Now the action starts to pick up as the stakes rise, and the chase is on, as Lincoln is about to find out his plan to hide away from Viribus wasn't as well thought out as he believed. I know what some of you are probably thinking… when is he going to get back home and make up with his family? Well, circumstances might cause that to happen sooner rather than later. But how will Ronalda and her family fair against the might and formidability of the villains? Let's find out…
Lincoln thought he was safe and sound in the city with his friends, away from home where he would be in grave danger. His beliefs were mistaken, however, for he was a hunted man, and his hunter knew exactly how to track his location. He was endangering the lives of Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and the entire Casagrande household, and he didn't even know it.
As such, he was perfectly comfortable with playing video games with Ronnie Anne in her bedroom, so as to take his mind off what he considered to be a lucky escape from a significant threat. They were playing one of their 1v1 combat games, and as usual, he was getting his butt kicked…
Ronnie Anne: "Aw yeah! Beat you again, lame-o!"
Lincoln: "Best 4 out of… wait, what's the score again?"
Ronnie Anne: "15 to 3, in my favour."
Lincoln: "Oh, right. Best 16 out of 31, then?" he asked before staring at the ground, seemingly on edge about something and not very focused on the game.
Ronnie was not as stoic or out of touch with her emotions as she initially let on, and knew something was bothering her friend.
Ronnie: "Hey, what's wrong? I know you, and even you're not normally THIS easy to beat." She joked.
Lincoln: "I'm sorry. It's just… I'm still worried about him."
Ronnie: "About who?"
Lincoln: "Viribus! That guy I told you about earlier! He's a real piece of work. I'm still worried he's gonna find me. Or worse, he goes to my house, finds out I'm not there, and takes it out on my family! I thought this was the safest option for both them and myself! Now I'm having doubts. Oh, and on top of all that, I think I've got something stuck in my shoe."
Ronnie then put her hand on Lincoln's shoulder as she began to feel sympathy for the boy…
Ronnie: "Look, lame-o. You're safe here. He's not going to find you all the way out in the city, and even if he did, he'd have to go through us first! We can handle ourselves, and the same goes for your sisters!"
Lincoln: "Thanks." He said as he looked at her and smiled.
Ronnie then realised she was still holding his shoulder, and quickly let go and brought her hand back. She didn't like showing too much affection and soft centeredness. She had a tough image to uphold, after all…
Rosa: "Ronalda! Lincoln! Time for dinner!"
Lincoln: "Maybe food will take my mind off it." He said optimistically.
Ronnie: "Ha, betcha can't even finish a whole plate, lame-o."
The two children raced down the stairs, ready to eat. But as they were doing so, a vehicle pulled up outside the Casagrande residence. And who else? It was Viribus and his disciple, Sid…
Viribus: "The tracker says this is the place."
Sid: "What a dump! Why would Lincoln want to come here?" he asked as the pair got out the van and approached the door of the Casagrandes.
Viribus: "He obviously thought this would be a good place to hide from us. He thought wrong." He stated as they got to the door.
Viribus then pressed the door bell…
Maria: "Who could that be?"
Rosa: "Well, whoever it is, they can't come in for food. I only just barely cooked enough for everyone here! There's no spare."
Ronnie: "I doubt that. The amount she cooks would be enough to feed the whole city."
Lincoln then chuckled along with her gag, no knowing that would be the last laugh he would have that day.
Hector: "Frida, go and answer that." He requested.
Frida then answered the door…
Frida: "Hello." She said cheerfully, oblivious to the intent of her interlocutor.
Viribus: "Tell me, is Lincoln Loud here? About 11 years old, orange shirt and jeans, white hair." he said, getting straight to the point.
Frida: "And who is it that's asking?"
Sid: "Someone who's gonna shove that camera you got in your hand straight up your…"
Viribus: "Sorry, he's in a bad mood because I told him off for something earlier." He said as he cut off Sid's snappy tone.
Frida: "I'm afraid I can't help you."
Viribus: "Look, I'm just a friend of his, interested in his whereabouts. That's all. His parents told me he's been gone for over a week, and I just wanted to ask everyone he knows if they knew anything."
Frida: "I'm sorry. I can't share information like that with total strangers. Good day." She replied, suspicious of the lack of clarity they were giving her.
Frida attempt to close the door, but Viribus placed his foot in the way to prevent her, before getting up close with a threatening ultimatum…
Viribus: "Look, lady. I'm not leaving without what I came for. When I want something, I will have it! Now, hand over the boy and I promise I will leave your family alone, but defy me, and they will all suffer!"
Frida: "Just get out of here you crazy man!" she yelled in response, not giving in to his threats.
Frida then closed the door on Viribus, unaware that was the biggest mistake of her life at that moment.
Viribus: "When will the world learn? I don't take kindly to REJECTION!" he said before handing Sid his laser, since Sid's own was stolen by Lincoln.
Sid then proceeded to blast the door down. The entire Casagrande family, all gathered at the table for their meal, were startled by the ensuing explosion.
Maria: "What was that!?"
Bobby: "It came from the front door!"
Lincoln: "It's him! He's here! How did he find me!?"
Ronnie: "Quick, lame-o. Where's that laser thing you brought along?!"
Lincoln: "I left it in the bedroom!"
Ronnie: "You idiot!"
Hector: "Get down!" he yelled as Sid walked into the room and began firing shots everywhere.
The Casagrande's ducked and hid under the table, while Lincoln and Ronnie quickly sneaked out of the room and upstairs to the bedroom.
Sid: "So, any of you punks gonna tell us where the little white haired boy disappeared to?!"
Bobby: "We'll never tell you anything!"
Viribus: "Try searching the other rooms, Potens. Look for him hiding anywhere. I will stay here and make sure nobody escapes!"
Sid then handed the laser he held back to Viribus, who then used it as a means to keep his hostages from trying to escape or attack him.
Sid: "Time for some payback, you son of a…" he said to himself while searching for Lincoln.
Lincoln and Ronnie made it to the bedroom, but as Lincoln went to grab the gun, Sid attacked him from behind. Both wrestled for the weapon for a few seconds before Ronnie decided to help. She punched Sid and knocked him flying several feet. Unfortunately for them, his grip was stronger than Lincoln's, and the laser travelled with him. He then pointed it at the duo…
Sid: "I would shoot you jokers right now, but my master wants to see you!" he said before forcing the children to follow him back to the dining room.
Viribus: "Excellent work, my child. You have redeemed yourself for your earlier error." He declared in delight.
Sid: "Thank you, master."
Ronnie: "Thank you, master." She mocked.
Lincoln: "What a dork!" he joked.
Sid: "Ha, you're one to talk!" he shouted back.
Viribus: "Enough! You are coming with me, boy! Back to Royal Woods Elementary School. You will see the rightfulness of my ways and the success it brings first hand when you look at how we have seized control of that facility!"
Lincoln: "You've taken over the school?!"
Viribus: "Yes, and that is just the beginning!"
Ronnie: "Seriously, this is the freak you've been hanging out with?!"
Lincoln: "Unfortunately, yes. And I'm glad I've washed my hands with him."
Sid: "Clearly that attempt didn't work out too well, did it? Here we are, in the same room as you."
Ronnie: "So, this guy's plan is to take over the school, then somehow do the same to the whole of society?! What a crazy loser! Like that could work! He's gonna crash and burn! In fact, it's gonna end for him, right now. He's about to learn what happens when you mess with the Casagrandes!"
Viribus then walked over to Ronnie and stared her down. She challenged him and his dominance, inferring she and her family could stop him, and he was quick to try and set the record straight…
Viribus: "Your confidence in your family is misplaced, little girl." He simply said in a condescending manner, while casually if harshly pushing her into the wall behind her.
Ronnie: "Okay, first of all, don't ever call me 'little' again!" she responded angrily.
Viribus then let out a little smirk before Ronnie continued…
Ronnie: "And second, never turn your back!" she said as she gave a smirk of her own.
At that split second, Bobby kicked the laser out of Sid's hand and then immediately went for Viribus. Sid quickly grabbed it before anyone else could get it and turn the tables against he and his master, while Bobby raced towards a surprised Viribus, who was just turning around to face him when Bobby executed a tackle against the man…
Bobby was normally a nice and kind-hearted simpleton, often considered the male version of Leni. But when you threatened his family, especially his little sister, all bets were off. Building up more rage and aggression inside him at that moment than perhaps anyone thought possible, he set out to bash this person's face in…
Bobby: "NOBODY TOUCHES MY SISTER!"
Bobby tackled him into the wall, before unleashing a series of wild haymaker punches to his opponent's face. Viribus either blocked, evaded or easily took the damage of each of his punches.
Lincoln: "What are you waiting for!?" he asked, seeing as Sid regained possession of his laser weapon but was not using it to stop Bobby from attacking his master.
Sid: "What? And spoil his fun?" he dryly but innocently replied, knowing full well Viribus could handle it and he had no reason to put a stop to the scuffle.
And how right he was. Viribus suddenly turned the tables the second he decided to start trying and fight back. He blocked one of Bobby's punches, headbutted him and sent him back a few feet, and then executed a fast and furious boxing combination against the teen. Completely outmatched, Bobby felt immense pain as he was smacked all across the room for several seconds.
Viribus also utilised some brutal strikes against Bobby's vulnerable pressure points, including a low kick to the kneecap, a crotch kick, a ridge hand, a strike to the throat and one to the solar plexus, followed by a knee to the stomach.
Bobby barely managed to remain standing, and yet Viribus was only toying with him. Finally, Viribus picked a dazed and barely standing Bobby up into a firemans carry, and then slammed him right through the Casagrande's dining table.
The whole family looked in shock and horror as Bobby laid on the smashed table in pain, incredibly groggy and immobile as a result of his loss. Most of the Casagrandes felt saddened over what just happened to Bobby, not enjoying watching him experience such suffering in the slightest. Ronnie, on the other hand, was livid over what she just saw. Despite being the toughest girl in school, she knew she couldn't do much to combat Viribus there and then, given his superior might and the fact that Sid had a weapon preventing her or the rest of the family from retaliating. But she wanted to do something to make sure he got what he deserved. At that moment, she swore to him…
Ronnie: "I promise, I will mess you up real bad for that!" she barked through gritted teeth.
Viribus: "Unlikely." He said without an ounce of care in his tone of voice, unintimidated by the small child.
Sid: "What now, Master?"
Viribus: "These fools have been neutralised, and we've got what we came for."
Ronnie: "Ha! Guess again!"
Viribus and Sid then looked around the room and realised Lincoln had tip-toed out the room while all the commotion was going on between Bobby and Viribus, and everyone's attention was diverted away from him. It turned out Lincoln's years of living with his sisters, and sometimes having to avoid them and sneak around the Loud house, paid off at that moment, as he escaped a life or death situation.
Sid: "Oh no! He's gone! Shall I go after him?!"
Viribus: "No. We have these people as hostages. Let's take them back to the school and re-join the rest of the group. If we have the people Lincoln cares about in our possession, then he will return to us in good time in a pathetic attempt to rescue them."
Sid then pointed his gun at the Casagrande family and forced them outside the house and inside the back of the van. It appeared they would have to take the Casagrandes back to the school with them, but viewed the task as worth the reward, as possession of these allies of Lincoln gave Viribus and his disciples leverage over said enemy.
Meanwhile, Lincoln was running far away from the city area, as fast as his little legs could take him.
Lincoln (to audience): "Oh my gosh! He found me! He keeps coming after me! How did he even manage to find out where I was?!"
At that moment, the thought occurred to him that he should check his clothing. He looked inside his shirt, and felt his jeans and pockets, and nothing. He then finally stopped ignoring what he thought was a small stone in his shoe and realised a tracker was lodged in its inside.
Lincoln (to audience): "So that's how he found me!"
Lincoln then crushed the tracker and continued running, not knowing where he would go. Even without the tracker, he was convinced Viribus would find him wherever he went…
…but if that were the case, he may as well go where he wanted to, anyway. He decided, at the very least, he would try visiting his family, making amends with them and redeeming his relationship with them. Even if he would still have to leave them shortly afterwards for their own safety. He decided he would go to the place he felt he should have never left at the start…
Lincoln returned to The Loud House.
And with that line, you can probably guess what the focus of the next chapter is going to be. I guess Viribus really is such a threat to everybody that the Louds are going to have to rise above any personal issues they have with one another in order to function as a cohesive unit, because they are going to need to work together if Royal Woods is to make it out of this whole mess in one piece. The story as a whole has been finished in its draft form, and I am frequently working on edits, minor changes and improvements as I'm going along to refine its quality. Hopefully, the effort shows in the final uploads. There are 7 chapters remaining, waiting for appropriate dates for upload. For those of you who have been following my story regularly, thank you for sticking around, and I intend to give you a satisfying conclusion for all your support. I intend to leave about 5-7 days between the uploading of each chapter, so as to prevent overwhelming readers with too much new content too quickly, but simultaneously, if I have the story finished, there's no need waiting forever to upload the whole thing and complete the project. After all, there's a possibility I could make more stories after this one, and if so, I wouldn't want to keep you all waiting for the follow-up. Anyway, see you next time.