A/N) So - um - should I apologize? Maybe - here's an update finally at least - I got really distracted with life and original works this year. My apologies. But seeing as 2020 is almost over - let's continue this shall we. It's been out there for three years almost.

I think we need this to be complete yah?

Here goes.

If anyone from before is still bothering reading this, thanks for your dedication - if not - I hope new people find it ;) *sheepish smile*

On with the drama!

Motivation is still your Superpower

There's a clatter and bang as people rush to the infirmary tent, including Boomer and the two red heads.

Mitch was being forced back by several struggling men into a strange makeshift cage, pieces welded and wires woven between the bars. Mitch fights, swipes out with sharp nails, his eyes cracked and yellow, almost glowing as he rages and roars against the fighting captors.

Boomer swallows thickly, covering his mouth as they hit the fighting half monster half human with the bottom of their pistols.

"Get him in!" Professor shouts and bounds forward, dodging flailing limbs and jabs a needle into Mitch's bulging veins on his neck. The screeches sputter, dropping into low groaning and hisses until he wobbles and falls like a limp pile of flesh inside the confinement. Professor lets out an exhausted sigh and pushes the door shut with a rusty screech, locking it quickly.

"Is he - " Blossom looks at the fallen friend, her eyes water a bit as she looks at Professor in front of them.

Boomer doesn't think he can stand to look at the quivering twitching body anymore. He's not sure what they're going to do with it but - but Mitch seems to be alive. Which in itself was strange and unheard of. So he can't imagine what would happen next.

"Do you think - "Boomer can't find it in himself to continue, his face colors green and he turns away, trying to take deep breaths, stomach rolling uncomfortably again. Don't puke, don't puke - think happy thoughts think - think about... er - what? What?! Bubbles, yeah - think about Bubbles and her smile and her -

"I don't understand." Blossom whispers behind the quivering blonds back. "If this is some sort of side effect from Brick's blood - "

Boomer hears his older brother snort. "If it is - it didn't do much good. Did it?"

"No." Blossom sounds defeated and suddenly much older than she looked.

With a deep breath, Boomer turns back to them as Professor and several others start setting odd wires and machines around Mitch's limp form. Bubbles - and her - smile - gulp.

"Whatever was in that serum the professor used your blood for - it did something -" Blossom continues, pushing back stray fire colored hairs as she chews her lip in thought, her pink eyes stuck on Mitch, she shudders slightly and looks away when they roll him over with ends of metal poles through the bars.

"Yah - something. I'm betting, prolonged his death, that's it." Brick sounds bitter suddenly, disgusted, his fists are clenched behind his back even though his face was doing that whole - I'm totally fine - mask thing.

Boomer knows he's not fine. His jaw is tight.

"You don't' know that. We don't know anything -what if Mitch is healing? Hm? We thought him as good as gone and now he's - "

"A mindless deformation. He's not a human or a Zombie now." Brick shakes his head. "Whatever we did - it wasn't a good thing."

"You can't possibly mean he was better off dead!" Blossom gapes at his brother, coral eyes wide with horror and disgust.

Brick sucks in his cheek and lets outs a steady breath - Boomer knows he's counting in his head or something. "Sometimes - the worst option is the most merciful." He says, cold and dry.

Boomer's eyes widen when he sees Blossom's face go red and - angry - he doesn't think he's ever seen her angry before... not really like this.

"You don't care about Mitch the way we do so don't pretend to - "

"I know he was better off dead. He's in pain - don't you see that?" Brick snaps and turns away, lifiting the tarp up and flashing a pointed look at Boomers that means for him to follow - "He's in pain and we caused it - there are some thing's worse than death."

Blossom's mouth clamps shut so hard Boomer winces and gives her an apologetic look from under his gold bangs as he follows his brother's silent command and leaves the tent with him.

"Hey - do you - do you think Mitch'll die?" He asks once they're clear of the tent. His wide blue eyes jumping everywhere as he follows Brick to their cabin. People mill around - silently now - everyone is wearing the same look of tense fear in their faces, the air thick and stiffening as they move about, nobody's really consciously doing anything rigth now. He can see their glazed eyes as they go around following habit at this point.

What they saw had terrified them all.

"I think if he doesn't right now - he will - slowly, painfully. And that's not fair." Brick shakes his head and pushes their door open roughly.

"But - what if we could fix 'im?"

"He's not a thing Boomer. You can't just - fix - a living person."

"But you said he wasn't a person anymore -." Seriously, make up your mind already Brick.

Brick lets out a sigh and sinks into his cot, putting his head into his hand, frown ecthed into his face. "He isn't - not really. . . didn't you see his eyes?"

Yah - and they were horrifying. Boomer shudders. "They - they were like a zombies - "

"No - " Brick shakes his head and gives Boomer a steady look, red eyes glazing in thought. "They weren't completely - they had something in them Boomer - something - "

Boomer swallows, his hairs standing behind his neck when Brick pauses, searching for the right word - Please don't say -

"Alive about them."

Shoot - he said it.

"But - you said- "

"I know what I said!" Brick explodes, his calm mask breaking as his red eyes narrow, angry now, Boomer flinches.

Oops. Maybe he should stop talking now – his nerves were getting to him. Boomer steps back and Brick's hard look softens slightly, he sits back down with another sigh – he's been doing that a lot lately.

"Sorry Boom. Just – go find Butch or something." He mutters into his fist, not looking at Boomer anymore.

Guess finding Butch was better then making things worse for Brick. Boomer sighs and nods, turning for the door –

"Hey – " Bricks voice stops him for a moment.

Boomer turns anxious blue eyes at him.

"It'll be ok."

Oh – He's trying to make him feel better - it's not working. Boomer nods with a smile he doesn't feel. "Yah – ok. I'mma go find Butch now."

"Yah." Brick nods back and turns towards the ratty stack of papers on his bed.

Guess he's just as freaked out as I am. It's – scary actually. Boomer casts his oldest brothers one more fearful look before he leaves, shutting the door behind him. If Brick's worried and afraid – I'm thinking, we all should be… That's – an unsettling thought.

Boomer swallows thickly and tries to focus on finding Butch, hopefully he hadn't gone and done something stupid to make things worse –

A raspy shout startles Boomer and he turns towards the training field. Two bodies collide with curses and one of them laugh and- oh – oh no – Butch's fighting Buttercup again. Boomer panics – if Brick sees them fighting… Butch is dead.

He runs for the field, maybe I could yell and stop them? He freezes when Buttercup goes catapulting into his sturdy brother and sending him into a hacking ball against a wall. Boomer winces, yah – stepping between those two in a fight would be – like trying to stop buildings from falling.

Impossible.

Buttercup screams, eyes sharp and livid. Boomer winces again when Butch tosses her off and gets a kick to his face for his troubles.

Ouch – Boomer's sure that Butch's gonna feel that in the morning – he felt that. Ugh.

Maybe he should stop - Buttercup swings her arm, Butch dodges, snickers, then grabs and twists it around the girl, spinning her, his brother wraps her up against his chest, grabbing both her arms, crossed over herself and holds them behind her back trapping her in a weird self-hugging positon.

"That all you got?" Butch taunts.

Boomer flinches – uh oh.

Buttercup's face goes purple with frustration and she lets out a shriek and drops like a stone, her arms cross above her head and she literally twists around in a crouch, uncrossing the arms and head-butts Butch so hard his brother goes still for a second before he falls to his knees, gripping his gut and choking for air.

Buttercup stands and dusts her hand off, eyes glinting with that familiar spark Boomer's realized was identical to Butch's by now and – it's sort of terrifying.

"Damn B, give a guy a break –" Butch coughs and winces, shaking his head.

Buttercup snorts. "I almost did."

"Wha-?"

"Break something, I mean." She snorts and Butch lets out a wheezing snicker.

Now's a good time to get their attention maybe? They weren't actively in murder mode anymore so – yah. "Hey guys!" Brick doesn't need to know they fought –er – were they fighting? He can't tell because they're smiling at each other now and its – freaking him out a little.

"Hey Blondie – what - what're you doing here?" Buttercup looks at him, her smile dropping and her eyes flitting behind him, probably back to where they kept Mitch,

Butch throws him a glare.

What? What did I do?!

"Um – I just came to find Butch, but he looks fine so I'm going to just –" He backs away, Butch looks angry at him now… seriously, what did I do?

"Boomer! Butch!" Bubbles voice startles them as they turn to catch her running, Boomer notices' her shiny yellow hair glitters almost clear in the dusty sunlight as she runs.

"What's wrong Bubbles?" Buttercup asks, catching her sister when she stumbles into her arms, choking on a dry throat.

"Pro – professor wants you two right now!" She swallows.

"Why?" Butch looks at her confused, tilting his head.

"He – he said –" Bubbles sucks in a deep breath. "He needs your blood – Mitch is – Mitch is waking up and – he – "

Boomer stiffens and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when the scratchy ear splitting howl shatters the tense air around them.

Shoot.

There we go!

Expect another update tomorrow, hopefully.

See ya!