Allies and Rivals III
This fic happens after Allies and Rivals II: Commander and the Leader. But reading that fic and my other fics is not necessary for understanding or enjoying this fic. There are references to my other fics, notably Allies and Rivals and Allies and Rivals II. However, the only thing that needs to be understood in this was that a certain Dr William Edwards was the one who recreated the Rowdyruff Boys, not Him, after they were first destroyed by the girls by being kissed, and under his guidance, they were not evil anymore. And they were in alliance with the girls, called the Ruff Puff Alliance, with Blossom and Brick alternating as leader.
Summary: The Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys race against time to prevent an evil from escaping to this world. Who are your true friends, allies, and enemies?
Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls or their characters. The Powerpuff Girls are owned by Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network. I only own my own characters, the most prominent of which is Dr Edwards.
Chapter I
The Desire to be Tough
Butch was in his room, bored, alone, reading some books. Brick was outside doing his chores by chopping firewood, while Boomer is alone in the lake, swimming. His father, Dr. Edwards, was at work.
The green rowdyuff looked with pride at his room. He lifted his eyes from the Math book he had been reading for the past hour, yawning as he noted that most of what he was reading he already knew. He wanted to do something, and something fast. Tossing aside the book, he went to his toy chest, surveying something to play with. A couple of robots, a remote control car, a set of matchboxes.
He shut the chest close. Thinking, he decided he wanted to bug Brick, but decided not to. 'I think I better lift some weights,' thought the black haired rowdyruff.
Suddenly, everything became white. "What the—" Butch said as his room disappeared, to be replaced by a certain mass of white. He was confused and confounded as everything he ever knew disappeared. Soon, there was bright white light, and Butch was forced to close his eyes. Then, a large wind blew, sweeping him off his feet and began tossing him into the abyss.
Soon, he landed with a thud, and he was surprised to find himself hurt from the fall. He opened his eyes, and found that where once there was only white, now there was darkness. It was so dark that he couldn't see his hand in front of him.
Butch shuddered, though he kept his fear behind a brave face.
"Ah, welcome, Wilbur Edwards," said a voice.
It was a deep male voice, of a man about forty, with a superficial warmness, though one could detect a hint of malevolence.
"Who are you? Where I am? And what I am doing here?" demanded Butch.
"You're in my realm, Wilbur, or as everybody else calls you, Butch," said the Voice.
"Who are you?" shouted the rowdyruff again, turning around in all directions, trying in vain to look for the source of the voice. All he saw was pitch-black darkness.
"My identity is irrelevant, Butch, but if you want to call me something, call me 'The Voice'," said the voice.
"Voice, what the hell is going on?" shouted Butch.
"Patience, my young subject, patience. I will soon reveal to you why I pulled you here," said the Voice.
"No! I want answers now! I want to know why I am here, and I want to go home!"
"Just wait, Butch, just wait," the Voice said, cackling in the dark.
"No, I just—"
But Butch was interrupted when the pitch-black scene seemed to gain in color, dark blue, and it began to swirl. It then began showing memories of his past—specifically when he was first recreated by Mojo. It also showed he and his brothers beating the Powerpuff Girls, then the Powerpuff Girls kissing them—resulting in their explosion. The scene then faded, and it was again pitch black.
"Remember that?" asked the Voice.
"Yes! I remember that! I hated those girls back then! We kicked their ass, but they cheated!"
"And you still want revenge?"
"Heck, I already had my revenge!" said Butch. "The next two times we fought, we kicked their butts! Oh the memory!"
"But look at you now? Compared to what you were four years ago, you're a sissy!"
"I am not!"
"Oh really? Just look at you four years ago! So proud! So powerful! You won't take any insult! You wouldn't take any criticism! You're so tough! Now look at you! You can't even put those girls in their proper places! You always swallow your pride! You let people get away with criticism! You're not tough anymore! You're a sissy!"
"I am not!"
"Really? Well, we can find out, can we? Anyway, that's not why I am here. I am here for a different purpose."
"What?"
"I am here to grant you one wish! Any wish you like!" said the Voice. "And choose wisely. However, you are given a chance to see your wish come true before you are given one more chance whether or not you really like it."
"Okay! If you're right in saying that I'm a sissy, I wish to be tough again!"
"Well, then your wish is my command!" said the Voice.
The black dark scene quickly faded, and in place was the City of Townsville. Butch found himself floating high in the air overlooking Townsville. Confused, the green ruff floated down towards the street, deep in thought.
He walked with his hands on his pocket, his eyes on the ground, thinking of what had just transpired, when somebody bumped him.
Butch looked up and saw it was a big burly man wearing a stained T-shirt.
"Hey, watch out where you're going," shouted the man.
"Um sorry," mumbled Butch.
'What? You shouldn't have apologized,' said the Voice suddenly in his head. 'If you're tough, then you'd teach him a lesson in respect.'
"I think it was just an accident, it happened all the time, so it's not—" Butch began.
'And I was thinking that I was wrong on you being a sissy, but what happened was a disappointment!' said the Voice. 'You're no tough boy! You're just like those girls, soft and cuddly!'
'No I'm not,' he said in his head.
'Then prove it to me! Go and show that man that you deserve his respect!' said the Voice.
'Okay okay,' said Butch irritably. "Hey mister. Yes you, the big fat one! I demand you apologize to me for bumping me!"
"Look kid, you're the one who's not looking at the road," said the fat man.
"I said, apologize!" Butch demanded, and to reinforce it, he floated to his eye level.
"Oh my gosh, it's Butch of the Rowdyruff Boys," one of the onlookers shouted.
"Oh shit! I'm very sorry Mr. Edwards," said the big fat man, with pleading eyes. "I'm a big fan of yours, and I promise I will never ever bump to you again!"
'See! I'm tough,' said Butch.
'Oh really? Look at his face!'
'He looks real sorry, you know,' said Butch.
'He just pretends to be,' the Voice asserted. 'In actuality, he's laughing at you! He's mocking you. He's thinking, "Hey, that guy let me get away with this. Next time, I'll just punch him, say sorry, and I'll get away with it! Sucker!" So he's not really sorry. In fact, he'll laugh his ass off at you as soon as you turn your back! Teach him a lesson! Beat him up!'
'But—'
'Are you a sissy?'
'No!'
'Do you want people to think you're tough?'
'Yes!'
'Then do it! Beat up that punk who dares bump you! Or are you a sissy?'
"I am not!" Butch suddenly shouted, scaring off the people around him. He then gave a punch on the face of the large fat man, loosing all his teeth and throwing him back a couple of blocks.
"There! Now I'm tough!" shouted Butch. "Satisfied?"
'Well, you could be tough. But you're too mild!'
"Too mild!"
'Yes! Beat him up till he can't stand! Make him cry uncle!' said the Voice in Butch's head. 'If you want to be tough, do it!'
Butch gave a yell, before flying towards the man and beating him mercilessly. He repeatedly punched him in his stomach, broke every bone his body, kicked the helpless man repeatedly till he was but a mass of flesh and blood in the ground suffering from extreme pain, but still alive.
"Have mercy," the man weakly said.
"Satisfied?" Butch said. "Now say that I'm tough! And not a sissy!"
'You're…still a sissy. You're not toughie!' the Voice taunted.
"What? What do you want me to do to prove that I'm tough?"
'Kill him!'
"But that's e-e-e-"
'Evil? Oh yes. It is evil. But you see, you can't be tough without being evil! No one who is not evil can be tough. So shed all your goodness that has been instilled in you for the last four years, and join the dark side, and become evil again, as you had been created for! Do you really think that during the last few years of your life, you really have been nothing more than a worthless goodie goodie who metamorphosized into a sissy? You are worthless! And if you want to have some worth again, if you want to have the title of tough attached to you, then you will be evil!'
'Okay, I'll become evil, if that is what is needed to be tough!' said Butch. He stretched his arm toward the fat man, and laser poured forth from his hand, and a second later, the man was dead.
Butch's conscience was hurting, but his ego and desire to be tough was crowding it out. "Okay, I'm evil."
'Really? Prove it to me by destroying Townsville!' said the Voice.
"As you wish," said Butch. The look of uncertainty on his face was replaced by an unmistakable look. It was evil. He smirked as he formed an energy ball in his hands, and tossed it towards a group of buildings below. There was a huge explosion, and soon, the buildings were no more, having been demolished.
'Just look. Two thousand people dead. And no one can do anything about it,' said the Voice. 'Now you're tough. Do more evil things, and you'll be even tougher! Destroy the rest of downtown!'
"Yes, Voice, I think I'll do that!" said Butch, quite pleased that the Voice had acknowledged that he is tough.
Butch flew and plowed through the bases of the various skyscrapers in the buildings, shattering their foundations and felling them.
'Do you feel the power, the freedom, the excitement of being evil?' said the Voice as Butch surveyed the extent of destruction he had wrought. 'Look at you! You're now tough. This people fear and respect you more!'
"Yes! How blind I was in past few years," said Butch as he smiled, looking at the rubble, smoke and dead bodies below him. "I forgot what a wonderful feeling it is! It was like this since we first thrashed the girls!"
'Ah yes! But there is one thing you must do so there can be no doubt that Wilbur Butch Edwards is really tough?' said the Voice.
"And what more could I do? The city center is gone, and thousands of people are dead because of me,"' said Butch.
'You still have one more test,' said the Voice, and if you past this one, then you really are tough. See, the Powerpuff Girls are soon coming over here to save the city. You must defeat them.'
"All three of them? But I can't fight them alone," Butch said.
'But you can. I can give you enough strength to beat them,' said the Voice. 'Don't worry, it'll leave your body as soon as the fight is over so you won't be in danger from too much artificial power.'
"In that case, consider their asses whopped!" said Butch.
Soon, the Powerpuff Girls arrived, and were aghast at what they saw.
"Butch, who did this awful thing?" Blossom said as she surveyed the devastation.
Butch smirked, crossed his arms, and looked directly at the three girls. "I did it!"
"Oh stop joking, Butch," said Buttercup. "Now who really did this?"
"Don't believe me?" said Butch. Butch then pointed to another skyscraper full of people, and a laser blast demolished it, killing all people inside.
The girls were aghast. They couldn't believe their eyes.
"Why did you, you can't do that, I mean—" Bubbles mumbled, shocked.
"You, you, you horrible boy! You did that on purpose! Why?" Blossom shouted.
"Why? Because I'm evil, and that's what evil boys do! What are you gonna do about it, cry? Hahahahaha!" Butch taunted.
"So you're evil all along," Buttercup sneered. "You're going to pay for that!"
"You meanie!" Bubbles said. "All this time you were just pretending to be good! And we really thought you were!"
"No! You thought that I am a sissy! A weakling! Now you see that I am tough!" Butch boasted.
"You will pay for this!" Blossom shouted. "Girls, attack!"
The three girls attacked, but they were no match for the rowdyruff.
Butch quickly side-stepped Buttercup's early lunge and quickly struck her in the back of the head, knocking her out. Blossom tried to use her laser eyes on him, but he quickly retaliated by quickly making another energy ball and throwing it at Blossom, quickly avoiding her laser eyes. Blossom was not quick enough to avoid his energy ball, and it hit her hard, knocking her out. Bubbles in the meantime tried attacking from behind, but Butch quickly swerved and kicked her hard in the head, knocking Bubbles out.
"Okay, Voice, so I defeated the girls! So now I passed the test, right?"
'Wrong!' said the Voice.
"What? What would you have me do to prove to you that I'm tough!"
'Kill the girls!'
"I can't do that!" said Butch.
'Why not?' asked the Voice. 'You killed that man a while ago for no other reason than bumping you. Why not the girls for fighting you?'
"Because even though I don't like them, I don't hate enough to do it! In fact, I don't hate them at all! We've been through so many things together in the last four years, that I just can't do it. You know, I just can't!" said Butch. "Beating them up is a pleasure, but killing them is another matter."
'Well, then, I cannot therefore grant your wish to be tough. You Butch, because of your weakness, will forever be a weak, doddering fool! Good day!'
"No, no, please, I'm not weak, I can be tough!" Butch pleaded.
'Then kill the girls!' the Voice said. 'You can't be tough if you're not evil, and you can't be evil if you're not willing to kill the girls!'
"But I can't!" said Butch in desperation. "I'll do anything else, just make me tough!"
'No, I can't make you tough until you kill them,' said the Voice. 'You must forget all your attachments so you can do what is necessary to achieve your goal! You want to be tough? Then kill them! Or do you want to be weak forever?'
"No! I want to be tough!" said Butch.
'Then kill them, you pathetic dweeb!'
Butch then looked at the girls.
'What are you waiting for, you fragile girl,' insulted the Voice. 'It is said that among the three, Brick is the brains, you are the muscle and the brawn, and I'm not sure what Boomer is though. But looking at you now, you're not the brawn. You instead are the weak link, the one who drags the Rowdyruff, and indeed, the Alliance down! Brick trusts you, and sees you as reliable, but it is clear that his trust is undeserved. You're not merely weak, you're pathetic, incompetent, stupid, girlish, and irrational! And you have proven yourself to be slaves to the whims of those girls!'
The insults and criticisms grated at Butch's core. Soon, emotion clouded his reason, and the desire to prove that he is not what the Voice called him made him do the impossible. Quickly, he went down to the ground and took the three unconscious girls and set them before him on the ground.
"You want them dead?" shouted a furious Butch, breathing heavily and loudly with a fuming look on his face, with a deadly look on his eyes. "If that is what it takes, then I'll do it!"
Butch floated about twenty feet above the girls. He pointed both his hands on the girls, concentrated his energy in his hands, and released his most powerful laser beam from his hands on to the three unconscious girls.
There was a loud explosion, and moments later the Powerpuff Girls were gone. Only ashes of their component parts remain. Tears formed in Butch's eyes as guilt seized him, but he quickly dried it.
"There, I killed the girls! Happy?" shouted Butch.
"Well, I was wrong," said the Voice. "You really are tough. And evil. See, I told you I can make you really tough."
Butch said nothing.
'Look at your reflection on the window's skyscraper,' said the Voice.
Butch, still bitter, did. He saw a birthmark suddenly appear on his forehead. It has the color of his skin, and has the shape of an inverted V.
'That is the mark of all those whom I grant my wishes to. But it is not the full mark. A full mark is a black birthmark, not the color of your flesh. Perhaps you're wondering how to attain the black mark?'
Butch nodded.
'All you have to do is to answer in the affirmative to my next question. And the question is, 'Do you really want your wish? Of course, saying negative would not undo any event, but saying yes would bring into completion the fulfilment of your wish. So, do you really want to keep this wish?'
"Well, I don't know. You see, I wonder how Dad and my brothers will take this," said Butch as he realized the consequences of his actions. But he had crossed the Rubicon and he could not turn back. "They'll surely oppose me."
'No they won't,' said the Voice. 'I've already made sure of that. I advise you to go home, and you'll find that Brick, Boomer, and William Edwards doesn't oppose your actions and your decisions.'
Butch then breathed a sigh of relief. 'At least I won't be alone,' he thought. 'At least I'll have my brothers and my Dad by my side, but I hope they can forgive me for killing the girls.'
'Butch, you must banish your conscience! You can't be evil if you have a conscience,' the Voice, reading Butch's mind, said.
Butch merely nodded as he flew towards home. Arriving at his house, he quickly went in. "Brick, Boomer, Dad!" he called.
But what he saw was horrific. He saw both his brothers, and his father, lying motionless on their carpeted floor. Their faces were completely white. He rushed to the three of them and started shaking them. They were stone cold and stiff. "Dad, Brick, Boomer, wake-up," he said with panic in his voice.
'They're dead,' said the Voice.
"Dead? But how?" asked Butch, shaking his head.
'Oh, I killed them,' said the Voice.
"But you said—"
'I said they won't oppose you, and if they're dead, how can they oppose you? Now that they're gone, there's nothing that can stop you now on your course!'
"But why did you have to kill them? Couldn't you just have made them evil, just like me?" asked Butch.
'Oh please! We all know Boomer is too far gone to become evil again, Brick is too calculating for it, while Dr. Edwards never had a chance to be evil, so I know they won't approve, so I took them out of the way! So, now that nothing's holding you back from being really tough, I ask you again, do you want to keep this wish? I suggest you answer yes, since you can't possibly go back after all the sacrifices you made.'
"No," Butch answered in a low, slow, but clear voice.
'Come again? I might be mistaken, but I heard you say 'no'?"
"It was no mistake," said Butch. "I don't want to keep this wish."
'Are you sure?
"As sure as hell! Killing Dad and my brothers was the straw that broke the camel's back!" said Butch angrily as he waved his fist at the air.
"Then you aren't tough after all!" said the voice.
"I believe I'm tough, and I'm willing to give anything to prove to others that I am," said Butch, "but I won't give up my Dad and my brothers for anything, and I'd rather be weak and be with my brothers and Dad than be strong without them. My loyalty to my family trumps everything, and my desire to be tough, my ambitions in life are secondary, while everything comes afterwards."
'Then you are weak! I cannot grant your wish to be tough!' said the Voice. 'Reconsider, since your father and brothers are already dead, and you cannot resurrect them, so why make their sacrifices vain by not keeping your wish?'
"I don't care!" shouted Butch. "I don't want anything from anyone who killed my brothers and my father. Where are you, you bastard, you son-of-a-bitch? Come on and fight! Where are you so I can kick your ass and show you what real toughness is all about?"
'I am just a voice. You can only detect me by your ears, and by the effects of my persuasion on people's actions. Remember, I don't do anything! I just talk, and if you are stupid enough to listen, then it's your fault!' said the Voice. 'You can't harm me, and I can't harm you, but I can make you harm others, and I can make others harm you!'
The voice then began laughing. Butch saw the reflection of his face in a nearby mirror, and saw that the inverted V mark was gone—his forehead now totally smooth and unblemished. But it was small comfort as the voice began laughing, and it soon dominated the scene. Butch, looking at his family, fell to his knees and began to angrily pound the floor.
Suddenly, the sat up in bed, and saw that it was still dark. His body was covered with sweat and all the blankets lay scattered at the floor. He was still wearing his pajamas.
Confused, he rapidly went to his father's room, where he found Dr. Edwards awake, still in his pajamas, busy studying the financial reports of his company.
"Dad, you're alive!" Butch shouted, delighted at seeing his father, and suddenly hugged him.
"God! It's four-thirty in the morning! And of course I'm alive! But what are you doing so early? Ms. Lawrence will have a fit if she finds out you've been running around in the early hours," said Dr. Edwards.
"Sorry Dad. I just had a nightmare where you, and my brothers died, and I thought you were gone, and—" Butch said, burying his head in his father's stomach, sobbing.
"Of course I'm alive, and so are your brothers. Look, Brick is probably reading in his room, while Boomer is also reading," said Dr. Edwards. "God, why do I have kids who regularly wakes up at four in the morning?"
"Well, you always wake up about three-thirty, and us kids always imitate whatever our father is doing!" Butch said, "and Dad, please don't tell anybody else."
"Okay," said his father, and he got back to studying his financial reports.
Butch then went to the door of Brick's room, where he noticed the light was still on. He peaked at the keyhole, and saw that Brick was alive, awake, and reading some thick book. He went to Boomer's room, and saw that he was playing with his toy car.
'So it was a dream. No, not a dream—a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. But it was so realistic, so genuine, that had I not woken up, I'd have never thought that I was in a dream all along,' Butch thought as he went to his room. Unable or unwilling to sleep, he went to his computer and began playing games.
It was July 10, about six in the morning…
Dr. Edwards was in the dining area, reading the paper while sipping his coffee and munching on his toast, while the three ten-year-old boys sat on the table waiting in anticipation for their hearty breakfast.
"I wonder what Ms. Lawrence has cooked up this time," wondered Boomer.
"The usual, oats and pancakes for breakfast," said Brick, "though I wish she'd let us drink some soda and eat some ice cream!"
"You know that is unhealthy," said the twenty-five year old Ms. Lawrence as she arrived with a large tray filled with pancakes with syrup, large bowls of various cereals, and soup. "William, um, I mean Dr. Edwards, don't you think you should eat more than your toast?"
"Yes! National Computer Inc. Consolidated's stock dropped 76 while mine went up 9! Ha, that's twenty-seven million more dollars for me!" Dr. Edwards said as he was reading the stocks in the business section of the paper. "What's that you're saying Ms. Lawrence?"
But before she could say anything, the doorbell rang.
"Now who could be here this early in the morning?" said Dr. Edwards. "I'll get it."
"Men! Always thinking about money," she said before she put on the table the breakfast of the boys. She gave three plates each with about twelve pancakes, and three large bowls of serial to each of the three boys. She then gave hot milk to Boomer, and hot chocolate to Butch and Brick.
The early visitor is Chief Grulp. He wore his shiny Police Uniform, and was smartly dressed, but his face is very haggard, his face conveyed a sense of desperation, befuddlement, and despair. "Why Alexander Grulp! You looked like you were on death row!"
"William, forgive me for coming this early, but it's because something has happened that is so inexplicable, so mysterious, so evil, that I am out of my depths. I cannot but go and see you and your boys, because maybe they can make sense of it," said a shaking Grulp. "I sure can't, and I believe nothing in my power can solve it, so I ask for you and your boys' help."
"Why not go to John Utonium and his girls. I'm sure they'll be as willing and able to help as we can," said the Doctor.
"Well, it's a quarter past six in the morning, and usually, the Utonium's are still asleep this time in the morning in summer," explained Grulp.
"Okay, let's go to the kitchen. Have you eaten your breakfast yet?"
"No, I came here as soon as I woke," said the Police Chief.
"Then won't you join us for breakfast?"
"I'd be delighted to," said the Police Chief.
"Ms. Lawrence, we have a guest! Do we have anything left for him?"
"Yeah, doctor," said the housekeeper.
Later, about half past six…
Breakfast was nearly over, and all six people had their fill, and Ms. Lawrence began to collect the plates from the table, while Dr. Edwards instructed his sons to help her do the dishes.
"Want some cigars?" asked Dr. Edwards, getting a cigar pouch from his suit pocket.
"Thanks," said Grulp as he took one of the cigars offered, bit off its tip, and lighted it with a lighter. Dr. Edwards himself also puffed another cigar. "But I'd rather have the boys listen too."
"Brick, Butch, Boomer, come here and listen," said the doctor, and the three immediately dumped their dishes and left Ms. Lawrence to do the dishes alone. They sat on the side of the large rectangular table, while the two grown men, both puffing cigars, sat at the ends.
"Okay, there had been several strange and inexplicable events that happened in the last few days which left me very confused. However, it might not have been so bad had it not been tinged with connotations of evil," began Grulp. "It all started a few days ago. I was working in the office, when my second-in-command, Kaczinsci, informed me that Ms. Bellum and the Mayor wanted to have a conference with me. It was nothing new to me to have a private conference with those two, since we had them on a monthly basis ever since I became Police Chief. It was July 6. I came to the office thinking that I'd be discussing something about the budget of the police. I was in for a shock."
"As you all know, the Mayor of Townsville, Jay Mayor, is a total idiot, and would usually babble nonsense and Miss Bellum would have to clean up after him. Usually, we just deal with Ms. Bellum, and ignore the Mayor. But what surprised me, and Ms. Bellum, was that the Mayor this time not only spoke intelligently, arguing with facts and such, but also dominated the conversation," said Grulp.
"Wait a minute, are you saying that the Mayor did not act like an idiot and actually acted like a Mayor?" asked Brick in astonishment.
"Yes Brick, he did," said Grulp. "But what was even more surprising than his manner and style is the topic. He talked about increasing the budget of the police ten fold, which I am in favor, but he then proposed cutting the budget on everything else, which drew protests from Ms. Bellum. It was a strange conversation, in which the Mayor was able to defeat her in a rational argument. But even stranger was that he insisted cutting the salary and benefits of the police officers and spending all the money on new weapons. Of course I protested."
" 'But sir, we can't just cut the salary of the fine brave officers! I mean, how could they be motivated enough to work?' I protested."
" 'Because they are working for me, the Mayor of Townsville, and that will be enough motivation for them! Are you telling me that our fine officers are too greedy?' the Mayor argued."
" 'Of course not. But they have families, who needed their support,' I argued."
" 'Their families then would have to be sacrificed,' said the Mayor coldly."
"Luckily, Ms. Bellum intervened, and said that the Mayor was not well and not in a good state of mind, and assured me that nothing would be changed. He then shuffled the Mayor out of his office. I left City Hall in complete befuddlement, unable to make sense of it all, but then concluded that the Mayor is acting stupid. And it might have ended right there and then, but the next day, it became only worse."
By this time, Dr. Edwards and the kids were listening intently on the Police Chief, while Ms. Lawrence was also listening intently while cleaning up the kitchen.
"I was again called to a private conference by Ms. Bellum and the Mayor two days later, on July 8. I came to the conference and I was even more disturbed at what happened there."
"This time, the Mayor again presented his budget, which I resisted. I then appealed to Ms. Bellum. Her reply was very disturbing."
" 'You dare resist our great Mayor!' she said. 'No! The Mayor's budget is the best one yet! And if those police officers strike, I'll throw them in jail, or execute them!' "
"I was horrified by what Ms. Bellum said, that I stared at her in shock for a few moments. I mean, you can understand, that having known her for several years, that, to have changed attitudes so dramatically! I mean, by the way they acted, I could have sworn those two were completely different people. But those two are indeed, Ms. Bellum and the Mayor, with two completely different personalities, but physically, they are the same. Except for one small detail. Both of them have some kind of tattoo on their forehead. A black inverted V I think."
Butch turned white as he heard of the inverted V.
"Um Butch, why are you shaking?" asked Boomer as he saw his brother pale.
"Nothing. Chief Grulp, when did you first notice this so-called tattoo?" asked Butch, sweating with nervousness.
"Well, I first notice the mark on July 6 on the mayor's forehead, during our private conference. Ms. Bellum hadn't had that tattoo during that time, but on July 8, when Ms. Bellum completely changed, that mark appeared on her head," said Grulp.
"Do you think that mark had anything to do with their changed personalities?" Dr. Edwards asked.
"Oh please! That is just a coincidence," scoffed Boomer. "A physical mark on a body does not change your personality! It's unscientific! It's ludicrous!"
Brick was silent the whole time, and eyed his brothers with disapproval. "Will you two shut up! Chief Grulp hasn't finished with his narrative. We can start yapping again when we have all information about this. Please continue, sir."
"Anyway, more words from her continued to shock me. 'The police force has inadequate weapons, and the salary cut is the way to fund it! And besides, striking is illegal, even by the police!' Ms. Bellum continued."
" 'But it isn't,' I said."
" 'It is now,' the Mayor said. 'In a few days, I'll declare Martial Law in this city, and I'll use the police to strike terror in this city so I can be given the respect that I deserve!' "
" 'Yes, and anyone who disagree will be imprisoned, or if they continue to resist, executed,' Ms. Bellum said."
"I was afraid, and I just nodded as they continued to rat off their plans to me. I came back to my office deeply rattled. I told Police Inspector Eliot Kaczinsci of what happened."
" 'It's really serious, huh Chief. But they're crazy if they think that the men will just allow themselves to be used with a 75 pay cut!' said Kaczinsci.
" 'Well, I think I'll announce the pay cut and blame it on the mayor,' said I. I know it will work since the police officers usually are very grumpy about their paychecks, and such a large cut would send them crazy! And we also would announce their new duties as the enforcers of the Reign of Terror that the Mayor and Ms. Bellum would institute. We felt very good about ourselves. Anyway, the next day, events dashed our hopes. When we arrived, I was dismayed to find out that most of the police officers have the black inverted V on their foreheads. I then, hoping against hope, announced the salary cut. A few of the officers without the mark protested and shouted obscenities. But most of the officers, all of whom had the mark, cheered their own pay cut. 'Long live the mayor,' shouted one, and began praising him. 'Heck, we'll work without pay!' shouted another one. Those cheers drowned out the protests that we expected. We then announced their new duties as the enforcers of Martial Law in the city, and what they would have to do. Again, they cheered, and both Kaczinsci and I became distraught. Still, we both agreed that as long as we are in the helm, we can still influence events."
"The next day, July 10, yesterday, further blackened my hopes. Inspector Kaczinsci called that he was sick, and so I spent the rest of the day in my office alone. Nothing really happened all day-until about five in the afternoon, as I was preparing to leave for home. Kaczinsci suddenly appeared. He was not sick after all."
" 'I thought you're sick,' I said."
" 'Well, it wasn't too serious. Anyway, I just came from City Hall. Anyway, here's a letter from the Mayor for you,' said Kaczinsci. I opened the letter, and the words I read, it says, "Police Chief Alexander Grulp, I hereby regretfully accept your resignation as Police Chief." 'What, I never resigned,' I said."
" 'You were fired,' said Kaczinci."
"I was surprised. Shocked even. 'But why,' I asked."
" 'Because you're a traitor! You would have been an obstacle to the plans of the Mayor!' Kaczinsci said. I was flabbergasted. Kaczinsci smiled as he removed his policeman's cap, which until that time covered his head till the top of his eyebrows. There was an inverted V on his forehead."
" 'God! They got you too!' I said. We soon had a spat, and I finally left when he threatened to have me arrested. I went home thinking how alone I am, and how the city was doomed. Then, I remembered you, and I came here."
There was a moment of silence broken by the Chief. "Well, I better be going home. Call me if you can shed light on the events."
"We'll do, Alex," said Dr. Edwards. "Well my sons, what do you make of it?"
"I have no idea," said Boomer.
"I don't know," said Butch, deciding not to tell the others of his dream.
"Obviously, something is trying to take over Townsville by controlling the most important officials in the city. Who is behind all of this and how they do it I don't know, but it's clear that the inverted V mark on the forehead is the sign that a person's been controlled," said Brick.
"Well, I'm leaving the work to you, sons. If you want my help, just ask me," said Dr. Edwards.
"Okay Dad, we will," said Butch.
"Off to work. See you later," said Dr. Edwards as he left. "Don't give Ms. Lawrence too much of a headache, and good luck."
"So what do we do?" asked an anxious Butch.
"We'll first wait till those girls are awake, then we'll tell them," said Brick.
"Do we have to tell them? I mean, I'm sure we can solve this all on our own," said Butch.
"I know we can, but we have to abide by the terms of the Alliance. Besides, it's Blossom's turn to be leader this month, so we'll see what she thinks about all of this," said Brick.
