CHAPTER 8: WOLVES AND THEIR ENEMIES

ME: Wowie, guys. How long has it been? Nearly four months? Major oopsie daisy. Anyway, happy Father's Day!

BLOSSOM: You really do need a schedule...

ME: I'll admit I wanted to update earlier, but I figured since Call of the Wolves has already had such slow updates, I could put it off for awhile. And then I uh...kinda put it off for four months. Sorry. *sweat-drop*

BLISS: I think you've got something else to mention? *raises eyebrow*

ME: *brightens* Oh yeah! Guess what? It's my birthday! And yes, my birthday is on Father's Day this year: June 15. I'm just sad my dad's too busy in China to be able to come and celebrate.

BRAKER: Happy birthday! As you all probably know, she owns nothing besides her own OC's—like me!—and the story. *throws confetti*

ME: Let's party! Read on, you guys!

Chapter 8: Wolves and Their Enemies


"Buttercup...!"

Buttercup could feel herself still falling, and she let out a panicked gasp for air. Her entire body seemed to be numb, and she couldn't seem to get herself to fly upwards. Struggling to become airborne, Buttercup's arms flailed. Come on, come on, come on... She gritted her teeth.

This couldn't be how it ended. I'm a Powerpuff Girl, for fuck's sake! I can't just fall and break something. That'd be crazy and majorly embarrassing!

Just as she braced herself for impact, she felt two hands grab her. Suddenly she had stopped falling, and she blinked open her eyes. The two gazes she were met with were a pair of dark-green eyes and a pair of dark-blue eyes.

Buttercup let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as they set her down.

"You okay, BC?" Butch asked, letting her go awkwardly.

"I'm fine," she grumbled, picking leaves off of her shirt. "I just can't believe my powers went all wonky on me." She glanced between her two saviours. "I get how Butch could reach me; he has superpowers, but how the hell did you catch me as well, Darkai? You two were pretty far off."

The teen shrugged silently, blowing wisps of dark hair out of his eyes. Buttercup looked away from his penetrating gaze as DJ walked up to them.

"Darkai happens to be a very fast runner," DJ explained, smiling coolly. "I'm sorry for challenging you, Buttercup. I didn't expect you to actually do it." He said that last part extra loudly, and Buttercup realized why when the teachers appeared.

"Oh, Deth Jackson has apologized. You forgive him, don't you, Buttercup?" Ms. Titter asked.

No, Buttercup replied silently. But on the outside, she nodded curtly. "Of course."

DJ only smiled back at her.

Ms. Titter walked over to Buttercup and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now let's get you to the infirmary, dear. You look shaken," she fretted.

"I am not—!" Buttercup began protesting, but she thought better of it and clamped her mouth shut. She just nodded, letting Ms. Titter lead her away.

Butch watched her go, before turning on DJ. "You did that on purpose," he growled. "You knew that branch was going to break."

"Why, whatever are you talking about?" DJ replied calmly, his gaze steady and cold. He smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "I only challenged her to climb it and she agreed. Seeing as how BC's forgiven me, maybe you should too...you beast."

That's the last goddamn straw. Butch reached out for the boy's throat, his sharp nails glinting in the sunlight as he snarled.

But before he could clasp DJ's neck in his hands and feel the satisfaction of strangling the boy, a hand stopped him. "Butch, don't."

Butch looked up to see Brick's calm red eyes. He let his hands drop, but he turned on Brick. "Why the hell can't I strangle him?"

Brick cast a glance at DJ, who was smirking and waving. When the boy turned around and walked off, Brick replied steadily: "You can't give him the satisfaction of letting him know he got under your skin. Besides...we can't do anything to them here. And you know we can't hurt them."

"I wish we could," Butch growled, one of his eyes twitching as they became slits. His irises shrank considerably.

Brick only shook his head, his strong grip on Butch's shoulder preventing the green Ruff from jumping onto DJ or Darkai.

"Let's keep playing!" the second teacher called, clapping his hands together.

Butch shrugged Brick's hand off, eyes gleaming. "If I can't hurt them here, I might as well hurt their stupid, big fat egos and kick their butts."

Sighing, Brick rolled his eyes as Butch dashed off for the ball.


Buttercup sat on the infirmary bed, bored out her mind. Only seven minutes had passed since she got there (she knew because she kept checking the clock every three seconds). Buttercup was counting down the seconds when the door was opened and voices sounded outside.

She turned to the door and watched, listening.

"Are you really not feeling okay, Sidney?" Mr. Evan's voice sounded.

"I'm sorry," the new voice squeaked. "M-My skin's just really sensitive to sunlight..."

A sigh. "Alright then. In you go."

As the door shut, a boy was standing there. He looked relieved to be alone. He had long, curly soft, cookie-dough brown hair and wide, pale purple-pink looking eyes. They were actually brown, but were so pale they looked pink. He wore a vest with similar colours to his hair and plaid pants. He was also hunched over, glancing around nervously and looking at the ground shyly.

Buttercup decided to let him know he wasn't really alone. "Hi," she greeted.

He jumped, spinning around to spy her sitting on one of the uncomfortable, rolling beds. "H-Hi," he stammered back.

"Relax; I'm not going to hurt you." Buttercup rolled her eyes at his wide stare.

"O-Oh; right. Of course," he agreed in a mumble.

Buttercup could tell he still wasn't at ease around her. "I don't bite."

"I do," he muttered under his breath, but Buttercup only managed to catch it thanks to her super-hearing. She decided not to ask him about it, as she had a feeling he'd freeze up on her in panic.

"So what are you in here for?" she inquired.

He sighed shakily, walking awkwardly over to another bed and sitting down. "I...I don't really like the sun all that much. We were having an outside class because it was so sunny and Mr. Evans was in a good mood. I guess I didn't put on enough sunscreen." The poor boy rubbed at his hands uncomfortably.

That's the most he's said so far, Buttercup realized. So she decided to press further: "I see. Your name's Sidney, right? I've seen you around."

"Y-Yeah," he confirmed, "we're in the same Math class."

"I guess it's kind of hard to notice a guy who doesn't talk all that much," Buttercup joked.

"I guess," Sidney replied.

A few moments of awkward silence passed, before Buttercup sat up and stretched. "Well, it's kinda dark in here. Why not open the blinds?"

"No!" Sidney said quickly. When she gave him a questioning look, he rubbed his hands again nervously. "I-I mean...you know; sensitive skin and all."

"...Okaaaay then," Buttercup managed to say, "I guess we can turn on the lights then."

Sidney nodded thankfully. He opened his mouth to say something just as the door was opened again.

Ms. Titter walked in. "Hello, Buttercup! Everything is under control outside so I thought I'd check up on you." She paused when she saw Sidney. "Oh, and hi there, Sid!"

"Hi, Ms. T," he greeted her shyly.

"Let's open the blinds, shall we?" Ms. Titter said, sweeping toward the windows.

Sid's eyes widened and Buttercup decided to speak up for him: "Ms. T, wait—"

Too late.

The blinds were opened and Sidney let out a small squeak as the sunlight streamed in. He covered his face with his arm, and Buttercup was surprised to see that his hands were reddening. He really is sensitive to sunlight, she thought.

Sidney crawled back further on the bed until his back hit the wall and he was out of the sun. He immediately began rubbing his hands again. He reached into his pocket and pulled a black container out, squeezing white cream onto his skin and rubbing it all over.

Sunscreen, Buttercup realized. She found it strange, as she had never seen a black sunscreen bottle before. But she decided it wasn't anything too weird for her to question the poor guy about it.

When he sat back into the sunlight, he appeared relieved, and his skin was doing a lot better. It was returning to its usual pale complexion, and Buttercup noticed it shining.

"Are you okay, dearie?" Ms. Titter asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Sidney replied quietly, smoothing his pants out. "I just...I'm kind of sensitive to light. I put some sunscreen on, so I'm good now."

"That's good to hear," Ms. Titter said, looking relieved. "You had me worried there."

Sid looked up at her with his wide, pale pink gaze. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

Ms. Titter smiled. "Don't worry about it," she promised, before walking off. "Get some rest; both of you!"

As the door closed, silence engulfed the room once more.

Buttercup, who had laid down, sat up and turned back to Sidney. "You hang out with DJ and Darkai, right? As well as this one other guy?"

Jumping slightly, Sid turned to her. He seemed to be stunned for a moment before he nodded. "Umm...y-yeah." He hesitated. "...The 'other guy''s name is...M-Michael," he added quietly.

Buttercup grunted. "Well, DJ thought it was a good idea to challenge me into climbing a tree during PE class to get a soccer ball that was stuck in the branches." This time it was her turn to hesitate, and she crossed her arms, letting out a huff. "The stupid branch broke and I fell."

Sid's eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Buttercup responded, waving her hand to dismiss the question. "Both Butch and Darkai caught me. I know Butch has superpowers so he could reach me in time, but even if Darkai can run really fast—according to DJ"—she turned her emerald-green gaze onto Sidney—"I'm not sure he could've made it so far in just a few seconds. They were pretty far away, you know?"

Sid looked away awkwardly. "He's just...that good at running," he mumbled. "...We all kind of are."

"...I see," Buttercup replied. She swung her legs, and they both fell silent once again.

"Can I see your sunscreen?" Buttercup asked abruptly.

Sidney looked reluctant, but he nodded and tossed the bottle to her.

Buttercup caught it and read the label: "Better Antidotes!: True Sunscreen". In a smaller font it read: "Helping sensitive skin since 1873". She raised an eyebrow. "That sure is an old company," she remarked.

Sidney nodded. "My family's been using it for generations."

"So you all have the same skin problem?" Buttercup inquired.

He paused, as if he just realized he had said something he shouldn't have. He nodded quickly. "Umm...I-I guess so."

She flipped the bottle over and read the label. "Wow, it really helps your complexion. It says here that it 'even makes your skin sparkle!'. I guess that's why your skin seemed so shiny after you used it."

Sid laughed slightly. His laugh is nice, Buttercup thought, before mentally hitting herself. "Yeah, I guess so. I-It kind of c-comes from the...oil, I think."

She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should get me some."

He smiled back shyly.

And just like that, the bell rang.

Buttercup turned to stare at the clock, surprised. "Time really flies when you talk to someone," she commented.

Sidney nodded, catching his tube of sunscreen after she tossed it back. He hopped off of the bed and smiled at her. "Well, I guess...I-I'll see you around?"

"I guess so," Buttercup agreed.

He laughed a small laugh again. "You might be catching my habit of saying 'I guess so'."

Buttercup blinked in surprise, before smirking. "Well, in that case...: 'I guess so'," she agreed.

Sid waved before disappearing out the door. Buttercup sat there for a moment longer, before also jumping off the bed and walking outside.

It didn't take long until she was greeted by Butch, Brick, Princess, and Mitch.

"You okay?" Butch asked her.

"I'm fine," she promised. "Ms. Titter thought I was shaken even though I wasn't, but I figured it'd be easier if I just listened to her." She sighed and grumbled, "Can't believe I missed the game."

"You didn't miss much," Brick responded, "we won the match."

Princess grinned. "I scored the last goal!" she cheered, her hands shaking in her excitement.

"She got really into the game," Mitch laughed.

"Yeah, we kicked DJ's butt," Butch agreed.

Buttercup raised an eyebrow. "You really don't like him, do you?"

"Not one bit," Butch confirmed. He paused. "Don't you dislike him too? He made you climb a tree, where the branch broke and—"

"I began to fall—I know; I know." She rolled her eyes. But then she glanced behind them in the direction where Sidney had gone. "But I don't know...they don't seem all bad."

"Yeah; they're kinda...hot, actually," Princess added. She paused. "Wait a second, BC. You can't be—"

"No!" Buttercup interrupted, her face flushing red. "I don't have a crush on any of them!"

Butch let out a snort. "I can reassure you that they are that bad. They pretty much bite you in the ass when you're not careful."

Buttercup paused. There it is again—that word.

"Anyway," Brick said quickly, "let's head to our next class. I don't want to be late." He shot Butch a warning look, to which the green Ruff shrugged in reply.

Just then, someone else walked by.

Both Butch and Brick froze as the newcomer turned around and sniffed disdainfully. Then they walked off.

Buttercup followed their gazes. "Who was that?" she asked.

"...Michael," Butch muttered in reply.

"Michael...? Isn't he friends with DJ, Darkai, and Sidney?" Princess questioned.

Brick nodded curtly, his eyes narrowed.

Buttercup frowned. Michael, huh... They seem to dislike him most of all. She racked her brains for any interactions they might've had with this Michael, but she drew up a blank. We know a Michael; our friend who is also Michelle's brother*, but that's about it. And this one's blonde, not brown-haired.

Buttercup blinked, still watching as Butch and Brick whispered to one another. She suddenly became determined to find out who this Michael was and why the Ruffs seemed to dislike him so much. I want to know more, she concluded, because they're definitely hiding something.


The next class seemed to drag on incredibly slowly, with Mr. Davidson talking about things Buttercup hardly paid attention to. She was too busy studying Michael, who sat two seats in front of her.

When Mr. Davidson told them to work together as a group on some worksheets, Buttercup told Bliss and Braker that she'd join Michael. She noticed Braker looking annoyed when she mentioned the blonde boy's name, but he followed Bliss and Buttercup to Michael's desk anyway.

"Hi; Michael, right?" Buttercup greeted him, pulling a chair up.

He blinked at her. "Oh...hello." When he noticed Braker, he wrinkled his nose as if he had smelled something foul.

"We were wondering if we could work with you...?" Buttercup pressed.

DJ sat with Michael, and the boy raised an eyebrow.

"Sure," Michael agreed, his eyes never leaving Braker.

Buttercup sat down. "So...you know the Ruffs, right? How did you two get to know each other? I'm kinda curious, since my sister Bliss and I don't know you at all," she said.

Michael shrugged. "We've known each other for a long time," he replied simply, lowering his blue-green eyes to his paper. He avoided eye-contact with Braker.

"Too long if you ask me," DJ muttered. Michael nudged his friend as Braker nodded curtly, clearly agitated.

Buttercup was about to ask more, but Michael suggested, "Let's just focus on our work for now."

"There's something we can both agree on for once," muttered Braker.

Michael shot him a look. "Let's see if your brainpower is of any use to us."

"Why you arrogant little asshole—" Braker began to snap, but Bliss interrupted.

"Let's just work," she said quietly, sensing the tension in the room. Even cheerful Bliss could tell something was wrong, especially when upbeat Braker who was friends with almost everyone had a person he couldn't get along with.

Frustrated, Buttercup just nodded.

The rest of their assignment was spent in silence (except for a small spat Braker and DJ had over who had taken Braker's eraser. It turned out Bliss had borrowed Braker's eraser, and the orange Ruff had a hard time apologizing—much to DJ's obvious enjoyment. By the end of it all Braker looked like he was ready to laser beam DJ).

When class was finally over, Buttercup stopped Michael from walking out the door. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

"I don't exactly want to answer them," Michael responded, reaching for the doorknob.

Buttercup blocked him off. "No; I'm serious. How did you meet the Ruffs?"

"Fine," Michael huffed. "I met them nearly ten years ago..."

Buttercup nodded, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"...When I turned 1025," he finished sarcastically.

Buttercup threw her hands into the air. "Alright, fine! If you don't want to talk—"

"I really don't," he interrupted, his blue-green eyes boring into hers. He placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in.

Buttercup's heart beat faster as her face reddened and her breath stopped. "Wh-What are you—?"

His breath tickled her ear. "And sadly I don't like talking to the friends of the Ruffs either. And what a pity too; you seem like such a nice girl." When he pulled away, his gaze was cold. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

Before Buttercup could say or even do anything, Michael whisked past her and vanished around a corner down the hallway. And he left Buttercup behind, standing there, confused and conflicted.


*(A/N: Reference to my fic Hung Up on You!)

ME: I guess that's it for today! Sorry if it seemed kind of short. Anyway, here we were introduced to Sidney and Michael, more OC's of mine!

BUTCH: I hate them already.

BRICK: You're just jealous 'cause they're getting so much of Buttercup's attention. *smirks*

BUTCH & BUTTERCUP: *flustered* H-Hey!

ME: *grins* So true. Anyway, did you all like the little nod to Michael and Michelle from Hung Up on You? Oh, and about both OC's being named Michael... I don't know. I forget why—Michael from HUOY was created in 2012, but wasn't exactly revealed until 2013. Michael from Call of the Wolves was created in 2013 and...yeah.

BLISS: Don't forget to review! In the meanwhile, let's party! 'Cause its your birthday, Kuku!

ME: And Father's Day. Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you liked this new chapter. I'll try to update sooner.

BRAKER: Banzai! *throws more confetti*