A/N: After a much needed confidence boost from the girls, and a wardrobe change at Clyde's behest, Lincoln was ready to solve the case of the missing toy. But in doing so, they uncovered a more sinister plot at hand. Can the boys gather the courage to be real heroes? Will the girls put their personas to good use? Will the bad guy get a win?
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
Lincoln and Clyde could only stare in confusion at the camera monitoring the outside of Kitty's trailer as 4 adult cosplayers stood about. They could've been security dressed for the event, but that didn't make sense to Lincoln. It was one thing for the convention security themselves to be wearing their typical uniform, and since Kitty is supposed to be a bad guy, there should be a corral of bad guys to keep appearances.
"So why would there be an Ace working with Kitty?..." Lincoln mulled to himself, rubbing his chin in thought. "And doesn't he have a trainer?..." A sinking feeling in his stomach was telling him that there was more to this story than what the boys were seeing.
The Loud was proven right when seconds later, "I got four individuals hanging around Kitty's trailer. Can someone head back there and tell 'em Kitty isn't doing autographs for the rest of the day?" The security woman spoke into a small handheld radio.
"Uh, kinda busy at the moment with this vendor." A male voice replied. "Think you can check it out Bess?"
The aforementioned 'Bess' sent a small glare towards one of the monitors, eyeing one where a guard was NOT talking to a vendor, but busy eating a hamburger. Pressing the talk button on the radio, "Issac, get your fat ass out of the chair and head towards the back!" She got up from her seat, nearly stomping towards the exit. "Gotta do everything myself, I swear to GOD..."
The two 11 year olds were momentarily shocked to hear an adult openly swear in front of them before looking back at the screens. "Um...should we do something?" Lincoln asked, a little unsure of what to do next.
"I think it'd be better to let the local authorities handle it. I mean, all of them can't be busy or lazy, right?" Clyde responded with an optimistic tone.
Lincoln didn't share his friend's sentiment however. "Still, something's fishy here..." He fidgeted a little as the unsettled feeling in his gut grew stronger. He grasped his arm in an attempt to calm his nerves. "Why would someone go through the trouble of hacking the security cameras? That's something Lisa could do, but I doubt she (in her words) would waste precious brainpower on something so trivial."
"Mmmm..." Clyde rubbed his chin. "Not to mention all the merchandise missing. Though it could just be one selfish fan or two hoping to sell it online for a profit."
"Maybe." Lincoln eyed the rear building monitors again, now raising a brow as Card Shark and Wild Card Willy stepped back from the window of the trailer, only seconds before the door opened. Two girls dressed as Old Maid and Card Countess stepped out, looking a little ragged with parts of their costumes torn and some hair thrown askew. Between them they carried a shaking pet kennel that, judging by the size, was meant for puppies or-
"A cat!" Lincoln whispered. He pointed at the screen before shouting, "THEY'RE CATNAPPING THE KITTY!"
Clyde went wide-eyed. "You don't think any of them would be capable of thinking this up, do you?..."
"I doubt it, and this is looking just like Ace Savvy: The Grand Prize!" The Loud curled his hands into fists. "Only instead of a jewel, the target is Kitty!"
Clyde opened his mouth, only to partially shut it in hesitation. "Was that between Issue 61 and 72, or after?"
Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Clyde focus! We gotta tell security before they can get away!" Running over to the radio, Lincoln grabbed the receiver and pressed the speaker button. "Can anyone hear me?"
"Kid?" Bess answered. "What are you doing on the-"
"That's not important right now. Those guys near The Kitty's trailer are trying to steal the-" The line went dead as the boys were suddenly enveloped in blackness.
"AHHH! I'M BLIND!" Clyde shouted, soon covering his eyes as two dim lights shined into the room. Looking up, the McBride child found the source came from an emergency light mounted on the wall. "Oh." He chuckled a little. "The power just went out."
"Dang it. I know it's supposed to be clear today, so someone must've cut it." Lincoln put the receiver back in the table. "I don't even know if they got my message..."
"So..." Clyde twiddled his fingers nervously. "What do we do now?"
Lincoln pursed his lips. A sense of justice still flowed through him, otherwise he wouldn't have attempted to warn security of what was happening. And it didn't feel right to be a bystander and just let a bunch of crooks kidnap a cat of all things. Lincoln was aware that actors tend to be much different from whatever roles they play, and he didn't doubt that poor kitten was likely as passive as Charles was on a lazy Sunday.
He needed to decide quickly though; every second that passed as another moment the villains were evading police and security.
"What would Ace do?..." The Loud thought to himself. It was a bit of a dumb question since he very well knew the answer; the hard part rested on whether Lincoln had the courage to act on it. This wasn't like the stuff they read in comic books, this was real life, which had its own set of dangers.
"But...isn't Ace Savvy kinda based on real life?" Lincoln questioned himself as he gazed at the darkened ceiling. "I did figure out who might've taken Lily's toy, then accidentally stumbled onto this..." The screams of panicking cosplayers made itself known to the boys, along with shouts from security or police who attempted to calm them down. With that in mind, Lincoln became wide-eyed as a haunting realization came to him. "Oh no...my sisters are still out there!" He brought his hands to his sides as determination became clear in his eyes. "I can't let anything happen to them...not after everything they risked for me..."
"You alright Lincoln?" Clyde asked. "You looked like you were spacing out."
Lincoln gave a sigh. "I hate to say it, but we gotta stop those thieves." Folding his arms, "I don't think the police will be able to catch them, especially with the lights out." Bitterness crept into Lincoln's tone as he said, "But I'm not sure if we can do this alone..."
"Um, you sure about this Lincoln? I mean, I'd support your decision, but-"
"Clyde," Lincoln cut him off. "What would you do if Cleopawtra or Nepurrtiti were stolen?"
Clyde shut his mouth at the mention of his two bundles of joy. Even if his dads had the police search for them, the boy knew for a fact he wouldn't rest until he knew they were safe. Giving a sigh, the McBride puffed out his chest before giving a salute. "One Eyed Jack is on the case! Though," He dropped his salute. "It's still two against 6; not very good odds." Turning away a little, "Not to mention all of them are adults..."
"True." Lincoln rubbed his chin. He thought over his sisters' alter egos, which also brought up the time they risked getting in trouble just to make sure his comic was submitted on time for that contest. Heck, Lucy didn't even mind the grounding she received due to the commotion she caused in the gym. "However," The Loud smiled. "Maybe we won't have to. Does your phone still work?"
"Yeah?" Clyde dug it out of his pocket. "Why?"
Lincoln grabbed it, immediately dialing a number. "I'm bringing in the Full House!"
Out on the floor, many patrons were either confused or panic-stricken as the lights to the convention center were suddenly cut off, leaving the only abundant light source to be the ambient light flooding in through the glass windows at the front. Even the emergency lights being activated did little to calm the situation as police and security guards started urging everyone to exit through the front doors.
In the midst of all this, Lori was trying to keep her sisters calm (the youngest ones and Leni mostly) as they were being herded towards the exit with the crowd. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...wait, where's-" 'High Card' stopped upon noticing Lucy holding the hands of the twins so they wouldn't be accidentally separated. "Oh, there's Lucy." She muttered to herself.
"Anyone have a clue where Lincoln is?!" Luan shouted over the noise.
"Didn't see him anywhere before the lights cut out." Luna answered.
"Um, can somebody take Lily?! She's kinda being a handful! Ouch!" Leni practically begged as Lily continued crying, tugging hard on the older blonde's hair.
"Yeah yeah, give her here." 'Night Club' pulled the distressed infant away from the fashionista, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her.
"Some convention this turned out to be." Lucy stated, speaking a little louder than normal so she could be heard. "It begs the question if we'll be coming back next year."
Lola tugged on the outfit of her neck a little. "Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?"
"Close contact with large groups will automatically increase your outside temperature." Lisa explained as she rode on Lynn's back. "Given how everyone is currently expressing uncertainty about our current predicament. But we should expect a nice breeze upon reaching the outdoors."
Lori glanced back at her sisters, if only to make sure they were staying together. Getting them outside would be easy, but her biggest concern lied with her brother. She was confident he and Clyde would make it out on their own, but her sisterly instincts were telling her to go out and make sure that was the case. Calling him wasn't an option considering his phone issue.
Lincoln may have felt better after the little talk they had, but Lori knew he was good at hiding his emotions; even more so than Lucy. Leaving him to find Lily's toy by himself while the rest of them worked stuff out with the judges probably put him on edge should they go back on their word; they didn't have the best track record, she would admit, but Lori wanted to show that he could rely on his sisters for help when he really needed it. Looking out for his wellbeing would be the first step.
The eldest child had her train of thought wrecked when she felt a buzzing sensation in her pocket. She whipped her phone out to gaze at the screen, hesitation on her face as she read the number before recognizing who it was. Needless to say, Clyde used to leave annoyingly sweet texts on her phone that she had to delete.
Sliding the green button on the screen, "Clyde? Where are you-"
"Lori? Can you hear me?"
Lori went wide-eyed for a second. "Lincoln?!" She plugged her other ear with a finger to drown out the background noise. "Where are you?!"
"In the security office, but that's not important. Me and Clyde ended up uncovering a crime involving a group of villains stealing The Kitty! I don't think the police will get them in time, but we have a chance to catch them before they get away!" Lincoln spoke quickly.
Lori formed a small scowl. "Lincoln, now isn't the time for crime solving, ok?"
"I'm being serious!" Lincoln yelled, possibly a little louder than he meant to as Lori pulled the phone away from her ear for a second. She instinctively had the mind the reprimand him for the outburst, but held her tongue. "All of the cameras were hacked when we tried to figure out who took Lily's toy, then we found a bunch of guys at Kitty's trailer, then the power got cut when I tried telling the guards. It's all connected somehow!"
Lori pursed her lips. It sounded kinda reasonable, with all things considered, but Lincoln could've been-
"Please Lori?..." 'High Card' felt her heart clench as her brother's begging voice reached her ears. "I-I know it seems like a crazy story I'm making up...but we really need your help, a-and I can't do this without you guys..."
Lori was a little torn on what to do. The logical side of her wanted to calmly deny whatever it was Lincoln had claimed was going on. And yet...
"He sounded so sincere..." Lori mulled internally. "He NEEDS me...us...for help. If I say no, he'll likely think I literally AM the worst sister ever..." 'High Card' shook her head, gripping her phone tight as a firm goal cemented itself into her mind. "I already let him down once today...all of us did..." Her lips became a thin line. "We're not doing it a second time."
Taking her hand off her ear, Lori calmed her brother's nerves with one, simple message. "Where do you need us?"
The back door of the convention center slammed open with a loud bang before being shut in the same fashion. 'Card Shark' immediately pulled the lock pins on the upper side of the door, right as intense banging was heard on the other side of the metal frame.
"Open this door right now you pricks!" Came Bess' muffled yell.
"Better luck next time Bessy!" 'Ace' taunted for a second, then noticed the darkness surrounding them. "Why is it dark in here?"
"More importantly, WHO THE HELL SOLD US OUT?!" 'Wild Card Willy' screeched, flailing his hands in the air. "This was supposed to be a covert mission!"
"Either way," 'Countess' started. "This could work to our advantage, since no one can see us."
"Riiiight." 'Old Maid' rolled her eyes. "But how do you expect us to get out here when the cops know what happened?" She grunted a little as the pet kennel suddenly shifted its weight. "You think they'll just let us walk out of here with an angry cat?"
Everyone stopped talking upon seeing a flashlight panning through the row of booths, prompting them to move before two security guards arrived.
As they moved a safe distance away, all of their phones buzzed with a text notification popping up. 'Ace' opened his, which revealed a misspelt and possibly angry text from their 'benefactor'. Judging by the expressions everyone else gave, it must've been the same.
'My quote-unquote friend told me they lost control of the cameras, and that you were probably spotted getting my new playmat bye now. So, they shut off power too the building 2 give you morons a chance to escape. SO NOTHIN CHANGED BY MY WATCH! I'm on my way to collect, and if you manage to make it outside with my prize, I'll DOUBLE what I said I'd pay you.
Get caught, then SUCKS TO BE YOU LOOOOL.'
Most of the group expressed some form of rage at the child's message, but now there was a fork in the road as far as what to do; and if it would be worth it. 'High Roller' pocketed his phone and noticed the back of the massive crowd being escorted out not too far away from their position. Word of their theft must've been spreading quickly to whatever law enforcement happened to be within the building, as a few more peeled away from the crowd to search the rest of the floor.
"Hmmm..." The man rubbed his chin. "If we can make it to the crowds and get in the midst of it, we might be able to slip out of here while they're busy searching the back of the building."
"Screw that, I'm ready to call a quits to this farce." 'Ace' stated, folding his arms.
"So if you bail, can I have your share then?" 'Willy' asked in a snarky tone.
'Shark' huffed a little. "How do we know you won't be a snitch and tell the cops on us?"
"Cause I could give less of a shit about any of you shits, and I ain't spending another year in prison." 'Ace' spoke heatedly at the shark-dressed man. "And that stupid brat ain't putting out enough dough to make it worth all this crap."
'Countess' blew a tuff of hair out of her vision. "Pussy out if you want, but I need that cash for college."
"Sides," 'Maid' gave a snide grin. "You're knee deep in this shit just as much as we are." An evil gleam flashed in her eyes. "And don't think none of us won't bring you down if it means getting a lighter sentence."
Before 'Ace' could give the young woman a piece of his mind, the group was suddenly blinded by a series of bright lights.
"That won't be necessary, because all of you are going down!" A young voice called out.
The adults were perplexed, expecting security or police officer to have caught them. Instead, when the lights moved away and their vision adjusted to the darkness, they practically gawked as it turned out to be two boys dressed as Ace Savvy and One Eyed Jack, along with a bunch of girls dressed as characters they didn't recognize. All of them looked ready to tussle, much to the amusement or annoyance of the adults.
"Cute. A bunch of brats in costumes..." 'Shark' muttered.
"Is that a baby?" 'Maid asked aloud.
"Wow bro." Luna started, unable to deny her amazement. "You weren't kiddin' about a bunch of blokes trying to catnap a kitten."
Lincoln didn't respond as he kept his gaze on the villains. "Drop the Kitty and no one gets hurt!" He spoke with authority, eyeing the kennel for a second.
"We have you surrounded!" Leni added, taking a moment to gaze around absently before refocusing her glare at the adults. "At least from this side!"
'Ace' snorted. "Oh give me a break. What's a bunch of brats like you going to do?"
"Turn you in to the proper authorities is what we'll do!" Clyde proclaimed, though the shaking in his knees told a different story.
Lynn grinned as she cracked her knuckles. "Give up now and it'll save you a beating!"
"You have no idea what we're capable of. It would be better for all of us if surrender peacefully." Lucy added.
'Shark' rolled his eyes. "I fear my grandmother more than two boys whose balls hadn't dropped yet," He gestured to Lincoln and Clyde, who went wide-eyed. The older sisters glared daggers at the man, but he paid no mind. "And a bunch of girls dressed as...I don't know." He shrugged. "What are you exactly? Some DC hero ripoffs?"
Luna let a growl escape her as her fingers grazed the edges of her guitar. "Sounds like you need your mouth washed dude..."
"Um..." Lana scratched the side of her head with her wrench as she raised a brow. "What does 'balls dropped' mean?"
Lola rolled her eyes. "Ignore it. The boys didn't carry any of Lynn's stuff in here."
This made Lynn raise a brow while Lincoln, Lori, Clyde, and Luan mentally sighed. As the athlete was about to speak, Lisa put a hand on her leg. "Don't correct her."
"I'm not having this talk right now..." 'High Card' muttered.
"Hey! Whose over there?" A completely new voice cut into the standoff between the two groups.
Towards the right, a flashlight beam was poking around in the darkness. To everyone, it meant justice was only a stone's throw away; and the losing side didn't want to get brought down by a bunch of kids who hadn't been taught to not stick their noses in other people's business. 'Old Maid' uttered a swear as she looked at the nearby tables. Her eyes landed on some partially opened boxes, figuring it'd do the job given its size. She elbowed 'Countess', who looked annoyed for a second before she spotted what her colleague was looking at.
Before the Full House could react, two medium-sized boxes were chucked at them. The kids yelped as the contents, unsold comics and packaged toys, spilled out midflight. Most of them instinctively shielded their faces while some of of the older sisters shielded the youngest ones with their bodies.
Lynn growled as she uncovered her face "Cheap move ya-" 'Strong Suit' cut herself off when upon seeing that the villains were no longer in front of them.
"They're gone!" Lana squealed.
"Thanks for the observation captain obvious." The princess twin bemoaned.
"Well then," Lori took an unfurled comic issue off her head. "Looks like they want to do this the hard way." She spoke darkly as she crumpled the paper book in her hands. Looking at her sole brother, "What's the plan Lincoln?"
Lincoln rubbed his forehead where a toy box bounced off. "I was hoping they wouldn't put up a fight, but letting them be full of themselves can work in our favor." Turning to the group, "They likely would have split up to avoid getting caught all at once, and any of them could have Kitty with them." Lincoln rubbed his chin as his eyes narrowed a little. "And since there's six of them, we'll split into groups of two to take out each villain."
'Ace' pointed at Lori and Leni. "You guys grab High Roller. I think he might try to use his infamous truck since it's parked nearby, so you guys would have a better chance at defeating him even if he does reach it."
'High Card' gave a light chuckle. "Either that or the lack of exercise makes him faint."
Lincoln pointed to Lynn and Luan. "You girls will get Wild Card Willy. Now, he was given that name because of how unpredictable he is." The Loud smiled. "But I'm sure he won't be a problem for you guys."
Lynn cracked her fingers. "Consider it done."
"He's gonna go bananas figuring out an escape plan." Luan chuckled.
"Lana, Luna." Lincoln addressed them. "You guys will go after Card Shark." He tapped his chin. "I somewhat doubt he'd try to use the dunk pool unless it was fixed, but your plumbing and music skills should make that pretty easy to counter." The two girls gave a thumbs up before fist-bumping each other.
Lincoln looked towards Lucy, who put up a hand. "Let me guess: you want me to find Card Countess."
Lincoln nodded, giving a small shrug ."I figured you'd want to since you know a lot about vampires."
The little goth flashed one of her rare smiles. "I'd love to." A more, familiar deep frown replaced that smile not a moment later. "If anything, it will give me an opportunity to stop that witch from continuing to make a mockery of the afterlife."
Lincoln chuckled nervously. "Riiight. Just remember to take Lisa with you."
"May I ask why, elder brother?" The little genius folded her arms.
"Something about that lady's attitude..." Lincoln shivered as a chill went up his spine. "She may not look like she cares, but that might be a tactic to lower your guard." He smiled a little. "But I doubt anything can be as scary or as smart as you two."
"Wait a second." Lola narrowed her eyes as she realized Lincoln hadn't once called her name. "What am I supposed to do?!"
"Oh, sorry." 'Ace' scratched the back of his head. "You and Lily should be able to handle the Old Maid."
'Queen of Diamonds' formed a deep frown. "Oh sure. Everyone else gets all the cool bad guys to take care of, while I get the snobby lady in a grey wig."
"Sounds like it's up your alley Lola." Lana stated with a smug grin as she gently elbowed her sister in a joking manner.
The younger twin glared at her roommate. "Don't you start..."
"If anything, you should literally have the easiest time Lola." Lori put a hand on her hip. "I could take one look at that girl and tell she's all bark and no bite." A wry grin formed on her face. "Normally, I'd be against Lily fighting a bad guy, but she hasn't gone in her diaper yet; so count that as extra ammo."
Lola grumbled something no one could reiterate before saying, "I guess..." She picked up her infant sister, who poked her at the edge of her nose. Looking back at Lincoln, "So what about you, Mr. Fearless Leader?..."
Pointing at himself, "Me and Clyde will take on that other Ace Savvy. He needs to learn what bring a real hero is all about."
"Yeah!" Clyde chimed in, putting an arm around Lincoln's shoulder. "We're gonna put that faker in his place."
"So, everyone know the plan?" Lincoln asked, to which everyone nodded. "Then without further ado," He whipped out a couple of cards before striking a dramatic pose. "It's time to deal out some justice!"
Unfortunately, Lincoln's moment was interrupted when Lola shoved a walkie-talkie into his chest as the group began to split into different directions. "Just make sure you call for help if you need it. Costumes or not, these are real criminals, ok?" Lori stated in a tone to everyone that almost reminded them of Rita.
Words of approval floated about for a few seconds before each pair split into the darkness. Lincoln understood Lori's concern, but he couldn't help the sigh that left him. "Moment. Ruined..."
'Willy' fidgeted a little as he ran as silently as he could towards the thinning crowd near the main entrance. Every few seconds, he'd glance backwards to make sure he wasn't being followed. Now, he had little reason to believe a bunch of kids could be a threat; aside from being the little tattletales they were. Cops on the other hand...
He wasn't going back to jail...
Whether it was some unspoken agreement or in the heat of the moment, everyone split into whatever direction they could. He didn't even know who had that demon feline; all he was concerned with was that his own hands were empty. And he probably wasn't going to get any real money out of this chaos.
"Stupid kid and his stupid obsession with cats. Why couldn't it have been a dog?! Now that's a REAL man's best friend." The man pulled his bandana off to scratch his beard. "Why did I sign up for this shit again?..."
"You can ask the cops when we turn you over to 'em." A gruff, feminine voice cut off his monologing. 'Willy' stood up straight for a moment before getting knocked off his feet by a heavy object smashing into his back.
"ACK! What the hell?!" 'Willy' started getting up when someone stepped on his back, pushing him down to the floor. Turning his head, he got a good look at his assailants: two girls, one wearing some kind of workout suit and another dressed as a jester of sorts. "Oh." He rolled his eyes. "You brats again?"
"You know, for someone whose supposed to be unpredictable, you made this WAY too easy." Lynn boasted, putting an arm on her knee as she pressed a little more weight onto the bandit's back.
"Guess the cowboy schtick doesn't help much." Luan chuckled. "Now then," The comedian adopted a serious tone. "Ehere's the cat?"
"The hell should I know?! Do you see a cat crate anywhere?!" 'Willy' yelled angrily.
Lynn frowned at his attitude, taking a moment to stomp on the man's back. She gave a small grin as he let out a pained grunt. "Whose to say you could've hid it somewhere?" She started cracking the knuckles of her right hand. "Now, don't make us ask a third time: where is the Kitty?..."
'Willy' growled in frustration. None of the girls would probably believe him even if he told the truth, but it seemed like the best approach as Lynn looked ready to clean his clock if he didn't say something. "Look, if I knew, I'd tell you. But I don't, so I can't. One of the others probably got him or whatever..."
"A likely story." Luan rubbed her chin. "But this whole operation you've been running stinks! Why go through all this trouble, just to steal a cat?"
"How much would you do for 10 Grand?..." The man spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
Lynn's eyes went wide. "10 Grand?"
Luan looked at her partner. Seeing the girl going into deep thought over this made her scowl. "Ly-I mean, Strong Suit, focus!" The prankster sighed internally for the near save. "It doesn't matter how much this guy was getting paid, he's still a villain!"
"What?!" Lynn glared at her sister. "How can you NOT expect someone to take that much money?" She folded her arms. "Besides, I wasn't thinking about it like that."
Luan rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter how you were thinking of it. Heroes do good things without expecting anything in return; that's like, the main hero code or something."
'Willy' shook his head. "You're both just kids wearing costumes."
Both Louds glared at him. "Who asked you?!" They yelled in unison before looking back at each other.
"And speaking of which, it's not like heroes won't take anything if it's offered to them." Lynn pointed out. "How many times has Ace been given stuff for all the deeds he's done?"
Luan dispelled a heated breath through her nose. "Plenty I bet, but point is, this should be the last thing on your mind." She looked off into the distance to see the fading crowd. "Let's get this guy to the cops and go help the others."
The bandit's pupils shrank. He had already been arrested once for DUI, and assault, and public indecency; but if the cops find out he was in on this little scheme, they'd could very well give him life in prison. Unconsciously, he shifted his weight a little, noting how easily he could move; while 'Strong Suit' was busy talking with her partner, she unknowingly took some pressure off his back.
"Can I say something here?" 'Willy' started.
Lynn whipped her head towards the villain. "What?"
In one swift motion, 'Willy' turned and grabbed Lynn's leg, throwing it off him. The athlete gave a yelp as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Getting up to run, "You both suck as heroes!" He shouted as he put some distance between himself and the duo.
Luan had her mouth agape as she watched the 'Willy' escape, only to close it a second later to glare at her sister. Grabbing her arm, the comedian yanked up her younger sister before bolting after the cowboy cosplayer. "I thought you had a good footing on him!" Luan yelled irritably.
Lynn narrowed her eyes. "Hey, don't pin this all on me." Pointing an accusatory finger, "You were watching him too!"
"I wasn't pinning him to the floor!" Luan countered.
Lynn let out a primal growl. "Just shut up and grab him!"
"Dang man, I can barely see a thing out here..." Luna muttered as she shown her flashlight back and forth as she and Lana walked in-between booths, looking for any sign of 'Card Shark'.
Since they split off from the group, they hadn't seen fin nor scale of that wannabe fish; around them, they could hear the sounds of others fighting along with the murmurs of the nearby crowd, putting some pressure on the duo to do their part. This was diminished a bit when 'Night Club' distinctly heard Luan yelling at Lynn over something she couldn't decipher.
"Well," Lana shrugged. "At least we aren't the only ones not catching crooks today."
"Still sis, he might be the one that's got that poor cat with him." Luna looked down at the six, becoming a little bothered by the relaxed look on her face. "You don't seem worried about it though."
Lana smiled. "Oh, I am. But I think we're going about this the wrong way."
Luna raised a brow, pointing the flashlight at the ground as she stopped. "What do ya mean?"
"This guy is supposed to be like a shark, right?" Lana idly rotated the wrench in her hands. "I know for a fact that fish can't survive long without water. So, I think he must be near that dunk tank we saw this morning."
Luna pursed her lips a little. It was a sound idea, except for one little fact. "He's not really a shark dude; just some bloke wearing a costume. And, wasn't that tank broken earlier?"
The little plumber formed a scowl. "That's not what it was in the book!" She folded her arms. "And it was fixed like, an hour ago."
The rocker sighed inwardly. "She's only six mate. Don't let it bother ya..."
The twins might seem more mature for their age given how they handle things; what six year old can fix a car or be manipulative enough to make adults cower in fear? But there were also times where even Luna was reminded that they were only two years above the age from being considered toddlers. Heck, even Lisa displayed mannerisms of someone her age in rare occasions. Unfortunately, this very well meant that when the twins had their mind set to something (in this case, Lana), you might as well be trying to convince her that taking a bath would keep her skin healthy.
As much as she kept telling herself it would be a waste of time, the musician raised her hands in defeat. "Alright," She grabbed the smaller girl's hand and started leading her in a particular direction. "Let's go check the dunk tank."
Lana smiled, which Luna almost took as a smug grin. "Oh, and turn your flashlight off! It might give us away."
The 15 year old rolled her eyes before doing so, already hating how she had to part her eyelids far apart just to see more than 20 feet. A few minutes later, they came across the area where Luna assumed the tank was located; hard to tell since all the booths looked the same. The 15 year old spotted a glass cage supported by a small pool. Walking up to the attraction, Luna could see it was still filled with water.
"Huh," 'Night Club' put a hand on her hip. "Guess they did fix it."
"Told ya." 'Flush' said with a smug grin.
"Don't get to partyin' just yet brah," Luna started before pointing inside the cage. "This thing's got nothin' but H2O."
Lana rolled her eyes. "I didn't say he'd be IN the tank."
"Suuuure you didn't..." Came the teen's sarcastic remark.
"Still, I'm right on the nose here." Lana squinted her eyes as she scanned their surroundings. "He's probably just hiding nearby."
"So, can I use my flashlight now?" Luna waved the object in her hands.
Lana looked at her older sister as if that was a stupid question. "Uh, no! We gotta be sneaky if we wanna catch him." The little blonde raised a brow as a fascinating scent caught her nose. "You smell hotdogs?"
Luna simmered for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Lans, don't you think you might be takin' this hero thing a little off the rails?" Putting a hand on her hip as she glanced around for a moment, "And what's food got to do with anything?"
The brunette didn't get an immediate response, making her look back to where Lana was, or had been rather. The plumber was on her hands and knees, sniffing the ground as if she were a relative of Charles.
Luna bit her cheek. "You know, sometimes I wonder if Lana's alright upstairs." Pursing her lips, "Or if Lisa put some kind of dog DNA in her."
Lana seemed to have heard her as she stopped, sitting upright as she stared at the cloth wall of the booth in front of her. The girl started to growl, making Luna grow concerned she might've unknowingly hurt her feelings.
"Lana, I-"
The musician paused as Lana darted under the cloth wall, barking like a mad dog as she disappeared from sight. Luna heard a man yelp in surprise before screaming as the sound of teeth meeting flesh was heard. Luna blinked as her brain registered what had occurred, soon taking out her guitar as a precaution whilst stepping up to the booth. Lana was known for attacking the mailman like this, and sometimes people she didn't like; but there was a part of Luna's brain that reasoned the dog act might've served a greater purpose. Just as she was about to draw the curtain back, Luna found herself nearly floored as two persons rushed out the back and sent her spinning.
"Dude, what the heck?!" 'Night Club' spoke in a dazed tone as she regained her balance. When her vision corrected itself, her eyes focused on a man wearing a Card Shark costume with a half eaten hotdog and bun in his hand. 'Royal Flush' was still attached to his leg by her teeth, giving menacing growls as the man attempted to shake her off.
The rocker gained a fierce glare once the man started to physically pry the little girl off. Raising her guitar above her head, "Hands off my sister brah!"
Luna ran towards the two, who had now stumbled just feet from the dunk tank. Luna slammed into the man instrument first, with the momentum pushing open the glass door and causing the trio to fall into the water.
Elsewhere in the building, 'High Roller' was letting out a stream of gasps as he ran as fast as his body would allow. Having the most flashy costume (or a mix of colors that made Leni's eyes hurt), he was easily spotted by the two oldest siblings shortly after the groups split. Both sides knew the criminal wouldn't last long in a chase, much less a fight; Lori could (regrettably) see the fat bulging out at the edges of the suit and the sweat caked on certain areas. A direct conflict was also out of the question due to the 2 on 1 advantage; but where 'High Roller' lacked in physical abilities, he made up for it in smarts.
The obese man bolted around the corner, taking a second right to make sure he wasn't spotted too easily. As his chest clawed for air, 'Roller' dug into his pocket and pulled out an inhaler, giving himself a quick puff as the two heroines ran past his hideaway.
Lori forced herself into a stop, giving a loud groan as their quarry evaded their sight yet again. "For a guy that's allergic to exercise, he knows how to hide..."
"At least I don't have to look at that costume for a little longer." Leni shivered as she stuck her tongue. "Those colors and that pattern? Totes not good."
'High Card' had to nod in agreement, a sudden chill running up her spine as she heard a few faint screams somewhere close by. Sisterly instincts were running rampant ever since first spotting the would-be catnappers. Part of her still chided herself for even agreeing with Lincoln's plan from the start, instead of letting the much better equipped police and security handle it; they may not have guns or anything lethal (at least she hoped), but she doubted they'd have qualms about hurting a bunch of little kids. Then again, the Louds were anything but normal kids; Lori didn't worry much for Luna, Luan, Lynn, and even Lincoln to an extent, but she could admit that Lucy, the twins, and even Lisa were not to be trifled with under the right circumstances. Leni...bless her heart, but unless clothing was involved, Lori doubted she'd willingly hurt anyone.
"Lori?"
The eldest Loud shook her head before looking at her roommate. "Huh?"
"What should we do?"
"Well," Lori put her hands on her hips. "Best thing we can do now is split up and find him. Either we'll see him or the cops find him first, it doesn't matter. We just need to get him caught."
Leni shifted a little on the spot. "You sure that's a good idea? It's kinda hard to see in here..."
"It's not like he could fight back or anything." Lori pursed her lips, knowing how stupid that sounded. "I mean, he can, but I'm sure we can handle it." She unclipped the flashlight from her belt and handed it to Leni. "Here. You'll need this more than I do."
Leni took the light, inspecting it in her hand before pointing the bright end towards her face. She frowned as it appeared the light wouldn't turn on. As she moved her hand towards the switch, "I don't think it-" She flipped it on, making a sharp yelp as her vision was assaulted by 75W of light. "AAAH! I'M BLIND!" She shielded her eyes, dropping the light on the ground.
Lori rolled her eyes whilst shaking her head. Picking up the light and placing it back in Leni's hand, "Just make sure you keep the shiny end pointed away from you."
The two blondes split, with Lori going west and Leni (while still clearing her vision) going east. None of them realized their opponent was just feet from where they stopped.
'High Roller' sighed in relief, taking another puff from his inhaler. "I've wanted women chasing me, but not like this! Those girls are more trouble than they're worth." He pocketed his inhaler, scratching the side of his head in thought. "There's gotta be a way to turn this around. I won't last long in a fight, and getting the heck out of here is more important that saving those other nitwits." Looking at the ground, "But going by foot is too risky. Those cops and kids are probably everywhere..." He tugged at his suit. "Should've picked something in the XXXL variety. Can't believe those dumb retailers only had Double-extra on hand..."
His eyes widened as a thought came to him. "Wait a minute. There was an attraction with that infamous monster truck in here; with the sudden evacuation, and the fact this convention lasts all weekend, I doubt they'd move it. Or throw away the key." Looking around to make sure he was alone, the obese man started making his way to where the High Roller was parked. "Sweet salvation, here I come!"
After minutes of sneaking around, with a few close calls as the police were starting to tighten their search bubble, 'High Roller' reached the famed attraction. The truck sat high on its platform, daring any fool to take it for a ride and crush whatever happened to fall beneath its wheels. Fortunately for the villain, a set of stairs had been hastily left next to the door. 'High Roller' marched up the steps, gaining a wide grin as his escape was literally within feet of being claimed. Once he reached the door, all it took was a soft tug to get inside.
Even better, the keys were still in the ignition.
As he sat down, the man frowned at how close he was to the steering wheel. No doubt from little kids thinking they can drive a big rig. "This won't do..." He reached down to the side, pulling on the seat adjustment controls until he was comfortable. "Ahh, better. Now let's see here..." 'High Roller' gazed at the controls. "Any other incompetent fool would struggle just finding the stick shift, much less the basic controls like the windshield wipers and suspension." He mulled in thought as his finger glazed over the buttons. "But I'VE read the manual for this beast." He grinned, turning the key just enough to connect the battery. Pressing a few buttons, the suspension hissed as it adjust to a more shallow angle; wouldn't be pretty if the cab just rammed into the wall or low beam now would it?
Forty feet away on the ground, Lori walked out into the pathway after passing between two booths. "Ok, either this guy is literally the world's best hide-n-seek champion, or I'm overthinking this a bit."
The eldest Loud flinched upon hearing an engine starting. Rotating towards the source of the noise, Lori was forced to shield her eyes as a pair of bright lights blinded her. "What the?!" Her fingers parted just enough to discern between the light source and its surroundings. Her blood ran cold as she saw the very crook she was looking for in the seat of a monster truck; and she was right in front of it.
"You know, I was going to make a quick escape out of this failed 'mission' quote-unquote. But then again," 'High Roller' grinned maliciously. "What's a little revenge going to hurt?" He slammed his foot on the gas peddle, the truck's wheels screeching before it launched itself off the platform. "This is for making me run half a block!"
Lori stood stock still like a literal deer in the headlights. It wasn't until the concept of being flattened into paste by a giant truck screaming in her mind that her body moved. The Loud gave a shrill cry before jumping to the side, the massive truck easily tearing through booths and merchandise like it was nothing.
"Did...you hear screaming just now?" Lucy asked, glancing towards her prodigy of a sister.
"That, and the sound of a vehicle in the Class 7 variety in motion." Lisa answered, not looking up from the small device in her hands. A moment of silence allowed them to hear heavy objects being knocked over, or destroyed. "And destruction of public property."
"That sounded like Lori..." The gothic child stated ominously. "I hope the rest of our siblings are doing ok. I normally don't have doubts about their ability to handle things, but..."
"Fear not, my nocturnal and supernatural loving sibling. I assure you that the rest are doing well." Lisa stated, squinting her eyes a little as she turned her body to and fro as if she was searching for something. On the screen, multiple footprints were shown, each pair being scanned at a rapid pace whilst the 4 year old pursed her lips trying to find the right pair she was looking for. After rotating to her left a bit, the screen highlighted a particular set of prints; unlike the others, these seemed a little erratic. It appeared as if the person was walking at an even pace, but veered off in multiple directions for an unknown reason. About 15 feet away, Lisa could even see that the person stopped behind the wall of a booth before continuing on. "This way."
Lucy wasn't all that convinced about Lisa's optimism. "How can you be so sure? If these crooks were willing to steal a cat, who knows how far they'd go to achieve their deed?"
Lisa dispelled a sigh through her nose. "I know so, because I can track all of our sibling's movements." She put two fingers on the screen and closed them to a point, causing it to zoom out from their position. She turned and showed the screen to Lucy, who at first noticed two dots at the center of the screen. The gothic girl assumed that was herself and Lisa, but then she noticed 10 other dots moving about on the map.
Behind her black locks, Lucy blinked in surprise. "How did you..." She spoke as tingling sensation on her chin demanded her attention, reflexively bringing her hand up to scratch it away. The 8 year old grew a little annoyed as it persisted, but as she looked at Lisa's device, she started to piece things together. "Hold on. So during that time we thought we made Dad lose his job, you were lying about putting trackers in us?"
Lisa developed a poker face in response, though this changed to a nervous grin as she could tell Lucy was trying to pierce her soul with the glare she was making. "Ok, you got me." She dropped the act, looking back at her tracking device before moving on, motioning for Lucy to follow. "You might call it intrusive, invasive, meddling in laymen's terms, but I have a good reason for it."
Lucy folded her arms. "Need I mention the numerous cameras around the house?"
Lisa bit her cheek. "...Ok, I may be overstepping my boundaries, but I have a valid reason for implanting in trackers in all of our family members." The two hooked a right as they continued following the footsteps. "As you may be aware of, we each have a gross habit of losing track of each other; which isn't uncommon given the large size of our family. So, I developed a simple method of finding anyone should their location be unknown." The prodigy hummed for a moment. "It might've come in handy during that one occurrence when Lincoln took us to the mall without adult supervision."
"By putting trackers on us while we were asleep." Lucy surmised.
"Well, to be frank, it was the easiest and least painful method." Lisa shrugged. "I did try to have you guys digest something that would accomplish the same thing, but decided against it after discovering potential gastrointestinal problems. I would say that Lily got off lucky that her excrement is just highly odorous."
Lucy paused in her step after hearing that. "Lisa..." She started in a dangerous tone.
However, the little genius was quick to add as she looked towards her older sibling. "I didn't experiment on her." Bringing her focus back to the tracker, "She unfortunately has yet to grow out of the habit of trying to eat anything within reach. I myself nearly had cardiovascular arrest at the possibility of permanent damage to her body whilst she has yet to live a full life."
"..." Once again, Lucy gave her imposing silence as a response.
"And to ascertain my previous statement," Lisa gave a side glance at her sister. "Just because I don't express the emotions commonly associated with worry, doesn't mean I don't care about the wellbeing of my siblings. Not to antagonize our brother's optimism, but I'd be giving falsehoods if I didn't say our task of apprehending a real criminal may be a goal that should be handled by the proper authorities, especially considering our stature and weight class." They made a left turn. "But our family's frequent altercations with each other and strength in numbers should be enough to turn the tide. Besides, these criminals don't exactly look like the type of persons to pull off something this intricate."
Lucy raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I'm saying, there's an 86% possibility that someone else at the head of this operation." Lisa widened her eyes as she paused in her step. Lucy was caught off-guard and had to plant her toes in the carpet to avoid running into her. "She's close."
Both girls looked up, feeling a little dismayed seeing that the footsteps led right into the fading crowd. "Hmmm..." Lisa scratched the side of her head, trying to figure out an easier way to find their quarry.
Lucy gave a light huff. "I know what you're trying to do, but don't worry about." Behind her dark locks, determination was very much present in her glare. "I'll find her."
"Care to elaborate on your intentions to do that?" Lisa looked away from her tracker towards her gothic sister, only to blink in surprise as Lucy was nowhere to be seen. The shock didn't last long as the prodigy developed her usual stoic stance. "Of course..."
Lucy maneuvered through the crowd, most of which weren't even aware of her presence unless she bumped into someone on accident. It was times like this she appreciated that she was instinctive for her to draw little attention to herself; whether it be her unnaturally quiet footsteps or the fact her attire seemed to blend into the background, which in itself is ironic since you'd think black and white would make her stand out even in bright areas. Her family might not understand it yet, but Lucy doesn't just pop up out of nowhere on purpose.
"Maybe they're just startled easily. Or fail to notice their surroundings." Lucy spoke to no one in particular. "Might be hereditary considering the number of times Mom had to remember where Lily was." Her head jolted up when she realized she was starting to go on a tangent. "Sigh." She patted her forehead with an open palm. "Focus Lucy, you need to find the villain." She eyed the people around her, looking for visible signs of fear, paranoia, and possibly some guilt thrown in. "Given the nature of her steps, she's likely trying to hide her emotions and think no one will pay heed to her. She might've changed costumes even."
Lucy shook her head. "That's not likely though, since she'd have little time to even afford a disguise." She kept an eye out for anyone dressed as Card Countess. It was quite fortunate, or unfortunate, that not many were a fan of the vampiric villain. There were a few kids sporting the attire, and maybe a couple guys (not that Lucy judged), but it was a little bothersome that Card Countess didn't appeal to the masses much.
Old Maid was somehow more popular, despite being a crazy elderly woman. Maybe it was the comedic effect.
Then again, gothic poetry wasn't all that appealing to many either, and typically, villains weren't as popular as heroes; barring them being the protagonist.
Focusing on the task at hand, 'Spades' noted that she was getting close to the main entrance, causing some worry as she had yet to find her quarry. "She couldn't have left already, could she?..." The goth mulled to herself as she changed her method of search.
She weaved in between persons for a moment, skipping over to her right just a tad before noticing another woman wearing a Card Countess outfit. However, unlike the other costumes Lucy had seen, this lady's looked a little unkempt. Moving in a little closer, 'Spades' took note of a series of slashes in trios on parts of the outfit.
"Claw marks..." Lucy paused in her step as the woman looked around for a moment. There was also another claw mark jutting across her left cheek and onto her nose. The stoic face may have given an aura of indifference, but Lucy had all the information she needed just from looking at the woman's eyes; they reeked of suppressed anxiety.
"She might be decent, but she's not good at hiding her emotions." Lucy muttered, pressing forward. It didn't appear that 'Countess' was carrying anything, despite her and her colleague having a hold on the kennel earlier. The goth increased her frown. "Doesn't matter." She unhooked her spade, having a tight grip on the handle. "Either way, I'll find out where it is."
Lucy weighed her options as she got within 10 feet of the villain. She could try a direct confrontation, especially with police nearby and (hopefully) helpful bystanders. However, that could easily go sideways; leaving Lisa behind while she might have a tool to quickly subdue the villain may prove to be a calculated error.
"How would Lincoln do this?..." The goth recalled the time she had led her brother on a goose chase to figure out who really clogged the toilet with a Princess Pony book. Much of it was forced interrogation, which didn't work on a couple of the girls. Lucy's eyes lit up a little as an idea came to her. "But what if I trick her into revealing the truth?"
The gothic Loud moved around the crowd until she was walking next to the woman. She wasn't the best at making small talk, but if this lady was the brooding type like herself, complaints were easy to come by.
Giving an exasperated sigh, "Looks like another convention was ruined. I didn't even get an autograph from the cast." Lucy spoke to no one in particular, though she was giving a side glance towards 'Countess'.
'Countess' turned her head towards the little girl next to her. She didn't remember seeing anyone else dressed in some cloak, or if there ever was a character in the series like that; fortunately for Lucy, her identity remained inconspicuous.
Feeling compelled to speak, 'Countess' gave a shrug. "Well, there's always next year."
"So, what were you here for?"
Lucy noticed the slight jolt the woman gave when asked that question. "Just here with my...sister." The young goth raised a brow at the way she paused. "She wanted to come to this geek-fest and Mom made me go with her."
The Loud bit her cheek. "A likely story." She looked around innocently for a moment, then directed her attention back to 'Countess'. "I don't see her though."
"She's already outside." 'Countess' quickly stated.
Lucy gave an inaudible huff. Seeing the entrance was nearby, she'd have to make this quick. "Was there anything you DID like about the convention? You are dressed like Card Countess after all."
'Countess' groaned a little, her arms dropping to her sides. Whether Lucy was getting on her nerves, or it was part of an act, she couldn't tell. It wasn't like the woman could just walk away from this conversation since they were nearly packed in like sardines. "...My sister made me wear it..."
Lucy looked at the woman's costume. "I'm gonna guess that you like cats too?"
'Countess' squinted her eyes before looking down at the little girl. "What are you getting at?..."
'Spade' felt now was the right time to drop the act. Seeing the security checkpoints, the goth switched gears to goad her into a confrontation. "The claw marks on your dress and face say a lot. As if they're telling me that a certain cat was mistreated and forcibly whisked away from its trailer."
'Countess' stopped in her steps. "Let me guess." She turned her body to face 'Spade'. "You're one of those kids from earlier."
Lucy gave a rare smile. "And you're one of the creeps who not only stole something of incredible value, but ruined this gathering for all these innocent people." The smile disappeared as the goth curled her hands into fists. "But what I want to know is, why? Why would you, and five others, go through all this trouble just to make an innocent animal's life miserable? What are you so desperate to get out of this?"
'Countess' folded her arms. "And why should I bother indulging a little punk like you?" She eyed the shovel on the girl's back. "You gonna 'bury me alive' or some shit?"
Lucy unstrapped her spade. "That can be arranged." She planted the bladed end into the floor. "You may think I'm not much of a threat to you just because you're much older than I, but that would be the biggest mistake you'd make today. If there's even a hair out of place on that poor kitten," Lucy raised her head a little further, letting the woman see one of her eyes. It was filled with hate and conviction. "Your death will be slow..."
'Countess' let out a small chortle. "You think your pathetic death threats mean anything? Let alone that tiny little tool you call a shovel?" She knelt down until she was level with Lucy's face. "You think you can be a hero? You think I'm doing this just to be sadistic? Please, I could care less about what happens to Kitty."
"Then answer my question..." Lucy growled.
"Money," 'Countess' shrugged. "Simple as that."
"So, the sin of greed has taken over your mind." The goth lifted her spade out of the floor. "You're even less of a vampire than I thought. If anything, that makes you more of a wolf. Cunning and cruel, I can already tell you'd step on others if it meant getting what you'd want."
As people continued to move around them, the crowd had begun to thin out until it was just two girls in a heated standoff.
'Countess' shook her head. "Clearly, you aren't old enough to understand the value of money. So let me ask this: what would you do with 10 Grand?"
"I'd give it to those who actually needed it." 'Spade' replied in an even tone. "I come from a family where I can go for a month or two without an allowance, but I'm not shallow enough to acquire currency through thievery." A smirk worked its way onto her face. "For all I know, you'd probably be nothing but a promiscuous woman if it meant earning a big payout."
'Countess' raised a brow at that last statement. "A what?..."
"She means you'd undertake in prostitution." A younger voice with a lisp cut in.
Both 'Countess' and 'Spade' turned to see 'Card Counter' standing just feet away, with some kind of ray gun pointed at the vampiric cosplayer.
'Countess' didn't seem concerned about the fact a child had a weird firearm aimed at her, believing it to be a toy, seeing as she whipped back towards Lucy with a fierce glare. "What did you call me?!" She hissed out. Lucy only offered silent temptation as an answer. Growing furious, the woman moved to grab Lucy, only to be struck by a wave of electricity. Her body jolted for a few seconds before her back stiffened and limbs limbs locked up, falling to the ground with barely enough consciousness as she tried to figure out what happened.
Lucy walked over to the downed woman, spade hanging on her shoulders. "And in case I wasn't clear enough." She leaned down, "You're an embarrassment to vampires everywhere..." She whispered in the woman's ear before raising the spade above her head and slamming the flat side on the woman's cranium.
'Countess' jerked from the force before her vision blacked out completely.
"I would've recommended keeping her conscious for interrogation purposes," Lisa walked closer, inspecting the fallen woman to ensure she was truly incapacitated. "But I suppose it can't be helped."
"I doubt you would get much out of her anyway." Lucy hitched her spade back into its sheath. "She already revealed her intentions to me."
Lisa opened her mouth to clarify what the goth meant, but an adult shined a light over them. The prodigy had to shield her eyes for a moment as the person spoke. "Normally it wouldn't be my business, but care to explain why you two just assaulted this lady here?"
Lisa blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. The person in question was an officer. "First, I highly suggest you refrain from pointing that bioluminescent device at our optical lobes. And second," She gestured to 'Countess' with her ray gun. "This woman here is far from the innocence you're implying."
A squealing of tires cut through the air, forcing the group to look back towards the darkened floor. Pieces of booth and stands were getting thrown about as a monster truck made a right turn, kicking up more debris before turning left.
Lisa narrowed her eyes, and she couldn't help but acknowledge the worry building in her chest. "It's following something. Or SOMEONE..."
The officer frowned. "Alright, you kids come with me." The woman leaned down, grabbing the back of 'Countess' clothing at the neck before starting to drag her towards the entrance. Lucy and Lisa looked a little torn on what to do, but decision was made for them as a security officer came by and started to usher them towards the front. The police officer grabbed the receiver of her radio, which was already starting to fill with chatter. "Anyone wanna get the joyrider in the monster truck back there?"
A/N: Seems Eight and Counter are a good pair for each other. Suit and Joker would be too, if either of them could pay more attention to ensure their quarry is secure. On the other hand, High Card looks like she could use some help. Where's Hearts? What happened with Club and Flush? What about the rest of the heroes? Part 4 will be coming soon.