The week passed by, and soon came the day of the Royal Woods Astonishing Quest. Everyone was seen gathered near the center of town, all the teams ready and waiting for what's to come.
Luna and Luan stood beside Sam and Benny, the four looking ready to have a fun time.
"So, we know the plan, right?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, I let you handle most of the laser tag stuff, and you let me handle being around the chickens," Sam said.
"All because Luna is too chicken to be around chickens," Luan said before laughing out loud.
"Real cute, sis," Luna playfully said. "What's your game plan? Lose? I can give you a head start."
"You'll find out when the time comes," Luan said.
"Hey wait a minute, aren't we doing an alliance?" Benny asked.
"Pretty sure that's against the rules," Luna said.
"Screw the rules, let's have fun!" Sam said.
"Hey I don't want to get banned like Lynn did," Luna said.
"They can't ban us if they don't catch us," Sam said.
"Makes sense to me," Luan said.
"...Whatever, you only live once I guess," Luna said.
"YOLO!" Benny declared, before getting strange looks. "What?"
"If you ever say that again, I will hang you by your underwear on a flagpole," Sam said.
"That's...kind of aggressive," Benny said.
"Oh Benny..." Came Lola's voice as she passed by the boy with Lana. "How's my favorite play write?"
"Oh um, Lola...I'm doing fine, I guess?" Benny said.
"That's good," Lola said. "So...when's your next play?"
"I...don't know," Benny said. "Hopefully soon."
"Well I thoroughly enjoyed your last play," Lola said, before recalling the events it led to. "Well, before all that craziness happened."
"Oh yeah, it was chaotic, wasn't it?" Benny said.
"Well, it turned out okay," Lola said. "After all, Stella was there to keep me safe."
"And Spider-Man," Lana reminded, much to Lola's annoyance.
"Yes, and Spider-Man I guess," Lola said. "But Stella did most of the work."
"She was pretty brave that day," Benny said.
"Yeah, not bad considering she was injured," Sam added
"Point is that it was still a good play, and I look forward to potentially working with you," Lola said as she playfully flipped her hair back. "Especially if you're going to need a proper princess in the future."
"Uh...sure, I'll think about it," Benny nervously said.
"Lola!" Came Cricket's voice, the girl joined by Meli not too far away.
"Gotta go, just think about my offer my dear, sweet, Benny," Lola said, the girl walking away while putting a little emphasis on her hip swaying.
"Geez Louise..." Lana lamented, before turning to Benny. "Sorry she's so weird sometimes."
"It's fine, it's cute in its own way," Benny said.
"Just be careful around her, she's like a snake," Lana said. "She allures you with her charm and cute nature, then strikes and infects you with her poison."
"Uh...since when are snakes cute?" Luna asked.
"They're cute to me," Lana said. "I just know how they work."
"Well, we'll be fine," Luna said. "Better hurry along now."
"Yeah sure," Lana began to walk off. "Good luck today, you're gonna need it!"
"Luck is for chumps," Sam said. "We've got skill. And illegal teamwork."
"Okay, calling it illegal is going to..." Luna raised her eyebrow a second. "Wait, why am I being cautious? I've never cared about the rules! I'm Luna Loud!"
"Ah, there she is," Sam said. "Thought I lost that spunky girl for a second."
"The caution may have been because of everything weird lately," Luan said. "Even Lynn's looked over her shoulder a few times."
"Things may be dangerous, but we're still alive and kicking," Sam said. "This is all the more reason to live life to the fullest!"
"Yeah, I guess," Benny said.
"Compared to recent events, a little rule bending isn't the worst thing in the world," Sam said. "Now let's take a few risks!"
Luna and Luan cheered in agreement wile Benny only lightly cheered.
"Come on, let's kick some butt!" Sam said as she led the charge.
Meanwhile Rusty was seen with Zach, standing beside Clyde, who seemed to be waiting for a certain someone.
"This is going to turn out so well!" Rusty excitedly exclaimed. "Zach and I got our game faces on! We're going to crush it!"
"Yeah, that's great," Clyde said, the boy barely caring.
"Hey what's with you?" Rusty asked. "You look like you're waiting for someone."
"Well yeah, I'm waiting for Lincoln," Clyde checked his watch. "Where is he? He said he would be here."
"Hey we've still got an hour," Zach said.
"We need to make plans though," Clyde said. "I really hope he's not flaking out."
"Just give him a chance," Rusty said. "Do you think he wants to blow you off?"
"He gave his word," Zach said. "Just trust him."
"...Alright, I suppose it's not the worst thing in the world that he's not here yet," Clyde said. He looked aside and spotted Chloe and Emma walking by, feelings of regret flowing through Clyde's mind, knowing that he screwed up really badly. "Yeah, I should just be patient. I don't want to lose more people I can trust."
Meanwhile at the other end of town, Lincoln was seen at the base with Christina, the girl currently changing into her uniform.
"Are you absolutely sure you'll be fine?" Lincoln asked. "You won't need me around for anything?"
"Lincoln, I can handle it," Christina said as she slipped into her suit. "You promised Clyde that you'd do the Astonishing Quest with him. If you bail, he won't forgive you."
"Yeah, you're right, I should do this," Lincoln said. "I am the one who asked him to be my buddy."
"I get that you're worried about me, but I can take care of myself," Christina strapped her gloves on. "I got powers of my own after all."
"Yeah, you're pretty strong obviously," Lincoln said as he checked his phone briefly to see if he had any messages from Clyde. "I know you can take care of yourself. I just can't help but worry."
"You just care, and I love that about you," Christina said as she placed her boots on. "My strength comes from my confidence, and my confidence comes because you helped me feel that way. Just being around you is so uplifting. It's easy to see why Emma and Jordan felt so illuminated when you dated them."
"Do I really have that effect on girls?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, speaking from personal experience, you do," Christina said. "Guess having ten sisters makes you an expert on girls."
"No...nonono, I am not going down that route again," Lincoln said. "I am no Girl Guru."
"Well, maybe not that much of an expert, but you have a better idea than most guys," Christina said. "How many guys know about make-up? Or what shirt goes with what skirt?"
"I used to be ashamed of those qualities," Lincoln said. "I'm a boy after all, I don't think I should know these things."
"Pfft, come on Lincoln, I know you're smart enough to know that having that logic doesn't make you any less of a man," Christina said. "Your fashion knowledge helped you make your Spider-Man suit. It even helped me out a little. Knowing make-up isn't bad either, it's helped Lola win her fair share of pageants, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, she's really grateful for that," Lincoln said.
"Plus, what makes you a man is that you're always willing to protect others and fight for what you believe in," Christina said. "You make everyone feel safe, including me. A real man looks out for his girlfriend, you worrying about me is proof of that."
"Wow...thanks Christina," Lincoln bashfully said.
Christina then wrapped her arms around the boy, "I always feel safe when you're around. It's because of you that I feel brave enough to be a hero. You're my man, Lincoln Loud. My Spider-Man."
"And you're my Star, Christina Valdez," Lincoln said. "One that burns with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns."
"...Uh..." Christina raised her eyebrow at that. "That's...something, I guess?"
"Was it too much?" Lincoln asked.
"A little, but I suppose you're just trying to match my energy," Christina said.
"Yeah, guess I got too into it," Lincoln said.
"It's fine, I love how much you care," Christina said. "You don't need to try so hard, okay? Just be yourself. That's all I want."
"Same with you," Lincoln said. "But seriously, you mean a lot to me. I haven't had the best of luck with Emma or Jordan, but I promise I won't mess up when it comes to you."
"Hey, what are the odds of that happening?" Christina asked. "I know your secret, I'm with you every day, I can protect myself, this is the perfect romance for us."
"Yeah, it is perfect," Lincoln said. "And I promise that I will always protect you, and take great care of you."
"Same here, I won't let anything bad happen to you Lincoln," Christina said. "I love you."
Lincoln's face turned bright red, hearing those words was a lot for his ears, but it was a very welcome sound for the boy. "Thanks...I love you too."
The two leaned in to share a deep kiss, breaking apart after a few seconds.
"Hey, you're not in any hurry to leave now, are you?" Christina asked.
"Well...I kind of have to..." Lincoln was distracted when Christina pressed her chest against his, the boy instinctively hugging his girlfriend. "Geez, you're usually so shy."
"I know, but like I said, I feel brave around you," Christina said. "I can't flirt out in the open like Jordan does, but it's definitely easier behind closed doors."
"Yeah," Lincoln said as he subconsciously began rubbing her backside. "Definitely easier."
"Let's have a little fun before you go," Christina said as she kissed Lincoln some more, this time adding much more passion than before.
A bit later, just before the start time, Leni was seen on a video call with Lori. "Yeah, it's a big turnout. Everyone from all over is here for that Astonishing Quest thingy."
"I wish I could be there, you and I make for a great team," Lori said.
"Yeah, we do..." Leni thought it over. "Well, aside from being put on a leash, but it was a stylish looking leash. It went great with my dress."
"Well that aside, I had fun," Lori said. "I'd be there if I could, but I have midterms to prepare for."
"That's fine, your schoolwork is totes important," Leni said.
"How about you? Are you caught up?" Lori asked.
"Yeah, I'm meeting Becky later for a study party," Leni said.
"Well, make sure you focus more on the study and less on the party," Lori said.
"I will," Leni reassured.
"Ronnie Anne and Sid wanted to go down there as well, but Bobby's studying too, so he can't take them," Lori said. "And they don't have anyone else who can give them a ride."
"Maybe next time," Leni said.
"It might be a blessing in disguise," Lori said. "Things have been really bad in Royal Woods. Every time I come back to Great Lakes; everyone keeps asking me about all the villains. The way Bobby's grandmother is reacting, she's probably going to haul all of us over to Great Lakes just to keep everyone safe."
"The whole family?" Leni asked.
"Every last one of us," Lori said. "Right into one of her apartments."
"Gee, I appreciate that, but our family is way too big to fit into one teensy little apartment," Leni said. "Even Bobby's Family needs two apartments."
"Well Bobby and I have our own apartment, so it'd be twelve of you in one place rather than thirteen," Lori said. "Of course I could just let you and...wait, why am I entertaining this idea? It's a joke anyway, don't worry about it."
"Yeah, I don't think I'd want to move anyway, I'd miss my friends," Leni said. "I'd also miss Gavin too."
"Oh, you're still dating him?" Lori asked.
"Yeah, why?" Leni asked.
"No reason, I just expected him to be a one-time deal or something," Lori said.
"What does that mean!?" Leni asked in confusion.
"Uh, never mind it," Lori said. "But speaking of dating..."
"Please do not ask me about Lincoln and Christina," Leni said.
"Who? Me? I would never," Lori nervously insisted. "I'm sure Lincoln is just happy with his new girlfriend. One who completely shunned him once over literally nothing."
"Lori, you keep trying to hook Lincoln up with Ronnie Anne, and you know she used to bully him," Leni pointed out. "We saw her punch him in the eye once. If we can get past that, we can get past Christina."
"Geez, I really miss the days when Leni was a tad bit more oblivious," Lori thought to herself before speaking aloud. "I guess I see your point."
"Linky's really happy with her, and after his last two girlfriends, especially Jordan, we really need to be more supportive," Leni said. "Plus, they're so in love, and it's so cute. I have a good feeling about this one. You know what they say, third time's the charm."
"I suppose so," Lori said. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to it. Tell the family I love them, and for them to be absolutely careful."
"Of course, see you later Lori," Leni said before placing her phone away. "Alright...time to do this."
Nearby, Liam is seen scouting an area before gesturing someone behind him to follow. "Coast is clear, hurry up now."
A mysterious person in a long coat and a hat was seen sneaking over to join Liam. "Good work, I don't think anyone's recognized us at all."
"Well I'm only one person and ah ain't that recognized," Liam said. "I'm surprised you ain't drawing attention given yer weird choice of clothing."
"This town's full of weirdos," the girl removed her hat to reveal herself as Lynn. "I'm fitting in just fine."
"Well yer gonna draw too much attention looking like that," Liam said.
"Don't worry, I got my disguise ready," Lynn said. "The moment this contest starts, your cousin Lynda Hunnicut will make her grand debut."
"Ain't Lynda too close sounding to Lynn?" Liam asked.
"No one's gonna put it together," Lynn said, then got rid of the coat to reveal her disguise. A plaid shirt, some jeans, some boots a blonde wig and some blush to hide her freckles. "Besides, I don't look a thing like I used to."
Liam looked amazed by Lynn's style. She had the build to pull off looking like a strong farmer girl. He also couldn't help but deeply admire her confidence.
"One more thing, yer gonna need a little more make-up," Liam said.
"Why? Are my freckles still noticeable?" Lynn asked.
"No, but you might need lipstick," Liam said.
"Ugh, lipstick?" Lynn asked. "I hate that stuff, it's so pointless. Why do girls cover their face so much?"
"Uh...Lynn?" Liam began.
"You know what I mean!" Lynn said.
"Still, it might help," Liam said as he pulled out what Lynn needed. "Works for mah ma'maw."
"Ugh, fine," Lynn said as she took the lipstick and began reluctantly applying it
"Personally, I think she looks pretty with the lipstick, but I respect a girl who's all natural with her beauty," Liam thought to himself.
Meanwhile Chandler and his friend Trent were making plans of their own.
"So, you know what the plan is, right?" Chandler asked.
"Yes...go out and do our best," Trent said.
"No doofus, cheat!" Chandler said.
"Right, cheat..." Trent said. "Isn't it hard to cheat?"
"Not if you know what you're doing," Chandler said. "We won't need to spend a lot of time looking for things when I can just make the right calls. We'll have this competition in the bag and our big claim to fame."
"Right," Trent said. "Wait, what's up for grabs?"
"Rumor has it that it's related to The Avengers," Chandler said. "Getting my hands on something like that would be all too perfect."
"Right, because The Avengers are cool," Trent said.
"That and it will be worth a lot, especially to a certain chip tooth loser," Chandler said.
"Right," Trent said.
"Now come on, we got work to do," Chandler said.
The event was close to its start, with Clyde waiting in anticipation for his partner to arrive. The boy was starting to feel a bit irritated and worried for a second that Lincoln wasn't coming.
"Clyde!" the boy heard his name being called.
"Lincoln?" Clyde said as he turned to face his oncoming friend. "You made it!"
"I promised, didn't I?" Lincoln said. "Now, let's go out and win this thing!"
Clyde was almost surprised to see that Lincoln was actually here, but felt an incredible relief in knowing his best friend didn't flake out after all.
"Yeah, let's give it our best shot!" Clyde said.
Many teams were assembled and prepared for what's to come. Lincoln and Clyde. Luna and Sam. Luan and Benny. Lana and Lola. Leni and Gavin. Lynn and Liam. Lisa and Darcy. Lynn Sr and Rita. Rusty and Zach. Cricket and Meli. Flip and Mr. Grouse. Chandler and Trent. Pop-Pop and Myrtle. Cheryl and Meryl. Emma and Chloe. Miguel and Fiona. Jackie and Mandee. Plus several others.
With everyone gathered up, Mayor Davis took to her podium to greet the contestants, "Hello everyone! As your Mayor, I hereby welcome you to this year's Astonishing Quest!"
"Here we go," Lincoln said. "Our chance to shine!"
"Oh yeah," Clyde said.
"Now, for anyone new, I will go over the rules," Davis said. "Teams will get clues that will lead them to new locations to complete challenges. First Place this year will win a special grand prize."
"We heard it has to do with The Avengers!" Chandler said.
"You may have heard right, very fitting too since this year, we have a new quest," Davis said. "As for what that quest is, well you'll just have to make it to the end to find out."
"Well that's surprising," Lincoln said. "But surprises make for the best parts of life sometimes."
"As long as its not too surprising," Clyde said.
"Wait hold on!" Lola called. "Can't you tell us anything?"
"All I can tell you is that, like this quest, you will need more than just physical capabilities," Davis said. "Remember, a big part of this event is not just physical capabilities, but mental too."
"I guess," Lola said.
"Do we get..." Lynn was about to shout before disguising her voice to sound more southern. "Do we still get that pretty trophy ah heard so much about!?"
"Oh yes," Davis said as she pulled the trophy out. "I would never do a quest without this."
"Sweet!" Lynn said before resuming character. "Uh, you hear that cuz? A nice, pretty trophy!"
"Yeah, nice and pretty," Liam said.
Luna furrowed her brow in curiosity at who is supposedly Liam's cousin, "Have I seen that girl before?"
"I doubt it, isn't she with one of Lincoln's friends?" Sam asked.
"I still feel like I've seen her somewhere," Luna said.
"Never mind her, let's focus on us," Luan said.
"One problem, how many of us even know enough about The Avengers?" Benny said.
"Lincoln talks about them all the time," Luna said. "Unlike most of my sisters, I don't completely ignore him."
"I...kind of do sometimes," Luan admitted. "No offense, but he can get really annoying with that superhero stuff."
"Fine, I'll fill you in," Luna said.
"Now, any other questions?" Davis asked.
"Yeah, um...do you have any contingency plans for villains attacking?" Lynn Sr asked.
"Of course, we have two," Davis said. "Spider-Man and Firestar. My sources say that Firestar is already out patrolling, but no sign of Spider-Man yet. But he always shows up when he needs to be somewhere, kind of like a guardian angel. So I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be either."
Lincoln looked slightly worried, but had some confidence that Christina would be fine. He does have his suit ready if he needs it, but he hopes not to need it.
"Any other questions?" Davis asked.
"Yeah...where's your piano?" Clyde asked.
"Oh, I can't bring it to official mayor business any longer," Davis said. "According to my colleagues it's 'too distracting' or some silly thing like that."
"That's a shame, I personally found the piano to be a fun little addition," Clyde said.
"Tell that to my coworkers," Davis commented. "That being said, let the Astonishing Quest, begin!"
Lincoln immediately pulled out his letter and began reading the clues, "Okay, you ready Clyde?"
"Sure, need me to decipher the code?" Clyde asked.
"No I did it recently when Christina...uh, I mean..." Lincoln handed the letter to Clyde. "Never mind, I was thinking of something else."
"Uh...okay?" Clyde took the letter from Lincoln. "Christina's busy, right?"
"Yeah, I think she went to see Paige at the hospital," Lincoln said. "I won't be seeing her at all today."
"Okay then..." Clyde read the letter. "Let's see...your starting line begins the way it would behind the wheel."
"Behind the wheel?" Lincoln asked. "Like a race? Is it a racetrack?"
"Where is there a racetrack?" Clyde asked.
Lincoln took a moment to think before remembering something important, "Remember that Soapbox Derby? The one where Lana wanted to win a race so she could hang out with Bobbie Fletcher?"
"Oh yeah, Chander and the others were cheating with their store-bought cars," Clyde said. "They really should have been disqualified."
"Well Bobbie did wait for Lana, so maybe they were? Who knows," Lincoln said. "But, what we do know is that this may be where the first challenge is."
"Alright, lead the way," Clyde said as he followed Lincoln.
Meanwhile in the city, Christina is seen flying through town and keeping an eye on everything. At the moment she had nothing to worry about, though the silence was eating at her.
"This isn't fun alone," Christina noted, then heard her phone ring. She activated her phone call while still flying. "Yeah?"
"Hey Christina, it's me," Came Stella's voice.
"Oh Stella, I didn't think I'd get to hear you speak," Christina said. "What have you been up to?"
"Just laying in bed, and super bored" Stella said. "It's one thing being injured, it's another being grounded while injured. I can't even watch TV to pass the time."
"Yeah, I imagine your parents weren't thrilled that you snuck away to that Festival," Christina said. "Just as The Green Goblin returned too."
"That was weird," Stella said. "Has Natasha tried contacting either you or Lincoln about it?"
"Not yet," Christina said.
"Strange, guess she's busy," Stella said. "Or she's already on her way. She might pop up when we least expect it."
"I bet that would make you happy," Jordan said.
"Of course, she's my friend after all," Stella said.
"I can only imagine how she would have felt if she saw that you snuck away despite your injury," Christina said.
"Oooh, yeah," Stella said in worry. "I hope she never finds out about it. Unless she does and thinks I'm super cool for it."
"I doubt it," Christina said. "But I'll keep your secret, and Lincoln likely will too."
"I hope so," Stella said. "So, how's the patrolling?"
"So far so good, there's no crime. Kind of boring honestly, I do like the thrill of stopping a bad guy." Christina took a moment to think over her comment, the girl now verbally scolding herself. "What am I saying? I shouldn't want crime to happen."
"I get what you meant though," Stella said.
"I hope I don't get addicted to the thrill too much, hero work is dangerous," Christina said. "People get hurt, so if there's nothing dangerous going on, that's a good thing. I'd hate for another girl to end up like Jordan did."
"Jordan...yeah that was rough," Stella said. "Weird, I haven't heard much about her since that day. The way her parents just picked up and left seems strange."
"I do recall hearing that Jordan had some troubles of her own at home," Christina noted. "Her uncle's a supervillain, and her parents...I'm not too sure about them."
"She's definitely had it rough," Stella said. "Guess I should count my blessings that I don't deal with anything like that."
"All things considered, I should feel lucky that my parents aren't like that either," Christina had a worry. "For the most part."
"What does that mean?" Stella asked.
"I don't know if I told you this, but my family is anti mutant," Christina confirmed.
This revelation took Stella by surprise, "Anti Mutant? Really?"
"Not many people know, it's embarrassing to talk about after all," Christina said. "But they're against mutants. They haven't had a lot of nice things to say about them. That includes Spider-Man and Firestar."
"That's horrible," Stella said.
"I know, that's why I feel conflicted," Christina said. "I could be happy my parents aren't bad or worried that they could be. Especially if they ever find out that I'm a mutant, which, hopefully they never will."
"They wouldn't really hate you, would they?" Stella asked.
"I don't know, they might be judgmental," Christina said. "Or, to your point, maybe they'll still care? Outside of the whole anti-mutant side to them, they're really good people. Maybe I got nothing to worry about, but for the time being, I'll keep my secret to myself and my closest friends. Yourself included."
"Well thank you for confiding this with me," Stella said. "Have you told Lincoln?"
"We don't talk about it much, I just don't want him to worry about me," Christina said.
"Well that's very thoughtful of you," Stella said. "But if you ever need to talk to him, don't hesitate. He's a very good listener."
Christina nodded in agreement, happy to have a boy like Lincoln in her life. The girl kept flying, more worries passing through her mind as she did so.
"I hope Lincoln's doing okay at the Astonishing Quest, enough so that he and Clyde are being the team they've always wanted to be for a long time," Christina said.
"Same, but Lincoln sounded pretty confident," Stella said.
"It sucks that Lincoln felt like a horrible friend all because of his superhero work. I can't even relate since Paige knows about me," Christina said. "She kept me sane after all."
"How is she?" Stella asked.
"She's at the doctor's," Christina said. "Nothing major, just a check up."
"That's good," Stella said.
"Still, I feel bad about this whole Clyde situation. maybe we should tell him?" Christina suggested.
Stella quickly shook her head. "Not a good idea. With all due respect to Clyde, that's way too big a secret to tell. Knowing Clyde, he might not be able to handle that pressure. He's not the best with secrets."
"I know, but I think he'd do well with Lincolns' secret," Christina said. "Like, I get that it's a lot for him to handle, and maybe keeping him in the dark is the right call. Then again, Lincoln knows Clyde better than anyone, what if he believes Clyde can keep a secret?"
"Run it by Lincoln later then," Stella said. "But I think we need to dial back on anyone who knows. Aside from me, the only others who know both your identities are Lana, Ronnie Anne and Sid. That's too many more people that know who shouldn't know. Aside from Lana, Lincoln hasn't even told his family. Lana only found out because she's good at piecing things together. Honestly it's a miracle that Lisa hasn't found out. Or Lola. Or even Lori."
"What if they do know and they haven't said anything?" Christina asked.
"I don't know what to say to that," Stella said. "Lincoln has mentioned that his family likes to blackmail. That sounds harsh, but it's his words over mine."
"Yeah, they were worried about Lola," Christina said. "But she kept my secret, and she's been good about it. Lincoln's sisters are way nicer than their reputation says they are."
"Oh totally," Stella said. "Lori's cool, Leni's fun to hang out with, Lynn's overbearing but caring, Luna's great with music, Luan's funny, Lana's gross but cute, Lola's sassy but adorable and Lisa is a smart little sweetheart."
"Nothing about Lucy or Lily?" Christina asked.
"Well Lily's cute, as any toddler would be," Stella said. "Lucy's still a mystery, but I'd like to know a little more about her too. I bet she's a sweetheart too."
"She's a little creepy though," Christina said. "I heard rumors that she might be a mutant herself. That she might have ghost powers or something. If she does, she can be Lincoln's new sidekick."
"Wow, a ghostly superhero. I gotta admit, that would be amazing," Stella said. "Creepy, but amazing."
As Christina flew through the sky, she heard something below. A cat had gotten stuck in a tree while a kid was seen crying.
"Duty calls," Christina said.
"Anything major?" Stella asked.
"A kitty's stuck in a tree. Looks like I get to be a hero today after all," Christina flew down to grab the cat and gently gave it to the girl before flying off. "I should be looking out more for those kinds of things. Everyone needs help, and it doesn't always have to be villain related. I can even help an old lady cross a street if anything."
"That's the spirit," Stella said.
As Christina flew to help others, she was unknowingly being observed from a distance by the mutated Warren.
"Found one of you, time for the other," Warren said, with Otto closely behind.
"We'll lure you out one way or another, Spider-Man," Otto declared.
Back at the Astonishing Quest, Lincoln and Clyde were seen racing remote cars against other contestants.
"Come on Lincoln! We're so close to that next clue!" Clyde urged.
"I got this, don't worry!" Lincoln said as he quickly maneuvered his car around. Meanwhile Chandler was crashing his car against Lincoln's, "Hey!"
"You ain't winning this one, Lincoln Lame," Chandler said. "Trent! Go for it!"
Trent threw a powder bomb at Lincoln's direction, briefly blinding him and Clyde.
"I can't see!" Clyde said. "Lincoln, can you still steer!?"
"I got this!" Lincoln squinted his eyes and focused, letting his senses dictate his actions. Granted it was sloppy, and despite his efforts, he still kept running into bumps.
"Ha! Losers!" Chandler mocked. Suddenly his own car was rammed by another. "Hey! What's the big idea!"
"Hey! Chandler!" Lana called as she and Lola glared at the boy. "That's for messing with my brother!"
"Ugh, if it's not Lincoln Lame it's one of his Lame sisters!" Chandler said.
"Seriously? Lincoln Lame?" Lola asked. "I know eight-year-olds with more creative insults!"
Lincoln managed to maneuver his car back into the proper lane and brushed past Chandler's car to cross the finish line right after Lana.
"We did it!" Lincoln ran over to his sister and high fived her. "Thanks for the save."
"Family looks out for each other," Lana said. "Let's head for the next clue!"
"Clyde, you wanna try to figure this one out?" Lincoln asked.
"Let's see...outside of these learning halls is where you would play ball," Clyde said. "Learning halls? That's a school!"
"Which one though?" Lincoln asked.
"There's more," Clyde continued reading. "The location of your next stop is all the way at the top."
"Sounds like Royal Woods High School!" Lana said.
"Thanks for the tip, nerds!" Chandler said as he grabbed his letter while knocking Clyde over, causing him to stumble and knock Lincoln over to knock the twins over.
"That jerk! Wait until I tell Benny!" Lola said.
"Why Benny?" Lana asked.
"Because he's clearly in love with me, so he'll come to my aid," Lola said.
Lana and Lincoln exchanged confused glances at one another before brushing it off.
"Let's just hurry," Lana said as she got back onto her feet with Lincoln doing the same and everyone going the direction of the next clue.
By the next event, a few teams were already gathered just as Lincoln and Clyde made it just in time to see what the event entailed.
"No way, is that dodgeball!?"Lincoln asked in disbelief.
He could see Luna and Sam throwing a few balls, the duo not too far away from Luan and Benny.
"Just a few more points before they give us the next clue!" Sam said as she aggressively hurled a dodgeball at Flip.
"Hey!" Flip shouted.
"Uh, sorry sir!" Sam sheepishly said.
"Sam, chill on the aggression," Luna said. "Also, don't make it obvious we're a team, we might get disqualified."
"Yeah, we still need to earn team points individually," Luan said as she threw a ball. "Unfortunately, I don't exactly have the most athletic genes."
Lincoln rubbed his chin, "Looks like a free for all. Alright, let's-" Suddenly his Spider-Sense went off as he instinctively dodged an oncoming ball. "Whoa!"
"How'd he dodge that!?" Trent asked.
"He got lucky!" Chandler grabbed another ball. "This time though..."
Suddenly Chandler took a hit to his face, courtesy of Luan.
"Now that's how you keep an eye on the ball," Luan said before chuckling. "Get it? But seriously, don't bully my brother!"
"Think that's all the points we need?" Benny asked.
"Luna and I are just about done," Sam said. "You two however-"
Suddenly Sam took a hit from the sides and got knocked into Benny, courtesy of the disguised Lynn.
"YEAH! TWO FOR ONE!" Lynn boasted, before clearing her throat. "I mean...looks like ah got lucky there, huh cuz?"
"Yeah, you sure did," Liam said.
"Ew, who's the girl near Hunnicut?" Chandler asked. "She's ugly as hell."
Lynn's eyebrow twitched as she grabbed a ball and aggressively chucked it at Chandler. The boy fortunately dodged in time, but Trent wasn't so lucky as he was sent flying.
"Trent!" Chandler called, then took a hit to the back of the head, thanks to Lincoln.
"Ha, got him!" Lincoln bragged.
Clyde continued to glance at the disguised Lynn, "Is it me? Or is Liam's cousin kind of cute?"
Lincoln looked to the girl as well, the boy finding her movements very familiar, "Probably."
Not too far away, Lynn and Rita were taking a moment to catch their breath.
"This competition gets so intense every year," Lynn Sr said. "That's just from the running."
"Yeah, but it's a great way to stay in tip-top shape," Rita said.
"Hey Louds," Came the voice of James Valdez alongside his wife Martha.
"Hey Jimmy," Lynn Sr greeted. "You're taking part too?"
"The wife and I just want to stay in shape," James said.
"Well that's nice," Rita said. "Is Christina nearby?"
"She went to see her friend Paige," Martha said. "I know she would have loved to be here though. Especially with Lincoln."
"Well Lincoln's doing a bit of bro-to-bro bonding with Clyde," Lynn Sr said, the man trying to sound hip and cool while Rita lightly glared at him.
"I get that, besides your son does already spend a lot of time with Chris," James said. "Though sometimes I worry they spend too much time together."
"Don't worry, Lincoln's a very responsible boy," Lynn Sr said.
"He adores your daughter, and he treats her very well," Rita said.
"I suppose that's all that matters," Martha said. "Well, we'll be off."
Jamess and Martha made their leave while Lynn Sr looked satisfied with their little talk.
"What nice people," Lynn Sr said. "Let's go Rita."
"Right behind you, Lynn," Rita said as she followed her husband.
Meanwhile in Great Lakes, Lori and Bobby were seen in his grandparents' apartment, the two reading a school textbook together.
"So, today's that Royal Woods Astonishing Quest, right?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah, Leni's there with Gavin," Lori said.
"They're so lucky, doing that would be so much better than boring schoolwork," Bobby said.
"We're all going over to Royal Woods next week for Thanksgiving anyway," Lori said. "We can wait a bit longer."
"Oh yeah, one big Loud and Casagrande Thanksgiving meal," Bobby said.
"What about The Changs?" Lori asked. "I know that Sid would love to see Lincoln, and Adelaide would want to see Lana."
"It depends, but they might stay here, they have relatives of their own after all," Bobby said. "Ronnie Anne and Sid don't have to do everything together."
At that moment, Sid was right beside Bobby, "You wanna repeat that?"
"YAH!" A startled Bobby leapt into the air and onto the floor. "Ow...Sid!"
"Uh, sorry Bobby," Sid sheepishly apologized.
"Geez, someone better warn Lucy that Sid's after her Jumpscare Queen title," Bobby commented.
"Where did you even come from, Sid?" Lori asked. "Where's Ronnie Anne?"
"I'm here!" Ronnie Anne ran over to where Lori was. "Sorry, Sid and I wanted to ask Bobby something, and she got ahead of me."
"Ronnie Anne wanna go to the roller rink," Sid said. "Do you and Lori want to come?"
"We're busy with schoolwork," Bobby said. "You should be too; don't you have a test before Thanksgiving Break?"
"I got it covered," Sid said. "But what's this about me and Ronnie Anne not doing everything together?"
"Don't you have any relatives coming over for Thanksgiving?" Bobby asked.
"Not that I know of," Sid said.
"Well Lori's house isn't exactly that big," Bobby said. "It's one thing feeding two large families, but three is a lot."
"More like three since my cousins are coming over too," Lori said. "Yes they're Louds, but it's still a separate family so to speak."
"Well The Changs are like cousins to the Casagrandes," Sid pointed out.
"We'll figure it out later," Bobby said. "Oh, and fair warning Ronnie Anne, Great Grandma Lupe might be coming."
Ronnie Anne grumbled in annoyance, "Seriously? Why?"
"Our grandma wants her there," Bobby said.
"Every time she comes over it's a pain though," Ronnie Anne said. "She keeps complaining that I'm not fluent in Spanish, or that I listen to American music. My favorite band isn't even American, it's Korean. But she'd probably complain about that too since it's not Spanish!"
"I know it's a pain, she complains about me too," Bobby said. "But it's what our grandma wants, it can't be helped."
"It could be a good thing," Sid said. "Celebrating an American Holiday with a traditional American Family might help her see the bigger picture."
"Besides, I don't think she's Anti-American or anything," Lori said. "She just doesn't want you forgetting your culture."
"How could I forget? Everything in this apartment is has a Mexican Aesthetic," Ronnie Anne said. "I respect my culture, but it's only part of who I am, not the whole package. It's like you Lori. You found out you had ancestors in Scotland, did that mean you started playing bag pipes all day?"
"Ew, bag pipes are literally the worst," Lori said.
"Exactly! Maybe there's things about Mexican Culture that I don't like!" Ronnie Anne said. "Like that weird dance thing I had to do for Aunt Frieda!"
"You chose to do it," Bobby reminded.
"I was just being nice, in the end it wasn't me," Ronnie Anne said. "Sid here doesn't always have to act Chinese. Why do I have to act Mexican?"
"Ronnie Anne, maybe let's end it here," Bobby said. "You get way too stressed out over this. Fact is that Lupe is coming, and I get you don't like it, but you gotta respect that."
"Fine...but if she annoys me, I'm having her deported," Ronnie Anne said.
"Ronnie Anne!" Bobby scolded.
"Ugh, fine," Ronnie Anne said just before leaving.
"Uh, I should calm her down," Sid said and left as well.
Bobby grumbled in annoyance, "Talk about drama."
"I get it, my family's full of it," Lori said.
"Hey, you're not bothered about what my Great Grandma says, are you?" Bobby asked.
"No, I don't think she means any harm," Lori said. "I think it's more culture shock than anything. Given how great of a woman your grandmother is, I would imagine that her own mother did a great job in raising her to be that great."
"I will admit, she wasn't like this when I was little," Bobby said. "I don't know what might have changed."
"Well I think she'll like my family," Lori said. "If she's willing to take part in an American Holiday, that might mean she's more open minded than she's given credit for."
"Thanksgiving is about family, and one value shared by both America and Mexico is that family is important," Bobby said. "Now is a good time to bring all cultures together. American, Mexican, Scottish...if Sid comes then I guess Chinese too."
"Does Sid do anything that's Chinese?" Lori asked.
"Uh...well, she makes dumplings," Bobby said. "That's pretty much it. Other than that, she lives the casual American lifestyle. TV, Games, and Burgers. Lots of them."
"Burgers...reminds me of my parents' Fourth of July Barbeques," Lori said.
"Oh yeah, those were good!" Bobby said.
"That reminds me," Lori began. "Who's cooking? Is your grandmother going to handle it? Or my dad?"
"Um...good question..." Bobby nervously rubbed his head. "Geez, every time cooking is brought up, it leads to so much chaos."
"Well, I guess one option is that they can split it down the middle," Lori said.
"What about the turkey? "Bobby asked. "In the end, that's what the big selling point is."
"They can have two turkeys," Lori said. "One's not going to be enough to feed everyone."
"Oh yeah! So my grandma can cook here before we come, and your dad can cook at his house," Bobby said before kicking back to relax. "Crisis averted, we're geniuses."
"Hey Genius!" Carlota called from the kitchen. "What's the big idea leaving an empty carton of milk in the fridge!?"
"To let you know we're out," Bobby said.
"Huh!? Wouldn't it be easier to tell someone!?" Carlota asked. "Or get your lazy butt to The Mercato and get some more!?"
"I'm busy!" Bobby said.
"So am I!" Carlota shouted as she threw the empty carton at Bobby. "Also, you don't even live here, why are you drinking all the milk!?"
"You don't live here either!" Bobby shouted. "Don't your parents have milk!?"
"If they did, I wouldn't be coming here," Carlota said. "You owe us milk!"
"Geez, fine!" Bobby said as he stood up. "Give me a second babe, I gotta run down to the bodega."
"It's fine," Lori said as Bobby left.
"By the way Lori, how are things back home?" Carlota asked. "Any more villains?"
"Not since the Medieval Fair," Lori said.
"This is getting concerning, why is Royal Woods such a huge target?" Carlota asked. "Here we only had that Lizard guy to deal with, but we haven't had any problems since."
"They're after Spider-Man, that's why," Lori said. "Almost everyone in Royal Woods wanted him, and they're going to hurt innocents to get him."
"Well, I can't say anything bad about him, he came to help us after all," Carlota said. "But I hope he really isn't attracting that much danger."
"You never know," Lori said. She quickly checked on her phone, including her last text message to Leni. "Please be alright."
Up in Ronnie Anne's room, the girl sat on her bed in a huff, "What a pain. I gotta spend Thanksgiving with a bigot."
"Ronnie, that's harsh," Sid said. "She's your family."
"Families don't give you crap for not knowing a language that's OPTIONAL in this country!" Ronnie Anne said.
"Hey, listen," Sid said. "I know it's none of my business, and I'm not saying you should, but it wouldn't hurt to know Spanish. It can bring you closer to your family."
"I get that, I wanted to learn, but she's sucking the fun out of it," Ronnie Anne said. "I want to speak Spanish because I was interested, not because I have to or feel obligated to. It was my choice to learn."
"It still can be," Sid said. "Like, I'm trying to learn Mandarin. It's not easy, they don't have normal letters, and they write all weird like. But I think it'd be cool if I can speak Mandarin Chinese. I'd be like a character in an old Kung Fu movie."
"Tch, seriously?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"The bonus of learning a second language, is that you automatically sound cool to anyone who doesn't speak it," Sid said. "You could say the cringiest thing in the world, and everyone thinks you sound cool."
"You know, that would be awesome," Ronnie Anne said. "Plus it'd be nice to understand Adios Anna, Adios a lot more without having to read subtitles."
"Right, so screw obligations, let's use cheesy ideology to motivate us," Sid said.
"That, and if we know a second language, we can insult people without them understanding us," Ronnie Anne said.
Sid's eyes widened in interest, "Holy crap, you're right! You could walk up to people and say 'Estupido' and they'd never know what you said!"
"Yeah, something like..." Ronnie Anne raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Seriously?"
"Why? Is that too much?" Sid sked.
"...Never mind," Ronnie Anne said.
"Also, have you heard from Lincoln?" Sid asked.
"We had a video chat recently, he just told me about the whole thing with The Green Goblin," Ronnie Anne said.
"Boy was that scary," Sid said. "I'm glad he's okay."
"He also told me that he's dating Christina," Ronnie Anne said.
"Christina?" Sid asked. "As in Firestar?"
"That's the one," Ronnie Anne said.
"...Dang, I was hoping to make my move next week," Sid said.
"Can you handle long distance?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Oh not for a relationship, I just want to make out with Lincoln," Sid said before blushing. "And maybe get a little more intimate if he wants to."
Ronnie Anne face palmed in annoyance, "You are one horny kid."
"Yeah, I am," Sid simple mindedly admitted.
Back in Royal Woods, Lincoln and Clyde had finished up dodgeball and were currently doing laser tag.
"I'm so glad we got this again!" Lincoln said as he fired. "Laser Tag is my specialty!"
"Yeah, but it might be tougher for me," Clyde said as he fired. "I'm feeling rusty."
"You're what!?" Rusty asked from nearby.
"Not you! The word!" Clyde said.
"Oh, that's much less awkward," Rusty said before resuming his firing.
Ignoring that, Clyde continued to speak, "I haven't done laser tag in a while, I think my shots are off."
"It'll come back," Lincoln said as he zapped several contestants at once, including a familiar friend. "Got you Cricket!"
"I'll get you next time, Lincoln!" Cricket playfully threatened.
"She's cute, I like that she and Lola are friends," Lincoln said. "Cricket's been a good influence on Lola."
"Really happy to hear that," Clyde said. "Guess everyone needs a-"
"Watch out!" Lincoln helped Clyde duck out of the way. The two carefully peeked their heads out. "Luna's nearby! And she's good!"
"How good again?" Clyde asked.
"Let's just say I had a good mentor," Lincoln confirmed.
Nearby, Luna grumbled in annoyance, "I nearby got Lincoln."
"Gotta say, he moved really fast," Luan said. "I've never seen those type of reflexes on him."
"Lincoln's no novice in Laser Tag," Luna said. "I should know, I got him into it, and I've seen him grow."
"He makes for a good apprentice," Luan said. "When he's not being overconfident at least."
Nearby Sam was seen frantically moving out of the way, trying to avoid a hit, "Ugh, I still suck at this game! I had an easier time playing dodgeball!"
"Didn't you get any practice in?" Luan asked.
"Not a lot, Laser Tag really isn't my thing, hence why I told Luna to handle most of it," Sam said. "How are things with Benny?"
"Boom!" Benny ran up to his group. "I just need one more point!"
"That's great, Benny," Luan said.
"Whoa, hold on, you're actually good at this game!?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"Yeah...why are you acting so surprised?" Benny asked.
"I'm just amazed that you're better than me at something," Sam said.
"Hey, you take that back!" Benny said as he aimed his laser gun at Sam, to which the girl aimed back.
"Do you really want to betray me?" Sam asked. "I might not be the most skilled here, but I can get an easy point right now."
"Knock it off, you two," Luna scolded.
Suddenly both Benny and Sam were fired at, courtesy of a nearby Darcy.
"Lisa! I got them!" Darcy cheered. "They didn't even see me!"
"The benefits of dressing accordingly," Lisa said. She and Darcy were promptly blasted by Luna and Luan respectively.
"Thanks for the points, sis," Luna said.
"Same, now Benny and I can advance," Luan said.
"...Dang it," Lisa lamented.
Meanwhile Chander brought out a larger laser gun, one that took Trent by surprise. "How did you even...?"
"Don't ask," Chandler said as he readied the gun. "Alright, time to score some-"
Suddenly Chandler and Trent were blasted, courtesy of the disguised Lynn.
"Ha, you suck!" Lynn boasted as she left with Liam. "Let's go cuz!"
"I'm really starting to hate that girl," Chandler said.
The next few events came and went. From boating, which Lana and Lola excelled in. To rock climbing, a specialty for Lynn and Liam. To the arcades, where Lincoln and Clyde took the advantage. Even dancing, where Cricket and Meli reigned supreme.
Right now was the second to last event. Lincoln and Clyde were in a bakery where the two were tasked to bake an enormous cake.
"This shouldn't take too long," Clyde said. "I learned everything about baking from my nana."
"I help my dad cook for my sisters, so I know my way around this too," Lincoln said, then gestured across the room. "But, we do have some heavy competition."
Not too far off, Emma and Chloe were moving like a proper unit, getting the stuff they needed ready as soon as they could.
"Figures Chloe would be trouble..." Clyde said, the boy momentarily distracted.
"...Clyde?" Lincoln said, trying to get his attention.
"Sorry, where was I?" Clyde asked.
"Um, hey, will you be alright?" Lincoln asked. "Chloe won't be a distraction for you, will she?"
"...No, I'm over her," Clyde insisted. "Come on, let's win this! Clincoln McCloud!"
"...Sure, Clincoln McCloud!" Lincoln said as he and Clyde went back to baking.
Chloe had noticed the two as well, the girl feeling very conflicted at the moment.
"Chloe?" Emma asked, getting her friend's attention. "Is something wrong?"
"Uh, no, I'm fine," Chloe insisted.
Emma was no fool, she could see Lincoln and Clyde as well. "Are they a distraction?"
"N-no, not totally," Chloe said. "Look, I'm not worried about Clyde. We're done, it was a choice I made and I'm sticking by it."
"Okay, and how about Lincoln?" Emma asked.
"Tch, that's my line toward you," Chloe said. "Lincoln's your ex-boyfriend, not mine."
"Yeah, but your friendship with him did cause trouble for you and Clyde," Emma said.
"All that told me was that Clyde was too immature to be anyone's boyfriend," Chloe said. "Me and Lincoln are fine; in fact he's going to tutor me soon. Big test next week."
"Well, okay, as long as you're fine," Emma said. "But, if you ever need to talk-"
"Look, Emma, if you're that worried, we can talk later," Chloe said. "Right now, let's focus on the competition. This is my specialty, and I am not screwing up here."
"Alright, let's just have fun then," Emma said.
Meanwhile Chandler had snuck in a cooler and brought something out, "Here we go."
"Wait, is that an actual cake?"
"You bet," Chandler said as he placed it on the table. "I even had all the flour replaced by baking powder. These morons are so screwed."
Nearby one of the cakes began to overheat in the oven, causing it to implode.
"Hey! What gives!?" Rusty asked.
"Our cake!" Zach said.
The same thing happened to Mandee and Jackie.
"Ugh, did you put too much flour!?" Jackie asked.
"Hey you were supposed to watch the ingredients!" Mandee said.
Leni and Gavin also had similar troubles.
"Somehow, I don't this is right," Leni said.
This continued on with the exception of a few. The only ones who noticed something weird were Clyde, Chloe and Liam.
"Good thing we didn't use that flour," Clyde said. "That stuff was way too dense."
"Good thing I carry my own ingredients," Chloe said.
"Ha, Chandler thought I didn't see him cheating, what a loser," Lynn said.
"MY CAKE!" Sam shouted in disbelief. "What the fuck!? I followed the ingredients!"
"Hey! No foul language!" A nearby judge shouted. "This is a family friendly competition!"
"Uh, sorry man," Sam said, before focusing back on the cake. "Still, how'd this happen!?"
"I'd like to know too," Luan said as she gestured to her cake. "How did this happen to everyone else!?"
"Except Lincoln and Clyde, those two girls and the country kids," Benny said.
"Oh, that dude cheated," Lynn said as she gestured to Chandler.
"Huh? No I didn't you dumb bimbo!" Chandler shouted.
"I wouldn't put it past him," Lincoln said. "Chandler McCann can't play fair."
"Hey shut your trap, Lincoln Lame!" Chandler warned. "One more crack and I'll-"
"You'll what?" Luan asked as she, Benny, Luna and Sam angrily approached Chandler.
"Hey! No one can prove that I cheated!" Chandler said.
Another cake exploded, this one belonging to an irate looking Lola, "That's it, I'm going to break someone's fingers!"
"Hey, if anyone tries anything, you'll just get banned next year," Chandler warned. "Be smart."
"Yeah, like us," Lincoln said as he pulled his cake out of the oven while Clyde decorated it. "We can't wait to cream you later, Chandler."
"Oh screw that!" Chandler said. "You're going down!"
Not too long later came time for the final round. The four teams each stood before a desk with a buzzer on it.
"It would appear that we have four teams left," Davis said. "Team A. Consisting of Lincoln Loud and Clyde McBride."
"Clincoln McCloud!" the boy cheered as they fist bumped each other.
"Team B. Consisting of Chandler McCann and Trent Geller," Davis said.
"Ha!" Chandler boasted.
"Team C. Consisting of Emma Rose and Chloe Law," Davis said.
"Awesome!" Chloe boasted.
"Lastly, Team D. Consisting of Liam and Linda Hunnicut," Davis said.
"Yee-haw!" Lynn cheered.
"The rest of you did well, but now is the time for the finals," Davis said. "Who is ready for the bonus round?"
"Bring it on!" Chandler bragged.
"It's now time for..." Davis revealed what looked like statues of four familiar men. "The Avengers Trivia Round!"
Lincoln marveled at the statues of Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Thor.
"Avengers Trivia!?" Lynn shouted in annoyance. "Are you for real!?"
"Don't worry, ah know a thing or two about superheroes," Liam said. "Ah ain't like Lincoln, but I'm pretty dang close."
Lynn turned her attention to her brother as thoughts ran through her mind, "Lincoln might have me beat here, I gotta do something."
"Avengers Trivia huh? We'll see who wins here," Chandler said.
Emma looked a bit concerned by this revelation, "I don't know about this."
"Don't worry, I got this," Chloe said.
"You? Since when are you an expert on The Avengers?" Emma asked.
"Lincoln loves talking about superheroes," Chloe said. "He actually got me interested in The Avengers. Looks like I will use that against him."
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Davis asked.
"Go Lincoln!" Luna cheered.
"You got this bro!" Lana cheered.
"Come on, Linky!" Leni cheered.
Chandler scoffed in dismissal, "Figures those Lame sisters of his will cheer him on. That will make it all the more satisfying when I win."
"Okay, question one," Davis began. "The Mighty Thor, is God of...what?"
Before Lincoln could answer, Chloe hit the buzzer, "Thunder!"
"Correct!" Davis said as some points were added to a nearby billboard. "Ten points for Team C."
"Huh?" Lincoln glanced at Chloe, the girl smirking in satisfaction at the boy. "Ugh, I forgot, I taught Chloe all about The Avengers."
"...What kind of study sessions did you two have exactly?" Clyde asked.
"Normal ones, she and I just liked passing the time between sessions," Lincoln said. "Never mind that, let's just focus."
"Question two," Davis began. "What villainous organization did Captain America fight prior to being frozen?"
Chloe hit the buzzer again, "Hydra!"
"Correct!" Davis said. "Another ten for Team C."
"How is she so fast?" Clyde asked. "And good?"
"To be fair, that was a lesson we learned in History Class," Lincoln said. "Pop Pop told me all about Hydra too."
"Question Three," Davis said. "Which Avenger focuses on his archery skills?"
Chloe hesitated, allowing Lincoln a chance to hit the buzzer, "Hawkeye!"
"Correct!" Davis said.
"Dang it, it was on the tip of my tongue," Chloe said.
"Ugh, and ah dressed up as him fer Halloween too," Liam said.
"Freaking hell!" Chandler said.
"Hey, no language," A judge said. "This is a family-"
"Shut up!" Chandler said.
"Just for that Team B, I'm docking your points, McCann," Davis said, as negative ten points appeared near Team B.
"Son of a..." Chandler lamented.
"Next question," Davis began. "Which Avenger is Spider Based?"
Chandler hit the buzzer, "Spider-Man!"
"Wrong, Spider-Man is not an official member of The Avengers," Davis said.
"I thought he was," Liam said. "Wasn't he with Black Widow?"
"Correct! Black Widow!" Davis said. "Ten points for Team D."
"Heh, ah wasn't even trying," Liam said.
"Black Widow doesn't have spider powers!" Chandler said.
"Black Widows are a type of spider," Chloe said. "Pay attention in class, Chandler."
"Hey I don't have to take this from someone who willingly dated a nerd," Chandler said.
"At least I can get a date," Chloe said, much to Chandler's frustration.
"Settle down. Next question," Davis said. "What were the names of the aliens that invaded New York City last year."
Lincoln quickly hit the buzzer, "The Chitauri!"
"Correct! That's twenty points for Team A!" Davis said.
"Ha, catching up to you, Chloe!" Lincoln said.
"For now," Chloe teased.
"Next question," Davis began. "What is The Hulk most known for saying?"
Liam hit the buzzer, "Hulk Smash!"
"Correct!" Davis said.
"Ha!" Liam cheered. "Ah thank Zach fer that one!"
"You go, Liam!" Zach cheered.
"This is bullshit!" Chandler shouted.
"Okay, you're out of here," a judge said as he went to grab Chandler.
"Hey! Get the hell off me!" Chandler shouted as he was pulled away. "Come on! I didn't go through so much effort to cheat just to be taken away now!"
"I knew it!" Lola shouted.
"Team B is officially disqualified," Davis declared.
"NO! I need that prize! I have to be the envy of everyone at school!" Chandler shouted as he was taken away. "This will not make my steaming audience happy!"
Lincoln ignored Chandler and focused harder on the statues, "Not much longer."
Back with Christina, the girl continued going through town while still on call with Stella, "So...out of Lincoln's sisters...which one would you say is the prettiest?"
"Easily Luan," Stella said. "I always thought she was cute even before she took the braces off. Now though? Let's just say that if I were into girls, I'd definitely be crushing on Luan."
"I never thought about crushing on other girls," Christina said. "As far as I know, I've only ever liked boys."
"Same, but if I'm being honest, I have thought about it once or twice," Stella said.
"Does it have to do with Black Widow?" Christina asked.
"No, come on, she's more like a mom than a crush," Stella said. "It's nothing, I just remember the one time I flirted with Sid."
"Sid? As in Sidney Chang?" Christina asked. "Ronnie Anne's friend from the city?"
"Yeah, it was around Halloween," Stella said. "Sid and I did a private chat to talk about some problems. I basically told her about my discomfort regarding my body, and she insisted I was fine. We did some playful flirting. I called her pretty, and she called me sexy."
"That must have been interesting," Christina said.
"It gets weirder, because then I...well..." Stella began blushing. "Ahem...can I trust you with a secret?"
"I trust you with mine," Christina said.
"I mean totally secret. Not the guys, not Paige or Mollie. Don't even tell Lincoln," Stella said.
"I can handle that, it'll be just us," Christina said.
"I...flashed my top to Sid," Stella said.
"...You did what?" Christina asked.
"I got a little carried away and pulled my top down, and Sid...saw my bare breasts," Stella said. "Her reaction was priceless. She actually began drooling and I could have sworn she had a nosebleed. Like characters in an anime."
"Wow...you actually did that?" Christina asked. "Wait, is Sid...you know...?"
"Gay?" Stella asked. "She says she isn't. She doesn't show attraction to other girls. I think I just surprised her or something. I don't fully understand Sid."
"Still, that's such an interesting story," Christina said. "You must have felt so brave."
"Maybe, but I felt so silly afterwards. Fortunately, Sid just laughed it off," Stella said. "We agreed never to speak of it again, but she did compliment me once more, and admitted she wished she had my body. Then she clarified it wasn't in sexual nature, she just wanted to have big breasts too."
"Wow, this is quite a story," Christina said. "I wouldn't have taken you for that kind of girl."
"I'm really not, I feel stupid for doing that," Stella said. "But deep down, I guess it was relieving. It was the first time I wasn't ashamed of my body. Getting a goofy smile out of Sid was worth it at least."
"Well, it's fine, I've done similar," Christina said.
"Similar?" Stella asked. "Oh, like with Paige?"
"Not exactly," Christina said, the girl's facing turning red. "Lately, when I'm with Lin-"
Suddenly there was a crash nearby, this concerning Christina.
"What was that sound?" Stella asked.
"I don't know, maybe a car accident?" Christina said. She flew over and saw something concerning. "Uh...if you can, call Lincoln."
"Why? What's wrong?" Stella asked.
"There's a giant dog," Christina said as she tried flying closer. "And it-HEY!"
"Got you," Came a voice as Christina was grabbed by a metal limb. "Firestar."
"Huh!?" Christina turned around to face the man. "Doctor Octopus!?"
"It's Octavius!" Otto shouted as he flung Christina into a nearby water tower. "Time to cool you off, Firestar!"
"Oh real clever!" Christina shouted before whispering to Stella. "I'll call you later. You know what to do."
"Christina!" Stella heard nothing but a dial tone as she grew worried. "Dammit!" She began dialing. "I gotta call Lincoln!"
Meanwhile the boy was seen near the final round with the trivia game as a recent question got answered.
"Vision!" Chloe said.
"Correct!" Davis said. "All teams are tied at Twenty Points each. Next answer wins."
"Ah, Vision," Lisa said, thinking to the recently made robot. "Truly a spectacle in modern science. Perhaps soon, I too can create a sentient, humanoid robot capable of crime fighting."
"Oh! Make it a teenager!" Leni said. "That way she and I can go shopping."
"Leni, no one wants to see a teenaged robot," Lisa said, much to Leni's disappointment.
"We're so close to victory," Clyde said. "One more and we win."
"The other teams could win too, be ready," Lincoln said.
"Almost at the end, are you ready?" Davis asked.
"Yeah, I can handle it," Lincoln said.
"Are you sure hon?" Lynn said while using her fake accent. "It's a big question, and they're bound to make the final question really hard. So much on the line, so close to victory, it'd be a shame if you choked."
Lynn mimicked a choking notion, though Lincoln wasn't bothered by it. If anything he just found it curious.
"You remind me so much of my sister, Lynn," Lincoln said.
Lynn's eyes widened in worry, afraid that her disguise wasn't working, "Uh...don't be silly! I'm Liam's cousin!"
"From who's side of the family?" Lincoln asked.
"Uh...his father's," Lynn said. "Yeah, that's why we have the same last name."
"I've seen pictures of Liam's family, but I've never seen you," Lincoln said. "He's never even mentioned you prior to today."
"I'm just...camera shy," the still disguised Lynn insisted. "Yeah, that's it."
"But why wouldn't he mention you?" Lincoln asked. "And how come your accent keeps dropping? You're even super aggressive and-"
"Hey Stinkin! Just focus on the mayor and stop asking me twenty questions!" Lynn shouted, completely dropping her accent and blowing her cover. "I mean...this ain't a trivia about me honey pie, this is about them Avengers y'all are always yapping on about."
"Hold on...that is Lynn Loud Junior!" Davis declared. "Security! Disqualify her and Liam Hunnicut! Both are now banned from the Astonishing Quest!"
"Aw dang it," Liam said.
"Wait, I forced him to do this! Don't be mad at him!" Lynn said.
"My decision is final!" Davis said. "Both of you, away."
"Shit..." Lynn turned to the boy. "Sorry Liam."
"Eh, ah knew the risks," Liam said as he left. "Lincoln, Clyde, Emma, Chloe, best of luck to y'all."
Lincoln grumbled in frustration, though as annoyed as he was, he wanted to finish up. "I'll yell at Lynn later, lets win this."
"Okay, final question," Davis said. "What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for?"
"Uh..." Chloe took a moment to think. "Crap, I know this one!"
Lincoln was thinking hard as well, "I don't think I memorized that! Clyde! What about you?"
"I don't remember either!" Clyde said. "Such a cool acronym too!"
"Twenty seconds," Davis said.
Both Lincoln and Chloe dug down as deep as possible, and before long, the answer sprung and a buzzer was sounded.
"And...Team C!" Davis said.
"Is it, Strategic Home country Invasion Annulment Long Distance!" Chloe asked.
"...Sorry, that is incorrect," Davis said. "Team A?"
"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division," Lincoln answered
"Correct!" Davis declared. "Team A wins!"
"YES!" Lincoln cheered. "Clyde! We did it!"
"I knew this day would come!" Clyde happily stated. "Clincoln McCloud back on top!"
"Aw, dang it!" Chloe said as she banged her head on the podium, "I guess I choked too. One of those letters started with an 'A'."
"It happens," Emma said.
"Chloe!" Lincoln walked over to check on the girl. "Hey, great work, you were on a roll today."
"Oh, um...thanks," Chloe said. "Honestly, without you, I don't think I would have lasted in this round."
"I'm glad I was able to teach you what I knew," Lincoln said. "You're a great student."
Chloe bashfully twirled her hair, "And you're a great teacher."
"Lincoln!" Clyde called as he was given the trophy. "Check it out!"
"Sweet!" Lincoln said as he got his own as well. "Ha! I won! Better yet, WE won! Clincoln McCloud!"
"Linky!" Lola ran over to hug the boy. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Hey bro, way to pull off the win!" Luna said.
"Alright Lincoln!" Sam cheered. "Glad you could bring the win to Casa Loud!"
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Lincoln said.
"Yo! Lincoln my man!" Rusty said as he went to greet Lincoln with the others.
Lynn awkwardly looked away while Liam clapped for his friend.
"I'm so happy fer Lincoln," Liam said.
"Yeah, same," Lynn said.
"Hey, you ain't upset are ya?" Liam asked. "Look, ah know that we got banned, but things happen."
"I know, I just hate that I blew my cover, and now you're suffering for it," Lynn said.
"Hey, ah went along with it, it's mah price to pay too," Liam said.
"Lynn!" Luan called. "Come congratulate Lincoln!"
"...Should I?" Lynn asked.
"Ah think he'd like that," Liam said.
Desite her worries, Lynn took Liam's advice and walked over to Lincoln. The boy turned to see his sister, who was sheepishly smiling.
"Hey bro..." Lynn said. "You're not too mad, are you?"
"A little, but I can save it," Lincoln said. "I just want my family to be part of this, even knuckleheads like you."
Lynn couldn't help but laugh, "I had that one coming. Noogie time!"
Lynn pulled her brother into a playful noogie, happy that he managed to persevere.
"Well, looks like Lincoln wins," Lynn Sr said. "I'm so happy for him."
"Me too," Rita said.
"And us," James said as he and Marta walked by. "This calls for a celebration, wouldn't you say?"
"You bet, I should invite Lincoln's friends over for dinner," Lynn Sr said. "You're welcome to come of course, and bring Christina."
"She should be with Paige," Marta said as she grabbed her phone. "I'll call her."
Unknown to Marta, Christina was engaged in battle with Otto, doing her best to try and overpower him. However he powered through her attacks and tried to knock her out.
Warren was nearby, preparing for an attack of his own. With Christina's back turned, he dashed in and kicked her against a building, momentarily disorienting her."
"Great work," Otto said as he grabbed Christina by the foot and slammed her against a car, then against a wall. "How pitiful."
"Quick, this way!" Katherine Mulligan shouted as she got her camera crew ready. "So much for The Astonishing Quest, but this is way more important."
Back at the site, Davis was seen looking around for Katherine, "Where'd that woman go? She's supposed to be covering the event."
"There's trouble downtown," a guard said. "Firestar is fighting a pair of villains."
"She's what!?" Davis alerted the entire crowd. "Attention everyone! There's an emergency and we will have to cancel any further celebration!"
"What's wrong!?" Clyde asked.
"Emergency?" Lincoln suddenly started to feel a sense of worry and dread as he began thinking about Christina. He checked his phone, which only served to increase his anxiety.
He had several missed calls from Stella, and a text message saying, "ANSWER ME!"
"Oh no..." Lincoln immediately left while everyone was distracted by Davis, who was setting up a giant monitor to broadcast the news.
"This is Katherine Mulligan in downtown Royal Woods where a terrible showdown between the dreaded Doctor Octopus, formerly Otto Octavius and a new canine looking creature are ambushing local hero, Firestar."
"Oh no!" Lana said in worry. "Christina..."
"Otto..." Lisa regretfully commented. Darcy noticed the worry and took Lisa's hand in hers to comfort her friend.
"This is terrible, what's going to happen Lincoln?" Clyde asked, before looking around in confusion. "Lincoln?"
Lincoln was already in costume and rushing toward the scene of the crime.
"I can't freaking believe I let this happen!" Lincoln dialed his phone to contact Stella. "Come on! Now it's your turn to answer!"
Lincoln did not have to wait, Stella was prepared to answer swiftly, "What the hell took you so long!?"
"Sorry, I was too focused on the Astonishing Quest!" Lincoln said.
"Well focus on saving Christina!" Stella said. "I can see the fight from my phone!"
"I thought your parents took away your internet?" Lincoln asked.
"I hacked it back in!" Stella said. "Focus on saving Christina! She's being overwhelmed!"
"On it," Lincoln said as he dashed ahead.
Meanwhile Otto continued his attack by slammed Christina against a tree, hoping to slow her down more. Just as he went to attack again, she popped up and flew in to kick the mad scientist in the head.
Warren tried to attack but Christina moved out the way, causing Warren to accidentally knee Otto in the face.
"My apologies, doctor," Warren said as he faced Christina.
"So weird hearing a voice coming out of your mouth," Christina said. She flew in to attack more but Warren whacked her aside.
"You would be wise to mind your tone," Warren said. "You may fancy yourself as a strong superhero, but you're nothing compared to myself and Doctor Octavius."
"Someone's cocky," Christina said, then flew over to attack again, but was instead punched back.
Otto ran to grab Christina, with his limb and tried squeezing her. "This will shut you up!"
Despite the pain, Christina had freed herself from Otto and took up to the sky to send heat wave blasts at the two.
Warren was quick to avoid it, but Otto had managed to block with his metallic limbs, once again nullifying the effects.
"Stupid octopus arms!" Christina said, then found herself dodging more of his strikes. "Gotta to better than that!"
"Be careful what you ask for!" Otto said as he grabbed a car and flung it at Christina.
She quickly used her powers to destroy the vehicle, almost regretting it afterwards, "Someone's going to be so mad."
Warren leapt up to attack, but he was blasted down by Christina. Otto leapt up to strike as well but Christina kicked him back down.
With the scientist down, Christina made her own little plan and focused on blasting Warren, "Doc Ock may be immune to my powers, but you-"
Otto then returned to his feet in time and whacked Christina from behind, stunning her long enough for Warren to punch her through a car window.
"What a shame," Otto used his limbs to pull Christina out. "Are you quite done, child? Truth be told, you're not my main target. If you surrender, I will go easy on you."
"Sorry, heroes don't quit!" Christina said, then took a blow to her stomach, courtesy of the limb.
"I am curious, who even is this girl?" Otto asked.
"Not important," Warren said. "Spider-Man is."
"Well, perhaps I should have your parents pick you up," Otto said. "What is your name?"
"Firestar," the girl said. "I have no parents."
"Hm...well, it couldn't hurt to double check!" Otto grabbed her mask with his claw, with Christina trying to pry it away.
"Hey! Let go!" Christina shouted.
"Not until I see for myself..." Otto began as Lincoln arrived on the scene. "Who you truly are."
"Otto!" Lincoln called.
"Spider-?" Christina was saying just as her mask got taken off.
Lincoln quickly pulled her away as the cameras got a good look at her face, revealing it to everyone watching.
"No...way..." Rusty said.
"Is that?" Liam asked.
"It couldn't be..." Leni stated.
"Oh my..."Rita said as she turned to a freaked out James and Marta.
"James, that's...that's our girl!" Marta said. "It's Christina!"
"Oh no..." Stella commented from her room. "I gotta do something!"
Back at the sight, Lincoln continued checking on the girl, "Hey, are you hurt!?"
"I'm fine..." Christina took note of the camera staring right at her. She then slowly reached her hand to her face, feeling it around in horror as the realization set in. "Spider-Man...the camera..."
It didn't take Lincoln long to register the situation. Christina was without her mask, and a camera was exposing her identity to the city. "Get that out of here!"
Lincoln webbed the camera and slammed it against a wall.
"HEY!" the Cameraman shouted. "Those are expensive!"
"Shut up!" Lincoln scolded as he focused on Otto. "You!"
"Oh sorry, did I ruin a surprise?" Otto asked as he held Christina's mask.
"Firestar, go hide!" Lincoln ordered as he focused on Otto. "I'm kind of glad you're back, it saves me the trouble of tracking you down! And I see you got yourself a pet!" Lincoln quipped, but with a hint of anger. "Gotta say, I didn't really take you for a dog person! Wouldn't an actual octopus be more fitting!?"
"Pet am I?" Warren asked as he walked over. "Brace yourself Spider-Man, for I have been waiting a long time for this."
Lincoln Loud had his victory, but now it was Spider-Man's turn to work for that goal.