Lincoln sat alone in his room.
He still couldn't believe that even after all this time, everything was almost completely untouched. It was almost as if he had left it yesterday, but in reality, this room hadn't been occupied in over a decade. The old converted linen closet was a sight for sore eyes after all that had happened.
Lincoln felt strange. He was in pain, yes, but the pain seemed to be quickly subsiding. It had only been an hour since Lynn had brought him back from the past to their present, or in his case, from his present to his future. It was a surreal experience, and it almost didn't feel real. Upon looking over his body, he could see the burns and cuts given to him by his maniac captor were healing quickly. Lisa said that it was because of the nanites in his system, but the technical aspect of it was still lost on the boy.
As he continued to look around the room, the reality of the situation began to really sink in. His old life was gone. His friends were grown up, his family had changed, and he wasn't even really Lincoln Loud anymore. For all intents and purposes, he disappeared ten years ago and was now presumed dead. He had to continue his life under a forced alias, unable to tell others about who or what he really was.
A freak.
An accident.
A boy out of time.
He was stirred from his thoughts at the sound of a knock on his door. After Lisa had explained the situation to his family, he had become overwhelmed with his situation and excused himself to his room. He had almost forgotten about his family due to the angst he was feeling.
"Come in," Lincoln said.
The door opened, revealing the 23-year-old that was his sister Lynn, who only a week ago, from Lincoln's perspective, was a 13-year-old. It was still a strange feeling to see his sporty sister as a mature, responsible adult, when just a month ago in his perspective she was terrorizing him with wedgies and dutch ovens.
"Hey bro," she said tentatively. "How. . . how are you feeling?"
Lincoln shrugged, but offered no other answer. Lynn nodded sadly. How else did she expect him to be? Being kicked out of the house by his family over a stupid prank, being kidnapped and tortured for a week, and uprooted from his life and brought ten years into the future.
Though Lynn already felt terrible about this, what was worse was that they were forced to tell Lincoln about what would have happened if hadn't brought him to the future. Although the events of the past six months did not actually happen due to their actions in correcting time, the memories of the events still played fresh in their minds as if it were yesterday.
Lincoln had returned to them as a deranged terrorist, hell-bent on revenge against the family for what they had done to him. He had successfully managed to destroy most of the police presence in Michigan, as well as killing thousands in the process, including Ronnie Anne and Bobby Santiago. His reign of terror had finally come to an end when he had perished by his own hand, but the scars of what he had done remained, and the Loud Family were poised to take the fall for everything. Lynn shuddered to think about where her family would be today if they hadn't managed to correct their mistake and rescue the only male loud child.
However, it was clear that their work was far from over. They were unfortunately unable to make it back any sooner than a week after his abduction, and that meant Lincoln suffered a week of torture at the hands of his insane captor. This alone was enough to drive Lynn to tears, but she had to be strong for Lincoln's sake.
She sat down on the bed next to her brother, sighing sadly. "I....tried to keep your room as pristine as possible," said Lynn uneasily. "For when you...got back."
Lincoln said nothing, continuing to stare despondently at the floor. He and Lynn sat there for a few more minutes when she stood to leave. "I guess you probably want to be alone," she said. "I'll be here if you need me." She turned to leave the room.
"Lynn?"
Lynn turned at the sound of her name, looking at Lincoln questioningly. He still continued to stare at the floor, and Lynn made her way back to the bed. "What....what do I do now?" Lincoln said.
"What do you mean?" Lynn asked.
"Everything I knew, everything I was, is gone," said Lincoln. "My friends are grown and gone, my family moved on without me, I've missed out on ten years, and everyone thinks I'm dead. How....how am I going to handle this? What am I going to do?!" Lincoln placed his face in his hands and wept into them. Lynn immediately rushed over and placed her arm around the distraught child, trying to comfort him.
"I'm sorry, Lincoln," said Lynn. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault." Lynn and Lincoln sat there for a while, how long she did not know, while the boy sobbed to himself. Lynn felt her heart shattering as she held her brother. Eventually, his cries began to subside, and he simply sat there in saddened silence. She was desperate to make this right, but she had no idea where to start. But one thing was clear to her: she swore to be her brother's protector, and she was given a second chance of fulfilling that oath. She would do anything to see it through, protect him until the end–
She had an idea.
"Wait here, I'll be right back," she said, getting up and excusing herself. After a few minutes, she returned, holding a small box in her hands and sitting next to her brother, who looked at the box and then at her with a confused look.
"When you disappeared Lincoln, I had similar thoughts that you are having now," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "In many ways, you were a rock to me. I never knew how much I depended on you, how much we all depended on you, and when you were taken, I felt as if the world fell out from beneath my feet." Lynn sighed sadly, the pain of that day returning to her heart. She fought back tears as she continued her story.
"I didn't know what to do with myself after that," she said. "I destroyed every bat and ball I had and wouldn't pick up another sport ever since then. It no longer mattered to me as it once did. In fact, I blamed myself and my obsessions with sports as a reason for....well, so many things, really." She handed the box to Lincoln, who took it gingerly and opened it, revealing a small, white stuffed rabbit in a purple polo shirt that Lincoln recognized all too well.
"Bun-Bun!" He exclaimed, happily hugging the plush rabbit. "You saved him after all this time?"
"Saved him? More like he saved me," Lynn said.
"What do you mean?" Asked Lincoln.
"I was in a really dark place when you disappeared, Lincoln," said Lynn, her smile disappearing. "I wouldn't eat, I would barely sleep, and I was always sneaking away from home and school trying to find you. Our family fell apart, we were separated from mom and dad, and I knew it was my fault. Sometimes...." Lynn said, a dark shadow appearing over her eyes. "I often thought it would be better if I....I wasn't...." the last word caused her throat to crack, prompting her to clear it. The shadow had disappeared and she looked back at Lincoln with a smile.
"But then I would come up here to your room, and I would see Bun-Bun, and I would remember how much you meant to me," said Lynn. "I would keep him in tact and well-cared for, because, in a way, it was helpful for me. It was me preparing for the time that you came home, when I could return him to you. It saved me...many more times than I can remember."
Lincoln looked at Lynn, concern etched on his face. He was still very angry with his family for all they had put him through, but he still felt a pang of sympathy for his older sister. He took at least some consolation that she was regretful for her actions, but he didn't want to see any of them suffer for it.
"The point is," Lynn continued. "It helped me in times of doubt and despair, reminding me that I swore to find you, to save you, and bring you home. I wanted to be a better sister, a better protector for you, and that partially led me to becoming a cop."
She wrapped her arms around Lincoln, embracing him in a tight hug. "I don't have all the answers for you, Lincoln," Lynn said. "But I can promise that I'll always be here to protect you, and I'll make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again."
Five Years Later.....
"Time for a drink, Pucas!"
Lucas Hollimer barely shut his mouth and eyes in time before his head was forced into the disgusting toilet water. He was a freshman at Royal Woods High School, and had instantly become a target to the local jocks, suffering one humiliating torment after another. He had weathered it for two weeks, but it was starting to wear him down. He was short, overweight and geeky, and the jocks outnumbered him five to 1. He was defenseless, and it hurt him all the more knowing that he had no choice but to take it.
After what felt like an eternity, Lucas was finally brought out of the water, coughing and sputtering as he struggled to take a breath while the bullies roared with laughter. Their ringleader, a short but imposing eleventh grader named Micah, was captain of the basketball team. Technically, Lucas was taller than him, so when he complained to the faculty, they found it hard to believe that he was being picked on by someone who was smaller than him, so he was often ignored. Additionally, because of his star status by bringing the basketball team to the finals, people often turned a blind eye to his antics, leaving him free to make Lucas' life a living hell.
"What do you think, boys?" Said Micah to his friends. "Do you think he's had enough?" There were several shouts in the negative, egging Micah on to continue. "Well, Pucas, you heard them, I think-"
"I think he's had enough."
The laughing and mocking died down instantly at the sound of a deep voice behind them. Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and Micah felt the blood drain from his face when he found it. Standing out of the stall, looking thoroughly unimpressed, was a tall, muscular Twelfth grader. He stood at six feet tall, with muscles easily twice the size that any of the jocks around him had. His white hair was grown down to his shoulders, hanging freely. He wore a simple orange t-shirt and jeans that did little to hide his imposing physique. He glared intensely at Micah, who gulped nervously and began to tremble.
"O-oh, h-hey Link!" Said Micah, pulling Lucas to his feet.
"Doesn't seem like he's enjoying himself that much, is he?" Link growled. "Freshmen are people, too, don't you think?"
"Nah, man!" said Micah, putting his arm around Lucas nervously. "We...we were just foolin' around, right, Lucas?"
Link wasn't buying it. "Easy or hard?," He asked dangerously.
"W-what?" Asked Micah, confused.
"Easy, or hard?" Link repeated, cracking his knuckles. "What way is it going to be, shrimp?"
Micah felt his blood boil. No one called him "shrimp." Ever. "Listen, Loud," he snarled, marching up to Link, all previous apprehension abandoned. "You may think you're hot shit, and you may have the rest of the student body fooled, but don't think for a second that–" Micah was interrupted when Link placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Micah's eyes widened in fear, realizing what he just did, but it was too late.
"Hard way it is, then," said Link.
"No, stop! Please!" Micah shouted in fear.
Link had hauled him up to the roof of the school, and was currently dangling him with one hand by his ankle over the side of the three story building. He felt as if he was close to vomiting, passing out, or both. The rest of his comrades were down on the ground, looking in terror at what was transpiring above them.
"I'd stop shaking so hard, if I were you," Link said, yawning as if he was bored. He used his free hand that wasn't dangling the boy to run his fingers through his hair. "You might slip out of your shoe."
"STOP! STOP! I give up! I'm sorry!" Shouted Micah, tears leaking from his eyes to the ground below.
Link threw the boy back onto the roof in a not-so-gentle manner. Micah was shaking and staring at Link with newfound terror, and had even wet his pants. Link walked over to the trembling boy and knelt to his level, who flinched expectantly. "Now," Link said. "What did we learn?" Micah didn't answer, still looking away in fear. Link grabbed him by the top of his hair and forced him to look at him. "I said: What. Did. We. Learn?" Link asked in a dangerous voice.
"F-freshmen are p-people, too," Micah squeaked out.
"Good," said Link. "And we're not going to have any more problems, are we?"
"N-no!" Micah said.
"Now, I think you have something to say to the nice freshman," said Link, directing him towards Lucas. "Right?" He added gruffly.
"S-sorry, Lucas," said Micah meekly.
Lucas only nodded, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing.
"Good!" Said Lincoln, clapping his hands together and standing. "Now that we're all friends again, Lucas, let's get you cleaned up." Link stepped over Micah and put his hand on Lucas' shoulder, guiding him towards the door leading down from the roof.
After a scalding shower in the men's locker room, Link lent Lucas his spare gym clothes to wear in place of his wet ones. Lucas was feeling rather confused about what had transpired. This hulking twelfth grader, who Lucas had no prior association with, had dangled his tormenter off the side of the school roof as retribution for bullying him. Lucas didn't know quite what to think about this, but regardless, he was thankful for Link's intervention.
"Are you doing all right?" Asked Link as they made their way out of the school.
"I'm fine," said Lucas.
"We haven't been properly introduced," said Link. "My name is Lincoln Loud II, but everyone calls me Link."
"Nice to meet you, Link. I'm Lucas," the nerdy boy replied. He paused for a second before speaking up again. "But why did you help me?"
Link looked away as they walked, sighing deeply. "He's a bully," he said. "And I don't like bullies."
Lucas nodded. It was a perfectly logical reason, but he couldn't help but feel like there was more to this than he was telling him. Regardless, he wasn't about to press his luck, and simply thanked Link for his assistance. As they continued to walk, they got to know each other a little more, and Lucas found out that Link came from a large family of 13, and he was the youngest of the bunch. He also explained that he was named after his older brother, Lincoln the first, who had passed away before he was born. Lucas was an only child, so he didn't have much experience with siblings, but even he knew that never meeting your namesake, only hearing about him in stories, must be painful.
Link apparently had quite a reputation around the school. He was gifted, both academically and physically. He was stronger than all the boys on the football team, and could easily out-lift each of them. He got straight A's on his report card, and even started a ghost hunting club, which he acted as president of, along with his sister, Lily, who was vice-president. While he was adored by both the staff and student body, there was a strong sense of respect that was also sent his way, especially among bullies. Link had zero tolerance for any type of bullying, and was very good at ferreting out who was doing the bullying, and putting an end to it. Not even cyberbullies were safe from his wrath, as he once fried a student's computer with a virus after he started cyberstalking a girl at school. That was just the beginning of his escapades.
He always managed to keep his record clean, despite his vigilante activities. Every sports coach in school was always asking him to sign up for the team, especially the football coach, but Link always turned them down. He had no desire to participate in sports, and would often bristle at the mention of it. Colleges were already eyeing him for potential scholarships, as his grades were top-notch, and he rubbed elbows with some big names. His oldest sister, Lori Loud, had been youngest elected mayor in Royal Woods, and has served already for two terms, with her sister Luan Loud serving as the assistant mayor. His parents owned one of the most successful family restaurants in the town, and were poised to open franchises across the states. His sister Luna was the lead singer and guitarist in her band "The Moon Goats," who had taken America by storm over the past several years.
But that wasn't all. His sister Lisa was one of the most renowned scientists in the world, and the founder of the Royal Woods Second Chance Academy, a boarding school for delinquent and abandoned kids. His sister Lola was named Miss Michigan and was slated to compete in Miss America next year. His goth sister, Lucy, was a famous writer and poet who had already published several books with her mother, particularly young-adult romance novels. Leni ran a successful business in the mall and even put out her own fashion line, which she began to sell in the store. His grease-monkey sister Lana was interning with NASCAR as part of the Pitcrew for Bobbi Fletcher.
Probably the most impressive out of them all would be his sister Lynn Loud, Jr., the cop with the RWPD who was responsible for taking down the Bianchi Crime Syndicate. That instantly propelled her career, earning her a promotion to detective and solidifying her reputation as results-oriented officer of the law. Within a few years she had made it to senior detective under Captain Bentley, and was slated to replace him once he retired.
Considering his sister's fame and notoriety, great things were expected of Link as well. But when asked about what he wanted to do with his life, he would suddenly grow silent, or change the subject. "Well, here's my stop. "Said Lucas, standing outside his house. He extended his hand. "Thanks again for your help, Link."
"Of course," Said Link, smiling and shaking his hand. "What are friends for?"
Back at the Loud House, both Loud parents were currently at the door, listening calmly to an irate father as he screamed at them. "My son tells me that your son dangled him over the roof of a three-story building!" Shouted the father. "He could have killed him! What is wrong with you?!"
Rita and Lynn Sr. were surprised to hear this, but remained stoic as the man continued his tantrum. He was throwing all kinds of disparaging remarks to them about their parenting, threatening them with legal action and promising to get Lincoln expelled when someone approached him from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Is there a problem here?" Asked Lynn Loud, Jr. as the man turned to her.
"What's it to you, lady!?" Snapped the man, pushing her hand off him. "I'm speaking to these two."
"That's detective lady to you, sir," said Lynn, showing him her badge. The man immediately went rigid. "I'll ignore the fact that you just assaulted an officer of the law and ask again: What is the problem here?"
"W-well, my son came home from school and informed me that their son," he gestured to the Loud parents. "Held him over the edge of the roof of the high school today. I want to file charges against them and him. Perhaps you can help me with that."
"I could," said Lynn. "If I hadn't already received a complaint from the parents of one Lucas Hollimer that your son Micah has been tormenting him for the past two weeks." She pulled out a notebook before reading down the list. "Assault and battery, humiliation tactics, cyberbullying - the list goes on."
The father now began to sweat. Lynn didn't seem like she was done. "I understand you already phoned the police about this incident, so I took the liberty to investigate further. It seems that I can find no one to corroborate his story, not even among the boy's friends. However, I was able to find plenty of people to confirm the stories about Micah tormenting Lucas. Care to comment on that?"
"Uh...harmless t-teasing?" The man said nervously. "Boys will be boys, after all."
Lynn wrote down a number on the paper, tore it off and handed it to him. "Here's my direct line if you want to press charges," she said. "However, given the facts of this situation, I'd be more concerned about the Hollimer's pressing charges against you. Something to think about."
The man took the paper and excused himself, practically running to his car with his tail between his legs. Once he was gone, Lynn sighed deeply before turning to her parents. "Lincoln's at it again?" She asked.
"Yes," said Lynn Sr., letting her in. They all sat down in the living room while Lynn Sr. poured them some coffee.
"How bad has it been?" Asked Lynn, Jr.
"This is the sixth fight he's gotten into this month," said Rita sadly. "We're worried about him, Lynn. Sooner or later he's going to get himself into trouble."
Lynn nodded solemnly. "Did you talk to him?" She asked.
"He won't talk to us," said Lynn Sr. "We've tried to get him to open up but he just shuts down when he's around us."
Lynn stared into her coffee, thinking. It had been six years since she had used Lisa's time machine to bring Lincoln to the future. Things haven't been easy for any of them, Lincoln especially. If it wasn't for his weekly therapy sessions with Clyde McBride, she shuddered to think how he would turn out. He went from being a happy kid to quiet, despondent, and serious. He would laugh and smile sometimes, and he was kind to his family, but it was clear that he was no longer the happy, nerdy kid he once was.
"Maybe I can talk to him," said Lynn, Jr.
"Do you think he'll listen?" Asked Rita.
"If I get him in the right mood, probably," Lynn Jr. replied. "I'll take him to Gus' Games and Grub tonight. Maybe a few games and some pizza will get him to loosen up."
Just then, the door opened to reveal Lincoln and Lily walking into the living room, returning home from school. "Hey, Lynn," Lincoln said, nodding to his sister.
"Hey Lynn!" Said Lily, embracing her sister. "What brings you here?"
"Oh, I just finished work and thought I'd drop by for a visit," said Lynn. "Hey, you guys wanna get some grub?"
"Where at?" Asked Lincoln.
"How about Gus'?" Said Lynn. Lily squealed with excitement, while Lincoln's eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't that he was opposed to going to Gus' Games and Grub, but it was unusual for Lynn to offer to take them. Then again, he wasn't going to pass up pizza and games.
"Sure, sounds like fun," said Lincoln. "Are you guys coming?" He asked his mom and dad.
"No, I have to get back to the diner for the dinner rush," said Lynn, Sr.
"And I have a deadline for an article I'm writing," said Rita.
"Okay, then," said Lincoln. He and Lily then walked out the door with Lynn, who put them in her car and drove off.
Lincoln and Lily were having an absolute blast at the arcade. He was still a master at the Dance Dance Revolution game, and wasn't half bad on any of the racing games. After an hour of playing, Lynn ordered pizza and soda for them to enjoy. After eating their fill, Lily wanted to go for more games.
"You go ahead, I'll hang back here for a minute," said Lincoln. "Try not to lose too much money at the Skeeball game."
"Ah, you're just jealous that I beat your high score!" Said Lily, laughing as she walked away. Lynn and Lincoln sat in silence for a moment as he took a drink of his soda. Finally, Lynn cleared her throat, getting his attention.
"So, Lincoln," she said tentatively.
"Link," said Lincoln. "I told you to call me Link."
"Right, Link, sorry," said Lynn. "Look, I wanted to talk to you."
"Uh, oh," said Link. "I knew a Lynn-lecture was on the horizon."
"I'm not gonna lecture you, kid," said Lynn. "Mom and dad are just worried about you. We all are."
"I'm fine," said Link dismissively .
"Link, this is the sixth fight in a month," said Lynn. "You dangled a kid off the side of a building."
"I wasn't going to drop him," said Link. "Besides, it got the message across, didn't it."
"Link..."
"What was I supposed to do, Lynn?" Said Link, getting annoyed. "He was tormenting that freshman. Would you rather that I just do nothing?"
"I'm not saying that," said Lynn. "Only that there are other ways to handle those situations."
"But not as effectively," said Link.
"That's not the only reason I say that Link," Lynn said firmly. "With every fight you get into there's a chance....someone could find out."
"...I know," Link admitted. "I know, I'm sorry. I just got angry."
"I understand," said Lynn. "It's perfectly normal for –"
"Normal?" Link said, chuckling darkly. "Lynn, I can bench-press vanzilla. I can sprint ten miles without getting winded. The other day, Lisa shot me with rubber bullets and I barely felt them."
"She shot you with rubber bullets?" Asked Lynn, shocked.
"It was an experiment. I told her to do it," said Link quickly. "The point is, I'm not normal."
Lynn eyed Lincoln with a sad look. She understood this of course, but she didn't know what else to say. How do you relate to someone who has been through what he had? When he started to develop superhuman abilities, at first he was elated, as if he was becoming a superhero from one of his comic books. But as time went on, he learned the gravity of the situation, how careful he had to be around other people. He would break things very easily without meaning to, and often felt like a bull in a china shop. The family tried their best to help him feel normal and treated him kindly, but sometimes he felt as if he was being handled with kid gloves, and it made him feel even more like a freak.
His sessions with Clyde had helped a lot. He was able to pull Lincoln out of his shell, at least a little bit, but he still had a long way to go. When asked about it by the family, he told them that Lincoln was still suffering from trauma, and it wasn't something as simple as healing a broken leg or a cut. This trauma would remain with him for the rest of his life in one form or another. Coupled with the fact that he is now arguably superhuman, that just made Lincoln feel even more ostracized.
Lynn sighed. "Look, I know it's hard," said Lynn, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not fair that you can't use your....abilities as openly as the rest of us. But you still have a lot going for you. Mom and Dad told me the football coach came by today, begging them to convince you to join the team - again."
"Oh, that," said Link, rolling his eyes. "He just doesn't give up."
"Can you blame him?" Asked Lynn. "Besides, it could mean scholarship opportunities."
"Lisa already set up an account with more than enough money for college, and a recommendation that will get me into any university I want," said Link.
"The point is, you have more strength and raw talent in you than all of us combined, and that was before all this happened," Lynn said. "I can't say I know exactly what you're going through right now, but I can say that no matter what, I'm going to help you through it. Okay?"
"Okay," said Link.
"And no more dangling bullies off buildings," said Lynn.
"I promise nothing," Link said.
Both siblings laughed before giving each other a hug. Lily returned with a large roll of tickets, having won them from the skeeball. After pizza was consumed, and tickets spent, they gathered their things and went home for the night, relishing a great end to a stressful day.
A man sat in a large office, typing and looking over the several screens of his computer. He was a tall man, early forties, with neatly-parted auburn hair, clean-shaven, wearing a black suit and red tie. His name was Dr. Marcus Farroway, and he was the director of Research and Development for the Department of Homeland Security. He had been working for the DHS for nearly 20 years now, and before that was a hardened veteran Marine, having served several tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It was through the military he was able to receive his education, working his way through medical school and earning his spot as a top medical researcher in the Department of Defense. His research mostly consisted of threats and defense against biological warfare and other medical threats, acting as a liaison with the Center of Disease Control, eventually making his way to the job that he has now.
On one of the screens was a CCTV image of a short man coming out of a convenience store. He was wearing a trench coat and a hood barely obscuring his brown, bowl-cut hair and glasses. He may have been hidden to the rest of the world, but to Dr. Farroway, he knew exactly who this man was.
"Director Farroway," came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Captain Hansen, one of the Marines assigned to his reconnaissance team, approaching him and saluting. "We have confirmation, sir," he said. "The convenience store owner informed us that he had asked for directions to Michigan, as well as purchasing a roadmap."
"I see," said Farroway, scratching his chin in thought. "So he's finally making his move. Prep the jet for takeoff. We leave in an hour."
"Yes sir!" Said Hansen, saluting and leaving.
Farroway turned back to his computer, this time pulling up the file of a young boy, age 16, with long white hair. "Looks like we'll have to bring you in after all, Mr. Loud," said Farroway. "I just hope you're up to the task."
A/N: Hello, everyone! As you have guessed, this is the long-anticipated sequel to The Loud House - Wild Card. I have been tinkering with this for a while, and feel the story is finally ready to be fleshed out. Because of work, school and various other projects, this is going to have a wonky update schedule, but I will try to crank this out and the others as quickly as possible. Thank you for reading!