Their joyous celebration of victory was abruptly halted when they found themselves in handcuffs. The action news team, having just defeated the giant cockroach, was arrested for the collateral damage caused during the battle. Fortunately, their parents came to their rescue, and they were not faced with severe charges as the monster was the cause of the destruction, and they were merely defending the town.
Undeterred by their arrest, the group later found themselves at Lynn's Table, facing a barrage of criticism. With unwavering determination, Lincoln was compelled to explain the situation to his friends' parents, a story that Rita, Lynn Sr., and Knight corroborated. While the parents seemed to understand that Lincoln was not at fault, they couldn't shake their disappointment that their children had been involved. With a strong voice, Clyde asserted that they had volunteered to help Lincoln, and Stella, with a hint of defiance, pointed out that the situation could have been far worse if they hadn't intervened.
Regardless of this fact, all the parents forbade Lincoln's friends from getting involved any further, citing that "this was Lincoln's problem, not theirs." While Lincoln understood, his parents were visibly offended by the statement, causing everyone except the Louds to leave.
The Next Day.
The aftermath of their heroic act was a mix of gratitude and discomfort. While many of their schoolmates expressed thanks for their bravery, the action news team couldn't shake off the unease within them.
"I can't believe those cops told us to call the proper authorities the next time something like this happens. Proper authorities? Did they see what was attacking? Who are we supposed to call? The men in black?" complained Zach.
"Our parents were no better," said Stella, still bitter.
"Guys, I kind of understand where our parents are coming from," Clyde said.
"You do dawg?" Rusty asked.
"I know they don't want us to get hurt, but we can't just stand by, especially after what we fought yesterday. I couldn't live with myself if people got hurt or killed, and I had the power to help but did nothing. And deep down, I'd resent my Dads for making me do nothing just because it made them feel better," Clyde expressed, his words resonating with the group's shared sense of responsibility.
"Maybe we just need to demonstrate to everyone that we can safeguard Royal Woods without causing so much collateral damage," Liam proposed, his voice brimming with a hint of strategic thinking, sparking the group's collective brainstorming.
"Maybe, but I also meant to tell you guys sooner; it was a brilliant move to pick skills to enhance your physical abilities and weapons proficiency," Lincoln complimented.
"Thanks," they replied.
"Oh, speaking of weapons, hey Lincoln, last night when I got home, a status window for my shield popped up and showed me; then my shield dropped in durability points," Clyde shared. Also, its Mana Conductivity Proficiency (MCP) was Rank F, and its Mana unit points were zero. It was like my shield was having a bad day!"
"I saw the same thing last night," Stella commented, and everyone else agreed. The news about their weapons' limitations was a blow to their confidence, but they were determined to find a solution.
"Dang it, sorry, guys. I didn't get a chance to explain weapon status," Lincoln apologized.
"Weapon status?" They replied.
Back in Cierra, Lincoln had learned about the intricacies of weapons. He explained that all weapons had a status window, a digital display that showed the weapon's current condition and abilities, and a point system, a numerical representation of the weapon's strength and durability. The points were divided into several categories: attack, defense, durability, and Mana Conductivity Proficiency. Stella, always quick to grasp new information, acknowledged this.
"Okay," Stella replied. "So, how many points each stat has is based on how well it was forged,"
"So theoretically, you can have a weapon with high attack points but low durability points or vice versa," Zach replied.
"That's right, and durability points are the second most important stat; if the durability points hit zero, the weapon will break, which is why you have to be careful with how you handle it,"
"What's the most important stat?" Liam asked.
"Mana Conductivity Proficiency," Lincoln explained. "It's divided into several ranks from F to A rank; based on that rank system, you can calculate how many mana points your weapon can absorb; for example, an A-Rank weapon can have 200% efficiency if you channel 100 Mana Points in, you get 200 additional points across the board."
"So if my weapon has 500 attack points and A-rank, the attack could actually be 700," Stella theorized.
"Correct also, when a weapon is charged with mana, it prevents or at least slows the progression of durability points going down in a battle, but that's only if the weapon's mana conductivity proficiency is at a high enough percentage,"
"But our weapons are at Rank F," Stella pointed out.
"Yeah, dawg, what does that mean?"
"It means your weapons can't handle mana units, and if you were to charge your weapons with mana units, they'd break instantly,"
"Isn't there a way to fix that?" Zach asked.
"Not here; I learned the Supernatural Craftsmanship skills, but I was not good at it; the only reason my swords have A–rank conductivity was that they were forged by the blacksmith who was teaching me, but we never got past beginner level because the fake "Demon Lord" attacked,"
"So eventually, no matter how careful we are, our weapons will break," Zach concluded.
"Yeah,"
"Well, you have the skills and knowledge; why not give it to someone who can use it?"
"Who will I find who's good with machines and fixing that we can trust?"
They thought momentarily, and then Stella realized the perfect person, which Lincoln quickly picked up on.
"Oh no, no way!"
"There's no other way or person to ask,"
Later That Day.
The group went to Lincoln's house, specifically his garage, a chaotic yet methodical space brimming with tools and spare parts, to the only person who could be considered a modern-day blacksmith. Lana was hard at work in the garage, her hands smeared with grease as she meticulously tinkered with her weekly Vanzilla tune-up, ensuring every component was in perfect working order. The scene was a testament to her dedication and skill.
"There we go, old girl, we'll keep you going for another ten years,"
"Hey, Lana!" Lincoln asked.
"Hey Lincoln, by the way, I saw the video of you guys taking down that giant cockroach; you guys were awesome," Lana greeted, her voice filled with admiration and a hint of envy.
"Thank you. It's nice to see another person appreciate what we did," Clyde said.
" Lans, we need your help with something important," Lincoln said.
"Sure, bro, I'm done with Vanzilla's weekly check-up anyway,"
"We need you to become our blacksmith and help us fix and maintain our weapons,"
Her brother's request caught Lana slightly off guard but intrigued her.
"Uh, Linc, I'm flattered, but the fact is that I don't know the first thing about magical weapons."
"I have a skill called supernatural craftsmanship, which I can give you. It can help, plus I can give you the knowledge, tools, and materials, too,"
Lana's initial reluctance was palpable, her mind filled with doubts. Yet, a flicker of determination sparked within her, a realization that this could be her chance to prove she wasn't a little girl anymore.
"Okay, bro, I'll give it a shot,"
Lincoln took a deep breath before placing his hand on Lana's head. Closing his eyes, he started scrolling through the many skills listed in his head until he found the ones he would give his sister.
"Transfer,"
As Lincoln's powers surged through Lana, she felt a surge of energy. Suddenly, she was enveloped in a radiant glow, her body pulsating with the influx of knowledge. A screen materialized before her, displaying her new skills: Supernatural Craftsmanship as the primary skill, and Appraisal to help her identify different materials' usefulness and worth, and Heat Resist to help her endure smithing better when she got to actually doing it. Lincoln had also bestowed upon her comprehensive knowledge of all the monsters he battled in Cierra and the materials they could provide.
"This is incredible! I feel like I'm bursting with ideas and knowledge. Is this what Lisa feels like?" Lana exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement and wonder.
"Glad you like it. Are you ready to get started?"
"One problem, bro, I don't have the materials or the tools,"
"I already got that covered,"
Lincoln then conjured a bag, and as Lana touched it, it transformed into a screen displaying a vast array of monster materials. Lana's eyes widened in awe and surprise at the sheer quantity and variety of materials, a testament to Lincoln's battles and the world they inhabited.
"Dang, Lincoln, how many monsters did you fight?"
"Way too many to bother keeping count of. Sometimes, they were relentless, and many of them attacked in packs," Lincoln replied, his eyes staring briefly into the abyss.
"Okay, but I still need the proper tools,"
"Got you covered,"
Lincoln then made a hammer that looked like Thor's Mjölnir. Lincoln handed the hammer to Lana before explaining the hammer.
"This hammer is cool,"
"This hammer was given to me by the same smith who forged my swords. It grants its user Craftsmanship Magic; you can create, fix, alter, and enchant weapons. You can also infuse different materials to strengthen weapons and increase their conductivity percentage,"
"Awesome, I've got so many ideas; I'm gonna call it Hammerzilla,"
"Just try not to overdo it in the beginning. The skills I gave you are at beginner level, so you might be limited in what you can do," Lincoln warned.
"Actually, when you gave me the hammer, both my skills jumped up to Master level," Lana informed.
"Say what?!" They replied.
Lana brought up her skill window and showed that her new skills had indeed jumped to the master level.
"How is that possible?" asked Liam.
"Well, the hammer is enchanted, and Lana has been delving into metal work since she was little, so maybe the hammer recognized her past experience, and so she didn't need to be in the beginner level," Lincoln theorized. "I'll have to ask Knight when he comes back from patrolling,"
"For now, time to let me work; let me see your weapons,"
The group immediately materialized their weapons; using her master-level appraisal skills, Lana instantly saw the flaws in each weapon.
"Dude, whoever made these had no idea what they were doing," Lana said. "It's a miracle you guys were able to hurt that thing with these pieces of junk,"
"Okay, ouch," Lincoln replied.
"Sorry, Lincoln," Lana apologized.
Hours Later.
After hours of work, everyone emerged from the garage around 8:00 p.m. Everyone was happy and satisfied with Lana's improvements to their weapons. Not only did she fix them, but the material she used for each weapon increased their status and brought their MCP rank to B each. Lana went the extra mile to color their weapons their perspective colors. Who wouldn't appreciate that kind of flair?
"This is awesome; my shield feels stronger," Clyde celebrated, along with the others.
"Hold on, guys. Your weapons may be better, but they can still break if they aren't taken care of, so no blind attacks," Lana warned.
"Which is why we need to train so you guys can master your arts and learn how to control and use your mana,"
"How are we going to do that? It's not like we can go somewhere and practice, and there is a chance it could get back to our parents,"
"Don't worry, Knight and I have that covered," Lincoln assured.
Later that night.
As Clyde went to bed, he wondered how he and the others would improve at their arts and mana control. Thanks to the numerous mangas and animes they had watched over the years, they all had a vague understanding of mana. It was kind of a universal idea, even if often seen as fictional.
"We'll figure something out," said Clyde, removing his glasses and laying down to sleep.
Moments later, Clyde felt a bright light shining on his face, making him groan in annoyance.
"It can't be morning already!"
Opening his eyes, to Clyde's shock, he wasn't in his bed or even his house. He was standing on an island, floating in space.
"What the heck?!" Clyde said as he realized he was wearing his armor and holding his shield.
"What is this, dawg?!" Rusty yelled.
Clyde turned to see that all his friends were also suited up with their weapons in hand.
"What in tarnation is going on here? Ah was sleeping in the barn with Virginia, and now I'm here,"
"Technically, you're still sleeping in the barn," Lincoln informed. "We're all still in our beds, asleep,"
"Then what is this place?" asked Zach.
"The dreamscape," he replied.
Knight flies in. "Welcome everyone to your new training grounds,"
Everyone but Lincoln looked confused as they looked around the area, trying to understand what was happening.
"Can someone explain this better?" Stella asked.
"This is the realm between everyone's dreams; think of this place as a highway, and every exit leads to a person's dream worlds," Lincoln explains. "We can use this place to train, but we still need to be careful here; we can still get hurt and die here,"
"Really? This place sounds like that old movie series Mr. Bolhofner made us watch for homework," Stella replied.
"This place, while dangerous, is the perfect place for training," Knight explained. "While your physical bodies sleep, we can train until you master your arts and eventually elemental arts,"
The team agreed. Knight began explaining Arts as attacks infused with mana points; the more MP or Mana you infuse, the stronger the attack. Kight then explained how one's art style is based on the weapon chosen, i.e., Lincoln's double sword art, Clyde's shield art, etc. However, Knight warns against going beyond your weapon's point limit, which could cause it to break and potentially harm the user. Knight then explained how to use one's mana, having Lincoln give examples as he created a sphere of mana in his palms. Kight then instructed the others to try, and through some difficulty, everyone managed to copy Lincoln. After getting the hang of mana control, everyone moved to channel their mana into their weapon, getting a feel for it, and when their weapon reached its point limit. Everyone began practicing creating attacks specific to their art. Despite feeling like they had been training for a few days, it had only been a few hours in the waking world. Eventually, everyone decided to call it a night and returned to their dream worlds.
The next day, everyone came to school with renewed confidence. The school hosted a college recruitment event; numerous booths were arranged in the high school gymnasium. To Lincoln's surprise, Lori was running the Fairway University booth but wasn't alone. Sitting on the table was a basket with a 6-month-old baby girl lying in it. She was the spitting image of Lori as a baby, minus the pointy head and web toes; she also had black hair like Bobby. This infant is Loreline Santiago, Lori and Bobby's daughter, and Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's niece.
"Hey Lori, I thought your friend Marisa was going to run the recruitment booth,"
"She was, but she suddenly got sick, and the University asked me to cover; unfortunately, everyone was busy, so I couldn't get a sitter for Loreline, so I decided to bring her along,"
Suddenly, everyone smells a foul odor coming from Loreline, who starts giggling. Everyone else gagged from the smell.
"Loreline, I just changed you an hour and a half ago, sweetie," Lori said, exasperated.
"I got her," Lincoln volunteered, lifting his niece out of her basket.
"Thanks, Lincoln. Here is all of her baby stuff," Lori replied, handing her brother a baby bag.
"BRB," he said, walking off.
"I guess we'll just wait here until he gets back," Clyde said.
"Hey Clyde, I really appreciate you and the others stepping up to back up Lincoln, especially since we can't right now," Thanked Lori.
"It's okay; we understand you and your sisters have a lot to deal with,"
"Yeah, but if you ever get a chance to meet that princess, we call first dibs,"
"She probably doesn't dare to face anyone like her dad," joked Rusty.
In the boy's bathroom, Lincoln changed Loreline in record time, disposing of her dirty diaper.
"You're lucky your aunt Lily made me a pro at this," Lincoln joked, kissing his niece on the cheek.
Lifting Loreline, the two were about to leave when the last person he wanted to deal with walked in.
"Loud, I've been looking for you!" Chandler snarled.
"Not now, Chandler; I'm holding my niece,"
"Do I look like I care!? It's payback time for getting me that detention!"
"You did that to yourself,"
"You should have let the apple hit you; it would have hurt less than my fist,"
"wow, you're really taking advantage of my hands being full,''
"I can take you without you are holding that brat; now eat this,"
Chandler threw a straight to Lincoln's face, but to Lincoln, he was moving in slow motion. Lincoln quickly sidestepped him, causing Chandler to miss before tripping him. Chandler stumbled and fell into the wastebasket Lincoln threw Loreline's dirty diaper into, his face a few millimeters from touching it.
"Get me out! Get me out! It stinks!" Chandler screamed.
"Consider this a warning the next time you pull this!" Lincoln said, pushing Chandler further inside, which resulted in a squish sound.
Chandler screamed as he jumped and ran out of the bathroom, screaming for someone to get the wastebasket off him. He ran down the hall and bumped into lockers along the way.
Returning Loreline to Lori, Lincoln and the others started exploring the numerous booths for possible choices. Lincoln wasn't too interested in the other colleges since he had already decided to apply to the college in Great Lake City, but it didn't hurt to have different options.
The day continued as everyone collected brochures from various colleges. By the end of the day, everyone had a few extra options for college.
"You guys want to hang out at my dad's restaurant today?" Lincoln asked.
"Sure," they replied.
"Hey, did anybody see Chandler today?" Asked Clyde.
"Last I heard, he's downstairs in the boy's locker room," Stella replied.
"Oh yeah, I heard he's been in there all day; dawg won't say why," Rusty added.
"Maybe he's having a shitty day," Lincoln joked.
Heading to Lynn's Table, the group was greeted by another surprise: Ronnie Anne was there, along with his sisters.
"Hey guys, what's going on?"
"Well, I came to pick up Lori and Loreline as a favor for Bobby," Ronnie Anne said.
"Dad invited us to have dinner and talk," Leni informed them.
"You kids wanna join us?" Lynn Sr. asked
Lincoln smiled and pulled her into a hug, which she was all too glad to receive and return.
"I'm glad to see you."
"Same here. I saw the footage of that giant bug, and I can see the town is really tense,"
"Two demons attacking practically back-to-back will do that,"
"Uh, Lincoln, can we talk?" Ronnie Anne asked, sounding a little uneasy
"Sure, we'll be back,"
As they left, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne began talking, deciding to walk around the block. As they walked, they noticed people becoming uneasy when Lincoln passed by.
"Ungrateful jerks,"
"Ronnie, you can't really blame them," he said. "By the way, nice dress really hugs you in all the right places," Lincoln complimented.
"Very funny, Lame-O, Carlota made it for me; she said these dresses are all the rage and wouldn't let me leave unless I wore it, although I don't think this dress is suited for a girl with big breasts like me since I'm showing off a good amount of cleavage," Ronnie Anne complained. "Plus, this damn skirt is making my ass look bigger,"
"I don't see anything wrong with that," Lincoln teased, slapping Ronnie Anne on the butt.
"You're lucky you're my boyfriend; otherwise, I'd have to knock your teeth out for that," Ronnie Anne teased back, slapping Lincoln on his butt.
"What kind of boyfriend would I be not to appreciate your ass," Lincoln teased.
"Sure, easy for you to say. Do you realize how embarrassing it is when your cheeks clap with every step? If it gets any bigger, I'll be clapping as loud as Carlota,"
"Hey, it's music to my ears," Lincoln teased.
"Geez, you can be such a perv, sometimes Lame-O,"
"All joking aside, I know that fight with that giant cockroach and how people are reacting to it is bothering you more than you're letting on, Ronnie,"
"Okay, it is. You fought two monsters, and they're looking at you like it's your fault,"
"They don't know the whole story," Lincoln said. "But I'm guessing what happened is really bothering you,"
"Watching you fight that bug scared the hell out of me, then you and the others get blamed and arrested, pissed me off,"
"I feel the same,"
The two hugged, and Ronnie Anne had long overcome her dislike of being hugged in public; she did not mind being mushy.
"I know more of these monsters are going to come for you; just be careful, Lame-O,"
"I promise, and speaking of promises, I have something for you,"
Lincoln then made two golden rings with small gems embedded in them.
"Lincoln, they're beautiful, but what are they?"
"They're called rings of devotion, rings that symbolize everlasting love and devotion to the couple and put it on each other's fingers, and protection from those who threaten their love,"
"That is so mushy and beautiful,"
Lincoln gave one ring to Ronnie Anne and placed the ring he still had on her engagement finger after getting on his knee; Ronnie Anne happily returned the favor. The couple then kissed before Ronnie Anne started admiring her ring.
"It's beautiful; where did you get it?"
"Back when Knight and I were still on the run from Cierra, a merchant from another kingdom gave them to me after she told me her tragic story,"
"Tragic story?"
"It turns out I'm not the first person to reject that princess; I'm actually the second, but the first to live,"
"Who was the first person?"
"Her son,"
"What?"
"The merchant was from Cierra; she had a son that would've been about Lynn's age; he was engaged and on his way to a happy life until Veran wanted to add him to her collection. He rejected her, and the next day, the guards came and arrested him for sexual assault,"
"Wow,"
"Just that quick, everyone turned against him, including his fiance, except for his mother; as punishment for his actions, he was castrated,"
"You have got to be kidding me!?"
"I wish I were; however, he couldn't live with the pain or humiliation, so we took his own life, and his mother left, cursing Cierra,"
"I'd have done the same,"
"That's why she gave me the ring, her way of getting back at that princess and keeping her from destroying another relationship,"
"I can't wait to flash this ring in that whore's face,"
Suddenly, they heard a loud boom like thunder, surprising them.
"Don't tell me a third one just showed up." Ronnie Anne said.
Lincoln sighed. "Bad things come in threes."
"Go confirm first."
Lincoln nodded, and the two separated as his tattoo started glowing. The couple rushed back to the restaurant to see the group suited up, and Lincoln quickly followed as all their tattoos were glowing.
"Great, I wonder what's coming this time?" Rusty said.
Suddenly, everyone noticed it getting darker outside, and black clouds started covering the skies over Royal Woods. The only break in the clouds was in front of City Hall; however, the light began twisting and changing form. The light took the form of a tall, intimidating man dressed in a black and red suit with a long coat, a cape attached to his shoulders, a gold crown with red lining, and a blue gem sitting on his head, and finally, in his hand a black and red scepter.
The man had a dead look in his eyes as he looked around at all the frightened people present.
"People of this world, I am Gideon, king of Cierra, the most powerful kingdom of my world. I am projecting to you to offer you a chance to avoid my wrath and the wrath of my kingdom," Gideon said in a booming voice.
"What do you want from us?" Asked a person in the crowd.
"Your recent troubles are the results of one man's selfishness. He was promised to my daughter at her birth, yet he continues to defy his obligation and has instead run to his native world like a coward; if you wish for these attacks to end, you will surrender that coward Lincoln Loud to me so that he could fulfill his destiny in marrying my daughter,"
"You lying son of a bitch!" roared Lincoln.
Suddenly, Lincoln performed a superhero landing in front of the projection, and the rest of the action news team followed.
"I never made any commitment to you or that whore you call the daughter, and trying to turn my own town against me is a new low for you,"
"Since you won't see a logic, hopefully, the rest of this town can,"
Father, is that him? Please let me speak to my Husband!
"Oh no!" Lincoln thought.
"Fine, child,"
Suddenly, a second light beamed down before transforming into a woman with silver hair, dressed in a black and red gown and wearing a black and red tiara. The best way to describe her appearance would be that of a Disney princess, an evil Disney princess. Lincoln looked at her with disgust while the woman stared at him flirtatiously.
"Veran!" Lincoln growled.
"Lincoln, my love,"
"Don't ever call me that whore!"
"Now, Lincoln, we're meant for each other. Who could offer even 1/3 of what I can give you, certainly not that harlot standing behind you?" Veran said, pointing to Stella.
"You got a mouth for a coward hiding in another dimension," Stella replied.
"You're not worth my time. I'm a princess, and you are?"
"About to cut your lips off and shove them up your…"
"Stella, don't let her get under your skin, it's what she does,"
"Dawg, this is like the first time I've ever seen a hot girl that disgusts me," Rusty commented, and the others agreed.
"Lincoln, my dear, I grow tired of interacting with the commoners of this world; it's time for you to come home and begin our wedding preparations and honeymoon," Veran flirted, showing off some cleavage.
"Never going to happen slut; why don't you marry one of the dozens of losers you already slept with," Lincoln spat.
"Because they were just toys meant to be broken, you are my beloved husband,"
"Sorry, skank, but he's already spoken for!" Ronnie Anne yelled.
The crowd parted, allowing Ronnie Anne to walk in front of Lincoln.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Veran said, sounding annoyed.
"His actual girlfriend, and you?" Ronnie Anne,
Veran gave a haughty laugh. "You must be joking; a harlot like you could never come between the special bond between me and my hero,"
Ronnie Anne gave a mock haughty laugh back. "Bond!? You call drugging my boyfriend and trying to rape him in his sleep a special bond? Ronnie Anne said, causing the crowds to gasp.
"Our union would have been solidified if it hadn't been for that blasted bird!" Veran said, growling at Knight.
"And I'd do it again, especially to someone whose pubic hair is green when her regulator is silver," Knight mocked.
Knight's comments struck a nerve as she was about to rage, but she quickly regained her composure and let out another haughty laugh.
"Hilarious bird, almost as funny as this thing in front of me thinking she can compete with me," Veran mocked. "I mean, I'm the princess of the most powerful Kingdom in my world; I have money and power and people willing to die for me on a whim. Look at you; what could you possibly offer him?"
"Let's see. I've been one of his closest friends since we were kids. I know his dreams for the future. I'm 100% loyal to him, and I never slept around. And the curtains match the drapes," Ronnie Anne said.
"Psst, those are formalities that won't matter once he and I are married, and I mold him into the perfect consort husband; soon, what I only care about will be the only thing that matters to him,"
"Oh, and two more reasons why he prefers me over you,"
"What's that pretender?"
"I'm bigger than you in all the right places," Ronnie Anne mocked, perking out her chest a little, showing off that H-cups made Veran's C-cups look flatchested in comparison.
Ronnie Anne wasn't the kind of person to brag about her looks or her figure but was more than willing to stoop that low to piss off Veran, and it did as Veran looked as if she was turning green with envy.
"Please, large breasts and a large buttock mean nothing," Veran said, obviously lying to herself so as not to seem jealous.
"Yeah, that's something a person with nothing in the front or the back to shake would say," Stella mocked as she perked out her chest to add more insult.
Veran was about to say something back, but someone started laughing. Lincoln quickly recognized the laugh as Luan's. Walking through the crowd were Lincoln's parents and sisters.
Veran seemed unfazed, as was confronted by these new people.
"What are you all supposed to be? More harlots trying to get between me and my love?!"
"These are his parents and his sisters," Ronnie Anne informed.
Veran was at a loss for words, realizing she had insulted her self-proclaimed husband's family. Gideon saw this and decided to step in.
"Lynn and Rita, I see you've lost a little on top, Lynn, but gained five more daughters," Gideon said, faking a friendly demeanor.
"I can see you gained a little down here, old friend," Lynn Sr. replied, pointing to his belly.
"We told you years ago that we didn't want our son to be a part of your nonsense, yet you kidnapped him and forced him to play the role you orchestrated; no more Gideon, so I suggest you leave him and the rest of our family alone!" Rita warned. "And as for you young lady, you may not know this, but in our world, it is customary for the groom's parents to give their blessings, so you should know there is no way in hell would I or my husband whatever give our blessings for our son to marry a slut like you,"
Veran almost lost her composure again as a vein popped on her forehead from Rita's insults.
"Well, mother-in-law, while I respect your cultures, your customs will mean nothing once Lincoln is back where he belongs in Cierra, and I suggest you show me proper respect if you want to see your grandchildren,"
Rita was physically revolted at the idea of Veran being the mother of her grandchildren.
"Apparently, Daddy's little slut never learned the concept of no means no," Lola commented.
"Shut your mouth, brat!" Veran snapped.
"Why don't you come here and make me? My sisters and I would love to show you how we treat whores, who try to hurt our brother," Lola replied as she and the rest of her sisters cracked their knuckles.
"Father, this is pointless. Forcing is the only way he'll understand. I'm leaving," Veran said, trying to hide her fear of retribution.
"Oh, before you go, you forgot the second reason why he prefers me over you,"
"Oh…right, what is it?"
"You see these rings?" Ronnie Anne asked, showing off her and Lincoln's matching rings.
"What about them? They look like mere trinkets compared to my and Lincoln's wedding rings," Veran boasted.
"These rings represent our bond and a connection, a whore like you could never understand or break,"
"So-so what?" Veran replied, sounding a bit worried.
"In other words, this ring is practically an engagement ring. Guess who just said yes? Bitch!"
"Take that ring off this instant!"
"I couldn't even if I wanted to. The ring is enchanted, meaning only the person who put it on me can take off, and I don't think Lincoln is going to do that anytime soon,"
"Lincoln, how could you betray your true love like this?"
"Get this through your self-entitled little head; I don't love you, I never will love you, and you make me sick to my stomach just looking at you, you disgusting whore!"
"Does that about cover it, slut?"
"How dare you try to steal the hero's seed from me! I'm the only one who will have the hero's children!"
"You're nothing but a sperm-craving baby-trapping whore; you don't love him; you just want to use him like you used others before, which is why you don't deserve his love!"
"Don't you dare tell me what I don't deserve; I'm a princess, no the princess; I'll kill you, I'll kill every one of you until he has nothing left but me, and then you'll have to,"
Gideon cut short Vera's rant and made her disappear, embarrassed by his daughter's outburst.
"I'm warning Lincoln Loud, fulfill your obligation and marry my daughter. Continue the bloodline of heroes, or your home will suffer the consequences of your selfishness," Gideon warned before disappearing.
The black clouds immediately vanished, and The Action News Team's tattoos stopped glowing, signaling the gate was closed.
Upon Gideon's disappearance, Lincoln's friends and family were relieved but quickly realized they had another problem: the dozens of people who saw what happened.
The Next Night.
The next night, Maria, Arturo, Rosa, and Hector were at the loud house discussing what happened yesterday.
"So let me get this straight: you technically did and didn't propose?" Hector asked.
"The ring is enchanted to protect her, but in a way, I see it as an engagement ring, too," Lincoln responded.
"I told you guys this morning; besides the way I see it, I accepted either way,"
"You kids should not be thinking of such things; you're both still too young," Rosa said.
"Abuela, we know that; it's not like we're going to run and elope, but we do want to get married when we're ready to,"
"But you made yourself a target for that princess; no telling how far she'll go to take that ring from you," Maria pointed out.
"Okay, admit I went too far with, but put yourselves in my position, Mom; if Dad were in Lincoln's shoes before you two divorced, wouldn't you have stated your claim,"
"Of course, I would've,"
Lincoln didn't need to ask his mother that question since he knew his mother would destroy anyone dumb enough to try.
"Abuela?"
"¡Le metería las chanclas tan profundamente en la garganta que se cagaría durante semanas!"
"Rosa!" replied Hector, grateful he was the only one who understood what his wife said.
"Sorry," Rosa apologized, embarrassed by her outburst.
"Mom, Dad, I'm not going to run and hide from that princess; she wants me. I'm ready,"
"Mija, this crazy princess could have magical powers that could hurt you," Arturo cautioned.
"Dad, I understand, but Lincoln and Lana helped me get ready, just in case I need to,"
Ronnie Anne then transformed her clothes into outfits similar to Lincoln's and his friends. She also had a cloak similar to Stella's, minus the hood. Attached to her hip was a whip, and at the very tip, a metal double spearhead was attached to it. Ronnie Anne quickly returned to her regular clothes, shocking her parents and grandparents.
"Before anybody freaks out, let me explain. I had Lincoln make me a reserve member of his party despite his protest; however, this was done for my protection so that I can protect myself in case I have to," Ronnie Anne explained. "I'm not going to jump in and start fighting demons unless I have to; Lincoln already made me promise that, even though I already defeated Ucumu," Ronnie Anne pointed out.
"We all had a hand in that, plus you had Punguari helping you," Maria corrected. "You're about five years too late to brag about that young lady,"
"Mom, all joking aside, I'm not going to stand by and let some spoiled rapist princess take something I care about, and I know you guys don't want me getting involved at all, but at least this way, if I have to get involved, the playing field is level,"
The Casagrandes and the Santiagos still looked reluctant, so Lincoln decided to express himself.
"I understand that you're probably upset with me for putting your family in danger," Lincoln spoke before being cut off by Rosa.
"Lincoln, our reluctance is not just for Ronnie Anne's safety, but yours too; we consider you and your family our family too,"
"We just want to think of a way to end this without escalating further," said Maria.
"Mom, that crazy king and princess won't stop until Lincoln knocks her up,"
"Pretty sure they'll also kill me if that were to happen, which it never will," Lincoln added. "They need an heir, not me,"
"We'll never let that happen," Hector assured. "And we'll support you any way we can,"
The families talked a bit longer before the Santiagos and the Casagrandes left for the night.
The following day, Lincoln got up, still feeling guilty. Last night, after Ronnie Anne left, he got a call from Clyde informing him that he and the rest of their friends were grounded for disobeying their parents since they saw videos of them confronting Gideon and Veran alongside Lincoln.
"Maybe I shouldn't go to school today and focus more on my training,"
Suddenly, Lincoln heard the doorbell and headed to the door, but his parents already answered, and to their annoyance, it was Chandler.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lame. Is Lincoln in?" Chandler asked in a fake, polite way.
"What do you want, Chandler?" Lynn Sr. asked, annoyed by the boy's presence.
"I just wanted to inform him as a courtesy that tonight, Royal Woods is going to have a town hall meeting to discuss whether or not to turn your loser son over to that King and princess," Chandler mocked.
"That's impossible; I'm part of the Townhall group chat; if there were a town hall, I would've known about it,"
Lynn Sr. pulled out his phone, and to his shock, he found a town hall tonight, although the subject was town safety.
"You cannot be serious!?" Rita replied.
"Severe lady, why should we risk our lives siding with Lincoln Lame just because he got cold feet? Tonight, your son will be out of our lives forever," Chandler laughed.
Lincoln became fed up and walked downstairs to confront Chandler.
"Oh, hey, Lame, I was just telling your folks the good news; by the way, why don't you give Ronnie Anne my number,"
"Why would I do that?"
"She's going to need a shoulder to cry on once her cheating boyfriend is married,"
Chandler turned his back and walked towards the steps, but Lincoln used a telekinetic spell to tie his shoelaces together. Taking another step, Chandler fell off the porch; fortunately, he managed to maneuver himself to fall into the lawn cushioning his fall; unfortunately, his face landed into a fresh pile of dog poop. Lincoln slammed the door just as Chandler screamed and turned to talk to his parents.
"This has to be the first time I'm grateful somebody's dog went on the law," Lincoln commented.
"I can't believe they're having this meeting, Lynn. I'm calling the girls," Rita said, walking away.
"Son, are you okay?" Lynn Sr. asked, seeing the exasperation on Lincoln's face.
"No, Dad, I need to get ready for tonight and call the guys and Ronnie Anne," Lincoln said, returning upstairs.
End Of Ch. 3