked.
"If she hadn't dumped you, then Chandler wouldn't have said anything and a fight wouldn't have started, you wouldn't have gotten in trouble and I wouldn't have needed to rally our friends against injustice," Jordan said.
"Uh...wow," Clyde said. "You put a lot of thought into that one."
"It's not fair to blame Emma, though," Lincoln said. "Chandler's the one who should have minded his own business."
"Still, I never really understood why Emma would break it off with you," Jordan said. "That girl has acted pretty weird at times, mostly due to Chloe's influence."
"Whoa, hold on now, Chloe's a great girl. How could she be negatively influencing Emma?" Clyde asked.
"Well, I heard a rumor that she's gotten into a bit of trouble recently," Jordan said. "Some drama in her class."
"Let me put that to rest since Chloe and I are kind of a thing, so she tells me stuff," Clyde said. "Chloe just had a little trouble with her schoolwork and it stressed her out a bit. She's not causing any drama at all. She's a really nice girl, one of the nicest you could know."
"Wish I could agree with Clyde, but Jordan isn't entirely wrong about her," Lincoln thought to himself. "Chloe can be a bit manipulative in her own way."
"Are things awkward with the two of you given that her best friend dumped your best friend?" Jordan asked.
"We talked it out and Chloe said that I'm not at fault for anything so it shouldn't impact our relationship," Clyde said.
"Oh, okay then, so you two are dating just fine?" Jordan asked.
"Well, we're still together," Clyde said.
"Hm? What does that mean?" Jordan asked.
"Uh...that we're still together?" Clyde repeated. "Not sure what the question here is."
"I asked if you're dating just fine, and you said you're still together, implying that things aren't great but you haven't broken up yet," Jordan said.
"Listen, things are fine between us, just leave it be," Clyde said.
"Alight, fine," Jordan said. "I'll back off."
"Hey guys," Mollie said, taking a seat next to Jordan.
"There you are, where is everyone else?" Jordan asked.
"They're coming," Mollie said.
As she said that Stella, Christina and Paige were walking in the seats behind them while Zach, Rusty and Liam were walking in front.
"This works out, now we can sit closer to each other and be able to talk just fine," Zach said.
"Good idea, might keep us entertained during what's probably going to be a boring assembly," Jordan said.
"Maybe Ramirez will be cool and bring out the cheerleaders," Rusty said.
"Always with girls on your mind, huh Rusty?" Mollie teased.
"You know me, I'm always down for some ladies," Rusty said.
"Might need a few tips from Linky here," Jordan said, placing her arm around the boy. "He's at least gotten a cute girl, even if for a little bit."
"I just got lucky, that's all," Lincoln insisted.
"Yeah, lucky you were born with such a cute face," Jordan teased, making Lincoln blush.
Stella huffed in annoyance, to which Christina immediately noticed.
"Uh, you alright there, Stella?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Stella insisted.
"Are you sure? You sound unhappy," Christina said.
"I said I'm fine!" Stella more aggressively insisted. "Let's just focus on this stupid assembly."
"Uh...alright then," Christina said. Of course she had a feeling what might have been bothering Stella.
She recalled that Stella wasn't too happy about Lincoln kissing Girl Jordan, or rather her kissing him. Same in Stella's eyes but Christina understood the difference. Despite that, Stella seemed very jealous regarding the situation.
"What's with her? Is she jealous of Jordan?" Christina tapped her chin in thought. "I know Stella is close to Lincoln, but just how close? Does she have a crush on him? She seemed fine with Lincoln dating Emma, and even felt genuine sympathy for their breakup. Then again, I was pretty absorbed in my own problems at the time. Still, I don't think Stella is petty like that. Maybe she's just bothered that Girl Jordan kissed Lincoln without realizing its him, but that's not Lincoln's fault. I should hope she really doesn't think Lincoln would take advantage of girls like that."
A couple of rows down, both Chloe and Emma sat next to each other, each of them wondering what was happening.
"So, Pep Rally, Field Trip or Surprise Concert?" Chloe asked.
"Well if it's a Pep Rally, wouldn't it be at the gym?" Emma asked. "Also I doubt we're getting another field trip so soon after the visit to Great Lakes."
"So concert then?" Chloe asked.
"That seems unlikely," Emma said. "Maybe they'll talk about the extracurricular stuff, like all the clubs to join and stuff."
"Well that's boring," Chloe said.
"It's not so bad, maybe Lincoln's friends will have their Action Six News Team group featured, that'd be great for them," Emma said. "Lincoln always looks so happy when he's doing that news anchor stuff."
"Wow, you sound happy talking about Lincoln, finally over the breakup?" Chloe asked.
"Uh..." Emma sheepishly rubbed her head. "Kind of. To be fair, I've always liked the Action Six thing since long before I dated Lincoln. And I can still be happy for him, can't I?"
"Yeah sure," Chloe said. "Still, I get the feeling you're regretting your choice. Are you sure you don't want to go back to him."
"I'm positive, I'm not ready to date," Emma said.
"Well, how about at least hanging out with him," Chloe suggested. "You can still be friends."
"It's too awkward right now, but I'm hoping I can at least work up to that," Emma said. "I kind of miss hanging out with Lincoln and his friends."
"Well they probably miss you too," Chloe said, though began to have doubts. "For the most part given how the breakup indirectly led to them getting a week's worth of detention."
Moments later, Principal Ramirez appeared on stage alongside a few teachers, "Hello my students, how are all of you doing today?"
"Bored!" Chandler said.
Ramirez narrowed her eyes at the boy, "Already starting young McCann?"
"Who me? No way!" Chandler said. "It was Lincoln Loud who said that!"
"Don't even try it!" Rusty said, coming to the aid of his friend.
"Ahem!" Ramirez said. "I don't want to lose focus so early on! Chandler, no more interruptions!"
"Who's interrupting?" Chandler coyly insisted.
"Little brat," Bolhofner lamented. "Why back in my day..."
Ramirez cleared her throat, "Well back to why we're all here. I'd like to introduce you all to the newest member of our school faculty. Students, say hello to your new Assistant Principal!"
Stepping into view was a woman with red hair, glasses and a ponytail. Lincoln could have sworn this lady looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Hello, I am called Nadia Radovich," the woman introduced. "As Ms. Ramirez just explained, I am your new Assistant Principal. I look forward to working with all you young students."
"A new Assistant Principal?" Mollie said. "That's a surprise."
"She's cute," Jordan said. "What do you think boys?"
"Bah...bah...bah..." Rusty, Liam, Zach, Lincoln and Clyde all replied.
"That means 'yes'," Jordan said.
"Wow, haven't seen the boys react like this since Ms. DiMartino," Mollie recalled.
"Ugh, seriously!?" Stella said. "Clyde, did you already forget about Chloe!?"
Clyde's eyes widened in surprise, "R-right, of course."
"And Lincoln, keep your hormones in check," Stella said, earning a confused reaction from the boy.
"Geez, when did you turn into our mother?" Rusty asked.
"Uh, maybe don't tick her off, she sounds kind of serious," Liam said.
"Do I look like I'm afraid of Stella?" Rusty asked.
"If you had a working brain you would be," Liam said.
Even a few seats down, Chloe couldn't help but notice the reaction of the boys, "I better not have actually heard Clyde fawning over another girl."
"I'm sure it's nothing, Chloe," Emma said. "Maybe it was a shock thing, but Clyde has always been loyal to you."
"He better, I went to him when he was feeling down, if he does anything stupid I'm going to be totally pissed," Chloe said.
"This is Clyde we're talking about, one of the nicest boys in school," Emma said. "Don't overreact."
Chloe took a breath, calming herself down, "Alright, I won't."
"Ms. Rodavich's presence will not change much other than me having a bit of assistance, hence the assistant principal title," Ramirez said. "Feel free to go to her with any problems you might have."
"To a good future with this school," Rodavich said, briefly eyeing Lincoln. "And to all the wonderful discoveries we shall learn about each other."
"That will be all," Ramirez said.
Chandler had then did a wolf whistle, "The new lady is pretty hot!"
"Chandler!" Ramirez scolded.
As the newly instated Assistant Principal walked off stage, she was greeted by Bolhofner, "Just so you know if you ever need help, I'm always close by." Bolhofner stroked his hair back, "I look forward to working more with you in the future."
"Uh...sure," Rodavich said, a little put off by this man's hygiene as she scurried off. "See you later."
"Oh, I will," Bolhofner said, then took note of his condition. "Hm...maybe I should try deodorant, women like that stuff, don't they?"
Once out of sight, Rodavich removed her glasses and let down her ponytail, revealing herself to be the Russian Spy, Natasha Romanoff, better known to the world as Black Widow.
"Fury, it's Romanoff," Natasha said, speaking into a radio. "I'm in."
After school, Lincoln was heading towards the park, ready to slip into his Spider-Man suit to do his daily patrols.
"Lincoln! Wait up!" Christina called, getting his attention. "You're not gonna fight crime without your loyal sidekick, are you?"
"Oh, well, kind of," Lincoln said. "You're still hurt from what happened with Electro, I think you should take some time off."
"It's nothing I can't handle," Christina insisted.
"Sorry, but I'm going to need you to heal up first," Lincoln said. "I can't take any chances that you might hurt yourself again."
"Oh come on Lincoln, don't treat me like a little kid," Christina said as she grabbed her dress. "I can show you the marks if you want."
"Uh, that won't be necessary," Lincoln said, blushing at the thought of Christina having to undress. "Please, just take the afternoon off at least."
Christina huffed in annoyance, hating the idea of having to be sidelined, "Alright fight, but if things get bad during your patrol, I'm coming back."
"I'll be fine," Lincoln insisted, making his leave. "Just get better."
Christina turned away, thinking about going home. She hated being sidelined but deep down she understood why. She did get hurt the other day, it's understandable that Lincoln is worried about her safety.
"There's gotta be something I can do, I want to patrol with Lincoln, but I don't want to be a liability for him," Christina said to herself. "Too bad my powers don't make me durable, but maybe there's a quick fix for this. I know just who to talk to as well."
A bit later, Lincoln was patrolling the rooftops of Royal Woods. So far, he's only seen one mugging and some vandalism, otherwise it was a slow day.
"Not a lot of crime, good thing too, that means less trouble," Lincoln said. "Wonder if my being here is enough to make crooks think twice about trying anything illegal?"
In the distance, a man wearing fur was seen observing Spider-Man through his binoculars, then speaking into what seemed like a little radio. "I found the target."
"Try to capture him alive, I need that blood sample," a voice over the radio said.
"I can make no promises Mr. Warren," the man revealed himself to be Kraven. "The hunt is unpredictable."
"Eh, it makes no difference I guess, I should be able to get the sample I need regardless," Miles Warren said. "Just make it fast."
As Lincoln continued swinging, his spider sense went off and he narrowly dodged a blow dart. "What in the world!?"
Seconds later, he caught an arrow that came at him, though this was mostly a distraction as he felt a shadow looming overhead. He looked and saw that Kraven was about to strike with a pair of swords that he narrowly dodged.
"Kraven!?" Lincoln shouted in disbelief.
"Good to see you again, Spider-Man!" Kraven shouted, tossing some throwing knives at him that Lincoln dodged, though not without a couple cutting his suit.
"Where did you-" Lincoln side-stepped an overhead strike from a sword as he turned and webbed Kraven in the face. "You're getting on my nerves!"
With an uppercut, Lincoln nearly sent Kraven flying off the roof but the hunter jammed his sword to the side of the building and propelled himself back up to the opposite part, firing some arrows that his opponent back flipped away from.
"Your reflexes are impressive," Kraven said, grabbing some daggers and running at the hero. "But how long can they save you!?"
Lincoln quickly dodged the attacks, though a couple did scrape his sides, including drawing a bit of blood. "That actually hurt!?"
"If you can bleed..." Kraven slammed his daggers down, Lincoln barely dodging. "You can die!"
"That type of talk is a bit too forward if you ask me," Lincoln said, using his webs to fling himself in and kick Kraven in the chest, causing him to skid back. He landed down and kicked again to send him flying onto the other roof.
"I am not done with you yet!" Kraven leapt and grabbed Lincoln by the chest, running to slam him against a roof entrance, then tried to impale him with a sword, but Lincoln kicked it away and punched Kraven across the jaw.
"Well I'm done with you!" Lincoln used his webs to latch onto Kraven and spun him around to send him flying off the roof, the hunter landing on a rooftop across the street.
Lincoln swung over and kicked him again, then landed a punch to knock Kraven aside. He tried for another strike, but Kraven had blocked and kicked Lincoln back. He slammed his daggers down, but Lincoln managed to catch his hands and headbutted Kraven, following up with a jumping spin kick that stumbled the hunter back.
Just as Lincoln was about to land another blow, Kraven brought out a smoke bomb and set it off, blinding Lincoln in the process.
"Hey! Cheap trick!" Lincoln shouted. When the dust cleared, he noticed that his opponent had disappeared. "Huh? Wasn't he just here? What is he? A ninja or something?"
Kraven kicked him from behind, knocking him off the roof and onto the street. Kraven then leapt off the building and slammed his sword down, Lincoln quickly rolling out the way. Though just as he was about to counter attack, Kraven had jammed his dagger into Lincoln's shoulder, the boy wincing in pain.
"Finally got you," Kraven taunted, though Lincoln had knocked his hand away and then kicked Kraven against a light pole.
"Jerk!" Lincoln grabbed the dagger and pulled it out, the boy crying out in pain. "Ow! Dang that hurt!" He looked at the blade, seeing his own blood on there did make the boy feel squeamish however.
In his distraction, Kraven had ran over and kicked the boy against a dumpster, leaving him even more hurt.
"Ah, just what I enjoy, the look of helplessness on my prey..." Kraven slammed his swords down, slowly dragging them as he walked toward Lincoln. "Just before I landed the final blow."
Lincoln's spider sense was ringing loudly in his head, the boy fearing for his life as Kraven slowly made his way over. In an act of desperation, Lincoln latched onto the dumpster behind him and flung it at Kraven, the hunter being taken by surprise, though wasn't down too long.
He tossed it aside, but when he looked ahead, Lincoln was gone, nowhere to be found. "Run all you want, little spider. Sooner or later, I will catch you in my trap."
As Kraven made his leave, Lincoln was seen hiding a bit further away, the boy in a bit of a panic. "Jeez...this guy means business. Guess he's still mad about what happened with Doctor Connors. I gotta figure something out or he might actually kill me!" He checked his suit, it was a bit damaged and now bloodstained. "I should get this fixed at home."
The boy quickly swung away, having used some webbing to temporarily bandage himself.
Meanwhile at Stella's house, the girl was sitting in her living room, channel surfing on the TV when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?"
Stella opened the door, revealing Christina, "Hey Stella, got a second?"
"Sure, what's up?" Stella asked.
"It's a secret, can we talk in your room?" Christina asked.
"Uh, sure," Stella said. "Follow me."
In her room, Christina took the time to marvel at some of the tech Stella had, "Wow, you really keep yourself busy with this, don't you?"
"Yeah, it's a hobby, hoping this lands me an internship at Stark Industries or something one day," Stella said.
"That would be great," Christina said. "Anyway, I came by to ask you a favor. Now, you've worked on Lincoln's Spider-Man suit, correct?"
"Well he's the one who initially designed it, but I did make it so he wouldn't get sick from high altitudes, added some wings and made it so that his web shooters were electric proof," Stella said.
"Think you can work on my suit?" Christina asked. "I wanted to go patrolling with Lincoln today, but he was worried about the injuries I got from fighting Electro."
"Can't blame him, you had some really bad burns," Stella said.
"That's what I was hoping that you can work on my suit, maybe make it durable or something," Christina said. "This way I can endure some blows."
"I think I can pull that off," Stella said. "Assuming I have the materials."
"If you don't, that's fine, I can wait," Christina said. "Or I can even get what you need. Just so long as it's as quickly as possible. I want to be able to fight alongside Lincoln."
"Yeah, I totally get that," Stella said. "Alright, just hand me your suit then, I'll get started."
"Thanks Stella, you're the best," Christina said, taking her suit out of her backpack. "Soon Firestar will be back in action. But until then, I'm confident that Lincoln can handle things on his own."
"For the most part," Stella said. "Even he needs help, if it wasn't for me, he would have likely drowned in a lake."
"That's a reference to his fight with The Vulture, right?" Christina asked.
"Got that right," Stella said. "But he has held his own otherwise."
"Especially against those mutants that tried to recruit me," Christina said. "I should call Lincoln later, make sure he's doing alright."
"Same..." Stella said, still having a nagging feeling in her mind. "By the way, you were there when Lincoln kissed Jordan, right?"
"She kissed him actually," Christina corrected.
"Right, she kissed him. Still, what was his reaction?" Stella asked.
"Well, he definitely wasn't expecting it," Christina said. "Why do you ask?"
"It just seems so weird," Stella said. "Jordan should know she kissed Lincoln."
"Uh, that would mean telling Jordan about his secret identity," Christina said. "Kind of a big deal."
"I know, but still..." Stella tugged at her sleeve. "It just seems wrong to me."
"It's not like Lincoln took advantage of Jordan, she kissed him because she wanted to," Christina said. "It's probably just her acting on a crush, nothing more. Lincoln already told her he wasn't interested in dating her, so hopefully she moves on from Spider-Man."
"I really want to talk to her about it though," Stella said.
"But that would risk exposing Lincoln's identity, and probably mine," Christina said. "If you bring it up, she's going to wonder who told her. If you tell her she got it from Spider-Man or Firestar, she's going to want to know more about it."
"Yeah, I guess," Stella said.
"I know it's weird but don't jeopardize our secrets over this," Christina said. "Jordan doesn't need to know Lincoln's secret, and even so it's not our secret to tell. You don't want to break Lincoln's trust by telling anyone who he is after all. Now if Jordan tells us she kissed Spider-Man, then you can talk to her about it, but carefully."
"I'll be careful," Stella said.
"Remember, Lincoln's a good guy, and I don't think he would manipulate Jordan's feelings like this," Christina said. "Ironically though, she got pretty friendly with him today at the assembly."
"Yeah, I noticed..." A slightly bitter Stella said. "Of course his attention's focused on Miss Rodavich now."
"Well what boy isn't fascinated by her, at least it's taking attention away from you for a bit," Christina pointed out. "It's fine, I mean we can't deny she's a pretty lady. She's got that sexy Russian Accent too. It's just a crush though, it'll pass like Lincoln's crush on Miss DiMartino."
"Kind of wish I was around for that one," Stella said.
"You didn't miss much, just the boys going gaga," Christina said, then began to make her leave. "Catch you later, call me if you make any progress."
"I will, bye Christina," Stella said, then went to check on the suit. "Alright...time to get to work."
Lincoln had finally gotten home, the boy completely changed. He heard the TV on, from the sound of things, there was a lot of driving.
"That you Lincoln?" Lana asked. "Come sit with me! Bobbie Fletcher is performing in a monster truck show! Two of our favorite things coming together!"
"Sure, give me a second Lana," Lincoln said, heading upstairs, rushing past Lisa in her room.
"Oh Lincoln, I see you're home," Lisa began. "By any chance-"
"Talk later!" Lincoln said, entering his room in a hurry.
"Hm...wonder why he was in such a hurry?" Lisa said. "I'll wait for him to finish whatever he's doing before I ask for one of his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."
Lincoln placed his suit on the bed, grabbing whatever material he needed to fix it up. While doing so, he couldn't help but feel a bit of a chill, recalling that he was in a really bad predicament out there.
"Kraven's going to be tough, I gotta think of a way to counter him," Lincoln continued to sew while thinking everything over, "Let's see, he's a hunter, so he's going to fight like one. Which means he uses the wilderness to his advantage."
Lincoln of course remembered that he was no stranger to the idea of the wilderness, given his love for the outdoors. The problem was he wasn't a hunter.
"I don't suppose Rip Hardcore has any tips on how to fight super stronger hunter guys...is Kraven even human? Or is he a mutant too?" Lincoln had a lot to consider. "It should be fine, I just need to increase my speed and accuracy, shouldn't be hard...I hope."
Off in the distance, Kraven was seen scouting rooftops, looking for any sign of Lincoln, "I know you were around here, you cannot hide forever."
"Kraven..." Warren said through his communicator. "What's the status? Are you any closer to finding Spider-Man?"
"I ran into some trouble, turns out my prey is much wilier than I anticipated," Kraven said. "Not that it matters, I love a good challenge."
"This isn't a game! I need that sample!" Warren said.
"Watch your tone, I am not doing this for you, I am doing this to avenge the honor stolen from me," Kraven said. "I will defeat Spider-Man on my terms."
"You better be worth the trouble," Warren said, signing off.
"Some just do not understand the hunt," Kraven said, leaping to the ground near a tv store. Looking at the monitors, he saw a commercial from Rip Hardcore, advertising his latest book of tips. "Pfft, nothing but a man who treats the wilderness like a joke."
Back at the Loud House, after making a sandwich for Lisa, Lincoln had come downstairs and sat next to Lana, still looking a bit freaked out and worried over the Kraven situation.
"Hey Linc, you doing okay?" Lana asked.
"Huh? I'm fine," Lincoln insisted. "Why do you ask?"
"You look like you're panicking," Lana said.
"Oh um...just some trouble," Lincoln said.
"Something bothering you?" Lana asked.
"Gotta think of something believable..." Lincoln then recalled he did have something wrong. "I just feel like I've annoyed Stella recently, I'm not sure why though."
"Did you say something to upset her?" Lana asked.
"I don't think I did," Lincoln said. "I just don't understand what's bothering her."
"Girls can be tricky, I should know," Lana said. "You probably did upset her without realizing it. But Stella's pretty cool and I think in time she'll explain what's wrong."
"I hope so, she got annoyed again today because of a new assistant principal," Lincoln said. "I will admit, she's very attractive, but all the guys thought so."
"Ooooh, so she might be jealous then," Lana said.
"Why would she be? We're not even dating," Lincoln said.
"Well not to hop aboard any ships but...she probably does like you, so she gets jealous when girls like you," Lana said.
"I don't know Lana, if she liked me, wouldn't she have been against me dating Emma?" Lincoln asked.
"Dating Emma probably just made her realize that you're a good boyfriend for her," Lana said. "Or something like that. I'm no good with romance but that's just my best bet."
"Should I just ask if she likes me?" Lincoln said.
"You really think it's gonna be that easy, bro?" Lana asked.
"...No," Lincoln admitted.
"You should probably talk to Luna and Luan about this," Lana said. "They might explain it better."
"I'll consider it," Lincoln said, then thought to himself. "Stella did get mad after I kissed Jordan in my Spider-Man suit. I thought it was just that I kissed Jordan but I feel like Stella got too mad when even Christina didn't get mad. Could she like me? Or am I just overthinking it?"
"Whoa! Check out Bobbie!" Lana said, gesturing to the tv as the racer literally crushed her competition. "She's on a roll!"
"This is pretty cool," Lincoln said. "So is this a one-time thing for her or is she going to switch to monster trucks?"
"She didn't say anything about retiring from racing," Lana said. "I think she's just trying out something new, but I don't think she's gonna stick with this."
"She's got a talent for this, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked her to come back," Lincoln said.
"I wouldn't mind if she tried this out once in a while, but I'd probably be disappointed if she stopped racing."
"I totally get that, it'd be like if Rip Hardcore stopped his wilderness stuff," Lincoln said.
"It'd be a shame if Bobbie retired before I had a chance to work as her Pit Crew," Lana said.
"Don't you already?" Lincoln asked.
"I mean more often," Lana said. "Right now I can only be in her pit crew when she comes to town. It's nice and all but I like being there more often."
"At least you have a good start on that," Lincoln said. "Just gotta ride that momentum. Who knows, you could end up being a racer too."
"That'd be awesome," Lana said, then saw that the show went to commercials. "Boring, let's see if I can pass the time."
Lana flipped through the channels until she came across a news report from Katherine Mulligan, "Earlier today, citizens spotted Spider-Man in battle once again. His foe looked remarkably similar to wilderness expert, Kraven the Hunter."
"Hold on, Spider-Man fought Kraven?" Lana asked aloud.
"Figures this would be talked about, hope no one thinks I lost..." Lincoln gently rubbed where his wound once was. Though he was fully healed, the fact that he even got hurt like that in the first place was alarming.
"We cannot fully confirm if it was Kraven, though the hunter has gained some bad press after an incident in Great Lakes in which he endangered the life of a young girl to gain the upper hand on the lizard monster," Katherine continued. "Fortunately Spider-Man happened to be there and protected that young girl from harm. But, does this mean Kraven is out for revenge?"
"This looks bad," Lincoln said.
"No doubt, but seriously, one more reason not to like Kraven," Lana said.
"You're not a fan either?" Lincoln asked.
"No way, that guy hunts animals like they're trophies," Lana said. "It's no wonder people prefer Rip Hardcore to that guy. I'd rather cheer for a guy who respects nature and it's animals than a guy who would be so cruel. Plus he nearly got Sid killed by The Lizard. Adelaide was really bothered by that."
"I lost respect for him too," Lincoln said. "So I don't blame you."
"Here's hoping Spider-Man sends him packing back to Russian, or Africa or wherever he's from," Lana said as she flipped back to the monster truck channel.
"We can only hope," Lincoln said. "Wondering how Mr. Bolhofner feels about this? Given that he and Kraven are related to each other."
At his own house, Bolhofner noticed the news report about Kraven as well, the teacher clenching his fist in annoyance, "So, you've finally crossed the line huh? Kraven you bastard."
The following day on the school bus, Lincoln was glancing out the window, still thinking over his fight the previous day. It wasn't often a villain got to him, the only other villain that caused him this level of distress was Sabretooth.
"Why can't Kraven just hunt someone like Sabretooth? That'd be better than coming after me," Lincoln thought to himself.
"Well, another day, another lesson," Clyde said, the boy sitting right beside Lincoln.
"Uh, yeah...sure," Lincoln said.
"You alright there buddy?" Clyde asked.
"I'm fine, just a lot on my mind," Lincoln said.
"Still thinking about the new assistant principal?" Clyde asked. "I don't blame you. She's very attractive, and she has a Russian accent. That type of combination is very appealing for a guy, rivaled by a girl with a French accent. Closest we had to that was Miss DiMartino, she made learning French a lot of fun."
"Meanwhile I struggled with a lot of her classes because she was too attractive and it hardly let me focus," Lincoln said.
"Happened to me too, and all the boys, some women just have that grip on you," Clyde said.
"Anyway, it's not Miss Rodavich, it's Stella," Lincoln said.
"Oh right, she seemed annoyed with you yesterday, what happened?" Clyde asked.
"We had some disagreement, then she got mad at me for no reason," Lincoln said. "Lana thinks it's because of a girl and that she's jealous or something."
"A girl? Like Miss Rodavich?" Clyde asked. "Makes sense, she seemed annoyed at all of us when we found her attractive."
"Oh, so it's not just me then," Lincoln said.
"Hard to say, Stella's always been a bit of a mystery," Clyde said. "She's probably just in a bad mood. Boys do tend to stare because of how developed she is. Plus...she is a teenager, and you know what comes with girls when they reach a certain age."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Lincoln asked.
"Like...you know...like do any of your sisters just have a day in the month when they're in a particularly bad mood?" Clyde asked.
"Seems like some of them are always in a bad mood, not sure what one day in the month..." The realization dawned on Lincoln. "Oh...OH!"
"Yeah...that might be happening with Stella, so if she seems mad for no reason, that could be it," Clyde said.
"Geez, now we gotta worry about that," Lincoln said. "What if it happens with Girl Jordan? Or Mollie?"
"It might be happening with Chloe, I tried talking to her the other day and she just got mad," Clyde said. "Granted it only happened when you came up in the conversation."
"Huh? Why me?" Lincoln asked.
"She might be mad that you and Emma broke up," Clyde said.
"But why is she mad at me? I didn't break it off with Emma, it was the other way around," Lincoln asked.
"I tried asking her, but she just got more annoyed and I didn't want to press it," Clyde said.
"Great, this kind of sucks then, last thing I need is that type of drama between the three of us," Lincoln said.
"Hey don't worry buddy, it's not gonna get that bad," Clyde reassured. "This is still fresh in her mind so she just needs a bit of time to adjust."
"Really wish I could bottle and sell your optimism, Clyde" Lincoln said.
"The key to optimism is not thinking of the glass as half empty, but be happy that it's half full," Clyde said. "Instead of worrying about what you don't have, remember the good stuff you do have.'
"Having you by my side is definitely among the good things, bud," Lincoln said, holding out his fist.
"You know it, bro," Clyde said, obliging the fist bump.
"Clincoln McCloud for the win!"
The bus came to a stop at the school, the kids boarding off one by one as they went into the school. While walking, Lincoln thought he heard something and turned around.
"Was that..." Lincoln shook his head. "I'm losing it."
Observing from the nearby window of the Principal's office was Natasha, the woman keeping an eye on Lincoln. "I must say, he already stands out as the only boy with white hair. Somehow, it looks good on him."
"Miss Rodavich," Ramirez said, entering the office. "Are you ready for your first full day at Royal Woods Middle School?"
"Sure am," Natasha said, holding a file. "Seems you have a remarkable student body in this school."
"Sure do, any students catch your eye?" Ramirez asked.
"Yes, a boy named Lincoln Loud," Natasha said, checking the files. "Looks like he's a Straight A Student for the most part, I also see some volunteer work on here and it seems like he dabbles in extracurricular activities."
"Ah yes, I know Lincoln Loud very well," Ramirez said. "Bright boy, but can get into quite a bit of trouble with his friends."
"Trouble you say?" Natasha asked.
"Just last week I had to give him detention for picking a fight with a boy named Chandler McCann," Ramirez said.
"Chandler McCann, the boy who was trying to woo me yesterday?" Natasha asked.
"Yes, he's a bit of a troublemaker too, so I'm not too surprised he and Lincoln got into a fight," Ramirez said. "Apparently they have a bit of a rivalry dating back to their time in Royal Woods Elementary. Still, I have no tolerance for fighting, so I had to lay down the law."
"I'll keep an eye on this Chandler boy, don't want him interfering with such a bright future for Lincoln," Natasha said, rummaging through the pages. "Especially when his academic performance is so low."
"Yeah, that is a problem, as principal, any student failing can fall back onto me," Ramirez said. "Chandler is not the only one struggling, a handful seem to be doing so as well."
"Have you tried a tutoring program?" Natasha asked.
"I have, but funds are rather limited," Ramirez said.
"You could try asking students to volunteer," Natasha said. "Your school has a program for that, doesn't it?"
"We might, but it never gets used," Ramirez said.
"Well I suggest getting a jump start on it," Natasha said. "In fact, why don't you see if Lincoln is willing to be a tutor to an underperforming student."
"That might be a good idea actually," Ramirez said. "I'll get started on that right away."
In the halls, Lincoln is grabbing his stuff from the locker, still feeling like danger is imminent, "Why do I feel like I'm about to fall into a trap? No way Kraven knows I go to school here, I doubt he knows who I even am."
"Lincoln?" Stella said, startling the boy into accidentally tearing off his locker door.
The two awkwardly glanced at the door, even more when they saw that their classmate Joy had noticed what happened.
"Wow, been working out Lincoln?" Joy asked, a coy smile etched on her face.
"Heh, imagine that, it's like I'm The Hulk," Lincoln joked, flexing his muscle. "Lincoln Smash!"
"Oh I wouldn't mind seeing you do a little Smashing one day," Joy said, winking at the boy.
"...Huh?" Lincoln replied.
"Okay...I think that's enough now," Stella said. "It's just a faulty locker, you know how cheap our school can be."
"Won't argue that," Joy said, making her leave. "Catch you later, Lincoln."
Lincoln groaned in annoyance, "Did I turn into a chick magnet? Why are so many of these girls so...flirty?"
"Please, the only other girl that flirts with you is Jordan, and we both know that Joy can be a bit playful at times," Stella said. "Don't put too much stock into it."
"Right..." Lincoln said, placing his locker down.
"Still, sorry for startling you like that," Stella said.
"It's fine, better you than Lucy," Lincoln said. "At least now I know to be careful with my strength around her, otherwise she'll find out my secret."
"Lucy's good at basically being a wallflower, right?" Stella asked. "So I hope you're being extra careful at home."
"Stella, I've had to learn how to maintain privacy in my house before I got bit by that spider," Lincoln said. "I think I can handle keeping a secret. I've done a good job so far."
"I suppose if only me and Christina found out, but you can't be too careful," Stella said.
"I'll be fine," Lincoln said.
"Well anyway, I did have a reason for coming to see you," Stella said. "First off, I'm really sorry for overreacting the other day regarding the situation with Jordan. I shouldn't have gotten so heated."
"Oh, that's fine," Lincoln said. "I'll admit I got a little confused about that."
"I just wanted to be sure you weren't taking advantage of being a hero, but you're not that type of boy," Stella said. "You're a hero because you're a nice guy, and as your friend, I shouldn't have doubted you."
"Everyone makes mistakes," Lincoln said.
"Still, I'll try to be better about that," Stella said. "I mean, it's none of my business who you kiss after all anyway. If you happened to like Jordan's kiss, I won't judge you for that either."
"Well, I didn't hate it, but does it matter?" Lincoln asked. "She's into Spider-Man, not me."
"I'm pretty sure she likes you too," Stella said. "But I see your concern. Might be better to let that situation die down before you consider the idea of dating her."
"Whoa, hold on, I never even said I wanted to date her," Lincoln said.
"R-right, of course," Stella nervously said. "I'm just letting you know that if you two did date, I'd be cool with it."
"...Thanks? You're kind of acting strange right now," Lincoln said.
"Am I?" Stella asked. "Okay, maybe I'm trying too hard to be nice to you after all that, I'm just trying to prove to my...friend, that being you, that I'm not into you and you can date whoever you want."
"Huh? Who said you were into me?" Lincoln asked.
"Okay Stella, you're really screwing up big time, maybe derail the conversation before he finds out the truth about how you feel!" Stella's eyes widened as her thoughts seemed to betray her will. "What am I thinking? I don't like Lincoln at all that way! Not that he wouldn't make a good boyfriend, especially given how happy Emma was. Actually, maybe I should-NO! You're not ready for a boyfriend, you need to wait before you ask out Lincoln...I mean, I don't want to ask him out, I...ugh, Dammit!"
Lincoln raised his eyebrow in confusion, seeing Stella standing there with her eyes looking in every direction except his, and occasionally shutting them was weirding him out. "Stella?"
Stella's eyes widened in shock, "I'm sorry, I guess I didn't get much sleep last night. I was working on an upgrade to Christina's costume so she can fight crime with you better."
"Oh, that's nice of you," Lincoln said. "Guess Christina really wants to get back into the fight."
"Well she wants to put her powers to good use, plus she seems to like being your sidekick," Stella said.
"Not to be weird, but does she say anything else about me?" Lincoln asked.
"If you're wondering if she has a crush on you, then I can't answer that," Stella said. "Not a secrecy thing by the way, I really don't know."
"I kind of hope not, same with Jordan," Lincoln said. "I'm happy being friends and I'm kind of afraid to risk anything else."
"Well, sometimes love is worth the risk," Stella said. "Maybe you and Emma just need to patch things up so you're less likely to run into a situation like hers again."
"I would but I get the feeling that Chloe hates me, and since those two are together a lot, talking with Emma one on one might be tough," Lincoln said.
"You leave that to me," Stella said. "Anyway, how were things yesterday when you patrolled?"
"Not so good...not sure if you saw Katherine's News Report," Lincoln said.
"Oh no, I didn't check anything online either," Stella said. "What happened?"
"I ran into Kraven, he tried to kill me," Lincoln said.
"Kraven? As in Kraven the Hunter?" Stella asked. "Why would he...wait, is this revenge for Great Lakes? When you outshined him in your battle against Doctor Connors?"
"Seems like it, I think he's trying to regain his honor and reputation by defeating me," Lincoln said. "He actually landed some blows, and his blades were sharp."
"Wait, blades? Did you get hurt?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, I had to run," Lincoln said. "Still, that guy seemed to be enjoying himself a bit too much too. He acted like an actual animal trying to corner its prey."
"Wait, is that why you got startled earlier?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, I keep feeling like he's ready to strike, like a tiger ready for its next meal," Lincoln said.
"And you were feeling this fear on your own too..." Stella began to lament. "I'm sorry I didn't call to check in on you last night."
"It's no big deal, I'm fine," Lincoln said.
"I got mad at you for something stupid and left you feeling alone going against a villain though," Stella said, wiping a tear from her eye. "If something happened to you, then-"
"Hey," Lincoln took Stella by her hand. "I'm fine, please don't get all emotional on me. What matters is that I'm still moving and I'll take Kraven down."
"R-right, of course," Stella said, bringing Lincoln in for a hug. "Just try to be safe."
"I will," Lincoln said, hugging her back for a bit before pulling away. "Look, we really should get moving before we're late for homeroom."
"Of course," Stella said.
Before they could leave, Lincoln heard Ramirez over the loudspeaker. "Lincoln Loud, to the Principal's office."
"Huh? Why me?" Lincoln wondered.
"I repeat, Lincoln Loud to the Principal's office," Ramirez said.
"You probably should go, but I hope you're not in trouble," Stella said.
"Yeah, me too," Lincoln said, making his way to the office while Stella went to her homeroom.
A few minutes later, Lincoln had arrived in the Principal's office, Ramirez gesturing to the chair in front of her desk. "Have a seat."
Lincoln nervously took the seat, what made this situation even more awkward was the fact that Natasha in her Rodavich disguise was present. This woman, while attractive had quite the enigmatic presence. "Principal, whatever you heard, I swear I didn't do it."
"Calm down, Loud. You're not in trouble," Ramirez said. "I called you here because I have a proposition for you."
"For me?" Lincoln asked. "Uh, you're not sending me back to Canada again, are you?"
"No, your ban has not been lifted, so you're still not allowed in Canada," Ramirez said.
"Wait, he isn't?" Natasha asked.
"Long story, I'll tell you later," Ramirez said, then focused back on Lincoln. "This is about something else. Your grades."
"Am I failing?" Lincoln asked.
"No, you're still getting As," Ramirez said. "Because of that, I had a proposition for you. How would you feel about being a tutor?"
"Me? A tutor?" Lincoln asked. "Are you sure?"
"Very much so," Ramirez said. "An intelligent boy like you might be able to help a student in need."
"Well, I'm honored, but I am pretty busy after school," Lincoln said.
"We can work around that," Natasha said. "At least consider the possibility. You have a chance to really make a difference in someone's life. Something tells me you like the idea of being of help to others."
"I don't mind," Lincoln said. "If I can be of use then that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"Exactly, whatever activities you may have, I can ensure that whoever you're with will fit your busy schedule," Natasha said.
"My Spider-Man duties might be hard to manage, but having time to be a tutor could be a nice change of pace," Lincoln thought to himself. "Alright, I'll accept it. Do you have anyone in mind for me?"
"At the moment, no," Ramirez said. "I'm hoping to get more volunteers, to which I will arrange pairs based on who is best suited. I will let you know who you get paired up with in good time."
"Alright, sounds like a good idea then," Lincoln said.
"Happy to hear, now I will get you a hall pass so you can go to your classroom," Ramirez said, leaving her desk for a quick second.
"So, Lincoln Loud," Natasha said, getting the boy's attention. "You've lived in Royal Woods your whole life, is that correct?"
Lincoln nervously gulped, seeing this attractive woman talking to him was a bit intimidating, "Y-yeah, pretty much."
"Is it nice here?" Natasha asked.
"Yeah, not a bad place...aside from the crooks, but Spider-Man's here to keep us safe," Lincoln said.
"So I have heard," Natasha said. "You believe in Spider-Man?"
"Well yeah, I think he does a good job," Lincoln said. "Who knows? He might be an Avenger one day."
"Kid sure has high ambitions," Natasha thought to herself. "Well, if he keeps up the good work, he may have a chance. That is only my opinion though."
"Glad we see eye to eye on that," Lincoln said. "So...what's Russia like?"
"Cold," Natasha said.
"So was Canada," Lincoln said.
"How did a nice boy like you get banned?" Natasha asked.
"Uh, long story, it's kind of weird actually," Lincoln said.
"Here you are," Ramirez said, handing over the hall pass. "Hurry on to class."
"Yes ma'am," Lincoln said, making his leave. "Bye Miss Rodavich."
"Bye to you, Lincoln Loud," Natasha said as the boy left.
"So, what do you think of him?" Ramirez asked.
"He seems like a nice boy," Natasha said. "I look forward to our future interactions."
"Hopefully they're good ones," Ramirez said. "Now, allow me to show you your own working space."
As Ramirez led Natasha away, the woman looked back toward the door, "I will be seeing you much more often, Spider-Man."
At lunch, everyone had gathered at their usual table. Lincoln had his food but just stared at it, feeling little to no enthusiasm.
"Yo, Lincoln," Rusty said, getting his attention. "What's with you?"
"Does this have to do with getting called to the Principal's office?" Zach asked.
"Oh no, I didn't get in trouble, she just needed some volunteers for tutoring sessions," Lincoln said.
"I can verify," Stella said. "The Principal just ran into me and asked if I was willing, I told her I'd consider it."
"Tutoring session huh? Some of the school's cutest girls are pretty smart, wonder if they'd be willing to let me have one of them as a tutor?" Rusty said, the boy grinning in satisfaction.
"Of course that's on your mind," Jordan teased.
"Hey Jordan, you're really smart yourself, you get mostly As," Lincoln said. "You might be asked to take part of this as well."
"Well I appreciate the flattery, Linky," Jordan said. "But, I can't see myself being a tutor. I don't have the patience for it."
"Are you taking it up, Lincoln?" Liam asked.
"I told Ramirez that I'd be fine with it, might look good on a college application, or a resume," Lincoln said.
"Smart move," Jordan said. "Of course with grades like yours, getting a scholarship shouldn't be too hard."
"Well a place like New York University needs more than academics," Lincoln said. "Since I can't play sports well, I need to try other ways to look good."
"Everyone's so worried about college already," Paige said. "It seems like a waste of time. Once I gradate, I'm going to work at an Arcade store. Making money surrounded by the thing I love."
"Come on Paige, consider your future," Christina said. "A good degree gets you far."
"Or it could lead to nothing and the only thing I'd have to show for going to college is dept," Paige said. "Screw college, I don't need some fancy professors deciding my worth as a human being."
"Hey if she's happy with her plans, she should go for them," Jordan said. "Me, my parents expect me to get into someplace nice, so I don't have much of a choice."
"That's kind of harsh, it should be your choice," Christina said.
"Well try telling that to my father," Jordan bitterly said. "He never seems to care about what I want."
"I'm sure he's just looking out for you," Christina said.
"Yeah, sure..." Jordan said, the girl's tension clearly starting to rise. Lincoln himself could see that something was bothering her, something in his mind telling him that she needed help with something.
"Well, the point about college is that it's good if you have a future planned, but some of us like keeping our minds open," Rusty said.
"That's something Luna had to deal with recently as well," Lincoln said. "She knows she wants to be a musician, but she knows she needs to prioritize her education."
"Does she need it?" Zach asked. "Isn't she super popular as a rockstar?"
"The Moon Goats aren't exactly SMOOCH but they're getting up there," Lincoln said.
"Has she gotten close to signing a record deal somewhere?" Mollie asked.
"She's considering her options," Lincoln said. "One of them is a place called Rocque Records in LA."
"I know that place, the record studio that turned hockey players into Big Time stars," Christina said. "But can't she go local?"
"It's difficult for her," Lincoln said. "But she is trying. Not like our family can afford to send her out to LA anyway, not unless the deal would be guaranteed."
"Speaking of sisters, what about Luan?" Clyde asked. "How close is she to her own goals?"
"Luan's got plenty of options, she's not exactly worried," Lincoln said. "She'll either be a comedian, an actor, or both."
"Hey, she can star in comedy plays," Zach suggested.
"That'd be a good way to use both talents," Lincoln said. "She and Benny will keep looking together and find something that suits them both."
"It's nice that Luan has a supportive boyfriend to help her with her dream," Mollie said.
"Same with Luna, she'd dating one of her bandmates, right?" Paige asked.
"Yeah, her name's Sam," Lincoln said. "I've babysat her brother on occasion, he likes video games too."
"Ah yes, Luna and Sam," Rusty said, hearts in his eyes. "You know, I've spotted them kissing on occasion, it was kind of romantic."
"...Rusty, please tell me you're not getting off to seeing my sister kissing her girlfriend," Lincoln said.
"...I can neither confirm nor deny it," Rusty said.
"Rusty!" Stella shouted.
"Are you freaking serious!?" Jordan asked.
"How desperate are you?" Christina asked.
"Not a smart thing to say, Rusty," Liam said.
Rusty nervously rubbed his head, "Yeah, I guess that was a bit too much."
Lincoln groaned in annoyance, "You better hope my sister never catches you, otherwise you're going to find yourself face first in a dumpster. Especially if my other sisters find out too."
"...Lets change the subject," Clyde said. "Thoughts on Miss Rodavich?"
"She's sexy as hell," Rusty said. "Bet she'd look great in skintight clothes."
"What the fuck, Rusty!?" Jordan shouted, loud enough to attract attention. "Keep it in your pants, will ya!?"
"Uh...that's awkward," Lincoln nervously said as even some nearby teachers glared in disapproval.
After school, Lincoln was just about ready to go to the park. The boy still felt nervous, knowing that Kraven could be lurking, but he couldn't abandon his duties as the city's hero.
Along the way, he spotted Jordan, quickly making his way to the girl, "Hey Jordan, heading home?"
"Not yet, I'm gonna get a Flippie," Jordan said.
"So...you're not in trouble, are you?" Lincoln asked. "After shouting like you did in the cafeteria."
"A teacher gave me a warning, so I'm not in trouble or anything," Jordan said.
"Well it happens to the best of us, my sister Lily has said certain words even at a young age," Lincoln said. "My other sisters were just as loud about certain things too."
"Sounds like your family's usual fun chaos," Jordan said. "Anyway, it's all good with me."
"...Earlier on, you sounded stressed when talking about your father, are things alright?" Lincoln asked.
"Uh, yeah, they're fine," Jordan said.
"Well, if they're not, you know you can come to me, don't you?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, I know" Jordan said. "You're a sweet guy Lincoln, and I appreciate that."
"If you ever want to come by my house for anything, then let me know," Lincoln said, taking her by the hand. "I'll be there to keep you company."
"...You're sweet," Jordan said, then kissed Lincoln on the cheek. "Thanks for being there for me."
"Sure," Lincoln said as his friend left. "Feels like things are advancing with me and Jordan. Hope things don't go badly though."
"Lincoln?" Stella said, the girl making her way over with Christina.
"Oh, hey girls," Lincoln said. "I don't suppose-"
"We saw, but that's fine," Christina said. "You've been getting lucky with her, haven't you?"
"I'll be honest, I'm a little mixed about dating her," Lincoln said. "I just want to be her friend since she looks stressed out about something."
"Jordan can be very open with her emotions," Stella said. "Try not to lead her on if you can help it."
"If you return her feelings, then go for it. If not, let her know sooner than later," Christina said.
"I will," Lincoln said.
"Anyway, Stella told me you ran into a villain," Christina said. "Specifically Kraven the Hunter."
"Oh yeah, I did," Lincoln said. "It's fine, I can take him in a fight."
"Are you certain?" Christina asked. "I can get my suit back and help you."
"Really, I'm fine," Lincoln said. "Just try to heal up from your injuries, better to be at full health."
"Well, if you're in a jam, let me know an I will be there for you, alright?" Christina asked.
"Yeah, don't do more than you can handle," Stella said. "Kraven's pretty strong, and if he can hurt you like you said he did, that means he's prepared for you."
"Hey he couldn't even beat The Lizard, a guy I defeated on my own," Lincoln said.
"Actually, Ronnie Anne helped you with that one," Stella pointed out.
"Well, yeah..." Lincoln nervously insisted.
Stella shrugged it off, "Look, never mind that. Just call us if you need help."
"We mean it, you're strong but you're clearly not invincible," Christina said. "We don't want anything bad happening to you."
"Yeah, I get it," Lincoln said. "Kind of nice seeing you girls get so worried about me. I mean, it's bad because I don't want to stress you out but it is reassuring to have friends."
"Of course, we both care about you," Christina said.
"Well, I care about the two of you as well, that's why I want you to get better Christina," Lincoln said. "If you got hurt again, I don't think my confidence could take it."
"Did I really worry you that much? How sweet," Christina said, hugging the boy. "I mean, to mirror your statement, not sweet that I worried you but-"
"I get it," Lincoln said, hugging back.
Stella felt a bit jealous, but she couldn't be mad because she relates to Christina's feelings right now.
"At the very least, keep watch over Stella and keep her safe," Lincoln said, pulling away. "I'd feel better if I knew you were there for her."
Now Stella felt flustered, hearing Lincoln express concern for her safety did give her that same feeling her two friends just had.
"Of course," Christina said.
"Well, I'm off," Lincoln said, heading to find a place to change.
"Lincoln's really nice," Christina said. "Kind of regret not letting him date me back in the day."
"Me too..." Stella muttered to herself.
"I heard that," Christina said, grinning at the girl.
"Huh? Heard what?" Stella asked.
"Stella, I can tell you feel something special toward Lincoln," Christina said.
"He's just a friend," Stella said. "Besides, you're the one who just admitted you wish you could date him."
"I won't lie, if he asked me out, I probably wouldn't turn him down," Christina said. "Can you be honest with your feelings like that?"
"Come on, don't start with me," Stella said. "Let's hurry to the base and keep track on Lincoln's progress. While there I can multitask regarding your suit."
"Sure, whatever you say," Christina said, making her leave with Stella following close behind.
Emerging from behind a nearby tree was Natasha, the woman having overheard everything, "So, that's Spider-Man's support. I remember he had one girl assisting him, but it looks like he really does have his own sidekick. Interesting."
Lincoln had changed in the park, facing the city once again. He felt apprehensive given that a dangerous foe lurked in the distance, but he couldn't back down. A hero always faces danger after all.
"You won't stop me, Kraven," Lincoln said, swinging toward the center of Royal Woods, ready to fight once again.