Chapter 5: Heroics
~Royal Woods~
Far up in the sky, Lincoln Loud hovered above the city of Royal Woods, a white glow emanating from his body as he was suspended in the air. His dark black hair swaying in the wind, as his mind is reflected on his current situation.
'Woah...I can't believe I'm really up here... and really high up...while also floating in the sky.' He thought to himself, a mix of awe and unease in his mind. He wasn't afraid of heights per say, but being so high up made him a bit nervous...
'What should I do now?' He thought; 'Oh yeah...!'
'I still need to get that mouth guard for Lynn,'
He remembered Lynn's mouth guard, the whole reason he had went out for his walk.
'...Well guess it's time to get down from up here.' Thinking to himself. 'Hope I don't accidently turn the ability off while trying to get down...'
He tried concentrating on floating down gently when another thought popped into his head.
"Wait a second...' He stopped. 'Maybe I could fly there!'
Thinking about it, Lincoln realized this was the perfect chance to test his flying powers.
'I'm already up here, flying...why not try and see what else I can do.' He thought to himself as he looked around at the vastness of the sky and the city down below. His heart pumped with conviction, as he felt the calmness of the wind blow past his face.
'...Let's do it!' He smirked, deciding to go ahead with his plan, he stopped trying to lower himself down, instead focused on trying other movements.
'Okay...I know how to move up and down...how about left and right...' He tried moving around, experimenting with different motions to control his flight
'Let's try going slightly ri-'
He was quickly shot to the right without putting much effort into concentrating.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He yelled out. "G-GOTTA S-STOOPP!"
He thought of stopping and he came to an abrupt stop. 'Okay...WOW! What was that?!'
'I didn't even concentrate on moving and I was launched!' Lincoln thought to himself noticing how he had much more control then the time he was floating above his bed.
'Wait a minute...maybe it's because I'm in this form...' He thought as he studied his body. He remembered how fast he moved to grab the little girl, and how he had shot himself up into the air.
'Back when I was on the ground trying to get away, I didn't even need to concentrate hard. I just thought about going up' He pondered.
Lincoln this time, tried controlling how fast he moved. He thought of moving slowly to the right. 'Just slightly to the right'
His body moved much slower to the right. "Great..." He said smiling.
He continued to experiment until he realized that streamlining his body allowed for more control and more speed without it getting out of hand. Gaining some confidence, began to try more, flying around much more quickly.
"HAHAHA! YES! THIS IS AWESOME!" Lincoln shouted, exhilarated as he soared through the air, going around the same speed as the cars below. He made a conscious effort to avoid the busier areas of Royal Woods, sticking mostly to quieter neighborhoods and the outskirts of the main city. Just as he was celebrating his newfound freedom, a sudden swarm of bugs flew into his open mouth, cutting his excitement short.
'YUCK!' He thought to himself as he stopped mid air.
"Ack! Gross!" he sputtered.
*QWAPATOOTH* Coughing them up and spitting them out, he wiped his face.
'Note to self, don't open your too wide while flying...' He concluded, and went right back to flying.
He continued too soar over Royal Woods, as he continued to get a better handle on his flying skills. The thrill of the open air was exhilarating, but it required careful control. At one point, he miscalculated a turn and nearly collided with a building. His heart leapt in panic, but with a sharp adjustment, he managed to veer out of the way just in time.
"Close one," he muttered to himself, letting out a relieved breath as he steadied his flight.
'Now...let's get to that store' As Lincoln's first test flight was reaching it's conclusion, he continued to fly over Royal Wood's until he reached Good Sports Sporting store. He slowed to a stop, and located a alley far away from the watchful eyes of the citizens of the city, he gradually landed, not wanting to ruin his success with a crash landing.
'That was...amazing!' He thought to himself, as a wide smile formed on his face. 'I'm finally starting to get a hand at these abilities...flying...turning intangible. M-Maybe if I learn to control it better, I could really help people, like back then...'
His heart, burned in desire as if it was responding to his thoughts. 'Yeah...let's do it!' He concluded, grinning ear to ear.
'Now...how do I change back...' He hadn't really figured that part out yet. He wasn't even sure how he transformed when he went to rescue the girl...all he could remember was wanting to rescue the girl...and that icy cold feeling in his heart. He placed his hand on his chest...when a idea came to mind.
'Maybe that feeling is what controls my powers. Maybe I transformed because of it?.' He reasoned. 'It started to surface from my heart and I suddenly transformed...what if I do the opposite of it?
Lincoln focused hard, as he zeroed in on that feeling, and tried to burry it back into his heart. He looked for that warm feeling of his heart, the slow thumping of his blood. As he did this, the white ring of light reappeared and swept in opposite directions of his body. His black hair turned back to the snowy white, his clothes changed, his skin back to it's regular complexion, and those eerie glowing green eyes back to his usual blue.
"IT WORKED!" Lincoln shouted, finally figuring out how to transform, his smile was radiating. 'When I need to transform again, I just have to look for that icy feeling...this is great...another power I know how to control!'
'Now...let's get that mouth guard!'
Walking out of the alley way, he made his way into the sports store, he searched for the guard and was able to find it rather quickly, walking up to the register, he made the purchase. Completely his little side quest.
Walking out of the store, Lincoln decided to walk back home.
'Feeling a bit tired from all the transforming and flying...'
As he was inside the store, he couldn't help but feel a bit drained.
Lincoln wasn't feeling overwhelmingly tired, like he was going passing out or anything like that, but he didn't want to risk it.
'Let's just actually finish that walk' He told himself as he made his way home.
~Loud House~
Sometime later
Lincoln arrived back at the house, feeling a mix of excitement and exhaustion from his little first flight practice session. He carefully entered the house, hoping not to attract too much attention, and headed straight for the stairs. He had to deliver the mouth guard to Lynn before anything else happened.
Reaching the second floor, he made his way to Lynn and Lucy's room and knocked on the door. He heard Lynn's voice from inside.
"Come in!" Lynn called out.
Lincoln opened the door and stepped inside. Lynn was in the middle of stretching, preparing for her practice session today. She looked up as he entered.
"Hey, Lynn. I got you that mouth guard," Lincoln said, holding up the small package.
Lynn's eyes lit up as she saw the mouth guard. "Oh, awesome! Thanks, Linc!" she said, walking over to him.
He handed her the guard, and she took it with a grateful smile. "You're a lifesaver, seriously." she added, her tone softening.
"No problem," Lincoln replied, feeling a bit awkward. They stood there in silence for a moment, the air between them a bit tense. Lincoln noticed a faint blush on Lynn's face, and she seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him.
'She must be weirded out by earlier...' He thought to himself, 'I better try to clear things up with her before she assumes the worst.'
"So, uh... about earlier..." Lincoln started, trying to break the tension. "I wasn't actually—"
Before he could finish, Lynn's face turned bright red, and she cut him off mid-sentence.
"I DON'T WANNA KNOW!" she shouted.
"Wai-" He tried replying back.
Lynn quickly shoved him out of the room with surprising force.
Lincoln stumbled back into the hallway, blinking in surprise. Lynn stood in the doorway, her face as red as a tomato. "Just... just forget it, okay? And again, thank you..." she added, trying to regain her composure.
"Okay, okay, no problem," Lincoln said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'll just... go now."
Lynn nodded quickly and shut the door, leaving Lincoln standing in the hallway. He dropped his shoulders and turned around.
"Hope this doesn't blow up in my face later" He muttered to himself as made his way to his own room.
Once inside, he closed the door behind him and let out sigh of relief.
'That was awkward,' he thought to himself. 'Well I tried...she did say to forget it about it...hope she doesn't think I'm some kind of perv or anything...that would be bad.'
He walked over to his bed and sat down, grabbing a comic book from his nightstand. He flipped it open, trying to distract himself from the strange encounter with Lynn.
As he read, his mind kept drifting back to his new powers and the events of the day. He still couldn't believe he had flown around Royal Woods and saved that little girl. The exhilaration of using his abilities was starting to grow on him, despite the initial fear and confusion.
'Hope saving that girl didn't attract too much attention...' He thought to himself.
Lincoln tried remembering if anyone was recording his little save but he really didn't have a chance to look around. He just hoped no one had been recording it. Last thing he wanted was publicity and news camera's pointed in his face.
'Even with me changing colors...people might notice the facial similarities of Lincoln Loud and the so called Phanto-' His train of thought stopped when he remembered something.
'Phantom? Why did I say that was my name...?' He tried recalling, but all he could remember was the word popping up in his head while he was trying to answer the mother.
'Well...the name sort of fits...I can walk through walls, disappear, and fly...sort of like a Phantom.' He thought.
*Heh* "Guess it's a cool superhero name..." He out loud said to himself.
'Saving that girl...I really helped her and her family...if I hadn't been there...' He didn't want to finish thinking of the scenario. He didn't want to think of that family losing that girl.
'I didn't ask for these powers...but if I can help people, maybe it's a good thing...?' A wave of conviction poured into his heart, as a smile formed.
'Let's do it...use these powers to help people...' Lincoln thought to himself, 'I just need to get better at controlling them.'
'But for now let's finish reading this comic, that'll be something for future Lincoln to figure out.' He thought.
Coming out of his thoughts, Lincoln went back to reading the comic, letting the familiar world of superheroes and adventure pull him in. For now, he could relax and enjoy a moment of normalcy before facing whatever came next.
A While Later
Lincoln was reading his fifth comic, flipping through the pages at a rapid pace. He had been engrossed in his reading, moving from one comic to another without much of a break. His fast-paced reading came to a halt when he heard Lori calling him from outside his door.
"Lincoln, it's time to go to the mall!" Lori's voice rang through the door.
Lincoln glanced at the clock. It was 3:15 PM. He marveled at how quickly the time had flown by, both literally and figuratively. As memories of his first ever flight from earlier that day came rushing back.
"Coming!" he called back.
Lincoln put down his comic and got up, stretching a bit before heading to the door. He opened it to find Lori waiting for him.
"Hey Lincoln, doing all right?" Lori asked, wanting to make sure
"Hey, Lori, and yeah I'm doing alright," he said.
"You do anything while waiting for us?" Lori questioned.
"Uhh...nothing much really, just went out to get something for Lynn and came back and read some comics." He replied.
Lori smiled. "Alright, Leni's already in the car. Let's get going.
"Okay, sound good." Lincoln replied, following Lori downstairs.
They stepped out of the house and headed toward Lori's navy blue Audi Q3, parked neatly in the driveway. Lincoln opened the door and climbed into the backseat, taking a moment to admire the car. It was a sleek, well-maintained vehicle that Lori had managed to buy this past summer, though not without help. While Lori had been saving up since starting college and working extra hours at part-time jobs, her notorious shopaholic tendencies had left her with less-than-stellar credit. Surprisingly, Leni, with her unexpectedly excellent credit score, had stepped in to co-sign for the car.
The arrangement worked out for both of them. In exchange for helping Lori secure the car loan and splitting any future insurance or maintenance costs, Leni got to share the car whenever she needed it. Not that it happened often, both sisters rarely needed to drive since they spent most of their time on campus. The car was more about convenience than necessity. Still, Lori was proud of the accomplishment, as the Audi represented years of saving, hustling, and a little help from her sister.
Leni who was already inside the car, was sitting in the front passenger seat, she turned around and greeted him with a bright smile.
"Hi, Lincy! Ready for some shopping fun?!" Leni said cheerfully.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Lincoln replied, buckling his seatbelt.
Lori started the car and carefully pulled out of the driveway. As they made their way to the mall, the car was filled with some small talk between the three.
"So, what do you need to get at the mall, Lincoln?" Lori asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
"Just some new clothes, maybe a new pair of shoes." Lincoln replied. "Some of my old stuff kind of got...um...ruined."
"Sound Great!" Leni chimed in. "No Offense Lincy, but maybe we could like tottes help you update your wardrobe."
Lincoln smiled, appreciating her enthusiasm in helping him. "No offense taken, and thanks for the offer, Leni. I guess I could try out some new stuff."
As they continued driving, Lori brought up Lincoln's plans for his first year of High school.
"So, Lincoln, any plans for the upcoming first year of High School?" Lori asked.
'Hope I'm not being to forward...high school is something completely different and brand new for him.' Lori thought to herself.
"Uhhh, I won't lie, I'm not sure what to think...it's a big change..." Lincoln responded. 'Not the only big change...'
"Don't worry, Lincy. I know it must be stressful, with all the changes and stuff, but you'll have Luan, Lynn and Lucy with you at school." Leni assured him. "And you can always call or video chat with us, if you tottes need anything!"
"That's true, thanks you guys." Lincoln replied putting up a fake smile. 'Wish I could tell you what really was bothering me...either way I appreciate their concern for me...maybe I was overthinking things after that dream.'
The conversation shifted to lighter topics as they approached the mall, discussing their favorite stores and what they might find there.
"I definitely want to check out the new fashion boutique," Leni said excitedly. "I've heard they have some amazing new designs for fall!"
"And I need to stop by the bookstore to get some textbooks for the next semester," Lori added. "It's so much cheaper getting them from here compared to the stores near campus. You won't believe the price mark up around campus Lincoln. It's highway robbery I tell you!"
Lincoln nodded, thinking about where he wanted to go first. "I think I'll start with the clothing stores. Get some new t-shirts and jeans to replace the old ones."
"Sounds like a plan," Lori said as she pulled into the mall parking lot. "Alright, everyone, let's make this a fun shopping trip!"
They parked the car and got out, heading towards the mall entrance.
~Inside The Mall~
As they walked in, Leni suggested that Lincoln come with her to buy clothes since the boutique and the men's clothing stores were near each other.
"Hey Lincoln, do you wanna come with me? The men's clothing store is like directly across the boutique I want to go to." Leni asked.
"Uhh yeah, sure why not." He answered back. "Lori you coming?"
"I don't know, the book store is on the other side..." Lori said;
"Alright how about this, Let's split up for now and meet back at the foot court in about an...hour?" Lori said, checking her watch. "Sound good?"
"Yep, works for me!" Leni agreed cheerfully.
"Yeah, see you in a bit?" Lincoln replied
Lori nodded back, as she started making her way to the bookstore.
"Bye Lori!" Leni added, as Lori waved by to them.
Lincoln waved back as well, before the two also went there separate ways.
With Lincoln and Leni
Lincoln and Leni strolled toward the section in the mall where most of the clothing stores where, chatting as they walked. As they passed by a row of shops, Lincoln glanced to the right and noticed that the Ghostly Goods shop was no longer there. It struck him as odd since the store was just there on Monday.
"What are you staring at Lincy?" Leni asked, curious on why her little brother was staring at an empty store.
"Oh, it's just that empty store right there...it was a supernatural store Lucy and I went to recently, but now it's gone." Lincoln explained.
Leni shrugged. "Maybe business was bad and they closed down?"
"Yeah, maybe," Lincoln responded, still feeling a bit puzzled.
'But I could have sworn it was brand new,' he thought. 'Well, whatever.'
They arrived at the boutique first, where Leni immediately dove into exploring the racks of new dresses the store had to offer. Lincoln, with little interest in the store's selection, simply trailed behind her. As he wandered, he couldn't help but notice that most of the shoppers in the boutique were women. There were a few guys scattered about, but they all seemed to be accompanying a girl, most likely their girlfriends.
After a couple of minutes, Leni had chosen a few outfits she wanted to try out, and made her way to the dressing rooms. Lincoln waited outside them, and sat down at one of the chairs, opening up a magazine to pass the time.
"Hey, Lincy, can you rate these outfits for me?" Leni called out from inside the changing room.
"Sure thing, Leni." Lincoln replied, waiting for her to come out.
Leni walked out of the dressing room wearing a light pink, sundress, that had floral designs on it. Lincoln looked up from his magazine and was surprised at what he saw.
'Woah...she looks great, the dress is really clinging to her curv-' He cut his thoughts off, 'LETS STOP THAT THOUGHT PROCESS RIGHT THERE! Damn teenage hormones...'
"So...What do you think?" Leni asked.
"OH! Uhhhm...y-you look amazing! The dress looks great on you..." Lincoln nervously replied.
"Thanks Lincy!" Leni replied, as he quickly rushed to him and hugged him, smooshing his face into her chest.
After coming out of the hug, Leni returned to the dressing room to try on a different dress, Lincoln felt the tingling feeling in his ear once again, and before long he began to overhear a conversation happening a couple feet away from him.
"Aww, look at that! What a good boyfriend, helping his girlfriend shop and pick out dresses for her to wear." One woman said to her friend.
"I know right? Such a cute little couple." The friend replied.
Lincoln hearing this blushed intensely, quickly pulling up his magazine to cover his face.
'B-B-Boyfriend?! Why would they thin-' Cutting himself off, he quickly remembered the only other guys in the store were with their significant other.
'Oh...I guess, I could see why someone would mistake for Leni and me as a couple...' He thought to himself. 'BUT! It still doesn't change the fact that, SHES MY SISTER!'
'People need to mind their own business...' He reasoned, shaking his head, but still feeling quite embarrassed at the misunderstanding by other customers.
Leni showed off a couple more dresses, as Lincoln sat outside and gave his opinion on each while trying not to die of embarrassment as he overheard more comments directed towards him and Leni. Some of the comments were inappropriate remarks about Leni, which left Lincoln feeling annoyed at the one's making them. He couldn't help but glare at the people making the comments. Noticing his sharp stare, they quickly walked away, uncertain if the boy had overheard them or not.
After carefully selecting her favorites, Leni headed toward the register while Lincoln, ever the dutiful brother, followed behind her, arms loaded with the dresses she had chosen.
As they were at the register buying them, Lincoln slowly handed the female clerk each dress.
"I must say, you have such a supportive boyfriend, young lady." The clerk said.
If there were a ceiling for how much embarrassment someone could feel, Lincoln would have shattered through it and gone straight through the roof.
'Oh come on...! Why does this keep happening? Seriously, can't a guy just help his sister without people assuming things?' Lincoln thought.
Leni felt a light blush creep across her face but quickly corrected the clerk with a cheerful smile.
"N-No ma'am you've got it like totes uhh w-wrong, L-Lincy here isn't my b-boyfriend, he's m-my little brother..." She replied stuttering over her words.
The clerk let out a small yelp, and quickly apologized for assuming. "S-SORRY! I s-shouldn't have assumed like that..."
Lincoln sighed and put his head down, he had hoped they could have made it out of the store without Leni having to hear all the weird comments. Raising his head up and looking behind him, he saw the two ladies from before. They had overheard what Leni had said, as their faces washed over with a look of shock and embarrassment.
'Should have minded your own business.' He thought as he rolled his eyes at the situation.
After Leni bought the dresses, they headed out of the boutique and towards the men's store. Where Leni started to help Lincoln pick out some replacements for his old clothes.
"Oh, Lincy, look at this sweater!" Leni said, "It's, like, totally trendy, and you'd look amazing in it!"
Lincoln sighed, glancing down at the sweater, a few other items of clothing, and a pair of shoes Leni had handed him. "Leni, I don't think I need anything trendy. Just something that fits."
"Nonsense Lincy!" Leni dismissed his words with a wave of her hand, "Clothes say a lot about a person, and you deserve to wear the best of the best! Plus, this stuff is perfect for you. It's stylish and comfy, you'll look amazing!"
Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "Amazing, huh? I feel like I'm about to model for some magazine or something."
Leni giggled. "If you did, you'd totally rock it!" she teased, giving him a playful nudge. "Now, go try it on!"
" *sighh* I guess...okay, I'll try it out and see." Lincoln said, 'I mean it couldn't hurt to try them on...'
Walking into the dressing room, he changed into the outfit Leni had given him.
He looked at himself in the dressing room mirror, taking in the full outfit Leni had picked out for him. He was now dressed in an olive-green sweater layered over a white t-shirt, the shirt slightly oversized so it peeked out beneath the sweater. Along with this, he wore a pair of simple gray pants, and to complete the look, he had on light gray loafers that tied the outfit together.
"Woah..." he muttered, staring at his reflection in the mirror. 'It's nice… really nice. Maybe a bit preppy, but overall, nice.' he thought, running a hand over the fabric of the sweater. It was a look he wasn't entirely used to, but he had to admit, it suited him.
"Lincy! Come out, let me see!" Leni called from outside the fitting room.
Lincoln hesitated for a moment before stepping out, the sweater fitting snugly over his frame.
"So...what do you think?" He asked,
Leni's eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
"Oh my gosh, it looks amazing! I knew that color would look great on you!" She gushed, clapping her hands together. "You're like, a total fashion icon now!"
Lincoln chuckled nervously, then glanced down at the price tag dangling from the sleeve. His eyes widened slightly. "Uh… yeah, but Leni, this is kinda… way over my budget..."
"Oh, don't worry about that, Lincy. I've got it covered! Consider it a gift from your favorite sister." She answered.
"Leni, you don't have to do that!" Lincoln replied, shaking his head.
"Nope!" Leni insisted, putting her hands on her hips. "You deserve to look good, and I insist! Besides, it's fun shopping for you. So, no arguments, mister!"
Lincoln sighed but couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Leni. I owe you one."
"Duh! You owe me tons already," Leni teased with a wink. "Now, let's grab a few more things before we check out."
Lincoln groaned playfully. "A few more things? Leni, you're gonna bankrupt yourself."
"Fashion is an investment, Lincy!" Leni replied dramatically, dragging him back to the racks.
After trying on a few more outfits, Lincoln decided to stick with his usual style, feeling most comfortable in it.
"I guess my usual outfit just feels right." he said, smiling sheepishly.
However, not wanting to waste Leni's efforts he ended up agreeing to have Leni buy some of the stuff she had picked out..
"But just incase...I'll also wear some of the stuff you showed me..." He said smiling at her. "You picked out some great stuff, you really got an amazing talent for these types of things."
Leni felt a wave of red wash over her face.
"T-Thank you Lincy." She replied smiling at his comment on about her talents. "If you ever need help picking out new clothes, let me know, alright?"
"Will do," Lincoln replied, appreciating the help she had given him.
As they walked towards the register, Leni showed Lincoln some suits.
"You might need one of these if you ever go to a high school dance, especially with a girl," she said, teasingly.
Lincoln blushed again and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, maybe..."
"Don't worry, Lincoln. You're cute, so you won't have any trouble finding a date," Leni said with a wink, though the thought of Lincoln being cute made her face turn red as well. She turned her head away so Lincoln wouldn't notice.
"Yeah..." Lincoln replied, as the two made their way to the register, both having a flustered face.
Finally making the purchase, they headed to the food court to meet with Lori.
With Lori
Meanwhile, Lori parted ways with Lincoln and Leni and made her way to the bookstore.
Once inside, she looked around the store and picked out the textbooks she needed, along with a few extra items for Leni, just in case. Knowing her sister, it wasn't out of the question that Leni might forget to buy them herself.
'Maybe I should have asked her what else she might need for her classes for this semester...' Lori Thought.
After making the purchase, she made her way to the food court, carrying the heavy bags full of textbooks. She arrived and realized she was the first one there.
'Guess I was quicker than I thought,' she mused, setting the heavy bags down on a table.
'Leni and Lincoln must be taking their time with buying there stuff...'
Looking at the bags, she realized they were too heavy to carry around while walking through the mall. Not wanting to burden Lincoln or Leni, she decided it would be best to drop them off at the car first.
'I'll be quick,' she thought, heading out of the mall with her bags.
As she made her way to the exit, she didn't notice Lincoln and Leni arriving at the food court behind her.
Lincoln and Leni arrived at the food court and sat down, waiting for Lori to join them.
"Guess we got here before her?" Lincoln said as he took his seat.
"Yeah...OH! I should have asked her to pick up a historical fashion textbook for me! I totes forgot I signed for the class, and still need the book for the it!" Leni replied, "Hold on Lincoln, let me really quickly text her..."
As she did this, Lincoln looked around the mall and observed the various people going about their day at the mall.
"Okay done! So Lincy, did you have fun shopping?" Leni asked, as she put her phone back into her purse.
"Yeah, it was nice." Lincoln replied. "Thanks again for helping me pick out the clothes, and for of course buying them..."
"Hey don't mention it! Like I said before, think of it as a gift from your favoritest big sister!" Leni added.
" *snicker* I really appreciate it, also I don't think 'Favoritest' is an actual word." Lincoln replied.
"Anytime, Lincy," Leni said, smiling back. "And I totes think it should be real word!"
Lincoln smirked at Leni's comment, genuinely appreciating the time he had spent with her today. It felt good to be out, enjoying the day and hanging out with someone. Thankfully, his powers hadn't acted up since this morning, which only added to his relief. Ever since that strange dream, he had been feeling off, like he was losing his grip on reality.
Then the accident happened, and it felt like everything was spiraling out of control. He had died...it was something he really didn't want to think about, he had been doing his best to try and control his powers and avoid inevitably facing the truth. Each time his hand would disappear, it would be reminder of what happened. Then the thing with the little girl happened, he ended up saving someone's life with his powers. Something he thought he would never be able to do. To Lincoln it felt amazing being able to save a life. It felt like way to many things were happening all to fast. But for now, at least, he was grateful to enjoy the moment without any interruptions, allowing himself relax for a change.`
'...Well it wasn't like I was doing anything this summer anyways...' He thought, but quickly pushed pass it.
"So Leni how's your online fashion store been doing lately?" He asked, curious about it.
"It's been like going so amazingly! I'm so glad Lisa helped me set it up!" Leni replied.
As they conversed about how Leni's online fashion store had been doing, Lincoln's ears felt tingly and he picked up a faint hissing sound coming from somewhere.
'Huh...? What was that?' He thought.
He momentarily lost track of what Leni was saying as he tried pinpointed the weird sound. Concentrating, he realized it was coming from the store behind her; Johnny's Fried Chicken. Just as he began to process why there were hissing sounds coming from the restaurant, a sudden wave of urgency washed over him, though he couldn't quite grasp why.
'It's that feeling again...but w-why now?!' He thought, his mind in complete panic.
"...You should totes check it out some time Lincy, and let your friends know about it as well." Leni said, but Lincoln didn't reply. Lincoln just stared behind her.
"You okay Lincoln?" Leni asked worriedly at his sudden change of demeanor.
Lincoln however didn't respond, as he watched the employee's of the Fried Chicken store. and it's customers come rushing out.
"Lincoln are you all right, what's wro-" Leni began, but she couldn't finish her sentence.
In that moment, it all clicked; Lincoln realized what was going on.
"LENI GET DOWN!" He yelled out loud.
Leni yelped back at Lincoln's sudden scream for her to get down.
"H-How come, Linc-" Before she could finish her sentence, a massive explosion erupted from the fried chicken store.
The force shattered the store's front windows, sending shards of glass flying like deadly projectiles across the food court. Tables and chairs were hurled through the air, accompanied by chunks of debris from the store's walls and signage. A fiery blaze burst outward, engulfing everything nearby as thick, choking smoke began to spread.
The once lively food court descended into chaos, with panicked screams filling the air amidst the destruction.
Adrenaline surged through Lincoln's body as he sprang into action. Without a second thought, he grabbed Leni and pulled her close, holding her tightly as flames erupted around them, engulfing everything in their path. His heart pounded in his chest, he had to protect her...
No matter what.
As the flames engulfed them, Lincoln's immediate thought was to protect Leni. Holding her tightly in his arms, he barely had time to react before a flying table, propelled by the force of the explosion, slammed into both of them, sending them crashing into the wall. The impact left him dazed, but his grip on Leni never faltered, his instinct to shield her overriding everything else.
Lincoln, still clutching Leni tightly, took the brunt of the impact as they slammed into the wall. The force of the collision caused her to pass out in his arms. His own head throbbed with searing pain from the hit, leaving his vision blurred and his thoughts scattered.
Disoriented, he struggled to focus, the sounds of screams and panicked footsteps echoing around him as people fled the scene.
Lincoln groaned as he slowly regained focus, blinking his eyes open despite the searing pain in his head. He tried to move his right arm, but a sharp, agonizing jolt shot through it, making him grit his teeth.
'C-Crap! m-my a-arm!' He thought, unable to focus.
His head pounded relentlessly, a deep, throbbing ache that refused to let up. He could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, and as he raised a shaky hand to his forehead, he felt the sticky warmth of blood trickling down the side of his face.
'Great...' he thought grimly. 'I probably got a concussion now.'
Shaking his head slightly to clear his dazed thoughts, Lincoln began to push himself up. Dust and ash covered his face and eyes, making it hard to see clearly. As he wiped at his eyes, his vision slowly sharpened, and that's when he noticed her; Leni was still in his arms.
His heart skipped a beat as panic began to set in. "L-Leni?" he called, his voice shaking. He gently nudged her shoulder. "Hey, wake up! C-Come on, Leni!"
She didn't move.
"Leni!" he yelled louder, his voice cracking. She remained unresponsive, her body limp in his arms. His breathing grew quicker as fear gripped him
'Shit! Leni please wake up! Come on please! You have to be alright!' he thought desperately as she tried waking her up.
As he kept trying to wake her up, another deafening explosion ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath him. He turned his head sharply, just in time to see another store catch fire, the flames bursting out like a violent wave, sending more shattered glass and debris flying into the already-chaotic scene.
Thick, acrid smoke billowed upward, swallowing the air and reducing visibility to a haze of orange and gray. The roar of the fire was deafening, its heat intense, and the screams of people fleeing in every direction only added to all this. The acrid scent of burning plastic and wood stung his nostrils, making it harder, almost impossible to breathe.
'We can't stay sitting here, we have to get out!' He thought,
Lincoln's eyes darted around, desperately searching for a way out. His thoughts raced as he cradled Leni closer, feeling the urgency mount with every passing second.
The inferno was spreading rapidly, devouring everything in its path, and the exits seemed more and more unreachable by the moment.
'I have to get her out of here' He thought again, his determination not letting him lose hope.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, he slowly rose to his feet, picking Leni up with his left arm, and holding her by the waist.
His right arm was in a lot of pain. He knew for a fact he dislocated it, if not had some broken bones.
He looked and noticed that their bags with their clothes had landed near him. Despite the urgency of the situation, Lincoln reached down to grab them, with his broken arm.
'I don't want to leave this stuff behind, not after she bought me them, and all the effort she went through to pick them out for me.' He thought, not caring about the constant pain rushing through his broken arm.
With Leni around his arm and the bags in hand, he scanned the chaotic scene, trying to find a way out. Every exit he could see was either blocked by flames or crowded with panicked people. His heart raced as he realized there was no safe path forward.
'Think, Lincoln, think!' He urged himself. 'I need to find a way for us to get out of here, all the exits are crowded, the air in here is getting worse by the second...'
He looked around.
'...'
'Nope, blocked by debris too!'
'...'
'...'
'...'
'wait!'
It hit him.
'I really haven't worked out how I did it last time, I've only practiced with random stuff, but just maybe I could do it again...No, I have to do it! I have to get her somewhere safe!' He thought.
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated as hard as he could, summoning that strange, instinctual energy within him.
"Here goes nothing…" he muttered to himself.
In a split second, a rush of energy swept through their bodies.
The air around him seemed to shimmer faintly as he felt that now-familiar tingling sensation course through his body.
Holding Leni tightly, he stepped forward into the chaos, the flames and debris no longer a barrier as they phased through the destruction.
Lincoln had turned both of them intangible as chaos erupted around them, with people screaming and running in every direction. The flames continued to burn, quickly spreading throughout the mall.
Lincoln slowly walked himself and Leni out through a wall.
Once outside, he placed her gently on a bench, outside of the burning building.
His entire back was burned, his shirt completely singed through, and he was bleeding heavily, but that didn't matter to him right now, he had to make sure Leni was safe.
Lincoln quickly placed his head onto her chest as he heard her heart beating.
'Thank god...'
Rising his head panting and trying to steady himself, he looked at the state Leni was in, she had a few burn marks on her arms, but they were very minor. Lincoln, even though he saved his sister, felt like shit.
"I should have acted faster...turned us intangible when the explosion happened...something...now your hurt and it's all my fault..." He said to himself. "I didn't act fast enough..."
Deep down he knew it wasn't his fault, he knew he couldn't stop an explosion. But that didn't help the qualm in his mind.
Lincoln could see people rushing out the Mall, help would be coming any minute now.
That's when Lincoln remembered that Lori was still in the building.
"LORI!" He yelled out, turning and facing the building.
'I have to get her!'
Just then, Lincoln's hearing picked up the distant cries and screams of people still trapped inside.
His heart ached, calling out to him to do something. He glanced back at Leni, making sure she was safe.
'I can't let anyone else get hurt...' He thought. 'I have to go, now!'
Determined more then he had been for a long time, he sought that pure, cold feeling within him. A bright white ring once again appeared around his waist and swept across his body in different directions, transforming him into Phantom.
He could feel the pain in his right arm, slowly fading away, as the ring of light went up through his body.
It was the calm cold feeling, he was getting used too.
Lincoln's damaged clothes were no more, replaced with his ghostly attire, the same one's that he had been wearing when died.
But he didn't have time to think about this as he instinctively flew back into the inferno.
Using his intangibility, he phased through the walls of the building, and continued to avoid the flames and debris.
Moving quickly through the mall, his glowing green eyes scanned the area for any signs of life.
He flew as if had been doing it for years.
Every move he made, every turn just felt right.
He was moving through sheer instincts at this point.
He went straight towards the bookstore, but found no one...
'Where could she be!' He thought,
Going back around, near the food court, he saw a group of people trapped under a fallen beam.
"Everyone, stay calm! I'm here to help!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos.
The group of people were absolutely left shocked as they saw a boy come flying down towards them, glowing an eerie white light.
Their faces were full of shock and fear.
He phased through the beam, and attempted to lift it up.
'Hope I can lift this thing...' He thought as he put his strength into pushing the beam upwards, freeing the trapped individuals effortlessly.
'Guess I have super strength too.'
"This way! Follow me to the exit!" he directed, guiding them safely out of the building moving away any beams or walls fallen down.
Lincoln continued his rescue efforts, using his flying ability to dart through the mall, searching for anyone in need.
He found a mother and her child trapped in a corner, surrounded by flames.
Without hesitation, he turned them intangible and carried them through the fire and to safety. T
he mother initially completely shocked at what had just transpired was soon able to comprehend the situation she was in.
Carrying both her child and herself was a glowing boy who looked no older than a teenager.
His black hair swayed in the air.
The astonishing part about all of this was the boy seemed to be not just carrying them, but also flying them out of the building.
Landing outside of the Mall, he gently let down the mother and her child.
The mother breaking away from her stupor quickly grabbed onto Lincoln's hand and began thanking him.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" the mother cried, tears streaming down her face.
Lincoln nodded, "No problem, the authorities and paramedics should be arriving any second now." he said before rushing back in.
'Where is she?!' He thought to himself as he flew back into the mall.
The ambulances, firetrucks, and the police had quickly arrived to the scene.
A news van that had been following the police also came into the parking lot of the mall.
The firetrucks quickly rushed in and began controlling the blazing fire.
While the ambulances quickly began helping those in need. The police began rounding everyone up and making sure everyone was accounted for.
Lincoln continued to help more people, carrying some who had been too injured to walk, turning some stuck people intangible allowing them to make it out.
Thanks to his abilities he was able to carry multiple people outside.
The fire continued to burn, even with the firefighters fighting it. As the minutes passed, more and more people were able to make it out thanks to him.
Lincoln dropping of the next group of people he saw all the people he had helped escape. However before anyone could voice a thank you or understand what was happening, he would quickly rush back into the mall.
As Lincoln moved deeper into the mall, he searched everywhere, he couldn't find Lori at all, his blue core was burning colder.
He kept searching, he soon realized no one was left, it had seemed that everyone had made it out, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. If Lori was still in danger, he couldn't!
'Come on Lori...where are you?!' His mind was racing, fear of losing his sister was rising in his cold heart.
Suddenly he heard a whimpering sound coming from a store. He phased through the wall and found a young boy huddled in the corner, his eyes wide with fear.
"It's okay, I'm here to help," Lincoln said gently, extending his hand. The boy hesitated for a moment before grabbing onto Lincoln, who then turned them both intangible and flew him out.
As he flew out the mall and toward the ground to put the young boy down, everyone became aware of his presence this time. The Paramedics, Firefighters, and Police were in complete awe.
Many of the civilians stared in shock and wonder as he descended down. Everyone was left speechless, no one said a word. The sight of seeing a what looked like a glowing teenager coming down to the ground and landing felt surreal.
Exhausted but relieved, Lincoln looked around at the people he had helped. Despite the chaos and destruction, they were alive, and that was what mattered most. He still wishing he could have acted faster...
'If only, I could have stopped the damn explosion itself...'
Lincoln put the boy down, and quickly noticed the ambulances. 'Thank god they are here! I should grab Leni and bring her to them, she might have gotten a concussion.'
Lincoln quickly flew to the bench and picked Leni up, and brought her to the paramedics.
"Please help her!" His voiced echoed as he pleaded to the paramedic.
'I have to get back and save Lori! Where could she be? Could she be...NO I CANT THINK THAT!'
The paramedic nodded, still completely speechless at what they were seeing before their eyes. A small crowd had gathered around as they watched the unearthly being in front of them had disappeared, came rushing back, this time carrying a unconscious blonde girl.
Many of the observers had taken out their phones, and begun recording the scene in front of them. Some had been recording the entire thing since the beginning.
Lincoln still holding Leni was about to hand her to the paramedics, when he heard something that put his dead, yet anxious heart to ease..
"LENI!" Lori screamed out, seeing her sister.
She quickly pushed past the crowd of people and towards Leni. She reached Leni, as she slowly began waking up.
Lincoln was wide eyed, 'S-S-She's safe!?' he thought, as his heart burned icy cold in bliss.
A smile appearing on his face.
"LENI ARE YOU OKAY?! OM MY GOD! THANK GOD, YOU ARE SAFE!" Lori continued to yell.
"L-Lori...?" Leni said steadily opening her eyes. "What happe-?"
Leni slowly remembering, everything, the explosion, and Lincy grabbing onto her.
'LINCY!' She thought.
"Where's Lincoln?!" She cried out.
Lori realizing her missing brother, became a worried mess. "H-He isn't with you?!"
Lincoln still holding Leni was trying his hardest not to tell them that he was right here, quickly coming up with a small lie, he replied.
*ahem* The eldest sister looked up and realized the other person with them, there floating in front of Lori was a black haired boy with glowing green eyes and a radiating white aura surrounding his body, was holding Leni in a bridal style.
'W-W-Who is he?!' Both thought, as their minds came to a stop.
"D-Don't worry, there was a white haired boy with her, I saved him as well. I uhhh...put both of them on a bench on the right side of the building. I came to drop her off to the paramedic's. I-He should still be there..." Lincoln finished.
'Please buy it...' Lincoln thought to himself.
Both Lori and Leni quickly coming out of their stupor, thanked the boy.
"Thank you!" Both of the girls replied.
"That's a relief" Lori added
"Lincy's safe..." Leni smiled happily.
Lincoln placed Leni onto a stretcher.
"I'll go get Lincoln!" Lori said.
'Time to get out of here!' Lincoln thought to himself. 'Have to make it to that bench before Lori!'
"Well I gotta head out!" Lincoln said out loud, as he placed Leni onto a stretcher.
Leni quickly asked. "Thank you for saving me and my brother...uhmm...W-Who are you?"
"Name's Phantom, and don't mention it!" He said before he flew into the air, made his way to the bench.
Lincoln quickly reached the area where the bench was, and found a tree he transformed back to normal. His clothes turning back, the scorch marks once again repapering.
'That's something...' He thought to himself, as he looked at this ash induced clothing, filled with charred marks. 'Guess my clothes are different for the form...how does that even work...?'
He slowly, stumbled back to the bench, As the adrenaline began to wear off, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.
With all the flying around and turning intangible, it took a toll on him.
"Guess I'm not fully used to it yet..." He muttered under his breath.
Not to mention the pain in his arm had fully returned.
Thought it much less painful from before, almost has it was already healing.
He could almost feel his bones moving towards each other, as if his was putting itself back together.
Curious, Lincoln put a hand on his back, and to his surprise his wounds from earlier have been nearly healed completely.
Most of the marks on his body were gone.
'Guess my healing is faster in that form as well...' He thought to himself. 'Last thing I want is them to worry about m-' His thoughts cut off my the sound of someone screaming his name.
"LINCOLN!" Lor called out, as she ran closer to him.
"LINCOLN, IM SO GLAD YOU ARE ALL RIGHT!" She shouted as she quickly pulled him into a hug. Tears coming down from her cheeks.
*sniff* *sniff* "Lincoln! I was so worried when I heard the explosion! I thought the worst! Thank god Leni is safe! Thank god both of you are!" Lori said continuing to cry into his shoulder.
"Lori, I'm okay," Lincoln reassured, though he felt the weight of the day's events pressing down on him. "Really, I'm fine. Just a little banged up."
Lori pulled back, wiping her tears and looking him over. "Let's get you to the paramedics too," she insisted, guiding him gently.
As they approached the paramedics, Lincoln noticed the buzz of activity around the mall. Katherine Mulligan, the local news reporter, was on the scene, microphone in hand and camera crew in tow.
There was a large crowd outside the mall, lot's of people had gotten injured, the authorities and paramedics calling in backup had begun assessing everyone's injuries. Thankfully, no one had died...
"Katherine Mulligan coming to you live from Royal Woods Mall," she reported, her voice carrying over the noise.
"We're here witnessing the aftermath of a terrifying explosion that rocked the mall just minutes ago. However...something unexpected took place, something that could not be realistically possible. This might be hard for many of the viewers to believe...but many eye witnesses including us...have seen the impossible become possible. Right after the explosion...a being of glowing white light appeared before the people...thanks to the efforts the mysterious hero, many lives were saved. This unknown savior, who some witnesses say he called himself "Phantom", displayed incredible abilities, rescuing countless individuals from the blaze. The community owes him a great debt of gratitude."
Before she could continue, she heard someone talking into her ear piece.
"Oh...looks like we getting word from our station that, this is also might be the same entity who rescued a little girl from getting hit by a truck earlier today! Unfortunately we weren't able to show live video of the hero due to some equipment issues at first, but thankfully we have been given recordings of the hero, by those who had been taping this phenomenal event. Please tune into our nightly news as we will give everyone first hand footage of Royals Wood's new hero in action!"
Lincoln listened, his heart pounding. 'Hero...' he thought, a mixture of pride and anxiety swirling within him.
He had never been praised to such an extent before. He glanced at Lori, who was still fussing over his injuries, making absolutely sure that he was okay.
They reached the paramedics, who immediately took over, examining and checking Lincoln for injuries.
As they worked, Lincoln overheard snippets of conversations from the onlookers, all buzzing with tales of the mysterious hero.
"Did you see him? He just flew right in and saved those people!"
"I've never seen anything like it."
"He's a like a real life hero or something!"
"This feels like something right out of a comic! This is mind-blowing!"
"Did you hear? Some of the people rescued say he turned them invisible or something! They said he flew through walls while holding them!"
As the paramedics continued their work, Lincoln's mind wandered back to the day's events.
'It's been a hectic day...saving the girl, to now saving all these people...and my family...'
He looked around and saw families hugging each other.
His heart burned that warm icy feeling. Lincoln looked at his two sisters. Both of them were safe.
'I might not now why I have these powers...' He thought. 'But I might as well use them to protect the people I love.'
End Chapter