CHAPTER 20: ONLY WOLVES WILL HEAR YOU
ME: Okay, I'm updating. Happy now?
BUTCH: *deadpan* Oh suuuuuuuuuuure. Totally. Most definitely. Absolutely. I'm so happy I could burst.
BRICK: Just get on with it.
ME: I only own my OC's and the story! Time for some Brick vs Vix action~
Oh and thanks for 100 reviews! I'm really happy you guys are enjoying the story so far! *cries tears of joy* I've been holding back on updating this chapter even though it's been done for awhile now. I wanted to see if I could hit 100 reviews before I updated—even though I wasn't expecting to; but then I pleasantly jumped two reviews—so as soon as I went to my FF page on my phone earlier today... *takes deep breath* I saw the "100" at the top right corner and squealed. So I rushed to update!
I love you guys so much—in a friendly way, of course. Thank you for sticking with me~ *bows* And now, let's get this new chapter started...
Chapter 20: Only Wolves Will Hear You
"I know you're there. Come on out," Bandit repeated, narrowing his eyes. He slipped his phone into his pocket.
Two figures emerged from the shadows, the first one speaking in a sing-songy voice. "Tut, tut, tut. Of course you're as sharp as ever."
Bandit glared forward at the two males standing in front of him. "And what do you think you're doing?" he snarled. "Are you spying on us, DJ; Darkai?"
Deth Jackson had been the one speaking in a melodic pitch. His sharp blue eyes glimmered in the fluorescent lights of the school hallways. He paused to smile. "I wouldn't call it spying, per say."
Darkai didn't speak, his cold dark-blue gaze stark and emotionless. His posture was stiff, and he remained still as his friend continued to talk.
"We were simply wandering around the halls. It was merely a coincidence that we found you," DJ continued, waving one hand dismissively. A disbelieving "that can't be right" came from a corner behind Bandit. DJ stared at it, before smiling and redirecting his attention to Bandit. He pointed at where the noise came from. "Are you happy we didn't run into your little friend?"
Bandit stepped forward. "'Little friend'?" he repeated.
"Yes." DJ nodded toward the other side of the hallway. "I'm sure you've noticed her too."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Bandit didn't turn around to check on the "friend" DJ claimed that was behind him. He actually did know, but he didn't want to draw attention to her...not with these two standing so close to him.
"Oh, but you do." Deth nodded at Darkai. "Go on; show him."
Darkai wordlessly leaped past Bandit, shoving the purple-eyed teen aside, even though the Ruff tried to block his way. Then Darkai turned the corner, returning with another person. The newcomer was protesting loudly to being dragged over to where Deth and Bandit stood.
Deth Jackson smirked as Bandit groaned silently under his breath. Behind Darkai was Buttercup.
"BC, what are you doing?" hissed Bandit. "I knew you followed me, but I was trying not to draw attention to you!"
Buttercup shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I was curious."
"Yes, curiosity killed the cat. Or should I say..."—DJ paused to smirk again—"the wolf?"
Bandit shot the boy a glare. "Shut up, DJ. Tell me what you want."
"I heard from a little birdie that you Ruffs have some business to do tonight. What's the big deal?" Deth shrugged, walking past Bandit to Darkai and Buttercup. He glanced back at the purple-eyed boy.
"That'd be none of your business," Bandit retorted, turning around as his gaze trailed after DJ.
DJ stared at the purple Ruff. "So rude," he said in a whiny tone, reaching for something in his pocket.
"Tell me from whom you learned this piece of 'news'," Bandit growled.
DJ paused. "Then will you tell me what you're doing tonight?"
"...I can't guarantee that."
"Then I won't tell you anything." One last smile and DJ pulled out his phone. "Maybe I should call Danes instead and let him know. We could talk about Damon and Vix and the past and Ross' fa—"
"Don't you dare talk about Damon!" snapped Bandit, his eyes flashing hatred and anger.
"Such a temper. Why would you get so fired up over a traitorous piece of scum like Damon?" DJ narrowed his eyes, looking serious for once.
Bandit twitched. "He was my fucking friend, you bastard. Maybe you don't know what that means, but I do."
"You know what he did."
"And I know what you guys did to him."
"We didn't have a choice."
"But you guys didn't care."
"He doesn't deserve our sympathy."
"And you don't deserve mine!"
With that, Bandit lunged. Buttercup watched with wide eyes as he and Deth Jackson became a tumbling ball of fists, claws, teeth, and kicks. Darkai leaped back, pulling Buttercup away from the fight with him. Then he grabbed into the two writhing bodies and pulled DJ out.
"That's enough," commanded the mysterious teen, his dark-blue eyes flickering back to Bandit. "We both know this isn't the time or place for a tussle."
It was the most words Darkai had spoken in awhile, and both Bandit and DJ clearly agreed. DJ stood up and dusted himself off. He coughed, regaining his composure. "You're right." He sent Bandit a smile. "I'm sorry, my friend."
"I don't care," Bandit muttered gruffly, smoothing his hair down. He glared at DJ.
DJ walked over and grabbed Bandit's hand, shaking it roughly. "Oh, but we're friends, aren't we?" Before Bandit, could reply, Deth was already following Darkai away. "Ta-ta; toodles~, au revoir, farewell, goodbye!" He waved eagerly.
Bandit didn't wave back.
Buttercup slowly joined Bandit with wide eyes as the other two teens disappeared around the corner she'd been hiding behind. "What the hell was that all about? Who's Damon? Why did you blow up?"
"This doesn't fucking concern you! Stay out of it!" snapped Bandit, turning on Buttercup. "I can't believe you fucking followed me!"
Buttercup's shock quickly faded into anger. "Yeah, well I can't help if I was worried! Maybe if you weren't such a big asshole, you'd realize that!"
"And I can't help but be worried about my friends!" yelled Bandit, his voice rising. "What if you had gotten yourself into some big trouble by being caught!? They could've hurt you! Just stay out of what doesn't concern you, BC! Then all of us will be much happier!"
Buttercup suddenly felt worried. "But this isn't a big dangerous problem, right...? It's just some stupid boy rivalry between you Ruffs and Michael's pals, right? DJ and Darkai are just normal teens. They can't harm me; I have powers, and they wouldn't have any reason to hurt me." She furrowed her brow in concern. "Right...?"
Bandit stopped himself, his breathing calming as he stopped trembling. His gaze softened. "You're right. It's just some 'stupid rivalry'." His shoulders slumped. "A rivalry that doesn't mean anything."
"Bandit..." Buttercup frowned.
Taking a deep breath, Bandit turned around and started to walk off. "Forget it, Buttercup. I just overreacted. It's just some dumb rivalry between us guys; just as you said."
"Wait, Bandit—" Buttercup tried to call him back, but the purple Ruff didn't stop. She watched him go, the lights flickering above her.
"We're two of a kind, aren't we?" Panting, Vix dodged sharply to the side as Brick jabbed his blazing hand forward. "I remember when we used to play-fight as kids—"
"Those days are gone," growled Brick, spinning around and trying to hit Vix again. He was using his fire powers, which was why his hand was ablaze.
Vix smirked, bending down as if he was doing the limbo. "You're a lot less sentimental than Butch."
Brick shot Vix with his laser vision. "I've come to terms with the fact that you've changed, and that you're never going back."
"Hey, no fair." Vix grabbed his left arm, which had been hit by Brick's laser beams. "You shouldn't be able to use your powers. That's cheating."
"You've never cared much for a fair fight," Brick pointed out, jumping away from three thrown blades. He glanced back at Vix, whose white eye was glowing as he healed his arm. "That eye of yours is a cheat within itself."
"It kind of is, isn't it?" agreed Vix, pulling his sword out and running over to Brick. He struck down, but Brick blocked the blow with his arms. Blood dripped down from the cut the sword gave Brick, but it wasn't enough to harm the Rowdyruff Boy too badly. "But then again, it was a gift from Damon."
Brick's eyes flashed. He grabbed the sword and bent it, breaking it into two with his super-strength. "Don't you dare speak of Damon's name, you fucking traitor. He saved your life and you repay him by changing sides. That's a gift you don't deserve."
Vix frowned, grabbing his broken sword. He kneeled down, looking the weapon over. "Temper, temper," he muttered, stroking the blade. "You didn't have to break my best weapon."
Brick replied by smashing his foot into Vix's face while the male was still sitting. The force from Brick's super-strength kick was enough to create a force of wind that sent Vix flying. Vix smashed into the school wall.
Struggling upwards, Vix wiped the blood from his mouth as he smirked. "Are you mad at me, Brick?"
"I've been mad at you for years." Brick's hands started to glow from fire again. He shot forward a few fireballs.
Vix dodged all of them except one, which he stopped by leaping into the grass and skidding. The arm that had caught on fire was smothered between his body and the grass. Despite that, Vix's sleeve had been burnt off and his arm was charred. The grass sizzled with small flames, which Vix stomped out.
"My fire burns fast." Brick floated into the air and aimed again, preparing another fireball.
Vix looked up and suddenly grinned. He quickly ran toward the school, spreading his arms wide. "Go ahead and shoot at me," he yelled from below. "Fire away at me as many times as you want. You may just catch me, but"—Brick had almost thrown the fireball when Vix's next few words came—"then you'll burn down the whole school, and all the students inside it!"
"NO!" Brick froze, the fireball having already been shot. It was an extra large one, and it grew even bigger as it flew through the air. The red Ruff's eyes widened as he realized what he had done.
From below him, Vix was laughing victoriously. "Now you get your body, along with a whole school-full of more bodies!"
Brick growled, hatred for Vix filling his veins. He desperately wanted the flames to sear his opponent, but he couldn't risk the lives of so many people to get the win. Besides, burning your opponent to death was probably an option Blossom and the other Powerpuff Girls wouldn't approve of.
The thought of Blossom's name brought back bad memories. Her text was still freshly stamped into Brick's brain. Despite all his rage—rage at Blossom and Vix and Vincent; and so much more—Brick managed to smother his fiery temper. He flew forward through the air, rushing in front of the giant mass of flames.
Vix watched, having put on a pair of shades. He relaxed, ready to watch the show.
Stretching his arms forward, Brick grabbed most of the giant fireball. He bit back the urge to howl in pain as the flames burned his hands. Squinting against the brightness, Brick struggled to keep the fireball from hurtling toward Pokey Oaks High. His breaths came in quick rasps as the flames started crawling down his arms and along his body.
His eyes glowed as he let out a giant holler of effort, forcing the last bit of strength stopping the ball of flames. Brick then slowly forced his hands closer to each other, until he had clapped his burnt fingers together. This created a gust of wind so great that it blew the fire out (as well as made trees bend and make Brick and Vix's hair fly back). Even with just the force of his hands clapping together, it would've still been enough to make the fireball shrink and be smothered.
Brick panted in exhaustion despite his victory. He started to drop a few feet before he stopped himself. He knew he couldn't lose consciousness, or else Vix would be able to simply finish him off. The giant amount of energy it had taken to stop the fireball was taking its toll on Brick, however. He felt as if he had been drained of all power.
Brick wanted one last victory; the victory of staying awake even with so many burns and so much lost energy. Even if he didn't beat Vix, he wanted to still be alive and make it out of the ordeal. He was vaguely aware of Vix calling his name, congratulating his success on stopping the flames from engulfing his school.
"Butch, is something the matter?"
Butch looked up to see Boomer's concerned face. The green Ruff quickly shook his head. "No, I was just thinking." He glanced back at Bandit, who was listening to music. Buttercup kept sneaking looks at Bandit. The purple Ruff had come back to the cafeteria first. Buttercup had followed. Butch was still curious about Mojo's phone call, as well as what BC and Bandit had been up to in the hallways.
"Oh...I see." Disappointed that Butch hadn't shared any more than just that, Boomer sat back down.
Butch sighed. Sorry, bro, he apologized silently. He turned to Braker. "Do you notice anything weird?" he asked. The weird sudden tension in the air bothered Butch. Buttercup wasn't speaking to Bandit or Blossom; Blossom looked upset; there was something Butch didn't like about Vincent; etc...
"Not really. Why?" Braker shrugged, staring at Butch.
"...Nothing." Butch shook his head.
Even though he had calmed down since he had gotten to school, the anger he had felt in the morning was still there. Butch could remember every little detail of yesterday night... Buttercup and Ross chatting at the café, and then the two greens talking afterwords... Even though seeing BC and Ross together had made Butch feel funny, the rest of the night had been pretty enjoyable. ...That was until he had run into Vix again. But that time Butch had been with Buttercup. And since their first encounter together with Vix hadn't ended all that prettily, Butch had had a bad feeling. And while BC had proven able to handle herself (by how she attacked Vix for choking her before), Butch was still worried.
What if he shows up again? The question entered Butch's mind even though he tried to ignore it. The green Ruff rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore his sleepiness. He felt so tired...
A loud scream suddenly filled Butch's ears, causing him to jump upwards. "Did you hear that!?" he demanded, looking around the table.
Most of the people there seemed confused, but the other Rowdyruff Boys nodded. "Let's go," Butch commanded. They quickly leaped into action, flying for the cafeteria doors. Outside the eating area, Butch glanced around the hallways quickly, trying to find an exit.
"Over here!" called Bandit, waving toward a door.
When they hurried outside, Butch could see a figure kneeling over a body. The body looked like...Brick!
"No!" shouted Butch, his eyes widening.
The person standing above Brick looked up, and Butch spotted the pair of white and green eyes that he hated so much. Letting out an angry hiss, Butch glared at the one he knew as Vix. "I don't care about what happens to me..."
"Butch, no! Wait; don't start—!" called Bandit, trying to grab Butch.
Not listening to Bandit, Butch let out a sharp howl before he lunged and smashed into Vix, sending the older teen flying. Vix rolled away on the ground, skidding to a stop. Panting, he looked up to see Butch standing protectively in front of the unconscious Brick.
"...BUT STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHERS!" Butch howled.
Blossom couldn't concentrate. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't get Brick out of her mind. And it wasn't in the warm, fuzzy way either—it was the nervous fear that came with angering someone you hadn't meant to anger. She wasn't sure what Brick would say or do if he saw her again.
Even though she hadn't been the one who sent the "I hate you" text, she still felt sorry because she knew how much those words hurt. Not only that, but her conversation with Brick before that had already been unpleasant. If it had been a cheery chat between friends, and suddenly Brick got a text that screamed "I hate you!", he'd probably ask about it. Blossom could then explain it was an honest mistake.
But because they had instead been arguing intensely in the texts, Brick probably assumed that Blossom had sent those spiteful words on purpose. And to be honest, it did make sense. Blossom didn't want to admit it, but any further and maybe she would have said those words. The guilt was overwhelming.
Vincent had offered some comfort, before excusing himself to go to his locker. He gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it; I'm sure Brick will understand." Vincent really was a gentleman when compared to Brick. He had been gentle and kind, saying a lot of the words that Blossom wanted to hear.
And yet Blossom wasn't so sure Brick would ever forgive her. She was sorry that she had argued with Brick, and she was sorry about the text that had ended up being sent. She knew she had been demanding, but at first it was only because she didn't want to rearrange her schedule. As their argument escalated and Brick still refused to reveal why he couldn't work, her curiosity was peaked and her patience was ending. She became frustrated, thanks to not having answers, which led to her demanding answers. Blossom had also been offended and upset by the way Brick spoke to her.
He had been curt, rude, and extremely dismissive. The feeling that came with being denied hurt. Blossom paused then. At least he was still talking to me. Letting out a small groan, she buried her face in her hands. Now Brick's never going to speak to me again.
She glanced at Buttercup, who was staring into space. The green Puff had gotten up and followed Bandit out of the cafeteria. She had returned after him, and it made Blossom wonder. Besides that, she was actually kind of mad at the green Puff. Blossom tried not to be, but Buttercup had been the one who sent the text.
Blossom swallowed hard. I can't get mad at her, she reminded herself, she hadn't meant to send it. And yet, the pink Puff desperately wanted to blame someone other than herself for the pickle that she was in. Ugh, why can't I stop thinking about Brick!?
"Did you hear that!?" Butch suddenly shouted, leaping upwards. Startled students stared at the green Rowdyruff Boy like he had gone insane.
"Hear what?" asked Blossom, blinking.
Butch didn't seem to hear her. He nodded at his brothers and they jumped upwards. They flew out the cafeteria doors.
"Bandit, wait!" Blossom grabbed the purple Ruff by the arm. "What did Butch hear?"
Bandit visibly hesitated. "Just a strange noise. We're going to check and see if it's a monster or a thief or something."
"Then we should go too." Blossom got ready to stand up, but Bandit shook his head no.
"It's just a little noise. We're only going to check it out. It's not anything to get worried about."
"But if it is a monster or a thief, then that would be dangerous for the students here," Blossom protested.
Bandit held his hands up. "True, but if it were really a bad guy of some sort, they would become suspicious if they saw all of us. Anyway, even if it's not a thief or a creature, the students will think we're crazy for running out like that all of a sudden. We don't even know it's close to the school either."
"...Okay. You have a point," Blossom sighed, sitting back down. Bandit really is smart. He's known as the "second-smartest" Ruff, next to Brick. She paused in realization, doing a mental face-palm. There I go again; thinking about Brick...
"Thanks." Bandit nodded at her before he flew off.
The other people at the table didn't even get an explanation as to what the Ruffs had heard or where they were going.
"I wonder what that was all about?" Bliss mused aloud, chomping down on one of Braker's fries.
Blossom swatted her sister's hand away from the Ruff's food. "Those aren't yours."
Bliss shrugged. "He won't mind."
Brick would mind. Blossom shoved the thought out of her head. She desperately wanted to stop thinking about her counterpart. Out loud she said, "That doesn't mean you should go around eating other people's food without permission."
"It's fine, Bloss. Jeez; look, I'm not eating any more fries, okay? Okay." Bliss put her hands up high in the air, rolling her eyes. "It's just for fun; I'm not stealing anything valuable or whatever. They're just fries. Braker doesn't care—for the most part. Even if he did, it'd be out of fun."
Embarrassed that in her attempt to distract herself from Brick, she'd gone too far in scolding, Blossom's face reddened. "I just don't think you should touch other people's things when they don't know about it. I'm not trying to be forceful or bossy—I was just saying—"
"Yeah, and I'm aware of that. I'm one of the good guys, remember? I don't need a lesson in what to do and what not to do. I'm not stupid," Bliss retorted indignantly.
Blossom guiltily looked down at her lap. All I'm doing is messing up today. First Brick, and now all this...
"...Aaanyway, moving on; I'm wondering the same thing as Bliss." Banana glanced at her hungry, slightly irritated orange-eyed sister. "The Ruffs seemed like they had heard something really important."
Blossom glanced at her hands, biting her lip. She didn't reply right away.
Banana turned to Blossom, raising an eyebrow. "Well...? What do you think?"
"It was just a noise they wanted to check out." As Blossom sighed and sat back down, even she had the sneaking suspicion that there was more to it than Bandit was letting on. Still, remembering how prying had gone for her earlier that day, Blossom chose to stay out of it.
Brick... I'm sorry. Blossom buried her face in her hands as the noises in the cafeteria around her vanished. I'm really sorry things turned out this way.
Brick was still wobbling in the air. His energy had completely vanished. He had depleted all of it with the giant fireball that he'd been forced to stop. His hands and arms were burned pretty badly, and the upper half of his body had burned slightly too. Brick was struggling just to stay awake; let alone stay afloat in the air.
There was suddenly a giant gust of wind behind him, and Brick spun around. His vision blurred considerably, and he just managed to make out Vix's smirking face.
"Peek-a-boo."
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his back. Screaming from the hurt it brought, the red Ruff could see scarlet droplets flying into the air from behind him. The searing hurt pulsing in his back stole away the last bit of energy Brick had desperately been clinging onto. He turned to glare at Vix, fighting to stay awake. "You fucking...sneaky piece of shit..." he rasped, before gasping from the wound.
"Only the wolves will hear you," Vix said softly.
Panting heavily, the red Ruff began tumbling through the sky. He was spiralling fast, the wind around him whistling in his half-awake ears. Through blurred eyes, Brick could see splashes of red flying through the air. The ground was just beneath him.
But before Brick fell into the ground with an inevitable crash, he felt someone catch him. He turned slowly to see Vix. "Now's not the time for the curtain to fall yet," it seemed like Vix was murmuring, even though Brick could no longer hear anything. It was like someone had turned his ears off; they were still whistling from the fall and the pain.
The red Ruff didn't understand why Vix was saying such a thing or why Vix had saved him, but his brain was feeling too fuzzy for him to try and think. Brick was nearly unconscious when he heard a piercing howl. Then someone smashed into Vix, causing him to drop the red Ruff. Brick hit the ground hard, and the wound on his back started throbbing. His vision turned black as he slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard was a loud screech that seemed to echo in sudden and complete silence:
"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHERS!"
ME: Okay, done. Brick is now dead.
BRICK: I want to kill you right now.
ME: If you kill me, I won't be able to update and you really will be dead.
BRICK: Humph. *crosses arms*
BOOMER: Umm...review please? Then Kuku will update sooner again and maaaaybe it'll convince her to keep Brick alive...?