9. The Warning
The two Ruffs spent a good few seconds whizzing through the blurry mess that had been the world, before Katharine slowed down. As she did, Butch could see that they were no longer in Townsville city centre, they were by the maximum security prison.
"Err, Brick," he asked, "what are we doing here?"
"We're here to see your first possible future."
"My future?"
"Don't you ever listen to me, I told you. I'm going to show you possible futures, so that hopefully you chose the right one."
"That could take years, there are thousands of poss…"
"Actually there's only three."
"Just three," Butch asked as Katharine stopped by a wall of the prison. "How do I know which one is the right one?"
"It will be pretty bleeding obvious," Brick said as he dismounted. "Come on Butch, you don't have long." Then Brick turned, and walked straight through the wall.
This rather put Butch off; his experience told him that walls were fairly solid.
"Err, Brick…" he called, but his brother didn't return. He looked at Katharine. The horse sniffed slightly, and nodded her head towards the wall. Butch paused, took a deep breath, and walked though it.
He was in a prison cell. Brick was waiting.
"Took you long enough," he said.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't that comfortable with walking through a wall!"
"Why? Lots of superheroes can do it."
"So can dead people and you told me I wasn't dead!"
"No, but although you're alive, your not it the alive universe, if you get me. You're sort of half way between the two, so no one can hear you or see you."
"This better be a dream!" Butch scowled.
"Hey, you should be paying attention!"
Butch glanced around. The cell had a table and a chair in it. The table had food on it, a plate of mainly smoked salmon and caviar. It was being eaten by… Butch stared. He'd hardly recognised himself.
"What am I doing in prison?" he asked indignantly, "and how people get such good food in jail in the future?" He looked hungrily at the dinner his future self was eating slowly. "Smoked salmon and caviar, I've always wanted that. I wonder why I look so miserable."
There was a banging sound behind him. Brick was bashing his head on his scythe.
"Okay," he said eventually, "can you make the link between these clues: You in a maximum security prison, eating what you've always wanted, and looking very sad about it? Any ideas?" Butch shook his head. Brick sighed. He was about to explain when the prison door slide open. The future Butch looked up, as some guards entered.
"Time to go," one of them said tonelessly. Butch nodded, downed the rest of his dinner, and stood up confidently, before striding after the guards. But there was fear in his eyes.
Brick and Butch followed him into a room with a chair in it, and a viewing gallery. A crowd of people filled it, some were journalists, but most looked like they were just onlookers. Butch finally clicked.
"Hey, they're going to execute me!" he wailed as 'he' was strapped in to the chair. Brick just nodded.
"Sorry bro," he said. "We can leave when you want."
"No, I want to see this," said Butch, but he wasn't looking at 'himself'. He was looking where 'he' was looking, (I really hope this makes sense,) up through the ceiling. Buttercup was watching from above. She had tears in her eyes. Part of Butch wished she didn't have to see this, but another part was glad that in this future, she cared enough to be there. He sighed, and wondered how she was doing now.
I really shouldn't have walked out like that, he though. How can I face her now though, having abandoned her?
The future Butch blew a quick kiss up to his wife then braced himself. On of the prison guards wondered over to a large switch.
"Butch Jojo," he said deadpan, "You have been sentenced to death for… (Brick had a coughing fit, so Butch couldn't hear the next bit)… May God show you more mercy than wedid."
Then to the delight of the watching spectators, and the horror of the watching Puff, he threw the switch.
"So what are your thoughts," Brick asked as they thundered through time again. Butch paused.
"I would like to know what I did to get executed," he moaned.
"Oh come on, where's the fun in you knowing that? It would make it to easy. Any other thoughts?"
"Yes, this is one strange dream."
"Any useful thoughts," Brick said tetchily.
"I don't know," laid Butch. Brick gave him a look, so he sighed and carried on: "Why does she still love me? I can't give her a child, I'm going to be executed, all I can give her is pain." He sniffed slightly. "Maybe Buttercup would be better off without me."
"Dam it!" Brick shouted.
"What is that wrong?"
"Yes it is! I now owe Roland a fiver…"
Butch was sitting on the side of the bridge, dangling his feet over the edge, with a bottle in one hand. He was singing to him self, but the words made no sense. Still, at least it kept him busy.
It was dark and cold, and very few people were on the streets. There was no moon, and the wind was bitter, but this didn't appear to bother Butch. In fact, in an insane sort ofway, he seemed happy.
"Butch?" came a familiar voice, slicing through the icy night. Butch froze. Then he turned away from where the voice had come from, and started sing again.
"Butch, please," Buttercup had approached closer. Butch still ignored her, and sung louder.
"Butch, talk to me dam it!" she put a hand on his shoulder. Butch swung down, forcing it off.
"Don't touch me and go away!" he was clearly drunk, stoned or both.
"Butch please come home!" Buttercup said, she almost seemed to be pleading with him, "I miss you."
"GO AWAY!" Butch repeated. "Go find someone else!" He turned away again.
"I don't want anyone else you bastard, I want you!"
"Yeah, that's what you always say," Butch's voice was filled with resentment, "but you don't really!"
"Why do you think I'd be here if I didn't, you arsehole!" Buttercup was incensed, but sounded desperate. "I need you, I love you!"
"That's stupid! Ever time I look at you, I feel like a failure! I can't do anything for you, I can't give you what you really want! NOW GO AWAY!"
"No Butch," Buttercup said with feeling, "I married YOU, I want YOU! That's all I want."
Over the other side of the bridge, Brick glanced at his brother. They'd been watching for some time, and Butch seemed almost overcome by emotion. His future counter part wasn't. Instead, he swung round, and smacked Buttercup very hard in the head. She stumbled backwards, looking horrified. Butch's eyes were filled with hatred.
"Married, till death do us part and al that crap. Then there's only one solution then." He smashed her over the head with the bottle, and thrust the shattered remains at her.
'Our' Butch suddenly lost it.
"HEY! STOP THAT YOU FUCKING SON OF A BI…"
Brick clicked his fingers and they were back in the alley way. Butch stopped himself. He was crying slightly.
"I think you've seen enough of that one," he said. Butch turned round slowly, still seething with rage.
"You Bastard!" he hissed, "I would NEVER do that!"
"Really? Then why are you looking at me like that now?"
Butch tried not to rise to him brother's challenge. "I would not do that," he said more calmly.
"But only ten minutes ago, you were telling me that you weren't good enough for Buttercup. It only takes a few more steps to get to that level of hatred.
"Still, I…"
"You never know what you are capable of till you do it. I've seen some of my alternate futures, and trust me, there are some things in there I did thatIwould never have thought myself capable . Rape, murder, abandoning someone who is pregnant with my baby, everything. It's like the most important thing we can learn from the Nazis."
"What? That they were democratically elected, or if you want to rule the world, don't invade Russia?"
"No, that they were human beings," Brick said gravely, "and that in the right circumstances, everyone is capable of such evil."
Butch was horrified. "That's cynical and stupid and I can't accept it. Not everyone could do that. They were exceptions, not the rule."
"That's your call bro," Brick said, "maybe I am cynical. But you need to be for this job."
Butch sighed and shook himself slightly, trying to eradicate the memories of what he had just scene. "This dream isdeep," he said.
"Would you stop calling it a dream," said Brick as he mounted his horse, "now come on, we've got one more future to see." He caught Butch's expression. "Don't worry, you'll like this one," he promised.
Okay, now it's my turn to ask you a question mawhaahaha. Who do you think is right, Brick or Butch? Oh yes, and please review. The next chapter is more cheerful, I promise.