June 28th, 2026

Lily tickled the boy silly, making him laugh like crazy. Liby and Lacy had Lynn's phone at the moment, both snapping pics away of the two enjoying themselves.

"He's so adorable!" Liby raised Lucky into the air, in which he laughed even harder, smiling joyously. "This is fun! Six Flags who?"

"Ha, never seen so much energy. Not even in myself," Lacy chuckled.

"Higher! Fly me higher!" Lucky kept floating upwards until his hands reached the ceiling. "Look, I'm super strong!" He pushed up against the ceiling, grunting teasingly.

"Oh, yes you are! You're a strong one!" All three girls laughed jokingly, while Lupa, in the background, looked over them. She had her hands in her pockets, foot placed against the wall, looking at her sisters having fun. She couldn't bring herself to smile, as much as she wanted to, but it was alright, since she knew she did anyways.

"Be careful with him," she warned.

"Yeah, mother," Liby said sarcastically.

Everything had returned to normal, save for some changes. Lori was buried, but only Lily and Luan cried this time. Luna shed tears as well, but did so silently. The kid didn't understand the life and death concepts yet, but was nonetheless moved away from the funeral by the sobbing Lily. They buried her behind their old home, next to Leni's grave. Now, the two were surely taking selfies in the afterlife. Everyone paid their respects by touching the rectangular mound of dirt.

Lincoln thanked her for what she did for him, promising that they would raise Lucky themselves, and in a better way.

At the start of their darker journey, Lori had surpassed her strict, bitchy limit, and had used fear and voice to push Lincoln. Yes, he hated it underneath, but what could they do? There was nowhere else to go. The tables turned, and Lincoln was the one who changed even more than Lori. As for her, she changed yet again, going soft and nearly reluctant to get in on his and Luna's drama shit.

What was it? What was the reason she reverted back? The sight of her family? She did say that Linka had done that alone, but if not for that, then what?

In the last few days, he despised her for being cowardly, just as he did with Luna and those who've sided with her. In the last few days, he was down to a few. Lori, the only person who was the closest to him throughout all these years, was now dead as well. And there was nothing he could do.

Lynn hollowed out the robotic head, and had now spray painted it red, claiming it as a helmet. What Lincoln did that night was sync the head into montiors and perfomed tech-savvy magic with it. Not only did he get the address of where the kid was, but more detailed information about the two lackeys.

Carol Pingrey was just a less intelligent Vince Ventura, and the walking scrap metal was a crybaby for being cut off by Lisa. "And to think they had no feelings," he stated.

There was nothing on Liberty Loud, but she confessed she was the one who brought Bobby to them. Lincoln wondered to what extent of knowledge she had on them. Maybe she knew everything about them. Whatever it was, it died with her.

One less Loud meant a more quiter house, even when the new kid and the younger ones were shouting in sheer joy. He noticed the kid's resemblance to Chandler, calling it cheap karma. "Lupa, toss me a smoke," he called from the kitchen.

"Sure, here," she let a cigarette soar in a straight line into his hands without even looking.

He headed out back, going about to smoke by himself. Linka sat alone at the porch, still picturing the dead woman.

"Linka?"

"I... I killed her..."

He had just placed the cigarette to his lips, but set it back upon hearing her words. "I know you did, Linka. I'm not... I'm not mad or disappointed."

She sensed he was going to sit, so she scooted up a bit. "I was just... Scared, if that's the right word. But... I didn't feel as much as I thought it'd feel. Is that normal?"

"Did you want to?"

"No, no I didn't... I can still see her, and-" She took a breather and clenched her fists. "I didn't want to be taken away. She was going to and... There was no other way I could escape. So I bashed her skull in... I'm... Guilty because I didn't feel guilty when I did so. I would have done it again, Lincoln."

"I feel you on that, but it doesn't have to be like that. Remember, you're you, not me. Go play with our nephew, he sounds like a lot of fun. Okay?"

"Lincoln... Would you ever let me shoot off guns with you?"

Lincoln returned to the memory of where he himself asked Pop-Pop the same question, only to be denied instantly. He didn't know why the reason was back then, but now, it all made sense to him. He had to pass it on to Linka so that she wouldn't fall, or go down that road of everlasting death, destruction, and nothingness. "No, Linka. You're just a kid," he grunted.

It was like looking into the mirror with the face Linka formed. "I'm not a fucking kid," the clone hissed. She scruffed away, silently sulking.

If anything, he knew he was guilty of pressing Linka into his own world. He had agreed to switch things up, but maybe it was already too damn late. It was only a matter of time, that was to say if, that Lily could converge into another Lincoln follower. And the fault would fall on him. Side priority was keeping Linka at bay now, after her first kill.

Halfway in through the cigarette did he realize they forgot Leni's birthday over a week ago. He dazed up into the white clouds, feeling disappointed about it. "I'm sorry, Leni," he uttered out of guilt. The smoke in his mouth was released lightly, and he put out the cigarette, not feeling the need to finish it.

AN: So, I've done my best to revise and work around what happens where and such. I get that it could be confusing, so I try and pretend I'm a reader myself and see what parts need work, etc.

I feel like I'm just recycling here with the villains. But I hope what I've got now is good enough.

But... What's up with Lana and Lola's trembling body motion? What's next for the family? And what about the warnings Liberty foretold to Lincoln way long ago? Ooooh. T-Minus nine chapters (or so)!