Chapter 15: Unleashed and Unhinged

Well, all hell is about to break loose. All of the criminals in the local prison and juvie are free, and worst of all, so is Viribus. Now Lynn has to race against the clock to find him and prevent him from escaping before he makes it back to Royal Woods, and back to the Loud house.

But can she stop him?

Lynn Loud Junior ran as fast as her little legs could take her, towards the empty cells where the adult prisoners were before being freed. She knew the chaos that was ensuing around her was her own fault, and she knew she would have to put things right. She also came to the conclusion that the first task she would have to complete in order to do that was to put a stop to Viribus's plans.

She could see numerous empty prison cells, all with doors open, and no guards in sight, most probably because they were dealing with recapturing as many escapee attempters as possible.

Eventually, Lynn came across a cell with the door wide open, and nothing but a bed in the corner. She felt something was up, and decided to peak underneath the bed…

…when she did, she saw a giant hole was underneath where the bed was placed. A secret escape route in one of the holes. No doubt, multiple criminals used that as their preferred way out.

Viribus had already casually and slowly made his way through the escape tunnel that the other criminals had created, and was in the underground sewer that it led to. He could smell freedom… among some other foul things.

Lynn quickly forced her way through said tunnel and into the sewers herself. She was determined to catch up with Viribus and stop him from making his escape…

"YOU!" Lynn screamed upon finally having caught up with him.

Viribus then turned around to see the young sporty tomboy facing him, with a very angry and determined expression on her face.

"Ah, you again. Didn't I tell you, kid? You would help me, and you likely wouldn't even know you were doing it." Viribus reminded the child.

"Enough talk! You tricked me! Your latest little puppet Mamba told me!" Lynn angrily told him.

"I know. Pulling your strings is actually rather fun." he said.

"How many more people are working for you?! How many puppets do you have to screw with me!? First my baseball coach, and now my so-called friend in juvie!?" she demandingly asked him.

"I've had a lot of time to plan this, kid. There's not much to do in prison other than eat, sleep, work out and sit around pondering to yourself." Viribus explained.

"That does it! You want to mess with my life so bad?! Okay, let's settle it now! You and me!" Lynn challenged.

Viribus then looked down at the short, young teenager with a surprised and slightly befuddled look on his face, not sure if he could take the challenge she just issued seriously…

"Are you out of your mind?" he quickly asked her, before walking over and getting right in her face.

"Are you out of your fricking mind?! Kid, you're 13 and about 2 foot 4. I am an elite combatant and a superior being. What chance do you think you have?" he condescendingly asked her, struggling to hold back laughter.

This only angered an already enraged Lynn even more. She had a temper even at the best of times, and Viribus was doing his best to push her buttons.

Lynn then suddenly snapped and leaped towards the larger adult with all her energy and aggression. She did everything in her power to put her opponent down. She went for a fury of fast punches, kicks, and martial arts moves. Every single strike and movement was executed with not only precision and speed, but also emotion and power. Lynn wanted to hurt Viribus, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her.

"Impressive, for a small child." Viribus complemented.

But soon enough, as the battle continued, reality began to resurface. Lynn was an exceptionally tough little girl, but a little girl she was nonetheless. Viribus hopelessly outclassed her, and it began to show the moment he started to fight back. Viribus had blocked, evaded or absorbed every single blow Lynn had dealt him with remarkable ease. He was an incredible fighter before, but this time, he was bigger and stronger than ever. Lynn was a tough little kid, but she was no match.

Viribus suddenly went for a simple backhand that was still strong enough to send the girl staggering backwards. Lynn retaliated with a flying spinning back kick, but Viribus simply grabbed her leg in mid-air and used Lynn's momentum against her to send her plummeting into the wall of the sewer. Lynn landed face first in the sewer water, something disgusting enough to gross even her out.

"Loud, make it easy on yourself and stay on the ground." Viribus told the angry girl.

But Lynn was never one to give up so easily. She got up and continued to throw furious punches with her remaining energy. Viribus blocked the first few, then countered with a quick open hand strike to the ribs, which was enough to take some of the air out of Lynn. The girl then responded with a quick hop in the air and an attempted headbutt, but Viribus simply slipped out of the way, and then dealt a quick knee strike to Lynn's face.

Lynn retreated and she tried to regain her breath. She was tired and damaged, and even bleeding from the mouth because of the knee.

"Do you ever learn?" Viribus asked the impulsive sports girl.

"Sure. I learned this!" Lynn responded before attempting a jump of the sewer wall, propelling her body in the air.

From there, Lynn attempted a superman punch straight to the face, but Viribus saw it coming. His response was… to simply move out of the way and make Lynn miss. A casual step to the side was all it took.

"STAND STILL!" Lynn shouted as she became frustrated.

Viribus then quickly approached the young girl and executed a practical if dirty move where he took his two fingers and jabbed them into Lynn's throat. He pushed inwards and then downwards, all in a split second. This was enough to force Lynn to the floor.

From there, he put one foot on her back, and then began lifting her head up by the ponytail. After applying enough force, Lynn was visibly struggling with the pain.

"Just tell me when you want it to stop." Viribus encouraged her.

"NEVER!" Lynn blurted.

"The fight's already over." Viribus assured her.

"Not as long… as I'm still… STANDING!" Lynn firmly told him, despite the struggle she was in.

"You're not." Viribus reminded her.

Viribus then let go of the girl, knowing she was exhausted and too hurt to continue anyway. He had made short work of the young girl.

"Consider yourself lucky. Had I have put in any real effort, you would be terminated by now." he told her.

"Pfft. Why wouldn't you just finish me off?!" she asked.

"I do not intend to harm you. In fact, I don't want to oppose you at all." he stated.

"What? You still hope that I'll join you or something?" she wondered.

"I do." he simply confirmed.

"Well, that ain't ever gonna happen! You're scum! I would never join you!" she said.

Viribus then crouched down towards the defeated child, who was still on the floor and in a little pain, and continued his conversation…

"Why? Why are you so committed to opposing me?" he sincerely asked.

"Seriously?! Didn't I make myself clear the other day!?" she reminded him.

"Loud. I know I've done some things which may not have benefitted you in the short term. But long term, this will be the best thing that ever happened to you… if you allow it." he cryptically told her.

"What does that mean?!" she asked cynically.

"I told you. You and I are alike, whether you like it or not. You also see the value of a competitive mindset, of the need to be the best, because otherwise everyone makes you feel like the worst." he calmly but solidly informed the hurt girl.

Lynn looked him straight in the eyes, with a passionately angry yet slightly edgy and upset facial look. She was trying really hard to hide it, but there was a slight tear in her eye, formed as a result of how close his informative statements were hitting home.

"As I said, nobody else understands your struggle. To think of all the things you could have been if people weren't so automatically harsh towards you. You could have been a kind, well respected girl and a benevolent sports star, instead of a reckless, violent jock." Viribus said.

"I am respected, people like me!" Lynn desperately insisted to the condescendingly man standing above her.

"Your fellow sports players may respect you for your abilities, but they view you as a low and petty human being, with too much ego and too much obsession with winning every contest!" Viribus corrected.

"You're wrong." Lynn quietly told herself, trying extremely hard to resist his will.

"Why do you continue to deny the truth, kid? I'm only telling you how it is. No one else knows you better than me. We both wish it could have been different, that we could have made it as 'normal' people in this world. But we're not normal, are we? We're exceptional." he concluded.

Lynn finally regained the strength to stand back up on her feet, though even then, she was only facing a crouched down Viribus at eye level.

"Just stay out of my head! I don't care what you say, we're not the same! I've never done anything half as bad as you! I'm not a monster!" Lynn bitterly told Viribus.

"You think the world out there sees any difference? We're both prisoners, aren't we? They think of you as the same irredeemable abomination they think I am. And do you know what else? Maybe you're better off if you own it." Viribus advised her, before standing back up and looking down at her.

"What do you mean?" Lynn asked, tilting her head upwards.

"Lynn Loud, listen to me. I could have drowned you in sewer water right now, I could have bashed your head into the wall, or used a number of different methods to end your life right now if I wanted to." Viribus said.

"Then why didn't you?!" Lynn questioned.

"I don't want to. Lynn, you don't need to continue struggling. Trying to fight so hard to get by through acting tough, so you won't be the victim of cruel treatment. The truth is, you can't do that alone. Your scuffle with Mamba and her cronies should have taught you that. I want you to join me." Viribus offered.

"Wha..?" Lynn blurted out.

Viribus then extended his hand out to the young girl, and gave her a choice…

"It's your choice, Lynn Loud. You can go back to your family, and go back to being hated and struggle with your life. Or you can come with me, and ascend into glory! You and I can be number 1, forever!" he said, tempting her to side with him.

Lynn stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She knew that the man who was in front of her was a mentally damaged, sadistic, destructive person. She didn't believe his words were very trustworthy…

…and yet, a part of her felt the urge to take him up on his tempting offer. After all, Lynn knew behind his attempts to brainwash, some truth was melded within the meanings of his claims. She was someone who became a violent and overly competitive, somewhat damaged person because of how people had treated her. She was someone struggling to get by in life. Her desire to be number 1 was rooted in her need for clarification that she wasn't just some worthless loser. Viribus was right about one thing. They were similar, even if that fact made her sick to her stomach.

"I… I don't know what to think anymore. Everything that's happened to me, the last couple of weeks of my life, have been horrible! No… the last couple of years! I, I never wanted to be this way! To be like this! I just wanted to have fun, play sports and get along with people!" she admitted.

Viribus then placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a few words of advice…

"So did I, child. I wish it could've been different, too. But it's not. I only say this because I want to make sure you make the right choice. Loud, I see greatness in you. You don't need to be a part of that weak-minded Loud family anymore. You can be with me!" he told her, before placing his hand off her shoulder and back out in front of her, reoffering the handshake.

Lynn looked down into the sewer water for a brief moment, and looked at a vague and partially blurred reflection of herself. She appeared saddened and even uncertain for a moment… but that uncertainty quickly transformed into anger and determination. She remembered everything she was put through in her life, and all the bad thoughts that had been plaguing her mind. At that moment, she knew what she wanted to do…

She accepted the handshake.

"You know what? You're right! You might have been responsible for all the guff I've dealt with for the last 2 weeks, but I understand. You were doing it for my own good. To teach me a few good lessons! Thanks." She told him.

"No, thank you, Lynn Loud! You will make an excellent ally." he told her, visibly satisfied with the fact that she accepted his offer.

The two headed for the exit of the sewer and soon found themselves in a small, rural area outside of Royal Woods.

"You made the right decision today, Loud." Viribus told her.

"I know." Lynn replied.

"From this moment on, you are one of my followers. A 'Virion' if you will. As such, it is only appropriate I give you a new title, one which reflects your prestigious status." Viribus stated.

Lynn then developed a slightly excited and intrigued look on her face.

"Lynn Loud. You will now be known as… Primis." he declared.

"Primis?" she asked confused.

"Yes. It means 'first' in Latin." Viribus clarified.

"First? I like the sound of that!" Lynn said.

"You run along now, Primis." Viribus said.

"Where are you going?" Lynn asked out of concern.

"I have plans involving all of Royal Woods, and some unfinished business to resolve. Never you mind right now." he said with great vagueness.

While Viribus and 'Primis' joined the other escaped criminals in free roaming Royal Woods, Lincoln and the Louds were at home, watching an episode of Dream Boat together, having one of the first truly enjoyable experiences as a family unit since the day of the trial. Of course, they may have been better watching the news given the story of great importance that was bound to be in the headlines that evening. However, even when trying to relax and be entertained, there was a sense of negativity surrounding them…

"Eh, this show has lost its pizzazz." Lola claimed.

"These guys are literally the worst." Lori stated.

"I dunno about this, dudes. I don't think this show is doing so well right now." Luna argued.

"Dang it. I see what people mean when they say I'm too sad all the time. Listening to all of you is getting really annoying." Lucy said.

"We're sorry. We don't mean to be so down in the dumps. It's just that this whole thing with Lynn has had an effect on us." Leni defended.

But while the sisters tried and struggled to watch Dream Boat with a cynical and unhopeful mindset, Lincoln was still sitting at the table, writing his notes. He was still focused on his personal task of setting Lynn free and exposing Viribus's puppet. Of course, such facts were unbeknownst to him…

"I've got to figure out how I'm going to go about discovering the man behind Henry. Who could be making him do all these horrible things?" Lincoln asked himself while he observed his notes.

But Lincoln's thought processing was interrupted by an overdue request…

"Kids! It's time we stopped moping around the house. We've spent the last few days feeling sorry for ourselves and screwing around, and I understand why. But it's time we took some responsibility. LJ is in jail, and it's been days since she was sent there. We still haven't actually paid her a visit!" Lynn Sr told his children.

"Exactly, honey. We've been letting the Lynn stuff destroy us too much! We've all been a mess this past week! Everyone single one of us has had faces like smacked puppies, Lincoln has been going on a wild hunt against Lynn's baseball coach! Lola's even stopped with her home schooling! It's about time we got off our butts and into the van! Visiting hours at the juvie should be at least another 2 hours. That gives is plenty of time." Rita added.

"That settles it. We're going to see Lynn right now… as soon as I finish going to the bathroom!" Lynn Sr quickly stated before rushing upstairs.

All the kids decided to agree to their father's proposal and get off the sofa and prepare for a visit to the local detention centre. Lincoln, too, prepared himself to go out. He had been investigating with little success for the past few days, but maybe a conversation with Lynn herself would help him gain the answers he was searching for, he thought.

Moments before the Loud family was ready to leave the house, someone rang the door-bell.

"I'll get it!" Lincoln answered.

Lincoln rushed to the door, eager to quickly finish the interaction with whoever he was about to meet, as he wanted to get down to the juvie in good time and see his sister after several days of her absence.

Lincoln turned the door-knob and opened the door. The happy face he had at that moment quickly turned into dread as his head tilted upwards to see his interlocutor.

"Hello, Lincoln Loud. I'm here to destroy you and everyone you love! Tell me, is this a bad time?" Viribus sadistically joked, before preparing to attack the young boy.

Lincoln's expression was that of pure terror. The monstrous man whom he thought he'd seen the last of was back, and right in front of him. With only dread and fear present in his head at that moment, the only word his mouth could let out at that moment was…

"AARGH!"

Well, now the Louds are in trouble. Viribus is out of prison, and not only did Lynn fail to stop him, but he's seemingly managed to convince to join his side. It would appear Lynn has been corrupted by the criminal mastermind and is on a dark path. But will she be able to come out of it?

But more immediately, Lincoln and the rest of the family are in danger as they are confronted by the man they once defeated. Out for vengeance, will the Loud family make it out of the next chapter in one piece? Come back and read the next chapter in a week's time to find out…

Also, thank you, readers, for waiting an extra week for a new chapter update, since I had another task to complete last week involving my season 3 thoughts on the show. Hopefully, it was worth the wait for you guys.