"Bubbles come on!"
"Hold on I have to finish Boomer's cupcakes!"
"You made cupcakes for-Bubbles what the hell!"
"He made me something last time he was here so I have to return the favor."
"...you're so weird."
Blossom chuckled as she listened to her quarreling sisters. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where she planned to grab a bottle of water before they left. The ruffs had invited them over to their place for the day since lately all of the hangouts had been at the girls' house. Blossom had to admit that she was pretty excited to see how the boys had renovated the place.
"Blossy!" Bubbles gasped at the sight of her auburn haired sister and flashed a bright smile. "I love your outfit!"
Blossom gave her sister a waning smile. "Er, thank you Bubbles." She looked down at herself as her blonde sister returned to the cupcakes. She was only wearing a pink sweater and shorts, something she wore often. Something Bubbles had seen often. She shot a suspicious glance at her sister and grabbed a bottle from the fridge.
"Can we go yet? The boxing match starts at four!" Buttercup shouted from the living room.
"Almost done!" Bubbles called back, placing small flowers on each of the cupcakes.
"Are those edible?" Blossom asked as she watched on.
"Of course! They're just pansies, plenty of people use them on cakes. And these ones-" She held up one of the tiny blue flowers. "-actually has a mild wintergreen flavor. Try it!" She handed it to Blossom and the redhead hesitantly plucked off one of the petals and placed it in her mouth. Bubbles looked at her expectantly.
"I don't taste anything."
Bubbles' shoulders dropped in disappointment. "Your taste buds are dulled down from all of the espresso you drink."
"Better than the amount of sugar you consume in those frappucinos." Blossom retorted.
Bubbles shrugged in response and put the finishing touches on her cupcakes. She closed them into a box and picked it up. "Done."
Blossom nodded. "Alright, let's go before Buttercup blows a fuse."
"These are sooooo good." Butch moaned out as he stuffed another cupcake into his mouth, eyes closed in ecstasy.
Boomer reached over to take the box. "Hey, those are my cupcakes asshole!"
Butch latched his hands onto the box. "Like hell am I giving these up!"
"Told you those things would do no good." Buttercup stated as she carried in the freshly delivered pizzas. She kicked aside a chair and set the stack on the table, separating the two ruffs.
"Don't you know its bad to fill up on desserts before dinner?" Bubbles poked fun at her pouting counterpart.
He shook his head and leaned further back in his chair. "I couldn't resist. You're-" He cleared his throat hastily. "Er-They're just too good."
A light blush spread across Bubbles' cheeks and Boomer shoved a slice of pizza down his throat.
"Boxing match is starting, everyone shut up." Buttercup ordered before snapping on the TV and grabbing some pizza. Two pairs of emerald eyes immediately became fixated on the television.
Blossom let her gaze drift to the couch, where Brick was sitting. His back was to her and he seemed to be watching the TV, but she saw how tight his shoulders were. Everyone was sitting at the dining room table except for him. She sighed and leaned back into her chair.
"Let's go Steel Knux!"
"Shut up Butch."
The minutes passed by painfully slowly. Every time the clock ticked, Blossom swore another day had gone by. Her nerves were bouncing and her mind was restless, what with Brick sitting a few feet away from her. She wanted to talk to him, but felt her stomach churn at the mere thought of those red irises facing her. She couldn't get the illusions out of her head no matter how hard she tried. So instead she turned her focus to her siblings.
Buttercup and Butch hollered at the TV the whole time, never rooting for the same boxer. Buttercup would chant for one person and Butch would cheer for the other, an argument brewing in their shouts but never taking aim.
The blondes were tied up in their own little conversation and it was quite comical. Boomer tried his hardest to impress his counterpart, lazily tossing his arm across the back of the chair and talking about boxing as though he knew everything about it.
"Yeah, I tried it once but I was just too good. They couldn't put me up against any other boxers because the matches were too short." He said casually.
Bubbles giggled at that.
Blossom rolled her eyes. Of course he was too good, he had superpowers aka super strength. That's why none of them were allowed to compete in any sports. She knew, however, that none of the ruffs had been very social growing up, seeing as they were villains who typically played hide and seek, so she had to give Boomer credit for trying to win over her sister.
"Are you kidding me?! He's a racist asshole, why the hell would you cheer for him!?" They all looked to the greens.
Butch's face was going red and he was on his feet. "Who the hell cares? It's boxing!"
Buttercup jabbed a finger at him. "Of course you wouldn't! You're probably just as ignorant!"
He caught her wrist and threw her hand away with a growl. "What would you know you privileged bitch!?"
"Don't EVER touch me again!" She snarled back at him.
Brick's head swiveled around and Blossom met his gaze.
"Then don't put your nasty ass finger in my goddamn face!"
The first punch was thrown and the two fell to the ground in a tangle. Bubbles and Boomer shot to their feet and yelled at their siblings.
"Buttercup stop!"
"Knock it off Butch!"
But their shouts were ignored. Butch's fist connected with Buttercup's eye and she raked her nails across his cheek.
"GET OFF OF ME YOU RACIST PIECE OF SHIT!" Buttercup bellowed.
Blossom turned away from her counterpart and looked at the fighting teens.
"NOT UNTIL YOU TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID YOU PSYCHO BITCH!"
Another punch made contact and then there was a deafening roar.
"ENOUGH!"
The greens froze and the blues fell into their seats.
Brick's eyes were dark as he glared at them from the couch. All of his muscles were now stiff and a few veins were visible. Butch immediately rolled off of Buttercup and got to his feet, avoiding his brother's eyes. Buttercup followed but looked straight at the red ruff.
"Don't glare at me! Your brother is the one who-!"
Brick shot to his feet so quickly that the couch got knocked back. His eyes narrowed into glowing slits and Buttercup's mouth snapped shut. Butch shot off to his room in a streak of green. Buttercup grumbled under her breath but returned to her seat at the table and ate some more pizza. Bubbles and Boomer looked at each other nervously. Brick's glare found Blossom and she visibly flinched, earning her a confused look from Buttercup. Then he returned to the couch and turned up the volume on the TV.
Buttercup continued to eat the pizza and the blues had some as well, hesitantly returning to their small talk.
Blossom bit her lip and tried to watch the boxing match.
All she could follow along with was that the two men were named Bull Dodger and Gravedigger. The Bull Dodger clearly had a size advantage over the scrawnier Gravedigger, but some damage was still done to the large man. She leaned forward, curious as to who might win. It was the final round. The Gravedigger drove his fist into the Bull Dodger's stomach but his next punch was caught in between his opponents arms at a wrong angle. The man grit his teeth and she watched as the epiphysis of his humerus popped out of it's socket. She winced. He continued to fight, doing the best he could with the only arm he had left. But in the end...he lost.
Just like her.
She stood up as the commercials rolled across the screen and went over to the couch, where she took a seat beside Brick. He looked at her as she folded her hands in her lap.
A tense silence passed between them and then she cleared her throat.
"Why didn't you do anything?" He asked suddenly, speaking quietly so the others wouldn't hear.
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
He turned to her. "When Butch and your sister got in that fight, why did you just sit there?"
Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She didn't know the answer.
"Bloss, are you...okay?"
She blinked in surprise and then shook her head, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Who cares about me, you're the one who we should be talking about." She spoke in a hushed whisper. "Brick, I need you to talk to me. Every time I try to help, you push me away. Why?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really don't want to talk about this in front of our siblings."
She sighed sadly and moved closer to him. "I just want to know if you're okay."
He took her hand. "And I want to know the same for you."
"Brick..."
An irritated sigh escaped his lips and he pushed his hair out of his face. "I have no idea if I'm okay or not. All I know is that my head is fucked up beyond belief and I'm losing my sanity more and more each day."
She encouraged him gently. "Can you try explaining what it feels like when you get mad?"
He leaned back. "I already have before."
She pushed further. "Then how about what it feels like when you hurt me?"
His face went pale. "Our siblings are right th-"
"They aren't listening to us."
He shook his head. "Bloss, no, I can't-"
"You can, Brick, you have to. I can't help if you don't let me."
He shut his eyes and squeezed her hand. "Okay."
He began to speak and she nodded along as she listened. But then her gaze traveled past his face and out the bay window. A gasp seized her throat.
"-I just want to protect you but how can I? I can't even have a conversation with you anymore without feeling enraged."
His words began to drift from her ears as she stared across the street, straight into the upstairs window of her house...of her room.
"Maybe you're right, talking might help with the anger..."
Brick was sitting right next to her, and standing in her bedroom window.
She couldn't breathe.
It smiled at her and waved.
She clenched her fist at her side.
"I'm honestly scared though, Bloss. What if the next time I hurt you...is the last time?"
How could there be two Bricks? Why was he in her bedroom? Who was that? And why was he staring at her with that creepy smile?
'It's another illusion. Just ignore it.'
But she couldn't. It's red gaze held her in a trance that she couldn't escape.
Red irises flickering with hungry flames ready to devour her and everyone else that caught its glare.
Burning with malevolence and blood lust.
Hiding a devious plan and revealing a demon.
Leaning forward, eager to dispose of her.
To dispose of everyone.
"Er, Bloss?"
She let out a small squeak as she was yanked from the spell and returned her attention to the Brick sitting beside her. "S-sorry, I zoned out for a minute...I must just be tired is all."
"Oh," He hesitantly offered her a shoulder to lean on and she accepted, heart thrumming as she laid her head on his chest. His arm fell across her shoulders. She felt like she was suffocating. "You're okay though?"
She nodded too quickly. "Maybe I'll just take a nap."
"Okay."
Brick's focus returned to the TV, but Blossom couldn't turn her gaze from the glowing red irises across the street, which had gone dark. Her stomach clenched as it sneered at her and she began to shiver.
It's eyes narrowed.
It's teeth barred.
And it just kept staring.
"He's just so cuuute." Bubbles twirled in a circle as the three girls walked into their home, hearts in her eyes and her head in the clouds. It was a quarter past midnight, they had gotten home later than planned due to the blues' intolerance of being separated.
Buttercup rubbed her tired eyes. "Again, you're so weird."
"Hush, be grateful things are working out so well between us and the ruffs." Bubbles countered, smile never leaving her face.
The green puff threw herself onto the couch and flicked on the TV. "Maybe between you two, but I will never change my mind about Butch. He's a narcissistic asshole."
"And you aren't?" Bubbles questioned with a knowing smirk, leaning over the couch.
Buttercup shot her a glare. "We may be counterparts but we are not the same person."
Bubbles nodded. "No, you're right. You aren't the same person. But you're still a narcissistic a-hole."
"NO I'M-you know what, I'm too tired for this shit." Buttercup gave her sister the finger before closing her eyes and drifting off to the sound of the television.
Bubbles chuckled at her victory before disappearing into the kitchen. "Blossy, do you want a glass of milk? It's going to expire soon so we need to use it up."
Said puff blinked herself out of a daze and quickly cleared her throat. "Yes, please, and can you add some honey?" She needed all the help she could get with falling asleep tonight.
"Of course!" Came the chipper response.
Blossom took a moment to slap herself back to reality, doing her best to shut out all of the thoughts of Brick for the time being. The stress was seriously getting to her. She constantly found herself slipping out of reality and into the nightmares she feared would come true and now was not the time to be off her game, she had to figure something out, fast.
"Here you go." Bubbles appeared before her with a large mug of sweet smelling cream. Blossom offered her sister a smile and accepted the drink. But before she could go upstairs, Bubbles asked her a question. "Blossy, you've seemed off today...more so than usual...and you've been really tired all of the time. Are things with Brick getting worse?"
Bubbles azure eyes shimmered up at her and she sighed. "No, he hasn't changed much since his last outburst but I'm getting more and more worried each second. Its stressful, is all, trying to figure out a solution." Her sisters gaze turned into one of fear and Blossom quickly added, "But I'm the leader and I'm not going to fail, its my job to figure out a plan and I will. I really do appreciate your care and help though, Bubbles. It's making this whole thing a little more...bearable."
The dazzling smile returned. "Oh, Blossy, of course I'm going to help you. You're my sister, I love you and want you to be safe. Buttercup does too and I'm sure she would want to know about all of this." A tilt of the head. "You are going to tell her, right?"
Blossom forced a sip of milk down her throat and rubbed her temple. "I am, I just don't know when." Her head began to throb as images of a red figure standing in her room reappeared and she groaned. "Bubs, could we continue this talk in the morning? I'm exhausted."
Bubbles gasped. "Oh right! I'm sorry. Yes, yes we can talk about this tomorrow. You go get some well deserved rest."
Blossom chuckled. "Goodnight Bu-" The blue puff suddenly threw her arms around her sister in a loving embrace, cutting off Blossom's words.
"Goodnight Blossy, I love you."
The pink puff hugged her sister back with a smile. "I love you too."
As soon as Bubbles returned to the kitchen, Blossom made her way upstairs. But the second her foot touched the first step, she felt a heavy weight fall onto her chest. Her heart pounded the entire way to her room, and by the time she fell onto her bed she was sick to her stomach. How? How was it possible that she could see another Brick? It couldn't have been Him, she hadn't seen him since the night in the cave. So then what was it? Was it her? Was she going insane? She pulled her sleeve up in order to gaze at the two hideous scars. One around her wrist and one around her arm. They were real, just as real as Brick's clone. Right?
She turned to the window. There was no one there now, but there had been. What if he was still in her room? The thought made her instantly shoot to her feet and begin searching. She threw open her closet door and pushed aside the layers of clothing. As soon as she did so, a smell hit her nose and she frowned. Something akin to sulfur and...mold?
Wait...
A tall shadow fell over her and a dark voice spoke.
"It was an illusion."
She quickly whipped around with her fists up, ready to fight, and then saw who was standing in her room.
He rolled his eyes. "Don't act so surprised."
She dropped her arms. "You're back."
The lofty demon nodded, "Unfortunately, yes." And began to walk around her room, picking at her bedsheets and curtains with distaste. "It's especially unfortunate that I had to come here. You really need to mix in some other colors. The pink is just overwhelming."
Blossom watched him with a glimmer of hope, completely ignoring his insult to her decorating. "Him, I need your help."
He waved her off. "Yes, I can certainly tell. Some black could really change this room, maybe a black table or dresser...or some drapes with-"
Her patience was already thinning. "I'm talking about Brick."
His bored gaze moved to hers. "Of course you are." He growled and took a seat on her bed. "Brick this, Brick that, you really are in love." He wrinkled his nose. "Disgusting."
She folded her arms. "Can you stop insulting me for five seconds?"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and then shrugged. "Most likely not. You're a very vulnerable person and it's unbelievably easy to belittle you."
Her teeth clenched. "No it's not."
He raise a painted eyebrow "Oh? Enlighten me."
She stormed over to her door and turned the lock before biting back at him, "Times running out. Brick is going to destroy everything like you said if we don't figure out a way to save him soon. So cut the crap and tell me how to help him."
Him rolled his neck and pinched his nose in between a claw before groaning. "Alright, fine. But you need to listen closely because Brick is not our only problem."
Blossom sat on the window ledge and leaned forward to listen. "Okay."
With a sigh, the demon began to explain. "The reason why Brick is turning, as I've told you before, is because it's too much power for one person with his composition to hold. Therefore, the only way to fix him would be to divide the powers. Split them so that Brick is left with only a small portion that his body can contain."
The pink puff blinked but did not say a word. It made perfect sense to divide the powers, however she still worried that even a small portion could affect Brick.
"Some nightmares and difficulties learning how to control his new powers, nothing painful or fatal." Him answered.
She kept forgetting that he could read her mind and it still bothered her. "But how do you divide them?" She asked.
He opened his hand and an IV appeared, it's long tube that hung from his claw dripping with blood. Her eyes momentarily flashed with horror and then she understood. "A blood transfusion!"
The IV vanished and the demon stood. "Yes, but it can only be done with someone who has the same blood type as him. And in order to properly distribute the amount of powers, it must be done with two other people. Through the transfusion, the other people will get the same powers and nightmares, but no demonic possession."
Blossom nodded, the motion inducing a head ache which she tried to ignore. "I get it...although I don't know Brick's blood type, how am I going to find a match?"
The demon sitting in front of her began to blur and she rubbed her eyes. Was she really that deprived of sleep?
"...were created together so it would only make sense."
She shook her head, "What did you say?"
Now his words sounded a mile away and broken. She squinted as hard as she could. Had Mr. Mime returned and erased the color from the world again? Because everything was gray, slowly turning black. Shapes were becoming muted and blending together. She couldn't find Him in the disaster. So she covered her eyes and listened for his voice.
"Br-t-s...t-ee...one th-d...s-m b-d type." He was too quiet. It was as though a static had filled her head.
A whisper suddenly brushed against her left ear, soft and familiar. "They're all against you."
She searched for Him's voice.
"Nobody understands your sacrifice."
The whisper became louder and she attempted to block it out.
"Show them the same respect." But wait...she knew that voice. Confident but sweet, thick with gentle authority. Who was it? "Teach them how a queen punishes her subjects."
And then the dark hiss of a demon's tongue broke through the whispers and met her ears,
"You've been tainted as well."
And once again, everything turned black and she collapsed to the ground.