Ok, guys! I'm going to work hard to MAKE THIS A VERY LONG CHAPTER! This story should end in the next or 2 chapters! Who'll give me reiviews?!
Readers: NOT US!
Canzie : Expected, and I forgive you for that! I totally understand your perceptions after reading and not reviewing a couple stories myself. So, enjoy and... You don't have to review.
Boomer: *gasp* This is a first! EVER! I think even in the history of Fanfiction! The Author giving pardon to the Reviewers?! WOW!
Canzie: I know Boomer... Let's not talk about it *holds chest and looks at audience with pleading eyes*
Boomer: She does not own me, my brothers, or the PPG's or Theif Lord! Enjoy! :)
10:12 pm
Exhausted eyes met each others, holding hands for support, dragging feet through the busy, blending streets of evening France. Carefully walking through a familiar alley way, to get through a back-way where home is, where comfort is, rest. Practically dragging each other, smiling at each other, hope of hiding from the constant searching eyes of The Man, falter at the site. Tears gathered in the eyes of the girl, frustration build in the chest of the boy, an empty lot, revealing just the backs of 3 appartments, boxing in. Showing no reminiscents of an old home, no sign of a shelter, just empty, empty, empty hope.
"Brick..." Blossom whispers, almost inauduably, letting tears flow freely. He hums. She looks at him with such hopeless eyes.
"... What now?" She sobs. Brick sighs.
"We stay true to our Lord..." Brick says, numbly. A little more tears flow down Blossom's cheeks, before she wipes them away. They stiffly turn away from the empty hope, looking to the slim alley way, hoping on hope that hope was out there, and walked into the busy, blending streets of evening France, knowing a hard long night in ahead.
(*)
=Somewhere in the rich part of France=
A newspaper was flung onto a brown desk with a gold finish of the corners. The picture was a ruggeed boy being brought out a police car, a ratty black cape hanging at his back and his eyes downcast. The headline read: Lord of Theift Finally caught! The subtitle underneath questions: Is this really the infamous thief or a big childish prank?
Princess smiles at the fact she had been released from the hospital the day the Lord got caught. She was now relaxing in her mansion like she should and reading about her enemies' demise and her careful planned revenge. Ok, so his demise wasn't as careful and calculated as she would have liked, but the ends justified the means.
She let out an evil laugh at all she accomplished. Got the thief lord and his croonies arrested. Had thier old hide-out demolished so if any escaped they'd have no where to go.
Princess spinned her chair around and looked out the window.
"If only my sweet thief would have just delivered that chest..." She said wistfully. "We could've lived in bliss, you and I."
(*)
Somewhere on the skirts of france, in a prison for especially hardened criminals.
Butch was being led down the halls of cells, stripped of his black thief clothes, and wearing a gray jumpsuit. The criminals pressed themselves against the prison bars to see and jeer at the kid.
"Hey, baby what are you doing here?!" One called out.
'What am I doing here?' Butch thought.
"Shouldn't you be in the nursery with your mommy?!" That brought about laughter.
'Never had one that I cared about...' Butch thought, a scold slightly settling on his face.
"Want me to kiss your boo-boos?!" Another roar of laughter.
'You'd be the first one.' He thought, with an eye-roll.
"Isn't it way past your bed time?!"
Butch sighed. Isn't it? He should be at home. Yes, home in that bar he claimed for himself. Home, pretending to count his gold, when Brick is actually doing it, because he can't count too high. He should be eating peanut butter and jelly off a spoon because they can't get bread. Telling Buttercup...
Butch sighed, facing straight ahead, drowning out the rest of the jeers. 'But now its over... I failed my minions, no... I failed my friends. I'm not Lord of thieft, I'm just a kid who got in over his head...' His eyes were dim from the no hope he had. The police officer finally pushed him into his cell, it was pretty spacious and there was no roommate. The police officer was chuckling, seeming to have picked up a picking on mood from the prisoners.
"You do big boy stuff, you get to do big boy time." He chuckled. "A king size cell for the Lord." He laughed, while bowing. Then slammed the door as the criminals who heard him also howled with laughter. He whipped around, like he'd do with his cape and settled on the bottom bunk of his two bunk bed. He brought his knees up to his chest to hug.
'... Buttercup' He thought lastly, completely giving up on his past life. "I'm sorry. You're back in prison."
(*)
Boomer laid in bed, his back propped against the orphanage's wall. He was blankly staring at a silver tiara in his hand. It seems all orphanages were the same... They only want to make sure the children are disciplined so the parents would actually want to adopt. Boomer, of all places, didn't want Bubbles here at the orphanage. If she did anything that indicates undisciplined behavior, which is the only thing she's been doing for the past week with the Lord, she'll be paddled while being told proper behavior. Boomer knows how this place worked, just based on the looks the nuns gave them and the way the kids acted.
Boomer couldn't even be there for Bubbles if she did anything, because they separated girls and boys in this orphanage. Boomer was scared when he saw Bubbles again... He wouldn't recognize his cute little sister again. It'd be someone who had to grow up too fast. Boomer gave a little chuckle, still looking at the silver tiara that Bubbles had worn for her birthday two days ago.
It's funny how being in the orphanage would be the place they had to grow up faster than normal children. Boomer felt more mature since being with the Lord of theft, and he didn't even have to sacrifice fun to grow up like that, feel like he had more responsibility. He wonders where Butch was... he hoped he was ok, that he had a plan. He didn't matter what it was, he hoped Butch had a plan and that the good-bye Butch transmitted with his eyes wasn't real, wasn't what he meant.
The door bursted open in the empty bunk bed rooms. The nun came straight for Boomer's bunk, and he barely had time to blink, she was in front of him.
"Why aren't you in the dinning hall with the rest of the boys?! Parents will not want to adopt an anti-social child!" She quickly snatched the tiara out of his hand as well.
"Ah!" He yelled out, reaching back out for it.
"And this is for a girl! You are a boy, so you are not interested in it!" She said firmly. She marched back to the door. "Get down to the hall." Boomer stared at the back of the door, deflated.
"Save me, my Lord." Boomer whispered, weakly, hope fading.
(*)
The next day, at the jail, the prisoners were gathered in the dining hall for lunch. Butch got his tray of lunch from the line, and anyone could see he was the shortest, being flanked by guys twice his size. But he was youngest after all.
His eyes still looked lifeless and defeated as he walked away from the line, food in hand. All around the cafeteria, even with the guards, there were murmurs as he made his way to a table. Butch didn't bother to listen to them, but he was about to anyways, as a big man with a scar came over him and shoved him from behind. Butch stumbled forward but avoided falling. He turned around.
"Wha-"
"Haha, this is the lord of theft?" He mocked in front of Butch's face. "He's just a kid! Is this some kind of joke?" He bent over to hack and laugh in front of Butch's face. But he already didn't care. He wasn't even scared of them.
'I used to be, not anymore.' He didn't bother to voice out. Soon the whole cafeteria was ablaze with rumors. One of the jail guards spoke out.
"I don't even know why HQ had such a hard time catching this guy!"
"Oh, no, I heard he had these demonic like helpers who'd come and go before you even knew they were there. They'd come to pick him up, so that's how he was so fast." A criminal told the guard. Butch's eyes twitched.
'Not demon helpers... friends... They always got me out in a pinch.'
"You wanna know what I heard? He could steal anything he wanted because he was like a phantom." Another one broke out. They discussed these blown-out-of-proportion rumors as a laugh, now that they knew who the real lord of theft was.
"Heard he was born from the black ooze that seep out of France's sewers!" They laughed. Butch remained silent, just listening, while starting to fume. All the while, this guy stayed in front of him.
'Not black ooze, just the back wash orphanage that seemed like Hell, but I escaped that.' He thought, remembering with a vengeance.
"Heard he had mountains of gold and a pet dragon back at his base."
'Not mountains, barely enough to go by. And I had no base, a home I worked hard for. A home I made by my own two hands.' Butch thought, and his fingers twitched out of frustration.
"Some of the kids gone missing in France were blamed on him. Where'd you take them? To your crib to make you booties?" There was an uproar of laughter. Butch's fists clenched.
'The friends I had I saved from their hellish lives too. But now... I don't know where any of them are.' Butch's eyes narrowed as he realized. 'What am I doing here?! My friends need me! I saved them from their old lives, but they were thrown back into it all because of my incapability! I've got to go save them! But how? I'm stuck in here!' He lifted his head, but he kept his eyes lifeless, like he had nothing planned, when secretly, gears were spinning faster than they ever had before.
"I heard The police would set traps for him, and they'd spring, but when they checked on the trap, there'd be no one there."
"Ha! slippery little one." The big guy said in front of him. The patrolling police had roamed off towards the doors, embarrassed from the rumors involving the police. The man shoved Butch against a wall. "I don't know how you've always given the police the slip."
Butch's eyes roamed up to his, him still carefully keeping them subdued. 'I've always have, because I was smarter than them. Faster, stronger.' He thought back in his head.
"But you won't be so lucky in here!" He brought his fist up to bring it down on his face.
'And I'm definitely smarter than you!' A picture of Buttercup flashed in his mind, and the life came furiously back into his eyes. The man saw too late, as Butch reached up for the oncoming fist and slid it to the side, using the momentum that it couldn't stop. Once the man was vunerable, Butch swung his feet up to kick the man from below. His head knocked backwards, and before he could recover, Butch threw himself up to follow his feet. He rode the man's chest down, as he bellowed down to the ground. The impact on his head was so hard, he got knocked out cold.
The café was silent as they stared at the biggest guy in jail get taken down by a boy. He whipped his head up with burning green eyes, and they all flinched.
"I may be in jail... but I'm still the Lord of Thief." He smirked. "And I'm not gonna be here for long."
(*)
Buttercup pulled the lever, making hangers out of the materials on the assembly line, with a bored look on her face. She didn't do anything too illegal, they couldn't prove she made the fake money, but she definitely had too much of it for them to believe she didn't know it was fake.
Its already been two days, she's been stuck in juuvie. She doesn't even know how it could happen. She's been thinking it over ever since the police stuffed her in the police car, but nothing's adding up. How did they know they'd be at that museum? Unless someone tipped them off. But who would know they were there? Unless it was an inside job. No, she hasn't been around long, but she feels their loyalty to Butch.
Buttercup sighed, thinking of him. Was he ok?
Maybe Brick did it, not with the thought of turning Butch in, but for help to find his girlfriend. But that'd be too stupid a move for someone so close to a famous thief. Maybe the two blondes? With what? They haven't gotten any specialty like being in charge of any communications. Pretty sure they stayed inside the base the whole time they were with the Lord. At least didn't leave unsupervised. Maybe a whole conspiracy?! Buttercup shook her head. She was being ridiculous. She just wants to help Butch. And if that meant avenging him, she'd do it.
Of all the possibilities, they didn't add up. Even the one including Princess. Yes, she's thought about that too. But she should've been dead, after she stabbed her. Right? Well, they weren't very careful in doing that. They were too tired, scared, and jumpy to stay. And she was in her employed house of Butlers, maids, and servants.
Buttercup rhythmically pulled the lever. The more she thought about it, the more things added up...
(*)
By the next day, everybody in the jail knew not to mess with Butch. They all agreed he was the most respectable criminal in France, and all the rumors he did were true. He got two guys from the jail to hang around and trust to tell things. Also, they got information floating around the jail for him to hear.
Butch was walking on his way to his cell, to write down some things he was thinking about. He heard rapid footsteps behind him, and he ducked while swiping his foot out behind him.
"WAAAH!" A man tripped over his leg and tumbled over his crotched body. The two guys Butch trusted came over.
"What's wrong with you! How dare you try to hurt the Lord of Criminals!"
"I-I'm sorry! I was just not convinced he could defeat thug like that!" He said talking about the big guy with the scar.
"Whatever, I don't have time for this. You two, come with me." Butch said, stepping over the fallen criminal. The two guys followed. The man crawled after them.
"W-wait! I want to be with the Lord! I want to be included in whatever awesome thing you're gonna do!" He called.
Butch said over his shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'm not planning anything awesome."
They got to Butch's cell and he climbed up to the barred window.
"Now, the juvenile detention hall is not too far from here. And I need to get there to pick up a certain lady." Butch said.
"Right, so what's your plan?" One guy said, while the other kept watch.
"Start a riot away from the jail's entrance and I climb the fence when the coast is clear. Then I need you guys to cover me for at least a couple of hours so I can get far away enough."
"Right boss." They said.
"Kay, today at dinner..."
(*)
Boomer was brushing his hair to be in perfect order before straightening his tie of his uniform mandated by the orphanage to look like pleasant children. He was finally able to see Bubbles today, in a special weekly orphanage dinner feast, where kids of all gender and ages could eat and sit with who they want.
Boomer followed his single file line to the dinning hall. It looked great, 5 tall rows of tables with repeating food dishes in the middle. Some kids were already in the cafeteria lined up against the wall, a pleasant volume of talking in the air., others were still filing in the other 3 door.
Boomer tried his hardest to keep his eyes facing the back of the head of the kid in front of his, but he at least want to spot Bubbles for an easy reunion. As his line stopped and he faced towards the tables, waiting to be released by the nuns, he scanned the lines across from him, but what he could see those were the 11-15 year olds. He was on the 10- and lower year old side. If Bubbles was in here, she was on this side.
Eventually, the Nuns told everyone to take their seats and Boomer went forward, trying to look productive. He was about to move across the room when he heard "Mon frère!" from behind.
He turned around and Bubbles was calmly walking towards him.
"Speak english, Bubbles, I think the Nuns don't understand much english." Boomer spoke. Bubbles nodded, and pulled on his sleeve to sit them at the seats beside them.
"How have you been? Are you ok? Have they done anything to you?" He asked, playing with her golden pigtails. But she pulled her head slightly out of his reach.
"Careful Boomer, You might mess it up out of uniform." She said. Boomer frowned slightly.
"That's right. Well? You're ok then?"
"Yes, they haven't done anything to me, I just followed directions." She said. Boomer felt like she was 2 years older. Like he missed out on a couple of years and she might bring up something like he really have been gone two years. They ate dinner together, Boomer slightly awkward, and he asked some questions as if she'd suddenly have new interests. But she kept saying "You already know!"
45 minutes later, a Nun went to Bubbles and said "You and other kids have been asked to wash this feast's dishes."
"Oui, Madam. But, can Boomer come with me?" She replied.
"erm... oui." She gave consent. Boomer didn't really want to go wash dishes of everyone else, but at least it showed Bubbles still wanted to hang out with him.
He moved with her to the back cuisine room, and as soon as they were away from the watchful eye of the nuns, she turned around with a bright smile.
"Oh BOOMER! You look so cute in that uniform!" Bubbles giggles, grabbing the end of his tie.
Boomer blinked before chuckling.
"Bubbles?"
"Oh, frère, you looked so sad talking with me!"
"Yea! I was scared I lost you to the discipline that was the orphage!"
"Oh, no, I just couldn't act out in front of them! When they told me to do something, I listened the first time. Its funny, but I already felt mature before I came here. Like I been through so much more than the other kids here..." She said.
"Right?" Boomer said.
"Of course I love my brother. Let's go wash the dishes! I'm glad you haven't changed either."
"Yea, I already know how these places run."
(*)
Back at the Jail, in the night, the alarms blared, guards running all over the place, the news of an escapee having spread, a dug out toilet with a hole underneath. Two idiot guys were captured, but where was that last one?
Butch was already running down Grands Boulevards with Buttercup behind him, far from the jail, so the blaring sirens were just echos in the night.
"You... came back for me... this time...!" Buttercup panted behind him.
"Of course!... I'd never make... the mistake of leaving you... behind again...!" Butch slightly shouted over his shoulder to her, panting as well. They both made their way into the night.
(*)
Boomer stared at the roof of the bunk bed on top of him, not able to sleep. He just felt to restless, but defeated at the same time. He kept replaying the scene in his head many times. The look in Butch's eyes when they caught him. When he said good bye...
He just wanted to go back to those simple times, before princess, when they were just all happy together.
He was thinking about how sheltered the kids in orphange were, compared to him, when he heard a tiny click.
Boomer sat up quickly. It would be a shot in the dark and dangerous to say his affiliation, but it was a risk he wantedc to take.
"Isn't that too loud for someone like you, my lord?" Boomer whispered into the dark.
"Shh... So I'm a little rusty." Butch replied silently, sounding like he was everywhere and no where. But either way, Boomer was extremely happy Butch was back, he could have shouted for joy, as hope sprang back up into his chest.
"Wha-we-you-ho-now-you-le-ne-co, WHAT?!"
"What? Shh! Let's go first, then I'll explain, alright?" Then Boomer finally saw, a window with its blinds slightly behind shuffled. Boomer moved out and carefully lifted it, then slipped his body through the slip of the opened window. He knew he was on the second story, but he had faith in his lord, Butch was on the second story too, right? As Boomer slipped out, Butch helped his footing onto a vine ladder Boomer hadn't noticed, but what he did notice was Buttercup and Bubbles already at the bottom of the ladder, Bubbles still in the orphange appointed night gown. Boomer was too, anyways. They got down and they all shared a group hug.
"Wow, didn't know you all missed me so much." Butch said, releasing the hug.
"Not so much we missed you, but the places we were at were so horrible, being with you was the better option." Buttercup joked.
"Haha, now let's go find Blossom and Brick!" Butch said.
"Does this mean we're gonna be the same again? Stealing and stuff?" Bubbles asked.
"Ah, I know you're all confused, but I'd rather explain it all together, alright?"
"Wait! How'd you escape the jail?" Boomer asked.
Butch just smirked.
"I'm the Lord of Theft!"
(*)
Brick was soooo hungry.
It was afternoon in Paris's central park, Brick and Blossom was on a bench. Brick was watching an old lady feed the birds with lumps of bread. All the money they could use to buy food for themselves was in the hide-out, which mysteriously disappeared.
Soon, the lady walked away from her bird friends, and Brick excitedly looked at Blossom. She exchanged glances with him before they both sprinted towards the birds, scaring them off. Brick had just leaped down to his knees to pick up a particularly delicious-looking piece of bread when he heard that all too familiar voice.
"Looking a bit like the way I found you the first time, huh?"
Brick looked up, almost breaking his neck. He couldn't believe it.
"BUTCH!" They both shouted, jumping on him. Boomer realized they were making a scene.
"Uh, we should probably go somewhere more discrete." He said.
"Right..." Butch groaned under the two red heads on him. They eventually moved out towards the alley way.
"Um, before we get there, I just want to say... It's gone..." Blossom said, putting her head down at the last part of her sentence.
"What?!" Butch ran ahead to the empty space pocket, like nothing was ever there before.
"Oooh! That princess lady is gonna have it!" Buttercup growled under her breath when she saw the hide-out gone.
"What? Princess? How-"
"Ok, explaination time." Butch interupted Brick. "Buttercup, you first."
"While in juuvie, I was thinking, 'how did everything go wrong?' I mean, obvioulsy you've been doing this for a couple years, right? And you haven't done anything different than the other times you've stole, right? At first I thought the police were tipped off, but by who? I thought it out carefully, even considering if you turned yourself in, Butch. Then I finally thought of Princess. That was a kind of come and go thought though. I mean she's dead right?
"But what if she's not? She was in the house with a bunch of employees, we don't know if I hit any vital organs, we left before certifiying she was dead, and she'd be the one most likely to want to get revenge on you! It'd have had to be her."
"Woah, prison really does give a person time to think." Brick said to himself.
"Well, c'est ca..." Butch said, while a dark look on his face. He looked up, his features reasonably softened.
"Well,... guys... This past week have made me realize something. I... am very selfish. I go around and do crimes, never once thinking about you guys, who are also involved. What would happen. What I would be able to do to protect you. We'll deal with princess, we'll find the gold that was in our hide-out. But after that... it's over."
"Wha... What do you mean over?" Brick asked, feeling sad after finally having met up with Butch again.
"I mean... I'll give up my life as Lord of Theft. I won't put you guys in any more danger that I can't get you out of."
"What? NO!" They all protested at the thought.
"We... we live our lives to serve you..." Blossom said, after everyone else had started to quiet down.
"No... for a couple of months, you did things for me. You don't serve me, and you could sure do alot better with your lives if you didn't have me.
"That's not true! Don't be like this!" Brick protested strongly. "You're, like, the only brother I ever had!" Butch could now see the tears whelming up in Brick's eyes. He was with Butch the longest. He was all of thier care takers. But now he was going to make sure they were well taken care of.
"Guys... Will you serve under me one last time?" Butch asked. They all stood silent a while, Butch started to think they wouldn't talk to him. But then Bubbles kneeled.
"I'd be happy to, my Lord."
Then Brick and Blossom kneeled, followed by Boomer and Buttercup.
"We are you're servants" Blossom commented.
"Use us as you please..." Brick said, kinda still miffed.
"To the end." Boomer said, looking up, straight into Butch's eyes. He was happy not to see the same hopelessness in his eyes like he did back at the museum. They all were full of hope now.
"Alright." Butch said, happy with all his friends. "Then let's end this."
And it will be ending next chapter! YAAAAYYY Canzie finally updated! :D. Anyways, please review, or don't if you want to punish me for taking forever... I know my crime. I'll do my... less review time.
