Chapter 6
"They're out here," Reese stated. He had led them around the city for four nights straight in search of the three that Butch and Bubbles had seen. So far, the others had only gotten bored of the hunt. The only thing keeping them going was another two disappearances reported within Townsville's city limits.
"How do you know?" Blossom asked.
Reese turned to her and gave her a toothy grin. "Trust me."
He led them passed the Mayor's office and down the street. He made several turns heading into the centre of town. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly, looking around them, pausing to check down alleys, then continuing, but Blossom somehow knew he was well aware of where they were going.
He suddenly stopped and tilted his head as if listening for something though the others heard nothing. He motioned them to stay behind him as he crept to the end of the block. He pulled Butch and Buttercup forward as he peered around the corner into a dark alley.
Using their night vision, Butch and Buttercup saw three figures crouching in a huddle. They were intent on what was between them and they seemed to be eating.
Buttercup saw one of the boys hold up a severed finger with red nail polish. He pulled the nail and a gold ring off the finger and tossed them aside. Buttercup let out a small gasp as he put the finger in his mouth and pulled the flesh from the bone. He then used the stripped bone as a toothpick then tossed it away.
Reese grabbed her and Butch and headed back to the others. He crouched down between them and spoke in whispers.
"You OK?" he asked Buttercup who appeared shaken.
"It was them, wasn't it?" Bubbles asked Butch. He nodded.
Buttercup shivered as she turned to Bubbles and Butch. "You were right, guys, I thought you were both loopy, but you were right." She turned to Reese and asked, "What were they eating?"
Reese paused then answered, "Looks like another one of your fine citizens."
The others stared at him with wide eyes. Brick turned to Butch and whispered, "You really were serious!"
Butch nodded. Reese motioned them all closer. "OK, we can lure them out here."
"How?" Boomer asked.
Reese turned to Butch and Bubbles. "Live bait."
"Now wait a minute, what kind of plan is that?" Blossom asked sternly.
"Remember," Reese explained, "Bubbles and Butch have seen them and survived. They're the only ones to ever manage that. We let them see Bubbles and Butch. Just wander into the alley and get their attention. They'll go crazy, believe me. They'll do anything necessary to get rid of you two now. We get them separated and catch them off guard."
"This plan sucks," Brick stated.
"It's the only way," Reese answered, "You won't take them together, I can promise you that."
"Yeah, right, there's three of them, six of us," Brick snorted.
Reese shook his head and replied, "No, we gotta get them separated. You go after them together, they'll systematically hunt each of you down and tear you apart."
"Then we'll stay together!" Buttercup insisted.
"Can you guarantee you six will stay together?" Reese asked, "'Cause I KNOW the three of them will. They know they're more efficient as pack-hunters than on their own. You go after them all at once, they won't separate and they'll find ways to isolate you guys."
Blossom looked to Brick and said, "Let's just do this Reese's way. He knows them, we don't. We've never faced anything like this. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to go on a little faith here."
Brick reluctantly nodded. "OK, we're in. We try this your way, Reese."
"It's the only way, believe me," Reese stated.
Butch sighed and shook his head. "Well, if that's the only way..."
"...then we do it." Bubbles finished.
Reese held up his hand and added, "Also, remember, do not, under any circumstances, let yourself get caught alone with them, OK?"
They all nodded. "OK," Blossom spoke up, "Two of us to one of them once we get them apart. Buttercup and Brick on one, Bubbles and Butch on another, Boomer, you're with me."
"We get the girl," Butch stated, "I'm gonna kick her butt."
"OK," Blossom replied, "That leaves the boys."
"Me and Buttercup get the red-head. I wanna see if this kid really DOES look like me. Still think you're imagining things," Brick grumbled as he gave Butch a sideways look.
"That leaves me and Boomer with the other one," Blossom declared. She looked to Reese. "Where will you be?"
Reese grinned and answered, "You'll see me. I'm the round-up and detainment crew."
"Just you?" Brick asked.
"Yep," Reese answered, "They can't hurt me. If anything, I'll scare the living hell out of 'em once they figure out what I am."
Chapter 7
The boys took to their work of dragging the dead woman's innards out. The red head looked to the girl. "How come we always get the nasty work?" he asked.
"'Cause I'm the eldest," she replied.
"Then we should get first bid on the rest!" the red head complained angrily.
She swung out lightning fast and hit the red head in the face with a leg bone, knocking him sideways. "Do NOT argue with me!" she shouted.
The red head got up and wiped the blood from the cut on his left temple. He glared at the girl as the black haired boy laughed at him hysterically. "It's not funny!" the red head insisted.
The black haired boy tried his best to stifle his chuckling as he replied, "If anything, you're the bottom of this food chain, my boy. You're the baby." He broke into laughter again as the red head stood up.
"Baby this, bastard!" The red head tackled the black haired boy and the two of them began fighting. The girl reached out and grabbed each of them by the rings in their ears and pulled them apart.
"Will you two knock it off?!" she shrieked.
"Awww, a bit of a family feud here, or what?" they heard from behind them.
The girl turned to see Butch and Bubbles hovering at the end of the alley. She released both of the combatants and grinned at the two intruders. "You two again?" She giggled, turned to the two boys and said, "Look, dessert's here!"
The boys broke into laughter as well. "Make mine the kiddie plate!" the black haired boy declared.
"No, no, wait, I got one!" the red head added, as he picked up a piece of their previous meal, "Make mine the 'Open-Face' platter, what 'cha think!" He giggled hysterically as he produced the dead woman's facial skin and flapped her lips like a puppet with his claws. Bubbles felt bile rise in her throat and swallowed hard to keep from throwing up.
"You gotta wonder about dogs," Bubbles insulted.
The three glared at her, still giggling, and began moving towards them. They were drenched in blood from head to toe from the woman they had devoured. "Let's see how you think when I'm tearing your throat out, little girl." the black haired boy threatened.
"You can dream about it," Butch declared.
"I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart, sweet meat," the girl said to Butch. The three of them suddenly sprang at Butch and Bubbles with teeth and claws bared. Butch and Bubbles waited until they were within reach, then shot off down the street. The three missed the target again, then morphed into their bat and glided after Butch and Bubbles.
Butch looked over his shoulder as the beast closed in on them. "Oh, man, we're in trouble!" he yelled as Bubbles also turned to see the bat behind them. It shrieked at them, sending chills through both Butch and Bubbles.
"Let's lose 'em!" Bubbles suggested. She and Butch made a ninety-degree turn straight down, throwing off the bat behind them. The bat landed on a rooftop and separated again. The girl looked to where Butch was flying over the buildings.
"You two go after her. I'm on sweet meat." She took off running after Butch as the boys followed Bubbles. "Make sure you get her!" they heard the girl scream at them.
The boys followed directly behind Bubbles. The red head took a chance and leaped to grab her, but she managed to accelerate enough to avoid his claws. They came to a screeching halt as Bubbles turned a corner. Blossom, Brick, Buttercup, and Boomer hovered in front of them. The black haired boy shook his head upon seeing them.
"Uh-uh", he mumbled, "Five on two??" He and the red head turned and took off, running back the way they had come.
"But, she said to get the girl!" the red head yelled.
"Don't care!" the black haired boy yelled back, "You go ahead and take 'em all if you want!"
"Bubbles, you go back and help Butch!" Blossom yelled as she and the others took off after the boys, "Remember what Reese said!"
Bubbles left the others to chase the two boys and zoomed off to find Butch and the girl. She swerved around buildings, over rooftops, and through a retail store until she caught a glimpse of the girl scampering over parking meters and across the hoods of cars in pursuit of Butch.
Brick, Blossom, Buttercup, and Boomer continued on after the two boys. Blossom shot a laser blast at the two as they reached the end of a block. It hit the pavement between the two, causing them to jump, then they split up. The red head continued down the street while the black haired boy ducked into a restaurant. Blossom and Boomer pursued him as Brick and Buttercup soared passed after the red head.
Blossom and Boomer were directly behind the black haired boy and followed him into the kitchen of the restaurant. The boy dumped a tray of dishes in their path, trying to delay them. He then shoved an employee in their path, causing them to stop in a hurry, then go around her. He smashed the back door of the restaurant open and tore down the back alley. Blossom and Boomer streaked behind him, their pink and navy blue trails drawing behind them.
The boy came to a solid wall and quickly scaled it in an attempt to avoid Blossom and Boomer. Boomer caught him and snatched him off the wall. He flung the boy towards Blossom who was winding up with a power punch, but, much to their surprise, the boy grabbed an overhead power line and swung out of her path. He released the line and headed for a rooftop to land on. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dark figure swooped in and grabbed him by the hair. He howled with pain and struggled to get free as Blossom and Boomer saw the figure was Reese. He now had a set of leathery wings that had formed out of his shoulder blades. He pointed to a fisherman's net that was hanging on the wall outside of the restaurant.
Blossom and Boomer grabbed the net and opened it into a loose sack as Reese held onto the boy. "Nothin' but net," he declared. He then tossed the boy like a basketball directly into the net. Blossom and Boomer caught the boy and wound the net around him. The boy screamed his disapproval at being caught and tried to slash the net open with his claws. Reese ripped the hood off a nearby car and caught the boy with it as he fell from the net. Blossom and Boomer bent the hood around the boy as he landed in it trapping him inside the metal cage.
"One down!" Reese declared, "Take that one to my car, dump him in the trunk. I'm gonna keep going."
He soared off as Blossom and Boomer headed off with the hood. He heard the girl screech and headed in the direction of the sound.
Butch couldn't believe the girl had kept up with him despite his attempts to outrun her. He ducked under a bridge walkway as the girl jumped up and over the railing. She jumped off the bridge and landed on Butch's back. She tore at him causing him to go down and land with a thud on the ground. They tumbled down an embankment into a highway and the girl wrestled Butch beneath her. As they stopped, she shrieked and bared her teeth. She moved to deliver a vicious bite to Butch's neck, but was snatched off of him by Bubbles. Bubbles dragged the girl across the pavement through oncoming traffic and dumped her into a pile of garbage. The girl sat up, shook her head, then took off running. Bubbles helped Butch up then the two of them streaked off after the girl. She swerved between cars and debris in the street, then turned down another street. She dared a peek over her shoulder to see the blue and green streaks behind her. She suddenly came to a dead end and began to quickly climb the wall of an apartment building. Butch and Bubbles followed her up, but she quickly ducked into an open window as Butch and Bubbles over shot her. Butch turned and followed her through the building with Bubbles right behind them. The girl tore through the apartment, throwing furniture, dumping shelves, even tossing the family's dog at Butch to slow him. She entred the kitchen where a woman was chopping vegetables, grabbed the woman's knife, and flung it at Butch. He ducked and the knife sailed past him and stuck in the wall as Bubbles passed. The girl dove through the back window towards a window in the next building, but Butch and Bubbles zapped the wall below the window with their lasers. The girl cringed, causing her to miss the window and slide down the wall. She desperately scrabbled for the window she had intended to go through.
"Aww, you missed," Butch teased her.
She glared at him and snarled. She tried again to reach the window, but Bubbles blasted the wall just above the girl's fingers. The girl lost her grip and fell seven stories towards the street below. She shrieked the whole way down as Bubbles followed her.
Reese streaked in and landed in the street below the girl holding an open garbage can. Bubbles landed beside him and watched the girl fall. Reese weaved back and forth with the garbage can and caught the girl as she landed directly in it. He then slammed the lid over the can and set it on the street. Bubbles then hit the can with her lasers and melted the lid to the can.
"That's two!" Reese said as Butch came down to meet them.
"One more to go!" Bubbles stated.
Reese nodded then the three of them took off carrying the garbage can with the girl inside scratching to escape.
Chapter 8
The red head whirled around as he heard the girl's screams. He had eluded Brick and Buttercup and had made his way across the rooftop of a building under construction. He climbed a wall to a balcony and stood for a moment then howled for his siblings. He heard no answer. His chest began to heave with panic, then he howled his rage. He saw a fire escape ladder next to the balcony and climbed it. He ended up on another rooftop overlooking the one he had just left. He paused again as the late night's breeze blew his blood-soaked curls into his face and gave one last effort to call to the others. His howls were again not answered. He growled his disapproval, then turned to head over the roof. He stopped suddenly. In front of him, like a mirror image of himself, was another boy, hovering above the rooftop. The two glared at each other.
"End of the line, buddy," the boy stated. The red head looked into the boy's red eyes, the right one swollen and blackened, and let out a growl from deep in his throat. He snarled at the boy and lunged out with his claws. Then everything went black.
Brick slugged the red headed boy with everything he had. The boy's head snapped back and he fell from the roof. Brick watched as the boy fell and landed on the rooftop below with a thud. He lay there, on his back, sprawled out, not moving. Brick floated down to the boy and landed next to him. He crouched down cautiously and watched as a stream of blood oozed from the boy's mouth. Brick shook his head.
Buttercup arrived and landed on the other side of the unconscious red head. Her dress was torn across her stomach and Brick saw several bleeding cuts. He pointed to her wounds and asked, "You OK?"
Buttercup nodded and answered, "Yeah, ghoul-boy here managed to get a shot at me. Those claws of his are brutal!" She examined the boy lying unconscious on the rooftop. "He really DOES look like you!" she exclaimed, "Only difference is the curls."
"Yeah, whatever," Brick stated. He stood up and hollered, "Reese, we got one!"
From the darkness, they heard Reese answer, "Awesome! Bring him and meet us at the rink!"
Chapter 9
Reese had tied the red head down on his stomach on a long metal table that was at one time a check out counter for the abandoned skating rink. Though still unconscious, the boy tensed as Professor tapped on his arm, at the crook of his right elbow, and stuck a large needle into the rising vein. Professor pushed a small tube onto the end of the needle and watched as the boy's blood filled the tube.
"So, what do you think?" Professor asked Reese as he withdrew the needle and stuck a band-aid on the boy's arm.
Reese furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Don't know," he replied, "I've been after the other two for awhile. I don't know where this one came from. Definitely a new addition."
"Where are the other two?" Professor asked.
Reese thumbed backwards and answered, "They're locked up in the storage room. Solid cinder block walls, only the skylight in the roof."
"They can get through that," Professor stated.
Reese shook his head. "No, they need this one to fly, at least that's what I'm thinking."
"Why?" Professor asked.
"'Cause I've never seen the others fly, especially on their own. Now all the sudden, they can with this one's help."
"How do you think they're doing that?" Professor asked, "Any ideas?"
Reese shrugged. "I have no idea. Must be something new."
"The other two can still break through the roof, if they want, you know that," Professor declared.
"They could climb the walls, I guess, but by the time they figure out what's going on, it'll be too late for them to bust out anyway." Reese looked beyond Professor Utonium to another window. "Sun's already rising."
"You're sure this plan is going to work?" Professor asked.
"Yep, pretty sure. They won't have much choice once the sun comes up." Reese began untying the red head and looked to the Professor. "You ready to let the other ones out? Still got the touch, you think?"
Professor grinned. "Yep, still got it. Let's go."
The Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys stood looking at the crumpled hood and the melted trash can. They could hear both of the trapped ghouls fighting to escape. Reese, carrying the unconscious red head with him, and Professor Utonium entred the room and approached the metal cages. Professor stood at the trash can. Reese dropped the red head and approached the hood. Professor nodded to Buttercup who zapped the trash can with her lasers.
"Professor, you sure you should stand there?!" Bubbles asked in a panic.
Professor stood ready as Buttercup circled the trash can with her lasers. "Yes, honey, don't worry." Without taking his eyes off the trash can, Professor indicated the door to the storage room. "Bubbles, Blossom, hold that door open." Bubbles and Blossom floated over to the door and held it open, not quite sure what to expect.
Reese stood ready as Brick, Butch, and Boomer pulled the hood apart. They ducked as one of the black haired boy's clawed hands shot out in an attempt to grab them.
Professor carefully bent the trash can lid back slightly and saw a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him. The girl made her move to escape as Buttercup shouted, "Professor, look...!" She watched, stunned as, with a lightning fast move of his hand, Professor reached into the trash can and grabbed the girl. He dragged her out of the can by a handful of her hair and the rings in her left ear. She screamed and tried desperately to kick at the Professor as she clawed his hand trying to make him drop her. The other children saw that one of her horns had been broken off and blood from what was left of it streamed down the back of her head.
Reese snatched the black haired boy out of the hood, also by a handful of hair. He glared at Reese and swung with his claws trying to slash Reese. He howled as Reese tightened his grip on the boy's hair.
"Brick, you and your brothers bring that one," Reese pointed to the red head. The Boys picked the red head up and followed Professor and Reese to the door. The small room had no windows except for a single skylight in the roof. Reese and Professor stood at the door and flung the two struggling children into the room. They landed with a thud and skidded across the room to the back wall. Brick, Butch, and Boomer followed suit and threw the red head in as well. He landed in the middle of the room on his stomach. The other two quickly got up and tried to make it to the door before Bubbles and Blossom slammed it in their faces.
"OK, now what?" Brick asked as they heard the two scratching at the door and their angry howls.
Professor wrapped his wounded hand in a towel and answered, "Now we wait."
Chapter 10
He heard someone shouting his name, but the voice sounded distant. He groggily struggled to open his eyes. He reached up with his hands in an attempt to sit up. Suddenly, his left hand and forearm felt as if they were on fire. His eyes snapped open and he saw his arm was smoking.
"OW-WOW-WOW-WOW!!" he screamed and scrambled back from the source of the heat. He cradled his arm and saw that the flesh was bubbled and smoldering. He panted and looked up to see the sunlight streaming into the small room. He quickly backed away and looked around. The black haired boy and the girl were huddled against the back wall.
The red head scooted over to where they sat and asked, "Where are we?!" He reached into his mouth with his other hand and pulled out three loose teeth. He tossed them aside in distaste and sucked the blood from the open sockets. "That kid busted my teeth out!"
"You've got bigger problems than that," a man's voice said from the shadowed side of the room. They saw the bright end of a lit cigarette and a ring of smoke as he exhaled.
"Who are you?!" the girl shouted, "What do you want?!"
They heard the man chuckle as he stood up. "What's your names?" he asked.
They remained silent as he approached the beam of sunlight that now divided the room into two dark sections. He raised his hands and shrugged. "Surely you can tell me your names, right?"
Reluctantly, the girl answered, "M-m-my name's Dareena."
"I'm...Derrick," the black-haired boy said. He pointed to the red head. "This is Darion."
The man crossed his arms in front of himself and grinned. "See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"
"So, who are you?" Dareena asked again.
The man took one last drag on his cigarette and dropped it on the floor. He crushed it out under his boot and replied, "I'm Reese. I can be one of two things to you guys. Either your saviour or your destructor, but it'll be up to you."
"What do you want from us?" Dareena asked as she and the boys backed away further from the expanding ray of sunlight.
"Just some info, specifically, a name," Reese answered.
"What's wrong with the one you have?" Derrick snorted. They burst into laughter at his comment, but Reese apparently found no humour in the remark.
"WHAT?!!" Dareena screamed, "What do you want?!"
"Who's your 'owner'?" Reese asked.
The three burst into hysterical giggles again at his question. "Yeah, right, as if we'd tell you THAT!" Derrick snorted.
Reese shrugged and replied, "Hey, that's OK. I can wait." He turned and headed for the door. "I'll come back later, after you've had a chance to think about it."
Dareena suddenly sprang to her feet followed by Derrick. "Hey, wait a second!" she yelled as she and Derrick ran towards Reese. They stopped short at the dividing sunlight streak as Reese slammed the door behind himself, leaving the three of them to sit and wait for the ever-advancing sun to fill the room.
"Well?" Professor asked Reese as he locked the door again.
"Nope, they're not up for it right now," he replied. He chuckled and added, "I'll give 'em awhile, then go back in."
"Do you think they'll tell you what you want to know?" Professor asked.
Reese shrugged. "Don't know. Remember how long we've been after them. I figure right around 3:00 this afternoon we'll find out."
"What's gonna happen to them?" Blossom asked.
Reese shrugged. "Well, that's up to them. They can either talk to me or not. If they do, I haven't decided what I'm gonna do with them. We'll have to wait and see."
"What if they don't talk?" Butch asked, "Then what?"
Reese stopped and lit another cigarette. He turned to them and answered, "We'll be sweeping up what's left of them with a Shop Vac."
They heard the door's lock turn and Reese walked back in. The door closed behind him and they watched him walk to the edge of the sunlight on his side of the room and sit down. He crossed his legs and set out a wind-up clock next to himself. It was two thirty in the afternoon. He lit another cigarette and looked at them.
They now stood up as the flood of sunlight had filled their side of the room enough that they could no longer avoid it sitting down. They stood with their backs against the wall, sweat pouring down their faces, yet shivering with fright.
"Ready now?" Reese snickered at them.
"Why do you want to know?!" Dareena shrieked. She panted with anger as she stood.
Reese chuckled. He shrugged and replied, "So I can get rid of him, what do you think?"
Derrick shook his head angrily. "He'll kill us if we tell you."
Reese looked around the room. "Doesn't look like your chances are much better in here, now, does it?"
"Let's just get out of here!" Darion insisted.
"Look up, Darion, we can't. You think we can make it out of here now?" Derrick yelled, "Tell ya what, I'll chuck your dumb ass out there and we'll see how long you last!" He turned to Reese and continued, "You're the same as us, aren't you?"
Reese laughed out loud. He shook his head and replied, "Not by a long shot, kiddo. The similarities are there, but I'm NOT like you worms."
"Yeah, what 'similarities' would those be?" Dareena shot back.
Reese exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke and answered, "I'm pretty sure you can figure it out. But, NOBODY owns me." He stood up and they watched with mouths hanging open and eyes wide as Reese walked directly into the beam of sunlight. He stood grinning at them with his arms crossed in front of himself. "I'm just a bit different, now, ain't I?" he teased.
"You're...you're...a daywalker!" Dareena gasped.
"You could call it that, yeah," Reese stated.
Darion turned to his siblings and asked, "Is the master like that, too?"
"No," Reese answered, "At least not that I'm aware of."
"So, you already know who he is?" Derrick asked.
Reese slowly nodded. "Got a pretty good idea, yeah." He pointed to Dareena. "The white hair kinda gives it away, along with your eyes..." he continued as he pointed to Derrick, "But I can't figure you out," he finished, pointing to Darion. "You're definitely unexpected."
"So, if you already know who he is, why are you torturing us?" Dareena asked angrily.
Reese shrugged. "Just want to make sure before he gets here. It's nice to know who to expect."
They looked shocked. Derrick asked, "Why would he come here? We left him behind over a year ago!"
"That's a good point, why did you's leave him, anyway?" Reese asked. He sat back down in the sunlight and crossed his legs again. "Doesn't make any sense. He made you, correct?"
They nodded. "So, why did you leave? Never seen Mornaucks show any rational thought like that," Reese added.
Dareena looked to the floor. She paused, then answered, "'Cause he started taking his frustrations out on us."
"His 'frustrations'?" Reese asked.
Dareena nodded. "He's been working on some sort of 'project' for years. Last I remember, he hadn't gotten it right yet."
Reese rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "What kind of project?"
"I don't know," Dareena stated.
"What's he been doing?" Reese asked.
Dareena answered, "Experimenting with different stuff. Different chemicals, different animals, I told you I don't know what he's trying to do."
"Uh-huh," Reese replied, "So, why did you leave him? You know he's gonna want you three back, right?"
Derrick shook his head and said, "We're not going back to him. No way."
"He's gotta find us, first," Dareena stated.
Reese chuckled and said, "That shouldn't be too hard, guys."
They looked surprised as Reese pulled a newspaper clipping from his pocket. He unfolded it and held it up to them. There was a picture of a map, and the three of them recognized the route it depicted. "Seems you guys weren't as careful as you thought you were," Reese explained, "Plus, let's not forget the mess you's left last night."
"So, we were sloppy, so what? Why would he come after us?" Darion wondered.
"'Cause you messed up!" Reese explained, "Not only did you leave a trail, but now you're caught. He's not going to take a chance of having you three traced back to him. He'll find you and kill you, and I'm sure it won't be very pleasant for you, either. You think this is bad..." he indicated the room they were now trapped in, "I'm sure what he's got in mind for you is ten times worse. Face it, you're a failed project now."
"What can he do?" Dareena asked concern now creeping into her voice.
Reese chuckled. "For starters, he can stake the three of you out and let the sun finish the job. Or, maybe he'll just rip you three apart and use the leftovers in something else." He laughed and sarcastically added, "Now, doesn't that sound like a wonderful reunion in your near future?"
They stood panting as they realized Reese was telling them the truth. Pictures of what their master would do to them filled their heads and they visibly shivered again.
"So, you never answered my question," Reese began, "Why did you take off?"
"Like I said, he started taking his frustrations out on us," Dareena repeated.
"Basically, he started beating the living hell out of us every time things didn't go his way," Derrick added. He nodded towards Darion. "Especially him."
"What'd he do?" Reese asked Darion.
Darion answered, "Beat me bloody with a crowbar. Broke just about every bone in me. It was a contest to see if I'd die of infection or starve to death first."
"You know it's not that easy, right?" Reese asked.
Darion looked at his toes and replied, "Yeah, I figured that out."
"Why you more than the other two? Any particular reason?" Reese asked Darion.
Darion shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe 'cause I'm the youngest."
"We figured it was time to move on after what happened to Darion," Dareena explained, "We really thought he'd die."
The clock ticked on to 2:45. Reese looked at it, then turned back to the three as they tried to press themselves into the wall to avoid the sunlight. They stood on their tiptoes as the sunlight reached for their feet.
"So, you're not too fond of him, why don't you just tell me what I wanna know?" Reese asked.
"What do we get out of this deal?" Dareena asked sternly.
"No deal's been offered that I know of," Reese shot back.
"Then maybe we can make one," Derrick suggested.
Reese considered for a moment then said, "OK, tell you what. You tell me his name, and I promise I'll end your miserable lives quick."
They gaped at him as if he were joking. "What kind of deal is that?!" Dareena yelled.
Reese looked at the clock again. "I figure in about fifteen more minutes, you guys will have no place else to hide. I'm pretty sure I've already got what I want, I just want confirmation from you three. You can burn in here, or I can take you's out fast. The choice is yours."
"Let's just tell him!" Darion hollered.
"No way!" Derrick shrieked, "Are you off your gourd?"
"I'd rather lose my head than burn!" Darion screamed back.
"Time's a-wasting, kids," Reese stated.
Dareena held up her hands and spoke slowly, trying to control the fear rising in all of them. "Will you make us like you?" she asked.
Reese broke into laughter and shook his head. He looked up at them, still chuckling, and replied, "Not on this earth, honey, sorry."
"Why not?" she demanded.
Reese continued to shake his head. "Don't need the competition and I certainly don't need any pups. I make you like me, I've got to kill you anyway. Simple as that."
"But, we'll behave that way, right?" Derrick asked, "That's how it's supposed to work! We get more control that way, over ourselves, at least, you get what you want, we stay out of your way!"
"And the first time you three tear some poor sucker apart, I'll have to hunt you down and take your heads anyway, why delay the inevitable?" Reese pointed out.
"What if we never do that again?" Darion asked. "YOU don't hunt like that, right?"
"Only when I have to," Reese answered.
"So, we'll be like you instead!" Darion insisted. He peered at the clock behind Reese. Ten minutes to three o'clock and they were running out of toe room quickly. "C'mon, mister, cut us a break!"
"A name," Reese demanded.
"Make us like you!" Dareena screamed.
"Not a chance," Reese said angrily, "A name is all I want."
They tried climbing the wall, then looked up only to discover that the sun was slowly making its way down towards them. It would soon fill the wall with light as a tree outside was the only thing blocking its rays from reaching them now. They hung on the wall, desperately panting with panic. Their fingernails screeched as they slid down the cinder block's painted surface, trying to stop their advance into the sunlight coming up from beneath them as well as down to them.
"Shadau, his name's Shadau!" Darion yelled. Derrick growled loudly and pulled his hand back into a fist. He slammed Darion in the mouth causing Darion to fall to the floor into the sun. Darion screamed in pain as his flesh began to smoke. He covered his head and continued to howl as the sunlight burned away at him. Reese stood up and grabbed the clock. He flung it at a switch on the wall. It hit the switch and a large metal door scraped across the skylight. Once fully closed, the room was cast in shade again. Darion lay on the floor whimpering as Dareena and Derrick dropped to the floor.
Derrick approached Darion and tried to help him up. "Darion, I'm sorry..."
Darion kicked him back and growled, "Get away, will ya?" He slowly dragged his knees up under himself and pushed himself up on all fours. His hands, arms, legs and feet were badly burned. He rubbed the back of his head which was red from the sunlight as well.
Reese walked over and stood over him. "That wasn't so hard, now, was it?" He reached down and pulled Darion to his feet by his earrings. Darion howled as Reese dragged him out of the room.
"Wait a minute, where are you taking him?!" Dareena screamed, but the only answer she got was the door slamming shut.
The door opened and Reese emerged, dragging the red head with him. He turned and slammed the door shut and relocked it. He shoved the red head into the room where the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys sat with Professor Utonium. The red head landed on the floor and skidded to a stop in front of the Boys.
Reese bowed and indicated the red head. "Guys, meet Darion."
Darion looked up at them, his chest heaving with fear. Blossom moved toward him and he scrambled back from her, hissing.
"Whoa, I was just gonna help you up!" Blossom stated.
Reese again grabbed Darion by the earrings and pulled him up on his toes. He leaned towards Darion, glaring directly into his face. "And there will be no more of that, you got it?" he declared.
Darion whimpered as he hung from Reese's grip. He nodded and Reese let him go. He let out a huff as he stepped back from Reese. Boomer asked, "Where'd the burns come from?"
Darion just glared at him as Reese answered, "Well, they kinda waited a tad too long."
"So, where are the other two?" Buttercup asked.
Reese indicated the door behind him. "They're still in there. I'm not gonna leave the three of 'em together for the night." He shoved Darion towards the next room and said, "C'mon, let's take care of those burns, what do you say?"
"You're not going to kill them, are you?" Darion asked in a raspy voice.
"Hey, it speaks!" Bommer exclaimed.
Reese shook his head. "No, they'll be fine in there." He grabbed Darion's left arm and took him into the next room followed by Professor Utonium. Reese picked him up and dumped him on the long table in the centre of the room.
Darion looked around the room, shivering, as Professor prepared to bandage his burns. Professor held a handful of cotton over a brown bottle and tipped the bottle upside down. He put the bottle down and gently dabbed some of the liquid onto Darion's right arm. Darion snarled and snapped at Professor's hand. Brick and Buttercup, peering around the corner, suddenly shot into the room and snatched Darion off the table. They slammed him into the wall and pinned him there. He struggled to get away from them as Brick choked him.
"I'm gonna kick your butt!" Buttercup cried.
"Think you better change the attitude, friend," Brick stated.
"OK, OK," Darion gagged, "I'm sorry!"
Brick released Darion's throat. He and Buttercup brought Darion back to the table and plopped him back onto it. Darion glared at the two of them as they floated above his head watching him. Professor cleaned and bandaged Darion's burns as Brick and Buttercup looked on. Once he was through, Reese dragged Darion off the table and down the hallway. Darion suddenly dug his heels in and tried to stop in a panic. Reese looked ahead and saw a flood of sunlight in the hallway and grinned. "Oh, yeah, sorry..." He picked Darion up and held him in his own shadow as he walked through the sun's rays. Darion cowered down to Reese as they went through. Reese stopped in front of another door, opened it, and pushed Darion inside. The room was a small broom closet with no windows. "Sweet dreams," Reese teased before he closed and locked the door.
"You think that'll hold them?" Blossom asked.
Reese nodded. "Yeah, not only 'cause they can't beat the walls down, they're just not THAT strong, but even if they could, I think they realize that they're in deep shit now."
"So, who's their owner?" Professor asked.
"Shadau," Reese replied.
Professor looked surprised. "Thought he was in Egypt somewhere?"
Reese shrugged. "Well if he is, he won't be for long."
"You know who he's talkin' about?" Boomer asked Professor.
Professor nodded. "Yep, just because I've been dabbling in my own stuff doesn't mean I haven't kept up with other things." He turned to Reese and asked, "What's our next move, then?"
"We wait for him," Reese replied, "He'll show pretty soon, I'm sure."
"Why?" Buttercup asked, "Why are you convinced this guy will come looking for these three?"
"'Cause they're his property, as far as he's concerned. They've made a mess, a mess that could expose him for what he is, and he's not going to chance anybody finding a link back to him. Especially once he figures out that I'm the one who's got his little bugs."
"Well, what about us?" Bubbles wondered.
Reese shook his head. "No, you guys are officially out of this. I want Professor to take you guys and himself out of here and back home tonight. I'm not gonna have Shadau after you as well."
"Fat chance on that, mister," Blossom stated confidently, "You dragged us into this, we stay and finish it."
Reese looked to the others hovering around Blossom and the intent looks on their faces. He was about to complain, then he chuckled. He shook his head and said, "Well, doesn't look like I'm gonna talk you out of it, huh?"
"Nope," Professor replied, "I've stuck by you all this time, I'm not walking away this time. You're not taking Shadau yourself, my friend. I'm not too happy that you got my children involved in this, but, if anything, they'll be able out more than you can imagine."
"So I've heard, read, and now seen," Reese replied, "Those laser eye beams are something else."
They grinned at him. "...And that's just the start," Brick declared.
"What happens to the other three, now?" Bubbles asked, "Are they going to help us, too?"
Reese slowly shook his head. "No, I'm afraid they'll be leaving us soon." He turned and walked back towards the front of the building lighting another cigarette as he went. They stared after him as realization sunk in: Reese planned to kill the three.
"I'm thinkin' that's a bad plan right now," Brick stated.
Professor nodded. "Me, too, for some reason."
"They're still just kids," Blossom added, "Regardless of what's happened so far, if we can get them to help, there's no reason to kill a bunch of kids."
"They only seem like kids, Blossom, trust me, they're not," Professor explained. He headed after Reese and said, "But, still I'm going to try to change his mind."
Reese stood outside leaning against the front wall of the building. The sunlight felt warm on his face as he closed his eyes and tried to figure out how he and the others were going to stop Shadau. He jumped a bit as Professor came out the door.
Professor coughed and waved his hand in front of his face to disperse Reese's cloud of cigarette smoke. He narrowed his eyes at Reese and asked, "When you gonna quit those things?"
Reese chuckled and replied, "Not like they're gonna kill me, huh?"
Professor shrugged. "True, but they're still annoying." He stood with his hands in his lab coat pockets and looked at Reese.
"Why kill them?" he finally asked.
Reese shrugged. "There's really no reason to keep them around anymore."
"You know how it works, Reese. Not only can he hear and sense them, they can do the same," Professor continued, "They might come in handy once Shadau gets close enough."
Reese tossed his cigarette away and turned to Professor angrily. "OK, so what's your idea? Hell, they wanna be like me! Yeah, that's a plan, huh?"
"What's wrong with that?" Professor shot back sternly.
"It's just wrong, you know that!" Reese yelled, "I make them like me, then I gotta be responsible for them. Why do you think I've stayed alone all these years, huh? I don't want that kind of responsibility. I admit it, I'm a selfish, cold-hearted bastard!"
Professor faked shock and took a step back. "Oh, no, not responsibility! That's a curse, huh?"
"You know what I mean," Reese replied angrily.
"Yes, I know exactly what you mean, I've got six of them inside this building to think about," Professor explained. "I'm not saying you should take them in like I did the Boys, but giving them a chance to prove themselves might not be such a bad idea."
"No," Reese argued, "I'm not going there."
Professor crossed his arms in front of himself and considered Reese. He sighed and said, "Ever think, after over 1,000 years, that it's time you grew up?"
Reese chuckled and replied, "I watched you grow up, that was enough to convince me that it ain't worth the aggravation."
Professor put his hand on Reese's shoulder. "Just think about it before you end up regretting it, OK? Promise?"
Reese rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'll think about it..."
Professor went back inside, leaving Reese alone with his thoughts. He pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply. He exhaled slowly and leaned his head against the wall. He closed his eyes as he thought about what Professor had said. "Grow up," he grumbled, "Yeah, right..."
He looked down the street and saw a boy on a bicycle followed by a man cheering him on. The boy weaved on the bike as his father ran behind him with his hands out as if he thought he would be able to catch the boy if the bike fell over. Reese grinned as the boy headed down the street and the man watched him go, clapping his hands as the boy pedaled the bike confidently.
Reese threw his cigarette away angrily, then chuckled. He shook his head and leaned over, hands on his knees laughing. "Caught in a moment of weakness again," he declared. He looked to the door Professor had entred and grumbled, "Damn you." He went back inside as the evening shadows began to grow longer.
Derrick woke with a start, disturbing Dareena who had fallen asleep on his back. She grumbled and moved off him, then settled back down on the floor. He looked at her and noticed that someone had put something over her broken horn. He also noticed two deep fresh puncture wounds on her neck. He leaned closer to examine them, then felt a pain in his own neck. He reached to his neck and found he had similar wounds, two on one side, four on the other. He looked up and his heart jumped as he noticed that the door had been left open. He slowly stood up, staggered a bit, then regained his balance and cautiously headed for the door.
He crept out of the room, noticed how quiet it was inside as if they had possibly been left alone there, and looked around. He also realized how badly he smelled and sighed. He reached to the tie holding his hair back and slowly ripped it out of his hair. "Ouch," he grumbled.
His breathing quickened as he heard voices outside and he slowly headed in the direction of the noise, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to break up the dried blood matting it down.
He opened the rear door of the building, fully expecting to find a bond fire for himself and his siblings, found none, and went to step outside to possibly escape. Then he noticed that the sun was shining brightly and he panicked. He turned to run back inside, then heard Reese shout, "Hey, c'mon, might as well give it a try, huh?" Derrick turned to see Reese standing with a cigarette in one hand, motioning him out with the other. "C'mon, it'll only be weird for a second."
Derrick looked around and saw the rest of the children looking at him, waiting to see what he would do. Derrick reached up to the wounds on his throat and suddenly realized what they may mean. He felt excitement rise in him, yet he was still cautious. He swallowed hard and slowly made his way onto the rear step. He remained in the shadows with his toes on the line between the light and the darkness. He realized he was shaking, nervous about what to expect.
"Well, c'mon, let's see if you can catch as well as you can run!" Buttercup said as she tossed a baseball up and down.
Derrick took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stepped into the sunlight, fully expecting it to burn him to ashes. He opened his eyes, standing fully in the sunshine, as a huge grin spread across his face. "Holy shit!" he screamed.
He turned and practically fell over himself to run back inside. He headed into the room where Dareena still slept and grabbed her by the shoulders. "C'mon, you'll love this!" he exclaimed as he dragged her to her feet. He led her to the back door and said, "Watch this!"
He ran back into the sunlight as she stood in the doorway with wide eyes.
"Oh, my GOD!" she exclaimed. She turned to Reese and saw him motioning her out as well. She raised her arms and stepped out into the sun. She looked around at the others and suddenly jumped up and down. She spun around and giggled hysterically.
"Is this great or what?!" Derrick asked her.
Dareena ran to Reese and jumped up to give him a hug. Tears rolled down her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him repeatedly. "Thank you!" she sobbed.
"No problem," Reese answered.
She pulled back and looked into his face as he grew serious. "Just remember something. This is for good until you fuck up. You fuck up, I take you out, got it?"
She nodded. "Understood!" She again hugged him as her tears continued. She regained her composure as Reese put her down. She looked around and asked, "Where's Darion?"
Professor slapped his hand to his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot to open the door!"
He made his way back to the building with Blossom, Bubbles, and Boomer in tow. They giggled as Professor approached the door and turned the lock. He opened the door and a flood of sunlight streamed into the room. There, on a lower shelf, wrapped in a pile of towels, was Darion, still sleeping.
"C'mon, time to get up," Professor declared.
Darion stirred and turned over. He stretched out, yawned and rubbed his head. He pulled his hand away and looked in distaste at the blood stains on his hands. Then he noticed the sunlight coming into the room and he shrunk back, a panicked look on his face. "What now?!" he asked, "What did I do?"
"That's the point, you haven't done anything yet!" Bubbles answered, giggling. "C'mon, get up! How can you sleep so much?"
Professor came in and extended his hand to Darion. "Trust me."
Darion realized his neck was sore and rubbed it. He found two deep puncture wounds on one side and four more on the other. He stared at Professor who nodded. "You can come out now."
Darion looked passed him to Blossom, Bubbles and Boomer. "So, you're not here to kick my ass, I guess?"
They shook their heads and Boomer replied, "Hey, can you play hockey?"
Darion took Professor's hand and stood up. He chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I'm fair to midline at it." He cautiously walked out into the hallway as his breathing quickened. He stood in the sunshine and it felt warm on his face. He grinned and began giggling. He took off down the hallway and out the back door at full speed. He leaped off the back step and landed in the grass. He saw Derrick and Dareena and pointed at them, laughing. They, too, broke into giggles. "This is great!" he exclaimed.
"Been a long time," Derrick stated.
"Indeed it has," Dareena replied. She picked flakes of dried blood from her hair and declared, "I think the next thing we need is a good cleaning." She sniffed at Derrick and grimaced. "You guys stink!"
Chapter 12
Back at the Utonium residence, Dareena stood in the bathroom brushing her long white hair. Her clothes had been put into a large metal machine that removed the blood from them, and she was enjoying their new fresh scent. She had been cautious of the large tub of water, but found it much to her liking. Now she faced what she knew would be a formidable task: Getting Darion in the tub.
He stood next to her, naked, and peeled the bandages off his burns. They had already healed considerably, and, as he picked at a scab on his left arm, Dareena furrowed her brow and said, "Will you quit that?"
He stopped and instead took to staring in the mirror, examining the empty spaces left by the teeth Brick had knocked out of his mouth. "This is awful," he moaned.
Dareena sighed and replied, "Relax, they'll grow back, silly." She turned on the tub water as Blossom had shown her and put the rubber plug in. She put her hand under the water to make sure it wasn't too hot, then watched as it filled the tub.
"Turn it on and water comes out. How neat is this?" she exclaimed.
Darion continued to look in the mirror and replied, "It is kinda cool." He turned and saw the tub of water and asked, "What's that for? You're already clean."
Dareena took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out slowly. Without turning to him, she replied, "It's for you."
Darion gaped at her. "HUH?"
"C'mon, it's not gonna hurt you. Look..." Dareena reached into the water and lifted out a handful. She then poured it back into the tub and said, "See?"
Darion cautiously approached the tub and looked in. He furrowed his brow and blinked his orange eyes. He looked at Dareena and shook his head. "No way. I don't need that."
"Darion, I'm not going to fight with you. You stink, now it's time to clean up." Dareena explained.
"But I can do that myself," he complained.
Dareena pointed to the tub. "Get in here," she instructed.
"Just get in the tub, will ya?" Derrick barked from the doorway. He stood fighting to pull a knot from his hair. "Don't be such a baby."
Darion fumed, "I'm not a baby, damn it!"
Derrick stormed into the room and slugged Darion in stomach. "Derrick!" Dareena protested as Darion doubled over. Derrick seemed not to hear her as he picked Darion up and dumped him into the tub. Darion went under the water, then surfaced and coughed up a mouthful of it.
"Then stop acting like a baby!" Derrick shouted.
Darion snarled and lunged at Derrick. He was stopped midway out of the tub as Dareena grabbed him by the hair. He let out a yelp as she pulled him back into the water. She tightened her grip as Darion struggled to get her to let go.
"Knock it off, both of you!" she hollered, "Do you really wanna lose your heads so quickly? Or did you think Reese was joking when he said this is only permanent so long as we don't fuck up?"
"OK, OK!" Darion yelled, "Let go!"
She released him, then grabbed Derrick by the front of his shirt. She pulled him to the door and shoved him out. "You go!"
Derrick bowed and replied sarcastically, "Just tryin' to help."
"That kind of help I don't need," Dareena stated sternly.
Derrick shrugged and replied, "Hey, the little creep is in the tub, now ain't he?" He walked away and returned to pulling on the knot in his hair.
"You keep it up, and you'll end up just like the master," she called after him.
Derrick spun back to face her and glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Think about it," she replied, "The reason we left him was because of what he did to Darion, right? Now, you feel it's necessary to continue where Shadau left off?"
Derrick sighed and answered, "Oh, c'mon, I'm only tough on Darion when he's annoying. Admit it, Dareena, he's still a baby."
"It doesn't matter that he's a baby," she replied, "When you beat him, it's no different to him. It still hurts, just like it hurt you. Don't forget that."
"So what do you want from me?" Derrick asked tiredly.
"Just think first before you hit him, OK?" she answered, "I'd rather you not hit him at all, but I'm not building my hopes up for that."
"OK, OK, I'll try," Derrick groaned, "You could try easing up on both of us, ya know."
Dareena nodded and replied, "OK, agreed. I'll admit it, I'm tough on you as well, and I'm sorry. I'll be a little easier on both of you so long as you lighten up on Darion."
Derrick nodded his agreement and walked away. Dareena closed the door and went back to the tub to scrub the blood and crud off of Darion.
Derrick headed down the stairs into the kitchen where Blossom and Brick were putting away dishes. Blossom turned to Derrick and saw his hair troubles. She grinned and said, "Hey, let me help ya!"
Brick chuckled and stated, "Don't do it, Derrick, trust me!"
Derrick snickered and continued working on the knot in his hair. He finally got it out, then pulled his hair back into a ponytail. "All done!" he announced. He looked around the kitchen and asked, "Where's this machine that gets blood off your clothes, anyway?"
"You mean the washer and dryer?" Blossom asked.
Derrick nodded and replied, "Yeah, Dareena said Darion's stuff is in it. She's cleaning the little bastard..." He paused, sighed and shook his head. "I mean, she's cleaning him up now."
"You two don't get along very well, huh?" Blossom stated sternly.
Derrick shrugged and answered, "Yeah, we do, I'm just tryin' to improve my attitude, how's that?"
"Still pretty lousy, if ya ask me," Brick replied.
"You try raising a kid when you're a kid yourself," Derrick shot back, "I've been cleanin' up after Darion since he was born."
"Been there, done that," Brick sneered, "Funny, me and my brothers are still pretty decent to each other. That's what brothers are for."
Derrick sighed and paused. He shook his head and replied, "Alright, alright. I got the same thing from Dareena. I'm tryin', OK?"
"We'll just keep an eye on you for now," Blossom said, "You get out of line, you'll know it, how's that?"
Derrick nodded and replied, "Yeah, actually, that might just help me out. Guess I should say thanks."
He followed Blossom to the laundry room and watched as she opened the dryer and pulled clothes and towels out and put them into a basket. She rummaged through until she found Darion's shorts and shirt and brought them out.
"Uh,..." she stammered, "I think Darion's gonna need a new shirt." She turned and held up Darion's shirt to show Derrick a large hole in its fabric. "Guess the washer tore it."
Derrick shrugged and replied, "Oh well, guess it's better than having his butt hangin' out of his pants, huh?"
Blossom giggled as she handed the clothes to Derrick. He headed back upstairs, opened the bathroom door, and laid Darion's shorts on the counter. Dareena stood helping Darion get the excess water out of his long curls and turned to Derrick.
"Where's his shirt?" she asked.
"Torn," Derrick answered, "At least he's still got his pants."
"Aw, man, why me?" Darion groaned.
"Don't worry about it," Dareena said.
Later, Brick wandered into the kitchen to find Darion crouched in front of the open refrigerator. He stared intensely into it and looked ready to pounce. Though he tried not to, Brick snickered. He turned and flew out into the living room. Buttercup sat on the couch watching TV as he flew over to her and grabbed her hand.
"C'mere!" he whispered, "Look at this!"
They returned to the kitchen and Brick pointed to Darion. Buttercup quietly giggled behind her hands, then she stopped. Through Darion's curls, she noticed his back was covered in horrible scars.
"What are you doin'?" she shouted, startling Darion.
Without turning to her, Darion shushed her and quietly replied, "Dareena says there's somethin' to eat in here. I'm waiting for it to come out!"
Brick and Buttercup looked at each other. Brick shook his head as Buttercup sighed. Brick floated over Darion and landed next to him.
"It doesn't work that way, man," Brick informed Darion. Darion looked up as if disappointed.
"Well, I'm hungry!" he protested.
Brick reached into one of the refrigerator's drawers. He turned and placed an apple in Darion's hand. Darion furrowed his brow and examined it as Brick closed the refrigerator door.
"What is it?" Darion whispered.
Brick raised his eyebrows at him and answered, "It's an apple, Darion, you eat it."
Darion stood up and poked the apple's red exterior. "Is it dead?"
"It's a fruit, Darion," Buttercup explained, "It grows on a tree."
"You've never seen an apple before?" Brick asked amazed.
Darion shook his head.
Brick indicated the apple and suggested, "Just try it."
Darion shrugged and opened his mouth wide. He just about chomped the apple in half with his fangs and munched on a huge mouthful of it.
"Hey," he mumbled around the apple in his mouth, "This is pretty good!"
"Told ya," Brick stated as he got himself one as well.
Buttercup stood shaking her head. She looked at Darion's curls and, curious, she asked, "How do you brush that hair, anyway?"
Darion snorted and replied, "Yeah, right, brush my hair...never brushed my hair in my life. That'd be a scary sight. I'd end up with an afro as wide as the Thames, can you imagine that?"
"Like an explosion in a mattress factory, probably," Brick snickered.
Buttercup noticed a particularly nasty scar on Darion that started just below his right shoulder blade, traced up over his shoulder, and ended at his right collarbone. It was roughly an inch wide and raised up slightly from his skin.
She pointed to it and asked, "What are all these scars on you from, Darion?"
Darion looked at his shoulder and shrugged. "The master used to beat me a lot. Guess he didn't like me very much."
"Why do you say that?" Buttercup asked.
"'Cause he never told me what I did wrong," Darion explained as he took another bite of his apple, "I always asked him, but he'd never tell me why he was beating me. He just did it."
Buttercup looked shocked and indicated his scarred back. "And that's what all this is from, too?"
Darion nodded. "Oh, actually, there was one time I at least knew what I did wrong. That was the last time, just before me, Dareena, and Derrick took off."
"What did you do to deserve that?" Buttercup asked.
"He told me to bring him a dog," Darion explained, "I just thought he was gonna let us keep a pet or something, so I got a little puppy and brought it home to him. He seemed really happy, at first, then he told me to kill it."
"He told you to kill it?" Brick repeated, "Why?"
Darion shrugged. "I don't know why, but I didn't want to do it. So, he got really mad and beat me with a crowbar. Thought he'd never stop that time. Let me tell ya, that hurts!"
"What happened to the puppy?" Buttercup asked.
"He killed it anyway," Darion replied glumly.
Professor Utonium entred the kitchen and stopped short when he saw Darion's mouth full.
"Darion, what are you eating?!" he asked in a panic.
Darion turned to him and held up the apple. "It's a...a..." He turned to Brick for help as Brick repeated, "It's an apple."
Professor looked surprised and asked, "And you like it?"
Darion nodded and answered, "Yeah, it's kinda sweet. And look..." He turned the apple towards Professor to show the part he'd bitten off. "There's not even any blood in it!"
Professor blinked and replied, "That's amazing!"
"Amazing that there's no blood in an apple?" Buttercup teased.
"No," Professor answered shaking his head, "It's amazing he likes it! That's just not normal for...well, you know what I mean." He suddenly stopped and his eyes widened. He snapped his fingers and shouted, "Wait, that's it!" He turned and hurried out of the kitchen.
They watched him go, wondering what he was up to. Darion looked to Brick and nervously asked, "Am I in trouble?"
Brick shrugged and answered, "I don't think so, but who knows. Hell, maybe I'M the one who's in trouble."