Lyra got up and walked over to the shop's door. Leia's trio was huddled around it, watching whatever was going on outside. Lyra shook her head and leaned against the wall next to them, saying, "If you guys wouldn't mind, I'm gonna need to get out there."

"What, and risk missing this? Not even for you, boss lady." Gwen didn't even look back at Lyra as she answered before her fearless leader could. "You know how often I get to see one of Pan's demonstrations? I plan to enjoy this one."

"Oh, please, enjoy away. Just…" Lyra grabbed the handle and opened the door slightly, firmly bopping Gwen's forehead, Marsha and Leia having noticed the ill intent early enough to back up in time. "…maybe do it from the window?"

The door didn't hit Gwen hard enough to actually hurt her, of course, but it sent the message well enough. Gwen gave the older girl a sharp glare, but after Lyra showed little sign of backing down, she clicked her tongue and backed up out of the doorway to join her compatriots near the window.

With that settled, Lyra opened the door and walked out. The dirt parking lot outside Pages and Pillows was a decent size, though it always seemed a bit bigger than it actually was thanks to how empty it always was. Panther had pushed the Russian girl out into the lot, still holding her arm behind her back as the Russian struggled against her iron grip. Lyra leaned back against the wall next to the door and called out, "Hey Pan, try not to break her arm or anything, okay? I really don't want to deal with an ambulance today."

"Har har, good joke, Lyra, thanks sooo much." Panther's reply was dripping with sarcasm as she glanced back at Lyra for a moment. "Ergh…in all seriousness, this is actually kinda hard, she's pretty…"

"Отпусти…меня!" The moment Panther took her focus off her, the Russian twisted her body, just barely managing to wrench her arm out of the grip that Panther had put her in. Before Panther could re-establish a hold on her, the Russian used all her strength to push herself away, putting a couple yards of distance between them.

"Gah…like I was saying, she's pretty strong." Panther had an annoyed look on her face after letting the Russian break free. "Anyways, hey Red! Just walk away, okay? You won't get in any trouble, so just get out of here, and we can all forget…"

"Молчи! Stand aside!" The Russian barked back at Panther. "This is between me and Loud boy! Do not interfere!"

"Uh huh…right." Panther glanced back at Lyra. "Hey Lyra, you heard that, right? I TRIED negotiating and all, and she refused. That good enough for you?"

"Well, in most circumstances, I'd make you give her another chance." Lyra sighed. "But, considering the current situation and all, I suppose it'll do. Just don't go too crazy, alright? I'm not joking about not wanting to deal with ambulances today."

"Roger that." A smirk curled on Panthers face as she bent her knees and put her hands up, taking a stance as she called out to the Russian again, "Last chance, Red. You can walk away now, no harm no foul. But you want at Lem, you gotta go through me."

"You…Я сказал двигаться!" The Russian, apparently taking the latter option, bore down on Panther, swinging her fists toward where she had been standing.

'Had' being the operative word. Panther sidestepped the punches with ease, ducking them as she closed the distance before rising up and hitting a European uppercut square to the redhead's chin.

"Guh!" The Russian stumbled back, stunned by the move. As she did, Panther followed through, lowering her body as she swung out her leg and swept the Russian's legs out from under her. Another yelp came out of the Russian as she tumbled to the ground, landing flat on her back.

"Hey! I just said don't go too crazy, Panther!" Lyra admonished her sister. "Be careful, already!"

"Hey, a big girl like this ain't gonna go down easy, y'know!" Panther snapped back. "Sides, looks like she took it well enough, so she's definitely not hur-"

"GRAH!" The Russian quickly rolled and got back to her feet, charging at Panther with her fists flying.

She, again, caught nothing but air, though, as Panther slipped past her punches and got behind her. Panther wrapped her hands around the Russian's neck, leaping off the ground and using her full weight to pull her opponent backwards and drive her knees into the redhead's back as she landed. The Russian let out a grunt as they landed, but before she could react, Panther used the momentum to push the Russian upwards so she tumbled over and landed on her stomach, maintaining her grip around the neck as she swung her body around, placed her hands under her chin and wrenched her head back.

"D-dammit! What is this…?!" The Russian growled as she thrashed around to no avail as Panther kept her hands locked.

"Backstabber into a Bank Statement…it's a classic combo!" Panther grinned as she held on tight. "Now, are you gonna be a good girl and calm down, or am I gonna really have to cinch it in?"

"Grr…do not…mock me!" The Russian howled as she adjusted body, first trying to roll out of Panther's grip, then, when that failed, getting to a knee and trying to get her feet under her. With another loud growl, she wrapped her arm around Panther's torso and lifted her up as she stood up before flinging the smaller girl off her.

Panther managed to adjust herself in midair before she hit the ground, rolling after landing and quickly getting back to one knee. "Damn…gonna have to keep an eye out for that power. Unless you're seeing sense and ready to stop?"

The Russian didn't say anything in response, simply charging Panther once more. This time, Panther went low, ducking the swings that were coming for her and grabbing the Russian's legs, pulling them out from under her in a double-leg takedown. As the Russian fell to the ground, Panther wrapped her arms around her ankles, turning the redhead's body over and arching her legs back, sitting down into a Boston crab.

"Too easy…you got power, sure, but no technique at all." Panther sounded a little bored as she locked in the painful-looking maneuver. "I'm sure if you nailed me, those punches would hurt, but once I dodge 'em you're wide open for counters."

"Be…quiet!" The Russian growled back as she strained against the move, again trying to find a way out of Panther's grasp. "I do not…need your…advice…!"

"If I could interrupt you two for a moment…" Lyra spoke up, having walked closer to the brawling girls and squatting in front of the Russian. "I should level with you. Panther is being very nice right now by only using these wrestling moves. She's a black belt in karate as well, and she could just be using strikes to knock you out cold. Which she might start doing if you keep struggling."

"R-rrgh…" The Russian glared back at Lyra. "Молчи…"

"Mmhmm. I don't know much any Russian, but it seems like you understand English well enough." Lyra continued. "Come on, I'm sure we can reach an understanding here, miss…well, first, maybe you could tell me your name?"

The Russian put her head down, trying again to adjust her body to escape Panther's hold, still unsuccessfully. After a moment, she glared back at Lyra and muttered, "…Laika."

"Laika. See? We're making progress already." Lyra gave Panther a glance. Her sister nodded, shifting her body weight to take a bit of the pressure off Laika's back. "Okay, Laika. We're not going to let you hurt Lemy, but if you talk to us, maybe we can help you. What is it you want?"

The Russian glared at Lyra again, pausing for a moment until she responded, "I am looking for a man. His name is Lincoln Loud. The Loud boy in there refused to tell me where he is."

"Uh huh…I see." Lyra nodded. "And, just out of curiosity, you are looking for Mr. Loud because…?"

"Because I will kill him." Laika announced her murderous intent straight away. "With my own bare hands."

"Ah." Lyra's own gaze narrowed a bit after Laika's declaration. "That might be a bit of a dealbreaker."

"Then we have nothing to discuss." Laika began struggling against Panther's grip again. "If you will not tell me where he is, then I will make you…!"

"You ain't making anyone do shit, Red." Panther interrupted Laika by sitting even deeper into the Boston crab, increasing the pressure again. "Maybe you haven't figured it out yet, but you're not in a position to be making demands. Or to threaten us to help you commit murder."

Laika growled back at Panther, but despite her struggles, she still couldn't escape the hold. There was a pause for a moment here, allowing Lyra to glance around. Apparently, the sight of two young girls putting on an impromptu wrestling match in a parking lot was drawing some eyes, as a few passersby had stopped and started gawking.

"Pan…we're drawing a bit of attention out here." Lyra looked to her sister. "We should head back in…can you keep her under control?"

"Sure…not a big fan of having her in the shop again, but I suppose it's better than being gawked at." Panther nodded, dropping Laika's legs and going for her arm again, trapping it behind her back as she pulled her up. "Okay, Red, back inside…and no funny stuff, you hear?"

Laika grunted, but once more found herself unable to do anything but struggle against Panther as she was marched back into Pages and Pillows, with Lyra following the two in. The kids inside the store gave Panther a wide berth as she marched Laika in, bringing her to a chair and forcing her to sit in it, muttering, "Now be good…oh, and you try to act up or break things in here, that's when I stop holding back. Capisce?"

"Rrgh…" Laika growled back at Panther, but the other girl's clenched hand on her shoulder helped make her point loud and clear, so the Russian merely nodded in response.

The other kids in the store were, for the most part, eyeing Laika carefully, aside from Gwen, who was too busy fangirling over Panther to be wary. "Oh my god, Pan, that was so cool. You gotta teach me that thing with the knees to the back, cause that was fucking awesome."

"A, you're too young, B, you're too small to pull it off, and C, I ain't teaching you shit, cause you'll end up using it in one of Leia's cookie shakedowns." Panther immediately shot Gwen down without looking her way, her eyes still on the Russian. "You wanna learn it, go watch some Sasha Banks vids and practice on a body pillow or something."

"Hey, come on, don't be like that," protested Gwen. "Come on, I'll pay for lessons."

Panther kept her eyes on Laika for another moment, before glancing over to Gwen and muttering, "…What's your offer?"

"Ahem…ladies, if you're done?" Lyra glared at Panther and Gwen, who both backed off, Gwen shrugging while Panther returned her attention to her redheaded captive. Satisfied, Lyra grabbed the chair closest to Laika and sat down in it as she asked, "So, we're going to be calm now, right?"

Laika silently shot Lyra a dirty look for a second, before Panther's grip on her shoulder tightened a bit to remind her of the situation she was in. "Да."

"Excellent. Then let's skip ahead to the important question, okay?" Lyra leaned forward. "Why exactly are you mad at Mr. Loud?"

"I do not have to…" Laika started, before Panther's grip tightened once more to encourage her. "Rrggh…he…he dishonored my family."

"Really." Lyra sighed as she rubbed her temples. "And he did this by…?"

"You do not…Grah." Laika flashed Panther an angry glare in response to the grip, before she continued, "You do not need to know. It won't change matters."

Lyra stared at Laika for a minute as she thought. Anger at dad, dishonor to family, unwilling to say why…welp, the obvious answer popped in right away, but just to be sure... "Laika. If I could guess, was the person Mr. Loud 'dishonored' your mother, by any chance?"

The surprised look on the Russian's face confirmed Lyra's question, as she grumbled, "How do you…"

"Hah…of course." Lyra's forehead was now fully in her hands. "Lord, give me strength…I can do all things through him who strengthens me…"

As Lyra quietly murmured prayers, the rest of the gathered Loud brood was slowly putting pieces together based on the information available to them. It was Lina who managed to put the pieces into place first, as she slapped her forehead and muttered, "Holy fucking shit…"

"Lina, I need strength from the Lord right now and that is NOT helping." Lyra pointed her finger at her sister.

"Are you for fucking real right now?!" Others in the group also started to make the same connection Lina and Lyra had, with Marla being the first to speak up. "Four of them? In a single goddamned DAY?!"

"Still not helping!" Lyra called out, but by this point there was a bit of a rancor rising in the shop as the kids all started figuring it out. The only exceptions seemed to be the trio of Reina, Bobby, and Vikki, who looked a bit confused…well, Vikki always looked a bit confused, but moreso than usual now…and Lemy, who was still out cold up against the counter.

"What is this…?" Laika growled as she glanced around the room. "What are you all…"

"Sorry, it's just…it's been a long day. Nerves are frayed." Lyra managed to compose herself long enough to sit back up in her chair, letting out a heavy sigh as she asked, "So…Lincoln Loud is your father, then?"

"HE IS NOT!" As soon as the word 'father' had left Lyra's lips, Laika slammed her fist on the table, completely ignoring Panther's grip tightening again. "You will NOT EVER call him that!"

"Mrrgh…" The sound of Laika's fist was enough to stir Lemy from his slumber, as he slowly cracked open his eyes. "C'mon, gimme another five minutes, still can't feel my legs that well…"

As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Laika, sitting at the table. The redhead had a furious look on her face, but she didn't seem to be paying Lemy any mind, her gaze locked on his older sister instead. After being sure that she wasn't going to lunge at him, Lemy glanced around him, noticing Lyle and Lina standing right next to him, and quietly muttered, "Hey, guys, level with me…they're not negotiating over my life, are they?"

"No, you're not part of the conversation at the moment." Lyle replied to Lemy, having recovered fairly quickly from the newest revelation. "Right now, we're just all dealing with the face that she's…probably also our sister."

"Ahhh." Lemy nodded weakly. "Figured that out, did ya…?"

"Wait…Lem, did you know?" Lina knelt next to Lemy. "How did you find out about that?"

"Didn't really find out…just guessed." Lemy shrugged. "See, during that last run, I was thinking, 'god, this woman must be pissed at dad for something', and then I thought about why, then I realized, 'wait, I'm pissed at dad all the time'. So, I figured it made the most sense. Surprised you guys are all shocked, I mean, we just went through this with Lyle."

"…oh. Right. You probably don't know the other part." Lyle realized why Lemy seemed so accepting of the current situation. He pointed behind him, where the Santiagos and Vikki were standing. "See those three over there? The twins and the blondie? The one with the torso you could bounce a coin off of?"

"What are you goin' on about…?" Lemy gave Lyle a quizzical look as he glanced around the store, still too tired to do much more than turn his head a bit. "Oh…yeah, I see them. Can't see the blonde girl's torso, but I'll take your word on it."

"Oh, trust me Lem, it's no joke." Lina confirmed Lyle's assessment. "Girl can rock that chassis of hers."

"Ok. Great. Glad to hear it." Lemy replied disinterestedly, clearly not having any energy to react further. "The point being…?"

"They're also our surprise siblings." Lyle put it bluntly. "Numbers 2, 3, and 4 of the day."

Lemy didn't react for a bit, just staring at Lyle for a moment, before glancing over to said extra set of surprise siblings. After a beat, he leaned his head back against the counter and mumbled, "I'm gonna go back to sleep. Plan is that I stay out until the heat death of the universe, but hopefully I can snooze at least until I'm able to get legally shitfaced. Let me know when one of those occurs."

Lyle thought to reply, but from the soft rise and fall of his chest it seemed that Lemy was making good on at least the first part of his declaration. Instead, he returned his attention to the center of the table, where Lyra and Laika had remained silent, Laika shooting daggers at Lyra since her outburst while Lyra had a resigned look on her face.

"Look…this might shock you, but I do get it." Lyra finally broke the ice again. "The anger and resentment at that man being your father, I understand exactly where you're…"

"Silence!" Laika's growl cut Lyra off again. "I have told you, he is not…"

"Oh? Then, who is your father?" Now it was Lyra's turn to cut the redhead off. "What's his name? And, if Lincoln Loud ISN'T your father, then why can't you explain the animosity between you and him?"

"I…I do not have one." Laika's rage dissipated just a hair under Lyra's probing. "I have always lacked a father. He never existed."

"Oh, I believe that he was never in your life. But unless you're a VERY special case, he had to exist biologically." Lyra replied coolly. "And my guess is you've discovered his name, and that he's been here in Royal Woods this whole time, which is why you've come…"

"I said SILENCE!" Laika slammed her fists on the table again. "I will not…ergh!"

"Maybe I wasn't clear…" Panther was grabbing Laika's arm and had it twisted behind her back, as she had when pushing her out of the store. "But THIS is what I meant by acting up, you understand? So, knock it off!"

Laika growled as she wriggled a little bit, but between the hand behind her back and the grip on her shoulder, Panther had her under control. Before the others at the table could continue their show, however, Reina stomped her foot loudly enough to draw attention and yelled, "That's it, I've had enough! Somebody tell me what the heck is going on here!"

"Re-Reina!" Bobby tugged on his sister's sleeve, trying to calm her. "This isn't the place for…"

"Bobby, this is the THIRD place these people have dragged us to, and we STILL can't get any straight answers here! I'm done playing around!" Despite her twin's best efforts, it was clear that Reina was not going to be calmed. "Where is our dad? Who is this girl, and why are you saying our dad is hers, too? WHY did that girl with the white hair call herself my sister earlier!? And also…"

Lyra sighed, turning her head and leaning back as she looked right at Reina and said, "First, I'll bring you directly to him as soon as we're done here. Second, I keep saying he's this girl's father because it's clear that he is, making her your sister. And that white-haired girl called herself your sister because she IS your sister, because her father, like yours, is Lincoln Loud. And I would know all this, because my father is ALSO Lincoln Loud."

"That's…wait, what?" Reina looked a bit taken aback by Lyra's frankness. "What are you…"

"And not just me, either." Lyra wasn't done, however, as she started pointing at the rest of the kids assembled in Pages and Pillows. "My little brother Lemy is the same as me. Panther, here, her father is also Lincoln Loud. Same with Marla, and Lina, and Gloom, and…everyone. Everyone in this store…ah, except for those two…" Lyra corrected herself as her finger went to Gwen and Marsha, "…but aside from them, everyone here shares a common parent, and his name is Lincoln Loud. And we aren't the only ones…there's plenty more, here in this town."

Reina was, at last, struck speechless, just glancing around the room at the others gathered, their sometimes guilty, sometimes resigned faces giving her all the confirmation she needed. Her mouth moved, but sounds refused to come out, as she was unable to find anything to say. In fact, when the first new sound came from their group, it wasn't Reina, but rather her blonde sister. Vikki, still looking as calm as ever, simply whistled and said, "Damn, the ol' man was a player."

"I suppose that's one way of saying it." Lyra shrugged back at Vikki, before turning her gaze back to Laika, still being held down by Panther, whose mask of rage had been dented slightly by disbelief. "So, you see now why it's not hard for me to guess that your father is Lincoln Loud?"

"You…you know nothing…" Laika's voice was more shaken than before, but she was clearly still angry. "Nothing of who I am…of my family…how could you know what I…?"

"Ah, yes…one last thing." Lyra's eyes were locked on Laika's. "My father I've talked of…but I haven't mentioned my mother, have I? Her name is Luna Loud. And for the record, they do not share last names because of marriage. They have the same last names because they came from the same family, as brother and sister."

Lyra dragged out the last three words, to drive her point home. Whatever Laika was going to say had clearly disappeared from her mind after that last statement. The Santiago twins were similarly dumbstruck, and even Vikki's constant, mellow smile dimmed a bit in surprise.

"But go ahead." Lyra glared at Laika, boring a hole in the redhead. "Tell me how I couldn't possibly know how hard you've had it because of your parentage. I'm dying to know."

Laika finally cracked from the pressure, turning her eyes down to the table she was being pressed into to avoid Lyra's harsh gaze. The room was entirely silent for a moment…until, out of the blue, the sound of music broke the silence. Specifically, it was the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the unmistakable 'Dun dun dun duuuuun' cutting through the room, emanating from Lyra's pocket.

Lyra pulled out her phone, the source of the noise, and tapped it a few times. "It's already this late…well, this wasn't a quick detour, so I suppose it's to be expected." Rising up from the table, Lyra glanced around the room, put on the best smile she could (which wasn't terribly convincing, which was understandable given the circumstances) and said, "It's possible you all forgot, given the excitement and all, but there is a party today that we're all expected at, and it will be starting soon. So…shall we go?"