Two Reflections, One Mirror

by That Engineer

Becoming Kings of the Con was no picnic for Lincoln and Clyde, especially after getting cast as pooper scoopers for the villainous Kitty. But what if things turned out different from what we've seen in canon? What about an aftermath? A mirror could be said to be a view into an alternate universe, but even reflections can have differing paths that eventually converge into one.

10. Spiritual Rehab Pt 6

A/N: This chapter wound up being longer than I expected it to be. I was initially going for around 11k words, but that grew into 18k because I wanted to keep what happens within the same chapter. I'd suggest reading it when you have time to.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.

Lucy was sitting on her bed, reading one of the dark novels in her collection. She had the foresight to do her homework during lunch, since there was very little of it and she didn't want to be bothered with glossing over simple math problems; even more so, she didn't feel like answering questions on the kiddy story her English class was currently going through. But even with a novel about a tragic romance sitting in front of her, it did little to distract her from the pit that filled her stomach. With her sisters on a partial grounding, the house was a little fuller than normal at this hour; and still filled with cheers no less. Normally, Lucy detested cheering in general as part of her motif; but in this case, she wished her parents were more serious about the grounding they dished out.

"The only restrictions my sisters had gotten were a curfew, no TV, and they weren't allowed to go near Lincoln's room." Present Lucy stated, making no attempt to disguise her disgust. "They could still attend their after school activities, like Lynn for example being at softball practice right now and Lori attending her golf club. Not to mention, Luna was practicing her deaf-inducing music out in the garage and Luan was laughing it up to her followers online; Lisa could still conduct science experiments and the twins just did whatever it was they usually do. Basically, it felt like there was no price to be paid for the crime of violating someone's privacy. Sure, being banned from going into Lincoln's room sounded good on paper; but what was the point of it now? My sisters got what they wanted before Mom and Dad found out, so it wasn't like they had any more of a reason to bother Lincoln again..." The 10 year old scoffed. "A pointless...ill-thought gesture...and, the girls rarely spent time watching TV except for the weekends, meaning they'd blow by this without any suffering on their end. Who cares about a missed episode of Dream Boat and Dessert Storm? And the curfew? Please...not like anyone in this family was out the house past midnight; well, except for me and sometimes Luna when she sneaks out for a gig."

Lucy buried her head into the book. As much as she tried reading the text, her mind simply couldn't focus enough to pay attention. Upon losing track of where she left off for the sixth time, she made a sigh that was rooted in frustration as she set the book on her lap.

"It was only a day after we got the news, but I couldn't help but worry...and worry...for Lincoln. Mom and Dad shot down his idea to stay behind while the others went to California. I would've asked to do the same, but when Mom and Dad make a verdict together...it's difficult to persuade them otherwise. And I didn't have Lincoln's speaking skills to attempt this myself."

Lucy looked up from the book when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Speak of the devil, and they shall receive, for it was the middle child of the Loud family. Lincoln didn't pay her any mind as he slowly reached the top step and turned towards his room; he didn't appear to be angry today, as Lucy noted he didn't have any food on his clothes or hair out of place. However, the smile he might have had was vacant, showing only a solemn gaze that was filled with emptiness. It almost looked as if the energy in him was depleting like a leaking garden hose.

"And sometimes...I just...I just hate how I haven't done anything to help ease his suffering..." The older goth sniffled. Her voice broke slightly as she drew a breath. "Maybe if I tried harder, he wouldn't have turned into the person he is now. But at the same time...I was just too nervous to really try anything until it became clear my inaction had only let things turn from a small depression into a growing sinkhole; and with Lincoln barely holding onto my trust, I didn't want to do anything that would make him cut off the few lines of hope he had left."

A buzzing noise droned in the room, rattling Lucy's nightstand as a certain object vibrated. The young goth glanced over to her phone, reaching over and pulling it off the small dresser. The phone vibrated again as a number unknown to her flashed on the screen.

"However, today was also the day I gained a new ally." Present Lucy stated as her younger self put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Lucy asked warily. She hoped this wasn't another stupid telemarketer; why would they even have her number? She's only eight!

"Lucy? Is that you?" A familiar voice answered.

Lucy's eyes widened behind her bangs. "Ronnie Anne? How'd you get my number?"

"Long story, but more importantly, do you know what's up with Lincoln? He seemed pretty upset when we talked earlier."

The raven-haired girl pursed her lips. She had an idea about what it was that would make Lincoln upset, but she wanted to be thorough. "Give me a sec." Lucy answered as she got off the bed. She walked over to the door and closed it shut so no sound could leak into the hallway; of course, the walls were still pretty thin, but it was unlikely anyone would be paying attention as they talked. The vents were out of the question as Lucy's voice could easily filter into every room in the house. Sitting on the bed, "What did you guys discuss?"

"Just wanted to catch up with him, see how he's been hanging. Then I remembered he was supposed to go to that Ace Savvy convention last weekend since he wouldn't shut up about it. And Bobby talked about how Lori said you guys would be in a movie or something, sooo I decided to pry and ask." The squeaking of bed springs was heard on the other end. "THAT'S when Lincoln got ticked off and didn't want to talk about it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not TOO soft or anything; but Lincoln and Ace Savvy go hand-in-hand like PB&J. He wouldn't tell me zip...but I felt like I couldn't let this sit around. So...I went and asked Bobby for Lori's phone number, and she told me this weird story about how Lincoln tried to kidnap a cat or something to get into the movie. That's all I got though, cause it was hard to listen to Lori go on and on about how famous she'll be..." There was a brief pause as Lucy rolled her eyes about Lori letting her ego be on full display. "So I asked for the rest of the girls' numbers and decided to call you."

Lucy raised a brow. "Why me?" She asked, before quickly noting what it might be implied. "Not that it's a bad thing, just curious."

"Well, out of all of Lame-O's sisters', you, Lisa, and maybe Luna would give me a better answer. I can't ask Leni cause she's an airhead, Luan would throw in a joke every 2 seconds, Lynn's a hot head, Lola's a brat, and Lana wouldn't likely give me what I'm looking for." Ronnie Anne paused again. "Actually, I'd throw in Lisa too; she might go waaaay overboard on her answer."

Lucy gave a curt nod. "Okay, I'll tell you. But be warned, it's a awkward tale..."

"I spent at least 20 minutes telling Ronnie Anne about what happened that day, making sure to leave no stone unturned as far as what I knew now. She interrupted a few times for clarity as to what Lincoln and Clyde did, but she didn't seem upset about it; she even mentioned how she hated cats after living in the city for a while, claiming them to be vicious monsters. Not ALL cats are like that, but an animal will do anything to survive. Like myself, she even agreed that the boys getting casted as pooper scoopers was crossing a line." Present Lucy paused for a moment. "Sorry, being in class sucks sometimes. Anyway, while I didn't want to do it, I sent her some of the pictures taken at the convention when we did our photoshoots; probably not the best idea, as I had to pull the phone from my ear when Ronnie Anne started going into a rant." Past Lucy cringed as she held the phone a few inches from her ear as it shook in her hand; the voice of an irate Latina echoed in the room. "It wasn't going to get any better, I told her, before explaining what my sisters had been doing lately; along with the pranks Lincoln and Clyde had received at school over the past week, and the recent invasion of his privacy. I ended my explanation after telling her that Lincoln had decided to drop out of the movie, and that I will be doing the same."

"Well, that explains your sister's attitude...and I guess the rest don't see that as a problem?" Ronnie Anne spoke with an irate tone.

"Pretty sure they didn't when they raided his room under the belief he might try to switch roles with one of us..." Lucy answered, pinching the bridge between her eyes.

"Then can't your parents do something about this?! Like, haven't they talked with the school or whatever about the crap Lincoln's been going through?!" The 11 year old questioned. "And why did you girls even bother going to that convention anyway? Especially since you just told me you all think Ace Savvy is for losers."

Lucy glanced at the floor. "...Even if Mom and Dad knew, I doubt they'd throw their full weight behind it to get things changed; the punishment my sisters aside from myself and Lily are under right now is proof of that. And as for why we went..." The goth huffed. "It was largely due to greed...none of us wanted to go until Lincoln mentioned the prize for the costume contest was to star in that movie; and right now, I wish he hadn't brought it up..."

"Pretty late to go back on what you did you know..." Ronnie stated.

"I know that...but at least I'm being honest about how I see things now." Lucy lied back on her bed. "In the words of Lola, I will prance around in your weird convention all day for a chance to be in a Hollywood movie; and that's the reasoning that we stuck with throughout the day."

"Wow...you guys really are shallow..." The tomboy grumbled.

"I know..." Lucy stared at the ceiling in guilt. "It doesn't help that we ended up getting most of the attention and didn't once realize that Lincoln and Clyde were ignored the whole time...it may be too late to change anything about the movie now, since we already have a schedule to stick to. But I'm not going to take part in any of it..."

"...Are you just saying that, or are you really trying?"

Lucy sat up. "I already told Lincoln I have no interest in the movie after seeing what he's been through, and I'm sticking to that." She answered in a definitive tone. "But even I'm barely holding onto my brother's good graces as it is."

Ronnie Anne huffed. "Oh really. Why is that?"

Lucy subconsciously gripped the phone tighter as she stared at the floor. "...There are some things I've done in the past I'm not proud of, and I'm positive that Lincoln will mention them later." The goth folded her legs. "But this contest...it's changed him..."

Ronnie raised a brow as she stared at her phone. "What do you mean?"

"Whenever Lincoln is annoyed at something, he usually gets over it within an hour or so; sometimes a full day if it's that bad." The goth stated, tapping a finger on her bedspread. "But ever since the contest ended, he's been bitter, never smiling at all, doesn't want to be around anyone, and..." She looked towards the door. "A-And as of today, he seemed...empty..."

"...No offense Lucy, but that sounds A LOT like something you do every day. I'm surprised you aren't trying to 'convert' him to the dark side."

The Loud pursed her lips as her free hand tightened into a fist. In spite of Ronnie meaning no harm, the comment still irked her to a degree. On any other day, she would've taken that as a compliment; but this wasn't the type of circumstances where she would accept such words. "No offense Ronnie Anne...but if you insinuate something like that again, I'll place a curse on you..."

Ronnie Anne must've detected the serious undertone of Lucy's reply, seeing as she responded with, "Alright alright, sorry..."

"What matters is, this contest was clearly important to Lincoln on a level I truly do not understand yet. I talked about it with a close friend today, and she believes he might be driven by envy..."

"Envy?"

"He doesn't win prizes in his own hobbies like myself or my sisters do; and it's not the first time he's complained about it." Lucy's hand uncurled itself before she used it to keep her body upright as she leaned back slightly. "If this contest was as important to Lincoln as my grave digging contests are to me, that may be the reason why he's been very bitter with all of us lately." There was a sudden pause as Lucy lied on her side. "I could be overthinking it, considering that Lincoln went through four lifetimes worth of bullying and teasing over one week..." The goth paused when she heard footsteps coming from behind the door. She held a breath incase someone tried opening the door, but thankfully the footfalls veered right. "But I fear that she might be right..."

"...If that's the case, then can't you do something about it?" The tomboy asked, being very impatient. "Since you claim to hold his trust."

Lucy huffed hotly in response. "As I said before, it's a tightrope with me right now...but..." She hummed inwardly as she considered her next option. "I was hoping...you might be able to talk to him..."

Silence was what remained between the two before Ronnie Anne would speak again. "I could try...but given what happened earlier, it'd have to be in person; Lincoln won't say anything over the phone. But I can't just pop down there without warning..." Her foot tapped the bed. "Maybe if Bobby goes down to see Lori for whatever reason, I might be able to tag along. There's also the chance you might be able bring him up here, but..."

"I get it." Lucy answered for her. "He wouldn't want to sit in the car with Lori for 3 hours by himself, or anyone else as it seems...but if there's a chance you could arrange something before we leave for California, it would help."

"Might end up being after, cause my school doesn't let out until the week after you guys are already gone."

"Great..." The goth groaned inwardly, shifting positions to lie on her stomach. "I may not have Lincoln's persuasive skills, but him going to watch my sisters earn their roles will just make things worse for him. I'll see if I can try asking my parents to not let us go; but there's no promises it'll work..."

"Well, good luck with that Lucy. I...I guess I'll see if I can try video chatting with Lincoln to see how he's doing; but there's still the fact he could just ignore my calls."

"I know..." Lucy answered grimly. "But if we don't try something..." The goth pursed her lips as she took a breath. "I just have a feeling things will turn for the worse otherwise. My family can't see it, but there's a storm coming..."

"This wouldn't be the last time I've kept in contact with Ronnie Anne; I still have other the past year as she occasionally checks in on how Lincoln's doing. Sadly, they aren't speaking directly to each other these days, mostly because Lincoln still avoids her. I'll discuss how that happened later on, but just know that it happened shortly after Lori's graduation party." Present Lucy stated. "And where is...sorry, I'm taking notes in class right now. But, continuing on...unfortunately, my pleas to let myself and Lincoln stay behind didn't phase my parents. I told them I didn't want to take part in the movie due to how my brother had been mistreated in the days before; they had respected my decision, but they still didn't want us to be by ourselves for about a week." The 10 year old sighed. "That was a big mistake that would come back to haunt them...I tried to warn them that bringing Lincoln along would only make his mood worse, but they just. Didn't. LISTEN..." The frustration was clear as a sunny day in her tone. Seconds later, the cracking of wood was heard. "Dang it...now I have to get another pencil..."

---

"Sometimes when life just feels like it wants to screw you over, it does its best its best to go as slow as possible; so freaking slow that you beg for someone to just put you out of your misery..." Present Lincoln grumbled. "The last few weeks were nothing special to note, aside from me starting to become distant from my friends. They stuck by me throughout elementary school, but when we started middle school in August...I wasn't the same person they knew me as..." Shuffling was heard before the sound of hard plastic meeting a table surface was heard. "Even now, as I'm sitting here during lunch by myself, I can see them glancing at me; not that I pay attention to what they do these days. If you didn't get the hint, we don't hang out with each other anymore; but I'll get to that later."

One year, 9 months prior...

Lincoln had his head pressed against the window, arms folded as he scowled at the passing downtown scenery. The limousine the Louds were in was taking them to the production studio filming the Ace Savvy movie, with the family having arrived on a flight from Detroit to Los Angeles via Delta Airlines the day before. The ride as amiable with chatter as the girls were ecstatic at the fact they would soon be in front of the cameras within the hour, with Lola being the most vocal of the group and proclaiming how she'd get all the attention. The parents were happy for their daughters and would support them along the way; but as a consequence, they didn't pay much attention to the fact their son clearly didn't want to be there.

"Yeah...as you can see my face tearing a hole at whatever I happened to gaze at, I was literally being dragged against my will to see a product of my failure mock me in the face. I couldn't even ask to stay in the hotel room because Mom and Dad were concerned about another 'hotel incident' repeat." The preteen huffed. "Ok, sure. I may have messed with the hotel's circuit breakers that one time, but I was within my grounds as a ghost hunter. Besides, given how ticked off I was, there was little chance of it happening a second time." There was a brief pause as chewing was heard. "At least I didn't break the elevator, the room plumbing, one of the hotel antennas; or for that matter, CAUSE AN ENTIRE POOL TO BE DRAINED AND BURN A HOLE IN THE FLOOR because of someone being an overdramatic germaphobe. Pools are filtered every few minutes Lisa; you're REALLY lucky you didn't kill someone..."

Lincoln's breath fogged up the glass in front of his nose, only dissipating when he breathed in. "Why does the world hate me?..." He muttered to himself.

Lucy, who was sitting next to him, turned her head slightly upon hearing this. "No one hates you Lincoln." She spoke sincerely.

Unfortunately, her typical monotonous tone masked whatever feelings she meant to convey. "That's pretty rich, coming from someone whose all 'Doom and Gloom'..." The middle child answered, doing little to mask his irritation.

Lucy's mouth opened slightly to speak, but no words came out. Closing her mouth, she glanced down at the carpeted floor. "Sigh..."

"What scene do you think we'll be in?" Luna asked aloud.

"I hope it's one where we can punch some villains." Lynn grinned, punching her open palm with a fist.

"Well I hope it's one involving us racing to a crime scene." Lori rested her hands behind her head. "Preferably with me driving."

"Statistically, if most of the film had already been produced, I suspect we will be in a scene that occurs towards the very end." Lisa pointed out. "Or in the after credits."

"After credits?" Lynn scoffed. "As if. There'd be no point showing off my awesome skills if it takes place after the main event."

Lincoln's mouth twitched a little as he grunted inwardly. "There wasn't any point of you guys attending in the first place..." The boy muttered.

Lynn directed her gaze towards her brother. "Wanna run that by me again Stinkoln?" She replied with a bit of edge to her voice. "And why do you care? You already said you didn't want to be in the movie."

"And why did you even come with us anyway?" Lola asked, developing an inquisitive look in her eye that turned into a glare. "You better not be planning to ruin our screen time!"

In response, Lincoln shifted his weight onto the seat as he took his head away from the window. He directed a piercing glare at his younger sister. "I didn't even want to come here anyway, so I have to put up with you as you will with me!" He aimed his hotly gaze at Lynn next. "And why do you care so much about being in a movie, for a series you don't even care about?" The boy put strong emphasis on the last part.

Lynn scoffed. "Tch, What? You haven't heard of stepping stones?"

Leni scratched her head in confusion. "People use stones to walk on?"

The family athlete rolled her eyes at her sister's airheadedness. "Gotta start somewhere if ya wanna end up in a sports-themed movie."

"Oh please." Lincoln shook his head. "You'd have a better chance making it to the woman's NBA than starring in a movie."

Lola made a quick chortle. "Well, at least he's right on one thing."

The jock glared at Lola. "What? You think you'd have a better shot because of your frilly pageants?"

"Obviously." The youngest of the twins rolled her eyes. "You're just too much of a sports head brute to take this seriously."

"I bet I could do better than you." Lana spoke up, pointing directly at Lola's nose.

Lola flinched from the close contact, then made an irate glare at Lana as she grabbed the animal lover's finger and pushed it away from her face. "In your dreams, mud breath!"

Lori idly glanced at the twins as she was texting on her phone. "A perfect example of why you two wouldn't last very long." She focused back on her mobile as another text came through.

"Shut up Lori!" The twins shouted.

"See?" Lori grinned. "You're both just too immature to make a career out of this."

"So I guess you're just going to forget about the fact you have more interest in golf?..." Lincoln asked, clearly unamused with his sisters' prospects.

"What?" Lori shrugged. "It's not like I'm not free to change my goals."

The middle child narrowed his eyes slightly before looking back out the window. "More like grab any chance at fame you can get..."

Lori put her phone in her lap as she glared at her brother. "Give it a rest Lincoln! You wouldn't have gotten the role you abandoned if you didn't screw up at the convention!"

Lincoln grew increasingly irate at the mention of what happened at the convention. Turning to Lori as he leaned forward in his seat, "And maybe I would've gotten noticed if I hadn't brought you all along in the first place!"

"It was your idea brah." Luna pointed out, to which Lincoln's hands began to clench shut. The whistling of hot air erupting from his ears was beginning to echo throughout the limo.

The two adults in the car glanced at each other. The only reason they let their children argue amongst themselves was due to the fact it was more or less controlled and aggression wasn't spiking with anyone. But now sensing a fight about to erupt, they decided to put an end to it. "Kids! Kids! Settle down!" Lynn Sr. ordered. "Look, girls. Just focus on getting yourselves ready for your film."

"But Dad, what about-?" Lola gestured towards her brother, only to be interrupted by Rita.

"Lola, listen to your father. We'll be spending time with Lincoln and Lucy while you're busy." The Loud matriarch stated.

Lana made a quizzical stare at her gothic sister. "Why'd ya drop out again?"

Lucy eyed Lana through her hair, but didn't turn her head to acknowledge the young mechanic. "You wouldn't understand..." She glanced out the window. "And it's too late for you to do so..."

The limo hung a right as it passed by some studio buildings, soon entering through a security gate. The girls pressed their faces against the window as they stared in awe at the various publishing companies that had set up shop in Hollywood; some notable ones being Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal Studios, Legendary, and others.

"There's so many!" Leni gasped with a heavenly stare.

"Which one is ours?!" Lola shouted, eyes darting around as she tried to identify the movie studio she would be in; the fact each studio didn't have easy-to-read identifiers for what set was being used didn't help.

"Your face is touching me!" Lana shouted.

"There's more than one window you know." Luna pointed out.

"Can't get enough window time to check." Luan chuckled.

Lincoln and Lucy stared at their sisters, one being annoyed to no end and the other with indifference.

Soon, the limo stopped in front of a studio marked '12'. Out front by a set of doors was a middle-aged man dressed in a purple buttoned shirt and beige pants. A smile grew on his face as a limo approached and came to a stop in front of him. "Ahh, there's the lucky ladies." He said with his open arms as the Louds exited the car.

Leni made another gasp. "Oh. Em. Gosh! You're Chris Nolan!" She gasped again as gold stars formed in her eyes. "You were the guy who directed the Pitch Perfect movie! I didn't know you were doing this movie!"

Lori squinted an eye. "Um, Leni? That was Jason Moore..."

Leni went wide-eyed, stared at Chris for a minute, then looked at Lori before a deflated look filled her face. "Ooooooh..."

"Correction." Lisa pushed her glasses up slightly. "This is the individual who directed the BatGuy movie roughly seven years ago."

"Batman." Chris corrected with a chuckle. "Heh, you girls really are as lively as those interns I sent to the convention said you were." He stated as he scanned his cameo cast. "So, y'all ready to get started?"

The girls cheered in unison.

"Alright, grab your costumes and we'll get you all set up." The director replied. The girls wasted no time getting the trunk open, which was filled with 9 separate suitcases that contained the girls' costumes. Chris looked over to the remaining Louds, those being the parents, Lincoln, and Lucy. He frowned slightly as he stared at Lincoln. "I'm assuming you're the kid who tried to steal one of my actors?"

Lincoln felt a mixture of guilt and irritation at being reminded of his actions. But considering this was the director of the movie he desperately wanted to play a part in, he seemed to shrink in his posture. Not wanting to meet the indifferent stare of Chris, Lincoln stared at the ground with an empty gaze. "I'm sorry...I was just getting desperate and..." He put his arms behind his back as the remainder of his sentence died in his throat. He went down this road before; his parents understood him, but no one else would bother putting themselves in his shoes to see what led to Lincoln doing what he did.

Then again, most people didn't have ten siblings to deal with. The white-haired child did his best to not show it, but heat and pressure was building in his core as he was felt he had been given the short of the stick once more.

"Look, sir. If I may," Rita began as she approached the director. "Our son loves Ace Savvy and it means the world to him. While we didn't approve of his actions, he's still a good kid at heart."

"And it's not entirely his fault." Lucy cut in, disrupting Lincoln's fuel supply that was powering his resentment. Lincoln turned his head towards his sister as she continued. "My sisters didn't originally want to go to the convention, but Lincoln managed to convince us otherwise. We also didn't expect how popular our characters would be, and our brother felt he wasn't being given enough credit as their creator; especially from the interns you sent as judges."

Chris gave a nod. "Understandable. I mean, I'm not mad or anything; it's not the first time one of my actors had run afoul with a crazy fan." He put his hands on his hips. "Still, you were lucky that Kitty wasn't really harmed."

"I-I wasn't trying to harm him..." Lincoln replied in a low tone. "He did more damage to me and Clyde than we did to him."

"Even so, you're still lucky as we already filmed his parts; and if you were any older, you might be charged with a felony. Or have PETA on your back." Chris spoke with an even tone. The threat of Lincoln being labeled a felon made the parents and Lincoln grow timid as their faces almost became as pale as Lucy's. The other girls were too busy figuring out which suitcase belonged to who to notice; the mix up being caused by the fact no one bothered to put labels on them beforehand. "But at the same time," The director spoke in a more upbeat and confident voice. "How it happened sounded a lot like how a villain might do it. If we weren't at the end of production, I'd ask if you wanted a role on the villain team."

Lincoln couldn't help but glower. "You mean besides being a glorified janitor?..."

Chris rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, it was a one-off idea since most of the roles were already filled. I still would've paid you like, $1500 for your time though."

"You turned down $1500 Lincoln?!" Lola gasped, before throwing her hands in the air. "Are you nuts?!"

Lincoln narrowed his eyes at his younger sister, who wasn't phased in the slightest by his attitude.

"Lola..." Lynn Sr. chided before his son could say anything.

"Just sayin' pops, that's a lot of money." Lynn pointed out.

"You'd almost be rolling in it." Luan chuckled to herself.

"Actually, $1500 is the most one might make on a regular minimum wage 40-hour pay rate." The brainiac of the family stated. "And when you factor in other expenses like bills-"

Lynn Sr. huffed as he folded his arms. "Yeah, not a whole lot left. Especially after taxes get taken out." The girls looked at their father in confusion. "You'll understand it when you're older."

Chris shrugged. "Well, it's not like we actually needed the extra cameos in the first place, seeing as we got plenty right now. In fact, the other boy didn't show up either." He gestured to the other girls. "Hmm..." He scanned over each Loud as he did a mental count. "I thought there were 10 of you taking part in the movie..." He looked at the raven-haired girl standing next to her brother. "You changed your mind?"

Lucy pursed her lips. "As I told my parents, I decided not to take part in the movie for," She eyed Lincoln in the corner of her vision without moving her head. "Personal reasons."

"Hmm..." Chris tapped his chin, then made a shrug. "That's fair, we can still work with it." He turned and opened the set of doors. "Alright ladies, we got at least 3 scenes to do. Though since most of you probably hadn't done acting before, we'll have plenty of retakes."

The girls taking part in the movie, after sorting through the baggage, grabbed their gear and walked in; their idle chatting echoed through the doors until they were out of hearing range, but the glow of their anticipation remained.

"Oh, and before I forget." Chris turned to the remaining Louds, pulling out four visitor passes. "You're gonna need these." He handed them to Lynn Sr.

Lincoln scratched his chin with his thumb. "The other boy didn't show...does that mean Clyde really backed out too?" He thought to himself.

"You alright, son?" Lynn Sr. asked, with Lincoln flinching upon being addressed.

"Y-Yeah..." He made a saddened look. "Actually...no...I mean, I just don't get why I even had to come out here." He put his hands in his pockets. "Look, I understand you're worried about the hotel getting trashed; but I hardly did anything at the last one we stayed at." He would've mentioned that his sisters were the ones who more or less trashed and ruined the hotel, but decided to hold onto that bit for now. "But you couldn't have just left me at home so I wouldn't have to watch my sisters gloat about their success?..." His voice was getting fuller of sullenness and depression the longer he spoke.

"Well, sport." Lynn Sr. began, hoping to quell his son's disgruntled state. "We would have left you at home, but unfortunately we hadn't the time to stock up on food before leaving since me and your mother were busy with work and the restaurant. Nor had we the time to call a babysitter, since I'm positive you wouldn't have liked Mr. Grouse to watch over you."

Lincoln's mouth curled earthward a bit more as he felt like he was being treated like a small child. "I'm old enough to look after myself at home..." He turned his gaze away from them, crossing his arms. "Especially after I was called 'bad luck'..."

"Sweetie." Rita knelt down so she was at eye level with her son. "We wanted someone to look after you because we didn't want you to sit around the house and become angry thinking about the movie. We couldn't risk leaving you at the hotel either for that reason." She put a hand on his head. "We know you won't cause a mess, but you haven't been yourself lately, and it shows." Her hand slid down and graced his cheek, to which her son looked at her. She frowned upon feeling that his cheek fat felt thinner than normal. "You haven't been eating much lately..."

Lincoln glanced earthward for a quick second before refocusing on his mother. "...I haven't been feeling hungry for a while..." The young Loud admitted, shuffling on his feet.

"Over the past few weeks?" The matriarch asked.

"Well...I still ate a little here and there, but I'd feel full after like...12 bites?"

"Hmmm..." Lynn Sr. mulled in thought. It was increasingly obvious this whole movie deal was starting to affect his son's health; but it shouldn't be too hard of a problem to fix. Making a smile, "Well, since we're in L.A., how's about we ditch the studios and go see what this place has to offer."

"Oooooo, that could be fun." Rita agreed, getting to her feet. "What do you say kids?"

Lincoln made a lazy shrug. "...I guess that's fine."

"That's ok with me." Lucy stated, hands clasped behind her back.

---

"I appreciate what Mom and Dad were trying to do: take my mind off the current situation so I could try to find some sort of joy out of the fact we were technically on vacation." Present Lincoln spoke as the remaining Louds left the studio lot to check out downtown L.A. "I also understood why they brought me; I would've definitely just stewed around the house being pissed that my sisters would have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a series they openly mocked in the house. Even when me and Clyde managed to drill into their heads every Ace Savvy tip and clue we knew, they were still novices; just knowledgeable enough to remember the important bits after thinking about it for a minute. But I guess even newbies can get lucky..." Bitterness was evident in the moody teen's tone as he spoke that last word.

The parents took the two kids to a nice restaurant, a T. G. I. Fridays to be specific. They weren't all that common in Royal Woods, what with a variety of multicultural fusion restaurants staving off other businesses; even McDonalds couldn't get a foothold thanks to Burpin' Burger. And speaking of which, Lincoln was currently chewing on one with a neutral expression on his face. He gave a subtle nod as he absorbed the taste of the burger, then took another bite. His mother had a salad, Lynn Sr. had a turkey sandwich, and Lucy was enjoying a medium rare steak that itself was medium sized.

"Over the course of the week, I was able to eat more than I had previously over the past month; the food was pretty good, and Mom and Dad were being diligent in making sure I ate something. And again, I appreciate that they were trying to take my mind off my issues, and it wasn't without trying. Using a rental car to get around, each day when most of my sisters were busy with the film, we went out and did our own thing. We visited the beach," The parents and their two kids were seen in a still photo walking along the shore of the pacific coast, all of them wearing swim wear. Lincoln could be seen with a small smile on his face as he walked barefoot on the wet sands caused by the incoming waves, with Lucy inspecting a hole in the sand and the parents themselves lounging on the beach; Lynn Sr. had sunscreen on his face whilst Rita was protected by a large umbrella. "Checked out Disney Land." The next scene a parade of photos of the Louds on various rides, visiting the gift shops, and getting treats. "Honestly, Disney World is better; and larger. And just in general looked around the L.A. area to see what there was."

Several more photos popped up with the Louds visiting several places in Downtown L.A. and the outlying areas, as well as other amusement parks like Six Flags, Adventure City, and Pacific Park. A few more pictures popped up showing the Louds visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific, a sea cave at Leo Carrillo State Park, and lastly one with the Louds looking over the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve; as the name implied, the valley was absolutely filled with the flower.

"I had considered picking a few flowers myself, might bring them home with us; but state law says we can't. But as good as the trips were...the fact we were even in California was a big reminder that I can't seem to match the success of my sisters..." Spanning back over the photos, whenever the Louds posed for a picture, Lincoln offered only a light curve of his mouth that could've resembled a smile at best and a neutral frown at worst. "My parents must be very proud of them; they managed to land a gig far away from home and might even have a chance to make it in the movie industry. I thought that might be something I myself would have a chance to do with this convention, since even Mom and Dad didn't like me spending so much time reading my comics...but as we all saw, even when I'm in my element, I still came last..." The depressed teen made a longing sigh. "And honestly...I began to doubt whether I'd be able to make my parents happy for me for anything..."

A plastic tray getting discarded could be heard before Present Lincoln continued on. "Whenever they were picked up from the studio, my sisters would talk about the scene they were doing, which appeared to be them reacting to a call to action as Ace and Jack prepare to deal with one of their strongest villains to come; spoiler alert: Kitty was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things. It was an after credits scene as they said...and this didn't sit well with me AT ALL..." Present Lincoln growled. "My sisters barely put in any real effort to impress people at the convention, yet I worked my butt off trying to get the judges to at least NOTICE me and Clyde in a good way; the original creators of the comic, AND THEIR CHARACTERS mind you. And yet, I still got casted aside and treated as if I'm just a nobody. And on top of that, my sisters made it no secret in the past they'd make fun of me for liking Ace Savvy, thinking it was 'lame', 'boring', 'dorky', or whatever words they could think of."

At the moment, all of the Louds enjoying a night at another restaurant; the girls slated to be in the movie were chatting happily about their roles in the movie and what they'll be doing. The parents were listening intently on their every word, whereas the lone boy in the family had his head propped up by his arm with a soured expression on his face whilst picking at his food.

"And yet here they are, on the cusp of being potential movie stars for the same series they made fun of in the house. You'd think it's because they actually took an interest into the series and just aren't saying it out loud; but I could see through their lies..." The embittered Loud scoffed. "And on that note, when I was trying to submit my comic for the contest months back, what was the REAL reason they helped me out? I know my sisters could care less about comics, and me submitting my story featuring them shouldn't have been a big deal; yet they helped me out with Principal Huggins and got mine and Clyde's comic submitted on time, where it would later win. Did they really help me out because they wanted to be nice? Or did they just help me because they saw my idea as another ticket to fame?...Like they did with this convention..." There was a brief pause as the teen made a hacking cough. "Sorry...but to this day, I could never figure out what my sisters' true motives were when we submitted that comic. I thought it wasn't all that popular because, in the months before the convention, I hadn't gotten any word from Bill Buck or whoever produces the series. Even when I looked around online, there were mixed reviews about Issue #415; some said the characters were cool, some were ok-ish, some said they were kinda bland (which I could understand to a degree), and others said they were too one-dimensional and just felt like a random self insert. Reflecting on the Full Deck, I do get where these people are coming from:

Lori's only known ability is driving the van, which anyone with a license can do.

Lisa has brainpower, but not much is done with it.

Lynn has super strength, but who DOESN'T have that in comics these days?

Lana does plumbing work, but realistically...anyone with a wrench can open up a pipe.

And Lily, being a baby...well, I couldn't do much with her honestly.

I'd say the only ones who had the most originality of the group were Leni, Luna, Luan, Lola, and Lucy. I excluded myself and Clyde since we're Ace and Jack." A sneeze was heard, followed by a sniff.

"Sorry. I'm not crying or anything, I think it's just allergies..." Present Lincoln clarified as he drew more air into his nose. "But that's besides the point. How were my sisters THAT popular without me knowing about it? Why does it always seem like everything is a cakewalk to them, but near impossible for me?...Does being normal in my family mean you're forever laced with a curse or something? Make no mistake: none of my sisters are 'normal'..." There was a brief pause as the teen mulled over what he said.

"Well, besides Lily; and she's barely skirting into that category. Lori might seem 'normal' for someone her age; but her deal with her phone is a literal obsession. No other girl I've seen her age is glued to their phone like their brain was in it. Leni obviously isn't 'normal'; she's absentminded most of the time but somehow is a fashion prodigy. Luna started out as a 'normie' until she learned she could carry a tune better than anyone in our generation; Luan might be one if it weren't for her cracking a joke every minute of the day like a smoker with a cigarette, and the fact she's a complete psycho on April Fools. You can throw ANY sport at Lynn and she'd be a natural, even if it's her first time doing it. And that's just my older sisters." Present Lincoln ranted on.

"Lucy's been a dark and creepy child since birth, the twins suddenly became masters at mechanics or looks at age 4; and Lisa is a freaking reincarnation of Einstein." The teen huffed bitterly. "I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying, 'But Lincoln, you have white hair and you know how to make a comic book. That has to count for something since few people can manage that.' Well, given how I turned out, both of those things meant SQUAT..." A locker being slammed shut was heard, followed by muffled coughs. "Need some water..." Present Lincoln muttered, clearing his throat. "And none of those traits haven't earned me any awards like the absurd amount my sisters walk home with on a weekly basis. The only trophy I've ever WON was the fact my comic is part of the Ace Savvy lineup; but I doubt it's even canon since other issues I've read made little to no mention of my characters..."

There was a brief pause before the crisis-driven teen added, "Oh, and that pity trophy for 'Most Improved Brother' is junk like the cardboard it's made out of. Sometimes I wish I kept that video of my sisters embarrassing moments up so I could win a REAL trophy; I know for a fact Luan would release those embarrassing tapes she records of me if it meant she'd win something or for a prank, including filming me IN THE FREAKING SHOWER LIKE SOME SICK PERVERT..."

Present Lincoln took a few calming breaths before continuing on. "Ok...I know I've been ranting on for a while; but there's a point to all of this. As we were eating dinner on that last day, Luna dropped this not so subtle hint about what the producer was planning."

"So, after we finished with the filming, this guy who I think was the producer came up to us, and-" The Loud musician was cut off as another sister intervened.

"Oh! Oh!" Leni bounced in her seat cheerfully. "He was like, Wow, you girls have some pretty nifty acting skills." The fashionista spoke in a faux masculine voice.

"He was being generous, mind you." Lisa pointed out as she stuck her fork in her pasta, tangling up the noodles. "Considering we've had to do more than two dozen reshoots."

"Well it would've been only two if someone could remember their lines..." Lola glared daggers at Leni.

"At least she had lines." Luan replied, slouching in her seat as she forked a piece of salad in her mouth. "I didn't even get to make one pun!"

Lincoln rolled his eyes, sticking a wad of rice into his mouth. "Must be soooo horrible..." He muttered, no one picking up on his words.

Rita wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Sooo what was the reason he talked with you girls?"

Lori looked up from her phone as she answered with, "He was thinking about possibly having us in a sequel, if the movie does well. He even said we might get our own origins movie!"

Lincoln went wide-eyed as he reflexively sucked in a breath; unfortunately, he forgot that he still had food in his mouth. What resulted next was everyone glancing at the boy as he coughed out food that went down the wrong tube.

"You ok dude?" Luna asked with concern in her voice.

Lincoln didn't reply as he kept coughing, to which Lynn slammed a hand on the center of his back. The middle child coughed out a few pieces of rice that flew onto the table. Lincoln cleared his throat as he reached for his glass of water.

"Aren't you excited bro?" Lana smiled. "Your characters might become famous!"

Lola dabbed her napkin on her mouth in a ladylike manner. "And we'll be running the show business."

"Y-Yeah..." Lincoln finally spoke after putting his glass down. "Sounds...great!..." There was an awkward smile on his face as his left eye twitched.

Luan squinted an eye as she studied her brother; his physical expression was quite familiar to her, seeing as she did the same when she found out Lucy was going to recite a poem at the Royal Woods Theater before she herself had a chance to perform there.

"You ok there Link?" The comedian asked, although she secretly knew it was a stupid question.

"Yeaaaah." Lincoln replied in as calm a voice he could muster. "Perfectly fine." He made a thumbs up, which didn't convince the comedian as she noticed his hand was shaking. The middle child of the family then closed his lips shut, largely so no one would see him grinding his teeth.

Lucy, who sat next to Lincoln, knew the obvious.

---

"If you had a lie detector running the whole time during dinner, you could easily tell I was lying through my teeth..." Present Lincoln spat, giving pause as he sneezed again. "Ugh...I feel a migraine coming..." A wet, blowing sound was heard shortly before the crumpling of facial tissue echoed around. "I tried my best not to show it during dinner, and during the ride back to the hotel; but I was SOOO freaking pissed...my sisters won a cameo appearance with little effort, and now they're talking about ACTUALLY giving them their own movie?! Seriously?! I wouldn't be upset if I was apart of this whole farce, but I needed to draw a line somewhere. How could they expect the girls to perform if they didn't even care about the series they were acting in? And more importantly..."

The sound of a door opening could be heard as well as various voices walking past. "I felt like all of this was being done without me having any say in this..."

The embittered teen stayed silence before the voices faded, having moved into a quieter area. "Only a few of my sisters would acknowledge the fact I had created their personas, which essentially means they're my property. The rest probably don't care or would lie by saying they created the characters themselves. Now, having a class on government as part of my curriculum in sixth grade (as well as occasionally reading about studio developers when looking for upcoming movies), copyright infringement is pretty big in this industry; which really isn't that surprising since you can get suspended for cheating on a test in my school. But I hadn't known this back then."

Past Lincoln was shown coming out of an elevator near the main lobby, an angry gaze staring at nothing in particular. The boy was alone, having said that he needed to go walk around for a while.

"A sequel?! A SEQUEL?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Lincoln shouted to nobody as he marched down the hall, although he got a few awkward stares from nearby occupants. "They butter up a crowd at the convention by doing almost nothing, and the red carpet just rolls out for them! All they did was act like they usually do anywhere else (which is usually a bad thing) and everyone just lines up for an autograph. It's all, 'Those girls are so awesome, They deserved to be super stars, They're real superheroes!" Lincoln spoke in a mocking tone. "But no 'Whose the genius that created this team? Where's the other two members of the Full Deck? Thanks for getting us this far Lincoln, thanks for the idea Lincoln! Thanks for letting us USE YOU AS A DOORMAT TO QUICK FAME AND LEAVING YOU IN THE DIRT!' AAARGH!" The white-haired child gripped his hair in frustration as he visibly gnashed his teeth together.

Lincoln stopped next to the wall, banging a fist against it as he slouched in his posture. He breathed deeply as he stood there, trying to vent out his anger with each breath.

Pinching the bridge between his eyes, "It feels like I'm always going to be stuck in my sisters' shadow, not even having the option of riding their coattails; they're THAT FAR ahead of me..." Lincoln opened his eyes, which were pinkish in color as stray tears leaked out. "I-I'll probably end up living with Mom a-and Dad forever or until I end up homeless...and just doing nothing but watching how high my sisters climb and make Mom and Dad happy..." He let go of the wall, rubbing his eyes. "And...I'll just be the one child who couldn't win anything...besides the title of being the loser of the family..."

"But as bad as it seemed, for once...just this once, I was actually the one holding all the cards." Present Lincoln narrated as his past self looked down at his pocket upon feeling a pattern of vibrations.

The 11 year old gingerly fished his phone out, eyeing the screen as an unfamiliar number was shown. He pressed the green button. "H-Hello?..."

"Hi, is this Lincoln Loud?"

Lincoln raised a brow. "Yes?..."

"The names Duke O'Neal. How are you this evening?"

"F-Fine? I guess.." The 11 year old rubbed his eyes. "How'd you get my number?"

"Oh, right. We hadn't met in person yet. I'm the producer from the publishing company who works with the director for the Ace Savvy movie. I have a couple questions about the characters you had modeled after your sisters. Do you think you'll have time to talk about it before the party tomorrow?"

"...The cast party?"

"Yes."

Lincoln glowered as he could only think of a few reasons why this guy would wish to ask about that. "Sure...why not..." He answered with his bitterness on full display.

This producer either didn't care or didn't notice. "Great! See you at 3."

The line went dead after that. Lincoln stared at his phone with contempt, clutching it tightly in his hand as he felt tempted to just throw it against the wall. However, he relented and just shoved the mobile back into his pocket, opting to continue walking around the hotel until he felt ready enough to go back to his family.

---

"As I said before, copyright infringement is serious business in movie world, and the comic industry too. Apparently, the one thing all companies don't like is getting sued, and I found out the real reason why this producer wanted to have this meeting."

On the last day of filming for the girls' cameo scene, the rest of the family was in attendance to see the end result. Sitting in chairs several feet behind the film crew, the parents watched the scene with great interest whilst Lincoln looked on with indifference. Lucy watched the scene unfold with mild interest, largely out of curiosity to see if the fuss about keeping their desired roles was worth it.

The sisters in question were in a staged area that appeared to be an underground lair, with each of them separated a few feet each other as if they were pretending to be occupied with different tasks. All of them were facing towards a large screen that had an urgent message from Ace Savvy himself, with Lori being the closest as she sat in a chair.

"Alright gang..." Lori suddenly spoke as she wheeled around to face the camera. "Suit up!"

All of the girls nodded and, in what Lincoln would begrudgingly call cool, donned their costumes whilst striking a pose that matched their personality:

Lori pulled her gloves on before doing several kicks and punches, staying in a fighting stance immediately after.

Leni spun around as she slipped her costume on in a way that reminded Lincoln of a somewhat dated anime he used to watch, especially as the skirt of her outfit twirled outward in a way that made the ends of her ribbon dance around her. She then winked towards the camera as a finisher.

Luna struck a rock and roll pose as rapid light flashes were pulsating above her; from behind the camera, Lincoln and Lucy could see that computer graphics were enhancing the effect to make it look like lightning strikes. In between the flashes, Luna was now in her hero costume after soon striking a pose that made it clear she was ready to shred.

Luan's was rather interesting. She took out a jack-in-the-box and cranked it, expecting Jack to pop out. Instead, it was a classic gunpowder bomb with a lit fuse. The comedian pretended to panic and recoiled from the impending blast. The bomb of course was only a smoke bomb, which obscured Luan from view. When it cleared, she was found in her costume, looking rather surprised that she was still in one piece. After getting over the shock, she then grabbed her sides as she knelt over in laughter.

Lynn's sequence was pretty straightforward as she made two jabs at the camera before pounding her fists together. This resulted in a small explosion that obscured her long enough to slip into her costume. She craned her neck in both directions, which resulted in an audible pop before making a wicked chuckle.

Lola was checking her reflection in a pocket mirror before she spun around in a manner similar to Leni, but her version had her covered in a bright light that illuminated her body. When she was finished, she was dressed up in her costume with the camera on her in a way that emphasized the crown on her head; she finished her transformation by making a faux kiss towards the camera.

Lana jumped into a nearby pool with a cheerful grin on her face, disappearing from view as water obscured the camera; in reality, it was just a CGI effect as she did a somersault whilst shedding her regular outfit for the costume that was worn underneath. When she stood up, she pulled out her trusty monkey wrench, twirling it in the air like a baton before sticking the wrench head onto the ground.

Lincoln had looked away when Lisa started to do hers, taking his phone out to glance at the time. "2:50..." His phone read. The boy didn't tell his family about the call he received last night, wanting to figure this out for himself; and to not have unwanted attention from his sisters who would no doubt pressure him to act in their best interests. "I need to slip out..." He muttered to himself, thinking up a plan as he scratched his chin. Given that they've spent around two hours watching his sisters, Lincoln figured his excuse only needed to be simple. Tapping his mother's arm, "Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."

Rita glanced at her son. "Sure honey. You remember where it was right?"

Lincoln gave a nod before getting up from his seat. As he left the staged area, he watched the girls just in time to see Lily' transformation. She giggled to herself as she farted; the camera would show a gas cloud erupting as the others helped her change into her costume. The infant was then left clapping to herself as her codename appeared at the bottom of the screen. The middle child of the family stepped out of the studio before he could see anything else.

"Ok...those transformations were cool..." Lincoln admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Still wish I could've been up there...stupid judges..." He grumbled, spotting the men and women's restroom.

Instead of going in, he simply walked past it and continued down the hall. Turning left, then another right, the Loud found himself in front of the door that led into the movie producer's office. Lincoln stared at the label on the door, a sense of uneasiness washing over him as he didn't know what it was this publisher wanted to talk about. Since it was about his sisters, and he had heard nothing but praise about them, the boy couldn't shake the feeling this was just another moment aimed at benefiting his sisters whilst driving him further towards the bottom of self worth.

Lincoln made a sigh. "Guess I gotta sit through another speech listening to how 'great' my sisters are..." He groaned before knocking on the door.

"Enter." An adult voice greeted.

Lincoln gingerly pushed the door open, finding a rather spacious office with an aquarium, lounging chairs, a large TV, and at the center of it all, a large desk made of fine wood with the man in his late 40s sitting in an office chair with luxury trims that likely cost thousands. To top it off, he was dressed in a casual suit.

Said man looked up from his computer when the door opened. "Ah, Mr. Lincoln. Glad you could make it." He pushed the computer to the side as he noticed the young boy seemed hesitant to come in. "Don't worry, I don't bite. And you aren't in trouble or anything."

Lincoln pursed his lips as he entered the room. "Y-Your Mr. O'Neal, right?" The door shut behind him thanks to the hinge at the top.

The publisher grinned. "The one and only; aside from my grandfather." Duke chuckled.

"Sooo, um..." Lincoln climbed into the chair on the other side of the desk. "You wanted know about my sisters?"

"Well, not the people behind the mask, per se." Duke clarified, resting his hands on the desk. "But more so about their characters. See, the reason I asked for you (being the creative genius you are) is because myself and the other guys in the office are uncertain if they'll be a hit with the audience. Sure, they may have won the prize of getting a cameo on the movie, but given how they've only appeared in one issue, we feel that most would be lost or would not even recognize them." Lincoln raised a brow, giving the publisher the hint he'd have to be more specific. "Basically what I'm saying is, their characters seem rather bland in some aspects and we're trying to appeal to a wider audience than just those that follow the series."

Lincoln squinted his eyes, beginning to catch on to what the man was getting at. "Sooo...you're asking me about my sisters' characters to do what exactly?"

"Well, I just wanted to know if they had any other traits or abilities that weren't covered in your issue so we can add more depth to them."

Lincoln furrowed his brows as agitation began to set in. "Is this about the idea of using them in a sequel or a separate movie?..."

Duke made an 'iffy' motion with his hand, not noticing the shift in Lincoln's demeanor. "Ehhh...still trying to decide on that."

Lincoln averted his gaze as he stared at the desk, letting his irritation grow in intensity; Duke was basically asking him to help elevate his sisters to even more fame than they already have back home. If the circumstances were anything but his current situation, Lincoln would oblige and divulge whatever ideas he had off the top of his head.

But right now? Such a task was liking trying to climb Mt. Everest...

"So he wants me to help my sisters get even MORE fame and fans than they alreadydo?..." Lincoln's nose flared up. "Don't they have ENOUGH as it is? Isn't appearing in a movie I'd have LOVED to be in more than enough? And this guy wants me to lift them up MORE?! And why am I always the one that has to vouch for them?! They can just as well handle this on their own!" The Loud simmered. However, he soon began to realize something. "But, they don't know their characters like I do...and apparently, I DO have a chance to speak my mind in all of this." Lincoln's hands curled into fists in his lap. "And you know what? I'm done helping my sisters out...they don't deserve more fame than their stupid egos can handle..."

"You alright Lincoln?" The producer asked. "You've been kinda quiet for a minute."

Lincoln shut his eyes, still keeping a light glare look on his face. "Sorry Mr. O' Neal, but the Full Deck was a mistake..."

Duke raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Lincoln opened his eyes, but didn't look at the older gentleman. "I originally created my sisters' characters for a comic book contest where the winner would have their comic featured as part of the main series. And I used my sisters because I thought it would be pretty cool to picture us as a crime fighting team." His fists unclenched slightly as his irritation drained a little. "My sisters often made fun of me for liking Ace Savvy, which I've been a fan of since I was five. They find the series boring, dorky, or lame just because they never took an interest in it." Lincoln's glare hardened. "They even poked fun at me for wearing my Ace Savvy costume..."

Duke kept silent as he listened to the boy's explanation, hands crossed in front of his face with an inquisitive gaze staring at the Loud.

"So...part of me thought they might enjoy the series if they were a part of it." Lincoln tapped a finger against his knee. "There were some complications getting the comic me and my best friend worked on submitted, due to my principal taking our issue in a bid to knock us out of the race. But my sisters stepped in and helped us out, and we wouldn't have won the contest if not for their help." Lincoln begrudgingly admitted, only to scoff at the notion a moment later. "But over the last few weeks, I started to realize they didn't help me out of kindness..." His hands clenched tightly once more. "They only did it because their faces were in the comic; they didn't care what the comic was actually about...and I bet if my sisters weren't featured in it, they wouldn't have cared at all and my comic would've never become part of the series..."

"Mmm. If all of this is true, then how come they were at the convention?" O' Neal asked, taking a second to scratch an itch on his chin.

Lincoln bit his lower lip as his irritation rose. "That's the thing..." He lifted his gaze to meet Duke's. "They didn't want to go to the convention in the first place. They didn't care at all about going until I mentioned the winner of the costume contest would cameo in the movie. In fact, to copy the words of one of my younger sisters, I'll prance all day in your WEIRD convention for the chance to be in a Hollywood movie..." Lincoln made a faux imitation of a feminine voice.

Duke made a subtle nod in understanding. It wasn't the first time he met people with that same mindset; and it very likely wouldn't be the last.

"Me and Clyde were going as Ace and Jack, and I wanted to bring my sisters along so our group would stand out among the crowd." The Loud sighed through his nose. "Instead, my sisters took all the spotlight while me and Clyde were left behind...not even the judges you guys sent liked us..."

"I guess that's where the plot to steal The Kitty came up?" The publisher asked half rhetorically.

Lincoln flinched upon hearing that. "Y-Yeah...I was hoping all of us would get selected as a group." He made a bitter frown. "Instead, my sisters took all the glory like always, and I got desperate enough to steal an actor of all things...and it's just...just..." Lincoln growled in frustration before suddenly raised his hands and slammed them on the table, making Duke flinch. "I just don't get it! How were they so popular, when I didn't even hear a word about how popular my comic was?! I-It's like people think my sisters created their own characters, but completely ignore the fact they wouldn't even EXIST if I didn't try to get them to understand WHY I enjoy the series instead of just making fun of it just because they never bothered to try!..." He began to simmer down. "...Getting into the movie was mostly a side quest..."

"Hmmm..." Duke hummed to himself. "It sounds like this beef with your sisters goes back a ways."

Lincoln gave a curt nod. "It does, but...I-I don't wanna go into that..."

Duke squinted an eye in thought as he settled back into his chair. "To be honest Lincoln, your plight sounds like a movie just waiting to be made."

The Loud raised a brow. "Huh?"

"I mean, it's probably just my imagination running wild, but let's just brainstorm for a sec." Duke placed his hands behind his head. "So, there's the Full Deck right? Fighting crime and rounding up villains," Lincoln glowered, already not liking the idea. Duke responded with a surprise, "But! What no one knows is the dark past the Full Deck has hidden from society. There's one villain on the horizon whose been watching, waiting, biding their time for the right moment to strike, and he'll prove to be the sins of their past coming back to haunt them! And that villain," The publisher pointed two fingers at Lincoln. "Would be you."

The 11 year old's nose flared in disgust. "I'm not really interested in getting my butt kicked by my sisters on the big screen..."

"That's the thing; as someone whose been studying them over the years, and because you would have had a past in working with them, you'll be the one with all the advantages. Don't know how it would end, but I'm sure it would've been a crowd pleaser." Duke explained, leaning forward so he was sitting up straight. "To be honest, sometimes a series has more than enough heroes; to the point where you gotta ask yourself, What about the villains? You can't have a hero without a villain; sure, there's the bit about saving people, but not everyone is into that."

Lincoln intertwined his fingers before resting them on his lap. "Mr. Nolan said I'd probably make a decent villain, even though that wasn't a role I'd like..."

"Ehh, it's just a spitball of an idea." Duke stated, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. "So, back to the topic at hand, I'm guessing you don't have anything else to say about your sisters' characters?"

Lincoln shook his head. "No...and to be honest, I would suggest not using them for any future movies..." The Loud folded his arms. "The ONLY reason they're even doing this cameo is because they think they can make it big in the movie industry. They're only using this movie as a way to get into different movies THEY like..." The boy huffed in disgust. "They aren't committed to the movie like anyone else would; and if they are, it's only because they'll look to ditch it as soon as they can if they see a bigger opportunity. Like I said, it was a mistake on my end to decide to make characters based on my sisters." Lincoln breathed in before releasing a calming breath. "My closest friends would've been a better pick...and if my sisters aren't truly interested in the movie, then how can you trust them to perform in sequels?..."

"Fair points." Duke nodded. "We've had a rash of difficult actors during the last few movies I worked on, and I'd rather not make this Number Four. However, and I gotta ask since people often change their tune when money is involved," Lincoln squinted an eye in suspicion. "Do you think your sisters would be motivated if you were considering leasing their characters to us?"

"Leasing?"

"Basically, we pay you for the rights to use your creation for months or years at a time. It essentially helps us as a publisher avoid copyright issues." Duke explained, eyeing something on his computer before moving his hand towards the keyboard. "Movies tend to do this all the time; heck, Legendary paid a huge sum to Toho so they could remake Godzilla."

Lincoln pursed his lips. "H-How much would you...?"

"Probably might run into the thousands if I had to guess."

Lincoln went wide-eyed at this. Getting paid thousands to lease his characters? He might be 11, but he had a good understanding of finances to know that thousands of dollars was a pretty big price tag. As the boy began getting lost in thought, a small smile worked its way onto his face. He could use that to get a new bed, dozens of comics or video games he didn't have, maybe a new bike, maybe even buying himself a limo to take him to school. He might even be able to help his parents pay off bills they had been struggling to take care of.

This good feeling didn't last as Lincoln began to think about what his sisters might think; and his smile disappeared shortly after that train of thought derailed. If they caught wind of this, they'd probably pressure him to sell out their characters so they could make it big in the film industry; or if that, they might ask him for cash in a manner that was similar to when they came to him to figure out how to ask Mom and Dad for money. Lincoln formed an irritated gaze as he recalled that issue with his parents bleeding cash; he might've helped his sisters out in getting money from their parents, but it was also because of them that he didn't get to go to the SMOOCH concert he had been looking forward to. Sure, they managed to make up for it by bringing the band to his house, but at the same time...when you really thought about it, some of those things his sisters didn't actually NEED, but wanted; and it wasn't hard to see how his parents ended up getting drained of their money.

Now, Lincoln could understand Lola needing a new engine for her jeep; one for her go-kart size was around $300. Lori, Leni, and Lily's items were the cheapest as a closet organizer and a teddy bear was less than $100 combined; and barring Lily, Lori and Leni really needed to organize their living space. He could also add Luan's tuxedo for her dummy because those were pretty cheap to make. But the middle child narrowed his eyes as he thought about Lynn's request; a new hoop could range from $50 to $200, sometimes more. But the one she wanted was about $70; while still inexpensive, there was nothing to stop Lynn from going to the park to practice basketball. And as Lincoln's glare hardened, he realized the biggest offenders for draining his parents dry were Luna, Lucy, and Lisa.

"A worn out, hole-ridden T-shirt with who knows what on it? Isotopes? And a preserved skeleton?! Those must've been almost a thousand and definitely over!" Lincoln growled inwardly. A few words from his sisters came to the forefront of his mind as he combed over the money shortage his siblings were facing.

"Oh, we get it. You love Luna the best."

"We'll just watch her enjoying the thing you helped her with."

"Oh, sorry to bother you, Lincoln. We mistook you for someone who cared about all of his sisters."

That last sentence, told to him by Lori, made Lincoln's face begin to turn a shade of red. "Oh, we mistook you for someone who cared about all his sisters. And yet they couldn't care less about me when I needed help until long after the fact and hardly anyone can do anything about it, AND they just prove again and again why I shouldn't care about all of them. I shouldn't have waited til the end for my time to ask, because those stupid, dumb, manipulating-"

"Son," Duke spoke, making Lincoln shake his head as his face returned to its natural color. "You're starting to space out again."

"Sorry..." Lincoln apologized. He briefly wondered why his parents were carrying so much cash at the time, but decided to set that aside for another time. "And...thank you for the offer Mr. O' Neal," Lincoln stared at the publisher with a determined gaze. "But you couldn't pay me enough to lend my characters over to you." He averted his gaze as he said the next sentence. "And aside from this movie, I don't want them to be involved with Ace Savvy anymore...and I doubt they'll ever appreciate the series for what it is..."

Duke nodded. "Very well, I'll respect your wishes. But, if you change your mind," Duke moved a hand towards a small container next to his placard on the desk, pulling out a small white card. "Here's my info."

Lincoln reached out and grabbed the card, taking a moment to study the information. He couldn't decide whether he should keep the card or not, but opted to pocket it anyway, figuring it wouldn't hurt to keep contact later.

---

"Did I ever regret my decision to pull the plug on my sisters' dreams in the movie business?" Present Lincoln asked aloud before making a chuckle that sounded rather sinister. "Hell, no. They probably would've ruined their careers after a few minutes on camera since they really can't seem to stop fighting each other. And in hindsight, well...this is a spoiler, but their part in the movie didn't pan out the way they hoped. But more on that bit later." A harsh coughing sound was heard for a moment. "A-Anyway, after that meeting with the producer, for the first time in a while...I felt as if the dark clouds hovering over my head had parted away."

Past Lincoln could be seen making his way back to his family. A neutral smile graced his face in a manner that was similar to the time he had spent with his parents and Lucy over the past week.

"I had been stuck sitting on the sidelines just watching it all happen, and I felt there was little I could do to change anything aside from me quitting a role that would've done nothing but make me the laughing stock of the world. But after that short meeting, I effectively cut off my sisters' free ride to fame. If they still wanted to get into the movie business, they'd have to pick a different series altogether." Past Lincoln made it back to the studio, where it looked like production was wrapping up. Rita had asked the boy if he was ok since he was gone for a while, to which Lincoln responded with that he just had to "lose some weight" due to the food from the restaurant they tried the other day; his father made a chuckle at the subtle joke.

As the director talked with the girls, Lincoln stared up at the ceiling. "I never really gave full thought into being a villain for a movie; in the Ace Savvy universe, the villains were honestly cheesy at best. But they were still interesting in their own right; didn't change the fact the bad guy always loses, though this may be changing from how the plot of the movie went. Guess one of the series creators decided the villains didn't have enough time to shine in the spotlight, or were misunderstood."

A few hours later, the casting party had begun where everyone involved with the production of the movie could mingle about and finally relax. The actors, artists, storyboards, cinematographers, and scriptwriters all chatted amongst themselves. The Loud family joined in the festivities, with Leni and Lori chatting with the actors for Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack, Luna talking with the music producers for the movie about putting in more "killer tunes", Lola badgering the head storyboard about giving her a higher role in the next movie; Lynn and Lana were busy trying to shovel as much food as possible into their mouths, Luan was cracking jokes with a few of the artists (who surprisingly laughed along with her), and Lisa was inquiring with a scriptwriter about how farfetched some of the exploits of the series flew in the face of science; the poor guy really didn't seem to care, but had to put up with it regardless.

With a proposed budget of around $90 million, Lincoln hoped the movie would live up to the hype. He didn't chat with anyone, opting to stay near his parents or off to the side so he could eat in peace.

"I guess you could say it was 'villainous' of me to secretly put an end to the hopes my sisters had in the movie industry; but let me ask you, did they really deserve this chance? They wouldn't even be in this position if they hadn't even bothered coming to the convention. And as far as their popularity is concerned, I'm almost certain it was due to just being in Royal Woods; almost everyone knew who my family was and how we were, so I guess being in the presence of 'famous' people was what really won them the contest...no mention of those who actually worked to impress the judges but had been passed over because of my glory-hogging siblings. And I don't just mean me and Clyde, I meant the rest of those at the convention. In a fandom's sense, it's pretty insulting that newcomers who didn't even like the series would get elevated into a high position like cameoing in the movie; that just makes all their hard work seem really pointless. For this reason, it would've been better for the judges to pick whoever had the best looking costume out of hundreds of people who wore the same thing vs. my own sisters, and I'm not changing my mind on that." The moody teen surmised.

A pregnant pause temporarily filled the void, as we can see Lola going up the director of the movie. Lincoln glanced away from this and spotted The Kitty sitting on the lap of one of his handlers. The bombay cat was glaring daggers at him, likely because he still remembered what happened at the convention. Instead of being intimidated, Lincoln glared right back, tongue jutting through his lips in a mocking manner before focusing on his food. "Yeah...still hate that cat. Now, my sisters didn't know about the meeting that happened between me and the publisher, but they started to piece things together after Mr. Nolan told Lola that the chances of using their characters for later movies was now unlikely due to certain restrictions imposed on their characters by their creator."

Present Lincoln made an ironic chortle as a door could be heard opening. "And as I expected, my sisters weren't happy..."

On the limo ride back...

"And then he tells me, 'Sorry, but it seems like the Full Deck may have to wait til much later. Or it's being retired'. Like, what does THAT mean?!" Lola shouted in a very irate tone.

"That's bogus man!" Luna pounded the edge of her seat with a fist. "What happened to the deal he made with us yesterday?!"

"Um...are we fired?" Leni asked, confused as to what was going on.

"No sweetie." Rita answered. "You're all still getting paid for your time spent filming, it's just that you likely won't be in another Ace Savvy movie."

"But what about our sequel?!" Lana cried out. "I actually liked being Royal Flush!"

Lily made a few incoherent noises from her position in Rita's arms. She held up two fingers, indicating she was referring to her persona as The Deuce.

Lori groaned in frustration. "So we literally came all the way out here for nothing?..."

"Now now girls." Lynn Sr. spoke. "I know it might seem like a bummer, but it wasn't a pointless trip, right? I mean, you got to see some of the sights around L.A., spent time helping make a movie, went to the beach, tried out different restaurants."

Lola pouted, folding her arms and harshly hitting her seat with her back. "This better not ruin my chances of becoming a movie star in the future..."

Lynn was busy picking her nose to care too much. "I wonder whose the loser who decided to axe us from the team? Some big wig in an office?"

"If Lola's exact words are to be taken into account, the primary reason is imposed restrictions from our creator." Lisa stated.

"Yeah, Mr. Nolan said that." Luan agreed. "So it's probably Bill Buck or whoever else makes the series."

"Actually," Lisa began to clarify. "It can have two separate meanings. Whilst it is more plausible to believe Mr. Nolan was referring to the creators of Ace Savvy due to him divulging the information to us, he could also be referring to the creator of our characters."

Upon realizing this, most of the girls and the parents turned their head towards the their only son/brother; he met their gazes with a bored stare, though he rapped his finger against his forearm as if he were expecting them to come to that conclusion.

Leni tilted her head slightly. "Who was that again?"

Lynn slapped her forehead. "Uh, fashion sense, he's sitting in the limo with us."

Leni just raised a brow. "Dad?"

Lynn Sr. made a bashful chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry sweetie, but I don't have that level of imagination."

"Lincoooooln!" Lola growled as she got up and marched over to him. "Did you have anything to do with this?!"

Lincoln acknowledged her with a huff. "Maybe." He replied in a tone that left little doubt that he was somehow involved as he sat up straight in his seat. "And what if I did?"

Lori glared at him before focusing back on her phone. "Of course, you were up to something since we got here..."

Lucy's regular frown increased slightly, knowing the teen was responding with her typical indignation. "Lori, you know that's not-" She was cut off when Luna spoke.

"Come on bro. Please tell us you didn't do anything?" The rocker practically begged, even shaking her hands in a pleading motion.

"Tch." Lynn scoffed, folding her arms. "Let me guess, you couldn't handle the fact you bailed on the movie, so you had to ruin it for the rest of us?"

"Girls, settle down..." Rita ordered. The rest of the siblings silenced themselves and Lola went back to her seat. "So, Lincoln. Now before you overreact, you aren't in trouble. But, did you have a part in what the girls are talking about?"

Lincoln eyed the rest of his siblings for a moment before breathing in. A slow exhale left his nose before he answered. "Yes...the studio producer called me yesterday because he wanted to ask me about the Full Deck since he thought they weren't "appealing enough" to people who aren't familiar with the series." A few of the girls made confused or apprehensive looks, as if to say What does that mean? I'm TOTALLY appealing! "So he wanted to speak to me to find ways to make you girls stand out more..." The boy finished, doing little to hide the resentment he felt.

"And then what?" Lola asked, kicking her foot against the face of the seat in an impatient manner.

Lincoln furrowed his brows. "Instead, I told him exactly how I felt about the whole situation, and (as the Full Deck's creator; Clyde helped smooth out some details) I decided to cancel the Full Deck's involvement with the series."

The sisters (sans Lucy) made a collective gasp. "YOU WHAT?!" The twins, Lori, Leni, Lynn, Luna, and Luan shouted simultaneously.

Lola jumped out of her seat and jumped onto Lincoln's lap, taking him by surprise as she pinned him to the back of his seat. "YOU RUINED MY MOVIE CAREER BEFORE IT EVEN STARTED?!" The young girl screeched, baring shark-like teeth as an intense fire replaced her pupils.

"So you took us off the roster by crying about why you weren't in the movie?!" Lynn shouted, throwing her arms in the air, fists forming as she was itching to punch her brother in the head.

"Wow Lincoln..." Luan crossed her arms, feeling quite agitated. "You really sunk lower than a sink hole..."

"And that's not fair brah! You couldn't come and talk to us first?!" Luna shouted next. "I was really hopin' to grab a gig in a musical!"

Lori shook her head. "This is literally the cruelest and most selfish thing you've ever done..."

Lincoln's eye twitched upon hearing the word selfish. A hardened glare began to form as gnashing teeth became visible through his parting lips. His body began to shake as the boy's anger began to spill out into the open.

"Girls, girls!" Rita called out, but to no avail.

"IF YOU DON'T PICK UP THAT PHONE RIGHT NOW AND TELL HIM YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND, YOU'LL REGRET THE-!" Lola went wide-eyed as Lincoln put his hand on her face.

"Selfish?...SELFISH?!" The middle child shouted as he pushed Lola off, who landed on the floor in a heap, as he marched right over to Lori; the eldest sibling was taken aback by her brother's sudden aggression as he stood eye level to her sitting position. "I'm not the one who only went to a convention you didn't care ONE BIT about just to be in a movie for a series you ALWAYS make fun of me for!" He jabbed a finger at Lori's nose, making her flinch. "I'm not the one who had plans to ditch the movie series the first chance I get just for more fame and fortune!" He turned his glare towards the rest of his sisters. "And I'm definitely not the one whose proven several times over to care more about themselves than the rest of the people sitting in this stupid limo!"

Lola growled, getting to her feet and attempted to lunge towards him. Lana snagged the back of her dress before she could get closer, leaving Lola to run in place without going anywhere.

"You're the one to talk, Mr. Steal an ACTOR to win a contest!" Luan retorted, glaring daggers at her brother.

"Ooooh suuure. I stole a cat because I got desperate." Lincoln spoke in faux guilt before turning his heated gaze on the comedian. "At least I don't prank my family for a cheap laugh every April Fools Day, and nearly destroy the house while I'm at it!"

"Lincoln..." Lynn Sr. called out, but this went unnoticed by his son.

"I worked my butt off to get you girls ready for that convention, and what do I get in return?! I get treated like I'm just no one important, despite being main reason you girls even bothered showing up in the first place!"

"To be fair, I did give credit where it was due when asked about my fictional character." Lisa pointed out.

Lincoln huffed. "Did you happen to remind the people who decided to crown you the winners?"

Lisa tapped her chin as she jogged her memory. "By admission, no."

"Hey Stinkoln, you can't blame Lisa for your screwups in making the judges like you." Lynn called out.

"Yeah dude." Luna agreed. "I dunno what you and Clyde did before you pulled that cat stunt, but it's obvious you guys just didn't try hard enough."

Lincoln looked incensed by that notion. "Didn't try-WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH?! ALL YOU GIRLS DID WAS TAKE PICTURES ALL DAY WHILE ME AND CLYDE TRIED EVERY ACTIVITY WE COULD THINK OF!" The white-haired boy screeched. "And you're one to talk about 'lack of trying 'since you begged me to help you convince Mom and Dad to give you money for a rotten old t-shirt!"

Luna went wide-eyed before she glared daggers at her brother. "That shirt is a collectable!..." The family musician spoke through clenched teeth.

"That's covered in stains and who knows what else..." Lucy muttered to herself as her siblings continued to argue.

"Kids!" Rita shouted a little louder, setting Lily down next to her. "Just calm d-"

"Lincoln, when are you going to just grow up and realize you're not as good as you think you are?" Lori vehemently asked, making her brother direct his attention towards her once more.

"You still read comics in your underwear for crying out loud!" Lola pointed out.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Lola, you're still unable to stay away from a mirror for more than five seconds."

"Oh, so you're taking his side?!" The pageant winner fumed.

"Oh really, says the girl who thinks she's better than everyone else just because she's the oldest." Lincoln spat with an acidic undertone.

This time though, Lori wasn't going to take his attitude lying down and leaned forward until they were nose to nose. "And because I'm older, I have more experience than you do. Seriously Lincoln, it's just a movie. There will likely be plenty of others after it." She leaned back with a stern frown. "Even though we won't be in it since you decided to be spiteful and kick us out of the series, but you can't really call yourself an 'expert' on the matter." Lincoln opened his mouth to respond, but Lori continued. "You try to solve crimes but more often than not fail to find the real culprit, your Ace Savvy stunts don't actually fix problems and actually make things worse, and as a better example, you clammed up during an Ace Savvy questionnaire when we tried breaking Lynn's winning streak! And she's Lynn for crying out loud! How could you possibly not get any of the questions correct?! And you're supposed to be the expert!"

Lynn huffed with an amused grin. "He choked up, that's why."

"Because you tricked him into doing so." The family goth pointed out once more. The jock simply glared at her roommate.

"And it also stems from the fact your so-called plans don't work like, literally 80% of the time. And if you spent more time outside like the rest of us, you might be able to actually come up with something that works." Lori finished, folding her arms. She didn't care at the fact Lincoln now had a red hue covering much of his face as he stood there in front of her with shaking arms pinned to his sides. "No wonder Mom made you try to get exercise, and yet you still lied about that."

No sooner did she finish that sentence did Lincoln thrust an open palm towards her face. The oldest sibling was too slow to react as it collided with her nose. "GAH!" Lori yelped as her head snapped back.

"Lincoln Loud!" Rita shouted. But once again, her son didn't pay attention to her.

"Let's get something clear Lori: my plans would actually work if I didn't have 10 selfish sisters who would always throw a wrench in them!" The Loud boy lived up to his surname, having somewhat calmed down after striking his sister. Lori held her nose in pain, eyes clamped shut as she tried to fight through the aching feeling on her face. "You say I'm not as good as I think I am, but what does that make you?! You ruined Leni's chance of getting a real license because you loved holding rides in the van over our heads, you wouldn't go to school just because Bobby didn't want to wear a stupid tux," Lori managed to open her eyes again as the pain started to subside. A hateful glare was piercing through her brother's core, but he phased at all. "You and the others in this car wouldn't help me shop for groceries when Mom left me in charge, and you always make up some lame excuse to make fun of my hobbies or think I'm worse than a stupid pony book!"

Lucy shifted uncomfortably at the mention of that.

"And at least I'm smart enough to come up with ideas while you just sit there on your phone all day! And you know what?!" Lincoln was cut off when Lori grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt. Her nose had a red rash in the spot where he hit her, and the oldest sibling was no longer in the mood for words.

"You little...!" Lori raised a fist before sending it towards her brother.

Lincoln reacted by putting his hands up to catch it, then slapped Lori hard in the cheek. This caused her to drop him, allowing Lincoln to gain whatever small amount of distance he could in the limo.

"GRRRRRAAAAH!" Lori jumped from her seat and tackled Lincoln to the floor.

The white-haired boy responded by slapping Lori again, who wasn't as deterred this time as she shoved her hands into Lincoln's face. She pulled hard on his cheeks, making the boy yell in pain as he shoved his hands onto Lori's face in order to try and push her off. Lincoln briefly grabbed onto her damaged nose, making Lori cry in pain, right before the two were suddenly pulled away from each other by two parents who had run out of patience.

"LORI! LINCOLN! BOTH OF YOU STOP FIGHTING AND SIT DOWN!" Lynn Sr. ordered, holding onto his oldest child's waist as she tried to break free.

"THAT TWERP STARTED IT!" Lori shouted whilst struggling in her father's grip.

"AND I'M GONNA FINISH IT, CAUSE YOU'VE HAD IT COMING FOR A LOOOONG TIME LORI!" Lincoln shouted back, kicking his feet out as his mother dragged her back. The way she grabbed him had pinned his arms to the sides, making it much more difficult to break free.

"When we get back to the hotel, all of you are grounded to the room until we leave tomorrow morning." Rita stated, causing an outcry amongst the rest of the siblings.

"Again?!" Lynn fumed, pounding the edge of her seat with her fist.

"But we didn't even do anything!" Lana shouted in dismay.

"Kids, listen to your mother!" Lynn Sr. demanded as he put Lori in the seat next to him. The blonde tried to get up, but a stern glare from her father forced some clarity into her mind. The 17 year old simmered as she looked out the window, folding her arms as her frustration was on full display.

Lola growled as she got back into her seat. "Nice going Lincoln..." She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. The Loud in question didn't take kindly to those words as he growled loudly, struggling even more against his mother's grasp.

"Lola!" Rita glared hotly at the young girl. "Do you want to be grounded when we get back home?"

"But he-!" The youngest of the twins was cut off immediately.

"No buts!" Rita sat down in her seat, situating her enraged son in her lap. "Everyone, no more talking, or even whispering. Just sit quiet until we get back to the hotel..." That was her final order.

The rest of the kids looked at each other before they began to fume in silence, directing their attention out the tinted windows. For the next few minutes, the car was filled with the sound of the tires rolling on the street, the A/C running, and Lincoln's grunting as he kept trying to escape from his mother; but he too would fall silent after finally realizing it was a pointless endeavor. Feeling he had passed through his enraged state, Rita sat him down next to her, making sure he didn't try to start another fight.

The driver of the limo, who had been glancing at the situation through his rearview mirror, made a chortle. "Glad I don't have kids." He muttered to himself.

A sigh could be heard. "...It was only a matter of time before it came to this." Present Lucy spoke. "Tensions that had been building over the past month had finally spilt out into the open; Lincoln just couldn't get the whole thing out of his head and try to have fun. I noticed every day how he looked like he was getting better, only to relapse; and as much as I tried to be there for him, I alone couldn't stop what was coming. Well...actually, maybe if I tried harder, I could've lessened the damage. I'm still surprised that Lincoln was the one to throw the first punch; usually it was one of my sisters who would initiate the brawl. The one thing I've noticed is that during our sibling fights, Lincoln tries his best not to hurt anyone; he's not as weak as some may think. And to see him not only shove Lola to the side like she meant nothing to him, and then attacking Lori...I knew then and there, that he was truly starting his spiral into the state he's in today..."

Feet shuffling along the ground filled the void before the goth continued on. "I wouldn't learn about the details of that conversation Lincoln had with that producer until a week or so later, and when he was in a decent mood to talk. And I had to agree with him; my sisters didn't deserve to stay attached to a series they showed no interest in, and this would've affected their acting careers in the grand scheme of things. He even said he turned down the opportunity to sell the Full Deck for a decent pay, saying that they couldn't pay him enough." The gothic preteen made a slight chortle. "Even when he's upset, Lincoln still held to his principles, which can't be said about my other sisters. That, or he was so committed to making sure my sisters' movie careers never took off, that he went the extra mile to ensure the studio wouldn't rehire them."

The sound of a door opening was heard, followed by it quickly shutting. A hacking cough echoed from a point not too far away. "That didn't sound good...just got home and Lincoln already sounds like he caught the flu bug...that's been happening more and more as of late too. Before any of this happened, during seasonal changes, Lincoln would never get sick. But over the last year, he's been coming down with something more frequently than usual...I hope it's nothing, but I can't help but wonder..." Present Lucy stayed silent as a covered sneeze was heard. "Looks like he'll be having soup for dinner...but anyway, our time in L.A. had finally come to an end, and on terrible circumstances no less." Past Lucy stared out the window in silence as the scenery passed her by, a hand lying under her chin as she could only guess what was to come for her family now. "I may have the hindsight I do now, but I remember as I stared at the cityscape as we drove back to our hotel, I kept wondering what would become of my siblings now that their true feelings have been exposed." The 8 year old goth looked at her brother, whom was glowering at the floor, then glanced at the rest of her sisters. They were in no better spirits, having had whatever fun activities they could've done now being ruined out the window. "But there was one thing I was certain of; the relationships we shared would never be the same after today..."

A/N: And with all the emotions finally in the open, the storm has begun. In the chapter, you may notice the pattern Lincoln goes through when it comes to his thought process; this will form the basis of what he will eventually become in the present. And yeah, it's definitely going to get worse. We might even see him act like a 'villain' in future chapters to help establish his present mindset. At least Lucy is still trying to look out for him in her own way; but even she will realize she needs to change her strategy.