He looked around at the crowd. Bunch of "edgy" tweens rocking out to terrible music.

They call this music The man thought, please.

He was at some underground indie rock concert. He had never heard of the band playing. They were no AC DC or Black Sabbath. This band was just some no name band. Yet everyone here talked about how totally "rad" they were.

All these kids, thought they were being rebels, sneaking out to listen to terrible music.

So what the fuck am I doing here. The man thought. Get drunk, find someone to fuck with. yeah that's right. I was able to persuade the bouncer to let me in for free.

"Hey cowboy." Came a voice from behind him.

He turned around to see a moody looking girl with blue hair.

"Nice hat." Said the girl. "Aren't you late for a rodeo or something."

"Uh thanks." Said the man, the girl looked to be about 18. He knew she was making fun of him. "I just got it recently."

"I was being sarcastic dipshit." Said the blue haired girl.

"You don't say." Said the man very calmly. "You like the band?"

"You know it, Clint." Said the girl. "These guys are hella hard core."

Hard core? The man thought. This wanna be bad ass wouldn't know hard core if it bit her in the ass.

"You like 'em?" She asked.

The man didn't want to get into an argument. "They're alright." He told her. "really just here for the free booze."

"So what's your name old timer?" The blue haired girl asked.

"You can call me Gabe." He said. "But I have gone by many names."

"Huh, interesting. Uh Gabe." The girl said. "My name's Chloe. This is my friend Rachel." The girl pointed at another girl, this one with long red/orange hair.

"Hey has anyone ever told you, that you look like Matthew McConaughey?" Rachel asked.

"All the time." Gabe responded.

...

"W-what happened?" Asked Bobby as he woke up in the hospital bed.

"You were in an accident." Said his mother.

"You've been in a coma for a few days now." Said Ronnie.

"Oh boo boo bear!" Said Lori, "You're ok!" Lori then went over to hug Bobby.

"Hey babe." Bobby said weakly, as he hugged her back.

"I heard someone ran you off the road." Lori said.

"oh yeah. Y-you're gonna want to sit down, this is going to be a bit hard to believe." Bobby warned. Lori sat on a chair next to Bobby.

"We were chasing this guy." Bobby started. "This killer, we called him Pariah. But he found us, he killed my partner, Chris. Then he came after me. He was wearing some kind of armor, and... and."

"Uh Boo boo bear..."

"What."

"Your partner, Chris, he was just here last night."

Bobby's eyes widened. "W-what."

"Bobby..." Said Lori. "What's going on here?"

...

Alex Mercer had made his home in a rundown motel called the Discount In.

He was driving back to his apartment, wondering why he was driving when he can run at nearly mock 5, when he noticed something shocking out of the corner of his eye.

He slammed his foot on the break. He got out, and walked to the alley way.

"Lincoln?" Alex asked.

Lincoln Loud was kneeling in the alley, his arms had morphed into claws. He was staring at them in shock, tears running down his face.

"What's happening to me?" He asked.

"Huh." Said Alex, "seems you've finally acquired the claw power. Good job."

"How do I make it stop?" Lincoln asked.

"You're a shapeshifter now Lincoln." Alex explained. "To change your arms back to normal, is the same as what you would to simply move them. You need only to think it, and it will happen."

Lincoln focused for a bit, and then suddenly his arms turned back to normal. "Wow thanks."

Alex looked at the massive corpse of the monster behind Lincoln. "You kill that thing?"

"Yeah"

"Good job."

"What is it?" Lincoln asked.

"That creature is called a brawler." Alex Mercer explained. "It's one of the many mutations of the Mercer virus."

"Wait, did that thing use to be human?" Lincoln asked.

"Mm hm." Mercer responded.

"Did Pariah make it."

"Did I tell you about Pariah?" Alex pondered.

"No, he contacted me." Lincoln responded.

"Don't believe a word that guy says." Alex warned. "And yes he probably did create this creature. He's the only one in the world that I know of, besides you and me, who have the Mercer virus."

"Dude, you gotta help us!" came a voice from behind.

Alex turned around to see Luna behind him. Behind her Lynn was unconscious, lying in a pool of her own blood.

Lucy and Lisa were trying desperately to revive her. Tears flowed down Lucy's face.

"Please wake up Lynn." Lucy begged. "Please don't leave me."

"You're a doctor right?" Luna asked.

Alex Mercer knelt down to look at Lynn.

"The brawler did this?" Alex asked.

"If you mean that crazy bear wolf thing, then yeah." Said Luna.

"Luckily it didn't get any of her vital organs." Said Alex. "She's just in shock right now. But she could bleed to death if we don't get her to the hospital."

"Alex?" Lincoln aksed. "You said I just need to think it, and it happens."

"Yeah, as far as your own body goes." Alex responded.

"Well, Bobby and Ronnie Anne are in the hospital, and I don't think it's the right time to tell them I'm back so..." Said Lincoln. He closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly his hair turned to a reddish brown (similar to Lynn's), and his shirt turned red.

Alex Mercer's Jaw dropped. "How... did you consume another human since we last met?"

"No" Said Lincoln.

"That uh form, is that, are you supposed to look like anyone in particular."

"No" Lincoln responded. "just some random characteristics I thought of. If anyone asks, my name's uh... Tyler."

"Got a last name bro?" Luna aksed.

"I don't know... Durden?" Lincoln shrugged.

Amazing Alex Mercer thought. I myself, and even Pariah need to consume someone in order to take their form. But this kid can just make up a new form on the spot. This is incredible! The strand of virus residing within the cells of Lincoln Loud, might be the strongest strand of the virus yet. I may need to observe this specimen a little closer.

"Tyler Durden huh?" Said Luna. "Better hope Ronnie Anne hasn't seen Fight Club."

...

"Lori!" Luan barged into the hospital room, where Bobby was being kept. "We've been trying to call you since yesterday!"

Lori looked at her phone. Her battery must have died without her even knowing it. She usually just uses her phone to text Bobby, but with him in the hospital, she hadn't even looked at her phone for almost a day.

"What's going on?" Lori asked.

"It's Lynn!" Luan exclaimed. "She's hurt! She's in this hospital right now!"

"Oh my god!" Lori said. She then walked out of the room with Luan.

A few moments after Lori and Luan left, a man walked into the room.

The man was tall. He wore all black, and sunglasses. His blond hair was greased back.

He looked like he came straight out of The Matrix.

"Bobby Santiago?" The man said in a monotone voice.

"Yeah?" Said Bobby. His girlfriend and family had left him, he was alone with this strange man. "Do I know you?"

"Not likely." Said the man as he walked over to the window. "I hear you have been working on the Pariah case."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

The man turned around. "Oh I am terribly sorry. Seems I have forgotten my manners. Please do forgive me."

"Oh you're fine" Said Bobby.

"My name is Albert Wesker." He introduced himself. "I am the CEO of the Umbrella corporation." He handed Bobby a business card. "My company has a, let's just say, special interest in the one you call Pariah. If you have any information, it is important that I know. I would like you to contact me if you learn anything."

"Umbrella huh?" Bobby asked. "So what? You make umbrellas, rain coats, boots, that sort of thing?"

The man laughed. "No no, that would be silly. We're a pharmaceutical company, we create medicines. We study diseases, that kind of thing."

Bobby looked at the back of the card. "What's Black Watch?"

"Black Watch, was a uh... rival company. One whom we have bought out recently, and now own."

"So you own Umbrella AND Black Watch?"

"Precisely" Wesker replied.

"Well, I don't know a whole lot about Pariah. Just that you do not want to fuck with him. I'll let you know what I find out." Bobby assured him.

"That would be much appreciated." Said Albert Wesker. He then walked out of the room.

As soon as Wesker left, Ronnie Anne walked in.

"So what's with agent smith over there?" She asked.

...

Lori walked into Lynn's room in the hospital.

Lynn was awake, but in pain. The rest of the siblings were surrounding her. Her parents were at work.

"Hey Lori" Lynn said with a weak smile.

"Lynn, are you ok?" Lori asked.

"Yeah" Said Lynn "had a run in with a uh... what did you call it...a brawler."

"Yeah." Said Lincoln. "Or at least that's what Alex said it was."

Lori looked at the disguised Lincoln with confusion. "Lincoln? Is that you?"

"It's a disguise." Said Lincoln.

"Apparently when Alex Mercer brought Lincoln back, he gave him some of his awesome shapeshifting powers." Lana said

"Ok so what's a brawler?" Lori asked.

"This HUGE monster the size of a bus!" Said Lana. "Or so I heard, I wasn't there."

"It was more like the size of a pickup truck." Said Lincoln.

"So what should we call you while you're in this disguise?" Lori asked.

"I came up with the name Tyler." Lincoln said.

"OK" Said Lori, "Uh Tyler..."

"I'll be right back." Said Lincoln. "I need to check on some things."

...

It was a sunny afternoon. Lincoln Loud (back in his normal form) and Alex Mercer stood in a field as the wind blew through their hair.

"You want me to teach you how to use these powers?" Said Alex. "Very well, as I am the one who gave them to you, I suppose it is my responsibility to teach you how to use them correctly."

Lincoln nodded.

"You already know about your consume ability, and the claws." Said Alex. "Soon you will develop more powers. But you need to realize what your most powerful ability is. The thing that's more powerful than any of these powers you or I will ever have."

"What is it?" Asked Lincoln. "Eye lazars! Telekinesis! fire breath! The ability to fly!"

"Nope." Said Alex. Then he smiled and pointed to his own head. "It's your brain."

"Huh?"

"Powers don't mean shit unless you know how to use them." Said Alex. "It's always better to outsmart your opponent, than to overpower them."

"Oh."

Alex activated his blade power.

"Shall we begin." Said Alex, then he swung his blade at Lincoln.

Lincoln rolled out of the way, and activated his claws. "What the heck are you doing?" Lincoln asked.

"Sparing" Alex said.

"Oh I get it." Said Lincoln. Then Lincoln made a few slashes at Alex, which Alex dodged with ease.

The two made their way into a nearby forest. Alex cut through a nearby tree with his blade.

Lincoln narrowly dodged the tree as it fell in his direction.

"Like I said." Alex explained. "Your brain is your most powerful tool, know your surroundings."

"Alright." Said Lincoln. He then started to climb a tree.

He quickly jumped from one tree to the other, eventually Alex lost track of him.

Suddenly Lincoln leapt down from a tree branch onto Alex Mercer's back, and pressed his claw against Alex's temple.

"Impressive." Alex remarked.

...

After the training Alex and Lincoln stood by the Royal Woods lake watching the sun go down.

"So who is the Pariah character anyway? What does he want?" Lincoln asked.

"He's an old enemy." Alex said. "His mother was a runner, or some would call her an evolved. Someone with powers like me. Like us. Her name was Elizabeth Green, she was infected when she was pregnant with Pariah, and she passed the infection to her son. Essentially Pariah was born of the virus. He was also born in military custody. The military viewed Pariah as a living weapon. He spent his entire childhood being tortured and experimented on. Too add to that, I had to kill his mother, when she threatened to spread the virus across the globe, and destroy all mankind."

"Wow" Said Lincoln. "That's really sad. I... I kind of feel bad for him now."

"To tell you the truth kid." Said Alex. "So do I. But it doesn't excuse what he's done, what he's going to do. His bad experiences as a child have left him bitter and full of hatred. He believes that all of humanity is pure evil and must be destroyed."

"But not all people are bad." Said Lincoln. "There are good honest people in this world, who really just want to help."

"I'm sure there are." Said Alex. "And you're one of them. When you were in the hospital, before you got the virus. I heard some of the things you're sisters and parents said, the things you've done for them. You're a good kid Lincoln Loud. It's people like you that make this world a better place." Alex then picked an apple from a nearby tree. "Pariah on the other hand. Now he believes that even just a few bad apples, means the whole tree is rotten. He believes that the only way to heal the tree, is to cut the whole thing down."

"But." Said Lincoln. "How is that fair to the other apples, the ones that aren't bad, the healthy ones. They never hurt anybody."

"It's not fair." Said Alex. "That's why we need to stop him."

"Oh, you really think we can stop him?" Lincoln asked. "If he had this ability his whole life, I can't imagine how powerful he can be."

"You know I think you could be stronger than either I or Pariah." Said Alex.

"How you figure?"

"You know when you were able to create your own disguise on the spot?" Alex said.

"Yeah?" Said Lincoln.

"Well." Alex went on. "Neither I nor Pariah can do that. We need to consume someone in order to take their form."

"Oh."

"The virus in you, is a much stronger strand than I have ever seen." Said Alex.

Lincoln smiled.

"I have one more test for you today." Alex said.

"What?"

"I need you to tell Ronnie Anne the truth."

"Huh?" Lincoln's eyes widened.

"You've been neglecting to tell your little friend that you're back." Said Alex. "You fear her reaction. You worry she would be mad, or even hurt."

"Well I..." Said Lincoln. "I don't know if it's the right time. Last time I saw her wasn't exactly a pleasant chat, I basically told her to fuck off. If she sees me alive now, She might think I lied to her about my illness."

"When we fight Pariah, He's gonna be able to do some pretty scary things." Alex explained. "I need you to learn how face your fears. And at your age, this is something that I'm sure would be terrifying for you." He took a bite of his apple.

Lincoln stared into the distance, deep in thought.

...

Esteban was a man who worked in a men's clothing store, where they sold formal suits, and tuxedos.

One day, Esteban had a very unusual customer.

The man was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and red and white sneakers. He was also wearing a dark brown, cowboy hat.

As far as the face, Esteban could have sworn the man looked just like Matthew McConaughey.

"May I help you sir?" Esteban asked.

"Yeah I would like to by a tux." Said the man. "Something real fancy, been wanting to update my look."

Esteban looked at the man, from head to toe.

"You wouldn't happen to be Matthew McConaughey would you?" Esteban asked.

"No" the man laughed. "I get that a lot though. My name's Gabe."

From the way this man was dressed, Esteban had a feeling this man couldn't even afford the cheapest suit in the store. "You sure you can afford to shop here sir?"

"Yeah, how about you show me the goods, and I'LL worry about if I can pay." Gabe said, starting to sound a little bitter.

"Alright." Esteban then went and found one of the cheapest suits in the store. It was a rather bland looking grey suit. The kind you would buy if you had to go to the wedding of someone you don't really like, and needed to find something cheap and easy to wear.

Gabe took one look at the suit. "Now I believe I said a tux." Said Gabe, "This is a suit, pretty cheap one at that." Gabe then took a look through the store. "Well how about that one?" He pointed at one of the most expensive tuxedoes in the store.

"Well that's one of our most expensive outfits." Said Esteban. "Are you sure you can afford it sir?"

"Like I said." Gabe told him. "Get me the tux, and a payment will be made."

"Alright sir." Said Esteban as he retrieved the tux.

Moments later, Gabe came out of the dressing room with the tux.

It was a jet black tuxedo, with a crimson red tie. It also had black pants and nice black dress shoes to match.

He was still wearing his cowboy hat, which somehow seemed to change from brown, to a dark black, as black as his tux.

"You know I like this one a lot." Said Gabe. "Think I'll take it."

"Alright." Said Esteban. "I'll go ring up your bill, Mr um... Gabe was it?"

"Oh no actually you can call me Pariah." Said Gabe.

"Pariah?" Said Esteban. "Like as in that dreadful killer from the news?"

Pariah's arm morphed into a large blade, which he used to cut Esteban in half up the middle.

"Told you a payment would be made."