CHAPTER 18: NEW WOLF IN TOWN
ME: Hi, guys! I'm back again. It only took me one month this time, but I didn't feel like writing because of...lack of reviews. That sort of led to lack of inspiration, and I've been really busy with my drawing schedule.
BUTCH: No excuses!
ME: ...I give you all the excuses.
BUTCH: *vein pops*
ME: Oh, and school's finally starting for me soon. It wasn't at first because teachers were protesting, but now it will.
BUTCH: *grumbles* Great, now updates might come even slower.
BRICK: Just say that thing. *rolls eyes*
BLOSSOM: Kuku only owns her own OC's and the story. Nothing more, nothing less.
Chapter 18: New Wolf in Town
A stinging pain awoke a young redheaded boy. He felt dizzy, opening his eyes slowly. He realized that only one of this eyes were working, and it scared him. Why is that? "Ugh..." he murmured, rubbing his eyes and trying to get both of them to work. He felt panicked. "Mom? Dad? Where am I?"
"You're safe."
Sitting up in the bed he was apparently lying in, he blinked as he noticed the man sitting beside him. The older male had dark blue-black hair and golden-brown eyes. His skin was a golden tan.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, before bending forward because a sharp pain suddenly shot through his eye and he let out a painful cry. He grabbed for his hurting eye, but all he could feel was a pad of some sort.
The man reached out and touched the boy's padded eye gently, looking concerned. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You lost your eye. I...I had to fix it up and put an eye-patch over it. It was in pretty bad shape."
Suddenly, the memories of what had happened before he had lost consciousness swam through the boy's mind. This time his scream symbolized a different kind of pain. My parents died in a car crash. They died. And I lost my eye.
"I'm sorry," the man repeated.
The boy trembled. "Why..." He turned to his saviour, tears pooling from his eyes. "Why did you save me!? I should've died with my parents!"
"That's not what they would've wanted!" the man retorted. "I had to at least try and save you."
The boy let out another sob, his throat closing up and making a choking noise. He curled up into a ball.
"If it helps you any, I managed to implant an eye into your...empty socket," the man said.
"It'll just be some stupid fake glass eye. As if it'd help," the boy said sullenly. He felt as if his innocence had completely vanished in the fire that had overtaken the car. He could only think about the thieves and hope that they had perished too.
The man sighed, standing up and shoving away a tray of tools. "Not this eye. It's special. It works like a real eye, but...with other features." The boy stared at him, but the man made no further comment. Instead, he turned his back to the boy and started busying himself with something. "Actually, I had to add something else to you too," the man continued.
"What?" the boy said suspiciously.
"You were weak. You were dying. I did something to save you. You'll find out soon enough. I changed something within you and gave you enough power to keep you alive."
The boy wondered what it was that the man had done. "I've always been weak," he said quietly. "My body's always been more frail than other kids. I got an illness as an infant."
"Not so much anymore," the man murmured back. His patient looked confused, but the man had moved on again: "Tell me, boy—what's your name?"
"...My name..." The boy paused, wondering if he should say. Even if this man had saved him, could he really trust him?
"You can trust me," the man said, turning around as if he'd sensed what the boy had been thinking.
"...My name is Vix," the boy finally said. He shifted. "And what about you, Mister?"
"My name is Damon. There are some people waiting outside that I want you to meet." The man turned around and smiled. "They're around your age."
"Okay. Thank you, Mr...Damon."
"Just Damon. Just call me Damon." His companion laughed heartily, suddenly looking relaxed. Then he turned serious again. "I know what it's like to lose a family. So...the others and I..." He smiled. "We'll be your new family, Vix."
Vix paused, feeling tears coming again at the word "family". He wiped his eyes and nodded. "Thank you...Damon."
"Vix...? Are you okay?"
Vix blinked hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall at his memories of the past. He touched the underneath of his left eye. He swallowed the lump down in his throat. "I'm fine." Then he sighed. "What did you want to talk about, Ross? I'm not in the mood. And it's practically only 5:00 am."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep."
"And you thought I had the same problem?" Vix crossed his arms. To tell the truth, he didn't want to sleep because of the nightmare of his parents' death. But he really didn't want to talk to anyone either.
"I'm sorry," repeated Ross, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
"Okay." Vix sighed again. "So what happened that made you unable to sleep?"
"I...I couldn't help but think about Damon."
Vix felt as if Ross had ripped open an old wound; one that Vix had tried for so long to heal. Damon's name felt like a key turning in a heavily guarded lock of memories he never wanted to open again. Vix stepped back. "If that's what you're here for, then forget it." He was about to slam his door shut, but Ross wedged his foot in.
"No, wait!" The young boy looked up at the taller and older male. "We have to talk about this. About the past. About everything."
"What is there to talk about?" Vix said stubbornly. Then he recited in monotone: "Damon was a piece of scum with a traitorous personality who would betray anyone at the flick of a wrist. He couldn't be trusted; he was a traitor. That's why we have to hunt down whoever was affiliated with him."
Ross visibly winced. "You know what he did—"
"Yeah, I know. And I also know what you guys did to him," Vix snapped back.
"But Damon—"
"Look Ross, if you want to talk about him, at least try not to piss me off."
Ross' shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I just...I hate Damon so much for what he's done. But...you're different from us." He looked up, and Vix didn't meet his gaze as the boy continued speaking. "You were raised by Damon."
"He saved me after my parents died in a car crash," Vix stated simply.
"I'll admit I can't believe Damon would do such a heroic thing."
Vix rolled his eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe he acted all nice around me and cared enough to raise me and saved me from a burning car because he was a sick, evil bastard who hated everything and everyone and wanted to use me as a weapon."
"Vix..." Ross frowned.
"Is that all you wanted to say?" Vix said impatiently.
"I need you to tell me more about Damon," Ross replied. "Like, how did he act around you?"
"He was nice." Vix stared past Ross. "That's all there really is to it. He didn't beat me or anything like that. I don't see why you guys insist he was so evil."
"Well, he has to be for what he's done," Ross countered.
"Are you sure you guys aren't the same?"
Ross looked taken aback. "Of course not. We simply paid him back for what he did."
Vix snorted. "Right."
Sighing, Ross glanced at his shoes. "Well, did he show any signs of secrecy?"
"A little." Vix shrugged. "But then again, don't we all?"
Ross pressed further: "But did he ever act super suspicious? Was he always ready to go into hiding at the slightest sign of a stranger?"
"...Sometimes."
Ross let this sink in for awhile before he asked his next question. He hesitated briefly, before plunging in. "...And how was he as a parent?"
"...He was a good second father. That's all. He trained me and took care of me. I lost my eye and he replaced it for me. That's all there is to say."
"But...I can't see it." Ross stared at his feet.
"Maybe your guys' portrayal of Damon is a bit off," Vix suggested sarcastically.
"No." Ross shook his head. "That's impossible. He did something unforgivable in the past."
Vix swallowed hard.
"Damon did something terrible out of jealousy. He killed a young boy's father all just because the boy's father won the woman that Damon loved. Then he went into hiding."
Vix didn't meet Ross' gaze.
"He killed my father."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Groaning, Buttercup rolled over in her bed. What the fuck is that noise? She slowly blinked her eyes open and noticed her phone buzzing on her nightstand. Oh right. I somehow thought it was a good idea to set a fucking alarm.
"Shut up, phone." Buttercup turned her alarm off and tumbled out of bed like a sack of potatoes. She sure felt like one. The green Powerpuff Girl had hardly gotten any sleep. She had spent the night tossing and turning as she thought about Butch and Vix's words. It didn't help that she had slept later than usual either—sure, she had had a lot of fun watching a movie with her family, but now that it was morning...Buttercup felt like she'd gotten barely any sleep at all.
Buttercup fumbled for her phone and stared at the screen. It was only 7:20 am. She didn't know why she thought 7:20 would've been a good time to set an alarm.
She sighed and got up from her seat on the floor, grabbing a shirt and her school uniform. Then she headed to the washroom. Her hair was ruffled and messy, like usual. Buttercup let out a grumble as she tugged her comb through her dark locks.
After brushing her teeth, washing up, and taking a shower, Buttercup got dressed. Then she ran downstairs. She had seen Bliss exiting her room, but her sister was still in her pyjamas.
"Good morning," a voice called as Buttercup entered the kitchen. The person turned around and looked surprised. "BC...?"
Buttercup smirked. "Surprised I woke up so early?" She popped a muffin into her mouth. Maybe waking up so early might not be so bad, after all; if it means I can rub it into people's faces.
"A little," her sister replied, shaking her blond head. "You usually don't get up this early."
"I set an alarm." Buttercup shrugged. "So, what are you cooking, Bubbles?"
"Eggs and muffins," Bubbles replied.
Buttercup nodded, before glancing at the kitchen table. An irritated-looking Blossom was sitting; she was tapping her foot impatiently. Buttercup glanced at Bubbles. "What's with Pinky?"
"Oh, I don't know. She's been like this since she woke up," Bubbles said, looking worried.
Buttercup raised an eyebrow. She slowly slid into a seat, turning to Blossom and staring at her.
Blossom didn't even greet her.
Buttercup continued to stare.
Finally, Blossom sighed loudly and looked up. "What?" she demanded.
"Uhh...what's wrong with you, Ms. Cheery?" Buttercup finally said.
Blossom let out an annoyed snort. "Brick texted me last night. He said that he had to call off our meeting for our project for Mrs. Avery. It's due in the next two weeks. We don't have a lot of time left."
Buttercup tried not to laugh. So even Blossom has boy problems. "Well, you two aren't dating, and it sounds like to me you guys still have a lot of time, so it shouldn't really matter, should it? It's not like he called a date off."
Blossom blushed. "Of course we're not dating!" she snapped. "Brick just keeps putting the project off. I want it done ASAP."
"Loosen up—I think Brick would like that," Buttercup said, shrugging.
"...How do you know what Brick likes?" Blossom said, looking suspicious.
Buttercup smiled. "Well, I'm his friend. And so are you, right?"
Blossom looked away. "I guess."
"So you should try and see his way," Buttercup continued. "If you like him—"
"I don't!"
"Then there's nothing to worry about. Again; not like he called off a date."
Blossom rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. But I'm still mad at him."
"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Buttercup.
"Excuse me?" Blossom turned around and raised an eyebrow.
Buttercup held her hands up. "Nothing," she said innocently.
Bubbles appeared, setting down a plate of muffins and eggs. "Girls, Professor; breakfast!" she called.
The Professor appeared from his lab, having already woken up awhile ago. The only problem was that he was still wearing his pyjama pants.
Bubbles giggled as she greeted the Professor with a kiss on his cheek. "You might want to change after breakfast," she suggested.
"I will," he agreed, smiling as he sat down.
"Did I hear breakfast?" shouted Bliss, sliding down the stairs railing like she was surfing.
"Bliss, that's dangerous!" shouted Banana, running to catch up.
Bunny followed at a slower pace, eyes wide.
Blossom sighed from her seat, relaxing her shoulders. Maybe I'll just reserve my anger for Brick later. She licked her lips uncomfortably, thinking back to Buttercup's words about the two leaders "not dating" so "it shouldn't matter". Buttercup's wrong. It does matter. And yet, Blossom didn't know why it mattered.
"Muffin?" asked Bubbles, holding the baked good out in front of her redheaded sister.
Blinking, Blossom recovered herself and nodded. "Okay. Thanks." Bubbles set it down in front of Blossom.
"So get this," Bliss was saying, "Braker said that the new kid Ross is 'cool but crude'. When I asked him what that was supposed to mean, Braker just said that there was another side to the boy. He was all serious! Like, his eyes were narrowed and he was frowning and he had a low tone and everything!"
"Braker...? Serious?" repeated Banana in disbelief. "That's like, impossible!"
"I know right?" Bliss agreed.
"Apparently not," Buttercup responded. "Butch didn't seem to like Ross at first either."
Bliss shrugged. "I don't see why. Ross is pretty cool."
Buttercup smiled. "He is, isn't he?"
"Ooh, what are you trying to say?" Bliss turned to her green-eyed sister eagerly, raising an eyebrow.
Buttercup blushed. "N-Nothing!"
"That reminds me; didn't you say you went out with Ross last night?" Blossom added, getting revenge on BC for her remark about Brick.
"We just ran into each other. We were drinking cappuccinos as friends, okay?" Buttercup groaned.
"That better be true," the Professor replied, sipping at his coffee.
Bliss let out a loud squeal. "Buttercup's in a love triangle!"
"What the fuck are you talking about!?" demanded Buttercup.
"Nothing." Bliss smiled, letting out a little whistle as she shrugged. "It's just that...y'know. Butch and you and now Ross..."
"Bullshit," Buttercup muttered, her face red.
Blossom sighed as she drank some orange juice. "No swearing, BC."
"I'll have to agree with Blossom on this one," the Professor added, sipping his coffee as he flipped a page in his newspaper. "You know how I feel about having a potty mouth."
"Whatever," Buttercup replied. She thought back to when they were kids and the Professor had accidentally taught them a swear. The girls had repeated it constantly until the Professor taught them the actual meaning of the word.
"We don't swear in this household," the Professor finished.
"FUCKING SHIT!"
Brick let out a loud sigh, rolling his eyes when he heard Butch's shouting. He walked toward Butch's bathroom, knocking on the door. "What the hell are you doing?" he called.
The door slammed open and out stepped Butch, barely dressed. His hair was dripping wet, and he had his sturdy chest exposed. Actually, he was clad only in a green towel. "Who used up all the goddamn hot water!?"
Brick shrugged.
"BOOMER!" yelled Butch.
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" the blond boy called from downstairs.
Brick glanced at his brother. "Just finish your washing and get your ass downstairs."
"I hate all of you," Butch muttered, stomping back into the washroom and slamming the door shut.
Him floated up the stairs. "Oh dear," he cooed, "did Butch have another temper tantrum?"
"Why else would my ears be bleeding?" Brick responded.
"I heard that!" yelled Butch from inside.
Him and Brick smirked as they shared amused glances. Him turned around. "Well, I'll be going now. I only came up here to see if the rest of you were awake yet."
"I think Butch worked as an alarm," Brick said smartly, folding his arms.
Him smiled his creepy toothy smile. "True."
As Him floated away, the door to Braker's room opened and out tumbled the brown-haired teenager. "What happened?" he murmured, still looking dazed and half-asleep. "Did somebody catch on fire or something?"
"Nah, Butch just got mad because there's no more hot water." Brick tugged at his uniform bow-tie. "Hurry up and get ready, Braker."
"Okay..." Yawning, Braker slowly walked back inside his room.
Brick glanced down at his red phone and sighed. He had sent Blossom a text saying he couldn't work on their project for Mrs. Avery today, and he had a feeling she was mad. Her reply did say "Really? What are you so busy with that you're willing to ignore your education?", after all. The truth was, Brick and his family had to go out after school. Mojo had explained that there were some things he needed to do, and Brick had been more than willing to help complete the task, because it was actually really important. But it had been too important to share with their friends, so he couldn't tell Blossom.
He had texted back: "Just some personal matters", but now he almost regretted it. Brick knew how much Blossom hated not having answers. He hoped she wouldn't pry too much at school.
"Breakfast is ready!" Boomer called.
Suddenly, Braker's door flew open and an orange streak zipped out of it. Brick felt a blast of wind as his long red hair blew to the side. He shook his head in amusement. Braker; the one person who can't be woken up by screams and shouts, but will wake up as soon as he hears anything about food.
Brick floated down the stairs. Boomer was setting down waffles, looking cheerful despite Butch's tantrum earlier. "'Morning, Brick!" the blue Ruff greeted.
"'Morning," Brick responded, sliding into his seat.
Mojo was already there, reading a book. He looked up. "I trust that each and every one of you Rowdyruff Boys are in fact done the action of preparing for what is a very big task at the time of tonight?"
"I'm ready, Mojo." Brick rolled his eyes.
Bandit appeared, dumping his purple bag on a chair as he sat down. "So tonight's the night, huh? It's been awhile since we've done this."
"We have to do it to...help our situation," replied Blaster, having come down the stairs after Bandit. He took a plate of waffles and began eating. "Otherwise everything would get messed up."
Braker scarfed down more waffles. "Too bad Butch isn't here," he said through a mouthful of food.
Stomping sounded suddenly behind them. "Speak of the devil and he'll appear," Brick said, glancing at the stairs.
Braker followed his gaze. Butch was stalking toward them, his eyes dark and irritated. Butch had actually been mad since he'd gotten home last night, but Brick still didn't know why. The green Ruff had refused to say anything.
"Are you feeling happier yet?" Brick asked sarcastically.
Butch glared at his brother. "STFU."
Brick shrugged.
Him glanced at the clock. "Butch, you better hurry if you don't want to be late." He finished with his dark, masculine tone.
"Fine," muttered Butch, grabbing a plate of waffles.
"Want to race?" Braker offered cheerfully.
"No. I'm not even hungry."
Braker paused in surprise. Brick raised an eyebrow. Butch was always hungry. He was never not hungry.
"...Oh. Okay." Braker looked down.
Butch only ate two waffles, which wasn't a lot compared to his usual seven or eight or more. Right after he was done, Boomer got ready to offer Butch some more. But to the shock of everyone at the table, Butch had actually refused. So Boomer gave them to Braker for extra food for when it was lunchtime at school.
"Let's go," commanded Brick, standing up. They said goodbye to their "fathers" and flew off. Brick made sure he was behind enough so he could catch Butch. The first thing he did was ask what was wrong. But he worded it like this: "Okay, Butch. What the hell is wrong with you today?"
"Nothing," snapped Butch, glaring forward.
"Oh sure. You're totally in your usual happy mood."
"Shut up. You don't know anything." Butch flew on past Brick; past his other brothers.
Bandit slowed down to glance at Brick. "So what exactly is his problem?"
"He won't say," muttered Brick. He narrowed his eyes. That boy's hiding something, he thought.
When they landed at the school, Brick glanced around. He wanted to find Blossom so he could talk to her. Maybe tell her a little more; just enough so that she'd understand and leave him alone. Or if she looked really mad, he'd just try and avoid her all day. Brick spotted Blossom by a tree. She actually looked pretty happy. Brick wondered if he should walk over and talk to her. But something suddenly moved, and the person behind the tree was revealed. Is that...Vix? An alarm in Brick's head suddenly went off.
Stalking toward the two chatterboxes, Brick confronted the male who looked like Vix. "What the hell are you doing here, asshole?"
Blossom blinked in surprise, but she quickly recovered. "Brick, don't be rude!"
"I'm not being rude," Brick snapped back, still glaring at her companion. "This guy means trouble."
"Who...? Me?" laughed the student, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry, but I don't even know you."
"Sure you don't, Vix," spat Brick.
The male shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I think you have me mistaken for someone else. That's not even my name."
"So what's your name then?" Brick demanded.
"The name's Vincent." The male smiled, revealing sharp canines.
Brick frowned. "That sounds a lot like Vix."
"But that isn't my name," "Vincent" continued. "And you can't exactly prove I am this 'Vix' guy."
Brick still didn't trust this male, but he had a good point. "Okay, fine." Gritting his teeth, Brick forced out: "I'm sorry I got you mixed up with someone else."
Vincent shrugged. "No biggie." When Brick looked a little closer, he realized there were differences. Vincent had red hair tied in a ponytail, sort of like the red Ruff's own hairstyle. Vincent also happened to have normal green eyes, unlike the combo of green and white. He also happened to be dressed in uniform. But Vix had always had the ability to make his white eye turn green...
"Vincent here is a little older than us," Blossom said, clearly looking less happy with Brick around. "He's new here. You should apologize for giving him such a hard time."
I just did! Brick resisted the urge to yell this. Instead, he managed to choke out: "Sorry."
Vincent smiled. "It's okay."
Brick took a deep breath. "Welcome to Pokey Oaks High...Vincent."
"Thanks. I actually just moved here a little while ago. I'm Michael's cousin."
"...Of course you are," Brick muttered. Blossom nudged him sharply. When he gave her a "what?" look, she returned it with a "be nice" look. Brick rolled his eyes.
Just then, the school bell rang. "Time to go," Vincent said, smiling.
"Come eat with us at lunch," Blossom offered. She shot Brick another look. "I promise Brick will be nice."
"Thanks. That'd be cool." Then Vincent was gone.
Brick turned on Blossom. "Why did you invite him to eat lunch with us?" he demanded. "Vincent isn't even his real—"
"Unlike you, Vincent is charming and sweet. He was very friendly."
Brick felt like Blossom had stabbed him. "...Fine," he muttered. "I guess I just suck as a human being then." He turned around and stormed off.
Bandit had been watching by the school doors. He stopped Brick before he could enter the school. "I know the first bell rang and that's why you're walking over here, but what the heck happened back there that has made you so mad?"
"Bullshit, that's what," snarled Brick.
Bandit raised an eyebrow.
Brick sighed. "Look, I'll tell you later. I met a new student today and I don't think I like this kid."
"Why?" Bandit still looked confused.
"You'll see," muttered Brick, glancing back at Blossom, who was staring at him and Bandit. When she saw him looking at her, she huffed and turned away haughtily, her nose high in the air. Then she walked off.
"You're not mad at this new kid because he was talking to Blossom, are you?"
Brick spun around to stare at his brother in disbelief. "Hell no!" Then he frowned. "And how did you know he was a guy?"
Bandit shrugged, tugging at his purple beanie. "You just...You look, well, jealous. So I assumed it was a male."
"I am not jealous," Brick countered.
"Whatever you say, Leader Bro." Bandit shrugged again.
Brick let out a noise between a groan and a sigh. "Let's just get to class. I don't think I can handle much more bullshit this morning."
Turning around, Bandit followed his brother inside the school building. "Brick, maybe we should talk about this—"
"There's nothing to talk about," Brick interrupted in frustration, "you'll just have to wait and see at lunch."
Bandit frowned. "Brick..."
"I told you; there's nothing to say," Brick repeated.
"At least tell me this new boy's name," Bandit murmured.
"...His name is Vincent."
Buttercup watched as Blossom slid into her seat just as the second bell started ringing. "It's not like you to come to class later than me," she remarked.
Blossom rolled her eyes. "I was busy."
"With what? You're never too busy to come to class as soon as the first bell rings."
"I was busy talking to a new student. He seemed very nice. I invited him to have lunch with us. His name is Vincent."
Buttercup raised an eyebrow. "You weren't trying to make Brick jealous, were you?"
"No!" Blossom was quick to defend herself. "I just wanted to say hi to an unfamiliar face."
"If you say so, Leader Girl." Buttercup leaned back. "I'm just asking 'cause I saw an angry Brick in the halls this morning."
Blossom blinked and glanced at the classroom door as if she expected an angry Brick to manifest in the air. But other than that, she showed no real signs of smug satisfaction. "That doesn't mean I did anything, or even wanted to do anything."
Buttercup shrugged. "Well, you said the new student is a boy, right?"
"That doesn't mean anything!"
The green Puff smirked slightly, satisfied she'd gotten under her leader's skin. Before Blossom could say anything more, the teacher frowned and called for the two girls to "quiet down". Blossom shut up; being the goodie-two-shoes that she was. So Buttercup just relaxed and started listening to her music.
Buttercup paid attention, sure; but her mind was still lost in her own thoughts. She still hadn't deciphered the meaning behind Butch and Vix's little exchange. She decided that if she ran into Michael, she'd somehow casually ask about his "uncle". Buttercup didn't know how yet, but she would be sure to dig up some more dirt on Michael's "Uncle Danes". Maybe she could talk to Ross and get him to help her, but she wasn't sure how that would go. Ross had been nice the other night, but she wasn't sure if it'd still be like that if she talked to him now. Would things be awkward and weird again? How shy did Ross act exactly at school?
Buttercup hated how every boy she seemed to know had some kind of "secrecy issue". Every guy is hiding something. Boys these days, she thought with a huff.
Before she even knew it, class had ended and it was time for good old Socials. Which meant she'd get to talk to Butch. As Buttercup filed out of the classroom, she glanced back at Blossom, who was chatting with Robin. She wondered if Blossom felt bad at all for making Brick upset. Or had she really done it on purpose?
Buttercup walked off toward her locker, where someone was already standing. She paused, surprised. "Umm...who are you and what are you doing at my locker?"
The male looked up, clearly befuddled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is this your locker? I thought it was mine—no wonder the lock combination wasn't working."
"No biggie." Buttercup shrugged and walked over to her locker after the boy moved over. To her surprise, he didn't leave. He still seemed unsure. "What's your name?" she asked as she entered her own combination.
"...The name's Vincent. I'm new here."
Buttercup froze, nearly dropping her bag. "Did you say...Vincent?"
"Yes. Is something the matter?" he asked, looking concerned.
"No. I was remembering my sister mentioning meeting a new kid named Vincent; that's all. You just caught me by surprise." Buttercup didn't take her eyes off of her locker as she shoved her things inside.
"Oh, I see. You mean Blossom? Then you must be Blossom's sister," Vincent said. "Buttercup, right? The green Powerpuff?"
Buttercup nodded, balancing two binders in her arms as she finally allowed herself to look "Vincent" over. He was tall, with his red hair tied back in a bushy ponytail. He had green eyes.
"Nice to meet you, BC. Can I call you BC?" he said, sticking his hand out.
Buttercup hesitated before shaking it. "Go ahead and call me whatever you want as long as I don't hate it." She felt weird knowing that this stranger knew her better than she knew him. Buttercup knew that was the "price of fame", but it just didn't seem fair. He already knew she was the "tough green Puff" and she knew barely anything about him except for his name. And the fact that—according to Blossom—he was a "gentleman".
"Do you need help with your books?" Vincent asked.
"Thank you, but no thank you," Buttercup said, hugging them closer to her chest. "I'm strong enough to carry them by myself." Then she added awkwardly as an afterthought: "...Thanks."
He paused, before smiling. "Right. I like that."
Buttercup wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but she was suddenly called for from behind. "There you are, BC! Man, hurry up or you'll be late."
Turning around, Buttercup met Butch's dark-green eyes. "Oh; hey, Butch."
"What's taking you so long?" demanded the green Ruff.
Buttercup stepped back to reveal Vincent. "I was just talking to another new kid; his name's Vincent."
"Hey," Butch greeted, barely giving Vincent a second glance, before turning back to Buttercup. "Now come on; we have to—" The green Ruff suddenly froze, slowly staring back at Vincent. His eyes widened. "Wait..."
"Butch...? Butch, what's the matter with you?" Buttercup asked, nudging him sharply. He looked like he was going to have a spazz attack.
"What are you doing at Pokey Oaks High?" Butch finally said, his tone low and shaky.
Vincent looked confused, raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"What the fuck are you doing at Pokey Oaks High!?" Butch repeated, louder and more demanding.
ME: Okay, I think I'm done. Is this too short? I don't think so. I'm just going to use this.
BUTTERCUP: Just update sooner and it'll be fine if it's short.
ME: Well, we found out a lot about Vix, Ross, and Damon this chapter. How do you feel about Damon? Or what about Vix and Ross? Oh and of course, who do you think Vincent is? Will he be ally or foe?
ROSS: It's actually really obvious...
ME: I know, but shut up.
BUBBLES: Leave a review, please~! Maybe Kuku will update faster then...