As the summer heat swept through Royal Woods, the Louds spent more and more time outside. There were water balloons, hoses, and even a huge inflatable pool at one point. Brian was forced to stay on a humorous rubber ducky every time he wanted to go in the pool for safety, which he wasn't too thrilled about. Everyone else was able to go into the water except for him, yet another thing his shrunken handicap prevented him from doing freely. At least it didn't last too long thanks to a "fecal incident" that Lily did. However, this was only the tip of what summer had in store for the Loud family.
On this particular day, the kids were all excited to hear they were going to Grand Venture State Park to spend time outdoors, which they had to explain to Brian since he was clueless on the place. It was a huge natural park with various landmarks typical of outdoor activities such as picnic tables and private lakes, although they also had some exclusives like caves to explore and a unique geyser. Even though the girls told him that the geyser never erupts anymore, Lincoln actually said he saw it erupt for him once which his sisters easily doubted on. Once everyone was inside the family car or "Vanzilla" as they liked to call it, the Louds set off. Brian had to stay under Lana's cap to avoid getting spotted, but from what he heard outside it was pretty chaotic. He heard Lisa going over all of the potential dangerous ways of car travel, Lynn playing a game of "Auto Attack" with Lincoln that involved…sounds of punching, and Lori gurgling before hearing…a noise he didn't want to receive. This was definitely one of the moments where he was glad to be out on the sidelines.
Eventually, he felt the car stop. Once he heard the car doors open he knew they arrived, but he stayed under Lana's cap until the kids informed him that it was safe. He heard them buzz around before their parents spoke up.
"Okay, I want all of you to be on your best behaviors as always. We don't want a repeat of what happened that one year." Lynn Sr.'s voice said.
"Uhhhhh, honey? That was all you." Rita's voice replied.
"Come on, I thought you would back me up!" Lynn Sr.'s voice said. "It was just ONE poke!"
"That ended giving us stings all over our backs." Lori's voice responded. Brian heard Lynn Sr. sigh.
"Fine, I guess I'll have to behave myself as well. Let's just get inside the park."
Bran held on tight as he felt Lana walk with her family. Being ever curious over where they ended up, he peeked ever so slightly from under Lana's cap. There were multiple logs horizontally sticking out of the ground with many cars situated in front of them to park as many trees formed around them. A giant archway with a sign under it saying "Grand Venture State Park", which hanged under it near the top, sat in front as the family trekked under it. He couldn't make out anything else thanks to the angle, although something hit his eardrums pretty quickly.
"I'm telling you, this place needs to be temporarily shut down! It will eat you alive!"
"Mister, I think you just saw a spooked deer or something."
"I didn't! I definitely know what I saw!"
Brian's attention, along with the others, was soon drawn to a conversation between what looked to be a park ranger and a much messed up man. The man's eyes were basically huge dinner plates as he had sweat all over him and a topless body.
"Excuse me you two, but what exactly is going on?" Rita asked. The park ranger stepped up.
"It's nothing. This guy just got spooked by something while hiking around the park. Not a big deal."
"IT TOTALLY IS A BIG DEAL, FOR THERE'S ABSOLUTELY A DINOSAUR IN THIS PARK! YOU NEED TO SHUT THIS PARK DOWN!" the crazed man exclaimed.
Most of the Louds raised their eyebrows at the statement while the park ranger rolled his eyes.
"Ummmm, did you just say a dinosaur is here?" Lynn Sr. asked with confusion.
"Of course I did!" the crazed man replied. "I was just minding my own business walking down the trails when that monstrosity entered my vision! The sharp teeth practically spoke for themselves as it began to walk up to me, so I had to throw my shirt to the side to distract it long enough to slip away! If you value your life, please don't go into the park!"
"Ugh, I've just about had it with you and your false accusations." The park ranger said as he pulled out a radio and pressed some buttons on it. As quick as a flash, two very buff park rangers grabbed the man from the sides and proceeded to carry him out as the ranger who called walked behind to keep an eye on him.
"I'M TELLING YOU, STAY OUT OF THE PARK! IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!" the man shouted one final time as he was dragged out of the area. The Louds couldn't help but look at the display with awe.
"Did anyone catch on to what the heck just happened?" Luna asked.
"It was something about a dinosaur being here." Lucy spoke up.
"That guy must have been conked on the head a few too many times." Rita said. "I say we just pretend like that never happened."
"Agreed." Everyone else, except for Lily and the hiding Brian, said at the same time including Lynn Sr.
"With that out of the way, I'm going to the front desk and getting a map of the place. Rita, if you could-"
"Yes, I'll back you up." Rita interrupted. "Just stay here kids, we'll be right back."
The Loud kids all gave their condolences as their parents left for a quick trip to the rangers' station. With the coast now clear, Brian stuck his head out from under Lana's cap before Lana picked him up and held the tiny boy in her hands.
"Phew, I've been in there for way too long! You have no idea how stuffy in can get in there while under a veil of darkness!" Brian said.
"Sorry little guy, can't risk you being spotted." Lana said.
"I can understand that." Brian responded. "At least I can still peek out from time to time."
"You are going to enjoy this place, trust me." Lori said before Lynn spoke up.
"By the way, what about that crazy guy screaming dinosaur? You think it's probably a new ride here?"
"Highly doubt it." Lisa said. "It doesn't actually fit this place if you ask me. I'm taking his words with a grain of salt."
"Awww, I didn't even bring any salt!" Leni responded. The rest of the Loud kids groaned at her stupidity before Lynn spoke up again.
"Well I want to see this supposed dinosaur myself!"
All eyes on her watched her like she was as crazy as the guy before.
"You do realize that all dinosaurs are extinct, you're basically hoping to find something that doesn't exist anymore." Lisa said.
"For all we know it could have just been a guy in a costume." Lincoln spoke up. "That's my closest guess."
"We won't know unless we go in and find it, and I want to be the next to see!" Lynn said with glee. "I just need all of you to cover for me while Brian and I go looking."
"Wait, wait, wait, why am I suddenly in this?" Brian asked while being a bit flustered. "There's no way I'm stranding away from everyone to find out if a crazy person was true or not!"
Lynn glared down at the boy in Lana's hands.
"You owe me remember? Getting stuck in my shoe ring any bells?"
Brian frowned. He knew what Lynn was talking about, and he didn't think she would hold that sort of thing for this long. Just what made this time special than the other times he hung out with her? He really wanted to bail out and call it a day, but he knew Lynn was persistent. If she wanted to do something, she would hang it over your head until it eventually happened.
"Ugh, fine. I guess since I STILL owe you…" Brian begrudgingly said. Surprisingly, two more voices came up after him.
"I'm coming with you, just because I know you are full of rubbish and will enjoy myself after I prove you wrong." Lisa said.
"Ooh, ooh, I wanna come too! I love reptiles, especially dinosaurs!" Lana chimed in. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"
"Hey, all family is allowed here. Sure, you two can come along." Lynn said. The siblings that didn't speak up looked at Lynn with stink eyes.
"You can't be serious about this." Luan said.
"Of course I am!" Lynn replied. "I just need you to cover for us when we walk off. Lincoln, you're navigating!"
"Wait, when did I say I was going?!" Lincoln answered. Lynn, with a smug face, waltzed up to Lincoln before whispering something in his ear. His eyebrows rose as his face went slightly pale before Lynn backed off.
"I guess I'm going too." Lincoln said looking a bit depressed.
Once the parents made it back, the family wasted no time with the activities. Brian had to hide under Lana's hat again for safety, but even then he could easily take in the scenery. The lush trees, the calm air, it was almost too much for him to handle. He really wanted to jump out and experience everything for himself, but he didn't want to give himself up. He watched as everyone hiked up the side of a cliff, witnessed wild forest animals, and even took a dip in a fresh water lake. Once everyone, except for Brian, was in the lake Lynn and the others made their move. As their other sisters kept their parents busy, Lynn, Lincoln, Lisa, and Lana made their move and quietly walked out. The tiny boy felt uneasy for them to be doing this to their parents, he hoped the others would cover for them until they got back.
It wasn't long before they reached Grand Venture's bat cave.
"Well, here's the gateway." Lincoln said as he looked at the cave. "Once we make it through here we'll reach the deep parts of the park."
"I'm telling all of you that this is still pointless!" Lisa spoke up.
"If it's as pointless as you claim then why are you with us?" Lana asked.
"I told you before; I want to rub it in your face when you don't find anything!"
"Less talking, more traveling!" Lynn said. "Let's go, WOOOOOOO!"
She ran into the cave with her hands in the air like a maniac. Lincoln sighed as he slowly made his way after her followed by Lisa. Lana pulled Brian out of her hat as she felt him shake a bit.
"I…I'm still not sure about this…" Brian sputtered. "It's pretty dark in there…you sure there isn't another way?"
"As much as I don't want to say it, I don't think there is." Lana replied. "Don't worry; it's not as bad as you think. We have all been in there and nothing bad happened. You want to ride on my shoulder if it makes you feel better?"
Brian rapidly nodded like a frightened toddler. With that answer, Lana lifted her hands as she placed the frightened kid on her right shoulder before proceeding into the cave after the others. It didn't take long for everything to become pitch black. From normal to coward, Brian clutched Lana's face. He wasn't sure what might pop up and possibly bring him to his knees. Lana herself kept a normal attitude as she walked ahead and gave a few hearty taps on Brian's back to try and calm him down.
"It's okay little guy, everything will be all right. Like all of the reptiles in my pants, I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay calm and we'll make it through this."
Brian tried to look up and see Lana's caring face, but the darkness everywhere prevented him from doing so. He pictured Lana to still have on that smile of hers, one that described "wild child" quite easily. She didn't really give off vibes of passion or care like Lori or Luna do, but she could always peel away and show it off when support is needed. He did feel quite connected to her, for she was the first one to notice him when he found himself behind the house after all. He really felt the need to hang out with her more once this incident goes through.
Just then, Brian felt Lana bump into something in front of her. It didn't take long to figure out what.
"Hey, be more careful please!"
"Sorry Lisa!" Lana said. The black everywhere prevented Lana or Brian from actually seeing her, but they made a mental note that she was in front of them.
"Ouch, that's my foot!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Then get your butt out of my face, at least I think it is." Lynn said.
"That's it, I'm ending this charade." Lisa said. With one small flip, a burst of light came out from Lisa's hand. She held a flashlight as everyone could finally now see themselves in the dark. Brian breathed a sigh of relief, he now felt more comfortable with a source of light. He saw the four Loud kids close together so they wouldn't lose themselves.
"Phew, now we can finally see where we're going." Lincoln said. "Anyone know how far we are inside here?"
"You're our navigator, you should know!" Lynn replied.
"I didn't ask to be the navigator!" Lincoln retorted.
"Easy you two, I already have a well-rounded hunch." Lisa spoke up. "Judging by how long we have walked and the type of ground near our feet, they all point to being in the central cavern. If we walk the same amount as we got in here, we should arrive at the exit."
"I'm surprised we didn't run into any bats yet." Lana said. "They usually stick to the ceiling around the entrance and there was none!"
As the Louds discussed which direction to go to next, Brian listened quietly until a drop of water splashed against his head, which made him soaking wet at the size he was at. Attempting to wring out his hair, Brian looked to see where it came from. He wasn't exactly thrilled at what he saw.
"Uhhhh, guys? You may want to look up…" Brian stated. Once all of them heard him, the Louds suddenly went silent as Lisa shakily pointed the flashlight upwards. Their suspicions were confirmed as the eyes of the swarms opened up and looked down at them.
"Awwww shoot." Lynn said. The bats screeched as they dive bombed at them, which gave everyone the signal to get out. Lynn took off in a random direction with the others right behind her as the bats got in their faces. Lisa tried waving her flashlight to scare them off, even if it proved ineffective, while Brian held on firmly to Lana's face. Unluckily, a stray bat swooped behind him and snatched him off Lana's shoulder and into its talons. Brian screamed to get the kids' attention as more bats quickly noticed the boy and tried to pry him off of the bat currently holding him. Lincoln was quick to notice Brian's turmoil as he hastily picked up a small lone rock on the ground and chucked in in the bats' direction. While he completely missed hitting any, the sudden projectile startled the bats enough that the one holding Brian let go. Brian closed his eyes out of fear of what might happen next as other bats swooped down to catch him out of the air, but Lynn wasn't going to have it. She ran in and did a baseball dive as the bats appeared to be a few hairs away from grabbing Brian. It was close, but Brian barely made impact with Lynn's hands before the bats got him. She kept Brian enclosed in her two hands as she ran back after the others. It wasn't long before the exit came within sight, and with one final rush the four Louds escaped as the bats refused to fly out of the cave in daylight.
"Oh man, I think I threw out my spinal cord." Lisa stated as she slowly tried to catch her breath.
"Sheesh, I've never…seen them that agitated…" Lincoln said between breaths. "Just what…has got them so…riled up?"
"Maybe they were spooked by something?" Lana replied also nearly tired out. "They were all grouped near the center. If I was scared I would also try to go to the safest spot available."
"That's a likely theory." Lisa said.
As for Lynn, she plopped right on the ground all tuckered out from the adrenaline rush. She opened her hands to see how Brian was doing after she rescued him, and she didn't expect what she saw. The shell of the boy, pale as a ghost, all curled up into a frightened position. Lynn sat up and looked at him in slight confusion.
"Ummm, you okay little guy?" Lynn asked. For Brian, that incident nearly felt like heck breathing across his back. The atmosphere, the situation, the emotions, it all wrapped together to form something Brian didn't want to be reminded of. He was so scared out of his wits that he watched himself run up and grip Lynn's chest in a hug, wanting as much comfort to get over the fact that he could have been a bat's meal. He cried a little bit as he sniffed quietly, not saying a word as Lynn was shocked to see him acting like that.
"Guys, I think Brian's broken." Lynn said to the other three. The other Louds came over and witnessed what was going on.
"Man, he looks terrified." Lana said. "Those bats really screwed him up."
"Can you see what your wild goose chase is doing?!" Lisa said to Lynn, not exactly in a happy mood. "You almost made him bat chow! Let's just head back and forget about this stupid search."
"No way!" Lynn exclaimed. "We got this far, so going back is not an option! We're finding that dinosaur and I'm not heading home without it!"
"…please…"
The Louds looked down and noticed that Brian was actually speaking through his horrified mood.
"Please…don't make me…go through that again…so terrible…nearly saw the light…"
He clenched Lynn's chest even harder, although she never actually felt anything. Nothing mattered to him, just comfort, as his eyes watered up again.
"Everything is going to be alright Brian, it's over." Lincoln said. "Just hang in there for a little longer, you're among friends."
"We'll get through this little guy, you're with me remember?" Lana said as she rubbed his back with one of her fingers. "Like I said before, I won't let anything bad happen to you. Why don't you stick with me until this is all over okay?"
Brian looked up from Lynn's chest and over to Lana through water filled eyes. She really was the only one really getting him at the moment, even when he was in the cave. He slowly nodded as Lana smiled before picking him up off of Lynn and into her own hands. He immediately waddled up and gave Lana a very heart filled hug, which made the giantess happy.
"Th…thank…you…" Brian squeaked through a cracked voice. Lana couldn't help but lightly hug back. She felt good knowing that she became guardian of the day, especially to someone like Brian. He really was acting like one of her frightened reptiles, which thankfully Lana knew how to handle.
While Lincoln and Lynn couldn't help but watch with heartwarming eyes, Lisa was the only one strapped to reality.
"Okay, I know everyone wants to be in high hopes but we are currently in uncharted territory. Anyone want to figure out what to do next?"
"Well…" Lynn said with an obvious sarcastic look. "I MAY have smuggled a few things from the family picnic basket, but I'm not sure if anyone is hungry yet…"
Everyone set their sights on Lynn like rabid animals.
Once things settled down, the five of them sat down to munch on the food Lynn "pilfered" from her family. Gratefully she didn't get any rotten or gross foods. Lynn and Lincoln had turkey sandwiches, Lisa chose to only eat a single apple, and Lana got a burrito. Since the food was too big for Brian to handle, Lana shared some parts of her burrito with him, which cheered him up a little bit from the scare earlier. He was still a little squeamish, but progress was slowly being made to overcome it.
"You couldn't have snagged even a smidge of a drink? I could really use a juice box right about now." Lincoln asked after taking another bite.
"Sorry bro, this was the best I could do." Lynn replied before swallowing. "Besides, I wouldn't want to know how it feels to keep a drink in certain spots. I wouldn't want one spilling in the front of my pants."
"I would imagine it would be highly irritating." Lisa said. She took a bite out of her apple before Lana spoke up.
"Ooh, I wouldn't mind! I get down and dirty all of the time! How about you Brian?"
Brian quietly chowed down on a few crumbs of Lana's burrito before being brought up.
"Well, ummm…" Brian said still a bit uneasy. "I guess…it could get a little uncomfortable…maybe depending on the pants."
"I couldn't agree more." Lincoln responded. Lisa rolled her eyes as Brian scooted over closer to Lana's face. As of now, she was still the most comfortable person to be around with in his eyes. He needed her currently to get him back in the right mood so he gave her another small hug on the cheek which didn't go unnoticed. She looked down at him after chomping on her burrito with an encouraging smile.
"You're going to be okay, trust me." Lana replied as she rubbed his back with one of her fingers. Just as she did that, Lynn finished her sandwich before standing back up, only to sit back down clutching her feet.
"Ow! I must have sprained something!" Lynn exclaimed. "I think I need someone to give me a quick rub down!"
"Eew, no way I'm doing that!" Lincoln revolted. Lisa simply shook her head for her answer.
"I go through some gross things, but even I have to pass that up." Lana replied. With three down, Lynn set her sights on the final person.
"Guess that leaves just you Brian." Lynn said. The tiny boy hastily shook his head.
"Unh, unh, no way! I'm still trying to recover from being a bat's lunch!" he replied.
"I don't think you have a choice." Lynn said. "Forget that you owe me from a few months ago?"
Brian pouted. She really was holding that incident over his head and not letting it go. He was told that Lynn had the tendency to do so and hold it for an extremely long time, although he wasn't given exact numbers. She would probably continue to bring it up until he did something to her that equaled in value, so if he did it now she would easily let it go. He looked at Lana before nodding his head, so she placed him down on the ground where he made his way over to Lynn through the grass.
Lynn smiled as she took off her shoes and socks before placing her huge bare feet in front of the shrunken kid.
"Okay, give me the best you got!" Lynn said. Her feet loomed over Brian as they greatly intimidated him. These were the same two feet that almost suffocated him to death a few months ago, and now Brian had to deal with the behemoths yet again. Unlike Lori's feet the one time, Lynn's stank to high heavens from all the time she spent outside, and he could smell it. Brian held his breath as he slowly walked up to the walls of stink before planting his hands on one of them and proceeding to rub it. The other Louds couldn't bear to see the grossness, especially since they were eating, and turned away as the process continued. Even though he forbade himself to use his nose, the noxious fumes caused his eyes to water up, but he gently kept at rubbing the bottom of the foot.
He soon heard Lynn speak up.
"Gee, you did great on that one. It wasn't much but I could definitely feel it. Can you go over to the other foot now?"
Brian snorted before catching himself and waddling over to the other foot. Holding his breath a second time, the process continued all over again. He swore the other foot was smellier than the other, for even though he didn't open his nose his watering eyes seemed to come out quicker. He didn't think much about it as he pretty much sanded off his fingers working on Lynn's other foot. He wasn't sure if he was doing a good job since Lynn wasn't giving him any signs, but he kept at it anyway.
After what seemed like an eternity, Lynn spoke up again.
"Oh yeah, that definitely hit the spot. If you weren't so tiny, you could easily become the next best masseur!"
"I'm surprised you even know a word like that." Lisa said.
"Eh, you learn some things down the road." Lynn replied. Thinking that Lynn wanted him to stop, Brian backed off which finally got his nose working again. Before he could even think, Lynn dumped a bottle full of water over him, drenching him all over. He was just about to yell at her when she spoke up first.
"I thought you might have needed a quick wash after a job like that."
"You do realize this isn't the same right?" Brian responded as he tried to wring himself out.
"I thought you said you didn't have any drinks!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Well I must have missed one!" Lynn said. "At least I didn't carry that in my pants!"
Lincoln became very cross at Lynn's attitude, for he knew she was messing with him. Before an argument could erupt, a loud deep deafening noise rang through everyone's hearing. Brian and Lincoln even got the shivers once it finished.
"Please tell me that was your stomach." Lincoln worriedly said.
"No it wasn't…" Lisa replied equaling her brother's expression. Lana quickly picked up Brian for safety as she too was nervous, but Lynn was the only one not succumbing to fear.
"Oh my gosh, something is definitely here! I'm going to be the first to see, WOOOOO!"
Lynn raised her arms like maniac as she ran towards the source of the sound. Not wanting to be left out, the other Louds rushed eating the rest of their food before following, with Brian riding on Lana's shoulder. They had to push away a few brushes of leaves and grass as the greenery got longer and larger, but they kept their eyes on Lynn so they wouldn't lose her. Once they came to a corner around a large rock, Lynn suddenly stopped which caused the ones behind her to accidentally charge into her.
"Ow, what gives?!" Lana asked as she and the other two got up off the ground. Lynn stayed completely immobile as her sights were fixated in one direction. Her eyes were basically two large dinner plates as her mouth with widely agape. She began shuddering as the others were wondering what the heck was going on.
"Ummm, what's got you so looking like a deer in headlights?" Lincoln asked. Lynn started to mutter as she struggled to get the words out.
"Duh…duh…duh…duh…duh…"
"That's it, I'm looking for myself." Lisa stated. The other three Louds, along with Brian, took a peek around the corner of the rock. What they saw clearly was completely unexpected. Nearly all of them mimicked Lynn's reaction as the sight hit their eyes, except for Brian who began to fear for his life.
There it was, a humungous form of the extinct reptilian race standing before them, fully up and alive before their eyes, except there was a few things that made it stand out. While it had the structure and features of the common large types, such as sharp pointed teeth and two short arms, it was covered in very light blue scales all over, somewhat of an uncommon color. Countless rugged silver spots and stripes decorated its body and legs, especially two giant triangular ones above its eyes that pointed backward. The stripes spread over its back, at the base of both feet before the thick talons, on its two short arms before the claws, and even some small ones around its heavy tail. The underside was a bright cream color that also covered its lower jaw, with its two standard yellow eyes complementing it nicely. Luckily for the kids, it didn't appear to notice them as it was busy drinking from the lake in front of it.
"I…I…I can't believe I'm seeing this…" Lincoln said with awe. "That man…wasn't crazy after all…"
"You took the words…right out of my mouth…" Brian stuttered.
"Wow…an actual living dinosaur…" Lana said. "It's…SO COOL! I want to see it up close!"
"Be quiet! Do you want it to crush your bones?!" Lincoln shakily replied.
As for Lisa, seeing the dinosaur really began to mess with her brain. She began to doubt what was possible and what wasn't, for there was no reason for an extinct reptile of that caliber to still be roaming in this day and age. She went into a fetal position on the ground as her pupils shrank and her mouth formed into a crazy smile.
"This…this…so crazy…is life even…of course it is…but what I see before me…hahahahah…this can't be reality…it's obviously some kind of joke…hahahahah…yes, kept telling yourself that…hahahahah…"
"Oh, there's the culprit right over there." Brian said while pointing as something caught his eye. The Louds that weren't Lisa looked in the direction Brian was pointing and, lo and behold, it was yet another tear, but this one was much bigger than any other one they have seen, just big enough for the dinosaur to slip through.
The exposure didn't faze Lincoln though, for he was still worried out of his wits.
"Okay, we saw the dinosaur and another tear, can we leave now?" he asked.
"Not until I get a picture of this!" Lynn replied. She instantaneously pulled out a camera out of nowhere while she had a big smile and aimed it straight at the dinosaur.
"Everyone else is going to be jealous that they never saw this beast in person! I can't wait to rub it in their faces! WOOO!"
"DON'T DO IT!" Lincoln, Lana, and Brian all exclaimed, but it didn't change anything. Lynn snapped a photo with the flash going off, which proved to be a grave mistake. This went noticed by the dinosaur, turning it around until its eyes fell right on the kids. It didn't take them lightly as it roared loudly in their faces and glared immensely.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Lincoln exclaimed. The others didn't need to be reminded twice as they took off in the other direction with him, with Lana having Brian on her shoulder and Lincoln dragging the delusional Lisa by the legs. The dinosaur was no slouch though as it kept pace with them using its thick legs. Adrenaline pumped as they winded around trees and mounds with the dinosaur in hot pursuit, eventually taking cover in a crease from a pile of rocks that was too small for the dinosaur to get in. It tried to stick its head inside as the Louds stood terrified, but it quickly drew back. The kids could hear it snort before the felt tremors of its feet fade away.
"I…I think it's gone." Lincoln stuttered. "One of you go out and check!"
Lana suddenly found herself pushed out by the others. While she was initially angry at first for her siblings to offer her up, she gazed around for any sight of the dinosaur, with Brian providing backup from her shoulder.
"All clear!" Lana responded. The others took their time to make it outside in case their sister missed something, but eventually they came out.
"Oh man, I thought I was dinosaur chow for sure!" Lincoln said.
"You don't need to remind me!" Lynn replied. "At least I got my picture though!"
"Well that picture almost got us killed!" Lincoln said. "Now let's get out of here before it comes back!"
As the words flew out, Brian sat on Lana's shoulder trying to calm down. He really felt like snuggling up to Lana again just for the support, for getting forced to see another anomaly come out of a tear was never a pretty sight, especially something as extinct as a dinosaur. The menacing teeth, the giant legs, the erratic eyes, all of it was a-
Something clicked.
Lana just stood there watching her siblings go at it from the encounter before she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head and noticing it was Brian, she asked:
"Hey Brian, what's up? I'm still a bit confused from what I just saw!"
"I am too, you're not alone." Brian replied. "I was just wondering if your reptiles get twitchy and hyperactive at times."
"You have no idea." Lana explained. "El Diablo in particular practically slithers into a corner and threatens to bite if anyone comes near. I never showed him horror movies again after that.
"You think something like that could happen to its ancestor?" Brian asked. Lana didn't get what he was trying to explain at first, but it quickly came to her. She wasn't Lisa in terms of smarts, but she did understand her reptiles and knew how they handled. She just needed the others to listen.
"HEY!"
Lincoln and Lynn briefly stopped their quarreling to look at Lana.
"I think I know what's going on with the dinosaur."
"Oh really?" Lynn asked with a hint of sarcasm before Lana explained.
"I don't think it wants to eat us, as out of it as it sounds, it's more than likely horrified and scared of being here! It wasn't lowering its head to the ground as it was chasing us and it immediately left us alone in that crease and didn't come back. It was probably just trying to scare us off since it isn't in its regular habitat and doesn't know what we are!"
"If that was the case, than why didn't it eat us when it had the chance?" Lincoln asked.
"Well it did come out of that huge tear and I don't recall hearing about a dinosaur that had that unique look." Brian spoke up. "I don't think that's any normal dinosaur, and if it was we would probably be dead by now. It's not running on instinct."
"Then…what exactly are we going to do?" Lynn asked.
"We're going to need to herd it back into the tear before it disappears, as crazy as it is." Brian said.
"WHAT?! I'M NOT HEADING BACK OUT THERE!" Lincoln exclaimed in astonishment.
"You won't need to." Brian said. "I'm pretty sure Miss Still In A Mental Crisis has something to do the job."
He pointed over to the young genius that was still in a fetal position conflicting with herself. It was quite a surprise that she managed to stay like that the entire time even during the chase, but now she was needed to be back to her regular self.
"…is this all a fraud…illusions all over…my life a lie…possibilities…oh so much…"
Getting rather annoyed, Lynn went up to her and slapped her right across the face. It seemed to do the trick as Lisa immediately stood up with wide eyes.
"WATCHOUTTHERESADINOSAUR!" she shouted as she snapped out of it. All eyes were now on her.
"Alright, what did you mess up this time?"
A few preparations later, everything was ready to be set in motion. Lisa, the one that nearly always keeps inventions with her, did have something for the situation that she kept under wraps. There were two parts to it, a large circular pod that looked to be two feet wide in diameter and an old projection camera that had dust all over it. As the dinosaur was still by the lake being very uneasy, the others stood in hiding as Lisa set everything up. When Lisa asked for someone to be the one to go on the pod for activation, Lynn actively forced herself over everyone else despite Lana really wanting to do it.
"Okay Lynn, just keep standing there as this machine warms up." Lisa said as she pressed a few buttons to start it up.
"Oh man, this is going to be sweet!" Lynn exclaimed. "Lynn Loud going toe to toe with a dinosaur, it's the match of the century! Hurry up and get it going already!"
"Fine MOM." Lisa said while rolling her eyes. Lincoln and Lana stayed on the sidelines while Brian watched from Lana's shoulder. The tiny boy noticed a small sticker on one side of the camera that had words on it.
"Property of Professor J-"
"That's not important!" Lisa interrupted as she tore off the sticker and threw it away.
"Sheesh, where did you get this gizmo exactly?" Brian asked.
"It was sent from somewhere in a New York area. I took its source code and modified it for my liking." Lisa answered.
"So it was given to you?"
"Errrrrr, something like that…" Lisa slowly replied as she chuckled lightly with a guilty smile. Before words could be exchanged further, the machine suddenly whirred as Lynn began to get capsulized under some light glass.
"Uhhhh Lisa, it this supposed to happen?" Lynn asked.
"Affirmative." Lisa replied. "Just let the circuits run its course and it should work."
While the machine did the finishing touches on Lynn, the others watched the dinosaur from their hiding spot in case it went somewhere else. It was currently taking a nap by the lake thankfully, and Lana couldn't help but stare in awe. As she was a lover of reptiles, seeing one that big was quite an astonishing sight. She wrestled gators before, but if she were to grow to the same height, wrestling a dinosaur would be a great feat for her. Lincoln kept sight on it from a safer spot just in case he needed to save his skin.
It didn't take long before a brilliant flash blinded nearly everyone around Lisa's machine, consequently waking up the dinosaur in the process. Once it vanished, a gigantic form phased in a good distance away from the dinosaur, around the same height as well, and the ones watching were shocked to see what it was.
It was a giant sized Lynn.
"Ugh, my head is spinning…" the giant Lynn moaned as she held her head. The dinosaur didn't take its new guest lightly as it started roaring at her. Lincoln, Lana, and Brian swiftly turned their attention back to the machine to see how it pulled the maneuver off. As it turned out, Lynn actually was still in the domed pod but was on the ground flat on her back in a sort of sleep stasis. While she slept, the projector turned on and formed the giant sized Lynn before them. This indicated that the giant Lynn was nothing more than a projection of her while her actual body was immobile, although her actual being must have been temporarily transferred to the projection as the signs of her personality surfaced on it.
When her vision cleared, Lynn was ecstatic to see everything around her smaller than usual.
"This…is…AMAZING!" Lynn said with glee as she jumped up and down with her hands up. Normally this would cause a few quakes for someone at that size, but since she was just a hologram it didn't happen. The others huddled around Lisa by the pod as she spoke through a speaker next to it.
"Lynn, can you hear me?" Lisa asked through the speaker.
"Ummm, somehow I can." Lynn's voice boomed through their ears. "How is that possible exactly?"
"I installed a speaker by the pod where your body is for easy communication." Lisa responded. "Remember that there's a limited amount of horsepower behind this, so you won't be that huge for long, and that you are just a hologram. Those things are unable to touch anything, although I'm hoping to possibly fix that in the future."
"Blah, blah, blah, all I'm hearing is useless junk." Lynn's voice boomed again. "Can I just beat up on the dinosaur now?"
"You can't touch the dinosaur for starters, I just explained that!" Lisa exclaimed. "Just lure it back into the tear before something happens!"
"Ugh, fine. Your explanations are boring anyway." Lynn's voice said. With things about to heat up, the others Louds, including Lisa, ran over to spectate from the sidelines just as the dinosaur began to walk over to the giant Lynn while roaring immensely. However, since Lynn was now equal in size to it and that she couldn't get hurt, she wasn't backing down any time soon.
"No way, I ain't backing down this time pretty boy!" Lynn said. "You are not scaring me off now, show me what you got!"
The dinosaur roared again as the Louds near the ground shivered at the sight. With the fact that Lynn wasn't going to be scared by its roars, the dinosaur went physical. It charged forward with its head tucked in, but at Lynn's level it was pretty slow. This made it very easy to sidestep out of the way as the dinosaur whiffed past her. Lynn laughed as the dinosaur turned back around angrier than before. This time it opened its maw and tried to bite her around the face while running forward, keeping Lynn on her toes as she had to back up to avoid the sharp teeth.
"Hah, you must really not get out much to be this slow!" Lynn taunted as the dinosaur's head missed her by inches.
"Less talking, more herding!" Lisa's voice echoed through her head. "The tear is right behind you, so get it in there!"
"Fine, fine, Mrs. Bossy!" Lynn replied. Because Lisa kept nagging her to do so, Lynn taunted the dinosaur one final time with a "come at me" gesture. This made the reptile furious as it put all of its strength into one final charge. Unlike before, Lynn stayed put as the dinosaur came closer and closer. Lynn was ready though, for when the dinosaur looked like it was about to make impact it just phased right through her body. This made the dinosaur stumble before it fell over into the tear behind Lynn, disappearing inside before the tear instantaneously vanished.
"And with that, it's another win for Lynn!" Lynn exclaimed. The spectating Louds breathed a sigh of relief as the trouble was now solved and another tear bit the dust.
"Phew, glad that's over." Lincoln said. "I will never think of dinosaurs the same way again."
"Are you kidding? That was amazing!" Lana replied. "Lisa, can I PLEEEEEASE use that hologram thingy later? I want to actually be Girlzilla this time!"
"No can do." Lisa said. "I don't want the publicity of this machine to spread; especially to…I'd rather not talk about it."
Lana pouted as the giant Lynn walked over to her tiny siblings.
"Oh man, you guys look like ants down there! I'll say it again, being this huge is awesome!" Lynn said.
"Glad you enjoyed it." Lisa responded. "With the threat neutralized, I'm going to have to wake you up and bring you back."
"Awwwwww come on, can't I be like this for a little longer? I already have so many ideas to-"
"I just said I don't want this machine to gain publicity, so I have to decline!" Lisa interrupted.
Lynn frowned. Even if it was only for a little bit, she already enjoyed being the "big sister" for once, even if she couldn't touch anything being a hologram. She didn't get to think about it long as Lisa flipped a switch, causing the giant Lynn to slowly phase away. It was only for a few seconds, but then the giant Lynn completely faded from existence. The glass dome around Lynn's actual body dissipated around her as everyone else crowded around to see Lynn slowly stir awake.
"Hey Lynn, you back to reality now?" Brian asked from Lana's shoulder. Lynn's eyes flipped open and she wasn't happy to see that her height was normal again.
"Well this is just great! Now I have to look at you chumps in the eyes again!"
"On the plus side, you got to see the dinosaur." Brian said. "Besides, you still have me to look down upon."
"I guess that's true…" Lynn replied. "At least just tell me that the picture I took went through."
"Ummmm, well…" Lana said as she brought up the camera before taking out the picture. Lynn didn't exactly like the result.
"I think you kept a finger over the lens." Lincoln said as he saw the photo.
"DARN IT!" Lynn shouted. "Now nobody will believe that we saw something as big as that dinosaur! I want a do over!"
"Speaking of which, I think our siblings have covered for us long enough." Lisa said. "We should probably head back before our parental units notice our absence."
Lynn huffed angrily before she stomped off to the path where they came in. Lincoln followed soon after, but before Lana could follow Brian spoke up.
"Hey Lana, can you leave me with Lisa for a second? She has to put her machine away so I think this would be an appropriate time."
"Hmmm?" Lisa said to herself as she got started putting the machine's parts away.
"Sure little guy!" Lana responded. "Just make sure she doesn't lose you."
Brian nodded as Lana picked up Brian off of her shoulder and into Lisa's outstretched hands. Lana nodded back as she made off after Lynn and Lincoln. Once she went out of sight, Lisa cocked an eyebrow as Brian quickly looked back at her.
"Alright, what did you find out this time?" Brian asked. Lisa was a bit surprised.
"What?! You expect after an incident with an extinct reptile that I immediately discover something about those tears?! Sheesh, and I thought you had some good IQ."
"Come on Lisa, I know you are hiding it from me. What is it?" Brian asked. Lisa looked to the side before letting out a huge sigh. He wasn't as oblivious as she thought.
"Darn, well…fine. I had a scanner running in the background to potentially find a pattern in the tear that showed up, and it did pick something up. It was a very particular similarity to the previous tears that appeared before, and even nearly identical to…a certain project I have been keeping away from the others."
"And that would be?" Brian asked. Lisa bit her lip as she really looked like she didn't want to talk about it. She shuffled her feet before looking back at Brian.
"I…really don't think I should be speaking about it now. Can I discuss this to you in a week or so? A sibling birthday is coming up and I'm not sure if you can handle the information I have JUST yet."
"How can I not handle something as simple as information? Just tell me what it is!" Brian said.
"I'm sorry, but I can't." Lisa replied. "After the sibling's birthday party in a week, for I think it's best if there is a calm period before the storm. At least give it that then I will tell you."
Brian wasn't sure why Lisa was being so defensive. She didn't want to say what she discovered about the tears, but why? Questions clouded Brian's mind, but if Lisa was doing this for safety he might as well wait until the day she wanted.
"Well…fine, I guess I can last until then." Brian disappointingly replied.
"Trust me; you are going to thank me later." Lisa said. With that said Lisa picked up the last of her machine before putting Brian on her shoulder and proceeding to run after the others.