I apologize for this being so short and having made you wait so long for this. I originally had a long chapter for you guys, the one you all originally had been expecting. But this suddenly came into my head and I just had to put this in. Besides, it works into what originally was in the next chapter. I hope you all like this! :D


One month and a half earlier…..

Brick casually paced the office of his "boss". While the guy was paid to be the official boss of Brick while he worked for Logan and Running, the world's top organized crime organization, the only being Brick answered to was Him…for obvious reasons.

"Brick," Keith greeted as he stepped into the room, adjusting his tie in hopes as it constricted around his already tight throat. It was but one piece of evidence he was nervous simply being in the same room as a Rowdyruff, let alone its leader. But Brick was too smart, too well trained; his boss' fear was like a pungent odor that he couldn't escape, but the fear pleased him. He enjoyed knowing he was "the shit" around the office. It made life bearable in this oddly chaos free environment.

"Sir," Brick responded, his voice lacking an obedience that most employees at Logan and Running were overloading on. His reply showed the exceptionally low respect lever for the man before him. "You requested my visit. I was told of a 'special' mission." He illustrated his exaggeration by making two little quotation marks with his fingers.

Keith cleared his throat, nodding fretfully as he sat in the big black chair behind his desk. "Right, of course. Now, this is strictly between you and me. Not a word to your brothers, understood?"

The dark glare Brick shot him was an all too evident indicator Brick was in the mood to go back and forth with clarifications that were of no use to him. Both Brick and Keith knew that, if necessary, Brick would tell his brothers…even against orders.

"Right, of course. Now, as you know, we've had a very close eye on Townsville, correct?"

"Correction, you've had my brothers and I keeping a close eye on Townsville."

Keith fidgeted a bit. "I stand corrected. My point however, is that Him has come up with a new way of observing them, destroying them."

Brick sat down with a heavy sigh, sensing this would be a long meeting. "I assume this means I or my brothers are to be heading to Townsville. Recon I assume. Perhaps actual action even? We have been collecting intel on them for the past, what, eleven years?"

Scowling briefly, Keith gave reluctant nod. "True, and correct . . . to some extent."

Brick leaned forward in the large black chair, looking both irritated and intrigued. "To some extent meaning . . . ?"

"Meaning," an eerie voice said from the shadows. "You're about to get the chance to do what you were created to do."

"Him," Brick muttered to himself, watching a dark red cloud take form beside the large desk, and Him manifest before them. "And what would that be exactly?" he asked of the red lobster before him.

Him smirked in a cynical and rather disturbing manner, not that it phased Brick in the least. "Kill the Powerpuff Girls."

His gaze shot between the one being he ever considered obeying and the nervously shifting human before him. All irritation faded from his expression, and a new curiosity took its place. "Talk to me."

A small smirk, pleased now rather than distrustful, took place on his lips. "I want you and your brothers to go to Townsville. Find a way to blend in. And do whatever it takes to get close to those girls. I want to know every detail about their lives, down to the last second. Get as close as you can to them. Earn their trust if you have to. If you can get close enough to them to do that, then we can come up with a strategy plan. And I already have one in mind that I will discuss with you at a later time . . . after we see how well you do handling this."

All Brick could do was laugh. "As if that were possible. Those girls would call the army at the very sight of us. Gaining their trust . . . inconceivable!"

Him walked around to stand behind Brick, his claws on his shoulders in a manner similar to a proud father. The thought made Brick's skin crawl. "Now Brick, don't be pessimistic." Him floated around him, looking oddly like a belly dancer without a gravitational pull. Brick suppressed a disgusted look. "We both know that you can do just about anything when you're determined. You've proved that numerous times in the past. If anyone can get close to the Powerpuff Girls, it's you."

"Do you really think that his brothers will even consider going to Townsville?" Keith asked, bringing both sets of eyes to him.

"Of course not, at least . . . not without some persuasion from their favorite brother, and all mighty leader."

A small proud smirk slipped onto Brick's lips. It was one of his few weak spots, and best strengths . . . his pride. "And you think I can convince my brothers to go to Townsville, without giving them all this info? 'Oh, let's go take a vacation to Townsville, kill a Powerpuff or two between pool breaks.' Yeah, they're not that stupid. To go from killing at your command, people that were a threat to the corporation, to suddenly taking a trip to Townsville? They're gonna ask questions."

"I think you're mistaken, Brick," Him explained. "You wouldn't be taking a trip to Townsville . . . you'd be moving there."

"What!" Brick shouted, shooting to his feet in an uproar. "Fuck that! I am not going to that decrepit town permanently! I'll kill myself before I move back there."

Him sighed settling in the chair Brick once sat in. "Brick, who has never steered you wrong?"

A moment of brief hesitation as Brick reluctantly sighed. "You, Him."

"Exactly," he murmured. "Don't worry, your expenses, housing, and everything will be provided for you. Everything you would ever want. Whatever cars you want, unlimited credit cards for your personal use, anything your hearts desires. All you have to do is, somehow, get close to those three girls."

"And how is it you suggest we get close to them? Join their physics class?" Brick remarked sarcastically, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms, foot propped up on the wall behind him.

"Exactly," Him retorted with a grin, laughing maniacally at the disturbed look on Brick's face. "It's part of the three conditions I have set for you boys."

"Conditions?" Brick and Keith repeated in sync, exchanging perplexed glances.

"Did you honestly expect me to send my three most powerful, and most stubborn, boys out into the world without some sort of ground rules?"

Brick opened his mouth to object only to shut it in response nod. "Touché. What would these ground rules be exactly? How exactly do they incorporate my 'physics class' quip?"

"Three conditions, one," Him said, holding up his claw in illustration. "You three must graduate from high school. So your remark is more than fitting for your situation. I've already set Javier out to register you three for Townsville High, the junior class. Your schedules will be delivered by tomorrow morning."

Brick's hands clenched into fists as she stared down Him. "What are the other orders?"

"Two, you must keep low profiles and were not to draw attention to yourselves, especially from the Powerpuff Girls. I understand that is an useless request for you and Boomer. Butch however . . ."

"Is a big enough dumbass to draw attention from every person in the state," Brick finished for Him. "Understood. I'll keep him in line, no problem. And the last?"

"Don't die," he said simply.

"Wonderful . . ." Brick muttered, rolling his eyes. "Is that all?"

"Yes. Prepare yourselves; you leave in forty eight hours. Convince your brothers to go, but tell them nothing of this or you're reasoning for it. Decide on a house and I will have it ready for you in two days' time. No worries, that is what you teenagers today say, correct?"

"Something like that," Brick said with a smirk. "As you wish, Him. Two days' time . . ." he muttered, sauntering out the door, and leaving Him and Keith in his wake.


"Oh man, Brick," Butch said, practically skipping into the room they all shared. "You missed a fuckin' awesome mission. I took out three guys. I was like bam! boom! bang!" he said, taking shots at the air as if he were in a boxing ring. "I kicked fuckin' ass."

Boomer followed in after him, walking rather than jogging. "Let's not lie, Butch. You know I helped you take them out. The blood on my shirt is evidence of that," he retorted sarcastically, pointing to the hand prints in blood on his white button down. "Which, by the way, you are going to replace."

"Whatever, but those three bring my total killing count to twenty!"

"I don't know what you're counting for, Butch. I'm about to clear forty. And Brick's way beyond that, god knows how many."

Butch opened his mouth to speak but shut it and frowned. "Fuck you," he muttered, throwing himself onto his bed. "I'm so bored. Who wants to go throw a football around?"

"I want to read, sorry. Ask Brick," Boomer replied, settling himself on his own bed.

He turned to Brick, a hopeful grin on his face. "Brick?"

"Sorry," he replied, staring down at a catalog of homes in Townsville. "Busy workin'."

"Is that the crossword shit you're so into? I don't get why you do those. You're scary as fuck without big words. I don't see how that skill is necessary, being an assassin for an evil corporation and all." Butch sighed, throwing his arms under his head. "Why are we even workin' for the guys? This is such bullshit! We could be out doing so much damage, having some fun, but Brick wants to sit here and be adult-like, listen to Him, learn responsibility. Why can't we be teenagers for once! Go to school, party, get laid by hot college girls, normal teenage guy shit. I feel so out of place because these pussy losers here are talkin about how they met their girls, the bitches they got in high school, and so much other shit. This fuckin' sucks."

Little bells went off in Brick's head. Suddenly, Him's plan started to form before his eyes. He stared up from his catalogue, exchanging a bewildered glance with his youngest brother before they stared down their green eyed brother. "Since when do you wanna play the normal high schooler?"

Butch sat up in his bed, grabbing the football from his bed and flipping it up in the air. "I don't know. Alan from accounting and I were discussing his football career back in his senior year. Ya know how he don't know we're seventeen? Dumbass actually believed without question that we were thirty. Anyway, so he asked me 'bout my high school career, if I ever did football. And I started to picture it."

"Playing . . . football?" Boomer inquired.

"Well, not just that. But in a way, yeah. I could practically picture it. Me as the quarterback, hottest guy in school. A hot cheerleader or sports babe as my girlfriend . . . maybe even as my girlfriend. Parties every weekend, games every few days. Classes to be the smartass in." He shrugged. "I honestly think it could be a lot of fun."

Brick's gaze went to Boomer, a curious look on his face. "How do you feel about this, Boom?"

Boomer was hesitant a moment, contemplating such a response with careful consideration. "Well, I've never thought about it as an actual possibility. Though, I must say, it does intrigue me. I will admit this, I have thought of it. But we both know it would never happen."

Brick set the catalogue aside and stared Boomer squarely in the eye. "Hypothetically speaking, if it were to happen, would that be a good thing as far as your concerned?"

"Well . . . truthfully, yes. I wouldn't mind spending a few afternoons at the library, with a nice girl. Maybe someone my age. A party here and there wouldn't be out of the question . . . and I have always wanted to try ice hockey." He bit his lip a moment, shutting the book in his hand. "In all honesty, the mundane high school life, it doesn't seem so bad. Exciting even."

Butch's eyes locked on Brick, and he narrowly stared at him in suspicion. "What are you gettin' at, Brick?"

The two Ruffs stared their leader down. He smirked at their intrigue, loving the way he had to do little evidently for this supposed plan of Him's. "Anyone interested in movin' back to Townsville? I think I can talk to Him, maybe hook us up with a few months in High-" Brick was cut off by the sudden strong arms enclosed him, lifting him into the air.

"Yo, Brick, if you can hook us up with a year in actual high school, you will be my god for all eternity!"

Boomer found himself laughing, standing to come pat Brick's shoulder when he was set on his feet. "Brick, is there a chance we could so something so . . . normal? Is that permissible by your standards?"

It honestly stunned Brick to see the response from his brothers. He'd always been the closest to them of anyone in the world, but this desire to be normal was never something he'd even fathomed possible. He smirked at his brother, nodding his head. "I think it's not absolutely out of the question. . . Give me a few hours. I think I can wrangle up some time for us back in Townsville."

"So we can start packin'?"

Brick actually smiled at his raven haired brother. "Pack your bags, boys. We're going to high school."

Boomer and Butch exchanged a look before shouting cheers of excitement and wrestling playfully, remarking how they would be the more popular of the two in their new school. "What about a house, and money?" Boomer asked hesitantly, settling himself at the edge of his bed. "We don't have shit."

"Trust me, it's all set. Just pick a house, I'll make it happen." Boomer stared at him hesitantly, but Brick's signature smirk relieved him. "Hey, bro, have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Yes," Boomer and Butch replied in sync.

Brick scowled. "Very funny. Seriously though, it's all set. Pick a place, let me see it, and I'll hook us up. I am leader of the Rowdyruffs after all."

Butch shot to his feet from the floor, running to his dresser and pullin' the very catalogue Brick had been looking at not even a moment ago. "I was lookin', thought maybe suggestin' we get a place of our own. Because seriously, this CIA kinda building is fuckin' depressing as hell." Brick scowled at him, irritated by Butch's pointless rantings. "Right, anyway, so I found this one house . . . Center of Townsville. Three bedroom, two and a half bath. Kickass house, all updated, totally cool. And not too far from the major shops, mall, and clubs. Clubs!"

He held the book out to Brick, smiling gleefully as Brick skimmed it over. "Huh, not bad." Brick met his gaze and nodded. "I'm for it."

"Yus!" Butch cheered happily, fist pumping the air as Brick sauntered out.

"Doesn't it surprise you that he said yes to going to high school? Brick's never been a fan of Townsville. Why would he suddenly let us do something normal in Townsville? Townsville!"

Butch had to consider that a moment, and a nervousness arose in him. "I don't know . . . Maybe he loves us?"

"Yeah, and my name is Mick Jagger."

"Hey, Boom, don't question this. This is a fuckin' gift from the gods to me. Don't fuck this up questioning Brick's motives. Kay?"

After a brief hesitation, Boomer nodded in agreement. "Point taken. . ."

Silently, but elatedly, the two set out to pick up boxes from the UPS store, in preparation to set out for their new lives, new adventures, and new mishaps . . .