"Blitz? Blitz, are you alright? Blitz? Hello?"
Groaning, Blitzo, the boss of I.M.P, opened just one eye to see Lincoln standing in front of him. In his hands were a plate of cupcakes that he actually managed to bake in the garbage pile of a kitchen that forced him to always order out. Blitzo was confused, though, he internally questioned why Lincoln was even here in the first place. But then, he recalled the events of last night, which was also the reason why he was so incredibly hung over right now, evident by all the beer bottles littered on the couch. "What the hell? What time is it?"
"Early in the morning." Lincoln replied. "You sorta blacked out a little after the tenth drink, I think. I didn't know what else to do, so I pretty much just slept until I woke up. Figured you needed some breakfast."
"The only thing I need is another cold one." Blitzo slurred, getting up from the pile of bottles on his form. "There's-There's definitely still some left in the fridge. Be a pal, and get me one."
Lincoln frowned, as if he were going to do that. "Blitz, I know you usually don't really care, but I really think you've had enough."
Burping, Blitzo fell on the floor. "Don't ever fucking tell me of all imps that I've had enough." He groggily stood and wobbled over to the fridge to get it himself only to see that it was almost empty. "Shit, I forgot to refill." Lincoln sighed in relief, but even Blitzo had a fall back. "Well, I guess getting high will have to do."
"How many drugs do you have here?"
"You think horse figurines are the only things I spend our hard-earned money on?"
"...Honestly? Yes."
Blitzo at this point, was looking for it. "Now, where did I put it.? God damn it, if Loona's been taking my secret stash, that girl will hear it, no phone time for at least a day."
"You know, instead of taking drugs, you could try and do something else."
"Yeah? Like what?"
Lincoln looked around and unsurprisingly, Blitzo kept a few I.M.P weapons littered around. "Well, you could try teaching me how to use a new weapon? I mean, we haven't heard back from Moxxie and Millie, so why not?"
Blitzo may have a bad hangover, but he wasn't blind to see that Lincoln had some kind of motive for a random request like that. Sure, the kid has been more willing to use weaponry recently, but why ask now of all times? Even so, Blitzo was still too tired to give it any further thought and so, he decided to grant Lincoln his request. He opens the window where Lincoln looks out armed with the crossbow. "Since you're still iffy on the killing, just try aiming for random shit. Nothing more." Lincoln looked through the scope and scoured for whatever got in his line of sight.
He made sure to steer clear of the imp lady walking while pushing a baby stroller along with every other person, he just needed to shoot at the inanimate objects. "You're leaning too much."
Lincoln blinked at Blitzo's interruption. "What?"
"You're leaning on your shot too much, sport. Keep it more centered, otherwise, you'll either miss or end up actually killing someone. Here, I can show you."
Lincoln kept the crossbow away from Blitzo's hands. "Yeah, I don't think so."
"Excuse me? But that thing was in my apartment, everything found in this crap-hole is automatically mine, so let the boss show you how it's done."
"Blitz. I'm not gonna give you a weapon when you're barely awake."
"Come on , pal. I have you know, I can still fire well thank you very much...I just misfire more often and that's-that's not my fault!" Lincoln was very adamant in keeping the crossbow away, so Blitzo finally relented. "Fine. Whatever. Just listen to my advice, okay?"
Lincoln reset the crossbow and for a second, figured that Blitzo may be right as he had more experience in weaponry than he did. While Moxxie was the gun expert, and Millie preferred melee weapons, Blitzo was always a good mix of the two. Keeping his body in a centered angle, Lincoln looked and saw a nerdy looking imp who was pushed to the ground by a hunkier one that was showing off his new ride to the nerdy imp's crush. Next to them were two imp workers trying to hoist a large crate up by some rope and taking his time, Lincoln reached for the trigger and pulled. The arrow shot out and cut the rope, this led to the crate being flung until it landed on the cool car, making the female imp jump into the nerdy imp's arms as the hunk gaped at his smashed ride. She looked at the nerdy imp and kissed his cheek, making him blush.
"Ha! Hey, Blitz, look!"
"What is it?"
"I managed to make the shot!"
His body told him to continue not moving, but Blitzo got up anyway to look outside and saw what occurred. Seeing what Lincoln managed to pull off actually made Blitzo laugh out loud. "Ha! Holy shit, you totaled that dickhead's ride! Classic!"
"Well, I just listened to what you said." Lincoln chuckled. "Sorry for doubting you. It's just you're not exactly focused yourself."
"Me? Not focused?" Blitzo pointed at himself. "Why wouldn't I be-" His very unreadable mind finally figured out what Lincoln was doing, he was using this as a means to get his boss to open up about the unfortunate events of last night. "Oh. Okay. Now, I get it, you thought a good bonding over weaponry training will lighten my mood enough to talk about the shit that went down at Ozzie's, right?"
"W-What?" Lincoln failed at covering it up. "N-No, I'm just-okay, fine. Yes. But, come on, Blitz. You gotta talk about it eventually." Lincoln still hasn't forgotten how Blitzo had a complete breakdown, shedding so many tears and drowned out his sorrows with booze.
"Oh, so what? Is this the part where I pour out all my feelings? Face my own inner turmoil? Work through them so I can turn out as a better version of myself not held back by my own bitter emotional baggage? Nice try, mister. But, if my therapist couldn't get me to do that sentimental bullshit, then what makes you so sure that you can?"
"Maybe because unlike your therapist, I was actually there and knew that what happened really messed you up." Lincoln retorted.
"Trust me, kid. I'm used to folks putting me down, and I just let it out of their system." Blitzo yawned. "I also make sure to spell it out to those judgmental jerks that I wouldn't take that just lying down. Not without a fight."
"Strangers may not mean much to you, but what about people you actually know?" Lincoln knew that deep down, Blitzo can be affected by what the people closest to him think, even the ones who know hate him bitterly. "That's not even getting into how Stolas feels. Has he called?"
Blitzo scoffed. "My phone's still in one piece, so that's a big negative. Real talk, why the Heaven should I even care? It wouldn't really surprise me if he's hidden himself away in his mansion. There were a lot of demons at that club. All the seven rings probably know by now that a Goetia prince was out on a date with a lowly imp behind his wife's back and he just can't face the public shame of it all."
Lincoln glared a little. "If that's how you feel, then you don't know him at all. At least tell me you've called Moxxie and Millie."
Blitzo groaned, slumping his shoulders. "What's the point? Moxxie's probably po'd about me spying on his and Mills' date."
"Maybe he's just waiting for you to apologize for once." Lincoln handed him breakfast. "Or at the very least, Millie would want to make sure you're doing alright. And even if he was mad, so would Moxxie. Believe it or not, Blitz, but there are people who do care and worry about you. You just tend to forget that."
"And because of that, I end up risking losing what little connections I have left in my shithole life, is that where you're going with this?" Blitzo sardonically droned through a mouthful of food. "Maybe this just proves it isn't worth crap and I should just accept that and move on."
"But can you actually do that?" Blitzo said nothing on this. "Look. I-I just want to help you."
Always so committed to solving everyone's problems even though he had his own problems to worry about. Blitzo found that so strange even by human standards when it came to Lincoln. The kid is stuck in the afterlife and has spent day and night trying to find a means to break his curse and yet, he finds it in him to set that aside to worry about a guy like Blitzo. Of course, Blitzo knows it's because in the time he's been confided down here, Lincoln Loud has actually come to consider his new demon friends as the closest thing to a family he has now. But in the imp's mind, Lincoln's better off worrying about an imp who's worth it. "One of these days, you gotta learn to help yourself, kid." he somberly stated. "Look, go back to the office or something. Tell any clients the company's on standby for now. I don't know, do some shit. Not much you can do now."
Lincoln frowned in disappointment. He's used to Blitzo being stubborn, but it's obvious that he's hurting deep inside and the problem is his unwillingness to air it all out, it's as if he's scared of being vulnerable and people will pass judgment, but Lincoln's not like that. "Call if you need anything."
Blitzo was silent until he gave Lincoln one reply. "Lincoln. You had a family long before you met us, try not to forget about that. Or do. Whatever the fuck works."
Sighing, Lincoln exitted the apartment and made his way outside the building, not knowing what else to do besides just sitting on the steps, alone with his thoughts.
All he wanted was for things to be okay, even in a family down here. He gazed up to watch a trio of hooligan Sinners throw a brick through a window shop, then at imp children playing hopscotch on the outline of a body, and so on. To think that when he first arrived, he was frightened by the normal sights and now, he's hardly fazed by them, it says a lot about how he's gotten used to it and that partly scared him. "Lincoln?" he turned to see Loona.
"Oh. Hey, Loona."
After the party Tex invited her to was over, Loona took the longer route home, but didn't expect to see her friend at the apartment. "Buddy, what are you doing here?!" she asked, grabbing his shoulders and looking around, the office was deemed the only safe place for him. "Where's Blitz?"
"Inside. Things got a little...crazy last night."
"What do you-wait." Loona groaned. "He actually went to spy on Mr. and Mrs. Mushy love, didn't he? Well, I hate to say I told you so, bud. Hang on a second. How would you know that unless...son of a bitch!" she exclaimed angrily. "He took you along, didn't he? Ugh, is that what his voicemail meant?! He better hope Millie gets to him before I-"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. Trust me, he's been through enough pain." Lincoln placated. "Look, if it helps, nothing bad happened to me in Lust, but even so, I'd appreciate it if you just kept it a secret. Also, if you can, maybe check on him. What happened in Lust messed him up pretty bad and it'd help if maybe you could try talking to him. I tried, but Blitz was being...Blitz about it. You're his daughter, maybe you can take a crack at it."
"Me?" Loona's keen canine hearing must have misheard him, because she never imagined someone thinking she could comfort someone in a perilous time. "Uh, I'm, uh, I'm not so sure. Besides, it's Blitz. He just needs to buy some new horse shit online and he'll get over whatever funk he's in. He always does."
Lincoln wished he had her confidence, but the tears Blitzo had told a different story. "This is different. I don't know how, but I can tell. Please, Loona, you just might be the only one who can get through to him." he implored.
He just had to pull that face, the one Loona could never ignore. "I'll-I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises. Just get back to the office, alright?" she told him before walking inside the apartment.
Seeing as there was not much reason left to stick around, Lincoln took out one of the flash card spells and used one that opened a portal.
Unlike the regular ones used to take trips to Earth, this led to the top of the I.M.P building. Ever since Loona showed him this spot, it's the one place where he could go for a rare bout of peace and quiet. He felt so useless, wishing there was more he could do. But what could he do? Demons were a whole different ball game compared to a family of humans, yet, he still had the same drive to fix things in this crazy demon family like with the Louds. Thinking of his human family made him conflicted like before, and Blitzo's words repeated in his mind. It's not like Lincoln was actively trying to forget everyone back home, he just couldn't help but worry about the new bonds he's forged, it's just how he is.
He could never just throw his old life away, it's the only life he's ever known.
Utilizing another flash card, Lincoln threw it in the air and it lit up before becoming an orange colored holographic construct. One that detailed his parents, his sisters, and their pets, a little magic trick he learned which involved making constructs from his own memories. Since his Earth phone was destroyed, he didn't have access to any photos, so he had to improvise.
He would take a look at this as a reminder to not give up on finding a way back to them. At the same time, it's also when he would terribly miss them and wonder, just how have they been handling his abrupt disappearance.
Not just them. But all their friends, neighbors, extended family, anyone closely affiliated with the Loud family.
How has life progressed without Lincoln Loud?
Royal Woods has always been one of those close knit towns where everyone knew each other.
Maybe not everyone.
But for those who've lived there long enough, they've come to familiarize themselves with just about every old and new face that has come and gone over the years. What's more, it's a town where unique events come rarely, so it takes something very noteworthy to get everyone's attention. "New Flippee's for sale! Guaranteed to not have any raccoon hair!" In the meantime, the residents just went about their usual business such as Phillip Phillipini, or as he's more infamously known as Flip, owner and proprietor of Flip's Food & Fuel. The town cheapskate who makes a living from ripping people off. He heard indignant chattering from the counter, coming from his pet raccoon. "Don't give me lip, Nacho. If someone hadn't gotten his damn hairs in the machine, that health inspector wouldn't found it!"
"Excuse me?" A female customer spoke. "Did you finally restock on milk?"
"Milk? Wouldn't you like a fresh Flippee? First one's only ten percent off the usual price, and only costs a little bit more than the milk." Flip offered, but the lady wasn't letting him scam her. "Oh, fine. Can't blame a guy for trying." He opened the fridge doors to get the carton of milk, but stopped after seeing the photo of a missing person on the back. The one detailing Lincoln Loud.
It suddenly hit him that after all this time, that kid was still missing.
Strangely, it almost seemed like yesterday that he was first reported missing. Flip didn't really pay it any heed even though Lincoln was among his store's regular customers, he just figured that his folks were overreacting, only for the next day to reveal that he hasn't turned up. It wasn't long until his face plastered on posters then on the milk cartons, Flip was never one to care about his fellow man, and those Louds did tend to cause him some grief, but then there were the times where they actually helped him out like his old childhood love.
Part of him wondered if he was doing okay.
"Sir? Excuse me. Sir?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah. I got your milk."
The woman left the convenience store where a mail van passed by and stopped. The mailman took out various newspapers to re-stock the vendor and on each one was a column dedicated to Lincoln's disappearance, the van continued driving until passing by the local middle school. It was just about the end of the day as the final bell rang and students flooded the hallways. For one group of friends, they didn't find it in them to head out to Gus' Games and Grub like they'd always do, for it would be incomplete without a crucial member of their little band of close friends. "So, y'all wanna come over to my barn?" Liam asked, kicking the ground. "I don't got much planned, but if anyone's interested...I don't know..."
Zach sighed, closing his locker. "Afraid I can't make it tonight, Liam. Mom and dad are letting me use their detection technology. I figured maybe this time, I'd find...something. Even a small sign."
"My grandma's also running low on tea leaves." Stella Zhau added. "I wanna help her get more, just in case."
"Guys. Come on, are we seriously still doing this?" Rusty asked, he knew what these so-called plans were really for. "I thought we agreed, if none of this helped, then why bother with it still? Clydesdale, back me up on this. Clyde?"
The group looked at the depressed McBride boy who acted like he didn't hear Rusty. "Yeah. Sure."
Clyde took Lincoln's absence the hardest, which was understandable, the two were like brothers in all but blood. "Clyde, we all miss him." Stella Zhau told him, lending a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "Have you talked with any of his sisters?"
"Not really, they're about as clueless as we are." Clyde sniffled. "Why hasn't he given his 'I'm okay' signal? What's the point of making one in case one of us were missing if he wasn't gonna use it?"
"Hey, now. Calm down, fella." Liam said before Clyde took out the breathing bag. "Now fellers and Setllars, it goes without saying that things just ain't the same now that Lincoln's...wherever he is, but I bet my Mee Maw's prize winning corn that he wouldn't want us to be all down in the dumps about it. We just gotta keep holding on strong for if-when he comes back. That's all. Just swing around my barn if you're able, that's all I'm asking." They walked off together without another word and were unaware of the school principal watching them.
Sighing, Principal Ramirez shook her head. In all her years in the school district, she's never imagined something like this happening, one of her students was still in the wind and its effect has yet to cease. "I take it this means the action news team will take another rain check?" her secretary, Meryl, surmised.
"I'm afraid so." Principal Ramirez and Meryl took a walk. "At this rate, I might have to cover the entire news team altogether. I was willing to let them off to handle their feelings, but now, I'm not so sure."
"Don't hold it too much against the little darlings." Meryl reasoned. "They just miss their friend and besides, it's not quite the same without the whole team together."
"Fair enough. Besides, that's not even the worst thing about this mess. I landed in some pretty hot water with Superintendent Chen after it was revealed that Stillman was a fake identity."
Another school employee entered through a door. "You should've let me check him out." Mr. Bolhofner gruffly barked.
"Bolhofner, can we not start this again?" Principal Ramirez begged.
"You picked some new face to take my place, Ramirez. If it were me, I would've made sure the guy was on the up and up, Meryl"
The southern secretary glared. "Hey now, don't go blaming me, ya varmint! His papers were checked out!"
"Look, why don't you just go home already and get some sleep unless you want me to look for your permanent replacement." Principal Ramirez challenged that and made Bolhoffner back off.
"I swear, I miss the old Bolhoffner." Meryl gave him the stink eye. "Ever since he and his wife divorced, he just completely broke down and has only gotten worse.
"I don't like his attitude any more than you do. Though, I believe part of him blames himself. For all his faults, he's still a teacher and Lincoln was one of his students, he's protected them before." The moment she said that, both school officials heard some commotion coming from down the hall and students were crowding around in cheers and they could hear the sound of fighting. "Now what exactly is going on here?!"
Gasping, the students either backed away or ran off at the sight of the school principal. The two adult women gasped upon seeing Lynn Loud Jr. holding back her fist while the other hand held the collar of Chandler McCann. Lynn's friends, Margo and Paula were trying to get her to let go "Oh, heavens to Betsy!" Meryl's hands shot to her mouth.
"Lynn Loud." Principal Ramirez sighed at her secretary. "Another fight? Must we have another talk after school?"
"Don't look at me!" Lynn glared daggers at the red-haired underclassmen. "This jerk was flapping his mouth off!"
"N-Not true! I was just on my home, but this maniac-"
"I'll get to you in a moment, Mr. McCann." Principal Ramirez said sternly, already having a sneaking suspicion. "All I ask, Lynn, is that you let him go right this second. I already gave two warnings to Coach Keck. One more and you can forget about playing in the next game, am I clear?" Clicking her teeth, Lynn shoved Chandler to the ground. She wanted to teach him another lesson, but knew digging herself deeper wouldn't help matters. "Now, everyone. Go home before you miss your bus and Mr. McCann, keep in mind that your parents will receive a call...again. Lynn, stay for a while." Grumbling, Chandler left and Lynn remained standing in her place, arms crossed bitterly and scowling profusely. "Lynn. You know I can't condone this behavior. It's why I pulled you from your hall monitor position. Way too many shoving kids into lockers...and me."
"Like I said before, Chandler was the one talking smack about...about..."
"About Lincoln." Hearing her brother's name made Lynn flinch and look away, making the principal sympathetic. "Lynn, there are healthier ways to go about this. You can always go to the guidance counselors."
"Can they bring Lincoln back?" Lynn piercingly retorted.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, the school principal might as well leave their school's star jock with only a warning. "Just try to stay out of trouble. I'd rather not give your parents anything else to worry about."
Lynn left, still embittered. "Hey, Lynn." Margo called out. "We still on for the team meeting tonight?"
"...Whatever."
Exiting the school, Lynn walked until stopping abruptly. For a brief moment, she saw Lincoln right in front of her, waving to her bearing that same dorky grin, until he was fading away, showing that it was just in her head. It wouldn't be the first time she thought she's seen him, everywhere she turns, she keeps seeing his face, and her depression festers as a result.
Clenching her fists, Lynn fought the urge to cry. She was Lynnsanity for crying out loud, she'd never cry in public, which was why she hightailed it out of there so she could do so in the sanctity of her house.
She wasn't the only Loud sister suffering.
Even after band practice, Luna Loud would usually still be rocking out all the way back home, but she didn't bring her usual A-game compared to before, a fact that her band-mates needed to talk about. "Hey, Lunes." Her girlfriend, Sam, alongside Sully and Mazzy approached her. "We, uh, couldn't help but notice you were a little off-key at the end. Not to be pushy, but we really gotta get our act together for our next gig."
Luna strummed quietly on her guitar. "I-I know. Sorry, mates. Just been dealing, you know?"
"We get that, girl, but this gig is pretty big for the Moon Goats." Mazzy pointed out.
"I had to do a lot of favors, Luna." Sully smiled. "If you want, I could maybe try to hold off for a while, we don't have to play this gig right away."
The rock-star Loud sister didn't want her best friends to slow down on her account. "You don't have to do that, guys. Tell you what? I can get it together by next practice, I promise."
"If you're so sure." When Sully and Mazzy left, Sam stayed behind. "Luna. Do you need to talk?"
"What? I just told you, everything's solid."
"You keep saying that, but I know you." Sam's hand held hers. "I know when something's really messing you up, and believe me I understand, I'd feel the same way."
Luna averted her gaze. "Don't."
"I mean, if anything ever happened to Simon-"
"Sam! I said-" Luna almost shouted and didn't mean to blow up at her girlfriend. "I-I-I just-the fam-we-" she groaned into her guitar, wallowing in despair. Sam patted her back.
"I know, Luna. I know. Listen, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here for you, so please, don't push me out."
Luna didn't know how she managed to get a great and understanding girlfriend like Sam. With everything that her family's been going through, her presence was greatly appreciated, Luna just didn't feel like her baggage should be Sam's or anyone else's. "Appreciate it, luv." She pecked Sam on the cheek before getting her stuff and leaving the band room. She made her way to the wing that had the lockers for all students in Luan's grade, ever since Lori left for college, it fell upon Luna to gather all the high school-aged siblings together. "Hey, Luan."
This would normally be the point where her roommate/sister would greet back using an incredibly forced pun or light prank. Today, however, the braces-wearing girl just leaned on her locker, she didn't even have Mr. Coconuts at her side. "Hey."
"No drama club today?"
"Mrs. Bernardo gave my part to Liberty. It was a tough thing to do, but it was for the best. I wasn't really feeling like doing any part anyway." Luan shrugged. "So, have you seen Leni?"
"She should be here by now."
"Luna! Luan!"
They both saw two of Leni's close friends, Jackie and Mandee run up to them. "We totes got a huge sitch right now!" Mande urgently told them.
"It's Leni! She's locked herself in the janitor's closet again!"
Sharing a concerned glance, they followed the two to a door. "Leni, you in there, sis?" Luna knocked and received a choked sob.
"Y-Yes...!"
"School's over, Leni." Luan told her. "It's time to go home."
"W-Will Linky be there...?"
Luna looked down somberly. "No, Lens. He won't."
"Then what's the point of going home?!" she wailed.
It was heartbreaking to see the bright and bubbly Leni Loud reduced to such a state, she had one of those smiles that people wanted to protect and preserve. "Leni, you know you can't spend the whole night here. Come on out, we can't keep the others waiting. They're still home." Luan reasoned, hoping her older sister would agree. Slowly, the door opened and Leni came, her mascara running and eyes red from crying.
"O-Okay."
"Thanks for the heads up." Luna said to Jackie and Mandee. "We'll take it from here." The three sisters walked together and at the front was the mobile family heirloom, Vanzilla, waiting for them, at the wheel was none other than Lori Loud.
"Hey, guys." she greeted, having a forced smile. "How was school?"
"Cool."
"Nothing to report."
"Is Linky home?!"
"...Right. I'll just go ahead and head to elementary school for everyone out." Lori used one of her breaks from classes at Fairway to act as their pickup, taking the job usually done by their mother.
"Sure you can manage to make it back to Fairway for your next class, Lori?" Luna asked. Everyone knew how serious Lori took Fairway, and hoped this didn't complicate matters for her.
"It's fine. The commune here isn't that long and I still have time, and it's the least I can do." Lori looked at the backseat at the sister she was closest to. "So, Leni, do you need me to drop you off at work?"
Leni sniffled. "Mrs. Carmichael gave me the day off. I needed to learn how to stop crying on all the clothes."
"Well, why not listen to some of our favorite music? That always cheers you up."
"I tried." Leni showed her phone playlist which included a certain pop-star. "I even tried listening to Verosika Mayday's newest song, but not even that didn't help. A real bummer, too. This bonetown place sounds like it'd be a perfect place for Charles. All those bones for dogs to take. You think Lincoln might be there?" Her sisters gave her questionable looks, confusing the fashionable, but not that bright blonde. "What?"
Luan shook her head. "Yeah, you really shouldn't have introduced her to that sort of music, Lori."
Sighing, Lori stopped at Royal Woods Elementary where the younger sisters were waiting. "Okay, that's everyone. Dad called ahead and said he already picked up Lily and Lynn's walking home, so we should be done for today. How was your day?" She asked the little ones. Lucy was silent, which came as no surprise, but there was a subtle hint of more sadness in it. The twins weren't even arguing, Lana just kept her hat covering her face while Lola just looked away with a glare. Lisa's eyes were glued to her portable device, not even registering Lori's inquiry. "Okay, then. Let's just go home."
Home.
For a long while, home hasn't felt like home.
It was incomplete, much like Vanzilla right now.
There was one empty spot in the van that was sorely lacking one white haired boy.
The Loud House was notorious for all the noisy commotion. Bud Grouse knew that better than anyone else for having been that family's neighbor since before the parents even had kids. In the past, it was rock music and twin fighting that caused him frustration, but now, it was mostly the incessant crying of the youngest child of the Louds, Lily. "Hey, Loud! Will you put a lid on it, already?! You usually have the little tyke calmed down by now!"
Lynn Sr. poked his head out the window to ease his neighbor's worries.
"D-Don't worry, Grouse! I have everything under control!" He retreated inside where he picked up his daughter. "Now, Lily. That's enough. Here! Mommy and daddy bought you your favorite pudding!" he handed her a bowl, but she shoved it out of his hands. "Or not. Rita, honey!"
"I'm here!" Rita looked through the attic to find any old toy that could pacify her. "Remember old Benjy? It was one of the first stuffed animals we bought for you." She waved a squirrel doll.
"No!" Lily slapped it away, too.
"Um, how about cartoons?" Lynn Sr. turned on the TV. "Does somebody want to see the new Blarney the Dinosaur?"
"No!"
The slap to the remote managed to turn the television off.
"Rita. Lynn. Give her here." Lily heard the voice of her maternal grandfather, Albert, and her crying began to slow down until she became somewhat silent after the elder veteran rocked her softly in his arms. "There we go, Lilster."
Sighing in relief, the parents slumped on the couch. "Finally."
"Hey, Loud!" Grouse hollered again, except now, he had a somber expression. "Everything good now?"
Lynn Sr. blinked and saw that it was an honest question. "Y-Yes, Bud. Lily's okay."
"What about you?"
The parents never heard such concern in Grouse's tone. "We're fine. Just fine."
Rita was grateful that her father helped her and her husband out. "Thanks for coming, dad. For some reason, you're about the only one who can calm Lily down these days. Not even Fenton the feel better fox can do the trick."
"On the plus side, we haven't heard that ding-dang thing in a while."
Chuckling, Albert gave Lily a bottle of milk. "Don't sweat it, you two. Be it as a father or grandfather, I know a thing or two about settling down a wailing baby. You weren't exactly a walk in the park back then, Rita." Albert then sighed. "Of course, I got a pretty good idea on why Lily here seems to dry her tears with only me. I'm about one of the few things around that reminds her of..."
Albert didn't need to finish.
He always joked about how much alike he and Lincoln looked.
Rita's hand shot up to her mouth to stifle a quiet sniffle that concerned Lynn Sr. She put her other hand up to stop him and got up to go into the kitchen where she took a seat and quietly sobbed to herself and glanced at a framed photo of Lincoln when was just a toddler. The nightmare of any mother is the sudden loss of their own child, what made Rita's pain even worse was that she had no idea whether or not her boy was dead or alive. When Lincoln didn't return that day, it was all hands on deck, the entire family searched high and low all over town for him, and were met with no success. None of his friends from school knew where he was, only that he was staying after to help out the new substitute teacher.
When the police became involved, they searched the home of Stillman, only to find no trace of either person, just that there were obvious signs of some sort of struggle and dust on the floor, unaware that it was all that remained of the teacher. The case continued from then onward and despite all their efforts, the police couldn't find any trace of Lincoln, it was as if he just disappeared off the face of the planet.
For the Loud family, it's felt like they've lived in a never-ending nightmare.
Lynn Sr. sighed, watching his wife in the kitchen, he's never felt so useless until now.
"Has Leonard called?" Albert asked.
"Dad's been keeping us up to date in case he's heard anything at the camp." Lynn Sr. replied. "Nothing. We even called Angus at Loch Loud."
"In Scotland?"
"I know, I know. The likelihood of Lincoln ending up in Scotland of all places is very low, but when has that ever stopped a Loud?" Lynn Sr. knew his family had done crazier. "We just-We just want to hold out hope."
Albert gazed down at the slumbering Lily, hope was good and all, but there was such a thing as false hope that only served to continue the pain. He's been around long enough to know that even though he wished for the safe return of his one and only grandson. "The kids are back." He told him after hearing Vanzilla arrive. The front door opened to let in the Loud sisters, Lynn Sr. and Albert met them in the living room where the latter handed Lily tenderly to Lori. "I should head back to Sunset Canyon. Sue's pretty strict on that new curfew, she's not able to evict folks anymore, but I'd rather not waste what's left of my hearing on her wails. Everyone, whenever you need me, I'll be right there."
"Bye, Pop-Pop."
Now, the Loud family was alone and for the first time, it was entirely quiet.
Everyone just stood there in uncomfortable silence that wasn't broken by anyone, not even when Rita eventually joined them in the living room did anyone speak up. How could they treat everything like normal when they were missing one crucial piece. "So, how was everyone's-"
"I'm going to my room." Lynn snapped.
"I too must retreat to my dwelling." Lisa adjusted her glasses. "It would be appreciated if Lily is kept out for the time being." The other sisters followed suit, leaving the two parents alone.
Rita rubbed her temples and sat down with her husband consoling her.
Their family was broken and as the parents, they should work to keep everything together, but they were failing and that made them so disappointed in themselves.
Inside their bedroom, Lynn was punching the practice dummy over and over. It was one of her own ways of relieving her anger, the other way being over-competitive in sports games. "You know mom and dad won't be able to buy you any more dummies, right?" Lucy said.
"Whatever!"
"At least have the courtesy of venting outside rather than in our bedroom, Lynn." the goth complained. "I don't need to remind you of how hard it is to concentrate on my crucial matters when you're like this."
Hollowly laughing, Lynn stopped punching. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is the little duchess of darkness having another hocus-pocus pow-wow? Did your goth buddies tell you that they heard Lincoln's footsteps up on the roof or some made up bullshit."
Behind her bangs, Lucy's eyes narrowed. "I do not care for your callous tone nor for your bad language, Lynn. Lily isn't that far from us and the last thing we need is for her to develop a potty mouth. Once more, what you rudely described is my attempt at finding answers as to what had become of our wayward brother. It may seem silly to you, but at least I'm actually still trying rather than give up. Of course, I'm not surprised by your indifference."
Lynn turned around furiously. "What was that?!"
"Considering how you tend to put your own sports interests before us, I'm somewhat surprised you're not doing another one of your silly good luck rituals like you did after the first day Lincoln went missing." Lucy said, a little too blunt even for her.
"This coming from little miss 'I talk to a bust of a spooky pale guy from TV', that's rich!" Lynn wasn't taking such flak. "And you don't know a damn thing! He wasn't just your brother, you know!"
"Then why did it take him leaving for you to finally act like it for more than five seconds?!"
Growling, Lynn kicked the dummy across. "You know what?! Screw this! I'll be outside if that's what you want! Maybe I'll get lucky and pull a disappearing act, too!"
Her anger subsidized, Lucy realized she may have pushed Lynn needlessly too far. "Lynn, wait-" Her older sister slammed the door shut. As a goth, Lucy was loath to admit it, but she had taken a deep emotional hit after Lincoln went missing. It was as if part of her own soul was lost as well, each family member lost a part of themselves and they seemed doomed to fall deeper into this dark pit and oddly. Lucy hated every minute of it. Part of her felt partly guilty, remembering her words to Lincoln that day, she felt that she could've done more to warn him of the unholy presence she felt.
She felt that the least she could do was find answers through her own means. The girl looked under her bed and pulled out a special trunk of Great Grandma Harriet's old keepsakes.
In the room of Lori and Leni, Lily was sleeping comfortably on a mat made out of old hand-me-downs that were previously owned by Lori. "Gotta say, the old room hasn't changed a bit." she mused. "Thought for sure the twins would've ripped it apart by now." Joking around always worked for Luan, so she thought she could give it a try. Anything to bring some levity.
"Hmm."
"Leni, come on. Where's that smile?" Lori asked. "Don't you want to hear the latest gossip from Fairway?"
"...Lori, is Lincoln still alive?"
"W-What?" Lori almost stopped breathing. "L-Leni! Where did that literally come from?!"
"I heard that most kids who are lost almost never show up ever again, and that usually means they don't want to be found or-or..." Just thinking about the alternative was enough for the tears to come and Lori swiftly moved to sooth her before she could wake Lily.
"Hey, come on. You shouldn't think like that." Lori told her, though she understood why she'd have such fears. The search for Lincoln had gone on long enough and one can only cling to so much hope, but Lori wasn't deterred in the slightest. "I know I never really said much about it, but this is Lincoln we're talking about. No matter what happens, he always managed to get his way out of trouble, especially when that trouble was because of us." she chuckled.
"What about us, though?" Leni wiped away some tears. "D-Do you ever think that maybe we pushed him away? That we weren't good enough sisters sometimes? That we made him feel a little...out of place? Like, that stupid sister fight thing?"
Lori inwardly groaned at that whole fiasco. After a lot of thinking, it was decided that they shared some of the blame over how bad things got, it was rather odd that the sisters didn't think to include Lincoln in their protocols, especially since they had to disrupt him constantly. Not only that, but some words that were shared were certainly more harsh than Lori realized. "We were...never perfect, Leni, but that never stopped him from loving us. Besides, if anything, maybe I could've watched out for him more if I never left for college."
"But Fairway's your dream school."
"Doesn't make it more important than my family."
Just then, Rita called for her oldest. "Lori, someone's at the door for you!"
When Lori left, Lily opened one eye to show she was still awake. Leni was too busy wallowing to notice her leave their room and make her way to the bedroom that once belonged to her big brother. No one stepped in it for a while, save for her, she crawled in and climbed onto the bed where Bun-Bun was resting without an owner, she grabbed it and hugged the stuffed toy close. "Lincoln..." she muttered sadly.
Downstairs, Lori gasped upon seeing her beloved boyfriend standing in the doorway. "Boo-Boo Bear!"
"Hey, babe." The happy couple hugged.
"Like, what are you literally doing here?"
Bobby frowned. "Well, I didn't really have that much of a choice, she really insisted." He nodded behind him where his own younger sister, Ronnie Anne Santiago stood and from her expression, was very impatient.
"Ronnie Anne? Wha-"
"Did you find any new leads?!"
"I-"
"Has anyone actually stopped looking?!"
"I don't-"
"What about that teacher, does anyone know-"
"Honey, please. Give Lori a chance to speak!" Their mother, Maria, appeared to stop Ronnie Anne's rant. "Sorry about this, Louds, but she's been impatient since the entire ride over here."
Lori peeked out. "Did all of you come here from Great Lakes?"
"You bet Rosa's tamales we did!" Hector said from their family vehicle. "Just so you know, you have a swindler in your midst. That Flip bobo tried ripping me off, but this guy's been at it way longer than him."
"Enough, Hector!" Rosa chided. "We are here to lend our support to our dear friends! I brought a new batch just for you, Louds!" She gestured to Carlos holding a gift basket addressed to the Royal Woods family.
"Wow, I don't know what to say."
"At least say you'll take it." Carl lugged a second one. "Abuela has more back home, and I don't want to head to and from different states."
Carlota nudged his side hard. "Just so you know, I've been sending shoutouts in my fashion blog. Now, I can't say for sure, but I think some guys have spotted a white haired kid at a mall that was near a gas station explosion, but he was wearing a tacky business suit, so it may have been just an old man. There's not many kids with natural white hair. Other than that, I don't have much to go on."
Sergio squawked. "Sancho has a few cousins down South with some eyes out. They get distracted easily, though, so I can't make any promises. But, it's better than nothing, right? Don't ever say that Sergio never looked out for his friends."
"We also bribed him with expensive bird seed that he needs to smooth things over with Priscilla." CJ added.
"Yell it to the whole world, why don't you?"
Frida prepared a special gift for the family. "I spent a lot of time on this special project. I know if either of my precious babies were ever lost in the world, I'd do at least one thing to remind me of them!" she uncontrollably wailed. She gifted Lori with a large portrait that was done in the image of Lincoln. Frida's artistic talent was done well as it was a lifelike image of him, she even got his chipped tooth right.
"It's beautiful, Mrs. Casagrande." Lori smiled in gratitude. "I'm sure everyone will love it."
"Can we please circle back to the real Lincoln?!" Ronnie Anne demanded. "Please tell me that you've found at least one new thing about where he is! It's already been months!"
"Ronnie Anne, I-I'm sorry." Lori regretfully gave her no good news. "But, no. There hasn't been anything lately."
The skate-boarding girl looked downwards, anger building up over that answer. "Then what the hell have people been doing here?! How hard is it to find one white haired kid?!"
"Language, Ronalda!" Rosa scolded. "Don't act like you're the only one worried about the poor boy. His entire family has been suffering in their own ways. Not even Ernesto Estrella's predictions have pointed to his whereabouts, so please, have some care with how you speak!"
Ronnie Anne grumbled and walked off. "Haven't seen her like this since her old grumpy bully days." Bobby told his girlfriend. "Sid and the rest of their friends do enough to calm her down, but it's not enough. She just...she just really misses Lincoln and I can't say I blame her. She only came to see if any news came up, but we just want to make sure you and your family have been holding it well."
"I wish I could say yes, Bobby." Lori sighed. "Things can only get worse before they get better."
"That doesn't mean you all have to deal with it alone." Bobby would never abandon Lori especially at a moment where she needed all the help required. "Babe, everyone is willing to be there for you and your family, no matter what."
Lori thanked whatever God was listening for having Bobby in her life, he was such a positive constant in her life it's why she always went overboard in trying to preserve their deep loving relationship. "Thanks, Boo-Boo Bear." She lightly kissed him on the lips. "Thanks to all of you, I'll be sure everyone gets your gifts." The Great Lakes City family went back into their vehicle, Ronnie Anne lingered a bit, taking one last look at the house. Lincoln didn't realize it, but he was a great help to her settling into her new surroundings, in fact, having him for a friend helped her grow out of her bullying phase. Him being gone and missing him made her realize just how much he means to her, so much so that it was beyond missing one of her best friends.
It was a longing that struck her in the heart, not that she'd openly admit it.
She wondered if he felt the same way.
"Ronnie Anne." Bobby knelt down. "It's time to go."
"...I-I miss him, Bobby...I miss him so much..."
"I know, Nie-Nie. I know."
Up from a window, Lana saw the vehicle leave the premises. "Ronnie Anne and her family visited again. She probably wanted to know about Lincoln." On her bed was the family dog, Charles, who howled upon hearing the name of one of his owners. "I know, boy. I miss him, too. Hops, Izzy, and the rest miss their Uncle Lincoln." She scratched behind the whimpering canine's ears. All of her pets crowded around for comfort.
"Can you all keep it down?!" Lola demanded, covered by her stuffed toys.
"Hey, they're just sad, Lols!" Lana dodged a toy thrown.
"Everyone's been sad, Lana! We've cried, we've searched, what good has any of that done?!" Lola ranted. "Mom and Dad told us they'd find him, that he'd come home, that everything would be okay, and they lied to us!"
"People are still looking." Lana reasoned optimistically. "We just need to wait and it's not all bad, didn't you win another-"
"I'm sick of waiting!" Lola screeched. "I'm sick of everyone being sorry for us, of being reminded that he's not here, of all the crying!" Even though she was crying right now. "I want things to be back to normal! I want-I want my big brother back!" She didn't care about her makeup running. Lana watched her younger twin show a rare bout of vulnerability. The two have often been at odds since forever, and all it took was losing their brother to finally have them on the same page. Lana walked and hugged Lola close and the little princess didn't break away.
Luna sat on her bean bag chair, strumming slowly. "No, that's not right." She tuned her instrument slightly and tried again. "Damn it, that's not right, either. Come on, Luna, you're better than this."
"Drawing more blanks, huh?" Luan guessed.
"Big time. Everything's fallen out of whack, sis, and it's messing up my mojo."
"if it makes you feel any better, everyone's mojo needs some fine-tuning. Heh, you, uh, get it?" Luan groaned. "Never mind, that was weak even for me."
"At least we're trying, you know, despite the massive funk the fam's been in." Luna set her guitar down and looked at their closet where Luan kept various tapes. "I noticed you cleaning out your vids. Better not be up to anything sneaky, Luan." she jokingly warned.
Giving only a small laugh, Luan shook her head. "Don't worry. I was just sorting out to look for the ones that had...Lincoln in them. I wanted to put them somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Luna, why hasn't things gotten better?" She desperately questioned. "Lincoln should've come back by now, and he hasn't. Doesn't he want to come home?"
"Don't go losing your hope like Leni has. Our baby bro loves us and we love him." Luna refused to ever believe otherwise. "Have we had our bogus moments? Yeah, and we still managed to always pull through tighter than ever. What other family can say they survived a dragon in Scotland together? There's no way he'd just forget about us."
"I want to believe that, I really do." Luan picked up a picture showing the five older sisters and Lincoln when he was just an infant. They were so excited when they learned they had a brother, she remembered all the fun they had playing with him. Down the line, they couldn't help but think that perhaps they took such a special thing for granted. "You ever think maybe we never told him enough how much we loved him? I don't mean like what happened in Scotland or when we wanted to make up for messing up things he wanted, but just everyday instead of all the stupid pranks that left him a mess." Luan was used to her family and their grievances when April Fools' Day arrived, but now she started to think there were real consequences.
"This-This is a big family." Luna didn't think she needed to point that out. "Things happen fast around here."
"Which means some of us have to be forgotten?"
Luna no longer wished for any more of that kind of talk, so she grabbed her comedian sister by her shoulders. "Lincoln could never be forgotten. Not in this house. He's okay, you hear me? He's a Loud and he will come back." she hugged her fellow brunette tightly. "He has to."
At their door, a pair of eyes observed them. It was Todd, a new robotic droid invented by Lisa and he moved away after he was done with the mission his creator sent him out on, all that was left was for him to return. "Creator, I have completed my directive." He said as he entered Lisa's room. "It was as you expected. All of your sisters are suffering emotional wounds inflicted by the ongoing absence of your sole male sibling."
The prodigy child sighed. "Indeed, Todd." She activated her advanced super-computer and put up a screen that detailed several dots of different colors. "Computer. Run check on the tracking device of a subject known as Lincoln Albert Loud."
"Processing." The computer's voice said before an exclamation point appeared. "Subject not found."
"Curses. Again?" Lisa took her glasses off and pinched her nose. After Lincoln disappeared, Lisa immediately tried using the tracker she had placed on him to find him, but found that it was somehow deactivated. "Just what in the name of logic could be causing an invention of my own design to malfunction?"
"If I may." Dare-bot said from his charging station. "Would it not make sense to ask for assistance from your fellow colleagues?"
"I see no need to burden them with this family matter." Lisa reasoned. "It's also not as if they'd even have the time. The science community is still dealing with the fallout of the abrupt passing of Loopty Goopty and Lyle Lipton of Lyle-Loopty Robotics. Although, personally, I don't see why anyone would grieve for those miscreants." she scoffed in disgust. "They gave distinguished members of the science community a bad rapport. But enough about them, nothing about them would give me any clue about Lincoln."
"Do not take this the wrong way, but I find it odd that you're so invested." One of her old robots, Mr. Reinforced Titanium Alloy Arms, voiced from storage. "Are you not the one who is adverse to innate human emotions dictating your life?"
"Perhaps in the past." Lisa conceded. "But old events taught me that personal relationships, familial included, do have their merits. The truth of the matter is, and I realize the corniness factor, but such bonds are irreplaceable and nothing can ever substitute them."
All three of the robots looked at each other then at their maker. "So, you just really miss your big brother?"
Lisa blinked and laughed softly. "Yes. I suppose if you desire layman's terms. This isn't just for my sake, but everyone's. Lincoln's prolonged absence has had its effect on all members of the Loud family, as with our affiliates. To put everything in its proper setting, his safe return is prudent. I'm only exasperated that despite my reputation as the intellectual Loud, I've yet to succeed on that mission. I suppose Lincoln did possess more experience in solving conundrums. What I would give to have his input right now." she lamented.
"Mistress Lisa." she looked at her computer. "You have a new email from the offices of...several agencies."
She groaned. "Sort out the ones that are deemed important enough to pique my interest. I'm afraid I have better things to do other than indulge in contract propositions from close-minded underfunded government agencies, such as that one with the nonsensical belief that demons exist. What nonsense."
"Did you not have a magical encounter?"
"I recall classifying that as a new discovery of a possible offshoot of the lizard family and a new form of energy channeling that our ancestors merely perceived as 'magic'." Lisa stubbornly retorted. She had more faith in logic and reasoning to be the only true key rather than the occult as that was more Lucy's department. Hopping down from her chair, Lisa walked over to her pad that had a picture of Lincoln. "Wherever you are, older brother. It would put us all at some form of ease to know you are okay, perhaps even more so to know that you're not alone."
"Fangs. Is the coast clear?"
Lucy's pet bat chattered in response.
"Perfect."
If there was any Loud sibling that had an uncanny talent for slipping away unnoticed, it was Lucy Loud. She crawled through the air vents she often used to sneak around the house which Lisa theorized to be how she did all her sudden appearance acts. This route led to outside and she coughed a little to get the cobwebs off her clothes, and at her backyard was someone waiting for her.
"Greetings, Lucy." Her best friend, Haiku, greeted evenly. "Hello to you as well, Fangs."
"Thanks for coming here under such short notice, Haiku." If she wanted, Lucy would smile.
Haiku nodded. "Think nothing of it. We may not be bound by blood, but we are both sisters in the darkness, so of course I heeded your call. The rest of the club are at Boris' just as we scheduled."
"Then let us go now."
The two goth best friends left Lucy's backyard to venture off to Boris' house and when they went inside, they were welcomed in by their fellow morticians club members, Persephone, Morpheus, Dante, and Boris. "Lucy. Haiku. Boris welcomes you into his home." the lanky kid said. "But bear in mind to take off your shoes. Boris' parents are very strict about that rule."
Morpheus' pet crow made a sound. "I agree, Thorn." its owner droned. "This is why we should hold meetings at my house."
"Boris did not see you complain when mother offered you snacks."
"How come Morpheus got to bring his crow and I had to leave Captain Ron behind?" Dante complained. "That is an injustice, I tell you!"
"Friends, please. Let's not fight among ourselves." Persephone prompted them to stay focused. "Bear in mind that we are gathered for Lucy and her plight. As her friends, we must not forget that."
"Very much appreciated, Persephone." Lucy took the center of the group. "While I realize calling this meeting was abrupt, it does soothe my soul to see that none of you minded and as I'm sure you're aware, it pertains to my brother."
Morpheus scratched his crow thoughtfully. "So, the mystery of the wayward Loud continues to this day."
"Once again, our deepest sympathies." Haiku's head was bowed. "We realize just how much you and your kin have suffered."
"The affairs of normies are rarely on my mind, but that does not mean Boris is cold enough to not care, Lucy." The tallest member punched his chest. "Fairway cheer squad taught me the spirit of understanding."
"They do know you're in elementary school, right?"
"My point still stands!"
Dante shuddered. "I can still feel the presence from that day. If only a proper warning was issued to that guy. Ow!" Persephone elbowed his arm and her eyes trailed to Lucy. Dante regretted his words. "Oh, dear. I meant no offense, Lucy."
"None taken, Dante." Lucy was getting tired of the self-blame game. "Unlike before, I intend to go any distance conceivable. I'd understand if any of you wish to back out now. This is mostly a Loud family matter."
"We wouldn't have come here if we weren't sure." Haiku stood by her best friend. "Truth be told, we would not mind if Lincoln returned. Although he's optimistic about it, his fascination with the supernatural was very well done. I often thought if he really tried, he'd make an awesome goth punk."
"Lynn did say he pulled off a convincing act that one time she moved into his room. I frankly just pressured him into the role to win the election."
"Plus, from a certain angle, he comes off as rather...dashing." Haiku got stared at by her club, especially Lucy. "What? I'm just saying."
Lucy ignored that for now. "...Anyway. Through effort, I managed to find the items." She set down a duffel bag that she carried all the way to Boris' house that had been hidden under her own bed. "Bertrand told me how to use these wicked items properly, he got it from a personal tutor of his before his family moved away."
Morpheus smiled. "Good old Bertrand. Even when he's not here, he's still with us in spirit."
Lucy undid the knot that tied the bag together and the floor was littered with a variety of eerie objects. Candles sculpted with Pentagram designs, a special book that had an upside down cross as a cover, tarot cards and a crystal boss held by a fake clawed hand. "My great grandma Harriet practiced many forms of the dark arts. But, according to her private records, she also tried her hand in a more...unholy form of arcane. The ways of the devil."
"Man, I wish one of my ancestors was so cool!" Persephone shushed Dante.
"Such practice is not without cost." Haiku cautioned.
"I am fully aware. That is why I made sure this would be a ritual to not summon a demon. Great grandma Harriet had a warning sign for that. Enough talk. Let's begin." Lucy had one more thing in the bag.
"Uh, is that a lock of your brother's hair?" Persephone asked.
"Lisa keeps a lot of our DNA samples under lock and key and she's yet to come up with a difficult password. Dante. Morpheus. You know what to do." The two boys were given chalks that they drew along on the floor to make a circle and another within it. In-between the two circles were symbols of unique design. Boris, Persephone, and Haiku lit the candles and Lucy took a meditative seat to face the crystal ball, she rested Lincoln's hair tenderly on a purple colored pillow. The morticians club sat in a single and joined hands in preparation. "A lost soul is what we seek." Lucy spoke the spell. "To know the sulfur land is not our intent, only to find out the status of the one I call my precious big brother, Lincoln Loud. Now show us."
Silence overtook the room and the club's eyes closed tight. The windows were suddenly opened by a strong gust of wind, blowing out the candles, and the kids remained in their place even after opening their peepers. A gust of wind carried all the tarot cards up and they spun like a tornado. The light in the room dimmed until turning off and the crystal ball turned red. They gazed inside in wonder, not scared, and inside the crystal ball, they witnessed a shape taking form. It was the silhouette of a boy whose shape was familiar to Lucy. The shadowy body then expanded until taking the shape of something else. It was taller, adorning antler horns and rabbit ears on the head, it even had leather wings and a spaded tail. Crimson red eyes stared back followed by the shadow baring its sharp teeth and claws.
It roared savagely and the crystal ball formed a crack.
The lights turned back on and the tarot cards were stacked together in a neat deck, sans four of them upside down.
Lucy and her friends actually felt their hearts beat rapidly once it was over. "Unbelievable..." Persephone whispered.
Haiku looked at her friend. "Lucy? What does it mean?"
The Loud goth picked up the cards. "The cards. They will show us."
She flipped them over to reveal the first one. "A jackalope lost in a forest, separated from its own kind and is found by wolves that actually accepted it as one of their own."
Haiku handled the second one. "A smiling boy. One half has him smiling, but look at his left half." The other half of the boy's face was shrouded by shadows and a devil horn was on top of his head.
Persephone finally revealed the third card. "Oh, my. It's-It's the Hell card." she paled.
The young morticians gasped, because that specific tarot card could only give one clear answer. "The lost Loud is-"
"No." Lucy's hands trembled and her head shook in denial "It's not true...It's not true...!" she shrieked, surprising her club. Never before had they ever seen Lucy Loud be so emotional. "He can't be and even if he were, there's no way he'd be in...It's not true..." She repeated hollowly through mutters.
"Lucy, I-" Haiku didn't want to dash her hopes, but it all looked concrete until she saw another card on the sofa cushion. She picked it up and gasped. "The persevering life. He, whose soul still shines its light of life."
"Let me see!" Lucy snatched it out of her hands.
"But, what about the other signs?" Morpheus curiously asked. "What could they possibly mean?"
"Could he be in a place that's like Hell?" Dante rubbed his hands. "This mystery is getting more and more interesting."
Their clamoring halted after a sniffling sound was heard. They looked ahead and witnessed another shock, the sight of Lucy Loud openly crying what was undoubtedly tears of joy that even included a quivering smile. "You guys. He's alive...my big brother's alive..." Lucy sobbed happily. What they saw in the crystal ball mattered little to her at the moment, for she got what she wanted. After so much time of unanswered questions, Lucy held this special meeting just for one purpose, she only wanted confirmation that wherever Lincoln was, he was still alive.
To her, that was more than enough.
Her friend listened to her continue sobbing until Haiku was the first to hug her and the rest following suit.
The Morticians were not prone for such sentimentality, but they made exceptions for one another.
"Whoa!" Lincoln jolted up at the roof. He felt a light tingle inside that called out to all of his senses, even to his very soul, as if something or someone was reaching out to him until it was gone. "That was a heck of a head rush." He thought that maybe he stayed out long enough and couldn't quite get that feeling out of his head. He went to the I.M.P headquarters office that had only him. He sighed heavily. "A surprise appearance would be nice right about now."
"Lincoln, honey!"
Somehow, Millie barging in made him miss Lucy's surprise greetings. "Millie? Moxxie? You guys are here! I mean, of course you're here! Why wouldn't you be?" he drummed his fingers in a forced laugh.
"Are you alright, Lincoln?" Moxxie asked.
"Me? Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Lincoln reassured despite sweating. "I was just bored, you know. It's hard not to when you're cooped up here all alone, maybe you ought to give Loona some slack, huh?" he tensely joked before he cleared his throat. "So, uh, what about you two? Did your anniversary dinner turn out well?"
The imp gun expert gave off a sigh. "At first, it did. But, things sure did happen."
Lincoln frowned. "Oh? Was-Was it bad?" He wished he wouldn't have to lie to them, but he felt it would be better if they didn't know.
Millie pinched his cheeks. "Don't you fret none, sweetie. Mommy and daddy just had a few critics." she glared. "Apparently, some sad lonely assholes just can't stomach true love when they see it. You should've seen Moxxie perform! He was so romantic!" She hugged her husband's arm. "Unfortunately, we may not be able to go back to Ozzie's anytime soon, but that's alright! We can have post-anniversary time together as a family, which of course includes you, my precious little miracle." She cooed before hopping away.
Lincoln looked at the melancholic Moxxie. "When you said that things happened, I'm guessing it had something to do with Blitz spying on you...because of course he did!" he quickly said. "I mean, we all knew he would, right?"
"As always, Lincoln. Your perception is astute." Moxxie faced the poster of Blitzo and his sister. "I guess a part of me shouldn't be that surprised. I just wished that for once Blitz would respect our boundaries. Maybe it was my own fault for wishing for the impossible."
"Moxxie, there's nothing wrong with that." Lincoln consoled. "Blitz is just, well, Blitz."
"Heh. True enough."
"You have a right to be angry at him. You and Millie." Lincoln had expressed his own anger at their boss. "But, if you ask me, I think Blitz is angry at himself more than you are at him. He's just really good at hiding it."
Moxxie would doubt that if he hadn't seen Blitzo's softer side when they were held captive together and remembered just how lousy he looked at the club. "Have you checked on him? To see if he's okay?"
"Uh, Loona actually just called." Lincoln replied, pensive and was glad to see Moxxie was at least concerned about Blitzo. "She's got that covered, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Besides that, would you say you had a good night?"
Moxxie weighed the ups and down. "I suppose in the end, it could've been better, but it also could've been worse, so I'd say yes. I could've done without the ridicule, though."
Lincoln smiled. "Hey, whoever gives you any trouble can just rot down here."
"That's right!" Millie cheered as she arrived back with board games. "All those sons of bitches and bastards can go fuck themselves. We're a happy family and that's all that matters! Now, who's up for family game day?! It's like family game night, but during the day. I'm a genius!"
Lincoln watched them set the board on the table and although he wished Loona and Blitzo were here to partake, he wanted to give the latter the chance to accept the former's help. "Just hang on a sec, guys. I still feel like I should've given you a gift for your anniversary." They followed him back to the roof where he used one last flash card for the day. It glowed on his palm and it shot out into the sky as a beam of orange energy before forming into a large construct of the three of them in a group hug with Blitzo and Loona. "Happy anniversary.."
Moxxie and Millie marveled at their surrogate son's creation. "Oh, that's my baby boy!" Millie wept happily and hugged him softly this time.
Lincoln felt Moxxie ruffle his hair. "Thank you."
Down below at the office entrance, the I.M.P van stopped. "Whoa! Check that out!" Loona gaped from inside. "Nice job, Lincoln. He even got my hair right."
Blitzo was the one driving and looked up and knew that Lincoln was responsible for the light show. "Let's leave them alone for now, Looney." Blitzo slid the windows up and drove farther from the building and his lips curled into a small smile after he saw Lincoln's creations on the door mirror.
"Next time, I gotta bring Linc to one of Tex's parties!"