A Night at Jordan's and a Day at the Park
After finishing up their meal, Lincoln and his new crew of lady friends all exited Gus' and went to their respective vehicles. Lincoln, of course took a few moments to thank Carol and her crew for their kindness; proclaiming that the night's events were truly unexpected. "Seriously, ladies; I don't know how I'll be able to repay you for this" he said humbly, "what you've done really means a lot to me."
touched by these words; Carol, Whitney and Becky smiled at the boy and lightly ruffled his hair in affection. "Don't you worry, Lil' Loud" Carol said warmly, "we're all happy to help a friend in need, right ladies?" There was a collective cheer from all ten of the girls, which made Lincoln even happier.
Soon after, Jordan hurried over to her mother's car and the two began chatting softly. Unsurprisingly, Lincoln couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about but did his best to not appear too nosey. After a minute or two of whispering, Jordan returned to Lincoln and informed him that her mother said he was more than welcome to stay over.
"I didn't go into too much detail on what's happened with you yet, though" she stated, "I figured it would be best if my folks heard about the situation from you rather than me." Lincoln thanked Jordan for her respect and kindness, said his final goodbyes to the others and made his way over to the car. Then, at that moment; realization suddenly struck him like one of Lynn's dodgeball throws.
"Oh, crud; all my clothes are back at home" he exclaimed, "who knows if one of my sisters has decided to use my room a 'safe zone' during the protocol." Upon hearing him say this, all the girls' parents began to collectively question about this "protocol" he was talking about. It was here that several of the girls in Lincoln's age group said that everything would be explained, in time.
"Just wait till we get to my house, we'll figure something out" Jordan suggested while helping Lincoln into the car, "I promise that everything will be taken care of." Lincoln smiled at his friend, thanked her (once again) for her compassion and took his seat. Before buckling up, he looked out towards the other ladies; who were all waving and wishing him a good night's sleep.
"Thanks again for the great dinner, Carol" he shouted softly, "I'll see you guys later!" After that; everyone got into their cars, buckled up and left the Games & Grub parking lot. During the drive, each of the ladies began to tell their folks about what Lincoln told them during dinner."
(Carol on the phone with her mom) "I swear to you, Mother; it's the truth! I saw the sunburn for myself!"
(Haiku in the car with her parents) And then, they forced Lincoln out of his room and had him sleep in a dog house for days...only to be kicked out of that house as well"
(Stella with her mom) "Then; his sister, Luan rigged a bucket of honey to fall atop his head. Later, he was chased out of the farm by the animals."
(Cut to Whitney at a traffic light, texting about the squirrel mascot to one of her friends; revealing that Lincoln was the one wearing it.)
(scene cuts to Becky, who is also texting her friends the stories Lincoln told her) "OMG! Can you believe they forced their only bro to stand out on the beach in that stupid costume?"
(scene split-screens; showing Cristina, Paige and Stella telling their folks more about Lincoln's story:) "And then, their silly protocol's got Lincoln so terrified; he almost leapt out of his skin at the restaurant!"
(Phoebe on the phone with her mother:) "And Lynn even threatened Linc with a bat, if he didn't agree to come to the game!"
Needless to say; after hearing at least half of the stories, the parents and/or people the girls were all speaking with were horrified (to put it mildly.) "Goodness...and does anyone even try to stop all this fighting" Jordan's mother asked, "surely...your parents have at least tried to step in and put an end to it, Lincoln!" As much as he wanted to say something, the poor boy was far too frazzled to speak about such events again. As if sensing his pain, Jordan raised her hand and volunteered to help speak for him.
"From what Lincoln told us, his parents often try to stop the fighting" she stated, "but each one of his sisters, even the little ones, are known for being rather...emotionally unstable at times." It was here that Lincoln revealed how his younger sister, Lola once managed to hurt him; which left Jordan's mother feeling even more surprised. "All I did was accidentally bump into her catwalk in the yard, which may have caused her to trip up a little while she was working on balance practice" he cried exasperatedly, "but even after I apologized, she still chose to pounce on me and beat me up."
To say that Jordan's mother was alarmed by this revelation was a tremendous understatement. Thankfully, they were all waiting at a traffic light somewhere; which gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. "I hope you'll forgive me, young man when I say...this is a lot to process" she murmured, "how could sisters behave in such a manner to their only brother?"
Lincoln let out a bitter sigh, proclaiming he had been asking the same question for some time. After that, the three of them silently for a moment or two; allowing themselves a moment to slightly cool off from all the drama that was unloaded. Then, Jordan cleared her throat and asked her mother if she could help collect some of Lincoln's things from his house; after they arrived home. "I'd be happy to, dear" she said warmly, "I just hope I will make it back in one piece, if things are as chaotic as your friend says."
(Line Break)
The time was five minutes away from 8 o'clock, when the trio arrived back at Jordan's house. After parking the car in the driveway, the mother then told Lincoln to head inside and get himself comfortable. "I'll just pop by your house quick and help collect some of your things from there" she stated, "enjoy your stay with us, Lincoln."
With that, the kids got out of the car and made their way up to the house; all while Jordan's mother was pulling out of the driveway. Once inside, they were suddenly greeted by a rather peppy spotted dalmatian; who let out a rather loud yet excitable bark at the front porch. The dog had long, feathery ears; spots several spots on its body and tail and wore a small red handkerchief wrapped around his neck.
When he caught sight of Lincoln, a small yet still rather mischievous glimmer suddenly sparkled in its eyes; as if it were debating on whether he should attack...or make a grab for the boy's clothes and try and chew on them. Either way, the dog knew he was going to have a fun evening and soon started running forward at near lightning speed. As for Lincoln; due to his currently skittish state of mind, let out a surprised yelp at the pup's sudden approach.
Jordan meanwhile greeted the dog with open arms and a happy giggle, as he came racing into her arms. "Hi there, Ajax" she cried joyfully, "did you miss Mommy while she was at school, baby; did you?" As the pup called Ajax licked Jordan's face in greeting, Lincoln couldn't help but feel nervous at the sight of him.
The last time he saw Ajax, the dog had torn his pants to shreds while he was attempting to leave the property. Due to the startling and humiliating nature of the memory, Lincoln feared the dog might attempt to attack him. "Don't be afraid, Lincoln" Jordan assured, upon noticing the worried look on his face; "Ajax is as friendly as a lamb, he won't hurt you."
Though he still felt nervous, Lincoln trusted his friend's judgment and reached over to pet the pup. As his hand slowly eased over Ajax's head; Lincoln closed his eyes and prepared himself for the feel of teeth against his forearm, wrist or fingers. But then, he suddenly felt the light and mildly moist tickle of a tongue lapping against his palm.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Ajax licking his hand in greeting and barking with joy; instead of hurting him. Jordan giggled at this display and gently placed the pup into Lincoln's arms; who, with great excitement proceeded to lick his cheeks relentlessly. "See, I told you he was a sweetie" she giggled, "you have nothing to worry about."
After putting Ajax back down on the floor, Lincoln took a moment to have a little walk around Jordan's home. Considering how long it had been since he was last there, Lincoln had almost forgot how big his friend's house was. At first glance; an outsider might think Jordan's home was some sort of a mansion, on the outside.
But in reality, she lived the same upper middle class life many of her schoolmates had; which still surprised Lincoln. As he headed towards the kitchen for a drink, Lincoln passed by the screen door that led into the backyard and spotted a familiar sight; a large pool with a diving board. "Boy, that pool certainly brings back memories" Lincoln murmured, addressing the viewer, "some of them weren't so nice, though."
Eventually, Jordan noticed what he was looking at and casually approached him. "Since Spring is on the way, the fam and I were considering opening up the pool soon" she stated, "at the same time; I was thinking of having a pool party here, during Spring Break." Lincoln's suddenly glowed brightly with joy upon hearing this, proclaiming it was a great idea.
"Hey, wonder if any of our friends would like to come" he added, "maybe we could even invite the other girls from earlier to the party." Jordan squealed loudly with joy at the thought, clearly excited at the possibility of a pool party. "Then, some of us might want to sleep over here; one night" she stated, "that is, if my folks will agree to the idea."
Lincoln nodded his head in understanding, saying they would discuss things over with Jordan's folks; when the right moment arrived. In the meantime, the young lady in question invited Lincoln into the living room to get comfortable. Then, later that night while she and Lincoln were watching Extreme Barista on TV; Jordan's mother suddenly burst through the door.
When she got a good look at her, Jordan gasped in shock at her mother's appearance. Parts of her hair appeared torn, her face and shirt were coated with splotches of food stuffs (supposedly,) her skirt appeared had a long tear at the hem and she was shaking like a leaf with fear. "Oh my gosh, Mom" cried Jordan with worry, "are you alright, you look like you just walked through a war zone!"
The woman let out a long, exasperated sigh and plopped herself into a nearby chair; after placing what looked like a duffle bag on the floor. "I may as well have been through one, kids" she murmured, "had it not been for Lincoln's parents helping me find what I needed and get out of the house, I would've have been in serious trouble." Lincoln paled slightly upon hearing her story, dreading all of the things the poor woman must've seen at his house.
"Ma'am...thank you for helping me and for letting me stay the night" he murmured while collecting the bag, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you." Jordan's mother looked down at Lincoln, smiled warmly and gave his head a reassuring pat. "You have nothing to apologize for, dear" she stated, "whatever is going on in your house, it's not your fault."
After that, she handed Lincoln his bag and made her way to the bathroom for a much-needed shower. "Make yourself comfortable, kids" she stated, "I'll be with you in a bit, I've just gotta get...whatever all this is off of me." After entering the bathroom; Lincoln and Jordan were left alone in the living room, once more.
Soon, Lincoln started unrolling his sleeping bag on the floor; while Jordan watched TV. After a while, Lincoln finally broke the silence by thanking his friend for her kindness. "Seriously, Jordan; between listening to me vent back at Gus', letting me stay the night here with you and being so nice to me" he listed softly, "I just...why?"
Jordan blinked confusedly at Lincoln, after hearing his question and quickly muted the television for a moment. "What do you mean 'why'" she asked, "why am I being nice to you, you mean? The answer's simple...you're my friend and I always help a friend in need." Whether due to her kind words or his still lingering embarrassment, Lincoln couldn't help but blush softly.
"I know, I just...I feel like I've abused that friendship a bit; somehow" he muttered shamefully, "I mean...have we forgotten the many times I've screwed up in school; like with the 'Girl Guru' thing, the Sadie Hawkins Dance or the Save the Polar Bear Challenge?" Jordan let out a slight shutter, before asking Lincoln to try and not bring up moments like those. "But that's what I mean" he cried with exasperation, "I always try to help people or do good...but in the end, all my efforts just seem make everyone either hate me or my friends."
Upon saying this, Lincoln's arms started trembling with anger and streaks of tears suddenly started sliding down his cheeks. "Maybe I should've stayed back home" he sniffled, "sure I'd be beaten to near death by my sisters, get tossed out of my room or go hungry...but it's probably what I deserve." As if sensing that Lincoln was about to slip back into a state of distress, Jordan thought desperately for a way to help him.
Unfortunately, she realized that words alone would be useless to break him out of such a state. With this in mind, she chose the only other remaining option...she hugged him. When he felt Jordan wrap her arms around him and the touch of her chin on his shoulder, Lincoln suddenly stopped crying.
"Jordan...what are you doing" he murmured, "why are you hugging..." Before Lincoln could continue, Jordan lightly pressed finger up against his lips; thus silencing him. Then, the young lady looked him straight in the eyes and smiled a most lovingly sincere grin. "Lincoln Loud...don't you dare say you deserve a beating or any of that stuff" she muttered firmly, "nobody deserves to be hurt in any way."
Before continuing on, Jordan took a moment to collect a couple of tissues from the kitchen and handed one to Lincoln. "As for whether or not you're a good friend or even a good person; the answer's simple, you are" she stated, "sure, you've made mistakes but so has everyone else in the world." Lincoln, after blowing his nose, made an attempt to speak about the times he angered her specifically...but Jordan stopped him.
"Like I said, Lincoln; we all make mistakes" she said matter-of-factly, "but no matter what, I could never hate you for them." Once again, Lincoln attempted to bring up the Girl Guru thing; recalling how much hate he got from the school, after that. "I had to call in half my sick days because I didn't want to come in smelling like vinegar" he muttered, "or risk being murdered by you, any of the other girls or even our teachers."
Jordan gasped slightly, remembering all the days Clyde had to bring home Lincoln's missed schoolwork. Understandably so, she was surprised to learn that this was the reason behind said absence that week. Lincoln then went on to mention how some of the other kids at school still harbored a bit of a grudge towards him for the incident.
"I know you said we all make mistakes, Jordan" he sighed, "but lately...there have been times where I felt my whole existence may have been a mistake!" That did it; after hearing Lincoln say such bitter words about himself; it pushed Jordan to suddenly do something she'd never expected herself to do. With a soft yet fierce yell, she plucked a pillow off her sofa and hurled it forward.
The pillow struck Lincoln square in the face, knocking him backwards onto his sleeping bag. After this sudden attack, Lincoln pulled the pillow off and glared at his friend softly. All was silent, for what felt like ages; until Lincoln took his pillow in hand and charged towards the sofa.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom; Jordan's mother was in the midst of washing her hair in the shower. While doing her best to get clean again, her mind raced with many troubling thoughts. After hearing the stories from Lincoln and actually seeing the chaos within the Loud household for herself, part of her suddenly feared for the boy's safety.
"Let's talk about this matter with your husband tomorrow, while the kids are all hanging out at the park" she thought to herself, "I just hope he'll believe everything I'll tell him." As the missus climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her wet hair, she suddenly overheard the loud cacophony of giggling and roughhousing outside. She quickly slipped on her bathrobe and burst through the door to find that...everything was perfectly fine.
From where she stood, she only saw Lincoln and her daughter in the living room; playing around and laughing together like children typically do. After letting out a soft sigh of relief, she approached the duo and asked if anything was wrong. "It's fine, Mom; we're okay" Jordan assured, "just having a little pillow fight is all."
After being playfully bopped atop the head, Lincoln assured Jordan's mother that he'd be extra careful with their playful brawl. The woman smiled warmly at them, walked away with a pleasant "as you were then" and bade them goodnight. With that, the duo smiled wickedly at each other and continued on with their pillow fight.
At one point, Ajax decided to the fray and assaulted Lincoln in a flurry of sloppy puppy kisses. This caused him to suddenly burst out laughing with joy, something he hadn't done for some time. Finally, after twenty minutes of brawling, the duo lay on the living room floor; panting and smiling happily.
"What say we...call this a draw" Jordan asked between breathes, "I'm feeling a little...bushed, after all that." Tired yet still quite happy, Lincoln's only response was a thumbs up; while Ajax answered with a soft "yip." After the pillow fight, the two decided to share a small cup of "victory soda" before heading off to bed.
After Jordan poured each other a glass, she took a sip...and suddenly noticed Lincoln staring at her. "Really giving me the creeps with that spaced out look, Lincoln" she murmured, "no disrespect meant, mind you." Lincoln, after suddenly realizing what was happening, shook his head and chuckled sheepishly.
"Sorry about that, Jordan" he murmured, "I'm just...I'm still feeling overwhelmed by how nice you're being to me." While still bearing a smile, her eyes did their best to give Lincoln a firm glare. "I'm gonna tell you this once more, Lincoln Loud and you best listen up" she said as sternly as possible, "you are a great guy; you're smart, creative, clever, loyal...so, why even think that you're a mistake?"
Lincoln curled himself slightly into a ball, while sitting and sighed. "Thanks, Jordan...I know you're right" he muttered, "I just...I'm just not able to think straight right now." In that moment, Lincoln could feel the icy chill of anxiety and self-doubt wash over him again.
Upon hearing the tone in his voice, Jordan crawled over and enveloped Lincoln in another hug. The feel of her kind embrace seemed to help lift his spirits...just a little and Lincoln shared a hug of his own with her. "Come on, let's go get ready for bed" Jordan suggested, "we've got a fun day tomorrow and we need to be well-rested.
As if in response to her suggestion, Lincoln let out a prodigious yawn and his eyes began to flutter. "Yeah, I could use a good night's sleep" he droned walking over towards the bathroom to brush his teeth, "be back in a bit." After leaving the bathroom, minutes later; Lincoln unzipped his sleeping bag and used one of the pillows from the earlier pillow fight for his head.
Jordan meanwhile gave a soft yawn and went up the stairs to her bedroom. "If ya need anything during the night, Lincoln; don't hesitate to call" she stated, "we won't be too far away." Lincoln thanked Jordan for the heads up and got himself comfortable, while Ajax seized the opportunity to lie down next to him.
"Thanks again for letting me crash here, Jordan" he said with a yawn, "have a good night's sleep, see ya in the morning." Jordan gave him the same farewell and headed up to her room. After that, all was quiet and Lincoln felt himself slowly drift off to sleep.
(The Dreamscape)
The next moment Lincoln opened his eyes, he saw that he was no longer in Jordan's living room. Instead, he found himself standing atop a building; dressed in his Ace Savvy costume. "Aw, sweet; I love it when I'm in one of my superhero dreams" he cried with joy while posing heroically, "wonder if there are any crimes in progress?"
As if on cue, there was a loud explosion from the city below; followed by the screams of the frightened townspeople. "The citizens are in danger" he said dramatically, "time to deal out some justice!" With that said; he brought out a grappling hook from his belt, latched it onto a nearby gargoyle and swung into action.
Upon landing, Ace/Lincoln looked through the smoke and saw the cackling silhouette of the attacker; one whom he recognized all too well. "Flash Card, looks like he's up to his old tricks again" Ace/Lincoln thought to himself, "hope he won't mind if I dropped in." As the young hero prepared for his entrance, Flash Card had had finished collecting all of the money from the bank vault and was about to make his escape.
"Thanks ever so much for your contributions, ladies and gentlemen" he cackled, "I'll make certain it all goes to a worthy cause...ME!" With that, Flash Card got into his car and raced off at breakneck speed; all while giving his signature villain laugh. "Ha-Ha-Ha! Looks like it's Easy Street for me" he said confidently, "I'd like to see that fool, Savvy try and stop me this time!"
As if on cue, two playing cards suddenly struck the car's left front and rear tires; causing them to pop. Flash Card screamed with alarm; as his vehicle skidded down the road, struck a hydrant and was sent flying high in the air. After flipping three times over, the car crashed upside down and Flash Card came crawling out of the wreckage weakly.
When his vision cleared, Flash Card made a beeline for the trunk; desperate to retrieve his loot. But as he reached for the latch, a playing card suddenly struck the trunk; almost cutting off one of the criminal's fingers. Flash Card growled bitterly while rubbing his hand, realizing he had been cornered.
Just then, an all too familiar voice spoke from behind; one that made him groan with defeat. "Looks like you had an accident, Flash Card" Lincoln/Ace stated, "hope your insurance covers it." After that, Ace leapt atop of the destroyed car; causing the criminal to almost trip over himself in alarm.
"Your robbery scheme has failed" Lincoln/Ace said firmly, "best surrender before I decide to get rough with you." But much to the hero's surprise, Flash Card only seemed to laugh at his words. "So sorry, Savvy...but robbing the bank wasn't really my plan" he declared, "it was all just bait to lure you here."
Just as Ace prepared to question his foe, he suddenly felt something struck him in the back of the head. While in a daze, he looked over his shoulder to see a familiar sight; a diamond encrusted tiara flying through the air. This same crown suddenly flew into the grasp of a small hand.
Upon looking more closely, Ace/Lincoln suddenly spotted a team of shadowy figures at the far end of the road. He narrowed his eyes intensely, presumably thinking he was seeing things. Upon seeing the confusion on his enemy's face, Flash Card gave a sinister chuckle.
"Do not be shy, ladies" he shouted suddenly, "come on out and introduce yourself to our friend." With that command, the figures slowly made their way beneath the glow of the flickering street lights. Upon seeing them more clearly, Ace/Lincoln gasped with shock and horror.
Standing before him and Flash Card were what looked like his own team of comrades, The Full House Gang. But they appeared much different than how he remembered; their costumes were darker, their eyes blood-red and blazing with malicious intent and each of their weapons were like murderous opposites of the originals. The sight of them all suddenly filled the young hero with a great sense of dread.
"Ace, I'd like you to meet my latest creation; the Blackjack Gang" chortled Flash Card, "thanks to my scientific genius, I used my technology to create evil doubles of each of your teammates." Ace scoffed at his foe's words, proclaiming he could never create evil versions of his team. "You would need evil to help create evil, you fool" he snapped, "and these ladies are all heroic souls."
Despite the truth of his words, Flash Card remained undeterred; his smile never leaving his face. "Evil can be created in many ways, Savvy" he stated, "some become evil through greed, a lust for power, a sociopathic desire to cause others pain...which is something your 'friends' here have in spades." To help prove his point, Flash Card gave the Black Joker the command to strike first.
As the jester approached, Ace saw her holding pies in both of her hands; which filled him with a sense of confusion and dread. "Hope you like pie, Ace" she muttered sinisterly, "because I've got a new recipe that's just EXPLODING with flavor! HA-HA-HA!" Upon saying this, Black Joker threw one of the pies towards Ace...but he dodged at the last moment.
However, once it struck the vehicle behind him; the pie's cream suddenly caused it to explode. "What in heaven's name" cried the young hero, "what did you put in that pie?!" Black Joker chortled with malicious glee and declared it was her own special creation.
"I was thinking about using the traditional coconut crème" she stated, "but then...I had the best recipe for a Napalm Pie with a C-4 filling that was just waiting to be baked!" Ace/Lincoln shuddered at the sadistic tone in her friend's voice, when she listed the pie's ingredients. But his thoughts were suddenly disrupted by the sudden collision of a powerful headbutt to the gut.
The young hero groaned slightly while shaking the cobwebs out of his head, wondering what hit him. Just as he tried to get back on his feet, he suddenly felt someone's foot pressing hard atop his chest. He looked up to see the face of Strong Suit (or rather, her doppelganger) which bore the look of someone ready for a fight.
"Ready to tussle, little man" she chuckled while cracking her knuckles, "or are you too much of a wimp to take a hit?" Despite the painful ringing in his head, Ace/Lincoln refused to let himself be so easily subdued. So, with all the strength he could muster, he managed to roll out from under her foot.
After getting back on his feet, he prepared himself to fight against Strong Suit. When suddenly, a loud feedback blast sent him flying up into the air. After he fell rather unceremoniously, Ace/Lincoln turned weakly to see Night Club approaching him with a wicked giggle.
Like the rest of her "team,: this Night Club was a devilish version of the original. She seemed to resemble a twisted mixture of Gene Simmons, Marilyn Manson and Voltaire with her demonic fangs, blood-red makeup, snake-like tongue, spiked shoulder pads and golden nose ring. "Aww! Is the little hero feeling tired" hissed the double, "don't worry, Mummy will sing you a lullaby to help put you to sleep...permanently!"
She then plugged in her guitar, tuned it slightly and cranked the amp's volume up to 12; which meant that things were about to get very noisy. Thinking quickly, Ace/Lincoln covered his ears tight; just as his opponent began to play a vicious riff. The force of the feedback blast, once again sent him flying across the road.
Yet miraculously, his hearing remained in one piece; despite a mild ringing in his ears. As Ace/Lincoln prepared to collect himself, a black and red sash suddenly caught him around the neck and proceeded to strangle him. Despite choking violently, Ace/Lincoln tried his very best to break free.
But each attempt he made to rip off the sash, the hero felt it becoming tighter around his neck; choking him even harder. He turned around to see Eleven of Hearts, wearing red like the rest of her team. But her glasses, shoulder pads, boot designs, sash and ribbons all bore symbols of broken hearts upon them.
"Get ready, Ace" she snarled, "because after I've broken your heart, I'm going to break everything else!" As the next villainous double (revealed to be the Eleven of Hearts) began to drag him towards her, Ace/Lincoln quickly snatched up half of a broken bottle and cut himself free. Ace/Lincoln quickly got back to his feet and coughed violently, desperate to get some air in his lungs.
But as he tried to recover, someone appeared from behind and swung a scythe blade at his head. The young hero saw the attacker's reflection on a mud puddle beneath him and he quickly dodged the attack at the last second. Soon, he was confronted by the evil version of Eight of Spades; who was dressed in the guise of a medieval executioner.
Throughout the battle; Ace/Lincoln tried to outfight, out-maneuver and even outwit his foes. But as expected, being doubles of his team meant they knew his every move and strategy beforehand. This lead to each of the ladies countering or blocking whatever attack or defense he thought up.
Soon, he began to grow weak with fatigue and could barely stand on his own two feet. Flash Card took notice of this and cackled joyfully. "It's useless to continue, Savvy" he decreed, "my creations won't stop until they have your head!" With a defiant look on his face, Ace/Lincoln tried his very best to continue fighting.
But as he attempted to charge the Blackjack Gang, a dark version of The Deuce popped out from a garbage can and threw her diaper in his path; causing Ace/Lincoln to fall on his face. As our hero lay groaning on the ground, the shadow belonging to the dark version of High Card loomed over him like vengeful goddess. "I've wanted to do this for ages, you twerp" she growled while cracking her knuckles, "say your prayers."
With that said, she reached behind her back and pulled out her weapon; a pair of large stone dice connected to a chain. As Ace lay beneath her shadow, fearing what was to come; High Card raised her weapon high and swung it down at him.
(In the real world)
Meanwhile, outside of the dream; Lincoln suddenly shot up from his pillow with a loud shriek of terror. Due to this sudden noise, Ajax leapt out of his dog bed and began to bark loudly in alarm. The combination of these noises led to both Jordan and her parents suddenly storming out of their rooms and rush downstairs.
"What's going on, what's with all the noise" cried Jordan's father, "are we being robbed?!" Jordan quickly turned on the light to see if anyone was in the room. Much to her relief, she saw only Lincoln and Ajax on the living room floor.
At the same time however, she and her parents were confused by why he screamed at all. "Is something wrong, Lincoln" questioned Jordan's mother, "did you see something or was it just a nightmare?" The boy said nothing in reply, the only sounds he made were those of frightened whimpers.
Concerned, Jordan hurried to the kitchen and readied a cup of soothing tea for her friend. "Careful not to drink too fast" she instructed, "it's freshly brewed, just the thing to calm your nerves." Lincoln thanked her for the drink and carefully sipped at it, while Jordan's parents each took a seat on the sofa.
"If you can, my boy...care to tell us what caused you to yell like that" questioned Jordan's father, "from the sound of it, we thought you were being attacked down here." Lincoln suddenly stopped drinking, upon hearing this and everyone could see his expression become rather grim. "In a way, I suppose I was being attacked" he murmured, "only...it was in my dream."
Now, when one mentions the idea of being attacked in their dreams; it's expected for others to feel concerned and this time was no different. But they knew that Lincoln seemed much too frazzled to talk about it right away and gave him a moment to collect himself. After Lincoln managed to calm himself enough, Jordan and her parents asked him to talk about his dream.
With a reluctant sigh and his hands quivering slightly from the whole thing, Lincoln told them everything. By the time he was finished, it was 3 AM; just three or four hours away from sunrise and the four of them were all still wide awake. To say the least, the family was beyond mortified.
"I know what you're all gonna say" he murmured, "'it's just a dream, don't worry about it; nothing in your mind can hurt you.'" After that, Lincoln was quiet; as if expecting them all to say just that. But much to his surprise, both Jordan and her mother suddenly hugged him.
"Normally, young man; that would be the case" she admitted, "however, after everything I've heard and seen yesterday so far...well, I can understand that you might be at your wits' end." Jordan looked up at her mother with a stare that seemed to say her words were "putting things mildly." The father meanwhile, appeared rather stoic during the whole discussion; which made everyone feel slightly anxious.
Finally, he ruffled Lincoln's hair and offered for him to sleep in one of the guest rooms upstairs. "Oh, no Sir...I couldn't" Lincoln mumbled bashfully, "I don't want to burden you guys anymore than I already had." The man chuckled heartily at Lincoln and insisted that he'd take up the offer.
"You're our guest and should be sleeping more comfortably" he stated, "it's not a burden at all." With that, he collected Lincoln's bedtime things and led him upstairs; leaving his wife and daughter behind to talk amongst themselves. "Don't know about you, Mom" Jordan whispered, "but I'm gonna talk to the other girls at the park about this, tomorrow."
The house matriarch nodded in full agreement with her words, adding that she would be doing the same thing with any of the parents that might be present. "For now, let's get back to bed" she stated, "hopefully...Lincoln's slumber will be much calmer now." With that, the ladies both let out a yawn and returned to their beds.
(Line Break)
When Lincoln finally awoke, it was 8:30 AM; just a half hour off from his usual wake-up time. But due to the dream he had, having an extra few minutes or so of sleep was to be expected. After making the bed and cleaning himself up, Lincoln arrived in the kitchen for breakfast.
Upon seeing Jordan's mother working over at the stove, Lincoln politely asked if she would like any help. "Oh! Thank you very much for offering, dear" she said gratefully, "but I'm doing well on my own here." Lincoln gave a soft chuckle and insisted that he'd help.
Before anyone could react, the boy was already at the counter; whistling merrily and making scrambled eggs for them all. This display of cooking skill greatly impressed Jordan and her folks. "Wow, Lincoln; I didn't know you could make eggs like that" she gasped in awe, "where did you even learn how?"
After prepping the plates and serving, Lincoln chuckled softly and admitted he had some good teachers. "Not only do me and my pal, Clyde work well in the kitchen together" he stated, "but my dad is also an expert cook, taught me quite a few things; like making any kind of eggs just right." After this, Jordan's father took a small bite from his dish and immediately squealed with delight.
"Wow, this is delicious" he exclaimed, "I thought only the Missus here could make eggs this good." Soon, the ladies took sample bites of their own and also let out similar cries of pleasure; upon tasting them. As Jordan gobbled down half of her plate, her mother began to whisper in her ear.
"Smart, a loyal friend, creative and one heck of a nice cook...he's the whole package" she murmured, "when do you plan to rope him in, honey?" Upon hearing this, Jordan's face flashed read and she almost choked on her orange juice. Alarmed, Lincoln quickly handed her a napkin; which Jordan happily accepted.
After cleaning herself up proper, Jordan shot her mother a stern glare. "Mom! Lincoln is just a friend of mine...a friend" she said firmly, adding emphasis to the last word; "there's no point in trying to set us up!" Lincoln, his cheeks also flashing red, also claimed they were only friends.
"All we're saying, kids is you never know" Jordan's father chortled, "you're friends now, sure...but it might change; come Middle School." As both parents laughed pleasantly at the idea; Jordan gave an exasperated sigh, shook her head and told Lincoln to just ignore them. "It's okay, Jordan, I'm used to it by now" Lincoln murmured, "my sisters have said stuff like that about me and Ronnie Anne for a while."
(Line Break)
Sometime later, the parents and their children arrived at the park (with Lincoln in tow) and all of the young ones hurried out to the field to play. Lincoln was happily playing with Ajax, throwing a Frisbee to him. When they saw how happy he was, Paige and Stella quickly decided to join in on the fun.
Meanwhile, the teens were all with the adults at the picnic area; discussing potential Spring Break plans. During said discussion, several of the girls noticed how silent Jordan had been and asked if she was okay. "Is something wrong, brah" questioned Phoebe, "today's way too nice to be so down in the dumps."
Jordan suddenly shot out of her daze with a start, upon hearing the girl's voice; as if coming out of a dream. "Oh...sorry, girls" murmured Jordan, "I was just...thinking about Lincoln." This statement caused Carol and her posse to giggle softly, thinking that she may have been daydreaming.
With a soft groan and a roll of her eyes, Jordan told everyone she was being serious. "I mean it; last night, Lincoln was really out of sorts" she stated, "saying something about his sisters attacking him in his dreams or something like that." This knowledge caused the ladies' previously giggly demeanors to suddenly become grim, in a matter of seconds.
After barely keeping themselves together from Lincoln's stories at Gus' last night, they hoped a park outing would keep things nice and pleasant. But after hearing Jordan talking about him having such a horrible dream (or a nightmare,) all those bad vibes started washing over the group again. Finally, after taking a moment to calm herself down with some ice tea; Carol was the first to ask questions.
"What was his dream about, exactly" she inquired, "and don't skimp on any of the details, Missy." This was followed by the other ladies voicing their interest to hear about the dream, much to Jordan's surprise. Even the parents seemed eager to learn about it, strange as it seemed.
Jordan sighed softly, happy to have gotten through to them all and began her story. By the end of it, everyone was stone silent with looks of pure shock frozen on each of their faces. "It's a weird one, I know" Jordan murmured, "but that's the thing about dreams."
For what felt like ages, nobody had spoken a word; until Whitney broke the silence in asking "how does he know about the Full House Gang?" Upon hearing this, Jordan gleefully revealed that Lincoln was the one who created the characters; which were later made part of the Ace Savvy universe by the creator, Bill Buck. "He based each one of them all off of his sisters, presented the idea to Bill Buck himself and got it published" she said with joy, "my friends and I all thought it was really cool!"
After that, she reached inside of her backpack and brought out a copy of the aforementioned issue to everyone. When the parents and kids all saw the cover display, they whistled/murmured softly in approval; apparently pleased by it. "Hold it...Linc came up with the Full House Gang chicks" Becky interjected, "I LOVE THESE GIRLS! Eleven of Hearts is my favorite!"
Carol took the comic carefully in hand and began to study each member of the gang, taking note on how near identical they were to Lincoln's own sisters. "I'm not much of a comic gal...but I love these outfits" she exclaimed suddenly, "I especially love the look of Lori's character, the scarf is super stylish!" After looking over the book and learning about the Full House Gang, everyone had another level of respect for Lincoln.
"Such clever ideas" Mrs. Pingrey murmured happily while browsing through the comic, "makes me wonder why his sisters would act so harshly to a brother who, essentially, helped make each of them a household name." Upon hearing this, Jordan's mother suddenly brought up her own encounter with Lincoln's family from last night. "It was a miracle I made it out in one piece, after I gathered some of Lincoln's things" she sighed fearfully, "I swear to you, everyone; I've seen siblings fight before...but not like what I saw happening in that house!"
Without hesitation; she told them about how trashed much of the house looked, how viciously the girls were acting towards each other and how terrified the parents appeared (after spotting them hiding in one of the house closets.) "To think that all this started because Lori lost a golf game" Carol sighed, "I thought she said she was done feeling competitive towards me!" The fathers who were present grumbled softly amongst themselves, thinking something had to be done about the sisters' behavior and Lincoln's situation with them.
"If this keeps up, I'm considering calling the police...or even Social Services" murmured Cristina's mother, "that poor boy can't go back into that kind of house while all this is going on!" Everyone fully agreed with the woman's words, which made the young ones feel quite overjoyed. "If that's the case, where can he go until things blow over" questioned Whitney, "I mean...does he have any other family around?"
It was here the Jordan told everyone about Lincoln's grandfather named Albert, whom he called "Pop-Pop." "He's nice, very capable for his age and cares deeply about his family, Lincoln included" she stated, "maybe he could stay with him?" Alas, her parents quickly shot down her idea; informing everyone that Albert resided in the Sunset Canyons Nursing Home.
"I know this because my neighbor's mother lives there too" Jordan's mother murmured sadly, "and children/family are only allowed a few hours of visitation there." After that, everyone tried to think of more ideas to try and help Lincoln. "I think I remember Lynn saying something about them having an aunt somewhere" Cici stated, "she could probably help."
At first, this seemed like a good idea...but Stella quickly shot it down, seconds later. "I heard about this aunt once, when I last sat down for lunch with Linc and the guys at school" she stated, "he said she's kinda lazy, a bit of a slob...and often forces him and his sisters to do some seriously nasty work." When everyone asked what this "work" involved, she revealed that it either involved cleaning out her many, many cat boxes...or rubbing her feet; one of which had an extra toe.
Several of the fathers shuddered at this idea, proclaiming that such a woman made their mothers-in-law seem like saints. Meanwhile, the mothers all felt great pity for the Loud Children and all the time they were exposed to such conditions; Lincoln especially. "I may be wrong here...but putting eleven children under such work seems like a violation of Child Labor Laws" murmured Becky sickly, "we can cross her off of the list of possible sitters."
As everyone continued to try and think up new caretaker ideas, they suddenly heard Lincoln whistling out to them. "Hey! Becky, Cici, Carol; you guys wanna play Frisbee with me and Ajax" he shouted, "whoever wins gets a kiss...from the pup, that is." After taking a moment to shake off their earlier disgust, the ladies all giggled heartily at his little joke and proceeded to join him.
"Don't think just because we're friends and you're slightly younger than us that we'll go easy on you" challenged Cici, "I'm giving this all I've got!" Lincoln smiled boldly and his eyes narrowed intensely with excitement, as he took the disc in his hands. "I don't plan on going easy on you ladies either" he said firmly, "so...who's game?"
Without a moment's pause, the three ladies all raced up to Lincoln; giggling madly with joyful excitement. Mere seconds later, this scene soon prompted the others to join in as well. "Hey, wait for me" cried Jordan, "don't leave me out on the sidelines!"
As she hurried off, Stella followed close behind; while the rest of the ladies decided to remain behind and act as refs. The parents chuckled happily at the children at play before getting back to setting up the picnic table. As the Frisbee game went underway, Lincoln suddenly felt a sense of joyfulness he hadn't felt in days. All this gave him hope that the upcoming break was going to be the best one he ever had.
(First AN: Things seem to be starting out smoothly for Lincoln, folks; aside from his night terrors. But what does the future hold for him and his new crew? What will happen during Spring Break, what plans do the ladies have for him...and what will the parents do about the ever-present tension in the Loud House?
Tune in next time, to find out)
(Second AN: Extreme Barista isn't a series within Loud House, to anyone who may be curious. Rather, it's one featured within the Cartoon Network series; Regular Show. I know it's the wrong show but I figured that it seemed like a series that LH would feature)