It's a Kid's World

3.1: The Puppet King

One month had passed since the death of mafia boss Don Morito. In his absence, his brother Dickie Morito served as his replacement, with Carl Casagrande as his appointed adviser. He stood beside the unprepared ruler as his right-hand man.

For the first time in his life, Carl felt like he was moving up in the world…

"Sir, we've had reports of more biker girls managing to bypass our watch and sabotage parts of the city." one of the guards said to Dickie in the middle of an informal conference.

"I fail to see the importance. It is a shame, yes, but it's only a few broken windows and spray-painted walls. I don't think it's a big concern." Dickie said.

"Sir, one thing your brother always told us was that we need to prevent people from getting away with doing whatever they want on our territory, even the smallest of things, or our reputation crumbles and commands less respect." the guard explained.

"I see. That is very bad." young Dickie said.

"I'd say we should spend more hours patrolling the streets and covering more ground." the guard said.

"Well, I can see how that would help. But how much would that cost us?" Dickie asked, unsure of what choice to make.

"It would take up more of our time, but it is necessary if we are going to do our jobs." the guard claimed.

"Very well. I will allow the use of more men and limousines to patrol the streets." Dickie agreed.

"Thank you, sir." the guard said in acceptance.

"You may leave now." Dickie then told him.

"Nice speaking with you." the guard replied before walking out of the throne room.

"Hey, Dickie. Want a word of advice?" Carl asked his new leader once the two were in private.

"Erm, sure." Dickie replied.

"You need to say no once in a while. Don't just listen to what your guards tell you. YOU'RE the boss!" Carl reminded him.

"I know, but his proposal sounded good." Dickie said.

"But was it? I mean, sure they'll cover more ground against intruders, but they'll use up so much fuel while they do. Car fuel is a finite resource these days." Carl pointed out.

"Oh, I guess I didn't think about that." the little boy admitted.

"It seems you lack the knowledge of your brother." Carl suggested.

"Yeah, he was really smart… I miss him." Dickie sadly said as he began to develop teary eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. Things will be fine, you've still got me here." Carl comfortingly told him while patting him on the back.

Dickie looked up in appreciation for the support Carl was giving him.

"Listen. It seems to me that you have the makings of a great leader, but your brother's sad, sad death put you in charge before you were ready. Maybe to become the wise leader you need to be, you should… well, accept your limitations." Carl began to explain.

"What do you mean?" the confused child asked.

"Someone once said, a wise king listens to the views and suggestions of his advisers and counsellors, until he comes of age, and an even wiser king continues to listen long after." Carl finished.

"Who said that?" Dickie questioned.

"I dunno, some guy in an old TV show or something. Anyway, the point I'm making is that you could be that wise king. You know, if you learn a thing or two from your advisers." Carl told him.

"You mean you?" Dickie asked.

"Now you're getting it! Let me guide you in the right direction while you get your head wrapped around this whole mafia business. Imagine being a mafia leader is like driving a car, and I'm the instructor!" Carl encouragingly put it.

"But I know how to drive a car, I've played Grand Theft Auto." Dickie naively insisted.

"Yeah, it's not quite that easy. Look, let me help you run this place, and you'll be fine." Carl said, struggling to hold back laughter after Dickie's last sentence.

"Okay." The inexperienced young ruler agreed, complying with the guidance of his adviser.

The Mortician's Guard were themselves discussing a matter of leadership. All of them were in a meeting together, led by Haiku and Lucy. Lincoln and his friends also joined the meeting. All of them sat down in their large hall, fully lit by a series of large candle lights. Lucy and Haiku stood in front of them and spoke out.

"A month ago, our base was almost infiltrated by the very creatures we have been fighting against. Since then, there have been no further attacks, but the threat still looms over our heads… and soon, that statement will be quite literal." Haiku spoke out, while Boris provided ominous sounds with his keyboard.

"We have been hiding away in here for many weeks, sheltering ourselves from the outside world in cowardice against the unearthly children." Lucy then added.

"But while we hide, those creatures continue to threaten the existence of all our lives. We need a plan of action to face them head-on." Haiku declared.

"But how will we do that?" Dante spoke out.

"I have decided, we will need a more militaristic approach to leadership in the coming months. Lucy is the most capable for this role, being the one who taught us to defend ourselves with weapons. Also, having overheard her jock sister's team strategies for sporting events by sharing a room with her for many years, she would have tactical knowledge transferable for warfare situations." Haiku stated.

"So, Lucy is taking sole leadership?" Persephone asked.

"Yes, that is what I have decided." Haiku confirmed.

"Except, I can't accept it." Lucy then responded.

Everyone in the room then gasped at Lucy's statement, wondering what would happen as it seemed the leadership of the guard was in flux…

"Lucy, what are you doing?! You'd be the perfect leader!" Lincoln stood up and declared.

"No, brother. I will not be the leader, because I know of a better choice." Lucy ambiguously said.

Lincoln then grew a confused expression on his face as he wondered what she meant. Suddenly, he realised exactly what she was talking about, and began to dread her next words…

"My brother, Lincoln Loud, is the best choice for leader." Lucy proudly announced.

"Erm, I'm sorry, but I think I'm stuck in a time loop! I appreciate the offer, Lucy, but I'm really not the best choice." Lincoln replied.

"Yes, you are. Don't doubt yourself, Lincoln." Lucy said.

"I was left in charge of the family last time, and then one day after… ugh, you know what happened! After Luna unfortunately vanished, our family got split apart, all because of me!" Lincoln reminded her.

"In spite of my brother's initial objections, he is the best leader we could hope for. He is brave, he is caring, and he is intelligent. All qualities that are needed in a great leader." Lucy said to the group.

"But Lucy, he doesn't sound very confident." Haiku stated.

"My brother has been a leader of sorts for many years. He's taken care of my sisters and I many times over, settled our disputes and taught us many things about life. He's the one who's taken whatever life has thrown at him and remained strong through all of it, and I know he's been through a lot. More recently, he's trained harder than anyone at becoming an accomplished swordsman. No one is more dedicated to this cause than him, and it was no one else who led the others so effectively in battle last month against the zombies. He IS the best choice to lead, in my eyes. Luna said it, and now so will I!" Lucy said in praise of her brother.

Rocky then immediately stood up and slowly started clapping. Clyde then followed, then the rest of Lincoln's friends, and then the other Mortician's members and even Haiku… they all began clapping in honour of Lucy's encouraging and inspiring speech in the name of Lincoln Loud, the great warrior of the living.

"Well, Lincoln, what do you say?" Lucy asked once everyone stopped clapping.

"If you all really think I would make a great leader… then it would be my honour." he triumphantly said as he walked over and hugged his sister.

Everyone cheered for their new leading figure, Lincoln Loud.

The boy did not know how to feel about it. On the one hand, it was an honour he thought he should be proud of. On the other, nerves and tension were high for him as the pressure was mounting. He was still a little unsure as to how effective he would be in the role, but for the sake of his friends, he had to try.

In the upper peninsula, Lynn and Maxie were still laying low after having fled from their friends and endured an encounter with an army of monks. They were roaming the outskirts of various towns and cities, trying to keep a low profile.

"Look, I was just saying, you could've been a little less hot-headed with them. Then maybe you wouldn't have had your ass handed to you!" Maxie said mid-conversation.

"Okay, first, YOU were the one who started that fight by sucker punching the bald dude in the face!" Lynn replied.

"Come on, I thought he was gonna hit me first!" Maxie defended.

"But most importantly, the only reason I lost was because of those stupid tigers!" Lynn argued.

"Still a little touchy about that, huh?" Maxie teased.

"Shut up!" Lynn playfully told him off as she punched his arm.

"Eh, that whole fight was pretty stupid anyway." he reflectively said.

"Yeah, I forgot what we were even fighting about? Especially since Ronnie Anne just let us go afterwards, anyway." Lynn recalled.

"Proving you're the toughest and the best?" Maxie jokingly asked.

"You know me too well." Lynn amusingly admitted.

"We're just a couple of hot-heads with too much pride, hey?" Maxie asked rhetorically.

The two then stopped in their tracks as they saw something in the distance; a very familiar sight to the tough Loud girl…

"A Burpin' Burger? I never knew they had these outside of Royal Woods!?" Lynn reacted as she saw one up ahead.

"Oh yeah! They have them all over the states. I had one local to me that the boys and I used to go to." Maxie said.

"Well, I think I know where we can lay low for a little while." Lynn said.

The two then walked into the empty restaurant. The automatic doors were permanently shut, since there was no power to allow them to open when somebody walked up to the door. Lynn and Maxie had a very simple solution to that, however…

"Stand back!" Maxie said as he picked up a nearby rock.

Lynn then stepped aside as Maxie threw the rock at the door, shattering the glass and creating an entrance for them.

"I wonder if there's any burgers still in the back?" Lynn asked.

"Eh, I doubt it. It's been months. People would have come and raided it by now." Maxie said.

"HEY!" shouted one boy from one of the booths, accompanied by two others.

"Who are you?" Lynn asked as she turned to face them.

"We were here first! Get lost!" the boy shouted.

"Oh yeah? Since when do you own this place?!" Lynn fought back.

"First come, first… er, ownership!" the boy argued.

He had two other boys with him, though the one standing at the back of the trio looked familiar to Lynn…

"Look, there's more than enough room for all of us." Maxie tried to say.

"Yeah, but we don't want more twerps in here, so scram!" the boy instructed.

"Why don't you make me, punk?!" Maxie challenged.

"Okay!" the boy replied before throwing a punch.

Maxie easily dodged it and came back with a right hook to the head, dropping the boy.

"Hey, leave my brother alone!" shouted the boy from the back.

"Wait a minute, I thought I recognised you." Lynn said in response.

"Lynn?" he asked.

"Dexter?" Lynn asked back.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Maxie asked, confused.

"Yeah, we dated for a while to fit in with our friends, but it didn't really work out." Lynn admitted.

"Oh." Maxie replied uneasily.

"Yeah, and he's my brother. We're all brothers, and we own this dump!" the kid on the floor said.

"Look, sorry about that. Things got a little heated, maybe we should start over." Lynn said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Dexter agreed.

"Anyway, this is Maxie. I would say he's not always as aggressive as this, but I'd be lying." Lynn joked as he introduced Dexter to him.

"Look who's talking!" Maxie retorted.

"Point taken. And obviously, I'm Lynn Loud Junior as I'm pretty sure you've told your brothers." she continued.

"Actually…" Dexter awkwardly began to reveal.

"You didn't tell them about Lynnsanity?!" she asked.

"Um, no, not really." he admitted, to the slight annoyance of Lynn.

"So, what are your names?" Maxie asked.

"I'm Doug, not that I answer to you." the boy he punched replied as he finally stood up after getting knocked down.

Maxie and Doug then began to have a face off before the third boy intervened…

"Easy fellas, what's done is done. Anyway, I'm Charlie." the other brother stated.

"Well, Dexter, Charlie and Doug. I hope you'll let us stay. Out of all the places we can keep a low profile, this is a better place than any." Lynn said.

"I guess, but there aren't any burgers left here. We ate them all." Dexter told her.

"Ugh, what?!" Lynn replied.

"Just kidding. There's still burgers, though we have to go outside and cook them ourselves by starting a fire since there's no electricity." Dexter said.

"Fortunately, we've got plenty of time to cook and eat them at our own pace. This fast food never goes stale." Doug claimed.

"Ah, that's okay, then. I was going to say what a fat pig, but never mind." Lynn joked.

"So, is it cool with you guys if we stick around?" Maxie asked as he snorted and shot out a snotty spit into his hand, before offering a handshake with it.

Lynn then did the same, much to the disgust of Dexter's brothers. Dexter shook their hands for them, though by doing the same as he did the last time, by grabbing their fingers instead of their palms.

Unbeknown to President Chandler McCann and the other committee members, Chester was holding a private meeting in the unoccupied Flip's Food and Fuel gas station with some other children in the society who were mutually interested in his ideas of expansion.

"Alright, guys. Here's the deal. Our President, Chandler McCann, and the other elected members of the committee are all letting in more and more outsiders. This would be fine, except for the fact that our resources are finite, and these added numbers are only exacerbating our long-term struggle." Chester explained to his followers.

"McCann is weak! He doesn't have it in him to make difficult decisions." one boy spoke out.

"He's in charge of us and yet he still acts like a spineless yes man!" another boy contributed to the hostile discussion.

"Easy, boys. He's still our leader. Anyway, we all know what will allow us to survive, if not thrive, even when adding more numbers to our society." Chester proposed.

"Well, yeah. It's why we're all here! Expansion." one kid confirmed.

"Exactly. We just need to expand our territory. If we're going to allow growth in our population, we also need to do the same with our landmass, and our access to resources. It's the only way. By limiting ourselves to just half of this backwater town, we are asking for our own destruction." Chester said.

"But how do we do it? I mean, first we would need to clear it with the committee, wouldn't we?" one sceptical girl questioned.

"Yes, well… I spoke with Chandler and the other members about a month ago, and they said no to me. That's when I started giving out invitations to meet up and discuss plans for expansion ourselves. I started with just a few of you, and over the weeks I've been building up a following, obviously. Now look at all of us!" Chester stated to his 100 or so followers.

"So, our President doesn't actually know that we're here discussing this?" the girl asked.

"No, it's not time yet. Once we have a big enough following, we can try and get this plan of action passed through a vote." Chester explained.

"I thought you said the committee voted against your ideas already?" one boy then questioned.

"Yes, you're right, but I wasn't talking about a committee vote. I meant the public. The people of our community, including all of you, can vote on it." Chester said.

The boys and girls in the room then all appeared cynical, believing it would be a vote they would lose…

"But… if the vote doesn't go in our favour, then we've always got another option… direct action." Chester claimed.

"Now you're talking my language!" one boy replied.

The kids in the room then began to chatter enthusiastically as Chester grinned smugly, knowing he had a solid following that could help him further raise his power and influence levels in the grand scheme of things.

Chester and his followers then marched over to Chandler, who was in the committee meeting room at the time, going through some paperwork.

"What is it, Bundy?" Chandler asked as Chester walked in.

"We just want to run something by you." he said.

"We?" Chandler asked.

A group of Chandler's expansionist supporters then walked into the room, standing behind their leader.

"You see, these guys feel their views haven't been fully taken into consideration. So, I suggest we hear them out." Chester said.

"Oh, really? Go on then, tell me what's on your mind." said a slightly irritated Chandler.

"Expansion! We believe it is the right thing to do. It will prevent us from hitting a state of resource scarcity." one of the girls then said.

"I see. Well, as much as I don't like you organising little rebellions behind my back, Chester, I can't deny my society of its democratic rights. The committee shall discuss the issue tomorrow, and if we deem it necessary, a vote shall be held to determine our course of action." Chandler told them.

"You'd better not just throw this out!" one boy shouted at him.

"Yeah, isn't it just like politicians to toss everything under the rug and ignore the will of the people." an intellectually savvy teen amongst Chester's following stated.

"I assure you; your concerns will be addressed properly and with the attention they deserve. Good day." Chandler said.

The followers then left the room, sceptical of Chandler's promises…

"How dare you!" Chandler then told his fellow committee member once they were the only two people left in the room.

"What?" asked Chester, pretending to sound innocent and oblivious.

"If you have any problems with the judgement of our committee team, you address me first. Don't just go off and start up your own riot squad!" Chandler told him off.

Chester just grumbled to himself while avoiding eye contact with his leader…

…before things got more heated, Benny walked into the room.

"Hey, President McCann. I got those numbers you wanted… oh, sorry, is this a bad time?" he asked as he saw Chandler and Chester in the midst of a heated discussion.

"No, Benny, it's fine. Chester was just leaving. I think he knows his place." Chandler reassured him.

"Thank you, Mr President." Chester said with false sincerity, before walking out.

Ronnie Anne led her army on a march across the state of Michigan. While her final destination was Great Lakes City, she actually had something else to do first. To fight enemies that had a wide range of weaponry at their disposal, Ronnie Anne knew she would need an even greater force to battle with.

"Woah? Is that Detroit?" Sid asked as it appeared from over the horizon.

"Yep, that's our stop." Ronnie said.

"May I ask why you have brought us here?" Shi requested to know.

"Detroit is the largest city in Michigan. If there's anywhere around here that could give us a sizeable army, it's this place." Ronnie stated.

"You already have 100 monks, and 3 tigers! How big of an army do you need?" Sid asked.

"In case you don't remember, those mafia guys had guns and fancy cars, and probably lots of other stuff! Oh, and then there's the fact that we don't even know how many men they have! They have control over an entire city, so I need to be sure I have enough of a force to beat them." Ronnie explained.

"Well, our efforts haven't been all that successful so far. Let's face it, gathering allies is going to be hard when everyone is on edge because it's every person for themselves. You marching around with 100 monk warriors and a bunch of feisty tigers isn't going to make it easy for us to build a bigger army!" Sid said.

"Don't remind me. I mean, this past month, we've walked into seven different towns and villages, and every little group we've come across has either tried to fight us…" Ronnie replied.

"…and lost, badly." Sid mentioned as she boasted a little on her friend's behalf.

"Or in other cases, they just ran for it!" Ronnie finished.

"At least you haven't had to do all the fighting yourself every time! Remember that couple we ran into on our first day out of the temple?" Sid asked her.

"Ugh, don't even go there. We really messed that up! Lincoln's sister and her friend would have made great allies by our side, but my monks and I had to go and get riled up and aggressive about it!" Ronnie regretfully recollected.

"To be fair, they weren't exactly passive or calm about it, either. It was just a bit of a misunderstanding more than anything." Sid said in her friend's defence.

"Anyway, let's just get to Detroit and see what we find." Ronnie Anne responded, desperate to change the subject.

Ronnie continued to lead her army of monks into the city, where they saw something rather alarming…

"STOP!" Ronnie commanded her troops.

"What is it?" Sid asked, worried.

"Look." Ronnie said as she pointed ahead.

It appeared to be a war breaking out in the city between two factions, presumably fighting for territorial dominance or remaining resources. Ronnie and Sid could see one side charging into a war zone. They looked like Beserker Vikings, rushing into battle bare chested or with animal skins, all in a trance-like state.

"So, are they the good guys or the bad guys?" Sid asked.

"I think they're the evil group. They appear to be too blood-lust." Shi commented.

"I wonder what made things get to this point?" Sid asked.

"Many areas of the world have been left in a state of uncertainty because of the disappearance of adults, not just your city. It's been a few months; almost an eternity for a child." Shi said.

"Enough time for tensions to stir up and war to break out. Still, that doesn't help us figure out who's right and who's wrong!" Sid concluded.

"Hold on, you guys! Let's be fair, I don't think it's as simple as that. It might not be a simple matter of good against evil. I mean, they could both have understandable perspectives that just happen to clash with each other. That doesn't automatically mean one of them is definitely wrong." Ronnie argued.

"Hmm, I guess you're right. But how does that help us know who to side with in this battle?" Sid questioned.

"Nobody. We don't interfere." Ronnie said.

"What?!" Sid asked.

"If we interfere now, we risk losses to our own army. I want more reinforcements, but these guys come first." Ronnie justified as she pointed to her loyal following of monks.

"We will follow you into the battlefield, if you wish, Ronnie Anne." Shi told her.

"Thanks, Shi. But as harsh as it sounds, I think I'm going to let this play out. Let the two sides fight. The winning side may be reduced by the time we get them on board with our cause, but at least there shouldn't be any trouble for us." Ronnie said.

"I still think we should help them." Sid insisted.

"Sid, I know you want to end the battle as quickly as possible. I know you don't the like the sight of fighting, unless its pro wrestling, and that's because you know it's scripted. But I can't risk losing my men over a battle we know nothing about. For all we know, both sides are monsters, and getting involved will only turn it back around on us!" Ronnie informed her.

"So, what do we do all day while we wait for the fighting to settle down?" Sid asked.

Ronnie then quickly looked around for an answer, and she found one…

"There! An abandoned hotel! Plenty of rooms, nobody to stop us!" she pointed out proudly.

"Dang! You're really good at coming up with a way to deal with stuff." Sid complimented.

"Thanks." Ronnie replied, before walking over to the hotel with her men and pets behind her.

As the army of monks walked towards the giant hotel, Sid looked over and saw a glimpse of the Berserker's fighting their opponents. In her mind, it looked quite obvious who the bad guys really were.

The opposing side consisted of boys with strange pyramid-shaped hats on, all with eye symbols in the centre of them, as if they were a cult of crazy conspiracists. They were also wearing a suit of armour from the torso downwards as they entered the fight a bit more protected than the brutish but vulnerable Viking children.

"Erm, Ronnie Anne… you know what you just said about it maybe not being a good side versus an evil side?" Sid asked her friend.

"Yeah?" Ronnie replied.

"Well, looking at that, I'm tempted to think you might be wrong." Sid stated as she prompted Ronnie to look where she was looking.

"Oh, they're a little crazy looking, aren't they?" Ronnie said.

"Yep." Sid agreed.

"Still, we'll hideout in the hotel until morning. Then we'll see where things stand." Ronnie decided as they continued to make their way to the hotel.

Lincoln suddenly had tremendous pressure mounted on his shoulders. He went from being just a little boy in a converted linen closet a few months ago to being the leader of a group of zombie slayers in the present. His sister had confidence in him, but he wasn't too sure he was confident in his own abilities. Lucy sensed this the whole day as Lincoln kept to himself in the corner, and she finally decided a conversation was necessary…

"Hello, Lincoln." she said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere from his perspective.

"GAHH!" he screamed, jumping in the air out of shock.

"I notice you've been a little quiet since this morning, and that's coming from me." Lucy said.

"Well, yeah. It's all this pressure! I know you meant what you said, but you'll have to forgive me if I'm still in doubt about whether I'm a good leader or not!" Lincoln replied.

"I don't think you would be a good leader, Lincoln. I think you will be a great leader." Lucy reassured him.

"Maybe. I think it's just that all those years as a passive doormat made me lose a little confidence in my ability to lead others." he joked.

"You were never a doormat. You always said your piece and never let us stop you doing what you thought was right, even when you were outnumbered. You did a better job than me at facing hostility." Lucy reminded him.

"You're right. I should probably just listen to what Rocky said to me." Lincoln stated.

"Rocky?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, we spoke a few weeks ago. He told me pretty much the same as you. He thinks I'm totally awesome or something." Lincoln told her.

"Well, I agree with him." Lucy responded.

"You don't think she meant it, did you?" Lincoln ambiguously asked.

"Who meant what?" Lucy asked for clarification.

"I mean Lynn, you know, when she told me I wasn't tough or man enough to be a leader?" Lincoln recalled.

"Like I said, don't take any notice of things that were said in the heat of an argument. Anyway, Lynn isn't quite the tough girl she likes to make out she is." Lucy mentioned.

"Oh, so she told you as well, then?" Lincoln asked her.

"Told me what? Wait, do you know?" Lucy questioned him back.

"About Lynn's first day in middle school? Yeah, I found out when she mentored me on my orientation day." Lincoln said.

"I thought I was the only one she told about that. I mean, we spent eight years in a room together. I always assumed I knew the most about her." Lucy said.

"Well, I bet we're the only two people she talked to about her horrible experience and how it changed her. Well, Clyde was told about it, too, but that's because he was there with me." Lincoln stated.

"Clyde always seems to be there with you." Lucy mentioned.

"Yeah, he and I are inseparable. Even now, when the world is coming to an end, he and I end up in the same place!" Lincoln joked.

"Anyway, don't ever tell Lynn I said this, but in some ways, I would say you're actually stronger than her." Lucy told her brother.

"Really? Because I would not want to take her on in arm wrestling?!" Lincoln argued.

"I meant in here." Lucy claimed as she pointed at Lincoln's head.

"When you were faced with mean-spirited treatment from friends, bullies or even your own family, you always came out of it unscathed, still in touch with who you are. But Lynn? She crumbled in the face of it. That's why she acts the way she does. Because she's hurt and she's scared. She avoids confronting her demons by putting on a brave face, but you courageously face your struggles head-on. So, who's really the tougher sibling?" Lucy rhetorically asked.

"Wow, I never really thought about it like that. I guess Lynn has got a lot of hurdles to overcome, and I'm not talking about the ones in gym class." Lincoln said.

"Yes, she does. But as for you, you're the strong type of person we need to lead the charge. You are someone who can stare into the face of death and stay strong. I have faith in you." Lucy encouragingly told him.

"You know what? You've really made me re-think some things, Lucy. Lisa may be credited as the smart one, but I don't think people give you enough credit for your brains." Lincoln complimented.

"Maybe a few days of actually being the leader will give you the confidence boost you need." Lucy suggested.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready to be leader now. Thanks, Lucy, you've really helped me see sense!" Lincoln said as he stood tall and proud, and finally felt ready to take on the responsibility that he was dealt with.

Lisa was running some tests on her subject, Boris Durvil, the last man on earth, in the name of her ongoing mission to bring back the lost adults. She had him running on a treadmill in the lab, examining if there was anything special about him physically to explain why he was immune to the effects of the Big Vanish.

"What is it reading?" asked Boris as he continued to run.

"Well, your physiology is what those who prefer layman's terms would refer to as 'top-notch'. Your cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength are considerably advanced, and your general health is exceedingly high." Lisa answered.

"Thanks, I keep myself in good shape." Boris said.

"If it were not such a far-fetched theory, I would speculate your exceptional fitness and health was somehow the cause of you surviving the effects of the vanish." Lisa stated.

"Except there were plenty of incredibly fit, healthy adults in the world besides yourself, and they did not survive. At least, not to our knowledge or word of mouth." David pointed out.

"So, what you're saying is… I'm an anomaly?" Boris joked.

"For lack of a superior form of word definition… yes." Lisa admitted.

"Lisa, it has been weeks and we have not seen the results we were hoping for. We need to change our approach." David proposed.

"What do you suggest?" Lisa responded.

"May I say something that could help?" Boris tried to interject.

"What harm could it bring?" Lisa rhetorically asked.

"Perhaps you should…" but before Boris could finish his sentence, Luan barged her way into the lab.

"Guys! Come quick! We're under attack!" Luan warned.

"What?!" Boris asked.

"By whom?" Lisa followed.

"Some crazy kids covered in mud, they call themselves 'The Mucky Girls' or something!" Luan told them.

"Alright, I had hoped I would never need to use these." Lisa said as she pulled out a laser gun from underneath the table, while David did the same.

The three children and Boris then ascended from the lab and emerged outside, where they saw utter chaos from all directions…

They were exactly as Luan described. A bunch of little girls, perhaps only the same age as the twins, all completely covered in mud to the point that brown was the only colour you could see on them.

They were all letting out loud warrior screams as they ran around the camp site, chasing after all the little kindergarten girls.

Even Asherah, who was far older than them, was a little intimidated by the mucky girls and quickly hid in her tent, zipping it up, hoping its spooky and mysterious appearance would act as a deterrent against the invading gang.

During all the chaos, the three Loud sisters present realised that Lana and Lola were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are the twins?!" Luan cried, frantically worried.

Sure enough, Lana and Lola were there. They were right in the middle of the action. Lola was hiding behind a tree, hoping none of the dirty, muddy girls would spot and approach her. But while Lola was terrified of mud, Lana loved the stuff, and she was quick to get dirty and confront the leader of 'The Mucky Girls'.

"Ew, ew, please don't come near me." Lola said to herself as she tried to hide away from the mucky invaders.

One of the girls then spotted her, and prepared to attack, while Lola looked on in dread.

Lana, meanwhile, confronted the leader and prepared to fight.

"Alright, sister…" Lana said as she picked up some mud and wiped it all over her face.

The mucky girl leader then smirked as she looked forward to the dirty battle that was about to ensue.

"Let's dance!" Lana challenged as she prepared to fight.

Author's Footnote:

So, has everyone been coping with all that's been going on? I hope so. I've been rather busy this past month, with not only going back to work but also with moving house. Anyway, I've now completed another season of writing and I am in the process of checking through each chapter. Depending on how I get on with establishing an internet connection in my new house, the plan is that once every three days or so, I'll upload a new chapter, similar to how I've operated with previous seasons, with possibly a week-long gap in the middle. Anyway, prepare for a lot of big events, twists and turns, and compelling narratives this time around. As said by everyone's favourite jock in 'A Dark and Story Night'… things are about to get REAL!