The Powerpuff Girls copyright Craig McKracken
Green Lantern copyright DC Comics/Warner Brothers
Lantern's Light
Chapter 07: Ruby Vengeance
Eric's time on Oa had proved to be quite an endevor...
The Advanced Training was pretty tough (which was expected)
and, after several months on Oa...he was starting to miss being on Earth.
but, it wasn't ALL BAD...
Arisia proved to be a good friend to him, and made him feel "welcomed" among the Corps.
even Ch'p was fun to be around...sometimes.
having a "Rodent" for a roommate TRUELY required some patience on Eric's part.
but, Eric somehow felt it was WORTH IT.
although, lately...Eric was getting increacingly anxious.
he had been cooped up on Oa for so long, and he YEARNED for some action.
and, TODAY...he would get his wish.
[Planet Oa, Morning]
Eric slept soundly in his bed, mumbling something in a low voice.
then, Ch'p hung upside down from the top bunk and snickered.
the Chipmunk/Squirrel stretched out hand and, slowly conjured a Green Energy Construct: an Alarm Clock.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG!
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" yelled Eric, who hit his head
"RISE 'N' SHINE, ROOMIE!, HA-HA!" exclaimed Ch'p
"CHHHHHHH'P!"
Eric sat at the edge of the bed and groaned.
"So...whose Buttercup?"
Eric looked at Ch'p.
"huh?"
"You've been mumbling that name all night.
every other minute, you keep goin': "buttercuuuuup..."
Ch'p chuckled.
"so,who is she?, your GIRLFRIEND or something?-YOW!"
Eric threw his pillow at the squirrel.
"KNOCK IT OFF!"
"Alright-alright, sheesh!..."
Eric groaned again.
he then sighed sharply.
"Ugh...another day, another training session." grumbled Eric
"huh?"
"nothing."
Eric soon got up and walked out the door.
Eric soon reached a lunchroom, where many lanterns were having their lunch break.
eric, however...just sat ALONE at a table by a window, where he got a nice view of the city.
just then, Arisa walked up...carrying a tray of food.
"HEY, ERIC!" said Graxosian as she sat down
"I got you some EARTH FOOD.
a nice Cheesebuger, some Fries and Root Beer."
Eric grumbled.
"is something wrong?"
"oh...I don't know." began Eric
"i've been stuck on this rock for several months now and, all I ever seem to be doing is TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!"
"Hmmm...yeah!, I know what you mean." said Arisa, as she ate a fry
"I've been on Oa for at least a YEAR and, all I ever seem to do is lame Security Jobs."
Arisia munched on more fries.
"Mmmm...these are good." said Arisa, who then drank some soda
"so, how long do I have to wait before I finally see some action?: TEN YEARS!?"
"((BURP!)) naw...I don't think so.
I guess action will come when it happens...or, something like that."
Arisia then licked her lips.
"hey...you gonna eat that?"
Eric sighed, then handed Arisa a cheeseburger.
"just a-"
CHOMP!
Eric looked at his now "half-a-cheesburger"
which has a bite mark that looked like someing from JAWS.
"bite..."
Eric sighed.
"how is it that you can eat so much, and STILL keep that slender figure!?"
"we graxosians have an "advanced" metabolysm...and, Healing Factors."
"cool."
just then, Ch'p floated over to the table.
he was carrying a large bag, which he dumped on the table...revealing an assortment of nuts.
"Hey, Roomie!
Hiya, Hot-Stuff." said Ch'p, ever "chipper"
Arisia smiled and waved.
"hello, Ch'p."
Eric just waved.
Ch'p then used his ring and created and energy construct that formed into a nutcracker.
he took the solid, green object and used it to break the shell.
as he munched on the nuts inside, he began to speak.
"so...(munch, munch)
you gonna tell me who this "buttercup" is, or what? (GULP!)"
"ch'p..." said Eric thru gritted teeth.
"Buttercup?
whose Buttercup?" asked Arisia
"That's what "I" want to know!
Eric here keeps saying her name in his sleep EVERY NIGHT."
Eric looked away, shielding his face with his hand.
"it's...n-nothing nothing important."
Arisia looked at Eric with concerned eyes.
she then reached out her hand and touched his own gently.
"eric...come on, it's us.
something is clearly bothering you, and you can tell us."
Eric looked down, pain evident in his eyes.
"it's...not something I like talking about."
Arisia eyed him.
"then...will it be okay if we take a look, ourselves?"
Eric looked at the golden haired teen.
"huh?"
"me and Ch'p can use our rings power to sync up each others minds...
we can sample your memories and see what's bothering you, you won't have to say ANYTHING."
Eric raised an eyebrow.
"Hmmm...I must of missed THAT lesson during training."
Arisia raised her fist up, showing her Power Ring.
"can we?"
Eric looked into Arisia's blue eyes...
eyes that were so KIND and COMPASSIONENT...much like Bubbles.
finally, Eric exhaled.
"fine...just, be quick.
I don't feel to comfortable with people poking around my brain."
Arisia nodded.
she then bended her wrist, aiming her fist at Eric.
her ring glowed green as it charged.
then, she fired an energy beam at Eric's head, which, oddly enough...didn't hurt.
Ch'p did the same.
Eric's eyes (along with Arisia and Ch'p's) became glazed.
before long, Arisia groaned softly...as if experiencing something unpleasent.
she (and Ch'p) finally broke the connection, yelling out as she did.
Arisia's elbows rested on teh table...
she groaned and breathed heavily, sweating a little.
"oh, m-my...that was-"
"craaaaaa-zy." said Ch'p, finally
Arisia raised her head up and looked at Eric.
her eyes were wide, as if she was seeing him in a "new way"
"eric...
i...i'm so sorry."
Eric sighed sharply.
"you know...I may miss earth.
but, their are SOME THINGS...that I don't miss at all."
Eric then sat back on his chair, his neck resting back on it.
Arisia was silent for a moment...while Ch'p just slurped some Root Beer, breaking the silence.
"M-Maybe we could do something FUN together as friends!" began Arisia
"you know, since we're not doing anything important...we could just hang out?"
"OH, YEAH!
THAT sounds like a sweet idea." started Ch'p
"Because, I know this sweeeeet little joint over at Planet Coruscant...Guarenteed FUN and EXCITMENT!"
Arisia cleared her throat forcefully.
"I" was thinking some something more...RELAXING.
like maybe Planet Naboo, it's got the most LOVELY Water Springs."
Eric sighed, then stood up.
"thanks, guys.
but, if it's all the same to you...I think I'd rather have some time to myself."
Eric smiled weakly, then waved.
"bye."
Eric then walked off.
as he left, Arisia and Ch'p watched him.
"gee...he looks BLUE." said Arisia, finally
"He looked more like a "Caucasian Brunette" to me." Said Ch'p
"no, Ch'p.
I mean: "He's Depressed."
"oh."
[Elsewhere]
Eric walked aimlessly down the streets of the Oan City...
unlike most cities, it lacked Cars or even places of business.
the city basicly served as Apartments for Green Lantern's stationed on Oa.
which REQUIRED to be City Sized, since their were Lanterns for EVERY world from EVERY galaxy in the universe.
Eric was so lost in thought, that he didn't even look where he was going.
it wasn't long before he was nearing the very "outskirts" of the city.
"((sigh...why am i still feeling this way?!))" thought Eric to himself
"((here i am, an intergalactic law officer on another planet...
things that only people on earth can only DREAM of becoming...and, all i can think about is BUTTERCUP!))"
Eric growled in his throat.
"((oh...WHY DO I EVEN CARE!?
so I was rejected, SO WHAT!?...there are billions of girls out there for me.))"
Eric stopped...then, sighed sadly.
"((but, only ONE Buttercup...))"
Eric exhaled sadly.
then, he looked up...and, suddenly realised he was outside the city.
in fact, he was close to the "Great Oan Temple"
the place where The Guardians kept the fabled "Book of Oa", the source of ALL the secrets of The Corps.
Eric looked, and sure enough...THERE was the temple.
but, strangely...he saw no Elite Guards anywhere.
and, the temple was suppose to be guarded at all times!
it was the SECOND most important place on Oa, the FIRST being the chamber where the Central Power Battery was kept.
Curious, Eric decided to investigate.
he used his ring to levitate into the air and flew towards the temple.
once there...he saw the Elite Guards laying motionless all over the place.
"what on earth..."
Eric ran inside the temple.
once inside, he spotted someone: a Green Lantern...holding the BOOK OF OA.
"HEY, YOU!"
the lantern turned...and, Eric saw who it was.
"K-Kaal?
Kaal Sinestra?!"
Kaal smiled.
"Eric...long time no see."
Eric raised an eyebrow, getting suspicious.
Since when did Kaal refer to him by his actual name!?
usually, Kaal just calls him "Human" or "Earth Boy"
and, for that matter...just what WAS Kaal doing on Oa?!
Eric finally approached Kaal, but kept his distance.
"what are you doing here, Kaal?!
shouldn't you be on Dragaa-XL training with Guy Gardner?"
Kaal smirked.
"oh, THAT.
well, let's just say I was: "I got time off for good behavior"
Eric eyed Kaal, evidently NOT buying his excuse.
"ANYWAY, I came back to Oa...and, not a moment too soon.
"somebody" just tried to steal the Book of Oa, and with it...the Secrets of the Green Lantern Corps."
"and, you stopped this "theif", right?"
"YEP!
and, WITHOUT any help I might add."
Eric continued to stare at Kaal.
Kaal began to sweat a little, indicating that he was getting nervous.
"so, anyhow...I'll just go report to the Guardians an-"
"put the book down, Kaal." said Eric, sternly
Kaal looked at him.
"what."
Eric raised his outstretched arm, his hand balled into a fist.
his ring was glowing bright green, charged for attack.
the expression on Eric's face was also SERIOUS.
"put...the book...DOWN.
and, take off your ring."
Kaal stared at Eric...then, smiled slyly.
he then released the book, letting it fall to the ground with a loud SLAM that echoed throughout the room.
"okay, "Earth Boy"...i'm taking it off."
Kaal raised his hand up, showing his fully extended fingers.
he then gently grabbed the Green Ring with his index finger and thumb...and, slowly slid it off.
Kaal then showed Eric the ring...then, dropped it.
the ring landed on the ground with a sharp "PING" and, bounded awhile.
"Besides...I don't need it, anymore."
Kaal suddenly reached into his pocket and took something out.
he opened his hand...and revealed a RED RING with a symbol on it.
Eric gasped.
"I got myself a BETTER one."
before Eric could react, Kaal put the Red Power Ring on his finger.
his body suddenly glow bright Red, blinding Eric for a bit.
once the glow subsided, Eric saw Kaal wearing a Red and Black uniform.
the Red Skinned Teen smiled evily, his body now glowing in a crimson Aura.
he then stretched out his arm and aimed his fist at Eric.
his ring glowed, and fired a Concussive, Red Energy Beam at Eric.
this Force Beam was SO STRONG, that it knocked him clear thru several walls Eric finally came to rest on the ground outside...his body searing with pain.
"ohhhh...man, that hurt." groaned Eric
just then, he saw Kaal burst from the temple and levitate above him.
Kaal then fired a Red Stream of Energy at Eric.
only, THIS ONE formed a large hand that grabbed him.
Kaal then brought Eric to him, their faced now a few feet from one another.
"you don't know HOW LONG I've waited to do that, "ERIC" said Kaal, Darkly
"K-KAAL!
what's the meaning of this!?" exclaimed Eric
Kaal laughed cruely.
"HA-HA-HA!, what!?...you haven't figured it out, yet!?
I'm a Double Agent!, a RED LANTERN sent to destroy the Corps from the INSIDE."
"R-Red Lantern!?"
Kaal grinned.
"yeah, that's right: RED LANTERN.
our leader is Atrocitus, the sworn enemy of the Oan Guardians..and ALL who serve them.
to be honest, i never really got into his 'holy hate' preaching.
and, i could care less about what happened to the 'Forgotten Zone'."
Kaal gripped Eric tighter.
"i just wanted to take REVENGE on the green lanterns for what they did to my uncle."
Eric eyed Kaal.
"Uncle?"
Kaal snickered.
"Yes: Thaal Sinestro...even YOU should know HIM.
he was Abin Sur's pupil, AND Hal Jordan's Mentor."
Eric looked at Kaal, trying to figure this all out.
"a Green Lantern?"
"WAS a Green Lantern.
he had "plans" to bring order to the universe...but, "the gnomes" didn't share his vision.
Uncle Thaal was BETRAYED by his fellow lanterns...even, Hal Jordon who he TRIED to bring over to his side, only for him to turn on him like a two-headed snake"
Eric glared at Kaal.
"really?
sounds to me that the only "traitor" was your Crazy Uncle."
Kaal growled at Eric, gritting his teeth.
he then made his "hand construct" squeeze Eric a little, which crushed his bones slightly
"believe what you will...I know the truth.
my uncle knew what it took to save the universe...and, he TOOK ACTION!" began Kaal
"as the Founding Member of "The Yellow Lantern Corps"...
he wasn't afraid to use LETHAL FORCE against his enemies, all those RULES just got in his way."
"Yellow Lanterns?" said Eric, confused
Kaal grinned.
"yes...YELLOW Lanterns.
they utilize the power of the YELLOW ELEMENT, the Anti-Equivalent of the Green One.
HIS CORPS is everything the Green Lanterns SHOULD be.
where they CONTROL all crime in the universe...one Space Sector at a time."
"so, it's a gang of "space criminals?"
Kaal crushed Eric's body again, TIGHTER this time.
"NO!, we're the REAL heroes!
those selfish, blue trolls think they can stop crime...BUT, THEY CAN'T!
the only REAL way to fight crime is to CONTROL IT!, They're doing what they won't: THEY'RE TAKING THEM OUT!"
Eric groaned in pain...but, spoke none-the-less.
"k-kaal...stop!
this is wrong...and, you know it."
Kaal glared at Eric, then squeeze him tighter...and, held his "grip"
"no...what my uncle is doing is for the good of the whole universe.
but, you GREEN LANTERNS keep getting in the way..that's why I'm taking your precious book."
Kaal then raised Eric up...and, slammed him into the ground.
he hovered over Eric's battered body, staring down at him.
"the Book of Oa holds all the secrets of the Green Lantern Corp.
with it, the Yellow Lanterns AND the Red Lanterns can FINALLY expose your greatest weakest and destroy you all."
Kaal smiles wickedly.
"and, with the Green Lanterns destroyed..NOTHING will stop us from achieving True Peace."
Eric groaned, then looked up at Kaal.
"n-no you won't...not while I'M here."
Kaal then laughed out loud.
"OH, REALLY!?
and, whose gonna stop me?!...YOU!?"
Eric was silent.
Kaal then got serious.
"what make you think you can stop ME!?"
"simple, Kaal...I have something you LACK: I'm not afraid to call for help!"
Eric then Suddenly stretched his arm to the sky and, with a balled up fist...fired a powerful Light Beam into the sky.
Eric held his arm up for a good several minutes...then, lowered his now tired arm.
"you'd better run, kaal...
theirs a good chance that EVERY Green Lantern on Oa saw my signal."
Kaal growled angrily.
he then levitated higher into the air.
he looked into the broken hole in the temple and fired an energy stream.
after a few minutes, he brought the snagged Book of Oa towards him and grabbed it.
Kaal then turned and grinned at Eric.
"well, Earth Boy, it's been real..."
Kaal then aimed his fist at Eric, his ring charging with energy.
"now, GOODBYE."
ERic glared at Kaal.
then, suddenly...Kaal is bombarded by a powerful, GREEN energy blast.
Kaal drops the book and falls to the ground.
Eric looks to see ARISIA flying towards them, her ring glowing bright green.
Arisia landed near Eric and knelt down to him.
"Eric!, what happened!?"
Eric groaned a bit.
"hold on, I'll fix you up."
Arisia aimed her fist at Eric, her ring glowing.
then, an energy beam hits Eric, comsuming him in the energy.
Eric's injuried then SLOWLY healed.
until, finally...Eric's pain was completely gone.
"whoa...what was that!?"
"just a minor healing power."
Arisia helped Eric up on his feet.
the two then see Kaal getting up.
all three see the book laying on the ground before them.
"GET THAT BOOK!" shouted Eric
Kaal fired an energy stream/beam that formed a claw, trying to grab the book.
Arisia fied her own "claw", which intercepted Kaal's...pinning the construct down on the ground.
Eric fired his own.
only, THIS ONE colided with Kaal...pinning him against the wall of the temple.
"Get the book, Arisia...and, take it FAR AWAY FROM HERE!"
"w-what about you!?"
Eric narrowed his eyes, becoming serious.
"i'll take care of my "buddie"
Arisia nods.
she raced over, grabbed the book and flew off at super speed, leaving a green light trail behind her.
Eric hovered over to Kaal, who was struggling to break free...but, failed.
"Hmmm...guess this "anti-energy" thing works BOTH WAYS, huh?" said Eric with a smile
Kaal glared hatefully at him.
"now, let's see which one of our powers is "The Best..."
Eric formed his claw construct into a loop than restrained Kaal he then lifted him up, twirled him like a lasso...and, threw him into the air, releasing him.
Eric then charged at the dazed Kaal with a Light Trail.
with both his fists comsumed with glowing green energy, he furiouslt punched at Kaal.
each punch stronger than the last.
Eric finally pounded on Kaal with both forarms, sending him into the ground.
Kaal got up from the "cookie-cutter" ruture in the earth and glared at Eric.
his hand then became consumed with Red Energy, and he raced for Eric and punched at him.
Kaal's fighting was vicious...but, VERY SLOPPY.
Eric managed to fend off most of his attacks with blocks and counter-moves.
Kaal threw one more punch...but, Eric grabed his arm then, tossed the Red Lantern over him and into the temple...making an even BIGGER hole in it.
Eric hovered over Kaal from high up.
"something tells me you should of STAYED on Dragaa-XL...
because, MY SKILLS with a Power Ring has yours beat."
Kaal growled.
"we'll see about THAT, human."
Kaal flew up real fast and faced Eric.
his ring then charged with energy and fired a Red Stream.
the stream formed a Mace/Flain at the end.
and, Kaal swung the spikey ball around, ready to attack Eric.
Eric, however...just sighed.
"i so DO NOT have time for this nonsense..."
Eric charged his ring, and created an Energy Construct.
he summoned what looked like: a Large, Green Plasma Blaster.
Eric lifted the heavy weapon and aimed it at Kaal.
he smiled as it charged with green energy, humming loudly.
Kaal gulped.
"sorry, K..." began Eric
"but, it looked like you just brought "a flail...to a Blaster Fight"
Eric fired a powerful Laser Beam at Kaal.
Kaal TRIED to throw up a Red Bubble Shield, but the Laser beam tore right thru it.
Kaal was flung several feet through the air and, crashed landed on the ground, his body plowing through it a little.
as Kaal lay on the ground...Eric hovered over him, his arms crossed.
"had ENOUGH?"
Kaal growled, despite his pain.
"i'll...NEVER...give...up."
Eric smirked.
"well...that's ONE THING we all have in common.
suddenly, Kaal saw dozens, upon DOZENS of other Green Lanterns appear.
they all hovered beside Eric, their rings charged and ready for battle.
"you STILL think you can win?"
Kaal darted his eyes, looking at all the lanterns it was clear that he KNEW he had no chance against The Whole Corp.
finally, his body exploded with energy blinding the Lanterns with the flash.
Kaal then flew up high into the sky.
"this isn't over, Earth Boy...
my uncle WILL Succeed, and I WILL have my revenge."
Kaal finally flew away at an incredible speed...
leaving a powerful Light trail, before disappearing in the stars with a distant twinkle.
after that, all the Lanterns (including Eric) landed on the ground.
"well done, Eric Smith..."
Eric looked and saw The Guardians hover down to him.
Nova was holding The Book of Oa, and Arisia was with them...smiling.
"you defeated a Red Lantern Corp Member...
and, you prevented the theft of one our book." said Nova
Eric smiled weakly.
"well, I wouldn't say in THAT way...Arisia DID me."
"yes...she did." said Nova with a Smile
Appa Ali Apsa then cleared his throat.
"it, uhhh...seems we owe you an apology, Eric.
we've been keeping you here on Oa, becaused we felt you weren't ready for REAL Lantern Duties."
"but, you actions today has proven us wrong." added Ganthet
Ranakar just huffed.
"yeah, fine...whatever."
Nova then spoke.
"and, as a reward for your actions today...
we shall assign to you a mission when the next crisis arises."
Eric smiled.
"GREAT!"
"BUT..."
Eric sighed.
"ugh...theres ALWAYS a "but", isn't it?"
"as you are still a Rookie Lantern, still undergoing Advanced Training you will have to work with an Experienced Lantern to act as a Mentor for you."
"you have someone in mind?" asked Eric
Nova smiled.
"yes...ARISIA RRAB.
you two seem to work well, together."
"B-BUT, NOVA!
SHE is still undergoing Advanced Training, HERSELF!" exclaimed Ranakar
Nova eyed him.
"yes, that may be true...but, she's a more experience student.
and, BESIDES...I believe SHE has proved herself today."
Ganthet nodded.
"Nova is RIGHT.
Arisia has been working Security for FAR TOO LONG...I believe she's ready for Real Work."
Nova smiled.
"Then, it's decided.
ERIC, Arisia shall be your new partner...so, the both of you had better BE READY for anything."
Eric and Arisa both nodded.
"yes, Guardian Nova"
"good...
now, let's take this book to a SAFER PLACE...until the temple can be rebuilt."
the other Lanterns all groaned.
KNOWING that this would take some time to accomplish.
Arisia approached Eric, a warm smile on her face.
"thanks for...you know." said Eric
"what are friends for?" replied Arisia
"But, NEXT TIME you decide to go off on your own..."stay in contact with me."
Eric grinned with a blush.
"y-yeah...SURE, i'll keep that in mind."
Arisia playfully punched his shoulder.
"come on...let's get back to the city, PARTNER."
the two flew off together towards the Great Oan City.
[Planet Earth, Townsville]
Several Months have passed since Eric's Funeral...
and, needless to say...things had "returned to normal" in Townsville.
Bubbles was back to her cheery self and, had even begun talking to Buttercup more pleasantly, now.
however, this STILL didn't stop her from staying out late at night (which worried Blossom)
Buttercup, however...was never really the same.
Blossom and Bubbles had noticed that at school, Buttercup was LESS AGGRESSIVE towards people.
she had stopped bullying the "nerdy" kids and, even started defending them from bullies like Mitch.
Blossom felt that this was some sort of "penance" on Buttercup's part.
HER WAY of making up for her harsh treatment of Eric in the past.
as for Townsville itself...most EVERYONE had forgotten all about Eric.
the citizens just went about their lives as usually, not paying any mind to the "minor change"
but, a few people DID still remember...and, were personally affected.
aside from the girls themselves, Ms. Keane was also pretty emotional.
she never bothered to remove Eric's desk, now did she clean it.
it just sat there in school, collecting dust in it's lonely corner.
sometimes, Blossom could see a tear in Keane's eye.
truely, this was a woman who LOVED children...and, didn't deal with death very well.
of course, this came as no surprise to the Powerpuff.
she recently learned from Prof. Utonium, that Keane was only a little girl when HER MOTHER died from Lukemia.
and, Blossom could tell that even at her age...Keane still hadn't gotten over it.
but, TODAY...Blossom was concerned about something else.
though Bubbles seemed "normal" again...she was STILL sneaking out.
what was she doing all night?
[Powerpuff Girls Room, 2:38AM]
the PPG's all slept soundly in their bed...all was quiet.
then, Bubbles eyes suddenly opened.
she silently slipped out of the covered and out of bed.
Blossom's eye was opened slightly.
she KNEW what her sister was doing, and pretended to sleep as Bubbles quietly got dressed.
Bubbles then hovered near a window, quietly opened it and flew out.
once she was gone, Blossom sat up and began to nudge Buttercup awake.
"buttercup...
buttercup, wake up!"
Buttercup moaned in her sleep.
"Hmmm...is that you, eric?"
"BUTTERCUP!"
"YOW!"
Buttercup suddenly wakes up.
"What!?"
"It's Bubbles, Buttercup.
she's sneaking out again!"
"Again?!"
"we have to follow her...I want to know what she's doing every night."
Buttercup groaned.
"ohhh, can't it wait to MORNING!?"
Blossom narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"alright, FINE.
i'm getting up..."
[meanwhile, elsewhere]
Bubbles flew aimlessly through the city.
she soon landed at Central Park and stood their for awhile.
then, suddenly...a pair of hands covers her eyes.
"guess who?" said a soft voice
Bubbles smiled.
"boomie?"
Bubbled turned and saw Boomer's face.
"the one and only."
Bubbles smiled.
she then leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
"i missed you..." said Bubbles, softly
Boomer smiled.
"ditto..."
"how long do we have to do this?...keep our love a secret."
Boomer sighed as he pondered this.
"dunno...as long as it takes, i guess.
or, at LEAST until your sibs stop fighting each other."
Bubbles sighed.
"that could take FOREVER."
Boomer looked at Bubbles...then, smiled.
"let's not think about that right now."
Boomer took Bubbles hand.
"come on...I know a nice place where we can enjoy ourselves."
"oh, really?...WHERE?!"
"a restraunt: Chez McCracken.
"McCracken's!?
but, that costs ALOT of money!"
Boomer showed Bubbles some money.
"Don't worry, I earned it HONESTLY.
I've been delivering out-of-town newspapers without my brothers knowing."
"COOL!"
Bubbles and Boomer bother flew off, leaving Blue Light trails.
just as soon as they left, two light streaks raced towards the part: one Red, one Green when they landed, two male Teens stood on the ground...and, looked pretty mad.
One was a Red Head with a long mullet wrapped in a ponytail and wore a red cap the other was a black haired teen who wore his hair in a "topknot"
"DRATS!, we missed him!" exclaimed Butch
"patience...he WAS here, I can sense it." said Brick
Butch grumbled.
"oh, why are we even here!?
I don't care what that idiot brother of ours is doing!"
"well, I DO.
Boomer has been very secretive, lately...and, I'm getting suspicious."
Butch yawned loudly.
"yeah, fine...whatever.
so long as we get this over with, quickly...I'm tired."
Brick and Butch flew off.
as soon as they left, Blossom and Buttercup landed in the park.
"can we PLEASE go home, now!?" said Buttercup
"not until we figure out what Bubbles is doing." said Blossom
Buttercup yawned
"well, we'd better figure it out quickly...I'm still tired."
Blossom and Buttercup then flew off.
[Later, at Chez McCracken]
Bubbles and Boomer sat at a table outside.
Bubbles wiped her mouth with a napkin and smiled.
"that was delicious..."
"thanks...I'm glad you liked it."
Bubbles smiled, then frowned.
"what's wrong?" asked Boomer, concerned
"oh...nothing.
I guess i just..."
Bubbles sighed.
"I guess I...STILL miss Eric."
"well, who can blame you...he was your friend."
Bubbles sighed.
"yeah...i know.
and, I've already forgiven buttercup for what happened."
bubbles then shed a tear.
"but, i still feel responsible...
(sob) like...i could of done something to stop it."
Boomer sighed.
he then got a napkin and wiped Bubbles tears away.
"believe it or not...I know how you feel in some way."
Bubbles looked at her boyfriend.
"what?"
Boomer looked down, feeling solome.
"sometimes I wish I could've done things in my past differently...
like maybe...go back in time, and stop myself from doing some bad things that I now regret."
Bubbles looked at him...then, spoke.
"Boomer...what made you change?
I mean, WHY did you suddenly want to be good?"
Boomer looked at Bubbles.
"well...I guess it's because of you and your sisters.
I saw how everyone loved you girls...but, hated US: me and my brothers."
Bubbles looked at Boomer, listening intently.
"I guess I just got tired of being hated all the time.
got tired of all the fighting, all the destruction...I...I wanted to be loved."
"is that why you tried to help me that one day?" asked Bubbles, curious
Boomer looked at her and nodded.
"yes...I wanted to help you, like you help other people.
and, because...i liked you, and I didn't want you to be sad or hurt."
Bubbles then smiled.
she reached over and touched Boomer's face.
"that's so sweet, Boomie...
I had NO IDEA you had such a kind heart."
"yeah...neither did I."
Boomer and Bubbles moved closer.
the two then closed their eyes and kissed one another.
"BUBBLES!?"
Bubbles suddnely broke the kiss she turned and saw Blossom and Buttercup hovering over her.
"B-BLOSSOM!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING KISSING A ROWDYRUFF BOY!?" exclaimed Buttercup
"that's exactly what WE wanted to know..."
Boomer looked and saw Brick and Butch hovering over him.
"BOOMER." said Brick, angrily
"B-Brick!" exclaimed Boomer, nervously
"so...THIS is what you've been doing at night: Kissing the Enemy!" shouted Butch
"I-It's not what you-"
Butch zips over, grabs Boomer by his shirt and lifts him up.
"oh, I think it's exactly what I think...TRAITOR!"
"HEY!, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" exclaimed Bubbles
"BUBBLES!" exclaimed Buttercup, surprised
Butch eyed her.
"PIPE DOWN, "Pig-Tails"
I'll deal with you in a minute."
Boomer glared at his brother.
he then power punched Butch, knocking him through a wall.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, BUTCH!" shouted Boomer
Blossom and Buttercup stared in shock.
Brick was also pretty surprised, Butch (who was recovering) was stunned at this.
"hey!...since when are you HARDCORE!?"
Boomer hovered over to Butch.
"Since I FELL IN LOVE, that's what!"
Butch eyed him.
"Fell...IN LOVE!?
HA-HA!, PLEEEEEASE...what girl could fall for you!?"
"Bubbles did."
Blossom and Buttercup gasped.
"Bubbles...Is this TRUE!?"
Bubbled looked at her sisters sternly.
"YES...it's true.
and, I don't care what you think."
Buttercup flew over to Bubbles.
"BUBBLES, ARE YOU CRAZY!?
He's a ROWDYRUFF BOY!, an Evil Villain created by Mojo to DESTROY US!"
"He's NOT EVIL, BUTTERCUP!...not anymore.
in fact, HE'S the one who told me to Forgive You after what you did to eric!"
Buttercup froze in shock, stunned at this.
"He...He What?!"
Bubbles looked away...then, spoke.
"I hated you, Buttercup...I hated you for what you did.
but, Boomer came to me and told me to forgive you."
Bubbles shed some tears, but wiped them away.
"at first, I didn't want to listen to him...
but, he said that being Bitter and Angry wasn't who I was...and, he was right."
Bubbles looked at Buttercup.
"The only reason I FORGAVE you...was because of what Boomer said.
he said you were my sister...and, that you deserved a second chance."
Buttercup was speechless.
she NEVER expected a Rowdyruff Boy (much less Boomer) would stick up for her.
"WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU, BOOMER!?
you KNOW those girls are our enemies!"
Boomer glared at Butch.
"Why, Butch?...WHY ARE THEY ARE OUR ENEMIES!?
because of what MOJO said!?, because their GIRLS!?
WAKE UP, BUTCH!...we're NOT kids anymore!
and, I'm SICK and TIRED of being Feared and Hated all the time!
I WANT PEOPLE TO LOVE ME!, LOVE US!...like they love the girls!
I don't want to be the BAD GUY, anymore!...I want to be the Hero for once."
Butch got up and faced his Brother.
"HERO!?
so, what...you want to be another "Goodie Two-shoe", is THAT IT!?"
"NO!
but, I DO want to use my powers for something OTHER than blowing stuff up!"
"And, WHAT'S WRONG WITH BLOWING STUFF UP!?, it's FUN!"
"It was "Fun" when we were Little Kids!
but, we're Teenagers now...and, we're Wasting our talents!"
Brick and Blossom looked at each other.
they both nodded, then Brick finally whistled.
"ENOUGH!"
everyone got quiet.
"you four stay here...me and the "Flower Girl" are gonna talk."
Brick and Blossom Flew high into the sky.
Bubbles, Buttercup, Butch and Boomer saw that they were talking...but, couldn't hear them.
Finally, they saw the two shake hands.
Brick and Blossom then flew down and faced their respected Siblings.
"Blossom and I have come to an agreement..." began Brick
"And, we've decided that Boomer is Right.
this senseless fighting has gone on LONG ENOUGH...it's time to bury the hatchet and make peace." said Blossom
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Butch
Brick glared at his brother.
"Butch...Boomer is RIGHT, Deal With It.
we're not kids anymore, it's time to make some changes."
"BUT-"
"I HAVE SPOKEN." said Brick, forcefully
Butch just crossed his arms and huffed.
Brick then approached Boomer and faced him.
"Alright, Boomer...what do YOU suggest we do?"
Boomer darted his eyes as he thought about this.
"well...we could start helping people more.
and, fight supervillains and criminals."
Butch scoffed.
"that kind of work won't be easy...
we don't have a "Nerdy Inventor" helping us."
Boomer pondered this.
"well...we could always charge money for our services."
Brick thought about this.
"Charge Money...you mean, like Mercenaries?"
"sort of."
Brick thought about this...then, smiled.
"sounds good.
we HAVE been low on cash, lately."
Brick walked off.
"Alright, it's settled.
The Rowdyruff boys will start "helping" people...for a PRICE."
Brick looked at blossom.
"you have any objections?"
Blossom shook her head.
"nope...sounds FINE to me.
so long as you cause the LEAST amount of damage as possible, we're okay with it."
Brick grinned.
he then faced his brothers.
"Alright, let's go...it's getting LATE.
and, I think we've terrified these people enough." said Brick, pointing at the cowering civilians
Boomer blushed a little.
Brick hovered upwards, as did Butch.
"Boomer...say goodnight to your girlfriend and LET'S GO."
"(sigh)...okay."
Boomer approached Bubbles.
"well...see ya'.
I guess we'll be seeing MORE of each other, huh?"
Bubbles smiled.
"looks like."
Boomer gave Bubbles a quick kiss.
"later, doll."
Boomer joined his brothers, and they both flew off.
Blossom and Buttercup then approached Bubbles.
"all this time...Why didn't you tell us?!" said Blossom
"i was afraid you wouldn't understand." said Bubbles, solomly
Blossom looked at her, then sighed deeply.
"well...i guess it's okay.
at least your HAPPY, and we won't have to fight the Rowdyruff Boys, anymore."
Bubbles smiled.
she then noticed Buttercup...who looked depressed.
"Buttercup?...what's wrong?"
Buttercup looked at her, a frown on her face.
"your lucky, bubbles...
you managed to let go of your pride and find love."
Buttercup turned away as a tear escaped her face.
"but, MY PRIDE...it costed me true happiness."
"buttercup-"
"sometimes I wish I could of been more like you...
if I was, maybe Eric would still be here...instead of-"
Buttercup then sobbed.
Bubbles walked over, and surprised Buttercup with a hug.
Buttercup then hugge dher sister back.
"(sob), i'm so sorry...bubbles."
"i know you are.
and, i'm sorry, too...for being so angry." said Bubbles
"you had every right to be."
after a few minutes, Blossom approached her sisters.
"come on, girls...let's go home."
Bubbles and Buttercup parted.
the three girls then hovered up and flew into the sky.
Author Note: since I was displeased with how SHORT the PPG Side of the story was in the last chapters, I put a little more effort into this one.
here, Eric goes "one-on-one" with his New Rival
and, learned about the Yellow Lantern Corp (Sinestro Corp) and, the Red Lanterns
his actions sets the stage for an even BIGGER adventure for the "Teen Lantern"
also, The PPGs and RRBs find out about Bubbles and Boomer's relationship, and decide upon a "Cease Fire"
and, Buttercup's conscience eats away at her MORE.
Note the Star Wars References.