Act II

Later that morning, the kids made their way into the backyard for training. Ronnie Anne stood in her white tank top and some teal blue sports shorts as Lynn, wearing a black exercise vest and shorts and even a white martial arts headband, approached her with a very stern and serious look on her face.

"Okay, Ronalda..." she teasingly called her. "You think ya got what it takes to train under my wing?!" she interrogatingly questioned.

"Yes." Ronnie Anne replied.

"Yes, what?" Lynn asked as she took a step closer and got up in her face.

"Yes, erm... sir?"

"Wrong! Try again."

"Yes... master?"

"Closer. When training with me in this dojo, you will refer to me as your Sensei."

"But we're not in a dojo?" Lincoln pointed out as he stood beside them and looked on.

"Hush, Lincoln! Now, do you think you have what it takes?" she asked Ronnie Anne again.

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Good." Lynn said with a smile before continuing. "Now tell me. Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?"

"No, Sensei!"

"Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?!"

"No, Sensei!"

"Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it?!"

"NO, SENSEI!"

"That's it! That's the drive you're gonna need to make it through these next two days and reawaken your tough side! I know it's still in there, you just need to let it out!"

Of course, Lynn was not known for her softness, or for doing things in half measures. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both knew Lynn would put the latter through a hellish training routine. Slightly nervous and tense, Ronnie Anne braced herself for whatever Lynn was about to throw at her...

Lynn slowly paced towards her while asking "So, what experience do you have in martial arts? I want to know your skill level."

"Well, I've done a little wrestling in my time."

"Good, and what else? Any boxing? Kickboxing? Karate? Ju Jitsu?" Lynn asked.

"Well, I..." Ronnie Anne went to say, but she was then surprised.

"THINK FAST!" Lynn suddenly shouted before socking her hard in the gut.

"UNGH!" Ronnie wailed in pain as she collpased down to her knees.

"Lesson number one! Never let your guard down. Always be prepared for an attack!" Lynn firmly told her.

"That was a cheap shot!" Ronnie objected as she coughed a little.

"Yeah!" Lincoln said in agreement.

"You're not training for a match in a ring, you're training for a street fight. That means there are no rules! Every second, every move, every dirty trick... all of that is what counts in a battle like this. Expect to have to deal with some cheap shots and junk!" Lynn said. "Now stand up!"

"Yes... Sensei." the other girl said as she fought through the pain and got back to her feet.

"Good. Now... HI-YAH!" Lynn suddenly yelled as she went for a haymaker punch, but Ronnie was able to block it in time with her elbow. "Good, you're catching on already."

"Thanks, Sensei."

"But that's just the beginning. I've got plenty more planned for you today." Lynn said as a sinister grin emerged on her face, much to Ronnie Anne's dismay.

That afternoon, Ronnie Anne was put through her paces. Lynn provided her with a series of tasks that would help prepare her for her fateful confrontation with Becky. Her first exercise was to work on her stand-up striking game on a punchbag that Lynn had set up by tying it to a tree branch in the backyard. Ronnie Anne threw a series of fairly hard, venomous strikes. However, Lynn held a boxing pad in her hand and smacked her student in the side of the head anytime she dropped her guard.

Next up, Lynn decided to test Ronnie Anne's fitness level. The two girls started doing push-ups on the grass. After a short while, Ronnie's arms felt tired and slippery due to her sweat levels. She was so close to giving up and falling to the ground, but she then looked over to her left, and saw a cocky Lynn doing push-ups with a single hand, without even breaking a sweat. Feeling a little shown up and even envious, Ronnie continued with her push-ups for a little while longer in an effort to show Lynn that she wouldn't give up so easily.

As a result of the pain she showed after getting slugged in the belly earlier that day, Lynn decided Ronnie Anne needed a little body conditioning so that she could take more punishment. But she knew that her punches would be too hard for someone not used to the exercise, so she decided to use Lincoln for this one. Wearing boxing gloves, Lincoln punched Ronnie Anne repeatedly in the gut while Lynn held the girl's arms behind her back. Ronnie Anne had no choice but to clench and take the shots as an amused Lincoln commented "You know? This is actually pretty fun."

Soon enough, Lynn decided to move on. "Okay, I'd say physically you're getting there, but like you said, the problem is that you don't have that fire and passion that you used to. That tough attitude that makes sure you don't take no guff from nobody! So we're gonna work on that!" she told her student.

Lincoln then brought over a practice dummy similar to the one Lynn used when she tried to teach Lola and Leni Karate one time.

"Now, pretend this dummy is Becky. Imagine she just did something really mean, like..." Lynn went on to say.

"Like putting gum in your hair." Lincoln interjected.

"Or pushing you into a trash can." Lynn followed.

"Or stuffing you in a locker." Lincoln then continued.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Ronnie insisted as she walked over to the dummy. "Okay, here it goes." she said to herself as she prepared to bring her old surly and rough persona back to the surface.

As Ronnie tried to channel into her rough side, she stared at the dummy and began to imagine it was her bully. In her eyes, the dummy morphed into the blonde girl, who immediately began taunting her. "Hey, look, it's Ronnie Anne, the little crybaby."

Ronnie Anne let out a loud grumbling sound as she let all her anger and rage build up inside her. "Yeah, that's it." Lynn said to herself.

"Who else do you have a crush on, Ronnie Anne? Laird? Ha! Shall I tell everybody about that, too? Ha ha ha ha ha!" the vision of Becky then asked her, finally causing Ronnie to snap in a fit of fury.

"RRAAAARRRGGGHHHH!" she shouted as she punched her fist straight through the dummy, before ripping out a chunk of its insides... as if she were ripping the heart out of her bully.

"Woah!" a surprised Lincoln muttered in response.

"BOOM! Show no mercy!" Lynn encouragingly praised her.

"I've had enough of Becky! I'm gonna show her what happens when you mess with a Santiago!" Ronnie Anne then loudly declared, earning her a pat on the back from Lynn.

"See? That's what I'm talking about. With an attitude like that, you're sure to take it to the chump."

"Okay, the sun's going in, I think we've done enough today." Lincoln then said, feeling Lynn had put his friend through enough gruelling exercises and emotional curves for one day.

Ronnie Anne may have been seeking to regain her toughness and strength... but she was still just a little girl with limitations. Lynn had been working her so hard all day that by the evening she was all tuckered out. As soon as she walked inside, she just sprawled out on the sofa and fell asleep.

"Wow, she's pretty tired." Lincoln said.

"Well, it's probably best that she gets some rest. She's got an even crazier day ahead of her tomorrow." Lynn stated.

"Wait, what?! Worse than that?!" he blurted out in disbelief. "That stuff was intense!"

"Nah, those were just the warm-ups, bro. Tomorrow is where we get all the sparring rounds in." Lynn then informed him.

A now worried Lincoln told her "Just don't go too harsh on her. I know how heavy you hit."

"Aww, is my baby bro a little nervous about me hurting his girlfriend?" the older sister teasingly asked him as she playfully rubbed his cheek and gave him a noogie.

"LYNN!"

After a well deserved night's rest, it was Sunday morning, and once the sun had risen and the three kids had eaten breakfast, they were back outside for another day of training.

"Okay, Ronnie Anne! Now that we've covered the basics, it's time that we get on with the most important part of your training... sparring!" Lynn announced.

"What? So I've got to go a few rounds with you?"

"Heh, you're eager for a challenge, I like that." Lynn complimented her. "But since 'someone' is worried about his friend..." she then said as she rolled her eyes at her brother "...I've decided to compromise. You'll get a warm-up round first against a slightly easier opponent."

"Okay? So whose butt am I gonna be kicking?" Ronnie asked.

"Oh ho ho, I like the confidence, but don't get overconfident, because she's no slouch!"

Just as Lynn finished that sentence, her younger sister and fellow tomboy Lana Loud jumped from out of the trash can and approached Ronnie Anne. She stood in front of her and crouched into a combat ready position.

"Um... your seven your old sister?" a surprised Ronnie Anne asked.

"Don't let her size or age fool you, Lana is no weakling." Lynn told her.

Lincoln then whispered into Ronnie's ear "She's not kidding. I've seen her wrestle 300 pound alligators to the ground." which then lowered Ronnie's confidence a little bit.

"Okay, Lans! Have at her!" Lynn said before blowing her whistle, signalling Lana to pounce on her opponent.

"Woah!" a surprised Ronnie Anne muttered as the small but strong Lana took her down. "ARGH! How is she this strong?!" she yelled.

"Ronnie Anne, don't lose your cool!" Lincoln warned her as he saw Lana dominating her on the ground.

"Takedown! Two points!" Lana shouted as she held the larger girl down and had her way with her.

"Come on, Ronnie Anne! Show her what ya got!" Lynn instructed. "I know you're tougher than that!"

After a few seconds of squirming, Ronnie Anne was able to squeeze her way out of Lana's grip and then make it up to her knees.

"Not so fast!" Lana said as she pounced at her a second time.

"Not this time!" Ronnie replied as she allowed herself to fall backwards and end up in mount position.

Having wrapped her legs around Lana's torso, Ronnie was in a prime position to execute a submission. She held the rowdy little tomboy in place as well as she could before managing to wrap her right leg around Lana's neck, and then secured the submission by hooking her two legs together. Finally, she pulled the girl's head down and squeezed tightly. The triangle choke hold was successfully locked in.

Lana submitted after a few seconds of trying to resist, allowing Ronnie to disable the move and stand back up.

"Winner!" Lynn ran over and declared as she held Ronnie Anne's hand up in victory.

"Phew, that was a close call." Ronnie Anne admitted.

"I'll say." Lincoln said.

"Well, you did it. Now I suggest you take a little breather." Lynn told her.

"Huh? Why?" Ronnie asked.

"Because you'll be going for another round... and this time, it will be with an even stronger opponent." Lynn warned her.

Ronnie Anne gulped nervously as she realised she was in for a hard time.

Ten minutes later, Ronnie's Anne's training continued as Lynn approached her again. "Okay, Ronnie Anne. It's time for round two!"

"I'm ready." she bravely said.

"I know this weekend has been tough for you, so I'm going to be nice and give you a choice." Lynn told her. "Your next round will only last one minute and it will be against one of the three of us." she then told her as two of her friends walked into the backyard and stood next to Lynn.

They just so happened to be none other than Babs Bestie, the red-haired bruiser who Ronnie Anne had previously encountered in the Astonishing Quest some months earlier, as well as Maxie Cooper, a friend that Lynn met at a party not too long ago. Ronnie Anne felt slightly nervous as she looked at these two potential opponents of hers. Both of them were almost a head taller than her in height, and were strongly built and muscular as heck. She could tell that she was a little outmatched physically when compared against either of them.

But then Ronnie Anne remembered Lynn's sentence... she said "it will be against one of the three of us". She could only assume that Lynn was counting herself in that selection. Ronnie knew that whichever of the three fighters she took on, she would be in for a tough time, but she guessed that out of her choices, the relatively small and skinny Lynn was the lesser of three evils...

"So, which one of us do you want to take on?" Lynn asked her.

"Okay, I choose you!" Ronnie boldly declared.

Lynn then chuckled to herself before telling her "Big mistake!" while sporting a fearsome and sinister grin.

Lincoln looked on at Lynn's expression as he could tell what was about to happen. "Uh oh." he nervously said to himself as he reluctantly started the one minute countdown timer.

Without warning, Lynn suddenly sprung into action and tackled Ronnie Anne to the ground. "AGGHHH!" Ronnie screamed as she immediately felt pressured by the immense strength and aggression of the petite yet mighty Lynn Junior, who was now on top of her and not holding back.

"This is when it really counts! Now show me what you got!" Lynn ordered her.

Ronnie Anne tried to squirm her way out just like she did with Lana, but Lynn's strength and skill was proving too much for her to handle.

"The kid's got guts." Maxie said to Babs.

"Yeah, she did tackle me into a boulder once. Still, it was only because she got me from the side. In a straight fight, I don't think she'll last the full minute with Lynn." Babs replied.

Lincoln also looked on as his friend got tossed around, dragged, and dominated by his older sister. Only twenty seconds had passed, yet already Lynn had turned her into a plaything. Not intending for all this to ironically result in a confidence decline for Ronnie, he quickly shouted "Come on, Ronnie Anne! Don't let her bully you!"

These words had more impact on Ronnie's mental state than he anticipated. Upon hearing those words, she immediately began to remember what she was doing all this for. Becky, her relentless bully, was the one she had to overcome, and she had to tap into her tough side to do it. The annoying, mean-spirited laugh of the blonde girl began to play continuously inside the inner workings of her psyche. As thoughts of Becky's torment ran loose inside her mind, she managed to gain a rage boost from it. "RAAARRRGGHHH!" she fiercely yelled as she finally mustered the strength to squeeze out of Lynn's pin. The two girls then immediately got back to their feet and prepared to continue.

"Finally ready to fight me like a man, huh? Let's go!" Lynn goaded her.

She wanted Ronnie Anne to take the fight to her with aggression and meaning... and that's exactly what she started to do. "Twenty seconds left!" Lincoln shouted as Ronnie Anne charged at Lynn before socking her in the gut twice, delivering a left hook to the chin, and then performing a hip throw to the sporty Loud girl, bringing her down.

"Oof!" Lynn cried.

Ronnie Anne then got on top of Lynn and began a ground and pound assault. However, Lynn was able to block the punches with her guard.

"Ten seconds left!" Lincoln told them.

With only a tiny span of time left in the round, Lynn used her power to burst her way out of Ronnie's mount position and spring back to her feet. "That's it, Ronnie Anne! Now let's finish this!" she said before running at her opponent and returning the favour with a few vicious punches and kicks.

Ronnie was able to endure the pain of Lynn's strikes, however, and stepped back to gain enough distance as she knew she only had seconds left. Lynn goaded her once more with a 'come at me' gesture, inviting Ronnie to come in closer for one last brief slugfest.

Flooded with adrenaline and rage, Ronnie Anne decided to go for it. She charged at Lynn with the intention of executing a powerful superman punch, in the hopes that it would actually knock her opponent down. However, Lincoln could tell that his sister was baiting her...

"Oh no, she's not..." he said to himself.

Just as Ronnie Anne approached her, Lynn was ready with a counter. She moved her head to the side as Ronnie jumped at her with the punch, and instead grabbed a hold of the other girl's tanktop. She then intentionally fell back, pulling Ronnie Anne with her, whilst also placing her foot on her chest. From there, Lynn flipped Ronnie Anne over and sent her flying into the fence.

*WHAM*

"Oooh." Lincoln winced, almost as if he could feel the pain Ronnie had just been dealt with. "Well, that's the end of the round. Are you okay, Ronnie Anne?"

She groaned before eventually managing to get back to her feet. "My back is a little sore, but I'll be fine." she said. "I can't believe I fell for that."

"Yeah, that's one of my last resorts. If you're ever on the ropes, feel free to use tricks and bait your opponents into giving up their advantage. Cunning can matter just as much as might in the world of throwing down." Lynn told her. "That's my final lesson to you. Now I'd say you're ready to take on Becky."

Despite feeling a little sore, Ronnie Anne was able to crack a smile after hearing those words. Her 'Sensei' had given her the approval she needed to know that she was ready to take on her bully. She had regained her aggression and her toughness, and now she was ready to make sure nobody in the big city ever pushed her around again.

The weekend came to an end and Ronnie Anne's gruelling training had finally concluded. A bruised up, sweaty, exhausted young girl sat down on the front steps of the Loud House, waiting for a family member to pick her up and take her home as the darkness of the night began to emerge. Just as she sat there and reflected on her experiences, her new 'Sensei' Lynn walked out and sat down next to her.

"I never said it earlier but... thanks." Ronnie Anne said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm always happy to help someone stick up for themselves. I know how hard it can be when someone gets picked on and needs to find the strength to do something about it. I know my training was harsh, but I wanted to make sure you were ready to deal with Becky, both physically and mentally. Of course, there's one more thing I need to tell you before you go."

"What's that?"

"Don't let this stuff get the better of you." Lynn then told her.

"I don't get what you mean." a confused Ronnie Anne then replied.

"You see, all this stuff I've been drilling in your head for the last two days, about striking hard, getting down and dirty, and showing people that you're not to be messed with... that's all good, as long as those ways of thinking don't get the best of you." Lynn then explained as her vocal tone and facial expression gradually became less full of bravado and more shameful.

"Huh?"

"I was like you once. I was always strong and good at sports, but when I first went to Middle School, I had a tough time. I felt like a pushover who just let everybody walk all over me, so I felt determined to turn myself into the strongest, toughest person I could be so that nobody would treat me like that anymore."

"Well, it sure worked." Ronnie Anne pointed out.

"Yeah, but... *Sigh* Nah, I probably shouldn't bore you with all this stuff." Lynn tried to back out. Lynn was never one to let her emotional vulnerabilities show, and while she felt like letting her tough front slip for just a brief moment, she quickly regained her urge to bottle that side of herself up again.

"No, tell me." Ronnie Anne pushed, realising Lynn was holding back some deep inner thoughts. "You've helped me out all weekend. The least I can do is hear you out. So go on." she insisted.

"It worked a little too well. At times, I feel like I can be a bit of a bully myself. Especially towards Lincoln. Honestly, I'm willing to bet I've done worse things to him than you ever did." Lynn admitted.

"Hmm, I'm not so sure. I once filled his entire locker with garbage." Ronnie Anne jokingly recalled.

"That's nothing. I once gave him a Dutch oven so rotten, it made him puke." Lynn retaliated.

"Wow, that's pretty gross." Ronnie Anne replied. "But I socked him in the eye once."

"Yeah, I saw. We were all watching you when you did it. But seriously, the Camel Clutches I've given him are way worse." Lynn then one-upped her again as their conversation developed into a bit of a verbal contest.

"Woah, it sounds like you can be pretty rough with him."

"That's what I'm talking about. I don't mean anything bad by it, I'm not trying to be a bully or anything, it's just that I'm so used to being a rough and tumble kind of girl that responds to everything fist first that I can't help but act that way sometimes. I mean, I am trying to work on that, and I think I am getting better at toning down my rough attitude a notch, but the whole thing is going very slowly. Thinking about it, I can still be pretty mean sometimes." she sadly reflected before sighing and offering a verbal self-criticism. "Maybe I'm not so different from this Becky girl."

"Well, whatever you think your faults are, there's certainly an advantage to your toughness. I certainly felt it today." Ronnie then joked in an effort to lighten the mood. "Besides, if nothing else, Lincoln knows he doesn't have to worry about anyone else giving him grief with you around."

Lynn then reached over and grabbed her hand softly before quietly saying "Being tough is one thing, Ronnie Anne, but don't let it screw over who you are as a person. Take all these things I've taught you today, and use them better than I did." she told her. "Do that, Ronnie Anne. Be a better me." she said before letting go and walking back inside the house.

As Lynn walked through the front door, Ronnie Anne spoke up. "You're not a bad person, Lynn. For all your roughness, I can see that you mean well in your own way. I think your brother sees that, too. That's why he went to you to help me."

Lynn then smiled softly and replied "Thanks, Ronnie Anne. You've cheered me up a little."

"Hey, you've done a lot for me. It's the least I could do to return the favour." she replied. "Now do me a favour and stop getting all mushy on me." she then joked as the more abrasive and snarky side of Ronnie Anne came out for a moment.

"Heh, good one. I can see your spunk really is back. Looks like Becky's gonna be in for it tomorrow." Lynn said encouragingly before walking off. "Good luck, Ronnie Anne."

"Thanks... 'Sensei' Lynn." Ronnie said as she waved her goodbye, sporting a confident grin on her face as she now felt ready to confront her rival.

Author's Footnote:

And that's another chapter done. I'll pretty much say the same as last time. Expect the next chapter to be uploaded in the next 5 to 10 days (probably closer to the 10 mark this time around).

Let me know your thoughts so far. Next time I'll end chapter three with a little bit more to say on some things.

Oh, and it seems the image manager still isn't working. Not sure when this website will get that resolved.