Tetherby, freshly washed and in clothing uncovered by puke, sat in his usual spot in his country club, a thoughtful frown across his aged face. Normally, he'd be pleased as punch after watching another, in his own mind, worthless business be taken by the bank. A business that he had every intention of tearing down to make way for a more worthwhile business. At the moment, however, his mind was too preoccupied with another matter.
"That limousine." he muttered, his mind consumed with images of Gaz's limo overshadowing his.
"What limousine?" asked a female member of his country club.
"Earlier today, I met this young woman." he began.
"And she tried to seduce you for your money and make you her Sugar Daddy?" the woman asked with a chuckle.
"No!" Tetherby huffed with an unamused look before continuing. "She had what may be, and I'm reluctant to say this, the greatest limousine of all time!"
"Really? Better than any of our limos?" the woman asked in mild surprise. "How so? What did it look like?"
"It was enormous! It was easily over thrice the length of my limo! It-It-It was-"
"A massive machine that looked like a few train cars stuck together?" the woman suddenly said, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Actually, that is quite accurate-Waaait. How do you know that?" Tetherby asked, his eyes narrowing at her in suspicion.
"Because I'm looking right at it." she answered while pointing at the nearby window. Tetherby looked outside and gasped at the sight of Gaz's limo parked across from his country club. People on the street were looking at it as much as the other club members crowding the windows.
"My word!"
"Where did that come from?"
"Are they looking to join?"
"If they have something like that, they must be quite the billionaire."
"I think I see someone stepping out."
Everyone watched as the limo opened and produced a set of stairs, allowing Gaz and Zim to walk down before they started heading towards the country club. Gaz was wearing an outfit that resembled her old attire when Zim first came to Earth, while Zim simply wore a red T-shirt with black pants and shoes.
"It's them!" Tetherby announced before rushing off towards the entrance, stopping for a moment to catch his breath. "Blast these old knees of mine!" he grumbled before snapping his fingers, causing four of his butlers to appear with a palanquin and set him in the seat before heading for the entrance.
"Lord Tetherby. A Gazlene Membrane and Zim Ovirk are here to see you." informed another butler while walking alongside Tetherby and the other butlers. "Should I send them away?"
"No. I wish to hear what they have to say first. Let them in." he ordered. The bulter nodded before heading for the door and opening it, allowing Zim and Gaz to walk in. "Mr. Ovirk. Miss Membrane." Tetherby greeted as his butlers kneeled, allowing him to hop off the palanquin and approach them. "Is there a reason you've come here?"
"We came to apologize for our rude greeting earlier." Gaz stated.
"Yeah...sorry." Zim said while crossing his arms and looking away. Tetherby looked at the two them with a raised eyebrow while rubbing his chin with his right hand.
"And what has brought all this on?" he asked. "And shouldn't you be with your friends, the Louds?"
"Not my friend. Not anymore." Gaz huffed with a hurt look. "Give them a ride in your limo and they just whine about everything. Even said people with limos are rich bastards and bitches."
"If they're going to act ungrateful, they can walk. Which they are." Zim said before giving off his old laugh, then stopping after a moment with a cough. "Sorry. Bad habit of mine."
"Anyway, we wanted to come and apologize and to, if you're not too busy, invite everyone to take a ride in my limousine." Gaz said before gesturing towards her limousine.
"Well, I am a bit bu-" Tetherby began before being drowned out by the other members.
"What features does it have?"
"What manufacturer makes them in that size?"
"How much was it?"
These and others were being directed towards Gaz before Tetherby clapped his hands, silencing them all.
"Since everyone here is curious, I suppose I can make time in my schedule to accompany you." he decided before giving her a flat look. "Though I doubt it's as amazing as everyone thinks it is."
"This is absolutely amazing!" Tetherby exclaimed before swinging at the virtual golf ball across the virtual golf course that had appeared inside one section of the limousine. "With a feature on a limo like this, one could play golf anytime they wish! Even on days of rotten weather!"
"And it's only a fraction of what The Almighty Limousine can do." Gaz said before muttering. "I need to shorten that name." She then continued in a normal tone. "Watch this. Computer, Billiard Room."
Tetherby watched as the virtual golf course change into a pool room, complete with table, cue sticks, and cue chalk.
"Impressive." Tetherby commented. He may not care for the sport, but he was impressed with how it all changed.
"TV Lounge." Gaz ordered, causing the limo to produce a comfy couch, TV, and appropriate lighting.
"A nice spot to watch others golf or watch the stock market. I like." Tetherby nodded in approval.
"Spa." Gaz said, causing the area to shift around to show a high class spa area, with a set of robotic arms above a massage table.
"Ooooh!" Tetherby said in awe before sighing, though he still had a small smile. "Oh, alright. I hate to say it, but your limousine far surpasses mine." he admitted.
"Ours too." said a man as he, Zim, and a few others enjoyed a spot of tea in a section of the limo that looked like a fancy dining room. "You could practically live in this limousine!"
"I know." Gaz said with a shrug.
"I must ask. Where did you get it?" Tetherby inquired.
"My boyfriend, Zim, gave it to me." Gaz answered before ordering a massage chair to sit in and relax, letting it soothe her body. "I don't know where he bought it, nor do I care. But you can ask him if you want."
"Ask me what?" said Zim from the table.
"Where on earth did you ever buy this limousine? I must get one for myself." Tetherby stated. Zim blinked at him a few times before biting his tongue to keep from laughing. "What? What's so funny?"
"On Earth." Zim whispered under his breath before composing himself. "Nothing. Just an inside joke is all. As for where, I met someone and commissioned them to design and build this limousine. I can get in touch with them later and ask if they're in a building mood."
"That would be marvelous!" Tetherby cheered. "Perhaps I could even have them build one to give to her when she arrives."
"Her?" Gaz said in confusion before giving a sly grin. "Does Lord Tetherby have someone they're trying to court?"
"What? Oh heavens no!" Tetherby said with a good natured chuckle. "It's nothing like that at all."
"Then why give her a limo like Gaz's?" Zim asked.
"I wouldn't bother asking." said a man that looked to be in his mid 30s. "He's kept mum about this special guest to all of us."
"Well if you're wanting to give her a limo like mine, then it must be somebody important." Gaz surmised.
"Indeed." Tetherby nodded before putting his finger to his lips. "But I'm keeping their identity a secret."
"Then how about a hint?" Gaz asked.
"Ah ah ah. No spoilers." Tetherby laughed.
"Oh, come now Lord Tetherby. You've been teasing us for weeks now about this special guest of yours to come. Why not just give us the faintest of hints?" asked another member. Others soon asked for a hint as well, their curiosity and patience at an all time high and low respectively.
"Ooooh very well. But just a tiny one." Tetherby finally relented. "The guest I have coming has connections to the Grace Company."
"The Grace Company?!" chorused the members of the club.
"The Grace Company, huh? Well, that's certainly a reason to want to buy such an expensive gift for them." Zim mused, earning a confusing look from Gaz.
"Exactly. It's why I've been preparing for their arrival." Tetherby said.
"How so?" Gaz asked, hoping that he'd tell the reason behind closing down Lynn Loud Sr.'s restaurant.
"Well, I plan to open a lot of space around Royal Woods for them to branch out and open up multiple businesses here." he announced. "With how well known they are and how much everyone enjoys their products and business, Royal Woods will have people flocking here. And with me as the one managing all the business for them here, my fortune will swell to astronomical heights!"
Zim and Gaz shot subtle looks to each other after that declaration, now knowing the reason why Tetherby was shutting down businesses. Now they only hoped that the others were getting Miss Baxtil to talk.
While Zim and Gaz were buttering up Tetherby, the Kankers, Lucy, Lily, Haiku, Gir, and Minimoose had traveled to Miss Baxtil's home to try and talk to her. While she had a smile on her face when she answered the door, it immediately fell when she saw the Loud children amongst the group.
"Sorry, but I'm not talking to any of you." Miss Baxtil denied as she tried to close the door. Tried being the key word since Lee had shoved her foot in the way before pushing the door back open.
"How 'bout we try that again? With a little less bitchiness on your part?" asked the oldest Kanker sibling.
"Will you just...go away?!" Miss Baxtil grunted as she tried to shut the door.
"Is someone at the door?" came a voice from inside.
"It's nothing, Todd. Just some...girl scouts selling cookies?" she said with a smile as she looked back inside.
"Buy me some Thin Mints please." they heard him call before he left to go deeper into the house. When he was out of earshot, she turned back to them all, a sad frown on her face.
"I know why you're here, but I can't help you. Now please, just go already." she quickly whispered.
"No. A lot of lives are being ruined, and we are not leaving until we get some answers." Susie declared.
"Get them somewhere else!" she snapped before finally pushing them out of the doorway and slamming it shut. The rest of them got back onto their feet and gave the door a flat look before turning to each other.
"She doesn't appear to be in a talking mood." Haiku stated.
"Sigh. Shall we move to the last resort?" Lucy asked.
"It's her funeral." Susie said with a smile before all the women reached into their pockets, pulled out a set of ear plugs, and put them in their ears. "Hit it, Gir."
"Okay~" Gir smiled before taking a deep breath-
"DOOM DOOM DOOMDOOM DOOM DOOOOM! DOOOM DODOOMDODODOOM!"
-and began to sing the Doom song at the top of his lungs while running in circles around her house.
"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Marie asked, earning a confused look from the others before they all took on plug out. "HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?!"
"That depends on Miss Baxtil!" Lily answered loudly.
-15 minutes later-
"I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY, I'LL TALK! JUST MAKE THE CHILD STOP ALREADY!" Miss Baxtil pleaded from her doorway, one hand covering an ear while the other was frantically waving a white flag in surrender.
Susie only smiled and nodded before taking the bag they'd brought with them and pulling a taco out of it.
"Gir. Taco." she said before throwing it into the air, letting the hyperactive robot-in-disguise jump and grab it with his mouth.
"Thank you!" said the banker before letting them all into her home. They all gathered in the living room and sat down either on the floor or chairs while they waited for an explanation. "What do you want to know?"
"Why is Tetherby closing down businesses around town?" Lucy asked.
"That's not Tetherby's fault. He bought the land and makes everyone pay rent to-" Miss Baxtil began before seeing them glaring at her, with Gir in May's hands still eating his taco.
"No. More. Lies." Haiku hissed.
"Okay, Okay!" she yelped. When they left Gir to eat his taco in peace, she continued. "I honestly don't know why he's doing all this. He hasn't said anything to me." That only made them glare harder at her. "I don't know! I swear!"
"Fine. Next question then. Why did you say that the bank hasn't gotten any payments from my father?" Lucy asked.
"Because we haven't. Tetherby has been forcing the post office to withhold any payments he sends through the mail. He even has them withhold anything from Mr. Loud's son and daughters that look like it may help." she explained.
"Is that why both the bank and post office threw him out and banned his family?" May asked.
"Yes. Tetherby doesn't want your father to make the payments, allowing the bank to legally close down on businesses and homes." Miss Baxtil said with a sad look.
"Why are you letting him do this?!" Lily demanded. "Don't you realize how much this is hurting everyone?!"
"You think they're doing this because they want to?"
Everyone turned to see a teenage boy hobble in on crutches, his right leg in a cast.
"Todd, this is my business." Miss Baxtil said.
"Like heck it is!" he snapped before frowning at the group of women. "There's a lot of people in town that are being forced to help Tetherby! My mom here is just one of them!"
"What do you mean?" Lee asked.
"See my leg here?" he asked gesturing to his broken leg. "When my mom wouldn't accept Tetherby's money, two goons showed up the next day and smashed a bat into my leg! Said Tetherby sends his regards. After that, my mom obeyed Tetherby to keep them from hurting me anymore."
"Is that true?" Haiku asked, her expression no longer angry.
"Yes. It's true. I hate doing this, but I don't have a choice." she lamented. "And I can't go to the police either. He's got a few men on the inside that he's bribed."
"You could still fight back!" Todd insisted.
"And have you wind up in the ICU?! I don't think so!" Miss Baxtil snapped before turning to them all. "Now you know why. Now please, just leave us alone."
"...Fine." Lucy answered before they all left, leaving the poor woman to start breaking down in tears, her son trying to comfort her.
"Well now I feel like shit for being so pissed at her." Lily sighed as they all started walking away from the house.
"Same. She's just as much of a victim of Tetherby's as anyone else." Haiku said while looking down at the ground.
"Well what do we do now?" May asked.
"We wait for Zim and Gaz to finish talking with Tetherby, compare information, then make a plan to stop Tetherby." said Susie.
"You make it sound so simple." Marie chuckled.
"That's because it worked for us last time in my hometown." Susie answered with a smile.
"Then our parents won't lose their home?" Lily asked with a hopeful smile.
"By the time we leave town, all the damage will be undone. As for Tetherby? He will be begging for mercy." Susie answered.
-Later-
Everyone regrouped at Lucy and Haiku's apartment to share notes and discuss a strategy.
"After all the information we've gathered, here's what we know." Gaz began. "Tetherby has been buying up land and making people pay rent on homes or businesses. The reason? The foreclose on them all and clear up room for a foreign company to open up businesses here in Royal Woods. How? He's making the post office withhold payments made by mail so that they don't get to the bank, while at the same time having the bank, in one way or another, refuse to see anyone about the payments, thereby eliminating any chance they have to pay, thereby having the bank foreclose on the property so he can buy it at a later date."
"And don't forget about all the people he's forced to help through intimidation and threats." Lily added.
"Yes. Let's not forget that." Gaz said with a nod. "However, because of the methods he's using to make the bank and post office do as he says, none of them are going to be standing up to him anytime soon."
"Which makes it all the more difficult for us to nail Tetherby. Especially since messing with the mail is a felony crime." May added, earning looks from her sisters. "What? I'm not an idiot. I know things."
"So, any ideas on how to get this guy?" Marie asked.
"I don't know. I honestly need to think about this one." Gaz said while rubbing her head before her stomach growled. "And I can't think on an empty stomach."
"Why not come over to my parents place?" Lily offered. "My dad would love to cook for you guys. And if you don't have a place to sleep tonight, you could ask to bunk there."
"Thanks for the offer, but we'll sleep in the limo." Marie said with a smile.
"Actually, I don't have the limo right now." Gaz informed, to everyone's confusion. "There aren't a lot of places to park it around town, so I had to leave it somewhere designed to house all types of limos."
"Oh please tell me it's not at-"
"Tetherby's Limousine Parking Garage." Gaz finished for Haiku, earning a groan from her. "Hey, I didn't want to, okay? I hate Tetherby, but I couldn't just park it anywhere. It'd take up too much room and the city would probably try to tow it away."
"Well...that is a good point." Lucy begrudgingly admitted before her own stomach growled. "Guess talking about dad's food made me hungry too. All in favor of heading to my parent's house?" Everyone raised their hand at the question. "Then let's go. Hopefully we can also cheer my dad up as well after the rotten day he's had."
()
Lynn Loud Sr. was a mess. He had been sobbing halfway through his walk home, and was still crying even after the hours had passed.
"It's not fair!" he cried before blowing his nose in a tissue Rita, his wife, gave him. She was a blonde woman with gray mixed in and wrinkles appearing, showing that she was getting old as well.
"I know, honey. I know." she said as she pulled him into another hug, letting her husband cry on her shoulder.
"How much more is he going to hurt us?! Junior gets arrested for on bogus charges for standing up to him! The dental office, Lucy's mortuary, and my restaurant are shut down! It's only a matter of time before he comes to watch the bank take the house! He's probably on his way here with Miss Baxtil this very second!" he ranted.
"Oh come now, sweetie. He wouldn't be that cruel." Rita said.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"AAAAHHHHH! HE'S HERE! I'M NOT READY!" shrieked the Loud Patriarch before grabbing his wife and bolting for the bedroom. "It's okay! We'll just pretend we're not home! Then they'll never be able to serve us the eviction notice and we can stay here forever!" he said, his voice trembling as much as he was as he began to laugh like an unhinged maniac.
SLAP!
A good hard slap from Rita snapped him out of it.
"Lynn, I know that you don't want to lose anything else to Tetherby, but you can't just hide from reality. Especially not in your bedroom like a kid. Besides, we don't even know who is at the door. It could just be the neighbors." Rita explained.
"Mom? Dad? Are you hiding in the bedroom?" came Lily's voice.
"Or our daughter Lily coming home." Rita tacked on before opening the bedroom door. "Sorry Lily. Your father's having a bit of an episode."
"I know. We all heard the scream." she said with a smile.
"We?" her mother asked before noticing her daugter Lucy, her friend Haiku, and a bunch of strangers she'd never seen before standing behind her. "Who are all of you?"
"Mom, these are our friends." Lucy said before introducing them all. "We dropped by to see how dad was doing, and, well, we're a little hungry since we haven't eaten since..."
"Since they shut down your father's restaurant." Rita finished with a sad sigh while Lynn Sr. looked ready to burst into tears again.
"Aw, don't cry dad. Things will get better soon. I promise." Lily said with a smile as she hugged her father, which was soon joined by Rita and Lucy. The father smiled before hugging them all back before they all separated.
"Thanks everyone. I needed that." he said before taking a deep breath. "Now, you said something about friends?" he asked before turning to Gaz and her friends. "And if my memory hasn't faded, I think I heard something about someone being hungry?"
"You heard right." May said with a grin.
"And we brought groceries just in case." Lucy added while she and the other women held up some bags full of food.
"Then let's get cooking!" Lynn declared before heading to the kitchen.
"Thanks for that." Rita told them.
"We figured dad would be a bit of a mess, so we thought a bit of cooking would calm him down." Lily said before she and her mother joined the others in the kitchen.
"One question though. Why is the little guy green?" she whispered to her youngest daughter.
"They all say he's got a skin condition that rotted his ears off." Lily answered. "I don't know if it's true, but they're all sticking to it."
"That...hmm." was all Rita said before the Loud family began to cook.
"By the way, I didn't hear the rumble for that huge limo of Gaz's." Lynn Sr. suddenly said while preparing some food.
"We gave them a lift in our cars." Lucy explained. "She couldn't bring it here since there was no place to park it."
"Yeah. It's in a place with tight security. Only an idiot would try to steal it." Lily said with a laugh.
-Later that night-
Tetherby's Limousine Parking Garage was a massive structure built to house limos of all shapes and sizes. And that, miraculously, included Gaz's Limousine. The outside was guarded by security guards. The inside was observed with cameras.
Cameras which, at that very moment, all seemed to sag, the light indicating they were functioning switched off.
When that happened, two men slowly began to make their way through the parking garage. One had light skin with brown spiky hair. The other had dark skin and black hair with bangs covering his eyes.
"The cameras just switched off." said the dark skinned man. "Now we can take our time getting into that limo."
"Right...which one was it again?" asked the light skinned man, earning a facepalm from his cohort.
"Tetherby explained it to us earlier, Hawk! The really huge, black limo that looks like a bunch of train cars stuck together!" he grumbled while pointing at Gaz's limo.
"Oh...OH! That one!" said Hawk as they approached it. "Holy shit! This thing is massive, Hank!"
"Yeah. A lot bigger than I thought it would be. Still, orders are orders." Hawk said.
"How does Tetherby expect us to get this out of here without anyone noticing?" asked Hank.
"Simple. He'll say that the one who owns it came back to pick it up and drove it out. All the guards will be told to testify to that in case they say otherwise." Hawk explained before looking over Hank's shoulder.
"What?" Hank asked as he looked in the same direction.
"Thought I saw something move." Hawk muttered before shrugging. "Probably just my imagination."
"Don't freak me out like that, man. Now come on. Let's steal us a limousine!" Hank chuckled as both men cracked their knuckles.
I hope you all enjoyed. Also, no genderbent characters. Here's the list.
Mandy from GaoBaM: 7
Martian Queen Tyr'ahnee: 7
Vicky from FOP: 7
Lord Dominator: 7
Tallest Miyuki: 6
Tak: 5
Leela: 1
Amy Wong: 1
Lum from Kaiba: 1
Lily Enstomache: 1
Boa Sandersonia: 2
Lydia Deetz: 2
Spinel: 2
Erotica Jones: 1
Mandie from FOP: 2
Commander Dish: 2
Enid: 4
Wilhamena: 2
Fink from OK KO: 2
Mavis Dracula: 3
Adult Grimwood Girls: 5
Jinx: 3
Blackfire: 2
Tenn: 3
Haiku from Loud House: 2
Lucy Loud from Loud House: 3
Kirika Misono: 2
Jenny Wakeman: 4
Misty from MLAATR: 2
Chifusa Manyuu: 3
Dee Dee from Dexter's Laboratory: 3
Lee Lee from Dexter's Laboratory: 3
Mee Mee from Dexter's Laboratory: 3
Wednesday Addams: 4
Deb Turnbull: 1
Melisa and the entire Island of Beautiful Women from Johnny Bravo: 2
Judy Funnie: 1
She Venom from Marvel: 2
Blue Diamond: 2
Blue Pearl: 2
Yellow Pearl: 2
Pink Pearl: 2
Peridot: 1
Lapis Lazuli: 1
Rei Miyamoto from HSOTD: 1
Saeko Busujima from HSOTD: 1
Saya Takagi from HSOTD: 1
Shizuka Marikawa from HSOTD: 1
Minami Rika from HSOTD: 1
Jessica Rabbit: 1
Jessica Albert from DQ8: 1
Chun Li: 1
Cammy from Street Fighter: 1