Lincoln starred at the ceiling wide-eyed awake in his bedroom. He tried smoking, but the nicotine effects weren't doing their usual magic. Its' been over a week in and still not a word of progress. Lincoln tried remembering Lola's advice in terms of pretending to care about how Lisa was doing beyond the fact he needed her to get him home. Ever since the encounter about her lack of eating, he even brought the woman her food, wherein he'd ask her on her progress on getting him the hell home. The white-haired man then tried to play it cool and said he knew she could get him back home, wherein the cold woman would always reply she didn't know if she could. Lincoln wished the genius could play along. He wasn't exactly confident in the woman's abilities either, but she was one of his best shots. Hearing that she coukd bring him back-even if it was a lie-would've been enough.

The white-haired man heard a purring sound and felt something nestle against his chest.

Lulu peered up to him with a smile. "Dada!"

"Bill Buck." the white-haired responded while pointing to himself

The white-haired man stopped seriously trying to correct the small mutant.

It'd be an exercise in futility.

No matter what he said, the girl would call him dada.

So why not try to convince her he was someone better than himself? It'd end in the same result.

Lulu had continuously snuck in his room these last couple of days. Lisa said she updated her level of confinement. Still, Lulu followed her mother's example and played by her own rules.

Instead of panicking as he had done three times before this, he instead gently patted the girl on the head, got up, and walked towards the basement to return the babe to her mother.

When the white-haired man opened the door, however, he was greeted by the sounds of two people moaning quite passionately.

"I'm about to achieve orgasm. Street word, I'm cu_."

Lincoln quietly shut the door before he could hear anything more that would rock his psyche.

He looked to Lulu. "You're lucky; you're too young to have understood that." he chuckled awkwardly. Despite his laughter, Lincoln was thoroughly horrified by what he just heard. When he got home, he'd need to see a psychologist about this shit.

Or he could get a case of beer and try to drink until he couldn't remember this shit. Whichever way was cheaper. Or readily available, So probably beer.

Hell Lincoln could probably use a beer right now. It may be 2:00 a.m. here, but its' gotta be drinking time somewhere in this fucked up world, right?

He went towards the fridge. He set Lulu down on the counter as he fished out a can.

He opened it and gave a quick chug.

Lincoln looked back and saw Lemy walking in the kitchen

The two starred at the moment. "Um, hey," Lincoln said while waving a hand.

"Sup." the boy responded deadpan.

"Pretty late to be up, huh?" the white-haired man inquired

Lincoln wondered what triggered him to continue this awkward conversation.

The boy shrugged. "I had some trouble sleeping." He looked towards his sister. "Lulu's supposed to be in her crib-cell." the boy noted without emotion. He was stating a fact as one might say the sky is blue.

Lincoln nodded. "Well yeah, that's why I was bringing her back to her mama, but Lisa's with Lola_."

The white-haired man stopped himself having realized how inappropriate it'd be to recount what he heard. "Lisa's with Lola doing grownup stuff, so I didn't want to bother her." he rushed out.

The wild-haired boy quirked an eyebrow. "You mean they're fucking?" he asked casually.

"I-uh, I guess I um." Lincoln did not know how to respond to the boy's statement. He decided the least awkward thing would be to give the truth. "Yeah, they were...doing what you just said."

The white-haired immediately realized that the least awkward way to respond would have been to walk out of the room silently.

Lemy nodded. The boy went over to the fridge. Lincoln scooted out of the way as the boy grabbed a Capri sun.

The boy drunk his drink silently.

The white-haired man chose this moment to make his escape. He picked up Lulu and made his started his way back to the bedroom before Lemy stopped him.

"I think it's wrong too."

The white-haired man turned back and saw Lemy rubbing his neck and looking distressed. "What my aunts and dad are doing, I mean. Families shouldn't do stuff like this. It's wrong."

Lincoln frowned and walked towards the boy. "Are you ok kid?"

Lemy put on a smile that looked strained. "Yeah, I just needed to tell someone that. "

The white-haired thought there was something more but decided it'd be a bad idea to press. Still...

"Um, kid, if you need someone to talk to, I am probably the worst person you could possibly go to, but I'm mostly free." he offered.

"Thanks." the boy responded while giving a smile that seemed a little less strained.

Lincoln returned to the bedroom, laid Lulu down on the bed, and sat beside her.

"So, what could I do with you?" he inquired as to if expecting much of a coherent response.

The girl just yawned and crawled over and got back onto him. It felt nice.

He put an arm around her small form and laid down.

"Let's try not making this a regular thing, huh," he said, knowing the little mutant had already fallen asleep. He closed his eyes and found himself following suit.


"Oh, this is always so adorbs." Lincoln heard Lola squeak out. The white-haired man opened his eyes and saw Lola with her phone out.

"What're you doing," he grumbled out a little vexed at having been so loudly woken up. He rubbed his eyes.

"Bah," Lulu said, seeming to have decided to follow his lead she even rubbed her eyes in the manner Lincoln did.

"Taking a picture. Pictures with my Lincy and a baby are always the cutest!" she said, still smiling.

Lincon frowned. "I'm not_."

"Yes, yes, you're not my Lincy. You're still as handsome as him, though, so moments like this must be captured." the diva haughtily said before she snapped another photo. "

The woman then put away her phone and walked over to the pair.

She held out her hands.

Lincoln wondered what she wanted.

Lola giggled. "Give me little Lu. You need to get washed up. Breakfast is in twenty minutes, and I find it so much more pleasurable to eat around others when everyone has properly groomed themselves."

Lincoln gave the small mutant over to Lola. He patted her head one last time, which elicited a slight purring sound from the girl.

Before making it out the door, Lola turned back.

"Also, if you wouldn't mind, Loan needs someone to take her to the movies after breakfast."

"Can't you do that?"

"I would, but the Yates booked me a couple of hours to come over and make a reverse icy Oreo."

Lincoln frowned. "I-I don't want to know what that is."

The diva got a wicked grin. "Well, it's when_."

Lincoln immediately threw a pillow over his head. "I said I don't want to know.I'll take the girl just please spare me." His ears had suffered enough for Savvy's sake!

The blond woman snickered at Lincoln totally reasonable response. "All right, I'll show you mercy." she then winked "For now. But sincerely, thank you for this the girl has been dying to see that new Ace Savvy v Crimson Chin movie."

Lincoln dropped the pillow. He had forgotten entirely about the new movie coming out.

Lincoln felt he slightly failed dork kind.

Given all that had happened to him lately, he could give himself a little slack, but still, a true Savvy fan should not forget something like this.

The first Crimson Chin v Ace Savvy movie was such a crime Hitler would say its' inhumane.

But there was a chance that this movie could redeem its' predecessors failings. If so, it'd arguably be the most significant accomplishment in human history, and Lincoln needed to be one of the first ones to witness it.

"I'll pick her up when she's done_." Lola began before Lincoln cut her off.

"You know I'll probably stick around to see the movie for myself." he interrupted quickly.

Lola smiled.


"Thank you for taking me to the movie's Mr. Loud. Or is that too confusing because I'm a Loud too? Should I just call you Mr. Lincoln!?" Loan tittered as the two Louds got into Vanzilla. Lincoln started the old machine, and surprisingly it started on its' first try. The white-haired man took that as a good omen.

"Don't need to call me Mister anything, kid. Lincoln was good enough for my folks, so it's' good enough for anyone." the white-haired man replied.

He began their trek to either see something that could help reinvigorate his faith that a BC cinematic universe is a good thing.

Or reaffirm his pessimism.

The girl beside him started playing on her phone almost immediately.

Lincoln couldn't help, but think her crouched down figure over the thing, made the girl look just a bit more like Lori.

Prompting Lincoln to focus more on the road.

As the two Louds arrived at the movie theatre, Lincoln saw a long line. It was predictable, but still an irksome sight to behold.

Lincoln and Loan got into the line and waited for their entry. Loan was still deeply invested in her phone. Lincoln decided to follow her lead and get out his own and play on his Ace Savvy game but stopped when he caught sight of someone. He was chiseled, dark, and next to a curly-haired boy with glasses. Lincoln nearly dropped his phone at the sight of the man. He went up to the other man to make sure he wasn't playing tricks on him. "Clyde?" the white-haired man whispered.

The man greeted him with a friendly smile. "Hey, Lincoln, how are you, man?"

Lincoln's gut reaction was to say, 'I've been transported to another universe and enslaved by some weird incestuous sex-cult. My life is terrible, please help me.'

"Not too bad." he instead responded weakly.

This wasn't his really Lincoln's friend. He still felt mild excitement, but also for that matter, fear at meeting his friend's counterpart. In this batshit crazy world, the Loud family had descended into a gang of pedophilic rapists. What if this universe' version of his best friend was even worse? But what if he wasn't?

Lincoln could use a friend. He wanted a friend.

"I'm taking Loan to see Ace Savvy v Crimson Chin II: Dawn of Vengeance." he blurted out finally.

Clyde smiled. "That's cool. Connor and I are here to see that new Crash-Nebula movie."

"Crash Nebula III: Wrath of the Galatic Moths." Connor put in.

"Oh." That kinda hurt. The white-haired man's old friend was still a pretty big Savvy even though he lost interest in helping Lincoln make comics the two's love for the Card-wielding detective.

"That's cool."

He remained silent until he got into the theatre wherein he stopped Loan before entering t auditorium.

"What am I to Clyde in this universe." Lincoln gritted his teeth at a slip of the tongue. "I mean what your dad is to him, I mean."

Loan gave a thoughtful expression then shrugged. "I've never seen them hang out, but he brings over Connor to play with Liby they're pretty friendly."

"Connor is his son?" Lincoln asked.

Loan shook her head. "Foster son. Though Liby says Clyde and his wife are looking into adopting him and his sister."

So they were aquantinces at best.

He wasn't his friend. The guy was just a stranger who looked like Lincoln's friend. Still, it hurt. For just a moment, it felt like he could have something that resembled his normal life.

"I'm sorry." Loan said as if she was at fault for something

Lincoln frowned. "For what?"

The teen looked down and clicked her forefingers together.

"I-uh made you feel sad," she said timidly. "So I'm sorry.?," she half stated and asked.

Lincoln shrugged. "Eh, reality made me sad, girl. That's why I'm here to forget about it for 120 minutes." he pointed to her. "You didn't do anything wrong. So don't apologize."

He offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile

The girl timidly nodded and smiled back.


Lincoln was utterly furious. Somehow the bastards had made everything worse. Ace resumed being a fucking psychopathic killer. The man literally blew up a hospital to kill some criminals. Admittedly the hospital didn't have any civilians, but still, Ace Savvy does not kill or blow up hospitals!

The ultimate villains turned out to have been jealous one-eyed-jack and Cleft the boy Chin wonder for their supposed jealously of their mentors. Worse, rematch, which should have shown Savvy as the superior superhero, ended in a draw, settled by Catman(who did nothing else the entire movie) coming in, shouting a phrase that released the Crimson-Chin of his brainwashing.

"The people who made that-that shlock should go to jail for the crime of assaulting my brain with their stupidity. " Loan hissed out as they got into Vanzilla.

Lincoln clapped his hands in agreement.

"Preach. These Hollywood bozos don't really care about art. The lore. The love that's behind the thing that inspired their flicks. They just want a quick buck. It was just commercial for their next shit-flick." which Lincoln because of identity as a dork is tragically compelled to see.

Loan nodded vigorously. "Right, as if the Crimson Chin wouldn't whoop Savvy's card-carrying ass."

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, the_." he stopped himself, and his eyes darted towards the girl. " Did you just say Ace Savvy, the world's most brilliant badass, supergenius would lose in a fight with the Red-spandex wearing idiot?"

Loan stared back at him intently. "I said emo-boy would get his ass whooped by the Chin."

The white-haired man chuckled bitterly. Challenge accepted girl.

"Ace Savvy is the world's most excellent investigator, a super genius, and an expert in every martial art. After witnessing his parents being murdered in his father's casino, he trained over the course a decade, honing his skills and mind. Chiny-Chin got bit by a celebrity. "

Loan smacked her leg and barked out a laugh. " Yeah, and in a head to head matchup, he'd lose."

"Ace Savvy given a week could find a way to kill a thousand Chins." he pointed out firmly.

"Give the Chin a second he could obliterate a million rich emos-oh I mean Savvys.

"Also, he always keeps a handle of Chinonite close by, in case the red-boy scout goes crazy."

Loan scoffed. "Please, you might as well then say I could beat a prized boxer if I shoot him in the gut, and then proceed to punch him when he's down. With meeting face to face with no extra advantage, just being they're typical selves, the Chin logically dominates every time."

Loan took out a small kernel of popcorn. "Imagine this is Savvy, and I'm the Chin. With one simple flick_."

the kernel landed right on his head. "Straight to the moon."

Lincoln gave Loan a menacing look. Loan began to look a little nervous until he burst out laughing.

Dork debates like this were pretty goddamn cathartic.

They were still arguing when they got into the house with them. Though they had diverged into other topics related to geek trivia.

Leia sat on the floor while Lola braided her hair on the couch. Lyle brushed his aunt's long hair with a pink comb. "Now I'm not saying Donkey King would for sure beat Lordzilla, but I am positing he'd at least put up a good fight." Lincoln proclaimed as the two dorks walked into the house.

Loan waved a hand. "Please, Lordzilla, would literally annihilate that monkey almost as quick as Chin would do Savvy."

Lincoln threw up his hand in exasperation.

"May I add some thoughts on this critically important debate." Lola asked while still braiding Leia hair.

"Yeah sure, tell her that I'm right," Lincoln said, pointing to Loan.

Loan pointed right back at him. "Don't tell her what to say! Besides, she definitely thinks I'm right."

Lola pointed to both of them. "I think both of you wouldn't be having this conversation if you had a had a girlfriend or boyfriend," she said nonchalantly. Leia and Lyle snickered at the takedown.

Loan turned redder than a tomato. Lincoln just scoffed at her.

"Come on, Loan, let's continue our fascinating discussion elsewhere. The living room, for now, has a toxic, anti-nerd atmosphere."

Lincoln started walking to his room. Loan followed him trying(and for the most failing) to mimic his confident stride out the room.

"Give me the keys, I need to take Leia somewhere!" Lola hollered,

Lincoln them at her without turning around like a badass.


Lola caught the keys, and as she watched the two Loud dorks depart, she could not help but smile.

"Mommy, are you ready to go now?" Lola's princess asked.

The former beauty-queen nodded, and got up.

She looked at herself in the mirror checking her hair.

Lola shot Lyle two thumbs up. "Thanks, my little Prince."

Lyle smiled back to her.

The mother-daughter headed out to the shooting range they attended at their local gunshop. Jill's shot and fill, was lovely, and even comparably cheap establishment.

The old black woman greeted the pair with a smile.

"Lola, Leia, the usual I take it?"

Lola smiled back. "Yep."

The former beauty queen handed the old woman $15 for an hour and another $20 for some ammo for her Smith and Wessen.

The old woman handed the two ear-muffs and goggles.

When the two were brought to their shooting booth, where'd, they'd be firing. Lola went first.

She was pleased with her results. She then handed her pistol to Leia, stepped back, and watched her princess work her magic.

Teaching Leia how to properly use firearms was something Lola and Lincoln actually fought quite a bit over. He believed Leia was too young to wield a gun and had inherited their parents' bias against them-in that he prefered no one have them. He even suggested calling a sibling meeting to discuss the decision; whenever two members of the Louds disagreed about the care of one their kids, a meeting and vote could be held as what should be done. Rarely was this ever utilized because the siblings typically trust the other completely.

It kinda hurt Lola that Lincoln would even ponder it.

Lola considered her view on firearms to be nuanced. Guns were dangerous to be sure, but any tool could be hazardous if misused. Lola wanted Leia to grow to be strong, someone not afraid of handling something powerful, someone who could when no one is backing her up, stands up for herself. The former beauty-Queen wished she could protect her little girl from all the bad stuff in the world forever-but she couldn't.

Her Lincy although her knight, couldn't always be there for their girl.

Lola also pointed out Lincoln let Lyra, and Lemy go out on hunting trips with Sam and her wife and adopted daughter sometimes. And that Lynn signed up Lacy for shooting sports. Lincoln insisted it was different, He pointed out each of them was older. And that had all happened before the reunification. The hunting tradition had happened before the Louds when Sam was entrusted by Luna to care for the kids while Luna was in jail for drunk driving. Lola countered that Leia was far more mature than most 7-year olds,

Her white-haired lover very reluctantly agreed to let Leia be taken to the shooting range for a sort of test. He had the stipulation of if the girl gets too scared, or that he saw her about to hurt herself, he'd call the whole thing off. Leia proved to be; naturally, gifted-as Lola expected her little princess would and said she'd like to come back. Lincoln, with great wariness, said she could.

And for every two weeks, these past seven months, Lola had picked up her princess to take her to the shooting range.

Lincoln always lectured Lola that she needed to be watchful of their girl. Lola loved her brother-he was a piece of her heart. Still, the fact he thought he needed to remind Lola about gun-safety even when he has never owned or even held a gun in his life, was insufferable.

At the end of Lola's turn, the target was brought to them. The girl's score was better than Lola's own.

Lola was proud.

After the two's time limit was up, the two went back to their old Van to go home.

"Why did you lie?" Leia asked as Lola before the diva could start the vehicle.

"About what?" Lola asked calmly.

"About going to see the Yates. You were in the house all day before Lincoln and Loan came back. "

"And how would you know that?" the former beauty inquired.

" I was outside the door this morning. Lyra told me to wake Lincoln, but when I heard you two talking, I just stayed and listened.

"You were snooping."

"Yes."

"Good girl!"

Leia smiled, then got a serious look. "So why did you lie?"

Lola rubbed her chin. "Well, you tell me. Explain my possible reasoning for lying." the woman demanded. Lola often tested Leia to help make sure her mind was sharp.

Her princess licked her lips then took a couple seconds to think. "You wanted the two to bond."

Lola smiled. "Why?" she pressed her princess.

"He's uncomfortable around us. He ignorantly believes our family is abominable. Having him have emotional connections to some of us helps ensure that he won't try to destroy us."

Lincoln warned Lola when she was 11-years old that their love would probably never be accepted by society. Lola and her siblings made perfectly clear to their children on the danger they'd be in if they were found out. Anything to keep the family was worth it. Lincoln once said to protect the family, they should be willing to destroy the world.

Lola tapped her chin. "But why couldn't I just say pull a gun on him, put it in his mouth, and threaten to kill him if he even thinks about snitching. " Lola simply asked.

Leia shook her head.

"Too traumatic. It's important to have a proper level of fear from Lincoln, of course. But doing something so blatant could make him act irrationally and attempt to run away. The idea of you possibly doing him harm would suddenly seem like an invertibility. And we need him to get Daddy back and to keep Daddy's job. Even if he were to not run away or call the authorities such stress could push him to develop more troubling behaviors which could make his ability to fill Daddy's role even less adequate." Leia explained.

"Couldn't I just have told him to take Loan to the movies?"

"No, he has to think he made the decision to ultimately watch the movie himself. He gets to feel a degree of independence and there's less feeling of compulsion to talk and thus bond with Loan."

Lola clapped her hand and smiled. "Well, that explains most of it, Leia. Though there's a part you missed. Could you guess what that is?"

Leia took a few more moments to think. Then shrugged her shoulders.

"I thought the guy would like it. A person shouldn't stay cooped up anywhere too long, and short of work, and eating, I've hardly seen the man outside of your Daddy' bedroom. It's unhealthy. Going to see a movie would be suitable for him. He deserves a break, given what he's been through this last week. And Loan could prove an adequate friend for him. People aren't just tools. Remember that even when you're using them."

Lola turned the key to start Vanzilla.

"What's a reverse icy Oreo?" her seven old asked as the van roared to life, practically giving the blond woman a heart attack.

Lola immediately became flustered. "Um, well you see, that is a question, you'll have to ask me when you're older."

"How much older? And why can't I know it now?" Leia asked innocently, "It sounds tasty."

The former beauty queen, "Ok, n-no more questions. L-let just listens to the radio," Lola sputtered out before turning on the radio and cranking the volume as high as it could go.