DATE: MARCH 15 2015, LOUD TOWER, 07H51M
The day started well for the Loud siblings.
Today, Lincoln and the twins made breakfast, Lynn was relatively "slow," and even Luna was less noisy.
If you think that have something behind it, you got it right!
Sitting on a couch, Lori was in a bad mood. Her phone was on the couch across the living room, another couch between them.
Since yesterday, her boyfriend, Bobby, has not sent a single message to her. Being the SHIELD director's son, Bobby had started SHIELD training last year, and they started a long distance relationship. Even so, he had never left her without a message.
"Lori, do not you think you're, like, overreacting?" They all watched as Leni was playing with fire. "Like, if he's a SHIELD agent in training, he might be somewhere without a signal, or worse, a place without a phone."
Instead of being mad at Leni, Lori became worried. She remembered what Lincoln told last night, and how no one knew about the agents who died when the Black Knight attacked. What if SHIELD gave Bobby's first assignment, and something terrible happened.
What if she was angry with Bobby while he was being tortured and thinking in their love as his only comfort.
She was taken out of her nightmare when the security chief sent a call over the intercom.
"Miss Lori, are you there?"
"Yes, Kirby. What's it?"
"I'm calling to tell you that the SHIELD agents have arrived." Kirby was a bit uncomfortable. "Two of them are coming up, and the others are going to split up around the building. I know our shift is over, but if you want..."
"No, Kirby, you will not have to." Lori's tone was sweet. "You've literally worked hard tonight. Even if someone tries something, I'm sure they will not do it in broad daylight."
As soon as she hung up, Lori returned to her moodiness. Plunged into her troubles with Bobby, she even forgot that she was not the one who really would be in control of the situation.
All the Louds focused on the elevator door, waiting to see who director Santiago had assigned to look after them.
They could not be more surprised.
"Bobby?!" Everyone said, not believing what they saw.
Leaving the elevator, wearing a SHIELD uniform, was Lori's boyfriend, carrying a bouquet of roses.
"Boo-boo Bear!" Lori threw herself into the arms of her boyfriend after months without being able to hug him. "I was literally so worried! Why did not you said you were coming back?"
"Sorry Babe." He was embarrassed. "I just wanted to surprise you. I barely believed when I was assigned to the helicarrier in Manhattan and I already received my first mission, to take care of the family of the most beautiful girl in the world."
Lori was embarrassed. Finally, after more than a full year, her boyfriend was back. There was no way to get better.
"Oh, and before I forget, this is my partner, Agent Hugh Jenkins."
At that moment, the Louds finally looked at the agent behind Bobby.
"Ba... ba... ba... ba..." All the girls were out of breath.
Bobby's partner, Hugh, was gorgeous. In addition to his handsome face, he was athletic, and SHIELD's tight uniform highlighted his muscles. Lori herself almost forgot she was missing her boyfriend.
"I'm delighted to meet such a wonderful and admirable family." Hugh's voice was velvety, almost as if he were singing a love song. "Agent Roberto told me a lot of anecdotes about the various times your families were together. It's really a pleasure to be able to meet you all."
"While the other agents watch the tower, we'll both stay here with you." Bobby did not even notice how they looked at his partner. "You will not even notice we're here."
Almost everyone was excited.
The girls stood around Hugh, each offering to show the house to him, while Lori walked with Bobby into the garden on the 91st floor to be alone. Lana and Lola volunteered to carry Hugh's heavy bag while the older sisters seemed to struggle to see who would be with Hugh. The only one who was not excited was Lincoln.
He could not explain it, but something did not seem right.
He could feel that something was about to happen, and he always followed his instincts.
The day passed without anything unusual happening.
While Lori had her boyfriend, the girls stayed in the living room with Hugh, who had brought a kit to make bracelets. They braided colored strings and passed through tiny metal cubes that spelled their names.
The agents checked the tower taking turns among them, using the 47th floor as a meeting point.
Lincoln, on the other hand, was trying to do everything he could to calm down.
He tried to play video games, read comics, even went to Lynn's race track, but there was no point. He kept trying, unsuccessfully, as he wondered if he should tell anyone what was going on. When he returned to the living room, he saw that almost all his sisters were watching television, they all scowling.
"What's up?" He asked as he walked to the kitchen.
"The SHIELD agents went to see who would buy their lunch, and they sent Hugh along with two other agents." Lola was almost crying.
"And where's Lori and Leni?"
"They went with Bobby on the mini-golf course." Lana answered.
The mini golf course was not really a "course", but it occupied the entire 82nd floor. Lincoln knew that, alone, Lincoln knew that, alone, Lori would take a long time, but if she had gone with Bobby and Leni, they would take hours to get back. So he had an idea.
"Well, if you need me, I'll be on the terrace, with my remote-controlled quinjet."
He went into his room and took out his Avenger ID card under the bed and took the said quinjet. As soon as he saw that there was no one else, he stood with his back to the terrace camera and held his card by the remote control.
"User A-02 asking for secure line. Call Ant-Man."
The card area with his photo changed to a small image of his leader's helmet, and soon he could hear his voice.
"Sorry Linc, but I can not hold the card now." He spoke with a little exhaustion in his voice. "I'm still repairing some danger room's systems."
Lincoln felt a little remorse. Dr. Pym had started training sessions in his special room with technology of another dimension, and he ended up causing a short circuit in the system. None of them imagined that the energy Lincoln fired could be so powerful.
"I get it. What kind of tool are you using?"
"Actually, my hands. I'm literally connecting the circuits, on a reduced scale."
Lincoln tried to imagine what it would be like to be inside the computer. Even so, shrinking was not part of his wish list.
"Look, I wanted some advice." He tried not to show concern, but failed. "Since this morning, I'm feeling like we're in danger. No matter what I do, that feeling does not go away, and I no longer know what to do."
This caught the attention of the small scientist.
"Lincoln, if you really do have a feeling like that, then you have to watch out."
"What do you mean?" Lincoln was intrigued by the reaction.
"I have reviewed the results of the individual training sessions, and I have come to the conclusion that you demonstrate a low level of precognition."
"Wait, you mean like in predict the future?" Lincoln almost let the quinjet crash. "I can do this?"
"Not exactly. I noticed that not only your reflexes and endurance are at a formidable level, but also your reaction time. It is as if you feel the presence of the punch before the opponent closes the fist."
Lincoln was puzzled. He had never noticed it, but that explained why his reflexes were so sharp. He was already reacting before he realized the threat, and he never noticed it.
"So, do you think I might really be sensing something big?"
"It's a possibility. With everything I've seen in my travels through the multiverse, I know it's possible. For example, I met a guy who called his power "spider-sense", and was hardly hit by any enemy, unless it was too fast for him to divert."
"If so, do you think I should warn my sisters of my "Lincoln-sense" or should I keep it a secret?" Lincoln wanted a name for his new power, but was worried for his sisters.
"Okay, first of all, if it's really a power, think of a better name. Second, let's not worry your family until we know for sure, and keep your powers a secret."
"And what do I do then?"
"Stay alert. I can not stop now or the Watcher can explode, but as soon as I'm done, I'll go to your house with a battalion of ants. The more the merrier."
"Thank you. Marvel Boy hanging up."
Lincoln brought his toy closer and turned it off. He would eat something and then look for something to do. He was now feeling more confident, even with the sense of danger.
With 15 SHIELD agents, his sisters and two Avengers, there was no way the danger was so great.
THEN, ON THE 47TH FLOOR
The agents paused. While three of them stood on guard in the ground floor, the other 9 were waiting. At any moment, the agents who came for lunch would arrive, and then they would return to watch. Like Bobby, they were all agents just out of the academy, each one the best of his class, this being the first mission of the majority. Although it did not seem like a difficult mission, they internally longed for conflict.
At that moment, Hugh and the other two agents arrived. They brought packaged bags from several restaurants, and each agent took what they had ordered.
"If you do not mind, comrades, I'm going back to my post." Hugh said, carrying his bag. "I said I'd let the little girls do a makeover on me, and I do not want to disappoint them."
The other agents could only be astonished at his colleague's disposition. None of them would let a child put something on their faces or do something with their hair, even if it was important to the mission.
"Hey, now that I've stopped to think, have any of you seen him before?" One of the Agents asked as he poured himself spaghetti.
"No, I've never seen Agent Jenkins before. I only knew he had been assigned as partner for Agent Santiago, and that he arrived with him yesterday's morning." Another agent replied.
"I, on the other hand, have heard that he was not a field agent." Another one said. "I knew he was some sort of analyst, and the description I got from him was different."
"How different?"
"Well, I heard Agent H. Jenkins was shorter, wore glasses, and was blond."
"Oh, of course! You mean the real agent Jenkins." Someone said, and then there was a flash of intense light.
Blind, the agents could not fight back. It did not take long and everyone is on the ground, incapacitated.
"Doc, phase 2 complete. Starting phase 3 at your signal."
LIVING ROOM
Lincoln was watching the news a little, especially those related to Marvel Boy and his partner Miss Marvel. Both he and Ronnie Anne were enjoying being recognized, although the Ant-Man said it was just the trend of the moment, and that just like the other heroes of New York they would be routine. At that moment, he felt a strange sensation.
"Hi, Lucy."
"How did you know I was here?" Despite the monotonous tone, she was surprised.
After his conversation with the Ant-Man, Lincoln was more aware of his surroundings, but he would not tell Lucy that.
"I think I got used to you surprising us. Are you alright?"
"I am fine. Me and the twins wanted to go in the pool, but as you know, we need one of the older siblings to go."
"Of course, I'm not doing anything at all. I'm going to put on my trunks and meet you there."
Lincoln went to his room to change. As he was leaving, he remembered Ant-Man's warning to stay alert, and put his "Symbi-watch", just in case.
As the express elevator went into the living room, there was another elevator on the opposite side of the living room, which went to the particular 5 floors below.
Arriving downstairs, there were two doors, one to the deep pool room and one to the children's pool room. As he entered the room, Lincoln found his younger sisters waiting for him. Lucy was lying in a chair with her arms crossed, as if she were being buried. The twins were waiting for Lincoln to get into the water.
"Hey, Lincoln." Lola shyly walked over to him. "Hugh made those bracelets with us, and Lana and I made one for you."
Lincoln was speechless. In Lola's hand was a bracelet of white, blue and orange braided strings with little cubes that spelled his name.
"Wow, thanks, girls. It's really cool."
"Hey, you're not going to swim with your Captain America watch, will you?" Lana noticed.
"Do not worry about it, Lana. It is totally waterproof. Manufacturer's personal warranty." He winked, although the girls did not understand the comment.
Playing with the twins, Lincoln finally forgot the sense of danger. Unfortunately, at an awful time to lower the guard.
64th FLOOR, SECURITY CENTRAL
Hugh, wearing a kind of armor with an insect helmet connects a computer cable on his forearm to the security center console.
"Are you sure your equipment will work?" Hugh was talking to his client. "Taking down some SHIELD agents is easy, but I do not want to deal with a bunch of superpowered kids. Without using the powers they have already irritated me."
"Do not worry, my dear Beetle. My brilliant intellect will be the key to the success of your mission." The voice on the other side answered. "Get what we want, and you will have a place with the Masters of Evil.
He was eager to complete this job. Entering into the notorious Black Knight's organization was certainly worth the effort of pretent to be a SHIELD agent and spending time with unpleasantly noisy girls. Even so, He did not totally trust Dr. Octavius. After all, if he really trusted his equipment, he would invade the Loud Tower himself.
It did not take long and he was able to disable the security system. Even though the Tower's locking mode still works, everyone inside it will be cut off from the outside world.
"Well Doc, starting phase 3. It's all or nothing."
At that moment, all the doors of the building locked, and special locks emerged in the windows of the family's particular areas. The lights went out and everything went red. All the Louds knew the procedure: go straight into the panic room, an armored room on the 92nd floor. According to Mr. Loud, it could handle an atomic bomb directly over the building.
Lincoln, however, had other plans.
"Lucy, take the twins into the panic room, I'll see if they're all okay."
Lucy just nodded and took the emergency ladder. Lincoln knew that even with the lock, the cameras should work, so he decided to look for a blind spot to put on his Marvel Boy costume, hoping that Ant-man would come soon to support.
"Dang it! Who would attack us at home?"
92nd FLOOR, PANIC ROOM
The sisters begin to enter the room, finally coming Lori and Bobby.
"Are we all here?" Lori asked, catching her breath.
"Lincoln said he was going to check to see if we were all coming." Lana was hugging Lola, both of them worried about their brother.
"You stay here, I'm looking for Lincoln." Bobby took control of the situation.
"Take care, my Boo-boo Bear." Lori exclaimed passionately, and kissed him before letting him go.
Other SHIELD agents would use a weapon, but Bobby Santiago did not have to. Like his parents and his sister, he solved things with his fists.
He barely arrived in the living room and the lights went back to normal.
"This is weird." He said, surprised. "As far as I can remember, Mr. Loud did this to just hang up after 24 hours or with his command."
"It's because someone else has taken control."
As he turned, Bobby was thrown against the wall.
Standing, there was Hugh, without his helmet, holding a bazooka.
Except for a huge hole in the chest area of the uniform, Bobby was unharmed, though dizzy.
"H-hugh..."
His false partner shot again, and he fell.
"I must admit, you really are indestructible, but it's a pity you still feel pain." Hugh smiled as he mocked the fallen agent. "Now, it's just the brats."
The sisters were sitting on the padded floor of the panic room, hugging each other. It had been two years since they were attacked at home, but their parents solved the problem while they were out of danger.
"Do not worry, Bobby and the other agents will sort this out." Lori assumed a maternal tone, trying to calm her sisters.
"What if it's one of Dad's old enemies?" Lana was distressed.
"Or the guys who kidnapped Lincoln?" Lola was crying, her makeup all smeared in her face.
"Do not be afraid, everything will be fine." Lori tried to remain calm, but she was also on the verge of despair.
"That's right!" Leni, however, was confident. "If it's really the bad guys who kidnapped Lincoln, then those Avengers will save us as well."
Though she did not reassure her sisters, Leni at least managed to stop them from thinking about danger. They now remembered the news and online commentary about the kids their brother said that helped save him. They were younger than most of them, and yet they were fighting criminals while they were scared. How did they do that?
The question would have to wait, for the red lights went out, and the door opened on its own.
"Uh, I thought the door would only open when Dad or Mom gave the order." Lynn looked worriedly down the hall.
Then a computerized voice came from the side of the room.
"Panic room simulation canceled.Everyone to the living room to discuss the results."
The sisters were shocked.
The simulations would only occur if their father was present, to evaluate the time his children took to get to the protected room.
"Did Dad schedule a simulation and forgot to turn it off?" Luan asked, and they all looked at Lori.
"I do not know, but I intend to find out." Lori, determined, got up and left the room.
Cautiously, the sisters went into the living room, and were surprised to see it was destroyed, and that Bobby was trapped in some kind of gray, concrete-like material.
"My Boo-boo Bear!" Lori, desperate, ran to her boyfriend.
As soon as she tried to touch the mysterious paste, they all froze with the sound of a gunshot.
When they turned around, they saw a man in armor with some kind of weapon attached to his arm.
"If you behave well, no one will get hurt."
Leni stood in front of Lucy and the twins as Lori, Luna and Luan prepared to react as Lynn was preparing to run.
He was faster.
Immediately, he pressed a button on his forearm, and all the sisters but Lori were electrocuted and fell to the ground. Lori tried to react, levitating the three sofas in the living room, but he used a blinding light from his other arm, and the next thing she felt was a sticky paste come into contact with her body and then harden, immobilizing her.
"Phase 3 completed!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
I know Hugh does not have a surname in the cartoon, so I made him pretend to be someone called "H. Jenkins", this surname in honor of the original Marvel Comics Beetle.
