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.)

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

It was late afternoon in the headquarters. Two figures lingered in the lobby, one pacing uncontrollably as the other one sat calmly on one of the couches. Her long, dainty fingers combed through her auburn hair as her footsteps became louder with her growing impatience.

"No word from her?" Bloom asked as she looked over towards Butterfly.

Holding her green compact, Butterfly sighed in defeat. "She's not answering."

Bloom groaned in frustration. "Are you kidding me?" She exclaimed. "There is no way in hell that nobody saw her."

"Calm down, maybe Bright just wanted to get some fresh air." Butterfly said,

The red-eyed girl looked at her friend. "Yeah, right, we ask her to cover for us and the next second she's gone. Doesn't that concern you?" She asked in a hushed tone, making Butterfly dial Bright's compact again.

As both of them continued to contact their friend, they were suddenly met with Butch. With papers in hand, he approached the girls. "Hey, have any of you seen Boomer?"

"Boomer?" Bloom asked. "Weren't the three of you out for some mission?"

"Yeah, but Boomer left early to settle something, is he with your sister?"

Bloom and Butterfly looked at each other, worried. "We actually haven't seen her either."

Butch raised his eyebrow in confusion. "That's weird." He commented. "Do you think they're together?"

"Why would they be together?" Butterfly asked, but Butch just shrugged.

"Beats me, but I've been trying to reach him and he isn't answering."

Butterfly sighed, "That makes two of us."

As they continued to wonder about those two, they didn't notice the sudden arrival of two people in the castle. Smiling, both of them laughed as they continued to talk. Their sudden burst of laughter made the three of them look in their direction.

"Speak of the devil." Butch said as all three of them went towards their direction.

"Where have you been?" Bloom asked, her expression serious.

Bright, startled by the sudden question, looked at her friend with wide eyes. "B-Bloom?" She stuttered. "I-I was just—"

Butterfly quickly snatched her arm, "We need to talk." She said as all three of the girls quickly left the lobby.

Boomer was about to protest when he was suddenly pulled by the ear by Butch. "Not so fast, lover boy, we need to talk too."

"The fuck dude, let go!" Boomer exclaimed, pulling himself away from his brother. "What do you want?"

Butch handed the papers he had over to Boomer, "We've got work to do." As Boomer scanned over the papers, his face then became serious.

"It's almost time."

"Hey, what's the big deal?!" Bright exclaimed as they were teleported to Bloom's room.

Bloom crossed her arms, "Care to tell us where you've been?"

"I was with Boomer."

"Yeah, I think we already know that." Butterfly said, sitting down on the floor. "The question is why are you with him on your own? The Professor was worried sick when he couldn't contact you!"

Bright was suddenly taken aback. She raised her hand up to her ear, finally realizing that her communication device was lost. She hung her head low, her hands shaking.

Bloom noticed this, "Is there something you want to tell us Miyako?"

Bright flinched, "It's n-nothing…"

"You can do better than that, Princess." Butterfly said, "Spill it."

Bright sighed, finally giving in. "Boomer brought me to a forest far away from here… and we were talking…"

"About?"

"Well…" Bright hesitated. "He sort of… confessed to me…"

Butterfly furrowed her eyebrows. "What exactly did he confess?"

"He told me that he liked me…" Bright whispered, but both of them still heard it. Bloom and Butterfly looked at each other, worried about what her answer might be to their next question.

Bloom held Bright's hand, looking at her straight in the eyes. "What did you say?"

"That I…" Bright looked at her friend, her tears already forming. "…liked him too."

Butterfly scoffed immediately, "Are you serious?" She exclaimed. "You have to be joking right? There's no fucking way that that was what you actually said to him."

Bright's tears then began to flow, her eyes locked with Butterfly. "I'm not joking, I really, genuinely like him."

"Are you fucking out of your mind?!" Butterfly asked, bewildered by her response. "You actually like him back? God, Miyako! Do you understand what this little meeting of yours could do to our mission?!"

"I know it's wrong, but it's the truth!"

"Miyako, please, you know how important this mission is to us." Bloom said firmly, caressing her friend's hands. "Now that both of you feel this way, it just makes it more difficult for us, especially for you."

Bright began to sob. "I know… I know that but…"

Butterfly stayed quiet for a while, carefully taking in all of this. "Do you really think it's going to go smoothly once he finds out the truth?" She asked. "They hate us, Miya. We are their sworn enemy. Once he finds out that you are Bubbles it's going to hurt for both of you, because you both know that it's wrong."

She didn't answer, instead, she continued to cry. Bloom hugged her, trying to ease the pain she was going through. Butterfly stood in her place, arms still crossed as she was in deep thought.

Bloom pulled away for a moment, wiping the tears from Bright's face. "Miya…" She said. "You have to think about this, we are already out of clues and we are about to find out what their true motives are. You have to ask yourself, if he finds out who you really are, what are you going to do then?"

"I don't know…" Bright said. "God, that was so stupid of me…"

Butterfly sighed, "If you like him… I won't say anything more." She said, making both of them look at her. "We can't change that anymore. We're just worried about what's going to happen after this mission. Mainly… is he still going to like you?"

Bright smiled, her eyes still puffy. "Thank you so much to both of you…" She replied. "Honestly… I don't know what I'm going to do once he finds out. It's just that… at that moment, it just felt like it was the right time to say it. Whether he still likes me or not after he finds out who I really am, I think I just have to deal with it… Even if it will hurt me…"

"Can I ask you something?" Bloom wondered, making Bright face her. "What made you like him?"

Bright was taken aback by her question, her eyes going wide. "Why do you want to know?"

The red-haired girl looked down, "Just… wondering."

Bright felt a little uneasy at first, trying to find the right words. "Honestly, I'm not sure myself." She answered. "Maybe it was just how even though I tried so much to paint him as a bad guy, he kept breaking that image I had of him. He was surprisingly sweet, kind, and so nice to me."

She giggled, looking back at their moments together. "Yeah, he's a bit clumsy and dorky, but… I genuinely believe that he's a nice guy. He's just on the wrong path…"

Both of her friends remained silent, surprised by her confession. They felt sorry for her. She didn't mean to fall in love with him, she just did.

Miyako wasn't the type of girl that falls in love so easily. She only fell in love once, and that was for a guy that got away. She has had so many admirers for the past years and even a few crushes along the way. However, the fact that the one guy that hates her and is her sworn enemy is the one she likes means that she really does like him.

"If that's how you truly feel," Bloom started, letting go of Miyako's hands as she stood up straight. "How are we going to go about this mission now?"

Bright stayed quiet, her eyes still swollen but her tears have now stopped. Looking up to face both of them, she had a serious look on her face. "I'm still going to do it." Bright said, standing up from the bed. "We are heroes, we have a duty to save the people. Even if it means letting go… I will do it."

Both of them looked at her with concern and doubt. They wanted to help her, but she was right. It was their duty to save those in need and destroy this organization once and for all. It is a reality that they have been living with for five years now.

Will Bright be able to truly get over him? They're not sure themselves. However, if that is her decision, then they're just going to have to trust and believe in her.

"If that's the case, then we should continue our mission." Bloom said, sitting down on her vanity. "Did you find out anything about the stones?"

Bright nodded, "I'll give you guys a brief explanation of the three." She started, "The first stone is the resurrection stone that is said to bring anyone back to life. The second one is a cursed ruby stone that is said to bring misfortune to anyone that possesses it. The last one is a diamond split into two halves. If the two halves are joined as one, it bestows great power to the one who possesses it."

"Literally any of those can be the stone they're looking for." Butterfly commented, sitting down on the bed next to Bright.

Bloom crossed her arms as her thoughts began to race. "That is going to be a problem." She said, "We have less than a month left, and these are stones of legend. I'm willing to bet if we tried to find out where any one those are it's going to take months or even years."

Hearing her statement, Bright suddenly perked up. "What if they have already been found?"

Both of the girls looked at her confused, making Bright speak up again. "Think about it," She started. "The R.I.D. was active since the day it was established when we were fifteen, then a year later, they went AWOL. It has been two years now since they have been inactive in causing trouble, but ever since we got here agents keep coming in and missions keep increasing."

"Well, the Rowdies did cause trouble a few weeks ago, that time when we were with them, remember?" Butterfly asked.

"Yeah, but that was the only time when they attacked." She replied. "If what Momoko said was correct, how it might take months or years for a stone to even be found, then can't it also be possible that they went AWOL because they are trying to find those stones?"

The red-headed leader placed her hand on her chin. "That might be a possibility."

"One problem though," Butterfly interrupted. "If they already found a stone, how come there is still no action from them? Why haven't they caused any trouble?"

Bright suddenly became silent, realizing her mistake. "Oh…"

"It's still too early to disregard that possibility." Bloom answered, standing up. "If they do already have the stone, the question is not why are they not causing trouble, rather it's what is preventing them?"

"Then we just have to find out what that is." Butterfly said, smirking at Bright. "Nice thinking, Princess."

"Right now, we have to find out more about those stones." Bloom instructed. "I'll try to search deeper online about it, you two try to think of other ways on how we can find it, preferably within this agency. If they're planning to use any of those, there's no doubt in my mind that there will also be records of it."

They both nodded. As Butterfly prepared to teleport them back to their own rooms, Bloom held Bright's hand for a moment. "Take care of yourself, promise me that." She said, looking deep into her dark blue eyes.

She nodded, smiling at her friend. "I will."

Looking at Butterfly, they both understood what they were to do. And with that, both of them left her room.

A flash of green light appeared in a dark room as Butterfly emerged from it. She slowly made her way to her vanity, her face dull. She looked down, staring blankly at her hands. Miyako's words seemed to be never-ending as it replayed over and over again in her head.

'I know it's wrong, but it's the truth!'

Those words really hit her hard. When she looked into her friend's eyes when she said that, she could already see the pain she was going through. Butterfly wanted to get mad at her. She wanted to curse her and scold her so badly, but seeing her so vulnerable and hurt, she just couldn't.

Seeing her like that reminded her of those days when they were all just so lost. The pain of that day, that horrible tragedy was something unparalleled. But even if that was the case, they were still there for each other. They were sisters that shared the same scars. The bond that they share was something they consider to be sacred, for they are the only ones who understood the pain and the responsibility that they hold.

Were her feelings for Boomer right? For her, it's obviously no. But deep inside, she knew where she was coming from. Many villains in this organization are just people on the wrong path. She even knows some of them for so long now. Even if they were her enemies, she just doesn't believe that anyone could be innately evil.

But with the situation that they are in now, is it really the right time to show mercy?

They were running out of time. They don't know when they are going to strike, and they don't know if they'll be prepared for it. Right now, the only thing they should be prioritizing should be the mission itself.

She doesn't want Miyako to be hurt. She was her friend after all. But with the way things are now, can it really be avoided?

Sighing, Butterfly ran her hand through her dark raven hair. As time passes by, they slowly start to see the world in a different light. In a way, they were forced to grow up at such a young age. Being a hero has never been easy, and in their years of doing it, it has only gotten harder.

Standing up, she opened the door to her room as she went to get some fresh air.

Scribbling.

That was what she was doing.

Her pencil dragged across the wrinkled paper as she kept sketching to her heart's content. Dark pencil marks adorned it as its user pressed on it with all her might. Her golden locks framed her face, her hair let loose as she tried to distract herself.

It was an escape for her, an escape from the emotions she was feeling. She just wanted to forget the pain, to forget everything that happened in the forest, to forget the feeling of his lips against hers.

Putting the pencil down, she rested her head on the vanity. Her dark blue eyes started to water, "Why does it have to be you?" She whispered, her voice cracking as she began to sob.

'Of all the people… you just had to be it.' Bright thought, her sobs getting louder. Her chest stinged with every breath she took. Her heart was so close to just being shattered into so many pieces. It seemed like the only thing that was barely keeping it together was that little bit of hope she had that things will still be the same, that his feelings won't change.

Even if she knows that it's impossible.

Slowly, she stood up from her seat and went to his room. It was empty, but she still went. Sitting on his bed, she felt the soft covers beneath her hands. She reached for his pillow as she held it close to her chest. His scent was still on it, though subtle.

Just the thought of him caused her heart's storm to calm down for a moment. Even if it was just a few days, hours, or even just a few minutes, if she could just cherish what they have now, it will be enough. Bright knew that this was not going to be her happily ever after, but it's okay. Even if it was just for a moment of forgetting everything and being with him, she won't mind the pain after.

She unknowingly began laying on his bed. As she stared at his walls, she slowly felt her eyes close. Even if it was just for a while, she just wanted to escape from being the hero for now.

Brick sat in his own office in the Technology and Intelligence Division. His fingers quickly typed on his keyboard as his eyes kept pacing around several monitors. His desk was messy, several cups of coffee were sprawled on top of it as he focused on his work.

It has been a very hectic day. Their progress for their project has drastically increased, and work has been doubled for its fast completion. As the time was nearing, they barely had enough time to start the final phase.

As he heard footsteps near the door, he instinctively shouted, "Hey, get me another cup of coffee would ya?"

"I'm not your maid, boy." A familiar voice suddenly said as the door opened. Looking up from his computer, Brick rolled his eyes at the tall woman standing at the entrance.

"What do you want, Sedusa? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Her heels clicked as she went towards him. "The boss wants you to look over these." She instructed, handing over a folder. "Correct any errors and encode them. Your highness wants them finished today."

Brick groaned as he looked over the documents. "Do these really have to be done today? I still have a lot of work to do."

Sedusa shrugged. "Hey, I'm just following orders."

"Fine." He said. "Now could you get out?"

She chuckled, "Cranky today, aren't you?"

"Clearly."

Walking away, she started to walk towards the door. Before she left, she looked over towards Brick. "Want me to call a certain someone to calm you down?"

Brick glared at her, which only made her laugh out loud. As the door closed, he sighed, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his temples. Looking over the documents one more time, he began to close some windows and started to type away again.

Not long after, he heard footsteps again, shouting, "Hey, you, could you get me a cup of coffee?!"

"What am I? Your lackey?" The sound of her voice made him stop. Looking up from his computer, he was a bit shocked to see her.

"Y-You?"

Bloom raised her eyebrow at him. "Yeah, why? Were you expecting someone?"

"Not really, I just thought you were one of my assistants." Brick said as she closed the door behind her. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"No particular reason, was just bored." She answered, pulling a chair from the corner and sitting beside him.

"Did Sedusa call you here?"

"No, why would she?"

Brick looked at her confusedly. "Then why don't you go and do something useful? Like, I don't know, do a mission or something?"

"I thought about it, but I'm too lazy today." Bloom said, pulling out a lollipop from her pocket.

Brick scratched the back of his head, "I'm kind of busy right now."

"Oh, should I leave then?" Bloom asked, popping the cherry red lollipop in her mouth.

"Well, I mean, you don't have to, but I don't think I can entertain you while I'm doing this."

Bloom shrugged, scooting closer. "I really don't have anything else to do, so I think I'll just hang around here for a while."

"Suit yourself." He said, as he began to type away again.

Standing up from the chair she was sitting on, Bloom started to look around.

The corridor leading to his office was isolated, so he could easily hear when someone was approaching. It wasn't that big of an office, but it was big enough to hold many shelves for files and still have free space. He did little customization to his own office, only having a few books and food for his leisure.

As Bloom continued to walk around, she accidentally kicked an empty coffee cup. Sighing, she picked it up and looked towards him. "Can't you throw away your trash?"

"I'm busy, I don't have time for that."

Walking over to his desk, she began to collect all the coffee cups that were piled on his desk. "You know, drinking too much coffee isn't going to help you."

"So you're my mother now?"

She scoffed. "I'm just saying,"

"I've only drank one cup today, the rest of those cups are the ones I've drank for the past few days."

"Ugh, gross." She exclaimed, quickly throwing them in the nearby trash can. "Do you ever clean up?"

Brick didn't seem to be fazed from her remark. "I've been busy these few days, I've been working non-stop."

"Yeah, I can see that." She replied, sighing. "So, want me to get you another cup?"

He stopped, raising his eyebrow at her. "Come again?"

"I asked if you wanted me to get you another one."

Brick leaned against his chair, arms crossed. "You're being weird."

"How so?" Bloom asked, placing one hand on her hip.

"First, you show up unexpectedly," He started, "Then you clean up the office, and now you want to get me a cup of coffee?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"You're being awfully considerate that I'm suspicious." Brick stated.

"What? You think I'm going to poison you with coffee?" Bloom asked, chuckling. "I'm just bored, I want to walk around."

He was still a bit wary of her offer. "I don't know about that, you seem like the type to poison someone."

"And why would I poison you, Romeo?" She asked, leaning against his desk with a flirty smile on her face as she took the lollipop out of her mouth. "That's not how the story goes, if I recall correctly."

Brick smirked, chuckling softly at her remark. "I don't really see you as being the Juliet." He said, leaning closer.

"I don't ever plan on being the girl in your imaginary love story, Romeo." She retorted, teasing him as she softly glided the lollipop over his lips.

Slowly sliding the piece of candy in between her cherry red lips, she sat on his desk before asking, "So am I going to get you another cup or what?"

Brick smirked. "Cappuccino."

Bloom nodded, immediately walking out the door.

As soon as she left, Brick lightly touched his lips with the tip of his thumb. Licking his lips, he could taste the slight cherry flavor that she left. 'Such a tease' he thought, chuckling as he went back to doing his work.

They haven't been able to talk that much since he's been busy, so it was really a shock for him when she came. They were on civil terms, just a pair of colleagues. For him, it was too early to call them friends, even if there was that tiny bit of joy that he felt once he saw her.

It was just a tiny bit, that didn't mean anything, right?

At least, that was what he tried to convince himself.

A few minutes passed and the sound of typing continued on. The slight creaking of the door echoed throughout his office, and in came Bloom with two coffee cups in hand. Brick didn't look up because he already knew, and just kept focused on his work.

Walking towards his desk, Bloom set down his coffee. "Here." She said, sitting back down on the chair as she too sipped her coffee.

"Thanks." He replied, not bothering to look at her as he grabbed the coffee with his left hand. Taking in a big gulp, he placed it back down and kept typing away.

Bloom crossed her legs, carefully studying his movements as she leaned back in her chair. It really mesmerized her how mature he seemed right now. He was focused, his fingers not missing a beat as his eyes shifted between the many monitors. She found it really amusing, knowing how he was five years ago, this seemed like a complete 180.

She also began to notice some things that she didn't really pay attention to at first. His hair seemed a bit shorter than the first time he saw him, his auburn locks ending just a few inches below his nape. They framed his face perfectly, accentuating his charming features. His bangs passed his eyes, but the ruby red color still stood out.

Bloom wasn't aware of it, but she started to let out a small smile. Slowly scooting over, she suddenly poked his cheek. Taken aback by her sudden gesture, Brick looked at her with an annoyed look.

"What's your problem?" He asked as her finger was still pressed against his left cheek.

Tilting her head, Bloom focused on his cheek, "You have a dimple right here." She said, caressing the exact spot on his cheek.

"I'm aware."

"Hmm, I wonder why I haven't noticed it." She whispered, "You kept twitching your mouth while you were working and it kept showing."

Brick looked at her weirdly. "Okay? Can you please explain why you had to interrupt me just for that?"

"N-No reason." She answered, moving away slightly as she suddenly realized what she had done. "Sorry."

Brick raised an eyebrow at her, but he just shrugged and went back to his work. She really was acting weirder than usual, but honestly, he didn't seem to mind. If it were any of his brothers who would interrupt him in his work he would curse at them nonstop. But with her, he didn't know why he just let it go.

He just couldn't get mad at her anymore.

Taking more sips of her coffee, Bloom stood up from her seat once again and began looking around his office.

"You really can't sit still, can you?" Brick asked, his eyes still focused on his computer.

"I just don't want to get bored easily."

"I told you that I can't entertain you as of the moment."

"It's okay, it's cool hanging out with you." Bloom said. "Lady and the other girls seemed busy so I don't really have anyone else to hang out with."

Brick glanced at her for a second, "Well, am I really the only option you have left?" He asked, turning back to his computer. "What about your sisters?"

"They're preoccupied too." She answered, looking over the shelfs in his office. "And I don't know, I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Anything really, we haven't been talking much."

Brick chuckled at her statement, "You're starting to miss me now, are you?"

Bloom lightly glared at him, "In your dreams." She retorted. "It just felt weird that I no longer see the ugly face I always see in the morning."

"You say that, but you kept staring at me a while ago." He teased, smirking at her. "Should've taken a picture, it'll last longer."

The red-headed girl was taken aback by what he said, blushing a faint shade of pink. "Shut up." She replied, crossing her arms as she pouted her lips.

He laughed at her, finding her cute as she glared at him. "Don't worry, I'm almost done with this. Once I'm finished, you can look at my dashing and oh so handsome face all you want."

"Do you want me to drench you with this coffee?" She threatened, pointing the mouth of her coffee cup at him.

"Depends, do you want me to take off my clothes so you could drench my body too?"

"Asshole." Bloom said, turning her back on him as she continued to wander around the office.

Brick chuckled, his eyes following her movements as she didn't dare look at him. He always found her reactions amusing. The way he teased her always annoyed her, and when she was annoyed, she would always make that cute face she makes. The way her bright red eyes glared at him while her soft lips pouted was something that Brick could never get enough of.

It was so… entrancing.

He was aware of his own charm ever since the agency was established. Female agents would often gawk at all three of them, it wasn't something uncommon. But for him, her charm was more alluring than his. It was something he noticed ever since he met her.

The way her auburn hair sways with her graceful movements, or even the way she talks was captivating. The way her clothes hugged her figure made her curves even more defined, showing off her fit and slim body. Her lips which were always colored red was like a tempting invitation for his own, the way it tasted was something Brick wanted to know for himself.

"Hey, take a picture, it'll last longer."

Brick was suddenly brought back to reality. He looked around the office, his eyes landing on Bloom who leaned against the walls of his office. Looking at his computer, he noticed that he didn't make any progress from where he left off.

'Damn, was I spacing out?'

"Guess I was not the only one who has a habit of staring at charming faces."

Brick smirked, "So you admit that I look very charming?"

"Let's just say that you do, it's not enough to keep a hundred girls on your tail, Romeo." Bloom replied, smirking back at him. "Most girls prefer a gentleman."

"Sadly, that's just not how I roll." He stated. "And if I recall, girls typically go for the bad boy type."

Bloom rolled her eyes. "Whatever, just don't expect me to be one of your groupies any time soon." She said, chuckling softly. "Honestly, the amount of gossip I've heard from the female agents in this place is ridiculous."

"What rumors?"

"For starters, there's a rumor going around that you and your brothers keep sleeping with the girls here and in the city."

He laughed, "Well, they're not wrong."

Bloom's face suddenly became serious. "They're true?"

"Partially." He answered. "I don't meddle into my brothers' businesses, but for me, I've been with some women."

"Despicable." She replied, crossing her arms as she looked down on the floor.

Brick noticed this, making him furrow his eyebrows. "I don't get into serious relationships, Ice Princess. I only do it because it's my mission."

"Your mission is to go around the city and find the first girl you want to sleep with?"

"In my missions, I always have to keep a low profile," He explained. "I often go undercover and gather intel. And with those types of missions, you have to collect data by any means."

Bloom raised her eyebrow at him. "You're eighteen, right?"

"If you were to base it on what age the Puffs were when we were made, then yeah." He answered. "But I don't know, I'm an artificial human so we might age differently."

"Still, weren't you a little too young?"

He chuckled, "I don't really care." He said, looking at her before pointing at himself. "A criminal, remember?"

"Whatever." Bloom said, looking at her watch. It was already late afternoon, not realizing that she had already been there for a long time. 'Shit, I was supposed to gather any information about the stones here. I was only wasting time!'

Making her way towards him, she once again sat on his desk. "So, what are you working on anyway?"

"Encoding some stuff."

"Stuff like?"

"Stuff that doesn't concern you."

She pouted. "What's the big deal? Is it something private?"

"Not really, I just don't know why this would concern you." He replied.

"I was just wondering."

"I'm just encoding some of the data results from the lab." Brick finally answered. "There was some progress in their experiments, so your highness wanted me to look over it and send the complete interpretation."

Bloom's ears suddenly perked up from his statement. "Experiments? On what exactly?"

"Humans, mostly." Brick answered nonchalantly.

"Weird," She answered, pretending to be unaware. "I didn't know you guys did that here. Was that what my father was working on?"

Brick didn't answer, seeming to be in deep thought. "Honestly, I'm not sure." He replied. "I wasn't in the Science Division, so I can't say for certain. All that I know about what your dad did here was in that folder that I gave you."

"I see…" Bloom replied, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. 'This is bad, this means that they might be close to completing their final plan. I might need to look at that folder, it might contain something useful.'

The light from Brick's computer suddenly faded to black. Standing up from his seat, he took off his cap and ruffled his shaggy red hair. "Should we leave now?"

"You're done?"

"I've already sent the document to your Highness, I'll finish the rest back in our room." He answered as he started to walk towards the door.

"Hey, wait for me!"

It was already nighttime. The breeze blew strongly as Kaoru shivered from the cold. It didn't help that she was in her usual yellow t-shirt and shorts.

"Should maybe try letting my hair grow, my neck's freezing." She said as she began walking the streets alone. "Damn, why'd practice have to extend this late?"

The coach of her soccer team wanted them to play a few more extra games before they could leave. As the captain of the team, Kaoru had no other choice but to follow. This then left her more sore and tired as she groggily walked back home.

As she walked to their apartment complex, she fished out the key from her pocket. Opening the door, she said, "I'm home."

Surprisingly enough, there was no response. As she removed her shoes and put down her bag, she began calling out to them. "Mom? Dad? Are you here?" She asked, still no reply "Dai? Shou? Anybody?"

As she made her way towards her living room, they still didn't respond to her calls. "Okay, if you guys are planning to prank me, it's not going to wo—"

Kaoru gasped, just as she had arrived in their living room, everything she could see was red. The curtains, the couch, the table, everything was covered in bright red blood. Her family laid there on the floor, eyes wide open as they too were covered in blood.

Slowly, Kaoru felt herself getting weaker. Her vision started to blur and before she could do anything about it, she fell down hard on the floor. The last thing she saw was just… red.

The memory was painful, too painful. She still gets haunted by it, especially when she was stressed like today. She still misses them, every second of every day, she misses them.

Butterfly remembers waking up that day. She was in the hospital, and there was the Professor and her grandma looking after her. She thought it was all a dream, but the sight of her grandmother breaking down and sobbing as soon as she woke up was enough for her to know that her family was indeed dead.

She couldn't accept it, how could she? Just like that, she lost both of her parents and her brothers. She wasn't even able to say goodbye, to say I love you just one last time.

She began acting out. Going through school every day trying to pretend like you're okay was something that Butterfly just couldn't do. She found herself cutting classes and getting into trouble. She began taking vices at such a young age just to escape her reality.

Looking back, Butterfly realizes just how much she fucked up before. She was so angry at the world that she began shutting everyone out, including Bright and Bloom. Her life was going down quickly and she didn't do anything to stop it.

She got kicked out of her soccer team, her grades were failing, and was close to being expelled, and she wasn't even showing up as Buttercup anymore.

It was a very dark time in her life. What really got her through were her two friends. Even when she was being nothing but an asshole towards them, they still looked after her. They themselves got into trouble trying to cover for her mistakes. It wasn't when both of them gave her a wake-up call when she started to get her shit together.

Remembering those days reminded her why no matter how much she could get mad at either Bloom or Bright, she would always stick by them just like how they stuck by her.

Come what may, they will be there for each other. To fight and right the wrongs together, as one family, as sisters.

"I'll leave the rest to you, I'm going to check something." Butch said to his younger brother, shutting down the computer as he grabbed his jacket.

Boomer, who was drawing on his desk, lifted his head up to look at him. "When do you need these?" He asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Probably by tomorrow," He answered. "If it can't be done by then, then send it the day after."

"Gotcha." Boomer replied, continuing his sketch.

"See ya." Butch said, closing the door behind him as he pressed a button on his MDP. A few beeps were heard before a voice was heard from it.

"Hey, what do you need?" Ace asked through the watch.

Placing the MDP near his lips, he responded, "Did you get Big Billy to train the new recruits?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "I've been trying to find some more ever since my men disappeared."

"Yeah, they just finished a while ago."

"Good, I might be bringing some more tomorrow, so tell him to prepare." Butch stated. "How's Grubber and Mojo with the device?"

Ace sighed. "Still trying to find the right materials."

"They better get a move on."

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll get the girls studying for the plan tomorrow. They'll surely find something."

"Okay, just remember that—" Butch suddenly stopped in his tracks as he passed a window. It was already night time, and the sky was already dark. What he saw was something he wasn't expecting.

"I'll talk to you later." He briefly said as he ended the call. Hurriedly, he slid the door to the third floor balcony. As it opened, the one who was sitting on the ledge didn't seem to be fazed as they continued to look up towards the sky.

Quietly, he made his way beside her. "Didn't expect to see you here."

With the sudden voice, it made the raven-haired girl glance to the side. Her emerald green eyes shone in the moonlight while her expression remained blank. Butterfly sighed, "I just wanted some fresh air."

"Did something happen?"

"Kind of." She replied, closing her eyes as the wind blew her hair. "But it's nothing important."

Butch laughed, "Yeah, right, whatever you say babe." He said, sitting on the ledge with her.

He expected her to call him names after he said that, but she seemed to be deep in thought. Her eyes were completely fixated on the sky. She sighed once again, running her fingers through her hair.

"You okay?" Butch asked, tilting his head to get a better look at her. To his surprise, he faintly got a glimpse of a single teardrop rolling down her cheek. "Hey, hey, are you crying?"

"No, idiot!" Butterfly quickly responded, wiping her eyes. "I just got something in my eyes."

He grabbed her hand, making her face him. The tears she just wiped off still left some wet stains on her cheeks. Absentmindedly, his thumb caressed her delicate face.

Touching his hand, Butterfly leaned into his palm. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry," Butch said, quickly retracting his hand. "I was just a bit taken aback by what I just saw." He answered, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't worry about me." Butterfly said quietly as she looked down.

"Could you at least tell me what's wrong?"

Butterfly was debating on whether or not she was going to respond. She didn't even realize that she was crying. It was just that whenever she looks up at the sky, it calms her down. However, it also reminded her of something else.

"Have you ever lost someone?" She asked, looking up at the sky as she did.

"Lost someone?"

"You know…" She said, "Losing someone you love…"

Butch raised his eyebrow at her, "A few friends I guess, but someone I love? No, I can't really say that I have."

Butterfly softly laughed. "You're lucky." She replied. "You haven't gone through so much pain then."

"Why? Is that why you've been sulking here?"

"No, I really just went out to get some fresh air." Butterfly said, giving him a bitter smile. "But I guess I just couldn't help but remember something…"

Butch's eyes softened. "Is it about your dad?"

Her heart stinged. That was right, he probably thought that the one she was talking about was her "dad" that was in jail. It's that stupid façade that they had to stick to while they're here.

She really wanted someone to talk to about this. Miyako was dealing with her own problems and Momoko was busy with the mission. Butterfly just felt so alone at this moment. Whenever she remembers it, it felt like she was living in that moment again.

Now, even if it was Butch, she just wanted to let it out.

"I just really wish I could turn back time." She said, trying hard to prevent the tears from spilling out again. "It's so fucking unfair that I have to live life knowing that I've lost something so precious to me. And it's all because I was created like this."

Butch stayed quiet, listening intently on her pent-up emotions. "Sometimes, I really just ask myself, what if things were different?" She continued. "What if I just didn't have these powers? What if I just become a normal human? Would things be different?"

She looked at him, wanting to hear his words that could hopefully soothe this pain that she was reliving. "Uhm… well… think about it this way," He said, trying to come up with something that would comfort her. "If things really were different from the beginning, then doesn't that mean you'll also lose everything that you have now?"

Butterfly's eyes widened. She thought about it, losing everything she had if she hadn't been the hero she was now. If she hadn't saved that little boy that day, then it also means she would lose her two best friends, her foster family, and she might even have lost the city she's come to love so much.

Would it really be worth trading for another chance at life?

Instinctively, she hugged him. The sudden gesture made them almost fall, luckily Butch quickly grabbed onto the ledge to support both of them. She held onto him tight, burying her face in his neck.

He tried to grasp the situation, not knowing what to do. "B-Butterfly?"

"Idiot." She said, tightening her grip. "Can't you just shut up for once?" She asked, but it came out more as a plea. Her tears began to fall, staining the collar of his jacket.

Slowly, Butch laid his hand on her back. Gently caressing it, he used his other hand to hold the side of her head, bringing her closer. He didn't know if what he was doing was comforting her right now, but he didn't want to see her like this. He wasn't used to this, but it was all he could think of doing right now.

It felt like she was on the verge of breaking, and embracing her was preventing that from happening. It was such a small gesture, but it meant so much to her. She didn't care if it was Butch. Right now, she just sees him as someone who is there for her, not her enemy.

The feeling of his arms around her felt so calming, and it was something Butterfly wouldn't mind getting used to.

Author's Note: Okay, writing wholesome Butterfly and Butch moments is so fucking adorable. We don't get to see the soft sides of these two often so I can't help but feel so giddy reading this over and over again. And in contrast to last chapter's Just So You Know theme song, I've been blasting Now You Know by Hilary Duff while writing this. Man, that song brings so much nostalgia.

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

See you next time!

~Disastress