Chapter 11 - You're Only in Trouble if You Get Caught

They followed the woman back to her house. It was a modest home with small rooms, a side balcony, and several open windows. They noticed a large crucifix over the doorway to the kitchen. The nun was in the kitchen stirring something in a large kettle on the stove. The delicious smell made the Boys' stomachs growl.

She invited them to her table and served them all. She set out four glasses of milk, but to Brick, it looked distinctly different. The others drank their milk, but he only sniffed his.

"What is this?" Brick asked, indicating the glass of milk.

Buttercup looked at him. She blinked her eyes and sarcastically replied, "Uh, just milk, Brick."

He gave the glass another sniff. He closed one eye and turned to Buttercup. "Doesn't look like any milk I've ever had. It's blue!"

"It's probably goat's milk." Blossom said as she finished her glass. "Pretty good, too."

"Goat's milk?" he repeated.

"Well, yeah, have you noticed many cows here?" Blossom pointed out.

Brick shook his head and pushed the glass away from his plate. "Not going there."

The stew she had served them was a wonderful concoction of pork and vegetables. She also had made corn bread.

Blossom took out the letter and opened it. She began reading it to herself over her dinner.

"Well, what does it say?" Buttercup demanded.

Blossom glanced to the nun who had returned to stirring her stew. Butch turned to her and asked, "Señorita, hable inglés?"

She turned and shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. "No, no, solamente español." she answered.

Butch nodded to Blossom. "Read it, she won't understand it anyway. She doesn't speak English."

Blossom began reading the letter aloud. "OK, here it is:"

"Dear Powerpuff Girls:

So, you have found the 'mommy' that was the keeper of this letter. Did you enjoy the museum? You have done well, and allow me to assure you that Bubbles and Boomer are awaiting your arrival. Soon, you will all be together again. Enough pleasantries.

Here is the second clue, or actually, the second part of your riddle. Do you still think you can figure it out and defeat me?

'I stand on my hillside with arms wide open, waiting to give those who come comfort and peace, as a mother does a child. Little do they realize that I will soon unleash my power from this elevated spot, my white robe will smother them!'

You must now go to..."

Blossom stopped to yawn. Her eyes felt heavy and she could hardly keep the letter held in her hand. She looked across the table and saw that Butch had laid his head down and fallen asleep.

Buttercup started to laugh hysterically. "...'unleash my power...'", she snickered. "Gee, he sure is full of himself." She also felt incredibly tired, yet she couldn't stop laughing.

Brick and Blossom watched her as she tried to stand up and fell back into her chair. She continued to giggle and laid her head on her arms on the tabletop.

Blossom, her eyes heavy as well, asked, "What's wrong with her?" She dropped the letter on the floor, but when she went to pick it up, she fell out of her chair.

Brick had seen enough. He got up from the table to help Blossom, but saw that she was out cold.

"What the -" he started, then he saw the nun standing in the kitchen doorway. She looked considerably different now that she had an angry scowl on her face. A man in a military uniform stood behind her. He was all of six feet tall, short black hair and depthless black eyes. He smoked a thin cigar. He pointed to Brick.

" Por qué está el niño despierto?" he asked the nun.

She answered him without taking her eyes off Brick. "No le gusta la leche."

The man walked up to Brick. Brick held his ground, waiting to see what the man would do. The man crouched down to Brick's level then taunted him in Spanish. "Aww, niño pequeño, no comprende el español, eh?" he chuckled.

Brick socked the man in the nose, sending him flying backwards. He landed with a thud on the floor.

"Bet'cha YOU understood THAT, huh?" Brick yelled at the man. He felt a sharp stinging prick in his right side that made him jump. Surprised, he looked down and saw what looked like a dart sticking out of his shirt. He grabbed the thin metal cylinder and pulled on it. It had gone through his shirt and had stuck into his ribcage. Its orange tassel hung between his fingers. He noticed the room had begun to spin in front of his eyes. He dropped the dart, stumbled backwards, lost his balance, and landed on the floor on his rump so hard that he bit into his tongue. He tasted blood in his mouth. He tried to wipe his mouth, but found he had lost all feeling in his hands.

Several men in similar military uniforms stepped into the room and surrounded him. Four more men came in the front door and began moving the children from the table to the outside of the house.

The man Brick had slugged got up and walked over to him. Again, he crouched down and spoke, this time in English. "Now we add a new twist to the game, my boy."

Brick lolled his head back and looked at the ceiling as the room began to grow fuzzy. He tried to take off and break through the ceiling, but the men surrounding him grabbed his ankle and threw him back down to the floor. He tried to get back up, but one of the men shoved him down on his stomach.

"Just hold him still until the tranquilizer does the job." the man with the cigar ordered.

Two of the men fell on Brick, pinning him to the floor. The first man dropped his knee squarely in the small of Brick's back. The second jammed his forearm across Brick's shoulder blades and leaned into him. Brick tried to throw them off, but found all his strength was fast leaving him. He fought back the haziness in his eyes, but he was losing the battle. The man blew cigar smoke in his face and declared, "As for paybacks..." He stood up and kicked Brick in the ribs until Brick fell into unconsciousness.