Author's note: Guess who's back? Back again? It's me, Fire Slash bringing you the next chapter of 'Artificial.' The reason it took me so long to update is due to me being in college and writer's block. Anyways, thanks for being patient and I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the first chapter. Pairings are still being decided so let me know your suggestions in the comments.

With that being said, I won't keep you any longer. Review and enjoy :-)

Cycles since Lincoln was born: 1

'Sometimes when I'm out in the field, I wonder if we're really doing the right thing. Are we truly defending our home, or are we simply attempting world domination at this point? Are the Adians actually the savages Lord Trystane makes them out to be? The thoughts never last long though, for thinking about such things only hinders me. After all, I'm an artificial. I should only focus on serving the emperor until I'm eventually killed. After all, that was why I was created…'

0000

Time: 351,000 Cycles (1 Cycle= 1 Earth Year)

Location: Wellsburg, Samiah (Dimension 427)

"Sir, we have an urgent case. One of our artificials was injured in combat."

"And? Just run them by the machine."

"They've all been taken up. The battle at Wellsburg seriously took a number out of our troops."

"Then just put the damn thing out of its misery."

"Sir, it's the Alpha who was injured. He's missing both an arm and a leg."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO SOONER?! Dispose one of the other artificials and have him take their place."

"Understood."

'I fucked up,' Lincoln thought to himself, drifting in and out of consciousness, managing to hear that little exchange between the scientist and medical staff. Lying on a stretcher, he knew what was coming up, and it scared him to no end. If there was one thing artificial Theons feared more than failing a mission, it was coming back from one severely wounded. 'I should've noticed the bomb. If anyone should have, it was me.'

Back in the outskirts of Wellsburg, a large city located at the southern portion of Samiah, Lincoln had been helping Samiahian troops push out the invading Adian troops, them having chosen to attack the city on that particular day. The boy had managed to aid his allies in driving away the opposing forces, but right when it seemed the Adians were about to leave, a galeforce rider, the Adian counterpart to the Samiahian's aerial-wing, dropped a massive explosion right where he was fighting. Now, if the bomb released a burst of energy created by superheating Ignium, then he would've been fine. However, the Adians relied on some good ol' fashioned bursters, a more primitive means of attacking. Busters, like gunpowder, explode when heated, releasing a massive explosion of energy nearly as powerful as Earth's strongest atomic bomb. However, they had a much smaller radius and a larger survival rating than even the smallest Ignium bombs, hence why they were hardly used. As such, Lincoln knew the Adians had predicted he would come to the city. He could only absorb Ignium, nothing else. Why else would they use such an outdated weapon when superior and cheaper options existed? Worst part about this was he wasn't wearing his armor at the time, attempting to absorb enemy fire before the bomb exploded. It was a timed attack, and a very damn good one. The Aidans surly put a lot of effort into trying to eliminate him, though sadly for them, he was only robbed of his right arm and half of his right leg instead of his life. How he was still alive, he didn't know. Probably someone saved him before he bled out...

Thankfully, Lincoln and his squadron of artificials were able to make it so even if they fell in battle, the Adians had no way of winning Wellsburg. At least, not at the moment...

*BANG!*

Hearing the sound of a Ignium gun fired, Lincoln unconsciously shuddered, knowing full well an artificial was killed. This was the way artificials were disposed of, Ignium guns disintegrating most organic matter shot by their beams. It was cheap and clean, the only two factors which mattered when dealing with an artificial.

"Strap him up real tight," he heard the scientist order the medics. "We don't want him moving around. He'll get fucked up if he does."

Finally regaining all of his senses, Lincoln groaned upon noticing he was on an operating table, his arms, legs, head, and body being restrained by Invincium shackles. Above him was what was known as a Constructor. Theon technology's quite advanced compared to Earth's. While Earth was still using barley functional mechanical limbs to replace missing ones, both Adio and Samiah have discovered a way to rapidly grow cells, allowing them to practically regenerate an individual's limb. That was what the Constructor does, though it should be noted the machine can't restore vital/complex limbs or organs such as a head or a heart. Science on Theon has yet to reach that level unfortunately.

Even though the machine was going to give Lincoln another chance at the battlefield, it still scared him? Why? Well, despite what one might think, regrowing large chunks of cells was an extremely painful process. Regrowing them requires the regeneration of certain nerves, which when in a disturbed state, causes the individual to feel an enormous amount of pain. It was like forcefully moving around broken arm until the machine finishes its job. In addition, the Constructor releases immense amount of heat to help seal the limb, similar to how exposing a wound to fire helps close it, except instead of closing wounds, it helps form the limb's shape. When one normally undergoes this process, they're put under the effects of sleeping gas that prevents them from feeling a thing. Sadly, that stuff doesn't come cheap, so artificials have to go through the process without the aid of the gas. Feeling as if you're being burned alive while having a broken limb… no words can describe the level of torture the fake Theons must undergo whenever they lose a body part. If they weren't forced to stay alive by the Samiahian Empire, you can bet Lincoln and several other artificials would've offed themselves at this point. To bad the empire has a way in making sure they'd never do that…

"Stand back, I'm firing it up." The scientist and medical staff moving out of the way, Lincoln clenched his eyes shut, attempting to brace himself for what's to come. He knows though that it's all for naught though, for his body never seemed to get used to the pain. A few second later, the tip of the Constructor began lighting up before a blast of white energy struck what was left of his arm. Feeling the machine do its magic, Lincoln let loose a loud, high pitched scream.

Funny enough, his wasn't the only scream which echoed throughout the chamber, nor was his even remotely the loudest...

0000

Time: Present

Location: Earth (Dimension 1)

Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, and Lynn watched as Lisa took time to take in Lincoln's physical appearance, unable to comprehend what was happening. None of them could wrap their heads around the fact the boy was from another universe. So many questions flooded their heads, like how did he get here? Why was this kid fighting in a war when he seemed to be Lynn's age? What were they going to do now? What clothes should they buy him?

Ok, the last one was only what Leni was thinking about. A kid from another universe didn't bother her like it did with the others. It just meant she could learn what type of clothing was popular in that Theo place he was rambling about earlier. At least, that's how she saw it. She never bothered with any of that sciency stuff. It confused her to no end.

"...Are you still going to keep me trapped down here, or can I be released now?" Lincoln asked the girls, snapping them back to reality. Glancing at one another, the girls began to discuss amongst themselves if it was really alright to let him go.

"So...what do you want to do?" Luna asked.

"I think we should let him go," Leni answered. "He looks like, totes uncomfortable."

Lynn shot her sisters a concerned look. "And what's stopping him from killing us afterwards? We know nothing about this guy. Maybe he's working for some Hitler type dude."

"I have to agree," Lori admitted. "I don't exactly trust that he won't do anything to us."

"Yeah, let's 'knot' let him go," Luan voiced her opinion, laughing at her pun. "Haha, get it?"

Luna moaned in annoyance. "Geez dude, that was a stinker. You were on such a roll as well…"

"Ugh, everyone's a critic."

"If you're worried about me harming any of you, I can guarantee I won't do anything of that sort," Lincoln told them. "...Unless you try to kill me of course."

"Yeah? Why should we believe you?" Lynn challenged the boy, gripping her bat tighter than before.

"If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't be talking right now."

"You realize you're tied up, right?" Lynn questioned him as if he were stupid.

Lincoln nodded. Before any of the girls could say anything, a somewhat soft snapping sound echoed around room before the boy raised his hands, revealing he had broken the rope once binding his arms together. This greatly shocked the girls, especially seeing as he continued to have the same facial expression throughout the process, one which was neutral. It seemed the rope wasn't even strong enough to make him struggle for freedom.

"I believe this is sufficient proof of my intentions," Lincoln told the stunned girls. "As I've said, if I wanted you harmed, I would've done something by now. If you want, you can tie me back up. I won't resist."

"Unbelievable, it appears a Theon's body vastly differs from ours on a scale much larger than I initially thought," Lisa remarked, being the first to recover. "Tell me, can you be classified as a typical member of your species?"

"..." Lincoln mentally questioned if he should even answer that question. The truth was, a normal Theon would've struggled with breaking out if they were in his shoes. However, he didn't want to tell her about artificial Theons. He still didn't know these people. Eh, looks like he'll have to extend the truth. "Somewhat. My training has made me stronger than most fully grown Theons."

"Fascinating. Mind if I ask you several thousand questions? I wish to accumulate as much knowledge about your world as I can. Interdimensional travel is already a scientific breakthrough as it is, but a chance at learning about a new world is something I cannot pass up."

"Hold up!" Lori shouted, grabbing the young boy's attention. "If you could've done that at any time, why didn't you do so earlier?"

"Simple, I wanted to access the situation," Lincoln replied. "When I woke up, I knew nothing about any of you. You could've been enemies. As such, I took caution when dealing with you. If you were really opponents of mine, then you probably had weapons on you, so snapping the ropes early on would've been stupid. Instead, I would've engaged you in meaningless conversation, making it seem like I was trying to get information from you, but in reality, I would be thinking of how to escape using what's around me."

The girls' mouths dropped upon hearing such a well thought out plan coming from a thirteen year old, except for Lisa who began to develop a soft smile on her face. Just by that plan alone, she could tell Lincoln was quite intelligent, which was good for her research. The more information her specimen could provide her, the better.

"It appears you're quite the tactician," the little genius complimented. "Are you such in your world's armed services?"

"Somewhat. I'm a field leader. I listen to orders, make adjustments to their plans if I see they missed something, and I fight alongside my comrades."

'Field leader… I assume it's his world's version of a squadron leader.'

"Woah dude. Seems like you have a lot of stories you can tell," Luna remarked, continuously eying the boy. The fact that someone younger than her was forced to take on such responsibilities was messed up in her eyes.

Giving her an unreadable glance, Lincoln simply nodded in agreement.

"Hey, maybe he can meet Pop-pop!" Leni cheerfully injected herself back into the conversation. "He fought in a war."

Lori groaned. "Leni, we literally got bigger things to worry about, like what are we going to do with him now?"

"That's...true," Luan admitted. "It's not like we can return him to his world…" Luan shot Lisa a questioning glance. "Right?"

"Science on Earth has not advanced that far yet," Lisa responded before addressing their captive. "I assume it's the same for your world as well seeing as you do not recall how you came here?"

"Yeah. Interdimensional travel is an idea that's only been toyed with."

"I see…"

"So, do we, like, send him to an adoption center or something?" Luna asked, only for Lisa to shake her head.

"That is not a recommended course of action," Lisa told her. "Our alien friend here-"

"You can call me Lincoln," the boy informed the girls. Usually, no one really referred to him by his name other than a certain government official who occasionally kept him company, but seeing as these girls were referring to one another so casually, he had no issue allowing them to call him by his name.

"Lincoln here has no records of him on Earth," Lisa continued. "He doesn't exist."

"How can he not exist if he's, like, in front of us?" Leni asked, causing Lisa to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"While he may exist physically, no country has any information about him. There's also the problem with him most likely wanting to return to his universe, which as a soldier, he must want to."

Lincoln nodded in confirmation. "I'd like to return home. I need to continue fighting."

"Understood. Sending him to an adopted family will hinder him from doing so as he'd need the resources to do so, something most families don't have. There's also the fact he's culturally uneducated."

"So what do you recommend we do?" Lori asked.

"Simple, until he's able to return home, we'll serve as his caretakers."

The room became silent for a few moments, no one willing to speak.

"What?" Luna asked, breaking the silence.

Lori sighed. "Lisa, you do realize there's twelve of us already living in this house, right? And that's not even counting all of Lana's pets."

"I understand your concern elder sibling, but the sacrifice of a few extra dollars-"

"More like a few thousand dollars-"

"...The sacrifice of some money is worth all the knowledge I can gain from him."

"He isn't a lab animal Lisa," Luan informed her sister. "He's a human."

"I'm actually a Theon," Lincoln interjected.

"Same thing!"

"Again, I have taken all factors into consideration. As I've mentioned before, he can't be sent to an adoption center due to his need to return home. Handing him over to a government agency will not be advised as well for if they discover he's not human, they will want to dissect him. With them and myself being the only two who can help him, keeping him here is the best course of action."

"But he's a BOY, and we're a house of GIRLS," Lynn remarked. "He'll probably perve on us once he gets the chance."

"I assure you, I won't do such a thing," Lincoln stated, trying to calm the athlete.

"If he does, you have my permission to hit him."

"...I don't like it, but you're right," Lori said with a groan. "BUT, we need to get mom and dad's permission first and that will not be easy whatsoever."

"I will take care of all this."

Lincoln, having listened to the conversation, shot the girls a smile. "I appreciate you offering me housing until I am able to return home."

"As long as you cooperate in helping me learn more about your world, I have no issues doing so."

"Tell that to mom and dad's wallet," Luan snarked, causing Luna to chuckle.

"I agree to your terms." Well, he wasn't going to tell her everything he knew, just enough to satisfy the young genius's curiosity. "As a sign of good faith, I will hand over all my weapons to you." Knowing full well none of the girls even knew how to operate his gun and armor, he stood up and began unstrapping his armor. Once he did so, he handed it over to Lori, who upon receiving it, nearly fell over.

"This thing literally weighs a ton! How do you walk in this?"

"Training."

"...Ok then. Lynn, help me move this thing."

"You got it."

As the two moved the suit of armor to the closest corner, Luna, Luan, and Lisa watched Lincoln pat himself down, his face showing signs of worryment.

"Uh, what's wrong dude?" Luna asked.

"I think I dropped my gun."

"...Your gun?"

"My weapon. It superheats Igneum to shoot a laser which can disintegrate any organic material it hits."

"Igneum? I assume that's a mineral native to your world?" Lisa asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"WHAT!? WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT ON YOU!?" Lori screeched.

"I'm a soldier. It'd be stupid if I didn't have one on me."

"It might've dropped when he arrived at our bathroom," Luna stated. "So, how does this weapon look like?"

"While not activated, it takes the shape of a small blue cube. Otherwise, it looks like this. Nira, display a hologram of a model 253."

"Displaying model of 253." Doing as what it was told, the AI had a hologram appear in front of the armor, showcasing the image of a medium sized raygun.

"I'm going to get it before one of our younger siblings blow themselves up with it," Lori stated before making her way to the stairs. "You guys make sure he doesn't leave the basement. I don't want him upstairs until mom and dad get back."

"Gotcha." Twirling her bat, Lynn made sure her eyes never left the intruder while Lori began to find the weapon.

0000

During the older sisters' interrogation of Lincoln, Lucy was making sure Lily and six year old twins Lola and Lana were kept as far away from the basement as possible. Lori had instructed her to do so, not knowing Lincoln's true intentions. He did just randomly appear in their bathroom after all.

"So, are you going to tell us what's going on or what?" Lola asked impatiently, Lucy not having told them, another thing Lori requested of her.

"Sorry, I can't," Lucy told her. "Lori's orders."

"Ugh, what kind of secret is she keeping if she's hiding in the basement to do so?"

"I don't know, but I gotta pee," Lana stated, causing Lucy to sigh.

"Sigh, I'll walk you to the bathroom to make sure you don't try sneaking off to the basement. Lola, you're coming with me."

"Oh come on! Why can't I stay here?"

"...I trust you to stay put less than I trust Lisa to run an experiment on me."

"What?! I wouldn't run away."

Ignoring her sister, Lucy grabbed both twins by the hands and led them to the bathroom. When they got there, Lucy and Lola waited outside as Lana went in. Doing her business, she exited the bathroom shortly after.

"Hey guys, check out what I found!"

Both Lola and Lucy tilting their heads in confusion, Lana held out her hand, showing them a strange blue cube. "It was in the bathtub."

"Ew, it's so dirty," Lola remarked. "It's probably Lisa's. I should go return it to her."

Lucy grabbed the pageant lover before she could leave the bathroom. "After she's done downstairs."

"You're no fun whatsoever." Lola groaned. "Lisa's younger than us, how come she can be in on the secret?"

"Lisa's smarter than dad and not a blabbermouth like you," Lana casually said, scratching her head.

"I AM NOT A-"

Before she could finish, the sound of someone running up the stairs caused her to stop talking, a visibly panicked Lori appearing a second later. "Listen up, because this is very important. Have any of you seen a weird blue cube around?"

"Uh, yeah," Lana responded before holding out the cube. "Why?"

Swiping the item out of the mechanic's hands, the oldest sister released a sigh of relief. "Whew, thank goodness."

"What's so important about the stupid cube anyways?" Lola asked, wanting to integrate her sister.

"I'll explain later! Right now, I need to go back downstairs and call mom and dad." With that, Lori began running back down the stairs, heading to the basement.

"At least we'll be brought into the loop soon," Lana said to Lola.

"Ugh, but I don't wanna wait!"

"Sigh, that's all you can do for now."

0000

Despite having a larger than average family, Lynn Sr. and Rita Loud lived quite normal lives, Lynn being a chef and Rita being a dentist. This was perhaps why the two immediately left their jobs upon receiving a call from their oldest daughter, urging them to come home due to an emergency. Of course, their children had their own 'emergencies' from time to time, them being the type to exaggerate, but as a result, they knew it was something big based on Lori's tone. This wasn't the tone she used when she was overreacting over a lost dress or accidently applying the wrong makeup, this was one she only used whenever she really did need their help. The only problem was they had no idea what was going on, Lori refusing to share anything until they got home.

It was safe to say that once they got home and saw Lori, they immediately began asking questions.

"What happened Lori, is everything ok?" Rita asked her daughter as she and Lynn Sr. attempted to figure out what was wrong. Based on the fact there were no tears in her eyes, the two could assume none of their children were hurt.

"W-well, uh, it's just better if I show you."

Lynn Sr. tilted his head to the side. "Show us?"

Giving them a simple nod, Lori directed them towards the basement. When they arrived downstairs, they were greeted with the sight of all their elder daughters surrounding a white haired boy, Lynn Jr. holding a bat.

"Honey...why is there a boy in our basement?" Lynn Sr. asked. This was the last thing he was expecting, and he wasn't afraid to admit his family was possibly the most abnormal one in the world.

"He's what I called you about," Lori responded, shuffling in place. "Gosh this is going to be hard to explain…"

"It's a story that's out of this world," Luan joked, chuckling at her pun. Normally, Lynn Sr, being a fan of her puns himself, would've laughed. However, without having any context, he simply settled for a confused look.

"I believe these two are your parents?" Lincoln asked. Glancing at the boy, both parents were actually quite surprised at his well spokenness.

"Yeah," Lori responded. "Lincoln, this is are mom and dad. Mom, dad, this is Lincoln… he's not from around here."

"Oh, then where does he live and why is he here among all places?"

"He…"

"Comes from another world," Lynn Jr. answered, earning a glare from the blonde. "What? You were taking too long…"

"Heh, that was a good one," Lynn Sr. said with a chuckle.

"She's actually being serious," Lisa informed them, causing their eyes to widen. Lisa wasn't one to joke. "What you are looking at is a specimen from Theo, a world located in another dimension. We found him unconscious in the bathroom and before you say anything, the window wasn't touched."

"Lisa, that's impossible," Rita stated. "Different dimensions don't exist."

"That's what modern science has told us until now, but Lincoln is proof that multiple realities exist. I recently took a DNA sample of him and it while extremely close, it isn't one which is human."

"..." At this point, the two parents didn't know how to react. To them, this seemed as one big joke, but none of their children were laughing. In addition, they've never seen the boy before in their lives.

"I assume you'll require proof that I am telling the truth, correct?" Lisa asked.

"I-I don't think there's anything you can do to prove this," Rita answered. "It's too bizarre for me to believe in."

"Very well then, allow me to prove Lincoln's heritage to you." Turning around, Lisa pointed a finger towards the now destroyed rope. "Exhibit A: my elder siblings had tied him up due to them thinking he was a thief or pervert and he managed to snap the rope with his bare hands. Ask anyone here and they'll tell you this." Rita and Lynn Sr. glanced at the other girls, who all nodded in confirmation. Lisa then continued her explanation, aiming her attention towards the armor. "Exhibit B: the specimen brought to us a unique metal, one not on the periodic table." She then pointed at the cube, the girls having placed it in the same corner as the armor. "Exhibit C: That cube and suit of armor possess technology not from this world. Lincoln, if you don't mind, could you activate Nira?"

"Sure. Nira, display a hologram of this room."

"Understood," the robotic voice said, startling the two parents. "Presenting hologram of current location." Once it said that, a beam of blue light shot out from the chest piece, a 3D image of the entire room hovering above the protective suit.

"The cube can turn into a weapon," Lisa nonchalantly told her parents, who's shock from the hologram only rose. "He has it on him because he's a soldier."

"Soldier? At such a young age?"

"The people of Theo have an enrollment age lower than ours."

"..." Having heard Lisa's explanation, both Lynn Sr. and Rita didn't know how to react. Part of them still didn't believe their daughters while another part of them pitied the boy who was fighting a war at such a young age.

"Final Exhibit," Lisa stated as she pointed to a camera located on the top of the ceiling, snapping them back to reality. "Video proof that he didn't use the window to enter our house." Taking out her phone, Lisa began showing them a video. At first, nothing was happening on camera, only a visual of the bathroom being present. However, a few seconds later, a blue light began flashing in the middle of the tub before expanding enough to cover the camera's view. When it disappeared, Lincoln was there, Leni entering the place shortly after.

"...Alright, let's assume he IS from another world…" Rita said. "...What do we do now?"

"As I told my siblings, we cannot hand him over to an adoption center due to his scientific value. If you wish to preserve his life, which I assume you wish to, you will not hand him over to the government. Unfortunately, they are the only ones besides myself who have a shot at returning him to his world. This leaves us with only one sensible option, we take him in ourselves. In exchange for information, I shall aid him in returning to his world."

"..." Again, the two adults were stunned into silence. A few moments went by before either could say something.

"...I'm not sure if we can take care of another child," Lynn Sr. admitted. "There's a lot of things we'd need to do and we don't really have the money for another child…"

"I understand, which is why I'm willing to pitch in," Lisa stated, causing her parents to raise their eyebrows. "Since he doesn't exist, I'll simply hack into the government and add his information, stating that we adopted him from another country. Creating all the legal papers will be no issue for me."

"Can she do that?" Luna asked Luan, only to receive a nod in response.

"Yep. We did it once to prank the president. Good times."

"In terms of our financial situation, I am willing to compromise. I'll give you half of my earnings."

Normally, one would question how a toddler gained money, but this was Lisa Loud, multiple Nobel Prize winner, scientist, and teacher at a university. The thing was, she was super stingy about her money, having installed security systems around the safe she keeps her money in.

"WHAT!?" Everyone in the room shouted.

"Weren't you saving that money for a new lab?"

"I was… but letting Lincoln leave is something I cannot allow to happen. He's the key to the biggest scientific breakthrough that'll ever happen. I'll willing to take drastic measures to ensure I do not lose my specimen."

"...You'll make sure to help him return to his world, right?" Rita asked the genius.

"Yes."

"Then, I guess he can stay as long as he doesn't cause trouble," Lynn Sr. said, although very hesitant. While he wasn't comfortable with a boy in the house, the fact is that Lisa was right, he wouldn't be safe anywhere else. "Just get all the legal stuff down."

"Understood. While I do so, would you all mind informing the rest of this development?"

"Y-yeah, of course," Lori replied.

"Good. Now, if you excuse me, I have a government to hack into." With that, Lisa began walking down the stairs, leaving the rest of her family behind with Lincoln.

"...Thank you for taking me in," Lincoln told them. "I appreciate it. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be sure to be on my best behavior."

"N-no problem," Lynn Sr. responded. "We'll be holding you to your promise though."

"As to be expected."

Unknown to Lincoln or the Loud family, this decision would end up changing their lives forever...