Monday Afternoon
Slamming her locker closed, Blossom started as she noticed Brick standing there, leaning against the adjacent locker to hers, his face stony and drawn.
"We need to talk." His volume was low but still hard.
Quirking an eyebrow at him she tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder, she went for cool indifference as she eyed him up. "Well, it's almost the end of the day-," he quickly interrupted her.
"It can't wait."
Her eyes locked with his own, the tired look in his eyes was replaced by something… was it desperation? Was Brick, the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, in trouble? The slight amusement must have shown on her face because he pushed a few stray hairs out of his own face that had fallen out of the top knot he tended to sport these days, looking down at her feet and then back up to her face- he grimaced and quite begrudgingly followed up with, "please."
Blossom wanted to turn and go to class, although she wouldn't be in trouble for being late as most of her teachers just suspected she was fulfilling her duty as a superhero, she'd rather be there than here with Brick. She gave an exasperated sigh, after all Brick needed to know what an inconvenience this would be for her, she gestured with an open hand a sign from her to continue, "fine. What is it?"
He'd caught her attitude and his eyes narrowed slightly; it was times like these he thought she was a total bitch. However, he was the one coming to Blossom to ask for help and not the other way around, he wanted to just walk away with a 'never mind,' but knew he'd regret doing so. Things were already out of hand as is.
"Not here."
He wasn't going to say more than that right now, turning he gestured at her to follow him as he started down the hall. Blossom almost turned and went the other way but something in her gut told her she needed to at least hear him out. Pulling on her bag strap she followed him down the hall.
After everything that had happened this weekend she really didn't need to add anymore onto her plate. Bubbles had explained to them that she'd run into a strange creature and described it as best to her ability, telling them it had caused the explosion and gotten away, but in all honesty Blossom wasn't sure if what Bubbles had been talking about made any sense.
Chief Rosa had called their home later in the evening on Sunday to remind them she still needed a statement from Bubbles but Blossom had reminded the chief that she still needed a report so she knew what the damages were and if there were any clues at all. It was safe to say she still was on no friendlier terms with Chief Rosa than when they had started out.
Now here she was, dealing with Brick and whatever havoc was going on over on his end, but there was one thing Blossom knew but wouldn't exactly admit; Brick was smart, like, potentially successful supervillain smart. If he needed her help it might be more serious than she was giving him credit for. He'd always been able to take care of himself and his brothers. The fact he had even said 'please' had caused her to throw that little whisper of caution away, she could almost forgive his rude tone for that alone.
Her steps echoed as she followed him out of the building, her low heeled boots were not exactly subtle, she'd already caught him looking over his shoulder at her with a smoldering crimson eye. Brick was practically radiating heat, most likely irritated by their less than silent departure, his own sneakers didn't even make a squeak on the tiled floors. Shoving one of the back doors open he exited into one of the covered common areas the school had, this one overlooked the sports fields.
Here Blossom was about to stop- they were no longer in the middle of the hallway, but he kept walking down the small hill and over to the lacrosse pitch. She could see a few other teens in gym class out on the soccer fields, some kids lingering on the shaded patio for study hall or finishing up the last of the lunch periods. Townsville High was a large school, she couldn't imagine anyone being particularly interested in eavesdropping on them but clearly he felt standing within 50 yards of anyone wasn't in their best interest.
Blossom had fallen a few steps behind Brick so she wasn't too surprised when he stopped in the middle of the field, dropping his backpack onto the ground, his arms crossed as he turned to face her. Drawing up she cocked a hip and crossed her own arms, mimicking his posture.
"Okay, so now that you've dragged me out here this better not be an ambush." She said it half-jokingly, knowing only last month Butch had gotten the upper-hand on Buttercup when she had been checking and making sure the Gang Green Gang weren't selling fake IDs on an anonymous tip. Something was clearly on his mind because he completely ignored what she had said, it wasn't a reaction she was prepared for but he started to speak.
"We can't find Mojo."
Rather dumbstruck Blossom was almost afraid the look had crossed her face, she knew Mojo was technically their guardian and 'father' but she hadn't expected them to really be all that concerned of his comings and goings. Blossom had to admit that she must've been in the wrong all these years.
Giving an awkward chuckle to lighten the mood she waved a hand at it, "I'm sure he's fine, probably locked up in his lab, working on his next 'greatest invention' or something."
"He's not."
The abruptness of his answer stopped her for a moment, she pulled her cell phone out of her denim jacket pocket. Swiftly she tapped the app of her notes section where she could write down some details. She didn't want Brick to think she wasn't taking this seriously but really, it was Mojo Jojo, he was fine. He always was. "Alright, well how long has he been missing?"
Brick grunted, irritated at her lack of sincerity, "if you aren't going to be serious about the situation, I'll just ask someone else." In truth he knew there wasn't anyone else, he was up a shit creek without a paddle if he couldn't get her to help.
Blossom flushed red, her eyes illuminated for a moment as she regained her composure. "I am being serious," emphasizing her words, "as a civil servant to the city of Townsville I take all matters reported on it's inhabitants very seriously."
Closing her eyes she exhaled, her breath was frosty, purposefully using her own powers to cool herself down. Normally she didn't let remarks like that get to her, but Brick had always been a special case, her counterpart and rival in more ways than one. She'd been doing this for 12 years now, he knew he could hit a sore spot this way.
Brick smothered the smirk that wanted to make it's way onto his face, getting a rise out of her was his specialty. Right now wasn't a good time for smiling though, as much as he acted like Mojo and HIM were good for nothing assholes in the public eye, in truth they were his family. They cared about him and his brothers in their own weird ways; providing them with a warm home to come back to after they were released from jail as kids, and even making sure there was enough food in the house and the electric bill was paid.
"It's been almost a week, last Tuesday night. His lab is completely trashed," here he paused, and a glimpse of guilt and frustration could be seen on his face. "I don't even know what he was doing down there." Brick used to go into the lab constantly once he could prove he wasn't going to break anything and actually wanted to learn. He'd been shut out for weeks.
Studying his face Blossom wasn't sure if this was genuine or an act, but she knew if the Professor's lab had been trashed then she'd be asking for help too. Mojo and the Professor were two sides of the same coin, you could say, their labs were their places of worship.
"Where have you looked?"
It was a simple enough question but Brick bit back a sarcastic laugh, "where haven't we looked? We've been out scouting the city for him for the last four nights, we only noticed he was gone on Thursday."
Now as a self-asserted observant Blossom gestured with her phone at him, "well I haven't seen you on any of our patrols so-," he cut her off again and she huffed, when would he knock that off?
"That's kind of the point, Red, we've gotten pretty good at flying under the radar. Plus the less people see us the better; citizens feel safe and the criminals don't suspect we're moving in on their territory."
She raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were done with the criminal lifestyle a while ago."
It was a statement, not a question, and it almost caught him off guard. He narrowed his eyes slightly and uncrossed his arms, he knew he was being stubborn, but he thought he had every right to be. "We are. But it doesn't mean we can let our reputation slip." He gestured at her like a teacher explaining an answer to a student, "otherwise we'd have assholes coming after us all the time. I've seen how you and your sisters have to be on guard and act. I don't want any microscope on us. Things are easier when people are wary of you."
This was said with a matter-of-factness that Blossom hadn't heard him speak with about himself before, she was used to the tone in class- especially if he was the one to correct her. She remembered when the boys had signed a contract when they were 12 signaling that they would no longer pursue crime after they got out of jail the last time and that once they turned 18 their records would be expunged. Clearly the boys didn't have an easy-going life but surely it was easier to abide by the city's laws.
It was then she caught herself backtracking, "excuse me? What do you mean by me and my sisters being 'on guard'?" Her arms were back to being crossed, no longer typing up notes and her face was set in humorless lines.
Brick almost kicked himself for even bringing up her sisters, idiot, he still needed her help, "no, no- I'm not saying shit about your sisters, Red." He wanted her to relax but Blossom stayed on the defense, her one eyebrow raised as if to say, 'well?' and he knew he would have to do a bit of damage control. This was getting way off topic but he knew if he didn't explain something then she wouldn't move forward with this conversation.
"What I mean to say is your role is pretty clear, you're a superhero, right? People care when you fuck up- so you don't, and because you three have been fighting crime for so long every bad guy out there wants to be the one to say they took you out. You have fucking targets on your backs."
She shifted away from him wincing slightly, "so we're not targets when we can benefit you, right?" She didn't know why that hurt, she was used to being seen as a superhero and not a normal teenage girl, but hearing it from someone else who had the same powers was upsetting.
For a moment Brick stood there awkwardly, wounding her pride was petty fun when it came to studies and fighting, but he was only hurting his chances of finding Mojo. He needed to swallow his damn pride for just a minute. "That's not what I meant, I wouldn't be here if I thought you were that big of a target."
Clearing her throat she looked at the notes she had typed in on her phone and back to Brick, studying him for a moment. She could just go back inside, this didn't have to be her problem. He was terrible at apologizing, if that's what this was.
"Listen," he started and reached out for her phone which she reluctantly handed to him. "I wouldn't be asking for help if I didn't have to, but," his fingers flying over the screen's keyboard as he spoke, "I'm out of ideas and things aren't looking good. I don't know who else to go to except for you. Maybe you'll see something I missed. I'm too close." Admitting he might have missed something stung as did the fact that he knew he was too close to think completely rationally, but if he knew himself he sort of knew Blossom, he needed to be a little humble if he was going to move forward.
With that he handed her phone back to her, on it he had typed the date and time he'd last seen Mojo along with the places he and his brothers had checked and the days they had gone to those spots. For such a short statement from him, the boy could type quickly.
Frowning slightly as she studied the list of locations, Blossom felt like her eyes were going to burn a hole into the screen, Brick had her doublechecking her misgivings. He had actually complimented her in his own weird way. She knew it was so he could get what he wanted from her, but there was some truth in what he had to say. Looking back up at him she nodded, "O.K."
A small chord of tension released itself in his chest, he'd been reluctant and even though he acted on the outside as if her help would be the worst thing to ask for, he was actually relieved to have this new set of eyes.
"The girls and I should check out the lab for ourselves first before we proceed further. Will later today work?" Since she was still waiting on the files from Chief Rosa she could get an early start on this whole Mojo thing, and then she could focus on the creature at the docks.
"Yeah, 4 o'clock at the observatory. I'll collect the guys from home and meet you there." Brick had only briefly mentioned to his brothers that he was thinking of approaching the girls. Something Butch absolutely didn't like and Boomer had been on the fence about, but he was their leader when all was said and done. They would follow.
Blossom was punching the reminder into her phone, not that she'd ever forget but she intended on sending out an invite on the shared calendar she and her sisters used, when she realized something. "You don't live with Mojo?" She didn't know why she was so surprised by that fact but Brick just shook his head.
"Nah it's not a 'safe environment for children' apparently." Using air quotes as he repeated what HIM had practically made a mantra anytime the boys had brought it up in their younger years, they'd always been baffled why they couldn't just live with their dads but that was the only information they'd ever be given.
It had felt rather natural to share that information with her just now, it unsettled him enough to make him clam up immediately afterwards.
She fought the urge to chuckle at the irony of that statement, pursing her lips for just a second. Only two and a half years ago they'd grappled at the local state park on a field trip, destroying one of the oldest Coastal Redwoods in that area, trying to prove who was really the most knowledgeable when it came to Dendrology. Their rivalry was practically famous. Brick knew how to get a reaction out of her, but it wasn't usually one that caused her to laugh.
Turning on her heel she parroted the plans, "4 o'clock at the observatory." Brick was pulling his phone out when Blossom's voice rang out again, looking up she called over her shoulder "and by the way, don't call me 'Red'."
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
Sliding into the passenger seat of Brick's car Boomer leaned over to fasten his seatbelt when he was suddenly interrupted by a wet finger in his ear, jerking to the side he rubbed furiously at it. "Ugh, seriously, dude?" Sitting in the backseat with a shit-eating grin Butch said nothing, he didn't need to.
Fidgeting with the rearview mirror Brick sighed, "can you two knock it off?" Starting to back the car out of the space he was muttering, "we are not doing this shit today."
Boomer just twisted in his seat and glared at Butch, giving him the middle finger, which was met right back with one of his own. Sitting in the student traffic as they waited to exit the parking lot Boomer fidgeted with the radio before picking a station that was playing the latest hits, tapping his fingers on the lip of the door to the beat and humming to himself. Their car rides, when they chose to drive, were typically uneventful and quiet. Putting the windows down Brick gave a small wave to the guard directing the flow of traffic as he merged onto the road.
Riding in a car seemed strange, but in their desire to be beneath the radar it seemed to work. Other than the occasional fight or property damage complaints they had kept a low profile. Drumming his fingers on the wheel he could feel a strange sense of anticipation at meeting with the girls later. Not like the nerves you get on a first date or presenting a project you were unsure of, but the feeling of climbing up the first hill on a roller coaster. This could go well, they could find Mojo and pretend it never happened. Or they could end up back in jail for something, god knows what, and ruining all the progress they'd made.
At this point he could hear Butch subtly humming along with the tune as Boomer started getting more into it, pretending to drum on the dashboard as they sailed through a few green lights. By the time they got home they'd have about 20 minutes until they had to leave, so that meant Brick had maybe 35 minutes to get to the observatory with his brothers. He was trying not to anticipate breaking the news of their newly gained 'help' just yet. He just knew it'd be interesting. And annoying.
Keeping an eye on Brick, Boomer kept up his drumming, pretending to throw the drumsticks in the air and catch them at the finale, he could swear he even saw Butch staring at their brother from the backseat, his gaze barely on the window outside. Brick had been tense since last night and he was throwing everything off, it was one thing to be worried and tired like he and Butch were, but there was a strange air to him like a guitar string that was strung too tight.
Pulling into the housing development Butch started to fidget, ready to get out of the vehicle as soon as possible when Brick locked eyes with him in the mirror, "not so fast. I need to talk to you both when we get inside."
Boomer shifted slightly, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair, "what's going on?"
"We are literally three blocks away," eyeing Butch hard through the mirror, "you can wait."
No sooner had he pulled up to the twin at the end of the block and thrown it into park did Butch throw the door open and beelined it to the garage.
Boomer popped out and called out over the roof of the car, "dude! What the hell?"
Butch gave his brother an insignificant wave, "chill, I'm checking my gear."
Boomer rolled his eyes as Butch disappeared into the garage, "whatever." Butch was always anal when it came to that shit. Shifting back down to grab his backpack Boomer noticed Brick was still sitting there with both hands on the wheel just staring off into space. "Uh… you O.K there?"
Snapping his head towards his brother Brick just turned the car off and got out on his own side. Boomer followed right behind him albeit a little concerned, Brick liked to act like he was composed and put together all the time, he should know by now he doesn't have to put on a show for his own brothers.
Before they even got into the house Boomer clapped a hand on Brick's shoulder, "we'll find Mojo you know."
Brick just paused before glancing at his brother; even though Boom's eyes held the same tired circles they all did, his eyes were bright and electric, the kid was intense to say the least.
Without saying a word Brick opened the door and walked in, practically flying up the steps in a rush. Flipping through the mail by the door Boomer pulled out his own magazine and placed it in his backpack, knowing he'd be checking out the articles in his next free period.
Tossing his bag by the foot of the steps he called, "Marion! We're home!"
The distinct sound of a cabinet shutting in the kitchen could be heard, that was enough to send Boomer into the kitchen, Butch was already seated at one of the island stools with a bag of chips in hand. Unfortunately for him he didn't notice the woman looming behind him.
"Oh, I know." Snatching the bag away from Butch she put it back in the cabinet, "you'll spoil your dinner."
Marion had been with the boys for about three years now, personally employed by HIM to take care of them when their last caretaker moved. Or died. HIM and Mojo had never been all that clear on what happened to Ms. Cutler.
She was tall and a little plump, she had olive skin and a dark pixie cut that complimented angular face, the only thing off about her were her eyes that were a shimmering gold. Of course, this was just the disguise she used while in this realm. She was from the same side as HIM, and although she wasn't one of their minions specifically, they could only imagine she looked as threatening as the demons and beasts that HIM openly had under their rule.
"You'll have to put a hold on dinner tonight, Marion," Brick stepped into the room tying a red plaid shirt around his hips, "we have business to attend to." He'd changed out of his ripped up jeans into a clean pair and threw on a white t-shirt. Boomer knew they had 'business' lately but they typically waited until it got dark to do all that.
Butch raised his eyebrow, "you got a date or sumthin'?" The corner of his mouth twitched, they were supposed to be finding Mojo, not taking girls out. He knew they were supposed to appear as normal as possible but wasn't this going a little far?
"Not exactly," Brick crossed his arms and widened his stance a bit, "I asked Blossom to come check out the observatory at 4 o'clock."
Boomer held a hand up, "wait a sec, hold up. You have a date with Blossom?"
He sounded flabbergasted and Butch scowled, ready to lecture his commanding brother, "we don't have time for-," but he didn't get to finish.
"The girls are going to help us look for Mojo. They're meeting us there." At least he assumed the other two would be there, it wasn't like Red to go alone to those sorts of things.
Behind Boomer and Butch's backs they could hear Marion pretend to polish a glass, not something she'd ever do since it wasn't in her job description. This was something she wanted to linger around for. Brick gave her an exasperated look to which she rolled her eyes and put the glass back down beside the sink, "fine, I get it." Walking out of the kitchen she shrugged, "eh, not my monkeys, not my zoo."
Well technically speaking they were her monkeys, but she didn't get paid enough to go toe-to-toe with them. Butch just sat in silence staring at the floor while Boomer looked more conflicted. He didn't mind the girls, hell, he and Bubbles were even friendly towards one another when their siblings were bickering, but this was a breech into their private lives.
"It's personal," Boomer muttered before he looked at a despondent Butch and then back to Brick. He could get along just fine with all three of them if need be, he rocked the least amount of boats, but this was a little too close for comfort.
Giving a sigh and dropping his arms to his side Brick tried reasoning with them, "I know. I get it, but I'm out of ideas and we're all burned out. Look, even Butch's fuckin' shirt is on inside out."
Looking down and pulling at his shirt to get a better look, Butch paused for a few seconds before he began to pull it off, "god fuckin' damnit."
Shrugging Boomer tried to play it off, "Butch does that all the time."
"I do not!" That meant it had been like that all day, he knew sticking his nose where it didn't belong last night was going to mess up his head, he should've minded his own business.
"Guys," Brick held his hands up, "just trust me on this. We need a new set of eyes." The corner of his mouth quirked slightly, "plus I had to eat some humble pie, don't make it a waste that I did that for us."
Looking at one another Butch and Boomer seemed to be communicating telepathically for a moment, Brick knew for a fact they couldn't but it still made the hairs on the back of his neck raise up a bit. Any time he felt like they were closer to one another than they were to him it put him on edge, he didn't want to be shut out.
"Fine." Boomer stood up and Butch started to walk upstairs to throw on a new shirt, "but they better not overstep, I'm serious, Brick." Boomer's pride was stinging slightly, which meant that Brick's must have been in near agony if he relented to Blossom.
Brick was down the first hill of the roller coaster and about to head into the corkscrew, he moved to the fridge to grab a bottled water and started peeling off the wrapper as he waited for his brothers to come back downstairs, he wasn't even drinking it.
"Make sure to recycle that," Marion quipped, walking back into the kitchen and taking a seat at the island, a mug of tea materializing before her. Giving it a sip she glanced over Brick's face, "and try not to look so constipated when you get there. It's hard to take you seriously when you look like that." The way she grinned at him was teasing, Marion was kind of like a weird aunt, but in a good way.
"Don't mention anything to HIM, Marion." Brick warned her but she shrugged him off.
"If HIM suspects something then they already know, that's out of my hands, sweetie."
Rolling his eyes, he started walking towards the door since he could hear his brothers coming down the steps, he gave them a once over before they left, they looked uncomfortable to say the least.
Butch had his arms crossed over his chest, refusing to look at either Brick or Boomer, his face was absolutely blank but his index and ring finger on his left hand was rapidly tapping in a developed twitch. Boomer on the other hand had his hands jammed into the pockets of his navy shorts, he was avoiding asking any additional questions if he could.
Clapping a hand on each brother's shoulder Brick got them both to look at him, "let's go."
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~
Monday Late Afternoon/ Early Evening
Interlacing her fingers with Buttercup's as they landed, Bubbles squeezed tightly and stood slightly behind her sister. Meeting with the boys was the last thing she wanted to do, surely they would make fun of her since Butch had to come to her rescue. It would then be a given that her own sisters would look down upon her with the knowledge she couldn't even protect herself and that she had lied by omitting Butch's presence. It felt like a pit was opening beneath her, keeping secrets like this didn't feel right but she also couldn't let go of the shreds of pride she was clinging too.
Buttercup, however, was at the ready to throw every single word in the sailor's dictionary at Blossom once all three girls got back home. This was the last place she wanted to be on a sunny afternoon. As Buttercup started pulling her hand away from Bubbles' own she was startled to feel it tighten, looking over at her sister she gave a smirk, "if they try anything it'll just be like the good ol' days and we'll kick their asses." She assumed the discomfort of being in a solitary place with the boys was what was troubling the blonde.
Trying to act somewhat normally Bubbles gave a small smile and released her sisters hand, still standing close to her. Retying her red ribbon in her hair Blossom turned to her sisters, "girls, it isn't going to be like that. I didn't get that feeling from Brick." Once it was tied in place she fluffed her bangs until she was satisfied with the appearance. They were early, at Blossom's insistence, mostly because she wanted to go over a few things with her sisters. "Just so we're clear, Mojo Jojo is missing, and even if he isn't my favorite… ah," she looked for the right word.
"Asshole?" Buttercup offered, this got a tiny giggle from Bubbles and Blossom looked unamused.
"Watch your language." She straightened up a bit more, "regardless of what he has done in the past it's our duty to find out what happened to him. I expect you both to be on your best behavior."
Bubbles looked surprised that she was even mentioned but Buttercup crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "Fine." To see Buttercup pouting slightly was always an interesting sight, maybe because it was an expression rarely on her face, but it almost made her look vulnerable. At least until you looked at her eyes and realized there was a fire beneath them that was a sign that she'd burn the whole room to the ground if any of the Rowdyruffs stepped out of line.
Digging into the pocket of her olive denim shorts she pulled out her cell phone and checked the time, "they have one minute to show, and I'm not waiting longer than 4:01 for them either." Slipping the phone back into her pocket she pushed her black wind swept bangs to the side and went back to crossing her arms.
Blossom knew better than to ask for anything more than that at this time and checked her own watch, it was just 4 o'clock now. As if the boys could feel her eyes on her watch they landed out of the late afternoon sky, their feet hitting the grass in the park that housed the observatory. They crossed the path that wove it's way through the park so that they were standing rather close to their counterparts. No one looked all that comfortable in this setting.
Brick took center, his brothers flanking his sides, "Thanks for coming." He was trying to be indifferent but he couldn't deny that he was relieved that they'd showed.
Blossom stood a bit ahead of her sisters who were both on her left, closest to the building. "Of course." They were professionals after all.
She felt like she needed to shake his hand or something, but his hands were in his pockets and he barely looked at her. Boomer was back to scuffing his sneaker toe on the ground and Butch looked broody as usual, arms crossed and staring across to the park avoiding looking at the girls in front of them. The tension could be felt, kind of like stepping from a cool air-conditioned building in the summer out into over 100 degree heat, except that probably would have been much more comfortable than their current situation.
Buttercup's eyes checked out each of their faces, and then glanced over at her sister's faces. Bubbles was staring into the ground hoping it would swallow her at that exact moment, and Blossom wasn't sure if she should take immediate control over the situation, she was chewing slightly on the inside of her cheek. Unwilling to wait any longer Buttercup threw her hands in the air, "Christ, didn't you guys need help with something?" She was met with expressions that were clearly taken aback by her outburst, "maaaaybe," she said drawing the word out, "someone could go open the door so we can all go inside?"
She quirked an eyebrow at them as Brick seemed to regain his composure, clearing his throat, "yeah. I just wanted to make sure you girls didn't have any questions first." He started walking over to the door of the observatory, he really needed a good night's sleep at this rate.
Blossom was right on his heels already giving out details of what they intended to do, "we'll take a look first and ask questions as we go, we won't know what to ask until we have an idea what we're dealing with."
Buttercup began to follow suit, muttering, "what a fuckin' joke, dragging us out here and just standin' there. Bunch of dumbasses," she wasn't saying it to anyone in particular but Bubbles felt her face flush with embarrassment as she tagged along right behind her sister. Boomer and Butch exchanged glances for the umpteenth time that day before bringing up the rear.
Opening a door near the base with a keypad Brick mentioned, "this is to just get into the lobby, there's another door to get into the part Mojo lives in and a different one to get to the lab."
Blossom nodded and pulled her phone out again to take notes, "so it should be fairly difficult to get in unless someone was already inside or if they had the access code?"
Brick paused for a moment before swinging the door open, "yeah." For some reason that thought hadn't crossed his mind at all, it was second nature when he and his brothers came in.
"Was the door locked when you came back on Thursday?"
Boomer's hand shot up like a kid in class, Blossom gave him a quizzical look but waited for his explanation, "yeah, I remember because I forgot the code and didn't have an override key so I couldn't get in, I had to wait for Butch to catch up. It was definitely locked."
This was another note Blossom typed down in her phone, knowing this had to be of importance. As they stepped into the dim lobby the doors gave a 'woosh' shut behind them and the locking mechanism could be heard clicking back into place.
"Can you get me a list of everyone who has that code?" Blossom was in detective mode and her brain was pulling out every question she could think of.
"Why would you need that?" Brick seemed confused for a moment.
Blossom continued, "if we have names, we can check them out and make sure that they didn't have anything to do with Mojo's disappearance. Or to make sure they didn't tamper with anything."
"Woah, speaking of 'tampered'' what the hell happened here?" Buttercup pushed to the front and checked out the steel door on the other side of the room, a similar pin-pad and scanner smashed to bits on the outside and the door was both torn up and partially melted. She leaned down getting a better look at it before turning to face the group.
"Ah, that was Butch's work. We couldn't get in," explained Brick unabashedly. Buttercup's face dropped before standing up and dusting off her hands.
Butch called out, "impressive, huh?"
Just at the sound of his voice Bubbles flushed slightly and she scooted farther away from him and Boomer, stepping up next to Blossom she pretended to look at the notes her sister had written down. She wasn't paying attention to the snarky remarks Buttercup was flinging back at Butch, it was easier blocking out their voices, her eyes turned to look back at the destroyed door and the darkness within.
"-his lab is? So that's where we should go first." Blossom's voice pulled her out of her own head and back to the present.
"We're going to go down there?" Bubbles squeaked, gesturing to the dark void that descended below.
"Some of the lights were knocked out but we have these," and in a pile by the ripped up door were a couple of flashlights, "here." Boomer held one out to her after fetching them, then handed the other two to Blossom and Brick.
"Thanks," exhaling deeply she relaxed at the knowledge they wouldn't be submerged in absolute darkness.
"Let's go, but try to be careful, there's a ton of shit all over the floor," Brick stated as he stepped over a chunk of the door that was still firmly in place in the doorway.
"Language please," Blossom's voice stated firmly and quietly, but Brick either didn't catch it or was just ignoring her comment. Buttercup was hovering slightly and Bubbles stepped over the door next to her, flicking the flashlight on as soon as the shadows touched her skin.
When Buttercup's boots touched the steps, Bubbles wrapped a free arm tightly around her sister's, not enjoying the descent into the dark in the slightest. Sighing Buttercup just let her do it, she herself wasn't exactly thrilled about going down into the depths of the observatory but if that's where Blossom said they had to go then that's where they had to go. Boomer and Butch's heavy footfalls were right behind them and Brick was explaining something about their access being revoked from coming down here.
For the life of her Buttercup couldn't figure out why it had come down to this at all, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge constantly. She was just waiting for one of the Rowdys to make a move, mostly Butch because, well it was Butch. Glancing over her shoulder slightly she was expecting him to be right behind her but instead it was Boomer's bright blue eyes in the darkness, the corner of her mouth twitched because he'd sort of caught her off guard, but more so than that he looked just as serious and grave as the other two.
"Let me get the lights, hold on," Brick moved down along the wall and Blossom brushed the beam of light over the large room they had come into, from what she could see it was disorganized chaos, skimming the beam a little higher she heard the flick of the switch as sparks erupted from one of the light fixtures. Bubbles yelped and Buttercup just sighed before disengaging.
"Looks like only two lights are still working," Brick's obvious observation rang out.
"Alright, girls, spread out and let me know if you find anything notable." Blossom immediately started picking up some of the scattered papers on the ground and Buttercup practically snorted.
"Notable? We're in Mojo's lab, you're gonna need to be more specific, Bloss."
Ignoring Buttercup's remark Blossom walked over to a whiteboard with smeared out formulas, they weren't anything she recognized but she took a few photos with her cell. She'd ask the Professor when they got home if he could make heads or tails of it.
Grumbling in another corner Buttercup was lifting up one of the metal and glass cabinets. Most of the glass was shattered all over the floor along with weapon prototypes and fluids made of god knows what. Something scattered among the papers caught her eye and she ended up picking up a torn purple cape, it was saturated in whatever had been in the cabinets.
"Ew," she held it away from her with two fingers, "well, pretty sure it's safe to say he was definitely here when whatever it was went down."
Brick was by her side in an instant, taking it from her. It had been wedged under some things, and the boys only priority had been to ensure that Mojo hadn't been crushed under the cabinets at the time, not what was there. He felt sick with guilt that he hadn't taken his time.
Bubbles took to floating in the air and checking out the large computer screens set up against one wall, practically the height of the room, leaning in as she looked at the holes and cracks in the monitors. They weren't huge, some bigger than others, but the way the glass caved in it had been intentional. "Blossom, these marks look like they were done on purpose, and they're high up enough that I don't think Mojo could've managed to make them."
Blossom turned her head, watching her sister, "take some photos, is there any residue on them?"
Bubbles pulled out her phone, "no, not that I can see." Snapping a couple shots she quickly sent them to Blossom's phone.
Just as she finished putting her phone in her pocket someone below her asked, "how'd you get that?" Startled she fumbled the flashlight but it fell out of her hands and into Boomer's as he caught it. Somewhat sheepishly she took the flashlight back.
"What are you talking about?" She was confused for the moment, she didn't have anything in her possession.
He was floating lower by her feet, "that." Pointing at the still puckered and angry wound on her ankle, he'd seen the girls get hurt and then be just fine the next day, that thing just looked like it had no intention of healing.
"Oh," she stalled for a moment, but in that moment she managed to lock eyes with Butch for a brief second before he was moving something out of the way for Blossom. "I wasn't so careful during the job, it happens."
With Boomer seeming clueless just by asking this gave a small confirmation that just maybe Butch hadn't said anything to his brothers about their encounter at all. That also meant that he probably hadn't mentioned that creature they'd encountered, she was unsure if it would be in their best interest if she brought it up first.
The way Boomer's brows rose into his golden hair made it obvious he was skeptical of her answer but he also didn't have any real reason to pry. They weren't friends or anything like that. "Mmmm, O.K." He didn't sound like he didn't believe her, he just sounded like he knew there was more to it. Pointing above their heads he suggested, "I think the lights broke because of what happened, should you take photos of that too?"
Relieved to be getting back to the issue at hand Bubbles nodded, "definitely, good catch."
He followed her closer to the ceiling and back by the corner, offering to hold the flashlight in place for her. From beneath them Butch stared with a narrowed intensity, his super hearing making it easy to tell what they were discussing. There was some relief that she didn't mention that he was there, he hadn't said anything to his brothers and it looked like she hadn't said anything to her sisters.
Shoving his hands back into his pockets he tilted his head to crack his neck, there was some strange feeling that brewed within him at the sight of her. She looked fine, no tears and the blood was gone, but she wouldn't lookat him. Not directly anyhow. She was trying to avoid him, so that was the thanks he got for saving her ass?
Buttercup put her hands on her hip as she continued to survey the room, "so is this how it normally looks or what?"
Brick scowled at her, "no." His voice was hard and he could feel that glow beginning to reach his eyes, but before he could reply Blossom came up on her sister's side and put a hand on her shoulder. Buttercup's snide expression left her face, she knew she'd been goading him into a more dangerous reaction out of habit, but she had to remember why she was there.
"What Buttercup means to say is, 'how does it normally look?' If you can put things back where they belong that should help all of us narrow down what's missing or out of place."
Relaxing slightly Brick shifted his attention upwards, "yo, Boom, think you can help us put shit back in place?"
Boomer handed the flashlight back to Bubbles and landed with a wet thud on the damp floor, "sure, but I wasn't down here as much as you were, Brick."
Butch chimed in, "me neither." It hadn't really been their space so much as Brick and Mojo's.
Moving over to one of the downed cabinets Brick lifted it before gesturing to Boomer, "it has to slide in there but that other crap needs to move first." Boomer nodded before heading over to grab something to sweep the broken glass and other miscellaneous items away.
Blossom turned to Buttercup and gave her a poignant look, but her words were directed at the boys, "we'll stay out of the way, let us know when you're ready." Floating up all three girls converged beneath the busted lights, Blossom waggled a finger at Buttercup, "what did I say about behaving?" she hissed.
Buttercup waved a hand at her sister dismissively, "I am behaving, jeeze."
Below them the boys hustled, righting the cabinets and sliding them back into place, tossing a mangled rolling chair over to the corner and plopping some of the soaked gadgets and papers onto the metal table that was welded to the floor. Soon binders began piling up, years of notes and blueprints for various inventions or plans. Blossom could admit she was curious but knew that under the circumstances she wouldn't be permitted to read them.
Lifting up another mangled cabinet Boomer practically tossed it behind him in a frantic motion, Butch and Brick just managing to grab it from slamming into anything they'd already organized.
"Dude, what the actual fuck?" Butch barked out. Brick was on the verge of laying into Boomer but exhaled, determined to keep his cool. A small murmur of, "language," came from above them as Brick and Butch lowered the cabinet back into place. Boomer wasn't paying any attention to them however, he just stood and turned, one of Mojo's white boots in his hands.
A cry of, "oh fuck!" came from above them as Buttercup landed down by the boys, Blossom's face in her one hand.
"Why do I even bother?" Clearly not enjoying the cursing she still managed to land and walk over to peer at the boot in Boomer's hands. "May I?" She asked Boomer, and with a moment of hesitation he handed it over to Blossom.
The boot had a tear through the tough leather, clean for the most part, it was cracked slightly so she could only suspect that whoever had done this had been pulling on the boot itself. Handing it back over to Boomer she pulled her phone out to take a picture and jot down the location and her observation. Brick took the boot from Boomer and ran his finger along the crack of the leather, he was firmly working on keeping his face as blank as possible.
"Hey, where does this go?" Buttercup was crouched down to get a better look by the wall. There was a grate partially hanging on by one large bolt, there were wide circular scrapes on the walls where it must have been swinging at some point. It was only about four feet off the ground so the assumption was it was just a poorly placed air duct.
"Bubbles, bring me the flashlight."
Scurrying over, Bubbles handed the flashlight to Buttercup, the beam of light shining into the vent. The metal within was dented in some places, another area was warped to be made more narrow, and long claw marks ran across every which way.
Butch came over and leaned over the girls, partially on purpose, seeing if he could get a reaction from the blonde and partially because he hadn't even known this was there."Looks like an air duct, but I don't know." He gave a low whistle and then turned to the guys, Bubbles released a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding, "it doesn't look good."
Soon all of them were gathered around the vent, Buttercup was half leaning in as Butch wolf whistled at her; since he'd been standing fairly close she mule kicked him in his thigh sending him sprawling in the air, barely catching himself from making contact with the floor itself.
"I was just complimenting ya, Butterbabe."
A low growl emitted from her before she pushed herself out, "that's it! I'm gonna kick your fucking teeth out you fanny-pak wearing, son of a bitch!"
Bubbles grabbed one arm and pulled Buttercup back as Blossom's voice rang out, "enough! This isn't helping."
Gloating Butch flipped her off but Brick quickly grabbed that hand and applied just enough pressure as a warning, "knock it off," they stared at one another with intensity but Butch relented, shaking his hand free.
"Got it, boss." Quickly putting his hands in his pockets he stepped away from Brick. Boomer gave him a look of smug satisfaction, at no point did brotherly competition take a break in this family, but so far Brick was victorious every time.
Brick crouched to look through the vent, "I can't fit in there, and I'm not moving those walls, I'm not sure how strong they are or what they're connected to."
Blossom was nodding in agreement, "do you have any blueprints?"
Turning to her and standing up Brick plainly explained, "not that I know of, Mojo has added onto this place so much they're probably out of date anyways."
"Maybe it leads to a safe room?" Boomer offered. Mojo had tons of escape routes and rooms hidden all over the observatory and city.
"Yeah, but if it does then how the hell are we supposed to get back there? I could crawl but I don't think I can slide around that crushed part." Buttercup chimed in, "not with these guns anyways." She flexed her arms and got an eyeroll from both sisters. It was true that she was pretty broad shouldered, so that was a no-go.
Tapping her lower lip with her index finger Blossom gave it some thought, "well, I guess we could use someone smaller…" her voice drifted off and five sets of eyes swung over to Bubbles.
"Oh no, no, no, no, I am not going in there, it's too dark and we don't even know what's in there." Her voice was slightly pitchy, being in an enclosed dark place like that was sending her nerves into overdrive. She didn't want to go.
Buttercup clapped a hand on her shoulder and pushed her forward, "Aw, c'mon, Bubs, it'll be fine, you're small enough to get between there, it'll be easy."
Losing the fight before it could even begin her lower lip trembled, "it's so dark, and what if I can't find my way back?
Boomer perked up at this with a thought, "oh! Give me a sec, I'll be right back." He took off like a shot up the stairs, the dark blue streak fading in his wake.
Brick shrugged at Blossom when she gave him a quizzical look, hell if he knew what was going on in Boomer's head. Even with their magnified hearing it was still somewhat muffled as they could hear banging and rummaging going on from upstairs, Mojo had done his best to make sure no one could hear him in his lab, even them.
Coming back down the steps Boomer looked rather pleased, he beamed at Bubbles who was on the verge of bolting right out and not coming back. "Here, this was in the upstairs workshop," he dropped a large coil of rope with a heavy 'thunk', then grabbed one end and held it up. "We can tie this around your waist."
Still apprehensive Bubbles looked at Blossom, she would give anything to get out of this, but her sister seemed to sense it and Blossom took Bubbles' hands in her own and looked at her steadily, "you can do this, and we'll be right here with the other end so you don't need to worry about getting lost."
Holding back tears of frustration and a bit of fear, Bubbles nodded solemnly, "O.K, I- I can do this." She didn't feel so confident in her words though. Buttercup took the rope from Boomer and tied it around her waist, trying not to make it too tight. While she did this Bubbles did anything but look at Butch, he'd been right when he'd told her the other night, 'your sisters can handle it'. Turns out she needed them just to crawl down a dark vent Whipping her head around she looked at Blossom, "I can take the flashlight, right?"
Confused as to why she'd even ask, Blossom reassured her, "of course."
Buttercup fetched it, and while placing it in her hand said, "it's not so bad."
Bubbles gave her an incredulous look before turning to face the vent again, the beam of light flooding over the scuffed and scraped up metal that she'd be squeezing herself through. With a gulp she slid herself in and began to crawl down, her progress slowed by only having one hand that was free.
Brick clicked on the other flashlight behind her, "we'll keep an eye on your progress, plus it'll be easier to follow back." Not that he particularly cared one way or another about the girl but she was doing them a solid by going in there to investigate. Out of her sisters she was the easiest to get along with, always happy and eager to work together on any class projects they had been assigned together through the years. His biggest gripe was that she was a Powerpuff Girl, that blacklisted her enough.
"Take it slow through the crushed area, okay?" Blossom called down the vent.
Bubbles could swear she heard Butch say, "how much slower can she get?"
That was followed by a full on slap and Buttercup saying, "shut the fuck up, dipweed."
Bubbles exhaled as she got to the crushed part, tossing the flashlight through, it rolled in a small circle before landing back on the gap that she needed to get through, using both her hands was a lot easier and she rolled onto her back and slid partially, raising one arm through the gap she was able to pull herself in the rest of the way.
As she did so her wounded leg brushed up against the side of the metal, with a hiss of pain she pulled her leg quickly back up and her hands clapped over it. Pain for them normally didn't linger like this, maybe it was because she was aware of it?
"Are you O.K?" Blossom's worry was clear in her voice.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" Bubbles called back. She clutched the flashlight in her hand as she rolled back onto her knees, using the light to see what damage there was ahead. "Uh… guys?" She was hesitant as she waited.
"What's up, Bubs?"
WIth a heavy breath Bubbles explained, trying to take the fear out of her voice, "there are a few more crushed sections, and… there are more scratches."
There was silence before Blossom said, "just keep going but be careful!"
With a deep feeling of dread Bubbles had to squeeze herself through three more tight areas before she found herself just crawling as carefully as possible. The dark must have been messing with her eyes because she didn't notice at first when her hand went through straight air, she yelped but caught herself, glad to have the ability to fly but she still scrambled back from the edge.
There was a jerk on the rope and she could hear Buttercup calling, "Bubbles!"
"I'm O.K!" Her hand was trembling as she went to focus the light as best she could. This was what scared her about the dark, it would swallow you whole, it was cold and empty and although she could fly she could have gotten wedged into a spot or broken a bone with that misstep. Shining the beam she noticed it went down, in front of her, and then to the left it opened up again.
"There are three different directions, what should I do?"
Faintly she could hear murmuring as they worked out what the next step would be, her own breathing felt loud in her ears but she was afraid to make any additional noise.
"Bubbles! Check and see if any of those marks are in one of those vents!"
Exhaling she crawled closer to the edge and used the beam to look in the vent across from her. Nothing. And it even looked like it got smaller ahead. Switching the beam to her left she was scanning it as well, there were some marks on the very edge and she reached carefully to feel them. They were deeper scratches but looked clipped. With the heaviness of disapointment she flashed the beam to the bottom and could see on the left where the claws had tried to reach out and dig themselves in, there looked like there were more marks the farther it went.
With a shuddering breath she called back, "I have to go down," the prick of tears threatening again, she just wanted to go back, she was terrified of what could be down there. The seconds felt like hours as she shut her eyes tight and waited for an answer.
"Just be careful, we're almost out of rope," was all she got. Holding the light to face down she had to maneuver awkwardly in order to put her feet down first, all she could see was black. The flashlight seemed to not penetrate to the bottom, with a whimper she began to float and slowly descend.
One hand glided down the side of the vent, she could feel divots and deep scratches beneath her fingertips, but she refused to look at that and only focused on the descent. The rope suddenly stopped offering slack and she knew she'd have to untie it in order to proceed, her fingers felt numb and heavy as she fumbled with the knot. If she just gave up now it would really make her look like a coward and a baby.
Just as the knot released from around her the flashlight fell from her hands, banging the sides a few times on its descent before clattering at the bottom. "It's fine," she was whispering to herself now, she could faintly hear her sisters but took the plunge and descended faster.
Damp air hit her nose with sudden force, the smell of stone and earth, and something musty. The air around her began to feel cooler and she shivered, for the first time in a while it wasn't from fear. This chill went deep into her bones, but she willed herself further and felt the air around her legs begin to open. No longer constrained by the metal vents she practically dived for the flashlight, she landed on her knees and moved the beam around the room.
The open room was no larger than 9ft x 9ft, old stone that had been long carved into the earth, everything about it was organic except for one thing. A sewer-like lid was on the one wall, but it had a strange looking lock, it almost reminded her of a bank vault door.
Tentatively she reached out a hand and touched the cool, wet metal, another chill running down her spine. Inching closer she pressed her ear to the metal and listened, behind it the sounds of trickling water were going by, the occasional splash as if there was something heavy moving in the water too, and a very faint hollow banging every 30 seconds.
Pulling away from the door she backed up and pulled her phone out, snapping a few photos, the flash creating eerie shadows as it illuminated the space and then quickly fell back into darkness. Turning in a small circle she took a video of the room and then showed where the vent had led from. Bubbles felt she couldn't do more than she already had and jamming the phone back into her pocket she quickly began her ascent.
Sliding her hand along the wall of the vent she kept her flashlight pointed upward, panic began to creep in again when she didn't see the rope, she knew her sisters would never leave her behind but what if? It was like her mind ran blank and her breathing became more rushed, she didn't want to surge up too quickly but she also didn't want to be in this cramped space for one more second.
Her gut flip flopped when she saw the top of the vent and a small end of rope hanging over the side, she reached for that rope and jerked on it like it was her only lifeline, and in the reality of it all it was. With a shuddering sigh she climbed into the vent she had come from, not realizing how rushed her breathing was as she was lying on her back, her breaths echoed back at her in the tight enclosure.
Faintly she could hear familiar voices through the darkness, but the voices were so overlapped she couldn't make sense of them for the time being. With shaking hands she tied the rope back around her waist, tugging on it slightly to make sure it was still secure, only seconds after she did this action she heard Buttercup cry, "Bubbles!?"
Her voice was slightly breathy and strained but she called back, "y-yeah, its me, I'm here."
"Thank god, where were you? I was about to bust through there!" The knowledge that Buttercup would, in fact, collapse the vents just to get to her made her smile to herself. She was so stupid for thinking for a moment she'd be left alone here in the dark. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand she could feel moisture from tears on her face, the first were from fear and the second were from relief.
"The rope wasn't long enough," she called back.
"Just head back, okay? We've got enough for one day." Blossom's voice carried over and with more courage than she had felt that whole time she got back onto her hands and knees and started to crawl back. The long expanse did not feel like the hopeless journey it had the first time around.
As she was moving through the second crushed area, knowing she only had two more to go, the flashlight began to flicker. A sharp intake of breath and she smacked the side of the flashlight head, "nonono," her words tumbled over one another as the light flickered out. With a yelp she immediately held her hands in front of her and brought up the blue glow of her powers, but the area looked distorted under the colored light.
"Bubbles?"
At this moment she couldn't even differentiate anyone's voice in her panic, "m-my flashlight. It stopped working." She could hear someone hiss about getting her out quickly but she was determined to finish this without additional help. "I'm fine, I'm using my powers, I'll be fine."
The distortion was the very reason they had the flashlights in the first place, the color tricked her eyes and she found herself fumbling around and sliding her hands over the dented metal to make sure the shadows weren't incorrect. Awkwardly she kept the flashlight in one hand as she pulled herself through the third crushed area, and now she could see the flashlights they had at the entrance, the light was weak, but it was peering through the folds of metal to the best of its abilities.
Exhaling with relief she let the glow of her own hands dim, her fingers gripping around one of the spots, but as she did this she could faintly hear something in the distance. Ahead of her were voices of her sisters and the boys talking amongst themselves, but behind her there was something else. Had she left anything behind? No, the flashlight was still in one hand and her phone was deep in her front pocket.
Narrowing her eyes she glanced over her shoulder, "shhhh, guys, quiet for a second," she spoke in a loud whisper, the voices stopped.
"What is it?" Blossom called down quietly.
The silence that was settling around her was what she would expect; her own breathing, the settling and creak of the ducts, but there was something else behind all that. It was wet, but not like the water she had heard in the bottom of that room, like something was sticky and gloppy. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight as her memory clicked, "get me out! Getmeoutgetmeout!"
Her words were falling on top of one another with her shriek, a cold sweat broke out on her brow as she indelicately shoved her torso through the first part, the ball of her foot making contact with the top of the metal as she pushed through, not caring about any scrapes or injuries at this point.
"Pull! Pull faster!" Buttercup ordered, Bubbles' hands clung to the rope while from the other end Boomer was pulling hand over fist, her legs banged against the sides of the vent as did her arms but not enough force was applied to further warp the vents. Flipping onto her stomach she flew through the last bit, two hands reached out for her and she let go of the rope to grab the strong forearms that pulled her out.
In her desperation to get out she scrambled and wrapped one arm around her rescuer's neck and the other clutching their shoulder, her breathing was fast and panicked against their chest but her eyes were clenched tight. A warm hand awkwardly patted her head, and she heard a loud bang behind her like something was falling, her senses righting themselves. She suddenly realized this wasn't one of her sisters. There was a clean smell, like fresh laundry and ocean air, and the chest was taut and higher up.
With embarrassment she pulled herself away from a very awkward looking Boomer, he offered her a smile but didn't look her in the eyes, "sorry about that."
She just gaped at him for a moment, wiping her face with the back of her hand, again. "No, no, you shouldn't apologize. I'm sorry." His dark blue eyes flicked over and met her own as with relief she grabbed his hand and held it tight. "Thank you." Weakly she smiled at him and his own became a little less awkward. Forgoing fumbling with the knot again she flat out used her strength to tear the rope apart, she was desperate to get away from it.
Turning she faced Blossom and put her phone into her hand, "everything is on there."
Blossom took it but started, "Bubbles, what just happened?"
Her answer was abrupt and final, "please don't ask me to do that again."
Offering her praise, Blossom reassured, "you did a great job, Bubbles."As Blossom pulled her into a hug Bubbles was surrounded by the scents that accompanied Blossom nearly all the time; Peonies, the smell of paper, sunlight, and the faint breeze of peppermint. This was comfort, and she watched as Buttercup and Brick were using their laser vision to fuse the metal cabinet they tipped back over to the wall.
Buttercup shook her head as she completed her task and ran her fingers through her hair, "well that was more excitement than I was expecting." Turning she grinned at Bubbles who smiled weakly over Blossom's shoulder, Buttercup giving her a thumbs up and Bubbles returning one behind Blossom's back.
Brick cleared his throat, "I think that's enough for one day, let's head out."
Blossom released Bubbles and nodded at him, "agreed." There was some tension within her voice, she didn't particularly like him giving orders, and although she would have suggested the same thing, she felt like she should have been the one to suggest it first.
Bubbles practically flew up the steps, eager to get out of the dark lab and far away from the vents. Butch side-eyed Boomer, "why didn't she move that fast in there?"
A laugh edged out but Buttercup walked past him, smacking him on the back of the head. "Jackass."
Looking to Boomer as if to say, 'did you see that fuckery!?' Butch gestured wildly for a moment before realizing that Boomer wasn't even paying attention to him. With a huff he turned away from his brother and climbed up the stairs behind Buttercup.
As Brick was about to turn out the lights Blossom came up beside him, "we'll review some things tonight. See what we can find out about the vents, I don't plan on sending Bubbles back down there." Her voice was firm, but Brick just looked at her steadily before nodding at her. Flipping the lights off they too ascended the stairs.
"Thanks for coming," his voice was quiet but he knew Blossom could hear him even if she didn't say anything. Finding the boot and something of a trail meant Mojo had fought, but he knew he'd have to reach out to HIM sooner rather than later. Brick didn't understand his hesitation with it, maybe it was his pride in proving that he and his brothers weren't little children anymore.
Standing beneath one of the lampposts illuminating the path through the park Bubbles deeply inhaled the night air, savoring the openness around her. Closing her eyes she just listened for a moment; a few frogs croaking by a pond somewhere within the park, the sound of chains clinking as the breeze pushed the swings along on the playground, and the traffic surrounding the park. For once she didn't even flinch when footsteps came and stopped beside her.
"I didn't get a thank you," her eyes flew open as she turned to see Butch beside her, a shit-eating-grin on his face.
In total embarrassment Bubbles began to stumble on her words, "I- well I meant to, -" she was at a loss for words at the moment.
"You didn't do too bad, sugartits." Quick to cut out her babbling. With surprise she just stared at him, wide eyed and opened mouthed like a fish. Seemingly embarrassed at her reaction he turning slightly and began to rise, "try harder next time." Caught off guard she went from embarrassed to surprised, to absolutely insulted, but before she could yell at him he called out, "yo, Boomer! Brick! Let's goooo, I'm starving."
Footsteps came running behind her and she saw Boomer soar up by his brother, "see ya around," his tone was more friendly than awkward this time as he gave a wave, Brick just flew past in a blur of red without a single word.
Bubbles watched them for a moment as Buttercup came up beside her and leaned an elbow onto Bubbles' shoulder, "what pieces of work, eh, Bubbles?" Rolling her eyes Buttercup gave a crooked grin and watched them disappear.
Taking notice of Buttercup's profile, Bubbles noticed how the wind brushed her short black hair around her jawline, the tiny white scar on her cheek as the only imperfection on her sun glowed skin, and the openness in her eyes that reflected the night above them, it was always comforting being near her sisters.
Bubbles felt her face soften, "yeah, real buttheads."
Making a 'pfff' sound Buttercup turned to look at her, "we need to work on your insults."