Reversal of Fortune: Chapter 39: Wars and Rumors

About ten minutes after Rusty's performance ended, Clyde, Paige, and Lindsay found a big tree at Ketcham Park. All three children leaned against it to try to catch their breath.

Paige panted, "Ok… that was beyond messed up."

Lindsay shrieked through her panting, "Ya THINK?! Spooky's now the most popular girl in school!"

Clyde groaned through his panting, "Mans might need an additional R-Day, styll."

Paige heaved, "No, no, please. Let them take care of it."

Lindsay shuddered, "For once, I agree. I'm done with that school. Forever," before falling to her knees and puking out of a combination of exhaustion and disgust.

In the distance, loud crying and panting was heard. Clyde immediately recognized the voice behind the wails and gasped. He tried to get Paige and Lindsay's attention, "Yo, is that-"

Haiku's distant, short-winded cry of, "LUCY, WAIT!", answered Clyde's question.

Clyde, Paige, and Lindsay traded glances, wondering if they had the energy to even do what they were thnking of doing next.

Lindsay urged the group, "Come on… let's see what happens. This could be important."

All three children slowly walked over to Lucy and Haiku, panting as they did so.

Paige heaved, "Shouldn't… you-"

"Too… tired… for… stealth," Lindsay wheezed.

Lindsay, Clyde, and Paige ultimately decided to hide behind a rose bush in between a walking path and the tree Lucy and Haiku were sitting underneath. They observed Haiku putting her hand on Lucy's shoulder to try to steady both of their breaths. While Haiku's breathing seemed to gradually quieten, Lucy was still wheezing pretty heavily.

The children traded glances before Paige squatted, and commanded Clyde and Lindsay to do the same. Lindsay and Clyde followed suit.

At the tree, Haiku whispered to Lucy, "What's wrong?"

Lucy sniffled, "I… I…"

Haiku interrupted, "Look, getting expelled from school is not really a big deal, even in this realm of existence. I mean, we're in third grade. And did you see what our teachers and Principal Huggins just did?" She then tried to break Lucy's sorrowful demeanor by suggesting somewhat jokingly, "You know… maybe I should go back and take the blame. I mean, I'm probably skipping class just to help you. And as much as we don't want them to, the school, my parents, and your parents are probably looking for you right now."

Lucy blubbered, "I… sowwy…. I… sowwy".

Seeing how distraught Lucy was, Haiku held out her hand and gently offered, "Come on, let's go back, Luce. I'm sure we can work something out."

Lucy quickly swatted Haiku's hand away and sobbed, "It's not that simple! Everyone loves you… and everyone hates me!"

Haiku started, "But-"

Lucy lamented, "They only cheered for me because you all told them to. I don't deserve to be cheered for. I don't deserve to be praised. I don't deserve Lincoln. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve… anyone. Just… go away, Haiku. Go away. If Lincoln is still alive, and out there, somewhere, find Lincoln and be happy without me. Live the life you want."

Lucy's last statement pierced Haiku enough to visibly take her aback. For a few moments, Haiku sat still, feeling exposed. Haiku frantically looked around the park for anything to distract herself from her feelings. It was then when she caught the most unexpected sight out of the corner of her eye: an extremely tall, strong-looking red-haired man riding a bicycle matching his hair color through the park.

Haiku immediately recognized the man and gulped. She assured Lucy, "I'll be right back."

Lucy solemnly begged, "Don't… don't come back for me," as Haiku set out for the path to stop the man in his tracks. She then resumed her crying before whimpering to herself, "P-P-Pop-Pop."

Meanwhile, as Haiku ran past a bush, she noticed Clyde, Paige, and Lindsay hiding in there out of the corner of her eyes. She quickly planted her right foot, turned around, and headed back for the bush, noticing that the man had also gotten off his bike, parked it by a nearby tree on the other side of the path, and seemed to be headed straight for the bush as well.

When Haiku made it to the bush, she whispered, "Lindsay… Paige… your dad at 6 o'clock."

Lindsay, Paige, Clyde, and Haiku turned around and yelped at the sight of Brian sternly gazing at them.

Brian joked, "Kids… I get everybody loves a good outdoor game of hide-and-go-seek, but aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Lucy popped up out of nowhere and pointed out, "They don't want to be there," causing everyone else to yelp in fright.

Brian cried, "Jesus, kid… give us a warning next time!"

Upon looking Lucy over, Brian remembered, "Wait a minute… I think I've seen you before. You're one of Lola's sisters. Lucy, right?"

Lucy stuttered, "Oh… um… yeah," before looking down.

Brian gasped. He then warned Clyde, Haiku, and his daughters, "Get behind me, everyone. I'll handle this."

The kids heeded Brian's words. Brian then cast a hard, arms-crossed glare at Lucy, making her gulp in terror.

However, Lucy quickly regained her composure and let Brian know, "I understand your concerns, and your need to protect those around you from me. My family and I have used our gifts for evil against many in this town, chief among them being our brother."

Lucy's words only caused Brian's glare at Lucy to intensify.

Lucy responded, "If suspicion and mistrust are the price I have to bear for my misdeeds, let me be the first to assure you that it is not nearly high enough of a price. And if you need to record what I'll tell you as evidence against me and my family, go ahead. As a sister, it would only be right if I, and by extension, the rest of our family, bear the humiliation and shame too often bestowed upon my beloved brother."

Brian briefly held his glare at Lucy, even lowering his eyebrows for dramatic effect. Suddenly, Brian pulled out his phone, pressed the "Record" button on his "Voice Memos" app, and stuffed it back in his pocket before asking Lucy with an interested snarl, "What misdeeds?"

Lucy rubbed her hands in fear and shame and hummed, "U-umm…", before sighing, "It's a long story."

Brian assured Lucy, "I have time."

Lucy opened her mouth to start speaking, but Brian beat her to her next thought, adding, "Grown-ups can take days off from work, you know. And speaking of days off, why aren't you in school?"

Lucy sighed, "Principal Huggins expelled me."

"Why?", Brian asked with a harsh edge to his voice.

Lucy sighed. "During an anti-bullying assembly, I told one of my estranged friends, Bertrand, to send a bat to bite Principal Huggins on the nose. It was a stupid prank. After the Morticians Club told on me, Principal Huggins also found out that I stole his phone, causing him to expel me."

"Why did you steal your principal's phone?", Brian interrogated.

"He-he dropped it while…ugh, never, mind!", Lucy grimaced.

"No, I do mind. What was Principal Huggins doing when he dropped his phone?", Brian challenged.

Lucy began to sniffle, the horror from not even half an hour ago coming back to her. "H-h-he w-was… oh god, why?"

Despite his initial reservations, Brian felt a slight sense of pity for Lucy when he heard her cry.

Brian then decided to ask Lucy again, this time more gently, "What was Principal Huggins doing when he dropped his phone? I understand you're scared, but if you tell me, I might be able to talk to him."

Lucy sniffled, "H-he… he was twerking."

Brian gave Lucy a confused, incredulous look. In response, Lucy avowed, "A-and I was going to give it back to him, I swear! But I accidentally pressed my thumb on his screen, and I-I saw a p-picture of me p-p-pooping o-on my h-house's b-back p-patio as his w-wallpaper."

Brian muttered, "What?"

Lucy pulled out her phone and looked for the picture in her Photos library. She then handed her phone to Brian and told him, "This is my phone. I took a picture of Principal Huggins' lock screen once I saw it. Principal Huggins took back his phone when he expelled me."

While taking in Lucy's picture, Brian's hands grew sweaty as his grip on the phone tightened. His jaw dropped and his face froze, forming a perfect picture of horror, betrayal, and disbelief.

Clyde, Paige, and Lindsay would take advantage of Brian's stupor to run out from behind him and get a look at the picture for himself.

Lindsay clamored, "What… what is it?!", while trying haplessly to wrestle the phone from Brian's hands.

But when Lindsay got a look at the picture, she gasped audibly. She was so stunned that she fell faint, nearly hitting the ground, prompting Clyde and Paige to dive and catch her phone in their hands. When they straightened and got a good look at the picture alongside Paige, they froze, their faces reflecting the same level of horrified disbelief as Brian.

As Clyde and Paige struggled to wake a stupefied Lindsay up, Lucy groaned, "Trust me… it's not nearly as bad as what my sisters and I have done to our brother, especially recently."

Lindsay blinked before asking Lucy, "Why would you say that?"

Lucy paused and tapped her left cheek with her finger, "Umm-"

"Don't worry," Haiku reassured Lucy. "Given what we just heard… it can't be any worse than that."

Lucy relaxed at Haiku's slight, knowing smile, especially after she combined it with a fierce, protective glare that she gave everyone.

(Time Skip: 15 minutes later)

Paige, Lindsay, Clyde, Haiku, and Brian watched in horror as Lucy broke down in tears.

Lucy whimpered, "Y-you k-know… a-after Lisa's robot threatened to physically remove me from the Loud house… a-and f-forced m-me to s-sleep o-outside… a-all n-night… I understood how Lincoln felt. And when I watched it burn the remnants of the Crowley house to ashes, I-I realized… t-t-that c-could h-have been m-me. T-that c-could h-have b-been…"

Lucy puckered her lips before breaking down into hysterical crying. "I'M SORRY! I'M SOOOO-HO-HO SORRY, LINCOLN! P-PLEASE S-SPIRITS, T-TAKE ME! I DON'T DESERVE TO LIIII-HI-Hi-HIVE!", she bawled.

During Lucy's outburst, the sleeves of her shirt flopped upwards, revealing horizontal cuts on her forearms.

Brian gasped at the sight, his first instinct being to ask the girl about the cuts.

Paige whispered, "Lucy… Jesus," before starting to run towards her.

However, Brian held Paige back, whispering to her, "Let her cry it out."

Paige started, "But-"

"Let her," Brian firmly interrupted.

Everyone watched with helpless pity as Lucy bemoaned her fate and pleaded with the spirits for forgiveness.

However, when Lucy wept, "Maybe I shouldn't tell Pop-Pop. Maybe everyone would feel better if I just disappeared," Haiku immediately rushed to Lucy's side faster than Brian could reach out to hold her back.

Haiku beseeched Lucy, "Don't do anything foolish! Please!"

Lucy sobbed, "It doesn't matter. Like I said… Melissa's fate can't be changed, I can't find Lincoln, and I'm staying with the Spokes family! And after what Rusty did… I don't know if I'll even be able to stay in this town. I might never see Lincoln again… and it's all my fault. Please… if I have to leave, warn Melissa of her impending doom."

Haiku hugged Lucy tightly. "I promise," she sniffled.

After Haiku let Lucy go, Brian approached Lucy.

Brian knelt to meet Lucy at as close to her eye level as he could, which meant her head merely reached the bottom of his torso, and consoled her, "Lucy… I'm so, so, sorry. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely disappointed in you for aiding in your sisters' and parents' mistreatment of Lincoln. And I do feel, on some level, that everything you described to me is your karma for what you did to him."

Lucy looked down in shame.

Brian then admitted, "However, it would make me a hypocrite if I told you that you deserved it. No child does."

Lucy protested through tears, "I do."

Brian countered, "You don't. Especially those scars I saw on your arms."

Lucy asked, "How did you-"

"Your sleeves rolled up when you were crying, and I saw them," Brian explained. "So please… roll up your sleeves."

Lucy sighed before reluctantly obeying Brian. Everyone gasped at the sight of Lucy's forearms completely covered in scars. Lindsay threw up, while Paige cried into Clyde's chest. Tears even fell from Haiku's eyes.

Brian whimpered, "Please… tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Lucy sighed, "It isn't. Lynn, Lana, and Lisa gave these to me."

Brian's jaw dropped while Lucy feebly explained. "A-and L-Lisa w-was going to heal me… the same way she always healed Lincoln. But I got kicked out before she could."

Tears spilled from Brian's eyes. However, his tears of pity and horror turned into tears of pride when Lucy offered, "P-p-pictures of L-Lincoln's scars float freely in our sisters' groupchat. I can send them to you if you want. You know, in case you need to make a case against me and my sisters. But I feel that you should be way past that point by now."

Clyde asked Lucy, "If you were going through all that, why haven't you told anyone?"

Lucy cried, "E-everyone hates me. I just don't feel like I have anyone to turn to anymore. A-and I'm scared. Scared of THEM. I just wish I had Lincoln back."

Lindsay snarled, "What, as a good luck charm?"

Lucy whimpered, "No... as a brother. Anyway, thanks for listening to me. I guess I'll go to Pop-Pop. Tell him everything. He's going to absolutely rake me, but I deserve nothing less."

As Lucy walked away from the Sweetwaters, a tear-stricken Haiku followed her, crying, "Lucy, wait! Don't go!"

Brian sniffled, "You know, I was considering giving the Louds a second chance if something like this happened. The Louds apologizing and admitting they were wrong. But… not like this."

Lindsay growled, "They locked another kid out for being 'bad luck'. Another. Kid. They will NEVER learn." A wicked smirk formed on her face as she plotted out loud, "Which gives me an idea. If Spooky really wants to redeem herself, then she might have a new role to play."

Brian cautioned Lindsay, "Don't be too hasty now, Linds. Remember, we have a hidden camera spying on the Louds. I say we watch the footage from there. Just so we can get official confirmation."

Paige recalled, "Lucy said she came home at around 5:45 PM on Tuesday, right?"

Brian nodded, "Correct. So, we'll start there. Come on, kids. I'll walk you home."

Paige asked, "What about school? And Becky? Shouldn't she come home with us, too?"

Brian assured the kids, "I'll ask Linda to pick up everyone's things, and figure out lunch for us. She's at home watching the Loud House, so she should be good to help us out, depending on the situation over there. As for your attendance, we'll sign all of you out on the basis of this being a 'family emergency'. They'll understand."

Clyde asked, "What about Lincoln? Principal Huggins is making a man stay at my house until the afternoon! Let's link up at my place, styll!"

Lindsay groaned, "Clyde, if the Louds come looking for Lincoln, your house would be one of the first places they look. If we're there, too… that puts us at risk!"

Brian shook his head, "Plus, I'm pretty sure your parents don't have an office with a setup like we do."

Paige rolled her eyes, "Dad, we have laptops."

Brian stressed, "I know, sweetie, but think of the network security!"

Paige then checked her phone and suggested, "Dad, it's only 10:09 AM! If we cut our viewing to the specific times Lucy gave us, we might be able to get out of that house before Lisa comes home from school. Or any of the Louds, for that matter."

Clyde recalled, "Plus, those Loud wastemans ran away after they saw Lincoln without his squirrel suit! Trust me, we'll be quick!"

Brian sighed, "OK."

Lindsay cried, "And what about Melissa? She's gonna need to watch this, too!"

Brian shook his head, "I wish we could have her here with us, but we can't sign her out. Her parents would have to do that, since she's still 17. And I don't want to put this on them. At least until we can confirm Lucy's story."

Lindsay nodded, "Oh."

With that, Brian, Paige, Lindsay, and Clyde set out for their home as Brian called Linda to update her on her role in the plan. Meanwhile, in the spirit realm, Great-Grandma Harriet's ghost sadly sighed and shook her head in a mixture of pity and sympathy.

(Time Skip: 11:05 AM, McBride House)

After Clyde unlocked the front door, he and the Sweetwater family walked in, laptops, flash drives, and lunch in tow.

Harold greeted them, "Hi, Clyde! Sweetwaters!"

Clyde exclaimed, "Dads!", as he ran to hug his dads, while the Sweetwaters smiled and waved, "Hi, Mr. McBride and Mr. McBride!"

Howard chirped, "So nice to see you! We told Lincoln you were coming, and he's waiting for you guys in the dining area! Come in, come in!"

The McBrides moved aside to reveal Lincoln sitting at the dining table.

The Sweetwaters beamed and waved. "Hi, Lincoln!"

Lincoln jumped off the chair, returned their waves, and walked over to them. He chuckled, "Hey, guys! What are you doing here?"

Lindsay crossed her arms and playfully snorted, "I thought you wouldn't mind the extra company, Linky!"

Clyde added, "Plus, mans got lunch!", before holding out a white plastic bag with a logo on it.

Lincoln asked, "What is that?"

Clyde started walking towards Lincoln as he proclaimed, "Mrs. Sweetwater copped the whole menu from Menchia's!"

Lincoln looked over the bag, put his finger to his chin, narrowed his eyebrows, and interrogated Clyde, "Including the oxtail and roti?"

Clyde presented Lincoln with a plastic bag and snorted, "Fam, ya dunnoe I blessed you with the oxtail and roti, styll."

Lincoln fist-bumped Clyde and chuckled, "Jheez… say less," before snatching his plastic bag out of Clyde's hands and sprinting to the dining table. He then slammed his plastic bag onto the dining table and pulled out a tray of food and a pizza-sized roti covered in grease-proof paper. Lincoln tore off the grease-proof paper covering the roti before opening the tray of oxtail, coleslaw, and rice and beans, and proceeded to gorge himself on the food.

As the Sweetwater girls watched Lincoln devour his meal, they winced.

"Eww, Lincoln! Keep your mouth closed!", Lindsay whined.

Lincoln muttered through a full mouth, "Sorry, it's just-", before sighing in bliss as he continued to eat the food.

Becky laughed, "Well, that's all the review I need! Come on, everybody, let's eat!"

The McBrides and Sweetwaters quickly grabbed their own plastic bags, settled into various couches and chairs, and began eating as well.

After everyone finished and put away their food some 45 minutes later, Brian told the group, "Alright, I'm gonna get everything set up in the family room. Howard, Harold, Becky, come help me."

Howard and Harold agreed, "Sure."

Becky nodded, "Yeah, Dad."

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "Set everything up? Wait… here?"

Paige sighed forlornly. "Linky… there's something we need to tell you."

Lincoln replied, "Uh… OK."

Lindsay yelled, "MOM! IT'S TIME!"

Linda chuckled, "Not so loud, sweetie!", before walking over to join the four children at the dinner table.

When she did, she smiled, "Everyone had a good meal?"

Murmurs of, "Mm-hmm," and, "Thanks, mom," filled the room.

Linda smiled, "Any time."

Then, as Linda turned to Lincoln, her face fell. She crooned, "Sweetie… Paige, Lindsay, Clyde, and Brian came across one of your sisters."

Lincoln paled, "S-s-sisters?"

Paige sadly replied, "Yeah. And from what she told us, she feels guilty. About everything she and her family did to you."

Lincoln huffed, "She's lying. If this hypothetical 'sister' felt guilty, she would have never let Lynn threaten me, much less let me boil in the goddamn squirrel suit. But… just out of curiosity… who could have told you that?"

Clyde revealed, "Lucy."

Lincoln sneered, "Spooky? Figures she'd try and cover her own ass… only after she goes through a fraction of what I went through. What she helped put me through, mind you."

Paige started, "Lincoln…"

"It wasn't like that!", Lindsay cried. "She just popped out of nowhere, and started telling us how sorry she was! And she took responsibility for all that horrible stuff that happened to you!"

Lincoln grumbled, "A Loud sister taking responsibility," before bitterly chuckling. He then scoffed, "Who sent her? What did she want from you guys? A blood sacrifice? To give my location away to the mad scientist?"

Linda pleaded, "Lincoln-"

"NO!", Lincoln shouted. "I've tried to be a forgiving, patient, good brother with those monsters for years! Look where that got me. All of us, really."

Clyde explained, "Lincoln, Lucy showed mans Principal Huggins' lock screen. It was a pic of her pooping on the front porch."

Lincoln's eyes shrank. "What? How did that happen?", he whispered.

Lindsay explained with a wince, "During this morning's assembly, Principal Creep-a-zoid dropped his phone while… ugh… twerking," before gagging.

In turn, Lincoln gagged, "Ugh, Principal Huggins TWERKED?"

Paige groaned, "Not just him. Every teacher in school."

Lincoln deadpanned, "The things you miss when you're out of school."

Lindsay continued, "Anyway, Bat Girl's thumb slid over Principal Disgusting's phone screen, and she saw the picture as the wallpaper on his phone's lock screen. She was savvy enough to show it to the Morticians Club, get Haiku to take a picture of it, and then pocket it for herself before Haiku told Bertrand to sic Abraham, the bat, on Principal Huggins."

Lincoln snorted, "Wow. For once, the Duchess of Darkness actually impresses me. But why did Principal Huggins have that picture on his phone?"

Linda promised, "I'll ask Melissa and Brian to investigate that. Speaking of which… I talked to Melissa, and she said she's OK with meeting us here after school. But right now, we have more pressing matters. Lucy told everyone that on Tuesday night, she was locked out of the house for refusing to give up your photo album. And they left her locked out through Wednesday."

Lincoln gasped, "What? WHY?!"

Clyde muttered, "They said ya photo album was bad luck… because it was yours."

Lincoln grumbled, "Figures my ex-housemates would do something that stupid. You know what, I want to see this for myself. Spooky, and the rest of those bitches, are great actors. They probably staged this thing to throw us off, and even if they didn't, she probably found shelter somewhere else."

Clyde revealed, "Ting found a place to stay… Rusty's house."

Lincoln heaved, "Where?!"

Clyde repeated himself, "Rusty's house."

Lincoln exclaimed, "No, no, that's the point. HIM?!"

Clyde, Paige, Lindsay, and Linda sadly nodded.

After imagining the implications of Lucy staying with Rusty, he facepalmed, "Nah… I don't believe this."

Paige informed Lincoln, "Before Lucy started talking to us, she let my dad record her confession. He has it saved and backed up everywhere."

Lincoln asked, "Wait, you guys recorded this?"

Linda, Paige, Lindsay, and Clyde nodded.

Lincoln snorted, "You know what… I wanna see this for myself. Did Mr. Sweetwater bring everything here?"

Clyde replied, "Yeah."

Lincoln asked, "And he's gonna make sure none of this can get out to… ugh… them."

Lindsay groaned, "Lincoln, if Daddy couldn't do that, do you really think we'd be here right now?"

Lincoln mused, "Fair point. Hey, we should probably go meet them. Help those guys out, you know."

Linda, Paige, Clyde, and Lindsay chorused in agreement before walking to the family room to do just that. Within 15 minutes, thanks to everyone's help, the family room was completely ready for everyone to start watching footage.

Brian smiled, "Alright, so, let's start rolling the footage. We're starting on Tuesday afternoon at 5:45 PM, when Lucy said she came home."

(Time Skip, 3:00 PM, Royal Woods High School, Room 232)

As the school bell rang signifying the end of the day, Mr. Majors finished his lecture, "OK, class, I want you to finish your handout on the various uses of torture throughout history tonight. I will be collecting and reviewing them tomorrow."

The scraping of chair legs against the floor and the footsteps and chatter of students were the only response Mr. Majors received from his students, save for two of them. Dana and Jackie remained seated next to each other, front and center, with evil grins on their faces and binders filled with notes on their desks. If one looked closely at the papers making up Dana and Jackie's binders, the notes they had taken on each torture method contained a line on the bottom listing the Loud they thought was most fitting for said torture method.

As the last of Mr. Majors' students filed out of his class, Mr. Majors cast an intense glance at Dana and Jackie, who gulped despite their knowledge of the situation.

Mr. Majors started, "So, ladies, I've observed that you two have seemed, uh, how shall I put this? Especially enthusiastic during my lessons lately. The two of you tend to dominate in-class discussion and spend the rest of the class whispering amongst yourselves. In addition, the two of you have repeatedly approached me for private tutoring, which, as we have discussed, I am willing to start next week. I have also noticed your efforts in the extra-credit assignments I have personally offered you in this unit. It's exceedingly rare that any of my students show your level of affinity for the topics we have covered in this genocide unit, which have often been described as the darkest part of this course by many of my former students."

Dana and Jackie traded glances before Mr. Majors mentioned, "I also have concerns regarding your behavior with your classmates. Your interactions with your classmates lately have been particularly aggressive. Some of your classmates have commented that they are disturbed by your seemingly morbid fascination with my recent content. Others have mentioned that they now feel intimidated to participate in class for fear of your reprimand. There are a few that I have heard you tell to, and I quote, 'shut up.' I even recall one instance where a fellow student criticized torture as inhumane, and you two told her no one cares about her opinion. And the whispering in class amongst yourselves that I have heard seems to be about using the methods of torture I teach against other people."

Dana and Jackie gulped before Jackie burst, "We're sorry, Mr. Majors! It's just-"

"You're not in trouble," Mr. Majors interrupted. "I called this meeting so I could get your side of the story. So tell me, girls, what's going on?"

Jackie and Dana traded glances. Dana then walked up to Mr. Majors, put a flash drive on his desk, and explained, "Mr. Majors, over the past week and a half, Jackie and I have heard that the members of the Loud family, several of whom are students at this school, have been abusing their only son and brother, Lincoln, a fifth grader at Royal Woods Elementary School. Now, I could tell you about the abuse, but I feel the details would be too horrific for most people to believe. So, my friends and I have obtained and compiled video and audio evidence of the abuse on this flash drive. And believe me when I say this, the child abuse is merely the proverbial tip of the iceberg with this family. I'm gonna warn you, the footage you are about to see is disturbing."

Mr. Majors assured the girls, "It's OK. I used to work with the CIA down at Guantanamo Bay."

Dana and Jackie gasped.

Mr. Majors, sensing the girls' apprehension, defended himself, "I never tortured anyone personally, I swear! I just know people who have. Many of them suffer severe psychological trauma after returning home. I know a colleague who attempted suicide due to his regret."

The girls cried, "We're sorry, Mr. Majors!", at once.

Mr. Majors sighed, "It's OK. Basically, what I'm trying to tell you is, you seem like nice girls, and I'm honored that you came to me with these concerns. But no matter how emotionally affected this alleged abuse is making you, violence is never the answer, let alone torture of the intensity discussed in this class. However, if the contents on this flash drive are disturbing enough to warrant the behavior I have seen recently, I believe it is my responsibility as an educator to investigate this footage."

With that, Mr. Majors put the flash drive in. Immediately, a documents screen opened, and Mr. Majors double-clicked on the first video: "001-Lincoln_Bad_Luck".

(Scene Change: Royal Woods High School Football Field PA Box)

Meanwhile, Whitney and Carol walked up the final steps of the grandstands to the public announcer's box at the top of the football field's grandstands above the fifty-yard line. It was a relatively large PA box with the brick exterior painted in white with the school's colors above the black door. Whitney whispered to Carol, "OK, here it goes."

Carol nodded before giving her signature one-three-one knock on the door. A few seconds later, Grant opened the door.

Carol chirped, "Grant!"

Grant smiled, "Hey, Carol! Whitney! Come on in, girls!"

Grant stepped aside, revealing a near-professional setup for Carol and Whitney to commentate flanked by wood-paneled walls and a wooden floor. The view of the field that the PA box provided through the windows was breathtaking, encompassing a couple of the subdivisions and suburban plazas that lay just beyond the school.

Whitney and Carol marveled, "Whoa!"

Grant smugly nodded, "Mm-hmm," before gushing, "I'm telling you, girls, this has everything!"

When Whitney and Carol saw the black leather seats by the microphones on top of the black and blue desks, they gasped before squealing and running over to the microphones. Whitney and Carol then took their seats and jokingly said, "Testing," into the microphone while giggling.

After letting the girls have some fun, Grant chuckled, "Alright, alright… let's get down to business."

Carol and Whitney then stood up and met Grant near the audio system. Once they settled, Grant bemoaned, "Listen, about Lincoln's situation. Poor little guy. If I knew what I know about the Louds now… oh god."

As Grant slumped to the floor and put his hands in his arms, Carol put her hand on Grant's shoulder and assured him, "Hey, it's not your fault. What happened in the past happened, and what matters is where we go from here."

Whitney smiled, "You've got that right."

Grant, now more assured, told Whitney and Carol, "Anyway, you've only got a day left, so let me show you around."

Whitney asked, "What about Melissa?"

Grant stated, "Eh, not worried about her. That girl will figure this out like that," snapping his fingers as he ended his sentence.

Everyone laughed before Grant went on, "Anyway, let me show you ladies how to work these systems for the big day. With the football team practicing, maybe we can do some audio test runs. They'll love the music you guys have planned."

(Time Skip: 3:55 PM, Royal Woods High School, Room 232)

Mr. Majors' jaw remained dropped in horror as the screen faded to black.

Jackie asked, "Uh… Mr. Majors… are you OK?"

Mr. Majors stammered, "Y-yeah. I-I m-mean, t-thank you girls for showing me this. M-mind if I save it on my computer?"

Dana nodded.

Then, after saving the footage, Mr. Majors sighed, "Girls, you can leave now. I'll see what I can do."

Dana took her flash drive out of Mr. Majors' computer and pocketed it before she and Jackie left the classroom.

Mr. Majors then pulled out his phone and searched his contacts for the name, "Big Bob". Upon clicking on his name and bringing up his contact card, he pressed, "Call."

Three dialtones rang before Big Bob answered, "Hello?"

Mr. Majors greeted, "Hey, Big Bob! Long time no chat, how's it going?"

Big Bob beamed, "Yo, Sasha! Same ol', same ol'. Ugh… so nice to finally hear from a friendly face."

Mr. Majors laughed, "I know, I know. Those bacha bazi Taliban fucks still liking those cockmeat sandwiches?"

Big Bob roared, "You know it! Just wish they'd capture those big guys, though. It's almost like they need to keep them on the lam just so these war hawks can make more money."

Mr. Majors chuckled darkly, "I hear that. And speaking of 'catching the big fish'… um, I have a favor to ask you and your boys."

Big Bob responded, "Sure. What is it?"

Mr. Majors asked, "How quickly can you and your team get to Royal Woods?"

Big Bob questioned, "Royal Woods? I mean, we can get there next week, provided we set everything up, but why would we need to go to Royal Woods?"

Mr. Majors replied, "Lisa Loud. And her family."

Big Bob inquired, "What about them?"

Mr. Majors sighed, "Long story short, some of my students came forward with evidence that the Louds have been severely abusing their only son and brother, Lincoln. Human experimentation, 24/7 surveillance with tracking chips implanted in the brain, deadly pranks… even leaving him locked out of his house all night for being 'bad luck'".

Big Bob gasped, "Did you say deadly pranks?"

Mr. Majors sighed, "Yeah."

Big Bob asked, "You still have Doug King's number?"

Mr. Majors replied, "Yeah," before asking, "But why would I need it?"

Big Bob explained, "Doug had to return to Royal Woods last week. Apparently, his in-laws died in a 'flaming bag of poop' prank gone wrong. If this Loud family is as bad as you say they are… they might have had something to do with it."

Mr. Majors groaned, "Like you wouldn't believe. I can send you and Doug the evidence if you want… I think I still have your email. Would have to take a few minutes to compress it all, but I think I can make it work."

Big Bob responded, "Lay it on me."

Mr. Majors nodded, "OK, I will. See ya, Big Bob. And keep me posted."

Big Bob affirmed, "I will," before ending the call.

Mr. Majors proceeded to compress all of the video and photographic evidence he had received of Lincoln's abuse into a single folder. He then attached the folder to an email addressed to Big Bob and Doug King, with the subject line, "DO NOT TRUST THE LOUDS". He then wrote, "Set up a meeting at the president's secret bunker in Royal Woods ASAP. I've got a doozy for you guys."

(Scene Change: McBride House)

Back at Clyde's house, the Sweetwaters, the McBrides, Lincoln, and Melissa remained frozen in their chairs, staring at the TV screen in horror.

In particular, the Sweetwater parents were so enraged that any trace of emotion did not appear on their faces. What did show on their faces was an eerily cold, calculating, look usually only found in the mugshots of history's most infamous criminals. They might as well have watched a baby get run over by a train, or the Loud kids set a whimpering puppy on fire.

Finally, Linda muttered, "My god…"

Brian exhaled, "They've done it again."

Lincoln looked down, tears staining his cheeks. After a bit, he wailed, "All night. With diarrhea. In a goddamn doghouse. In a fucking rainstorm. B-b-because of m-my p-photo a-album. W-who a-are t-these people?!"

Paige consoled, "Linky…"

"I don't want to hear it," Lincoln grumbled. "My only regret now is that I didn't steal my ex-housemates' money on the way out. Dang it, Luce. God fucking dang it. If I mean that little to them…"

Lincoln shook his head before clasping his hands to his face.

Lincoln sniffled, "B-b-because of m-my album. M-my photo album. T-they w-would have kept Lucy in if she had managed to destroy the book, or handed it over to one of… ugh… them, and let them destroy it. But she kept it. I-it might have been because she couldn't destroy it, but still. And they put her through all that for it."

Becky softly said, "Lincoln, if you need a break, we-"

"I DON'T!", Lincoln shouted.

Lindsay gasped, "Wait, Lincoln… did you just call her Lucy?"

Lincoln sniffled, "I'm sorry…. I just don't know how to feel right now. I mean, yeah, Lucy stood up for me, but she tried to burn my photo album just to stay inside that house. After I took the blame for her little 'Princess Pony' charade. And don't say our situations are the same. They're totally different. I mean, I know Lucy got locked out, but in a way, it's like I'm still the curse. It's funny, but it almost feels like I watched myself get locked out again."

The Sweetwaters traded glances as they let Lincoln's words sink in.

Lincoln incoherently said, "I… the squirrel suit… Lucy…", before slamming into Brian's tors and sobbing, "I… I l-love y-you. T-thank y-you. T-thank y-you a-all."

As Lincoln cried, Brian comforted him by stroking his hair, rubbing his back, and shushing him.

A tear-stricken Paige shook her head, "This is-"

"Completely messed up," Becky snarled.

"Oh, Lincoln," Linda lamented.

Lincoln sniffled before admitting, "Y-you know, I-I actually pictured each of my ex-housemates going through something like this in my head. And it felt good, you know? To think about them going through… what I went through. But now, watching this happen… for real… Lucy saying she's sorry… She understands. F-for once, one of them understands," before breaking into a fresh wave of sobs.

Everyone traded glances before joining Lincoln and Brian in a massive group hug. Soft, tender affirmations of love and caring filled the room as everyone cried together.

When everyone stopped crying, Lindsay sniffled, "Lincoln-"

Lincoln interrupted, "It's OK, Linds. I know what you probably want to do with this. Crop the worst parts of what we just saw as a video and show it to the world to prove that my ex-housemates can't change, and that if anyone sent me back into that madhouse, they would have continued doing that, if not worse, to me. If you want to do that, I'm not stopping you. As a matter of fact, I think it's the least we should do."

Everyone's jaws dropped. Lindsay and Clyde traded glances, with Clyde even slightly smirking, "Man with the Plan-"

"Does it again," Lindsay huffed.

Lincoln pleaded, "Guys… I know we watched the security footage together. And Clyde, you and I are bros, and I've told you basically everything about my life at my old house. So, please, let me tell you what I think of this."

Lincoln sighed before continuing, "When I came here, I was so pissed off I honestly couldn't see this happening. Girls, I'll admit… the way you guys planned things out, I guessed that without me, the lightning rod that absorbs all of the house's dysfunction, my ex-housemates would fall apart equally. Especially with us fanning the flames of their Sister Fight Protocol. However, watching what happened to Lucy reminded me of how my old house actually works."

Clyde tensed in understanding, while the Sweetwaters traded glances.

Lincoln explained, "When the household collective gangs up on someone… not just me, but anybody, they do not relent. Not even karma or an apology is enough to make them relent. They demand submission. They demand that person fully agrees with them that they were wrong. They demand that person not only convert to thinking and acting like the hivemind, but also to never even think that their individual way of doing things could be right ever again. A Sister Fight Protocol can still happen, yeah, and my ex-housemates can still fight with each other, but at a core level, they still band together against whatever common punching bag they've decided to turn against. Remember that one Sister Fight Protocol? Even though they couldn't agree whose dress it was, they all agreed on one thing: I was to 'butt out' until they resolved whatever petty conflict they had. And that agreement takes priority over any fighting they do amongst each other."

Lincoln paused to let everyone absorb his words.

When Lincoln saw a look of understanding flash in everyone's eyes, he continued, "Even if an extended ultra-Sister Fight Protocol is going on, and even if their hated person of choice has left the house, they're still going to fall back on a common punching bag. Usually, that person. Case in point: my ex-housemates have just started using Lucy as a lightning rod. You think it's a coincidence that happened almost as soon as I left that madhouse? And as soon as she started with that picture book of hers? That had my pictures in it? Since those monsters couldn't find me, and have no clue where to find me, they turned on the most convenient replacement they could. It just so happened to be Lucy. If I were still there… what you see happening to Lucy would be happening to me. And spooky wouldn't even support me through it all. She was the one who suggested my ex-housemates sell my furniture, and she didn't let me in, or ask my ex-housemates to get me out of that goddang squirrel suit."

Paige cried, "Lincoln, don't say that! You heard her!"

Lincoln shook his head, "I know Lucy. When it gets down to it, she'll be part of the household collective… just like everyone else."

Lindsay proposed, "Well, if that's true… that can be exploited. Think about what we've been doing, Linky. We tapped into your, well, everyone's, really, feelings of resentment and abandonment and turned them into this movement we have going now. Like you said, Lucy is still a Loud sister. That's not going to change. So, our first step is going to be to convince her to check with the hospital that her tracking chip's been removed. You know, standard procedure we do with anyone who wants to be part of this. We're going to do that by convincing her that her situation with you is not that hopeless, which will turn her despair into anger and a deep drive to prove herself to you. That should buy us time while we decide and arrange for what we're going to do about her in the long run."

Lincoln asked, "But won't the rest of my ex-housemates freak out when she disappears?"

Lindsay deadpanned, "You've seen the way they're treating her now, Lincoln. They'd probably call the hospital and tell them to quarantine everyone inside."

Lincoln raised his eyebrow. "OK, fair enough."

Lindsay added, "Plus, it'll also give us time to send an overnight delivery of a squirrel mascot suit to the Loud House. You know, just in case they feel like they need to be sure they can get their good luck charm back. So, if it turns out Lucy still has that chip lodged in her brain, we're going to borrow her photo album of you. When Lucy wakes up, we're going to tell her we 'found' the album, and that she can only get it back if she goes back to the Loud House."

Linda and Brian gasped before crossing their arms and glaring at Lindsay.

Linda yelled, "LINDSAY!"

Lincoln crossed his arms and challenged Lindsay, "And what will you do if she's clean, huh?!"

Lindsay smirked, "Regardless of whether she comes back clean or chipped, something tells me she'll still be angrier at the rest of her sisters and parents than at us for getting her in this mess. Which gives us a perfect opportunity: when she returns from the hospital, she tells the Louds she finally 'saw the light' and burned the album to help bring her family good luck. To avoid making them suspicious, we're gonna give it a little time… let it really sink in. During that time, she'll let us know that she's done what she's needed to do, which will give us time to set up everything we need. When we're ready, we're going to tell her to give the Louds a fake location to find 'you', and have her lead the rest of her family there. Little will they know, however… she's going to lead them right to their doom."

Lincoln asked, "Even if my family buys it, where would they even go?"

Lindsay pondered, "I don't know yet, but it's gotta be a place with a stage and a big TV screen that can show our lowlights reels. And a place many people in town already know where to go. A place where you'd go, Lincoln. By yourself."

"Hmm… Gus' Games 'n Grub. Ketcham Park might be an option, but we'd have to set it up. Oh, I've got it! We can 'ask' Marcus Quick into donating a jumbotron and a couple of rows of extra seats beyond the outfield wall of Royal Woods Baseball Stadium! It's perfect! They'll think they'll be able to use the new squirrel suit right away, and then, BAM!"

Paige asked, "What happens to Lucy, then?"

Lindsay shrunk in realization and feebly replied, "I don't know. I guess… that's what her time in the hospital will be for."

Lincoln asked, "Deciding that?"

Clyde nodded, "Yeah."

Lincoln shook his head.

Harold asked, "Lincoln… what's wrong?"

Lincoln admitted, "I don't know. I mean, I'm proud of her for recognizing what she did was wrong, but she still has to take her lumps."

Lindsay vowed, "And she will."

Lincoln groaned, "Guys, the only reason we agreed to go this far is because we all thought my ex-housemates would never learn. That they were unwilling to, and in some cases, incapable of learning. But this… what you guys said about the surgery… all of a sudden, I don't know."

Lincoln then wrestled with his thoughts, "But that fucking squirrel suit… and she didn't say anything. But giving her death is giving her what she wants-"

"Why don't you call everybody over to help you figure it out?", Clyde suggested.

Lincoln gasped, "You know what, Clyde, I might just do that. Guys, call an emergency co-conspirator meeting. At the Sweetwaters'-", before catching the warm smiles the Sweetwaters were giving him.

Lincoln cleared his throat before saying, "I mean… my place."

As the Sweetwaters beamed at Lincoln, Brian chimed in, "Oh, before you do that, I should mention two things. One, you're gonna need to crop the footage. You know, get the parts that are the most important."

Lincoln nodded.

Brian offered, "Second, about that picture on Principal Huggins' phone… you want Melissa and I to look into it?"

Lincoln stammered, "S-s-sure… why not?"

With that, everyone began unplugging the equipment, packing it, and taking it to their cars. As everyone began working to pack up the equipment, Becky whispered to Lincoln, "What about the rest of the Louds?"

Lincoln's eyes took on a steely glare. "Fuck them," he told Becky. "Fuck them with thorny cactuses up their asses."

Becky's jaw initially dropped, but later, her eyes moistened in understanding.

After a few minutes of packing up their cars, everyone set out for the Sweetwater manor.

(Scene Change: Room 113, Royal Woods Elementary School)

At their Morticians Club meeting, Haiku revealed, "Lucy revealed a most unfortunate predicament for our beloved Melissa. The spirits have told her that her end is nigh."

Persephone asked, "H-h-how nigh are we talking?"

Haiku shook her head, "Two weeks."

The Morticians Club gasped.

Bertrand shook his head. "No… no… not her," he murmured.

Haiku consoled Bertrand, "I sympathize with your concerns. And we will tell Melissa. However, she must not know until our job is done. One: I don't think she's the type to believe people like us. Two: if she learns about this, she might leave. And if she leaves, we lose a lot of our ability to spy on the Louds."

The Morticians Club traded horrified, understanding glances and head nods.

(Time Skip: 5:50 PM, Sweetwater Manor, Home Office)

Brian and Melissa laid down huddled on the floor on either side of the monitors, incoherently babbling in fetal positions. The room reeked of vomit.

Lincoln walked in the room and assured them, "Alright, guys, the lowlights reel is-", before observing the state they were in and breathing in the air.

Lincoln groaned in disgust before asking, "Whoa. What happened to-", before his eyes settled on the very image that had driven Brian and Melissa into the fetal position.

Lincoln scanned the room for a garbage bin, ran towards it, and violently vomited into the bin, his barely-digested pizza dinner joining the semi-digested remains of Brian and Melissa's lunches before he, too, collapsed to the floor.

The thudding of Lincoln's body against the hardwood floor stirred Brian back to his senses. He put his hands on the corner of the desk to steady himself back up, grimacing as he did so.

When Brian finally straightened, he took one look at Lincoln and sighed, "You saw that… didn't you?"

Lincoln, growing queasy again, muttered, "Please… please… let's not talk about it. Just… just get everybody here."

Brian groaned, "Thank God. Believe me… that was the tip of the-", before feeling himself get queasy yet again as he remembered what he and Melissa had just discovered. Brian then suggested through his heaving, "One meeting for the kids… and one meeting for the parents. I… I don't even know how we can begin to explain what we just saw to you and your friends."

Lincoln grumbled, "You don't have to tell me twice."

Melissa groaned, "Ugh… what happened," before her eyes shifted up, yet again meeting the image that had driven her to the state she had just recovered from. Upon locking eyes with the computer monitor, Melissa vomited again. This time, unable to reach a garbage can, the contents of her lunch spilled all over the floor. She tried her best to avoid face-planting into her own vomit, but ultimately failed.

Lincoln observed, "Give it at least half an hour," before he and Brian worked together to carry Melissa upstairs to Lincoln's bathroom.

Closing A/N: And with that… the world will know Lucy's fate! Logistically, this was another hard one for me to write. I was going back and forth, figuring out how the Sweetwaters and Lincoln would get this done. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it. But ya boy came through.

A/N 2: On Menchia's… it's kind of a hybrid of two restaurants where I grew up: Mainsha, a Jamaican restaurant, and Menchie's, a frozen yogurt place. Since "Mainsha" sounded like "Menchia's" the first time I heard it, I decided to merge the two together, and there you go! A nearby Jamaican restaurant for Royal Woods to enjoy!

A/N 3: "Big Bob" from Guantanamo Bay? Shoutout to Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Straight classic.

A/N 4: Here's the thing: at this point, word around town is that Lisa removed the Louds' tracking chips. Like with everyone else considered for induction into Lincoln and the Sweetwaters' group, they're just making sure. You know... to avoid Lisa's wrath.

A/N 5: You will know what Brian and Melissa found… but believe me, you'll wish you didn't.

A/N 6: On last chapter: Yeah… I deliberately designed that chapter, albeit with some help, to make as many people squirm as possible. Hopefully, Rusty has learned his lesson. But we'll see.

A/N 7: Yes, Delquea… I meant for a lot of characters in RoF to be a combination of retardation and utter insanity. And trust me… y'all ain't seen nothing yet.

A/N 8: Big shoutout to everyone who's helped me get past 200 follows and 1,000 reviews! The big 4 digits!

What will be revealed at the meeting? And what will everyone plan to do about Lucy, now that they know the truth? Find out next chapter on… REVERSAL! OF! FORTUNE!