II - Safeguard

"We're here. Detroit," said Rita.

"Woah, the last standing city in Michigan…" said Lynn with a less stuffy-voice.

"I can't believe it! We're finally here!" said Howard excitedly.

He rubbed Clyde's head who looked with awe at the city. Lynn Sr. drove slowly to the main entrance, where he was stopped by an army officer. The main entrance consisted of a large road entering a makeshift toll booth, with a pole preventing the vehicles from entering.

"Sir, I need y'all in the car to step outside. And leave your weapons inside the car," said the officer sternly.

All of them came out of the car slowly.

"Damn! 18 of y'all, huh? Alright, when I approach you, state your name and age, while my buddy Sturgess and I pat you guys down."

He walked slowly to each one with a clipboard and started patting people down.

"Lynn Loud Senior! 42!"

"Rita Loud! 40!"

"Harold McBride! 43!"

"Howard McBride! 39!"

"Clyde McBride! 11!"

"Lynn Loud Junior! 13!"

"Lincoln Loud! 11!"

"Ronalda Anne Santiago! 11!"

"Roberto Santiago! 17!"

"Lori Loud! 17!"

"Luna Loud! 15!"

"Luan Loud! 14!"

"Lola Loud! 6!"

"Lana Loud! 6!"

"Lisa Loud! 4!"

"Lucy Loud. 8. Sigh."

"And you?" asked the officer.

"Oh, me? They call me Leni. Leni Loud. And this little one is my sister Lily and she's like 15 months old."

"Your age, miss?"

"Uhhh, Lori, how old am I?"

Lori smacked her own forehead.

"She's 16 years old, sir," sighed Lori.

"Where did you guys come from?" asked the officer.

"We came from Royal Woods, sir," said Lynn Sr.

"Close by, eh? Well, come on in, you can bring your van inside, but I recommend keeping these weapons inside. Don't want to scare the other survivors," said the officer as he opened up the barricade and allowed Vanzilla to enter.

Slowly, Lynn Sr. drove and parked the van in the mandatory parking zone. The kids grabbed their supplies and Lynn Sr. locked the car. A soldier, with the tag 'PVT. LUKEMAN', approached them and escorted them to a building, where they saw many other survivors. The building looked disorganized and old, but the infection was only going to be a temporary thing, they thought to themselves. Detroit never looked nice anyway, they also thought to themselves. It was a large building with many floors, and this was only Building A. There were three other tall buildings where the survivors were seeking refuge. The soldier gave them a key.

"No need to share this room. You guys are a large family," said Private Lukeman.

The family made their way up the stairs into the office on the 14th floor, which was converted to a makeshift living space.

"So, this is where we crash for now?" Luna asked.

"Yes, don't be so rude," said Lori.

"I'm not being rude. It's actually rad."

"This is going to be your room for as long as you want until we announce that you guys are safe to head back to...Royal Woods," said Private Lukeman. "For now, set up all your supplies and mattresses in this room. The cafeteria is downstairs, and the medical rooms are in Building B and Building D. You can go see any guards by the entrance door if you have any questions. Enjoy your stay."

The families began unpacking, and Lynn Sr. lied down, sighing. Lori looked out the large glass window and sighed glumly. She could see the smoke coming out of Royal Woods due to the riots and fires that broke out. She still couldn't shake the image of the protesters being shot at mercilessly.

"Well, kids," said Rita. "It looks like we can finally sit back and relax. We're going to stay here for a while, so why don't we head down to the cafeteria and explore for a little?"

They all went down the dark and creaky stairs. At least the lamps still worked, although they flickered and shone very weakly. Their feet stepping on each step sounded like soldiers marching. After a minute, they arrived on the first floor. They finally got an actual look at the cafeteria. It was afternoon time, and the kids still did not have breakfast.

"Man, am I starving! What kinda grub are they gonna serve here?" Lynn said excitedly.

"Lynn Jr.! That's impolite!" Rita scolded.

"Sorry, mom. It's just that I'm so hungry, that's all."

They all got on the line for food and looked at every person that was in the cafeteria. There were many people, but they just couldn't recognize anyone. There were probably people from Royal Woods, but they have never seen them before. Suddenly, they noticed who was serving the food.

"Sergei? What are you doing here? What happened to Aloha Comrade?" Lynn Sr. asked with curiosity.

"Oh, that. I abandoned that like three days ago and came here. Last thing I need is my ass to be eaten by these skin-eaters," said Sergei with a very strong Russian accent. "You guys are eating borscht today!"

"Hey, you know, Sergei, what if I help you guys out? I mean I can cook some mean sandwiches for these people right?" Lynn Sr. asked with a confident smile.

"Ah, sure! I was just about to ask you to help my fellow cooks and I, but I didn't want to come off rude. Come right in!" Sergei said excitedly.

Lynn Sr. grabbed an apron.

"Looks like I got myself a temporary job!" said Lynn Sr.

The families grabbed their bowl of borscht and walked around the cafeteria. They didn't see any empty tables so they just looked for an empty spot on the floor. It was indeed packed with people, some who weren't even from the United States, but from the neighboring cities of Canada. They finally found an empty spot on the floor for the families to sit at. However, Luna saw someone that caught her eyes. The same thing occurred for Luan, but with a different person.

"Sam!" Luna cried excitedly.

"Luna!?" gasped Sam. "Oh my god! I'm so glad to see you made it here safely!"

"Wait, Sam is a girl?" Lana commented.

Luan gasped and then couldn't help but smile. "Benny! You're here!"

Luna walked up to Sam and sat down with her. Luan walked towards Benny, surprised that her friend and crush survived this madness. Benny looked up to see who called him and then smiled.

"Luan! Just the perfect person I wanted to see!" Benny said with a gasp. "Dad! This is my friend Luan! This is the girl I was telling you about, you know, the one that always makes me laugh!"

Luan blushed a little.

"Yup, that's me, Luan Loud!"

She sat down next to Benny and started eating her borscht. All of a sudden, she wasn't in the nervous mood that she was earlier in Royal Woods.

"Sam, I'm so glad you made it here!" said Luna. "I'm a little confused though. I thought you went to Canada?"

"I did, but... the outbreak hit Toronto really early– like five days ago. My... family and I headed back home, but... things happened."

"Sam. Did you come alone? Where are your parents? And your little brother?" Luna asked.

She noticed that Sam's expression only grew more saddened. She rubbed her arms and grew tears in her eyes.

"Th-th-they… they're gone." answered Sam looking down. "They didn't make it."

Luna gulped as she held back tears as well.

"Sam. I'm so sorry that happened."

Luna and Sam embraced each other as Sam sniffled. She dug her face into Luna's shoulder, whimpering softly.

"Awe, look at Luna and Luan," said Lori. "Luna looks comfortable with her friend, Sam. Look at them hugging each other with tears of joy! And Luan looks so shy and cute around Benny! Reminds me of Bobby and I when we first met. Right, Boo-Boo Bear?"

"Sure does! I remember I was feeling all sorts of different feelings when I talked with Lori, and out of all those different feelings, love was one of them!" Bobby said.

"Oh, don't even get me started with Lori's father and I!" Rita jumped in.

"Ugh, no thanks. You told us already, Mom," said Lola. "We really don't need to hear it again."

"Yum," said Lynn. "This borscht ain't bad at all!"

"Agree," said Lana. "Not as good as my mud pies though."

"The food might be decent, but this place looks so worn out," said Lola. "It's like for old people, ugh. At least there's AC."

"Mom, can Ronnie Anne, Clyde, and I explore this place around for a little bit?" Lincoln asked.

"Sure thing, honey, but take Lori and Bobby with you, and come back here before evening. I'll be by the kitchen, helping your father out, and if I'm not there, then I will be in the room. Got it?"

"Got it. Lori! Bobby! Come with us! You guys must feel bored being cramped up in this crowded area," said Lincoln with a smile.

Clyde didn't even care that Lori was coming. His hopes of dating her were crushed by seeing her happy with Bobby, and it took the end of the world for him to realize this. Plus, he just realized that Lori might be too old for him.

"Sure! Let's go, Boo-Boo Bear! I wanna see if any of my friends are here," smiled Lori.

"Alright, babe. Yo, bros, where do you guys wanna go first?" Bobby asked while grabbing Lori's hand, heading for the exit.

"Clyde, your sister, and I were thinking about heading to Building B, then C, then D, then finally we come back here!"

"Hey, wait! Can I come too? I'm bored here too," begged Lynn.

"Sure, just try not to act too sporty," said Lori. "Remember, some people went through a lot. Got it, Lynn?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go!"

Lynn ran ahead, prompting the group to jog after her. However, when they reached the exit, they were stopped by two soldiers.

"Names?" asked one of the soldiers.

"I'm Lori Loud, this is Roberto Santiago, Ronalda Anne Santiago, Lincoln Loud, Lynn Loud, and Clyde McBride."

"Aren't you guys forgetting to tell us something important?" growled a soldier.

"Uhh, permission to leave?" guessed Lincoln, swallowing really hard.

The soldiers kept their mean faces on, looked at each other, and burst into laughter.

"We're just messing with you guys. Go ahead, run around, stay safe. And remember: no going outside the gates," the soldier said.

"Haha, thank you," said Lori, wiping off the sweat from her forehead.

They left Building A and headed for Building B which was right across the street from them. They looked out for incoming army vehicles in the road and then crossed the street. The fog that lurked in the morning disappeared, and the sun was beating down on the kids. Luckily, they entered the building quite quickly and felt the cool breeze hit them. This building had a different look to it, but it was the same setup as the one in Building A. Only it looked more crowded, and the ceilings hung lower. The cafeteria, however, looked the same.

"Liam! Zach! Rusty! You even have your little bro here!" Lincoln shouted.

"Lincoln! Clyde!" Liam, Zach, and Rusty shouted in unison.

"Wait, Ronnie Anne?" gasped Rusty. "What are you doing here? I thought you moved?"

"I did, but I came here with my brother to visit Lincoln's family," answered Ronnie Anne. "And it just so happened that the apocalypse struck. Now I'm just looking for my family in any of these buildings."

"We're just looking around. Want to come with us?" Lincoln asked the guys.

"Sorry, I can't come. I gotta ask my mee-maw first, but she's talkin' with the leader of this darn big place," said Liam.

"Yeah, my mom is also talking with a general around here. Sorry, dudes," said Zach.

"It's okay, Zach. What about you, Rusty?" Clyde asked.

"Sorry, guys, I gotta take care of my brother while my dad is talking with the same general that Zach's mom is talking with," said Rusty.

"It's alright, Rusty. Who is the leader of this place anyways?" Lincoln asked when suddenly, something brought a tense atmosphere into the room.

A man wearing a uniform with green and gray camouflage and with four silver stars in his chest walked into Building B with three armed soldiers behind him. The soldiers were carrying M4A1's and had their shades on while walking in unison. The man had graying hair, which was mostly covered by a black beret, and a gray mustache, signifying that he was probably around his 50's. He was not a short man since his presence made everyone in the room seem small. He raised his right hand and caught everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to have your attention. My name is General Quentin Black of the U.S. Army. As you all know, I am in charge of this place, meaning it is my responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort of you all from the infected outside. I would like to speak to more parents and adults on how things work here and how we can make this place a better place for you all. I gotta be honest with you guys. The infection doesn't look like it's going to go away fast. You might stay here for weeks, maybe even months. But that's why I want to work this out for everyone. Come visit my station at the center of all the buildings within the gate if you need any adjustments to your room. Remember, your comfort is my responsibility. That will be all."

General Black walked out of the building along with his men. The refugees inside the building went back to their conversations.

"Man, he sure does look tough," whispered Lynn. "I mean look at those eyes!"

"I know, those eyes look like they can literally kill!" Lori whispered back.

"I wouldn't mess with him," said Liam.

"I could take him on," chuckled Rusty.

Lori then saw something that caught her eye.

"OMG! Boo-Boo Bear! That's Chaz, the guy I told you about. The one who Leni likes!" Lori whispered loudly to Bobby.

"Cool. Wasn't he at your party a few months ago?" Bobby asked.

"Yes!" exclaimed Lori. "And I think Leni noticed too! Maybe we can bring Leni here and have them talk and-and–!"

"Lori, we're leaving!" said Lincoln. "Let's go."

"Alright. Let's go, guys, off to Building C!"

They walked to Building C, which was next to the demolished building across Building B. Inside was much different. The cafeteria was very wide and open, much like the whole building, but the building was smaller than the other buildings.

A man holding a can of soda stood up from his seat in the cafeteria and waved at the group.

"What's up, Louds!" called out Chunk. "Is your sister, Luna, here? I was fixing her axe, and I just happened to bring it here."

"Hi, Chunk," greeted Lori. "Yeah, Luna is in Building A. You can go there right now if you want to."

"Thanks, mates," said Chunk as he left the building with Luna's guitar.

"I can't find anyone that I know of in this building," said Clyde.

"Let's go then. More people still need to arrive, and some are probably still in their rooms," said Lincoln.

They walked to Building D, which was across Building A, and diagonally across Building B. It looked almost exactly like Building A.

Meanwhile, Chunk arrived at Building A. Sam rested her head on Luna's shoulders talking about all the things that she wished to do with her parents and little brother.

"Hey, Luna, nice to find you here! And that's your friend, Samantha, over there?" Chunk said with a grin.

"Hey, Chunk. You can just call me Sam. And Luna told me a lot about you."

"Chunk, dude, you're here! Awesome!" Luna gasped excitedly. "You brought my favorite ax and my acoustic guitar too! I can't thank you enough, dude!"

"You can thank me by playing a sweet tune."

Luna started singing a small jingle while plucking the strings in her guitar, which caught everyone's attention. She felt really complete inside, and it felt better now that Chunk and Sam were with her. She completely forgot about what happened to the bus driver and the strenuous run back home.

"That's my daughter there!" Lynn Sr. whooped.

"Hey, now that I have my guitar, Sam and I could bust more tunes, and you could even join us, Chunk!"

"Sure, I don't see why not!" Chunk said excitedly.

Meanwhile, the group walked around Building D, hoping to find someone they knew. Lynn's heart started beating rapidly as she saw someone chomping on an apple.

"Francisco! Nice to see you here buddy!" Lynn said.

"Lynn! Nice to see you here as well! So, how you been?"

"I've been doing good. I–"

"Hello! Nice to meet you, Francisco! I'm Clyde."

"Hey, Clyde. Nice to meet you too. Are you a friend of Lynn?"

"Yes, and I'm actually her brother's best friend too."

"Oh, hey, Lincoln! Lynn always tells me how much fun you guys have playing and wrestling with each other."

"Yeah, haha. Fun!" Lincoln says with hesitation.

He then saw a girl with a purple streak on her hair, lying on the floor with knees facing up and her hands behind her head.

"Tabby?" he gasped. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

Ronnie Anne scrunched up her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Lincoln!" exclaimed Tabby. "Nice to see you, bro! Looks like the apocalypse hasn't killed you! Have you seen Liam? You know that cute dorky kid you hang with?"

"Yeah, he's in Building B if you want to see him! We're thinking about hanging out sometime in the next few days by the basketball court I saw a while back."

"Thanks, Lincoln! Nice to see you too, Ronnie Anne! Also, Luna is here with you guys too, right?"

"Yes, she's with us in Building A. 14th floor. Come by anytime!"

Tabby stood up and headed toward the exit.

"Nice! Now I gotta go see Liam! Bye, guys!"

Lincoln waved goodbye as Tabby dashed out the door as Ronnie Anne rolled her eyes. He then turned around and smiled at Ronnie Anne. Then, a voice caught the group's attention.

"Lori?" a woman gasped.

"Fuck! Not this bitch!" Lori thought to herself before speaking. "Hey, Carol. What are you doing here?"

Lori grabbed Bobby's arms tightly. Carol rubbed her head and chuckled nervously.

"I'm here for pretty much the same reason that everyone else is here, Lori. Safe shelter in the middle of the apocalypse."

"Hmph. Well we better go now, right, Lincoln?"

"Well, don't you want to stay here so Lynn can talk to Fran–" said Lincoln before being interrupted.

Lori growled at Lincoln and started to walk towards the exit.

"Lori, I know you don't like me so much anymore, but c'mon, aren't you a little bit happy to see me?" said Carol.

"Don't like you?" said Lori before whispering. "I fucking hate you."

"Babe!" Bobby said worriedly.

"You gossip about me and Bobby behind my back and then you tried to steal my boyfriend! You're so lucky he's a very loyal boyfriend. Otherwise, I would've knocked the shit out of you. I wish you can just go back to whatever snake pit you came from."

"Lori, I'm sorry, I can explain…" said Carol in a very low voice.

Lori grabbed Bobby and headed out the exit. Ronnie Anne, Lincoln, and Clyde followed them. Lynn gave Francisco a fist bump before following the group in a very awkward silence.

"So, the sun seems to be going down. Let's go home now shall we?" suggested Clyde. "I mean... our room. I forgot we can't go home yet."

"Yeah, it's been a VERY long day," replied Lori.

Nighttime on the 14th floor was quite comfortable. Every office in the building was soundproofed, so the sound of gunshots and helicopters could not be heard, nor the noises that their new neighbors made. The Louds, Santiagos, and McBrides slept peacefully.