The next day, however...
Chifuyu and Maya were trapped in the tac-ops van nearby the beach, watching as the boy was forced to put the squirrel costume on in the sweltering heat.
"This... is...un...real..." Chifuyu muttered, hand stuck on her forehead, right eye continuously twitching, "This isn't real. This cannot be real. I absolutely refuse to believe this is real."
"Oh, it's real..." Maya said.
"Do they know that this is child endangerment?! Borderline neglect?!"
"Uh, gimme a sec..." Maya scanned Lincoln's vitals, "Body temperature is a little high but still within range, but he's starting to sweat profusely."
"Yep, I'm calling it," Chifuyu got up and stripped to her underwear, "Shut it down. We got all the observation we need. You have fun." She then yanked the door off and stormed out.
"Huh?!" Maya panicked, "Wait, where are you going?!"
"Gonna give them 11 pieces of my mind."
"Wait! Lincoln's not Ichika!"
"Piss off, moe momma!"
DEMERIT: CHILD ENDANGERMENT — GRADE CHANGE TO: D (WARNING)
"Hey, Lincoln!" Lola shouted, "Put the head back on before we get stung by a jellyfish!"
What's wrong with me?
Why did I choose to do this?
Why can't I stop the cycle?
Lincoln was stunned. He wanted to come with his family, but not like this. Earlier this morning, he and Lori tried to talk everyone out of the bad good luck crud, but thanks to Lynn, Lola, and Lisa of all people, he had to wear the suit for good luck. He shifted his gaze to his oldest sibling, who was just as lost for words as he was.
Lori tried to enjoy the beach activities, but seeing Lincoln just standing there kept her off her mood. She waited far too long to say something, and now not even her firstborn dominance could get him out of that suit. But then she hatched an idea to distract her siblings to buy him enough time to at least breathe.
"Hey!" She grabbed a beach ball and threw it, "Bounce time!" Everyone rushed into the water.
"Really?!" Lincoln piped, "Can I come?!"
Before Lori could answer, Lynn got to him first, "No! Without your good luck suit, you'll ruin our fun!"
"Nice try. You're not fooling us," Lola said.
Lincoln felt his forehead becoming unbearably musty, "Could I at least enter the water while I'm in the suit?"
The family looked at each other.
"I don't think that will hurt anything," his dad thought.
"Maybe his good luck will pass onto the water and dolphins will come our way!" Leni quipped.
"Are you guys kidding?!" Lola remained firm, "The water will just pass through the suit and touch his body then the water might become contaminated or something!"
And to Lori's shock, everyone agreed and turned to Lincoln.
"Sorry, dude. We won't be here much longer," Luna said.
"Ok, that...semi went as planned," Lori muttered angrily, "At least now, I can drench him with-"
"Lori?" Her Mom suddenly called, "Would you mind running to the shack and getting some smoothies?"
"Oh. What about Lincoln?"
"I'll watch him. He'll be fine."
DEMERIT: CHILD NEGLECT — GRADE CHANGE TO E (DANGER)
Lori desperately wanted to snap her cellphone in half. But she saw Leni listening in seashells and calmed herself down, just enough to approach her with the coldest water bottle she had, "Leni? Do me a favor and hand this over to Lincoln, will you?"
"Oh, no pro-" Leni was about to take the drink, but- "errrr...isn't the good luck gonna end if he takes it off?"
Lori twitched, then used the bad luck situation to her advantage, "That's just it! This is Lucy's Luck-b-Gone! She finished it this morning! If he drinks this, it'll get rid of his bad luck!"
"Oooo, that's totes sweet!" Leni snatched the bottle and ran off, "Linky will be so happy to hear this!"
Lori sighed in relief, and then slapped herself for playing along with the luck thing again, "Set the timer for payback, as if I didn't already know what's coming..."
Meanwhile, Chifuyu scoured the beach for any sign of the Loud family. She was just about ready to tear into the parents' rear ends for putting Lincoln through such misery, when she spotted a blonde haired, blue eyed teenager walking in her direction.
She wondered, "Alcott?"
"Huh? Alcott? Apricot? Who's..."
Chifuyu realized that the teen in front of her wasn't... "Oh. Ah, sorry. I just...you look just like someone else, that's all."
"Oh," Lori scratched her head, "I do get that a lot. Well, what brings you here?"
"I'm looking for someone. Name's Chifuyu, by the way."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lori Loud."
"Huh? Loud?" Chifuyu repeated, "Then...would you happen to know where your brother is?"
Lori got a little worried, "Oh, Uh... he's..." she peeped over Chifuyu's shoulder and saw someone get to Lincoln before Leni did, "...safe at least..."
Chifuyu looked behind as well, "That's a good sign."
"Good sign? Do you know him?"
"That's a..." Chifuyu tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing seemed to stick, "*SIGH...* Why don't we share a drink...we got a lot to talk about..."
Back in the heat mascot, Lincoln's vision got hazy and his head started aching, "Ugh...what's happening to me..." he was about to get nauseous, until a massive wave of cool air pushed the sweat off his brow, "OHHHHHH! Thanks, Leni! I needed that!..."
"Heheh, not Leni," Maya quipped.
"Maya?" Lincoln looked up, "Two Lenis?!"
"I thought I was Leni," the real Leni questioned.
"Uh...What are you..." Lincoln felt something cold on his back.
"Easy there, Linc," Maya rubbed lotion on him, "I'm just gonna massage you."
"Uh, Maya? That's not my back!"
"Really? WAA! What did I touch?!"
"Ooh!" Leni drenched him with that cold bottle.
"NABDDKCKODHSJ..." Lincoln shivered, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but...why?..."
"Because it's Lucy's finished luck potion!" Leni answered, "Lori said so herself."
"Uh-oh..." the moment she heard the word 'luck', Maya withdrew from Lincoln's reach.
"Lori?" Lincoln muttered, "Lori said that?..."
"I did not finish the potion," Lucy spooked them from behind, "and why did you destroy the bad luck shield?"
"What?!" Lincoln got mad, "After all this time, you still think I'm-"
"What're you doing, Lincoln?!" Lola found him, "We need your good luck to protect us!"
Lincoln was done, "You mean, the mascot's good luck!"
"What's it matter?!" Lola hopped onto Lincoln's shoulders, "Now, put that thing back on!"
"You don't understand!" Maya tried to butt in, "He was about to faint!"
"And if he doesn't put it back on, we'll all faint, lady!" Lola protested.
"You're taking it too far, Lola!" Lincoln tried to pry her off, attracting the attention of the rest of the nearby family.
"What's going on-*GASP*" Luna ran over and got Lola off, "You're nuts, dude! The heck did you do that for?!"
"Lincoln, why did you take it off?!" Lynn confronted, "We're doing just fine until your head showed it up!"
"Did you not see me keel over?!"
"What?!" Leni just now heard that word and checked his forehead, "OMGosh! It's a fever!"
"No, he's not!" Luan jumped in, "He's just playing up the heat! Seriously, what the heck?!"
"What the heck, what?!" Lincoln snapped, "What about you?! Why'd you go along with it?"
"We know you joked you were bad luck," Lana said, "but we didn't know it was actually true!"
"And now look what you're doing!" Lynn pounced on him, "You're putting it on whether you like it or not!"
Lincoln fell himself down and made Lynn crash into a sand castle. Then, he slipped out of the costume and dashed off.
"AFTER HIM!" Lola commanded, and everyone obeyed.
Meanwhile, at the smoothie hut...
"You're serious?!" Chifuyu exclaimed, "That literally happened?!"
"Literally. And that's not the worst of it," Lori blabbed, "Out of my dad's mouth comes STEP FARTHER AWAY FROM THE HOUSE as if he's a plague!"
"Good God..." Chifuyu cringed, "Could you have done anything to stop it?..."
"Probably, if I decided to go against my own father. Leni could stop it, but you know her. I don't know what Lisa's thinking. But the real kicker is that I still went along with them. Haha, a million excuses, all crap."
"Sheesh...well, at least he's doing better. How'd you get your sister over there?"
"I fibbed. I told Leni that the bottle was Lucy's finished Luck-b-Gone, and she did the rest." Lori finished the last smoothie.
"You know he's gonna grill you for that, right?"
"Oh, I am prepared..." Lori wagged her hand, "3...2...1..."
As soon as she threw her index finger up, Lincoln came over, "LORI!"
"Huh. Convenience," she turned to face the wrath, "What's your problem?"
"You told Leni more bad luck!"
"It got you out of that sauna, didn't it?!"
"Yeah, but you-"
"Lincoln?!" His dad came rushing, "What are you doing here?!"
Lori sensed a demonic aura coming from Chifuyu, "Ok, lady, you don't have to rip a new-"
Chifuyu ignored her and confronted his dad, "What are YOU doing here after what you did to him?!"
"Chi-No! Stop!" Lincoln got in her way, "You can't do this!"
"Do what?" His dad butt in, "What did you say to my son?"
"Dad, stop!" Lori tried to push him back, "You're making it worse!"
"Oh," Chifuyu growled, "I just told him to find some parents who WON'T LOCK HIM OUTTA THE HOUSE JUST FOR SOME DUMB SUPERSTITIOUS NONSENSE!"
"How dare you?!" His dad got in her face, "I'm his father! I can take care of him just fine without your interference!"
"Is that what happened the past two days?! That's what you call taking care of him?!"
Lori and Lincoln just stood there watching the world around them devolve into needless emotional soup as the argument went on.
"LINCOLN!" And Lola was about to make it worse, "We told you to keep it on! Now, look what's happened!"
"Sorry, bro," Lynn caught his hand, "but you're outta line now! Put the dang thing on and get this crud back to normal!"
Lincoln heard the word again. He heard his own sisters force him to put the costume on again. He heard the sister, with whom he shared the strongest connections, threaten him again. She was never going to learn. She could have just said that the squirrel costume removed his bad luck. Instead, she made it go this far.
"No...friggin'...way..."
"You better put that suit back on mister!" Lynn and Lola got in his face and growled, "Otherwise, I'll put it on for you!"
DEMERIT: POTENTIAL THREAT OF VIOLENCE — GRADE CHANGE TO: F (AUTOMATIC FAIL)
That got everyone's attention in a bad way. Leni grabbed Lola by the waist, "And NOW we've gone to Pluto we are so gone!"
"Hey! What're you...let go!" Lola tried to break free, but the sudden piercing of her veil through the eyes of many snapped her out of it, "Uhhhh...what just happened?..."
"Uh...sis?..." Lana whispered, "Look around you..."
Lynn took one look around her, and what she saw made her go pale. Eyes. Eyes everywhere. They all saw the superstar and the pageant queen of Royal Woods lose control of themselves and lash out at their own brother. All for something so trivial as a costume.
"Lola?...Lynn?..." Luan was aghast, "I...I don't..."
"Wait! It's not what you think!" Lola scrambled to find an excuse, "I was just asking him to put this thing on, but her wouldn't-"
"In the hot blistering sun?!" Lincoln shouted, "Where I almost keeled over?!"
"You have to be fibbing!" Lynn pointed back, "It's not even that hot! You gotta be up in-"
"Actually..." Lisa scanned the costume, "He overheated. Had he been in there for twenty-three more seconds after Leni arrived, he would've had a heat stroke."
"Uh..." Lynn watched in utter shock as the family looked for something, anything to-
"Who made him wear it in the first place?..." Luna restarted the blame game.
"Lynn had first suggested that idea," Lucy said.
"This is all Lynn's fault, then?!" Lana asked.
"Maybe we shouldn't go that f-" Leni was shut down by more sisters blaming Lynn.
Lincoln couldn't believe it. The cycle was once again about to go haywire. He had already tried to stop it, but thanks to the blame game, he had lost hope. His resilient 11-year-old mind had crumbled. He didn't have a chance to drown in out, so he opted to shut it down,
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"
The family stopped. Chifuyu and Maya stopped. All the people on the beach stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes to Lincoln.
"No more! This has gone far enough!" Lincoln bellowed, "I could've avoided this by denying the bad luck crud! We could've avoided all of this if someone had said something! But, no! Just like every other thing gone wrong, we all cave into the spur of the moment! When are we ever gonna learn to...learn?! When are we gonna say, "Maybe we should actually try to remember what happened that day SO WE DON'T REPEAT THE EXACT SAME STEPS LIKE IT'S A RUNNING GAG!" The apologies, the blame games, the wild accusations and misdeeds...it'll never end!"
"You have overstepped your bounds, Lincoln," his father sternly demanded, "You better take it all back be-"
"Enough..." His mom grabbed her husband's shoulder, "I think we owe him this lash out..."
"He just lashed out at his own kin! He's out of line, and he needs to-"
"I'm out of line?! I'M OUT OF LINE?!" Lincoln lashed out, "You haven't even come anywhere near close to seeing the line! You're supposed to be the one person with more common sense than any of us combined! And not only did you buy into all that bad luck nonsense, but you told me to step farther away from the house! This after you let them lock me out!"
"Ok, we're sorry, man!" Lola blurted out, "What else do you wa-"
"Sorry...sorry..." Lincoln utterly demolished what was left of his limiter, "Sorry sorry sorry sorry SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY! THAT'S ALL I EVER HEAR IS SORRY! I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE WORD SORRY! WHEN ARE WE GONNA STOP WITH THE SORRY! YOU'RE NEVER SORRY! IF YOU REALLY WERE SORRY, THEN YOU'D ONLY HAVE TO ONCE SAY SORRY!"
"Lincoln, we can work it out," Luna tried to approach him, "We can settle this like we always-"
"THAT RIGHT THERE IS THE PROBLEM! WE SCREW UP! WE APOLOGIZE! WE LEARN OUR LESSON! THEN THE NEXT DAY COMES...WHAT SCREWUP?! WHAT APOLOGY?! WHAT LESSON?! IT'S THE SAME ONE-TWO PUNCH EVERY SINGLE DAY! WE NEVER! EVER! EVER LEARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That's when they heard it. Whispers of the people around them, rumors starting to spread. Some speculated as to what drove the boy so far to lash out in public. Some speculated whether or not the children...or the father...locked the boy out. Some speculated whether the bad luck brouhaha had gone too far. Others speculated if the boy was really forced to wear the costume that could've done him in.
One thing was for certain: everyone started to question the Loud House's presence.
Luna lost all compassion for him once those rumors left their mouths. She just knelt down beside him and hissed, "That was a real slick move you pulled there, slim...Real slick..." She stormed off to Vanzilla, "Let's bail, people. I'm getting a real bad vibe from this place."
Lynn was too scared to move. She was shaken to the core by the implication that...Lincoln nearly died by her hand.
Lola kept moving, but she couldn't look away from the concerned gazes aimed right at her.
Luan had to scoot Lucy, Lisa and Lana along the harsh gazes.
Leni and Lori tried to reach Lincoln's shoulder...
...but they were stopped by Chifuyu and Maya, "Don't."
"Why?..."
"He's too angry. If you intervene now, he'll be way past forgiveness."
"Then...What do we do?"
"Let him be. We'll watch him."
Chifuyu broke the uneasy atmosphere, "Ok, people! Show's over! Move along!"
"Let's go, LJ," his mother tried to ease Lynn off the beach, "You need to think this over at home, away from the eyes."
"I...was about to..." Lynn muttered over and over until she got to the van.
"You too, honey." She called out, but he didn't move. "Lynn!"
"Uh! Yes, dear?"
"Please try to ease Lincoln inside."
His father tried to resist her order, but knowing that all eyes were on him, he had to go. "Son..."
Lincoln didn't budge. He just kept his gaze down.
His father took a deep breath and said, "Look, son. I'm sorry that I let it get this far. But we can't-"
"That word again," Lincoln gnarled and stormed off behind the rocks. He grabbed a long plastic stick and repeatedly slammed it on whatever hard surface he found, while screaming out every single expletive known to man.
His father just watched as Lincoln slowly let out an entire decade's worth of angst. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say...if he could say anything at all.
Chifuyu approached him from behind, "I think you better leave." And he had no choice but to comply.
THE TEST HAS CONCLUDED
Lincoln swatted away at the rocks until dusk. He hammered away until there was barely any stick left, and he still had so much pent up aggression to spare. But he lost all motivation to use the rest of it.
Chifuyu watched him from the hut. Not even the German pilots she once trained had this much power or frustrations. She couldn't find an ideal time to get him back to his family.
Until Maya and an exam proctor appeared, "Miss Orimura. We're ready for him."
"Couldn't pick a worser time, huh..."
"Yeah..." Maya saw Lincoln nearly collapse, only to steady himself on the stick and take a few more swings, "You know...you could've handled that a lot better..."
"Don't remind me," Chifuyu braced herself and walked over to Lincoln, who stopped lashing and beating upon hearing her footsteps, "How's the workout?"
"Not now, Lori!" Lincoln snapped.
"Uh...not Lori..."
No answer.
"Uh...Lincoln? You wanna...maybe-"
"Look, Chifuyu," Lincoln said, "I appreciate you sticking up for me...but why?! Why are you buzzing around me like I'm a golden flower pollen mine?! I didn't ask you to be here, but here you and Maya are! What are you really tailgating me for?..."
"Well... I just thought that you-"
"Thought that I need help?! I could've handled it just fine until you showed up and got in my dad's face!"
Chifuyu winced.
"Wait! I mean..." Lincoln took those words back, "I was just...Agh, I dunno what I was thinking..."
"It's ok, Lincoln. You're just-"
"I know it's not true... I know we learn...I know we make mistakes... but we make too many of them!" Lincoln rambled on, "You think we would have at least remembered something!"
"Lincoln, there has to be a reason why you stayed together for more than a decade..."
Lincoln remained silent. He was filled with so many emotions that he didn't know which one to bring to the forefront. So, he dodged the thought altogether and went back to his original question, "There is a reason, but that's not what you're tailgating me, is it?"
Chifuyu relented, "Yeah...I know it wasn't a good thing for me to butt in like that, and I'm sorry, Linc..."
He flinched when he heard the word and turned around.
And somehow, she already had her hands on his shoulder and his hand, "but you're exactly like my little brother."
"Huh? What are you..."
"Ok, not exactly like, but you remind me so much of him," Chifuyu gently removed the stick and sat the both of them down, "We're not a very big family. In fact, it's just the two of us. Your parents are probably overwhelmed with 11 kids. Mine just flat out disappeared. He's also got a twin sister, but she disappeared too, and I don't know where any of them are. We had to suck it up and take care of each other, last against the world until we were old enough to walk on our own feet. We did have our nasty moments, but we stuck through them together."
Lincoln looked back at the spot he threw everything down. He didn't forget any of the good moments he shared with his family, but the bad moments stuck out to him more than they should.
"At first, I thought you were just good-natured," Chifuyu went on, "but the longer I stuck with you, the more parallels I drew between you and Ichika. To the point where I couldn't sit still while you kept suffering."
Lincoln was shocked, "Oh...I...I don't know what to-"
"You don't have to," Chifuyu hugged him, "You're more of a go-getter type anyway."
Lincoln buried his face in her belly and had a good, long weep. After all that back and forth, he still couldn't stop caring about his family. Even when he promised himself that he wouldn't forgive them, or forget their worst mistakes, he still cared for them.
When he finished, Chifuyu dried him with a towel, "Feel better?" He nodded. "But, you know...you're right. There's a real reason I've been following you this whole time."
"What is it?..."
"Why don't we take a walk? It's gonna be a long explanation."
"I guess..." Lincoln agreed.
He heard the real reason she was watching his every move during a fifteen minute conversation. No man should have been able to move that machine, and yet somehow he did. And everyone took notice, so they've been observing him for any clues as to how he has the power to move an IS. That data was sent to the IS Academy, a training ground for young pilots like him, of which Chifuyu herself, having graduated at the top of her class, was an instructor. She and her staff have deemed him a special case due to the circumstances of having to tend to ten sisters on the daily, a major factor that played into his special ability.
"I...wow..." Lincoln was somehow able to comprehend every single word she said, "So that thing I talked with..."
"Yep. It's actually an Infinite Stratos. I don't know what they were smoking when they gave it that name, but that's what it's called."
"And I just became part of a larger collective?"
"Hahahah," Chifuyu laughed, "What, you think we're a cult or something?"
"Ah, no, I just-"
"I know, I kid. After a day like today, why in God's name did you have to fill your brain with this insanity, right?"
"Exactly..." Lincoln muttered, "I still don't get it... why am I the special one here?"
"Because you're a guy," Chifuyu scratches her cheek, "Normally, only girls can move ISs."
"Oh...so...you want me to show them how I moved it?" Lincoln was hesitant.
"Yeah. We bought over that same IS you spoke with."
"Well...ok, it's not like I have much to give," Lincoln looked around and saw another demonstration area with two of those IS things: a much more colorful one, and the other one. The exact same one he spoke with, "That's where it is..."
"Indeed..." Chifuyu walked faster and signaled to all the staff, "Hey, clear the area! Give him some space!"
While everyone scrambled to vacate the area, Lincoln slowly walked over to the giant IS. It was still kneeling after so many hands had been put on it, as if it had already chosen its master.
"No way..." Lincoln gasped, "You were waiting for me?..."
The machine hummed.
"We have activity in the IS area!" A staff member alerted.
"Did you do anything?!"
"Uh...no! It's all his doing!"
"Are you ready, Lincoln?" Chifuyu knelt beside him.
"I think so..." Lincoln stared at the big machine.
"Just pretend you're all alone with it. Take all the time you need." Chifuyu said before backing away from him.
Lincoln didn't know how to start. He just placed his hand on it. It was still just as cold as the first time he touched it.
"Rough day again?" He asked.
The IS turned slightly warm.
"Me too..." he continued, "I...I did what we planned and..." the tears started flowing out again, "I was right...I wished I was wrong, but I was right...my family. They failed! They failed miserably! They...first, they sold my furniture, then they said that I was good luck...but not really good luck, just squirrely good luck...then...they said I had to put on the costume, otherwise I can't go with them anymore! Why did I even go along with it?...Why did I put that stupid piece of nut crap on me...in the heat blazing sun, at that..."
The IS hummed again.
"No, I don't hate them... I can't find a reason to hate them, but...sometimes I wish I could just get away from it all and not have to deal with them anymore... I don't know what to do anymore."
At that moment, the IS opened its torso.
"Uh...really? Are you sure?" Lincoln didn't know what was happening, but something inside told him to trust the IS, "Ok...I trust you..." he climbed in and fitted his arms and legs into the proper slots.
"Should he be doing that?" A staff member asked.
"Just start the fitting process already," Chifuyu growled.
Once Lincoln was fully situated in the IS, the wings moved up, and the body armor fitted itself around his waist and shoulders. He became one with the IS, able to move the robot's hands and feet as if they were his own, "Uh...this feels weird...what do I do now?..."
"Fly!" Chifuyu shouted.
"Huh?"
"Fly it for a spin! But get that thing back here in an hour!"
"O...ok..." Lincoln knew what that meant, but he steadied his heart quickly to prepare himself, "Ok...take me outta this-PLAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!"
He screamed. The IS suddenly rocketed upward. He tried control it, but it wouldn't stop accelerating. He had to steel himself and get rid of his fears fast. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the good moments he had throughout his life.
And that stopped it. He opened his eyes. He was suspended in midair, able to view far beyond his hometown. He could see the lakes, the mountains, and the cities beyond. "Holy mackerel..." he said awestruck, "How did I not know about this earlier?..." his fear and insecurities quickly subsided. He suddenly felt like a superhero, "Ok, little buddy. Let's have a go around town!"
On command, the IS took off properly. He zipped past the demo area and soared into the skyline. He spread his arms out like an airplane, soaking the wind in his hair and skin. He twirled all across the city lights, danced his way over the fast-fleeting cars, and zoomed across tall buildings and traffic tunnels, waving to everyone he saw. He bobbed and weaved past the branches of the forest. He flew up high gazed upon the stars. He even raced against the waves, diving up and down the water surface like a dolphin, and letting his hand ripple its way across the lakes as he zipped along. It was an adrenaline rush he had never felt before, and he enjoyed every single moment of it.
He enjoyed himself so much that he forgot where the landing area was and touched down at the park.
"THAT... WAS...AMAZEBAAAALLS!" Lincoln screamed.
"I know!" Chifuyu joined his excitement, "You dang forgot about us, so we had to chase you down!"
"I WAS UP THERE JUST PSHWEW SHOWAANG AND THE WHOLE WORLD ZIPPED BY ME LIKE A BLUR I GOTTA ASK EVERYONE WHO WAS JUST ~~~"
Chifuyu and Maya smiled. They let him ramble on for a minute. Then, they decided that they had enough delaying.
"~~~AND I WAS IN SPACE FOR A MINUTE! SPACE! I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT BUT THIS JUST A WHOLE-"
"LINCOLN!"
"123-Huh?"
"Make it come back to you!" Chifuyu called.
"Come back to me?" Lincoln blurted out, and suddenly the IS enveloped itself I'm a bright light, and gathered together around his waist. When the light dissipated, all that was left was a golden belt with a red oval at the center. "Holy...What just happened to it?"
"Uh, are you feeling hungry?" Maya asked.
"Now that you mention it..." Lincoln rubbed his belly.
Chifuyu and Maya took him to Burpin' Burger, where they dumped a big bombshell on him.
"I HAVE TO GO WHERE?!" Lincoln screamed.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Chifuyu calmed him down, "Just...there's only one place where we train future IS pilots, and it just so happens to be Japan."
"Why all the way there?..."
"Because one of my bonkers friends...the one who created the IS...was born in Japan. So, the whole goddamn world blames us, like thisisyourmessyoucleanitup type of crap."
"But, Japan has compulsory attendance laws," Maya reasoned, "America doesn't."
"So...it's completely my choice..."
"Yeah," Chifuyu said, "We don't wanna take you away from your family and friends, seeing how you're very attached to them. And...other reasons..."
"What do you mean?"
Maya gripped her drink, "How do I say this...there's no IS Academy equivalent of middle school. It's all eight semesters of high school crammed into three years."
"High...school...and so far, it's all girls and one guy?!..."
"My brother will be attending this year, that much is obvious..." Chifuyu muttered, "but he doesn't have a choice. You do."
"Dangit...What am I gonna tell my friends..."
After dinner, the exam proctors still watched Lincoln as he paced around the city. He has a lot riding on his decision. He thought a stroll around every hotspot would lift some of his worries off, but all it did was remind him of the potential good times he would miss out on if he left. The precious moments with Clyde, Ronnie Anne...even Bobby. What would he say to them, now that he just found out that he has a chance to go where very few are able to go? And for that matter, what would he tell his family? No doubt they would react harshly to his sudden departure. They'll do everything they can to keep him here, and part of him doesn't want to go. If he stays, however, what would happen? The scene at the beach should have gotten to them. But would it stick?
Lincoln ran out the huge list of items for stay and go.
What would he gain if he went? Good: a personal mecha supersuit, a chance to travel abroad, new friends, an educational experience unlike any other, and a ton of memories with a ton of people. Bad: a harsh academic regime given that he was entering a Japanese high school, possibility of being bullied, little contact from family and friends.
What would he gain if he stayed? Good: family, friends, his own lifestyle, and everything back to normal. Bad: no suit, no more IS whatever...
...and no relief of the cycle.
No matter what he thought or wanted to think, he always kept coming back to the cycle. Someone in their family will screw up badly, then apologize and go out of their way to show that they've learned their lesson, then the very next day comes, and someone else will kickstart the cycle again, via mishap or blame game. Things will always spiral out of control before they get it through their heads.
It's never gonna end.
As long as I stay, it's never gonna end.
Then, he thought of the advice that Lori gave him yesterday, the one they kept on standby...
("I was saving this for Bobby in case he cheated on me... I didn't think you would need it too. But...you know how when you made that embarrassing video of us and we gave you a brutally cold shoulder? Maybe... you should do that to us. It's like, don't forget, don't forgive, and don't cut us off, you know? Keep us guessing.")
("Really? You won't hold it against me?")
("Not this time, and I'll understand why. But don't cut us off; being nice to them and keeping good intentions without a clear hint about forgiveness is the big part in stopping this cycle. You know how a broken up couple is just...friends with restrictions? Well, Lisa said the same strategy can be used on family members...just friends with restrictions.")
Those thoughts kept buzzing around like a fly in a soda can. He knew what they meant, and what would happen if he took that route. But was he ready to bear the responsibility? Could he advance himself three years later, within the span of a few weeks?
You're right, Lori.
I can stop the cycle.
I have to.
Lincoln steeled his soul and began making the mental preparations.
All the IS staff had gone back to their hotel. Chifuyu had finished calling home when she got a knock on her door. She went out and opened, "Lincoln? How'd you find me?"
"One of the ladies told me where you are," he said.
That could only mean one thing, "So you're going?"
He nodded.
"Come on," she motioned him in, "I'll grab some tea."
Lincoln waited for what seemed like forever. She came out and got him a drink, then got right down to business, "So, what influenced your decision?"
Lincoln recalled every thought he had before today, and everything that happened. "Well, I'll admit that the test flight was a very convincing factor, but it's small potatoes compared to the rest of the reasons."
"You mean, what happened today?"
"Yeah. Everyone just seems focused on themselves. Yes, they've done selfless things, too, but...For a long time, I thought it was all just to further their own agenda. But...now I think everyone is too reliant on me. They want me to get luck, they want me to take the first swing..."
"I'm sure they've pulled their share of the weight, though," Chifuyu said, "And I'm sure they've had their fair share of mistakes, too."
"What family makes mistakes that get them banned from the place they visit the same day? Most recently, the beach," he said with a smirk.
"Hahaha, true."
"But that's probably the big one. I've lost all anger for them locking me out. I burnt out all my anger earlier for that costume thing. But the mistakes are too many, too frequent. No matter what I thought, no matter what I wanted to think... I always find myself trapped in a cycle. Someone makes a mistake, we overreact-when it's a very big mistake we very big overreact, then that someone goes way outta their way to make things right, then apologize, and we learn our lesson. The next day comes, it's like yesterday's mistake never happened."
"Well, if the cycle is the problem, I'd think you could turn to Clyde, or your grandfather."
"I don't want Pop-Pop to break his back over my static. And I did turn to Clyde once...my sisters followed me and broke his dads."
"Well, that means you can go anywhere...so, why the IS Academy?"
"Other than the metal supersuit...it's a great place to learn and have actual fun while learning. Plus, it's in Japan. Plenty of breathing room between me and my sisters. And if I show them what I'm doing there, maybe they'll start detaching themselves from me. I mean, Lori's off to college next year...we can't always rely on her."
"You came up with all that in the span of seventy minutes?"
"Well, against ten sisters, your mind tends to adapt and change. Weird change."
Chifuyu couldn't tell if he was just looking for excuses, or if he really did mature beyond his age. But she figured that it was a question for tomorrow, so she brushed it off aside, "Alright...but you do know that this is a high school we're talking about, right? Almost all girls, way harder subject material, literally everyone older than you?"
"It's one of those things. I know what I'm getting myself into."
"And you know we do have entrance exams, right?"
"One of the ladies said the Academy has two."
Chifuyu closed her eyes, took in a big gulp of air, and declared his recognition, "Understood...Lincoln Loud, I have received your intent to enroll. There will be a written exam and a practical waiting for you tomorrow. You must pass both in order for you to officially become a student of the IS Academy."
"Why tomorrow?"
"Foreign students typically take the exams two week prior, but we don't have that luxury anymore. You know, two male pilots and all... the governments of the world will be on you like ugly on an ape."
"Pfthahaha! And I'll swat them away like King Kong and the helicopters."
"Hahaha-ahem...For the 90 minute written exam," she continued, "You're only allowed scratch paper and a writing utensil, absolutely no electronic devices, including calculators. Once you pass the written exam, for the practical you will be asked to participate in a mock battle with Maya Yamada as your opponent. The requirement for passing is not victory, but merely demonstrating your combat capabilities. Should you fail, you will not be admitted and we will delete your records. Should you pass, you and your family will be notified on the spot, and you'll have one day to prepare for the move. Do you understand?"
Lincoln nodded.
"Good," Chifuyu took the cups to the sink, "Get some rest, Candidate Loud. The exam starts tomorrow morning."
"Really? Here?"
"Yeah, there's a free bed in that room over there."
"Ok...thanks, Chifuyu." Lincoln walked in and settled himself, "Wait...how do you know about Clyde?"
"Heheh, funny story," Chifuyu blushed, "While the Louds were beaching away, Clyde wandered into the demonstration area and tried to move it. He got it to respond lickety-split!"
"Really?"
"Yep. We asked him to join, but he said no. He's an only child, so I'm guessing his dads were too important to him."
"Oh..." Lincoln carries that thought with him to bed.
Chifuyu smiled. With all the work she had, she barely gets any personal moments, so this was one for the memory banks. But as much as she felt for him, she couldn't help but worry about his family's reaction to the news. As soon as she finished cleaning, she got her phone ready for a message.
Back at the Loud House, Lori and Leni were contemplating their next move. Lisa and Lily were up to their usual antics, albeit with Lisa wondering if the So-called bad luck was really any of the siblings' doing. Lola was cursing at the whole world, and Lana couldn't keep her anger down. Lynn was still in a state of shock, and Lucy allowed herself to be a body pillow. Luan and Luna were in the living room, listening to the parents arguing about the validity of the family's superstitions.
"Lori?" Leni asked while combining her hair, "Has the house ever gone silent? Like...ever?"
"Nope...it never goes silent..." Lori kept her chin on her knees. She hated the fact that she stayed silent throughout this whole issue. The moment where he took her gold clubs into the bathroom...and then three seconds later, they came out broken...she felt like that was the moment she failed. She should've called him out right then and there.
"There's no noise..." Leni walked to her bed, "I'm scared..."
"Don't be," Lori said, "Those women are watching him. He'll come back, and it'll be noisy again."
"I hope so..."
Lori nodded, but she knew better. They ganged up on him before, but this...this was just uncalled for, plain and simple.
Lori was about to turn in when she suddenly got a message.
ChiOri: "I told him everything. The IS, the school, the location...the conditions and hassles, and the age difference...he still wants to go."
Literally_Lori: "I figured. I'll let everyone know."
ChiOri: "Thanks. And...I'm sorry."
Lori threw her phone away and checked the rest of the hallway. It was still clean, no footsteps or trampled belongings anywhere. She decided to check in on Lynn to see if she recovered from her shock. She saw her hugging Lucy, "Lynn? Are you ok?"
"I'm afraid not," Lucy answered, "She's been like this ever since we got home."
Lori sat beside them, "Lynn? Talk to me, Lynn...you're starting to worry us..."
Lynn dug her face deeper in Lucy's hair, "Am I a horrible sister?"
"Well..." Lori stuttered, "You're not...We just..."
"I almost killed Lincoln... I almost did him in...our only brother..."
"But..." Lori gave in and hugged them, "Ok, yeah, we're pretty bad..."
"I just...lost it...I thought..."
"Lori?" Lucy asked, "Is Lincoln coming back?"
"Actually..." Lori said, "That's why I came. We're gonna have a sibling meeting in a little bit."
"No...please, no..." Lynn muttered, "I can't..."
"It's ok," Lori said, "I'll make sure they don't let it get to their heads. Just...please come to my room. I think you need to hear this."
"Ok..." Lynn didn't look up.
"I'll walk her," Lucy hoisted Lynn on her shoulders, "You can call the others."
She walked downstairs and saw Luan and Luna trying to drown out the parental noise with louder tv noise. She tapped on their shoulders, and when they were about to snap at her, she gave them the death glare she learned from Chifuyu, and they fled to Lori's room. She used the same tactic on the remaining sisters until they were all assembled.
"Now, then," Lori banged her shoe gavel, "I think we all know what you want to hear: why is Lincoln not with us."
"More like, why is Lynn with us?" Lola snapped, "None of this would be happening if it weren't-"
"WHAT DID I SAY..." Lori growled.
"Eep..." Lola quickly scooted behind Lana.
"Now, I'm going to explain what became of the bad luck filler, around the house and around town...and why every single person who went to the beach bears the blame," Lori declared, "and if you feel the need to say something, I want you to calmly...tell me what is needing to tell me. Understand?"
They all nodded.
"And after we get through this, we can discuss how we're gonna move past it. And if anyone here even attempts to think about trying to throw around another blame for Idontcareaboutthereason, that person will spend the next week in the basement. Am I clear?"