"What's happening to her?" Linka laid beside Lori, holding her tightly. "Please don't die, please don't die..." Lori lifted her hand. "Luh-Linc..." Linka turned to him, with tears in her eyes. "Its obvious... I'm dying here. Take her... Please save her." Lincoln carefully approached Lori. "Thank you... Thank you for helping me save her." Linka's head was buried in Lori's arm. "What..."
Luna pinned Lincoln. "What the shit did you pull this time?" Lincoln was having none of that today. He headbutted her. "I was kidnapped here. They were going to kill me." Luna turned to Linka, covering her face. "Okay, that's the thing that attacked you, I assume. Who's the girl?" Lynn approached Lori.
"Thing's still breathing." Lynn moved Linka away. "Lincoln, you bested the hideous creature. Excuse me little girl, but I-" Linka punched Lynn with all her might, knocking her down to the floor. "Holy shit..." Luna looked on. "White hair, super strength... Holy shit is right... We kill her, as well."
Lynn seconded the notion. "Here, here." Lincoln grabbed both of them. "Stop it. Stop it now." He calmed Linka. "Is there anyway to fix this?" Lori grabbed his arm, and pulled in closer. "Twerp, I have mere minutes, but if I die..." She talked as the blood drooled from her mouth. "Then I'll be happy." Lincoln scanned his eyes at both of them. "Linka, you're free." She turned to Lincoln. "Serum... room before the one you were in. Red, in a bottle. Its..." She coughed.
Lincoln looked back inside. "Lynn, with me. Luna, keep an eye out." Luna looked at the beauty and the beast. "So..."
"Why are we saving that thing?" Lincoln followed the path in reverse. "That's Lori. Its fucking Lori." Lynn was stunned. "Bullshit. That's a werewolf. That girl, that's a clone of you. She has your looks." Lincoln stopped at the room. "If she didn't have white hair, would you still be able to see it?" Lynn pondered. "Good point. But are you pulling my chain? That can't be her." Lincoln rummaged around for the bottle. At last, he found it. "It is. I still don't know how." Lynn broke into a laugh.
"That means she can beat you in a fight. That's funny." The two returned back to the exit. "We have it, we-" Luna was on her knees, holding little Linka. "I'm too late..." Lincoln opened the bottle, and rammed the liquid into Lori's mouth. No, I won't fail! Not this time!
Everyone stared. Lori did not move. Lincoln dropped the bottle. "Come on..."
Lori's eyes opened up. She sat up and leaned on the wall. "Why did-?" Before Luna finished, Lynn whispered the answer to her ear. "What, her?!" Lynn nodded. Lori was met by a big hug from Linka. "I'm so glad you're okay..." She sniffed. Lori gently patted her. "I promised you I wouldn't leave you. Now, we're free." Lincoln walked away, unnoticed. He looked to the sky.
Lily, I'm sorry I failed you...
Lincoln let his first tear in ages drop. The only one he allowed to form.
"So, what's Project Link?" Luna crossed her arms. Luan had come down, to see Lori, but was trolled when she realized it wasn't Lori in her original form. "Yeah, that's her. That's Linka. Project Link, the main name for the startup of the clone creations. This place, is one of many. Its like the way Vial had its system of facilities. This is her secret one, which she calls the Black Network. She has a main one, but she also has several smaller ones. I was like, a bodyguard here. She has those, and other things she's working on."
"So, where can we find the other ones?" Lori sighed. "I've never been to the others, for security reasons. She's smart. If any of her assets were to be compromised, they wouldn't know a thing. That's why I'm left in the dark. And so is Linka. All I know is that we won't find anything that will lead us to the other ones. Its called black for a reason."
Linka then spoke. "Three."
"Three what?" Linka paused.
"There were... three other chambers." Three?! We're screwed.
Lincoln looked at Lori. "I never was allowed everywhere inside. I don't know what to tell you."
Linka led them all to the chamber room. Sure enough, there were four chambers, two on each side of the room.
Link-A. Link-B. Link-C. Link-D.
"I get it, you're Link-A. That's where 'Linka' comes from." Linka nodded. "These were always closed before. They've escaped, like me."
"Lori, are you coming with us?" She thought about it.
"No... Even if I turned back, I'll still feel the same." Lincoln approached her. "Sis, that's over. Put the Freights behind us." Luan cut in. "Yeah, its not the same without you." Luna jumped in. "And we'll find you a cure, dude." Linka held Lori's arm. "I want to go with you..."
Lori looked onto them. "Is this really what you want?" They all smiled and nodded, save for Lincoln. "I'll stay."
"Lisa ran down here, is it possible-?"
"She's fled. But now that we know about this one, she won't come back here." The group headed out.
"Why were you dying?"
"Every four hours, Lisa had to give me a shot to stabilize my condition. What she did to me had its own prize. I was deteriorating inside. She had to constantly inject me. Even as I slept. Its very laindul."
"So, Lori's a mother figure, now. That's the day I could never imagine." Lincoln placed Linka on his lap. "So, tell me about yourself." Lori laughed.
"She's exactly like you, but..." Lori stopped.
"But what?"
"Its true that she possesses all your memories and strength, but she doesn't have that same darkness I see in you. In other words... She's you... Before that day..." Linka walked up to Luan. "Tell me a joke." She said with a smile.
"If you ask me, she shouldn't exist..." Lincoln muttered quietly. "Who knows what she can do." He turned to Lynn. "She struck you when I wasn't able to." Lynn rubbed at her impacted spot.
"She was protecting me, twerp. You almost got me, that second time. I've been closer to her thab Lisa wants to be." Lori punched his shoulder.
"She's not dangerous, Linc. She's sweet, but was scared back there. I used you to get her out. If I were to die for her freedom, then its the price to pay." She pointed at Linka, who was laughing with Luan. "Does she look like she wants to kill? That's an innocent little girl. That's who you were in personality back then. As of now, you're responsible for her." Lincoln jumped.
"What? Why?"
"Not only is she your clone, but she's the closest thing you have to a daughter. Don't turn her away."
Everyone had arrived at the Agency. Lori was subjected to testing above, while the others returned to their rooms.
"You'll be staying with me." Linka looked around, led to Lincoln's room. "Bigger than the closet." Lincoln was stunned to know that she knew everything he did. Maybe she even thought his sisters were hers.
"I know that. Can I get you anything? To make it more comfortable?" She looked at her hands.
"I want... I want Bun-Bun..." He froze. She had memories of Bun-Bun, his most prized possession, ad well. For a second, Lincoln lost himself within.
"Mmmm, okay. I'll find one soon." Linka hugged him.
"Thanks... Dad." Luan stood in the doorway, smiling at the scene. Lincoln returned the hug, silent at her calling him a dad. "Anything for you, Linka."
Lynn and Luna pushed Luan inside as they came in. "Hey, guys."
"Lincoln, its mother's day." He went silent at Lynn's words. Linka looked at the four of them. "Where is mom? I wanna see her!"
Lincoln pulled her close. "How could I forget?"
"We all did... I can't believe it, dude. I feel like a horrible daughter." Luan didn't feel like laughing. "Guys, we have to stop grieving. Its been ten years, they wouldn't want us to brood. Lucy wouldn't want us to." Lynn lifted her head.
"She's right. We have to get our shit together. We have to live. For our fallen." She placed a hand in the middle of the circle. "Louds, unite!" Luna placed hers, then followed by Luan. Little Linka placed hers as well. "Lincoln!" He hesitated for a second, before placing down his. "Go, Loud!" All hands went up in unison.
Lana, in white clothing, stopped on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, catching her breath. Come on, Lola. Be faster...
Lola appeared right besides Lana, with the same attire, running in a circle rather than straight. "Race you to Egypt!" Lola ran in full speed, away from Lana. "Oh, you're on!" Lana raced after her.
Lisa finally arrived to the other Black Network facility. "What took you so long?" A young man stood waiting at the entrance. "You left a pretty loose end that cost me the clones. I had to sacrifice Lori for that. Fuck..." The young man approached under the light. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know the buyer would be stupid to actually keep the records of his buys." She crossed her arms. "They won't be here. They don't know everything, and that's good. I still have the element of surprise on my side."
AN: Done. This isn't just the ending to this arc, its the prelude to the third one, Clone War. You've gotten a subtle glimpse of it. Oooh, Lincoln sheds a tear. Dig it. Who's really the monster here? Who's the real victim?
The twins make their return, and everything goes topsy turvy next. I hope you enjoyed. Huehuehue.