Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi: Boomer's Story

Chapter Ten: "If Love Be Rough With You, Be Rough with Love"

"There's…something I need to ask you…" said Bubbles, nervous.

She braced herself, because she was about to get to the heart of the matter. The thing that had been on her mind ever since that afternoon at the playground. It was a question of grave importance to her.

Boomer looked over at her. He could tell she was nervous, which made Boomer himself nervous. He had a hunch what she was going to ask. He knew the question had to come eventually.

Bubbles bit her bottom lip, then asked.

"Umm…today…earlier…" she began. She had trouble finding the right words. She wanted to ask him this question, but she didn't want to word it in a way that might upset him more.

"Today…at the playground…"

Boomer gulped. There was no doubt about it now. She was asking the question he most feared, and he had no way to avoid him. Boomer felt as if he was in a car, stalled out right on the railroad tracks, beginning to hear the train whistle blowing.

"I…what you said…" Bubble's continued, still having trouble finding the words.

Boomer began to sweat. But then, Boomer looked at Bubbles, and saw she was nervous too. In a strange way, it made Boomer feel like he wasn't alone. And that made him feel much less afraid. He suddenly didn't feel as if he was stalled out on the train tracks anymore.

Bubbles finally found her nerves, and asked.

"Umm..what you said at the playground…why…I mean…why…do you…feel that way?" Bubbles asked, fearing she hadn't worded it well enough.

Boomer, although still very nervous, wasn't terrified. He tried to think of what to say, but was finding himself unable to find the words too. Feelings were hard to put into words. There weren't enough adjectives in the English language to do the feeling of love justice. He looked down, trying to think.

Bubbles mistook the silence for offense, and looked down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," said Bubbles, embarrassed.

"N..no, it's not that," said Boomer, trying to reassure you. "It's just…"

He thought for a moment.

"To…to be honest, I can't really e-explain why. I don't know. I mean…"

Boomer put his head in his hand, trying to find the words.

"I…I'm not really good at sharing how I feel. That's…that's why I had to borrow that speech from Shakespeare. Because…because I don't know how to myself."

Bubbles got closer to him and put her hand on his. It was warm, and Boomer's face reddened.

"Could you try?" asked Bubbles. "I…I really want to know."

Boomer, his heart in his throat, drew in a deep breath. He tried to think, but it wasn't working. Then, he thought of something.

Don't think, he thought to himself. Just say the first words that come into your mind. Feelings can't be reasoned or thought out. Just speak from your soul.

Boomer took a deep breath, then let it out.

"M…my brothers were all pretty mad about what happened…you know…before. The…kiss? They…they felt like you all had…we…killed us."

Bubbles looked horrified.

"We…we never thought of it that way," she whispered, ashamed and disgusted with herself.

"But…but I never thought of it that way," said Boomer. "I…after we came back…I thought about it a lot. I had…enjoyed it."

Boomer blushed, but continued.

"I…realized how…I felt…"

Boomer's face got redder.

"But…for a long time…I…I didn't know why. Even earlier today…when I said it…I couldn't…I couldn't really put my finger on why…it just felt…right…"

Boomer glanced over to Bubbles, then looked back down, shy.

"But…after coming here…I think I…understand more…"

He looked at Bubbles, in the eyes, something he rarely ever did.

"You…you're a caring person. You…you're never selfish. And you're…sweet. You…you can show people how you feel…something I could never do…it's…it's hard to explain…it's just…"

Boomer then found the best words he could think off to describe how he felt about her. They weren't perfect words, but nothings perfect.

"T-thinking about you…the way you are…that gives me hope. It gives me courage…you're the only one who's ever…ever had that effect on me."

Bubbles didn't say anything for a moment. Fear crept back into Boomer's mind, but then she smiled.

"That's the nicest thing I've ever heard," she said. "That's much better than what that Speareshake could ever say."

"Shakespeare," corrected Boomer.

"Right, him."

Boomer felt deeply touched. He felt a warm feeling in his chest that began to spread through his entire body.

Then, without thinking, he asked a question that he had worried about for even longer than Bubbles' question.

"And…Bubbles…what…I mean…what did you think…of…what I said?"

Bubbles suddenly got real nervous. She bit her bottom lip again and looked away.

"Umm…" she began. "I…"

However, before she could continue, a great commotion came from the other room. Noises of a struggle were heard in the other room, followed by familiar voices.

"Let me go! I need to get my hands on that little-" said Buttercup, in the next room over.

More intense noises followed.

"You shouldn't have been spying on them anyway!" said Blossom.

"Well…he…hugged her!" retorted Buttercup.

"Actually, she hugged him," said Dexter, not as loudly as the sisters.

"What? Dexter, I thought you said you weren't looking at them!" said Blossom.

"Well…I was just trying to stop Buttercup from lynching Boomer and I…overheard some…stuff," said Dexter, embarrassed.

"Let me go!" said Buttercup.

Buttercup thrusted forward from their grip and fell out from the doorway onto the floor of the living room. Dexter and Blossom, who were trying to restrain her, fell down out onto the floor with her. They all looked up at Bubbles and Boomer, both looking embarrassed.

Blossom tried to think of something to say to relieve the tension.

"Umm…does anyone…want…dessert?" asked Blossom, nervous.

However, before any of them had a chance to respond, there was the sound of an explosion from outside the house. The house vibrated slightly. The sound of debris falling upon the ground followed the explosion.

"What the hell was that?" said Dexter.

They all fled towards the doorway. Bubbles flung open the door and they all beheld the shocking sight behind the door. They all felt confused and astounded at what they saw.

"Good Lord…" she muttered.

Far above the Earth, out in the vast blackness of the final frontier, two colored lights raced through the cosmos. The green and red rays of lights sped across meteors, asteroids, and planets littered throughout space.

The green light, Butch, glanced over to confirm that the red light, Brick, was still giving him the cold stare. Even at the speed they were traveling, Butch clearly saw that he still was.

Traveling through space had given Butch time to think, which is something Butch tried to avoid doing at every possible opportunity. In Butch's mind, it was better to only act. Thinking always brought out the worst in people. Butch felt thinking only complicated things. Boomer thought to himself all the time, and the result of that, in Butch's mind, only caused more trouble than he was worth.

Butch had thought about all the things Brick had said.

"How can you possibly stand by and do nothing!" he had said.

"You just shove off any feelings for him just because he does something to piss you off?"

"You're a sad excuse for a human being and you're a sad excuse for a brother!"

Butch shook his head.

This is stupid! Butch thought. I'm don't even know why I'm bothering to think about all that. I'm not doing anything wrong.

Even as Butch thought this, he heard Brick's words echo in the back of his skull.

"You're a sad excuse for a brother!"

I'm not the one who's a bad brother, Butch reassured himself. HE is. I mean…all that! For a girl! One of the girls who killed us! He didn't care what we would think about it. Why should I care how he feels if he didn't care about us. About me. That little…

Butch glanced over. Brick was still giving him that same cold stare as they sped past another nebula.

And him. He acts like I'm the bad one…I'm not the bad one. I haven't done anything wrong.

Butch tried to stop thinking, but his mind was already running into overdrive, and didn't intend on slowing down anytime soon.

Butch remembered when he had yelled at Boomer after the occurrence at the playground. He remembered how he just stared at the ground, saying nothing. Then Butch remembered how he had hit Boomer.

Butch began to get frustrated.

Grr…damn it all! thought Butch. So what if I yelled at him. And hit him. He deserved it!

His mind kept replaying when he had hit Boomer. The drawing of the fist back, followed by the feel of the wind as it rushed through the air. The balled fist connecting with the jaw, feeling the crunch. All the while, Boomer still having that blank look on his face.

I…I had to do it! He made me! It's not my fault! I have nothing to feel bad about! I've done nothing wrong.

He kept remembering that punch.

I've got nothing to feel guilty about! I do not feel guilty!

He remembered that same blank look on his face. Those blank eyes looking up at him.

I do not feel guilty!

"You're a sad excuse for a brother!"

I'm right! I'm right, dammit!

"You just shove off any feelings for him just because he does something to piss you off?"

So, what? He did the same thing to me when he did…that!

Butch heard Brick's voice again in his mind, but this time it wasn't a memory. These were new words, coming from deep inside his own consciousness.

"Did he really?" Butch's mental picture of Brick said.

Yes, yes he did!

"Is yourself all you care about?"

Maybe, so what? He was the one being selfish.

"Is he selfish, or are you just denying yourself."

I have nothing to feel guilty about!

"Then why do you keep thinking about him?"

Butch, shocked that he had thought this, widened his eyes in realization.

I…I don't know, he thought.

"Why do you keep having to reassure yourself?" said the Brick in Butch's mind.

I don't know.

"Why do you keep remembering all the things you did to him if you have no feelings?"

I. Don't. Know!

"Don't you get tired of denying yourself?"

I'm not denying myself.

"You're just running away."

I'm not running away.

"If you're not running away, why are you going on this stupid mission?"

Because…because…

Butch thought for a moment later. Then, reluctantly, he made a decision.

Butch and Brick approached an asteroid belt. Butch lowered down to the asteroid and Butch, still giving him the cold stare, followed him. Butch slowed down as the green trail behind him began to fade, and landed on the gray rock surface of the asteroid. Brick landed near him, still giving him that stare.

Butch remained silent for a moment, reflecting one final time.

"You're a sad excuse for a brother!" Brick had said.

Butch thought this for one last time. Then, after regaining his gripped, he narrowed his eyes and began to yell.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" he yelled.

Brick did not change his expression.

"What do you think? I want to go back." he said.

Butch pointed at him, still yelling.

"God, you're such an idiot!"

Brick still gave him the cold stare. Butch turned away from him, then yelled out.

"Get the hell out of here!"

At this, Brick broke his cold stare. He appeared puzzled.

"What?" asked Brick.

Butch turned back around, pointing at him.

"You heard me! I said get out of here! If you're gonna be such a freaking bitch about this, just go back there your damn self!"

Brick blinked, stunned at Butch's remarks.

"Why are you-"

Butch interrupted him, because he knew what he was going to ask and Butch did not feel like answering.

"What are you, deaf! I said I want you out of here! Go on! Go back there, you pansy!"

Brick, however, remained there.

"Why are you saying this? I thought you didn't want me to help Boomer."

"I don't! I just want you to get away from me! I'm tired of having to deal with your crap. I just want you to get the hell away from me!"

Brick stared into Butch's eyes.

"You're lying."

Butch, after seeing Brick read him through his eyes, turned away again.

"I want you to get the #$ away from me as fast as possible! Boomer has nothing to do with any of this," lied Butch. "I couldn't care less about Boomer! I just want you to go!"

Brick could tell Butch wasn't being truthful about his motives.

"Come back with me," said Brick.

Butch turned back around, furious.

"What are you, stupid! I don't care about him! I just want you to leave me alone and GO AWAY!"

"Drop the charade!" shouted Brick. "You feel bad, don't you?"

"GO…AWAY!"

"Come back with me!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M NOT GOING BACK!"

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE I CA-" Butch began, but stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to reveal his true reason for not wanting to return; it was just the way he was.

Butch turned away from Brick once more.

"Do I have to shoot at you before you actually listen to me! I want you to get away from me, right now! I'll do the stupid mission myself, without having to deal with your ass!"

Brick paused, then sighed.

"Butch…" he said. "I'll ask one more time. Drop the act and come with me."

Butch, without turning around, spoke, only this time he did not yell.

"Go. Now. It's what's best for both of us."

Brick looked at Butch, then turned back towards the direction they had traveled from; the direction towards Earth.

"Maybe you're not as sad excuse for a human being as I thought," said Brick, as he prepared to leave. "Maybe there's some a little humanity in you."

"Kiss my ass," said Butch, keeping charade up till the end.

Brick charged energy beneath his feet, then jumped upward, flying through the vast expanse of space. He traveled as fast as his body would allow. Butch turned to see a red light off in the distance for just a moment. Then it was gone.

Butch looked up into space. He walked over to a large grey rock protruding from the asteroid and sat on it.

I can't go back, he thought to himself. How am I supposed to look at him after what happened? After what he did…and…after what…I did…

Butch looked up at the cosmos and sighed.

Life was much simpler when I avoided thinking.

For the first time in a long time, Butch didn't know what to do.