Sheesh. Two more chapters left. But hey, people, si it too hard to review? I mean, there's like 9 reviews to whole this story…and "Everything goes down" already has 26. That's just not fair. It's just the sequel! This is original! 'calms down'

Okay…now, if I don't get at least five reviews for this chapter, I'm giving up my fanfiction carier and starting to study math every God-damn night. And you don't want that.

Heck, I don't want that.

However, here goes nothing…read it and REVIEW IT!


Whispers in the dark

two weeks after Buttercup's initiation

I hate him. I HATE HIM!

Buttercup couldn't help but think that Brick was especially after her. Beside her wild hate for Butch, she was completely cold. And in that manner, she felt only cold rage when it comes to Brick.

Boomer was still missing, but other Rowdyruffs didn't seem to care. She missed Blossom so badly…the redhead could help her solve the mystery. Buttercup just couldn't revenge on her own. She wasn't strong enough.

"Get up", ordered somebody, but Buttercup didn't even look up.

"Why?", she whispered slowly, painting her nails in green.

"Your initiation is in thirty minutes, BC, you don't want to miss 'em", stated Butch and left her alone. After all, he had other stuff to do. Fight with his "oh-so-smart" brother, torture some more people, rule the world, you know.

But Buttercup still didn't move. She sat there, her eyes pointed in something Butch couldn't see.

"Wake up, Buttercup…Just wake up…"

Buttercup gritted her teeth. Something was very fishy about that place. First Boomer is gone. Brick is acting strangely. Bubbles and Blossom are nowhere to be found.

It seemed like Butch and Buttercup were trapped in the world on their own.

"It's nice to finally see you fully dressed and awaked, Buttercup", Brick smiled at her blankly "You know, I usually don't allow people to just hop around wearing nothing but a towel, but Butch convinced me not to punish you."

It wasn't a towel, it was my nightie. I'm not guilty that it showed too much, I didn't choose it.

"Don't be so rude to your sister-in-law" Buttercup hissed, looking around.

Yes, she was right. Brick's face was slightly paler than she remembered… You can just see he's evil…and there was a little green alligator sleeping near by…

That's my stuffed alligator! But…why does it seem so alive?

Buttercup felt like her whole reality was falling apart. What was happening in this place? If that place really existed.

Queen of the Underworld frowned slightly as she looked at her first in the lead. It was strange all by itself; an exact copy of Brick, but still just a poppet, a fake; though Buttercup still wondered what real Brick is like.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, Brick. And, by the way, I want to see Boomer. It's time for him to face the court."

She was deeply worried now. Everything about this place was creeping her out.

And the reason to it was hidden just there. She could feel it, but it was out of her reach.


"Wake up, Buttercup, I need you…step out of it!"

Buttercup looked around, bewildered. Who was saying that, and what was the meaning of it? Was it just a part of the strange happenings in that place, or a cry from the other world? The real world?

She somehow knew that, if she keeps acting, she might find the end of the nightmare; and the key was that voice. Her only way out.

Butch was sitting by her, frowning as she told him everything; how her toy came alive, how Boomer disappeared, how colors started to fade around her. The only thing she kept for herself was the voice that brought her so much hope.

"So, you're practically saying that you and me are the part of someone's strange game?", asked Butch, looking amused.

"Well, yes. And I have the proof. Look at the wardrobe."

Butch looked at her, raising an eyebrow, but he still did it. And minute after…

"My old boxer gloves! What…but Boomer accidentally destroyed them when we were like ten years old! What are they doing here?"

Buttercup sighed.

"Unfortunately, that's not everything."

Two pairs of green eyes, so similar and yet so different, tried to find a sign of fear in each other; but they were fighters. They were imune to such low feelings.

"If I ever decided to leave… umm…will you go with me?"

Butch gulped. This was totally out of her character - it was more like Blossom to talk so seriously.

"Yeah, I think. I don't know. What about Brick?"

Buttercup sighed again. For some strange reason, it hurt her to say that.

"There is no Brick at the moment."


Her red hear flew behind her as she flew, looking more beautiful than stars themselves; and she was much alike them at the moment, cold and shiny. But she couldn't care less about her looks.

Time when being perfect meant everything for Blossom were long gone. She vaguely remembered her long nightmares…endless dreams about fire and hurt; about love. About Brick.

When she was twelve years old, he asked her out, but she gave up because she felt unready. Year later, she was already his girlfriend. And then, the dreams started.

It looked so real. Everything was so normal and perfect at the beginning. But they started being harder and harder. More painful with each night. Blossom started to be afraid of sleep, because something was talking to her; it offered her power, immortality, everything. But she rejected.

It was that time when she realized she'll never wake up again.

The rest was a blur to pink eyed leader; it was like that dream never finished. One day, it will come back, she was sure; but it felt good to be awake. Unless she was still dreaming.

Blossom frowned slightly. Whatever this mess was about, Brick had his hands deep into it; why else would he be in her strangest nightmares, in her most horrible fears? She had some explaining to hear.

Most important of all, she didn't remember seeing Bubbles there. Ever. Only Buttercup, though her tough sister seemed to be trapped too; still, Blossom could remember Buttercup talking with somebody at the end, just before everything went blank for the pink-eyed leader…

According to logic, Buttercup would also be in the dreamland. And at that spot, Blossom didn't care if she was doing right or wrong; she had to get her sister free.

Contoures of the city formed before Blossom's eyes. It looked too simple. No people…no life. Blossoms eyes narrowed. It seemed awfully familiar…

Yes! She had experienced it before. When they were but innocent children, each of them fell into strange nightmare; when she defeated her own, she found herself in Buttercup's. Maybe this was just the same case.

Maybe.

A/N: this is reference to Powerpuff girls episode "Powernoia". Remember it and you'll have better idea of what's going on here.


"The Queen is coming! The Queen is coming!"

"Oh, shut up already, you geeks", whispered Buttercup, annoyed to no end; she didn't need those freaks to bow before her. She had just enough self respect without bunch of imaginary peasants.

Butch was there, though. They grew pretty much closer over this few weeks; after all, they shared the same fate.

The only problem was that she still didn't find her way out, and the place just kept getting creepier and creepier.

What was "that place", after all? Butch said it was a fairytale. A place where "they could be together undisturbed by her stupid sisters" and that "he's perfectly happy ruling the Underworld". But Buttercup thought it was a nightmare.

Before this started, she would never admit that, but she loved her sisters, their suburb house, their pink colored room; she loved being surrounded by Bubbles' crazy fashion ideas and Blossom's books. It was a place of love. Peaceful and divine.

And this? God, even Brick was a fake here. Rats were strangely deformed. She would wake up and room would look completely different.

But nooo, Butch was happy. In fact, everybody seemed happy. Just there was no Blossom, no Bubbles, no Boomer. No real people.

That just left the question: why the heck was Brick here? If this was the world of her dreams, then what was Brick doing in it?


"BC…I beg you…"

"Go away!"

"Come back… You're stronger than this…"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Buttercup covered her head with a pillow. That voice…it just kept summoning her. She had no peace; if it couldn't help her, why just don't leave her alone? Like she didn't have enough troubles without it.

But, just when she thought she could have some rest…

"Buttercup."

"DIDN'T…Huh?"

Buttercup sat in her bed, checking that Butch is still asleep. Luckily, he slept like a baby; there was no way of waking him up.

That last call. It wasn't in her head. Somebody said that just there, in that room.

She quickly examined the place. Nah, nothing there. Swords, green walls, a set of pink eyes, door…wait.

"Blossom?"


Okay, I'm pretty sure that everybody realized my Buttercup/Brick hints. They're becoming even more obvious in "Everything goes down" later chapters - but no, there won't be actual romance between them (in case, of course, that I DO get those five reviews and don't give up).

So, guys…I know it's confusing. Like I said…refresh your memories on Powernoia and you'll know what these two fics are about.

Cheers!

And, of course, review! Now it's not so hard…Just hit that "Go!" button and rock on! Prove that you can do it…