Confrontation in the Demon Tower
Blossom and Bubbles were coming fast upon the towering structure that had only a half hour earlier surfaced from beneath the city streets in a violent upheaval. The two women circled about, trying to locate an entrance of sorts. The structure was bewilderingly irregular, with no clear anatomy to identify front from back. It wasn't until Bubbles spotted the seam of a massive arch, indicating a set of pitch black double doors, stretching stories high along one face, that the entrance of the tower became clear. It was no surprise they missed it the first few passes around. It was indistinguishable from the surrounding stone by color alone.
They descended and Blossom hovered before the door, studying the material closely as she developed in her head a strategy of appoach. It appeared to be made of a coarse, black metal, reminding her distinctly of cast iron. Bubbles was silently observing the craftsmanship of the tower, noting the grim look about it. She was suddenly struck with a light chill as if someone were watching her from the shadows. She eyed her surroundings cautiously, rotating slowly in mid air as she eyed every nook and cranny of the jagged rocks below. Blossom took no notice as she was lost in deep thought. Her eyes were fixed upon the black door as she used her x-ray vision to look into the interior. The stone, whatever it was, made it very difficult for her to see clearly what was inside. It seemed that whatever she was looking at was not truly as it seemed, for the interior was all a blur and changed dramatically with each passing glance.
Bubbles could feel the presence even stronger now. She could feel it all around her, but she could not see it anywhere nor could she properly sense its location. Blossom had caught notice of Bubbles frantically glancing all about and flew to her side.
"What's wrong Bubbles?"
"We're not alone," was Bubbles' only reply.
Blossom took on a battle ready stance and opened her senses, though she could hardly rely on them the way Bubbles could hers. She glanced all about, but could see nothing but the empty wasteland that was once the lively streets of Townsville. Unlike Bubbles she herself could feel nothing, not even the slightest hint of a foreign presence in the area.
"Whoever you are, show yourself," Blossom screamed out into the barren wasteland. She waited for some sort of response, but all remained silent and not a stone stirred on the ground beneath them. Bubbles was growing more worried. She could now feel the presence condensing into one area, it's energy becoming stronger as it collected into one distinct point. She turned rapidly towards the point of condensed energy and saw a shadow creeping up the wall of the tower. It slithered upwards until it reached the altitude that the girls were hovering at, and then a young man emerged, shrouded in a form fitting trenchcoat. The fabric of his clothes seemed to be made of an unearthly material and the trailing ends billowed steadily despite the absence of wind. The man looked at the girls through crimson eyes. His hair was a reddish brown, very similar to Blossom's, and it hung down to his shoulders.
Blossom and Bubbles both gasped in unison when they looked upon the face of the man that hovered before them. Age had done little to mask the unmistakable features that they had come to recognize from so many years ago. Of course he was taller now, and his face had lost the round exaggerated appearance of a chemical x child in place of a more slender, handsome countenance. His body was built with thick muscle that alone seemed capable of inhuman strength. He gazed on at the two women with a calm that seemed to still the very night air itself. His eyes seemed to pierce into the women's souls as they remained locked steadfast into those of the two women. The ensuing silence was deafening as the women's eyes remained locked upon those of the man's. It was as if all time had stopped to mark the appearance of this one man.
"Brick," Blossom whispered just loud enough for the words to carry to the man's ears. A smile crossed his face as he soaked in the quiet tension. He enjoyed seeing the two women baffled and confused, caught in their own inner turmoil as they came to recognize a man they thought had disappeared so many years ago.
Bubbles hovered back slightly as the full force of recognition hit her. "It was you," She stammered. "You were the one that attacked Buttercup last night."
The man's smile grew even more. "You are very perceptive Bubbles," he said in a calm, relaxed voice.
Blossom could not believe what she was seeing. Her mind kept shifting between the image of the little boy she had known as a child, the tiny little runt with the saucer pan head and the large red eyes, arrogant and bull headed and quick to rush headlong into a fight, to the man that now stood before her, tall and burly, his composure calm and centered, his gaze revealing razor sharp perception, and most deadly of all, intelligence. They were complete opposites and yet they were the same person. Blossom shook off her confusion and glared menacingly at Brick, remembering the events that brought her and her sister here. He may have changed over the years, but he was still a Rowdyruff Boy and that meant that he could be nothing but pure evil.
"You and your demon master are going to pay dearly for what you've done to this city," she spat.
Brick looked on at Blossom with amusement. "You think that the demon you know of as Him commands any sort of mastery over me and my brothers," he said. "You give him far to much credit. I can assure you Blossom that Him will meet an end fitting to your expectations, but at the moment he is the least of your worries. I would advise you both to turn back now. You have absolutely no idea what your getting yourselves into. I have no wish to see you both get killed, but my brothers may have a different opinion in that regard."
"If you think that you can chase us away with your pathetic threats you're wrong," Blossom snarled. Though her exterior showed unyielding confidence, inside she was deeply afraid. The sincerity in Brick's eyes confirmed Bubbles' earlier premonition. The Rowdyruff Boys were easily stronger than they were. Buttercup was proof of that. If they entered the tower, they may not come out alive. It didn't matter though. Either way Townsville was counting on the Powerpuff Girls to rescue them from the clutches of Him. If they did not act they would have to live with that guilt for the rest of their lives, and to Blossom that seemed worse than the possibility of death. She could not let the people down. It was her duty to protect them, to ensure their happiness. It was what she was born to do, her very purpose for being.
Still keeping her confident exterior Blossom glared fiercely at Brick, silently making the point that she did not intend to go anywhere. Bubbles remained by her side, determined to see circumstances through as well. Brick simply chuckled at the performance the Powerpuff was giving. He knew full well her true feelings. They emanated from her like the heat off a blazing fire.
"If you wish to enter than be my guest. It's not like I care for your foolish agenda. I, myself, have more important matters to attend to." Brick hovered backwards towards the wall, the shadow he had emerged from returning to envelope him once more. Blossom watched him disappear, relieved to see him go. She did not want to fight him if she didn't have to, knowing the odds were against her and Bubbles. Him was their greatest priority. At least she knew that they could defeat him. The boys— no, men, Blossom corrected herself, would have to come later, that is, if it could be helped. She turned to Bubbles to find some sort of reassurance in her expression. She saw the fierce loyalty of a woman who would gladly take on any danger in the name of the greater good, a sight which once again restored her wavering confidence.
There was still the question of getting into the tower, though.
Blossom returned her attention to the large metal doors. It was time for them to make their move. She hovered in close to one and reared her arm back, palm open, and struck the door with all her might. It didn't budge. She shot Bubbles a surprised look, which she returned in kind. They were not expecting that. The door should have caved in as easily as tissue paper for her.
"What now?" came Bubbles' soft voice.
Blossom was silent. She honestly didn't know how to answer her sister. The door didn't have so much as the tiniest dent where she had struck it. She could hit it again, but what good would that do considering the present outcome, not to mention the stinging pain she still felt in her right hand from the first try. She scowled as she studied the rough metal more closely. Yes, it looked exactly like cast iron in both color and texture, though, obviously, its properties were completely different. She considered using her laser vision to cut her way through the doors. That could possibly work.
A thunderous crack made both girls jump back in fright, facing the doors in defensive stances, senses on high alert. The next moment the doors were swinging inwards on their own power, slowly, soundless as if they weren't even there. Before them was revealed a vast stretch of corridor that seemed to have no end, stretching on to infinity with regularly spaced passageways branching off on either side. It looked like a long dungeon passageway. You would almost expect to hear the wails of hopeless prisoners coming from within.
Blossom and Bubbles shared a look of apprehension between them. This had obviously not been either of their doing, which meant that someone unseen was granting them passage. Brick perhaps? There was no telling the outcome should they pass through those doors. But this is what they had come to do, after all. Now was not the time to back down from their mission, not when so much was at stake. Feeling her resolve return, Blossom took one deliberate step forward, then another, and yet another. Bubbles was right beside her and the two of them crossed the threshold into the space within.
The air was surprisingly cold for a demon's dwelling place. Blossom could see her breath against the frigid air. The stone inside was as black as it was outside and gave the place a dismal feel. The girls entered the corridor cautiously, traversing it lengthwise while looking for some sign pointing to Him's particular dwelling. It was surprisingly well lit inside the tower despite the complete lack of any visible light source. It was as if somewhere far ahead of them a bright torch blazed just out of sight, throwing its illumination against the harsh black walls. The girls stayed close together, not risking the many passageways they passed along their trek. It seemed all to easy to get lost. Every passage they glanced down showed an identical corridor to the one they were in, each with regularly spaced passages of their own branching off along and endless course, most likely, to yet more identical corridors, one might assume.
"Bubbles, can you sense where Him is," Blossom asked her sister.
Bubbles gave Blossom a defeated look. "I can't feel anything aside from you. It's as if the walls of this place prevent the passage of energy between them. I can't even feel the faintest traces of Him."
Blossom sighed with exasperation. Him obviously did not want to be found so easily. He had covered his bases well. It would take pure luck to locate his hiding place, and that was if they made it without running into one of the Rowdyruffs.
Neither girl noticed a black shadow creeping along the floor towards them. It blended in so well with the dark stone that it was all but invisible to the naked eye. It crept up from behind the two girls and glided silently beneath Bubbles' feet. She barely had time to release a shrill scream before she was sucked into the blackness. Blossom turned sharply upon hearing the abrupt cry from her sister. Bubbles was nowhere in sight and she quickly began to panic as she scoured her surroundings for any sign of her. There was no way that she could have just vanished. Something must have gotten to her and dragged her off down one of the passages. She called out to her sister as loud as she could, getting no reply aside from the persistent echo of her own voice shouting back at her. Abandoning reason she launched herself down the nearest passageway, frantically weaving a course that took her in and out of rooms of varying shapes and sizes and through many twisting passages, trying desperately to catch up with a foe she knew was probably well beyond her reach by now, screaming her sister's name all the while. It was several minutes before Blossom finally collapsed to her knees against the stone floor in defeat. Bubbles was gone and Blossom had no hope of finding her in this endless labyrinth.
She fought back the urge to cry. Bubbles could be dead by now and there was nothing she could do. Whatever had gotten to her had been silent and and quick. She never even got a glimpse of what happened. It was as if Bubbles just vanished into thin air. Could it have been one of the Rowdyruffs? Blossom could not allow herself to be a second victim. She had to somehow find Him and take him down, even if it meant doing it by herself. He was the mastermind behind all of this, after all. If she could just survive long enough to kill him than his demonic hold on the city would be released. The Rowdyruff Boys, who were his pawns after all, would probably follow him back to Hell and the city would be safe once more.
Blossom did her best to steady her pounding heart, willing her frenzied nerves to calm down so she could think clearly once more. She absolutely had to keep her head clear for her own sake. She had already made an incredibly stupid mistake in her lapse of self control earlier. Finally reclaiming her senses she scrutinized her present surroundings. She was in a very large room, rectangular in shape, spanning several dozen feet from end to end and a good hundred feet from floor to a high, vaulted ceiling. Like everything else in the tower the room was fashioned of that same coarse black stone lit by that same eerie light that seemed to have no visible source. There were statues of all sorts lining the walls in this space, sitting atop pillars or set in the walls on ledges carved into the stone. They portrayed gruesome figures, demons and monstrous beasts of all sorts, all staring forward with menacing expressions.
By now it was painfully clear that she had lost all her bearings. She had hoped to simply follow that first corridor along its course, assuming it didn't actually go on forever, traveling in a straightforward direction so she could be sure she and Bubbles were only heading deeper into the tower. But in her frantic search for her missing sister she had lost all sense of which way was which. There were several more passages leading out of this room, spaced at uneven intervals along each wall and also branching off along the far end. They all seemed to lead off in completely arbitrary directions, going up, down, twisting left and right, some even traveling at bizarre slants. The first order of business, Blossom decided, would be to establish a focal point from which she could draw a map in her mind. If she traveled around enough she could conjure a large enough map in her head and use it to find some pattern within the architect of the tower. Blossom picked a random direction and began her quest. She did not know how long it would take her, or how well her results would help her, but she had little choice seeing as she was lost. Logic was all she had now and that would have to carry her until she could start to make sense of things.
In another part of the tower a broad patch of shadow clung conspicuously to the ceiling, though there was no visible source to cast it. Suddenly, like oil, its surface began to writhe steadily, and then in one great surge it spat out a slender body onto the hard stone floor.
Bubbles lay unconscious in a sprawled heap, her body shivering like someone left too long out in the cold. A moment later she awoke in a convulsive spasm, sucking air into her lungs in a heaving gasp as if coming up for air after nearly having drowned. She awoke to an intense headache throbbed between her temples, her head spinning and her vision a swirling blur. Gradually her eyes began to adjust to her surroundings and she suddenly realized that her surroundings had changed drastically. Everything was different than she last remembered. She and Blossom had been walking down a seemingly endless corridor, she was sure. Now she was in some sort of room, simple and bare with only a single metal door leading in or out. Suddenly Bubbles remembered the blackness that swallowed her, the icy cold that clung to her skin, how she had felt like she were suffocating within it. She must have blacked out, for she could not recall how she came to be where she now was. Bubbles' thoughts were then quickly interrupted by a silky, masculine voice in her ear.
"Well well well, look who we have here. If it isn't my favorite little blue Powerpuff."
Bubbles spun around and found herself staring straight into a pair of deep blue eyes. The face was unmistakably familiar. She started and stumbled backwards onto her backside, staring up in shock at a man with long, blonde hair and familiar blue eyes.
"Surprised to see me again?" the man spoke. He grinned devilishly, leaning over Bubbles so that his face was nearly touching hers. His body, enshrouded in a black cloak, seemed to lack solid form, and bowed over like a supple tree in a strong wind. The fabric of his garments seemed more like a liquid than anything else, and it stretched like rubber, giving the man an abnormally tall appearance.
"Boomer!" Bubbles whispered to herself in shock. She tried to inch away from the man, but he stretched forward after her, remaining close to her face. Wisps of his cloak stretched outwards and began to encircle her, lightly caressing her in a way that sent shivers down her spine.
"And here I thought you might not recognize me after all these years. I'm touched," Boomer spoke in a mocking tone. "So what brings you hear, I wonder. Come to save the day once again just like you always do. Well I think not little Powerpuff."
Boomer proceeded to inch closer towards Bubbles, the folds of his cloak stretching out like tentacles, embracing her in an icy blanket of blackness. Bubble couldn't bare the frosty embrace and she fired lasers from her eyes straight into Boomer's eyes, stunning him momentarily and causing him to recoil slightly from shock. She then quickly leapt to her feet and rush headlong at Boomer, throwing a punch at his midsection. To her surprise he caught her fist in his hand and he began to slowly crush it in his grasp. He smiled wickedly and gave her wrist a quick twist, causing Bubbles to fall to her knees.
"Nice try little Powerpuff, but I live for pain," Boomer declared with a victorious grin.
Bubbles struggled against the Boomer's powerful grip, gritting her teeth through the intense pain shooting up her arm. Boomer's grasp was like a pneumatic vice grip built of solid duranium, and it refused to budge despite her greatest effort. "I won't let you and your brothers turn this city into a living hell," Bubbles gasped, her words labored from her pain. Boomer simply burst into a cruel laughter that echoed throughout the black room.
"You don't have much of a choice now do you Bubbles. You and your sisters will ultimately die by the hands of me and my brothers and we will rule your pathetic city along with the rest of the world. There is no way you can stop us. Our years in Hell have made us stronger than you could ever imagine. Your only hope is to pledge eternal servitude to me and give me both your body and your soul. I would keep you as my little pet and you would tend to my every want and desire."
"You can have my dead rotting corpse," Bubbles spat, a look of utter contempt on her face. Boomer simply smiled.
"So be it my little Powerpuff." Boomer extended his free hand and struck Bubbles with such force that she was sent hurtling into the far wall. She smashed into the hard stone, which remained unscathed despite the sheer force of her collision, and fell in a mangled heap onto the floor. Bubbles body ached from head to toe. She had never felt something so hard as that black stone. She strained to climb to her feet, but a heavy foot kept her pinned to the floor.
"Perhaps you would like to reconsider my offer," Boomer casually suggested as he pressed down against Bubbles' back. Bubbles could hardly breath and she struggled against the floor to relieve the pressure from her chest. The stone floor refused to yield to the intense pressure that Boomer was generating beneath his foot and instead it was Bubbles' ribs that were beginning to give way. Soon Bubbles could no longer take in air and her ribs crackled and popped noisily in her chest, threatened to collapse at any moment from the ever increasing pressure. Bubbles was thrown into a fit of panic, her mind swirling into a vortex of terror and desperation. She could no longer see clearly and the burning pain numbed all her other senses. Consciousness was leaving her fast and she began to see bright flashes of light before finally sinking into darkness.