Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Gentle: You'll have to wait and see. It won't be an immediate thing, either. However, you'll get your explanation in Episode 2, Containment.
vanhellsing9000, nuuo: I took inspiration from several mech-based anime, such as Evangelion and Gundam. In addition, it's a mash-up between that and other reluctant harem anime like How Not To Summon A Demon Lord. It's more ecchi than explicit sex.
Atom King: How the mech works gets explained in this chapter. As for other mechs, you'll have to wait and see.
U. N. Owen: No porn or alternative sex in this one. Mild sexual content only, focusing on developing love interests.
Cypher
By LolaPresents
Season 1 - Episode 1
Birth - Part 2
"Oooh!" cried Leni, clapping excitedly as she sat at her console. "Look at all the pretty colors!"
"Are you sure about this, Lisa?" Lori muttered with her arms folded and concern on her face. "Remember how much problem she had with the three colors on a traffic light?"
"Yes," sighed their little sister, forcing a smile and holding a finger up to emphasize her point. "But, among all the consoles, this one has the fewest." Then, leaning over the desk, she continued her explanation. "The red dots are enemies, the green is Lincoln, and the yellow are civilians."
"And I let the rest of you guys know where they all are. Right?" inquired the simple blonde.
"Correct," Lisa responded. "But it's more than that. Lincoln must know how many of each and if any hostiles are moving in on civilian positions."
"I see," pouted Leni, putting one finger to her mouth. "This looks hard!"
"Alright," murmured Lisa. "Let's run a few quick simulations until you get it."
"Righteous, dude!" exclaimed Luna as she sat at the next terminal with Luan. "This is just like a mixing board!"
"That's because it is," responded the diminutive scientist. "Besides providing us and Lincoln with positive music with a driving beat, you'll monitor the airwaves for news and other information relating to the Daemons."
"I gotcha!" the freckled, brown-haired girl chirped as she put on her headphones.
"Won't music be distracting?" Lori, who was tagging along to learn everyone's job, said, eying Lisa suspiciously.
"Only if it interferes with communication," Lisa explained. "Positive music has a way of deterring despair, and a tempo, slightly faster than the human heart stimulates adrenaline."
"Oh..." sighed Lori. "I'd never heard that, but that explains mood songs."
"Luan," Lisa said momentarily, turning to her other sister. "You're job is to keep an eye on system resources."
"Okay, so what does each meter mean?" Luan replied, slightly worried she was in over her head. "All I know is bass, mids, and treble. Haha!"
"Seriously?" guffawed Lori, smacking her forehead. "Lincoln's life will be on the line out there, and you make a joke?"
"Sorry..." the chastised girl apologized. "It's a nervous habit."
"Yes, well, it's not that hard," Lisa responded, pointing to each meter. "Here is the energy meter. If that goes into the yellow, he must return to the base to recharge. This one is the payload indicator. It shows how much ammo and missiles are left. The next one shows hydraulic pressure."
"So, can I do anything to slow things down if needed?" Luan asked, already sweating.
"There is," chirped Lisa, proud of her sibling's forethought. "The sliders below each meter affect balance and how much of each resource can get used at a time. At 10, there are no limits. At 0, it's off."
"Okie dokie!" smiled Luan. "I think I got a 'handle' on this!"
"Oh, brother..." Lori and Lisa grumbled as they walked to the next console.
"I know! I know!" exclaimed Lynn as her older and younger sister hovered over her. "Vital signs, yadda yadda."
"Listen!" barked Lori, irate at her sporty sister's flippancy. "With your knowledge of physiology and the effects of stress, I would think you'd take this more seriously. Or do you want Lincoln to get hurt out there?"
"No..." muttered Lynn, her lids at half-mast. "Though I'd be disappointed in thinking I'd be the one to pilot the Deacon. I'm much better at fighting than Lincoln is."
"That may be true, sister unit," Lisa stated factually. "However, his plans always fail. We need your strategic mind here. Besides, your secondary task is to help train him."
"Really?" chirped Lynn excitedly. "In that case, count me in!"
"Now, Lucy," Lisa said as she approached the gloomy girl slouched in the next chair. "Your job is similar to Luan's. Only you'll monitor the Deacon's and Lincoln's vital signs."
"The robot has vital signs?" questioned Lucy, raising an unseen brow.
"Yes," answered Lisa, clasping her clipboard to her chest and lowering her gaze. "You see, the underlying structure of the Deacon is biological. Only the outer armor is mechanical."
"I see," Lucy groaned. "What exactly does that mean? Did you grow it?"
Lisa let out a long breath. "I did," she confirmed. "But we can discuss that more later. Both Lincoln and the Deacon need monitoring. If either one is compromised, the mission could fail."
"You mean they could die," Lucy stated.
"Yeah..." Lisa sighed before leaving Lucy to contemplate her blood pressure, brain activity, and breathing readouts.
Finally, Lisa turned and faced Lincoln, Lana, and Lola. "Come with me," she requested. "Your duties are more administrative. We should convene in a board room so I can explain how the Deacon works and go over blueprints."
"Um, alright," acknowledged Lincoln nervously.
"I got this!" Lana shouted, pumping her fist. "I can repair anything!"
A few moments later, everyone sat around a table with Lisa at the head and Lola standing beside her. Several large monitors hung behind her, displaying various information and schematics as she explained things.
"...and once you get fitted in the cypher suit, which will interface with your nervous system, the cockpit is filled with hyper-oxygenated water," Lisa continued, showing the next slide. "It'll take some getting used to, but you can breathe it."
"Why, though?" Lincoln asked, grimacing. "I can already breathe air. Why not use that?"
"Because I can't infuse the air with amniotic supplements," Lisa explained absentmindedly.
"What?" gasped Lincoln. "Why would you need to do that?"
"Lola?" groaned Lisa, looking up at the resident princess, who handed her several Manilla folders.
Passing the one on top to her brother, Lisa expounded. "While the water serves as an internal buffer against sudden movements, the amniotic additives will help stabilize and nourish you during battle."
"I see," moaned Lincoln, still reeling at the thought of breathing amniotic fluid.
Handing the remaining folders to Lana, Lisa abbreviated the dialog. "Lana, I believe these schematics are suited to you," she announced. "I tried breaking things down as simply as possible and used the simplest terms."
After taking a few moments to peruse the documents, Lana looked up and grinned broadly. Standing up, she pounded her fist in the air again. "This is amazing work, Lisa!" she declared, gathering the papers and holding them to her chest. "I'll start studying these right away!"
"Alright, then," Lisa murmured. "Please see me, Lola, or Lori if you have any questions. Lincoln? Your physical training begins after lunch. Meeting adjourned. "
If Lincoln thought Lynn's workouts were torture, what he went through that afternoon was purgatory. Lisa had given her permission to take whatever measures were required to push him as far as she could. And Lynn took ungodly pleasure in doing so.
At first, it was simple stretches, jumping jacks, and other simple exercises. Following those, Lincoln got put through a strenuous routine using various equipment Lisa had set up. Thinking several laps around the bunker were a cooldown, Lincoln couldn't have been more wrong.
"Uh, Lynn?" sputtered Lincoln, sweat drooling from every pore as he stood before his overeager sister, wearing a head guard, mouthpiece, and boxing gloves. "You're going to take it easy on my first time. Rig-"
*biff*
"G-guess not..." he thought, staring at the distant roof, stars clouding his vision.
After physical training, Lincoln headed for the showers to clean up. Though, for his life, he couldn't understand why Lisa, Lori, and Lola followed a few yards behind him. Grabbing a fresh towel from the bin to the left of the door, he shrugged it off and opened it, rationalizing their parents had a grand meal waiting for them in the commissary.
Wrong!
"Huh?" Lincoln sputtered, his hand still on the handle as he stared at his other sisters' naked backs. "Oh, god! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."
"Lincoln!" they all shouted as they grabbed bars of soap and threw them at their rapidly retreating brother. "What do you think you're doing?!" barked Luan, covering her chest with her free arm. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"
"Ehem..." coughed Lori, blocking Lincoln's hasty exit. "We only have one bathroom, and we'll be working in too close of an environment to worry about crap like this. Who knows when we'll need to prepare for a mission as quickly as possible? Get used to it," she announced, pushing Lincoln into the large room.
"W-What?!" sputtered the red-faced boy. "You don't expect me to... I mean- you're all girls- but me..."
"Stow it," ordered his commander as she stripped off the blue tank top she usually wore and tossed it into the large hamper. "We have new uniforms waiting for us when we get done here, anyway," she explained as she finished stripping, stood before a free shower head, and turned it on.
"Fine!" shouted Lincoln, turning on his faucet and facing the wall before undressing. "But if any of you peek, I'll destroy you!"
Snickering to themselves, the girls returned to their tasks, leaving Lincoln to fester while he cleaned up.
"That goes double for you!" shouted Lucy as she brushed her wet hair backward to wash her face. "Nobody is meant to see my eyes!"
"Brah... That's what you're worried about?" chuckled Luna, showering beside the goth. "You really are a weird chick. You know that?"
Following their communal shower, Lori handed out everyone's uniform, which consisted of black, laced boots, formfitting brown trousers with a black stripe down each side, a white double-breasted shirt, and a black leather vest fitted with rank insignias.
"Sorry guys," Lori apologized as she handed them out. "This is the best Leni could do on such short notice, especially with limited supplies."
"Badass!" barked Lincoln, admiring himself in a mirror. "I look like Han Solo!"
"You wish," spouted Luan. "More like Hand Solo. Haha! Get it? Besides, Harrison Ford looks much better, even at his age."
"Shut it," ordered Lincoln, brandishing his symbol. "Captain outranks Lieutenant."
"Enough!" barked Lori. "Admiral outranks you both. Now, get your heads in the game. There's no place for arguing among the ranks."
"Ehem," coughed Lisa, standing idly behind everyone.
"Oh, right!" chirped Lori, saluting. "I'm sorry, Vice Admiral. I forgot you were here."
Upon considering their parents' advice, Lisa and Lori agreed to give the rank of Ensign to Lola and Lana, Lieutenant to Leni, Lucy, Lynn, Luan, and Luna while reserving Captain for Lincoln, Admiral, and Vice Admiral for themselves. Whether such designations would hold up, only time would tell. But knowing they got parentally sanctioned would hopefully keep any unnecessary argument at bay, especially during a mission.
"Alright, everyone," Lisa said later that evening, standing before her gathered siblings. "Take a good look at the Deacon, especially Lincoln and Lana. I need you all to be familiar with its components in case you must inspect something manually."
Lincoln stared up at the massive mech. Standing at least fifty feet tall, it loomed over them like something from an anime. The awed young man saw various hatches covering its surface. Naturally, he concluded they hid weaponry and auxiliary ports. And recalling the head being the cockpit, he gazed further up.
"How do I get in?" he muttered over the din of comments from his sisters.
"Simple," Lisa explained patiently. "Take the lift behind me to the gangplank above. I will then assist you in donning the cypher suit and securing you in the cockpit. Once you're in and we power up the system, your senses and motor control will switch to that of the Deacon. In addition to normal vision, you'll also see a heads-up display which you can control by looking at functions and blinking."
"Oh, man! This is the most amazing thing ever!" exclaimed Lincoln, stooping and excitedly drawing in his arms.
"You say that now," Lisa commented reluctantly. "But, you'll also feel any damage the Deacon takes."
"Seriously?" Lincoln complained. "What the butt?"
"I know it's inconvenient, but it will inform you of any possible system failures. Think of it as a backup in case the command center is disabled," Lisa said, holding up one finger and closing her eyes while smiling.
After dinner and studying their portfolios, everyone retired to the barracks for much-needed rest. The day's thorough activity exhausted them all, especially Lincoln. Everyone had their own bed except for the parents, who slept in a slightly larger bed while Lily slept in a crib beside them. Though passable, they were anything but comfortable.
While some fell asleep immediately, Lori and Lincoln remained awake. Everyone had assignments, but theirs were the most important. Without a command structure, everything would fall apart. Without a pilot, there would be no missions. Survival came down to whether they could do their jobs effectively. But it was more than that.
Lori had always been in charge of her siblings, but that didn't bear the weight she now felt. Even though Leni took over those duties when she left for college, that was over. Hell, she didn't even know if the college still stood. Then, her mind drifted to something more emotional. What became of Bobby and his family?
Lori had heard about an attack a few days prior around Great Lakes City, and it had been bothering her ever since. Lori rolled to her side, and small tears trickled down her face while her mouth scrunched up, trying to fight off her emotions. She missed him dearly, having been a month since the first attack. But that was something she couldn't afford now.
If it weren't for the thick concrete and lead bunker construction, she might have used her phone, which now sat idle with everyone else's. Even if she could've used it, the local power plant had gotten decimated. The only thing powering the bunker now was solar and geothermal sources, which Lisa had mastered long ago.
Lincoln couldn't shake his nerves. Watching anime and dreaming about piloting a mech was one thing, but the reality was different. For one, watching anime wouldn't get you killed. For another, his training had only just begun, and he wasn't confident in his abilities. He had always been outgoing and ambitious, but this was on another level.
Then, to make matters worse, they were forced to bathe together. How long would it be before someone saw something they weren't supposed to? How would everyone react? Sure, he'd taken baths with his sisters over the years, but that was when either he or they were too young to have mattered. Now, things were different.
Despite vocal denials, Lincoln knew how often his first attempts at helping his sisters failed. Fixing the issue later was never a problem. But on the battlefield, it was a different story. One mistake could lead to any number of deaths. He wanted to protect everyone, especially his family, but he couldn't help but wonder what might happen should he make a mistake.
What if he used the wrong weapon, inaccurately judged a Daemon's next move, or hesitated as the thought of one of his naked sisters floated through his mind? "No," he thought, furrowing his brows. "Too much pressure. I have to get a hold of myself."
"Hey..." muttered Lincoln the following morning, pouring himself a cup of hot chocolate in the commissary.
"Morning..." yawned Lori as she wandered in, followed by the twins and Lynn.
"Ready for another day of intense training?" Lisa inquired as she and the others devoured their breakfast.
"Not really," sighed Lincoln. "But, I guess it's better than giving up and letting those things run amok."
"That's the spirit, dear," Rita chimed in as she placed additional settings on the table. "Now, eat up, guys. You can do this on an empty stomach."
"Hey, where's dad?" asked Luna a moment later, looking around. "I haven't seen him in since last night."
"Oh, he's making a trip to the house for supplies," their mother reluctantly announced. "But don't worry. I had Todd go with him."
"You should've asked Reinforced Titanium Alloy Arms," Lisa suggested while finishing her meal, going from least favorite food to most liked.
"Yeah..." muttered Lori, sitting and prodding at her scrambled eggs. "Like anyone can remember that name."
Redirecting her children's attention, Rita engaged them in casual conversation, discussing more mundane things. And for the remainder of the meal, any talk about missions and arguing over position got nipped in the bud. It was essential to her that they have a life outside protecting the town. As such, she had asked her husband to bring down anything relating to her children's hobbies and interests.
Things went well that morning. Lisa ran everyone through various simulations. Lynn put Lincoln through more training after lunch, introducing kickboxing to his repertoire. After that, Lisa guided Lincoln through the process of putting on the cypher suit, making sure to emphasize the alignment of the electrostatic probes. Then, as they settled in for another round of drills, the alarm sounded, switching the consoles from test mode to live.
"Uh, Lori! Lisa!" snapped Leni, her eyes wild and her hands shaking. "A big, red, blinking dot on my screen is headed for the middle school!"
"Alright, everyone," Lori barked from her command chair. "This is the real deal! Let's go!"
"Oh, fuck, fuck fuck..." thought Lincoln as he rode the lift to the changing station. Swallowing with difficulty, he donned the suit before Lisa lowered him into the Deacon's open head and the brackish fluid inside.
Once inside, Lisa buckled the restraints to his waist and closed the door. "Good luck, Lincoln," she whispered into her mic.
"Thanks," came Lincoln's jittery reply as the Deacon powered up and vibrated. "I'm going to need it."
