Brick: My eyes… I wanna claw out my eyes right now…
Blossom: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WROTE THAT! WHY DO YOU TORTURE ME SO?
Buttercup: *smacks Butch* asshole! Got me detention!
Butch: Ow! It wasn't me! It was her! She wrote it! Jeeze, it's just a story, don't need to take it out on me.
Relax all. Sheesh. (: if you guys liked this than you'll looove the next chapter. Haha.
Brick and Blossom: What. Did. You. Do…?
(: You'll see! Now for the disclaimer. I- Where's Bubbles and Boomer?
*Bubbles comes running in, guitar in hand, followed by Boomer* Boomer: Give me my guitar Bubbles!
Bubbles: No! Megmeg999 made me the musician, not you. So *sticks out tongue*
Anyway, before I get killed by the fuming Reds over here, let me do the disclaimer. I don't own Powerpuff Girls or Rowdyruff Boys.
Buttercup: Please, get on with it. I gotta see what you plan to do with this. It's kinda killing me now.
Butch: You just wanna see if we have hot monkey sex in the supply closet.
Buttercup: Pervert.
Annnywayyyy… Thanks also to:
-NAWHdinosaurs -chi-chiwawa
-SnoopyGirl213 -Kaname1993
-powerpunkbrat -gooeystar83
-bookie101 -1000GreenSun
And a special thanks to my best friend WaterFairy aka. Mizu, for her editing awesomeness. Thank her, or this chapter would be totally horrible, with grammatical errors out the wazoo. Thanks girl! Love ya!
ENJOY!
Brick's POV:
The Student Government meeting had been in the teacher's lounge of all things. Most were chattering mindlessly around the room. All waiting for a few key people to show up, such as the President, Little Miss Bitch, aka Pinky.
I sat at the end of the table, my feet propped up on the edge as I waited patiently. What was the big deal about this whole "Student Government" thing? Why did I agree to this? I didn't even like keeping my brothers in order, let alone a bunch of kids from fucking school. I'm losing my damn mind, that's it. I never would have agreed to this had I been sane.
As if my sanity wasn't at risk of being lost entirely, Pinky flew in, a frantic look deep in her eyes, though her composure was damn near impenetrable.
"Sorry, I'm late. It's been a hectic week." I took notice of the brief glare she threw in my direction before her and a long blonde haired girl, close to her height, followed behind her as they made their way to seats.
She settled herself into the empty chair beside me, and retrieved the notebook from her small black purse. "Right, so of course, as always, welcome. Nice to see everyone's here." The all too evident glare she shot from the corner of her eye at me explained she was exceedingly stunned to see me show up at all. But I didn't overlook the faint gulp of nervousness.
"Is there any business you'd like to discuss first?" she started simply.
"Homecoming," multiple voices echoed at once.
I could sense the tension revolving around this topic, for she sighed and removed the black middle arm waist jacket, revealing the white tank top beneath. I felt my throat constrict and heartbeat grow more rapid, if only for a moment. There was one thing I couldn't deny, no matter how much I hated myself for it. Blossom had many sultry curves, seeming to be in the perfect places. Even now, for the briefest of seconds, I found myself having trouble tearing my eyes away from the slender beauty beside me. God, just thinking that brings an unfamiliar need to strangle myself right then and there.
My thoughts were interrupted by the chattering of some guy's I didn't know. Though, their faces sent a wave of familiarity through me. Clean cut, medium builds similar to mine, though they were much shorter compared to my six-foot-three height.
"Boys, do you mind?" Pinky interrupted. "You are partly the ones that asked to discuss this topic first."
The leader of this little gang, or so I assumed, smirked at her with a lustful look. However, there was an underlying superiority in his gaze, as if her being the leader of the Powerpuff Girls made him no less dominant over her. "You're the one that let a Rowdyruff in here. You signed the death certificate for any order in this meeting by allowing that."
She spared me a quick glance before meeting the jerk's eyes once more. "I'm not the one that allowed him in, majority vote."
"So-"
"However…" All watched, a curiosity burning in their minds. "Brick has not interrupted us yet. You have."
"It's been five minutes. Give it time, baby. I guarantee he'll fuck some shit up."
I could already see her temper burning, and knowing her as well as I knew any enemy, I knew she'd instantly call the kid out on his language rather than the fact he'd referred to her as "baby". "Langua-"
I let loose an earsplitting whistle. A few covered their ears in attempts to block the painful sound out. Blossom seemed as though the sound hardly fazed her, only watching me with a bewildered expression. "Shut the fuck up, kid." I snapped. "It's been five minutes and I'm ready to snap your fucking head off. Shut the fuck up, or watch me throw your ass out."
All but Pinky stared flabbergasted at me, as if they'd heard Boomer speak something utterly brilliant, which was a rarity for him. The jerk silenced, stunned I'd actually been doing something to keep order rather than allow the ignorant comments to continue. I certainly wasn't known for keeping peaceful order. Organized crime, yes. Civil order, certainly not.
"Thanks," Blossom muttered, eye brows raised in disbelief.
"Believe me Pinky, that was for my benefit, not yours."
"Right…" She said, continuing to stare for another moment before the skepticism finally drained from her features and she resumed her meeting. "Anyway, as you can see, nothing is different. So shall we begin?"
Despite the tenseness I could now sense from the rest of this little group, most resumed their silence as they pulled notebooks from their bags and began the meeting, eyes flickering between Pinky and me. Even she had a difficult time keeping her eyes away off of me, as if she were having a hard time believing it as well.
The rest of the meeting had been silent, nothing but the civil talk that one would expect of such meetings. Though I hated the thought of having to take part in this little club, I found myself actually good at it. It would seem threats do still work when attempting to keep order. I'd certainly have to reincorporate that into my control strategies when pertaining to my brothers. Though, I didn't appreciate the excessive scrutiny from Pinky. Thank goodness for the years of training, or I never could have dealt with that hour, which seems to drag on longer than any moment in my entirely life. It was then that I could tell this would be a little more daunting a task than I realized.
Butch's POV:
It was a rarity that I said fighting was a big mistake. But this was one of those very rare occasions. Sitting under the watchful eye of the librarian, who I firmly believed could have been older than the dinosaurs in the book I'd been reading, we sat in silence as the hour progressed exceedingly slow. She really stuck to her guns about the whole "no talking, just read" policy shit the principal had fed her. Talk about some fucking sucky luck on my part.
"I'm going to the copy room," the bitch grumbled in a husky, garbled tone. "Don't even try sneaking out. The Principal warned me of your shenanigans. So I'm on to you." She stared narrowed eyed at me specifically, sparing Buttercup the briefest of glances before stalking out the door, leaving behind nothing but the foul odor of decaying meat.
The second I knew she was out of earshot, I turned back to face the silent Powerpuff settled across from me. Though it was our first of many detentions together, I could sense this silence would drag on forever. It hung between us as we read. To my disbelief, it bothered me a little too much.
"Come on, Butterbabe. Talk to me. I can't stand this sitting here in silence shit. It's almost as annoying as the time Princess tried to become a Rowdyruff." The thought of her being in our group, though I knew Brick would have never allowed it the second the request reached his ears, still sent chills up my spine. I fought back the urge to shutter there and then.
She laughed humorously, her eyes never leaving the book in front of her. She only sat there, resting her head on her right fist as she flipped through the pages silently. After a while, I'd given up on trying to get her to speak. She was pissed at me for making us get detention, and I couldn't blame her to be honest. This shit really sucked.
It was about twenty minutes before bell rang, and the librarian had yet to return. I saw it as a prime opportunity to getting her to speak. Or rather, a prime opportunity to try again. "Would saying sorry fix this silence?"
She stopped mid-flip though never looked up. "What did you just say? Are you suggesting you'd actually be able to apologize without melting?"
"I said would it, not that I would."
I wanted to smack myself, for she breathed deeply, as if to relax her rising temper, and continued to flip through the book. Maybe saying it wouldn't be such a bad thing. If it got her to speak, this whole "getting her to fall for me" quest I'd been on might be a smidge easier.
I felt the slightest twinge of a smirk on my lips, but I tried not to sound too humored. "I'm sorry for being a Class-A prick."
Thankfully, she raised her head, the veil of raven colored hair slowly revealing that milky white face. Instantly, images ran through my head, of angels, fallen or otherwise. She had a face that put them all to shame.
Buttercup had this smirk on her face, one that was a cross between triumphant and disbelieving. "Since when do you apologize?"
I shrugged, holding back the small laughter building up in the back of my throat. Apologizing was certainly not one of the things I was known for. Especially when apologizing to a Powerpuff Girl. "Since now. I have to admit, this whole situation is kinda my fault, I won't deny that. Brick says I have control issues, hence my attacking you in return yesterday. He does have a point; I just can't help it though. I'm hot-headed, as you know all too well." Not only did she know from having to deal with me as a counterpart, but deep down, she had the very same issues haunting her.
Buttercup just stared at me, biting the inside of her left cheek. "Uh-huh…" was all she said. I had hoped more would be said than that, but she only stared back down at her book, continuing to read.
Well, it wasn't the conversation I was expecting would happen, but it was better than nothing. I'd get her to talk to me eventually. I mean, hey, I had three weeks to do it after all.
Blossom:
I sat with Dexter and some friends at lunch, mostly Student Government members. They'd found Dexter damn near god-incarnate, so they were all too willing to let him join us on a regular basis, despite my silent protests to them. But, if truth be told, I found myself unaware of his presence about ninety percent of the time. It'd been about two weeks since Brick's first Student Government meeting with us, has is actual ability to do the job well. And another meeting had been approaching within the next week or so. My curiosity ate at me like a virus. Would he be that serious next time, or would he relapse into his own habits and cause some sort of conflict with me?
"Blossom?" Danielle, my vice president in S.G crooned, waving her hand in front of my face. "Anybody home?"
Mindlessly, I blinked, my eyes hurting now as though I hadn't blinked in forever. I met her brown eyes, seeing a very evident worry deep within them. "Yeah… I'm fine. Just thinking."
"Do you realize you've managed to not blink for a solid ten minutes? I didn't know that was even physically possible honestly." Dexter added somberly, jumping into the conversation.
"Thanks for making me feel like a freak of nature, Dexter. You were very helpful."
An innocent shrug followed by silence from him. Daniele wasn't as convinced about my excuse. "What were you thinking about? It looked more like you were watching something or… someone." Her words registered in the back of her mind, and she glanced over her shoulder at the rest of the cafeteria, trying to find something that would be able to hold my attention so intently. "Ohh…" A smirk played at the edge of her ruby red lips, and a knowing look entered her expression as she turned back to me. "I see…"
"See what?" I asked innocently.
"Don't tell me you were staring at Brick…"
I'd chosen the wrong time to drink from my water bottle. She'd said that at the exact moment I'd taken a swig, and I nearly choked on it. "I'm sorry, what?" I said between coughs. "No, I wasn't. Really."
Danielle had been a good friend of mine for year. Having been in in my dance troupe since freshman year, and in a good number of my classes since, I believe, third grade. I'd grown to think of her as a very close friend, similar to Robin. But sometimes it irritated me how observant she was. Made it hard to handle situations such as this.
"Well it didn't seem that way," she said, playing mindlessly with her salad.
Unsure how I was supposed to debate this further, I let my eyes leave hers and wander around the room. I happen to catch sight of where Brick had been sitting. He actually had been in the general area I'd gazed off thoughtlessly in, so her misinterpretation was understandable. He sat with a small group of boys about six tables over. I'd known some of them, mostly through Buttercup. They were a rowdy group of boys, mostly smokers and wannabee thugs. Though, for the most part, they were harmless. It was no surprise though that Brick would assimilate himself into that group. He would be a god to them.
His eyes met mine, a dark though not hateful look in them, surprisingly. In fact, he seemed almost emotionless entirely. It was more of a cold, dead look. Nonetheless, wasn't long for it to turn into a glare, that's when I forced my eyes to tear away from him, and look anywhere but in his general direction. What was going on with me? Why was I so caught up on the fact Brick was doing something normal for once in his life. I mean, sure it was to most likely piss me off, but he'd at least been doing the work and jobs asked of him… he took this stuff he did seriously. So why did it bother me so?
"I'm just a little distracted. It's not him though."
Danielle, nor Dexter, seemed to believe me, though the two never said anything of it after that. I allowed myself one last peak at Brick as the three of us stood to dispose of our trays. He watched me, as if I were something of interest to him. With the intensity of his scrutiny, I felt as though I were nothing but little lab-rat to him, and he were the scientist. Brick was waiting to see what my next move would be. I couldn't help but feel this were just a game to him, a very intense game of Cat and Mouse. He had been toying with me, trying to see how far I would go before I cracked under the pressure. Well, I wouldn't let him get that far into this "recreation sport" of his.
He wanted to play? Well, I'll play… "Check," I murmured to myself as Dexter, Danielle and I strolled out of the cafeteria.
Buttercup's POV:
Blossom had warned me to be careful around Butch, that she sensed there was something underneath this "just here for school" bullshit the Boys tried to feed to us. I don't blame Blossom for her paranoid state. Brick had been unusually sadistic to her lately, and no one could understand why. It was troubling enough to see her still struggling to overcome the loss of her boyfriend. Murder isn't exactly a small thing one can overlook, and it must be horrible to know who did it and not prove it.
If I'm being honest, it scared me, all of this. More and more each day. Brick could be hurting her but I would never know. He could be of trying to kill her in one of these club meetings he joined of hers, and I would have no idea. I felt so vulnerable; I couldn't protect my "big" sister, not with the set up the Boys were in here. It made them damn near untouchable.
I'd been doing fairly well when it comes to ignoring Butch over the past two weeks. I kept our contact to a minimal, as had Bubbles It was easier for her. Boomer made it appear as if he had no interest in communicating in their classes besides the occasional pleasantries, unless it was called for real conversation in class. I, however, had a real chatterbox for a counterpart. And though Butch tried frequently to get me to talk, I stayed firm, ignoring him as often as possible. But in recent days, he'd been even more persistent than normal.
"Buttercup?"
Butch must have been desperate to converse with me; he'd even resorted to calling me by my legitimate name, and not one of those fucking annoying nicknames he used so recurrently. But I never looked up from the book on car mechanics that lay in front of me.
"Come on, BC. Why you ignoring me? I apologized for getting you in trouble, and it was honest, considering who I am and all." I allowed myself to sneak a peak of him from the corner of my eye. He was frowning, this abandoned puppy dog look on his face. "Come on. I can't be charming and charismatic when it's a one-way conversation."
I felt the slightest crack of a smile on my lips, but forcibly wiped it away. "What, Butch? What is it you need to say? I just want to get through these three weeks as civilly as possible."
"Civility implies speaking, not ignoring."
Whoa, Butch almost sounded smart there. I didn't try hiding how mind blown I'd been from him. "Huh, reading a book a day for two weeks finally got some knowledge into that empty head of yours? I had no idea you knew what civility even meant."
"You know you're so hot when you're feisty and sarcastic like that?"
And there was the old Butch I knew. The sexist pig I'd been fighting since we were kids. I rolled my eyes and stared back down, lapsing back to my silent state.
He sighed, though it sounded as though he were suppressing a groan rather than sighing. "Okay, I'm sorry. I take that back-"
"What is with you suddenly wanting to talk, to apologize whenever you say something wrong? You trying to win your way back into my graces so you can kill me?
A look of awe crossed his face. "What? No! I-"
"Did Brick send you in to find my weaknesses? Ease your way into my friend circle so you can get close and find out what my true weaknesses are? To destroy us with."
He held his hands up in surrender, a hurt yet utterly shocked look painted on that childlike face of his. "No, I ain't trying to kill you. I swear. I know that sounds stupid with the past we have, and what happened at my house not even a few weeks ago, but that was all Brick, not me. I don't want to hurt you or your sisters surprisingly. Honest."
There was something in his voice, this innocence that only a child could pull off. That or a hurt, guiltless man. And though Butch surely acted as though he were still a child, he was certainly not one anymore. He meant what he'd said, that I could sense. "Then why are you so persistent?"
"Is it that surprising that I want to be friends?"
There'd been no teasing in his voice, no humor, no sarcasm. It was eerie how serious he looked, let alone sounded. I met his oddly jade green eyes, seeing myself in them. It sent a haunting chill up my spine. "Really?" I asked skeptically. "Since when are you so keen on being friends with Powerpuff Girls?"
"Since now." A sarcastic grin spread across his face, but it didn't have that usual vicious twist to it. It was just… friendly.
Butch watched me, waiting for me to say something. I couldn't help but crack a smile a bit at the proud look on his face, as if this momentary conversation was a major success to him. "Okay," I said simply.
All humor or triumph in his expression faded, replaced by a look of confusion that I couldn't help but giggle at. Well at least internally. "Okay what?" he asked.
Bell rang, and I only smiled, too amused by his perplexed expression to say more. I said nothing on the subject as I walked out, Butch running through the conversation in his head as he walked beside me to our next class. I had to admit, I don't know what it was about him, but he was actually kinda adorable when he had that dumbfounded thinking look on his face. It was cute. It didn't mean I trusted him, not in the least, but hey… maybe it would be a laugh if I gave him a chance.
Bubbles' POV:
I sat silently in the slowly filling room of my Chemistry II class, waiting to begin. From the corner of my eye, I saw the silhouette of my sister. Turning to greet her, I choked on my "hello" when I caught sight of her and Butch walking side by side to class. Of course I knew they shared a class, or rather most of them, but seeing them walk together and without someone bleeding was a sight I thought I'd never see. I couldn't even begin to count the times since school started that Buttercup had complained over dinner how increasingly irritating Butch had been. Now, they were escorting each other to class?
No, they couldn't be. Must be just a coincidence, maybe their detention had just gotten out and this would end when their punishment did. Buttercup knew we had to avoid them as best we could. She knew the damage they could do, as poor Blossom knew all too well. I couldn't help but sigh thinking about the agonizing turmoil my sister Blossom must have felt, knowing Brick was within reach and she couldn't get him for all the pain he'd caused her. The look of failure in her eyes, of anguish, it was like nothing that anyone could ever understand unless they experienced as much agony as she has.
The cobalt eyes of my counterpart from directly across the room made it all too obvious he was wondering the same thing of our green eyed siblings as I had been. Clearly there was something there that I wasn't the only one sensing.
"All right my bright eyed student," Mrs. Angela said cheerfully. "I know you are all exhausted, the day's so close to being over but still one period after this. Believe me, the feeling of anxiousness for the weekend is mutual. So, seeing as its Friday, I thought we'd do something simple for today." She sauntered around the counter and stood alongside a tall stack of small boxes. "These little kits are for you to each take, and do in partners. Meaning groups of two. No more, no less. I want you to first pick a partner, and not someone you know well. This is going to be a social experiment as well as scientific. I want you to get to know your classmates better. So find someone, and I'll know if you're faking. I know my classes," she said smirking as she settled herself in her seat and watched us scatter into clusters, all eager to find someone before they ended up the odd-one-out.
As the cluster dissipated, I caught sight of a shaggy mop top head of hair. Boomer had known everyone, so to avoid getting in trouble, most had avoiding partnering with him. I stood up and made my way across the small classroom, smiling at him as I approached. He, however, seemed a bit confused as well as suspicious. Well, that's what I detected from the narrowed eyes he'd been watching me from.
"Bubbles," he greeted me coolly.
"Hey, Boomer. Have a partner?"
He smirked, chuckling a little too darkly for my comfort, but I brushed the feeling off. "No, but I suspect that why you're over here."
Well, he was smart at least. "Good, let's get a lab table." He followed close behind me as we grabbed one of the last two lab tables and waited patiently for Mrs. Angela to continue.
She glanced up from her computer, giggling with amusement as she took in the peculiar set up of partners. I caught the bewildered, though entertained as she contemplated the possible result of Boomer and I being partners. "Very good. Now, I have some work to do, so I was sure to find a very simple project for you all to do. If you mess this up, or act anything other than your age, I guarantee this will be the last of the experiments until you graduate. So behave." She grabbed one of the kits and uncovered it, revealing each object inside. "Can anyone guess what we're making?"
"Oh man, are we making glow in the dark slime?" a boy in the back said, I believe his name was Billy.
"Very observant. Simple enough? Directions are in the box, please behave, this is still a science class. And these ingredients can still cause serious damage. Each group send up one person and grab two kits." She waved her hands dismissively and shrugged. "Have at it. I have some Hawaii tickets to purchase."
I couldn't help but giggle at the last part she muttered under her breath, having forgotten that I had advanced hearing. Boomer as well. He returned from grabbing kits, a smirk still on his face as he glanced over his shoulder at the teacher, then back to me. "Here you go," he set the kit in front of me and began to unpack his.
"This is going to be so much fun! I love doing projects like this, especially ones that glow in the dark! I can't remember the last time I'd done something like this. The Professor doesn't allow us to do things like these unless it's in the lab, and he rarely lets us in there anymore because he's always busy. But I think he's just using that as an excuse to avoid the angst of teenage girl drama. I think it's times like these he wishes we had a mother."
Boomer laughed, a light and airy one, that I hadn't heard from him once since school started. I had to admit, I liked the sound of his laugh. "You really know to do that whole rapid babbling thing girls do. You're very good at it."
I smiled apologetically; I hadn't even realized I'd been rambling until he pointed it out. "Sorry, when I'm in a good mood I tend to ramble extensively and usually about meaningless things."
"I didn't realize you had anything other than good moods," he teased. "I didn't actually think you knew how to be in a bad mood."
"Believe me, I can be a bit of a bitch. Or so Buttercup says."
He watched me apprehensively, and I could sense he wanted to laugh or even smile, but he held firm. "We should get started," he said, staring down at the directions.
My head cocked to the side, and I couldn't help but take notice of the way he acted. This wasn't the same Boomer I'd known as a child. Somewhere over the course of the years he'd been gone, he changed dramatically. Boomer used to be a boy, childish, as he illustrated when during a battle as a child, he'd gotten distracted so easily and began playing mindlessly with a passing fly. Brick hadn't been too thrilled of that moment. And while being, to put it nicely, not the sharpest tool in the shed, he was still a lot friendlier and warm than this. At least, that was the feeling I got from him, and I was always so good at sensing things like that.
This Boomer was damn near polar opposite to the childhood Boomer I knew. He was colder, less caring. He had this darkness around him, seeming to drain the perkiness and childish nature from him with each passing second. And that nature is what makes me the happy one of our trio. So, isn't it part of the counterpart thing that he would be similar to me? Eerily, I couldn't help thinking of Brick when being near him.
There was another example. Brick was nothing like Blossom. She was warm, caring, smart, and logical. Brick was… okay he was smart and logical, I had to give him that. But he definitely wasn't warm and caring. Completely opposite. He was cruel, and sadistic, and I had a sinking feeling a tad masochistic. Despite their complete differences, they were still counterparts. But then again, Butch and Buttercup were so alike it was scary. Their tempers, apparent need to fight, and show the other up. Both were a little bit cocky as well, so it was obvious why the two had been counterparts.
So where did that leave Boomer and me? We were nothing alike, similar to Blossom and Brick. Is that why we were counterparts? But as children, we'd been very much alike, just as our raven-haired siblings. Hell, was it the fact we were both blonde that made us counterparts?
"Are you all right?" he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
My head snapped up to meet his eyes, and for the slightest second, I thought I sense true compassion, worry even. And that's when I saw myself in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little distracted this afternoon."
He laughed humorously. "This afternoon? Blondie, you've been a little distracted every day. You certainly give people a reason to continue giving blondes their stereotype."
"You're blonde too!"
"Ahh," he said, smirking. "But I know I'm an idiot, I don't pretend to not be. As you well know."
He laughed, and for the first time again since he'd joined our school, our lives in general, I was starting to recognize the old Boomer. The kid from my childhood.
I laughed with him, enjoying the airiness of the conversation now. I don't know what had been going through my head at that moment, because I must have been absolutely mental to go against my sisters the way I did at this moment. "Hey Boomer," he met my eyes, still smiling, though a new curiosity in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "You free tonight?"
His eyes went huge, expression a cross between disbelief and nervousness. "Yes? Why?"
"My friends and I are going to hang out tonight. A movie, maybe grab something to eat after, it all depends. Would you want to come?"
All nervousness faded, utter confusion practically radiating off him. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he said, "Oh, um… yeah, I guess. It's just-"
"Scared of how Brick would react?"
He laughed. "Damn, you are smart kid."
I ignored the "kid" comment, despite it having bothered me very much. I knew I'd been older than him, and that was enough for me. "Just don't tell him I'm going. Come on, it'll be super fun. Robin really knows how to have a fun night. So it's going to be very exciting." I ripped a page from my notebook, scribbling the time and place of meet up before sliding over to his side of the table. "In case you change your mind."
His eyes never left mine, watching me with evident curiosity. "Why? After all we've been through, decide being nice now?"
Frankly, I had no idea as to the answer to that question in the least. I said the first thing that popped into my mind, and luckily, it had been a smart thing to say. "Consider it the first step to a peace offering."
The faintest hint of a crooked smile shadowed his features as he watched me stare down at the unused kit before me. Silently, he slipped the paper into his pocket and we began the experiment.
Omniscient POV:
"Yes, Mr. Saki," the young agent said to his Bluetooth, mindlessly unlocking the door to his penthouse apartment. "I am meeting with corporate headquarters this evening to discuss the merger. Everything will go perfectly, without fail, sir… Very good. Good evening, sir." And he ended the call with a relieved sigh, pleased to be free of his nagging boss once more.
He set his bulky black suitcase on the glass end table, loosening his navy tie. With eerie silence, a shadow emerged from the corner of his eye, and the young man whirled around with alarm, only to instantly recollect the intruder's identity. "Good evening, Daniel," the figure articulated darkly.
Daniel shifted to a firmer, more self-assured stance, as he ran long white fingers through his gelled black shag of hair. "Mr. Jojo, it's been a long time."
"I would have preferred it to have been longer," Brick said crassly as he strode around the apartment, taking in the pictures of Daniel and a young blonde, appearing to be fresh out of college. "Is this your girlfriend?"
"Fiancée," Daniel corrected him, examining him with a suspicious glare.
"She's beautiful," Brick stated before moving on to the other photos, and eventually, his attention returning to Daniel.
He shifted as Brick did, never giving himself a second to be intimidated or vulnerable. Though, in all honesty, Daniel was shaking in his dress shoes. "As pleasant as it is to see you, Brick, would you care to explain your purpose of breaking into my apartment?"
Brick stood firm in his place, hands clasped behind his back. There was a dark, contemplative look in his eye as he measured every detail, every miniscule move of his target. "You see, Daniel, I've been informed of your upcoming merger with Cyrus Inc. And well, my boss isn't too happy about that. As I'm sure you're probably aware, when a boss isn't happy, it's usually his top guns that get the heat of his wrath." Two more shadows appeared from behind Daniel, circling around to stand behind their leader. Butch stood strategically solid, arms crossed in a menacing way. Boomer stood opposite to him, on Brick's left, mimicking Butch's stance. A dark shadow seemed to hang over him, creating a veil of looming obscurity around him. "Frankly, we'd like to avoid getting our asses singed."
"So how do you exactly intend to solve this little situation?"
Brick chuckled sinisterly, his brothers joining in as well, and Daniel's heart slowly started to pick up speed as he realized the imminent danger. The laughter subsided, and Brick's smirk turned into a disturbing sneer. "Now, I think we all know how this is going to end."
Daniel gulped, backing away slowly as Butch and Boomer began to loom over him.
xxx
"What do you want us to do with his body, Brick?" Butch inquired as he slowly wiped the blood off of his hands.
There was a thoughtful silence from the Rowdyruff leader as he looked over the partially beaten body before him. "Set him on the bed. Let his fiancée give him a proper burial."
"Since when are you so considerate?" Boomer retorted, setting Daniel's body on the steel queen bed in the next room.
"Yeah, I would have left his sorry ass on the floor to rot."
Brick merely glanced between his two brothers, before walking into the room to take once last survey of the target. Daniel was rested on the bed, knuckled covered in coagulating blood, eye red, and a swollen lip. The white of his suit shirt was stained scarlet, scattered with thick patches of blood and torn fabric. And his neck was a faint purple from where the tie had been constricting against his neck.
For a brief moment, Brick almost felt pity for Daniel. He was no more than a few years older from what Brick had been, a love waiting, and a full life ahead of him. But, now cadaverous and beaten, with no signs of life left in his blue eyes, Brick couldn't help want to laugh at the thought that this all could have been avoided for him. "Stupid bastard," he muttered. "You shouldn't have gotten mixed up in villain run companies."
Butch and Boomer observed their brother as he shut the lids of Daniel's eyes, before returning to them. "What now, bro?" Butch questioned.
"We disappear, back to Townsville," he muttered, rolling the sleeves of his maroon button down up to his elbows. "I want no word of this getting back to the Powerpuff Girls, understood?"
"Yes, Brick." The two remaining Ruffs said in sync.
"Good, so I'm gonna start flying back. I have plans tonight, and need to get ready." Without another word, Boomer threw himself out the shattered glass of the penthouse window and took to the skies, nothing but his familiar cobalt streak visible to the world.
Brick paid no attention to Boomer, focusing on the worked up Butch before him. "What's up with you?"
Butch fidgeted anxiously, rolling his shoulders as he bounced in place. "This stuff gets my wires fired up and makes me antsy."
Brick could see that his brother was getting a taste for this business, this sort of "assassinations" work that he had seemed to begin doing for certain villain. He could sense the change in his brother's moods from the sadistic childhood girl torturers, to heartless murderers. It was unbearable for him to watch the transition. "Don't," he muttered.
Butch froze in his place, cocking his head to the side as he tried to understand what his ominous and cryptic brother had implied. "What do you mean?"
"Don't get used to this job. Murdering. Fighting the Powerpuff Girls is one thing, murder is not. I never should have let you two start this. Get out of here; go hit the gym or football practice… something… anything normal. Just get out of here."
"But-"
"Now!" Brick snapped, seeming to growl as his eyes practically lit up. "Get out now!"
Butch cowered a moment, cringing back at his brother's harsh tone, before following suit with Boomer. Now utterly alone in the mangled apartment, Brick felt the shadow begin to eclipse his sanity, and he felt the intense need to hit something, or someone… to kill again. "No!" he growled to himself, clawing at his head as if he were hoping to scratch away the very darkness threatening to consume him.
No matter how many times Brick had dealt with this excruciating hatred inside him, it seemed as if it were getting harder each time to overcome it. Hours of sitting in the darkness usually was enough to settle the fire inside him, but this time was not like the others. A voice popped in his head, followed by an image he never expected to see after an event such as this.
"Brick, you're such a weakling. You can't even handle a teeny-tiny shadow like this. No wonder you haven't defeated me yet." Blossom's voice was like an echo in his head, and he could virtually see her smirk as she crossed her arms, glaring at him.
"Blossom?" he muttered to himself, looking around to see if she had been truly there or not. The voice had sounded so real, so concrete that he had almost been certain she had been there.
"You're weak, you'll never defeat the darkness or me. I am stronger then you." Her voice continued to egg him on, that pompous tone challenging him.
"Weak my ass." He straightened up, taking deep breaths as he shut his eyes tightly, praying this scene would disappear and he'd be in the comfort of his home. To his dismay, Brick was still in the apartment, the voice gone. But he could still sense her there, sense her near him. Blossom was haunting his thoughts endlessly. But what surprised him most was of all the things he could possibly think of, possibly do, her voice in his head was what calmed him the easiest, and, like nothing, pushed away the shadows consuming him.
Keys jingled in the door, and he could hear the voice of a young girl, possibly Daniel's fiancée. Sparing one last glance around the room, expecting to see Blossom, Brick shook his head doubtfully and took to the skies, leaving nothing but the shrieking woman and her now deceased love behind. Cyrus was getting too dirty a job for even him. Brick would have to take care of this company ultimately…but it was too much for him and his brothers alone.