Little Boy Blues

Boomer raced home with the eagerness in his heart. The excitement of hanging out with Bubbles after he cleaned up had his heart palpitating. Approaching his apartment's fire escape he slowed down and jumped through the living room window. Brick had been home for a little while now. After his fight with Blossom he detoured back to the archive room and had spent until the early afternoon reading everything he could about Sedusa and her crimes. He had the files completely memorized, even though there wasn't much, before he left to grab himself a lunch. He had only been home for maybe an hour before his brother literally bounced into the living room.

"What's got you so happy today?" Brick asked intuition already telling him the answer.

"Gonna go hang out with Bubbs after a shower." Boomer replied racing to the bathroom. He stopped when he noticed how much dirt and even some dried blood was stuck on the corner of his mouth. His clothes covered in dirt and was giving his computer chair a good coat of filth. "What the hell happened to you?"

Brick looked down at himself, "Ah just part of the casework the Mayors got me and Pinkie working." He informed. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I looks more like Blossom whooped your ass. Not much makes us bleed." He said tapping the corner of his own mouth. Brick just scoffed in response.

"Weren't you going to hang out with the blonde puff or something." He pressed trying to avoid the issue.

"Oh yeah." Boomer laughed, "I better get cleaned up." Brick relaxed his shoulders in relief that he managed to distract Boomer. "I'm telling you Brick those Puffs ain't bad at all. I for one am pretty damn excited about hanging out with 'em." Boomer laughed as he walked into the bathroom.

"Of course you are." Brick sighed. He did notice the lack of annoyance that should have accompanied such news, but still set in on his plan he was worried Boomer might just ruin all his hard work. "I just have to trust him. I doubt they'll actually talk about me or any of my plans. If I'm lucky they'll just make awkward side glances and laughter the entire time." He laughed inside his head. Pushing the thoughts to the side he resumed his reading on the local news website he had opened.

Apparently a string of electrical fires had been happening across town, the fire department has been trying to calm the collective stress of the cities families and businesses urging everyone to practice safety with electrical outlets. However, Brick noticed the police had been dispatched to look into it on "Off-chance" foul play was really at work.

Brick smiled as he remembered some of the fires he lit off in his youth, but he never set anything ablaze that had people in it. Brick felt strange about it though. He couldn't care anymore. This morning had he read this report he would have felt an urge to find the truth out himself, but right now he just shrugged it off. "Let the police and fire department handle it." He sighed as he moved onto the next story.

A Few minutes into the police coverage of his investigation, he heard Boomer call out from the Bathroom. "Hey Bro I forgot to grab a towel can ya hand me one please?"

"Yeah sure." He responded as he grabbed a towel from the hall closet and tossed it to the hand sticking out of the small door opening.

"Thanks." Boomer called out before closing the door and drying himself off. Wiping the mirror clear of the fog he examined himself noticing his scruff made his chin just look dirty he gave himself a small shave then brushed and flossed his teeth. Throwing on deodorant and some of the body spray Butch bought he floated to his room and quickly changed into his baggy blue jeans and a white undershirt with a sky blue opened button down shirt over it. Jumping into his shoes he was rushing through the living room to the window. With a farewell between brothers Boomer shot off the fire escape and was going just under mach speed to the Utonium household.

With a final sweep of his hair and one last check over to make sure he was decent he knocked on the door and waited. It was probably less than a minutes wait, but time seemed to slow down to a stand still as he stood at the door and waited. He broke out in a nervous whistle while he placed his hands behind his back. He felt like he could have had aged three years in the time it took for someone to answer the door, and when it did finally open he felt his heart skip a beat.

Bubbles was standing in her doorway with freshly brushed hair pulled in two curled pigtails, a blue tank top with a red heart in the middle, and bell bottom jeans with sunflowers embroidered from her calf down. "Hey Boomie!" She greeted pulling him in her house.

Looking around he took notice of a woman with black hair sitting on the couch holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands. He gave a nervous smile and wave in her direction, and in turn she gave a warm smile back. "So two of the Rowdyruffs visit us today?"

"Uhh I guess?" He replied with nervous grin.

"Remember I told you Brick stopped by this morning." Bubbles whispered. "Me and Boomer won't be staying long Keane. We were planning on hitting the mall and you know, hang out and stuff." She informed. Turning to Boomer, "I just gotta move some boxes to the basement, then we can go."

"Oh ok, I'll help." He smiled as he followed her up the stairs. When they reached to the top floor he began to get nervous about the silence. "So, uhh where are your sisters?"

"Blossom got home a while ago, I don't know what she and Brick did today but she was coated in dirt when she got home." She said shaking her head.

"Yeah Brick was the same, still had dried blood on his mouth." He laughed, "Any idea what they're supposed to be investigating?"

"I think Blossom said it was jewelry store heists." She informed as they entered her room coated in every shade of blue minus the walls that were pink. Shelves lining the walls were filled with various stuffed animals, in fact there were stuffed animals everywhere. The night stand right by her bed had a purple octopus with lazy eyes and a hat, and each corner of her room had various animals from all over the world lying around.

"I guess you never grew out of the stuffed animal phase." He chuckled as he looked around.

"Why would I do that?" She giggles as she gave the cat lying on her bed a few pats. Boomer just shrugged as she giggled at him. "Well anyways, these are the boxes I'll just gotta move them to the basement and we can go."

"Nah I'll get them." She was about to protest but he already had all three in his arms stacked over his head. "Just show me where to go."

"Alright sir Boomer, this way." She curtly smiled. "And some say chivalry is dead."

"What you got in here anyways?" He asked as they both floated down the stairs.

"Oh just some old clothes to make room for my new uniform." She informed.

"But you only got like five shirts and six pants how much room did they need?"

"Well it has been a while since I cleaned out my closet, so I guess I went a touch overboard. Why? Is it too heavy I could take a box if you want."

"No no I got it." He replied with a prideful voice. When they got to the basement door Bubbles opened the door and turned on the light.

"Bubbles! Have you seen my old black book bag?" Boomer could hear Blossom yell from the top of the stairs.

"I better go help her find it, you think you could just drop them off by the corner by the machine on the far side wall of the first room down there?"

"Yeah no problem Bubbs." He looked through the boxes with his X-ray vision while he made his way down after Bubbles flew upstairs to help her sister. Feeling the flat ground meet his feet he looked over to where she told him to leave the boxes. "Wonder what she needed them here for." He questioned while he set the boxes down. "Ah well not my business." He reasoned while he stood back up.

He was about to turn around when he heard the light above him start flickering. "Oh come on please no." He whimpered just as the light blew and the sudden lack of light dimmed the entire room around him. "Ok Boom you're ok. You know where the exit is, just get to it." He reassured aloud to himself. In his sudden panic he tripped over his own feet and fell forward. His hand grabbed a sheet as he hit the ground with an audible thud.

Bubbles was digging through her sisters closet when she noticed a black strap, "Found it Blossom." She grunted pulling it out of the closet. "With the rest of your old bags. You really need to get rid of them at some point." She said handing it over to Blossom.

"Not when they can still be useful. Brick and I have a full night of staking out jewelry stores, and this can hold snacks or gadgets or anything else we may need." She replied with a thanks.

Bubbles was about to tease her sister when they both heard a subtle noise come from the basement with their super hearing. "What was that?" Bubbles asked as she headed out the bedroom to the basement.

Boomer felt his breath quicken as he pushed himself off the ground. Noticing the sheet in his hand he followed it up to the machine it was covering. Curiosity took over and he pulled the rest of the sheet off and was inches away from the prototype containment laser that helped capture him and his brothers five years ago. He fell to his knees in a shudder and felt his whole body start to shake and quiver. Suddenly his mind raced through a montage of memories of his cell. The cold loneliness of the start, winter nights where he had to sneak extra socks into his room as makeshift mittens to keep warm. Summer nights where he almost slept in the nude on the floor since the AC never cooled of his rooms, or his brothers he guessed they never talked about their time locked away.

His body convulsed as he panted on his hands and knees. The silence around him felt suffocating, and his breath followed suit as he fell onto the floor in a ball. Panic racing through his mind he tried in vain to calm himself down. "You're okay Boom. You're not locked up. You're in your friends basement. Just get up and get out before she sees you like this."

The mantra almost worked until he heard a voice, "Boomer are you okay?" Following the sound he saw Bubbles with her hands to her mouth looking shocked. Boomer's eyes widened as his mind went into full panic and with a deafening scream he broke through the ceiling under the back yard and flew high into the sky. Labored breaths came out of his mouth as he looked down at the hole he created.

Digging his hands into his temples he screamed in frustration. "Why do I have to mess everything up?!" Looking around in a panic he picked a direction and shot off to the city.

Back in the Basement Bubbles was standing in shock at what she had just seen. Blossom had ran down after she heard the scream fearing for everyone in her home. She saw Bubbles standing by a column of light shooting down from the ceiling. "Bubbles? What happened?" She asked as her sister looked up through the hole.

"I don't know? When I got down here I saw Boomer hunched on the ground here. I asked if he was okay then he just screamed and broke through the roof?" She reported. Blossom took a look around and saw a sheet lying on the floor, and right by the hole was the old prototype she used to capture Brick. Looking up at the hole she saw one light was burnt out even though most other lights were still brightly lit.

"Poor guy." She said softly easily able to figure out most of what happened. Just to confirm her theory she turned on the nearby computer and pulled up the surveillance footage. Sure enough she watched as Boomer tensed up as a a light went out by him, followed by him falling and freaking out at the sight of the containment laser. She felt pity in her heart as he fell to his knees in what looked like a seizure, but just as he seemed to be calming down he looked to the side, if the cameras had mics she was sure he would have destroyed him with how loudly he screamed. Then he broke through the ceiling.

"What happened?" Bubbles asked after watching the footage behind her sister.

Blossom let out a long sigh as she turned to her sister whose tears obviously flowing for a minute now. "I think I should tell you what I found out about the boys today Bubbles." Blossom said with empathy. Leading her sister out of the basement she got ready to tell her about how the boys were contained for so long.

Boomer had yet to stop flying as he tried to dry the tenacious tears in his eyes. Seeing the building he was looking for he dropped before Big Lou's Comic Store. Rushing through the front door he locked eyes with the owner.

Lou took immediate notice of Boomer's body language. Whenever Boomer was overly stressed he would often show up like this, wide eyed and trembling. "Hey there buddy what is it you need today?" He always tried to make Boomer feel comfortable here. When he first showed up years ago he barely looked alive, and spoke very little. Yet he managed to get him to give small laughs and smiles every now and then. Ever since he was a loyal customer. Usually showing up once a month. Unless he was pushed over some emotional limit, then he came here like an addict in need of a fix. He never questioned what caused it, if Boomer wanted to talk about it he would he figured.

"I need the biggest graphic novel you got Lou." the fact he wasn't stuttering and stammering over each word surprised Boomer, but he wasn't going to jinx it by talking more than he had to.

"Let me see here," Lou stated looking behind his counter, he pulled out a book and set it on the counter. "I have a first edition of the Injustice omnibus. Contains all five years. How about fifty bucks."

Boomer said nothing as he pulled out his wallet and slammed three 20s on the counter. "Keep the change." He snatched the book and ran into the street and into the sky. He kept flying until he say the familiar window that led into the living room. He stopped flying and fell through the opening rolling against the floor.

Brick had never even left his computer chair when he turned around startled by the sudden noise, He could hear someone flying to the window, but he didn't expect to hear a loud thumping and crashing noise immediately following. "What the hell?" He turned around and saw Boomer on the floor clutching his new book. The color faded from Brick's face as he watched his brother get up without using his hands clutching the book like his life depended on it and run to the bedroom. Brick could hear the sound of Boomer's window being shoved open and he figured all the lights would be on already.

Butch had come home minutes after Boomer left and after a shower was relaxing in his room when he heard the commotion. Opening his door he looked out and saw Brick staring at Boomer's door, "What's going on."

"I think... Boomer had another panic attack." Brick almost whispered.

"Really? I thought he was over them, our little sleepover in our old cells didn't send him into one so what could have now?" Butch asked looking at the door with sadness.

"Who knows, but we're still his brothers we know the drill by now." Brick affirmed. "We let him stay in his room, when he calms down and he wants to talk one of us will listen." Butch said nothing but nodded with his brother's instructions. "So if you could hang out in the living room when I leave here in a few hours, you know in case he comes out earlier than usual, I would appreciate it."

Butch grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him away from the door. "Where the hell are you going?" He hissed, "Boomer needs us both when he gets like this."

"I know, but you also know it's usually 24 hours before he calms down, and unfortunately I have a job tonight." Brick hissed back.

"Since when does a job come before our brotherhood?"

"It doesn't," Brick scribbled some numbers down on a paper lying around and handed it to Butch. if you really need me just call this number on that phone the mayor gave us. I should be with Blossom the entire night, so give that a call and I'll drop everything and come home." Looking behind Butch at the door housing their shutoff sibling he let out a tired sigh, "I think we both know he probably won't come out until morning at the earliest." Brick relented.

"You better, and what job is it this time that me and Boomer can't come along?"

"It's a task from the Mayor, me and Pinkie are looking into jewelry store heists. I was going to ask you to come with you since you don't have work tonight, but I need you to keep an eye on Boomer. Okay? I promise this isn't a solo job. You two will be involved when you're able I swear."

Butch spat into his hand and held it out, "Then Rowdyruff swear it." He squinted at his brother. Brick, in turn, mirrored Butch's actions and shook hands. "Alright. So when do you leave for your date with Blossom?"

"I'll take off around 7 so a few hours from now." He was going to defend it wasn't a date before Butch interrupted.

"Alright, I'm going to bed then, I haven't had the best day ever either." Butch paused and looked at Boomer's door, "Though it looks like it ended better than Boomers." He mumbled under his breath. "Wake me up before you go." Butch waved off behind him as Brick sat back in his chair. Looking over himself he decided he was in desperate need of a shower. The Rowdyruff apartment was silent for the next few hours, while Brick read up and studied what little he could find on Sedusa. Looking at the clock Brick was throwing on his dark red shirt when he heard pacing and whimpering from their front door.

He opened the door to find a teary eyed Bubbles standing at his door step. "Hey Puff, what's, uh..." Brick paused looking for the right words. Yet again he felt an emptiness inside himself in terms of the Puffs. The fight with Blossom seemed to wash away most if not all the hatred he felt for the sisters. "whatcha doin' here?"

"I was hoping to see Boomer," The surprised Puff informed.

"I don't think anyone is going to see Boomer until morning." He looked behind him then turned back to her. "And if you caused his panic attack, your very presence might send him into another one."

"Can't I come in please?" She held her hands in front of her, pleading.

Relenting he opened the door for her, "Against my better judgment." He rolled his eyes, "Come on in." Following him into the apartment he motioned to the couch. "You might as well take a seat." She followed his offer with thanks as she sat down. The awkward silence surrounded them as she patted her legs rhythmically and popped her lips. Brick sat down at the chair opposite of the puff with a glare.

"So does Boomer often have panic attacks?" She looked around in any direction than the crimson leader.

"Not usually no, when they first popped up yeah, but he hasn't had any in like a year until now." He folded his arms.

"It was an accident he offered to help me-" Brick raised his hand to stop her.

"I don't care what caused it, I only care that he gets through it." He set his arm back down. He looked at Bubbles with curiosity, "I don't know how much, if anything you know about our lockup, but none of us really came out okay." She finally looked at him as he spoke. "The worst part was for the first year and a half we weren't even allowed to interact with each other. Always kept separate, and after that it was always monitored. I still remember the first time we were reunited." Bubbles shifted herself more comfortably on the couch while she listened. Blossom had told them all she knew of how they were confined for three years, but hearing it from Brick was a different feeling. Less like a report and more like a story.

"After Langston finally convinced the warden to let us see each other they put on these stupid restraints that dampened our powers like strength, speed heat vision, all except our durability. Then they strapped us to these dollies like we were all Hannibal Lector, minus the face mask. From there they wheeled us into a room where we were kept in separate corners." She felt her heart give a little as he spoke. "You might expect a tearful reunion of brothers, but Butch looked dead, and Boomer looked half insane. Butch had these dark deep circles under his eyes and his cheeks were sunken in, and Boomer's hair stuck up and out of every direction. Me, I figured I looked about as bad since they had on the same face of hurt when they looked at me." He growled and slammed his fist on the chairs arm, "They fed us enough to live, but we needed so much more food than that at times, so we were all malnourished. I guess it isn't their fault super metabolism isn't easy to satisfy. Anyways we sat in silence for about five minutes, each of us looking one another over." His brow furrowed underneath his cap, "I was so mad at you three for putting us there, and myself for giving the order to split up, I was about to beg for their forgiveness when Boomer finally said something, 'So guys what's new with you? As for me I finally got my own room." Brick said in Boomer's voice though dry and hoarse. Bubbles fought back tears as she listened.

"That stupid brother of mine, probably half starved, and half brain dead, was still concerned with making me and Butch laugh. Butch started to snicker and eventually I joined in and we all started laughing like it was the funniest thing we've heard." Bricks brow relaxed as he chuckled at the memory, "I thank him for it honestly, we all shared in the longest laugh of our lives."

The image in her head only added fuel to the guilty fire she felt in her chest. Sure they were evil and dangerous, especially the last two years or so before they got locked away, but hearing how they were treated less than human was heart shattering. She didn't know that's where she sent them until today. She remembered waving with a giggle and tongue out as they hauled Boomer into the van that took him away, she wished she could take it back.

"I swore to them and myself I would find a way out, I doubled my education, wrote so many letters begging for release, and told them when we got out we had to be strong not just together but individually. I was already putting them through a training regiment before, but they took it seriously while we were locked away." He shook his head with a fist to his mouth, "Boomer really kept us sane inside, unfortunately it came at a price. When we first got out he was paranoid, and prone to these attacks. He needed everyone to like him so much and accept him that he would do something dumb for whatever reason he was out and come home with a panic attack and comic book in hand. He really dives into them when he gets stressed. Like a happy place." He explained. "The best thing is to let him deflate, then when he is ready to talk let him control the conversation." he stood up and looked over at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, "I better get Butch up, he didn't have such a good day either," Looking down at Bubbles, "I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be here, but you are welcome to stay I guess." He invited then walked off to the hallway. He returned with a half asleep Butch in tow rubbing his eyes and flopping down on the couch. Brick said his farewells and left the two alone in the living room.

"So you're stayin' then?" Butch asked as he lazily looked over to the Puff.

"I just want to talk to Boomer, if he doesn't want to, then I'll go." She crossed her arms.

Butch turned on the TV, and spoke through a yawn, "Fine by me, BC helped me out today I'm sure you'd do little boy blue in there some good." The next few hours were spent with Butch watching whatever caught his eye while channel surfing. Bubbles sat there uncomfortable and stared at the door hiding her counterpart.

Determined she stood up and walked to the door, Butch eyed her curiously as he watched her disappear behind the wall that made the hallway. With a breath she knocked on the door and spoke in a whisper. "Boomie? Listen I'm sorry about what happened in the basement today, I just want to talk." She was met with silence, "I don't even want to talk as much as I just want to see you and know you're alright. Please, let me in." She stood at the door waiting for anything to signal she could enter. She did finally hear the sound of rustling behind the door and the sound of a lock clicking off.

A smile grew on her face as she cautiously entered the bedroom, finding Boomer on his bed legs crossed hiding his face behind a thick graphic novel. "Boomie please put the book down." His body stiffened before he followed her request. His eyes were red and his cheeks stained with tears. Her heart sank even further.

"I am really sorry I broke the ceiling."

"That's alright," She gave a light giggle to ease the mood, "The professor already fixed it, we've broken that lab so many times he has a small set of repair bots in place for it." She motioned to the bed, "May I sit down?"

Giving a nod he asked, "So you're not mad or angry with me?"

"No," She said shaking her head, "I was scared for you, I've never seen that look on your face before. I just want things to be okay again. That's why I'm here." She slowly placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt hurt seeing him stiff up again but he soon relaxed into her touch. "What do I need to say to put all of that behind us?"

"Nothing you can say will fix me." She retracted her arm. About to leave he spoke again. "But maybe you can stay for a little bit? I don't know what kind of company I'll make, but just sorta hang out for a bit?"

She didn't answer him but placed her legs up on the bed and rested her back on the wall with a smile. Returning her warm smile he sat next to her and read his book. A few minutes she relaxed by him until she decided to read his comic with him.

"Who is that?" She pointed to a lady screaming in Superman's face.

"Black canary, She is a superhero with a sonic scream and master martial arts."

"More like villain, she is attacking Superman." She scoffed.

"Superman here is falling into a mad state of evil after being tricked by the Joker. She is attacking him because he killed her husband green arrow."

"She doesn't have super strength or anything like that?"

"Nope, just super screaming and skill." He smiled at her, "She is one of my favorite heroes."

"I've never heard of her, good to see more female super heroes."

"There is more than just Wonder woman." He laughed.

"Like...?"

"Zatanna, Raven, Starefire, The huntress, Vixen, Renee Montoya, Batwoman, Artemis, Hawk girl, Mera, And Power girl." He paused, "And that's just the DC line of straight and narrow super heroines. Of course Power girl is just an alternate universe of Supergirl, but still a hero in her own right."

Bubbles eyes lit up as she watched him speak about the various comic characters he had taken to reading over the years. As much as she listened she also was surprised to see how happy and full of life he seemed talking to her about it. It made the horror on his face earlier even scarier knowing he could fall like that. She made an internal promise to always be there when he needed her like this.

Butch stopped at the door frame looking at the scene, a pizza freshly delivered for the three of them. He decided to let it be a surprise as he walked away. "I knew she would be good for him." He thought while he floated to the couch a small smile on his face. "Now hopefully the Pink one can get Brick to calm down." He wondered as his smile fell off his face and he looked out the window. He his tossed phone on the other side of the couch knowing it wouldn't be needed, and resumed his TV watching.

A.N. I always got a little annoyed when the powerpuffs would only name wonderwoman or hawk girl as female superheroes, so I threw a few more in there. Since PPGs stuck to DC so did I. There are so many in all publishings, it's a crime not give a few a read. Artemis is my new favorite but I am partial to the red hood stories. Anyways read and review would you kindly.