Author

Author's Note: More talking, more action. Contact me at theak472@aol.com. Thanks, Sh'moona, for the ideas. I think this one's a little longer.

Maybe I'm Twisted
by Rey

Chapter 4 - Chaos Ensues
"And let us see what the night will bring."

As the last stars began fading from view in the sky, they reached the church. Buttercup landed, and the boys followed her lead as she darted through the large double doors and into the huge hall. Paling moonlight shone through the stained glass windows, painting patterns on the stone floor.

"Whoa," Boomer commented, eyes wide in awe, and his voice echoed through the room to the roof. "Big."

"Yeah," Butch agreed simply. Brick simply surveyed the space in silence.

"Well, Buttercup," And Brick, as well, earned a disbelieving glance from Boomer at having used her name, "Where do you propose we spend the rest of the night?"

Buttercup pondered this for a moment or two. God, his voice is soooo dreamy... No. Cut it out. Focused. "Well... there's not much of night left anyway. Just find somewhere where you can hide yourselves for a couple hours or so. I'll be around in the morning with some breakfast, and then we'll find you someplace permanent."

Boomer glanced around, and shrugged to Butch. Butch shrugged as well. "A'ight, girlie."

"Oh, and... and try to keep it quiet, okay? I'd definitely get into trouble if anyone found out you guys were living ... let alone living here," Buttercup frowned. The boys smirked.

"If we get into a mess, we'll let you know, hm?" Boomer grinned. Brick just glanced at his brothers before soaring up towards the ceiling and glancing around from a higher viewpoint.

"Hey guys," he called down. "There's a little nook over here. Kinda small, but I think it'll hold us. Not something I'd want to live in, though, but it's good for a night. Boomer ascended to have a look as well, and Buttercup was about to follow, when Butch muttered to her, "Hey, girl."

"...What?" She blinked at him.

"I know you've got somethin' for leader boy over there. Now I don't got a problem with that, but you'd better not mess with his mind..." Butch grinned and cracked his knuckles, before streaking up to join his brothers. Buttercup frowned a little as she followed, light green trailing dark green.

On closer inspection, the "nook" Brick was referring to was just that: A nook, up on the unexplored "second level" of the church. But it was big enough, and comfortable enough for a while, although it looked a little dusty. Boomer hovered over and settled down on the floor.

"Yeah, dusty. But we'd better let girlie here get some sleep." He waved a hand lazily towards Buttercup. Butch joined Boomer in the nook, and Brick looked towards Buttercup, almost anticipating her thoughts.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. We can take care of ourselves, you know." Brick gazed at her, with a smile.

Buttercup laughed, a little nervously. "Okay. Um. I'll be around with breakfast in the morning. Goodnight, Brick."

"Later, Bee-Cee." He chuckled, and streaked over to the nook to join his brothers.

Bee-Cee?

It's never been so wrong, it's never felt so right.

Brick watched Buttercup leave the church from their high-up vantage point. Butch was settling down a few feet away to sleep, and Boomer was leaning against the wall, eyeing Brick.

She's cute, yeah. And... and she's nice. Yeah. And I think she likes me. Dude. My brain hurts.

"Yo. Brick."

Does she really like me?

"Yeah?" He replied, sounding slightly distracted. Boomer raised a brow cynically at his lack of attention, and focus. Brick didn't even seem to be listening to him at all.

I think I'm starting to like her...

"Dude. Look at me." Brick glanced at him, eyes narrowed in slight annoyance.

I've only known her for so long...

"The hell you want?" He scowled, tilting his cap backwards. Boomer had interrupted his thoughts, after all.

Oh, Bee-Cee. I wish I could ask you.

"Sheesh. Don't have to be a bitch just 'cause your girlfriend left." Boomer muttered.

"Boomer, we've only know her for like an hour. Kinda fast for her to become my girlfriend, huh?" Brick retorted sarcastically. Boomer shrugged, as Butch looked up from where he rested.

"Dude. I had a short chat with her just now. Frankly, it's fine if she has the hots for you, Brick -" And at this, the redheaded one glowered - "But I just said if she messed with your mind, I'd mess her up bad."

"...You didn't have to threaten her, Butch. She helped us out, you know."

"Yeah, well. Just want her to know we're on to her." Butch shrugged, rolling over. "Now will you guys shut up? I'm trying to get a little shuteye here. I'm tuckered, yanno."

Boomer glanced at Brick. "Sorry about that crack 'bout you and... Buttercup." He lowered his voice, noticing Butch twitch in irritation. "Just... ya know, don't get too close to the girlie. Don't know what she's on about yet."

Brick turned his eyes away. "Yeah, well."

Boomer watched him stare at the church ceiling for a moment more, before rolling onto his back to get some sleep.

Is this a dead end? What do I do now?

"Wake up, Buttercup!" Bubbles' voice trilled happily in Buttercup's face. She groaned. It... it's morning already? Hadn't she just plopped into bed...?

"..what?" She grumbled, grabbing a nearby pillow and holding it over her face.

"Good morning!" Bubbles giggled, cheerful as always. "It's Sunday and the Professor made us breakfast again and I bet it's really really good!"

Blossom, at her usual place by her vanity stand, chuckled, brushing her hair. "Gee, Buttercup, you look awful tired, like you haven't gotten a wink of sleep. Are you alright?" Sisterly concern, Buttercup thought.

"Yeah, Blossom. Just didn't sleep too well," Buttercup muttered, managing to sit up. "Gah. Bright. Turn out the lights, will you?" She glanced irritably towards Bubbles.

Bubbles complied by closing the curtains. "There you go, Buttercup! Now rise and shine, get washed up, and we'll all go down to eat breakfast together!" She beamed brightly, dancing around the room. Buttercup sighed, rolling out of bed onto the floor, and hovering into the bathroom.

Breakfast was different for Buttercup today. A bowl of cereal and fresh milk, with strawberries. Buttercup smiled at the Professor, and thanked him. It wasn't usual for him to have enough time to make them all breakfast, and she supposed she should be grateful as she sat down to eat.

"Mmm," She said, popping the last strawberry into her mouth a couple minutes later. And it was just in time, too, for the Hotline started buzzing upstairs almost immediately after.

"I'll get it!" Blossom streaked up the staircase. Buttercup and Bubbles both tuned their hearing to that room, and heard such:

"Powerpuff Girls! Blossom! The Rowdyruff Boys are terrorizing the people down at Townsville church!" The Mayor was heard to cry in an anguished tone. Buttercup grimaced visibly, but neither the Professor nor Bubbles noticed.

And then Blossom spoke. "What? The Rowdyruff Boys, Mayor? Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure!"

"Alright, Mayor! We're on it!" She slammed the hotline's phone down and streaked back downstairs. "Come on, girls! The Rowdyruff Boys are back and they're terrorizing people at the Townsvil ~"

"We heard, Blossom!" Bubbles sounded terrified. "They're .. they're back?"

Buttercup was silent, watching the exchange. "Yes, Bubbles, but there's no time to lose! We gotta go now!" Blossom cried.

The Professor looked worried, and asked quickly, "Girls, do you mind using -"

Crash.

"- the door?"

"There!" Blossom pointed towards the church, where frightened screams and shouts could be heard. All three girls spiraled downwards, Buttercup trembling with fear and with anger. I told those boys not to cause trouble!... Why, Brick?...

The girls burst through the double doors of the church. "Freeze, Rowdyruff Boys!" Blossom yelled in her most commanding tone. The people who hid fearfully behind the pews cheered, and the boys, who were currently zipping around the ceiling, stopped and gazed down. A brave, imposing Blossom, and next to her, a frightened-looking Bubbles, who was trying her best to look brave anyway, and behind them both, a guilty-looking Buttercup.

"Dude. The girls are here," Boomer commented.

"You're fast," Butch muttered.

"Shh," Brick shushed them. He raised his voice. "Yo, what'd we do? We just woke up and we wanted a little exercise!"

"Yeah, we haven't even gone down there yet!" Boomer added, pointing down at the pews indignantly.

"Hey, Buttercup, where's breakfast?" Butch called to Buttercup, who flinched visibly, her cover blown. Boomer elbowed him in the side. "Nice going, dumbass." Butch just shrugged.

Slowly, Blossom turned to face Buttercup, Bubbles still staring at the boys fearfully. "You?!"

Buttercup chuckled nervously, averting her eyes. "Um... Yes, Blossom?"

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Buttercup Utonium," Blossom snapped, and glared.

Bubbles whispered towards Blossom, "I think there's something more important right now, Blossom..." and waved a hand towards the ceiling, where the boys hovered near.

Blossom blinked, and turned back around. "Right, Bubbles. So, Rowdyruff Boys! How, how did you come back?"

"Um." Butch blinked. "Should we tell her, Brick?"

Behind Blossom's and Bubbles' back, Buttercup hovered, waving her arms and shaking her head 'no' frantically.

"We... Um." Brick looked at his brothers. "Jeez, help me out here, would ya?"

Boomer shrugged. "Uh. We got Buttercup to do it in her sleep. 'cause, you know, it sucked being dead. But you can't arrest us, right? We haven't done anything wrong, right?" He laughed nervously, blinking slowly.

Bubbles actually giggled. "He's right, Blossom. We can't do anything to them, 'cause they didn't do anythin' bad yet. They don't sound too evil, neitha." She giggled again happily. "Maybe they could be our friends!"

"I don't know, Bubbles. You can't judge a book by its cover." Bubbles simply looked confused, but smiled anyway. "Okay, whatever you say, Blossom."

"What do you think, man?" Brick looked to his brothers. Boomer shrugged.

"I say we make up with them or somethin'. At least they can get us a place to stay. As long as they don't bother us after that, I don't give a damn, they can go crime-bustin' all they want."

"Well... sounds good to me," Boomer nodded, "But I don't quite like any of them. They're dumb girlies, the hell do they know?" Butch tilted his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but we shou'n't be queer to 'em if they're gonna help us out, ya know?"

Brick listened, frowning slightly. "I agree with both of you. You think they'll take it?"

Butch smirked knowingly, eyeing Brick. "I know Buttercup will."

Brick hovered forward from his brothers. "Yo, girls. We got a proposition to make."

"Well, go on," Blossom tried not to snap at him. They were the enemy, after all...! How could... but... why?

"We ain't looking for trouble here, and we swear we won't go stirring it up intentionally. What we want is a place to stay, and that's all. We don' mind becomin' friends or allies here, you get?" Brick gazed at Blossom hopefully.

Blossom sighed, turning to her sisters. She had to be reasonable. "Well, what do you girls think?"

"I think we should go for it," Buttercup replied immediately, blushing for for reasons unknown, and glancing away.

Blossom blinked, confused, and turned to Bubbles. "How about you?"

"Uh-huh... Well, they look nice 'nuff," she giggled.

Blossom sighed again, turning back to speak to the boys, a resigned expression on her face.

"...Alright, we accept your proposition. Friends and.. or.. allies," she said finally, with a nod.