A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long wait my readers! I was on a role on Fimfic so I had to prioritize, but anyway, that story is completed so I switched gears to work on this one and Fate-Loud Struggle. I'm also kicking around another crossoverish idea, but we'll see if it gains any traction in my head.
Anywho, without further ado, it's the Leni date!
EliteSlayer103: Oh pitiful mortals, hear the words of the words of the 9 goddesses and take heed. For whom so ever harms the boy of Loud, shall incur everlasting torment that would make even the gods quake in fear! Lol
OMAC001: Thanks, I want to use these chapters to try and get into their heads a little, flesh our their reasons for liking Lincoln beyond the superficial.
Guest 1: You have been spending too much time with Luan, either than or BV Luan just broke the fourth wall, again…
Mark the Mark: Glad you're enjoying this, truly!
Guest 2: Thank you!
Lincoln awoke to another day, and this day would be another date with another of his cosmic powered sisters. He had to admit, the date with Lori went better than he anticipated, aside from almost getting kidnapped by some gangsters. Now, Lincoln didn't want to directly admit this to the girls, but he did sort of, kind of had a crush on Leni a long time ago when he was little. She was practically like a second mother to him and the younger siblings and she was drop dead gorgeous.
The eleven-year-old started to wonder what kind of date she'd take him on? Lori took him to Great Lakes City, so where was Leni going to take them? Part of him wondered if it was going to be someplace way out there or in some other galaxy? It was no surprise to anyone in the family that Leni was…ahem…not always playing with a full deck. She sometimes, if not often, took things literally, and could act like an airhead. Lincoln heard of the term "ditzy blonde", he hated it when some guys referred to his sisters, some of whom were blonde, by that term as Lori, Lana, and Lola were far from that. When it came to Leni however…
"Best not to comment any further," said Lincoln aloud.
The young man got out of his bed got himself ready, once he was showered and dressed his nose caught the scent of something good being made downstairs. The scent was like a siren's call as it drew him straight into the kitchen, and that's when he saw her.
Leni was cooking, the sashes of her outfit acted as extra arms as she multitasked, stirring pancake batter, picking up toast from the toaster, and various other things while her main arms were busy making eggs and pancakes. The shimmering blonde turned around and gave him a sparkling smile as she greeted him, "Morning Linky~"
"Good morning, Leni. Did…are you making breakfast?" Lincoln asked.
"Hmm-hmm, I'm totes making your favorites first, and then I'll make everyone else's," said Leni.
"Wow…that's cool! But, you do remember how everyone likes there's right? If you don't, I can give you a hand," said Lincoln.
Leni waved off his concern. "Let's see, egg whites for me. Sunny side up for Luna, 'Funny' side up for Luan, scrambled for Lynn, fried for Lisa, deviled eggs for the twins, hardboiled for Lori, extra crispy for Lucy, and gooey for Lily!"
Lincoln blinked. "You remembered?"
"Yep, and yours are scrambled too, right?" Leni asked.
"Yeah, they are!"
"Yay!"
Lincoln stepped aside as he watched Leni's sashes bring the completed dishes into the dining room, and placing them on the table for everyone to eat once they arrived.
"Go ahead and dig in, I'll right out!"
Lincoln went to the table, everything smelled good, there were flapjacks, toast, French toast, bacon, sausage, waffles, and an assortment of butter and jams. The snow-capped tween sat at the table, at which point, another sash slithered into the room and dropped off a glass of orange juice for him. Lincoln wasted no time in digging into the spread, when he did, he gave a loud "Mmmmm". It tasted really good, next to their father, Leni was possibly the only other one in the house who could cook close to, if not exactly, to their father's level.
"'Sup, bro!" came a raspy voice.
Lincoln turned around and spotted Luna, already dressed and looking like she was going somewhere. Swallowing his food, Lincoln replied, "Morning, Luna."
"Did you make us eggs again, Linc?" Luna asked.
"Nope, Leni did, she made all of this!"
"For real?"
"For realsies!" Leni replied.
"Damn, well, I'm not complaining about the grub." Luna sat down where she saw her plate of eggs and ate as well.
"Why're you up so early? I mean, I know why Leni is, and why I am, but…?"
Luna downed some more food before replying. "I know, our date isn't until tomorrow. Looking forward to it by the way." The rocker teen gave a wink. "But, seriously, I'm heading to Great Lakes City to visit your friend, Ronnie Anne. Thought I'd have a talk with her and see if I could help her figure some things out, girl-to-girl."
Lincoln smiled upon hearing this. "Thanks, Luna. I know she'll be happy to have someone to talk to about this, especially someone who's the same as her."
Luna finished off her food before walking around the table and ruffling his hair a little. "She's lucky to have you as a friend, don't sell yourself short, bro. Oh, and don't worry about those satellites, I'm going to be moving as fast as lightning, I'll be impressed if they can snap a good shot of me."
Luna downed some orange juice before saying "Later!". She opened a nearby window and transformed into a bolt of lightning that zipped right out of the window and into the sky in nearly the blink of an eye. The indication of her exit was a small scorch mark on the carpet from where she stood. Leni walked in with some more food and then glanced about the room in confusion.
"Where's Luna?" Leni asked.
"She took off, and I mean literally, she turned into a bolt of lightning and flew out the window," Lincoln answered.
"Oh, okay!" Leni's sash moved towards the window and closed it before sitting down.
"Ahem, so…what did you want to do today, since it's your turn?" Lincoln asked.
Leni smiled at the question. "Well, since you had a day at the city, I thought you might like to just hang around town with me? It'll be totes relaxing, considering that you might be getting into crazier dates with the others."
Lincoln scratched at his chin, that did sound good to him. Honestly, Lincoln was sure that he'd be getting into some crazy situations during their dates, the gangsters notwithstanding, so a normal day around Royal Woods did sound good.
"But, you realize that if we do that, we can't…you know, do anything that might make people suspicious. Like…kissing me or saying things that might give people ideas," said Lincoln.
Leni thought about that for a moment before she shrugged. "I know, and it's alright. Besides, if I do kiss you, it'll be on the cheek or forehead. I'm your big sister, I'm allowed to do that." A sad look appeared on her face for a moment. "Plus, most people we know think I'm…"
"Leni?"
The shimmering blonde shook her head. "Don't worry, it'll be great! Plus, I thought we could also go to Dairyland."
"DAIRYLAND?!" Lincoln practically yelled. "I'm sold!"
Lincoln went back to eating his meal, while Leni smiled more broadly at his reaction. Her eyes did roam to the corner where the stairs were, sensing the presence of some of her sisters, she then stuck out her tongue playfully.
Behind that corner, Lola, Lana, and Lynn were fuming a little at what they heard.
"No fair using Dairyland! He loves that place!" Lana whined.
"That little, UGH! She's totally trying to buy him off!" Lola accused.
Lynn Jr. looked less agitated and more depressed. She didn't want to admit this out loud, but she was getting more and more worried about her date with Lincoln, with each day, her day grew closer, and now with the resurfaced memories of the "Bad Luck" incident, Lynn figured her chances of netting her brother were near zero. How was she supposed to convince him that she was the best pick for him when that ghost was looming over her? There wasn't a day that went by that Lynn didn't look back on that incident and wish it had never happened. Yes, Lincoln was partially to blame, but Lynn helped make it worse, convincing the family he was bad luck, and even getting him kicked out of their house because of it. And as if to add insult to injury, she also convinced them that Lincoln wearing the squirrel suit was only the way to give constant good luck to them.
"Thank god Lisa snapped us out that…" Lynn whispered.
"You okay, Lynn, you're looking kinda mopey," said Lola.
Lynn snapped out of her depressing thoughts and put on her normal tough girl bravado. "What, do you mean? I'm freakin' great! In fact, I'm going to go a few rounds in my coliseum with my practice dummies. You guys want to wrestle instead?"
"Uh, hard pass, the last time we all had a brawl in another dimension, we made it collapse and nearly lost Lincoln," said Lana.
"Besides, I need to make an appearance at my pageant practice, if I don't, my competition starts to think that I'm backing out, and I can't have that," said Lola.
Lynn watched as her younger siblings went off to do their own thing. She then gave a sigh and said, "Well, guess I'll kill time in my room until my softball practice."
About a couple of hours after everyone had their breakfast, Lincoln and Leni left the house. Thankfully their parents already headed out to work, making it easier for them to leave without any questions being raised. Unfortunately, Leni hadn't yet gotten her license, and asking Lori was out as this day was only to be for them. So they decided to walk since it was a nice day out. Although Leni said that they'd fly to Dairyland after a bit.
It was weird, in the sense that it wasn't weird. Leni was happily walking beside him, her purse hanging off her shoulder, her shimmering radiance only added to her already beautiful visage. Lincoln wasn't going to lie, Leni was by far one of the hottest girls he'd seen. Not that his sisters weren't knockouts, the Black Vortex saw to that, but Leni was, well, Leni.
"I just thought about something, didn't you need to work?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh…I almost forgot! I asked Miguel and Fiona to cover for me when I took off that day, but I haven't heard back from them since!" Leni stated.
Lincoln didn't like that, Leni loved her job, he wasn't sure if she still felt the same way after getting her powers, but from the look on her face, he was sure that she did still care about her place of employment.
"If you want, we can stop by there and check in with them," said Lincoln.
Leni leaned down and hugged her little brother gratefully. "Thank you, thank you! I promise this'll be quick!" The cosmic healer suddenly released dozens of ribbons that wrapped around them, forming a cocoon. "Hold on!"
Lincoln suddenly felt the two of them lifting off and flying into the sky. "L-Leni, what if someone saw?!"
"No way they could, I used camouflaging ribbons, we can see through it, but what they see is nothing. It'll be like we just disappeared," Leni explained.
Once again, Lincoln was treated to a heavens view of the world below, watching as the numerous houses of the suburban landscape turn into the shops and retail stores. Soon the Royal Woods Mall came into view and Leni began her descent, stopping behind a couple of cars and crouching low. Once the ribbons dissolved around them, Leni and Lincoln walked up to the Reininger's entrance of.
"I hope Mrs. Carmichael isn't too mad that I've not shown up…"
"We'll just come up with something, but we should talk to Miguel and Fiona first, we don't want to mess up whatever they told Mrs. Carmichael," said Lincoln.
Taking a deep breath, both Lincoln and Leni entered the store. They carefully walked around and watched for any signs of the store manager, thankfully, so far, there was no sign of her. The store seemed a bit slow today, but then again, with the military standing right outside of Royal Woods' front door, and the imposed curfew, and the ruckus the Loud sisters caused, it wasn't a stretch that people weren't in a shopping mood.
Yeesh, wonder if Dairyland will even be open, Lincoln thought.
The teen and preteen both made it further into the store and spotted Miguel and Fiona at their stations. Leni waved to them and both teens scrambled from behind the cashiers desks and ran to give Leni a hug.
"Leni, you're alright!" Fiona exclaimed.
"Oh thank god, we thought something happened to you," said Miguel.
"I'm sorry guys, a lot happened in the past few days, I really meant to call you, but things got hectic," said Leni.
The two teens stopped their hug for a moment and spotted Lincoln, showing a sheepish smile and waving just the same.
"Lincoln, you're alright?" Miguel asked.
"Y-Yeah, stuff happened…"
"I'll say, and Leni, how come you look normal again? Did whatever that freaky mirror thing did to you wear off?" Fiona asked.
"Nope, I'm still powered up. Lucy just made these rings so that we can look normal." Leni then whispered, "I'd take off the ring and show you, but I don't want to get caught on the cameras, just in case."
"Got it, so, what brings you here?" Miguel asked.
"Oh, right! What happened with Mrs. Carmichael? I needed to know what you guys told her, 'cause I still want to work here with you," said Leni.
Miguel and Fiona went into the story of how Miguel lost their rock-paper-scissors bet and ended up having to make up a story for their manager. The story being that Leni had a family emergency and that her younger brother was missing in all the chaos of what was going on. Thankfully, Mrs. Carmichael bought their story, having had to rush home to her own child during the commotion.
"Well, glad to see you're both alright," said Fiona.
"Better than alright," said Leni as she stood next to her little brother. "We're on a date. And I do mean a date-date."
Lincoln felt as if the world had become still, and in contrast, he felt his heart beating a million miles a second. The white haired boy studied the expressions on Leni's friends' faces, Miguel looked worried as his eyes darted between Leni and Lincoln, Fiona…Fiona just glared at him, which somehow made him feel even more worried.
The glare evaporated on Fiona's face as she put on a cheerful smile. "Hey, Leni, do you mind if I show Lincoln some of our new clothes for young boys? I'm pretty sure I can find something to suit his style."
Miguel watched as Fiona's gaze shifted to him. "Miguel, why don't you and Leni catch up for a minute and we'll come to see you in the employee lounge."
"O-O-Oh, yeah, that sounds fabulous!" Miguel stated. "Girlfriend, come back here and dish, I'm sure you have lots to tell!"
Before either of the two Loud siblings could offer protest or affirmation, they were whisked away. Fiona had put on a fake, professional smile as she herded Lincoln all the way to the storage room, giving the eleven-year-old a quick push inside.
Lincoln stumbled for a few seconds, but managed to regain his balance. That was when he heard the door lock behind him, and a perturbed looking Fiona advanced on him.
"Fiona, whatever you're about to do, I swear, it won't end well for you! I'm telling you this for your safety!" Lincoln warned.
Fiona stopped. "Don't tell me…you have powers too?"
"No, not me, my sisters though…let's just say, that if you're planning on beating me up, or worse, then I promise that you'll start Armageddon, I'm not even exaggerating," said Lincoln.
Fiona sighed heavily, releasing the tension in her shoulders and letting the anger fade a little. "Okay, fess up then, what did you do to trick Leni into this?"
Lincoln narrowed his gaze at the older teen. "Wait, 'trick her'?"
"Look…" Fiona rubbed the back of her head. "You and I both know that Leni isn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, she has her genius moments, but otherwise she's scatterbrained and too often the definition of 'ditzy blonde'."
"Can't argue that," said Lincoln honestly.
"So you can imagine why I'm dubious of your intentions then. Look, I'm a girl, and even I know Leni's hot as hell, but that doesn't give you the right to trick her into making her think you're boyfriend and girlfriend!"
Lincoln felt as if he was just slapped in the face. "Excuse me?! I did not trick her!"
"Oh c'mon, Leni wouldn't do something like this unless someone talked her into it! So, what? Why did you do it? Were you just curious about her body and wanted to get with her or something?" Fiona accused.
Lincoln blushed, both out of embarrassment and anger. "That's not it all!"
"Look, if seeing a girl naked is all you want, then we can set up a date and I'll strip for you, hell, I'll even let you stick it in me! But I'm not letting Leni get hurt!" Fiona stated.
Lincoln wanted to lay into Fiona, but he took a moment to take apart her statement. Yes, she questioning his motives, and it wasn't like he could fault her for being dubious of his intentions, hell, before all this, Lincoln would've been suspicious of any boy who dated Leni. He understood why she was doing this, but at the same time he couldn't let her think that of him.
"Fiona, I understand you want to protect Leni, believe me, I'm the same way. So, believe me when I say, Leni's in love with me."
Fiona sighed heavily, she didn't want to believe, she was hoping it was just another one of Leni's scatterbrained moments, but apparently it wasn't. Honestly, she suspected that Leni might've felt that way after that strange hypothetical question about Lincoln being good boyfriend material. Fiona took a few steps back and slumped up against the door, sliding down it until her rear met the floor. Lincoln stepped forward and sat on the floor as well, crossing his legs as he looked upon her with worry.
"So, now my next question is, are you just humoring her or are you seriously dating Leni?" Fiona asked.
"I'm seriously dating Leni, this isn't a trick or anything. I'm doing this because…I want to know if this can work," said Lincoln. He debated telling her about the rest of his dating plan, but thought better of it as he wasn't sure how she'd take it.
Fiona sighed heavily, again, there had been a lot of different boys who tried to hit on Leni at work, in the mall, when they went out, hell, even the girls from Leni's school had told her that they had to do the same thing and vet all the boys who wanted to date her. Leni was a kind and caring soul, and very trusting, always seeing the good in others rather than the bad. Sometimes that good could turn even the surliest of assholes into assholes with a heart of gold.
Then there were the ones who couldn't be changed and just wanted to date Leni because she was hot, cute, and gullible, some calling her an "easy lay" if you convinced her. But, when Fiona looked upon Lincoln, she couldn't see any of that in his eyes. If there was anyone that Fiona would trust with Leni, it would be her brother, hell, he went through all that trouble to get Leni's job back.
"You're not just doing this to humor her are you? You're serious?" Fiona asked.
"No…I'm serious, this is a date," said Lincoln.
"And you're okay with that? You know what people will say about you two if you're found out."
"I do…but what I'm really afraid of is what you and Miguel think of Leni. You're her best friends and I don't want you guys to be angry or think she's sick or something," said Lincoln.
Fiona was starting to wonder if Lincoln wasn't secretly some nice guy who was reincarnated to allow him a second chance at life, because sometimes he was too self-sacrificing for his own good, putting others before himself, if what Leni told them was to be believed.
"Sorry I went off on you…"
"It's alright, you're just looking out for Leni."
Fiona shook her head. "No, that's no excuse. Leni may be a scatterbrain, but she isn't dumb. If she decided she wants you…like that…then it must be for a reason that goes deeper than just feelings of infatuation." The brunette stood up and offered a hand to Lincoln.
Lincoln smiled and took her hand, helping up to his feet.
"And don't worry, Leni's still Leni to me, and I'm sure Miguel is the same way." Fiona turned to open the door, paused, and then turned around to look at Lincoln again. "Just to clarify, that offer I gave you earlier, it never happened."
"Yeah, trust me, the last thing I want to do is have my sisters' wrath on you. But you are cute," said Lincoln with a smirk.
Fiona smirked back. "Cheeky little brat, c'mon."
Great Lakes City…
Ronnie Anne laid down, looking straight up at her ceiling. Her mind was still racing with her encounter with Lincoln and her secret (not) date with Sid. She also couldn't help but think about what Lori told her about what they did to Lincoln, it pissed her off on a level.
I can't believe they did that to him! "Bad luck", really?! What kind of bullshit is that?! And now his so-called sisters are trying to be his girlfriend now?! Dammit, Linc, you Lame-O, sometimes you can be too nice for your own good!
Just then, Ronnie Anne heard a tap coming from her window. She glanced towards it, half expecting Sid to be there, but she froze when she noticed that it wasn't Sid, but Luna Loud. Ronnie Anne rushed to the window and opened it up. "L-Luna?!"
"In the flesh, dudette," said Luna.
"W-What are you doing here?!"
Ronnie Anne backed up and let Luna enter her room. "Bro said you needed someone to talk to. You know, about your feelings for another girl and stuff."
"Oh…well…thanks. How did you get here?" Ronnie Anne asked.
Luna stepped away from the window and took off her ring, in an instant Luna's body changed from what was before her. Luna was taller, older, and her body crackled with electrical energy, Ronnie Anne could even see it in her eyes. Luna placed the ring back on her finger and she was once again in her fifteen-year-old form.
"Oh, right, magic rings. Forgot about that," said Ronnie Anne. "Wow, you guys really got a total makeover from that mirror thing."
Luna sat on Ronnie Anne's bed and chuckled. "Yeah, that thing doesn't do anything halfway. Not only did it give me storm powers and make my already sick guitar skills even sicker, but it gave me this rockin' bod too!"
Ronnie Anne blushed a little, but then turned away and said, "S-Sorry!"
Luna shook her head. "You don't gotta be sorry for feeling like that, dude. You're allowed to be attracted to whoever you want to. Girl or boy, it doesn't matter, you don't ever have to be ashamed of it." Luna patted the spot next to her and said, "Cop a squat."
Ronnie Anne sighed and sat down next to Luna. "It's just…dammit I'm not good at this…"
"Just tell me what's on your mind."
Ronnie Anne sighed. "I…I feel like I'm walking on eggshells most days. I pass by some guys and girls in my school and feel…funny around some of them. Like my stomach was getting tied in knots or something."
"Hmm, anyone that made you feel like that more than the others?" Luna asked.
"For a bit – and please don't call down a lightning bolt – I kinda felt that around Lincoln," she confessed.
Ronnie Anne winced, preparing herself for either a verbal lashing or for nature's wrath to be unleashed on her. But, she didn't feel anything. She dared to open an eye and saw Luna looking at her with confusion.
"Dude, why do you look like you're bracing or something?"
"I mean…I just said I kinda liked Lincoln the way you guys do, back before I moved that is…I thought you'd–?"
"That I'd called down a hurricane and blow you and this neighborhood down to the ground?" Ronnie Anne nodded. "One: if I did that, Linc would never forgive me, no matter what I do to make it up to him. Two: I don't blame you for feeling that way for him, he's a rad little dude. So, who's the other?"
Confident that she wasn't going to get smote, Ronnie Anne continued. "For a bit I also felt like that around this girl I met here in the city, her name's Nikki."
"Got a pic?" Luna asked.
Ronnie Anne fished out her cellphone and brought up a picture of Nikki and her friends hanging out. She wore a powder blue hoodie and some ripped jeans, and had blonde hair. The hoodie was tied around her waist, letting her blonde hair spill out. Luna whistled.
"Damn, she's kinda hot," Luna commented.
"And then there's Sid," Ronnie Anne switched the picture and showed her and Sid messing around in the Lucha Libre Robotics Club, "she's so weird, in a cool way, and funny, and outgoing like me. She's never afraid of trying something new and…and…"
Luna smiled. "You really like her don't you?"
Ronnie Anne turned off the screen and sighed. "I just don't want to ruin our friendship…and I'm afraid of what my family will think."
Luna rubbed Ronnie Anne's back. "I get ya, I felt the same way for a bit with my fam."
"Really? I mean, when it comes to you guys, I'd think you'd be a lot more open so you wouldn't be afraid."
Luna shrugged. "My Mom and Dad are very open minded, I mean, they didn't make a fuss when they found out Clyde had two dads, and they didn't get all bent out of shape whenever Linc would go and spend time at Clyde's. Still, that doesn't mean the fear isn't still there. Because it's not happening to you, to your family. It's easy to accept something like that when it's happening to someone else, but when it's happening to your own kid, they sometimes change their minds."
Ronnie Anne gulped, that was exactly what she was afraid of. As far as she knew, her family didn't have any qualms about same sex couples, or gay people in particular, but…then again, none of them were family. Family friends, but not their blood related family. Ronnie Anne feared that the moment she came out of the closet, her family would see her as an aberration, something that shouldn't be.
"But you know what, that doesn't mean what you feel is wrong. Honestly, if someone says they're okay with something, and then turn around and say they aren't when it's happening to them, they're just hypocrites paying lip service. And honestly, what matters is what your heart tells you. So, tell me, what do feel," Luna pressed her index finger to where Ronnie Anne's heart was, "in here?"
Ronnie Anne placed her hand over her heart when Luna withdrew her finger. "I…I want to tell Sid how I feel. I want to tell my family how I feel."
Luna's smile widened. "Atta girl, and if it doesn't work out, you can always come to me and the girls. You're one of Linc's best friends, and for sure, we won't turn our backs on you. If that happens, but I bet it won't, your family's pretty cool."
"Thanks."
"And if you're lucky, I'll let you join and we can make a little harem with me, you, my girlfriend Sam, and Linc!"
Ronnie Anne's face blushed bright red. "Y-Yeah, that's not going to happen!"
Royal Woods…
Lincoln's eyes widened with delight as he looked upon the wonder that was Dairyland. The nation's foremost dairy themed theme park, it boasted a myriad of different rides and games. Leni loved seeing that look of wonder and happiness in his eyes, it made her feel warm inside to see her beloved Lincoln so happy.
They went through a number of different rides, ranging from rollercoasters to tilt-a-whirls, and go carts. As they walked along, they heard one of the game booth operators call out, "Step right up, and win a Tippy the Cow!"
Lincoln looked at Leni and then at the cow plushie, he then walked up to the booth and placed some tickets on the table. "I'll take a shot!"
"Ah, a plushy for your sweetheart?" the vendor asked.
Leni blushed and so did Lincoln.
"Y-Yeah," said Lincoln in a nervous tone.
"Ah-ha, lucky girl you are missy! Well then, hit the target with the milk gun and get a high score!"
The sound of a hand slapping the table drew their attention, and another boy had the same determined grin on his face. Lincoln looked again, and gulped, there was only one Tippy plush left, he glanced over to the boy and the boy glanced back at him. Sparks flew between them as their auras clashed in the air, neither one was going to let the other have it.
"Oh-ho, looks like we have a challenger!"
Lincoln got behind one of the squirt guns, and the challenger did the same. It was a simple game, aim the water – er, milk – at the open mouth of Tippy until the colored light reached the top and declared you the winner. It wasn't an overly complicated game, but it did require you to keep the stream steady at all times.
Lincoln took a second to look over the squirt gun, it was a pressurized gun, pretty standard. The vendor stepped back and then pushed the button to begin the game, when the bell chimed, Lincoln and the boy pulled the trigger. The pressure was strong, and both contestants missed their marks. Lincoln realized that there was more to this than he thought, the harder he squeezed the trigger, the stronger the stream was, but it was also harder to control.
Once he understood that, Lincoln eased off the trigger until the stream wasn't as intense, allowing him to aim directly at the open mouth of Tippy. The boy on his left seemed to catch on as he too made the corrections and hit the target as well. Now it was a race as the lights began to blink on.
Leni watched with rapt excitement, cheering on Lincoln as the race continued. Lincoln would increase the pressure on the trigger from moment to moment, allowing him to get higher and higher. But the boy next to him was getting better with each passing second, and Lincoln determined it wouldn't take long before he won. It was all or nothing at this point. Lincoln planted his feet, gripped the squirt gun tight, kept his eye on the target, and then squeezed the trigger as hard as he could. The stream doubled in strength, the recoil nearly made Lincoln lose his grip, but he would not be deterred.
The boy panicked when he saw Lincoln's light begin to soar higher than his. In his panic he fired at full pressure, but his panic was his undoing, not taking the time to properly brace himself against the recoil as his stream hit the corner and not the target. That brief moment was all that Lincoln needed as the light hit the stop, making the alarm go off and declaring Lincoln the winner of the game.
The snow capped boy released the squirt gun and yelled, "WOO-HOO!" and then did a little victory dance.
"And we have a winner!" The vendor took down the Tippy plushy and handed it over to Lincoln. "Here ya go kid."
"Thanks!" Lincoln watched as the boy began to walk away in shame, he continued to watch him and paused when he noticed a girl walking up to him.
"Where'd you go?" she asked.
"I uh…"
Lincoln looked at the Tippy plushy and then to Leni. "Leni…I…"
Leni smiled and nodded.
Lincoln smiled back and walked over to the young couple. "Ah man, can you believe it?!"
"Uh…what?" the boy asked.
"I won this thing for my girl and she didn't want it! What a waste of tickets!" Lincoln shoved the plushy into the boy's hands. "Here, you have it."
Lincoln stomped over to Leni and she pretended to look ungrateful as the two walked away. But slowly enough so that he could glance over his shoulder. The last thing he saw before turning the corner was the boy's girlfriend lighting up with joy as he gave her the plushy.
"Lincy, that was totes the sweetest thing I have ever seen," said Leni.
Lincoln shrugged. "I mean I wanted to give it to you, but…I don't know, it didn't feel right to leave him with nothing. I'll find something else for you, though!"
Leni stopped walking and leaned down to kiss his cheek. Lincoln froze the moment he felt Leni's soft lips press against his left cheek, his heart began to flutter and his legs were jelly. When she pulled away, Leni's bright smile widened. "That's why I love you, you're such a kind boy. You put everyone's needs before your own, even if sometimes you don't want to."
Lincoln blushed as he rubbed his left arm in embarrassment.
"Hey, do you mind if we go do that next?" Leni asked as she pointed in a direction.
Lincoln looked in the direction she was pointing. "The Ferris wheel?"
Leni nodded.
Lincoln took her hand and led her to the ride. After a few minutes of waiting in line, Leni and Lincoln got in. It was funny, despite the fact that Leni could fly like the rest of their sisters, she still found the prospect of going high up in a Ferris wheel exciting. That was one of the things that Lincoln loved about Leni, her childlike innocence and sense of wonder. Some may take it as her being simpleminded, but that was far from the truth. The truth was, Leni saw the world as it should be, not as it is. She saw the good where people would see the bad, a "glass half full" kind of girl.
"Are you having fun?" Lincoln asked.
Leni nodded happily. "I totes am."
"That's good, I really didn't just want this date to be one-sided y'know. I want you to have a good time too."
Leni turned her attention back to Lincoln. "Linky, what makes me happy, is whatever makes you happy. You give a lot for me, our sisters, without asking much in return, or us giving much back…" Leni looked down at the floor of the basket they were in. "Lori told me that she brought up the bad luck thing on your date, are you still mad at me? At us?"
Lincoln sighed heavily as he looked out the window, seeing the wheel stopped, giving them a perfect view of the park. It could've broken down for all he cared, so long as Leni was nearby, he'd be safe. He chuckled. Could've used that kind of safety back then…
"Linky?"
"I have…but, part of me still hasn't, and I hate it." Lincoln balled up his fist and hit the edge of the windowsill. "I accepted my part in making it worse, but no matter how many times I go over it in my head, it still doesn't make it better. You guys threw me out, and sold my stuff…"
Leni's sniffled a little. "I'm your big sister, I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, at least that was before I got my powers, but even now, I realize I should've done so much more to protect you, to help you!"
"Leni…"
"Do you know what made me fall in love with you?" Leni asked.
Lincoln turned his head towards her, he admitted he was curious if any of his other sisters would confess to the moment in time that made them see Lincoln differently after his date with Lori. He suspected that Lori told them about their date and that it was probably a good idea to tell him. "What?"
Leni blushed as she smiled. "To be honest, I've always been in love with you."
Lincoln sputtered. "W-What?! Always?! Like…since I was a baby?"
"I mean, you were totes the cutest baby ever, but as time went on, I could see that you were going to be the best little brother anyone could ask for. And in case you're wondering, no, that time you sucked on my chest wasn't the moment," said Leni matter-of-factly.
Lincoln went red, remembering that story he was told about his baby antics of trying to suckle from Leni. "S-Sorry about that…"
"You were a baby, it wasn't like you were doing it to, like, get off or something. Although, if you do that now…" Leni shot him a half-lidded gaze. "…I wouldn't exactly mind."
Lincoln crossed his legs, feeling a bulge beginning to form in his pants.
Leni giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't help teasing you. But, getting back to what made me love you…hmm? I'd say it was probably a year after your 'break up' with Lori."
X*X
"I was totes jealous of you and Lori. You followed her around, went on dates with her, and did all kinds of things together. I knew at that time that it wasn't like you were really boyfriend and girlfriend and that you were doing it to help Lori get over that guy who dumped her. But…part of me was jealous all the same. I couldn't help feeling what I felt, I really loved you, and even at that age, I understood that what I felt wasn't just sisterly love, but something else…it kind of scared me, but it was exciting too. And the fact that you went out with Lori made me wonder if you might do the same thing with me?"
"Wait, the year after I was Lori's 'boyfriend'…you don't mean–?!"
"Yep!"
Leni Loud couldn't help but feel jealous of her big sister, Lori. She knew it wasn't right, but she was. Lincoln followed her around all the time, day and night, sometimes she'd even see her precious Linky waddle into their room and attempt to sleep in Lori's bed. Sometimes Lori let him, and sometimes Lori didn't.
It wasn't fair, she loved Lincoln, and yes, she understood why he was doing it. Little Linky was such a sweet boy, his big sister was hurting and to make her not hurt anymore, he became her "boyfriend" so that she wouldn't be sad anymore. At first, Leni thought Lori was just indulging him, was that right word? Yeah, indulging him. But, as time went on, the days turning into weeks, weeks turning into months, Leni stopped believing that this was just pretend. The look on Lori's face said otherwise, or maybe it was just her imagination?
It had to be, Leni often did get confused sometimes, there was no way her sister had feelings for Lincoln, at least not the way she did. That would be totes funny, like, all of us having feelings for Linky.
"Oh how life likes to pull a fast one on you," Lincoln commented.
"I know, right?"
Leni noticed that Lori "broke up" with Lincoln not too long after an incident at the ice cream parlor. Once again, her little Linky defended his sister with everything he had, he even got hurt doing it. Leni wished she was there, because she wanted to bop the S. O. B. who hurt her Linky, but after hearing that Lori decked him hard, she was content in the knowledge that the person who hurt Lincoln was given that hurt back with interest.
Lincoln was a little sad that Lori wasn't his "girlfriend", but like most five-year-olds, he got over it and went onto the next thing that caught his interest.
Two years had passed since then, with Lincoln having become a seven-year-old and Leni now thirteen. Lincoln was busy drawing in the living room, with Leni watching from afar. She kind of wanted to have Lincoln "pretend" to be her boyfriend too, but he might not take it as seriously as he did with Lori. With Lori, he was doing it to help make Lori feel better, if she did it, Lincoln might just think it was a game or something.
This weighed on Leni's mind for a while, of course, whenever she got to thinking, she sometimes concentrated too hard on one thing and tuned out the rest of what was going on around her. This happened at school when she was leaving, Lori had told Leni she met a boy that was really sweet and that she was going to get to know him better.
Leni sighed. She already found a new boyfriend. I hope Linky doesn't get sad when he finds out…
She typically walked home from school, and knew it by heart, but this day, her mind was entirely focused on the notion of Lincoln. She knew it was wrong to think of your little brother like that, of any family, she wasn't as dumb as some people thought she was. But still, Leni couldn't help how she felt about him. Lincoln wasn't at the age where girls were important to him, but she knew that would change soon enough, and that he'd start to get curious about girls, dating, kissing, and…ahem…other things. Leni blushed hard when she thought about the other things part.
She was only twelve, but puberty was kicking in and her body was changing fast. She was already developing breasts, and oftentimes she found herself fantasizing about guys. Some of her more vivid fantasies were of her and Lincoln, much older of course. In her fantasies he was older than her, handsome and suave, in others they were the exact same age and acting like two lovesick puppies.
It's totes not fair that Linky's only six! If only he was born, like, I don't know, around the same time as Luna! Or, like, if he and I were born at the same time, we could've been twins!
But that was a fact, he was too young to be in a relationship, and she was too old to ask him to be in one. Even when time passed and they did get older, by the time Lincoln was old enough to like girls, it wouldn't be long before she had to go to college and move out of the house. And that's not also counting the fact that Lincoln might find another girl to be in love with, years were long, and a lot can happen. What if some girl came up and told Lincoln she liked him? What if he went out and sought a girl he liked and she liked him back?
Images of Lincoln being happy with a phantom girl played out in Leni's mind, seeing her little brother happy with another girl who wasn't her made her sad. She wanted to be there for him, she wanted to be there for when he needed advice on a girl, or when a girl dumped him. First of all, any girl who dumped her little Lincy was a tramp and didn't deserve his time if she couldn't see how sweet and loving he was. Second – and this was from the unpleasant part of Leni's mind that she didn't acknowledge often – she wanted to be there to comfort him.
The comforting would serve a dual purpose, to ease the pain of whatever breakup Lincoln would have, and to slowly…seduce?…convince, maybe?…yeah, convince Lincoln that the perfect girl for him was much closer than he knew, and that it was okay to feel that way.
"Uh…wow…Leni that's…"
"*Sigh, I know, it wasn't something I'm proud of thinking about. My emotions were just a little bit in overdrive at that point. I've totes stopped thinking that way though. So…please don't be afraid of me…"
"I'm not! It's just, I had no idea you were thinking so much about me, about being with me!"
"You'll understand why. Cause all my thinking did was get me lost."
When Leni finally snapped out of her thoughts, she noticed that she wasn't in her neighborhood anymore. Leni looked to the left and right, checking the street signs but not recognizing the street names. She looked behind her and didn't see the school.
"I…I couldn't have walked that far…right?" Leni asked.
The houses where she was at were under development, skeletons made of wood, held together with nails, glue, and cement. There was no one around, at least as far as she could tell. There was a lot of construction equipment around her, looking upon them, Leni was reminded of that one cartoon movie she saw with Lincoln, "Once Upon a Forest". The preacher bird in that movie referred to the construction machines as "yellow dragons". Being alone amongst the hulking machines made of steel, glass, and rubber, it was hard not to see them as such. Leni knew they were just machines and nothing more, with nobody behind the wheel, they were harmless.
Still, that didn't mean that something could happen to make them come alive. There was another movie that popped into her mind, a movie that they weren't supposed to see, but Lori, Luna, and Leni watched it without their parents knowing. It was called "Maximum Overdrive", some 80's B movie about machines gaining sentience and attacking and killing all humans. Soda machines, lawnmowers, blenders, and yes, cars, all types of cars.
"I can already see Lisa saying that that's scientifically impossible, and even I agree with that. Cars from that time didn't have microchips in them. If that was now, yeah, I could see that making sense, but back then?"
"Yeah, Lori and Luna laughed, it was just a movie that was on so we watched it…but, I didn't think it was funny. Cause in the back of my head I kept wondering if Vanzilla might come alive and drive us off a cliff! Or chase us all down like dogs!"
"…Actually, that last part is cringe inducing…considering all the abuse we put Vanzilla through, I'm surprised it hasn't come alive and tried to off us."
"Yeah, I'm so asking Lisa to look at Vanzilla later."
Anyway…
Leni began to panic, she was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and god only knew how far she walked. She thought about going the way she came, but that didn't mean a straight line was the best option. In her deep thinking, she was known to sometimes make the occasional turn, which meant that there was a possibility that she had turned a couple of times and went down different streets. If she wasn't careful, she could end up more lost than she was if she wasn't paying attention.
"O-O-Okay…I-I just need to call Mom and Dad!" Leni stated.
Leni reached into her pants pocket and took out her cellphone, and then gasped when she saw that the device had only 2% power remaining. Her hand began to shake, there was enough power for, maybe, one call or a text. There was too much to explain in a text, and if she called, there was a chance that her sisters or parents might be too busy to check their phones. It was a risk, but she had to try. Leni opened the texting app and hurriedly wrote.
[HELP! I'M LOST, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM! PLEASE FIND ME! 2% POWER LEFT ON PHONE!]
Leni hit the send button and checked her battery power; it was down to 1%. Quickly, she switched it power save mode, the screen dimmed and the readout stated that she now had fifteen minutes before her power went out. She didn't dare text or call again, afraid that it might use up more power, and that those last fifteen minutes of power might be all she had left to talk to someone.
The young blonde huddled against a fence and began to cry, all those times kids called her stupid and ditzy were coming back to her mind. And right now, she couldn't deny what they called her, she got herself lost. She knew the way home, all of them did, it was so simple that even Lincoln figured it out. Not that they liked him walking home from school without one of them with him, that being Lynn, but still, he was seven, and she was thirteen for crying out loud.
The sun was dipping lower in the sky, the blue tingling with hues of orange and purple. It wouldn't be long before it was night, and that terrified Leni. She didn't want to be alone in some strange place, it was already scary enough right now, but at night, it would totally look like the setting for a horror movie.
"I want my Linky…" Leni wept as she hugged her legs closer to her chest and buried her face in them. "I want to go home…!"
"LENI!"
Leni's head shot right up, she scanned the area, sure that she heard someone call her name.
"LENI!"
The platinum blonde-haired girl shot up to her feet and looked down the multiple streets. Then, as if god was answering her prayer, Lincoln showed up on his hand-me-down bike. He huffed and puffed as he hurried, his speed doubling when he spotted her.
"LINKY!" Leni shrieked with joy as she ran towards him.
Lincoln came to a stop and hopped off his bike, running the rest of the way to her. Leni enveloped him in a tight hug as he did the same, she dropped her knees, sliding down until her face was in Lincoln's chest.
"Linky! I was so scared!" Leni cried.
"I know, I know, you're okay now! I'm here!" Lincoln said.
Leni pulled back a little and noticed that he was wearing his Ace Savvy costume. She chuckled a little and said, "What are you wearing?"
"Oh, when I was playing Ace Savvy when I saw the text on Lori's phone. When I saw it, I got my bike and came out here to find you," said Lincoln.
"But…how did you know where I was?"
"A good detective always knows how to find someone. That, and…" Lincoln looked nervous as he pulled out his own phone. It was a cheap cellular device, it only allowed him to make calls to certain numbers that their parents ordained, but it did allow him to download a few apps, one of which was open. On it was a map with a GPS beacon that read "Leni L.". "I…I sorta downloaded a locator app to my phone and secretly downloaded it to your phone too. It's called 'Where U At?'"
Leni blinked, she took out her phone and searched through her apps, and sure enough, it was on her phone. "But…wait, you downloaded it onto my phone?"
"I was afraid that…you might get lost or something might happen to you, so…I wanted to be able to find you since I knew you'd always have your cellphone." Lincoln looked down with shame. "Please don't be mad, I didn't do it because I thought you were dumb or anything, cause that's not what I think!"
Leni felt tears coming to her eyes again, but not out of sadness, but happiness. She reached out and hugged her kind and thoughtful little brother to her chest. "Linky, you saved me from being lost, how could I ever be mad at you!"
Lincoln hugged her back, happy in the knowledge that he managed to find his big sister. The two of them got up and prepared to leave, but before that, he asked Leni to bend down. When she did, he took off his cape and draped it over her.
"L-Lincy, this yours," said Leni.
"Do you know why superheroes wear capes?" Lincoln asked.
Leni stood up and pondered the question while he got the bike. "Um…is it to make them look cooler?"
Lincoln smiled. "Not exactly." He then turned around and flashed a confident grin at her. "It's so that a hero can comfort someone who's suffering!"
Leni's cheeks felt really warm, and her heart thumped in her chest. At that moment, Lincoln looked so…heroic to her. He was a child, and it wasn't like he just saved her from a burning building or anything, but…for that moment in time, her little brother sounded like a genuine superhero, and looked like one too.
X*X
Lincoln felt embarrassed to be thought of as a hero.
"From then on, I knew that you were the only one for me, Lincy. If it wasn't obvious to me before then, it really became obvious."
"I mean…that really wasn't original, I just lifted it from a comic book," said Lincoln.
Leni leaned forward and took his hands into hers, looking him straight in the eyes. "That doesn't mean they weren't true, or were less special. You are my hero, Lincoln. You always will be…" tears began to fall from her eyes as she remembered her failure. "And when you needed a hero the most, I didn't step up…I should've stepped up! But I didn't…"
Lincoln had tears in his eyes, he slipped his hands free and hugged Leni. "It's okay, I promise it is. You don't have to be sad about that anymore."
The two broke the hug as they stared into the eyes of the other, a faint blush tinting their cheeks. Without a word spoken, Lincoln and Leni closed the gap between them, and kissed, just as the Ferris wheel reached its peak. Leni's hair shimmered brighter, reflecting the excitement in her heart. The two lovers parted and rested their foreheads against each other.
"Lincoln, I promise you, no matter what happens, I will never let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you, I'll become your shield," said Leni.
"That's my job, I'm your brother," he said with a chuckle.
"You've protected us enough, it's our turn to protect you. And I'm not taking no for an answer, mister!"
Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, you win, you can be my shield."
"Yay!"
A bit of time passed before they reached the bottom, goofy grins were plastered on their faces as they exited. The urge to hold the other's hand was strong, but the risk of running into someone they knew was too high even in Dairyland, Lincoln promised himself to make up for that sometime soon.
Just then, the screams of the people on the rollercoaster caught his attention. There was something off about them, they didn't sound like screams of joy, but…fear? Lincoln glanced towards the ride and watched as a crowd gathered, several workers huddled around the control panel to the ride and seemed to be working frantically on it for some reason.
Leni noticed where he was looking and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good."
Lincoln looked up at the rollercoaster as it sped through another loop. Something caught his eye, something flailing with each rumble of the coaster. His ears managed to pick up the faint sound of metal clanging against metal, and then, like a premonition from "Final Destination" Lincoln could see what was about to happen.
"Leni, that rollercoaster isn't stopping! And I think it's about to go off the rails!"
"WHAT?!" Leni exclaimed.
As if on cue, the rollercoaster hit the bum rail and was sent flying into the air. Several of the passengers screamed bloody murder as they helplessly awaited their death to come. Lincoln shot a glance towards his big sister, and as if reading his mind, Leni bolted for an out of the way place, slipped off the Glamour Ring, and summoned her "hero" outfit.
She zoomed from her hiding spot and flew towards the snake of a coaster. Leni summoned her barrier, creating a huge bubble that contained the coaster inside. Leni slowly began to lower the sphere, the people down below quickly cleared a landing zone for her as the coaster was brought safely down onto the ground. For good measure, Leni released a healing shower of sparkles from her hand, letting them fall upon the passengers. Whatever nausea or near heart attack symptoms they had were quickly gone in a matter of seconds.
The people cheered and applauded Leni's heroics, and the cosmic healer blushed. Lincoln felt very proud of his big sister, but his attention was divided when he heard that same clanging sound again. He looked back at the rails and noticed that it was still swinging back and forth. In less than a second the rail snapped up and flung itself into the air, spinning rapidly as it began to its descent. Lincoln was about to run, but noticed that the couple from earlier was right in its path.
His mind told him to run away, but his body had other plans. Lincoln dashed towards the couple, running like a madman as he employed all the years of playing sports with Lynn in one go. Time slowed to a snail's pace as the events unfolded before Lincoln, the couple had finally noticed the railing coming towards them, too scared and stunned to move. Lincoln dove at them, his hands and arms thrust forward as he plowed into them, pushing both the boy and girl as hard as he could. Both of them stumbled in the opposite direction of the rail, however, Lincoln was right in its path. Lincoln closed his eyes as he hit the ground, curling up into a ball and preparing for his end.
But, nothing happened, no pain whatsoever. Lincoln cracked an eye open and saw that Leni was standing over him, her left hand thrust out, a bubble formed around the rail. She looked down at him and smiled gently, "I told you, I'll be your shield."
Leni released the rail, letting it fall, harmlessly, to the ground. Her body was then wrapped in shimmering cloth before disappearing. Lincoln knew she didn't go far, just far enough so that she could slip the Glamor Ring back on. Because ten seconds later, Leni came running towards him and scooped him up in her arms.
Lisa was once again "working" with her colleague, Dr. Sanders. They were making some progress on the machine to detect the cosmic energy Lisa and her sisters emitted, but some minor setbacks had been occurring that made the task a bit more complicated. Truthfully, Lisa hated sabotaging her fellow scientists like this, but it was for the greater good of her family that she kept the government off their backs.
It really wasn't out of fear, anyone of the Loud sisters could decimate an army with little to no problem. No, the problem lied with how the world perceived them. Lisa could easily make a new world with her powers from scratch, one where her family could live with no one to bother them, technology would flourish with her powers, and with a planet roughly the same size as the Earth, her sisters could go forth and forge their own kingdoms, instead of having one house, they'd have a whole planet to call their home.
Well, that's the backup, just in case, she thought.
Just then, Lisa was pinged by a few of the satellites she hacked into. She hurriedly checked it and mentally slapped her forehead. Leni! The images she saw were of Lincoln and Leni, the latter having forgone her disguise and used her powers to save some innocent people from getting seriously injured or killed. Lisa's heart nearly stopped when she saw Lincoln almost get smeared across the ground by a piece of the railing. Thankfully, Leni swooped in and saved him.
Lisa had already erased the footage and was already working on scrambling all the cellphones that were in the vicinity during the incident, but then the General walked in.
"General Ross, we haven't completed the device yet, Sir, but we're making progress," said Dr. Sanders.
"No need to rush, I'd rather it be done right than have a half-assed piece of crap that breaks down when we need it. After today, I know for sure that they're still here," said General Ross.
Lisa turned around and adjusted her glasses. "Pray tell, General, how did you come about this knowledge?"
General Ross grinned. "Kids like that, young ones especially, like to think of themselves as superheroes. So I didn't think they'd resist the urge to save people, whether or not that was out of goodwill or just as a way to get popular is another story."
Lisa raised an eyebrow at the way he worded his sentence. "What exactly do you mean by that, General?"
"I'm saying, young miss, is that we know the targets are still operating in this town. Most likely, they live here, which means they're hiding in plain sight. For whatever reason, these beings haven't left, and whatever's keeping them here, means that we have a chance to find them and capture them," said General Ross.
The General turned around and walked towards the door, he then stopped in the middle of the doorway and said, "I look forward to seeing your finished product."
When the General left the room, Lisa's brow furrowed, something that did not go unnoticed by Dr. Sanders. "You seemed troubled, Lisa."
"I am, the way that the General spoke belays and underlying knowledge of a covert operation being undertaken. I am starting to wonder if our efforts are amounting to little more than 'busy work'," Lisa thought aloud.
"What? No, the General wouldn't…" Dr. Sanders stopped the moment she heard her words aloud. That was the kind of thinking that led one to make mistakes and not see the whole picture. She wasn't a movie buff, she'd seen enough of them to see what Lisa was getting at. "If you think he is doing that, then what do you suppose he really wants us to do?"
"I still believe he wants us to complete the detection device, although, if I'm understanding his motives, he's running some kind of shadow operation to make those super-powered beings reveal themselves. I'm sure we'll learn how that came about later today."
I'll need to address this with everyone when I get home…
Later that night, the family gathered around the dining room table. Lynn Sr. and Rita glanced about, taking notice of their children. They looked normal again, but knew that that was only a disguise, hiding the fact that they were changed. Part of them feared that their children would never be able to change back, that Lisa's research might come up telling them that there was no way for the effects of this "Black Vortex" to be undone, and that their nine daughters would be forever empowered with cosmic might.
You'd think the incest love nine of their ten daughters felt towards their only son would be their top priority, but they figured that was more manageable down the line, what concerned them more was getting their daughters back to normal. Then again, Rita and Lynn Sr. came to a realization, that if there was really no way of changing them back, then this was the new normal.
"Girls," Rita spoke, "you don't have to wear those rings to the dinner table."
The Loud children glanced between each other with uncertainty.
"Are you sure, Mommy?" Lola asked.
"Look, we know that you're wearing them to make us feel as comfortable as possible, but you're our children, we love you all no matter what you look like," said Lynn Sr.
"So, please, go ahead and take them off," said Rita.
The nine Loud girls nodded to each other and slipped off their Glamour Rings, one by one their disguises faded away and revealed their true forms. To Rita and Lynn, it looked like they were hosting Comic Con, or a meeting of the Justice League.
Leni was allowed to sit next to Lincoln, since today was still technically her day. Thankfully she dialed down the lovey-dovey stuff as to not arouse their parents' suspicions.
Lincoln still felt bad about not telling them what they were doing. They knew that his sisters were in love with him, and he told them he was okay with that, but he never told them that he too was developing the same kind of feelings. He wanted to tell them, but at the same time, he didn't want to overburden them. They had nine cosmic powered girls to worry about, they were already worried about him because of their love confessions.
"So, Lincoln, how was your day today?" Rita asked.
"Oh, nothing too special, I just hung out with Leni today," said Lincoln.
Now, normally, he wouldn't just blurt that out, but Leni was, well, Leni. If there was anyone in the room that he knew his parents weren't going to be suspicious of, it was Leni.
"Oh, well that's nice, what did you do?"
"I just wanted to hang out with Lincy, but then I got worried about my job at the mall and Lincy was, like, we should go there and make sure I still had my job," said Leni.
"Oh, was Mrs. Carmichael upset about you leaving and not showing up?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"Nope, Miguel and Fiona covered for me, oh, before I forget, if she calls and asks, we were all out looking for Lincoln last Saturday," Leni said the last part in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Got it," Lynn Sr. winked, "what else?"
"We went to Dairyland," said Lincoln.
"Oh…" Rita's expression fell. "I heard on the news that something happened on one of the rides and it came off the rails."
"It did, but Leni saved the people there, and me. She was a regular superhero!"
Leni blushed, "Lincy, stop!"
The others, sans Lisa, all looked at Leni with shock and then to Lincoln.
"Seriously?! Are you okay, bro?!" Luna asked.
"I'm fine, really, Leni used her barriers to catch the rollercoaster and then the loose rail that came flying at me," Lincoln explained.
Leni wrapped her left arm around Lincoln's shoulders and added, "It totes wouldn't have hit him, but little Lincy ran and pushed this couple out of the way before they could get hit! He's the real superhero!"
Now Lincoln blushed.
Lana looked at her brother with wide eyed amazement, her twin tails wagging back and forth notating said excitement. "You did?! Lincoln, you're awesome!"
"That was also, really dangerous, Linc! You could've gotten really hurt," said Luan!
Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "I know, sorry, my body just moved on its own before I knew what happened…"
Luna smiled, turned into lightning, and zipped around until she was behind Lincoln. She then gave him a little noogie and said, "My little bro's a regular superhero in the making!"
"Hey, Stinkoln." Lincoln looked to Lynn and she shot him a proud smile. "Prouda ya."
Lincoln smiled back at Lynn, she didn't often say those words, so whenever she did say them, he couldn't help but feel proud.
"But, seriously, Linky, next time, try to restrain yourself. I'm made of indestructible diamond, if anyone's going to take a hit for you, it'll be me," said Lola.
"I must apologize, I should've been more attentive, had I seen that happening I would've teleported you far from that," said Lisa.
"I have to apologize as well, my familiars should've alerted me immediately, I'll make sure to have a word with them later," said Lucy.
"Guys, really, it's okay," said Lincoln.
Rita and Lynn Sr. weren't sure about this romantic love their daughters felt for Lincoln, but if anything, also kind of put them at ease. Seeing how concerned they all were for his well being, how their faces were so filled with love for Lincoln, it kind of assuaged their fears that the girls would take advantage of him with their powers, if anything, they were sure if one of them tried, the others would be there to defend him. But seeing the girls at this table, that wasn't even a possibility.
Later that night, the girls met up in Leni's room. The dimension she created was similar in look to Paris, France. Leni aspired to be a fashion designer, and so to further drive that home, she modeled her room after the city that was the fashion capital of the world.
The second oldest Loud sibling housed herself in a fancy hotel, again modeled after one she saw on the internet. Leni spent the next five to ten minutes telling the girls about her date with Lincoln, including the moment when she fell in love with him.
Lola, Lana, Lucy, and Lisa couldn't help but swoon over the retelling of the memory, the image of their big brother donned in in heroic garb and draping his cape over them in comfort was something that made them weak in the knees. Lynn didn't want to admit it, as many times as she had made fun of his geeky superhero outfit, she couldn't help but fantasize about Lincoln swooping in said outfit and holding her princess style.
"I almost forgot about that, I remember panicking until Lincoln showed up with you," said Lori.
"You don't think it might be a good idea to have him stand in front of the mirror? He loves superheroes, why not give him the chance to actually be one?" Lynn suggested.
"Actually, I think that would be a critical mirror. Geddit?" Everyone groaned. "Seriously though, I don't think that's a good idea. What if it changes him too much and we lose what we like about him?"
Lucy shuddered at the thought. "No, I don't want that! I do feel bad that he isn't powerful like us, but I shudder to think what that power would do to him, whether we know it or not, the Black Vortex has altered our minds to a degree, it might even make Lincoln less caring…"
Luna winced at the thought. "Yeah, I'm with Luce on this one, probably a good idea to keep him from it. On that note, it's finally my turn!" Luna declared as she threw up the "goats".
"You're not going to make a double date with you, Lincoln, and Sam, right?" Lori asked.
"Heck nah, Sis. I do want lil' bro and Sam to have some one-on-one time later down the line, but that'll be after he picks me, gotta seal the deal first," she said with a wink.
Lynn put on a façade of confidence, but her nerves were getting to her. One more Loud girl after Luna, one more until it was her turn, one more until she'd have to own up to her mistake, one more before she heard the dreaded words from Lincoln that she secretly feared.
"On that note, I must address something that came up while I was at the military FOB. It seems General Ross' now aware that we reside in Royal Woods," said Lisa.
"What?! Lisa, you literally said you had control of all the satellites and networks so you could erase footage of us!" Lori stated.
"I did…however, it seems the General is running his own covert operation under our noses, he may've imbedded spies among the citizenry of Royal Woods, and…" Lisa put her hands behind her back as she began to pace. "What I find more troubling, is that I think he may be behind the incident at Dairyland."
Everyone had a worried look on their faces, they knew the military was looking for them, but to go that far to flush them out, that was intense.
"M-Maybe we should tell Lincoln, he's good at figuring out plans and making them, he might know a way around this Ross guy," said Lola.
Lisa shook her head. "No, I don't think that's necessary. Lincoln will begin to worry, and considering everything we're doing, the last thing our brother needs is the added stress of the military. I was too lax in my observations of the FOB, and as such I will remedy this and keep a closer eye on the base and the movements of the soldiers. If at all possible, try not to use your powers."
The other Loud girls weren't too thrilled that the military had operatives working behind the scenes to find them, but they were confident that Lisa might find something before things got too out of hand.
A/N: Okay, yet another sister done! So, what can be said about Leni? I figured she would be the one who was most honest about her feelings, but still afraid to act on them or give them voice. Despite being in love with her little brother, Leni was still fully aware that having romantic feelings for your sibling was taboo, and not something that would be looked favorably upon.
Of course, Linc's heroic gesture didn't help matters, only serving to deepen her affection for him even further. And yes, that line was from Mirio Togata (aka Lemillion) from My Hero Academia Season 4. Episode 10 I believe?
Well, onward to the next! It's Luna's time to rock!
