Stella Star Arc

Note that the arc title and following sub-headings are fan-made and used to better organize the story.

The Stella Star Arc is the fifth story arc in SPY x FAMILY.

To become an Imperial Scholar, Anya begins trying to get Stella Stars with the help of Loid and Yor.

The Dodgeball Game
Henry Henderson starts his early morning routine at Eden Academy. After completing his jog, he heads to Cecile Hall's dormitory for a shower. Afterward, he dons his elegant attire and starts making some tea. After greeting the dorm tutor, the two discuss over tea how Anya got a Tonitrus Bolt on her first day and the lesson students must learn of true elegance to continue the school's traditions.

In the dorm's common room, Damian looks solemnly at the group photo taken during orientation, where he stands alone. Ewen Egeburg and Emile Elman approach him with a photo album featuring many photographs of Damian's older brother's accomplishments and status as an Imperial Scholar while Damian looks dispirited. However, Ewen and Emile are confident that Damian will be the first in their grade to get a Stella and mention that there is an opportunity in next week's dodgeball tournament for P.E. class, where it is rumored that the MVP of the game will be rewarded a Stella.

While waiting for classes to begin, Henry reads a book on the history of Eden while listening to music on his phonograph. He finishes reading and looks out the window, ready for another elegant day at Eden Academy. However, he is instead greeted by Damian, Emile, and Ewen fighting with Anya and Becky. Henry wears a disappointed look at their inelegance.

Anya returns home to tell Loid about the dodgeball game rumor. Loid doubts that students would get a Stella from the game, but Yor is determined to help Anya do well, and the two train. Yor puts Anya through several training methods and teaches her a "killer move."

On the day of the game, Henderson is present, announcing that he will oversee the interclass dodgeball match between Cecile Hall and Wald Hall in place of Coach Bobby, who is out sick. Damian throws the first ball of the game, aiming for Bill Watkins, a large muscular student from Wald Hall, who effortlessly catches it. With each throw, Bill eliminates most of Cecile Hall's players. Damian works with Ewen and Emile to take out Bill, but the other two are eliminated, leaving only Damian, Anya, and another student left in their team.

Bill decides to go after Anya, but by listening to his thoughts, she easily dodges all his throws. However, Anya accidentally trips, and Bill sees his chance and hurls a ball toward her. Damian jumps in the way and tries to catch the ball but is eliminated. Anya acknowledges Damian's selfless act and announces she will get revenge for his "death." Anya uses her "killer move" and throws the ball, which hits the ground and bounces toward Bill, who throws the ball right back and hits her, and Wald Hall wins the game.

Bill and his team are excited with their victory, thinking he will get a Stella Star. However, Henry informs them that the rumor was false, but proposes giving Bill a Tonitrus Bolt for his improper language when throwing the ball at Anya earlier. Damian walks over to Anya and yells at her for her terrible throw. As Ewen, Emile, and Becky join in and start to argue, Henry changes his mind about the group being worthy of a Stella Star for their teamwork.

Anya's Stella Star
Loid sees Anya's grades and sees that she failed all the tests. Loid calls out to Anya, who claims to be busy watching cartoons. He takes Anya away so they can start studying, which Anya struggles with. Anya only had difficulty with her test because she read the mind of a student that also failed and schemes to learn who does best at each subject so she can read their mind for future tests. Loid thinks of having Anya's grades changed in the school's records but worries that the sudden improvement would garner suspicion and resentment from her peers, and the thought of it discourages Anya. Loid wonders if he is being too hard on Anya with her studies and decides to have her try some extracurricular activities instead, which Anya fails horribly at. Despite this, Loid acknowledges Anya's determination to work hard.

The next day, Loid takes Anya to the hospital to do community service in hopes to have her earn a Stella Star that way. Loid recounts that outside of academic achievement, Stellas can be awarded for long-term community service and heroic acts like life-saving and police assistance. Loid and Anya are given several tasks, but Anya fails each of them as she messes around the hospital. The head nurse loses her patience and yells at the two of them, excusing them from service. As they dejectedly make their way out of the hospital, Anya hears the cries of Ken, a patient at the hospital that has fallen into the rehabilitation pool.

Fearing about exposing her abilities, Anya runs off to the pool, to Loid's confusion. Anya frantically looks around for Ken before seeing his air bubbles and hearing more of his cries for help. Anya dives into the pool after the boy but is unable to swim and starts losing air. Luckily, Loid dives into the pool in time and saves the children. Loid explains the situation to the adults, and despite her recklessness, Anya is praised for her efforts. Later at school, Anya is awarded her first Stella Star for saving Ken's life.

Afterward, a disguised Handler and Twilight meet to discuss Anya's achievement. Handler mentions that several businesses linked to Donovan have made suspicious financial transactions recently and tells Twilight to quickly find a way to get close to Desmond, as the signs do not look good. Anya arrives at school proudly wearing her Stella Star on her chest. With newfound fame among the general student body, Anya imagines that Damian will now want to be friends with her, and Loid will praise her for helping complete his mission. However, Damian greets her by telling her to not get too full of herself before walking off, which disappoints Anya.

Becky and Anya head to class, where their classmates immediately begin to badmouth Anya for wearing her Stella Star and spread false rumors that she staged the incident. To everyone's surprise, Damian dismisses the rumors. At lunchtime, Becky asks Anya if she got a reward from her parents for earning her Stella, mentioning the gifts she has gotten, including her pet dog. This intrigues Anya, and after learning that Damian also has a dog, Anya decides to get her own to get closer to him. When she comes home, Anya asks Loid and Yor for a dog, to which they agree. Elsewhere, two men are discussing the sales of the dogs they have in holding. They intend on selling them to some revolutionaries who plan to use the dogs as bomb dogs. Among the dogs is a large white one who sees an image of Loid, Anya, and Yor in his mind.

PENGUIN PARK
After completing another extra mission, Loid meets with a man from WISE and gives him a status report on Operation Strix. Back at the Forger home, Yor and Anya decide to eat out for dinner. As Yor thinks about how doctors are busy, Anya knows that Loid went to take out an arms dealer. A tired Loid returns home and overhears the neighbors gossiping about Loid's absence from home. Wanting to avert their suspicions, Loid announces to the family that they will go out as a family next weekend, choosing an aquarium after noticing Anya's drawing. Yor worriedly suggests that Loid rests for a while, but he convinces her that they must act like normal, happy families for theirs to continue.

The weekend comes, but Loid has been working hard to complete his extra missions and is visibly worn out. On their way to the aquarium, Loid is pressured by the WISE contact to accept another mission at the aquarium, instructing him to extract a microfilm containing plans for a new dangerous chemical weapon that could endanger many lives if in the wrong hands.

At the aquarium, the Forgers encounter one of their neighbors, and following Loid's advice, Yor suggests they join them on the trip, to his dismay. Loid recalls that the intel was smuggled by a capsule inside a penguin and suggests they go see the penguins first. At the penguin exhibit, Loid is troubled after seeing how many penguins there are, so Anya decides to try and read the penguins' minds. She manages to focus and finds a penguin who has a hard time swallowing, who she points out to Loid. Deciding to investigate, Loid excuses himself and disguises himself as a newbie staff member to get close to the penguins.

Loid shocks the senior staff by memorizing all the penguins' names and feeding the correct amount of fish while crowd-controlling them to get close to his target, Parlie the emperor penguin. After grabbing Parlie, Loid confirms that this is the penguin with the microfilm, and shortly after, he is approached by a man claiming to be from Berlint University's marine biology research lab and in charge of the marine animals. Loid exposes the man's fake I.D., startling the terrorist as he escapes. Prioritizing the microfilm, Loid chooses not to pursue him. Secretly observing from above, Anya chases after the terrorist. While Yor is out looking for her, Anya grabs the man's jacket and calls for Yor that she is being kidnapped. Yor quickly rushes in and kicks the terrorist into the ceiling, knocking him out. Loid's mission is a success, obtaining both the intel and information from the captured man.

Afterward, the neighbors get suspicious of Loid for not returning, gossiping to Yor that he is probably cheating. Loid then shows up with a large-stuffed penguin, which he explains was the prize from a penguin name-guessing challenge, and claims to have played it over and over until he could get it for Anya, impressing the neighborhood ladies. Although completely spent, after seeing the smiles on Anya and Yor's faces, Loid resolves to continue working to achieve his goal of a better world. Meanwhile, the newbie that Loid disguised as is unexpectedly promoted to Chief.

After their trip to the aquarium, Anya roleplays as a spy organization with her toys at home, initiating her latest plushie, "Agent Penguinman," into their ranks. Anya takes Penguinman on a tour of their "hideout," introducing Loid and Yor as fellow agents. Anya attempts to enter her parents' rooms but is stopped and harshly scolded by Loid for trying to enter without permission. Anya starts to cry, saying she hates Loid and Yor and will run away from home. Worried about Operation Strix, Loid plays along with Anya's roleplay, picking up Penguinman and telling Anya to stop crying, and Yor joins in. After Anya relaxes, she takes her embarrassed parents outside to "stop bad guys" at the candy store, where after they buy her a snack, she is cheered up.

Story Impact

 * First appearance of Wald Hall.
 * Anya Forger earns her first Stella Star.