Here's five everyone, it's gonna take more than view. I really needed some encourage to keep going. Let's do this!
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Chapter 5: Other Ways
The Loud Family have been searching and asking all over Royal Woods if they seen Lincoln. Throughout the majority of the day, they were met with the same responses:
"Naw, I haven't seen him."
"Sorry, Laaaad family. Lincoln hasn't been to my arcade for a while.
"Who's Lincoln?" "11 year old with white hair?" "Oh Yeah! Yeah!...No.."
"Sorry I haven't seen Lincol...L-L-Lori?! SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWNNNnnnn..."
"No, I haven't seen Lincoln, sorry."
The Loud family retire in the dining room looking at their dinner in despondency from a fruitless search. The girls worry about what could have happened to Lincoln? Could it be that Lincoln has skipped town already? Could it be that Lincoln is kidnapped by some punk and want a ransom? Could it be that Lincoln may be lost, injured, or-or..
"That's it!" Luna shouted as she stands up from her chair. "I'm heading out!"
"Luna, it's about to be-" Lori replied.
"I don't care, I can't just sit around and do nothing while our little bro is still out there!"
"Yeah, I, like, can't do anything without my Linky! I want to apologize and make it up to him!" Leni said standing up as well.
"Girls, I appreciate your concern but it's nearly nighttime. Lynn Sr said. "We'll search fo-" Suddenly a sound of the front door opening interrupts their thoughts. (Someone needs to learn to lock their doors.)
The family look at the entrance wondering who would be coming in at this hour. Seeing who it is made the whole family go wide-eyed. The person's hair was covering the eyes and his face was showing a bit of a scowl. Could something have happened to him? In any case, the white hair with the turkey tail, the beaver chipped tooth, complete with freckles is unmistakable it's...
"Lincoln!" The Loud family said in a joyous uproar. They quickly get up from their seats ready to hug the child, relieved to see that Lincoln has returned to the house safe and so-
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!"
Lincoln shouted stopping them in their tracks.
The daughters and parents look at Lincoln who just stands there, frowning and tightening his hands. Things get uncomfortable for the sisters and parents for a while until he walks upstairs to his room.
"Lincoln, wait!" Lynn shouted.
Lincoln stopped at the top of the stairs, not turning around to the source of Lynn's voice.
"Look, I'm sorry that I hurt you and said that you are adopted. I don't care if you're not officially a Loud. You'll always be my brother and always will be!"
"Yeah bro, I sorry I lashed out on you! I-I just got angry about my ticket being ruined! Please forgive me. I always protect my bro...I'm your guardian. Always will be until the end!" Luna shouted.
"Linky, I'm totally sorry for what I did. I-I didn't mean to yell at you! I..I can, like, bring you to the mall so we buy you anything you want!" Leni shouted while holding her heart.
"Lincoln, we may be rough on you sometimes. But still...we care about you deeply, please understand." Lori said
"I blame myself after what happened, me and my stupid routine! Lincoln, I promise I won't ever blame you ever again for my antics." Luan said
"Linky, I know I have been hard on you and stuff. I really want your forgiveness cause I'm your princess. I want my knight back." Lola said
"Bro, I'm sorry for releasing Charles and Cliff on to you! Be angry to me, not them. I-I'm sorry about trying to hurt you, I-I just...wanted to know that I really care about you!" Lana shouted.
"Dear Lincoln, my heart cries out...I-I shouldn't have had this happen to you. I should have thanked you for giving me those words. But I took those words for granted, I shouldn't...let my hate consume me and use it on you." Lucy said in sadness
"Male sibling, I wanted apologize to you for my overreaction and nearly injuring you. I wanted to know the experiment was successful thanks for your...*ahem*...clumsiness." Lisa said fixing her glasses unaware that her last sentence was aloof to the situation.
Nearly all of the sisters said their peace to the Loud boy hoping for a reaction. Nothing. He was still as a statue. Feeling the uncomfortable air, the baby Lily climbs the stairs, trying to reach out to her brother.
"Lily wait!" Leni said trying to reach her.
Lily made it to the top, she tugged the jeans of her brother. "Link-o?"
The family sees Lincoln kneel down and pick her up, still not looking at them. Could Lincoln show no remorse for the baby too?
"Hey Lily, how's you doing while was out? Have you been good?" Lincoln asks happily as he tickled her stomach.
"Hahaha." Lily giggled upon the tickling.
The family smile at the scene, hearing their brother/son may be back to his normal self. If only it were that easy...
"Don't think you all are off the hook."
Said Lincoln in a low tone. Still in this position, he continues to speak.
"You all mistreat me, hurt me and especially tell me that I'm not a part of this family. I given you all the love I could and even help you out, but you all take it for granted."
"Lincoln, we never do that to you-" Rita said
"The time you trusted me to get all the groceries in the store as so I can get enough money to buy my cereal. Your daughters said they can help me...except that wasn't the case! They caused trouble all throughout the store and I tried to get them under control but we got kicked out and you blame me and your daughters, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Lincoln shouted
Rita was shaking from her son's harsh attitude toward her, seeing her son lash out on her dampens her mood.
Lynn Sr isn't having any of that talk toward his family. He speaks "Lincoln Loud, don't you dare talk to your mother like that! Apologies this insta-"
"OR WHAT?!"
Lincoln echoed throughout the whole house, shocking the family. How could Lincoln even think of to talk like that toward Lynn Sr? Lincoln holds Lily in one hand to comfort her due to that shout while another hand slowly forms into a fist, shaking.
"And you, Lynn Sr. Because of the clogged toilet incident, all of you ganged on me, even though it's not my fault! I won't point fingers but still...I miss out a chance to meet my favorite comic book author!" Lincoln shouted as he held up his hand as still shaking. "You think I'm scared of you?! Ever since yesterday, I actually changed a lot and I'm not letting anyone walk over me ever again. If you want to fight me Lynn Senior, you wanna teach me a lesson?..THEN COME AT ME!"
Now it's Lynn Sr's turn to tremble of seeing his son acting this way to him, Lucy looks down shaking a little, if she had owned up back then to that clogged toilet incident, none of this would've happened.
Lincoln calms down as he tells the news. "Listen up, I have to something to say. I having some problem with getting some cash for some summer vacation activities... So I got a job."
The family are surprised seeing that Lincoln getting a job before Leni sure but this insane. Lincoln doesn't have much job experience due to a an Intership with Flips gone wrong when Lincoln worked together with Clyde, so he needs all of the help he can get.
"Lincoln, you can tell us where you're working so we can actually help you out? We'll literally barely make a peep this time. It's not Flips is it?" Lori said
"One, I'm not telling you where. Two, I'm not working for Flips because he's a no-good punk. And Three, I want nothing else to do with you girls." Lincoln replied.
The girls are shocked of hearing from their little/big brother saying that. Lincoln would always be there for them, even if their antics can get a bit crazy. Whenever it's Lincoln helping Lori with golf, Leni and her fashion, Luna's practice and stage set up, Luan's Funny Business, Lynn's sport partner, Lucy's poetry, Lola's pageant teacher, Lana's pet helper, even Lisa's test subj-lab assistant. No matter how hard it gets, he's Lincoln Loud...a boy that is always there for them.
Not anymore.
"You all said it yourselves, you wanted me out of your lives! You wanted me to be a man, like you said. From now on…you're doing those activities on your own because I'm not going to help out! The only sister I'm gonna hang out is Lily, that's all. This day forward...I'm just a guest here...I'm no longer your brother and I have no sisters...not anymore. If you dare you all follow me to my job or anywhere else..."
The Loud boy finally turn his head to his family, with eyes looking like it's ready to shoot deadly lazer beams and teeth gritted making the family shiver in fear. Lincoln then turn away from them as he kissed Lily's face as he put her down.
"I'm going to my work for four days straight. When I get out of school I go to my job afterwards. That's all Loud Family, good night." Lincoln said growling.
With those final words, Lincoln walks stage right toward his room and slams his door with an echo heard around the house. The family is left with a mix of disbelief, regret, confusion and sorrow after what just happened...
Lincoln has came back to the house...only to disown himself from his family.
Lori, Luna, Lynn, even Lisa are shunned and tighten their eyes trying to forget what happened. Leni, Luan, Lola, Lana, even Lucy begin to tear up, thanks to their anger...they lost their big/little brother.
"He...hates me." Leni said put her hand on her mouth, begin to sob.
"Leni no, he never hate you. He just-*SMACK!*" Lynn Sr said about to pat her back, only for his hand to be smacked away by his daughter.
"I WANT TO BE ALONE...LEAVE ME ALONE!" Leni screamed as she run to her room.
"I'll go...*sniff*...comfort her." Lori said walked upstairs to her room.
"I'm not even hungry." Lynn stated as she walked to her room.
Lucy was silent as his brother words repeated. 'I have no sisters.' Granted, Lucy is not innocent of disowning his brother herself where he posted an embarrassing montage of his sisters online but was rectified later by posting an embarrassing video montage of himself. This looks like it will take more than that though to do the same for herself. She walked to her room without saying a word, not even a breath.
"I think I'm not hungry tonight, I'm going to bed." Lana said walking to her room.
"I'm with you." Lola replied joining Lana.
Luna felt like she got stabbed in the heart. A feeling that would be similar of hearing of her rock idol Mick Swagger dying. Lincoln, the boy who she promised to protect. She hurt him, and now he hates her. He'll probably never forgive- "I'm going to my room...later. I need to breathe." Luna quietly sobs the last words as she heads up the stairs.
Luan softly cried out, her best assistant and brother hated her now. "I'm going to bed." Said Luan as she follows Luna to their room not even bothering to make a pun.
Lisa audibly sniffled with some snot going down her nose under the revelation that her brother hates her. Despite being the smartest in all of Royal Woods, she still a four year-old toddler.
"I'm going to my room now!" Lisa bawled as she runs up the stairs.
The parents are left standing.
"Guess I have to put the dinner in the refrigerator until tomorrow night. Honey, can you..." Lynn Sr said.
"I know, I'll comfort them as much as I can." Rita replied as she helps her husband with packing the dinner.
'I did it...I stood up for myself.'
Lincoln sits in the bed in his room mentally winded from the tirade. Is that sobbing he's hearing from the vents? He drops to the ground as he let out a sigh.
'But why do I feel like such a jerk right now?...Well I got them off my back at least.'
*woof...woof*
Lincoln look at the source of the barking seeing Charles in his bed.
"Guess Dad didn't put you in the cage yet." Muttered Lincoln not pleased to see the dog return. "What do you want? Why can't you go to Lana to comfort her?"
Charles whimpered to the boy as he rubs his leg.
"That won't work on me." Lincoln said as he just crossed his arms and looked away. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw you out of my room."
Charles then runs back to the bed, he came back with a object in his mouth. He leaps toward Lincoln's chest which tackled the boy to the ground. The dog has something in his mouth, It's a photograph? Lincoln grabbed the photograph, he looks at it and realizes it's a photo of him as a nine-year-old with puppy Charles in his hands.
Lincoln look at Charles who has guilt in his face. Lincoln saw this and realized the photo and began to rub Charles head
"Charles, I am still mad at you for what you did but I forgive you." Charles perked up as heard at Lincoln forgave him. "But if you do that again, I'm gonna leave you in the dog house for a week."
Charles licks Lincoln's face as the boy begins to laugh.
"Hahahaha...Charles, cut it out!" Lincoln said that makes the dog stop. "Listen, I got something to say."
*Mmmm?* Charles tilted his head.
"I have a job, I'm secretly training to become a real-life warrior. But I need some support, you can be there for me, right?"
*Bark!* Charles nodded as he agreed.
"Good, we're gonna have to leave at about tomorrow morning at six. We'll be in the forest as we meet new people. Time we get some shuteye!...Hmm, I feel better already...infact, I don't feel my injures anymore..."
Lincoln feels around his body. Could this mean?
Lincoln takes off the shirt and begin taking off the bandages all over his back to his arm and hands. Lincoln look at his injures are completely healed and begin to look at his mirror. Seeing his back, he has scars that looks like claw marks to his back way to his shoulder probably from that bear attack earlier.
'This might be powers or something Allie did, Heh, the scars look cool though." Lincoln thought out loud. "I really need to keep this from the others until I'm ready to talk about my training. Speaking of training, I'm pretty sure my training be easy as...*YAWN!*" Lincoln pictures his training to be an easy time as he goes to sleep.
The sky shifts to a slight light blue in the part of the forest where Lincoln is training. It's 6:32 AM and Lincoln is having a hard time.
Lincoln, who's wearing a Ace-Savvy t-shirt with black sweatpants, and white sneakers is pushing the big boulder with his bare hands. While Ryu and Chun-Li is sitting on the boulder with their very own training clothes.
"You need to stop struggling. Push!" Ryu said wearing a red shirt, red jersey pants, and white sneakers.
"He's right! Use your leg muscles!" Chun-Li stated wearing a black sport top, black jersey short pants, and blue running shoes.
Lincoln look up at them deadpanned. "How am I supposed to move this boulder with a two hundred fifty-pound man and one hundred sixty-pound woman on top of it?"
"Actually I lost forty, so two-hundred and ten now." Ryu said with a smirk
"I'm one hundred twenty!" Chun-Li said feeling a little hurt.
Lincoln groaned. "Can I just use that Inner Strength to push?"
Lyra came in with her normal attire. "Lincoln. You're not ready to use your powers yet."
Lincoln drops to the ground and lifted his head. Luckily the ground is flat so the the boulder doesn't crush him. "What? I did great on doing it!"
Ryu and Chun-Li came down from the boulder as Ryu speaks. "Yes, you did, but you passed out afterwards."
Lincoln look at Ryu. "Wasn't that because I lost an amount of blood from that bear?"
Ryu shakes his head. "That was only a small part of the problem, Inner Strength is not just a simple power up, your energy and mental focus is focusing into your strength, boosting it tremendously. However, using it too much causes you to pass out. Your body basically won't function until you wake up."
Lincoln imagined himself on the ground as creatures attacks him while sleeping. "Really?!"
"Yup, your old man tried it the first time. Hehe, he practically passed out all day." Chun-Li said smirking a bit from that memory.
Lincoln shaking his head, getting that image out. "O-Okay, I get it! So basically all of this forest is my training area." he looks at Ryu and Chun-Li. "And you guys are my trainers."
"Yup, you figured it out." Ryu said thumbs up.
"More like masters." Chun-Li stated.
Lincoln looked around. "Where's Charles, he's supposed be here. I really hope he didn't get lost in the forest."
"Oh, is this your dog, Lincoln?"
Everyone looks at Layla holding into Charles arms as she's carrying a gray case, she snuggled the dog. The dog tries to break free from her grip, but Layla's arms ain't having it.
"Sorry Lincoln, but he's so cute!" Layla gleefully said hugging Charles more. "You wouldn't mind do you?"
Lincoln look at Charles who has looks kinda freaked. "Yeah, you can hold him the whole day."
"Yippee, thank you Lincoln!" Layla shouted happily from Lincoln's answer to the dismay of poor Charles.
Lincoln then look at them. "So...what am I supposed to do? Do I have to stuff like lift dumbbells?"
"Lincoln...you don't actually train with those dumbbell stuff." Chun-Li replied chuckling.
"But isn't that how those people at the gym usually train?" Lincoln asks
"Lincoln, your time about weights and high tech is the reason for getting skinny. Always trying to get muscles faster by eating those power bars or energy drinks. Hmmm.." Ryu said as he look at the sun.
Lincoln thought for a minute, he could be telling the truth about trainees overly relying on weights and eating stuff that messes up your body. Lynn despite being strong, has her arms has the size of a string bean from probably lifting weights, the patience of a time-bomb, and the gas emissions of a baby skunk probably from the food. (he's been the victim of Lynn's dutch ovens and using the bathroom...right after Lynn. The aftermath from the bathroom can last up to 30 mins. *Shudders*) "Ummm...I see your point. I wonder what workout you guys do?"
"It's chores, moving heavy furniture, and above all helping your community. There are others ways to work out, you just need to find things that give your body a way of working out." Chun-Li answered.
"Yeah, I used to to be a papergirl back at my old home. I didn't have a bike though so I had to run. It was painful at first, but I got used to it as I'm the fastest runner at my old school." Lyra said smirking.
"I used to carry water buckets with a stick on my back on top of the hill. I was bad at first, but my balance has improved." Layla said
"Wow! So…what chores am I suppose to do?" Lincoln asks
"You have to cut the grass, remove the sharp rocks and put in new ones, paint the house, remove the stumps, and above all remove the trash from the lake. That your first step in becoming a warrior." Ryu said
Lincoln turns around seeing the big mess right in front of him. "You mean...I have to clean all this up!? You can't be serious!"
"Lincoln, you said you want to solve the problem in Royal Woods, Right?" Chun-Li questioned
Lincoln looks down. "Yeah, I heard of crime getting higher than before and no one can stop it. I want to find the source, the only way to find it, is to get stronger."
"You got the right thought Lincoln, but you can't do it without the physical body. I know it's hard, but it's gonna be worth it." Lyra replied
"So how long is this training going to be?" Lincoln asks.
"About five months." Chun-Li answered.
"Five months!?"
"That's the time-frame of getting a good physical body."
"But that's the start of summer, I have to train harder than before." Lincoln said.
"Don't worry Lincoln, we got you covered. "Layla!" Lyra said as she shouted her twin's name.
"Got it!" Layla replied as she put down the case and opens the case.
Lincoln sees that inside the case has a paper stack, a gray long sleeve shirt, and four silver bracelets that looks to fit arms and legs.
"What are those?" Lincoln asked eyebrow lifted up.
Ryu grabbed the papers. "This is your schedule of your days you're going to work and the food you're going to eat. You can read it or not."
Chun-Li grabbed the shirt and lift in the air. "This shirt is specifically made for you during training. These are your weights, Make sure that you keep the weights on at all times to help with speed and stamina. Don't worry, you can wear it during you taking a shower."
Lincoln grabbed one of those bracelets. "You want me to wear these bracelets? It feels super light to me."
Ryu grabbed the bracelets. "Ah Lincoln, don't judge the bracelets by its appearance. These are High Density Weights, once you put these on, you feel those effects in a second."
Lincoln look at the papers. It looks properly scheduled with the routines changing by a weekly basis, the style of dishes he washes is different from what he's used to but nothing he can't handle and the pay is..."I GET PAID THREE-HUNDRED DOLLARS?!"
"Yeah, the only way to get you covered is to give you pay for every week." Lyra replied
"Are you sure, cause you guys work at my school and..." Lincoln said
"Lincoln, we're here for you. We still go to school, there's nothing to be worried about." Layla said
"Plus, our parents are business workers. So they give us loads of money, which we give it to them for you." Lyra states
"Once you agree on doing this...there's no going back until it ends. Are you sure you're up to the task?" Ryu said to Lincoln
Lincoln looked at the papers, weights, shirts, everything in his surrounding area. It's defiantly a little too much for him to handle. All of this training especially at a long time-span is very daunting. Something came up his mind then. He remembers the time where he and Lynn came up with a plan to switch places to fool his parents into thinking that he played football during the season, all because of his mother to get him off of his lazy-ness, but it backfired. Hate to say it, but she's right, especially with the events that happened with the past couple of days.
He then thought back of Ryu's words.
'Never giving up on the task, even if it seems impossible.'
He'll do it.
This is a test for him to prove he's not just a weak and lazy little boy that does nothing but read comics and plays video games. A test to not duck out under any strenuous activity or any threat that comes across him. If this test gets so tough to the point that it could possibly kill him, so be it.
...Okay not literally, but the point still stands.
It's time to break the limitations.
"Guys, I'm gonna do this. Not just to get my powers right, but to do this for me. Plus, my mom really wanted me to get some exercise anyway, she does what it takes to get me out of the house more often." Lincoln said the last sentence in a bit of sarcasm.
"Then it's settled. Buckle down Lincoln, we got a long road ahead of us." Ryu said patting his back.
"Yeah..." Lincoln looks down.
"What's wrong?" Layla said.
"*sigh* To tell the truth. I'm really scared on how all of this will play out. Almost like I have to take all of this by myself." Lincoln said looking down.
"Don't worry Lincoln, we were here for you then and we're here for you now. We were friends with your parents, and now we'll become your friends as well." Ryu replied
"Yeah, you really need some muscles because you know that every gal loves a man with strong flexible muscles." Chun-Li said slyly smiling at Ryu who blushes.
"We're friends at school so of course we'll help you, plus I need a combat partner. And eww, Aunt Li! Not in front of us!" Lyra said
"Linky, I promise to cheer you on as well and make the best food for your training." Layla shouted
*Bark...Bark!* Charles barks in agreement as well.
"Thanks! You guys are the best.' Lincoln said.
'This might be a real pain, but I will pull through and I will get stronger...for everyone.'
*bzzt!*Hello Guys! Lincoln here! I'm talking to you guys with a strange device that Lisa's threw away for some reason. Anyway, My training begins and...I wish to take it back! My bones, organ's, and insides…well basically everything are breaking up cause these weights! And I send out a blast that looks really familiar..Also a punk is trying to rob a store but is strange...turning into a...what's going on!? On the next of Path of a Warrior...The All-Star? See you there!*bzzt!*
This gonna be hard...cause he be wearing weights in his training! Trust me people, he bones will break if he push to his limit! Like he gonna do that, anyway next time on Path of a Warrior.