As she left the arena, Stella was still on the phone with Christina as she made her way back to the base.
"Yeah, my aunt and uncle are wrestling against Lynn and Mr. Loud," Stella said. "I still can't believe my aunt and uncle are fighting my friend's sister and father."
"That sounds wild," Christina said.
"Wild doesn't begin to cover it, I'm almost afraid to show my face in school now," Stella said. "Now, don't get me wrong, I love my aunt and uncle and I think it's cool that they're pro wrestlers, but sometimes they act so strange."
"That's wrestling for you, it's a big show," Christina said. "It's not just about being strong, it's about being flashy. Kind of like superheroes in a way."
"That's an interesting analogy," Stella said. "Anyway, I'm going to head back to base. How are things in Royal Woods?"
"Pretty quiet," Christina said as she looked across the city from on top of a roof. "Guess even the crooks wanted to see the big wrestling show."
"Well that's the bright side," Stella said. "Still, I hope things don't get weird between me and Lincoln because of his family wrestling against mine."
"It might, after all, Lincoln might be just as embarrassed," Christina said. "He's probably worried about the same things you are right now."
"Oh yeah...good point," Stella said. "I should probably let Lincoln know soon that things are cool between us."
"Yeah, it should help you feel at ease too," Christina said.
"Well, I should be at the base soon, then...huh?" Stella noticed something strange on her phone.
"What's wrong?" Christina asked.
"Lana's calling me," Stella said, then added her to the call. "Yeah?"
"Stella! We got trouble!" Lana said, the girl having stepped away from her family for a quick second. "Get Christina down here fast!"
"What's wrong?" Stella asked.
"Some mutated tiger lady invaded the wrestling ring! I think it's La Tigressa, but she's different now!" Lana said. "Lincoln's already in gear, but La Tormenta is about to fight her!"
"Don't worry Lana, I'm here," Christina said. "I'll get down there ASAP!"
"Please hurry," Lana said. "Also, Stella...sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your aunt and uncle got hurt."
"They what!?" Stella turned back toward the direction of the arena. "I gotta go back!"
"Stella wait!" Christina tried calling, but the girl hung up. "Dang it, well it's fine, I can..." She then heard some police sirens as she spotted a cop car chasing a truck full of stolen money. "Ugh, that's just great timing, isn't it? Oh well, Lincoln can handle things for now, I gotta help these cops."
Christina focused on her current task, but would be at the arena the first chance she got.
Meanwhile in the ring, La Tigressa and La Tormenta circled each other, each woman looking for an advantage.
"This ends, Tormenta!" La Tigressa shouted. "No longer will I suffer a humiliating loss to the likes of you! Soon I will be the best luchadora in the world! While you remain as nothing but a pitiful afterthought!"
"I'm disappointed, Tigressa," La Tormanta said. "You weren't always the noblest fighter, but even you wouldn't attack an innocent man and threaten a child like you did."
"Maybe I'm tired of being noble!" La Tormenta readied her claws. "Prepare to fall!"
La Tigressa went for a slash that Tormenta narrowly ducked. She managed to dodge a few more attacks before getting aggressively kicked into the wall of the cage, shaking the entire structure as she fell to the ground.
"Whoa! That's harsh!" Sam said.
"Come on La Tormenta!" Leni cheered. "Don't let that foul lady beat you!"
Tormeta pulled herself to her feet and engaged in a power struggle against Tigressa. However, in the middle of the struggle, Tigressa managed to lift Tormenta off the ground and aggressively threw her against another part of the cage wall.
"This is looking bad," Carlota said.
"Don't give up, La Tormenta!" Carl cheered. "You can do it! Beat that mean lady! Just like you always do!"
Tormenta stood back on her feet, hoping to come up with a different strategy. She ran in and went for Tigressa's legs but the woman leapt to the side of the cage and dived off.
She attempted to slash Tormenta with her claws, but the weather woman barely avoided the attack. However she still took a strong kick into the corner of the ring.
Tigressa ran in and rammed her shoulder into Tormenta, then aggressively threw her toward the ring's center as the fan favorite woman groaned in pain.
"Whoa, this is turning out to be one amazing fight," Bella Big Bucks said.
"What's the matter with you!?" Lincoln shouted, getting the promoter's attention. "La Tormenta is in danger! She's going to get hurt!"
"Kid, it's wrestling," Bella Big Bucks said. "It's inevitable for someone to get hurt, that's just part of the business."
"This isn't a wrestling match!" Lincoln said. "This is a straight-up brawl!"
"Even better, it means bigger ratings," Bella Big Bucks said.
"Oh like you really want to put 'Extreme Medical Bill's on all the advertisements!" Lincoln scolded. "Don't treat this like like some grand event! This could be a life or death situation!"
Tormenta was thrown against the cage again, everyone wincing in discomfort.
"See? No one likes this! They won't want to see La Tormenta getting tortured like this!" Lincoln said.
"You're overreacting," Bella Big Bucks said.
"How am I overreacting when you can…?" Lincolm grumbled in annoyance. He knew there was no point trying to talk sense into this woman. "Fine, if you won't do anything, then I will!"
"Good luck getting in that cage," Bella Big Bucks said.
"I have super strength," Lincoln said as he stepped toward the ring. "You're going to need more than a cage to stop me."
Inside Tormenta is still trying to overpower Tigressa, going for some hard knee strikes against her opponent's ribs, then an elbow to her face followed by an uppercut.
This barely fazed La Tigressa however. "Don't tell me that's all you have."
"You wish!" Tormenta did a jumping kick to Tigressa's face and then went for a few extra strikes to try and knock her off balance. This earned her a hard punch to the jaw for her efforts, knocking Tormenta for a loop.
Tigressa then lifted her into the air and aggressively threw her against the cage wall. Despite being surrounded by jeers and boos mixed with audible concern for Tormenta, the sinister villain was happily relishing in the chaos.
Meanwhile Lincoln lifted the cage up enough to allow himself access into the ring as Tigressa slowly and sinisterly had her sights on her rival.
"Now this ends! Let it be known that I, La Tigressa, am the strongest in the world!" Tigressa proudly declared.
"Not quite!" Lincoln called, this getting Tigressa's attention. "You still have me to contend with!"
"Hm? Well, this is a surprise," Tigressa said. "The Amazing Spider-Man himself wishes to do battle against me. Well, I do owe someone a favor, so I'll accept your challenge."
"Wait, you owe someone a favor?" Lincoln asked. "Who exactly?"
"Sorry, but I'm not in that much of a talking mood right now," Tigressa said as she extended her claws. "I'm in a fighting mood!"
Tigressa lunged in to attack Lincoln, trying to swipe at the boy but he was quick to dodge and evade her attacks. However it wasn't as easy as it seemed.
"She's definitely much faster," Lincoln ducked an attack and leapt away while trying to strategize. "Aggressive too, who did this to her?"
Meanwhile Sid and Ronnie Anne were still trying to navigate through the arena, trying desperately to find Lincoln.
"Are you sure he went this way?" Sid asked.
"I think so," Ronnie Anne said as she led Sid back out into the stands. "That's weird, I could have sworn that-"
"Look!" Sid gestured to the ring where Tigressa was fighting the superhero disguised Lincoln.
"La Tigressa's fighting Spider-Man!?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Uh, one other thing," Sid gestured to the injured La Tormenta.
"Oh no...Blanca..." Ronnie Anne said, quietly as she could but still with a lot of concern.
Tigressa tried stomping on Lincoln, the boy being quick to backflip away, though found himself met with a strong kick that sent him into the corner.
As she went to attack again, Lincoln used his web to latch onto the top of the cage, much to her annoyance.
"Coward! Face me!" Tigressa demanded.
"I'm the coward!?" Lincoln asked in disbelief. "You've got super powers and just prided yourself on hurting those without them! Including a father of eleven! You even threatened a little girl!"
Lynn furrowed her brow in annoyance, "He better not be talking about me! I'm a wrestler too!"
"Hey, I just wanted La Tormenta, everyone else got in my way," Tigressa said.
"Why are you even doing this!?" Lincoln asked.
"To claim my rightful spot as the strongest in the Luchador world! It is my birthright! My legacy!" La Tigressa flexed her muscles. "I am the strongest this world has to offer! And I will prove it day and night!"
"Tch, you seem like a fraud," Lincoln said.
"You're one to talk, instead of fighting me, you choose to run like a coward!" Tigressa said. "Face me like a man! Or are you just a weakling?"
"Hey don't pull that 'man' card with me, I don't hurt innocent people," Lincoln said.
"A real man proves his worth in battle," Tigressa said. "Heh, guess that means you're not the man that you claim to be, Spider-Boy."
"Wow, cute nickname, did your mommy teach you that after she knitted your precious tiger pajamas?" Lincoln taunted.
"Sick burn!" Luan cheered.
"Enough of this!" Tigressa leapt onto the cage to attack Lincoln but the boy swung to the other side, trying to keep a distance. "I gotta figure something out, but she's too fast and this cage is pretty small."
"Do you still run from me!?" Tigressa went to attack again, to which Lincoln leapt to the ground. "Stand and fight!"
She dived down as Lincoln sidestepped, the boy then jumping and delivering a strong kick to her face. "Did that work?"
Tigressa spat some blood out of her mouth, then flashed a sinister grin toward Lincoln, "Not bad, give me more."
"What do you mean 'give you more'?" Lincoln asked. "Are you one of those people who thrive on pain? Might explain why you lose a lot."
Tigressa slammed her hands down as hammers, to which Lincoln again avoided it, but then took a knee strike to his face.
"This is getting fun!" Tigressa continued to go for the assault.
Meanwhile Ronnie Anne and Sid had run to the side of the ring, hoping to get the attention of the woman in there.
"La Tormenta!" Ronnie Anne called.
The injured wrestler slowly moved, then turned her attention to the girls. "Ronalda? Sidney?"
"Oh sweet, she remembers our formal names," Sid said. "Now we gotta focus on our preferred names."
"Not now, Sid!" Ronnie Anne said, then focused on the wrestler. "La Tormenta! Are you hurt!?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Tormenta said. "Listen, you gotta run, it's not safe here!"
"We can't leave, it's cowardly," Ronnie Anne said.
"Besides, Spider-Man's here," Sid said. "We'll be fine."
The fight behind them was getting even more intense, causing some concern for the woman and two girls.
Tigressa aggressively clawed at Lincoln, even when the boy dodged, he noticed how badly damaged the cage was getting. Her strikes were hard enough to go through the metal.
"Geez, that's freaking dangerous!" Lincoln thought to himself. "With that much power, she might really tear into me!"
Tigressa then grabbed Lincoln by the ankle, then started slamming him all around the ring and then aggressively threw him against the cage, putting a massive dent in the structure.
"Hey ease up! Those cages are expensive!" Bella Big Bucks warned.
"People, I don't know what to say!" The announcer said. "What was supposed to be a friendly open challenge fight has turned into a brawl that looks like it belongs in a comic book!"
"Hey! Announcer guy!" Ronnie Anne called. "Isn't there anyone here who can put a stop to this!?"
"Sorry chica, there isn't anything I can do," The announcer said. "We weren't prepared for something like this!"
"To be fair, Royal Woods tends to get supervillains," Sid pointed out. "It wouldn't have been unreasonable to believe that they might have shown up here."
"Huh...good point," The announcer said.
At this time, Princess Valentina was storming down to the ring, the woman looking very disappointed. "What is this!? I'm supposed to have a match tonight with La Tormenta! This whole thing is stealing my thunder!"
"Sorry, but this is way more exciting right now," Bella Big Bucks said. "After this, I just might try signing Spider-Man to a deal."
"I had a contract!" Valentina said.
"Hey, things happen, now go back to your trailer or something," Bella Big Bucks said, much to Valentina's annoyance.
Carlos rubbed his chin in curiosity, finding this whole thing very suspicious. "This is too odd."
"What's wrong, Uncle Carlos?" Bobby asked.
"Something about La Tigressa's transformation is very familiar," Carlos said. "It reminds me of what Doctor Connors went through."
"You mean The Lizard?" Bobby asked as he glanced back into the ring. "Wait, does this mean La Tigressa is like The Lizard?"
"The comparison can definitely be made," Carlos said.
Miles Warren continued to observe from the crowd, satisfied with what La Tigressa was doing. Of course he hoped that she would hurry and finish the job he expected of her.
"Not much longer, soon Spider-Man will be no more," Miles commented. The roar of the crowd drowned out his self monologue, the man not worried about being overheard. "I just hope she remembers to bring me his body when he's done."
La Tigressa lunged again at Lincoln, to which the boy managed to counter punch her against the cage, causing another dent.
"Spidey!" Lana cried out in worry. "Don't give up! Please!"
"Ugh, you brutes are going to damage this cage beyond repair at this rate," Bella Big Bucks said. "But, the crowd's really on their feet, no doubt I'll be able to buy ten cages with the money I'll rack up."
"Are you seriously worried about the damn cage!?" Ronnie Anne asked in disbelief.
"Seriously, this is getting more and more dangerous!" Sid scolded.
"Pfft, I don't have time for wussy talk," Bella Big Bucks said. "If this Spider-Man really is as great as everyone says, then he'll be fine."
"Ugh, you're the freaking worst!" Ronnie Anne then leapt onto the cage.
"Ronnie! What are you doing!?" Sid called.
"I gotta do something! I can't leave La Tormenta in there!" Ronnie Anne said.
"But it's dangerous!" Sid warned.
"Yeah kid, I can't let you go in there!" Bella Big Bucks then pulled out a paper. "Not without signing this liability waiver."
"Ugh, seriously!?" Sid scolded.
"Hey I'm not risking a lawsuit," Bella Big Bucks said.
As Ronnie Anne continued to climb, Lincoln was thrown against the cage where she was, knocking the girl back down.
"I got you!" Sid managed to catch Ronnie Anne, both girls hitting the floor as a result. "Ow."
"Ronnie Anne!" Artemis was about to run out there but Young Becky kept him restrained.
"What are you doing!? It's dangerous!" Becky warned.
"I have to help Ronnie Anne!" Artemis said.
"You'll just get your ass kicked, now sit down!" Becky said as she pulled Artemis back to his sit.
"You two need to leave!" Lincoln warned, getting the attention of Sid and Ronnie Anne. "It's not safe around here!"
"What about you though!?" Sid asked.
"I can handle it, just-" Lincoln's face was stomped into the floor by La Tigressa.
"Sorry girls, your little hero won't be able to make it out of this in one piece!" the mutated woman warned.
"What even happened to you? Have you always been able to do this?" Sid asked. "Because if so, kind of weird how long you waited. This would have prevented a lot of losses."
"The past does not matter," La Tigressa said, stepping closer to the girls as she aggressively gripped the cage. "What matters is that now, I have control of my future!"
"Oh, and I don't suppose that future involves hurting innocent people!" Ronie Anne gestured to Lynn Sr as medics tended to his injuries. "That man is the father of eleven, one of those eleven being my best friend!"
"He never should have stepped foot in a wrestling ring!" La Tigressa said. "This is meant to be a coliseum for incredible athletes! Not some circus for mediocre clowns!"
"Hey, they let you in, didn't they? Damn coward!" Lincoln taunted as he pulled himself up. "I'm not done with you yet, so why don't you-"
La Tigressa kicked the boy to the other side of the cage, "Quiet you! I still need to finish your torture."
"Holy smokes you're nuts!" Lincoln said, trying to shake off the damage. "She's really strong. Actually, I'd say she's about as strong as The Lizard. Gee, I hope this isn't a tiger version or something."
Tigressa attacked again, going for a swipe that managed to cut Lincoln on the side of his body, causing the boy to keel over in pain as he covered the wound.
Looking down, he could see that he was bleeding, this woman's power was no joke. The sight of the blood worried many in the crowd, each of them now fearful for Spider-Man's safety.
"Lincoln..." Lana internally worried as some tears came to her eyes. "Please get through this in one piece."
"Had enough?" Tigressa taunted. "I might have had a better fight from the old, fat man."
"Watch yourself!" Lincoln shouted, then took a kick to his face that knocked him back down. "Damn!"
"Come on! Fight back!" Chloe encouraged.
"You got this Spider-Man! Show La Tigressa who's boss!" Young Becky cheered.
"You can do it, Spider-Man!" Lily called.
The sound of his youngest sister's encouragement did motivate Lincoln a bit as the boy did his best to pick himself up and prepare for more.
"I admire your will to fight," Tigressa readied for more. "But only one of us is walking out victorious!"
Just as she was about to attack, Tormenta had grabbed her by the leg, restraining her movements. "I don't think so!"
"Not you again!" Tigressa tried shaking Tormenta off, but the floored wrestler wasn't going to give up so easily.
Lincoln took the time to jump in with a kick to Tigressa's face, sending her crashing against the cage.
"La Tormenta!" Lincoln checked on the wrestler. "Hey, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a little banged up, but it's not the first time," Tormenta stood back on her feet.
Tigressa pulled herself up, a feral rage in her eyes. "So, you both want to fall by my power, do you!?"
"La Tormenta, this is pretty dangerous, you should leave," Lincoln said.
"That might be tough," Tormenta said. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay and fight."
"You'll be risking your own health," Lincoln said.
"If I ran, I would bring dishonor to myself," Tormenta said. "Besides, this feels personal."
"I am going to reach such great heights the moment you're not around, Tormenta!" Tigressa declared. "Soon it will be my time to shine, and you won't take that from me!"
"She's really dedicated to being the best, isn't she?" Lincoln said.
"I respect her ambition, but I do not condone her cowardly tactics," Tormenta said. "So, ready to bring her down?"
Lincoln nodded his head in confirmation. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Good, because the forecast calls for...a double team!" Tormenta declared.
"Rock her like a Hurricane!" Luna cheered.
Tigressa lunged at the two, but they both delivered a jumping kick to her chest, then dashed in with a double shoulder ram against the villainous fighter.
Lincoln and Tormenta charged again, delivering a double uppercut that briefly stunned the angry opponent.
"You pests!" Tigressa threw a strong punch that knocked Tormenta away and then kicked Lincoln into a corner where she dashed in with a strong knee to his ribs, an attack powerful enough to break a few bones and cause Lincoln to spit out some blood.
"Oof, that sounded painful," Lynn said. "I gotta get in there somehow."
"Are you nuts, Lynn!?" Ronnie Anne scolded. "It's dangerous, you could get hurt!"
"Hey come on, if anyone can take a punch, it's me," Lynn boasted.
"Didn't La Tigressa beat you up pretty easily though?" Sid asked.
"Oh what do you know?" Lynn said. "I'm The Brawl Monitor, that will never be taken from me."
"Oh, now you want to take that name up again after abandoning it?" Bella Big Bucks asked.
"I didn't abandon that, I abandoned you because of how scummy of a promoter you are!" Lynn said, gesturing into the ring as La Tigressa flung Lincoln aside while La Tormenta jumped on the mutated woman's back while trying to put her in a headlock. "You're letting this dangerous woman fight in a dangerous battle!"
"It's all about the ratings, that's all that matters!" Bella Big Bucks said.
"Wow, you freaking suck," Lynn replied.
La Tigressa flung Tormenta off and against the cage and went to attack again, but Lincoln kicked her in the sides.
"That's enough out of you!" Lincoln zipped around the ring and delivered a flurry of punches and kicks. "Time to end this!"
Lincoln went for another kick but Tigressa caught him with a forearm attack that knocked him hard into the cage, causing a bigger dent.
"Think that's enough to stop me!?" Tigressa shouted as she spat blood from her mouth. "I am La Tigressa! I am the strongest wrestler in the world! No one can match my strength, speed and agility! I will place my name among the greatest, and then-"
"Karma will rain down upon you!" Tormenta shouted as she jumped off the ropes and landed an elbow on Tigressa, which briefly stunned the woman.
"Now for my finishing blow!" Lincoln quickly webbed the cage on each sided of La Tigressa and pulled in hard enough to kick her through the wall, finally breaking the cage as the woman fell down and was laying on the bars.
"Whoa..." Lynn replied.
Lincoln then used his webbing to aggressively fling Tigressa back inside and crashing against the wall on the other side and slammed her once more onto the ring.
When the dust cleared, Tigressa was dazed as both Lincoln and La Tormenta placed their feet on the woman's chest in victory as a referee ran into the ring and counted on the mat.
"Uno! Dos! Tres!"
The bell rang as the announcer hyped up the victory. "It's over! Your winners are Spider-Maaaaaan and La Tormentaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The crowd cheered the result as the two heroes celebrated their win over their opponent.
"Awesome! Spider-Man and La Tormenta won!" Ronnie Anne cheered.
"What an awesome tag team!" Sid said.
"Whoo! Awesome fight!" Luna cheered.
"Gonna be hard to top that one," Luan said.
"I'm just glad that Lynn's alright," Liam said. "But ah should check on her later, just to be sure."
Lana sighed in relief, almost feeling the urge to cry, "Lincoln did it, thank goodness for that."
While the crowd cheered, Stella tried making her way through, having arrived just in time for the victory. "What's going on? Is it over?"
It wasn't long before the police came down to the ring area and dragged off La Tigressa. However, just before she could be taken away, Tormenta called out to them.
"Espera!" Tormenta walked over to Tigressa, and aggressively pulled her mask off in front of everyone. "You do not deserve the honor of a Lucahdora."
"Damn you, La Tormenta..." Tigressa hissed as she was taken away. All the while, a disappointed Miles Warren began to leave, considering this fiasco a failure.
"Hey, make sure you arrest her too," Lincoln said, gesturing to Bella Big Bucks.
"Me!? Why me!?" the woman asked.
"Exploitation," Lincoln said. "You took advantage of a dangerous situation in which someone could have gotten seriously injured, or worse."
The cops began to cuff the promoter, who began shouting out in anger, "I'll get you for this, Spider-Man! No one pulls one over on Bella Big Bucks! No one!"
Lincoln seemed relieved that the situation was being resolved, then felt someone pat him on the back.
"Great job tonight," Tormenta said. "If I ever need a tag team partner again, I'll definitely give you a call."
"I look forward to it," Lincoln said. "Well, I should leave, duty calls."
He swung away, leaving La Tormenta curious. "I wonder who that boy is? He sounds so young. Well, it's good to see the youth being so heroic." She looked around again, spotting Lynn at ringside, but no one else. "Weren't Ronalda and Sidney just here?"
"Ronnie Anne!" Artemis called as the girl left.
"Where's she off to?" Becky wondered.
"Glad that's over," Rusty said. "Hey Lincoln, did you see-" Rusty looked around. "Where'd Lincoln go?"
"Lincoln?" Chloe looked around as well. "Gee, I wonder where he is?"
"Probably ran off the moment things looked bad," Clyde said. "I'm still here at least."
Chloe furrowed her brow at Clyde, all while keeping an eye out for Lincoln. "I hope he's alright."
Lincoln had left from the back, the boy just outside the arena. Feeling like he could take a breather, the boy pulled his mask off and turned to a nearby reflection on a window.
He did not detect much facial damage, save for a bruise under his eye. In addition he could see some blood in his teeth when he opened his mouth.
"Man, she really did a number on me," Lincoln checked his sides where he got scratched. "Wow she's strong too. Definitely strong like The Lizard, maybe worse. I gotta look into this. Maybe if I can find a way to go to Great Lakes, I can check in with Doctor Connors or something." Shrugging it off, Lincoln began tugging at his suit. "I should change, hopefully no one noticed I was gone for too long. But they should be distracted enough from the fight that I doubt they'll notice."
Just as Lincoln turned around, he came across a troubling situation. Right behind him were the flabbergasted duo of Ronnie Anne and Sid, both standing with their mouths gaping open.
Lincoln began to mentally panic. Standing before him were two of his closest friends from Great Lakes, and these girls had just potentially discovered one of his deepest secrets.
"Uh...hi?" Lincoln replied, the boy now mentally lamenting. "Dang it Spidey, I know you're hurt but next time, swing to a roof or something!"
"No...way..." Sid said.
"Is this...?" Ronnie Anne replied. "I mean...are you even...huh!?"
The girls couldn't believe it. Their best friend and Spider-Man were one in the same. They had some suspicions thanks to the tape featuring Lincoln getting bitten. But they still would not have imagined that he was an actual superhero.
"I know what the two of you must be thinking, but there's a reasonable explanation for this," Lincoln said. "This...is a costume! Yeah, I made it in honor of tonight. Just in case Spider-Man showed up, which I totally called. I wanted to get an autograph and I bet no one here considered dressing up as Spider-Man. Right?"
Ronnie Anne and Sid each glanced at one another, then back at Lincoln, each of them with a face of disbelief.
"Lincoln...that...is such a lame excuse," Ronnie Anne said.
"Lame how? I would totally do this," Lincoln said. "I love superheroes after all."
"Yeah, but even we're not buying this," Sid said. "First off, you're hurt."
"I got a little roughed up in the crowd, that's all," Lincoln insisted.
"You also were monologuing about going back to Great Lakes to get some information from Doctor Connors," Sid said.
"I was just playing the part," Lincoln insisted.
"Dude, you're bleeding, you even have the same injury that Spider-Man got from La Tigressa!" Ronnie Anne said. "Face it, you have no excuse. There's no denying that you're Spider-Man!
"Yeah, you and Spider-Man are one in the same, Lincoln Loud!" Sid said.
"Hey, keep your voices down!" Lincoln scolded. Much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't change the fact that he was caught, and there was no turning back. "Alright, it's true. I'm Spider-Man."
"I knew it!" Sid shouted.
"I said to lower your voice!" Lincoln again scolded. "Look, let's not talk out here right now, if you want to know more, meet me at my house later."
"Alright, but you better tell us everything," Ronnie Anne said.
"I promise," Lincoln said. "Now I gotta go, my family's waiting."
"We'll cover for you," Ronnie Anne said as she and Sid went inside.
Lincoln grumbled in annoyance, the boy mad at himself for letting his secret be so easily revealed. "Great, somehow I managed to screw that up. How am I going to fix this?"
"Lincoln!" Came Christina's voice as she flew over. "Lincoln, I'm sorry I'm late...wait, you're hurt!"
"I'm fine, and don't worry, I took care of the problem," Lincoln reassured. "But, there might be another problem."
"Really? What?" Christina asked.
"I'll let you know in a bit," Lincoln said. "Don't worry, it's not a villain, but it is big."
"Well, I'm just glad you're okay," Christina checked his face. "Oh, looks like you have a bruise."
"It's nothing," Lincoln insisted. He then blushed when Christina gently rubbed his face.
"Yeah, you do have great healing," Christina said, then started to feel guilty. "I do wish I were here though."
"It's fine, really," Lincoln reassured. "How was your patrol?"
"I came across a big robbery, but I took care of it," Christina said.
"That's great, I knew I could count on you," Lincoln said. Suddenly his phone rang, the boy quick to answer. "Yeah?"
"Lincoln, it's me Stella," The girl said. "Where are you?"
"Outside, I'll be with you in a minute," Lincoln said. "I gotta go meet with Stella."
"I'll wait outside," Christina said. Lincoln went inside, leaving the girl alone, and with a lot of thoughts in her head. "I'm glad he's safe, still, what could have happened?"
Due to the big impromptu brawl, the rest of the event had to be canceled, much to the irritation of the audience in attendance. As a result, everyone had gone home.
Lynn Sr had gone to the hospital with Stella's aunt and uncle, the girl opting to stay there with her parents, along with Lynn Jr who offered to stay with her mother. The rest of the family could not stay due to the Hospital Staff not wanting the waiting room to be too crowded.
Christina had gone home as well, wanting to leave Lincoln be for the time being. Fortunately the boy did have a chance to meet up with his friends before going home, reassuring all of them of his safety, much to their relief. Particularly Chloe.
The Casagrandes and Changs had gone to a hotel, with the exception of the kids, who stayed at The Loud House.
Lori and Leni would be sharing their old room together, while Bobby and Carlota agreed to sleep downstairs in the living room.
Carl and CJ ended up staying in the same room as Lily and Lisa, much to the chagrin of the boys as they worried that Lisa would try experimenting on them.
Adelaide would bunk with Lana and Lola, as expected. The girl was obviously happy to spend time with her favorite twins.
Sid and Ronnie Anne would be bunking with Lincoln and sleeping in his room. Though at the moment, none of them were in his room, rather they were out in the backyard, with all three having a lot on their minds.
"So..." Ronnie Anne began ,the girl feeling a bit awkward at the moment. "Spider-Man, huh?"
"Yeah..." Lincoln replied. "Have you gotten used to it?"
"Not really," Ronnie Anne said. "Right now, I feel like I'm in a dream."
"Same here, this whole night feels like a big comic book," Sid said. "Which isn't saying much because every time I see superheroes, that comes to my mind."
"It's fine if you need time to adjust," Lincoln said.
"It'd help if you told us how you became Spider-Man," Ronnie Anne said.
"Well, it started during the field trip to The Great Lakes Zoo," Lincoln began. "I went to get a souvenir for Lily, and then I got bit by some spider. Shortly after that, I lost consciousness."
"So you were bitten!" Ronnie Anne said. "I knew it!"
"Huh?" Lincoln recalled Sid's earlier words. "Funny, it seems like both of you claim to know what happened. It might explain why you were pestering me with questions this morning."
"Got that right," Sid said. "For starters, we saw a tape of you getting bitten by a spider."
"Then you ran a fever," Ronnie Anne said. "It wasn't an ordinary fever though, it was your body reacting to your newfound powers, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, I'll admit that," Lincoln said.
"Shortly afterwards, Spider-Man started to become a thing," Sid said. "And now we see you at the wrestling show, in costume."
"With some really bad injuries too," A now concerned Ronnie Anne said. "Uh, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Lincoln pulled up part of his shirt. "The wound's gone."
"Whoa really?" Sid looked closer. "Wow, it's like it was never there!"
"I have accelerated healing, depending on the wound, I just need anywhere from an hour to a whole night to heal up," Lincoln said. "Some wounds even heal after a few minutes."
"That's awesome," Sid said. "Still, to think you went through all this."
"Yeah, I still can't believe you're Spider-Man," Ronnie Anne said. "You always did say you wanted to be a superhero."
"And astronaut," Lincoln added. "I still haven't given up on that dream."
"Right, and astronaut," Ronnie Anne said. "You're halfway there at least."
"What's it like having superpowers?" Sid asked.
"It's cool, I have super strength and super speed," Lincoln said. "I can lift up a bus, and never be late to one."
"Sounds handy," Ronnie Anne said.
"I'm not surprised," Sid said. "When you lifted your shirt, I couldn't help but notice that your torso seemed quite tone. How is your muscle mass exactly?"
"Average," Lincoln said. "I'll leave it at that."
"Okay, keep it a secret then," Sid said, then smirked at her friend. "But, I will find out."
"Don't try anything weird," Lincoln warned. "Anyway, is that all you girls wanted to know?"
"Honestly, I feel like we've barely scratched the surface," Ronnie Anne said. "I'm still amazed that you've been Spider-Man for like, two months already, and neither Sid or I had a clue!"
"Well, it was supposed to be a secret identity," Lincoln said. "Like Ace Savvy."
"But it's weird that we didn't pick up on it sooner," Sid said. "We've been around you as Spider-Man! Between that Shocker thing, and that fight with The Chameleon! I still have trust issues after that last one!"
"Not to mention, you were in our apartment back when The Lizard was causing trouble," Ronnie Anne said. "Which means you were in my apartment!"
"Well, yeah, I've been in your apartment before," Lincoln said.
"You and I were having a conversation, and you still kept it so secret!" Ronnie Anne said in disbelief. "I just can't believe it! I had a slight feeling you were familiar, and I nearly caught on, didn't I!?"
"Yeah, you did, so I had to throw you off," Lincoln said. "Sorry about that."
"Then...all those things we were saying..." Sid began to blush. "Didn't I call you 'cute' or something?"
Lincoln awkwardly turned away, "Who's to say?"
"Ugh...then Carlota came in with that stuff she was saying about me and you," Ronnie Anne said. "Then me and Sid for some reason."
"That was a weird turn, but still, this feels so awkward," Sid admitted.
"Honestly, is it really that much different than normal?" Lincoln asked. "Don't worry about how the family reacted, what's done is done."
"Yeah, what's done is done," Ronnie Anne repeated. "You really pulled one over on us though, if you put this much thought into your pranks, you'd be unstoppable."
"Oh yeah, the next Prank-Off is going to be fun with this new knowledge," Sid said.
"Right, now you can shoot webs from your wrists," Ronnie Anne said.
"Not like I'll do that outside my costume," Lincoln said. "That would blow my secret."
"Wait, so is that webbing actually coming out of you?" Sid asked.
"No, I can't produce my own webbing, so I have to make it separately," Lincoln said.
"Oh..." Sid said. "So no webbing coming out of your-"
"NO!" Lincoln shouted, startling Ronnie Anne. "Geez, I am so tired of people asking me that. I can't shoot webs out of my butt, and even if I could, I'm not doing that! The idea is unsanitary!"
"Yeah, you wouldn't want anyone to think your web spinning skills are shit," Ronnie Anne joked.
"...Wow, first of all, how dare you use such language, you're lucky Captain America isn't here," Lincoln said, earning a playful eye roll from Ronnie Anne. "Second, that's just crass. Humor like that has no place in this world."
"Okay Mr. Old Guy," Ronnie Anne teased. "Still, if you could make those webs, then that's pretty awesome."
"Thanks, I work hard," Lincoln said. "Anyway, now you two know about my secret identity. So can I trust you to keep it a secret?"
"Oh totally, I won't say anything," Ronnie Anne said.
"Same, granted it's a shame too," Sid said. "Ronnie Anne and I being the first to discover your secret identity is quite an accomplishment. I just hope that one day, if you decide to make your identity public, you'll tell everyone that Ronnie Anne and I were the first to know."
"Actually...you're not the first to know," Lincoln said.
"...We're not?" Sid asked.
"The first one who figured it out was Stella," Lincoln said.
"Stella knew!?" Ronnie Anne asked. "How!?"
"She saved my life," Lincoln said. "Tell me, are either of you familiar with The Vulture?"
"Yeah, we heard about that," Ronnie Anne said. "He's some old guy who was disrupting events honoring veterans."
"During a fight with him, I got altitude poisoning and fell into a lake," Lincoln said. "Stella happened to be nearby and saved me from drowning. It's also where she unmasked me and learned who I was."
"So Stella was the first to know?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Does anyone else know?"
"Lana knows too," Lincoln said. "She started putting the pieces together during my fight with Kraven at the Royal Woods mall. Then she figured it out completely during my fight with The Chameleon."
"So, Stella and Lana know your secret?" Sid asked. "What about Firestar?"
"If you want to know about Firestar, you'd need to ask her," Lincoln said. "If she wants to tell you, she will. If not, then leave her be."
"That's a fair deal," Ronnie Anne said. "Still, only Stella and Lana know?"
"Exactly," Lincoln said.
"You never told your family?" Sid asked.
"No, I didn't want them to know because one, it might put them in danger, and two, they'll start to worry," Lincoln said. "Lana finding out was an accident, but she's pretty okay with me being a hero, so long as I promise to come home each time."
"That's sweet," Sid said.
"And only Stella knows, none of your other friends?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Not even Clyde?"
"No, I never told him, and honestly I'm kind of worried," Lincoln said. "I've been very secretive with Clyde and I think it's starting to get to him. He doesn't trust me like he used to. Part of me wants to tell him but I don't know if he could handle that type of pressure."
"Clyde's always been a bit frantic, and very weak willed," Ronnie Anne said. "I don't blame you for not telling him."
"But, he's also your best friend," Sid said. "If anyone deserves to know, it's him."
"Lincoln can't even bring himself to tell his family," Ronnie Anne said. "With all due respect to Clyde, I don't think he should take priority over Lincoln's family."
"Yeah, but best friends are different from family, they tell each other everything," Sid said. "I've told you things that I can't tell Adelaide or my parents."
"I see your point, but this is much bigger than you sneaking off with a jar of cookies," Ronnie Anne said.
"I just think that Lincoln should consider telling Clyde," Sid said.
"And I'm saying that he shouldn't feel obligated to," Ronnie Anne said.
"Girls, enough, let me figure out the Clyde situation," Lincoln said.
"If you ask me, Clyde shouldn't have to expect anything," Ronnie Anne said. "Anything you tell him is your business. He's not obligated to know every little detail about your personal life."
"You know Ronnie Anne, you've told me things that you can't tell your family either," Sid said. "Things you can't bring yourself to talk to them about."
"Drop it, Sid," Ronnie Anne warned.
"Girls, please," Lincoln said. "I don't want you fighting. Whatever happens will happen, let's leave it at that."
"Sorry, it just kind of bugs me that Clyde's upset all because you won't tell him something," Ronnie Anne said.
"He's also upset because I've been tutoring his girlfriend without telling him," Lincoln said.
"Oh...well, that's different," Ronnie Anne said.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Sid asked. "You're not secretly dating her, are you?"
"No, I wouldn't do that to Clyde," Lincoln said. "She wanted it to be a secret because she was embarrassed about it. Once her grades improved, she didn't feel so embarrassed and eventually came clean."
"So, she wanted it out there?" Sid asked.
"Yeah, but Clyde didn't take it well," Lincoln said. "I don't think he trusts me near Chloe. Which kind of sucks because she and I actually started to really become friends. She likes Ace Savvy too, and I think she wanted to introduce me to stuff she was fond of."
"Well, that's nice," Ronnie Anne said. "It just sounds like you want to bond with your best friend's girlfriend."
"Shame that Clyde's jealous over that," Sid said. "I'd like to think that I wouldn't be jealous if Ronnie Anne ever wanted to bond with Yun Kwan."
Ronnie Anne raised her eyebrow briefly at Sid before continuing what she wanted to say. "Well Lincoln, I can understand why Clyde's upset, but I do think he's overreacting. He should be happy that you and Chloe are getting closer. It sounds like Clyde just has some serious issues. He can be a bit too involved in the personal lives of others, especially you."
"That seems like a bit much," Lincoln said.
"When I lived in Royal Woods, he was always like five feet away from you," Ronnie Anne said. "He even once answered your phone when I tried to call you, then accused me of leading you on or whatever."
"When was this?" Lincoln asked.
"It was after I moved, I asked you to go by my house to wait for a package," Ronnie Anne said.
"Oh yeah...Clyde thought I missed you, which I did of course," Lincoln said. "But he thought it was in an unhealthy way."
"The fact that his first instinct is to assume you felt that way is kind of telling," Ronnie Anne said. "Look, I don't mean to diss Clyde much. He's a nice kid, both Lori and Bobby have had a lot of good things to say about him, and I can't deny his loyalty."
"That is what a best friend should be," Sid said.
"But he needs to chill the hell out sometimes," Ronnie Anne said. "I'm amazed he's even got a girlfriend if he's like this. For all I know, he texts her relentlessly."
"He has had that urge, fortunately me or one of the other guys are there to make sure he doesn't," Lincoln said. "Though that was at the start of their relationship. I think he's calmed down since."
"Just try to be more open with Clyde," Sid said. "He seems like a sensitive kid who just wants his best friend to acknowledge him more."
"Just set some limitations," Ronnie Anne said.
"Hm? You never set limitations with me," Sid said.
"Because you're level headed and you respect my privacy and boundaries," Ronnie Anne said.
"Aw..." Sid cooed. "You called me level-headed. You're so sweet, Ronnie Anne."
"I'll talk with Clyde when I get the chance," Lincoln said. "Anyway, it's getting late, I think we have time for some video games before bed, so let's take that opportunity."
"That sounds awesome," Sid said. "Hopefully we'll have more time to hang out tomorrow too. Ronnie Anne's mother is not working, and her grandmother has some shopping she wants to do before going back to Great Lakes."
"My grandma really loves some of the prices in Royal Woods, some are cheaper than in the city," Ronnie Anne said.
"Hey, question," Lincoln said. "You always referred to your grandmother as 'abuela', and your aunt and uncle as 'tia' and 'tio'. Lately, you haven't, you've just spoke English. Is there a reason for that?"
"Pfft, what makes you think there's a reason?" Ronnie Anne asked. "It's the same word, but in a different language."
"Yeah, but you always did that, then you got mad once because I brought it up," Lincoln said. "Is there something going on?"
"Ronnie, remember that Lincoln trusted you with a secret of his, a big one too," Sid said. "I think you should return that trust."
"...Okay fine," Ronnie Anne said. "I won't go too far into the details, but it has to do with my great grandmother. She's very old fashioned and big into Mexican Culture. Lately she's had so many things to complain about, including the fact that I don't speak Spanish. I wanted to learn, but she pretty much took all the fun out of it, telling me that I have to learn. I don't have to learn a second language, because in the end, this is America, and we primarily speak English. Far as I'm concerned, I'm speaking the right language, and anything else is optional."
"Oh, wow...that's kind of heavy," Lincoln said. "But, you shouldn't ignore your culture. It was your choice to use Spanish words to describe your relatives, wasn't it?"
"I don't know if it was, I was just doing as I was told," Ronnie Anne said. "If I'm going to speak Spanish, I need it to be because I want to, not because I'm obligated to. I'm not taking pride in one culture if it means I have to diminish another. I'm Mexican-American. Two cultures that I just want to blend together in my own way, because I respect them both. But my great-grandmother is making me feel less enthusiastic about my Mexican heritage."
"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Lincoln asked.
"I can't go one sentence in without her complaining that I'm not speaking in Spanish," Ronnie Anne said. "If she hates English so much, then why did she learn it? Plus when she's around, my grandmother amps up the Mexican side to the point where I can't even watch TV in English, I have to watch something in Spanish."
"You have a Spanish show that you like," Sid said. "The one with the girl who looks like you."
"Is it, Adios Anna, Adios?" Lincoln asked.
"Exactly," Sid said.
"I'm afraid to watch it these days because I'm afraid I'm going to just see what my Great Grandmother expects out of me," Ronnie Anne said. "Like seriously, how is this fair? Sid's father is Chinese, yet she's not expected to act Chinese all the time, she doesn't even speak Mandarin."
"It's true, my family's pretty chill," Sid said. "Dad does pass down our culture, but he just wants me and Adelaide to be happy. Also Baos are fun to make, and delicious to eat, so that's a bonus."
"Learning about this stuff is cool, like when I found out I had Scottish ancestry," Lincoln said.
"You made the choice to learn about it, while it's being forced on me," Ronnie Anne said. "Ask Stella, I bet her family doesn't force her to learn about...uh, what is Stella again?"
"Filipina," Lincoln confirmed.
"Right, Fillipina, something she probably doesn't have to live by 24/7," Ronnie Anne said. "And her parents are strict, right?"
"Yeah, they are," Lincoln said, "But if anything, her grandmother educates her on life in The Philippines."
"Yes, and it sounds like she's just passing knowledge to Stella to do what she wants, not expecting her to grab some maracas and sing La Cucaraccha all day," Ronnie Anne said.
"Easy Ronnie, that sounds like a stereotype," Sid said.
"Well that's how my Great Grandmother makes me feel," Ronnie Anne said. "I don't hate the Mexican part of my life, I just hate not being able to be who I want to be. Bobby hates it too, even he stopped saying 'Abuela'. He was almost quick to throw away his guitar and give up on his Spanish songs. Fortunately we talked him out of it. Regardless of our Great Grandmother being a pain, he loves singing Spanish music, and no one wants that taken away from him, especially not me."
"Well, I'm sorry you're going through this," Lincoln said. "You're right, you should be yourself. I just hope you don't go to any extremes like Bobby almost did."
"All I want to be is a Professional Skateboarder when I grow up," Ronnie Anne said. "That is my main goal, and nothing is going to stop me."
"Then go for it," Lincoln said. "Don't worry about this culture thing and pursue your goal."
"Yeah, I'm right behind you too," Sid said. "I say we find an awesome Skatepark. I heard about a really cool one called Mad Town."
"Sid, I know what Mad Town is. It's dope, but it's all the way in California," Ronnie Anne said.
"Which means we should save up money for plane tickets," Sid said, then turned to Lincoln. "Or, since a certain someone has teamed with Black Widow-"
"I'm not close enough to The Avengers to give anyone any personal favors, so don't ask," Lincoln said.
"Worth a shot," Sid said as she went inside.
"And, Ronnie Anne?" Lincoln said, getting the woman's attention. "Maybe you should cut your Great-Grandmother some slack. She just wants to see a culture she loves maintain it's appreciation. The Scottish part of me was lost a long time ago, and she probably just doesn't want the Mexican part of you lost. It's probably just a big misunderstanding, and I think you can work it all out."
"...Funny, Lori said something similar to Bobby," Ronnie Anne said. "That didn't work out so well either."
Lincoln was curious about that, but decided not to engage any further and simply went inside.
Once in the house, his attention was grabbed by Lana. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure," Lincoln called the girls. "Ronnie Anne! Sid! I gotta talk to Lana about something! Set the game up, I'll be right there."
"You got it!" Sid said.
Lincoln knelt before Lana, "What's wrong?"
"Hey um, are you feeling alright after today?" Lana asked.
"I'm fine, all my injuries are healed," Lincoln said.
"That's good," Lana replied. "Your fight was pretty awesome, but it was scary. That lady really hurt you."
"I'm healed though, see?" Lincoln showed where he got scratched, confirming that he healed up. "I can handle it."
"I know, but I still get worried," Lana said. "You took a really bad beating in that cage. Even with La Tormenta there, I couldn't help but worry about you."
"Lana, even before I got my powers, I always took a beating," Lincoln said. "Have you seen how aggressive our sisters get?"
"Yeah, you always were tough," Lana said. She then pulled Lincoln into a hug, desperately wanting to hold her brother. "Geez though, I know you want to be a superhero, and you do a great job, but you really scare me sometimes with the stuff you go through. Christina wasn't even there to help."
"Lana, I'm sorry if tonight scared you,"Lincoln said as he returned the hug. "But, so long as I have my powers, I have to fight. I made a promise after all."
"I know, and I kind of hate that," Lana said. "Part of me wishes you weren't a superhero, because then at least you'd be safe. I don't want you to think I don't believe in you, but it's scary knowing that every time you fight, you might not come back to me."
"Hey, I'll always come back," Lincoln said. "So don't worry."
"I'll try," Lana said as she wiped her eyes before tears could form. "I'm worried about dad too."
"Same here, but Lynn's at the hospital, she'll keep us updated," Lincoln said.
"I'm surprised that mom's there too, and during a slumber party," Lana said.
"Mom trusts Lori to keep everything under control," Lincoln said. "Now why don't you run along, Adelaide probably wants to play with you."
"Yeah, I just had to come down a bit, I was worried she was gonna see me looking so upset," Lana said. "If she sees me worry, she'll worry too."
"Because she's your friend, and she loves you," Lincoln said. "Now, go spend some time with her."
"I will, and I'll leave you to Sid and Ronnie Anne," Lana said. "Boy, if they knew what you went through-"
"They do, actually," Lincoln confessed.
"Huh?" Lana replied.
"They...kind of figured out my secret, and I had to tell them about me being Spider-Man," Lincoln said.
"Wait, they know!?" Lana asked. "How!?"
"I was careless," Lincoln said. "But now they know, they're in on this little club."
"...Geez bro, how'd you even let that happen?" Lana scolded. "You're lucky it was them and not someone who would use it against you."
"I know," Lincoln said. "Can't be helped though."
"Ugh...Give me a second," Lana walked over to the living room where the girls were waiting.
"You know, maybe we should have brought some games too," Sid said.
"Ahem..." Lana got the attention of the girls.
"Hey Lans, need something?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Did my sister annoy you?" Sid asked.
"First off, Adelaide could never annoy me, she's too precious," Lana said.
"Wow...high praise for my sister," Sid said.
"Second, Lincoln told me that you found out something about him," Lana mimicked the web-shoot motion with her fingers. "Something big."
"Yeah...we know he's Spider-Man," Sid said. "But we won't tell anyone."
"Good, Lincoln and Christina worked hard to maintain their secrets," Lana said. "So don't go telling anyone that they're Spider-Man and Firestar. Got it?"
"...Wait, who's Christina?" Sid asked.
"Huh? Didn't Lincoln...?" Lana turned to the boy, who looked like he was panicking. "Uh, did I speak too much?"
"Lana, they only knew my secret, I never told them about Firestar," Lincoln said.
"...Crap..." Lana replied.
Lincoln face palmed in annoyance, "Well that secret's out. Please don't tell Christina that you know though."
"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Sid said. "I don't know who that is."
"Yeah you do, didn't you see her at the concert a couple of months ago?" Lana asked. "She has brown hair and she wears a black dress."
"...Still doesn't ring a bell," Sid said.
"Never mind it," Lincoln said. "Lana, go play with Adelaide, and please drop the Spider-Man talk."
"Okay fine," Lana said as she went upstairs.
Lincoln picked up his controller, "Let's just forget about all that. Ready to game?"
"First thing's first," Sid said. "No using your powers to cheat."
"I won't," Lincoln said as he held his controller. "Now let's get to it!"
At the Hospital, Stella was seen looking out the window, the girl worried about what had happened. Her aunt and uncle were pretty badly hurt, nothing that can't be fixed but they likely won't be wrestling again in the near future.
"Hey, you alright?" Lynn asked, getting Stella's attention.
"I'm fine. I'm just worried about my aunt and uncle," Stella turned her attention to Lynn. "But I know you're in a similar boat. How's your father?"
"He's got some broken bones, but he'll pull through," Lynn said. "However, this means that our family's restaurant will need some temporary changes. Since dad won't be there to cook, we'll need to find a substitute."
"Does he know anyone?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, he's got his friend Kotaro," Lynn said. "One of Clyde's dads might be able to help too. But a few of us did learn some of his cooking techniques."
"Well that's good to know," Stella said. "I'm pretty handy in the kitchen too, if you need some part time help."
"That'd be helpful," Lynn said.
"How are you feeling?" Stella asked. "You were staring down that lady too."
"I'm fine, there's nothing I can't handle," Lynn said. "They don't call me 'The Brawl Monitor' for nothing."
"I still can't believe you were going to fight my Aunt and Uncle," Stella said. "That would have made things so awkward with me and Lincoln."
"It wouldn't have," Lynn said. "I know my brother, if anything he'd just be mad at me. Besides, I needed some tough competition. Your aunt and uncle looked so badass. I had a feeling they'd be worthy opponents. Of course, thanks to La Tigressa, that all went to hell."
"Well, maybe you'll get a second chance," Stella said. "I just wish I was there, I left out of embarrassment, but if I knew they'd get hurt, I would have stayed."
"I don't blame you for leaving, I'd be embarrassed too if my family did something weird," Lynn said. "But don't be embarrassed by your aunt and uncle, they were brave in staring down La Tigressa."
"Thanks," Stella said. "I bet your father was brave too."
"You bet," Lynn said. "Dad may act all frantic and stuff, but in the end, he's the bravest guy I know. Especially when it comes to me or my siblings."
"One must never underestimate a father's love for his children," Stella said.
"Point is, our families will be fine," Lynn said. "My only regret is that Spider-Man stole my thunder. Didn't help that he rescued me the way he did, now the media is going to think there really is something going on between us."
"Oh wow...that's kind of weird," Stella said, the girl grimacing at the thought. "But the new media isn't always reliable, just ignore it."
"Kind of hard to, but I'll try," Lynn said. "On the bright side, La Tormenta looked cool. She helped Spider-Man bring down La Tigressa."
"That must have been amazing," Stella said. "I guess Luchadors are like heroes in their own way, and La Tormenta proved that."
"I think that's why Lincoln likes wrestling, because of how charismatic a lot of them are, they really are like superheroes," Lynn said. "One guy he mentioned was a superhero that looked like a Lucha Libre star. I think his name is White Pantera or something."
"Oh yeah, he's told me about him too," Stella said. "At least there's one feline themed hero."
"Well after today, I don't think my brother's going to want to think much about felines," Lynn said. "Or Spider-Man for that matter. Sometimes, you just can't trust cats."
"Don't you have a cat?" Stella asked.
"Oh yeah...but Cliff's cool," Lynn said. "But anyone who dresses up like a cat? Yeah, can't trust them. Cats are unlucky, especially Black Cats. This past Halloween I ran into someone walking around with a black cat, part of her witch costume. The scariest part if you ask me."
"But...don't you have a black cat?" Stella asked.
"Stop contradicting me, already," Lynn said. "Look, just watch out for cats, simple as that."
"Sure, I guess," Stella said as she looked back outside. "This city used to be so peaceful, what happened to it?"
"Who knows?" Lynn said. "Right now, the best we can do is adapt."
"Yeah, I guess," Stella said, some worry evident in the girl's eyes.
"You look kind of down," Lynn said. "Hey, I think there's a pizzeria nearby, let's grab a slice."
"I don't know if we can leave the hospital," Stella said.
"We'll be fine," Lynn said. "Come on, it's my treat. I'll even buy you a drink."
"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Stella asked.
"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't," Lynn placed her arm around Stella. "Besides, you're one of Lincoln's best pals, as his big sister, it's my job to look after you. I've done so for Clyde and Liam, so now it's your turn."
"Well, if you're okay with that," Stella said.
"I got you, now let's go," Lynn said as she led Stella away.
While all this was happening, Miles Warren was reviewing some secret footage he took from the wrestling event, trying to see where he went wrong.
"She had the power, but Spider-Man still got the upperhand," Warren continued to observe. "Certainly doesn't help that this La Tormenta woman came to assist. I thought that Firestar girl would be troubling enough, but it's clear that Spider-Man has strength in numbers. How do I...wait!" Warren had an idea. "Strength in numbers...that's it! Two heads are better than one! Or rather...multiple heads!"
The man immediately began Sinisterly plotting, hoping that the next part of his plan would be a success.