A full week had passed since the picnic disaster. Lincoln was back in his suit, and on his patrols. During this patrol, he ran into a bit of trouble from a recurring law-breaker.
"Again with this, Scoots?" Lincoln asked, having just webbed the old woman's scooter as she was trying to make a getaway after robbing a deli. "You know this is very conflicting for me since I usually assist the elderly."
"Tell that to the Vulture," Scoots said, trying to whack Lincoln with a cane, the boy stepping just out of reach.
"I liked it better when she was just the cranky old lady," Lincoln thought to himself as he waved a cop over. "This way officer."
"Ugh, this again?" The Cop asked.
"You won't detain me, copper!" Scoots said, attempting to flee, despite her scooter being stuck.
Lincoln rolled his eyes and swung off, back to his patrols. While he looked around the city, he had so much on his mind, especially from the last few weeks.
"I'm really glad I managed to catch Rhino, to think it was Stan Stanko from that game show me and dad went on. What could have caused him to take up a life of crime?" Lincoln wondered as he swung around. "This whole thing distracted me from my search for The Green Goblin too. I have to find him and put a stop to whatever he's up to."
Lincoln wasn't the only one out there. Christina was not too far away, patrolling on her end while Stella stayed back at the base, keeping an eye on things. Though she was a bit bored, the girl simply sipping what was her third cup of soda.
"Some days can be so boring," Stella said, checking the city's scans and police radios. "I really should invest in a small TV or something. I can say it's to keep an eye on developing news reports or something. Not that I need to justify it."
As Lincoln swung through town, he heard an alarm going off. He swung to the edge of a nearby bank where he spotted a group of men rushing inside.
Grabbing his phone, he made contact with his team. "Stella, Christina, the Royal Woods National Bank is being robbed."
"Finally, some action," Stella said.
"Stella!" Christina scolded.
"I mean...oh no, Christina, hurry over there! Lincoln, do your thing!" Stella said.
"Yeah sure," Lincoln said. "Christina, don't worry about getting here too fast, I think I can take these guys."
"Just be careful!" Christina said.
"I'll be fine," Lincoln landed near the front of the bank, whistling to get the robbers' attention. "You know, most people use ATMs to withdraw money nowadays."
One robber blasted Lincoln back with a ray gun, sending him crashing against a car.
"Ow...weird, normally I'm fast enough to dodge things like ray guns," Lincoln said, then realized something. "Wait, Ray Gun?"
The men started attacking via blasts as Lincoln frantically dodged out of the way, the boy again contacting Christina.
"Hey, remember what I said about taking your time?" Lincoln said. "I take it back, hurry on over here!"
"What's wrong?" Christina asked.
Lincoln dodged a few more blasts, "They got stronger weapons! Be careful!"
"How strong?" Christina asked.
Lincoln kept dodging, keeping a close eye on the developing situation. "Uh, from my end, they kind of look alien to me."
"Alien?" Christina asked.
Lincoln kept dodging the attacks, "Just hurry, but be careful!"
"We almost got him!" A crook said, continuing his attack.
Lincoln was quick to web one gun away with one hand, and used his hand to pull the guy in for a punch, knocking him out.
"Got one," Lincoln took a closer look at the weapon. "Wait, does this belong to the Chitauri?"
"Get him!" More of them started blasting, with Lincoln frantically dodging each attack. He zipped in and knocked two more of them out, leaving one last robber left.
"How did you even get weapons like these!?" Lincoln asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The robber said, ready to attack again. Suddenly he took a blast from behind, courtesy of Christina.
"Actually, we would," Christina said, floating beside the crook.
"Good, you made it," Lincoln said, showing off the gun. "I think you and I have quite a bit to discuss."
"Whoa, fancy gun," Christina said.
Lincoln knelt beside the crook, "Where'd you get these weapons?"
"Uh...some guys," the crook said.
"Wow, 'Some Guys' huh? Interesting name for weapon's salesmen. Do they sell Arts and Crafts too?" Lincoln sarcastically asked. "You know what, let the police handle you, I'll figure this tech out myself."
With the crooks apprehended, Lincoln returned to the hideout with Christina, having brought the weapon with him for Stella to look over.
"Something about this reminds me of the tech that The Green Goblin used," Stella said. "It's definitely alien, I don't think anything like this exists on Earth."
"You don't suppose those robbers were aliens too? Do you?" Christina asked.
"No way, I doubt they'd just rob a bank," Lincoln said. "The last alien invasion wasted no time trying to conquer the Earth."
"Some aliens are probably different," Christina said.
"Alien or not, the fact that they had these weapons is impressive and concerning," Stella said. "No sign of where they got it from, Lincoln?"
"He just said 'some guys'," Lincoln said. "That doesn't really narrow it down."
"Maybe it's related to what happened with The Rhino?" Stella suggested. "He did show up to stomp you out. Then some robbers appear in Royal Woods with powerful weapons, likely knowing they'd have to be used against you."
"Did you make any enemies before I showed up?" Christina asked.
"Before you became my sidekick, I had already fought Lizard, Sabretooth, Vulture and Shocker," Lincoln said.
"Before Shocker, didn't you run into another group?" Stella asked. "I think you mentioned that you found some guys who gave Shocker his Gauntlets."
"Uh yeah, there were four of them," Lincoln said. "But would they really have access to this type of stuff?"
"You never know," Stella said.
"I do wonder if whoever has this stuff possibly works for the Green Goblin?" Christina said. "Or at least was also hired by him."
"That is a definite possibility," Stella said.
"Guess we're going to have to look into this," Lincoln said. "What a pain, the last thing we need is for common crooks to have alien tech."
"Crooks are one thing, if this alien weapon thing spreads, it could affect the world," Stella said. "This could give power to so many super villains."
"We already see what it did for The Green Goblin after all," Christina said.
"We'll figure it out," Stella said. "Until then, I'll keep looking into this."
"That sounds great," Lincoln said. "I'd love to help but I did promise Chloe I'd go tutor her again."
"You've been tutoring her for a while, how much longer is it going to last?" Stella asked.
"Just a little bit longer, she's getting better without me," Lincoln said. "She's not too bad to hang out with though, last time I actually introduced her to one of my favorite Ace Savvy movies, and she liked it."
"Wait, you watched a movie with her?" Christina asked. "Isn't that like...date stuff?"
"No way, I do this with all my friends," Lincoln said. "Stella, you're there for those, right?"
"Well, I'm with you and the guys, not one on one," Stella said.
"Would it make a difference?" Lincoln said. "Look, I'm not going to get between Clyde and Chloe."
"We know that, but others might get the wrong idea," Christina said.
"It already doesn't help that you're keeping the tutoring thing a secret, if anyone sees you two hanging out then that person may jump to conclusions," Stella said. "If that person is Clyde, that makes things worse."
"Hey, Clyde is my best friend, he'll be more than understanding," Lincoln said.
"Doesn't he panic all the time, though?" Christina asked.
"Not all the time, he's actually gotten better over the years," Lincoln said. "Everything's gonna work out."
"I'm just surprised you two are getting along so well," Stella said. "From what I remember, things were a little tense between you and Chloe back when you dated Emma."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Lincoln said, recalling a particular photo. "Did I delete that?"
"Just be careful, she could be acting nice to you only to set you up or something," Stella said. "You did break up with Emma after all, and Chloe is very close with Emma."
"Wow, that's a bit of a sus thing to say," Lincoln said.
"...Don't ever say 'sus' again," Stella said.
"Yeah, that's weird," Christina agreed.
Lincoln furrowed his brow, "Point is, you sound so suspicious of Chloe, let me handle it, alright?"
"Your call," Stella said. "You two go about your day, if trouble starts again, I'll give you a call."
"See you around," Christina said, leaving to secretly fly off.
Just before Lincoln left, Stella called out to him. "And Lincoln, please be mindful of your actions. In and out of the suit."
"I got it," Lincoln said, leaving to swing away.
While still concerned for Lincoln, Stella brushed that aside to look over the weapon. "This is impressive tech. Kind of wish Nat was here to help me out." Stella sighed in disappointment. "I hope she's doing okay."
Lincoln swung over to Chloe's house, landing on her roof upon arrival. He then leapt down, taking a look around before spotting some bushes. "Perfect." He quickly went into the bushes and then came back out, fully changed. "Okay, now to-"
"Lincoln?" Came Chloe's voice, startling him.
"Oh, Chloe, hi...I didn't expect you there," Lincoln said, then realized how unusual that sounded. "Actually I did since you live here. What I mean is-"
"I get it," Chloe said, hoping to end the tangent. "I only came out because I thought I heard something. I was making sure things were safe. Given the weird stuff that's been happening to Royal Woods, you can't be too careful."
"Good point," Lincoln said. "So, shall we begin?"
"Sure, come on in," Chloe said, heading inside.
Lincoln sighed in relief as he followed, "For a moment I thought she caught me changing out of my Spider-Man gear. I should be in the clear though."
In a secret hideout, the sinister group known as The Enforcers were contacting their latest client through a monitor.
"Boss, we got some trouble," Fancy Dan said.
Turning his chair and coming into view was the mob boss known as Hammerhead. "What is it?"
"Right, so you remember how our goal was to make bucks off these guns we nabbed from those aliens that came to town a year ago?" Dan asked. "And so far, some places have been doing well."
"Get on with your point, what's the problem?" Hammerhead asked.
"It's our Royal Woods market," Dan said. "We've been having really bad business deals as of late."
"All thanks to Spider-Man," Snake Martson said.
"Spider-Man?" Hammerhead asked.
"Since we started a few months ago, things have not gone our way in Royal Woods," Hammer Harrison said. "Spider-Man has been at the forefront of all our troubles."
"We sell weapons to Herman Shultz, he gets nabbed," Dan said. "We try again a few weeks later by freeing that Stanko guy, he gets nabbed too. And now, even with some weapons we sold to some crooks, Spider-Man still shows up."
"Spider-Man, he's been quite a thorn in our side lately," Hammerhead said. "Even Professor Warren had some trouble."
"Didn't he send Kraven the Hunter after Spider-Man?" Ox asked.
"Yeah, and Spider-Man still managed to slip through his clutches," Dan said. "It's gotten worse lately too. The punk's gotten a lot craftier, pretty much took down everyone in his path."
"Clearly he's not someone we should underestimate," Hammerhead said.
"I say we just go back into town, and trash him ourselves," Ox said. "We've gotten the edge on him before, let's finish what we started."
"Dial it back, you may have won last time but clearly he's picked up some new tricks, especially given his new alliance with Black Widow," Hammerhead said. "That's not his only alliance either, he ain't the only so-called superhero in Royal Woods."
"Right, he's got that sidekick of his," Dan said. "Some girl named Firestar."
"You think they're dating?" Ox asked.
"That could work to our advantage," Harrison said. "If we can nab her, we can use her as a hostage."
"Think reasonably," Snake said. "She is powerful in her own right, do not think her an easy target."
"She's tough, but she ain't the big hero," Ox said. "I bet she's a rookie or something."
"That rookie as you call her, helped Spider-Man bring down The Rhino," Hammerhead said. "Just keep things under control in Royal Woods, got it?"
"Yes boss," Dan said.
"Also, make sure no one finds out about any of you being there, or why you're there. Last thing we want is The Avengers scoping around," Hammerhead said. "And while you're at it, check in on our client."
"We'll get it done," Dan said, disconnecting the video feed. He turned his attention to his team. "Alright, let's do what we gotta do, and take down Spider-Man and his little friend."
"If we kill him, we can sell his body to Professor Warren," Harrison said. "Talk about a win-win."
"What about that girl?" Ox asked.
"He doesn't want the girl, so I couldn't care less, so long as she's not in our way," Harrison said.
"What about Rosato?" Snake asked. "The boss wants us to check on him."
"We'll get to that, looks like we're going to be plenty busy here," Dan said.
"Fine by us," Ox said. "Where do we start?"
The following day in her office, Rita is overlooking some recent reports, and then finds something that caught her eye. "Unusual tech being used by robbers?"
"Terrible, isn't it?" Jameson said, the man passing by. "Some crooks were robbing a bank using some strange technology. Wasn't your average firearm, but something more high tech."
"High tech?" Rita asked. "Like government stuff?"
"Rumor is that it may be alien," Jameson said. "I'm still getting the details, but I always get what I look for. Soon the truth will be spread across all newspaper outlets throughout Royal Woods!"
"Do you have anyone on that job?" Rita asked.
"I have a few candidates in mind," Jameson said.
"Any chance I can be that candidate?" Rita asked.
"Hm? You?" Jameson asked. "Think you can pull that off?"
"I've gone undercover before," Rita said. "One time, I pretended to be a girl in my daughters' High School. Mostly to check on them and make sure things were fine."
"Wow, you certainly go the extra mile," Jameson said. "Say, you're not just doing this for extra cash, are you?"
"If I was, is that a bad thing?" Rita asked. "Keep in mind that I'm a mother of eleven kids."
"Uh, right," Jameson said.
"But it's more than that," Rita said. "I want to do a little more than just sit at a desk. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my job, but I like a little variety."
"Well, if you think you can pull it off, then go for it," Jameson said. "Just try to be careful."
"I appreciate this opportunity, sir," Rita said. "I promise not to let you down."
At Royal Woods Middle School, the day had ended, and Lincoln was leaving to go get ready for his typical afternoon.
"Hey, Lincoln!" Chloe called, getting his attention. The girl seemed particularly excited about something.
"Wonder what she's so happy about?" Lincoln turned to face the girl. "Hey Chloe, did you need anything?"
Chloe pulled out a test paper, which contained a perfect score of 100 points. "I completely aced my Science test!"
"Wow, that's great!" Lincoln said. "You've really come around, Chloe!"
"Thanks to you," Chloe said. "Your tutoring has been such a big help to me! I'm finally starting to understand so many things."
"Don't count yourself out too much, you're a quick learner after all," Lincoln said. "At this rate, you won't need me as a tutor."
"Well, I still need a little more reassurance," Chloe said. "But, even if we're not doing tutoring sessions, we can still hang out."
"You don't mind?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course not, I really liked that old Ace Savvy movie," Chloe said. "Shame that new one got scrapped."
"It was doomed to fail," Lincoln said. "The Avengers showing up was a blessing in disguise."
"Guess The Avengers saved something else that day," Chloe joked. "If you have anything else in mind, I'm open to it."
"That's great," Lincoln said, the boy looking a bit nervous.
"Uh, is something wrong?" Chloe asked.
"It's just that," Lincoln looked around and then leaned in to whisper. "Clyde won't be bothered, right?"
"Well, he doesn't even know about the tutoring," Chloe said.
"Still, I feel like he's going to find out one day," Lincoln said. "I'd rather we be honest with him."
"Well...I suppose it was a bit silly of me to make this thing secret from him," Chloe said. "I should have more faith in course, he should trust you too since you're both best friends with one another. I'm cool with him hanging out with Stella after all."
"That is a good point," Lincoln said.
"Plus I do want to get to know you a bit more," Chloe said. "I know we had a rocky start, but I think things can get better."
"What about Emma?" Lincoln asked. "Won't she be bothered if she finds out?"
"Oh yeah...she's my best friend so I should be honest with her," Chloe said. "But, this could work out to her favor as well."
"How so?" Lincoln asked.
"I bet if I work my magic, I can totally get you two back together," Chloe said.
"Me and Emma?" Lincoln asked. "Uh...can it happen? Last time things didn't go well, Emma probably isn't ready for a boyfriend."
"I think it can work," Chloe said. "You have been really kind to Emma, and I more than appreciate that. You're the only boy who made her feel pretty, and she could use that confidence boost again. Plus, I know you were sad about the break-up, and she was pretty bummed out too. In fact, I think she got a little jealous when she saw you with Girl Jordan."
"Really?" Lincoln asked.
"I know she's a tough topic for you, and I can respect if you need a little more time," Chloe said. "Still, I hope you consider dating Emma again."
"Honestly, much as I like Emma, if I can't commit to her then she's better off finding someone else," Lincoln said. "I'd hate to hurt her again."
Chloe looked a little disappointed, but she was understanding. "I get it. Dating her again may be risky for you right now. I do appreciate how much you're considering her feelings, and I guess if you're not sure about your commitment, it would be risky."
"Maybe in the future I can try again, right now I just don't know if I be what she needs in a guy," Lincoln said.
"At least there's hope," Chloe said. "Ironic, you're the most caring guy for her, yet you still can't be with her for reasons. Personally she needs to be a bit more patient with things. It sounded like you two broke up because you had a busy schedule. Given all you seem to do regarding your sisters, your schoolwork and even tutoring me, I can see why it was hard for you to keep up. But maybe you just need to work a bit on time management, it always seems like you're in a rush."
"I'm used to it," Lincoln said.
"Just take it easy, with your stamina and commitment, you're basically like Spider-Man himself," Chloe said.
Lincoln's eyes widened in worry, the boy awkwardly rubbing his head. "Heh, imagine that, me Spider-Man."
Chloe raised her eyebrow at Lincoln's reaction, but brushed it off. "Well anyway, that's all I wanted to share. I really appreciate your help."
"Sure, any time," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln?" Came Clyde's voice. "Chloe?"
"Clyde?" Lincoln greeted with surprise.
"Hey Clyde," Chloe greeted with a bit more enthusiasm. She showed off her paper, "Guess who's a scientist."
"Wow, that's great, your grades have been improving tremendously," Clyde said. "What's your secret?"
"Friendship," Chloe said, affectionately glancing at Lincoln, the boy feeling flustered. "And perseverance."
"Uh...not sure if I get it," Clyde said.
"I'll explain it soon," Chloe said. "You're coming over later, right?"
"Sure am," Clyde said.
"Seems like you two need to catch up," Lincoln said, about to make his leave. "I'll see you both-"
"Hey, wait up," Clyde said. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Uh...I got work to do with Stella," Lincoln said.
"...You and Stella have been hanging out a lot," Clyde said. "Are you two secretly dating or something?"
"Of course not," Lincoln said. "I've been doing this stuff with Stella since I was with Emma, and again with Jordan. I wouldn't date either girl if I was already dating Stella."
"But it's so constant," Clyde said. "What's so important that you barely hang out with the rest of us? Including me? You and I haven't done anything buddy-buddy in forever."
"I'm sorry, I've just been busy," Lincoln said. "I'll make time to hang out with you soon though. So don't worry about it, alright?"
"But..." Clyde tried protesting.
"I gotta go, sorry," Lincoln said, making his leave.
Clyde furrowed his brow in annoyance, "What was that about?"
"He's just busy, so I suggested that he work on his time management," Chloe said.
"Even so...wait," Clyde glanced at Chloe. "You two were talking just now? Any reason?"
"Well, I did say I'd tell you soon, so I'll just get it out of the way," Chloe said. "Lincoln's been secretly tutoring me."
"He has?" Clyde asked. "Wait, then why didn't he tell me sooner?"
"I asked him to keep it a secret, since it felt kind of embarrassing for everyone to know," Chloe said.
"I can understand him keeping it a secret from everyone, but why me?" Clyde asked. "...How long have you two been doing this exactly?"
"A few weeks," Chloe said.
"Weeks!?" Clyde asked in disbelief.
"Look, it's no big deal, we just didn't want to talk about it much," Chloe said. "I didn't even tell Emma, so it's not like you're the only one who was out of the secret."
"But still, it feels like a big thing to keep from me," Clyde said.
"Look, I just wanted the tutoring without the extra pressure," Chloe said. "It woked, I'm getting better and soon, Lincoln won't need to tutor me."
"So...no more secret meetings between you two?" Clyde asked.
"You make it sound so suspicious," Chloe said. "Lincoln's your best friend, Clyde. I think you can trust him. Also, you should be able to trust me."
"Right, of course," Clyde said. "Sorry, I guess I'm still processing this."
"Let's go grab a Flippie. It should help ease you into this," Chloe said, then thought to herself. "Not that it should be a big deal in the first place."
The two went to grab their treat, hoping to move past the awkward.
Lincoln and Christina did their usual patrol around the city, opting to stick together this time, out of concern that more foes with stronger guns may be around.
"Any more thoughts on who could have supplied these robbers with their weapons?" Christina asked.
"I'm still a bit stumped," Lincoln said. "Green Goblin seems like a possibility, no one's seen him since his grand Halloween appearance."
"What about those guys you mentioned?" Christina asked. "The ones who gave Shocker his weapons?"
"Honestly, for as strong as they were, I can't imagine them getting their hands on something like that," Lincoln said. "I'm starting to wonder if there's an even bigger group dedicated to arming these villains, such as Rhino and his suit. Granted Lisa did say something about it looking like one of Iron Man's suits."
"How would he have even gotten something like that?" Christina wondered.
"I'm curious myself, especially given that some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents showed up right after the fight," Lincoln said.
"You think they might be hiding something?" Christina asked.
"I'd hate to think that, they're supposed to be the good guys after all," Lincoln said.
"I guess even some good guys have secrets," Christina said. "After all, we're keeping our identities secret."
"That's to protect ourselves and our families," Lincoln pointed out.
"Well, maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to protect something?" Christina suggested.
"Protect what exactly?" Lincoln asked, then heard an alarm blaring. "Never mind, we got trouble."
The two made their way over to the sound of the alarm, spotting a pair of robbers trying to get away in their car.
"Punch it! Hurry!" One robber said.
"I'm trying!" The driver said, turning the ignition.
Christina had quickly arrived, floating before the car, "That's far enough, surrender and-"
One of the drivers tried to blast Christina with a Chitauri weapon, but Lincoln was quick to pull her out the way as the two wasted no time driving.
"Hey, are you hurt?" Lincoln asked, holding Christina close to him.
"Me? I'm fine," Christina said, blushing from the contact.
"Geez, more hi-tech weapons? What's going on?" Lincoln swung over to the car, using his webs to latch onto the back and slowing it down.
"Spider-Man's got us!" The Driver said.
"I'll deal with him!" the passenger said, aiming his weapon out of the car. "Eat this!"
Lincoln leapt over the blast and used his webs to pull the weapon away and then flung in with a punch to the robber's face, knocking him out.
Lincoln then leapt over and pulled the driver's door open, then pulled out the robber and flung him against a wall, webbing him to the wall.
"No getaway for you, pal," Lincoln said.
"Dang it! And I paid good money for these blasters too!" The driver shouted.
"Where'd you even get these?" Lincoln asked. "Some shady black market deal or something?"
"Think I'd tell ya?" the driver asked. "If anyone finds out I snitched, they'll come after me!"
"Wow, really? Can't even give me a hint?" Lincoln asked. "And I was considering having the cops lighten your jail time."
"You serious?" the robber asked, then shook his head. "I mean, no! I can't snitch!"
"These guys sound serious," Lincoln said. "I bet they dress fancy too."
"Well one of them...I mean, stop trying to trick me!" the robber shouted.
"Fine by me, I got a closer lead than I had a few days ago," Lincoln used his webbing to swing away with Christina right behind him.
It was around this time that Rita had come, the woman having just spotted Lincoln and Christina making their exit. "Spider-Man and Firestar. Wonder if they found anything out?" She then pulled out a pad with a pen. "Well if they didn't, then I guess it's up to me."
In the meantime back in Great Lakes, Ronnie Anne was seen reading a book in her room, albeit not too easily since there was noise outside. But living here as long as she has, she's learned to adjust herself.
"Yo! Ronnie Anne!" Sid said, appearing just outside her fire escape. "Whoa, are you reading?"
"School assignment," Ronnie Anne said, then proceeded to close her book. "So, what's up?"
"I just gotta know, it's been a week since we saw that video," Sid said. "Are we ever going to ask Lincoln about that spider?"
"What are we supposed to ask?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Well, just that this spider is so super secret, and not long after Lincoln got bit, Spider-Man showed up," Sid said. "Doesn't it all just add up?"
"Sid, it's probably a coincidence," Ronnie Anne said. "For all we know, Spider-Man was just part of those experiments, it probably has nothing to do with Lincoln."
"Even so, don't you want to be sure?" Sid asked. "I feel like we came to an amazing discovery and are doing absolutely nothing with it! Besides, you said it yourself. Spider-Man felt so familiar when you were talking to him, what if-"
"Sid, listen to yourself," Ronnie Anne said. "You really think Lincoln is a secret superhero? I don't know about you, but I can't picture Lincoln doing any of that stuff. That spider bite did not give Lincoln powers. Honestly that's just a silly idea too, how do you get superpowers after being bitten by a spider?"
"It's possible," Sid said. "Superheroes in comics have weird origin stories."
"Yeah, in comics, I'm talking factual stuff," Ronnie Anne said.
"I still say we call and ask," Sid said.
Ronnie Anne grumbled in annoyance, "Let's say we do call, what do we say? Do we tell Lincoln that we snuck into the zoo to steal some camera footage and saw him getting bit?"
"I don't see why not," Sid said. "What, do you think he's gonna rat us out?"
"Of course not, but that isn't what I'm worried about," Ronnie Anne said.
"Then why are you worried?" Sid asked. "We know something happened to him. He even came to your apartment right afterward."
"It just seems like a weird thing to ask about," Ronnie Anne said. "Especially after all this time too. It feels random."
"It's never too late to check on a friend," Sid said. "Actually, if I were you, I'd amp up the sympathy. Make yourself sound so worried and concerned, I bet he'd be a sucker for your feminine charm."
Ronnie Anne grimaced at that response, though still felt a bit flustered by the idea. "I'm still not asking about it."
"We can do it together," Sid said. "This way you wouldn't feel so awkward about it."
Ronnie Anne facepalmed, trying to think her way out of this, "Sid, let's say that by some insane miracle, you were right and Lincoln did somehow get powers from a spider. Superheroes usually have secret identities. Even if he was Spider-Man, you really think he'll just tell us?"
"Maybe, we're his friends after all," Sid said.
"If he did want to tell us, he would have when he fought The Lizard," Ronnie Anne said. "Now I'm not saying that Lincoln is Spider-Man, because I still find that very hard to believe. But if he was, he probably doesn't want us to know."
"Well, maybe if you asked back then, he would have told you," Sid said.
"How would that even...ugh," Ronnie Anne rubbed her temples in annoyance. "Look, if you're so concerned, then ask Adelaide. She saw him just last week, didn't she?"
"She did, but she didn't exactly get to talk to him," Sid said. "She and some other kids, including Lincoln's sisters, did find it strange that Lincoln up and disappeared. But Lana insisted that he was nearby the whole time."
"They probably had tunnel vision then," Ronnie Anne said. "When an emergency happens, I can't keep track of everyone."
"Well when Shocker attacked, Lincoln was mysteriously gone then too," Sid said.
"So? I didn't see much of Clyde around either, unless you think he could be Spider-Man," Ronnie Anne said.
"No way, Clyde doesn't have that heroic charisma," Sid said.
Ronnie Anne raised her eyebrow, "That was harsh Sid. Clyde's really nice, probably the nicest among Lincoln's friends."
"But he doesn't have that wow factor," Sid said. "Spider-Man seems like the type of guy who can pull in ladies, and that just isn't Clyde's strong suit. I'm impressed that Becky's considering dating him, mainly since I'm pretty sure she's gay."
"Everyone has different tastes, and Becky just wants to experiment a bit," Ronnie Anne said. "Anyway if you're done rambling, then would you mind letting me get back to what I was doing? Besides, don't you have your own homework to do?"
"Just some algebra, which sucks," Sid said. She pulled out a piece of paper. "I'll just hang here and do it, then we can talk more about this later."
Ronnie Anne shook her head in annoyance, "Fine, whatever Sid." The girl rubbed her eyes, thinking all of this over, "All this just because we decided to play hookey that day."
Another day had come and gone, Christina had accompanied Lincoln back to his house, the two quickly changing in nearby and separate bushes.
"No luck with these alien tech guys," Christina said. "I'm almost amazed at how they were even able to get their hands on this stuff."
"Closest I have to a lead is these guys dressing fancy," Lincoln said. "Makes me believe it might be those guys I ran into around the time I fought Shocker."
"Those businessmen type guys, right?" Christina asked.
"Yeah, they looked like mobsters," Lincoln said. "Judging by their accents, they were definitely from New York."
"Makes sense someone from New York would have access to this alien tech," Christina said. "Especially since New York was the center of the alien invasion last year."
"I just don't get how someone could even get a hold of that tech," Lincoln said. "You'd think the government would have a tight lock on this stuff."
"Some guys probably just got lucky," Christina said. "Still, we need to find the people behind these recent supply of arms before the situation gets worse."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Lincoln said. "Anyway, it might be time for you to get home."
"Yeah, I can find my way from here," Christina said, the girl shyly kicking her feet. "Oh and um...thank you for helping me out earlier today."
"You mean that robber? It was nothing," Lincoln said, then heard his phone ring, the boy picking up. "I gotta take this."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," Christina said.
"Yeah, catch you then," Lincoln said, then answered his phone. "You have Lincoln...Yeah, I'm not seeing Chloe today so I'm free. What do you have for me, Stella?"
As Lincoln went inside, Christina took one more glance at him, the girl's face turning slightly red before making her leave.
Before she got too far, she heard a voice call out to her, "Yo! Christina!" Turning around, Luna was seen stepping out of a car with Luan.
"See you tomorrow, Luna!" Sam called from the driver's seat.
"I'll see you too, Luan!" Benny said from the back.
"Bye Benny," Luan said, with Luna waving good-bye to Sam just as the girl drove off with her friend.
With those two gone, Luna once again had her focus on Christina, "Hey, it's been a while."
"Yeah, good to see you girls," Christina said. "Did you need something from me?"
"First thing's first, what's been going on lately?" Luna asked. "Seems like you and Spider-Man have been quite busy."
"Uh, right...I suppose so," Christina said. "And you're curious about all the recent villain attacks, right?"
"You and Spider-Man have been doing a great job, but we are a bit worried," Luan said. "It seems like every time you win, something stronger comes along. Is there something any of us should know about?"
"If you're hoping for me to explain a pattern, I'm afraid I can't help you," Christina said. "Honestly, I'm just as stumped as the rest of you. I just go with the flow, and with what Spider-Man tells me to do."
"You and Spider-Man also teamed with Black Widow on occasion," Luna said. "Has she mentioned anything we should be worried about?"
"Namely that Goblin guy?" Luan asked.
"Sorry, I don't have the details, I let Spider-Man handle that stuff," Christina said. "I just help him fight."
"...You're not holding back, are you?" Luna asked.
"I swear, I'm not," Christina insisted. "I honestly can't tell you anything about The Green Goblin. We don't have a whole lot of leads."
Luna sighed in disappointment, "Alright, fine."
"I promise that Spidey and I will keep you and Royal Woods safe," Christina reassured.
"Quick question," Luan said. "Do you know who Spider-Man really is?"
Christina's eyes widened in worry, "Uh...we keep things professional, sorry."
"Worth an ask," Luan said. "Well I should head inside, dinner might be ready soon and in that house, if you don't eat first, you don't eat at all."
"I'll see you girls another time," Christina said, about to leave. "Oh, and thanks again for keeping my secret. I really appreciate that."
"You got it," Luna said. "And if Spider-Man ever wants to confide in us, we're all ears."
"I can't promise he would, he really values his privacy," Christina said. "But who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky."
"That'd be neat," Luan said. "Well, see you another time."
"Bye girls," Christina made her leave, hoping to find a way to fly home without being spotted. "Maybe I should just slip back into my costume, but I don't want anyone getting too suspicious if I fly too close to my home. I'll just keep it as low of a profile as I can."
In the house on the second floor, Lincoln is still listening to Stella regarding the leads. "Just check it over again. And keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Especially if it's from New York. Now, I gotta go, I'll talk to you later."
As Lincoln hung up, he heard Lisa's voice right beside him, "Chatting with a pal of yours?"
"Me!?" Lincoln nervously asked. "Uh, yeah. I was talking to Stella about a project."
"Yes, one that involves New York somehow," Lisa said.
"Uh, yeah, it's science related," Lincoln said. "We're discussing differences in climate across the country, and we're weeding out false information. A lot of it came from New York."
"Interesting," Lisa said. "Still, it is funny since a colleague of mine lives in New York. He's even asked me to help him research a project. I aim to help him with his dream of telekinetic communication with mechanical limbs."
"So using mind waves to move a prosthetic arm or something?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes, it is a dream of his," Lisa said. "Many could benefit from such a thing, like those who have lost use of an arm or leg."
"That's really nice Lisa, I wish you and your colleague luck," Lincoln said.
"I appreciate it Lincoln," Lisa said. "And I believe that Otto would appreciate it as well. Now, I must get to work."
With Lisa inside, Lincoln took a sigh of relief as he went into his room, "I have to be careful when talking on the phone."
In her own room, Lisa had a few thoughts of her own, regarding this invention. "This invention could even be to my own benefit." She looked down at her arms. "I must get to work!"
The next morning, as the kids left for school, Rita was sitting at the dinner table, enjoying some toast with coffee on the side. while looking over her notes regarding the weapons deal that supplied various Royal Woods crooks with powerful alien tech.
Lynn Sr had entered the kitchen to pour himself some coffee, "Hey honey, another busy day today?"
"Very busy, this little development between Spider-Man and those crooks isn't going to write about itself," Rita said.
"Have you at any point run into Spider-Man?" Lynn Sr asked.
"Not yet," Rita said. "The last couple of times, I barely missed him and his little friend."
"And what you're doing is safe, right?" Lynn Sr asked as he placed his cup near the coffee machine. "No chance of you actively running into some of these crooks?"
"I keep my distance, but this could be big for our family," Rita said. "If I pull this story off, Mr. Jameson will give us a big payday."
"A big payday does sound nice," Lynn Sr admitted. "Still, I'll take your safety over some extra money."
"You're a sweetheart, dear," Rita said. "But don't worry so much about me, I got all of this under control."
"Well I am going to worry regardless, as is the duty of a husband," Lynn Sr said, grabbing his coffee and making his way to the fridge to grab some coffee creamer. "But I trust you regardless."
"I appreciate that dear," Rita said, finishing up her food and standing up. "Well I should get to work, before I face a true threat. My boss when he's in a bad mood."
"Is he ever in a good mood?" Lynn Sr asked, making his way to the table.
"You know, on the rarest of occasions, you might see him flash a smile, even if it is for a brief second," Rita said.
"Better than nothing," Lynn Sr said, then shared a kiss with his wife. "Catch you later, honey."
"See you tonight, dear," Rita said, making her way out and toward her next goal.
At the cafeteria at Royal Woods Middle School, Lincoln had taken his seat next to Stella. Everyone was present, at least everyone still enrolled in school was. Lincoln glanced at where Jordan used to sit, still missing the girl.
He wasn't the only one of course, Mollie looked just as sad too when she looked next to her.
"Mollie probably misses Jordan more than I do, the two were best friends after all," Lincoln thought to himself. "Still, she's handling it better than when it first happened."
"Hey, has everyone heard about the recent robberies?" Zach asked.
"I think most of us have," Clyde said. "There's been plenty of them, my dads are getting worried."
"Apparently they have hi tech weapons," Zach said. "Rumor has it they were the same type of weapons that the Chitauri used back when they invaded New York."
"That's silly, what would robbers need weapons like that for?" Paige asked.
"Duh, to rob places," Zach said.
"But with fancy guns like those, why stick to smaller places like banks?" Liam asked. "They could use it to rob more high security vaults."
"Practice maybe? Or they just don't think big," Zach said.
"I can imagine those things cost quite a bit, Paige said. "You'd think these guys would want to make their money back fast, and then some."
"There aren't too many big places in Royal Woods in the first place," Rusty said. "Gotta collect the money where you can."
"Has anyone heard any rumors on who might be supplying these guns?" Stella asked.
"Not a clue," Zach said. "Must be some rich, fancy guys."
"Fancy huh?" Lincoln asked.
"It's also possible they could have found and stolen them," Paige said.
"Found them where?" Zach asked. "There's no alien tech just lying around Royal Woods. You can ask my parents, they searched."
"Have your parents learned anything about the Chitauri?" Rusty asked.
"Not a lot, they're kind of a mystery, and it's really bugging my parents," Zach said. "We've documented all types of alien research, and the Chitauri just doesn't come up. If those guys are a mystery, just imagine how many unknown alien species could be out there."
"Well let's hope there isn't another invasion," Stella said.
"Come to think of it, did the Avengers defeat all the Chitauri?" Rusty asked. "What if they come back and want revenge?"
"The Avengers will be ready for that," Clyde said. "Plus we have more superheroes now. Maybe Spider-Man can defeat The Chitauri."
"Not by himself, he's good but not that good," Rusty said, earning a slight glare from Lincoln.
"He's got Firestar," Paige said.
"Yeah but she's kind of useless," Rusty said, earning a glare from Christina. "She never does anything big, Spider-Man handles all the hard stuff. If you ask me, Spider-Man only keeps Firestar around because he's dating her or something."
Lincoln's face turned red, as did Christina as the two started to feel very awkward about this conversation.
"They're probably not dating Rusty," Stella said, hoping to dissolve the situation. "And Firestar isn't useless, she's been a big help. Spider-Man has her around because he trusts her. They're an Amazing Pair of Friends, and a Shield for Royal Woods."
"I personally think Firestar is just as great of a hero as Spider-Man," Christina said. "And I'm willing to bet that the two are very happy to be working together."
"Do you think they're dating?" Liam asked.
"Uh..." Christina awkwardly rubbed her head. "Well, if they want to. Not that they have to. They're just friends, and sometimes, that's all you need to be."
"It really isn't any of our business who Spider-Man is dating, anyway," Lincoln said. "Let's just be grateful he's even fighting crime."
"Of course, can't think of anyone who don't like Spider-Man," Liam said. "Except maybe that Jameson fellow."
"And some of my sisters," Lincoln shamefully admitted.
"Honestly, I don't like him too much myself," Mollie said, taking everyone by surprise.
"What's wrong with Spider-Man?" Stella asked.
"He's supposed to be this great hero who protects others, but he did a lousy job protecting Jordan," Mollie said, her words stinging Lincoln. "He never should have even let that so-called Goblin King anywhere near her. But it happened and it resulted in her moving away just so that she could escape the danger."
"That wasn't Spider-Man's fault though," Stella said. "He does his best but he can't do everything. What matters is that he tried."
"Did he try hard enough, though?" Mollie asked. "I'm here missing my best friend all because she was a hostage in a situation that Spider-Man should have stopped."
"I get that it can be scary being taken hostage," Stella said. "I've personally been in danger too, but I never faulted Spider-Man. Especially considering that he came to save me."
"He's saved me too," Christina said. "And he did save Jordan."
"Him and Firestar," Lincoln pointed out.
"Yeah, regardless of what happened, Jordan's safe at least," Stella said. "No injures at all. She got scared but it's better that she's alive."
"What good does that do for me!?" Mollie shouted in frustration. "I haven't had any contact with her at all! It's like she's not even alive."
"But she is alive," Stella said. "She'll be back one day, she just needs time to adjust."
"Fine, whatever," Mollie said, looking irritated. "But if I never see her again, I'll know who to blame."
Lincoln sighed in worry, a feeling shared by Stella and Christina. The Jordan situation had just gotten worse.
The other kids felt a bit awkward as well, but they had to admit that the situation with Jordan was not pleasant. Even if they weren't all close to her, Jordan was still one of them, and to know that a villain scared her out of Royal Woods made them wonder if any of them could feel that way.
Clyde in particular wondered about Chloe, and hoped she wouldn't be in any danger.
After lunch, just as Lincoln prepared himself to get to his next class, he was stopped by Mollie, the boy having her full attention.
"Lincoln, can we talk for a minute?" Mollie asked.
"Sure," Lincoln said. "What's up?"
"I gotta ask, have you had any contact with Jordan at all?" Mollie asked.
Lincoln shook his head, "Sorry, I haven't."
"So, she's completely cut off from you?" Mollie asked.
"Yeah, she is," Lincoln confirmed.
"Well this sucks then," Mollie said in frustration.
"I'm sorry I can't be of more help," Lincoln said. "Believe me though, I miss Jordan too, and I would love to hear from her again."
"I know, she was your girlfriend after all," Mollie said. "You really made her happy too. Anytime she and I talked, she would make it mostly about you."
"Wow, really?" Lincoln bashfully admitted. "Sorry if that got annoying."
"It did, a little," Mollie confessed. "But I was so happy for her, because I could see how much you made her happy."
"I wish I had more time to do that," Lincoln said. "I felt like I was really getting to know Jordan."
"You two would have been amazing as a couple," Mollie said. "I know Jordan is overly flirty at times, and it just seems like she wants a bit of naughty fun."
"Don't I know it..." Lincoln nervously said, recalling his time in the Jacuzzi with Jordan.
"But she really did care about you, she said she felt safe around you and that you could have been the one for her," Mollie said. "But, things changed. It's sad too, I know you had that other girl you were dating as well."
"You mean Emma?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, Jordan was amazed that you gave her a chance," Mollie said. "I don't blame you for not wanting to move on so fast, but at least when you did, it wasn't because she was a rebound girl, you waited and made sure it's who you actually wanted to date."
"Well yeah, I wouldn't treat a girl like a rebound," Lincoln said. "Plus I've seen stuff like that happen around my sisters and their friends. Not pretty."
"Smart boy," Mollie said. "Well, I just wanted to know if she reached out, but if she hasn't then I guess we need to wait a bit longer to hear from her again."
"I have faith that we will," Lincoln said. "Anyway, we should hurry before we're late for class."
"Right, we should," Mollie said.
As the two went to their next class, Clyde had caught up to a girl himself.
"Chloe, wait up," Clyde said.
"Huh?" Chloe turned around. The girl wasn't alone, she had her friend with her at the moment. "Oh, it's Clyde. Mind giving us a second, Emma?"
"Sure," Emma said, making her leave. "Don't take too long."
"I won't," Chloe said.
"Hey Chloe," Clyde said, getting her attention. "Glad I caught you."
"What is it? Make it fast, otherwise we're going to be late," Chloe said.
"I will," Clyde said. "First, I do want to apologize for the other day. I got a little jealous when I shouldn't have."
"You mean with Lincoln?" Chloe asked. "It's fine, at least I don't have to keep that a secret."
"I'm just more bothered by Lincoln," Clyde said. "He's been kind of secretive lately and it's been bugging me."
"Secretive how?" Chloe asked.
"He always runs off after school, and I doubt it's just to tutor you," Clyde said. "He's been hanging out a lot with Stella, and sometimes with Christina."
"So? What's wrong with that?" Chloe asked. "Remember, he's likely really busy now."
"It's just that, since the start of the school year, he's had less and less time to hang out," Clyde said. "Stella gets him more than any of us, and even when it seems like he's free, he's off doing something else. Usually we get into our share of hijinks, but it's like I barely exist."
"Clyde, Lincoln's allowed to have his own life," Chloe said. "If he has things to do on his own, you should respect that."
"But he's my best friend," Clyde said.
"Emma's my best friend, and I don't hang out with her every second of every day," Chloe said. "She still has her own private life, and I have mine. She didn't even know that Lincoln's been tutoring me, I kept that a secret from her because I was too embarrassed to tell anyone that I needed a tutor."
"I guess, but it's just so strange not hanging out with Lincoln," Clyde said.
"Then tell him that," Chloe said. "I get that you two were once inseparable, but being clingy is not healthy. You might end up driving him away even more."
"I guess..." Clyde said.
"Look, I gotta go, but talk things out with Lincoln," Chloe said as she left. "I'll grab a burger with you later, so you can tell me all about it."
"Sure," Clyde said, thinking things over. "What is Lincoln up to?"
Right after school, Lincoln, Stella and Christina made immediate plans to go to their base and find out more on what they need to do.
It was at this point that Clyde made his move, "Hey! Lincoln!"
"Huh?" Lincoln turned to spot his best friend. "It's Clyde."
"Wonder what he wants?" Stella asked.
Clyde ran over to the trio, "Lincoln, mind if I had a word with you? Just us?"
"Alright," Lincoln turned to Stella and Christina. "You two go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"You got it," Stella said as she and Christina left.
Lincoln focused his attention on Clyde, "So, need something?"
"Lincoln, first off, I know you've been tutoring Chloe," Clyde said.
"Oh, she told you?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, she couldn't keep it a secret forever," Clyde said.
"What did she tell you exactly?" Lincoln asked.
"Just that you go to her house to help her with science related problems," Clyde said. "And sometimes other things."
"Yeah, I do help her with that," Lincoln confirmed. "You're okay with it, right?"
"Honestly, I was a little bothered that you two kept it a secret from me," Clyde said. "It feels like you're keeping a lot of things secret from me."
"Isn't that an overreaction?" Lincoln asked. "I'm just doing my own thing for the most part."
"But it used to be our thing," Clyde said. "Back in the day, you and I got together all the time to do stuff. What happened to that?"
"Hey we still hang out," Lincoln said. "But I've just had so much extra responsibility lately. I just can't turn away from them."
"What is it that you're not telling me though?" Clyde asked. "As your best friend, I think I have a right to know."
"It's hard to explain Clyde," Lincoln said. "Believe me, if I could tell you, I would."
"But why can't you tell me?" Clyde asked. "I tell you all my secrets."
"Well some I just can't explain," Lincoln said. "As your best friend, I think we just have to agree to trust one another."
"But Lincoln..." Clyde tried insisting.
"Look, I can't stay, I really have to go," without another word, Lincoln booked it, leaving Clyde behind.
The boy started to feel angry, and for the first time in a while, very distant from his friend, "Just what are you up to, Lincoln Loud?" As he thought things over, Paige happened to pass by, to which Clyde got her attention. "Paige?"
"Yeah, you called?" Paige asked.
"Quick question, and I'm sorry if it sounds random but...it's about Christina," Clyde said. "Lately it seems like she's quite busy, and doesn't hang out with you often. Any reason?"
"Wow, that is a random question," Paige said. "Any reason you're concerned?"
"You two are close, so I am curious as to why she seems to hang out without you these days, mostly with Lincoln," Clyde said.
"She's just been busy, that's all," Paige said. "It's no big deal, we still hang out when we can. And if we can't, we chat on the phone. Middle School means growing up after all, not everything stays the same. Sometimes, people change."
Clyde felt a cringe in his chest, recalling the last time Lincoln was obsessed with change. "What if it gets worse?"
"It won't," Paige said. "I trust Christina, and no matter what, she and I will always be friends. But I do need to accept that sometimes, things change. Accepting it can be good, I've accepted it with Christina, and she trusts me more than ever. We're not always together, but I feel close to her regardless. You just gotta trust Lincoln."
"...I guess," Clyde said, feeling unsure about himself.
"It'll be fine," Paige said, making her leave. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you then..." Clyde said, making his own leave.
As she got further away, Paige sighed in relief as thoughts flashed through her head, "Looks like Lincoln's doing a great job in helping keep Christina's secret. I just hope it's not interfering with his own life."
Meanwhile at the secret base, Lincoln had just arrived while Stella and Christina looked over any potential patrol spots.
"There's a lot of valuable stores in this area that haven't been robbed yet," Stella said, pointing to the map. "If there are more robbers, that's where they will likely be."
"Okay, so we know where to patrol," Christina said.
"But they may not go for the obvious, so be extra diligent," Stella said.
Lincoln sat by the table, "Hey, I'm back."
"Good, you two can switch into your hero gear and get patrolling," Stella said.
"Hey, I gotta know," Lincoln said. "You think we should let Clyde in on all this?"
"Clyde?" Stella asked. "You want to reveal our secret to Clyde?"
"He's really been noticing how little time I've had to hang out with him," Lincoln said. "I think he's getting a little suspicious. So I figured that if we tell him, then things will be much easier."
"I'm not sure, Lincoln," Stella said. "You were nervous enough telling Clyde about tutoring Chloe, do you really think a secret like this is any better?"
"That's the thing, Clyde knows I've been tutoring Chloe," Lincoln said. "He said it bothered him because I kept it a secret. If that made him unhappy, imagine hiding Spider-Man from him."
"Lincoln, there's a huge difference between a secret tutoring session and telling Clyde you're a real life superhero," Stella said.
"But he's my best friend, he should know," Lincoln said.
"I can relate to Lincoln," Christina said. "Paige knows about Firestar, and I'm happy because it would be very hard for me to keep that a secret from her."
"I still don't know Lincoln," Stella said. "I don't think Clyde would be able to keep a secret like this."
"Of course he could," Lincoln said.
"Do you know for sure?" Stella asked. "Considering you haven't even told your sisters, I think even you know there's a risk to telling Clyde."
"Lana knows," Lincoln said.
"Lana found out on her own," Stella said. "And I can tell she's nervous because she constantly sends me texts if you're out too late. Not that I blame her, she's just nervous for her big brother. But if your sister gets this nervous, imagine Clyde who can't manage his emotions well."
"Come on, give Clyde a bit more credit," Lincoln said. "He knows superheroes very well after all. If we have to trust anyone, it'd definitely be Clyde."
"Having more help wouldn't be so bad," Christina said.
"So, you're alright with Clyde knowing that you're Firestar?" Stella asked. "And that you're a mutant?"
"Well Clyde isn't anti-mutant," Christina said.
"Think of it this way too," Stella said. "Suppose Paige one day finds out that you kept more from her than Firestar, and that Lincoln trusted Clyde but you seemingly didn't trust her. At this point, if we start making exceptions, things are going to become a lot more complicated."
"What if I just tell Clyde about me then?" Lincoln asked. "I won't say either of you are involved."
"If you tell Clyde a little bit, he will want to know more," Stella said. "I know you're worried about your friendship but you have to keep more than that in mind. I don't like lying to Clyde or any of our friends either, but you said it yourself. With Great Power comes Great Responsibility."
"...I still don't know if I should keep this a secret," Lincoln said. "At least think it over."
"Ugh..." Stella groaned. "Alright fine, we'll all think it over."
Suddenly the police scanner went off, "Calling all units, reports of a robbery on third avenue in downtown Royal Woods. Suspects armed with strange tech. Repeat..."
"They're back at it," Lincoln said.
"Let's hurry as switch," Christina said, pulling her dress off over her head, exposing her undergarments to Stella and a now very embarrassed Lincoln.
"Whoa! Christina!" Lincoln shouted in disbelief as he awkwardly turned away.
"Uh...right, I got a bit carried away," Christina said, blushing a bit as she grabbed her costume. "Still, no time for shame. Hurry up and change yourself."
"Uh..." Lincoln nervously glanced at Stella.
"I'll turn around and give you some privacy," Stella said, turning her head away. "Just hurry."
"Right..." Lincoln nervously took off his shirt, and then his pants, hoping to switch into his costume and fast. "I know they're not paying attention, but changing like this in front of girls is a bit embarrassing. Weird that I feel that way even after getting all grabby with Emma and intimate with Jordan. Guess I'm still not fully there yet."
With the two changed, both of them went to address the situation, with Stella waiting behind, feeling worried herself. "I hope they handle this just fine." She then heard her phone ringing, the girl picking up to answer. "Yeah?"
From her house, Lana was calling from her room, talking in a hushed tone due to Lola posing in front of a nearby mirror, "Hey Stella, is Lincoln with you?"
"He and Christina just left, there's a robbery somewhere," Stella said.
"That's why I was calling," Lana said. "It's somewhere downtown, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Stella asked.
"I think my mom's in town and she's been looking into something," Lana said. "If you can, let Lincoln know that he might see mom."
"Oh sure, I'll let them know," Stella said.
"Also, just make sure he comes back in one piece," Lana said. "Those weapons look dangerous."
"He'll be fine," Stella said. "I'll call you later, Lana."
"Sure thing," Lana said, hanging up the phone.
"Who were you talking to?" Lola asked, still focused on her mirror.
"Uh...just Stella," Lana said. "She and Lincoln are doing work together, and I wanted her to let Lincoln know to not be home too late. Dad's making burritos tonight, and you know how Lynn is with that stuff."
"Oh great, the bathroom's going to be a wreck tonight," Lola lamented. "Make sure to have that fancy plunger ready."
"If anything happens, I'll handle it," Lana said. "Also what are you even doing?"
"Trying to look sexy," Lola said, turning around to twerk a bit. "What do you think is a good pose?"
"Lola, you're eight, stop being weird," Lana said.
"Hey, I may be eight, but I'm an early bloomer," Lola said. "Soon I'm going to have a better body than Leni."
"Who gives a crap? You're still eight, most boys your age don't care about that stuff," Lana said.
"Don't be jealous because you're more likely to be a late bloomer," Lola said, puckering her lips. "Meanwhile I'll have quite the head start. Soon even Winston will be unable to resist me. More than usual at least. Just hope that I don't steal Skippy away too."
"Skippy and I are just friends, I'm not ready to have a boyfriend yet," Lana said.
"Changed your mind, what a shame," Lola said. "Well if Skippy's interested, there's always Cricket, Meli or even Adelaide."
"Yeah whatever," Lana said.
"You know, all of us have potential to be in that play that Luan's writing," Lola said. "If you pretty yourself up a bit, maybe you can be in that play too."
"I'm not doing that fancy girl thing again," Lana said. "Besides, plays aren't my thing."
"Suit yourself," Lola said. "Meanwhile, I'm about to be a star."
"Geez, so self centered..." Lana said, then thought to herself. "If she only knew what Lincoln was out there doing. Maybe she'd have a more interesting lease on life. But it's better she doesn't know, she couldn't handle it."
Downtown, Lincoln and Christina had just apprehended most of the crooks involved in the robbery.
"For the last time, who sold you these guns!?" Lincoln shouted.
"Uh...we got them at pawn shop,"A robber said.
"Oh really? Was it Aliens R Us?" Lincoln sarcastically asked.
"Just give it up, Spider-Man, they're not going to tell us," Christina said.
"Then I'll just be direct," Lincoln said. "Did you get these guns from New York? Specifically a gang of suits?"
The lack of reaction from the robbers told more than if they opened their mouths.
"Well, no response," Christina said. "They're not confirming it, but not denying it either."
"Uh..." the robber wasn't sure how to reply."
"Look, I won't tell anyone you told me, just confirm to me if the sellers were from New York or not," Lincoln said.
As this was happening, another robber had appeared nearby, secretly loading money and the weapons into the car. The others saw what he was doing, so they hoped to distract Lincoln and Christina.
"Well, here's the thing, it all started when we were kids," the robber said.
"We're not interested in your life's story, pal," Christina said. "Just tell me and my partner what we want to know!"
"Otherwise, Firestar can make it uncomfortably hot for you," Lincoln said. "I'll be fine, but you three..."
"Even The Rhino couldn't handle my heat," Christina said, raising her bodily temperature.
Despite the worries of the robbers, it was about to pay off the moment the sneaky robber started the car and began to drive off in a hurry.
"What in the world!?" Christina asked.
"Sneaky punk!" Lincoln swung away. "Stay with them Firestar!"
"Sure thing!" Christina glared at the robbers. "I can do this all day, you bunch of miscreants."
"Uh...I dropped out of middle school, what's a miscreant?" One robber asked.
"Oh shut up," the leader said.
Nearby as Rita was still doing her investigation, she spotted the robber's car making a sharp turn somewhere. "That looks suspicious!" She hopped into a nearby taxi, spooking the driver. "I'm with the Royal Woods Gazette, follow that car!"
"Uh, okay," the guy said, chasing after the robber, alongside Lincoln.
The boy noticed that a taxi was following the car, raising some confusion within him, "What's that guy doing?" Lincoln focused on the robber, "Never mind, I gotta stop this punk."
Lincoln swung and chased the robber while the taxi followed closely. The robber then parked sloppily on the side of the road and began to make a run for it.
"Oh no you don't," Lincoln said, making chase.
Rita had the driver pull over, the woman handing a twenty-dollar bill to the taxi guy, "Thanks!"
"Hey wait! You're ten dollars...ah forget it," the taxi driver said and drove off.
The robber ran toward an old factory, bursting inside with money and weapons. Lincoln had followed him inside, taking a quick look around.
"What's this place? It looks abandoned," Lincoln commented, taking note of some old TVs. "Well if I know one thing, abandoned factory means shady meetings with Crime Lords."
Unknown to Lincoln, Rita had also gotten into the factory, the woman taking a look around. "Isn't this where they made those old TVs? It got shut down after some of the machines malfunctioned and the owner moved progress to a better building. Shame, some of these TVs look to be in good condition too."
As she searched around, she felt a shadow cast over her. She turned and came face to face with Ox.
"Who do we have here?" The man grabbed her by the shirt, lifting her into the air.
"Hey! Put me down you hooligan!" Rita shouted, frantically kicking Ox.
"Wow, aggressive one," Ox said, then called his friends. "Hey boys! We got an intruder!"
As Lincoln looked around, he heard Rita screaming in worry, to which the boy looked around, "That voice sounded familiar."
"Well, well, if it ain't Spider-Man," came the voice of Fancy Dan, the man making his presence known. "It's been a while."
"I remember you, the guy who worked with The Shocker," Lincoln said. "So, still in town?"
"Actually, we recently came back," Dan said. "Came across a good business opportunity."
"Those alien weapons, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Precisely," Dan said. "See we found a great market here for those weapons. But, business is not doing too well, give you one guess why."
"The fact that you sold these weapons to amateurs who can't use them right?" Lincoln mocked. "Then they become easy butt-kicking targets for me and my sidekick."
"Someone's got a mouth," Dan said. "I'm a businessman kid, and like all businessmen, I don't like having anything getting in the way of me making money. So you have a choice, either you stop your silly little superhero game, or me and the boys will force you into retirement. Assuming you live."
"Think I'm worried about you?" Lincoln asked.
"You should be, did you forget what happened last time?" Dan asked.
"Last time you got lucky, this time I'm ready," Lincoln said. "I owe you and your buddies for what you did."
"That so?" Hammer Harrison said, the man stepping out into the shadows. "This should be fun."
"Quite so," Snake Martson said, also stepping out. "I'm slithering with excitement."
Lastly, Ox came out, still holding Rita, "What do I do about this lady?"
"I have a name, you know!" Rita said.
"Mom!" Lincoln mentally worried. "Hey you, unhand that reporter woman!"
"Okay," Ox threw Rita aside, Lincoln frantically swinging over and creating a bed of webs for her to land on.
"Are you okay mo...a'am!?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm fine," Rita said, not noticing the word mix-up. "Thank you Spider-Man."
"I gotta go beat those bad guys up," Lincoln said, trying to keep his voice disguised. "I'll get you to safety later."
"Alright then," Rita said, then took a look around. "Um, about these webs."
"They'll stick for now, but I can dissolve them later," Lincoln said, facing off against The Enforcers. "Right now, I have a job to do."
"You really think you'll fare any better?" Dan asked, cracking his knuckles. "Kid, I'd love to see you try."
Lincoln prepared himself for a big fight, his goal was simple. To defeat The Enforcers and stop the Royal Woods Alien Weapons dealing. He just had to defeat the same enemies he lost to once before. But this time, he had hope that things would turn out much different.