A/N: Okay, I need to say this. I feel like I might've spoiled the people who follow this story. I realized that before this chapter, I posted 12 chapters in 4 months. That is me updating this story a mixture of every week to every 2 or 3 weeks. I just got lucky having the drive to write that many chapters in that short of time. But now that drive is gone, so I'm going to try to update this story once a month. Might get longer later on, but for now I'm going to try once a month. I also want to point out, I'm basically writing 2 chapters for each chapter I post. I write what they are viewing, then the reaction. So doing so takes time and can't be done quickly, at least not by me.
Review Reply
Mr png: That's fair, this was a crack pair I wanted to try. I don't like this pairing as well. From what I learned from writing this story, reaction stories take time to write. I doubt I'll talk to another author about adding their story, I'm too lazy to do something like that.
Guest99: Surprisingly I have seen Killjoy, an okay film. I haven't thought of Goosebumps before, they do have interesting stories. I doubt I'll separate them, but maybe if I find a good enough reason.
Gamelover41592: Thanks, it's called My Dress-Up Darling.
Pedro Alonso Buby Huayanay Zam: I still need to get around to watch Legion, even if it's that only episode. Lynn x Clyde could be a fun chapter to try, just need to find the right source. I have never seen Wolves before. Glad you got a laugh from this chapter.
Tornado man: Glad you like it. Pet Sematary is an interesting idea, I've only seen the originals not the remake. Nightmare on Elm Street maybe, but currently don't know who to make who. I'll check out the origins of Maxx. I keep that in mind, but I'm not thinking about that right now.
eduardo.bettin26: Glad you enjoyed it. I might, it just depends on what source I use. Maybe Murder Drones, but that might be a little tricky for me. I Don't know Blue Lock and only a little of Blazblue. I never watched the Lord of the Rings or The Dark Tower. I haven't played Elden Ring. I've only seen the classic It, Alien, and Predators movies. One Piece is something I want to do, but only seen up to episode 100, or around that.
Skully13: I am not sure about The Invisible Man. I haven't seen any of the Wishmaster movies. Surprisingly, I haven't seen V for Vendetta. There will be no Lemons, it's rated M for safety reasons. For the use of violence, drugs, and maybe adult themes.
guest (01) 08/31/24: It is possible, honestly Sam x Luna is one of my favorite couples in the show. I'll look into Ghost, I've never seen it. Jack the Ripper would be interesting, but I don't know many sources to use.
Matt (01): I am not looking for a better version of Sam. Thanks for the recommendation, but I don't think I'll be reading it any time soon.
redsteel116: I never got into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Alphared45667: I think Sam would at least be flustered in that kind of situation. I'm planning to finally get around to watching Chainsaw Man soon. I never got into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Any of the Final Fantasy games is something I could have fun with. Maybe the Just Monika, it was a good song and video.
Perseus12: It's a funny idea, but I'm unsure how to work with it.
Angeluszuko-z: I do want to do something with the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Although I feel Luan wouldn't be a good Goro Majima.
Matt (02): I plan to do something with Gravity Falls. Maybe something with Pokemon and Scooby Doo. I want to do something with One Piece, I just don't know what.
CRabbit3428665: I've never seen The Warriors.
Guest (02) 09/06/24: Maybe something with the Saints Row series.
Xeroo Glitch-X: I don't think they're called that because Mary Jane helped start the band. This is just my guess and I might be wrong, but I think it might have something to do with the term Mary Sue. As I said, I might be wrong and was too lazy to make something new.
GUEST (03) 09/07/24: I never played Cyberpunk 2077 and never read any Spawn comics. No they won't meet Cobalt's creator.
avatareyes755: I might, the video and lyrics of the song is something I might be able to use.
Dave guy: I haven't seen Kamen Rider, but heard good things about it.
_
Chapter 13: Leni The Herald
Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House. I make no money or profit from this.
The group had just spent the last several minutes talking about the last world, as well as cosplaying. With Lori being embarrassed and being comforted by Bobby. "C'mon babe, it wasn't that bad," the teenage boy said, with a small blush thinking of it. Lori only let out a groan while curled up as a ball. She had been like this ever since their viewing stopped and her sisters started teasing her. Even when her mother got them to stop, she still stayed like that.
"I totes hope we get to see the outfit when it's done," Leni said happily. Lori heard this and groaned.
"I do too," Becky agreed with her friend. "I mean, we know what it's supposed to look like. But I really want to see that Clyde's work."
"I can't believe people will spend that much money on a dorky costume," Lynn Jr. commented with a dumbfounded expression.
"It doesn't sound that different from buying a dress for prom," Sam said, thinking about it.
"That's true, the only difference is they're making it," Rita agreed with the blonde rocker.
"That cosplaying does sound a little interesting," Jordan said, after hearing more about it.
"Yeah, but I don't know if I could afford to do it," Stella agreed, although being conflicted.
"I wonder if some people have dressed up as Edwin?" Lucy muttered.
"It's certainly a possibility," Haiku replied, thinking about it.
"I didn't know that it could cost so much," Lincoln commented, taken aback by what some people will do.
"I wish we could've seen my grandfather," Clyde said a bit crestfallen. "It's sad I lost my dads, but at least I had someone to look after me."
"It was so strange seeing Lori and Clyde acting so…normal with each other," Luan said, still a little stunned.
"I wouldn't call that normal," Lynn Sr. grumbled with a frown.
"Yeah, she didn't need to prance around in her swimsuit," Luna added bitterly. She was still jealous at how that Lori got Sam's attention, even if it was for a short time.
"Do you think the same thing will happen to the rest of us?" Lana asked her family.
"What are you talking about?" Lola asks her twin confused.
"Well first we saw the world with Lincoln and that Japanese girl, which embarrassed Lincoln," Lana started to explain. "Now we have this one with Lori and Clyde, which embarrasses Lori. Does that mean we're going to see a world where we'll see each of us in embarrassing moments?"
After everyone thought about it, they realized the little girl's thoughts might be accurate. "Now that you mentioned it…" Ronnie Anne said, starting to get a little nervous.
"It's certainly a possibility," Lisa said, adding her thoughts. "Cobalt's creator has shown us a few different worlds, with some being a type of continuous of ones we already watched. We don't know how they pick these worlds or if there's a purpose behind them. So I believe that they may do the same thing to all of us. However I strongly doubt they'll be able to do the same to me."
"I'll be sure to pass that on to my creator," Cobalt said from behind the little genius, startling her. "I don't even know my creator's thought process of picking worlds, so I'm afraid I can't help."
"No, not again!" Lucy said in a terrified voice, pointing to the orb in his hands. Everyone looked and gasped at what they saw, except for Sam, Becky, Stella, Haiku, and Jordan. This even got Lori out of her ball of embarrassment. The new arrivals were just confused why everyone else suddenly had scared or terrified expressions. In the android hands was a familiar white orb with a black cross.
"I'm afraid so," Cobalt said, although his voice showed no emotions. "We're going back to Montana to see him fight against another Seed Family member." This made the Loud family huddle together knowing what was coming. While the others were becoming unsettled, as they knew what they were going to watch.
"Who are we going to see?" A terrified Rita asked, being hugged by her husband.
"You'll see, now would anyone like to do the honors?" Their host replied and asked, holding out the orb.
"I'll do it," Haiku said nervously. She got up and took the orb, threw it at the screen. The orb went into it and the screen came to life.
Clyde was walking down a dirt path with an assault rifle. As he walked, he started to feel dizzy and his vision started to go white. As he started to stagger, he heard a voice. "Welcome to the Bliss" a feminine voice said to him. His vision went completely white before Faith appeared in front of him. She blew some smoke in his face, before vanishing.
"What just happened?!" Lynn Jr. shouted, already confused.
"That was Leni!" Becky shouted.
"So Clyde is going against Leni this time," Lucy said, still nervous.
"But what just happened?" Luna asked no one.
"A little information is needed," Cobalt said as he started explaining. "Leni, or Faith as she's better known as, is unique. She has been using the drug called Bliss so much, it gave her a borderline supernatural power. She can force anyone into a hallucinogenic plane called The Bliss. Anyone who has come in contact with the drug, even only once, can be pulled into it by her. While in this state, the person doesn't have control of their body in reality and is basically under Faith's control."
"That's impossible!" Lisa argued with a frown.
"How?!" Lori asked, not seeing how that is possible.
"It's unclear how," the android replied. "But that's not all. She even has the ability to talk to people through the Bliss, even if the person isn't there and miles away from her. Putting it simply, the Bliss gave her unusual abilities."
"Since Lucy used the drug to kidnap Clyde…" Lincoln said, starting to share his thoughts. "...He can be affected by Leni's abilities."
"That doesn't sound good," Stella commented, looking nervous.
When his vision returned to normal, he saw he was in a grassy area with trees and boulders. "I know you heard stories about me," Faith's voice said from all around him. "That I'm a liar, a manipulator." Clyde then looked down and saw someone holding his hand. Faith suddenly appeared beside him. "That I poison people's minds…" she told him looking into his eyes.
"Where did she come from?!" Lola asked, slightly scared by her sudden appearance.
"While in the Bliss, Faith has supernatural abilities," Cobalt replied. "You'll see more as you watch."
Everyone didn't like the sound of this, but returned to watching and braced themselves.
Faith looked just how she did the day he tried to arrest Lincoln. She gave him a kind and sincere smile. "Well, let me tell you a different story..." she said, letting go of his hand and started to walk away. Clyde didn't know why, but he felt he should follow her. "A true story," Faith said, turning around to face him. She grabbed both his hands and had him sit on the ground with her. She had a somber expression on her face.
"There was once a young woman who was ostracized by her community," Faith started with a sadden voice. "Bullied by friends. Abused by her family." She started to shed some tears. "She looked to a needle for help. She was all alone. She wanted to die." She paused and took some calming breaths, before wiping the tears and smiling. "And then she met The Father," she said with a giggle. She then stood up and started to drag Clyde with her as she ran. She stopped and they both looked at the large statue of Lincoln.
"What?" Rita whispered, tears already appearing.
"The Seed family was well-known in their community," Cobalt started to answer. "Everyone knew about the abuse, but said nothing. The people just ignored all of them and told their children to stay away from them. This caused the Seed children to be isolated from the community, forcing some of them to go down a dark path."
This saddened and terrified everyone, with the parents holding both sides of Leni. All the teens and a couple of preteens knew what that Leni meant by "looked to a needle for help". This made them wonder what happened in that Leni's life.
"He gave her hope and confidence," she said in a cheerful voice. "The Father showed her how special she was, that she was full of love and life." She then spun around, while Clyde could only watch and do nothing. "He gave her a new family. One that accepted her just as she was." She caressed his cheek and smiled warmly at him, before removing her hand. "The young woman no longer wished to die. She had been given…purpose." Faith spread her arms out and Angel wings of smoke appeared on her back. She started to fly and looked down at him.
"Whoa, she has wings now?" Lana asked, slightly amazed.
"I'm guessing this is another of her abilities?" Lucy asked their host, with Cobalt nodding.
"It sounds like Lincoln helped her when she was suffering," Luan commented, trying to lighten the mood.
"But he got her to join his dangerous cult," Luna counters. "Plus she's still doing drugs. I don't know which is better."
She then grabbed his hands and started to fly, the smile never leaving Faith's face. "One day, The Father brought her here," Faith told him as she gestured to the world around them. "He asked if she had faith in him. He asked if she would be willing to die for him. The young woman, who very much wished to live, was scared." She then flew them to the Lincoln statue and placed Clyde on the book. "The Father told her this was her test. He would have faith in her, if she had faith in him." She then flew high above him and Clyde could see Marshal Burke at the edge. "So she closed her eyes and leapt. The Father kept his word. The path to Eden is clear for those who have Faith."
"She can fly too?!" Lana shouted again.
"And she can do more?" Lincoln asked, which Cobalt nodded.
"There's the Marshal!" Sam said pointing to the screen.
"At least Clyde found him," Ronnie Anne commented.
"Yeah, but he's in that Bliss place," Jordan pointed out.
"She doesn't want them to actually walk off, right?" Stella asked nervously.
"Of course not," Lisa replied with a scoff. "Falling from that height would kill them."
"Unless that's what she wants," Haiku counter, which worried everyone.
Clyde said nothing and then looked to the Marshal. "Walk the path," was all Burke said to him. Before he leaned forward and fell off the statue. Clyde said nothing and stood still, just watching everything happen. He then looked to Faith who disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Everyone screamed in fear at seeing the Marshal walk off the edge. "He really walked off!" Lori screamed.
"Clyde's not going to do the same…right?" Lola asked her parents.
"Of course he's not," Lynn Sr. replied, trying to reassure his daughter. However, now everyone was worried about what was going to happen. No one more than Clyde himself.
"You must have Faith, let go," he heard Faith's voice, but couldn't see her. Clyde then started to walk towards the edge. Once there, like Marshal Burke, he walked off the edge and fell. Just before he hit the ground, his vision and the world went black.
"No!/Ahhh!" Everyone screamed. They either looked away, closed their eyes, covered their face, or a combination of all three.
Clyde started to wake up and get back onto his feet. As he did he looked around him and was shocked at what he saw. He was on the ground directly under the Lincoln statue, right under the book. The ground was painted black with the cult's cross in white. All around him were bodies of other people, dead from falling off the statue.
After a few seconds, the Loud parents looked when they heard sounds. They saw Clyde being fine and told everyone things were alright. "He's alright!?" Luan questioned stunned.
"How?!" Luna asked, equally stunned.
"That shouldn't be possible!" Lisa exclaimed, shocked. "He should at least sustain at least broken bones! He shouldn't be able to move, let alone stand!"
"Maybe he was lucky?" Becky suggested, just as confused as everyone else.
"Then he was the only one," Haiku replied with a wide eyed expression. "There are many that weren't," she said pointing to the bodies around Clyde.
Everyone else was too stunned and confused about what happened. Clyde had nearly fainted when he saw his counterpart walk off.
"Do you feel different?" Clyde heard Faith's voice. He looked around, but there was no sign of her. "Do you feel alive? The first step is always the scariest, but we all have faith in you. Follow the Pilgrimage…walk the path. I'll see you soon…". Clyde shook his head and glared at the statue before walking to continue his mission.
"Just like last time, we'll skip ahead to the next confrontation," Cobalt spoke up. "You won't be missing anything. Just violence, killing, and death." Everyone nodded in agreement, hoping things won't be as bad as the last confrontation.
The scene shows Clyde at the top of the now destroyed Lincoln statue. He had a book with the cult's cross on it, before he started to set it on fire and threw it away, letting it burn as it fell. He then jumped off the ruined structure and opened a parachute. "What have you done?!" Faith's scared and panicked voice said to him. "Do you know what he'll do to me?!" Clyde ignored her and landed on the ground. Unfortunately the second he landed, he felt a familiar sensation. It wasn't long before his vision went white and Faith appeared again.
"He destroyed the statue of Lame-o?!" Ronnie Anne shouted, wide eyed in disbelief.
"How?!" Sam asked, shocked.
"Rocket launcher," Cobalt replied. Knowing that would only bring more questions, he started to explain more. "It was near the base of the statue, along with extra ammo."
"The cult had rocket launchers?" Lynn Sr. asked, utterly stunned by the information, which Cobalt nodded in confirmation.
"Why did Leni sound scared?" Becky asked, concerned.
"What will Lincoln do to her?" Lana asked, scared.
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," Lori replied, concerned for her sister's counterpart. Leni was terrified and being hugged by her parents, while Lincoln was fidgeting nervously.
"That book must've been extremely important," Lucy commented, feeling nervous and unsettled.
"What was that book?" Haiku asked their host.
"It was Faith's personal Book of Lincoln," he replied. "It was considered to be a sacred book." This caused both goths to flinch, hearing the importance of the book.
Clyde saw he was back in the Bliss, only this was different. It was still a grassy field, but they were barren trees on each side of him. They made a path leading towards a single tree that was luscious and green. "You've been invited into our home…into our hearts," he heard Faith's voice say. "Trust in the path and you'll find the answers you seek." He subconsciously started walking towards the tree. As he did and looked around, he saw that just past the barren trees were several animals. As he got closer to the tree, the world around him went white again.
"She makes it sound like a good thing," Stella commented.
"Yes, that's how they indoctrinate potential new members," Lisa countered.
"Look at all the animals!" Lana said excitedly. "There! It's a rabbit with antlers!"
"A jackalope?!" Lincoln asked, shocked and confused.
"Aren't those a myth?" Clyde asked, just as confused as his best friend.
"That's impossible! Such animals can't exist!" Lisa shouted with disbelief and annoyance.
"This place does look beautiful," Sam commented.
"Too bad none of it is real," Luan added.
"A paradise created by a dark force," Haiku commented.
"A paradise you can only see when you poison your heart and mind," Lucy added.
"Even those who fight against us seek salvation," Faith said as she appeared in front of him, guiding him. "Your proof of that." Clyde could hear Lincoln, back to being shirtless, speaking and soon saw him just up ahead. Sitting around him with three cultists and the Marshal listening to his words. "We all need guidance and times like these," Faith told him as she took him towards Lincoln. "Now you'll see, now you'll truly understand."
"It's the Marshal again!" Lynn Jr. shouted in shock.
"How did he survive the fall?!" Luan asked, confused.
"It's unclear," Cobalt replied to the comedian Loud. "However, it's possible he survived the same way Clyde did. It's also a possibility that he didn't actually jump off. The Bliss is one big hallucination, so some of the things you see aren't real."
"That would explain why we saw a jackalope," Lincoln commented, with Clyde and Lisa agreeing with him.
"So does Lincoln have powers here?" Stella asked the android.
"Of course," he replied. "Lincoln has been using the Bliss longer than anyone. In terms of control while in the Bliss, Lincoln surpasses Faith."
"Because those on the outside will see what we have built here together," Lincoln said looking at Clyde. "In our New Eden…the love, and they will come." Lincoln then started to walk towards Clyde. The young Deputy could do nothing, his body wouldn't obey his commands. "And they will try to take from us all that we have built." Clyde noticed something he didn't notice before. Lincoln had tattoos of two birds high above his chest, with the word Sloth under the bird on the right. In the center of his chest was a crown that was topped off with the cult's cross. Underneath the Crown was a tree with the word Eden underneath. On his lower stomach was the word Lust. On his left forearm was the word Wrath, and on his upper left arm was the word Greed. There was also a tattoo of a person on his right forearm near his wrist.
"Whoa, Linc is seriously inked up," Luna commented in slight awe. Both her and Sam stared in fascination, both were interested in getting a tattoo when they were a little older.
"Why would he want such dumb stuff on his body?" Lynn Jr. scoffed. She could understand if they were a trophy or something claiming to be number one, but why birds, a tree, and words. Although she did like the crown.
"It seems like they have ties to religion," Lisa speculated. "The tree with Eden under it represents the biblical Garden of Eden. The crown with the cult's cross represents he is the leader or messiah of the cult."
"The words have biblical references as well," Lucy added.
"Sloth, Wrath, Lust, and Greed are four of the seven deadly sins," Haiku finished.
"The other sins are on his back," Cobalt informs the group.
"What about the birds?" Lana asked.
"I'm not sure," android replied. "They may hold some reason, I just don't know it." Lisa, Lucy, and Haiku said the same thing.
"You judged me," Lincoln said in a soothing calm voice. He looked into his eyes and grabbed ahold of Clyde's shoulders. "You judge us. The things that we have done. People say…that I'm crazy. But when you wake up in the morning, you look at the same news that I do. Do your eyes not fill with horror?" Lincoln then looked off to the side with Clyde following his gaze. In the distance was a mushroom-shaped cloud that resembled a nuclear bomb. "This is the world?!" Lincoln shouted, his arms outstretched towards the explosion.
"Is that…" Lynn Sr. said with fear.
"…A nuclear bomb?!" Lisa finished for her father. Everyone else was silent from shock seeing the mushroom cloud.
"What is this?" Luna whispered out.
"One of Lincoln's visions," Cobalt replied simply. No one asked anything more and just continued to watch.
"This?!" His voice was tainted with anger, as he looked to the deadly cloud. "This is the world we built for our children?" He asked, looking towards Clyde with a scowl. "Communities being torn apart! Walls being erected! Because leaders are too impotent to act! Bullies are too addled to lead righteously!" He then grabbed the hold of Clyde's shoulders again and looked him in the eye, with a serious expression. "I did not ask for this. I was chosen," Lincoln said in a calmer voice, before he rested his forehead against Clyde and the world went white.
When everything came back, Clyde's and Lincoln's surroundings were drastically different. No longer the grassy areas with trees, animals, and life. Instead it was a barren wasteland of fire, destruction, and ruins. "See, everything is coming to an end," Lincoln told him seriously, still staring into his eyes. "You can feel that, I know you can. See, mankind is weak…and vulnerable!" He began to shout, as he gestured to the ruins around him. "And we are hurling towards our destruction and no one Is willing to do anything about it! I can see that!" He then goes back to looking Clyde in the eyes. "You can see that, and we are not crazy," his voice returned to normal. "So what are we supposed to do? We just sit back and await the inevitable?" Lincoln then looks to the chaos around him.
"What happened?" Lana asked, confused.
"Is this still the vision?" Lincoln asked their host nervously, to which he nodded.
"This is what he believes will happen?" Luan asked, shaken by the scene.
"But there's no proof any of this will happen," Lynn Jr. said looking around to everyone. "Right?" She asked, looking at her parents.
"Of course sweetie," Rita replied, trying to say it in a comforting tone. However both parents knew that something like this could happen at any time without warning. They just didn't want to scare any of them.
"Well actually-" Lisa started, before receiving looks from her parents. The looks told her to not say anything or she would be in trouble. So she stayed silent.
"He truly believes he is meant to save people," Sam said in disbelief, looking at the destruction.
"What if he's right?" Stella asked everyone, getting their attention. "What if he really did hear god?"
"My counterpart seemed to believe him," Lucy commented. "What if she was right and he's not crazy?"
"I don't think we should believe this," Lincoln said. "Cobalt, they're still in the Bliss right?" Cobalt nodded, confirming his thoughts. "And my counterpart has super powers while there and is more powerful then Leni."
"You think he's just making all this up!" Becky jumped in cheerfully. Lincoln nodded, verifying her thoughts. "Nice thinking Ace."
"Thanks Becky," Lincoln said with a small blush from the nickname. Ronnie Anne and Lori glare at Lincoln and Becky respectively. The other girls just gave them odd or strange looks.
"I agree with this theory," Lisa spoke up. "I was taken aback by the nuclear explosion, I temporarily forgot that this older Clyde was in a hallucination."
After thinking about it, everyone agreed with that. Feeling better believing everything they saw wasn't real.
"I don't claim to be a perfect man," the white hair Cult Leader said. "But I saw what was coming and I chose to act. To lead. Because society is broken and the only way forward is to go back to the way things once were." He then went back to looking Clyde in the eyes. "Innocent and pure. So safe and protected…in our garden." Lincoln then gave him a small smile. "I can save you," He told him, as he bent down to a small patch of angel trumpet flowers by their feet. He plucked one out and gave it to Clyde. "You have to have Faith," was the last thing he heard before the world went white again.
Clyde regained consciousness in the prison, where Sheriff Whitehorse and Tracy were holding him down. Clyde was struggling as the sheriff held him down and tried Get through to him. Tracy attempted to give Clyde Adrenaline Shot, to which Clyde originally fought back against. She was eventually able to give him the shot and calmed down. The last thing he heard before fading back to unconsciousness, was the sheriff telling him he was going to be alright. And Tracy's saying that if you come out of the Bliss too fast, it is likely to scramble your brain.
"Hey it's the old man!" Lola pointed out.
"But where are they?" Lana asked.
"They are in Hope County prison, which has been converted into a fortified base," Cobalt answered.
"I'm guessing those are more allies like when he faced Lucy?" Becky asked, which Cobalt nodded.
"They must be very desperate to use that as a base," Rita muttered, with her husband agreeing.
"What did they just inject me with?" Clyde asked worryingly.
"It was an Adrenaline shot," the android replied. "It was used to fight against the Bliss in his system."
"Is that Bliss that dangerous?" Luna asked hesitantly.
"Yes it is, especially if one is over exposed to it," Cobalt replied grimly. We are going to jump to the next confrontation.
Clyde had just cleared out a cult outpost and killed a man named Feeney at the Jessop Conservatory. Just as he got off the property, he felt a familiar sensation and was pulled into the Bliss.
Clyde looked around and saw a familiar grassy plane. "Don't you understand what we're trying to build?" Faith said, appearing before him. She gave him a shove and she appeared behind him and caught him by the hand. "Do you just not care?" She asked, looking him in the eyes. "I watched you run this way and that…Inflicting violence on those who wish no harm upon you. They're at peace here, they want to be here." She then started to lead him somewhere.
"How did she do that?!" Lynn Jr asked, confused and curious.
"That was another of her abilities, duplication," Cobalt replied.
"So she can literally make copies of herself?" Lori asked.
"Yes, but only in the Bliss," the android replied.
"Oh that would totes help," Leni said cheerfully. "Think of all the outfits I could make." Everyone just chuckled at her thoughts.
"I know you have your doubts," she said looking back at him as she led him. "But this is the only way the story ends. Nothing you can do can change that." They then stopped at the edge of a small lake. "Your friends on the outside…they're controlled by fear. They don't understand. But he does, he'll show you," she then gestured to the lake and Clyde saw the Marshal. He was in a row boat and covered by blue butterflies.
"Okay, where is he?!" Ronnie Anne shouted in frustration.
"Yeah, he keeps showing up and disappearing!" Lynn Jr. shouted, agreeing with the younger girl.
"Maybe he's not real," Jordan suggested.
"Yeah, they are hallucinating," Stella added.
"Hey Rook," the Marshal said in a very calm, happy tone. "C'mon, C'mon it's okay," Burke said as he helped Clyde into the boat. Once in the boat, Clyde took a seat, and the Marshal started to row them across the lake. "I know you're here to take me back," he said in that same tone. "It's okay, she knows, everybody knows. You think you're doing the right thing." As he talked Clyde looked around him and saw many animals around the lake. "You think I need to be rescued, but I don't. I don't want to go back…ever." He looked up to the sky and let out a sigh of relaxation.
"He sounds completely different then when we first saw him," Luan pointed out.
"He most likely has been indoctrinated into the cult," Lisa commented.
"But is he the real Marshal?" Sam asked.
"Have you…have you ever stopped and looked at how your life's turned out?" The Marshal continued. "I mean what have you actually done with it? You know…we're told we can be anything, right? A famous singer, a Hall of Famer, a movie star. We're all going to be a success Rook. But no. That's not…that's just not true. We live mundane lives doing what someone else tells us to do. Day after day. Everybody thinks they have free will, but C'mon. When was the last time you've done something that wasn't required? Demanded? No Rook. We don't live our lives, we live theirs. And we think we have free will…but that's just a lie. An illusion."
Marshal Burke stares off into space before continuing. "Oh man, I am so done with that. I'm done being the Yes Man. I'm done with being the Errand Boy, and I'm done being the garbage collector. I'm so done." He stops rowing the boat when it makes it to the shore "Because…if that is real life, then what is the point. This place gave me the chance to become something I thought I could never be. Happy." He then stood up and got out of the boat. "And in the end Rook, isn't that the only thing that really matters? Happiness." Marshal Burke then started to walk deeper into the Bliss.
"He's in deep," Lynn Jr. commented, which everyone nodded in agreement.
Clyde, gaining control of his body again, got out of the boat and started to follow him. "Don't trust the Bliss! You need to get the Marshal!" Clyde heard Sheriff Whitehorse's voice. Hearing this, Clyde staggered as fast as he could to catch up with the Marshal. "Now's the time! Don't let the Marshal get through those gates!" Sure enough, just ahead of the Marshal was a pair of pearly gates. Clyde did all he could to catch up with the Marshal to stop him. "Get the Marshal now! Rook! You need to save him!" Clyde fought through the haze and caught up to him.
"Why?! What happens if he goes through the gate?" Stella asked, looking at their host.
"Should he make it through, he'll be under complete control of the Bliss," he replied. "Once like that, he'll be under the cult's control and be like every other cultist."
This terrified everyone, and realized how much danger the Marshal is in. "Move faster Clyde!" Lynn Jr. shouted.
"You need to stop him!" Lincoln shouted.
"But none of this is real…right?" Lori questioned.
"I think this is the over exposure Cobalt was talking about earlier," Lisa replied. "They did mention the drug could "scramble your brain". I believe that will happen should he go through that gate." This only scared them even more and all of them started shouting
Just as he was about to grab a hold of the Marshal, he heard a new voice talking to him. "Leave him alone!" He heard Faith's voice, sounding angry and panicked. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Clyde ignored her and grabbed a hold of the Marshal. The second he did, the entire world went white.
"What was that?" Luan asked, confused at what they just heard.
"I never heard Leni shout like that," Becky said, concerned.
The scene changed to Clyde waking back up in the prison. Sheriff Whitehorse was beside him, with Tracy attaching an IV to him. Suddenly there was a ruckus beside him. It was the Marshal trying to come out of the Bliss. The Sheriff and Tracy went over to try to inject an Adrenaline Shot into him, only for him to fight them off and get to his feet. He told him that he was all right and didn't want any drugs. When Tracy argued that you can't come out of the Bliss without them, he said that he could. The Sheriff decided to believe him, but Tracy told him that it was a bad idea. That was the last thing before Clyde fell back unconscious.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, seeing the Marshal was okay. However, that relief turned into confusion. "It's good there okay, but how did they find them?" Sam asked the question they were all wondering.
"Remember, all you're seeing is a hallucination," Cobalt started to answer. "Their bodies are still out in reality. They probably found their bodies wandering the wilderness or passed out somewhere. More likely walking somewhere in a daze, not aware of what was going on around them."
"That makes sense," Lisa agreed with their host. "That would explain how that Clyde walked off the statue, if that was real. He could've also walked to that spot before passing out."
"Now we are going to skip ahead to the final confrontation between Clyde and Faith," the android announced.
"At least this one wasn't as bad as Lucy's," Lynn Jr. commented.
"You just jinxed it Lynn," Lucy said to her roommate with a small glare.
While everyone agreed with the young athlete, they were now nervous for this part. They knew that Leni was going to be killed by Clyde here. So they braced themselves for what they were going to see.
The scene showed Clyde had just destroyed a cult Shrine As he walked away, he heard the familiar voice of Faith in his head. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool Me twice…" Her voice did not sound as friendly as it once was, but Clyde chose to ignore her. "None of us are perfect. We all…make mistakes from time to time. Even myself." Faith's voice was starting to sound more somber. "Foolishly I thought that we were coming to an understanding. Foolishly I thought we were building trust. But that trust has been broken. Again and again. So there will be no more interference. No more distractions. No more pity." Her voice started to take on a more malicious tone. "This is the will of The Father." After hearing that, it wasn't long before Clyde felt himself be pulled back into the Bliss.
"Was that really Leni?" A scared Lola asked.
"The way her voice switched so easily, it was unnerving," Lucy said, a small tremble in her voice. Haiku silently nodded in agreement with her.
"I don't like how this started," Lincoln commented nervously. Clyde stared at the screen with fear. He didn't want to see himself kill another Loud sister, but couldn't look away.
"I can't believe that's Leni," Becky said sadly. "It sounds nothing like her, especially that malicious tone."
"Way to go dude," Luna said bitterly to her sporty sister, blaming her for the darker tone. Said sister only lowered her head while watching, feeling she did cause this. Everyone else silently watched, fearing what was going to happen. Leni was hugging her parents, scared by her counterpart's voice.
"I just don't understand?" Clyde heard Faith's voice upon entering the Bliss. He looked around and found no sign of her. "Did you think you could just continue to do what you wanted without consequences?" Faith then appeared from out of nowhere and stood in front of him, glaring at him. "I've been reasonable. I've been fair. But you are just so selfish!" She then gave Clyde a hard shove pushing him back. He was then forced to turn around by a second Faith behind him. "You forced someone to leave who didn't want to go!" She then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and the two seem to speed off into another section of the Bliss.
"I literally never seen Leni this mad before," Lori said, her voice shaking.
"I never thought I would see Leni speak with such venom in her words," Becky commented. Everyone silently nodded in agreement with her, while Leni started crying seeing this version of her.
Clyde then saw that he was brought to a different place, where the Marshal and Virgil sat at a table playing cards. "All so that you can be what? A Hero?" Faith sneered at him. She then went and walked beside the Marshal. Virgil couldn't see her, but the Marshal could. "Do you know what hubris is?" She asked, as she stood by the Marshal's side. "Arrogance before the gods. The Greeks saw it as a dangerous form of pride that invoked the goddess Nemesis, who would seek retribution."
"This Leni is more…worldly than ours," a scared Lisa commented, not trying to insult her older sister.
Faith then moved behind the Marshal and started to move him as if he was like a puppet. "If violence is the only language you choose to speak…" Faith said, looking at Clyde. "Then I'll speak your language." She then had the Marshal move his hand towards his gun. "And when their blood is on your hands…" she said with the Marshal repeating her. "...We'll see how heroic you feel." She then made the Marshal shoot Virgil.
Everyone let out a scream in fear and surprise, not expecting that. The younger kids clung to whoever they could. The twins clung to Lincoln, since their parents were with Leni. Lisa clung to Luan, Lucy clung to Lynn, while Sam hugged Haiku. The preteens were stunned with only Jordan, Stella, and Clyde looking away. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stared at the screen, unable to look away. The Loud sisters stared stunned seeing their kind, sweet sister kill someone. Becky started to hug herself, seeing her friend's counterpart kill so easily. Bobby pulled Lori closer to him, in a form of comfort. Leni had her eyes closed and was crying while hugging her parents.
Clyde couldn't do anything but watch what was happening before him. "I'm sorry to have to do this," she said with the Marshal repeating her, pointing his gun at him. "I wanted there to be another way," Faith sneered before having the Marshal walk over to a nearby control panel. "But you made your choice."
The Marshal then opened all the gates to the prison, before he shot and destroyed the control panels. Soon Clyde could hear the people inside screaming and gunshots firing as cultists stormed the prison. He then heard Tracy shout over the radio of them getting in, before gunfire was heard. "I told you I didn't want to leave," the Marshal said, turning to Clyde, before shooting himself in the head. The world went white and Clyde soon found himself back in reality just outside the prison.
Everyone let out another scream hearing or seeing the Marshal shoot himself. Those watching could only stare at what they were seeing.
"We are going to skip ahead a few minutes," Cobalt said to everyone. "Just past Clyde storming the prison and killing the cultists to save Tracy and the others. Also during this time, Sheriff Whitehorse was kidnapped." He waited to see if anyone said something, but none did.
The scene changed to inside the prison after Clyde had just finished killing any cultists that were there. He and Tracy made it to the room where Virgil was, only to find him slowly dying from blood loss. Clyde put pressure on the wound, while Tracy tried to talk to Virgil to keep him conscious. Unfortunately his wounds were too severe and he died not too long after. Clyde looked at the body devastated, while Tracy took the cougar's pin that was on his chest as she cried.
This scene had all of them crying. While they didn't really know this Virgil, they knew he shouldn't have died.
"This is what she does," she said as she held the pin in rage. "Takes...Destroys." She lets out a few sniffles before grabbing Clyde by the shirt and pulling him close. "Find her! Kill her! Don't let her get away with this!" Clyde was taken aback by this, but nodded it in agreement. With an expression of determination and fury, he picked up an assault rifle that was within the room. As he opened the door that led out of the prison. He did not see the outside, but saw the Bliss. He showed no hesitation and walked right into it.
Those who were still watching held their breath for what was going to happen next.
Upon entering the Bliss, he found himself at a familiar pair of pearly gates. "Now you can see what we can do," he heard Faith's voice, as the gates opened. "Come to me and I'll show you a world you never dreamed possible." Clyde went through the gates and soon followed the path. He soon came to a large circular area. It was surrounded by trees and with a large rock formation in the center. Soon he started to hear Faith singing Amazing Grace. As he looked to find where she was, he soon saw her with Sheriff Whitehorse walking beside her. He was singing and walking beside her, as if it was a normal thing. Clyde soon realized that he was under her control. Clyde reached for the Sheriff, but Faith stopped him.
"Why is he walking beside her?!" Lynn Jr. asked with a growl, forgetting that it was her sister's counterpart.
"He's under her control," Lincoln whispered out. "He's just like the Marshal, a puppet for Faith." He refused to call her by his sister's name anymore. His sister would never do anything like she has.
"Your Sheriff kept you from walking the path," Faith told him with a cheerful voice. "But now he understands its purpose. And he'll join our family in Eden." Clyde then looks towards him, only for Faith to block his view. "And if you try to stop him…" Faith's voice and expression became serious, before she gave a cheerful giggle and disappeared in smoke.
"Her sudden shift in moods is freaky," Luna commented. The ones watching nodded in agreement.
"How did she disappear?" Becky asked their host.
"That's another of her abilities, teleportation," he replied, shocking them.
Clyde starts walking toward the center of the area, all the while, Faith disappears and reappears in different locations. "The Sheriff was a wall," she said as she disappeared again. "A wall between you and The Father." She then appeared floating above the rock formation in the center of the area. "A wall that kept you from seeing his truth." Clyde had enough of this, he pointed his assault rifle and started shooting at her. When he shot her, she disappeared leaving some red pedals behind. Soon bald sickly cultists started to appear and attack him. Clyde shot at them and when he did, they turned into smoke and vanished.
"Who are they?!" Sam asked, alarmed seeing the sickly cultists.
"They are cultists who were over exposed to Bliss," Cobalt replied, shocking and stunning the group. "The drug has made them brain dead, but they can still do simple tasks. So they work for the cultists. Faith decided to call them Angels. In the Bliss, she can make copies of these Angels."
"Those definitely aren't Angels," Lincoln bitterly remarked.
"How are they moving if they're brain dead?!" Becky asked, scared and concerned.
"The Bliss," the android replied. "The Bliss somehow allows them to move, but their basically mindless husks. Just like puppets." Despite being scared, this intrigued the young genius.
He saw Faith appear again and he shot at her. As a bullet hit her, red petals came off of her. She then started to throw white energy blasts at him. "So I will knock down that wall," Faith said as she threw an energy blast. After taking a few more shots she disappeared again. "Your Sheriff is so close now. So close to accepting the word of The Father into his heart. And when he does…there's no coming back from that…" She lets out a few giggles as more cultists suddenly appear.
"What is she throwing?" Sam asked, confused at what was happening.
"It looks like balls of energy," Lincoln suggested in an uncertain tone.
"Something like that," Cobalt replied. "This is another ability the Bliss gave her."
Clyde deals with the cultists, but then multiple Faiths appear all around him. He shoots one, only for it to instantly disappear. All the while the others are throwing energy blasts at him. He starts to shoot them one by one until he finds one that releases red pedals when it gets shot. Once he does he constantly shoots that one. However after a while she disappears again. "Why do you keep fighting us?!" Faith's voice was scared and panicked. "You know what's coming! The Father showed you! The world is crashing to its end! It is diseased and corrupt! The Father is offering you a chance to let go…to stop worrying…to be free!"
"What's happening to her?" Becky asked, concerned.
"Yeah, she literally sounds scared now," Lori added, feeling the same way as her friend.
"Yeah instead of sounding crazy," Lynn Jr. added. Everyone else noticed this and was wondering and getting more worried.
Once again multiple cultists appear out of nowhere, leaving Clyde to deal with them. Just like before, after dealing with the cultist, multiple Faiths showed up and attacked. He kept shooting each of them until he found the one that released red petals. Once he did he constantly shot her until she disappeared again. "You throw away what I offer?!" Faith screamed with both fear and fury. "You strike but you cannot destroy what he created! You will never know what I know! It's not my fault…none of this was my fault! You think I wanted this! I was just a replacement for Luna, Lana, and Lily! He plied me with drugs...He threatened me! I was seventeen! I was just a child!"
"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted, however they did for different reasons.
"Replacement?" Leni whispered, trying to process what she just heard.
"So me, Luna, and Lily…" Lana muttered out, stunned by the information.
"Is that how we…" was all Luna could get out. While she wanted to be a Rockstar, she didn't want to be one who died ODing on something partying. Sam looked at her friend and bandmate with concern.
"I dragged more of my sisters into this?" Lincoln said with a stunned and disgusted expression. Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Jordan, and Stella tried to talk and shake him to his senses, only for him to continue to stare at the screen.
The parents started to openly cry after this. It was already hard to hear four of their children were a part of this dangerous cult. Now they learn it was actually seven. The Loud girls were stunned and terrified hearing more of their sisters had joined this twisted version of their brother. While the others could only wonder how much more they don't know."
This time however faith appeared floating above the rock formation, no fakes and no cultists. "Live by the sword and you will die by the sword!" She screamed at him with fury, throwing energy blasts. However, Clyde did not hesitate and continued to shoot at her. Soon she let out a cry of pain and exploded into a shower of red smoke. Before reappearing not too far away from him on the ground.
Everyone flinched at hearing Faith's scream of pain, but continued to watch. However the non Loud family members were worried about how the family were handling everything.
Faith's once white dress was now stained red from her blood. She struggled to breathe as she looked up at Clyde. "You still don't understand," she said in a weak voice. "You don't know what it is you are doing, do you?" Faith took a step towards him, only for Clyde to take a step back and aim his rifle at her. "Lincoln believes he is our savior. But you'll be the one who decides what happens. You were the start. You'll be the end." She attempted to take another step forward. Only for Clyde to step back and aim the rifle higher and put a finger on the trigger. "It was always going to happen this way," she said, giving him a weak smile. "You'll walk the path. You'll rescue your Sheriff. You'll be the hero…and then…you'll choose."
"What does she mean by that?" Becky asked out loud. However no one gave any answer. Leni, Lori, and their parents looked away, they couldn't see that Leni like that. The others were unable to look away.
She then falls backwards onto the ground, the blood still seeping from her wounds. "And if you don't listen to him…he'll be right," she said, as she felt her eyelids start to get heavy before they closed forever. White smoke then came off her body and started to flow towards Clyde. However it didn't go to him, but to a small patch of angel trumpet flowers just by his feet. It went to one particular flower and Clyde bent down to pick it up. After picking it up, he found he was out of the world of Bliss and just outside Faith's bunker.
"What was that smoke?" Sam asked, confused.
"The next part is Lincoln making another message after hearing about Faith's death," Cobalt said, ignoring the blonde's question. "It will be the last thing you see of this world." Everyone was glad this world was almost over.
The scene changed to a familiar scene. One of Lincoln, still shirtless and wearing his sunglasses, sitting in a dark room with only a small red light illuminating him. "A seal has been opened..." he said looking down in a very heartbroken voice. "My Faith…My Faith. She was not the first to carry that name, but she was the most devoted. That is not to say that Luna, Lana, and Lily were not as devoted, they just could not handle the responsibilities." He then looked towards the audience. "She was like many of you when she came to me. Broken…Lost…from our old family. I put my faith inside her, and she became angelic. Perfect." He closed his eyes to relive some memories, before opening them back up. "And those sinners took her away from us. It is Faith that holds us together. And without it we are lost. So we must never lose Faith." He then gained a scowl and glared at the audience. "And those that try to harm us…will suffer."
The screen went black and Cobalt moved in front of it. "That's it for this one, so any thoughts?"
Leni and her parents were huddled together, crying after everything. Many of the Loud girls were crying, not only for what they saw, but also what they learned.
"That was…" was all Becky could say. It was hard to see an alternative version of a friend die. It was painful to hear how she suffered and was threatened by someone who was family.
"I think that was worse than the confrontation with my counterpart," Lucy commented, still hugging Lynn.
"Your alternate version was more physically disturbing," Haiku said to her friend, breaking out of the hug with Sam. "This one was more emotionally disturbing, with how much she suffered."
"I'm really not looking forward to my confrontation with Clyde," Lynn Jr. commented nervously, holding her little sister.
"How can he act like he cares for her?!" Lincoln said with venom, glaring at the black screen. "He doesn't care for any of them! He just uses them and discards them when they're not useful." Everyone looked at him surprised and concerned. They had never heard him speak with such venom in his voice before. This scared the twins, who were hugging him.
"Luna? Are you alright?" Sam asked worryingly, rubbing her back in comfort.
"What happened to me, Lana, and Lily?" Luna asked the android, ignoring her crush's question.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Cobalt seriously asked the young musician. Luna nodded, she knew she shouldn't know, but she felt she had to know. "They all joined the cult from Lincoln's persuasion. They joined in order from oldest to youngest. Luna was the first, Lana was second, and Lily was last. He found Luna in a sketchy bar after she ran away from home along with her band. He found Lana working in a shady auto garage, which was also a chop shop. Finally he found Lily working at a fast food restaurant, after she dropped out of high school and ran away to a different city. After convincing Luna, she was the first Faith. However when she started using Bliss, she became dependent on the drug. It wasn't long before she became what would later be called, an Angel."
"Lincoln was the one to kill her after becoming like that," he continued his explanation. "After that, he went and found Lana to replace her. With her it was the opposite. Lana hated using the Bliss and was forced to by Lincoln. She eventually became addicted to it as well, and became an Angel as well. It was Lynn who killed her, she did her job and culled the herd. He then sought after Lily to replace Lana. Lily however was fine using the Bliss and being one of his Heralds, Lincoln thought he found his Faith. However after he showed her the visions of the future, she became fearful and paranoid. She started to constantly use the Bliss to try to forget what she was shown, eventually becoming an Angel too. It was Lucy who killed her, to free her of her sin. After that, he looked for Leni and you saw what happened."
Hearing all this stunned everyone. They didn't know what to expect, but that was more than anything they would have expected.
"Anyone have any more questions?" Cobalt asked. He received no response, so he snapped his fingers and popped in more medicine for them. "Rest, relax, and try to eat something. I'm sure my creator will send the next orb soon enough." He then started to walk away, while the others tried to comfort the Loud family.