The Loud House - Wild Card

Chapter 1 - Disappearance

Author's Note: Okay, before you all tar and feather me for creating a "No Such Luck" story, allow me to explain: I know that the internet is lousy with these stories, but when one is inspired, it's like an itch under the skin that can't be scratched. The only way I could satisfy this itch was to get it on paper. So I hope you'll give it a chance. 

This story is heavily influenced by Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight," and Wild Card is definitely inspired by the Joker. I hope you enjoy this, and I welcome any comments and criticism you have. 

And don't worry, Powerless will be updating soon. 

"He has to be out here!"

Lynn held her flashlight aloft, clutching her jacket against the cold autumn wind. Her voice was hoarse from shouting her brother's name, desperately trying to pick up his trail. She could still remember the feeling of her heart sinking into her feet when she finally went to let him into the house, realizing that he wasn't there. She had searched the entire yard and neighborhood, and now the greater part of Royal Woods, but he was nowhere to be found. With each passing hour her dread grew, and she knew deep down this was all her fault. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. If she hadn't threatened him to come to her game, if she hadn't called him bad luck, if she would have just taken her loss in stride, they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

"We've been out here for hours," Said Lori, trying to keep in stride with her younger sister. Despite the fact that she was taller, Lynn was much faster, having developed a keen speed due to her obsession with sports. "No one has seen him."

"We have to find him!" Shouted Lynn.

"We will," Said Lori, trying to comfort her manic sister. "But we need to get the police involved."

Lynn stopped dead in her tracks, looking directly at Lori. "And just what are you going to tell them?" She asked. "Our brother is lost because we kicked him out of a house over some dumb prank? Do you have any idea what they'll do to us?!"

Lori didn't answer. Contacting law enforcement was the last thing that she wanted to do, but things were looking grim. The situation had already spiraled out of control, more than the family could have ever anticipated. At first, when Lynn lost her game, she really did believe that Lincoln was bad luck. As they noticed more and more things started to break around him, Lori put two and two together and realized he was doing it on purpose, in an effort to get out of coming to more events with them. She met with the family, explaining to them the situation, where they all agreed to pull a little prank on him to teach him a lesson. They all began to feign belief in his bad luck, and started banning him from attending fun events as well. However, after a while, Lori noticed things started to get out of control. The family locked him out of the house one night, and fed him his cereal through a doggy door the next morning. Several of the sisters voiced concern about taking this prank too far, but they agreed to continue for now. After Lincoln confessed, Lori thought that would be the end of it, but then Lynn decided to continue the charade, and everyone seemed to follow suit. She later explained that she wanted to make an impact on him, and would let him in later that night and explain the whole situation. But when Lynn had come out to check on him, he was gone.

Lynn was in tears when she came back in the house, shouting that Lincoln was gone. The family had begun a frantic search for him throughout the neighborhood, enlisting the Santiagos, Mr. Grouse, the McBrides, the Pingreys, anyone who could help. The search went on for hours, and there was no sign of him.

"I don't want to face it either, Lynn," Said Lori. "But we're out of options."

"It's my fault he's out here," Said Lynn, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I never should have said he was bad luck. We never should have done this. What kind of family are we? What kind of a sister am I?"