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

The story line and any mentioned OCs are my ONLY property.

This merely serves as entertainment for the viewers!

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

Narrator/Third Person's POV

Bloom stood still, the blood running cold in her body as her heart pounded faster, and faster. His piercing red eyes glared at her intensely. His expression remained serious; his aura growing darker.

He now had her pinned against the room, but she held her ground. Shivers ran down her spine. She wanted to just shove him away and run, but she knew that talking was the best thing to do right now if she wanted to get out of this mess that she'd created.

"What do you want?" She asked, trying to stall him.

"You know damn well what I want." He answered, "You snuck out last night, and isn't it odd that your little 'outing' coincidentally happened when an infiltration took place last night?"

"I don't know anything about that!"

"Oh, cut the bullshit." He threatened, pushing her further into the wall. Bloom winced, but there was no way she was going to crack. "I ain't playing, so spit it out!"

"Yeah, I snuck out, what of it?!" She persisted, "You can't tell me what I can or can't do."

"Acting tough now, are we?" He mocked once more. "Where are they?"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Bloom asked, pretending to be dumbfounded. 'Damn it… What can I do?'

Her hands slowly went down to reach her knife holster. If things got out of hand, she had no choice but to defend herself. 'If only there was a way for me to talk my way out of this.'

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you, Bloom, I know you were behind those kidnappings!"

Just then, an idea popped into her head. Her hand let go of the blade and went to her belt. "Kidnapping my ass!" She cursed. "I had nothing to do with that and I can prove it!"

"Oh, yeah? How?" He threatened, his face merely centimeters away from her now.

"This." She said, holding up a small pink tube in her hand.

"I don't give a shit about your makeup routine, Bloom!" He exclaimed as his eyes met the lip balm stick that Bloom held in her hand. "How is that going to prove your innocence?"

"I'm not the one you want, I'm the one you need." The redheaded girl said, smirking.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not your suspect, I am the witness."

Brick became silent, mentally arguing with himself if he was going to believe her or not. Slowly, he backed away from her. He would be the judge on whether or not her story is believable or not. Before he could let her go, Brick swiftly grabbed the small tube from her hand.

"If you're the witness," He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Then talk."

Bloom's P.O.V.

Last night was a rough night.

Brick interrogated me for hours, asking questions on what I saw last night during the kidnappings.

I kept my story simple. I went out for some fresh air, I saw three figures walking in, and they lost something. When I took it, the alarm sounded and I quickly escaped back to my room and when I was escaping, I lost my necklace along the way.

He didn't buy it at first, but he took my chapstick. He told me that unless a DNA sample can confirm my story, I was still a suspect.

It was a huge risk. I haven't used it since we came here, but I'm sure that my DNA as Blossom would be what they find once they run it through analysis. They have to suspect our hero identity if we want to stay in the shadows for this mission. Brick was smart, so I had to make sure that he doesn't suspect any relation of my identity to my hero identity.

From now on, they knew the Powerpuff Girls were onto them. However, whether that would cause them to make a mistake, I still wasn't sure. The only thing I was sure about is that we needed to be careful.

I began roaming the ground hallways of the establishment sluggishly. The confrontation Brick and I had ended way past midnight and I was barely able to get some sleep. Hopefully, a cup of coffee would help solve the problem.

As I was walking towards the coffee machine near the main lobby area, I saw a little pink blob frantically scurrying around the floor. It murmured as its white hat swayed with its movements.

"Where is it… where is it…" The amoeba girl said to herself.

"Lady?" I asked, trying to get her attention. She looked up at me, her little hat tipping slightly upward. "Looking for something?"

"Oh, indeed!" She exclaimed. "The boys were playing with my lipstick and they misplaced it! I've been looking for it since I woke up! Oh, my poor little lipstick."

Giggling, I took something from my belt, handing her a small black case. "Here, use mine." I said, placing it on her slimy hands, "I bet that color suits you well too."

She looked confused at first, looking at the small tube, then at me. She took off the top and twisted the body, revealing a vibrant red lipstick. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at it.

"Oh my, it's even more beautiful than the one I lost!" She said happily, immediately gliding it across her lips.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked at her intently, and it had me thinking…

"You know what, you can have it."

She was suddenly left speechless, looking at me with wide eyes. She closed the lipstick and tried to give it to me. "No, I absolutely cannot!"

I hid my hands behind my back, avoiding her attempts to return the lipstick. "It's okay Lady, I could just get another one, it seems you need it more than me anyway."

"Are you certain that you're not messing with me?" She asked, and I nodded, smiling at her. She suddenly hugged my neck, thanking me over and over.

"Hey, it's nothing." I said, letting go of her and grabbing a mug from the tray. "Girls look out for each other, right?"

As I turned on the coffee machine, I looked back at Lady. She looked as if she was thinking. She had her tiny arms folded over her hovering body and her now bright red lips pouted. As I got my coffee, I caught her attention once again. "So… What're you thinking about?"

She looked at me, pausing for a moment before speaking, "Have you been to the spa yet?"

I nearly choked on my coffee at what she said. I composed myself before staring back at her. "You have a spa here?"

"Yes, and you are coming with me right now!"

Before I knew it, she was pulling me away from the lobby as fast as she could.

What the hell was happening?

Bright's P.O.V.

"I'll be back by eight, don't wait up. I've already told the servers that I won't be eating here." He said, opening the door of his room.

I nodded as Boomer looked back at me with his deep ocean eyes, staring at me with concern, but it quickly faded away as he immediately left without another word. The click of the door resonated in the quiet room, making me sigh with frustration.

I had hoped to be assigned to some kind of mission by Bloom or by the R.I.D. as some sort of distraction. It has been awkward between him and me, ever since that kiss. Every time we locked eyes with each other, I often found myself blushing and staring at him, but he remained calm and casual.

We've never talked about the kiss afterward, which made me more confused and embarrassed. He made me feel anxious whenever he walked by or even looked at me. His eyes sparkled even more with each glimpse I took at him. With each passing moment, I could feel my heart flutter whenever I start to think of him.

The rotten kid I once knew became a charming, handsome man. A man I never knew would be able to captivate me.

That kiss sparked something inside me, a new flame. It burned rapidly. I find myself thinking about him, his face, smile, laugh, just everything about him. I began scolding myself whenever I did, but I still found myself doing it everyday.

There was something in me that wanted to understand everything about him. What makes him smile? What makes him laugh? What is he afraid of? And was he really as bad as he said he was?

I wanted to know, but why?

Was it because he was so effortlessly endearing? Was it because he told me his own feelings? Was it because he wasn't the same man I faced back in Tokyo?

I don't know. I really don't.

Am I getting attracted to him? Yes.

Am I starting to like him? Yes.

Am I going to do something to stop it? Yes.

Will I be able to do it? I don't know.

What I do know is that I needed something to distract me right now.

I took the compact from my belt, dialing a number on the keypad. The screen loaded as the compact softly vibrated in my hand. When the screen lit up, I was met with sounds of giggles and chatting female voices, not the usual split screen of her friends' faces.

On the screen, I saw Bloom with a green facial on her face while she wore a bright white robe on her body.

She smiled back at me, "Oh, hey Bright, what's up?" She asked.

I stared at her with confusion as her hair was suddenly being treated by some other girls. "Am I interrupting something?" I asked, eyeing the girls that were pampering her. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the spa here with the other ladies here." She said as she looked beyond the screen as if looking at somebody else. "I've been meaning to unwind, and this place is just the best."

"Who are you with exactly?"

"Well, the female villains here. Like Sedusa," She flipped the compact to show the curly haired woman sitting on a massage chair, waving at the compact, "Snake and Lil' Arturo," She then panned towards the skinny green-skinned girl that was getting her nails done, "and even Lady." She said, finally showing the last girl in the spa room.

"Uh huh…" I said, nodding slowly as I furrowed my brows together.

"You forgot me!" A high-pitched voice came from the compact, making me wince a bit. Of course, I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Yeah, right, Princess is here too." Bloom said, sneakily rolling her eyes at her. "Anyways, want to come hang out here with us?"

"Are you sure that this is okay?" I whispered to her, remembering how she was the one who said to lay low. I didn't expect her to be hanging out with our old enemies, let alone just talking with them.

"Of course, I just want to relax even if it's just for a couple of hours. Come on, join us."

I sighed, like I have any other choice. "Sure, I'll be there." I said, standing up and fixing my stuff on the table.

"By the way, where's Butterfly?"

Butterfly's P.O.V.

With everything that's happening in the building, I laid down on my bed and just drowned in the music that filled my ears. After last night, I began looking for something that would help me block out Butch's obnoxious music. Surely and oddly enough, I was able to get an mp3 player and some earphones after requesting it.

Though a bit old-school, it was convenient enough for me to pass the time. As long as I didn't try to question if it was stolen or not I am able to just be in my own world where it's peaceful and Butch isn't there.

Knock knock

Spoke too soon.

Tugging the earphones out, I made my way towards the door. I opened it and sure enough, he was standing on the other side.

"Mind if I come in?" He said before walking past me.

I stood there confused, "Uh, yeah, sure, just come on in then." Closing the door, I leaned against the wall as Butch sat on my bed.

He inspected the mp3 player I had, looking at what was playing. "My Last Story? A rock fan, huh?"

"Why are you here, Butch?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

We haven't talked ever since that. And even after that night, the tension between us was still there. He knew that I was still upset, so what was he doing?

He looked at me, "Am I not allowed to visit?"

"You know that that's not what I meant." I answered, "What do you want?"

Butch sighed, "I came to say sorry."

I raised my eyebrow at what he just said, but he kept going. "I was an asshole, yeah, I admit it." He said. "Everything I said to you was uncalled for. I was being a dick to you and you have every right to be mad."

I looked at him with a confused look on my face. "Are you just saying this because of what happened last night?"

"What? Hell no."

"How convincing."

"Dude, I'm serious." He said. "I know when I fuck up so I'm trying to make up for it."

"Didn't think it would take this long for you to self-reflect."

"That's why I'm sorry, okay?" He said, getting up as he began to walk towards the door. "You don't have to forgive me. I just wanted you to at least know that I'm not a total jerk, monster, or whatever you think of me as."

I looked up at him. He was right at the door but he wasn't leaving.

I just let out a small laugh. "Guess you can own up to your shit, huh?"

He laughed as well. "I'm stubborn at first but I'm not all that bad."

"Whatever you say, Butch." I replied, "It still doesn't mean we're going to be the best of friends."

"Never thought it would." He said, flashing me his smirk.

I smirked back before he finally opened the door. However, as soon as he stepped foot into his room, both of our watches began to light up.

"New Mission Acquired: Please head to the Mission Acceptance Room immediately."

We both looked at each other, and I couldn't help but sigh internally.

Why did it have to be so soon?

"What are we looking for again?" I asked, breaking the silence as Butch and I began wandering around the forest. We went far from the castle, walking for hours ever since we left. For some reason, he told me that we can't fly our way until after we've finished the mission.

Why I got partnered up with him on this, I still don't know.

"La Bellissima Farfalla" He said with an exaggerated Italian accent. I grimaced at his words, making him snicker. "It literally means beautiful butterfly."

"Ha-ha," I replied. "And exactly why do we need this?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

I rolled my eyes, such an ass. As much as I wanted to know, I didn't want to argue about it so I remained quiet. The last thing I want is to start another fight and end up 'making up' again.

The thought alone was enough to make me gag.

We walked further into the woods. The trees seemed taller and taller as with each step, we got deeper and deeper. The sun peeked through the leaves, its rays slightly illuminating the path we were taking. The sharp snap of twigs and branches were heard with each step we took, and the birds singing softly whistled through the wind.

It was calming, up until Butch stopped in front a large, dark cave. "I think you should hold onto me, there's no light in here, you might have trouble looking where you're going."

He said, holding out his arm for me to hold. I rolled my eyes at his action, stepping back.

"You know that I'm not going to fall for that right?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Fall for what?"

"Quit playing games with me."

"Suit yourself then." He replied, shrugging as he proceeded towards the cave, suddenly disappearing into the darkness. I stood there, waiting for him to say anything or at least call out my name, but nothing came.

I leaned forward, slightly putting my head inside. "Butch?" I called out, but no response. What the hell was he doing?

I stepped forward, the sound of my foot landing on the wet cave floor echoed through its walls. The faint sound of water dropping sounded like a melody, rhythmically dripping down the cave. I gulped, and I dashed.

The farther I ran, the less light there was in the cave. The darkness slowly enveloped my vision until I couldn't see anything at all. I kept running, until I bumped into a tall figure, knocking me down on the wet ground. I grunted, the feeling of wetness on my clothes made me wince in disgust.

"What the hell?" I heard his voice, stern and cold. I scoffed, regaining my composure as I stood up, dusting off the dirt that may have gotten on my clothes.

"Dick." I cursed, feeling around until I felt his arm. "How can you even see in this place anyway?" I asked as I held onto him, pulling myself closer to him.

"I don't," He replied, guiding me as we began to walk. "Earth powers, remember? I can feel the earth beneath me, almost like it talks to me, so I just follow that instinct."

I looked at him weirdly, even though he couldn't see, "Okay… Not sure if I should be intrigued or weirded out."

"You can control the wind. Don't you feel anything when, I don't know, when it blows against your hair or something?"

"Uh, no?"

He chuckled, "Might need to be more in tune with your powers, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, weirdo." I said in a playful manner, making him chuckle again as he held my hand that held onto his arm.

We walked for about a minute or so when we found a small beacon of light shining through the ceiling of the cave. Its light shone on the dark walls, water sparkled as droplets of it dripped down onto it. "We're close." Butch says as we passed through the beacon.

After another minute, we finally reached the end of the cave. Coming out, we were greeted by a dense rainforest, the color green surrounded the area completely.

"Whoa." I silently exclaimed as I looked at the scenery before me. My hands dropped from his arm as I leaned forward, taking in more of the scenery before me.

It was just… mesmerizing.

"Amazing, huh?" Butch said, admiring the scenery as well. I nodded in response, looking over all the beautiful details of this place.

He walked ahead of me as I continued to bask in the beauty of this place. The sound of birds chirping was faint, and the bright colors of the different flowers brightened up the scenery. It made the sun look dull with their vibrancy.

I brushed the flower bush with my hands, the petals as soft felt as silk. As I brought my face close to it, the flower seemed to shake. And just like that, the flower began to change right in front of my eyes.

Its vivid, small, heart-shaped, violet petals morphed to now have bigger, lobed petals that spread out like a fan, with some drooping down and some standing stiff and tall at the very middle. The petals were now a jade green hue with prominent black tips and a bright white center.

As I reached to touch the petals, my nose caught hold of the scent of the flower. The smell of lavender with hints of cinnamon and musk, God, it smelled so good.

I sighed in delight as the scent never seemed to fade from the little guy.

"Looks like the amare flower caught your eye."

My head whipped around to look at him, his face showing an amused expression.

"The what?"

"The Amarelicere flower, or just Amare for short," He explained, picking one from the bunch. "A magical flower that transforms into something the person finds beautiful once they touch it, including the scent that the person thinks is most attractive."

As he said that, the flower in his hands began to change as well. The petals changed to form the shape of a star with its five big petals; the petals itself having a certain curve to it at the end, almost resembled a butterfly's wing. The color was a dazzling green, but the center was a dark black, its tips having the tiniest faint hue of mahogany red on it.

My eyes widened in shock. "Never knew a flower like this existed."

"There's a lot more things to discover in this place," He added as he then crouched down. Running his hand along the ground and hitting it to a very odd rhythm, I just looked at him curiously. I went down to his level to see what he saw as his eyes kept wandering around the place.

Before I could ask what he was doing, however, a small critter popped up from one of the bushes. Its long white ears drooped to the sides of its face as its fluffy face came in contact with Butch's hand. Its nose twitched as it moved all around his hand, but it didn't take long for the little thing to get up on his hand and look up at the green-eyed man.

Butch then extended his hand towards me. "Cute, ain't he?"

I looked at the bunny he had in his hands. It had bright white fur all around and glowing brown eyes. Well, eye. As soon as it turned to face me, that's when I got to see that one of its eyes was pure white, and didn't seem to move a bit.

As I raised my hand to pet it, the little guy's fur then turned to gray, making me retract my hand in shock.

"Don't worry, he's just a little confused." Butch replied, chuckling as he gently pet him behind his ears. "Youta's just a little wary when it comes to meeting people."

"Cute name, but how come he's like this?"

"Saved him from a bunch of fuckers who were trying to get as many as they could." He explained. "This guy and his friends were luckily able to escape as this little badass bit one of those guys right in the balls."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Now you're making me want one for myself." I said. "Never knew bunnies could really fuck somebody up."

"Should've seen my reaction when I saw it, took me a while to realize that this wasn't no ordinary rabbit either."

"In this forest, I wouldn't be surprised if a unicorn suddenly popped up from behind the trees."

"No shit, these guys can change their fur color based on their emotions, and they use that to blend into their surroundings." He said. "Some arcane gangs came to harvest their furs, just fucking grateful I was there before they could do anything."

"You were tasked to protect them?"

"Nah, was just coincidentally walking through the woods when I saw it."

"Huh…"

"Why?"

"Never thought you'd do something like that, no offense."

"How would you feel if someone were to come and try to rip your skin off?"

"That couldn't have been the main reason why you rescued them. After all, you did say that you only realized later that these bunnies have magical fur. You couldn't have possibly known what they were going to do with the rabbits."

Butch was taken off guard as he shifted in his place. "Okay, fine, I just couldn't stand to see them being abused by those fuckers. Guilty."

I giggled, making him raise his eyebrow at me. "What's so funny?"

"Why're you so ashamed of that?" I asked, finally petting Youta's forehead as his fur slowly began to fade back to white. "I think it's kind of cool that you did something for this little guy and his friends."

He chuckled, "Because besides my brothers, you're the only one who's got to see my little friend over here." He answered. "Don't have time to visit this place as much as before, but at least you haven't forgotten about me, huh?" He cooed, petting Youta gently as the little guy closed his eyes in delight.

"Looks like those guys were able to do something to him, though." I said, gesturing to one of Youta's eyes.

"Yeah, still fucking mad about that. But then again, I think he looks even cooler, don't you think so too, little guy?"

"You're such a child." I joked, laughing as Butch's voice cooed at the little guy he was holding.

Finally placing Youta down on the ground. He licked my fingers gently as he then turned to look at Butch. Taking one last look at him, he gently nudged Butch's hand with his head before finally going back where he came from. "Don't worry, I'd doubt that's the last time you'll be seeing that one though. Now that he likes you, you'd be surprised how he'll suddenly pop up in your room all of a sudden."

"Wait, what? How? Why?"

"Did I forget to mention that those rabbits have insanely good tracking skills?"

"I'm not going to wake up in a room full of rabbits, am I?"

"Who knows, once woke up to find a whole bunch of carrots next to me."

"Eh…"

"But anyways, it's a shame that I won't be able to show you everything in this place."

"You don't need to, we got a mission, remember?" I said, chuckling as I still had the flower in my hand. "How often do you come to this place?"

"Used to come here at least twice a week, but then work just became a whole pain in the ass."

"Gotta admit, this was the last thing I thought you'd be interested in."

"Thought I had my nose up in bold magazines all day?"

"Uh, maybe?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I don't blame you. Never really gave you a reason to think otherwise." He said. "That aside, we're here to get those butterflies I was talking about."

I looked at him confusedly, "We were sent on a mission… to catch butterflies?" He nodded, making me sigh. "And why did the organization think that this needed two people?"

"For starters, it is a small butterfly with wings that sparkle like diamonds. We discovered it about a year ago only in this forest. It feeds on the jade vine, a very rare flower that actually isn't supposed to grow here in Japan." He explained, as we walked along the forest silently.

"The dust that comes from its wings has its own healing powers; helping with allergic reactions as well as treating wounds on people. The butterfly itself, or the wings rather, can help with multiple illnesses, specifically those that infect the cardiovascular system I think? Like the things concerning the blood and the heart and all that stuff."

Blood? Did he just say blood?

"And is there any reason as to why we have to get this 'healing' butterfly?" I asked, trying to get a bit more information out of him. "And why send us specifically?"

"I don't know, I try to butt out of things that are either one, none of my business, or two, things that I'm not interested in or don't care about." He explained, holding up two fingers for both of his points for more emphasis.

"You're impossible." I sighed as I raked my fingers through my hair. If this butterfly is going to be used on those prisoners, I need to send a sample back to Bloom.

We walked some more as the once green forest suddenly revealed little flowers that added more beauty and color to the scenery. Small patches of flowers doubled in amount as we went deeper into the forest. After a little more walking, we finally came upon a part of the forest that just sparkled.

It was stunning, the butterflies that fluttered looked like stars. They twinkled with each flap of their wings. Butch was right, it was like diamonds. As I walked towards them, Butch suddenly pushed me out the way, "Look out!"

The butterflies suddenly started swarming and flew straight at us. There were so many, and they were all coming for us. Butch pulled me by the arm and we started to run, avoiding each of the butterflies' movements.

Did he really forgot to mention that these butterflies were fucking dangerous?!

We stopped as we stood next to the roots of a big tree, keeping us out of sight from those things.

"Stay here."

He then began to charge the butterflies head on.

I looked at him in shock. "Idiot! What are you doing?!" I screamed, but as soon as Butch got close to the butterflies, the butterflies stopped, as if they were frozen. They didn't move, not a single flutter or flap of their wings. I could sense the air around Butch as I felt a strong energy coming from him.

He stood still as he stared at the butterflies intently. He had his palms wide open, his aura turning dark green that enveloped his whole body. I looked at him more closely, and then I realized what he was doing.

Telekinesis.

I had only seen him use this during that day we trained, and he seemed even more in control as his expression remained firm. The energy I felt from him was like a tune that played from his mind towards his targets. Almost like a spell that couldn't be undone once you're captured.

He then spread his arms, which caused the butterflies to disperse though they remained immobilized still. As soon as they did, Butch signaled me to come over.

"Take this," He said, handing me a small jar. "Put as many butterflies as you can in the jar. Once I stop the control, run as fast as you can."

Nodding, I began taking the butterflies, carefully grabbing it by one wing and placing it in the jar. I took one, and then another, and another. Once I was able to take more than twenty butterflies, I closed the jar, but not before hiding a butterfly in one of the secret compartments in my belt. It would be tight, but the butterfly won't suffocate.

Closing the jar, I looked at Butch. "Ready?" He asked, as I nodded in response. He took a step backward, holding his palm out forward in front of him as he had his other hand behind his back. And then, with a snap of his fingers, the butterflies began to move, and we both ran.

The loud sound of their flapping wings echoed throughout the forest. It was like the buzzing of a bee or a wasp, the fast flap of the butterfly's wings perfectly mimicking the sound.

Once we were out of the colorful part of the forest and back into the dense green scenery, the sound faded. I looked back, and not a single butterfly was in sight.

I looked at butterflies in the jar, they weren't as violent as they were a while ago. They seemed to flutter elegantly in the jar. Observing them, they were certainly smaller than the average butterfly, about only an inch in height, but they were still magnificently beautiful.

"Gave you a rush back there, didn't I?" Butch said, snickering. I rolled my eyes at him, giving back to him the small jar.

"You really didn't mention even a single detail about how these things plan to murder you once they see you?" I responded, raising an eyebrow at him in annoyance.

"Well, I was about to give a signal when you suddenly just stepped into their territory." He said, chuckling. "They have one of the keenest senses, sensing vibrations with their wings. They never go alone, they attack in swarms which makes up for its small structure.

"They're very territorial, and apparently they are not fond of pale green-eyed female brunettes like you." He said, making me punch him on the shoulder. "Just kidding, but you get the gist. They felt threatened by your sudden move so they attacked."

"Gotta say, I'm impressed." I said, making him look at me in confusion.

"By what?"

"You're not all brute and brawn." I answered. "You're sensitive, well, in a different way. But at least you're sensitive to something and not that ignorant jerk I expected you to be."

He chuckled. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

"I know enough." I retorted. "You're not exactly the mysterious type, but you do surprise me."

"I'm full of surprises, babe." I rolled my eyes at him as we neared the cave.

He held his arm out, and I, surprisingly, didn't hesitate in holding onto him. We entered, but before we could really walk, he took out the jar of butterflies. "Watch this."

He tapped on the jar three times, and the butterflies' wings began to sparkle even more, making an improvised lamp with their bright shine. "Wow." I exclaimed, and we started to walk.

"Cool, right?" With his comment, I couldn't help but look at him in confusion once again.

"Still not over the fact that you know so much about these kinds of stuff."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I mean, I don't look like it obviously. But being in the forest is very relaxing for me."

"Hey, at least you're not just some perverted jerk who keeps scrolling through his 'personal video collection' during his afternoons."

"Like I said, there are a lot of things you don't know about me."

I couldn't say anything after that; he was right. Unexpectedly, he was more than meets the eye. I mean, he's a self-centered jerk who loves his own reflection and girls' asses but, he was an interesting jerk.

But, now that I think about it, everyone at the agency had interesting habits or skills that I didn't know they had. I was able to talk to some of the agents, and they seemed pretty decent. They seemed normal and it made me think.

If the people in the organization, even if they're criminals, were they still willing to change?

And if they were, what are we going to do about it?

I've faced countless criminals and I put their asses in jail, but that doesn't mean that I was heartless. Many have committed grave crimes, and many have suffered from those crimes. But growing up fighting crime, when we first joined LUX, it always confused and bothered me how some of those victims were able to forgive them.

They never forgot, but they found it in their hearts to forgive.

R.I.D. agents have done crimes, I'm sure of that. However, when I learned about their backgrounds, it was an eye-opener.

I heard stories of R.I.D. agents coming from a poor background, and the agency was the only place that would give them what they needed. Some had nowhere else to go, escaping from various difficult situations. They were, in a way, barely surviving as it was like holding onto a sharp blade for dear life.

Were what they said the truth? I can never know for certain.

Which then begs the question, were they really the worst of the worst that LUX always tells them they are? They always said how they needed to be eliminated for they were nothing but scum. But are they just in fact victims in this situation as well?

It also made me think about the man I'm with now. Butch and his brothers couldn't have survived the harsh city life even with Mojo with them. So how did he do it?

They didn't go to school, didn't have a home, didn't have any money. Is that why he acts the way that he does? Is that why everyone in the agency acts the way they do?

There were just so many questions that were left unanswered.

Hopefully for the three of us, we'll find that out ourselves.

We were then nearing the end of the cave, the bright light of the sun lighting its entrance. Butch slowly put down the jar, placing it back to where he put it. As we exited the cave, we immediately flew back towards the castle.

Not another word was heard from either of us after that.

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

In a dark room, lit only by the bright flame from the fireplace in the corner, a tall hooded figure opened the door. The creaking sound breaking the eerie silence.

The dark figure stepped forward, kneeling on one knee in the center of the room. "Your highness." He said, the purple cloak that draped his figure lifted, revealing the dark green skin adorned with dark shaggy locks of fur.

Heels clicked, the sound growing louder as a slim silhouette stepped out of the shadows of the room. "Let's just cut straight to the chase, Mojo." The figure said in a deep voice. "I am not pleased with how the investigations are going."

"Everything involving the investigations are being analyzed and assessed as we speak, your Highness." Mojo replied. "My son was also able to gain a witness statement from one of our agents. She has claimed to have seen three people escaping through a hidden passageway to the dungeons."

"I have already learned of this information a while ago." The figure said. "It was none other than the Powerpuff Girls wasn't it?"

"My agents can't confirm that but—"

"You don't need to confirm that information, it is obvious!" The slim figure snapped, turning red with anger. "They have found the agency, however, that's as far as they're going to get."

"Yes, Your Highness." He replied, his voice becoming a bit more nervous. "We have made the necessary preparations for relocation. We are expected to move by tomorrow."

The figure chuckled. "After years, they have found our location, but are only able to scratch a surface, not even leave a dent in this organization. However…"

Flames that began to emanate from the figure. "What is every one of you doing with being so lax? My organization is facing a crisis right now and I am losing agents! How could you let this happen?!"

Mojo backed up in shock, holding up his hands in defense. "Well, they were merely low-rank agents, your Hi-"

"The plan will not work if we have an incomplete number of agents!" They shouted. "The contraption I have asked you to build hasn't made any progress in the past few days! How come you haven't completed it yet?!"

"I have asked Butch to gather resources from the forest of Biyou, I will be working on it as soon as possible, your Highness."

"Time is ticking, and we only get one chance in this. If we truly want it to be successful, you must get the project completed no later than a few days before the target date if all of you really can't step up and take this seriously."

"Understood, your Highness."

"While you're at it, ask the serpent to send in more men of his."

Mojo looked dumbfounded for a moment, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "B-But your Highness, that will take some time. Are you su—"

"Don't ask any more questions and just send in more men!" The figure ordered as the flame grew bigger from its whole body.

And with that, Mojo replied, "As you wish."

Back at headquarters, the female villains, including Bright and Bloom, began chatting in the main lobby. Surprisingly, they seemed to be getting along as both Puffs were giggling and were clearly enjoying each other's company.

"Yeah, and he was begging me to get back with him, but no thanks honey, I've got my own boo now." Sedusa said, making all of the girls laugh.

"Boysss can be too much work." Snake said. "Believe me."

"Especially when you're in a gang with them and hang around with them 24/7." Lil' Arturo exclaimed.

"I feel you, sister." Violet agreed, sighing.

"But I have to admit, all of you make such a solid team, even if your personalities clash sometimes." Bloom stated, honestly shocked to see how both the Gangreen Gang and The Amoeba Boys stayed intact all of these years.

When the R.I.D. started, the two mentioned groups got better in terms of their combat ability and teamwork. Though, granted, she hasn't seen them for the past few years, both her and the girls have seen them still hanging out whenever they roam the halls of this establishment. It kind of made them miss everyone back home.

"Well, if we didn't stick with those idiots, who elssse will?" Snake answered. "Ever sssince we got thrown out we only had each other after all."

"Thrown out?" Bright asked, a mix of worry and shock flashing in her eyes.

"Yeah, we got in trouble after we finally made those assholes in school shut up." Lil' Arturo replied. "And they deserved it! How dare they make fun of our beautiful green skin? The teachers were no better either!"

Snake nodded in agreement. "It wasss bad enough that life back home was getting tougher, eventually you just gotta, you know, get yourself out."

"I fully agree, personally, it was the best decision I've ever made in this gorgeous life of mine." Princess added, flipping her hair.

"You ran away from home too?" Bright asked again, recalling how Shirogane completely disappeared from school one day. No one, not even her friends knew why, for her parents acted like everything was normal. Several rumors spread, some even going beyond what was considered appropriate, but no one was ever one-hundred percent sure.

It was the same for Sakurako. One day, the shop was completely empty, not a sign of either Souichirou or Sakurako within the vicinity for a few weeks. It didn't take long, however, for both Sedusa and Princess to show up a few weeks later as members of the organization we now came to know as the R.I.D.

It was actually only now that the girls had seen Souichirou after all these years. Although, they wished it wasn't under these circumstances.

"My parents obviously couldn't fully provide for a princess like me, so I had to go somewhere that fully appreciated and acknowledged this drop-dead gorgeous visuals of mine! Ha ha ha!" She answered, placing her hand under her chin as her smile grew wider.

Deep inside, both girls couldn't help but feel bad for Princess. They saw how her home life was and how hurt she was as she spent each day in that house feeling neglected. The way Princess is acting now, it all just seems as a way for her to cope with it.

"You guys have it rough…" Bloom said in a soft tone.

"Most, if not all the people here are." Sedusa said. "That's why so many people here are able to get along so easily, because we have that common ground. In this messed up place, we finally found home. If we have to break a few rules to hold onto that happiness and safety, then so be it."

"Makes you wonder who the real bad guysss are, huh?" Snake said, hissing in laughter.

Bright and Bloom looked at each other, their eyes full of worry and guilt. If what they were saying was true, how would they go about this mission now? They're heroes, but is that will and noble cause only applicable to the people in the city?

Can they even be called heroes anymore? If they weren't there for everyone, then do they deserve to be treated as such?

Sensing the change in mood, Lady quickly tried to liven it up. "Now, now, this is supposed to be our day off, no need to be in such a down mood." She said. "How's your stay so far, girls?"

"Oh… well… it could be worse." Bright said, laughing awkwardly.

"Didn't really have a good start on my end." Bloom added, clearing her throat. "Not sure if we're making any progress when it comes to actually being able to treat each other as acquaintances honestly."

All the other girls giggled.

"Finally got a taste of how those ruffs are, huh?" Lil' Arturo commented, snickering.

"I can't even imagine sharing a room with Boomer, sometimes that boy gets too lost in his thoughts and causes… trouble around him." Sedusa commented, sighing.

"Are you guys kidding?" Princess exclaimed. "The Rowdies have that irresistible charm to them! Just can't believe these two are enjoying it 24/7." She said, lightly glaring at the two girls.

Both girls blushed in embarrassment. "What charm?" Bloom denied. "If you find his temper charming, let's just switch rooms right now."

"That's normal for all three of them," Princess replied, her eyes forming hearts as she clasped her hands together. "But they are just oh, so, dreamy and so… handsome!"

All the other girls grimaced at her reaction, making Sedusa roll her eyes before looking at Bright. "What about you, hon?" She asked. "Something going on between you and Blue?"

"M-Me and him?" Bright stuttered, "N-No! Absolutely not, nothing at all. We're just roommates." She defended, shaking her hands in front of her face. Bloom looked at her, eyeing her weirdly.

"Your face says it all, dear." Violet said, making Snake hiss in laughter.

"Don't let that charm get to you though." Snake added. "You play with fire, you'll get cooked."

"I don't think that's the right statement…" Bright quietly remarked.

Sedusa crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I don't think these girls are afraid of playing with that fire." Sedusa commented. "I mean, look at how red they are." The villain girls laughed as both Bright and Bloom were left blushing even more.

"The Rowdies sure do bring the hot in hotties." Princess added, laughing in her high-pitched voice.

Both of the girls laughed nervously. But after a while, they once again found themselves conversing with one another. It really came as a surprise, but Bright and Bloom for once let go of all the prejudices they had before actually getting to know these ladies.

Because maybe, just maybe, there was something more to these people than meets the eye.

Bloom's P.O.V.

I was back in my room, staring blankly at my window for what seemed like hours just thinking and thinking.

When we first came here, we were dead set on just getting this mission over with and just bringing each and every person here to justice. But now, everything just became more complicated.

When we were talking to the girls a while ago, they told us how ever since the black Z-rays changed them, everything in their lives began to change as well. Even after the Z-rays were extracted from them years ago, one day, they found themselves fully transformed permanently. As time went on, everything became more difficult for them.

Sedusa couldn't work at her job anymore, Princess ran away from home, Lady and her group weren't getting any money even if they were just amoebas, and Snake and Lil' Arturo subsequently left their own homes due to their families and even their school life.

When I heard that, I couldn't even say anything. Because of everything they went through, then maybe joining this organization was how they finally found their peace. They felt needed, and they felt happy.

Should I be happy? It doesn't justify them needing to commit crime. However, what if they just needed a chance?

So many people turned them away, so many things were happening against them that they were forced to flee. They told us that in this place, they didn't feel trapped anymore. They were able to actually live, and along the way, they met other people with whom they can be friends with.

How could I not feel sad? I know what it feels to go through a tough situation and it can really feel like you were drowning. You just wanted to get out, to finally breathe once again. It was a rough journey and I know that it wasn't only me who was still healing.

Then my mind went to him.

Had he gone through the same? What did they go through?

He had to have had a reason. If I got the chance to understand him too, would my thoughts about him change as well?

When I first met him again after five years, I was angry at him, finding ease when I fooled him with my deceptive words. But that night when he came to my room wounded, vulnerable, it made me sympathize with him. It didn't feel right for me to lie even when I needed to when he was able to open up something that was personal for him.

The villains here were more than just villains, so much more. When I let my guard down, when I actually took the time to talk to them, to understand them, it made me realize that they're just people. Some may not be exactly human, but they had feelings, they were not insensitive creatures.

They were not born evil.

It wasn't fair for any of them. They didn't choose to live this kind of life. A life where they were seen as vile, mean, and menacing people. They had to be the monsters that people thought of them to be; receiving fear instead of praise, receiving hate instead of love.

I wanted to tell them, I wanted them to know we were here to help them, to hopefully save them from the harsh world they had to live in. I wanted to free all of them from this kind of life, to free him.

But how could I?

We were in opposite worlds. I was in the light, and him in the darkness. There was a line dividing our lives in two halves. Reaching out to him and crossing that line meant sacrificing my light to save him.

I want to say sorry, sorry for not being strong enough to save them. Sorry for all the things we thought about them. Sorry for not being the hero I was supposed to be.

They were just people, people who were being judged unfairly. People who did so many wrongs, because they thought that that was right for them.

And I was sorry because I had to destroy their world for the light to shine through.

Sighing, I then heard something from behind me. To my shock, a familiar green light came and out came Butterfly.

"Hey, it's me." She said, making me stand up and walk over to her. As the light vanished, that's when I noticed that she had one of her fists tightly clenched.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. "We don't have any missions yet, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, I got something to show you." She said as she brought up her clenched fist closer to my face.

"Kaoru, this really isn't the ti—"

"Hush." She reprimanded, holding up a finger to her lips. "This is important, stay still, okay?"

I groaned, but I nodded, waiting as she slowly opened her hand. There, laying on her palm was a small butterfly that had very sparkly wings that twinkled with each movement. I was taken aback, "Woah, what is that?"

"They call it La Bellissima Farfalla, a healing butterfly that the R.I.D. found in a forest far from here." Butterfly said, gently stroking the butterfly's wings. The butterfly didn't leave her palm, it seemed as though the butterfly was frozen in place. "These things might be pretty, but when they're in swarms, they become tiny little devils."

I couldn't help but stare at it in awe, it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and one of the most fascinating butterflies ever. "But when they're alone?"

Butterfly brought the butterfly closer to her face, giggling. "They're as scared as a pup, but she seems to have calmed down." She said before the little creature left her palm and began to fly around the room.

My eyes followed it closely, but then I looked at Butterfly. "Why'd you show me this?"

Butterfly folded her arms, looking at me seriously. "Butch and I went on a mission, we had to collect a ton of these." She started. "These butterflies are used to treat illnesses on a lot of things, including blood."

I looked at her in disbelief. "Blood?"

She nodded, walking over towards the butterfly that landed on the book that Bright found in the library. Carefully holding it, she looked back towards me. "They might be used in the tests that they're doing to the prisoners."

"That has got to be the primary motive," I said. "This can't be coincidental, Kaoru. What if…" I started, but Kaoru suddenly jumped from where she stood, making me stop my train of thought.

"Uh, yeah, Momoko can I ask you something," She said, showing a bit of panic. "Does this book usually do that?" Butterfly asked, stepping back as the book began to glow brightly, rivaling the bright orange light of the setting sun.

I ran towards it. "It doesn't usually glow unless…"

I paused, looking towards Kaoru, and she had the same look in her eyes. I immediately started flipping through the pages as words began to appear in the next few pages of the previous chapter.

And it read…

It has been two weeks. I was starving, weak, and exhausted. I was only given one meal a day, being fed only scraps of food. They barely cared about me, about any of us.

I thought I was the only one, but then I saw other kids and adults being dragged into this place.

Some of the guards were ruthless. They didn't have any remorse, even when their fellow guards told them to stop. Screams of pain were music to their ears, their menacing laughs being drowned out by the cries of the prisoners.

They did experiments on us, injecting something into us to make us unconscious whenever it was our turn. Whenever I woke up after the experiment, I found myself bearing many scars and bruises. It left me in pain for so many days, but when they saw that the pain was fading, they would do it again.

It was an endless cycle of pain and torture.

I didn't know why they did this to us… that was until the events of last night.

On that night when I was conscious during the experiment, I was finally able to find out the truth.

I was in the middle of an operation, the bright white lights almost blinding me when I began to feel conscious. The faint sounds of people talking and murmuring filled the room. Looking over, I saw two people dressed in medical gear holding syringes and needles.

"Acquiring… blood…" My hearing was blurred, but those words made me realize what they wanted from me. Suddenly, I felt the needle dig into my arm. It didn't hurt, maybe because of the anesthesia, but the feeling of the cold metal in my skin made me shiver inside.

They then pulled it out, examining it as I could see my blood filling the tube.

"Blood extracted," One person said. "Preparing for purification now."

Then all of a sudden, a few men came in wearing dark clothing. They held clear test tubes in their hands, filling them with my blood. They then began putting them in a machine as they stared at one of the monitors above them.

They began patching me up, I thought it was over, but I heard the men in dark clothing talking behind me.

"Blood sample is invalid, we need to extract more."

"Understood."

Just then, the surgeons began pulling out more needles and syringes.

I wanted to say no, I wanted to scream, to move, but I couldn't. I laid there, as they kept stabbing those things in my arms over… and over again.

Author's Note: Aah! So many things are happening that even I can't keep up! Bright's starting to like him, the girls are actually hanging out with villains and then we have these experiments going on? Oh my Lord, how are you guys finding the story so far? Are you on the edge of your seats?

We'll just have to go on to the next chapter to find out more!

Don't forget to favorite, follow, and leave a review!

See you guys next time!

~Disastress