Okay, so the people have spoken. Viva la PPG x RRB one-shots that will probably be a random collection of drabbles, prompts, and story ideas and will only be updated when I have Writer's Block. I was originally just going to keep these green centric, but... I love all the colors, I shall use all the colors. So, enjoy this one shot. It is mainly shot from Brick's perspective (sorta).

Villain and Monsters

He saw her lying there, still and stagnent in the park. It was late, probably far past her curfew. He had been on a simple run to the store, with a harsh craving for Pringles and donuts.

She was dressed differently than usual. Gone were the conservative blouses and skirts that she wore when she graced the hallways of their school. She now sported a red hoodie with blue jeans and sneakers. The bow she donned was missing too, her hair was down and flurried around her like a cloud in the sunset sky. Her eyes were dim, weary, and exhausted. Her breathing was slow.

He should go, he thought. He didn't want to deal with her prissy attitude right now. But he didn't. Something in him needed to acknowledge her, something ingrained in him needed to speak to her.

"Little late to be out, ain't it? Does Daddy know his perfect little girl isn't in bed?" She didn't move. The girl sucked in a breath.

"Hey, Brick." What? No witty rebuttal? No comment about how he was nothing more than a delinquent who should focus on school rather than taking over Townsville? Brick blinked and floated over.

"What are you doing?" Blossom shrugged.

"Star gazing."

"At eleven o'clock at night?"

"I can't exactly do it during the day."

"I guess, but... you can do it at home." Blossom closed her eyes and a pained look flashed across her face before she opened her eyes again. They seemed even dimmer... much more depressed. Brick had no clue why... but he felt his heart jump to his throat like it was trying to choke him.

"...No... I can't..."

"You can't?"

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"I just... I can't..." She turned her eyes back to the skies again. Brick waited for a minute, "you ever feel... smothered, Brick?"

"...Smothered?"

"Yeah...smothered...like you can never relax and... just be, you know?" He floated next to her and looked up. It was a beautiful night. The air was clear and his advanced eyes let him see clear into the cosmos.

"Sometimes, I guess... why?"

"I feel that all the time..." Blossom continued, "I just... I get this feeling and I can't breathe...I can barely move... I hate it, but I get it a lot."

"Sounds kinda like anxiety."

"Hmm... maybe..." They sat like that for a while, staring up at the expanse of celestial bodies. Brick began to think about it more.

Sometimes, he did feel smothered. The life of a known "villain" was not easy. Hell, he didn't know if he could be considered a villain. His brothers and he would go for months without committing a crime, much to Mojo and Him's annoyance. They'd rather goof off and mess around.

But try telling that to the people around them. Sure, lots of kids joked around and got in trouble. But the boys had superpowers. They could do almost anything, just like their female counterparts. Unlike the Powerpuff Girls, though, the boys didn't use their powers for the benefit of others.

That must mean they're evil, right? Anyone who doesn't use their super strength or speed to defend those around them are selfish, right? That was the reasoning of the people of Townsville.

"It sucks, you know," Blossom's voice was barely a whisper. Brick had also never heard her use those words, either. Buttercup swore like a sailor and Bubbles had slipped out a few curse words, but not Blossom. It was just a type of language used by Neanderthal minded pests, she had said... yeah, she was talking about him.

But here, she said a slightly less cultured word that he never thought would lealeave her prissy lips. She didn't look at him, "being a hero can really suck."

"Seriously...?" The town thought the sun rose and set with the Powerpuff Girls. They were everywhere! T-shirts, toy lines, magazines, movies, etc! He'd seen them on TV more than he cared to. They could do no wrong, they were the princesses of this place, the Perfect Little Girls.

Honestly, Brick was a bit jealous.

"Yeah, Brick. You're lucky you're not a hero." Brick rolled his crimson eyes.

"Yeah, it's so great being a villain. Everyone hates you or blames you even if you're several miles away." Blossom sighed.

"I don't think you're a villain." Brick stared at her. She was serious. "You don't cause nearly as much trouble as often as Mojo or even the Gangreen Gang... I mean, when you do-" she whistled lowly, "you go hard-" Brick laughed.

"Gotta go big or go home, Pinks."

She chuckled, "but you're not that bad any other day. Annoying at times, but not a villain." Brick scoffed.

"Yeah, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Pinky, are you forgetting all the times I purposely destroyed something just to either freak people out or irritate slash hurt you?"

"Brick, I literally saw you once covered in kittens and having a ball. You are not a villain."

"I thought we agreed to never speak of last summer."

"Not my fault you decided to break into the Humane Society."

"I was trying to steal a dog. A big dog. With... teeth and... growling... and masculine stuff."

"You were covered in kittens and dangling string while making kissy faces."

"Okay, I get it! Stop bringing it up." Blossom laughed, a warm smile spreading across her face. The two laid like that while she turned to the sky again.

"But really, Brick, you're not a villain...if anything, sometimes it feels like Townsville's a worse villain than you..." He kept looking at her. "I've saved them more times than I can count. My entire life has been wake up, save the day, go to school, save the day, do homework, save the day, eat dinner, save the day... over and over again, I've done it... without fail...I've even ignored my own feelings and made myself some unattainable role model. It's hard acting perfect when all you want to do is freak out. My sisters and I have done more than any cop... firefighter... soldier... combined... but they can't even give me some privacy."

"...Privacy?" The repeat of that word seemed to break her as tears flooded her eyes. Internally, Brick panicked. Blossom did not cry, not in front of him. Bubbles sobbed like it was going out of style. Buttercup had been known to shed a few tears (right before she decked the offender). Blossom? Crying? In such an undignified and imperfect manner?

Never.

But now, Little Miss Perfect was letting those stupid tears roll down her perfect cheeks like it was nothing.

She choked out, "some stupid freaking reporter got a hold of my diary and tomorrow, it's going to be all over the papers. 'A rare glimpse into the inner mind and heart of Blossom Utonium, leader of the Powerpuff Girls', they said. They won't give it back or retract the issue and everyone's going to know everything about me."

"But.. I... is... don't they already?"

"No," she looked at him, "I may be a superpowered one, but I'm still just a girl! I have secrets... fears... thought I don't want to share with my own family, let alone every person on the planet...but no, that doesn't matter to The Tribune. It doesn't matter that it's my diary, finders keepers basically! And... and..." she couldn't get anymore words out as she curled up into his side and cried.

Brick didn't move. He had no clue how to comfort a crying girl. He usually caused those tears, after all. Comforting was a whole new topic for him.

Brick also couldn't push her off. If it had been his diary (not that he has one, the very notion), he wouldn't have asked for it back. Hell, the reporter wouldn't have made it three feet with it. Brick would have obliterated them and the newspaper... magazine... whatever they were working for. They wouldn't even have ashes left, they'd cease to exist from history. He was a villain, regardless of what Blossom said, Brick didn't do asking.

Blossom was a superhero. She followed the law, she knew that the reporter could write whatever basically. She could do no revenge, no obliteration...

Brick began to realize that maybe Blossom was right. Being a hero can suck...especially when you're just protecting monsters from other monsters.

Blossom's tears were staining his hoodie, but Brick didn't say anything. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, stroking the gorgeous copper hair she was famous for. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but long enough for her to start to doze off.

Blossom got up, sniffling. She also had the decency to blush when she realized that she had just cried all over Brick's chest. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm so sorry."

"Eh, it's just tears. They'll wash out..." The silence was thick, like they had no clue what to say.

"Thanks for listening to me, Brick... it helped a lot."

"Don't mention it..." Brick spotted his plastic bag on the ground. Picking it up, he reached in and pulled out a chocolate donut with red frosting, still in it's plastic package and (miraculously) in tact. He tossed it to her. "Listen, Pinky. You have a right to your secrets, your thoughts, your everything. You volunteered for your job, you can just as easily quit. If you have to remind Townsville of that, no one would fault you. After all," he rubbed her head, "who's gonna try to guilt the Commander and Leader?"

She gave him a small smile, "thanks, Brick... see you at school tomorrow." Blossom hopped into the air and flew a short ways before turning, "and no skipping!"

"No promises!" He shook his head, a wry grin on his face before floating into the air and continuing on his way. He never realized how difficult it was to be Blossom, or that she had problems like he did. It must suck, not even getting the people you protect to give you some privacy.

Brick supposed in some cases, he did luck out more than her. People don't expect perfection from him. People respect his things and his space. How many times has Blossom covered up what she wanted for this crappy town? How many times has she gaped at the standards set for her before putting on a fake smile while her sanity cracks?

Being a superhero sucked.

Brick, absentmindedly, looked down in the direction of The Tribune Tower's, tall and gleaming, Townsville's go to source for news coverage. An idea formed in his head and Brick's trademark "bad boy" smirk grew on his face.

Being a superhero sucked, but it could get better.

Especially when one had a supervillain helping them out.

TRIBUNE TOWERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CALLS IT QUITS

Friday- Earlier this morning at 8:30 AM central, Townsville's beloved news guru, Michael Snoops, called an emergency press conference to announce his early retirement. This shocking news comes shortly after strange rumors of horrified screaming and pleading was heard from The Tribune Tower. The newspaper was set to release a special exposè on our beloved superheroine, Blossom Utonium of the Powerpuff Girls (age 13). The article was promptly cancelled, wit only vague reasoning behind the cancellation.

"There was a large, ethic error made with the article that prevented us from printing it. This same error also made me realize that it was time for me to step back and reevaluate myself and thus, I am going into retirement early."

Brick smirked as he read the article, bright diamond pink eyes glaring at him from across the couch in his living room. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, babe. Just made it easier for you to breathe."

Huge, ethical error = Brick and his flaming fists of fury.

How many times you think the Puffs have to deal with overzealous fans, reporters with no boundaries, and creepy stalkers? Well, I can assure you that it probably will drop drastically. We have the greens, who have a secret buddy (love?) relationship and Butch will not have those weirdos around his counterpart. And we all know Brick likes Blossom, even if he denies it. No way are they getting near her. And don't worry.

Boomer's gonna show his own fangs soon enough.