This is it...
This is game over...
I tried...Lori tried...but we failed. Everyone failed.
This has to stop...this lightning cycle has to stop...
That was the dominant thought of Lincoln's dreams. He couldn't dream of anything else. He always wanted to say his two cents to his sisters, and he did. Only, it was a lot more than two cents.
Why did I say that?...
Why did I go along with it again?...
Why do I keep feeding the insanity?...
And once again, it was too much. He gave into the heat of the moment. Chifuyu arguing with his dad, Lynn and Lola shoving the costume in his face again, seeing Leni pry Lola off...and the blaming. That goddamn blaming. All caused him to lash out.
Why does it always fall on me?...
I need to go...
"...ud...did...Loud..."
I have to stop the cycle.
I can't let anyone else get caught in my mess.
"Candidate Loud."
"AAAAA! Wuzzat?! Wut appen?! He to go...huh?..." Lincoln woke up to find Maya and another woman.
"Oh...did we startle you?"
"Uh...sort of."
"Apologies, Lincoln. But I'm afraid we don't have any more time to lose," the tall woman introduced herself to him, "My name is Tomoya Tachibana, and I'll be your proctor for the written portion of the exam."
"Exam..." Lincoln rubbed his head, "Ugh...what time is it now..."
"About 8:30am."
"Huh. I thought I would sleeeeeoooooboi..." Lincoln looked down and saw a breakfast tray, with pancakes, sausage, bacon, orange juice, a pencil, a spiral, and a 10-page test packet, "Dangit."
Back home, Lori woke up somber. She wandered over to the shower and enveloped herself in the warmth of the water. She knew Lincoln would be home for a brief stint, all the sisters did. But no one knew how he would react to them, especially after a day like yesterday. She knew he wanted the cycle to end, but even with the questionable advice she gave him, it was impossible to stop it. She knew that better than anyone here. She had to sort out what to say to the parents when the big news would drop on them.
But she only had two minutes before the water went from comfortably warm to extremely scalding, "AAAAA!"
"Oh, sorry! I didn't-"
"WE'VE BEEN THR-Oh my..."
"Sorry..." Luan backed away, "didn't mean to flush you out, heheh..."
Lori actually chuckled at that, but her smile was gone when she saw the clock read 10:10am, "Wait. Where's Luna?"
"Downstairs. With everyone else. And some choice guests."
Lori knew what that meant for now and later, "Dangit."
Some time later, Lincoln was in a car being driven back home, "Ohhhhhhh, my head..."
"Come on!" Maya nudged, "You finished with fifteen minutes to spare!"
"But what the heck did I just finish..."
"That was arguably the hardest high school test that ever existed," Tomoya said, "And you passed!"
"Hooray..." Lincoln groaned.
"Lincoln, if I may," Maya wondered, "What's your family like, usually?"
"Well...we're very tightly knit. We bond and fight over the little things, but we never drifted apart."
"Oh..."
"But this is really stretching it, though. Bad luck or not, our antics have gone too far this time."
Maya kept silent for the remainder of the trip, until they arrived at home. She, Tomoya and Lincoln opened the door and were paralyzed by five pairs of leery adult eyes.
"Uh-ohhh..." they whispered.
His parents saw him and greeted him.
"Son..." Lynn Sr. said, "Are you feeling ok?"
"Yeah...I think so..."
"Oh, sweetie..." Rita came and hugged him, "I can't apologize enough for what we did to you..."
"Mom...I'm over it, really..."
"But we're not," Lynn Sr. knelt down, "Because of us, they're gonna take you and Lynn away."
"Huh?!" Maya yelped, "Miss Orimura?! Is that true?!"
"Ask miss rising star over there," Chifuyu pointed her thumb to the lawyer's junior paralegal, "She pulled a blackmail move."
"I'm only stating the truth, am I?" The paralegal demanded.
"So are more than 200 countries," the lawyer griped, "But you don't see them shaking their fists at their own citizens, do you?"
"Well, that's-"
"Lincoln, why don't you join us?" Chifuyu asked, "If only to keep this potty mouth in check."
"Where's everyone else?" Lincoln asked.
"Upstairs in Lori's room," His dad said.
"Come on, Tomo..." Maya started her way up, "We gotta make sure they aren't spooked."
After that, the lawyer walked everyone through the stack of folders. It detailed everything that Chifuyu, Maya, and the team saw, as well as Lori's personal testimony (aka her conversations with Chifuyu at the beach), recorded video evidence, and several witnesses to the costume incidents. It all amounted to the parents facing a possibility jail time and a certainty of losing custody of the children, and Lynn facing a possibility of juvenile detention, and if that happens, a permanent halt to her Olympic dreams.
And Lincoln understood every single word, "I...we...we don't need to go this far, do we?..."
"We wouldn't have to..." the lawyer then glared at the parents, "...if they recognized that they cannot sway your choice."
"He is not going, period," his father demanded, "We are not giving into your schemes."
"He's been asked multiple time whether or not he wants to go, and he still chose to go," the paralegal said, "We have a written and verbal letter of intent."
"He's only 11!" Rita snapped, "He'll never survive in high school at this age!"
"He scored 84/100 on a Japanese high school entrance exam," Chifuyu said, "It's hard not to see how he isn't ready."
"He can't go!"
"Mom...Dad..." Lincoln interrupted, "I've already made up my mind. I'm going."
"That's ridiculous!" His mother nagged him, "You're staying here, and that's final!"
"No, it isn't..." the lawyer opened a book up, "Read what it says."
The parents angrily grabbed the book off, and slowly their stern expressions turned into utter horror.
United States Infinite Stratos Articles, Section 3, subsection B: Only the pilot-in-question may have sole decision over whether or not to attend the IS Academy. The PIQ may receive additional advice from other persons, but no one else may make the decision.
"Mr. and Mrs. Loud, you have to understand," the lawyer said, "Just the past three days, even with his outburst, your son has shown more maturity than the two of you combined."
"Not to mention a rather high level of physical strength and endurance on par with Lynn Jr.," Chifuyu added.
"But...but..." Lynn Sr. became discombobulated, "Lincoln? You're ok with all this?"
"Believe me, I've spent all night thinking about it," Lincoln said, "Everything I would keep, lose, the works. But..."
"But, What? What is it?"
"It's the stupid cycle. I always keep going back to it. And this bad luck nonsense really hammered it home for me. Every time someone makes a mistake, we go bonkers. We go out of our way to make things right, and then we either apologize, or blame someone, or something else. We've been trapped in the same cycle for too long."
"I...You're right," Lynn Sr. agreed, "We can work this out. I can straighten out the-"
"No, don't! You can't...you'll just shift the blame again. You'll cycle through again. Someone has to go. Here's a chance for me to go peacefully."
"No, sweetie..." Rita teared up, "You can't."
"I know," Lincoln hugged them both, "but that's my choice."
"Lincoln," Chifuyu called, "I think you better talk with your sisters."
"Right," Lincoln hopped over the couch and made his up to Lori's room. At the top of the stairs, he ran into Maya and Tomoya, "Hey, Maya?"
"Yes?"
"They're not gonna...take this to court, are they?..."
"They keep saying that conditionally. They said that they'll burn everything in that case...if you make your decision without any direct influence from anyone."
"Figured," Lincoln grumbled, "Clyde better not be a lawyer..."
No more anger.
No more hate.
I have to stop the cycle now.
He marched into Lori's room, where all his sisters sat in a circle.
"Inkin?..." all of them.
"Uh..." Lincoln scratched his head, "Were you having a sibling meeting?..."
"No," Lana said, "Mom and Dad shuttled is over here when we heard you were coming back."
"Oh..." Lincoln had a seat beside Lori, "So, what did you hear?"
"They thought you were going away forever," Lori explained, "But Maya said you'd only be gone for five months at a time."
"Is anyone else leaving?"
"Li...I...L...L..." Lynn couldn't sound it out.
"Not that I'm aware of," Lisa answered. After a long minute of silence, "Lincoln...I..."
"Yeah?..." Lincoln braced himself for the apology onslaught.
"I guess there's no sugar coating it..." Lisa looked him in the eyes, "There's no good excuse for us to escalate the situation to this degree."
"Oh...you mean..." Lincoln muttered, "Even after I tricked you into thinking I really was bad luck?...or lost my temper and lashed out at you?..."
"We forgave it pretty quickly afterward, given everything that's happened after," Lori said.
"Yeah," Leni said, "And what we did to make... it...worse was completely uncalled for."
"I see..." Lincoln realized he made a mistake during the interview with Chifuyu, "I guess I should have come home, huh?"
"Well, if you wanted to hear "sorry" on constant repeat," Luan quipped, "We know how much you hate hearing that word."
"And we've been saying and hearing it so much, that it's become a puff of air now," Luna said.
"Lori?" Lincoln turned to his oldest sibling, "You blabbed?"
"Well, we had a sibling meeting last night," Lori tried to explain, "We took it pretty-"
"WAAAAAAA!" Lynn suddenly jumped out and latched herself onto Lincoln, no longer able to contain her tears, "I'm sorry, Lincoln! I'm so sorry! I never should have threatened you to come to that game! I never should have called you bad luck! I never should have made you wear that stupid suit! We never should have kicked you out of the house! We never should have sold your stuff!"
"Lynn..." Lincoln was on the verge of losing control, "It's ok...you don't have to-"
Lynn glared at him, "No, it's not! It's not ok! How can it be ok?! I almost killed you! All because of my goddamn bad luck crap cakes! How am I supposed to live with the fact that I suffocated you?!"
"Lynn...stop...please..."
"No!...I can't stop!...I won't stop!...Not until I make it right by y-"
Lincoln pulled her into his chest and stopped her rambling, "You have to stop...else...I'm gonna cry too..."
"Oh my god...don't...please don't..."
Too late. They let everything out on their shoulders.
"Hey, clear the area," Lori whispered, "Give them some space..." The sisters backed away and gave the two all the time they needed to mourn.
Little did they know that they were being watched, via giant security monitor viewed by Chifuyu, Maya, the parents, proctors, and the legal team.
"We don't have to drag Lynn into this, do we?" Chifuyu asked.
"Well..." the paralegal stuttered, "I mean, it's...what about the-"
"No we do not," the lawyer said, "She's learned her lesson, so no matter what, we bonfire her case before the practical."
"What about the parents?" Chifuyu called to them.
"Wh...What about us, what?..." the father acted apprehensive.
"I've grilled him over his choice of attending, over the cycle and why he couldn't just go somewhere else. I even warned him that he would be held to the exact same standards as the other teenagers, and yet he still chose to stay the course. Why is that?"
"Well...it... time he was-"
"You can talk to him all you want," Chifuyu kept her eyes on the monitor, "but in the end, it's his choice, and his choice alone. You will acknowledge that, right?"
They all saw Lincoln and Lynn back away when Luna asked to join, "Room for one more?"
"You know?" They said simultaneously.
"Yeah. We got the news this morning," Luna hugged them, "You may be a couple of hard heads, but you make a pretty sweet duo."
"Sucks we had to part like this..." Lana dragged Lola to his lap, "You think we had enough for one weekend, but..." Lana looked at her twin, who couldn't resist contacting eyes with him even though she tried not to, "...typical mean girl crud."
Lola jolted, "And what's that supposed to mean?..."
Lily clapped, "PooPAABAAAAAA!"
"Grr..." Lola's true feelings had been exposed, "Stupid emotion blabbity frankfurt-"
Lincoln couldn't help but laugh at that.
A few minutes later, the parents walked in to see the siblings huddled for emotional warmth.
"Hey, kids," Lynn Sr. said, "Are you feeling ok?"
"We're actually pretty cool!" Luna exclaimed, "Lincoln told us what his IS thing can do."
"And we just had a vote," Leni said, "We have accepted his choice to attend IS Academy. With some conditions."
"Huh?! Forget the conditions!" Rita shouted, "How can you be ok with him leaving?! Do you even know what he's about to subject himself to?!"
"We are all aware of the risks of the recent elementary school graduate deliberately skipping three grades," Lisa groaned and walked to her parental units, "That's one of the stipulations we imposed on him. Video chat at least once a week, and emails at least twice a week."
"But...but you're ok with this?" The dad asked.
"Yeah," Lynn sighed, "After everything that's happened between us...and the fact that we could be related to a superhero!... I don't think a few months would hurt."
"Lynn?..." Lynn Sr. gasped, "But...you're about to-"
"We'll figure something out," Lincoln said, "We won't let them separate us."
"Have you always been such a sap?!" Lori noogie'd him.
"Whose fault is that, eh?" Lincoln hopped over her, only to get caught in Lana's grip.
"Hey, show us that IS thingy you got!"
That got to them. All this time, the parents had been slaving away with multiple jobs or longer shifts that they missed the key moments in their siblings' lives where they were forced to learn life lessons. Most of all Lincoln, who constantly took it upon himself to be the odd man out.
"Ok..." Rita finally relented, "If that's really what you want..."
"Honey?" The father begged, "Let's think about what this means for us..."
"And he hasn't? Think about it. While we've been away trying to provide for our kids, our kids have been learning to fend for themselves and each other."
He thought about that statement and turned again to the kids. Only, they really did look kid-like, because Lincoln deployed his arms and pretended to be King Kong while everyone else was pelting him with pillows and bed sheets. Add to that how Lynn jumped on him and caused an uproarious round of laughter...
"*SIGH...* Fine..." Lynn Sr. gave in, "I don't like it, but fine..." He stood up and cleared his throat. That stopped all activity. "Lincoln, I understand why you want to go. I really do. But I don't wanna separate us any more than we already have."
"I know."
"So...if there's anything I can do to make you stay..."
"What your father is trying to say is," Rita interrupted him, "given what we're up against, we want you to be there for everyone when the time comes. We don't want you to leave just yet."
"Yeah..." Lincoln thought, "You know I can say something to them, right? I'm the pilot-in-question, so I can demand something from them. I mean, we still have time-"
"Actually," Rita clasped both Lynn and Lincoln's hands together, "We convinced that lawyer to drop her case altogether."
"Really?!"
"So...let us handle our case. We just need to know you'll be there for us."
"Yeah...like you'll be there for me at the practical?"
"That's a given," Rita patted his head.
Just then, they heard a knock on the door.
"Hello?" Tomoya peeked in, "Is this a bad time?"
"Oh, no it's not," Lincoln piped, "We were just wrapping everything up."
"That's a relief..."
"Why? What's up?"
"The park has been converted into a temporary arena."
"Oh, snap..."
"Yep. We're ready for you."
The family forgone their predicament to drive Lincoln to the park. When the arrived, there was little to no breathing room due to the giant containment field, and the giant crowd.
"Did the entire city come down here?!" Luan said.
"It appears that more than 10,000 people have come to witness the live event," Lisa reasoned, "with many more live-streaming."
"Man, I thought they were here to lose weight, not gain wait. Hahaha! Get it?"
"*SIGH...*"
The family stepped out and escorted Lincoln to the holding area, where they were greeted by Clyde, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby.
"Boo-boo Bear!" Lori ran out and hugged him.
"Missed you, babe," Bobby said, "So, what's everybody doing here?"
"Funny story...we're actually here to support Lincoln."
"No way! After all that, he still wants to go?!"
Clyde bombrushed his best friend, "Lincoln's alive! Dude, I was worried about you!"
"Easy, buddy!" Lincoln said, "I'm all good now."
"Really?" Ronnie asked, "Even after everything that they did to you?"
"Well, there's juvie and jail, but we'll get it sorted out."
"Dude," Ronnie bluntly said, "Don't take it personally...but I don't think you should ever-"
"Please, don't," Lincoln knew better than to lie to her, but he had to get her to understand, "We're already gonna be apart as is."
"You know, you could come live with one of us for a while," Clyde thought, "until this whole cycle thing blows over?"
"Thanks, But no. The cycle will just come after you."
"Candidate Loud?" The proctor for the second exam called.
"Besides, I'll explain everything once I've finished becoming a human pretzel." Lincoln hugged them both and made his way to the portable locker room, where his proctor was waiting.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," the proctor said.
"Ditto," he shook her hand.
"My name is Akane Hotara, and I'll be your proctor and referee for the second portion of the exam."
"Understood."
"Before we begin preparations, I have a few questions to ask you," Akane closed the door, "Has your choice to attend changed?"
"No."
"Have any of your reasons changed?"
"No, though some reasons became a lot more ridiculous."
"Last question: did anyone else try to directly sway your decision?"
Lincoln looked back at his family and friends, "No. This is my choice."
"I see," Akane presses a button and connected to the lawyer, "We have triple confirmation."
"Huh?" Lincoln recognized that folder, "What's she-"
"Just to fully clarify, Mr. Loud, because my junior refuses to do so," the lawyer said, "We didn't need a clear-cut yes from you. We just need to know that you made your decision without parental interference."
"Really? Huh, never thought about that."
"Not many do," the lawyer lit up a flame, "And now that we know that you remained steadfast in your decision..." the lawyer burned every single paper in her suitcase, "...we don't need to pursue any charges. Your family can rest easy."
"But you can't," Akane said to him, "Since you remain firm to attend, I'll need to fill you in on the procedure." She then cut communication and pulled up several screens on the monitor beside communicating screen, "This practical is designed to simulate a real-world situation in which you may be called to. This is the information screen, usually reserved for targets and opponents. It has everything about their IS and their history."
"That's...a lot of hoopla..."
"There's two phases to this practical, preparation phase and battle phase. Normally for the first phase, we give candidates just 10 minutes to discern a strategy, but seeing how you're 11, you'll have 30 minutes to prepare."
"Good..." he sighed.
"During the preparation phase, you be contacted by Miss Orimura at the halfway mark. I'll contact you when your 30 minutes are up, then you will proceed to the arena to begin the battle phase. There's no time limit in the battle, but I can assure you that your opponent won't take her time at all."
"*GULP*"
"Your objective for the practical is not complete victory, just to demonstrate your fighting capabilities."
"Ok...I'm not gonna get hurt, am I?"
"No, of course not. All ISs come with an Absolute Barrier. But that barrier does have an energy tank. When it reaches critical condition, the battle is stopped and the victor is decided then and there. Just think of your shield energy like a health bar."
"Ok."
"Remember, we just need to know you can think on your toes. You don't need to beat her, although that will get you automatic admission. We will still judge your fighting prowess, and the decision will be decided there."
"Right. I understand."
"Ok," Akane turned to leave, "Do you have any questions before we leave you be?"
"No. I got the gist of it."
Akane nodded, "Alright, then. Candidate Loud, your preparation phase begins now."
Lincoln was left alone in that locker room by himself. He had a whirlwind of emotions inside him, but he pushed it all aside to focus on the task at hand.
Back in the stands, the Loud siblings assured the parents that once they saw Lincoln fight, they'll be convinced that he's ready to go. That didn't ease any of their consciousnesses, however, as Lynn was seated right next to Ronnie Anne.
"So..." Ronnie muttered, "Heard about your your stint with the squirrel..."
"I know..." Lynn groaned.
"I gotta ask...what the hell was all that about?..."
"What?"
Ronnie Anne turned to face her, "The costume. The bad luck. The outside." Angry growl. "The bat." Normal voice. "Why'd you do all that?"
Lynn covered her face, "I don't have a good reason...just...he never comes to any of my games. Then the one time he shows up-"
"DON'T. YOU. DARE," Ronnie Anne squeezed the seat.
Lori heard enough and patted their shoulders, "Look, Lynn. The only reason he couldn't come before is he had to go to all our other outings."
"But, How'd we find time to give to everyone else?"
"Simple," Lisa interrupted, "On days where multiple events happen in one day, based on the popularity, predictability, content, and overall attendance, I divided the family into groups proportionate to each separate event. Luan goes to high-stakes venues that rarely exceed 100 people, and I present scientific lectures to audiences in lecture halls, so we didn't need that much support because we can handle it. But if Luan were to give her comedy routine at a sold-out theater, much like how Lori's golf tournaments routinely receive mass media attention, or how Lola's pageants and Leni's fashion shows are not only packed with attendees and unforseeable factors, then a majority of the family is called."
"So, we had the support we needed..." Leni was shocked to hear that, "not the support we wanted?..."
"Well, that's a minority of the schedule," Lisa assured her, "The majority of the days had one event, so the entire family was required."
"But Lincoln tried to weasel out, even though he never had anything going on for him!" Lola said.
"That's the paradox. He didn't have anything going for him, so we forced him to have everything going for him."
Lola and Lynn realized what that meant and clammed up.
"Ironic, isn't it?" Lisa said, "We all demanded that everyone show support, only to utterly berate him for trying to back out. Then, we allow one loss to infect our minds and berated him for coming. And if my memory serves me correctly (and it always does), this is the only real outing he's asked our support. And unlike the bad luck shenanigans, which were inflicted by people with control, this event has real consequences that are completely out of our control."
"So, He's overwhelmed and overbooked?" Ronnie Anne blurted out, "Dang..." she saw Lynn slump over and scooted to her, "Ah...sorry to sound like a jerk, but...do you think maybe...he'll forgive you and let it off your shoulders?..." she didn't get a word out of Lynn.
Just a unison response from Lisa and Leni that freaked her out, "I don't see how..."
Meanwhile, Lincoln changed into his battle uniform, mentally preparing himself to become a battle-hardened warrior, when Chifuyu suddenly interrupted the silence.
"Hey, Lincoln," she commed, "You've been in there for 15 minutes. Is everything ok?"
"Oh, I'm good," he said, "I got everything I need to know in five!"
"So...you're still hung up on the...you know."
"Yeah. My sister Lori, she said that I shouldn't forgive them...or shut them off. Does that make any sense to you?"
"Yeah, she talked with me about it yesterday. What was it...friends with restrictions?"
"That's What she called it."
"It means, nothing's changed between you and your family. Just casually bring it up in small talk like it's not a big deal."
"Ugh..." again, he wanted to be wrong, but he was right, "passive aggressive my foot."
"I know, but she does have a point."
"Haha...ok," that brief exchange relaxed his nerves, "Hey, Chifuyu? I think I'm ready to go now."
"Are you sure? This is gonna be your first real fight. The bullies of the past don't hold so much as a dim candle to this. We're still gonna make sure you don't get hurt, but we're dealing with real weapons here, so if you need to pull out anytime, just say so."
"Thanks, But no. I gotta show mom and dad that I can handle this. Besides, that Absolutely whatever will protect me."
"Are you absolutely sure you want to proceed?"
"Haha, I'm sure. I just needed someone to talk to, is all."
"Well..." Chifuyu was forced to eat the words she said to Maya, much to his unawareness, "Ok. I'll inform the proctor."
The monitor shut off.
"Welp," Lincoln said to his belt, "This is it. Ain't no turning back for either of us."
The belt vibrated a little bit.
"We'll be fine. I'll get this over with, and we'll have one last hurrah."
The monitor came back on. "I have been notified that you wish to proceed to the battle phase?" Akane asked.
"Yes," he commed back, "I'm ready to go."
"Understood," Akane pushed the button to open the entryway, "The practical will begin momentarily. Please step into the arena and deploy your IS."
Lincoln stood up and walked out. He was immediately bombarded by a roar of the crowd and the static view of the containment field. He saw Maya casually walk to meet him. He pushed through the noise and saw his family and friends staring at him intently. He waved at them, then turned to his belt, "Game time. Ready?" The belt blinked. "Alright..." he took one deep breath to isolate everyone except him and Maya, "...then let's ride!" He swing his arm out, and he became enveloped in a bright light. When the light subsided, he found himself in the same tall machine he first found.
"Something's off," a staff member told, "It's still in its default form."
"Looks like a battle is needed after all..." Chifuyu commented.
He saw Maya deploy her IS in less than a second.
"The Raphael Revive..." He whispered, "Yep...that's a military angel, Alright."
"Hiya, Linc!" Maya waved, "How are you enjoying the day so far?"
"It was ok, until real life hit me in the sack!"
"Yeah, sucks to be us, I'll say that much!"
Then, Akane boomed over the loudspeakers, "All combatants please ascend 300 feet into the air."
They carried on a short exchange while ascending.
"Did you have to deal with this when you took the exam?!" He shouted.
"Yeah! I was 15, but it was still pretty scary!"
"Dangit..."
"Hey, just some advice! Try to have a little fun, yeah?!"
"Uh...huhhhhhh..." when he stopped the ascent, he looked down. He was hit with a mix of fear and excitement, "It's a lot less scary when I'm moving..."
Everyone looked up. His family held their breath, not knowing what could happen. Lynn and Ronnie Anne grabbed each other's hands for security.
"We're ready to start the second portion of the exam," Akane opened a private channel to both pilots, "Are both pilots ready?"
"Yes, I am," Maya changed her gaze from friendly to focus.
Lincoln closed his eyes and took a minute to prepare himself. Then, he got in his fighting stance, "I'm ready."
"Understood," Akane said, "Candidate Loud, you may begin."
At that point, the stands were projecting the pilots' key stats:
MAYA YAMADA (19) - RAPHAEL REVIVE BASIC (SHIELD 100%)
LINCOLN LOUD (11) - ??? (SHIELD 110%)
Lincoln charged Maya with all his speed. She fired her sniper rifle, but he managed to dodge the bullet and flip over for a kick, which she blocked with a combat knife. She pushed him away and fired again, but he blocked the bullet and tried to rush her again. This time, he was met with a kick and a strike, which he avoided, but he couldn't see her sneak a punch to his chest.
"Oooo..." his family winced.
"I know I felt that..." Lola snapped.
"I can't watch!" Lynn Sr. used Lily to cover his eyes.
"Come on, bro..." Lynn whispered.
Lincoln quickly shook the shock off, "Oh man...that was scary..."
"But you're still alive, right?" Maya pointed out.
"Hey...Yeah, I am!..."
"It's all thanks to the Absolute Defense barrier! As long as it stays active, you yourself can't be harmed!"
"Really?! I'm still safe?!"
"Yeah..." Maya snuck behind Lincoln while he was still reeling, "...but you can still get shook."
-BLAM!-
Maya blasted him with her grenade launcher.
"AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa-OOOooogh..." Lincoln went into a continuous sideflip before he recovered and floated above the grass. "Dang, she's gonna be tough..." he thought, "Do I have anything to work with?" He unconsciously opened up a hologram of his IS's armaments:
-HOMING PALMAR PROJECTILES: materialize explosive card bombs by holding palms together, then releasing and grabbing-
-BOOMBOOMBOOM-
"AAAAA!" Lincoln was hit with three heavy bullets, "Right, right, keep moving!" He flew all over the arena evading every shot Maya took, "Ok...what did that thing say...hold the palms together..." he put them in for a couple seconds, and a pair of cards materialized in his hand, "Huh...that was easOMIGOD-" He threw them at the last second to save himself from a grenade-missile attack.
"Well, at least I got a good feel for what she can do..." he gasped, "Counter the flying things, close the distance, get it, got it, doubt it, ok, YAYAYAYAYAYA~~~"
"What in the..." Chifuyu smirked.
Lincoln charged into Maya's line of fire, countering her bullets and grenades with his card bombs. When she was close enough to strike, he threw another card to try to disorient her, and a fist to hit her.
She took the hit from the card, but she caught onto his surprise attack, locking elbows with him.
"Looks like you're getting into it!" Maya said.
"Oh, you know," Lincoln laughed, "If you can't beat 'em..."
She one-two socked him with her rifle and tried to fire point blank, but he materialized a card and blocked the bullet.
From that point on, it was a chasing game. She pursued him with her guns ablazing, and he kept her eyes on her for any possible openings. Every so often, she would throw him off his balance with a stray grenade or a sudden burst of speed, causing him to steer clear of her until she left herself open for an attack; he always tried to capitalize on the opportunity, but she always found a way to push him back. Most times, he was the one who initiates the rush, throwing his cards at her and her shots until she veered off her path, then charge in at her. But no matter what he did, he never got a solid hit in. That didn't stop him from trying.
And his family saw all of it. No matter how many times he got knocked back, he always kept pushing forward. And he was starting to have fun doing it.
"Look at him go..." Luna commented, "It's like he's becoming someone else..."
"Yeah..." Lori whispered, "Someone...manly."
"Uh, What?" Bobby jolted her.
"Nothing! Nothing..."
"You know what," Lana said, "He's making me kinda jealous."
"Why? Is it because he's a superhero and you're not?" Lola asked.
"Well, that too..."
Clyde saw Lynn's face. She was absolutely shocked that Lincoln was able to bounce back from such a hardship. "You know..."
"Huh?..." Lynn looked at him.
"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't locked him outta the house," Clyde pointed at Lincoln.
"Sheesh," Ronnie Anne elbowed both of them, "You two are insufferable, you know that?"
At that point, Lynn stood up, "COME ON, LINCOLN! GET THOSE DUMBBELLS OUTTA YOUR KEISTER AND MOVE IT!"
"You can do this, Lincoln!" Leni cheered.
"Knock that sucker outta the park!" Lana shouted.
And like a wave of magic, the entire crowd started to root for Lincoln.
"Gotta admit... that kid is pretty tough," a classmate of his said.
Lincoln paid absolutely no attention to anything outside the containment field. He was just looking at Maya the whole time, long enough to get a kick in before she pushed him away again.
"Not bad, little hero!" Maya charged her wings, "But, can you handle THIS!"
Her One-off Ability activated, sending 10 rockets hurdling towards Lincoln.
"Whoa, dongle berries!" Lincoln managed to evade eight of them by pushing his flexibility past its limit, but he saw the last two coming for his sides. "Dangit, what do I do?!" He saw Maya brandish her combat knife, "No choice! Take it and blow it off!"
He held his palms out ready to take the hit, but a pair of cards suddenly flew out of his hands and exploded the rockets. It gave everyone the illusion that he got hit.
"LINCOLN! NO!" Lynn shouted.
"Is this it for him?!" Rita shredded her popcorn.
Maya rushed in to attack, but Lincoln popped out of the cloud of smoke and caught her by surprise, in more ways than one. He grabbed both the knife and the rifle, kicked her, punched her, threw a card right at her face, and pushed her away with an uppercut.
"Holy! What just happened?!" One of the spectators screamed.
"I don't..." the parents were awestruck by what they just saw, "wow..."
Lynn's initial reaction of shock slowly but surely turned into an ecstatic expression.
Clyde and Lana suddenly geeked out.
Ronnie Anne and Bobby both sighed, "Oh, that little geek..."
"Guh..." Lola muttered, "I'm gonna faint..."
Lori and Leni were too scared to open their eyes, until Lisa said, "Well, looks like his wish was granted."
When they opened, "Buh...buh...buh..."
MAYA YAMADA (19) - RAPHAEL REVIVE BASIC (SHIELD 92/100%)
LINCOLN LOUD (11) - SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 43/137%)
The rest of the family had lost their words, but Lincoln was just happy he landed some solid hits, "Ha...haha...hahahaha...I got her!...Took a while, but... I finally got her!..."
Maya just brushed it off, "Ok, that was a good one. But, Uh..." she pointed to his arm, "That's not all you got."
"Huh?" Lincoln checked his IS, "What do yooouuuuooooOOOOOH MY GOD!" His IS changed form completely. Instead of looking like a chrome angelic samurai, its color scheme was retooled; its wing units shrunk to two-thirds of their original size, but they were more pronounced and spread out...sort of...like a...cape...
"I gotta be dreaming...what's this thing called?..." he checked his IS's stats and momentarily lost all feeling in his body.
SAVVY SUITE, FORMAT COMPLETE
1ST SHIFT: ACE OF SPADES
HOMING PALMAR CARD BOMBS UPGRADED: WILL NOW MATERIALIZE AT WILL
SHIELD ENERGY UPGRADED
ONE-OFF ABILITY: "Deal Me In", MATERIALIZE A CARICATURED ALLY AT THE COST OF SHIELD ENERGY
"Oh no...oh no no no no..." Lincoln uttered, "This is...how did...But your-"
"Just a friendly FYI," Maya explained, "The reason why each IS looks different is because it's based on the pilot's preferences. For example, my IS is like this because I like the simple things in life, nothing too extravagant."
"Uh...Huh..." Lincoln was dumbfounded. He had no idea how much an IS could connect with a human, "So...then...that means..."
"There's a spark in you that your IS found, and it built itself around that."
Lincoln was about to squeal. For this one fight, he wasn't Lincoln. He was Ace Savvy...if Ace could robot...and shoot things...Ace Savvy into the future.
But then he took notice of the color scheme of Maya's IS. If he blurred his eyes just a tiny bit...she would look like Card Countess, an archenemy of Ace.
"Uh-oh..." Maya giggled, "That spark in his eyes..."
"I know," Chifuyu commed over, "Whaddaya say we let him have his fun?"
"Gotcha," Maya said before preparing to face him once more.
Lincoln allowed himself a minute to soak in the moment. Then, when he opened his eyes, he was ready to play-fight. He banged his fists together, "Time to deal out some justice." When he released, he was armed with 10 cards.
Maya charged her wing units again, "Deal me in, if you dare."
She let the rockets loose, but he blasted them all with his cards. Then, they rushed each other and locked elbows.
"You're days of calling bluffs are over, Card Countess!" Lincoln screamed.
"You should've played smart and folded, Ace Savvy!" Maya let her rockets loose again.
Lincoln dodged, countered her sniper shot with a card, and hammered down the knife she threw. Maya was able to rush a combo in before blasting him away, but she didn't see a stray card blast her left wing.
After that, it was nothing but card slinging, shot firing, metal bashing goodness. For the whole of two minutes, they lost themselves in the fight, humorously throwing around poker puns while trying to get as many hits as they could. Lincoln started to find his flair in the last 30 seconds, flipping over bullets and sidestepping rockets like they were nothing.
Thanks to that flair, he slipped through Maya's defenses, and launched his very own special attack.
"*GASP* How did-" Maya was fronted by his back.
"Pick a card!" Lincoln kicked her back and threw several cards at her before elbowing her. "Pick 'em all!" Then, he flung her upward and bombarded her with more cards until he was right on top of her.
"52 CARD PICKUP!" A 55-hit combo that consists of three transitional hits and an onslaught of 52 card bombs hammering Maya to the ground.
The entire crowd jumped for joy.
"HE GOT HER!" Lynn went nuts, "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
"Not even Ace Savvy himself could come up with something that flashy!" Clyde exclaimed, "Well, ok, he could, but-"
"Our little brother's a hero now!" Leni shouted.
"Yeah..." Lori said, realizing what his stellar performance would mean, "Yeah, he is..."
"Hey, don't sweat it, dude," Luna said, "He's been taking all that punishment, and he's still picking himself up."
"Even when we kicked him out because of bad luck..." Leni gave a sad smile, "even though we give him the bad end of a carrot stick, he still thinks about us."
"Well, honey?" Rita asked her husband, "You saw him get back up every time he's been knocked down. He just did it for himself. And he's going to do it again for all of us. While traveling abroad and having fun."
Lynn Sr and Lori looked on as Lincoln made a superhero landing and pull off the signature Ace Savvy pose, materializing five new cards in his hand. He looked like he was about to collapse from exhaustion, but he was having so much fun showing his family his full potential, he didn't care. He wanted to keep going. Finally he got the excitement that the sisters felt.
"Yeah..." Lynn Sr. thought, "I think he'll be alright..."
"Are we really gonna let him go off like this?" Luan asked.
"He's been our lightning rod for the past two years, eight months, and seventeen days," Lisa grinned, "I think he's earned a leave of absence."
Maya, on the other hand, was dazed. She didn't know how he planned his attack, but she was nevertheless impressed by his tactical maneuvers.
Chifuyu felt the need to rub it in, "Miss Yamadaaaaa...mind telling me how a quarter of your shield energy disappeared in the span of ten seconds?"
"I don't know," she answered, "It just happened."
"Well, start knowing, because it's time to wrap this up."
Maya saw the live stats on the stands. Her shield was down to 63%, but he had 14%. She then looked at Lincoln, who couldn't resist a wide grin despite how heavy he's breathing. "Understood," she said, "Time to poison this insanity..." She flicked her hair and brushed off her shoulders, "Ready to flop into the river yet?!"
"Please," Lincoln breathes, "I still have a few aces up my sleeve."
Maya readied her rockets, knife, and sniper rifle, "You'd sooner fall than continue the straight!"
"Trust me," Lincoln was ready to go all in on this final attack, "I can fight on."
Maya threw everything at him, and he managed to avoid all of it. He then rushed her, and they locked elbows for the last time. He started to push her backwards until he saw where she hid her knife. He flipped over and struck a card at that spot, preparing to launch his 52-Card Pickup. That was when she saw his entire battle plan: he was going to borrow a page from Luan's art of misdirection, purposefully throwing himself in harm's way only to escape at the last minute and leave his opponent disoriented.
"Heh...we've got a lot to teach you..." Maya took the first few hits, using the force of their impact to slip right into Lincoln's reach.
Lincoln tried to kick her off, but she already grabbed his leg and socked him twice. She then knocked him upward,
"Sorry, Lincoln."
and ended the fight with one final shot of her rifle.
LINCOLN LOUD (11) - SAVVY SUITE (SHIELD 8/137% - CRITICAL) - LOSE
The buzzer sounded the end of the battle, and the end of the exam.
Lincoln hit the ground hard. Every muscle in his body was aching, and yet the rush didn't stop. He was dead tired, but he felt a sense of satisfaction he never felt before. All possible animosity towards his family, even for the cycle, even for the bad luck crud...gone. That last thing he saw before he drifted off was his family and friends rushing to him and carrying him away from the arena.