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

RCJ02: Haha. Yeah, those poor boys from the Mortician's Club. I can imagine what's going through their pubescent minds. I don't know much about guns, so I went with generic things.

marz-senpai: Yeah, that's okay. It's a complex story, and I figured others might also need a little refresher. The ending is near, but I'm not about to give you any spoilers.

Even Louder than Hell

By Lola Presents

Chapter 7

Once everyone was fully dressed and ready to go, they all piled into the van. Not only were all but one of the Loud family present, but five additional children were aboard. The venerable engine complained as they drove down the short earthen path, sending the occasional plume of thick smoke into the air.

However, before pulling onto the main road, Lynn Senior insisted that everyone buckle up, including his demonic children. While they didn't need it, he didn't want to get pulled over, wasting valuable time. Unfortunately, there weren't enough formal seats for everyone, forcing some to sit on the floor between the pews.

Locating the Veteran's Vault on the edge of downtown Royal Woods didn't take long. Catering to those who had served and enthusiasts alike, the warehouse-style store offered a wide variety of surplus military clothes, weapons, ammo, and paraphernalia. The lot was nearly empty, but considering how early it was in the morning, that wasn't surprising.

"Alright," sighed Lucy, preparing herself mentally for what she was about to do as she reached for the door handle. "Give me a few minutes. I'll flag you from the door when all's clear," she instructed her family and friends.

"Why does she get to have all the fun?" grumbled Tiffany, folding her arms and glowering in protest. "I'm a freaking succubus, too, you know. Not to mention that I'm still a virgin!" she argued.

"That's precisely why you shouldn't go, sweetie," chirped Leni, fielding her daughter's frustration. "You're too inexperienced and might mess things up."

"I'll be happy to..." interjected Morpheus, tapping Tiffany on the knee from his perch on the floor.

"No, you won't," interrupted Leni. "Not on your best day."

"And what's with these stupid clothes?" Tiffany continued bantering, entirely ignoring the human child's sexual advance. "Why can't I just be me?"

"Maybe, one day, you can be," Leni sighed, glancing longingly out the window at her sister as she entered the shop. "What do you think we're doing all this? If we win, we stand a chance at finding a way to coexist."

Tiffany scrunched her mouth up and pouted the entire time Lucy was inside, her panties getting entirely soaked. She felt like she was in a sardine can, tightly packed with the raging testosterone of five males and ten estrogen-laden females. All her young succubus mind could think of was sex, nothing but hot, sweaty, sticky, and possibly violent sex.

About two minutes in, the shop's regulars came wandering out, complaining about the impromptu closure as the owner turned the little sign that hung upon the door from "Open" to "Closed." Things appeared to be progressing well, and three minutes later, Lucy appeared at the glass door, her hair disheveled and dress askew, bearing a goofy grin.

"Gosh, darn it..." sighed Tiffany as her small aunt unlocked the door and held it open for them. "You think she could've fixed herself up afterward? But no, she has to go and rub it in..."

Luna and Luan stayed behind to ensure the safety of the younger lot while the older ones entered the store and began browsing its wares. Together, they picked up several belts and hostlers, and selecting two handguns and a shotgun each, they moved on and loaded themselves up with the correct ammo.

Then stopping by the clothing section, they found several bulletproof vests. Though they doubted getting fired upon, they realized the shielding could still be handy and picked some up. And while the reinforced boots looked enticing, they would've restricted their ability to use demonic form and passed them up.

Lucy, the youngest among them, was the only one capable of wearing a standard issue helmet, and Leni cooed over how cute the little succubus looked. The rest had sizable horns, which got in the way. And while Leni didn't have horns as an awakened human, she was adamant that her hair not get mussed and steadfastly refused.

Satisfied with their selection, they headed out. However, along the way, Lincoln eyed a rack of grenades and reached out to snag some. Unfortunately, his father stopped him. "Son, we want to kill the demons, not destroy our house," he said, explaining his position.

The fact was, the entire family's power structure had gotten irrevocably altered. While Rita was Lucy and Lincoln's biological mother, she was also Hunger and a sibling to Desire and Flesh. Lynn Senior was an awakened human, bound and subservient to Rita, who created him. So, regardless of their earthly marriage, he was her child, making Lincoln his superior.

However, as complex as their familial relationship had become, there was an unspoken agreement between them to treat each other as equals. And once Lincoln took a moment to reflect, he knew that his father was right. As tempting as massive explosions were, they'd need a place to stay once the fight was over. That was assuming they won, of course.

Abandoning the enticing end-cap, Lincoln and his family returned to the van with their haul and headed toward their house. Arriving sometime before ten in the morning, Lynn parked the van by the curb rather than in the driveway if they needed to make a hasty retreat. Finally, the warriors chambered their weapons, pocketed the remaining ammo, and stepped out.

"Luna, Luan..." addressed their father as he cocked his shotgun. "Keep the little ones safe. We'll be back soon. I promise," he added, attempting to reassure the assortment of worry and anxiety displayed on the children's faces.

Then, he turned and headed for the house, brandishing his rifle as the others formed behind him in order of strength. Listening closely at the door for sounds of movement or dialog, Lynn discerned nothing and slowly turned the knob. The door remained unlocked, and he pushed against it, tearing the fleshy covering that now encompassed the entirety of the home's interior.

As they stepped into the house, closing the door behind them, they could see that every surface resembled how Lucy's and Lynn's appeared eight months ago. The primordial growths, be they flesh, tendril, or add flora, spouting the occasional puff of spores into the air, nothing of their beloved home was untouched.

Cautiously, they moved from room to room, searching for their demonic guests, securing the ground floor before moving to the second. Finding nothing, they retreated downstairs and quietly proceeded to the basement, the only room left to canvas. They had to be there. If not, the demons had moved on, and the family was in more trouble than they realized.

Lincoln paused to collect his breath, then threw the door open, fully expecting to get accosted when the way was clear. But no such thing happened. The small cellar remained silent and empty, save for the unearthly growths. However, a soft reddish-orange glow caught his eye, and after curiously looking back toward his family, he descended the stairs, holding his weapon high.

Instead of encountering the arrogant Nephilim, they gazed into a giant, circular, fleshy maw that had appeared in the basement wall. Its interior, also lined with flesh and tendrils, snaked into the distance, underground, dimly lit by whatever liquid pulsed through its veins. Cautiously, Lincoln, Rita, and Lucy forged ahead, leading their troops into battle.

"Okay!" exclaimed Tiffany several moments later. "I can't stand just sitting here," she informed the others, uncaring if they agreed as she slid the van's side-door open. "I'm going in."

"Then I'm coming, too!" declared Haiku, stepping out behind Tiffany, slamming the door shut before Luna or Luan could stop them, then bolted for the house.

"Uh- uh!" barked Luna as she and her next youngest sibling blocked the other's path. "No way, Hose! Sit your butts down!"

"You heard the lady!" exclaimed Luan in solidarity with her sister. "Park it!"

"Oh, come on..." pleaded Bertrand. "Why are you letting them go?"

"First off..." sighed Luna. "I don't think I could stop Tiffany if I tried. Second, Haiku's a powerful witch. You're just a student. Besides, she was already out of the door."

"This sucks..." fumed Morpheus, folding his arms as he sat back down.

"Not as good as Tiffany does, I bet," chirped Bertrand, still under the girl's influence.

"Boris doesn't care for Tiffany much," the enamored lad interjected. "Boris loves Lucy."

"WE KNOW!" everyone shouted at once.

It wasn't long before the amateurish platoon reached an intersection, their path splitting in three different directions. Carefully studying each, Lincoln decided to follow the one directly ahead of them. Not only did it seem the most logical, but the faint glow of the fleshy walls was a bit brighter than the others. It occurred to Lincoln that the demon's presence might have influenced the intensity, leaving a proverbial string for them to follow.

"What the hell are they doing?" whispered L.J. as she scanned the tunnel for clues.

"It looks like they're building some kind of underground nexus," her father replied. "A network of tunnels under the city, giving them free access to God knows what. Or who."

Not long after, they reached another intersection, only this one continued forward, with another short tunnel leading upward. Directing his flashlight upward, Lincoln saw a plaster ceiling and an idle ceiling fan, the latter of which he recognized.

"It's Mr. Grouse's house," he muttered, furrowing his brows. "Think they got him?"

"Either that or ate him," suggested his mother, Rita. "Who knows?

"I don't know..." sighed Lincoln, continuing his advance down the creepy passage, "...but I'm not going up there to find out. Come on..."

The small group of heavily armed demons worked through the winding tunnels for some time, encountering more routes leading up to various homes. Then, there was a break where there was nothing but the fleshy tunnel. But finally, the tunnel ended, turning upward, and Lincoln stood at the bottom, peering upward, and something hit his face.

Blinking, he wiped his cheek and investigated the substance. Red and tacky, he tasted it, then made a face. "Blood," he said. "Human blood."

"I think we found our destination," sighed Leni. "I just hope whoever was up there died quickly."

"There's only one way to find out," muttered Lincoln, beginning his ascent into the structure above.

Lucy and Rita followed him up the small access tube made of flesh, clawing their way up, with Mr. Loud, L.J., and Leni close behind.

"Fuck. Me..." cried Leni as she brought up the rear, taking in her surroundings as she gained her footing above. "Those poor kids..."

They emerged in the middle school's hallways, which looked more like a playground from hell now, covered in the same sickening flesh, vines, and tendrils that had claimed their home. Pools of blood lined the soft, sticky floor, trails of the substance leading down the hall.

Lincoln, Lucy, and Rita swallowed with difficulty but pressed on. "This way," Lincoln instructed, indicating his chosen direction with his rifle. "It looks like the trail leads toward the gym."

Blood was everywhere, staining the walls, ceiling, and floor, but there didn't seem to be any trace of the students or faculty, which concerned Rita. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered as they plodded carefully along, following the trail. "If the Nephilim wanted them dead, why not kill them on the spot?"

"I don't know," answered Lincoln, not sure he wanted to consider the possibilities.

"Maybe they're herding them?" Lucy suggested. "Is it possible they're going to use their life force to open a large enough portal for the rest of the scattered Nephilim to enter?"

"God, I hope not," Lynn Junior said. "Two are bad enough. But all of them at once? I mean, do we even know how many are left out there?"

Finally, they reached the gym's doors, and Lincoln peered in through the tall, vertical windows. The scene he witnessed shocked his human side and enticed his demonic nature both. They'd found the students and faculty, spread out evenly across the gym floor, laying in tiny chunks, floating in their blood.

And, in the middle of the room stood Despair and Sorrow. Lines of razorwire stretched from newly formed orifices in the gym's walls, ripping apart the last few students as they screamed in agony. Lincoln burst into the vast room and marched as closely as he dared, with his mates following him, getting the demon's attention.

"THEY WERE JUST KIDS!" Leni screamed at them, holding her rifle up. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL THEM? THEY WERE NO THREAT TO YOU!"

"Kill?" asked Sorrow as she took a few steps forward, mashing the writhing flesh underfoot. "No, my child. They are all very much alive, basking in their glorious reward, a never-ending experience of despair and sorrow."

"Why?" barked Lucy, weeping for her fallen friends. "What did they do to deserve this?"

"It is not what they did, child," Despair responded. "It is what the gods did to us. They cast us out and created a new, inferior race of beings. The gods cherished them like no other, abandoning us to rot!"

"So this is all about revenge?" asked Rita significantly. "That's it? For all your boasting, all you have to say in your defense is 'they started it?'"

"No..." replied Sorrow again, stopping her advance roughly fifteen feet from where the family stood. "Once we deprive the gods of their worshippers, their power will wane and eventually disappear. Then, we shall take their place at the helm of creation."

"Please..." whispered half a mouth that lay nearby, "...help us..."

Lynn Senior looked at the demons before him and glared. "You truly are some sick fucks. The gods should've killed you when they had the chance."

"And who is to stop us?" Despair inquired, spreading his arms wide as he looked around the gym. "Where are you gods now? Hiding like the cowards they are, unwilling to face their own creations. Pitiful and disgusting."

"We will," Lincoln said defiantly, puffing his chest.

Then, reaching for the wall and slinging his arms toward the demons, several of the already present tendrils ripped from their resting places and shot toward the Nephilim, binding Despair from head to foot. Lucy did similarly, encasing Sorrow in writhing pink vines. But the demons merely stood there, unmoving.

"Hahaha..." they both began laughing in unison in a deep guttural wail. "Is this truly the limit of your passion?" he sarcastically said as razorwire erupted between their exposed organs. Slicing them free and sending the lacerated tendrils to the floor, the lengths of wire quickly retreated inside the demons.

Despair then stared at them intently, a look of serious resolve upon his face, and took a few steps forward to stand by his partner. "You were saying?"

"NOW!" yelled Lincoln, whipping the rifle from his back and squeezing the trigger repeatedly.

Forming a line, everyone let loose the dogs of war, and slugs of metal filled the air as the Nephilim bodies became riddled with holes, spilling their primordial blood across the floor.

"BOOM! BOOM! -chock- BOOM! BOOM!" the shotguns echoed throughout the vast room, followed by the "POP! POP! POP!" of the handguns once the family had run out of shells.

Eventually, the rebels ran out of ammo and poised themselves for whatever remained of the Nephilim as the smoke from their firearms cleared. Running high on adrenalin and panting from the physical and emotional exertion, they dropped their spent weapons to the ground, ready to use whatever means were necessary to finish the two off.

As the last vestiges of battle disappeared, Despair and Sorrow slowly returned to view, still standing, seemingly unaffected. Then Despair grinned, baring his teeth at them, then pursed his lips, expelling their ammo to the floor.

"Our turn," Sorrow declared as she and her husband called forth dozens of lengths of razorwire, claiming Lynn Junior and her father, pulling them to the center of the room, directly in front of them. "Any last words?" Despair asked politely.

"FUCK YOU!" Lynn wailed, spitting in the Nephilim's face.

"GO TO HELL!" Mr. Loud barked, mimicking his daughter's action.

Having gotten his answer, the demon nodded his head. Both father and daughter exploded into a sea of blood, bone, and flesh, splattering both parties. "No, thank you. I've been there," replied Despair after their remains settled. Then, looking up at the others, he offered them another chance. "Perhaps now you see. Your efforts are futile and misguided. Why fight us and die when you can join us and live as you wish? Won't you reconsider?"

Horror-struck at losing her father and sister, Leni lost her composure and stepped between Lucy and Lincoln, forcing her way to the front. Swinging her arms frantically, she took command of the tendrils she usually couldn't control as an awakened human, soon joined by her family. And, as the tendrils obeyed the hybrids and Leni, the razorwire fought for the Nephilim.

Vine and sharpened steel clashed for several minutes, draining both parties, and still, the battle raged. Both sides suffered at each other's hands as the blades lacerated flesh and tendrils choked and restrained victims. But soon, their energy waned, and the field of battle settled.

Suddenly, the gym's door opened again as Tiffany and Haiku rushed into the room. "Mom! Dad!" cried the young succubus as she approached, reaching out for them, distracting her parents from the threat before them.

And in that one moment, the Nephilim saw their advantage and took it. Tiffany stared in horror as countless lengths of razorwire burst from the walls, racing toward her parents. And as she pushed herself to her limit, Tiffany felt Haiku's hand upon her back as something rushed into her body from the young girl behind her.

Events around Tiffany began to slow to a crawl as the unknown energy source course through her body, relaxing her, clarifying her vision, and reassuring her that everything would be alright. And seemingly instantly, she stood between her family and their inevitable death. A brightly glowing golden fire erupted from her eyes, washing over her entire body, and she shifted from her demon form into an altogether new one.

Her eyes glowed fiercely and brightly, and long ribbons of golden light emerged from her back, roughly five feet long and three inches wide, three per side, and waved lazily as if in water. And as she floated there, mid-air, the razorwire stopped short, unable to get anywhere near her.

"This ends now," Tiffany calmly said in her sweet, harmonious voice, this time joined by another, which Haiku recognized immediately.

It was Nyx.