Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z anime.

The storyline and any OCs are my ONLY property.

This merely serves as entertainment for the viewers!

(Warning: This story is rated T; it contains violence, vulgar language, and minor suggestive adult themes. Read at your own risk.)

Narrative / Third Person's P.O.V.

"Damn it." Bloom exclaimed, turning the pages of the thick book she had laid on her bed.

She had been going through it non-stop. She checked every page, every corner, but there was nothing. It was her third time to scan the book again, but as she reached the last page once more, she couldn't help but pull her hair in frustration. " What does this mean?!"

She tugged on her hair hard, letting out a groan as she fell back on the bed, her head landing on the soft pillow. She sighed. The amount of time that she had been wasted just trying to decode the message in the mysterious book is just bizarre.

Staring at the ceiling above, she began to recall the words that seemed to be stuck in her head for the whole day already.

'Beware the consequences of meddling, for we hurt without moving...' 'And as it looms over the wall, bask in the sound of the wolf's lone call...'

As she furrowed her eyebrows, Bloom couldn't help but feel more stressed than ever. "I just don't get it." She said, sitting up on her bed. "It doesn't make any sense."

She took the maroon-colored book, closing it as she inspected its cover one more time. "There's nothing." She said, "How come the only thing written on this, is this riddle?" Bloom wondered, carefully dragging her finger over the neatly printed words.

The four other Science and Astronomy books that were found by Bright weren't hard for Bloom to understand and interpret. Since she vaguely remembers some details about the certain topics, she was able to take down notes that may have been of interest for the R.I.D. agents. However, the main thing that hindered them from getting more information was that book marked K.J.

It had been two days since she had gotten her hands on that book. And fortunately, all of them have been feeling better ever since. They were finally able to move, but they haven't gotten any new missions so far. They remained still as they took the time to carry out their own mission.

For their respective roommates, however, they have been going in and out of headquarters due to assigned missions. It would usually take only a short while but ever since this afternoon, the three brothers have gone out to do God knows what. It would have been the perfect opportunity to continue their mission, but the Professor hasn't contacted them since yesterday.

"This isn't going anywhere." Bloom said, closing the book as she let out a sigh. "I need to rest."

Getting off her bed, she slowly walked towards her vanity. Opening the drawer on the lower right, she placed the book inside. As she was about to walk back to her bed, a loud knock was heard, making Bloom stop in her tracks.

She turned around, raising her eyebrow at the door. "Brick?"

"Yeah, it's me." He responded. "Could you open the door for a sec?"

Curious, Bloom went towards the door. As she unlocked it, she was suddenly met with a pair of crimson red eyes looking at her hazily. She was suddenly taken aback, looking at Brick with shock.

He was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his face. A few cuts and bruises were evident as he held his leather jacket in his left hand, revealing a nicely toned torso wearing a tight tank top. But what made Bloom worry was a huge wound on his shoulder, blood flowing freely from it.

"What on earth happened?!" She asked, gripping his arms in order to have a better look at his wounds. "Why didn't you go straight to the nurse?!"

"Because I don't need to." He replied, slowly making his way towards the bed. "There's a first aid kit in every room here but since my room was divided to provide space for you, it now lies in your bathroom."

"Still, your wounds are severe!" Bloom retorted.

"I'm not a normal human, remember?" Brick replied. "It's nothing, I'm used to it. But, I still need to treat them. So, could you ever be so kind as to get the kit for me?" He requested, teasingly.

Rolling her eyes, Bloom walked towards the bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet, she grabbed the large red kit inside.

Walking back, she held the kit in front of him, "Here."

"Thanks," He replied, looking at her with a blank expression. However, as he reached out to get it, a stinging pain went through his body, making him hiss. "Fuck."

Looking at him, Bloom couldn't help but feel pity for him. Her eyes softened as she sat next to him. "Let me do it, you're not exactly in the right condition to treat your wounds on your own."

"I can manage, I don't need your help." He snapped, glaring at her.

Raising her eyebrow, she raised the kit above him, taunting him to get it. "If you can snatch this from me, I'll let you do it."

Glaring at her, he pouted. Turning around, he surrendered to her. "Just get it over with. Just get the big ones and I'll take care of the rest."

Seeing as he was facing the other way made Bloom smile secretly. 'You'll never really lose the pride, huh?'

As she touched him, she felt him shudder as her hand neared the big slash across his back. Opening the kit, she took a piece of cotton and a bit of alcohol. "This might hurt," She warned. "So just tell me if you can't bear it anymore."

He nodded, bracing himself for what was coming. As the cotton came in contact with his wound, he groaned in pain from the harsh sting.

Seeing his reaction, Bloom removed the cotton. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." He replied. "Just keep going, I'll manage."

Though hesitant, she began to rub the piece of cotton on the wound once again. However this time, he remained still as she began to clean the wound. As he felt the cotton drag on his skin, Brick couldn't help but chuckle.

"You know, be like that and I would start looking at you differently." Brick said, making Bloom stop for a moment.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You, being nice and all that." He replied. "It's making me wonder as to whether you have a crush on me, Ice Princess."

As she finished cleaning the wound, she grabbed the gauze from the kit. "Keep dreaming, Romeo. Is it a crime to show some kindness every once in a while?"

"Not exactly, just weird." He said. "You're a criminal after all, just like the rest of us. It's a dog eat dog world we're living in. You can't really trust anyone."

Bloom couldn't help but feel a hint of guilt, but she tried to suppress it. "I see. That's why you guys can't get along with each other."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if you don't really look out for each other, then nothing good will happen." She started. "Take your brothers for example. Do you get along well with each other?"

"That depends." Brick replied. "Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't."

"But as the eldest, do you care for them?"

"Of course I do." He said. "Even though I feel the urge to burn them alive, I could never do anything without those two morons."

"Would you get mad if anyone would hurt them?"

"Obviously, yes. I wouldn't let anything happen to them."

"So, do you love them?"

"Wait, what?" He asked, taken aback by the question. "Come again?"

"I said, do you love them?"

Remaining silent for a while, Brick held his head down. "I don't know." He said. "You can't really know what you never had, right?"

Sighing as she wrapped his shoulder with a bandage, Bloom looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "Humans, heroes, villains, animals, love isn't limited to anyone. Just because you're not sure what it feels like, it doesn't mean that you don't give it and receive it in return."

"Looks like this little Ice Princess is turning into a philosopher, huh." Brick teased, chuckling. "I guess you could understand to some degree, considering you didn't grow up as a normal human either. Even though Mojo was technically our father, my brothers and I were truly the ones who looked after each other.

"Although, while we're on the topic, I was wondering, if you don't mind me asking, have you ever loved someone?"

As the seemingly innocent question left his lips, it made Bloom's heart melt. 'Even though you've done the most unforgivable things, I can't believe there's people like you who aren't aware of love.'

"Yes, I did." She replied.

"How does it feel?"

"That's a hard question." She said, "It's a lot of emotions rolled into one, I don't think you can explain it with just one word. It's complicated, trust me."

"Then how do you know if you love someone?"

"Again, another hard question."

Brick chuckled. "Can you really blame someone like me for asking?" He asked. "It's a concept not easily explained by books after all."

"Wait, is that why you were reading Romeo and Juliet?"

"So what if it is?"

"Huh, I did find it a bit strange but at least now I know the reason."

Brick rolled his eyes. "It didn't really help me understand though." He said. "By the end of the book, I just saw them both as idiots."

"How come?"

"Are you going to tell me that you're willing to sacrifice yourself out of 'love' for somebody else?" He asked, scoffing. "Seems like a waste of your life. It's yours, why lose it for somebody else?"

Bloom remained silent for a while, trying to take in what he just said before responding. "Love hurts and makes you do stupid things," She started, "However, as a wise man once said: Love heals, forgives, and makes whole. Like I said, it's not an easy way to explain. You'll understand once you've experienced it, and by then, you'll be able to answer the same question you've asked me with your own definition of love."

Brick let out a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't count on it. I'll love someone when hell freezes over."

Giggling, Bloom replied, "Okay then, Romeo."

As she finished treating his wounds, she gave him the medical kit in order for him to treat the small wounds that were on his skin. "You never really told me what happened that left you in this condition."

"I didn't think you'd be interested." Brick replied, chuckling.

"It was literally the first question I asked as soon as I saw you."

"Didn't think you would care about me." Brick said, smirking. "Don't tell me that you've fallen in love with me?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Jojo, I'm just curious." Bloom replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"Well, if you're so eager to know, we robbed a few banks and stores. And eventually, we got bored and went to target those Puffs' home." Brick explained, a smirk plastered on his face. "But damn, that place is full of traps. We didn't even get the chance to see them."

Hearing this made Bloom look at him with wide eyes, completely in utter shock. "You did what?!"

"Do I honestly need to repeat myself?" He asked. "We broke into some buildings, went out, and tried to trash the Puffs' place. What part did you not get?"

"Is that why you have these injuries?!"

"Fuck no." He replied flatly. "It was actually punishment for doing it. Well, not like it's much of a surprise. The word 'rules' doesn't really apply to us."

"And here I thought you were the mature one." Bloom said, rubbing her temples in irritation. "So let me guess, your brothers are in the same condition?"

Picking up the kit and his jacket, he began to walk towards the door. Seeing his reaction, Bloom meant to ask again. However, as Brick reached the door, he turned around to look at her.

"Like I said, I won't let anything happen to them." He replied, smirking. "And maybe if you continue being nice, I won't let anything hurt you too."

Chuckling, Bloom just rolled her eyes once more. "Save your cheesy pick-up lines for someone else, they won't work for me."

"Maybe not now."

"Maybe you mean, not ever."

Laughing at her remark, he bid goodbye as he opened the door. "See you."

Though not receiving a farewell in return, Brick immediately closed the door, leaving Bloom to stare blankly at it as she recalled his words.

"...I won't let anything hurt you too."

Blushing, she shook her head. "How idiotic." As she turned on her heel in order to walk back to her bed, another thing that Brick said made her stop in her tracks.

"...And eventually, we got bored and went to target those Puffs' home."

'The Professor!'

Hurriedly taking her compact from her belt, she immediately dialed the professor, feeling frantic as she waited for a response. "Come on, come on, come on."

After a few more beeps, a disheveled man was revealed on the screen, yawning as he held a pillow in his hand. "Momoko?" He said, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "Is something wrong? It's pretty late, did something happen over there?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that, Professor." She stated in a soft voice. "Aren't you aware!?"

"Eh? Aware of what?"

Holding her head in frustration, she sighed. "This seems nostalgic."

"What do you mean?"

"Professor, go to the living room, now." Bloom said. "I've got a feeling that there might be something there."

Although he was confused, the Professor complied as he went down through the elevator. After passing a few floors, the doors opened, revealing the unexpected mess that the Professor wasn't made aware of until now.

"Ehh!?" Taken aback, his eyes widened as he looked at the sight before him.

The furniture was all over the place, flipped over as it leaned against the wall. The curtains were torn apart, leaving nothing but shreds of cloth on the floor. But what really surprised the Professor was that the room was almost entirely covered in black ash, the result of what a huge bomb would make.

"So, this is what you meant by nostalgic..."

Sighing, Bloom replied, "If it wasn't for those traps, they would've got you, Professor. You have to be more alert, it's making me worry!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry for making you worry." The Professor said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'll install new ones once both Ken and Peach wake up."

"That's good, try to tighten the security. I'll make sure to update you once I notice that Brick and his brothers have gone out just to make sure that this won't happen again."

"It's good that I've had these installed, but since these traps are pretty old, I guess it really is time to replace them."

"Just be safe, okay, Professor?" Bloom said.

"I'll be fine, Momoko. You should be worrying about yourselves considering that you're in that awful place."

Chuckling, she nodded in response. "We'll do our best, Professor. For now, I think that both of us should get some rest. Since the girls and I are beginning to feel better, I bet we're expecting another mission tomorrow."

The Professor didn't reply, he merely stared at Momoko with an oddly serious look on his face. It seemed as though he was thinking about something. Raising her eyebrow, Bloom called out to him. "Professor?"

"Oh, sorry." He said, snapping out of his thoughts. "There's just something that has been bothering me for a while."

"What is it, Professor?"

"I'm not sure, it's just a hunch." He replied. "That book that Miyako found seems to be something of importance. Have you deciphered it?"

Just the word 'book' made Bloom groan in frustration. "Not even close."

"I see, but seeing as it is very cryptic, it might be the one that would give us a huge break in this mission."

"O-Okay… I understand. I'll try to give a report by sunrise." Bloom said, trying to reassure him. She had spent hours trying to find out what the passage meant but it led nowhere. 'Guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight.'

"Good, I'll be here once you've cracked it. Good night, Momoko."

"Good night to you too, Professor." As both of them bid each other goodbye, the image of the Professor faded as it was replaced by a pitch black screen.

Closing her compact, Bloom sighed. She quickly went back to her vanity. As she opened the drawer, the dreaded book was presented in front of her. Taking it out of its compartment, Bloom stared at it for a while before sighing once more.

"Better get started then."

As the light from the moon illuminated the raven night, it seeped through the windows as it made Bloom's pale skin shine. Her eyes were half-open as she was struggling to stay awake. Sitting up on her bed, she lazily held her head in her hand as she gave out a tired sigh.

Thinking that it could be of help, Bloom took some pieces of paper where she could write down things that seemed of importance, as well as jotting down words that would come to mind as she read the passage over and over. However, it would later prove to be ineffective as all the papers that she used were scattered on her bed.

Running her fingers through her long auburn hair, Bloom placed the book down on her bed. 'Reading that damn riddle over and over isn't really getting me anywhere.' She thought, looking over the pile of notes that laid on the bed. 'I might have taken down something that was of importance. I just hope this does take me somewhere.'

Grabbing a few papers that had red scribbles on it, Bloom stood up as she sat on her vanity. As she read through each one, the light from the moon continued to shine brightly on her as the clock struck midnight.

Squinting her eyes, Bloom began to gather all the papers together, scanning through them one last time. "Hold on..."

Taking out a piece of parchment that was in the drawer of her vanity, Bloom started to summarize all of the information that she had gathered.

"Harm without touching nor moving... Ethereal form's gleam... Wolf's lone call..." Bloom read aloud, writing down more words that seemed to have a connection with the different phrases from the passage. "Wolf's lone call... Its howl?"

Writing down more notes, she held the piece of paper closer to face. "Ethereal form's glow... It might be some kind of celestial body like the sun or the stars." Bloom said. "But why can't it be seen if its light is new? Shouldn't a newly produced light give off the most glow?"

Tapping her nails on the vanity, Bloom began to think even deeper as she read her outline, the light from outside beaming through the piece of parchment. "Thank the heavens for having the moon come out fully for today." Bloom said, letting out a soft chuckle. "If not, then my whole night would have been so dull."

As she finished her sentence, Bloom let out another giggle. However, as the words she had just said replayed in her mind, her laugh slowly faded as Bloom started to realize something. "Wait a minute..."

Ethereal form...

"A moon is a celestial body..." Bloom murmured, beginning to understand what the passage meant.

Bask in the sound of the wolf's lone call...

"In some folklore, once there is a full moon, people turn into werewolves..."

When the ethereal form's gleam is new, we cannot be seen at all...

"If we look at the eight phases of the moon, a new moon doesn't give out any light at all!" Bloom exclaimed, getting up from her chair as she looked at the moon from outside her window. "Which means..."

Looking over towards her bed, her eyes focused on the book that laid in the very center. With adrenaline filling Bloom's entire body, she stumbled as she hastily grabbed the book, almost falling but managing to keep her balance.

"If what I've just concluded is correct, that means that the moon is the answer." Bloom said, looking at the book intently. "Let's just hope it is the answer..."

Walking briskly, she placed the book down as she opened the windows, letting the light from the moon shine to its fullest. As the book was positioned in the right spot, Bloom opened its pages, turning to the page that held the riddle.

'Please work, please work...'

As the worn out pages basked in the moonlight, it shone brightly. But as time passed, the writings began to slowly fade, replacing it with a new riddle that read:

He who deciphered thy sacred passage

Shall bear the consequences of unraveling thy secret message

For he who learns about this castle's mysteries

Is tasked to face its greatest and horrifying miseries.

To know about the sufferings that I had to face

Perceive the ethereal body's phase

Little by little, its genuine form will show

The horrors of this place that I have come to know

- K.J.

Reading the newly revealed passage, Bloom began to connect the dots, finally realizing what the previous meant. "We harm people without touching nor moving. Don't judge us by our size since we both bear the truth and the lies." She recalled.

Giggling, Bloom was amused with herself as she had failed to get the simple message of the passage. "The writer was referring to words." She said, "Words may not move, but it can hurt a person's feelings. It can pierce through one's heart once you let go of it."

Laughing, Bloom couldn't believe that she stayed up late just for something so simple. However, it began to dissipate as the book began to turn the pages on its own, shocking Bloom as she stared at the book in both awe and fright. After a few seconds, another message was beginning to show. However, this time, it was a short journal entry.

In this somber and horrid place, I was left for dead. I had no memory of what happened before being locked up in this place. I wasn't even aware of who I was.

During the days that I had stayed here, the small burning flame of the candle served as my only light in this place of darkness. The agony and pain that I had endured were immense; it was almost unbearable.

Throughout the days of torment that I faced, I ran out of tears to shed, I cried out blood instead. I was on the verge of going mad, up until I regained my sanity as I let the pain out into this book.

The thing that scared me wasn't the place itself.

It was the monsters that came inside.

In this hell, I was fed day by day by the most horrid of creatures. At first sight, its crooked figure was as dark as the night. However, as it moved closer towards the burning flame of the candle, it revealed its awful complexion.

His skin was green and vile much like the scowl that he wore on his face. As he handed me the food, he would talk in a wicked way, but his voice was still low and masculine. The smirk on his face would never fade as he talked to me.

But he was not friendly at all.

The evil behind his bright red eyes was what scared me the most, but it would always be covered by a pair of dark shades that framed his face.

He would always make me uncomfortable, making me have trouble falling asleep.

But there was this one creature, this one thing that was more sinister, more evil, more terrifying.

And I met it on one fateful night.

Reading the whole entry, Bloom raised her eyebrow as she was trying to understand something. "Crooked figure, green skin, and shades?" Realizing who it was, Bloom gasped. "Ace?!"

As this new information was overwhelming for her, she began to wonder what this entry meant. "This isn't just an agency, there are actual people being locked up here. And god knows what they're doing to them."

Bloom started to ask herself why and how. Why were they keeping people here? How are they getting these people? How could they miss this?

It was horrifying, and they needed to put a stop to it before it's too late.

After trying to come up with a plan, Bloom found herself walking towards the bed. She began lying down as she removed the ribbon from her, letting her long auburn hair flow. Resting her head on the pillow, she stared at the ceiling above her.

"Whoever you are, wherever you are, just wait for us, we'll save you."

Bloom's P.O.V.

Pain.

That was the first thing I felt as I rose up from my bed, lazily opening my eyes as I just finished my afternoon nap. I massaged the back of my neck as I stretched, letting out a soft yawn as I did.

Looking around, something felt different.

Pulling the sheets off of me, I realized that I wasn't wearing the clothes I wore before going to sleep. Instead, I was in my old pink pajamas. My head snapped to look at the window, which revealed the dark raven night as the light from the stars shone brightly all throughout the sky.

"What's… happening?" I said, coughing as my throat felt dry.

Getting off from my bed, my body felt immensely heavy. Pain shot through my body with each step I took. As I opened the door to my room, there was no Brick on the other side. Instead, there sat a hall with more rooms.

As I looked around, that's when I realized that I wasn't in the R.I.D. anymore. I was in my house. My old house before I moved into the Professor's house.

My mind began to fill with dread. How did I get here? Why was I here?

My body seemed to have a mind of its own as my feet began to move slowly down the stairs. Like a magnet, my body was being pulled down to the ground floor. I wanted to get back up, I didn't want to be here.

But no matter what I did, it didn't change anything as I was met with the horrifying image that had burned into my mind ever since that day.

I covered my mouth with my hands. My knees shook. My whole body shivered as I was once again faced with the scene I witnessed four years ago.

My parents were sprawled onto the floor as they laid in a pool of blood. Their throats showed a big slash with blood flowing freely. Their skin was very pale due to the massive loss of blood. They had major bruises on both their arms and legs, along with a lot of cuts on their skin.

No...

No!

I ran towards them. I went down on my knees and started grabbing handfuls of my hair. My tears started to flow freely as I held onto my mother's hand. I gripped it hard, sobbing furiously as her cold hand met mine. "No… This isn't real… Mom, Dad, please…"

I buried my face into her hand, trying to find any kind of warmth from her. But just like before, I could only feel her blood smearing against my face. I looked over at Dad's body, I couldn't help but tense; that same spark of realization and fear hitting me like it did before. I looked around the room trying to find my little sister.

"Kuriko!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I already knew where she was, but my hands still shook uncontrollably. I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could. As I stood at the very entrance, I immediately saw her there. She was sitting on one of the chairs. But she wasn't just sitting there, she too had her throat slashed. But unlike my parents, there weren't any bruises.

I hugged her and started crying loudly. "Kuriko!" I gripped onto her shoulders and started shaking her. "No! Please! Please just talk to me! I'm begging you!" I screamed but no matter what I said, she never responded.

I sobbed as I tightly hugged my sister. I cried and I cried, begging for her to just respond to my desperate pleas, to say something, anything. I wanted this nightmare to end. I wanted to forget this. I wanted to wake up.

But no matter what I did, everything was the same as before.

It was a living nightmare.

A horrible, living nightmare.

Just then, I heard something fall.

A crumpled piece of parchment laid on the floor just below Kuriko's hand, a few blood stains on it. I slowly stepped back, crouching down to grab it. It was a letter.

Every single word on it I've memorized up until this day.

'Do you like my surprise for you, my little Blossom? You like red now, don't you? I do tend to be generous, although I hope this surprise isn't too much.

You are a gifted little one, however, you have made countless enemies that crave to see you fall. You are no hero. You will soon learn what it really means to have the burden of carrying the weight of the faith and trust of the people, as well as the burden of people resenting you for not fulfilling that duty.

One day, you'll see me, and you will wish that you have never done what you did to me, how you made me suffer with each day. I want to see you suffer just as much as I did.

Let what your sister holds be a constant reminder of our never-ending hatred towards each other. So as long as you are breathing, I will not rest. You will get what's coming to you, you and your little friends. Mark my words.

Until we meet again.

-Hell is an Eternal Rift'

I crumpled the letter and threw it on the ground. I grabbed the left hand of my sister, the sound of metal falling as soon as I released her clasp on it. There sat a pair of blades, droplets of blood still dripping from it.

I took it from the floor; they were the exact same blades I used ever since.

Looking at it, I was reminded of the reason why I had trained so hard to get where I am now. I was reminded that being a hero for the people of Tokyo wasn't child's play anymore. I was reminded that the justice I seek for the murder of my family lies within these hands.

Every day is a living hell knowing you are getting away.

Only when I found out who you are will I finally be able to wake up from this nightmare.

You will pay...

Narrative/Third Person's P.O.V.

As the bright sunshine lit the entire sky, a certain red-headed girl shifted in her sleep. She mumbled things, as well as furrowing her eyebrows every now and then. As time passed by, her movements became more forceful and her voice got louder.

"Stop..."

"Please stop this..."

"This isn't… real…"

As Bloom kept wriggling around, a knock was heard. "Hey, Bloom, are you up?" A deep masculine voice asked from the other side of the door. Bloom didn't answer, still fast asleep.

Confused, Brick knocked again. "Hey, Ice Princess, it's already 7:30, your food is starting to get cold already." Still not receiving a response, Brick groaned as he took the spare key from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he slowly opened it, peeking first before stepping inside.

As expected, Bloom remained asleep, but she thrashed around her bed. She groaned as she moved from one side to the other, completely uncomfortable. She shifted uncontrollably, mumbling even louder than before.

"Don't do this... Leave... Alone..." She said, her voice cracking up as tears seemed to well up in her eyes. Concerned, Brick quickly ran to her side, trying to wake her up.

"Hey, hey, wake up." Brick said, grabbing hold of her shoulder as he rocked her back and forth in hopes of waking her up. However, the more that he tried, the more that Bloom cried. "Come on, wake up."

After numerous attempts, Bloom finally woke up. Tears stained her cheeks as she quickly sat up in her bed. Breathing heavily, she looked at her surroundings, her eyes eventually landing on Brick. "Wh-what... happened?"

Seeing her face, Brick couldn't help but feel pity. She looked horrible. Her hair was a mess, and her emotional breakdown made her look pale. He didn't know what happened, but there was something that was tugging at his heart as she looked at him.

He was reminded of how she came out of that mission a few days ago. As soon as they came to their room after battling with the Powerpuff Girls, Bloom immediately fainted. Her face was pale, small trickles of sweat staining her face as her breathing was uneven.

Even if he was tasked to look after her, he couldn't help but feel responsible for her being in that situation. Whether he liked it or not, he was the leader in that mission. Which means everything that happens to anyone on that team is his responsibility. He still wasn't sure if she was trustworthy or not, but having her in that condition again wasn't something that Brick wanted.

Spotting a glass of water on her nightstand, he quickly picked it up and gave her some to drink. As Bloom gulped down and emptied the glass, she began to recompose herself. Feeling hot, she held her hand up to her forehead, realizing she had been perspiring profusely.

"Was I…"

"Thrashing around and mumbling a bunch of stuff?" He finished, "Yeah, pretty much."

She sighed. "Sorry, probably just a nightmare." She then looked up to face him, giving him an apologetic look. "Must've not been a pleasant sight. Probably looked like I was being possessed or something."

"No shit, I was about to call a priest."

"Which reminds me, why are you here? Have your wounds healed?"

He chuckled. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to be off for a mission." He started. "As for the wounds, I think by tomorrow they would've healed already. Thanks for helping with them last night."

"That's weird, why did you feel the need to tell me where you were going?" Bloom asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Am I not allowed to?" He asked, smirking. "I won't be around to help you since you're sick. So I just thought it was just appropriate to tell you."

"You don't need to look after me 24/7."

"I don't think you're in the right position to say that, especially since you're still on medication."

"I'm starting to feel better."

"You are just stubborn." Brick stated firmly, lightly poking her forehead before standing up and going towards the door. "I'll tell the one who'll be delivering the meds to go straight to your room. You need to rest if you want to get back up on your feet as soon as possible."

"I don't need you as my personal nurse, you know."

"What was that?" Brick said teasingly, "Thank you for the concern and take care of yourself on your mission? Why, thank you, Ice Princess, I never thought you could be so compassionate."

Bloom rolled her eyes playfully. "Whatever, Romeo. Could you go now and let me rest just like how you said?"

He chuckled, bidding farewell to her as he left her room.

Making sure the coast was clear, she got up and briskly walked towards the door, locking it before walking back to her bed. As she was planning to go back to sleep, her compact began to blink. Grabbing the compact from her belt, she opened it to reveal the Professor and Ken on the screen.

"Hey guys, something wrong?"

"Well, we kind of tried to go through the agency's database this morning." Ken said. "We were partially able to track the members coming in and out of the agency and we began to compare the data from last year's and this year's statistics."

"And what have you come up with?"

"After looking through the statistics, we've observed that even though you said that they have supposedly been dropping agents, there are a lot of new recruits waiting to be let into the organization." Professor replied. "Once those recruits join, we estimate that the R.I.D. will most likely gain at least fifty more people."

Hearing this, Bloom froze as she held her head in frustration. "This is bad..."

"Not only that, but they are becoming stronger too." Professor explained. "The number of Rank E and D agents began to decrease as more members began to rank up, the number of rank C and B agents increasing drastically."

"If we don't do something, bad things might happen. And the fact that we don't know what they're up to just makes things even worse." Ken said, panic and worry evident in his voice.

"But this is just an estimation, right? Since you guys have only been able to partially gain that data." Bloom asked. "Not only that but we are also aware that we need to start eliminating agents immediately. But doing so would require us to do it quietly. Were you guys able to sort any useful personal information from the files we sent you and from what you can get from the database?"

"Unfortunately, aside from the files you gave, further information on their agents are sealed. We can't hack into their database further since their security is topnotch, and we can't risk getting found out by the agency or else the mission would be a complete failure."

"That does create a bit of a problem." Bloom said in a dejected voice. "Have you tried contacting some of our colleagues back at LUX? There are some who I've trained with when it comes to coding and hacking."

"We've tried, but all of them are supposedly busy attending to their own personal businesses." The Professor replied, crossing his arms. "I can't request anything from the National Police Agency without risking them knowing about this mission. So, as a last resort..."

Bloom's face turned nervous, "You don't mean…"

"Can you try hacking into their system?"

Bloom froze for a moment before scratching the back of her head nervously. "Do we really have no other choice?" She said, "I mean, I've been taught how to do it but I'm no master hacker. That and I only have a standard laptop that they issue to every agent here, which means I am not even sure if it's safe to use."

"I see, but still, it's the only option we have as of now."

"Unfortunately, that is the situation we are in right now..." Bloom said, getting into a thinking pose. "However, I'll see what I can do, Professor. I'll update you guys as soon as possible."

"We'll leave you to it. We'll try to do what we can from our end too, so just tell the girls what they need to know regarding the agent population situation." The Professor replied with Bloom nodding in response before the screen turned black.

As soon as it did, Bloom couldn't help but grip her head in frustration. "Why can't I get a break?" Groaning, she placed the compact back in her belt as she tiredly walked back to her vanity.

As she cleared her work surface from any dust and litter, Bloom quickly took the black laptop from one of its compartments. Placing it on top, she began to tap her long nails impatiently as she waited for it to turn on.

'If they're going to give us laptops, at least give us some decent ones like the ones they use downstairs. This laptop is beyond crappy.' She thought, groaning in irritation.

As it began to load, she began to type swiftly on the keyboard, already typing certain codes into it. She first tried to scan for any spyware that may have been installed. After making a thorough check, she began trying to get into the agency's database.

Before continuing, she took her ribbon from her vanity, tying her hair up in a ponytail. Tightening it, she started to type on the keyboard once more, quickly getting through the firewalls, disabling one after another.

As she finally gained access to the database, that's when she realized why the Professor and Ken were only able to get partial information. Each and everything on the database was tightly protected as even Bloom was finding difficulty in going through even one protected folder.

Agitated, Bloom tried to do what she could to bypass it, but to no avail. "Damn it!"

Groaning in frustration, Bloom stared at the screen for a few more seconds before she went back to typing. She then started to cover her tracks, not leaving any trace on her laptop. And with that, she started all over again.

Cursing, she gripped handfuls of her hair, sighing as she began to grow tired.

For the past half hour, there has been no progress as she tried to get in their database. The files along with more confidential folders were sealed tight, concealing the information within. And there was nothing that she could do about it.

Bloom tried to use the techniques that the agency taught her, albeit with caution to avoid getting caught. But even with what she knew, it was still useless. As much as they needed those files, she was already deciding to give up and try another way of getting those information.

"If only there was just a loophole somewhere in their protected network that can get me in that database..." Bloom said, closing the laptop as she let out another sigh.

Looking at her watch, the time read 9:53 AM. "Looks like I've missed breakfast." She said, groaning as she felt her stomach growl. Resting her head on the vanity, Bloom started to relax as she began to drift off to sleep. 'I'll just take a 30-minute nap before going back to what I was doing.'

She was about to fully close her eyes when suddenly her compact began to beep, making her eyes open widely at the sudden sound. 'Or not.' Bloom thought, groaning as she grabbed her compact out of annoyance.

"What do you need, Professor?" She asked, tiredness evident in her voice.

"Is everything okay, Momoko?" Professor asked, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "You don't sound very good, do you still feel sick?"

"No, I'm fine." She replied, sitting up as she fixed her hair. "Just a little tired."

"Have you hacked into their system?" He asked.

"I've tried, but that thing is locked tighter than a bank safe."

"That's no good, we risk alerting the whole organization if we were to go in without the upper hand with our next mission."

"You don't need to remind me, Professor." Bloom stated, sighing. "If I really can't get through to their database, we just have to go try something else to get that information we need."

The Professor nodded, "So it seems." He said. "However, going through the files you girls have given us, I think there's a piece of information that would be useful for you."

A spark of interest lit up inside her. "What is it?"

"Your roommate, Brick, was made head of the Technology and Intelligence Division a few years back." Professor started. "He manages everything and anything that involves computers, electronics, and surveillance. Because of that, you might be able to get the information from him."

"Wait a minute…" Bloom said, remembering something from last night. "I went through the digital copies of the books that Miyako gave yesterday, and one of them was a book created by the agents here. I didn't do a thorough read on it, but I do recall that it was made by the Technology and Intelligence Division. It was a documentation on…"

"On?"

Bloom's face became serious, "Thanks for the info, Professor. I'll get to you as soon as possible."

"Eh? Wait, Momok—" And with that, she broke their connection, quickly grabbing her laptop and the scanned document that Bright had sent her. She hurriedly turned the device on, her eyes darting back and forth between the screen of her laptop and her compact.

As the screen on her laptop flashed, Bloom began to read the document keenly. What Bright sent to her was a documentation on a new security system that the Intelligence Division was developing. With this information, it made it easier for her to understand just how it works and how she can bypass it

Though it was quite lengthy and she wasn't entirely sure that if it's the same security system they had in place now, it was still worth a shot.

Her fingers found its way on the keyboard again, typing quickly with a newly found confidence.

Download: 100% Complete

As the green bar was filled up to the end, Bloom carefully ejected a small usb flash drive from her laptop. Since it was tiny, she made sure to be extra cautious as she slid the flash drive back in a concealed compartment on her belt. It would then transfer all the data to all of their compacts and the Professor's computer back home for easier analysis later.

Once she was done with that, she quickly began removing any trace that could lead back to her. With that, she cautiously turned off her laptop and fixed everything in her room, making sure that nothing seemed out of place before the one who was going to deliver her medicines would come.

Assuming that Brick wasn't coming back any time soon, she took her compact from her belt and dialed both the girls and the Professor. After a few beeps, the screen lit up with three people on the screen.

"Hey guys." Bright greeted with a sweet smile on her angelic face.

"Professor? Is that you?" Butterfly suddenly asked, raising her eyebrow as she was left dumbfounded. "Is that really you?"

"It's good to see all three of you once more." Professor said. "I've truly missed you all."

"We miss you too, Professor." Bright said. "We haven't been able to talk to you for a while. We've only been getting updates on you from Momoko."

"Well, I've been good, and it's nice to see all of you doing well ever since you made your appearance yet again in Tokyo."

"Have you told them about last night, Professor?" Bloom asked, giving an irritated look as the Professor nervously scratched his head. "I wasn't able to tell them myself because I think it'd be better for you to tell the story. I'm sure that it's something that they should hear."

"Wait, what happened?" Butterfly asked.

"Well... Uhm... You see..."

Bloom sighed as the Professor couldn't find the right words to use. "The boys decided to visit the lab after their mission, and just guess who was asleep during the ordeal while a thousand traps were being set off."

"They did what now?!" Butterfly asked. "Are they nuts?!"

"You really should be on high alert, Professor, especially since we aren't there to protect you." Bright scolded. "We can't take another risk like that knowing that they and the whole of Tokyo know where we live. We've been doubling up on security ever since we moved there but still, you have to be careful."

"U-Understood." Professor replied, hiding his face in shame.

"I'm sure that the Professor has learned his lesson, but for now I need to report on something that I've acquired." Bloom said. "That is why I have called you all so that we can progress in our mission in eliminating this agency."

"Does this concern the files?" Professor asked.

"Yes." Bloom confirmed, "I trust that all of you got my report on the mysterious book Miyako found last night?"

Everyone nodded. "If there are people indeed trapped in there, we need to move as soon as possible." The Professor stated.

"We will, don't worry." Bloom reassured, "I've just sent all the important data to the girls' compacts and the Professor's computer. Knowing that they are struggling with agents dropping and that there is someone trapped in this place, we need to take that opportunity to strike to catch them off guard. And regarding the new recruits that the Professor had discovered, I've also sent them to your devices for us to be ready when they come."

"Since they're losing more people as we speak, I think it's to be expected that they'd have many people on standby." Bright commented."If we can at least have their population remain stagnant instead of increasing, it'll be easier for us. On that note, were you able to determine how many agents are in this place?"

Opening the list on her compact, Bloom began to read what she had encoded. "We have 154 E-ranked agents, 138 D-ranked, 273 C-ranked, 289 B-ranked, 127 A-ranked, and 22 S-ranked agents, us included."

"That's like a thousand agents!" Butterfly exclaimed. "Even if they're losing agents, that's still a big number!"

"That is indeed a large increase in their members, considering the fact that according to the data they only had no more than 750 members the previous year and a mere 150 when they were first established." The Professor stated. "The real question now is why do they need so many members and why are they keeping someone prisoner?"

"There must certainly be a reason behind this." Bloom said, tapping her chin lightly as she seemed to be thinking about something. "I wasn't able to find anything that might tell us where that person's being held so their motive isn't clear as of now. However, we need to act soon if we don't want to fall behind on what they're planning to do."

"Exactly." The Professor said, "Our course of action now is to start eliminating their agents one by one and save those people."

"And by eliminating, do you mean what I think you mean?" Bright asked, confused.

"We're going to make sure it results in as little bloodshed as possible." The Professor reassured her.

"With that burden out of the way, it seems like what we need to do is simple." Butterfly said. "Let's get it on then."

Bloom smiled. "Looks like everybody is on the same page then." She said, crossing her arms as she began to explain the plan she had come up with. "In the files, I was able to get the logs on the agents patrolling each and every floor of the place. That and with their corresponding personal file, it'd be easy for us to exploit their weaknesses.

"I've found that they have a 24-hour patrol duty where agents rotate in an eight-hour interval with a group consisting of D-A rank agents patrolling in the morning starting from 8:00 am-4:00 pm. After that, another group would patrol starting at 4:00 pm-12:00 am and another one from 12:00 am-8:00 am."

"Good, which means you three won't be going in blind." The Professor said, "When we start eliminating their members one by one and trying to find that prisoner, it is essential that we keep a low profile and not cause any suspicion to ourselves. Once we've done what is needed, we will start to gather information on this secret motive that they have."

"Sounds like a plan." Butterfly said.

"And there is one more thing I need to mention." He added, "With those new villain forms that you have, I have introduced a new ability that would come in handy in your mission. It's an ability that will let you fuse your powers together to combine into a new powerful attack."

"I see, I remember doing something like that before when we defeated HIM." Bright recalled. "Although, ever since our Z-rays were extracted, we weren't able to do something like that again."

"At least even if we haven't exactly practiced it, we have a general grasp on how we can do it." Bloom said. "It actually gives me an idea. Since I have X-ray vision, I can use it to scan all the agents. Along with Butterfly's teleportation powers, I think we can create a way for us to transfer them from the building to the lab. Thus, preventing any form of clean up and any risk of getting caught."

The Professor's face lit up. "Precisely!"

"That and with Miyako's poison to knock them out, we'll be done in no time." Butterfly said, smirking.

"However, what time will we attack?" Bright asked, tilting her head to the side.

"It's better to start as soon as possible." The Professor suggested. "As much as I want you girls to come up with a very thorough plan, knowing that there is something else going on in that place, we need to move now."

Bloom nodded in response. "Once it's lights out, we'll start our attack."

"What time do we need to be up then?" Bright asked.

"12:00 AM sharp, we'll hide in that unused meeting room we found a few days ago."

"Sounds like a plan." Butterfly replied.

"Then it's settled." The Professor said. "Be sure to update me through everything. Keep your ICED on so I can check in on you three."

"We will, this will be our chance to strike back." Butterfly stated.

Bloom smirked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a retaliation that's long overdue, and they'll never see it coming."

Butterfly's P.O.V.

I hate him.

I hid under a pile of pillows as I tried to block out the loud sound of the music he's blasting on his obnoxious speakers. It had already been a full fifteen minutes of him driving me insane. I was so close to just slapping him upside the head and giving him a piece of my mind.

After a while, the music seemed to have subsided for a while. I peeked from underneath, trying to make sure it was really over. As I came out of hiding, I breathed a sigh of relief

Thank fucking go—

Boom kssshhh, boom boom twaaaaaang!

My whole body tensed as the loud sound of drums and guitars began to resonate throughout my room. It felt like it was vibrating just from the sheer loudness.

That's it!

I angrily threw my pillow and sheets on the cold floor. I didn't even bother to put on my slippers as I trudged towards the door. Firmly gripping the doorknob, I forcefully opened the door, glaring at the man that stood on the other side.

He didn't even notice me. Instead, he kept playing on his damn phone while the speakers continued to blare all throughout the whole room. I firmly gripped the doorknob in anger, gritting my teeth as the music seemed to get louder with every beat. How is he not deaf by now?!

"Could you turn that shit down?!"

He turned to face me, seemingly unfazed as our eyes met. He knows how pissed I am, but he didn't seem to care. After a brief glance towards my direction, he went back to face his phone, once again, not even bothering to acknowledge my presence.

Looking around, my eyes followed the power cord coming from the speakers. As I found what I was looking for, I quickly walked over to it, forcibly pulling the plug from the outlet.

"What the hell?" Butch exclaimed. "Dude, what's your problem?"

"A lot, actually." I retorted, facing him as I threw the plug on the ground. "But if you were to ask me what irritates me, annoys me, and continues to be the reason why I'm slowly starting to lose my own sanity, then I think the answer is obvious."

Rolling his eyes, he raised his eyebrow at me. "Yeah, well, you can't blame me babe if you have no taste in music."

"Excuse me?"

"And why are you even nagging me about this? You don't seem to mind the speakers for the past few days."

"That's because I can actually tolerate it in the morning or in the afternoon." I stated, clenching my fist as I tried to calm myself. "I don't know how, but I managed to control myself from killing you during those times. But for fuck's sake do you even realize how late it is already?!"

"Whatever, I won't use the speakers if that means that you would stay out of my room."

"I'd be happy to." I said, smiling mockingly at him. "It seems that you can actually be a mature and decent person and not some annoying dickless bastard."

"And who was it who said that they didn't want to waste their time talking to people who are so oblivious that they think about nobody else but themselves?" He retorted, putting down his phone. "How mature of you to be so hypocritical and yet have the balls to call me an annoying dickless bastard."

I scoffed at his statement. "You think you're cute when you're being a smartass?" I asked, chuckling. "I think your brother's got that covered, so why not just stick with the ignorant pervert persona? It honestly suits you."

As he heard my last remark, something in him snapped.

The next thing I know, I was being pinned against the wall. I was left in shock as I wasn't even able to react. It all happened so fast that I wasn't even able to move my own body.

"Say one more thing, and I'll make sure that those pretty little lips of yours stay shut." He said, his voice suddenly becoming deeper, raspier, more menacing.

I hate to admit it, but he had me cornered; he pushed hard as his figure towered over me, completely immobilizing me. He kept his head low, but I could still see his eyes from where I stood. Just like before, I wasn't able to overpower him.

"I've been holding myself back, but you've been testing my patience." He said, looking at her as his eyes burned with anger. "You're treading on thin ice when you try to pick a fight with me, little cat."

"So you can insult me and pick a fight with me but I can't do it to you?" I retorted, matching his glare. "I'm not going to stand here and just let you berate me. I'm sure as hell not going to just sit back and let you do whatever you want, thinking you could control me."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough to despise you with my whole being, babe."

He remained silent, his glare never leaving. I faced him, locking eyes with him. His face was mere inches away from mine, the sound of both of our breathing the only thing that we could hear.

He didn't make any more sudden moves, and neither did I.

As I looked into his eyes, I couldn't help but tense. Something in me was beginning to ignite, a sudden primal desire. Just the sight of him and the intense feeling of anger inside me was enough to set off the fire that ravaged on throughout my body.

His eyes trailed down to look at my lips. He then darted them back to stare at me with a new glint in his eyes.

I knew what he wanted, and he knew that I wanted the same thing.

For once, I just let go of everything.

I pulled him closer, closing the space between us as my hands found its way through his hair. He pushed me up, wrapping my thighs around his waist as he deepened the kiss. The way he kissed me was different than before.

It was angry, frustrated, and passionate.

I bit his lip softly, earning a low groan from him. The taste of him was intoxicating; the unexpected craving I had buried deep down resurfacing. As I felt him hold me tighter, our lips finally parted. But he was far from done with me.

I gasped as his lips trailed down to my neck. Wrapping my arms around him, I fought hard to suppress the moan that threatened to leave my lips. As he continued to kiss and bite, my mind went completely blank.

I wasn't sure what would happen after, knowing that I've gotten so close and intimate with him. Was this going to be a routine for us? Fighting and eventually making up like this?

I hate him, and he sure as hell doesn't even like me in the slightest.

But right now, I didn't care.

If this was going to be my way of letting out my pent-up anger and frustration, then so be it.

Narrative/Third Person's P.O.V.

It was midnight, most of the agents in the building had already gone to their respective rooms and the new group of guards had begun their patrol. Bright waited patiently in her room as she kept checking her watch. Boomer was fast asleep a few hours ago, giving her ample time to prepare everything she needed.

Bloom had already sent the details of the assigned patrolling over to their compacts since this afternoon, as well as the strategic plan they were going to execute. Reviewing it a while ago, Bright was more than ready. Her hand touched the vials hidden in her belt, the dark wine colored liquid in it swishing around.

Bright, for the most part, tried to avoid using poison to knock out her opponents; having trained in incapacitating her opponents stealthily with her senbon needles for years. However, with people from the R.I.D., it was a different story.

It wasn't enough to kill, but it was enough to subdue even a healthy Gifted person in a matter of seconds. It was her most potent concoction to date, and it was perfect for the mission.

After a few minutes, a bright green glow began to form near her bed. Getting up, she approached it. Both Bloom and Butterfly emerged from it as the light dissipated.

"You ready?" Bloom asked, but Bright seemed to be preoccupied with something else.

"Kaoru, are you okay?" She asked her green-eyed friend who was breathing heavily. "Are you tired?"

Butterfly frowned, her faint pink blush unnoticeable in the dark room. "Just warmed up a bit a while ago in the training room, don't worry about it."

Though a bit confused, Bright brushed it off as he held onto her arm. They immediately left her room and landed in the room in the west wing of the third floor. Butterfly was the first one to notice it when she was wandering around. It had no security cameras and it was unused, making it the perfect place to meet for missions like this.

Bloom then whipped out her compact. "We're going to be dealing with fifty-five agents today, it's not that many but it's a good place to start." She explained, scrolling through the screen. "I was able to disable the security cameras and replace them with looped videos from last week with the same group. I was also able to access each floor's passcode, so we're in and out in no time.

"We'll be attacking the agents on the first three floors. We've got seventeen on this floor, thirteen on the second floor, and twenty-five more on the ground floor. There are a few B-Rank and A-Rank agents that we need to look out for, but I trust that you guys have already read their profiles and are ready for anything."

As she placed her compact back in her belt, she directed her attention to them. "You guys already know what to do, right?"

Both of them nodded in response. Before they left, Bright handed them a few vials, enough for them to coax their weapons with or use a needle they had to inject it in their targets. Leaving the room, they held onto Bright as they began to survey the area.

They could see agents coming and going every so often from the windows. After a few minutes of trying to recognize their faces from the profiles they've reviewed, they let go of Bright's hands as they went to their respective assigned floors.

Bright headed to the ground floor on her own, having been tasked to take out the most men. Bloom and Butterfly, on the other hand, made their way towards the second floor. They got into position as they had their targets in sight. They all hid, making sure to avoid any noise as they shifted from corner to corner.

Glancing over her shoulder, Bright scanned the ground floor thoroughly. 'Three on the right, and two on the left.'

Pulling out her senbon needles, Bright swiftly dipped them into the vial. As the tips were fully covered in the formula, she began to wait for the right opportunity to strike. As she was able to get a better look, she then came out of her hiding spot, blending quickly into her surroundings.

Focusing on her targets, she threw her needles, aptly hitting each of them accurately. "Argh!"

As soon as they were struck, they fell to the ground with a loud thud. "That's five, twenty more to go." Before Bright could pull the bodies aside, the distinct sound of voices talking were picked up by her keen hearing.

"What was that?"

"It came from over there."

She quickly took out more needles, acting fast as she saw numerous figures in the distance. She got into position, getting ready for anything.

As the figures came out from the hallways, her eyes swiftly assessed the number of men. Before they had the chance to react to the bodies that were sprawled across the floor, Bright hastily threw her needles at them. Once again, the bodies dropped to the floor almost instantly, making the total number of people she had knocked out to twelve

"Thirteen more to go." She said, taking out her needles from some of them.

As if on cue, Bright's ears picked up on the faint sound of footsteps coming from behind her. Standing still, she took more needles from her pocket, waiting patiently as the footsteps grew louder with each step.

"What the he—!" Before they could respond, Bright began throwing needles left and right.

Even with the sheer number of men she had to face, she moved like lightning as her needles flew and struck the last remaining agents. Without even getting a glimpse of their attacker or a chance to signal for backup, all thirteen men ended up falling to the floor as they slipped into unconsciousness.

Counting each body that laid on the floor, Bright turned on her communication device. "The ground floor's clear."

"Copy that." Butterfly answered. "We're proceeding to the third floor now."

"Go clean up the scene while we take care of the remaining agents." Bloom said. "We'll come to you in no more than three minutes."

"On it, I'll be hiding the bodies in the corner and will look out for any backup."

"We'll get back to you soon, over."

Not wasting any more time, Bright began carrying all the bodies to a spot in the corner. As she pulled out the needles that were still in them, she began looking for any trace she may have left behind. The last thing they wanted was to leave something that would trace this incident back to them.

A few minutes passed by when a flash of green appeared from behind her. As the two feminine bodies emerged from the light, both of them went towards their blonde friend.

"Everything clear on this floor?" Bloom asked, making Bright jump a little at the sudden voice.

Looking over her shoulder, Bright sighed. "Yeah, all spick and span." She replied. "Please try to update me when you guys are coming here. You guys know that it's rude to sneak up on people."

Chuckling, Butterfly crossed her arms over her chest. "Will do, Princess."

Giggling, Bright glanced over towards the bodies behind her. "So, I'll let you guys do your thing, I guess?"

As both of them nodded in response, Bright stepped aside. Both Bloom and Butterfly nodded at each other, joining hands and closing their eyes as they began to concentrate.

A mix of red and green light danced around their hands as their aura sent a gush of wind throughout the whole floor, making Bright take a step back. Bloom opened her eyes, the bright red beam that radiated from it scanned the bodies all at once. Then they both held their free hands out, forming a white orb of light as it shone upon each agent.

Bright used her hand to block out the intense gleam of their power. She squinted, but her eyes didn't miss the large flash of light that enveloped the whole room. In that instant, the bodies were no longer in sight. The entire ground floor was clean, no other agent was there except for them.

Looking at each other, they all smiled in unison. "I guess you can say, mission complete." Bloom said, giving both of them a high five.

"Looks like all we need to do now is try and find where they're keeping their pri—"

Suddenly, a loud siren was heard, red lights flashing throughout the whole ground floor. The girls took a step back, getting in position as they prepared for an ambush.

"Intruder alert, intruder alert. Guards report to the ground floor immediately."

As they had heard the announcement, the faint sound of footsteps began to echo throughout the floor. Panicking, Bloom quickly took both Bright and Butterfly's hands and they began to run. Bright quickly grabbed onto both of them, infusing her invisibility as they tried to find a place to hide.

As much as Butterfly tried to teleport them back to their rooms or even fly for that matter, she could feel her powers weakening. 'Fuck, I might have overdid it.'

"Intruder alert, intruder alert." As the intercom looped the announcement, the footsteps became louder, and they seemed to surround them. Multiple voices began to be audible as they passed through the many corridors, trying to find just somewhere where they could hide.

"Where are those intruders?"

"They must be in the file room to steal more important documents."

"Team Alpha, go to the File Room and search for them. Team Bravo, secure the tech room and mechanics room. Team Charlie, check each floor while Team Delta will scan each room on this floor, move!"

The panic began to set in. All three of them tried to look around to find something. Just then, something caught Bloom's eye. Using what little strength she had left, she activated her X-Ray vision and scanned the floor beneath them.

She then called out to Butterfly, "Kaoru, use up all your power and teleport us to the floor downstairs."

"Are you crazy?" The raven-haired girl exclaimed, still running quickly. "It's a miracle that you could still use your X-Ray vision or that we even have the strength to run right now."

"Just hurry!"

Giving in, Butterfly began to concentrate hard. As they neared the end of the long corridor, Butterfly quickly held both of them as they fell through the floor. They landed with a hard thud, the sounds of footsteps, voices, and the intercom finally vanishing.

"Damn it." Butterfly cursed, holding her legs in pain. "What triggered that fucking alarm?"

"I have no idea, but at least we've lost them." Bright added.

Groaning in pain, Bloom quickly fixed herself before looking around the area.

She saw an open space when she scanned the floor, but it seemed to be more than that. It was a dark tunnel, only a couple of dim torches that were mounted on each side gave the area light. Each torch was about ten feet apart, but it was bright enough for them to see where they were going.

"I'm not sure that this was part of the plan..." Butterfly started, looking around. "But where do we go from now?"

"The first thing we have to do now is to find a way out of this hell hole." Bloom stated, trying to scan again with her X-Ray vision but to no avail. "And hopefully, we could also find the person who left that book here."

"Won't they suspect that someone had tampered with their security cameras?" Bright asked.

"As soon as we had hid in that supply closet, I immediately cut off the looped video before they noticed anything." Bloom explained. "For now, let's try to get out of here."

They all started to look for a way out. From her surroundings, Bright felt as if she'd already seen something like this before. It was eerily just like the place she was led into by that secret entrance in the library.

As they walked through the tunnel, turning at every corner, they passed many locked rooms that seemed to be like a holding cell, but no one was inside. It was quiet, the sound of their own footsteps seemed like boulders falling as it echoed throughout the tunnel. The whole place was basically empty without anything that could help them.

The sight of the seemingly hundreds of holding cells left a gut-wrenching feeling in them.

"They've built an actual prison?" Butterfly asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Please tell me that they aren't actually using all of these…"

"Why keep someone here? What's the purpose?"

Bloom frowned. "Whatever it is, we're going to put a stop to it."

Even as Bloom said that, they were all internally trying to ignore the thought of the R.I.D. keeping many prisoners to do god knows what. They didn't want to expect the worst, all they want now is to just find that person who wrote that book.

They reached a point where the tunnel led to two entrances. Bloom suddenly stopped, making the other two stop in their tracks. Before they could ask, Bloom raised her hand, signalling them to keep quiet. They all stood still, listening intently to their surroundings.

"Hee... me..."

A faint voice came through, barely audible. All three girls looked at each other, confusion evident on their faces. "Did you guys hear that?" Bloom asked.

"Yeah, does that mean that they're actually here?" Butterfly replied.

"It came from over there." Bright said, pointing at the right entrance. "They might be trapped in here."

"Let's investigate, it might also lead us to an exit." With that, all three of them went in the direction where the voice was heard. As they went in further, the voice became more clear.

"Please...help..." The voice was raspy, but it was not that of an adult. It was a little too high-pitched to be a male adult, but it didn't seem to be a girl either. His voice sounded as if he had been strangled or gasping for air.

"Someone... please..."

As they began running towards the voice, they ran past multiple empty jail cells. The smell of dirt, rust and dried blood filled the air around them. Pieces of dirty cloth were scattered all around along with scraps of spoiled food.

"Wait, there's someone there!" Bright exclaimed, making Butterfly and Bloom face in the direction that she was pointing. "I see him!"

At the very end, there stood a child that was chained to the ground, crying. "Help..."

Running, they approached the child. As they stood in front of him, they examined him carefully.

He was in a horrible state.

He had cuts and bruises on his face and arms, with some still fresh as drips of blood continued to run down his face. His eyes looked tired, evident by the dark circles under his eyes and his bloodshot eyes. His blonde hair was unkempt, standing on end as it had chunks of dirt in them. His clothes, or rather, the large white cloth that he wore was torn and had huge holes that showed even more of his wounded body.

"Oh, dear God," Bright whispered, covering her mouth as she was overwhelmed with pity. "Are you okay?" As she reached out to comfort him through the bars, he suddenly backed away, looking at her with horror in his eyes.

"You're one of them…" He said. "Get away from me…"

"No, honey, we're not." Bloom said, "We're the good guys. Come on, we'll get you out of here."

"Who are you?" He asked. "That tattoo… What are you going to do with me?"

"We're going to get out of here, that's what we'll do." Butterfly answered. "You can trust us, just stay calm."

Stepping back, Butterfly began to focus. She was slowly regaining her strength while they walked down that tunnel, and after a bit of concentration, she teleported to the other side of the cell. "Don't hurt me... please..."

"Don't worry, buddy, we won't hurt you." Butterfly said, trying to comfort him.

Bloom took a pin from her belt. Jamming it into the lock, she fumbled with it a bit before finally getting it to unlock. As they entered, Bright held the quivering child in her hands, lightly stroking his hair as she tried to calm him down.

"Everything will be alright." She said. "Can you tell us anything that can help us to get out of here?"

"I don't know..." He said, coughing loudly. "I... they..."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Bloom asked, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. As he was about to say something, they were all startled as they heard the sound of footsteps that were seemingly coming towards their direction.

"Test Subject No. 073 should be down this hall."

Panicking, the child ran towards the wall, covering his body as he began to sob. "They're here..."

"Shit." Butterfly cursed under her breath. "We need to get out of here now."

"Please..." The boy said. "Save me..."

"Get him out of those chains, hurry." Bloom commanded. "I'll get us out of here."

As she looked up towards the ceiling, concentrating hard as she the faint red beam emitted from her eyes. "Hollow." She confirmed. 'We have no other choice.'

As Bright and Butterfly broke the child free from his restraints, Bloom blew a hole through the ceiling with her ice powers. Several debris fell to the ground, the loud impact echoed as it alerted the agents that were in the tunnel.

"What the hell?!"

"It has to be the intruder!"

"They're coming!" The boy exclaimed, clinging unto Bright as he cried.

"Come on, let's go!" Bloom ordered as she flew up towards their exit.

Picking up the young boy in her arms, Bright, along with Butterfly, immediately followed their leader. Flying through the ceiling, they began to find a way to escape. It was a narrow path, but they couldn't care less. Getting the child to safety was their first priority.

Scanning the area again with her X-ray vision, Bloom was getting more and more desperate as everything that was above was practically dirt. "Bloom, over there!" Butterfly exclaimed, making the red-headed girl look over towards the small speck of light on the right.

Without wasting any time, Bloom flew hastily towards the light with Butterfly and Bright tailing her. Reaching their destination, Bloom scanned the room above them, revealing an empty computer room.

"Everything clear?" Butterfly asked.

"Yeah," Bloom replied. "Let's hurry, we're wasting time."

Nodding in agreement, Butterfly removed the vent-like cover, ushering Bright to get inside. Once all three of them got in, Bloom looked over her shoulder, making sure the coast was clear before getting inside the room and closing the hole. She quickly looked around, grabbing a nearby doormat as she covered their exit, preventing them from finding where they went.

As they were finally safe, all three girls went towards the boy that clung unto Bright, lightly caressing his face. Despite the tear stains that graced his face, he smiled sincerely at them before saying:

"Thank you."

Author's Note: Secrets are beginning to unfold in the R.I.D., and things will start to get harder for the girls. How are you guys finding the action in this story? I'm not used to writing action scenes when it comes to stories so please feel free to leave me your thoughts!

As always, don't forget to favorite, follow, and leave a review of this story!

Have a great day, loves!

~Disastress