Choices

by Madame Fist

Brick and his brothers are forced to change their lives completely when Him appears and makes his demands. But matters of the heart and mind get in the way, and choices must be made. What if you're not what you thought you were? What if you never were? What if you don't have a choice? My own spin on a PPG high school fic. Original pairings

11. Like a stick of salami

One of Blossom's most favourite things about a bookstore, was how quiet they were.

She thought they were such peaceful places. She could spend hours in them if she could - that and a library, she did love a good library.

Today she had ventured back to Greenbergs Books, after popping home to drop off her school bag and change out of her uniform, she'd headed downtown to have a browse in there again. She could see why Brick was so fond of the place, it had a lovely, quirky atmosphere to it.

The peace and quiet she so craved was suddenly disturbed by the discomforting sound of metal scraping against tarmac.

Blossom looked up from her book, glancing out the store window. Everyone else in the shop gasped and looked that way too, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

Before she'd even got to the window, she heard familiar, manic laughter, then a loud boom.

She zipped out of the shop, and found herself face to face with a gigantic robot. It was as wide as it was tall, it only just fit in the street. It had crushed several cars and put several more to a halt behind it and in front of it.

Sure enough, Mojo Jojo was sat in the cockpit of the machine, a clear pink window protecting him from the outside world. He grinned down at Blossom, fiddling with the control panels in front of him.

The large robot began to move, all its jagged edges maneuvering upwards. Blossom hovered back a little, preparing herself for whatever was coming next - her hotline cell in her hand ready to call her sisters over. She'd not quite managed to do it yet though, she worried she may regret it if she took her eyes off the mechanical monster transforming before her.

Before she had a chance to register what was happening, a 12 foot robot was released from the huge robotic beast Mojo was sat in. In fact, several of them were released, and all went off in different directions.

Blossom was more concerned about the one that was coming towards her though.

She braced herself as it approached, expecting it to fire a laser at her or something similar, but it didn't. It raised its foot and kicked her square in the chest, sending her soaring into the air. Mojo laughed in his usual deranged manner as he watched her sail across the sky. She hit against a high rise nearby, a smash sound ringing out, and disappeared.

Mojo grinned, satisfied when after a few seconds she didn't return, and began to unleash mayhem on downtown Townsville, his Robo Jojo's stamping their way through the city.

---

Brick had been sat in his living room, watching TV - minding his own business - when his afternoon had taken a sharp turn in a different direction.

One moment the apartment had been quiet; quiet and empty. Just how he liked it. Butch and Boomer had both gone out with their friends. He was home alone. The next, a loud smash resounded around the room as something came crashing through his living room window.

He didn't even look at what, or who it was at first. He was too stunned by the sight of his floor to ceiling window, the furthest left one, completely smashed to pieces. Then he realised someone had indeed created the huge hole in his home.

That someone was Blossom Utonium. She didn't move at first when she landed, and Brick, still sat on his sofa, eyes wide with shock, blinked, as he processed what was going on.

He got to his feet with a start, as what was probably only 10 seconds, but felt like minutes had passed, and she still hadn't moved.

"Blossom?" He called, kicking some of the shattered glass that littered his carpet aside and crouching down beside her. He placed his hand on her chest near her neck - she was breathing, her heart pounding away. She had a large square shaped bruise quickly forming along her collarbones.

She groaned then, pulling herself upright a little too quickly. "Whoa, whoa." Brick said as she tried to get to her feet. He stopped her from doing so, making her sit for a moment longer. Still dazed, she looked at him, her expression confused, glass in her hair, blood on her chin from a busted lip. "Brick?" She asked, confused. Then she remembered, and realised what had happened. "Oh god!" She exclaimed, looking around and realising where she was. "I crashed into your apartment! Oh jeez, I'm so sorry -" She rushed to the gaping hole she'd left in his window, peering out of it so quickly she almost lost her balance and fell out.

Brick got to his feet as well, looking at the huge hole mournfully, and peering out of it.

"Shoot! I'm so sorry, I've gotta go!"

"Wait wait what the fuck is going on?!" Brick asked, grabbing at her wrist briefly before she could fly off out the broken window.

"Mojo Jojo. Robo Jojo's, loads of them. They're made of super strong metal too, that was just from one kick."

"Mojo Jojo did this? Mojo Jojo did this to my fucking window?!" Brick reiterated, and Blossom nodded slowly, realising he was still holding onto her wrist, and gently pulling it away.

"Well, I did this to your window, technically, but, because Mojo sent me hurtling through it. I'll make sure it's replaced, I will, but I've really got to tend to Mojo first -"

"That fucking monkey." Brick said, fists curled into tight balls, before jetting through the hole and into the sky. Confused, Blossom followed him.

---

The moment Butch laid eyes on his redheaded brother, he hurled a question wrought with emotion his way. "Is the TV okay?!" He wailed. Blossom had called for her sisters with her hotline - and Brick had text his brothers and called them over too. Because Mojo had fucked with their stuff, and Brick wasn't happy.

"The TV is fine, we just have a fucking gaping hole in our home right now because of this flea infested ape!" Brick complained. Butch, knowing his beloved was safe, relaxed, and awaited Brick's instruction. Boomer looked concerned at the thought of their apartment being wrecked.

"So, what now? Why did you call us here?" Boomer asked, as they hovered in the air, watching the Robo Jojo's stomping about the town, a pink, baby blue and light green streak attacking 3 of them, the rest of them causing mayhem.

"To fucking destroy them! And when you find Mojo you save him for me!" Brick instructed, much to his brothers confusion.

"You want us to help them?" Butch confirmed, and Brick, feeling unsettled by his wording, shook his head.

"I said, fuck those robots up. So do it. Stop them before we don't even have a home to go back to!" Brick commanded, and without any further hesitation, his brothers nodded and disappeared in streaks of royal blue and forest green.

---

Bubbles charged at the Robo Jojo and landed a kick to its head. It fell over but began to get up again. She growled lightly, beginning to get frustrated with it now, and as she went to strike it again, a bolt of bright blue came out of nowhere, hitting it straight on its head and sending it to the ground once more, smoking.

Bubbles turned around to see Boomer hovering behind her, the frazzling remains of his electric bolts dancing around his fingers. He waved an electrified hand at her. "Need a hand?"

"An electrical one, by the looks of it!" Bubbles said with a warm smile, happy to see him.

A nearby Robo Jojo caught their attention then, and they both zoomed towards it. Bubbles grabbed ahold of one hand, Boomer the other, and they both pulled, yanking both arms off of it. It didn't fall down but it did falter, and before either could act again, a flash of light green crashed straight through the middle of it, destroying it completely.

"Well I never thought of that." Bubbles called to her destructive raven haired sister.

"That's Butch's strategy as well." Boomer noted, pointing his thumb behind him to Butch, pummelling his way through the centre of two robots at once.

"What are you unruly, insubordinate, worthless bags of bones doing aiding the Powerpuff girls in stopping, ceasing and desisting me in my attempts to take over Townsville?!" Mojo called from his main Robo Jojo several feet away.

"You think we'd happily standby and allow YOU to be in charge of Townsville?!" Brick asked, appearing out of nowhere and taking a hit at the side of Mojo's Robo Jojo. "Living under your thumb for the short time we did was bad enough."

"You three are one of the hugest, most irritating, most aggravating creations of all the creations that I, Mojo Jojo have created!" Mojo declared, aiming an arm of his robot at Brick's head, who swiftly missed the laser it shot towards him.

"Yeah well we're not the most proud of you either Pops." Boomer responded, reaching down and yanking an arm off of a smaller Robo Jojo. "Hey buddy I think you lost this?" Boomer called as he hurled it through the air. It struck Mojo Jojo in the cockpit and knocked the entire Giant Robo Jojo onto its side.

Mojo could be heard screaming from the inside as he tried to maneuver it back onto its feet.

Blossom appeared in a flash of pink beside Bubbles then, a couple of darts held gingerly in her hand. "Girls watch out for these, the Robo Jojo I was just fighting started firing them at me. Luckily I managed to miss them, they contain Antidote X! And the needle points are made of the same strong metal the Robo Jojo's are, so I reckon they may be able to penetrate our skin. Boomer? What are you doing here?!" She'd just noticed the blue ruff hovering beside her blonde sister.

"Helping." Boomer said simply, causing Blossom to raise her brow in confusion. "That monkey fucked our apartment up! Plus, he's destroying parts of Townsville near where I live!"

Blossom gave the blonde an unamused look.

"Err, I mean he's destroying Townsville!" Boomer corrected himself.

Blossom was still unimpressed; she looked to Bubbles, who was smiling an almost proud smile, then back at Boomer, shrugging lightly. "Well, fair enough, I suppose. Watch out for the darts. Warn the others too."

She disappeared then, going for a Robo Jojo that had strayed further off out of the financial district of Townsville.

---

The Robo Jojo raised its robotic arm to strike the sidewalk it stood beside, but it never got the chance to attack, as a pink Powerpuff landed on its head, knocking it flat onto its face.

A group of civilians had huddled together down a nearby alleyway, trying to take shelter from the robotic monster's causing chaos in their home.

Blossom appeared at the entrance of the alleyway, smiling a friendly smile to the now relieved looking Townies. "It's safe here for now - but you should evacuate downtown Townsville until the coast is clear." She commanded, and they ran out past her, thanking her profusely as they did so.

Blossom smiled as they ran past, too busy ensuring the people of Townsville were safe to notice the Robo Jojo had gotten to its feet.

As the last civilian ran out of the alleyway, Blossom turned on her heel and came face to face with an iron fist. It sent her flying against the wall at the end of the alley.

She hit it with a thud and slid down onto the ground with a groan. "Why do those things keep getting UPPPP!" The Robo Jojo had aimed one of its lasers onto her, and was zapping her with it full throttle.

She grit her teeth through the pain, trying her hardest not to scream, but a pained grunt escaped her lips as she figured out what her next move should be - how she could get out of it.

Turned out she didn't need to figure out her next move - the Robo Jojo stopped firing at her, in fact, it disappeared. Brick had appeared out of nowhere, seizing it by its leg and tossing it behind him. It landed with a loud crash in the distance. Blossom gasped from the relief of not being hit by the laser anymore, her body stiff still from the attack. She flopped down onto her side against the ground, bolts of energy still flashing up around her as the effects of the laser wore off.

"You - you saved me?!" Blossom stuttered as she pulled herself upright again, looking up at Brick with wide rose eyes.

Brick suddenly felt uncomfortable at her wording. 'You saved me'. He didn't save people. That was what heroes did.

"I didn't save you - I mean, I did, but, I didn't - I'm only here cos Mojo fucked my window up." Brick said, folding his arms across his chest.

Blossom frowned at him. Why did saving someone - saving her, offend him so much?! She supposed she knew why, being referred to as heroic in any way, shape or form probably repulsed him, but it still bothered her. "Well, thank you for saving me even if you didn't mean to." She muttered, her voice a little pissy. She got to her feet shakily.

"I was just stopping the robot." Brick said, and she looked up at him with an irritated expression.

"Yes, thus saving me." Blossom added and he rolled his eyes. "I don't get it!" She exclaimed, losing her cool. "You've spent so long insisting you're not up to anything, you're not doing anything wrong - your brothers and my sisters are getting close, I know you've noticed it, I've noticed it too! I mean just the other day we were over your house for your birthday for crying out loud! And now admitting you saved me offends you?! Why save me in the first place then?! I've had enough of this yoyo act! So whatever it is you're up to - just do it!"

Brick was a little stumped. He was clearly confusing her as much as he was confusing himself at the moment. He stared at her for a few moments before speaking. "I'm not doing anything - I'm not up to anything!"

"One minute we're at each other's throats, then you save me, and, and stand up for me, you borderline flirt with me - what the hell is going on Brick?!" Blossom cried, and Brick began to get annoyed, because he didn't know how to answer her question. He didn't know what was going on himself.

"Oh fuck this!" He exclaimed, hovering into the air above her and turning to leave. "I don't need some sanctimonious -" Brick didn't get to finish his sentence as the Robo Jojo he had previously flattened had shot an Antidote X dart at him. It hit him straight in the arm and sent him to the ground with a thump.

"Brick!" Blossom cried, zipping over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Feel fucking woozy - was that Antidote X?" He asked, pulling the dart out of his arm and groaning. "That fucking monkey! Just what I need!"

Blossom gave him a sympathetic glance as he sat up, a little shaky. She knew how that felt, that dizzy, weak feeling when Antidote X had taken effect. "Come on," She said, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet. "The Professor has Chemical X in his lab."

Brick gave her a confused glance. "Wouldn't you be happier with me being powerless? What with my whole, suspicious new leaf stuff?"

Blossom rolled her eyes at him. "Just shut up for two seconds will you? Can you walk?"

"Yes I can fucking walk!" Brick bit back, even though he was a little wobbly on his feet.

"Okay," Blossom responded snippily, biting her tongue. "Seeing as you just fell several feet with no powers I was just checking! Look out!"

The same downed Robo Jojo that fired the Antidote X dart released a laser aimed right at Brick's head. Blossom seized his arm and swung him out of the way of its fire. It still managed to scrape his other arm, but if Blossom hadn't have moved him it would have shot him head on.

Brick cried out in pain as the laser hit him. Blossom placed him onto his feet again, examining the bleeding cut on his arm. It looked nasty and was fairly deep.

The cardigan she'd been wearing was already ripped from fighting, and the hole in it was gaping, so it was beyond saving. She removed it from her arms, and wrapped it tightly around Brick's arm to try and stem the bleeding.

"Shit!" Brick barked. "You, you saved me?! I've got no powers, you could have let it kill me!"

Blossom gave him a searching look, her lips pursed together tightly. "If love is something you cherish, it's hard to glean much joy from death. Even in your supposed enemies."

"Huh." Brick murmured, looking from her to his arm, her ripped white cardigan wrapped around it, his blood slowly but surely dying it red.

"Come on." She muttered, placing his good arm around her shoulders, and linking one of her arms around his waist, holding him tightly against her. She hovered into the air, rummaging into her bra for her hotline cell. Brick stared at her, a little amazed, as she spoke to Buttercup on the phone, instructing her to finish up and get Mojo jailed while she took him to their house.

---

"Professor!" Blossom called as she lead Brick into her home. "Professor are you home?"

Brick couldn't remember the last time he'd been inside the Utonium residence. It must have been years, not since he was a child - he'd never been welcomed inside either. His arm was stinging too much to take a lot in right now though, he was mostly focussing on getting some Chemical X in his system again.

She lead him towards the laboratory as the Professor called her name in the distance. He must have been upstairs.

"Professor I'm in the lab, could you come down here as soon as you can?" Blossom called as she entered the passcode to the lab so quickly Brick missed it.

"Is everything all right?" The Professor asked from the top of the stairs as Blossom guided Brick down the stairs of the lab.

Gently, Blossom sat Brick onto the examination table as he looked around, slightly awed by the experiments, machines and contraptions that surrounded him in Professor Utonium's laboratory.

"Gosh, it's really bleeding." Blossom noted as she looked over his arm, carefully tightening the tourniquet she'd created with her cardigan. "We should probably get your shirt off - so the Professor can see to it."

He noted the red glow around her cheeks as she spoke, and had to fight to keep the smirk off his face.

He began to unbutton the red checked shirt he was wearing with his good hand. He fumbled with the buttons a bit as he tried to get them undone using just one hand. Blossom wordlessly helped him, unbuttoning the top three buttons for him.

Brick stopped what he was doing, his face heating up as she stood in front of him, undoing his clothing. He slowly looked up at her, swallowing hard. She smirked lightly then, still not looking him in the eye. "Not a word, Jojo." She murmured, and he smirked back at her.

He didn't have any words even if he wanted to speak at that moment.

Blossom undid the now blood soaked cardigan as Brick managed to get his good arm out of his shirt sleeve. As carefully as she could, she slowly removed the sleeve on his injured arm, trying not to make it any worse in the process. Brick pursed his lips as she did so, relieved when it was removed, and eager to get some Chemical X into him - it would heal fairly quickly once he was superhuman again.

A little voice in Blossom's head said 'hello, old friend' at the sight of Brick's broad, muscular chest. He was hatless, his jaw length hair pulled up into a small half ponytail. She swallowed hard, pulling her eyes away and hushing the voice in her head.

The sound of the Professor's footsteps coming down the stairs distracted Blossom, so she took a step away from the examination table, holding onto the blood soaked cardigan and shirt, the prior hers, latter Brick's.

"Blossom?" Professor Utonium asked as he stopped on the bottom step, noting the shirtless Rowdyruff boy sat on his exam table.

"Professor, hi - Brick and his brothers were helping us with Mojo Jojo and a bunch of his Robo Jojo's. He's got some super strong metal, they were pretty tough - the Robo Jojo's were equipped with Antidote X darts. Brick got hit by one - and then his arm got hit by a laser. It's a pretty deep cut. He needs it dressing, and some Chemical X so it can begin to properly heal." Blossom explained, hoping her cheeks weren't as flushed as she felt they were.

The Professor cranked an eyebrow at her, thoroughly confused. Why on earth was she helping this boy, who had been seemingly making her life a nightmare for god knows how long? He looked to Brick then, who looked a little sheepish. He smiled a slightly diffident smile towards the Professor, then looked down in his lap, the entire situation unnerving him slightly. He didn't like needing help, he didn't like accepting help either.

"You want me to treat his wounds and, and give him Chemical X?" The Professor reiterated, glancing at Brick with an expression that said he wished he wasn't within earshot, and that he wasn't sat here topless on his examination table.

"Yes." Blossom answered simply, and the Professor looked befuddled.

He took a step closer to his daughter. "Are you sure about giving him powers again? I mean, wouldn't this solve a lot of your problems?" He asked, his voice low, he was trying not to offend the red ruff sat in his laboratory.

Brick smiled a knowing smile, looking down into his lap. Blossom smiled a small smile too, shrugging lightly. "Maybe I'm suffering from some masochistic qualities today. Maybe his insisting him and his brothers have turned a new leaf are rubbing off on me. Slightly. Plus I'm sure he'd find some way to get his powers back anyway." She looked to Brick after finishing her last sentence. Brick thought about it for a moment, and shook his head. Without Him's help, he had no clue how he'd have got his powers back - and there was absolutely no way he was going to go to Him for help. Accepting help from Blossom was painful enough as it was.

"Blossom, I'm not sure that -" The Professor started in that same low, uncomfortable voice, but Blossom interrupted him.

"Professor, he saved me. One of Mojo's robots had me cornered. It was zapping me with a nasty laser, Brick destroyed it. Give him the shot."

The Professor's brow rose again. He looked at Blossom, his eyes scanning down to where he knew the scar sat on her stomach, then back up to her face. He cleared his throat, turning on his heels to face Brick. "Very well then." He presented his right hand to Brick, aiming for Brick's good arm. "Professor Utonium. Nice to err, formerly meet you, Brick."

Brick was almost bowled over by his uncomfortable politeness. Blossom smiled warmly at her father as Brick shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you too, sir." He replied, a little astounded by his change of heart. I mean, Brick was no fool, he could sense it was partially forced and that he felt uncomfortable, but he was a decent enough man to at least try and make this not so awful of an experience. Blossom was hiding a smirk at 'sir' - it didn't sound right coming out of Brick's mouth.

"Let's get you fixed up now shall we? Do you mind?" He asked, indicating Brick's arm.

Brick shook his head. "Go for it." He murmured, stiffening his arm, bracing for the pain.

"Mmm. It's quite deep. Close to the bone, in fact. But we can fix that up." He turned, heading over to what looked like a huge sealed refrigerator. He pressed a few buttons on a keypad at the side of it, then with a hiss it opened. The Professor disappeared inside it for a moment, then reappeared, two small glass vials and syringes in one hand, and two intimidating looking needles in the other. He placed one vial down carefully onto the table - this one had a pearlescent looking white solution in it. He proceeded to fill the needle with the other vial, which Brick knew and recognised as Chemical X.

"Are your sisters okay?" The Professor asked as he concentrated on filling the syringe carefully.

"Yeah - the Robo Jojo's were nearly all dealt with - they had 2 pairs of extra hands too. Butch and Boomer were helping them deal with Mojo." Blossom said, and the Professor's brow creased at this news.

"I see." Once the syringe was filled with the Chemical X, he turned to Brick again. "I've found that injecting Chemical X gets it into the girls' system quicker than just dousing them with it. Are you okay with me injecting this into your bloodstream?"

"Sure - thank you." Brick said, and Blossom suddenly wanted to giggle at how polite he was behaving around the Professor. She held it in though as the Professor stuck him with the needle.

"That shouldn't take long to take effect." The Professor said, placing the used needle into an unusual looking sharps bin in the corner of the room.

"Thank you for doing that. And for, saving me from the laser in the first place." Brick said, the latter aimed at Blossom.

"Saving people is what I do." She shrugged again.

"Well, thanks all the same. The Chemical X should kick in soon and heal my arm up so, I should be fine now." Brick said. He was eyeing the Professor a little nervously - Professor Utonium was filling the second syringe with the strange looking white fluid. Brick didn't know what that stuff was and a small part of him did not want to find out.

"It's a fairly deep wound. And you've lost a lot of blood, from what I can see. This should help it to heal quicker." The Professor murmured, his voice low as he concentrated on the dosage of what he was administering. When he was done, he held the syringe up, looking at the shining needle. "Chromanium alloy needles." He explained. "It's taken me a long, long time to find a metal I could penetrate the girls super skin with, for situations such as these. And I'm going to make an educated guessed that it can penetrate your own skin too, along with your brothers." As he spoke, Professor Utonium stuck the needle into Brick's arm, making him flinch a little. He'd only just been given Chemical X, so his powers were almost returned, he'd been surprised by how smoothly the needle had entered his arm, like a knife going through butter.

But he was also concerned about what the hell the Professor had just injected him with.

"Ahh yes, as I suspected, it works just as well on you. Chromanium alloy - possibly the world's strongest metal. And I'm the only person who has a supply of it, or the formula and the know how to create it. Which is always worth noting. Heaven forbid it ever got into the wrong hands." The Professor commented as he finished injecting a now rather nervous looking Brick's wound with the white liquid. The little threat in last few sentences had not been missed by the red ruff though.

"Uhh, what is that white stuff?" Brick murmured, and the Professor smiled as he indicated the gash on Brick's arm. It didn't hurt any longer, it felt cold for a moment, and maybe stung a tiny bit. But slowly, before Brick's very eyes, it began to heal.

His crimson eyes widened in shock. "Wow! That, that's amazing!"

Blossom smiled proudly at her father, who smiled a cheerful smile back.

"Well, I've done a lot of work on it. I've had a lot of injuries to heal on my girls over the years." The Professor said, his smile faltering slightly. Brick's face fell too, guilt replacing his features, but only for a few seconds. "I've perfected the formula on the girls in the past year, it heals any open wounds and gashes a treat. But I'm not quite there on a similar product for humans. I'm working on it though. It's interesting to see that it works on you just as well as it does on the girls. You must have very similar genetic make up. If Mojo successfully used Antidote X darts, that's not good news. Hopefully whatever he used in those he doesn't have a lot of."

"Hopefully it's not chromanium alloy either." Blossom thought aloud.

Professor Utonium got to his feet, disposing of the used needle and placing the vials in the sink. He then proceeded to clean and dress the wound with a first aid kit he retrieved from his desk. Once that was done, he took a step back from Brick, placing his hands on his hips. "You'll need to give yourself half hour to let it sink in properly, then you'll be good to go. Blossom, why don't you head up to the kitchen and make a hot drink, and bring them down here. Tea? Coffee?" He offered, as he removed the gloves he'd been wearing. Blossom began to hover up the stairs.

"Oh, thank you but, I really don't -" Brick began but the Professor cut him off.

"Please, you may as well. I want to see if you respond to the Chemical X the same as the girls do. I'm not as familiar on your genetic makeup as I am the girls. It may be identical, it may be different. So I insist." The Professor said, and Brick could see there was no use in arguing with him.

Blossom, halfway up the stairs, was surprised as Brick did as he was told, for once.

"Tea, please. Strong, two sugars, splash of milk." Brick replied.

Blossom halted for a moment, as did the Professor. Brick looked at them both with confused eyes - what had he done now? Blossom zipped out of the room then and the Professor sighed a light, resigned smile. "Strange," he murmured. "You take it just the same as Blossom does."

---

Blossom returned 5 minutes later with a mug of tea for Brick, one for herself and a coffee for the Professor. She had her hotline cell tucked under her ear as she carried the mugs down the stairs.

"Here," She said, passing Brick his drink, and taking the Professor his. "I've just got off the phone with City Hall. Contractors are on their way to your apartment to repair your window now. The superintendent at your building is going to let them in."

Brick blinked in surprise as he took his drink from her. "Already?"

"Yeah - I pulled some strings. Sorry about it happening in the first place." Blossom said, her voice apologetic.

"Mojo was the one to blame." Brick replied, and Blossom lifted and dropped her shoulders briefly. "I'm sure you didn't ask to be kicked into a building."

"Well no, but I still went hurtling through your window. You should have a new one in by tonight though."

"Right, well, thanks." Brick responded, surprised again.

The Professor got to his feet, his mug of coffee in hand. "Are you feeling any better, Brick?" He asked, and Brick nodded.

"Yes, thank you, Professor. I can feel the X taking effect - and my arm almost feels right as rain." Brick replied, his voice going all uncomfortably polite again. Blossom held back her laughter. It was weird to witness. He wasn't even that polite to the teachers at school - but she supposed the teachers at school didn't have a lab full of Chemical and Antidote X, and the means to administer it.

"Good. Well, I'll be in my study, call me if you notice any adverse effects - though it seems to be taking fine so far." The Professor said, then disappeared up the stairs.

A small silence ensued between them. Brick sipped his tea, regretting it as it was way too hot still. Blossom was looking down at her feet.

"Well, I guess we're even now." Brick said, breaking the silence.

Blossom looked up at him. "I suppose we are."

Brick thought about it for a second. "Actually, you already repaid me. I saved you. You saved me, from being lasered in the head without my powers. Now you've done this..."

"Well, maybe you do still owe me one." Blossom said, her voice almost playful, a small smile gracing her features. "I'll save it. Use it when I need it."

Brick chuckled lightly then. "Fine, you do that."

"Oh I will. Drink your tea, it'll help you feel better. Tea helps with everything." Blossom said, as she sipped at hers.

Brick felt a smile break out across his face despite himself. She sipped her tea, noticing the blood soaked cardi and shirt on the side in the lab. "You owe me a new cardigan as well." She added, and he laughed.

---

When Brick got back to his apartment, the contractors were just finishing up putting a new window in.

They'd even cleared up the mess from the smashed window. He busied himself in the kitchen until they were finished, not long after that his brothers arrived home.

"You okay bro? Buttercup said something about you being injured?" Boomer asked as Butch went to survey the new window.

"I'm fine, thanks to Blossom and the Professor. He's got some crazy shit in that lab of his." Brick murmured in reply, his voice sounding impressed.

Boomer cocked an eyebrow, not sure whether to be intrigued or nervous at that statement, considering he'd smooched one of the Professor's daughters on his birthday. "I'm surprised he was willing to help."

"He wasn't exactly at first but - I stopped a Robo Jojo from frazzling Blossom to dust, so, he was more game to help me when she told him I did that." Brick explained, examining his arm - there wasn't even a mark there now.

"You saved Blossom?" Boomer asked, and Brick felt annoyance foam up in him again. What was everyone's obsession with that?!

"Yes! I did! So what! You would have done the same had it have been Bubbles! Or you had it been Buttercup!" Brick yelped, pointing to Boomer then to Butch.

"Yeah - I'd have done the same for Buttercup or Blossom too. But we openly admit that we're friends with them. You still act like you don't get on with Blossom - even though we've all seen you both being civil to each other every now and then." Boomer said, and Brick furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"Just because I don't want to kill her anymore doesn't mean we have to be besties." Brick commented.

"So you admit you don't want her dead anymore?" Boomer asked, causing Brick to look down at his hands as he perched on the stool by the breakfast bar.

"I admit I don't care about that anymore. And haven't for awhile. We all know what we should be most concerned about now. And that's Him." He responded. He meant it too. Life was less complex - if you eradicated the threat of Him of course.

But you couldn't erase that threat. It was there, looming. And it made Brick more nervous than he cared to admit. His brothers, they were close to their counterparts now. Some of them were even getting a little too close. He hoped it would appease Him. After all, they were doing as he'd asked. He'd asked them to get close. Difference was they genuinely were getting close. He hoped it was enough to keep them safe. Him was supposed to leave them out of it from here on out. That was a part of the deal. They were supposed to be protected.

But then he'd almost suffocated Boomer all those months ago when he'd put this plan of his into place. He hoped Him wasn't trying to get around that part of their deal somehow.

Either way, there was trouble coming. For his brothers, potentially. For him - definitely.

His brothers had grown silent at his mention of Him. Butch had slonked onto the sofa. "I don't care about Him." He muttered, kicking his shoes off. "The way I see it, we'll deal with any trouble, if and when it comes. I mean, what's Him really going to do anyway? Anything he comes up with, we'll stop him."

Brick rolled his eyes at his brother's confidence.

"Do you think we should tell the girls?" Boomer asked, and Brick looked up at him sharply.

"No. Keep them out of it." Brick snapped and Boomer frowned.

"They might be able to help!" Boomer cried.

"We don't need their help!" Brick insisted. "Just keep doing as we're doing. Keep on, keeping Him happy. And we'll see what happens next."

"Fine.. I'm not doing all this to keep Him happy though. Not really." Boomer said as he sat down on the sofa opposite Butch.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brick questioned.

"Not supposed to mean anything Brick." Boomer responded coolly.

"I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I'll keep on saying it. Be careful, Boomer. You don't want to do something stupid. Not right now." Brick hoped he knew what, or more who, he was referring to.

"I don't want to do something stupid ever. So I won't. Don't worry Brick, I make wise choices." Boomer reassured him, and even Butch scoffed now, but Boomer ignored him.

"You just make sure you make the right choices." Brick added, his expression firm.

"So," Boomer shrugged. "Everything we do is down to choices, right?"

Brick nodded, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

"Well, I figure I'm big enough and ugly enough to make my own choices now." Brick knew exactly what he was getting at.

"You'll do as you're told." Brick warned him.

"Yes Brick," Boomer smiled. "Of course Brick."

"I mean it Boomer." Brick warned him. "And so does Him."

"I'm sure you both do." Boomer replied casually. Doesn't mean I care, he added in his head.

---

The rain came down hard. It was loud and consuming - the only noise to be heard.

She was alone in the street, no one else was there. But it didn't feel as eerie as it looked. And she didn't feel scared. She felt a little nervous. Why, she was unsure.

She took a couple of steps until she realised she wasn't alone. There was a figure in the distance.

She knew who it was as soon as she saw him. Her steps quickened till she was only a few steps behind him.

"Brick?" She spoke, and he turned to look at her. He was soaking wet, wearing only a pair of black jeans and trainers. She looked at his shirtless chest, solid and glistening in the rain. He noticed her looking, and smirked.

Slowly, she took another step forward, reaching her hand out gently, touching his muscular chest. It was so warm, even though they were stood in the rain. He looked down at her, as she placed her other hand against his strong chest and leant closer to him -

Blossom sat bolt upright in her bed with a start, a strangled howl escaping her lips. She shuddered violently as she realised it was a dream - a dream about BRICK! What was wrong with her why was she dreaming about Brick, topless, glimmering in the rain - AHHHH what was wrong with her brain?!

"Blossom? Are you okay?" Bubbles asked, confused as she sat up in bed, Blossom's noise having woke her.

"Bad dream or something?" Buttercup asked, poking her head out of their en suite bathroom. "Are you shaking?"

Blossom was indeed trembling - with shame. She was disgusted with herself! What sort of dirty mind did she have?! "Blossom?" Bubbles asked.

"Nothing." Blossom muttered, pulling a hand through her red mane.

"What is up with you?" Buttercup questioned, confused.

"Nothing!" Blossom yelped, jumping out of her bed, shuddering once more and sidling past Buttercup, washing her face in the sink.

Buttercup watched her, making disgusted, shuddery noises every now and then, with a risen brow. "You are so fucking weird sometimes." She noted, but Blossom, still too abhorred by her dream, didn't respond.

---

By the time they got to school that morning, Blossom hadn't quite gotten over her dream. The moment she laid eyes on Brick in the queue outside their classroom she felt her cheeks go bright red. Pull yourself together Blossom for crying out loud! She told herself, standing beside Bubbles and her friends in the queue.

Brick turned his head in her direction just as she looked up at him, and as their eyes met, she felt her blush spreading down her neck. Brick furrowed his brow at her in confusion.

"Erm, Bubbles, I'm just going to the toilet, can you let Miss. Hearn know, I, I won't be a minute." Blossom said, patting Bubbles on the arm gently before disappearing.

Brick watched her go, confused.

She returned from the girls room just as her name was called in roll call. She took her seat at her desk beside Brick and leaned on her left hand, meaning she could hide her face with it at the same time.

What was the matter with her? Why was she behaving like that? Their tutor told the class a few important things for them to note for the week ahead, but Brick wasn't listening. He was too busy trying to remember, to pinpoint what it was he had done wrong this time to provoke this reaction from her.

But he was drawing blanks. He'd been polite at her house, and grateful for her and her father helping him out in the first place - especially for the part where she saved his life and helped him to restore his powers.

What had he done?

Miss. Hearn dismissed them, and the moment she did so, Blossom scrambled to her feet and was the first one out of the classroom.

"What the fuck…" Brick muttered, baffled, and Bubbles giggled. He turned and looked at the blonde. "Seriously what is her problem today? I've not even fucking spoken to her yet and already she's acting all, weird."

"I honestly have no idea - it could have nothing to do with you she's been acting strange since the moment she woke up." Bubbles semi reassured him, but Brick was still puzzled.

"She's probably just PMS-ing." Butch added helpfully, and Buttercup rolled her eyes at her counterpart.

"No, it's not that. We all synchronise our periods and we're not on ours are we Buttercup? So it can't be that." Bubbles answered, nonchalant. Boomer held back a laugh, as did Butch - both were reacting to Buttercup's expression. She looked like she wanted to strangle her blue eyed sister. Brick just looked like he did not need to know that about the Powerpuff girls.

"Bubbles. Why?" Buttercup asked simply, her voice almost pained. "Why did you just offer up that information? They did not need to know that - they did not ask to know that!"

Bubbles shrugged. "What? They're just periods!"

"Jeez man poor Professor." Butch muttered with a snigger and Buttercup elbowed him as they left the classroom.

Bubbles chuckled. "I guess he does have a rough week once a month huh?"

---

Buttercup tapped her foot repeatedly against the floor as Ms. Smith spoke to the class. But her teacher's words were completely lost on her, her mind was elsewhere. Her foot began to tap so rapidly against the carpet, and with such speed and force, that Ms. Smith stopped speaking abruptly, looking down at the ground.

"Is that - is that an earthquake? Or, a monster attack in the distance or something? Can anybody else feel that or am I going insane?" She asked the class. Plenty of the students had noticed it too, a few of them putting their hand onto the floor to feel the vibrations. The tremors were small but enough for everyone to notice.

"Where is it coming from - Oh, Buttercup Utonium!" Ms. Smith cried as she approached Butch and Buttercup's desk. "Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?!"

"Huh?" Buttercup asked, genuinely confused. She stopped tapping her foot then to look at the teacher stood before her, staring at her with angered eyes.

"You know the rules about super powers in school do you not?!" Ms. Smith barked and Buttercup looked down at her foot then at Ms. Smith again.

"Oh! Oh shit sorry! I mean, erm, my bad, Ms. Smith. I didn't realise, I'm sorry!" Buttercup cried, Butch sniggering beside her.

"Maybe if you come out of your daydream and focus on my lesson you won't cause an earthquake!" Ms. Smith said, tutting and turning back to the front of the class.

Buttercup cringed a bit, trying to point her focus back onto the class.

Butch nudged her lightly, so she turned and looked at him. "What's up with you today man you're so fidgety?"

Buttercup glanced at Ms. Smith before she spoke - if she caught her and Butch talking she'd probably send her to Dixon after her tapping antics. "Cinder Beats are coming here to hear us play today, after school. I'm just a bit, you know, nervous." She murmured, fiddling with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"Oh right. Why are you nervous? You'll do fine like you always do." Butch said, so confident and casual it surprised Buttercup a bit.

"I hope so. This is like, the stuff of my dreams. If we got signed I, I dunno what I'd do. Probably cry. Like ugly crying all over the floor." Buttercup whispered, and Butch smirked in response. He could see by her face she really meant it.

---

"I know I should really wait till lunch but I skipped breakfast and I just loveeeeeee cheese fries. I can't resist. What are you getting?" Bubbles asked Boomer as they queued in the line for food in the cafeteria. It was first break.

"Oh erm, I dunno. Nothing, really, I just wanted to stay with you." Boomer murmured before thinking about what he was saying. When he realised what he'd said out loud instead of in his head he looked over at Bubbles with a mildly horrified expression.

But she giggled warmly in response. "You're too sweet, you know that?"

"Some would say sweet, some would say stupid…" He muttered, kicking himself for the verbal diarrhea he so often experienced around the blue puff.

"Well anyone who says that isn't very nice." Bubbles said simply as the queue moved along a little.

"I guess not. So err, our birthday party. It was good wasn't it?" Boomer said, fiddling with his school tie nervously.

Bubbles looked over at the fries longingly, and nodded. "Yes! It was great I had the best time! So glad you threw a birthday party, it was way overdue."

"Yeah, definitely. Although my favourite part was the one part we've not really spoken about since…" Boomer mumbled, looking down at his sneakers now, until the person behind him jostled him on a bit as the queue moved.

Bubbles looked over at him then, knowing what he was talking about, but asking anyway. "And would that be the part that happened in your bedroom?"

"Yeah, that'd be it." Boomer said, feeling a light blush spread across his face.

"That was my favourite part too." Bubbles said softly, her expression serene. Boomer's blush neared crimson then.

"So err, did that, um, mean anything?" Boomer asked, pulling at his tie nervously and then dropping his arms to his side to stop himself from fidgeting anymore.

Bubbles looked up at him, opening her mouth to answer him but Boomer began to babble before she got the chance.

"Because, I kind of can't stop thinking about it and it's really hard to not do it again, and again and again each time I'm with you. But then I don't know if you'd kiss me back or slap me if I was to do that so -" Boomer burbled till she placed her hand on his chest, interrupting him.

"Boomer slow down! Of course I wouldn't slap you!" She cried, and he exhaled nervously.

"I didn't know what to think as we haven't really spoken about it.. I've never felt how I feel about you ever before about anyone, so I really don't know what I'm doing. Total, total rookie here." Boomer mumbled.

Bubbles giggled and sighed softly. "You have no clue how cute you are. It's adorable. I don't know how I never noticed before. Look, I like you, you like me. It's new, it's, its different, its a little scary. So, let's take it slow, okay?"

"Okay." Boomer replied fervently.

"Let's hang out and, you know, see how things go... We don't need to rush this." Bubbles said softly, and Boomer nodded.

"And what about everyone else?" He asked, that nervous edge returning to his voice.

"What about everyone else?" Bubbles asked, nonchalant once more as her turn in the queue came and she ordered her cheese fries.

"Well, do you think your sisters would be okay with this? With you know… Us. Or your Dad…" Boomer swallowed, thinking back to what Brick had said about his lab... "Butch won't care but, Brick will."

"It's not about them. It's about us. I'm not hiding it from them. But, I'm not necessarily telling them, either." Bubbles said, a sweet and innocent little smile on her face. Boomer couldn't resist smiling back at her when she looked at him like that.

"Ahh." Boomer smiled, clicking his fingers at her. "Okay, I'm, I'm good with that." She reached forward and squeezed his hand gently.

"Good." She didn't let go of it immediately, only when she needed to reach into her bag to pay for her food. "So let's hang out after school. Just us. What do you want to do?"

---

Blossom cleared her throat lightly, hoping, wishing and praying she didn't look like she was doing an impression of a beetroot anymore as Brick looked up from his work and glanced at her.

"Umm, Miss. Hammond stopped me in the halls earlier. She said there's one more aisle, at the back of the library that needs rearranging. Principal Dixon told her to ask us if we could do it again. It's only one aisle, she asked if we'd come sort it tonight. I've said I will, but, it's totally okay if you've got plans, or whatever…" Blossom said, half wishing he did decline, half wishing he didn't.

Brick thought about it for a couple of seconds, but found himself nodding before he'd even really decided in his own head. "No it's fine - I can do that."

"Oh okay, great, um, I'll let Miss. Hammond know we'll both be there." Blossom said, before looking down at her work again.

Brick nodded, as he looked at her a little searchingly. She seemed to have calmed down a bit now. Her overall demeanour was still more awkward than usual though. He didn't know whether to ask her what was up or if that would just lead to her biting his head off or maybe even bolting again.

So he didn't ask. If her mood hadn't changed by library duties later, maybe he'd ask then.

---

Guy Stevens and his associate clapped as Push The Atom finished their song. Butch, Dom, Harry, Bubbles, Boomer, Robin, Kim, Holly, Julie and Mike joined in too - they were sat in the audience cheering them on.

Buttercup smiled, looking at Guy nervously as he looked them up and down.

"That was.. Nice. Really nice." Guy Stevens said. Buttercup felt her smile falter a little. Nice? Just nice?

"We can do another song for you, if you'd like!" Buttercup said, overly eager to please.

"Why don't you do another song as your full band?" Guy suggested, and Buttercup pulled a confused face at him.

"This is our full band." She said flatly.

"This isn't the band I saw at Empire House." Guy corrected her and Buttercup sighed lightly.

"Well, no, but Blossom isn't in Push The Atom, she was just covering for Mitch but he's out of his cast now. This is our band." Buttercup explained.

"Ahh yes, Blossom, that was her name." Guy cried, as if he didn't know it already. "Get her over here and then we can talk."

Buttercup, Mitch, Louie and Cody all looked deflated. "Mr Stevens, please, let us play you another original. Or, or a cover! If you'd prefer!" Mitch said into his microphone.

Guy and his colleague sat back down in their seats. "Get the redhead here, and we'll talk."

"Is she the only reason you came?" Buttercup asked, annoyance, but mostly disappointment clear in her voice.

"No." Guy replied. "But I was of the understanding this was a female fronted band -"

"We are!" Buttercup exclaimed, exasperated.

"A two piece female lead. I liked the band I saw at Empire House. I'm a busy man, and I don't have time to waste -" He began but Buttercup interrupted him.

"I'll get her here, all right! Let me get her to meet us here and, and - don't go okay I'll get Blossom here!" Buttercup cried, her eyes almost desperate.

Guy Stevens nodded reluctantly.

Buttercup grumbled under her breath as she pulled her bass off of her and placed it down gently on a stand on the side of the stage. She then hooked her hotline cell out of her bra and began to call Blossom.

Cody jumped off his drum stool, approaching Buttercup, as did Mitch and Louie.

"Buttercup, what's the point in calling Blossom over? She's not in the band." Cody asked in a hushed voice.

"If he doesn't like us as we are then, then there's no point." Louie added, his voice rich in rejection.

"Just let me get her here okay - I'm not giving up that easy." Buttercup responded, determination hard in her voice.

---

The library was quiet, but that wasn't out of the ordinary.

Brick and Blossom had been restacking books onto shelves in the back aisle for about half an hour when a loud vibrating sound rung out, causing Brick, and the few random students dotted about the library to look her way.

Blossom reached into her bra and pulled her violently vibrating hotline cell out. It was Buttercup calling. "Buttercup, what is it? Is everything okay?"

Brick placed the book he had in his hand down on the shelf slowly, looking at Blossom interestedly (or more because he was bored out of his brains with silent library work).

Blossom sighed irritably, placing one hand on her hip. "You called me on the emergency line for that? For God's sake Buttercup, it's for emergencies! This is not an emergency. Need I remind you that if there is a GENUINE emergency in the city right now, NO ONE can get through to me or you! What? I don't see the point. Buttercup, Buttercup - Oh alright, okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. Yes. Yes I know. Okay. Bye." Blossom hung up her cell, swiftly placing it back into her bra.

Brick still found it amusing they all seemed to store their hotline cells there for safe keeping.

"Buttercup. She's at the auditorium with Push The Atom - that Guy Stevens is there and is apparently demanding to see me. She's worried he'll go without giving them a chance. She was practically begging me to go down there." Blossom loosely explained, annoyance clear in her voice.

"But what's the point? You aren't in her band." Brick asked, and Blossom sighed a soft little sigh.

"There isn't any point. I think Buttercup knows that too. She's just desperate for this, it's all she's ever wanted. Think we could speed this up so I can get down there before Buttercup has a meltdown?" Blossom suggested in hushed tones.

Brick cranked his brow at her. "Blossom Utonium - are you suggesting we use our superpowers, which is strictly forbidden on school grounds, to speed up this job?" He asked her, mock shocked.

"Maybe…" Blossom murmured, as she grabbed a handful of books and began to stack them on the shelf. Her speed had increased ever so slightly.

"Shocking." Brick muttered with a shake of his head. "Just shocking."

"Come on - it's not like you want to be here either. Just speed up enough that they won't notice so we can go." Blossom urged him and Brick laughed.

"Shocking and appalling." He reiterated, and she lightly nudged him as she grabbed another pile of books.

---

"Ahh, Blossom! So lovely to see you!" Guy cried as Blossom and Brick entered the auditorium and ambled down the walkway in the middle.

Guy's tune had completely changed and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Buttercup or her fellow band members.

"Hi, Mr. Stevens. Look, I don't want to step on any toes here. I'm not in the band - and quite frankly they don't need me to be. They're brilliant as they are. I was just covering for Mitch that gig so they didn't have to miss it." Blossom said, rubbing her arm as she explained.

"Well, in that case, do you do anything musical on your own?" Guy Steven's associate asked, standing up from his seat.

"Well, erm -" Blossom began, hesitation in her voice. Bubbles and the others were sat in an aisle nearby, and she interrupted her redheaded sister.

"She does acoustic stuff. Alone, and with Brick." Bubbles interjected, provoking an irritated stare from the pink puff.

"Thank you, Bubbles." Blossom said stiffly.

"And who is Brick?" Guy Stevens asked, and Brick cleared his throat from behind Blossom.

"That would be me." He answered, and Guy looked up at him, nodding.

"Oh, right…"

"Hi there," The other music exec said, extending a hand for Brick to shake. "I'm Ryan Ford, I work at Cinder Beats Records with Guy. How about we hear some of your stuff - and a couple more songs from Push The Atom as well?" Ryan suggested, eliciting relieved and excited looks from Buttercup, Cody, Mitch and Louie, who prior to that had been stood on the stage listening to the conversation unfolding feeling rather rejected.

"You should definitely hear more from Push The Atom, but I don't know if -" Blossom began until Ryan interrupted her.

"I'll tell you what, how about a quick recess? Guy and I will step outside, to make some calls, you two talk, and you guys up on stage, get ready to play us a couple more songs. Sound like a plan?" Ryan said, and everyone agreed, Blossom a little hesitantly, Push The Atom very enthusiastically.

Guy and Ryan got to their feet, gathering their things to go outside momentarily.

They sidled past Blossom and Brick, and Blossom watched them go, feeling a little uneasy.

"I'll be back in a minute." Brick murmured, following Guy and Ryan out, he needed to use the bathroom.

Blossom watched him go then turned and began talking with Bubbles and the others.

---

As Brick finished taking a leak, he heard the doors to the mens room opening and closing. From the voices and the conversation, he recognised it to be Guy Stevens, and this Ryan Ford. He was in a stall, so he quietly did his zipper up and listened in on what they were saying.

"I honestly don't know why you're pushing it so much about the redhead joining the band. I thought they were great as they were. And I can see the lead singer being very popular, with both men and women. Young girls will want to be her, young boys will want to do her, and it all sells." Ryan Ford said.

"No no, you're right - but you didn't see the redhead on stage. The brunette is edgy but, the redhead, she's more straighter sides, more academic." Guy spoke now.

"Exactly - Buttercup is more marketable as a female lead than Blossom is." Ryan said, and Brick frowned, not liking the way they were speaking about them - as if they were objects to sell.

"Are you kidding me?" Guy spluttered. "That redhead is the exact young, hot piece of ass I am looking for. Her body - and that rack? Fucking money makers alone. When I'm done with her, no one will care if she gets straight a's, or can sing and play guitar. They'll be too busy looking at her tits." Guy cried, laughing. Brick's hands squeezed into tight fists. Ryan didn't appear to respond.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. The whole innocent schoolgirl thing is killer. Men eat that virginal shit up. We need her, the male 20-something's will go crazy for her." Guy continued and Brick had to suppress the growl threatening to escape his lips. "Do you think we could get her to lose 10lbs?" Guy continued, and Ryan scoffed now.

"This isn't always about what you want Guy. When you think with your head and not your dick you're a lot easier to work with." Ryan complained and Guy laughed again.

"But my dick is right 90% of the time!" He exclaimed through his laughter.

"Maybe stop drooling over Blossom for a moment to consider their talent? Buttercup can really sing. And her and her band are really tight." Ryan said, and Guy sniggered right away.

"I'm sure she is really tight." He answered, and Ryan scoffed once more. "Come on you practically give me that one! Seems she'll do anything to get signed that one."

Ryan didn't reply as they both left the bathrooms. Brick scowled, opening the stall and washing his hands rather angrily. There was absolutely no way he was letting them sink their teeth into Blossom. And Push The Atom should avoid them too.

Blossom didn't even seem that enthralled by their interest anyway. She'd be even less interested if she'd heard the way they'd spoken about her and her sister just now.

He quickly left the bathroom, a determined look on his face.

---

"Oh I hope you weren't leaving!" Guy Stevens cried as Blossom opened the doors to the auditorium and came face to face with the two music executives from Cinder Beats Records.

"Erm, sorry I just needed to -" Blossom began but Guy interrupted her.

"We have so much to talk about you can't go yet!"

Brick emerged from the mens room then, spying Blossom stood talking to the two men in sharp suits. He appeared at her side in seconds, making her jump.

"Brick! Hi - would you mind if we spoke to Blossom alone for a moment? It won't take a second." Ryan Ford said, but Brick stood unmoving.

"Yes I would mind." Brick answered smoothly, and Ryan and Guy gave him surprised looks. Blossom was doing so too.

"Well, we just wanted to talk with her for a moment, I'm sure Blossom won't mind having a chat with us without you here." Guy said, his expression a little challenging.

"Where she is, I am, I'm afraid." Brick said, an assertive glint in his eye.

Blossom's brow had risen so high it almost hit her hairline. "Brick what are you -" Blossom began but Guy spoke over her.

"You're together?" He questioned, and Brick nodded, removing his hand from his pocket and clutching at hers tightly. Blossom was almost bowled over, her cheeks went cherry red as she glanced down at Brick's hand, firmly holding hers, then back up at his face, his expression hard.

"Yes, we are. And we're not interested in anything you have to offer." Brick said, a finality to his voice, and Blossom screwed her face up at him.

"Excuse me -" She began but Brick made a harsh shh-ing noise. Blossom looked at him with bewildered eyes. What was he doing?!

"So he runs the shots?" Guy scoffed, cocking a thumb in Brick's direction, his question aimed at Blossom. She was too stumped by Brick's behaviour to speak, glancing down at his hand holding onto hers tightly still.

"No. I'm just looking out for her best interests. What with her being an 'innocent schoolgirl', and all." Brick said flatly, giving Guy a knowing look. He looked extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden. Blossom looked even more confused, and a little insulted.

Guy Stevens ran a hand through his hair, clearing his throat and trying to save face. Ryan Ford just looked plain embarrassed. "Right then. Well, I guess we'll get back to the band, and leave you be."

"I guess you will." Brick said as they both turned and re-entered the auditorium behind them.

Brick let go of Blossom's hand, feeling his cheeks redden slightly as he realised what he'd just done. Blossom was looking up at him like a deer caught in headlights. He sighed, irritated at himself for holding her hand and pretending to be her BOYFRIEND, but also annoyed at the entire situation in the first place.

What a prize prick Guy Stevens was.

"What on earth was all that about? Why did you send them away? I mean, I'm not entirely sure I was even interested in whatever it was they had to offer but, you just totally made that decision for me!" Blossom spluttered.

"You do not want to work with him. He's not a nice guy. Neither of them are. I overheard him and his associate talking in the mens room." Brick briefly explained, and Blossom frowned.

"What were they saying? They called me an, an innocent schoolgirl?" Blossom questioned, and Brick half didn't have the heart to tell her all that he'd said.

"Let's just say he was more interested in the way you look, and the attention that would bring, then talent. They were talking about you and Buttercup like you're items to sell." Brick said, and she deflated at his words.

"Oh. Just like you said, at the after party." She mumbled, and Brick felt a stab of remorse. He forgot he'd teased her about that.

"Yeah, well, they're assholes. And so was I at the party. There's way more to you then just the way you look. And that's coming from someone who has seen you naked, so, you know it's sincere." Brick said, smirking, and hoping to elicit a smile from her.

She did smile momentarily, and shoved him lightly on the arm. But then her smile faded again, her brow creased.

"They're just thinking about their wallets. And Guy was thinking about his dick." Brick added, and Blossom gave him an outraged look.

"Like I would ever -!" She cried and Brick spoke over her.

"I know! Just ignore it. You're better than that, then them. Don't dwell on it."

Blossom looked at him, her features curious, but touched. "Thank you." She murmured, and he shrugged casually, looking down at his feet. After eyeing him for a few seconds more she spoke again. "You know, for the short few minutes you were my boyfriend, you weren't half bad."

Brick felt the red return to his face again as she taunted him, but he hoped he could smoothly cover it up. "Well, maybe I'm not as emotionally stunted as predicted." He murmured, his expression playful, sarcastic as ever. "So you've recovered from your weird episode now then?"

Blossom felt crimson hit her face as her dream came screaming back to her at Brick's words. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She mumbled, turning on her heels and beginning to walk back towards the main school buildings. Brick followed her, catching up quite easily.

"You were acting so fucking weird. Even your sisters agreed with me!" Brick prodded but Blossom wasn't going to budge.

"I still don't know what you mean, I'm fine!" She answered. Like she was going to tell him! Or her sisters, for that matter…

---

"Cheer up BC. There'll be other gigs. Other opportunities." Mitch said, patting his friend on the calf as she sat beside him on the sofa.

Buttercup grunted in response, looking as moody as ever.

"You've still got the semi finals to look forward to." Harry added, not tearing his eyes away from the TV he was playing a video game on.

"Not really. That battle of the bands is organised by Cinder Beats Records. Whole thing seems so pointless now."

"Oh. Well, you could catch some other record company's eye when you play there?" Harry suggested and Buttercup lightly shook her head.

"I doubt it. I can't see them allowing any scouts that aren't there own there. After meeting some of Cinder Beat's staff, if that's what people who work in labels are like, I don't know if I want someone else to like us. He was such a dick." Buttercup murmured, and Butch frowned, almost wishing he hadn't told them what Brick had heard Guy Stevens say in the mens room.

"Sure you do, they won't all be like him. Chin up Buttercup, it'll be all right. We've not heard anything back yet, you never know Cinder Beats might still want to sign us." Mitch said as Harry passed him the controller to the video game they were playing, his character had just died.

"Like I'd wanna sign with them after the way they spoke about me. And Blossom. Fuck them." She muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "And fuck their stupid battle of the bands."

Brick was sat in his living room with Butch, Buttercup, Harry, Louie and Mitch. Boomer had gone off with Bubbles (and only Bubbles, Brick had noticed) after watching Push The Atom's showcase, and Cody had gone off with Holly - the remaining Push The Atom members (plus Harry) had come around their house to play video games.

He didn't have the energy to complain about his living room being full of people who didn't live there again. It seemed to be commonplace now, Butch was always inviting his friends over. And due to the lack of parents around it seemed to be a popular hangout spot, much to Brick's annoyance.

Butch cursed as he lost against Mitch on the fighting game they were playing. He handed the controller to Brick, Buttercup's sullen face catching his eye as he did.

She looked so glum. He thought about how nervous she'd been earlier that day. And then they just turned out to be a couple of asswipes, more interested in Buttercup's (and her sisters) appearance than the way she played or how hard her and her band had worked.

Butch got up from his seat and hovered over onto the sofa beside the green puff. "Come on Buttercup cheer up. Wanna get take out? Whatever you want - on us." Butch offered, and Buttercup rose a brow at him in surprise.

"On you." Brick added, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.

"Fine, on me. What could you eat?" Butch asked, reaching for the shelf under the coffee table and pulling all the take out menus out.

Buttercup eyed him moodily, but then took the menus from his hands and had a look through them. She stopped on the menu for the Chinese Restaurant they usually ordered from. "I could eat Chinese."

"Chinese it is." Butch said, and Buttercup felt herself smiling at him despite herself. "Hey - a smile! Food really is the way to your heart huh?"

Buttercup smirked, nudging him. "Shut up."

---

The Professor sat by the fire in the hallway, paper in one hand, his pipe in the other. He began to catch up with the day's headlines, when the front door opened and distracted him.

"Oh hello sweetie. I was wondering when you'd be home. Where've you been?" He greeted his daughter who dumped her school bag on the coat rack and slipped her school shoes off.

"Hey Professor. I was just at Butch's place with Mitch, Harry and Louie. He ordered takeout so, I've eaten." She replied, and the Professor's warm smile faltered a little. Even he was beginning to notice changes to his daughter's attitudes towards those Rowdyruff Boys - Bubbles in particular.

"Well, that was nice of him to order food." The Professor noted, and Buttercup nodded, hovering over to the seat opposite the Professor's armchair.

"Yeah, I think he was just trying to cheer me up." Buttercup murmured, and the Professor pulled a concerned face.

"Blossom told me about Cinder Beats. I'm sorry it didn't go how'd you'd hoped it would sweetheart." The Professor said, and Buttercup sighed a little disappointed sigh.

"Yeah well, he didn't seem like a very nice person anyway. I don't want to work with someone like that." Buttercup mumbled, dejected, and the Professor looked angered for his daughter.

"No, you're better off - I don't want you working with someone that shallow either. How he wasn't instantly blindsided by your band's sheer talent I don't understand." He said protectively, and Buttercup smiled an affectionate smile at her father. "But like I said, if he looked at you and your sister, and all he saw were dollar signs, and not how talented and wonderful you both are, he's not worth any upset or disappointment."

Buttercup smiled weakly at her father. Guy Stevens had seen more than dollar signs when he'd looked at her and Blossom, unfortunately. "Yeah, I know. You win some you lose some I guess."

"And when the time is right you'll win." The Professor promised with a wink.

"Thanks Professor. Are Blossom and Bubbles home?" Buttercup asked, getting up and hovering.

"Blossom is - Bubbles is out still. With Boomer." The Professor answered, his voice a little strained, expression peeved.

"Oh, right." Buttercup answered - Boomer and Bubbles were always together now, she didn't get how that was out of the ordinary. Then she realised, Boomer and Bubbles were ALWAYS together now! When had that become normal? And why was Bubbles spending so much time with him?

She supposed she was one to talk - she'd just returned from the Rowdyruff's apartment, and Butch had bought her a large amount of take away food of her choice to try and put a smile back on her face.

"Just Boomer. Just the two of them. Would you happen to know anything about any of that?" The Professor asked, his eyes a little prying.

Did he think they were into each other or something? Buttercup screwed her face up in confusion and a little in disgust at the thought, but, then she thought about it. They were always together - and now they were hanging out just the two of them… It did seem a little suspect.

"I can't say I do but, they do get on surprisingly well now. Bubbles reckons Boomer's been a changed man-child for ages now." Buttercup said with a shrug, hovering into the kitchen. She couldn't help but wonder though…

And neither could the Professor, as he glanced at his watch and awaited his blonde daughter's return home.

---

Buttercup sat at the table in the kitchen, her back to the kitchen door, eating the leftovers the Professor had saved for her. Yeah, she'd eaten her weight in chinese food, but she hated to see a good meal go to waste, and it was steak night - she couldn't say no to steak night.

She still had a deep frown etched onto her face as she bit into her steak like it was Guy Stevens stupid pigheaded face.

Blossom hovered into the kitchen to get herself a drink, looking over her shoulder and noticing her sister sat at the table, looking crestfallen. She frowned, guessing what was up with her raven haired sister. Brick must have told Butch, Butch must have told her… Or maybe Brick himself had told her, she didn't know, but she knew she knew what Guy and Ryan had said, she could tell.

Silently, Blossom hovered over to the dining table, throwing her arms around her brunette sisters shoulders and giving her a brief but tight squeeze.

Buttercup smiled a slanted smile, placing a hand onto her sisters arm whilst she held her.

As quietly and wordlessly as Blossom had embraced her sister, she left with her drink in her hand. Buttercup continued to eat her food, a little smile playing about her lips.

---

It was 6am, and the alarm the girls set every school morning went off on the bedside near Bubbles bed. She reached her arm out to switch it off, stretching as she did so, her eyes blurry from sleep.

Blinking and deciding to give herself 5 more minutes sleep before getting up, she snuggled back up amongst her covers.

It was then that she noticed something. Something a bit odd. Her arms, they didn't look right. They were broader, and hairier. She sat up rigidly then, looking down at herself. Her chest - it was completely flat! "What the hell?!"

She patted it down rapidly - yes, definitely flat, and very firm and defined, a lovely chest - but not what she was used to, not hers! She pulled her covers back and realised she was wearing a pair of grey boxer shorts and her eyes widened. Nope, this wasn't right.

She gasped lightly, getting to her feet and padding over to their pink vanity table in their bedroom. Boomer's cobalt eyes stared back at her in the mirror, his blonde waves sticking up in different directions. Slowly, she pushed a lock of blonde behind her ear - but it wasn't her ear, or her hands! Her hands were massive, quite frankly. So were her arms, muscular and man-ish, but this was because it was Boomer's reflection she could see, and Boomer's body when she looked down!

"Ohmygod!" She cried, her voice going shrill.

"Bubbles will you shut up."

Slowly, Bubbles turned in the direction of her sisters voice. It had certainly been Buttercup's voice, but would it be Buttercup laying in her bed?

She strode over to Buttercup's bed, seeing the spiky jet black hair that belonged to Butch peeking out underneath the covers. "Buttercup!"

"Go away. Can't a girl get some sleep around here - what the fuck?! Boomer!" She pulled the covers to her chest, sitting up sharply. "What the hell are you doing in my room?! Get the fuck out of here!"

"Buttercup it's me. Bubbles." Bubbles' voice came from Boomer's body. Bubbles' voice. Boomer's body.

"Oh no…" Buttercup whispered, as it dawned on her what was going on. Again.

"Buttercup -" Bubbles said, her voice soothing.

"Noooo nonononono!" Buttercup cried, her voice getting louder as she clutched at her head, but then let go as she realised it didn't feel like her own.

"Buttercup don't freak out!" Bubbles said, trying to calm her down but it was pointless. Buttercup screamed as she looked down at herself. She lifted her bed covers, and screamed again when she realised not only was she Butch, but she was naked Butch.

A pillow hit her in the side of the head, distracting her, and both Bubbles and Buttercup looked over at Blossom's bed.

"Keep it down will you?" Blossom murmured, wriggling in her bed to get comfy. "It's so early you're being so loud. Has the alarm even gone off?"

"Ermmmmmmm, Blossom?" Bubbles said in a small voice.

Blossom sat up and blinked blearily in her sisters direction. Then she screamed and began clutching at her duvet to hide herself from what appeared to be Boomer stood in his underwear and Butch sat in Buttercup's bed, shirtless too from what she could see.

"What the hell is going on?! What are you doing in our room?!" Blossom cried, outrage and embarrassment in her voice.

"Blossom's it's us. Bubbles and Buttercup." Bubbles explained, a hint of dread in her voice.

Bubbles' voice came out of Boomer, and Buttercup was Butch... Bubbles, or Boomer, gave Blossom a pointed look.

A shaky whimper escaped Blossom's lips as she looked down at herself and realised she wasn't her.

Her chest was flat, and broad and her hands and arms weren't hers. She pulled the covers back slightly revealing her bare chest, apparently Brick only slept in his boxers too.

Blossom screamed now, pulling the covers back around her as if this might undo it and she'd be in her own body again, not Brick's.

They heard footsteps thundering up the stairs and towards their bedroom. A woman, someone they didn't recognise burst into the room. "Girls! Girls, I'm so sorry!" The Professor's voice but, not the Professor. "Oh good lord, Rowdyruff boys. This couldn't get any worse!" He winced.

"What the hell is going on Professor?!" Buttercup cried from Butch's body.

The Professor sighed. "I was tinkering with my passive nucleic electron alchemy again, to -"

"Turn apples into oranges? Again, Professor? Cos this time, it's not funny!" Blossom interrupted, and the Professor cringed.

"Not even a little bit funny!" Buttercup agreed, outraged.

"I don't mind being Boomer, he's cuter than the Mayor." Bubbles said with a little shrug.

"At least I was female last time. I'm not peeing. I'm not showering! Until I'm in my own body!" Blossom declared, her voice horrified.

"Girls, I'm so sorry. I'll do my best to fix this okay? I'll get on it right away! I've contacted the Mayor already, all schools have been closed while this is dealt with. I'll fix this, I will!" The Professor said, sounding determined.

"If we're in their bodies…" Bubbles murmured, thinking.

"They're in ours!" Blossom squealed.

"Girls, you'll have to head over to them and, and, well, explain…" The Professor stuttered.

"That sounds like a great idea Professor, but you're going to have to get me some clothes to borrow first; Butch isn't wearing anything!" Buttercup exclaimed, and the Professor hid his face in despair and guilt.

"Oh my god - let me get you some pjs of mine." The Professor grimaced, hiding his face as he went off to get some pyjamas of his for them all.

---

When the girls - or more, the boys - arrived at the Rowdyruff boys apartment block, no one was up yet. Blossom had pressed the buzzer for their apartment several times and no one had answered.

A very confused looking man staggered out of the building and Buttercup grabbed the door before it closed behind him, so they could make their way into the elevator and up to the twentieth floor.

They reached apartment 82 and Buttercup began banging on the door loudly.

A few yells, cursing and crashing around was heard from inside, and eventually a disgruntled looking Brick as Blossom answered the door. His eyes widened as he saw himself, cringing back at him, and his two brothers stood beside him, all three of them wearing clothes that weren't theirs.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Brick's voice from Blossom's body demanded. He was wearing a spaghetti strap vest and a pair of hotpant shorts, and his, or more Blossom's hair was in a half up half fallen down messy bun.

Blossom, as Brick, cringed at the sight of herself, mortified.

Buttercup, as Butch, barged past him, making a beeline for Butch's room.

"Seriously?! Can someone please explain to me why I have tits?! Why the fuck am I in Blossom's body?!" Brick demanded, looking back at Butch, that was actually Buttercup, then back around to himself and Boomer.

"We can explain everything." Blossom's voice came from his body then, and Brick's eyes grew wider.

"What the fuck…?!"

The sound of one of his brother's screaming distracted him then. Butch had opened his eyes to see himself staring down at him and screamed like a girl.

Boomer, or Bubbles, emerged from his room, dazed and confused.

"What the fuck is going on WHOA what the hell that dude looks just like me! Blossom?! What the fuck are you doing here? In your jammies? WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Boomer yelled, losing it. "WHY DO I HAVE BOOBIES? WHY AM I WEARING A UNICORN NIGHTIE?!"

Bubbles couldn't hold it in then, she started to giggle. Butch and Buttercup came out of Butch's room then, Butch as Buttercup was wearing a black baggy Joan Jett t shirt and a pair of purple panties. And he looked thoroughly confused.

"Jesus Christ how strong was that weed we smoked last night?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes and then double taking when he saw how small and dainty his hands were suddenly.

"Okay, okay, we can explain." Blossom, in Brick's body said, as Bubbles as Boomer was near enough wetting herself beside her.

---

"A passive nucle-y electro what?" Boomer asked from Bubbles body, thoroughly puzzled.

"Passive nucleic electron alchemy. Look, it's an experiment gone wrong, okay? No one in Townsville is in their right body right now. But, the Professor fixed its last time so he can fix it again this time." Blossom explained, and Butch, Boomer and Brick all looked at her in shock.

"Last time?! This has happened before?!" Brick exclaimed, and Blossom as him nodded.

"Years ago."

"How long did it take to fix this?" Brick queried.

Bubbles as Boomer shrugged. "About a day. We woke up back in our normal bodies the next morning." Brick cursed at her answer. "He might be able to fix it quicker this time though, seeing as he's made this mistake before."

"I'm gunna fucking smash that nucleic alchemy transmitter - whatever the fuck it is as soon as I'm back in my own body so he can never meddle with it again!" Buttercup as Butch vowed.

"So, what now? We don't have to go to school in each other's bodies do we?" Boomer questioned, looking down at Bubbles' body then back up again, blushing.

"No, school is shut." Blossom as Brick said, folding her arms across her chest, or more, folding Brick's arms across his chest. "We've come with some clothes for you. And to get some of yours as these are the Professor's pyjamas.. But we've also come with some guidelines." Blossom voice was strict on the last sentence.

Boomer as Bubbles was nodding furtively then, looking at Bubbles as him sincerely. "I won't look! I won't look at all, I'll, I'll get dress blindfolded. In fact, you can dress me. While I'm blindfolded, so I don't see anything. I need to stop talking." Boomer babbled, going red as Bubbles giggled at him in Boomer's body.

"We'll get around getting dressed somehow. But, hey, what are ya gunna do? These things happen." Bubbles said with a shrug.

"No." Boomer responded instantly. "No they do not happen. Not in a normal city."

Bubbles laughed. "True, but it's happened to us before. Last time I was the Mayor! I am SO much happier being you for a bit. Being bald was not fun. You've at least got a good head of hair!"

Boomer blushed again. Brick in Blossom's body rolled his eyes at the blues' exchange.

Buttercup in Butch's body reached into the bag Blossom as Brick was carrying.

"We've got clothes here for you to wear - but absolutely no showering until your back in your own stinking body." Buttercup said, her sentence aimed at Butch in her body.

Butch looked pained at the idea. "You could have at least bought a bikini with you! I was looking forward to that..."

"I mean it Butch - you do anything to embarrass me during all this, I'll embarrass you right back. I'm talking unflattering dick pics and everything, the works." Buttercup warned him. Butch looked back at her, the expression on his face looking back at him, severe and serious. He knew she meant business.

"Okay. Fair enough." Butch replied, his voice coming from Buttercup's body, sounding sincere. Buttercup gazed down at him (it was so weird being this tall without hovering) and nodded. "So urr, I sleep naked…" Butch muttered and Buttercup folded her arms across her chest in Butch's body.

"I know."

There was a heavy pause.

"So, what did you think?" Butch enquired, and Buttercup cranked a brow.

"Stop it will you, it is so weird seeing my own face leering at me like that." Buttercup said, looking creeped out. Butch in Buttercup's body sniggered in response.

"It is weird seeing this much of yourself." Blossom in Brick's body agreed, giving Brick a once over. "My butt really is big..."

"I think I look stunning." Brick commented, eliciting an eye roll from everyone else.

"Yes you do bro." Butch in Buttercup's body said, looking Brick, in Blossom's body up and down.

"Stop it you weirdo. It's me in here remember!" Brick said, slapping Butch in Buttercup's body upside the head.

"Why can't you guys have rocking titties for real." Butch complained, looking from Blossom's breasts on Brick, to Bubbles' on Boomer. "I just wanna stick my head in between them and -" He simulated motor-boating, much to the girls disgust.

"Hopefully you'd suffocate." Buttercup commented from Butch's body.

Butch looked down at Buttercup's breasts excitedly. "Oh my god can I do it with yours?!" He cried, pushing them both up.

"Don't touch them!" Buttercup exclaimed, grabbing his hands and attempting to wrench them off of them.

"But they're mine right now!" Butch reasoned innocently.

"No, they're mine! And if you touched them normally I'd slice you in two!" Buttercup growled at him.

Butch still had ahold of them. "I can't let go now." He murmured and Boomer couldn't resist sniggering at his stupid brother.

"Fine! I'll molest you too!" Buttercup cried, grabbing at her/Butch's crotch. Her eyes widened slightly. "Whoa. Mazel tov." She murmured, and Butch grinned.

"A-thank you!"

"Can you two please stop groping yourselves! Or, each other!" Blossom from Brick's body snapped. Brick had gone to pull a hand through his hair in despair but got confused when he couldn't as Blossom's hair was pulled into a sloppy bun. "No more groping or ogling! We've got to have some respect for each other during this!"

Butch finally let go of his/Buttercup's breasts and murmured an agreement.

"Let's go sort out some clothes.." Blossom suggested to Brick, who nodded albeit a little reluctantly. "This shouldn't be so bad, should it? I mean, it's not like it's nothing we haven't seen before…" Blossom mumbled - she sounded like she was more trying to reassure herself rather than Brick.

"Old news and all that…" Brick replied rather sarcastically.

Blossom in Brick's body groaned. "This isn't just seeing each other naked though is it - it's, it's being in each other's skin! It's getting to know each other way too much. I mean, I have stubble right now…"

"You're worrying about stubble? I have breasts right now." Brick replied, and Blossom struggled to hold back her laughter.

---

"Dude, Buttercup is fucking cut! Check out her V!" Butch, still in Buttercup's body, cried.

The girls, or more, the boys, had stayed for a little while whilst everyone had exchanged clothes and (extremely awkwardly) got changed, then they'd left to go home - promising to keep them updated on how the Professor was doing.

Brick, in Blossom's body, Boomer in Bubbles' and Butch in Buttercup's were sat chilling in their living room, waiting to be returned to their own bodies.

"Do I wanna look?" Brick asked, rubbing his forehead, or Blossom's forehead, in a stressed manner.

"He means her stomach." Boomer explained, and Brick looked around, relieved it wasn't something else beginning with a V Butch was flaunting to them.

"These are some impressive obliques!" Butch pressed, looking down at Buttercup's stomach and marvelling at it.

"Well, Bubbles has the nicest ass. It's firm like a mature ham." Boomer said, getting up to demonstrate Bubbles' behind in the yoga pants she had loaned him.

Butch, in Buttercup's body still, gave her/his bum a little pinch. "God it is!"

Brick couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped his lips. "Guys, don't do that. There's something so wrong about it in so many ways."

"Oh shut up man - you're in Blossom's body right now! How good are the hooters?" Butch asked looking at Blossom's bosom, Buttercup's light green eyes he was viewing the world from right now lighting up with intrigue.

Brick zipped the jacket Blossom had loaned him up over them all the way. "Unlike you two desperate fuckers, I haven't sat here groping myself - or her, all afternoon." Brick said, his, or more Blossom's expression conceited. But then he smirked. "That being said, they are pretty glorious to look down upon."

Butch and Boomer laughed at him then. "I dunno how any of them ever get anything done." Butch commented, jiggling up and down a bit and watching Buttercup's boobs bounce.

"Settle down though Butch. Like Blossom said before she left, have some respect. And acknowledge the fact that Buttercup will get revenge if you do anything to humiliate her." Brick warned his over excited brother. "She'll probably beat the shit out of you as well as embarrassing you, too."

"Yeah yeah I know, I won't. Oh! So who do you think has the biggest rack?" Butch asked, and Brick sighed. When would he ever learn?

Boomer began to rummage for the size label in the bra Bubbles had leant him - and yes, wearing a bra was fucking weird. "Wahey, 30DD." He announced.

Butch had a look at the one he was wearing too. "Aha! 32E! In your face! Jeez BC, an E."

"Brick's gunna beat you anyway Blossom's boobs are huge!" Boomer said and Butch shook his head.

"I dunno I think Buttercup hides them well. Come on Brick let us have it!"

"You two are a couple of sick fuck's." Brick commented, folding his arms across his chest, or Blossom's arms and Blossom's chest, and pouting. "You're also a couple of losers cos these ladies I'm currently sporting are a 32F." He'd already accidentally noted the size when Blossom had handed it to him.

Boomer and Butch groaned which turned into the three of them laughing at their own ridiculousness. Eventually, they got bored with boobs, and started playing video games.

---

"Well, I dunno about Boomer or Brick but, Butch certainly isn't compensating. Dude is PACKING." Buttercup announced as she returned from their ensuite bathroom.

"Oh jeez Buttercup, too much info." Blossom groaned as Buttercup, in Butch's body still, sat down on her bed.

"I had to pee, I couldn't help but take a peek! Plus, I got an eyeful when I woke up in his nude ass body this morning anyway!" She reasoned, and Bubbles giggled. "Was I right about Brick hauling a trouser snake of the large variety?"

Blossom in Brick's body still, went very red and looked down. "I've no idea and I don't plan to find out. I closed my eyes the one time I did pee today."

"Oh Blossom come on!" Buttercup complained, and Bubbles laughed again.

"It feels so wrong in so many ways!" Blossom justified.

Bubbles, in Boomer's body still, shrugged from her bed. "I'm sure the boys are getting their fill of us - even Brick. So I wouldn't worry about it."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Blossom cringed.

"I'm right about Brick aren't I? You're totally blushing again!" Buttercup pointed out, and Blossom threw a pillow at her, telling her to shut up. She laughed in response. "Hey Bubs, is Boomer hauling a big meat stick too?"

"Like a stick of salami." Bubbles confirmed casually, and Buttercup's brow rose.

"Wow, graphic." She murmured, and Blossom winced from her bed. "It's pretty insane, I mean this is them 'at ease', imagine the size when they're 'standing to attention', if you know what I mean."

"You two are grossing me out." Blossom complained and Bubbles giggled.

"Hey, we can be pervy too when we want to be. So Boomer has this weird mark on his hip. It's like, writing or something?" Bubbles said, hopping up and pulling his shirt up a tiny bit so they could see what she was talking about. "Is it a tattoo?"

Blossom recognised the symbol but she wasn't sure why at first.

"Looks like it." Buttercup replied, and Blossom in Brick's body clicked her fingers together in realisation.

"I saw that on Brick's back during the nanobots incident. Does Butch have it too?" She queried.

Buttercup floated over to their full length mirror, twisting and turning as she tried to find any marks or tattoo's on Butch's skin. She paused, her, or more Butch's back turned to the mirror, and sighed a light sigh.

"What?" Blossom questioned, confused.

"How can such a badass have such a nice ass? I mean, I know it's Butch but, damn son. Hey here it is!" She'd found it on his lower back near his tailbone. "Just the same as Brick's and Boomer's. They probably just got matching tattoos done at some dodgy parlour. Fucking losers."

There was a small pause that Bubbles filled when an idea hit her. "So shall we braid Brick's hair?" She suggested.

A smile broke out across Blossom and Buttercups' faces.

"Yes. A hundred times yes." Buttercup wholeheartedly agreed.

---

Video games moved on swiftly to watching a movie. Brick slipped out to grab something from his bedroom.

He caught his reflection in the mirror, or more, her reflection as he passed it.

She really did have the most perfect figure, in his opinion. He didn't know how he'd ever missed it before. She was so curvy and shapely.

Her thighs were big, as were her hips and breasts, but she was muscular too, what with having ultra super powers and being a superhero and all.

He'd never really noticed when puberty had hit them. But obviously it had. And it'd hit them so differently. Bubbles was very petite and slender, Buttercup was more shapely, but far more muscular and toned, with these lush V's below her stomach that gave her a much more muscular figure. But Blossom was just, curvy and sensual - womanly, for only 17.

He slowly pulled the top he was wearing up, revealing her soft stomach. He noticed her scar again - it was hard not to notice it, it was huge. Like 9, 10 inches long, and a good inch or two thick. It was a real doozy. How the hell had she gotten it? He'd never scarred, he didn't think his brothers had either. He was going to show them it but, he somehow felt he shouldn't. He'd ask Blossom, it would make for conversation.

He pulled the t shirt down, sighing lightly, and turning back towards the living room, hoping he'd be back in his own body again by morning.

---

That evening, the Professor threw the switch on the transmitter at 6pm, and thankfully the first attempt worked like a charm - everyone was brought back to their proper bodies.

"I'm terribly sorry about that girls - making you spend half a day as the Rowdyruff boys. I'll leave that project alone now. I have a lot of other work I can be getting on with - you know what I get like when I start tinkering! I'll throw my energy into more important things, like getting that MM Grant, that would be so helpful." The Professor said as he loaded the dishwasher with the dirty dishes from the dinner Bubbles had prepared.

"Yes, please don't touch that thing ever again. Having spent 2 days of my life male is not something I'm pleased about. Especially when one is Butch Jojo!" Buttercup cried, extremely happy to be back in her own comfy body.

"Professor, did we turn into the boys because we're around them so much now?" Bubbles queried, and the Professor's mouth became a tight straight line.

"It would appear that way Bubbles, yes." The Professor answered, wishing internally that wasn't the case.

"Well in that case," Blossom pressed, knowing where her sister was going with the question. "Who was the nice lady that you turned into, hmm?"

The Professor looked nervous all of a sudden. His cheeks went ever so red and he looked around a little shiftily. "Oh, no one. Just an erm, colleague from work. Professor Winter."

"Just a colleague eh?" Buttercup pushed with a wicked grin.

Blossom giggled as Bubbles squealed excitedly.

"Are we finally getting a Mommy Professor?" She asked with a giggle.

"Don't be silly girls! She's a colleague that I work with at the lab downtown, that's all. Anyway, don't we all have school in the morning?" The Professor said, trying to change the subject.

"Professor Winter? She was so pretty! You should ask her out! What's her number I'll do it for you?!" Bubbles cried enthusiastically as her sister's laughed at her eagerness.

"Off to your room girls and err, make sure you're all up to date with your homework. It's been a long day!" The Professor said, shooing them upstairs to their room, his cheeks still rosy red.

---

The next morning at school, the classroom was humming with chatter about the crazy day they had all had the day previous.

It took Miss. Hearn a good few minutes to settle her tutor group down and begin taking roll call. It also took a few students in the class a good few minutes to be able to look each other in the eye - Blossom and Brick were amongst those students.

Miss. Hearn dismissed the class to their first periods, and Blossom and Brick bumped into each other a bit as they got to their feet to head to class.

Brick gestured for her to go first, and she smiled politely, walking through the gap in between desks first. She waited a little so she could walk to her first class with Brick.

"So, glad to be female again?" Brick questioned as she opened the classroom door and began to walk along the corridor beside him.

"Yes. Definitely. Glad to be male again?" She asked back, and Brick nodded rapidly.

"Yes. The novelty wore off quick. How do you cope with the backache from them things?" He asked, his question mostly serious, and Blossom smirked, rolling her eyes.

"You get used to it. But I could not get used to how much extra body hair you males have. I mean I know I have a lot of head hair but - I'm just glad I don't have facial hair to tend to as well." Blossom said, referring to the hair on Brick's face.

He chuckled. "I think I speak for most people when I say I'm glad you don't have facial hair too. I couldn't help but notice that huge scar on your stomach. How the fuck did you get that bad boy? I didn't even know we could scar."

Brick had asked the question in the same friendly, almost playful manner that they had been talking in. She didn't respond, so he looked down at her, confused. She was glaring at him, her eyes fiery, expression tormented. He frowned - what had he said wrong now?

"Are you seriously asking me that?" She hissed, her voice acidic.

He pulled a baffled face at her. "What? What are you - what do you mean?"

She shook her head at him, glowering. "You're unbelievable. Just unbelievable."

With that she stalked off, leaving Brick walking to class alone, and thoroughly confused.

They were just starting to get along… What the fuck had he done wrong now?

---

r&r :)