The Loud House – Off the Charts
Chapter 2 – Paying Respects
Lincoln, Darrel and their crew gathered up what they need for a trip and fly to Scotland in Darrel's seaplane. The two who are piloting the plane are Albert and her daughter Rita Loud. The rest of the crew were sitting getting anxious to find the treasure. Lori and Bobby were nuzzled up together imagining what they were going to spend the treasure on. Bobby's cousin CJ was playing pirates with Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and their friends. Luna, Sam, and Tabby were playing traveling songs to pass the time. Leni was put to a daze on the plane ride, Lisa was pointing out the factors of a failed plane flight, and Lola was just jumping around as if she had a massive sugar rush.
"So are you sure your father won't mind us using his seaplane?" Lincoln asked Darrel. "He told me that as long as we bring the plane back, he'll be okay with it." Darrel replied. "So what does your father do for a living?" asked Lana. "You're gonna like this Lana." Darrel began. "He started as a plane mechanic. Worked his way through college on hard earn paychecks, graduated with high honors, and became an aviator with his bare hands." Lana gazed in amazement. "Your father is so cool." she said. "His story taught me the value of a dollar. That through hard work, you'll amount to anything." said Darrel. "Think he can teach me a thing or two on fixing planes?" Lana asked. "I'll put a good word for it." Darrel replied as he tussled her red cap.
"Alright guys, we're here." said Rita. "Welcome to Scotland." The two pilots land the boat down where the waves are calm and the crew set up base camp. "Okay, since it's getting late, we'll need to get some rest before we head out." said Darrel. "So get warm and get prepared." The crew set up their tents and get some sleep. Lincoln, still among the people that couldn't sleep stared up to the roof of his tent and thought to himself, " I wonder what else could be in store for us." His thoughts were interrupted when his friends, Clyde, Rusty, Liam, Ronnie Anne, and Stella enter his tent. "Couldn't sleep either you guys?" he asked them. They replied with a simple nod. So to pass the time, Lincoln sets up his camp lamp as a small campfire and the group chats among themselves. Later on, the group falls fast asleep.
The very next morning, the crew gets well fed by Lynn Loud Sr. and Rosa Casagrande. Their stomachs were officially full, and Darrel pulls out the map to Scotland,"Now that we're all together, let's go over the plan." he said. The group gathers around the map to see where they should plan next. "When my grandfather started looking for the treasure he thought the next step was the Saint Dismas Cathedral." "But didn't your grandfather turn up with nothing?" asked Giggles. "He did, because he didn't have this." Darrel pulls out the message in Avery's cross and shows it to the group. "Lucy, Haiku, recognize these markings?" Lucy and Haiku look at the markings and immediately said, "They're on Scottish gravestones." "Exactly," said Darrel. "So, my grandfather was focusing on the wrong place." He points to both the cathedral and the graveyard. "So our next step is to go to the graveyard." said Ronnie Anne. "Exactly, so I think it's high time we pay our respects to Henry Avery." said Darrel.
The group reach the graveyard while overcoming steep hills and snow patches. But as they got there, they hear an explosion from the cathedral. "Bro, is someone blowing up the cathedral?" asked Carl. Darrel gets to higher ground and spots a large crane and smoke coming from the cathedral. "Oh no" he said. He takes out his binoculars and finds a man with a bushy mustache and a monocle on his left eye. His attire is shown to look like any jungle adventurer. Alongside him is a girl about the same age as Darrel, looking nervous. Darrel looked with guilt and went back down to join the group.
"See anything?" asked Hector. "Looks like we're not the only ones looking for the treasure." said Darrel. "Richabod and his army of excavators have reached the cathedral." "Who's Richabod?" Lincoln asked. "For many years, Richabod and my father have been fighting each other for so long. His family and my family have been competing to prove who's the best." "Must be tiring." said Lynn Jr. "Tell me about it, I don't even care of the feud anymore." "What made you stop caring?" asked Luna. Darrel smiled, "I'm in a secret relationship with his daughter." The Loud sisters soon got up into Darrel's face, pleading to know more. "I'll explain when we're not exploring." said Darrel.
The group reach the graveyard and split up to find Avery's tombstone. "I found it!" said Lucy. "You found it fast." said Clyde. "Goth perks." she replied. Darrel observes the stone and sees the skull and crossbones. "The skull and crossbones looks like Avery's sigil, but the skull needs to face sideways." he turns the skull only to open a hidden chamber. "Okay, things are getting pretty serious here." said Darrel. "Lincoln, Clyde, Lucy, Haiku, Carlos Sr., and Lisa with me. The rest of you will need to go back to base camp." "Why? There could be treasure down there." asked Lola. "I wasn't planning on other treasure hunters coming to Scotland. Besides, I can't live it down if a large group like yourselves got hurt." "Okay. Lincoln, Lisa, please be careful alright? "I'm going along with them, you can count on me." said Carlos Sr. "Be careful dear." said Frida as she gives him a kiss to the cheek.
As the group returns to base camp, Darrel and the group travel down the catacombs. In doing so, they find the statues of Jesus and the thieves. "Looks like the gangs all here." said Clyde. The group look behind the statues to find an oil lamp. Clyde takes out his flint and steel and the lamp activates light beams. Carlos Sr. looks back to the statues to realize that it's a puzzle key to open the door. Carlos Sr., Lincoln, and Darrel adjust the lights hitting the blue dots on the door to reveal a constellation. "Astounding, it's Libra – The Scales of Justice." said Lisa. "An interesting choice for a band of pirates." said Darrel as he opens the door. As the door opens, it reveals a location to a cave that's near the cathedral. "I guess that cave is where we have to go next." said Haiku. "Let's get everyone and get close to that cave." said Darrel. The group leaves and close the door to the hidden chamber.
Back at base camp, the group find Darrel's group to see that they don't have any treasure on them. "Where's the treasure, dude?" asked Luna. "Avery is telling us to go to a cave near the cathedral." said Darrel. "But what about Richabod and his goons?" asked Carlota. "We'll have to sneak under them and climb into that cave." said Darrel. Rita and Albert take the seaplane as close as they could to the cathedral where Darrel can swing his grappling hook to the cave. He takes Lincoln, Clyde, Bobby, Lori, and Luna along on this part of the journey.
As they enter the cave, the group finds pirate skeletons hanging. There, Luna finds a message hanging below one of the cages. "Look at this dudes. It says, 'To those who prove worthy, paradise awaits. To those who prove false, behold your grim fate.'" Darrel and the others look too. There, they see a different pirate sigil, one that looked like someone holding a sword. "This is the Rhode Island Pirate sigil." said Darrel. "Who?" asked Lori. "Thomas Tew." Darrel answered. "Didn't Tew die attacking the same treasure fleet as Avery?" ask Clyde. "That's what the history books say." said Darrel. "But this is clearly a different story. If that's Tew's mark, how is he involved in this?" Their thoughts were interrupted with an explosion from above. "Let's not theorize here, let's keep going."
As they continue going through elaborate puzzles and swinging across huge gaps, the group come across open a door to a large room. In the middle lies a scale holding a huge golden cross on one end, and on the other a small pile of coins. "That cross looks amazing." said Lori as she reaches out to it. "Don't Touch It!" cried Darrel. "This is another one of Avery's tests. The test of Greed." The group looks upon the scales of justice and look upon the coins. "Since this is the test of Greed, we should take only one of those coins." Their theory is interrupted by another explosion. "I'll take the coin." said Darrel. He removes one of the coins off the scale and triggers torches lighting up the whole room. Above their heads shows a shape that shines down below them. Clyde instantly recognized the shape, "It's Madagascar." Darrel pointed to the blue star on the floor, "There, the next step is King's Bay, Madagascar." Bobby was still confused, "But, I don't understand. If the treasure isn't in Scotland, then why would Avery make these tests in the first place?" Lincoln looks around and comes up with a theory, "For those who prove worthy, Paradise awaits. Avery was recruiting pirates." "Recruiting for what?" asked Clyde.
But before they could talk more, an explosion is made in the room by Richabod's men. The group gets back up only for a couple men to come in and restrain them. "Stand down." said a mysterious voice. "I know these guys won't hurt us." Darrel instantly recognized her voice and looked up to see the young woman remove her scarf and explosion goggles. As her hair flowed in the light, it looked like Darrel is seeing an angel. The woman is Elizabeth, Richabod's eldest daughter, and Darrel's secret girlfriend. "Leave." she told her men. The men leave leaving her alone with the group. She glares down on Darrel, until she caresses his cheek and kisses him on the lips, shocking everyone.
"Didn't think I would find you here, monkey." she said. "That makes two of us, my blue bell." Lori and Luna grew mushy at the two lovers. "Aw, those guys are so cute." said Lori. Darrel gives her an envelope, and Elizabeth gives him one too. "What's with the letters?" asked Clyde. "It's how we communicate without getting caught." said Darrel. "Yeah, when was the last time anyone wrote a letter?" said Elizabeth. "Look, we got what we came for so we're going to get out of here." said Darrel. "Not till you tell me where the treasure is." said Elizabeth. "Look below you." said Lincoln. Elizabeth looks down and learns where to go next. "Guess I'll see you in Madagascar." she said. "Back at ya." replied Darrel. Before Elizabeth left, she asked, "Darrel, please help my father. This treasure, is making him lose his mind. He's wasting his fortune on this excavation project, and he stopped listening to me." Darrel held her hands and said, "If our families weren't arch rivals, then maybe it would be more easier. But, I'll see what I can do." The two hug and say goodbye. The group take the hole out of the catacombs and sneak back onto the plane without any of Richabod's men seeing them.
Back on the seaplane, the group was relieved that Darrel, Lincoln, Clyde, Bobby, Lori, and Luna. "That was so close." said Howard. "Next time, we're coming along with our son." said Harold. "Sure thing, Mr. McBrides." said Darrel. "So, you met one of Richabod's mercenaries?" asked Rita. "I met his daughter." said Darrel. "She's second-in-command, but she wouldn't order anyone to get killed. Just restrained." "And, no treasure?" asked Carl. Darrel shook his head, making Lola disappointed. "We were so close!" she exclaimed. "Not by a long shot." said Lincoln. "Our next stop is in Kings Bay, Madagascar." "Do you think the rest of the treasure is there?" asked Lori. "Cause it literally feel like a wild goose chase." "Well, those tunnels in Scotland were meant for something." said Sam. "But what?"
"It's like I thought; Avery was recruiting pirates." said Lincoln. "The cross was an invitation, and the puzzles and tests were some kind of initiation process." "But why would Avery reckon' he would just weed people out?" asked Liam. "To protect himself." said Darrel. "At that time, Avery was the most wanted man in the world. He had to enlist people he could trust to keep their treasure a secret." Carlota spoke up, "Their?" "We saw Thomas Tew's sigil in those caves." said Bobby, "Tew was a successful pirate in his own right. So the connection would be that Avery sent crosses to other wealthy pirates like himself." "So by pooling and hiding their treasure together..." Carlos stated, "It would be like someone robbed Fort Knox." said Lincoln.
This statement brightened up Lola's spirit, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" "But King's Bay is a big place." said Carlos as he opens up a geography book. "We're going to need to be more specific." "Well if there was anything more in those caves, I'd say were back to square one dude." said Luna. Darrel looks to the coin he collected in the caves, and smiles. "The recruits who survived the caves. What's the one thing they would've left with?" he shows them the coin revealing a volcano on one side. "A volcano?" said Benny. "I'm guessing this 'blew up' our minds. Hahahahaha. Get it?" Luan joked. Benny laughed along with her. "There's a volcano in King's Bay." said Carlos. "Guess it means we need to get a move on." said Albert. For the rest of the flight the crew tell stories, play jokes, and sing songs until they reach the second checkpoint to Avery's Treasure.
Looks like the Louds and their crew have some competition. Can they get to Avery's treasure first, before Richabod's team? Find out when we continue with Off the Charts.