Episode 8: Tik Tokk.
Nighttime at Royal Woods, we see The Night Club who is holding Ace Savvy by her arms chasing after Firebug in the sky while dodging his fire power. Firebug just committed another arson on one of the old buildings in Royal Woods which is own by Chandler Cox Sr. to collect insurance fund but Ace and Night Club found him just before he could escape the scene.
"I need you to get me closer, Night Club!" Ace said.
"You got it, bro!" Night Club said.
Night Club pull through throttle on her jetpack to catch up with him. Firebug look behind and sees their getting closer, he used his fire power again. They circle around him to avoid his flames and came back. When they go close, Night Club drop Ace onto Firebug's back to cover his eyes as Firebug struggles to get him off, and force him to crash into a warehouse.
"Ace!" Night Club shouted.
Ace and Firebug groan from the fall and crash on to a stack of empty crates. Firebug was the first one to get up by pushing Ace off of and making a run for it. Night Club flies down and land to help out Ace.
"You okay, bro?" Night Club asked getting him up.
Ace shrug it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. But Firebug is getting away. Come on!"
Due to that nasty fall, Firebug's jetpack is damage which made him unable to fly out of here; so he needs to find any sort of vehicle. Above him, a robotic clockwork owl follows Firebug without him noticing it. Firebug found an old car parked at an condemned building, he got in and hot wired it to start the engine.
"Time to burn rubber." Firebug said.
As he is about to drive off, an owl land on the hood of the car.
The owl hooted.
"What the?"
The owl used its pendulum shaped tails for Firebug to look which made him feeling dizzy. His eyes swirl like he's being hypnotist which he is.
Ace and Night Club follows a trail of gasoline from Firebug's jetpack.
"We're getting close." Ace said.
The trail stop at the front of the car. They look and sees no in the car, they look around the car to find Firebug. He didn't drop his jetpack nor seen any more spot of gasoline. Night Club wanted to make sure he isn't in there by opening the car which Firebug quickly tackles her as he barked loudly.
"OI! Get this wanker off of me!" Night Club shouted as she struggles to get him off.
Firebug doesn't seem like he was before, he acts and behaves like a vicious dog who's trying to bite her. Ace grab Firebug by the neck and quickly knock him out.
"What the heck was that? He's like a Mad Dog." Night Club asked confusingly.
Ace is confuse as well. "I'm not sure. Let's head home and have a team meeting."
On top of a short building, a owl watches the heroes take Firebug to custody, and then flies off.
Back at the loud house, Lincoln and his siblings are in Lori's room in there Pajamas. Lincoln just finish explaining his other sisters on what happen earlier this evening.
"Hold up there. You said Firebug was acting like a dog when you found him?" Lori asked him confusingly.
"That's right." Lincoln said.
"It was weird, man." Luna commented.
"So Firebug finally snapped huh? I should have known." Luan said gently rubbing cliff's back.
"How would you know? We barely knew the guy." Lola said to Luan.
"I have a hunch." Luan smiled.
"But here's the thing. Firebug woke up in the integration room and told us he didn't remember when he gets in the car. He said an owl came by and then...black." Lincoln added.
"An owl?" Lana asked Lincoln.
"Yes. But he said it's robotic." Lincoln answered.
"Hmmm...I would like to see those robotic Strigiformes myself for study." Lisa said.
"Strigiformes?" Leni tries to figure it out what that means.
"It's another word for owl, Leni." Lisa explain to Leni.
"Oh."
"Well, we'll have have to deal that tomorrow. It's getting late." Lori said.
"Yeah, you're right." Lincoln yawned.
Everyone say their goodnight to one another and head to their bed to sleep.
The owl hooted while flying into the night reaching through a hole on top of a clocktower that is somewhere in Royal Woods. The owl landed on the table where a man dresses in three-piece suit and bowler hat, with a pocket watch and glasses resembling clock faces who's holding his clock tipped staff is standing for it's arrival.
The man chuckled. "Right on time. Seems to me that my prototype works. Now, let's get to business my little friend or should I say...friends." The man smiled as he looks to side to reveal to be twenty five robotic clockwork owls.
The next day, Lincoln begins to wake up as he yawns. "Oh man that was a good sleep." Lincoln said to himself. He then noticed he woke outside far away from home. "What the? How did I get outside?" Next, he's sees people in there pajamas waking up and getting up off neighbor's lawn and street without any knowledge on what's going. "What the hell is going on?" Lincoln's cell phone ring and quickly answer it. "Hello?"
"Lincoln, where are you?! We thought you overslept but when we went into your room, you disappeared!"
"Lori! I-I don't know what just happen but I think I'm at...some-some game store far from home." Lincoln said.
"Stay there. I'll be there to pick you up. But tell were did you last night."
"Nowhere. I was sleeping soundly until I hear taping on my window, I went to check it out and I saw...an...robotic owl."
"Lincoln?"
"Lori. I don't think the robotic owl isn't random. There's more to this than meets the eye." Lincoln said.
Meanwhile inside the clocktower...
"Good work, my pets. You're hypnosis have work like a charm thanks to my staff. Those fools have no idea what happen or what they do." He laughed.
The Robotic Owls hooted.
He walk pass the stolen items, jewels, parts for his invention from the scrap yard. from the city and picks up the stolen bag of money from the people he have hypnotist, drop on it on the table, and take one stack of money to see. "With this amount of money, I could work on more of my robotic clockwork owls or even better...building my own time machine to go back in time." He chuckles. "Cliche? Yes. But it's my gimmick and I adore time. As a kid, I was fascinated with the concept of Time as well as clockwork, robotics, and steamwork. Now that they have all disappeared as time flies, I decides to bring them back MY way. And if anyone try to stop me, I'll reverse there age until nothing or aging up there age until they turn into ash." The Man threaten.
In the Ace Cave...
The Louds already hack the city's camera and are watching it at there big computer screen. They see everyone including Lincoln following the owls to go banks, jewels and scrap yard to steal, and some people acted like animals to distracted the police so others could steal which made Leni gasped.
"Lincoln! How could you?!" Leni angrily asked her brother.
"Leni, Lincoln was hypnotist. I mean look at his eyes for goodness sake." Lori pointed out to Leni.
"Oh. Sorry, Lincoln." Leni apologized.
"That's okay. But the question is why am I the only one who is hypnotist?" Lincoln questioned.
"You were probably the closest to be under it's control when the owl reach your window." Lisa said.
"So, now we know those things are responsible. What do we know?" Lynn asked.
"What does it look, genius? We find out who created those things and stop him or her." said Lucy snapping her.
"And how are we going to do that, genius?" Lynn snap back at Lucy.
"Yeah and we need to do it fast because people are getting arrested for the thing that they have know whereabouts." Luan said.
Lincoln then got an idea. "I got one." He whispered to his sister and explain his plans to them which they nod in a agreement.
Later that evening, Lincoln is already in bed. Outside, The Loud Sisters in there costumes are hiding in the bush waiting for the owl to show up.
"Where is it? This bush is itching my tooshie." Queens whines.
"Would you be quiet, Lola." High Card spotted the owl." There it is."
The owl arrived and tap on the window using his beak for Lincoln to wake up.
"Now, Lisa." Lori said.
Card Counter jump out of the bush and the fired and electric magnet pulse out of her gun which shut down the owl and crash on their backyard. Lincoln opens the window to see the owl on the ground. "Let's take it to cave and analyze this." Card Counter said.
Back in the cave, the team watches Card Counter accessing into the owl's memory circuits.
"Well, Lisa?" Ace asked her.
"Only a few bits of it. Through it's memory banks, these Strigiformes were designed and built by Professor Tokk. He gave them a purpose to hypnotist the people of Royal Woods to steal money, jewels, and...parts? When the people have already accomplish giving the Professor Tokk's valuable, the Strigiformes will send the victims wherever before undoing the mind control, and return to the clock tower twenty minutes early before they wake up without having no knowledge what happen last nigh and leaving some to be arrested for the crimes that they didn't committed." Card Counter explained.
"Well, now we know who's sending these birds after people." Strong Suit said.
"But here's the thing, he did created them but in order to control them, he created a staff to gain full control on them. If we destroy it, Strigiformes won't work anymore." Card Counter added.
"Then that settles. We're going to the clock tower and stop Professor Tokk." Ace said.
"But what about the people that are mind control?"
"We'll save them once we break his staff, Leni." The Joker said.
"That's right, Leni. Let's move." Ace said.
Back at the clock tower, Professor Tokk check his pocket watch to make sure his owls arrived here on time. But with no surprised, his owls arrived to his table just in time. "You never let me down, my beauties. Wait a minute..." He counted is owls and found out that there are twenty four. "Either one of them is malfunction or a pesty superhero found out my plans and take one of my pet." Professor Tokk.
Professor Tokk growled in frustration. "They probably know where my hideout is. But that's find. Let them come. I have some few surprised when they get here." Professor Tokk laughed.
The Full House Gang made their way to the clock tower. They jump out out of the van spotted cops guarding the entrance.
"Hey, guys, look. The cops beat us to it." Eleven of Hearts pointed.
"Hearts, remember, there under Professor Tokk control." Ace said.
The cops take out there guns and fired on them but the gang quickly get behind there van for cover.
"We can't hurt them-they're good people. But I have a card that will put the to sleep." Ace said holding on to a card.
As soon the cops stop firing, Ace quickly throw a card on the ground in front of closed which exploded and easily put them to sleep from gas.
"Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite." The Joker smiled.
The Full House bust down the lock entrance and sees more cops.
"Damn it. I should have brought more sleeping cards." Ace said.
"Sorry, Ace. But looks like were going to have to put the hurt on them. You take The Deuce and stop Professor Tokk." Strong Suit said.
"Alright." Ace picks up The Deuce." You ready?"
The deuce nod.
Ace while holding The Deuce, reaches the bottom of the stairs leading up the clock tower. "Yeah screw that." Ace pull out and uses his ace grapple to grapple all the way to the top to confronted Professor Tokk.
"Hmm...you're early. I wouldn't say I'm surprised because I know you heroes will show up to stop me." Professor Tokk said.
"Zip it! We're here to clean out your clocks, Tokk!" Ace said putting The Deuce down.
"Don't count on it, kid." Professor Tokk picks up his staff. "When it comes to clocks, I am king. Even though my name is Professor Tokk so that line doesn't work."
"Thus Professor Tokk ran foward while Ace Savvy rapidly throws his cards, when suddenly time began to slow down. It was Professor Tokk using his staff to slow down time. Tokk grab the cards that were thrown in a slow pace and direct them to Ace. As time resume, Ace get scratches by his own cards.
"Inky!" The Deuce shouted to her brother.
There is some blood that come's out of Ace's cut but not to serious. "I'm fine, Deuce. But what the heck just happen?"
"I just slow you down my friend. Now, lets speed this up shall we." Professor Tokk said aiming his Staff at him.
The Deuce quickly crawl to bite Professor Tokk's leg. "Ow! You little..."
Ace throws a card to knock the staff out of his hand and then tackles him throw a few punch on his face. "Your time is up!"
"Think...again."
All the sudden, someone grab Ace by the shoulder and toss him at the table. The Deuce crawls to her brother to see if he's alright. Ace wanted to know touch him so he could give them a piece of his mind but that change when he found out that it was his sisters.
"Guys? What the heck? Why did you do that?" Ace asked.
The Gang were silent with their head down.
"Ummm...guys?" Said Ace still not receiving any answer.
The Gang look up to Ace; their eyes are in swirl meaning there on under control. The owls pop up from there behind floats above them.
"What have you done to them?!" Ace demanded.
Professor Tokk got up to get his staff. "Like I said; I knew you guys come. I sent owls down to your team just before you got here. And now they are under my control, I can have to do whatever I asked them too. Kids! Get rid of your leader!"
"Yes, master." The Full House said in a zombie like.
The Full House charges towards Ace. Ace quickly picks up the The Deuce and begins to dodge his sisters attack. High Card uses her sword (that she got from knights from "Check Mate") to try slashing him but misses every time he dodge; this ultimately got her sword stuff in a wall. Ace quickly throws two cards to knock Card Counter's gun and Night Club's guitar out of their hand and then handcuffs them. Eight of Spades jumps in and uses her shovel to attack him; she misses didn't realized that he could dodge so quickly and without paying attention she accidentally hit The Royal Flush. Ace grab her Spades and toss her to The Joker. Without knowing, Queens of Diamonds flash Ace and The Deuce which blinded them in order for Strong Suit to kick him without noticing. Finally, Eleven of Hearts wrapped around the two as hypnotized Full House Gang and the robotic clockwork owls surround him and The Deuce.
Professor Tokk snickered. "It looks like YOUR time is up."
The Joker laughed still be hypnotized. "Good one, Master."
"Thank you. Now, where was I...Oh yes. I was going to speed your age until your old and gray, and let natural causes finish you off." Professor Tokk grin aiming his staff at him again.
They were about to lose hope, only for the the baby literally poops in her diapers. The stench was so strong and so fowl that it grosses out Professor Tokk, The Full House, and Ace Savvy it even making the owls glitching out a bit making The Full House feeling woozy.
Ace noticed which gave him an idea; he broke free and rescue The Deuce. "Deuce! Use your diaper bombs and throw them at the owls!"
The Deuce nodded.
"W-hat are you doing?!" Professor Tokk asked.
The Deuce grin and throws all her dirty diapers at the owls. The owls are vulnerable to foul smells, which causes their mainframes to malfunction, destroying them, thus, freeing The Full House gang from their trances.
"No!" Professor Tokk shouted.
"Ah, my head." Eleven of Hearts rubbing her head.
"My head is pounding like crazy." Strong Suit said.
"Uhhh, dude. How did we get handcuffed?" Night Club questioned Card Counter.
"I assumed that Ace handcuff us because we under Professor Tokk's control."
Professor Tokk was ready to escape but was stop by Eight of Spades. "Never. Hypnotist me. Again." Eight of Spades threaten him.
Professor Tokk and sees Ace Savvy and The rest of The Full House surrounded him; he sighed. "So much for my own vision of the art of the industrial revolution." He admitted defeat by destroying his staff freeing the trances of Royal Woods resident.
Later, the cops are pilling Professor Tokk into a police car. Ace and The Full House step outside the tower as the police car drove off.
"Look like Professor Tokk will spend his "time" behind bars." The Joker laughed as the rest of the gang groaned.
"Ace, we're sorry we tried to attack you. We literally have no control over our mind." High Card said.
"It's not your fault. None of you guys isn't your fault. You were all under his control and couldn't break free; trust me it happens to me too." Ace said.
The Full House walk to the van.
Night Club yawned. "Oh man. I can't wait to crash."
But then they see the sun rising in front of them.
"Aw weak." Night Club said.
Ace then got an idea. "Well, since it's Sunday, why don't we sleep all day until dinner time."
"Sounds like a plan." Strong Suit said.
"Count us in." The twins said.
"I'm like so in." Eleven of Hearts said.
"Yeah, I'm in as well. I'll have to text Bobby later." High Card said.
The Full House got into their van and drove back home.
Elsewhere, not to far from Royal Woods, inside the cloning labs we sees ten silhouettes in suspension awaiting activation...but one of them wake up without any activation and it's...a girl.
Title of the chapter is a reference to a song called Tik Tok by Kesha.