Previously on The Dead are the Loudest:

"there's something I wanna say," Lincoln told them "Right now, we're alive, but earlier we could've been dead, it was a gamble for me to fight that guy but I did it and we came out on top, it made me realized what and who we are now"

"What do you mean?" Jeffery asked

"What I mean is that now... we're in the real world, we're not hiding behind school fences or in the comfort of our own rooms anymore, we're out here, with people who will do anything to survive and if that's how it has to be then that's how it's gonna be, We need to do whatever it takes to survive, and we need to stick together, no matter what," Lincoln told him "It's Who we are now"

Jeffery nodded, "he's right, out here... people will do whatever they need to" Jeffery chimed in "those assholes are one example, and I don't have any doubt that there are more people out there like that maybe even with bigger groups"

Lana and Lincoln were in shock as they came face to face with their older sister, Lori Loud, looked to them with shock as well. She quickly opened the barred gate and ran to her two younger siblings as they ran to her as well, once they each were close enough, Lori quickly hugged them both as they hugged back as well. Lana began to sob as did Lori While Lincoln had tears forming in his eyes.

After the brief hug, they broke it and Lori looked to her younger siblings

"I-It's really good to see you both" Lori said with a tearful and happy expression "I missed you"

"We miss you too," Lincoln said "we missed you so much"

"well, you all seem very truthful people, not to mention, my niece and her friends have talked about some of you so they vouch for you as well," Marvin told them "Welcome to the Smokey Motel" Marvin greeted

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After the interviews they were led away by Mark, who introduced himself as Mazzy's cousin to them, Lincoln Lana and Jordan had found a room next to their other sister's room. They unpacked everything they had into the room. Maggie, had a room all to herself, while Stella and Jeffery shared a room.

Lincoln looked in the back of the Motel room and saw a shower, it had honestly been a while since he'd seen one. He went to it and turned it on, the water shot out of the head and Lincoln put his hand under the falling water and at first, it was cold, but soon enough, it began to get warm. Lincoln smiled, a hot shower was something he missed a lot as well. He turned it off and head back to the room and saw Jordan laying on the bed, Lana was nowhere to be insight, and for some reason, he began to worry.

"where's Lana?" Lincoln asked, keeping his worry down so he didn't worry Jordan

"She's over at your sisters', wanted to see them all again," Jordan told him

Lincoln sighed with relief, and looked to Jordan, "They got warm water here, so the showers are warm" Lincoln told her

Jordan chuckled, "I could use one of those for sure!" Jordan told him "feel like forever since I had a nice calm shower"

Lincoln nodded with a smile, "Same" he told her

they chuckled, before silence filled the room, once again, they were alone in a room together, no Lana, no Rotter, nothing. It's been a month, and right now, it did feel like things were getting better.

"So Linc?" Jordan began "You wanna take a shower together?" Jordan asked

"Just a shower?" Lincoln asked with a smile

"Yeah sure... just a shower~" Jordan smiled

Lincoln nodded, and once he did, the two took off their coats and headed for the bathroom and shut the door, a few moments later, the shower came on and the two were now cleaning the other.

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Maggie walked around the motel, it was actually pretty big, it had a pool, a parking lot, and a community center. Maggie walked around for a while and checked out the places and people. she saw how people were actually doing quite well, everyone was friendly with each other, and apparently, there was going to be a community meeting tonight for anyone who wished to come.

Maggie was sure it had something to do with the conversation that Julia and Lori had about "bringing them back", it didn't take her long to figure out who they might have been talking to, and because Lori seemed worried, it also made sense that one of the Louds had been taken or went missing. Maggie kept walking and turned a corner, however, she bumped into somebody and they turned to her and she turned to them, and who she saw made her eyes widen.

"M-Maggie?"

"Tabby? Liam?"

Tabby and Liam were standing there, and they had some pudding in their hands, one wasn't open. Maggie was surprised to see them, and they were too. Tabby hugged Maggie and Maggie hugged back before breaking the hug and Maggie went to Liam and hugged him.

"When did you get here!?" Tabby asked

"Just a few minutes ago," Maggie told them with a smile, "what about everyone else, are they here too?"

"Yeah, the only ones who haven't arrived yet are Lincoln, Stella, Jordan, Lana, Jeffery, Sam, and Rocky," Liam told her

"No, they're here too, Well, except for Sam and Rocky," Maggie said, her expression saddened

"well they'll get here soon I hope" Tabby said

"No, Sam won't be coming here," Maggie told her

Both froze, and looked to Maggie, fearing what she was going to say but without saying a word, Maggie looked to them and nodded

Both felt saddened to know that Sam was gone. Liam looked a little agitated, and Tabby just looked distraught, she was close to Sam and her band after all.

"I'm Sorry," Maggie said

Liam looked to her, "I-It's not your fault" Liam told her "The only person to blame is Whitney"

Tabby nodded a little, "yeah" She replied

Liam looked to her with worry, "Tabs are you ok?" Liam asked

Tabby didn't answer for a few seconds but then nodded her head, "I-I-I need to be alone... I need to go see Mazzy and Sully" She said before handing Liam her pudding and walking off.

Liam and Maggie watched her walk off and both knew what she was going through. Maggie turned to Liam

"so, where are you going with that pudding?" Maggie asked

"We were going to the med room to see Chandler, it's been a rough few days for the three of us," Liam said "no doubt this just made it harder," Liam told her

"what's been going on?" Maggie asked

"Well, first there was Zach's death... it happened while we were on a run, Rotter had gotten him" Liam told her

"then what?" Maggie asked

"well, about two day's ago, Lincoln's sisters, Luna and Luan, Dana, another kid named Alex, and Chandler went for a run to the south of here, but they didn't come back after a few hours, around midnight, Chandler arrived back, but he looked like he had taken a beating," Liam told her "apparently, they got kidnapped by a few goons and Chandler only escape because he had killed one of their guys and managed to hide"

Maggie was shocked to hear what had happened, and her worry grew once she heard about Chandler, "how is he?" Maggie asked as worry had crept into her tone and Liam noticed

"he's doing fine, and he should be out tomorrow," Liam told her with a soft smile, "well, how about we go see him"

Maggie nodded, "so is that's what the community meeting is for? to make up a plan to get back the others?" Maggie asked

Liam nodded, "well, we're all deciding tonight, but if Marvin agrees then whoever's going will leave tomorrow when chandler gets out since he knows where they might have gone to," Liam said

Maggie nodded and would tell Lincoln about it later unless he heard it from his sister already, but she was going to that meeting.

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Lincoln and Jordan had just finished their shower. both were now fully dressed and had left the room to go see Lana as well as his other siblings. They walked to the room and once there they knocked and the door opened, and their standing was Leni. She looked at Lincoln and Hugged him as fast as she could and Lincoln hugged back, finally, the other sisters appeared and each gave Lincoln a hug. Lincoln introduced Jordan to them while Lori had introduced her new boyfriend, Brad Silver, and Lincoln shook his hand. Lincoln looked and saw how his two younger sisters had grown, Lily had gotten so big and she seemed so full of life, and Lucy, she was still somewhat the old Lucy, but her hair had begun to fade because she hadn't dyed her hair and it slowly returned to it's blonde and her skin had also gotten darker. He also noticed how much Lynn had changed as well, her hair was much shorter and she had gotten taller, Leni's hair had changed and she now put it in a ponytail, while Lori's still looked the same, however, Lincoln looked around and noticed that certain sisters were missing. Lincoln looked to Lori

"Where's Luna and Luan? Lola and Lisa?" Lincoln asked

Lori looked to her brother and so did the other sisters, and their expressions saddened

"Linc" Lynn chimed in "Lola's gone... and we don't even know what happened to Lisa, we saw her on a helicopter with the military," Lynn said

Lincoln looked to the ground and a part of him was crushed at hearing the news, but he didn't cry, he held it in, but he took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "Luna and Luan?" He asked

"that's what the community meeting is about," Lori told him

"what do you mean?" Lincoln asked

Lori sighed as she looked to her brother, "about two day's ago, Luna and Luan, along with Dana, another kid named Alex, and your friend Chandler went for a run to the south of here, but they didn't come back after a few hours, and all of us here began to worry, until around midnight, your friend Chandler arrived back, but he and the others had been attacked and he escaped because he had killed one of their guys and managed to hide" Lori told her brother

"So that's what it's about? deciding on rather saving out family or letting them die!?" Lincoln cried out

"Lincoln we know how you feel, we wanted to rush out there as well, but we didn't know where they were, the only person who apparently knows is Chandler and he's still healing," Lucy told him "we need to wait until tonight"

"and if Marvin decides to leave them?" Lincoln asked, "Then what?"

"We... we don't know," Lynn replied

Lincoln looked at them, "I'll go find them" Lincoln said "If Marvin agrees to get them back then I'll go get them"

Lori looked to him, "No! There is no way you are going to look for them!" Lori cried "you just got here and you expect us to let you go back out there!?"

"Yes! I made a promise and I don't intend to break it" Lincoln Cried "I know you guys have been out there for god knows how long, but the things I've seen, the things Jordan has seen, what Lana has seen, we know what some people are capable of out there and they're worse than the Rotters, I won't let anyone else die on my watch, not as long as we have a choice"

The sisters looked at him and they could hear how much he had meant that. They had heard about the attack on the school, not to mention, Lana had told them that it was just her and Lincoln for the first four years until Jordan had found them, and then only a few days later were they attack, until they had to fight them off, and for a while, everything was fine until a few months later they were attacked again and this time they lost their home and for a while, no one knew who made it out or who died. It had no doubt scared everyone who had left Michigan to get to Gatlinburg.

Lori looked to her brother and she could see the change in him, she could see how much everything these last few years had changed him, and she didn't know if that scared her or made her proud. She would just have to see.

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Now, it was the moment most have been waiting for. The community meeting had begun, and Marvin stood in front of everyone as the light of the was cast on them thanks to the parking lit lights. Everyone in the community who could attend had arrived and took their seats

Marvin looked to the crowd, "You all know why we're having this meeting, and While this is a community meeting, It falls upon me to make the final decision" Marvin said "as you know, four of our own were taken, and while we don't know by who or if they're even alive, I want to be clear that the decision I make is for the best"

Lincoln then stood up and looked to Mavin, "and what is your decision?" Lincoln asked

Marin looked to him, "My decision is final, and I say, we go out there and we get our people back" Marvin said

A few sighed and cheered in relief, while some groaned and argued, everyone began to talk at once but Marvin looked to them all, "Settle down!" Marvin said and with that, the people began to quiet down and let Marvin speak again "Now, I say we go get them because if we left them for dead, then we'll no better then the people that took them, and I don't think I can even bear the thought of letting something happen to them, which is why I say that we get them back"

"So who's going to get them back?" a woman asked

"Anyone, who want's to," Marvin said, "Does anyone wish to get our people back?"

Lincoln then stood up, "I will," Lincoln said

Marvin nodded, "anyone else?" He asked

Lynn and Lucy then stood up, "so will I" "Me too" Both called

"i'm going as well" Jordan spoke up

"Count me in as well" Becky called

"Same here" Liam called

"I'll go as well" Mazzy called

"I'll go with them as well" Brad spoke up

"I'll go too" Stella said

"Same" Jeffery called

"Don't forget about me" Maggie called out

Marvin then saw that no one else was going and nodded, "alright then, The meeting is over, for those of you who are going, Chandler will be going with you, so get some rest and in the morning gather what you need and then head-off" Marvin told them

Everyone grabbed their chairs and helped put them back, and then everyone went back to their rooms and slept, while the others who were going to get their friends and family back ready themselves.

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Meanwhile, back In Royal Woods, a familiar face walked along the empty schoolyard, which was now destroyed. They walked into the school and looked around, see the corpses of a lot of Bluebells and shells of bullets along with rubble. They then walked into the cafeteria and saw some protein bars still there, they grabbed some and then went up to look in the other rooms for anything useful.

On the second floor walking into what used to be the principles office, they saw that everything looked somewhat the same, they approached the desk and saw a sheet of papers and a map, he looked at the map closely before turning on a flashlight and shining it on the map, on it was a road leading to Tennessee and within the state was a small circle that said "Gatlinburg" and more words that said "Smokey Motel".

They picked up the map and folded it up nicely before putting it in their pocket, "Guess I'll be seeing you there buddy," The figure said before leaving the building