Author

Author's Note: Contact me at theak472@aol.com. Once again, thanks to Kim-Mei for proofreading... ish. This one's going to be short, because I intend to ... don't know, cliffhanger. It's meant to be hecka short, okay?!

Maybe I'm Twisted
by Rey

Chapter 11 - Betrayal of a Savior
"They can't be the Powerpuff Girls if there's only one."

Him, his face a mask of unpleasant vacuity, watched regally from his 'throne' as Butch entered the room. Behind him, a figure hunched over, its face in shadow. The demon could sense the sorrow emanating from the individual, and it sickened him; but behind that grief was rage, rage that could be harnessed to Him's evil plans. Smiling mordantly, he spread out his arms and stood, welcoming Butch back.

"Ah, so very good to see you again, Butchie." At the carelessly flung nickname, Butch scowled darkly, but did not raise his voice in protest. "I see you've brought one of your little friends today! Who could it be, I wonder," he stated, with no irony whatsoever.

The character stepped forward, dim light cast onto his mudstreaked face. Flaming red hair shone faintly beneath the illumination from underneath the grime. His eyes narrowed in victory? defeat? he advanced once more. Not bothering to kneel in reverence or whatever Him was expecting - a fact the demon did not find pleasurable - he spoke up.

"You know well enough who I am, and you know why I'm here." Brick declared this impassively, running a hand slowly back through his hair. "I want to join you."

"Oh, perfect!" Him giggled girlishly, clapping his hands in joy, and returning to his seat. "It's all going as I had planned." His hellish voice rang out around the room, echoing deeply, as if it shook the strings of time and space itself, but neither boy flinched.

Boomer knocked on the girls' room door, his head swarming with thoughts. Evol sreupnoc lla? The heck does that mean? Inside, he could faintly hear sobbing, from an all-too-familiar voice. The crying stopped abruptly, as he turned the doorknob and entered.

"Buttercup?" He asked. Buttercup was indeed there, her face tearstained, red eyes glimmering.

"Yeah?" She croaked, lifting a pillow that lay nearby to hug it.

"I don't mean to be rude, but..." And he paused, trying to ignore the strange look she gave him, "But if you're done crying, I think we ought to go look for Brick and Butch. And your sisters, of course," he added hastily. "You know anyone who could be holding all four of them right now?"

Buttercup seemed rather tired, but perhaps she thought some action would take her mind off their troubles. After a while, she nodded. Boomer gave a small grin.

"Which way would you like us to take outside? The door, perhaps?"

Buttercup shrugged, settling her pillow aside. She was quickly through the roof, Boomer following in her plaster-demolishing wake.

Again, through the roof, but this time inwards, and into none other than Him's house. The demon, languidly stretched out on his couch, held a tissue to his eye as he watched none other than the Titanic.

"Rose..." Jack, on the TV screen, minced, clinging to a floating board. Him suddenly burst into tears, hunched over, as Boomer and Buttercup stood there, both with an identically bemused expression on their faces. The demon turned to face them, straightening the lace around his collar.

"Why, hello, Buttercup," he simpered patronizingly, flicking a hand towards Boomer as means of a greeting. "Sorry about your disturbance, I was just watching a movie. Now what was it you wanted?"

"We want to know where you're keeping my sisters!" Buttercup snapped. Boomer, beside her, nodded sharply.

"Yeah, and my brothers," he growled. Him sat up slowly, throwing his head back and laughing. Both children were taken aback, recoiling quickly.

"I'm sorry, children, I really am, but I don't have your siblings. Now go away." Him turned back to the TV screen, and both children were as if forgotten. Boomer folded his arms across his chest and scowled, as if wondering what to do next. Buttercup's eyes were strangely unfocused, and as Boomer turned to her, mouth open to ask her a question, he noticed the distracted look on her face, and stopped mid-sentence.

Buttercup? Buttercup, where are you? Blossom's here with me, Buttercup. Can you hear me? Buttercup, help us, wherever you are! It's s-scary in here... Blossom's... Blossom's sleeping, and she won't wake up...

As Buttercup's expression became lucid once more, she focused her gaze on Him, and for that one moment the hate emanating from her was something Boomer could almost feel, something he could reach out and touch. He withdrew, but Buttercup suddenly reared up, and sped towards Him full-speed. The demon's head moved around as he was about to tell them once again to leave, but his eyes grew wide at the sight of the approaching Buttercup, and then it was too late.

"Take this!" She screamed, pummeling him faster than the eye could see. Almost instantaneously Boomer joined her, rapidly pounding and otherwise handing out a beatdown for Him. The demon, taken by surprise, had no choice but to call in his reserves to deal with them.

Buttercup, in her rage, was practically beyond hope, screaming obscenities and other foul things as she threw punches and kicks at the cowering Him. Boomer, however, was still relatively level-headed, and when he looked up noticed two objects which appeared to be flying towards them at full speed. He shouted a warning before the green object hit him, but before Buttercup could react the red object had hit her, dragging her away from her assault on Him, returning the injuries that had inflicted on the demon.

Butch furiously pounded his own brother, and Brick assailed Buttercup. Buttercup, taken by surprise and still very much in shock - Brick, omigod, Brick, what? - did not so much as lift a finger against Brick. Boomer tried his best to retaliate, but Butch, powered by his animalistic rage, easily parried each of his shots. The colored streaks darted about at each other on Him's ceiling, and the wounded demon stood up to get a better look. It was in-house entertainment, after all.

"Brick, why are you doing this?" Buttercup managed to shout hoarsely, thrown bodily into the nearest wall and slammed into. Brick, his face tightly set, blazing hair uncovered by his cap, dignified her with a reply.

"Because I'm evil," he said simply, drawing back for the final punch, the very one which would easily put her out of action. Butch, on the other side of the room, leaned over a Boomer that no longer responded, drew back as well. Buttercup closed her eyes, turning her face aside, preparing herself for the inevitable, for she would not fight back...

Rey: ...Cliffhanger! Haha! I like reviews. Go on, the box is right down there. Argh, short short. Well... well, the next chapter will be longer, or at least I'll try. And action-packed!