Hey, guys!

Back with another chapter. To those who have reviewed and forgiven me for earlier mistakes in updating, I thank you. Writing the PPG is more like therapy for me. Something I purely enjoy so I hope you do too.

This chapter marks a turning point and sets up several key future plot lines. Which is all I'll say for now.

Act 1 Part 11- Winter Chill

The city of Townsville…suffering from some of the coldest temperatures its experienced in over a century! A blizzard is on its way and the residents are bundling up, preparing for the big chill. At least...most of them.

It was a fluke, a completely random act of odd weather patterns and a once in a lifetime chance. But it happened nonetheless. Townsville, a city situated in Northern California was expected to receive frozen temperatures, a foot of snow, and strong wind gusts on top of that.

Mild weather typical of the Pacific Northwest left most residents thoroughly unprepared. Thousands stocked up on water, groceries, and other essentials. The Mayor's office issued a state of emergency that everyone should stay inside their homes for at least twenty four hours. Even the homeless were rounded up by the police and taken into shelters for their own protection.

Of course, inevitably, someone always was left behind.

"T-This s-s-sucks, Brick."

The Rowdyruff Boys were currently huddled up in yet another abandoned house, trying every measure they could to stay warm. The redhead attempted his best, given his fire ability. But there was only so much he could do. In a completely wooden structure probably several decades old, lighting a flame was paramount to suicide. And to add insult to injury? No fireplace existed inside the home. Not that it mattered since they had nothing to burn.

"Just stop shivering, idiot," Brick said without his usual bark, throwing a blanket around him and Boomer, who also had chattering teeth. "Huddle up together for warmth."

"Pfff g-gay," Butch said with a weak wisecrack.

"Unless you'd rather die."

"Nah, I like l-l-living."

"Me t-t-too," Boomer continued to stutter. "I w-wanna grow up to b-be a f-f-fireman."

"Y-You don't know n-n-nothing about fires," Butch snapped at him.

"N-no. But at least I'd b-b-be warm."

Brick sighed, not even bothering to tell his brothers to shut up like usual, seeing no point in doing so. Thankfully, he was largely immune from colder temperatures due the ability to regulate his body temperature as he pleased. Fire powers granted you some pretty cool stuff. The same could not be said for Butch or Boomer.

With poor shelter, no real heat, inadequate clothing and lack of food, it was by far the most dire situation the leader of the Ruffs had found himself in. They weren't prepared for this kind of scenario. Heat waves, earthquakes, etc. they could handle that. But sub freezing temperatures mixed with high winds and snow?

Taking a glance back at his brothers, still shivering mightily, a pang of anxiety went through the ten year old, a child shouldered with the responsibility of looking after two people the exact same age. At some other point in time, he might have chastised them for being sissies or wimps or simply not man enough to take on the cold. But tongue lashings wouldn't do much good here. He'd made a promise not too long ago that they were a family and no matter what nothing would ever happen to them under his watch.

I am not about to break that promise

Summoning the full depths of his strength and determination, the redhead made a decision right then and there.

"Get up, both of you," he ordered, heavy steam breathing out steadily.

"What?"

"Get up," he repeated. "We have to keep moving. If we stay here we'll die."

"If we go outside w-we'll d-d-die," Butch moaned. "It's f-f-fucking f-freezing."

"You have to keep the blood flowing," Brick told him harshly, hoisting him up. He did the same with Boomer.

"Big b-b-bro, don't worry I'm not that c-c-cold," Boomer obviously lied.

Brick wrapped his arms around them, giving life sustaining warmth using body heat. Slowly, after a few minutes, their shivering began to stop. But he could not keep it up forever. Using the body temperature regulation ability took energy...energy he couldn't sustain forever. If he passed out or worse, they'd all be down for the count.

"Thank you, bro," Boomer sniffed, clear snot running down his nose.

"Yeah thanks," Butch whispered. His gratitude indicated just how bad things had gotten for the Rowdyruff Boys.

"I have a plan," Brick told them, still keeping them pressed against his body. "But you have to trust me."

There was no argument from either brother. Not that any of them desired to.

"We gotta find a more insulated home. Anywhere with a fireplace. We'll go down to the hardware store and get some wood. I don't care what it takes. No one will be there to stop us. Everyone's indoors."

"Bro, what if the Power-"

"Fuck them," Brick dismissed. "This ain't about the Puffs. It's about survival."

It was the truest test he'd faced as an older brother. But every fibre of Brick's being was determined that this cold, blistering day in January would not be their last. A Rowdyruff Boy didn't cower. A Rowdyruff Boy did whatever it took. Brick would do whatever it took, ten times over. And if that know it all goody two shoes otherwise known as Blossom Utonium showed up, he'd personally introduce her to his wrath.

"Let's go," he ordered.

Boomer sneezed ominously, while Butch's normally endless energy was noticeably subdued.

Blossom had never seen anything like it. Sure, Townsville had received snow the year they came into existence but only a few inches in December that ended up melting in a few days. This was true winter snow, the kind experienced in the North in states like Minnesota or New York. The only place colder the Powerpuff Girls had even been to was the North Pole but that had been under extremely specific circumstances.

The current dilemma dealt with basic necessities. Life and death. The survival of human beings against the forces of Mother Nature which sought to test their capabilities every year in every season. Originally, the cold front had not been perceived as a threat, merely a temporary drop from the low fifties to the high thirties until a freak act of nature occurred. As one of the smartest men in the entire country, Robert Utonium was able to warn public officials and the citizenry in time before the worst of the storm hit. But the town's superheroes were still needed.

"Leader Girl, come on. We've scoured the whole town three times already. All the homeless are off the streets. Almost every store is closed. The Professor is going to freak if we aren't home soon," Buttercup complained.

"I didn't think you cared about being home on time," Bubbles observed.

"I don't, but I'm not in the mood for a lecture either."

The three superheroines were wearing lightly protective gear- leggings, light jackets, white gloves, and South Park style bean caps. Though Chemical X usually gave them protection in extreme weather, this was an exception to the rule.

"Girls, this is the most extreme weather Townsville has experienced in a century. We can't fail in our duty to protect the citizens," Blossom reminded them both.

"But who would be out and about right before a major snowstorm?" Buttercup asked rhetorically.

As if the universe was determined to prove her wrong, a buzzing vibrated through Blossom's thick, pink coat.

"You keep a pager?" Buttercup said with a raised eyebrow.

"What? It's for when we're not near the hotline."

The green Puff gave a loud, false cough that sounded a lot like 'nerd' which caused Bubbles to giggle. Stopping in mid air, Blossom frowned but said nothing. Honestly, sometimes she felt like her sisters didn't take their job as seriously as she did. Did they not realize what was at stake?

"There's an incident down at the Home Depot," she announced, interpreting the message.

"What? Why would anyone blow up a store?" Bubbles asked, scratching her head. "Isn't everything supposed to be closed?"

"Villains blow things up all the time," Buttercup said with a shrug. "It's what they do. Could be a monster."

"I don't think so," Blossom surmised as she analyzed the message best she could. "Maybe the pipes burst or something. The temperature is dropping by a full degree every hour."

"Let's just get this over with so we can get warm."

Blossom didn't disagree with Buttercup's assertion but something, call it a gut feeling, told her that there was definitely something more nefarious going on.

When was the last time we fought the Rowdyruff Boys?

The Commander and Leader really hoped her hunch wasn't correct. But sped off to do her duty.

That's what heroes did after all.

When Sandra Keane was a little girl, she'd never expected her town to turn into what it would later become: a snakebitten, villain infested disaster without recourse from the police or any other higher authority. For all the self proclamations of peace and normality the town and its mayor liked to boast, it was an odd city with a disproportionate amount of supernatural and unbelievable events that occurred almost daily.

She picked up a stack of firewood and put it in her cart while also sidestepping an older man, groaning and bent over as he pushed the trolley at a sloth's pace. Sympathy echoed in her heart for the poor soul.

Only the arrival and creation of the Powerpuff Girls had given Townsville the squeaky clean image it now sported. Three little girls with extraordinary abilities who single handedly turned everything around. And she had the pleasure of teaching and mentoring these girls. Every day at Pokey Oaks Elementary School she saw them grow, mature, and turn into fabulous, talented young women who had far more to offer than just crime fighting. Even if she wasn't technically their primary teacher anymore, Robert Utonium recognized the special bond she shared with them and became their private tutor after hours.

The wind could be heard rattling the windows. For a store as large and well fortified as a Home Depot, this was rather ominous. She would pick up some charcoal and leave straight away before the worst of the storm hit.

Bubbles was truly a treasure. She adored the little blonde for her constant cheer and ability to make friends at the drop of a hat. Even a rambunctious, sometimes mean spirited boy like Mitch Mitchelson avoided upsetting her. For a child of only ten, her social acumen was through the roof. Combined with vast empathy and talent for perceiving emotions in others, it was no wonder that everyone in Townsville loved Bubbles Utonium. And despite past teasing from her older sisters about being too much of a 'baby' she proved her unfailing bravery time and again. But at times her own sensitivity and naiveness were on full display, which some desired to take advantage of.

Gosh darn, where was that charcoal? They would all be needing heating supplies at least for the next twenty four hours. The town's generators weren't built to withstand this kind of extreme weather.

Buttercup. Lord, that girl needed a gentle but firm hand to guide her at times. Though her sensei provided a great deal of that security and discipline, some people inherently struggled with controlling their respective tempers, the green Puff being a prime example. She liked playing rough and often boasted about doing so, eschewing the more feminine tendencies of her sisters. Being the middle child always landed you in an awkward spot among the family hierarchy, she knew that very well being the middle of three siblings herself. But for all her prowess as a fighter and the fame won by slaying the vast majority of monsters that threatened Townsville, Buttercup hid a much softer side. Strength and pride were virtues, but she had yet to learn that showing true vulnerability did not lessen strength.

Oh dear, only one bag left of the stuff. She felt a tad guilty about taking the last one but then again she wasn't the one who'd bull rushed the store and stocked more than they needed. With any luck the worst of the storm would subside in a day or so and the snow quickly melted away. Perhaps Robert had a plan for recovery.

Keane smiled at the memory of her brief fling with the handsome father of the girls and smiled further at the plan Blossom Utonium had devised in orchestrating their date. The young lady was too clever for her own good sometimes. Intelligent, studious, principled, and a natural born leader, the oldest Powerpuff Girl seemed destined for greater heights. All of them were, but the redhead exuded confidence and poise like no other ten year old ever spawned. Of the three, she'd inherited Robert's penchant for academic achievement along with the uncanny ability to read people, an incredible feat for someone that age; especially when it came to dealing with her sisters. She loved her city, her job, and did so in a manner much warmer than Buttercup, but firmer than Bubbles. Just the right mix of nicety and kindness. Underneath these layers of talent, however, lay a distinguished ambitious streak and at times, an inability to recognize her own limits. Sometimes, failure was a necessary part of living and learning as well as growing up.

"Hello, there Sandra!"

Breaking out of her train of thought, she placed the bag in the cart while also giving a cheerful greeting.

"Hello, Sam!"

"Stayin' warm I hope?"

Sam Jasper walked forward, a kindly black gentleman of about sixty five, and the town's resident jazz/blues player. He owned a number of clubs, but by far the most famous was the 'French Quarter' in the middle of downtown, harkening back to the youth of his hometown in New Orleans. It was rumored that Sam had been involved in a number of altercations during the Civil Rights movement (including against the Ku Klux Klan) forcing him to relocate for his own safety. A complicated past he rarely spoke of and no one summoned the courage to delve further. His good natured cheer and disposition was so disarming, why take a chance?

"Yes, well I think we were all caught a bit unprepared," she said frankly. "It's a good thing we have Professor Utonium and his girls in situations like these."

"Amen. I tell you what, I ain't never seen weather like this in my life. Then again I never seen superheroes, neither. Part of the reason I moved up here was to avoid going north with all of that cold."

Keane cleared her throat awkwardly, banishing the temptation to ask what the 'other' reason was before continuing.

"Yes, well I was born and raised in Minnesota myself, but my family moved to Townsville when I was a young girl. So it's been awhile since I've seen something quite like this."

"Better hope the pipes don't freeze. Otherwise my club might be closed down for weeks. The city still hasn't replaced the old led plumbing yet."

She made a mental note to bring that up the next she saw Robert. He certainly had the Mayor's ear and a major catalyst for much of the city's modernization the past five years. People like Sam were the backbone of commerce in Townsville.

"Well please stay safe. I think they'll be closing the store in less than an hour."

"Then I better get my ass home. Good to see you, Sandra!"

"You as well, Sam."

Deciding to follow suit, Keane reversed the cart and began walking down the opposite aisle back towards the checkout counter. Yes, it would do well for everyone to stay indoors. The Mayor's warning had been followed by a state of emergency from the Governor. In fact, being out in any capacity ventured into unnecessary danger. Time to light the fire, put on a cup of warm hot chocolate and wait out the storm.

She turned right, stopping one last time for a new apron when something caught her eye: three little boys walking alone in the store. Ordinarily this wouldn't be cause for alarm, but less than a dozen people were left inside and no parental guardian accompanied them. And they were hardly dressed for such brutally cold weather, donning mere sweaters and jeans.

"I don't see the firewood, bro."

"Calm down. It's around here somewhere."

"Is there a place they sell coats?"

"No, barfbag. It's a hardware store."

A wave of sympathy washed over Keane as she observed their peculiar behavior. Who were these seemingly lost children? And why did they seem so familiar? Come to think of it, their attire was color coded…

"Brick, they're out of charcoal! What do we do now?"

"Relax, I'm thinking-"

"We've robbed plenty of places like this before. There's gotta be something in this place we can steal that burns."

"Shut up, Butch! Keep your voice down!"

Suddenly, the little blond boy reared back his head and sneezed so violently a loogie smashed upwards into one of the overhead lights, robbing the store a good deal of its visibility.

"Boomer! Cover your nose!"

"Brick, I-I think I'm g-gonna-"

The blond sneezed again this time, the snot rocket knocking down multiple shelves. Several people yelped and began running away as glass shattered, wood smashed, and steel bent into unrecognizable shapes.

Panicking at the carnage, the leader of the boys, gazed around before red orbs met blue ones. In a red flash he suddenly hovered in front of Sandra Keane.

"Give me the wood and charcoal."

She blinked and suddenly it occurred to her who it was that was making demands. The Rowdyruff Boys.

"Save yourself some trouble lady and I won't have to hurt you."

Keane didn't answer, instead silently observing the boys. Where fear should have been instead lay concern. The blond boy couldn't stop coughing and sniffling, the one clad in green was extremely pale, and the look of desperation within those crimson eyes downright horrified her.

These boys...they have nowhere to go

The red one's temper broke and those crimson eyes began glowing.

"Give it to me!"

Before she could so much as react, the familiar sound of whooshing streaks could be heard.

"Robbing people in the middle of a winter storm?" came a prim and proper voice. "Desperate are we?"

The redhead sharply turned, those blazing crimson eyes narrowing towards the warmly dressed Powerpuff Girls in contrast to the boys, weakened and fully exposed to the cold.

"Surrender now, Rowdyruffs. Come quietly and we won't-"

A blast of heat vision caught Blossom square and sent her into a pile of hand baskets.

"You still talk too much," Brick sneered.

In seconds, streaks of blue, red, and green zoomed off into all corners of the store. The battle was on.

Bubbles flew around the store trying to track down Boomer in what could only be described as a pseudo version of 'catch me if you can'.

The Ruff made a sharp turn and rounded back to deliver a stunning uppercut to the Puff's chin, sending her into a pile of bulsa wood. It didn't deter her for long as she delivered a sizzling blast of blue energy.

Boomer crashed against a pile of power tools and attempted to get up but not before delivering another massive sneeze.

"AHCOO!"

A loogie landed in front, splattering Bubbles coat and pigtails and she screeched in revulsion.

"Ewwww! Boomer!"

"I'm sorry...I c-can't- ACHOO!"

Bubbles dodged the putride projectile this time but showed increasing concern. Could Boomer really be getting sick? Chemical X was supposed to prevent any common illnesses.

"You're not well."

"I'm f-fine."

"Boomer, please. Let me help."

Enemy or not, Rowdyruff or Powerpuff, Bubbles never turned down any person in such dire straits. She took a few steps forward and offered a hand in an open gesture of good faith. But fear outweighed any potential benefit for her counterpart. He immediately backed up in hesitation and created his trademark electric bat.

"W-Why should I believe y-you?"

She stopped, attempting to give him some necessary space.

"Because I'm not going to fight someone who's obviously sick. You're all stuffed up."

Boomer didn't waver, bat held aloft, but conflict evident within his dark blue eyes. He looked at Bubbles and then at her hand.

Was it worth it? After all, she trusted him at the mall. And they'd had a good time without any threat of arrest. But to avoid the prospect of jail entirely?

Unable to resist coughing, he suddenly became aware that his throat felt equivalent to the sandpaper hanging on the shelf.

"I-I..ACHOO!"

Bubbles didn't want to strike or hurt him but saw little option if he was going to behave violently. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Be gentle, dear."

"Miss Keane?"

Butch prided himself on being the pure muscle of the Rowdyruff Boys. At the moment nothing could have been further from the truth. Physical weakness wracked nearly every part of his body and it showed. At this rate, Buttercup would kick his ass ten times over. Knowing that girl, that's exactly what she had in store.

But only losers gave up the fight laying down. He'd drop dead before that happened.

Buttercup caught one of his punches and slung him into the air. He stopped himself and shot a blast of heat vision at her which missed to the left.

Shit! I never miss

She took advantage of the slip up, streaking towards him and delivering a savage kick to the ribs, crashing on the hard floor.

Ugh, everything hurts

He lifted himself off the ground and almost found he couldn't do it. Legs shook like jello and breathing became labored and harsh.

"Going soft on me, Butchy boy?" the Puff taunted, a widening smirk stretching across her face.

It was a strange reversal of roles. Butch delighted in getting under Buttercup's skin and practically made it into an art form. Without a proper means to fight, he may as well have been useless.

"I'll show you soft," he growled, trying to sound intimidating but came out more like a bluff from a boxer on the ropes.

Using whatever speed that remained to him, Butch streaked forward and tackled her like a linebacker, plowing through multiple shelves before emerging in ball of dust and debris.

Buttercup, though winded, shot back up within seconds. Her counterpart struggled to maintain balance, swaying ominously back and forth.

His reflexes weren't able to dodge the vicious punch, made harsher by the cold...or warmth...he felt kind of warm and dizzy.

"Stay down, Butch."

He refused the command, grabbed whatever object was closest (in this case a folding chair) and smashed over the top of Buttercup's head and then broke it against her back. But again she retaliated in kind. A roundhouse kick was blocked followed by an equally devastating shot to the sternum and once more Butch found himself flat on his back on a hard, unforgiving hardwood.

Again, he slowly rose in yet another attempt to fight only for Buttercup to give a pathetic shove, toppling him as though he were a deck of cards.

"Stay down, Butch," she repeated.

"Never."

This time, he was not able to get back up, sinking into a puddle on the ground, completely exhausted.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Butch relished fighting. It was his passion, practically the only thing he was good at. And now? Too weak to even meet the challenge.

"Butch?"

A monsoon of sweat began pouring down, dripping steadily from the trademark spikes, now plastered in a wet, sticky mass all over his forehead.

"What...what's happening to me?"

Brick fought like he'd never fought before.

Of course the stinking Powerpuff girl had to stick her nose in because they wanted to steal some lousy wood for a fire. Honestly, what was with those stupid do gooders showing up at the most inconvenient times?

Soaring through the store, he grabbed a hammer off the wall and flung it like a spinning axe. It couldn't pierce skin protected by Chemical X but it packed a punch nonetheless. Blossom hit the ground, temporarily dizzied. Brick tried to scan the store for his brothers using X-Ray vision but a heat blast caused part of the ceiling to collapse on top of him.

"Stupid...goddamn…"

Emerging from the pile, he sent a blast of heat right back at her and followed it up with a direct elbow shot to the nose. Blossom didn't stay down for long, keeping balance and catching a right hook, power flipping him over into a row of lawnmowers, one of which ignited. Brick kicked it towards her as a distraction, forcing the pink Puff to duck while he ran his fist straight into the side of her head.

WHAM

Blossom altered her trajectory, planting a snow boot against the backdrop of the side wall, propelled herself forward and slammed Brick down, wrestling in a simultaneous tumbleweed before splitting apart underneath one of the checkout lanes.

"Fuck."

Brick grabbed Blossom by the scruff of her coat and shoved her hard into one of the registers.

"Off."

Coins and dollar bills went everywhere. The pink Puff wasn't finished by a long shot, but noted just how much harder her counterpart was fighting. A lot more intense than usual. Instead of the usual psychological warfare he liked to employ, Brick was stoically silent and seemed content to delay her as much as possible instead of some other ulterior motive.

What does he want with firewood anyway?

She zipped back into action, following the red trail that curved around the bend. Blossom slowed down her speed and sure enough, Brick attempted a sneak attack which she blocked and retaliated with a punch in the stomach. Using her ice breath, she encased his arm and upper chest. Partially immobile, she sent him crashing back down to a crater on the floor.

The leader of the Ruffs broke through the ice with a snarl and raced back up to rejoin the fray, kicking Blossom away before shouting out.

"B-Butch! Boomer! Grab the wood! We're l-leaving!"

He's shivering. Brick isn't affected by cold weather...unless...

"Brick, stop."

"Like hell I will!"

Heat vision issued forth, but Blossom found she easily repelled it with her own.

"You can't win."

"You're right. I'm doing something much more important. Protecting my brothers."

Before the fight could continue, Bubbles and Buttercup both came into view, each one carrying what looked like exhausted, half conscious versions of Boomer and Butch. And strangely enough, Miss Keane.

"Blossom, wait! It's not what it looks like!"

"She's right, dear," their favorite teacher echoed. "These poor boys are in dire need of medical care."

Buttercup said nothing but the fact that she wasn't punching Butch and had him draped over her shoulder spoke volumes. Each of the boys were coughing, clammy and palid.

"Get your hands off them!" Brick shouted, rocketing towards them, though slower than his usual speed.

It didn't take long for Blossom to put two and two together.

We're immune from flu and common colds. The only thing that's ever made us sick is...

She raced to cut him off.

"Brick, you and your brothers are infected."

"Bullshit, we don't get sick."

All evidence pointed to the contrary as the two redheads hovered in front of each other. The Powerpuff Girls stood healthy and fresh in the midst of harsh weather while the Rowdyruff Boys grew steadily weaker and weaker. Only serious milady had that kind of effect on someone with Chemical X running through their veins.

"Listen to me. You have the Amoeba Virus."

"The what?"

"It's a pathogen that originated from the Amoeba Boys years ago before you were born. The Professor managed to create a vaccine but you have to come with us. It's potentially fatal."

Brick felt her words practically spoken into existence as his body ached and throbbed with fatigue. A fever spread across the body like a wildfire. It made him angry but for once, anger did nothing to alleviate the problem.

"You don't…" Suddenly it was hard to breathe properly. "...scare me."

"Brick for once, stop being so stubborn. I'm not trying to harm you!"

"For God's sake listen to her, dumbass," Buttercup cut in.

"Language, Buttercup."

"Sorry, Miss Keane."

It was Bubbles turn to plea, gingerly holding Boomer, eyes full of concern and anxiety.

"Please, Brick. We just want to help."

"Yeah, you'll help," he shot back. "And then throw us into a jail cell afterwards."

Miss Keane wondered with no small amount of heartache how someone so young could hold a mindset so fearful and contemptuous. What on earth had these boys been through?

"Young man, I know you're probably confused but this is a matter of survival and health. I'm sure that Blossom has no intention of doing anything until you're well again."

Brick's gaze shifted back towards his counterpart, studying her expression. He didn't believe the Puffs for a second. That goody goody would try to stick him in juvie the second after fully recovering. Time and time again Blossom shamed, humiliated, and brought nothing but hardship on them. What incentive did he have to give away trust so freely?

Even if blondie and the woman with a funny Midwestern accent said otherwise.

"It's the right thing to do," Blossom urged once more. "If you really care about your brothers, come with us."

"Do I have your word that we're not going to be arrested?"

"Of course-"

"I want to hear it from Pinky over here," Brick interrupted Bubbles.

He waited for the guarantee, but Blossom's silence spoke louder than any lie, even if she were capable of making one. Crossing her arms, that guarantee never came. Putting their greatest rivals in a cell clearly meant more.

"That's what I thought."

"Brick, you're being short sighted! That doesn't matter right now!"

"Shove it," he replied back aggressively. "You don't give a rat's ass about my brothers or their safety."

He aimed both hands at the ceiling.

"But I do."

With waning energy, Brick had just enough strength to blast two major fireballs at the ceiling, causing almost the entire roof to cave in. The sight of crashing debris was the distraction needed as the Puffs quickly zoomed around, escorting the hapless souls who happened to be caught in the crossfire. He quickly picked up Boomer and Butch, put them over his back and smashed straight out of the window into the frigid nighttime air.

"Brick, wait!"

He ignored the Puffs, putting as much distance between them as possible. Whatever happened, he'd be the one to rescue them and put things right. Not them.

I swore a promise. And I'll be damned if I don't keep it today.

Wind howled so loud, it dulled the rest of Brick's senses. Snow bombarded the ground with such ferocity to render any visibility useless. Not that it mattered all that much. No shelter, food, or medical care tended to override any other concerns.

Except this wasn't a normal bout of cold weather and the leader of the Rowdyruffs knew that. Even as his own energy faded, alarm bells went off that never rang before. He had no sense of direction, or even what to do. With Boomer and Butch almost lifeless, the proper concern lay with them. The brothers who meant everything to him, the ones he vowed to protect all costs.

A promise now in full jeopardy.

If you really care about your brothers, you'll come with us

The Pink Puff's words were coming back to haunt him. Yet Brick's stubbornness refused to yield to the possibility she might be right. The responsibility lay solely with the older brother to keep his siblings safe. That usually meant 'out of prison'.

She was going to lock us up forever. I know it

That line of reasoning appeared more and more feeble with each passing moment as did his own body. Once believing himself to be invincible from extreme weather as a side effect of the ability to regulate body temperature, the leader of the Rowdyruffs grunted in frustration. Strength felt like sand through a sieve at this point: rapidly leaving at breakneck speed.

Was jail really worse than illness...or possibly dying?

No. He refused to consider that outcome. He'd get them out of his somehow. All they had to do was find the right shelter and wait it out. His brothers may be down for the count but he could go a while longer. Just a bit more.

Except he didn't know where he was. The passing of tall buildings and the flickering of lamposts suggested some place downtown but the winter storm swirled around in a thick soup of fog that even X-Ray vision could only pierce so far into. Cold, hungry, and utterly exhausted, Brick stopped in the middle of a four way intersection if only for a brief pause to get a better sense of direction.

"B-B-Brick."

Boomer's eyes were half shut and his face had turned an ominous shade of blue. Perhaps more ominously, Butch's trademark twitch went still.

Shit

Not taking up on Blossom's offer seemed to be getting more and more perilous by the second. But there was no going back now. Even if he turned around, finding their way back to the Home Depot or wherever the girls lived would prove equally suicidal if not more so. Put simply, they were screwed either way.

Brick flew as fast as he could even as he sunk lower and lower to the ground. Snow capped, ice cream hills interspersed with tall pines came into view even as the storm grew worse. At least the lampposts still worked. But where the hell were they? Did he somehow pass beyond city limits and into a forest or something?

Wait a minute

This was no forest, rather the city park. Famously situated smack dab in the middle of downtown. It also stood ground to another famous landmark: the lair of Mojo Jojo, now abandoned for the last three years. If they could find a way to break in, it might save their respective lives.

Peering across the way to a now frozen pond, Brick rattled his memory as to where it was and how to get there. Getting inside wouldn't be a problem if only to…

Crap!

The onset of Brick's rapid illness finally caused him to lose steam and all sense of perception and direction. He had to swerve to narrowly avoid a tree, forcing him to use his body as a shield to prevent further injury to Butch and Boomer.

Coming to a stop, the leader of the Ruffs saw they had somehow managed to skid underneath a large oak with overhanging branches which offered some measure of protection against the blizzard. Time to check on the other two knuckleheads.

Both were still breathing. Good. But neither were conscious or had the capacity to aid him in the quest to find real shelter. Boomer reminded him of a blue raspberry popsicle they loved to buy...steal rather, on a warm summer's day. God what he wouldn't give for warmth.

Brick wiped off the yellow crust attached like barnacles to his nose. Miniature icicles were dangling from the red cap worn since birth. Multiple holes in his sweater exposed skin to the harsh elements. Dampness permeated through the thin fabric of converse all-stars which may as well have been a pair of flip flops in their practicality.

Coughing and hacking symbolized the true peril of their predicament. He had the ability to keep them all warm, but due to illness, lacked the energy and reserves necessary to do so.

But Brick never gave up. No Rowdyruff Boy ever did.

Gathering what strength remained, he blasted two fireballs at the ground, melting the snow but the wet vegetation underneath did not allow for a fire. Cursing the weather, he instead turned back to his brothers and used the last of his body heat to try and prevent the unthinkable.

"C-Come on you dumbasses," he fought through chattering teeth. "We're not dying. Not t-today."

The futileness of his gestures only served to sink him further into despair. What hope did they have at this point? They couldn't move, much less fly. Only one Rowdyruff retained consciousness and even that prospect appeared highly bleak. Mojo's lair was nowhere to be seen through the clouds of snow and fog swirling around with no end in sight.

Anyone other child of ten likely would have perished until suddenly Brick heard a familiar, tempting whisper float past.

Brick…

It was one he hadn't heard in years.

Brick...come back, Brick…

No, anything but that.

The fire is rather warm where I am. It burns rather bright...

"Fuck you," he said as bitterly as the cold frost.

You little brats ran away. Come back home and I promise you shall live…

He gathered Butch and Boomer close, linking arms, preparing to sacrifice his own well being for their sake. He'd been a terrible brother and leader but at the very least that monster couldn't have them. Over his dead body...literally in this case.

"My...our home...isn't with you," he managed to speak towards the darkness.

But you have no home, child

For once, no rejoinder existed to counter that particular shot of truth.

Brick didn't know if it was a result of hallucination, exposure to the elements, illness or a combination thereof but he suddenly felt disturbingly warm. Must have been the freezing cold. He'd heard that tended to happen. How ironic it should happen to him? To those with superpowers?

About to join his brothers in unconsciousness, a small but growing light could be seen in the distance, closing in fast. He couldn't be sure but the silhouette figure against the darkness looked familiar.

"Who...who're you?" he asked before collapsing onto the ground.

Darkness took Brick before he could see or do anything else.

One of the harsher chapters I've written for this but I promise it's a major set up. If you enjoyed, please leave a friendly review, comment, or feedback :)

Rock on!

~The Wasp