I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.
Chapter 25
Meanwhile, in the Future
Future Lincoln was surrounded by an army of mercenaries, giant robots, and gunships the size of battleships hovering in the air armed with large laser cannons. Future Lincoln powered himself up, making his whole body glow a bright white and blue flame. His eyes shined a bright light, making his pupils disappear. The mercenaries fired their guns at Future Lincoln, but he summoned a force field to shield himself and deflect the blast from the guns. Many of the mercenaries were hit by the ricocheting bullets and laser blasts.
Future Lincoln shot giant energy blasts that obliterated hundreds in a few seconds, leaving large crater valleys. The gunships fired their laser cannons, but Lincoln teleported out of the way. He used his telekinesis powers to grab two ships and smashed them hard together, making them erupt in large incendiary explosions. Then, the giant robots attacked. One tried to punch him, but Future Lincoln dodged it, grabbed part of the arm, and threw the robot into another one. One giant robot tried to stomp on Lincoln, but he used both his hands to stop the giant metal foot, and with great strength, he sent it flying through the air, crashing into a gunship, resulting in it breaking in half.
Future Lincoln continued to kill more of them using his powers – shooting lightning blasts, shooting them with energy balls, waves of fire, throwing them around and into each other. He summoned giant flaming twisters that swallowed them and burned them to ashes. He hovered boulders out of the ground and shot them like bullets at the enemy, crushing them and destroying their vehicles and ships – he even used his powers to craft the rocks into large spikes to impale the mercenaries. Future Lincoln bent the earth to fold and crush them. He ended the fight by using his powers to make himself into a giant and crushed them with his fists and feet while shooting energy beams. The enemy had only a few seconds to scream or cry in agony before dying. Some tried to get away, but Lincoln killed them.
In less than ten minutes, Future Lincoln cleared the area of the entire army. He flew toward the big buildings across the terrain. He stood before the steel doors and bashed them open with his fist.
"Star!" Future Lincoln roared, "Star! Golden Star, where are you?! Come out and face me!"
The building was empty and quiet. Then, someone attacked him from behind with an energy blast. Lincoln summoned an energy shield just in time. When the dust cleared, he saw her – Golden Star. She was wearing futuristic armor that looked similar to Samus's, except the shoulder pads weren't giant ball-shaped, the armor was shiny golden, and she didn't have a gun for a right hand. The face shield was mirrored like sunglasses, completely hiding her face. On her wrist was a future visions disruptor bracelet like the robots and Edge have been using.
Her helmet had a computerized voice to disguise her own, "White Death. I knew sooner or later you'd find me."
"What's with the time machines and the assassins? You're trying to kill my past self?" Future questioned.
"I would love to go over my plans with you, but I'm not going to . . . because I don't want to," Golden Star replied.
"Not even if I say please?"
However, a dark energy ball was thrown toward and turned into a vortex. Future Lincoln used his powers to counteract the vortex. He looked at another woman wearing armor similar to Golden Star's, but hers was black and purple. She had a bracelet too. Future Lincoln's eyes widened when he saw her.
"Black Ghost?" Future Lincoln spoke.
"Missed me?" Black Ghost asked in her computerized voice.
"What the hell? You should be dead."
"I look pretty good for a dead woman, don't I?"
Lincoln turned to Golden Star, "You're working with Black Ghost?"
She nodded, "I am."
Future Lincoln stood his ground and asked firmly, "What are you up to?"
Golden Star titled her head, "You're gonna find out."
"The future is going to change, Lincoln," Black Ghost added.
Both disappeared in a portal before Future Lincoln could catch them.
"Dammit!" Lincoln yelled angrily. He got on comms, "Sonya! Eddy! Tell me you saw all that."
"We did. I can't believe Black Ghost is still alive," Eddy said.
"Where did they go? I can't track them without my visions seeing them."
"The bad news is we have no idea where. The good news is they didn't travel back anywhere in time," Sonya stated.
Future Lincoln raised an eyebrow, "In time? What?"
"We hacked their computers. They got blueprints for a time machine."
"We're still trying to figure out where they're making them, but in the meantime, you should probably head back in time to keep an eye on your past self," Eddy added.
"Yeah, keep me posted," Future Lincoln replied.
For the first time in a long time, the White Death himself felt a chill crawl up his spine. How is Black Ghost still alive? What were they planning? Future Lincoln summoned a portal and returned to Royal Woods on Earth. He closed his eyes and let the visions help him catch up on what was happening.
"Well, congratulations, little me. You beat the shit out of a kangaroo. Now, you gotta help Lynn . . . and boy, are there going to be tears," Future Lincoln said.
Far away in a dark space station cloaked with advanced camouflage technology sat a man whose face was shrouded in darkness. Two small silver lights could be seen glowing from his chest. He watched Future Lincoln on one orb and the other two, Golden Star and Black Ghost, on another.
"The pieces are moving . . . this is going very well," the man said and then pulled out another light orb showing young Lincoln winning the fight against Crikey and holding up his trophy, "Soon Lincoln . . . soon, you will be mine."
Later
Lincoln showered and got in clean clothes after the fight. Coach Keck was pretty upset that she lost money on the fight and even more upset when Dennis wasn't anywhere around to massage her neck and shoulders. That's because he snuck off and went straight to Principal Ramirez and blew the whistle on Coach Keck, using school funds to pay him and buy a real kangaroo instead of a costume. To say she was mad was an understatement, and she was even more upset about allowing a fight in the gym between a kangaroo and a student. You can hear her chewing the coach out in the halls.
However, as Lincoln stepped out of the locker room, he saw Crikey on a gurney with one paramedic pumping air into his lungs while another was holding up an IV bag. Crikey had bloody bandages over his face, and he looked like he was barely breathing. A cold chill went up Lincoln's spine, giving him goosebumps, seeing the damage he had done to the kangaroo.
"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Lincoln asked.
"In addition to you beating him to a bloody pulp, giving him a head concussion, internal bleeding, and multiple fractures, his heart's failing from all those energy drinks he chugged," the male paramedic answered.
As they got him in the ambulance, the female paramedic looked at Lincoln and questioned, "Were you trying to kill him? A few more hits, and you probably would have. I can't tell who's the real animal."
Lincoln stood there frozen as she closed the doors and drove away. Lincoln wondered what would happen if he did die. He closed his eyes and looked into the future. His death wouldn't affect the people that much. However, Lincoln wondered if it would affect him. He had already killed two alligators to save Lana, murdered men who would attack Lynn, and killed men who were trying to kill him. He's already got blood on his hands. Lincoln looked down at his hands.
"I just wanted to teach him a lesson. I didn't want to kill him," Lincoln said softly.
Lincoln's train of thought was interrupted when Stella hugged him behind, making him lose his balance a little. His friends with their girlfriends also showed up.
"Linky! You were amazing! You mopped the floor with Crikey," Stella praised.
"Hot diggy dog, Lincoln! You know how to put a bully in his place, that's for dang sure," Liam said.
"Although not gonna lie, Lincoln, you were kind of scary near the end," Tabby said.
"Yeah, the red eyes," Giggles added.
"And that roar (shivers), I can still feel its vibration," Zach agreed.
"Oh, come on! Lincoln here just used some inner rage to give himself some extra adrenaline. It worked, too," Polly Pain said.
"Well, I'm more than happy that he beat him to a pulp. He won! Now we won't have to see that kangaroo for a long while," Rusty said with a joyful smile.
"Maybe not ever," Lincoln commented.
"What do you mean?" Clyde asked.
Lincoln looked back at the road, "Crikey's on his way to the hospital. The paramedics said he's got fractures, internal bleeding, a head concussion, and his heart's failing from all the energy drinks he had."
"So . . . he could die?" Zoey questioned.
"Maybe," Lincoln answered.
That made everyone's smiles disappear. The silence stretched out like a blade.
"Wait, if he does, will Lincoln get in trouble?" Stella asked.
"Nope," Lynn said, approaching them, "Lincoln won't be held responsible. These things can sometimes happen in fighting – boxing, UFC, etc. But even though Crikey's a jerkoff who can't throw a proper jab, even if I taught him, he's pretty tough. He's tough enough to take hits from Snowflake here. So, I wouldn't worry about it."
"She's right. Crikey's not human. He's a wild animal. He'll be fine," Liam agreed.
Everyone commented in agreement.
"Yeah, so don't sweat it, bro. Now, you just kicked his butt and became the champion of Michigan, we need to celebrate. How's free dinner at The Loud Table sound?" Lynn asked.
They all agreed with excitement, and before Lincoln knew it, he was in a van with his sisters on the way to the family restaurant. Lori and Leni carefully examined Lincoln before driving to the family restaurant.
"Oh, Lincoln," Lori spoke while holding his face.
"I'm fine, girls. Really, I am," Lincoln assured.
"You promised you wouldn't get hurt!" Leni said.
"Leni, I'm okay. It's just some bruises. They'll be gone in a week," Lincoln said.
"I bet the other guy looks worse. Let's celebrate!" Luna hollered.
They all drove to The Loud Table. When all his sisters and friends arrived at the restaurant, it was a late evening with the sundown. Everyone cheered Lincoln. He got the best and biggest booth in the restaurant. He sat close to Stella and his sisters. His friends and their girlfriends were in a booth nearby. They played music, and everyone was having fun chatting and eating. Lincoln, his sisters, and his friends all had burgers and fries.
"Oh wait, I left my phone in the van," Lincoln said.
"I'll get it," Lynn said.
As Lynn went to get his phone, everyone wanted a picture with Lincoln. When Lynn tried to get back, she had to avoid the stampede. The people caused Lynn to bump into a wooden railing, and it hit her in one of her bruises from the side. It took every ounce of Lynn's strength to muffle her cry of pain. She slipped on the curb and fell on her side. Lynn growled and groaned in pain.
While Lynn took her time to get back on her feet, the crowd closed the door behind them, and the lock slipped down. Lynn couldn't get the door open, and due to the music and the loud commotion, nobody could hear her loud banging on the door or her yells.
"Hey! Open up! Let me in!" Lynn shouted.
Lynn moved to the window and banged on it to get attention, but no one could see or hear her. As Lynn looked closely, she saw Lincoln get praised and adored by everyone. Everyone was so excited and joyful to see and be near him. Lincoln looked happy and humble as he blushed while scratching the back of his head and even more so when Stella kissed his face.
Lynn felt bittersweet as she watched through the glass. She looked over her shoulder at a billboard showing Lincoln winning the medal for saving Lynn Sr. and all those bikers before looking back at Lincoln inside. She was happy that Lincoln was spreading his wings and getting praised and recognized as he was in the spotlight, but she was also sad.
"You're doing so well, Lincoln. You're doing so good . . . without me," Lynn said to herself.
Lynn remembered when she and her brother were little and how he used to follow her everywhere—they were inseparable. Now, he's not following her anymore. He's moving up and soaring. He has a very bright future ahead of him. Lynn had a short flashback of when she and Lincoln were little one winter. They were playing in the snow together and making snowmen.
"Was it really that long ago? Has it been that long since we were so close? I remember your cute belly laughs as we made snow angels. It was snowing, and we barely noticed," Lynn spoke softly to herself as her eyes watered.
Lynn was about to walk away and be alone, but then she saw Lincoln get up from the booth and head for the door. Her eyes widened slightly. He unlocked it, turned to Lynn, scooped her in his arms, and walked back inside carrying her bridal style. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she held onto her brother's neck and shoulder. A lot of people were looking at him.
"Me kicking Crikey's butt is all thanks to this gal right here. My big sister Lynn. My sisters whipped my butt into shape, but Lynn here taught me martial arts. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have stood a chance," Lincoln stated confidently.
All the sadness left Lynn as she looked at Lincoln and smiled warmly. Lincoln sat back in the booth, with Lynn sitting next to her. Lincoln took two big crinkle-cut French fries sprinkled with seasoned salt, dipped them in ketchup, and fed them to Lynn.
"Lynn, tell them how you got me to stay focused on exercising and training," Lincoln said.
"Mmm," Lynn said while finishing chewing.
She explained the whole thing, including the concept of how Po was trained using food, and Lincoln was trained using what worked for him: comics. She explained all the different fighting styles she taught her brother and how you can tell which moves Lincoln used during his fight against Crikey. Lynn felt like herself. All sadness and longing were gone. It's strange how being separated from Lincoln made her feel hopeless, and being with him made her feel like nothing could touch her, not even sadness.
However, while they were having fun and enjoying themselves, Lucy counted the minutes until they were all home, and she could talk to Lincoln. She knew full well that it'd ruin the good vibe if she asked anything of Lincoln's rage. Most would not have seen it, but it was clear and obvious to Lucy. That rage after he went down and used to beat Crikey was not nothing. She knew something drove him, and she was eager to find out what.
Liam pulled out his phone, "Oh, by the way, Lincoln. Good news. You didn't kill Crikey. The news article says he's gonna be okay."
"Well, that's a relief," Tabby said.
"Yeah, that's good news," Stella agreed.
Lincoln took the phone, and both he and Lynn read it.
"What's it say? How badly did you kick his butt, Link?" Polly Pain asked.
"Pretty bad. Two ribs broken, three cracked, a fractured tail, a broken nose, a broken cheekbone, a dislocated jaw, and a head concussion," Lynn listed.
The others were wide-eyed while Lincoln cringed.
"Whoa. That's a lot of serious injuries," Zach said.
"No kidding, dog. I'm surprised he's not dead," Rusty said.
"At least you won't have to see him again. Although, I'm worried if he ends up as another school's mascot," Giggles said.
"I don't think anyone will see him again," Lynn said.
"Why's that?" Clyde asked.
"All those injuries were from the fight. Crikey's liver and heart are failing due to all the energy drinks he's been drinking. Both that and the injuries from the fight affected his nerves."
"His nerves?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, the article is saying the doctors see that he's got non-repairable nerve damage in his leg and his tail. So, in other words," Lynn handed Liam his phone back, "Crikey's kickboxing days are over. He'll be going to an enclosure or animal sanctuary."
Rusty shrugged, "Eh, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
"I don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, I didn't kill him, but on the other hand, I ruined his kickboxing career," Lincoln said.
"Not really. Eventually, he probably would have had a heart attack from all those energy drinks. His career was bound to go down sooner or later," Stella stated.
"She's right. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd be more concerned about your next concert with Luna, though!" Tabby said with a smile.
"Yeah! Your concerts with the Moon Goats are dope!" Polly Pain said.
Later
After dinner at The Loud Table, everyone returned home. Dark clouds rolled in, and the wind picked up – a storm was coming. Rita and Lynn Sr. learned what happened, and Lincoln and Lynn Jr. explained everything. They weren't particularly happy with Lincoln getting into a fight at all, but they were proud that he stood up and fought for what he thought was right. Rita frowned as she held her son's face and saw the bruises.
"Mom, I'm okay," Lincoln assured.
Rita sighed, "Did you really have to fight Crikey?"
"Someone had to stand up to that chump. People can't do whatever they want," Lynn Jr. answered.
"That's true. Still, though, we prefer that you should have let the teachers handle it," Lynn Sr. said before looking away to sip his drink.
While he wasn't looking, Lincoln turned to his mother and made his eyes glow one blue and the other green. Rita saw his eyes and knew immediately he was telling her that telling the teachers wasn't an option. She glanced at her husband, then back at her son, and gave him an understanding nod.
While they were downstairs, Lucy was upstairs in Lisa's room. The rain had started, and thunder could be heard.
"What do you mean it hasn't finished decoding the dream?!" Lucy questioned with a slightly raised voice.
"Calm yourself, my gothic sibling unit. The computer just needed an update. The decoding was nearly complete. Once the computer's update is finished, so will the decoding," Lisa explained.
"How long will that take?"
"It should be complete just after 11 – before midnight."
"Try to make it sooner."
Everyone brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. It was Lynn and Lucy's turn to have Lincoln keep the nightmares away. However, Lucy stayed awake to wait for Lynn to fall asleep. Then, she'd wake Lincoln up to talk to him in private. Thankfully, the rain helped keep her awake.
It took a while, but eventually, Lynn started snoring. Lucy quietly and carefully woke her brother up and asked to talk in private. They got up without waking Lynn and went down to the kitchen.
"What's up, Lucy?" Lincoln asked.
"We need to talk, Lincoln," Lucy said.
"About what?" Lincoln asked.
"About the fight, near the end when you give him a beatdown. I saw the red hot fire in your eyes . . . the anger. That wasn't random rage. What was that?" Lucy asked.
Lincoln sighed and poured himself and Lucy a glass of water.
"When I was down, I saw not Lynn right now but the Old Lynn—the Lynn who used to bully me, mock me, ridicule me . . . and who would mark me as bad luck," Lincoln explained.
Lucy's eyes widened behind her bangs as she listened.
Lincoln continued, "I saw Crikey as Old Lynn, and that fueled my rage. I don't remember all of it clearly. It's a bit fuzzy to me, like a dream . . . but I remember her voice saying all the mean and hurtful things if the Bad Luck incident did happen. After that, I just . . . lost it."
Lucy shivered from that and got goosebumps.
"But after it was over, I felt better. Whatever anger was left in me was gone. Like Clyde's therapist, Dr. Lopez, said, 'Sometimes you have to let it out so you can let it go.' So, you could say that it was a coping technique to let go," Lincoln said.
"So, you pretended to see the Old Lynn, and that's where that anger came from?" Lucy asked.
Lincoln nodded as he sipped some water.
"But you don't have anger still remaining in your heart?"
Lincoln shook his head.
"You're sure?"
"I'm positive, Lucy. I love you all, including Lynn. That fight relieved whatever anger I had deep down inside toward the worst offender of the family if the bad visions did come true. I hate the Old Lynn, but not the new one. The Lynn now is wonderful and has everything I love about her," Lincoln explained.
While they were talking, Lynn woke up thirsty. Seeing Lincoln and Lucy not in bed with her alarmed her and made her wide awake. As Lynn wondered where they went, she wondered if Lincoln had a vision of the future. She carefully got out of bed to check if they were waiting to use the bathroom – they weren't there. Lynn still had bruises from training with Lincoln, so she had to move cautiously to avoid hurting herself. Then she heard muffled voices coming from downstairs. Lynn went down but stopped at the bottom to listen.
"I guess I got too cocky with my new strength. I didn't mean to be rough on Lynn. I owe her an apology," Lincoln said.
"Yeah, but . . . didn't it feel good though? I mean, this is Lynn we're talking about. How long has she bullied you, me, and others? I know you didn't mean to hurt her initially, but didn't it feel good to get some payback on her? To get even? We've all been targeted by her roughhousing, you especially. There must be a part of you that wanted to hurt her back like she's hurt you. There's got to be a part of you that felt good hurting her. Even though you didn't mean to, it must have felt good . . . didn't it?" Lucy asked.
Lynn felt mixed emotions. It would make sense if he felt that way, but she hoped he wouldn't.
Lynn shook her head, 'No. No, that's not true. He doesn't hate me . . . right?'
There was a long moment of silence. Then Lincoln answered.
"If I'm being honest with you, no, Lucy. It did not feel good," Lincoln answered.
Lynn let out a sigh of relief.
'Ha! Take that, voices! Lincoln doesn't hate me,' Lynn thought.
However, as she headed upstairs, Lincoln said something that made her stop dead in her tracks.
"It felt great," Lincoln said.
Lynn froze; her pupils were tiny dots, her heart sunk, and every hair on her body stood straight up. She stayed and listened.
"For so long, Lynn has targeted me with her roughhousing, name-calling, and making fun of me. Since then, I didn't hate her, but she wasn't my favorite. Then—" Lincoln breathed a heavy sigh and summoned a light orb, "—these powers came into my life . . . and my eyes were open to such terrible and horrible truths. Seeing all the bad things that you guys would have done to me brought out the worst in me. I've felt anger and hate that I've never felt before. A rage with a fire that (groaned angrily) took me to dark places."
Lucy shivered while hearing Lincoln's voice and imagined what it was like for him – so did Lynn. Seeing what your own family would do to you can make you feel all sorts of emotions.
"So, when I got strong and learned how to fight (clenched his fist while looking at it before his face), it felt great to be the one giving her pain. To put her in her place. To give her a taste of her own medicine. For a long time, I wanted to hurt her like she hurt me. I wanted to show her that I wasn't weak. To finally be able to do all that felt so . . . liberating," Lincoln explained.
That last word made Lynn blink, and she felt weak in her knees. Her hands were trembling, and the hole in her chest grew more heavy.
"It was that bad?" Lucy asked.
"During the early days of my powers, after I saw the bad luck incident, I went through the five stages of grief. You know – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Only for me, it was in a different order. When I got these powers, it was denial, acceptance, bargaining, anger, depression," Lincoln answered.
Lucy raised an eyebrow behind her bangs.
"Bargaining? What, like you prayed?" Lucy asked.
"Yes. I actually went to a church and prayed that God would tell me what I saw was not true. I begged him to help me, but I didn't get a response," Lincoln answered, "The point is, anger was the worst stage because that's when I truly went to dark places. I was so full of rage over what my family would have done to me because of Lynn that I had visions of me murdering her."
Lynn clasped her hands to her mouth to silence her gasp. Lucy's mouth uttered as her hand shook and her eyes watered.
"M-m-murdering?" Lucy asked.
Lincoln nodded, "Yes. When I saw visions of her poisoning the family against all because she lost a game . . . that made me angry. So, I actually considered killing her before she would start the whole mess."
Lincoln tells and shows Lucy a possible future where he puts some lethal poison in the drink Lynn uses. Lynn panted like she couldn't breathe. Then she ran back upstairs. Her hands were trembling, and her heart was pounding out of her chest. The flash of lightning and the boom of the thunder made her flinch. That's when the voices came back – laughing.
Lynn's eyes scanned everywhere while uttering, "No . . . no, no, no. Please, no!"
"Did you really think that Lincoln loves you?" a voice asked.
"Look at you. 'Lincoln is my Remedy.' You got to be kidding me," another voice said.
A flash of lightning lit the room, followed by thunder.
Lynn held onto her head, "No, you're not real. Just go away."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Just close your eyes and pretend it's all just a bad dream. That's a good way to deny reality," a voice said.
"Does this really shock you? You honestly thought after everything Lincoln saw that he wouldn't consider killing you?" a voice questioned.
"No! He killed for me! He protected me!" Lynn protested.
"Was it for you? Or for them?" a voice asked.
"Did you really think that Lincoln loves you?" another voice asked.
"Stop!" Lynn pleaded.
"Who could ever love a monster like you? They're all better off without you."
Lynn couldn't take it anymore. She got dressed in her everyday clothes and shoes. Then she went out the window and ran. She just ran and ran and ran. Lynn had no idea where she was going, and she didn't care. She just wanted to get away.
The rain was already soaking her, and her shoes splashed in the puddles. It was hard to tell which water was from the rain or her tears. The aching hole in her chest was causing her pain, and all she could do was cry as she ran. She stopped to rest by a wall near an alleyway. She was panting and sobbing as she held herself. Lynn looked at the sky to see the lightning strike through the clouds. Lynn's heart was filled with sorrow and hopelessness. She walked down the alleyway by the dumpsters and sat on some damp pieces of cardboard. She was shivering but felt so numb that she didn't care about the cold.
Meanwhile, back at home, Lisa's computer had finished updating and decoding the data for Lynn's dream. What she saw stunned even her, and she was not easily shocked. Lisa and the others knew their athletic sibling was not doing well, but she didn't suspect it was this bad. She brought Lincoln and Lucy and showed them. Lincoln and Lucy were even more shocked than Lisa.
The screen showed Lynn's nightmare. Lincoln and Lucy were speechless seeing a grown-up Lynn Jr. wearing torn, worn-out clothes, sitting on the sidewalk looking more depressed than a Vietnam veteran with a bad case of PTSD.
Lincoln was the first to break the silence, "I . . . I don't understand."
Lisa adjusted her glasses. "Lincoln, I've been studying your powers and made a recent discovery."
She clicked on a few buttons, and it showed brain wave patterns.
Lisa continued, "Lincoln, we get very good dreams whenever we sleep beside you. However, you get visions of the future naturally in your sleep. I've discovered that by sleeping within a close radius of you, we also get visions of the future. So, all those good dreams we've had are visions of the future."
Lincoln glanced back and forth between Lisa and Lucy.
"Okay, but what about Lynn? Why is she having nightmares of herself as a hobo?" Lincoln asked.
"I've been studying her as well. While we've been recovering and you've been spreading your wings, Lynn's life has been going downhill, and she is falling into depression. When she threw away all her trophies, she wanted to prove that she could win without luck rituals, or poor sportsmanship. However, our misguided attempt to protect them when we sabotaged her game, losing it when she attacked Scoots, and being forced to take summer school has added a dreadful amount of depression weighing down on her. It doesn't help that she already feels guilty over what could have happened with the Bad Luck incident being caused by her," Lisa explained.
"Lynn's depressed? Like depression depressed," Lincoln asked.
"Yes, Lincoln. You're the only one that makes her feel happy and safe. She's hurt, and her confidence is crippled. I think the nightmares of her ending up as a hobo are of her thinking that she won't mount up to anything. I've noticed that she's become more depressed after you started winning trophies," Lucy stated.
Lincoln's eyes widened as he gasped, "Wha? Wait, this is my fault?!"
"No, Lincoln. You are not to blame. Although it would make sense that she's jealous of your potential since you've been spreading your wings and becoming the most beloved and famous person in Michigan," Lisa answered.
Lincoln stared off into nothing. A flash of lightning lit the room, and the boom of thunder made the younger sisters flinch. Lincoln took long and deep breaths with a pensive look on his face.
"We gotta help her," Lincoln stated.
"Agreed," Lisa replied.
"She needs help. We need to get her a therapist. We should talk to Mom and Dad."
"Definitely get Mom to get off Lynn's back about her studying."
"Also, agreed," Lisa said.
Lincoln marched out of the room and straight to Lynn and Lucy's room. However, when he got there, the bed was empty. Lincoln turned on the lights and scanned the room to see Lynn was not there.
"Lynn? Lynn?!" Lincoln called.
Then he rushed to the bathroom to see Lynn wasn't there either. Lincoln's eyes widened, and his heart rate skyrocketed. He searched downstairs and his bedroom but saw no sign of her. He panted, and every hair stood straight up. He ran back to Lisa's room.
"Lynn's gone!" Lincoln stated with an alarmed tone.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Lucy questioned.
"She's not in her bedroom or the bathroom. She's not in the house!"
Lucy gasped while Lisa turned to her computer and started typing. The screen showed a map of Royal Woods. On the side were pictures and names of the Loud siblings. The map blinked red dots, showing all the Louds except Lynn in the house. Then, the map showed Lynn's location. She was in town.
"I know where that is!" Lincoln pointed.
His eyes glowed blue and green, indicating he was looking into the future. Lucy and Lisa waited patiently for him to say something.
"Oh my god," Lincoln uttered.
"What?" Lucy asked.
"I gotta save her," Lincoln said.
"What does that mean—"
Before Lucy could finish that sentence, Lincoln teleported. Lucy gasped as she looked around, then turned to her brilliant sister.
"Wha-what do we do?!" Lucy questioned.
"Wake Lori and Mom up. Tell them that Lincoln and Lynn need our help," Lisa instructed.
Meanwhile
Lynn sat in the cold rain for a while until she ran out of tears. She stayed there for a long time, shivering and not knowing what to do. Then, three men were laughing – they looked like thugs. Lynn didn't like the way they were looking at her, so she ran. She could not run as fast with the bruises on her side and back. They chased after them through the alleyways until they had her cornered by some fences with barbed wire so she couldn't climb them. Lynn grabbed a board of wood to use as a weapon, but the men had knives. Lynn's heart was pounding out of her chest with fear. These men were bigger and stronger than her. There was no way out or anyone around to hear her cry for help.
As the men closed in on her, all three were zapped by lightning. A bright light lit the whole alleyway. Lynn had to close her eyes from the blinding light followed by a loud zapping noise. The men barely let out a cry of pain at the beginning. Before they could fall, their bodies were covered with a glowing light. Then they floated in the air before being bashed against the walls and finally slammed into each other. There was a loud cracking sound before they fell to the ground. All three men's faces were bloody and broken, and their eyes were still open while not breathing – they smelled burnt from the lightning.
Lynn looked up and saw Lincoln standing in the alleyway. His eyes and hands were glowing a bright blue and green light. Lincoln teleported her inside a building before Lynn could say or do anything. It was somewhere safe and out of sight with no cameras. It had big windows to let the light in from the nearby streetlight.
"Lynn, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Lincoln asked as he approached.
Lynn swapped his hand away, and Lincoln saw the tears in her eyes.
"What's gotten into you?!" Lincoln demanded.
"Don't act like you care!" Lynn shouted.
"What are you talking about?"
Lynn turned to him, "I heard you! I heard you and Lucy talking! You hate me, Lincoln! You hate me!"
Lincoln's eyes widened. Lynn's tears were streaming down her face. Her lips were quivering, and her hands were trembling.
"You hate me! Because I'm a monster!" Lynn cried.
Lincoln started, "Lynn! You're not a monster. I don't hate you—"
"I am! (sobs) I'm a horrible person who's capable of doing horrible things to my family! (sobs and sniffs) You said so yourself. At one point, you were so angry that you would've murdered me!"
Lincoln remained silent with a sad expression. His mouth was uttering, and a hole in his chest filled him with dread.
"I'm a bad person. I'm a no good, horrible, sore loser who's the worst sister ever, and I'll never amount to anything in life!" Lynn sobbed.
She fell to her knees, crying her eyes out. She covered her face as she cried. The aching pain in her heart was overwhelming. Lincoln bent down and hugged her. She tried to resist, but Lincoln wouldn't let go. Lynn stopped resisting and wept in his chest. Lincoln tried his best not to cry, but seeing Lynn like this broke his heart. He regretted saying all that, even if Lynn misunderstood it. Hurting her like this filled him with sorrow. Lincoln stroked her back and hair as he comforted her.
After a long while, they eased up and looked at each other. Lincoln wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs as he held her face.
"Lynn, I'm going to talk . . . and you are going to listen to me. Understand?" Lincoln asked.
Lynn nodded.
"What you heard back there between me and Lucy is not true. I don't hate you. I hate the old you," Lincoln stated.
Lynn was going to say something when he said he didn't hate her, but when he said he hated the old her, Lynn's eyes widened. Lincoln pulled out a light orb. It was colorless, showing Lynn accusing Lincoln of bad luck after she lost her game.
"The old you, Lynn, the overly competitive sore loser who was obsessed with winning and couldn't handle losing one game that she would have blamed me and poisoned our family against me, I don't care for that person. That Lynn is not someone worth loving. That Lynn is not someone worthwhile and even less someone to trust. That person didn't understand the value of love or what it meant to keep a promise to look after your family," Lincoln explained.
Lynn's tears were still flowing down her face as she listened to her brother. Lincoln pulled out another light orb. It was colored and showed Lynn hugging Lincoln. Both light orbs hovered in the air while Lincoln still held her face, and her hands gently held his forearms.
"I hate that Lynn because she would have betrayed me and ruined my life. This Lynn, the one I'm looking at, is nothing like the old Lynn. This Lynn is someone worthwhile because she changed her ways for me. She knows what love is. She's willing to do anything to protect her family. This Lynn sacrificed so much for the people she cares about. This is someone worth loving, and not only do I love this Lynn with all my heart and soul, I trust her with my life. This Lynn is a decent human being," Lincoln explained.
"But-but that stuff you said earlier—" Lynn tried to object.
"There was some small amounts of anger in my heart for the bullying and abuse in the past, but that's gone now. You know why? Because during that fight with Crikey, I imagined that he was the Lynn who would have betrayed me. That's where that rage came from at the end of the fight," Lincoln said.
Lynn's eyes widened.
"Why did you imagine that?" Lynn asked.
"Clyde told me something that Dr. Lopez said, 'Sometimes you have to let it out so you can let it go.' So, that was a coping mechanism. By taking my anger out on the old Lynn, I could let it go. Lynn . . . I don't have any anger left in my heart towards you or any of my sisters. That's gone because the family that would abandon me, neglect me, and abuse me is gone. The family I live with now are people that love me," Lincoln explained.
Lynn blinked several times as she looked at Lincoln. Then she wiped her eyes. She took several deep breaths. Her voice sounded hoarse and a little scratchy.
"So . . . you don't hate the me now? You hated the old me? The bad me?" Lynn asked.
"Yes, because you're not a horrible person. You're not a no-good, horrible, sore loser who's the worst sister ever. You're the opposite of those things. You're kind, Lynn. You're wonderful, strong, smart, amazing, brave, and righteous. The old Lynn wouldn't have changed for me or stood up for me. The you now would, because that's the kind of person she is. And all that stuff you said about not amounting to anything in life is total bullshit," Lincoln answered.
Lynn started, "Lincoln, I-I—"
"I know about the nightmares, Lynn. The ones about you becoming a hobo, and I'm telling you right now, that's not going to happen. Because the truth is you are good at things in life besides being a great sister. You can be whatever you want to be."
Lynn looked away in shame. She remembered the games she lost and where she lost it by attacking Scoots and the mascot.
"But Lincoln . . . what good am I besides being a poor sport?" Lynn asked.
"Oh gee, I don't know. How about being a coach or personal trainer? Lynn, you turned this skinny pencil-neck comic book nerd into a fighter that beat three bullies into a pulp before bending them into human pretzels. On top of that, I beat the crap out of a kickboxing champion kangaroo. You did that. You. Our sisters got me in shape, but I learned martial arts from you. You turned me into a fighter, and it was you who figured out what works for me to get me to stay focused. Do you think a no-good sore loser would do all that? I don't think so," Lincoln stated.
Lynn stared at Lincoln for a while, letting his words sink in. He was right. She had turned him into a fighter and knew what worked with him. Her sisters helped get him in shape, but she taught him how to fight. Her mind went over everything Lincoln was saying. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. After seeing visions of his family betraying him, with Lynn being the main cause of it, it would make sense that he would hold deep hatred. But after seeing them change for him, it would also make sense that he'd love them for realizing what they need to do for him.
"Imagining Crikey as the old me, so you can let out the anger to let it go, and so you could beat him. Two birds with one stone, that's . . . that's clever. So, you really don't have any anger in your heart towards me?" Lynn asked, wiping her nose.
"Yes . . . if anything, I feel happiness . . . and sadness," Lincoln said as he pulled out his phone, "For once, I'm grateful for Lisa's cameras in the house."
Lincoln showed Lynn his phone, and the screen showed an angle of the kitchen back home. Lynn saw her brother and her gothic younger sister from earlier tonight.
"So, I actually considered killing her before she would start the whole mess," Lincoln in the video said.
Then Lynn saw tears swell up in his eyes with a sad face.
"But that's what makes me so sad . . . because I don't want to kill anyone, least of all my family. I don't want to hurt Lynn (sniffs with watery eyes) I don't want to hurt you or our sisters or our parents. I don't want to be so angry, and it makes me so sad that I feel such anger . . . that I'm capable of doing such terrible things because of my anger. It breaks my heart that I have this dark side within me," Lincoln spoke.
He tried so hard not to cry. His eyes glistened with wet tears, and his lips quivered. Lucy went around the table and held her brother close. He hugged her back as she rubbed and stroked his head in a tender and comforting manner.
"Lincoln, it's okay to be angry," Lucy said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks, "Especially after seeing what horrible things we would have done to you. You have every right and reason to be. To wish to harm us . . . is a normal reaction. I think if any of us were in your shoes, we'd feel such emotions."
"I felt so much anger at the time, such rage . . . but after that, I felt so much pain, so much grief, and sorrow. Sorrow from what my family would do to me. Sorrow from what kind of people they would become. Sorrow of what they would make me do and what would become of them after the authorities stepped in," Lincoln said.
"The important thing is those events didn't happen, and they never will. We will never abandon you. No matter what happens, we will never leave you. I will not allow such darkness to consume our hearts," Lucy stated.
Lynn gave long blinks after Lincoln stopped the video. She looked up at Lincoln with a sincere look.
"Lincoln . . . I'm so sorry," Lynn said before she hugged him.
Lincoln hugged her back, "No, Lynn. I am sorry."
Lynn sobbed and cried. Lincoln held her close and comforted her. The rain slowed down, and the thunder and lightning ceased.
"Lynn, it's okay. It's going to be okay," Lincoln said while rubbing his sister's head.
"Oh, Lincoln (sobs and hiccups) I don't want to be a hobo!" Lynn wept.
"You're not going to be one, Lynn. It's going to be okay. I promise," Lincoln said.
Lynn continued to cry on Lincoln's shoulder as he held her in his arms. It was strange. At first, Lynn was filled with sorrow as she sobbed, but after a while, it went away. As she stayed in Lincoln's arms, she began to feel a weight off her chest. It wasn't much, but it was something. There was no doubt in her mind. Her brother, Lincoln, loved her and would do whatever it took to help her. That alone gave her a feeling of happiness.