Spider-man was swinging over the city, minding his own business when he spotted it. He stopped and clang on a building's window to look at it better.
- "A BUS FULL OF PEOPLE RUNNING OUT OF CONTROL AROUND THE CITY! I've seen this movie already!" -He said out loud, not minding the people on the other side of the window taking pictures of him. He then jumped and started to chase the bus. It took him a couple of blocks to reach it and fell over the bus's roof, he went straight to the driver's window and poked his head through it.
The driver yelled desperately - "HELP! IT HAS NO BREAKS!" –
Spider-man took a look inside the bus and saw that there were at least 30 people in it, including kids.
- "Tell them to hang on as hard as they can!" -He told the driver and went to the bus's middle part upside-down and looked at the front and back wheel axles. - "Ok, this is just an easy physics problem. I just have to increase friction on the axles and the bus will stop. I hope my web is strong enough to stop it before we crash with something." -He got into the bus's bottom and shot his web to both axles, but their speed destroyed the web before it could get thick enough to stop the bus. - "Dang it!" Wait! What did Lana say about car breaks?" -He remembered something that Lana taught him about fixing Vanzilla breaks "The bigger and heavier the car, the hardest is for it to stop due to its torque, so, you need to keep the breaks at the best possible conditions, most vehicles have the breaks on the back wheels, because if you need to stop suddenly, the force that you provoke could cause you several damage if they were on the front wheels."
He turned to the back wheels axle and pointed his hands at the wheels, he shot his web at both wheels at the same time and kept it until it became big and thick around the wheels, he then pulled the web to the axle center and the bus slowed down little by little, until it finally stopped.
The driver sighed in relief and opened the door.
Still under the bus, Spider-man checked the axle and found the problem, he pulled it in took it with him, he then went out to help people to get down the bus.
When the police arrived, they asked the driver what happened.
- "I… I don't know." -The driver hesitated. - "Everything was just fine, it just suddenly failed."
- "I found the problem." -Spider-man said to the officers, keeping some distance just in case they tried to arrest him, he then showed them the breaks hose. - "Here." -He handed the hose to the officer.
- "Is it rotten or broken?" -The officer asked him.
- "It may seem so, but no, the hose was cut and burned. This was on purpose." -Spider-man told him and then he turned to the driver. - "Are you sure it was working fine before?" -
- "Absolutely! I check everything before I start my shift. And the bus was working fine before. I picked and left around 30 people before it failed." -The bus's driver explained.
The police officers and Spider-man looked at each other and then back to the bus's driver
- "Did you see something out of the ordinary? Or someone acting weird before the failure?" -An officer asked him.
- "Not much, just the "common weirdness" in the city. The weirdest thing I've seen today is our friendly neighbor right here." -He said pointing at Spider-man. - "By the way, thanks a lot for your help." -He looked at him and extended his hand.
Spider-man hesitated a little but then grabbed the man's hand and shook it. - "You're very welcome sir." -Spider-man said and after letting go the driver's hand he turned to the police officers. - "So?" -He asked.
- "Hey! You can't arrest him! He saved us!" -One of the passengers protested, then another joined him.
- "That's right! We could have died and he came to our aid!" -
And another. - "You may not like it. But he's capable to do things that no one else's can, including you. He got to the bus before any police car and stopped it without destroying the tires or doing something rash."
- "Easy. Easy people. We don't want to arrest him but to thank him." -A police officer said. - "You're right. He's capable to do many things we can't do and that's why he was capable to save you without hurting anyone." -The officer turned to Spider-man. - "Thank you for your help Spider-man. We're glad you're on our side." -The police offered his hand to him and he took it.
- "Just trying to be useful officer." -Spider-man said and released the police's hand. Then he left while people applauded to him.
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The Loud house, a little later. Lynn was finishing with her moving to her new bedroom, her sisters were giving her a hand.
- "Where the heck is Lincoln?! He should be here helping us!" -Lola whined while carrying a pack of blankets to Lynn's bedroom.
- "Let him be Lola. Maybe he's with his new girlfriend." -Luan said smiling, carrying Lynn's baseball set.
- "HAHA! Yeah right!" -Lola mocked. - "Just a few dates and they're already boyfriend and girlfriend. Sure!" -She said sarcastically.
- "Well, I saw Jordan at the restaurant today and she seemed to be in the ninth cloud." -Lucy said - "She was daydreaming and had a broad smile all the time. It was disgusting." -She said and all her sisters rolled their eyes.
- "Hey Lucy! Why do you hate happiness so much?" -Lily asked her, taking her by surprise and making the others turn to her.
- "Ahm… Eh… Well… It's… It's not like… Like I… I hate…" -Lucy hesitated and her sisters kept inquisitive looks on her. - "Like I hate happiness… it's… its… just." -
- "SORRY I'M LATE! What do you want me to do Lynn?" -Lincoln got in the room. All his sisters, except Lucy, turned to him with fire in their eyes. - "Bad timing?" -He asked them backing off and all of them nodded slowly. - "I better bring something from Lynn… Erh… from Lucy's bedroom here. I may take a while." -He got out the room.
- "I'll help you." -Lucy took the chance to get off the hook too and followed Lincoln.
Once in Lucy's bedroom, Lincoln picked her punching bag effortlessly, with just one hand.
- "WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO STRONG?!" -Lucy asked him when he saw him doing something that even Lynn can't do without help.
- "Puberty has its good points Lucy. You'll find it out for yourself at some point." -He explained.
- "Yeah! Easy for you to say, you're a boy, puberty isn't that hard for you." -Lucy seemed offended.
- "Maybe you're right. Puberty is different for boys, but still, don't just focus on the period Lucy, some good things are coming for you, I'm sure of it. Maybe I'm not the right person to tell you these sorts of things, but you can ask mom, and Luan, Lynn, Lori, Leni and Luna. Pretty sure they can give you better advise than me." -He caressed her cheek, making her blush a little and carrying the punching bag to Lynn's bedroom.
After that, all of them kept moving Lynn's stuff to her new bedroom and after a couple of hours, everything was almost ready. Lincoln was carrying a box with some old sport uniforms when his phone jingled, he checked the message. "Hey Linky! I finished my shift! Wanna hang out a little while?" The message also had some emojis with happy faces and kissing faces. Lincoln smiled and blushed a little. He messaged back "Sorry JJ, I'm helping Lynn to move to her new bedroom. Maybe tomorrow." -He sent the message and took the box to Lynn's bedroom, just when he put the box on Lynn's bed his phone jingled again. "AAAWWW! Come on Linky, we'll get back to school next week! Just a little while, please. Maybe I can go to your place and help too." She suggested.
- "Hey guys! Can Jordan come over to hang out a little?" -He asked his family and all of them agreed. He texted back. "Sure! That would be great! He added some emojis with broad smiles and sent it. He didn't even put his phone back into his pocket when he got a new message. "PERFECT! I'll be there soon!" lots of happy faces were with that message.
When Jordan arrived at the Loud house, the moving was over, what a shame, Jordan knocked at the door, she learned the hard way to never, ever, ring the Loud house's doorbell. Lisa was the one that opened the door. - "Hi Lisa. How are you?" -She asked the eight years old girl.
- "Really fine Jordan. Good to see you here, although we've finished with Lynn's moving to her new bedroom. I'm sure my brother will be happy to see you." -She let her get in the house.
- "Thanks Lisa. I hope so. May I take a seat." -
- "Yes. Of course! Feel yourself at home." -Lisa said and Jordan sat on the couch and Lisa sat beside her with a Quantum Physics book, but she took a moment to look at the girl, who was looking around, trying to find Lincoln. - "He's in the bathroom." -She said as a matter of fact, smirking a little and going back to her book.
- "Oh! Am I that obvious?" -Jordan asked her, blushing.
- "A little bit, yes. But it's ok, you like my brother and he likes you back."
- "REALLY?!" -Jordan asked her excitedly, a big smile, sparkling eyes and high hopes in her heart.
- "Yeah. He's been in a very good mood since that first date. Haven't seen him like that since before Ronnie Ann's departure and…" -Lisa fell silent when she noticed Jordan's look and gulped "wrong move Lisa" she thought. - "Well… you know… Hehe… he… and Ronnie were… very close… Hehe… Despite the harmless bullying she used to do to Lincoln, both of them enjoyed each other company and… well… when she left… he… he was a little depressed… but… but… he got over it after a while and… and… moved on and…" -Jordan's glare on her was making Lisa uncomfortable. - "But… now he's really happy and cheerful and… well… he enjoys your company Jordan… And… And… he… maybe he'll ask you to be his girlfriend soon." -Lisa finished and after a few seconds Jordan looked away from her, sighing.
- "Not so sure about that." -Jordan said looking at the floor.
- "Wha… What?! Why do you say that?" -Lisa asked her.
- "Well… We've had a few dates and hanged out for a while, and I really, really enjoy every moment I spent with him, but it seems that when he's about to ask me to be his girlfriend, something bothers him and misses the chance.
- "How's so?" -Lisa asked her.
- "Well… Three days ago we were having lunch at the burping burger and having a great time, he took my hand and told I was pretty, everything was settled, he just had to ask, and obviously I'd say yes, but then, he excused himself to the bathroom and I stood there like 20 minutes waiting for him, when I finally decided to leave he came back breathing hard and sweating like crazy, he apologized to me and walked me home, he said he was very sorry, pecked me on the cheek and left." -
- "Interesting. Did you say it happened last week, around midday?" -Lisa asked her quite interested.
- "Uhm… yeah" -Jordan said not understanding the sudden interest from the girl.
- "Do you remember other situations like that one?" -Lisa asked her going closer to her.
- "I… think so, why do you ask?" -
- "I'm doing a little research about teens behavior, and Lincoln, as the only male teen close to me, is a very interesting specimen." -Lisa answered looking straight at Jordan's eyes. - "Now tell me about those other times something like that has happened."
- "Well… ok, the day after our first date, we hanged out after work and were fooling around the mall, we were at the arcade and he was beating this really hard metal slug 3 final boss effortlessly, some people were around us looking at him playing, but then his phone jingled and he checked it, then he just forgot about the game and left, excusing himself, he just left." -
Lisa seemed to take notes. - "Do you remember the time?" -She asked.
- "Uhm… Around five or five thirty in the afternoon." -
- "Ok… anything else?" -Lisa was very interested in Jordan.
- "Ahm…" -Jordan was feeling uncomfortable. - "Last week… I was… waiting for him just to take a cup of coffee and talk. But he arrived late, like an hour late, I was so angry and confused… I really thought that he's not interested in me and like crying. But he arrived with a big bouquet of roses and apologized because of work, and asked me if I still wanted to go out with him, he seemed ashamed, but he was still sweaty." -She suddenly felt angry.
- "Aha… Do you remember the time?" -Lisa tried to be empathic, but she failed.
- "Eh… around 6:00 o'clock… maybe." -
- "Mmmm… interesting." -Lisa seemed to be thinking in something, then she looked at Jordan and smiled at her. - "Don't worry Jordan, Lincoln is quite interested in you. I've said it already, I haven't seen him this happy since a while." -Lisa smiled at her and Jordan smiled back. - "Quick question Jordan?" -
- "Yes?" -
- "Can't you ask him to be your boyfriend?" -Lisa asked her and Jordan gulped. - "I know it's not very traditional but you're known to be fearless and brave. If Lincoln is afraid to ask you to be his girlfriend, why don't you ask him instead?" -Lisa suggested smirking and Jordan smirked back.
They kept chatting happily until Lincoln came down and saw them, he smiled at them and greeted them.
- "Hey girls! How are you doing?" -he approached them from behind the couch. He ruffled Lisa's hair and pecked Jordan on the cheek.
- "Hi Lincoln." -Both girls greeted him.
- "We were just chatting a little." -Lisa answered him.
- "About what?" -He asked them.
- "Just something about our common interest Linky." -Jordan grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. - "Let's go for a walk." -She said calmly and he followed her.
- "Ok. Tell mom and dad that I'd be back for dinner Lisa, please, see you." -Lincoln said before leaving the house, closing the door behind him.
Five minutes after he left, Lisa made sure he wasn't close and went to her personal bunker, once inside it she went to a blackboard and checked it. It was a conspiracy blackboard.
- "Ok. Three days ago, at midday, Lincoln "was" with Jordan at burping burger, but he left her for at least twenty minutes." -She wrote it on the blackboard. - "About that time, Spider-man stopped a bank robbery pretty close to the burping burger. It took him like ten minutes to catch, stop and knock out the three robbers." -She added a picture from Spider-man in front of the bank.
- "The day after their first date. They were hanging out at the mall's arcade and he left her. That day, was an accident in one of the locals under reparations, catching three workers under a beam,
Spider-man arrived and lifted the beam, helping them to get out, it didn't take him long, but still…" -She noted and added an image too.
- "Last week, Lincoln left early to meet Jordan, but he arrived late, at six… Before that, Spider-man was seen on many places, he saved a kid from being hit by a car, a suicidal that jumped from a building, a mugger that attacked a couple with a knife, a gang that tried to steal a safety truck full of money." -Lisa added an image of Spider-man swinging around the buildings.
- "I'm so close… Almost sure… I just need some sort of confirmation… Lincoln, why don't you trust us? or me? We can help you… Come on Linc! I'm almost certain that you're Spider-man." -She wiped her eyes. - "You help everyone you can, why don't you let us help you, by trusting us your secret." -Lisa sniffed. - "If you just tell me, I'd keep your secret, and help you. Please Lincoln, don't make me do this the hard way when you get hurt, and tell everyone my speculations about you." -Lisa started to cry. - "This is the first time in my life, that I hope to be wrong." -
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Lincoln and Jordan walked holding hands to the Ketcham park. The environment was smooth and comfortable, Lincoln offered to get her an ice cream and she accepted, while he went for the ice cream she went to sit on a bench. She made a decision while Lincoln was getting the ice cream.
- "Ok, I'm gonna do it." -She said enthusiastically. - "I'm going to ask him to be my boyfriend." -
Once Lincoln brought her the chocolate and mint ice cream, he sat beside her with his own ice cream, from the same flavor, and took her hand again. After a while, Lincoln took a deep breath and looked straight at Jordan.
- "Hey Jordan!" -He started and she looked at him. - "I… I…" -He stuttered.
- "Lincoln, before you say anything, please, let me ask you something." -
- "No, no, please let me finish. I have something very important to ask you." -
- "Not this time Lincoln. I have to ask you something before you suddenly leave me alone here." -
- "What?! I didn't mean to do that and I'm really sorry. But I really, really have something very important to ask you Jordan. Just let me talk." -
- "No way Lincoln. I have something very important to ask you too. Let me talk first." -
- "Ok. Here's the deal, we ask at the same time. Is that ok?" -She nodded at that. - "Ok, here we go. 1… 2… 3." -
- "Will you be my girlfriend / boyfriend?" -Both of them asked looking at each other eyes. Then both of them blushed hard. - "That's… That's what I wanted to ask you?" -Both of them said at the same time. - "But… but…" -Again, both of them said at the same time. – "Stop it!" -And again. They stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other, blushing. - "That's what you wanted to ask me?!" -Both of them said at the same time again and then Jordan lifted a hand.
- "We have to stop doing that now." -She said calmly and he shut his mouth and nodded at her. - "So, that's what you wanted to ask me." -She took his hands in hers and he nodded. She laughed, then he laughed too. - "Ok Lincoln, I accept to be your girlfriend, but you have to accept to be my boyfriend too. Remember that I asked you too." -She had a broad smile on her lips.
He nodded at her. - "Very well Jordan. I accept to be your boyfriend from now on." -He said and kissed her on the lips.
- "Can you walk me home? New boyfriend." -She asked him.
- "Yes, Of course! New girlfriend." -He said taking her hand, both of them walked holding hands, they finished their ice creams on their way to Jordan's home.
- "Well, we'll be back at school next Monday." -She stated when they arrived at her home.
- "Yes." -He agreed.
- "And you and me are going to be a couple." -
- "Yep." -
- "This school year is going to be awesome." -
- "I totally agree with that." -He said and kissed her on the lips, a very warm and tender kiss.
- "Our first kiss as a couple." -She said blushing and smiling at him.
- "Yeah." -He smiled at her and then he hugged her and kissed her again.
- "Ahem…" -They broke the kiss at that and they found Jordan's dad at the door frame, looking at them, he had a tender smile. - "Thank for bringing my little girl back home safe and sound young man. I really appreciate it." -He played the overprotective dad façade with Lincoln; he actually likes Lincoln and thinks that he's good for Jordan and vice versa.
- "It was my pleasure Mr. Jameson. I really like your daughter." -Lincoln played along. He turned to her again. - "I guess we'll see each other again until Monday, at school." -
- "Yes, it seems so." -She said tightening her grip on Lincoln's hand, smiling and looking at him. She pecked him on the cheek one final time. - "See you on Monday." -And she went to her dad.
- "See you on Monday." -He said and left, looking at her with a broad smile.