Chapter 10

Buttercup lay on the hard, wet floor, her head resting on an equally hard, wet rock. A small fire burned a foot or two away, illuminating the dark cavern. Butch sat on the other side, puffing away at another cigarette. Buttercup tried to nap, but her thoughts couldn't stop racing. It had been several days since they entered the cave. The neon lights disappeared days ago, and the two resorted to using the powerful flashlights on their belts. Unfortunately, the more time they spent wandering around, the less morale Buttercup had. They haven't had any clues, or even a remote sign of anything. She wasn't completely sure how Butch felt, but considering the cigarette butts littering the ground around her, she was sure he wasn't doing too well either.

The past few days were spent in either complete silence or bitter banter. Butch had a blast mocking and teasing Buttercup, always finding some clever way to get under her skin. She was still not pleased with him around, but she was getting used to it. In fact, it was sometimes comforting. The hostility kept her energized, and the occasional fistfight got some of her anger out. He was still mostly irritating, but Buttercup, despite herself, was still grateful for the company.

Buttercup rolled over on her other side, and glanced at Butch. He was now chewing on some jerky, staring into the darkness. Buttercup sighed and sat up. Butch glanced at her.

"You sleep?" he asked. Buttercup simply chuckled. She opened her backpack and pulled out some crackers.

"I obviously haven't seen anything," Butch said, nodding forward into the dark abyss that was the cave.

"Didn't think you did," Buttercup said quietly. She nibbled on a few crackers, staring into the fire. She thought for a moment, and then looked up at Butch.

"Do you… do you want to go back?" she asked. Butch turned his head slowly towards her, his eyebrows raised.

"Go back?"

"Yeah," Buttercup pursed her lips and looked away. Butch stared at her.

"Are you nuts?"

"This is pointless!" Buttercup exclaimed. "It's been like what, a week?"

"Six days," Butch corrected.

"Alright, whatever, six days. But we haven't found anything. Not one damn thing! We're just wasting time in here, when we could be doing something else, anything else."

"Like what?" Butch asked incredulously.

"I don't know. Anything," Buttercup replied. She really didn't know what else, but she was sick of being in here.

"I don't think we can," Butch said.

"Why not?"

"Because… I don't know…" Butch's voice trailed off.

"Ha!" Buttercup cried. "You agree, don't you?"

"Agree with what? I don't think we should leave," Butch said. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

"You're pissed, too. Don't lie to me." Buttercup glared at Butch, waiting for him to admit it. He simply snorted at her and took a long drag on the cigarette.

"This is so pointless," Buttercup said. She sank back against the cave wall, and looked up at the ceiling. There was a short silence, as Butch smoked and Buttercup stared above them.

"Look," Butch started. "Let's just give a few days."

"Fine."

Another silence followed. Butch soon crunched out his cigarette, then immediately lit up another one. Buttercup put her crackers away, having completely lost her appetite. The silence lasted for quite some time, until Butch flipped open his left wrist cuff, checking the time.

"Think we should go on then?" He didn't wait for an answer, and stomped out the fire. He hit the flashlight on his belt, illuminating the cave brighter than the little fire ever could. Buttercup stood up and hoisted her bag on her back. She hit the flashlight on her own belt, and the two began yet another trek through the cave.

After only about an hour of walking, Butch stopped. He lit up another cigarette, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth. Buttercup sneered.

"You're like chimney," she commented.

"Shit, you smoke, too. You've been bumming 'em off me since we got in here," Butch retorted.

"Yeah, well I'm not chain-smoking am I?"

"Fuck off," Butch grumbled.

"Fuck you!" Buttercup snapped.

"You wish."

"Oh, for the love of God," Buttercup said, rolling her eyes. She sped up ahead of him, a vein beginning to pulsate near her temple.

"Do you have to rag on me about every fucking thing?" Butch demanded, his voice rising. Buttercup stopped and turned around.

"I don't rag on you about anything, I only point out facts, just so you know," Buttercup replied.

"Here's a fact: you're a bitch," Butch blew smoke in her face.

"You're an asshole," Buttercup said matter-of-factly.

"You're so creative," Butch smiled. "Can you think of anything better?"

"Oh, I can," Buttercup sneered. "Dickwad? Fucktard? Asswipe? Any better?"

"Oh, I like the second one myself."

"Alright. Fuck you, you fucking fucktard," Buttercup's lip curled. Butch stood before her, his face slightly bemused. Then his face twisted, a smile growing on his lips. He laughed, right in Buttercup's face.

"You're cute, you know that?"

Buttercup seethed and turned on her heel. She stomped away, her face burning. Seriously? she asked herself. Even her words were failing, just like the entire situation they were both in. Butch flicked the cigarette away and ran after her.

"Come on, you have to admit, that was great!" he called.

"Shut up," Buttercup muttered.

"No, really, redundancy much?"

"I said shut up."

"Seriously, if I like, give you another try, will you say something as epically bad as—"

PWOOSH!

Buttercup threw an enormous boulder at Butch, slamming him into the ground. The boulder smashed into several large pieces, but managed to successfully crush Butch. He recovered within seconds, pushing the pieces off his body. He stood up, and frantically brushed the dirt, dust, and specks of blood off his body.

"What the fuck, Buttercup?" he shouted.

"I told you to shut up!" Buttercup screamed.

"You—" Butch zoomed toward her in a bright green flash. He slammed into her body, both of them falling to the ground. He threw punches left and right, but Buttercup dodged and countered every one of them. They rolled on the ground, desperately, violently struggling against each other. Buttercup eventually got the upper hand and rolled on top of Butch. She threw one good blow to his face.

"I think asshole is my favorite," she said, standing up. Butch scrambled up, rubbing his cheek hard.

"God, I hate you—"

Butch stopped. Buttercup smiled at him triumphantly.

"I win."

"Shut up," Butch whispered. Buttercup looked at him, slightly confused. Butch huffed. "Listen."

"I don't hear anything," Buttercup said, sliding her hand on her hip.

"Well, not when you're talking, just shut up and listen," Butch persisted. Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"You're an idiot, I don't hear—"

Her voice broke off – heard it. Butch looked at her and nodded. They looked around them, looking for the location of the sound.

"It's over there," Buttercup said, pointing to the smashed pieces of the boulder.

"It sounds… electronic?" Butch suggested. The two slowly snuck over to the boulder pieces, knelt down, and moved pieces around.

Buttercup gasped.

Lodged in one of the pieces was a small box with a little lens and a tiny blinking red light. It was whirring, the lens flicking up and down, the casing around it packed down into the box.

"A camera," Butch said. He looked at Buttercup, who stared at it intently. Then she vaporized it, with one quick laser eye beam. Butch snarled.

"What did you do that for?" he yelled. Buttercup pointed.

"It was watching us," she said, a hint of paranoia in her voice.

"Maybe! But this was probably what we were looking for," Butch said, his voice still filled with disbelief. Buttercup stood up, her eyes still focusing on the spot the camera once was.

"Butch, it was watching us. You know what that means?" Buttercup looked at him.

"No, what?"

"Someone knows we're here."

Butch opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. He breath quickened and he looked around the cave. He stepped up to the wall, feeling the rocks.

"You think there's more?" he asked.

"Probably." Buttercup scanned the area, her eyes narrow and alert. Butch continued feeling the walls, knocking and tapping every now and then. Buttercup turned to him.

"That's probably not a good idea," she warned.

"Why not?" Butch asked, giving her a nasty look, and continuing to knock and tap anyway.

"Years of experience. If there are cameras, there might be—"

Butch pressed into the wall, and the floor began to vibrate. He and Buttercup jumped up, hovering a bit above the ground. She glowered at him, and he chuckled sheepishly.

The entire cave began to shake, dust and other particles both flying and falling into the air around them. There was a sharp metallic noise, and Butch and Buttercup saw the walls eject long, pointy spikes. The walls continued to tremble, creating an ear-splitting thunder the echoed around the area. The spikes slowly grew, coming closer and closer to the duo.

"Any other bright ideas, genius?" Buttercup growled. Butch quickly looked around them, and nodded.

"Yeah. Run."

Butch grabbed Buttercup's arm, and the two blasted through the air, whizzing farther and farther into the cave. The spikes seemed to line the walls endlessly, the spikes growing larger the closer they got. Ahead of them, the two saw two paths, one of the paths lit up with torches. The other path went a little bit, but was visibly caved in.

"Which way?" Butch shouted over the thundering.

"The blocked one!" Buttercup yelled.

"Why? The other one is clear!"

"Exactly!"

Buttercup and Butch zoomed towards the blocked path, both shooting laser eye beams, vaporizing the boulders. The path behind it was clear and lit, just like the other path. Buttercup glanced at Butch and grinned. They zipped past the spikes and entered the passageway.