"Stay in bed," Boomer snapped, pushing his brother back down.

Brick scowled and crossed his arms. Boomer knew that he was being unfair on his older brother but it was for the best. Butch and him were still yet to tell their leader about his condition. To be honest, they didn't even know how to tell him. How were they supposed to break the truth out to him?

"I'll make you some soup today, alright? Butch said he's gonna get some new games for you so you just stay in bed," Boomer said.

"I'm fine. I can get out of bed you know," Brick snapped but the hoarseness of his voice told Boomer otherwise. His brother was not alright. He was never going to be alright ever again.

"Brick, just promise me you'll stay in bed," Boomer sighed. "Please?"

The redhead fixed him with a hostile glare. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"Brick, please. Just stay in bed. The doctor said it'll help with your recovery."

"It'll help if I know what was wrong with me in the first place!" Brick flared up. The moment he yelled, he winced and clutched his head.

"Brick, trust me for once, okay?" Boomer said. He passed a bottle of pills to Brick and Brick took a pair of pills out without objecting. Boomer watched as Brick threw the pills into his mouth and took the bottle of water from his bedside table.

"Booms, are you ready?" Butch poked his head into the room and looked at his blonde brother. Boomer nodded.

"Stay in bed," Boomer instructed as he started walking out of the room. Brick glared at him before he flopped back down on the bed, pulling his covers over him and turning away from his brother. Boomer sighed, knowing that his brother was pissed off but he much rather have Brick sulking over being treated like a baby instead of the fact that he was dying.

Boomer and Butch flew out of their apartment and towards their respective destinations. Both of them just had one thing in mind, and that was to make their brother's last few days memorable and happy. The doctor had said that Brick only had a year left for him, and that was about two months ago. All Brick had was about ten months left.

As Boomer picked up all their groceries from the minimart, his mind was just blank. Lately, he barely had anything on his mind. All he thought about was Brick and the fact that in a year's time, Brick would most probably be gone and all that was left of the Rowdyruff Boys would be him and Butch. Crimes and fighting the Powerpuffs aside, the two of them had never lived without Brick. How were they going to survive?

Boomer hugged the paper bags close to his chest and he floated out of the minimart. He could hear shouting and screaming in the distance, accompanied by some crashing and roaring.

Oh, some monster was most probably attacking the town.

Boomer saw a flash of dark green in the sky and he sped up, catching up with his green brother. Butch glanced behind and slowed down to a stop, floating. In his hands, he held two game cases.

"Need help with that, bro?" Butch asked.

"Nah, I'm fine," Boomer replied.

As the two of them floated slowly towards their apartment, three streaks flashed past them- one pink, one sky blue and one lime green. Butch and Boomer flashed each other with annoyed looks before they simply continued forward.

However, it seemed as if the girls were headed towards the same destination as them. Arriving within a few meters from their apartment, Boomer found himself nearing to a stop, dropping the bags he held in his hands. Butch stilled beside him as well, gasping.

Right in front of their apartment complex, there was a huge purple gloop, in a heated battle against the Powerpuffs. The two boys watched as Buttercup sent her fist flying towards it. The gloop hardened and swung its arm but Blossom managed to grab it and flip it over.

"No!" Butch yelled as the monster crashed against their complex, smashing some bits of the building. Boomer wondered if it had been evacuated already but he knew that Brick had never bothered about evacuating due to a monster attack. In his mind, he still felt that he was well.

Boomer zoomed off towards the building, flying under the monster's arm and through the crumbling windows. Their apartment was falling apart and Boomer and to jump out of his way a couple of times to avoid the ceiling from crushing him. He ran to Brick's room.

Brick was on the floor, on all fours and trying to get up. There was a trail of blood flowing out of his head and down to his jaw. Boomer felt his heart tightened. Brick's head was the last thing that was supposed to get hit. He flew forward and grabbed his brother, just in time to avoid a piece of rubble that came crashing down. He lifted Brick up in his arms and flew out of the window at top speed, joining Butch by his side.

"Brick!" Butch gasped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" the redhead snapped, holding his head on one side as he leaned against Boomer's chest. "I managed to eyebeam the stuff that was falling. A small piece hit me on the head."

Butch looked at the monster, that the girls seemed to be having a hard time fighting against and clenched his fists. "You fucker!" he yelled, charging at the monster. Boomer watched in silence as Butch zoomed past the girls, leaving them in confusion, and started punching the hardened gloop like there was no tomorrow. He raised his hands into the sky, morphing a huge fireball in his hands.

Boomer wanted to stay and watch but he felt Brick squirm in his arms. He glanced down at his older brother. Brick was frowning, his hand falling to his stomach.

"Boomer, I feel sick," he admitted. "I think I'm going to..." He trailed off, most probably in embarrassment. Boomer flew down to an alley and helped Brick onto his feet. Brick staggered slightly, placing his hand on the wall to steady himself. Butch flew down and landed beside Brick. He was drenched in purple goo, some of them even dripping off his hair. For a second, Boomer wanted to throw up as well.

"Brick, if you have to throw up, just do," Butch advised.

Brick glared at him from the corner of his eyes, the anger and authority in them making Boomer forget for a moment that Brick was sick.

"I'm not sick," he hissed. "I'm entirely fine." He stood up straight, trying to conceal his failing strength, though his trembling body betrayed his weakness.

"No you're not fine!" Butch yelled. "You don't know anything! You're not fine." Boomer's eyes widened at that and he elbowed Butch at his side.

Brick glared at both of them and stamped his foot childishly. "Of course I don't know anything! You guys never tell me anything, not even about myself!"

"Stop being such a baby!" Butch yelled.

"Butch, calm down," Boomer murmured, just for the ears of his younger brother. "Remember what the doctor said? It messes with his brain."

"But... He's getting annoying," Butch whined.

"Stop whispering to yourself! Stop hiding stuff from me! I'm your older brother, for fuck's sake!" Brick snapped.

"Maybe you should stop hiding in alleys first." Boomer looked up and he saw three familiar faces, floating downwards.

"Girls!" Butch gasped. "Back off!"

"Not so fast," Blossom huffed, crossing her arms. "What are the three of you up to?"

"Yeah! You don't just go beating up my prey and running to hide," Buttercup scoffed.

As the girls floated to land, Boomer felt Brick push past him and Butch to take his position between the two of them. He stood up straighter, sliding his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and he stared at the girls.

"We'll continue this conversation later. Right now, it's time to kick butt," Brick chuckled darkly, nodding towards the three girls. Butch and Boomer exchanged worried glances. They had been warned that if Brick were to get into a fight, especially with the girls, his condition could worsen.

"I don't think it's our butt that's going to be kicked," Blossom huffed, taking a few steps forward. Brick narrowed his eyes and took two steps forward.

"Well, give it your best shot, Blossy," he snapped.

Boomer's eyes widened as Blossom raised her fist, pulling it backwards to punch Brick with all her might. Brick grinned, waiting for the punch.

"No!" Boomer cried out and jumped forward, together with Butch. Both of them ended up pushing Blossom all the way across the street and to the alley at the other side.

"Stop!" Butch yelled as the two of them pushed her against the wall. "You can't hit him!"

"Let me go!" Blossom huffed, trying to push herself off but obviously, both Boomer and Butch managed to overpower her.

"No! If we do, you'll hurt Brick!" Boomer snapped.

"What else do you expect me to do? He's Brick!"

"Not hurt him?" Boomer suggested. "Please, we can't let him fight, especially not you or your sisters!"

"Let me go!" Blossom yelled.

"Blossom!"

Boomer turned his head at the new voice, giving Blossom an opening to attack. She eyebeamed him, pushing him a distance off, before punching Butch in the face. As the boys scrambled to get back on their feet, Blossom floated to join her sister.

"Where's Buttercup?" she asked.

"Fighting Brick," Bubbles replied. "We'll deal with these two."

"Wait, you mean Buttercup is fighting Brick?!" Butch gasped. He glanced at Boomer and the blonde nodded. Without a glance at the two girls, both boys immediately flew off. Butch headed staring for Buttercup, pushing her onto the ground, as Boomer flew to Brick. Brick was kneeling at the end of the alley, coughing continuously.

"Brick!" Boomer gasped, running to his brother's side. Brick continued coughing into his hands for a while before he cooled down. He looked up at Boomer with weak eyes and removed his hands. Boomer gasped and grabbed his brother's wrist, his eyes flying wide open at the red stain on his palms.

"B-Blood...?" Boomer gasped.

Brick pulled his hand away. "I'm fine..." he mumbled. "I'm fine."

Butch had joined them and was staring at Brick in disbelief as well. At Brick's words, he snapped out of his daze and growled.

"Get him to the hospital, Booms."

"No!" Brick cried out. "I said I'm fine."

"No you're not, you ass! You're dying! You're anything but fine!" Butch yelled, obviously pissed off by the turn of events. "You're not supposed to fight!"

Brick remained silent, as if Butch's words were registering in his mind. He looked up at his two brothers. "I'm not going to die from this, sheesh."

Boomer gulped and shook his head. He picked up his brother and started floating off. Brick tried to struggle but in his weakened state, his movements barely even fazed Boomer.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Boomer snapped. As Butch started to follow, he heard his name being called. He glanced at the girls and then at Boomer, before gesturing him to go on first.

"What can I do for you girls?" Butch asked as he landed in front of the three girls. Being alone with them was a risky move but he didn't want the girls slowing Boomer down.

"What's going on?" Blossom asked. "I think you owe us an explanation."

Honestly, Butch didn't feel like he did. It was their business after all. The girls didn't matter. But he did know that if he tried to resist, the girls may use force on him.

"It was about two months ago," Butch murmured. "We were just messing about at home and suddenly Brick started throwing up badly. Then, he just collapsed. We brought him to the hospital and... And they said..." Butch felt a lump rise in his throat and he took a deep breath.

"What?" Buttercup murmured. "It can't be that bad. He's a Rowdyruff."

Butch remained silent. He had never admitted it to anyone. Heck, even Boomer and him never mentioned Brick's condition. Perhaps it soothed them in a way that by not saying it out, they could convince themselves that everything was fine and that their older brother was not dying. It wasn't easy as Brick's failing health was a constant reminder of his limited time but at least it was something. Never mentioning his condition out loud served as a comforting means for the two younger Rowdyruffs.

But there he was, stuck in a situation where he had to say it out.

"You and I may be strong enough to recover faster than normal humans but we're not immortal. An incurable disease is still an incurable disease. We're not immune," Butch said.

"Disease? Does he have AIDS?" Buttercup asked. "He seems like the type." Blossom glared at her sister and the younger girl backed down, mumbling a meek apology.

Butch took a deep breath. "Brain cancer... Stage four."

He watched as the Powerpuff's eyes went wide in disbelief. Buttercup gasped, slapping her hands above her mouth.

"Oh no. I just hit a sick person!" she gasped. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! If it's worth anything, I didn't know! He punched first, though it was weak... And here I was wondering why Blossom had such a hard time with such a weak person when in actual fact he was a dying person."

"Buttercup!" Blossom scolded.

Butch swallowed at Buttercup's words, the revelation to the girls crashing him once again. Saying it did make him feel worse. It felt just as bad as when he just found out about it. But he remembered Brick's smiling face when Boomer and him walked into the hospital ward. It was then they realized that there was no way they could ever break the news to him. Fuck everything. The truth would crush Brick. If there was one thing Butch never wanted to see in his life, it would be his older brother crying and depressed.

"Butch... How long does Brick have?" Bubbles asked, snapping him out of his memories. Butch realized that his eyes were watering and he immediately wiped his eyes roughly. He would never cry in front of the girls. If Brick was here, he wouldn't want Butch acting so weak in front of their mortal enemies. Yeah, since Brick was dying- especially since Brick was dying- he had to remain strong.

"They said a year as long as he stays at home and not get into fights," Butch replied.

"Oh no," Buttercup gasped again. "But... Butch! Please, let me come with you to the hospital. I want to make sure he's alright!"

"You're a Powerpuff," he snapped. "Back off."

"Just because we're Powerpuffs doesn't mean we're heartless to our enemies, Butch. Buttercup was wrong to attack Brick when he's ill. We're coming with you," Blossom said calmly.

Butch didn't want to waste his time arguing with them. He wanted to get to Brick and fast. Without another word, he started flying towards the hospital, with the girls right behind him.

Apparently, Brick was undergoing a few tests and it was about two hours before the doctor managed to get back to them about his condition. As the doctor closed the door to Brick's room, Butch and Boomer rushed up to him, with the girls staying a distance off.

"It's worse than we thought," the doctor explained. "The cancer has spread to his lungs... I'm sorry but he doesn't have much time left."

"No way," Butch rasped.

"Please, doctor! Can't you do anything about it?" Boomer pleaded. "I know we're evil and I know that you hate us but we'll do anything for Brick. We can be good. We can turn ourselves in. We'll do anything! Please save Brick!" Tears was streaming down the blonde boy's face and even the doctor was momentarily stunned from the public display of emotions coming from the blue Ruff. Boomer dropped to his knees, his hands clutched together. "Please. I'm begging you. Help me. Don't take my brother away from me."

"Hey, kid, listen, this has nothing to do with your background!" the doctor insisted. "We tried our best. His condition is as such. We can't do anything."

Buttercup flew over. "Come on, doc. Please, help them. If it's the cost, then don't worry about it. I beat Brick up. I'm the reason he got worse."

The doctor sighed. "Look, all of you, his condition worsening has nothing to do with him being beaten up. From the last time we had checked him, the cancer has spread. It has infected his lungs and the most part of his brain... He doesn't have long."

"How much time?" Blossom asked.

"I give him... Three months," the doctor said solemnly, "at most."

"Three months at most?!" Butch cried out, grabbing the doctor's collar. "But you said a year the last time."

"He got worse," the doctor sighed. "It was out of anyone's control."

Butch let go off the doctor, pushing him backwards a little. He cursed and crossed his arms. Boomer stayed down, his shoulders slumped and head hung low.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Bubbles asked.

"Just support him," the doctor said. "Even you girls. If you want to help, it would help if you guys give up your relation as mortal enemies. He's dying... It's not recommended to be surrounded by negative emotions during these three months. It might help him live longer, though this is just a theory that's yet to be proven."

"Can we go see him?" Butch asked.

"Yeah sure. Now if you'd excuse me, I have other patients to attend to."

As the doctor shuffled away, Butch pulled Boomer up to his feet and the two boys opened the door to Brick's room. Brick was sitting up in bed and the moment he saw them, his eyes narrowed. Leaving the girls outside, the boys closed the door and walked to their brother's bed. Boomer pulled a chair up and sat by Brick's bedside while Butch sat on the bed.

"You're crying, Booms. What's wrong with me?" Brick asked. Butch and Boomer glanced at each other hesitantly but remained silent. Their older brother groaned. He sat upright, pulling his knees close to his chest. "Still not going to tell me anything?" Brick murmured. "Something's wrong with me, right? I couldn't even use my superhearing to hear what the doctor said outside."

Butch hesitated, turning to look at Boomer. Boomer shook his head. "We have to tell him, Butch..." Butch found himself agreeing.

"Brick," he said, reaching forward and taking his brother's hand. Brick raised his eyes in confusion at the action but remained silent, listening. "You... You're ill... Very ill... So ill that you only have..." Butch stopped and looked at Boomer.

He couldn't do it. He really didn't want to break Brick at all.

"I know I'm ill, idiots," Brick snapped. He looked at his two brothers and his eyes softened. His tightened his fingers around Butch's hand. "I already know I'm dying... Tell me, how much longer do I have? Two years? Three years? Please, tell me..."

"Three months," Boomer said softly. "You have cancer, Brick... Stage four brain cancer and it has spread to your lungs."

Butch watched as Boomer's voice cracked and Brick's eyes went wide. He could feel his brother tremble slightly from the revelation.

"But... I'm seventeen... I'm only seventeen... I should have my whole life ahead of me!" Brick gasped. "I can't have cancer... That too, brain cancer! I... Three months? You've got to be kidding..."

"Brick," Butch called out, sighing. Brick turned to look at him. His red eyes were wide and watery. For the first time in two months, Butch realized that the cancer had actually affected Brick much more than he thought. Brick's skin was no longer tanned, but deathly pale and he almost looked like a vampire. He didn't look anything like the dashing Brick Butch had grown up with.

Brick stared at him with such wide eyes that for a moment, Butch felt like the older brother.

"I... I should go to sleep," Brick said, his voice cracking and betraying all his emotions. He looked away from his brothers, pulling his hand away from Butch.

"It's okay, Brick," Boomer murmured, standing up.

"What's okay? I'm dying," Brick chuckled lifelessly.

"It's okay to cry... I know you want to so just let it out." Brick blinked at Boomer's words as Boomer reached out and pulled Brick close to him, wrapping his arms around Brick's trembling frame. Butch sat there, watching, as the shocked expression on Brick's face morphed into annoyance and then sadness. Brick closed his eyes as Boomer pulled him closer, resting his chin on his older brother's head. His lips quivered and tears trickled down his face.

"I don't want to die..." Brick sobbed. "How can I leave you guys?" Butch remained still as Boomer's tears reappeared as he tightened his hold around their trembling leader. "Why me? Is this karma?"

Butch moved forward, wrapping his arms around both his brothers as he knelt in front of Brick. "Karma's a bitch," he muttered, resting his head on Brick's shoulder. "Karma's a fucking bitch, trying to split us."

"I'm sorry," Brick cried. "I'm sorry for being a jerk. I'm sorry for being so bossy and overbearing. I love you guys. Please, forgive me."

"Shut up," Butch snapped, pulling himself closer. "I don't care. There must be something we can do."

But as he held the crying Brick close, he knew that no matter what, in three months, there would only be two of them left.

Since there was nothing the doctor's could do about Brick, they had him discharged after three days. It was one of Brick's better days so he could walk properly without stumbling. Although it was a short while, rumors of the Rowdyruff leader's illness had spread. And so, the three boys were greeted with a wide spread of paparazzi and new reporters.

"Brick Jojo! Brick Jojo! A word please," one of them ran up to him, shoving a mic towards him. Brick took a step back in surprise before he scowled.

"Back off," he snapped.

"Is it true that you're going to die? Is this the end of the Rowdyruffs?" the paparazzi continued. Brick looked around and saw that his brothers were being approached as well. It was getting crowded and really noisy and his head started to pound.

"What happens when you die? I don't think your brothers will be able to fight off the Powerpuffs alone," another one said.

"What are you going to do these three months? Are you going to pull off something and go with a bang?"

"Are you going to lay low?"

"How did this happen? What exactly is wrong with you?"

Brick snarled as his head started throbbing even more as he started feeling more and more claustrophobic. It was hurting a lot and he wanted to rip stuff apart. He grabbed the nearest paparazzi and raised his fist, ready to punch the guy in the face.

"You wanna know what's wrong with me? Let me tell you what's wrong with me," he yelled. "I have twenty times the number of cancer cells than you do but let me tell you this, it ain't stopping me from beating you up till you have one hundred times less red blood cells than I do."

He was aware of screams breaking out around him as people tried to wrench him of the now cowering paparazzi. Brick might have been weak and dying but on his better days, his strength was still more than enough for him to overpower a normal person. In his grip, the paparazzi felt so small and weak that he could break him into half like he was a toothpick.

Honestly, Brick had no intention to punch the poor guy in the face. He might have been a scheming villain but there was no way he was going to pick on someone who was weaker then him. Just as he was about to let the guy go, he felt a hard impact on the back of his head. His head immediately burst into blinding pain. He let out a cry, briefly aware of his hands flying to his head and him falling to his knees. He felt someone give him a swift kick to his side and it took quite a lot of his strength to keep himself from falling.

"Brick! Everyone back off before we kill you all!" Brick wasn't sure if Boomer or Butch said that but guessing from the words, it had to be Butch.

"Alright everyone, calm down!" This time, the voice was a girl's and Brick recognized it as his counterpart's. "Everyone clear out," she continued. "Good citizens, don't pick on a dying guy."

Brick scowled but still, he was partly grateful for the crowd clearing out. Trying to put his throbbing head aside and swallowing to push his lunch down his throat as it rose up, he opened his eyes. The brightness of the afternoon sun blinded him for a moment, making his nausea worse and it took him a while to focus on the faces staring down at him.

Boomer and Butch.

"Brick, are you okay?" Butch asked. "Do you need to go back to the hospital?"

"I'm fine," Brick grumbled, hating it whenever his brothers fussed over him. Sure, he was dying but he didn't want his younger brothers to worry. Heck, for all his life, he had been the one worrying about the two of them.

Brick got up to his feet, brushing his brothers aside, and glared at the girls who were calmly directing the paparazzi away from the three of them. Brick watched them, still scowling, as the remaining few left. The girls then flew to them.

"Everything okay?" Blossom asked, looking at Brick. He saw worry and concern in his eyes and he wanted to punch her in the face. He didn't need her pity. He didn't need anyone's pity, especially not hers.

"Come on boys, let's go," he snapped, disregarding her. Brick started walking away. He would have loved to fly but he knew that the cancer was affecting his powers. As much as he wanted to get away from the girls as fast as possible, he wasn't so keen on falling.

He had to walk.

This idea came into my head when I was working on this hospital scene for my other story (that'll be up soon) and I got a little distracted. This isn't going to be a long story. It might be a two shot or maybe a little longer than that. Idk. Depends on how stuff go.

Anyway, do review :D