AN: How was that first chapter? I'm trying to go for 1 to 2 chapters every two weeks, so let's see how this goes. As some of you may tell, I got inspired by a particular infamous episode. But it was also inspired by the ongoing tale of Lincoln vs. his sisters or even vs. himself. That's what got me into the show in the first place, and even if it went downhill, in my opinion (and should still mainly focus on Lincoln), the characters in this show are just amazing. Also, you may have realized this as well, but this took some inspiration from many action and adventure media I've seen over the years. One thing is for sure, I have a lot planned for this story. The entire story is basically written out in my head and on some scrap documents, has been for some time now. It's only now that I've finally decided to write it down and make an actual story of it. I just wanted to share this with other fans of the show and its fanfiction. Well, if you read this far, I really appreciate it. Enough wasting your time.
Blaring pop music filled the room as many old and young people danced to the intense music. Overhead were multi-colored lights that shined to the floor. Anyone on the dance floor could feel the room jump every second as the rhythm and bass went off. One of these people was Lincoln, who stood in a black suit with a bowtie.
He was currently inside an extraordinary mountain which got the name Club Volcano. On a small island surrounded by blue water waves was one tall volcano positioned in the middle. Some time ago, a person whose body was made out of flames decided to renovate the inside of the volcano as a dance club. It was open to the public for all who wanted to participate. He was a part of a unique race called the "charred." Since he was made out of fire, the volcano was relatively safe to live in. And he even managed to control the volcano, so it was safe for others. He could even stop it from erupting and lower the inside temperatures to normal levels. So anyone that wasn't made out of fire could stay inside with relative ease. Above the club were even some rooms for anyone you needed to stay the night, as well as his office and private rooms.
Lincoln was here on the quest for more atomosinc. His smart band's map marked this island a few days ago, detecting a signal of atomosinc. So he packed what he needed inside his Inventory and headed straight there. It wasn't long until he met with the owner and creator of the volcano dance club. His name was Flare.
Flare had possession of around one hundred pounds of atomosinc. That was now the most enormous amount Lincoln had found in one place. He was willing to give them to him. The man hadn't found any use for them and didn't think he ever would. But he also didn't want to give something up for free, which the young boy understood. After Lincoln demonstrated his strength, Flare asked him to work as a bouncer for a day. He wanted to let his usual one have a day off. The boy had no reason to complain. It was an easy job for someone like him.
So now here he was, in the middle of his shift, watching the people party like there was no tomorrow. Adults, some elderly, and even some children, oddly enough. He couldn't really question it since he was also a child working as a bouncer. This world was weird compared to back home.
There wasn't much for him to do but wait for someone to step out of line. Flare, who was DJing on the stage, told him that there were rarely any problems with the people. But it was better to have a bouncer than no one at all. Better safe than sorry.
He walked over to the molten walls where a drinking bar sat. Colorful drinks in bottles were displayed for the eye to see on shelves behind the counter. At the time of being, only a few people were there. The bartender stood behind the counter, eyeing the dance floor. The only other people were a couple who sat on stools nearby.
As the music shook the dance floor, he sat on one of the stools of the bar. He leaned back on the counter, resting on his elbows, and watched the people party on.
"Want a drink?" The bartender, a middle-aged man with some facial hair, asked. He was putting away glasses he recently cleaned upside down on the countertop. "It's on the house."
"Uh, no thanks. I'm not allowed to drink." Lincoln said, turning towards him.
The man raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"
Lincoln gestured to himself. "I'm too young, don't ya think?"
The man laughed. "What are you, an earthling?" He jokingly asked. "There's no age you can't drink, kid."
Widening his eyes in surprise, Lincoln leaned forward. "Wait, seriously?"
"Omar usually enjoyed this one." He pulled out a bottle with a green drink contained inside. On it was a label with a golden sticker. "This whiskey was brought from the Mall Continent. One of their best; Barge Whiskey. Give it a try." He said, pouring some out in a small glass. "Or don't. I'll have it if you won't."
He walked away, leaving Lincoln alone with the glass filled with the alcoholic beverage.
He gazed at the drink. It was legal to drink at any age… He met some other people who were around his age some months ago. When he saw them drink, he thought they were doing it illegally. He thought they could get in trouble. Looks like he was wrong.
If an adult earthling was here, they definitely wouldn't allow him to try it. Two adults, in particular, appeared in his mind.
But they weren't here with him. That was their choice, after all. So now they couldn't tell him what to do. What was wrong and what was right. That was his decision now.
He still called himself responsible, however. He knew the dangers of drinking and didn't want to become one of those people who relied on them so heavily. But…
One glass couldn't hurt.
Or maybe one sip?
He took the glass and sniffed. The alcohol entered his nostrils, and he could already feel the burning of the liquid. Bringing the beverage up to his lips, he took a decently sized sip.
He instantly made a disgusted face, putting the glass down gently. That was the most distasteful thing he's ever tried.
"How do adults like this stuff?" He asked out loud to no one in particular. Because of the music, no one heard him.
The aftertaste on his tongue was pretty bad, but he tolerated worse.
Stepping away from the drink, he went back into the crowd of dancers and walked around. He didn't feel like staying in one place at the moment.
The people cheered as the music blasted. With bright smiles and energetic dances, they made the floor seem like it was moving. It kind of made Lincoln want to dance too.
He looked towards Flare, who was jamming it out on stage. The guy made out of flames really enjoyed all of this. It was nice to see.
"Alright, everybody!" Flare said into the mic. "Let's head to the next level!"
The crowd roared, and a new song started to play. It was as energetic as the previous one, and the dancers began chanting to the beat.
Lincoln smiled. If only he wasn't here for business, he would have joined in on the fun. This was one of the great things he enjoyed about life. People coming together and having a great time. Times like these were usually never forgotten.
But just then, the double doors to the club blew open. The music and dancing stopped, and some people screamed. Multiple people wearing armor waltzed in with a robotic-like walk. They held large weapons that looked like guns, and all wore helmets that covered their faces. They also lacked any emotion. Lincoln realized what they were once he recognized the type of armor they were wearing. It was the same armor most of the Feared Four were wearing. The weird-looking "O" was also present on their armor, that identical good-for-nothing symbol. They were the soldiers of The Other.
Without a word being spoken, one of them took aim and fired at the crowd of dancers. Out of the weapons came laser bullets which looked scarily dangerous to a bystander.
Lincoln's heart dropped. He jumped forward and slapped the shots away, saving a very shocked woman.
The one who fired screeched and fired another shot, making the rest of the soldiers shoot as well.
There were a lot of lasers incoming, but Lincoln knew he could block them all. He prepared himself and-
A girl wearing a little red dress and only a tad shorter than Lincoln jumped in front of him. She swooped her hand. A red mystic sheet made out of something Lincoln thought was silk came out of her sleeve.
The sheet served as a barrier. Turning into a hard object, it blocked all the shots and protected both the two of them and the people behind them.
She turned to them and shouted, "Go! Run!"
The ex-dancers didn't waste time and scrambled. They screamed and headed toward the emergency exit behind them. Soon all of them were out, save for Flare. The man made out of flames got shot but was seemingly alright when the lasers phased through his hot body. He didn't even flinch.
The girl's sheet was beginning to crack. She grabbed Lincoln's wrist and pulled. "Come on!" They ran to the bar and jumped over the counter, taking cover behind it. Lincoln was relieved the bartender also managed to escape.
She took out two hand blasters from her pockets and tossed one to Lincoln. Then in a British accent that Lincoln finally noticed she had, said. "Let's get these suckers!"
Flare started another song. It was dubstep amping up every second. He didn't seem to notice the intruders, and Lincoln stared at him for a couple of seconds. Then, he saw the headphones Flare wore. Was he too in tune with his music to notice his surroundings?
He smirked, looking at the girl and nodding.
Getting out of cover, the music blared, and time seemed to slow down. Lincoln took aim and blasted a couple of the soldiers in the head while the girl shot three of them. Then, all of them turned into Life and faded away one by one in the order they fell.
Ducking and running to the left, he changed his position. Aiming down sights once more, he shot three more soldiers. The girl followed, firing two others.
Changing cover more towards the left, Lincoln slid over a table and landed next to the stage, where Flare was still vibing with the music playing. Eight more soldiers were left, and he shot four of them, the girl handling the other four just as efficiently.
Once they all fell and faded away, time seemed to go back to normal.
"That was fun!" Lincoln said happily, looking at the girl and tossing back her blaster at her.
She caught it with no issue and smiled. "Easy stuff. You're a good shot as well."
Lincoln wondered where that British accent came from. Britain didn't exactly exist here.
"Eh, once you get good at the arcade games, what's the difference?"
She laughed. "True. And don't even get started on how rigged they are. They're basically harder than in real life."
Their conversation was cut short as four more soldiers appeared.
Flared yelled out on the mic. "The two of you should get out of here. I'm setting the volcano to go off!" He was flipping some switches on his deck. It seemed he was paying attention after all.
"Let's go!" She said, beginning to run.
"Go without me." Lincoln said, which made her pause and look back at him.
"What?" She turned to him with a confused look, ducking under some gunfire.
Lincoln gave her a reassuring smile and said. "I need to grab something. You go on ahead."
After making sure she heard him right, she shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself. I'll see you on the flipside." She ran towards the soldiers and threw an electric net to tase and subdue the four.
"Wait!" Lincoln called. "You got a name?"
She turned her head for a second, not stopping her sprint, saluting him with two fingers. "The name's Shade. Nice to meet you!" She said before running off.
Lincoln waved at her. "I'm Lincoln! It was nice to meet you too!"
He turned and blocked a couple of more incoming shots with his arm. Then, running up to the two newcomers, he took both of their heads, slammed them together, and took them out.
He turned to Flare. "I'm taking my atomosinc and leaving."
"Yeah, go ahead. Better hurry. The volcano is about to go off." He said, raising the volume of the music even louder. The beat of the bass was the only thing Lincoln could hear now. The music itself slowed down. It was slowly regaining its speed in tempo. "Everyone who went through the emergency exit should be safe, as well as anyone in rooms upstairs." Far above them, a gate started to open, revealing the clear sky. Any second now, right below them, the volcano was about to go off.
Even so, Lincoln still sensed a presence nearby. His eye caught a scared small boy still hiding behind a table.
Running towards him, he grabbed the kid. The boy looked to be around four years old. "Don't worry, I gotcha!"
The music was amping up.
He put him on his back to carry him easier, then looked towards a door leading upstairs.
"Hey! The exit's that way!" The boy yelled with fright.
"I know!" Lincoln said. "I need to grab something!"
The dubstep was still rising.
"What?! Are you crazy!" The boy screamed angrily.
"I don't know yet! Haha!" Lincoln smiled.
"We don't have time!"
The tempo increased.
"Don't worry!" Lincoln said, readying himself as if he was about to partake in a one-hundred-meter run.
"We're gonna die!" The boy screamed.
"Are you ready!" Flare shouted to the sky.
The glass dance floor started to glow as the bass alone shook the room.
"One, two, three! Let's go!"
The beat dropped.
Club Volcano erupted.
And Lincoln ran.
He dashed to the stairs. The glass floor he was standing on not a second ago broke apart and melted as lava erupted from below.
He ran up the stairs and parkoured over the handrail, skipping the curve of the staircase. He did this a couple more times heading up a few levels with the hot lava close on his trail.
The boy held tight around Lincoln's neck, screaming at the top of his lungs the whole time. Unfortunately, his screams were overshadowed by the intense dubstep. It was still playing, which they could hear loud and clear throughout the volcano. He looked down through the middle of the spiral staircase and saw the dangerous lava rising quickly. This forced him to shut his eyes and not look again.
Lincoln laughed with excitement.
They finally arrived at the top floor. Lincoln put some energy on his feet and skated across the hallway they entered. Behind them, lava caved in and started to flood the hallway right behind them, too fast for comfort.
As the beat slowed down, they passed many doors. Finally, they were met with an office room at the end of the hallway.
Lincoln ran over to the desk and pulled a drawer, revealing a plastic bag of atomosinc. He picked it up and looked over it for a few seconds, scanning it with his smart band.
The boy looked at the bag in anger. "That's what you came here for?! Some stupid rocks?! Are you kidding me?!"
Lincoln ignored him, looking up at the sky where the gates were open. The large opening of the volcano was revealed up there. "Hold on tight!" He said, putting the atomosinc in his Inventory.
The beat was ramping up again.
"Wait, what?!" The boy yelled before looking back to the hallway they were just in. It was getting flooded with lava heading towards them frighteningly quick. "Just hurry up already! The lava's coming!"
Lincoln went to the middle of the room and bent down directly under the skylight. "We'll be fine! It's our only way out!"
"I'm gonna die!"
"Not today, you won't!"
He jumped up and headed to the skylight, the boy screaming the entire time.
Then the beat dropped a second time.
He flew through the opening. Then, he kept rising higher until he was far above the volcano with the lava chasing him up in the air.
"WOO! HOO!" Lincoln was having a blast. While the kid clutching around his neck was screaming.
But soon, the lava stopped rising any higher while Lincoln kept going a bit more. He then flipped backward, ensuring his energy was holding tight onto the kid.
Now they were no longer above the volcano and falling down beside it. Lincoln noticed the eruption sent hot flaming ashes into the air with some spurts. Some of them were heading straight towards them.
Lincoln smirked. He straightened his body and turned over, so there was less air resistance. This caused them to dive faster, and the boy continued screaming with his eyes shut tight.
Lincoln could see the ocean, sandy beaches, and the small island's jungle. He looked back and dodged some lava that fell. Then moved backward to evade some more. After that, he saw some large boulders rolling down the hill. He used one as a footing to swiftly push off of it and descend faster.
Before they knew it, the song died down. Lincoln took a great landing far from where any dangerous lava could catch them.
It took the young boy a few seconds to realize they were finally on the ground. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around, noticing they were on a beach with some jungle trees not too far away.
He looked at Lincoln before squealing. "THAT WAS AWESOME! WHO ARE YOU?"
Lincoln smiled. "Name's Lincoln."
"Can we do it again?!" He asked eagerly.
"Maybe another day." The Loud ruffled his hair, which made him giggle. "I gotta go. I'll see you later, buddy."
"Okay!" The boy said, waving to him as he walked to the shore. Then, Lincoln took flight in the air and over the ocean. "Awesome…" The boy said in awe.
That short mission was now done. At this rate, he would get enough atomosinc in no time at all.
Using his energy, Lincoln flew at a steady pace. He was surrounded by the waves of the massive body of water. It was a decently large lake mainly containing uninhabited islands. Save for Club Volcano, of course.
Feeling the breeze against his face while he flew was such a delight. He did some playful flips in the air, having a blast while doing so. He descended a bit so he could reach down and let his hand run through the water, enjoying the cool aqua. Then he dove deep, so now he was using his flight to swim in the ocean. His suit was still in excellent condition. It wasn't getting soaked at all because of the material it was made out of. He practically felt as if he was only wearing his swimming trunks.
He looked around at the aquatic life, animals and plants alike. The fish here were mostly the same as on Earth. However, if you really wanted to, you could find a species that wasn't known on his home planet.
He ascended to the surface and kept flying up until high in the air. He continued until he was higher than the clouds, taking in the magnificent view.
The clouds were below him while a beautiful sunset was occurring in the direction he was heading. It made the sky and clouds orange and red. So he decided to dive into the clouds and flew between them.
It was too fun to be true. He wouldn't be able to experience something like this back on Earth. He didn't know how to describe it. He felt extremely giddy inside.
He flipped over, so he was falling down upside down. The same thing he did at Club Volcano. He relaxed his muscles and let the wind flow around his body and soothe him.
He kept falling, but before hitting the water, he straightened himself and continued on. He was so glad he learned to fly. This beat traveling by boat for sure.
It wasn't long until he arrived home.
The first thing he wanted was to deposit the atomosinc he had acquired. So he went to a machine that sat beside his armor stand. The device looked like a large bucket with a screen on top. The screen was currently displaying a counter. More specifically, the total amount of atomosinc Lincoln now had stored inside.
When depositing the atomosinc, it brought the total up on the counter. With that, he called it a day and went on to bed. Changing into some comfortable pajamas, of course.
"My my, what an exciting day that must have been." Ms. Pia said, taking a sip of some tea.
"I guess." Lincoln said, relaxing in his chair.
He was wearing his blue sweater. While Ms. Pia was wearing her usual long dress.
The two of them sat inside Ms. Pia's shop. It was a small shop with only one table for guests. However, the single table with four seats was enough when you realized that Dawn Village wasn't the most giant civilization around.
It had been a week since Lincoln cleaned up his house after two uninvited guests arrived and a day after the events of Club Volcano. But today, he didn't plan on going anywhere. Instead, he decided to chill out for a bit.
One thing he did have planned, however, was dinner. Radek invited him to dinner tonight with his daughter. So while he waited, Lincoln chose to go and see Ms. Pia at her shop. She was delighted as ever to see him again, and he told her all about what happened at Club Volcano.
"Don't you think that was irresponsible of you to put that child in danger?" She scolded. "What would you have done if something wrong happened?"
Lincoln scratched his head sheepishly like a small kid caught doing something naughty. "I know, I know. But even if I wasn't fast enough, I could have protected him from the lava with my energy."
"I know." The old woman sighed with a smile. "I'm just saying you should be more careful. You can never be certain one-hundred percent. All it takes is some bad luck for the day to get worse."
Lincoln looked down at the table and fiddled his thumbs under it. "Yeah…"
Ms. Pia didn't notice the odd change in his attitude. "Anyway." She smiled. "How's your collection of atomosinc coming along?" She asked.
Lincoln perked up with a smile. "Oh, it's been good so far. Flare had 100 pounds on him. That brings me up to 1662."
"I'm thrilled to hear that. Soon you'll have enough to finally head home. I might need to come and visit." She said with a chuckle.
"Oh, don't worry, you aren't missing much. Earth is pretty boring compared to here." Lincoln said, standing up.
"Sounds like my kind of place."
Lincoln giggles at that. "Well, I better get going. Don't want to be late for dinner with Radek and Kyra."
"Yes. We wouldn't want that now, do we?" She said, watching him head out the front door. "You have a beautiful day, Lincoln." She waved.
"Bye, Ms. Pia!" Lincoln waved back as he exited the store.
He waved to some villagers who smiled at him as he walked through the village. It seemed they had gotten accustomed to him visiting ever since he saved the town. That and because he took off the cloak that made him look creepy. He had to make sure the other earthlings were really gone first, but that was a long story he wasn't willing to tell them. Maybe a short version would suffice if they ever asked.
It only took him a couple of minutes to pass by many buildings before he reached Radek's house. Kind of funny when he and Ms. Pia both joked about being late. He could always travel faster with a burst of energy.
He finally arrived. It was a small cozy wooden home with two floors, windows, and a nice-looking roof.
He stared at the house for a second before knocking on the front door. Then, taking a step back, he waited until the door was opened and revealed Radek.
"Lincoln! Nice of you to join us. Come on in!" The big and tall man said with a bright smile, stepping to the side so he could enter.
"Thanks for inviting me." Lincoln said, entering the abode.
"Think nothing of it. This is the least I can do after you saved our lives."
Lincoln smiled. "Where's Kyra?"
"Lincoln's here!"
Speak of the devil.
Kyra appeared from a different room, running up to Lincoln and pouncing on him for a hug.
"You're late!" She accused him angrily.
"No, he isn't, Kyra." Her father said.
"Well… he should've come earlier! I'm starving!" She said, coming up with an excuse.
Lincoln chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Sorry about that, Kyra. Next time I'll come earlier than expected." He said with a blink.
The sweet girl let go of Lincoln and pulled his arm. "Come on, let's go eat."
Radek smiled at the actions of his young girl as she dragged him to the kitchen. Lincoln, meanwhile, felt a bit nostalgic seeing a child so energetic. It's been half a year since he's experienced something like this. It felt so long.
The three of them sat at the dinner table. It was small but was completely fine for a family of two with one guest. Lincoln just hoped the man wouldn't be self-conscious about it.
Radek had served them all some of his meatloaf with some roasted potatoes. The food was delicious, and Lincoln made sure to let him know. He was honored to get such a compliment from him.
Naturally, as they ate, they had some pleasant conversations.
Radek asked, "So where do you live, Lincoln?"
"In the forest." He answered. "It's nice and quiet being out there alone. I like it."
"You living alone?"
Lincoln nodded, taking another piece of meatloaf with his fork.
"Wow." He paused for a bit. "Why's a kid your age living alone? Your family lives out of town?"
Lincoln shrugged nonchalantly. "I, uh, don't have one."
Both he and Kyra stared at the boy. The both of them felt a bit sympathetic for him. They could only imagine not having any family around.
Lincoln looked up to catch them staring. He cleared his throat and avoided eye contact. Then, he looked down at his plate and quickly said, "Don't worry, it's fine. I just… didn't really know them, I guess."
"You weren't raised by anyone?" Radek asked.
"Yeah! I can't imagine living without daddy." Kyra asked.
"Thanks, Kyra."
She nodded.
"Well, I had a pretty cool neighbor, I guess. He helped me out a bit." He answered. "But yeah, no family." He decided to flip the subject onto them, wanting to get out of this as fast as possible. "What about you guys? Have any family out there?"
"We have some relatives, but we aren't very close. We're practically strangers. We have each other and the villagers, however. They are who matter to us most." Radek said, with Kyra nodding.
Lincoln smiled, but it soon disappeared when the thought of a lack of their mother appeared in his mind. He felt too uncomfortable to ask, though.
So instead, he changed the conversation to something else. "How long have you guys been living here?"
He found out that Radek was born here, and his daughter also followed suit. Still no mention of Kyra's mother, but Lincoln didn't push for it. Instead, their conversations continued for the entire dinner, changing from topic to topic until the last bite was taken.
Soon it was getting late, and Kyra had to head off to bed. So Lincoln decided to take his leave as well.
Kyra hugged Lincoln and stood next to her dad beside the front door. He politely opened the door for him so he could walk out. The three of them stood at the doorstep, feeling the cool outside air.
"How'd you get so strong?!" Kyra asked out of nowhere.
"Yeah, Lincoln. Why is your energy so strong?" Radek asked. "Sorry if I seem too curious. Was it because of the Other?"
Lincoln shook his head. "It's fine. To be honest, it just sort of… happened? I was just trying to survive. But thank goodness I did get this strong. Those Other are some nasty people."
"I've heard there hasn't been a major conflict between nations in this world for thousands of years. With the Other returning, that's about to change. I'm going to train my own energy, so I'm not completely helpless next time."
"Ah, don't sweat it, Radek." Lincoln said with a reassuring smile. "You couldn't have known."
"No." He said, shaking his head. "It's been stuck inside my head. What would have happened if you weren't there? My daughter? Ms. Pia? Everyone else? It would have been horrible." He closed his eyes. "I'm scared… that's why I must become stronger. So I can defend anyone who wants to hurt those I care about."
Lincoln gave a sad smile. It had been on his mind as well. For the villagers, everything in their small world was on the line. For him, on the other hand, it was just a walk in the park. Radek must have been blaming himself for what happened.
"I'll become strong too!" Kyra yelled. "Then when daddy gets old, I can protect him!"
Radek chuckled. "No, I think you can just stick to your drawings, sweetie." He said, touseling her hair.
Lincoln looked down at her. "You're an artist, Kyra?"
She shyly nodded with her hands behind her back. Then she pointed to the wall.
Lincoln looked over and saw a lovely drawing of a tree on top of a hill. "That's amazing! I used to draw too, but that's ten times better than what I ever drew."
She blushed. "Thanks."
He looked at Radek and raised his arm, showing his smart band.
The two exchanged information, and Lincoln said, "If there's any trouble, I'll try to come as soon as I can. I have Ms. Pia's contact too."
Radek nodded. "Thanks, Lincoln. I'm truly grateful."
Lincoln nodded back. "Continue being the best father she could ever wish for."
He looked up to the sky, which was getting darker every minute.
"Well, I should get going." Lincoln said. "The dinner was great."
"Thanks for joining us, Lincoln. We'd be happy to invite you again." Radek said, hugging his daughter to his side.
"Of course, we would." She said.
"I'd like that." Lincoln waved them off as he stepped away. The father and his child watched him walk off into the distance under the darkening sky. Once they couldn't make him out anymore, they shut the front door.
"Why's a kid your age living alone? Your family lives out of town?" That sentence repeated in his head.
"I, uh, don't have one." That wasn't a lie. Not anymore.
He had one last place he wanted to visit before heading home. Luckily, he no longer had a curfew.
It was late now. There were only a few, maybe five at most, people on the village's streets, unlike daytime, where the roads usually had a couple dozen people bustling around. Many of the homes were now turning off their lights if not done so already. So it was quiet, save for the sounds of the insects.
Walking past many buildings, he finally came across a two-story building. It still had its lights on and had a sign on the front door that said "open." In addition, a sign announcing the store's name was lit up in a bright pink color; Single Stop.
Walking inside, he made the bell hanging from the ceiling chime when it hit the door.
This signaled the owner of the store to run downstairs.
"Coming!" A cheery voice said. A woman wearing tight jeans and a bright and fancy pink blouse appeared out of another room behind the countertop. "Oh, Lincoln! What's up?"
"Nothing much." Lincoln said, leaning on the countertop and resting his arms. "Just came by to visit. Thanks again for making that suit for me, Olivia."
She scoffed. "No need to thank me, silly. You're the 'hero of the village' after all." She teased.
"Yeah, everyone keeps reminding me that." Lincoln bluntly said.
"I know." Resting her elbows on the table and chin on her palms, she asked, "How was your trip to Club Volcano? I've been planning on going someday too."
Lincoln told the eager woman all about his trip, from working to trying out alcohol for the first time. He also spoke about the mad dash for the atomosinc with the kid.
Olivia groaned. "That sounds like so much fun! It's been so boring over here."
"I still don't get why you won't move to the Mall Continent." Lincoln said.
"Well, I like the people here." She said. "You always have that place where nowhere else feels like home. Sure I wouldn't mind the chaos over there, but I'd much prefer it over here. Besides, I like shipping things off rather than getting hundreds of customers every day walking in. You ever had to deal with an angry customer before because I'm telling you that ain't the life."
"Yeah, I get it." Lincoln said in understanding. "Although, I don't have a place that feels like that. Not anymore anyway." Then, a memory popped up in his head. "Even back then, when I did, I was willing to leave my old home to become royalty."
"Wait, really?" Olivia asked with a curious look.
"Yeah, but it's a story I'm not gonna get much into. But, long story short, I messed up."
"What were you going to be, a prince?"
"A Duke."
"Ah." She looked at him a bit. "Now tell me that suit didn't do you wonders. Inside an erupting volcano and not a burn mark in sight." She said gleefully.
"Well, I was also using my energy."
She frowned. "Come on, man. Give me a little credit."
Lincoln smiled, putting a finger to his chin and looking the other way. "And I was going too fast anyway."
"But-"
"And we escaped just in time."
"You-"
"And the lava wasn't nearly as hot as in the Death Mines."
She pouted, making him giggle.
"Come on, you know I'm joking. I really appreciate all the clothes you made for me."
She crossed her arms.
"Even that armor. I thought my design was cool, but when you showed me yours, it blew mine out of the water."
She was trying to hold back a smile now.
"Also, I went for a swim in the lake. The suit was totally fine, and I didn't feel wet at all."
She failed miserably, attempting to hide it, putting on a bright smile. "Oh, don't make me blush, Linky!" She said before turning to him and hugging him over the counter. "But don't give me all the credit. Remember, you got me all the materials for it."
"It wouldn't be armor otherwise." Lincoln said with a flat look. "Well, not good armor anyway."
"So what about that girl?"
"What?" Lincoln looked at her for a second, wondering who she was talking about. Then a girl came to mind. "Oh, Shade? Yeah, what about her?"
"Was she cute?"
Lincoln nearly blushed at the thought. "What kind of question is that?"
"I'm just asking. Did you think so?" She asked with lidded eyes.
"No comment." Lincoln crossed his arms and looked away.
"Come on, is someone shy?" She teased before asking in a more serious tone. "Or are you not into girls?"
Lincoln turned her way, holding his hips. "No, I am. But we literally saw each other for like a minute."
"She's also a girl around your age."
"You don't know that."
"You said you were the same height."
"Height does not equal age, Olivia. Besides, I don't go after every girl I see."
"Eh." She shrugged. "You're just evading the question."
"Whatever."
Olivia giggled.
Lincoln couldn't stay mad at her. She didn't know about what had happened. Some friendly teasing was all it was. How could she know he planned not to date for the rest of his life? She'd keep asking questions until the morning began.
"Well, it was nice visiting again. Imma head home now." Lincoln said.
Her giggles died down. "Oh, okay." Olivia walked around the counter. "Thanks for coming over."
"No problem. You were on the way, so I thought, why not?"
"And if you ever head to the Mall Continent, let me know. You better not go without me."
"I'll be sure to tell you." He said, exiting the store.
Olivia flipped her open sign to close, locked her doors, and took the lights off downstairs. Lincoln took off into the now darkened sky and flew back home.
He flew over the forest which contained his home, and after only minutes of flying, he saw his house.
He landed at his front door and walked inside. Then, skipping the kitchen since he had already eaten, he went upstairs and into his bedroom. There he grabbed his pajamas and took off his shoes and socks.
He took a quick shower and hopped in his warm bed. Taking off his smart band, he put it on his nightstand next to him. Beside his bed was a single but sizeable circular window so he could see the fantastic night sky dotted with bright stars, just like Earth had. However, what was different from Earth was the lack of a bright moon. That and the broad line that you could barely make out in the night sky. It wasn't visible in the daytime, and one time he flew until he was nearly out of the atmosphere, but it still looked so far away. Lincoln didn't know what that line was, but he wished to figure it out one day.
All of that painted a beautiful picture that he absolutely loved gazing at. Snuggling in his perfect warm and cozy blanket, another courtesy of Olivia, he stared at the stars until he fell asleep.
Three people stood wearing cloaks with large "O"s on the front in a dark albeit reasonably large room.
One tall, elderly male sporting a thick grey beard, bald head, and pointy nose.
Another bulky, middle-aged man with short hair and large muscles across his arms, torso, and legs.
Lastly, a thin early adulthood male with average hair and a very youthful look that made him seem like a teenager.
They stood around a table, where a glowing map of the world sat upon.
"All the forces we sent to that power source vanished. They were defeated." The old man said.
"We should go and deal with them at once. They are a great threat to us." The large one said.
"I disagree."
The two looked at the youngest.
"With all due respect. They may be powerful, but they do not seem to have intentions of traveling here. They are not a threat just yet. We should wait for the king before we act. Without him, we are not at full strength."
The largest one was about to retort, but the old man spoke up before he did.
"I agree." He said. "There is no rush getting rid of him just yet. We will withdraw all of our soldiers until further notice."
"I concur." The young one said. "There is no need to waste our soldiers. But what about Gotzon and the others?"
"They are acting on their own. Leave them be. The possibility of any of them defeating the power source should not be ignored. The only person we should care about is the king." The largest one said.
"Are we all in agreement, then?" The old one asked.
The other two nodded, and the meeting had ended. Although, another one will start tomorrow.
They were the council of the Other, the strongest their army had to offer.
Lincoln flew high in the sky wearing his thin blue hoodie. He gazed at a large city in the distance. It was about as big as New York City back on Earth. With multiple tall skyscrapers along many intersections of streets and cars. It was lively, with many people walking and driving through the streets. The city was named Fortune, a place filled with spirit. This city operated solely on one thing, money. That's where the name came from, Lincoln guessed.
But he wasn't here for that. His smart band pinged this place for a high amount of atomosinc. So he guessed he had to ask around and pay whatever they offered. That was fine. With the Tharite he had, he was basically rich as long as it kept its value. So this was going to be easy.
He dropped at the edge of the city. Then, looking around, he went to one of the many pedestrians on the street and asked them where the best hotel was.
He asked a few more to make sure, and the one he decided to stay at was one of the better ones.
Well, it was five stars. Other than that, the eleven-year-old kid didn't know squat about hotels.
Fortune View Hotel was the name. It managed to be near the middle section of the big city.
He made his way there in no time and walked inside towards the front desk. A lady receptionist was sitting and currently on a computer.
She didn't notice him, so he said, "Uh, hello there."
She looked over the countertop but didn't see anyone. So finally, after a moment of confusion, she had to stand and look over the desk to find Lincoln.
"Oh, hey there. What can I do for you? Are you lost?" She asked.
He shook his head. "No. I'd like a room, please. For one?"
She looked at him quizzically. "Sorry, bud. You need a lot of money to stay here. You should find your par-"
Lincoln slammed some bits of tharite on the table with a glare, startling her.
"A room, please." He said calmly, forcing his glare down.
She took a good look at the Tharite. It was enough for two of their premium rooms.
Lincoln heard her clear her throat.
"Y-yes, right away." She scooped up the tharite and typed at her computer.
Lincoln whispered to himself, "And keep the dang change."
Minutes later, he stood inside his room near the top of the building, giving him the view of the fascinating city. It was one of their best rooms, according to that kind lady.
In his Inventory, he brought the usual things he carried around all the time. Some extra clothing, including flip-flops, small food such as energy bars, and other stuff like bathroom items like his toothbrush and toothpaste. He even brought a few potions as well. As he went through everything, he also thought about buying a good camera. That was one of the not-so-great things about his smart band. The camera wasn't the best.
He spoke with Olivia before coming here. She had told him, "Sure, the city is busy during the day, but at night is where you're going to find what you're looking for. Especially something like atomosinc."
So he had some time to spare. He came later in the day, so it was only a few hours until it got dark.
He thought for a moment and decided to make a quick call using the hotel phone. Minutes later, he was presented with a lovely meal that everyone loved: Pizza. To his delight, it was an extra-large one as well.
He never had this much pizza to himself before, always sharing it with others. But this one was special. It was all his. His alone.
So he happily sat on his hotel bed with the box of pizza in his lap, munching away, slice after slice. And if it wasn't for his empowered body, he would have felt bloated. Soon, the night sky exposed itself once again.
