This time they could all see him clearly from afar, mostly because two school busses floating in midair wouldn't be a normal everyday sight. He was holding them as if they were nothing, and terrified cries of children could be heard from inside them.

'What the.. fuck?' Blossom could see her sister muttering.

'I told you. Don't fuck with Brick.' said her counterpart, attempting to loosen Blossom's grip.

'Bro!' he yelled. 'It's about time!'

His brother got closer, still holding the busses midair.

'A trade. My brother for the children's lives. ' he said unflinchingly.

'Blossom looked around. She decided she would play it cool, mention Bubbles only if it was obvious they had captured her.

'Where is your brother?' Blossom asked. 'I can't do the trade if he isn't fully visible, so that I know you're being fair about it.'

Brick furrowed his brows. 'Boomer? He has been out of reach for a while. Why?' He squinted his eyes. 'Are you scared we might have your sister?

Blossom shuddered at the thought. 'Is he bluffing? It's hard to tell with him. Why wouldn't he present her as a trade if that were the case? Is he keeping her as leverage for later on?'

'Your sister is probably fine. Unlike you, we don't go around kidnaping and torturing our own kind.' he smiled.

'You're holding two busses filled of screaming children, Brick. I think that qualifies as torture.' Blossom retorted coldly.

Her counterpart grimaced: 'Aren't you a bit slow on the uptake? I said OUR kind, us. We have about as much in common with these talking apes as we do with the average chimp.' he shook the busses and the cries intensified.

'So what will it be? Your call, Pinkie.'

Blossom was torn. Images of Bubbles calling for help, being used as a plaything at the hands of the Rowdyruffs kept flooding her brain. On the other side she could clearly see the children screaming and vomiting in the shaking buses.

'I..I need to see that your brother is here first. I need to see him. ' she exhaled. 'And my sister, too.'

'Tsk, we could be waiting for hours. Are you willing to do that? The kids will miss dinnertime for sure.' he teased, giving the busses another shake. 'I'm trying to be the better man here and let you solve this casualty free , but looks like you're the cruel one this time. Funny how the tables have turned.'

Blossom could feel her resolve budging.

'Can't wait for the headlines tomorrow.' his voice boomed again for the crowd to hear.:' Blossom Utonium caused the death of multiple school children. She wasn't willing to trade in the enemy.'

'YOU FUCKING SCUM.' Blossom could her her sister yelling. 'I'M GONNA PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND END YOU.'

'Hey, one bad guy speech from Brick and you forgot about me already, babe? I'm jealous.' Butch chimed in.

'Buttercup, keep your cool.' she placed an arm in front of the brunette to keep her contained.

'Fine, Brick said. So be it, as you like it.' he raised his arms and threw the busses forcefully towards the river's water, one on each side of the bridge.

Blossom was stunned, but then she noticed a green streak going towards the right, so she followed suit, going after the bus on the left. By the time she had reached it it had made a huge splash in the water and it was drowning rapidly. Blossom dove into the river and retrieved it, and for a while all she could hear was the sound of coughing and children yelling in panic. She laid the bus on the river bank just in time before she felt someone whisking her away forcefully.

She struggled to escape the grip, but before she could do anything she was pinned high on the glass windows of a nearby sky scraper.

'Fuck, you're so wet.' he murmured in her ear. 'Well, not the good kind.'

She could feel his hot breath on the nape of her neck as his arms slithered around her waist.

'I like it that you're stubborn. It drives me crazy.'

'You're insane. You're a psychopath!' she spat. 'What makes you think I would ever want ...this ...after all you've done?' Blossom choked up.

Brick let her go, cupped her chin and said, staring into her pink orbs.

'We'll see about that. You're right, though. I might have gone a bit overboard.' he gave her a half-smile.

'What? ' Blossom wasn't expecting that.

'But, I hoped that if it hit you head on it might be for the best.'

Blossom gave him a questioning look.

'You'll see.'

He grabbed her hands, interlocked his fingers into hers and pinned her against the window. He then looked inside above her shoulders.

'Every day they come into these offices, gossip by the water coolers, do their menial work in tiny cubicles...lead dull, meaningless lives. It's a maze for rats to die in.'

He averted his gaze back to her. Blossom could feel his blood red eyes drawing her in, she shook her head and regained her composture.

'And does that entitle you to torturing them? Just because you're stronger and less limited? It's despicable.'

Brick chuckled ' Like they don't lose sleep over torturing millions of animals each day, that's how I don't either.'

'You repulse me!' she sneered at him.

Brick cocked his head to the side: 'Are you sure about that? Do you think I can't feel you melting whenever I get close to you? Give me some credit.' he winked.

'Where's my sister? What have you done with her?' Blossom asked, attempting to ignore his reply.

'Like I said, I have no idea where my brother is, either. You really don't trust me at all, do you?'

It was quite windy that high, Blossom could feel herself getting cold. Her back was stuck to the glass , her chest exposed to Brick's view, as her arms were held by him alongside her body. The T-shirt she was wearing was soaked, and her nipples pointed out through the cotton. She could see him staring, and could feel a familiar warmth in her core.

'How can I possibly hold back when I see you looking like this?' he said huskily, his gaze darkening.

He let her go, took off his jacket and handed it to her.

'I won't until you want me to. '

'I don't...' Blossom began her reply, but he was already gone.