The three former brothers, now best friends, sat around the couch, the soft moonlight flickering across their features. Boomer ran a hand down his face, his emotionless mask slipping long enough to show how truly worried he was. Brick played with his cap in his hands, twirling it between his fingers. Butch, tired of the tense silence, groaned.
"What are we going to do to them? We know it was them. Bubbles couldn't have started awaking on her own."
"We have no proof. We don't know where they're living this time. What do you want us to do? Charge in with no plan, while our powers aren't working?" Brick scoffed, dismissing him. Butch frowned, righting himself on the couch.
"So what? You're just gonna sit back and watch them repeat what they did?"
"Of course not! But until we know how they're doing it we need to be careful!"
"Careful? Careful?! Yeah because that worked wonders in our last life-"
"Guys-"
"What did you expect from me?! I did the best I could-"
"And it still wasn't enough! That's why we need to do more-"
"Guys!"
"How can we do more without knowing what to attack?! What if we make things worse and speed up the process?! You of all people should know what that could do-"
"I said enough." Brick and Butch paused, panting in each other's faces. They turned as one to the third young man on the couch. He traced invisible symbols in his arm. His eyes were faintly glowing, and looked right through them. They immediately knew what he was reliving.
"Boom. Hey Boom." Butch dropped to his knees in front of him while Brick ran to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and heading back. He hovered over them as Butch gently but firmly grabbed his friend's wrists. "You're okay. You're okay. We're right here Boom." He rubbed his arm more furiously now. His eyes glowed brighter as he locked eyes with Butch.
"Bubbles. She's-"
"safe Boom. We got her in time. The ritual failed. She's safe." His eyes began returning to their normal color as his fingers paused. His eyes focused on Butch, his arms tensing. Brick wordlessly handed Boomer the glass, continuing to hover as he drank it. Slowly. He swallowed slow, breaking eye contact.
"I..."
"It's okay Boom." Butch kept his hands wrapped around Boomer's wrists. Brick moved to sit beside him. They wouldn't mention his lapse in the morning. They couldn't understand what he'd gone through during the botched ritual. All they could do was make sure he knew he was safe, and they would never let those idiots lay a hand on their friend again. So tonight, with the moon their only witness, Brick and Butch renewed their promise to stop the brothers this time. Whatever it took.
"Bubbles? Honey? It's time for school darling!" Bubbles groaned awake. Her hair stood out on one side, and lay crumbled to her head on the other. Her clothes were disheveled, and she lay face down on the floor, while her lower half remained stubbornly in bed. She couldn't remember how she got there, but her head was pounding something fierce. She pushed herself up using her arms, pulling forward until she was completely out of the bed. She dressed mechanically, opting for grey sweatpants and a black crop top with a grey leaf in the middle. She brushed her hair enough to be presentable, leaving it down. She hobbled down the stairs, not speaking a word as she snagged her father's coffee cup. He laughed, snagging his wife's in retaliation.
"You alright there Bubbly? Not very awake this morning." She grumbled in response, inhaling more of the life giving dark liquid. She nearly spit it out when her mother's voice shouted in her head. Ah I forgot to pay the light bill yesterday! Bubbles groaned, waving at her mother from the kitchen table.
"Then just pay it today. It's nothing to shout over." Her father glanced at her over the top of his reading glasses, placing his paper on the table.
"What're you talking about?"
"Mom forgot to pay the light bill. She just said-" She stopped herself at the look her father was giving her. Bubbles rose from her seat, moving towards the door. "She just said it yesterday I think." Her father nodded, his face clearing in understanding.
Bubbles was silent as she made her way to school. She prayed she didn't run into her friends. She didn't know what was happening, and she wasn't in the mood for questions. Please just let what happened this morning be a bad dream...
"Bubs!" Of course the universe has forsaken me. She didn't slow down, instead pretending not to have heard anyone calling her. She should have known it wouldn't work. Blossom grabbed her arm, while Buttercup moved in front of her, blocking her path.
"Bubbles. We need to talk about yesterday." Bubbles grimaced, twisting her otherwise lovely face. She shook Blossom off, trying to move around her busybody of a friend.
"No thanks. Nothing happened yesterday that I want to remember."
"Bubbles...did you think we wouldn't want to help you figure this out...?" Bubbles paused, and Blossom seized her chance. "Bubbly. What happened yesterday was weird, but not any weirder than we can handle. Talk to us."
I hope she doesn't push us away. It was freaky, but we can figure this out. Bubbles dropped her bag as the thought floated to her, throwing herself into Blossom.
"It happened this morning! I think...I feel like...I'm losing my mind!" Blossom rubbed her back. Buttercup bent down to retrieve the discarded bags.
"Come on. We can talk about this at lunch."
"Well? How is going?" Teal eyes crinkled as their owner grinned.
"Perfect. The idiots don't know how we're pushing Blue's awakening. All I have to do is swoop in with a 'solution.' She'll be mine this time. I guarantee it." The young man beside him wore his hair in a half up bun, leaning against the roof top railing.
"Don't underestimate them this time Raiden. We don't a repeat of last time." Raiden rolled his eyes, slapping his brother on the back.
"Calm down Reed. Red will be yours, and Riley will have that greenie all to himself. Just like we were supposed to." As if summoned, the third brother appeared from the shadows, rolling his honey colored eyes.
"I don't want any mistakes this time. That casual attitude of yours better not be a problem. If they awaken before we can cement ourselves in their minds and hearts, then this time will be no different." He turned away from the others, effectively ending the conversation. His brothers left him to his thoughts, knowing better than to interrupt.
This time Buttercup. I will have you. That power is wasted on the likes of Butch.
