What Now
It had been two days since Brick was locked away, and neither Buttercup or him had woken up yet. Butch had visited both days after as he was doing today. It was the early morning when he was walked up the driveway with his hands in his pockets and his work vest laying on his shoulder. He was hoping there would be an update on Buttercup, but didn't expect it.
He knocked on the door and was greeted by Bubbles. "Hello Butch." She said solemnly. She was just as worried about her sister as he was, and allowed him in. "She still hasn't woken up. The professor has been in his lab non stop since you carried her home." she said. He grunted in response and walked to the basement door.
He floated down the steps and landed lightly on the floor. True to Bubbles word the professor was looking ragged and smelled just as bad. He hadn't shaved, the smell of tobacco overpowered the room, his hair was unruly and his eyes were bagged and red. "Hey professor." Butch said letting the man know he was down there with him.
"Hello Butch." He said without turning around to greet him, "She still hasn't woken up, but her head swelling is entirely gone."
"That's good, what about her brain stuff?" He asked walking up to the table holding his counterpart.
"Her activity is still off the charts. I just don't understand this power. I've never seen proof of the astral plane, only heard theories." He said scratching his scruffed cheek.
"Is there any danger to her you can see?" He asked.
"Well, maybe if she was left in the elements, but I can keep her body healthy and nourished here in the lab. If she is able to stop using the power she'll probably be mentally exhausted and wont be able to wake up immediately." He said as he fished out a pack of loose tobacco.
Butch hated the smell but wouldn't say anything in the mans own house, and he would be leaving for his shift soon. He just hoped the smell wouldn't stick to him. "How are the other girls doing?" Butch asked trying to make conversation.
"I wouldn't know. Blossom and Bubbles come down here to look at Buttercup, but they seem far more..." He said dropping his sentence and turned to look at Butch. "What happened that night?"
"We caught jewelry thieves and Buttercup got hit." He started, but the professor interrupted
"No I mean with the other girls. You all came by with burns and bruises. Blossom has barely spoken, and Bubbles barely speaks above a whimpered whisper. What happened." He said with a steeled look at Butch.
"I couldn't tell you." Butch said.
"Butch," The professor said with disdain, "I have been very patient with you coming down here to see Buttercup, but I need to know what happened, and holding it from me does nobody any good."
"I really meant it though. I couldn't tell you." Butch said with a glare. "Blossom would be the one who would know, or Brick himself, but my bro is locked away again."
Professor Utonium raised a brow, "He's locked up? Why?"
Butch tore his eyes away from the man and looked at his feet. "I don't know, when I caught up to them Sedusa was in his arms, Brick was yelling something, and then he killed her and attacked us." He said sickened by his words.
Utonium looked down at Butch rage filling his heart, but Buttercup moved for the first time distracting him. He looked down at Buttercup who was shifting and moaning in her sleep. The machine recording her Brain activity seemed to die down and she seemed to be searching for a blanket. The Professor quickly grabbed the one he had nearby for her and wrapped her in it. When he was certain she would be kept warm he held up the new readings.
"Good news?" Butch asked standing by her and looking down with expectation.
"Better news than this morning, she's asleep." He said removing the wires from her head. "Her mind can rest as well as her body now. She should wake up when she feels rested." He said with a sigh as he turned off the machine. "I'll take her vitals a few more times and move her to her bed later." He looked down at the teen and continued, "Butch, hearing your brother is responsible for this really infuriates me. I don't think I want you in my house any more."
Butch looked at him and growled, "Your beef is with Brick not me, and I don't know if even that is true."
"You three have attacked and hurt my daughters time and time again, now one took it too far. Why should I expect you to be different."
"I'm not different from Brick, but I guess you wouldn't understand."
He said in a hiss. He was angry but didn't want to risk Buttercup waking up, "I'm happy to know Buttercup is going to be okay, so I'll go."
The Professor watched as the teen turned on his heel and stormed out of the lab. He let out a sigh and sat on the stool at his desk and lit his pipe. "Why is it whenever I hear about Brick it only pisses me off?" He asked aloud after taking a long drag from his pipe. He wanted to take more revenge, but Brick had destroyed his suit and he was informed his clearance was revoked.
He enjoyed his pipe for a few minutes while watching his daughter sleep, when the tobacco burned out he ascended the stairs and walked to Blossoms room. Butch named her as the one who knew the most, and with Buttercup getting better he could finally focus on his other daughters.
She was sitting at her desk when he knocked. She turned around to see him and before she could ask he answered the question he saw in her eyes. "She seems to be better, she is only resting now."
"Oh, good. I saw Butch fly off in a rage a bit ago, I got worried." She said returning to her work.
"That's more on me, I told him not to come back here." He said leaning against the door frame.
"Why?"
"He told me Brick attacked you and Bubbles."
"He attacked Butch and Boomer too." She said not looking away from her book.
"Why would he do that?" He asked biting back his rage.
"I don't know, he didn't seem to be aware of anything going on." Blossom said holding up her book, "I'm trying to figure out if Sedusa drugged him, but so far haven't found anything substantial."
She saw the look of confusion on his face and kept going, "When I was congratulating him on finding and catching her he responded," She took a breath and let out a long sigh, "Weird, I guess would be the word. It was almost like he was having a different conversation than me. He was asking strange things and then he..." she said trailing off her sentence. "He, he, he" The professor looked at his daughter stuck on the word and saw her body shake and tremble, as well as tears fall from her eyes.
With long strides he moved to his daughter and held her to his chest. "I don't know what happened, but he killed Sedusa and attacked us, but that's not the worst part." She said choking back her words for a breath, "When I beat him, he was so badly burnt. He had no skin, I could see his lungs, his eyes were nonexistent, he was killing himself fighting us." She said wrapping her arms around her dad.
"I can see why the image would haunt you, but you beat him. He's locked away he wont hurt you again." He said rubbing her back as she cried into him.
"I don't care that he attacked us, I stand by the fact he was manipulated somehow, it's the extreme someone went to. If I hadn't stopped him, my best friend would be dead." she said holding her spot in his chest. "and now he's back in the dark, thrown back into his cell. I saw what they lived like. I had to save his life by throwing him back into a cage. I lost my best friend." She said whimpering as tears fell freely. "I don't know what to do."
The Professor held his daughter and let her weep into him. He was showering after this anyway so the mess she was making of his clothes didn't bother him. What worried him was how she referred to him. Her best friend. Was his daughter so alone in the world that her best friend was someone who was created to destroy her? Until he felt he knew everything about this he decided to let go of his hatred for Brick and his brothers. He would find a way to apologize to Butch later, but for now he just sat there comforting his daughter.
Bubbles had left moments after Butch arrived at her door. She had her shift that day and was packing her lunch when he knocked. When Butch disappeared into the basement she grabbed her keys and flew off to the zoo. She touched down and walking towards the employee break room. Boomer was already there sitting in a chair with his face hidden in his arms on the table.
"Hey Boomie." She said sitting next to him after putting her lunch up.
"Hey sugar." He said without lifting his head. The nickname was a start, he barely spoke yesterday and only called her by her name. The nickname made her think he was starting to heal and process everything. She kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back.
"Feeling better?" She asked.
"Better from where I was still isn't that great." Boomer said raising his head and looking at her. He was pale and still had rings around his eyes.
"Have you been sleeping?" She asked.
"A little, got a bit in last night."
"This really is messing with you isn't it?" She said rubbing his cheek with her hand. "I don't blame you. I would be more concerned if you were trying to laugh it off."
"I just don't know how to feel about anything anymore." He said looking down at the table. "I mean Brick is still my brother, and what he did was awful, but it doesn't erase what he has done."
"What do you mean?"
"What Brick did feels like it should be unforgivable, but he is still my brother. This doesn't erase the times he took care of me and Butch when we got sick. Or how he made sure to get us coats and stuff during winter, getting his education to get us out of lockup, and all the other things we did as brothers." He looked at her, "Am I a bad brother because I feel like I should hate my brother? Or am I bad friend because I can't let myself hate him for this?"
Bubbles wanted to answer him, but was having trouble finding the words. She took a breath and spoke carefully, "I think you're in a bad place mentally. You shouldn't have to pick your friends or your brother. Has Brick spoken to you yet?"
"I don't think he has woken up yet. There was a lot of him to repair." He said leaning on her shoulder.
"Then let go of these questions until he wakes up and you get his side of the story. Then it won't even be a question. You'll know what you want when you see him next. I promise." She said laying her cheek on his head.
"I just don't want to lose you, but I can't pretend this erases the fact for a while all I had was Brick and Butch." He said.
"I am not going anywhere Boomie, and don't feel like I'm asking you to choose. I'll be by your side no matter what you choose. You're mine and I'm yours. I promise." She said sweetly.
"Thank you." He said and the two stayed like that as long as they could before their shift started.
In the dark cell under the prison Brick let out a moan of pain and slid his eyes open. The first thing he felt was pain. His skin felt like it was on fire, as needles and pins buzzed every part of his being. He bit back a noise of pain and tried to sit up. He looked around and saw he was back in his cell, the containment laser was powered on, and he noticed he was naked. A blanket laid over his legs before he found a pile of clothes sitting on the floor nearby.
Seeing as he had no choice he dressed into the prison uniform of an orange jumpsuit. R001 was stitched into the left chest and sat cautiously. The needles and pins were still making anything that touched him, even the air, feel like agony.
He tried to remember what happened, but all he remembered was Blossom looking at him. He couldn't remember her exactly how she looked, he only remembered rage, then nothing. Nothing but waking up in pain in his prison cell. He held his hands to his head trying to force memories, but nothing but pain came.
He tried to speak but his voice came out more like a croak than any tangible word. His voice was dry and hoarse so he made his way to the sink built into the wall. He had no cup to drink from but he managed to quench his dire thirst. After a breath he felt his throat relax and his skin start to calm down.
He stayed in the dark waiting for his voice to return, but was still having problems forming words at a talking volume. They came out as a cracked wheeze if he spoke above a whisper, but it did distract him from the fear of having such a loss in memory that lead him to wake up in the cell.
Without a clock or anything he had no idea how long he had stayed in the dark alone, but he did see the door open up and the middle aged medic walk in. "Ah you're awake. Good." He said walking in and powering off the force field to examine Brick.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat down.
Brick spoke as loud as he could in response but could barely get the words out. "I see, your voice should return with time. You were in a pretty bad shape. We couldn't get an IV into you, so I'll send someone down with food when I'm done here. I'll also request they bring you tea." He said as Brick looked at him.
Brick tried to ask questions, but his voice seemed to go away little by little with every word and decided to wait to try to speak until he had eaten. The mention of food brought a deep growl from his gut while being examined.
"Your vitals are normal from what we have on record, you seem to have finally stopped growing new skin, we didn't want anything to fuse with you while your body repaired itself, so that's why you woke up with just a blanket covering you. Medically you should be fit for your hearing." The doctor said as he wrote on his clipboard.
"Hearing?" Brick said with a raised brow.
"Yes, while you were acting under Mayor Bellum when you took Sedusa's life you were brought here. So you will be under going a hearing to see if you are to be pressed with criminal charges." He said looking Brick in the eye. "You do remember killing her, right?"
Brick shook his head, "Well, no matter." He said after a second, "That will be Langstons job not mine."
"Doc is here? I thought he would be recovering." He said forcing his voice out.
"Well, your arrest hadn't made it to the public yet, but he found out about it. Seeing as he is the most qualified to evaluate you, he came out of medical leave early. I had to examine him myself and deem him healthy enough to return. You will see him soon." The man said. "For now, eat, relax and recover. I can tell you don't have your strength back yet, and you're going to need it."
The man walked out and as he did turned to force field back on leaving Brick in the dim cell. Again he had no way of knowing how long he waited but food had come down, a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, bread, and hot water with a tea bag. He ate ravenously and could feel his voice coming back.
He still had no memory of the night in question. Only half memories that left out details, but remembered the emotions. Sedusa was dead, that wasn't a surprise. He didn't plan on killing her, but he didn't care if she died either. He sat back after finishing his meal and really tried to remember the night.
Killing might have been the reason he was here, but he felt like something big was being left out of his memories. His body was damaged? So much so they let him be naked for so long? She had power but Sedusa couldn't have hurt him to any extent that would require medical observation. How long had he been out? A simple sting operation wouldn't knock him out. The only time he could remember being knocked out for any extended period of time was when he slaughtered Monster Island.
Monster Island.
Those two words triggered his memories as everything he did to his brothers and the girls ran through his head like freight train. How his body burned itself, the way he attacked Boomer, how he left him in a Volcano. How relentlessly he tried to break Butch, how he threw Bubbles. His memories seemed to play out in third person and wanted to puke when he saw himself send Blossom into a tree. The memories seemed to go black there, who knows how exhausted he was by that point, but the memory was agony to go through.
He brought his legs to his chest and rested his head on his knees. He was certain he was alone this time. He couldn't expect Boomer or Butch to be by his side after this. He brutalized them and their friends. Well everyone but Buttercup, but that was a moot point. Blossom wouldn't forgive him for hurting her and Bubbles the way he did. He felt so alone and empty. His choice brought him here, and he hated it.
"I should have listened to Butch and Boomer." He mumbled to himself. "Should have just been a friend from the beginning." He said as Blossoms smile turned to fear in his head. He had no idea how the four were, but couldn't think any of them had any love for him in their hearts after this.
He looked up and steeled his resolve. "Only one path left to me." He said to the darkness, "I can at least see the plan to it's end." Brick didn't speak much the rest of that day, only giving small thanks when his next meal came to him. He didn't sleep that night, feeling as he had enough sleep for a lifetime.
The next morning Blossom was watching the television news hoping to hear something. Mayor Bellum had said Brick and her caught the jewelry thieves at a late press conference last night. She also reported on Bricks incarceration and was awaiting a hearing, but had to undergo evaluations before then.
This morning the news covered the protesters at the prison. Demanding Brick be released or the girls be locked up with him. Ash Appellant had been covering the protesters, and Blossoms heart sank when she saw the picket signs of crude drawings of her and her sisters locked behind bars. She had given these same citizens so much protection, but they wanted them locked away.
Bubbles looked at the display and shook her head. "We didn't put him in there, why should we be punished?" She asked.
"Whenever you three did anything that required actual punishment you got off clean, when me and my brothers did what we had to do to survive we get the book thrown at us." Bricks voice rang out in her head as she recalled the argument they had when they first started this case.
"They think Brick is getting a harsher treatment than what we would get." Blossom explained to her sister.
Keane had been watching the two sisters form her chair and spoke up, "Blossom is right. They don't want you locked up, they just want Brick released."
"Still not right." Bubbles said.
"No, it's not. Don't worry though." Blossom said with a small comforting smile She was about to say more until she heard Ash say Bricks name.
Brick was finishing his breakfast when a guard had come to his cell. "Brick, you have an appointment with Langston today." Brick watched as he set down the restraints on the ground. "Put those on."
Brick had no choice and obeyed the guard. He could barely float this morning, he didn't have the strength, or ability for that matter, to resist or try to escape. When he had locked the collar in place the force field fell and he walked to the door as it opened. He walked towards the office but was stopped. "We gotta take you outside and around."
"Why?" Brick asked confused.
"I don't know, I just orders to take you around the front." He said as he led Brick in the opposite direction. The light hit Brick in the face and made him squint as he adjusted to bright summer day from the dim hallway. When they turned the corner they came into the sights of the reporters and protesters who had invaded the parking lot.
The lady he recognized as Ash had almost ran to him and was shoving a microphone in his face. "Brick! Anything you would like to say in regards of your incarceration?"
Brick was confused and annoyed by the sudden loud crowd that was shouting more questions than he could register. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the mic. "Screw it." He thought.
"What would you like to know?" He said as his eyes finally adjusted to the light.
"It was reported that you're to go into hearing since you took a life, anything you would like to say to the public?" She asked with her smile plastered on her face.
"Is she trying to get a Pulitzer?" Brick thought, but shook his head and spoke. He had no better opportunity than now to finish his plan off. He straightened his back and spoke.
"I took a life, that is true. I will accept whatever the justice system demands of me, but I do want to ask a favor to the public. Is this live?" He asked and she nodded never dropping the spark of excitement in her eyes. "I took the life of the last super villain left. The super element of crime is gone. Mojo is not going to attack, Fuzzy left ages ago, my brothers are on the right side of the law, so with no more super crimes happening it's time to stop the super heroes. I have watched for years as the police will often just call the girls or recently me and my brothers. It is time for all police officers to earn their paycheck, not just the best ones." The crowd listening to him had begun to murmur, but he kept going. "The police are paid by the taxpayer and too many, not all, but still too many don't seem to earn it. Look at any bank robbery and you'll find a cop sleeping in his car."
Brick looked into the camera and before Ash could ask him anything he kept going, "The taxpayers have paid for too long for cops to do nothing but call in underpaid backup. Which leads me to my next point. The real reason I say these things. Those girls have been the victim of this in ways nobody could understand. They have lost their childhoods to protecting this city. Let those girls be kids while they still can. They only have two years left before they're legal adults, let them use those two years to understand who they really are. Everyone in this city should be grateful they've done all that they've done, and now it is time for Townsville to rise up and stand on its own."
He took a breath and finished his rant, "It's what this city needs. I know we die, I have died. When those girls die will Townsville be able to stand on its own? I don't think so. So for the sake of everyone, the citizens, the girls and the future citizens of the city, it's time to let go of the Powerpuff girls and Rowdyruff Boys, and grow. That's all." He said and looked to the guard escorting him. "We better not keep the good Doc waiting."
The guard nodded and escorted Brick into the building as more people shouted questions at him until the doors closed and Brick was out of sight.
Blossom was staring wide eyed at the screen. Bubbles was the same, but had her phone in her hands.
Boomer was at work that day, and happened to catch the report on the break room TV. He had no expression, and looked down at his phone with Bubbles text reading, "Look at the news."
"Brick kept to his plan." Boomer thought as he walked away from the TV.
Butch had been there. Brick didn't seem to notice him, but he saw the protesters as he went to work. He listened to Brick and stood in the crowd wondering what was going to happen. If the city stopped the girls from fighting crime then Brick won. What was Buttercup going to think when she woke up? He worried his friendship had a close expiration day and with a disappointment filling his chest he took off to work.
The news cut the report, but never dropped the topic Brick brought to them. Within the hour the protesters left the police station, but an even larger crowd now stood outside the city capitol yelling chants at the building.
Mayor Bellum was looking down in horror. She had no idea why Brick was escorted outside. She figured someone in the station had been bribed to bring him out, but couldn't prove it. His speech struck a nerve with the city clearly. She wondered if it was because he was so popular or if he actually made a point. Either way she looked down at a crowd demanding the city to change its crime fighting tactics.
The city council had an emergency meeting in a bit to figure out something, and she was already regretting what was going to be decided. Townsville was a big city. The police were underfunded if anything, but the people below didn't care. The signs reflected Bricks words and she felt a pit of shame in her stomach.
She knew the girls better than most anyone, but she never did think about the real ramifications of spending ones entire childhood being a super hero. Her thoughts turned to when she had made the girls feel guilty for taking a vacation only a few weeks ago. "They fought crime for so long, even I thought we were entitled to the Powerpuffs." She said shame filling her voice, "If they wanted to stop fighting would we even let them?" She questioned to her empty office.
She couldn't dwell on questions unanswered she still had the council meeting to go to and stood up to get ready for it. The meeting didn't last as long as she was sure it should have. Maybe an hour, but she was walking to the podium to address the crowd and inform the city what the council had decided.
An even larger crowd had manifested and she could feel hate practically radiating off it. "Good afternoon Townsville." She said and to her shock the crowd had quieted. "The city council just dismissed and I am here to inform you of the decision." She took a breath. "Brick was right, we relied too heavily on the girls. It made sense, they could fight without danger, they could take down monsters, do what we couldn't and did it faster to boot. However, the city had fallen lax, we relied on them for more than just solving crimes the police couldn't. The citizens grew too complacent and we should have grown. So the council has decided to stop using the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys."
One reporter had raised his hand and with a nod he spoke, "Mayor, does the city know how it will make up the crime fighting capabilities the girls have provided over the years?"
"The city council leader was presented with an offer shortly after Bricks speech. An upstart R and D company known as DarkStar Innovations has offered to provide the police with more advanced tech to better combat crime in the city. The company was started by two prodigious inventors who have been working with federal grants. They have moved to more private business recently, and have offered to supply us with minimal cost. They want to be known as the company that replaced the Powerpuff Girls, so we will be working with them in the coming days to work out the finer details of what they can offer our city."
She looked over the crowd which seemed to be pleased with the news, "So I offer my thanks on behalf of all people who have been saved, but we will no longer be under the protection of the Powerpuff girls. If they see a crime being committed they can still help out, but for now on the police will be the first line of defense in crime. That'll be all." She said and walked off the stage.
In the Utonium household the whole family minus Buttercup was watching the press release. Bubbles was on her phone texting maniacally. She was trying to call Boomer, but he hadn't been able to talk until he got to his break. Finally her phone rang out and she answered it before the first note of her ringtone ended.
"Boomer, did you see the news?" She asked. Nobody but Blossom could hear Boomer through the phone, as she looked at her sister. "The city is no longer using super heroes. Mayor Bellum just finished saying so."
Blossom looked at Bubbles and asked, "Could you put him on speaker phone please?"
Bubbles didn't hesitate before placing the phone on speaker and resting it on the table. "Boomer?" Blossom asked.
"Oh hey Blossom." Boomer replied.
"We know Brick had a plan to hurt us. Was this it? To remove us as super heroes?" She asked.
Boomers breath was shaky over the phone but after a pregnant pause he spoke. "Yeah more or less. Originally it was to replace you, but it looks like even we wont be used as heroes from what I just heard."
"Correct, Thank you Boomer." Blossom said.
"Bubbles? Are you mad at me?" Boomer asked.
"No Boomie, never!" She said holding the phone as if it was a child in her arms.
"I thought you would be mad, I worked on a plan that would hurt you." His voice said, the shame and embarrassment pungent in his words.
"Boomer, it's a little complicated." She said shaking her head, "I don't think anyone is going to be mad." She said looking at her family who seemed to be in agreement.
"That's good. I gotta get back to work. Don't want Allen catching me on the phone. I can still call you later? We're still friends?" He asked afraid she was going to change her mind.
"Boomie, we're more than friends, and you know that." She said. "Call me when you can." She hung up when she saw the look on the Professors face as she spoke.
"What do you mean more than friends." He asked with a dark face.
"Jack be nice." Keane said before he could go into protective father mode.
"I can't believe it." Blossom said. "Brick gave us what we wanted, and his plan was always to give us that."
"What do you mean?" Keane asked.
"We wanted to stop fighting crime since kindergarten." Bubbles said. "We wanted to be normal girls for a long time."
"We just never really talked about it. After 2nd grade we just assumed it would never happen, and gave up on that dream." Blossom continued. "It's a shame Brick had to be locked up to do it. I still want to know what happened."
The living room was still silent. It should have been more of a happy moment, but still the price paid seemed to be too much. Nobody had any words to say until they heard an exhausted voice from the base of the stairs. "It was HIM." They followed the voice and saw Buttercup standing on the railing. "I hate to give Brick any excuse, but he was used, by HIM."
"Buttercup you're awake!" Bubbles yelled and went to hug her sister.
"What do you mean Brick was used?" Blossom asked.
Buttercup hugged Bubbled but looked at Blossom, "I don't want to tell this story more than once, can we call the boys over? They'll need to know what happened to."
A.N. Please read and review would you kindly.