Chapter 17

Curled up unto the couch with a remote in hand, clouded eyes were glued to a muted television screen without really seeing anything. Instead, her ears were focused on the clattering of the rain against the windows and the restless wind howling outside. Absently, she wondered if it was a hint of electricity that she had felt prickling against her skin when she flew home earlier. She had been too distracted to consciously pick it up, but this was usually the indication of a fierce storm coming. And while the remote in her hand gave her the ability to verify the weather forecast, she decided not to. Nothing would be gained with that information; after all, there was no need to go outside.

The oversized pajamas she wore were warm and comfortable… the smell of freshly-made popcorn was sweet and inviting. This was their free evening, the start of their weekend. And how happy this tiny celebration should have been, Bubbles decided to listen to the howling wind instead of the cheery voices on TV. Instead of the colorful program, she could see the dark hair of her sister. The pained expression on Buttercup's face was one that was continuously replayed by the settings of her heart.

"…Hey."

Bubbles flinched. Her sister was staring down at her from the top of the stairs, her long red hair skillfully wrapped into a towel. Round blue eyes could only avert at the intenseness of those pink irises, which could draw an opinionated verdict with just one single glance.

Immediately, the blonde felt insecure. It was as if her sister had just taken the bandage she had placed on her feelings and ripped it right off. Was it not okay to keep it hidden for now?

"Hi," was the word Bubbles managed to get out of her throat, which brought their conversation to a standstill. Slowly and almost cautiously, her sister descended the stairs and with each step closer, the uneasiness of their silence grew. "…Did you have a nice bath?" the blonde forced herself to smile in a last attempt to cover her wounds.

Her sister did not return the gesture, sinking to take a seat at the other side of the couch, her hands folded on her lap. Those painfully bright pink eyes were still observing her, her expression solemn.

Bubbles needed to take a breath, fumblingly trying to keep herself in check. "I think we're almost out of conditioner. I should go to the store tomorrow, wouldn't want to… run ou-out, you know." There was no answer to her plead to steer the conversation away. And as the calm gaze of the leader did not falter, the clattering of the rain begun to sound threatening, the smell of popcorn was starting to get nauseating and the pajamas she wore became too hot and restricting. "…Please," her hands clenched tightly as she softly pleaded.

That was when she felt gentle fingers combing through her hair, a simple but loving gesture that made her eyes well up. Stressful days and restless nights caught up to her and she could no longer find the strength to keep her head up. She buried it in her knees, ashamed and tired. More than anything, she wanted to hide.

Understanding arms pulled her into an embrace and there, she found the comforting rhythm of a steady heartbeat. Similar to the night she slept in Blossom's bed, this lulled her, brought her a sense of familiarity and compassion. It reminded her of their childhood nights and of their Professor as well. A sort of warmth that was both mature and nostalgic. It was a kind of power only Blossom possessed. And as Bubbles felt her heartbeat subconsciously follow the calm steady rhythm of her sister's, she felt all of her fears, guilt and regret being hushed.

Neither of them seemed willing to pull away and they ended up watching a VHS of Justice Friends in that position. It was old and cheesy, but the lighthearted nostalgia made up for a lot of it. Halfway through the second episode, they remembered the popcorn and ate through the bowl in record time while occasionally giggling at lame jokes that were only funny because they heard it so many times. At the climax of their third episode, when her eyes threatened to shut, Blossom gently nudged her. "Come on, let's get you in bed."

"But this is the best part," she yawned as the TV was shut off.

"It's not like you don't know how it ends," Blossom smiled. "Now, come on, it's getting late."

It wasn't that late for a Friday evening, but the blonde felt too tired to argue when her sister gently pushed her towards the stairs. Hovering up them, Bubbles went to the bathroom first thing to brush her teeth and almost flinched at her own face in the mirror. Aside from the fact that her reflection now made her think of someone else, the bags under her eyes were not a pretty sight. Going to sleep early might just be the best advice Blossom had given her.

After removing her pigtails and moving a brush through her hair, she was ready to call it a night. Her sister just stepped into the bathroom, carrying the used towel in her hand. Her long, red hair was bit unruly. Maybe it was the bathroom light not doing the both of them justice, but Bubbles could now clearly see the tiredness on her sister's face as well.

"Everything downstairs is taken care of," the leader genuinely smiled despite of this.

Bubbles stepped towards her, moving the brush into long strands of red hair. "…Thank you," she responded, untangling the strands while doing so. They were words not only spoken for the mess downstairs and could feel that Blossom would understand this.

"Sleep tight, okay?"

The blonde nodded and wished her sister goodnight as well. She found the way to her room effortlessly in the darkness of the hallway and opened its door, bare feet stepping onto soft carpet. The moment she entered the room, the uneasy feeling returned. Strong winds howled outside. Rain clattered loudly against the window. Lately, there was something about the room that made her feel restless.

Bubbles closed the curtains and slipped underneath the covers, which was still swarmed with all of her stuffed animals. She threw her arms around one, pressing her face in the soft wool. It was as if her childhood fear of darkness had slipped back into her mind. There were a lot of things she was forced to recall lately…this could be a side-effect.

Closing her eyes, she silently listened to the storm howling outside.

In the darkness of the night, she was outside, just like he wanted her to. Hovering just underneath the threatening clouds, her thin raincoat alone provided little shelter from the strong winds and heavy rain. Minutes had passed since midnight and her mood was worsening with each extra passing. He was quite insistent about them meeting and he looked very serious about the punctuality as well. Did he leave her to wait out of spite? Or was his objective something else entirely? Her pink eyes continued to scan the area as doubt started to crawl underneath her skin. Was listening to him the right decision?

She spotted the movement a fraction of a second later than she usually did; a shift in the clouds that caught her attention only subconsciously. But it was harder to see these kinds of things in the midst of a storm, even with their larger proportioned eyes.

"After that threat you made, you could have at least been here on time," Blossom folded her arms together. It was cold. And wet. Nothing she wasn't used to or couldn't handle, but still. Volunteering to stand outside in the middle of a downpour simply goes against common sense. Like her meeting him alone in the middle of the night does.

Brick's hands were tucked inside the pockets of his jeans. He hadn't worn or carried any protection against the rain and his hoodie did not shelter him from being soaked from head to toe. Despite of this, his stance was straight as always, portraying the natural confidence she had noticed on their days at school. But in the shadow of his face, she thought she saw something more solemn for a moment, the hint of something weighing his mind. That was, until those red orbs bore into hers, erasing that hint of vulnerability completely from his face. The danger she detected in them immediately became her first priority.

"Follow me," was simply his response and instruction, before he turned away from her.

Blossom considered her options, glancing at her house just a short distance from their position. Letting him lead her to some unknown destination was risky in itself, but at least she wouldn't have concern for her sleeping sister or their belongings if a fight breaks out. Not knowing why he had called her out made her uneasy though. Every cell in her body wanted to stay put, telling her that she might be in over her head in this. But at the same time, her gut told her that this might be the only opportunity to get some answers.

"If we're not going to hold an honest conversation with each other, I'm not interested."

Brick's head turned back to her at her words, his expression impassive.

Blossom continued to stare back. "I'm not playing games with you today. Is that clear?"

The only response she received was a curt nod, before a bright red streak filled the sky, starkly contrasting against the somber, monochrome night sky. It was quickly accompanied by a gentler, pink hue, as they travelled through the grey clouds. Not even a minute must have passed before they both arrived in a part outside of Townsville Blossom rarely visited now they had stopped fighting crime. It was the neglected part of a park, with walls sprayed with graffiti and cans of soda scattered around an old playground. What they made their shelter was a bicycle tunnel that connected the park with the main road. Water had run into it, multiple light sources either broke or were broken on purpose. The walls were spray painted and dirty. All in all, it wasn't an inviting place for a conversation.

Her shoes splashed against a puddle of dirty water as she reluctantly landed. An icy wind blew as the storm raged on, cold rain mercilessly pouring down outside their shelter and despite the poor conditions they were standing in, Blossom found herself unable to start the conversation he had insisted they had. While he was standing under a working light source, the shadow his cap cast made it impossible for Blossom to read the youth's expression as droplets of water fell between them.

"You've been disappointing me." His low tone was almost drowned in the noises surrounding them, but she could clearly understand the seriousness in his tone.

"I'm sorry?" she exclaimed, annoyed. "I wasn't aware that I needed to impress you."

"No, you don't understand." Brick insisted, his voice strangely calm as his footsteps echoed, striding through the water. "You're still alive because I've always had an inch of respect for you."

Blossom was taken aback by that, confusion causing a frown to settle on her expression and Brick leaned in, hands still in his pockets.

"But I'm not sure of that anymore." At this distance, she was able to see his eyes. They almost seemed to glow in its intensity, like coals burning in the heat of an ever consuming fire. "Tell me, am I being ridiculous? You've once defeated me." He lowered his gaze. "But where's that strength now that you've been acting like just any other dumb girl?"

Blossom pushed against him to place some distance between them. "I don't know what you're talking about. And frankly, I didn't come here to talk about your feelings towards me."

In turn, he suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist, squeezing it. "Do not involve drag others into our fight, you asked? You were the one to do that in the first place, because you sure as hell weren't going to cross that middle line. At least your sisters had more of a spine today, because you were an embarrassment to look at," he snarled.

"Let go of me," she bit back, glowering. "You think you have a right to tell me how I handle my sisters?"

"No, I don't give a damn about that," he tightened his grip. "But I'm calling it as I see it: your loyalty is with the rules and care of people who should be beneath you. Mind you, it's been fun watching you squirm around, but at the end of things, I expected you to know that our fight and your duty is more important than any of the silly restrictions those weaklings use to keep you in line."

"Beneath me?" she repeated in abhorrence, her pink eyes narrowed in disdain. "Excuse you? My classmates… the people of Townsville are not beneath me. And I'm not going to stand here and listen to you dictating me on matters that are none of your business."

"Are they not, Blossom?" Her actual name on his lips instead of a degrading nickname, felt unsettling. And when she stared at the deep abyss of those irises, she could find no compassion, only cold disdain. "Because you spoke to me like one leader to another. And I'm telling you that is you can't handle that position, you're basically wasting my time."

"You're misunderstanding my leadership at its very foundation, Brick! You want me to fight and pick my sisters over the people of Townsville. But those people will always – always – go first." She forcibly broke her wrist free, barely winching at the scratches he left on her arm. "The fact that they're weak makes us work harder to keep them safe. They are not our weakness; they are our strength! If you were able to look past yourself, you would be able to understand that. But I don't see that ever happening. You're narcissistic and spiteful. You are someone who can only take and destroy." She pointed a finger in his chest, her pink eyes seething. "You saw it right; our loyalty lies with them. So take that as you will."

Something dangerous flashed in the dark-red irises of the hooded youth, but as his teeth clenched together, she took that silence to step back to regain their distance.

"And the reason I didn't do anything at the dodge ball game? I trusted Bubbles to handle herself. Now is that all? I have better things to do." Blossom took that step closer towards the end of the tunnel. All that answered her was silence, so she sighed. "Don't call me out again if it's not for negotiations. I'm not interested in your mind games, Brick."

In a pink streak of light, she took off. The wind hit her rain coat, causing the already cold material to stick against her body like a plastic wrap. Her hood blew right off and she needed to hold it up in order not to get completely soaked in the rain. She could only imagine her own bed as a comforting thought, knowing she had completely wasted her time.

A lightning strike in front of her caught her by surprise, the sudden bright whiteness that filled her vision into the complete darkness almost blinding. Her cold, wet cheeks didn't register the touch for a moment and before she could understand what was happening, she felt lips pressing against hers… as the sound of thunder roared around them.

Her fingers let go and her long hair flew freely in the wind. The kiss was over within a second and only a small exhale escaped her throat, unable to express her shock as wide pink eyes stared at the enemy in front of her. He still held her face in his hands and pushed their foreheads together. In the brightness of another lightning strike, those pools of red glistered with something thrilling and far more sinister than she had ever seen before.

"You're right… I only take and destroy." His voice was so quiet, barely a whisper. It was hard to hear him over the rumbling of the sky. "So let it be known that this is my promise to you."

The bright, red light streak of his departure was easily swallowed up into the thick, black clouds. The girl he had left behind huddled in the rain, her hand covering her paled face. Unconsciously, her body started to descend towards steady ground and she ended up landing on the roof of an old, broken playhouse. Now, the heavy storm that roared was no longer a presence in the sky, but in her mind and heart as well.

For those boys had come for their lives.