Author's Note: Wow! The response to the previous chapter was really heartwarming, I'm so glad to be getting so many reviews so quickly for this!

Special shout outs going to allanarcher777, for placing my story into the Kids with Capes community and consistently showing love in the reviews! And definitely, love to all your guest reviewers that take the time to comment and review as well, you guys make me smile whenever I see a new review pop up! Until the next chapter!


To call it a fixer-upper was, in truth, a little generous. There were obvious patches of rotted wood on the front porch, the white paint was flaking off the sides of the house, and the tour through was punctuated by creaking wood and holes in the floor.

And yet, this was going to be home for the Louds. Not now, of course, as the condition it was in was truly terrible. After all, the selling price had been well below what an average home sold for in the suburbs of Royal Woods. It would be some time before this place was safe and prepared for the kids, but with seven children cooped up in a tiny apartment, what else could Lynn Sr. do?

He shook his head, still reeling at the sheer magnitude of his family at this point. They had just had little Lucy a few months prior, and the parents thanked their lucky stars that she was turning out quiet. They loved their children dearly, but between the shifts with their work and their children discovering their individual voices, it was well past a handful. And that was without them learning new abilities…

Walking back down the driveway to Vanzilla, Lynn was running through various plans in his head for the restoration of this monster. He knew that Stan would likely help out, especially now that he had retired from the hero business. Lynn grinned at the memory as he pulled the van out and down the road.

"How am I gonna show my face out there?" Stan had said on his first visit after the GMO incident, "You've seen the papers, Loud. 'Collagen saved by new hero: The Cast Iron Crusader!' Heh, I'd be a laughing stock now!"

Recalling the memory, Lynn couldn't help but shake his head. Stan could claim all he wanted that it was due to embarrassment, but the real reason had been obvious when a week later the Stankco family announced they'd be having a baby.

Overhead clouds were gathering as the sky grew dark and heavy with rain. It was likely they'd be dealing with some poor weather, and he truly hoped that he wouldn't be called in. There were enough new heroes to cover, and Lynn would appreciate some time around his family.

Turning the radio on, and letting the quiet tones of some jazz station play, he pondered how mixed up and chaotic his life was becoming. Luna had been taking to music quite well, and Luan was turning out to have the best sense of humor in Lynn's opinion. Lori had ceased her arguments with Leni, thank goodness, though she certainly pulled the 'oldest' card rather quickly.

While his older children came more into their own, he appreciated and loved the younger ones in their clumsy fashion. Lynn Jr. was certainly more active, and he was truly appreciative that her artificial abilities made her so much hardier. He did wish that she was more careful with her enhanced strength, but trying to lecture a five-year-old was fruitless. And then there was Lucy and Lincoln…

As the first few drops of rain hit against the windshield, Lynn felt his communicator buzz. He groaned, he was happy to be a hero but…well it certainly did keep him busy. Though he couldn't quite complain, after all, how would he and Rita afford seven children without their well paying hero salaries?

Lynn clicked the side of the communicator, answering the beacon with a "This is CIC, what's going on out there?"

"Ah, Mr. Loud, glad to catch you," said the female voice through the communicator. It was Schoffner, the officer working dispatch with the heroes of the city. "We were hoping you'd be able to act as a relief hero for the rest of the afternoon today."

"Again?" Lynn asked, not appreciating the sounds of water hitting metal that surrounded him, "This is the third time this week, aren't Hunter and Sue on duty today?"

"Yes, but..." the communicator was silent for a moment, before firing back to life, "...Well, you know how Sue can be. We've gotten requests from civilians to have another hero out there, it'll make them feel safer. And it's overtime, so..."

"I know, I get it..." Lynn pulled up to a stop sign and closed his eyes, pausing himself and knowing what his answer was going to be. Clicking the side to respond, he said, "Alright, I'll be on the streets in a half hour. I just need to grab my tools."

"Thank you, Mr. Loud." Schoffner said before the small box went completely silent.

Lynn peered at the clock and saw the time, just before noon. He'd likely be on the streets until eight at night, and most of his younger children will have been in bed by that time. He was getting tired of always getting the patrols that no one else wanted, but then again he knew he'd have to be the one to go. As the only unpowered licensed hero in the city, he was still low on the pole as it were.

Still, the perks of being a hero were nice. The recognition and the money, bumping elbows with the more famous individuals of this world. Plus the gear he had gathered was quite nice too…

Lynn pulled himself along the street leading up to his family's apartment building. He was also happy knowing that he was making the world just a bit safer for all of his kids.

He loved those brief moments when Rita was the one working and Luna and Lori would ask about his exploits. Leni would gush and try to make adjustments to his costume, and Luan tried to tell silly little jokes about the day. Lynn would play out mock battles, trying to guess what the day had been like. Of course, her mock punches packed a bigger wallop than most of the villains he'd have faced.

Lynn sighed, knowing all the older girls were still in school. They were all attending Royal Woods elementary, with varying degrees of enjoyment. They still received calls about Lynn Jr. running through a door rather than opening it, or Leni cratering the ground from her constant density shifting. Lori and Luan gave no real trouble, other than Lori being caught on her phone or Luan playing pranks. Luna was a sweet girl, though they had been contacted with concerns about her lack of interaction at school…

He'd think on all that later, though. Making his way up in the elevator, Lynn made his way to the door of the family's apartment. As he pushed inside, he heard the familiar noise of his only son leading a play rescue.

"Pow! Bam!" came Lincoln's excited little voice. Lynn stepped through the door and past the small hallway, looking into the living room. There he saw little two-year-old Lincoln, sat on the floor with two dinosaur and robot toys. The young boy wore a minuscule orange shirt, and like usual was sans pants. His white, nearly translucent hair bobbed lightly and Lynn debated whether the boy needed a trim. Stepping in, Lincoln looked up and beamed brightly.

"Dad!" the young boy called out, taking ungraceful steps over and hugging his father around the legs.

"Hey, kiddo!" Lynn said, kneeling down and picking his boy up. Lincoln giggled in his grasp, peering all around the room from that height. "How's my little man doing?"

"I fighting the hyplosaur!" Lincoln said, clapping and waving his arms about. Lincoln hadn't quite gotten the hang of speech yet, but the stumbles were mostly minor nowadays.

"What was that Lincoln?" came a voice from down the hall, before Lynn saw Rita exit their bedroom, "I had to change Lucy, I...oh!" Rita stopped in her tracks, smiling at her husband. "Oh honey, I saw the report on the internet. I thought you were taking up overtime today?"

Lynn placed Lincoln down, holding him steady as the young boy took heavy steps back to his discarded toys. "I did, I just needed to grab my gear first."

"Honestly, honey, you really should bring those things to the station. Then you wouldn't need to make all these trips around!" Rita said, and adjusted the docile baby in her arms. Lucy seemed to peer towards her father, though the small grey beanie that she wore hung over her eyes as usual.

"I know, I know," Lynn said, rubbing the back of his head, "I just like showing off for the kids, you know?"

"Oh, I do..." Rita said, smirking and raising an eyebrow, "That's why you still do all that shadow boxing at night. For the kids, yeah?"

"Hey! I showed you my routine in confidence!" Lynn said, looking around himself.

"Don't worry, Lucy's not gonna remember mommy saying that..." Rita said, lightly poking Lucy's nose. The baby gave no indication of reaction, still just staring through her headpiece. "And Lincoln's back in his little world, see?"

Sure enough, the young white haired boy was back to his game of make-believe. The two toys battled each other in mid-air, with Lincoln's eyes darting around and filling in all the sound effects himself.

"He sure loves all the superhero business. Reminds me of when I was a boy," Lynn said, "I'm sure he'll want to be a hero just like us."

"We've talked about that, honey," Rita said, giving her husband a skeptical look, "No hero talk for the kids any time soon. Especially not Lincoln."

"Oh come on, honey!" Lynn said, making his way into the kitchen. He kept most of his gear in his favorite room of the apartment. Soon enough he'd have an actual full kitchen of his own, just as soon as he could dedicate the time to putting it together. "Every one of our kids has abilities, and Lincoln's still young!"

"We took him to those specialists, sweetie. You remember what they said," Rita replied as she adjusted Lucy, moving into the kitchen as well to grab one of her bottles. "There was no sign of any dormant mutations or anything. The craziest was his hair, a harmless little shift. I think our little man's just gonna be normal."

"He could still be a hero like that!" Lynn said, stripping off the light hoodie and replacing it with the black and blue jacket, the stylized CIC initials on the left breast of the clothing. Grabbing the sunglasses he kept as part of the outfit, he took hold of his skillet and held it at his side. "After all, what would you call me?"

"Lincoln doesn't have all the gear those big tech companies have been sending you." Rita pointed out before she made her way out of the room and calling back over her shoulder, "Hold on for one minute, honey, I'll walk down with you. I need to run a few errands, just let me get Lucy ready."

Lynn adjusted the skillet, feeling the weight and balance of it. His newer crime-fighting weapon was a bit more balanced and thankfully wouldn't lead to as many concussions. As much as he enjoyed his original, it was a bit more destructive than a street-level hero should be. The older man tapped the side of the sunglasses, seeing clearly through them as he flicked through the various vision settings.

"Alright, honey, we're all set to go." Rita stood by the door a few moments later, Lucy strapped securely into her stroller while Lincoln bounced on his feet nearby.

"Arcade!" the young boy cried out, though he quieted as Rita patted his head.

"No arcade today, sweetie. Mommy's gotta be back for when your older sisters get home."

"Awww..." Lincoln reached his hand up to hold onto the side of the stroller, knowing he had to stay close by.

"Alright, let's head out. I heard Sue's keeping people on edge down there," Lynn said, opening the door for his wife and children and closing it behind them.

The four family members all made their way down, the air filled with the light noises of Lincoln commenting on everything he saw or saying small words like "Cat!" or "Flower!" Soon enough, they were outside, moving along the sidewalks towards the shopping district a few blocks over.

The way there was punctuated by various individuals laying out praise and offering high fives and handshakes to the Cast Iron Crusader. Many others nervously greeted the hero Anesthesia, seemingly starstruck by Rita, and gushing over the young children of the pair. Despite all the powers and heroes in the world, Lynn still enjoyed how Royal Woods residents still mostly found any hero to be amazing. Larger cities like Halcyon or Placidville had long since adapted to this sort of thing, and it took some truly impressive feats to impress the residents there.

"So what was on your agenda today, hun?" Lynn asked as he peered over the gathered crowds. The displays on the glasses kept him informed of any registered criminals, though thankfully nothing had popped up.

"Oh, nothing too crazy," Rita replied, readjusting Lincoln as his eyes wandered to passing stores, "Some batteries for Lori, some fabric for Leni, and I need to deposit a check at the bank."

"You should get Luan those extra whoopie cushions she's been asking for!" Lynn said, directing his attention back to his wife, "She passed that pop quiz the other day, didn't she?"

"She's in first grade, dear, and you know she'd just use it to play those jokes on her classmates!"

"Oh, she's just trying to live a little!"

"Planes!" Lincoln called out, pointing his finger high in the sky. Above them flew three crafts, though they were nothing like a typical plane or jet. Each vessel was a bright silvery blue and shaped like a teardrop, multiple high powered lights flashing on the underside. Lynn quickly clicked the side of his high tech glasses, zooming them in on the vessels but unable to find any registered symbol to check against the city's database.

"Not planes, Lincoln, those are space ships!" Rita told her son, whose eyes lit with even more amazement. Following the path of the three ships, noting they seemed to be descending. "That's odd, those look like Oktil ships. Don't they usually stick by the great lakes or the coastlines?"

"Yeah, and they usually are pretty good about signaling their visits. I don't know..." Lynn pondered, and as he realized that the chips were heading towards the town park, he made his decision. "Sweetie, I'm going to go check this out, it's probably just a misunderstanding. Probably some teen aliens one a sightseeing tour again."

"Well just be careful, sweetie. I still need your help if we're gonna renovate that house ourselves." Rita pecked her husband on the cheek, patting his shoulder. "Go handle yourself, and don't forget to use the comm's translator."

"I won't!" Lynn called back, already jogging down the sidewalk. Rita had to admit, while she missed Lynn Sr. being around the house to help with the kids, she did appreciate how active hero work kept her husband. And she knew from the years on duty how capable he was nowadays.

"Is dad gonna fight?" Lincoln said, tugging on his mother's pant leg.

"No dear, I doubt there's gonna be any kind of fight," Rita said, watching her son's disappointment at the statement.

"Aw, I wanna see fights..."

Rita shook her head and patted her son on the head. "Come on, little guy, you can help mommy pick up things for your sisters."

Lincoln pouted but made his way alongside his mother and baby sister. The three followed along a similar path to Lynn, heading towards downtown and the small line of shops. They could have easily driven but the exercise was good and the two youngest Louds didn't fuss as much as others had.

Their first stop was the bank, which was thankfully a quick event. Rita simply had to drop off the checks they received from the city, accepting a few words of thanks from the teller as they went. Lincoln appreciated the stop as he walked away with two lollipops, as Lucy was still much too young for them.

"Don't have them both now, Lincoln," Rita warned, her mind swirling with the dental knowledge she had studied once upon a time, "You've still gotta take care of your baby teeth."

"But mooom..." Lincoln said, his voice drawn out pleadingly.

"No buts, mister. Not unless you want to skip dessert tonight." Rita smiled at her son's widening eyes, and he quickly stuffed the excess candy in the overalls he had been made to wear, "That's better. How's Lucy doing?"

Rita quickly leaned around the stroller, seeing Lucy lying flat on her back and her arms oddly crossed over her chest. If Rita didn't know better, she'd say Lucy looked like a small baby vampire.

"Well, you're certainly dead quiet, huh?" Rita said, lightly running her thumb over the pale baby's cheek. Lucy leaned her head against the warm bit of contact but otherwise remained quiet. "Alright, next we have to get more fabric for Leni. I still wish she'd tell us before she started using her own clothes for new pieces."

The crafts store was thankfully not too far away, simply another block over. She had thankfully not heard any commotion coming from the direction of the park and assumed they had been right about the visit being benign. Hopefully, Lynn really did remember to use the translator, too often he attempted to break it down to a game of charades with visitors.

As they entered the store, the dinging of the bell above the door alerted the front desk clerk. The young man waved, before asking, "Welcome to Crafter's Barrel, anything I can help you with today?"

"Why yes, actually," Rita said, reaching out and holding onto Lincoln's hand before he could wander off, "I'm looking to get some materials for my daughter. She's a bit of an amateur fashion designer."

"Oh wow, that must be fun," said the young man, before he motioned towards the back right corner of the building, "All of our fabrics and sewing equipment is towards the back, but we should have what you need. If you need any more help, just ask!"

"Thank you, I will," Rita said appreciatively as she walked through the front of the store. She waved and nodded at the few other customers in the store, a mix of older men and women or parents with very young children like herself. Most gathered around the drawing supplies or the baking equipment, and Rita found she was the only one looking through the fabrics.

Lincoln began to get fussy as Rita ran her fingers along some of the various pieces of fabric. Should she get a lot of the same material, just in case Leni messed up? Or would it be better for multiple kinds for her daughter to compare and contrast?

"Mom…?" Lincoln said gingerly, tugging on his mother's shirt.

"One second, honey, I need figure out how many yards we should get Leni. What was good to practice with, muslin?"

"But mom..." Lincoln said, his tone sounding a bit more pleading.

"What is it, Lincoln?" Rita asked, giving her son her full attention, "Do you need to go potty?"

Lincoln shook his head, and Rita noticed that he had stood himself close to the end of the aisle. He was peering towards the front of the store, and Rita could finally begin to hear the buzz of conversation that lightly filled the building.

"I see dad!" Lincoln finally said, his tone a mix of excitement and worry. Rita's eyebrows rose high into the air and adjusting Lucy's stroller to be flush against the shelves she positioned herself next to her son.

Peering out, it was difficult to see much as all the front of the store was filled with gathered individuals gawking at something on the street. To make matters worse, she was still trying to peer past other shelves filled with products and forgotten shopping carts. However, the flashing lights and muffled pops and thuds gave her a proper idea.

Rita debated on what to do for a moment but knew she had to check. Taking hold of Lincoln's hand and rolling Lucy's stroller along, Rita made her way up to the small gathering that filled the front of the store. Pushing her way through the crowd, Rita was finally close enough to see the events out on the street.

The commotion turned out to be a battle between Lynn and Sue, and the large hulking aliens that must have been the actual inhabitants of the ships from earlier. These beasts appeared to be a strange cross between arthropod and reptile. They were each at least eight feet tall and built wide, their bodies covered in orange scales and long alligator-like maws that snapped at the air. However, despite their humanoid form each alien also sported a large pincer, similar to a crab claw, in the place of their right limb.

Rita could have groaned. "Crabodiles," she muttered under her breath. This species, unlike most of the friendly spacefaring cultures that had visited earth, was an overly territorial bunch. They always came looking for a challenge, so much so they had yet to integrate their native language into the global translator network. They were constant thorns in a hero's side and had been attacking smaller town heroes more regularly as they had been decimated in larger cities.

Watching as Sue, currently donning her Nanny Nurse costume and using her mental abilities on the public, Rita knew she should help. Hunter was likely trolling around some back alleys or abandoned warehouses, and Sue would stick to crowd control during this ordeal. Her powers were useless on anything other than humans.

Rita took her two children over to the clerk of the store, interrupting his viewing session. "Excuse me, can you watch my kids? I need to go help my husband." The tone Rita gave was practically casual, and the employee only had moments to gather a response as Rita tugged him back from the glass at the front of the store.

"Oh gosh, you're Anesthesia aren't you?!" The young man asked, eyes wide. Rita only replied with a light confirmation, making sure her kids were a fair distance away from the front. "Wow, and you're going out to fight? I thought about calling in sick, but this is awesome!"

"I'm sure it is, now please watch my children. I'm trusting you to keep them safe for now," Rita said, before kneeling down to Lincoln and Lucy's level. "Mommy's gonna go and help out your dad, okay? Be good and don't run off." Lincoln nodded, though was trying to peek over at the window still. Lucy still sat quietly but squeezed Rita's finger affectionately when it was offered.

Standing tall, Rita reached behind her and tied her hair into a ponytail, wanting her vision clear and capable. She regretted not having any of her equipment, but by her count, there were only three of these things and she'd tangled with worse. Even without her tools, Rita still knew her abilities would affect these beings enough.

Stepping out of the storefront, Rita took in the scene before her. One of the crabodiles laid heavy on a crumpled car, groaning and attempting to pick itself up. Another stood on its own, watching and waiting on the edges of the scene, looking for the opportunity to strike. Finally, Lynn stood at a standoff with the third, his skillet held like a sword in front of him while the large alien clicked its claw menacingly.

"Honey!" Rita called out, her voice carrying across the mostly abandoned road, "Need any help?"

The large alien that was embroiled in the standoff tore his eyes away from Lynn. As the heavy clang of metal hitting skull rang out, Rita was happy her husband was quick on the draw.

"Rookie move!" Lynn said, sounding a bit energized and excited. Pressing his finger against the side of his watch, the powerful magnet connected with the matching piece in the skillet. The alien was left reeling as the large metal pan flew back into Lynn's waiting hand, where he swung it around expertly. "You're some half baked warriors if you get distracted that easily!"

Rita rolled her eyes but was truly proud of her husband. He was much better at this nowadays. She quickly ran over to the groggy one laid along the car and clamped her hands against the thing's snout. Its eyes widened, but before it could struggle Lynn was already pumping the doze-inducing gas she could produce. Within seconds, its muscles relaxed and it lay motionless and peaceful.

Rita very quickly picked up on the heavy stomps that were coming her way. Peering across the street, the crabodile that had yet to intervene was rushing with murderous intent. Rita nimbly rolled out of its path, and watch it crack its head against the hard brickwork that stood behind her. Shaking its head, it attempted to follow it up with a heavy swing from its crab claw that cracked the concrete Rita had stood in moments before.

Lynn parried and knocked away most of the advancing shots taken at him by his opponent. He was thankful of all the properties that had been worked into his newest frying pan, including the built-in magnet and shock absorbing material. It wasn't technically cast iron anymore but...well he figured he could let that slide.

Lynn dodged under a wild left hook the reptilian alien threw at him and countered with an uppercut from his pan. The large assailant staggered back, looking angrier with each passing moment.

"What's the matter, big guy? Bite off more than you could chew?" Lynn asked, giving himself some distance and a chance to really breathe. The alien glared, going down on one knee and opening his the large pincer. Lynn saw the accumulating energy that had surprised him earlier, but he was ready this time.

"Well, you know what they say..." Lynn began, preparing himself by holding the flat bottom out towards the crabodile. "If you can't handle the heat..."

The blast sent a wave throughout the street, the ball of red energy flying towards Lynn. He swung his weapon like a bat, the bottom of the pan catching all of the energy and holding it within the dip of his skillet. Twisting his body around in a circle, Lynn threw the energy back at his enemy, yelling out, "...then get out of the kitchen!"

The crabodile had one brief moment to look surprised before it was lost in the smoke of its own blast. The gargantuan smoke cloud filled the area before Lynn, clearing in seconds and showing the doubled over, char covered form of the alien warrior. It groaned in its guttural tones, and Lynn looked over to Rita.

"Honey! Coming at you!" Lynn called out, throwing his skillet at his wife's opponent. Rita was ducking and weaving and, as she heard her husband's call, rolled back once more to avoid another claw smash. The crabodile had already been moving slower as Rita was releasing plenty of her anesthetic gas in the surrounding air. As her husband's skillet smashed into this thing's head, she hoped it'd be the end of the battle.

Unfortunately, this one, in particular, seemed to know when it was outmatched. As Lynn recalled the skillet back to his hand, ready to throw again, he was horrified to see the large figure turn itself around and push into the closest building…the Crafter's Barrel.

Rita and Lynn both yelled out, knowing all too well that their children and plenty of civilians were in the building. Both began rushing to the massive hole that had just been pushed in, hearing the loud yelling and screaming emanating from inside. They prayed they'd be able to get inside before anything terrible happened…

Suddenly, both parents paused as something dark exploded out of the hole in the storefront. Panic gripped their hearts, but they soon realized there was no heat to meet them. The inside of the store looked like it was just suddenly pitch black, with thin wispy strands of some dark material spilling out and into the air.

Lynn didn't have time to question the material, quickly tapping the side of the glasses and switching it into night vision. This turned out to be the right call, as he quickly saw the scared faces of the various civilians scattered to the sides of the store. More importantly, Lynn saw the confused form of the crabodile who obviously had trouble in the dark.

Its movement still groggy, the large alien peered around, seemingly off balance by the sudden change in light. It had no way of preparing itself as Lynn's pan found purchase against its long head. It swiped its massive claw around wildly, knocking over various shelves and upturning carriages, but Lynn saw it all from a mile off. Within seconds, the alien was flat on the ground, and Lynn was radioing in the need for a few large containment vehicles.

"Lincoln! Lucy!" Rita called out, pushing her way into the store and squinting her eyes, trying in vain to see through the darkness. "Where are you two?!"

A small voice cut through the darkness, but Rita recognized it immediately. "Lincoln!"

Trying to cut her way through the darkness, the terrified mother tripped over forgotten art supplies and the occasional customer of the store, and as she felt a hand grab her wrist in the darkness she reflexively recoiled.

"Honey, it's me!" Lynn said, taking her hand once again. Rita let her apprehension relax before she felt herself being tugged along. "Come on! Whatever this stuff is, I can see through it with my shades!"

Rita couldn't help but note the irony of sunglasses helping to see in the dark, but she let it fall by the wayside as Lynn helped her dive and weave in between the various unseen debris. When they stopped, Rita heard Lynn call out, "There they are! Lincoln! It's mom and dad, we're here!"

Lynn could see his son cowering, looking desperately around in the pitch darkness. Looking over to Lucy's stroller, however, gave Lynn a moment of pause…

"Lincoln! Take your father's hand!" Rita said as she felt her husband shift. Soon she felt the familiar tightness of Lincoln's small arms, hearing him sniff as he buried his face into her leg. Rita still couldn't see her son, but she reached down to pick him up in an embrace. "Sweetie! Lynn, where's Lucy?!"

"I've got her!" Her husband said through the darkness, "Shhh, it's okay Lucy, it's alright. Your dad's here, and the bad guys aren't gonna hurt you. It's okay..."

She didn't know why, but as her husband comforted their baby in the dark, Rita thought she could start to see a little bit easier in the room. Soon she realized that was the case, and the darkness around was slowly fading away. The fluorescent lights of the store were no longer being choked out, and the state of the store was becoming clear to all. There was damage, though mostly to the front wall of the store and the shelf that the alien had fallen on.

Gazing over to her husband, she saw wrapped in his arms was a small bundle of...darkness. There was no other way to describe it, his arms were clasped around what seemed to be something small that was practically bleeding darkness into the air. It only took a second before she heard the quiet sniffles coming from that something and realized what it was.

"Oh my gosh, Lucy..." Rita carried her son over to her husband, holding him in her left arm as he rubbed his face into the crook of her neck. She raised her right hand to the small bundle in her husband's arm and felt the cool touch of Lucy's skin.

"It's alright, sweetie, mom and dad are here now. You can relax..." Lynn said in a hushed tone. The darkness began to ebb from Lucy less and less, soon giving way to the sniffling and lightly crying form of their youngest child. Her tears, thankfully, were leaving and she seemed once again to be lulled back into sleep.

"My gosh, she's quite expressive when she wants to be," Rita said, returning her hand to pat her son's back.

"I know, this is the soonest any of them have shown any powers," Lynn said, the slightest edge of pride in his voice. He lowered his daughter back into her stroller, tucking her in under the blankets that had been left there.

"Thanks so much for the assist honey, it would've been a little hairy without you there," Lynn said, moving up to hug his wife and son.

"You did great out there, sweetie," Rita said as she squeezed her husband back, before breaking away and surveying the area, "I think I'll just take the kids home, this has probably been enough excitement for one day."

"Definitely, and the girls should be getting home soon. Wait to tell them the news though, okay?"

"The news?" Rita asked, raising an eyebrow, "I'm sure they'll be hearing about the fight as soon as they get finished at school."

"Not that news, Rita!" Lynn said, and he was beaming at his wife again, "The news about Lucy! I think we have another Household Hero in the making!"