Disclaimer: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls. It is owned and created by Craig McCraken, and by Cartoon Network.
An Education From HIM
Peace reigns between the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys. Even as the boys claims that they remain evil, they become close to their counterparts, becoming penpals and playmates to each other. Yet HIM watches, and vows to shatter their peace. Chapter 6. The RRB get to see their beloved teacher. HIM gives the boys their second task that threatened to break the peace with the PPG.
Book II (VI)
The Tasks
Chapter VI (XXV)
The Second Task
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48 (237). Meeting Teacher
"Tell us what you want us to do," Brick asked respectfully.
HIM chuckled. Eager little fellows! Does he think he could always outsmart the evilest of evil! He'll show him! HIM is not someone to be trifled with!
"Could we talk to Teacher?" asked Boomer out of the blue.
And such cheek wasn't confined to their arrogant leader! Even the mild-mannered blond ruff had it! What was the world coming to when even the cruelest of cruel couldn't make those boys act politely towards their resurrector? Where was their gratitude for bringing them back to life? Granted, he committed a tiny and insignificant offense by kidnapping Ms. Keane, their beloved Tutor, but hey, they're evil! That shouldn't break the bonds of attachment.
But what's the harm? The boys were cooperative, after all, and it was his fault for not being more precise with his wording. And he still had two tasks for them to do.
"Very well," said HIM.
"Really?" asked Boomer.
"You have ten minutes."
"Two hours!" Brick demanded.
"Are you making demands of me?"
"No, a request."
"Request denied."
"Two hours"! Brick repeated, with an implacable look on his blood red eyes.
HIM wanted to punish him, but he just laughed at his audacity. Oh Brick, you really are something! Very well, I'll play along.
"Twenty minutes."
"A hundred minutes."
"Thirty."
"Ninety."
"Forty-five."
"Seventy-five!"
"One hour, and not a minute more."
"Done!"
"Very well then," said HIM, laughing. What pieces of work you three are, he thought. I do wonder, how Mojo keeps you in line?
…
Brick gave a sigh of relief. He was still deathly afraid of HIM, but he knew HIM well enough that signs of independence and audacity would not enrage him too much. Instead, he's fond of it, to make his puppets think they have a little freedom. HIM valued such displays rather than outright servility. Besides, Brick knew that HIM wanted the boys to do the second task. So, what was a little visit to their Teacher?
HIM waved his giant lobster-like claws, and suddenly, the three boys found themselves inside a room in a little house. They were in a spacious living room, with couches, tables, electric lights, soft red carpets, various antiques on the shelves as decorations. Everything a modern home would need, except electronic devices like television or radio.
In fact, it looked like the house of Ms. Keane!
But it wasn't the home that fixed his attention. No, it was the woman in a white floor-length sleeveless dress, with pearls around her neck, with dark hair and blue eyes.
"Ms. Keane!" all three boys shouted, and they hugged her.
"Boys! Brick, Boomer, Butch!" she said, hugging them in return, tears falling from her eyes. "I thought I'd never see you three again!"
"How are you? How is HIM treating you?" asked Brick, feeling very concerned.
"Yeah. If that creature hurt you one bit, why I'm gonna—" Butch angrily declared.
"He didn't hurt me," said Ms. Keane.
"So tell us what happened?" asked Boomer.
…
49 (238). Storytelling Time
Ms. Keane looked at her three students.
"Well, remember when you called me last time?" she asked.
"Every second of it," said Brick.
"A few minutes later, HIM came, and said—"
"What did he say? What did he say?" Boomer interrupted.
"As I was saying, he demanded—"
"What? HIM can't demand anything of you! That's rude, and—" Butch interrupted.
"Please don't interrupt me!" she snapped, going into teacher mode, and at once, the three boys came to attention.
"Sorry, Teacher," Butch said sheepishly.
"As I was saying, he demanded that I tell you to leave Mojo Jojo, and come back to HIM."
"What?" Brick nearly shouted, outraged.
"Yes. I refused, of course. You chose Mojo Jojo. And you don't like to go back to HIM. That much was clear to me. And so, he threw me into this world."
"Go on," said Brick.
"Won't you have some hot choco or some snacks? This is a long story!"
"Would we? Yes!" Boomer shouted.
Ms. Keane smiled, and she went to the kitchen. She returned a minute later carrying a tray filled with cookies, sandwiches, and hot mugs of hot chocolate drinks.
As the boys ate and drank, she resumed her narration.
"I fell into the black hole. I screamed. I screamed as I had never screamed before. I thought I was going to die. I saw my life flash before my eyes. All I can see was black. It was too much that I thought it was going to envelop me, to overwhelm my senses. All I can hear was the incessant laughing of HIM, mocking me as if I was a helpless damsel. Well, at that moment, and I suppose, right now, I am a helpless damsel."
She paused, looked at the three boys, and they were entranced.
She continued. "It continued like that. I don't know how long, but eventually, I landed. I landed here. At first, I thought that I was back home. But something was missing. There were no TV, radio, or any other modern conveniences. There were no telephones either. But there were electric lights, and there was a warm shower. There was a refrigerator that somehow automatically restocks food. And there were old magazines all around. And there were clothes in the closets, although no modern ones. All belonging to the last century, or, I think. At first, I decided just to not change clothes, but after I showered, my old clothes disappeared, so I had to change to old-fashioned ones, like the one I'm wearing now. But that was just inside the house."
"Inside? How about outside?" asked Brick.
"Are you finished with your snacks?" she asked, looking at the empty trays and empty cups.
"We are!" Brick said, speaking for himself and his brothers.
"Let's go outside," she said. She stood up and walked to the front door. She led the boys to the front yard, and the boys gasped at what they saw.
There was a large yard, with a well-trimmed lawn. A doghouse was beside the fence, but without an occupant. There was a shed. Around the yard were a couple of streetlights to illuminate the ground.
But beyond the white picket fence surrounding the place…
Was nothing.
Mere blackness.
The boys flew to the edge.
"There's nothing in there," she said. "I dropped a coin in that black void, and I never heard a sound. You could probably guess what's in there. And no, please don't try to go down. I'm not sure you could come back."
They looked at the sky above. It was pitch black. It was worse than the blackest night in the world, for there were no stars, or moon, or even the dark violet shade of the night sky.
It was just pitch black.
"I'm afraid," Boomer said.
"It's terrifying," Ms. Keane agreed. "That's why I rarely go out."
"So how do you spend your time?" asked Butch.
"Reading magazines. Reading books. This house has a big library. And the books were the latest. I made a new lesson plan for this school year, and also for your tutorials," she said. "And I did some housekeeping. I think I did more household chores during the past three days than I did my entire life."
"Wait! Did you see us two days ago? We saw you. HIM showed you. We tried to rescue you. We failed," Brick asked.
"Yes, I saw you. I was directed by a strange voice to go the edge of the lot, at the white fence, and saw you at a distance. I can't hear you, but you were shouting. And you tried to fly here, but no matter how hard you tried, you never ever came close."
"That's right."
"But how did you arrive here? Why are you here?" she asked.
…
50 (239). Teacher's Proposal
Brick then told her the story of the past three days. He told her everything. He even told her about the theft and showed her the blue diamond.
She was shocked, and she was touched. Her boys really cared for her for them to do all those things just to have her back. But she was concerned. What they were doing might break their fragile relationship with the Powerpuff Girls. True, they did not swear to uphold all laws all the time, and technically, they did not break the peace, but she didn't think the Powerpuff Girls would make that distinction if they knew. Especially as they would be forbidden to tell what's really going on.
"Still, I don't get it. If he wanted us to reject Mojo, how could stealing a diamond or committing crimes help? I mean, it made us closer to Pops!" Brick argued.
"I'm not so sure, but I have a theory. Perhaps breaking your relationship with the Powerpuff Girls is only the first step. You'd be more vulnerable to HIM if you're all alone, without the girls," she explained.
"What? Who does he think we are? We're not dependent on those sissies!" Brick indignantly asserted.
"Yeah. Who needs those Power sissies?" Butch agreed.
"Not us!" Boomer answered.
Ms. Keane shook her head. Of course, the boys would be offended by the idea that they would be weaker without the Powerpuff Girls.
"True. But remember this. We need those girls to leave you alone so you can plan in peace to conquer the world. If you break the agreement, they become your enemies, and there's a good chance you'd lose the next fight."
"I know," said Brick. "That's the reason we don't want to break the agreement. Not that we'll become weaker."
"Look, boys, I know you care for me a lot, but, but, don't do things that you'd later regret just because you want to save me. Don't wreck your relationship with the Powerpuff Girls just for me."
"Ms. Keane, we will do everything we can to save you and maintain that agreement," said Brick. "But if we have to choose between the girls and you, we'd choose you. And that's not negotiable."
"I know. But I know you'll a find a way," said the teacher.
"We'll find a way, don't worry," said Boomer. "We have you, and we have Pops!"
"And you have the Powerpuff Girls too," said Ms. Keane. "Remember that."
"We won't forget," said Brick, though his tone was non-committal.
"By the way, since you're here," she said, shifting topics, "if we all survive this thing intact, I have a proposal. Are you listening?"
"We're all ears," said Brick.
"What if, you two, merge?"
A lot of blank looks.
"What do you mean? We're three, not two. And what do you mean, merge? We're gonna fuse to form one individual?" asked Boomer, and the looks of Brick and Butch told her that they too were confused.
"I mean the Rowdyruff Boys and the Powerpuff Girls."
"Why?"
"Well, you are now acting as superheroes. But you do so separately. It depends, these days, on the whim of the Mayor on who will fight who. However, I think it is better if you become one team instead. You three will be teammates with Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup."
All three looked at their teacher, and at each other, and burst out laughing.
"That's a good one, Ms. Keane!" Boomer shouted.
"For a moment there, we thought you were serious!" said Brick between fits of laughter.
"You sure are a good joker!" Butch added.
Ms. Keane was peeved. She never expected such a serious matter to be treated as a joke.
"Boys, I'm serious!" she insisted.
That only made the boys laugh louder.
"You can't be serious! I mean, us and the girls working together?" Brick said. "That can't work."
"Yeah. We're evil! And they're good. We're boys, and they're girls. There's nothing common between us!" Boomer agreed.
"Yeah. We don't like the girls, and they don't like us!" said Butch.
"Boys, I'm serious. Now stop laughing, and listen to me."
The boys stopped, seeing as their teacher was deadly serious.
"Boys, you should really consider teaming up with the girls, because—"
"TIME'S NEARLY UP!" HIM suddenly said. "You've got one minute to say your goodbyes."
51 (240). HIM's New Task
Brick was relieved. He was not in the mood to listen to a lecture of why he should join the girls. But he was, at the same time, sad that he would part with his teacher. He would miss her, even if it were only for a day. And it would be so bitter to leave her alone in this… place.
He quickly hugged his teacher and said nothing. Just held her as tight as he dared. And his brothers did too.
And he felt her hands around them. They were clutching each other in comfort. And he could feel something wet drop on his hair. He looked up. Tears were falling from her eyes. Yet she was silent.
And then it came.
"TIME'S UP!" the lobster-like monster announced, and then, reality bent, as their teacher disappeared from his grip, and he found himself inside HIM's domain.
…
They were back in Hell, a more familiar place, the place where they resided when they were dead.
"Well, aren't you going say something?" HIM said in his low scary voice.
"I also speak for my brothers, when I say this. Thank you, HIM, for letting us visit Ms. Sandy Keane," Brick said.
"See? I take good care of her," HIM said. "You don't need to worry about her welfare. Now it's time to tell you what I want you to do. Here is your second task!"
All three boys listened intently.
"You are to commit a crime…"
Oh not again!
"Against the Powerpuff Girls! And like before, not an insignificant crime, like littering or such. And they must know that a crime was committed against them! No secret crimes! And you cannot tell them that you are committing crimes because of me or to save your teacher. Or tell anyone else to tell the girls for that matter. They must not know, for any reason coming from you, directly or indirectly, that you are doing it to save your beloved Teacher. So no telling others to tell the Powerpuff Girls what's really happening. And no telling to tell someone to tell someone to tell someone who will tell the Powerpuff Girls, got it?"
Do a crime against the Powerpuff Girls? How could they do that without breaking the agreement?
"That's all?" asked Brick with false bravado.
"Yes. That's all. See you in two days!"
After that, the surroundings spun, and after a minute of dizziness, they found themselves back in the living room of their home.
"I don't know about you, but let's sleep on it," Butch suggested. "I'm too tired to think of anything."
"Me too," Boomer agreed. "We have two days, anyway."
"Yes. I'm bushed!" Brick said, yawning. At that point, his brain refused to work, so he directed his brothers to brush their teeth, wash their faces, change into their pajamas, and go to bed. Usually, Mojo would have done such parental work, but that night, they stayed way past their usual bedtime to see Ms. Keane, and thus, their father was already asleep.
As he went to bed, all that Brick could think about was how to rescue Ms. Keane and the memories of their best times together.
…
The next day, August 11, 2005, Thursday…
"What happened last night?" Mojo Jojo asked as he looked down from his paper that morning.
It was about seven in the morning. The boys woke up very early despite the late hour at which they went to bed the previous night. Brick did not sleep in since he needed time to figure out how to do the second task of HIM. He also woke up his brothers, so all of them could talk about their strategy with their father.
"It's a long story," said Boomer.
"I've got the time. It's not as if I am not the boss of my own work," said Mojo, who, by the tone of his voice, was very curious.
Brick then told his father the events of the night before, omitting nothing.
52 (241). What to Steal?
…
"So you see, Pops, we really need to find a way of committing a significant crime against the Powerpuff Girls without breaking the agreement."
Mojo Jojo was silent as the chimpanzee stared into space.
"Well, Pops?" asked Brick after a long silence.
"How dare that HIM? Does he think that our father-son bond was so dependent on your relationship with the Powerpuff Girls? That with your agreement severed and the girls your enemies, our family, could easily be torn asunder? That is, we would be broken up, you'd repudiate me, your creator, your true father! Just so that after all that, in spite of all that happened, you would, like sheep, go back to your so-called father who isn't really a father, but an imposter, who just happened to bring you back to life for his own selfish purposes?" Mojo ranted. "I am tempted to let you break your Powerpuff Agreement and make the girls your enemies once more just to show that you and I are inseparable, that our bonds are mightier than the strongest chemical compound, and that he is nothing but a family interloper!"
"Really?" asked Boomer.
"Not really. You have a destiny, a glorious destiny in front of you, that could only be fulfilled if you are at peace with the Powerpuff Girls at this very moment. The time for breaking the peace with those accursed girls is when you are ready to conquer the world when you grow up, and not a second sooner!" he said. "I have an idea. Why don't you just steal something from the girls? Do another perfect crime, and you won't be found out. They'll find out that something was stolen, of course, but they won't know it was you."
"Yes, yes, that's it!" Brick said, agreeing with his father.
"We're gonna be the best thieves there ever was!" Boomer said.
"But what are we gonna steal?" asked Butch. "I know. How about we steal some of their dresses?"
"That's not significant!" Mojo said. "They've got dozens of those. Steal one, and it won't be missed. They won't even know that it was stolen."
"How about Big Bad Wolf's big red bow?" asked Boomer. "That will surely be missed! It's so big!"
"No. She has hundreds of them! She won't miss missing a single one of them!" said Mojo.
"What can we steal that's something they'll miss?" said Brick. "She has lots of books. She'll miss it. But I have something else planned for those books. How about Bubbles?"
"Well, there's Octi," said Boomer. "Princess always talks about her Octi. She'll surely miss it."
"Boys, boys, I'm sure that's all nice and dandy, but you forget one thing. Those things might be valuable to the girls, but do you think that HIM would think that it's valuable or significant? He'll just throw it away as worth nothing!" Mojo said, dashing their hopes. "So what if you steal Bubbles' Octi? To HIM, it's just a worthless stuffed animal."
"You're right," he said. He tried to recall the things that he saw during their stay at the Powerpuff Home.
"How about we steal the things in the Professor's lab?" Butch suggested.
Brick remembered all those fancy gadgets when they rescued Boomer from the containment ray back when they were openly evil.
"That would be nice if it weren't for the fact that those things weren't owned by the Powerpuff Girls, but by their father, Professor Utonium," Mojo pointed out. "If you did that, you would not be committing a crime against the Powerpuff Girls, but only against Professor Utonium!"
53 (242). Bank Robbery
Suddenly, Brick's watch rang.
Brick pressed a button, and said, "Yes, Mayor?"
"Thank God for answering, Brick!" said the Mayor of Townsville. "Hurry! The First National Bank is being robbed!"
Brick sighed. "We'll resume this later. Rowdyruff Boys! Time to blow off steam. Let's make those robbers really suffer!"
"Yeah!" both his brothers yelled.
"See ya later, Pops!" Brick said, and the three boys flew towards the city.
…
They arrived at the scene of the crime. Police cars surrounded the bank.
"What's happening?" Brick asked as soon as they arrived.
"Hello Rowdyruff Boys," Police Chief Hiddledee said, his voice betraying his disappointment that it was not the Powerpuff Girls who had arrived. Brick ignored that. They will soon learn to cheer, and even admire, the Rowdyruffs. "There are about four. They are holding the cashiers as hostages."
All three boys turned on their x-ray visions. There were four masked men, and about ten young female employees, all bound and gagged. One of the masked men had a gun pointed at the employees.
"WE HAVE SURROUNDED YOU!" said the police chief through his megaphone. "Surrender."
"Never! If you want to see the hostages alive, you better let us run with the loot!" the robber who the police had assumed was the leader shouted back.
"This standoff had been going on for a quarter of an hour now," he said.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of it. And we promise that no innocent person will get hurt. Nothing's gonna get damaged that wasn't already damaged," the ruff leader assured.
"What about the bank robbers?"
"I cannot make promises for their safety," the red-eyed boy said.
"Just don't do anything rash," said Chief Hiddledee.
"Ready, boys?" Brick asked.
His two brothers eagerly nodded.
"I'm in a bad mood," said the leader as they flew high in the sky, "so I want them to suffer. Make them pay, but don't kill them."
Both brothers sported wide grins.
"I'm gonna love the violence!" Butch exclaimed with delight.
"Maim them for life!" said Brick. "Make those crooks fear the name of the Rowdyruff Boys."
"Yeah!" said Boomer, as they landed on the roof of the bank, undetected.
"But first, make sure the hostages are secured. Boomer, you're the fastest. Could you do that?"
Boomer nodded.
"Now!" said Brick.
…
The blond ruff went inside the building through a window on the top floor. He found himself in an empty office devoid of humans—he guessed that all the employees were tied-up downstairs. It was easier to track down their hostages that way instead of hiding them in different rooms.
He activated his x-ray vision and looked downstairs. The hostages were all behind the counter—about ten young female tellers and cashiers, a middle-aged bank manager besides the giant safe putting piles of money on bags held by another robber.
He used his superspeed to go to the vicinity of the robbers and captives. With one quick motion, he used a highly concentrated laser eye beam on the hand and gun of the robber guarding the employees.
And the gun melted in the hands of the masked man.
There was a loud scream as molten metal burned the gloved hand of the robber, which put a smile of the blonde ruff's face—being evil was so much fun—which was ended when Boomer shot another concentrated beam into his shoulder—it put a hole the size of a small marble clean through. Luckily, the heat of his laser cauterized the wounds, so there was no bleeding. Though such was the pain, the blue ruff guessed, that the criminal passed out, which put a frown on the blond's face. He loved it when they suffered.
The scream was the signal, and both his brothers were with him a second later. The robber with the gun pointed at the bank manager promptly got his hands broken by Butch. And a sickening punch later, the bones of the legs of the same masked man was shattered into a thousand pieces as he foolishly tried to kick the green ruff.
The third robber pointed his weapon at the boys, but Brick shot him with an intense laser—not strong enough to kill, but strong enough to elicit a powerful scream, and that burnt the outfit of the robber. A second later, and Brick buried his fist on his stomach, and the robber coughed blood and fell. He was not dead, but Boomer guessed, he might have wished he was.
Luckily for the robber, Brick was contented with merely breaking both his wrists.
The three boys then faced the final robber.
"Don't come closer!" he said, knees shaking, his hand clutching his M-16 rifle, pointing it at the boys.
The boys just smiled and walked closer.
He fired his weapon.
And the bullets bounced harmlessly off their bodies, to the floor.
"Who are you?" he shouted.
"We're the Rowdyruff Boys," Brick said icily, and at once, the fear was palpable in the robber's grey eyes. "We're the newest superheroes!"
"Superheroes my foot! You're evil!" he said in horror. "You deliberately maimed them!"
"Evil? Yes, we are," said Brick as he slowly advanced, his red eyes boring unto his target.
"And yes we did maim them on purpose," Butch agreed. "And it's your turn."
Their reputation preceded them, as he threw his weapon, and knelt in front of the boys. "Please don't hurt me! I beg of you! I won't do crime anymore! Please!"
"You won't," said Brick, grabbing him by the collar. He tossed the robber to Butch. "Bring him to the cops. Boom, untie the captives."
54 (243). Rowdyruff Adulation
Boomer did as he was told and untied the employees, who all looked scared not only of the robbers but at the boys because of what they had just witnessed.
"Rowdyruff Boys," said the bank manager after he recovered, still rattled, "thank you."
"Anything stolen?" asked Brick.
"Everything's here."
"Listen," he said, his red eyes looking at all the frightened employees. "This set of robbers won't be robbing anyone anytime soon. Even if they beat the rap. You, and all of the banks, and your money, I pledge, as a Rowdyruff, will be safe. I am sorry you have to suffer at the hands of those monsters, and I am sorry you had to witness what we did. But they needed to learn a lesson. We could be cruel. And sometimes evil, but only to those who deserve it."
Boomer witnessed the power and charisma of his brother. Despite the carnage the bank employees saw, they were utterly entranced by Brick as he spoke. His voice, despite its roughness, was like honey, and it's tone, measured. And his red eyes! His red eyes were very hypnotic! The bank Manager applauded, then the employees. Then they shook the hands of the Rowdyruff Boys and even hugged them.
"You're so great out there!" one teller said, all fear of the ruff gone from her eyes, and replaced with blind admiration.
"You showed them!" said a cashier in a mood of adulation.
"We need heroes like you!" said the bank manager, "heroes who value the lives of the victims more than the privileges of the criminals! I am in your debt. As long as you need anything, just call me. I'll do anything for you."
"And you are?" asked Brick.
"Jack Sheppard. I am due to be promoted to Bank President sometime next year."
"I'll remember that."
Several of the employees got pieces of paper, and the boys spent the next few minutes signing autographs, posing for pictures, and even getting kissed (on the cheeks) and hugged by the female employees.
It felt terrific being popular.
The police entered, and they were aghast at the three severely injured robbers.
"You! Who did this?" asked the Police Chief.
"We did. We're the Rowdyruff Boys!" Brick said as police swarmed in and began to call for ambulances.
"You can't do this!" the Police Chief said. "They could have been killed!"
"LISTEN!" Brick shouted, and once again, attention was upon him, and all the police officers were looking at him.
"I am Brick, leader of the Rowdyruff Boys! What we did, we have no regrets, for those who break the law by robbing a bank deserve what they got!" he began, and his red eyes bored through each and every one, his charisma and presence dominating everything despite the small frame of his seven-year-old body. "I admit, I could be cruel and evil, but only to those who deserve it! You police, by law, could not do what we did. Otherwise, you would be in trouble. Every day, you toil, you work hard, you sweat, just so the city will be safe. And what do you get in thanks? Why you are carped on when even a little hair of those vile criminal scum was put out of place. Well, that is not fair! You deserve to be praised, to be lauded, to be put on a high pedestal, you bravest and finest of Townsville, the members of Townsville Police Department."
He paused, and the blond ruff noted approvingly that the police were hanging to every word, explicitly approving of the ruff leader.
"So let me do, on your behalf, what you cannot do but really wanted to do, that is, teach them a lesson, and show what ought to happen to criminals! I will take the blame if anybody complains of their treatment! Police of Townsville, the best the city has to offer, please, I need you on my side on this! Will you support me, if only unofficially?"
The final plea was accompanied by Brick going in front of the police, his head slightly bowed, his countenance, humble.
And the officers cheered and shouted and applauded. They lifted him and his brothers on their shoulders. Even the Chief of Police Hiddledee, only critical a few minutes earlier, was wild in his support. "I am sorry to doubt you, Rowdyruff Boys," he said in an apologetic tone.
"Rowdyruff Boys! Rowdyruff Boys! Brick! Brick!" the police chanted, and the bank employees joined.
"Yeah, show the scum what they deserved!" one officer shouted.
"You will clean up the city!" another shouted.
"You ought to be Mayor, Brick!" another officer shouted, his eyes full of admiration of the Rowdyruff leader.
"Mayor? He ought to be President!" another one said in an adulatory tone.
"That's too small!" said another. "He ought to rule the world!"
"Don't worry. It's a shootout, and those robbers shot at each other, right?" one police officer said as they patted the red ruff on the back.
"Yeah. A shootout. You just stopped it and forced their surrender!" said another officer. "Three cheers for our leader, Brick, and three cheers for the Rowdyruffs!"
55 (244). The Perfect Thing
…
"That was great!" Boomer said as they flew through the city. People already admired them for their earlier heroics and sheer physical power. But Boomer had to admit—Brick's natural talents as a speaker, and his natural charisma enabled him to sway most crowds, no matter how hostile, to his side—and make a lot of them fanatical followers.
His voice was soft or loud depending on the situation. He had a natural talent to know how to raise or lower his voice, what to appeal to what kind of audience, and to sense the mood of a crowd, and how to change it to suit his purposes.
"Yeah! You held them in the palm of your hand!" Butch said. "And that violence! That was sweet! That robber won't be able to use his hands or feet for the rest of his life."
"But won't we get in trouble?" asked Boomer. "We didn't follow the law. Not that I didn't like it—the violence was exhilarating!"
"We did not swear to obey the law. We swore to keep the peace—so the town can't do anything to us," said Brick. "Besides, none of those robbers will file charges, or testify against us. If they do, let's just say they'll be going to receive another visit from vengeful Rowdyruffs! I'll let the prosecutor Mr. Practice let those robbers know the score. They'll admit to shooting each other. And you know the best thing about it?"
"What?" Boomer asked.
"They'll spread stories to other crooks. There would be rumors of what we actually did. And that would make us feared," said Brick, "among the criminal element of this city. Just one example, and that is all that is needed to keep the rest in line."
"They will crap their pants everything crooks see us! I'm glad the Girls didn't get a call on their hotline of theirs for that robbery!" Butch said. "Hopefully, the Mayor will call us next time a monster attacks."
"That's it!" Brick suddenly said, stopping mid-air.
He indicated his brothers to follow him, and they flew to the clouds above.
"What?" Boomer asked.
"I know what we'll steal from those Powerpuff Girls!" Brick declared.
"Well?" Boomer said, who was excited.
"The hotline! It's perfect! It's valuable! The girls would miss it and panic at its loss. And HIM knows it's valuable!" Brick declared.
"Oh yeah! Those sissies will cry like the sissies they are when they find out it's gone!" Butch agreed.
"Let's go the Pop's volcano top lab," said Brick.
…
"The hotline!" Mojo said, with a wide grin on his face. They were in his laboratory in the middle of Townsville Park, at the top of the volcano. "Of course! It's flawless! That was some great thinking, my eldest offspring who will be the future emperor of the world! And now, we must plan the grand theft! For make no mistake, swiping it would be tough, for their home is very well guarded, for obvious reasons. But fear not! I have been thinking about the very same problem."
"But we know that their security won't be working," said Brick. "When we went to dinner, Bubbles told us that it's under repair and won't be working for at least a week."
"Excellent! Excellent!" said the chimpanzee genius. "So the time spent playing that night, the night spent not telling me you're going to stay up late, was not wasted! But still, we have to find a time when they're not home. Since even if the security's disabled, you can't just take it, since you would get caught, and then, the girls will know you did it, and thus, wreck your agreement."
That put a damper on their plans. "We could do a stakeout, and wait until all four of them are out of the house," Brick proposed.
"Wait! The picnic! We were invited to join, and you said you'd think about it!" Boomer said. "Remember, during the dinner?"
"Yes!" Butch exclaimed. "When is it again? It's this afternoon, about three in the afternoon, right? Aw, does that mean we won't join it? I was looking forward to their cookies!"
"Maybe we will join them," said Brick. "After we pull off the theft. That way, we have a perfect alibi!"
56 (245). Preparations for the Picnic
…
Meanwhile…
"I don't think that's enough," said Bubbles as she inspected the food for the picnic. They were in the kitchen, sorting out the food and helping their father pack the picnic basket.
"That's more than enough," Buttercup retorted as she helped the Professor pack the picnic basket. "It's the same as last time. And we had so many leftovers!"
"But last time, we don't have the Rowdyruff Boys!" said Bubbles, smiling. Silly Buttercup! Did her sister forget that they invited the boys to the picnic?
"And more likely, we won't have them," Blossom added. "They haven't said they'd come."
"They said they'll think about it. What if they decided they'll come?" Bubbles retorted. Sometimes, her sister was just so negative! Of course, they would come! It would not be nice if they didn't! And the boys were nice, right?
"Bubbles, saying they'll think about it is a polite way of saying no!" Blossom argued.
"No. Let's bring extra food. What harm would it do? Daddy?" she asked, looking at the Professor with her puppy dog eyes.
"Of course, we will! Better sure than sorry!" said the Professor, laughing.
Bubbles hugged her father and looked triumphantly at her sisters. Sometimes, it was as if she was the only one among them that really wanted the agreement, the relationship, with the Rowdyruff Boys to actually work! Buttercup totally misunderstood the boys! If only Blossom allowed them to play violent games with the boys, Buttercup would fit in with them like fish to water! And Blossom! Despite the letter writing, she seemed a little bit reluctant to play with them! Silly Blossom. You can't make it work through letters alone!
Like this picnic. She had to remind them that the boys will come. Not might! Will! Bubbles refused to believe that they won't! After all, she would be bringing her special cookies! And they'd be so happy. And the Professor really could whip up some food that little boys like to eat.
"Fine!" said Buttercup, opening the fridge, and getting more food. "But we'll have to bring more than one picnic basket."
"Oh, I've got that covered," said Bubbles, rushing to one of the cupboards, and getting a spare picnic basket. She had given much thought to it and had made the necessary preparations.
"Hopefully, it won't be too bad," said Blossom as she began to help Bubbles pack the second picnic basket.
"So what fun do you think we'll have?" asked Bubbles.
"Oh, I don't know. We'll eat. Knowing the boys, they'll want to leave after they've gotten their fill," said Blossom.
"Maybe we'll play games?" said Bubbles.
"Yeah. Perhaps they'll kidnap you again, Princess Bubbles!" Buttercup teased.
"It would be fun, but it's too late in the afternoon for that, and I need to go home by six," Bubbles replied as if it's the most normal thing in the world, then giggled as she said, "Who knows? Next time, maybe Brick will take you to his home and demand your books in exchange!"
…
They put the needed things in the car, and after checking that everything's locked, the Utoniums drove from their home.
But they got stuck in heavy traffic.
And the Professor's temper got short.
"Move! Move!" he shouted at the cars in front of him, as if his mere will would cause the traffic to disappear.
"Oh, my! What if they're already there, and they think we canceled?" Bubbles began to worry.
"Don't worry. They love your cookies too much for that!" Blossom comforted.
57 (246). Breaking In
…
"Just like clockwork!" Brick said as he looked at his watch. It was three in the afternoon, and they were high above the white Utonium suburban home. They were in black, the same outfit they wore during the diamond heist. All three of them wore masks and shades. And all of them had their x-ray vision turned on.
They had watched the girls and the Professor pack the picnic baskets.
"Are you sure they would be delayed?" Brick asked his father through his watch-communicator.
"Don't worry," Mojo Jojo assured. "They will be delayed. For I have made sure of it. I have disabled a vehicle on an intersection near the bridge. My scrambler giant laser hit a giant truck with an invisible particle ray that shut off his engine—permanently. There's now a line of traffic building up on the road that the Professor would need to pass through from his home to the center of the city and hence, towards the park surrounding the volcano where my lab is located, the place of their afternoon picnic. Thus, there would be heavy traffic, and the cars will barely move, and it would take a long time for them to arrive. A very long time. Long enough for you to accomplish your task, go home and hide their accursed hotline, and go to the outside of my lab and await them, and pretend that you have been waiting for ages for them to arrive."
"Okay. Butch, you remain here and follow the girls. But always stay at a distance. If they ever decide to go back, or if they would arrive faster than anticipated, call me."
"Okay, boss."
"Boomer, come with me."
"Right."
"Let's do this!" Brick said as they saw the Utonium family go inside the family car, and drive off.
"Pops! Now!" Brick commanded as he pressed his watch, and a small antenna emerged.
"Yes. Remember, after the diamond heist, I have modified your watch so it would direct and attract the invisible particle rays from my giant shrinking gun, and you would not have to catch it like volleyball," said the chimpanzee genius.
"Right," said Brick. "Only Boom and me. Butch would act as a look-out."
"Here goes," their father could be heard, and they saw, using their shades, the two beams shoot out from the volcano top observatory. The beam directly sought out the watches of the two Rowdyruffs and entered the watch through the antennae, and from the watch, straight to the boys through their wrists.
And both boys shrunk to the size of a fly.
"Are you sure all other securities were disabled? Not just the main one?" asked Brick as he and Boomer flew to the back door.
"I am sure," said Mojo. "I just shot it with my giant laser, the same giant laser that I used at the Museum!"
Both kids went in through the keyhole. It was just big enough, and they were just tiny enough, that they were able to fit, but only just. When they were inside, Brick said, "Pops, we would like to go back to normal size again."
"Okay, my sons," said the chimpanzee, and once more, two beams flew from the observatory. Using x-ray vision, the boys observed it fly through the sky, to the roof of the house, and enter through the chimney, then to their watches, and into their bodies.
They returned to normal size.
Brick took a quick look at the home. They were in the kitchen, a very modern type. There was the range, the stove, the cupboards, the white table. Somehow, despite having seen it during the dinner with the Powerpuff Girls, it gave off a different vibe when they were alone.
They floated to the living room, and up the stairs.
And they stopped outside the door of the Powerpuff Girls.
Boomer's gloved hand slowly twisted the knob.
It was locked!
No problem. "Pops, I need to shrink again!" Boomer requested.
And again, Mojo shot a beam that traveled through the air, through Powerpuff chimney, up the stairs, and into the watch, and into Boomer.
And Boomer shrank in size again into the size of a fly.
He entered the keyhole, and a second later, Brick heard a click, and the door was unlocked.
Boomer came out, and said, "Pops, bring me back to size."
"Fine," said Mojo, and after being hit by another beam, Boomer returned to normal.
Brick turned the doorknob, and it opened.
The redhead scanned the room. The pile of stuffed animals, the big bed with three colors, the bookshelves, with books titled History of the World¸ Biography of Roman Emperors, Rise of Prussia, and Wars of the World. He really wanted to scan it, and browse it, and even steal it. But he knew Blossom saw him eye those same books when they were playing tea party, and she would immediately guess that it was him.
"Want to get those books?" Boomer asked in a very soft voice.
"Yes. Maybe I should borrow it when this is over?" he mused.
"Borrow? We don't borrow from them, remember? We're not friends," whispered Boomer. "Do it like I do! Kidnap Blossom and demand it as ransom!"
Yes. That was a good plan. It worked for his little brother, so it should work for him. But that was for the future. After all this madness was over. When he could play with the girls without any fear or worry for his Teacher Ms. Keane. He continued to scan the room. And finally came upon the hotline. That white and red phone with a smiling face.
He got a screwdriver and a small knife, from the tool belt that he wore for the purpose, and expertly, he removed all wires and connections to it. He put the phone in a small sack that he carried with him. The two sneaked out. They closed the door, and Boomer, after a call to Mojo, again became tiny and went into the keyhole, and locked the Powerpuff room door. They slipped out to the kitchen, and Boomer went to the keyhole and unlocked the back door.
Brick again had Mojo make him tiny. He would be damned if he would be seen by anyone. If there were nosy neighbors, all they would see would be a sack floating on its own, being carried, if they could actually see it, by tiny black fly-like creatures.
He carried the sack underneath him as Boomer opened the door. They flew out, and the blue ruff pulled the knob and closed it. He again went to the keyhole.
And there was a click. The door was again locked.
They flew to the cloud as fast as possible. The movement upwards was a blur to the ordinary eye. Fortunately, there was no one in the vicinity, so it went unnoticed in broad daylight.
It was only when they were in the clouds that they had Mojo return them to their normal size.
"Butch, give us an update!" Brick said on his watch as soon as they were back to normal.
"The sissies are still stuck in heavy traffic. They're not even close to the bridge."
"Good," said the leader. "Go home. We'll hide this and change."
"Roger!" said Butch.
"Pops, it's done! Butch said that the girls are still stuck in traffic," said the leader.
"Good. I'll now turn on the security of the Utonium home!" said the chimp genius.
The two ruffs flew as fast as possible, keeping to the top of the clouds to avoid detection from below.
…
58 (247). Stuck in Traffic
"Come on!" the Professor said, gritting his teeth. "Gah! Gosh darn it to heck!"
Bubbles sighed and guessed that if they, his daughters, weren't there, he would have said even stronger words. Words that she learned from the Professor himself when he touched the hot metal cooking pot. Words that they used profusely without knowing they were not supposed to use it. Words that led to their mouth being washed with soap by Ms. Bellum and the Mayor, and led to so much trouble (1), and which the Professor made them swear never to use again.
"Are we there yet?" Bubbles asked as the car barely moved.
"No. And I'm going to scream if this doesn't get going!" their father said in a calm voice, though the irritation and anger that were flowing beneath that calm exterior was evident.
"We should've been there hours ago!" Buttercup argued. "The food's getting cold."
"It's been forty-five minutes! We should have arrived half an hour ago!" Blossom said, looking at the car clock.
"The boys will think we're not going!" Bubbles said, sad. "If only we could fix this traffic."
Suddenly, a bright idea came upon her. She opened the door.
"Bubbles?" the Professor asked when the door was opened. It was quite safe, as the car was stationary, along with dozens of other vehicles on the road.
"I'm gonna see what's wrong," she said before flying off.
"Wait!" she heard, and Blossom and Buttercup behind her. She smiled.
"We should've done this an hour ago!" Buttercup muttered, approving of her action.
"Yes. The traffic is heavier than usual, so that's not normal," Blossom said, in a voice which clearly indicated that she's taking charge, which Bubbles was happy to oblige. Despite everything, the blonde knew she wasn't a leader like her eldest sister.
"Let's follow it and see what's wrong," Blossom commanded.
"Aye aye, Blossom!" Bubbles replied.
The three girls flew, following the road. Near the entrance of the bridge, at the intersection with another road, was an immobilized truck. The front hood was open, and the driver was looking at it with a puzzled look on his face, and a bunch of other people, who she guessed were other motorists who wanted to help so that they could get on with their road trips.
"So that's why!" Blossom said as they flew towards it.
"Hello, Mister!" Bubbles cheerily greeted.
"Hello Powerpuff Girls!" he said, his face smeared with dirt and his hand holding a wrench."
"What's going on here?" asked Blossom.
The driver began to explain. "I was in the intersection. Suddenly, right in front of the bridge, my truck died. I didn't know what happened. The gas tank's full, the batteries are charged, I've checked everything before I started this trip. This truck's brand new! I've trying to make heads and tails of what happened!"
"Yes," said one motorist. "I'm a mechanic, and I tried to help him to get the traffic going, but I can't figure out what's going on."
Blossom was deep in thought. "Well, we can't fix your truck. But we could put your truck besides the road, so the traffic can flow again," she suggested.
"That would be wonderful!" said the truck driver. "It's really embarrassing. I imagine more than a few folks out there want to kill my guts! Thank you!"
To the cheers of all, the girls carefully lifted the truck and placed it on the side of an empty road.
"Thank you Powerpuff Girls!" said the drivers as traffic began to flow like normal.
The girls flew back to their car just as it was about to move. They told the Professor what had happened, and he just laughed.
…
"What took you so long? You said you'd be here by three, and it's about four," said Brick, who was sitting on a bench in the park.
Boomer and Butch were chasing each other, apparently, in a game of tag, on the grass.
"Boys!" Bubbles shrieked happily as she saw them. She went to where they were, and they stopped whatever they were doing. "You came! And you waited for us!"
She came and hugged Boomer, who just blushed, and pulled away. "Ooh, not here!" he said in embarrassment.
"We wouldn't miss the free food," Butch said, his hand on his stomach, which growled just in time.
End of Chapter 6
As always, please do me a favor and review if you've read this chapter. Reviews really lighten my day and makes me very happy. Thank you very much for reading!
(1) See the season 6 episode "Curses".
Author's Notes
To RuffnPuffLover,
Wow! I'm surprised at how the boys handled that first task he cooked up and also killed 2 birds with one stone. Crimes that didn't disturb the peace and also ticked off HIM, genius! I wonder how that sinister devil will make it obvious that they did it though. That's got me in suspense! I can't wait for the next chapter to see what that task is! :)
Yes, the boys are really acting smart, showing that they had learned the lessons that Ms Keane had thought them. And yeah, it was very clever and very brilliant for them to do that. And this chapter answers who HIM thought he would make it obvious. It didn't work, obviously, but there's still the third task.
To Ash141,
Lovely chapter!
Man the boys sure are crafty, going to Mojo and blaming HIM for the theft was absolutely brilliant! HIM thinks he's so clever but the Boys will outsmart him every time.
Oh yeah. The boys have reached a point where they could no longer be easily outsmarted by villains such as HIM. And the boys would continue to do so unless HIM becomes really smart too!
Brick thinks if the Girls found out about what they're doing then they (cough*Blossom*cough) would no longer want to have a truce with them, but I think if they (Blossom) knew why they were doing it then they'd understand b/c they'd be doing it for someone they loved.
Yes, but the fear was what HIM would do to Ms. Keane if the Powerpuff Girls finds out. Obviously, the boys does not want to risk her life, so they needed to keep the entire thing a secret from the Powerpuff Girls.
The Boys (mostly Brick and Boomer) say they don't care about what happens to the Girls but I think if something really bad were to happen to them (get beaten really bad, loss of life, etc.) they would actually care, especially if it was to save them or someone they loved, dramatic sacrifices do seem to make people care more.
Anyway, great chapter! Can't wait for the next one! Until next time.
~Ash141
Saying that they don't care, and not actually caring, are two different things. And yeah, the boys may or may not care for the girls in the future based on events. But right now, they cared for Ms Keane, and Ms Keane cared for the Powerpuff Girls, so that would inform their attitude towards the Powerpuff Girls.
To DPSS,
You know, Him might have forbidden the boys from telling the girls, but he didn't forbid the boys from telling someone that could tell the girls.
Well, in the second task, he made it even more explicit, and less prone for loopholes, but as this chapter showed, not totally.
To Blergblerg the one and only,
Wow, I have finally fully caught up with this story and I have to say you have been doing an amazing job. I like how you've developed all the characters that have gotten involved in this story, and I mean that in both senses of the word, which is to say you have examined and extrapolated their underlying characteristics, and allowed them to change over time even Mojo Jojo!
Thank you. And changing them into something different from what the show shows us is something of a goal, especially their low intelligence in the show. I really wanted them to be par with the PPG with everything, including in brains.
I particularly like how you've developed the strained, lopsided relationship with boomer and bubbles, i have a feeling that some other authors might have them instantly fall in love just for being counterparts while forgetting that she utterly humiliated and perhaps traumatized him earlier.
Oh yes. Boomer still cannot forget what the girls and especially Bubbles did to him in the episode "Bubble Boy". How that would affect his relationship with the girls will be dealt in the future.
Even butch seems to have mellowed out...slightly..over the course of this story, he certainly seems a little less reckless than he did at the beginning of this.
He still loves violence, but he is a little more restrained because of his loyalty and obedience to his eldest brother.
As for the involvement of HIM, you still managed to make him creepy and intimidating through text, a difficult feat in my opinions given the transition between mediums, I hope the boys find their way through this, he seems to have them over a barrel at the moment, but by kidnapping Miss Kean he has unwittingly made himself the target of the six most powerful beings in the world, not the smartest move on his part and im sure it'll eventually bite him in his crimson behind one of these days. Oh and I just want to say i love the additional worldbuilding you've done in your tales like having mitch become actively involved in the plot was a real treat for example, as its not to often in this show and fandom that unpowered humans, outside perhaps, the professor get to make significant contributions to the plot. You even brought back one time characters on multiple occasions, while recalling small past incidents in the show and ultimately giving them more meaning than the creators themselves have.
Overall, you have done a top-notch job, I only hope the girls find out about this, I'm waiting with baited breath to see what happens next.
Yes, HIM did make himself an enemy to both the RRB and the PPG. Not very smart. And yes, in this tale and in the previous ones, I tried always to use characters from the show, and I tried to refrain from using original characters, unless it is absolutely necessary and no other character in the show could fulfill that role.
And thank you!
To John,
What a great and exciting chapter!
Thanks again, for consistently reviewing!
To William F Somebody,
Now that was a clever plan! I can imagine HIM's face when he realized that he was outwitted and outsmarted by the boys! And the boys even had the audacity to blame HIM. And HIM can't do anything since technically, the boys followed his instructions to the letter!
And I'm glad Mojo Jojo is become very very useful. His rivalry with HIM motivated him to try and thwart his plans.
Hope the boys remain smart and try to keep their peace with the girls and at the same time, save their teacher!
Yes, the Rowdyruff Boys are a sneaky bunch of fellows. And yeah, Mojo is really getting a chance to shine in this fic. And the boys are trying their best to save their teacher and at the same time keep their agreement with the girls.