As promised, here is the preview. Please note: I wrote this scene like two-plus years ago so you can see its age. So not my best work. However, as I said before since these are previews, they're subject to change and thus can be improved. The overall set will be the same but will be more thorough and fleshed out.
Sit back, relax, and cringe with me.
But first the reviews
NiteOwl18: It could've been better but that was 3 songs plus other scenes that I had to do. Hope that you enjoy this preview
Guest: These chapters are as I said to fill the gaps between lengthy uploads. I have another cut content chapter for QTQ is Alexandria and Lincoln dancing from a previous chapter.
Oh poor foolishly Bumper Jr. Beatrix already has her suspicions raising and is doubting her own brother.
Mr. Haziq: Roti is a type of flatbread. Mhm, I can make Tech Support Lincoln a running gag.
Drago Nathaniel Storm: Darth/Sith names are typically based on a trait, their occupation or something else. Tyrant, Maul, Plague, Bane etc. Maybe something about his white hair and his planning skills.
Lincoln tenderly rubbed his bandaged cheek, wincing at the sensitivity. That knife wound will leave a small scar. Rita patted his head, lacing her fingers into his frost hair, invoking a smile between them. The mother-son duo stopped for a bite to eat at the rest stop before heading home. It's a two-hour drive from here, so they have time to sneak a burger here and there.
"Want a Sweet n Savory deluxe combo?" Rita offered her only son as he sat on the cream bench.
"With an extra side of curly fries?" Lincoln bargained before adjusting the red umbrella, providing a shady shield against the late afternoon sun's rays.
"Fine, but I'll charge you the Mom tax," Rita countered as Lincoln rubbed his chin in consideration.
"Deal," The duo fist-bumped before the mother strolled to the restaurant. Lincoln exhaled deeply, absorbing the serene atmosphere. Today was crazy. Ronnie thought he was proposing to her, getting Sid and Nikki to distract him. Lincoln blushed lightly at the thought. He's not against the idea, but they're both eleven, so there's plenty of time for that. Let's add in Nikki's unhinged mother. He shuddered. Who the hell attacks a kid with a hunting knife? Easily manipulated bootlickers that obey whatever their tanned idol, far-right influencer, or the latest Qanon post says. Only for the dreadful reality to anchor in their feeble minds, all their praise, service, and loyalty absolutely nothing to their 'heroes'. To them, they were just half-minded flunkies, meat for the ravenous wolves to buy the political elite more time.
Well, what do they have to offer? Look at Linda. She's an alcoholic, deadbeat single mother with nothing to her name. Hell, her family wants nothing to do with her. No status, skills, or anything worth of value. The single thing Linda has is her hatred. Lincoln sighed, wanting to pity her, but he couldn't. She made her choices, resulting in her arrest in a cozy prison cell with her name on it. Lincoln softly touched his lips with a meek blush, recalling the french kiss that Nikki gave him as a thank-you. Damn, he can still taste her. However, there's something he can't remember. The man's face who saved him and Ronnie Anne. It shouldn't be like that since it's been a few short hours.
"Maybe that's the adrenaline wearing off or something," Lincoln predicted as he scratched his head before shrugging. BZZZZZZTTTT! A mild vibration shook his leg. He reached into his pants pocket, checking the caller ID. It's Luan. "Hey, Luan," He greeted before frowning at the soft sniffling. "Luan, what happened," His arctic eyes grew lethal and focused as she sobbed and mumbled a response.
"It was Bumper Jr," Luan replied, regaining some of her composure with a few sniffs between. He narrowed his eyes at the name, tightly gripping his phone. Lincoln didn't care what Bumper did. The Yate made one of his sisters cry. That's all of the justification he needed to break the Yate. "He, he, he," She stammered in a pained voice.
"I'm at the rest area on the highway," Lincoln answered in a dead tone. "I'll be home in an hour," He continued before changing his tone to something more comforting. "Just stay there and tell the others I'll handle it. Okay," Lincoln consoled his sister.
"Okay, Lincoln," Luan deeply sniffed, wiping her nose. "I love you,"
"I love you too, Luan," Lincoln smiled before he hung up. He exhaled, dragging his toughened hand through his smooth frosted hair. "I warned you, Bumper Jr.," Lincoln seethed in a low voice clenching his fist. Rita halted a few feet behind her only son carrying their meals. Her soft expression observed his tense form. Something happened. Rita's hand reached for him only for it to hesitate and shiver at the presence he gave off. This was different. Waves of frigid rage radiated off of him with fragments of disappointment.
"Sweetie, did something happen?" Rita asked.
"Luan called, and she was crying," Lincoln answered as he turned around. "It was Bumper," He placed his hands into his hoodie's pockets. She nodded with a frown, following him to the Vanzilla taking their meals with them.
Rita periodically glanced at the silent Lincoln during the ride home. His face was blank and unreadable as he munched on his garlic fries. She would even call it bored as if he knew something like that would happen. That's what disturbed her the most. Albert told her that the quiet ones were the most lethal. Why? Everyone expects noise when someone is angry. But those that remain calm? That's another level of danger. Everything they do is planned and calculated often beforehand, or they want to do it. She placed the van in park upon arriving home. Both exited the vehicle where Lynn Sr. was waiting inside for them.
"She's upstairs," Lynn Sr. whispered, gesturing behind him with a phone, talking with the Yates. Rita stepped forward when Lincoln's arm blocked her path. He's got this. She nodded, allowing him to move. Lincoln knocked softly on the door before entering, where Lori, Leni, and Luna comforted a distraught Luan holding a damaged Mr. Coconuts against her chest. He didn't say anything as he placed his chocolate shake. It's damp and cold to the touch but it should be easier to go down now that it has melted slightly.
"I'll be right back," Lincoln turned around, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Where are you going?" Luna remarked at his cryptic behavior.
"I'm going to pay Bumper Jr. a little visit," Lincoln replied before shutting the door behind him. The older sisters shared worried looks. Whatever this is, it's not going to be good.
Bumper Yate Jr. sat on the pristine white leather couch with a stone face, unable to look his parents in their disappointed eyes. Everything with Lynn Jr. and Drew as he got the younger boy to do the dirty work for him in sabotaging Lynn's games then abandoning him without hesitation. All because Bumper Jr. got second place in the state math bowl. He attacked a fellow student, damaged one of her most prized possessions, and got kicked out of the play. All the same day. "What are we going to do with you, Bumper?" His father groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as his mother nodded in agreement. Ding-Dong. "I'll get it," He opened the door. "Oh, hey Lincoln, can we help you with something," The senior smiled at the young Loud.
"Yes, may I come in, please?" Lincoln requested, holding a small bag in his hand. He entered, not glancing at Bumper Jr. "I have some stuff for Beau," His words were simple and rehearsed at how easily they slipped through his lips. He had to hide his disgust and wrath for the firstborn son of the Yate clan.
"Oh, rest them on the table," Jancey smiled as they stood before glaring at their son. "We're going to talk to your parents to deal with him," She crossed her arms along with her husband.
Lincoln titled his head. "What did he do?" He feigned his ignorance, fully knowing what Bumper Jr. did.
The Yates shared a worried glance at each other. "Well, he had an…altercation with her sister Luan," Bumper Sr. revealed with a quick pause. Junior heard them talk, but he wasn't listening. Lincoln's face remained dull and blank at the information. Master your expressions. Remain calm so they can't read your intentions. The Yate couple suppressed a shudder at Lincoln's empty reptilian eyes, studying his prey. They walked past him, shutting the door behind them and leaving the boys alone.
"So you finally did it," Lincoln announced with a chilling tone as Bumper Jr. groaned and narrowed his eyes with a snarl avoiding eye contact. "Granted, I'm not surprised by someone so weak and pathetic,"
Law 33: Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew. Everyone has a weakness. Something that can be utilized and exploited for an advantage. What's Bumper Jr's thumbscrew? Pride, wrath, entitlement. These were elevated by the need for vengeance and proving himself to be superior to others.
Law 39: Stir up waters to catch fish. An enraged and aggravated foe is reckless and predictable.
Bumper's eyes twitched as his nostrils flared at the comment. He stood stomping towards the bored Lincoln Loud. "Excuse me?!" His hot breath disgraced Lincoln's olfactory cells
"You heard me," Lincoln remarked at the older boy. He's not intimated in the slightest. "You call yourself the Great Yate, but that's a thinly veiled claim that you created yourself. It's nothing more than a futile attempt to make yourself… appear slightly better than average," He calculated disinterestedly. Bumper's temper slowly burned like a scented candle from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Slightly better than average. Where the fuck does this little runt get off?! "Come on, my sister Lynn beat your tanned butt fair and square in the State Math Bowl," Lincoln shrugged in a smugly nonchalant manner. "However, your rudimentary brain cannot comprehend such a thing." He pinched his fingers to demonstrate his point. "Why else would you stoop so low to sabotage her games yet didn't have the balls or the spine to do it yourself? A classic trait of cowards. All they can do is lie and hide," Lincoln continued his analysis of the enraged Yate child. He's prone to aggression and vengeance, especially to slights to his so-called honor. That's two fatal flaws of a general. A little bit more should do it. "Bumper Jr., you're so limited in the thought that you honestly believed Lynn was just a brutish neanderthal. Didn't even try to look under the surface to see if there's more to her," A dismissal-amused smirk appeared on Lincoln's face as he tapped on the side of his temporal bone. Bumper Jr. pronged, staring daggers at Lincoln with a tightened fist. "Thinking of her as a flat, one-dimensional character comforted you. I can't imagine how that felt," Lincoln mocked with a sincere tone before smiling again."I could, but you're not worth the afterthought," He shrugged again as Bumper's blood sizzled like bacon grease in a cast-iron skillet. Insult after insult all the way being demeaned by some dorky elementary student. The veins on his forehead and neck pulsed rapidly. Almost there. "My sister Luan is a comedian but…." Lincoln slid his hands into his jacket pockets, prolonging eye contact. "The biggest joke I've ever heard is that you honestly believed you had a chance with her," Heat surged through Bumper's body as his face flared red, neck muscles tightening like a noose.
"YOU SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Bumper Jr. roared, punching Lincoln in the face. Neither said a word as Bumper's fist slammed into Lincoln's cheek. A dark chuckle transmuted Bumper's wrath into unsettling cold terror as Lincoln turned his head, looking at the confused boy like a cat playing with its food. Lincoln glanced at the fist before glancing into Bumper's pinprick eyes. Was that the best you can do, Bumper Jr? Dread overtook the male Yate like an unexpected cold shower in the frosty winter morning. Those have a bite to them. It ripped and tore at his throat, reducing it to meat cutlets as the gravity of what he did settle in. He just punched a kid … when his parents just left. His slack, agape jaw quivered on his blanched face.
"You attacked first, so you know what that means," Lincoln remarked as his arctic eyes glowed in a haunting hue as he kept his grin. "Everything that I do is purely self-defense," He announced, preparing his fist. "But first, let me ask you a question. Are you ready to have a bad time?" Lincoln asked in an amused tone, sweetly covering his malice. Bumper opened his mouth when everything went in a daze. His eyes viewed the ceiling in 144p as the ceiling light appeared in a tiny spot as he lay against the couch.
"What the?" Bumper flinched and jolted in a panic as his brown eyes darted back and forth. He rubbed his aching jaw as he struggled to get up like a newborn giraffe. Did Lincoln punch or kick him? The uncertainty wrapped around his throat. A moist substance marked his hand. He groaned while wiping his mouth before peeking at his palm. His eyebrows rose to his hairline, observing the blood on his hands. A thin line trailed down his chin. Panic trapped his lungs, forcing them into overdrive. Something was missing as his tongue fiddled around in his mouth. A tooth. He lost a tooth! Where the hell did he go? Bumper's adolescent body paused in terror as the steady, soothing melody from the piano chained him like a domestic cattle waiting to be slaughtered. He sweated with dread as his head tediously glanced over his shoulder. Lincoln casually played on the grand piano. He stopped.
"So you're finally awake," The winter-haired Loud acknowledged with his back facing him. Why is the music still playing? Bumper gulped his fear, observing the health bar and mana bar under Lincoln's name. The menacing sound of cracking knuckles broke him out of his thoughts.
"You want to go again?" Lincoln asked in a silvery voice as his eyes maintained their eerie luster. Bumper screamed as he ran into his trophy room, barricading himself inside. Lincoln shook his head in playful delight before strolling to the door. The Yate flinched at each tap as he huddled in the back of the room before calming down. There's no way Lincoln can break this door down. He's safe. His grin evaporated into a thin line when its door slammed open, desperately hanging on its hinges. Bumper stepped back when Lincoln grabbed his shirt and flung him back into the living room. He grunted at the impact before scrambling back to his feet as he retreated upstairs into his room. Lincoln calmly followed him like Jason Voorhees. But he didn't need a weapon.
His body is one. And Bumper Yates Jr. is his training dummy. Lincoln signed, forcing his way into Bumper's room, cracking his neck in preparation. Bumper Jr. shrieked as the white-haired monster charged at him.
"Yo, what happened to you?" Polly asked at the snarling Lynn Jr. Margo came with them too. Their teammate stormed off the field without notice. Whatever it is. It has to be bad as Lynn's angry vein hasn't stopped pulsing.
"That fucker Bumper did something to Luan," Lynn fumed with molten fury rushing through her body. The two narrowed their eyes in mutual anger as Polly also cracked her knuckles. Margo frowned, perking up her head at a sudden noise. She cupped her ear, attempting to locate it. Screaming? They paused, aiding her search.
"Is that him?" Margo whispered, pointing to the other side of the street. Lynn grunted in agreement before Polly stopped her from following. His yelling grew louder and more desperate each second as he sprinted.
"SOMEBODY STOP HIM!" Bumper Jr. wailed in a panic. "SOMEONE, PLEASE!" He continued to plead, periodically looking over his shoulder. Lynn narrowed her eyes before widening them. Someone in an orange hoodie was chasing him from the rooftops. The being smoothly jumped from each house, keeping up with Bumper.
"Is that guy doing parkour?" Polly questioned. "He's good," Parkour? Lynn and Margo shared an alarmed look.
"Lincoln," The pair revealed. Lincoln pounced onto Bumper's back, forcing his face into coarse, solid concrete before placing the Yate over his shoulder like a laundry bag and sprinting in the opposite direction. Lynn chased them with a worried glint while Polly and Margo followed.
"Geez, Lincoln must be putting in work at the gym," Polly acknowledged, barely keeping pace with him as he's a speck on the horizon. The trio found the Yates home, pushing through the bush and covering one of the windows. They were horrified at what they saw. Lincoln sitting on Bumper's chest, pummeling his face like play-dough. He didn't stop his assault, delivering blow after blow. They knew Bumper was begging him to stop, but Lincoln didn't listen. However, Lincoln stopped. He stood up and went into a room. Bumper's eyes expanded in terror as he crawled away from this monster. Lincoln stomped towards the broken Yates with one of his previous first-place State Math Bowl trophies as he raised it over his head, ready to bludgeon him.
"Lincoln, stop!" Lynn Jr. barged in with Polly and Margo by her side. Margo stood between him and Bumper while Polly slid over, holding his legs in place. Lynn wrapped her arms around him, holding him as Lincoln groaned in annoyance. "Please, bro, this isn't you," She begged in an uncharacteristically soft tone. Where's Lori or Luna when you need them? "Just drop the trophy," Lynn requested as Bumper continued to sob while the seconds dragged on. Margo and Polly's hearts quickened at the tension. This isn't Lincoln that they knew. Not at all. They couldn't find any trace of that good-hearted, optimistic nerd who enjoyed comics and drawing. No. He was calm. Way too calm for their liking. Lynn said he had a multi-faceted personality. He had a portion of each sister inside of him. However, none were like this. Whatever the hell this is, it was of Lincoln's creation. He lowered his arms, pointing to Margo. Lynn nodded. She cautiously approached him, knowing that he had a plan or something. Nevertheless, Margo took the risk, grabbing the object from his bloody hands.
"Thank you," Bumper muttered. Polly released Lincoln's legs before covering her mouth at the sight of Bumper. Lincoln did a number on the teenager. His right eye was swollen shut to a dark purple, as the other eye squinted, barely keeping open. Polly's eyes trailed down to the bloody nose as it dripped on his blue shirt before sniffing the air and groaning at the random foul smell. What is that? Bumper's hand covered his crotch, masking the focused discoloration of his shorts. Holy shit, he pissed himself.
"Linc, what the hell did you do?" Lynn asked, holding his shoulders. This wasn't him. Wait. Is this what he thought was the best course of action? Lincoln's empty eyes stared back at her. She widened her eyes at the irony. Why? The athlete planned to do the same thing. Lincoln brushed her off, marching towards the petrified Bumper.
"No, wait, stop, please," The Yate requested before Lincoln grabbed Bumper's hair, tugged it, and dragged him outside like an old-school caveman.
"Lynn, remind me to never make your brother mad," Margo declared as Polly nodded in agreement as they followed him.
The Yates and the Loud parents were in the dining room discussing what they would do with Bumper Jr. when the front door slammed open. "I'm back," Lincoln greeted. "I brought something,"
"We're in the dining room, honey," Rita replied with her husband at her side. "So what did you brin-" She asked before pausing in abject horror. Lincoln holding a blubbering and bloodied Bumper Jr. like a dollar store ragdoll.
"BUMPER?!" The Yates cried out as Lincoln dropped him like a dirty sock. Lynn, Margo, and Polly stood off to the sidelines. "What happened?" Bumper's parents fearfully asked.
"This manic attacked me for no reason," Bumper Jr. blurted out right before Lincoln delivered a brutal kick into his stomach. He unleashed a fit of pained wheezing coughs as he clenched his gut.
"I suggest you choose your words very carefully," Lincoln warned in a voice devoid of emotion and feeling, pushing his foot against his face. It froze the room, paralyzing the adults at the show of brutality. "Besides, you attacked me first," He remarked, forcing his cranium into the rug.
"Lincoln Leonidas Loud, what is the meaning of this?!" Rita shouted with a stern voice as she stood up. Despite the outrage, she's appropriately terrified of Lincoln. He stood before her with unfeeling eyes, digging the bottom of his shoe into Bumper's face. Her son is unscathed, while Bumper Jr. is a mess, showing off his skills as a fighter. She didn't like it.
"We had a simple disagreement," He answered with his hands in his hoodie. "That's all," Lincoln shrugged before a warm embrace engulfed him from behind. "Luan?"
"Please don't do this, Linky," The comedian pleads as the other sisters appear in the living room, gasping at Bumper's condition and their brother's blood-stained hands. Lincoln's face softened at her tears. He sighed, taking his foot off Bumper Jr., leaving him in a fetal position.
"Only because of you, Luan," Lincoln remarked, holding her forearm before glaring at the downed teenager. "Consider yourself lucky, Bumper, because next time, my sisters won't save you," He warned purposefully before reaching into his pockets. "I won't be as nice," As worry slithered down their spine, everyone developed a lump in their throats from the declaration.
"You know you're grounded, right," Lynn Sr. declared.
"I know," Lincoln shrugged at the situation. "But first," He tossed a small business card towards Bumper Sr. and Jancey. They read its contents, unnerved by the tiny drops of blood on them. It's the contact and location of Dr. Feinstein's dental office. "He may be missing a few teeth, but Dr. Feinstein should patch him up," Lincoln revealed before turning away, facing his sisters, Polly and Margo. They gave him a wide berth out of fear as he walked through. Whoever this person was. It's not their Lincoln. "Lisa, check his vitals, please," He requested in a toneless voice, chilling the room to its bones. She obeyed the request, scuttling towards Bumper. A deep green light from her watch scanned him.
"Nothing serious," Lisa answered after it finished loading. They exhaled in relief, knowing that Lincoln didn't critically damage him. "However," There it was. Bumper's parents held each other's hand. "He has several bruises, minor fractures to his lower ribs, left tibia and fibula, right radius and ulna, and multiple facial bones. Also, two, or three missing teeth and a dislocated shoulder," She analyzed while they frighteningly stared at Lincoln. He did all of that in like ten minutes. Lincoln remained silent before pacing up the stairs.
"Okay, Lynn, seriously. Remind me to never piss him off," Margo repeated as Polly nodded. The roller-skater couldn't help but worry for her fellow army brat. Knowing Lincoln won't say anything to his sisters, she better talk to him about this.
"How the hell do you think I feel?!" Lynn exclaimed as Leni and Lisa got the medical kit. Luna and Lynn carried him to the couch allowing the girls to assess his injuries. Bumper Jr's whimpers occupied the silent house until Lincoln shut his door.
Fun facts
Alexandria's fighting styles are sports/competition related such as Karate, Judo, Taekwondo and Aikiko/Jiu Jitsu.
Pandora trains in Wing Chun, Wrestling and Bear Style Kung Fu/Tiger Style.
Lincoln's martial arts are Kick-Boxing/Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Snake style Kung Fu and Hapkido.
Here you guys go. Two chapters back to back. Now you have to over a month for the next major chapter. But hey! I'll keep you entertained with Crystal Prison, Logbook, some Deviantart posts as I have OC's in the making and other meme templates.
Thanks for reading the story. Follow and Favorite to keep updated. Leave a review for any questions or to show your support. Thanks again. Have a good day. :)