FloatIng In the Vast Nothingness of the Multiverse is a large luxurious Theater. The walls are lined with what seems like thousands of different color crystals, and in the theater was a man who wears a long black cloak with gold accents almost like a priest. His hood was up, blocking his face as he makes sure everything is ready.
???: "Theater? Check. Enchantments? Check. Crystalized Reality?"
??? holds up a glowing purple crystal. It pulses with power of unmeasurable cosmic proportions. Each pulse was like that of a heartbeat, as he holds an entire reality and the lives of everyone in it in the palm of his hands.
???: "Check." He casually puts it in his pocket. "Now I just need the guests."
??? moves his hand in a circular motion as two portals open up on opposite ends of the Theater.
"OW!"
"OOF!"
"WATCH THE DRESS!"
"WHERE IS MY PHONE?!"
"AWOOO THAT HURT!"
"WHERE ARE WE?!"
"GIRLS!?"
On the left side of the room stood the Loud family, Pop-Pop, Gram-Gram, the Casagrandes and Santiagos, the McBrides, the Moon Goats, the Hex Girls, Becky, Dana, Carol, and Sid.
Lori: Looks around as she notices the others, but more specifically Bobby. "Bobby boo boo bear!"
Bobby: Turns around to see Lori running at him. "Babe?!"
They hugged each other as the others noticed the commotion and started to make sure everyone is okay.
Howard: "Oh Harold, what's happened?"
Harold: "I don't know, but we will get through this. Now remember the circle of protection." They huddled with Clyde in the middle as to protect him. They look over to see the Louds. "Lynn?! Rita?! Are you all okay?"
Lynn Sr: "We're okay over here, just a bump from the fall but nothing more."
Luna looks over to see her bandmates.
Luna: "You dudes got here too?"
Sam: "Seems so, if you can tell us where here is." Sam looks around in confusion. "How did we even get here?"
Lola: Sends a suspicious glare at Lisa. "Lisa, if this is the result of one of your experiments then you will pay for this!" Everyone then looks at the young genius.
Lisa: "It was not my doing that caused this, 8th eldest sibling, as I was standing right next to you without any of my equipment. I am as clueless as you are."
Maria: "How about let's all keep calm. There is no point in freaking out if it could cause a panic."
Carlos: "Maria is right. The best course of action right now is to stay level-headed and figure out what happened."
As all the adults started doing a headcount to make sure all the kids are there, one person seems to notice the second group that's on the other side of the theater.
Rita: "Oh this is so nerve-racking, but the Casagrandes are right. We have to remain calm, right Lynn?"
Rita turns to look at her husband, only for him to be deathly pale, eyes wide with fear.
Lynn Sr: "M-m-m-"
Everyone turns to Lynn Sr in confusion.
Howard: "Everything alright, Lynn?"
Luna (H): "Is he about to have a stroke?!"
Lynn Sr: "M-m-ma…"
Lana: "Oh, oh he's trying to say mayonnaise!"
Lola: Looks at Lana with an eyebrow raised. "Why mayonnaise?"
Lana: Shrugs. "I'm hungry."
Lola facepalms.
Sid: Sneaks up behind Lynn Sr and shouts in his ear. "Just spit it out!"
Lynn Sr: "MONSTERS!!!" He points to the other side of the Theater—to the group of monsters, the one being the most noticeable was the 394ft reptile (Godzilla).
The Creature: "HUMANS!!!" He points back at them.
Gila: "AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" She hides underneath one of the chairs as all hell breaks loose.
On one side, we have the humans freaking out in a panic as many of the adults tried to shield the kids; on the other side, the monsters were getting ready to defend themselves if the humans attack. Godzilla crouches low, shifting his body to look more menacing, but is only trying to shield his daughter and her friends.
Suddenly, a single voice pierced through all the noise:
Lincoln: "QUIET!!!" He shouted. The crystals lining the walls rattle, the ceiling shakes as everyone (especially those with enhanced hearing) covers their ears. He proves with that one shout why his last name was Loud.
There was a moment of silence as they tried to make sure they're not deaf. The silence became suffocating, as the tension was thick with everyone on guard.
Lincoln looks around and notices the many younger ones in the monsters' group, as well as how they are hidden behind the adult monsters in fear. After taking a deep breath, he looks back and forth between both groups.
Lincoln: "We all need to calm down. Just looking at how both groups reacted similarly means we are all in the same situation, and I would rather deal with it without all of us panicking and hurting ourselves and others."
Unknown to both groups was a pale ghostly woman who watches from afar, as she has a proud smile on her face. It only grows as she recognizes a short middle-aged woman making her way to him.
Miss Grimwood: "My my, what an impressive young man. You're absolutely right, as we must not panic." She reaches him as she finds him familiar. "My name is Miss Grimwood an—"
Pop-Pop: "Wait, Abrigail? Is that you?"
Miss Grimwood: "Albert?" She looks closely at him to make sure.
Dracula, Wolfman, Phantom, Mummy, Frankenteen, and the Creature: "Albert?!" They exclaimed in surprise as they look closer to see it is indeed Albert Chambers.
Godzilla leans lower with a softer growl as he peers at his old friend.
Both the human and monster sides of the theater look at the group in shock as the small group hugs each other.
Dracula: Hugging Albert like he's a brother. "It is good to see you, my old friend. How are you?"
Pop-Pop: Releases the hug. "I've been good, little stiff in some places, but that's what old age gets you."
Wolfman: "Bet you can still rumble like the old days, huh?" He playfully bumps shoulders with Pop-Pop, who retaliates with a headlock and noogies.
Lincoln: "Um, Pop-Pop, you know these people?"
The monster dads turn back to face Lincoln, who was nervous at the looks but stood his ground and tried not to show it. They looked back at Pop-Pop once more.
Creature: "Albert, you sly dog. You have a son that young at your age?" He pats Pop-Pop on the back with a look of respect.
Miss Grimwood: "He looks just like you, Albert. My, how time has gone by."
Pop-Pop: "Actually he's my daughter's. Lincoln, meet some old friends of mine." He gestures to them before turning to the group as he puts a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "This is my grandson, Lincoln."
Lincoln: "It's nice to meet you all." He holds out his hand for a shake, as the Wolfman grasps his hand in a firm shake.
Wolfman: "Well now it's nice to meet you too, boy, and I must say, you showed great bravery when you stepped between our two groups."
Lincoln: "R-Really?"
Phantom: "I'll say. You really took charge when both groups were close to attacking one another."
Lincoln blushes in embarrassment at the praise.
Creature: "Ha ha ha, he seems to get so much from you, Albert. Back in the day, you would get flustered if you got genuine praise."
It might be small, but the way they interact with each other has already broken some of the tension, as they start hearing a slow clap. They all turn to see the same man in his long black robes as he stops slow clapping.
???: "Well done. That went better than I expected, and good job Lincoln for calming the situation."
Lincoln: "Um, thanks, and not to sound rude, but… who are you?"
Watcher: "I am called many things, but please, call me Watcher." He introduced himself. "I'm the one who brought you all here."
Everyone tenses up at that as they look at Watcher.
Mummy: Clears his throat. "May I ask why you have brought us here?"
Everyone waited with bated breath, wanting to know why they were brought here, as Watcher smiles.
Watcher: "Why, I want you all to watch something, of course."
The silence was deafening as many tried to understand what he just said.
Luna: "Wait a moment, you brought us here against our wills of consent, which is kidnapping, just to watch something?"
Watcher: "Yep."
Lynn: Fists clench as she marches to Watcher. "Look, you robe-wearing weirdo, if you don't send us back in the next 10 seconds, I will show you why you don't mess with Lynn Loud Jr!"
Lincoln: "Lynn, don't do anything stupid!"
Watcher: Looks at Lincoln. "Think for a moment—when has she not done something stupid?"
Lincoln sighs, knowing that Lynn's temper will get the better of her.
Lynn: Her face was turning red as she clenched her teeth. "That's it!"
Lynn throws a punch, but Watcher just stands there and takes it, looking bored. He even pretends to check the time as Lynn keeps throwing punches, but they have no effect.
Watcher: Has an impassive look. "You done?" He uses his pinky finger and flicks Lynn's forehead, sending her flying back to the Louds.
Lynn gets up, rubbing the spot where she got flicked, her face in an expression of shock and anger.
Lynn: "Why you—"
Pop-Pop: "Enough, Lynn." Pop-Pop stops her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Getting angry and attacking him won't solve anything."
Lynn sighs and crosses her arms, a frown on her face but she listens.
Sid: "So what will we be watching?"
Everyone turns to see that Sid has already made herself comfortable on one of the seats.
Watcher: "Before I explain, let's wake up those two." Points to Ronnie Anne and Clyde, who are both on the floor, unconscious.
Maria: "What happened to them?!" She runs over to check on them, as Howard and Harold make sure that Clyde is okay.
Watcher: "They didn't get to see Lincoln's change yet." Points to Lincoln.
The monsters don't really understand what Watcher means, but those who have nodded in understanding, while those who haven't seen him stare at Lincoln in shock as they get a good look at him. Clyde and Ronnie Anne start coming to.
Bobby: "Little Loud, what happened to you?!"
Lincoln: "Well, I had a growth spurt."
Lynn scoffs, still believing that he did steroids. But Watcher knows what she is thinking and smirks.
Watcher: "Funny you should mention that, Lincoln, because we will see how you grew."
Lincoln: "Huh?"
Watcher: "What I will be having you watch is Lincoln's life from the moment his turning point hits."
Lori: "Are you literally for real? Why Lincoln of all people?"
Watcher: "Lincoln is what you would call the main focus of your world. For other watchers such as myself, we study and record these main focuses of different realities, as they are important. Which is why I brought all of you here, as you're all people who have a connection with him in some way, shape, or form here."
The Loud sisters—except for Lucy, Lana, and Lily—frowned, clearly jealous. They couldn't believe Lincoln was being seen as more important than them. But before they could voice their thoughts, someone spoke up.
Sibella: "Um, excuse me, but may I ask why we're here?"
She gestures to her fellow students.
"Not to sound rude, but you said we were chosen because we have a connection with him… We've never even heard of him until now."
Watcher: "Ah, that's because you will meet him in the near future—and what you'll see will be quite… interesting."
He chuckles and claps his hands.
"Now then, let's begin the first showing."
Lola crossed her arms and turned up her nose.
Lola: "Why should we even watch this? It's just about Lincoln. We see enough of him at home."
Several of the other Loud sisters murmured in agreement. Even their parents silently shared the same thought—except for Lucy and Lana. Many of the other guests, both humans and monsters, gave them strange looks at the blatant rudeness.
Watcher looked at the Louds with a devious smirk.
Watcher: "As we watch, you'll be seeing things from a certain point of view—mainly Lincoln's. You'll get to hear thoughts, see memories, and uncover secrets. You girls will finally find out what he's been hiding."
Lincoln visibly paled.
And it only got worse when he saw the big grins forming on his sisters' faces.
Luan: "So we finally get to know what he's hiding?"
Watcher nods.
Lori: "This is literally perfect."
Lola: "I wonder if it's something embarrassing," she adds with a smirk.
As his sisters whispered among themselves, Lucy and Lana noticed Lincoln trembling. He looked pale, his breathing shallow as he started to hyperventilate.
A hand gently touched his shoulder—it was Pop-Pop.
Pop-Pop: "Hey kiddo. Deep breath for me. Take a nice… deep breath."
Lincoln followed his instructions, slowly calming his nerves. Watcher looked at him with a sad smile.
Lincoln: "A-Are you really going to show them everything?"
Watcher nods solemnly.
Lincoln: "Can… Can you make sure they don't see that part?"
He asked quietly, clearly hoping Watcher knew what he meant.
Watcher: Shakes his head.
"I'm sorry. I can't. But I can assure you—it'll only be a small glimpse. They won't see the whole thing… though no one will leave here without it being engraved in their mind."
Lynn: Laughs "Ha! I knew it! He's been taking steroids and now he's scared we'll find where he hid them!"
Pop-Pop: "Junior, that's enough," he said firmly, disappointed that she completely ignored Lincoln's near panic attack.
Watcher: Claps his hands.
"We've wasted enough time. Everyone, please take your seats. Humans on the left, monsters on the right. Oh—and any act of violence is strictly prohibited."
He snaps his fingers and a translucent barrier appears around the chair Gila is hiding under.
Watcher: "That barrier is indestructible. So relax, Gila."
As everyone took their seats (with Gila needing a bit of coaxing to leave her hiding spot), Watcher placed Lincoln in the middle—between both groups.
Watcher: "Is everyone ready?"
A chorus of nods and shouts of "ready" filled the air. Watcher took a glowing purple crystal and hurled it into the monitor. It sank in… and the screen shimmered as the world began.
In the peaceful town of Royal Woods, the sun was slowly rising. Most people were still asleep on this fine morning—except one boy.
Lincoln Loud, an 11-year-old with scrawny limbs, white hair, chipped buck teeth, three freckles on each cheek, and a permanent cowlick, was waking up… with a sharp pain running through his head.
Those unfamiliar with his transformation were shocked to see how different he looked.
Even the Loud sisters felt a pang of nostalgia. Lynn couldn't help but smile.
Leni: "Awww, I missed your old look. You were totes adorbs!"
Lana: "Right? I can't believe it's only been nine days since—"
Everyone: "NINE DAYS?!"
The audience was stunned, looking between the on-screen Lincoln and the one sitting among them.
Winnie: Rubs her eyes "No way! There's no way he's a year older than me! He looks around your age, Sibella!"
Sibella: "I'm just as surprised. I assumed he was younger too."
Vanna: Looking at both versions of Lincoln
"The boy with us has a maturity in his eyes that doesn't match his age. Even the Lincoln on screen—though childlike—carries a similar look. Something's happened to him."
Dracula: Noticing her expression "What is it, dear?"
Vanna: "If that's really him from just nine days ago… what could've happened to take that light from his eyes?"
Back on screen, Lincoln rubbed his head and turned to face the audience.
Lincoln (on-screen):
"Morning, everybody. It's been a while since we last talked. I've been super busy lately. Dealing with 10 sisters is crazy stressful—and this headache just won't go away."
The crowd gawked.
Wolfman: "I'm sorry—what did he say?"
Vanna: "Ten daughters?! That woman must be made of steel."
Hector: "My family's big—but that's with two households under one roof! One family had all of that?" He looks at the Loud parents.
"Did you two not learn about protection?"
Rita and Lynn Sr. blushed and laughed nervously.
Rita: "We… wanted a big family."
Creature: "You achieved that after five kids."
Mummy: "Seriously—eleven tries and only one boy?"
Phantom: "And he's the middle child? Poor kid."
Lincoln (on-screen):
"You're probably wondering why I haven't told anyone about the headaches. Well… my sisters. Don't get me wrong—I love them. But they can be… a bit much."
Lincoln recalled the last time they tried to "help." He ended up bandaged on the couch, had hot soup spilled on his crotch, and was electrocuted with a defibrillator… all for a paper cut.
Lincoln: "Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather stay alive. And when I tried to tell Mom and Dad… well, they barely have time for me. Ten other kids, you know?"
Audience members groaned, the guys wincing as they watched the soup scene.
Elsa: "It was a paper cut! He wasn't dying!"
Maria: "Honestly… you guys made it so much worse."
Lori: "We were just trying to help!"
Bobby: "Yeah, but a defibrillator?! Come on!"
Clyde: To Lincoln "Is that why you carry a first aid kit in your bag now? So you don't have to go through that again?"
Lincoln nodded silently.
A few hours later
It was now turning to night as Lincoln entered his room, looking devastated and exhausted. He quietly closed the door behind him.
"How bad could today be?" Lincoln said sarcastically. "Today was a complete disaster. My 6-year-old sisters Lola and Lana are twins, but that's all they have in common. Lola is a pageant queen, loves dresses, and hates anything dirty. Lana is the opposite—she's a grease monkey, always in her muddy overalls and red hat, diving into trash cans and car engines without a second thought. And she hates getting clean."
He rubbed his temple and let out a heavy sigh.
"Even though they love each other, they fight constantly. Usually, I'm the one who breaks them up. But today… today wasn't like usual."
The Loud sisters—except Lucy and Lana—glared at Lincoln, still blaming him for everything.
Tsuki: "Can't be that bad, right?"
Lincoln: Deadpans "Just watch."
He recalled how, as he was trying to separate Lola and Lana, they accidentally bumped into Lynn—his 13-year-old sister and the house's sports maniac—while she was practicing with her soccer ball. The collision caused her to kick the ball right into Luna, their 15-year-old rocker sister, making her drop her guitar. The neck snapped from the impact.
Luna was furious and went to confront Lynn.
From there, everything spiraled out of control.
Lucy, the 8-year-old goth of the family who always appeared out of nowhere and scared people half to death, joined the chaos after her new poem was ruined. Lisa, the 4-year-old genius, leapt into the fray after her long-term experiment was destroyed. Luan, the 14-year-old comedian, initially found it funny and started recording the chaos—until her camera was broken, and then she joined the fight too.
Even Leni, the 16-year-old ditsy but kind-hearted fashionista, jumped in after her newly made scarf was torn. Things reached a boiling point when Lori, the 17-year-old eldest and most feared sibling, got involved after her phone hit the ground. She lost it over a barely noticeable scratch on the top-left corner.
The chaos snowballed into a full-scale house-wide brawl, and Lincoln—despite doing everything he could to calm everyone down—was inevitably dragged into the mess.
Meanwhile, in one of the doorways, little Lily, just 15 months old but unusually perceptive, simply watched. She had enough sense not to enter the "fight cloud" and wisely stayed out of it.
Back in the present, the entire room of viewers sat in shocked silence, mouths agape at the sheer madness they had witnessed.
Wolfman: "Geez… don't those girls know what restraint is?"
Lynn Sr.: "W-Well, sure, they're a little… eccentric, but they're not normally like this…"
Godzilla let out a loud snort, a puff of smoke coming from his nostrils. It was clear he wasn't buying Lynn Sr.'s excuse.
Lincoln: Rubbing his forehead "Just thinking about it makes my headache worse. And the worst part? After everything, they blamed the entire thing on me! Said it was my fault for not stopping Lola and Lana fast enough!"
He sighed deeply, his voice heavy with frustration.
"The logic doesn't even exist in that argument."
The Loud sisters—still oblivious to the glares and skeptical looks they were getting—stood firm.
Lola: "And we're still waiting for our apology."
Ronnie Anne: Appalled "Then you're going to be waiting a long time, because that was not his fault."
Lynn: Scoffing "Please, it's clearly his fault. Are you blind?"
Bobby: Disappointed, looking at Lori "Babe, you're the oldest. Why didn't you try to stop the chaos instead of joining it?"
Becky: "And that crack on your phone? It was as small as an eyelash. Barely noticeable—and cheap to fix."
Carol: "And don't forget, you all dragged him into the fight when he was trying to stop it."
Lori: Defensive "He should know better than to get involved when we fight."
Elsa: Deadpan "So you expect him to stop your fighting… but also stay out of it?"
Loud Sisters (except Lucy and Lana): "Yes!"
Lucy clenched her hands tightly, ashamed that she once shared that same mentality. Lana fidgeted with her fingers, a sick feeling rising in her stomach.
A tense silence followed.
Watcher: Clearing his throat "Can I just point out that the baby was the smart one here? She had enough sense to stay out of it."
Everyone blinked, realizing he was right—out of the entire family, only Lily, a toddler, had shown any real judgment.
Lincoln: Sighing as he laid down "Every time something like this happens, I get blamed. No one ever backs me up. I just… I just hope tomorrow will be better."
As he pulled his blanket over himself, a sharp pain stabbed through his head.
"Ouch! And for this stupid headache to be gone…"
Unnoticed by Lincoln, a strange multi-colored glow shimmered around his body for a moment… then vanished.
In his dream, he found himself in a pitch-black void. Confused, he looked around as he heard many voices murmuring excitedly in the distance.
"Hello?" he called out.
The voices immediately stopped.
Then, in perfect unison, they spoke:
"It's time."
Everyone in the viewing room turned toward Lincoln in confusion. He fidgeted nervously, avoiding eye contact.
Thorn: "Hey, Link… what was that?"
Lincoln glanced around, knowing they would find out eventually. He opened his mouth to explain—only for Watcher to suddenly cover it with his hand.
Watcher: "Sorry! He can't say."
Mazzy: "Why not?"
Watcher: Grinning "Spoilers."
The group collectively deadpanned at him as he laughed to himself, clearly enjoying the moment.