Chapter 9 – behind the mask
It didn't take long to get to school; it was the rush when most of the students showed up ready and most with dates. I spotted Justine form the crowd automatically standing in a tux talking with his friends.
'He's there Blossom.' Bubbles whispered into my ear. 'He's looking at you.' I felt my checks redden and I turned away before our eyes met.
'I don't feel like flirting.' I muttered. 'I feel ill.' the lump in my throat grew as I stared round at the students mingling round the school entrance. 'I think I want to go home.'
'no.' Buttercup said firmly. 'If I have to be here there's no way in hell that you're just going to up it and leave. You can't leave me here with Princess Perky.' she pointed her thumb to bubbles. She just stuck out her tongue and turned away from her.
'You're just nervous.' Bubble rested her arm on my shoulders. 'You like this guy right?' we started walking to the entrance.
'I don't know.' I muttered getting more flustered.
'You want to dance with him?' she continued to ask.
'I don't know.' I said again. Justine was looking at me now. I felt my face burn harder.
'You want to find out?' before I could reply with another "I don't know" she pushed me forward to come face to face with the basketball player.
'Hi.' I said fast not wanting the awkward purse. He grinned looking me up and down. He whistled.
'nice.' he croaked standing back to look at me fully. I looked down holding my dress to my side. This was embarrassing. 'You suit this whole fancy stuff. It's like you're made for it.'
'I wish, and then my powers would be more like ultra sowing skills instead of flying.' I let out a little nervous laugh. He grinned.
'I think being able to fly is pretty cool.' he looked into the school. 'It's a bit cold out here, want to go inside?' I nodded and with that the dance started.
The school had really tired to make the sports hall look like, in cheesy terms, a winter wonderland. As we walked through the entrance we passed through a arch of glittering white (fake) snow and ivy. There was an ice blue carpet running down the centre of the dance floor from the entrance leading to a make shift stage which was covered in the fake snow and black cut outs of reindeers. Shimmering blue and white streamers hung from the ceiling casting millions of glittering lights in every direction.
'The schools really gone all out this year.' I muttered looking round at the other people admiring the decorations.
'Yhea, you would have never thought that a few hours ago a sweaty basketball team was running round in here.' Justine rested his arm over my shoulder. I kept my mouth shut. It didn't feel right. It just felt invading. 'Come on. Let's dance.' I had no choice, he dragged me forward anyway.
I acted like a normal teenage girl for the dance. I jumped around grinning and laughing with the rest of the moving bodies round me. I didn't even have to know that. I was part of a collective body of sweat in gowns and no one cared. I was perfectly fine with that position. My sisters somehow vanished from sight and mind during this time. Justine was constantly at my side watching me and joining in the joy of not thinking. I forced back all the thoughts of fighting or study. I only thought of being in this moment.
Of course that can't last. Half way through the dance a large eruption broke out through the school, no this wasn't just the school issue- it was the cities. I could hear the ground buckle and shake. The rumbling shattered the school walls around the dancers.
'Bubbles, buttercup. Get everyone out of here!' I yelled flying up pushing the ceiling up from the walls so it wouldn't collapse and there under the night sky I saw it. Where the old Mojo Lab had been was a mass of spitting, fiery magma bubbling to the sides of the mound. The ground kept rumbling but this time there was no way in which I could determine where it came from, it could have been either the forest to the volcano in the middle of the city but it was too loud. Too powerful. I began racing to the volcano- if I could get there fast enough I could stop it before it turned to lava or maybe I could stop the ash form raining over the civilians who were all out and about to look at what was going on.
I flew fast not stopping till I was over the volcano looking down at its scorching liquid fire. I took a deep breath ye before I could blow out my first icy breath something collided with my stomach knocking the breath from me.
'No so face ice queen.' I looked round to see Brick on the other side of the volcano holding a fist full of flames. Had he punched me and flew back that fast? He looked at me smiling. He was still smiling. There was no light in his eyes now- even with the fire under him. He simply looked like a carrier of death with his drawn expression cursing his handsome face.
'Brick, what is this? You exploded your house! Was that why you were after the explosives?' he didn't answer. I balled my hands into fists staring down into the volcano. 'Do you want to destroy the city? Why? It will mean nothing! It's too easily done- you'll feel nothing.' I looked up to catch his eyes.
'This isn't about destroying. Killing isn't fun unless you're there to see it. I came to know that a few days ago, as you're aware.' he flew closer. 'This is a statement.' he muttered hovering over the cone of the volcano. The earth rumbled again and I began to hear people screaming and see the panic below. I turned looking at them all driving, running, screaming.
'This is too much.' I looked back at him. 'A statement isn't worth all this.'
'It depends how big an impact you want to make.' he grinned slyly at me. 'I'm calling a war on the human race.' he called out into the open. 'I, a homo-X, declare war on humans.' I frowned looking at him; there was a rumble in the distance. Now however it didn't sound like an earthquake- more like cheers?
'What? Brick, a Homo-X? That sounds crazy!' he flew closer to me.
'You're one too, they've been calling is that for ages too.' he stroked my hair smiling. I bit my lip feeling the vomit rising in my throat again. I heard more cheering and turned to the forest to see what looked like an army charging from the trees.
'I take it that by "they" you mean the government?' I asked watching the black figures heading to the city. They were all of shapes and sizes, all monstrously deformed in some way or another and they all growled and snarled as they ran. They had what looked like tar painted to their flesh which gleamed in the moonlight as they began chasing the first of their screaming victims. I started moving towards them in order to help but Brick pulled me back.
'I heard them taking about you and your sisters, they were going to get you too. Make you join us. They had this coming. We're not going to take this anymore.' he forced me to face him as he hold my in the air. He held my hard, almost shaking me by the arms. 'It's either them or us.'
'Is that why you killed them so easily? For god's sake, I was fine. I was normal and getting along fine. There's no them. We all live here.' I pushed him off shaking slightly as the screams intensified.
We just floated above it all as the lava started to flow. The ash that erupted into the sky clouded any light and began to fall as if it was black snow. It rested in my hair and I really could bring myself to shake it off as I looked horrified down at the city. We really can't stop this.
'Red looks good on you.' Brick muttered bringing my attention back to him. I caught his eyes grabbing my dress ripping it off cleanly and throwing it into the steaming magma. I felt the wind pick up now. I felt lighter now I was out of the gown, but the cat suit- my battle suit. 'That does look good to.'
'Screw you.' I spat. 'So you make a volcano erupt and set some army on the citizens. Why? This is our home.'
'That's why it had to go.' he muttered. 'The volcano is where my men were hiding. The government couldn't get us from in there. We escaped through holes in the forest one at a time while they still thought we were hiding in there trapped by magma and stone. They had a team experimenting on how to get us out. But I've ordered someone to take them out.' his smile left his face.
'Dad.' I muttered. 'He was experimenting on the volcano.' I muttered, he didn't answer, just one grave nod.
'He works for them. He has to go.' I looked away snapping for where my home was, where the professor was.
'You're not leaving.' he grabbed my wrist again. 'You chose your side. I'm not going to let you walk about freely.' his nails were digging into my skin. I growled lashing out at him. He moved back.
'YOU'RE CRAZY! THESE ARE PEOPLE! IT'S NOT SOME WAR GAME. ARE YOU THAT STUPID?' I yelled looking at him and the people. My sisters were still down there. 'Do you know how many are going to die?' he nodded. 'Don't you care? At all?'
'no. haven't for a while. They're only humans. Scum that waist their lives wishing other pain and misery anyway. I can't say how long I've been waiting for this.' he muttered, his voice lowering as he watched the tar covered monsters attacking the city. He held me again forcing me to look down at them too. 'This was all I could think about for all those years lock up. To rid the world of these selfish people. You see how they destroy any trace of anything different.' I looked back to him. He looked so pained.
'Brick, what happened to you? When you were locked up? You've got worse.' he smiled catching my eyes again.
'I know but now they actually have a reason to lock me up now...That is if they survive. But this is a fight I must do.' there was no give in his tone. He meant this.
'I don't see why. I don't get it. I don't know why you have to do this. These are good people.' I saw my sisters flying to help the civilians. 'This is disgusting.' I muttered.
'This is the event. It'll last a while but it has to be done no matter how bad it gets. The world needs to change.' he muttered. I held my breath elbowing him hard in the gut and freeing myself.
'I told you before. I'm going to get you arrested and locked away.' I growled. 'You're going to pay for this.' he chuckled flying back to the volcano folding his arms.
'Still playing super hero?' he looked mad now. 'Guess I can't make you see my way then. Shame, you would have been a good alley.' I gritted my teeth.
'I don't know why! It's crazy; you've done this for no reason. You're just some evil little brat!' he smiled further. 'I'll never be your alley while you're harming people.'
'Make sense.' he nodded gravely. 'Then you'll have to die with them all.' he held flaming fists again. 'You, your sisters and your father.'
'dad.' I muttered turning flying away fast. I had almost forgotten there were monsters after him.
I raced home; Bubbles and Buttercup were already there. They too had ditched the fancy dress and stud in their suits.
'Blossom! What happened?' Buttercup panted flying with me.
'Dad's the trouble.' I muttered flying faster down into the professor's lab.
'He doesn't look like it.' Bubbles muttered. The professor turned sharply staring at us wide eyed and scared. 'Girls? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be helping everyone?'
'We got most of the town out of danger for now. We can't fight them out of practice.' Buttercup sighed. 'We're out numbered and out matched.' she thumped the wall. 'It's pissing me off.'
'We can't do anything. Bubbles whimpered. 'The city is done for.' I stared at the professor for a while. He helped make this happen. He played a part in this.
'This is really happening.' he muttered falling to his chair. 'It's really happening.' he pushed his hair back looking round. We heard banging from the ceiling over us. They were here. 'Damn it all.' he cursed looking round at my sisters and me.
'Ok girls, I need you to listen to Me.' he said horridly getting to his feet and rushed to a closet. We followed as he pressed a button and a narrow passage opened. 'Go in there. It opens out into a small bunker where you'll find survival kits. From there you need to become invisible, split up and vanish. Hideaway and wait. Wait till you're found.'
'No way.' I spoke out 'professor, we're heroes. We have to do something to stop this. We can't let them win.' my sisters nodded. He looked at all sadly.
'Girls. You are my pride and joy. Let me be your father for once. You haven't been heroes for such a long time.' the banging noises got louder. Pushed us into the passage. 'If you don't do this you won't survive. I've expected this would happen ever since the Rowdyruff boy's appeared.' he gritted his teeth speaking faster. I kinda made them go away. Doing my own work for the city and they won't stop till you and I are dead. They want revenge.' he said fast as we began hearing snarls. 'You need to go on. You're my daughters. live.' he slammed the door shut just as there was a roar and then a thud.
'Professor!' Bubbles started thumping against the door to the passage but it wouldn't open. 'Professor! Open this, come with us! Please!' he broke down into tears sinking down to the ground. I rested my hand on her shoulder. Buttercup simply stared at the locked door.
'He really left us, he sacrificed himself there!' her lips were quivering. I turned my face away thinking hard. This was a mess. I terrible mess I couldn't stop. I swallowed moving forward walking down the passage way. 'Where are you going?'
'I'm doing what I was told.' I said firmly. 'What Dad did was brave and stupid. I won't let it go to waste.' I waited for my sisters to join me and then we all marched down the long, dark tunnel.
After a few hours we reached the opening. It was a lead liner shelter painted white. It wasn't large but it was worked on and from the looks of it the professor had worked on this place for years. There were three beds with pink, blue and green sheets. A picture of the family to show it was ours. Three bags were hanging up with our names on it and a bathroom. Bubbles was still crying and Buttercup just looked shocked. What happened just came from nowhere, it was too much and we weren't ready.
'So what do we do now?' Buttercup muttered taking a seat on the green bed. I looked over my shoulder and both my sisters were looking at me. I looked at the three bags. They must be the servile kits.
'We do what we were told. We take a survival kit and split up. Hideaway and wait till found. Whatever ever that may mean.' I said quietly. 'We can't fight. Not yet so keep working out. Keep your powers in check and one day we'll meet up again.' I muttered
'I don't want to.' Bubbles sniffed. 'You're my family. We've already lost the professor.'
'That doesn't matter. It's because we've lost him we have to do this.' I said firmer. 'I think we should spend the rest of the night here and then we leave in the morning.' I walked to the survival kit with my name and opened it. There was hair dye, coloured eye contacts, clothes, a small knife, food and first aid. My sisters must have the same. 'I'll use the bathroom first.' I said walking straight to the room and closing the door after.
I sank down tears wouldn't come to me anymore. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror looking at the dirty girl before me. She was covered in ash and dust. Her hair looked like it was once elegant but now lay limp and dishevelled. She wore why clothes and her face almost looked like mine, all but her hard cold eyes, the same eyes a saw in Brick tonight. I squared my jaw slowly taking the pins from my hair and undressing. I needed to wash.
The hair dye was a dark brown and it took a while for it all to cover my hair. I defiantly looked different with dark hair. The clothes was a simple black op with three quarter sleeves (form fitting) and what looked like military trousers boots and leather fingerless gloves. I was doing up my belt when I appeared from the bathroom. Bubbles went next. She came out in the same outfit and brown hair though it was lighter than mine by far- she also wore her old thick glasses she used as a child. then Buttercup who also had the same outfit but she came out with her hair cut so short it was almost fit for a boy (if she wasn't so pretty she would have passed for one that is) I was platting my hair when we all sat together silently looking at us. It was strange how different we look now. Bubbles tied her hair back tightly and then we sorted out the contacts. I wore brown and Buttercup had Grey. We needed to look unrecognisable and it was scary how much it worked for a while.
'So this is our last night.' Buttercup broke the silence. I just nodded wrapping the bed covers over my shoulders. 'I think there's a TV.' she got up almost excitedly and fished out a box from under one of the beds. She was right. She pursed looking back at us. 'I don't want to watch the news.' she muttered. For once we all agreed, as all knew what would be on the news.
'Movies?' Bubble sniffer still crying a little. Buttercup looked round before pulling out an old copy of the titanic.
'Might as well.' I sighed grabbing all the pillows and blankets before sitting on the floor. My sisters joined me and we stayed there watching the movie. That was the last night we slept with each other. there on the floor of the shelter before we set out in hiding.
Brick had started war of the races. He wanted revenge on the professor for having him taken away by the government and ht got his wish. The professor wanted to save my sisters and me and he got his wish. Now we just have to survive. There are still a lot of things that remain unclear- mainly all because of Brick. But I would find out. I wouldn't stop till the day was saved one way or another.
