Chapter Thirty-One: Plan of Attack Part 1

Blossom stared in the mirror at herself and sighed resigned to what had to happen. Not unlike when her sisters horrifically cut her hair when they were younger, a huge chunk of her hair was missing. Thankfully it wasn't down to the scalp leaving a noticeable bald patch. Thankfully, Brick only managed to shorten her hair to just a little bit above her shoulders. Using that torn bit as a measuring stick, Blossom took Buttercup's hair razor and chopped her hair into a bob. It was a bit choppy at the ends, but it would do for now. She could only imagine what Brick's reaction would be once he—

That train of thought was cut short as the Power Puff leader shook her head and cleaned up her hair. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted when she knew she'd have to fight Brick again. No not Brick, H.I.M. That demon had taken over her Peachy Boy, and she'll be damned—literally—if she'd let him keep him, or any of the others. However, she'd have to play smart considering they were down a Puff.

Buttercup was in rough shape. Cracked ribs, a broken leg, bruises covering every inch of her body. Then there was her pregnancy. Her sister was convinced she wasn't, but Blossom couldn't help the feeling in her gut. Logical as she may be, she too had gut feelings and trusted them. A knock to the bathroom door called her attention and she turned to see Bubbles standing there. She hadn't noticed before but there were a few bruises marring her skin. For all the delicacy that Bubbles looked to be, she was a fighter and at times could be the worst one. "Your hair."

"It's no worse than what you and Buttercup did when we were kids," Blossom said as she tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Besides we have more pressing matters."

Bubbles nodded before stepping aside to allow Blossom to pass. "The professor is asking for us. You have something in mind on how we're going to fight this?"

"We need to go see Mojo," Blossom said. "He knows H.I.M best and dealt with them like this before."

Bubbles was shaking her head and brushing her hair back. "No, never like this."

"Bubbles," whatever else Blossom was going to say when she saw Bubbles' lip wobble.

"I've seen H.I.M and been manipulated by him the most. When I saw Boomer today, that might've been his body, but it wasn't my Boomer."

"We're going to get him back. All of them." The elder of the sisters reached for the other and the two shared a hug. No words were exchanged as they pulled back and headed for the lab in the basement below. Passing by her room, Blossom peeked in on Coal. He was finally asleep and inside an energy field polarized to keep him in and everything else out. He was so distressed earlier, not that anyone could blame him. Her poor baby just wanted his daddy and was scared from all the shaking and crashing happening around him. She tried to feed him earlier and that managed to calm him for a while, but no sooner was he burped and changed, he was crying again. Her little Fireball no doubt wanted his daddy, longing for his warm embrace.

"You know Buttercup is going to want to fight."

"How?" Blossom asked not unkindly. "You had to save her skin after Butch's body nearly tor left her a smear in the forest."

"I heard that!" Buttercup snapped from below in the lab. She was now bandaged up and resting with her leg popped up in a sling.

"It wasn't not meant for you to hear," Blossom chastised her sister. "You were really reckless Buttercup. More so than your usual."

Buttercup huffed only to grown when pain laced through her side. When she shifted, her leg lifted and a noticeable smudge was visible beneath her. Bubbles noticed first and felt the blood drained from her face. "Buttercup."

"What now?"

"Y-you're…you're bleeding."

The two remaining girls had different reactions to the Spice Puff's bleeding. Blossom gasped and brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Buttercup carefully floated up and sighed. "What a time for my period to start." She floated back down and reclined completely unbothered.

"Butter—." Blossom laid a hand on her younger sister's arm, cutting off whatever she intended to say. It was probably for the best as Buttercup wasn't likely to hear them. Not when she was so adamant about her condition.

"Let's talk to the professor before going," Blossom said, pulling Bubbles behind her.

Bubbles spared her green sister one last look before turning with Blossom. On the other side of the lab, the professor was bent over his desk a light flashing and casting shadows. In between flashes, he stopped to inspect his work. He was enhancing his power suit, making it more durable. It was a wonderous distraction from what he'd just discovered ten minutes prior. Sniffing loudly, he turned at the sound of his daughters' approach. "Girls, I can assume that you're ready?"

"Daddy, Buttercup—."

"Bubbles," Blossom interrupted for a second time and shook her head. They needed to focus and unfortunately, that couldn't be on Buttercup. "I suggest that we go to the volcano tower. Mojo seemed prepared last time. He might have something that can help."

The professor nodded his head. "Logical."

"Bubbles, you go head to Mojo's and I'll meet you there. Daddy, I know Coal is as safe as he can be in the energy field, but we just demolished our apartment as Coal was too close." The young mother said slipping into Power Puff mode. "I'm going to bring him to Goo's or maybe Miss Bellum or Miss Keane."

As he was wearing goggles, the tightening around his eyes at the thought of harm coming to his grandchild. "That's probably best. I recommend Sarah. I fortified her home after Sedusa began dabbling in magic to plot her revenge."

Blossom nodded and started to go, stopping only when she noticed Bubbles wasn't going anywhere. "Bubbles."

The sugar puff hesitated just a moment before following her sister out of the lab. "Blossom, Buttercup was bleeding."

"I know."

"You don't think—."

"I'm not going to. Not now." Blossom said before turning to her sister. "We've got to focus on what we need to do to save the boys. The professor will watch over Buttercup."

It was a bit of a hard ask to push their sister's wellbeing to the side, but Blossom was right. There were more pressing matters to worry about. One being that Mojo was unaware of what was happening and unprotected. "All right. I'll head to Mojo's."

Blossom nodded. "I'll be right behind you." With that, she left to go get her son.

Bubbles left the house and immediately took off to head to the tower. Hopefully, she got there first.

The boys had rendezvous within the clouds, waiting for any telltale streaks in the sky. Boomer's body was covered in a fine layer of powdered plaster, and Butch's clothes were torn from his animal attack. Brick was battered but no worse for wear. "Well, our first attack didn't go as well as we could've hoped."

"I beg to differ," Butch started with a smirk on his face. "Buttercup's down for the count." At that moment, he was picking the dried blood from under his nails. Out of all the boys, H.I.M had to worry about his control over Butch the least. True, he was the hardest to rile but was the most afraid. He'd seen the fear on his face that night. Ever since then Butch was always the first to do what he said. He didn't challenge as Brick would. Nor hesitate like Boomer would, still he had control over Boomer.

His control over Birck was slipping. Had been slipping ever since he caught that idea about being an individual. If he started then his brothers were sure to follow. He thought he could reign them in while still in school. That Princess girl almost did the work for him, but those wretched Power Puff girls stepped in. No, not them as a whole, just Blossom. Those two together could make things happen. Hence why targeted them specifically. Still, those two prevailed and even destroyed his body and nearly his spirit. Thankfully, he had a failsafe in place.

H.I.M was mulling over what he should do now. Brick's attachment to his son was an unexpected complication, but a minor one. He easily figured that the thing for him to do was to switch up the boys. It would certainly not be something the girls or anyone else would expect of them. "Butch, you follow Bubbles. Boomer, Blossom." Brick said, closing his eyes against the raging in his head. "You be quiet. Go, now."

Boomer and Butch stood from their places and were about to take off when they paused to look at Brick. "What are you going to do?"

Brick reclined back in the clouds, using some of his floating ability to stay in the position he wanted. "I have to do some…brainwashing." With that, he then closed his eyes and went deep into Brick's mind. He didn't have to delve far, Brick was right against the veil that would keep him at bay.

"You let me out of here." Brick growled as his hands burned against the membrane that kept him contained.

"Always the hothead, aren't you, my son?" H.I.M said as he stalked closer to Brick. "Things didn't have to be this way."

Brick snorted out a large breath of smoke and turned away from his mother. He turned back to glare with burning red eyes. "You're right. It didn't and it wouldn't if you'd have just left us alone!"

"Alone to do what exactly?" H.I.M challenged.

Brick lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Be ourselves. Be someone other than the lackeys of the two most notorious villains of Townsville."

"Do you forget that you and your brothers owe me?" H.I.M snarled with his voice deepening into that menacing way of his. "You three would be nothing but the remains of refuse scavenged from the floor of the prison. Is that what you want? To be returned to what you used to be?"

The leader of the Ruffs didn't say anything as huffed out a thick black cloud of smoke. Yes, he and his brothers were alive due to the magic H.I.M used. However, that metaphorical umbilical cord had long since been severed. The boys often went months if not a year without seeing their mother. "We've outgrown you."

The demon snorted before the sound of sonic booms cut through the air. Turning toward the sound, they saw the last rays of blue cutting across the sky. It was quickly followed by Butch's forest green streak.

H.I.M smiled and giggled to himself. "Well, looks like the fun is about to begin."

Bubbles was zipping through the sky when she saw the shadow cast over. She barely turned in time to brace for the attack. Butch brought his fist down into her block. The force of it sent her careening into the park. She hit the ground hard enough to bounce and somehow managed to catch herself on her feet. Spinning around she shot her laser beams toward Butch, just barely glancing off his shoulder. Still, it was enough to throw him off balance and gave her a second to reorient herself. When Butch stumbled into a landing Bubbles charged first and unleashed her usually contained fury on him.

From what H.I.M remembered of the girls' fighting styles. Blossom was the most efficient, going for combinations meant to incapacitate. Buttercup was the strongest, intent on causing the most damage. Then there was Bubbles. He'd heard the name Bubblevicious from time to time, but hardly ever thought the gullible blue Power Puff to be capable of doing true harm. Even Mojo's account of being beaten up by her had sounded ludicrous. Yet, here he was face to face with her wild, erratic and unpredictable fighting style. Still, Butch met her punch for punch. Kick for kick. He was toying with her by being on the defensive when he didn't need to, but when she jumped into a roundhouse kick and managed to send him flying, he decided it was time to get serious. When she came charging at him again, he clotheslined her with his forearm. When she fell to the ground, he kicked her in the face and press her foot to her chest to keep her down.

The blue Puff didn't let that deter her, as she used her laser vision and zapped Butch catching him in the face. When he stumbled back, she twisted her legs around his and had him toppling to the ground. He caught himself on his hands and used their tangle of legs to grip Bubbles and flung her across the park and into the base of the volcano.

While the people of Townsville had witnessed their fair share of dangerous fights and been close enough to almost be caught in the crossfire, the panic at seeing the crack creep up the side of the volcano was unmatched. The panicked yells as molten lava started to ooze out had everyone running.

For Bubbles when the lava touched her, she hissed, but it felt no hotter than a bath. Still, the park would be destroyed if the lava were left to flow. While she didn't exactly have Blossom's ice breath she and Buttercup did have super breath. It would at least allow the flowing magma to harden enough to stop pouring out.

As she was finishing her task, Butch came up behind her and smashed her head into the rockface. Stunned enough to fall back, Butch caught her with an arm around her waist. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk Bubbles."

She tried to backflip out of his arms with the intention to kick him in the face, but Butch dropped her to the ground. She landed with a thud and gasped as her breath escaped her. "Bastard," she gasped.

"Whore," he retorted with a smirk. "I rightfully had my sons under my claw. Then a few sultry glances, a couple of kisses, and… a few minutes between those legs and they've lost as sense and loyalty."

"It's not loyalty if it's done out of fear," Bubbles growled out. "You're finished H.I.M."

The demon under the Ruff boy's skin shook his head as he laughed. "Oh, you couldn't be further from the truth about that." He raised his hand and let it glow green with pure energy. He then closed his hand brought it down onto Bubbles. His strike caught her in the chest and stole the breath from her lungs. As she tried to catch her breath, Butch looked up at the volcano. Without a parting word, he took to the air.

From his monitors, Mojo watched as Butch flew up to him. No, that thing wasn't his son. It might've looked like him, but it wasn't. The professor had called not too long ago to inform him of what had happened. H.I.M possessing his boys. Buttercup being thrashed and her possible pregnancy. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. With that vague direction, Mojo prepared as well as he could for the oncoming attack. Thankfully, he'd replenished his stock of sanctified water and items meant to combat demons. They were a precaution at best but at worst an effective offense. Pushing away from the monitor, he armed himself with his weapons. Bombs along his belt and his once retired bazooka gun propped on his shoulder and aimed at the door his son would eventually make his way through.

"MOJO!" H.I.M called out taunting him from the monitors before he tears down the door and gains entry. "I'm home, honey."

Mojo could've responded via the PA system he has installed, but he didn't want to give away his position. However, the moment he used his son's x-ray vision, his attempts at hiding would be for naught.

"Oh come now. Can't we be as we used to be? We were friends once upon a time." As he walked through the observatory, he took note of the things that made this lair a home. Unfolded laundry, a living room with a large television, and gaming systems. Dishes in the sink. Then the photographs. HE could see how the boys grew up, trading their bad boy hardness for the typical mischievousness of teenage boys. "Your greatest creation and weapons…domesticated. Another replacement for a family you never had."

The barb was meant to incite Mojo, but he knew H.I.M too well. The only sign of being affected was his hand twitching against the trigger of his bazooka. Still, he calmed himself enough to keep his mind clear and wait for H.I.M to get close.

On the monitor, Butch paused and looked around as if he was waiting for something. When whatever he was waiting for didn't appear, he chuckled. "Well, I'll be blessed. Seems they've tamed you too. How was that? Punishment and reward? Grew a soft spot for that baby Brick and Blossom had with my aid?"

A snarl twisted the corner of Mojo's mouth but he remained quiet as he watched H.I.M proceed to destroy his home and tear up the few pictures he had of his sons.

"You're only fooling yourself, Mojo. These boys were never really children. You didn't create them for that. You intended to have a weapon, and they were effective. Then you got attached and scared they were going to be taken from you again. Well, they are being taken. By humanity and all those annoying little emotions that go with them." Butch brought his foot up and threw it back into the large television. The screen shattered and fell forward off the mantle it was sitting on. The demon then stalked up the stairs into the boys' rooms. "They aren't human Mojo. No more than you are. Treating them as such morphed their view of themselves. Made them forget who they are. What they are. I also might've been more neglectful than I should've." He shrugged.

Mojo shifted his hold on his bazooka. "You're wrong. I…was wrong about them." Mojo murmured to himself. His eyes dropped in shame at realizing that too late. When he looked back up, he saw that Butch was looking directly at him.

"There you are."

Before Butch's possessed body could start making a move toward him, another crash rocked through his home. Searching the other monitors, HE saw Bubbles stumbling through his house. "H.I.M!" She screamed. "You…you…son of a bitch! We're not finished yet!"

Mojo's eyes widened and for a moment he froze in place. Then Bubbles started to prowl toward where she figured Butch to be. It was only then Mojo started to move. He, unfortunately, recognized when Bubbles' switch had been flipped. It almost meant that his home wasn't going to stand the brunt of the fight that was about to continue. Pushing a single button, he released a hatch that would lead him to his emergency escape vehicle. He'd built it years ago, never thinking he'd ever had to use it. His house had just begun to rock as he entered the pod that would take him away. There was no thinking about where he had to go. Punching in the coordinates for the Utonium household, the machinery did as it was programmed. There was a moment of weightlessness as the pod dropped and then gravity shifted again as the pod flew forward.

Sparing a glance at the home he built for himself and his sons, he watched in dismay as the observatory fell. The telescope fell first and then came the dome itself. It scrapped along the side of the volcano breaking off pieces. He didn't see the actual impact as his home hit the ground, but he saw the smoke rising as the oozing magma touched down on it and burned, causing thick dark smoke to rise. A sadness he was a touch too familiar with rose in him. He'd lost another home, but it felt far worst than any other time before as this was also his sons' home. Never mind that Brick had his own place and Butch was only there because of his separation, he'd raised his boys there. A plethora of memories flooded his mind as he remembered, the laughs, the fights, and occasional tears.

Sighing deeply, he turned his attention away from the past to matters centering on the present. If he wanted to help his boys, he was going to have to focus. He'd left them to the mercy of the demon once before. He wasn't going to let that happen again.

Amongst the rubble of the fallen observatory, Bubbles threw what she assumed was a part of the roof off her. "Where the fuck are you?"

"Over here, Bubbly girl," Butch—no H.I.M said from behind. She spun around to face him with her fists raised. "You're a lot more ferocious than I remember. Could you be on that womanly cycle? Or are you not getting enough coitus from Boomer?"

"What I do with Boomer is none of your business." Bubbles snapped as she charged at him. "You just can't let them go, can you? They're not children anymore."

H.I.M countered her attack and grabbed her by the throat. He then slammed her down on the ground. "No, but they are mine."

"They're not…yours." Bubbles gasped.

"I beg to differ," H.I.M said as he held Bubbles still. "Their lives are mine. Without me, they would still be dead. Some appreciation would be nice."

Bubbles spat in his face, only to have her breath catch when Butch's fist closed tighter around her throat. With her mouth open, H.I.M poured a little bit of himself from Butch into her. Bubbles immediately started choking as her body rejected the foreign entity.

Butch pulled away from her and found himself struggling to come back against H.I.M's lessened presence. He struggled to breathe and felt his heart pounding. To maintain his control, H.I.M fired memories of what he had him do to Buttercup in his mind. Butch gripped the sides of his head and screamed before retreating back into the far recesses of his mind. He'd beaten her until she lay broken in everything but spirit. Then there was the anger at her for telling Mitch that she might be pregnant before him. She said she wasn't but he still cringed when he saw his fist connect with her belly. She claimed to not be pregnant, but there was just enough doubt to make him loathe his very existence.

Bubbles too was bombarded with memories. She saw all the times that he tricked her, used her against her sisters. After that, he showed her everything that Boomer endured while in his custody. Broken bodies. Tears. The dastardly deeds. He may have been coerced into doing the depraved things that H.I.M asked of him, but he still did them. Without hesitation or question. H.I.M expected her to fear her lover, or at the very least be disgusted by what he'd done. Instead, she was enraged that Boomer's feelings for his brothers and safety were used against him.

"Damn demon," Bubbles growled before turning over and slamming her head into the ground to try to drive H.I.M out. She could still feel him there, so she did it again and again until she grew frustrated enough to turn to a bit of steel and activate her laser vision. Unfortunately for her, the steel her vision ricocheted off was curled and struck her in the lower abdomen. There was heat and then there was searing pain. It had her bending over, groaning she held her arms over her stomach and tried to push through it. It was merciful enough to drive H.I.M out of her. She vomited black sludge that slithered back to Butch and into his body.

The Green Ruff choked once before taking a deep breath. Standing up, he brushed the overgrown mohawk back. He looked over at Bubbles. When Bubbles removed her hands to observe the damage done. "That doesn't look good. Shame Boomer couldn't have a hand in this little mess. Let's hope for lasting damage."

Bubbles tried to stand, but the pain had crippled her. She groaned and felt her forehead hit the ground as she hunched over. "I swear I'll kill you," Bubbles huffed into the dirt. "You won't live to torment them anymore.

"Bold words for the girl on her knees," H.I.M said before beginning to float up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some revenge to exact.

"H.I.M," Bubbles growled before she succumbed to the pain and fell over.

The demon looked down at her before continuing on his way. He'd send Boomer's body to finish her later.

"I have him, Blossom. He'll be safe here with me." Miss Bellum said as she rocked the infant in her arms. Coal's temper had yet to calm as he was still running warmer than he should. He whimpered and groaned his upset, but to no avail. His mommy only looked at him with sad pink eyes before pressing a cool kiss to his forehead. He reached for her, but she stepped back and turned quickly, leaving him behind. When his whimpers began to turn to soft cries, Bellum shushed him softly and pulled him closer into her bosom. "Don't worry. Your Mommy is just going to get your Daddy back."

After Blossom left, Miss Bellum walked over to the keypad and punched in the code to arm her home. An energy field hummed to life and formed a perfect dome over the art deco-modernized seventies home. A few more codes activated the more supernatural protections she had installed, specifically for that pasty skank Sedusa. She'd decided to try her luck with magic and it worked until Bellum had to kick her ass again, smashing the hexed item that had given her hair literal life. It was a precaution more than anything else as she could handle Sedusa on her own, but why break a nail when she didn't have to?

Once her home was secured, she moved to her living room and sat with the young Rowdy Ruff Boy. "What an exciting life you already have," She mused to him, knowing he wouldn't understand, but still talking to him like an adult. "I'll have you know, I've known your parents ever since they were children."

Coal's red eyes turned to the copper blonde who looked like an older version of his Mommy. He looked very much like Brick with his red eyes and sharp features, softened only by baby fat. Yet, she could still see some of Blossom in him. His hair was a lighter red like hers, and his eyes were shaped like hers. Still, his being a boy already made things difficult for him. She could see it now that he would be stigmatized for being a Rowdy Ruff Boy. It wasn't in any way his fault, but as he grew older no one would see him as anything but. Blazing Coal was his father's child, but he was also his mother's. Sarah had to give the innocent child the benefit of the doubt because of that alone. No one knew who he would be when he got older. Whatever he chose would be up to him. Unlike his parents, he'd have more of a choice in who he wanted to be a lot sooner than they did.

"Big things are going to be expected of you, young man. I hope you don't feel pressured to live up to any of them but your own."

Coal listened to the soothing tone of the mayor and was being lulled to sleep. He still let out a few whimpers, but he wasn't as agitated as before. He couldn't understand a word of what she was saying, but the hum of her voice vibrating through her chest was enough for him. Soon, he was drowsy enough to fall asleep. His eyes had just begun to close when a quake shook the house. Coal's red eyes flew open and he heated with his anger at being awoken. Bellum looked out the window just in time to see a blue streak flying down to where she was sure Blossom flew off to.

Blossom, sure enough, had taken the hit and crashed landed in the middle of Townsville. Pulling herself out of the street, she looked up at Boomer's form drifting toward her.

"New haircut? I don't think Brick's going to like it," he taunted.

Brushing some hair out of her eyes, she spat and pulled herself up. "You sent Boomer after me?"

"Boomer's more than enough to take you on," H.I.M said as he dropped down onto the ground.

With her fists freezing over as she cracked her knuckles, she took on a fighting stance. "You're not going to win this."

"We'll see."

That was all that was needed to ignite the battle. Blossom struck first and hard. Three punches consecutively, two to the face and one to the gut, before jumping into a roundhouse kick. Boomer caught her ankle with a single hand and then swung her over his shoulder until he slammed her onto the asphalt. She bounced and Boomer returned the favor with a roundhouse kick of his own. The force sent her down the street until she crashed into a school bus of all things. The patrons screamed from the impact, while Blossom fell to the ground. Catching herself unsteadily on her feet, she turned and looked over her shoulder at the riders. "Exit the bus now!"

Not needing to be told twice, everyone vacated the bus. No sooner had the last person left, Blossom lifted with her knees to haul the bus over her head.

"Let's see how you like having a bus throw at you," She said before throwing the bus like a javelin at the Snips Ruff Boy.

Boomer, much like Bubbles years ago, caught the bus easily. What he didn't do was pay any mind to being gentle when he set it down. What he didn't see was that right behind the bus was Blossom. She flew at him with incredible speed and brought her hands together in a closed double fisted punch. Her yell of power was fierce as swung up and made contact with his chin from below. Boomer went up and took a few moments to recalibrate himself, but he was quickly met with Blossom's fist to his face. She got a short succession of hits in before Boomer retaliated with his own strikes.

He aimed to the head and struck hard to disorient her. While her mind was scrambled, Boomer took his chance. His punches were mostly aimed at her face and head, knowing that Blossom's intelligence was just as dangerous as her strength if not more so. That's not to say he neglected to strike at other parts of her body. Boomer took his chance to take gut shots, keeping her winded and out of breath. He also didn't miss the chance to cause damage to the city. After one particular hard punch to her face, he caught her arm and swung her into the nearest building. It was all concrete and glass. Dragging her through the building, he was sure her face took the brunt of the damage.

Despite her face getting scraped and bruised, she was able to take a breath, settle her mind, and think. Soon as she was clear of the building, Blossom spun and blew her icy breath into his face. With him blind, she brought her leg up as high as it would go and then brought it down on Boomer's head. Following that, she threw her whole body into the punch that sent him careening into the streets below.

As Boomer was falling he managed to turn on his back and used his laser vision to break through the ice blinding him. It was either through luck or skill that he managed to strike Blossom in her shoulder. As she fell, Boomer slowed his descent to match Blossom and gripped her by the throat. He squeezed and then twisted in the air to put Blossom on the bottom. They crashed with Boomer landing on Blossom, hand still around her throat.

Standing up, he dragged Blossom up and held her up off the ground. When Blossom looked down at him, his cobalt blue eyes were those horrid, devilish yellow eyes she knew H.I.M to have. "Was that the best you can do?"

Whatever Blossom was about to say was cut off with a cough and then her spitting into Boomer's face.

"Now that was very un-Blossom of you." Boomer commented before he noticed Blossom's eyes flickering over his shoulder. Turning, he saw the fading sunlight's rays reflect off the metal object before he could identify the object. It was purely reflex that he put his hand out to catch it. There was a spilt moment of disdain from H.I.M before he felt searing pain cutting across his palm. Dropping Blossom, he yelled out released the short dagger that had left deep lacerations across the skin that bleed black before running red. Looking down, he growled in a way that was in no way suitable for a human throat.

"H.I.M!" Bubbles screamed before landing down on the street unsteadily. She was holding a hand to her side that was red underneath the burnt edges of her clothes. "Your ass is mine."

Huffing out a laugh as the purifying effects of that damnable dagger that was his demise faded. "You mean Boomer's ass, right? Snared him quick, fast, and in a hurry, didn't you? Batting those big, innocent eyes and twirling that sunlight hair."

"Say what you want, demon. You're not going to control them anymore." Bubbles took a step and groaned, before collapsing to her knees. Breathing deeply, she glared up through her mussed up hair.

"Brave words for someone on their knees," H.I.M said in his own voice rather than Boomer's. Suddenly, legs were wrapped around his neck, and he was flipped over to land face down into the street. Blossom released her hold and flipped over him grabbing the blessed dagger on the way as he stood beside Bubbles.

"How badly are you hurt?" She asked her sister not taking her eyes off Boomer.

Bubbles' breath was shallow and it took more effort than it should to stand up. "I'll manage."

Blossom didn't have time to verbally combat her sister when Boomer was back on the offensive. He flew at them both, forcing Blossom to shove Bubbles out of the way and just managing to slice the blade across Boomer's shoulder. He yelled out his fury and pain as he fell to the ground, gripping his torn flesh and again bled black before going red.

"Careful! That's still my Boomer," Bubbles yelled out at her sister watching her wield that blade ready to strike again. When she'd come to, she'd searched the debris hoping to final a temporary medical aid or one of Mojo's anointed items to harm H.I.M. It was absolutely pure luck that she found the black that saved the boys a year ago. She was told it was lost between dimensions, but somehow it found itself back in their world. With the lives of the Roady Ruff Boys at stake, Bubbles didn't ponder it too long before going in search of the nearest one. True, she'd let loose on Boomer back at campus, but she wasn't sure or aware of a way to get him back. Now there was a way and she'd prefer he come back to her with as little damage as possible.

"I'll try my best, but he's not going to hold back," Blossom reminded her. "Which one did you run into?"

"Butch."

Of course, H.I.M would keep Brick out of it while he picked his brain. Brick resisted when he heard Coal. H.I.M would want to snuff out that, in any way, he could. Realizing that made her blood run cold. "We need to finish this now." Then she rushed Boomer. He was still recovering from her last strike when she punched him and swung the blade, just barely catching him across his chest. H.I.M yelled out and his yellow eyes flashed in Boomer's face.

"I'm going to make you pay for this," He snarled, catching her are with the dagger. The blade didn't touch him, but it was still close enough to sting.

"Sure, you will." Blossom taunted as she brought her knee up into Boomer's stomach. She was about to bring the dagger down into Boomer's shoulder until she was kicked into the face by Boomer. As she fell, Bubbles came in and used her sonic scream on him.

Glass shattered and car alarms went off as Boomer threw his hands over his ears at the close range. Blossom held on until her breath ran out. When it did, Blossom was right there with the dagger under his chin.

"Blossom!"

The Pink Puff saw H.I.M flash to the surface from under Boomer's face. A grotesque flash of red skin and a crooked nose was more than enough to startle Blossom into throwing a punch to Boomer's face hard enough to render him unconscious. When he fell, he struggled to get up but succumbed to the brain scrambling that Blossom just gave him. Blossom shook out her hand and turned to Bubbles. "I hope you don't him being a little banged up."

Stumbling over to her sister, she looked down at her blue Ruff Boy. "Just get that demon out of him." She growled, barely holding herself up.

Nodding Blossom raised the dagger and brought it down into Boomer's shoulder. The scream the Boomer let out was monstrous and sent shivers down each of the girls' spines. Boomer's eyes glowed yellow before fading to white. The blade went from its pure silver to dull grey. The wound that bled black eventually ran red and Boomer's blue irises returned. He turned to the girls, locking eyes with Bubbles. "Angel," he murmured, forming a weak smile before falling unconscious again.

"Boomer."

Blossom pulled the dagger from his shoulder and stood up. Looking at the blade, her eyes widened at what she saw in what was supposed to be her reflection. "Bubbles."

Holding the dagger toward her younger sister, Bubbles watched as the dull swirls of grey writhed. It wasn't the reflection of the sun causing the swirls to move, but the little remnants of H.I.M. The part of him that was in Boomer was now trapped in the dagger.

"It didn't kill him," Bubbles scowled.

"Maybe not, but we got Boomer back. Now for the others." Blossom reached down and hauled Boomer over her shoulder and wrapped an arm around Bubbles. Together the three of them took to the air, staying low to not attract any attention from either Brick or Butch. With Boomer out of commission, she was sure they noticed and would prepare accordingly.

Hello, my lovelies. I would first like to thank you all for sticking with me after this impromptu hiatus. Off screen my life has been moving at lightspeed with the changes going on. Good changes I assure you, but changes do require an acclimation period. That being said, let me apologize for the wait on this anticipated chapter in this Growing Up story. As I said before I will never abandon a story. Growing Up will have a conclusion, and one less deus ex machina as I might've presented in this chapter. I will figure out how to clear that plothole if you noticed. If not, then ce le vie.

I'm still working on my original Rockstar which can be read on and Wattpad. There will also be a third story to the Coming of Age and a special something in the works to be revealed at a later time.

Thank you all for your support and continued reading of my story. I hope you enjoy.

Until Next Time