Before the tragedy that unfolded, Lynn didn't think that he was capable of hatred. While he hadn't had the perfect life and had been on the receiving end of mistreatment in the past, Lynn could never bring himself to hate another human being. Even through all the arguments and fights he'd had with his brother over the years, Lynn still held love for his sibling.

When his father would subtly favor his older brother whilst paying little attention to Lynn's own accomplishments, Lynn still found it in his heart to forgive him. When a critic left an extremely harsh review of his passion project, Lynn's Table, Lynn tried his best not to let it bother him and allowed his family's love to drown out the negativity.

For the longest time, Lynn thought that there was no act on Earth that could make him have sheer loathing for one of his fellow humans. That there was no action that Lynn could consider unforgivable. That all changed on a cold November night.

"Alright, be right back kiddos. Just sit tight."

The final words that Lynn had ever said to his young son and daughter still haunted him to this day. Although Lynn had managed to forgive himself and relief himself of the guilt he felt for Luan and Lio's deaths, that did not take the pain away. That did not change the disdain he had for the person responsible for the tragedy that transpired.

The very sight of seeing his children brutalized and lying in a pool of their own blood had already traumatized him, but the mystery of wondering what kind of reprehensible human being could commit such an act kept him up at night. The visual still haunted his nightmares. The thought of his children being terrified in their final moments on Earth drove him to tears.

Seeing that their last acts had been to protect and comfort each other made him sob even harder. Luan and Lio never hurt anyone. Even the rambunctious prankster of the family always came from a place of joy and desire to put smile on faces. His son took up an oath to be a gentleman and treated it with the utmost seriousness.

The two were known to spread joy whenever they could or at least attempt to. It was this knowledges that made Lynn question how a human could be so cruel and sadistic towards them? Could the person responsible even be called a human after what they'd done?

Lynn had seen the camera footage and though he didn't know the man behind the slaughter, he hated them. He truly did. No matter how much he tried to talk himself out of the thought, no matter how much he tried to appeal to his own humanity, there was no other word than hatred to describe Lynn's feelings towards them.

The murderer was still out there somewhere and Lynn didn't know what he wanted to happen to them. Obviously he wanted them to be caught, but what would happen after the fact? On the one hand, life behind bars with no chance of release was on a paper a fitting punishment, especially knowing how inmates treated those among them who harmed kids.

The simple fact of the matter was however that even if he were to be caught, he'd likely be kept in a separate block away from the general population and never have a hand laid on him. He would be kept alive, allowed to eat and be afforded shelter. Why was such scum deserving of such mercy? Mercy that hadn't been shown to his children. Capital punishment had been outlawed in Michigan for 6 decades so that was out of the question.

On the other hand however, death itself still seemed too merciful for the monster responsible. Almost an easy escape. Even death by the chair was too lenient in Lynn's mind.

Luan and Lio had suffered in their last breaths taken. Their deaths had been torturous and slow. This animal deserved to suffer as they had.

Lynn listened to the thoughts running through his head and rather than be terrified by them, he embraced them. Lynn wanted his children back. He wanted to be able to hug Luan and Lio again.

He wanted to hear Luan's laugh one more time paired with her trademark puns.

He wanted to listen to one of Lio's rambling sessions about the gentleman to aspire to be in Jonathan Joestar and how they wished to be as kind hearted as the fictional hero. Lynn was robbed of that and it's something he could never feel again.

How would any loving father react to such harsh realities?

Lynn hated this monster, this abomination, this inhuman filth, with every fiber of his being. The only thing keeping Lynn from further spiraling was the rest of his family. Lynn had to live for them. Lynn had to carry on for them. Lynn had to be there for them.

Lynn didn't know if he'd ever be whole again. A part of him had died alongside Luan and Lio that night. What Lynn could do however is hold himself together for his remaining children and cherish them the best he could. He would always love them more than life itself. Lynn put away his tea, which had long since gone stone cold, and prepared to cook dinner for his family. They were deserving of a treat tonight and the nights that followed. Anything to dull their pain if he could.

Lynn wasn't overly worried about his family. They would overcome this tragedy just as they'd overcome every other hardship and obstacle that'd stepped in their way. They were Louds after all, and Louds never quit. But if they needed help along the way, Lynn would be right there for them.

Lincoln yawned and stretched his arms as he awoke. The boy reached over to grab his cell phone before the day began, only to reach his something in something moist and sticky. The boy yelped as he recoiled in disgust, pulling his hand back to find it covered in green slime.

"Rise and slime, Linc!" Luan enthusiastically greeted him, letting off another pun to accentuate the good morning. "Nice to green you!"

Luan followed that up with her signature energetic cackle followed by her catchphrase of "Get it?"

She was soon after joined by her well known partner in crime, Lincoln's own twin, Lio.

"You seem like you're in a gooey mood this morning, Niisan," Lio giggled, "I take it you had a good ooze?"

Lincoln couldn't help himself but laugh at the two as he got out of bed.

"Alright," he smiled, "you two got me good."

"Thanks for being a good sport, Linc," Luan said, giving her little brother a pat on the head.

"Are you still coming to my track meet today?" Lio asked, wiggling their eyebrows, "You know there's a chance Hosa will be there."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Lincoln promised his twin, prompting the latter to hug him.

"Thanks Niisan!" They exclaimed, "you're the best twin ever!"

"I wouldn't say I'm the best," Lincoln joked, "but if you say so…"

"Lincoln… Lincoln…"

"Huh?"

"Lincoln…"

Lincoln was awakened by being shaken, stirring him from his slumber. Damnit, it was just another dream. Lincoln groggily sat up in bed to find Lori sitting on the edge of her bed.

"It's time to get ready for school," Lori informed him gently, "I'm taking you and the others in Vanzilla to help out Mom & Dad."

"Thanks Lori," Lincoln said, forcing a smile on his face.

Lori could sense his distress and wrapped him up in a tight hug. She held onto him for several minutes, just in case the boy wanted to cry. In spite of it all, Lincoln held strong.

Lincoln had missed Lori greatly since she departed for college and truthfully wished she could be around more often. Of course, he didn't want them to be under these circumstances.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes," Lincoln told her.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lori asked him.

"I'll be fine," Lincoln promised her, hesitant to let go.

Lori understood and maintained their embrace for a full two minutes. When Lincoln felt reassured, he let go, with Lori giving him a comforting smile as the 12 year old made his way towards the bathroom.

The house was certainly a lot less Loud without Luan and Lio.

"Welcome home Maria!" Delilah greeted her daughters as Lina returned from picking up Maria from the middle school, "And thank you so much, Lina for your help."

"It's the least I could do," Lina replied, watching as Delilah peeled potatoes.

"I'll be taking the car to pick up Helga in a couple of hours if you don't mind and Ash is still sleeping over at the Taylors," Delilah informed the girls, "dinner tonight is going to be beef stew, but I bought some muffins from the store if you fancy a snack."

"Thanks Mom," Maria and Lina thanked her, with Maria producing a worksheet packet and asking Delilah, "Is Kitty Kat still in her room?"

Delilah nodded and smiled sadly.

"I did get her to eat some bacon and eggs this morning," she said, "but other than that, she's been in her room all day. As you can probably guess, she's still understandably very upset."

"I don't blame her," Lina said sympathetically.

"I'll go check on her," Maria said, "I brought her her work from school today too so I needed to see her anyway."

"I appreciate that, Maria," Delilah thanked her. "You and Lina are such wonderful sisters."

Maria couldn't help but crack a smile at the compliment. It was a time of grieving all around, but hearing those words gave her some brevity from the sorrow.

Maria walked down the hall to the room Kat shared with Ash. She gently knocked on the door as she called her sister's name.

"Kat?" She whispered, "Kat, are you in there?"

"I'm still here," Kat sniffled from the other side of the door. The young girl's lack of her almost signature sarcasm was the first thing that stood out to Maria.

The second thing that stood out to Maria was the all too apparent heartbreak in her sister's voice. Kat was the kind of girl who always had a witty, lighthearted wisecrack on hand. For her to sound so defeated and hopeless tugged at Maria's heartstrings.

"Can you… open up?" Maria requested, to which Kat answered, "Just slide my homework under the door."

"No Kat," Maria said, "I want to see you."

There was some heavy silence before Maria heard Kat approaching. The door to Kat's shared bedroom slowly opened, with Maria's heart further sinking upon seeing her step sister.

The 11 year old was wearing her hair down with said hair being messy and disheveled, a few of her bangs hanging over her eyes. Kat was wearing only an incredibly oversized white T-shirt with a red circle in the middle as she stood barefoot with bags under her puffy red eyes. Her face was wet with tears and it was all too apparent that much of Kat's day had been spent crying.

"Whoa," Maria remarked, "you don't look so good."

"I don't feel too good," Kat replied, her lack of a smartass remark once again raising red flags.

"I can tell," Maria said before asking Kat, "can I come in?"

Kat shrugged before allowing Maria inside, making sure to close the door behind her. Maria didn't know how to follow up or initiate a conversation. She wanted to comfort her little sister and provide her with reassurance, but no words came to mind. After much deliberation, Maria finally asked

"How are you and your partners holding up?"

"Not good," Kat answered quickly as she explained, "Thea sounds like she's given up hope, Grace hasn't stopped crying since the news broke, JP hasn't left his room and the only reason we know he's still alive is because he messages us on Discord and Mrs. Jimena checks on him, Solis doesn't know how to cope and has been trying to distract herself by any means possible and Aquilla's all but isolated herself at home."

"Oh, I…" Maria awkwardly rubbed her arm.

"I keep having the urge to call Lio or text them," Kat explained, "I keep going to Luan's YouTube page and watching her videos, both solo and with Lio or her partners…"

"Because now that's the only way I'll be able to see them!" Kat lamented, starting to dissolve into tears yet again!

"Kat…" Maria said, sitting next to her sister to hear her out. Sure, Maria was well known for being a tease.

A troll in some instances as well, but there was far more to the futboller than just those traits. Beneath the boisterous attitude and egocentric presentation was a truly caring and sincere soul. Someone who wanted the best for those she held dear, even if she did hide it under several layers of sarcasm and smart ass jokes.

Maria had felt her fair share of heartache before and while she had been fortunate enough not to have lost anyone close to her, she knew when to provide someone with a shoulder.

Sure, she wasn't the best at consoling people and for a situation like this, she didn't have the first clue as to where to start, but for her baby sister, she could try. Maria could remember the days of old before their relationship became more antagonistic when Lina would be one to provide a shoulder for Maria to vent on during their mother's divorce from Franz. How Lina assured Maria that this wasn't her fault in any way.

Now was Maria's turn to be there for Kat when she needed it most.

"Tell me everything," Maria gave Kat the full go ahead to vent.

Kat took up her offer, burying her face into Maria's shoulder and just crying. For several minutes, Kat's crying was all that could be heard in the otherwise silent room as Maria rubbed and patted her on the back.

Finally, Kat regained enough composure to speak, albeit somewhat incoherently as she was still overwhelmed with emotions.

"Luan and Lio didn't deserve what happened to them," she bemoaned, "they didn't deserve to die period!"

"I thought that they were always going to be in my life forever," Kat explained, "I thought they'd always be around!"

"It's not my first time dealing with death," Kat reminded Maria, "but this time is different."

"My dad was a soldier," she explained, "and even when I was a little girl, I was conditioned to be ready for the possibility of him not coming home. He was military, the risk came with the territory."

"Luan and Lio though?" She continued. "Murders like that don't happen in quiet towns like this. They don't happen to people like them. They don't hit close to home."

"It's selfish," Kat admitted, "but you shit like that just doesn't happen to folks like us."

"You don't think that the boy you shared your first kiss with would be murdered," she cried, "you don't think that their sister, who taught you how to smile at the funny things in life would be murdered!"

"People you went to school with," she said, "people whose house you visited, people you ate with, it doesn't happen to them."

Maria let Kat vent and listened. She herself was feeling some degree of remorse for the way she had treated the sibling pair in the past. Though she had teased them and even taken advantage of the enby Loud's naivety on more than a few occasions, Maria did like them. She did consider them friends and she enjoyed their company.

Maria found some joy in the cheesy puns they made together or the practical jokes they'd pull on themselves and others. She never explicitly told them that during their time alive however because just like Kat, she thought they would always be there.

Maria thought back to all of the incest jokes she'd made about them and cringed heavily. Especially knowing that even to the bitter end, the pair only wanted to protect one another.

Lio, the emotionally sensitive child who wore their heart on their sleeve and had crafted their own Loud Family Secret Technique, fought tooth and nail trying to buy their sister a few more extra minutes of life.

Luan, having looked after Lio since they were born, took chance after chance and even offered herself up as a sacrifice to allow her baby brother to live. The comic jester that most people took for a punchline, devoted her last moments to comforting her brother as they died.

It made Maria understand what it meant to be a big sister and the responsibility such a role entailed. The truth of the matter was that if it was her and Kat in Luan and Lio's Place, she would've done the same thing. It stung Maria all the more deeply that it took the deaths of Luan and Lio for her to see that.

"And it just doesn't make any sense," Kat continued to rant, "what the fuck did they ever do to deserve to die like that? What the fuck did they do to deserve to die period? They never wanted to hurt anyone!"

Kat fell back into uncontrollable sobs yet again as Maria held her in her arms. All Maria could do was hug Kat and her face to her shoulder as tight as possible, holding back tears of her own. She needed to be strong for her, and after everything Kat sacrificed she deserved at least to have Maria be there for her when she needed it the most instead of collapsing and crying.

"Shhhh, there, there" Maria calmly said as she tried to soothe Kat by rubbing her hair gently

"It's gonna be...," Maria started to say before realizing the gravity of everything around her, "no...I'm gonna be honest Kat, I don't know how it's gonna be. You're right, they didn't deserve any of this, you didn't deserve any of this."

Kat sniffled and looked Maria in the eyes, calming herself just enough to listen to her sister's words.

"But...if I had to say something to help...a-and I know this sounds selfish but...I know how it feels to lose someone you loved so suddenly," Maria told her, relating her own story to Kat, "As much as I hate Franz...back then he was still dad, the man that would come back with a gift for me."

Maria frowned as she explained "I felt like I lost him forever and I didn't know why or when. Hell, I even blamed myself for a while when he walked out."

"I know it feels awful, I know it feels like you'll never recover from this...", Maria sniffled a little before continuing, her voice audibly cracking from holding back tears. "B-but I promise, I swear we'll make it through this together, you and the rest of your partners, friends, us, we will get through this."

Stroking her sister's hair, Maria continued to give her reassurance.

"I know you might feel like a part of you is forever gone, and I know there might not be anyway for you to smile for a while," she consoled Kat, "But you're strong Kat, you're one of the strongest girls I've ever known and I'm sure that wherever Lio is, they'd want you to move on when you can"

Maria couldn't care less about the tears soaking her shirt, or the pain her shoulder felt from carrying Kat's entire weight, all this was absolutely nothing compared to what Kat was going through.

She knew she was lucky, and while Lio and Luan were good friends, it's not like she lost her partner or her best friend group or Kat and Ash, her pain was but a light needle compared to the stab of a thousand knives Kat was feeling. And if she had to stay up all night to help even ease one stab of it, she would.

"Thank you," Kat thanked her, holding onto Maria and allowing the latter to embrace her for comfort.

The healing process was slow, but times like these ensured that Kat wouldn't go through this alone.

"Leahpar?" Mike questioned, rubbing his eyes to double check.

"Who else would it be?" Leah replied, uncharacteristically wearing a pair of sunglasses that covered his eyes.

"Does Luba know you're here?" Mike asked with concern, "heck, how did you get here?"

"I took the bus," Leah answered nonchalantly before asking "What the hell is the issue? I'm just here to work."

"While I appreciate your commitment," Mike thanked Leah, "Hinobi has decided to grant most of your team some time off. We'll be recruiting a few employees from Bailley's location to cover for you in the interim."

"Time off?" Leah scoffed. "What? Don't tell me that those corporate cocksu-"

"Language," Mike reminded him, gesturing over their heads to the cameras.

Leah sighed and exclaimed "Don't tell me that those corporate players are afraid of some stupid nobody too! Does anyone in this town have balls?"

Mike let out a concerned sigh. He couldn't fault Leah for his anger in moments such as this, having only patient and compassion to offer the 14 year old.

"This isn't about balls," he attempted to explain, "this isn't even necessarily about the safety of you and your team as much as I wish it was."

"Your family and friends need time to grief," Mike told Leah, "and corporate doesn't want any of you to be distracted and risk botching a mission. So you've been granted a month long leave."

"Grief?" Leah questioned, "You know what'll help me grief? Beating the shit out of a worthless good for nothing gli-"

"Take off your sunglasses," Mike requested simply.

There was tense silence before Leah replied with a half hearted "Fuck you, man."

Mike brushed off the teenager's remarks and gave him a quick hug before expressing his empathy as well as sympathy.

"I'll call Luba to pick you up," Mike informed Leah, "go home Leahpar and try to take your mind off things. Don't just try to bottle it up though."

Leah had no response and simply turned away from Mike in order to wipe his eyes.

"You gave me a scare back there," Luba said, having picked Leah up in Lori's house and now driving them both back to the house.

"How so?" Leah asked.

"My brother disappears from the house after we just had to bury two of our siblings," Luba retorted, "you don't see how that could scare me!"

"I can handle myself," Leah remarked as the two of them pulled up to a red light.

"I don't want you to take that chance," Luba expressed.

Leah had no rebuttal and after much deliberation, asked "Are you going in to work?"

"Absolutely not," Luba replied as the light shifted to green. "Our siblings just died Leah, I'm not even close to being in the right headspace to pull off any Glitch Tech stuff."

"You can say their names, you know?" Leah picked up right away.

"No," Luba said with a heavy sigh, "No I can't."

"Why not?" Leah asked. "Are you trying to forget them?"

"Are you kidding me?" Luba asked in response. "I could nor do I want to forget about Luan and Lio…" she then explained, "but saying their names… without them being there…"

Luba stayed strong for Leah, but the latter could hear the cracks forming in her voice.

"Not being able to see them," Luba expressed, "not being able to hold them… hell, not even being able to tell them I love them to their faces again."

"Mmhmm…" Leah murmured, turning to look away from his sister.

"Oneechan," he said before confiding in the giant Loud, "I'm angry…"

"And I know what you're thinking: "when are you ever not angry?", but I keep thinking about what I would've done if I was there."

"I could've saved them if I tried," Leah expressed, "maybe three of us would've been too much for whoever the creep who killed them was."

"But it's like," Leah explained, "I'm not even all that angry at the killer."

"Then who are you mad at?" Luba asked, raising an eye in concern.

"Oneechan," Leah said, "do you know how many times I made fun of Luan and Lio? All the times I called them names, told them they were freaks."

"Leah…"

"I know you well enough to know that your insults were never sincere," Luba consoled him.

"But did they know that?" Leah asked, angry tears spilling from his eyes. "Especially with all the times I told Luan that I wished she died or that she didn't exist to her face."

"Well I guess I got my wish," Leah remarked bitterly.

"Leah," Luba continued attempting to console him, "they were our siblings. They were our family. They knew you better than to take your statements sincerely."

"Still," Leah cried, "it wouldn't have killed me to be nicer to them every once in a while… or even at all."

"Don't beat yourself up for things you can't change," Luba advised him, sounding closer to tears, "Luan and Lio-" she became choked up saying their name again, "they know that you loved them."

"You're twins with Lynn," Luba pointed out, "the same person who calls Lincoln "Stincoln". Banter and teasing are practically our other siblings in this family."

"But-but-but," Leah blubbered, breaking down more and more with each passing second.

"Sshh," Luba comforted him, "it's okay. I understand. There are so many things that I wish I could've done differently."

"It's like," Leah said, "I just want to be over this nightmare already."

"I know bro," Luba said, pulling into an alleyway and locking the doors to the car as they sat by each other's side for several minutes.

"I always called their bond stupid and sick," Leah acknowledged, "but then it's like… like… like…" he said, unable to find the words.

"And the funny part about it Oneechan," he expressed, "even me calling you that, I got from them."

"I wish I knew what to say…" Luba thought to herself.

"I wish that I could tell you everything will be okay," Luba told him, "but I don't even know if *I'm* going to be okay."

This time it was Luba's turn to confide in Leah.

"I'm really scared right now," she admitted. "I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want to think about the fact that that freak is still out there somewhere."

"I don't want to feel so helpless," she muttered sadly, turning from Leah and gazing out the window, "like there's nothing I can do to protect our family."

"And I don't want to lose you, Leah," she expressed.

"I don't want to lose you either, Oneechan!" Leah shouted before saying "I don't even know if I can make it through this."

"You will," Luba told him. "We both will. We have to. If not for our family, then for them."

"Momma?" Lily asked, tugging at Rita's dress as the latter held her in her arms. "Where are they? Wuan? Wio? You said we were going to see them."

Rita, silently weeping herself, had to stay strong for her family. Her husband had already been unable to withstand the funeral procession and she was hardly any better.

"They're right there," was all Rita could say as she pointed to the black caskets that were now being lowered into their shared grave.

"Why are they in there?" Lily asked. "Are they sleeping? I want to play with them! I haven't seen them in a long time!"

Rita grew silent, starting to shake and tremble from her grief. Lily began to cry, her tiny hands clutching at her mother's dress. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her cries piercing the solemn silence of the gathered mourners. She looked around, confusion etched into her young face, as she watched the caskets being lowered into the ground.

The tears became more frantic as dirt started being shoveled onto the caskets.

"What are they doing?!" Lily wailed. "Wuan and Wio are in there! They have to stop!"

Lisa buried her face in Rita's dress to keep from completely losing it.

"They can't do that!" Lily shouted. "They have stuff to do! They have to come home!"

"I'm afraid," Rita finally said, "Luan and Lio aren't coming back. This is their new home."

This is what broke Lily as she broke into loud bawling. She didn't understand why her siblings, her playmates, were being placed in those boxes and being taken away from her forever. She couldn't comprehend the finality of death, the concept that they would never come back to laugh and play with her again.

Rita tried to explain in hushed tones that her brother and sister were now in a better place, but the words fell on deaf ears. Lily was too young to grasp the gravity of loss, too innocent to understand the permanence of death.

And so, amidst the mourning adults, the toddler's cries echoed, a poignant reminder of the innocence lost in the face of life's most profound mysteries.

"Good morning world and all who inhabit it!" Lita cheerfully started her morning, startling her roommate.

"Gah! What's going on?!" Lynn shouted, springing to her feet and taking up a fighting stance immediately. "Did someone break in? Are we under attack?"

"Nope!" Lita gleefully replied, "it's just me, no need to be jumpy."

Lita gave her twin a pat on the head as Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and grumbled, "Could you be a little more careful about waking me up next time?"

"Sorry," Lita apologized. "I've been used to having my own room for so long that it's taking me a little time to get used to having guests over."

"You're fine," Lynn mumbled, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Don't worry," Lita assured her, "your sister's not leaving any time soon."

In the days following the tragedy, Lynn had "offered" to sleep in Lita's room to "protect and look over her". Lita was all too aware of the truth however. No matter how much her pride wouldn't allow her to admit it, Lynn was afraid. Lita wasn't one to pry or invade her siblings' space, she simply accepted the situation for what it was and allowed Lynn to sleep with her for comfort.

"Come on!" Lita cheered, perking up even more, "let's go get some breakfast!"

"How can you be so chipper?" Lynn asked half sarcastically.

"Oh come on," Lynn remarked, teasing Lynn with her eyebrows, "are you telling me a triple meat and cheese omelet cooked Lynn Loud style isn't enough to get your day started on the right foot?"

"Well you've got me there," Lynn acknowledged after a pause before quickly shifting her focus, "but you know that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you-?" Lita asked, her smile faltering for only half a second when she had the realization. "Oh, you mean…"

"Lynn," Lita said, "they're in a better place, I know that. You expect Raven to let his daughter suffer in anguish or something?"

Lynn didn't have the energy to properly respond to Lita's confusing non-sequiturs and simply nodded her head while glumly remarking "Yeah, you've got me there."

"I know you're taking a break from your other stuff," Lita remarked, picking Lynn up on her shoulder and carrying her downstairs, "but you still need to eat."

Lita was tempted to keep talking to keep her mind off of the situation. Sure, she was well aware of the fact that Luan and Lio were safe and sound in their new home. She knew that she would see them again at some point. Hell, she was even aware of the possibility of AU crossover events that would allow her to see the pair again ala Enter the Loudverse. All of that didn't take the sting away.

In spite of her medium awareness, Lita was only aware of how stories would play out, not why or the author's motivation for creating them.

Even if she did know why her siblings were taken away from her, she was still ultimately powerless to do anything about it. She was still human for all her cartoony nature. Luan and Lio had been a significant part of her life for the entirety of her being. How could she be expected to just accept that they were no longer around?

How was she expected to adjust to the fact they wouldn't be around to watch her rallies? How was she expected to accept the fact they'd no longer be there to provide her with a pick me up and a laugh when even her spirits were down? They wouldn't be around to see her graduate high school or see their father walk her down the aisle for her wedding to Raúl. She wouldn't be able to see their accomplishments in life. Lita wouldn't be able to see what kind of people they'd grow up to be.

Most people uttered the phrase "They're in a better place now" as wishful comfort; something to ease the heartache of loss. For Lita, that phrase was true. She knew that Lio and Luan were in a better place, yet that knowledge still didn't help. Lita still wanted them here with her right now.

"Hello, Lita?"

Lita was broken out of her thoughts by Lynn snapping her fingers in her face.

"Earth to Lita?" Lynn asked.

"Oops, sorry," Lita apologized, forcing a giggle as she explained, "I was internally monologuing again and it got away from me."

"I can tell you aren't okay," Lynn remarked, pointing out that Lita was pouring her eggs into the toaster and placing her bread in a frying pan in her confusion.

Lita didn't make any attempts at masking her feelings and admitted "I guess I'm not as over it as I pretended to be."

The sisters pulled up a seat and sat face to face.

"You know," Lita said, "I thought that it'd be easier for me to accept this."

"I know they're okay out there," she explained. "But I still want to see them. I still want to hug them and listen to their voices."

"I know I'm selfish," Lita acknowledged, "but I want them here with me here and now."

"If that makes you selfish," Lynn spoke up, "then you're not the only one."

"I miss them too," Lynn stated plainly.

"I thought I could accept it," Lita said. "People come and go all the time. Hell, this isn't even the first time either Luan or Lio have died in an AU."

"So what makes this time so different?" Lita asked.

"It's easy," Lynn consoled her twin, "just because you can accept it, doesn't mean you can live with it."

"You know they're gone for the rest of our lives," Lynn went on her own tangent, "but that doesn't make the pill any easier to swallow."

"You know there's nothing you can do to bring them back," Lynn continued, "but at the end of the day, you're still going to think of them. You're still going to miss them. You're still going to love them like they were still here."

"Yeah," Lita nodded sadly.

"I thought I accepted it too," Lynn admitted. "There's nothing I can really do. Nothing I can really say. Nothing at all I can do that can bring them back."

"I can fantasize about tracking down the piece of shit that killed them, dragging them to darkest corner of the earth and subjecting them to the worst tortures imaginable until they were pleading for the sweet release of death," said a verbose Lynn in a dissonantly calm tone, "but what good would it do in the end?"

"Luan and Lio would still be dead," she acknowledged. "Killing that monster wouldn't magically bring them back to life."

"I've accepted that fact," Lynn said, fighting her damndest to keep from crying. She wanted to break down. She wanted to burst so bad and truthfully, after hearing her speech, Lita wanted to as well. Instead Lynn took a swallow and admitted, "but I still need time to heal."

"Yeah," Lita nodded her head, "yeah, I do too."

"Forget about breakfast?" Lynn asked, gesturing her head towards upstairs.

"Yeah," Lita nodded once again, "we can eat later."

The twins walked upstairs and headed to LJ's room, closing the door behind them so they could share a moment in private.

"How long have I been working?" Lowen asked, looking up from one of his many file cabinets that he was in the process of reorganizing. The boy quickly caught a glimpse of the clock and exclaimed "Wow, I must've been busy. Just look at the time."

"It's time to take my medicine," he remarked, reminding himself, "I should probably grab something to eat while I'm at it. I think there's still some chicken and potatoes left over from a couple nights a-"

"Let's get that food," Lowen remarked chipperly, closing their drawer and sitting up from their chair.

The 13 year old tried to focus on the task at hand, which was attaining food, something that proved more distracting than expected for… specific reasons.

Similar to the youngest brother of the Loud Family, there were plentiful times when Lowen would be so preoccupied in his hyperfixations that he would forget to eat. While Lowen wasn't quite as much an offender as aforementioned brother, it was still a habit that was reoccurring enough to be something of an issue.

And who would oftentimes bring Lowen a plate of food and drink during these episodes than a certain jolly yellow jester? Lowen pushed the memories away for the moment. They were too painful to remember at the moment.

In a family as large as the Louds, it wasn't unheard of for one or more siblings to sometimes be forgotten about. In spite of being nearly the complete opposite of Lowen in many ways however, Luan had always found time for him.

Lowen smiled fondly as he recalled the week that Luan spent taking care of him while he was down with strep throat before quickly frowning when he recalled the result of such devotion. Luan grew sick in turn and had to miss a week of school.

Lowen quickly rebounded with that smile of his before anyone could notice. The incident confirmed that Lowen was loved no matter how bustling or busy the Loud House could be.

And on the flip side, there was the matter of Lowen's youngest brother, Lio. The two shared some commonalities through their shared autism. The more Lowen thought about it, there was a real possibility that Luan herself was on the spectrum just as he and Lio were.

Quite a few evenings had been spent between Lio and Lowen discussing their hyperfixations. A comment from Lowen about the psychology of serial killers and other notorious criminals would lead to Lio rambling about fictional killers in his favorite anime and manga such as Johan Liebert and Yoshikage Kira.

The latter had been the topic of a particularly memorable evening that Lowen had shared with Lio where the siblings had spent an entire afternoon psychologically dissecting Kira and forming headcanons on his early life and childhood from mere context clues given in the manga.

Lowen felt a tear slide down his cheek as he recalled the event before he suppressed his urge to cry. Why couldn't Lowen keep himself from doing that as of late? Lowen knew that Luan and Lio were likely at peace and no longer suffering. Their deaths had been sad, yes, but there was no reason to cry over it.

Lowen fell on his butt as his distracted mind led to him bumping into his older sister, Leni.

"Excuse me Leni," Lowen apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"You're fine," Leni assured him, keeping her right hand behind her back as she helped Lowen to her feet.

Her voice and tone was also rather monotone and blank, conveying no emotion or joy like it normally would. To the normal person, these tics would be acceptable as responses to mourning; for someone like Lowen however, they were indicative of something greater at play.

"Are you okay, Leni?" Lowen asked, flashing one of his well known energetic smiles.

"Uh-huh," Leni nodded quickly, keeping her hand behind her back and making sure she was directly facing Lowen at all times. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I just wanted to check on you," Lowen told her. "I know this has been rough for the family as a whole."

"Yep," Leni nodded along, trying to walk away, only for Lowen to keep her preoccupied.

"What's that in your hand?" Lowen asked, prompting Leni to respond. "There's nothing in my hand."

Leni held out her left hand to demonstrate.

"See?"

"And your right hand?"

"Nothing in my right hand either," Leni insisted, attempting to shuffle the object her right hand to her left, but fumbling the trick and accidentally revealing the object her hands, causing Lowen to leap back in fright when she did so.

"Leni?!" Lowen exclaimed. "Is that a gun?"

The object fell to the floor, showing to Lowen that his eyes were not deceiving him. Lying on the floor of the Loud House was a 9 Millimeter Glock handgun. Lowen felt his heart beat out of his chest as he tried to maintain his composure.

"Where did you get that?" He asked sharply.

"Keep your voice down," Leni whispered to him.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Lowen asked, to which Leni nodded.

"Yes, I know how to use it," Leni assured him, retrieving the weapon, "and the safety is on so it won't go off on its own."

Leni then told Lowen, "Kurt taught me how to use firearms during the spring break I spent with his family in Sweetwater."

"Did he give this to you?" Lowen asked frantically.

"Nope," Leni answered.

"Then where did you get this?" Lowen exclaimed.

"That's not important,"

"Leni, you brought a gun into the house," Lowen explained, the stress of everything around him causing his walls to finally break. "That is absolutely important. Why do you even have it?"

"Because I don't feel safe and I don't want anyone else to die!" Leni blurted angrily.

Lowen took a moment to process Leni's response before letting out a sigh and wiping sweat from his brow.

"I don't feel safe in Royal Woods anymore," Leni admitted. "And I don't want anyone else to die."

"But I'm not going to sit around and wait for something else to happen," Leni told him. "I decided to be progressive."

"Proactive, Leni," Lowen corrected her to which Leni responded, "Does it really matter?!"

"Luan and Lio are dead and there's a crazed lunatic on the loose!" Leni reminded him, her mascara running from the tears spilling out of her eyes. "I'm not going to sit back like a sitting duck and let anything else happen to my family!"

"Leni," Lowen stated, "I get that you don't want anything to happen to any of us, but this isn't the way to do it?"

"Why not?" Leni barked.

"Because it's dangerous," Lowen replied, explaining, "statistically, you are more likely to be killed by your own gun in your home than by-,"

"What am I saying?" Lowen shook his head. "Yeah, I'm scared too and I don't want anyone else to die either!"

The child within Lowen revealed itself as he lost all of his composure and chirpiness.

"And I don't know what to do," he confessed, "I know I want all of my family here with me! I know I don't want to lose anyone else, but I also know I don't want to see anything killing machine in this house!"

Leni knelt to her knees and hugged him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Leni asked. "Just let the police handle it? Just leave our family unguarded?"

Lowen cried harder as Leni tried to console him.

"I guess I could give this to Mom and Dad for safe keeping," she acknowledged, not knowing what else to say.

"Please," Lowen accepted. "I just don't want to see it."

"Okay," Leni accepted his request, "I'll do that."

The siblings sat on the floor for half an hour, holding onto one another until Lowen's hunger became unavoidable. The pain still stung with the intensity of 1000 needles, but at the end of the day Lowen could be reassured that despite her misguided efforts, Lowen still had people looking out for him. It was wishful thinking, but Lowen also hoped that his late siblings were still looking out for him too wherever they were.

"To my dearest first friend and partner Lio and my close friend Luan

As I sit down to write this letter, my heart feels heavy with the absence of your presence. It's been a couple of weeks since your passing, and not a day goes by without thoughts of you flooding my mind. Or maybe it's been months, I can hardly tell anymore, the days just seem to blend in together. All I know is that I miss you both.

I miss the sound of your laughter, I miss the warmth of your embrace, and the way your eyes sparkled with life. The memories we shared together are etched into my soul, and I find solace in replaying them over and over again. It's almost the only solace I can find nowadays

Life without you is like navigating through a storm without a compass. I often find myself lost in the sea of grief, struggling to find my way back to shore. But amidst the pain, I hold onto the love we shared, knowing that it will guide me through the darkest of nights.

There are moments when I long to hear your voice, to seek your guidance, and to share my joys and sorrows with you. Yet, I find comfort in believing that you are watching over me, cheering me on from afar.

Though you may no longer be by my side, your spirit continues to live on within me. Your love has left an indelible mark on my heart, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Until we meet again,

Thea Taylor"

These letters had been Thea's biggest outlet regarding grief. Every day since the two siblings' funeral, she had written letters to Luan and Lio, both individually and as a tandem. It was still hard for her to accept the fact that they were gone, but day by day, these letters made the pills easier to swallow.

Thea placed today's letter in yet another envelope that she neatly stacked on top of the others that sat atop her desk. The redheaded Taylor then let out a sigh before walking over to her bed and crawling under the covers. It was a Saturday, meaning that Tea had the rest of the day to sleep.

That had been Tea's routine since the murders. Go to school, come home, write a letter and sleep the rest of the day away before starting it all over the next day.

It was well known that Tea and Lio had been friends since infancy. They had grown up together under the watchful eyes of their siblings Luan/Lynn and Chris respectively. Similar to the latter, Tea and Lio had even had a will they/won't they dynamic that had lasted into their tweens.

All before the two finally confirmed that yes, they did like each other in *that way*. It had taken internal turmoil to reach the pivotal realization, but once they came to it, Thea thought that she and Lio had nothing but years of happiness in their future.

The murders were a harsh reminder of just how fleeting life can be. Just how suddenly everything could be taken from you. Thea wished that she could've been more honest and open about her feelings for Lio sooner. Even more than that, Thea wished she could've reaffirmed to Lio once again that she did love them.

As Thea laid her head on her pillow to enjoy a not so peaceful slumber, she heard a knock on her door.

Thea let out an annoyed sigh as she sat up in bed and asked "Who is it?"

"It's me," came a quiet and shaky voice from the other side. A voice Thea recognized as belonging to her older brother Chris.

"Come in," Thea invited Chris inside.

As Chris entered the room, Thea could see that his bangs were covering his eyes and that they were wet. This experience had been hard on the nerdiest Taylor as well. Luan had been a surrogate older sister to Chris while Lio had been his surrogate younger brother.

Thea still remembered Chris' reaction when the news dropped. Thea could see his heart break in real time as for the first time in a very long time, not even Chris could find a silver lining.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked her.

"How can I be okay?" Thea replied, "my best friend and his sister are dead and I'm never going to see them again."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to snap on you like that."

"I know," Chris frowned empathetically, pulling up a seat next to Thea's bed, "and I've definitely been feeling like that myself."

"Not wanting to get out of bed?" Thea questioned, "Feeling hopeless like there's no point?"

"Yeah-huh," Chris sadly confirmed, borrowing one of Lio's catchphrases to highlight his feelings.

"Why should I keep going?" Thea asked Chris with full sincerity. "Why shouldn't I just give up and throw in the towel?"

"Because that's not what they would want," Chris answered. It was a cop out answer and he knew it, but he was also certain it was true.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't ask myself the same question," Chris admitted, "but I still have so much to live for."

Thea raised an eyebrow and listened.

"I still have you," Chris pointed out to her, "I still have Ant, I still have Lynn, I still have Ella."

"I can't give up," Chris stated, "not when I have so many people who love me and may need me right now."

"It sucks," he stated casually, "but I have to keep living and carry on."

Thea fully sat back up to face Chris.

"That doesn't mean I have to forget about either Luan or Lio," Chris said, letting out a lighthearted chuckle as he added, "I don't think I ever *could, even if for some reason I wanted to."

"I have to live for everyone around me," Chris reiterated. "I can't cause any more hurt when so many people need support."

Chris hugged his sister as he stressed, "and that especially includes you."

"And strange as it may sound," he said, "I have to live for Luan and for Lio. That's what they would want me to do."

"That's what I'd want them to do if it was me who died," Chris said with a smile.

"I still wish I could live with them though," Tea expressed, "to laugh and cry with them again."

"I know," Chris validated her feelings. "That's what we all want."

"Promise me you'll always be here," Thea asked, grabbing onto Chris' arm for comfort.

Chris didn't know if he could make such a bold promise, but his sister needed him in a time like this and with all the power he did have, Chris would commit to living a long life so that he could be by her side.

"I promise," Chris told Thea, looking her in the eyes, "I'll always be here for you. Whenever you need me."

"Thank you Chris," Thea said, throwing herself around Chris and shedding a few tender tears.

"Please give them back," Lana prayed, on her knees, "I'll do whatever it takes if you just give me my brother and sister back."

Lana sniffled as she continued to plead, "I take a bath every day, I'll eat all my vegetables, I'll never argue with my family again."

"Just please," Lana begged, "give me Luan and Lio back, even if it's just for one more day."

"I need more than just a day," Ant spoke up. "I need them back forever."

"Do you think whoever's out there will hear us?" Lana asked.

"Maybe," Ant said with a frown, "but I don't know if they'll listen."

"So what do I have to do?" Lana asked.

The girl was no stranger to loss. After all, she had adopted and cared for many pets in her short life. Some of them she had been forced to give up for adoption or return to the wild. Others sadly succumbed to natural causes.

Lana was no stranger to death. She knew that it was permanent and that from that point on, there was no turning back. No way to bring them back.

That still didn't stop Lana from desperately hoping for a miracle. Whether that miracle was a full fledged revival of her beloved siblings or waking up in her bed in a cold sweat, the entire events having been a terrible nightmare.

The latter would provide Lana with her siblings to comfort her and reassure her that her fears weren't real. That Luan and Lio were still with her. Still there to comfort and reassure her.

Alas, all of this was real. This was reality and there was nothing that could've prepared Lana for such a crushing loss at this young of an age. She was prepared for losing her pets. Her family? Not so much.

"Do you think they're happier out there?" Ant asked, just as much for his own comfort as Lana's, tears swelling in his eyes. "Do you think they're okay wherever they are?"

"I hope so," Lana replied.

"My Grandpa James told me that these things happen for a reason," Ant cried, "but I don't know. What reason did this have to happen?"

Lana looked at Ant and couldn't think of an answer.

"Do you think they're smiling at us?" Ant asked a follow up question to which Lana shrugged.

"Probably laughing and playing pranks on angels," Lana joked.

"That sounds about right."

"Are you going to be okay?" Ant asked Lana, who answered back by asking "Are you?"

"No," Ant answered truthfully. "I'm pretty far away from okay."

"Me too," Lana said as the two held onto each other, crying in each other's embrace. This time it was Lana's turn to ask a question.

"Do you think we'll ever see them again one day?" She asked.

"I hope so," Ant said, "I really do."

The two held onto each other for comfort, crying until they eventually fell asleep, their only refuge from reality.

"I'm surprised you even wanted to talk to me,"

"Can you put aside your grudge for one day, theater geek?" Maggie asked.

"It's not a grudge," Benny insisted. "I'm just stating that I'm confused."

Maggie fell silent before earnestly apologizing.

"I'm sorry," she said, "we've been a part of each other's life for over a year now, but I still don't know how to read you."

"The feelings are mutual," Benny replied, expecting a harsh response from the emo.

"I can't blame you for that," Maggie said instead, "I did close myself off to you for a long time."

"I guess," Maggie acknowledged, "to an extent, I'm still doing that."

"Why was that anyway?" Benny asked, the situation already awkward between the two.

"Because at first, I didn't trust you," Maggie explained. "For the longest time, I thought you were a phony. I thought that you were just another dime a dozen dream boy who'd dump Luan when you had your fun."

"I appreciate your honesty," Benny said before giving his own opinion, "When I first met you, I didn't know what to think of you. I didn't even know what attracted you to Luan to begin with. I thought you were going to bully her or you were stringing her along."

"Heh," Maggie remarked, "I guess we both made an ass out of ourselves by assuming."

Maggie then opened up a little.

"But I loved Luan for her authenticity;" she told him. "Her unapologetic fearless commitment to being her genuine self, regardless of what anyone thought of her."

Maggie then sheepishly admitted, "That's the reason I warmed up to you eventually too."

"Oh?" Questioned a surprised Benny.

"Yeah," Maggie said, "you have no qualms being a dork and I can respect that."

"If I'm being honest," Benny said, "I always had respect for you too for the way you'd always stick your neck out for Luan. How you tried to protect her."

"And I hate," the two confessed in stereo, "that it took Luan dying for me to realize how much you really cared for her."

"I'll be honest with you," Maggie said, "I don't see myself dating you. Nothing personal and I do like you, but…"

"It's fine," Benny accepted, "believe me, the feeling is mutual."

"Yeah," Maggie nodded, "but I was thinking…"

"Maybe we can still be friends," Benny offered, "we can come together and honour Luan's memory."

"I'm okay with that," Maggie took up Benny's offer, the two shaking hands.

JP was stirred by the slightly irritating ding of a text message notification. JP had spent most of the week in his room, but he could always spare time for his partners. However, even JP didn't know what to expect when he saw the text message Grace had sent him.

"Hey," she said, "I could really use some support right now. Could you meet me at Gus' arcade? I need to meet with someone."

JP didn't know what to expect but knew the matter was urgent. JP threw in his coat and headed out the door.

"I got here as soon as I could," JP greeted Grace upon arriving at Gus' Game n Grub, "what's the urgent matter? Who are we meeting?"

"I need you to hear me out," Grace said, prompting JP to immediately mutter "Oh no."

"I said hear me out," Grace insisted, prompting JP to silently urge her to continue. "I already know that what I'm doing is extremely stupid and dangerous-"

"You aren't proposing that we go hunting for a serial killer, are you?" JP asked.

"What?!" Grace did a double take, "Of course not! I'm not that crazy!"

"Oh," JP breathed a sigh of relief.

"I need to ask for a favor from my ex," Grace explained, prompting JP to manically exclaim "That's barely any better!"

"I know, I know," Grace acknowledged, "this decision didn't come to me easy, but-,"

"Do I need to remind you of everything Cynthia has put not just you, but all of us through," JP reminded Grace, "she emotionally manipulated and blackmailed you for three years, interrupted a date between you and Lio, forced a kiss on Kat and has repeatedly clashed with my cousin! What reason could you possibly have to go to her for help?"

"I'm desperate and an idiot, okay?!" Grace barked, temporarily causing all eyes to fall on her and JP. Once the tension settled, Grace further explained herself.

"Listen," she said, "I want this guy, whoever they are, to be caught." She stressed "I want them to pay…"

"But I can't do that on my own," she told JP, "I need to know who they are. I need to know as much about them as possible."

"And how is Cynthia going to help with this?" JP asked. "And what can Cynthia bring to the table that we couldn't go to the Taylors for?"

"We essentially need to stalk a man based off of grainy security camera footage," Grace iterated to JP, "and do a ton of illegal shit in the process."

"And if there's anyone willing to stoop to those depths," Grace concluded, "it's Cynthia."

"I don't know what depths you're sinking to," Cynthia smugly smiled as she made her presence known by pulling up a chair to the table Grace and JP was sitting at, "but you came to the right person."

JP immediately tensed up and made sure his chair was right next to Grace's in case anything went awry.

"Now I know what you may be thinking," Cynthia immediately addressed the elephant in the room, "What do I have to gain from helping you and what do I want in return?"

Cynthia dropped her teasing tone as she said "This might come off as a surprise to you, but we share the same goal."

"We both want the killer brought to justice and wrapped up in a black bag leaving no remnant behind," Cynthia said.

"They took your boyfriend and his sister away from you forever," Cynthia reminded Grace, "and they also took them away from Lynn as well."

"And there's the shoe drop," JP deadpanned with a roll of his eyes.

"Killing. Is. Distasteful!" Cynthia stated firmly, "…to me. There's little satisfaction in ending someone's life when I can prove that I am their superior and force them to live in my shadow for the rest of their miserable days on this planet."

"I want more than anything to beat Lynn Loud Jr," Cynthia stated, "but what merits would a victory over her now hold when she's overwhelmed with grief."

"And as much as I disliked the homewrecker," Cynthia illustrated, "they didn't deserve the fate they were dealt."

"I will gladly assist you in your endeavor to expose this purple psycho," Cynthia said, "and hopefully bring him to justice, free of charge."

"And why should we trust you?" JP asked.

"This is why," Cynthia said, presenting Grace and JP with photographs showcasing the killer.

"A couple of weeks before the murder, a man matching his description was seen at a convenience store in Ohio," Cynthia said as she presented the photos, "before then, he was seen elsewhere in the state eating at a McDonald's."

"After that," Cynthia said, "he was seen boarding a bus in Toledo going to Michigan. He got off near Detroit and took another bus to the suburbs."

"All of his purchases were made in cash," Cynthia revealed, "so no proper paper trail did us to track him by… but we have more than enough face photos and videos to positively identify him. Somebody has to know who this bastard is."

"I forgot just how good you were at digging up dirt on people when you're determined," Grace remarked, prompting Cynthia to flirt in response.

"Admit it Gracie," She smiled. "You missed my bad influence."

"Let's not get carried away," Grace was quick to shut her down.

"I've paid off public city workers to keep an eye on all buses entering and leaving the city," Cynthia further revealed. "I doubt someone of this man's nature would be willing to risk being identified or blowing his cover by hitchhiking. If he targeted two children, he's a bitch ass pussy too scared to pick on somebody his own size."

JP could only stare in amazement as she listened to Cynthia break down the killer's personality like a cross examiner/courtroom psychiatrist.

"Furthermore," Cynthia theorized, "hijacking someone's car or kidnapping them only brings further heat on him. This man isn't just some spur of the moment killer, he's committed murder before and he's meticulous in his actions to avoid getting caught."

"How do you know all this?" Grace asked her.

"Try to think like me and you'll get your answer," Cynthia cooed with a cheeky grin. "What I'm getting at is that he's likely still in Royal Woods somewhere, probably taking up residence in the forest region where there are a lot of campsites for him to hide in."

"I don't get it though," Grace said, "why wouldn't he flee while he has the chance to get away with it?"

"That's where I'm stumped," Cynthia admitted. "He'll be lucky if this case doesn't garner national attention."

"How do you have the time and energy for all of this?" JP could simply ask.

Cynthia flashed him a smirk as she explained, "For once, my good for nothing dogshit parents were useful for something."

"After all," she said, "there isn't a thing on Earth that a little Raptis money can't buy."

"It can't buy my Cinny Baby back," Grace lamented sadly, leaning onto JP for support.

"Grace, you've got to get over it and move on," Cynthia advised her. "You still have your whole life ahead of you. You can't spend it remembering a boy you met when you were what, 13? Plenty of twinks out there to fill the hole."

"And now I remembered why I don't miss hanging out with you," Grace rolled her eyes.

"In all seriousness though," Cynthia said, "there's still more evidence I can collect. I need you to use Homewrecker's brother…"

"The white one," Cynthia clarified before offering more clarification, "the one you originally fell in love with before hooking up with his twin."

"His name is Lincoln," Grace reminded her.

"Yeah, him," Cynthia apathetically rolled her eyes, "ask him if he and his news team can get ahold of that Katherine news lady or whatever."

"In the meantime," Cynthia said, "I'll be taking these to the police…" she stressed, "I'll be sparing them the details on how I got ahold of these of course, but it's important we get this information out there."

"As much as it pains me to say this," Grace said, "this helps more than you can imagine. I can't thank you enough."

"Well," Cynthia wiggled her eyebrows, "I know one way you can thank me."

"You are not getting a kiss from me," Grace refused with JP standing guard over her to further emphasize the point.

"Meh," Cynthia nonchalantly shrugged, "you really can't blame a girl for trying, ha!"

"I'll be seeing you two around," Cynthia waved goodbye to the pair of JP and Grace. "Try to find a safe way home."

Under her breath, Cynthia mumbled and admitted, "I wouldn't want to lose you too."

"What?" Grace asked.

"Nothing!" Cynthia insisted, striding out of the arcade and into her waiting ride.

"I hate that you were right," JP admitted to Grace after Cynthia left.

"She's a bitch," Grace acknowledged, "but she gets results. Let's go."

"Found anything of note?"

"Well I think this is definitely our guy. I found a duffel bag of bloody clothes and a fanny pack holding 5000 in cash."

"We'll send these clothes to the lab for DNA testing to see if they match the body found in the lake. It may be too early to say for sure, but I'm all but certain that this is the perp we've been looking for."

"What's this?"

"It looks like a journal if I had to take a guess…"

"Should we put this in the evidence locker with everything else?"

"I dunno, I'm kind of compelled to read it. It might provide us with some more concrete answers."

Date: December 27, 2011

Today was perhaps the most exhilarating day of my life. I can't shake the feeling of jubilation coursing through my veins. A lifelong fantasy fulfilled at long last. You'd think that I would be crushed by the weight of my actions that hang heavy on my conscience. You'd think that I'd have a harder time getting sleep at night.

Ever since I was little, I've kinda known something was wrong with me. One of my very first memories is crushing a ladybug beneath my foot when I was 3 or 4 years old. It gave me such a thrill killing another creature.

And the older I grew, the more the urge to kill grew. I started out small. I asked my parents for a BB gun when I was 7 and after begging and pleading with them until my voice was hoarse, I got a Pink Plinker Popper 3000 Carbine Action air rifle. The first afternoons I had with it were spent shooting empty soda cans, but then I graduated to shooting at small birds and squirrels.

That's not the only thing I'd do to pass the time. I remember tying fire crackers to the tail or dogs or giving raccoons a piece of cotton candy. It was good for a laugh, but it didn't give me the fulfillment I was looking for. The older I grew, the more I wanted more than anything to take a human life.

And today, the dream has come true. Today, I went from boy to man. I'll never forget today for as long as I live. How could I forget it?

She was so small and petite, she couldn't have been older than 14. The typical bubbly redhead, blue eyed type. I asked if she wanted to dance with me at the roller rink. I can't skate to save my life, but Abby can. I borrowed a pair of her roller blades and met her at the movie theater. The girl was so excited to be going on a date with an upperclassmen that she didn't even notice Abby's skates were far too small for my feet.

I drove her out to the countryside under the pretense of making out. We decided to have our "date" in the middle of a cornfield. I couldn't control myself and I beat her over the head with the roller skates. The first blow dazed her, she was too stunned to speak. The second blow knocked her unconscious and after that everything was a blur. I remember leaving her bludgeoned body there before washing Abby's skates in a nearby river.

I remember how she came to briefly and scratched at me. How she tried jabbing her fingers into my eyes. It just made me more excited. I almost felt like smoking a cigarette after she'd taken her last breath. It was glorious.

I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to do this again or if cops will be knocking on our door by morning. My skin is probably under her fingernails after all. If this is how it all ends for me though, at least I can say I lived a full life.

Date: March 8, 2012

It's been over two months since I last wrote in this thing. It's not like I really had much reason to since nothing eventful has happened since the last entry. I'm as surprised as anyone that I wasn't suspected in Sandy's death a few months back. My name never even so much as came up as a person of interest. As far as everyone knows, the predator was just some random stranger who abducted and murdered some poor sweet innocent girl.

How better to celebrate than by treating myself? I mean, really, how couldn't I reward myself after a job well done. Especially in a case like this where an opportunity fell into my hands. It was practically gift wrapped and placed in my hands, a present from the universe itself.

You've really gotta love kids. They're so small and innocent. So trusting and naive. So inattentive and weak. Their bodies are so small and underdeveloped that the small little punches and kicks they throw barely register to the average person; not that my victim today even had a chance to fight back.

I've been watching a lot of crime documentaries and TV shows and one thing that always does in the stupid criminals is that they let themselves get caught on video buying tools for their crimes. What good does paying in cash do for you when cops know the murder weapon and they've seen your dumbass face? I'm not that stupid.

I have a ball peen hammer from a bird house building kit that Mom bought me when I was 8 years old. Nobody even knows that I still have the thing after all this time. It's not massive, but it's solid and blunt and will easily get the job done, just as it did today.

There was this blonde kid playing in the creek a few blocks over. I hadn't even been looking for anyone to kill, I just wanted to take a walk when I came across the kid. When I saw him though, I knew that I had to take the chance I was given. I just happened to have the hammer on me too? It was a freebie; almost meant to be.

He didn't even hear me coming. He was too busy singing some silly song or some shit. I think he only noticed I was there a split second before I smashed him over the head with the hammer.

It was an instant gusher with blood seeping out of the back of his head. The kid went down like a sack of bricks. I think I knocked him clean out. His body twitched and spasmed as I held his head down under the water.

He might've come to and offered a bit of a struggle, but there was nothing he could do. Watching those bubbles rise to the surface made me giggle like a newborn baby discovering peekaboo for the first time.

Ha! Now there's an idea.

Anyway, I was honestly kind of disappointed when the bubbles stopped and the kid stopped moving. I was hoping for more of a fight, more of a struggle, but it is what it is, I suppose. Just to be on the safe side, I held his head under for a few minutes more.

And then I left him there. No need to drag things any further than they needed to be. And I just had to tell somebody about it. Who better to tell than me? What better way to cheer myself up than by coming back to this diary and revisiting such a precious and prized memory?

I might be fucking myself in the ass by writing all of this down, but if I've already gone this far, I've got nothing to really be afraid of.

So yeah, I love kids. They're not as bad as people make them out to be. The Kids Are Alright.

Entry Date Unknown:

You know, I think there's something deeply wrong with me. I know, such a shocker coming from the guy who's killed two children and wants to kill more. Even the fact that I openly admit such a thing in a journal doesn't bode well for my sanity or lack thereof, but just look at me.

I'm articulate. I'm verbose. I'm intelligent and well spoken. I don't resemble the standard vagabond you might associate with a serial killer. I look like what I am, a high school senior worried about who he's going to take to prom and graduation coming up.

It's not like I had an abusive childhood or anything. Mom and Dad love me with all their hearts. They'd never suspect me of being capable of killing another person. The most violent they know me to be is when I go on hunting trips alongside my dad. To them, I'm just a big lovable teddy bear and a caring big brother for his baby sister.

"He wouldn't hurt a fly"

I wasn't taken advantage of by some touchy feely priest or an overly eager Eagle Scout. I didn't get bullied in school nor did I bully others. It's not even like I just kept to myself either. I play video games with a few kids from my school like anyone would.

But still, I like hurting people. I like being in ultimate control of the life of another sentient being. I like the sense of power and the rush of adrenaline that it gives me. I love when I'm face to face with someone helpless and at my mercy.

I like hearing someone plead with me to let them live. I love seeing their tear streaked faces look at me and beg with desperation. I wouldn't say that it turns me on, I'm not a pervert after all, but it does make me happy.

I can only imagine the response people would have if this journal were ever discovered, be it after something such as my arrest and incarceration or even if it were after my death, whether that be in a police standoff or at the hands of a victim or God willing, dying of old age after getting away with everything. The media would paint me as an irredeemable monster and honestly, at this point, could I really argue against them?

I know that something is wrong with me and I know that I should seek proper treatment and professional help for my condition, but I don't want to give this up. I know that what I'm doing is wrong, but ultimately don't care.

I'm not going to stop until I've had my fill or someone has the brains, the guts or a machine-gun to stop me and I don't think that's going to happen for a very long time.

Date Unknown

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I killed my own sister today… and I felt nothing. Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel bad about it, but I didn't feel the spark of joy I usually get either. At least, not at first.

It was a spur of the moment decision, Abby caught me playing with a souvenir from the kid I killed at the creek. I told her it was just an old fishing hook, but I didn't think she believed me. She looked at me like I was crazy and for a split second, she looked like she was afraid of me, her own big brother.

That's what made me make the decision. I couldn't pass up the chance after that. Seeing the fear in the eyes of my own sister. Noticing how small and skinny she is. It's as though she were a siren trying to entice me.

And I took the bait, hook, line and sinker. How couldn't I? After some more lying, she seemed convinced by what I was telling her and backed off. She actually believed me.

Maybe I could've let it go. Maybe I could've let her be. Maybe she wouldn't have said anything. Just to be on the safe side however, when we reached the stairs, I pushed her down the flight. I watched her head smack the steps with a sickening thud at least three times and I could only stare.

Her leg broke during the fall, being bent at a sickening angle. She couldn't have escaped me even if she was conscious.

I know how much I talked about not caring about whether or not I got caught, but I don't want this to end. I don't want to give up this game. This one thing that gives me so much sheer unadulterated joy.

As she lay motionless, I decided to double tap her. The decision came almost too easily. I grabbed her by her hair and smashed her head into the hardwood floor of my own home with enough force to shatter her skull. There was no recovery from that.

I then immediately dialed the police. I wasn't lying that she'd fell down the stairs and there were no signs of a struggle so they had no reason to question my story.

The blame fell on paramedics for not responding in time. Even my gaffe of dialing the police instead of an ambulance was brushed off as an error made as the result of panic and shock rather than the cold and calculated decision that it was.

I had to keep from bursting into laughter as a cop consoled me. I like to think I did a very convincing job with the water works, even shedding some genuine tears to genuinely sell the grief and distress.

I can't believe that I'm going to get away with yet another murder and it's my own sister to boot. There really is no stopping me. If I haven't been caught now, who can take me down?

Who's going to be the one to bring me in? Who even suspects me?

September 24th, 2012

Today marks a new chapter in my life. I'm moving out of this mostly podunk town and changing the scenery around me. I mean, how could I stay here months after my own sister died?

The thought of leaving behind the familiar comforts of home is admittedly daunting, something I hadn't been expecting. For the past two decades, this town has been my sanctuary, the place where I've became the man I am today and formed my most treasured memories.

The prospect of independence is exhilarating – the chance to carve out my own path, make my own decisions, and chart my own course in life. Yet, beneath the surface, there's a nagging sense of uncertainty. Will I be able to keep my urges properly in check to avoid being caught? Will I find my more places to fit in, in the world beyond the confines of this town?

As I pack up my belongings and prepare to bid farewell to my family and friends, I can't help but reflect on all the experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. Every laughter-filled dinner, every late-night conversation, every tear shed in times of sorrow – they have all played a part in molding me into the young man I am now. For better and for worse.

Ha! I almost sound sentimental and emotional. It's a strange feeling to have.

But as much as I'll miss this place and the people who have given me more than they can ever imagine, I know that it's time for me to take this next step forward. Change is inevitable, and growth often comes from stepping outside of our comfort zones.

So, with a mixture of excitement and apprehension, I look towards the horizon, eager to embrace whatever the future may hold. As I prepare to leave home, I carry with me the lessons of the past and the hope of new beginnings. Here's to the adventure that awaits.

I'm just so traumatized that I can't stay at home. I bought a bus ticket to Tennessee and then I'll see where I go from there. I packed up my ball peen hammer and my trusty hunting knife as well. It's a home sake memento to remember my family by. I kissed my Mom and Dad goodbye and then I set out.

I still intend on following through with my hobbies and habits, but the world is a lot different from home. I'm going to have to be more careful, cover my tracks more thoroughly. I still have my debit card and I get a monthly allowance from Mom and Dad, but when it comes to moving from town to town, I think I'll stick with cash. Here's to my bad habits.

"There are more entries if you're curious, should we-?"

"I'd rather not. You'd think I'd be used to shit like this after all the death I've seen, but this guy was one sick son of a bitch."

"You can say that again."

"In other news today," Katherine reported on the television broadcast, "Today Michigan State police have concluded their investigation into the murder of two young Royal Woods children."

"Today, in a press conference held at the Royal Woods Courthouse, authorities announced that they found conclusive evidence that proves 24 year old Evan Cardona to indeed be responsible for the heinous killings," Katherine reported, "DNA evidence found on the scene corroborated by security camera footage not just from the crime scene but surrounding Michigan areas have police certain that Cardona was indeed the culprit."

"Cardona was found dead last month having drowned in a frozen lake in Royal Woods," Katherine continued, "He had been caught stalking a young girl when he fled from the area. Police believe that the ice couldn't support his weight and he fell beneath the water."

"In addition," she said, "Cardona is now suspected of being linked to 11 missing and murdered children's cases across the country, ranging from states such as Indiana to Tennessee to Colorado to Georgia. Cardona's DNA samples have been sent to those states for further analysis."

"The findings provide little comfort to the family and friends of the victims," Katherine said in a somber tone, "who've requested to remain anonymous in their time of grieving."

In some ways, the nightmare was over. The killer was dead and could no longer harm anyone else. In other ways however, the nightmare had just begun and many questions remained.

Maybe karma had been delivered, but karma differed from justice. Evan had never had his day in court, he was never caught or made to answer for his crimes. In a sadistic way, Evan had gotten away with everything.

Lynn and Rita had read the findings of the journal, but it didn't bring complete closure. The only thing they understood was why Evan turned out the way he was and his motives for murder. The journal did not answer why he specifically chose to kill Luan and Lio.

For all anyone knew, he had been stalking and watching the two all day on the night of the attack. For all anyone knew, the choice was a random spur of the moment decision and if it wasn't Luan and Lio, it would've been someone else. No one would know for certain though and the question would eat away at the Louds for years to come.

In the weeks following the discovery of Evan's body, a significant part of Royal Woods had slowly moved on with their lives. Parents became more comfortable letting their children play outside again, albeit still under a watchful eye. Skate parks, roller rinks and arcades regained their popularity, being routinely packed out on Friday nights and the weekend that followed. Only those unaffected by the tragedy were able to move on.

The Loud Family did not have that privilege. Their family was still missing two members who would never sit and laugh with them at the dinner table. Two siblings had still been taken far too soon, never again to form lasting memories with the people who loved them and held them dear. Christmases and other holidays would forever be void of their presence. The days of the year meant to celebrate their births would forever be tainted by the fact that they hadn't been allowed to grow and mature into different and better people.

Six youth had forever lost their partner who had become an integral part of all of their lives. Two would be enemies who were only brought together by the presence of a clown and might've otherwise grown to always hate each other would always have a hole in their hearts.

The close family that had been intertwined with the Louds for decades also felt the brunt of the loss. The deaths of Luan and Lio hit them just as hard as it did the pair's blood family.

A track team was missing one of its friendliest and best runners. A theater crew had lost one of its most energetic and passionate members. The loss truly had unforeseen ripple effects that tore people who'd be otherwise forgotten.

Lucy only came to find out later that she came dangerously close to being another one of Evan's victims. The thought angered her more than it scared her. Evan had already taken so much from Lucy and he still hadn't gotten his fill?

Lucy didn't know where to go to vent her fury and frustrations. The ventilation shaft wouldn't suffice on this occasion. Lynn's Table was still a place that tore open the unhealed emotional wounds from the tragedy. The cemetery was a place that Lucy had dedicated strictly for visiting Luan and Lio with pleasant news to share with the two of them.

In the end, Lucy chose to visit the very lake where Evan had meant his end. It only made sense. Once again, Lucy asked Lori to take her there with Lita and Lynn tagging alongside the two of them this time around as well.

"Are you going to be okay, Luce?" Lynn asked once they arrived at the lake.

"I'm going to be just fine," Lucy insisted, telling her siblings, "stay right here. I'll be right back."

Lucy was still within view as she walked to the beach to let out her feelings.

"I don't care anymore about why you did what you did," Lucy started her speech, "I don't care why you turned out the way you did. I don't care. None of that will bring back what you took from me. What you stole from all of us."

"I hate you," Lucy ranted, trying to keep the tears at bay, "I despise you, I detest you, I *loathe* you. You killed two people who were close to me without any regard for any of us. Without any remorse."

"Luan was one of my outlets. She was someone who always made time to listen to me," Lucy continued. "She believed in me. She encouraged me to always go for my dreams. Even after all the times I surprised and scared her, she made sure I knew that I mattered. That I knew that someone was listening to me."

Lucy took a deep breath before carrying on with her speech.

"Lio understood me," she said, "they were my horror brother who shared my love of all things horror related. There were so many times where they helped me sneak into R-rated movies just so that I could see the latest scary movie. They read and reviewed my poetry, accepted my lighter side and stood by me."

"And you took them away," she muttered. "You ripped them away from us all just to get your sick kicks. My life had been a never ending horror movie since you did what you did."

"I hate how I'll never get to hear one of Luan's jokes again, even if her puns could be annoying. I hate how I'll never get to see one of Lio's drawings, whether it was heartwarming and sweet or nightmare fuel drawn just for me."

"I hate that I'll never spend another birthday with them, playing pranks," Lucy monologued, "or spend the night in one of their rooms when I have a nightmare."

"But damn," Lucy murmured, "fuck, it's you I hate the most."

"I hate that I'll never get to see you in chains like the animal you are," she ranted. "I hate that I'll never get to see you answer for your crimes. I hate that I'll never get to say "I hate you" to your face."

"You fucking coward," Lucy snarled, "the only guts you had were from your fucking stomach fat."

"If I had any solace," Lucy said, "is that eventually you'll be forgotten. You'll be just another footnote no matter how many movies they make about you. No matter how many documentaries they make about you, no matter how much they'll obsess over you, you'll be forgotten. Just remembered as some sick freak who preyed on kids."

"I won't let your actions define my brother and sister," Lucy said, "I- we'll make sure that Luan and Lio are remembered for who they truly were: loving, kind, funny, caring and loved by so many."

"I don't know for sure if there's an afterlife," Lucy admitted, "but if there is, it brings me comfort to know that without a shadow of a doubt, you're suffering in Hell right now."

Lucy took a deep breath as she finished now. "So I'm going to let it go now. May you never find peace."

Lucy returned to Lori, Lita and Lynn, where the four of them joined into an embrace and shared a cry together.

Epilogue

In the heart of a sunlit park in our new home, Lio and I watched as Joshua and Sally played red light green light with Abby. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight but something was still bothering me.

"Are you okay, Oneechan?"

I look up from where I'm sitting in the grass and see Lio standing next to me before they quickly sit down next to me.

"I'm fine, Lio," I answer, albeit halfheartedly. Naturally they aren't convinced.

"You miss everyone, don't they?" They ask and I know that they already know the answer.

"I'm not the only one," I tell them.

"Guilty as charged," Lio admits.

I don't blame myself for their death anymore, but it's hard for me to let go of the life we had. It's much harder to laugh when the people you normally share it with aren't around you. I'm grateful for our new friends and for Mrs. Auvinen and Mr. Ketchum agreeing to look out for me and Lio, but I still feel alone.

"I feel alone too," Lio communicates with me via our mind link.

"It's going to be hard adjusting to this, isn't it?" They ask me to which I answer, "It was never going to be easy."

They rest their head on my shoulder as I pull them in and wrap my arms around them.

"But at least we have each other," I tell them.

Lio and I are both startled when we hear someone trip and fall nearby.

"Are you okay?" Lio calls out to Abby and the others.

"We're fine!" Abby answers, giving a thumbs up.

Looking around, I see that it wasn't any of them who had fallen, but rather someone I hadn't seen before. Sitting up off the ground was a tanned girl with reddish hair that featured green and blue highlights tied in a ponytail and wearing glasses.

"I'll be right back," I told Lio before I walked over to help the girl to her feet.

"Need some help?" I asked her as I extended my hand to her.

"Oh umm," she said in confusion, "thank you."

As she looked at me, I got a clear look at her eyes. They were crystal blue and she looked no older than 14. She wore a blue jean jacket and shorts alongside a pair of roller blades and sported a lean and athletic frame.

"Th-thank you," She expressed once again.

"No problem," I said before giggling and offering her a joke. "Nice to see ya rock and *rollin'*"

She giggled and said "Good one," before unexpectedly hugging me.

She immediately let go and apologized.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, "I usually don't talk to people and people usually don't talk to me."

"Sometimes I like that," she explained, "and sometimes I wish I wasn't as alone, you know? It's weird. Sorry."

I smile at the girl as I tell her, "You've got nothing to apologize for."

She reminds me of Lio in some ways.

"Oh, thank you!" She says before hugging me again and introducing herself, "My name's Iris by the way."

"Well I'm happy to meet you, Iris," I say, "and if you're looking for a friend, maybe I'm the gal for you. The name's Luan." I point my thumb behind me at Lio, "That's my baby brother, Lio."

"Nice name, Luan," she says before observing, "you and Lio look so young."

"I'm not sure you have room to speak," I joke once again, causing her to giggle.

"Guilty as charged," she says, "you're a really nice girl. Where were you when I was alive?"

"Well I'm like a dictionary," I continue to pile on the humor, "if you need new *meaning* in your life, just stick with me."

"So do you wanna hang out?" I ask her, causing her to visibly panic and ask "Where at? Just the two of us?! Other people can see us, right?"

"Umm yeah," I tell her, "of course."

"Sorry," she apologized again, "I didn't have many friends in life so being alone with other people kinda freaks me out."

"I understand," I tell her as this time it's my turn to hug her. "You wanna hang out with me and Lio? We can keep you company?"

Iris smiles at me and nervously replies "Yes, I would like that. Thank you Luan."

I walk back to where Lio is sitting, where they are accompanied by a person wearing black leather and boots.

The person's face looks feminine sporting long eyelashes and dimples. They have short black hair that almost resembles the undercut that Lio themselves have. They wear some makeup that accentuates their more feminine features.

At the same time, they have a somewhat muscular and athletic frame, similar like Iris. They look like they're 12 or 13 years old, being a few inches taller than Lio, though not towering on them.

Their attire consists of a black leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders, a hot pink tank top with a skull on it, black leather pants and a pair of black steel toed boots.

Altogether, they look like the opposite of Lio. Not that that's stopping my baby brother from having a good time with them. The two of them are laughing together and I can't help but smile at seeing my baby brother enjoying themselves. It's nice that they've made a new friend and formed a connection here.

"Hi Oneechan!" Lio greets me, looking up from their friend before they properly introduce them to me. "This is my friend Rory!"

"Sup!" Rory greets me, waving at me and Iris. They laugh, "So this is the world's greatest Oneechan, Luan Loud, that Lio was telling me about?"

"You've known them for five minutes and you're already singing my praises?" I tease Lio.

"Well you are the coolest," they tell me, "and I see you made a friend as well."

"Yep!" I say before introducing Iris, "Lio, this is Iris. Iris, this is the baby brother I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you," Iris smiles before teasing them, "So Lio, are you and Rory friends or are you friends?"

"Well, we-," Lio Starts to answer before Rory speaks up for him.

"Oh don't worry," she says, wrapping an arm around Lio and wiggling their eyebrows at me and Iris, "there's plenty of time for Lio and I to become more than friends."

"Oh my God, Rory no!" Lio laughs alongside them.

"Rory yes!" She jokes in response. "Wanna go play with your friends?"

"Sure," Lio answers before telling Rory, "you might wanna take your jacket off though."

"That works for me," Rory says, taking her jacket off, "I was looking for an excuse to show off these guns anyway."

"Have fun with you and your girlfriend, Oneechan!" Lio shouts as they run off, causing Iris and I to blush.

"Ha!" Rory laughs, "Got her!"

"They seem fun," Iris laughs after recovering from the shock.

"Yeah," I agree, brushing my hair aside.

"So you're sticking with me, right?" Iris asked.

"I'm not leaving your side," I assured her.

"Thank you," she says, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I can't help but smile at her as she does so. Maybe Lio and I won't be so alone after all.

FIN

And here is the second, somewhat more depressing chapter that I talked about. While the first half focused on Luan and Lio's journey to find their proper resting place, this half focuses on the sorrow and grief left behind by loss. It focuses on the impact of a sudden, unexpected and violent death and the different ways it affects the people left behind.

Fortunately, this story does end on a somewhat bittersweet note with an open door to revisit this Elseworlds setting. As always, I hope you enjoyed this story and I'll see you soon. As promised, there are happier stories coming soon. Take care everybody! Peace!