Later in the day, Lincoln had finally gotten home after a long day in school. His parents' curfew was in effect, so if he wanted to do his patrols, he would need to be sneaky about it.
He still had a bit on his mind. He was still bothered by Christina's disappearance, and he was incredibly worried about Stella.
He also had Emma and Chloe to think about, as the two were very flirty with him, much to the boy's confusion.
On the bright side, he believes he might have cheered up Paige, even a little. He and her both feel the heavy sting of Christina's disappearance after all.
On the other side however, he was slightly concerned about the way Chloe and Emma seemingly flirted with him. Mostly Chloe as he can't fully imagine Emma as that type of a flirt. He couldn't imagine why Emma would do so when she was the one who dumped him in the first place.
Lincoln had to wonder if Emma had second thoughts about the break-up and was slowly regretting it. Especially considering that Lincoln got two back to back girlfriends right afterwards.
While Lincoln would have liked to figure this out sooner he knew that duty calls. he slipped into his Spider-Man suit and snuck out of his window.
As he did so he sent a quick text to his sister Lana. " I'm going on patrol, cover for me."
"Good timing bro, I heard a rumor about some burglaries .Maybe you could look into that?" Lana replied.
"Burglaries? Where?" Lincoln asked.
"Somewhere downtown. Whoever this person is, there's like, no trace of him," Lana replied.
"This won't be a problem for me, I read Ace Savvy after all. He's the greatest detective ever," Lincoln said. " I'll find this burglar no problem."
"Go get'em, big bro!" Lana encouraged.
Lincoln swung toward downtown Royal Woods, hoping to find any sign of this burglar, granted it amazed him that this even happened without his knowledge.
"Stella usually keeps on top of what's happening in this town so I don't swing around blindly," Lincoln noted. "Still, the fact that there have been burglaries lately. How did I not notice this? How many has their been?"
Lincoln leapt across the rooftops, hoping to find an answer to his question soon.
"Well it shouldn't take me long to get to the bottom of all this. I just need to be quick about it," Lincoln took a long look around. "Now, would this person come back here or go somewhere else? Honestly, I should have asked what exactly it was that he stole so I can get an idea of what kind of thief this is."
As Lincoln contemplated contacting Lana again, he noticed something moving in the corner of his eye.
"Whoa, is someone there?" Lincoln quickly took a look around. "Weird, I could have sworn..."
From the distance, he could spot a figure moving across the rooftops. While this figure was completely wearing black, it was still enough for Lincoln to spot any potential trouble looming nearby.
"That must be the burglar," Lincoln noted. "I gotta stop him!"
Lincoln quickly swung over to the mysterious being. Despite how quick and agile this person was, Lincoln was able to travel much faster and eventually land near the burglar on a rooftop.
"Hold it!" Lincoln demanded. "Look, I enjoy a good parkour as much as the next guy, but I draw the line with burglaries!"
"Well, if it isn't Spider-Man," came the burglar's surprisingly feminine voice.
"That sounds like a girl," Lincoln thought to himself. Within moments, the burglar stepped into the moonlight, revealing herself to be Maggie in her costume, though Lincoln did not know it was her. "It is a girl!"
"The Amazing Spider-Man..." Maggie said as she got in closer until she was glancing down at Lincoln. "Or is it Spider-Boy?"
Lincoln looked up at the girl in awe, before shaking it off. "H-Hey! I'm not a boy! I'm a Man! I have at least one chest hair!" Lincoln started to feel stupid after that, "Why did I say that out loud?"
"Well, my mistake then, Spider-Man," Maggie teased as she bent down lower, giving Lincoln a nice view of her cleavage.
"Y-You bet it is..." Lincoln tried hard to focus on the girl's face. "Uh...Catwoman is it?"
"Actually, I prefer the name, Black Cat," Maggie said as she gently stroked underneath Lincoln's chin. "Seems fitting, don't you think so?"
Lincoln started to sweat under his mask, then did his best to shake it off as he took a step back. "Don't try getting cute with me! There's been a burglary nearby and so far, you're looking like a prime suspect."
"Little ol' me? A burglar?" Maggie teased. "Now what could have given you that idea?"
"Why else are you running along some rooftops at this hour of the night?" Lincoln asked. "Furthermore, you're dressed like a cat!"
"Well you're dressed like a spider," Maggie said as she booped Lincoln's nose. "So how do I know that you're not a burglar?"
"I'm a superhero!" Lincoln said. ""I don't know if you heard all over the town, but I'm pretty much the top sheriff around these parts!...unless you follow the news."
"You're also a bit full of yourself, and not very humble, are you?" Maggie teased.
"I'm not taking this from someone who's obviously a thief!" Lincoln said. "Just wait until I-"
"Until you what?" Maggie asked as she got in closer to Lincoln's face, this making the boy slightly nervous.
"Until I..." Lincoln could barely speak. "Even wearing a mask, she looks so pretty. Her voice is nice too. Ugh, I gotta get it together!"
"Honestly Spider-Man, I am glad you're here," Maggie said as she maneuvered around Lincoln to rest on his shoulder while seductively whispering into his ear. "I could really use your help with something."
"M-my help?" Lincoln asked, the boy sweating bullets with Maggie being so close to him. "She smells so nice."
"There's some impending trouble that I'm a teeny bit worried about," Maggie said as she wrapped her arms around Lincoln in a sensual manner, her breasts now rubbing against the boy, making him even more excited. "It could affect this town in an awfully negative way, and I would much rather avoid that if I can."
Lincoln's heart was beating very fast, and felt his blood rushing all throughout his body. In a desperate move, he leapt away from Maggie and landed on top of an antenna to catch his breath.
"What's with you?" Maggie teased. "Haven't you ever talked to a pretty girl before?"
"I've talked to plenty," Lincoln insisted. "Just not one like you."
"I see, is a woman too much for a little boy like you?" Maggie again teased as she stepped closer. "Or are you just playing hard to get?"
"Let's not discuss this right now," Lincoln said. "Can you focus on this big problem you mentioned before?"
"Piqued your interest have I?" Maggie asked. "Tell me something first, have you heard of a place called Wakanda?"
"Of course, it's a country in Africa," Lincoln said.
"They say Wakanda has the most impressive technology in the world," Maggie said. "Enough to make even Tony Stark himself jealous."
"What are you getting at?" Lincoln asked.
"I heard about the alien technology that's been plaguing this city," Maggie said. "If you're not careful, you might run into that problem again."
"Meaning...?" Lincoln asked.
Maggie leapt up to the antenna, gently stroking Lincoln under his chin, "Why don't you come with me, and I'll show you?"
"...Is this a trap?" A flustered Lincoln asked.
"Only one way to find out," Maggie winked at the boy before leaping off the antenna and landing down below. "As a superhero, I would imagine that you would want to check on any potentially bad situation, wouldn't you?"
"Way to throw that in my face," Lincoln said as he jumped and landed near Maggie. "Alright, I'll go along with you for now. But if you try anything funny, I will take you in myself."
"Oh you're such a worry wort," Maggie said as she turned to run. She took a moment to stretch her legs to prepare herself. "You need to work on your trust issues."
"Well, considering I just met you, that's to be expected" Lincoln said.
Maggie then stretched a bit in a cat like manner, before locking eyes with Lincoln. "Maybe you're right. Though I suppose that naive nature of yours is what makes you so cute."
Lincoln grumbled in annoyance, "Cute!? I'm a superhero! Besides, you're the one dressed like cat!"
"Oh yes, a big, strong superhero," She took a few steps before bending forward for one final stretch for her glutes, "Just tell me, can a spider keep up with a cat?"
Lincoln felt hot again as he couldn't help but stare at her backside, one well toned and well defined by her suit. "Of...of course! Don't underestimate this spider!"
"I'll try not to," Maggie teased as she immediately dashed off.
"Wait up!" Lincoln went after the girl, though his mind was still racing with impure thoughts. "Curse you teenage hormones!"
The two ran across the rooftops enroute to the location that Maggie warned off. As she traveled, Maggie looked back at Lincoln, rather Spider-Man as she had no idea who was really under the mask.
"I hope he can handle what's to come, but he should prove himself useful regardless," Maggie continued onward with Lincoln closing in.
Lincoln had his own thoughts forming on the mysterious cat lady, "Who is this girl? Where did she even come from? And why does she have to be so dang sexy!?" Lincoln tried shaking it off, "It's fine, this type of thing is normal for heroes to deal with. There's always that one sexy femme fatale. I just have to remember that I still technically have a girlfriend. At least, I think I do."
Maggie stopped at a rooftop and gestured for Lincoln to wait as the two then snuck behind a nearby billboard.
Not too long later, a group of mysterious men were seen gathering, with one man in particular leading the weapons deal.
"What is this?" Lincoln asked.
"Illegal Weapons Trading Deal," Maggie confirmed. "These guys are messing with Wakandan Technology."
"Is that why you brought up Wakanda earlier?" Lincoln asked.
"Wow, quick to catch on, aren't you?" Maggie teased.
"Very funny!" Lincoln said. "Can you at least tell me who the boss is? Or do you not have that information?"
"The boss's name is Ulysses Klaue," Maggie said. "He seems to be big in the weapons deal underworld."
"That so?" Lincoln then began thinking to himself. "Could this guy know The Enforcers?"
"Good evening Gentlemen, ready to get down to business?" Klaue asked.
"That must be him," Lincoln said as he got ready to jump in. "Time to put a stop to this."
"Whoa, easy now," Maggie warned. "Wakandan Technology is no joke."
"I've gone against Chitauiri Technology," Lincoln said. "I can handle Wakandan stuff."
"Are you sure about that?" Maggie asked. "You might be unlucky down there. Remember, you're by yourself now. That pretty little partner you had before isn't here to help you."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about Firestar," Lincoln warned. "Besides, I did this before she joined me, I can do this again now."
"At least come up with a strategy first," Maggie said.
"I have one," Lincoln said as he leapt down. "Punch hard!"
Maggie face palmed in annoyance, "So cute yet so simple minded."
As the men continued with their deals, Lincoln had landed nearby to get their attention.
"Hold it right there!" Lincoln ordered. "By the Law of Spider-Man, I order you-!"
"It's Spider-Man! Shoot him!" A man said as a group of them grabbed blasters and fired at Lincoln as he frantically dodged.
"Hey! I wasn't ready!" Lincoln shouted as he frantically dodged.
"Well ain't this a surprise," Klaue said. "Anyone who whacks Spider-Man gets a fifty percent cut on the next order."
"Hey hold on! I did not agree to this con-WHOA!" Lincoln dodged more attacks.
The men kept shooting at Lincoln, the boy doing his best to dodge out of the way, and even webbed a few of them in the process and then zipped in to land some punches.
"Whoa, he's fast," Maggie noted. "As I should expect out of a hero like him."
One guy tried to whack Lincoln with a pipe, but the boy was able to duck and web the man's eyes while turning to kick him across the face. Another tried to blast him but Lincoln's Spider-Sense alerted him to the danger as the boy pulled himself up with his webs and then turned to web his foe and fling him against a wall.
"Great reflexes," Maggie noted.
Klaue seemed less than pleased with what he was seeing so far, "Come on you lot, can't any of ya handle a kid!?"
One guy went for a kick to Lincoln that he swiftly blocked and then landed a powerful blow to the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"Well, you guys are thugs, I definitely wouldn't recommend you for babysitting!" Lincoln webbed up another person before turning to Klaue. "Now, are you going to-?"
Klaue then blasted Lincoln with one of his guns, too fast for the boy's senses to save him. "Well, if ya want something done right, ya gotta do it yourself!"
Just as he was about to blast again, Maggie landed in between Lincoln and the line of shot with a devious smirk on her face.
"Oi, out of the way!" Klaue warned. "I ain't got time to deal with more cats!"
"You had quite the lucky shot before," Maggie said as her eyes briefly glowed. "It'd be a shame if that luck ran out."
"What are ya...?" Suddenly the weapon began to short circuit, resulting in Klaue abruptly dropping it, allowing Maggie a chance to escape with Lincoln in tow. "Blasted felines!"
Maggie had brought Lincoln to a safe location, as far away from the enemy as she could bring him. "Well that was close." She checked on the hero. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine, it barely did any damage to me," Lincoln said as he stood up on his own. "It did sting though."
"Now do you see what you're getting into?" Maggie asked. "This is a very dangerous operation."
"It's nothing I can't handle," Lincoln said. "I've dealt with this kind of thing before."
"Maybe, but this time, you're alone," Maggie said. "No sidekick to help you out."
"Hey, I did well before Firestar, I can do well after too," Lincoln said.
"Well it couldn't hurt to have a little backup," Maggie said. "Let's work together long enough to stop Klaue."
"Klaue?" Lincoln asked.
"The guy who got that lucky shot," Maggie said. "He's the one we'll need to bring down if we want to do damage to this operation."
"You expect me to work with you?" Lincoln asked in suspicion. "I can't work with a criminal."
"At least think about it," Maggie said as she gently rubbed under Lincoln's chin. "Can't you do that much for me, handsome?"
Lincoln awkwardly turned away, "That handsome line wouldn't work on someone who's wearing a mask."
"That means nothing to me," Maggie said. "Honestly, I'm willing to bet that you look very handsome under that mask, if that cute voice is anything to go by."
Lincoln felt his heart racing. Despite how little he trusted Maggie, he couldn't deny how physically appealing she was.
"Listen, you're really nice and all, but I'm not ready for a relationship," Lincoln said.
"Aw, I see, still not over Firestar?" Maggie asked.
"Yeah...I mean, no!" Lincoln said. "She's just a friend. Besides she already has a boyfriend."
"Well my point remains," Maggie said. "I need someone to work with so we can bring these creeps to down."
"Why are you so concerned?" Lincoln asked.
"Just because I've borrowed a thing or two, doesn't mean I want this town to face destruction," Maggie said. "Besides, it wouldn't be good for my personal business."
"Figures you'd have a selfish motive," Lincoln said.
"Aren't we all a bit selfish in our own ways?" Maggie teased before stepping away. "But seriously, give it some thought. I'll be waiting with an answer tomorrow."
"H-Hey! I can't just let you escape," Lincoln said as he was about to pursue. "Come-!"
Maggie dropped a smoke pellet, briefly distracting Lincoln as he waved the smoke away before seeing that Maggie was gone.
"Well that sucked," Lincoln lamented as he thought the situation over. "Much as I don't trust that girl, I might need to consider her offer. She clearly has some inside information about this kind of thing. Once I get those guys arrested, I'll have her put her behind bars too."
With nothing else left to do, Lincoln opted to go home for the night, making it back in time to avoid being spotted breaking curfew.
He only hoped that the girl who called herself Black Cat wasn't causing more trouble.
The following day at school was another long day for Lincoln. He still had to get used to the sight of no Christina, and no Stella either. It would forever bother him that he failed to save his girlfriend, and that one of his best friends was still terribly injured.
As he made his way through the school, he could see the duo of Chloe and Emma chatting with some nearby kids.
Emma caught sight of Lincoln and shyly waved to the boy. Chloe also noticed and flashed a playful wink. Lincoln still had this bit of awkwardness to potentially deal with. But he would do so later.
Things looked up the moment he was given some special instructions from one of his teachers. To deliver Stella an assignment packet. This gave the boy an excuse to see his friend.
Later after school, Lincoln had just walked out the main door when a voice called out to him.
"Lincoln!" Clyde called and ran over to catch up to the boy.
"Clyde?" Lincoln said.
"Hey, I heard that you were going to Stella's house," Clyde said.
"Yeah, I have to give her this packet," Lincoln said as he held it out. "She's going back to her hometown for her surgery tomorrow, and she probably won't be back until the weekend."
"Any word on her actually moving?" Clyde asked.
"Nothing yet," Lincoln said. "It's a miracle that she hasn't left town yet. My parents really did their best to calm Judy down. So hopefully that won't be happening."
"I can't even blame her parents for worrying," Clyde said. "My dads are just as worried about everything that's happening."
"My parents set a curfew," Lincoln said. "So I gotta hurry and get this to Stella so I can still have a little bit of free time before tonight."
"Mind if I tag along?" Clyde asked.
"No problem, we got a lot to still catch up on," Clyde said.
"I have a list," Clyde said as he pulled out some flashcards. "There's the recent Ace Savvy Comics, new episodes of ARGGH, and setting up times to go to Gus's."
"That sounds great," Lincoln said. "Come on."
Unknown to them or anyone in town, a mysterious man had arrived in Royal Woods from a secret jet.
This man was seen checking a radar of sorts while looking for something in particular.
"There's lots of Vibranium scattered across this town, this can't be good," the man said. He then clenched his fists in anger as he kept a close eye out. "You cannot hide for long. The Panther always finds his prey."
Lincoln had arrived at Stella's house, knocking on the door and awaiting an answer. It wasn't long before Judy answered, the woman looking less than thrilled. "Oh, it's you..."
"Uh, hi Judy," Lincoln greeted.
"It's Mrs. Zhau to you," Judy warned.
"Right," Lincoln felt a bit awkward around this woman. "May I speak to Stella?"
"Don't take too long, we're leaving in a few hours," Judy said.
"It's the surgery tomorrow?" Clyde asked.
"If we go tomorrow, we'd be rushing, obviously," Judy said. "By going tonight, it ensures that we will be there on time."
"Stella will be back soon though, right?" Lincoln asked.
"She will be back when she's ready," Judy said. "Now go and speak to her, and make it quick. You must be done within the hour."
"Uh...yes ma'am," Lincoln said, the boy going inside with Clyde awkwardly following.
Stella was seen packing her things, despite the pain she was in. She placed all her essentials in a suitcase and closed it.
"I hope that works out," Stella said.
"Stella Zhau!" Came Judy's voice from her doorway, this spooking the girl.
"Geez mom, ever hear of knocking?" Stella asked.
"Don't you sass me, young lady," Judy warned. "I told you to leave the packing to me and your father. You are going to aggravate your injuries!"
"I'm fine mom," Stella insisted. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything important."
"Just...please be careful. Even if you are going into surgery, you don't want to make things worse for yourself," Judy said. "Anyway, you have visitors. Your friends Lincoln and Clyde."
"Hi Stella," Lincoln pulled out a packet. "I came to deliver your schoolwork."
"Oh thanks," Stella said. "That should keep me occupied while I'm recovering."
"I'll leave you three to chat, but only for a little bit," Judy said, then left the three to themselves.
"Hey guys, sorry you had to see that bit of awkwardness," Stella said as she sat back on the bed. "My parents have been quite protective of me lately."
"For good reason, you were injured after all," Clyde pointed out.
"I get that, but they tend to go way too overboard with their protective methods," Stella said. "I'm lucky that I can take a shower by myself. Honestly I can barely eat alone without my mom freaking out and trying to spoon feed me."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Clyde said.
"Clyde, I'm a Middle School Girl, I'm way too old to be force fed like a toddler," Stella said.
"Well if I may suggest something," Clyde began. "Tell your parents you'd like to be able to drink your food. This way they don't have to worry as much."
"That sounds gross actually," Stella said. "I do not want my steak and potatoes turned into a smoothie."
"Don't knock it till you try it," Clyde said.
Stella grimaced at how Clyde would even come to that conclusion. Regardless, she had one thing she had to handle and needed Clyde out of the room.
"I'll pass on that. But, here's an idea Clyde," Stella began. "Since you're a culinary expert, maybe you can try to talk with my dad about alternatives."
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea!" Clyde said as he left the room. "I'll just need a few minutes."
"Take all the time you need," Stella said.
"Sure thing," Clyde said, then turned to Lincoln. "Be right back."
With Clyde gone, Lincoln turned his attention to Stella. "Getting Clyde to work on your diet could be a recipe for disaster."
"Did...did you just hit me with a lame pun?" Stella asked.
"Hey! It's not lame!" Lincoln insisted.
"Anyway, asking Clyde to talk with my dad was just to get him out of the room for a second," Stella said. "What's been happening lately? I heard rumors of a robbery."
"It's nothing, I got it under control," Lincoln said.
"Uh, that was kind of vague," Stella said. "Are you keeping something from me, Lincoln?"
"It's not that, I just really don't want you to worry," Lincoln said. "You should focus on healing, not what's happening regarding Spider-Man."
"Come on Lincoln, it's not going to hurt me to know," Stella said. "I've been really worried about you lately. I just need to know that things are going well for you."
"They are," Lincoln insisted. "I'll admit, there's some weird stuff happening but it's nothing I can't handle. Right now, I just want you to focus on healing. That would put my mind at ease."
"...Alright, if you say you have things under control, I'll trust you," Stella said. "Just be careful, and don't do anything reckless. Christina isn't there to help you after all."
"I've done this before Christina, I can do this without her," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, you can," Stella said. "But seriously, be extra careful. Doctor Octopus is still out there. Don't let him get one over on you."
"He won't even get the chance," Lincoln said.
"Still, I did hear about some burglaries," Stella said. "Is that something you took care of?"
"Well, sort of," Lincoln said. "I didn't catch the person, but I got a lead. I should make the bust soon."
"Alright, I'll leave him to you," Stella said.
"Actually, it's a girl," Lincoln said.
"A girl?" Stella asked. "It's not Scoots again, is it?"
"No, it's someone else," Lincoln said.
"What about La Tigressa?" Stella asked. "Did she break out of jail?"
"It's not her either," Lincoln said, finding humor in that this person is technically another feline. "Don't worry about her, she's nothing I can't handle."
"Well, man or woman, the hammer of justice does not discriminate," Stella said.
"Got that right," Lincoln said. "Anyway, Clyde should be back soon. Is there anything else you want to know?"
"Not right now," Stella said.
"Well, tell me at least this," Lincoln began. "You're absolutely positive your mother won't move you away, aren't you?"
"I can't make any promises, but the chances of my mom not coming back are very slim," Stella said. "Don't worry, me and my dad will make sure my mom doesn't make a bad choice."
"That's good," Lincoln said. "After Jordan and Christina, I don't think I could handle anyone else leaving."
"You won't have to worry about that," Stella said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm here for you, Lincoln."
Lincoln bashfully rubbed his head while Stella began blushing a bit, the two feeling their hearts racing just for a bit. Both felt strange, for different reasons, but still had a sense of curiosity.
However, anything that might have happened was interrupted when Clyde barged back into the room.
"Hey Stella, remind me, what are your vegetables of preference?" Clyde asked.
Stella and Lincoln snapped out of their thoughts and focused on Clyde.
"I'll write it down so you can remember," Stella said.
"Great idea!" Clyde said.
Lincoln sat against a chair as he glanced out the window. Later he would have to meet up with Black Cat again. He could only hope that things would go well.
Not too long later, Lincoln had gotten home. He had some preparations to make. Once inside, he went into the kitchen to grab a drink, the boy grumbling in frustration when he noticed a slot in the fridge empty, and a note inside.
"Lincoln, I owe you a drink, from Lynn."
Lincoln grumbled in annoyance, "At least she left me a note."
"Hey bro," Luna greeted, with Luan by her side. "Finally home?"
"I had to talk to Stella," Lincoln said. "She's leaving later for her surgery."
"I hope things turn out well for her," Luan said.
"It should," Lincoln said. "At least I hope so."
"She'll be fine," Luna said. "So, how about you? Have things been well? No one's giving you trouble?"
"No, I'm fine, why?" Lincoln asked.
"No reason, just a reminder to be careful when you're out side," Luna said. "There's a lot of jerks out there."
"I'll be fine, but thanks for your concern," Lincoln said. "Anyway, I need to find a replacement drink so-"
"I have a can of soda in the fridge," Luna said. "I'm not drinking it, so you can have it."
"Oh, really?" Lincoln looked inside. "Wow, thanks."
"I also have a piece of pie," Luan said. "You can have that. Benny already got me a bunch of sweets, so that pie would be too much."
"Wow, you're awfully generous," Lincoln said. "Wait, is this because of Christina?"
"Something like that," Luna said. "We just want you to be happy."
"And safe," Luan said.
"Look, I'm bummed, but I'll pull through," Lincoln said as he pulled the snacks out. "Thanks, I owe you both."
"You don't owe us anything," Luan said. "Think of it as making it even."
"Even how?" Lincoln asked.
"You remember those pizzas you were saving?" Luna sheepishly asked.
Lincoln immediately figured it out and furrowed his brow, "I would have given it to you if you asked. Better than me freaking out and getting annoyed."
"We're sorry, we got desperate," Luan said.
"Eh, my fault for leaving pizza in the fridge," Lincoln said. "But I can't stay mad at you, especially considering your generoisity right now. So again, thanks for your concern."
As Lincoln went upstairs, Luan turned to Luna. "I still think we should warn him about those bullies."
"We already spoke to The Rents," Luna said. "Nothing's gonna happen, promise."
"...Okay, if you say so," Luan said.
Later that night, after sneaking out again, Lincoln waited on a rooftop, expecting a visitor soon. Within moments. he heard someone land nearby. He turned around and came face to face with a familiar kitty.
"Welcome back, Spider-Man," Maggie said. "Have you thought any more about my offer?"
"I have," Lincoln said. "While I can't say that I completely trust you, I am willing to put that aside for the greater good."
"Smart choice," Maggie said.
"Still, do you think either of us can put a stop to them?" Lincoln asked.
"We can if you use that brain of yours rather than rush into a fight," Maggie said. "Don't get me wrong, I love a strong man. But I need you to stay alive if we're going to put a dent in Klaue's plans."
"Well how good are you at fighting?" Lincoln asked. "Do you have any powers?"
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," Maggie said. "If you're lucky, you may get to see it in action."
"Well that's vague," Lincoln said. "Still, how do I know I can trust you?"
Maggie seductively walked over to Lincoln and placed her arms around him as she glanced down at the hero. "Would I lie to you? Little Spider?"
Lincoln could barely see Maggie's disguised face past her well endowed breasts as impure thoughts ran through his mind. "They're bigger than Stella's." The boy snapped out of it and immediately pulled back. "Hey! Stop trying to seduce me!"
"Stop making it so easy to do so," Maggie teased.
Lincoln furrowed his brow in annoyance, "Are you always this much of a pain!?'
"Guess you'll just have to find out," Maggie said as she gestured Lincoln to follow. She bent over once again, stretching like a cat with her glutes raised high, earning more of an embarrassed reaction from Lincoln. "Keep up with me, we're going to nab us some trouble makers."
"Y-yeah, sure," Lincoln awkwardly said.
"Hope you're not too slow," Maggie said before scurrying off.
Lincoln started to feel strange, "Geez, something about her reminds me of that cat from that cancelled Ace Savvy movie."
Unknown to the two, a man in a hood was also seen making his way across town as he constantly glanced at a radar of his.
"Not much further. I will take back what is mine."
Not too far off, Klaue was seen at a dock unloading a new shipment of Wakandan materials to be used for his weapons.
"Just keep it coming fellas," Klaeu said. "Still got a shipment to deliver here, then it's off to New York to make a few deals there."
"Don't they sell those alien weapons in New York?" A henchman asked. "That's someone else's turf."
"I ain't afraid of a little turf war," Klaue said. "But it might help if we continued that little plan of mine. Using one of these guns to do away with that Spider-Man runt. Now that's something even Alien Technology couldn't do. We kill the spider, I can charge even more for this stuff."
"What about that cat girl?" The henchman asked.
"If she shows up, we deal with her too," Klaue said.
"Who is she anyway?" the henchman asked. "Is she associated with Wakanda in any way? Or The King?"
"Don't know, don't care," Klaue said. "Just blast her if she shows up again. Make sure she doesn't cause any trouble either."
Lincoln glanced down at the guys as they prepared, having heard most of what they said. "So what's the plan?"
"It's simple, we go for the leader," Maggie said.
"You call that simple?" Lincoln asked.
"In any game of chess, you always win by getting checkmate," Maggie said. "The best way to get a checkmate is by taking out the leader."
"He's surrounded though," Lincoln said. "Last time I nearly got blasted by his goons."
"Last time you leapt into action without thinking," Maggie said. "This time, you need to go stealth. Like this."
Maggie leapt away and landed in a dark, shadowy part of a building, right above one of the henchmen who was busy guarding a back alley. The moment he walked under where she was, she landed near a crate, quietly as possible and karate chopping the back of his neck to knock him out.
She then dragged him off and hid him inside of a crate. Afterwards, she glanced at Lincoln and gave a thumbs up.
This wasn't hard for Lincoln to figure out, or anyone for that matter in his mind. He then did his own thing.
He crawled on the building's ceiling and checked over the guards that were patrolling the area. He had to take note of who was where so he could strike without worry.
The moment a guard walked under him, Lincoln grabbed him with his webbing, immediately aiming for his mouth to keep the guard from shouting and left the man dangling off the ceiling as he struggled to move.
"He's catching on...good," Maggie smirked to herself as she continued along.
One by one, the two worked together to capture and immobilize everyone in the dock house. For everyone that Maggie had knocked out with a quick blow, Lincoln had webbed the person up and left him on the wall.
A few henchmen had brought out the remainder of the Wakandan gear, taking a second to catch their breath after some heavy lifting.
"Alright, that should be all of it."
"Not all of it, there's still a couple of big ones left."
"Ugh, what a pain."
"Why are we the only ones doing all the work?"
"Good point." The man called out. "Hey! Any chance one of you losers can help out!?" He waited for an answer. "Anyone there!?"
"What's going on!?" Klaue asked.
"We're calling for help, but no one's answering," A Henchman said.
"What are you blokes talking about!?" Klaue turned around. "Hey! Where are you wankers at!?" he waited for a response, but heard nothing. "Come on! I'm not paying ya to much around!" When he still hadn't gotten a response, he slowly began to lose his temper. "Morons, I'm docking their pay." He turned to the two remaining henchmen. "Alright, I need you two..."
To his surprise, both men were knocked out with Lincoln and Maggie standing before the gang leader.
"You must be Klaue," Maggie said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
"It's you two.." Klaue said. "Spider-Man and that little feline."
"You may call me, Black Cat," Maggie said.
"We're taking you in, Klaue!" Lincoln warned. "You'll be facing time for illegally selling Wakandan Weaponry."
"You think it will be that easy to put a stop to my plans?" Klaue asked as he pulled out a large weapon. "Sorry, but I don't give up so easily."
He immediately fired the weapon, prompting the two to jump out of the way. He immediately turned toward Lincoln's direction and fired again. While the attack missed, it still knocked over a large crane, prompting Lincoln to web it to keep it from falling onto a nearby boat.
"Always the hero," Klaue was about to fire at Lincoln, but Maggie leapt over and kicked the man in the head.
"Forget about me already?" Maggie went for a kick but Klaue blocked the strike with his weapon and kicked the girl back.
"Fine, I'll put you down first!" Klaue said as he aimed his gun. "I'm tired of you damn felines!"
"Quite a hasty remark to say," Maggie said as she dodged the blasts. However Klaue hit a circuit box that once the blast connected, it blew a fuse and sent Maggie flying to the side, slightly hurting the girl.
"Looks like I'm the unlucky one there," Maggie said as she tried standing.
Klaue aimed his weapon at the girl, smirking in satisfaction, "Any last words, little kitty?"
"Little?" Maggie asked while slightly offended. "Get your eyes checked, old man."
"Strange last words, oh well," Klaue was about to blast Maggie.
"No!" Lincoln managed to set the crane aside and dashed in to attack Klaue, but the man sidestepped and Lincoln crashed against Maggie, knocking the two over.
"Ha, what a useless fool," Klaue readied his weapon. "Time to put an end to this."
"I do not think so..." Came a voice from nearby.
Klaue turned around, the man with a large scowl on his face, "So, you've finally shown up huh? The Legendary Black Panther."
The man in question, the King of Wakanda, T'Challa, better known as The Black Panther took a stance as he faced off against Klaue. "This has been a long time coming."
"This is perfect, I thought I'd get a high price just killing that Spider-Man kid," Klaue focused on T'Challa. "But I'll get a bigger price if I kill The King of Wakanda!"
"Turning my people's materials against me? You truly have no honor," T'Challa dashed in to attack. "Now fall!"
Nearby, Lincoln was regaining his composure, then felt something puffy on his face. He used his hands to push himself up, then realized he was on top of Maggie, with both of his hands on each of her breasts.
"Oooh, you're forward," Maggie said as an embarrassed Lincoln leapt away.
"I am so freaking sorry about that!" Lincoln frantically stated.
"What's there to be sorry about?" Maggie said in a flirty tone. "If anything, I feel flattered."
"I promise though, I am not one to take advantage of a woman like that," Lincoln said.
"Oh chill out, will you?" Maggie said, then noticed the fight nearby. "Check it out, we have a new friend."
"Huh?" Lincoln turned and saw something amazing. "It's him...The King of Wakanda! The Black Panther!"
T'Challa continued striking at Klaue, trying his best to apprehend the weapons dealer. Klaue managed to keep his distance as he continued firing, but T'Challa was quick to dodge and got in closer to his target.
"Real pain, ain't ya!?" Klaue threw a flash grenade, seemingly stunning T'Challa. "But I got a few tricks up my sleeve!"
He aimed his gun and charged it up, hoping to completely blast T'Challa into nothing.
"We gotta save him!" Lincoln was about to go out there when Maggie grabbed him by the suit. "Hey! What are you doing!?'
"I don't think going out there would be good for your health," Maggie warned.
"Let go!" Lincoln pulled away and dashed ahead. "Hey you!"
Just as Lincoln was about to strike, Klaue turned and blasted Lincoln instead, sending the boy flying back and through a nearby wall.
"Spider-Man!" Maggie shouted in worry.
"You're next-" Klaue was about to attack again, but T'Challa managed to destroy the gun with a claw strike.
"You should have made sure your little trick worked," T'Challa said.
"Impossible! That should have left you blinded for much longer!" Klaue shouted as he took a step back.
"Who says I need my eyes to fight?" T'Challa said as he went for a punch that knocked Klaue back.
"Gotta say, that guy's really impressive," Maggie said. "Not that I would expect any less from the King of Wakanda."
Klaue shook off his punch just as T'Challa stood over the man. "It's over, you can come quietly by your choice..." T'Challa extended his claws. "Or by mine."
Klaue realized he was in a bad situation, he couldn't just give up on his plans. Interestingly enough, he could see Lincoln from a distance.
"Black Panther!" Lincoln called.
T'Challa turned to the boy, "Go home child! I will bring this man to justice!"
"Child!? I'm the hero of this city!" Lincoln said.
"That means nothing to me," T'Challa said, unaware that Klaue's arm was transforming into a gun of sorts. "Now go home and-"
"Watch out!" Maggie warned.
Too late as Klaue blasted T'Challa back. While Lincoln was worried about the King, he too took a blast. Klaue then sent a blast in Maggie's direction, the girl barely dodging as Klaue jumped into a truck and drove off, driving right through a nearby wall and speeding away.
"Hey!" Lincoln called as he pulled something out and threw it at the truck. "Did it land?"
T'Challa brushed off the attack and stood in an attempt to pursue Klaue, "Out of my way."
"Hey wait!" Lincoln said.
"No! You have interfered enough!" T'Challa said as he began to walk off. "Ulysses Klaue is my quarry, I do not need an amateur like you or your kitten friend ruining things."
"Hey wait a minute!" Lincoln demanded. "I am not an amateur! I'll have you know that I trained with Black Widow herself!"
"Then you have learned nothing of value," T'Challa said before leaping away.
Lincoln stood there in disbelief, irritated by T'Challa's words. "The nerve of that guy! I thought he was cool!"
"Never meet your heroes," Maggie said.
"He wasn't a personal hero of mine, but I still heard some neat things about him," Lincoln said. "I respected him too, but I didn't expect him to be so arrogant!"
"Well to be fair, you did mess him up a little," Maggie said.
"Hey! Who's side are you on!?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm just pointing out facts," Maggie said as she poked Lincoln on the forehead. "I already told you not to rush into things without thinking. Given how well known you are as a hero, I expected you to be more competent."
"I just have some off days, that's all," Lincoln said.
"Well, given that your sidekick's gone and that Doc Ock guy got away from you twice, I'm starting to wonder if your confidence took a hit," Maggie said.
"My confidence?" Lincoln asked.
"You seem so much more eager to prove yourself," Maggie said. "Of course, I don't know you well, so I won't make too many assumptions. But I'm going to go on a limb and say that you've been a little shaken up by your recent failures."
"Failures sounds a bit harsh," Lincoln said.
"But is it inaccurate?" Maggie asked. "I have heard what Jameson has had to say about you as well. You're probably worried that the whole town will see you as flawed."
"You're getting a little out of line," Lincoln said. "No one takes Jameson seriously."
"But, does everyone in town trust you?" Maggie asked. "Or are there those who doubt you?"
Lincoln angrily turned to the side. He couldn't deny some of Maggie's claims. He definitely could not deny that he himself is losing confidence in his own abilities.
"All that matters to me right now is finding Klaue and putting a stop to his scheme," Lincoln said. "I will do that, with or without your help."
"Hey, I'm sticking with you to the end on this," Maggie said. "I live in this town too. I can't let these thugs run wild. If they ransack the place, I'll have nothing left to...borrow."
Lincoln glared slightly at Maggie, "That reminds me. After this is all over, I expect you to do the right thing and return everything you stole. If you do, I won't have to send the police after you."
"Stole is such a strong word," Maggie said. "That's why I say 'borrowed'."
"Call it what you want, just return it," Lincoln said. "Clearly you're good at fighting, use that for good instead of evil."
"Aw, are you saying I could be a hero too?" Maggie teased. "You're so kind."
"Don't make me regret feeling that way," Lincoln warned.
"Alright fine," Maggie said as she gently caressed Lincoln's face. "Still, you did great today. You're a quick learner. I can help you more with stealth if you need it. We'll be working together for a bit longer, so I think you could definitely use the assistance."
"Yeah, sure..." Lincoln said while trying to hide his blush. Even more he was trying not to stare at Maggie's breasts, the same ones he accidentally groped barely five minutes ago.
Maggie pulled her hand away and turned to leave, Lincoln once again trying not to stare at her backside that was emphasized by her skin tight suit. Even more that she placed her hand on her hip and tilted it slightly as she turned to face over her shoulder.
"It's been fun working with you, Spider-Man," Maggie said. "I'll see you around."
The girl then leapt away, with Lincoln still feeling flustered, and shamefully so.
"Geez, if Christina were here, she'd be so mad at me," Lincoln began to worry. "What's wrong with me anyway? How can I think about another girl that way when Christina is still out there somewhere? I gotta find her soon."
Lincoln then heard his phone ring. Curiously he answered the incoming call. "Yeah?"
"Hey Lincoln, it's me, Ronnie Anne," the girl said.
"Ronnie Anne?" Lincoln replied. "It's late."
"I'm a city girl now, the clock means nothing to me," Ronnie Anne said. "Just calling to see how things were going."
"Wow, that's nice of you," Lincoln said in a mildly confused tone.
"Why did that sound sarcastic?" Ronnie Anne asked.
Lincoln began to freak out, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to. I'm grateful, and thanks."
"Well, I guess there was one other reason," Ronnie Anne said. "Next week is Thanksgiving. It's going to be a big celebration, and my family's been worked up over it, which is draining me too."
"Is it that bad?" Lincoln asked. "I guess it's a lot of work for a big family like yours. I know from experience."
"Yeah, problem is that I think my Great Grandmother is going to be there too," Ronnie Anne said.
"Why is that a problem?" Lincoln asked.
"You remember her, the one who's always complaining about me, Bobby and our cousins not being Mexican enough," Ronnie Anne said. "My grandma thinks that if she celebrated Thanksgiving with us, she'd be more appreciative of certain things."
"Well if she agrees to go, that's already a good sign," Lincoln said. "Thanksgiving is an American Holiday, so if she takes part in that, it means she's okay with her family indulging in American traditions."
"Honestly she's probably going for the food," Ronnie Anne said. "You know how Latinos can be when it comes to food."
"I'd rather not make grand assumptions like that," Lincoln said. "I've seen Liam pig out, and he's a traditional American Farm Boy."
"Point is, I'm still worried about what my great grandmother might say," Ronnie Anne admitted. "I think Lori's going over to your place for the weekend, so that won't be concerning, but she's already given Bobby crap about dating her. I don't want her talking about Lori behind her back either."
"Lori can handle gossipy people," Lincoln said. "Anyway, what about Sid? Is she taking part too?"
"Yeah, that also has me worried," Ronnie Anne said. "My grandmother said she'll keep an eye out for the Changs. They're like family to us too."
"Well I wish you luck with that," Lincoln said. "What matters is having a nice, meaningful celebration with your family. Don't let any negativity affect that."
"You're right about that. Drama aside, I think this Thanksgiving party can turn out well," Ronnie Anne said. "By the way, how have things been on your end?"
"A little rough," Lincoln said. "I just ran into some guy who was selling Wakandan Materials to be used as weapons. Similar to what those guys from New York were doing with the alien technology from that big Avengers Fight last year."
"Wakandan huh? That's interesting," Ronnie Anne said. "I don't think King T'Challa would appreciate something like that happening to his stuff."
"I actually just saw him," Lincoln said. "He showed up dressed like The Black Panther."
"Whoa really? Sweet!" Ronnie Anne said. "Did you two team up!?"
"I tried to work with him, but he just blew me off," Lincoln said. "He treated me like an amateur! It was so disrespectful!"
"Yikes, sorry to hear that," Ronnie Anne said. "Did you at least stop the bad guys?"
"I took out some henchmen," Lincoln said. "The leader, Ulysses Klaue, he got away."
"Ulysses Klaue?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I wonder if I can look into that guy?"
"That would help, but I still would rather you and Sid look more into Doctor Connors and see if there's a link to all these humanoid animals lately," Lincoln said.
"Sid's been prioritizing that," Ronnie Anne said.
"That's good to know," Lincoln said.
"By the way, how's Stella doing?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Is she still moving?"
"I don't think she is," Lincoln said. "She did leave to her hometown, but it should only be for a few days."
"That's good," Ronnie Anne said. "Shame she's leaving for a few days. Given what you're up against, she might be curious about that Wakandan technology."
"I never actually told her," Lincoln said. "I've been keeping this stuff a secret from her so she can focus on healing."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ronnie Anne asked. "You know how curious Stella gets. If she wants to find out, she's going to find out."
"I know, which is why I have to work extra hard to keep it a secret from her," Lincoln said.
"What for?" Ronnie Anne asked. "If I were you, I would just tell her."
"But, it could be dangerous for her to know," Lincoln said. "She might get hurt."
"This is Stella we're talking about," Ronnie Anne said. "If you try to keep something from her, she's going to go and find out on her own. It'd be so much easier if you saved yourself the headache and just told her what's happening."
"If I told her, it'd just make her more curious," Lincoln said.
"She's going to find out one way or another," Ronnie Anne said. "Plus, if she doesn't know what's happening, it's just going to worry her, and make her more stressed. I know you mean well, but keeping this from Stella may do more harm than good."
"...I guess you're right," Lincoln said.
"It's your call, but I think we both know what the right thing to do here is," Ronnie Anne said. "If you're still worried and you think she's going to try anything, then I can step in and try to get her to chill. Or I'll ask Sid to do it since Sid really admires Stella."
"Makes sense, they're both techies," Lincoln said.
"Speaking of tech, if Stella can't help you right now, I can probably get Sid to whip something up for you if you need it," Ronnie Anne said.
"I'll keep that in mind, so long as Sid's okay with it," Lincoln said.
"This is Sid we're talking about, she'd be very happy to work on something for you," Ronnie Anne said.
"Alright, I'll let her know if I need something," Lincoln said. "And Ronnie Anne, thanks for hearing me out."
"I should be thanking you for that," Ronnie Anne admitted, the girl shamefully blushing. "Just take it easy out there, Lame-O."
"You got it," Lincoln said just as he hung up. "Next week should be fun, but I guess I have one more phone call to make."
Lincoln dialed another number, that belonging to Stella. The girl had just arrived at a hotel, her things taken to her room.
As she waited for her stuff to be unloaded, she heard her phone ringing, to which she answered. "Yeah?"
"Hey Stella, it's me," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln?" Stella made sure her parents weren't around to potentially overhear her conversation. "Is everything alright?"
"Sort of," Lincoln said. "I just found a guy trying to smuggle some Wakandan Materials to Royal Woods."
"Did you say Wakandan?" Stella asked in curiosity. "As in, actually from Wakanda?"
"Yeah, some guy named Ulysses Klaue was smuggling it, he's using the materials to make weapons strong enough to rival the Chitauri stuff," Lincoln said.
"That sounds troubling," Stella said. "I can try to look into this when I have the time. If you'd like me to that is."
"Honestly, I don't feel right asking you to," Lincoln said. "But if you choose to, well I guess I can't tell you not to. Just don't do more than you can."
"I'll try to manage, for your sake at least," Stella said. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop, not knowing what you're going through can be anxiety inducing."
"Well I'm handling it, so you don't need to worry," Lincoln said.
"Telling me not to worry is pointless," Stella said. "We're friends, Lincoln. I'm going to worry about you as you risk your life for everyone's safety. Christina isn't even there to help."
"Don't worry, I'm not hunting Klaue alone," Lincoln reassured. "The Black Panther is here too."
"The Black Panther!?" Stella asked in disbelief. "Wow! He's on par with The Avengers!"
"Yeah, he's in town, so I am not doing this alone," Lincoln said.
"Well, that puts me a little bit at ease," Stella said. "Just try not to get hurt."
"I'll make it part of the plan, for your sake at least," Lincoln said in an almost teasing tone.
Stella giggled a bit, "You're so silly."
"Stella! It's late! Off to bed! Now!" Judy called.
"Ugh, I gotta go," Stella said. "Take care, Lincoln. I..." Stella had something she wanted to say, but couldn't bring herself to say what was truly on her mind. "...Really can't way to see you again."
"You too. Bye Stella," Lincoln said before hanging up. He took note of the time. "Geez, it's getting late. I gotta get home soon."
Lincoln quickly made his way back home, hoping to avoid getting caught outside after his curfew.
Meanwhile Maggie was back home, sitting against her bed while petting The Kitty. "Seeing The Black Panther in town is a bit impressive. But his presence may cause some trouble with my plans. I'm going to have to be extra careful." She focused on the cat as it glanced at the girl with a hint of affection in its eyes. "At least I have my little Spider under my control, I just need to keep up the work. It really helps that he's adorable in his own way. He's like my own personal toy, I'll have fun playing with him."
Maggie sinisterly chuckled as she felt determined to carry on her plan. She just needed patience.