In Deep

Two new stories in just under two weeks? Heh, believe it or not but that's got to be a new record for me!

Like I said in the previous one, I've gotten plenty ideas of stories, and this is one of them!

Well, this is the start of my second Loud House story and I hope I'll do everything justice again! Favorite, follow, and leave a review if you like, or if you didn't like it! But if you do the latter, please stay polite!

I hope to update this soon, and if you're following Forced Staycation as well, the next chapter may be up in a few days!

Read away!

Chapter 1: Broke

WHACK!

There went another baseball flying to the other end of the batting cage, and Lynn Loud, the one responsible for its flight pumped her fist and cast a wicked, proud grin at another successful hit. Her friend Margo loaded another one into the pitching machine and Lynn effortlessly sentenced the ball that came flying at her to the same punishment. But unlike the ones that preceded it, this one marked a nice milestone for Lynn.

''That was the 119th consecutive hit! You almost beat the record, Lynn!'' Margo shouted at her from behind the machine.

''And I'm not even winded! Oh yeah! A-ha!'' Lynn cheered. Out of pride over her new record, she did a little dance routine, hopping around on one leg and pretended to play her trusty baseball bat as if it was a guitar not unlike what her sister Luna would do, running her hand over the wood, the small holes, scratches and dents all over and the band covering a crack at the middle of the bat that had been weathered down by many years of loyal service to her. After her dance, she hugged her bat out of sheer delight. ''You never let me down, Ruthie!'' She said affectionately with the wood pressed against her cheek.

''Hey Lynn! Are you going to marry your bat or try to top your best?'' Margo called, almost tauntingly so.

''Give me a second!'' Lynn energetically replied. Supersticious as she was, she had to perferm a good luck ritual before Lynn was to continue: She did a clockwise spin on one leg; a counter-clockwise spin back; shook her rump as she bent her knees and shot back up again; she tapped both of her heels five times with her bat and conclusively pointed it at the sky. Margo could only shake her head in disbelief over her friend's act, but was at least relieved that she wasn't forced to uphold them this time.

Lynn felt her confidence boosted so much, she felt like stepping up her game and making this record really worth it! ''Crank up the pitching speed, Margo! Give me a challenge!'' She demanded. Margo happily did as she was told and turned the knob up to its highest.

''Here it comes, Lynn!'' Margo announced.

''Bring it on, you piece of junk! I'm going to hit it all the way to Hazeltucky!'' She growled, tightening her grip on her bat with a vicious grin, full of anticipation for the meeting between leather and wood.

Margo loaded a ball into the machine with was shot almost immediately at Lynn with dazzling speed, but amazingly enough, Lynn perfectly timed her swing despite the ridiculous velocity. It was as if Lynn tried to live up to her boast and swung her trusted Ruthie more powerfully than she ever had before in her life, and the ball collided with the wood right on the band in the middle. The crack that the band covered could not cope with so much force, and Ruthie succumbed in the clash of these two powers. The blow was so powerful that Lynn flinched, and once she came to her senses, she realized that in her grasp was only the hilt of her prized club. Horrified, she looked at the ground and quickly found the other splintered half.

''Ruthie!'' Lynn wailed in terror. She fell to her knees and desperately tried to piece the two halves back together as if she was trying to save someone dear from dying.

For once, the fact that Lynn didn't beat a record was only trivial; her bat Ruthie was special to her; more than anything else of her sports gear. She got Ruthie for her seventh birthday. It was a size too big for her, but Lynn achieved some of her biggest baseball hallmarks with it like her first homerun or winning her first tournament. Lynn thought she would never settle for another bat again. But here she was with two chipped pieces of wood that couldn't be fixed anymore; Ruthie was done for.

Margo approached slowly, she knew how much Ruthie meant for Lynn.

''Lynn, I'm so sorry for you.''

''No. I should've put her to rest much earlier.'' Lynn mumbled sadly, surprisingly quick on her resolve as she held her broken bat. Her friend then threw an arm around her and gently pulled Lynn along.

''Come on, I'll treat you to some burgers!'' Margo offered.

''Yeah, I'd like that.'' Lynn said with a faint smile, hoping some food would cheer her up from her loss.

But as they went out on the street and appreached the burger joint, a certain nervousness crept onto Lynn. She owed a lot of her successes to Ruthie, but now that she was permantly out of commission, Lynn no longer had a bat of her own. She could always borrow one from her baseball team, the Squirrels, but that wasn't the same. Lynn was confident in her own skill, but she believed that only with Ruthie could she utilize that to its full potential. There was an important match coming up against the Beaverton Glory and Lynn's expression turned pale at the thought that she couldn't be at her A-game and even more horrific, cost them the championship!

Lynn initially tried to shake this mental image, but it kept coming back, stronger, more intense. She had to get a new bat that would suit her, and no one could convince her otherwise. Fuelled by her superstition, she abandoned Margo in a hurry.

''Lynn? Where're you going?''

''Get some burgers without me! I need to get a bat!'' Lynn declared, sure in her belief, before she ran for the nearest sports store.

In the store, Lynn sprinted to the baseball section and didn't care who or what she had to bowl over to get there, she was in a hurry! Immediately, she began to meticulously examine all the bats within her reach, but found that they all did not live up to her high standards.

''Too heavy! Too grainy! Too short! Already broken!'' Lynn said, discarding a bat almost immediately once she had pulled it out of the bin. Within moments, all sorts of baseball bats were scattered over the floor.

Lynn had almost emptied the bin out and was about to continue her mad search in another store when her eye fell on a display case up on the wall. There, she instantly knew, stood her new ball park companion; A sleek, dark bat with subtle decals. It looked strong and the light reflected off its glossy finish into Lynn's eyes. Just looking at this majestic piece of equipment made her all but forget about Ruthie. She was so mesmerized by its excellence that she wasn't aware of an employee approaching her.

The employee was actually there to evict her for making a mess of the store, but seeing that twinkle in Lynn's eyes, he knew he had a guaranteed sale.

''Can I help you?'' The employee asked, though he knew it was all but a formality and knew he could help her.

''Yeah! I want that bat!'' Lynn ecstatically answered, pointing at her new love. With a smile, the employee unlocked the vitrine and presented the bat to a breathless Lynn.

''The Gregorius Slugger III limited edition series! You have taste! A 30-inch composite bat has a reinforced carbon fiber polymer that makes it light but very durable!'' The salesman explained, which he followed up with a practice swing to further rile Lynn up. ''A thin layer of varnish makes that this beaut can go for years without even getting a scratch!''

The explanation wasn't exactly needed, but it fuelled Lynn's enthusiasm even more. ''Yeah yeah, I'll take it!'' She impatiently proclaimed as she shook visibly.

''It's yours for 50 dollars!''

She stopped shaking and looked up at the clerk. ''50 bucks?'' Lynn repeated with minor shock as she was firmly planted back on earth after having been hovering on cloud nine.

In her blissful daze, Lynn forgot that money and paying was a crucial part of getting sports equipment; money that she didn't have at the moment and even if she did, there were at least eight people at home claiming their right to it. Loaning happened frequently among the siblings, so any debts were tightly monitored. Lynn was currently in the red with all of them and was very sure she couldn't extend her debt. She even owed their family dog Charles for taking his bone to use as a relay baton. There was also no way for Lynn to even earn anything as there was currently a low demand for babysitting jobs among their customer base.

''I haven't got any cash on me right now, but I'll come back with the money!'' She nervously assured before she walked away; if she hadn't treated her sports teams to after-match Burpin' Burger so often, maybe then she'd have enough to buy it.

She sauntered out of the store as she began thinking of ideas to get money; she needed that bat, as soon as possible. It felt like her future depended on it. As she moped, a couple of boys from the other side of the street saw her leaving the store, and her body language aroused their interests.

''Hey!'' A boyish voice called out to Lynn. She looked over her shoulder to see two pretty tall boys of Lori's age approaching her. ''What's up with you sport?''

Lynn sullenly stuffed her hands in her pockets. ''What's it to you?''

''Curiosity.''

Lynn raised an eyebrow at this stranger's interest in her, but maybe it'd make her feel a little better if she shared her anguish. ''I need a new bat and they're selling this amazing one that I want!''

''What's so special about this bat?'' The boy asked with his sugary voice, seemingly having genuine interest in Lynn's woe.

''It's one of the most beautiful and perfect bats I have ever seen! The texture is perfect, the hilt is perfect! I could almost taste its perfection! With it, I may never lose a game again even if I tried!'' Lynn described, briefly becoming awestruck with the image of her playing a match in her mind and dominating it in every aspect and definition before she soon returned to her sullen self. ''But I'll need 50 big ones to buy it and there's no way I can get that money!''

The boys exchanged quick, sideway glances. ''What if we give you those 50 dollars?'' The boy proposed, his offer taking Lynn completely by surprise.

''You're kidding me!'' She stammered.

''That's the good thing; we're not!'' He assured her, followed by him jerking a thumb over his shoulder to his friend. ''That's Franklin and I'm William. We love to provide youngsters like you with cash to see them happy! Like how we can help you buy that awesome bat that's totally going to make you Royal Woods' own batting wonder!'' He stated, confident in his own promise that seemingly awed Lynn even further. ''What's your name?''

''Lynn.'' She answered, still a little incredulous.

''Right then, Lynn!'' William replied before he made a roll of cash appear and plucked out several bills. ''Do you really want that bat? Because we got the money you need for it right here!'' He asked, holding out the right amount to Lynn.

Lynn wanted to snatch that cash out of William's grasp, but for once managed to control herself.

''What's it going to cost me?'' Lynn skeptically asked. Even if was captivated by their very real promise, she knew even now that someone just handing her the cash was too good to be true.

William cast a grin at Lynn's shrewdness, an almost sly one. ''Smart girl! She's really smart, right Frankie?'' He lively asked, facing his friend as Lynn couldn't help but feel a little flattered. ''When we invest in you, of course expect a small profit from our venture in your happiness!''

''How much?''

''For a 50-dollar loan, we ask a five dollars interest and you can pay back within a respectable time frame! We'll work something out!'' William explained with his silver tongue. He then reached his hand out to Lynn. ''So, do we have a deal, Lynn?''

Lynn should know better than just taking money from a random person she barely met, or even talking to them. But seeing this easy money in William's hand has made her deaf to reason or anything else but William's honeyed words. She began to smile brightly as her dream bat was only a handshake away.

''Alright then William! We got a deal!'' She happily announced as they firmly shook hands.

''Nice! Here's your cash! Go get that bat, you've earned it!'' He warmly instructed her, seemingly rooting for her happiness.

Lynn didn't need to be told this twice. She snatched the money out of his grasp and ran back to the sports store to finally get that what she coveted for what felt like an eternity.

Time seemed to fly for Lynn in the blissful mood she found herself in after buying the Gregorius Slugger III, which she had christened Gregory. It was both strong but easy to handle, and in the two days since she bought it, she effortlessly broke the record for consecutive hits at the batting cages twice already. When she showed her new bat off to the others, they looked green with jealousy, especially this one boy called Francisco and Lynn reveled in his envy. He tried his hardest to throw her out, but whether he pitched fastballs, curveballs or screwballs, Lynn hit everything he threw at her with flawless, mighty swings. With Gregory, the game against Beaverton was going to be a breeze.

She could've spent the rest of her days in the cages and on the diamond just to keep feeling that amazing buzz when she sent another ball skyward with Gregory. But unfortunately, she needed to eat good meals and good rest as well to keep her strength up, so she was currently riding back home on her bicycle.

As she passed a certain parking lot, two faces she met not long ago spotted her and threw themselves in her path, and began pursuing her.

''Hey Lynn! Good that you rolled by, we were looking for you!'' William said as he pulled up next to Lynn and basically forced her bike to stop as well.

''Hey guys! What's up?'' Lynn asked, happy to see their providers.

''We'll get by. How about you? How that bat you've bought?'' William asked, pointing at the equipment in her hands.

''It's amazing! I feel like I've finally found another part of me in this bat!'' Lynn gushed as she rubbed its end.

''That's great, but we do have an issue we need to settle with you Lynn.'' William remarked, earning himself a look from Lynn. ''You're due.'' He formally announced, getting straight to the point as he folded his hands.

''What?''

''It's time to pay.'' He translated, starting to look more serious.

Despite the words sounding clear to Lynn, she was more than a little confused. ''Now? But you said I could pay back within a 'respectable time frame'.''

''Yeah, and three days after we gave you a loan is starting to go beyond what we think is respectable.'' William pointed out, his voice starting to sound distinctively less sugary than earlier. ''So have you got the 65 clam for us?''

This request got a haughty chuckle out of Lynn. She thought she was being joked with, she brought out a fist and lightly punched William's arm. ''You're getting forgetful, pal! We agreed on you getting 55 from me! 50 with a five-dollar interest!''

''But Lynn, I'm certain we had an unspoken understanding that the five dollar interest we agreed on accrues on a daily basis!'' William remarked with a telling, dark smile and eyes like a predator locked on its prey.

''What?! You didn't say anything about that!'' Lynn exclaimed, utterly perplexed.

''That's what unspoken means, genius!'' Franklin pointed out with a condescending smile, speaking for the first time in Lynn's presence.

''And a simple sum teaches that since we loaned you the money three days ago, means that you owe us… 65 dollar now! Have you got what we deserve?''

This was the point where it slowly began to dawn on Lynn with what kind of people she had been doing business with.

Lynn planted her hands in her hips and stared at him. ''I don't know what you're trying to do here chump, but you'll only get what we agreed on!'' Lynn declared.

Upon it becoming clear that she wasn't going to cooperate the way her financiers wanted to, Frank sneaked up on her and snatched her Gregory out of her grasp. ''Hey- hey!'' Lynn sputtered.

''In that case, we hold on to what is rightfully ours!'' William explained pedantically.

''Give that back! That's mine!'' Lynn angrily declared as she tried to reach up in a attempt to take back her bat. But for Frank, who was some two heads taller than the pint-sized girl, she was no match at all. She determinedly kept trying, but knew that she wasn't going to get it back like this.

''Yours? But it was paid with our money!'' Frank pointed out before he tossed the bat over to William to start a impromptu game of keep-away with Lynn and laughed derisively at her blindly running back and forth for it.

She should've known better, but William's charm and exploitation of her woe had coaxed into taking on a debt to these guys. Having been scammed, no money and not even what she loaned the money for in the first place anymore, coupled with the ridiculing laughter drained her off her usual plentiful self-confidence over the utter lack of control she had over this situation.

''I- I'll tell on you!'' Lynn warned, the only thing she could think up right now that sounded remotely threatening.

But this childish threat was met with even more ridicule from Frank and William as they guffawed madly. Lynn's face turned red with embarrassment from feeling this petty and powerless to do anything meaningful against her malignant creditors as they laughed at her face. But with her rising embarrassment, her temper flared up as well.

''Tell on us? What are you? Three?'' William hollered between laughter to rub in some extra hubris into Lynn.

''She looks the part!'' Frank added, followed by another round of scornful chortling at Lynn's expense.

''But do go tell anyone!'' William tauntingly dared her after he curbed his laughter. ''It's your word against ours, tyke!''

''Who're you calling tyke, stilt?!'' Lynn snapped in a cocktail of anger and insecurity; being constantly reminded of how short she was, already a touchy subject, only served to worsen her aggression even further. When her outburst earned her another mocking chuckle from William, she had all but lost it; her body tensed up and her teeth were gritted.

''Cute.'' William mumbled as he crossed his arms and idly let his eyes wander to his fingers. Meanwhile, Lynn trained her eyes on her bat, still in Franklin's hands and bided her time. ''Listen up, meet me near Sawyer Drive tomorrow. I have a job for you where you can start earning back what you owe-'' He said right before in a reflex Lynn punched Franklin in his gut and snatched her bat out of his grasp when flinched.

It was a very unwise, dangerous even, course of action to just bail out and leave, but no way was Lynn going to play by these scammers' rules. In her impulsiveness, she decided that they either get what they shook hands on, or they'd get nothing at all.

''Bite me with your job! You're not getting anything from me!'' Lynn fiercely declared. She was to hop onto her bike, but was pulled off as quickly as she got on and put in a tight lock by Frank that she couldn't break out of no matter her strength. With her arms seized, she was lifted up to make her eyes meet William's, which overflowed with venom.

''Oh yes we will, squirt!'' William snarled, a far cry from his suave self just days earlier as he tightly curled his fingers into a fist. Dreading that what was certain to come and no way to avoid it, Lynn still tried to look for a way out of her bond as William lined up for a punch.

''No wait-''

BIFF!

Before you ask: yes, Ruthie was the best name for Lynn's bat I could come up with!

At first, I wrote this as a one-shot, but it left me very unsatisfied with the finished product because of how rushed it felt. The story as it was didn't cover even nearly enough than I could and wanted to, so I instead expanded the plot and decided to make it a fic consisting of multiple chapters!

Until next update!

:D,

L.W.