AN: I actually started this chapter months ago. But various things, mostly stress-related, kept me from being able to make too much headway at a time. Feels nice to finally get it out. Though, I'm going to have to find something else to work on for a bit, the sheer amount of work it took to finish this one has left me a smidge burnt out on this story at the moment. Hopefully that doesn't last too long.
ReadersCantRead: Leni is definitely a force to be reckoned with, corporately speaking. And I believe I've dropped a few hints in the past that she still cares a lot about her little bro. Lisa's situation is...complicated. Hopefully, I'll be able to show that someday.
Guest: Luna didn't see it as a threat. Which was supposed to hint at how Ragna-Rock normally interacts with people who aren't Luna. Lincoln getting a "friendly" warning is a big step up from how things usually play out.
Tornado man: Nope. Luna's a victim of bad circumstances and poor decisions that she shouldn't have had to make in the first place.
Guest99: There's probably A universe where that happened, it's a big multiverse. But considering that I commissioned that cover of Lynn and Lincoln, there's pretty good odds that Lincoln isn't going anywhere. I don't write subversive stories, you've gotta go to my buddy UnderratedHero for quality writing like that.
Domik12: There will be. And there was! But also, thank you.
Ashton Giertz: Lincoln's a statistical outlier within his family, who collectively bucked the trend and mostly ended up with powers. But the statistic is also a bit of a private joke. There are 11 Loud children and 1/5 people statistically end up with powers. In this case, two sets of five people got powers, leaving Lincoln as the odd man out both times. The secret is that I've never actually been clever, I just come up with dumb jokes and turn them into stories.
JRC1700: When amazon ladies throw down, everybody else is the winner. That is the ethos behind much of my writing.
Strlo: This was the intended reaction. You read the story correctly.
Guest: Not a bad take on Ragna-Rock's deal. But yes, she does happen to check quite a few of Lincoln's boxes, thanks to Lori and Lynn. And Stella is definitely a round.
Mr. Haziq: I can't remember how clearly I spelled it out off the top of my head, but Lincoln uses his art skills to assist in the production of comic books that feature an as of yet unnamed superhero. By which I mean it's an actual hero who exists in the world, not Ace Savvy or something.
biob1: Thank you.
Guest: As I said before, Luna doesn't see it as Rags threatening Lincoln. But you have to remember that Luna is permanently on Ragna-Rock's good side (thanks to Sam's influence), so her perspective on that is a little skewed. Plus, Lincoln still had all his limbs attached and still functioning after their chat, which is a really good sign from where Luna's standing. Its fine if the gag didn't land for you, just be assurred that I have some pretty consistent trends in my stories, and this one will definitely be following the more prevalent ones.
dogbertcarroll: Shouldn't be surprising, but yes, I did draw inspiration from Vallhallen when I came up with Ragna-Rock. I was actually originally going to use her in my AU of Hero's Heroverse setting, but I decided she worked better in Stupor.
Dark Pheonix Paladin X: Thank you. I actually ended up doing extremely well for the most part. I would have done better if I didn't lose several days to being sick, but it is what it is. And yeah, he's probably not getting his deposit back.
UnderratedHero: I wonder if my stories would actually change if Lincoln knew he was in a harem fic. Also, I totally forgot you wrote this review, so that's going to retroactively make parts of this chapter a little more amusing than intended.
NoSoul01: I honestly don't know what you think she might have been doing, but hopefully this chapter answers your questions regarding Stella.
Ragna-Rock smirked as she caught sight of her foe. Far below her, the human returned to the battlefield, lumbering forward on formidable, but clearly unsteady legs. It was an admirable effort, but futile. Nevertheless, the brute had given Ragna-Rock the best fight she'd had since awakening in this world. And in thanks for that small gift, unintended though it may have been, she would end it quickly.
A memory flashed through her head, a massive, meaty hand wrapping around her oh so frail neck, and flinging her through the air. The memory ended, and she found her hands now clutched around her guitar so tightly, that they were trembling.
"Correction," She muttered to herself, a sharp strum of the strings causing the instrument to alight as ebony lightning coursed up and down its frame. "It will be quick, but it will also hurt!"
With a grin, she angled herself downward and rocketed earthward, raising her instrument overhead as she prepared the finishing blow.
From the heavens she fell like a bolt of lightning, the distance between her and her foe rapidly disappearing as she hurtled earthward. Taking her instrument in both hands, she roared; half battle cry, half maniacal laughter, and whirled around, intent on bringing every ounce of her considerable strength that she could muster in one final, decisive blow.
She expected victory. What she got, was a fist that rivaled her own in potency, driven straight into her abdomen. The sheer force of the strike causing her ensorcelled breastplate to buckle inward, inhuman strength and gravity working in harmonious synchronicity to produce a blow so powerful, that it literally shook Ragna-Rock to her core. She hung there, suspended, speared upon the limb, her lungs desperately clawing for breath that was no longer there, and lifted her gaze.
"You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you?" Lynn asked, as a mile-wide smirk spread across her face.
With a roar of her own, the brunette raised her fist high, and slammed Ragna-Rock to the ground. The deific blonde winced as she felt the ground caving beneath her, the ground tearing itself apart as her mighty frame crashed through dirt and rock,wholly against her will. Finally, she came to a halt, her head swimming from an unusual combination of vertigo and an acute ringing in her ears. And as she struggled to come to grips with the indignity that had been thrust upon her, a voice drifted down from on high, piercing the fog that clouded her senses.
"Touchdown," it said, chuckling in amusement.
Lynn stretched her arms as she admired her handiwork. The impromptu battlefield was dotted with a variety of holes, as a result of the two super-powered women beating the hell out of each other, but this particular one was the first, to the best of her recollection, that had been made entirely without Lynn being slammed through something. And that victory, however minor it was, still felt like something worth basking in.
Which is why she couldn't help but feel more than a little frustrated when only moments later, Ragna-Rock burst out of the top and landed heavily on its edge. Annoyingly, she herself looked no worse for wear, but it was pretty gratifying to see the fist-sized dent that remained in her breastplate.
"PLAYING…" Ragna-Rock began to bellow, before her face scrunched up in confusion. "...Possum? That can't possibly be what…"
She shook her head in annoyance. "This realm's creatures are so strange. Yes, it is! Why would it have so much fur in some places, but not—!"
"Hey, Blondie?" Lynn interjected, only slightly weirded out by the sight of her opponent having seemingly gotten into an argument with herself. "Are we still doing this? Because I've got other stuff I could be doing right now if you need some privacy."
"Like calling in a little more backup," She thought to herself. Perking up as a cheerier thought occurred to her. "Aaaaand maybe moving Linc into my place.."
"Nobody leaves!" Shouted Ragna-Rock, her attention suddenly snapping back to Lynn. She raised her axe and pointed it at the heroine. "Even if w-we didn't have a score to settle with you…" Her eyes narrowed. "You're getting in Luna's way. And I can't let you do that."
"That so?" Lynn asked, as she began to circle around her opponent. "Well if that's the case, you're going to have to step things up. Because from where I'm standing…" She flung her arms up and gestured at her slightly singed, but otherwise unblemished form. "Your punches are as weak as your music!"
Lynn derived no small amount of pleasure from the fury that flashed onto the blonde's face. To her surprise, however, Ragna-Rock steeled herself, her snarling visage comporting itself into a mere sneer of contempt.
"Like all mortals, your confidence comes from your unabashed ignorance," She said as she began to mirror Lynn's movements, locking the women in a holding pattern as they slowly circled each other, two lionesses sizing up their opposition. "While admittedly, you are fairly impressive...for a mortal, I suspect you've already shown me everything you're capable of. Whereas I…"
She gave her weapon an expert twirl. "Am just getting started. Had I summoned my full power from the beginning, I would have reduced you to ashes with a single blow!"
"Then why haven't you?" Lynn countered. "If you still aren't giving me your A-Game at this point, then I must have knocked something loose. Maybe I should start taking it easier on you!"
To her surprise, rather than rise to the bait, the other woman simply frowned.
"...Them," She said after a time, jerking her head in the direction of their two spectators off in the distance. "Luna's spirit is as indomitable as any immortal, but she is bound by the same weak flesh as the rest of your kind. And I presume the boy is considerably weaker than that…"
"You'd be surprised," Lynn interjected, her lips quirking upward as far happier memories danced through her head.
"Were I to unleash my magnificence," Ragna-Rock continued, having either not heard Lynn, or simply pretending she hadn't, "I couldn't guarantee they would survive."
"...Pretty big talk," Lynn replied, trying to project her usual, ineffable confidence. Though, privately, she didn't like the ease with which the warrior had made her claim.
"It's the truth," Ragna-Rock sneered. "Mighty though you may be, you won't beat me like this. Your strength will flag, your limbs will tire, and your blows will falter. In truth, you are as frail as any other human. You simply have a much larger...b-battery?"
The blonde frowned as she stumbled over the word. But, apparently not deterred by the faux pas, she raised her weapon skyward and ignited it with a deft strum of its strings.
"So tell me, Lynn Loud!" She bellowed as her axe began to crackle with barely restrained fury. "How will you weather this storm!?"
"Llllliiiiiiiike this," Lynn replied, coming to an abrupt halt. "Now, Stella!"
For a time, all fell silent, save for the ferocious crackling of Ragna-Rock's lightning. The two warriors remained frozen in place, neither daring to move until…
"Was...something supposed to happen?" Ragna-Rock asked warily, breaking the silence.
"Yes," Lynn growled through her teeth. "When I said, 'NOW, Stella!'".
"Is this…" The blonde began, only to freeze as her eyes briefly rolled back into her head.
"Okay, no," She corrected herself with a quick shake of her head. "Apparently this isn't some strange mortal thing. So I guess I'll just go back to annihilating—!"
"STELLA! NOW!"
The third utterance was apparently the charm. Ragna-Rock stumbled at the ground beneath her began to churn furiously. Before she could regain her balance a pale, mercurial substance burst forth, springing from where it had lain, concealed by the detritus of their battlefield. Before she could react it encircled her, forming a ring that rapidly tightened and lengthened. In a matter of moments, Ragna-Rock found herself immobilized from the neck down, her body encased in the strange pale substance.
"What manner of trickery is this!?" She bellowed, straining mightily against her bonds. However, before she could begin to make any headway, she froze, seeing a mass of the substance begin to build up in the area around her chest, quickly growing and contorting itself until it had taken shape.
"Hello!" Chirped the now very human-looking head that was now sticking out of her makeshift cocoon.
"Shapechanger!" Ragna-Rock snarled as she began to struggle against her bonds, only to freeze in place, her eyes briefly losing their focus. A moment later, she seemed to come to her senses, only now she was eyeing her captor appraisingly.
"You're the one from before," She said, her eyes narrowing. "We thought Luna had taken care of you."
"She did," Stella admitted, her voice sounding strained. "But I'm hard to keep down. Just had to lay low for a while...literally, actually, and patch myself up."
"After you sent me flying, I had plenty of time to connect with my girl here and work out our plan," Lynn announced, flashing her phone with a smirk. "Though...I'm kinda lucky this thing survived, that was not a graceful landing. I should really switch to one of those hands-free communicators for hero work."
"They're awesome," Stella agreed. "Especially if there's a chance you might not have hands at some point. Also, side note, this impromptu team-up has basically made my mo—OOONTH!"
Stella's voice leaped several octaves as Ragna-Rock flexed her arms, significantly stretching out the rookie heroine. To her credit, however, pained though she looked, Stella managed to maintain her hold until the blonde villainess ceased her struggles.
"I'm really happy to hear that, Stel," Lynn said quickly, "But stay focused, kid. We're not out of the woods yet."
"Duly noted," The liquid-esque girl answered, her voice sounding as strained as she looked.
"And what, exactly, is your plan here?" Ragna-Rock sneered. "The girl won't hold me here forever."
"Well, like I said, I'm not great at plans," Lynn admitted, cracking her knuckles as she stepped towards the bound-blonde. "But I figured to start, I'd beat your face in while Stella keeps you pinned. And if that doesn't do it, we'd figure it out from there."
"...I expected nothing, and somehow I'm still disappointed," Ragna-Rock replied, chuckling mirthlessly. "But even with your sights set that low, I have a feeling you're going to be really disappointed by what happens next."
"Yeah?" Lynn asked, one eyebrow quirking upward. "And how do you figure...that…?"
Lynn trailed off as she felt...something, a change in their air, perhaps? Whatever it was, it had every one of her instincts screaming warnings at the top of their figurative lungs.
"Simple," Her opponent purred, and it was at this point Lynn noticed the faint tendrils of crackling, obsidian energy that was trailing their way across the villainess' body, which were growing louder and more palpable by the second. "You left me with my weapon!"
"Stella get off!" Lynn bellowed, raising her arms to guard her face. "N—!"
The rest of her warning was swallowed up as the air ignited, lightning splitting the sky as it lanced earthward, transforming the world around Lynn into sound and fury. And then, silence.
Pain preceded consciousness. It was an infuriatingly common sequence, but it was, sadly, part and parcel of Lynn's career.
She hissed as wakefulness intruded upon her once more, a splitting headache serving as her welcome back to the mortal coil. Some part of her was, as always, thankful for her superhuman durability, recognizing on some level that any pain she was experiencing would undoubtedly be felt tenfold by someone who didn't enjoy a that particular perk of her power set. But knowing she could be hurting worse was of small comfort.
Opening her eyes, she found herself greeted by dark storm clouds churning overhead. Which wasn't an especially comforting sight, but it did clue her in that she was lying flat on her back. Which was...something of a novelty. It was rare that Lynn got knocked off her feet once, let alone twice in a single day. Not the fun kind of novelty though, if anything it kind of just made her want to climb back into bed and write off the whole day as a loss.
...Assuming the bed she shared with her brother was still standing. Which, it should be, assuming it worked as advertised. But she'd learned the hard way that indestructibility was very much a spectrum.
A rustling drew Lynn's attention to a small, blurry object that was somehow moving itself along the ground. Doing her best to focus, Lynn managed to discern that it was, in fact, a small white sphere that was jauntily rolling on its way. Just as Lynn managed to muster the awareness to begin questioning this occurrence, the sphere rolled up alongside her and stopped. It twitched, hopping up and down in place, portions of its surface area bulging outward seemingly at random. Right as Lynn was about to articulate her discomfort the sight was causing her, tentatively envisioned as a good hearty "AAAAAARGH!", the orb folded in on itself...and then burst outward. The moments that followed were...haunting, and what little Lynn could remember of them going forward would forever cause her to question everything she knew about human anatomy. But when the procedure mercifully concluded, a properly sized, and as far as she could tell, appropriately proportioned Stella was now lying alongside Lynn.
"Glad you got out in time," Lynn murmured, wheezing as a small plume of smoke escaped from her mouth.
"Only because you warned me in time," Stella replied, weakly. "Thanks for that, by the way."
"No prob,"
"So...that was a bust," Stella said as she sat up, her lack of difficulty in doing so probably due in large part to her bone structure only being a vague suggestion at best. "What now?"
"Plan B," Lynn muttered.
Stella winced. "I didn't like that one."
"Do you like it less than Lightning McMuscles getting away with my brother?"
"...Plan B it is," Stella muttered, leaping to her feet. "Ready when you are."
"Cool, cool," Lynn replied. "Just...one thing first."
"What's that?"
"...Help me stand up. Please."