Sins In Twisters

by Blonkess

When Lincoln was destined to never have success like his family, after surviving the Royal Woods' Tornado, his future takes him on the path of becoming a renowned storm chaser. But as years pass since that day, his family tries to hold together after freak disasters put a halt to the sisters' lives when Lisa discovers a past family secret that tells Lincoln's time is running out.

39. One Step More

Sins In Twisters

Chapter 39: One Step More

---

Back on the other side of the lot, Clyde was steadily bracing himself with the radar truck as he got to his feet.

In the haze of adrenaline, he charged ahead to get them away before any damage could be done, but he was not expecting the door to be flung back into his face and landing hard on his ass in a daze. When his senses finally rebooted, and he was back on his feet with Shay helping him up, the face he saw before nearly sent him back down. He fears around the back of his scalp, thinking he really did just hit his head off the sidewalk.

"What… what are you guys doing here?" he asked in disbelief, removing his glasses to wipe his eyes with his sleeve before putting them back. His train of thought from a minute ago went full throttle, and he believed someone was messing with the truck while they were out getting a quick bite.

It might have been only five years, a long time for some and no time for others, even if the last times was only in a few brief encounters when visiting his bro's house, no matter what was done to put it in the past, the previous decade had ingrained the image of that blonde hair and blue eyes that would have one day been his dream to see every day.

He just didn't expect to wake up today to see it again. Nor it being the reason he got hit in the face by a door. Part of him thought he was still dreaming or just hallucinating. Yet, when the door opened again like it was ready to clobber him a second time, another face he had seen on the second to last day Lincoln had initially stepped foot back home popped out from the control cab. It didn't take him a second to register who was before him, but it took two seconds more to recognize how much the second face had changed.

"Lisa?" he asked, though, unlike his surprise earlier, it was still there, but toned to a more 'I've been waiting but still didn't expect it' backing that behind her glasses if he knew anything about her reputation, was that the crinkle in her brow for a split second meant she caught onto this.

"In the flesh and mind." She quipped. Grabbing onto the side rail to sling herself out and slide down like a mini fire pole. Landing with a soft click on the sidewalk as Lori grabbed onto it to support herself.

Standing between the adults, it was odd how someone only 13 years old, who he had last seen as someone with a figure similar to Lincoln's when he was the same age, looked so much older than he would think a child could achieve. Pepper in some gray hair and he'd believe if she told him she was actually in her late 60s and that she had solved the wrinkling problem but lost her height to it.

"Though, I must say you looked much better since the last time we had seen you before your disappearing act back in June," she commented, taking a quick second to mentally document that Clyde had changed a lot from what rare photos came down the pipe after Kingman.

From before, she knew he, like her brother, had adopted a more refined version of their styles while coming to the plains. From what she saw of him indirectly after the storm, some aspects of Lynn's description of his mental state were more negative, reflecting his desire to stay inside and away from any public eye.

The man before her looked tired, but not in the way that a few months ago would have resulted. He has that tiredness, sure, yet he stood with a new light. A kind of energy that someone, after being in the slums for some time, finally gets out of bed one day, says enough and works to improve. That improvement she saw could easily be summarized as bulk; he had a more filled appearance around his arms and torso, signs of physical exercise.

Yet, for her life, she wished he would shave off what she saw as a mustache trying to take form. His slicked hair completed his overall image, but just trying to picture that made it tempting for Lisa to get a piece of duct tape when he wasn't looking…

"I see you've improved yourself in the last half year," She said with a sincere smile.

"Heh, you wouldn't believe it." Clyde chuckled, a bit pleased with himself to receive what Lisa's equivalent of a compliment was. "Running all over another continent when you think winter would keep you down tends to keep you moving…" he said, his chuckling devolving into a hollow look as he remembered the dreaded days of just trying to survive swarms of mosquitos…

"I still remember that time you asked to stop to use the 'public bathroom' and ran out not even 23 seconds later with a tiger chasing you." The woman behind him quipped, lightly laughing as the two sisters had to take a moment to get their own mental picture of a poor man wanting to bring relief from nature, only for nature to send something a lot worse at that moment.

"Why did you guys even time me…"

"Blame Lincoln, you know he's iffy about trying to get moving."

"Yeah…" Clyde shook his head. "Those first few days were… something else…" his voice fell to mutter as some vivid memories of those first few days trying to travel South America flashed beyond his eyes, and embarrassment began to brew within. Shaking his head to clear those unwanted thoughts right now, he saw the two sisters standing before him with confused yet amused looks twinkling in their eyes.

"But back on topic, what are you guys doing here? Like here. In the now… This far away from Royal Woods…" he kept stressing the fact of what they could have possibly done to be here, yet a vague idea was already present.

"I believe our reasons are as simple as the point of our interest has yet to be found."

"So you're here for him?" He asked, they both nodded firmly, "Heh…"

Lisa's brow raised at the reaction, "Is something amusing?"

"I… If I'm being honest, I thought you guys, at the very least you, Lisa, would have been down this way a lot earlier…"

"Yes…. so had I…" Lisa replied, reflecting on how much had prevented them from doing so. Before November, we had been looking for where to go. Afterwards, we were… occupied with other matters."

"Yeah… Before we went to South America, I… flew up to my dads' for Christmas. Didn't spend long in Royal Woods, but… wanted to see how the town was doing…" He said with a low voice. Recalling the day that he flew into Detroit and wasted an extra two hours of driving just to see what had been done to his old home. It became one of those days that he wished he had his friend's insane drive to go after any storm within reach...

"Royal Woods is a tough town. It's faced disasters before and always come back stronger."

"Indeed it has. The rebuilding is slow, but progress is progress." Lisa added, remembering their new home rising in an empty neighborhood. "But that is currently not of importance. Right now, we need to know where Lincoln is."

"Well…" Clyde scratched at his chin. Looking to anything else but Lisa's gaze.

"He's not here, isn't he?" Lori flatly stated. Knowing that look all too well, he nodded weakly. Like a rusty machine turning with the sound of a grinding stone, Lori looked down at her little sister, who refused to look back. "A traffic detour, huh?"

In an odd display to Clyde, Lisa's hand introduced itself to her face. Realizing she was unfortunately correct, Lori threw her hands in the air. Muttering 'Literally freaking great' over and over as she put some distance away from the trio. She spent a few moments calming herself before turning her heel and returning.

"Do you know where he is?" she asked the McBride, who heard an urgency in her voice.

"Last I heard from him if he was over at the…" he paused. Hesitant to say any-

"The farm north of El Reno?" Lori said flatly for him.

-more… "Yeah… I take it you guys finally figured out exactly where he was."

"Why do you think we're here now?"

"Honestly? This." Clyde gestured to the entire parking lot. "Biggest convergence of chasers in the country outside of a massive weather event or out-of-season convention. The last time there were this many people together was a month ago, and we missed it. Didn't question the odds if someone from his family would have noticed and come down here."

"You talk a lot about expecting us," Lisa noted, adjusting her glasses.

"With your family? If it's one thing Lincoln's taught me anything outside of this place, his family is probably equal to or more unpredictable than the weather itself."

"Agreed. Let's go, Lori." Lisa ordered, slipping around Clyde and making quick haste back the way they came.

"Woah, wait, where are you going now?" He asked, a little confused by how she had quickly chosen to vacate.

"To the farmstead," Lisa answered, pausing to look over her shoulder. If he is not here, then we can wait for him out there."

"Wouldn't that be considered trespassing?" The woman asked.

"... in a technical term, yes, but in this situation, no," Lisa answered, returning to continue.

"Are you sure he'd pop back up at the farm today?" Clyde asked further. "I mean, he sometimes stays down here at the university's guest rooms or over in Del City."

"..." Lisa stopped midstep. Swiftly pivoted herself back around before briskly making her back towards Clyde with her head down until she was just two feet away, a bit close to his personal bubble. Slowly, she looked up past her brown bangs, just above the top frames of her glasses, and stared Clyde dead into the eye.

His earlier remark about age felt more accurate now when, despite the height difference, he had this inner voice speaking within him, 'You just said the wrong thing to mum,' and he felt regret for opening his lips.

"What are you playing at, Mcbride?" She asked with a flat but stern tone that he had only heard her use a few times in his childhood.

"I… I'm just saying-hrrk!" His shirt was grabbed and pulled down to her eye level.

"I don't have to be Lana to know when something smells like crap. We've gone through enough this last week to be stopped or led astray, so cut the crap before I-" her voice began to rise before she was jerked back.

"Lisa!" Lori shouted, quickly coming around to pull her sister away. Ease up," she said, looking her sister dead in the eye with the sibling message to cool it. Sorry about her. We've all been on edge recently, and the last time we tried getting him was a few days ago, which was a complete disaster…"

"A few days ago?" The woman asked, "You were chasing?"

"Not on purpose or the storm… we kinda just got caught up in the storm and…"

"I thought that van looked familiar…" Clyde mumbled, fixing his shirt. "I honestly thought it was just coincidence or the stress playing tricks, but when we passed a green and white van, I thought it looked like Vanzilla…."

His eyes widened, and he felt shock grow in them. "You… you were the guys Lincoln reported trying to follow him inside, weren't you? The vehicle we saw got stuck in the ditch when the tornado passed Fair Grove."

Lori nodded meekly, "It… wasn't the plan. We got so caught up that Lynn got too close, and we didn't have time to…"

"Wait, Lynn? Lynn was driving?" Clyde quickly asked.

"Yeah… Lisa has been navigating us since St Louis. The rest of us were just… along for the ride."

"Rest of us? Wait… don't tell me all of you are here."

"Yeah?" she answered, puzzled as a new wave of dread visibly washed over him. "... is that a problem?"

"No, no, not… entirely…" he answered, though when Lori's brow raised in question, it took him too quickly to lose it, "It's that, with how things were, we always, even him, expected maybe one or two of you to come this way. Lisa was our top choice; you and Luna were tied for second place."

"Then what is the problem of our family being here all at once?" Lisa asked a bit more calmly.

"Overload. Since Kingman killed the rest of his season and all the time he spent recovering he's tried to get back to where he was before. November was both a shot of steroids and a kick in the nuts for him with Nashville and finding out how he would have intercepted the Royal Woods storm before it reached town if he hadn't gone anywhere."

"I figured such a result would have caused significant mental effects…" Lisa uttered.

"And that's why he dragged half of us to Brazil for two months. If the stuff that happened earlier didn't spin up, I'm pretty sure he would have stayed down there as long as the chance for storms was still alive."

"Seems a bit… addictive," Lori muttered. Understanding that one could get their head stuck so deep in the game they lose track of life around them.

"He's become the new embodiment of never stop chasing. Even if there hadn't been a tornado in Missouri, he would have gone after those storms until they had completely fallen apart regardless of driving a thousand miles back here."

Clyde sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down as he continued, "Basically, he's filling his plate right now to the point he can't take on much more. We figured that with one of you coming this way one day; it'd be enough for Lincoln to get his focus off something else other than the sky, but with all ten…"

"It could harm his focus and priorities more than trying to ease him away…" Lisa summarized. Feeling one of her older theories being solidified by what was Lincoln's right-hand man and why she wanted to come with a smaller number of bodies.

She shook her head, knowing it was past any point of possibly changing course to that path.

"We've already gotten this far… It'll be inevitable that he'll have to deal with us all at once. If we have to take turns getting to him, then that's the route we'll take."

"Unfinished business…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Just… thinking out loud…" Clyde muttered. Combing a hand through his hair. "Here, tell you what, give us a minute to get the truck ready, and we'll take you to the farm. I don't know how well he'll react to you guys just showing up out of nowhere, but with us in the lead, it can at least soften him somehow."

Letting the idea roll around in her thought process momentarily, Lisa agreed, "It'll be for the best. You can act as the outlet if he goes off the rails."

Clyde's smile quickly faded, "What?"

"Let's go, Lori." Lisa waved to her, "We need to get the others." she said, pulling out her phone and swiftly typing in 'Regroup' in their chat room before turning away and with speed from before heading back towards the van.

Taking a few steps to follow, Lori paused, "I… guess we'll talk again once we get there?" she shrugged, not knowing what to say to Lincoln's best friend at the rather odd turn.

"Yeah… A bit more private place to catch up…" he mumbled, and she could see he was in deep thought or confused. Taking it as her cue, the older Loud sprinted to catch up with her sister. His eyes tracked her for a minute more until the mass of vehicles and trees hid her, and then finally let out a long breath.

"Well…" the woman spoke up, joining his side. "That was interesting."

"Good God, what have I done…" Clyde muttered in his hand, "I've basically condemned my brother to more mental abuse…"

"They're not, and also exactly, what you described them as. Those two were?"

"The oldest and second youngest. Lori had always usually been the direct one, but I barely remember seeing Lisa get that heat that fast."

"And Lori was…" she looked over with a side-eye.

"The one from before…" he confirmed. Feeling that this was his taste of mental abuse coming his way. "

"I can see what made you so-"

"Please don't," Clyde begged, "That's in the past now. It took a bit longer than I thought, and with some outside help, I managed to move past that. Besides, I got a new gem that caught my eye," he said with a sly tone, earning a giggle from the woman.

"Alright, smooth operator. Keep it together." she lightly hit his arm, "Day's still young, and I guess this season's about to get a whole lot more interesting, huh?"

"Yeah… but at least I came prepared." He said, wrapping an arm around her waist. He wanted to say more, but in staring into her eyes at this moment, something… clicked.

She could see it, a moment of clarity that suggested a plan was brewing. "What are you thinking now?"

"I.. got something that's honestly feeling like a Lincoln-level plan."

"Scary. Continue."

"It's… something that might finally help him, at least get him out of this shell. But it's… I'll have to talk to Rex and Erin about it."

"Oh, you are right. This really is Lincoln's level of crazy," she said, acting 'shocked' by his idea.

"Heh. Come here, you." Clyde pulled her in close, titling her back to compensate for their slight height difference as his lips made contact with hers, not caring they were out in public.

---

It was the better part of half an hour later when the girls had been gathered back to Vanzilla 2. It took a bit longer when it took some time since the message was sent out for the bigger group, who had just gotten to mingle into the crowd and had to work their way back. The five of them mainly stayed together as they walked. They kept their eyes peeled open and alert for any sign of their brother or teammates.

But even when the crowd was parted enough for them to wall side by side, Lynn hung close to the back. Arms crossed, head low, but eyes sharp. A big crowd like this wasn't anything new to her, even if it was that same crowd cheering her on or just being another spectator like her. The dozens of conversations she heard and toned out were just background noise to her thoughts that repeated repeatedly.

'They don't belong here.'

These were four words that she had spoken to herself many times before, yet they felt a lot more realistic here.

To what football or baseball was to her, the NFL or MLB was the next step right after college after years of grade school; this place was in itself the big leagues to what Lincoln was a part of. She could even remember that famous quote from the Twister movie, yet this involved both and more.

People were here for the thrill of the hunt, the thirst for knowledge, and the freedom of a choice and passion to grow or spend their days. These people came from different walks of life and were pulled into the same boat as everyone else when the sky started to get angry. In sports, it's always about improving yourself in mental and physical prowls and getting stronger to go farther. Take a hit and run faster than anyone else can reach you.

These people could have been doing it for longer than she had been alive. Back then, they only had map books, payphones, a nationwide network, and gut instinct to get them where they wanted to be. Now, some of the best only need a smartphone with an internet connection. They might not be the strongest or fastest people out there, but the results of what they find speak for themselves.

For so many, this event was another way to link up with like-minded people. They didn't have to practice and score big for 18 years of their lives to have the chance to be accepted here. Some had decades more of that already, but someone who's only been doing this for five years was welcomed aboard so long as they understood the task and had a positive mind.

Where did they fit into any of this?

Nowhere, that's where.

All they had were YouTube documentaries; now, they have had three rather horrible experiences. Sometimes their hobbies rubbed of on the others, like her rough n tough mindset with Lana or Leni's fashion to Lola's beauty, but they had nothing from what Lincoln had gone. It wasn't like they could have chased a dust devil across the street and say it was like what's out here, that's like saying a drunk game of paper football is just a stepped-down version of the Super Bowl.

Lisa was the closest one of them all to it, just because of the proximity of science. What did they have to measure into it? A jock that doesn't know how to properly drive in the rain anymore, a comedian who has to know that it's not a laughing matter, a poet that gets plenty of inspiration from chaos and destruction, and a child that's far too young to be willingly going through all this.

Hell, so far, the only one she's seen that has any semblance to it is Leni, of all people. Stopping at random times to look at a stand or display out of a guy's truck offering clothes and merch with their own branding, yet her interest is towards pieces like vests and helmets. What she got cooking in her brain, Lynn had no firm idea. The only idea she had right now was how much time they had just wasted here searching for what she had to guess, which would have been nothing if Lisa had sent out the recall so early.

When she returned to the van, Lori already had it pulled out with Luna, and the twins were already loaded and waiting. Irresistibly tapping her fingers on the outer door, she scanned the lot, quietly muttering until she saw the others approaching.

"COME ON! WE GOTTA GO!" she shouted urgently, giving them a needed pep in their step. Leni practically dived inside the open door, with Luan close behind. With Lucy behind her, Lily scrambled to get in, yet Lynn paused.

"What's the rush? Did you find him?" she asked Lori.

"No, but yes. We figured out he was probably still in El Reno and needed to go, " she answered, gesturing to a truck sitting in front of them.

Taking it as enough, Lynn ducked inside before suddenly ducking back out. Staring at the back of the pickup, squinting her eyes, "Wait, isn't that the truck I-"

"Saw at the store, we know." Lori cut her off before sticking her head out and waving forward. A head stuck out the front of the driver's window of the truck, showing the aged face of a man looking back for a second before raising his own arm to gesture them forward. Ducking her head back in, Lori slowly edged the van forward. Letting it roll a bit more to close the gap behind the truck as the weather center began to move further away from the mirrors.

Following him into a right turn, ready to get back onto the street, she saw Rex stop in the middle of the road that she couldn't pull out further.

"What's he doing now?" Luna asked, seeing the truck only linger a few inches further until its amber lights suddenly came to life.

Then, they saw it. Standing taller than any vehicle barely eclipsed by the trees with its own roaring engine, letting everyone close by step aside, the orange and blue beast of a radar truck came down the lot. Blasting its horn in two quick sessions as it flicked on its own hazard lights, Rex pulled forward out of the lot. Quickly getting ahead into the street as the girls sat, watching the modified flatbed roll by like a titan showing off its power. Dented paint glimmered as light reflected off the radar dish pointed at an angle skyward as it came to a slow crawl, passing the front of the van, and for a brief moment, Lori and Lisa could see Clyde behind the wheel.

He slowed down, lowering the window just enough for them to see more of his face, and waved to them as the rig pulled out behind the pickup. Their gaze followed him for a moment more until Lori had the all-clear to follow right behind.

"That was Clyde." Luna commented, watching the radar pick up speed and getting a 'Yep.' from Lori.

"So then, who was in the truck?"

"Rex Dylans." Lisa answered, "So far, my hypothesis that we'd find Lincoln's team here was marginally correct, yet he's somewhere else."

"And that's where we're going now?"

"Indeed, " she replied, tucking her laptop away. Onwards to El Reno…" she muttered as they stopped. Rex blocked the way to let some traffic through, keeping the odd trio of vehicles together. A few turning cars let them quickly jog back toward Highway 9.

Though she didn't need directions to get to El Reno itself, mentally thinking of just retracing her steps back to downtown, Lori kept the van as close to the butt of the Dow truck as possible as they headed back into west Norman.

Everyone stayed quiet aside from a few coughs and groans, feeling that renewed anticipation growing yet cooled. There are so many false finishes in a week, and it gets to you when this little detour tells them the same thing they were already thinking about. But the sight of the truck in front of them, while the sun shined, cast a stark contrast to where you'd typically see yourself trying to find a way to safety. Even traffic gave it a wide berth, like at any moment, it would spark to life.

Passing through Norman, through Moore, it turned heads. All three lined up, probably making someone nearby quickly get inside or finish whatever task they had when they rolled by. Lisa could see it, even if it wasn't clear from them being in motion. The better part of the last 30 years hadn't been kind to this portion of the city.

But when they got back into Valley Brook, she was puzzled when the team took a right turn in an interchange and wrapped their way up onto 240 Westbound. It wasn't that bad of an idea to avoid trying to take a radar through the downtown mess, yet this route made her a little curious; it was the only major highway in the city that at one point had all three tornadoes of the super event last year cross within half an hour of each other. Passing under the South Shields Boulevard bridge marked one, less than two miles up marked the second.

Damage around these parts was oddly more present than anything they had seen further in the city's heart. Homes and businesses still had signs of repairs, and a few were reconstructed or built, but the swaths of empty lots went up and down the streets. Following the trucks to the Wills Rogers Expressway, circling around the 'new' Will Rogers International Airport on one side and over a mile-wide path carved through the western portions of the city's suburbs.

Lisa shook her head, knowing that on that day, had they been present during the early stages, half the airport would have been inside the growing mile-wide beast as it intensified into high-end EF4 strength. With a wide wind field, even if the funnel didn't hit the main terminal, it was close enough to sustain catastrophic damage and nearly get a second dose when the satellite dropped. If they had kept going north to the 29th Street overpass, they would have been in the same position Lincoln and Ronnie had put themselves before the storm to warn everyone what was coming.

Like a battlefield from a war that was over not even a year ago, the scars remained…

They'll pull through. She knew it would. In a city like this, its people are like them, resilient or stubborn. Building on land that gets carved up every year was a risk for anyone, new and old, but it was a lifestyle they chose to accept. They were struck down and got back up half a dozen times before May 16th; even if it was a three-hit combo at once, they'll continue to build again and again…

Wrapping around another interchange back onto I-40, she mentally ticked off a countdown to how much further they had, less than 18 miles and 25 minutes from the farm. They sped down the westbound towards El Reno like a storm fired to their west. Give it a few decades; she was optimistic that El Reno would just become another suburb to the metro area.

Yet she knew from memory between the El Reno airport and their current spot, somewhere out in those fields, was a place that made every chaser reflect that no matter who you were, you weren't untouchable by nature. You wouldn't have believed that the still widest tornado in history once stood on the same road you drove on.

Coming upon Exit 125, the surrounding land looked dead, for the lack of better words. Most of the grass was still browned from winter; snow lined the ditches, and the lack of cars save for a few freight trucks gave the place the feeling it was more of an offshoot farm community from the highway. But just beyond the horizon of the road, standing as one of the tallest things for miles, the El Reno water tower stood as the welcoming sign to any traveler.

To them, it could have been a giant "You are 'this' close to your destination sign" in bright techno colors and flashing lights with fireworks behind it. The ten of them watched it go by, like witnessing their first time seeing a wonder of the world.

Yet, slowly, the town began to change. Going less industrial and to some 'dry' to more vibrant and stunning colors. Sure, there was your typical road work and abandoned building here and there, but to someone with Luna's eyes, she could spot some signs of the town's old life. Sprinkles of Route 66 were engraved in any spot they passed what she thought was the main street with trolley tracks split down the middle with theaters, bars, and restaurants. Not even a block over, when they followed the radar through another turn, they saw a giant 'El Reno 66' sign with a train caboose parked off to the side. Just a few hundred off to their left was another art meriel that had 'Crossroads of America' in white and blue.

She'd admit, the place wasn't spotless and fresh like a brand new town, but she could feel it gave something else. The same kind of vibes she had when on tour and at festivals where part of an entire district felt normal in the day, but given that jolt, she could believe that the old sound that followed the fame of 66 would light the place up.

Before they knew it, businesses were replaced more by houses. Trees that gave the place its green aura faded into fields. Even though it was a place where you could stand at the end of one street and see the other side of town, it quickly disappeared into the mirror as they rolled across another bridge that gently brought them back into the old familiar plains that Lisa knew went for miles until the next town over.

To Lisa, that mattered as much as the rain was wet. I gave her a brief glimpse at the area Lincoln had chosen as his new home, figuratively the same distance away from stores, entertainment, and resources as he was back home; the place undeniably gave a more rustic feeling than the more modern classic Royal Woods held.

But, that was a topic of investigation for later as for now, with El Reno a mile behind them and the fields letting them see for miles more, she felt herself becoming jittery. The tallest thing around here was either power poles or the occasional radio tower and wind turbine, and depending on where you're standing, maybe a bush or fence post. It was impossible not to see a farm silo or house off in the distance.

They were close. Closer than ever that five years had taken to get to. The second they followed Clyde's turn off Highway 81 onto Hefner Road, a completely gravel lane surrounded by fields dotted with cattle and ranches, her jitters only intensified. She tried to steady herself, but her left leg started jumping in place. She tried unrolling the window to get some fresh air, regardless if it was loaded by the dust cloud ahead or the smell of cow manure everywhere; it gave the tiniest of distractions to keep herself from doing something completely insane.

For her part, Lori was handling it better, yet looking over to see Lisa about to explode, she wondered if it was a good idea even to ask one question, "How much-"

"1.93 miles." She answered like she couldn't contain it. Muttering a countdown of how many tenths of a mile they were closer. "It's just beyond these hills…" she added, not pausing her count.

Like the countdown to judgment day, it had a cascading effect on everyone. Annoyances and exhaustion vanished, phones were stuffed away, except for Lana, the only one with the idea of recording the moment, and all eyes were pressed to the left side, waiting for any sign of the place that had plagued them for too long.

Unfortunately for Lynn, her patience was worn out many miles ago.

Without hesitation or possible care of consequences, she unbuckled herself. Rolling the window to send another blast of dust into the van triggered a different response. Instantly, the others cried out, shielding their faces and eyes from the sudden onslaught of pebbles as she reached up and grabbed the roll cage. Pulling herself out the window as Lori nearly slammed on the brakes.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed.

"Just keep driving!" Lynn shouted back over the wind, holding onto the metal bars with a death grip. The dust made her eyes water, and she looked away as her ponytail fluttered like a battle flag.

With one hand holding on, she used the other to clear her vision and quickly switched to use the other to shield her eyes. Scanning over the northern horizon for any sign of-

"There it is!" She screamed. Pointing past a few farm utility tanks to a cluster of trees over half a mile away. Everyone, even Lisa, pushed herself up to look towards where a large house stood with a treeline in its background.

When they came to another interaction, KnightOne didn't slow down. Rex practically sent the pickup drifting in a plume of flying rocks as it raced up the road. Though taking it a little fast, the radar did have the caution to slow down before approaching before it roared to pick up speed.

Almost overshooting the turn, Lori jerked the van hard over, nearly sending everyone tumbling to the otherside as she nearly sent it into the ditch. Kicking up a spray of rock and grass as she fought to steer back, surprised when it hit a bump that sent the van back into the middle and nearly into the other ditch, in a roar of primal power, whipped the van straight. Unsure if it was Lori being distracted or her way of getting her to stop hanging out the window, Lynn swiftly pulled herself back inside enough to where she was 'mostly' seated but still kept her head out.

Climbing the slight rise that approached the farm, surrounded by dry dirt fields waiting for the days to begin the plowing season, the house stood out like a monolith. Surprising them all by its sheer size from this far away from the road, it felt like it was comparable to, or maybe even dwarfed, the new house. It only grew as they slowed to slightly turn onto a gravel driveway leading up to the north side of the house bordered by the trees, standing tall with a soft white color to a dark gray framing on top of a brick foundation obscured mainly by the large wrap-around porch from the front door around the backside.

Although Rex pulled the truck to a small carport in front of the house, Clyde continued towards the back, where a small fleet of vehicles was already scattered everywhere there was space. The truck blew two quick horn blasts before disappearing in a wide turn, and the dust blocked their view of the backlot to wherever it went next.

Carefully, Lori slowed to a crawl. She was pushed down on the brakes harder when the front nose of the flatbed appeared from the back corner and pointed straight at them; it didn't go any further than the second porch post before she could hear it beeping, backing up to open up more space.

When there wasn't the threat of a head-on collision, she opted to park a little ways away from the lot. It wasn't the best angle, being lopsided with the front pointed at the back of where a pair of scout trucks was parked; she tried to get close enough not to be sticking out into the driveway yet be careful not to give too much gas to send it into a tree.

Lisa leaned forward, observing how close they got until the glare of their headlight nearly reflected itself on the bark.

"You're good," she said as the van lurched to a stop, though no one really was fighting to get out like a pack of trap dogs clamoring for freedom.

Even as the sound of Lori killing the engine, the air in the van was thick and still, but all around them, they could feel the atmosphere was so vastly different than what the weather center was like. With Lynn's window down, they all could hear the activity. Lori picked up on a few conversations; Lana could smell the sensation of ozone in the air. Lisa could see a hive of activity inside the garage with flashes of blue light from within. Lucy felt the warmth that the growing sunlight gave so intensely.

Leni lowered her sunglasses. Luan sniffed her nose, picking up the odd combination of diesel fumes and what smelled like spices being fried coming out of the windows. She could barely make out a kitchen while Luna could pick up two different songs playing. One sounded like War Pigs from Black Sabbath being blasted from the shop yet being so broken by the addition of power tools going off while a slower country guitar played from the house. Lola felt like the whole place was set to a 90s or early 2000s movie she used to watch on Disney when she was little. Here she was, a princess far away from the glamor she was so used to being in, possibly moments away from stepping out into a cow pie. Compared to everyone else, Lily, while packing up her items, felt almost giggly, like they were visiting their Grandpa after what felt like so long, yet this felt even greater than all those times before.

But for Lynn, all of that felt moot to her. Sure, it all had its own collective effect, but her mind was too hyper-focused to look at what was before her. She was almost afraid that, at any moment, something would change and take it away once she stepped out that door.

This place… it was like the focal point to so many restless nights. So many days panicking, begging, cursing, giving her migraines in a week than concussions in a season. This was the spot their brother had somehow managed to afford and hide for the last half-decade. It was the house where he grew his legacy, built the means to achieve it, and gave them all that extra boost to get where they were now. It became an object of obsession. Now, after a shit show for the last four months, they finally had it.

And it was right there next time.

She could pick up a pebble and toss it out the window without any effort and easily hit the rocking chair that was sitting in the corner. I'm not going 70 down a highway in a storm heading towards destruction, but… right there. Not moving away from them, not in danger of being lost in the rain or not being able to run after them or… or…

None of that anymore… no more….

Being the first to unlock her door and step out felt like waking up from a nightmare that had turned into a bad dream. Just feeling the mix of gravel and grass under her shoes was a feeling that no imagination had managed to detail perfectly. She could point to things she had only seen in images or videos, some the same, a little different, or completely new, but they all had that reality that no dream could give her.

"We're… actually here…" she said softly, but you could be forgiven for thinking she had whispered how loud everything around her was. Slowly, the others emerged from the van. Their legs were a little shaky from the little stunt they had pulled a minute ago, but they couldn't resist looking on like it was another wonder of the world.

"It's… beautiful out here," Leni commented, taking in all the stark colors that blended with natural and artificial with the sunlight and shadows.

Lola shrugged, "It's not bad."

"It's… homey," Luan added. It has its own kind of charm. It's a little bit western, a little bit rural, and a pinch of… industrial." She muttered the last bit as the sounds of impact Drills echoed from the garage.

"It has a little bit of everything..." Lori concluded, slapping her door shut, scanning over every inch she could see, and seeing a few people wandering around the garage, only coming out the main door or a little side entrance to shuffle tools and parts. Between where the hanger was built (buried?) a small box truck was hidden between a wooden shack with mounds of firewood and freshly cut lumber next to a circular saw.

Between them, if her memory is correct despite the details being blurred, was the KnightTwo truck facing the trees and a load of metal pipe sticking out the back. It was another truck, like the scouts they had seen back in Missouri, but only it was the truck. Devoid of any rear bed cover or cage or any additions aside from stickers. On the other side of a path that slipped between a cluster of trees and the garage leading to the fields, more cars sat side by side, more scout trucks in various states of completion, and possibly someone's personal vehicles. Close to the house, the radar truck sat quietly with Clyde and the women sliding out the doors.

Lori could barely hear whatever Clyde was saying when the two burst into laughter over something. She broke off to head into the house, and he came their way. It was something of all she expected from this place, but the glaring issue stood out like a fruit bat in a floodlight.

"He's not here…"

"No shit, he isn't." Lynn countered, already seeing the distinct lack of one white-haired young male and his homemade cartel truck. Heading towards Clyde as he came their way, Lynn swiftly closed the gap with a dust cloud of her own trailing behind. No one had time to react when she grabbed Clyde's shirt and brought him below her eye level.

Despite his height and bulk technically making Lynn the 'little guy' in the situation, Clyde felt that it didn't matter if he was a living mountain when the dynamite in her eyes was ready to explode. "Wha-woah! Woah! Easy! Easy!" he pleaded, bracing himself for any hit to come.

"So where is he?" she asked calmly, a force of thunder about to explode if he didn't say the right words.

"I-I-uh-"

"Ten seconds. One…"

"I don't know. I thought he'd be-"

"Eight."

"Eight!? What happened to two to seven?!"

"I don't feel like counting today." She tightened her grip. Bringing her eyes inches from his and letting him see what ungodly hell was moments away.

Feeling himself sweating like he was stuck in the shower, Clyde tried to think of anything to avoid witnessing that very hell. "Just… just let me call him!" he shouted, turning away like a hit was a second away.

Although she was not sure what she wanted, Lynn was pleased with the direction it could take. Unfortunately, the second she let go, he was pulled so low that his balance was thrown off, and he fell to the grass.

"Ow…" he groaned, slowly gathering himself up. "Was that really necessary?" he asked, dusting off his shirt until he locked eyes with Lynn's, realizing he was just given mercy now but not next time. "Right then. … give me a minute." He patted down his pocket and slipped out his phone. Walking a few paces back towards the radar to get some distance from all the noise.

When he was mostly out of earshot, Lori turned to Lynn with a frown, "Was that really necessary?" she scolded.

Lynn only glanced over, "I'm tired of waiting…"

"So are we. But that doesn't mean you have to go manhandling everyone-"

"Hey, bro!"

They all snapped back to Clyde with his phone to his ear. "Hey, quick question: where are you? I didn't know where you went, so I… no, we were there. Something came up, and we finished early. No, we're at the house now, just got here like a minute ago… It involves something… really important. No, the hanger isn't on fire again. No, the radar didn't- look, it involves someone important. No, it's not the tax auditors again; Rex already has that crow looking for him. It's…. Listen, listen; when- you're in town? You're In Venice. For what? ….. Parts. Alright, fun, anyways when are you gonna be back? Rough timetable? Two hours… Fantastic. Great, I guess I'll… keep them occupied until then. Alright, I'll see you then."

With a huff, he ended the call. Shaking his head and wiping his brow, he couldn't believe the timing of his luck for his bro to be somewhere entirely other than what he originally thought. Turning around to address the sisters, he jumped back, realizing that the crowd of ten had silently migrated closer and closer to him until he was back up against the front of the radar truck.

"Gah! What are you-"

"Well?" Lisa asked flatly. Tempting to try to take his phone so she could do a little 'investigating' on what that call had.

"He's over in Venice."

"He's in Italy?" Leni asked in surprise, wondering how her brother was

"What?" 'It's Leni, remember?' 'Thanks, brain voice.' "No. He's still in OKC. He's getting parts for a new camera he's tinkering with. Said he'd be back in about two hours."

'Two hours.'

Those two words echoed in their minds like the shot heard around the world.

Two hours.

They had missed him by maybe minutes.

Again.

For the third time in a week.

"Fucking fanstastic." Lynn bemoaned. Kicking a few rocks as she stepped away, feeling a migraine on the verge of breaking out. She kept mumbling incoherent things the further she got, the others thinking she was maybe heading for the garage, but it became apparent she was heading for the path that led further into the backyard.

Clyde, wondering where she was going, looked back and forth, trying to figure out, "Where's she going?" he asked.

"To either blow some steam or find something to punch violently," Lisa answered.

"Is there a difference?" Clyde chuckled.

"Nowadays, the former has the greatest chance of still living." Amused, he looked back in time to see Lynn reach up to the closest tree and effortlessly rip off one of the more thriving branches clean off.

At that moment, he felt a familiar fear starting to return. A moment later, he heard the screen to the backdoor swing open and slam shut. Looking to the house, he saw Rex standing in the shade of the porch without his hat present. Looking him dead in the eye with a question, or ten, waiting to be asked but knowing he had to hold for now.

With a sigh, Clyde prayed that by the end of today, he'd still be able to sleep tonight. Knowing a can of worms was ripped open, the cat would be on the loose in two hours.

"I don't know if I need aspirin or a drink…" he muttered. Silently agreeing to both. "Alright… alright, gameplay." He said with a little more confidence than before. "Minus Lynn, hopefully not breaking anything; how long did you intend to stay? Overnight probably, but I know a few hotels down by south El Reno that could-"

"For as long as it takes," Lisa answered again, adjusting her glasses as Clyde's words sputtered out.

"As long- So you're-"

"Staying until our mission is complete one way or another," she said firmly. Already having this conversation played out in simulation dozens to hundreds of times for her brother's reaction, so she had a much easier time with Clyde.

'Yeah… a drink sounds good right about now.' An exhausted little voice spoke out in his skull, and he couldn't agree more.

"*Sigh* God give me strength… … go grab your stuff then." He shooed them off, "I don't remember what rooms are left on the second floor, but there should be some on the third. But you might have to double or triple bunk with how small they are."

This did the trick of perking up the girls, though it was dimmed down by the reality of still having a roommate, possibly two at once. It showed where they could stake their claim in the long run. In haste, they rushed back to the van, crowding around Lori. As she tried to figure out which key had unlocked the roof cases to free their luggage, they practically ransacked the van to get anything left inside.

With the moment free, Rex emerged from the house. His boots thunked heavily against the wooden steps as they crackled under the gravel. He shifted his gaze to the sisters as Luna reached and dispensed their bags. Amused by the odd circus that had pulled in, someone's case broke open, spilling their belongings over the crowd. His earlier thoughts felt more validated now than ever.

"So… that's…"

"His sisters… All ten." Clyde moaned, rubbing his forehead to try to fight off a migraine.

"And he has no idea."

"I wanted to tell him, but how the hell am I supposed to word that? 'Hey bro, I know you're busy, but all ten of your sisters are at the farm about to make themselves home.'"

Rex nodded, "True, true… until he gets back."

"God, I blame myself for this… All because I wanted to check out the new Philp's place for a drink…"

"Hmmm. So, got a plan?"

"A little, but I'd have to talk to them and get an idea of their game plan." He gestured to the sisters, now making their way towards the house. Each chatted about what they wondered what they'd find and who would possibly bunk with who.

"Still thinking about trying to break his shell?" Rex asked as the girls vanished into the house one by one.

"That's part of it. Where's Erin? This will involve all three of our votes." Clyde asked, trying to look off into the garage for their radar technician.

"Down in the lab, trying to get a part for one of the new raxpols for us finished." He answered, slowly turning back towards the young man, "The fact you need our votes already gives me an idea of what you're thinking. Didn't Lincoln say it'd be chaos if they got here?"

"The chaos would be the understatement of the century…" Clyde quoted. Remembering their first year out as greenhorn chasers, all the close calls, and how Lincoln described past trips with his family. "That's why I'm hoping my idea will work and Lincoln could…"

"Could..?" Rex repeated with a brow raised.

"I'll… I'll explain once we get Erin." Turning around, Clyde headed for the house with a cloudy mind of what he prayed was a way to keep both sides from heading into total disaster. Getting one foot on the steps before pausing, "Question."

"Answer."

"Do you have any more of that Copper City bourbon left? I could use a drink before Lincoln gets back." His answer was given as a hearty laugh.

---

Meanwhile, the last sister had a tough time getting through the backdoor despite it being a double wide. The others had elected to stand in the kitchen, luggage cluttering the walkway so much Luan and Lucy were forced to reroute into a small hallway leading into the dining room. Though a few shoves got them to move forward into the living room, it did little to stop them from taking in what the place had to offer.

"Damn. Look at all this..." Luna uttered, eyeing the goliath kitchen their father would love that smelled like fresh cleaner and pans of taco meat cooking on the stove. The counter was lined with a tower of paper plates, while on the island sat a sea of unopened bags of lettuce, shredded cheese, and sauces. "Must be doing a taco night, eh?"

Luan stepped around, heading straight for the stove as she breathed in a big whiff of what was cooking. Like a curious dog, she went closer. Fetching a spoon for the drying rack, she scooped up a small piece of meat. Blowing on it hard before dropping it in her mouth.

"Hmm. A bit dry… It needs more of a saucy kick, " she mumbled as she chewed. Dropping the spoon into the skin as she started opening the cabinets. Noting where dishes, sugars, cereals, medicine, and more were, finding the spice cabinet, her eyes lit up when greeted by the impressive piece of art before her.

She smirked, "Woah! Ho! Hooo. Now we're talking." She reached up, reading over the labels of the nearly dozens of containers. Opening three and giving them a swift but light dab over the pans, the change was almost instant, with a new sizzle filling the kitchen. She smirked, grabbing a stirring spoon to mix in the powder more as she took in another deep breath, "Oh, yeah… now we are really cooking."

With one of them already distracted, Luna was the next unwilling participant. Getting just beyond the kitchen's threshold into what seemed like a weird crossover from a dining room into the living room. The table and most seats were covered with enough camera equipment, and she was sure it could supply a small studio.

Carefully picking up a camera the size of her hands but with gentleness like it could crumble. Despite its size, she knew how delicate and expensive tech like this was. What she had was probably enough to make a down payment on a car. The number of go-pros alone could probably pay for the whole car.

"Man…" she whispered, "Look at all this. There's gotta be enough here to pay off the house when mom and dad got it."

"When in a profession like photography and documentary, the cost of equipment alone can make or break one's career," Lisa added, examining one from a small pile pushed off to the side of dirty and damaged units. She didn't have to wonder how they got like this when the memory of how many Lincoln plastered over his truck meant he probably blows through them more in eight weeks than a disaster movie uses pyrotechnics.

Wondering further into the living room, they all felt the house felt vastly different from how the high ceiling was, as if it went straight up to the roof. Lynn would probably say you could have half a basketball court from how much space it had if it wasn't for the giant flat screen and fireplace taking up one whole wall.

Yet when Leni dropped her bags on the couch in passing, she paused to stare at the absolute sheer size of this lad, who could probably fit all ten of them at once. No sitting on the floor or armrests, and maybe squeeze in an eleventh body before sweeping around a worn-down coffee table with an odd choice of a bowl full of pinecones. Slowly, her eyes drifted to the fireplace, the mantle utterly packed with small trophies, pictures, some oddball pieces of metal, or nicknacks from other states.

All swarmed and obscured by dozens and dozens of greeting and thank you cards. So bright and sharp it put some of the natural rainbows she had seen to shame. Barely any space on the mantle was left uncovered from how weaved together they stood to how deep they went.

Hovering a hand over some, searching for whichever one her fingers touched first, Leni grabbed a red and white card covered in a big 'THANK YOU LOUD' in orange and gray crayon. Opening it, she was greeted by five stick figures; though varying in detail, she could see which one was done by a more experienced hand and had what looked like three kids standing in front of a cartoony-looking tank with a blue and orange shield. Between them stood a figure in a bright yellow vest and blue shirt. On the other side stood what looked like a house with bricks and pieces of wood lying around, yet ladders and tools gave the impression not of destruction but construction. Lastly, in one of the windows stood what looked like an older man waving out the group.

Above is a mix of red, black, and green, 'Thank you, Mr Loud, for helping our grandpa and a new home! Signed, Riley, Lucas, and Lily.'

"Lily? She said out loud.

"Yea, Leni?" Lily asked, hearing her name.

"No, this Lily." Leni pointed to the card. "It has your name and you on it." She turned the card around to show and point to the shorter figure.

"Leni, that's a different Lily." Lori stated, "Completely unrelated."

"Oh…" she said, realizing her mistake as she carefully snuck the card back in place.

"Oh my…" they all turned to where Lucy stood in the doorway to another room.

With her bag dropped off on the stairs, she passed through the gap like a phantom through walls into a dimly lit room with its windows blocked out by thick green curtains. But to Lucy, the thin light that streamed through only improved, utterly amplifying the atmosphere the room greeted her with. Though an older, smaller couch sat near the middle, facing a smaller electric fireplace, unlike that bakery-sized oven in the other room, a smaller TV on the mantle with a little less clutter made it a more welcoming picture. By the left corner, three windows formed, and a lounge seat draped in a rose-red blanket with a fine layer of dust was visible.

But around her, filling every other space there weren't windows, a door, or oddity, books. Shelves of books were built right into the walls, packed so deep some had to lay across the tops.

Grabbing one out of instinct to not let it go further damaged, she gently brushed her hand over the cover. A simple green hardback with gold letters on the title, she slowly opened to a random section, feeling the worn texture of the paper speak years of stories told. Placing it closed on an end table by the couch, she rolled her fingers across the books' spines like a feather, reading over the titles and authors; it didn't surprise to see some about weather and climate, automotive, engineering, some like entrepreneurship and how to get started when late.

She shifted to another shelf, a bigger one that lined the wall with a closet, and almost immediately paused when name after name caught her eye.

"Edwin… he has Edwin's books… Witchcraft of French and German, Purpose Of Life, Mysterious Beyond Death…" she froze at the last trio of books she landed in. Eyes growing wide behind her bangs as her hand fell limp.

Though it wasn't wholly to her, to anyone, she was just looking at the rest of the available selection. Lisa felt the gaze upon her. A silent message speaking that they needed to discuss in silence.

"Hey guys," Lana called out, drawing both their attention away, "Look at this." she gestured to a display case that took up nearly half the otherside of the room. Gathering around, it didn't take anyone a second to realize what they were looking at.

Two glass panels are used as the doors in a lightly stained wooden-oriented cabinet with eleven spaces. A nearly exact replica of the old family trophy cabinet. Instead of being packed and loaded with all the accomplishments they had achieved, it was filled with dozens of Lincoln's names. Certificates, medals, full-on trophies that glimmered in the sunbeams. Some even had Clyde's name here and there, a few with the SkyKnights name itself. Mixed in between were even more cards like the ones on the mantle, but they were clearly much older than the ones they had seen before. It almost felt jarring to them. Seeing so many things with Lincoln's name on it, you'd think it was some elaborate plan to make them see he was achieving things as high as they did. It wasn't until he started embracing photography that he started earning rewards. Mostly as paper certificates and their trophies became paperweights.

He was picking up steam throughout high school from all the clubs and programs he joined, but what came from those was just him getting as much experience out of it before moving away. A reward then was just a byproduct to him. With how much filled the case, they understood that things had been different since moving away. Every shining stand symbolized a moment where Lincoln shined the brightest. Far away from whatever effects they could have caused to cast a shadow upon it.

Without them in the way, he could fly and soar higher now than ever before.

It left a numbing feeling in them all, and Lori wasn't eager to dwell on it anymore. "Let's… focus on unpacking first. Clyde said the third floor, right?" she asked, hoping to steer them all away from something better left unsaid until later.

"I didn't think this place had a third floor. Never saw it in the show." Luna replied, snapping out of her trance.

Heading for the door that divided the reading room from the actual dining room. The place itself was not as much of a mess as the set up on the otherside of the house, but with more paperwork stacked in piles like someone slaving away at the office. To her left, a small hallway went down towards where she knew a small bathroom was hidden under the stairs, and just a little beyond it was another door that led outside to the rolling hills and roads back toward El Reno.

Peaking under the stairs, she could see another flight climbing higher into the house, "This place already this huge, why have a third floor?"

"Cause top to bottom third is better than one and gets the big job done?" Luan quipped as she stepped out of the kitchen. However, when she didn't hear anyone even groan, she shrugged. "Nothing? Eh. I didn't hear enough context, so I figured I'd try something out. Probably think of something later. Anyways… what are we doing?"

"Going up," Luna answered as she headed for the stairs.

"Ah yes, one small step for man. Two flights of stairs for Loudkind."

"Luan…"

"Sorry. Felt that one wanted to be free."

Filling up the stairs, you'd think they were in a completely different house than what the other half presented. Each board groaned and creaked with each passing step, sometimes so loudly that Lana was tempted to spring out her tools to rip them up and fix it (though that would be for later) that kept her from doing something crazy. Lucy, ever the ghost on her feet she was, couldn't escape from making a noise every other third step. One loud creak from Leni made them all stop, wondering if the wood was about to give out any minute now.

Quickly ushering anyone ahead to speed up, they were greeted with a new but oddly familiar sight.

If her memory of the show was still valid, as Lisa could point out hundreds of chances all over the place since the show was made, then to their immediate right was the main bathroom for this floor, while to their immediate right was Clyde's room.

It is prime bathroom real estate for them: a straight shot here and just a quick run downstairs to two more.

"Oh, thank God…" Lola exclaimed, standing in the bathroom doorway with utter relief. Curious, the others quickly peaked and felt their eyes turn to saucers.

Expecting something a bit more dated that would have their single-family look like the future, shining white porcelain and tile with sun yellow mixed in the light with the smell of spring air from the cracked open window made it feel like it was the bathhouse from heaven. Just seeing the tub size made ones like Lori, Leni, and Lola fade into dreamland for the long, hot soaking…

"Adequate bathroom facilities, good," Lisa stated before moving along. "Hopefully, we won't compete with the others either."

"Others?" The girls asked.

"Indeed," Lisa said as she approached what she remembered was one of the many guest rooms in this house.

The first one she stepped into was bare but already claimed by two sets of duffel bags. Probably the twin brothers. She moved down the hall to the door opposite and found a smaller single bed with a velvet-colored suitcase already tucked to the side and other items placed on the dresser. Possibly Shay's room, but memory had it as Ronnie Anne's old room. Across from that door, five steps away, was another closed door that-

Lisa quickly yanked her hand away as if she were reaching for a trap.

"What's wrong, sis?" Luan asked, seeing her recoil.

"Lincoln's room…"

Two more words that grabbed their attention. Staring at the door like it was a gateway to another world that held secrets beyond their understanding. Where a different life was quietly forged, decisions made, love shared… Leni turning the knob to-

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Lisa yelled, quickly grabbing Leni's hand before the fashionista could open it beyond an inch.

"What? I just wanted to see. I know all of you want a peak, too."

"Leni, you can't just go into someone's room like that. We've talked about this." Lori explained, slowly plucking Leni's fingers free from the knob.

"But how come Lisa got to do it twice?"

"... that's beside the point. I'm sure you'll get to see it soon enough…" Lori trailed off. Slowly pulling her sister away, part of her, an ancient part of her, was agreeing with her. They were staying here for a while; they were bound to catch a glimpse inside, or Lincoln would leave his door open, and they could get a better peak, but that was a place where so many ideas had-

'Stop it. Not today.' She affirmed to herself.

"Let's just go unpack… hopefully there's some good beds up there and not just haystacks. God knows if there's even an actual floor…"

"Man, I just realized we'll be cooking all summer up here…" Luna moaned, followed by everyone else realizing the new torture they would endure.

"Technically, what we'd think is one of those giant attics you'd see a lot on TV and movies that exist in older homes like this, dating back to before the 1950s. The reason for it and so many doors was to help regulate temperature throughout the seasons and not waste energy. In this age, it's often used for storage as we used ours, though here, it's properly converted more as living space for the large family that originally built it. If Lincoln upgraded the house, it's probably ventilated with air conditioning."

All eyes turned towards Lana, who, with a small screwdriver, was poking and prodding the baseboards of the wall, getting towards the door frame to Lincoln's room before noticing the burning sensation upon her, looking back to see them all with confusion or annoyed expressions.

"What?"

Lori shook her head, "Thanks for the history lesson, Lana…" she mumbled, heading back for the stairs. "Really helps it out…" her voice slowly became silenced as she disappeared around the corner. Closely followed by Luan and Leni, making sure Leni didn't open any other closed doors.

Snaking up the stairs, Lucy took one step up until looking back, seeing Lisa standing in the same spot she hadn't left.

"Lisa?"

"Yeah…?"

"You coming?"

"Yeah… I'll… be a minute," she mumbled, unsure if that was true or not. Lucy could see that lost look in her eyes. Deep in thought, trying to understand something new in front of her. She didn't need to follow her gaze; she had to mentally pull herself away from falling into a trance that had already ensnared her little sister.

Stepping back down, she took hold of Lisa's bag. Heading back up and hoping that the available rooms were private enough. With her shoes thumping on the steps growing quieter the higher she went, it soon became muffled and completely silent.

Only glancing out the corner of her eye to see if anyone else had remained behind, Lisa let out a low, quiet breath.

She could have just belched it out from how loud it sounded. The muffled footsteps upstairs told her the place had good soundproofing or insulation, yet even from the open window above the stairs, she couldn't hear much of anything from outside anymore. It was hard to hear anything when they arrived, but now… it was another loud house that had gone silent.

Ironic…

Unlike getting destroyed like their home in a once-in-a-lifetime, more like a once-in-a-decade event, this house stood in the middle of the region with the greatest risk. During most of the year, if it wasn't completely empty from the team traveling across the country, it was as alive as what a dozen friends who came together daily to work or socialize could bring. It might have been silent after Kingman and during their little southern escapades, but in two weeks, it bounced back. There will be more days just like this in the coming weeks when all the work is done for now, and they have nowhere to go. And days when it felt like it was abandoned.

With them here, hidden away in the attic trying to get a plan going, there wouldn't be a difference to how loud or silent the house became…

"What the hell am I even thinking anymore…?" Lisa asked out loud to herself. Holding a hand to her forehead, she wondered how her train of thought was so derailed on multiple points, yet it somehow kept rolling forward.

Heading for the bathroom, she kicked the door closed. The rush of air blew her hair around as she flicked on the light, standing before the sink and mirror. Grabbing each side of the basin, she twisted the cold knob to full blast. Letting it run momentarily, she pulled her glasses off, placed them off to the side between the sinks, and cupped her hands to collect as much water as possible before dunking her head low and splashing it over.

Once wasn't enough. She collected another, two more, and followed until she felt her hair and shirt edges become soaked when she turned off the flow. Stepping back but leaning her dripping face over the sink, feeling each cold drop only made her skin crawl with goosebumps when the air from the window swirled into the room.

Running a hand through the wet portions of her hair, she looked up from the mirror's bottom edge. Seeing a worn, exhausted look staring back.

Part of her wondered how this could be possible anymore. She could recall times when there'd be bust after bust, breakdowns, and misplays on where to be and when. Victory at every turn isn't impossible, but it's nearly impossible not to have more failures than successes when every move you make feels like you're only falling further behind.

They were behind, but they were here. Okay, they were about a week late. It broke down only once… Twice, but the last one was more of an accident caused by blind thinking and an act of God… Made the unnecessary idea to go somewhere and lose more time when they could have gotten here first and early, but in less than two hours; one hour, 39 minutes, 20 seconds and counting every second. He'll be here. There was nowhere else for them to run to and nowhere else he could be but back- *thump* … home.

Shifting her gaze to the door, Lisa felt herself freeze up.

Looking down at the floor, she couldn't see any changes in light, as if someone was standing outside. She didn't hear the floor creak, the sound of someone talking. She strained her ears to try to pick up on someone's breathing, but there was nothing. It wasn't like someone had run into the door; there would have been a more significant impact. She only briefly saw a hair of movement from the edge of her vision, but nothing else followed. No question if someone was in here, no knocks, nothing. The amount of force needed to make that heavy of a hit had to be like someone dropping their suitcase, but…

An idea struck. She tried to wipe away any extra water with both hands before donning her glasses. Flicking off the lights, she dramatically swung the door to be met with… nothing.

Sliding her feet to avoid making any loud sounds, age shuffled out of the bathroom. Keeping close to the wall, she peered down, expecting either someone at the side door, but nothing more. Looking up, she saw a door to the third floor closed; maybe it was the wind? These doors weren't exactly light. The hinges were old enough, and you really needed to put some effort into pushing or pulling your way through. But out here, she didn't feel air flow at all. Even close to the stairs, she didn't feel anything cold falling, and she was positive no one upstairs had decided to lock themselves-

*Thump*

Her head whipped around to the hallway. Feeling the boards beneath her vibrate for the split second contact was made.

Saying screw it to any stealth, she steps out into the hall to see- "What the hell…."

Lisa stumbled backward, but instead of falling back onto the stairs, she hit another door. Pressing her hands against the wood, her eyes widened when the feeling of grain that had been worn down from years of abuse greeted her.

She spun around, seeing the door to what was their old bathroom. She immediately reached for the handle, trying to-

*Thump*

She snapped around again. Back pressed tightly like she was about to be attacked, but nothing but an empty hallway wasn't… the closet door was open. At the far end, she remembered from brief scenes that it was a small storage closet, but from here, it was pitch black like the doorway to the void itself had opened for her only.

And the void greeted her with… a ball. A little toy red bouncy ball. Falling from the darkness like it had been thrown underhanded. It bounced once, twice, thrice before it lost vertical momentum and slowly came rolling towards her feet. It bumped into her toe, moving a few inches back the way it came until it slowly stopped in a divot in the boards.

Her mind was flying like a train on fire, but the tracks were coming apart faster than could cover the distance. In some weird low-funded sector of her brain, the part that would send her into kid mode whenever something actually made her heart and mind flutter at the chance to experience something perfectly catered to her interests, one little subsection was into debunking things that her siblings used watched sci-fi, mystery, supernatural programs. Things she could easily pick apart for lack of realism to the point of letting the mind think it's possible. Of course, she's had to change that perspective heavily after Scotland. The unexplainable exists out there and remains unexplainable because when it happens to someone, you can't grasp what they're saying until it happens to yourself.

If supernatural or horror movies had taught her anything remotely useful, it was either she was becoming far more delusional, or this was a trap. With her mind unable to conclude which of the two was valid, her experimental side muttered to itself: 'One way to find out.'

Bending at the knees, she gingerly grabbed the ball. Feeling the rubbery surface and squishy inner foam in her hand, she knew it was a hundred percent real. It had wear and tear like any toy of its type. Even a tiny chunk was bitten out for whatever insane tradition befell upon these. She held it to eye level, examining every centimeter of surface area she could see.

Other than the bite, there was virtually nothing wrong with it, from what she could tell. Oddly enough, it vastly helped calm down her nerves. With a quick flick of her wrist, she launched the ball up. Bouncing it off the ceiling before quickly catching it and sending it back harder. Let it bounce once, fall past her, and bounce off the floor before she caught it again.

A faint smile spread across her lips. The odd feeling grew at the now highly welcomed distraction as she repeated the move. Watching it bounce off the ceiling towards the floor and briefly make eye contact with a pair of big brown eyes staring right back at her.

Lisa jumped back, fumbling to catch the ball as she nearly fell hard enough to put a dent into the door and scramble to stay up to put as much distance between her and… a child? Just… sitting in the middle of the hallway a mere five feet away from her. She knew they could be sneaky, but this was… downright unexplainable.

She looked at least a year old, maybe more from their size—the mop of messy light brown hair tied back in a small ponytail. Yet the clothes, a blue onesie with white outlines, look far less like toddler clothes and more like a suit. It was like something she would have designed if someone had told her to make Lily's baby clothes, capped off with a greenish-gray pacifier in her mouth, moving slightly up and down like she was chewing on it.

'Where the hell did you come from?!' screamed in her mind like echoes in a mineshaft. No other door was open or closed unless she was somehow hiding in the broom closet in the dark. For what reason, she didn't know nor understand what parent would have left a 15-month-old alone.

And parents… who's child was this? She didn't recall any of the team having any children. She had no features that said Clyde's, Shay's, Erin's, the twins, or even Rex. She knew he had children, but they were all in their 20s at this point. This girl had to have been born around this time last year, and again, there was no evidence of anyone being pregnant or already having a newborn. She knew it wasn't some secret child from Ronnie; too many photos over 2024 backed up that with hard facts.

Maybe it was one of the crew's. There were others outside the main team here; they could have just brought their child here and left them upstairs in a spare room to sleep or…

Or….

What if... what if this was… No... No, it can't... but she... the details were small, but... if he was, then who...

"Muma?"

Lisa felt her heart skip a beat. Maybe two… she was pretty sure she just had a heart attack, and her body was already in such a shocked state it wasn't physically registered.

"No, no, little one," she said as gently as she could with the years of being with Lily put to use. Kneeling to be closer and less imposing if she was, "I'm not your momma. But who-."

To her surprise, the child leaned forward. Standing on all fours before pushing off the floor and waddling over the gap until she stood directly in front of her. Tugging on her shirt for support, the pacifier slipped from her as she 'gently' patted Lisa's face. Holding onto her checks, grabbing at her glasses, and brushing through some loose locks of hair, she understood that the child was just 'curious' about a new face.

But after looking into her eyes, the child smiled brightly, as if she had just won a big treat. "Muma!" she clapped excitedly. Giggling, she reached up to grab more loose hair and noted curiously that some were still wet.

For Lisa, her heart ached at the pure, innocent act she hadn't seen in over a decade, let alone any other time involving family, given everyone was pretty much out and beyond the 'cute' phases; this was something she didn't think was still inside her. She never bothered to look in any direction for this; there was never a time that needed it; sure, you could browse Facebook media and stumble across a reel with puppies acting all goofy, but that was on a screen, not currently touching your face with hands like they had discovered a new toy.

When the girl went to get closer, her eyes drifted down to the red ball in Lisa's hand. Eyes widening like a puppy had just realized the implications of this incredible action. She froze in place. They stared at it like a madman had just seen gold and couldn't rip their focus away.

In some part of her mind, Lisa took back control slightly and moved the ball out like she was handing it to her, "You want it?"

The girl looked at the ball intently before looking back up to her eyes. Lisa could see the gears turning in behind those brown orbs, and a moment later, the girl clapped even more excitedly. Realizing that Lisa wanted to play, though it was more for her to observe, she clapped her hands and waddled back down the hallway.

Understanding what she wanted to do, Lisa felt herself asking why not to humor her a little, "Okay, little one. Catch!" She bounced the ball toward the toddler, giving it less power not to overshoot or force her to scramble. Unfortunately, she underestimated her toss, and the ball bounced above the girl's head. She followed it above, doing her best to run after it, and then leaped, not jumped, leaped into the air as two extra arms suddenly jutted out the back of her onesie. Snatching the ball in her mouth like a dog playing fetch, she hit the floor with a soft thud on both hands and feet like she hadn't just twice her height as the limbs retracted back into the fabric.

Swishing her head back and forth to make sure the ball stayed, she looked back to Lisa with excitement, showing off her accomplishment. Yet Lisa stared there, falling to the ground in shock and quickly rubbing her eyes to confirm that what she had just seen hadn't just happened.

"H-H-How…" her voice asked, shaking like an earthquake. The girl tilted her head like she was a confused puppy. Pushing off her feet, she ran back to Lisa. Though it was just the act of giving her the ball back for another round, it made Lisa scramble back to her feet. She tried to quickly get as much distance as possible until her back was pressed against the wall, and she tried to push herself up.

The child, not noticing her distress, kept approaching until she paused. Looking to her left with renewed curiosity, Lisa followed her gaze to Lincoln's door. Slowly opening without a sound, a blast of sunlight entered the hallway so brightly Lisa had to bring a hand up to shield her eyes, yet the child stared into it like the sun wasn't somehow contained in the next room.

She straightened up, dropping the ball into her hands with a trail of spittle following, before looking back to Lisa with that bright smile again that somehow even outshone the light. In a mumbling mess of developing words, she charged straight into the room, repeating the one word Lisa was absolutely positive she heard.

'Dada!'

Fast enough to believe someone had tossed a flashbang into the house, the light grew, then faded faster than it appeared. Desperately, Lisa tried to rid her vision of sunspots. She felt a new headache flare up as she tried to regain her balance without the wall's support.

Before she could question her actions, she sprinted forward. Hand latching onto the door handle to her brother's room, ready to rip it off its hinges-

"Lisa?" Clyde's voice echoed from the stairs as her ears picked up his footsteps close to the top.

Immediately, she retracted her hand, turning in time to see Clyde coming up from around the corner by the main stairs.

"You alright? I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"I…" she glanced sideways at the door. I… was speaking ideas out loud. I have a lot of things on my mind right now…" she said, holding her forehead. She could feel that the headache was not some weird trick of her mind.

He chuckled. "Heh. I figured with the crazy things that have happened. Are you okay?" he asked, noticing she wasn't exactly present.

"I'm fine… just… just a headache…"

"I can make some herb tea if you want. Something to have when dinner is finished than waiting for medicine to kick in."

"Tea?" He nodded. "Tea. Yes. That… that sounds good. Tea sounds good right about now… Clyde?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me… Does anyone have any young children running around this place?" She looked back towards Lincoln's door, expecting to hear something from the otherside.

"No..." Clyde answered, confused by the odd question from her. "Other than Rex, I'm pretty sure no one on the team has kids. I know the farm next door has a lot of them over during the summer, but that's about it. Why?"

"Just… curious…"

---

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and afterhand to convey my thinking. Not completely based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)

Well, wasn't this fun?

This was one of those turning moments I had been planning for for months to years, and yet the structure is there, it wasn't exactly what I envisioned.

So part of the plan was originally to merge this chapter and 37 together, then they got divided, then actually merged, but with how much more this was building, I think It was a solid idea to keep them separate. As the original word count was estimated to get close to 13k by the time they got to the farm, more ideas started to expand out, and the last section, planned as 3k words, almost broke 6k, and there were two more sections 'expected' to be 2k words each. All three were originally just about 3.5k words to reach the endpoint.

Crazy? I know. But wait, there's more.

This chapter was about 2 days behind, as it started late, got pretty far until my little merger attempt, continued on until I saw how much time there was left until the publishing day. I set myself to finish this by March 7th (missed) then March 11th, as it gave 20 days to said publishing day (also missed) yet managed to get to a point I was satisfied ending on. Making it officially my third chapter completed in this time frame with plenty of time to crank out a fourth (though under my goal of 5 but hell, a lot is changing in about 5 chapters),

In turn, Chapter 37 to 40 was ALL suppose to be on ONE CHAPTER (maybe two because of 37) but as you see, it just rolled further than I planned this story to be. With the last 4k words chopped, it presents a new opportunity to not end on some cliff hanger and actually go into the situation. Meaning Chapter 40 just got 4k words bigger ontop of an estimated 15k (And this is during a time I'm estimated my word count per chapter to be 14-16k average...). By April 2nd, I had FINALLY (AFTER 3 YEARS) gotten the primary chapter outline for the story done. Initially planned as a 60-70 chapter story that ballooned to over 120 at one point, I've officially gotten it down to 99 (god help me). This is without anything involving back traveling (like Chapter 10) and going over each time to the date. There will probably a 'Chapter 100' as a final AN for the story as a whole, but that's a long time aways.

So now, that means I got a LOT of writing between now and June 19th...

But anyho, originally this chapter did have the girls interacting more with the team than just Clyde and Rex with a little bit of Shay, that would have been changed by the end with Lynn, as splitting them up and interact with the crew as the team meant I'm technically juggling 30 minor characters actually to populate the place. Such as, Vortex 3 is a representation of the irl count part Vortex 2, there's so many people and elements that you'd rarely see everything in one spot. After this chapter, things will hopefully be the slowdown between the next big events.

Something I'm having to prepare myself is how the sisters and Lincoln would interact. As right now, they maybe blood-related, but the last five years have massively changed some into a different person than others wouldn't think of.

By now in my original plan, we'd be somewhere in the south chasing devils, but that ain't happening for about a week, so the crew and family is going to have plenty of time getting some interactions in with each other no matter of positive or negative it might be. Once more, I wanted to get more into the physiological aspects, as Lisa feels more of her sanity possibility slipping away, Lily's personality is shifting, and Clyde is cooking up something more than whatever is in the kitchen—essentially setting up what the next 4-5 chapters will build upon before the season breaks loose.

And for some visual aspects, getting to the farm actually became a bit of a challenge to write. For so much of the story I've kept the location of the farm mostly vague minus details that it faces east to west on a north-south gravel road on a section of 300+ arcs of land close to town itself. The problem I found is where exactly would a house like that be placed?

The answer was strangely simple and complicated.

At first I thought about being somewhere south, closer to where the ever-famed 2013 event happened, but the problem came as there's an airport, and the land was meant to be a bit more secluded and open. So that left the northern half. And this problem came as housing developed, offshoot business utility yards, or the geography not matching because of streams, train tracks and even which side the power lines were on. After spending the better part of two hours flip-flopping between Google Maps and Earth to narrow down a spot, found a few places that matched some criteria but eventually found a spot of land on a gravel road far enough from any other home or the town.

Note: There is an IRL house at the location with a gravel driveway, but it is just a random house/farm that's just an extension of the trees. (For the love of God, don't go trying to bug those people). And oddly, I do have some 'art' of what the layout and general look of the house itself looks like, though it still needs heavy refinement.

After all, the Farm is to The Loud House, as Tornado Alley is to Royal Woods.

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and afterhand to convey my thinking. Not completely based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)