Sins In Twisters Chapter 38: One Step Closer, a loud house fanfic

Sins In Twisters

Chapter 38: One Step Closer

Another Year, Another Season

Log Entry Date: March 20th, 2026

The following is… is a general recap of our situation. With the official end of this weekend, many things have come into play from before and still remain at work.

We now have 77 days until our 'deadline'; 11 weeks that we are rapidly losing time to get what we have to get done. It's reaching the point that so much time has gone to trying to prepare and get moving that if the van breaks down again, I won't hesitate to sell it for scrap and rent anything else if it means it didn't become broken down after just two days.

Today, despite needing at least a week's worth of work, the van is preparing to be released back to us. As this recording is being made, its replacement windshields should be finished or installed. We'll do a quick clean-out in a few hours and continue westward. If nothing else happens (for the love of Enstien and God…), we should arrive in Oklahoma City by early afternoon.

Currently, to form peace of mind for… all of us, there are no significant weather patterns between us and the following 300 miles. Conditions are expected to be sunny while partly cloudy at times. There is a slight cold wind from the north, with temperatures hovering in the low to mid-50s for a high by midday. What isn't helping, and something I haven't disclosed yet, is growing confidence that a new weather pattern will develop close to the western portions of Dixie Alley across most of Arkansas to Georgia next week.

It's far too early to call this the calm before a possible outbreak. Let alone something that could rival early 2011. Earlier this week, the model's predictions regarding possible tornado totals were deemed somewhat lacking. The Fair Grove storm has been blamed for this because one supercell is too intense for other localized storms to develop and consumes most of the energy needed for future storms to fire.

With current conditions being quiet, Lincoln's team has retreated to the OKC area in preparation for Vortex 3's full launch two days from now. More information has come out about Fair Grove being a good 'trial run' for the current mobile fleet, along with documented data, though it stands to question how a fleet of the expected size will operate when out in the field. This gives some hope for Lincoln's safety, even if it's his final say in intercepting; he has a larger safety net instead of relying on Shrieker's durability.

Yet I can't deny that today doesn't feel 'right' as it should. It feels too much like Wednesday or the 10th again… maybe it's that surreal feeling finally infecting me. It's infected all of us. It's that warm front that's the only thing keeping all of our hopes up after the past week of hell. There were no storms between us; if the van broke down, they'd walk if they had to, and she knew there were only two places Lincoln could be today.

Today, one way or another, we will see our brother again…

Standing outside the shop, Lisa, Lori, Luan, and Lana gathered around the 'finished' husk of Vanzilla 2. Each felt a varying degree of pain, from seeing an expensive purchase that looked ready for a demolition derby to wondering how this thing would survive by summer.

Luan was the first brave enough to get up close, pulling the side door open to see the absolute mud-fest that still caked the inside from front to back.

"Geez… it's gonna take us all day to clean this out…" she said, looking around. Running a finger across the center seat and feeling the dirt flake up.

Walking around, Lori pulled the driver's door open. Hoping into the seat, after three days, she hadn't thought there was still something a bit more soaked into the seat when her back felt a little wetter, sending a shiver down her spine as she quickly leaned back forward to put some distance.

"Y-yeah…" she reached back, pushing on the cloth, feeling a giant wet spot from the middle up to the headrest. This is gonna take a while…" she said, sticking the key into the ignition. Holding her breath, she prayed to the great car gods above; either this would work or explode too quickly for her to react and know what had happened.

With a slight twist, the motor sputtered, trying to go from sitting to sprinting.

'Come on, come on, come on….' she silently pleaded as she turned it again. It sputtered again, something went thunk, and like an old veteran told his country needs him, that battered soul returned to life. A triumphant grin spread as she reached over, pulling the door shut.

"Thank god…"

"Yes…" Lisa pulled her door open, rolling out her sleeve to sweep away some glass and rocks. If the bill is accurate, the repairs should hold until we reach the city.

"Wonder if Lincoln will let me use his shop to fix it top to bottom," Lana asked as she tossed some trash into the back.

"Hopefully…"

With doors and belts secured, Lori did her absolute best to baby the van out of the lot. Thankful that they were late in the morning and traffic was small despite it being a Saturday. However, given how slow she took it across the intersection to the hotel, where the remaining sisters and all their bags sat waiting up front, they could have walked faster.

When the van, as graceful as a rolling boulder, came to a stop, it felt like a far cry from when they left home days ago. The sunlight gave them a full picture of what kind of beating they had survived. The new shiny windows looked out of place from the dirt still caked across the passenger side. Standing closer, Lily lightly tapped her shoe against the back wheel, and they all saw a bolt and nut drop and roll out from underneath. When Lana opened the side door, they got a view inside. They leaned around, basking in the inner mess that felt more appropriate for its condition.

"Yeah… I'm not getting into that." Lola declared.

"It's just a little mud," Lynn rebuffed, tossing her bag into the roof rack. "Not like it's going to kill you if you…" She stepped down, about to hope inside, when she caught herself staring dead into Lana's eyes. The older twin shook her head and moved back to climb out the other side. Shaking her head, Lynn felt it better to keep her mouth shut than to say anything else. The last four days taught her that sometimes things really don't need to be spoken.

Loading up took a bit longer than Lisa had hoped; it wasn't like the first time that they had it nailed down, and the second was in the adrenaline of excitement. But like Lynn, she held her words. Today, she couldn't afford to drive herself into the ground again. They needed to take this step by step and not try to leap 10 ahead.

"So… to Oklahoma?" Luna asked, buckling in behind Lynn.

"First things first; we must properly clean this cabin and acquire new clothing."

Like speaking the word 'walk' to an eager group of puppies that were lying around one moment, several heads popped forward. Looking her straight in the eyes with curious and a reignited excitement none of them had for weeks.

"New clothes?!" Half her sisters repeated with pleading eyes. Begging Lisa to repeat what she had said.

"Indeed-" *SQEEE* "CALM DOWN!" Lisa shouted, muttering 'animals' under her breath, "There's a Walmart ten minutes to our south. We can acquire the needed supplies to clean the van and for more fitting attire."

"What's wrong with our clothes?" Lynn asked, pocking her head over Lisa's headrest.

"In simple terms, durability and function. We need items that are more fitting for the warming seasonal changes so that we can trek through the weather without being bogged down figuratively and literally. So no designer or super flashy, only function." Her words were met by several groans of disappointment as the others retreated back. However, for one of them, it gave her a chance to browse for more ideas for her little project.

Rolling back onto the street, Lori gave the van a little more power to keep up with the flow, but hearing the engine growl and feeling it kick up its speed gave her some added comfort and hope for today. Even if the dozens of eyes from those beside her waiting at each light looked over the van in surprise or disgust at the rather slapped-together work driving next to them.

For Lisa, crossing the bridge and stopping at the next light made her shy away from looking forward. Keeping her gaze low when she could see the top of the pole, she remembered it being snapped in half; ahead of them was as bright and sunny as it was behind and above, barely a cloud that could block the light. Lori looked over to see her sister flinched away, pressing her chin down to her chest to keep her eyes from possibly drifting to somewhere she didn't want. Lucy could see it in the back, that reaction making her head around to try to use the mirror to see and briefly catching Lori's gaze before both looked back.

She knew Lucy was told more of whatever Lisa experienced; it was good to know someone understood whatever it was, but it didn't help her or any of them when their main navigator wasn't really herself today. Even when heading further into the northern parts of Springfield, when Lisa did look up, it was like she was counting or muttering. Fingers flicked over her computer, but nothing changed. Her eyes flickered to every building they passed, and the further from those they went, the more her words became unfocused. Pulling around the near front center of Walmart, her mumbling reached new levels until the van stopped. Without missing a beat, she unbuckled and swung her door open. Jumping out and heading for the closest entry, the others shared a bemused and concerned look.

For the next hour, the next part of their unofficial detour came fast but burned slow. Buying up almost half a grand in cleaning supplies, it took the 10 of them all trying to get in and around the van, trying their best to clean it up. Emptying bottle after bottle of sprays, scrubbing the pads and brushes so profoundly they were being torn apart. Wrists and elbows became cramped from having to clean such a small spot they had chosen to try to get some color back. When it rolled into the second hour, One or two ran back into the store to bring jugs of water to refill buckets and grab a bottle of painkillers.

Watching literal rivers of grime and mud flow out of the van was disgusting, but in their minds, it was far better if it was dirt than blood.

In a moment of break to let their fingers rest and take stock of what needed to be left, Lisa was sitting on the curb next to a cart return, flipping through websites and placing numerous orders for material and parts to be express shipped to Lincoln's house. High on her list was finding the needed replacements to make sure the windshields didn't blow out a second-

*PING*

"OW!" *BANG* "Dammit!" Lana shouted from the engine bay. Smacking her head into the hood, she tossed away a wrench and swiped her hat off to hold her head, holding the spot where she hit, grumbling where those painkillers were.

… maybe look into more padding around the rougher areas. If this trip so far has given her any more insight into what they'll experience that isn't life-threatening, it's that they needed to get the van 100 percent soon before they try to tackle any more severe weather…

"What are you even trying to accomplish?" Luna asked.

"Making sure things are bolted right and connections tightened," Lana answered, plopping her hat back on, "The last thing we need is a third breakdown because they forgot to finish something." She said, dropping the hood with a slam.

That was agreed. If the outlook holds, then they'll have time to tinker later…

"Alright," Lori announced, holding a loaded garbage bag of spent supplies and tossing a giant wad of paper towels inside, "Seats are all really damp, so if you packed a towel, now would be a good time to use it," she said rolling down every window in the hopes of speeding up the drying by the time they got back.

"Now… TO THE CLOTHES!"

Disregarding dignity, even if remembering the youngest of them was only 16, made a beeline for the store. Much to the others' misfortune at having to follow and ensure they didn't go crazy with the shopping list, they packed up and followed.

With spring fast approaching, they lucked out on the store having what Lisa stressed for them only to get stuff that was 'functional' for the weather. A few everyday pieces to replace what will eventually become ruined and some spares when the days get a little slow or rough. While it wasn't exactly the most incredible place in the world for them to buy from, each found their options and tastes. Lisa had to play the role of judge to decide what came or not.

Lana and Lynn led the charge in finding what worked the best—going as far as to browse the sports and hunting section to nab helmets, safety glasses, gloves, some elbow and knee pads, and anything short of seeing if they sold full-on football vests.

Though Leni was disappointed when she found something that made her eyes gleam, getting an armload heading for the changing room, she paused mid-step, staring at the floor before shaking her head and spinning back around to return them to the racks. A surprise to turn down what was cheap but good items confused them some when she drifted over to the men's side of the department. Lori tried to steer her away, but she was firm in that she was looking for something to add to her project. Wandering over to Lynn's group to see if anything else would be of interest. A few did spark some ideas, but she knew it wouldn't be until tomorrow that she could start work on it again.

On the otherside of the store, in a rather odd sight, Lisa had one of those smaller double basket carts, weaving up and down each aisle plucking what looked like random objects to questionable choices. "This, this, this…. Make it three, just in case. This, this, aspirin for some sleepless nights caused by day-long headaches... This, this…"

"Lisa?" Lily, the only one in her little group who decided to follow her big sister for company, asked as the top part of the cart began spilling into the bottom.

"Yes?" Lisa asked, looking over two different boxes of pain relief cream.

"Why are we buying all this?"

Looking away from the boxes, Lisa cast side eye to see Lily holding up a digital blood pressure monitor and a bottle of phytonadione. Looking up at her quizzically at just two of a large handful of choices she had chosen. Sighing as she put the boxes back, Lisa braced against the shelf, shaking her head.

"It's… a precaution. Like the windows and the roll cage on the van. Every day, it's like we're getting one step closer to one of us…" her words quickly drifted away, though she wasn't sure if it was because of too many things to answer or who she was discussing this with. Come to think of it, she hadn't been observing her sisters in the last three days since after the storm. So preoccupied with trying to get her mental spectrum realigned, even if the importance of today struggled to get that job done, she hadn't had the focus on seeing the effects of her family.

Lily had been the one she especially needed to keep an eye on. They had been through a lot, but she was more mature for a 13-year-old, and everyone else was growing up. For a ten-year-old, she's… wait. In a panic, Lisa flicked up her sleeve to reveal her watch. Staring at the date with 03/21 staring right back, her thoughts suddenly grinding to a halt.

"Your birthday…" she muttered. Struggling to comprehend that she had forgotten her only little sister's birthday in all this mess.

"Huh?" Lily sounded, putting the items back. Lise almost mechanically turned towards her. "What about it?" she asked, practically disinterested.

"What about it?" Lisa repeated, freaking Lily out as she crouched down to eye level. Holding onto her arms as she looked past those glasses to see someone having reality suddenly biting them. "We… it's this weekend… we got so caught up in the trip. Trying to get moving, and it managed to slip my mind…"

In the last year, birthdays have become a deep bonding point for the family. The twins helped bring a sense of endurance after November; Lucy was putting them back on track to normality, and next in line was the youngest among them. No matter how much she tried to put on a tough act, they still babied Lily on her day, letting her know the family would be there for her through hell or high water. Lisa didn't know if it was because of what happened back in January that got all of their minds locked into this trip, or maybe with how small-scale Lucy's celebration was, they saw it as another day passing by, but now it was…

"Lisa." Lily gently spoke, reaching to hold a hand against her sister's cheek, "It's fine. You… we all got busy. It's fine, really."

"Lily, no. Don't think of it like that. This is supposed to be nearing the height of your childhood. It's an innocent time that, sure, there were bumps in the road and some disasters, but what life without a bit of chaos but-"

"Lisa!" Lily shouted but tried to keep her voice from alerting the whole store. "Really! It's okay! We've all been there before. We get all caught up with stuff, but we always find a way to make up for it. Besides," she smiled, "Just meeting Lincoln again is the biggest present I could ever ask for right now."

Her warm smile, one force that kept their family going through so much, beamed all its power to Lisa. She could already feel that mental storm from going above a Cat 3 hurricane to a spring breeze in seconds. That power, whatever it was, had to be something that she either got from Lincoln or it was her that gave it to round out his personality. It didn't always work, but when it did, you couldn't deny the results.

"And here I thought I'm supposed to be the older one here…." Lisa mumbled, combing a head through her hair as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"... you think he'll be happy to see us?"

"Hmm?"

"You think…" Lily's smile slowly faded, and uncertainty filled the void, "After all this, all that happened before made him stay away; you think he'll be happy to see us again?"

Lisa thought this hard many times before, but her answers all pointed to the same conclusion, "I… I truly don't know. We know he's still that same adventurous, caring person everyone sees him as, but I don't know what the last five years have done. He'll be surprised; there's no question about that fact but after that…"

Her uncertainty grew. "I don't want it to be like this forever… I want him home with us again." In instinct, Lisa put her arms around Lily, pulling her into a light but strong embrace to help put them both at ease.

'Me too, Lily… me too…'

They stood there for a good minute. They just wanted to enjoy the comforting touch, but Lisa knew they were still in the middle of a store and needed to get moving. She didn't want to end this moment on a low note, an idea sparked to life.

"...wanna get some popcorn chicken?" she felt Lily perk up and nodded. "Alright, let's go get some popcorn chicken." Lisa smiled, pulling away to see the happy glint in Lily's eyes return. After running a quick checklist of their supplies, she pushed forward. Lily took Lily's hands and brought them to the deli department for snacks.

Roughly ten minutes later, they were rolling back across the store. After happily chewing the little nuggets from their cups, Lisa sent a group message telling all parties they needed to gather to hit the road. Waiting by the register lines, they came speed walking from different parts, carrying or pushing a cart load of clothes and parts. Check-out was long, and seeing the total kiss the four-digit mark nearly made Lori faint, but when coming out into the sunlight, the day felt different than it had been that morning.

So much brighter, warmer… They all stopped, feeling a different atmosphere than what they woke up to. It made them go on edge, but Lisa could feel this wouldn't be a dark day. Not like the 10th or the 16th… But something…

Lisa could feel it in her heart and bones. She understood what it was and prayed that the third time would be the charm today.

Packing up everything into an already crowded van was a little chore in itself, but pulling back out the way they came, heading for the interstate, that lingering feeling earlier was mixed with the same flavor that had tasted when leaving Royal Woods and Great Lake City. That tingling made hairs stand tall, and goosebumps swarm; the cool dampness in the seats did little to sedate them.

Pulling onto the on-ramp was like going around the corner of the launch station on a roller coaster. They were picking up speed and going downhill already, merging with the traffic as the north side of Springfield flew by. In less than 15 minutes, they circled past the airport through the western suburbs, and beyond them was the return of endless hills and fields.

4 hours, 280 miles, one state border left to cross, a full gas tank, and enough snacks to sink a ship. There wasn't a single storm blocking the open road.

With the air warmer than before, Lori rolled her window to lean her arm out. Feeling the breeze blow into her hair, she chewed on some bubblegum to get that extra sugar and wore a pair of sunglasses to keep the reflective glare out of her eyes. Wanting to let herself relax in the one spot she had some direct control over today. Lisa still sat up front as she had, but instead of typing away her computer, working on plans and formulas, and tracking down Lincoln, her laptop stood on support connected to the dashboard. Freeing her lap to be occupied by her intertwined hands as the screen displayed their GPS location, route, road conditions, and destination.

One could ask, 'Lisa, why aren't you tracking down your brother like a competent FBI agent on the Internet?' Her reply would be, 'For her mental sakes.'

They were in that final stretch where anything could still happen, but a lot was narrowing down to the wire. It took longer than hoped, but they'll be in OKC by roughly 5 P.m. If Norman is a bust because it's too late, they can just go to the farm. If no one's home, then they'll make camp in a hotel in El Reno until tomorrow. At least in some planning, that actually gave them more maximized time of day, but she knew they were all tired of waiting; waiting another day when within throwing distance of your long-awaited destination would make anyone restless.

There was nothing more to think about until the time came. Lori knew where they were going by glancing at the screen, while the others could lean up and see how much was left. Once they reached the city… it was up to timing and fate that they'd find what they had been looking for…

For the first time all week, Lisa had a moment of peace.

It wasn't absolute peace; she hadn't had that since discovering Lincoln's location, and that peace barely made it halfway through the day. It was more like once everyone had been healed and was living normal lives again while she had things to do on a deadline; life was much more tame and didn't rip her focus to something else.

She removed her glasses and dropped them into an empty cup holder, leaning back into her seat. Letting herself sink and wiggle to find that comfy spot as she closed her eyes. Knowing that there was every chance tonight could be a restless one, getting some extra sleep now wasn't a bad idea. They'd pass to the south of Joplin at their current speed in the next half hour. A little further, and they'll pass straight into Oklahoma. Plenty of time to try to relax...

But her mind couldn't rest. Her brain was still drumming like a military command deep in a war. They were frantically trying to get every piece of intel while the logistics and force were already on their way to deal the decisive blow or put an end to the enemy. Somewhere inside those pulsing muscles and veins, she sat at the head of a massive table, surrounded by her 'war council' as hundreds scrambled about. She sat back under low light, hands drumming together, listening to what the others had to say.

She heard it all before this morning, much of it updated old news. What she wanted was a new evaluation of herself and the others. She presented every detail that had changed in the last week compared to the previous three months; when asked why here and now, she closed her eyes, recalling Lily's words and how, despite the last four days, something was different.

In a flash, ten folders dropped in front of her. As thick as cinder blocks loaded with 11 to almost 30 years of information on each sister. A mental flick of the page and each launched off towards the very end and present. A new page was already being written, albeit very slowly, with her previous observation being the only thing it could work off; it was the most recent to what she wanted to know. And thoughts and copies of her recollection appeared like a holographic tube circling above her. Reading off each sister chronologically as a time-lapse of images from old memories to this morning morphed over each other, explicitly showing the evolution of the last two years.

The difference was too noticeable to ignore. This morning, she looked at herself in the mirror, and out of instinct, she searched for an older image, one taken by Lola in July. While she wasn't as haggard, the difference in her eyes spoke enough. Lisa mentally sighed exhaustively, understanding that at the early stages of her teen years, she was already entering her late twenties.

She cast the images away and brought for a nine-by-six display of everyone from before November, after New Year's, after the reveal, when the trip started, after Fair Grove, and now. No one can argue that it takes a long time for someone to change mentally, or stress can affect you that quickly. Four months had made them all aged more than what the last four years had done. Before, each was slowly building up, but after, it was like switching onto a worse parallel track to the one they're on.

Switching to a few of her more significant concerns: Lynn, Leni, and Lily.

The oldest was visibly the least changed, but Lisa knew not to trust the book by its cover. Her mental state has been such an off-spectrum in the last years before this mess really kicked off. She had an entirely separate case study ongoing. Yet recently, she acted on three solid points. The middle was her usual self they knew, but one end had her almost reclusive to secretive. They've all had that phase, yet many times, they can literally hear her talking in her sleep at night. But then there was what she labeled as her 'abrasive' side. Namely in her focus on her 'project' that she's been obsessed about for months now. The special 'suit' meant for Lincoln, something that has surprised Leni, hasn't come to her for advice or resources. The idea is a sound one, and she's been doing her research if her search history and shopping carts have been any indication.

But for the life of both of them and all that is innocent, she prayed that what that search history had was her falling down a rabbit hole and not what she was actively thinking about…

She was definitely growing a lot more mature than before. Possibly due to the motivation of sisterly instincts and realizing what the world truly is? Or maybe, like Lynn, she's a late bloomer.

Speaking of Lynn, it's unquestionable; she definitely has some loose screws, but she didn't believe it was because they were screwed in tight enough. If anything, it was the very material they were screwed into that was becoming loose.

The trip from Great Lakes to Springfield gave her substantial information regarding her choices from the original group. Her driving mainly proved why she would make an adequate driver, but the ending felt lopsided. She was too focused on chasing the rabbit and failed to notice that even a hunter could become prey when a bigger predator was closing in.

What outcomes could have played out in those seconds would remain a mystery to time and speculation to keep anyone up late at night. However, Lisa knew that when Lynn would become desperate or fanatic, her judgment was left too far behind until someone finally tossed it back at her.

If they hadn't survived, then what could be said? Yet they did, and her emotional breakdown from that point into the night only solidified that part of her older self was trying to control again. That infamous hard-headed bull called Lynnsanity was its own force with a destructive reputation behind it. Yet they hadn't seen much of it until…

If it was some relapse, then she didn't know who was in greater danger: Lynn and the chaos she was bound to generate or Lincoln, who was probably the target of it all. Emotionally unstable aside, if that same mentality sparked off again in a situation with Lincoln, she couldn't deny the idea of hits flying.

And then there was Lily. The former two were established, yet she was like an enigma despite all the years of reference material to pull from. Almost a hybrid of all of them, but still herself. She saw that momentarily in the store and couldn't understand why. She kept quiet to herself like Lucy did, but even the goth could feel something was off. She wasn't that bright, radiant light from before. She is abnormally calm when everyone is on the verge of total panic. It wasn't like her at all.

If she wasn't keeping herself occupied by drawing… she didn't know what Lily could do. That interaction was maybe the first sign she had seen Lily's older self, but the tone of her voice, the dismissal of her birthday, and any soon-to-be 11-year-old would be bouncing in place in anticipation. Begging to find details about what's coming or what they are getting. Saying this trip to get Lincoln back is heartwarming as is, but risking death and becoming emotionally checked out of life isn't the way to go…

By God, what else did the 10th do to them….

'Memo: after becoming established at El Reno either by the farm or hotel, run an independent interview for Lily's psychological status…'

And for the others… they're still holding on in their ways, but it's evident who is more effective at hiding it. She doesn't know what this new stress level could do if the storms don't get them. They were just starting their journey, yet they could turn around and go home at any point. Go back to their home and bed, and try to rest…

But they just had to be this stubborn, didn't they? All of them. No one was innocent in that department. Not those alive or gone, the Loud name has survived almost a thousand years from when the Romans were still relevant. Whole civilizations and empires rose and fell during the time their name continued throughout history before some hag that couldn't handle some noise decided to curse their bloodline.

Is a little severe weather really going to be what stops them? The family of 11 children lived in a house where chaos was always on the menu, and no matter the storm that came, they weathered it out—coming out a bit battered but repairing what was broken and, in the future, stronger. All of them were out here practically risking it all in the name of saving someone with a place in their hearts that no other human could fill or had a right to.

Lily's words echoed out to her; it won't be like this forever. No more will she allow it. No more will any of them let this fucked up world take away their chance to fix-

"Lisa!" Her ears rang as her name was blasted right next to her head.

"GAH! WHAT?! WHAT?!" She shouted, bracing herself in panic. Nearly losing her glasses, her head snapped around to see who was yelling her name.

"Wake up, time to work," Lori stated, glancing over to see if the scientist was awake.

"*sigh* What broke this time…" Lisa mumbled, fearing another breakdown. She felt their speed reducing as she fixed her glasses. "How long was I out?"

"About the whole trip," Lori answered, pointing ahead as a signboard rapidly approached.

North 35 Wichita exit right, West South 44 35 Okla. City exit left.

With a renewed focus despite the fog lingering in the back of her brain, Lisa adjusted herself in front of her laptop. Scanning over their route, her mental clock was confused; had she passed out for four hours? She wasn't that tired when they started, figuring a power nap for any of them would do wonders for later; not stopping for fuel or some unfortunate incident between Joplin or Tulsa was assuring to know they made good progress, but it felt that she should have been more alert.

Yet here they were. Lori didn't need to be told directions to take the left exit. Merging onto Interstate 35 southbound towards downtown Oklahoma City. The miles and time ticked lower; they were equal parts 32 miles and minutes away from their first destination and only 45 minutes from El Reno itself.

With the time of day on their side to keep traffic thin, they held speed. Passing through neighborhoods dawning the gently rolling hills of the land. Seeing some of the ever-so-famous Oklahoma Red soil in some highway construction projects underway or finishing up. More signs for other cities like Dallas and Amarillo. Exits for Fort Smith, side walls, and concrete valleys like back home crisscrossed by dozens of overpasses.

Minutes and miles later, they climbed up a hill over a massive bridge that split in a dozen directions like they were preparing to drive into the sky. They were nearing the rise's peak, above any buildings and trees, and just before the horizon stood a glistening skyline.

"Ladies… welcome to Oklahoma City."

Like a crowd gathering at the edge of a ship when Land-ho was called, they pushed forward or to the side of the windows, watching the road dip back to the ground as the skyline grew closer. But they immediately saw something was very wrong with the picture.

If you look at a Google map of this highway this time a year ago, it is surrounded by businesses as far as the eye can see, so much so that what they pass is completely empty as a concrete field. Some places looked brand new, but so many gaps and voids where it was easy to tell where something once existed painted the picture of where the scars of the past were still trying to heal.

When thinking of what is the absolute worst, you couldn't compare it to what Kingman did after this event. Still, when considering 'bad', the OKC event was arguably far worse in every metric—the actual nightmare scenario for any major city in the greater Alley region. Kingman is named after the one town it ripped away from the earth and left nothing. May 16th might have been a triple event and a 100mph slower, but that does little to help change an idea of total destruction when a 1.6-mile-wide, 250-plus storm is carving a deviant path through the most densely populated areas. At least then, there was some semblance of what remained.

"Tornado capital of the world..." Sitting up in her seat, Lynn muttered, "How close are we to where the first big tornado happened?"

"The May 16th event?" Lisa asked, seeing Lynn nod, "If we were here about 300 feet ago during the event, we would have been less than 200 feet from the eye itself. Right about now, we'd be experiencing the highest winds as it started to constrict and merge with the Valley Brook and Del City tornado."

"That's comforting…" Lynn replied, sitting back as the skyscrapers began to tower above them and traffic began to thicken.

However, as they approached the 35-40 interchange, Lisa adjusted the route screen for Lori, hoping she or any of them wouldn't question why they weren't. "Shouldn't we go straight through?" Lori asked, glancing at the screen. I thought this highway went straight to El Reno."

"It's a detour," Lisa replied quickly, making sure not to hesitate in her answer. "Heavy traffic is building up between South Agnew and South Pennsylvania Avenues. I want us to avoid getting bogged down again."

"But that takes us south."

"We can get on the 240 west towards the airport, then take 344 to get back on the 40. It'll add another 30 to 40 minutes to the drive; however, we'll save time instead of being slowed down."

"That doesn't sound like it makes much sense." Lana quipped, running her own mental math.

"It will once we get away from downtown itself."

Lori glanced into the rearview mirror to see the others shared her uncertainty. But Lisa knew precisely where they had to go, and in an unknown city, getting lost was one of the worst things that could have happened today. Switching from the center lane to the far left, she followed the traffic onto the 35 southbound across the Oklahoma River.

However, after leaving the downtown area, the scars they had seen earlier only became more present when there was a lack of vegetation on the sides of the highway. A few shrubs grew, but so many trees were lacking that you could see countless empty lots as they climbed back up a hill and into another highway valley.

A year ago, a sea of houses and businesses stood as part of everyday life for hundreds of thousands who lived with or lived by—left empty to be abandoned by time or the people who couldn't or didn't want to rebuild. By the point the intersection crossed where 22nd Street would have crossed the highway, some construction was ongoing on either side. However, the further they went south, the less and less there were signs of what had ripped through the city to slight deformity into a regular city suburban area.

They were deep inside the greater OKC southern housing, and Lisa counted the seconds to when they would come across 66th Street. The point where the eye of the Valley Brook-Del City EF3 would become ensnared by its larger brother and sling-shot northeast like the smaller satellite. When the 66th came up and went by, it was hard to tell whether there had ever been a tornado in the area. Though it was hard to tell what was there because the highway was sunk into the ground, new construction was plentiful from when it peaked about the sides.

Ten months and 5 days since that nightmare, and like all of the storms that preceded it, the city was healing the way it knew and fast. Royal Woods shared something in places, but the difference lay in what could be done between a 5-month difference.

What also made the difference was scrubbing off the icons for where the interchange to get on the 240 didn't update the route nor show it as a major highway. Even when Lori shifted to the right lane like she was about to exit, seeing the line continue south with a mile marker was enough to convince her she still had to go.

Once they reached the limits of north Moore, the city's limits for the next seven miles, Lisa only had to look once to know that Lori understood that she had been misleading and, in reaction, tightened her grip with white knuckles and a frustrated grimace. Having to accept whatever road they were traveling on now, they were further into the unknown.

But following the route, simply staying on 35 until they reach the literal end of Norman, she pulled up a separate overlay over the map. Watching dozens of colored lines appear in random order all across Moore, Norman, OKC itself, and just the surrounding ten miles. All the damage tracks of past tornadoes; they were crossing the tracks of 16 others that had crossed 35, both of the famous 1999 and 2013 F5 events, the famous 2003 and 2015 events, and the countless smaller tracks that weren't remembered by the wider population.

Just moving over to show El Reno where the famous 2011 and 2013 events unfolded were surrounded by dozens more that tracked for miles or were just a tiny dot, she put a bright white spot where the farmhouse was and saw that the property had technically been hit four times already. Even the most recent was from the 16th, tracked just half a mile north from the house. Tornado capital of the world, as Lynn said. It wasn't hard to imagine why Lincoln would move down here when it had such a vast destructive history to back up its name.

It boggles the mind how anyone could live around these parts, knowing that in one day every spring, summer, and fall, history could be made or repeated, forcing them to rebuild from everything still within reach to nothing. But it made perfect sense to her to anyone who wanted to study.

Before she could announce it, Lori was already shifting lanes to take the exit ramp. Everyone held onto their seats and leaned the opposite way with how fast she went up with braking while being a bit lenient with the brakes as they rolled across the overpass—gradually coming to a slow stop once traffic was halted by a light further up.

"How close are we now?"

"Three miles. Keep straight and turn left at the fifth light." Lisa answered as their light turned green.

Seats groaned as everyone leaned back forward, trying to catch the first glimpse of their destination as they weaved down Highway 9. Lori felt it in her bones to get there sooner and let it be shown through aggressive passing. Nearly running a red light just so as not to waste a minute more of time. Her eyes were beginning to struggle to stay focused on the road when they were pulled to the left side, waiting to see when she would be there. Beyond the trees, she could see a water tower coming up with an antenna that stuck high off a building she thought was more like a hospital.

Coming to the next light with just two cars ahead, Lisa closed her laptop. She wouldn't need it anymore. At this point, there was physically no way they could mess this up now. The light turned green, and they followed through, watching the building become hidden by the trees once more. Rolling down the avenue at cruising speed, she could see red 'OU' banners hanging from the street lamps. Part of her was happy to be on university grounds; it made her feel pleased to be so close and among institutes of knowledge.

Another left turn and reduced speed made the van feel ready to burst. The atmosphere grew heavier as they passed a simple white and brick sign that read 'National Weather Center' and displayed the NOAA and University of Oklahoma badges. They went only 150 feet more toward the parking lots, ready to find a spot to sit and figure out the next move.

Yet from the lot's entrance to the building itself, dozens, maybe hundreds of vehicles with triple-in people stood lining the spaces like a grand car show was in town. Many standard vehicles with a few stickers of universities, schools, and tech facilities stood beside more rugged vehicles that Vanzilla 2 looked at more closely. These vehicles ranged from those just adding a few amber lights and extra antennas to full-size roll cages packed with mesonet masts, and some were just short of being interceptors.

Further back towards the left side of the building, several towers stood nearly as high as the building itself, with the radar dishes on the back either sitting still, pointed skyward, or in rotation. Traveling just one row over, more mesonet and scout vehicles lined together as more trucks with their rear cabs opened revealed a minefield of data pods from simple yellow T-Pods in clusters of four to quadpod stick-nets sitting as tall as the trucks themselves to the very end where they caught sight of the swarm of radar trucks and command units.

It was enough to be called an armada and enough people to be called an army. All gathered in the center of Tornado Alley in what could only be a once-in-a-full-moon meet-up of combined forces.

"Look at this place…" Luan said, stunned at how many people were gathered.

"There's so many…" Lana uttered. Eyes full of wonder at all the different kinds of equipment on display.

"This is the biggest weather operation undertaken in 16 years," Lisa answered, trying to see what vehicles were in the lineup. "At least two-thirds of this is done by volunteers and donor vehicles. Nearly double the size of what operated last year and five times the size of the Vortex 2 operation."

"So then, why are we here?" Lynn asked from behind.

"In the blunt answer, Lincoln's team is one of the more core pieces of the main fleet because of its use of the radar truck. If we find his team, we find him."

"If we can find a damn parking spot…" Lori muttered as they turned down the 6th row of the lot that didn't have any of the chasers. Finding every spot taken, she looped around and searched the 7th.

"And the odds of him not being here?" Lola retorted.

"... 45-45-10." Lisa replied, "If not here, then the farm. If not either, then most likely moving in between the two."

"So why are all of them here like this?"

"Coverage. We saw back in Missouri just a few operational elements in the vicinity to chase. It doesn't launch for another week, so it's all about final preparations and finalizing the logistics along with a public display of their efforts."

"Public display alright. It's like the whole population of Roya Woods is in this lot." Luna mumbled, wondering how many were just visitors and others were actual people they saw days ago.

Pulling into the 8th row, Lori was grinding her teeth while scanning back and forth over every car they rolled past. Pausing for when people would appear from behind a car and cross paths, praying that they were preparing to leave and nab a- 'Ah HA!' She saw an empty spot between two trucks. Before another car could turn down and search for the space, she gunned it. Turning hard enough to nearly clip the right mirror off the taillight, leaving the van at an odd angle but enough for no one to complain she wasn't in the lines.

"Alright, girls, remember where we parked," she announced, hoping out with pride in finding a spot until realizing they were as far away from the building as possible.

"So we're supposed to find Link or his team in that?" Lynn said, pointing ahead. There's got to be at least 500 people here. And more are still coming in!" She pointed towards the street, watching as more people came from the university to check out the event.

"We look for the vehicles," Lisa answered, looking towards the collection of radar towers. "Chances are solid that we'll find the Sky Spy, but if we can find one of the Knight trucks or Storm Shrieker itself, then at the very least, our chances increase to find someone we recognize."

"So just…"

"Wander around and blend in. Most of us looked like we came from the university or a local area, so we shouldn't have been noticed. Stay in pairs and have your phone ready to call out for a sighting or when you find someone." She answered. Not wasting a second more, she immediately approached the crowd. No one argued when it was a sound plan, the only one that would work. It's not like they couldn't avoid making themselves look crazy by screaming Lincoln's name out loud…

Weaving between cars towards the weather center, they gradually broke apart into groups of four. Lori kept close to Lisa when the young scientist ducked under the dozens of mirrors with determination in each step. Luna paired off with the twins, breaking off from the rest as they headed around to the other side to work down the separate rows.

Coming out into the lane that passed directly in front of the building, both sides from around the front to the entrance to the 4th row were packed by the larger units that comprised the radar suite of the fleet. Some twenty trucks that had been in service in the last 20 years for weather research were brought in from facilities and universities from across the country to maximize their data input. At the head stood two of the same trucks they had seen as part of the scout fleet earlier in the week.

Beside them stood a row of four brand-new SOWNET radar trucks—a small handful to a more extensive program to expand the radar network with faster-deploying vehicles. Lisa paused to admire the vehicles; the truck in front of the line had its rear door open, revealing the command center squeezed into the space of a regular crew cab pickup. Enough computing power was needed to take up a cargo truck like the earlier Dow units. They were small and fast, and she guessed that given they were designed to be able to see through much thicker precipitation, they would form parts of the scout fleet.

She knew the truck behind it was not made for going anywhere fast. Spinning a dish nearly twice the size of anything here despite having a truck similar to the other radars, the COW1 and its new little brother, COW2, were giant units that needed cranes to build themselves hours before any storm system headed their way.

Across from that sat a much more familiar sight, and she pressed further to get through the ever-changing gaps that opened up between the crowd. Coming face to face with what remained of the blue trio that formed the backbone of the fleet. The two trucks, refurbished earlier last year, looked almost identical if it wasn't for the truck in the back having a square dish. In contrast, and one that was arguably getting more attention than any other units, was the former older brother and Dow 6, now in a blue and gray color scheme that made it look more like its brothers yet had a splash of orange and red mixed in.

The truck, proudly displaying the SkyKnights logo on either side of the control cab, stood in physical contrast to all the others. Dents littered the body like Vanzilla after a hailstorm. The front brush guard wrapping around the forward stabilizer showed signs of rust, yet new ambers and floodlights were installed. Coming around to the passenger side, the door to the computer room was open.

Using the door to swoop around, thankful that the crowd was pretty thin on this side, she took a peak inside. Finding the cab once more empty, but with three monitors displaying old data sets playing in a slow loop showing the evolution of a storm at different levels and times. No one was home, but it allowed her to push forward another part of her plan. Gripping the handrail, she clambered inside.

"Uh, Lis, whatcha doing?" Lori asked, watching as her sister parked herself in the command seat. Oddly, she looked like she was in her element as Lisa pulled her sleeve to expose her watch.

"Preemptive measures, " she answered, pulling a power cable from her coat pocket. She plugged it into the center of the wristband and a USB port, watching as the top two monitors came to life and data coding from both devices began to sync.

"Care to explain to someone who was just told about this ten seconds ago?" Lori asked, standing close to the truck. She tried to use the door to block her from sight one way and looked over towards the rest of the building, hoping no one saw what they were up to.

"This truck and the others use a similar frequency range between radars. It's how they can utilize Dual-Doppler without corrupting incoming data sets. With so many radars of various strengths, it's had to be vigorously modified to account for smaller but stronger units like what Lincoln runs."

"Okay… Pretend I know what you just said."

"It means," Lisa paused, a smirk forming as the sync completed and she got to the actual work, "These trucks are vastly stronger than what Lincoln could ever try to run. It's why his team even bought this rig in the first place. If he's operating in close sync with them like Fair Grove, then with this, I can directly connect to any of the units operating within range. Get a second pair of eyes for him when he's chasing."

"... you're not suggesting we literally do chase with him?" Lori hesitantly asked, "Like, I could say it for the others: we'd all love to ride with him, but go through… that again." She leaned away, using the door to brace on as her eyes closed, and her mind made quick work to repress that day, yet she felt a shiver course through her.

Lisa paused, understanding where this was coming from, "I… know that Fair Grove wasn't the best of times to try to prove a theory or two. It didn't help that we were too many steps behind and emotionally exhausted from the trip. Still, it was a necessary experience for all of us to get a true understanding of what goes on out here."

When Lori didn't respond for a moment, Lisa turned back to continue until she spoke up, "When you talked about who you would pick to come out here, it wasn't just to go on the trip. It was for him, wasn't it?"

"... our only experience is being stuck in the path and trying to play catch up." She answered, head low and hands frozen on the keyboard. "Home showed us how unpredictable these things are; Waynesville told us not every storm we find will be the same. Fair Grove proved to us that we were not properly prepared, while someone like Lincoln would go in and turn around in joy to get it a second time. And worst-case scenario-"

"The second time would be the last time." Lori finished grimly.

"This is just another safety measure in the grander scheme of things. Lincoln might be rolling with a fleet, but he's becoming increasingly solo. What's the chance he risks going after another storm alone and getting caught in something he has no idea is coming? He has radar, but compared to this unit, it's like a submarine trying to find targets with its periscope when a carrier can send scout planes. Just one of us could be enough to be that voice of-"

"HEY!" A different voice in particular shouted. Catching Lori's attention toward where they came from, she leaned past the door as Lisa poked her head out to see through the window—watching a group of maybe six people looking in their direction, trying to run through the group.

"Damn," Lisa muttered, ducking back in. "Distract them; I need another minute to finish." She said, putting herself into overdrive.

"Distract them?!" Lori exclaimed, looking back to see two of the group get through, making a beeline toward them, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Improvise."

"Improvise, " she repeated through her teeth. Yeah, like that's always literally the best id- " She stumbled over her words when the cab door was pulled from her hand. She instinctively reached for the handle to pull it back, trying to think of some way to use it as a shield or block them when she tried to climb inside.

"Damn," Lisa muttered, ducking back in. "Distract them; I need another minute to finish." She said, putting herself into overdrive.

"Distract them?!" Lori exclaimed, looking back to see two of the group get through, making a beeline toward them, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Improvise."

"Hey!" A voice called again directly behind it, "What are you-woah!" They lost their grip on the door, being pulled forward.

Trying to reach out for anything to stop their fall, Lori's free arm was the unfortunate object of choice. The oldest Loud barely had time to brace herself. Yanking the door shut with a violent slam, she twisted around to brace herself from hitting the sidewalk. She had just a pinch of seconds to get her arm to take the brunt of the hit, but it happened too fast, and she felt the side of her temple hit the concrete with enough force to make her yell out and instinctively go to cover the spot.

Hissing as she felt the spot burn but thankfully did not feel it bleeding. She heard the man take a heavier hit, losing his breath when he made an impact as another voice cried out—asking if he was okay and getting an 'okay' answer. Slowly easing up their friend, Lori vaguely heard his voice rise, likely preparing to berate them for messing with the truck, but instead, the voice called out in surprise.

"Lori?"

Hearing her name, Lori slowly leaned back up, rubbing her sore head when she got a good look at her 'assailant.' Watching another woman pull him back to his feet, his eyes behind a pair of glasses not once blinked away the sheer shock they projected.

"Is that really you?" he asked in disbelief, as if he were seeing a ghost.

Waiting for the pain to fade, Lori looked up in confusion about how this guy knew her until the truck's door slowly opened enough for Lisa to poke her head back out and analyze the situation until she locked eyes with the man.

"It's good to see you're already getting reacquainted with my sister again, Clyde."

Elsewhere among the masses, the rocker, princess, and mechanic found themselves in what was being called 'Lightning-Alley'; from the number of custom vehicles parked so close together to fit in the lane, people had a tough time opening doors without hitting another car. The air was thick with chatter between those passing by or gathering around some vehicles, snapping photos with friends or selfies. Recording video to look over every inch of detail they could get.

Yet the three of them didn't wholly hear a blanket noise; each could pick out various conversations going on. They discussed the topics of choice in hardware and how long it took to build, compared how deep one probe went into the ground to another and talked about what they hoped for this season. They filtered it all from living the lives of being part of a similar crowd.

Lola could feel the gossip circulated around her; it had helped her many times in the past. When you ran across paths with 'friends' and 'enemies' and the urge to get any dirt on their motives to improve her situation now or in the future, it helped to hone in on keywords and phrases. So far, it was the same but with a different tone, and it was starting to give her a headache from trying to listen in technobabble.

Luna felt like she was in the same boat. Mostly due to her being so used to concerts, she's had that sixth sense to focus when someone is trying to talk to her when the whole area is utterly screaming. It helped pick out more individual voices. Like Lola, she tried to focus on what topics were being discussed, but she mostly searched for anyone who might sound familiar. The closest to Lincoln she could imagine was either Clyde or maybe one of his crew like that Rex guy; he had that raw Texan accent that was unfortunately plentiful here. But like being on stage band and being able to pick someone out from a big crowd, she searched for any familiar faces that she had seen from the show.

In heavy contrast, Lana was trying to keep herself together, not because of the crowd's anxiety or fear of some unknown threat but because it felt like she was in a not-so-typical car show. Sure, she wasn't one for the science itself, but she wouldn't deny the chance to take a quick, long, thorough gander at some of the more complex systems the cars had custom-built with. Some might have been just regular dailies, but the ones she had seen online and in movies. Some of the trucks here she could recognize had some inspiration from the Twisters movies, though it was nothing like someone bolting a pair of augers on the sides. Some, she mentally noted, could use some extra bits here, a little less there, and a few get rid of everything and start over…

"This is freaking impossible." Lola huffed, trying to stand on her toes to get a better view, "It's like a total nerd convention here. Couldn't Lisa track his phone or something?"

"She tried that and got nothing, remember?" Luna reminded her but didn't stop her search.

"Like trying to crack who owns a phone plan in this region with the last name Loud on it is hard for Lisa…" she sighs, throwing her hands in the air, "Screw it. I'm heading back for the van."

"Oh, come on! We can't quit that easily!" Luna protested, "Besides, we've only been down one lane. What's to say they aren't in the next, or the others found him?"

"Then we should have just gone to his house rather than stopping to walk around a science festival." Lola turned back without another word or giving them a second to counter and weaved between a few people before ducking behind a van to head back to Vanzilla.

Luna sighed, understanding her little sis's frustration; they could have just camped his house, but…

No. They really should have gone to his house first. Touch home base and see what they were working with before coming down this way. If they had to double back to the farm when they found him here or not, so be it. That means at least they know Lincoln wouldn't be in one place or another.

She looked to Lana, hoping for a better option, but she shrugged. Seeing the understanding in her twin's logic. The rocker sighed, holding a hand to her face before she started after the twin. Not wanting anything to happen, she ducked behind the first truck with no people blocking the gap. Briefly seeing Lola's pink sweatshirt and Lana's red disappearing behind another car as Luna checked her path for vehicles.

"Hey guys…" She heard Lana called out. Pausing midstep, she tried looking above the roof of cars but couldn't see her. Moving a little further, Lola, with a sour look, popped up from an SUV with her hands tucked into her pockets, trying to look for where her sister had gone this time.

Moving down the row back closer to where the building was, they scanned over every spot they could until they saw her standing in front of an old blue truck. Looking over her shoulder to see if they were coming, she gestured a finger to come closer. The two shared a skeptical look that told them they had nothing to lose.

"What'd you find this time…" Luna's widened surprise at her at the sight before her.

Running a hand across the dusty hood until coming up to the driver's door, Lana was tempted to open it, but better judgment prevented her from doing that. Instead, looking over the battered and beaten Ford utility truck that had seen far better days yet looked like it was given the modern touches.

"Knight One..." she uttered, moving around towards the back, looking over the modified ladder rack.

"Are we sure this is the same truck from the show?" Lana asked, not looking very convinced.

"The license plate says so." Luna pointed to the Oklahoma plate with KO1 as the first set of letters. "Weird that it's this far from the others. Figured it'd be with those other custom trucks."

"Maybe it's not a used vehicle anymore," Lana pondered, seeing that it lacked many of the changes the show had made when the team gave it to their medic to use. Looking for where things were missing, she started noticing where something new was. The biggest hallmarks were the numerous cables that snaked down the sides of the bed into the floor and how brand new the rear and front bumpers looked.

"That's weird…" she muttered, getting down onto her hands and knees to look underneath.

Not sure if to dismiss or play along, Lola chose to humor her, "Well, that is your usual conversation starter… What's 'weird' about it now?"

"It has its spikes again," she answered. Eyeing how absurdly clean the underside was and seeing her suspicions be confirmed. Over half a dozen hydraulic pistons were mounted opposite each other, and four much larger units were bolted to the sides of the truck's frame. They were muddy, showing signs of recent use, but she wondered why this truck had such a heavy set upgrade.

"And that's weird?"

"Last time it had them was when it was just Lincoln and Clyde before the tank was completed..." Lana said, standing back up, "Vagely remembered he installed them when they kept getting too close as a last-ditch option not to go flying. He took them off like a year later for spare parts…"

"What'd you find this time…" Luna's widened surprise at her at the sight before her.

"Well… maybe it's just for precaution?" Luna threw out, not knowing what to make of the interest in the situation, "Like, a lot of people get stupidly close to the wind. I don't know. Maybe after Kingman, everyone thought adding them to every car would be a great idea."

"And you'd be correct." A new voice spoke out, startling the trio as heavy thunking boots approached.

An older gentleman dressed in dark jeans and a red denim shirt fluttered out and slowly approached, holding a collection of binders in one hand. The steel-colored outback hat made it hard to see when it cast a shade over his eyes to see his face entirely, yet his jaw moved with each step, surprising them more when a bright pink bubble appeared from his lips, popped, and was gobbled back in. With a free hand, he slid it into one of his shirt pockets and pulled out a pair of keys with a giant remote attached to the chain.

He clipped the flob once, and the truck beeped twice before starting up. His thumb moved to the remote, pressing a black button with an upside-down V. The sisters jumped, looking back to the truck when Lana could hear the roar of a compressor charging up. Watching as the spikes descending from underneath the truck pulled closer by another piston until the tips were a few inches off the ground and firing off in pairs of two into the pavement.

Letting go of the button as the compressor wind from reaching its limit, the man chuckled as he came up to them, "After the scare that devil gave everyone, it was felt that should we ever get in a situation like it again, and pray to God we never do, it's a last resort to try to hold on when too close and can't get to cover in time.

"Huh. And you are?" Lana snarked, wondering how this guy did that and why a stranger would waltz up to them like this in the middle of a parking lot.

"Name's Richard Dylans," he offered a hand, "But everyone mostly calls me-"

"Tornado Rex." Lana finished, quickly standing in front and taking his hand. For a moment, the 16 and 52-year-olds locked eyes. Breathing suddenly low and steady, Rex's gum coming silent, and Lana straightening her back tight. "You're one of the SkyKnights that helps our brother."

"Brother?"

"Lincoln Loud."

"Ah. You're one of his sisters that he's mentioned before..."

"We are," Lana said, rolling her head toward the others. For a moment, Rex glanced at Luna and Lola, catching the latter in the eye before looking back at Lana.

"You're the one he said likes all things hardware?"

"I am."

"Not afraid of the blood and dirt?"

"Live for it."

"Been put in a position where others can't understand?"

"Called the queen of plumbing since I was five."

For a heartbeat or more, the two remained silent. Their eyes were still locked, yet their hands fell away as Rex let out a deep, hearty chuckle like a grandparent humoring their grandkid. "Yep, you're like what he described."

She smiled, though she tried to hide a blush when he mentioned that Lincoln had painted such a picture about her, "I hope in a good light."

"He has. Spoke a lot about how you'd get a kick out of his workshop." He said, catching the brief spark of glee in her eyes like a secret word was mentioned when he looked towards the others, "If she's the mechanic, I take it you two are the princess and the podcaster?"

"The Princess?" "The Podcaster? They said at once, confused by the description given to them by the man from what he described as words their brother had given to them.

Yet Rex nodded, "From my understanding, it's what fits. Though, for this being the first interaction, I'd say that it's better to see what the future holds before making any definitive conclusions." His words somewhat eased the tension, yet the two still felt a nerve or two warming up.

He was right because both sides would have only heard of the other by second means. The most he knew about them was from their brother, and the most they knew about him was from TV and a few internet searches. His voice and the way he looked and spoke was exactly what they remembered the first time they saw him on the show was like; even some of the few times they showed him living his personal life, they understood he was a well-mannered man like their Pop-pop, yet he wasn't afraid to threaten someone with a branding iron when they managed to make his temper boil. And they thought it took a lot to get under Lincoln's skin...

"But in any case," he continued, passing around them to open the driver's door, "I'm sure we'll all see what Lincoln really means when he talks about his supersized family."

"Is he here?" Luna asked quickly, wanting to rip the bandaid off.

Rex paused, placed the binders on the dashboard, and looked over his shoulder. "Around here?" He nodded his brim towards the crowd, and she nodded, "Not from what I've seen. He said he might stop down, but that was earlier."

Luna's shoulders slumped. Disappointment was firm in her eyes as any earlier hopes were immediately nullified. "How'd you find us?"

"On accident," Rex stated. Starting the truck up, "Was going to put some paperwork away before picking up the others. Saw someone poking their noses around the truck and thought they were either curious or looking for trouble." He said, reaching underneath the center radio console to flip a set of switches, letting the compressor come to life again as he left up three hydraulic levers. The truck lurked side to side momentarily as the spikes retracted from the pavement, groaning once fully sheathed and clanking against their houses.

Watching and listening, Lana bit her lip and looked away in thought. A swirl of ideas formed as she glanced over to see the top part of Vanzilla's roll cage. But her ideas were abruptly interrupted when her sister, with a voice of frustration she hadn't heard in some time, grabbed her golden locks, trying not to tear them out. "Then where is he THIS-"

*bzzt* She and the others felt their phone notifications go off. In fast reflex, they all whipped out their devices, powering up the screen to see a message from their group chat sent by Lisa with one word: 'Regroup.'

The sisters looked at each other, mentally confirming to the other that they had all gotten the same message, and left Rex pondering. "Something happened?" He asked, knowing that kind of shift meant something significant.

"Our sister just texted us. Said to regroup back at our ride." Luna answered—pocketing her phone before heading to the van.

"If Link's not here, she's probably calling off this place already," Lana added as she followed.

"How many of you were there again?" Rex asked out loud before they got too far. "It's been a hot minute since I've remembered what Loud told me, but the way you said that means there's more than just four of you." Pausing, they hesitated to answer, yet if he was one of their brother's closer allies out here and already knew about them, there wasn't much harm in answering.

"Ten. All of ten of us." Luna answered sharply before not wasting a second more.

Shaking his head as his gaze drifted over to where the radars sat. "All ten... Christ, Loud. Hope you're ready for that coming storm..."

(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.)

No, you are not being fooled. This is a real chapter post.

Alright, so to be honest, this got a little messy.

For starters, it's understandable the last chapter was crazy in what it was doing, and this seems to be even more of a crazy situation.

It's not. Stop it. Who are you fooling? I was fooling myself for a second, but now? Na.

But to get back to the mess, this chapter was originally completed some time ago and stopped at the part Lisa first speaks to Clyde, the rest was actually the beginning part of the next chapter. After getting 13k words in Chapter 39, I had the idea to say 'Screw it' and merge them into what would have been a 28k monster with a 1200-word AN note. The idea was a super chapter, yet the structure didn't fix and it actually harmed my work in that, while I am trying to cut back on the number of chapters (still sitting over 110 at the time of this writing (3/9/25)) having it more evenly split meant I gave myself more time to help build up future chapters and still have material to work with while grinding on more.

Sometimes a little better mentally to know you got more waiting for use than to bundle it up all together in one shot (and let people wonder where the fuck the ending is anymore.) Following what happened with 37 and my wanting to write at least five chapters within the timeperiod I had given, this officially hit the number 2 mark 5 weeks late, Chapter 39 is about 5k words away (though that is growing) from completion and a new AN that needs to be completed by the end of the week to stay on track, then another chapter before March 31st, and we'll go on from there.

With how 37 ended, I felt that it was another one of those "A lot can happen in day" stories. This chapter was originally started up around January 13th when I was in a bit of lull in motivation to finish the last 5k of Chapter 37, but in wanting to keep progress going and the goals I set, I was thinking about it so I jumped on it early and probably a good thing too. As it meant, I had most of January and February to figure out their interactions, and by late February I was a week behind in getting 38 going, and March 5th when I decided to do this merger.

Though part of this is both in the desire to trim off some fat between the travel time (such as focusing on Lisa's little dream moment filling in the three hours instead of trying to make the combined 10 of them do something vague) and get closer to where this story needs to be, with it reaching to the point I'm going to have to juggle some 20 characters, I'm having to, again, reassess the story for the next 20k words.

Because of how last chapter turned towards the end, I've made some different choices in that after this and the next 3-4 chapters, to start working the sizes down to the 10-12k threshold as mentally trying to find a reason to get to 15k is really only for chapters where the situation can really build from it. This could even be said if I did a section about Lincoln's journey on that day (later idea maybe?) and that I can't really write 10-11 people interacting at once.

On a broader side note: some people in the places I've posted this chapter have voiced concerns about being overwhelmed with the constantly growing size of this story and that burnout or life will cause me to be dragged away and leave it in a place that makes it end in a place that doesn't at the very least give the vision of the ending.

While yes, I do have an idea for two more stories as part of this in both a sequel (more of a continuation if I decided just to keep posting it here and not as a separate story) and possibly a prequel, this story is right now my main creative outlet that for the last 13 years has always had something going on. At one point, I've had four stories in progress at once (not pretty good ones) and at most have had 19 total published stories that only six be written to completion (though three were really short by like 7k words at max, 2 were 3 year long works that reached 30 chapters to at best break 100k words and one was a bad self insert from the very first story I ever wrote), I've always had something going. If I can reach my minimum goal of getting out 40 chapters this year, then if I'm into the fourth year, a first for me, well, I've gotten that far, so why stop?

But in part of the multiple stories, I do have another project in development not related to anything from Loud House or Sins In Twisters (and this is even though since 2016, I have accumulated literally over 60 story ideas that will probably never see the light of day aside from rough chapter count and outlines and an AN summary). Mostly since, like the Loud House back before I started drafting up this story, the fandom/franchise has recently grabbed my attention, and I've begun craving any new source of ideas to build from.

Right now, its got a solid name, and like how much I'm digging into history for this story, I'm tinkering heavily to make this new project actually have a functioning purpose for the main character actually to exist and for what their actions lead to the eventual end of the story (as unlike the unpredictable weather here, this does have a more focused set of arcs that follow on top of the main series yet builds its own canon.) Like this story, I'm writing out just a massive outline first and filling in the gaps before putting the words in actual writing. It won't be as big as this story (thank god), but I bet it Absolutely will be the future Solver to my next creative writing source.

For now, Chapter 40 is taking a little bit longer to cook, as around March 30th, I went back to reorient the story and trimmed down a LOT of content to help better streamline the future of what will undoubtedly lead to a fourth (and hopefully last) year for this story. I've mostly gotten everything up to Chapter 70 fleshed out for what I'm picturing as a two sided phase where some chapters are split into 3 sections (4 if you count the units of these Notes) and those are spanned across what chase days and downdays there are. As this year has shown, it can be weeks between storm events until its suddenly every other five days. And with a set timeline and end date, that helps spread out where things can take place during the course of March, April, May and June for the characters.

With everything up to Chapter 70, which would officially end this story's second arc and begin its third (and this is after shaving down 8-10 chapters at the moment. Though at this rate I might still end up breaking 110 plus...) I'm focusing on fleshing this third arc more as ideas for what the story's future would be. As I do hope to have this hammered out by (in this universe), it would be the one-year anniversary of Kingman.