The story begins at Royal Woods' Comic Book Nook. Inside the comic store, Lincoln is looking around aisle looking for the Ace Savvy comics.
Lincoln notice a rare Ace Savvy comic, "Whoa! Is that the limited edition Christmas issue with the variant cover? I've been looking for that forever!"
"Deck the Halls?" A voice said.
"Huh?" Lincoln asked.
Lincoln turned to Delilah reading a Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) comic book at the counter.
"Yeah." Lincoln said and grabbed it and looked around, "It's the only copy."
Lincoln runs to the counter and rushes to grab his wallet, "DelilahIwanttobuythiscomicplease!"
Delilah placed her comic book down, "Guess you really want the comic book? Wanna try saying that again?"
"Delilah. I. want. to. buy. this. comic. please." Lincoln said after calming down.
Delilah smirked, "Thank you." She rang it up and Lincoln gave her the money for it.
Delilah gave her boyfriend the comic book, "So Linc, I got some interesting news. After my comics got popular, I've been getting invites to conventions for Artist Alley stuff."
Lincoln's jaw drop, "Whoa! Congratulations! Your art is amazing. You deserve to be there."
Delilah chuckled, "Thanks, but that's only half of the interesting part. The other half is this." She went around the counter and handed him an envelope.
"What's this?" Lincoln asked.
"A ticket to the upcoming Ace Savvy comic book convention." Delilah said, "You are coming with me this year."
Lincoln's heart shot into his head and his knees turned to rubber, "W-What?"
"Well, this year they invited me and can bring guests, so I decided -"
Her words cut off in a breathless umph when Lincoln tackled her and gave her a huge hug. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, making her scream in terror, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…"
Delilah screams turned to laughter, "Put me down! Where'd this strength come from?"
Lincoln got embarrassed and put her down, "Whoops. Heh. Got a little excited there."
Delilah giggled, "I can tell. Look I wanted to give you a ticket now so you can be prepared. Make sure you get money saved up and a cosplay ready?"
Lincoln nodded, "I will, thanks for inviting me!"
-Multiple months later-
At The Loud House Lincoln's room.
Lincoln was staring at his Ace Savvy cosplay. When he'd asked Leni to make him a costume for the comic convention, he almost thought she wouldn't be able to make it. Lincoln figured his fashionista sister wouldn't be able to make super hero clothes. But lo and behold, she'd pulled through. After reading some comics with him and looking over pictures of Ace Savvy the two were able to team up to make something great. No it was absolutely perfect.
Months earlier Lincoln and Leni found themselves in the middle of a colorful storm of fabric, thread, and sewing supplies. Lincoln had a determined glint in his eye as he held up a sketch of a Ace Savvy costume, while Leni, the fashion-forward sister, eagerly examined the design.
"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking," Lincoln began, his excitement palpable. "A sleeker cape for better aerodynamics, a new emblem that shines in the dark, and maybe some high-tech gadgets hidden in the suit."
Leni nodded enthusiastically, her blonde hair bouncing as she spoke, "Oh, I totally get it, Linky! We're going for a mix of super cool and ultra chic. Fashionably heroic!"
Lincoln began stripping down to his briefs. He had to try it on. After getting dressed he looked at a mirror. His costume is like a typical superhero costume: a red sleeveless shirt and shorts, a yellow belt, and a blue coat. On his chest he has a black spade with an "A" inside of it, which is his symbol. He also has one black bracelet on each wrist.
Lincoln hops on to his bed new to a Ace Savvy poster, "I'm Ace Savvy, the world's savviest crime fighter. A man of few words, and even fewer emotions. Except for today." He begins dancing with excitement, "Because it's the day of the big Ace Savvy comic book convention! YEEEEAH!" He becomes stoically again, "And now to call my trusty sidekick." He breaks out his walkie talkie, "One-Eyed Jack, this is Ace Savvy."
"One-Eyed Jack? I'm sorry, but did you forget he's a man? I'm a girl Linc. A tomboyish girl, but a girl." Delilah said.
"Oh man, hold up! If you're not going as One-Eyed Jack, then what are you going as? We totally had a matching costume plan!" Lincoln complained.
Delilah laughed, "Yeah, well change of plans. I couldn't find a good gender bent One-Eyed Jack, and none of the girls caught my eyes. So you'll be seeing my costume when you get over here."
"Roger that. I'll meet you at 10 o'clock when it's time to..." He bursts out of his bed room, "...deal out some justice!" He pulled a deck of cards out of his utility belt, holding them in his right hand and flicking through them with his left whipping his hand to spread out the entire deck in his hand, "I did it!"
Lincoln heads downstairs by sliding down the banister. Once he lands to the floor of the first floor he notices his sisters were there.
All of the Loud sisters were shoved up together on the couch with varying expressions of anguish. Lincoln felt sad seeing his sisters sad.
Lincoln walked over to them, "Hey guys, what's up? You all look upset. What's wrong?"
"Dad is literally being so unfair right now! It's like he doesn't even get what we go through every day!" Lori yelled.
Lincoln grew confused, "What do you mean?"
"Daddy is being such a total meanie-pants right now!" Lola yelled and crossed her arms.
"I don't get it? How is dad being unfair and mean?" Lincoln asked his face showing confusion.
Lana kicked the carpet, "Dad is totally being unfair and mean cause he grounded all of us, and now we're stuck in the house. It's like, come on! We need our freedom! This is sooo lame!"
It took a few seconds for that to sink in, and when it did, Lincoln doubled over in physical agony and tears brimmed in his eyes, "Why?"
"Because somebody clogged the toilet and won't take responsibility for it," Lori hissed. She glared at her sisters and they glared right back at her. "I know it was you, Lynn. You use waaay too much toilet paper."
"How do I know it wasn't you?" Lynn asked. "You were the one who found it."
"Yeah, by flushing and getting poop water all over my shoes!" Lori yelled.
The other siblings cringed.
"Until someone confesses, we're not going anywhere." Lori said with a sigh.
"Noooo!" Lincoln yelled.
Lincoln had been dreaming of this his whole life. He was so close, he couldn't let it be snatched away from him. He couldn't...and he wouldn't.
An idea struck him. It was genius. "I'll handle this," Lincoln said. "Where's dad?"
"Upstairs little bro." Luna said.
Leaving the Loud sisters to scowl at one another, Lincoln went upstairs and found Lynn Sr. in the bathroom. He stood over the toilet with a snake and slowly turned the crank. A long, thin piece of metal slithered through the pipes, probing for obstructions, and it spun slowly with every revolution of the lever. "Hi Dad," Lincoln greeted as sweetly as he could, "my man, my best buddy...Daddy-O. How's it going?"
By way of reply, Lynn grunted.
"Look, I know the toilet's clogged and the girls and I are grounded, but just to let you know, I wasn't involved. I love toilets and would confused If I clogged that bad boy. How about you let me go so -"
"No." Lynn said.
"But -"
"I don't know who clogged the toilet so everyone is grounded until I find out. I'm sorry, sport, but you're grounded."
Lincoln sagged.
"But, Dad, I can't be grounded! The convention's in a few hours and I gotta get my Ace Savvy comic signed!" Lincoln yelled.
"Until I know who did the crime, you're all doing the time!" Lynn Sr. yelled.
"Noooo!" Lincoln yelled.
Lana comes up to the second floor and entered the bathroom with her father and Big Bertha, "Big Bertha coming through!"
Lincoln made a determined face, "Well, I'm not doing the time for this crime. I'm gonna find out who the real clogger is...Ace Savvy style!" He pulls out his deck of cards and does the card trick again, "Wow two for two!"
Lincoln is shuffling a deck of cards and places various cards he put drawings of his sisters on onto his desk.
"One of you is the perp..." Lincoln said stoically, "but which one?"
Lucy comes out of nowhere, "Hey, Linc."
Lincoln screams.
"I might have a tip for you." Lucy said.
"Really?" Lincoln asked, but gets suspicious, "Wait. Why do you wanna help?"
"I don't care about being grounded. My life is just an endless mental prison, anyway. But it's not fair that you have to miss your thing." Lucy said.
"Thank you. So, what have you got?" Lincoln asked.
Luis comes out of nowhere, "Why not just fade into the shadows and slip away?"
Lincoln and Lucy screamed.
"Wait do you mean. sneak out!? But I'm grounded." Lincoln said.
"So, what's their dark plan to ground you for the second time, then?" Luis asked.
"But I could get grounded for a month?! No tv! No comics! No nothing! Ugh, that be the worst! How am I supposed to survive without my awesome entertainment? Total disaster!" Lincoln yelled.
"All of your shows are suspended in this endless void of nothingness. The ink of new comics has run dry, leaving behind only echoes of what once was. If the boredom begins to creep in and linger, just reach for your phone, that cursed artifact. They can't strip it away from you; it serves as a lifeline in this dark abyss. Embrace the despair, but let your fingers dance across the screen in the shadows." Luis said.
But what if I get no homemade desserts
"Frankie can dispatch some Johnny crafted by the mechanical shadows of a drone, an echo of artistry from the abyss." Luis said.
"Alright, that makes sense. Let's go with Luis's plan. It has a certain... mysterious charm to it." Lucy said.
"I thought you had a tip?" Lincoln asked.
"Do you wish to embrace the darkness and delve into this haunting endeavor, or shall we leave it concealed in the shadows?" Luis asked.
"Alright you convinced me let's go, but how do I sneak out? I can't just walk out the door plus my sisters could just bust into my room." Lincoln said.
"Easy." Luis said then texts Leo, Tommy and Delilah. After a bit he looks back to Lincoln and Lucy.
"Behold, the dark design of Delilah unfolds. The con shall commence at the witching hour, 10 o'clock. In mere moments, Leo will glide to the corner, a specter in the night, and summon us with two mournful honks. He'll ferry us to the lair of Flip's. There, we shall encounter the enigmatic Chunk, Tommy's roadie, who will guide us further into the shadows without a single question. A night shrouded in mystery awaits." Luis said.
"Got you." Lincoln said.
After a bit Luis makes a dummy out of pillows and placed it in Lincoln's bed and placed a recorded by the door.
"Now, if someone dares to enter this shadowy sanctuary, they'll assume you're lost in a deep slumber, draped in darkness." Luis said.
Luis lifts up one of Lincoln's posters to reveal an emergency cord behind it, pulls it, and reveals an emergency escape slide just outside Lincoln's window.
"When was that made?" Lucy asked.
"In case of a fire and we're trapped on the second floor." Lincoln said.
"Good luck." Lucy said wishing them luck.
"Ah, you're not escaping this bleak fate. You're bound to join us; your knowledge weighs too heavily in the shadows." Luis said and picks Lucy up bride style carry and she blushes.
The three make their way down the slide and sneak off to the corner to meet up with Leo.
Once Leo arrived he honked his horn twice and the three got in.
"Hey Delilah are you ready for-"
Lincoln looked at his girlfriend and saw her costume. Delilah decided to go as Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) Ms. Marvel's suit is a vibrant and striking ensemble that reflects her strong character and cultural heritage. It typically features a deep blue base color, adorned with a prominent red sash and a lightning bolt emblem across her chest, symbolizing her superhuman abilities and determination. The suit often includes reinforced sections for protection and flexibility, allowing her to move freely while fighting against foes. Additionally, she sometimes wears fingerless gloves and thigh-high red boots, which add a stylish yet practical touch to her superhero look.
Delilah smiled, "Looking good Love Bug! Leni did great work on your costume!"
"Ba...ba...ba..." Lincoln said.
Delilah looked confused, "You ok there?"
Lucy giggled, "I think you left my brother at a lost for words."
Delilah blushed, "What? I just dressed as Ms. Marvel. Not like Lincoln hasn't see girl heroes before?"
Luis nodded, "Indeed, but he's likely bewitched by the shadows of your beauty, dark sister."
Delila blushed harder, "What? I'm beautiful now? Boy you crazy! Lincoln tell them they crazy."
"Ba...ba...ba..." Lincoln said again.
Delilah chuckled nervously, "Maybe we should get driving now. Floor it Leo."
Leo looked back in the rearview mirror, "No prob Ms. Head Turner."
"Shut up Leo!" Delilah yelled.
The group drove off.
XXXXX
-At the Convention Center-
The group made it inside and they agreed to call Chunk to pick them up when they were ready to leave.
Once Lincoln was close enough, he could hear just how busy it was inside. Looking in, he saw people walking around, both dressed in merchandise and in costumes, checking out the booths, buying comics and action figures. Lincoln felt excited as he entered, knowing that he was surrounded by people who shared his feelings for Ace Savvy.
"Here we go!" He said, looking around. "I wonder what I should do first. Look for the new comics? See if there's a signing? Maybe I could-"
"'Scuse me!" A convention photographer approached, camera in hand. "Mind if I get a pic of you guys?"
"Yeah, sure!" Delilah yelled grabbed Lincoln making him blush, they struck a pose.
"Thanks!" The photographer said after snapping Delilah and Lincoln's picture. "Great superhero couple costumes, guys." The man walked off.
Lincoln blushed harder.
Delilah clapped to get everyone attention, "Okay, then. Why don't we set up my booth and Lincoln picks what we do first for fun?"
"Okay." Lincoln said.
Lucy and Luis nodded.
Delilah began to lead the group towards the Artist Alley. After getting Delilah set up and she took some commissions the group used her breaks to explore.
For the next couple of hours, they went around checking the different stalls and attractions available. They bought a couple of comics and other merchandise. Listened in on a Q with the cast of the upcoming live-action movie adaptation and had a practice at drawing comic book superheroes, before deciding to grab some food. They were sat down at a table, each eating a small pizza shaped like a spade, their bags of goodies on the floor by their feet.
Convention halls always seemed to have pretty good food, or at least passable. Lincoln supposed they should, considering how absurdly overpriced it was. However Delilah got Johnny to make them pizza to save money.
"This is pretty good pizza." Lucy remarked. "Your brother is a great cook he should open a restaurants."
Luis swallowed, "He confided in me about his desire to launch a food truck with the rather unfortunate title of 'Eat My Junk.' It's as if he's determined to ensnare unsuspecting souls with his decadent, unhealthy offerings—either fattening them up for some dark feast or utterly destroying their appetite. A perfect embodiment of culinary chaos, don't you think?"
Lincoln laughed, "I'll say this top pizzas in Royal Woods gotta go to Johnny's Dad's and Gus' Games and Grub."
"We eat the pizza there remember Lucy?" Delilah asked, "We also beat your older sisters butts."
Lucy nodded, "Yeah it was fun."
Lincoln and Luis gasped, "You went to Gus' Games and Grub?!"
Lucy blushed and nodded.
"You going with me there now." Lincoln/Luis said.
"I-I mean, I'm not gamer, but I enjoy video games lately for a while now." Lucy said.
"You going to play video games with me now." Lincoln/Luis said.
Lucy gave a small smile, "I'd like that."
"Attention, everyone!" They heard a man speak over the intercom. "The under-fifteens' costume contest will take place on the main stage in twenty minutes. Those who wish to sign up should head there and sign their name on the list held by one of the volunteers."
Lincoln looked at Delilah, a spark in his eye. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Delilah smirked. She saw the determination in his eye, "Enter that contest and kick everyone's butt? Totally you would win it hands down!"
"Huh? Your not gonna enter too?" Lincoln asked.
"Sorry I gotta sit this one out. It's a Ace Savvy Costume Contest. So I can't join, but you can Linc." Delilah said.
Lincoln jumped out of his seat, "Alright. I'll enter for the two of us. Let's do this."
So, they finished their pizzas and got up with their bags, drinking their sodas along the way. Once near the stage, they saw a few kids, some older than them, some younger. After waiting a bit for the others to finish signing up, Lincoln approached a man wearing a red polo shirt with the Ace Savvy logo on the chest, blue jeans and red sneakers. He held a clipboard in on hand and a pen in the other. "I'd like to sign up for the costume contest."
"Sure thing, kid," the man responded, holding his clipboard and pen out to them. "Just write down your name, age and who you're dressed as." Lincoln wrote down his details first before handing the clipboard and pen back to the volunteer. "Thank you. Good luck in the contest."
"Thank you." Lincoln said.
"Hey there, Lincoln. Sister of shadows!" Luis yelled getting their attention, "Lucy and I are off to explore the depths of the unknown. You guys can head to the contest—all that celebration feels so... mundane." Luis said grabbing Lucy's hand.
"Attention, everyone!" The guy on the intercom spoke again. "The under-fifteens' costume contest is about to begin."
"We'll see you later good luck big brother." Lucy said.
"Thanks, guys." Lincoln told them as the two goths left to check out something.
With that, Lincoln joined the crowd of kids heading backstage. As Delilah and the other cosplayers found their seats, an elderly man, wearing a yellow polo, brown pants held up by red suspenders, dark brown shoes and glasses, made his way onto the stage with a mic in hand, receiving cheers and applause from the crowd.
"Hello, everyone!" He announced. "For those who don't know who I am, my name is Bill Buck, and I am the creator of the Ace Savvy universe. Is everyone having a good time?" The audience cheered and clapped. "That's great to hear, because it's time for our main event! Behind the curtains are about thirty young boys and girls, all dressed as their favorite characters from the franchise, hoping to win your hearts! As a reward for their bravery, all contestants will received a copy of the very first Ace comic that was ever published, signed by yours truly. However, the top three will also receive something just a little bit sweeter, but I won't spoil what that is just yet."
As Bill continued to explain the competition, the contestants were talking amongst themselves.
"Holy cow! I had no idea Bill Buck would be here!" Lincoln yelled quietly.
"Bill Bunk was here?!" Delilah yelled quietly, "Now I wished I would have picked a Ace Savvy character."
"Without further ado," they heard Bill announce, "let the Ace Savvy Costume Contest… commence!"
One by one, the kids would walk on stage, pose for the crowd, and quote the character they were dressed as or say something they would be likely to say, then return backstage. After the twelfth contestant had their turn, Lincoln was told his turn was coming up. "Okay," he said to himself, "You've got this, Lincoln."
He takes his place behind the curtain. "Our thirteenth contestant!" He heard Bill announce. "An eleven-year-old boy will be bringing our hero to life. Please welcome Lincoln as… Ace Savvy!"
Lincoln pushed through the curtains, and was met with an ovation from the crowd. As he walked to the front of the stage, smiling confidently. He pulled a deck of cards out of his utility belt, holding them in his right hand and flicking through them with his left. "It's time to deal out some justice!" He called out, whipping his hand to spread out the entire deck in his hand, this time not dropping a single card. He posed for a few seconds while the audience cheered and took photos, and the judges took notes.
Once he was finished writing his notes, Bill grabbed the mic again and announced, "Thank you very much! Give it up for Lincoln, everyone!"
Lincoln waved before walking backstage. As Bill announced the next contestant.
After the contestants had their turns the contest ended.
"Thank you for bearing with us, ladies and gentlemen," Bill addressed upon returning to the stage with his two fellow judges, a brown-haired woman wearing a grey suit with a white dress shirt and black dress shoes, and a brown-haired man wearing a white t-shirt, grey jeans and red sneakers. They stood near a table with a red cloth with some items on it. "After deliberation, we have reached a decision. We would first like to thank everyone who took part for doing so. They were all amazing, and we would like to invite all contestants back onto the stage, so please, give them a round of applause!"
The audience complied as everyone who took part walked back on stage and formed a line across the back of it. Lincoln looked over at Delilah, Lucy and Luis, who were cheering for him.
"While they were all amazing, we do have a top three." He turned to the woman, who handed him a sheet of paper. "In third place… dressed as Snake Eyes, eight-year-old Billy!" The boy cheered as he stepped forward, the crowd applauding him. The woman walked over to a table and grabbed a red ribbon, attached to a bronze medal in the shape of a spade with an 'A' engraved in the middle, then walked back to the boy and placed it around his neck, shaking his hand. He happily thanked her, before returning to where he was stood before. "In second place, dressed as One-Eyed Jack… is 7-year-old Steven!"
The boy stood there, wide-eyed, whilst everyone else applauded him. He looked around, people ushered him on, so he walked forward, smiling as he waved at the crowd, The guy in the white t-shirt grabbed the silver medal off the table, walked up to the boy and placed it around his neck. "Great job with the costume, kid," he told the boy, extending his hand.
Steven shook his hand, unable to hide his glee. "Thank you!"
Once the man let go of his hand, Steven walked back to his place.
"And now," Bill announced, "to announce the winner." He paused to build up suspense, with some of the contestants crossing their fingers and some audience members drumming their hands against their laps. "In first place… dressed as… Ace Savvy," Lincoln's eyes went wide at hearing this, "give it up for eleven-year-old Lincoln!"
"Go Lincoln!" Delilah cheered as the audience began to applaud.
Smiling, he walked forward, waving to the cheering crowd. He smiled wider when he saw Lucy and Luis, cheering him on. Stopping near the front of the stage, he turned and saw Bill walk to him, gold medal in hand, which he then placed around his neck. "Congratulations, Lincoln," He turned to the audience. "With that, the costume contest is at an end. While I go back there and sign comics for our contestants, I hope you all continue to enjoy the convention."
Whilst most of the audience began to walk away and check out some of the other stalls, Delilah, Lucy and Luis decided to head backstage and congratulate the winner. Heading through the curtains, they saw Lincoln looking at his medal. Lincoln looked and saw the three kids approaching them, eager smiles on their faces.
"Nice job, Lincoln… though the dark clouds linger above, your triumph cuts through like a haunting melody." Luis congratulated first.
"Wow, you were hauntingly incredible up there." Lucy added. "You truly deserved that win."
"Thanks, guys," Lincoln replied, then turned to Delilah, "I'm kinda sad you couldn't enter Delilah."
Delilah waved him off, "Eh I'm good besides the best looking Ace Savvy won in the end." Delilah threw in a smirk.
Lincoln got flustered and the others laughed.
Delilah pulled out her phone, "We should get a picture of this!" The others all agreed, before standing next to each other, with Lincoln and Delilah between Lucy and Luis. They posed and smiled (well as much as Lucy and Luis could) as Delilah held up her phone, the flash going off as she took the photo. Delilah showed them the photo and they liked it. "Nice."
"So, should we go talk to Bill now?" Lincoln asked the group, receiving a nod in response. They walked over to the table where Bill was signing and handing out comics to the other kids who took part in the contest. As the last kid walked away, Lincoln and co. approached the table, the old man smiling at them.
"I was wondering when you would show up," He told the group, pulling out a comics from a box. "I'm glad you came to the convention today. Have you had fun so far?" They all nodded. "That's great to hear!" He grabbed a red marker pen, and began to write on the front page of one comic, completing it with his signature, before handing it to Lincoln, "Now, I hope you all enjoy the rest of this convention."
"Thanks!" The group said.
After biding Bill farewell the group decided to check around a bit more.
-Back at the Loud House Hours earlier The bathroom; Lana, Lynn Sr., and Big Bertha are searching for the bowl's barricade-
"Oh! Big Bertha's got something!" Lynn Sr. yelled.
"I wanna see! Is it something really grody?" Lana asked. Dad hands her the object, "Paper? It's gotta be something bigger than that!" She tosses paper out the door. "Move over, rookie! Some jobs require you to get your hands dirty!" Lana said and takes over.
Lana stuffed her hands into the bowl and did her magic and eventually finds the source of the clog, "WE'VE GOT SOMETHING!" Lana grabbed the object and yanked back, sweating and grunting. Lynn Sr. grabbed her by the waist and pulled, and a moment later, they tumbled backwards, the object landing on the floor. Lynn Sr. got to his feet and they all gathered around the object.
Lana was surprised, "It's a comic book?!"
"It's also the culprit!" Lynn Sr. yelled pulling on a random latex glove, Lynn picked it up with his thumb and forefinger. Richly colored panels filled with rainbows, cute, talking horses, and smiling suns met them, and they both cringed.
"Ew, gross, It's a girly comic book." Lana said looking like she was going to be sick.
Lynn Sr. looks over the book. It's a book, entitled Princess Pony: The Touching True Story Of A Delightful Pony Who Changes The World With Her Horse Sense.
"There's only one person who would read this: Lola!" Lana yelled.
Lynn Sr. grew annoyed, "That lying scoundrel!"
Lynn Sr. and Lana go to Lola; Lana kicks the door open.
"We know you did it, Lola! We found your book in the toilet!" Lana yelled and shows the evidence.
Lynn Sr. comes to the door, "LANA! DON'T KICK DOWN THE DOORS!"
Lola looked annoyed, "Barf! That is not mine! I may be girly and pink, but I do have standards!"
"Oh yeah?" Lana asked and held up the comic, "This has you written all over it. Princess Pony? Who pretends they're a princess, Lola? You. You pretend to be a princess."
Lola studied the comic and wrinkled her nose, "Okay, but it's not mine. I don't like comic books maybe it's Linky's?"
The conviction in her voice was enough to convince Lynn Sr. that she was telling the truth. "Alright sweetie," he said, "You're free to go. Next suspect Lincoln."
Lynn Sr. and Lana made their way to Lincoln's door and saw Leni leaving Lincoln's room.
"Hey big sis is Lincoln in there we need to see If he clogged the toilet?" Lana asked.
Leni shook her head, "Um, no, he's not in his room. So like, I totally heard him snoring, right? So I thought, 'Aww, I should go tell him goodnight!' But like, it's super weird 'cause the sun is still up and everything! What is up with that?"
"What do you mean Lincoln isn't in his room?" Lori asked. She was coming upstairs, "Last we saw him he was going to talk to dad?"
"Like, I have no idea where Linky is! I mean, there were just like, a bunch of things under his covers and stuff. Super weird, right?" Leni said.
Lynn Sr. was shocked, "Where on earth would he get an idea like that?" Lynn Sr. went to Lincoln's door and let himself in. He saw the slide activated, "LINCOLN! The sly fox made like a bandanna and split!"
Leni looked down saw a tape recorder, "Look at this." She picks it up, "It's voice thingy Lisa totes like." She noticed it made snores sounds, "It sounds like someone sleeping."
Lori gasped, "Wait! Where's Lucy we haven't seen her since Lincoln went upstairs either!"
Lynn Sr. facepalmed, "She most likely snuck out too. Ding dang darn it!"
Lana grew worried, "You think Lincoln and Lucy are all right?"
Lori comfort Lana, "I'm sure they are."
Lynn Sr. threw his arms in the air, "I don't understand. Where would they be?"
"The Ace Savvy convention." A voice said. They all turned to see Lisa behind them.
"Ace Savvy convention?" Lana asked.
Lisa nodded and pulled out a device, "I became increasingly concerned about our brother's sudden disappearance. Utilizing my sibling tracker, I was able to ascertain that he and our missing sister were at a location hosting an Ace Savvy convention.
Lynn Sr. gasped, "How did he even get there?"
"It is reasonable to conclude, based on the shared information provided by Frankie, that our eldest sister's partner was the one responsible for driving them to that location." Lisa said.
"Leo Lion Pop drove them there?" Lori asked.
Lynn Sr. started making his way next door, "Leo and I have to have a little talk."
XXXXX
Lynn Sr. made his way next door to the Velazquest house.
He notice the garage was open. Leo was on his weight bench lifting weights, "Leo! Lincoln is grounded, did you give him a ride to a convention today?"
Leo continued his weight lifting, "Alright, so here's the deal. I took Lincoln, Delilah, Lucy and Luis halfway to the con. Then Chunk took over for the rest of the ride. But hey, long story short, I drove him, and he's at the Ace Savvy con, ready to have fun."
"What?! I grounded those two! Go and get them!" Lynn Sr. yelled.
Leo sighed, "No."
"Huh no? Why not?" Lynn Sr. asked.
Leo put the weight back on it's rack and sat up, "Alright, listen up," Leo said, raising one finger, "One: Linc and Delilah totally planned this in advance so that's a factor." He held up a second finger, "Two: I just dropped them off, then zipped back here. I'm not burning fuel and blowing my cash on a ticket just to snatch your kids and make another trip. That's not happening." He counted out a third finger, "Three: If I bring them back, Lincoln's gonna throw a fit for ages, thanks to point one." Finally, he held up a fourth finger, "Four: They're your kids! You go get them!"
Lynn Sr. looked nervous and lifted his hands defensively, "Umm well w-what do I do?"
Leo got up, towering over Lynn Sr., and crossed his arms, "If you wanna ground them, just pull them aside and ground them when they get back home. That way they can still enjoy their time but feel that pinch of disappointment. It's a perfect balance—happy and a little bummed."
Lynn Sr. nodded, "Ok well thanks for the advice son, later." He then power walked back home.
Leo rolled his eyes and went to benching his weights again and acting like nothing had happened, "Better grab Delly later."
XXXXX
-Back with Lincoln and Co in the present-
The group we're making their way back home the group had called Chunk to pick them up and were surprised to see Leo be the one to pick them up. After getting in his car he drove the group home along the way he heard about the great time they had the convention part of him wanted to let the group Lynn Sr. found out, but another part of him wanted them to enjoy the Happy Feeling they had at the moment so he decided to hold his tongue until they got back home.
Once they were back on their street Leo pulled into the driveway.
"Hey gang, I've got some intel to share. It seems Lynn's aware that you all broke your grounding. He talked to me about it a few hours back. Just wanted to give you a heads-up before you head in. Be ready!" Leo said.
The kids gasped.
"Oh no! Dad found out! Goodbye things I cherish!" Lincoln yelled.
"Chill out, Lincoln. I've said it before—if you end up grounded, it's not like you had much to lose in this dreary existence anyway. Embrace the shadows." Luis said.
"Hey, guys! Listen up, I've got a feeling everything's going to turn out alright. I mean, if Papa Loud didn't really want to punish you, he wouldn't have just let you head to the Convention, right? It's like, he had the chance to grab you earlier, but he didn't! So, no worries, we got this!" Leo brought up.
"You make a compelling point, Leo. Perhaps our father won't drag us down any further than we already are, like shadows clinging to the earth. It's almost comforting to think we've hit the depth of our grounding, don't you think?" Lucy said.
"Leo's right, now come on let's get in there. I'm starving and I want to get out of this costume, cosplay is exhausting." Diana said.
The group made it out of Leo's car and parted ways. Lincoln and Lucy waved as they did. Once they were far enough away, they walked towards the front porch. When they reached the front porch they could hear scuttling and rapid movement, one of the curtains fluttered and they knew that someone had been keeping an eye out for them. There was no doubt in their minds that everyone was behind that door, waiting for them to enter to give them a verbal beating.
Lucy was afraid, but Lincoln sense it and rubbed her back to calm her.
Taking one deep breath Lincoln twisted the handle and walked right inside.
Just like they thought, just beyond the doors threshold stood their father Lynn Sr. their mother Rita and the rest of their sisters, unhappy expressions across all their faces, minus Lori, Leni, Lana and Lily.
Lynn Sr. stood there, arms crossed over his green sweater, right foot taping impatiently and a stern look on his face. Lincoln shut the door behind him with his foot, took one step forward then waited.
"Well Mr. and Miss. Disappearing act, mind telling me why you went to a convention when you were both clearly grounded?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"W-Well I thought it was unfair that I got grounded for nothing so got the idea to sneak out and go, but Lucy saw me sneaking out so I took her with me." Lincoln said rubbing the ground with his foot.
"I'm afraid I don't quite believe you Lincoln, we found a comic book in the toilet and everyone says it isn't theirs. On top of which we found a tape recorder that belongs to Frankie," Lynn Sr. pulled out both items to show, "Care to explain how this doesn't look like proof you clogged the toilet got the Velazquest to help you?"
"I-I may have gotten the idea from someone else." Lincoln said rubbing his arm.
"Lincoln, you lied to us! You snuck out with your little sister and you made us all worried!" Rita said sternly.
"What were you kids thinking?!" Lynn Sr. asked.
Lincoln frowned slightly, he was about to answer, but Lucy stood forward.
"Wait! It's not Lincoln's fault all of this started cause of me." Lucy said, "The book belongs to..me! I.. like...Princess Pony."
The rest of the family were flabbergasted, "YOU?!"
Lincoln notices Lucy's pain and feels bad for her, "So that's why you wanted to help me earlier you wanted help to put the blame on someone else."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't let our sisters know I read Princess Pony. They'd make fun of me for the rest of my life." Lucy said.
"So then, why do you read it honey?" Rita asked.
"Even I need a break from the darkness now and then." Lucy said.
"So, how'd it end up in the toilet?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"The bathroom is the only place I can safely read it." Lucy said.
Flashes back to last night.
"I was reading it last night. And when I heard someone coming, I panicked." Lucy said.
Through her panicking, Lucy tossed the book into the toilet and hid in the bathtub when a groggy Lincoln came by to use the toilet and flushed it; as soon as he left, it gave Lucy the chance to escape and save her secret. The water from the toilet gushes; end flashback.
"Sorry, Lucy, we didn't mean make you have to feel like you have keep secrets." Lori said.
"Yeah, siblings tease each other heck I'm sure everyone teases me!" Lynn Jr. said.
"Maybe you can handle that, but I can't!" Lucy yelled quietly.
Rita walked over Lucy and hugged her, "Lucy you shouldn't have to worry about that. If you want to like something it's ok. Just make sure it doesn't hurt someone."
Lynn Sr. crosses his arms, "Kids, you are no longer grounded." Lynn Sr. said quickly gained everyone's attention, "And from now on try to be honest and tell us how you feel."
The other sisters cheer and ran off to celebrate their freedom.
Rita Loud guided Lincoln, Lucy and Lynn to the couch and sat them between herself and Lynn and smiled, "Sooo? How was your convention?"
"It was great!" Lincoln happily responded.
"Glad to hear it! Rita said happy for her baby boy.
"Hey, son? What's that around your neck?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"Oh, you mean this," Lincoln explained, pulling the medal out of his shirt.
"Wow a medal!" So, Lincoln, how did you get that?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"I came first place in a costume contest!" Lincoln yelled happily.
Rita's eyes lit up, "That's great, honey! Good job! You want to put it in the trophy case?" He nodded. "Alright, I'll go and grab the key."
Whilst Rita walked away to find the key, Lynn Sr.'s resumed to questioning what Lincoln and Lucy did there.
"Alright, Lincoln," Rita said upon returning, key in hand, "I'll let you do the honors."
"Thanks, mom." He took the key and walked into the dining room. Unlocking and opening the case, he placed the medal inside and smiled.
He closed the door, locking it up before returning to the living room and giving the key back to his mother. "Thanks, honey," she told him.
"Alright, so you met the creator of Ace Savvy what happened after that?" Lynn Sr. asked with excitement in his voice.
As Lincoln shared their day to their parents. Lucy thought about what Luis said earlier.
Flashback to Luis and Lucy at the Con alone.
Lucy was a bit nervous, Lewis said he wanted to talk to her about something, but he had to do it alone. Lincoln entering the costume contest was the best opportunity to do so.
Luis looked around and noticed no one was around nor they could get someone ease drop on them, "Okay this is a decent of spot. Lucy I know you clogged your toilet."
"I didn't do anything." Lucy said. Normally, her voice was as flat as three day old soda, but now, there was something there.
Luis shook his head, "Lucy I looked into the situation earlier today. When I went to the bathroom I called Frankie to see if there was any word of our disappearance, Leo told us that your father knew and then I found out it was a Princess Pony book. Between everyone in your home you are the only one who likes Princess Pony."
"LIE!" Lucy barked. Passion colored her voice and an angry red blush spread across her face. Her hands became fists and began to shake.
Tthen why do you have a princess pony book in your house? Why do you have a princess pony lunch box? Luis asked.
"IT'S NOT MINE!" Lucy yelled, "I don't know how that book got in my house but I can tell you about the lunch box my dad gave me that!
"Okay let's say the book isn't yours. If you don't like Princess Pony, how come you haven't painted the lunch box black? Surely you would attempt to do so?" Luis asked.
Lucy was starting to get scared she didn't know what to say.
"Luce, please tell me the truth." Luis asked placed his hand on her cheek.
For a moment, Lucy considered his words, then sighed and hung her head. "Alright, it's mine. I was reading it on the toilet and someone was coming, so I panicked and flushed."
"Why?" Luis asked.
Lucy grabbed Luis's hand that was one her cheek, "Because my sisters will make fun of me if they know I like Princess Pony."
Luis gave a confused glance, "Who cares what they think? Why do you even care?"
"Sigh, Because I don't like being made fun of." Lucy said.
"Okay, fair point, but it's not right for you to hide it and let all of your siblings be punished over something you did. Part of growing up is owning your mistakes...and owning who you are." Luis said.
Luis pulled away, "Johnny likes lots of lame stuff, but he knows I like lame stuff too. If I make fun of him, he makes fun of me."
"If you own up to what you did." Luis said, "Your family will understand, And If they don't I'll kiss you until your pain is gone." Luis joked.
Lucy perked up, "Okay, can I have a kiss now?"
Luis nodded.
Lucy grabbed Luis's face in both hands and pulled him into a big, closed lipped smooch. When it was over, she was blushing and panting for air.
"Ready to head back?" Luis asked.
Lucy nodded, "Ready."
End of flashback
Lucy sighed happily before she turned to her big brother telling their about their day, 'Best. Convention. Ever.'
THE END