(A/N) So many reviews, followers and favorites! That asks for a celebration, and here it is! I was planing on posting it on Saturday, but I will update sooner seeing so much happened! Thank you all for caring so much about my writing and those kind words. It means a lot to me. Enjoy.
Chapter 3. I will huff, puff and ruff
It was late in the day when Blossom received a call from the hospital. She and Brick had been in a heated discussion of the danger and risks they were going to take in the experimenting. It hadn't come as a surprise when he wanted to test it straight away, and she rose up against him, glaring. Either side wanted to be right, and the calm, once relevant argument had turned into insults on a whole new level. Highschool brainless bickering at best.
«You unsophisticated, overused cliché of an excuse!» the redhead had snarled, and the boy growled angry at her.
«Says miss goodiegoodie two shoes, too ignorant and stiff to let anything but a butt plug inside. Hope it's made of wood and gives you spliters.»
«How dare you!» the girl gasped, face flashing a warning crimson. Her hand had grabbed after something to hurl at him, hopefully something less than expensive she could replace. He dared her with a deep look and smirk. At the last second – the girl actually going to do it – her phone rang. It was one of the standard tones, seeing she didn't really have any time to roam around on the device and try out it's functions.
«Yes?» The redhead used her calmest, happiest tone, completely changing from the devilish minx, but it didn't prevent her from sending him dangerous daggers with her pink orbs. She was so going to hurt whatever it was she was holding when hanging up.
«Ms. Blossom Utonium?» a woman said in the other end.
«Speaking.»
«This is Twonsville hospital calling. Your sister came in her earlier today with severe internal and exterior injuries. She's currently in surgery, one that has lasted for five hours, and it seems it is almost over. You are her emergency contact. Do you wish to come over here and visit your sister?» Dry in her mouth, she licked her lips, feeling the words distant. Who? Was it Buttercup? Or Bubbles? Oh, god. What could possibly have happened?
«What, what's do you mean, what's going on? Which one of my sisters?» she croaks like a frog, feeling weak in her knees. Making a quick decision, she sits down on the closest chair, staring at the periodic table hanging on the wall. She knew every atom and number by heart.
«You have more than one? My apologies,» the voice answered from the phone and she can hear her clicking at something in the other end. Maybe a computer. «Let's see,» the woman mutters, shifting around. «It's Buttercup.»
Groaning she closes her eyes shut, placing her forehead in her palm. It was like nothing had ever changed. She was still looking after her sister, and her green sibling still got herself injured. Something must have really happened if she went to the hospital. Buttercup hated everything about it, always complained about how boring it was and how it smelled funny.
«I'll be right there,» she mutters before hanging up, thanking the lady in the other end. Sighing her eyes glances at the clock. «When are we done working for today?» she asks, not wanting to meet those sharp crimson ones.
«Why the rush?» he asked, arching a brow.
«It's not like we've been productive any way. We've just been bickering for the last hour. It's a total waste of time, so I'm leaving.» She opened her lab coat and hung it back in place on the wall, extracting her thins together. With their moving here and there for the different processes, she had left some of her stuff all over the place.
«I'm your superior, and I own you. If I say we're not done, we're not done.» His words felt like venom and she sent him a furious glare over her shoulder. If her laser eyes were working, he would have a pretty hole in his head, or two to be exact.
«My sister is in the hospital,» Blossom stormed up to him, flames in her eyes. No matter how long they stayed apart, or what happened, nothing could change the fact, and the redhead would always be there for them. No matter the cost. «I don't care what it states in the contract. I need to get to the hospital and check on her. I will do anything.» Over the years of seeing each other at school, Blossom had learned to read Bricks micro expressions. There weren't many, but the few he owned, she had learned to understand and catch on to. The muscles in his right raw tightened, and she knew he was swallowing. He turned away from her.
«You have an hour.» The man didn't have to ask her twice as she stormed to the door, everything in hand, keys ready to unlock the car when she got so far.
«Thank you,» the redhead turned and looked at his back, before exiting. She could faintly remember the way out, and saw no one on the way. It was quiet all around her, and Johanna wasn't in at the counter when she recognized it. She must have gone home for the day. Stupid Brick, making up impossible working hours. This is what stupidity gave her, she groaned, cursing her own sloppiness.
It wasn't as she didn't know why it had ended up like this, but more the frustrating reason for why she had been so careless the day she had signed that damn contract. It had been the anniversary of the cursed incident. Six years ago, and the pain had been just as unbearable as then. Brick knew, and that son of a bitch did it on purpose, knowing she would have her guard down at that moment.
Wondering what could have caused such harm to her sister, she exited the building with wrinkled eyebrows. It was a real pain, the girl thought while groaning for the umpteenth time that day. Brick had been really difficult, and it seemed like they were working against each other, draining her off the good sleep she had managed to gain close to her sisters. If she was positive and said yes, he would draw back and tell her that wouldn't do, and they had to go about it the other way. It quickly grew old, and once she did not agreed to him and suggesting her own methode, he had told her that wasn't good enough and she had to come up with something better and contribute more. Her having enough of his laborious personality was one of the reasons things almost turned ugly.
It was good being out of that place, she noticed as she started the engine of Bubbles blue car and slowly reversed out of the parking spot and zipped away. The hospital was on the other side of the town, so she couldn't stay for long before the time limit given to her was out. She had until 6:30 to return. Wasting no time, she took the quickest paths she knew and for a split second, she saw a baby blue jacked flicker. Glancing in the rare mirror, she wasn't sure if it was her sister, but it could be. Her hair was blond, but not in the signature pigtails, instead a headband holding it down. If she could guess right, and that was her sister, she was headed toward the Townsville park. A soft smile fell on her lips. Good. Bubbles needed to get out and not mourn away. It was dangerous, and mentally damaging.
Reaching the white building of her target, she parked close to the entrance, locking the car after her. Clicking her heels up to the woman behind the computer, she smiled careful.
«I'm here to see my sister.»
«Name?» the brown, short haired woman asked, staring at her over her glasses. She had a double chin and a mouth that went downwards. This woman had probably seen some difficult things in her life.
«Buttercup Utonium.»
«Blossom, right?» someone behind her spoke up, and she turned and stared at a young, Asian woman. Her black hair was gathered in a ponytail and she had a bright smile. The nurse caught on to her confused look, and laughed a warm laughter. «I got this, Tiana,» the Asian nodded and gestured for the redhead to follow.
«I talked to you on the phone. Buttercup just came out of surgery. Everything went perfect, and the doctor expect her to be completely healthy again in two months.» Blossom nodded and cleared her throat.
«What happened to her?» she asked, knowing this woman would tell her more than the green puff herself. Whenever Buttercup came home with bruises and wounds, she never revealed what had caused it. At first, it had bothered her a great deal, but they always quickly healed up, and it seemed to clam her sister down. She didn't explode as often as before, or was remotely as angry.
«I have no idea. A man carried her inside here, and she accused him of being the cause.» She lowered her voice. «Seeing it was him, it's quite possible, then again, he paid for her bills.»
«What?» Blossom rose an eyebrow. Who the hell would do such a thing? «Who?»
«I can't tell you,» the girl glanced nervously around. «Mr. Jojo wouldn't be happy if I did.»
«Mojo Jojo did this?» Blossom frowned and the girl shushed, telling her to keep it down. They reached the door. It said 305. the corridor was quiet. A nurse was rolling fresh towels, change of sheets and other aids on a cart, pausing here and there to assist the ones with what they needed, and change the old and used rags into clean ones.
«It wasn't Mojo, but his son. I can't tell you more.» And she didn't have to. The red haired girl knew exactly who was capable of hurting her sister like that. He paid for her bills? She didn't like it. He and his brothers were up to something, and she was going to find out what it was before something severe happened.
«I understand. Thank you for your help.» The woman gave her a forced, sad smile before nodding her head and went back to work. Taking a deep breathe, she grabbed the handle and opened the door. It moved out of her reach and Blossom stared into two green eyes.
«And don't fucking ever come back!» she heard her sister scream from the inside, and the corner of Butchs lips turned upwards as he locked eyes with the newly arrived sister.
«Pinky,» he greeted, going past her. Holding her tongue, she watched him leave before walking into the room, head filled with questions.
«I told you to not come back,» her sister growled and a smile fell on her face as she closed the door and went up to her bed. «Blossom. Uh, sorry. It was meant for the shithead or any of the doctors. They have been peaking in now and then, bringing different stuff.»
Nodding her head, she stared at the empty plastic cups and papers from the different junk food stores around town. It pained her heart to see her sister like that, plastered hands in a stiffness across her body. She had a bandage around her torso, but generally looked alright. Usually when she and Butch headbutted, her face would be badly swollen, too.
«Want to tell me what happened?» The green girls smile faltered as she glanced around. Something was off, and the redhead didn't like it. Predictable and constant was something she held dear, and change of nature could only come from trauma. «Buttercup?» she asked, placing a hand on top her thigh. Not wanting to make anything worse, she waited.
«I think I lost my powers,» the green girl finally says, eyes blinking. She looked so tired. When was the last time her sibling had slept? «Him came to me before Butch did. He told me about it, and that I can seriously die. Being Him, I didn't believe it. The devil has been running with lies our whole life, and can't be trusted.» The redhead nodded. They all agreed on it. «So, when that son of a bitch-»
«Language, Buttercup,» Blossom commented, but like always, her sister didn't take notice of it.
«- showed up, I decided it was alright to test out if it was true.»
«You fought?» bobbing her head, the girl stared at her arms with a sad expression.
«I couldn't beat him, Blossom. He blocked my kick as if it wasn't there, then he punched me straight in the chest, sending me flying. I tried to guard it, but as you can see, it wasn't much of a success.» She laughed nervously. As little, the green puff had hated contact from others, and they had a rocky relationship. They still had, but the pink puff could tell straight away that this was Buttercups way of saying she was uncertain of what was happening, and it was scaring her. The powers had meant much to her. More than to the pinkette and blonde.
«It's going to be all right. I'll figure out what is happening and fix it.» Blossom went in for a hug, and kissed the top of her head. The brunette sighed before shuffling, indicating that was enough. Respecting the boundaries, she pulled away and ruffled her head. Feeling like a girl didn't make amend with the green puff, so Blossom had learned what she could stand for. Punching her arm, ruffling her hair and nudging her were things she could tolerate.
They sat there, staring at the window as the sun set. Not many words were needed between them, because sometimes the best cause of action was just being there, keeping each other with company. The green puff was blinking slower and slower, until her eyes shut close. A soft smile came to the girls face as she watched the peaceful look upon her siblings face.
«Honey, I'm home,» Butch barged through the door. Quick and strong like a hurricane, the redhead stood and pushed him back, out of the room. She wasn't sure if he tried to resist, but the girl managed to drag him along, shutting the door behind them before her sister woke.
«What's the deal?» the ruff snorted, sending her a displeased look.
«Listen here,» she growled him straight in the face. The man straightened up, feeling her wrath incoming. It reminded him of Brick, and automatically backed off, finding a loss of words. «My sister is hurt because of the stunt you pulled,» he tried to protest and come in with words, but she covered his lips, hushing at him. Those pink eyes wore a dangerous flame.
«You're not going to bother her for the rest of her recover, or I will call the police on you. I don't care who your father is, because he can't buy the court and save your sorry ass from physical abuse. The evidence is in that room. Back the hell away from my sister. Am I making myself clear?»
«Yes, ma'am,» the man muttered, trying to get out of her grip without touching her. She released him in a quick motion. Butch held a plastic bag in his hand and she eyed it, trying to find out what was inside it. It wasn't just one object, she figured out, due to the odd form it had. They stood there a couple of seconds in awkward silence before the girl opened her mouth.
«You paid for her hospital bills.» It wasn't a question, but her voice said she demanded an answer to it. The ruff exhaled heavily before scratching the back of his neck.
«It's kind of my fault she's in there. I don't owe it to her, it just happened in the moment when the nurse and doctors asked.» He shrugged his shoulders, not sure where he was going with it himself. Folding her hands, she looked him straight in the eyes.
«Thank you.»
«Eh, don't think about it, pinkie.» It caught her slightly off guard how the nickname still stuck, several years after last used. Brick had been the last to call her that, making another threat on ruining her mood the next day at school. What he didn't know, was that she had transferred and moved to another school, the painful memories of Twonsville too much for her. «By the way, Brick called. He wants you back at work.» Eyes widen, she fished her phone out of her pocket and stared at it. 7.15. He was going to skin her alive.
«I have to go,» she turned and hasty walked away, turning one time to wave but changed her mind as she saw the green ruff approaching the door. «And stay the hell away from Buttercup!»
«Yes, ma'am,» he laughed and she wished she had time to stay behind to prevent him from doing anything. He was Buttercups counterpart, and sure to ignore her warning. If the greens wanted anything, they did it. It was a major pain.
Passing the Asian woman, she gave her a wave of good bye, and he nurse smiled, helping an old man walk somewhere. Once exiting the building, she found the car and started it up. Boy, he was going to be so angry. Pushing the limits as far she dared, she was at the company twenty-five minutes later. By now, it was almost dark outside and she hurried along. There wasn't a living soul on the inside, and she felt pissed. Brick was holding her there just in spite. Knowing the boy, he had just called her over then left for home himself, to laugh her up in the face the day after. However, she couldn't dare being in debt to the Jojo's, so not coming wasn't really an option.
A little unsure of where to go, Blossom thought she knew the way. Rounding the corner, she gazed upon a four way hall. Now, that wasn't right, she figured and had to go back, and take another turn. It took her a couple of frustrating minutes before she found the right door, and inserted the code. Having a sticky brain for numbers and facts, she didn't need to keep a note with the digits.
It beeped red. That was odd, she wrinkled her eyebrows before staring up and down. This was the right place, she concluded as the sign on the door said ''Chemist lab, level 7.''
Pulling at the door didn't help her much. Trying the code again, she found it futile. It wouldn't budge. He had changed it, and probably gone home. Growling over his childishness – first giving her wrong directions and now calling her to work while changing the code – the redhead kicked the door annoyed and turned to leave. She got a couple of feet down the hall when a click caught her attention and she turned.
The door was open, and slowly closing itself. Blossom turned back, and barely caught the door before it closed. Swinging it open, she found the place in dim light. A couple barely glowing bulbs lit the room, and Brick was sitting on his chair, staring angry at her. That look was familiar to her, and she swallowed, staring away. Sighing, she went inside and changed to her lab coat.
«A couple of things came up, making me a little late.»
«You're almost an hour and half too late,» he commented, and she felt chills down her spine. Brick hated it when people didn't keep to the schedule. Much like herself.
«I know. I'm sorry.» The girl took place beside him, but keeping her distance. He worked without lifting his gaze, and it was how she wanted it. For the next hour, they didn't talk much as she handed him different objects, knowing exactly what he wanted, and assisting him in different actions. They didn't make small talk, seeing it unnecessary, pointless and a waste of time. Somehow, Blossom found it almost nice. They didn't bicker, pick at each other or tried to sabotage the work just in spite. As it was, they were just working, trying to get done.
«Alright,» Brick finally said. «I have to go fetch a couple of things, you wait here.»
«What things?» she asked, staring down at the liquid. It had a blueish color shining through the black. The redhead groaned as he unbuttoned his coat and hung it on the wall.
«You'll see. Just wait here. If anything happens while I'm away, write it down.»
«Fair enough,» she waved her hand at him as he exited, eyes on the mesmerizing chemicals. He hadn't told her what the purpose of it was, and she wasn't sure herself. It wasn't like anything she had seen before. The clock on the wall was ticking, and she leaned on her elbow. Whatever Brick thought the thing was going to do, she doubted it would ever move. Taking the bottle in her hands, she moved it slightly around. It did remind her of something like oil or liquid grease. It moved slowly around, and she placed it back on the table, eyes going to the clock. It was almost half to ten. Hopefully Buttercup was sleeping until tomorrow in peace, and Bubbles had gotten safely home. Folding her hands, she patiently waited. Five minutes passed. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. Her cheek hit the arms on the table and she sighed. Did he leave without telling her? Sounded like something he would do.
«Dummy,» she muttered to herself as her eyes fell shut. He'll be back here in five minutes, she told herself, knowing that wasn't true.
Brick stretched out on his queen size bed, pleased with himself as the morning light hit the end of the blanket. It was silky crimson and the man turned toward his night stand. On it was a black clock, 6.15 displaying in digital numbers. The soft snoring at his left side came from a girl with curly, carrot hair. Her makeup was smudged out on her face and the sheets, making him smirk to himself. He still had it.
Climbing out of bed, knowing she would take her sweet time before ever considering waking up, he shuffled off to the bathroom in the bare suit of Adam. Turning the head up, he stepped into the shower, letting the chilling water sooth his body. It wasn't cold to his touch, and steamed as it came in contact. Brick, as many times before, wondered what it felt like to be cold. He couldn't ever remembering being it, even when facing Blossom and her icy breath.
At her late appearance after going to the hospital, he had been too annoyed to keep working properly. When leaving, he had felt a tiny bit of anger at her for making him wait and defy his trust like that, so he had told her he would be back. He wasn't sure if she believed it, but being whom she was, the girl had told she would wait. Blossom wasn't stupid, and would surely head home after fifteen minutes. If anyone actually knew him on a personal level, it was his counterpart.
He wondered if it was a good idea to leave her there with the newly made chemical. Don't get him wrong, Brick didn't care what happened to her, and was in fact curious on what the substance would do and the consequences of it. Surely, something evil and bad, he snickered to himself. A sigh left his lips as his normally flaming body toned town a few notches, enough for him to exit the shower and feel the air on his skin. The man didn't get any goosebumps, because it wasn't cold. Finding new clothes in the closet, the maid always leaving new and fresh there after cleaning the bathroom, he dressed up in his boxer and pants, heading back into the room.
The girl was still fast asleep, twisted into his sheet, arms and feet everywhere. Quickly exiting the room to not wake her – not that it mattered, he could bang around with pans and the girl would yet be as still as the grave – he strolled down the hall of the huge mansion. Being well known in the house, he quickly found the kitchen. Like the mistress in his bed, Butch would also take his sweet time in the morning if he didn't have to get up to something their father wanted. As of currently, he did own something like a 'company', and being the boss gave him the liberty of choosing working hours himself. What Boomer concerned, Brick had no idea what his little brother was up to. Hadn't known for years. The blue boy kept to his mysterious self.
Grabbing a green apple off a plate, he flicked the refrigerator open and took a quick peak inside, staring at the delicious food. Cold dinner, luxurious meat, cheese, greens, rare vegetables and a flush of different colors. So many different drinks. The redhead was used to it, pulling out a plate of cheese and grabbed some bread of the counter. Munching at one, then the other, he tasted the plain and acidity in his mouth. Sure, he loved great food that melted on his tongue and had him drooling until no end; but he didn't have the time at that moment. Leaving half of it on the counter for the maids to clean up, he walks into his clothing room.
It was a whole room, just for his wearing. Shoes, pants, boxers, socks, coats, hats, you name it. Yet another day of work. Brick grabbed a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. His hand hovered over several places before he grabbed a squared, red shirt. Pulling it over his shoulders and staring into his mirror, the man felt his thoughts wander to the redhead at work. She had also worn a shirt like that, just in pink. Being his counterpart, he figured she had good taste, just like him.
Waving it off, he exited the room, walking back the hallway. Mojo Jojo was strolling toward him, quickly catching his attention with a swing of his hand. Holding a sigh, the redhead follows the dark man into his office.
«How is the project going, my son?» he asks, taking a seat at the huge table. The walls were a dark brown in tree, furniture in beautiful patterns, books in shelves and everything was in order. His son took the seat across from him.
«Which one?» the redhead asks, studying his perfectly manicured nails, tilting his head a little.
«You could tell me about both of them. I know you have a productive mind and gladly take on five and six different challenges at the same time, so let's stick to the two latest.»
«The none-intoxicating chemical for our oil is going rather well. My new assistant is being quite helpful and manages to keep up with my pace. It's not perfected, but absolutely getting closer.» The man bobbed his head, shuffling some of his things around before folding his hands in his lap. It was his business stance.
«Excellent. So Ms. Utonium is doing her share of the work, like we are paying her to?» Something about his voice told Brick to watch his tongue, thought he already was very good at it.
«Yes. I didn't think you brought up these interviews before a month of working had passed.» It had never come to that, anyway. Brick was quick to dispose of people whom brought him down or couldn't keep up. There was one who had managed to somehow stay on track for almost two weeks, but Brick had made things too complex and the let down when he couldn't follow any more, had him fired. His father hadn't even batted an eye. Now, he was actually showing some interest. Brick didn't know if he liked it.
«I don't, but seeing she is a former powerpuff, I cannot feel too comfortable with keeping an extra eye out for her. We didn't exactly give her a choice when it came to working at the company, but that doesn't make me less, off guard.» Tasting the words, he whirled a pen in his hand. «Besides,» his purple orbs fell on his son, brows low in his face. «Security photos shows her leaving the building for almost two hours, then returning. Working for me, that is not acceptable without a doctors consent.»
«She doesn't need one. I sent her on that trip.» A brow rose high and Brick held his sharp gaze, not feeling anything close to a flinch. «There was something I needed, and I asked her to fetch it for me. You know she's my assistant, so I can ask her to do whatever I want without having to ask you first. Isn't that why you allowed me to have one in the first place? To speed up things?»
A hand stroke his dark hair before the fingers landed at the beard. The man fumed to himself, sounding displeased with the quick and smart answer.
«That is true. Just keep a close eye on the pink puff. She isn't called the clever one for nothing.» The young man nodded his head, turning back and forth in his chair. It was the same as always; the monkey didn't seem to understand that his children wasn't five any more and quite capable of seeing the whole picture. His foot started shaking up and down, and he placed a hand on it to stop. Being one of the rowdyruffs had it's downs. The permanent unease in the body was one of them. As far as he figured, it was part of owning the potential for destruction. Butch was horrible at keeping it in check, and it some times shone through for Brick. The subject of his counterpart made him just that; tense and restless.
«Now for the other subject that intrigues my attention more.»
«Project X,» his son said, forcing back a smirk. He himself was quite interested in how it hard turned out.
«Well?» Mojo rose an eyebrow, leaning forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the desk.
«I'm not sure yet,» he admitted, waiting for his fathers reaction. The thing about Mojo was that he never reacted the way you expected him to. Brick remembered several episodes from his childhood where he had tried to please his father, and it had ended up with the monkey going through to roof with anger. At other times, he hadn't done a single thing and the monkey would praise him.
«You've been working for months on this. Any progress at all in this amount of time?» And there it was. The clench of the jaw, showing how much disgust he was holding back. Mojo wasn't pleased at all. Micro expressions, which Brick had learned to copy and read. The redhead had been like an open book in his younger days, and he figured that was why the puffs had won their fights. Training himself to keep a blank expression like his father, he had somehow become more and more of a stone, and it had helped. Back in high school, when he and Blossom was competing about everything, she had started to struggle with his new self. It had pleased him to see her puzzled face and uncertain actions.
«I made one mix last night that seems promising. As you know, it has to stand for some time, so I'll check in on it when I get to work.»
«How promising?»
«It was glowing blue.» The older man smirked, obviously pleased with the visible results.
«Good. That is indeed progress. Get to work, and send me a file on it before the end of the day. That is all, you may leave.» A hand waved at him, and the redhead stood up, gladly taking the command. «By the way,» the voice echoed between the lonely walls as his hand found the door handle.
«Tell Boomer I need to speak with him. He is in his room.» Nodding his head, the man exited into the hallway. Their rooms were on the second floor, every social room on the first, and the hobby rooms on the third. A couple of years back, the blue kid had moved to his one the third floor, locking himself away with whatever he had there. Brick had tried to talk to him several times, but the man isolated himself. As time passed, it would go longer and longer for each visit; at least he tried. Butch had completely given up on it a long time ago, and they only saw each other at house parties or mandatory arrangements.
It stung something deep inside him, how the boys once so close had come to grow so far away from each other. He wasn't really sure when it had set full in, but the incident years back was probably a huge part of it. It hadn't directly touched their lives in the way others, but it stuck with them.
He went up the stairs, his feet touching the soft, red carpets along the way. Glancing at the clock on his watch, he noticed the abnormal good time he had. Only half an hour had passed since he had jumped into the shower. The doors were marked green, blue and red. There were only three, the rooms themselves being split up in different sections. It was for the ruff's use only, and no one was allowed there, not even the maids.
Knocking on the door, he heard shuffles on the other side. Boomer seemed to always be awake, no matter what time he came to him. Didn't the boy sleep? The red ruff knew from experience he could go a long time without shutting his eyes, but after a week, it made him irritated and every small amount of discomfort seemed to thick him off.
«Boom?» he called out. «Mojo wants to speak with you.» Everything was silent as he talked, and waiting for about a minute, he wondered if the boy had been sleeping and that was what had caused the noise. He knocked again, waiting. No reply came, and he opened the door. It barely moved two inches before being stopped by his younger brother. He was pale, orbs hazy and huge circles under his eyes. The withered, blond hair looked dirty and a huge sigh left his lips.
«I heard you the first time.» The voice was harsh and low, testing. When had he last left the room, Brick wondered. His brother really looked like a mess, and whatever distance they had put between them, it still stung to see his own flesh and blood like this.
«He didn't tell me what it was.»
«Don't worry about it, Brick, I already know what he wants,» his blond sibling said, stepping out of the room. It was too dark for him to see anything, and the door closed before he could use his night vision to find out. Whatever was going on, was Boomers business. His blue eyed brother seemed to be in a hurry, as he almost ran down the stairs and entered their fathers office.
Brick wouldn't have minded any of this, if it hadn't been for the small sentence catching his attention.
«What the hell is he doing here?» It was the outburst of his brother. The oldest had heard his younger siblings angry before. He had seen Butch beyond rage and infuriated with blood lust, Boomer gone complete psycho in battle, and he himself had blackened with pure anger, seated deep within all of their core. This was something like that. Flustering up faster than ever possible, the sentence and his voice so terrifying, it sent shivers down his arms. No matter how lost his brothers had been in their trance, it had never faltered Brick in his stance, made him widen his eyes nor turned his head in astonishment. This wasn't like anything he had heard before, and it made him wonder what – or rather who – could cause such a reaction from his normally calm brother.
Hovering over the ground, he zipped soundlessly to the door, listening in on the conversation.
«It doesn't matter. Our guest is leaving anyway, seeing our business is done.» It was the sharp voice of Mojo speaking.
«Yes, that is indeed true. Mojo, you know what to do. Good day to you, dearie.» Brick recognized the high, overjoyed voice right away. Chills went down his spine and he clenched his jaw. Why the hell was Him in their house? And what business did he have with Mojo? What were they plotting? And why was his brother this furious? Sure, he didn't like Him either, but he didn't hate him at such a deep level as his brother displayed. Brick could not stand not knowing.
«Take a seat, my son,» Mojo said. A couple of seconds went by, and he heard shuffles of feet across the floor, leaving the door before carefully sit down in the chair the redhead had been sitting in the very same morning.
«I have a task for you. One which cannot be failed this time. If you can't see it though, I have to do take to more drastic measures, which you will not like the outcome of.» A heavy silence fell on the room. Boomer had that effect around him, always making a room feel ill and taut. His signature sigh was in place before he took up the conversation again.
«And what will you have me do this time?»
«Something even you won't be able to ruin. You are going to ask her.» Hesitant, the blue man shuffled in his seat, uneasy.
«What makes you think she will listen to me? Let alone be around me?» Narrowing his eyes, Brick tried to wrap his mind around what they were talking about. Boomer had clearly been asked to do something before, and it had failed. Now, their father had found something that was fail proof. He didn't like the sound of that.
«Because of these.» Mojo had handed his sibling something, and silence once again fell for too long, before his brother cleared his throat.
«I understand.» As the man stood up to take his leave, Brick hurried back to the hall and let himself down, grabbing his jacket and leaving for work, mind working on what he had just heard. His father had assigned Boomer to something that needed to be done. It had to be something special, else he would ask Butch or himself; seeing they left the house more often and had the capability of accomplishing anything, but this task. Brick didn't appreciate secrets, and whatever his father was holding back; was big.
His car was ready, and he clicked the car keys to open the red, sports car. It was a true beauty, with leather seats and the best stereos money could buy. Backing up, he sped out from the huge mansion, and headed for work, his occupied brain working on the puzzle at hand. No matter what he figured out, it just didn't seem to fit with ever part of the conversation. Biting the insides of his cheeks, he gripped hard at the steering wheel, breaking a few speed limits. Nothing severe money couldn't fix, of course.
Brick had a VIP parking spot close to the entrance with his name on it, which gave him less wasted time on walking if parked further away. Johanna waved at him with her fake, pearly white teeth he could smell the bleach leaking out, and he ignored her. He knew what they all were saying about him behind his back, but the man didn't give it any mind. What they thought, had no severe meaning for him.
It wasn't a long way, and before long, he was at the lab door, inputting the code. He would change it again in two days time. Glancing down at his phone while entering the room, he found it a tad too early to be there, but he didn't really care much. At what hour he went to and came from, wasn't that much of a deal as long as he did get it done in time.
He grabbed a white coat from the hangers and quickly dressed it on, fetching a set of plastic glasses. Brick had never spilled something without purpose in his entire life, but Mojo forced him to dress for the job.
Turning toward his working tables, he became rather perplexed with scenario. Blossom was sleeping on the desk beside the empty, Erlenmeyer glass flask. At the sight of the black content, he quickly stepped up to it, horrid with himself. Had he really left it open? Had his frustration with this girl been that blinding, he had left it unlocked? Wanting to blame the girl, he turned his flaming gaze on her, seeing something black at the corner of her nose and eyes. He quickly picked up a cotton swap and caught some of it before it pulled itself into her. The liquid started moving around in the white fluffy material, and he threw it inside the bottle, locking it in place. No sound could be heard, or any odor smelled as the liquid ate the soft materials, doubling it's size. It only took it a few seconds, and then it fell flat down, as if never moved.
He quickly looked at the girl before looking back at the evil things. A smirk tugged at his lips.
«Oh, well. This just speeds up the process.»
At the sound of his voice, the girl opened her eyes and her pink orbs met his. She smiled slowly, before regaining herself and turning her face into one of blank. Now why would she smile at the sight of him? Brick wondered, arching an eyebrow at her. The girl sat up and stretched her arms. Somehow, he felt disappointed for the slow reaction. Was she just going to act as if the liquid wasn't even in her system? Then, a very unsettling thought hit him. What if she could withstand it, and prevent from ending up like the cotton swap. Bloody hell, the man thought to himself. He was back to square one, and Mojo was going to be furious when he figured it out.
«I didn't think you would be back,» the girl muttered, closing her eyes as her body woke with long stretches and popping sounds.
«Of course I came back. This is my working place, and it seems you haven't left here yet.» He pointed at the clock, and the red haired girl turned to look at it, a sheer look of horror hitting her.
«I've been her all night,» her breathless voice whispered and he nodded his head. He moved before her and picked up her jacket, quickly inserting a small bottle into one of the pockets, just in case. «I- I- I have to go home, to see to Bubbles and call Buttercup at the hospital.» Well, now he knew which one of the sisters had gotten hurt.
«No worries. I figured something like this would happen, so I've filed an authorized off day for you.» That was of course a lie, and he had to make a note to himself to remember to do it, so his father wouldn't flip the tables.
«You'd do that for me?» she said, dressing out of her lab coat. He looked at her clothing. They had to be really dirty by now after the long use.
«Pinky, you hurt my feelings. I do take care of my employees, you know.» She gave him a very knowing look, and he flashed her what he hoped was a sincere smile. He didn't care at all, but it wasn't like he needed to say it for the both of them to know it. Handing her the jacket, the puzzle fell together in his head. When Blossom went home, he didn't even care to answer her good bye.
Why, of course. The answer had been there all along in front of his face, and he just hadn't seen it. Brick knew what Boomer was sent to do, and who the 'she' they had talked about was. Now it made so much sense why his blue brother was picked out for the mission, and not himself.
«You're one fucked up man, Mojo,» he muttered to himself, moving the black liquid inside the bottle a couple of rounds around. At his counterparts place, was a small note and a pencil. It was completely blank.
Bubbles felt horrible. Over the last past week, she had grotesque nightmares of the incident with Ace, mixed with her trauma from old times, spiced together with her fictive imagination. The outcome was horrible, and the blond showered several times a day to get ride of the sweat. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't seem to sleep. Her body was restless, but she didn't dare leave the apartment in fear of meeting the green gang, or any other person in general.
After the first night alone, Blossom had made sure to call from time to time if Brick made her work late. Buttercup was in the hospital due to fighting with Butch; it sounded like he was visiting her often, because she was rather annoyed and kept yelling at someone to leave her alone. Neither could help any of it, and Bubbles couldn't bring herself to tell them what had happened. Her sisters would surely rush to her side, and given their condition, neither had the luxury to do so.
Blossom had apparently used up Bricks generosity, because he made her work around the clock, like Buttercup once had. She managed to get home and eat, maybe get a couple of hours of sleep before rushing off again. It was specially hard on her the first couple of days where she almost muttered to herself on what she needed to remember and do. Her redheaded sibling was known for working herself to death, so she couldn't tell her. She had enough to think about.
It would be easy to tell her green sister, if it wasn't for the fractured ribs and broken arms. Buttercup had a mad temper, and could encounter anything if it was to protect people dare to her, and Bubbles knew she could always count on her. It wasn't that she didn't need her sisters, but the blue puff couldn't find the courage to ask for help. Being a bother to anyone else was out of the question, and that left her with the problem at hand; nightmares, paranoia, anxiety, fear and darkness was filling her whole being as each hour of terror passed. It was after the one week something odd started happening, and it scared her even more.
Letting light inside wasn't an option any more, so she had covered up everything with whatever she could find of blankets, sheets and light clothing. The TV was turned off, and she stared at the food Blossom had brought that very day. Apples, oranges, cookies, dried meat, drinks and several other types of food. They were suppose to be stored in the kitchen, but she had moved everything out to the living room. The girl hadn't touched anything green, including the pears and cans of Mountain Dew, and was now studying everything. Her stomach was beyond growling, and turned to a furious never ending howling. It pained her very being, and today, she had figured, was the day to try again. Something was going down, one way or the other.
Hovering her hand over the different objects, she decided on the apple. Maybe the fresh taste of fruit would be able to satisfy the nausea. With trembling lips, she brought it up to her face, taking a small bite. So far so good, she thought and bit down on it, letting it roll around with her tongue for a while, before swallowing. The reaction was immediate, and she ran straight for the toilet, emptying her hollow stomach. It hurt as she dry heaved for a couple of times, spitting the rest of the stomach acid into the water and washed up at the sink.
Staring up at herself, Bubbles glared into her sky blue eyes. Once, there had been reflection of sunshine in those beautiful orbs, now all they told the world was pain, sorrow and anger. She was angry at herself for killing that boy, for letting herself be drugged down like that and taken advantage of. She was angry at herself for not heading her green sisters warning about the neighbors, costing all of her savings. It pained her how she was left with these horrible feelings and remorse, not just for what she had done wrong, but everything she hadn't done to stop it. They might still be out there, and do the same thing to another, more helpless girl. If it wasn't for her powers, she wouldn't have been able to get away. Bubbles was angry at herself for not killing every single one of them.
«No,» the girl slapped a hand over her cheek, turning away from the ghastly mirror and those judging eyes. She couldn't kill anyone. It wasn't how a powerpuff was suppose to use her powers. A tiny, dark voice snickered in her mind. Then what are the powers for, if not for defending yourself?
They aren't for killing, she told herself for the countless time, glancing back into the mirror. All that was left was a scared, little girl. Again, her eyes filled with tears and leaked over, making the horrible headache return. How many pills had she taken that day? Five, six? Bubbles didn't know. It was hard to keep track, as she took one every time the pain made it hard to see.
Stumbling out of the bathroom, she wished for something stronger. Something that could really remove the pain. It hurt. It really hurt.
Determent to keep trying, she sat down in front of the rest, picking up the apple from the floor. It was dusty and dirty, making her set it at one of the ends, not feeling like getting up and throwing it into the trash just yet. The apple had probably been too sweat, she figured, and grabbed the orange. Removing the peel, her fingers turned orange. Her nails were bit down to the ends, some of them wounded from the fight with her mouth, clearly lost. Taking one of the boats, she swallowed skeptically before putting it onto her mouth, chewing on the sour fruit. The liquid filled her cheeks, and she soon had to swallow. Preparing for the worst, she was already on her feet when it came in return, head bowing over the toilet.
«Shii-» she sobbed, grabbing the water bottle to her left. They were all over the house, prepared to drown her hungry stomach for a couple of hours as it tossed and turned the water. It didn't taste anything special, so she had no problem keeping it down. Anything else felt wrong, grows.
Sighing, she grabbed a bucket, filling the bottom with a little water. It was in the middle of the day, and Blossom wouldn't be home for another seven hours, at least. The orange was on the floor, and she picked it carefully up and placed it on the table, together with the red apple. Maybe they had too much taste, she thought and broke off a piece of cheese, holding it up in front of her face. She wasn't big on it, so she doubted it would work at all. Desperate times required desperate measures, she told herself, toasted with the piece before throwing it down the gape. It didn't have much of a taste, and she swallowed, bending into the bucket. It took a few calm seconds, before her stomach protested.
At this point, she wanted to give it all up and starve to death. Maybe there were tasteless drinks out there which she could get down. This wasn't her first try, but she felt it was something like her last. There had been so many things she had requested Blossom to buy, and she hadn't managed to get down one single thing. She felt like she was betraying her sister, and her money. Bubbles used to love avocado. The blond girl could watch TV and eat it with a spoon. Now, her stomach denied her that pleasure, and thus she had tried other things. Fish, meat, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruits and chicken. The girl had tried eggs, cheese, ham and jam. Nothing seemed to work.
Crying, she lay down on the carpet, grabbing the bottle to her chest. Everything hurt, and she couldn't do a single thing about it. Her sisters couldn't help her, and she couldn't help herself. Bubbles felt like shit.
A knock could be heard at the door. Jumping straight in the air, she grabbed around herself and stared wide eyed at it. She could see two feet shining from the small crack under the door. Who could it be? Was it Ace? Had he come back for her? Bubbles pushed herself up agains the wall, hovering a meter up in the air. The knock came again.
«Is there anyone in there?» a small voice said, and the blond let out a beath she didn't know she had hold. It was a little girl. She barely caught herself in the air before opening the door, and landed soft on the carpet before answering.
«Yes?» she said, her voice sore from the stomach acid, the light in the hallway burning in her eyes. Her hair was fluffy. The girl, blond pigtails and a school uniform swallowed and took a small step backwards. Bubbles assumed she looked the same way she felt.
«I'm sorry. It's been a rough week with so much to do.» Flashing her an uncertain smile, she straightened up and combed her hair with her fingers, trying to straighten it out. It seemed to calm down the little girl.
«Do you need a doctor?» the girl said, tilting her head to one side. Yes, Bubbles thought. I need a shrink to comfort me about the murder I have done, to learn me to control my powers and reassure it will never happen again. She couldn't tell this to the little girl, no matter how much she longed for help, and quickly shook her head.
«No, honey. That's all right. Was there something you wondered about?» she said, covering the opening in the door as the girl tried to peak inside. She knew it smelled of rotten and heavily intoxicating, and had to prevent it from being exposed. Maybe she would call the cops, and who knew what hell would be brought out.
«My school is going to hold a theater performance, and I'm handing out flayers,» the girl said while giving her a piece of paper. It was bright with shining letters. «There's an entrance fee, and we're hoping as many as possible will come. The money goes into a school trip.» Bubbles nodded her head, staring at the squiggly letters. Twonsville middle school, it said at the top. The 7th is going to hold a performance about Romeo and Juliet. A bazaar will be hold together with several game stalls. Bubbles stared at the date; it was a week from now.
«I hope you will come, miss. You look like you could need a break,» the girl smiled as she moved along to the next. Closing the door, the blond stared at the paper between her thumb and index finger. Damn straight she needed a vacation from this hell hole, but could she do it? Could she go out and meet other people? The blond didn't know, and feared the worst. What if she couldn't control her powers? What if someone touched her, and she accidentally killed them in her fear of what they could possible do to her? Crunching it together, she threw it into the wall on the other side of the living room. It hit and fell down with a low thud.
She couldn't get out among others if she didn't even stroll down the street. Picking herself up from the floor, she ran a hand through her hair, sighing deeply. Moving to the paper, she picked it up and stared at it, straightening the wrinkles as best she could. It was handmade, she concluded, and felt even worse for destroying something they had used so much time to make. The fee wasn't much, and she could afford it, despite her need for money. In the split second, she made up her mind to go there. One week. She had one week to get better and be among others.
Blossom and Buttercup couldn't help her, because they were busy taking care of their own cisis at hand. That left her with one person that could help her. Bubbles could help herself. She was going to rise over this, and figure out a way to get by, on her own. That's what Buttercup and Blossom would have done. Rolling her shoulders into a better attitude, she went for the bathroom. The girl was pale and had bags under her eyes. Washing the skin in the sink, she wiped off the cold water, before her hand reached for the bag of makeup. Concealing most of the damage, she applied mascara to her eyelashes and contoured her eyebrows. As good as new, she thought and put the bag away.
The blond already felt much better, and as she entered the living room, she came to realize how much of a mess she had made. Food was everywhere, clothes to no end, a bucked filled with puke. It was as if nothing had changed when she first had seen Buttercup's apartment. Her green sister had an excuse, she didn't have time to clean up with all of her work. Bubbles had just stopped caring and purposely made a mess. She immediately went to work, taking the food back to the kitchen, throwing it into the trash. The clothes were picked up and sorted into the bathroom, ready for cleaning. Searching for anything in the pockets, she came over something inside her sisters pants. Crooking an eyebrow, she picked out a small plastic bag.
Staring at the brown content for a couple of seconds, she gasped as she came to understand what it was. Buttercup was doing drugs? The girl swallowed, feeling her mouth dry. Her sister had sworn a couple of years back to never go down that path again, when enrolled into hospital for a month, then going to rehab for two. Goosebumps popped up all over her body, and she blinked rapidly as it was placed into her pocket. She had to get rid of it, for her sisters sake.
«Oh, god. What have you gotten yourself into, Buttercup,» the girl muttered as she pressed play on the machine, it filling with water and started rocking as it went to work. She changed her outfit into something clean, and grabbed the keys at the table. Blossom had made two copies some days back, giving one to her sister at the hospital and taken one self. She grabbed a green beanie from Buttercup and a long coat Blossom had brought, whirling her face into a scarf to hide it. Taking on her shoes, she stared at the door for a couple of seconds, readying herself. It had to be done. She had to face her fear if she was ever going to overcome it. Drawing three breaths, she closed her eyes as she opened the door and stepped outside.
Quickly glancing up, pleased with herself, she saw something that filled her with horror. Ace was standing with his back to her, ready to leave his apartment. He was talking to someone, and that disgusting smile made her stomach fill with ice, and she quickly ran back inside, locking the door. She could barely breath as she ran for the other side of the room. Black dots were dancing in front of her eyes as she remembered the pain her body had felt, the unbearable feeling of being torn apart. That sleazy voice in her ear and her soul felt like it was shattering once again. Curling to a ball, she tried to block out the mental image by covering her ears.
Tears stung at the corner of her eyes, and she let them flow. Her inside felt like it was going to explode. I can't do this. Please, someone, rescue me.
Hey again! Here's the third chapter. Tell me what you think, and thanks for reading! In case this felt rather unclear: Mojo Jojo is a human in this story.
C: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Sorry about the late reply. Your comment didn't display before after I had updated chapter two. (Somehow it said I had a review I had not read yet, but I couldn't see it)
Sera: I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for leaving a review! I hope this chapter was exciting.
Guest: Aw, you're making me blush. That's really nicely said of you. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope this chapter was as much for to you as it was for me.
Gigiright: Thanks a lot. I used about two days to write the scene, one word and sentence here and there. I hope you liked this chapter.
SweetAngel98: Yes, English isn't my native language either, and I do love you pointing it out. It makes me aware and (sometimes) I do remember the difference and it sticks. Unfortunately I'm a little bad at fixing my own grammar, so I do appreciate it. Thank you for the review and taking your time to read my story. I do hope to see you return, and that the future chapters live up to your expectations.
Fireprincess326: That's really kind of you, and thank you so much for taking your time to leave a review! May the future chapters be just as good and interesting.
Helgabuttercup: Haha, yeah. I do love the greens myself, and for this story, it seems like they're the most stable couple. If they ever become a couple. We'll see. They're at least the ones at most peace (besides the physical trauma BC suffered.) Thanks for leaving a review! It means a lot to me. This chapter had very little actions for the greens, but next chapter...! I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
OLOLOLOLO: Thank you so much! I do hope you liked chapter three, too.
FFLuvr: Theories. I do love those deeply. Always fun to see how others thinks and wonders about actions and outcomes. Glad it caught your attention, and I do hope it keeps doing so in the future. There's so much that's going to happen, and everything will (hopefully) be interesting! Thanks for leaving another heartwarming review, and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations.
BlueScarlet465: Now, your ideas and wondering are quite interesting. I'm not going to confirm or deny any of these, because that would be quite boring. To answer your question; Yes. Mojo Jojo is human in this story. More of this will come later, and I'm sorry if it came out unclear. Thanks for the long, analyzing theory. It was quite fun reading, and I loved it. And thanks for taking your time to read and comment. I hope this chapter peaked your interest further.
Big thanks to Ruby-Ray, SweetAngel98, angelcake1236, fireprincess326, BlueScarlet465, Sophia E.C Slytherin and ValerieRei for following this story. Another big thanks to SweetAngel98, angelcake1236, live. laugh. love. izzy and ValerieRei for adding this to your favorites.
And you silent readers out there! You're all awesome!
