"Butch, we have a problem."
"What now?"
"Raiden's the new transfer student. We'll need to rearrange our plan a bit-"
"Raiden?" Boomer heard the click of the line disconnecting, cursing to himself. Maybe I should have waited…
"Boom? What're you looking stupid in the middle of the hall for?" Damn it. He chuckled nervously, inching backwards towards the stairs.
"Brick. So funny story…" He caught his friend and leader up to speed, internally sweating as he came to the subject of the new transfer. Brick cursed, running a hand down his face. For a moment, he looked like he'd aged fifty years.
"Butch will probably transfer here soon, so there's not much we can do to contain him. Our main priority is still the girls. We can't let Raiden or his idiotic brothers get in the way. They're part of the reason we awoke in the first place. Raiden's fine on his own, but if Riley shows up too…" Boomer nodded. Raiden got his kicks being a mild annoyance, but was manageable. The real problem was his youngest brother Riley. The man was the definition of greedy, even using Princess in their previous life to get what he wanted. If he hadn't mistakenly believed he could control power that rivaled the Gods, he never would have triggered the events that forced the teens' awakening. "Alright, keep the idiot in check when he gets here, I'll keep my eye on Raiden. He'll probably go after Buttercup until he spots Bubbles." Boomer's hand twitched, but his expression didn't change. "Keep it in your pants. We don't want them knowing we remember." Brick continued on his way, effectively ending the conversation. Boomer leaned against the railing, taking time to put his mask back in place before heading to his elective. Bubbles would be there, and as long as Raiden wasn't, he would be fine. For now.
"That guy is weird." Bubbles closed her locker, rearranging her notebooks in her arms. She looked around the hallway, but only saw the usual hustle between classes. She turned to Buttercup, flipping her low ponytail behind her shoulder.
"Who?" Buttercup inclined her head slightly to the left, her eyes following. Bubbles followed her gaze, spotting a new face in the crowd. Well hello cutie. A teasing smile danced across her lips. She nudged Buttercup, batting her lashes. "Well well well, I didn't know you'd move from one hot mystery man to the next so quick BC." Buttercup's face erupted in a blush as she pouted, moving her book higher to cover her face.
"I-I'm not! I just meant he gives me a creepy feeling." Bubbles looked at him again, her critical eyes sweeping his form. He was hot, in a boyish kind of way. Not her type, but she wouldn't mind the attention.
She made the classic mistake of staring at him too long. They made eye contact, and his striking light teal eyes sucked her in.
"Boomie! Let go of him!" She fought against the shackles binding her, trying to get to him. Boomer lay strapped to a stone slab in the middle of an alter. He was shirtless, with strange symbols carved onto his chest. Candles flickered around them at varying heights. A young man stood over Boomer's unconscious body, carving the same symbols into his arms. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she begged him to stop. Because she knew, if the ceremony succeeded, her fiance would be lost. "Please...just let us go. The others will come find us, and you don't have the power to pull this off!" The young man turned around, blood dripping from the ceremonial knife. He crossed the distance between them, running the blade gently over her cheek.
"Ryder assured me this would work. It's alright. Once the God of Wrath possesses your man, we'll rule this land. That was what I was promised." A thin line of blood traced a path down her cheek. He licked it off, laughing as she spit in his face. "He just has to die once for me. Then we can be together Bubbles."
"Bubs? Hellooooo earth to Blondie!"
"Huh? What?" Buttercup stood to the left of her, waving her hand in her face. Bubbles shook her head, rubbing her forehead as sounds from the real world flooded her senses. What was that…? She realized she hadn't responded, flashing a smile that didn't fool anyone. "Sorry, I'm okay. I'll see you after school." She brushed past Buttercup, refusing to look back at the new student. She practically ran to the nearest bathroom, shoving a stall door open. She threw up the meager breakfast she had that morning, her body shaking with dry heaves once her stomach had nothing left. She flushed, sitting on the bathroom floor as she sobbed into her hands. What was that? What was that? What was that? She didn't hear the bathroom door open, or the room being cleared out. She didn't hear the footsteps approaching her as she rocked slightly back and forth. She did feel the arms wrap around her. She felt the warmth of the chest she was pulled into, and the comforting weight of the hand softly stroking her hair.
"It's okay. You're okay love." Her tears ran faster as she gripped his shirt, openly sobbing even as she grew more confused. She didn't see the murderous intent on her comforter's face, just the tightening of his grip. She pulled back slightly when she trusted herself enough to speak.
"Boomer? W-what are you doing here? And what-?" She groaned as she gripped her head, passing out shortly after. He scooped her into his arms, debating before leaving the school. You can't remember yet. We're supposed to be at peace here. I'll make sure we stay that way.
