A fair warning, if you've hated Lori for being an insufferable bitch for the majority of this story, this chapter will be very cathartic XD
"Who shall I pick?" Lynn tapped her chin, her eyes going over each one of her unnerved sisters.
"This is gonna be good." Ryan told the others. "Pinky's gonna get hers."
"I cannot concur on violence being the solution to every issue, but here? I feel it's appropriate." Lisa smiled a bit. Nobody in their right mind would be feeling sympathy for Lola now, and an easy win was an easy win no matter how you sliced it.
"I never thought Lynn's brutishness could be used for a noble cause." Lucy told Lincoln, who made no comment.
"I think I know the right choice." Lynn flashed Lola a sinister smile, the latter shaking fearfully.
"I'm gonna pick…."
"Wait? Wait!" Lori spoke up, earning the jock's attention.
"What?" Lynn narrowed her eyes. "Want to offer a premature eulogy for your comrade?"
"Because I already mentally wrote one down." Lucy spoke up, pointing at her head.
"Exactly." Lynn crossed her arms, having already anticipated that.
Lori looked nervous, before adopting a sterner look.
"No." she crossed her arms too, trying to act nonchalant. "I'm just tired of you wasting our time when everyone here already knows who your pick is."
"Eh…I don't know?" Leni scratched her head.
"Yeah? Me neither." Amber concurred.
"Doy!" Lori spoke up. "There's literally only one person on my team that would be a worthy opponent to Lynn in this kind of match…..me!" She pointed at herself.
"You?" Lynn eyed her skeptically.
"Of course. I mean, I would think a strong and proud athlete such as yourself would want a real challenge, not an easy and cowardly victory." Lori challenged her.
"Cowardly?" Lynn seethed.
"Yes, cowardly. But I know you're better than that, Lynn. You literally loathe petty cheating! You always aim to win using your skills and nothing else. It's your biggest principle, ain't it? An athlete's code of honor?"
Lincoln's eyes widened, surprised that Lori actually noticed and more importantly, bothered to remember such (from her perspective) trivial things, such as the personal ideals of one of her siblings. He also had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing Lori was trying to manipulate Lynn.
"She's really going for it?" Kathleen watched them with keen interest. Might as well give Lori a little help. To push Lynn into making this first round more exciting. And to spare Lola unimaginable pain.
"Simply amazing, folks." She spoke into her mike. "A challenge within a challenge! What will Lynn Loud do? Will she practice what she preaches or will she cleverly play with the rules to ensure her team an easy win?"
"You're one to talk about cheating, Lori!" Lynn countered, but Lori was unfazed.
"I never said it was one of my principles." Lori said in a cocky manner. "We all have our own ideals, I just thought you had forgotten about your own. Hypocritical much?"
"Oh, you're a riot, Blondy." Ryan came next to Lynn. "If your squadron of phonies can abuse the rules to twist the odds into their favor, so can we!"
"He's right, Lynn." Lincoln came to her other side, keeping his voice down and imploring her. "Don't let her get to you. Team Lynn has this challenge in the bag, you said so yourself."
"Yes, this ain't even a real tournament, it won't be on your resume or anything." Ryan whispered to her as well. "You don't need to be a model player for this BS!"
"Fine, alright." Lori shrugged her shoulders. "If you're too cowardly to believe in yourself, if you think that you cannot win one of your favorite sports fair and square, so be it. Go for the easy win, you sad, little pooosser."
Lincoln, Lucy and Lisa all gasped. Ryan didn't but he understood their reactions immediately.
Lynn tensed up. Poser? That word riled her up something fierce. That wretched word was surging through her mind, mocking her relentlessly.
"Eh, Lynn? C'mon, take your pick?" Ryan nervously implored her, pointing at Lola. "Preferably if they are short, pink, shrill and prissy."
"The suspension is getting more and more intense! It's so thick, you could slice through it with a knife!" Kathleen announced. "Lynn is in the legal right to choose her opponent, but will she sacrifice her integrity in the process and her reputation as a model player?"
"I chose Lori!" Lynn exclaimed, much to the shock of everyone except for Lori and Kathleen.
"What?!" Lynn's team blurted.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" a teary-eyed Lola thanked the heavens.
Lori smirked. "I knew you would."
"Simply amazing! Give it up for Lynn Loud! A true champion!" Kathleen continued. "This grudge match has just raised the stakes, as team captain goes up against team captain in a showdown for the ages!"
"Lynn, have you gone mad!?" Lincoln ranted as his team and their mascot had gathered together behind a row of changing huts, each one a different vibrant color.
Lynn didn't answer, sitting on the steps leading up to one of the huts. She just grumbled.
"This is has got to be one of the most impulsive, most callous things you've ever done." Lucy added, her tone composed but still accusatory. "Do you wish for us to become Lori's slaves?"
"You don't think I can take her out, do ya?" Lynn shot back.
"No…I mean yes…eh…I mean we do, but…but why the hell did you pick her?" Ryan asked incredulously.
"It seems. Highly illogical." Fenton's voice was heard from his pocket.
"You had the perfect opportunity to get that little monster all to yourself and squash her into toothpaste!" Ryan continued, his tone getting increasingly more frustrated as he slammed his fist into his palm and twisted it.
"While I do not condone you trying to use Lynn to vicariously experience your desire to main Lola…" Lisa started before looking at Lynn "…oh, who am I kidding?" she dropped all pretense.
"Why didn't you pick her? Why not Lola? Or Leni? Or the despondent Luna? Anyone but her!" the befuddled genius asked her. "It was the biggest no-brainer in your entire athletic career?"
"Meow." Marceline nodded.
"Alright, I see." Lynn stood up, visibly indignant, the duffel bag hanging off her shoulder. "So none of you believe in me? Fine!"
"Lynn, this isn't about proving yourself, we know you're a great wrestler." Lincoln started. "But why did you have to pick Lori? She was goading you-"
"I know the bitch was goading me and it freaking worked!" Lynn snapped at him, making him step back in fright.
"She knew how to get to me, but rest assured! Not only am I gonna win this round but I'll make her regret ever taking pity on Lola and sparring her from taking nothing but a big heap of pain for the team!" Lynn shook her fist.
"Actually, I think she just did it because she figured she was the only one who could take you in, as Lisa insinuated?" Lucy explained.
"I don't care!" Lynn shot back. "Either way, I'll make her regret it!"
"But, Lynn? The odds of you winning are 50/50 at best?" Lisa tried to explain. "Your adversary is four years your senior, and taller, which would account for an increase in muscle mass by about-"
"And she has zero wrestling skills!" Lynn countered. "Wrestling ain't just about muscle, it's about skill and experience too!"
"But what if she tries to pull some crap to rig the challenge?" Ryan pointed out.
Lynn sent him a look that was somewhere between patronizing and exasperated.
"Well, I believe it's your job to make sure they don't succeed at it? Ain't it!" she shot his own words back at him.
It actually got Ryan to shut up and mull over things.
"Now, if my unsupportive teammates will excuse me. Lunatic Lynn needs to prepare herself for her grand entrance!" Lynn turned around and slammed the door of the hut shut.
No way was she going to put on her mask in public and risk someone getting a peek of what's underneath her beanie.
"Raaawr!"
A fearful Charles hid behind a tree, frightened by the wanton display of aggression in front of him.
"AHHH!" Lori exclaimed as she furiously continued throwing punches, dressed in a gray sports bra and running shorts, along with sneakers.
Luna flinched and tried to keep her distance as she held a small punching bag up with a rope, which Lori was viciously pounding with bare hands.
"Take that, Lynn!" she sent the bag flying towards Luna, who barely dodged it. "And this! And that! And take this, you smug little shit stain!"
Luna winced and leaned over to Leni, whispering. "Has she ever been this….intense?"
Yeah, Lori was no stranger to letting her anger get the better of her, or throwing exaggerated tirades, but this seemed extreme even by her standards.
"Oh, no." Leni told her reassuringly. "Usually, she mauls a pillow and calls it Carol Pingrey, or sometimes Principal Rivers? I think it's her way of expressing admiration for them."
"Oh….eh…I can understand the latter." Luna admitted, dodging the flying bag once more. Their high school principal was a major jerk and seemed to have it out for anyone named Loud. It also explained why Lori and Leni constantly needed new pillows.
"You're history, twerp!" Lori suddenly grabbed the bag with her hands and yanked it to the ground, before continuing to punch it and then tear the fabric apart, releasing some of the sand. Quivering, Luna hid behind Leni.
Once the bag was sufficiently torn to shreds, Lola cautiously approached the kneeling Lori.
"Hey, I just wanted to say….eh…" the princess started, not used to expressing gratitude.
"What?" Lori asked curtly, still panting like an enraged beast.
"You know? For taking one for the team?" Lola replied. "And for not letting Lynn maim me?"
"Pffttt….don't flatter yourself." Lori scoffed, eliciting an annoyed glare from Lola.
"I only did it so our team could actually win this challenge. Not like Leni or Luna, and especially a little shrimp like you would stand a chance against a beast like Lynn!" she said matter-of-factly. "But I can! Cuz I'm both older and stronger!"
Lola put her hands on her hips. "Well…fine! Be a jerk then! I was being sincere, y'know?"
"Spare me your "sincerity", princess!" Lori barked as she stood up. "Just make sure you and the girls give me moral support while I'm in the ring. Especially you, capiche?"
Lola could read between the lines and grew a more determined look. "Yeah, sure. I'll give ya moral support."
She just wasn't sure how to deliver "moral support" in a challenge like this. She didn't know much about wrestling, but she knew it involved two people inside a ring and the onlookers could not enter it. She had to act beforehand.
"I see you're prepping yourself up for the challenge." Kathleen walked in on them, seeing the shredded punching bag on the ground. "Lynn will sure have her work cut out for her."
Lori sneered. "Oh, you've seen nothing yet! Wrestling is easy-peasy as long as you pick opponents weaker than yourself, like Lincoln. She doesn't know what she's in for."
"I dunno, bra. Wrestling has been her passion since she was in diapers? She has experience on her side?" Luna said skeptically before being cowed by an angry glare from Lori.
"On the other hand…" she flinched "…I have been wrong before."
"Experience?" Lori barked a laugh. "Who the hell needs experience for wrestling? It's nothing more than brainless roughhousing, even less complex than the many scraps we had back home. And with me being the oldest Loud, I naturally have the most experience at brawling with my younger siblings!"
"That's the spirit, Lori." Kathleen pumped her fist. "I'll be sure to lend you moral support as well, so will Amber. But alas…"
She turned to Jenny. "I'm afraid Jenny's been called by her doctor, he needs to change her nose cast, apparently it's been put on wrong."
"Eh…yeah. It was put on wrong." Jenny nodded, making sure to scratch it. "And it itches like crazy."
"Oh, you poor thing." Leni said sympathetically. "I know what it's like going to the doctor for being clumsy. When I was little, I once lost my footing and broke my leg while potty training."
"Ehhh….sure? No shame in that. But do not fret, ladies." Kathleen turned back to the Loud girls. "I and Amber know plenty of two-person stunts we can use."
Lola cleared her throat. "Speaking of leaving, I think I need to get a drink, I'm terribly parched."
"Of course, Lola. There's a soda machine every square mile, can't miss them." Kathleen smiled and gave her some spare change. "There's one just north of the ring. Just be sure to come back to lend Lori support during the wrestling match."
Lola smiled awkwardly and left the group. She and Lori weren't sure about letting Kathleen in on their cheating. They weren't sure if she would sanction it, given how what she said to Lynn half an hour ago implied the opposite and they simply didn't have the time to question her in a way without drawing suspicion to themselves, not when their freedom for the next day was at stake!
"Yeah, I should go too." Jenny pointed over her shoulder. "I have my appointment."
"Catch you later, Jen." Kathleen waved as Jenny ran off before facing Lori.
"By the way, if you girls feel like venting out frustration or such between the challenges, you can go to that outhouse over there." She pointed at the outhouse.
"Uhhh…you mean like on a reality show?" Leni beamed with excitement.
"I know, it was my idea!" Amber nodded and two clutched hands while squealing.
"Well, yes. I was planning to add that for the upcoming Astonishing Quest. But I haven't installed any cameras yet." Kathleen insisted. "I did promise you to keep this sacred family tradition of yours a private matter. I merely suggested it so you could blow off some steam if need be. Getting things off your chest helps to keep you focused during the game."
"Did you tell Lynn's team about it?" Lori inquired.
"Of course I did, I just came back from that." Kathleen explained. "Though they didn't seem to believe me about the lack of cameras."
"Of course not, they are such paranoid losers." Lori scoffed.
Unbeknownst to them, Ryan was watching them, hiding behind a tall pine tree, and silently slinked off. He had heard everything he needed to hear.
"Moral support?" he scoffed to himself. "You bimbos are so transparent."
Now he knew which bimbo to keep an eye on. It was too perfect. And he so hoped that he would be forced to wring her little neck.
His ears lowered, Charles wandered away from his group and looked around, expecting One Eye to pounce at any moment. But surely, he couldn't just waltz into town in broad daylight?
He yelped as he heard twigs snapping and a footfall, but calmed down upon seeing that it was only Marceline approaching him. The cat knew what was up, but like him, there was little she could do about it. Charles looked back at his owners and saw them gathering for the first big challenge.
Marceline bumped him in the shoulder and upon getting his attention, pointed her paw in a specific direction. Charles followed it and found a dark shape circling far away in the sky. He quickly realized that it was a bird. The vulture!
Marceline grimaced and then leaned towards the canine and whispered something into his ear, much to his surprise. It hadn't crossed his mind.
Marceline nodded and looked back at the sky. They couldn't warn their owners about One Eye's spy in the sky, but they sure could catch the feathered fiend and snap his turkey neck. She did that all the time with birds anyway.
We see Lori sitting in the outhouse through a wide-angle lens with her looking away from the camera. She was riled up but also visibly nervous.
"How clueless are those freaks?" She clenched her fists. "A new friend who is also insanely rich literally offers herself on a silver platter to them and they snub her at every occasion? What the hell is wrong with them? Do they literally have a single working cell in those peanut brains of theirs!"
She scoffed. "Well, not me. I know how to hobnob with the right crowd and how to get on their good side. Which is why I'm the most popular girl at high school, not that self-entitled whore Carol! I'm way smarter, prettier and more beloved than her!"
She tried to calm herself, as she was getting too passionate. "Calm down, forget about her. She'll get hers once she learns about your new BFF! It's Lynn you need to focus on right now. She's the object of your wrath now! Channel all your rage on that insufferable pipsqueak! Just you wait, Lynn. I'm about to knock you down a few pegs!"
"Oh, why! Oh, why!" Luna was hunched over and sobbing in her hands. "Why Samantha! Don't you know how much you mean to me! You rock my world! You complete me! Why would you go for that wanker Sully! He can't even hit the high notes or string his guitar without snapping the strings!"
Luan was lying on her bed in a fetal position, with her hands wrapped around her knees. How could mom do this to her? How could she trust that lying, conniving, two-faced bitch over her? Her own daughter! It was all Kathleen's fault! She had goaded her into punching her! She knew it. It was just like her to go to any despicable length to make Luan miserable. But still, how could her own mother not believe her? Treat her like she was the bad guy?
Hot tears were pouring down her face. This was a familiar feeling to her. All alone, broken, defeated, blamed for other people's wrongdoing, having nobody to turn to. A whimper escaped her lips as a new stream of tears poured down from her eyes.
That's when her phone rang, startling her. She scrambled to pick it off the nightstand and looked up the caller ID. Her eye's widened in shock.
"Hello?! Ryan? Is that you?" her voice was cracking as she spoke.
"The one and only, Lu." Came his casual response. Flustered, Luan didn't know what to say to him and instead just sniffed.
"Ryan, I…"
"Oh, I know what happened with Kathleen. Fenton recorded the whole thing and showed it to us."
"Wut?" she sniffed, suddenly feeling embarrassed beyond all belief." He…he did…?" she stammered.
"Oh, yeah. And it was glorious! I so regret not being there to see it with my own eyes. You sure sucker punched that sucker good!"
Luan did a double-take as he heard him laughing over the phone, when her heart filled with joy. He was laughing with her, not at her.
"You thought that was cool…..wait?" she realize something as she sat up. "Did you make a lame pun just now?" she giggled lightly.
"Guess I did. But let's cut to the chase, I can't chat with you for long, you know why."
"Oh, yeah? The duel?" Luan's brow furrowed. She had planned to spectate it, to support Lincoln's team, but freaking Kathleen put the kibosh on that.
"Yeah…look, we can't help you right now, but don't worry. Lana is the mole, remember? She'll vindicate you by the end of the day… after we crush those goddamn Tisdale loyalists."
"Oh, yes? Lana." She remembered, growing hopeful. Lana had agreed to spill the beans about Kathleen's evil plot.
As if on cue, Luan jumped as she heard a hatch open above her and a dusty Lana dropped in on her bed from the vent.
"Lana?" the comedian blurted, as the little tomboy shook herself clean like a dog and Luan flinched and shielded herself from the incoming dust bunnies.
"Hey, Luan." Lana said simply. She and the comedian weren't exactly on good terms, but they were currently on the same team, technically. And she was feeling sorry for her for what happened this morning.
Luan scowled at her skeptically. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you after what happened with Kathleen?" Lana shrugged before turning to her phone. "But I guess Ryan beat me to it. Said everything I wanted to say."
"Oh…hey, Ryan? How's it going?" she smiled and waved at Luan's phone.
"Ah, the squirt's here too? Excellent, excellent, looks like my robo-assistant won't have to stretch himself too thin."
"What are you talking about?" Luan asked. "You talking about Lisa's-"
"Yes, the fun-sized Five Night at Freddy's terminator. I have him on loan. Look, Lu. I know you're upset that you couldn't come. But I figured out a way for you to watch it."
Luan blinked, tears still in her eyes. "How?" she asked meekly.
"Simple, Fenton has his nifty little spy eyes that can function independently. And he's under my control for the moment. He'll just hack into your phone's frequency and broadcast the whole event to you gals. It will be like watching any other big game."
"Awesome." Lana was immediately hooked.
Luan grew intrigued and a small smile formed on her lips. "I'm listening…"
Secured to the branch of a tree with its spider legs, Fenton's left optic was filming the current event.
High above it, a ruffled Raza spotted the event too and preached himself on top of a birch tree, panting tiredly. There they were? Those accursed human brats he was meant to keep an eye on. He had found them, again. Tucking his head into his feathers, the vulture scowled and observed them. He'd rather be eaten alive by a pack of rabid coyotes than go through that ordeal with the street sweeper again.
Everyone had gathered around the wrestling ring. Not the makeshift one Lunatic Lynn had fashioned over one afternoon for her and Ravage Ryan to fight in, but a legit one, one that might as well have been plucked right out of the WWE.
Lori was sitting in the corner, still in her training bra and shorts, and now wearing a full face mask, pink in color and with a darker pink flower mark around the face and top of the head, with her blonde hair sticking out in a short ponytail.
Leni was massaging her shoulders from behind the ropes, with Luna next to her, who just watched her. She was feeling a little better ever since she spilled her heart out to the imaginary camera within that outhouse. It was oddly therapeutic.
"Lori, I think Lynn is mocking you with that mask of yours? I think she's calling you a pansy or something?" the rocker noted.
"Ha! Joke's on her!" Lori scoffed at her. Even behind that mask, Luna could easily see her usual smug, condescending smile.
"A real woman can be strong while embracing her femineity, including the color pink!" she said with fierce conviction while punching her chest. "And Lynn's gonna learn that the hard way today!"
"Oh, I know!" Leni squealed. "I think pink's the most beautiful color in the world, second only to sea blue!"
"Oh, that was…strangely enlightening?" Luna had to admit. It wasn't like Lori to say something insightful.
"Lori, Lori, she's our champ! She'll send the enemy straight to loser camp! LOO-RIII! L to the O to the R to I! L to the O to the R to I! L.O.R.I!" Kathleen swung her pom-poms, shook her booty and did a front flip.
"Lori, Lori, she's our girl! She's gonna make the opposition hurl!" she did a backflip and landed on Amber's shoulders. "Yay, LORI!"
"Go, Lynn. Go." Lucy droned while leaning over the ring ropes and halfheartedly swinging one pom-pom before throwing it over her shoulder.
"Where is Lynn?" Lincoln looked around.
"Oh, she's being fashionably late for the sake of a dramatic entrance," Ryan explained while wearing a beanie and a towel around his neck.
"Of course." Lincoln remembered and sighed. He sure hoped Lynn knew what she was doing. If she had been squaring off against any other sister, he would have bet money on her, but Lori? He could do nothing but have faith in his sporty sister.
Holding another mike, Kathleen somersaulted off Amber's shoulders and landed in the heart of the ring.
Ryan clapped his hands sardonically. "Wow, you can do flips? I'm soooo impressed."
"Yay! I know, right?" Leni clapped in earnest. "She's incredible! She's like a superhero!"
"More like the morally dubious femme fatale that seduces the superhero." Lincoln thought.
"You're too kind, folks." Kathleen spoke into her mike. "But our first contest isn't about grace and acrobatics, it's all about strength and durability, for our two combatants are going to square off in epic battle between big sister…." She gestured at Lori, who stood up and raised her fists into the air, eliciting cheers from her teammates and Amber, while the opposing team was silent, except for Ryan, who booed and gave her a thumbs down.
"….and little sister." Kathleen gestured to the other team but found the aforementioned combatant missing.
"Where is she anyway?" Kathleen asked, prompting Lynn's teammates to look around.
"Right here!" came a bombastic response, which made Ryan, Lincoln, Lucy and Lisa step aside as a cloaked figure appeared, lifted the ropes and entered the ring, making sure to stomp on the mattress with all her might, despite her small and lithe figure.
She swiftly threw her cloak to the floor and lifted her fists high into the air, revealing Lunatic Lynn, wearing her familiar getup, consisting of a red leotard with stripes on the flanks, with matching leggings and boots, along with her red and blue mask.
"Lunatic Lynn, the ruling campeona of lucha libre for ninos has come to take home the gold!" she proudly proclaimed.
"But there are no trophies in our sibling duels?" Lucy pointed out behind her.
"Pipe down!" Lynn hissed at her before fixing her glare on the referee and her opponent. She was very happy to see her wearing the dumb, pink flower mask. The idiot was totally clueless about how stupid she looked!
"Wow! Talk about an entrance, ladies and gents." Kathleen announced. "Let's hear it for Lunatic Lynn!"
Lynn's team cheered.
"That's my girl!" Ryan clapped his hands and whistled. "Knock her dead and then kick her mangled corpse!"
"Go, Lynn!" Leni cheered for her as well, earning annoyed looks from Luna and Lola, with the latter having just returned.
"On whose side are you on?!" the princess snapped at her.
"On our family's side, duh." Leni explained.
The two combatants marched towards the heart of the ring, glaring daggers at each other, both more than eager to clobber the other.
"Looks like the match is about to begin!" Kathleen announced. "A showdown between two estranged siblings, the younger Lunatic Lynn…" she gestured at Lynn again, eliciting cheers from her team once more.
"…and the older….eh?" she turned to Lori. "What's your wrestling name again?"
"Oh, it's Chica Flores!" Lynn laughed smugly. "It suits her sissy getup nicely."
"In your dreams, twerp!" Lori snapped back and grabbed hold of the mike. "Just call me Chica Grande! The elder sister who's gonna babysit the little lunatic, by which I mean that I will squash the little baby into the dirt!"
"Very well!" Kathleen spoke into her mike. "It's Lunatic Lynn, the pint-sized powerhouse, versus Chica Grande, the elder Loud!" Lori's team cheered to that.
Lynn chuckled gleefully. "Actually, "chica grande" means "big girl". How very fitting for you." She laughed while patting her belly.
Lori's pupils shrank and she saw nothing but red. "Oh, you are so dead! After I'm through with you, the "Pretzel Knot" will be the hottest new wrestling move!"
"Oh, bring it on, Large Marge!" Lynn challenged her and the two were ready to tear each other apart, when Kathleen came between them.
"Take it easy, ladies! You'll get the chance to crush, break and mutilate each other in a jiffy!" she announced. "You just have to wait for the gong!"
She pointed ahead and everyone saw a Chinse gong, with Amber standing next to it with a small mace in hand, waving at the crowd. She paused and wiped her forehead as she noted how scorching the afternoon sun was today.
"I'm fairly certain that percussion instrument has no links to Hispanic culture?" Lisa pointed out.
"Fine!" Lynn scoffed. "Enjoy your unbroken bones while you can, tubby!"
Lori growled. "You enjoy your delusions of being a pro wrestler while they last, twerp!"
Growling again, the two turned their backs on each other and walked back to their respective corners.
Lynn sat down on her chair and Ryan arrived to massage her shoulders.
"Payback will finally be mine." She said darkly, speaking to herself.
"Way to go, champ. You roasted Blondy like a pro!"
"I gotta say, that's a good start, Lynn." Lincoln added encouragingly, trying not to snicker. It wasn't often he saw Lynn verbally own someone by twisting their own words in such a spectacular fashion.
"That's Lunatic Lynn for you…" Lynn replied half-jokingly. "And trash talking is sometimes ya gotta master before you can even step foot in the ring!"
"I'll say." Ryan quipped. "You made a joke out of flower girl before she could even throw the first punch. Her fragile ego must be falling apart as we speak."
"Do you need a sip?" Lucy offered Lynn a water bottle.
"Sure." Lynn pulled her mask up to her nose and was about to reach the bottle, when Ryan snatched it away.
"Not so fast!" he warned her. "I have a hunch this water has been tainted. Try this one."
He pulled out a different bottle of sparkling water from his backpack and handed it to her.
"Alright." Lynn didn't question him and chugged it down. He was the expert on cheating and rigging after all.
Ryan, meanwhile, watched Lori and chuckled evilly. Hoist by her own petard.
"Don't worry. You have this one in the bag." Lola assured Lori with an evil snicker.
"You better hope so, for your sake." Lori told her.
"Huh! Don't take it out on me!" the princess shot back. "If you're too weak to trounce someone four years younger than you, then that's your fault for being a wimp!"
"Why you…" Lori boiled. "I'll crush that twerp without breaking a sweat!"
"Calm down, Lori." Luna tried to intervene. "Remember, keep your anger focused on Lynn."
While they were arguing, a small orb on four huge spider legs crawled up underneath them, spotted the water bottle with his telescopic camera and snatched it with a robot tentacle, before replacing it with the one Ryan took away from Lynn.
"Sleeping drug secured." Fenton asserted and crawled away from there while the sisters continued arguing.
"Huh! You sure were in no hurry to take my place." Lola crossed her arms.
"That's because I was scheming, you nincompoop!" Lori insisted.
"You mean cowering in fear!" Lola shot back, while Luna facepalmed.
"Awww….why couldn't they wait a few hours for the tournament." Amber lamented as she walked behind them and snatched the water bottle.
"No, I was weighing out my options and trying to figure out the best way to rig the odds in our favor!"
"I don't think you're the one who should be taking credit for that." Lola gave her a haughty smirk.
Lori saw it and hoped the little brat kept good on her silent promise.
They heard Kathleen clearing her throat over the mike and she announced, "Let the fight commence!"
"Time to rumble!" Lynn eagerly jumped into the ring, her blood pumping with excitement. Finally, she got to fight in a real wrestling ring!
"The fight is on!" Lori grew a determined look behind her mask and got up.
"Have fun, Lori!" Leni shouted chipperly.
"Teach her who's boss!" Luna added.
Lola climbed up the ropes and screamed. "Show no mercy! Tear her spine out and beat her to death with it!"
"Dude?" Luna gave her an unnerved look.
Returning to the heart of the ring, the two masked combatants faced each other, bracing themselves, with Kathleen in-between them.
"Alright, the rules are simple." Kathleen explained. "Whoever holds down their opponent until the count of ten wins this round. Is that it, Lunatic Lynn?"
"That's right." The jock nodded.
"That shouldn't be too hard." Lori sneered.
"I guess not. With your weight advantage and all." Lynn shrugged, making her opponent boil.
She narrowed her eyes at Lynn with murderous intent.
"Too bad this isn't a sumo match, Chica Grande!" Ryan shouted mockingly, while Lori desperately tried to tune him out.
"I'd advise remaining cognizant about your equilibrium, Lori!" Lisa shouted as well.
At long last, the gong was heard, and some of the crowd saw Amber holding the mace, while also looking a bit off-kilter. But most were focused on Lunatic Lynn and Chica Grande.
Time seemed to stop for everyone, except for Kathleen, who swiftly jumped out of the way, grabbed the ropes and backflipped out of the ring.
With a fierce battle cry, Lori lunged at her opponent but Lynn dove between her legs, bolted towards the ropes and threw herself against them.
Using them like a slingshot, she flung herself at Lori, jumped and with incredible speed, she grabbed Lori in a chokehold and threw the two of them to the floor.
Lori gasped as she was being held down by her opponent, while Lynn's team cheered her own.
"That's it! She won't have the strength to fight back once the drugs kick in!" Ryan thought gleefully.
"Poor Lynn! Your strength will fail you in seconds!" Lola thought gleefully.
"Say adios, sisterita!" Lynn grunted, her grip on Lori's throat getting tighter.
"Fat…chance!" Lori croaked and did a full front kick, her shoe hitting Lynn right in the forehead.
Lynn yelped and loosened her grip, allowing Lori to break free and jump to her legs. Before Lynn could recover, Lori grabbed her, hoisted her up and slammed her into the floor, making the former's teammates gasp.
Wasting no time, Lori threw herself at Lynn, but the latter rolled out of the way and Lori's belly hit the floor. As she grunted in pain, Lynn jumped on her and slammed her elbow right into her back, making Lori let out a high-pitched scream that made everyone cringe, except for Ryan, who watched the event with wicked excitement.
"That's it! Dislocate the bitch's spine!" he cheered.
"Oh, look! They are cuddling!" Leni squealed and clutched her hands. "That's so sweet!"
"Get up, you miserable weakling!" Lola cried through a megaphone and shook her fist as Lynn grabbed Lori in a Nelson hold and was pinning her down once more.
"What was it you said about there being more important things than speed and strength?" Lynn mocked her. "Guess you were right? There's also experience!"
Meanwhile, in Luan's home, the comedian and Lana were both watching the match on the former's phone.
"That's it! Crush her, Lynn!" Lana cheered while clutching the phone. "She had it coming for years!"
Growling, Lori struggled but managed to slowly and steadily kneel up, much to Lynn's shock, who wouldn't loosen her grip on her for anything. She wrapped her legs around Lori's waist and shook her hips back and forth, doing anything she could think of to knock Lori off balance but to no avail.
"Why isn't the spiked water working?!" a vexed Ryan and Lola thought simultaneously.
Lori managed to stand up and flail around, with Lynn clinging on to her back.
Lori grew a strained smile under her mask and hurled herself at one of the ring posts, using Lynn as a cushion as she slammed her back into it.
Lynn cried and let go as Lori stumbled to her feet and swiftly turned around. She grabbed the groaning Lynn by the legs and started spinning her in circles while laughing evilly.
Lynn tried to remain focused and keep her lunch down, but she was growing increasingly dizzy.
"That's it! Go, Lori!" Lola cheered through her megaphone. "Rip her legs off! Tie them into a pretzel! Pulverize her!"
"Hope you have a strong stomach!" Lori laughed before throwing Lynn into the ropes.
As she hit them, it caused Amber, who had been leaning on them unconsciously, to fall off and drop her mace on the platform.
Lynn was flung back at Lori, who rammed her fist into her gut, knocking the wind out of her and slamming her into the floor.
Lynn's teammates winced, and so did Leni and Luna.
"Guys? Isn't this game a little too violent?" a worried Leni finally noticed.
"Who cares!" Lola shouted manically. "It's too much fun! Go for the kill, Lori!"
With her entire body aching, Lynn was grabbed by Lori, who hoisted her above her head.
"So much for being a budding wrestler, baby sister!" she laughed and slammed her into the floor again with all her strength.
"Guys, I think Lynn needs a little assistance?" Ryan told the others.
Lori could have simply pinned Lynn right then and there, but she got caught up in the moment and felt the need to finish her opponent in a grandiose fashion.
Then she saw one of the rope posts and it sparked an idea. What did they call that maneuver? A diving drop? Who cares! That's what she was going to do!
She jumped on the post and spread her arms out for balance, watching Lynn's groaning form below her, partially cast by Lori's shadow. Her opponent opened her eyes and got a good look at her.
Luan and Lana watched this in stunned silence.
"Come on, Lynn. Get up, get up." Lana said in a small voice.
"Sayonara, Lame-o Lynn!" Lori said gleefully.
"Watch out, Lori! Don't fall off that thing!" Lincoln called out to her in a mocking tone. It got her attention.
"Yeah, watch your balance, El Larda!" Ryan quipped while throwing his gut out and shaking it.
Lori growled, as Lincoln pointed at her. "Bobby must be a real heavy-lifter if he can hold you in his lap!"
"Why you…" Lori hissed until she realized what was going on, and turned her gaze back to Lynn.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Lori roared and dove at her, but too late. Lynn jumped out of the way and Lori bellyflopped on the floor, groaning in pain.
Lynn backed away and sucked up the pain, trying to figure out her next move. Simply jumping Lori wasn't going to work, she had to wear her down first. Or more precisely, beat her down first.
"Come at me, you freaking wildebeest!" she puffed up her chest and gestured at herself, as the bruised Lori stood up and glared at her.
They both charged at each other and locked arms, struggling for a bit until Lori lifted Lynn off the floor and threw her at the ropes again, but Lynn used it to her advantage to gain momentum.
Her hand touched the floor as she charged at Lori and vice versa, she dove under her legs again and before her opponent knew it, she uttered an even higher-pitched scream of pure agony as Lynn gave her an atomic wedgie!
This got the crowd hollering with laugher, including the spectators at home. Even Lola couldn't help herself but fall off the ropes and roll around in stitches. "Wait! We're losing!" she realized and jumped to her feet.
Lori continued screaming as her underwear now covered her head and flailed around, throwing Lynn off but the latter stuck her landing and charged back at Lori. Spreading out her right arm, she managed to bowl Lori over, which caused her underpants to rip in the process.
Lori faceplanted, with her underwear still crawling up her crack, as Lynn grabbed hold of her ponytail and used it to swing her around until Lori's face collided with one of the posts.
Lynn pulled her back and let her drop. Lori shook her head, realizing she was failing. No! She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't be defeated and humiliated by this twerp!
She staggered to her feet, but this was a mistake as Lynn flung herself at Lori once more, this time leaping into the air and performing a dropkick, striking Lori right in the temple.
Dizzy and disoriented, Lori spun around before faceplanting once more. Lynn didn't waste any time and jumped atop one of the ring posts, spreading her arms out and narrowing her eyes, as a drowsy Lori flopped onto her back.
"This is for filming my big wipeout!" she roared and performed a diving chop.
Before Lori could process it, Lynn's elbow slammed into her chest, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to faint.
Lori's team gasped in shock while Lynn's team cheered, as Lynn unceremoniously flopped her opponent onto her back and then grabbed her in a chokehold, pinning her down for the third time.
Kathleen arrived in front of them, crouched down and started patting the mattress.
"Ten…..nine….eight…."
Lola and Luna gawked in shock.
"…seven…...six….five…."
"Nooo…" Lori gasped in a small voice, but couldn't break out of Lynn's grip.
"…four….three…..two…..and…..ONE!"
The gong was heard again, and the crowd looked to see Ryan holding the mace.
Kathleen kneeled up and grabbed Lynn's wrist. "Well…looks like we have a-hey!"
Lynn shoved her aside. Drenched in sweat, she stood up and lifted her fists into the air while shouting, "I WIN!"
"Lunatic Lynn's champion el mundo!" she laughed exuberantly.
Her teammates jumped over the rope and congratulated her, while Luna and Lola just watched with their jaws hanging.
Back home, Luan and Lana were laughing their asses off.
"About time someone curb-stomped that cow in public! And threw all her body-shaming insults back at her!" the comedian exclaimed.
"That's my big sis!" Lana cheered. "She gave Lori the butt-whooping she deserved!"
"Oh, I'm saving this footage for all eternity!" Luan smiled gleefully.
From his vantage point, Raza looked aside and snickered at the absurd event he had just witnessed. Who would have thought a small human child could brawl like that? Then again, if these runts had run into his boss and survived on more than one occasion, then they must be very tough?
"You did it, Lynn! I knew you would!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Blondy got her culo handed to her!" Ryan slapped her back. "You're the greatest!"
"I can't believe I'm saying this…" Lucy shook her head incredulously "…but well done, Lynn. You were incredible."
"I think it's a redundant observation to cite at this point, but I still feel compelled to do so." Lisa added. "You truly are a champion at this barbaric blood sport."
"Thanks, guys." Lynn grew flustered. It wasn't often her sisters congratulated her on anything.
"No! No! No!" Lola screamed and threw her megaphone away, while Luna just sighed in resignation.
"Well…I guess this was inevitable." She leaned on the ropes, while Lola broke down crying on them.
"No, no! This isn't fair! This isn't fair!"
"No! No! NO!" a bruised and battered Lori clutched her face and threw a classic Lori tantrum. "This cannot be true! I did not just lose a fight to a freaking 12-year-old! It's not real! It's unreal! It's literally the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to me! I had it all under control! How could it have gone south like that! And I'm not fat! I'm not even of average weight! I'm model-thin! All those magazines said that I fit all the requirements for landing myself a hunky future husband and to be successful at any career I choose, I already accomplished one of those things! Those little shits were just trying to trigger me!"
She finally ran out of breath and could do nothing but mutter incomprehensible gibberish in-between pants.
"Well…at least nobody important was there to see it." she grew a lopsided, pathetic smile. "And nobody caught it on film?"
"Uhg! That useless idiot!" Lola ranted and pounded her fists against the toilet. "She screwed it up! It's all her fault! And why didn't my trick work! Lynn should have been knocked out in five minutes max! How did that airhead Amber get a hold of that water bottle! It's not fair! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
Lori was still lying down in a broken heap when she saw Lynn and Ryan looming over her.
"You called that a fight!" Lynn barked a laugh and threw her arm over Ryan. "You're absolutely pathetic! This fella gave me a real fight!"
"I won't brag too much." Ryan said insincerely. "But I did earn the "ravage" part of "Ravage Ryan" on my first try."
Lynn laughed and squeezed on his neck. "We need a rematch pronto, just so I'll have a real adversary again, and not this flabby chump lying in front of us!"
"Don't be too hard on her!" Ryan sneered. "She can't help it if she has a sweet tooth for snickerdoodles!"
Looking up, Lori clenched her teeth and could do nothing but stew in bitter contempt.
"Guys…" Lincoln joined the conversation, immediately earning annoyed looks from Lynn and Ryan.
But before they could get a word in, he raised his hands and spoke, "No! You have every right to bask in Lynn's victory. Lori was the one who wanted to fight you, you gave her that fight and she got what was coming to her."
"In other words, a perfect example of poetic justice." Lucy added.
Lynn calmed down and chuckled. "Awww….put it there, bro!"
She and Lincoln high-fived each other before an angry grunt made them, Ryan, Lucy and Lisa turn around in time to see Lori cumbersomely rising to her feet, towering over them, with her face unreadable behind her mask, except for those familiar rage-filled eyes.
Lynn and her team huddled together, with Lynn stepping in front of them protectively. If there had to be a round two, she was ready for it!
Lori tore off her mask and breathed in and out through clenched teeth. But she managed to pull herself together and sneered miserably.
"Don't celebrate too soon, twerps! This is only round one. There are still three more to go!" She hissed in warning, clearly still hurting from her beatdown.
"Oh, I know. And I'm sure Lunatic Lynn put you out of commission for the next two." Lynn laughed.
Lori growled before Kathleen got between them. "Congratulations, Lynn. It seems you have a bright future ahead of you as a professional wrestler."
Lynn eyed her skeptically before scoffing. "I have many more careers in mind. Lucha libre on its own simply isn't challenging enough, not with such weak sauce opponents like her." She pointed at Lori, much to the latter's frustration.
"Very fascinating." Kathleen spoke into her mike again. "Lynn sure is a multi-talented gal! Wrestling, soccer, basketball, softball, what can't she do? Maybe one of Lori's challenges can give us that answer?"
She shoved her mike towards the battered Lori, catching her off-guard. But Lori soon grew a sinister smile.
"Oh, I think it will, I have two very difficult challenges in store for these losers."
Her vague warning quickly dampened Team Lynn's mirth about their first victory.
"Uhhhh…so scary." Ryan quipped sardonically. "And what will those be?"
"Oh, it will be a surprise. Both of them" Lori said cryptically, making everyone on Team Lynn swallow a lump.
"And I'm sure you won't be involved in it?" Ryan sneered.
Lori scowled. "I…of course I won't be! This is a team activity and I need time to recuperate."
"Which is just code for slinking off somewhere to lick your wounds, cuz you got your ass whooped by your little sister." Ryan quipped mockingly.
Lynn couldn't help herself. "Yeah? Who's the cowardly poser now? Huh, chubby?"
"Guys." Lincoln tried to warn them. "Don't push it." But he was promptly ignored.
Lori seethed. "I am not scared-"
"You're scared one of us will mop the floor with your again?" Lynn continued brazenly. "You fragile widdle ego couldn't handle it?"
"It must be as fragile as she is!" Ryan added. "It would explain her performance at wrestling."
"Uhhh…..is the captain of Team Lori gonna take this slander lying down, folks?" Kathleen spoke into her mike, eager to see how Lori would react to that. This Loud sibling duel was getting more entertaining for her by the minute.
"No, I'm not!" the blonde snapped, the volume of her voice making everyone take a step back.
"I'm not scared of you twerps and I'll prove it!" she roared. "I'll be representing my team for the next challenge! A physical one at that!"
"Oh, crap…" Lincoln didn't like the sound of that, knowing how it was Team Lori's pick now who their opponent would be.
Lynn didn't get the memo though, too consumed by her competitive spirit.
"Big talk for someone with such a lackluster track record." She sneered at her older sister. "Bring it on!"
An hour later….
Gathering together at a picnic table in the woods, Team Lynn was still celebrating their first victory. Except for Lincoln. The boys were seated with Lynn, and Lucy and Lisa on the other side.
"Well, I can confidently say that my embarrassing wipeout from way back when has been avenged." Lynn said casually, and back to wearing her normal clothes and beanie.
"I'm sure Lana will be proud of you too." Ryan added.
"Say what?" Lynn looked at him.
"Oh, right? Didn't mention." Ryan laughed. "Lana and Luan have been watching the whole thing from back home. I had Fenton use one of his spy eyes to broadcast the events to Luan's phone. Right?" he tapped his pocket.
"Positive." Fenton's voice was heard from his pocket.
"Huh? That was strangely considerate of you?" Lincoln smirked.
"Nah, that's not my style." Ryan instantly dismissed it. "I just didn't want them to miss the fun, by which I mean Blondy's suffering."
"Wicked." Lucy smiled. "That means Luan got to see one of her biggest tormentors receiving a long-overdue dose of karmic justice."
"And more importantly…" Lynn boasted. "Lana got to see just how awesome her favorite big sis is. I shall not disappoint her with the other challenges."
"Assuming you get to participate in Lori's challenges." Lincoln pointed out.
Lynn turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I?"
Lincoln blinked, unsure if she was being sarcastic or sincere. "Because Lori will do anything to win. Which means she'll pick the opponent most likely to fail. We already know one of her challenges is a physical one, unless she was lying."
"And you figure she's going to pick you for that?" Ryan rubbed his chin, now getting why Lincoln was back to his usual killjoy self.
"That's a given." Lincoln replied sardonically before glancing at his two younger sisters. "Unless she aims for an even softer target."
Both Lucy and Lisa felt chills running down their spines. Neither wanted to square off against a pissed-off Lori in a physical challenge, likely to be a contact sport.
"And we are totally unprepared for this." The boy added when Lynn's laughter diverted everyone's attention.
She slapped her brother on the back. "Sorry to give you the good news, Baron Von Buzzkill, but didn't you pay any attention?"
"What?" Lincoln asked, confused and still unnerved.
"Me and Ryan made sure to rile that cow up good, she's totally focused on getting even with us." Lynn pointed out. "She can't square off against Ryan, but she can take me on again. So don't you worry your snowy little head. You're off her radar right now."
"You seriously think she'll choose you?" Lincoln asked incredulously. "That she'll just pass up an easy win like that?"
He wasn't about to tell Lynn that they got lucky on the first challenge, as that would imply that he was dismissing her wrestling skills after seeing first-hand evidence that Lynn's confidence in regards to them was well-justified, but he maintained that they must be cautious moving onward.
"Under normal circumstance, no." Lynn shook her head. "But Lori just got a humiliating, first-class ass-whooping, courtesy of moi. And I made sure to rub it in her face for as long as I possible. She's way too pissed-off to be thinking clearly now. She may have no shame, but she does have a ginormous ego."
"Lynn, I don't know about that?" Lincoln replied with uncertainty. "Given what's at stake for her, I think she'll swallow her ego for this one."
"This is Lori Loud you're talking about, you dope." Lynn countered with strong conviction. "She'd sooner choke on her ego than even entertain the idea of swallowing it."
Lincoln sighed. "What do you guys think?"
Lucy, Lisa and Ryan exchanged glances.
"I dunno, I could see both scenarios playing out?" Lucy said sincerely.
"Likewise." Lisa nodded.
"Hearing from Blondy herself should be a monumental occasion then." Ryan smirked and held his hands out, mimicking a balance scale.
"Personal pride or an easy win? What will the head bimbo choose?" he did a mock impression of their not-so-beloved announcer.
The others sniggered but they didn't have to wait for an answer for long, as they spotted Kathleen approaching them, with a very smug-looking Lori in tow. Already, Lincoln had a bad feeling.
"Ah, Team Lynn. Currently leading the game." Kathleen greeted them. "Are you ready for the next challenge?"
"Ready and waiting in eager anticipation." Lynn stood up, smirking and confident that she would get another chance to make Lori her bitch.
"That's great to hear, because I'm also itching to get to it." Lori smiled ominously.
"And what is your first challenge?" Lincoln asked tentatively. "You said it would be…physical?"
"It's not as bad as wrestling maybe." Lori casually checked out her fingernails. "But compared to my other one, this one is quite physically demanding. Sure to leave some bruises, maybe even a few broken bones…"
"Yeah, yeah, enough with the suspense, Chica Grande." Lynn quipped mockingly. "What is it?"
"Simple." Lori shrugged. "Ever heard of those jousts where two people try to knock their opponent off a platform with those…. giant q-tip….. thingies? Like on American Gladiator?"
"You mean pugil sticks?" Lynn scoffed. "So this is gonna be a good old pugil bout, huh?"
"Sweet!" she pumped her fists. "I've never had the chance to best someone at one of those!"
Her statement was followed by a small laugh from Lori. "Whoever implied you would be the one facing off against me?"
Lynn's face fell, while the rest of her team all froze with fear. Lincoln had been right after all.
"Excuse me?" Lynn said indignantly.
"You had your time in the limelight, Lynn." Lori stated patronizingly and pointed at their brother, making him jolt. "Time to give the other twerp a chance to prove himself!"
"Me?!" Lincoln squeaked.
"And we're doomed…" Ryan grumbled before tapping his pocket three times. It was time for him and Fenton to get busy.
"You want Lincoln to fight you?!" Lynn said angrily, part of her offended, the other part fearing for her little brother.
"Mhmm…" Lori nodded.
Suddenly, they heard a phone ringing. They saw Ryan standing up and picking up the call.
"Hello? Mom? Ah…..I see…..oh, shoot…." The boy frowned and put his palm over the phone.
"Sorry, guys." He said to his team. "It was great being your personal cheerleader, but my mom is calling me. There's a family emergency back home and I need to be there pronto. You can keep Marcy as your mascot though."
"Ha! I expected as such!" Lori snorted. "You're not fooling anyone, ugo! You're trying to slink off, so you can try and help your pals cheat!"
"Really now?" Ryan replied with an air of smugness and handed her the phone. "Mind telling that to my mom personally? Her name's Helen by the by."
"Sure." Lori grabbed the phone and pressed it against her ear.
"Hello, am I speaking to a Mrs. Helen Taylor? Yes? Oh, well….I just wanted to tell you that you're a fat, ugly bitch with rat hair, sewer breath and cankles that would make Bigfoot less self-conscious, on top of having a son that's a disgrace to all-"
Lori pulled the phone back as she was bombarded by the angry rantings of a 40-something-year-old woman."
"What?" the startled Lori listened. "No! No! What? You're a lawyer?" she glanced at Ryan, who just nodded calmly.
"I didn't know he could modulate his voice?" Lisa whispered to Lucy.
"Must have adopted it after he built us a voice modulator." The goth whispered back.
"What?! No! Please no lawsuits! I'm only sixteen! And I was just joking! See? Ha ha ha! It was just a prank call! Bye!" she shoved the phone back into Ryan's hands.
"You're lucky my relationship with my mom is supremely broken, otherwise I'd be a lot more offended." Ryan scoffed indignantly and turned around.
"I wish ya the best of luck, guys." He said and walked off.
"Thanks, Ryan. See ya soon!" Lynn waved.
"Yeah…eh. Catch you later!" Lincoln did the same.
"Don't worry, Lori." Kathleen told the blonde. "If anything happens, I have more powerful lawyers. Mrs. Taylor might even be working for daddy. He has more of those pit bulls than he has ex-wives, and believe me, he has more of those than your average billionaire."
She patted her shoulder and walked off. "Everyone be at the mud pit in half an hour."
"Sure…thanks." The flustered Lori replied as she watched her go. "Eh, I think I should get ready for the bout."
But just as she was about to run off, she got stopped by Lynn.
"Hold your horses!" Lynn snapped at her. "Why didn't you pick me?!"
Lori grew a smug look and folded her arms. "Take a wild guess, genius?"
"But she humiliated you in the ring?" Lucy pointed out. "She even gave you an atomic wedgie?"
"True." Lori admitted bitterly. "Which is exactly why I ain't taking any chances with this one. I haven't forgotten what's at stake."
Lynn seethed. "You….you cowardly poser! Do you not have any shame?"
"I do, but unlike you, I prefer to think with my brain, not my ego." Lori scoffed before turning to the table. "Besides, this way, I'm gonna win this round and settle a score either way."
She locked eyes with Lincoln before letting out an evil chuckle and walking off.
Lynn watched her go, clenching her teeth, balling her fists and trembling with rage, while Lincoln sighed and buried his face in his hands.
"This is gonna suck..." He moaned.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was filming them from the bushes.
Sneaking her way through the maze of trees, Lola, with a small handbag strapped around her shoulder, peeked from the nearest tree and found the opposing team talking to Lincoln next to the changing hut he had been assigned to.
Grinning wickedly, the princess tippy-toed her way up to the back of the hut, careful not to make any noise, and put her bag down as she saw a small window some six feet above her. Looking around, she found a short folding ladder lying nearby and ran up to it, using all her might to pull it. While she was struggling at that, Ryan snuck up behind her and pulled the itching powder from her bag and replaced it with baby powder.
"I'm ahead of you this time, Pinky." He boasted inwardly as he put his stealth skills to good use and disappeared silently before Lola could turn around.
Pulling the ladder towards the hut, Lola managed to push it up and against it, before strapping the handbag over her shoulder again.
"Finally!" she grinned as she climbed up. "Payback on that sorry excuse for a brother!".
Ryan watched her balancing herself atop the ladder and jumping into the hut, while he was leaning against a tree trunk and chuckled, "The sorry little amateur….".
"Master Ryan." He heard Fenton's jet-boots and the fox-bot landed in front of him, holding a glass jar filled with crawling fire ants, who were viciously snapping their mandibles.
"I have located. A Solenopsis colony." He held up the jar. "And delivered it. As you requested."
"Excellent!" Ryan chuckled triumphantly while holding up a small bottle of distilled knock-out gas. "Now let's find those snappy little buggers a new home!"
On the other side of the hut, Lincoln didn't say much as he headed to the door, ready to accept his defeat with quiet grace and dignity. The match would start in just ten minutes.
"Wait a sec." Lynn grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare quit before the challenge even started, you hear me!" she scolded him like a stern coach.
He sighed. "I wouldn't think about it, but not like that will matter much."
"Oh, yes it will!" Lynn shook him. "You might not be strong or athletic but you can think on your feet and you are resourceful, so don't give me any lip! You're gonna put those skills to use!"
"She's right." Lucy approached them. "You stand a chance if you just channel your strengths. I have faith in you."
"That's very kind of you, girls." He sighed. "But don't raise your hopes too much, otherwise you might be setting yourself up for disappointment."
Lynn grimaced. She couldn't deny that he was right, to an extent. Lori hadn't picked him for no reason. Technically, all of Lynn's teammates were soft targets for Lori in such a challenge, but she and Lincoln were the only ones Lori was craving to get payback on, and she chose the easier one. That pathetic, hypocritical coward!
Noticing the disappointed look from Lucy, Lincoln added. "I'll try my best, I can promise you that much."
"Well, statistically?" Lisa started pessimistically. "Given all the elements factoring into this contest, such as height, strength and agility, I'd say you're well-justified in your lack of confidence…"
She stopped upon getting annoyed looks from her sisters. "But then again? The margin for error with statistics should not be underestimated?"
"Fine, just try your best, that's all we ask of you." Lynn turned back to Lincoln, before handing him a can. "But chug down this energy drink first, it will heighten your senses!"
Inside the hut, Lola was busy pouring all of the powder on the gray tracksuit Lincoln was meant to wear, in order to avoid getting his own clothes dirty.
She froze upon hearing the door opening and dove under the small bench and pulled her handbag with her. She saw her brother's shoes as he approached her. She tried to crawl back further but found herself pressed against the wall.
She felt a huge pressure on her hand and clenched her teeth in pain. She couldn't scream or the jig would be up. Thankfully, Lincoln moved his foot off her hand to take off his shoe and she jerked it back, observing and grimacing at the dirty sole print besmudging her fine glove.
Soon, she saw Lincoln's pants drop around his heels and promptly shut her eyes tight in disgust and covered them. She had already seen far more of her brother's skin than any little girl was meant to.
Perched on a pine tree, Raza watched the kids gathering around a large mud pit with two platforms. His curiosity was piqued once more. What sort of crazy competition were they going to hold next? Whatever it was, he had a front-row seat!
Suddenly, he cringed and his feathers ruffled from the horrid noise that assaulted his ear holes. What was that? It sounded like a moose with bowel problems?
Wearing a gray tracksuit herself, Lori covered her ears, as did Kathleen and the rest of the girls. The sound in question was Leni blowing a horn until Kathleen grabbed it and lowered it.
"Leni?" she tried to keep her voice even. "I told you to only blow it once the match starts, in order to signal it?"
"Oh, right? Sorry." The blonde giggled childishly. "I just found the noise very funny."
"That's one way to put it." Lola grumbled and picked her left ear.
"I apologize for having to borrow Leni for this." Kathleen shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't expecting Amber to be suffering from narcolepsy at the moment."
She pointed at Amber, who was passed out on a park bench and snoring.
"Huh? Yeah, how weird?" Lori chuckled while tugging her collar, before sending an angry glare to Lola, making her flinch.
"I wonder how that could have happened?" she hissed with barely-concealed fury.
"Heh? Beats me?" Lola shrugged innocently.
"You know, Lola? Not to sound needy or anything, but I don't think you've been lending me enough moral support during the last challenge?" Lori narrowed her eyes. "Lynn's team was cheering her on the whole time?"
"But Lola was cheering for you the most, Lori?" Leni pointed out. "I could barely hear myself or Luna over her cheers."
"Don't worry, Lori. This time I'm gonna offer lots of moral support." Lola assured the taller blonde. "You have my word."
Lori grimaced and put her protective headgear on, when she spotted the other team arriving. She saw her dinky opponent, wearing the same tracksuit and headgear as her, while also visibly quivering in fear, much to her delight.
"So you did show up?" she quipped condescendingly. "I kinda expected you to run for the hills?"
"We ain't cowards. Unlike some folk." Lynn said firmly and bumped Lincoln. "Right, Linc?"
"Um…..right…" the boy gulped.
"What's that chattering noise?" Lori cupped her ear. "Is that your teeth, Linky? Or maybe your knees?"
"I think it's both." Lola said in a smarmy tone while Lincoln pressed his knees against each other to stop them from shaking.
Composing himself, he sighed in resignation. "Can we just get this over with?"
"Cutting to the chase, are we? Fine by me?" Lori shrugged with unbridled confidence. "Let's get to it."
"Don't forget your weapons." Kathleen reminded them and threw the first one to Lori. A hockey stick?
"Wait a sec!" Lynn spoke up. "That's no pugil stick?"
"Yeah, they are supposed to have padding?" Lincoln pointed out. "To prevent any unnecessary injury and pain, right?"
"I know." Kathleen sighed sadly as she handed him his own hockey stick. "But I just learned that we had none in storage here, must not have been delivered yet."
"Works for me." Lori swung hers like sword, smiling sadistically at Lynn and Lincoln.
"My bad, but I simply didn't know which challenges to anticipate, what with you guys keeping it a secret and all." Kathleen casually explained. "But look on the bright side?"
"This way, it will be more like an actual joust, right? Swift and agile. Those pugil sticks are very heavy and cumbersome anyway."
"Good points, Kathy." Lori wholeheartedly agreed. "How about we test out your theory? Right now?"
"Very well. Now, as we've agreed, you two will joust and if you fall into the mud, you're out?" Kathleen asked. "Simple as that?"
"Simple as that." Lori nodded.
Lincoln was trembling with fear on the inside but managed to keep himself composed. If it went wrong, which was the likely outcome, at least it wouldn't last long, he assured himself. A few blows and one mud bath and he would be free to go.
Lynn could do nothing now except to give him an encouraging pat on the back, while Lucy and Lisa just nodded and gave weak smiles.
Raza watched the two humans climbing up and balancing themselves on the platforms. He figured this would be some kind of joust, with those sticks being used as weapons.
But suddenly, he felt the tree shaking and he looked down to see Ryan scaling up the trunk. The vulture panicked but noticed that the boy wasn't looking at him. He quickly flew off, made a long U-turn and landed on another tree at the other side of the clearing.
Ryan seated himself on a branch, making sure his body was partially obscured by the branches, and pulled out his binoculars. He noted how Lori's features were laced with smug confidence, unsurprisingly. She also looked pretty excited, undoubtedly at the prospect of knocking the pipsqueak off his platform.
He chuckled to himself, "Looks like somebody has ants in her pants?"
Lori felt a faint sting or two on her flank, and scratched it agitation, but didn't think too much of it. Her excitement overwhelmed any immediate discomfort, as her gaze became fixed on her trembling opponent.
Smiling, she lifted her stick up. "How about you take a fall, twerp, and I'll spare you the hurting?" she boasted.
Lincoln said nothing in response, but stood his ground, clutching his stick.
"Defiant until the bitter end?" Lori scoffed. "Have it your way! This will make it all the more fun for me." She chuckled while beating her palm with the hockey stick. She felt some more stings all across her body but ignored them. She couldn't lose focus now.
"What a turn of events?" Kathleen said into her mike. "Now we have a champ facing off against an underdog? Looks like the odds are not in Team Lynn's favor this time? Or will Lincoln surprise us all and come out on top?"
She paused for dramatic effect before adding, "Probably not. This isn't a movie. But you gotta give the guy points for sheer gall and determination."
Lynn and Lucy seethed and glared at her. Lisa just shook her head, knowing which outcome was inevitable.
Lincoln noticed his sister twitching uncomfortably. "Y-you okay, L-lori?"
"I'm feeling great!" she barked. "I'm itching to bash your brains in, you meddling little twerp!"
"Let the joust commence!" Kathleen announced but then noticed something missing.
She cleared her throat. "I said…..let the joust commence!"
"The game is on?" she continued before turning around sharply. "Leni! I said "Let the joust commence"?"
"Wut"? Leni looked at her blankly.
Rolling her eyes, Kathleen snatched her horn and blew it herself.
It was like music to Lori's ears, and like a death knell to Lincoln's, as the two combatants locked eyes.
"Just try me, twerp?" Lori huffed, not bothering to attack.
Lynn cupped her mouth and shouted, "Come on, Lincoln! You can do it!"
Gulping, Lincoln gripped his hockey stick tight and swung it at Lori.
She dodged the first attack with ease, then deflected the second one with her stick and did the same with the third one.
"Pathetic." She said before wielding her stick and swinging it at Lincoln.
He barely managed to dodge it. Lori swung it again and Lincoln bent backward, seeing the stick pass over him. His sisters had unintentionally given him plenty of experience dodging incoming objects.
Lori growled and swung it again, but Lincoln deflected it with his stick, though it did push him back and one of his feet almost slid off the platform.
Lincoln panted and kept his gaze on Lori's sweaty face, when suddenly, it contorted in an awkward manner and she bit her bottom lip.
"Ah! Ah!" She became very jittery and started scratching herself with her free hand, much to everyone's confusion.
"AH! What's wrong with me!" she screeched while feverishly scratching herself.
"What?" Lincoln drawled in befuddlement.
"Ryan?" Lucy said in a hoarse tone and smiled a bit.
The man himself lowered his binoculars as he clutched his sides laughing.
"Fenton better be filming this!"
"I did not see this one coming, folks." Kathleen announced. "Looks like our champ might be experiencing some allergies?"
"Don't just gawk, you moron!" Lynn yelled at her teammate. "Finish her!"
"Right?!" Lincoln realized and swung his stick. "Nothing personal!"
He struck Lori in the flank and she stumbled back, almost falling off. Seeing her brother swinging his stick again, she clutched hers. No! Not again! She would not be bested by a twerp a second time!
Sucking up the pain, she deflected his attack. Lincoln's eyes widened in shock, she wasn't going to give up easily.
"End of the line!" she roared and swung her stick with incredible speed.
Lincoln managed to dodge the first strike, and barely the second one, but not the third, for Lori rammed the shaft of her hockey stick into his gut, knocking the air out of him, making him stumble back and he toppled over the platform.
As he fell to his defeat, time seemed to stop for everyone, especially his sporty sister.
"Noooo!" Lynn cried and reached out with her hand, while Lucy and Lisa gasped in shock.
Ryan did as well as he lowered his binoculars. Such a waste of a good prank!
"Yes!" Lori screamed with unadulterated joy before noticing something gripping her right calf.
It was the shaft of Lincoln's stick, and right as he fell over, the force of it pulled Lori's leg forwards, tipping her off-balance, right as a splash was heard.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed as she fell off the platform and made an even bigger splash hitting the mud pit herself.
"Lincoln!" his teammates exclaimed in unison as they rushed towards him. Resurfacing, he gasped for air before trying to swim his way back to shore, and with Lynn's aid, he was pulled out.
Dripping and covered head to toe in mud, he fell on his back and rubbed his aching belly.
"My skin! It's on fire!" everyone turned to Lori, as her screams of agony echoed through the park.
Splashing frantically in the mud, she jumped out, also coated in it, and flailed around.
"My skin! Make it stop!" she screamed and pulled off her muddy sweatshirt and threw it to the ground, before proceeding to madly scratch herself.
Lynn promptly covered Lucy and Lisa's eyes, and Leni gasped and did the same to Lola.
"Lori!" Leni scolded her. "Decency!"
Fortunately, Lori still had her sports bra on, but the rest of her upper body was exposed, revealing…
"Eh, dude?" Luna grew an uncomfortable look. "What's with all those blisters?"
"And why are some of them moving?" Kathleen cocked an eyebrow.
Lori halted and looked at her right arm. It was covered in blisters, but also with crawling ants.
Lori blinked, before screaming her head off and running away while continuing to scratch herself.
"Well, ladies and gents." A dumbfounded Kathleen announced into her mike. "Looks like I'll need to call pest control to inspect all the changing rooms. But nonetheless, our second match ended in a surprise tie!"
"Say what?" Lynn blurted.
"What!" Lola snapped. "No way! You saw what happened!"
"Yeah, man!" Luna chimed in. "The dude clearly fell into the mud pit first!"
"And I didn't see him or Lori wearing a tie." A confused Leni added. "Ties are more dad's style."
"Guys…" Lincoln said in a hoarse tone as he sat up. "Lori said that falling into the mud meant you're out, she…"
"She didn't say anything about falling second being equal to winning." Kathleen said into her mike. "Which means we have a draw, with Team Lynn still being in the lead!"
Lynn and her teammates cheered and Lincoln grew a weak smile. He hated taking risks, but his gambit had paid off.
"That was your endgame all along?" Lynn figured and slapped his back. "Way too go, Linc!"
"Ow…" Lincoln leaned forward from the impact.
"Uh, sorry." Lynn said sheepishly.
"Ha! You owe me that victory, Twinkle Toes." Ryan said to himself and leaned back against the trunk. "Yeah….I am just that good."
A slack-jawed Lola watched her enemies celebrating with a frozen expression, except for her twitching left eye. How did the itching powder not work?! How did Lori get those fire ants?!
Screeching in anger, Lola dropped to the ground and started pounding it.
"No! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!"
"Well, girls. Tough luck?" Kathleen turned to Lola and her teammates, still speaking into her mike. "Two rounds in, and Team Lynn has one victory while you have….eh…squat. You know what this means?"
Luna and Lola both gulped fearfully, while Leni tried counting down her fingers.
"Not really…" she sighed shamefully. "I'm not so good at math-"
"If Team Lori loses the next round, they will lose the Loud sibling duel!"
"That useless, useless, useless idiot! Two challenges and she messed it up both times!" Lola ranted in the outhouse, beyond livid. "Who in their right mind voted that incompetent, OVERWEIGHT oaf to lead us to victory! I'm stuck with a pack of idiots, we're so going to lose!" she clutched her face in despair.
She lowered her hands and grew a fiery glare. "How did neither of my tricks work? They were simple and fool-proof! How did Amber get the spiked water, and how did Lori…"
Then something dawned on her, the epiphany evident on her face. A seemingly minor thing that tied everything together.
She clenched her fists and hissed through gritted teeth, "Ryan!"
Back home, Luan and Lana were both rolling on the former's bed. Lori's second defeat was even more hilarious than the first one. At least to Luan, because she knew there was no way for Lori to have gotten ants in her pants without someone's meddling. And that someone was Ryan. Could he be a more perfect boyfriend?
It was Lana who calmed down enough to hear Kathleen's announcement and she picked up the phone.
"Did you hear that? Our guys are on a roll."
"Yeah…" Luan sat up and composed herself. "One win, one draw. If Lori and her cronies choke on the next challenge, it's game over."
"What a spectacle it's been so far!" Kathleen announced. "But now it's time for a word from our sponsor!"
And with that, she turned her mike off.
"Eh, what sponsor?" Luna asked.
"Nobody." Kathleen shrugged. "But it's what all great announcers say. Now, since we're at the halfway mark, it's time for a break and for your guys to form your next battle strategy. Plus, we need to find Lori and give her medical treatment."
"I'll do it myself." she volunteered. "You guys need to focus on your game."
"Good luck, Lols. I still believe in you." She shot the despondent Lola a finger gun before walking off, leaving the three sisters to mull over their situation.
"Dudes, this is not going good…" Luna paled with fright, knowing what was in store for them.
She clutched her head. "It's bad, really, really bad."
Growling, Lola rose to her feet and glared daggers at the opposing them.
"Don't throw the towel just yet! We haven't lost this round, it was a draw!" she snapped at Luna before growing an evil rictus grin and pumping her fist.
"With Lynn as our opponent, the next challenge will be ours!"
Leni counted her fingers again. "But wait, isn't it Team Lynn's turn now? The first challenge was theirs, the second was ours, so…."
"Oh, no. You forgot the rules." Lola pulled out the treaty from her handbag.
"Now, just let me do my work."
"Ryan sure made a fool out of Lori." Lucy said with glee.
"Oh, puh-leeze…" Lynn snapped her head back and rolled her eyes. "Don't give that blowhard too much credit. Trust me, he does not need another ego boost."
"Besides…" she playfully punched Lincoln in the arm, not caring that she got dirt all over her fist. "Lincoln took out Lori all on his own! I told you that you were resourceful and could think on your feet."
"It was nothing…" Lincoln pulled his headpiece off. "I just worked with what I had and it's not like I won the challenge, it was a draw."
"A draw is still better than what we were expecting. You truly surprised us, in the most preferable way possible." Lisa said with her usual blunt honesty. "And draw or not, you ensured that we are still leading this game after reaching the halfway point."
"Yeah, that's quite the accomplishment. Don't be so freaking modest, Linc." Lynn snorted. "Remember, we're the good guys here."
"Fine, guess I did pull my own weight in that round." Lincoln gave in. "But now, if you'll excuse me. I really need to take a long, hot shower."
"Don't worry." Lynn laughed. "By the time they're finished treating the Vice Queen of Mean, you'll have the time to take ten showers and the rules of the treaty dictate that we must take a break at the halfway point."
"That's good to hear…" Lincoln sighed in relief. He really wanted a shower and a good, long scrub.
"I don't know, I think you look good as a muck monster." Lucy said in jest. "You should consider that as a costume for Halloween."
"Yeah, very funny…" Lincoln sniggered and rolled his eyes, when Lola of all people came up to them.
"Well, well, come to bitch and moan some more, princess?" Lynn smirked at Lola.
"I was expecting your tirade to last for at least an hour." Lucy said frankly.
"No…" Lola said coldly. "You might be on a roll for now, but the game is far from over!"
"You didn't need to cite that for us." Lisa crossed her arms. "It's only logical inference, making your presence superfluous."
"That's not why I came here." Lola retorted, trying to keep her temper even. "I merely came by to remind you chumps whose challenge is going to be next."
"That's also logical inference, your assistance is not needed." Lisa replied while making a shooing motion with her hand.
"Yes, it's my challenge!" Lynn pointed at herself. "And for all I care, you girls can pick who will represent you. Because Lynnsanity will win this one either way!"
"Oh, but contraire, ma soeur." Lola sneered and pulled the treaty from her handbag.
She pointed at a specific paragraph. "As it is written in black and white, in the event that the second round ends in a draw, it entitles the losing team from the first round to hold their challenge for the third one. As a morale boost."
Lynn grabbed it and read it. "That's not what it's saying?"
"So she's lying?" Lucy asked.
"No, but that rule is four rows below?" Lynn showed it to the goth, making Lola tense up in embarrassment.
"Give me a break! I'm only five, I don't do much reading!" she shot back defensively, before folding her arms smugly. "But either way, the rules are clear. The third challenge will be Team Lori's once more!"
The others exchanged looks. Like when Lori agreed to let them start this contest with their challenge, they knew they would have to face Lori's second challenge one way or the other.
"Fine, not like it will make a difference for you losers." Lynn shoved the treaty back into Lola's hands.
She huffed and grew a cocky smirk. "In hindsight, you did us a favor, cuz my second challenge will be the ideal way to cap off this tournament and lead my team to victory!"
Lola's face darkened. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"
"Well, I now know that Luna is a big fat lesbo, not all that surprising given her sense of fashion, but so far….dammit!" Kathleen said in disgust and slammed her fist into the seat, as she was looking over all the camera footage she has received so far on her laptop while sitting in the back of her limo.
"Nothing useful." She grumbled. "Just a lot of whining and gripping from those idiots." Nothing that could aid her with her current problem, but she had learned that the contestants were even more underhanded than she gave them credit for.
She continued to observe some of the footage with Ryan. "Oh, Lola. I'm so proud of you." She smiled but it quickly morphed into a nasty frown. "But if only that creep wasn't better at the cheating game?"
Her chauffer shifted uneasily in the driving seat while gripping his wheel, and he cleared his throat.
"Eh, Miss Tisdale?" James looked over his shoulder.
"What?" Kathleen looked at him exasperatedly.
The chauffer gulped. "I was just thinking? If both parties are cheating, shouldn't that get them both disqualified?"
Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Don't you have any competitive spirit, James?" was her snippy response.
"No competition is complete without a healthy dose of underhanded cheating from all parties. It spices things up! How do you think I brought back a first-place award from every cheerleading tournament, beauty pageant and literally every other competition I was ever involved in? Don't you dare tell me to curb the kid's talents while they're still developing!"
James tucked his head into his collar. "Sure, sure, Miss Tisdale. You know best."
"That's better." She sneered before turning her attention back to her laptop.
She paused and focused on the footage showing Ryan holding a bottle of something, along with his robot lackey, who was holding a jar full of fire ants. She was mindful to stay quiet. Nobody needed to know this but her.
"I really was presumptuous by ignoring little Lisa. She's quite the wizard with mechanics, and who knows what else?" she mused, the awe and excitement becoming increasingly more apparent on her face.
"Perhaps her unique skills can indeed help me with my dilemma?"
Didn't I tell you that Lori was going to suffer? After everything she did in this fic, it sure serves the bitch right. I had lots of fun writing the wrestling match, not just for bringing back Lunatic Lynn in a grand way but also for finally hitting Lori with a long-overdue dose of karma. Karma is a bitch, but sometimes karma is also an elbow drop, an atomic wedgie and a colony of fire ants all rolled up into one big package XD
I was originally intending to end this chapter with Lincoln toppling over the platform, only to then show in the next chapter that he pulled a fast one on Lori, but I ultimately kept it here and capped off this chapter with a scene that highlights the nature of Kathleen's scheme some more. If I were Lisa, I'd be scared right now. Kathleen is clearly not the kind of person who cares much for the other party's consent. The next chapter will also show what the parents and Albert are up to back home, specifically what he and Lynn Sr. are doing trying to make things up to Rita, who isn't in the best place emotionally herself.
I'm quite satisfied with this chapter, I think it highlighted Lynn, Lincoln and even Ryan's talents quite well. Too bad Lisa and Lucy won't have a chance to show off theirs, not while Lori and Lola are trying to rig the challenges in their favor, and with Lynn being intent on doing her own challenge once more for the final showdown. And as you might have guessed, Team Lori's second challenge will be tailor-made to go against Lynn's strengths.
