A somber and gloomy day had descended upon the town of Royal Woods. It was a day no one wanted, especially for the Loud Family. Today was the burial of Albert Reynolds, better known as Pop-Pop. The Louds were gathered around as they watched Albert's casket being lowered into his grave that was next to his sister Ruth's. Their friends, the Casagrandes and Sam tried their best to console the grieving family. Lincoln's friends attempted to comfort him, but Lincoln had become a shell of his former self. Not even his girlfriend, Ronnie Anne, could reach the frozen 17-year-old, who stood there unable to process what was happening, his arm resting in a sling. Eventually, the casket was lowered, and it was time to leave. Everyone walked away except for Lincoln, who continued to stand there blankly, staring at his grandfather's casket until Ronnie Anne grabbed his hand and gently led him away. As Lincoln walked away, tears began flowing as he whispered one word.
"Pop-Pop, I'm sorry,"
A Month Later.
A month had passed since the burial, and while the Louds tried their best to move forward, occasionally having episodes where they broke down and started crying, Lincoln was in the worst shape of them all. He mostly stayed in his room, only leaving for school, and barely spoke to anyone, family or friends. Lynn Sr. and Rita tried to get him into grief counseling, but Lincoln refused. As Lincoln walked through the halls and headed to his next class, the last person he wanted to be bothered with was Chandler, a classmate who often teased him. Chandler stopped him in the halls, giving him an annoyed look.
"What do you want!?"
"For you to drop this whole stupid pity me act!"
"What?!"
"I'm sick and tired of everyone going oh poor Lincoln, just because your grandad died,"
"Walk away, Chandler, you're starting to piss me off!"
"Yeah yeah, well, your little crybaby act is pissing me off, so stop acting like a little bitch just because of your dead granddad that you killed with your shitty driving, and get over it!"
Lincoln's pent-up emotions erupted in a swift punch to Chandler's face despite the pain since his arm wasn't fully healed. The unexpected blow caught Chandler off guard, but he quickly retaliated, tackling Lincoln to the ground. However, Lincoln's inner turmoil gave him the upper hand, and he found himself on top, unleashing his fury on Chandler. A crowd formed around them, but just as Lincoln was about to strike again, the school safety intervened, halting the escalating conflict.
Later.
Lincoln was sitting in the principal's office alongside his parents. Principal Rivers had a Stern yet concerned look on her face.
"Lincoln, do you want to tell me what happened because, according to Chandler, he approached you to console you, and you lashed out,"
"Typical. He picks a fight and gets his ass kicked, and now he wants to play victim!"
"Lincoln, you threw the first punch; there were witnesses,"
"I told him to leave me alone,"
"If he was bothering you, you could have just walked away,"
"When has Chandler ever allowed someone he harassed to walk away?!"
"Regardless, see where the one who threw the first punch you need to be punished,"
"Find whatever; just give me my punishment so I can move on," Lincoln snapped.
"Two-day in-house suspension and mandatory grief counseling with the school counselor,"
"I don't need grief counseling; I just need to be left alone,"
"Yes, you do. Losing your grandfather has affected you in ways you don't want to admit to, but we can all see,"
"Mind your own business!" Lincoln snapped.
"Lincoln, your principal is just trying to help you," Rita said.
"She can help by staying out of my business! I don't need any stinking help!"
"Yes, you do. We're all still hurting over the loss of Pop-Pop, but while we've been finding comfort in each other, you pushed everyone away: your mother and me, your sisters, your friends, even Ronnie Anne!" Lynn Sr. said.
"It's better they're away from me,"
"Lincoln, what happened to Pop-Pop? It's not your fault,"
The day Albert died, he and Lincoln enjoyed a day just for the two of them at Albert's sister Ruth's former lake house. Having fun and enjoying the usual activities, When they were on their way home, their car was struck by a drunk driver, sending it tumbling breaking Lincoln's arm; and despite Lincoln's best efforts to save his grandfather, Albert died right in front of him.
"Yes, it is. He needed my help, and I couldn't help him; Lynn was right: I am bad luck, and now it killed Pop-Pop,"
"Please, Lincoln, it's not your-"
"IT IS DAMNIT!" Lincoln yelled, scaring everyone, especially his mother.
His yell took Lincoln aback. Getting up, he walked out of the principal's office, not seeing anything, but everyone could see the tears running down his cheeks.
"Can we go home," Lincoln said, leaving.
Walking out, Lincoln walked right past his friends, ignoring them as they tried to speak to him. His isolation from his friends was a stark reminder of how deeply he was struggling with his grief.
"Guys, we can't let him go on like this; we have to do something!" Rusty said.
"I believe it's time for an intervention. Clyde, could you please call Ronnie Anne, and Sid and ask them to meet us around 7:30? We need to address this now," Stella suggested, her voice filled with determination.
The ride home was an agitated silence. Neither parent knew what to say, although it was evident Lincoln's grief ran a lot deeper. Getting home, he went straight to his room, ignoring Lily, who tried to speak to him.
"Oh, Lynn,"
Later that night, it was 7:25, and Lincoln lay in bed wondering what he should do; he knew his family was just trying to help him, but every time Lincoln closed his eyes, he saw Pop-Pop dead in the passenger's seat. Suddenly, Lincoln got a text on his phone; he assumed it was from Clyde or Ronnie Anne. Lincoln was going to ignore it at first but decided to send a quick "I'm fine" text and call it a night. However, after checking his phone, he saw a message from Pop-Pop telling him to meet him at his grave at 8:30 pm. Lincoln was left in shock, knowing two things: one, his grandfather was gone, and his phone was turned off. Lincoln thought about going to Lisa to trace it but decided to investigate himself. Lincoln ran off, sneaking out of his house through his bedroom window; unknown to him, his friends saw it.
"Where is he going?" Zach questioned.
"I don't know, but we better follow," Ronnie Anne said as she and the rest of the group tailed him.
Back in the house, Rita went to speak to Lincoln, only to find his room empty and his window open.
"Lynn!" she yelled.
Lincoln was moving like lightning. All those hours he spent in his uncle Lance's gym were finally paying off. Ronnie Anne and the others barely kept up, but they were thankful he hadn't noticed them following.
"Where is he going?" Sid asked.
"It looks like he's going to Tall Timbers Park," Stella replied.
"What is out there,"
"I don't know, but we better not lose him," Clyde added.
Lincoln made it to the Royal Wood Cemetery, where he was told to wait. Clyde and the others were hiding close by.
"Okay, I'm here; I got your message, now come out!"
"Is he waiting for someone?' Sid asked.
"I don't know, and I don't care. I'm getting that idiot out of there before whoever he's waiting for shows up!" Ronnie Anne said, walking out of the bushes. Lincoln!" Ronnie Anne shouted.
"Ronnie Anne? What the heck are you doing here?"
"We're stopping you from getting you from getting involved in something stupid and dangerous!" Ronnie Anne replied as the rest of his friends emerged.
"No, you guys need to leave right now!"
"We're not leaving you; we're here to help you any way we can," Clyde replied.
"I don't need any…help?"
Everyone became confused, feeling the ground rumble beneath them like a mini earthquake, causing the headstones to shake.
"What's happening!?" Stella yelled.
"I don't know, but let's get out of here!" Rusty yelled as he tried to run, only to slam into an invisible wall. "Ow! What the heck was that!?"
Suddenly, a glowing circle formed around them, and before anyone could react, a light shone on them, and they disappeared. Back at the house, Rita and Lynn Sr. called their daughters and Myrtle, setting up a Family group chat to discuss what to do about Lincoln's spiraling behavior.
"I don't know what to do. He's been pushing us away, and now he's just sneaking out," Rita cried.
"Mom, Ronnie Anne, and Sid went to have an intervention for him with Clyde and the others; maybe he's with them," Lori assured.
"Mommy, does Lincoln hate us?" Lily asked.
"No, sweetie, but he's just really hurting on the inside and doesn't know how to handle it,"
"If he doesn't hate us, he has every right to hate me," Lynn Jr. said.
"Lynn!" Everyone replied.
"What happened to Pop-Pop is more my fault than it could ever be his,"
"Lynn, it's nobody's fault except that fool who hit them," Myrtle said.
"Gran-Gran was out of town, but the rest of us. Pop-Pop wanted to spend time with us, especially after Aunt Ruth died, but we each told him we were busy,"
"Lynn, I'm seven months pregnant, and getting up and going on a whim is hard for me, and Pop-Pop knew that," Lori argued.
"Besides, things could've been worse if we were there," Lucy stated.
"Things wouldn't have ended like this if they drove Vanzilla like Lincoln wanted," Lynn Jr. cried. "Instead, I convinced Lincoln to use my crappy car because I wanted to use Vanzilla,"
Everyone can see the guilt and pain on Lynn Jr.'s face as she blames herself, feeling she played a significant role in what happened.
"I think we need to schedule another meeting with Dr. Lopez," Lynn Sr. said.
Elsewhere.
Lincoln slowly regained consciousness, his eyes blinking open to see himself suspended in a transparent tank, surrounded by a tranquil, gel-like substance. The liquid induced a strange mixture of euphoria and paralysis, but thanks to a breathing apparatus, he was able to breathe. Despite his limited movement, he managed to shift his gaze around the room and was startled to see his friends in similar tanks nearby. As he observed, a digital timer displayed a countdown, indicating only 10 seconds remaining. When the timer reached zero, the tanks began to empty, and one by one, they were released, each person collapsing to the ground as sensation returned to their limbs, accompanied by groans of discomfort. Slowly, they all struggled to their feet, taking in their surroundings: a futuristic medical chamber that seemed straight out of an anime.
"What happened?" Clyde groaned.
"That's what I want to know, Lincoln; start talking!" Ronnie Anne demanded.
"I got a text from my grandpa's phone telling me to meet him at his grave; what are you guys doing here!?"
"We came to have an intervention with you and help you with your grief, and we saw you sneaking out of your house," Clyde responded.
"Why would you go off alone to investigate something like this without telling any of us?" Stella questioned.
"You guys didn't have to follow me!"
"Yes, we did because we're your friends, dawg,"
"Uh, guys, can we talk about this after someone helps me find my glasses I? Wait a minute!?
"Zach, what's wrong?" Liam asked.
"I can see!"
"What?"
"I can see without my glasses!"
"He's right; I can see without mine, too!" Clyde added.
This shocked everyone, including Lincoln, who had known Clyde since they were five and had always needed his glasses to see.
Clyde's urge to celebrate was cut short by a shocking realization.
"Why are we in our underwear?"
Ronnie Anne, Sid, and Stella were embarrassed and tried to cover themselves. Sid and Stella realized they had noticed noticeable enhancements in the process.
"My itty bitties have blossomed into full-on melons!" Sid shrieked.
"And why is there so much more junk in my trunk!?" Stella yelled.
Ronnie Anne didn't notice any changes since she was already rocking a killer figure. However, she did notice that her occasional back pain was gone. To the ladies' surprise, none of the boys paid attention to them; they were too busy gawking at Rusty.
"No! My princess pony compression shorts are revealed; my secret shame is exposed! Don't look at me, Dawgs!" Rusty cried.
"Dude, relax; we already know you wear those things," Zach replied.
"Oh, well, in that case, why is everyone staring at me?"
"Tarnation, when did you get a six-pack,"
Rusty managed to see himself on a reflective surface. His physique was different. He looked as if he had worked out a lot. All the boys looked like they worked out and had lifetime memberships to Lance Loud's gym. Lincoln noticed something about his arm; the pain was gone.
"My arm! It doesn't hurt anymore; the pain is gone!" Lincoln said, shocked.
"How is any of this happening?!" Ronnie Anne questioned.
"The only one way to explain all this; that weird goo we were all floating in must have done this," Zach theorized.
"But why!?" Lincoln questioned out loud.
Suddenly, a door opened, and a figure walked in, dressed in black and dark gray armor, resembling a robotic Knight. Everyone was noticeably afraid except for Lincoln, who was more angry than frightened.
"You're the one who lured me here; how dare you pretend to be my grandpa,"
"I apologize, but this was the only way I could think of for you to come to me so that we could talk,"
"Talk about what?!"
" I need your help, Lincoln Loud; the fate of your planet hangs in the balance,"
Lincoln's anger cooled a little, becoming interested in this stranger's plea for help.
"Please follow,"
The group was led into another room, a combination war-room room and lounge. In the center of the room was a large circular sofa embedded into the floor, with a war table in the middle and a small staircase for walking up and down.
"Please have a seat, there isn't much time,"
"Why don't you start by telling us where we are, who you are, and how you know my grandfather," Lincoln demanded.
"Very well, this is my ship: Sentinel Prime. My name is The Sentinel Knight, but call me Sentinel, I'm an old friend of your grandfather Albert,"
"He's never mentioned you,"
"That is to be expected since he doesn't remember me,"
"How could you two be friends if he doesn't remember you?" Zach asked.
"Let me start from the beginning," Sentinel said, activating the war table's 3D projection. "64 million years ago, I was locked in combat with my arch-enemy, an intergalactic criminal called Maldark. Amidst our battles, my ship was damaged and sent crashing into what is now Tall Timbers Park, and I fell into hibernation,"
"I knew aliens were real!" Cheered Zach.
"Not the time to gloat, dawg!"
"Centuries later, I was awoken by your grandfather and other kids; he was around your age, Lincoln Loud,"
"Keep going,"
"Unfortunately, Albert also accidentally activated a distressed beacon within my ship,"
"Shouldn't that have been a good thing? Your friends could have found you," Stella said.
"Unfortunately, the only person who intercepted my signal was my arch-enemy; in my absence, he rose to power as a planet-conquering Warlord. Now that he knew I was alive, he was returning to what we started and conquering this planet,"
"Why didn't he just conquer the planet all those years ago?" Clyde asked.
"He likes to conquer planets with intelligent life; he likes seeing planets put up a fight; it makes it more fun for him,"
"How does Lincoln's Grandpa fall into this?" Stella asked.
"I was too weak back then, so Albert and his friends offered to protect the planet in my place; with no other option, I agreed; I used a serum to enhance their physical bodies beyond human limitations,"
"Wait, what's that serum? It's the same goo we were all just floating in." Liam asked.
"I apologize, but due to my transporter only calibrated for one person, when 8 of you were transferred, it left you all unconscious and injured, so I placed you all in a healing pod and administered the serum to help you heal faster, in all honesty, I was not expecting the results it yielded,"
"That's not very comforting; Stella and I look ridiculous," Sid said.
"Ahem," Ronnie Anne gestured unamused.
"But not you, bestie; big boobs and butt work for you," Sid awkwardly laughed.
"Look, get to the point, buddy," Lincoln said, becoming more impatient.
"I need you and your friends to become the new Sentinel Rangers and protect this planet from Maldark's return,"
"What?"
"Your grandfather, his friends, and I defeated Maldark by sealing him in the Moon and locking the seal with their life force while I returned to my home planet; each time one of your grandfather's friends passed, the seal weakened, and with his passing it's now broken, I was alerted a month ago and returned. It's only a matter of time before he awakens and resumes his attack,"
"If this Maldark is so dangerous, why isn't he remembered or in the history books?" Lincoln asked.
"To seal Maldark, multiple sacrifices were needed. One was everyone's memories of Maldark and the Rangers, including Albert and his friends' friendship as it began when they became the Rangers; the crimes he committed were deemed natural disasters. Despite my leaving the planet, I left mean to watch over the planet, which is how I learned of you, Lincoln Loud, and your friends and family, and deemed you and your friends the perfect successors,"
"How do you even expect to do that?" Clyde questions.
Sentinel then made eight black orbs appear before the group, raising their suspicion.
"Don't be alarmed; these orbs are techno-organic armor, the same armor Albert and his friends used when they were The Sentinel Rangers," Sentinel explained. "Once you grab them, they will pair with you, and you will be able to control them mentally,"
Everyone was very reluctant; however, Lincoln suddenly grabbed the orb, and his friends were shocked. Suddenly, the orb began covering Lincoln like a techno-organic slime until he was wholly consumed. The orb then conformed to Lincoln's build before transforming into an orange and black armored suit from the neck down, including a visor similar to the X-Men cyclops and a chin guard attached to the visor.
"Lincoln, what are you doing!" Clyde asked with concern.
"I have to do this, Clyde,"
"Dude, this is crazy; you're talking about fighting some alien guy who's got beef with your grandfather,"
"I know, but at the very least, I can protect what I have left, even if I have to do it alone!"
"Ugh! You idiot!" Berated Ronnie Anne, grabbing another orb and gaining an armor suit similar to Lincoln's, except it was purple and black. "You listen to me, Lincoln Albert Loud; this may be the dumbest decision I've made and the second dumbest you've made; I'm not letting you push me away anymore, and I'm not letting you believe that you need to do everything by yourself, so long as you want to do this I'm doing it too,"
"Dang it!" Everyone replied, grabbing the rest of the orbs.
Clyde gained a yellow and black armored suit, Rusty's was bright green and black, Zach's was red and black, Sid's was blue and black, Stella's was white and black, and Liam's was green and black.
"If you two are going to make a dumb decision like this, we might as well all make it," Clyde said. "However, no more pushing us away; that includes your family,"
Lincoln nodded. "So what do we do now?"
"Maldark hasn't awoken yet; there is still time to train, return tomorrow," Sentinel instructed.
"How are we supposed to do that? We can't go out in public like this," Ronnie Anne stated.
"Your armor can transform into regular civilian clothes, so you never need to remove it. Just imagine what you want to wear."
The gang nodded and did just that. In a flash, their armor resembled their regular clothes, and Zach and Clyde's visors transformed into glasses to hide that they didn't need them anymore.
"Very good, now follow me to the transmat. I will return you to the planet while I find a safe to land my ship,"
After following Sentinel, the group found themselves in another room. This room housed a bridge that led to a large circular platform. At the base of the bridge was a console, most likely the means of controlling the transmat. The walls were made of what appeared to be glass, allowing everyone to see they were in space - an amazing and terrifying sight.
"Please all step onto the platform. I'll drop you off in front of the lake in Tall Timbers Park," Sentinel instructed."
Following Sentinel's instructions, everyone stepped onto the platform. In a flash, the group was standing in front of the lake. At first, everyone questioned what they had just gone through, which was a dream, until Sid and Stella noticed their assets were still enhanced. The final nail was when they watched Sentinel's ship landing, turning invisible as it sunk beneath the lake. With no further proof needed, Lincoln and the others headed home. Lincoln was confronted by his parents when he stepped into the house.
"You want to explain why you snuck out of the house?!" Lynn Sr. said.
"I went to visit Pop-Pop's grave. I ran into Clyde and the gang, and we talked," Lincoln replied.
Lincoln headed up the stairs, feeling he had given a good enough answer. However, he stopped halfway to say something else.
"Mom, Dad, I want you to know that I realize my behavior has made things difficult for you. I understand that you are also dealing with your own grief, and I am sorry for how I have lashed out and ignored you. I appreciate the efforts of you, my sisters, and Gran-Gran to help me, but I need to find my own way to cope with my issues. I promise to make a greater effort to show my appreciation for all of you."
Lynn Sr. and Rita didn't want to press anymore. They saw that while Lincoln wasn't back to his old self, there was some progress, and they wished him a good night. Changing his armor into his sleepwear, Lincoln climbed into bed, looking at his healed arm, wondering what awaited him.
Elsewhere.
Everything seemed calm on the moon's surface; however, the ground began cracking as a red and black shimmer began to shine through. Back in Sentinel Prime, the alarms went off, alerting Sentinel.
"Oh no! He's starting to wake up! I need to get them ready!
End Of CH 1.
Author's Note
Hello, everyone. I hope you like my latest story. I pulled a little from Power Rangers and am trying to mix it with some Power Rangers Monster Buster Club, Glitch Tech, and possibly Destiny.
More details on the armors will be in the next chapter.
I haven't abandoned my other projects; I just take a while to write. The next chapter for Clap Mansion is almost done, and the same for Totally Loud.