Hey Yo! NerdRyuu here for the 25th chapter of The Last Loud!
Last chapter we saw Link's workshop in thw future and t.in the past, the Louds found a village of survivors!
Let's go to the question I received this week!
Dimitri Gomez: Do you plan to introduce something similar to Fallout's Power Armor?
I actually intended for Loud's armor to be a stamd in for the power armor, but not very overpowered, but let's say that Loud's ar.or is just the mk 1 ;)
Now let's go to the story!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Loud House
The smiling man made another generous bow and extended his hands to Lincoln. Something in his smile seemed… off. Lincoln accepted the hand shake and the man spoke.
"My dear guests, I'm Benjamin Light." He spoke with his smile.
"B. Light." I chucked under my breath, leaned to my twin and whispered. "That's not a red flag at all." Lola also chuckled.
"I'm humbly the leader of this small community of blessed people." He spoke, motioning to the village.
"I never thought I would see something like this ever again." Lincoln spoke. "I thought that the only ones left on the wastelands were only the worst humanity could offer." Benjamin chuckled at Lincoln's remark.
"I can assure you. Here, there's only illuminated people. Come, let me show you." Benjamin led us inside the village, as I looked around, I could feel a funny smell on the air, and I supposed that the others also could, because it was very strong.
"This is our prized farm." Benjamin spoke proudly, presenting the large fields of growing wheat. Some of the people working made a quick look at Benjamin. One was a very tall, very muscular, afro American man, when they noticed me looking at them, they quickly looked away, like if looking for too long was bad. Something weird is definitely going on. "Here, we prize mostly for the gratitude for being here. And to this, hard work is a requirement." Benjamin spoke, leading us through some tents.
"The village is impressive." Lincoln spoke with a rather serious look. I think he's picking these weird signs also. But looking at Benjamin, I think he didn't noticed our reticence.
"It is, hard work and together is the key for being one of us." He spoke. "This is our community kitchen." He spoke pointing to a big tent that was emanating a fairly good smell. "Each plate of food is a blessing given by god." He spoke. "Are you hungry? I can give you food if so desire." He offered with his now turning creepy smile.
Lincoln made a quick look at us then spoke.
"No, thanks. We are good." He politely refused.
"If so you choose." The man spoke, looking at Lincoln. They both stared at each other for some time. "So, please, let me continue showing the village." He continued walking and we followed him. We passed by a big tent with some noises coming from.
"What is this?" I asked to Benjamin. He looked back with his smile.
"It's nothing important for you." He spoke simply. I felt a chill down my spine. He conducted us to a tent with a long wooden table. "Here, you can wait here while I go see your sister on our medical tent."
We sat on the wooden bench by the table, as he exited the tent.
"There's something weird with that guy." Lola spoke immediately after she was sure that he wasn't in earshot.
"Not only that guy." I responded to my twin. "This whole place has something weird going on."
"Link, do you think we should stay?" Lola asked. Lincoln shook his head.
"We're staying here until Lori's better. Once she gets out of danger, we'll leave. I have a bad feeling about this place." He rubbed the collar of his armor and looked at Luna. "Luna, why you're not wearing your armor? Where it is?" I just noticed Luna in fact wasn't wearing her armor. She was using just her old purple shirt she used as pajamas.
"Oh." Luna spoke, also noticing. "I forgot to put in due the attack. We woke in a hurry, I forgot to wear. It's on the jeep." She explained. Lincoln sighed.
"Alright. But you'll put it when we get to the jeep." He spoke. Luna nodded.
After that, we waited for the return of Benjamin in silence. Hours passed and nothing about he appearing. We began to get impatient and worried about Lori.
"Oh screw it!" I finally spoke, getting up. "I'm going to search for Lori!" I spoke decided.
"Wait Lana." Lola spoke, grabbing my wrist. "I don't think it's a good idea getting out there without permission or guidance of that man."
"I don't care! I want to see Lori!" I spoke. Before I could push my arm away, Benjamin reentered the tent, but this time, he wasn't smiling. He had a serious look, very different from that fake smile he had.
"You're back." Lincoln spoke as the rest of us got up as well.
"I…" He spoke with sadness in his tone. "I'm sorry… but your sister didn't make it. The spider venom killed her."
I immediately looked at Lincoln. He was looking down, I couldn't see his face, but his cheer aura emanated dread. I felt a shiver down my spine once again, and by the shifting by my sides, I'm pretty sure the others also felt.
"What?" He simply spoke.
"I'm sorry… but-" Benjamin got interrupted when Lincoln walked forward and grabbed him by the collar. Benjamin for a second, I could swear that I saw, had murder in his eyes. But not only that. He had… a slight glow. Not a metaphorical glow, but a literal green glow.
I think I wasn't the only who noticed, Lincoln released Light and sighed.
"Sorry Mr. Light." Lincoln apologized. "I…" He sighed again, sloping back to the bench, and covered his face in his hands, we heard a loud sigh.
I can't believe what I got in my mind that moment. We had lost so many of us in such a short period that… I think that we all started becoming a little desensitized at the death of our siblings.
Why is God punishing us this way? What did we do wrong?
I looked to Lincoln. Maybe I have a idea of why. Not blaming them, but the many incestuous relationships Lincoln got entangled with Luna, Lynn and even Lori, may be the reason God is punishing us.
Lincoln sighed again and pulled the bottle of his pills and swallowed some. He made a deep breath. And stood up again.
"May us see her? We… need to." Lincoln asked. Light hesitated a little before nodding.
"Please, follow me." He spoke and we did so. We wondered out the tent, it was already getting dark, the orange sun made the desert that was the wasteland shine even more as it was going to illuminate the other side of the world.
We walked to the tent Light said it was the medical tent he showed us, and we entered it.
It didn't looked like a medical facility, but had what to expect, some beds, stretchers, and other hospital stuff that I wonder how they got in such good state.
And laying in one of the beds, we walked up, it was Lori.
She looked disgusting. For some reason, she looked like all the water of her body got sucked out of her, she was so skinny that it looked she had no muscles, just skin over a skeleton, her skin was grey and looked even moldy, it had folds and wrinkles like a elder person. Her hair looked like broom bristles.
Nobody said nothing. We were shocked. That wasn't what we expected.
"The venom of the spider… acted faster than we expected." Light explained. We stayed in silence. "You… Are welcome to stay for tonight's feast."
Lana and I were sitting by the table on the middle of the central plaza of the village, dozens of other people were also sat on the table, eating, chatting and partying. Lincoln was slowly eating a piece of turkey Light had served him, while, I noticed, Light didn't ate a single bite the whole night.
I found weird though, that, not everyone of the village was at the table feasting, I could see dozens of people looking at us, like if they were jealous. These people looked different from the ones sitting along with us.
While the people sitting with us were lively dressed, and looked well fed and some even looked fat, these other people were as skinny as Lori was, and they wore rags. I pity them to have only those horrible clothes. I wonder why this village had such different types of inhabitants.
This village keeps getting stranger and stranger.
"So Lincoln, do you like the village?" Light asked with a smug expression, like if he already expected his response.
"It's a nice place to live." Lincoln spoke eating the last bit of turkey. Light was about to say something when Lincoln concluded his thought. "If you're not a slave."
The whole table became silent. All of us looked at the two. They were staring each other.
"What. Do you mean. With this?" Light spoke serious.
"You would be stupid to not notice how this place works." Lincoln spoke in defiance. "You people are all part of this insane cult." Lincoln spoke to the people on the table. "But you won't hook us into it!"
N/A: So yeah... Lori is dead and this village it's not the utopia his leader want's us to believe...
Next chapter we'll continue in the past, as the past arc is actually reaching it's end!
If you want to ask something feel free to do so on the comments! If you want to see news about this or my other stories, see my Twitter: #ryuu_baku
until next week!
bye!
