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 V

Mystery Solved


A. The Murderer and the Forger

The City of Townsville…

"Charlie Hoefel is the murderer?" asked Bubbles when she read the piece of paper that Blossom handed out to her. "But that can't be!"

"Yeah," Butch seconded, "It can't be Hoefel, you see, he doesn't have that V mark on his head, and the one who murdered him, I'm sure, has a V mark."

"Look, Butch, stop this nonsense about V marks," rebuked Blossom. "Even if the marks are indeed very suspicious, it is not evidence at all. And even if it is, the evidence saying that Hoefel is the murderer is overwhelming, despite the mark."

"Well, I'm waiting to hear your arguments why this is so," said the Professor.

"Well, first of all, this is not suicide! Forget what Mr. Kaczinsci or the police said. They are lying. First, we'll see all the evidence. We all know that Mr. Grulp is left handed, and the gun that, according to Mr. Kaczinsci, he used on himself in killing himself was on the right hand. And the footprints! Plus, the bullet hole is in the back of his head. I mean, if you are going to commit suicide, you would shoot yourself in the temple, not in the back."

"And, the magazine on the gun on his hand was still full of bullets," Brick added. "Wouldn't you think that if he used a gun, and didn't reload it, it wouldn't be full? Whoever made that cover-up is pretty pathetic. Simply and totally pathetic! You would think that they would have put on some effort and used their pint-sized brains in covering this up, but no! They made all efforts, yes all efforts, to make sure their cover-up is easily found out."

"Well, since the police would be the one making the investigation, I think they can easily hide this from the public, and squash any attempt to find out the truth," said Blossom. "The suicide note is a case in point," she said, putting it in the table. "As you can see, the note was printed and the signature scanned, copied, and pasted into the document. Plus, as Brick would attest, the paper used was not that used by Mr. Grulp when he was printing his other documents, and this note wasn't saved at all in his computer, rather it is in Mr. Kaczinsci's computer, who, as I wrote in the paper, was the one who not only forged the suicide note, but also his resignation letter, the same one that Ms. Bellum gave to us when we asked about it."

"Okay, it is all clear to us that it is murder, not suicide. But how'd you know it was Mr. Hoefel who murdered Grulp?" asked the Professor.

"I have acquired a video tape taken from one of Dr. Edwards' hidden cameras," Blossom began. "So now—"

"You took a video tape from Dad's cameras?" Butch thundered. "That's stealing, that's—"

"I politely asked your Dad, and he happily gave it to me," said Blossom. "You can even ask you Dad. Isn't that right, Doctor?"

"Yes it is," said Dr. Edwards.

"And it specifically records the time he told us his story," Blossom continued. "We will use this when we need to refer back to him. Now, first things first. We need to have an idea on who is the murderer. First of all, he is a policeman. He is six feet tall. He has muddy shoes. He is a man. He used a .45 colt semiautomatic to kill the former chief. Now on to other clues. Doctor, you were Mr. Grulp's friend for a long time. What coffee does he like to drink? Does he drink it black or with creamer."

"With creamer," said Dr. Edwards.

"Thanks you, Doctor, and he also drank coffee before he murdered Grulp, black coffee that is, and he wore gloves, which would explain the lack of fingerprints on the equipment," Blossom continued.

"Wait a minute, how the hell could you know that the murderer drank black coffee before he shot Grulp?" Boomer asked.

"Well, you did see the muddy footprints on the side of the couch?" asked Brick.

"Yeah," said Boomer, "and he could've been standing against the couch!"

"Or sitting down, sipping coffee," said Brick.

"But how do you know that?" asked Boomer.

"Simple. Buttercup saw two unwashed cups on the sink. It was quite fresh, having been used for only a few hours, and one was used for black coffee, and the other was used for coffee with creamer," said Blossom. "We know that Mr. Grulp likes to drink his coffee with creamer, so it must be that the one who drank the black coffee is the murderer, since there was no one else in that house when the coffee was drunk."

"Now, we go to the next problem. How did the murderer get in, given that there was no sign of forced entry? Well, I'll give the floor to Brick to explain it."

Blossom then sat down and Brick stood up. "All parties agree, and we have verified it when we looked at the house, that no break-in occurred. Yet, if you listen to Mr. Hoefel, you will notice that he said, that, when he heard the shot from Mr. Grulp's house, he found out that the door was locked, so he has to break-in to enter the house, whence he noticed that there was no other person, or sign of an earlier break-in. That would confirm suicide theories, would it not? However, Hoefel lied when he said he broke into the house, since when the girls examined it, there was no sign—any sign, that it had been broken into. I mean, the doors, the locks of all the doors and windows still work perfectly."

"Now, having established the fact that the door was not forced open, it leaves the following question, how did the murderer get in?" Brick continued. "Could Grulp have carelessly left the door unlocked, or was the murderer invited in? Now, the first one is impossible, since we all know that Grulp is very fearful of the people with the inverted V mark, and so, most probably, he wouldn't leave his doors unlocked. And besides, the evidence to him inviting the murderer is very convincing. First, there were the two sets of footprints that Boomer mentioned."

"I still think that it proves there were two murderers, or at least, an accomplice," said Boomer.

"I don't think so," said Brick. "You see, how could you explain the fact that only one set of footprints were seen from 27 Brixton Road until the gate of Mr. Grulp's white picket fence, where a faint second set of footprints were found? And why, why of all places, would the second set of footprints only appear at the gate? The answer is, there is only one man who stepped out of the car and walked towards the gate, and was joined there by another man. Now, the question to who was the other man comes to mind. Who was the second man? The answer is Mr. Grulp himself. Yes, because what happened is that he left the house, walked towards the gate, in the process, getting the soles of his shoes wet and dirty, in the process creating his own footprints alongside that of the man."

"But what, I mean, why, would Mr. Grulp go out and meet the murderer?" asked Buttercup.

"Well, I think the most plausible theory is that, Mr. Hoefel, stepped from his car with muddy boots, walked a couple of blocks, then called on Mr. Grulp. Now, if we all remember, Hoefel told us that he and Mr. Grulp knew each other, and there is no reason to doubt it, as the open gate, the cigarette ashes by it, and the coffee cups testifies. So Mr. Grulp went and opened the gate, and both smoked before going in the house. Then, after the cigarettes were extinguished, they walked to the house, and Mr. Grulp served black coffee to Mr. Hoefel, while he served himself coffee with creamer. I think I'll let Blossom continue with the explanation."

"Mr. Hoefel sat on the couch, as indicated by the footprints, presumably sipping his coffee," Blossom began. "After that, Mr. Grulp put the cups in the sink in the kitchen. While Mr Grulp was doing that, Mr. Hoefel took out his gun, and shot him while his back was turned, in the head. He then took his gun from the holster, and put it in the right hand to give more 'proof' that it was indeed, suicide. He then turned him over, pretended to carry him in his arms, getting blood out all over his uniform, then went out and walked in the grass, making the footprints disappear. He then went here and told us what happened, or rather, what he wanted us to believe—his version of events."

"If you want further proof," Brick continued, "that it was Mr. Hoefel that really did it, consider this. You remember the mud on the white carpet that he made when he came here? Well, it is the same mud as the mud of the murderer's footprints that Boomer found in the house. And also, if you're not yet satisfied, while he was telling his story, I borrowed his gun and took off the magazine. Well, one bullet was missing, and that's all there is to it!"

"Well done, Blossom, Brick!" said Dr. Edwards in congratulation. "A very good piece of detective work, if I say so myself!"

"Blossom, Brick, you're the best," said Bubbles.

"Wow! I never figured out that one!" said Boomer. "I really though that there were two murderers, but I guess you proved me wrong."

"But the inverted V mark! It can't be Mr. Hoefel, since he doesn't have any mark on his head!" cried Butch.

"Oh shut up! Where's the evidence?" asked Brick.

But he couldn't say anything since he only had gut feeling, and all the talk here was about evidence.

"But what are the motives?" asked the Professor. "I mean, why would they kill him?"

"I don't know, I don't know," said Blossom. "But whatever it was, it has something to do with the story he told us a few days ago, and it definitely has something to do with the inverted V marks."

"Plus," said Brick, "I think that Mr. Grulp is telling the truth. Why else would they kill him? Still, the essential question is, what truth was it that he was killed for?"

"Well, I'm off to do some work I took home with me," said Dr. Edwards. "Best of luck to you all! If you want my help, just call me, okay?"

"We'll do, Dad!" said Butch.

"Thanks, doctor," said Blossom.

"Oh by the way, John, you and your daughters could stay for dinner if you want," invited Dr. Edwards.

"Thanks," said John. "I'm too lazy to cook tonight anyway. Is it okay girls?"

"Yes, Professor," said a glum Blossom.

"Anyway, can I surf the net on your computer while waiting for dinner, William?"

"Yeah," said the doctor dryly as he led the doctor to a room with a computer on it, where Dr. Edwards did some paperwork on the table, and the doctor surfed the net silently.

"I think it's getting late, so I'm going to prepare for dinner," said Ms. Lawrence as she rose from the couch and headed for the kitchen.


B. Ms. Bellum, Guilty or Innocent?

"Now what do we do?" asked Butch. "Sure we found out that it was Hoefel who killed Mr. Grulp—despite my objections, you've convinced me of that, Brick—but I want to know why he did it, and how does it relate to Mr. Grulp's story a few days ago. I'm sure that the inverted V mark, his story, and the murder are connected."

"Yeah! Not to mention the fact that it was Mr. Kaczinsci who forged not only the suicide note, but also the resignation letter—that means that Mr. Grulp is telling the truth about him being fired—because the evidence—the suicide note—is bogus. Anyway, what secret does Mr. Grulp know that caused Mr. Kaczinsci to order a hit on Mr. Grulp?" Boomer asked.

"Yeah, the plot thickens," said Buttercup. "And even Ms. Bellum is involved. I mean, it was she who gave us those bogus resignation letters when we asked her what happened, you know. So the question is, did she know that what she gave us was forged, or was she in the dark too and had no idea that it was forged?"

"I say she knew it perfectly well," said Butch. "The inverted V mark on her head makes it so."

"Oh will you stop it with the V marks already? The fact that Mr. Hoefel, the murderer, had no V mark on his head, makes the inverted V marks on foreheads irrelevant to our discussions," said Buttercup.

"Yeah," said Bubbles. "We saw that she didn't change at all, and the Ms. Bellum we all know and love was what we saw that day, and we all know she couldn't do a thing like that, could she?"

"Yes, but Mr. Kaczinsci is also his same old self, with the V mark on his head, when we went in and interviewed Mr. Kaczinsci about the police budget," said Brick. "And we know that he forged those documents. Ms. Bellum could have changed like Mr. Kaczinsci, and made an innocent act to fool us and to throw us off the track."

"Well, intentional or not, we know that Ms. Bellum allowed herself to be used in discrediting Mr. Grulp, and quite possibly, been involved in his murder," said Boomer.

"Hold your horses Boomer, there's still no evidence whatsoever of her involvement in the murder. What we do know is that she provided us with forgeries to make us believe that Mr. Grulp really resigned, and was not fired," Blossom said. "For all we know, Ms. Bellum is entirely innocent, if not entirely competent."

"So we agree that either Ms. Bellum is innocent but incompetent, or competent but evil," Brick said.

Blossom nodded. "And not only that, we still don't know what ties this all together—wait a minute! I think Ms. Bellum was indeed lying, and knew those documents were forged!"

"I don't think so," said Bubbles, who still believed Ms. Bellum's innocence.

"Only the Mayor could fire and hire a new chief, right?" asked Blossom.

"Yeah, but in this case, the Mayor's obviously so retarded that Ms. Bellum effectively acts as the mayor of this city," said Buttercup.

"Look, Ms. Bellum said that Grulp resigned, accepted his resignation, and appointed Kaczinsci to replace him, right?" asked Blossom.

"We already know that," said Boomer.

"Go on," said Butch.

"Anyway, Mr. Grulp said he was fired by Ms. Bellum," said Blossom. "Now, only one of them could be telling the truth. Did Mr. Grulp really resign or was he fired? I think we know the answer to that."

"Yes, we do," said Brick.

"Okay, now for some facts. At first, it was his word, against her word, and we have no way of telling who was telling the truth about the matter. Until at least, Brick interviewed her, and she gave what appears to be, Grulp's resignation letter, signed by him and typed by him and printed by him. That temporarily convinced us that it was Ms. Bellum and Mr. Kaczinsci who was telling the truth, and that Mr. Grulp is either a liar, or a nut job," Blossom continued.

"I think I know where you're going," said Brick. "May I do the rest?"

"If you think you can, then please do," said Blossom.

"Anyway, this theory held up for a couple of days, but it was blown away like leaves in a windy autumn night earlier this day. First, when I broke into Mr. Kaczinsci's house, and looked on the My Documents folder of his computer, we learned that not only was the suicide note forged on Mr. Kaczinsci's computer, with the signature scanned, copied and pasted, but also the resignation letter too, with the same signatures—in fact identical signature pasted on it too."

"Yeah, but it could all have been a misunderstanding," Bubbles insisted. "I mean, Mr. Kaczinsci could've sent the letter to Ms. Bellum and Ms. Bellum was fooled just like everybody else."

"Yeah, but wouldn't you, if you're Ms. Bellum, who if we are to believe her, really wanted Mr. Grulp to stay, have called him before accepting his resignation? Wouldn't she, if that is really the case, have talked privately with him? After all, she and Mr. Grulp are very high government officials, you know, and all accounts and from what we know tell us that they are very very close personally. And if he had indeed talked to her, she would have known that he really didn't resign, and that it would have been resolved with Mr. Grulp keeping his job," Brick said.

"And consider this," continued Brick, "the suicide note says that he was embarrassed that he was fired. We all know that it was forged. Why would Mr. Kaczinsci make a note giving reason for his suicide his being fired when Mr. Kaczinsci, in the same computer, wrote a note saying that he really resigned to do more important things in his life? Both can't be true, and since it's forged, it's not. By making him look like he really committed suicide, it reinforces the idea that he really was fired, for him being fired would be an excellent motive for suicide. At the same time, by making it look like he resigned earlier, it threw us off his tracks."

"Plus there was the fact that Mr. Grulp was tossed aside and Kaczinsci promoted. Now, if Ms. Bellum really didn't fire him, and Mr. Grulp really didn't resign, why did Mr. Grulp leave? Couldn't he explain to Ms. Bellum that he really didn't resign? I suspect he did, and was told that he really was fired by Ms. Bellum when he tried to talk to Ms. Bellum about it," said Blossom.

"Well, it's settled. Ms. Bellum was involved in this by covering-up his sacking by presenting us with a letter forged by Mr. Kaczinsci. Really, this has makings of a conspiracy theory. This is so wild that fictional writers couldn't have made this up!" Boomer exclaimed.

Butch concurred. "Still, the question remains, is Ms. Bellum really involved in the murder of Mr. Grulp, not only in his sacking? And what is the connection of all of this, from Ms. Bellum, to Mr. Kaczinsci, to Mr. Hoefel, to Mr. Grulp's story, to his firing and his murder?"


C. Bubbles and Her Concerns and the Blame Game

"I don't believe it! I can't believe it! Ms. Bellum is a sweet innocent woman! She would never do such a thing! I don't care how much evidence you tell me! She can't do it!" Bubbles suddenly exploded.

"Look, we all know and love Ms. Bellum," said Blossom. "But that's not Ms. Bellum at all. Something has taken over her mind, and whatever it is that took over is the one who did those horrible things, not Ms. Bellum. It is our job to find out what really happened, so we can know what took over Ms. Bellum and the entire police force, and take them back. So you see, it's not Ms. Bellum that is guilty, but the one who took over them."

"Really? Oh thanks Blossom. I just thought—it's so sad really, I really don't know—why does these things happen? Why do we have to suffer like this? Why? It's seems so unfair, you know! Why do innocent and helpless people like Ms. Bellum have to suffer while we are spared? Why do they have to attack others to attack us?"

"Listen, life is not fair! The only thing you can do is deal with it! There's nothing you can do about it but try to cope," said Brick. "And whining about it is not the way to do it!"

"But neither resigning yourself to it," Blossom countered. "These things happen because our enemies have no scruples. They want to get us, and they would do everything to do so. They would want to break us down mentally, as they have tried numerous times in the past. Be strong, Bubbles, and don't let them get to you!"

Bubbles hugged Blossom, and they comforted each other. Buttercup patted her on the back. Boomer seemed either too afraid, too confused, and too tongue-tied to say or do anything, though he was sympathetic. Brick dismissed her perceived naivety, and felt no sympathy for her, but he wisely shut his mouth because he actually liked to be on her good side, while Butch didn't know whether to gag in derision or laugh in mockery, but he kept his mouth shut because he wanted to avoid trouble.

"So, the question still is after all this talk, what do we do?" said Buttercup after a while.

Suddenly, they heard someone sobbing. It was Bubbles, crying.

"What a crybaby!" Butch sneered. "What now, you broke a nail?"

"Oh will you please shut up, Butch," Blossom said. "Don't mind him, Bubbles. He's just being mean."

Brick just stayed silent, but unsympathetic. Boomer simply scooted away, afraid of doing or saying something stupid.

"Please stop the waterworks, Bubbles!" Buttercup said. "Why are you crying this time?"

"Well, I just realized, if we had believed what Mr. Grulp told us, just maybe, we would have found out about this sooner and we could have protected him and he won't be dead!" Bubbles sobbed. "If we had listened to him, then maybe we won't be talking about who killed him, but how to protect him from those people! It's our fault, you know, and I feel terrible about it!"

"Look, don't be naïve Bubbles!" Brick scolded like an elder brother. "Did anybody of us pull the trigger that shot his head? Did anyone of us type and planted that forged suicide note? Did anybody of us harbor any intentions of murdering him? And most important of all, would anyone of us, if we knew then what we know now, have hesitated to do everything to stop his murder? You know the answer to each of those questions. You should ask those questions before blaming ourselves or by assigning guilt! We can be guilty of incompetence, which we are not, but we are never guilty of committing any evil act! Ever! Unless Dad himself turns evil and told us to be evil, and you know that would never happen, we will never ever do such truly evil and despicable things! And I know you won't under any circumstances. So dry your tears and quit your bawling! It's unbecoming not only of a Powerpuff but of your sisters too, and of a member of a Ruff-Puff Alliance!" He said it in a harsh and cold tone, in a loud voice, clearly revealing resentment upon any suggestion that any blame should go to any of them for the murder of Mr. Grulp.

"Brick, don't be so harsh," Blossom in turn scolded. "You can say things without being like a minister on a pulpit delivering a sermon on damnation, you know!"

"Look, I don't take it kindly if we start assigning self-guilt! We made a mistake in judging Mr. Grulp's story for crying out loud! But we didn't kill him," Brick replied. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh, but that's the way I am."

Bubbles dried her tears. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have blamed us. It wasn't our fault, is it?"

"No it's not," said Buttercup. "We're not that bad, you know."

"I guess so," said Bubbles.

"Well, if we are to blame someone, blame Blossom!" Butch shouted. "If you hadn't closed the case in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened."

"What? You would have done the same if you were in my situation," Blossom defended, shouting back. "How could we have known what we have known, ha?"

"Well, if you have listened to me in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened!" Butch shot back.

"Oh, yeah, you may be right in hindsight, but back before, you sounded like a raving lunatic! If you had sounded like someone who isn't from the asylum," Blossom replied, "then someone might have listened to you!"

"Oh will you two please shut up!" Buttercup shouted in the middle of Butch and Blossom. "Look, whatever faults or mistake we may have made in the past is in the past, and there's nothing we can do to change it! It's past! Instead, we should put it behind us and do our best to defeat the threat that caused all this mess."

Butch ignored Buttercup and concentrated on Blossom. "You take that back, you stupid girl! You take those words back! I did not sound like a lunatic!"

"And what if I don't?" Blossom said, defiant.

"Then prepare to get your ass kicked!" said Butch, pulling his sleeve up his arm, ready for a fight.

"Will you two stop this!" said Brick. "Blossom, you are the leader, right? Then act like it! Take responsibility for the failures of the team. Butch, it's not Blossom's fault, you hear? I didn't listen to you either, and you didn't take it out on me, did you? So you were right! We admit it! You don't have to shove it in our faces, you know! And don't make trouble because of it!"

Blossom calmed down, as she was stung by criticisms to her leadership. She was proud, but she decided to cut her losses and swallow her pride. "I'm sorry, I should have known better," said Blossom. "Okay Butch, I admit it! It's my fault! Even though you still sounded like a lunatic, I'm the leader of this alliance, and because this failure happened on my watch, I'll take responsibility for it."

With that, she tossed the ball firmly on Butch's court.

Butch gritted his teeth. "Ha! At least you took responsibility for this failure! Okay, I'm dropping the matter, but I won't apologize for anything!"


D. Making Plans to Interrogate Hoefel

"I'm glad this was settled," said Buttercup. "But geez, we still haven't decided what we're going to do."

"I know! Let's kill Mr. Hoefel and Mr. Kaczinsci! That way, we can avenge Mr. Grulp's murder!" said Boomer in delight, with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Great idea! Oh I can just picture it now! His voice screaming! His face twisted! His whole body frightened! Right before I plunge my hand into his chest, rip his heart off, and well, eat it!" said Butch as his anger faded as he contemplated what's he's going to do.

"Yeah, but not until we gained information from them!" said Brick. "I know! We'll torture them for information! We'll promise them their lives if they cooperate, but after they talked, we'll twist their necks, and make sure they die a most slow and painful death."

The girls were horrified by the way the boys talked. They gave no hint that they were joking. Indeed, by the look on their faces, they were deadly serious. Four years after they were first recreated, traces of evil still existed in them.

"Boys! I'm surprised at you! We are not going to kill anyone!" said Blossom. "Look, we don't want to become murderers, do we?"

"Look, is the state a murderer when it executes criminals using lethal injection, or when they shoot a traitor to this country, or hang a thief? No! Capital punishment is justice, Blossom, girls! And what we're doing is not only vengeance, but also justice! Right now, killing them is not only right, but also just!" Brick argued.

"No it's not!" said Blossom. "Yes, I want revenge, and I want justice, but we are not the state! We are not the judge, jury, and executioner who could just past judgment on anybody. We are not the state! If you want him killed, then hand him over to the proper authorities, and then make sure they get the death penalty! But I would not tolerate extra-judicial killings! That is beneath us! We are not murderers!"

"Look, the entire police, and the entire government of Townsville are in the hands of the same evil that ordered the murder of Mr. Grulp. No, we must take it into our own hands!" Brick argued back.

"Oh I have a better suggestion! Why don't we just beat them up, but not actually kill them?" Buttercup suggested. "That way, we can have both revenge and justice, they won't get away with it, and we can have a clear conscience. We then keep them prisoners ourselves, then when this is all over, we simply hand them over to the proper authorities, the ones who are not influenced by whoever this evil is! Then, we'll let the state deal with them, and we know how strict the laws of our state are with such criminals!"

"I actually like the idea! Thanks Buttercup," said Blossom. "So here's what we're going to do. First, we go to Mr. Hoefel's house tonight, after eating dinner. We first ask him what he knows. If he doesn't talk, we beat him up till he sings. If he does talk, we won't beat him up, but we are not, under any circumstance, going to kill anyone, is that clear boys? We then are going to take him prisoner. Then, we would repeat the process to Mr. Kaczinsci. Again, is that clear, boys?"

"Your plan blows," said Butch. "Did I mention it stinks too?"

"Aw! It ain't going to feel like revenge if there's no killing!" said Boomer. "I mean, Dad killed Ckracknow in cold blood, and nobody whined about it!"

"Boomer, it isn't in cold blood, since Ckracknow is armed too and shot at him, but missed. Your father fired back and killed him," Blossom replied. "And I don't care what you think about it! I'm the leader, and you will do as I say!"

"Yes, oh dear, humble, very humble, leader who has no arrogance whatsoever," Brick replied acidly.

"Anyway, to continue," said Blossom, "we can only hope to glean information that would take us further in our investigation, because, because, if they don't talk, or if they don't know much, then our investigation, unless there's some new development, will hit another dead end."

"Well, we still have to ask Dad if we can go out," said Brick. "Especially at night."

"Yeah, we have ask the Professor too," said Buttercup.

Bubbles, who all this time was quiet, and who just listened after she cried, finally spoke. "I'm sure they'll let us go."

"Oh I'm sure they will," said Boomer. "They would! They really would!"

An hour later, the kids were eating dinner. The boys, as usual, ate like there was no tomorrow. The girls took the time to explain their plan to the adults after dinner.

"So, anyway, can we go out at night? I know we have a curfew, but I think this can't wait!" Blossom asked.

"Well Ms. Lawrence, what do you think?" asked Dr. Edwards

"Well I don't know. The boys need a lot of sleep to grow up. I mean, Brick is 4'7", and he's ten years old! They're much shorter than the girls!" Ms. Lawrence said. "But I guess they need to do this, so if I have any say in it, I'll let them go."

"Well, my sons, you can go," said Dr. Edwards. "Just make sure they suffer a lot! Alex was my friend, and they should pay! But be back by ten."

"Well girls, go then," said the Professor. "But be back before ten, okay? By the way, after you go, I'll be going home, so go to our house when it's over, okay?"

The girls nodded. They were done eating, while the boys, like before, were still eating their food. After four years, they acquired some table manners, and amazingly, all three boys had no scattered food around their plates, chewed their food with their mouths closed, didn't talk when their mouth was full, and such. Although they still ate very very fast and in such large quantities that Ms. Lawrence had to cook a huge meal for twenty-five people. Luckily, Dr. Edwards was rich enough to pay for the food bills.

"That was delicious, Ms. Lawrence," said Boomer as he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction, while holding a glass of hot milk on his free hand. "You totally outdid yourself this time."

"Yeah! Though the food is too little for our appetite, the taste more than compensates for it! Thank you, Ma'am!" said Brick, sipping his hot chocolate.

"Boys, even with manners, you still eat like pigs!" said Blossom. "I still don't get how you could consume such volume, and why you aren't getting fat!"

"It's really great, you know, eating like this!" said Boomer. "Girls, you should try eating like us!"

"No thanks," said Bubbles. "You know, there is a reason why Dr. Edwards and Ms. Lawrence forbid you to eat like this in restaurants!"

"Yeah, except for the 'all you can eat restaurants'," said Butch. "Heh, I've lost count on how many restaurants we've put out of business by our appetites!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your meal," said Blossom. "Dr. Edwards, Ms. Lawrence, Professor, we'll be going now."

"Well, good luck!" shouted Professor Utonium.


E. Mr. Hoefel's Interrogation

It was eight in the evening. It was still bright, as it was July. Mr. Hoefel was in his shabby apartment. It was dirty, with dishes piled up in the sink, the floor littered with all kinds of trash. His uniform hung by a hook on the wall. He was wearing a dirty white T-shirt. He was still wearing his policeman's trousers and shoes, though his holster and his gun were in the kitchen table. He had just finished eating dinner when the door burst open and he was suddenly grabbed. He soon found himself hanging, his feet a feet from the ground, him being suspended by a redheaded-girl wearing a knee length full skirt with a matching T-shirt, socks and matching shoes and a large red bow on her head with an angry face. It was Blossom. Besides, floating around him, are her two sisters and the Rowdyruff Boys, all with angry, threatening faces in each of them.

"What's going on? This is an outrage!" said Mr. Hoefel.

Blossom looked at him with disgust as she spoke. "Mr. Hoefel, stop clowning around! We know what happened. You were the one who shot Mr. Grulp. Listen to what I am going to say. I know you walked though something muddy, then went into your car. You drove until you arrived at 27 Brixton Road and stopped. You then walked towards the gate of Mr. Grulp's home, at 35 Brixton Road, and called on him. He went out, and opened the gate, and offered you a cigarette. You and he then smoked Marlboro cigarettes. I think between the two of you, you consumed six cigarettes at that gate while you talked in the wee hours of the morning. He then invited you in. You immediately went to the couch, soiling the carpet with you muddy boots in the process. He went to the kitchen, and made you black coffee while he himself drank coffee with creamer. After you drank it, presumably while engaging in conversation, he put the cups on the sink. While his back was turned, you grabbed your gun, which you cocked before, and shot him at the back of the head. The bullet went through his head and into the wall, where it was stuck. You then laid him on the floor, so he was lying on his back, lifted him on his head, then went out. You then went towards Dr Edwards' house, where you told your version of the events to us. Is that right Mr. Grulp? Is every detail correct?"

Mr. Grulp's face was white with the shock. "You're the devil himself! What kind of trick is this? We were alone this morning when I shot him! Nobody saw us! I looked everywhere! Oh God! How the devil did you know?"

"We can see everything!" Brick said in a low and scary voice. "We know everything that happens. We can see through space, and we know all your secrets!"

"We know everything! Every lurid detail!" Buttercup joined. "And you will pay!"

"So you saw me! Okay, it was me! I killed Alexander Grulp! Yes, it all happened as you described it!" said Mr. Hoefel.

"Got it on tape Boomer?" asked Blossom.

"Got it, Blossom!" said Boomer, who had a small video camera on his hand.

"Well, Mr. Hoefel, to tell you the truth, we didn't see you this morning commit the act, and no, nobody told us! We simply pieced together the clues, and it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what really happened. And before we continue, I'll have to say, that that was really a pathetic, I mean pathetic with a capital P, cover-up! Do you really think that cover-up would fool anybody?"

"Well, I guess that is the kind of cover-up you'd expect in a town whose citizens don't even have a clue that putting a toaster in a bathtub will shock you," said Buttercup, recalling an incident when they were five.

"Anyway, talk. Talk about everything here. Fill the blanks," said Blossom.

"Be damned and go to hell!" replied Hoefel. "I ain't telling nothing! And you can't force me to!"

"It would be very unpleasant for you if you refuse to do so," said Brick, grabbing him from Blossom. "I advise you, for your own sake, to cooperate and sing like a bird. Now, answer these questions. Who told you to kill Mr. Grulp? Is it Mr. Kaczinsci or some other person?"

"To hell with you and your questions, you bastard!" replied Hoefel with defiance. "You don't have the guts to do it!"

"Very well then," said Blossom. "Boys, make him talk!"

"With pleasure," said Brick sadistically. He then grabbed and tossed him to Butch and Boomer. "Just don't kill him. Dead men don't tell tales you know. Just enough to persuade him!"

Boomer then held Mr. Hoefel, while Butch began to systematically pummel him, first in the stomach, then in the face. It was painful, and he was bloodied as a result.

"Ready to talk?" asked Brick.

Mr. Hoefel just glared hatefully at him.

Brick then took him outside, where he tossed him high in the air. He was thrown up about a thousand feet before he fell. His screams of terror filled the air as he dropped, and he could see death staring him at the face as he approached the concrete of the ground.

Suddenly, when his face was one inch off the ground, he stopped, and he saw himself upside-down, with Brick suspending him by the foot. He then dropped him, and he fell to the ground, bruised, shaken, but very much alive.

He was terrified and shaking as he looked at the three boys looking at him with sadistic faces. Brick and Butch had a frown, while Boomer had a smirk. The girls were watching from the window of his apartment. "You will talk, and we'll make sure you'll talk, even if it means killing you," said Brick as he carried him back to the apartment.

"Are you going to talk?" asked red ruff.

"Listen, I don't know anything," he said.

"Stubborn, aren't we?" said the rowdyruff leader. He then froze him using his ice breathe, then melted it using his laser-eyes. It reduced him to a shivering mass of flesh, though he still refused to talk.

Butch then grabbed his right arm, and twisted it behind him. He then began slowly twisting and turning his arm. The pain was unbearable for Mr. Hoefel, and his face became twisted and he eventually screamed.

"Tsk, tsk. You think that is painful? Wait until your bone cracks, and your socket is pulled out! Ha, or wait until your arm would be ripped off your body. Now that is pain," said Brick. "Unless, of course, you want to talk."

Soon, the pain became so intense that he lost his will to resist. "Okay, I'll talk, I'll talk, just please, don't hurt me!" he cried, tears streaming out his face.

"Good. Boomer, pack the video camera. We're using a tape-recorder instead, so it won't be evident we used torture to gleam this information. Butch, lay off him," said Brick. Butch then let go of him, and he fell to the floor and his left hand clutched his right arm as he massaged it.

"Okay, so you'll talk," said Blossom. "I warn you, tell the truth. If you don't want more of this, be honest and forthright with us. So now, tell us, why did you kill Mr. Grulp?"

"Because Police Chief Kaczinsci ordered it," gasped Mr. Hoefel as he dragged himself to his couch.

"Okay, we're listening," said Buttercup.

"It was a few days ago, about July 9. You see, I was one of the few policemen who hadn't got an inverted V mark on my forehead. The mark confused me, and more so because the entire police force changed, for the worse, suddenly and unexpectedly. I simply ignored what happened, but I was ostracized and snubbed by my friends who had the mark. It was deeply disconcerting to me. Anyway, the next day, Chief Grulp, who himself, like me, had no mark on the forehead, was fired and was replaced by Inspector Kaczinsci."

"The next day, July 11, was when I was approached by Kaczinsci. Before I continue, let me tell you that I don't like both Grulp and Kaczinsci. I'll be honest with you. I'm not a good cop, and was punished many times by Grulp when he was the chief. That is why even though I'm 33, and should be eligible for promotion, I was passed over. You had no idea how many times I've been suspended and humiliated by Grulp, and I harbored a deep grudge, and hatred even, for the Chief. Though thoughts of murder never ever crossed my mind, and I hid my true feelings from the others. I also sucked up to him so I can get promotions. So you had no idea how pleased I am, despite my confusion about the marks, when he was fired. Yet I pretended to sympathize with him, especially now that we're pretty much the only men who didn't change or have the mark."

"That day, I was approached by Kaczinsci. Surprisingly, he somehow knew how I felt about Mr. Grulp. I never have told anybody about it, but somehow, he knew. He then told me he was offering me a chance to act on my hate by killing him. I was shocked. Really shocked. I told him that I don't want to go to jail. He told me that he had arranged a perfect cover-up that would make it look like suicide. He told me to just follow his instructions and all will go well."

"Wait a minute. Does this include going to us to tell about the murder?" Blossom asked.

"Yes. He felt that he would be more believable to the public that it was suicide if you yourselves made it clear to the people that you believed that it was suicide."

"Yet the cover-up is so sloppy!" Boomer added.

"Kaczinsci said that you're only ten-years-old, and wouldn't be smart enough to figure it out," said Mr. Hoefel.

"I see," said Blossom. The others were quiet.

"Did he tell you his own motives for the murder?" asked Buttercup.

"Well, I did ask him why he wanted Grulp killed. He told me, 'it's none of your business. Just do it!' He also said that if I don't do it, he knew some incidents that Grulp, when he was chief, some awful incidents in my career, kept, that if exposed, would ruin me forever, and that he would throw me in jail for it. He also said that he would give me $10,000 if I did the job successfully. He hasn't given the money yet. In that circumstance, since I hated Grulp, I agreed. I was transferred to his beat on July 13."

"Anyway, the events of that morning was as you described it to me. I called on him that morning, since it's well known that he is an extremely early riser. He seemed to trust me, since I have no mark. He told me that he felt something evil is taking over Townsville as we stood on the gate while smoking cigarettes. He then invited me to his home for coffee. I said that I have a job to do, but he insisted, and I went. There I shot him after drinking my coffee. And you know the rest," said Grulp. "I swear to God, that's all I know! Believe me! Please! Don't hurt me! I told all I know!"

"I believe him," said Blossom. "He seems so sincere."

"Me too," said Brick. "I think we got all the information we can get from him."

"But what do we do with him?" asked Butch. "I think we should kill him right now for what he's done."

"No Butch," said Brick surprisingly. "Though I share your revulsion for him, he might prove useful for us in the future."

"Bullocks! He killed Mr. Grulp, and he wasn't even controlled by any outside force," said Buttercup. "I want to beat him up right now to a pulp."

"Well, I think we have done enough punishment," Bubbles interjected, after being silent throughout the beating the boys gave Hoefel and when he was telling his story. "He may be a horrible man, but we can't just beat him up because of it. We beat villains up because we need to, but beating him out now just to punish him is not needed. We need to show compassion to the man, to show kindness, even though he doesn't deserve it."

"No more beatings," said Blossom. "We gave our word that we won't if he talked, and we'll keep our word. We keep him prisoner ourselves. We can't hand him over to the police, that's for sure."

Boomer then silently went behind him, struck the police officer at the back of the head, and he slumped forward, unconscious. He then took his handcuffs and cuffed his hands behind his back.

"Brick, where could we keep him?" asked Blossom.

"For the moment, we can keep him at home," said Brick. "We can lock him in the training room."

"Okay. Bubbles, go and take him to your house and tell Dr. Edwards that we need to keep him prisoner there," Blossom ordered. "As for the rest of us, we'll go to Mr. Kaczinsci's house and interrogate him there."

"Yes Blossom," Bubbles said before she picked up an unconscious Mr. Hoefel and flew towards the Edwards home. The others then went to Mr. Kaczinsci's home. His home, unlike that of Mr. Hoefel, was located in the suburbs.

Boomer was about to break the door when she was stopped by Blossom. "I think we better knock," she said. "After all, he doesn't know that we're on to him."

"What are we going to ask of him anyway?" asked Boomer.

"Well, we want to know how much involved Ms. Bellum is in the whole operation, and we could see a glimpse of the one who's controlling all of these people," said Blossom.

"If they are being controlled," said Brick. "Hopefully, we can solve it before curfew." Brick then looked at his watch. "Holy shit! It's nine-forty! Only twenty-minutes till our curfew! Let's hurry!"

Buttercup knocked on the door. Soon, there was an elderly woman in her sixties.

"Yes?"

"Um, we're looking for Mr. Eliot Kaczinsci, the new Chief of Police. We want to talk to him about something," said Blossom.

"Oh my! I'm his housekeeper and he doesn't usually come home before eleven," said the old lady. "Go back in an hour kids, or tomorrow morning, and I'm sure you'll find him."

"Well, thanks," said Blossom. "Well, since, because of our curfew, we can't wait for an hour, we'll instead return tomorrow morning at ten. Let's go home, and meet at the boys' house at nine in the morning, okay?"

Before they could say anything, Bubbles arrived.

"Well Bubbles?"

"Dr. Edwards was quite surprised, but he agreed to lock him in the training room," said Bubbles. "Have you asked him yet what he knows? Mr. Kaczinsci I mean."

"Well, he isn't home," said Buttercup, "so we'll go back tomorrow morning. Stupid curfew!"

"Thanks Ma'am," said Blossom, before she and the rest of the alliance went to their respective homes.