"Don't you say hi to us, young man!" roared Rita; her voice was loud enough to wake the rest of the girls as they all slipped out of their rooms to watch what was happening.
"Lincoln, what were you doing? We walked out of our room to see Ronnie Anne missing, then checked your room to see you were missing too. Then we saw Ronnie Anne and Lisa walking back into the house," said Lynn Sr.
Lincoln wanted to lie, but he couldn't think of anything they'd believe, so he decided to be honest about where he'd been.
"To make a long story short, I tracked down the guys who attacked me and robbed the restaurant. It turns out they were all still hiding in the town,"
Both parents were dumbfounded, unable to process what they just heard.
"How did you even find them?"
"One of them had my phone; I used that to track him down, and once I captured him, I made him tell me where the others were," Lincoln explained. "Then I left them all hanging from the roof of the restaurant,"
"Like Spider-Man?" Lana asked. Rita and Lynn Sr gave her looks that made it clear that she was not supposed to be impressed by this, making her gulp.
"I suppose you girls helped?" Asked Rita, looking at Ronnie Anne, and Lisa.
"Don't be mad at them. Ronnie Anne tried to talk me out of it, and if it weren't for Lisa, I wouldn't have gotten any results," defended Lincoln.
"Lincoln, do you know the danger you put yourself in or your family? What if these men come looking for you or their friends?" Asked Lynn Sr.
"What do you think I did? I didn't leave signs saying, 'Lincoln Loud at so-and-so street did this to these goons.' How can they find out I was involved at all? Especially considering I technically wasn't the one who brought them down,"
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Lynn Sr.
"I mean, it wasn't Lincoln Loud who caught them; it was…"
Lincoln then commanded his nanites to transform back into his suit, surprising everyone, even showing off his nanite mouth.
"Apex did," Lincoln finished while speaking in his Apex voice.
"Woah cool," said Lana.
"A creature of the night, I like it," said Lucy.
"Meh," said Lola.
"Girls now is not the time to praise your brother for his recklessness," Lynn Sr said.
"Mom, Dad, I know you think I was being reckless, but look at it this way: all the evidence proving they were the ones who destroyed the restaurant has been sent to Detective Ross, along with other warrants. They are going to prison, and the BOA can't deny your claim, Dad," said Lincoln as he changed his suit.
"You know honey, he has a point,"
Rita immediately stared daggers at her husband, who immediately shut up before Rita began walking up to her son and petted his cheeks.
"Lincoln, when I saw you lying in that hospital bed, all I could think of was the fear of losing you, and then I thought of how many times I failed you as a mother,"
"Mom,"
"I can't bear the thought of losing you again,"
"Mom, I'm sorry I worried you, but at the same time, I finally feel like I did something,"
"Lincoln,"
"Mom, look at Royal Woods; in the past four years since Vic became Mayor, in the beginning, we protested, but now we just let him do whatever, and look what happened. There's a hotel full of degenerate scumbags, and the restaurant in my life was nearly destroyed for just $200, and the guys who did it would have been out of town by sunrise," Lincoln explained. "I know what I did was reckless, dangerous, and stupid, but somebody had to do something."
"You're Right, Lincoln; something needs to be done, and I think it's time to start. Lynn, call the girls and the Casagrandes; we're having a meeting tonight after we come home from the police station and City Hall," Rita said with a bit of a sigh.
…Later…
Everyone left except Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, Rita, and Lynn Sr. made him stay home, calling the school and telling them he'd be out sick. Since Ronnie Anne still couldn't get home until Lana replaced parts in her car, Rita and Lynn Sr. allowed her to stay in the house with Lincoln. Ronnie Anne was sitting on the couch going over last night while happy Lincoln got his revenge; still, she felt useless since it was Lisa running mission control and she was just in the passenger seat.
"Guess I'll watch some TV while Lincoln is asleep,"
As Ronnie Anne flipped through the channels, each one more boring than the other, a thought popped into her head about some real fun she could be having.
"I'm missing out on a golden opportunity; I should be with Lincoln, kissing him, hugging him, and fucking him,"
That last one made Ronnie Anne's face red with shame and embarrassment.
"Stupid Casagrande Heat!!"
When Ronnie Anne was just being hit by puberty years ago, her mother and Abuela sat her down for "The Talk." Maria and Rosa went over the basics of what girls go through; however, Rosa added another condition Ronnie Anne might develop called "The Casagrande Heat." Rosa explained that The Casagrande Heat is a medical condition that causes the Casagrande women to become easily aroused and extremely hot and bothered, sort of like an increased libido that ran in the family. Maria scoffed at that idea, pointing out that no one in their family has developed it in generations and that she, Carlota, or even Rosa never developed that condition, dismissing it as an old wives tale. While Rosa acknowledged this, she also wanted Ronnie Anne not to ignore it. However, Ronnie Anne dismissed it until she was 15 at her quinceanera when she started to see Lincoln in a new light after they danced together. That night, Ronnie Anne dreamt about her dance but with a much more erotic ending. The next day, she woke up remembering every detail of her dream and realized she had an erotic dream, not the cutesie one she used to have of Yoon Kwan; this was full-on lust-driven. This went on for years, even after she and Lincoln started dating. Things came to a head when, one day after Lincoln's 17th birthday, he wanted to surprise her only to walk in on her while she was masturbating and moaning his name. After a long, awkward situation, the two talked, and one thing led to another, and they ended up having their first time. After they were done and cleaned up, Lincoln left, and Rosa came home cryptically, telling Ronnie Anne never to question her grandmother again.
"Damnit, one dirty thought, and I'm ready to get under the sheets and break the bed."
"Is that so?" Said Lincoln.
Ronnie Anne jumped when she heard Lincoln behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw he was wearing only his orange sweatpants. Lincoln walked over and sat next to her.
"What are you doing up? You're supposed to be sleeping,"
"I was going to get some water when I heard you had a little problem,"
"Before you get any ideas, Lame-o, remember well, I'm watching you, and Lisa is watching us both,"
Lisa also stayed home and worked in her bunker all morning.
"Yeah, so why don't we both just watch the news and see if there's anything about Apex?
"Speaking of Apex, any idea why Lisa wanted the nanites you used to make your suit?"
"Probably some experiment," shrugged Lincoln.
The couple switched to the local news channel just in time for the breaking news. The anchor began explaining how six men, one in his underwear, were found early in the morning hanging from the roof of local restaurant Lynn's Table and arrested. They then switched to Katherine Mulligan-Spokes, standing across the street from the restaurant. Katherine went into detail about how, after the men were rescued, Detective Ross immediately arrested them and how the men happily surrendered after evidence surfaced proving their involvement in the burglary and vandalism of Lynn's Table. Lincoln couldn't help feeling proud, feeling he got the desired results. However, before Lincoln could voice it, Lisa came rushing in excitedly.
"Success!"
"Huh?" They replied as Lisa walked in with a seemingly ordinary watch, say for the red button, which she placed on Lincoln's wrist.
"Lisa? What is this?" asked Lincoln
"I upgraded the nanites you used to make your costume, and I think you'll like it,"
"Okay, what's the watch for?"
"It's an old watch Darcy gave me that now houses the nanites; when you press the red button, they are programmed to activate and instantly form into your costume; give it a try,"
Lincoln got up and walked away from the couch; once a safe distance away, he pressed the button. Tiny hatches opened up, and the nanites began rushing out, covering Lincoln while forming the Apex costume until it was fully manifested.
"Whoa," was all Lincoln could say.
"3.5 seconds, impressive," timed Lisa.
"Wait, something called neuro-link is establishing,"
"Oh good, it's starting,"
"What is?" Asked Ronnie Anne.
"I added a neuro-link to the costume that links these external nanites to the ones in your body,"
"For?"
"I realized that while I don't know the full extent of your ability to create things with your nanites, I foresee that it would take a lot of focus to create anything quickly and correctly, which can be hard during a fight,"
"Yeah, it can be,"
"Well, thanks to the new system I installed, the suit can create it for you by accessing your nanites; all you have to do is select what you need through your new updated HUD screen with your mind. I added a few preselected items into combative and non-combative categories to work as a sort of blueprint for more convenience," Lisa informed.
Curious, Lincoln did just that and opened a HUD screen inside; he accessed the folder combative; inside was a list of various weapons. Now more curious, Lincoln settled for a throwing star, which quickly manifested in his hand. Wanting to test it, he threw the throwing star to a nearby wall, and it stuck.
"Okay, that's pretty cool," said Ronnie Anne.
"Also, you can telepathically recall the nanites back to you,"
Lincoln nodded before reaching out with his hand, causing the throwing star to dissolve into nanites that flew back to him and absorbed into the suit.
"Also, there are various restraining devices in the non-combative folder. I installed an external hard drive within the suit; it's about 5 TB to store data on hand in case you ever get cut off from The Loud Cloud,"
"Lisa, how did you do this?" asked Lincoln.
"I shrunk Todd down and had him install the new hardware into the nanites. The system can connect and disconnect when the costume is active or not,"
"Why all this?" Asked Ronnie Anne.
"I realize something after last night's events; while vigilantism is considered barbaric, but coordinated properly, I believe it can be an effective way to rid Royal Woods of its problems,"
"You're asking me to become some full-on vigilante?" Asked Lincoln.
"Would you rather go through the arduous process of becoming a legal police officer who has to deal with bureaucracy and legal restrictions?" Lisa asked back.
"You have a point," admitted Lincoln.
"I'm surprised you haven't made a version of this for yourself, Lisa." Ronnie Anne said.
"The thought did cross my mind, Ronnie Anne, but I'm prioritizing understanding this situation for now before attempting to recreate it. That way, if I need to, I can improve it."
"Improve it? I'm super strong, can shapeshift, connect to the internet with my mind, and make things out of thin air. What more do you want? Time travel?" Lincoln asked.
"No, but you can always build a better mousetrap brother."
"Fair point,"
"So, male sibling, are you interested?"
Lincoln felt conflicted, but Lisa stopped him before he could say anything, realizing she had left Todd shrunken in the bunker.
"Dang it, I'll be right back; if you want to remove the suit, just think it, and it'll return to the watch," Lisa called while leaving.
Lincoln did just that before looking at the watch, which was conflicting with him, something Ronnie Anne saw.
"Linc, you okay?"
"This feels nuts. I mean, I donned this suit to find those jerks, and I figured that would be it, but what Lisa wants me to do is more than I expected,"
"Maybe you and Lisa should talk,"
"How do you feel if I become Apex?"
"Well, I,"
Suddenly, Todd and Lisa walked in, with the latter still apologizing to the former.
"I said I was sorry,"
"I had to fight a germ. Do you know how hard it is to fight something that multiplies every time you cut it in two?"
"We'll talk later,"
…Later…
Later that night, the elder Loud sisters and the Casagrandes were over; Lynn Sr. and Rosa worked together to prepare a meal. A couple of the kids there begged Lincoln to show off some of his features, but he said this was not the right time for that, much to their chagrin and the relief of his parents. Lincoln also wondered where Clyde and his friends were since he had invited them over, too, but Clyde had called and said he and the others would be a little late since they were getting things ready for their next action news episode at the Royal Woods Mall. After entering high school, Lincoln and his friends realized there was no news program like in middle school. Not wanting to end the action news team, they made their club and began live-streaming. However, that was the least of his concerns, as his older sisters scolded him for his vigilantism. Later, as everyone sat down to eat, Lynn Sr. and Rita thought now would be the best time to make their announcements.
"Everyone, Rita and I have big news we'd like to share."
"Oh, please don't tell us you're pregnant again?!" Lori bemoaned.
"No, dear, not that. For starters, the BOA has finally approved my claim, and with the money I will be receiving. Lynn's Table should be back in business in a few weeks," announced Lynn Sr. while everyone cheered. "Now Rita has even bigger news, Honey?"
"Thank you, Lynn; as you all are aware, Royal Woods hasn't exactly been the same since Vic McGillicuddy became mayor,"
"Tell me about it," said Lola.
"Well, this fall is the mayoral elections, and I've decided to run,"
Everyone gasped before cheering for Rita's announcement, which made her happy.
"Mom, that is literally great news, but you're starting a little late,"
"I know, Lori, but I think I can do this and put our town back on the right path,"
"Well, we'll support you however we can," Lori replied.
While everyone congratulated Rita, Leni suddenly got a text from her friend, Miguel; upon reading it, her eyes widened.
"O M Gosh!" said Leni.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Lynn Sr.
"I just got a text from Miguel; the men who hurt Linky were gunned down in front of the courthouse!!"
"WHAT!!" Everyone replied.
"He said this black van pulled up and shot them, and they drove off. The police chased them to the Royal Woods mall, but they crashed through the main entrance and triggered the lockdown security, locking the police out," Leni informed.
"Wait, aren't Clyde and the others still at the mall?" Asked Luan.
"O M Gosh, you're right!!"
When Leni said that, Lincoln immediately headed for the door, but Lynn Jr. stepped in his way, stopping him.
"Where do you think you're going, Stinkin'?"
"Move or be moved, Lynn!"
"I won't; even if you got powers, I can still take you down if I have to,"
Lincoln glared at his sister, about to activate his watch, when Rita stepped in, calming them down.
"Lincoln, I know you want to help, but going out there and taking the law into your own hands is not the way,"
"You expect me to leave my friends' lives in the hands of jerks who accused me before getting the facts?"
Rita didn't get to answer before someone turned on the TV to the news, showing a visibly distressed Katherine Mulligan-Spokes. Trying her best to stay calm, she confirmed that the hostages were being held in the mall and the gunmen had threatened to kill them in one hour if they weren't allowed to leave. Hearing that, everyone looked up to see Lincoln had already slipped out
"He didn't!" said Rita, running outside, finding no sign of him. "He did,"
"Oh, I am so teaching him a lesson when he gets back." Rued Lynn Jr. is making a fist.
"Oh please, we all know that if you had those abilities, you'd be doing the same thing," said Lucy.
Lynn Jr. scoffed, but deep down, she knew Lucy was right.
Lisa then got up from the table and headed to the door.
"Lisa, where are you going?" asked Leni.
"I'm going to assist Lincoln from my bunker; if any of you want to watch, you're free to follow me,"
Lincoln was running as fast as he could. He was already out of the suburbs and into town, and before he knew it, he was standing on the mall's roof. Lincoln was amazed at how easy it was for him to get to this point; he couldn't tell if it was because of his skills or the police's incompetence. However, Lincoln did notice multiple technicians trying to overwrite the lockdown.
"Okay, time to hunt like an apex predator, and now that I've actually said that I'm glad no one was around to hear it"
Lincoln activated the watch and, in seconds, changed into his Apex suit. Lincoln was checking himself out when he started hearing Lisa's voice.
"Lisa, is that you?"
"If you're done looking over your new suit and trying to make witty catchphrases, I believe it's time to get to work,"
Lincoln blushed and then nodded before morphing his hands into claws, creating an opening into the mall. Dropping in, Lincoln was ready for a fight; however, to his surprise, no one was there except for the van that had crashed through the main entrance, triggering the lockdown.
"Where is everyone?"
"Try your special vision," informed Lisa.
Lincoln did just that as he scanned the immediate area. Everyone watching in the bunker was entirely surprised by what they saw through Lincoln's eyes displayed on the monitor. Then, Lincoln noticed a barely visible blue aura in the distance.
"I think I got something, and it's in the direction of the auditorium,"
"Of course, if I had hostages, I would keep them somewhere; I could keep an eye on them all," said Lisa.
"I'm heading there,"
Everyone was watching with great intent; no one knew how to feel; all they could do was watch.
"Lynn, how could we just let our son do something so dangerous?"
"I don't like it either, sweetie, but what can we do?" He replied.
"Just have faith in him," Ronnie Anne said, causing everyone to stare at her. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to be 100% okay with this, but I know Lincoln's heart is in the right place, so the best I can do is have faith in him,"
Everyone nodded and focused back on Lincoln, hiding in the auditorium's rafters. Using his vision again, he saw all the hostages sitting in the center front row. Lincoln counted at least 50 hostages and managed to find Clyde, Zach, Rusty, Liam, and Stella in the crowd due to their auras being green instead of blue. Unfortunately, Lincoln also counted five armed hostiles due to their red auras and glowing yellow objects in their hands.
"Okay, four are guarding the aisle, and one is on the stage; he looks pretty irate."
"Damnit, all we had to do was kill those guys; if those pigs hadn't chased us, we wouldn't have crashed into this stinking mall and got locked in here," moaned the man. "Okay, no choice; we're going to have to kill someone to get our point across,"
"Are you crazy, dawg?" Called Rusty.
"You guys caused the lockdown when you crashed into the mall; they're probably trying to unlock it," explains Stella.
"Well, maybe killing one of you will convince them to work faster, and I think I'll start with carrot top,"
One of the men grabbed Rusty and pulled him out of his seat. The rest of Lincoln's friends tried to help, but the other men threatened to shoot them if they moved. Rusty was then dragged to the stage and tossed before the gunman on stage.
"Nothing personal, kid, but we gotta teach the world what happens when you threaten a predator," said the man, cocking his Glock and pointing it at Rusty.
Rusty closed his eyes, awaiting his fate, until everyone heard something cutting through the air and moving fast. The man could only watch as something flew through the barrel of his gun before it fell off, cleanly cut, and rendered useless. Shocked, the man looked to his left to see a knife pinned to the floor.
"What the hell!? Who did that!?"
"Sorry, that line was so bad I had to throw something,"
Everyone looked up, realizing that the voice came from the rafters. Looking up, the man noticed someone in an orange and black costume standing in the rafters.
"What the hell are you supposed to be?"
"Call me Apex,"
"Apex? You're a little late for Halloween," the man mocked.
"But it's never too late for Fall,"
Lincoln fell backward off the rafters and began plummeting to the floor. Suddenly, Lincoln's cape opened up, and he began gliding and immediately flew toward the man on stage like a missile. With no time to react, the man was helpless as Lincoln grabbed him by the face, slamming him down as he landed and sliding them both across the stage.
"Woah, that was intense,"
Everyone who watched was in awe at what Lincoln had just done; even Lisa and Ronnie Anne were speechless.
"Woah, that was so cool," cheered Lana.
Lincoln released the now unconscious man in the auditorium and returned to Rusty.
"Rusty, are you okay?"
"Dawg, how do you know my name?"
Before Lincoln could respond, he heard four guns being cocked as the remaining men all pointed their guns pointing at Lincoln.
"You made a big mistake; now we're gonna light you up like a Christmas tree,"
Lincoln showed no care as he flung four throwing stars, hitting all four guns at the exit point. Afraid, the men tried firing, only for the guns to explode in their hands.
"Talk about backfire,"
While Luan found Lincoln's jokes funny, she was too tense to laugh. Back in the auditorium, the enraged men ran towards Lincoln; however, the hostages took the opportunity to run, except for Clyde and the others, who took out their phones and began recording. Seeing the danger, Lincoln tossed Rusty to safety, landing him in one of the chairs.
"Woah, dawg,"
The first man got and charged Lincoln; he began swinging wildly at Lincoln. However, Lincoln knew how to control the flow of a fight like this. Lincoln started dodging each attack, angering his attacker more, until he tried lunging at Lincoln; he quickly sidestepped him, tripping his attacker and making him fall on his face and knock himself out. The other men got on stage and pulled out knives. However, Lincoln was a step ahead as he manifested escrima sticks. The three men charged Lincoln, but he quickly bashed their wrists, forcing them to drop the knives while they yelled in pain from their wrists being broken.
"Let this be a lesson to you; never bring knives to a stick fight," said Lincoln, knocking them out. Luan almost laughed at that one but still couldn't.
As the men fell to the ground, their leader started to wake up; seeing his men unconscious and most of his bargaining chips gone, the man knew he was done for as he got to his feet.
"Those pigs might get me, but I'm going to get you," screamed the man as he ran to Lincoln, pulling out his knife.
The man charged while Lincoln had his back turned; when he was close, Lincoln spun around before disarming him. Dumbfounded, the man was helpless as Lincoln grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him up. As the man struggled, Lincoln made his monster mouth appear terrifying the man. The leader screamed in horror before he started begging for his life.
"Please don't kill me,"
"Tell me what I want to know, and you walk out with your limbs. Why did you kill those men?"
"We were hired to,"
"Who hired you!?"
"It was…the boss…," said the man before he fainted.
"He fainted! The little worm fainted on me!" growled Lincoln as he restored his mask to normal. He then surveyed the area, searching for additional hostile auras.
Lincoln then approached his friends, who were understandably afraid of him since they recorded everything.
"You guys okay?"
"Uh, sure, you're not gonna eat us, are you," asked Clyde.
"Clyde, it's me, Lincoln," Lincoln informed as he opened his mask, revealing his face before closing it back.
Everyone froze in shock, unable to fathom who saved them.
"Uh dawg, I think I speak for everyone when I say what the hell?"
"I'll explain tomorrow, see you then,"
"But the lockdown is still on," said Stella,
"Taken care of,"
Suddenly, a pre-recorded message announced that the lockdown was lifted as all the gates and bars around the windows were removed. Everyone turned back to see Lincoln was gone.
"Dudes, did he just pull a Batman on us?" Asked Zach.
"Looks like we have one day to write down every question, so let's get out of here and get to work," Stella advised.
The moment people could get out, they ran. The friend group was the last to walk out, with Katherine Mulligan-Spokes running up to hug her son, much to his embarrassment. Once outside, Clyde and the others looked around, trying to find Lincoln, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Hidden away, Lincoln looked over the area, trying to find any malicious auras, surprise traps, or anything that wasn't supposed to be there. He had to be sure that whoever was responsible for this, for anything that had been connected to him, was still here. Lincoln left when there was no sign of trouble; returning home, he was met with a mixture of praise and criticism. Lincoln couldn't blame either side. Eventually, everything died down, and as Lincoln's older sisters left along with the Casagrandes, Ronnie Anne promised to call Lincoln tomorrow. That night, he barely slept; he couldn't stop thinking about what he had done that day, and some of them started wondering if being a vigilante could actually do some good for Royal Woods.
The next day, Lincoln headed to school; two of the most significant topics were Rita Loud running for mayor and Apex. Apex was a more significant topic among the high schoolers. Clyde and the others posted footage of Lincoln ending the hostage situation, and questioning came flooding in. Lincoln's punishment was lifted a little by lunchtime, and he was allowed to eat in the lunchroom with his friends.
Lincoln quickly recapped everything that happened until last night, leaving his friends shocked, amazed, and horrified.
"Dawg, you're a robot now?" Asked Rusty.
"I believe the proper term is bionic,"
"Can we become bionic?" Clyde asked.
"I'm not sure how it happened to me, so don't count on it," Lincoln said.
"That creep Tony has to be behind this," said Stella.
"For now, I can't prove it. Lisa looked through all of his data, and nothing links him to what happened to me,"
"And who is this "The Boss"? What's his problem with you?" Asked Clyde.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out,"
"You mean we're going to find out," said Stella.
"I'm not going to tell any of you not to be involved, but as your friend, I have to warn you at least that what happened yesterday could happen again." Lincoln pointed out.
"Good and bad happened yesterday." Zach reminded Lincoln.
"However, we can help. The action news team has your back,"
"I guess it would be good to have more help than just Lisa," Lincoln admitted.
"Plus, it'll be good to have someone spreading the truth instead of Vic claiming you're a menace," mentioned Clyde.
"Yeah, no doubt he's going to use the media against me,"
"But we'll counter with the truth," said Stella.
"You know, dawg, you need a secret lair,"
Everyone gave Rusty a hard "Really" look before he quickly defended himself.
"What? Batman has the Batcave,"
"Rusty, where would I even find a place?"
"What about our old Hideout at Tall Timbers Park," Clyde suggested.
"That's actually a great idea,"
…Later…
After school, Lincoln headed to the old HQ in Tall Timbers Park with his friends and Lisa to check it out. Lisa took a moment to look around, noting the potential.
"This seems to have potential,"
"It does?" Asked Lincoln.
"Which is why I brought this,"
Lisa then revealed a box with a red button, setting it in the center. Lisa pressed the button and left with everyone following.
"What did you just do?" Asked Clyde.
"You'll see in 24 hours, but until then, Lincoln and I need to get home to watch our mother on TV,"
Everyone nodded and left for the day; Lincoln and Lisa walked home.
"Lisa, do you really think what I'm doing is a good idea,"
"In all honesty, in the past, I would think this would be a terrible idea, but after everything that happened and how the "law" did nothing, I think we have a better chance of setting things right,"
"I guess you're right,"
"You'll see,"
…Later…
Back at the house, Lincoln and his sisters watched an exclusive with their mother and Katherine Mulligan-Spokes. The latter asked a few tough questions, but Rita powered through. Rita points out all the problems Royal Woods faced and needs a mayor who cares about the town, not the perks. When Katherine asked about Apex, Rita also had an answer for him. Rita cited how while she can't approve of what he's doing, she does appreciate what he's doing. When Katherine asked for an explanation, Rita was ready to elaborate. Rita explained that Apex is most likely a citizen who became so fed up with our town's problems that he took it upon himself to fix it; she then ends it by explaining how if Royal Woods pulled together like the community used to be again then one person won't have to feel like they need to take on the responsibility of protecting our town alone. Everyone applauded Rita, and she thanked Katherine before the program ended.
"Looks like mother is instantly becoming popular," said Lucy.
"Do you think mom could handle being the mayor," asked Lana.
"I don't know, but I do want to see the look on Vick's face, knowing he's going to be out of a job in a few months," said Lola.
"Poo-Poo," agrees Lily.
…Later…
Late at night, Vic was pacing the floor in his office; he had been doing so for hours since Rita Loud's televised interview. Vic knew Rita was more popular by a significant margin and knew he was in trouble.
"I can't lose this to her; there's got to be a way for me to win,"
A Vic stood before his mirror; he removed his toupee, wiping the sweat from his balding head before returning it.
"Only one person can help me now, I just hope he's forgiven me,"
Grabbing a trench coat, Vic left City Hall and made his way to his destination, ensuring no one followed him. Arriving at his destination, the Royal Woods Spa Hotel, Vic approached one of the bouncers.
"I need to talk to The Boss,"
The bouncer radioed someone; moments later, another man came downstairs to lead him up.
"Right this way, Mr. Mayor,"
"Keep it down," cautioned Vic.
The two headed inside to a private elevator to take them directly to the penthouse. Upon exiting, they walked right into a mansion-like apartment; following the man, Vic was led to a large door; stepping through, he walked into a large office; on the other end, opposite Vic, was a large desk with someone sitting at it cloaked in shadow from the cloud blocking the moon. Vic slowly approached the desk before speaking.
"Sir. I know I've messed up, but I need your help,"
Slowly, the clouds parted, and the moon began to shine through, revealing who was sitting at the desk. That person was none other than Tony McCann, who looked unamused by Vic's pleadings. While Tony was sent to Royal Woods to avoid the backlash of his actions, it was also to run the hotel his father bought, although the latter wouldn't be officially his until after graduation.
"Vic, you have a lot of nerve begging for my help, considering how badly you messed up,"
"Sir!"
"I told you to hire some professional to deal with that idiot Loud for ruining my harem dream; I even supplied you with the TTX darts; instead, you hired some random thug in my hotel and his goons,"
"I know," replied Vic, sounding like a child in trouble.
"I said for them to make sure it didn't get traced back to me,"
"But sir, it didn't,"
"Because I had to step in because 1. You let those idiots back into Royal Woods, and they got arrested. 2. I had to waste my money to shut them up by hiring actual professionals, and then I told you to make sure no cops were there during their transport, but you failed at that, too. Now, because the guys I hired got captured by some masked clown, I have to make sure they don't talk,"
Tony then heard a notification sound coming from his desk and pulled it out, revealing a different phone. There was a text message that only read, "It's done," before Tony sighed.
"More lives sacrificed because of your incompetence,"
Vic let out a terrified gulp, knowing full well what Tony had done.
"You know McGillicuddy, when my father helped you become mayor, he thought you'd be a great addition to our little team, but that's being questioned,"
"It is?"
"However, since you're still useful, I'm willing to forgive your idiocy,"
"You are?"
"You go on and keep being the mayor; I'll deal with the rest and call you later with the details,"
Nodding, Vic got his feet and ran as fast as he could while Tony turned to look out his window. At the same time, another man approached his desk, but Tony didn't bother to turn around.
"Sir, I have a few updates,"
"Go on,"
"We just got a call from the lab; our new product is ready for testing,"
"Good, tell my dad, then have a shipment sent here and have sample packs readied; we'll test it out in the hotel, give some of these idiots a sample of the stuff once they're hooked it, then they'll be willing to do anything including what I have planned for my graduation,"
"Yes, Sir," said the man leaving.
Tony continued looking out his window, thinking to himself. "After graduation, you'll be begging to take me back…Stella,"
End Of Ch. 4
Author's Notes
I should clear a few things up
1. Tony's father is a drug kingpin but hides his activities through his legitimate businesses; Chandler and the rest of his family are unaware of this.
2. Tony's father was the one who bought the hotel right after he helped Vic become Mayor.
3. While the hotel does have a strip club and Casino, unknown to everyone, there is also a brothel as people can pay to sleep with strippers on the upper floors.
4. Regarding Tony's relationships with Nikki and Stella, he saw Nikki as someone he could exploit and discard. He is more attracted to Stella and wants her back, not out of love but because of his pride. He sees her as his possession and doesn't have the right to reject him . (The man is a narcissistic pig in every aspect of the word)
5. Does anybody have a name for Lincoln's new vision? I was going to go Apex Mode, but let me know if you have a better name.