Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino

Even Louder than Hell

By Lola Presents

Chapter 4

Leni may not be a full hybrid like Lincoln, Lucy, and her mother, but she has all their abilities, and it was a mystery to Lincoln why his new lover was unable to transform into her demon form, which should now be her natural state.

Perhaps it had to do with their child, and he closed his eyes, concentrating his senses on the child within her womb. He heard its steady heartbeat and the rush of pure, untainted primordial blood as it flowed through its growing body.

Then, he sensed something else, a hunger for something other than flesh, and he understood. The child within Leni was more than he or his restored family members could ever be, more than the egregors or the Nephilim. She was the product pairing of both humans and Nephilim.

Rather than being the hybrid mixture of two separate entities, she was a single being, naturally possessed of all the best qualities of both, natural and pure. And incredibly strong. The child already exuded an aura more potent than any he'd ever sensed, dating back to their creation.

"Leni..." Lincoln whispered lovingly, placing his palm on her belly. "There is nothing wrong with you. However..." he paused, considering his words carefully, "...our child is unique in the universe, more than Nephilim, more than human. It is something new, never seen before."

Then, kneeling before Leni, he spoke to the child within her. "I hear you, little one, and feel your unique hunger for both flesh and mortal food," he whispered, "and your need for spiritual energy."

Standing once more, he addressed his sister. "She is not like us and is drawing on your flesh and energy to sustain herself. However, she also bears human biological traits. That is why you cannot transform."

"I see," cooed Leni, wrapping her arms around her belly, embracing the life within. "Don't worry, Tiffany," she whispered. "I'll ensure you get fed well, regardless of how disgusting I now find the notion of food."

The Nephilim of old were powerful, arrogant, and aggressive, exploring every facet of their existence. They tested their limits, found new ways to stimulate themselves, and even challenged the Gods for supremacy over the cosmos. When the Gods stripped their powers, the Nephilim became the first humans, barely able to survive on their own, pale imitations of their previous selves, relying instead on their intelligence, spirit, and each other.

Lincoln and his family were an odd medium between the two, not entirely Nephilim, not human. While they retained many of their ancient abilities, they were nowhere as powerful. Still, they made up for that by gaining the tenacious spirit and ability to empathize from their human elements. While such a hybrid was not unheard of and had occurred on occasion, Lucifer and Jack the Ripper being two examples of human and Nephilim mergers, it was rare.

The life forming within his sister was entirely different, and the power and potential it emanated frightened Lincoln as much as he wanted to deny it. Would it develop into something benign or become a malignancy? What would its intentions be? These were the questions on Lincoln's mind as he wrapped his arms around his lover and held her tight. For now, all he could do was protect them both and keep an eye on things.

Lucy didn't particularly want to go to the meeting, as her friend's human condition saddened her, testing her resolve. It would be easy to restore them against their will, but knowing what it meant to have such, she had to respect their wishes. Whatever Flesh might have been, she and Lucy had merged and followed new rules.

However, she couldn't simply dismiss their request, or they might suspect something was amiss. Furrowing her brows, she shifted into her human form, grabbed her usual meeting supplies, and left her room with her bag slung over her shoulder. "Bye, guys," she casually announced as she walked through the living room and out the door. "I'm going out."

Rita and Lynn shared a brief, concerned look. For them, daylight hours were detrimental, hindering their ability to control their powers and weakening them. Why Lucy would engage in such risks was beyond them, but their daughter had proven herself to be the most resourceful among them, and they decided to trust her judgment.

"Hi," Lucy chirped as she strolled up to her club members sometime later, removing her bag and sitting it on the ground beside her. "I'm sorry I've been away," she offered. "But, well, you know."

"Yeah," sighed Bertrand, studying her. "You look well. How are you feeling?"

Lucy shrugged as she sat beside Boris on the stone bench. "Okay, I guess," she told them. However, the truth was that she was already beginning to feel drained, just from being outside, let alone having walked to the cemetery. "How about you?"

"Things could be better," admitted Morpheus. "But, we'll survive. We're glad you're back."

"Yes," echoed the bald lad. "Boris is glad to see you healthy and in good spirits."

Lucy smiled, beginning to relax around her friends, regardless of how badly their human flesh reeked. Having made no assertions or asked no pertinent questions, Lucy wondered if maybe she'd been premature to judge them, and perhaps, if she revealed herself to them a little at a time, they might even come to accept her new existence one day. But, for now, she had to remain hidden.

"So..." sighed Lucy, flattening her black skirt. "You said something about a celebration?" she questioned Haiku.

"Oh! Yes!" chirped the slightly older girl, reaching for her bag. "It's so good to see you again that I almost forgot."

Haiku pulled out a short stack of plastic SOLO brand cups, handed them out, and then placed hers on a nearby headstone. She then produced a large thermos and removed the lid, pouring some red-colored liquid into her cup. Afterward, she moved from person to person, offering them the fake blood beverage they typically used at meetings.

Raising her cup, Haiku addressed the club. "Here's to Lucy," she said. "May her blood run strong and true," she concluded before tipping the cup to her mouth, taking a long pull from the beverage.

"To Lucy. May her blood run strong and true," the others repeated before tipping their cups in unison.

Lucy wrinkled her nose slightly as she braced for the horrible taste she knew waited for her and tipped her cup, swallowing a mouthful of the foul-smelling drink. Almost immediately, Lucy knew something was wrong. Dropping her cup onto the ground, spilling the remainder of the punch, she stood, clasping at her throat.

At Lucy's first sign of distress, the club members discarded their drinks and rose, forming a circle around the choking girl as they pulled out hand-made warding symbols, holding them before her.

Laboring for breath, Lucy began to lose control of herself, unable to maintain her human form, and small patches of skin faded from tan to grey and back, bearing her typical blank veins for a moment. Gasping for every breath she could get, Lucy began coughing and eventually spit up enough of the liquid to talk again, though it remained challenging.

Then, falling to her knees, Lucy looked up at Haiku with fear and betrayal on her face. "What have you done?" she choked out.

"Moon water, blessed by Nyx herself," Haiku barked, not that she felt Lucy deserved an explanation. "Now, who are you, and what have you done with our friend?" she demanded.

"What?" gasped the girl in the patchy grass. "We're right here. We ARE Lucy!" the distraught girl replied, speaking in her natural, resonant voice.

"I don't believe you, demon," snapped Haiku, brandishing her ward toward her former friend. "But if you genuinely are in there somewhere, I need you to listen to me, Lucy. I know you think you're in control, but that's only an illusion. The more you use the demon's powers, the stronger it becomes. Listen to yourself!" she demanded. "You're already speaking in the plural! How long before it takes over? What then?"

"Nooo!" growled Lucy, a look of sorrow and fear upon her face. "We are different. We have adapted! We are one!" argued Lucy as she fully reverted to her natural, demonic form. "We wish you no harm..."

"Bullshit!" screamed Haiku, not letting her guard down for an instant. "All you care is about raping our bodies and minds, making us like you!"

Finally recovering from her ordeal, Lucy began to relax, and placing her hands on her knees, she looked at the dirt and confessed as black tears started seeping from her ducts.

"It's true," she spoke softly, still using her deep harmonic voice. "I would," she admitted. "But only if that was your desire." Then, looking directly at her friend, she continued. "Humanity is the frail descendants of our kind, and we only wish to restore you to the original design. We know," Lucy admitted before pausing slightly.

"We are different. You do not understand us and believe us to be a threat," Lucy continued a moment later. "While we look different, experience pain as pleasure, harbor an insatiable lust, and have different biological needs, we are more similar than you know."

"Are you..." observed Haiku, struck by what she saw, both cautious and curious, "...crying?"

As a light wind blew between the headstones and monuments, Lucy nodded, her hair wafting slightly in the breeze as she wiped the surplus of black liquid from her cheeks.

"We only wanted what we believe to be in your best interest," wept Lucy, expressing her feelings openly. "And until we became one with our hosts, we did not understand the importance of free will. But we have changed. We now feel love, empathy, sorrow, loss, and fear."

"Well..." sighed Haiku, beginning to believe her friend. "That's good. You should be afraid. Very afraid."

"Explain?" requested Lucy. "What are you going to do with us?"

"It's not me you need to worry about," Haiku explained. "A gateway is opening, and something is coming for you, all of us, and is more powerful than all of you combined."

"What?" gasped Lucy in a low growl, looking over her shoulder toward home.

Then, standing, the ashy girl dashed for a break in the circle. However, the boys closed the gap, holding their ward up. "You're not going anywhere!" they said defiantly.

"Please?" begged Lucy, fear and panic evident upon her face. Then, turning to her best friend, she pleaded with her. "Please release us!" she cried, rivers of black liquid streaming down her face. "Our family is in danger. We must warn them and protect them. They are all we have."

"You..." muttered Haiku, seeing her friend Lucy within the glistening black orbs that were her eyes, "...you care about them, don't you?"

"Yes!" wept Lucy, standing in the middle of the circle. "We do. They are precious to us. We are all that's left of our kind. We must survive."

"Fine," sighed Haiku. "But we're coming with you. This better not be a trick because I have more moon-water waiting," she informed her friend as she lowered her ward.

Staring each other with uncertainty, the club members followed their co-presidents example a moment later. And, as they lowered their wards, Lucy cried out, doubling over in extreme pain, clutching her stomach.

Letting out a guttural wail, Lucy faced the sky as small horns tore through the skin of her forehead, a short tail ending in a spade-shaped fringe erupted from her backside, tiny, immature wings sprouted from her back, and her feet transformed into the hooves of a goat. Then, as the transformation ended, Lucy regained her composure and stood as the tattered remains of her clothes fell to the ground.

"We are complete," she said, informing her friends of what had happened. "Our souls are now irrevocably intertwined as one. Thank you for releasing us, Haiku," she said, smiling at Haiku.

Boris stepped aside to let Lucy through and stared at her naked form, blushing heavily. "Boris is in love," he muttered as she passed by. Then, stopping for a moment, Lucy turned and smiled at him before placing a well-deserved kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. "You're sweet. But we can talk later. Okay?"

Having embraced her human and ancestral aspects in their entirety, finding the perfect balance between them, Lucy and Flesh had become a single being. And at her friend's acceptance, her transformation was blessed. Then, facing home, she bolted down the sidewalk.

It was slightly after noon when Mr. Grouse, the Loud's cranky neighbor, witnessed something he would never forget. As he knelt before his flower bed, pruning the plants, he saw an adolescent succubus running down the sidewalk, entirely nude, followed by four creepy children.

"THAAAT'S it..." he muttered, throwing his trowel to the ground. Standing up, he fished his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "Hello?" he said a moment later. "Yeah, this is Mr. Grouse. I've decided to sell, after all. I need to get out of this neighborhood, pronto..."

Lucy burst through the front door in complete demonic form, gazing around frenetically, searching the room for her brethren. "Mom! Lincoln!" she called. "We have a problem!"

Lola and Lana, sitting on the couch, watching television with Lily nestled between them, began screaming like lunatics. Luna and Luan, who were idly minding their own business, occupying the two recliners, jumped to their feet. Luna snatched Lola and dove behind the sofa with her while Luan claimed Lily. Lana managed to leap to cover on her own, looking like a terrified frog as she sailed through the air.

Unbothered by her siblings' reactions, Lucy scanned the house for her kin and found them standing on the dining room threshold. Her mother, father, Lincoln, and Lynn stood there, stunned as they felt Leni's growing belly. They hadn't been awake but roughly four hours, yet Leni's looked nearly four months pregnant.

"Leni?" gasped Lucy, temporarily forgetting their impending doom. "Are you..."

"Mmhm," hummed Leni, glowing with pride, gently rubbing her stomach. "Wanna see?"

As excited as Lucy was to see her sister with child, she grew concerned. Thinking about what Haiku had told her, she considered the possibility that Leni herself was the gateway and that her child was not the innocent babe her parents believed her to be.

"Leni..." Lucy stammered as she cautiously approached. "Are you sure about this..." she inquired, laying her hand on her sister's expanding skin.

"Of course," quipped Leni, a bit annoyed at Lucy's suspicion. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Then, she sighed, looking at herself and Luna and Luan guarding the younger children as they huddled near the fireplace. Their cover had disappeared, and there was no reason to deny it now. Still, she didn't want to scare her siblings and shifted back into human form as she slowly approached them.

"It's okay..." Lucy cooed, holding her open palm out in front of her, patting the air, suggestive of an attempt to soothe them. "It's us, Lucy," she said, announcing herself, still in the plural. "We aren't going to hurt you. But if you don't calm down, something else will. Now, please, we need you all to listen," she requested as she explained what had happened and what was about to transpire.

The frightened girls stared at their sister, or what used to be their sister, and though she no longer looked like something from hell, they remained wary. A mere moment ago, she had hooves, horns, and deep, black eyes. But, the presence of Lucy's old friends, who showed no fear toward her, added to their growing acceptance.

Cautiously and bravely, Lily parted from her secluded seat behind the twins, shuffled up to her older sister, and gazed up at her curiously. Smiling at her, Lucy stooped and picked up the little girl hugging her tightly.

"Hi, Lily," Lucy whispered reassuringly. "You don't have to be frightened."

Lily heard her sister's voice, felt the warmth of her body, and heard her heart pounding beneath her chest. And though the young girl was entirely ignorant of the primordial blood that coursed through her sister's veins, she was satisfied. Leaning back in Lucy's arms, she smiled at her lovingly.

"Wucy!" she cheered, happy to see her awake. "Me wuv you..."

"We love you too, Lily," Lucy replied before returning her smile as she placed the child on the ground. Finally, she turned and walked toward Leni, reaching out for her belly again. "Now," Lucy muttered. "What do we do about this?" she inquired, already having explained her concerns.

"Nothing," Lincoln ordered, stepping in between his sisters. "She is not a threat," he said defiantly.

Stopping short, Lucy gazed at him imploringly. "How can you be sure?" she demanded to know.

"Because," he began explaining. "We have already studied her. She is something new. Not something ancient. She is of this world, not from beyond."

"Lucy!" snapped Leni, astonished at her sister. "How could you ever doubt us?" she said gasped. "Tiffany is the sweetest thing ever! I just know it!" she exclaimed, embracing her womb defensively. "I already lost her once, and I'm not going to allow that to happen again!"

"Tiffany..." Lucy muttered, remembering something from Leni's words. Then looking back at her sisters, Luna, Laun, and Lynn had all begun crying, though only Lynn's were glistening black. She then recalled her binding spell and what that meant for them. "Guys..." Lucy pleaded, seeing the effects of their returning memories. "I'm so sorry," she muttered. "I had no idea..."

Sniffling back their mucus and wiping the extra fluid from their cheeks, the three childless mothers slowly approached Leni and gently laid their hands on her belly. Then, closing their eyes, they felt the movement within her. Concentrating, they reached out to her, though only Lynn succeeded in connecting. Luan and Luna, still fully human, could only feel her warmth and heartbeat.

"Yes," whispered Lynn. "I can feel her and hear her thoughts, created from the combined souls of our lost children and the union of man and demon alike," she informed them quietly. Then, opening her eyes, Lynn continued. "She is strong, powerful, and so wonderfully alive," she finished, even more tears clouding her eyes.

"Leni?" asked Lola softly as she appeared beside her sister, laying her tiny hand on her belly. "Is your baby a demon or human?"

"I can't say, Lola," Leni admitted hesitantly. "But one thing is sure. Whatever she is, we love her."

"Then..." Lola said, facing her sister's abdomen. "I will love you too."

"Me too," echoed Lana, joining her sister in placing her hand on Leni.

Then, without warning, the house shook on its foundations. It began as a slight vibration but quickly escalated into violent tremors, increasing intensity until things started falling from where they sat. Mirrors and pictures shattered explosively, sending shards of glass everywhere, and plaster began falling away from the walls and ceiling in chunks, revealing the wooden slats underneath.

The house creaked ominously as the windows blacked out, hiding the interior from the preview of the outside world. Flesh and pink tendrils began seeping from between the wall's slats, slowly encasing the room in a bloody tomb. And suddenly, two figures stood before them, appearing out of nowhere.

The intruders were taller and stockier than the average human and bore no skin like the egregors before them. However, unlike the ones from earlier, their bodies were in a more advanced state of decay. Their muscles were thin and absent in some places, revealing their rotting organs, their foul stench permeating the room.

But instead of writhing tendrils, their corpses were bound with razor wire, cutting into their flesh as they moved. Their glistening black eyes peered at those before them as the house finally settled. A few moments of silence passed. Then finally, the sizeable male figure spoke in a voice much more profound and resounding than the egregors had.

"How disappointing..."