"Because I'm a mutant too!" Lincoln reluctantly admitted.

His family stared as they processed what he had just told them. The X-Men and his friends waited to see how they would react. Lincoln stood with his eyes closed and his body all tense as he expected the worst. He could feel his eyes beginning to water as he feared his family wouldn't react well to this revelation. They would probably reject him. I mean, who would want to be related to a freak? After a moment of painful and tense silence, someone finally spoke.

"Lincoln, how long have you known this?" Lori asked.

"Since yesterday," Lincoln confessed.

"Is that when you discovered your powers, Bro?" Luna asked.

"Y-Yes."

"Lincoln, why didn't you tell us?" a concerned Rita asked her son.

"I-I was afraid that…" Lincoln struggled to answer but his anxiety was still strong.

"Hey guys, what are we all standing around for?" a gruff Canadian voice interrupted the moment. Everyone turned to see Wolverine walking toward them.

"Where have you been?" Cyclops asked.

"No time for chatter, the Brotherhood could strike again at any time."

As Wolverine approached the group, his claws began to protrude from his left hand. Suddenly, someone tackled him into a nearby store. Cyclops, Jean, and Colossus ran over to see what was happening only to find two Wolverines facing each other.

"Wait!" both identical combatants yelled at the same time.

One of the Wolverines jumped up and pulled the metallic store front gate down trapping them both in and preventing any of the other X-Men from entering. Wolverine (the real one) knew that if his comrades spent too much time trying to figure out which one was the imposter, they would run the risk of losing the kid they were sent here to protect to the enemy. With his friends unable to help, and get distracted, the gruff X-Man could fight without any worries.

Suddenly, a long tentacle-like tongue came out of nowhere, wrapped around Lincoln's waist, and hoisted the boy up into the air. Everyone turned when they heard the boy's scream. They saw Toad perched on a railing on the upper level looking down at them and laughing mockingly while holding Lincoln by one of his legs in his right hand.

"Did you think we'd give up so easy, X-Chumps?!" he taunted his foes on the lower level.

"Toad!" Cyclops got ready to blast him with his ocular beams.

"No, Cyclops!" Jean stopped him. "You might accidently hit Lincoln!"

Rita Loud glared up at the fiend holding her only son hostage. Her glare intensified with every passing second, her eyes becoming bloodshot as her maternal instincts rapidly kicked in.

"Lynn, hold Lily!" she ordered her husband. Then she stepped forward and turned her attention back to her son's captor. "Listen you punk!" she yelled in a threatening tone. "You harm even one hair on my baby boy's head, and I'll make you pay!"

Unintimidated by the human mother's threat, Toad whipped his long tongue out and attempted to strike her. However, much to his surprise, the unflinching mother grabbed the tongue and gave it a might pull causing Toad to release Lincoln. Jean caught the boy in the air with her telekinesis and gently set him down on the ground. Everyone watched as Rita swung the amphibious mutant around and around in the air. A few swings later, Rita released the tongue and sent Toad hurling into Flip's hotdog stand, which was nearby, destroying it.

"Hey! You're gonna have to pay for all those!" Flip angrily scolded the mutant thug.

"Everyone get moving!" Cyclops ordered leading everyone away from the area.

They had to get out of the opening and make it harder for anymore Brotherhood members to find them.

Back in the store, the two Wolverines continued to fight each other. One was thrown against a wall. The other lunged forward to take a swipe with their claws. The other one attempted to block with their own claws but their attacker sliced right through the blades causing the other one to exclaim in pain.

"Yours aren't as strong as the real thing, Mystique!" the real Wolverine said as he prepared to deliver a final strike.

However, his opponent's head transformed into Cyclops's without the visor and blasted him off the ground and through the ceiling. Then they turned their gaze to the store's front gate and blasted a big hole through it. Mystique walked through the hole and back into the mall reverting to her true form.

Meanwhile, the Louds, Lincoln's friends, and the other X-Men were dashing through the mall, running past scared and confused mallgoers, to find a place to take cover. A place that will make it difficult for the Brotherhood to find them.

"Where are we going?" Leni asked.

"We need to find a place where it will be difficult for the enemy to find your brother," Cyclops answered.

"What about the big department store?" Leni suggested pointing over to the entrance of the mentioned store. "That place is pretty big, I got lost in there a dozen times when I first discovered it."

"Kitty, Colossus," Cyclops addressed his teammates. "Take everyone into that store and keep them safe. Jean, Storm, and I will stay out here and try to drive off the Brotherhood. If anything happens, get them out of here."

"You can count on us, Cyclops," Shadowcat assured.

The young brunette and her tall metallic partner usured the Louds and Lincoln's friends into the store while their elder comrades stayed outside ready to defend. They two figures making their way toward them. A moment later, they were revealed to be Pyro and Toad.

"There you are!" Pyro tauntingly said noticing the three X-Men. "We were beginning to think you all left without saying goodbye."

"Now tell us where the kid is," Toad demanded.

"You want him? You'll have to go through us!" Jean declared.

The three X-Men got into battle stances ready to fight.

"Fine by us!" Pyro replied as he and Toad got ready to fight as well.

Back inside the department store, Shadowcat and Colossus had split the Louds and Lincoln's friends into two groups at different parts of the store so that if a member of the Brotherhood managed to come in, they would have a more difficult time trying to find him. Lynn Sr., Rusty, Liam, Luan, Leni, Lola, Lori, and Lucy went with Colossus while Lincoln, Clyde, Stella, Zach, Lynn Jr., Lisa, Lana, Luna, Lily, and Rita stayed with Shadowcat. During that time, both groups used the opportunity to get to know each other.

"So, you're a mutant, huh?" the Loud patriarch asked the Russian.

"Da," Colossus replied. "I first discovered my power when I stopped a runaway tractor from running over my little sister, Illyana."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Rusty complimented.

"Who would've thought that beneath that tough, shiny metal exterior was a heart of gold?" a smitten Lola said.

"What power does your partner have?" Lori asked.

"You mean Kitty?" the friendly Russian asked. There was a noticeable blush on his metallic face. "She's got quite a special gift."

Elsewhere, Shadowcat was getting to know the people in her group.

"And with my ability to phase through any object, I was able to prove myself a most valuable team player for the X-Men," she explained.

"Wow, that sounds awesome," Stella complimented.

"Bet bad guys are never able to touch you," an impressed Clyde added.

"If I had your power, I could be the most unstoppable football player ever," Lynn commented.

Kitty was surprised and pleased at all the positive feedback after explaining her power.

"Thanks guys, that really means a lot," she expressed her gratitude. "It's nice to hear praise for my gift instead of people thinking I might try to steal something or rob a bank."

There was a small hint of sadness in her voice at the end of that sentence which the others caught onto. Lincoln put his hand on her hand and looked up at her with a warm smile that let her know she had his trust. Rita put her hand on Kitty's shoulder and wore a similar expression to her son's.

"Young lady, you saved my only son from a group of thugs, and if he trusts you then you have my trust as well," the matriarch warmly said to the teenage X-girl. "Mutant or otherwise."

Hearing his mother say that lifted Lincoln's heart. If his family and friends could accept a complete stranger as a mutant, then most likely they could him.

"Who are those jerks anyway?" Lynn asked.

"They call themselves the Brotherhood of Mutants," Kitty explained.

At the same time, Colossus was explaining who the enemy was to his group.

"They're a radical group of individuals that believe humans are oppressive and inferior to mutantkind," the Russian told them. "Their mission is to ensure mutants replace humans as the dominant species on the planet."

"That's awful!" a disturbed Stella said after hearing Shadowcat explain the enemy's objective.

"To that end, they are always on the look out for mutants with potential to recruit into their ranks," the X-girl explained. "They came here to Royal Woods looking for Lincoln."

"What?! Why Lincoln?!" Leni asked horrified.

"They see potential in his power," Colossus answered.

"And they believe it could aid their cause," Kitty finished.

"After that disaster of a magic show, they probably want to take him more than ever," Lola remarked. This earned her an elbow to the arm for her thoughtlessness from Lana who pointed out how down their brother was looking. "Oh! I mean… maybe not?" she nervously said trying to ease the mood realizing her mistake.

Lincoln looked so distraught. His sister's comment, thought insensitive, wasn't entirely wrong. Losing control of his power caused disastrous consequences which the Brotherhood witnessed. Now that they've seen what he's capable of, they weren't going to give up so easy. How could he had been so irresponsible?! He practically painted a target on himself! His family and friends were now caught in the crossfire, and it was all his fault!

"So, what kind of power does Lincoln have anyway?" a curious Lynn asked.

"You wanna tell them that too, Bud?" Clyde asked his best friend.

"It's okay, Clyde," Lincoln replied snapping out of his self-blaming funk a little. "I think it may be some kind of telekinesis."

"Our teammate, Jean Grey, has telekinesis," Kitty said. "But what we all witnessed at that magic show didn't look anything like hers."

"Would it be okay to request a small demonstration?" Lisa asked.

Lincoln was hesitant. He didn't want to lose control again.

"If you start small and slowly work your way up, you're less likely to lose control," Kitty gently encouraged the white-haired boy.

Taking her advice to heart, Lincoln raised his hand and aimed it at a small perfume bottle sitting on a nearby table. After a moment of concentration, a grayish moving aura surrounded the bottle and it was slowly lifted off the table and into the air right before everyone's eyes.

"Hold on a second," Lisa said and walked over to the floating perfume bottle. She reached up to touch it with her index finger. Then she pulled it away just she was a few centimeters from touching the bottle.

"You alright, Honey?" Rita asked her second youngest daughter.

"Yes, Mother," she replied. "Just felt a little breeze on my finger." Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. "Of course! That's it!"

"What's it, Lisa?" Lincoln asked placing the bottle back on the table.

"There was a small, but strong, current of air encircling the bottle," the brainy toddler explained. "So strong that it could move the bottle anywhere the current's controller willed."

"What are you saying, Lis?" Luna asked confused.

"I'm saying Lincoln's power may not be telekinesis at all. It's air manipulation! He's able to control the flow of air around him and bend it to his will."

Everyone in the group was shocked and surprised after hearing Lisa's explanation.

"So, Lincoln can control air?" Zach asked. "Just like in that one show about that boy who can bend air."

"You alright, Lincoln?" Clyde asked concerned.

"I can control air!" an astonished Lincoln quietly said to himself.

"Well, whatever his power is, we still need to make sure the Brotherhood doesn't find him," Kitty said.

Suddenly, she felt a strong, piercing grip on her shoulder. But before she could react, she was hurled away and crashed into a rack of shirts that was twenty feet from the group. The assailant was none other than Sabretooth, who had tracked their scent to the department store.

"Kitty!" Lincoln cried.

Everyone turned to the tall, muscular brute standing before them. He took a few steps closer. But then Rita handed Lily to Luna and stood between their enemy and the children.

"I'm warning you, DON'T mess with Mama Loud!" she threatened. She looked ready to fight like a wild animal to protect her family.

Unfortunately, Sabretooth wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off her feet.

"Mom!" the Loud kids cried.

"Scream for me!" Sabretooth sadistically demanded bringing Rita's face closer to his so she could get a good look at his eyes.

The Loud matriarch's strength and courage faded, and fear rose as she stared into eyes filled with bloodlust. Lynn, in an attempt to save her mother, gave Sabretooth a hard kick to the left side of his ribs. However, this only seemed to annoy him a little.

"Be patient," he demanded with a cruel grin. "You're next!"

Who would've thought anyone could intimidate Lynn Jr. and cause her to take a few steps back. Sabretooth turned his attention back to the woman in his grasp.

"Let her go!" Lincoln anxiously demanded.

The boy's plea fell on deaf ears and Sabretooth cackled wickedly as he brandished his claws in Rita's face giving her an idea what he had instore for her. But before he could do anything to her, the fiend felt a strong metallic hand grip his shoulder. He released the matriarch and turned to see who had just grabbed him from behind. Suddenly, he felt a metal fist collide with his face and send him flying backward forty feet into a rack of clothing.

"Zhivotnoye!" an angry Colossus growled. Then he turned his attention to his injured comrade. "Kitty!" He ran over to his unconscious teammate and cradled her up in his muscular metal arms.

"Is she okay?" a very concerned Lincoln asked.

"She's hurt but I'm sure she'll be okay," Colossus replied. "We'd better get moving."

Knowing that the rest of his teammates were just outside the entrance fighting the Brotherhood, Colossus smashed through a wall creating an opening into a neighboring store. He stepped through the hole he had made carrying the unconscious Shadowcat. The Louds and Lincoln's friends followed right behind. They exited the store through its entrance. Cyclops, Jean, and Storm were still fighting Pyro and Toad near the department store entrance. Luckily, they were able to sneak away unnoticed. Once they were far enough away from the fight, everyone stopped for a moment to catch their breathes.

"Piotr?" Shadowcat asked drowsily looking up at her colossal teammate as she regained consciousness.

Everyone was relieved to hear her voice.

"Kitty!" he said with relief as he set her feet on the ground but still held her torso to keep her balanced. "Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"Our position was compromised."

"This isn't going to work," Lisa informed them. "Despite your powers, there's just too many people to protect."

"What are we gonna do?" Leni asked anxiously.

"Any plans, Lincoln?" Clyde asked hoping his best friend could come up with one of his famous schemes.

Lincoln took a moment to think. The fear of being captured and his loved ones getting hurt was making hard to concentrate. Everyone else was looking just as nervous and scared as he was. Eventually, he thought of something. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

"Okay, everybody listen up," the white-haired boy said getting everyone's attention. "This plan is a bit of a work-in-progress and I'm making it up as I go. Lisa's right, our X-Men friends can't protect all of us and fight the Brotherhood at the same time forever. We need to minimize the risks."

"What do we do, Lincoln?" Stella asked.

"We'll have to split up."