A.N. did ya really think I would let Brick off entirely without consequence? Well mostly anyways. Anyways review please.
PR Repair
The next morning the professor sat at his kitchen table sipping his coffee. The girls wounds and bones had healed during the night, but he stayed in pain. He cursed his own creation for giving him a throbbing headache and was greedily drinking coffee with some pain killers. Soon enough, a knock had sounded off on his front door. He chose not to avoid his fate and walked to the door.
Mayor Bellum was standing there with a briefcase and her red suit dress. Looking around he saw no cops with her, but still suspected he was to be detained. "Hello mayor, This is a surprise." He said opening the door further to properly speak to her.
"Is it really?" She said with a soft look of sadness in her eyes.
"Well, to see you it is, but I expected some form of official company. Please come in." Professor said motioning with his hands an invite to enter.
She walked in and set her briefcase on the table, letting out a sigh she spoke, "Listen Professor I do not want to be here today, but after yesterday we need to talk." He kept silent but nodded. She continued, "It was decided, with the good you've done for the city, as well as your girls good deeds to just fine you for the damages to Brick's cell." The professor let a breath out.
"So I won't be taken away?" He asked to clarify.
"No, but what were you thinking? Were you trying to kill Brick?" She asked in an vexed voice.
"You didn't see what they did to my girls, I was just so angry." He defended. "I had to re-break bones! I had to bandage up my girls who were beaten to a bloody pulp!" He exclaimed in a whisper. He didn't want to wake his girls, the tranquilizers should be long out of their system and were just resting. "They didn't do anything to deserve that kind of beating."
"We know." Mayor Bellum affirmed, "But the truth is not black and white." She said opening up her briefcase She pulled out a disk. "This is the video footage of the diner when your girls attacked." She sighed, "Lets go down to your lab and see it together." She said handing him the disk.
They walked down and loaded up the disk. Soon enough the image of Brick returning to his table filled the monitor screen. A waitress came up and seemed to be conversing with the boys. Without sound it was still clear they were speaking quite cordially. After a few minutes of eating Brick held up a knife and soon all three directed their attention to the entrance. He could see the girls on screen point then attack the boys. The wall gave out and the video feed ended right after.
"This doesn't look good for your girls. Where are they now? I need to hear their side." Mayor Bellum shook her head as she spoke.
"They are still resting, I don't know when they will wake up." He said in shock at what he just saw. The girls by all accounts did just attack the boys randomly, but he knew there was more to it. He just couldn't connect the dots with the information he had.
"Alert me when they wake up. She instructed, "And if you have anymore suits I suggest you destroy them." He was about to protest, "I understand you were mad, Brick himself is the one who convinced me not to issue an arrest warrant, but I want to be sure you won't do something dumb that could get yourself killed."
"You know there is more to this than that tape." He defended his girls.
She softened her gaze at the man. "Please, I don't like this anymore than you do, but the boys do have the public on their side. I'm a public servant. Just please, make this easier and alert me when they wake up." She said placing a soft hand on his shoulder. He nodded and she left the lab and returned to her office. Before she left the door, she turned, "With this video, I have no choice but to release the boys from prison in a few hours. Please, just remember not to do anything dumb." She stepped out of his house, and into her car. Leaving the man inside alone with nothing but questions in his head.
A few hours later up in her room Blossom began opening her eyes. As the morning blurriness subsided she sat up and looked around. The last thing she remembered was being beaten in a dessert by Brick, and now she was home. She looked through her window and saw the city still intact from her home.
"Well, no one has destroyed it that's a good thing I guess. Did we win?" She pondered in her head. She flipped on the TV and soon landed on Channel 5 news. An anchorman was talking about the stock market for the day, but soon moved on to the next story. "Now terror in the streets yesterday as the Powerpuff Girls launched an assault on the former criminals The Rowdyruff Boys." Blossom sat on her bed and watched the reporter drone on. "We go to our field reporter, Lisa Smith who is live with a special interview from the owners of the restaurant."
The scene changed as a woman in a white dress shirt and black skirt, medium length brown hair stood with a man in an apron, balding head and five o clock shadow, and a woman with long red curly hair fair skin and freckles. She recognized the woman from the scene when she and her sisters found the boys at the diner. "Thank you Robert, This is Lisa Smith, with the owners of the Salt and Pepper Diner. Which acted as Ground Zero to yesterdays sudden commotion. Please state your names." She passed the microphone to the two who identified as Alexander Cratchet and Stella Cratchet. "Please what happened her yesterday?"
The woman took the microphone and spoke, "The boys had arrived a little before 4 pm yesterday. They took a booth and I greeted them."
"What was going on from there."
"Well I took their orders, and informed them they wouldn't be charged for the food." Blossom remembered the voice on the phone saying they were demanding free food, was Stella covering that part up?
"Why not if I may ask?" The reporter interrupted.
"It was a personal decision from me and my father. They actually saved me a month ago during the Bank heist they stopped. I was a hostage, and was of course very grateful for their intervention. It was our way of saying thanks." Blossom took the information skeptically, but figured she wouldn't have a reason to lie. Stella continued, "After taking their orders they all began talking and laughing amungst themselves, and soon I had their food ready. I made a regrettable joke."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you see I decided to remark how happy I was to see the boys instead of frightened like before they were captured. The red headed one, Brick I think, made a joke with me. He held up the butter-knife that came with his silverware, and said he could still burn the place down if he wanted, and that's when the girls showed up."
"So all of this came about from a poorly timed joke?" Stella nodded. "What happened next?"
"The girls attacked the boys sending them through a wall, and from there I have no idea. I feel really bad, I know the girls had their hearts in the right place, but if I didn't make that joke maybe nothing would have happened." She said as she looked down.
"Well there you have it Robert. This is Lisa Smith and we here at channel 5 wish to thank the Cratchets for their time, and as more information becomes available I wish to remind everyone we here will be the first on scene to give you the truth."
Roberts face soon returned to the screen. "Thank you Lisa. Many of our citizens have sent in various videos of the brawl between the six super powered teenagers, lets see a few." And the screen transitioned to cell phone footage of Blossom and Brick fighting in the streets. Blossom had to grin when she saw herself sweep out Bricks legs then strike him down the street. Then Bubbles launching Boomer into a building was shown. Then right after that a screaming Buttercup threw a bus full of people at Butch. Blossom's heart sank as she watched Butch save the people on board, mentally scolded Buttercup's recklessness. The image returned to Robert and he spoke, "These are a few of the videos sent in. We here do not believe the girls attacked without cause, but putting that many people in danger is a frightening image." He shook his head and shuffled some papers on his desk. "Now we have one last special on the scene reporter to hear from Ash Appellant live on the scene of the Utonium household.
Soon after that the familiar reporter who had gotten most of the interviews from the girls was shown standing in front of their house. Blossom looked outside to see they were indeed live on scene.
"Hello Townsville, This is Ash Appellant always seeking the truth for all super powered news in our fair city. I stand here in front of the home which famously houses our three super powered protectors, and as of now they haven't been seen since the incident. The boys were apprehended later that night. With the help of Mayor Bellum and another figure we believe to be the boys probation officers. No news about what happened to the girls when the fight was led out of town, but a neighbor claimed to have seen all three beaten down and dropped off here at their home.
Blossom decided she needed to give an interview and opened her window and floated out to the reporter. "Excuse me." She said to the now startled reporter. "I can help shed some light on what happened."
"This is exciting Robert, Blossom the leader has agreed to do a live interview, do we have time?" She held onto her earpiece as she got permission. "Perfect," She said with a smile, "So Blossom. What happened by your own accounts?"
"Yesterday I had received a call on our hotlink from an unrecognized number, But answered it never wavering for people in need. A woman was on the other end saying the boys were threatening lives, robbing the Diner and demanded free food as well. She seemed quite scared, so we took to the skies to investigate."
"Our reports have shown the boys being on the lawful side as of late, with the monster, bank heist, and several small crimes and muggings stopped over the course of the last few months. Did any of that go through your mind as you flew off?"
"Yes it did actually. Our initial motive was to scope the scene. Upon arriving we heard Brick, the leader, threaten to 'blow the place up.' while holding a knife to the woman. We we're informed they were threatening lives, and we acted with certainty from that image." Blossom replied as kind as she could.
"Reports are saying now, that was said as a joke and the knife was just a butter-knife, was that not accurate?" Ash asked.
"We we're unaware of the context of the situation upon arriving. I would like to make this point, that our birth may be a little different, but we are still human and capable of making mistakes."
"With all your power, many could argue you should hold more responsibility for these actions. Is there anything you would like to say to them?"
"No, they are right. We love this town and city, and all who inhabit it. We acted, however woefully so, with haste. I personally ask you to understand this grievous mistake will not be used as a learning tool to be better protectors of this city. We are only truly guilty of wanting to protect the city." She reassured the listening public.
"Now one clip we saw Buttercup launch a bus full of people towards her target, the people are quite shaken up about it anything to say to that?"
Blossom had no answer for this one, but she tried to sound reassuring. "We all have flaws, and Buttercup's temper is unfortunately hers, we will all be working on bettering ourselves and temperament. As for the people who were on that but I extend the deepest apologies. I realize that may not mean much, but I ask we all work together to move on and better everyone involved."
"Yes I think we all have done regrettable things when lost in our tempers, I hope they understand as well. Finally Blossom, what about the reports you were dropped off here in a broken condition?"
"I would have to confirm those reports. I believe the boys dropped us off, but I have only been awake for the last 20 minutes or so. I do ask people to take this as proof to our dedication to keeping Townsville free from the clutches of evil. We happily put ourselves in danger to protect you. Despite the horrendous actions of yesterday, we look to the future of protecting you all, and being the better super heroes you expect from us." Blossom said pleading with her hand on her heart.
"Blossom I am being informed we are out of time, I thank you, and channel five thanks you." Blossom nodded gratefully at the reporter and returned to her home. She saw the TV had returned to the anchorman Robert.
"You heard it here first folks, the whole scene was caused by the superhero equivalent to what is knows as 'swatting.' While rare it is not unheard of. We ask that anyone with information to the prankster please bring it to the Police Department." He continued on, but Blossom had turned off the television. The professor was sitting on a couch watching her interview. He was unaware of her waking until he saw her float down to the reporter.
"Good morning sweetie," He smiled at her. "I think you did a good job." Blossom looked him over and saw he was a mess. Scanning him up and down she saw several bruises, and a few missing teeth.
"What happened to you?" She cried with concern.
He hated to lie, but figured he would have to. If he told her what he did and how it ended he was afraid she would blow up and start another fight. "When I was tending to you three I was running down the stairs and fell down the staircase." It was a believable lie, he did often slip and fall down them, though the girls usually managed to stop his fall. "I need to carpet the stairs or something." He chuckled.
Blossom could tell the bruises weren't caused by stairs the bruises were too round for that to be the truth, but knew the professor. He wouldn't lie without a reason. She just forced herself to let it go. Getting mad now would probably do more harm than good. She was walking to the kitchen when her super-hearing picked up the vibrations of the hot line phone on the table she left it on yesterday. Answering it she was greeted to Mayor Bellums' voice.
"Hello mayor?" She wasn't sure how to sound, but knew it wasn't just a check up call.
"Are your sisters up?" Her voice was serious.
"I don't think so." She looked up to the separate rooms her sisters had, they were still passed out.
"Well, you'll do. Please come to city hall. I'll leave the window open." She was about to hang up when she heard Bellum once more, "And Blossom. I'm glad to see you're okay." She said in a much softer tone.
"Right away mayor." She said and walked out the door. The professor and his daughter both gave worrisome looks to each other, and she took off. When she reached the building she saw Mayor Bellum standing in front of her desk. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she was looking up at the ceiling as Blossom flew in.
"I saw your interview." She said never looking down at the young puff in front of her. "I wanted to keep you away from cameras for a bit until I heard your story."
"I'm sorry Mayor. I had only woken up when they were in front of my house. I felt it right to give a truthful report right then and there." She defended.
"Well, it was live. They can't edit it to vilify any party involved." She said dropping her gaze to Blossom. "So someone other than me called you?" Blossom nodded and pulled the phone out. The mayor took it and looked through the recent calls. Sure enough one call was not from the PD or herself. "How did they get your number?" She asked as she stared puzzled by the number.
"They said it was in the phone booth they were using." Blossom relayed the information.
"We only have two left in the city, well after this weekend there won't be any left, but this complicates things." She sighed as she locked the phone and handed back to Blossom. "Forensics won't get a clean print. Plus it adds one more puzzling piece. Who knew they were at the Salt and Pepper Diner? Both of those booths left, are on opposite ends of the city, and no where near the diner." Bellum questioned aloud.
"So both the boys and us were setup?" Blossom inquired.
Mayor Bellum rubbed her temples and nodded, "It would seem so."
"Where are the boys now anyways?" She asked out of curiosity.
"They spent the night locked back in jail." Blossom felt a twinge of guilt, in her mind had she better assessed the situation they wouldn't be wrongfully confined. Seeing the look on Blossom's face she assured her, "They will be out in a little bit. I want you to only accept calls from me on that phone for now on. Not even the PD just me. Understand?" The mayor spoke as she took some medicine for her forming migraine. After she swallowed her water she spoke again, "At least until we find out who made that phony report. You said it was a woman correct?" Blossom nodded. "Alright, well remember, just me, and maybe stay away from the boys for a bit." She walked over to Blossom looked down and gave her a hug. "Really though, I'm glad to see you're well." Both redheads smiled at each other and Blossom soon took off.
When she got home she found Buttercup feasting upon anything in the fridge and Bubbles devouring a bowl of cereal. Feeling the growling in her gut she walked into the kitchen and got some food for herself. With all the healing they had to do and energy exhausted it was a miracle Blossom made it this far without eating.
After they all had their fill the obvious questions came out. "So what happens now? We get those boys with a rematch?" Buttercup said smiling. Blossom spent the next few minutes explaining how they were setup, and the mayors orders to stay away from the boys. "Also only calls from Miss Bellum are to be answered for now on." She said finishing her story.
Buttercup took the information rather well, "If that's what the mayor wants. But how innocent can they be with the brutal beating we got?" Buttercup's pride definitely took a hit from the news following her defeat.
"Even if they tried to explain themselves I don't think we would have listened." Bubbles said. "Well I would but not you two." She said with a smirk. Both sisters glared at Bubbles then all three laughed.
Some sense of normalcy had returned to the girls. The professor could hear their giggles and was relieved he was around to hear it. Soon though the hot line rang out and he could hear Blossom answer it. "Yes mayor?" she said then handed the phone to Buttercup, "It's for you."
"Hey Bellum what's up?" She casually asked. A look of anger flashed on her face then sadness, "Yes I understand." She said as she hung up bidding the mayor farewell.
"What was that about?" Bubbles asked.
"They want me to do some community service for throwin' that bus." She slumped into her chair. "I didn't even mean to." She cried out. The rest of the afternoon for the girls were filled with light teasing and jokes between all three.
Meanwhile downtown Dr. Langston stood at the loading docks when Mayor Bellum showed up to release the boys. "Good afternoon mayor." He greeted with a sly smile.
"Why do you look so happy?" She said with a grin.
"I think I have the perfect way to end their blood feud." He responded.
"Oh?" Was all Bellum could say, she trusted the Langstons' opinion on the boys, if he had an idea to quell this feud she was all ears. "What is it?"
With a smirk he replied, "You gave Buttercup community service right?"
A.N. what do you think is going on in the good docs mind.