He gently padded the street's cobblestones with his shoes. He huddled his jacket closer. Normally he wore just a plain tee, jeans, and sandals, but for some reason the night air was colder. It was probably psychological, given his mental state.

Saykk and Jariupe... Saykk and Jariupe...

The street names sounded like God's blessings to Boomer. He kept pushing his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes so he could see the street signs. He let his mind wander.

I need a haircut... nah. It's not like it's the longest anyway.

Boomer stopped and thrust his hands in his jacket pockets.

What if they find out I'm gone? Ah, Brick'll bail me out. He saw the note.

He looked down and continued on.

---

Buttercup slipped around in the bowels of the Professor's lab. She was all alone in the house, but she was cautious nonetheless. What she was about to do was something so out of her character she hardly revealed it to herself. She felt around in the dark until she felt a familiar metal panel. A panel belonging to the side of the Future Viewer 2000. She only let herself use it every now and again so the special factor wasn't taken out. Given the state of her boyfriend, she felt it was a merit. She found the power button and gave it a tap. The basement became filled with light, and a huge screen was revealed to be its source. A message shone in silver letters on the pixels.

PLEASE ENTER YEAR.

She entered the sweetest year she knew, the one she had memorized. The one that was exactly ten years in the future.

2020.

The screen came alive with a young man. He had spiky black hair and shining emerald eyes. The same eyes were displayed on a small girl who had straight raven hair. The two romped about, clearly father and daughter. Also, it appeared that hyperactivity ran in the family.

---

Boomer gently pushed the door open, almost expecting a bomb on the other side. Instead of an explosive, he found a sleepy McDonald's with the only other human life being the man who worked the counter.

"Can I help you?" The man's tired voice startled Boomer out of his thoughts.

"Oh, ah, yes. My b-brother wanted me to come here, so... I don't suppose you have any clue why?"

"Oh, you must be Boomer."

"You know my name?" Boomer hovered the short distance to the counter.

"Yes. Your brother is Butch, right?"

"One of them. But yeah."

"Oh yeah! You guys are the Rowdyruff Boys, right? Yeah. The other one... Brock, right?"

"Brick." Boomer corrected impatiently. What did this man know about Butch?

"Yeah, Brick. Anyway, Butch left this for you." The man slipped a note to Boomer. "I didn't read it, so don't worry. He came in and asked me to be on the look out for you."

"Thank you." Boomer rasped. He suddenly realized he hadn't eaten or had anything to drink since the party. "Can I, umm.. get a Coke?"

"Sure."

"And after I read this I'll get something to eat, so... can I just pay then?"

"You don't have to pay. That Butch kid gave some money on a tab for your meal." Boomer raised his eyebrows in amazement. For a guy who had an attention span of a goldfish, he sure did think things through.

"Oh, thanks." Boomer examined the envelope that held the note, "The Boomstah" scribbled in Butch's handwriting on the front. He gave a sad smile in remembrance of Butch's nickname for him. A tall paper cup with lid and straw in place jerked him out of his thoughts. He gave a thoughtful nod and sat down at one of the lonely tables. He opened the envelope and was surprised to find a long note tucked in. He gave a hard suck on the straw and unfolded.

---

Buttercup paused the little movie and held her hand against the virtual picture of the man's cheek. He looked so much like Butch, but the nuances transformed him into a twenty-six year old. Ten years from now. The tears she had let flow at the hospital gained new life and pulled at her eyelids.

If only he knew this future, he'd want to live.

She had to give her mind some ease. It was this moment in time she realized she had never checked out the futures of her two sisters and her two male teammates. The perfect opening for some distraction. She looked up Bubbles, and sure enough, she and Boomer were married with a girl, the same as her and Butch. As were Brick and Blossom, but in place of a daughter, they had a son. She gave a sad, sweet smile as she wrote down on a small notepad the names said lovingly by their parents.

Brick and Blossom - Buck

Boomer and Bubbles - Bell

Butch and me - Batani

She had seen evidence of the spellings and said the names under her breath every night. She looked at the note, half of her mind dreaming, the other half screaming at her for being soft. Somehow, the internal warring comforted her. When the light from the screen went dark, she looked up to the screen. It showed a different version of the future now. One she wished she had turned the machine off for.

---

Boomer! You got the note! Sweet. I thought you'd need Brick to help you figure out this one. Just kiddin buddy. Anyway, you're probably wondering...

---

Buttercup stared in horror as she looked on older, disheveled versions of herself, Boomer, Bubbles, Brick, and Blossom. Buck and Bell were standing behind their respective parents. They were bored and goofing off with each other. Where was Butch? Unless...

Her fears were confirmed when a slightly deeper and close to sobbing voice came out of the older Brick's mouth.

"Today marks ten years since -"

The older Bubbles burst out crying. After her husband, the older Boomer, calmed her down, Brick resumed.

"Since Butch was murdered."

Buttercup shot back in the chair she was in. Murdered?! But he killed himself!

"Another one taken by depression," The older Blossom said quietly. I get it... the depression murdered him. Yup, Brick's still a smart butt.

She rolled her eyes, then jerked them back onto the screen when she heard her older self burst out crying. The woman fell on her knees, her raven hair covering her face. Apparently, even after a decade, the wound was still raw. Buttercup's eyes depressed at the sight. The two kids stared strangely at their aunt, and the adults huddled around her. It was then Buttercup realized where this scene was taking place: in a graveyard. She shivered and shook with fear and disturbance. Her trembling hand hit the power button and she was left alone in the dark.

---

Butch seemed to come alive and speak the words of the note to him. Boomer seemed to suddenly be in the air, his green color-coded brother floating in front of him with a worried look on his face and the city of Townsville below him. His hair was perfect, the spikes sharpened to a point. His eyes sparkled, his favorite outfit clean and pristine.

"I'm so sorry for everything, dude. But I had to do it." Boomer opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. "I know ya gunna say I didn't have to, but if you saw it the way I did, you'd agree." Boomer's brows depressed his eyes and he sucked his lips in. "You don't know what it feels like to feel... nothing, really. It felt like I wasn't even there. I just wanted to get out of it. I know I was a burden on everyone else." Boomer strained his throat to protest, but it felt as if someone cut out his voice box.

"I know you're thinking I wasn't, but I know how it really was. I'm sick of people lying to me to save my feelings." Butch's expression went from remorseful to angry, and he growled as he looked down and away from Boomer. The blonde begged his throat to emit some kind of sound, but it was no use.

"To tell you the truth, Boomer... I just couldn't... take it anymore," Butch looked back up to Boomer, his face returning to that of one holding in a wave of tears. "You know me, I hate being weak. We all had plans, but at least you guys have some purpose. I didn't even have a purpose's crap." Boomer was getting angry now. Who put all these lies into his head? And why couldn't he fight back?

"You and Brick make way better superheros than me. Plus, I'm pretty sure Mom doesn't want anything to do with me. I treated her so wrong for too long... I couldn't blame her." Boomer's anger faded as he heard the words. Mom?

---

Buttercup sat sobbing in the dark, wishing this would all end. She admitted she wasn't as smart as Blossom when it came to these things, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. If in ten years they held a memorial for Butch, then in the present there was no way he'd survive.

---

The man working the counter viciously shook Boomer. He succumbed to reality and found himself lying on the floor.

"Are you okay?" The man asked frantically.

"Yeah, just kinda passed out there, I guess."

"You guess? Boomer forced a chuckle and with the man's help got back on his feet.