Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.

As Ronalda left the house to "cool off", in the slowly sweltering heat no less, another Loud was already busy doing her daily activities. Two years have gone by and Lucy remained as recluse as usual; at least, when she wanted to be left alone. She tried making a habit of letting people become more aware of her presence if she was simply out and about in the house; after all, her parents were starting to get up there in age and the one thing she didn't want was to cause panic-induced cardiac arrest on the aging adults. Sure, both Rita and Lynn Sr. were in their mid to late 40s; but that didn't mitigate the risk. The last 3 funerals she helped conduct were all people around her parents' age who suffered from poor health habits.

It was for that reason the kids encouraged their parents to start exercising. Aside from getting unintentionally dragged into it themselves, Lynn Sr. and Rita opted to continue a less aggressive exercise routine that they did at least once a week. In spite of this however, Lucy could still sense the energy from them draining as each day passed.

Regardless, that wasn't the reason why she was at the cemetery today. Dressed in clothes that looked similar to her normal attire, the gothic 10 year old walked down the path towards the section where the pets were buried. It was no secret that Lucy had a difficult time letting things go; sometimes it was over an argument she had with her roommate, or the time she failed a test that wasn't significant to her grade, or that time she struggled to figure out what to get Rocky for his birthday even though he didn't have much interest in wanting anything; Rusty even said he was a hard book to read.

All of those situations were understandable, but Lucy seemed to take it a bit more personally than others.

In the case of Geo dying...like Lana, she wept in silence. She may not have played with the hamster all that much, but he was family. The only pain that roughly matched this dark feeling was when Fangs had been released back into the wild. You'd argue that she made a visit to Geo's grave only a few days prior; but again, she has trouble letting go of the past, especially if Death is involved. The only pain was higher than the level of grief she felt currently was more...familial...but she lived through it already.

Wiping some sweat from her brow, Lucy pulled on her dress slightly as she felt it beginning to stick to her stomach. "For once, I might have to think about wearing something other than black..." She inspected her pale arm, which had a slight burning sensation from being in the sun. "If I was a real vampire, I'd have burned to a husk long ago. I might end up getting a real tan at this rate..." She sighed. "At least Geo's grave is in a shaded area."

After walking down the dirt path for a few minutes, passing along the edge of the cemetery with the fence barrier just behind the graves, Lucy turned left as the path opened up to another part of the graveyard that held a section of smaller graves in an area that Lucy might assume was about a quarter of the size of a football field.

Pet Cemetery, a placard on one of the two supports at the entrance read.

Lining the path from the entrance were numerous graves of deceased pets of all kinds; from the typical dogs and cats to birds, fish, lizards, a snake here and there, a spider, rats, a squirrel, and even a tortoise who lived over 100 years. The goth was quite familiar with this graveyard, having conducted at least 6 funerals in this section over the past few weeks. Lucy idly checked them all as she passed, but her gaze was soon affixed to a group of graves near the perimeter fence that were sheltered by a couple trees. Against the wall was this massive grave for a dog that had died some 120 years ago; and in front of it by a few steps, was the one she sought.

A tombstone that was only 6 inches high was planted into the ground. Flowers and some uneaten hamster treats lied at the base of the rocky structure. being dwarfed by the massive grave behind it. The epitaph read,

Geo Loud IV

Loving Pet, Hamster, and Family Member

April 28, 2016 - July 7th, 2018

Another sentence that had been sprayed on said, "Stupid Hawks!"; a leftover of Lana's grief when the Louds held the funeral. The spray paint had degraded a bit over time due to, you know, being outdoors? Lucy would remind herself to touch up on it later.

Lucy sighed. "As enticing as it was to get another hamster, I fear it would just be cursed with bearing Geo's name."

Even though it was 9 years ago, it was unknown whether it is a curse or gift that she grasped the concept of death at an early age. Given that hamsters only have an average lifespan of 3 years, Lucy figured she must've been born on the third year of Geo I's life. One day, the hamster was acting like it normally would; albeit more sluggish than usual. Then the next day, while Lucy was playing with it, the hamster grew tired quite quickly and chose to lie down; it fell asleep about an hour later, never to awaken again. Glancing up at the trees, Lucy pursed her lips as she delved into thought.

"Who knows. Maybe I wouldn't be who I am now if Geo the First didn't die; or if we never had a hamster." She spoke to no one in particular. Shuffling her feet, Lucy's eyes widened as she felt some paper under her shoe. Moving her foot forward, she looked down to see a candy wrapper. "Gross..." She muttered, then had the misfortune of spotting another, and another near her pet's grave. The rays of sun that managed to pierce through leaves as the wind blew through them had illuminated the grave site a bit more. The goth grimaced as she spotted several food wrappers and a couple bags that looked to have come from Burpin' Burger, all of which had been packed into the corners of the shaded area; either by the wind, or by the person who littered. "That's disgusting..." Her lone, visible eye narrowed. "Don't people have respect for the spirits? Even if they aren't human?..."

"And so I told Mom, I'm not the one who bought that cat because Dad left! I shouldn't have to clean up after something I didn't even want!" A voice rang out, making Lucy's ears perk.

"At least cats don't shit all over the place likes dogs do." Another answered, seeming closer now.

"Oh, they will if you don't clean their litterbox every now and then. Had one that did that at a retirement home because the staff were too lazy to do it."

"I still don't see how it's MY problem to care for that dumb furball."

"I didn't say it was Ash, I'm saying it's-hey! Who the hell are you?" A now irate voice seemed to be directed at Lucy.

The goth turned to see 3 teenaged girls of different heights. The shortest one was a brunette wearing a green sweater with pink shorts and black casual women's sneakers; the girl of mid-height compared to the other two was blonde with a burgundy headband, wearing a red buttoned shirt with a couple of the buttons undone around her neck area, and skinny jeans to match; the last and tallest girl, whom Lucy seemed a little familiar with, was another brunette with distinctive eyeshadow on her face. She wore a black shirt under a white tank top with bright red shorts that appeared to be cut at the hemline, and her legs were covered with thigh-high leggings that slid into her boots.

The three of them were carrying plastic and paper bags that Lucy assumed contained food.

"Well, you gonna stand there like an idiot or are you gonna answer?" The blonde one pestered.

Lucy slid her head down so that her bangs covered her eye. She had a feeling these girls were trouble just from their brash attitude if the looks alone weren't an obvious factor; fortunately, she had dealt with her fair share of bullies before. One of the things that usually turns them off was being standoffish; an ace in the hole for someone like her. "Visiting a deceased relative."

The short brunette cocked a brow. "In the pet cemetery? What, were you raised by rats or something?"

Lucy's frown increased slightly as her teeth clenched in her mouth. "He was a more than just a pet to me. Not that you would understand..."

"Yeah yeah, sad story. Now move it or lose it, we own this spot." The tallest girl asked in a faux polite manner.

"I don't see your names anywhere." Lucy retorted, hiding the irritation building within her.

"Ahem." The shortest brunette pointed in a specific direction. Lucy followed the finger; she was thankful that her vision was covered, otherwise they'd see the surprised look on in her eyes. On the side of the massive tomb behind her, three names were spray painted onto the stone. "Ashe", "Brenda", and "Taylor" were the names, each having its own set of colors to emphasize the girls' style.

The goth wondered how she hadn't noticed that before, or even the trash. "This stuff wasn't here before, was it?" Jogging her memory, she didn't recall seeing any waste in the area during previous visit, the same time when Ronnie Anne happened to be visiting her dad.

"They must've come here recently..." The goth noted. The local groundskeepers were also there when she was around.

"Does that brain of yours work, or are we gonna have to toss you out?" The punk asked with threatening intent.

Lucy squinted her eyes. She didn't want to leave so soon, partly because she wasn't finished paying her respects, but mostly because she knew these girls would further desecrate the graveyard; including Geo's out of spite. Unfortunately, Lucy knew she had little chance of defending herself if things turned violent, given how these punks were on edge.

"Fine." She began to walk, only stop after a few steps to glance at the trash that lie strewn around. A bubble of anger from the germaphobe side of her burst as she spoke with an even tone, "But can you at least try to clean up after yourselves. No one likes a slob."

"Tch, what are you gonna do? Preach to us about Cleaning the Earth?" The blonde girl scoffed.

The shortest girl appeared to have an equally short temper as she responded with, "Oh, so you're threatening us?"

"No, I'm-"

"Girls, girls. Settle down for a sec." The tallest of the trio stated, walking over to Lucy and bent down so she could stare at her eye-to-eye. "Look, since you're new here, I'll cut ya some slack. But the ground rules here are that this place, "She gestured towards the shaded area of the pet cemetery. "Belongs to us now. I don't care if you had a rat that died and got buried here; go find somewhere else to mourn."

Lucy huffed in response. In hindsight, she should've kept her mouth shut, but she strongly felt she needed to say her piece; these girls had no right to walk over whomever they wished. Far too many souls like them dotted the world, and it was quite sickening. "Do you have the paperwork that legally says you take ownership of this part of the cemetery? Cause if you do, you're doing a terrible job at housekeeping."

The older girl grinned as a chuckle escaped her. "A smartass huh? Guess that means you wanna do things the fun way." Her fingers curled into a fist, knuckles popping as her fist tightened.

Lucy wasn't deterred by the threat. "If you touch me, a curse will be placed on your soul."

"Pfft." The blonde girl walked off to the side. "If you're a witch, you're the most boring one I've seen."

Lucy eyed her for a moment. "Hardly..." She returned her gaze towards the tall brunette. "Know this," The 10 year old pointed a finger at the punkish teen with a commanding voice, the edges of her hair rising up and spreading out as the air caught her locks. "Your disrespect and desecration of this graveyard will not go unpunished. If you continue to defile this burial ground with your very presence, you will experience pain and suffering unlike anything you have ever-NGH!" Lucy didn't finish her sentence as pain exploded in the back of her head. Her vision turned white for a moment as she collapsed to the ground, just barely putting her hands out to stop her face from meeting grass.

The blonde girl giggled before bursting into full blown laughter. "Nice one Bren."

Lucy groaned as she slowly turned her head towards the shortest girl, who was apparently named 'Brenda.' "Wasn't like you two were going to do anything." Brenda answered whilst rubbing the knuckles of her left hand.

The gothic Loud moved her arms closer to her sides so she could stand up. As she pushed her chest off the ground, a heavy weight pressed onto her back, forcing her back into the dirt. "So what was that about pain and suffering?" The punkish-looking teen mocked, kneeling slightly to keep her weight squarely on Lucy's back. "Cause it looks like the only one getting hurt right now is you."

Lucy wheezed as the teen pressed her foot harder onto her spine, forcing most of the air out of her chest as her diaphragm compressed. She turned her head to the side as she attempted to push back against the weight. "The spirits...will curse you...force this!..." Lucy managed to say between grunts.

The punk reached down and pushed Lucy's head into the soil. The Loud gritted her teeth, making grunts of pain as she felt her head pressing against a hidden stone. "Well since you like this place so much, you might as well eat the ground you walk on!"

Lucy's head shifted as she struggled, the punk not making it easy as she kept a firm grip on her. In an instant however, the tables had turned. The Loud whipped her head and body suddenly to the right, making the punk lose her grip and balance momentarily. Lucy then took the opportunity to bite the hand that pushed against her face the moment she felt it graze her cheek, teeth locking onto 3 of the fingers. The tall brunette screeched in pain as she pulled her hand out of Lucy's mouth, skin tearing along the way. With the tall girl occupied, Lucy took the chance to kick her in the shin. The punk stumbled to the ground with pain in her hand and leg, a moment the goth used make a break for it.

Lucy only managed to get 10 feet before the blonde girl grabbed her by the back of her dress, pulling the Loud back before roughly throwing her to the ground. Lucy gasped as she tumbled a few feet before getting her bearings. The moment she tried getting back up, she received a swift kick to the chest, knocking her onto her side. A fist came on a collision course with her face, giving the goth only seconds to react. Trying to ignore the pain on her sternum, Lucy managed to put her arm up in time to block the attack, only to receive a kick to the shoulder that knocked her onto her back. The Loud tried getting up again, only for another fist to connect hard with her jaw. Lucy yelled in pain as her vision went white for a second time went, spittle flying from her mouth, just as another hit landed on her head.

The goth clenched her eyes and teeth as she started receiving kicks and punches to her arms, legs, stomach, chest; just about anywhere the girls could land hits on. She contemplating playing dead so the girls would leave her alone; it worked on Lola before she even began launching an attack. But right now, protecting her vitals seemed to be the best option. Lucy brought her knees to her chest wrapped her arms around her head as she turned onto her side. Her limbs took more punishment, but it was better than receiving another hit to the chest or face.

The tall, punkish girl gritted her teeth as she watched her friends beat on the downed Loud. "Should've ran when you had the chance, bitch..." She growled whilst stomping over.


Ronnie Anne had walked a considerable distance from the house, downing her water along the way to stave off the heat. She had no particular destination in mind, but walking helped her think. She was no longer frustrated by this point; though the light blush on her face meant her brain kept drifting over the little scene that played out before her minutes ago. The things that made her initially drawn to Lincoln was his kind and caring personality, coupled with him sharing the same interests as she did; minus skateboarding, but it didn't stop him from trying. She didn't pay much attention to his body aside from the obvious thing that stood out; that being his hair. Even when he'd occasionally hurt himself whilst learning the ways of the board, she didn't gawk at him like she did minutes before.

"Mmmmm..." The Hispanic girl grumbled. "Why is this happening now of all times? Lame-O was pretty scrawny, and even when we'd go to the pool in the city, there wasn't much to look at." The tomboy squinted her eyes as a neutral look replaced the irate glare she had. "But that was last summer." She reflected on Lynn's words. "Does he get caught up with bullies again? He didn't mention anything about that, aside from that one time in sixth grade. And it's not like he looks like some super wrestler or anime brawler."

Ronalda's face began to grow a shade of red across her cheeks as she let the thoughts she tried keeping at bay swim in her head. Slim muscles weren't really anything to show off; but it seemed to be working for her when it came to Lincoln. And she'd seen lifeguards that were pretty buff. If only she could touch his arms...would they feel tender or have some hidden muscle just waiting to bulge out? His chest was flat and not exactly broad, but she didn't seem to mind that either. She did get a good look at his abdomen though; no visible set of abs, but she could tell Lincoln was working on them by the small grooves just above his naval.

She didn't get a chance to look at his legs; but the fact he managed to pedal him, herself, Sid, AND Lucy home without stopping? Sure, he was aching and complaining afterwards, but Ronnie surmised he hadn't been skipping leg day.

"Is this some kind of punishment for that picture I sent him last week?" Ronalda asked to no one in particular. Becoming aware of her surroundings, she noticed that she was walking along the fence that enclosed the cemetery. Pursing her lips, she contemplated what to do next, a moment later making her way towards the entrance. "Ronnie, be honest with yourself...it's not that I'm just NOW starting to notice Lincoln that way; I mean, I've stared at him from a distance when he wasn't looking more and more over the last half a year. And I caught him staring at me more than once with that cute blush on his face when he looks away pretending he wasn't." The tomboy subtly swept her hand across her rear, a coy smile forming. "That's why I sent him that picture." Her smirk dropped slightly. "Yeah, I totally had that coming; even if Lincoln wasn't doing it on purpose."

Walking a few minutes down the path, the young Latina stopped by her father's grave. The tiny area where she buried her mother's locket had hardened up and mixed with the surrounding soil, preventing anyone but a graverobber from stealing it. Ronalda made a longing sigh, "I really wish you were still around Dad...maybe you could tell me why I'm starting to act weird around Lincoln. I mean, I get why he acts weird around me sometimes; but I don't really understand why I do it to him, especially on things I had seen a hundred times and suddenly I clam up like a lawn chair." Ronnie began to twirl thr edge of her ponytail around her finger. "I could ask Mom, but I don't feel like getting a long-winded speech about how babies are made..." Her brows furrowed slightly. "And asking Bobby might SOUND like a good idea, but I doubt he could explain it better than you could. There's Abuelo too, but...yeah, it'd be too awkward." She stared up at the sky. "I've seen Lincoln shirtless before, but now it's like...I don't how to describe it specifically, but it's like my stomach burns hotter than eating Abuela's spicy cooking." Ronnie looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. "And it makes my...special place feel funny..." She shoved her hands in her pockets. "Maybe I could ask Lisa if she can make sense of this. I mean, I get that I'm attracted to Link for who he is. He's got a great personality and all, but...ugh! It's just feels stupid that I don't get why I feel weird around him when he's only wearing pants! Is it the hormones thing that was talked about in class? I just don't know!"

After finishing her monologue, Ronnie breathed in, then out. Her eyes closed as she listened to the wind whistling past her ear. The sun continued to bake her skin, which was damp with sweat, giving her a cooling feeling as if she were standing in front of a hot fan. Breathing in again, Ronnie gave a calming sigh. "Maybe I can ask Lynn, if she doesn't be a dick about it."

"AAAAAAAH!" A scream cut through the air in the otherwise silent burial ground, making Ronnie jolt slightly. The near lack of emotion behind the sound betrayed its intended meaning; but to Ronnie Anne, it sounded vaguely familiar.

"Was that?..." She murmured, walking in the direction she heard the scream originate.

She heard another loud grunt coming from somewhere towards her left, and sped up to a jog down the path.

"Aren't you guys...done yet?..." Groaned an all-too-familiar voice as Ronnie came across the entrance to the Pet Cemetery.

"Nah, you're just that much entertaining." An unfamiliar voice replied. "That scream was boring as hell though."

"J-Just let me go-MPHH! MPH!"

Ronnie walked around the post, finding a scene that made her mouth drop open in shock. Lucy was pinned to the ground by 3 girls around Ronnie's age, maybe a little older. Her head was being shoved into the dirt by a tall brunette whilst a blonde girl that was around Ronnie's height sat on the goth's back, twisting one of her arms behind her back. A third girl that was shorter than the other two stood nearby, phone in her hand as if she were recording everything. Lucy's legs kicked out wildly; Ronnie could tell that based on the weight of the girl sitting on her, her chest was unable to fully expand to drawn in enough air, which was made worse by having her face shoved into the ground. Once the shock had begun to pass through her, boiling hot anger began to replace it. Ronnie gritted her teeth as her hands tightened into fists, a burning fire lighting behind her eyes as her body shook with anticipation.

Within seconds, she made her move.

The tall punk keeping Lucy's head in the dirt noticed the enraged Latina just when she was a few feet away. She opened her mouth as if to say something, only to get clocked right in her teeth with a right hook that knocked her away from Lucy. The punk stumbled back, tripping own feet before landing on her back.

The blonde one was the next to notice, jumping up as soon as she saw her friend get floored by the sudden newcomer; Lucy's head snapped up immediately as she no longer felt pressure on her head and back, making an audible gasp as she drew air into her lungs. The blonde girl never got a chance to retaliate as Ronnie was on her a second after decking her friend. The Latina landed a kick squarely in her gut, forcing the air out of her as the bully fell backwards. She clutced her stomach as if she'd been hit with bat.

The shortest brunette looked up from her phone after realizing what was going on. "What the-" She flinched as her phone got smacked out of her hand. "Hey! MPHH!" Brenda was grabbed by the face before being shoved backwards, stumbling back before catching a tree root and falling onto her back. With the phone on the ground, Ronalda saw a dark screen, but noticed the telltale flashing red dot that indicated a recording was active. Lifting her leg, she crushed the phone underfoot, leaving it as a useless paperweight with a massive crack in it.

Ronalda then turned her attention to Lucy, who had finally l gotten to her knees. She was in the middle of a bad coughing fit, spitting out soil and grass that had gotten in her mouth and throat. Lucy then let out a sneeze as she cleared her sinuses, bringing her right arm to her chest as she clutched her wrist.

Ronnie knelt down next to her. "You ok Lucy?"

Lucy coughed for a moment before answering. "I-I'm f-fine..." She rotated her hand, grimacing at how painful it was to move it around. Releasing her wrist, the goth gripped both her arms. Pain coursed through them her limbs as they were dotted red with some spots turning purple. Lucy started to sniffle heavily as stray tears left tails down her cheeks.

Ronnie inspected the younger girl, her anger resurfacing as she noticed the bruises. "What did they do to you?..."

"They-!" Lucy's head snapped up as she noticed movement behind Ronnie Anne. "Watch out!" She warned, but it was too late.

Ronnie stood up just as the short girl she shoved off jumped on her back, yanking on her ponytail. Ronnie yelped in pain as she spun around, reaching behind her to throw Brenda off as her head was yanked backwards. Lucy stood up and moved to help, only to feel a hard tug on the back of her shirt. Looking back, the tall punk had gotten back to her feet; a pissed off look on her face as blood trailed down the corner of her mouth. The teen quickly yanked Lucy down, dragging her away from Ronnie Anne.

"Let. Me. Go!" Lucy yelled in anger and desperation as the teen dragged her over to a lamp post next to the biggest grave in the pet space. The goth dug her feet into the ground, leaving a broken trail in order to slow her down whilst she tried to pry the punk's hand loose; but it didn't phase her at all. Hoisting Lucy up, the 10 year old gagged as she felt the back of her dress get caught on something.

"Stay there..." The bully pointed menacingly at Lucy, who recoiled as the digit was only inches from her face.

Turning around, the brunette watched as Ronnie grabbed Brenda by the shirt and flung her off. Brenda tumbled before coming to a stop next to the blonde girl, who managed to muster the energy to stand up. "I don't know who the fuck you are," The punk turned to the side and spat out blood, wiping her mouth. "But I owe you something for that sneak attack..."

Ronnie eyed the tall girl, squinting her eyes as she looked her over. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Taylor, would it?"

The tall girl scoffed. "Yeah? What of it?"

Ronnie scoffed. "I guess it's no surprise you're still picking on kids younger than you. Like the cowardly bitch you are."

Taylor stared down Ronnie Anne with her one visible eye. "You don't know shit about me..."

"Oh, I do." Ronnie folded her arms and blew some of hair away from her eye. "You accuse people younger than you of being 'babies' and walk all over them to get what you want. I got some friends you used to bully a few years ago, so don't bother trying to wuss out." She looked at the other two girls, who were finally standing once more. "Dunno where your boyfriends are, unless they turned into girls and shrunk, but you hadn't changed at all." Ronnie then made a grin. "How's those ripped shorts workin' out for ya?"

Taylor's eyebrow twitched as anger rose from her core. How dare this 13 year old, 7th grade immigrant bitch talk to her that way? She bullied a lot of kids in the past, so it should've been no surprise that one of them might eventually exact their revenge; not that such a scenario ever crossed Taylor's mind since no kid was willing to stand up to her.

All of that changed during 8th grade when some wise guy had the bright idea to put super glue on their favorite bus seat. The humiliation Taylor felt that day flashed through her mind before she started to seethe with rage. She never did find out who pulled that prank, but if and when she did, she promised herself she'd pull their undies so far up that the doctors would need pliers to remove them. Emitting a low growl, she figured she might as well practice on this Latin bitch in front of her.

"Ashe, Brenda, hold that Mexican piece of shit down so I can turn her inside out..." Taylor spoke with an acidic undertone.

The two girls flinched before directing their attention to Ronnie Anne, knowing it was a good idea to follow Taylor's orders when she acting like a human-sized landmine. Ronnie dropped her smirk as she prepared herself, ignoring the derogatory comment Taylor threw at her; she'd been called worse. The tomboy studied her opponents, developing a plan on who to strike down first.

"The midget and the blonde I can get rid of easily, though that shrimp is jumpy; so I gotta watch out for her." Ronalda eyed the leader of the three bullies. "She'll be the biggest issue since she's got better reach and height." Whilst formulating her strategy, Ronalda reached behind her head and opened up the scrunchy used to form her ponytail. Grabbing her long hair, she tucked the ends into her scrunchy and seated them, creating a neat bun on the back of her skull.

Her teacher always told her that loose objects were a liability in a fight, as demonstrated when Brenda used her ponytail for leverage.

Ronnie stole a quick glance at Lucy, who she had noticed was now hung to a pole. Her lone eye that was visible through her hair portrayed that of fear and worry unlike her normally stoic self. The tomboy redirected her attention at the bullies. "Three graves are getting filled today..." She muttered, applying pressure to all of her knuckles until she heard a satisfying popping sound.

The three bullies approached her slowly, then sprinted at her from different angles. Once they got close enough, all of them started throwing punches and grabbing at Ronnie Anne to try and pin her down. But the Latina was making it difficult for them as she jumped, ducked, blocked, deflected, punched, and kicked back to prevent herself from getting completely overwhelmed. If this were a one on one fight, Ronnie would've met the aggressor halfway and threw the first punch. But being outnumbered, she had to be judicious and vigilant of any cheap shots that would be thrown at her. The old her would've just went in guns blazing with the intent of causing as much damage as possible with no coherent strategy; something she did frequently after initially starting wrestling class.

But that was over a year ago.

Presently, Ronnie may have been ticked off, but she didn't let her anger blind her to the point of tunnel vision. Kickboxing helped teach her how to be focused on her goal and understand the strengths and weaknesses of her opponents, herself included. This formed into a core strategy where she'd simply evade until she found an opening; and from the way she moved dodging punches, the tomboy believed she'd get her chance soon. All three bullies were fighting more erratically as their frustration mounted; this Mexian bitch just wouldn't hold still! Ronalda moved her head to the side as Ashe threw another punch at her; the tips of the blonde's knuckles grazing her cheek. She felt fingers grasping at the bun on her head, which she immediately swatted away before feeling a kick connect with the back of her shin. Ronnie winced in pain before using the opportunity to swing her leg up and drive her foot into Brenda's stomach. The shorter girl was driven back, just in time for Ronalda to see Ashe sending another punch towards her face; the 13 year old responded by grabbing the girl's wrist and sending her own punch right into Ashe's nose. Blood spluttered from the blonde's nasal cavities as she stumbled backways.

Before Ronnie could follow up with a second hit, she yelped in pain as felt a punch connect with the back of her head; thankfully, the aim was off and much of the force hit her hair bun. She turned and launched a punch at Taylor, slamming it into the bully's stomach. Taylor faltered, but didn't go down like Ronnie hoped. The tomboy launched a second punch, only to have the older girl grab her hand and kick the Latina in the chest. Ronnie stumbled backwards before catching herself, getting ready to throw a kick Taylor's way. However, the tall punk was quicker and slapped Ronnie with an open palm. Ronnie was spun around, gritted her teeth as her cheek stung, letting her guard down for a couple critical seconds; this gave Taylor enough time to wrap her arm around Ronnie's neck in a headlock.

"ACK!" Ronalda gagged as she struggled against Taylor's grip, pulling against the girl's forearm as Taylor lifted her off the ground.

"Not so tough now huh, puta?" She mocked, flexing her arm muscles to tighten her grip as the Latina continued to struggle, her feet kicking out wildly.

Ashe wiped her nose, seeing the fresh blood coating her fingers. She growled at Ronnie Anne, which turned into a grin as Taylor left the girl in a compromised position. The blonde walked up to the two, cracking her knuckles. "Nice punching bag Taylor. Mind if I try it?"

"Go, ahead!" Taylor said, struggling to keep Ronnie in place.

Ashe scoffed. "Nice punch bitch. Now try THIS one!" The blonde stated before drilling a fierce punch into Ronnie Anne's stomach.

Ronalda's cheeks puffed out as air was forced out of her. A second punch landed a second later, making the tomboy cough out spit. and started delivering hard punches against Ronnie's stomach, making her cough out spit. The tomboy's head moved about as Ashe landed three more hits, and it was at the moment that Ronnie realized Taylor made on crucial mistake when she went for a headlock; she didn't secure the Latina's head to prevent a retaliatory strike. Brenda came in and punched Ronnie in the side, making the tomboy yell in pain as she swore it landed near one of her kidneys; Ronalda gasped as another devastating hit impacted her abdomen, closer to her ribs. A brief memory flashed through her mind when she had tried to fight against Hank and Hawk; how helpless she was to do much of anything against them because she simply wasn't strong enough. She was also reminded the extent of Lincoln's injuries after she had been taken out. As another punch nailed her in the stomach and left side, her eyes darted towards Lucy.

How much damage would these girls to do her if Ronnie couldn't fend them off?...

Ronnie's body jolted as she took another hit. A fire was ignited in her eyes as she focused back on her situation. Gritting her teeth, "Not...again!" Ronalda shouted inwardly.

Ronalda brought her knees up to her chest as Ashe launched another punch; whilst fresh pain rippled through her leg, it was preferable over getting another hit to her now-bruised stomach. In one swift motion, she launched her feet right into Ashe's face, the soles of her shoes striking the blonde in the forehead and nose. The blonde screamed in pain as she flew back a few feet, landing on her back as she clutched her face. Not a second later, Ronnie swung her head forward before launching it backward; Taylor had little time to react as the back of Ronnie's skull connected with her mouth and nose. The punk yelped in pain as she instinctively moved moved her hands to her face, letting go of Ronnie, who knelt slightly with a pain expression on her face as she held her stomach with one hand. She was trying her best to ignore the pain she felt in the back of her head and the left side of her lower back; but movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Brenda ran towards her, attempting to jump on her again.

This time though, Ronnie was ready. Emitting a growl, she stood up to full height and stopped the brunette dead in her tracks with a punch to the forehead. Brenda stood there with a daze before the Latina grabbed her by the cuff of her shirt, hoisting her to the tomboy's eye level.

"You're dead meat..." Ronalda growled as she cocked a fist back.

Lucy winced as she watched Ronnie pummel the bully's face, leaving bruises on both cheeks and a black eye that was beginning to form. A metallic grinding sound was heard behind her as her body fell earthward for a brief second. Looking back, Lucy saw that the old hook wouldn't be able to support her weight much longer; the rusted base peeling off exposed the worn wiring that was meant to activate the lamp. She reached behind her as best she could to free her dress from the lamp post, hoping to not tear a hole in it before it broke off completely.

After ten hits, Brenda had swollen cheeks, a bruised nose with blood beginning to run from it, blood and drool was starting to pool out of her mouth, and a bruise forming around her left eye as she had been unable to break from Ronnie's grip. The Latina was about to launch another, but a yell caught her attention. From the edge of her vision, Ronalda spotted an enraged Ashe running at her with the intent to tackle her to the ground. There was a visible foot print on her forehead that matched the pattern on the bottom of Ronnie's shoes. Dropping Brenda, the Santiago girl waited until Brenda got within striking range; in one swift motion, dodged to the side before grabbing the back of Ashe's shirt. The blonde turned to retaliate, only to get kneed in the stomach. Ashe gasped as she was bent forward, and Ronnie wasted no time getting her revenge as she swiftly punched Ashe in her left eye.

"AAAUGH!" Ashe yelled, clutching her eye with a hand. But Ronnie wasn't finished yet.

Grabbing the girl's pants leg, Ronnie pulled it from under her, making Ashe drop to the ground. Before Ashe realized what was happening, Ronnie tugged on her leg until she began to swing her in a half arc. Ronnie gritted her teeth as her arm muscles strained, lifting Ashe off the ground a few feet before releasing her. Ashe yelped as she flew like a ragdoll for two seconds before hitting the ground, tumbling to a stop. She struggled to get back up, but Ronnie wanted her to stay down as she walked over and kicked the blonde in the cheek with the flat part of her shoe; another shoe imprint that matched the one on her forehead was left in its wake.

Brenda groaned in pain as she sat herself up, wondering what was happening now. Her vision cleared up in her one good eye, only to see a still ticked off Ronnie Anne towering over her. As the Latina grabbed the bully's shirt, "Wait! Wait! I was just messing around about the hair thing!" She begged, trying to pry Ronnie's fingers loose.

"Crying won't save you bitch." Ronnie stated calmly, lifting Brenda higher and using the other hand to grab the her pants.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Brenda's face went pale as Ronnie made an evil smirk. "You'll see."

The Santiago girl then began to spin, steadily gaining speed. "Put me down! Put me DOOOOOWN!" Brenda yelled, which soon turned into full on screaming as Ronnie continued to rotate faster.

As she spun, Ronnie managed to spot Ashe, who still wasn't entirely knocked out; she needed to fix that. For a brief second, she also spotted Taylor getting over the injury she inflicted just a minute earlier. Wanting to kill two birds with one stone, Ronnie mentally counted and judged the moment she needed to release her victim. "Not yet...not yet...NOW!" As she began facing towards Ashe again, she tensed her arms before flinging Brenda directly at her friend.

"AAAAAAAH!" Brenda screamed in terror.

Ashe shot her head up and turned towards the noise, just in time to see Brenda flying towards her. "What the f-?!" That was all she could muster before Brenda's face slammed into hers. Ashe was smashed back to the ground whilst Brenda flipped around in the air before landing face first on the grass. Both girls now sported two black eyes, with Brenda trailing more blood from her nose.

Neither girl got back up.

Lucy blinked in surprise, having witnessed the whole act. "Wow..."

Ronnie spun around a couple more times before planting her foot in the ground to stop herself. She wobbled about as her eyes made circles in her dizzy state. "Man, I don't know...how she does it..." The Latina muttered aloud as she stumbled around, trying to keep herself upright. Putting her hands to her head, Ronnie shook her cranium and blinked a few times as she found her center of gravity again.

"RAAAAAAAGH!" Taylor yelled as she jumped on Ronnie, slamming both fists into the smaller teen's chest.

Ronnie felt her lungs deflate as she couldn't breathe, giving a breathless wheeze through gritted teeth as her back slammed into the ground. Glaring up at her attacker, Ronnie saw that Taylor had a busted lip and a red bruise on the underside of her nose. Taylor situated herself so she could pin the Latina, keeping a hand on Ronalda's chest whilst using the other to swing at her. Ronnie went wide-eyed before moving her head towards the left and right, feeling the wind of Taylor's fist passing centimeters from her head as it struck the ground. She then countered by shoving on Taylor's face; but this did little to dissuade the punkish girl as she kept trying to pound her.

"Hold! Still!" Taylor demanded, growing more frustrated as Ronnie kept moving her head. She stopped for a moment, then aimed her first squarely at Ronnie's face.

The tomboy was quick to react by grabbing the punk's hand, pushing back against it as Taylor tried to drive it further towards her face. She lifted the hand she used to keep Ronalda's chest pinned in order to strike with that, but Ronalda reached out and stopped it before it got near her face. Ronalda's feet kicked out behind Taylor, trying to knee the girl in the back in the same way Lynn did to her earlier that week; unfortunately, Taylor was just out of reach of normal knee height, and exhaustion was creeping up on Ronnie Anne after having been fighting for five minutes straight. TO make it worse, Ronnie's stomach injuries were flaring up from Taylor sitting on her.

"Geez...ever thought about...losing weight?" Ronnie snarked out as she struggled to keep Taylor's fists at bay.

"Shut up! Why can't you just take your lumps like a normal person?!" The punk berated her, throwing down another punch that Ronnie would be forced to bat away.

"Says the one who can't beat someone in a fair fight!" Ronalda retorted. "You think...normal people would just sit there and take it?!"

"Says the girl about to get her ass handed to her." Taylor replied, applying more downward pressure on Ronnie Anne. The Latina grunted as her arms started to buckle.

Ronnie clenched her teeth as she tried to figure a way out of this. She couldn't try to headbutt Taylor since her head wasn't within reach, and as much as she wanted to sock the bitch in the eyes, she had to keep her from doing the same by keeping her hands at bay. As Ronnie's gaze drifted towards Taylor's abdomen, her eyes focused on a specific spot. Her mind recalled a very important conversation she had with one of her wrestling coaches.

"Now, one of the easiest ways to put an opponent down, is to strike them here." A Hispanic woman pointed towards the right side of Ronalda's gut. "Right in the liver."

"Why there?" Ronalda asked, lifting her shirt.

The teacher chuckled. "Ronalda, have you SEEN what happens when a boxer scores a liver shot? Even I managed to do one once in my fight against La Cuervo; though that was on complete accident." She rubbed the back of her head. "Aside from being a major part of the body's function, the liver is also a major source of blood circulation." She tapped Ronalda's lower right side where her liver would be. "This part of the liver is not protected by the ribs, meaning a blow right here..." She moved her hand a little lower, poking the tomboy in a certain spot. Ronnie shuddered as she felt her liver tingle. "Will effect the entire organ. The vibration just from getting hit will almost certainly cause you to black out."

The Latina recalled the training she received in order to make a proper liver punch; and since Taylor left her stomach completely exposed, it was her best shot at ending this fight. With the arms in her muscles straining, she let go of Taylor's wrist with her left hand right as the punk pulled it out of her grasp. Making a fist, Ronnie threw it with as much force she could muster in a left hook as Taylor's free fist came down on her left eye. Both hits occurred simultaneously, with Ronnie Anne cursing under her breath as the area around her eye started to swell in pain whilst Taylor let out a breathless gasp. Her vision started to darken around the edges as the hot pain that filled her gut started to course through her entire body. Seeing her arms slacken, Ronnie gripped the older girl's wrists and threw her off.

Taylor still had enough brain capacity to catch herself as she tumbled over. "What...kind of cheap trick...was that?..." She asked, trying to regain the feeling in her limbs as they felt a bit numb.

"That's what you get...for leaving your gut exposed..." Ronnie quipped as she sat up, taking a moment to regain her strength. Putting a hand to her eye, she made a hissing sound as the area was very tender; she could feel blood pooling under the skin.

Taylor brought her arms and legs in closer as she fought to stand up, the numbness in her body passing over her, but leaving a dull ache in its wake. Looking up, she noticed that her two friends were down for the count; Ashe twitched her fingers whilst Brenda was drooling from her open mouth. "Stupid babies..." She muttered. "I swear, when once I stop feeling like crap, I'm gonna bury you and that corpse bride over there in your own graves..."

Ronalda breathed in before pulling her feet under herself so she could finally stand. "You won't do squat..."

Taylor glared at the Latina. "Says who?"

Ronalda turned towards Taylor with a cold glare. "Me, cause clearly you need to learn some fucking manners..." She then started running towards the tall brunette.

Taylor went wide-eyed as she wasn't ready yet. In spite of the aching she felt, especially in her gut, she managed to get get back to her feet; but it was too late. When she was close enough, Ronnie jumped on Taylor, wrapping her legs around the girl's torso for a brief moment to deliver two puches to her nose. Taylor stumbled around as Ronnie switched positions, throwing her arms out to keep balance. The Santiago girl climbed onto her shoulders before leaning left and right, trying to throw the punk off her feet. Taylor tried as best as could to keep herself steady, but another jerk to the right and both girls went crashing to the ground. In spite of the pain she felt to her side and legs, Ronnie held firm and crossed her legs around Taylor's throat.

Taylor gasped as she felt her airway become abruptly cut off. The bully's arms failed around as she tried grasping at Ronnie Anne, who responded by grasping her left arm and stretched it out so she could no longer effectively use it. Taylor formed a glare as she attempted to use her free arm to pry open the Latina's legs, which further used up what remaining energy she had as Ronnie refused to give up. Making a growl, she tilted her head down and bit into Ronnie's exposed flesh. Ronalda let out a howl of pain before swiftly socking Taylor in the eye, causing her to scream in pain whilst the Santiago girl adjusted her legs; this time, she made sure Taylor's head was forced upwards and locked in place by her knees as she pressed harder on punk's windpipe.

"URK!" Taylor gasped, trying to draw in air, but she could only get a few shallow breaths in. Blackness surrounded the edges of her vision as her breathing increased, using up the remaining oxygen in her lungs. As the darkness continued to creep in, as her chest burned for air as Taylor tried to desperately suck in fresh air. As her face started turning red, she made one last grab for Ronnie's legs in order to free herself; but all she could manage was a pitiful tug, her strength faded as her vision reduced to almost nothing. "Uncle!" She whispered loudly as the blackness started to overtake her completely. "ACK! UNCLE!" Taylor shouted with the remaining ounce of breath she had.

Ronnie Anne huffed as Taylor's arms began to slacken. She unfolded her legs and let go of Taylor's arm, then did a half roll to the side so she could rest on her knees. Taylor gasped for air almost immediately after Ronnie stopped pressing on her throat, putting out several coughs as she regulated her breathing. Ronalda drew deep breaths; this definitely wasn't the way she planned on cooling down. The left side of her lower back felt like there was a needle poking it every few minutes, she realized her left eye wouldn't open up as much as it should, her abdomen felt stiff and sore all over; and that wasn't even going into how spent the muscles in her limbs were.

Her arms felt like sand bags right now.

"...A little help?" Lucy called out, making Ronnie Anne glance in her direction. The goth had been fiddling with the hook for a while, but it seemed to have cut into her dress much deeper than she anticipated.

"Did she even TRY to get down?..." The Latina groaned inwardly, pushing herself up off the ground with a grunt of pain.

She stumbled over to where Lucy hung, putting a hand out to rest against the large tomb for a moment before reaching upwards. Right as she did, the hook creaked as it peeled off its mount more, making Lucy's body jerk slightly. Ronalda grabbed Lucy's arms right as the hook came off, helping the girl land on her feet as she stumbled forward a few steps.

The goth then turned to the tomboy, wrapping her arms against Ronnie's waist in a semi-tight embrace. "Thank you..." Lucy answered in a surprisingly emotionally-filled tone.

Ronalda blinked in surprise. "Did...did you just speak normally?" She patted the young goth's head.

"I might speak as if I lack any care for what happens; but if it weren't for you..." Lucy released her as she looked over the three bullies spread about the shaded area. "I'd have suffered through much worse."

Ronalda managed a smile. "Well, at least I got to try out my new skills on a real opponent instead of the guys at school." Her smile was lost as she let out a sigh, rubbing her arms. "First real fight I've been in since..." Her voice tapered off.

Lucy made her signature stoic frown. "You're hurt."

Ronalda deadpanned with a look that said, thanks for noticing Captain Obvious. She didn't say it aloud though. "Taking on a bunch of amateurs is fine and all, but still; three on one is a chore." Eyeing the goth, "How'd they get the drop on you anyway?"

Lucy pursed her lips. "I was visiting Geo's grave when they showed up. I should've ran, but..." She looked around at all the trash strewn around. "It's just the complete lack of respect for the dead that got to me..." She folded her hands behind her back as her head tilted down. "Sorry for getting you dragged into this..."

Ronalda wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulder. "Hey, don't sweat it. Besides," The Latina took her scrunchy off and let her long hair fall down. "If you came home looking like me, imagine what your sisters and brother would do when they found out." She stated whilst fashioning her hair back into its usual ponytail.

Lucy shuddered. Her younger sisters would likely come up with ways to find the girls and punish them through pranks or traps; well, besides Lisa. There was no telling what she might do with that brain of hers. Her older siblings were much easier to read; all of them would go with the "eye for an eye" approach and hunt down the bullies who harmed her. The level of damage dealt depended on who you asked. Luan and Leni might be a little more lenient as far as physical damage went; the former would likely give the bullies a hard talk while Luan would probably traumatize them with a revenge prank. But there was little doubt between Lucy and Ronnie Anne that Lori, Luna, Lynn, and even Lincoln would at least put those girls in the hospital.

Lincoln taking on five bullies who were targeting Lana was just a memory now, but it was a good one; and one that Lynn made the excuse to put him on a training regiment. The former jock was no slouch herself, having defeated no more than six bullies at once. Despite Lynn's injuries after the fact, the goth held the belief that if she wasn't tired, the fight between Fatty 1 and 2 would've went differently.

"Good point." Lucy looked at her arms, then at Ronnie Anne's condition. "But we'd still have to explain all this." She gestured to herself and the tomboy.

Ronnie just shrugged. "Eh, not like we can lie to them. Besides, it'd make more sense to not let Lincoln or Lynn worry too much and try to make their own revenge." She put her hands in her pockets. "Plus, I want to own this win."

"Fair enough."

Taylor rubbed her throat, which had a red bruise on it from being pressed on for half a minute. Hearing the grass crunching around her, she looked up to greet the cold stares from Lucy and Ronnie Anne. "What the hell do you want?" She asked in a hoarse voice. "I already said I give up."

"I warned you before that you'd experience a pain and suffering unlike anything you've experienced before." Lucy's head lifted up enough to where Taylor could see two emotionless eyes staring at her from under the goth's hair. "Dying from asphyxiation is one of the worst ways to cross into the spirit realm, knowing your life force is being drained away and there's nothing you can do...but watch."

Taylor made a growl, but averted her gaze, sending a clear message that Lucy was right.

"If I catch any of you picking on kids again," Ronalda leaned closer. "There's three spots in the graveyard that will open up real soon, and the funeral won't be an open casket..." She raised a bruised fist to enforce her point, then stood up straight. "When you can move, grab your stupid friends and get the fuck out of this cemetery." She then jabbed Taylor in the nose with a finger, making the punk wince. "And don't you dare think about coming back..."

The two girls then departed, leaving the bullies to pick themselves up. As they made their way back towards the main entrance, Lucy noticed that Ronnie Anne was walking unevenly and she kept drawing her hand to her side and stomach. "...You ok?"

"...I think one of them got me on my kidney..." Ronnie stated, wincing as the aching on her backside flared up. "And those hits to the gut almost did me in back there..."

"Let me see." Lucy asked, lifting up the tomboy's shirt. Ronnie would've reacted to that, but she was too tired to really care. Lucy hummed in curiosity; the area where Ronnie held her hand was definitely turning a shade of purple, especially around her naval. A couple other spots were inflammed, but they would probably subside within hours. The area where her kidney was had the same issue. "It doesn't look too bad, but I'd get Lisa to look at it."

Ronnie lifted her shirt higher so she could glance at her abdomen. She grimaced at how big the bruising was. "Great..." Lucy moved over to Ronnie's right side, placing the older girl's right arm over her shoulders so she could support her. "What are you-?"

"I've seen this happen to Lynn enough times. She says she doesn't need help, but no one who has decent legs limps around." The goth stated factually. "Plus," She turned her head towards Ronnie. "It's the least that I owe you."

The Santiago girl blinked before giving silent confirmation that she accepted the help. While she hadn't said it aloud, Ronalda had to admit that she would've struggled walking all the way back home on her own.


Lori hummed to herself as she came down the steps, wearing a pink polo shirt that had two golf clubs crossing each other at the clubs on her backside. She and Carol were gonna head out to the new Top Golf center that had opened up last October on the outskirts of Royal Woods. Having been to the one in Great Lakes City, they figured it would be a blast for them. Plus, it wasn't like she had anything else to do; Leni was at work, Lana went to a friend's house, Lola was keeping Lily busy with a tea party, Lisa was busy in her room, Lucy was God knows where, Lincoln was finishing his shower after mowing the lawn; and as she came down the steps, Lynn and Sid were on the couch button mashing at a game on the TV.

Lori poked her head into the dining room; the plate she left out for Lucy was still untouched. A deadpanned look fell on the oldest sibling's face. "Where is that girl?"

A knock at the door grabbed her attention. Thinking it might be Carol, Lori rushed over and opened the entrance without haste. "Hey Car-!" Lori's face went from excitement to shock and horror as she stared at not one, but two injured and bruised, dirt-riddled, and grass-stained girls standing in front of her.

"Hey Lori." Ronnie Anne greeted in a casual tone that betrayed the pained look on her face that matched her slouched posture. Not to mention the fact Lucy was still supporting her.

"...What. The hell. Happened to you?!" Lori shouted, drawing the attention of Lynn and Sid as the former hit the pause button.

"It's a long story." Lucy stated.

"But it's a good one." Ronnie Anne added quickly.

Lori sighed through her nose as she pinched the bridge of her eyes. "Look, just...just go sit on the couch while I go find a first aid kit." She heard footfalls from the second floor, soon spotting her brother walking past the stairs, fully dressed with a blue shirt with the Xbox logo on the front and beige pants. "Lincoln!" The boy halted in his movement to look down the steps. "Get the first aid kit from Lisa's room!"

Lincoln raised a brow. "Why?"

"NOW, Lincoln!" Lori ordered before moving towards the kitchen.

The middle child of the family was now more confused than ever. But judging by the tone in Lori's voice, it sounded serious enough to heed the demand without question. He walked a couple steps and knocked on Lisa's door.

Lucy and Ronnie Anne stepped in, drawing a surprised gasp from Sid as she drew her hands to her mouth and a wide-eyed look from Lynn. Immediately, the girls bolted from the couch to look them over.

"Ronnie Anne, what happened?!" Sid asked in a panic.

Lynn looked over the two, especially Lucy as she lightly moved her head and studied the bruises on her sister; her pale skin made it easier to tell where they may have come from. A hard glare began to overtake Lynn's face as she didn't like the way the bruises looked. Some of the marks had the stylish pattern you'd see on the bottom of shoes, some had visible hand prints, and knowing Lucy wasn't a dirty person, there were specs of dirt in her hair and dress that really shouldn't have been there. Parting a little bit of Lucy's black hair, Lynn saw a red bruise hiding on her scalp.

This was no accident.

"Who did this to you?..." Lynn asked in a dark tone.

Lucy could see the look of murderous intent behind her sister's eyes. It was strong enough to render her temporarily mute.

"Who did this Luce? Cause I counted at least 15 shoe marks on you." Lynn demanded in a more forceful tone.

"Would you calm down ponytail?" Ronalda stated, coming to the goth's defense. "It's already taken care of." She moved over to the couch. But instead of sitting on the cushion, she sat at the foot of the furniture. Making a relieved sigh, "My legs were killing me..." She crossed a hand over her stomach as she looked at Lynn. "You know of a girl named Taylor?"

Lynn raised a brow as a look of familiarity overtook her features. "Taylor?" A scowl formed immediately after as Lynn folded her arms. "Yeah, I know her. She and her group of friends or boyfriends think they're hot shit, but they're total wusses." She guided Lucy over to the couch, who sat on the right seat and settled into it. "They're freaking predators; preying on the weak and newbies. But the moment someone competent enough decides to hit back, they fold up harder than a lawn chair." She eyed her sister's injuries once more. "Let me guess: she was picking on you?"

Lucy nodded. "I was at the cemetery when she showed up with another group of her friends. I didn't like the fact they were leaving trash everywhere, so-"

"Lynn, did you hurt yoursellllffffff..." Lincoln's voice tapered off as he came within view of everyone from the steps, a large First-Aid box in his hands. Upon laying his eyes on Lucy and Ronnie Anne, he went from being calm and slightly annoyed into a panicked state. As he began wondering what happened, he didn't notice that he was letting his grip slip on the medical box. Realizing his mistake, Lincoln made a quick grab for it, fumbling with the thing in his hands as he came down the steps. He nearly bumped into Lori, who reappeared from the dining room.

"Gah!" Lori yelped in surprise, moving her own First Aid box to her left side. "Be careful with those Lincoln." She chided him. "And couldn't Dad just put this thing in an easy to each place?..."

"Well grab a seat, cause it's a funny story." Ronnie half-joked, though the other Loud siblings didn't share a chuckle.

Ronnie Anne began explaining her side of things as Lori and Lincoln began cleaning up their injuries; the former focusing on Lucy and the latter on Ronnie. The white-haired teen had did his best focusing on his girlfriend's injuries, particularly since she had to take her shirt off to reveal the bruises on her stomach, side, and chest. Lynn, Lori, and Lincoln made annoyed/hate-filled glares as Lucy recounted what had happened to her before Ronnie Anne showed up, with Sid cringing as she went into detail on what they did. The negative looks dissipated as Ronnie Anne went on about how she kicked their butts, feeling very satisfied with herself in spite of not coming out clean.

"And then, I put her in a scissor hold until she cried 'Uncle! Uncle!'." The Latina giggled. "I probably should've just kept choking her til she passed out, buuuuut..."

"Ronnie, that would make you a murderer..." Sid said in a worrying tone.

"If you put her on her side, she could still breathe properly." Lynn pointed out. An impressed smile was on her face after having learned that Ronnie Anne took care of the problem by herself. "Still, did you actually throw one of them at another like a football?"

Ronnie made a wide smirk. "Totally. The blonde girl swore right as she got smacked in the face by her buddy. Guess she sucked at playing catch." Lynn stifled her laugh.

"Did they really teach you that in wrestling? It doesn't sound like anything your school might allow." Lincoln stated, applying some pain relief to Ronnie's arms. "No offense, but wouldn't someone get hurt?"

"Well, it's perfectly legal in Lucha Libre." Ronnie replied, only to wince as a cut was dabbed with alcohol.

Lori raised a brow as she cleaned a scratch on Lucy's face; the goth winced from the contact, but otherwise felt ok. "Do they really teach you that kind of stuff in school?" She took out a band-aid. "I mean, being a school sport, I think they'd want to avoid teaching stuff that would cause serious injury." She stuck the sealant on Lucy's cheek.

Lincoln stuck his tongue out as he thought over something. "Do kickboxing teachers teach pinning moves?" He applied a fresh band-aid to Ronnie's abrasion.

Ronalda and Sid exchanged nervous glances, something that didn't go unnoticed by Lynn.

"Ahah!" Lynn pointed at the Latina. "You're holding out on us, aren't you Ronnie Anne? You had to have learned that scissor hold from someone." She came over and sat on the coffee table. "Come on. Spill! Spill! Spill!" She chanted, shaking her fists in the air.

"Look, Lynn. I don't think-" The tomboy started.

"Wait, didn't you say you learned it from your kickboxing classes?" Lincoln asked, dabbing more alcohol on a cotton ball before rubbing it on scratch Ronnie Anne had on her forehead.

Ronalda hissed as it made contact. "Well, yeah. But-!"

"SPILL! SPILL SPILL!" Lynn continued chanting, her feet now stomping on the floor to everyone else's annoyance.

Ronalda made an exasperated sigh. "Fine." She folded her arms. "If I tell you, will you shut up for five minutes?"

Lynn propped her head on her palm. "I will when you tell us."

"...Alright, what I'm about to say cannot leave this house. At all." Ronnie stressed, then looked at Lori. "So no blabbing about it on Facebook."

Lori held up her hands with indignation. "What?" She applied another band-aid to Lucy's left arm.

Ignoring that, Ronnie continued. "...Do you know of a wrestler named, La Tormenta?"

Lynn raised a brow. "La Tormenta? As in, The Perpetual Storm?" She leaned forward. "The Nine-Time world champion?!"

Lincoln squinted an eye, pausing in his work. "I've heard about her from what you and Sid spoke about before." He squeezed out more pain relief cream and dabbed Ronnie's cheek. "Isn't she retired?"

Sid nodded. "Yeah, though she had a short exhibition match about a year afterwards. Annnnd..." She tapped her fingers together. "We sort of came in close contact with her."

"Pfft, what? She lives in your apartment or something?" Lynn chuckled. "What are the odds of that happening?"

Ronnie Anne and Sid gave the former athlete blank stares.

Lynn started to catch on to their wordless confirmation. "Wait, so she's literally living in you guys' apartment? No joke?"

"No joke." Ronnie nodded.

Lynn slammed the table. "Bullshit! There's no way she of all people could be living with you guys! Wouldn't she be living in those celebrity communities or whatever?"

"We didn't think so at first." Sid began. "But then again, she wasn't being so subtle about it." She leaned against the arm of the chair. "One day, we were sitting on the front steps talking about this wrestling much Ronnie Anne's Uncle Carlos got tickets to featuring her, then all of a sudden, someone spun past us and slammed her garbage into the trash bin!" She smacked her hand for emphasis. "She even did the catchphrase and everything!"

"Annnnnnd, we discovered her mask in her room." Ronnie smiled sheepishly, then immediately gave another hiss as alcohol came in contact with another cut.

"Sorry." Lincoln said, lightly tapping a spot on Ronnie's upper back.

"It's ok." The tomboy responded back.

Lori paused in her work as both she and Lucy looked at the duo. "By "discovered", what do you mean by that?"

The Latina pursed her lips. "...We snuck into her room."

"Annnnd after that, we had to get her mask back to her during her exhibition match because we lost the real one." Sid admitted, hanging her head in shame.

Lynn let out a chuckle. "Wow, you guys nearly tanked her career on that one."

Ronalda glared at the brunette. "We know...don't rub it in..." She raised her arm as Lincoln applied some pain relief cream to her side. Her eyes squinted as pressure was applied, making her pain receptors go off before they began to fade. "Then, some time later when I was practicing my kickboxing in the basement, she happened to notice since she came down to do laundry."


The sound of a punching bag being sacked repeatedly filled the otherwise empty laundry room, with the sounds themselves coming from the formerly sealed room within the walls. Wearing a pink tank top with her regular shorts, Ronnie Anne's breathing was heavy as she performed a series of hooks, jabs, and high and low kicks. Her hands and feet were wrapped in white tape as she performed her self-induced exercise. Normally, she'd practice in the school's gym; but it was a Saturday, and she had nothing else to do in the mean time since Sid was helping out at the zoo and her other friends were busy. After landing a high kick to the side, Ronalda stopped as she drew in deep breaths, wiping sweat from her forehead. Her hands and feet ached from the hits she dealt to the sand bag over the last ten minutes, but she didn't let that stop her.

She clenched her hands as she drew a breath. "I gotta get this kick higher...otherwise I can't go for a knockout blow if I can't hit the face..." She muttered to herself.

Drawing a deep breath, Ronalda exhaled and got into a fighting stance. Fists tightened, she aimed five jabs at the bag once more, pretending the spot in question was someone's gut. Then, in one swift motion, she leaned to the side and snapped her leg up.

"Hey." Someone called out behind her.

Ronalda flinched, throwing her aim off just enough that her toes barely grazed the surface of the bag. As she spun around, she slid on her heel to the point she nearly did a split; eyes the size of dinner plates watered up as her hands caught the floor, stopping her legs from sliding any further.

"Ow, ow, ow!" The tomboy whispered as she slowly closed her legs back to a comfortable position. Her first instinct was to direct an angry gaze at the person that made her lose focus, only to gawk at the person poking their head through the bead curtain. "L-La Tormen-...I-I mean Ms. Guzman?" The tomboy corrected quickly. "What are you doing down here?" She asked whilst getting to her feet.

"Laundry." Blanca answered casually before stepping into the room. "And I could ask you the same thing." She took a moment to glance around the room. "Oooh, is this some sort of secret rec room? The last apartment I had didn't have one of these." She backpedaled a little. "Well, actually, it did. But it was a total mess." The retired wrestler noticed the punching bag swaying about from the hits it received. "And from the sounds of those hits, you must've been going hard on the old leather." Putting her hands on her hips, "So, practicing Karate? Tai Quan Do?"

A light blush developed on Ronnie's face as a sheepish smile formed across her lips. "A-Actually, it's kickboxing." She placed a hand out to stop the bag from swaying.

Blanca raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh, didn't expect a little ankle-biter like you to be into that." She glanced behind her, making sure no one else was in the room before turning to the young girl with a smirk. "Then again, you and your friend made it no secret that you're my biggest fans."

The Santiago girl rubbed the back of her head. "Y-Yeah." She began to frown. "I know you forgave us, but I still feel pretty sour about how we put you in a bind like that..."

Blanca only offered a kind smile in return. "Don't worry chica fan." She placed a hand on top of Ronalda's head and ruffled the young girl's hair. "Not really a good way to end a career, but I was already on my way out." She put her hands on her hips. "Being world champion takes a lot out of you; especially the corrective surgeries..." She muttered on the last part, which made one of her knees twitch from an old memory.

Ronalda winced a little as she had an idea on what match Ms. Guzman may have been referring to.

"Anyway," Blanca began, putting on another smile. "What made you start up kickboxing? Whenever I saw you girls, there was usually a skateboard under your feet."

Ronalda made a bitter frown. "Almost a year ago...me and a couple close friends of mine got into a fight with two large bullies. We didn't stand a chance, and I had been taken out of the fight with little to no effort..." Her brows furrowed as the weeks she spent recovering from her sickness and injuries filled her mind. Looking at her taped hands, the tomboy balled them into fists. "I always felt that, if I had been stronger...I could've made a difference..." She glanced to the side. "And I could've protected him..." She muttered.

Blanca made a neutral stare. As much as she wanted to ask for more details about the situation, the look on Ronalda's face told her it was a very personal issue. Instead, she turned to the fighting style she took up. "Hmm. Well, kickboxing is a style that involves evading and landing hits. I'm surprised you didn't take up actual boxing."

Ronalda pursed her lips. "I thought about it; but I definitely don't have the build to do that." She rubbed her cheek. "Nikki can throw a hard punch when she wants to. So, I decided to go with this route since I'm not exactly 'tall', a-and I really need to learn to avoid taking hits."

Blanca rubbed her chin with a finger. "Interesting." An idea popped in her head, judging by the wide grin on her face. "But, have they taught you how to truly force an opponent to submit?"

Ronalda raised a brow. "Mmmm...I...guess? I've been taught how to punch and kick, and maybe two submission moves. But they're sort of complicated."

"How so?"

"Well, one basically involves bringing someone over my shoulder and slamming them into the ground." Ronnie mimicked the move as an example. "And the other is basically a headlock."

Blanca's smirk grew bigger. "Well then chica fan, you have much to learn. There are easier ways to force your opponent to submit; as well as a few key weaknesses you can exploit that every person has."

Ronnie looked more confused. "What do you mean?"

The buzzer of the washing machine went off right before Blanca could answer. She took a few steps back to eye the timer. "Mmm, ten more minutes." Looking back at Ronnie Anne. "When I'm done with the laundry, meet me in my room. You're still green around the ears; but soon," She pointed to the young girl's chest. "You too will become una tormenta of your own ferocity."

Ronnie's eyes widened when her brain finally registered what the retired wrestler was getting at. "You...want to teach me your movies?" She pointed to herself, unsure whether she was dreaming or this was really happening. "B-But why?" She asked, completely flabbergast at the offer.

"Well, being retired frees up my schedule a lot more. And since you and your friend went through a lot to help me win my last fight, I figured it'd be a way to say, Hey, no hard feelings." She put a hand out. "So, you in?"

The Santiago girl's face lit up like a christmas tree to the point she was close to going full on fangirl mode as her body shook in excitement. However, the side of her that wanted to play it cool reeled her back in, making the tomboy draw in a breath to calm herself.

Grasping the older woman's hand, "I'm definitely in." She said with confidence.


Lynn looked skeptical as she folded her arms. "And that's it? It was that easy?"

"Hey, it was more coincidental on my end." Ronalda retorted, rubbing her side as the pain in her back subsided to a dull ache. "Plus, the talk we had was the easy part. The part where she started training? It was like being in boot camp."

Sid raised a brow. "What do you mean? She always encouraged you to try your best, not demean you like a drill sergeant."

Ronnie sent Sid a deadpanned stare. "You try carrying a 30 pound sack of potatoes up 10 flights of stairs. Or tossing a 50 pound weight while trying to aim it at a target 30 feet away, WHILE SPINNING!" Crossing her arms, "My arms and legs felt like lead sometimes after training; and I dropped the weight on my foot twice..."

Lynn gave a chortle. "If that training was supposed to be a secret, what kind of excuses did you make up?"

"Ehhh..." Ronalda made a so-so motion with her hand. "Floated between half-truths of taking extra time kickboxing, annnnnd spending time with family, skateboarding elsewhere." She pursed her lips. "I couldn't keep it a secret from everyone forever; that's just too much work. So, Mom knows (I really can't lie to her), Sid obviously knows, Tio Carlos knows on accident, annnnd..." Ronalda tapped her chin. "Carlitos as well."

"The baby?" Lori asked whilst dabbing some pain relief cream on Lucy's back where a hidden bruise was found. "How'd that happen?"

"He likes to explore the apartment now that he's gotten used to walking." Ronnie let out a chuckle. "I don't know how he got to the top floor without anyone noticing, or knew what room Ms. Guzman had, but he just waddled into the room before me or her noticed him."

"Mmmm..." Lynn squinted her eyes, lips pouting as she scrutinized Ronnie's words. "Alriiight..." She slumped in her posture. "I guess you aren't lying. Still, good on ya for lookin' after Luce." She tapped her chin with a finger. "Though I'm still wondering if I should go finish the job..."

"It would be pointless by now." Lucy replied, lifting her shirt to expose her stomach. Lori cringed a little seeing the dark reddish blotches against her pale skin. "I don't know if they might still be unconscious, but Taylor would've dragged her friends' corpses away if she's wise."

"Pfff, wasn't wise enough to not pick a fight with meeeAAAH!." Ronnie yelped as a cold object touched her stomach. A light blush touched her face as she looked at Lincoln.

"What?" The white-haired teen asked in confusion, holding an ice pack inches from her abdomen. "T-That bruise isn't gonna take care of itself."

Sid couldn't help but notice the red hue that formed on Lincoln's face. Her lips curved into an amused grin before she tapped Lincoln on the shoulder. He looked at her, growing even more confused when she pulled his head closer.

"She's ticklish around her bellybutton." The Chang girl whispered into his ear.

Lincoln raised a brow; he swore that Ronnie wasn't sensitive in that area, given how little she reacted last time he ambushed her like that. However, his mind was flooded with the memory when she first tried teaching him how to ride a skateboard. Granted, the severity of his injury was superficial back then compared to purple bruises Ronnie carried currently; but he couldn't help the itch that developed with the need for some overdue payback.

But, not without finishing his patch up. He'd need to be careful though, as there was one bruise pretty close to...well, he didn't want to say it out loud, but it was inches below her bra...

Lincoln slowly turned his head to Ronnie Anne, who grew confused as a wide smirk formed on her boyfriend's face. "Lincoln? What are you doing?"

"Hold still Ronnie Anne." Lincoln said calmly, smirk not dropping as he coated the tips of his fingers with pain relief cream. "This won't hurt a bit."

Ronnie's mouth fell as she stared at him with a bug-eyed expression. "Lincoln, no." The teen seemed to ignored her request as he scooted closer. "No!" Ronnie placed her hands on the carpet as she started to scoot away. "Sid! What did you tell him?!" She glared at her best friend.

"Just trust me Nie Nie~!" Lincoln said in a singsong tone as he planted his feet on the floor.

Lynn covered her mouth as she burst out laughing. "Nie Nie?"

"Lincoln! No!" Ronnie demanded, moving further away. "Don't you dare-AAAH!" She turned to run right as Lincoln sidestepped over to her, being too slow to get away as she was still tired. Lincoln held her by the waist as he applied the cream to the bruise on her stomach. "NOOOO HAHAHA! STOOOOP!" She giggled as Lincoln's fingers rubbed the tender skin, being careful not to apply too much pressure to cause her pain; he seemed to have found the sweet spot around her naval as he gingerly rubbed this area, eliciting howls of laughter from the tomboy.

Ronnie put a hand on his chest and tried pushing him away, but Lincoln wrapped both arms around her waist, pinning her right arm to her side as he pulled her back. Sandwiched between his legs with her spine pressed against his chest, Lincoln smirked as he continued his assault on the worn out girl, applying more pain relief as he saw fit when he felt his fingers becoming dry. Ronnie kicked her feet out as she continued giggling, making no real attempts to get him to stop. Lori couldn't help but roll her eyes at their childish antics, but a warm smile was on her face as she watched. Within seconds, she whipped her phone out and snapped a picture; she planned on sending it to Bobby, who hopefully won't become too worried if he noticed his sister was injured. She then took an ice pack and wrapped it around Lucy's wrist after the goth told her how sore it felt.

Lynn huffed through her nose. "Sheesh. Get a room why don't ya?"

"Shut up Lynn." Both Lincoln and Ronnie stated as the former finished his "torture" session.

"There." Lori said as she applied a bandage to Lucy's leg. "Hopefully you two don't have any other plans today, but I want you both to see Lisa to make sure there's nothing more pressing to worry about."

"Ok..." Lucy answered, moving her leg around

"Sure. Just as long as she doesn't use it as an excuse to take my spleen." Ronnie stated, leaning back slightly so her full weight pressed against her boyfriend. Lincoln's blush returned when he was again confronted with the fact Ronnie was only wearing a sports bra, but tried not to show it as he interlaced his fingers around her waist.

Sid blinked in surprise. "Wait, wha?"

"Not to worry, future step-sibling." A voice called out as the girl in question descended the steps with a large tablet in her hands. "I have outgrown that hazardous hobby 18 months ago. Not to mention there are plenty of donors elsewhere."

Ronalda grimaced slightly. "When you say it like that, it doesn't sound convincing."

"Apologies." Lisa reached the bottom step, swiping her finger across the tablet multiple times. "I am still working on interpreting my intentions better. Mother is even considering that I take speech classes." Her eyes squinted behind her glasses. "There we are." She looked at the two healing girls. "May the patients please stand so that I may check for hidden ailments?"

Lucy got off the couch, though Ronnie didn't move from her position. Lisa made a deadpan expression after a making a quick glance at the couple. "Lincoln, as touching as it is that you want to cuddle with your significant other, can you please remove yourself from the patient?..." She lifted the tablet as Lucy stood in front of her. The goth could see a camera on the back end of the device; from their position behind the family brainiac, Lynn and Sid found that Lisa was holding a portable x-ray, with Lucy's skeleton visible on the screen. The two girls recoiled and stuck their tongues out in disgust as Lisa swiped the screen to change views, revealing the goth's musculature and organs. Fortunately, she moved around to Lucy's backside to check for injuries.

Ronnie felt Lincoln's breath on the back of her neck as he made a disappointed sigh, and she was tempted to give one of her own as her waist started to feel cold without his embrace. Still, she lightly gripped the top of his hands with her free arm before he let go. She did need to check if she didn't get any damage to her kidney when that little runt took cheap shots at her.

And she would most definitely crash if she had to ingest pain killers.

A/N: Last thing anyone wanted on a chill day was to have to ponder whether one of their own needs to see a doctor because of self-inflicted or third party injuries. Who knows what could've happened to Lucy had she not received help? But one thing is certain; Ronnie is definitely confident that she learned from past mistakes and adapted herself correctly to pull out a victory. Also, some info was added from a particular recent episode that I felt would've added more depth to Ronalda's skills as a fighter.