In these silences, something may rise

Part 2

Janos

The city of Townsville, where now the second conflict between the Rowdy Ruff Boys and Power Puff Girls is about to reach its final conclusion. Two and half years after they had first been defeated the boys have come back, and now are moments away from their revenge. The Girls after a time of peace were no match for them, and are left helpless on the ground as the Rowdy Ruff final attack is launched.

'We have to get up' Buttercup thought as she saw three balls of light getting ever closer to them. She tried one last time to move out of the way, pushing with all she had left in her but only managed to raise up one hand for a second before she was left breathless. Now the three balls of light were only three seconds away the only hope lied with the citizens of Townsville. But they just stood there watching, a few of the bravest watched from the street but most hid inside and watched the new report, held by a mix of fear and shock which paralysed them.

The boys now could see the three girls, moments away from their deaths. Butch thought of how sweet it would taste to prove he was the toughest fighter on earth, Boomer though of how he would be able to stop training after this and have some fun, Brick's mind had nothing going through it at all. He was a blank slate, no consciousness in him at all as he closed in on his ultimate goal. It was these three's state of mind which let the girls be saved; either to focused or not focused at all meant that they never saw it coming.

A moment before it happened, that lethal blow, three streaks of colour light blasted past where the girls lay. One bright red, one dark blue and one dark green and all like the trial left by both Rowdy Ruff's and Power Puff's alike. The boys attack hit nothing but the ground, the impact causing an explosion so intense in power it was felt across the world and could be seen from space. When it had ended there was a crater over a mile in diameter and half a mile deep, nothing left inside of it but the three boys who had created it.

'What happened?' Boomer asked as he got back to his feet, he had seen the Power Puff Girls just before he hit then they seemed to just disappear when he was about to hit Bubbles.

'I almost had her, but she got away somehow.' Butch kicked away a small piece of rock, his anger was just been held in check but it was threatening to burst out at any moment.

'Someone moved them out of the way at the last second.' Brick had been the only one of the three to see the beam of light shoot past and a pair of arms pick Blossom up before he had hit her with his fist. He had not been able to see who had done it and did not care, who ever stood in his way would die a slow and painful death.

'What!?' Butch's anger spilled over, someone had tried to snatch away victory from him at the last moment... someone had dared to challenge his power, just like Buttercup had. 'Who would be stupid enough to do such a thing? Who ever it is I am going to rip their arms of and beat'em to death with them.' Butch punched his fist into his open hand so hard he almost broke some of the bones both in the hand and his fingers.

Brick walked out of the crater without saying another word to his brothers, his anger too was overflowing but he would not show it in battle if he could. His mind raced with a thousand different ways he would punish the ones who saved the Power Puff Girls, who had changed the plans he had been making for over two years, the ones who dared to try and stop him.

When the three boys had gotten out of the crater they could see their three targets and the three intruders, the ones who had been insolent enough to interfere with their battle. The Power Puff Girls were laid on the ground only a few meters from the edge of the crater. The three who had saved them stood over them with their backs to the crater, looking down on the girls as if in deep thought.

'Hey!' Butch yelled out as he was about to attack with an energy blast, but Brick put a hand out to stop him; he wanted to know who had defied his will before he killed them. And something as puny as an energy blast was too good for them, they would suffer long and painful deaths... maybe even worse then the Power Puff Girls would.

'Turn around and tell me who you are.' Brick shouted to them as Butch lowered his hands but kept his body tense.

'My name is...' The one looking over Bubbles turned round and looked at the Ruff's who recognised him immediately. The shock sent them out of their ready stances and left them all dumbfounded even before he said his name. They should have guessed it when they saw he was wearing a blue shirt with a black stripe around it, and from his blond hair. 'Boomer.'

'And mine is...' The second turned around and showed he was wearing a green shirt with a black stripe around it. 'Butch.'

'And I am...' He needn't have bothered to say or even turn round by this point, the red shirt, hat and hair gave him away. 'Brick.'

'And together we are the Rowdy Ruff Boys!' The three shouted together as they moved in closer to protect the girls. After this statement nearly everyone was left in amazement, from the citizens watching the fight to the Rowdy Ruff Boys who had come so close to destroying their rivals.

'It can't be...' Boomer kept looking from his brothers to the ones who had just saved the Power Puff Girls, unable to comprehend what was going on. They were the same, wearing their old clothes and with their old hair styles... also their Brick and Butch sounded different, but other wise it was like looking into a mirror.

'What should we do Brick?' Butch asked as he simply gawped at the three boys who looked like them, and also looked like they were protecting the Power Puff Girls. His leader did not look so much shocked now but angry, his fists clenched so tight blood was trickling between the fingers, his teeth held together so hard you could hear them straining, his eyes burning with his madness and hate.

'We fall back.' Brick said at last through gritted teeth. The other two looked at him in disbelief for a moment but he would not have that, he would be obeyed by all. 'I said we fall back, NOW!' He shouted at his two brothers with such authority that without even thinking they had taken off to the sky as fast as they could.

'Let's go after them!' The new Butch said as he saw their other halves fleeing from them, he took a step forward to begin a pursuit when his Brick grabbed his arm.

'There is not point; they have too much of a lead.' What he did not say was that he was afraid; he did not know who those three really were, only that they acted like they had when they were evil. They had nearly killed the Power Puff Girls, something this Brick would never think of doing.

'Ok then we should get out of here then Brick... the natives are looking restless...' The Boomer who had saved Bubbles said as he looked at the growing number of Townsville citizens who were looking at his brothers with malicious intent. The fear had worn off them and now they were getting ready to protect their heroines.

'We can't just leave them here like that.' Brick pointed at the Girls who were still too badly hurt to even sit up. Bubbles was still out cold, but both Blossom and Buttercup were awake and as confused as everyone else.

'I don't know what twisted scheme this is but as soon as I get up I am going to kick your butts.' Buttercup managed to say as she failed to stand up once again, she hardly even managed to sit up.

'See they don't even want our help, they want us dead just like we thought they would.' Butch said pointing at Buttercup, and then he turned his attention to the Townsville populace. 'They can take care of them, so let's get the hairy heck out of here before someone tries to lynch us.'

'I wouldn't trust this lot to look after a pet rock, let alone those three.' Brick went over to where Blossom was and carefully picked her up holding her in a fireman's carry. 'We get them home, safe and sound... then try to figure out what's going on around here. And that's an order Butch.' Brick slowly started to fly up, been extra careful with his passenger who lay motionless, but aware.

'Ok Brick.' Boomer said as he kneeled next to Bubbles, looking at her wounds he tried his best to avoid hurting her any more. He stayed away from her left side, where her arm bent un-naturally to one side, and held her in his arms like a baby. As soon as he was sure she was not in any un-necessary pain Boomer started to fly off after his brother.

'I still say this is a bad idea.' Butch shrugged as he went down to pick up Buttercup, not surprised in the least by the reaction he got from her.

'Don't touch me you filthy boy.' She made some protest as Butch hoisted her up and dropped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

'Look this is no great time for me either; I might catch cooties or sissy disease from you.' Butch then started to slowly fly up, Buttercup's protests gradually becoming weaker as he went higher; she was in no mood for another fall. But as Buttercup stopped Townsville started, they thought the Rowdy Ruff Boys must be kidnapping the girls so tried to stop them as best they could. All manner of objects and insults were thrown at the boys, the people desperate to make up for failing to save the girls earlier.

'Brick they hate us, just like you said they would.' Boomer said with a hint of sadness in his voice, in a way he had been hoping they might be accepted the day they came out of hiding. That dream was now lost as he dodged a breeze block that had been thrown at him.

'Just endure it a little longer Boomer, as soon as we get the Power Puff Girls home we can go back to Citiesville and hide out there until things cool down a bit.' Brick said as he was hit in the back of the head by a tennis ball.

'But I hate Citiesville, and Citiesville hates us.'

'Like this place doesn't?' Butch was now high enough to avoid all the city had to throw at him, and had to control himself not to go rushing back down there to teach them a lesson.

'Let's just get through this.' Brick said as he started to fly in the direction of the Girls home.

The Utonium home, the boys had been here only once before and that was a year ago and in secret. They had just come back to Townsville a year after their defeat and wanted to check on everything there before they did, to make sure they never ran into certain people. Now they were here again, exposed to the very people they most wanted to keep away from.

'Ok we hand them over here and then get out of town as fast as we can go. Agreed?' Brick asked his brothers as he stood on the front step of the house. The two brothers both nodded agreement before they walked on to the door step. 'I just hope that Professor Utonium will hear us out.' Brick said as he floated up to the door bell and pushed the button.

The Professor answered the door in seconds, its was like he had been waiting by it for them.

'My babies!' He shouted out as he saw the three Rowdy Ruff Boys holding three badly beaten Power Puff Girls. His hand went behind the door and grabbed what looked like a very large iron poker. Butch just happened to be closest so was the one to suffer the Professors wrath, the poker smashed into his head with all the strength the Professor could manage. The iron started to bend as he repeatedly hit the green Ruff over the head, and Butch just stood there mildly annoyed. The first blow had hurt a little because it was a surprise, now the constant pounding was more annoying then painful.

'Cut it out, we didn't hurt your daughters... for craps sake stop hitting me!' Butch took the beating for only a few more hits then could not help himself, he simply blasted the poker with his eye lasers melting it in the Professors hands.

'You won't win that easily, I still have lots of things I can hit you with... oh and ray guns and such.' The Professor said sheepishly, realising in his fury he had not even thought about the weapons he had in the house which might be a little more effective on super villains. He would have gone for one of these weapons if Blossom had not finally found her voice, it's was quite and croaky after she had been throttled earlier but got stronger as she went on.

'Wait... there are two of them... Rowdy Ruff's... these ones... helped us.' She was as confused as everyone else was, but could see that if these Rowdy Ruff's were evil they could have killed her and her sisters at any time they wanted, but instead had saved them.

'As much as I hate to say it she's right Professor, these guys saved us... but I still think its some evil master plan or something.' Buttercup said, she could have spoken up earlier but was enjoying watching Butch been hit over the head way to much to do that. 'And will you put me down now!' Butch just shrugged as Buttercup yelled at him then let her drop to the ground with a thud.

'Thanks a lot...' Buttercup said as she tried to stand up, healing fast as she was Buttercup almost made it up but collapsed at the last second.

'Its true, we are not interested in hurting them in any way. We brought them her so you could look after them nothing more.' Brick said quickly, after looking at Buttercup's struggles to stand. 'The guys who did this were...umm... well I am not sure, they sort of look like us, but they are evil and well... were not.' That defence felt weak and pitiful as it came out, Brick normally was very good at speeches and such but right now panic, confusion and tiredness were taking their toll on him.

'If my girls say you're not evil then I believe them, but make one false move and I will blast you to kingdom come.' The professor pulled out a small laser gun, a tool really, that was used to cut metal but could be used as a weapon. Why he had not gone from this in his pocket instead of the poker was simply because he had forgotten about it until now. He had been working with it in the lab before the hotline had rung, and after taking his little fall had not realised he had put it in his lab coat pocket.

'Ok, we understand.' Brick said as he looked at the laser trying to figure out if it was powerful enough to hurt them.

'Good, now bring them inside... including Buttercup.' Professor Utonium said as he moved to one side of the door so the boys could get past him. Buttercup was still on her back trying to push herself up to her feet when she heard him say that.

'Professor I can get in on my own!' She tried once again and landed flat on her face before getting her first foot planted.

'Buttercup you can't even stand up at the moment, let alone walk on your own. Now I know how important your pride is but I can not leave you out here, and if I try to pick you up I would have to put the gun away and I don't trust these boys enough to do that. So right now I want you to swallow your pride and at least let Butch give you support so you can walk, though I would prefer if you rested and let him carry you.' Professor Utonium did not take his eyes off Brick and Boomer a they carried his other two daughters in side. 'That's good now wait there for the other two, then we will go the lab downstairs.'

'So girlie what's it going to be?' Butch said mockingly as he watched her struggle to turn round and lie on her back again. 'You going to stand up or am I going to have to carry you like a baby?' The insults were more then enough motivation for Buttercup; she pushed as hard as she could to make herself stand up. Slowly and shakily her leg moved to plant her feet flat on the ground, her arms stretched and pushed her up to a squatting position. Then very slowly and very shakily she managed to stand upright under her own power.

'Ah ha!' Buttercup yelled out triumphantly. 'I stood up on my own and... whoa.' She lost balance almost instantly, her body just too weak to keep it up for so long. But before she could do much more then lean back Butch put his hands and caught her.

'Well done you have equalled the accomplishments of a two year old.' He said as he slung one of Buttercup's arms over his shoulder and took almost of her weight.

'As soon as I am better I am going to kick your butt!' She shouted at Butch as they slowly walked into the house, the professor looking at them quickly and then looking back just as quickly.

'Promises, promises.'

The girls had been taken down to the Professors laboratory and placed on the three medic beds. They were hooked up to different machines that all gave off different reports on their life signs, while other devices did the job of helping them heal up. Chemical X was dripped into them, cellular regenerators worked on their cuts and they had a variety of different bandages on them. The whole set up looked like some weird hybrid of 'Star-Treks' 'Borg' and the 'Mummy'. The Boys mean while were sat on small stools with a large containment beam focused on them. Brick was sure it was not enough to hold them, but he did not want to make a bad situation even worse. He had ordered both Butch and Boomer to stay still and not try to escape.

'Ok now that my Daughters are cared for I think its time we had a little talk.' Professor Utonium pulled a chair of his own close to where the boys sat and looked at them like the detectives he had seen on television. 'I think its best to start at the beginning, tell me what you remember after the girls beat you the very first time.' Boomer and Butch both looked at Brick who nodded at them before he started to tell the Professor their story.

'After we were beaten the first thing I remember is wakening up on the outskirts of Townsville in a ditch...'

'Uk my head.' Brick opened his eyes for only a second before he was forced to close them as the light dug at his brain like daggers. His whole body was sore, his mouth was dry and his mind felt completely fogged up. If he had been older he might have thought he was suffering a hangover, but as he was only a child the best he could think was that he was sick. Why he thought this is a mystery, after all he had not been alive longer enough to be sick, he could not even remember been alive really. Brick could remember nothing at first, and later he would realise it was the last truly happy and innocent moment in his life, and at times wished he had never remembered.

'Owie, why do I feel so bad?' Brick forced his eyes to open and accept the hurtful light, when the blinding had ended he could see his brother Boomer was sitting up near by, holding his head like it was going to exploded if he let go. As soon as he saw him some memories came flooding back, how they came to be and some of the things they had done but he still had great blank holes in his memory.

'Quit whingeing ya' baby, and cant you say something a bit less girlie then "owie"?' Butch stuck his head up from the long grass he had been lying in, he had been awake for a little longer then the other two but still felt like ten pounds of manure in an eight pound bag.

'Sorry Butch, I'll try to say something cooler next time, but I do hope there isn't a next time.' Boomer finally let go of his head as the pain started to ebb away from him. 'Err; does anyone remember how we got here and why we feel so rotten?' Boomer could only just remember appearing in prison and then later introducing himself, after that he had nothing more then a big blank.

'Sure I remember, we lost that's what.' Butch's memory was bad but he could remember the end as clear as crystal. 'Those girls kissed us and we all went nuclear, after beating the stuffing out of them it took one kiss to put us down and out.' When Butch had said it he opened a flood gate in both of his brothers, the last moments of the fight came back with such force it nearly overwhelmed them.

'I remember now, we were fighting the Power Puff Girls and then they came back and acted cute.' Brick tried to stand up and for a second was sure he was going to faint, but the idea of fainting like a girl in front of his brothers was to humiliating that he managed to keep himself together. 'We were fighting them because MoJo JoJo told us to do it, we did lots of bad things and... the girls tried to stop us.'

'But we were better fighters, and nearly killed them.' Boomer continued as his memories came back to him. 'We thought we had them beat and were going to do even worse things, but then they came back and stopped us. Why did we do such horrible things?' Boomer's question hit home with both of his brothers, the Rowdy's had been thinking to much on what had happened and now why it had happened. None of them knew why, but now they felt different to how they had when they had been fighting the Power Puff Girls.

'We did it because we were bad, we enjoyed doing hurtful things.' Butch answered as he thought about how it felt to beat the Power Puff Girls, to see them in pain because of his actions and felt only sickness now, but remembered the way it made him feel before... it felt good.

'I don't like to think about it anymore, it makes me feel worse then I did when I woke up.' Boomer said putting his head between his knees to hide the fact he was starting to cry. Tears he knew were a sign of weakness and his brothers, especially Butch, would mock him for them.

'I know how you feel Boomer; it makes me feel sick to think of what we did before.' Brick was now looking at the horizon where the city of Townsville lay, the damage they had caused still visible even from here.

'So what do we do now leader boy?' Butch asked, he was now feeling a bit better, but his mind was still swimming around and he felt more depressed then he ever had in his short life time.

'Maybe we should go back to Townsville and apologise for what we did.' Boomer suggested as he got to his feet, his whole body moving stiffly and his balance almost failing him. How long they had been lying in that ditch none of them knew for sure, but it felt like at least a day and possibly longer.

'No Boomer, we can't go back and we certainly can not let the city know we survived.' Brick walked back over to where his brothers were, his body was now nearly back to normal but he still felt sick inside.

'Why not Brick?' Boomer asked his leader feeling even more downhearted, as much as he had done to it Townsville was his home and he wanted to go back to it.

'We nearly take over the city, nearly kill their heroes and are considered the most dangerous criminals on earth. If we go back now they will hang us from the highest tree before we can get word one out. The Power Puff Girls are thick headed and stubborn like us, they will be at the front of the parade to have us killed.' Brick looked at the road sign and read the miles and locations on it. 'And if we just go back we would be spotted right away, we have to go somewhere no one will know about us. Citiesville looks like the closet place worth trying.' He then saw Boomer who looked as Townsville with the face of puppy been taken away from its master. 'Oh come on Boomer don't look like that, we can come back here later. When things have cooled off and we are old news. I promise you, but if we go back now I can also promise we won't last the day.'

'Ok Brick, you're the leader.' Boomer took one last look at Townsville then started to hover ready to fly to Citiesville.

'Boomer get down, we walk from here, maybe hitch hike further up the way.' Brick said while dusting himself off, he had grass stains and watch looked like scorch marks all over his clothes.

'What the crap?' Butch asked as Boomer softly landed once again. 'Why in the hairy heck should we walk, we can fly there in no time at all!'

'If we use our powers here the Power Puff Girls might see us, or at least someone who lives in the city who will tell them, all leads to the same outcome.' Brick now cleaned off started to walk down the hard shoulder, his two siblings following closely after him. 'When we do get further in then we don't want to use our powers because it will get us noticed. Citiesville as I remember has no heroes of any type, if we started flying around there we will be in the news faster then you can say Rowdy Ruff Boys rule. When we are in the news I give it a day before the Power Puff Girls come after us.' The other two just stayed silent, they both knew Brick was right and the only real option they had was to follow him. So off they went, leaving Townsville and heading for Citiesville.

'We spent a year living in Citiesville, well nearly a year any way.' Brick continued with their story, only occasionally stopped by his brothers for missing details. They and the Professor were so wrapped up none had noticed that the three Power Puff Girls had woken up and were listening to the whole tale.

'We were miserable in Citiesville, the place was a real dump with boring people who were even more closed minded about super heroes then Townsville would have been with us.' Butch had never liked Townsville, had hated it the moment he had gotten there and never stopped. The first day they were there he got kicked off a bus because he tried to write their names on the wall, he only managed to get Brick's name before he was caught. After that he had sworn that Citiesville was the dump of the world and had bugged Brick non stop until they had left.

'We spent some time living in a local orphanage, but did not stay very long because of unforeseen circumstances.' Brick glanced at Boomer who nervously looked away; he knew that Brick was talking about him. When they had arrived at the orphanage they stayed just two days, Boomer had promised not to use his powers just like Butch and Brick. Unlike Butch and Brick he did not have the same mentality; he became a target for bullying by both children and adults and had nearly broken down completely. After that the three had lived out on the streets, just the three of them against the world but at least Boomer was happy then, even if he hated the city still.

'We just made do with what we had, waiting for Townsville to forget about us.' Butch said. 'It may never have happened if we had not been proclaimed dead, but that's how we avoided the big clean up when proposition 24601 was passed.'

'We did return to Townsville eventually, after a year of been in Citiesville...'

'Ok kids this is as far as I go, Townsville city limits.' The pick up came to a slow halt just beside the same ditch the boys had woken up in a year ago. The three jumped out of the back of the truck all manner of feelings and thoughts racing in their mind.

'Thanks for the lift.' Brick said to the old man at the wheel of the car, he had done more then given them a lift really. They had hitchhiked all the way here, but this man had driven them further then anyone else, going out of his way to get them there as well as buying them food on the way. 'And thanks for the help, really we do appreciate it sir.'

'Aw heck kid no need to thank me, and cut that "Sir" stuff out. Makes me feel like an old man.' He started to put the truck in gear before taking one last look at the strange little boys he had picked up early in the morning. 'Now you make sure you go strait home to your parents now, they are probably worried sick about you.' Boomer looked away feeling guilty about the lie they had told the old man to stop him taking them to the police.

'Don't worry sir... sorry.' Brick smiled as the driver began to reverse the pick up truck ready to go back the way they came. 'We will go strait home, do not pass go don't not collect two-hundred dollars.' At this very old joke the old man started to laugh like it was the first time he had heard it.

'All right kid, you be careful now. Bye!' The Pick up truck then went down the road which led to the city the boys had left behind with little regret.

'I can not believe it, were back here after been the garbage heap of the world for a whole year.' Butch had been holding back his excitement ever since they crossed the line which was Citiesville's border, he had never been happier to turn his back to place before in his life.

'Yippee we're back!' Boomer jumped up in the air and did some back flips, he had not been so happy before in his life. He had missed Townsville more then either Butch or Brick, he had spent most of his time counting the days until they could go back. Brick had decided they could go back today but told neither of them until they woke up; he wanted to keep it a surprise for a very special reason. With out any warning Boomer grabbed Brick round the waist so hard he nearly crushed him.

'Thanks Brick, this is the best Birthday present I ever had!' Brick was starting to go blue as he tried desperately to get Boomer off him.

'Boomer I know you're happy but please, I can't breathe!' Boomer let Brick go and as soon as he did Brick fell down panting like a dog, but his colour was coming back at least. 'It's the only birthday present you have ever had, so of course it's the best. Oh and Boomer, don't hug me like that again, makes us look likes girls.'

'Sorry Brick, but I am just so happy to be back here.' Boomer jumped up and down like someone who badly needed to pee, his ability to contain his emotions was almost non-existent.

'We're all happy to be back here but before we go in we have to set some rules up, so listen up both of you.' Brick had worked this speech out impeccably over the year, making sure he would not overlook some important detail. 'First we hold a lot of the same rules as back in Citiesville, no powers unless your life is in danger, do not draw attention to yourself in anyway shape or form, obey every and any law this place has and if anyone asks who you are remember the fake names. I am Brian, Boomer is Buster and Butch is Benny.'

'We know these rules all ready dofus, you repeat them every other day just in case we go brain dead for some reason.' Butch rolled his eyes as Brick rehashed the same rules they had sworn to follow when they had reached Citiesville.

'I was making sure you both knew that we would be keeping those old rules, but more importantly I do have some new ones for us to follow.' Brick had left a pause intentionally for Butch to protest, he did it every time Brick repeated the rules and now was just part of the routine with them. 'These are the new rules, first there are no go zones in this place, never go to the Suburbs were the Power Puff Girls live, never go to city hall, never go anywhere near MoJo JoJo's observatory, never go near Him's lair, never go by the police station and never go near Poaky Oaks schools... that includes the kindergarten and the elementary school. Second of the new rules is if there is anyone that might recognise us from before, avoid them like the cooties. Run away as fast as you can and hide, we can not get found here or we will have to leave and never come back. Ok that's the new rules, you both got them?' Both Boomer and Butch nodded their agreement, Boomer with much more enthusiasm then Butch did.

'Ok Brick I promise to follow the rules, now can we go into town?' Boomer was close to bursting again.

'Ok we can go in, but first we should check out a few places to see how things are... a few will be no go zones but...'

'...we had to be sure of everything, we had been done a whole year and a lot can change in that time.' Brick was feeling tried now, the day had been a long one for all of them. Not only had they found duplicates of them selves fighting the Power Puff Girls but had spent most of the morning trying to avoid officer Thursday. Officer Thursday was a hard man who had made it his mission in life to get the three Rowdy Ruff Boys to the orphanage and keep them there; so far all his efforts had been in vain. Today he had been especially determined and had the three boys running all over the city to avoid him.

'And then what happened?' The Professor found the story fascinating and was already starting to make connections, some things were small and some were big. He had a theory of what had happened two years ago forming in his head, and some ideas about how the Ruffs had been living so long with out anyone noticing them. What he had not realised was that the boys had been living on the streets their whole lives, Brick had chosen to keep this a secret because it was embarrassing. The Power Puff Girls lived in a nice home, with a loving father and with everything they could ever want. He and his bothers thought it a luxury just to be in a place with an actual roof over it.

'Then nothing happened really. We found everything was pretty much the same so stayed in town, kept out heads down and went about our lives.' Brick then felt a rumble in his stomach; they had been so busy today they had not eaten.

'But how did you know that my girls were in trouble then?' The professor asked the three boys who were now actually starting to look worse then the three Power Puff girls who listened into the conversation silently. 'It seems suspicious that at the just the right moment you three finally reveal yourselves to the world.'

'Not really, it was just dumb luck which let us find out those copies of us were attacking the girls. You see we watch "Major Glory" on TV everyday that we can, and today was one of the days we could watch the show. It was while the show was on that the news flash broke in and started reporting about the Power Puff Girls battle with what looked like us. When we saw how badly they were doing we decided to step in, even if it meant blowing our cover. We got there just before the girls could be killed, but if we had not been watching the TV when it happened then we would never have shown.' Brick said ending their story, as far as they were willing to tell it anyway.

'That's a very interesting story, now I do have one question for you three and you better answer truthfully' The three boys leaned forward ready for the question, Butch secretly hoping it was not a math question for some bizarre reason. 'The question is, why did you save my daughters?'

'That's it!?' Butch could not believe that was the one question that the professor thought was so important. 'You want to know why we saved the girlies.'

'That's an easy one; even I know the answer to that question.' Boomer said. 'We saved them because it was the right thing to do, to just let them be killed would have been wrong, evil even.'

'And you have no desire what-so-ever to be evil again?' Professor Utonium was now nearly positive that his theory was right; all he needed was this answer then to go and check it.

'Nope, we told you been evil made us feel guilty and icky...' Butch glanced at Boomer as he said this, Boomer instantly corrected himself. '...I err meant to say made us feel bad.'

'Yeah right.' Buttercup could not hold her silence anymore; she just could not believe the boys had changed so easily. 'You just turned over a new leaf because been evil made you feel "icky" I remember how much fun you had been evil, how am I meant to believe you suddenly decided that it wasn't fun anymore?'

'Buttercup, Blossom, and Bubbles you girls are awake!' The Professor abandoned the boys to run over to his girls to check how they were. Thanks to their powers they were almost perfectly all right again, but that did not stop the professor worrying about them.

'We're fine Professor.' Blossom started to say before the Professor but a bare hug on her so tight she could feel every wound that was still there sing out with pain. 'Cant... breathe...' The Professor loosened his grip a little but did not let go of Blossom.

'Oh thank goodness your all ok, I was worried that you might have been really hurt in that fight.' After a minute more hugging his three girls in turn they finally could turn their attention back to the three boys in the confinement beam. Boomer had now nodded off while Butch and Brick both held on to consciousness by a thread.

'Professor what do you think of their story?' Blossom asked as Brick nudged Boomer who woke up with a snap even though his eyes were still glazed over and he could not remember where he was.

'I think they maybe telling us the truth girls...'

'Oh don't tell me you've fallen for it as well Professor.' Buttercup swung her legs out of the bed as she started to tare off the machine connection and useless bandages which covered her almost healed body. 'They are evil, always have been and always will be evil.'

'Then why did they save us then?' Bubbles asked as she started to unwrap the bandage round her head, feeling a slight twinge of pain in her left arm, which less then an hour ago was broken.

'I don't know, all I do know is that right now we have them captured and have the best chance to stop them once and for all.'

'Buttercup what have I told you about judging people?' The professor for one of the few times in his life was truly angry with one of his daughters; Buttercup was been so stubborn and close minded that she just did not seem to listen to reason. 'And I think there is a way to see if they are telling the truth to us, all we have to do is watch a video tape.' Professor Utonium stood up and then went to a large bookcase that had hundreds of cassette tapes. 'I really should put these on DVD's and then organise them in some way... lets se, Girls vs. Him as Octi, Girls vs. Dynamo, Girls Vs MoJo JoJo's Anubis head...' He went over each tape reading out the titles which were of all the fights the Power Puff Girls had ever had, until he eventually found the fight with the original Rowdy Ruff Boys.

'You have tapes of all our battles?' Blossom asked as the Professor put the video into a recorder.

'Yes I decided to keep a record mostly based on the news coverage, I watch them every now and then for memories sake... but I have not watched this tape before, it was not your best fight girls.' The video screen went into static snow and then a recording of Townsville news started.

'If you have just joined us it appears the Power Puff Girls are fighting three young boys calling themselves, the Rowdy Ruff Boys...' The newscaster suddenly went to a high voice as professor Utonium started to fast forward.

'I don't think we have to see the whole thing, just the very end.' He said as he past though some of the horrible scenes of the girls been defeated, and when it had seemed they had been killed. He stopped just before the final decisive kiss which had halted the Rowdy Ruff boys last time. 'Here we go, now watch very carefully.' The Professor hit play and as soon as he did the screen showed Brick been kissed by Blossom.

'It appears the Girls have kissed the Rowdy Ruff Boys... why I can't... wait something seems to be happening.' The newscaster stopped speaking when the three boys started to shake violently. Then there was a loud explosion as light, snips, snails and puppy dog tails burst out from where the three boys had once stood. When that had happened the professor hit stop on the machine and looked back the Ruff's and Puff's.

'Man I hate seeing that.' Butch said as he involuntary put his hand where he had been kissed.

'Hey it was not the high point of my life either; kissing you was like kissing a toad.' Buttercup said. 'And I can't see anything new Professor; we kissed them they blew up that's all.'

'That's because the explosion partly covers it, also it happens too quickly for anyone to see it... here let me make it clearer.' The Professor rewound the video back to the moment the three Ruffs started to shake after they had been kissed. 'Now if I reduce the brightness and speed, and put in a filter program we should be able to see it this time.' The film went black and white and at least to shades darker as it started to play much slower then before. This time as the Rowdy Ruffs started to shake you could see there was a small crack of light going strait down the middle of them. They kept shaking and the light started to get brighter despite then filter and darkening of the brightness levels. Then the actual explosion occurred but at slow speed the truth could be seen. The crack of light slit the boys in two, one set of Rowdy Ruff's on the right and one on the left. Out of the middle came the snips, snails and puppy dog tails but the Rowdy Ruff Boys were not destroyed, they were all very much alive. The force of the explosion caused each group to be flung helplessly either to the right or the left, even at the slowest speed it happened as a blur. The tape afterwards came to a stop.

'Just as I thought!' The Professor said as the tape ejected and he started to put it back where it belonged.

'The kiss made them split in two?' Bubbles asked confused as she looked at the boys who were just as bewildered by the revelations of the video tape.

'More then that, it split their personalities. Simply amazing really.' The professor sat down again as he explained his theory. 'You see all creations of chemical X have some instability, you three are prime examples of this really. I meant to create one perfect little girl but instead created three, who have the personality and abilities split between you. Now, I don't know how MoJo JoJo found chemical X in prison...' He looked at the three Ruff's who were still held by the energy prison.

'Um, we don't remember.' Brick lied, unfortunately Boomer did not realise why he was not telling.

'I do he used the Toi...' Boomer did not get any further as Butch grabbed his mouth.

'Like Brick said, we don't remember.' Butch said as he let Boomer go who jus looked at them perplexed. He remembered well enough that MoJo JoJo had used the prison toilet to make them in. What he had not known was that the system was contaminated by chemical X, it had been poured away into the drains after it was found in a prisoners personal affects. How he managed to get chemical X, and what he was planning to use it for is another story.

'Well whatever he used was even more unstable then normal, you boys were been held together by the proverbial thread.' The Professor could see the boys did not want to answer him for some kind of personal reason so decided to just to keep going. 'When my girls kissed you it snapped that thread in you, this one held your good personality and evil personality together in one body. The result was two new sets of Rowdy Ruffs been created, one good and one evil. To think the same thing could have happened to my girls if I had not used stable chemical X. Every time they did something bad would have risked the same thing happening to them, like oh I don't know... getting your father to unknowingly steal toys for you.' The Professor glared at the three girls who all found interesting things on the floor to look at.

'So the kisses somehow woke the good inside us and because we were unstable our bodies could not hold to opposing forces so was forced to separate them completely.' Brick said, understanding now everything that had happened to them, even Butch and Boomer had some basic idea of what the Professor was saying.

'Yes that's exactly what happened, and why when my girls kissed the evil versions of you it had no effect, the thing that had caused them to explode was gone... that was you three.'

Blossom pointed to the Rowdy Ruff Boys and then said. 'Well now we know everything, what exactly are we going to do about them?'