No notes for this chapter.
Prisoner of War
Somewei
"That was the most idiotic and reckless thing you have ever done, Buttercup!"
Everyone outside the room cringed. They didn't expect Blossom to react like this. After she had finished ranting about Buttercup's foolishness to Bubbles, she had remained completely quiet for the duration of Buttercup's mission. Everyone had thought that the redheaded girl had gotten over her anger and that she was going to calmly lecture her sister when she got home. However, it was the complete opposite.
Buttercup had walked into the base, desperately asking for mouthwash, and been asked by Bubbles to go to her room, Blossom was expecting her. The green-clad girl obeyed (though not without protest) and found Blossom sitting calmly in a chair, her hands folded in her lap, and her expression neutral. She asked Buttercup to close the thin door and the group immediately gathered.
And then this happened. Blossom had remained quiet for the first couple of seconds into the conversation before Buttercup tried giving her excuses. This seemed to set off the hotheaded teenage girl because then she suddenly raised her voice and started shouting at her sister. Usually, the group knew, Blossom was a calm girl and the only thing more intimidating than her fierce temper was her calm demeanor. But her yelling was just as terrifying because she hardly yelled.
That didn't seem to stop Buttercup, though, because she bit out, "Well, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate with you and Bubbles constantly yapping in my ear! I mean, look how much it messed up Bubbles when she was with – what's his name? – Boomer?"
"I don't care!" yelled Blossom, causing Buttercup to shrink back a little (but only slightly – she was not going to tarnish her reputation of being the tough one – no matter intimidating Blossom could get). "It was irresponsible! What if you suddenly needed help? What if you had been discovered? We wouldn't have known either way because you felt like you couldn't operate better! It was utter stupidity! It was below stupidity! It doesn't even have a word because that's how asinine your actions were!"
"But…but…" Buttercup stuttered. She knew what her sister wanted. Blossom wanted an apology from her. She wanted her to say those accursed words. But Buttercup wouldn't give her that satisfaction. She wasn't going to say anything. She wasn't going to say it. No matter how much it could rectify things.
Blossom growled. "Get out."
She was no fool. She knew no matter how much she pressed, Buttercup was not going to say she was sorry and she, personally, didn't feel like waiting around for an eternity for her sister to say it. So, she sent her out. Buttercup got to leave in a huff. "Fine. Whatever."
As the green-eyed girl put her hand on the door to exit, Blossom sharply said, "You're off any missions for awhile. I don't want you out in the field. Not if you're going to pull moronic stunts like that."
Buttercup sharply turned around to see the burning anger in Blossom's eyes. Her jaw bobbed for awhile before her face scrunched up into an expression of fury. Her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw suddenly clenched tightly. Her loose hands curled into fists and she shouted, "Why? What if Butch wants to do something! Are you going to jeopardize everything like that because you're pissed at me?"
Blossom advanced on her sister. "Don't you dare start with accusations! You, if anyone, are not allowed! I am not jeopardizing the mission…not like you did, anyway. I know what I'm doing and I'm saying you're staying here! Deal with it, Buttercup!"
Buttercup let out a frustrated growl and stormed out of the room. Ms. Keane, Ms. Bellum, John and Bubbles jumped aside, trying to stay out of the angry girl's path. The two older women glanced at each other before they quietly exited and left the family alone. It was not their place. Distressed, Bubbles glanced at Blossom before she quickly took off after Buttercup. John, however, stayed and walked into the bedroom.
"Don't you think that was a bit harsh of a punishment?" John asked calmly. He was somewhat nervous talking to her because the last time they had talked, Blossom completely blew him off and, not to mention, said girl was beyond angry right now. "She was right. You could jeopardize the entire operation."
"Don't tell me how to deal with my sister!" hissed Blossom as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't know any of us. You let us suffer in solitary for practically eleven years. You let us suffer in our guilt for something we didn't know that we did."
"You helped Mojo set up that lab, Blossom!" John shot back, his impatience starting to rise, his confidence rising with it. "Don't tell me you didn't know that he was going to do that. I know you were upset that I didn't show up to pick you up from school, but to do that! To go against me and the city!"
"Like the city ever cared!" the teenage girl snarled as she sat back down on her seat. Her eyes narrowed and she looked extremely intimidating. So much so, John practically considered dropping the subject to escape her glare. "And yes, we didn't know. If you had only listened to your daughters in the first place, you would have realized that Mojo lied to us. He called his lab the "Make the Town a Better Place" plan. We were only a couple of days old! Naïve and lost! How were we supposed to know? But no, you didn't listen. And still don't!"
John immediately objected. "What is that supposed to mean!"
Blossom stood up and inched closer to her father. "Because we're not important. We weren't born naturally so therefore we must be perfect. We must not have human emotions. I may not be completely human, but I have the human genetic makeup. But that wouldn't make sense to a man like you. After all, my sisters and I are merely your experiment, your creations."
"That is not true!" he shouted.
Blossom was quiet for a brief second before she hissed out, "Then you would have listened if it weren't true. But you didn't. Now all you want us to do is fight for you and the city that hated us. It's ridiculous and yet we still do it. But we're creations, we were programmed for that." She frowned. "Weren't we?"
The Professor opened his mouth to object, but Blossom merely shook her head and headed for the exit. Before she left, she called over her shoulder. "My punishment was fair. If she doesn't learn her lesson, she'll keep doing that and I am not going to jeopardize my sister's life for you."
And with that, she walked out.
"How could she do that to me! All because I took out my earwig? It's stupid!" Buttercup shouted within the training grounds as she paced uneasily. Her arms flailed about, expressing her turbulent emotions bubbling within her. "And then she practically said I was below stupid!"
"That's not true, Buttercup," soothed Bubbles as she tried to calm her sister down. Although the blonde was not completely sure the punishment was a rash action on Blossom's part, she was not about to butt heads with the girl with the worse temper on the team. Buttercup may be tough, but Blossom's temper was something to behold. Bubbles was not stupid. She was not going to cross the redhead. "She insinuated your actions were below stupid. Not you. And truth be told, your actions were a little bit stupid."
"So you're on her side!" she countered her sister nastily with a glare, her arms akimbo.
Bubbles quickly waved her hands around in a frantic motion and shook her head quickly. "No! No! I'm on no one's side. I'm simply saying she was right in that you were wrong to disconnect yourself from us. What if you did need our help? How would we know? We wouldn't. Now, her punishing you while she's being irrational was wrong, but I can't say anything to that. It's not my decision."
"Why can't you say anything?" Buttercup asked hastily. Bubbles shook her head in response and mumbled something about Blossom being the leader and her having no right to object in their sister's decision. Buttercup let out a growl of frustration. "UGH! I HATE MY SISTER SOMETIMES!"
The blonde gasped. "You don't mean that!"
"I don't know what I mean!" yelled the emerald-eyed girl, frustrated. "I'm that pissed!"
As Buttercup continued to yell about how much their leader irritated her to no end, Bubbles rubbed her temples and murmured underneath her breath, letting out her own frustration, "Oh boy, somebody please help me with these two. I don't know if I can keep up with them."
Over the next week neither Buttercup nor Blossom had spoken to each other. Blossom was still somewhat upset that Buttercup would do something so stupid and she was even more upset because she knew that the green-eyed girl wouldn't apologize for what she did and rectify it. Buttercup was still upset with Blossom for the punishment she received. And while she hated it, Bubbles chose wisely to not mention the other sister's name with whichever sister she was with.
And while it had pained Bubbles that her sisters were not getting along, the girls and others were affected by it as well. Nothing got done as it should have because neither sister spoke to each other and it greatly hindered everyone else. Their training as a group was neglected and the three Japanese teachers (when Ms. Bellum told them of the situation) were worried about how this would affect the team later on. Ms. Keane tried getting the girls to apologize to each other, but both were stubborn and would not budge – at least not until the other apologized first.
It had eventually seemed hopeless between the two and the group had eventually given up trying to get the girls to team up once more. They just hoped this wouldn't affect the operation so much that it was blown and completely forgot about. That would have been disastrous.
And while most were focused on the fact that Buttercup and Blossom weren't speaking, they vaguely noticed that Blossom and John weren't on good terms as well. Oh, Ms. Keane had noticed John had been feeling rather depressed recently and Ms. Bellum and the others had noticed that Blossom had been even more short than usual with her father whenever they spoke, but they never addressed it. They just figured that Blossom was like that because she was angry with Buttercup.
But the truth was, was that Blossom was not happy with her father. Although she had never shown it to her sisters or had said anything that had shown her contempt towards her creator, she still had harbored bitter and betrayed feelings. She felt angry that her father wouldn't listen to the girls when they tried to explain that they didn't know that Mojo had tricked them. In her five-year-old naiveté, Blossom had thought her father would believe her no matter what. And then he said those heart wrenching words:
"…I don't know who to believe."
Those words had haunted the redhead for some time and when he had asked the girls to come back, there had been doubt that clouded her mind. Yes, she wanted to take responsibility for her actions, but she didn't like the fact that the professor hadn't cared to call them back earlier. He only cared to call them back when he felt they were necessary. That's when Blossom realized they weren't being treated like humans, like daughters. They were being treated like creations. Like something to command and then push into the corner only to collect dust because they weren't needed.
Blossom refused to play into that. She refused to have her and sisters pushed aside, waiting for further use while they collected dust. They weren't inanimate objects. Even if they weren't born the natural way, they still were people with emotions. They still could feel and think like humans. The only difference was that they had super powers. And even then, if somehow they could be taken away, then they would be completely human.
And these thoughts festered within Blossom. They nourished itself over the year they were here and the redheaded leader somehow grew feelings of anger and distaste towards her supposed father. And then she began doubting everything. What would happen after they did this? Would they still be hated? Would they be cast to the side until they were necessary? Would people shun them away? Would they have to go back to living their lives on that accursed rock in space?
These doubts lived within Blossom and made her nervous. That was why she was so careful. That was why she overreacted. She not only had to protect her sisters from Mojo and the Rowdyruff Boys, but also from everyone else. She had to make sure her sisters weren't hurt because, in the end, that was all Blossom had. That was all they had in the end – each other.
John Utonium may not who to believe, but Blossom was not going to let the man rule over them with a master/slave relationship. It wasn't a father/daughter relationship and it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.
As Blossom continued to think over these thoughts, she wandered around the base. When she reached the communications room, she dialed the Fujiwara Dojo's number via video link and let it ring. But she wasn't truly listening or paying attention. She was so focused on what she was thinking that she was startled when Miyuki's voice softly said, "What are you thinking about?"
The redhead jumped out of her thoughts and turned to find her friend staring at her with a curious look on her face. Sighing, she shook her head. "Nothing important or relevant for that matter. What's wrong with you? You look troubled by something."
Miyuki sat down slowly and sighed as well. "Nothing. I'm just…anxious. I feel useless. You girls are doing everything and I'm doing nothing. I want to do something and some people want to do something. Don't tell my grandfather but I have been visiting the slave quarters here in Japan. Many want to do something. They are growing weary."
Blossom smiled sadly. "I know, but you have to be patient. I know it's a painfully slow process, but the only way of taking down Mojo completely and surely is to do it in the fashion that my sisters and I are doing it. Please, Miyuki, tell everyone to have hope."
"…Fine."
The Japanese girl was silent and Blossom got the sinking feeling that this conversation was far from over and that the girl's impatience was still not rested. But she didn't say anything further, knowing that Miyuki would open up to her if something else was bothering her or she still didn't feel satisfied with Blossom's answers.
They never found the bodies.
All this time and he had never questioned why they never found the bodies. Sure, he had not been bothered by it at first and he never mentioned it to Mojo that they never disposed of the bodies, but now it was starting to worry Brick. But why had this sudden panic come up on Brick all of a sudden? Why was it now that he suddenly was worried that they never found the bodies?
They…
Because of the simple fact that all these sudden break-ins with the firewalls, the changing of messages and the hacking of their computers was not a coincidence with the fact that those bodies were missing. That those girls were missing. And what was worse was that Brick had never completely checked to see if they were dead. He just assumed they were and that was a mistake on his leadership. He should have checked that they were dead and he should have gotten rid of the bodies immediately. But he didn't and now he was paying the price with this worry. How stupid could he have been?
…Never…
Now, he knew it was a bit odd that a year after that "fight" with the girls that they would suddenly decide to show up, but it was still a possibility. It could still be something and Brick wasn't stupid enough to rule out the fact that they could be potential suspects. It was either their counterparts or someone who had done their research well.
…Found…
Either way, it made Brick uneasy.
…Them.
Blossom lay wide awake that night. She was uneasy. She was restless. And she couldn't help but feel a little bit upset that she and Buttercup weren't talking. Although it had been a week, Blossom knew that this wouldn't go over well for anyone if they remained silent with each other. Eventually it would catch up to them and potentially ruin everything they had worked for – including their sisterhood.
Sure, Buttercup and her hadn't talked much when they were up in space, but it had been different than now. The only problem was, was that Blossom was too prideful and Buttercup was too stubborn to apologize. Both girls could hold grudges if they wanted to and this little silent treatment between the two could go on forever if they allowed it.
As the redheaded leader contemplated about apologizing to her sister (though she wasn't sure she was going to actually do it), the loud alarmed shrilled throughout the dojo. Buttercup jolted up immediately and Bubbles jumped out bed, startled by the sudden noise disturbing their sleep. Both sisters were spending the night in Blossom's room because they had worked late into the night there. Blossom slowly got up and glanced towards the halls.
Her pink eyes suddenly became a lighter shade. With her X-ray vision, she glanced to the outside halls and found Ms. Keane and Ms. Bellum in their pajamas walking quickly towards the conference room. She watched until they were out of sight. Her pink eyes turned to their natural color and she glanced at her sisters. "Something's wrong. Let's go find out what."
"Well, duh, something's wrong," Buttercup drawled sarcastically. Blossom held her tongue at the remark and merely got up and left the room. As Bubbles got up, she shot her sister a warning glance before she followed Blossom out of the room. Buttercup rolled her eyes and also followed. The three girls walked over to the conference room.
When they got there, the found Ms. Keane, John and Ms. Bellum talking to Setsuko, Hayate and Taro over a video link. All of the adults had worried looks on their faces and the three girls did not like the expressions. Assessing the situation quickly, Blossom rose an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong? Potential discovery?"
"No," answered Ms. Keane, worry evident in her tone. "It's Miyuki."
"Miyuki?" Bubbles asked, alarmed. "What's wrong with her? Please don't tell me she's betrayed us! That would be so sad and horrible for all of us!"
"No, no," Hayate interrupted, his expression as grim as his voice. "She left for the slave quarters awhile ago. Now she's marching on Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace. She's stirring up trouble. She hopes to cause a big enough revolt to help. It's a nice thought, but it'll remain just a nice thought. She could potentially throw away everything we've worked for."
"Why would she do something stupid like that?" Buttercup asked and then shot a pointed look at Blossom as if say 'see…I'm not as stupid as other people we know!'.
And while Buttercup was savoring such a triumph over the fact that she didn't appear as stupid as Miyuki did at the moment, Blossom completely ignored her and thought back to earlier that day. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Because she feels useless and wants to help us out. She told me this afternoon, but I didn't think she was going to turn around and do anything like this! I had told her to be patient and things would happen over time."
"Miyuki is fool!" Taro bellowed. "I get her. Bring her home."
Everyone exchanged glances and hoped to God that nothing would be blown.
The human revolt was, in Miyuki's opinion, spectacular. The Japanese humans had managed to find anything in their arsenal and were quietly moving upon Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace quietly. They moved stealthily, knowing that humans before them went about revolts hastily. If attention was brought up them, then it was over. The primate 'noble' would call the Rowdyruff Boys and then that was it. Everyone would be doomed.
If there was one thing that Miyuki had learned from the girls, it was stealth. The better you could destroy the kingdom from the inside without making a sound, it was all good for everything else. She had managed to convince the others to go about with her plan. And now, here they were, sneaking in Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching's palace, taking out any unsuspecting guards.
Just when Miyuki thought all would go over well, a sudden shout sounded the alarm. "INTRUDERS!"
She turned around and found a chimpanzee guard on the second floor, pointing at the humans. And that's when all hell broke loose. From out of nowhere, monkeys had flown out of rooms and hallways and the humans burst into action. Knowing that it would pointless to stay and that they were on borrowed time, she quickly ran her way through the fighting monkeys and humans and went straight for Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching.
She had checked several different rooms before she finally came upon him. There, sitting on his throne, was Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. He had his hands neatly touching each other in front of his mouth, his eyes were narrowed and his cymbals were placed delicately next to him. And the best part, Miyuki thought, he was alone. No guards.
"It's foolish for you to be here unguarded," Miyuki shouted as she suddenly pointed her katana in his direction. She felt somewhat foolish and brave at the same time while she was here. Her heart pounded in her chest and the adrenaline pumped within her veins. Here she was and there was her freedom. And all she had to do was take out Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching. And, despite the words she had told Blossom nearly a year ago, she could finally avenge the unfair deaths of her parents. It was there for her taking.
"It's foolish of you to be here, period," the primate stated calmly, as he stood up and placed the cymbals in his hands. He smiled wickedly as he drew his arms back, ready to crash. Miyuki noticed this and sprinted off just as the cymbals collided and huge shock-waves followed suit. He frowned. "You are going to die, human. Whether you want to or not. Hold still and it'll get done faster."
"No!" Miyuki shouted as she dodged another strong wave. "I will never give up! We deserve our freedom back!"
Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching frowned. "Worthless girl!"
He crashed his cymbals again, watching as Miyuki dodged his attack several times. He grit his teeth, regretting for the first time staying in Japan palace for the week. China, he had decided early on, was too hectic and he needed a vacation. Japan was more likely to give him that vacation. How wrong had he had been. And now he was paying the price for it by fighting against a little girl who preached she could gain back her freedom.
It was stupid, really. They may kill him, but that doesn't mean the humans would gain back their freedom. They still had the Rowdyruff Boys and Mojo to deal with. If, by some miracle, he died in this fight, the others would discover his death and make everyone pay for their impudence. Only a genius that matched Mojo and Brick could cover his death. And, he thought cockily, I highly doubt there's anyone that smart to do such a thing.
He crashed his cymbals again and the Japanese girl grit her teeth as she felt the pressure of the blast push against her lungs. She let out a gasp of air as she was pushed back, but kept her stance firm. After all, without her balance, she would loose everything and this was not a time to loose everything.
She pushed forward again, her the speed of the fight taking a hold of her. Her brain pulsed from the action and she felt her fingers twitch as she inched closer towards the Asian king. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, in turn, grit his teeth as he carefully examined the moves of his opponent. She was good, he knew, but not good enough. Such a girl was too hasty and impatient with her moves and it was bound to get her into trouble.
So, he crashed again and she dropped to the floor, to dodge the attack. Smart. She, though, wasn't smart enough because she got to her feet and charged at him, leaving herself wide open. She screamed, adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her katana waving over her head. Such an elementary mistake. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching waited patiently, allowing her to make a jab at him before he moved. As soon as she jabbed her sword at him, he took his two cymbals and smashed one of her arms with it.
He twisted her arm in a painful direction. She screamed out in pain as she heard a sickening crunch. He smirked maliciously. He had broken her arm. However, instead of giving up like most humans would have done, she tried swinging again with her working arm with all of her strength. But it was not enough. He rolled his eyes as he easily smacked the katana out of her hand and then smashed one of the cymbals on top of her. She fell to ground, groaned out as her broken arm and (now) bruised hands collided with the marble floors.
She tried picking herself up to the best of her abilities, but it was a slow, agonizing experience. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching didn't help matters when he walked around and mercilessly stepped on a leg, crunching it effectively. Miyuki screamed again, writhing in distress. He laughed. "Absurd child, thinking she can take on such a powerful foe."
Tears formed in her eyes as the broken bones twisted in deformed angles. She began crawling towards the katana, hoping to gain some power back. She didn't get far as Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching grabbed her by the ankle and tossed across the floor. Yelling out again, ache seared through her already tortured body. She laid on the floor, her body twisted up in uncomfortable angles, watching as the maniacal monkey staggered over to her.
I should have listened to Blossom, she bemoaned, tears flowing down her face. I should have waited. I stood no chance and now I may die. My poor grandfather. He's already lost a son too soon and now he's going to loose a granddaughter. I am shameful.
She squeezed her eyes, whimpering in fear as she waited for her end, but felt nothing after awhile. Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching was merely smirking at her. "I am not going to kill you yet, human. Your skills are far too good for any ignorant individual such as yourself to have learn in imprisonment. You may have some information and I'm going to get it out of you. Guards!"
At that time, chimpanzee guards burst through the doors. Miyuki could faintly hear the distant cries of the battle and felt foolish. She led all these people to their deaths. How stupid could she have been? She should have waited until Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were by her side. Now, she – and the others – were going to pay the price. She cried as the regional lord spoke, "Take this child to the dungeons. Get whatever information out of her. Use any means necessary."
They saluted before they roughly picked up the girl. She whimpered out when one of them jostled her broken limbs, but kept silent. As they carried her away, she glanced into the corrupt gaze of Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, thinking, I will never give up my friends – no matter what.