At the Loud House, Lana was speaking on the phone with Adelaide, explaining the situation to her, "Yeah, there are rumors of Kraven being in the city, and fighting Spider-Man!"
"Wow, so he's that mad about what happened here in Great Lakes, huh?" Adelaide said.
"Oh totally, he knows Spider-Man's much more awesome than he is," Lana said. "So he's trying to get rid of the competition."
"My mom always said Kraven wasn't a good guy, this just proves it," Adelaide said. "But at least Spider-Man can kick that guy to the curb where he belongs."
"Back into obscurity too," Lana said. "I never understood why that guy was popular in the first place. I'm not one for anything related to hunting, but hunters typically respect the animals they go against."
"Exactly," Adelaide said.
"And I don't have anything against hunters. I like animals, but I also like meat," Lana said.
"Yeah, same here," Adelaide admitted.
"Kraven though...he gets like some sick thrill from hunting these animals, like he's just doing this to stroke his own ego rather than for the good of anyone," Lana said. "He's not feeding anyone, he's not hunting dangerous animals to protect homes. He just wants to have trophies."
"Given what happened in Great Lakes, that's totally accurate," Adelaide said. "Especially considering he endangered my sister's life just to reach Doctor Connors. My mom was even concerned that he was gonna do some practice runs on our animals."
"That would have been cruel, like super cruel," Lana said. "Speaking of your animals...how have you been since...what little incident."
"I still miss my little animals, but I have to move on," Adelaide said. "I don't think they'd want me to be sad forever."
"Yeah, I mean, accidents happen," Lana said. "Not like you or anyone could be blamed for that."
"Doctor Connors had it much worse than I did too, and I know he feels guilty about all the terrible things that happened because of that Lizard serum, so the best I can do is keep my chin up," Adelaide said. "Still, I can't help but feel some resentment. I know it's mean but my feelings are very difficult to ignore."
"Shouldn't ignore them anyway," Lana said. "And I'm always here if you need a friend. You can rest assure that I'll be there to check on you."
"Thanks Lana, you're the best," Adelaide said.
"Adelaide, dinner time!" Becca called.
"Oh, my mom has dinner ready, talk to you later, Lana," Adelaide said.
"Catch you later," Lana said, hanging up.
"Did you have a nice conversation?" Came the voice of Lola, her sudden presence startling Lana.
"Geez Lols, you taking jump scare lessons from Lucy or something?" Lana asked. "Where did you even come from?"
"I came in here a few minutes ago, you were just so engrossed in your conversation," Lola said, the girl folding some of her pageant clothes. "Not that it's a bother, I know how much you care about Adelaide."
"Well yeah, she's my best friend," Lana said. "Sometimes I wish she lived here in Royal Woods. Sucks that she's three hours away."
"I know, and you're definitely not the first in this house to have a long-distance relationship, both romantic and platonic," Lola said.
"Lucky for you, both your best friends live in Royal Woods," Lana said.
"It's true, I am lucky that I have a much more convenient access to Cricket and Meli, but here's how you're lucky," Lola said. "Adelaide coming here is special in its own way only because you don't see her as much. You cherish her presence more and don't take it for granted."
"You got a point, things are always much more fun when Adelaide comes to town," Lana said. "Still, if she came to live here, that'd still be just as good for me. Or if I went to live in Great Lakes."
"Well the only way Adelaide would move here is if one or both of her parents got relocated here for work reasons," Lola said. "But her mom runs a zoo, and her dad works as a train conductor. Both of them seem really happy with their work."
"I don't blame them, mostly Mrs. Chang, she gets to work with animals," Lana said.
"And sorry to say, but there really isn't a way to get you into Great Lakes, mom and dad would never let you move out there on your own," Lola said. "And I can't see our whole family uprooting and moving to Great Lakes."
"Hey to be fair, we nearly ended up living in Loch Loud," Lana said.
"Well yeah, we had our own castle and were living a life of luxury because our brother was The Duke," Lola said. "Plus after getting back home, we kind of remembered everything we would be leaving behind. Luna would have left Sam and the band the two were in, Luan would have left Benny and a lot of other friends, Lori would be further away from Bobby."
"And I'd be even further from Adelaide," Lana said.
"Exactly, sometimes we just gotta deal with the long-distance stuff," Lola said.
"Yeah...too bad none of us have superpowers that let us teleport to other places at will," Lana said. "If I did, I'd go to Great Lakes and play with Adelaide, or bring her here."
"I'll admit, that would be fun," Lola said. "But none of us got blessed with a gift like that."
"...Unless Lucy did," Lana said.
"Lucy?" Lola asked. "She doesn't have powers."
"Hey, she does have her own weird way of moving," Lana said. "I bet she could teleport this whole time."
"That's a bit of a stretch, there's no way anyone in our family has superpowers," Lola said. "A house like this has no room for privacy, if anyone of us developed powers, we'd know almost immediately."
"Yeah...you're right," Lana said. "Guess it's back to dreaming."
"Hey, one day you two can and will live close to each other," Lola said. "When you're both old enough, you can even rent an apartment together, or buy a house. You can be roommates."
"Oh wow, that sounds like an awesome idea," Lana said. "We'd be the two besties living together. Getting into adventures and mishaps, maybe start a business taking care of animals, and the two of us can even go on double dates."
"That sounds fun, mostly the last part," Lola said. "Just try to keep Carl away from Adelaide, every day I worry she'll start to settle."
"She said she's not interested," Lana said.
"It starts like that now, but things can change," Lola said.
"Well honestly, I feel like Adelaide should crush on whoever she wants, if she sees something in Carl that you and I don't, well that's all the better for her," Lana said.
"They wouldn't last," Lola said. "Carl would just break her heart."
"...Well, I'd like to give him the benefit of a doubt," Lana said. "Speaking of dates though, have you found a guy you like?"
"Not really, the closest is probably Winston," Lola said. "I don't see him much these and I doubt we'd end up together anyway, not that I'm opposed to the idea of course. But I am only eight, so I have plenty of time. What about you?"
"No guys for me right now, I still see Skippy and he knows about my crush," Lana said. "He's flattered but I don't think he's ready for a girlfriend, which makes sense."
"At least you're closer than I am," Lola said. "Still, having a boyfriend would make me the envy of my friends, maybe I should check on Winston again."
Lana looked a bit disappointed, "Really Lola? That sounds kind of shallow. Dating a guy just to make yourself popular."
"I suppose so," Lola admitted. "Anyway I still got some dresses to fold. Plus I have some make-up to reorganize."
"That's fine, I gotta check on the bathtub, I think Lynn said it's clogged," Lana said.
"Clogged, how?" Lola asked.
"Well last time Lori was here, I think she was shaving her legs, or her pits," Lana said. "Or...something else."
"Okay, TMI, just do what you gotta do," Lola said.
"Right," Lana said, grabbing her tools. "Time to get to work."
As Lana left, Lola had one thing on her mind. "I don't think Linky's gotten home yet, and it's gonna be dinner time soon. If he doesn't hurry, Lynn's probably gonna steal his food. But he's probably out enjoying himself, and Linky deserves to be happy."
Meanwhile in the city, Lincoln in his Spider-Man suit had just stopped a getaway car and webbed some guys to the wall, dusting his hands off.
"Bad idea to try and outpace someone with my speed," Lincoln scolded. "Also, it's very rude to pull a gun out and start shooting someone chasing your car."
"To be fair, isn't it rude to chase the car?" the robber said, then got his mouth webbed.
"Be quiet," Lincoln scolded.
"Great work Spider-Man," a nearby cop said. "Always good to have you around."
"Anytime officer," Lincoln said.
"Where's that sidekick of yours?" the cop asked. "Didn't already split, did you?"
"Oh no, she's just taking time to make herself stronger," Lincoln explained. "She'll be back, better than ever."
"Well it's great that you can still go solo for the time being," the cop said.
"Hurray for Spider-Man!" A citizen cheered, many more surrounding and cheering for the hero.
"Thank you, thank you, you're all too kind," Lincoln said in a near boastful tone as he bowed to everyone. Though as he looked among those cheering, one did catch his attention.
In the distance, Kraven the Hunter was glaring at the hero, his presence emanated by the sunset behind him. Lincoln's heart began to accelerate as some sweat formed in his mask while his foe maintained eye contact.
Kraven aimed his sword at Lincoln, then pulled it close to his own neck, mimicking a slicing notion, freaking Lincoln out even more.
"Uh, you alright there Spider-Man?" the cop asked, getting Lincoln's attention.
"Who me? Yeah, I'm fine," Lincoln said, glancing back to where Kraven was, finding no one there. "Did I just imagine that or..." Seconds later, he received a call. "I gotta go."
Lincoln quickly swung away, the cop looking satisfied with the progress made by the young hero, "Good to know that we're still in good hands."
Elsewhere, Lincoln had landed far from the others as he checked on his phone, "That you Stella?"
"Yeah, just checking in on you," Stella said, the girl at home and working on the Firestar suit.
"Tell Lincoln I said 'hi'," Christina said.
"Christina says 'hi'," Stella said.
"Well, tell her I said 'hi' back," Lincoln said.
"He says 'hi' back," Stella said to Christina, then focused on the call. "How are things out there?"
"Not too bad, I just stopped a robbery," Lincoln said. "It was pretty cool."
"That's great, any sign of Kraven?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Lincoln said. "I could have sworn I saw him a few moments ago, and I know he saw me. He kept his distance though, probably because of the crowd."
"That guy still has it out for you it sounds like," Stella said. "You should probably get home before it gets too dark outside. Last thing you want is to be disadvantaged in the dark. I've done research, and Kraven hunts just as well at night. Makes sense given that he survived the Jungles of Africa. Last thing you want is to be ambushed or fall into one of his traps."
"Oh, here's an idea. Maybe you install some night vision onto Lincoln's gear," Christina suggested.
"That might work..." Stella said. "Lincoln one day I might need your suit, you could benefit from some night vision."
"Oooh, like some secret spy stuff," Lincoln said. "I'll be just like David Steele."
"Oh yeah, that works too," Stella said, finding humor in Lincoln's nerd talk. "Still, get home for now, text me when you get there so I know you're safe."
"I will, catch you later," Lincoln said, hanging up and swinging away, heading back to his house where he had avoided an encounter with Kraven, for the time being at least.
A day came and went, the streets were a little bit safer, but still no sign of where Kraven might be. Lincoln had that in the back of his mind but pressed on and hoped that soon he could find the hunter and bring him to justice.
The next day the kids had gone to school as normal, and by the end of course, they were on their way home.
"Another day...another chance to find Kraven...hopefully before he finds me," Lincoln said to himself. Just thinking about the hunter freaked him out a bit, fully aware of the danger he possessed. "Funny, for a guy who hunts beasts, he's very beastlike himself. He probably spends so much time thinking like a wild animal that he's become one himself."
As Lincoln thought this over, he felt someone grab his shoulder, startling the boy as he turned around, grabbing the person by the shirt and ready to strike.
"Whoa! Lincoln! It's just me!" Clyde said, the glasses wearing boy fully freaked out.
"Cl-clyde?" Lincoln said, frantically releasing him. "Oh wow...sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."
"It's fine...took me by surprise though, are you expecting someone to jump you?" Clyde asked.
"Uh...well you never know," Lincoln said.
"Won't argue that, some kids can be jerks, especially if they're friends with Chandler," Clyde said, straightening out his clothes. "Just wanted to ask if you knew about a special event at the mall."
"A special event?" Lincoln asked.
"Rip Hardcore is going to be there, he's giving special lessons about wilderness survival," Clyde said. "He'll be talking about rationing food, what berries are poisonous to humans, the best mud to scent yourself with, and even what to do when you encounter a dangerous predator, like a bear, or a gorilla, even tigers!"
"Wow, that actually sounds really cool!" Lincoln said. "Especially that last part."
"We should totally go," Clyde said. "Could be good to brush up on some tips."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Lincoln said. "Just give me the date and time."
As Clyde exchanged the information, the disguised Natasha made her way to the door leading out the school. "There's Lincoln Loud again...and that boy with him. I believe that's Clyde McBride, one of his little friends. I don't believe he knows Lincoln's secret though, at least for now."
"Ah, Miss Rodavich," Bolhofner said, the man appearing beside the lady. "Fancy running into you here."
"Yes, fancy that..." Natasha said.
"You know, I'm free this afternoon if you want to grab a cup of coffee, or a burger," Bolhofner said.
"Sorry, but I have plans," Natasha said, immediately making her leave. "I will see you later."
"The thrill of the chase," Bolhofner said, then noticed Lincoln and Clyde getting excited nearby. "What's got those two all riled up?"
He got in closer as Lincoln was in his fanboy mode, "It'll be so awesome seeing Rip Hardcore, very excited."
"One day, I gotta try to get a rough and tough body like he does," Clyde said. "No one will look down on me if I'm buff."
"Right, buff, that is totally our goal," Lincoln said. "Well technically I already am, not sure if I should tell Clyde, he might get suspicious."
"Off to see Rip Hardcore, are you?" Bolhofner asked, getting the boys' attention.
"That we are sir," Clyde said.
"Well that's good, glad you boys have a positive influence when it comes to outdoor stuff," Bolhofner said. "Most kids these days don't appreciate the outdoors, they wanna be stuck on their phones or inside playing video games."
"Well video games are fun, I just like to keep a balance," Lincoln said. "Growing up with a family as big as mine, you quickly figure out better ways to get privacy."
"Oh right, you have like ten sisters," Bolhofner said. "I can't even imagine how your parents pulled off having eleven kids."
"Well my dad did always want a big family," Lincoln said.
"He certainly got it," Bolhofner said. "Well I'll leave you boys to it then."
"Wait, sir, question," Lincoln said. "If you don't mind, what can you tell me about Kraven?"
"...This is about that fight with Spider-Man everyone said he had, isn't it?" Bolhofner asked.
"Sorry if it's personal, I just want to be sure how to...or at least know how Spider-Man would be able to stop him if he needed to," Lincoln said.
"Kraven's got that animal instinct, I'd go as fa as to say he's not even human himself," Bolhofner said. "He lives for the hunt, when he sets his mind onto something, it drives his ambitions that much harder. It never mattered to him how tough the hunt was, if anything it excited him. He's fast enough to hunt a cheetah, strong enough to hunt an elephant. There is hardly a creature that would last against him. Spider-Man is just another goal for him it seems like, if he wants to defeat Kraven, he needs to adapt animal instincts too."
"I see...well thank you," Lincoln said. "Hopefully Spider-Man understands this as well."
"I hope so kid," Bolhofner said, making his leave.
"Come on Lincoln, let's head over to my place," Clyde said.
"Sure, but give me a minute, I gotta take care of something first," Lincoln said, quickly making his leave.
"Wow, he really is busy lately," Clyde commented. "Well, he should be back soon I guess."
A bit later, Bolhofner arrived at his hut, ready to unload for a bit before going out to grab some firewood.
"I still got those papers to grade, but that can wait," Bolhofner said, stepping inside and coming across something unusual. "What in the..."
"Hello cousin, it's been a while," came the voice of Kraven, the man having made himself comfortable on a couch.
"What the hell? How did you get in here!?" Bolhofner asked.
"I had my ways," Kraven said.
"Okay you want to be vague, fine, you can explain yourself to the police then!" Bolhofner said, grabbing his phone.
"Would you really call the police on your own family?" Kraven teased.
"Some family you are, the moment you hit that fame you basically ditched everyone, not that I'm bothered," Bolhofner said. "Seeing your so-called work, I'm ashamed to even call you my damn cousin! The way you hunt down animals with no respect, turning the wilds into a joke, and now I hear you're hunting superheroes!? Spider-Man is a kid!"
"A kid that likely attends your school," Kraven said.
"...What are you getting at?" Bolhofner asked.
"I will be needing access to the school grounds," Kraven explained. "This way I can-"
"Out of the question," Bolhofner interrupted. "You'd have to be nuts to think I'd let you anywhere near my school. I don't need you endangering my students."
"Your students will be fine, I just want Spider-Man," Kraven said.
"You really think I'd just help you with that!?" Bolhofner asked. "You gotta be out of your damn mind!"
Kraven shook his head in disappointment, "You always were a stubborn one, one of your best and worst qualities."
"At least I'm not a lunatic like you've turned out to be," Bolhofner said. "I suggest you leave, unless you want to say 'hello' to the police."
"Very well, I will be seeing you," Kraven said, making a hastily exit.
"...I should probably call the cops anyway, but what can they do against someone like that?" Bolhofner wondered aloud. "Eh, Spider-Man's got this."
Days later at the mall, Lincoln is seen with a few of his sisters, that being Lana, Lola, Leni, Lynn, Luna and Luan.
"When I said I was going to the mall, I didn't expect the extra baggage," Lincoln said.
"Well you needed Leni to drive you," Lynn said. "And the rest of us have stuff to get here too."
"I'm actually meeting Sam at the music store, so I won't bug you," Luna said.
"I'm meeting with Benny at the party store," Luan said.
"What about the twins?" Lincoln asked. "Who's going to watch them? I'm supposed to be meeting Clyde."
"Do we need anyone to watch us?" Lana asked. "Lola and I can take care of ourselves."
"You know mom and dad won't let you, not after what happened a few weeks ago with you, Lana," Lynn said.
"Ugh, you get kidnapped one time..." Lana lamented. "Well still, if it's alright with you Lincoln, I'd like to join you and Clyde. I'm interested in what Rip Hardcore has to say, and I promise I won't get in your way."
"I suppose that's alright," Lincoln said.
"I can watch over Lola," Leni said. "She can come with me to see Miguel and Fiona."
"That's fine with me," Lincoln said.
"I'm off to the sports store," Lynn said. "I got some big games next week."
"Alright, we'll split up here," Luna said, everyone going separate directions, leaving Lincoln with Lana.
"So, where's Clyde?" Lana asked.
"He should be at the costume store," Lincoln said.
"Huh? What for?" Lana asked. "I thought you were going to see Rip Hardcore?"
"We are, but we also want to pick out our costumes for Halloween," Lincoln said.
"Aren't you going as Ace Savvy?" Lana asked. "You do that every year."
"Not this time, we're all dressing up as The Avengers," Lincoln said. "I'm going to be Captain America."
"Wow, finally changing things up," Lana said. "You're not worried about being predictable again, are you?"
"No, I'm over that," Lincoln said.
"I still don't know why you were so bothered, not like any of us are constantly changing either," Lana said.
"You know me, I get an idea and run with it," Lincoln said.
"Got that right," Lana said as she walked with her brother. "You always had that ambition."
Unknown to Lincoln, Kraven was scaling the top part of the mall, the hunter sniffing around. "He's here...finding him among all these people may be a challenge for a lesser man. Fortunately, that lesser man is not me."
Leni had met with Miguel and Fiona at the Food Court along with Lola, the four joined by Leni's other friends, Mandee and Jackie.
"So, babysitting duties, Leni?" Jackie asked.
"Yeah, I hope you don't mind Lola being here," Leni said.
"It's all good, she's a precious kid after all," Miguel said.
"Aw, thank you," Lola said. "I am precious, aren't I?"
"And so humble about it too," Fiona playfully remarked. "So is it just you two?"
"Lincoln and a few of my other sisters are here too," Leni said. "Linky went to go get some Halloween costumes and see that Rip Hardcore guy, Lana went with him, Luna went to meet with her bandmates, Luan went to see her boyfriend and Lynn went to the sports place."
"So a big family trip," Miguel said. "You know, I might just check out what Rip Hardcore has to show off myself. I've always been fond of his products, helps me get all buff too."
"So, what does your brother have planned as far as costumes go?" Mandee asked.
"He said something about dressing up like The Avengers with his friends," Leni said.
"That sounds nice," Jackie said. "Who's Lincoln going to be?"
"Captain America," Lola said. "Fitting since he's basically the leader of his friends."
"No doubt about that," Fiona said. "It's nice that his friends want to play superhero, so long as it's not in the store."
"That was two years ago, Fiona," Leni said. "Lincoln didn't mean to irritate you, he was just trying to help me get my job back."
"Linky goes above and beyond for us at times," Lola said. "It's sweet how much he looks after us sisters."
"I can respect that, a good man treats women well," Miguel said. "You girls must be really grateful."
"Oh totally, we all appreciate what Lincoln does for us," Lola said. "Though I admit we take it for granted. Well more my other sisters than me."
"Lola!" Leni scolded.
"Okay fine, I do it too," Lola said. "Not as bad as Lynn at least."
"Be nice, Lola," Leni warned. "But, still. Link does a lot for us, and sometimes I worry he does too much. He's been a lot busier after school lately, and he has so much homework, among other things."
"Got that right, he still makes time to help me with my pageants," Lola said. "Of course there haven't been that many lately but my point still stands."
"Lincoln just seems like one of those boys who's so full of energy and can do a lot at once," Jackie said.
"Yeah, just let him go at it, he can handle it," Fiona said.
"I don't know, he might overdo it," Mandee said. "He doesn't want to build up stress after all."
"I agree, when I was a little boy, I thought I was invincible," Miguel said. "I found out quickly that I had limits."
"Still, what's the worse he could be doing?" Jackie pointed out. "Lincoln does spend a lot of time at Gus's, doesn't he? He likes hanging out with his friends."
"Which is adorable, I admit," Miguel said. "But he still needs to watch out."
"Watch out for what? He's just goofing off with his friends, probably Clyde the most," Fiona said. "Those two really get into some hijinks."
"It's not just Clyde," Leni said. "He's been around quite a few girls lately."
"Oh yeah, wasn't he dating a girl recently?" Fiona asked.
"Her name's Emma, she and Linky broke up though," Leni said. "It really upset him."
"Well that's hardly a surprise, break-ups aren't easy," Fiona said. "I've gone through some myself."
"It did cause him to pick a fight with a boy in school though," Leni said.
"You mean that Chandler kid? He deserved whatever butt-kicking Lincoln gave him," Lola said.
"Chandler? Like Chandler McCann?" Fiona asked.
"You know him?" Lola asked.
"Yeah, that little punk causes trouble in the mall sometimes, especially Reininger's," Fiona said.
"He and his friends like to loiter, harass customers and whatnot," Miguel said.
"Sounds like him," Lola said. "He picks on Linky too. It was bad when Lincoln had to sit in front of him in class one time."
"I don't doubt it," Miguel said. "Still, a fight? Didn't think Lincoln had it in him."
"It got him detention for a week too," Leni said. "Which seemed kind of unfair."
"Schools, am I right?" Fiona said. "Still, Lincoln probably already blew off his steam."
"Yeah, I think he wants to move on, he's just unsure," Leni said. "But he does spend a lot of time with Stella, and recently he's been spending time with a girl named Christina. I think he also once mentioned a girl named Jordan."
"Sounds like he's just fine when it comes to girls," Jackie said.
"Something else to worry about," Miguel said. "Make sure he manages his hormones, same with those girls. Otherwise-"
"Uh, Miguel," Jackie whispered to the sole guy of the group. "Maybe don't stay this in front of Lola."
"Hey, you better not be holding back just because I'm here," Lola said. "I am very knowledgeable about certain things. Thanks especially to Lana's animals."
"Lola!" Leni scolded.
"Hey it's not my fault Lana's animals are so horny sometimes," Lola said, this earning a blush from everyone present.
"Damn, Lola does not hold back," Fiona said. "I kind of like that about her.
"Fiona, don't encourage this," Leni said.
"I don't see the big deal, I'm gonna learn this stuff sooner or later," Lola said. "Makes it easier on mom and dad when they give me 'the talk'."
"It's good to be knowledgeable sweetheart, just remember to use that knowledge responsibly," Miguel said.
"I will, it's not something I would discuss with my friends, or Lily," Lola said. "At this point, she's probably the only sister who doesn't know this stuff."
"Let's keep it that way," Leni said.
"Hey gang, how's it going?" Came a familiar voice.
"Well look who's here," Fiona said.
"Hardly a surprise given that he works nearby," Miguel said.
Leni turned to see her recent crush, "Gavin!?"
"Hey Leni, I came by to see how you and your friends were doing, I hope I'm not interrupting," Gavin said.
"You're good dude," Fiona said. "Come take a seat."
"Gladly," Gavin said, taking a seat next to Leni, then noticed the youngest member present. "Hey, you're Lola right?"
"Glad you remember me," Lola said.
"Of course, I made it my business to remember Leni's siblings, though I don't think I'm quite there with all the names," Gavin said.
"It takes a while," Mandee said. "Especially when all the girls have four letters in their names and two syllables."
"Except Lynn," Lola said. "Even adding the Junior part, that's three."
"Lynn Junior, she's the sports player, right?" Gavin asked.
"Yeah, that's her," Leni said.
"Oh good, I think the easiest one was Lincoln since he's the only boy in the family," Gavin said. "Not counting your dad obviously."
"We were just talking about him," Fiona said. "He's been having some girl troubles."
"Girl troubles? At his age? Hardly a surprise for a boy," Gavin said.
"He had a girlfriend recently, then the dumb bimbo dumped him," Lola said.
"Lola, don't say that about Emma," Leni scolded.
"Emma? Funny, I know an Emma, she and a friend of hers with a beret usually come to the food court," Gavin said.
"That sounds like Chloe, one of Emma's friends," Leni said. "She's a nice girl, so it was a bummer she and Linky split up."
"He's young, he has options," Gavin said.
"Sounds like he has at least three," Fiona said. "Wouldn't be surprised if he put the moves on any of them."
"I hope it's Stella, she's really cute," Jackie said.
"I second that," Mandee said.
"Honestly, thinking about it, I say he should figure out what went wrong with Emma and fix it," Miguel said. "A sweetheart like that doesn't come around very often, she's great for Lincoln."
"He seems like a smart kid, he'll figure it out," Gavin said, then turned his attention to the youngest girl. "So, Lola, have you broken any hearts lately?"
"Probably, lots of boys like me but they're just not good enough for Lola Loud," The pageant girl boasted.
"Gotta love the sass," Fiona said.
"I've seen some cute boys though, like one boy named Winston," Lola said. "But it's complicated, he's got so many commitments and so do I."
"Aren't you like, eight?" Mandee asked. "How many commitments do you have?"
"You be surprised, honey," Lola said. "Point is, he's on my radar, but I make no promises."
"What do you like about this boy?" Fiona asked.
"Oh I can go on about it," Lola said.
"I'm all ears," Fiona said, the others agreeing.
"Well, let me start from the beginning then," Lola said, readying a story.
At the costume store, Lincoln and his friends had tried on their costumes and were in front of a mirror checking it out.
"Behold, for I am the Mighty THOR!" Rusty said, dressed in his Thor costume while holding up a broom in place of Mjölnir, one that an employee immediately snatched from his hands and went back to use it to sweep up the place. "Rude."
"Did you happen to win that hammer?" Zach asked, the boy dressed like The Hulk.
"I'm almost there, I just gotta win one more batch of tickets," Rusty said.
"We'll be there to help ya," Liam said, the boy dressed like Hawkeye. "Just a matter of time."
"Appreciate that," Rusty said, then felt someone bump into him. "Careful Clyde."
"Sorry, this mask is harder to see in than I thought," Clyde said, the boy dressed like Iron Man, and removing his mask to show he took his glasses off. "Also I forgot to bring some contacts. I don't even know if I have any."
"Try investing in some, you might be able to pull off a better look without the glasses," Rusty said. "Swap that sweater of yours and you'd be much less nerdy looking."
"Hey! I don't look nerdy!" Clyde said. "Also my sweater is stylish."
"You wear it all the time, even in summer, and people still barely look at you," Rusty said. "You could have been a big hit with girls."
"Did you forget that I have Chloe?" Clyde asked.
"You mean the girl who barely spends time with you these days?" Zach muttered.
"Hm? Did you say something Zach?" Clyde asked.
"Just that it'd still be nice if you looked great for Chloe, she can make the other girls jealous," Zach said.
"Eh, I'll think about it, but I think Chloe likes the glasses look, why else did she come to me that day?" Clyde rhetorically asked.
"Out of pity probably," Rusty muttered to himself.
"Rusty, speak up, I can't hear you," Clyde said.
"Just that maybe you have a point," Rusty said.
"Well yeah, see I have a good understanding of girls, thanks to my practice wooing Lori," Clyde said. "Let me tell you, if it wasn't for Bobby being sneaky, Lori would have been mine. But she's fine with Bobby and I I'm fine with Chloe. I haven't even thought about Lori in years."
"You certainly got some confidence there, Clyde," Liam said.
"It's a talent, and a gift," Clyde boasted.
"Still, what's taking Lincoln and Stella so long?" Zach asked.
"You think they went into a changing room together and got all...you know?" Rusty said, a perverted grin on his face.
"Dude, not cool," Zach said.
"Not like they'll ever hear it," Rusty said.
"Ahem..." Came Stella's voice, the sound striking fear into Rusty's spine.
The boy slowly turned around to see his angry friend, "Hey Stella...how's it going?"
Stella, who was currently dressed like Black Widow, glanced at Rusty in annoyance, "You have such a dirty mind."
"Whoa, you're looking mighty nice, Stella," Liam said.
"Seems a little loose though," Liam said.
"Of course it does, it's a costume, like you all have," Stella said. "Clyde's suit is not actually armor, Rusty's isn't Asgardian, so my 'skintight' suit isn't actually skintight."
"I guess the idea of you trying to pull off Black Widow's bod would be a bit unusual of you," Rusty said.
"Put a cork in it, Spokes," Stella warned.
"In any casy, hopefully this suit's design will reduce some impure thoughts that others have of ya," Liam said.
"I'm not holding my breath on that," Stella said, glancing down at the costume. "I am having second thoughts, aren't there other girls in The Avengers?"
"I think there was one, but her suit is way more revealing," Rusty said. "Miss Marvel or something."
"Is she still Miss Marvel?" Liam asked. "Ah heard she's now Captain Marvel."
"There's that new girl, Firestar," Zach said. "But, I guess she's too new, the odds of there being a costume for her is low."
"Point is, there isn't another hero suit," Clyde said. "You could try dressing as Lady Ace. She's not an Avenger but..."
"She wears something akin to underwear, I'm passing on that," Stella said. "Here I thought the whole sexy female superhero thing was just in comics to get the boys all excited, but it's happening with actual heroes now it seems."
"To be fair, there's a lot of girls who find guys like Thor and Captain America sexy because of their muscles, so it's not limited to just girls," Rusty pointed out.
"He's got a point, even Ace Savvy is drawn to be muscular and macho," Zach said. "When making comics or any type of media, you gotta make the main character look attractive, otherwise people won't care."
"Take video games, no one's gonna wanna play if the main character looks ugly, especially if that character is a girl," Rusty said. "You're a pretty girl Stella, you shouldn't be ashamed, you should be happy."
"I suppose I do feel fortunate that I'm not ugly, still," Stella said, the girl subconsciously covering up. "I'd rather be a kid for a little while longer."
"Then think of yourself as a kid," Clyde said. "You shouldn't be shy about the Black Widow Costume, you should just embrace it."
"Sure, I'll give it my best," Stella said.
"Now, all we need is Lincoln," Rusty said.
"Here I am," Lincoln said, walking over dressed in his Captain America costume. "Sorry I took so long, I was helping Lana with her costume as well."
"Whoa, you look great!" Rusty said. "All you need is a shield and you're golden."
"I'm gonna make my own out of an old trash can lid," Lincoln said.
"You'd think these costumes would come with the hammer, bow, arrows and shield," Zach said.
"They do, but it's a bit more expensive," Clyde said. "This is the cheapest we can afford."
"At least Lincoln's costume comes with some decent padding," Rusty said. "Those six pack abs almost look real."
Lincoln's eyes widened a second, looking down on his abs, remembering that he had gotten very buff after being bitten by the spider. "Right, padding."
Stella also knew those were his real abs, the girls now having some impure thoughts about her friend, "Ugh, seriously? First I'm self conscious about how boys see me and now I'm oogling my friend. So hypocritical of me."
"Well that settles it, we're The Avengers," Rusty said. "The original six, Halloween's gonna be fun this year."
"Ah certainly can't wait," Liam said.
"What's Lana going to be?" Clyde asked.
"She's going to dress up as the main character from Total Trash Takedown," Lincoln said. "She's super excited about it."
"Got that right," Lana said, walking over in costume. "Gonna defeat the Trash King after eight worlds of doom."
"Aw...you look so cute," Stella said.
"Ew, don't call me cute, that's for Lola, not me," Lana said. "But I appreciate the compliment nonetheless, Stella."
"Let's get these costumes paid for, then head for that Rip Hardcore seminar," Lincoln said.
"Ooh, while we're here, should we get those elf costumes?" Lana asked. "I think dad wants to go all out for Christmas this year."
"Wait until afterwards, costumes are cheaper after Halloween," Lincoln said.
"Big plans for Christmas, huh?" Stella asked. "I'd love to see what the Loud Family has in store."
"Yeah, Christmas is our specialty," Lana said.
"Figured Thanksgiving would be, since it's a family holiday and you're a massively big family," Rusty said.
"That's fun too, but Christmas has presents," Lana said. "That's what I like about that and Halloween. Presents and free candy."
After everything was paid for, Lincoln and his friends walked toward the seminar, unaware that Kraven was closing in.
"Hey Lincoln, you forgot to take your mask off," Clyde said.
"I did?" Lincoln asked, feeling his face. "Oh right, guess this just felt natural to me."
"Like you were destined to be Captain America?" Rusty asked.
"Something like that," Lincoln said. "Could also be that I wear a mask all the time as Spider-Man too."
Kraven spotted Lincoln among his friends, the strong scent emanating from the boy. "There he is...That's my target."
Lincoln's spider sense went off, the boy looking around in worry, much to his friends' curiosity.
"You alright Lincoln?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, I thought I heard something," Lincoln said. "Come on, let's hurry."
Seconds later, a little smoke pellet landed near the kids, each of them coughing from the sudden appearance of smoke.
"What in the world!?" Stella said, trying to cover her face.
"Is this a prank or something!?" Rusty shouted.
"Lincoln!?" Lana said, trying to find her brother. "What's happening!?"
"Not sure!" As Lincoln tried waving the smoke away, he looked up and spotted Kraven, the hunter glaring down at the boy.
"I finally found you, Spider-Man," Kraven said.
"Wait, no way he knows who I am!" Lincoln worried, then immediately dodged an oncoming strike, his Captain America mask falling off his face as the boy desperately tried to cover up. "Not good!"
"You can't escape!" Kraven was about to attack again but Lincoln managed to dodge and kick Kraven away.
"I gotta change, and fast!" Lincoln ran off, hoping he lost track of Kraven, unaware that the hunter was still after him.
Once the smoke disappeared, everyone saw that Lincoln was gone, this worrying his friends and his sister.
"Where'd Lincoln go!?" Lana shouted in dismay.
"Is he practicing his magic or something? Because if he is, that was one hell of a trick," Rusty said.
"It might be something else," Liam said. "Call me crazy but ah could have sworn ah heard someone say 'Spider-Man'."
Stella immediately grew concerned, wondering if this was what she thought it was, "I'm gonna go find Lincoln."
"Take me with you!" Lana said.
"No!" Stella accidentally shouted in worry, startling the girl. "I mean...something weird's going on and I don't think your family would want you in danger again. Stay with Clyde and the boys."
"But, I'm worried now," Lana said.
"Listen to me, Lana," Stella said, kneeling in front of the girl. "I know you want to make sure your brother is alright, but we both know he would want to prioritize your safety. Please, just stay with Clyde and I promise after this is over and Lincoln's back, we'll...go for some ice cream. You like ice cream, don't you?"
"Y-yeah, I do," Lana said.
"I'll treat you myself, just promise you'll stay with Clyde, he'll keep you safe," Stella said.
"With my life," Clyde said. "Though I really hope it doesn't come to that."
"Boys, keep a close eye on Lana, I'm gonna go find Lincoln," Stella said, making a run for it.
"...So, is there a reason Stella ran off on her own?" Rusty asked.
"Do you want to be the big hero?" Zach asked. "This could be a villain thing for all we know. Lincoln probably got taken hostage."
"Why Lincoln though?" Liam asked.
"Same reason it happened with Sid Chang in Great Lakes and Girl Jordan a few weeks ago," Zach said. "Leverage over the hero."
This began to really worry Lana, "Should we call the police or something!?"
"That would be the responsible thing to do," Clyde said, grabbing his phone. "For now, lets head to safety."
Kraven searched the back ways of the mall, doing his best to find Lincoln. "I know you're around, Spider-Man! You can't hide from me!"
The hunter sinisterly scouted around, hoping to find any sign of Lincoln. Fortunately the boy was in his costume and ready to fight. He then rushed in for a sneak attack, but Kraven sensed this and grabbed Lincoln by the face.
"So, hiding behind your mask again? Like it would make a difference," Kraven said, slamming the boy through a wall, leading him into Reininger's, landing near Mrs. Carmichael's son as the boy was seen playing with an Ace Savvy toy.
"Whoa! Spider-Man!"
Lincoln looked up and spotted the boy, "Run! Quick!"
Kraven stepped through, both his swords out, "It's over." He lunged and attacked but Lincoln was quick to parry and punch Kraven, though he got kicked through the store for his efforts, breaking the glass and startling everyone present.
"My store!" Mrs. Carmichael shouted as Kraven stormed out. "Hey! You better have a check or-" One glare shut the woman up. "I mean...I hope you have a nice day."
Kraven took a kick from Lincoln that sent him flying across the clothing area. As Lincoln tried to follow up, Kraven whacked Lincoln aside, sending him toward the perfume section.
Lincoln propped himself up, seeing all the samples of perfume and recalling something he learned once. "Wait, according to Rip Hardcore, animals sometimes avoid their hunters by masking their scent. I wonder..."
Kraven quickly marched over, ready to strike, "I have you now!"
Lincoln grabbed some perfume samples and sprayed them in Kraven's face, stinging his eyes and messing with his scent. "Aren't perfume samples the worst!?"
"Damn you!" Kraven shouted as he cleared his vision.
Lincoln rushed in to attack again but Kraven punched him away and pursued him out of the store, still shaking off the effects of the perfume as Lincoln applied some to himself.
"The scent is clearly bothering him, the stronger my scent is, the more likely it will throw him off, and give me a chance to breathe if I need to," Lincoln thought to himself.
Kraven then used his swords to attack, Lincoln's reflexes making it difficult, though the hunter came close the moment a sword cut Lincoln's face, the boy now bleeding a bit.
"Crap!" Lincoln backed up a bit, trying to hold the blood in. Fortunately it was a small cut, though it still stung.
"The sight of blood, the first act of dominance of a predator hunting his prey," Kraven said.
"You're such a weirdo!" Lincoln shouted, shooting another web that Kraven dodged as he ran in and attacked again, Lincoln having to avoid his attacks, though one slip up allowed Kraven to knee him in the stomach and hit him with a powerful punch.
Meanwhile Lola was still talking to Leni's friends, "So me and Winston had a chance to talk after that, and then-"
Lincoln suddenly landed on the table, startling everyone in sight.
"Spider-Man!?" Jackie asked.
"Ew! What's he doing here!?" Leni shouted in disgust.
Fiona saw some trouble coming, "Hey watch out!"
Everyone, including Lincoln, cleared out the way just before Kraven landed down with a double sword attack to Lincoln, this completely destroying the table.
"Holy shit!" Fiona shouted.
"What just happened!?" Mandee asked in disbelief.
Lincoln got back on his feet, "Everyone run!"
"Don't gotta tell me twice," Miguel said, making his leave. "Gavin, girls, let's go!"
"...Hey, why does Spider-Man smell like perfume?" Fiona wondered.
"Are you really wondering that right now?" Jackie asked.
"Seriously, it smells like the one in Reininger's, don't tell me..." Fiona began to assume the worse.
"Fiona! Worry about that later! We gotta run!" Jackie urged, pulling the girl away.
Lola was about to run when she recognized Kraven, "Hey! You're the one who nearly hurt Adelaide's sister!"
"Lola, come on!" Leni shouted, picking her sister up and running.
Lincoln dusted himself off, glaring at the hunter, "Geez, you really need to be careful with civilians around."
"I hunt my prey, if anyone of these people get in my way and get hurt, it's their own fault," Kraven said.
"You really have no honor," Lincoln said.
Kraven pulled out a speak, "Watch your tone!"
The hunter went after Lincoln, fighting with his spear as Lincoln did his best to dodge and battle, trying to keep distance between himself and Kraven.
Around this point, Stella had called Lincoln, the boy quickly answering, "Yeah?"
"Lincoln, it's me," Stella said. "What's happening? What was with that smoke screen? Is it Kraven?"
"Sure is," Lincoln said, kicking the hunter away and keeping distance. "How are the others? How's Lana?"
"They're fine, they're keeping watch over Lana right now," Stella said. "How did this guy even find you? Did he find out your secret identity?"
"He sniffed me out," Lincoln said. "He really is a wild animal."
"Definitely mutant powers, unless he was born with a really good sense of smell," Stella said.
"I managed to mask my scent with some perfume at Leni's store," Lincoln said. "It's throwing him off his game."
"Wow, that's clever, bet you learned that from Rip Hardcore," Stella said. "The scent masking thing, not the perfume thing."
"I did learn it from him , and it works. For now, just make sure Lana's okay, and see to it that everyone leaves the mall, especially my sisters," Lincoln said, then saw Kraven coming in. "Gotta go!"
"Lincoln!?" Stella heard nothing but a dial tone. "This isn't good. Lincoln might need help out there, looks like I'm gonna have to make sure of it."
Lincoln and Kraven continued battling across the mall, Lincoln using more evasive tactics to keep from injury while Kraven continued to pursue.
The hunter whipped out a bow and arrow, firing at Lincoln as the boy did his best to deflect everything, not wanting to risk any of the arrows potentially hurting someone.
He continued to fight, unknowingly heading toward the seminar area hosted by Rip Hardcore.
"Now when in the wild, be sure to keep yourself properly shielded from the elements, including sunlight and bugs, especially mosquitoes," Rip Hardcore said, grabbing a bottle of sorts. "There's a good way to do both so that-" Lincoln was knocked nearby, getting everyone's attention, including the nature expert himself. "Crikey, is that Spider-Man!?"
Kraven landed nearby, glancing into the store and spotting a rival of his, "Oh, it's you."
"Kraven the Hunter!?" Rip Hardcore asked. "So, you are in Royal Woods, what are you up to mate?"
"Outclassing you in every way possible," Kraven said, glaring at Lincoln. "By going after my ultimate prey."
"Hold on there, mate," Rip Hardcore said, walking over to the hunter. "You really think this makes you a good hunter? Attacking a hero who spends his time saving others? Where's the honor in that?"
"You turned this into a game, I am showing the world that this is no game," Kraven said.
"No one ever said it's a game, mate," Rip Hardcore said. "I'm just showing the world how to handle the wild. It ain't all fun and games, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. You used to be cool, but you've really lost your way. I mean, your hunting tactics are barbaric, you don't even respect the animals you hunt."
"Be quiet!" Kraven shouted, whacking Rip Hardcore away. "I didn't come here for your foolish input."
"Hey!" Lincoln shouted, getting Kraven's attention. "How dare you hurt one of my idols!"
"Wait, Spider-Man considers me an idol?" Rip Hardcore asked. "I'm honored!"
"Uh, yeah...I watch your videos, they're really cool," Lincoln said, keeping his voice disguised. "And educational. Taught me everything I need to know about the outdoors."
"Except how to efficiently hunt, is that right?" Kraven asked.
"Well...I wasn't really ready for hunting anyway," Lincoln said.
"Too bad," Kraven said, grabbing Lincoln by the throat. "It could have saved your life."
"Mate, don't do this!" Rip Hardcore urged. "Is this really who you want to be? This isn't you being a hunter, this is you being no different than those other villains who terrorized Royal Woods!"
"If I must be the villain here, so be it," Kraven said.
"Your call," Lincoln said, webbing Kraven's face and kicking him away, sending him flying back.
It was also around this point that Clyde and the others had spotted the fight, feeling a bit worried.
"So much for getting out of the mall without trouble," Liam said.
"We can still make it, Spider-Man has Kraven distracted," Clyde said. "Now Lana, I need you to-"
"Uh...problem," Rusty said, gesturing to the young plumber girl marching toward Kraven.
"Lana! Don't!" Clyde shouted.
"Hey you jerk!" Lana said, getting Kraven's attention. "What did you do to my big brother!?"
"Lana!?" Lincoln shouted in worry.
"You were already on my bad side for not only nearly hurting my friend's sister, but also the cruel way you treat animals in the wild!" Lana shouted. "Now you're hurting Spider-Man and kidnapping my brother!?"
"I did no such thing to your bother," Kraven said.
"Likely story," Lana said. "Tell me where Lincoln is, right now!"
"He's safe!" Lincoln called, keeping his voice disguised. "I rescued him, and he should be somewhere in the mall, away from danger."
Kraven seemed very curious by that statement, "How interesting..."
"Is he really alright, Spider-Man?" Lana asked.
"Yes, he's fine, now go, it's not safe here!" Lincoln said.
"Uh, alright, I'll-" Suddenly Lana was lifted by her shirt, courtesy of Kraven.
"You have a lot of courage, little girl," Kraven said.
"Hey! Put her down!" Lincoln angrily warned. "If you hurt her, I will break each and every single one of your bones!"
"That's quite the threat, something tells me this girl is very special to you," Kraven said.
"She's one of the first people I saved, I did it to ensure she has a bright future!" Lincoln said. "I am not letting you ruin that for her!"
"Wow, Spider-Man must really care about me, kind of flattering," Lana mentally noted.
"That's it, mate!" Rip Hardcore shouted, angrily jumping on Kraven and placing him in a neck lock. "I'm drawing the line here. What kind of man endangers a child like this!?"
"Get your hands off me!" Kraven shouted, dropping Lana and flipping Rip Hardcore hard off of his back, slamming him on the ground.
"Mr. Hardcore!" Lana shouted in worry. Suddenly she got webbed away by Lincoln, the disguised brother holding his unaware sister in his arms.
"Lana, it's not safe here," Lincoln said. "You need to run."
"Uh...alright," Lana said. "Where's my brother again?"
"Around, just leave the mall first and I will make sure he follows suit," Lincoln said. "Can you do that for me?"
"...Yeah, of course, I trust you completely Spider-Man," Lana said, getting off the hero. Before leaving, she gave him a quick hug. "Thank you!" "He smells like Lola for some reason."
"No problem, now hurry and go!" Lincoln said, breaking off and going after Kraven again.
"Lana! This way!" Clyde called.
Curiously, Lana walked away, keeping an eye on Spider-Man, thoughts running through her head. "It's weird, why does Spider-Man feel so familiar to me? It's not just because I met him before, or that he saved me. Being around him makes me feel like I've known him my whole life. Wait, could he actually...I mean, there's no way it can be. Can it?"
"Pick up the pace, Lana!" Liam said.
"Coming!" Lana said, quickly making her way over to the group. "Sorry I walked away like that."
"You had us really worried," Liam said, rubbing her head. "But at least yer safe."
"Let's keep it that way and run!" Clyde said.
"Yeah, let's hurry," Lana said, making her leave. "Wait, what about Stella? Is she safe too? I really hope so."
Lincoln and Kraven continued to do battle as Katherine Mulligan rushed onto the scene, getting her cameraman in position.
"This is Katherine Mulligan at Royal Woods mall, and a big fight has broken out between local hero Spider-Man, and the legendary Kraven the Hunter."
This of course was broadcasted everywhere, many watching on screen from Girl Jordan, to Emma and Chloe, to the remaining Loud siblings at home.
Even Sid and Ronnie Anne were watching from a pad, Sid having something linked to Royal Woods' news reports the moment they talk about Spider-Man.
"Ha, finally, Kraven's getting what he deserves," Sid said. "Kick his ass, Spidey!"
"Royal Woods cannot catch a break lately, can they?" Ronnie Anne said.
Back in the mall, Lincoln and Kraven continued their battle, the hunter tossing a spear at Lincoln, getting the hero right in the shoulder.
"Geez!" Lincoln pulled the spear out, holding his hand over the wound.
"Not much longer," Kraven said, rushing in to attack with a dagger, Lincoln barely avoiding the attacks.
"He's really fast, so I gotta think much faster!" Lincoln looked around the mall, quickly coming up with an idea. "That's it!"
As Kraven continued to attack, Lincoln leapt overhead and behind Kraven, running to the other side.
"You won't escape!" Kraven shouted, once again firing his bow and arrow.
Lincoln zipped around the mall, leaving webbing behind as Kraven firing his arrows. He had no luck, Lincoln proved to be faster than the arrows, so he had to come up with a different tactic.
Thinking quickly, he grabbed his dagger and aimed carefully for a second, before throwing it hard, landing right on Lincoln's sides, causing the boy to fall over in pain. "Ah! Crap!"
"Got you," Kraven said, grabbing his sword, ready to finish the job. He walked over and aggressively pulled the dagger out, causing the boy more pain. "And now...my hunt has come to an end."
"I don't think so!" Came Christina's voice, the girl flying in and tackling Kraven. "I won't let you hurt my partner!"
"Christina!?" Lincoln said in worry.
As she went for a punch, Kraven blocked her blow and delivered one of his own, knocking her down. "I wasn't tasked with hunting you, but I wouldn't mind adding another superhero's defeat to my list of accolades!"
"I won't let you hurt her!" Lincoln immediately punched Kraven in the stomach and then webbed him and flung him aggressively into a massive spider-web Lincoln had constructed, finishing things off with a kick that sent him through and crashing through a wall.
The dust cleared, everyone could see that Kraven was trapped as Lincoln confidently dusted himself off.
"Like a fly, you got caught in my web," Lincoln said. "Now who's the top predator?"
"Yes! He did it everyone!" Katherine said. "Spider-Man beat Kraven the Hunter!"
At Great Lakes, Sid let out a loud cheer, "You rock, Spider-Man! Oh man, I should tell my mom, and Adelaide, they'll be super happy to hear about Spider-Man beating Kraven!"
"I bet they will be," Ronnie Anne said. "Still, a fight at the mall, I hope Lincoln and his family weren't around."
"Oh yeah, I could have sworn I saw Lana on camera for a second," Sid said. "We'll call Lincoln later."
"Sounds good," Ronnie Anne said. "Anyway, I gotta head back to my computer. Get this, there's going to be a lucha libre event in Great Lakes soon, and La Tormenta is going to be wrestling!"
"La Tormenta? Awesome!" Sid said. "Let me know if you have any luck."
"Totally," Ronnie Anne said, still feeling worried about this. "I really hope getting those tickets won't be the only good news today."
Back at the mall, the police had arrived to apprehend Kraven, Lincoln giving careful instructions, "That web is really sticky, so be careful. It should dissolve soon though, so be ready."
"Sure thing Spider-Man," the cop said, escorting Kraven away. "Let's go, Tiger Man."
"Unhand me you buffoon," Kraven said, glaring at Lincoln. "This is not over between us, I never give up a hunt. The only difference is that now, your friend will be joining you in the afterlife!"
"You can try, but nothing can take down the team of Spider-Man and Firestar," Lincoln said, confidently placing his arm around Christina, earning a blush from the girl.
"We'll see about that," Kraven said as he was loaded away and driven off by the police.
"That takes care of that," Lincoln said, then turned to Christina. "Also, thanks for the assist today."
"Did I really help? I feel like I got in the way at the end," Christina said.
"No, you did alright," Lincoln insisted. "You bought me a few seconds at least. Still, I am a bit surprised you came here. Aren't you still healing?"
"My burns have gotten better, they're almost fully healed," Christina said. "Also Stella finished my suit this morning before school and gave it to me during the day. Figured it would be good to give it a test run. But I guess I still have more to learn about being a hero."
"You're getting there, we're learning together after all," Lincoln said. "Regardless, I'm happy to have you as my sidekick. You're a great girl."
"Thanks..." Christina said, then slightly lifted Lincoln's mask off to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're the sweetest."
Lincoln was grateful he had a mask on to hide his blush, and that the place looked empty by now. "It's nothing, really."
"Also you smell really nice," Christina said. "It's a bit strong though."
"Perfume, had to use it to mask my scent," Lincoln said.
"Oh, smart," Christina said.
"Spider-Man! Firestar!" Stella said, quickly running over.
"...I hope she didn't see that kiss," Lincoln said.
"It's fine, don't worry," Christina said.
"Hey you two," Stella said, giving the heroes a hug. "I'm glad you're both okay."
"We're fine," Lincoln said, returning the hug, as did his fellow hero. "Did you call Christina?"
"Yeah, I did," Stella said as she broke away. "I had to keep you safe, I promised Lana after all."
"She must have been really worried," Lincoln said.
"We should go outside and show her you're fine," Stella said. "Alleviate her worries."
"Yeah, good idea," Lincoln said.
"I should head home, might be weird if they saw me coming out there too," Christina said, taking off. "Catch you two later."
"See you around Christina," Lincoln said as the girl flew off.
"Lets get you out of costume," Stella said, then saw his cuts. "Oh…we should patch you up too."
"Right, good idea," Lincoln said.
A few minutes later, Lincoln's friends and sisters were impatiently waiting for any sign of the boy. Lana and Lola were nearly in tears, hoping their brother was okay. Leni was being comforted by her friends, similar to Luna and Luan with their significant others.
Lynn herself seemed to be trying to put on a tough facade, but it was obvious to some that she was worried, especially Liam.
"You alright Lynn?" Liam asked. "You worried about Lincoln?"
"Kind of," Lynn hesitantly said, but even she couldn't fake it too long. "Okay, I'm really worried, but I don't want anyone to see me worried."
"What's the big deal? Lincoln's yer brother, so it's understandable that you'd be worried," Liam said.
"Yeah, but I'm the tough sister, I have an image to maintain," Lynn said. "I'm fine though, don't worry about me."
"Ah don't know why yer worried about yer image, but to me, it seems silly," Liam said. "Most sisters would worry about their brothers, it seems perfectly natural to me."
"It's complicated, Liam," Lynn said.
"Well, if you have anything you want to talk to someone about, I'd be fine lending mah ear," Liam said. "Ah ain't one to judge."
"Yeah, sure thing," Lynn said, still trying to keep it cool.
Seconds later, Rusty pointed to the entrance. "There they are!"
Emerging from the mall were Stella and Lincoln, the two waving at everyone.
"Hey, we're back!" Lincoln said.
"Linky!" Lola ran and jumped into her brother's arms. "You're okay!"
"Alright!" Lana said, running over and jumping into her brother's arms as well. "Just like Spider-Man said!"
The rest of his sisters went to great him with hugs, excluding Lynn, who aggressively punched his arm.
"Ow! Lynn!" Lincoln scolded.
"I told you to stop worrying me, Stinkin!" Lynn shouted, shaking her hand. "One of these days I'm really gonna kick your butt!"
"Geez, even Lana can drop the tough girl act here, not sure why you can't," Lola said.
"It's fine, it's just Lana's way of saying she loves me," Lincoln said, taking another punch to the arm.
"Shut up, will ya!" Lynn shouted, shaking her hand again. "Geez, why does it feel like I'm hitting a punching bag or something?"
"I'll leave you to your reunion," Stella said.
"Nah girl, you're joining us," Luna said, bringing Stella in for a group hug. "We were worried about you too."
"Yeah, none of us wanted you getting hurt too," Luan said.
"Aw, I feel like family," Stella joked.
"Marry Lincoln and you'd be family," Lana said.
"Lana!" Lincoln scolded, this resulting in a blush from Stella.
"Well I walked into that one," Stella mentally noted.
"Let's get these two home," Luna said.
"Oh wait, I promised Lana some ice cream," Stella said.
"She can have it another time," Luna said. "Right now we need to unwind."
"We'll figure it out, no worries Stella," Lana said.
"Alright, let's get moving chumps, let the cops and medics handle it from here," Lynn said.
"Can you not call us 'chumps'?" Lola said. "Oh, by the way, I smell perfume, a lot of it."
"Oh, that's me," Stella said. "I'm trying out some samples."
"Word of advice dear, try one at a time, mixing them together creates a really bad smell," Lola said. "Looks like you got a bit on my brother."
"It's on us too now," Lynn said. "Gross."
"It's no big deal, I think Spider-Man had perfume too," Leni said.
"Seriously? What a fruitcake," Lynn said, much to Lincoln's annoyance.
"I can lend you some samples Stella, it will get you smelling nice," Lola said.
"Sure, I appreciate that," Stella said.
As everyone left, Lana still had a lot on her mind, "Still...weird how when Lincoln disappears, Spider-Man shows up. Now Spider-Man is gone and Lincoln's back. Maybe I'm over thinking it, Stella was gone too after all, doesn't mean she's Spider-Man, especially since she's a chick and not a dude. Still, the way he spoke earlier, his voice sounded so familiar, and then there's those other times. Notto mention that perfume smell is very similar to what Spider-Man just had before. Still. Does this mean that Lincoln is secretly Spider-Man? Is my brother a superhero?"
Unsure as she was, Lana did continue to ponder the possibility. For now though, she was mainly focused on getting home and getting to sleep, and hoping her parents weren't gonna freak out too much.