The following morning, Lincoln was seen getting ready for school. He felt a bit tired from having been out part of the night, and hoped he could make it through the day.
He felt a bit concerned by some of the recent development that's been happening in town. From Black Cat to Klaue, he wasn't sure what to make of the situation he found himself in.
Even stranger was knowing that The Black Panther was now in town. Lincoln wanted to feel hyped and honored about that, but Panther's dismissive behavior did not go over well with Lincoln.
Being told by a highly esteemed hero as well as a King did not bode well for Lincoln, nor did it help with his own self-confidence.
He felt a bit lost, right now he had no one he could trust. Stella had left town for a bit and Christina was gone. He felt very alone.
The only assistance he potentially had was Black Cat, and he couldn't trust her given that she herself is a thief.
But despite everything, Lincoln had to put his worries aside and be ready to save Royal Woods from whatever Klaue had planned.
After finishing in the bathroom and getting dressed, Lincoln was about to ready to go downstairs for the school bus. Though just before leaving, he heard Lana calling.
"Hey Lincoln, over here," Lana said, hoping to keep things secretive.
"Lana, we need to get ready for the bus," Lincoln said.
"I just wanted to catch up with you while I had the chance," Lana said. "First, how are things regarding your Spider-Man duties? Have you managed without Christina around?"
"Somewhat," Lincoln said. "At the very least, I've taken down some low level thugs."
"What about that burglar I told you about?" Lana asked.
"I met her, but she's proving to be very mysterious," Lincoln said.
"Mysterious?" Lana asked. "Wait, so you didn't stop her?"
"Well I got her to stop but I don't know for how long," Lincoln said. "I'm keeping an eye on her, but there's bigger trouble."
"How big?" Lana asked.
"Some guy's been selling weapons from Wakanda," Lincoln said.
"Wakanda?" Lana asked. "That's the place where The Black Panther lives."
"Yeah, I ran into him last night," Lincoln said.
Lana's eyes widened in disbelief, "Really!? Wow, lucky you. At least you have a temporary ally."
"He's not interested in working with me, he wants to handle this alone," Lincoln said.
"Alone? That's a bummer," Lana said. "But at least it's being handled."
"This is my town though, I have to be the one to protect it," Lincoln said. "Do you know how bad it makes me look when someone just comes over and acts like he's better than me?"
"Uh, no offense Lincoln, but it's The Black Panther," Lana said. "He technically outranks you."
"Well I can't just ignore this," Lincoln said. "Even if he gets mad, I gotta try something."
"Your call," Lana said, then heard the bus coming. "Guess we should hurry. But one last thing. How's Stella? Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah," Lincoln said as he began walking. "She should be having her surgery today. I hope it goes well."
"Same here," Lana said as the two went downstairs and onto the bus, ready to head off to school.
During school, Lincoln was seen taking a drink from the fountain between classes. The day dragged on for him and he awaited the chance to just leave and go look for any sign of Klaue and put a stop to his plans.
He knew he shouldn't have to worry too much given that Black Panther was in town, but that wasn't enough for the boy. Especially after his honor was basically questioned.
As he pulled away, he ran into one of his friends, "Oh, Mollie. What's up?"
"Hey Lincoln, I just wanted to check up on you," Mollie said. "I heard you went to see Stella yesterday just before she moved."
"Yeah, I had to give her a work packet," Lincoln said. "She should be getting her surgery today and hopefully be back by next week."
"That's good," Mollie said. "Still amazing that she got hurt like that. This town used to be so safe."
"Yeah, but at least we have Spider-Man," Lincoln said. "That's something that Paige and I discussed quite a bit recently."
"Honestly, I'm still ticked off about Spider-Man not nto being able to save Jordan," Mollie said. "But if Paige can handle it, without even knowing about Christina's whereabouts, I probably should too. At least I know that Jordan is somewhere safe."
"Yeah..." Lincoln said, the boy looking bothered.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't just casually talk about Christina like that," Mollie said. "I know that was hard on you too."
"It was hard on all of us," Lincoln said.
"One other sad thing is that she was a superhero too," Mollie said. "Without Firestar, Spider-Man has less help."
"He's managed before," Lincoln said. "But I don't blame anyone for doubting him, especially after letting some bad guys escape."
"Well, who knows?" Mollie said. "Someone else could decide to step up as well. New York has multiple heroes, so why shouldn't we?"
"It would be nice to have a second superhero," Lincoln said. "So long as that hero respects Spider-Man and everything he's done."
"I bet lots of heroes respect Spider-Man," Mollie said. "It's hard for one hero to not respect another."
"Right..." Lincoln bitterly stated. The two then heard the bell ring. "We better hurry."
"Yeah," Mollie said as she and Lincoln left.
Meanwhile at the Royal Woods High School, Maggie is seen eating alone under a tree as she writes some notes in a book.
"Hey girl," a nearby guy said. "How's about stepping into the light, and being with a real man?"
"Lame..." Maggie said, the girl showing no emotion. "Go, you're ruining my vibe."
Dejected, the boy walked off and immediately went to find another girl to flirt with.
Maggie glanced at the boy before smirking to herself, "Definitely not worth the excitement."
She still had plans to make, most of them involving the jewels she so desired, and the potential assets she could use to obtain them, and the obstacles in her way.
"Black Panther...I respect who you are as a strong hero and a mighty king," Maggie noted. "The question that's boggling my mind is how to deal with your presence. Spider-Man seems easy to manipulate. You however, my plans won't work on you."
Suddenly a lacrosse ball landed by her, to which Lynn ran over to grab it.
"Nearly lost this," Lynn said as she picked the ball up.
"If it isn't Lynn Loud," Maggie taunted.
Lynn turned to the emo girl, "Oh, it's you. The creepy witch girl."
"Seems like my costume left quite an impact on you," Maggie said.
"You walked around with a black cat," Lynn said. "Hard to imagine anyone with a functioning brain doing something that foolish."
"You're quite superstitious, aren't you?" Maggie asked. "An interesting personality trait for an athlete."
"Call it what you want, but the more I avoid bad luck, the more success I have," Lynn said as she began to leave. "Well, I'm out of here. Wouldn't want to catch your poor luck."
"Yes...that would be bad," Maggie said as a flash of purple ran through her eyes. "Wouldn't it?"
Not too far away, Luna was throwing some uneaten food away when she noticed the trio of Anderson, Pablo and Taylor.
She hadn't forgotten the threat Taylor made regarding Lincoln, and it angered the girl. So long as Taylor didn't do anything to hurt her brother, she would leave it as is.
But this did remind Luna to keep an eye out and make sure nothing bad happens. Otherwise she would make the recent villain attacks look like nothing compared to what she would put these bullies through if they did anything stupid.
"Luna?" Luan said as she got the girl's attention. "Are you feeling alright? You look kind of serious."
"I do?" Luna asked. "It's probably nothing then."
Luan noticed the bullies as well, a sense of worry running through her mind. "I see they're around."
"You think that girl meant what she said?" Luna asked. "I mean that threat to Lincoln."
"Hard to say," Luan said. "She might have just been talking tough."
"Lincoln's had some run ins with them, in fact it's because of him that they lost their grip on so many students," Luna said.
"Luna, I know you're worried, but stressing won't help," Luan said.
"I just want to be able to protect my brother," Luna said.
"I get that feeling," Luan said. "Don't worry, we've got plenty of sisters to keep an eye out, Plus Benny, Sam, Sully and Mazzy will keep an eye out too. They won't let Lincoln get hurt."
"Maybe if we're lucky, Spider-Man himself will keep an eye out," Luna said.
"He might," Luan said. "I don't think he would tolerate bullying."
"I suppose that helps alleviate some worry," Luna said. "But if those losers do try anything, there will be hell to pay."
Luan gestured Luna along, "Come on, let's just go before this stresses you out too much."
As Luan left with Luna, Taylor glanced in their direction, still feeling a sense of ire. She and the boys weren't done with The Louds yet, and in time, they will make their mark.
By the end of the school day, Lincoln had just left the schoolgrounds. As he did, he heard his name being called.
"Hey Lincoln!" Chloe had run over to the boy's side.
"Chloe? Did you need something?" Lincoln asked.
"I hate to bother you, but I do have a test soon," Chloe said. "Would you be able to work your tutoring magic on me again?"
"Sure, I got time," Lincoln said. "I can't stay too long, my family has a curfew."
"Because of the villains?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, my parents are worried, and have been since what happened with Christina," Lincoln said.
"My parents have been worried too, so I totally get that," Chloe said. "Anyway, I just need a refresher."
"I can help," Lincoln said. "Just tell me-"
"Actually, before you commit to anything," Chloe interrupted. "Emma might be there too. She doesn't need as much help but she might need a few pointers as well. That and my mom made some brownies so I planned to invite her over to have some."
"Brownies?" Lincoln asked. "Sounds delicious."
"There's plenty so I can get some for you too," Chloe said. "Consider it a tip for your service."
"I would never turn away a brownie," Lincoln said.
"Awesome, happy to hear," Chloe said. "I'll go and find Emma and then we'll walk to my house together."
"You got it," Lincoln said. The boy had some time before he had to meet with Maggie, so he figured he could use to to help some friends.
Of course deep down, he still felt weird about what happened the other day, but he also figured this could be a chance to set some rules and boundaries.
In town, a disguised T'Challa was walking through Royal Woods while still checking his radar. He hoped to find any sign of his stolen materials and get the drop on the thieves much quicker.
While many were detained, Klaue is still out there. T'Challa refused to let this man's crimes go unanswered.
As T'Challa walked through town, he passed by Flip's gas station. It was there he spotted a newspaper in the window featuring Spider-Man's picture on it, and the captions 'Hero or Menace?' written on top.
"The boy from last night," T'Challa said.
As he glared a bit, Flip had gotten his attention, "Hey, no browsing. Either buy something or take a hike!"
"Who is this boy?" T'Challa asked as he gestured to the picture.
"What are you new in town or something?" Flip asked. "That's Spider-Man, the local hero."
"Spider-Man..." T'Challa said in wonder.
"Yeah, he showed up like two months ago and has been beating up all kinds of crooks," Flip said. "There are some who think he's a punk, and others who don't trust him because they think he's a mutant, but most of the town likes him. Despite what J Jonah Jameson might say."
"Interesting," T'Challa said. "Is he by any chance the only superhero in town?"
"There was a girl named Firestar," Flip said. "But she was shot by her own dad for being a mutant. Real scumbag that guy is."
"How cruel," T'Challa said. "Is that all though? Has there been one dressed like a feline?"
"Not that I know of," Flip said. "By the way, something about you seems familiar."
"...I must be going," T'Challa said as he ran off.
"Hey wait!" Flip called out in vain. "Strange guy. Based on his accent, he must be a tourist or something. Tourism would be great if I could get some type of business out of it though."
Lincoln was later seen at Chloe's house, the boy looking over what Chloe had to study.
"Wow, Imaginary Numbers? That's a tricky one for sure," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, and pointless," Chloe said. "When are we going to need this in life?"
"I know it seems weird, but it's basically meant to show us that every answer has multiple possibilities," Lincoln said.
"Oh, so does that mean if there's a multiple choice test, any answer works since it's one of many possibilities?" Chloe asked in a playful and snarky way.
"Unfortunately, it's not that simple," Lincoln said. "But I'd like to see someone try using that logic and succeeding."
"Well the best thing to do now is at least try to understand it," Emma said. "I understand most of it, but it's hard for me to explain to Chloe."
"Well that's why I'm here," Lincoln said. "Now, show me the first problem."
"This one," Chloe showed hers off. "(8-3i) + (5-2i)".
"Alright, simple enough," Lincoln said.
"Simple!?" Chloe asked in disbelief. "How?"
"First, you don't actually need the parenthesis," Lincoln said. "Get rid of them and add the proper numbers. You can only add numbers that are the same."
"The same?" Chloe asked.
"What matches? What do these numbers have in common and what's different?" Lincoln asked.
"Two of them have an 'i' next to them," Chloe said.
"Well if you can't add or subtract those numbers with the ones without it, what should you do?" Lincoln asked.
"Add them all together?" Chloe asked.
"Exactly, now try solving it," Chloe said.
"Um..." Chloe did the math in her head. "So...is it 13 and 5i?"
"You're half right," Lincoln said. "Since the 2i has a minus sign, you have to treat it like a negative number. Adding a negative to a positive results in subtraction. Now, try again, what is the answer?"
"Three minus two is...one, obviously," Chloe said. "So, 1i then?"
"Put it in the proper formula," Lincoln said.
"Uh...13-1i?" Chloe asked.
"Exactly," Lincoln said. "Though if the result is one, you don't need to say it. Just say 13-i. I don't think you'd lose points but it at least looks more proper. See? Simple?"
"When you explain it," Chloe said. "I'm not as smart as you."
"Sure you are, you just need to put in an effort," Lincoln said. "I had to learn this as well. Honestly, one reason I know this stuff is because Lisa helps me. And she's six."
"Knowing a six-year-old gets it and I struggle with it is not reassuring," Chloe said.
"Well, Lisa is a genius," Emma said. "So it makes sense that she knows this stuff."
"Yeah, she even has a PhD," Lincoln said.
"Doesn't she go to second grade though?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, mostly for the social aspect," Lincoln said. "Mom and dad say that school isn't just for education, but to make friends."
"That makes sense," Emma said. "And Lisa has made friends, right?"
"Yeah, her best friend is a nice girl named Darcy Helmandollar," Lincoln said. "She's very sweet and brings out the best parts of Lisa."
"That's cute," Emma said.
"At least she made a friend," Chloe said. "Does she tutor her as well?"
"Somewhat," Lincoln said. "Lisa has trouble tutoring. She's smart but she tends to overexplain things or use too many scientific terms."
"Imagine being so smart you don't know how to dumb it down," Chloe said. "Intelligence seems like a blessing and a curse."
"It's just more of a communication thing," Lincoln said. "But Lisa's improved, and that's all that matters."
"For sure," Emma said. "Anyway, let's see if we can practice more of those imaginary number problems. The other one doesn't look too bad."
"They're easy to figure out once you remove the complications," Lincoln said. "Sometimes, things aren't always as they seem after all."
"I hope that mentality lasts," Chloe said. "Alright, now for this one..."
A couple of hours passed by. Chloe was slowly getting the problems, though stumbled a bit once exponents came into play. It took a while but she started to understand it again, though it was obviously far from easy for her.
Even Emma, who understood it better, had a bit of trouble, but Lincoln's way of explaining things reduced the complications.
Of course, Lincoln did enjoy himself, catching up with Emma and Chloe did take his mind off some troubles, even if for a little. He even got to enjoy some brownies, just as he was promised.
Lincoln spent hours explaining it before realizing the time. He looked to see that it was nearly his curfew. Much as he liked spending time with these girls, he had to leave, especially if he was going to do his real job later.
"I need to be going now," Lincoln said. "You girls did great today. We'll do this again soon."
"Thanks for coming," Chloe said. "You're a real life saver."
"It's nothing," Lincoln insisted as he stood up. "I left some notes for you. Emma, you understand it better, so make sure you review with Chloe. I even left a few tips for you to tutor her."
"That was really resourceful of you Lincoln, thank you," Emma said.
"Thanks for the brownies too," Lincoln said.
"It's the least I can do for you," Chloe said as she bashfully removed her hat. "You're a real hero, Lincoln Loud."
"Think nothing of it," an embarrassed Lincoln said. He then felt both girls kiss him on each cheek, taking the boy by surprise.
An embarrassed Emma quickly walked off while a still shy Chloe was blushing at what she did, "That's your other tip."
"...Hey, listen," Lincoln began. "About this...I mean...I know things are, well..."
"Hey," Chloe gently stroked Lincoln's face. "Remember, this doesn't have to be a romantic thing. Emma has her reasons for this but me, I've just been feeling a bit vulnerable. Being with a handsome boy like you just makes me feel better."
"Chloe, I just want a normal friendship with you," Lincoln said. "Besides, you were with Clyde not too long ago."
"Honestly, while things between me and Clyde were fun at first, as time went on, the spark just began to die," Chloe said. "I tried keeping it going but I couldn't. His clingy nature didn't help either. I know he's not a terrible person but he did leave me feeling empty."
"Clyde regrets how he handled things," Lincoln said. "I hope you give him another chance."
"I don't know about that," Chloe said. "Even if I never date you for real, I'd still rather have someone like you to fill an urge than Clyde. You're just so sincere. Clyde tried but he can't match your natural charisma."
"I have charisma?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course, why do you think so many girls have a crush on you?" Chloe asked. "Emma loved your kind personality, Jordan thought you were sexy, Christina valued your friendship. You know that other girl, Joy? The one with the braids?"
"Yeah?" Lincoln asked.
"She's looked your way too, many times," Chloe said. "I bet Paige and Mollie have wondered about you too. And Stella? That needs no explanation."
"I feel like this is an exaggeration," Lincoln said.
"Maybe you're just a little oblivious, which is cute," Chloe said. "Anyway, I'll say what I said before. You don't need to rush into another relationship. But if you're feeling lonely, call me. We can help each other out."
"I can't use you like that," Lincoln said.
"You're sweet, but don't think of it that way," Chloe said. "It's not like I'm asking much, just a quick little fling to fulfil you. If things get too awkward, we'll just go our separate ways for a bit. But, I just need to feel what a real man is like, even if for a little bit."
"...I'll think about it," Lincoln said.
"Well at least you're considering it," Chloe said. "Anyway, feel free to take more brownies before you go. We'll do this again soon, and this time, I won't do anything unless you want me too. I'll let you take the wheel, and no hard feelings if you decide against it."
"Alright, sure, that sounds nice," Lincoln said as he grabbed more treats. "I'll see you later."
Lincoln had left, leaving Chloe yearning for a bit more. She really wanted to be with Lincoln more, but understood that it was much more complicated than it seemed to be.
"Did he leave?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, you can come back out," Chloe said.
Emma returned to the living room with her face red, "What's with me? Why do I want Lincoln back all of a sudden?"
"After you two broke up, he got two consecutive girlfriends," Chloe said. "I'm telling you Em, you're jealous."
"But this isn't healthy," Emma said. "I'm not ready for a boyfriend again, so why do I-?"
"You're probably just feeling a bit lustful," Chloe said.
"Chloe!" Emma shouted.
"Hey, understanding the problem helps," Chloe said. "If I were you, I'd figure this out and decide if you do want him back. I'm doing my best to cover for you here."
"Hey don't act like you're not enjoying the idea of being with Lincoln, even if for a little bit," Emma said.
"Hey you can't blame me," Chloe said. "He was more romantic with you in the short time that you dated than Clyde was with me over the last year."
"I just don't want to hurt him," Emma said. "He's been through too much already."
"Well, like I said, figure it out," Chloe said.
"...This feels so complicated," Emma said.
"Look, it's all about figuring out the different possibilities, I know it's hard but it's doable," Chloe said, then realized something. "Well dang, guess Lincoln was right. Math is good exercise for the brain to figure out complicated stuff."
"...Seriously?" Emma asked.
"Guess this makes us Imaginary Numbers, huh?" Chloe joked. Emma furrowed her brow and walked out of the room. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad! Just see past the parenthesis!"
"You're so lame!" Emma said.
"Wow...that hurt. Guess you're the negative here." Chloe's joke earned her a pillow throw to her face, the shorter girl shrugging it off. "Meh, whatever. Anyway, let's get you home before it gets too dark."
Lincoln had made it home, safe and sound. So far no trouble, but he knew he'd get into actual trouble later in the night.
Once the sun went down and it was late enough, Lincoln grabbed his suit and started putting it on. As he did so however, he heard a knock on his door.
"Who could that be?" Lincoln wondered as he quickly put his pajamas on over his suit. "Come in!"
The door opened to reveal Lisa, "Greetings big brother, I apologize for disturbing you just before your daily nocturnal slumber."
"You mean sleep?" Lincoln asked.
"To-may-to, to-mah-to," Lisa said. "I do wish to converse with you quickly, if you can spare a moment of your time."
"Yeah, sure," Lincoln said. "Try to make it quick though, I've had a busy day."
"Well, the thing is this..." Lisa began. "I have a desire to make some form of communication with Stella."
"Stella?" Lincoln asked. "You want to talk to Stella?"
"I understand if it cannot be this second, especially at this hour," Lisa said. "Rather, I would like to communicate with her sometime in the future."
"Yeah, if you want to," Lincoln said. "I guess you're probably really missing her too."
"Well it is partially my fault that she got injured in the first place," Lisa pointed out. "She protected me from Otto which got her ribs broken in the first place. Plus her recent hospitalization was due to Otto as well, who only became the threat he is because of my experimentation."
"Lisa, I hope you don't feel like Stella blames you for her surgery," Lincoln said.
"I know she doesn't, but I must still take responsibility," Lisa insisted. "It's the least I can do for her."
"You'll get your chance next week," Lincoln said. "Stella should hopefully be back around Thanksgiving. If not the day after."
"That is reassuring to know," Lisa said. "Ideally, I would have liked to help with her surgery. I do have the qualifications to do so."
"I won't deny that, but Stella's mother may not be too comfortable with a girl your age handling her daughter's surgery," Lincoln said.
"That makes sense," Lisa said. "Anyway, I won't keep you up. I bid you goodnight, big brother."
"Yeah, goodnight," Lincoln said. After Lisa left, the boy quickly removed his pajamas and placed his mask on before leaving.
Not too long later, Lincoln had arrived back at the rooftops, and kept an eye out for any sign of either Klaue or Maggie.
Lincoln however had doubts about his current plan, "Can I even trust Black Cat? It definitely doesn't help that Black Panther barely if at all trusts me. Geez, real fine time to be solo."
He kept maneuvering around the air, hoping to find anything that could give him an advantage. As he swung around though, he came across the sign of Maggie sitting on top of a roof near a billboard.
"There's Black Cat," Lincoln swing over to land on the stop next to her. "Hey."
"Hm?" Maggie turned her attention to the boy. "Oh, well look who's back. Did ya miss me my little spider?"
"Sure, let's go with that," Lincoln said.
"Hey now," Maggie pushed Lincoln into a sitting position as she seductively began to crawl over him. "Don't be such a grump, even if it does make you look cuter."
"Hey, don't start with that!" Lincoln warned as he backed away. "I'm not interested in romance right now."
"Playing hard to get just makes me want you more," Maggie teased.
"What is it with you desiring what you can't have?" Lincoln asked.
"Life on Easy Mode is so boring," Maggie said. "Putting it at the Higher Difficulty is what makes it extra fun. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Me?" Lincoln asked.
"You're a superhero who constantly risks his life for others and you've fought dangerous people on multiple occasions. " Maggie said as she bent forward to glance into Lincoln's eyes. "You're damn near fearless, and I like that in a man."
"I wouldn't say I'm fearless," Lincoln nervously insisted. "I'm just doing my best for others."
"Regardless, you live a life of danger," Maggie said as she gently stroked Lincoln's chin. "That excites me. There's nothing I love more than danger..."
As Lincoln began to sweat, he felt a presence nearby. He turned to see Black Panther standing near the two, just glaring in curiosity.
"Huh!?" Lincoln fell over in surprise and scrambled back to his feet, hoping to move on quickly from such an embarrassing display. "Black Panther!?"
"Am I interrupting anything?" T'Challa asked.
"N-no! Not at all!" Lincoln insisted.
Maggie glared at T'Challa, the girl feeling irritated by his sudden appearance, "Where did you come from?"
"I was passing across the rooftops looking for Klaue, and I found you two here," T'Challa said. "Is this what you do on a daily basis? This does not seem becoming of superheroes."
"This isn't a daily thing!" Lincoln said. "Also, she's not a superhero."
"I do my own thing," Maggie said. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Hey! That's a king!" Lincoln said.
"Big deal, not like I like in Wakanda," Maggie said. "Don't let the look fool you, just because I'm a cat, doesn't mean I'm affiliated with Black Panther."
"You do not seem like someone we want affiliated with our culture," T'Challa said, much to Maggie's irritation. "But if you are not a hero, who are you?"
"I'm just here to help out this little spider," Maggie said. "I want those Wakandan Weapons out of my city."
"Yeah, I'm looking for them too," Lincoln said. "I need to get rid of Klaue before he causes more trouble."
"If you are looking for Klaue, then I suggest you two stop wasting time," T'Challa said. "I ran into a man who spoke highly of you, Spider-Man. He described a vigilant hero. What I am seeing now does not strike me as vigilant. Perhaps that man was wrong about you."
"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions," Lincoln said. "You just caught me on a bad night, I'm ready to put a stop to Klaue."
"He's pretty capable," Maggie said. "Ever hear of The Goblin King?"
"The Goblin King?" T'Challa asked.
"Dangerous enemy, but nothing Spider-Man couldn't handle," Maggie said.
"I have a lot of experience fighting bad guys, and Royal Woods is my home," Lincoln said. "Even if you don't let me come with you, I'm still going to look for Klaue on my own."
"...Perhaps we should work together, if only to stay out of each other's way," T'Challa said. "I will allow both of you to accompany me, but do not give me any reason to feel disappointment."
"We won't," Lincoln said, then turned to the girl beside him. "Right Black Cat?"
"I make no promises," Maggie said.
"Black Cat!" Lincoln shouted in annoyance.
"I'll follow your lead, Spidey," Maggie insisted.
"Let us go then," T'Challa said as he leapt away.
Lincoln used his webbing to swing after T'Challa.
Maggie grumbled in annoyance by T'Challa's arrival, "This better not interfere with my own plans. That would be really unlucky for a certain King."
Maggie opted to follow the two, all while making her own plans.
Meanwhile in an abandoned warehouse, the man was seen on a video call with a very familiar being.
"Have you been getting the shipment as per the schedule?" Came the voice of Johnathan Rosato.
"Yeah, it's been coming," Klaue said. "But lately, me and my guys have been running into a little problem."
"Don't tell me, is it Spider-Man?" Johnathan asked.
"Yeah, the little runt's been showing up and trying to put a halt on our plans," Klaue said, then showed off his metallic arm. "But the stuff I got really helped me put that bug in his place."
"What of that other girl? That silly sidekick of his?" Johnathan asked.
"She ain't been around neither," Klaue said. "Last I heard, she was done in by her own family."
"So, she truly is gone then," Johnathan said, the man feeling a sense of irony. "Well, just make sure Spider-Man is next."
"One problem, he found himself two more buddies, and they're both cats," Klaue said.
"Cats?" Johnathan asked. "Wait...does this have to do with The Black Panther!?"
"I'm afraid so, plus some other little lady," Klaue said. "Could be an apprentice of his."
"Curses," Johnathan said. "Just what we need."
"Don't worry, I still got all this under control," Klaue said. "Any of those blokes show up, and I'll blast them into next week."
"Good," Johnathan said. "Do not disappoint me."
With Johnathan ending the call, Klaue focused back on his impending business, "So long as I get what I want, that's all that matters."
For a second in his office, Johnathan had another thought regarding Firestar, especially upon learning her secret identity as Christina Valdez. She looked aside to see a picture of his own daughter, the man having mixed emotions.
"Kids really should listen to their parents more," Johnathan said before leaving.
Lincoln and Maggie had arrived near the warehouse, thanks to T'Challa's tracking device. They could see more trucks incoming.
"A warehouse..." Lincoln rubbed his chin. "Looks like the one where I fought The Enforcers."
"Been here before?" Maggie asked. "Mind giving me the grand tour later? It'd make for a quality date."
"Hey don't start!" Lincoln said. "Let's just focus on stopping the bad guys."
"Oh don't be like that," Maggie teased. "We can easily do both."
"That might be hard considering the potential fighting," Lincoln said.
"If you two are done flirting, we must be on the move, quietly," T'Challa said as he leapt away.
"I wasn't even..." Lincoln grumbled in annoyance. "Smooth move, Cat."
"Ignore him, he's just being a sourpuss," Maggie said.
"Whatever, I'm going ahead," Lincoln swung away.
Maggie huffed in annoyance, "The sooner we ditch the third wheel, the better."
The group had gathered near the warehouse where some henchmen was seen patrolling. They split up and snuck around.
Lincoln went behind a wall and peeked his head out, glaring at the men nearby as they walked together.
"So...where do you want to go after this?"
"I don't know, I was just going to go to bed. It's almost midnight."
"I'm hungry though, I kind of want a burger."
"There's a place in town called Burpin' Burger."
"Really? That's such a weird name."
"Try one of the fusion restaurants. This town has plenty."
"That might work better. Think they got burgers?"
"Doubt it, these restaurants are foreign and burgers are more of an American thing."
"Well what else is there?"
"How about a knuckle sandwich?" Lincoln asked.
"I suppose that...hey wait!"
The two turned around and immediately got knocked out by Lincoln. "Also, Burpin Burger is actually really good. Don't judge the restaurant by its name."
Maggie was seen smirking nearby as Lincoln knocked the guards out. She herself was seen standing over a fallen guard as well. "He works fast." She then felt someone grabbing her by the hair. "What the hell!?"
"Boss! You were right! They showed up!" The guard called.
"Let go you moron!" Maggie turned and kicked the man between his legs, causing his pupils to dilate as he keeled over in pain. "Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a lady!?"
"Open fire!" Klaue ordered as the men below began firing guns at Maggie, to which she used her acrobatics to avoid getting hit.
T'Challa landed near the men and knocked them out one by one, using swift blows and powerful uppercuts. He then did a quick leg sweep to knock a bunch of men over in a domino motion.
Some more came to take T'Challa down, but Lincoln swung in to kick one man and then used his webbing to grab the other two and flung them across the factory floor.
"Looks like you guys found yourselves in a sticky situation!" Lincoln quipped, much to T'Challa's annoyance.
Maggie leapt on one person's shoulders and stole his gun to whack him on the head. She leapt off and aimed the gun at some now nervous henchmen.
"Behave yourselves now," Maggie warned.
As they took a step back, one tried grabbing a gun quickly to fire, but T'Challa leapt in to kick a few men while Lincoln knocked away the others.
"Great work boys," Maggie said. Suddenly her gun was thwipped away. "Hey! I was using that!"
"We're here to stop the bad guys, not stoop to their level," Lincoln said. "Heroes do not need to take lives."
"I agree with you on not stooping to the level of villainy," T'Challa said as he aimed his claws at Klaue. "But there are some who do not deserve life."
"Huh?" Lincoln asked in surprise. "Wait, we're not going to kill Klaue, are we?"
"It is not my desired result, but one I will accept regardless," T'Challa said.
"Heh, welcome to the real world, kid," Klaue said as he aimed his arm. "The heroes you admire an't the nice guys you think they are. I bet even Captain America himself had to put a few men down."
"Plus, didn't you train with Black Widow?" Maggie pointed out. "You think she hasn't put a permanent end to problems?"
"I..." Lincoln still looked quite worried. "I guess...but still..."
"Make this easy for yourself, Klaue," T'Challa said. "Surrender, and things will not have to get violent."
"Sorry, but I'm making good money on this, and I ain't giving it up," Klaue said. "You want me to stop? You're gonna have to make me yourSELF!"
Klaue then blasted T'Challa, skidding him back as he fired more blast before jumping into a truck full of Wakandan resources.
"He's getting away!" Lincoln warned.
"I will not allow him to leave!" T'Challa gave chase as he ran after Klaue on foot.
"Looks like we gotta go-" Lincoln was saying, then felt Maggie grab him from behind. "Hey!"
"What? I need a ride, I can't go as fast as you," Maggie said as she hugged tighter and pressed her breasts against Lincoln's back. "Better hurry before he gets away."
"You...ugh!" Lincoln didn't argue and just swung away with Maggie holding onto him.
Klaue continued to book it down the streets in his truck, whizzing past any cars that were driving by. Fortunately due to the late hour, there weren't too many cars or pedestrians on the road.
Unfortunately however, this also allowed T'Challa to run through town without much difficulty as well.
"Lousy cat!" Klaue shouted as he sped through town. "There's no way I'm going down after all I worked for!"
T'Challa ran through town at top speeds with Lincoln swinging over nearby, Maggie hanging on as tightly as she could.
"This is really fun!" Maggie said as she held on tight. "You do this on a regular basis!?"
"It's how I get around," Lincoln said. "Just be careful, this is very dangerous for anyone without powers."
"That's what makes it fun! I love danger!" Maggie seductively licked her lips. "It gets me all riled up!"
"Please don't be weird," Lincoln said as he kept swinging. "This is a one time favor too! Don't get used to this!"
"Whatever you say," Maggie playfully replied.
Klaue kept speeding through down, nearly running over some late night pedestrians as his pursers stayed on his tail.
Klaue broke a window and began firing at them, T'Challa being quick to roll and dodge while Lincoln evaded with quick jumps while also protecting Maggie.
"If I still had the gun, I could fire back," Maggie said.
"We won't need the gun, we can catch up to him," Lincoln reassured. "Just hang on tight!"
Lincoln leapt ahead and used his webbing to latch onto the truck and began skidding across the ground as he tried getting it to stop.
"You can't catching me, mate!" Klaue shouted as he sped up.
Lincoln did his best to slow the truck down, but the reap bumper his webbing was attached to began to break off. Fortunately Lincoln's actions still slowed the truck down enough that T'Challa was able to leap overhead and block the truck himself by standing in front of it and getting it to skid to a halt.
Not wanting to take any chances, Klaue leapt out and fled the scene on foot.
"You are not escaping!" T'Challa warned as he gave chase.
"Better hurry," Maggie said as she leapt off Lincoln's back and gave chase as well.
"Hey! Wait up!" Lincoln also followed after the two.
Klaue ran through the streets, looking for ways to gain the advantage. He then ran through the park where he came across a group of goth looking kids, "Perfect."
Near a campfire, Lucy and her friends were seen hanging out together near a campfire.
"Spirits of Royal Woods, as the midnight hour approaches, we feel your strong presence," Lucy said. "If you are out there, give us a sign, show that you can hear us."
They heard some rustling in the bushes nearby, to which Haiku noticed, "I hear something."
"A spirit perhaps?" Boris asked.
"Spirits..." Lucy said. "We mean you no harm, come out and-"
Suddenly Klaue rushed through and grabbed Lucy, holding her captive as he aimed his arm cannon at her friends, "One wrong move, and you don't have to worry about spirits coming to you. I'll send you to them instead. Permanently!"
"Could this be one of the spirits?" Bertrand asked.
"Shush!" Haiku scolded, then slowly turned to Klaue, "We want no trouble. Please release my friend."
"Do as I say, and you'll all go home safe and sound," Klaue warned.
"The idea of being a ghost is cool and all, but I don't know if this is how I want to go out," Lucy commented, then felt a squeeze.
"You ain't got a choice, little lady," Klaue warned, then heard some rustling. "No one move."
T'Challa came through the bushes, his presence surprising all the kids.
"Is that the King of Wakanda?" Persephone asked.
"We have been graced by Royalty!" Boris said.
"Your Highness, good to see you," Klaue warned as he aimed his cannon. "But I will have to cut this meeting short."
T'Challa was quick to realize that Klaue had a hostage, "Hiding behind a child? That's cowardly, even for you Klaue."
"You do what you gotta do to survive," Klaue said.
"Black Panther!" Lincoln had arrived as well and quickly noticed the situation as his mind raced with anxiety. "Lucy!? What's she doing out here so late!?"
Maggie showed up seconds later as well, and spotted the group, "Aren't these kids part of that vampire fan club or something?"
"It's Spider-Man!" Haiku said with partial excitement. "And he's with a cat!"
"A black cat," Dante said.
"Wow, so amazing!" Morpheus commented.
"Careful kids, get too close and you'll be feeling unlucky," Maggie teased.
"The only one who will be unlucky is this child," Klaue warned. "Stand down, or she dies!"
Lincoln angrily gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists, "If you do anything to that girl..."
"You'll what? Kill me?" Klaue teased. "Oh wait, you can't. It goes against that silly hero code of yours."
"Listen you!" Lincoln stepped forward, to which Klaue pressed the cannon Lucy's head, causing Lincoln to back down a second.
"That's the right idea," Klaue said as he stepped away. "I'm going to be leaving now. I'll leave the girl near the docks. If anyone follows me, she dies."
"How do we know she'll be safe?" Maggie asked. "You might off her before you get to the docks."
"Well you don't have much of a choice but to trust me," Klaue said as he backed away. "Now, if you don't mind, I got a taxi to catch."
Lincoln's heart began racing, he did not want anything bad happening to his sister. "What if one of us goes with you?"
"That won't be happening mate," Klaue said. "Don't want to be apprehended beforehand."
"Please, I can't just turn away from this!" Lincoln said. "There's gotta be another way."
"...There is one," Klaue said. He threw Lucy aside, to which T'Challa was quick to grab her. While Lincoln was distracted, he took a blast point blank to his chest and was sent flying. "There's your trade!"
"Spider-Man!" Maggie was about to check on Lincoln but ended up ducking from a blast.
The moment T'Challa placed Lucy down, he too took a blast to his chest and stumbled back as Klaue made a run for it.
"He's getting away!" Haiku said.
"Never mind that, the heroes got hurt!" Persephone said.
T'Challa shook off his attack and ran after Klaue, leaving Lincoln behind as Maggie checked on the hero. She noticed that his suit was damaged and there were some burn marks.
"Man, Wakandan Energy is no joke," Maggie said.
"Is he alright!?" Lucy checked on Spider-Man as well.
"Well he's definitely hurt," Maggie said.
"Spider-Man!" Lucy glanced down at Lincoln. "Spider-Man! Wake up!"
"Huh?" Lincoln opened his eyes to see Lucy glancing down at him. He could briefly notice her eyes, ones she hid for the most part, and for good reason. She had emotion in her eyes, ones she preferred to hide. "Lucy?"
"Yes, I'm...wait," Lucy scratched her head. "You know my name?"
"Of course, you're my..." The more Lincoln regained his consciousness, the more he realized what he was saying. "Uh...you're my biggest fan...'s little sister! Yeah, I get fan mail from a boy named Lincoln Loud. He mentioned you once or twice."
"Oh, did he now?" Lucy asked while blushing a bit. "Anything interesting?"
"That you're really nice, but he worries a lot about you sometimes," Lincoln said. "I bet he's wondering why you're out so late."
"I...wanted to do a seance thing with my friends," Lucy confessed. "Doing it around midnight is much more preferable. The link between the human world and the spirit world weakens around that time. It also makes for a good dramatic flair."
"Well you really should be getting home," Lincoln said. "In fact, all of you should be getting home! If you don't, I will call your parents!"
"How? You don't have their phone numbers," Boris said.
"I have my ways," Lincoln warned.
"...We should listen," Haiku said. "Come on."
Just before Lucy left, she felt Lincoln's hand on her shoulder. She turned to the boy she did not know was secretly her brother in disguise, "What's wrong?"
"Are you hurt?" Lincoln asked.
"I feel a little roughed up, but I'm not hurt," Lucy said.
"Good...based on how your brother speaks about his sisters, I think he'd be really upset if something bad happened to you," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, if I know Lincoln, he'd probably flip out knowing I was out way past curfew," Lucy said. "He's a good brother though. He's one of the only siblings of mine that doesn't poke fun at my hobbies. He even enjoys them sometimes. Our favorite thing to do is hunt for ghosts together. We dont' always have luck, but it's still fun."
"Hunting ghosts?" Maggie asked. "Quite scary hobby for a little girl."
"I don't scare easily," Lucy said.
"Not even right now?" Maggie asked.
"Well, yeah, I was scared," Lucy said. "I actually was afraid of dying. Weird since I want to be a ghost."
"I think if you died, your family would be sad," Lincoln said.
"They would be," Lucy said. "Anyway, who's this cat girl? Is she a new superhero?"
"She's a temp," Lincoln said.
"He just loooooves having me around," Maggie said as she seductively hugged Lincoln. "Me and this spider are having a lot of fun together."
"Knock it off!" Lincoln warned.
Lucy turned away in jealousy, "I think I like Firestar better."
"Jealous?" Maggie teased.
Lincoln stood up and began to walk off, "This has been fun and all, but I have a villain to capture."
He swung away to find Klaue, to which Maggie joined shortly after, "Catch you later, little girl."
"Hey!" Lucy shouted in annoyance. "I'm not just some little girl."
"Compared to her, definitely little," Haiku said. "Have you seen her body?"
"I have," Morpheus said with a goofy smile.
"Oh shut up," Boris scolded.
Lincoln dashed through the woods with revenge on his mind. As he came out, he saw Klaue aiming his cannon at T'Challa just as he was about to enter a car.
"You may have survived one hit, but don't expect to survive another!" Klaue warned.
"The only one in danger is you, Klaue," T'Challa warned. "Surrender now."
"Not happening!" Just before Klaue fired, Lincoln leapt over and punched the man hard across the jaw.
"That's for threatening that little girl!" He then kicked him against a car. "And that's for all the trouble you've caused me!" Lincoln rushed over and readied a punch. "You know, it's pretty much beneath me to take out someone with prosthetic limbs! But you might be worth the exception!"
"Halt Spider-Man!" T'Challa warned. "Allow me to take over."
"No way! This is personal!" Lincoln said. "I'm not going to allow this-"
Klaue immediately blasted Lincoln back and tried to escape, but T'Challa was quick to restrain him, "You are not escaping. I am bringing you back to Wakanda."
"This ain't over!" Klaue warned as T'Challa cuffed him.
"Wow, looks like we make a great team after all," Lincoln said.
"We did not win because of our teamwork," T'Challa said. "We won in spite of our teamwork."
"What does that mean?" Lincoln asked.
"You may be a brave hero, one revered by many," T'Challa said as he lifted Klaue up. "But you are still a naive child who acts on emotions rather than logic."
"Are you serious!?" Lincoln asked. "I followed your orders, didn't I!?"
"Yes, and you also played games with that cat, let your guard down in a hostage situation, and nearly let your anger get the better of you," T'Challa said. "If you are to be a protector, you must train hard in body, mind and spirit."
"I lasted this long, didn't I?" Lincoln asked.
"Alone? Or with others?" T'Challa asked.
"Does it matter?" Lincoln said. "Having friends shouldn't be a bad thing.
"It is if it makes you sloppy," T'Challa said as he turned to leave. "Treating this like a game will not allow you to protect those you claim to care about. If you cannot find it in you to protect others as you should, then perhaps you are better off not being a hero."
T'Challa left Lincoln behind, the boy standing there in disbelief. "He's not serious...is he?"
Not too long later, Maggie had stepped out of the park, the girl looking around for any sign of T'Challa. "So...where'd the big guy go?"
"He left...he took Klaue," Lincoln said.
"So...that's it? Our work here is done?" Maggie asked.
"I guess," Lincoln said. "Feels a bit anti-climatic."
"Fine by me, I just wanted that guy gone," Maggie said. "Chalk it up to teamwork."
"Pfft, Black Panther doesn't see it that way," Lincoln said. "He treated me like a burden! I'm the biggest hero in town!"
"You're the only hero," Maggie said.
"I'm still capable, aren't I?" Lincoln asked. "In fact, I could even take you in right now! You still need to answer for your theft!"
"Sorry, but I don't know if I feel like going to jail right now," Maggie said.
"What makes you think you even have a choice!?" Lincoln asked.
"Do you really want to?" Maggie asked. "Are you willing to throw away your only ally right now?"
"I can't have a crook as my ally," Lincoln said.
"Shame, because I really like you," Maggie said as she bent down. "And I mean...REALLY...like you."
"Listen, I am a hero of the law, and I will not be tempted by-" Lincoln's rambling was interrupted when Maggie lifted his mask part of the way up to pull the boy into a kiss, one that took him by surprise.
As Maggie kissed Lincoln, she took a second to glance at some Wakandan Materials she swiped without anyone noticing before putting it away.
After several seconds, Maggie pulled away and tapped Lincoln on the nose, "See you around, cutie."
She then made her leave as Lincoln stayed behind, completely enamored by what happened. "Whoa...here kitty kitty. Where...?" He then shook his head in annoyance. "Oh...don't tell me..." He then shouted into the night. "BLACK CAAAAAAAAAAT!"
"Hey shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" A voice called, much to Lincoln's annoyance.
"Ugh..." Lincoln opted to instead check on Lucy and make sure she got home safely. He of course would keep it quiet, not to protect his secret, but rather keep Lucy out of trouble.
Despite everything, Lincoln couldn't help but feel like this wasn't over.
Elsewhere, a familiar scientist is preparing for a comeback, and to put an end to Spider-Man for good.
"Octavius," Warren said as he made his way over to the scientist. "Have you made progress on our plan?"
"Yes, quite remarkably," Otto said as he showed Warren a list. "This is a report of every incarcerated being that Spider-Man has apprehended. It's an incredible list I should say."
"I should say..." Warren read from the list. "Herman Shultz, also referred to as, The Shocker."
"His first major capture, during a Block Party in Royal Woods too," Otto said.
"Adrian Toomes, also known as The Vulture," Warren said.
"During a Veterans tribute too," Otto said. "How anti-American."
"Vic McGillicuddy," Warren read. "Known as Electro."
"Former Mayor's assistant too," Otto said. "His first teamup with Firestar."
"Dimitri Smerdyakov," Warren said. "The Chameleon."
"Related to Johnathan Rosato too, one of the richest men in Royal Woods," Otto said.
"Stan Stancko," Warren read. "Known as The Rhino."
"He attacked some father-son picnic," Otto said. "Bit shameful but who am I to judge?"
"Serigei Kravenoff," Warren read. "That's a familiar name."
"Sure it," Otto said.
"I see those Enforcer goons," Warren said. "Uninteresting."
"They've served their purpose, though I suppose The Big Man won't be happy about their failures," Otto said.
"When is he ever?" Warren said, then kept reading. "Ah, La Tigresa. I helped her out not too long ago."
"How kind of you," Otto said. "I must say, this is quite the list."
"Indeed..." Warren took note of something. "A lizard, must be Doctor Connors. That poor man."
"He won't be of use to us," Otto said. "So, plenty to pick from, who should we choose?"
"We need the most Sinister of this list," Warren said. "Enough to put an end to Spider-Man, once and for all."