Lisa sat in her room, taking advantage of the rare moment of solitude while her roommate and younger sister, Lily, played downstairs with her toys. She delved into her research, meticulously scrolling through numerous law books in search of the specific law that Joyce had accused Lincoln of breaking. Despite her efforts, Lisa struggled to find any mention of the law in question, prompting her to question whether Joyce had fabricated the accusation altogether.
As she continued her search, Lisa couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. She pondered the possibility that Joyce had concocted the law to incriminate Lincoln, but she knew that she needed to conduct further research to confirm her suspicions. With determination, she combed through various books and online resources, refusing to give up until she had uncovered the truth.
After an exhaustive search, Lisa finally stumbled upon the elusive law. However, her initial curiosity quickly turned to bewilderment as she realized that the law had been obsolete since the 1800s, during Michigan's territorial days. It became clear to her that the law was no longer enforceable, rendering Joyce's accusation baseless. This revelation left Lisa perplexed, but it also brought her a sense of relief, knowing that her brother was innocent and unjustly accused.
Lisa with this knowledge questioned how Joyce could have convinced anyone to arrest Lincoln, seeing as the minute any officer would hear what law Joyce had accused Lincoln of breaking they wouldn't take her seriously. This was extremely odd she needed more information those police officers seemed suspicious to her, and now knowing they are trying to help Joyce arrest Lincoln who broke a law that isn't even valid. It made Lisa wonder if there was unknown factors involved.
The fact that the police officers were actively assisting Joyce in arresting Lincoln, despite the questionable nature of the accusations, only added to Lisa's suspicions. It seemed illogical to her that they would blindly follow Joyce's lead without questioning the validity of the law that Lincoln was accused of breaking. Lisa's intuition told her that there might be more to this situation than meets the eye.
As Lisa mulled over the circumstances, the thought of bribery crossed her mind. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there might be some underhanded dealings at play, leading to the unjust arrest of Lincoln. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that money is playing a critical part behind the actions of the police officers that are assisting Joyce.
It was incomprehensible to her. Money couldn't be the sole reason for this. There had to be ulterior motives involved. Trying to arrest a child for a crime that was not taken seriously by anyone simply didn't add up. Did these corrupt police officers value money so much that they were willing to risk their reputation by going after a child, despite knowing that no judge would consider any case brought by Joyce seriously?
The chief officer, whatever his name might be, exuded an aura of unnatural power. Was it some kind of technological augmentation? That was one theory. Alternatively, could it be a manifestation of magic? She had always dismissed the notion of magic, and even now, it felt surreal to entertain the idea. Yet, after witnessing ghosts and dragons, the existence of magic seemed increasingly plausible.
"Maybe he-" Lisa's thoughts briefly strayed, but she refocused. Her mission was clear: to find a way to aid her brother, not to ponder maybes.
Downstairs, the other Loud sisters were growing restless as they waited for Lisa to come up with a solution to help Lincoln. "Why is she taking so long!?" Lola asked, her impatience reaching new heights.
"Calm down, I'm sure Lis will figure something out," Luna said, preventing Lola from storming upstairs.
"Are you kidding me?" Lynn snapped at Luna filled with rage, "Lincoln has been missing for 3 days and all you can think about is waiting for Lisa to figure something out? Joyce and a whole squad of cops are out there trying to find him, and you're just sitting around doing nothing! Our brother is in danger and you're acting like it's no big deal!"
"She's putting in her best effort," Lori pointed out to Lynn. "And frankly, I don't see you contributing much either."
Lynn's fists tightened in frustration at Lori's words, feeling the urge to prove her wrong. However, unable to deny the truth in Lori's statement, Lynn chose to dig her heels in further. "You're not doing anything either! We're all just sitting around, waiting for Lisa to come up with a solution!" Lynn retorted, her voice laced with anger.
"So, what are we meant to do?" Lori shot back, pausing for a moment as Lynn remained silent. "I figured as much. Let's be honest, all we can do now is wait for Lisa."
"We have to do something!" Leni yelled out worried for Linky. "Linky is out there all alone, we need to do something to help him!"
"There's nothing we can do for him! Until Lisa comes up with a plan, we have no clue where he might be or if he's even okay," Lori exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice as she turned to Leni.
Oh, you're suggesting we throw in the towel? Luan challenged Lori.
"That's not my point at all!" Lori asserted. "What I mean is that we don't have any way to support Lincoln at this moment."
Luna backed up Lori's opinion, recognizing the lack of options available. "I'm with Lori on this one, even though I'm not thrilled about it," Luna conceded.
"Is that how you really feel?" Luan inquired, looking at Luna. "I figured you actually cared about Lincoln." This remark ignited a fire within Luna.
Luna gave Luan a piece of her mind, "I actually give a damn about Lincoln, you know! Or should I list all the times you've made our lives a living hell on April Fools, Lincoln being the main victim in multiple of your pranks."
Luna's accusation that Luan didn't care about Lincoln only made Luan angrier. "I've quit pranking on April Fools and you damn well know it!" Luan retorted, "Besides at least I don't want to just sit back and wait, unlike you." Luan argued with Luna.
"So, what's the strategy for hunting down Linky? By telling one more of your terrible jokes?" Lola challenged Luan, her smirk practically saying, 'Good luck with that!'
As tensions reached a boiling point, the Loud parents jumped in, intent on halting the chaos before it turned into a physical confrontation.
"Girls, we all want to help Lincoln, but we should at least wait to see what Lisa has found out." Rita said trying to calm everyone down.
"You mean to tell me that we're supposed to just sit around and not take any action?" Lynn growled at her mother.
Rita expressed to Lynn, "I'm not suggesting we sit back and do nothing; rather, I believe we should place our trust in Lisa." Lynn nodded in agreement, though she still had some reservations.
The girls were reminded by Lynn Sr that their mother's advice was spot on. He confidently stated, "I bet Lisa will be joining us shortly with some great news."
As two hours passed, the Loud sisters became increasingly impatient, leading their parents to exchange anxious glances. Why is Lisa taking so much time? Considering her intelligence, she should have found a solution by now. Is Lincoln's situation really that concerning?
Rita was getting frustrated, wondering why it was taking her genius daughter so long.
Finally after what felt like an endless wait in the current stressful situation, Lisa finally descended the stairs.
"So, did you discover where Lincoln is?" Lana asked her sister without hesitation, her excitement building as she wished for her big brother to be back with them.
Luna chimed in, "Alright Lis, what did you discover that could be useful for helping Linc?" She rushed through the question, not allowing Lisa a second to reply to Lana.
Lisa found herself under siege, her sisters firing off questions in rapid succession, each one yearning to know what revelations she had stumbled upon. They all shared a burning hope that her discoveries would prove vital in their quest to support Lincoln.
Girls! Rita reprimanded her daughters, "Can we please stop pestering Lisa? She deserves the chance to explain her discoveries without being bombarded by a million questions." Rita chastised her daughters
"Oops, my bad." Leni sheepishly said sorry, and the others followed suit.
"I am grateful for that, Mother," Lisa remarked, acknowledging her parental figure. "Now to respond to your queries, I must admit that I have not pinpointed the location of our brother. However, I have unearthed some compelling insights about his current situation," Lisa announced, drawing the captivated gazes of everyone present.
"Come on, just spill it already! We don't have forever," Lola urged, clearly annoyed.
"I comprehend; I shall not postpone any longer." Lisa acknowledged her sister's irritation and assured her that she would not prolong the matter any longer.
With a spark of intrigue in her eyes, Lori asked, "What did you come across that's so captivating?" She was keen to hear about the insights Lisa had gained through her research.
"To begin with, I realized that the law Joyce alleges our male sibling has contravened lacks enforceability." Lisa told her siblings and parents, all of them were stunned after hearing this.
Lynn Sr looked at his daughter, a puzzled expression on his face. "Hold on, what do you mean by it not being enforceable?"
Lisa elucidated to her father that the law is essentially unenforceable due to the presence of numerous conflicting laws that render it obsolete. Its continued existence in legal texts is likely a result of oversight rather than intentional preservation.
"Wait, you're saying that the law Joyce accused our brother of can't be enforced?!" Lori's voice dripped with anger as she spoke.
"So the law is utterly useless, and that wretched woman unleashed a swarm of cops on my child! The moment I get my hands on her, she'll regret ever taking a breath!" Rita screamed in a fit of rage. Absolutely no one—she meant it—would dare to threaten her kids, especially when that very child had heroically saved their town from being submerged and transformed into a sixth great lake.
Luna scoffed, "I knew Joyce was still bitter about Lincoln, but this is just ridiculous."
The group started talking about the knowledge they gained from Lisa. Their disdain for Joyce was evident, especially since she once attempted to turn Royal Woods into a sixth great lake. Sending the police after Lincoln only worsened their opinion of her. However, accusing Lincoln of breaking a law that isn't even enforceable pushed them from mere dislike to pure hatred.
The only sibling who didn't engage in conversation was Lucy, the gothic and spooky one, who appeared to be preoccupied with her own thoughts. After a while of thinking to herself Lucy finally spoke up her voice monotone as usual.
"There's more to this isn't there?" Lucy questioned Lisa, already certain of the answer. Despite her flat tone, her words held a mesmerizing quality that drew everyone's focus.
"Yes I suspect that the police supporting Joyce in her quest to capture our brother are doing so because of some kind of bribery," Lisa revealed to her siblings, who exchanged glances.
"Wait, are you actually claiming that Joyce coughed up some cash for them?" Lynn probed her younger, albeit gifted sister.
Lisa articulated that it is simply a theory, yet a remarkably logical one. This is apparent as there must be a justification for why they would take the risk of tarnishing their reputation in aiding Joyce in arresting an individual who violated a seemingly unenforceable law.
"Okay, so Joyce probably bribed them, but how does that even help our situation?" Lynn questioned not seeing this information as useful
Lori chimed in, "Okay, Lynn's got a point. Yeah, it paints those cops as total scum, but honestly, what good does that do us at this moment?"
"I understand that it may not significantly aid us in supporting our brother, but it does provide us with insight into the motivations of— Lisa began to explain, but Lori cut her off.
Lori cast a dubious look at Lisa and remarked, "As I suspected, this is completely pointless for helping Lincoln. You must have something far more worthwhile to contribute, don't you?"
Regrettably, Lisa admitted to not possessing any further information, but she did speculate about the potential involvement of other factors aside from bribery. Although her siblings seemed disappointed, they did display some curiosity about the latter possibility.
"What do you want by more than just bribery?" Lola questioned what other than bribery they could be seeking, intrigued by the dishonest law enforcement potential non-monetary interests.
Lisa pondered aloud, "What if one of them has a hidden agenda for wanting to arrest Lincoln?"
Luna inquired, "Are you suggesting they hold a personal vendetta against Lincoln?"
Lisa clarified, "Not exactly a vendetta. I highly doubt they'd harbor ill feelings towards a child they probably don't even know, but I do believe that at least one of them might have had their own motivations for assisting Joyce."
Lynn stated firmly, "This isn't getting us anywhere. Lisa, all you've done is point out the obvious about Joyce being evil, and thrown in a couple of theories!" Lynn snapped at her sister.
Leni rushed to Lisa's defense, urging everyone to go easy on her. "She really did try her best, you know," she said, trying to diffuse the tension in the room.
"Her best!? We were anticipating some brilliant insight from her to aid Linc, but so far, all we've gotten is a bunch of useless information!" Lynn yelled, still seething over how unhelpful Lisa's suggestions had been.
"Lynn, can you please just relax?" Luna requested
Lynn sighed in frustration but eventually agreed to unwind, yet in her mind she began formulating her own ideas to help her brother, and the plan she came up with she was certain the others would not approve of so she stayed silent.
Moments later, a knock echoed through the room, prompting Lola to wonder who it could be. Curiosity piqued, she made her way to the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by the sight of Clyde and Stella, two of Lincoln's friends.
"Lola, who's at the door?" Lana inquired, her twin's curiosity matching her own.
"It's Clyde and Lincoln's girlfriend," Lola replied, causing Stella to turn a deep shade of red at the mention of the title.
"I'm not his girlfriend; we're just friends," Stella quickly clarified, her cheeks still flushed.
With a smug expression, Lola stated, "You're friends and you're a girl who really likes my brother, so you must be his girlfriend."
"Look yes me and Lincoln are friends and I'm a girl, but that doesn't automatically make me his girlfriend! We're just friends, and yeah, I think he's cute and all, but—ugh! Stella cut herself off, realizing she was getting too deep into it. "Can we please just drop this?" she said, clearly a bit irritated.
"Go ahead and keep deceiving yourself," Lola remarked, giving an exaggerated eye roll.
"Relax, Stella. They pulled the same stunt with Ronnie Anne," Clyde reassured his friend, clarifying that the Loud sisters had also claimed Ronnie Anne was Lincoln's girlfriend.
"Somehow, that just makes everything feel even more uncomfortable," Stella responded to Clyde.
"Oh, what brings you two here?" Lucy asked, suddenly popping up behind Clyde and Stella, catching them off guard.
"Oh, hi Lucy! We were just hoping you might have some news about Lincoln. We're really concerned about him and we're hoping you might have some information that could help." Clyde said, still caught off guard by Lucy's unexpected arrival. No matter how many times he came over he would never get used to Lucy popping out, out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry, but we haven't received any updates from him since he left." Lynn Sr relayed to his son's friends after having overheard their conversation with Lucy.
"Oh that's disappointing, but could you tell us what you did find out?" Stella asked.
"You wouldn't care, it's not very helpful," Lynn replied, earning a disapproving look from her mother.
"Lynn, please go to your room," Rita instructed, her annoyance evident due to her daughter's behavior.
"Okay, you don't need to tell me I was going to do go there anyways," Lynn retorted as she walked off to the shared room with Lucy, Lynn muttering to herself about how they wasted their time only for Lisa to find nothing useful
"I'm sorry about that; things have been pretty tense around here," Rita admitted.
Clyde asked, "So, what did you find out?"
Lynn Sr. admitted with a sheepish smile, "Oops, sorry, I almost forgot."
The two friends listened attentively as Lisa recounted all the information she had shared with her siblings and parents. While it was intriguing, it only led to more questions.
"Is that it?" Stella asked, sounding a bit disappointed and hoping for more.
"For now, yes. But don't worry, I'm sure I'll find something," Lisa assured.
"I'm sure you will," Stella said, though she couldn't help but wonder if Lisa would find something in time to help Lincoln.
"Well, thanks anyway," Clyde said as he and Stella left.
Outside the Loud House, Stella dropped a bombshell on Clyde that left him reeling. "I'm going to find Lincoln."
Clyde blinked in disbelief, thinking he must have misheard her. "Could you repeat that?"
"I said I'm going to find Lincoln," Stella reiterated, her determination clear.
"Stella, are you out of your mind!? How do you plan to find him?" Clyde exclaimed.
"Listen, I'll figure it out. Just promise me you won't breathe a word to anyone—none of our friends, not my parents, not yours, absolutely no one," Stella insisted, noticing Clyde's lingering doubt. "Please, I really want to help Lincoln."
"But didn't you say you'd text Lincoln when it was safe to come back?" Clyde asked
"Yes I did, but I don't think I can just wait around." Stella admitted.
"How about I go-" Clyde was about to suggest before Stella stopped him.
"Clyde I really need to do this." Stella pleaded with her friend.
"I was going to say how about I go tell our friends you're on vacation with your family, that way they won't question why you're gone." Clyde said explaining himself seeing as he couldn't convince Stella to stop, he was going to help her back here every way he could.
"Thanks Clyde." Stella smiled. "You're a great friend."
Stella then ran off to her home, to get everything she needed, and unknown to them a certain athlete who was doing push ups in her room has an extremely similar idea.
In her room, Lynn had abandoned push-ups and was unleashing her fury on the punching bag, striking it with relentless force. While everyone else sat idly by, content to wait for fate to intervene, Lynn's impatience surged. Each blow grew more ferocious until, with a thunderous crack, her fist tore through the bag, obliterating it. Staring at the shredded remnants, rage ignited in her eyes. She was resolute; the opinions of others were irrelevant. The moment Lisa failed to provide any real solutions, Lynn had made her choice.
Lynn toyed with the idea of reaching out to her friends for help, but ultimately chose not to. She had reservations about their willingness to assist her in finding Lincoln, given their limited acquaintance with him. Although they might offer words of encouragement, she doubted they would actively help her in the search.
Lynn pondered the consequences of her decision, realizing that her absence from numerous practices and crucial games could result in her expulsion from several sports teams.
Lynn was indifferent to the potential consequences, knowing she had mistreated Lincoln in the past a few times and played a significant part in an event they all wished to forget. Nevertheless, she was unwavering in her determination to find her baby brother and ensure his safe return. If she happened to encounter Joyce on the way, she was prepared to confront her head-on.
She was determined to track down her brother, no matter the cost. The thought of Lincoln fending for himself filled her with dread; she couldn't shake the feeling that Joyce would eventually catch up to him. Time was of the essence, and she was resolute in her mission to reach him before it was too late.
Late that night, Lynn carefully checked on Lucy to make sure she was asleep before sneaking out of her room. She tiptoed down the stairs, eager to leave without anyone noticing. But as she reached for the door, she felt someone else's hand on the doorknob.
"What are you doing!?" Lynn and Lori demanded to know, pointing accusingly at each other.
In a hushed tone, Lynn said, "I'm going to go find Lincoln, and don't try to stop me."
"Wait you're going to go find Lincoln I was about to go look for him." Lori explained in a whisper to Lynn. "Look Lynn early today you were right we we're all just sitting around doing nothing waiting for Lisa, and she found nothing, we should have done something." Lori admitted.
"Of course I'm right." Lynn's smug expression made Lori roll her eyes in annoyance. "I wonder if the others are aware," Lynn whispered, scanning the room discreetly.
"No, they're not aware" Lori answered straightforwardly while she and Lynn made their way out the door.
Lynn set off on foot, convinced that Lincoln had wandered into the nearby forest surrounding Royal Woods. Lori opened her mouth to propose they drive her car, but quickly realized it would be impractical in the dense woods. Not only would the vehicle be ineffective, but it would also create too much noise, drawing unwanted attention. It seemed their only option was to trek through the trees.
Little did they know, one of Lincoln's companions had already ventured into the forest ahead of them in search of Lincoln.
Joyce tapped her foot, her impatience evident as she asked the officer, "Have you located him yet?" She was eager to hear if Lincoln Loud had been found and taken into custody.
The officer replied, "Not yet, ma'am, but we're on it." His team was still searching diligently.
One officer turned to another and inquired, "Any updates on Group B?"
"Ah, don't stress about them. They're likely sending Norman off to a mental facility right now. They're all good," the other officer reassured him, trying to ease his worries.
Deep within the heart of the dense forest, far removed from Stella and the two Loud sisters, Norman gazed down at the lifeless bodies of the officers who had dared to challenge him. With a cold determination, he ensured that there were no witnesses left alive. As he set off to track down the whereabouts of the boy, a sudden tremor shook his body once more.
With a determined tone, he assured an unseen presence, "I comprehend. I shall proceed as instructed." Norman's voice quivered slightly, "Rest assured, I will not disappoint you. The boy, the princess, and the girls from the vision will be captured. I will not fail you."
As Norman's trembling came to a halt and he regained his composure, his goal became evident - to hunt down and capture them all. Soon enough, 'his' intricate plans would finally come together.