Revised curriculum
Dr. Stella Hunnicut was about to give the presentation of her life. She was in Brazil, overseeing the final stages of the Amazon Reclamation Project, one of her lengthiest endeavours, on behalf of Zhau-Tech, the company she founded to construct eco-friendly, green machines programmed to repair the Earth's biosphere. This project had two aims; one was to get the Amazon's tree density back to where it should be, and the other was to re-populate the forest with animal life that had been endangered since Stella was a middle-schooler. With the help of both native inhabitants of the Amazon and a sympathetic government, Stella had achieved what she set out to do. Now, she had to summarise her project's results in front of a crowd of people, including Brazilian President de Silva, a capable man with a vested interest in this project. Stella's PR secretary, Theresa, handed her some notes.
"The presentation's ready to go, Doctor. All you need to do is wait to be cued on," Theresa guided.
"Great, and after that, I have to speak in front of presidential staff, foreign dignitaries, and green tech representatives," Stella remarked.
"Nothing you haven't done before," Theresa reminded.
"True. Maybe I just miss my family," Stella replied.
"Doctor, you've only been here a week, they're doing fine," Theresa assured.
"I guess, and the sooner this is done, the sooner I can fly home and ask Adam how school was today," Stella conceded.
"There you go, something to look forward to. Now get out there and wow them," Theresa encouraged. The two women listened to the MC warm up the crowd.
"And without further ado, I give you the Woman who Healed the World, the CEO of Zhau-Tech herself, Doctor Stella Hunnicut!" the MC introduced Stella, who walked on stage and took her place at the pulpit.
"Thank you. I have to admit, I'm still getting used to that lengthy title when, truth be told, I'm just a woman who tinkered a lot and had a lot of spare time on her hands," Stella started things off with a slight jab at herself, which generated a few giggles, before she dove into the meat of her presentation. "The Amazon Rainforest, one of Earth's most beautiful natural ecosystems. The Lungs of the Earth, it is called. Years past, rampant logging, deforestation, illegal development, and farming pushed this wondrous landmark to the brink of collapse," Stella then showed the crowd photos of huge sections of the Amazon destroyed by man-made efforts. "So extensive was the damage that you could see it from space. Huge swathes of green replaced with a barren, lifeless yellow," Stella then displayed photos taken from the International Space Station of the Amazon, along with statistics showing that at least 40% of the Amazon had been deforested between 1980 and 2020. "But now, thanks to Zhau-Tech's innovative climate restoration robotics, the Amazon is closer than ever to making a full recovery. The Lungs of the Earth shall breathe deeply again. The people and wildlife that once called this place home shall live freely and happily, safe in the knowledge that their paradise has been labelled as protected lands, thanks to the tireless legislative efforts of President de Silva. Thank you, Mister President," Stella said gratefully to Brazil's esteemed leader, whom the audience gave a round of applause to. During this pause, an aide whispered in Theresa's ear. After hearing what the aide had to say, Theresa was shocked.
"Seriously, now?!" Theresa whispered back. The aide only nodded in response. "Alright, alright, I'll pull her out," Theresa resolved. After the standing ovation ended, Stella resumed her presentation.
"The effects of this project's success impact far more than the Amazon itself. Firstly, air quality has-" but before Stella could elaborate further, Theresa came on stage and hurried to Stella's side.
"Sorry, Doctor, but I have President McKay calling you, saying it's urgent," Theresa notified.
"Does he know how long it took to organise this? I can't stop now," Stella pressed. Theresa then leaned in so she could whisper in Stella's ear.
"Royal Woods has been invaded," Theresa notified. Stella's mood shifted from confusion to panic. Her husband Liam and son Adam were still there, last she checked. What was happening at her home? Was her family OK? Was there ample warning? Did they make it out? It wasn't them, was it? All these questions and more raced through her mind. All Stella wanted to do now was race home. She had to find her family. They were her greatest treasures. If anything happened to them while she was here, she could never forgive herself. Hearing the sudden murmuring from the crowd, asking themselves just what the interruption was about, Stella turned to address them.
"The, uh, benefits of this project's success can be found in pages 6-10 of the booklets given to you. Look them over at your leisure, or whatever," Stella improvised before rushing off stage with Theresa. "What do you mean, Royal Woods has been invaded? Do you mean to tell me someone came marching in and kicked down Town Hall's door?" Stella pressed.
"As I said, President McKay's on the line," Theresa then showed Stella into an empty office with a laptop on the desk. On video chat was President McKay himself. Stella was fortunate to consider McKay a close associate. She and McKay often collaborated on environmental restoration efforts around the globe. McKay would arrange the contracts, Stella would provide the robots, the job opportunities, and the branches needed for Zhau-Tech to fulfil their primary mission; make Earth into a paradise for all. This time, however, Stella noticed that McKay's demeanour looked grim indeed.
"Mister President, with the greatest of respect, what the hell is going on?" Stella half-asked, half-demanded.
At Great Lakes City, Lana, after having calmed down enough, explained everything to Adelaide about the President's address, how Royal Woods was under siege, that her twin sister was being held captive by a mob of religious zealots, that the residents were being rounded up and put through sham trials, and that this same mob also had the gall to demand of the White House that everywhere else follow their teachings. After Lana had finished, it was Adelaide's turn to fall into despair. Her sister, Sid Chang, was living in Royal Woods, and she knew she once practiced polyamory with both genders, so she would be in Right Path's crosshairs. When she burst into tears, Lana was there to hold her, to try in vain to soothe her heart-ache.
"I have to call my sister. I have to know if she's OK," Adelaide resolved. She then withdrew to put her clothes back on and call her older sister Sid. Unfortunately, it went to voicemail. "Nothing!" Adelaide cursed.
"If I try calling Lola, those goons will probably hurt her. I'll try Leni, she's always got her phone on her," Lana then dialled Leni's number. In a stroke of luck, she answered.
"Lana, you OK?" Leni asked.
"Never mind us, what about you?! I saw the President's press conference! He's saying Right Path has invaded Royal Woods!" Lana deflected.
"It's true. Gavin and I were the ones behind that footage splashed all over prime time. We're hiding in a safe house. I know how the rest of the family thinks. Don't come to rescue us, alright. Don't even try. Vic has Lola and Winston under armed guard and any attempt to free the town would result in her….. you get the idea. I managed to free all the 'undesirables', but Right Path took all their phones. We have no way of connecting to the outside world," Leni explained.
"You can't expect me to just sit here!" Lana objected.
"You're safe there. Stay put. This'll be over soon," Leni insisted and terminated the call.
"The hell I will!" Lana said defiantly.
"So we're formulating a battle plan?" Adelaide probed.
"Damn right, we are! How soon can we mobilise the Trunk Squad?" Lana confirmed.
"I can have them outfitted and ready to go within the hour, boss. Just say when," Adelaide updated. Lana then answered a call from Lori.
"Lori Loud, our oldest and wisest. I take it you've heard the news?" Lana guessed.
"Bobby and his family have been worried sick about Ronnie Anne, and the kids want to charge in and rescue their cousins. Have you heard from anyone in there?" Lori replied.
"Just Leni. She says Right Path cut everyone off from the outside and warned us against any sort of rescue, for fear of them doing in Lola," Lana relayed.
"Yeah, that's not happening. Remember the family motto?" Lori reminded.
"We look after our own, we take care of our own, and if need be, we avenge our own. You wanna meet up and strategise?" Lana invited.
"Top of the Casagrandes building in fifteen minutes. Bring Adelaide along, too. I take it she'll want to rescue Sid," Lori outlined.
"She was preparing our zoo animals for battle when you called," Lana informed.
"We may need them. Casagrandes in fifteen," Lori reiterated then terminated the call. Before she could set off from her golf club where she had been working and heard the news, three figures stood before her. Lori was not alarmed to see these people. Far from it, she greeted them warmly. "Figures you would show up. Can I give you a ride?" Lori offered.
Meanwhile, at the safe house, Henry Tannenbaum was silently contemplating the day's tumultuous events. His mothers Ruby and Shannon were upfront with him about the extremist, fanatical nature of Right Path, but the reality of it still slapped him in the face. Used to be they kept themselves hidden in the shadows, known only to those sympathetic to their cause. Now, they were militaristic, bold, determined. He asked himself the same question over and over again in his head, why would they go this far? Other questions sprung to mind as well. How did they get the resources to pull off this invasion? What was their endgame? Would he, his friends, and his family, have to leave Royal Woods for their own safety? If so, how would they escape without Right Path knowing? Before he could postulate any answers to these questions, his longtime childhood friend and confidant Jasmine Stein approached him.
"Heck of a day, huh?" Jasmine remarked.
"You can say that again. I'm supposed to be hitting homers, now I'm stuck on the bench, thanks to my family legacy," Henry responded.
"The Tannenbaums didn't bring those thugs here," Jasmine argued.
"I meant my other family legacy, the Barsonthors, the one my mothers got me away from. Maybe it's a good thing I don't remember my birth family," Henry lamented.
"Your birth family got you away from all this. Your birth mother and father helped destroy Right Path just as your adoptive mothers did way back when. Barsonthor, Thompson, Tannenbaum, it doesn't matter which of those names you use, just so long as you're still you. You're not one of them, you're one of us," Jasmine extolled.
"She's right, you know," Shannon affirmed as she and Ruby approached Henry. "As soon as you were dropped on our doorstep all those years ago, I knew I wanted you as a son the moment I laid eyes on you. Even when we learned of your origins, we still wanted to keep you," Shannon added.
"Me too, which is why I fought as hard as I could to win custody of you in court. I still consider that my finest accomplishment. You are a Tannenbaum, and not just because court documents say so," Ruby said.
"Still, I hoped I would never have to face these guys. From everything you told me about them, they were monsters, tyrants, relics of a time long since buried in the dust. I had hoped we'd moved on," Henry recalled.
"They are monsters and tyrants. Like any evil, it has to be fought in order to be defeated. We did, in our own way, and we also hoped you'd never have to face them, either. But life doesn't always go that way. The real question you have to ask yourself is; what will you do when the time to fight is upon you?" Ruby posed. Before Henry could think about an answer, Lynn came bursting into the safe house, panting from exhaustion.
"OK, I've had my fun, for now. I think Right Path are properly terrified of me now. I have a prisoner in the holding cell waiting for interrogation," Lynn updated.
"We don't have a holding cell," Chandler stated, out of confusion. Lynn then led them to the garage and opened the door to reveal Arbiter Rance blindfolded, tied to a chair, and stripped down to his boxers.
"You do now. Grabbed that one before he could go back to his buddies. Figured we could get some answers out of him," Lynn notified.
"Lynn, was it really necessary to take almost all his clothes off?" Lincoln asked in disbelief.
"OK, I admit, that one was purely for my entertainment. Still, he might have knowledge of Right Path's activities in the town," Lynn confessed.
"I will tell you NOTHING!" Rance said defiantly. Just then, Agents Smith and Jones came into the garage.
"We'll see about that. Agents Smith and Jones, FBI," Smith introduced.
"Oh goodie, two Deep State goons. Sorry I can't get a good look at you, but the savage put this blindfold on me," Rance sassed.
"Yeah, best not take it off. We don't want him getting a peek at the safe house," Lynn whispered in Smith's ear, advice the two agents fully agreed with.
"What is Right Path doing here? How did you get the resources to pull this invasion of yours off? What is your endgoal?" Jones interrogated.
"And where are our kids?! You carted them off God-knows-where before hauling us to the mall! We want them back, you hear me!" Lincoln demanded.
"Which do you want me to answer first?" Rance backtalked.
"Can we skip to the torture already?" Lynn asked impatiently.
"That violates the Geneva Convention," Smith objected.
"Geneva ain't here now!" Ronnie Anne countered. Rance laughed heartily.
"Deep State self-imposed morality. Right Path doesn't bother with niceties such as conventions or laws. The only word we follow is that of the Almighty, and He commands us to do whatever it takes to bring His healing light to all," Rance ranted.
"I would hardly call conversion therapy healing, pal! I've been there, I've done that, and I've got the T-shirt. Not keen on a repeat performance," Shannon countered.
"Who's that? Been there, done that. That isn't Shannon Tannenbaum, is it? Enemy number one? Oh, this is precious! There's a sizable bounty on your head," Rance realised who he was speaking to.
"One you'll never collect, not as long as I stand here beside her!" Ruby asserted.
"Let me guess, Ruby Patel, or Tannenbaum, if our intel is accurate. Enemy number two. Susan wanted to oversee your trial herself. How is little Henry?" Rance taunted.
"Better, now that he's out of Right Path's grasp!" Ruby spat back. She made to hit Rance, but Shannon held her back.
"On what charge would we be 'tried'?" Shannon inquired.
"Turn yourselves over to them and find out," Rance suggested.
"Not happening. Now, answer the questions! Where are the children of Royal Woods?! How did you get into Town Hall undetected?! Who's supplying you?!" Jones queried.
"So many questions, so little time," Rance mused.
"This is getting us nowhere. Anyone got a spare car battery and some jumper cables?" Lynn probed.
"Or some pliers to pull out his teeth?" Ruby added.
"How about some good old-fashioned waterboarding?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"ENOUGH! Where do you think we are? North Korea before the Reunification? We have rules, and if we break those rules, we're no better than Right Path. We are trained professionals. Let us handle this," Smith insisted.
"We will take a break for now and reconvene in an hour. That should give you time to calm down and think about this rationally while we come up with another approach," Jones affirmed, and they all left the garage, leaving Rance in his chair alone. However, the Louds were not willing to wait that long.
"We need to break this guy, fast, if we ever want to see our kids again," Lincoln resolved.
"I can get creative with my torture techniques when the situation calls for it. Been a long time since I stretched my pranking muscles," Ronnie Anne said.
"I have something a little….. juicier in mind. With luck, it'll break the guy and not violate any rules the Feds have. Lincoln, are Clyde and Sid anywhere around?" Luan inquired.
"Should be. Why?" Lincoln answered. Luan then whispered her plan in Lincoln's ear. "That might work. Alright, we'll do it," Lincoln agreed.
After relaying Luan's plan to Clyde and Sid, the former polycule of Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, Clyde, and Sid gathered at the garage to talk to their 'guest'. Clyde was uncomfortable with the plan, but when Lincoln told him this was their best chance at seeing Rose and Luke Loud, as well as James and Julie McBride, Clyde was all in along with Sid. All four parents loved their kids more than life itself and would do anything to bring them back into their arms.
"Who is it, now?" Rance asked.
"Lincoln and Ronalda Loud, and Clyde and Sidney McBride," Lincoln informed a still-blindfolded Rance, who tutted in response.
"Oh nice, the polycule I put on trial. Is this about revenge? If so, get on with it. I still won't tell you anything, you godless heathens!" Rance raved.
"Actually, we're here to take up your offer of confessionals. We have a lot we need to unload, and since you're the closest thing we have to a practicing priest, we feel like ultimate judgment should fall on your shoulders," Lincoln corrected. Now Rance was really confused. He expected torture, not…this.
"Is this a joke? In my court, you were proud of your godless polyamory. What changed? Finally saw the light?" Rance probed.
"In a manner of speaking. I wanted to be open right from the start, but I was outvoted," Sid remarked.
"To be fair, you were more than open about your man-hunting before we formed our polycule," Ronnie Anne reminded.
"And woman-hunting. I told you, it wasn't just guys I was hooking up with," Sid clarified.
"Oh yeah, I remember that. Good thing you settled for just me and Ronnie Anne before you went over the edge, and then just me when we were wed," Clyde recollected.
"For that, I will be forever grateful to you and Ronnie for saving me from myself," Sid said.
"As I will forever be grateful to Lincoln for being my willing guinea pig," Clyde also thanked Lincoln as Sid thanked Ronnie Anne.
"Our pleasure, and yours as well," Lincoln said flirtatiously.
"Are you sure you dissolved this polycule of yours?" Rance questioned.
"Jury's still out, but we're getting off-track here, guys. We have a lot to confess. Where should we start?" Ronnie Anne redirected.
"At the beginning, when we experimented with each other for the first time?" Clyde suggested.
"Nah, too vanilla. How about our house-warming party?" Sid suggested.
"Oh yeah, that story's a good one. We had just moved into our new place. All the furniture had been set up, our belongings were stored away, and we were exhausted from hauling boxes around everywhere. Fortunately, we had enough energy reserves for one titillating night," Lincoln began the story.
"I took Sid up to my room. Once there, the clothes couldn't come off fast enough. I swear, her chest melons could feed a family of five," Ronnie Anne joked.
"Hey, you've got nice features, too. No wonder Lincoln can't get enough of that plump, round, ass of yours," Sid complimented.
"As for me, I took Clyde to my room. Just like the girls, we couldn't wait. I was so impatient, I practically shoved Clyde's baby maker into my mouth. It tasted so good," Lincoln recalled.
"I can attest to that," Sid confirmed. Rance was getting more and more uncomfortable with this conversation but was still resolute in his mission to say nothing to his captors. The foursome took this as a sign to take things up a notch.
"You tasted great, too, Lincoln, though I think you like it somewhere else more. That time we were helping out Liam at the farm, we got into it, and you begged me for it. You were like 'take me, Clyde, you handsome stud-muffin. Tear my backside open!' Though, to be fair, you do give as good as you get," Clyde boasted.
"Oh, that he does," Ronnie Anne affirmed.
"I remember you telling me about the first time Lincoln did you there, while we were 69'ing in the back yard. You told me 'no wonder Lincoln likes it up there'. That actually convinced me to let Clyde do it to me," Sid stated.
"Oh my God! You people are sick!" Rance denounced.
"Hey! Don't take the Almighty's name in vain! Besides, you conservative types are weirdly and obsessively interested in what polys and gays do behind closed doors. We're just giving you a front-row seat," Lincoln playfully scolded. They were close to breaking their man, so the foursome took things a little further.
"Thing is, we're big on sharing, as you no doubt know, so we alternated partners on different days. Naturally, with seven days in a week, we had to make it fair, somehow, so every Sunday, we gathered together in one room and had a good romp, no holds barred, just to let it all out," Ronnie Anne disclosed. This made Rance scream.
"Sunday! That's the Holy Day, you sickos! That's the day dedicated to worshipping the Almighty, and you use it for….THAT?!" Rance exclaimed.
"Yes. Yes we do, or we did, until other priorities presented themselves," Sid confirmed. The whimpering Rance was doing told the foursome they were getting close, so they figured one last push would get the job done.
"But wait, there's more!" Clyde braced Rance for another bombshell.
"My sister Lynn introduced us to her 'sex games'. We play these from time to time on a particularly slow day when there's nothing to do. My favourite was naked hide and seek, even if Sid cheated," Lincoln disclosed.
"Wanna know the rules? We all strip off, obviously, then whoever is tagged 'it' has to go and find everyone else. Once someone is caught, whoever is 'it' decides what to do with them, and they can't refuse. Oral, vaginal, or anal, giving or taking, it has to be done, but there was an exemption if I found Ronnie Anne or Lincoln found Sid, and vice versa," Clyde recited.
"They're fun, but not nearly as fun as the strip card games we played as well," Sid compared.
"What about R-rated truth or dare? I still can't believe Clyde played that with us. No offence, but I didn't think that was your thing," Ronnie Anne added.
"None taken, and the BJ Sid gave me for taking part was well worth it," Clyde replied.
"You can thank me for that. Clyde often refers to me as his confidence booster. There was that one time we-" but whatever Lincoln was about to say was interrupted by wailing from Rance.
"ENOUGH! I'LL TALK! ANYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW, JUST PLEASE STOP!" Rance broke under pressure. The foursome relished in a job well done.
"Where are our kids?!" Lincoln demanded.
"Right Path converted all the schools in town into re-education camps. All the kids are there, in their respective age brackets. We made them makeshift dormitories out of shipping containers," Rance admitted.
"You shoved our kids into containers like they were cargo?!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed.
"We made do with what we had," Rance responded. Ronnie Anne would've punched Rance, but they needed more answers out of him.
"How did Right Path get into Town Hall undetected?" Clyde questioned.
"Through a series of escape tunnels Vic had secretly constructed when he worked there. There's an entrance at Tall Timbers Park, amongst the trees. He's also activated the emergency lockdown. No-one can get in or out, not even through the tunnels," Rance answered.
"Can it be remotely de-activated?" Sid queried.
"No. It's a closed system. You have to be in the IT room to lift it," Rance responded.
"Who supplied you?" Clyde questioned.
"Some woman called Joyce Crandall. She even gave us the Hellfire," Rance revealed. This, the foursome did not expect. Lincoln, in particular, did not relish hearing Joyce's name again. After all, she tried to destroy Royal Woods to make a sixth Great Lake. But neither of them expected to hear anything about this 'Hellfire'.
"What's the Hellfire?" Ronnie Anne asked desperately.
"A set of six thermobaric explosives placed at strategic locations around the town. They detonate and Royal Woods gets engulfed in a sea of flames. It's the final resort, our way of cleansing the sins of this town with fire," Rance divulged. Everyone, even those listening in remotely via comms, was horrified to hear this. This wasn't just a siege anymore. This was a war crime.
"Get me President McKay immediately!" Smith ordered.
Back at Brazil, Stella had been given the lowdown on Right Path's invasion of Royal Woods. Stella was only slightly relieved that the attackers weren't who she thought they were, but she was still worried about her family. What didn't help was McKay telling her the demands they made of his office, specifically that Stella stand trial for cutting humanity off from the Almighty with her machines. Nothing new. Stella had been dealing with right-wing climate-change sceptics since she established her company, but they never went so far as to threaten her home and family before. Some conspiracy theories accused her and her creations of brainwashing the masses, genetically modifying the food supply, among other things. She paid it no mind, but Right Path attacked her home, and that was something Stella took personally.
"Where is my family?" Stella asked.
"We don't know. I have agents in the field extracting as much information as they can. As soon as I know something, you will. In the meantime, stay put. I have no intention of handing you over to them," McKay asserted.
"With all due respect, Mister President, you can't expect me to just sit here while my family is in grave peril," Stella argued.
"My administration is working around the clock to dislodge this cancer from your home. We will-" but an agent whispered in McKay's ear. "What? Are you certain?" McKay inquired. The agent nodded in response. McKay then turned to Stella. "Are your machines capable of finding and defusing bombs?" McKay probed. This threw Stella for a loop. As far as she knew, she programmed her machines to replant forests, refreeze ice caps, clean the air of greenhouse gases, and re-wild natural habitats. Nowhere in their knowledge base was there anything on weapons and bomb defusal. Still, they also had adaptive AI, so they could learn, though Stella made it clear her creations were not for military use.
"Why?" Stella pressed.
"I've just learned that Right Path have what they call a 'final resort' in Royal Woods. Six thermobaric charges designed to burn the town to the ground should they go off. They call it the Hellfire," McKay clarified. Whatever pacifism Stella held in her heart had evaporated in an instant. These crazies threatened her family, held its leadership to ransom, and now they plan to raze the place to the ground. Stella wanted to fight, now more than ever.
"I can teach them, but I'd need schematics of the bombs and their arming frequency. Get me those and my robots can disarm and dispose of them safely," Stella replied.
"Easy enough. I can have those transmitted to you at once," McKay resolved.
"Once I have them, all I'd need to do is get to a central controller and write the software. Child's play for me. I would also need to know exactly where the bombs have been set," Stella responded.
"That'll be a little more difficult. I have agents moving to apprehend Joyce Crandall now. Hopefully, she'll-" but McKay was again interrupted by an agent whispering into his ear. "Seriously, camps? Alright, I'll let her know," McKay then turned to Stella again. "I've just got word on where the kids of Royal Woods are. Right Path has converted the schools into re-education camps, but they're more like prisons. They have the kids stuffed into shipping containers turned into makeshift dormitories. I thought you should know," McKay informed. Now Stella was mad. If Adam was in one of these 'camps' then the Hellfire would be the least destructive thing to hit Royal Woods.
"Thank you, Mister President. Please excuse me. I need to get to the controller in Brazil. Thankfully, there's a branch about ten minutes away from here," Stella replied. McKay terminated the call, and Stella then stepped away. She went to her hotel room, where she pulled out a briefcase. In it was a mechanical badge of sorts. This was a personal project Stella invested her own wealth into.
"I hoped I wouldn't have to use this," Stella lamented. Theresa then caught up to her and saw what Stella had in her hand.
"Please tell me you're not going to use that," Theresa begged.
"Do you have kids?" Stella posed.
"Yeah, a little boy. Just turned three," Theresa answered.
"How far would you go to see them safe?" Stella inquired.
"To the ends of the Earth," Theresa affirmed.
"Then you'll understand why I have to go. Pass on my apologies to the conference. Tell them I have a family emergency that requires my immediate attention. If the President calls, stall him," Stella instructed. She then placed the badge on her chest and pressed down on it. Mechanical extensions protruded from all sides, encasing Stella in a suit of armour, with wings coming out of the back. The armour sported a green and blue design, with flight controls and full tactical optics. Stella had designed this suit to fight a different enemy, but the threat Right Path posed to Royal Woods, in her mind, warranted its use. Stella called it the Iron Angel, though she had hoped never to use it. "I'm coming, Adam," Stella vowed, and took off for Royal Woods. This suit flew faster than commercial airliners and some military aircraft, so Stella could get to Royal Woods from Brazil in a half hour if need be. The suit also came with a cloaking device, so Stella could fly unseen. The suit's AI, whom Stella called Virginia, came online.
"Doctor Hunnicut, we are coming up on Royal Woods Elementary School now. I am attempting to lock onto Adam's cell signal. Unfortunately, Right Path appear to be blocking it," Virginia notified. Through her optics, Stella could see how, under Right Path, the school changed from a friendly place of learning to something resembling a youth prison. There were guard towers, fences, the whole place looked more like a military school. If this is what it looked like on the outside, what did the interior resemble? Stella found the 'dormitories' that President McKay referred to.
"Here's the plan; we crack those open one by one until we find him. That fails, we find the principal and 'persuade' him to give me back my son," Stella outlined.
"Don't forget the other children too, Doctor. I wouldn't want them staying here," Virginia advised.
"Then it looks like we're staging a prison break," Stella stated. She landed by the containers and began cutting open doors. The inside looked dank and miserable. For supposed dormitories, there was nothing in the way of true living quarters. No games to play, not even a ball to throw around, and the beds were basic in nature. This wasn't living space for people. This was a cage.
"School's out, kids!" Stella announced. All the kids rushed out of the container, while Stella busted them open until she found one that had Adam in it. He was easy to spot, because he had most of Stella's features, but Liam's ginger hair. When Stella found him, he looked downtrodden, but that changed to sheer relief upon seeing his mother.
"Mum!" Adam called out. Stella was quick to throw open her arms and hug her son tightly and never letting go.
"You OK? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Stella queried.
"I mostly stayed quiet. Others weren't so lucky. Rose Loud had the bright idea to ask one teacher how many guy crushes he had, so they took her to 'corrections'. Big fans of the cane, those people are," Adam answered. Stella raced over to Rose and found that she had bruises and marks all down her arms and legs from where she had been hit.
"Lincoln won't like this, and neither do I! Where's the principal? I wanna lodge a complaint," Stella seethed. In response to the kids escaping, alarms blared out, meaning there was no time for Stella to 'have a chat' with the school's leader. To make sure all the kids got out, Stella kept the guards busy using non-lethal stun blasts and rope traps. While Stella did want to fight, she was no killer. Of course, that didn't stop the kids from getting in a few kicks on downed guards before they left. The teachers and the principal all rushed to the front of the school, hoping to bar further escape, but Stella got in between them and the kids. The principal, one Bryan Waterman, approached her. He looked like your typical Caucasian conservative jerk in a suit, holier-than-thou, and thought he was better than everyone else because he was a 'man of faith'.
"I had wondered who was behind this little prison break. My my, that armour is impressive. Was it meant to combat the Almighty? Haven't you done enough to Him?" Bryan probed.
"This armour was meant to fight something far stronger than your God," Stella rebuked.
"Is that so? When I learned that Adam Hunnicut would be under my tutelage, I did my homework on you, Stella. Tell me, boy, did your mother ever tell you the story of how she got her smarts?" Bryan questioned. Stella was visibly disturbed. What did this guy know about her?
"Does it matter?" Adam dismissed.
"I think it does. You really thought your mother's vast intellect was through natural ability? No, it's that implant in her head. The one those things gave her," Bryan hinted.
"Enough!" Stella said in a panicked state.
"The cat's out the bag now. You're no genius, you're a freak! The Woman who Healed the World, when years past, she came close to enslaving it! What was it your friends said about resistance? About it being futile?" Bryan goaded.
"I said enough!" Stella reiterated.
"Using machines to adapt the environment to suit our needs. Isn't that what they do? Tell me something, Doctor Stella Hunnicut, greatest mind of our age. How are you any different from the Borg?!" Bryan posed. This made Stella rush towards him and put a mechanically-created sword to his throat.
"Don't ever equate me to those bastards again! I am NOT their Queen anymore! They are long dead!" Stella said in a fit of rage.
"Then why did you build the armour?" Bryan rebutted.
"To fight the Borg, should they come back somehow! If anything, you're more like them than me! Stamping away freedom and individuality to make everyone follow your belief system without question! Seems very Borg-like to me!" Stella countered.
"You would know, Your Majesty," Bryan goaded. Stella would've cut him down where he stood, but Adam's voice called out to her.
"Mum, we have to go!" Adam urged. Suddenly, Stella's maternal instincts took over. She instead knocked Bryan and the other teachers cold and escorted the kids away from the camp.
"Doctor Hunnicut, there is a safe house in the woods. I am sending telemetry to Adam's cell," Virginia updated.
"Adam, lead all the kids there. I have some more camps to liberate. I'll be with you as soon as I can," Stella instructed.
"Go kick some Right Path butt, Mum!" Adam encouraged, and using the data Virgina sent to his cell phone, Adam was able to lead the rest of the school through the woods and to safety. For Stella, there was a lingering question. How did Bryan know about the Borg? Stella made sure every mention of them was erased from public record after their attack. Even worse, how did Bryan know Stella was briefly their Queen? That time was traumatic for her. It took years to come to terms with what they had done to her. In healing the world, she hoped to heal herself from that trauma as well. She had no time to dwell on this, as she had to liberate the middle and high schools from Right Path dominion, and she also had a novel idea.
"Virginia, compile all the footage from these liberations. I wanna make something truly impactful," Stella hinted.
"Doctor Hunnicut, I thought you were above such cancel culture," Virginia stated.
"These zealots imprisoned my boy. They get no mercy from me," Stella resolved. While she was busting open dormitories and knocking Right Path 'educators' flat, she made sure to capture footage of the interiors and exteriors of the camps. Once all the kids were free, Stella made sure to personally escort them to the safe house, keeping patrols distracted where needed. The Iron Angel's cutting lasers, sonic weapons, and repulsors were not something Stella ever wanted to use, but she had no choice, other than to stand by and do nothing, which Stella was incapable of doing. Sure enough, Stella arrived at the front door of the safe house, complete with all the kids of Royal Woods, who were greeted warmly by their parents
"Oh, my babies! Come here, Mama's got you," Ronnie Anne rushed over to embrace Rose and Luke. Lincoln followed suit, with Clyde and Sid doing the same with James and Julie. Parents were reunited with their lost kids, and they told stories about what it had been like at the camps. Stella had asked permission to use testimonials from the kids in a special video she was planning and had gotten it from some of them.
Meanwhile, Lana and Adelaide met Lori, Bobby, Arthur, Hayley, and Marie on top of the Casagrandes building to discuss their strategy for taking back Royal Woods. To their surprise, they were joined by Lucy and Rocky Spokes, as well as Lily Loud. The three were the ones that met Lori in her club after hearing about the take-over and volunteered their assistance to help rescue Lola, as well as the other townsfolk, from their grasp.
"Before we start, last I checked, it was a 2-hour flight from California to Great Lakes. How did you get here so fast?" Lana wondered. Lucy then held up her wand to answer Lana's question. "You know we gave that up for a reason, right?" Lana warned.
"We all know the reason, but considering the urgency of the situation, I think we can make an exception. Besides, magical assistance will go a long way in this fight," Lori asserted.
"I have always said that if anyone harmed my siblings, the Dread Mistress would make a comeback. Right Path wants to know what true divine retribution looks like? I'll show them," Lucy said.
"Let's not talk about revenge until we know what we're working with. Lana, Adelaide, can your zoo animals help us out here?" Bobby asked.
"I have a Trunk Squad about fifteen elephants strong. I would not envy the guys in their path," Lana answered.
"Don't forget tigers, lions, cheetahs, and gorillas all ready to fight," Adelaide added.
"That, combined with my sorcery, and freeing Royal Woods shouldn't take too long, but we'll have to be quick. Once the attack starts, we'll only have a small amount of time to get to Lola before someone executes her," Lucy stated.
"Agreed. Speed is of the essence. Addie, your cheetahs are faster than anyone. They'll clear a path through Town Hall," Lana outlined.
"They'll need a pretty big distraction, and a sizable hole in the enemy lines. I hope Trunk Squad is up to the task," Adelaide requested.
"With the proper motivation, they can be," Lana affirmed.
"How can we help?" Arthur inquired.
"Once the fighting starts, I want you and your sisters to find your aunts, uncles, and cousins and get them out of the battle zone. Understood?" Lori instructed.
"Awwww, but I wanted to kick some bad guy tail," Hayley complained.
"Absolutely not! Everything I've read about these guys tells me they pull no punches, especially when it comes to kids. Besides, the adults can handle the hard stuff," Arthur guided.
"We'll tell you how it went after it's all over, OK?" Lana bargained.
"Don't leave out the parts where your animals eat the baddies," Marie pressed.
"Have you been watching nature shows again?" Lana probed. Just then, the TV they brought with them in case of updates sparkled to life. The group could see President McKay give another address to the people.
"My fellow Americans. I bring you an update on the Royal Woods attack. My agents in the field have confirmed the presence of a deterrent called the Hellfire put in place. This is a series of thermobaric charges meant to put an end to any liberation efforts or civil uprisings in the town. While I am assured the Mayor remains unharmed, my experience with these zealots tells me this will not stay that way for long. One bit of good news I can share. The philanthropist world-healer Doctor Stella Hunnicut landed in Royal Woods a few minutes ago in her Iron Angel armour and liberated the youth of Royal Woods from the schools that had been converted into camps meant to 're-educate' the kids. She has since shared footage of these camps, both inside and out, on social media. See for yourselves," McKay then presented the footage Stella took of what the schools had become. The vibrant places of learning and knowledge had been entirely transformed into extreme versions of Sunday School, with the Ten Commandments and other holy teachings prominently displayed on walls, Bibles stacked in every classroom, and constant reminders that questions would not be tolerated. The scene then shifted to kids sitting on a stool, recounting their experiences. The first kid was someone intimately familiar with the family. It was Rose Loud, cousin to Arthur, Hayley and Marie, niece to Lori, Lucy, and Lana. They could tell from the white hair she got from her father Lincoln.
"My name is Rose Loud. Daughter to Lincoln and Ronalda Loud. It was a normal day of fifth grade when Right Path invaded. My parents and teachers told me about these thugs, but we assumed they had all been beaten. We were wrong. They stormed into every classroom and replaced the teachers with their 'educators', I use that term loosely, because all they did was rant and rave about how anyone that wasn't them, or subscribed to their beliefs, would burn in Hell. They called me a hybrid and bad-mouthed my parents for their polyamorous past, so I asked one of them how many guy crushes he had over the years. I was taken to corrections and beaten with a cane. This is not education. This is indoctrination and torture. I am Rose Loud, and I reject Right Path," Rose told the world, showing the marks on her arms that Right Path gave her. This made the group growl with rage. Another child, Adam, took the stage.
"My name is Adam Hunnicut. Son to Liam and Stella Hunnicut. I won't lie, it is a little hard to be the son of the Woman who Healed the World. Most of my teachers have confessed to me that they have high expectations, being descended from genius and all. I may not have the brain power my mother does, but I admire her mission nonetheless. I try hard and get good grades. I come home every day and tell my parents over the dinner table how school went, what we learned, so on and so forth, like every other family. Only today, I couldn't do that, because those bad people kept us here for no reason. They crammed us into containers like cargo, barked orders at us, told us what to think, to believe. They picked on me especially because they hated my mother and her creations. They wrongly believed my mum cut people off from God, and that her machines are a blasphemous imitation of their Almighty's creations. I am Adam Hunnicut. I am not my mother, and I reject Right Path," Adam told his story. Instead of another child, an adult took the stage.
"My name is Agnes Johnson. I am the principal of Royal Woods Elementary School. I started my teaching career with one goal; mould young minds and show them how to navigate life, in the hopes that they will turn into productive, successful adults. That has always been my aim, whether in the classroom or the principal's office. I taught my students a wide range of subjects, but one that stands out to me is History. If we do not learn about the mistakes made in the past, we are doomed to repeat them. I have always been upfront and honest with my students, even on heavier topics such as the onset of puberty. I have had young girls get their first period in my halls. Every time this happened, I told them the truth. Every time an uncomfortable topic came up in History, I told them the truth. Every time it was required of me, I told my students the truth. What these so-called 'educators' told these kids was not the truth., but propaganda, misinformation, and straight-up lies! I objected to this and their presence and was forced out of my school in response. I am Agnes Johnson, and I will NEVER subscribe to Right Path!" Agnes affirmed. President McKay came back into view.
"Those were just a handful of testimonials from students and teachers alike, telling the world what twisted beliefs Right Path are shoving down the throats of impressionable, open-minded youngsters. They know that knowledge is power, so they seek to suppress it wherever they can and replace tried and tested curriculums with their own bigoted, xenophobic, extremist religious agenda. Do not let their teachings turn you against your neighbours, your friends, your colleagues. Be guided by facts, not fiction. I have been in contact with the Hague, and they tell me they consider Right Path as war criminals and will be tried accordingly. On my honour as President of our free nation, we will bring these cultists to justice. To the people of Royal Woods, I say to you; stay strong. To Right Path, I say this; we are coming for you," McKay vowed, and the transmission ended. At Town Hall, Vic, Susan, Lola, and Winston had seen McKay's announcement and were red-faced with rage.
"That's. It! They were warned! Get me Joyce!" Susan ordered. One of her guys then got Joyce Crandall on video call. "I need that arming frequency!" Susan demanded.
"You know my price, Susan. The head of Lincoln Loud to mount on my wall," Joyce insisted.
"I have patrols everywhere looking for him and the others, but the Deep State is coming down on us and without that frequency, Hellfire is useless!" Susan rebutted. Lola sneaked in a smirk. Hellfire was just a bluff. As long as Lincoln's head stayed attached to his body, Right Path couldn't burn the town to smithereens.
"Will you relax. As long as you have the lockdown in place, they can't-" but Joyce was interrupted by banging on her door.
"FBI! Open up!" agents outside demanded, and they burst through. Without much time left, Joyce transmitted one last code. "Here's the arming frequency! Burn that place to hell!" Joyce ordered before she was tackled to the ground and led away in handcuffs before the feed cut out. Lola's relief turned to mortal dread.
"The Deep State gets another one," Vic lamented.
"She knew the risks. We can liberate her at a later time, along with the others. Once the soldiers are finished laying Hellfire, we'll arm it. Do we have an evacuation plan?" Susan inquired.
"Once the frequency is transmitted, I will order our forces to retreat. What about our 'hosts'?" Vic assured.
"Leave them here. Let them burn with their precious town, and the Almighty will judge them in the next life," Susan spurned.
"Very good," Vic praised.
At the safe house, Henry was going over everything they had learned in his head. Right Path had snuck into Town Hall using secret tunnels, had previously held the kids in camps until Doctor Hunnicut freed them, and they had a failsafe called the Hellfire designed to torch Royal Woods to the ground should things go against them. He couldn't let that happen to Royal Woods, his home, without a fight. His mothers had told him everything about Right Path, including how valuable he was to them. Henry formulated a plan in his head, but it was fraught with risk and had a high likelihood of failure. But the alternative was burning, and he was determined not to let that happen. Henry took a deep breath.
"Forgive me, mothers," Henry said to himself before opening the garage door and confronting Rance.
"Who is it this time? I told you everything I know," Rance questioned. Henry sighed deeply.
"Henry Barsonthor," Henry introduced himself. This made Rance grin from ear to ear. He even chuckled a bit.
"Well well well, wasn't expecting that. What brings you here, kid?" Rance asked.
"I want to make a deal," Henry offered.
Author's note: Now that the Christmas gifts and New Year's summary are out of the way, it is back to this story, and we are fast approaching the climax. I do want to say that I first conceived of the Hellfire last month. I did not predict the LA wildfires that would erupt at such ferocity. That was part of the reason this chapter took so long to write. I was struggling with myself whether or not to continue, because mentions of a town burning down may seem insensitive to those going through it. Mine, Angel's, and Grace's hearts go out to those affected by the fires, and I encourage everyone to do your part to help bring relief to those that have lost everything, particularly because the incoming tyrant-in-chief will leave them with nothing purely because they didn't vote for him. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy, and spare a thought and prayer for the LA fire victims.