Chapter 2- A Chilly Path to the Depths of Hell
"Is that…is that who I think it is?" Blossom asked in a shaky voice.
She barely dared to believe that the photograph in front of her was real. It just couldn't be. The three figures within it were gone, long gone. There was no possible way…and yet the Professor nodded his head.
"I'm afraid so Blossom. I don't know how, but the Rowdyruff Boys are back and they're the ones who attacked your sister. I hope you understand why I waited to tell you both this. The threat they represent is larger than anything you've ever faced before."
"But-but!" Buttercup chocked in shock as she ripped the photo from the Professor's hands and stared at it with wide eyes. "But that's impossible! There's no way this can be the Rowdyruffs! Those bastards disintegrated years ago!"
She switched her gaze and stared up at the Professor, hoping for some sort of confirmation to her words. Blossom wanted the same thing. She wanted the Professor to smile and say this was all some sort of sick joke.
…but it wasn't. His expression was dead serious as he looked at them and shrugged helplessly.
"I'm sorry Buttercup but I don't have any answers for you. All I know is that those Boys are alive and well. That snapshot was taken by one of the dozen witnesses at the park where Bubbles was attacked. This isn't a hoax, it's unfortunately all true.
All the sudden, the picture seemed to take on a whole other level of meaning. This was from the scene of the crime, right when it was happening. Blossom drew close to Buttercup's side and leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look at the photo. The blurriness of the picture couldn't cover up the cruel smirk of the lead figure as he floated there in the sky.
Brick, that bastard. Years might have passed since she last saw him, but Blossom never forgot a face. Especially his.
The roundness of his youth had fallen away, transforming his features into sharp angles and hard planes. Set within that stone like visage were his twin, blood red eyes. Their color had always been somewhat chilling to behold but something was different about them now, something was…colder. Even though it was only a picture, Blossom could practically feel the malice lying within their depths.
A chill worked up her spine at the thought. It was a malice that had been taken out on Bubbles. This man was the one directly responsible for her baby sister's horrendous condition. And if the expression captured in this photo was anything to go by, he felt no remorse about it at all.
None what so ever.
Blossom forced herself to look away from the photo before her emotions got the best of her. They waged battle, swirling violently inside her mind. Fear and rage, shock, horror… confusion, all of these and more tried to gain dominance within her
It left the redhead completely off balance. She didn't what to do or what to say. She didn't even know how she felt right now. This was too much to take in.
…
The Boys were back, the idea was now finally starting to sink in…but there was just one thing she couldn't understand.
"Why Professor? Why would they do something like this? They were never this violent before, what do they hope to accomplish? What do they want?" Blossom asked quietly as she placed her pink eyes on him.
Her father sighed heavily as he took the picture back from Buttercup's hands and looked at it silently for a heartbeat. Then he raised his head and Blossom looked upon the most heartbroken pair of eyes that she had ever seen
"From what I'm told. Bubbles was in the park helping with the community arts festival when they attacked. She held them off as best she could but it was three to one. They were just too much."
The Professor paused to draw a deep breath, eyes glassy as he looked at his two oldest daughters. "Af-…after they were done, they only had one thing to say. Brick called out a challenge to you two. He wants you to come after him…he said this was only the first step, that he and his brothers wouldn't stop until all three of you are dead."
That phrase almost hit Blossom like a physical blow. Her lungs froze and her eyes widened in alarm.
Dead? They wanted her and her sisters dead? Brick had really said that? She had always known the Boys to be violent but they had never actively tried to kill anyone before.
It had been a contest of strength back in their youth, a battle to see who was the strongest, the fastest, the most cunning. Sometimes the Powerpuff Girls would win, sometimes the Boys. They had come away injured their various battles but nothing like what Bubbles was going through now. It was never mindless violence that bordered on the bounds of psychotic assult.
The silence in the room sat heavy on the redhead's shoulders as her mind tried to process all that had happened in the last few minutes.
The Boys were back.
They had ambushed and mercilessly beaten Bubbles within an inch of her life.
They wanted all three of them dead.
…They would pay.
Blossom's eyes glowed a soft pink color as the war of her emotions came to an end. Reigning as the victor, rage won out against all the other. There was no room for anything else. Now was not the time for confusion or guilt or sorrow.
Now was a time for action and she was more than willing to start.
Buttercup was the first to break the dead silence in the room. She stood there, head bowed, fists clenched tightly together.
"They want a fight?" She whispered through gritted teeth as she lifted her head. "Oh, I'll give them a fight then. I'll beat their fucking brains into the pavement. I'll burn their bodies to ash. I'll make them wish they never laid eyes on Bubbles. They're. Dead. Meat."
If her vicious statement disturbed the Professor, he didn't show it. He didn't even look phased as he stared at this two girls with a deep sorrow. He'd probably expected this reaction since he first found out who the perpetrators were.
There could be no other response. These Boys might have just been ordinary villains at some point, but no more. They had crossed the line big time and if they wanted her and her sister's dead, well, they were just going to have hope they found the Puffs first.
Because her and Buttercup were about to go hunting and they weren't taking any prisoners.
"Where are they now Professor?" Blossom asked in an oddly calm voice given the rage seething inside her.
She would use that anger, let it burn hot and fill her with resolve, but it wouldn't control her. No, she was a master of her emotions and she'd use this one to fuel her revenge. When she met those Boys again, they'd see just how far over the edge they had pushed her. And then they'd regret it for the rest of their very short lives.
The Professor slipped the photo back into his lab coat and ran a hand through his hair. "I wish I knew. I wasn't able to pin point any of their energy, they had come and gone before I even knew the attack had happened. It was the mayor who delivered the news to me. By the time I got back to the lab, there were no traces of them left."
"WHAT?! Are you fucking kidding me?" Buttercup cried in dismay.
Blossom could understand her sister's anger. They had just found out that their greatest archenemies were back from the dead and they had no clue where the hell they were?! Seriously?! How were they supposed to get their revenge if they didn't have any idea where those bastards were?
"They've disappeared? You can't find them anywhere?" Blossom tried to suppress her anger, but it was difficult to do.
The Professor held his hands up in a placating manner. "I couldn't track them through any of my systems based off their chemical make-up or their energy burn…however, I did pick up a strange anomaly on one of my sensors after I learned of the attack."
"Anomaly?" Blossom's ears perked up. "What sort of anomaly? On what machine?"
The Professor moved over towards the other side of the lab and left his two girls to follow. Both did so, coming to stand behind him as he took a seat at one of the workstations littering the room.
Before him stood a series of monitors, all monotone in color and showing various parts of the world. The Professor reached up and tapped one of the smaller screens. "Watch this monitor here."
Blossom watched the screen intently as the Professor began the playback. The image remained nearly unchanged as the recording played. The monotone green stared back at her, barely fluctuating. But then, a flash occurred.
"Wait, what was that? Can you play that again?" She asked the Professor, leaning closer to the screen.
"Yeah, what was that flash?" Buttercup added as she hung onto Blossom's shoulder to get better leverage.
The Professor rewound the recording and hit play again. Blossom watched for a second time as the flash flared across the screen and then dimmed down before disappearing all together.
"That." The Professor said, turning his chair around to face them. "Is the anomaly I was talking about. These machines are the ones I built a few years ago when you were battling Him. They measure electromagnetic displacement fields."
Blossom felt the wind had just gotten knocked out of her for a second time that day. "Are…are you sure? It wasn't like a solar flare or a meteorite entering the atmosphere or anything?"
Please let it be anything but what her mind was whispering to her.
"It was no flare or meteorite I'm afraid. This anomaly stands on its own and I'm sure you know what that means." He replied, dashing her fragile hope.
"Um, I don't. So either of you want to tell me? Cause I'm lost." Buttercup chimed in as she took a step back and looked at the Professor in confusion.
Her father swung his chair to face her. "When I built this machine, I configured it to track the energy displacement of the earth's electromagnetic field, or our 'dimensional plane' if you will. It was what Blossom and I used it to help you three Girls track down Him. Whenever there was an anomaly like the one you just saw, it usually represented one of his portals materializing in our world"
Blossom saw the realization hit Buttercup as her eyes widened in horror. "Wait…wait a damn minute…are you saying that this 'anomaly' is like the one of Him's portals? Like from his hell dimension or wherever the fuck he lives?"
With a weary nod, the Professor stood himself up and looked at them both gravely. "I'm afraid so. It seems that not just one of your former enemies is back from the dead, but two."
"Are you shitting me?! What next? Freakin' Mojo Jojo?! I know he's dead. I saw that happen with my own two eyes!" The brunette ranted as she flung a hand up in the air in frustration.
Blossom reached out and laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Calm down Buttercup. Just because the energy signature looks like one of Him's portals, doesn't mean it actually is one. Besides, we destroyed his soul stone remember? He doesn't have an anchor over on this side anymore."
"And how do we know that for a fact? Huh? We barely knew anything about that damn stone or about Him! What if destroying it didn't do anything? What if he's just been biding his time all along?" The Green Puff countered.
The jaded pink of her eyes glinted hard in the light as Blossom narrowed her eyes. "Then we'll just have to finish him off too."
Running a hand through her hair, Buttercup drew in a deep breath and released it. She straightened her shoulder and glanced back up into her sister's eyes. Determination shined in those lime green orbs, the same kind that Blossom knew resided in her own.
"Well, if that's what we're going to do, then we best get about it huh? We can't let those bastards get the jump on us like they did on Bubbles."
Blossom nodded in agreement and let her hand fall away from her sister's shoulder. "You're right, Professor." She looked back towards her father. "Where was that signal coming from?"
He looked back down to his instruments and tapped a few keys. "It looks like the coordinates are eighty two point six five North by negative seventy point six seven…The northern portion of Ellsesmere Island, in the Arctic Circle."
Buttercup blinked and held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa wait…The gateway to hell opens up in the Arctic? You're joking right?"
The Professor could only shrug in reply.
"Regardless." Blossom said as she turned away from the monitors and made her way to the stairs. "That's where we're headed Buttercup."
She heard her sister sigh behind her as she hurried to catch up. "You do realize I'm dressed for Cairo weather right? It's like eighty over there."
Blossom paused her climb and looked back at her younger sister. "Well you best find yourself some winter gear, cause we're going to the Arctic."
Boomer's POV
The Arctic was actually looking kinda of good right now.
Boomer sighed quietly to himself as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. It wasn't that he particularly liked sub-freezing temperatures, but it was a sight better than the sauna he was stuck in now. Besides, after seven years, he was sick of the heat.
And also the décor.
The blonde grimaced as he glanced around and took in the deep red room. Everything was red, or some shade of it. It was like that everywhere down here. From the red gravel floors to the walls made of living flames, red, red, everywhere.
All except the void.
Boomer looked away from the curved walls of fire that made up the room he was currently in and glanced behind him. The edge of the 'room' abruptly fell away just a few meters from where he was standing. Beyond that lay the void, an ever present black pit that seemed to pull everything towards its center.
A few seconds was all he could manage before he forced himself to look away. Boomer didn't like staring into that black hole much. Within the swirling smoke and dust, he swore there were tortured faces screaming out at him. The souls of the damned left in eternal agony and he was lucky enough to have a front row seat. Boomer could convince himself from time to time that it was all in his imagination, that they weren't really the souls of the damn.
That was not something he could do with the furniture however.
Even after seven years, the dozens of empty skulls that stared at him from every chair and table made a chill run up his spine. They molded into the plush red velvet perfectly, emphasizing the obvious attention to detail of their construction. These residual human heads had been placed there with meticulous care, heedless of the lives they might have lived before hand. He just couldn't stop himself from wondering about the lives of those skulls, before they were burned and flayed and put on display as décor.
The whole thing gave him the creeps and it was made all the more creepier by the artfully constructed floral arrangement sitting at the table's center. Red roses, calla lilies, poppies, and others that Boomer couldn't name sat tastefully within the four skulls that acted as their vase.
The dichotomy between the macabre and modern design elements always seemed out of place to the Blue Ruff, but their 'caretaker' loved it. Boomer was certain that if this room had any windows, there would be drapes to match hanging from every single one.
Shaking off his uncomfortable thoughts like usual, the blond moved away from the empty expanse before him. He winced lightly as he took a seat on the 'couch' and heard several crunches underneath him. The worst part about the 'couch' was that it was actually incredibly comfortable. Whether that was some sort of magic or just nature, Boomer didn't care to ponder the subject.
Instead he focused on his brother, sitting on the opposite end from him. Butch was doing much the same as he always did when he was bored.
Lounging back with his feet resting on the coffee table, the brunet was intently focused on seeing how long he could balance a six inch knife on the tip of his nose. His current record was two minutes, quite a feat for some with as much attention deficit as Butch had.
His other brother, in contrast, as pacing the length of the room with his arms folded behind his back. Boomer hadn't seen Brick this anxious in a long time. It wasn't hard to figure out why.
It took a very long and hard seven years, but they had finally made their move. They had sent their ultimatum and now all that was left to do was wait. It was an agonizing affair after all these years of biding their time and recovering their strength. This last day and a half seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace.
If it took much longer for those damn Puffs to get the message, Brick might start pulling his hair out. That would be a sight to see but it would probably lead to a more substantial show of anger that would somehow spill on to him and Butch.
Boomer really didn't want to experience that.
"Ow! Dammit." Butch muttered as the knife slipped off his nose and poked him near his eye.
Boomer snorted in amusement and then struck an innocent expression as the Green Ruff glared at him. It was a good thing they all had invulnerability to a certain extent, otherwise Butch wouldn't have any eyes left to poke out.
"Ugh, stupid fucking thing." The brunet grumbled as he chucked the cutlery across the room and into the void beyond.
Turning around, Butch hung over the back of the couch and called to their leader. "Hey Brick, when do you think those two Powersluts will finally get the message? It's been like a whole day already. Shouldn't they be causing a ruckus or something by now? I'm getting bored."
"When are you not bored Butch? Have some patience for once. They got the message." Brick answered as he slowed his pacing and looked his brothers. "But if I know my counterpart, she's not just going to charge ahead guns ablaze. She's going to form a plan before she takes any action and calls us out."
"So what? We just wait here for her to get ready and then we attack? That's stupid as shit. Why don't we just go back to Townsville now, finish off the Blue one, kick Butterbitch's ass if she's there and then wait for Pinkie and ambush her. Boom, you're done!" Butch said as he threw his hands up in the air.
That plan made sense to Boomer surprisingly enough. It did seem like giving the Girls time to regroup wasn't the smartest idea. After all, wasn't that the whole reason they had ambushed his counterpart to begin with? To give them the upper hand to take on the more dangerous two of the trio?
…But the thought of flying back to Townsville and finishing off Bubbles…for some reason that made him feel a bit funny inside. He wasn't one to play much by the rules but killing a defenseless opponent just seemed…wrong. Or unfair or something.
"No Butch, the Blue one stays alive and we stay here until the other two are together." Brick replied, breaking Boomer out of his thoughts. "Besides, this is so much more poetic. Us, leaving the Blue Puff for dead? It's just like what those Girls did to us all those years ago. An eye for an eye, now that's justice."
It didn't seem to impress Butch all that much. The brunet huffed irritably and sat back against the couch again, crossing his arms and muttering under his breath. "Sounds dumb to me. Killing would be so much easier. Then we could go have some fun, destroy some buildings, rob some banks, terrorize civilians."
"There'll be plenty of time to do that afterwards Butch." His eldest brother replied, coming around to sit on the chair arranged just so in relation to the couch and coffee table. "This moment has to be perfect though. Just like I planned."
"And when can we actually move on with your plan huh? When can we go to the next step? Or are we just going to wait here until we die of boredom?"
Boomer looked between his two brothers apprehensively. They weren't exactly glaring at each other but there was a definite air of tension filling the room.
"We'll move on when we're sure the other two Puffs are present. Then we'll strike, just like I told you yesterday. Right now, we only know that the Green one has been spotted at the Utonium household. I don't know where Pinkie is, but she'll turn up sooner or later."
"And once she does, then we'll pounce right?" Butch asked to which Brick nodded in response.
"Right."
"So…" The two turned to look at their youngest brother as he raised a hand. "Um, why don't we just jump Buttercup and get rid of her like we did with Bubbles? Then Blossom would be on her own and we'd be guaranteed victory."
"I already answered that Boomer, pay attention." The redheaded Ruff sighed. "Poetic Justice. Where's the fun in taking them all out one at a time? No, we took out the Blue one to send a message. Now we'll be able to get that rematch and beat them like we were supposed to all those years ago."
Brick clenched his hands into fists as he glared at the floral display in front of him. "Besides, I want to see the look on Blossom's face when we kill her sisters right in front of her. That look of agony and despair, that's what I want more than anything."
The tone of his voice sent all the hairs on the back of Boomer's neck standing straight up. There was a malicious quality to it that left him feeling cold inside.
That had been happening a lot lately, or maybe Boomer was just noticing it more? He and his brothers were changing, growing more…evil? Was that even possible? He wasn't sure but something what happening to them. Was it because of their environment? Or perhaps their caretaker's influence?
Speaking of which, an evil laugh filled the air as a plume of smoke stretched forth from the void and coalesced in the center of the room. The smoke contracted and took on solid form, dissolving to reveal the ever flamboyant yet still terrifying figure of their surrogate 'father.'
"Oh Brick, you have such a deliciously evil nature. I knew you would turn out right when I took you three in all those years ago." Him chuckled merrily as he waltzed towards the last unoccupied chair.
Setting himself down, the master of this twisted realm crossed his legs and grinned at the three of them.
Today their esteemed caretaker was dressed in his elegantly tailored red suit with white fur trimmings. His black boots gleamed in the fire light, sharply angled sunglasses hid his soulless eyes, and like always, his giant lobster like claws looked sharp and deadly.
"Having a little trouble occupying yourselves while you await your prey hmm?" Him said with a smile.
"Obviously." Butch grumbled. "Yo pops, can't you just do that smoke thing and poof over to the Girl's house and see if Pinkie's there yet? This wait is taking forever."
Him shook his head with a tisk. "Oh Butch, there is nothing more I'd rather do than speed you along on your quest for vengeance but you forget about my restrictions. I can only open portals to the mortal world, not cross over thanks to those cursed Powerpuff Girls."
The drop of his baritone voice into bass sent a shiver down Boomer's spine. He always hated it when that happened, it made him sound much more like the devil than his appearance implied. The changes that occurred throughout the room didn't nothing to dispel the image either.
The firelight seemed to roar hotter than before, morphing from its 'pleasant' oranges and yellows to a bright, cold blue. The void behind Him swirled chaotically, the torture faces multiplying in a torrent of anguish.
As quickly as the changes occurred, they left. The congenial, smirking lord of the realm of fire was once again his amicable self and the room was much the same as it was before. It was like nothing had changed at all.
And that was probably the scariest part of the whole thing.
"That's why I have you three Boys isn't it my dear?" The wicked grin on his face flashed red in the firelight. "I drew you up from the depths of destruction, nurtured you back to peak condition, and in return you get revenge on those wretched girls for me and yourselves."
Him tapped his claws together underneath the curly point of his goatee. "The time for your justice will soon be at hand. Don't worry my delightfully destructive ward, your time for fun will come very soon indeed. But, like your older brother said, patience is the key."
Butch huffed once more and shot the devil a petulant look. "Well that's lame."
"But it's what we have to do, so suck it up Butch and stop acting like a child." Brick shot back with a glare.
The two of them seemed poised to start an argument but thankfully Him interrupted before anything could begin. He clicked his claws together and quirked one eyebrow up from behind his shades.
"However…there is no reason for one of you not to go over to the other side and observe our current situation. It would be wise to check the Girls abode and see if our last prey has arrived or not. Sufficient time has passed, in all likelihood she should be there now."
Brick gave the suggestion a nod of acceptance and looked between Boomer and Butch. It took all of two seconds for Brick to come to a decision and focus his blood red eyes on the blond.
"Boomer." He barked, causing the Blue Ruff to twitch. "Go check it out and report back here once you're done. No side stops or exploring understand?"
"Understood." The blond stated as he stood up from the couch and walked towards the empty space of the void.
"And be quick about it."
Boomer merely nodded and watched as his caretaker swirled one large claw in a circular motion. From out of the void, a column of smoke surged forth. Whispered scream and the sounds of faint howling caught his ear as the column formed a perfect ring and bursts of red and purple light shimmered from its center.
Swallowing his nerves, the Blue Ruff waited for the light to steady itself into a mirror like plane. Motes of ethereal energy bled from its edge as the images reflected back at him wavered in the firelight. Finally, the flickering pictures slowed and a solemn landscape of white filled his view.
Not even taking a second to breath, Boomer picked his feet off from the ground and flew head first into the portal. His destination:
The mortal world.
A/N: Dun dun dun! Second update for this story and we get another POV. I'm going to primarily keep this a Blossom POV story because she deserves it but I like to see the other sides of it as well. Oh! I need to give credit where credit is due, I'm totally basing my version of Him off of Bleedman's "Grim's Tales From Down Below" comic. He makes Him such a badass and that is totally what I see him like in my head now. Go check it out of you haven't ever seen it, but be warned! There are some adult like themes for all you under age peeps out there.
Also I went back and fixed all the mistakes in the first chapter. I apologize for how many of them they were, seriously embarrasing! I really needed to re-read these things like four times before I find all of them. Unfortunately, with this quick time schedule I'm posting on, it's not always possible to spot all the mistakes. So if you spot any, please tell me in a review. I want to leave you with quality chapters, not a bunch of misspelled words and garbage. So thanks for your patience.
By the way, a little disclaimer here: I know nothing about dimensional portals or the physics behind it. I do have friend that's getting a master's degree in physics but asking him about it would be like asking for a four hour lecture using a bunch of big words that I don't understand. Please bear with my ignorance in the subject. This is all make believe any way right? :D
Anyways, I do this next part in my other story "Misconceptions" and I see no reason not to do it here too. Onward to
REVIEWER RECOGNITION:
ROC95: Thank you, I hope it continues to be great ;)
Lily: Wow, that was a strong reaction. Of course I did injure her pretty badly, which kind of makes me feel bad. It's for the good of the story though! Anyways, your guess was correct, it was the Boys. But also HIM! :D Betcha didn't see that one coming huh? Thanks for the review!
Scourge: Yep yep. It was the Boys, not "The Dicer." I mostly used that dude as a set up element so he won't be appearing in the story. I might do a small fic later down the road that deals with him and how Blossom battles him, but that's far down the road. I like this little universe I've created though. I might plan some more stories with in it. *Shrug* We'll see. And man, I didn't think Bubbles condition would raise so many strong emotions...cool. ;) Thanks for the review Scourge!
Meleexx: I hope you did fan scream lol That would make my day. And you can imagine Butch in your head anyway you want! I leave the dress and appearance up to your imagination ^.^ Thanks for taking the time to review!
Guest: Sweet! Blossom is my hardest POV to write so I'm glad you think I'm doing her justice. And yeah, I think the plot stands out a little from the others just because of how dark it's turning out to be. I'll try to avoid cliches but I make no promises. Here's hoping I keep writing well! Thanks for your kind words and review :D
Dirk-Steadfast: Thanks for the review man! I really appreciated those spelling errors you caught. I went back and re-edited the chapter and OH MY GOODNESS! It was so filled with mistakes. So embarrassing. Hopefully this chapter was better. Thanks for the review and I can't wait to go read chapter 2 of your story. I just have to find some time to read it. v.v Maybe tomorrow...
kidstandout: Your wish is my command. Hope this chapter was just as intense as the last ;)
No-Named-Dude: I feel ya, there will be action in it too. I just really wanted to write a story where the RRB's were actually villains. I don't see too many of those, so I decided to try my hand at it. And yes, I might have a not so secret love affair with injuring Bubbles . . I'm so terrible to my characters!
Misei: Lol, thanks Misei. I'm glad this story meets your approval ;) That's my aim! I'm glad I could add a little happiness to your day. I hope you liked this chapter as well.
Oh and special thanks to all the people that followed and or favorited this story: ROC95, Lily, Scourge, TheWonderfulWorldOfJazz, kidstandout, and Misei. You guys are slamma jamma!...and no, I'm not quite sure what that means lol.
Hope you guys have a great weekend! See you next Saturday :D