Here it is, Chapter 9! I know I'm late, but I wanted to take my time on this one and got stuck a few times on what I should say to drive in some real impact (note: there will be a lot of cursing in this one, but guaranteed I'll try to tone it down from now on.). Oh and to answer for KittyComeHere, the redhead is the girl from Chapter 5. If it were Princess, she would've called her Princess. So, I hope that I might've cleared some confusion for anyone and thanks for the question!
For ppgxrrbmegafan, anytime gender roles take place would be in adjectives or in indefinite articles, not exactly in the verbs. But I did notice a small mistake in another sentence and I apologize, but thank you for the feedback!
This chapter gets… complicated. There's a lot of POV's, a lot of scenes, a lot of time alterations, and a LOT of drama. So you can't really skim over anything otherwise you just get lost -trust me because I got a little confused myself once or twice-. But I hope you guys like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls in any way, shape or manner as the rights belong to Craig McCracken.
Chapter 9
Part I: Breaking Boundaries
6:51 AM
The sun rose steadily as it lit the peaking skyscrapers and adorned the city in its warm glow, signaling the onset of a beautiful sunrise. The steady glow of dawn revealed Blossom as she gazed at the horizon in a perturbed state.
-Yesterday morning-
"Slippery Slopes..." he began. The class rose their heads with mild intrigue for what Mr. Harvey had to say. "…have you ever been on one? It's one hell of a ride -if you come out alive, of course-"
Bubbles slightly tilted her head in awe. "I never knew you snowboard, Mr. Harvey."
The teacher raised his eyebrows in shock at what she just said. "Me? I haven't touched a snowboard in my LIFE! What I was talking about are drugs."
The class fell into an awkward silence.
Mr. Harvey took notice and faced the class with a small grin but his overall expression remained serious, coming as a surprise to most of the class.
"Figuratively, Slippery Slopes…range. But there's always one thing you're guaranteed once you take that first step down…
-Blossom-
…you're just that much closer to your grave.
"Mornin'!"
I shot my head up to see Bubbles enter the living room in her pajamas. "Hey Bubbles. How'd you sleep?" I said with a forced smile. She shrugged it off, but I could tell from her blotchy eyes it didn't go so well. "Mm. I'm just a little nervous. What am I supposed to wear at a soccer game?"
"I don't know. Maybe a school t-shirt and jeans?"
"Blossom come on! You're supposed to be the smart one!" she whined.
I widened my eyes in mock offense. "Well! Excuse me for trying to help. How's about you ask Becky? She knows everything about this school."
Bubbles nodded in agreement before fumbling through her phone. "I think I have her number in here somewhere, but I'm not sure…"
"And if it makes you feel any better, I might be able to push off some of my time studying to come with you…"
"Really?!" Her forlorn expression brightened with hope, obviously not taking notice to when I said 'might'. "Thanks, Blossom!"
Guess I don't have a choice. I turned back to the sunset. In our apartment we have a full view of sunrise giving the living room a golden orange glow. Out of all the things I grew fond of in this apartment flat, this by far tops everything else I've ever came to enjoy here.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bubbles's expression soften as she turned to the direction of the sunlight. "It's so pretty…" she said softly.
"Yeah." I agreed. But no matter how much I enjoyed watching the tranquil setting, it couldn't pull me away from the dilemma growing around me.
"Where's Buttercup?" I asked absentmindedly with my face glued to the window so that Bubbles couldn't see my frustration.
She gave me a puzzled look. "Actually, I don't know. Did Buttercup ever come home last night?" I receded into myself for a moment to consider this. Truth was I didn't know how to answer that myself. We all figured she came home late, but when I checked her room earlier she wasn't there. I bit my lip anxiously trying to think of the last time I saw her. Is she still in the city?
"Blossom?" I broke out of my train of thought to see Bubbles showing concern. "Are you alright?"
"…Just tell me where she is if you get the chance, alright?" She nodded and turned back to her room to change out of her nightgown as I closed my eyes to focus. There's no chance I could tell anyone else about what I found. Bubbles would just panic, Gladys is out of the question, and the Professor is never around enough for me to rely on him. I was just going to have to confront Buttercup myself on this one.
I could hear Bubbles's door close as sandals slapped across the room to the front door. "I'm going out to buy a decaf at that coffee shop down the road, want anything?" I silently shook my head as the door closed. Once her footsteps receded far enough, I tried to figure out where Buttercup could be with fierce determination.
Too many futures are at stake, and I refuse to let her jeopardize them again.
7:00 AM
-Bubbles-
The Cabana Café was located on the corner of the intersection 3 minutes from my apartment, and it looked nice. When I entered the café, the smell of fresh coffee beans and bagels wafted across my face as a warm sensation filled inside of me. The interior was designed with smooth mahogany flooring that matched perfectly with the light olive painted walls. Admittedly, it was a little small with just three wooden tables and chairs matching the design, but in a way the whole place gave off this homey feeling, something I could really get used to.
But I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that. The line was HUGE! I thought I could make it out in five minutes, but at this rate it'll take a half hour just to get to the front of the line, then there's the time I have to take to get my order…
Might as well go before it gets longer. I stepped in line and tried to think optimistically. At least I'll have enough time to think of something to get me and Blossom. Besides by the look of this line, this place has to be good! I stood in the back of the line patiently waiting for when I'd go until I saw a tall familiar figure wearing gray casual slacks under a white buttoned shirt. I have to say, he dresses a lot nicer outside of school.
"Brandon?" He turned curiously to find out who called him and met my gaze with a huge grin on his face. I thought it would be rude shouting between all these people, but he actually left his spot in the line to where I was in the back.
"Hey! B-Brooke, right?"
I nodded cheerfully, but my eyes expressed concern. "Do you think it was a good idea losing your spot in line?"
"Why stay up front when I can stand next to one of the prettiest girls at school?" Okay it was a little corny, but I still blushed at the compliment, especially since it came from him.
"Aw- Thanks! You're- not so… bad looking yourself!" I sputtered before turning away in embarrassment. What did I just say? That was WAY cornier than the thing he said before!
Luckily he teased himself by bowing at the compliment. "Thank you! I try, I try." I giggled lightly to myself, but I grimaced taking a peek at the long line. We didn't move an inch from where we were before. "Are their lines always this long?"
"Only on Saturday mornings, but most of the time it's pretty laidback. Take it from someone who's a regular."
"You're a regular here? How long?"
He looked up at the ceiling to consider how long it's been. "Hmm… about a year or two, I think."
I stared at him in disbelief. The most commitment I've ever made to a shop was one week! "You must really like this store!"
Brandon shrugged his shoulders carelessly like the thought never occurred to him before. "I dunno, it's like this place has a real…
"…homey feeling?" I suggested hopefully.
He turned back in surprise. "So you've been here too?"
I laughed as I shook my head in response. "Nope! First time."
"Well prepare to have your taste buds dazzled! Everything here's great…" For the rest of the time, he told me everything about this store. The food, the decorations, the employees -in fact, he even went on to include the few that he's dated in the past (ending on good terms, of course)-.
But all I could do was watch him with every shred of my attention as he told me about the stories, jokes, and feelings he's had in this store. I felt mesmerized by how animated he was, it was almost as his face glowed when he talked to me.
"–Brooke?"
"W-What!?" Crap, I was daydreaming again! He's gonna think I'm weird! Please don't think I'm weird!
But instead of suspicion, he showed concern. "You okay?" I smiled and nodded in relief at my luck. That was waaay too close! Never doing that again!
"Hello!? Lovebirds?" We turned to see an impatient broker glaring at us. "The line?"
When we turned around the line was practically gone with the last person getting ready to leave. I felt confused at first; we couldn't have been talking for that long. I've never had a conversation over ten minutes with anyone, including my sisters! But with him it was like I've known him my entire life, almost like a best friend.
"Entre-toi…" he said stepping aside to let me go first. What did he just say? Whatever, just smile and pass by him. God he looks so cute when he's speaking another language! I thought there would've been a few options, but I froze in horror at the giant menu. It had to be at least five feet long! How am I gonna get Blossom something when I can't even get something for myself!? I looked back at the waiting line nervously trying to think of what to do. If only I looked at it before coming up here…
"Allow me," Brandon smoothly stepped in front of me with a relaxed smile. "Hey, Izzy!" Suddenly a pretty brunette with deeply tanned skin turned to see us and rushed towards Brandon with a warm embrace, barely what you'd call friendly. "Oh my God! How long's it been Gringo?"
"Apparently not long enough since you still call me that." He muttered. She smiled brightly as Brandon motioned towards me to introduce his friend. "Meet my ex, Elizabeth, she's the daughter of the owner and one hell of a soccer player. So don't get on her bad side, cause you might get both of us kicked out of here." She laughed at his joke lovingly and patted his shoulder, making it hard for me to keep up my smile. "Brandon's a sweetheart babe. In fact, he's one of the only exes that I talk to!"
I wonder why. But I clamped my thoughts shut and spread my smile even wider. "I'm sorry about being so clueless! It's just that it's my first time and–"
She put up a hand to stop me from talking. "Brandon knows this list like the back of his hand." She turned to her ex with a notepad ready. "So I guess you'll be ordering for her?"
"Of course!" In the line sighs in relief erupted and someone even shouted out 'Finally!' but he easily ignored the crowd like they weren't even there. I couldn't help but find myself amazed at how confident he was. Some people are born with all the luck, I guess.
"Let her have…" he examined me curiously, as though he were trying to read my thoughts. "… a decaf latte with a tinge of extra sugar and a stick of cinnamon. And you can give me the usual." I quickly rose my head in shock thinking back to the last time I spoke to Blossom. That was what I was going to order in the first place!
When she scribbled down the orders she looked up with a smile to tell us our order will be out quick before returning to the kitchen. Me and Brandon sat by the windows on the other side of the store where the sun shone into the store. As he looked out of the window I kept thinking back to the orders he gave in suspicion.
"Are you psychic or something?"
Brandon suddenly turned his head to meet my wary expression. "What?"
"How'd you know what I was going to order?"
He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Actually you didn't know what to order. And to be honest… I winged it. What I ordered for you is the exact same thing I get whenever I come here!" he laughed incredulously. I looked stunned "No way!"
"I'm serious! The only thing I changed was the sugar. You seemed like the sweet type." He said with a wink, making me blush again.
Even though we finished our decaf lattes, we kept talking like time froze just for us. School, TV, music, almost everything that came to mind came into the conversation. After a few hours, I started to pick up on a pattern Brandon did when I talked to him. He'd always crack a joke whenever we switched topics and then go into this huge dramatic monologue making fun of the things he saw, almost like he was doing it just to see me smile. I hope he was.
But I quickly shook the thought away. What am I thinking? What would Blossom and Buttercup think if I was with a guy right now when we just got here!?
Suddenly feeling guilty, I got up at 1:15 to leave only to be blocked by the photographer holding a mischievous grin that made it impossible not to smile back at. But what I really liked to look at were his eyes. They were almost as deep as the ocean…
"–So what do ya say?"
"Hmm?" CRAP! Bubbles, what's the matter with you!?
"The park? I figured since we're both together and all…" Oh. My. Gosh. Yes. YES. A THOUSAND TIMES YES! This is gonna be so cool! I just need to go home to change for…
the soccer game…
My heart dropped. If we could spend five hours together at a café, there's no way I can go to the park without being late to the game. Just thinking about seeing Bella and Joanna when I was late made me want to faint. I just couldn't risk it.
"Brandon…" he looked down at me with those hopelessly blue eyes. Someone please kill me. "…I'm so sorry, it's just…"
He shrugged it off like he already knew what I was going to say. "Oh. It's nothing really. I-I understand –"
"–Wait! Brandon I really had a good time it's just that there's a soccer game and–"
He turned back around in surprise. "–The soccer game!? I'm gonna be in it!"
"R…Really? You play?!" He's a soccer player too! I thought Becky said he didn't do sports this year.
"Y-Y-Yeah!" he snorted shakily. "I mean – Ppht!–Why wouldn't I be in it?!"
I beamed at him gratefully. Sure I don't know anyone in the school, but maybe the game wouldn't be too bad with him around.
-Boomer-
"Alright! I'll see you before it starts!" And she took off before I even had time to explain what I meant about being the mascot.
"Smooth Boomer…" I muttered to myself. Fan-freaking-tastic! How am I supposed to turn into David Beckham in 6 hours? In fact, why'd I even say that? 'Oh yeah I'm definitely on the team! Kicked a couple balls -fell on a few more in fact…- but I'm still legit!' It's like I throw myself into these dumb situations on purpose!
But still… Spending that time in the café was probably the first time I've ever been so comfortable around a girl I really liked. Thinking back to her smile, those sky blue eyes, her soft laugh…
Maybe It might not be so bad. Is it such a bad thing to stretch the truth once in a while? I didn't think so; not when it gives me this kind of opportunity! She thinks I'm a nice guy now, imagine what'd she think of me in a real jersey!
Besides, how hard could it be? Play a couple minutes, come out with a "stretched muscle" or something, and then I never have to play again!
But then there's Brick… he could take it well…
IT'S JUST A FEW MINUTES MY ASS! The only place YOU'RE gonna be in is on the sidelines with the CHEERLEADERS!"
…and then he could go apeshit. "Hmmm…"
This might be tougher than I thought.
-Blossom-
6:57, Just after Bubbles left for the café…
…
The gym? No, it's closed right now.
How about–?
what about–? No… maybe…
I groaned angrily to myself. This is pointless! Anything she does now is unpredictable. I barely know what's on her mind anymore. I mean she actually took a trip to the Library for Chrissake!
As the morning fog started to clear up residents began to leave their apartments heading out on their daily business. I searched again. Still no sign of her.
It's like Buttercup's a total stranger to us. I gazed down at the pendant I shared with my two sisters as a heavy lump rose in my throat in remorse. When did I let us grow so distant?
Biting my thumb, I nervously turned on the TV for any clues.
"The Hooded Heroine seems to be untraceable at the moment, but with the trauma dealt to her by this sadistic villain, it's unsure if whether or not she made it out alive…"
"Tabloids." I grumbled to myself as I flipped to the next news channel.
But then I saw the video from a passerby showing the felon gripping her at a chokehold from an alley. From the blurred image I could see the bruises left on her face from his fist as my heart dropped in horror, unable to register what I just saw. The mangled body in the video looked nothing like the tough sister I've grown up with my entire life.
What sort of monster could do this to her?
And my sister was out in the middle of the city with that thing! Adrenaline rushed through me as I grabbed my bag and ran out the door. Wherever Buttercup is, I just hope she's okay.
6:58 AM…
Cole Spencer trudged through the entrance of the cemetery in casual black trousers and a gray sweatshirt. The entrance was followed by some steps descending into the curved stone pathway placed in the middle of the grassy area.
By this time the sun rose, it crossed the forests that thrived nearby, leaving extended shadows that crossed over the abandoned graveyard, giving the scenery a radiant gold impression as the subtle mounds of grass awaited solemnly for the sun's full arrival.
Cole regarded the sun's awakening with a sober expression, wondering/contemplating if whether or not he should've came. But turning back he noticed a small figure hidden underneath thick sheets of grass, almost resembling one of the tombstones if it weren't for the black hood.
The somber teen snorted bitterly to himself. Guess I'm not the only moron that visits a graveyard. He proceeded in his trek down the fields, leaving Buttercup to gaze at the memorial as a feeling of dread rose within her.
-Ten years ago...-
"ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS HELP!" she screamed at the jury, her eyes filled with rage.
"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it, Ms. Utonium." The young attorney scoffed as she examined her victim with scorn.
"We've been here for years and now we're getting treated like dirt? It's not fair!"
"Excuse me if I'm wrong, Ms. Utonium, but that dirt you're referring to is what your entire class is buried under!"
Buttercup's skin turned cold instantly, as though she just got slapped. Horrific images flooded through her mind of the lifeless corpses scattered across the ruins, the dried blood covering those pale faces, white as snow. Within seconds the eyes that radiated with life now faded into a deathly gray, marking the absence of a lost generation.
"Do you think this is a joke Ms. Utonium?" But the defendant couldn't answer, all she could hear were bloodcurdling screams, the cries…pleas for their lives. She couldn't stop it…
because she caused it.
"Ms. Utonium!" Buttercup snapped her head up to face the District Attorney as piercing blue eyes glowered at her in fury. "Answer the quest–!"
" –OBJECTION! Badgering, your Honor!"
"Overruled." The elderly judge turned his attention from the defense attorney to shoot a venomous glare at her sending chills down her spine. "Answer it Utonium."
Unsure of how to respond, she turned to the audience, clinging to the hope that there was someone… anyone that could understand, anything to save her from this torture.
"No… Is that what you guys think?" She stared at jury in disbelief, but not a single shred of sympathy was given for the fallen heroes. They practically said the word they were all thinking of unanimously, like a final death sentence.
MONSTERS…
At the sight of the jury's callousness, Buttercup felt her lips starting to quiver trying one last time to plead her case with the people that once glorified her. "Please…I'm… so… so sorry…" she whispered, the tears starting to slip from her ashen cheeks. "I didn't mean it… I… I…" The court remained still in a harsh silence waiting for what'd she say next, the final decision engraved within their stone expressions.
Sitting by the defendant's table ten feet from the witness stand, her family watched in despair as Buttercup finally reached her breaking point. But she couldn't see them, or anyone for that matter. Gradually the world around her slipped from her consciousness as she silently crumpled into herself on the stand, trying to hold back choked sobs as she repeated those last words.
With the prey crushed, the prosecutor glanced at the judge with a look of satisfaction.
"No further questions."
-Buttercup-
Why are you doing this…?
"I only wanted to help…" I whispered to myself. Was it so hard to believe that there was still one more person out there who might've cared? It wasn't just about who I was or who I was helping, but it was just about doing what was RIGHT. For once having someone do something just because it was the right thing to do!
Take a look at where that got you before genius
After a few minutes I managed to force- myself to look at the scenery in front of me. It's one thing to see the Pokey Oaks Memorial on a TV screen, but when you have it two feet away from your face it's a whole another story. It was built starting with a giant monument holding a dedication to the seventeen kids with a tombstone set for each of them was in a wide circle, almost like the setting of a classroom.
I wonder what they would say to me right now
But then again I don't think I even wanna know. I let out a dark chuckle as I stared at the round of monuments. Out of all the things we've done in this city, this is what we're known for. Seventeen kids buried in the grave right along with our reputations. Odd how your entire life can be decided for you in just a few hours when it was spent doing things for the 'greater good.' All the stuff we did to protect the city? It won't matter compared to the fact that you just wiped out an entire generation. It's all pointless bullshit.
What happened to me? Thinking back to the monument of us in the corner made me realize just how much things've changed. The old me would've had this guy behind bars before her curfew came up, and now I can barely take off this guy's mask without getting my face bashed in. It's like I don't even know who I am anymore.
"A Tragic End to the World's Greatest Heroes…" And a week before it was made they all called us monsters.
Liars. They're all fucking liars. I took a moment to think about this before leaving the monument.
And it's about time I changed that.
Noon
-Butch-
"Ten dollars my ass!"
The girl by the counter scowled at me as a response. "Sir, I don't make the prices, I just work here."
Well if you don't like your damn job, why'd you apply? "Wow that makes me feel so much better. Fucking rip-offs." I muttered as I left the fast food joint. But before I could even touch my food, an alert came up on my phone to show 6 new messages.
::Candy::
HEEEYBABIIEE! Lst nit ws fnnn! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
::Lacey::
Hey q-teee. I jst cme bk frm FL nd im alne. Wnna have some fun? :-* :-* :-*
After skimming through the past four, the next text came from someone I actually wanted to talk to
::Baser::
Game's tonight. You comin'?
Now I know why Brick stayed after school yesterday. But before I texted him back I crossed the alley that I was in to see a redhead standing right in front of the wall I shoved kitten into last night. Man she had a pair of legs on her!
I let out a sharp whistle to get her attention and saw a pair of pink eyes. Kinda freaky, but still hot.
"Nice legs baby!" It was a joke, but I guess she took it too seriously and gave me a scowl before whipping her head back to the wall.
Touchy… She's new; just give it some time. Making my way back home, I stopped at the Townsville Research Institute and took a glance at it. What the hell could HIM possible want in there?
Whatever, not my problem! I turned back to my phone to text a reply. If I come back in time I might be able to see them play, but I wouldn't count on it.
Not sure. Save me a spot.
-Buttercup-
If I was gonna go through with this, I better make sure I do it right.
I burst through the glass doors of the gym and stormed right up to Mr. Lee with a firm expression on my face. Once he saw me he looked surprised. "Interesting. Your next class isn't until next week."
"I just wanna be alone."
He took a moment to think about it before he agreed with a curt nod and motioned towards the staircase."Understood. Follow me."
The minute I stepped down the stairs into the basement I saw Mitch and his girlfriend -two people I really didn't feel like seeing- doing stretches. Judging by how shocked they looked when they saw me, I knew that the bruises on my face didn't let up yet, which is pretty bad because I was hoping they'd be gone by the time I went home.
Mitch stared for a few seconds and cringed before going back to stretching his legs to avoid my face, but Ginger only snorted at me with a smirk on her face. "Nice face."
"Piss off." I spat before I walked to the private room. Inside there wasn't much. A punching bag, some weights, a mat on the floor and speakers from the upper corners of the room to play music. I sat on the floor as I tried to straighten things out in my head.
The first fight I had with the criminal was when I took him by surprise at the bank. The second fight (okay let's be honest, that was a beat down) was when he took me by surprise back at the alley. So basically we both have no idea how strong the other is making this a lot harder than it should be.
I sighed to myself as I buried my face into the palms of my hands. How do I fight someone I barely know?
Just then I heard a stack of books slam onto the floor outside of my room. Using X-ray vision, I saw Mr. Lee outside of my room with his arms folded five feet from a group of people my age, including Mitch and Ginger who were both looking pretty pissed off.
"The hell's this crap?" she snapped.
But Mr. Lee looked unfazed by her comment. "This 'crap' that Robinson mentioned is one of the best literary pieces known to mankind, called 'The Art of War'. Written by Sun Tzu, a respected general in ancient Chinese history, these tactics have been used for centuries in modern warfare, sports, even politics."
Pausing for full effect he faced the small class with a tiny smile. "And that's what we're using today."
3:13 PM…
Butch strolled into his house and flopped onto the couch next to Boomer, who just got back from the café. "Sup! Where's Brick?"
"Getting ready." Boomer raised an eyebrow in both curiosity and suspicion. "Where the hell have you been?"
"I could ask the same thing. Since when do you wear slacks?"
"Just met up with someone." The blonde kept his face downcast, but he couldn't hide the faint blush tinting his cheeks, something Butch was keen to pick up on.
"Oh! So you had a date!"
"It wasn't a date!"
"Brandy's got a girlfriend!"
"Shut up!" he snapped. "We just talked."
"You talked?" the jock remained skeptical.
"Yeah, what's so bad about that?"
"And you wonder why you're still single!"
"Sooo…?" Butch looked at him quizzically. "I told you where I was, where were you?"
"Spent the night with Candy." He replied with a sly grin.
Boomer shook his head in disappointment. "You're such a manwhore."
"Least I'm gettin laid."
"Just letting you know now, don't get on Brick's nerves right now. He's really stressed out about the game."
"Speakin of which, I don't know if I'm goin." Butch wisely chose that moment to go into the kitchen for some food to avoid his brother's stunned expression. "What do you mean you're not going? We always go to the soccer games!"
"Sorry." He shrugged carelessly as he chugged down the last bottle of Budweiser. Boomer stared helplessly at his brother wondering if anything could go beyond that thick head of his.
"Brick's gonna be pissed."
Butch snorted in response to his brother's concern. "I can take Rapunzel." At that moment Brick entered the front door and strode to his room without a word to his brothers to get himself ready for the game. The two brothers shared confused glances before following suit. One hour later Brick crossed the living room in sweats and the school soccer jersey, soccer bag in one arm and his soccer ball in the other before stopping at the door impatiently.
"Boomer! Butch! LET'S GO!" Seconds later Boomer emerged from his room in shorts and a white tank top grumbling to himself. "Stupid mascot crap…"
As Brick tried to restrain his smirk, Butch caught him off guard as he came out of the room with a large bag and black clothing before turning in the opposite direction to leave through the back door.
"Where do you think you're going? The game's in 2 hours."
"Out."
Brick narrowed his eyes at what he just heard. "Out?"
Butch turned to his brother curiously, unsure of how to explain himself. "Uhh… yeah. Out."
"Well, why don't you just tell me where you're going?" the captain asked nonchalantly as he took a few steps closer to his brother.
"Why should I? It's my business."
"What if it isn't?"
"Come again?"
"What if it just wasn't about you anymore? What if it included all of us, Butch?"
Butch eyed his older brother warily. "Whatcha gettin at, Rapunzel?"
"Where were you last night?"
The thief scoffed arrogantly to himself "I robbed a bank get over it." But upon seeing his brother's face twist in anger Butch rose his voice to defend himself. "Aw, c'mon! We've been pulling that sort of shit since we were five!"
"Does it look like we're five Butch!?" Brick yelled.
Shocked at his sudden outburst, Butch soon retaliated "If you've got something to say about what I'm doin, then say it!" Brick froze in a lethal silence as he noticed of Butch's hair. "Since when did you stop gelling your hair?"
Caught off guard by the sudden switch of topic, Butch couldn't come up with a good excuse in time. "…Wanted a new image." He mumbled under his breath.
New image my ass. Brick suddenly crossed the room and pressed Butch against the wall to lift his bangs, revealing a faint pink line left by his temple.
"Where'd you get that scar Butch?" However, instead of shouting, Butch remained silent as he glared at the pair of maroon eyes until he was released from his older brother's grip.
"This isn't a game anymore Butch! I let you do whatever the fuck you want because cops can't do anything to us!" At that moment Brick grabbed the newspaper Boomer gave him and slapped it in front of Butch to reveal the hooded figure on the front cover."But you happened to meet someone that can!"
"It's just a scratch!"
"YOU HAVE BULLETPROOF SKIN DIPSHIT!" Brick shouted.
"Come out and say what you wanna say!"
"Wherever HIM assigned you tonight isn't happening!" Upon seeing his brother's surprise at his sudden knowledge, Brick responded indifferently before turning to meet Boomer in the car. "Yeah. I knew."
Butch approached his brother menacingly as rage burned through his veins. "Oh, and I'm supposed to bow down to whatever the hell you say? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, Brent! That's what you want me to call you now, right? You too fuckin embarrassed of your real name? Well you an' Brandy can sit playing dress up all you fuckin want, but I'm stayin the way I am! So don't count on me joinin you guys anytime soon!"
Brick stood firm against his brother's reproach and let out a low growl. "Butch you're not going to do this, alright? That's final."
"LIKE HELL IT IS!" he roared. "Ever since you hooked up with that bitch, you forgot who you are, who you WERE in fact! You act just like them! Like you ain't never had powers before. Well lemme tell you now BRENT, YOU'RE NOT NORMAL! YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE NORMAL! SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL DUMP THAT SLUT YOU CALL YOUR GIRLFRIEND, CUZ IT AIN'T LOOKIN GOOD FOR THE LONG RUN!"
Brick grabbed Butch's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "TAKE THAT BACK YOU LITTLE PRICK!"
"HA! Now THERE'S the Brick that I knew!" Butch sneered inches from his brother's face, unfazed by his brother's sudden aggression. Instantly, the deep maroon eyes flared into a bright red as bloodlust raged inside, turning his eyes into narrow silts. In just seconds, the eldest brother altered into something all too familiar.
"So this is what you wanna do fer yer life? Steal, run, do it all over the next day, is THAT how you wanna live yer fuckin life?!" Brick snarled as the slang accent emerged.
"DAMN RIGHT!" Butch snapped back. "And I'll have one helluva time doin it while you go play high school!"
The captain narrowed his eyes at his brother, trying to see why it mattered so much to him."What's this about, Butch? Why're you doing all this?"
"BECAUSE IT'S ME! Jesus Christ, I can't even say your NAME outside of this place! I can't do a damn thing without you hounding my ass about 'our covers'. Well you know what?" He viciously tore himself from Brick's hard grip. "FUCK THE COVERS! I wanna life where people shit bricks when I come through that door! What happened to the brothers that I grew up with? The ones that didn't give a FLYING FUCK about what people said about 'em! THE ONES WHO DIDN'T GO AROUND WITH WHORES!"
"THAT'S FUNNY, CUZ ALL YOU'VE BEEN WITH ARE WHORES SINCE YOUR LITTLE BITCH LEFT!"
"TAKE THAT BACK!"
Butch rushed towards Brick before being tackled to the floor by Boomer, who flew in right on time. In a brief struggle between the two, the green ruff shoved Boomer off as he glared icily at the eldest brother.
After a long tormenting silence, Butch straightened himself up to look at his brothers in bitter disappointment. "After HIM got captured, you two moved on like we never existed, but you know what I did? I sat there and waited. I WAITED for when we came back and made these people sorry." He set his lips into a firm line showing his resolve. "Well I'm done waitin, and HIM's takin me places I'm not seeing in my future if I stay here."
"Don't you dare say that to me." Brick snarled. "I remember it, I remember all that shit. In fact I remember it a whole lot better than you do since you think so highly for someone that wanted us DEAD. You know EXACTLY why we got rid of that psycho! You CHOSE your BROTHERS! So I'm askin you to choose your brothers NOW!"
But after one final silence, he looked at his younger brother in new eyes. The torment that hid beyond the dark green eyes standing before him made Brick's heart soften as he locked eyes with Butch, trying to see if there was some way he could break through to him.
"You're our brother, Butch. Don't do this." he murmured faintly.
But the only thing heard was Butch's bags as the green ruff stepped out of the back door, never once making eye contact with his brothers. Before he stepped outside, he only came up with one response to show his decision.
"Sorry, but last time I checked my brother's name isn't Brent."
As Butch flew off towards the city, Boomer looked back at his older brother expectantly. "So, do we go after him?"
Brick didn't respond as he stared at the open door. "No. It's his life. Why should I care?" After a moment he took his soccer bag and headed out the front door for the game.
3:15 PM
As Buttercup entered the apartment, Bubbles looked up to the havoc that was made on her sister's face and instinctively ran up to her in alarm."Buttercup what happened to you?"
But before she could protest Buttercup rose a hand to show her annoyance on the subject of her face, knowing fully well that she'd get an earful from the Professor soon enough. "Bubbles don't. Where's Blossy?"
Bubbles stared blankly at the floor for a moment. "Actually… I don't really know. When I got home she-"
Just then Blossom burst through the flat and stormed inside before slamming the door shut, ending all conversation between the two younger sisters. Just as Bubbles was about to greet her sister, she locked eyes with Buttercup and clenched her jaw trying to restrain her anger.
"Where the HELL were you?" she growled
Buttercup, taken aback by her sister's animosity, returned the favor with a nasty glare. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"
She then lost all her patience and marched towards Buttercup, who barely uttered a word before Blossom gripped her face in one hand. "What the hell did you do!?"
"Get off me!" Buttercup snapped shoving her into Bubbles. "That's none of your damn business!"
Blossom stared at her sister incredulously."None of my business? Then what the hell's this Buttercup?"She grabbed the stack of papers she came in with and threw them at Buttercup as images of the girl covered the living room floor.
Buttercup stared at the photos, dumbstruck at how many had accumulated in such a short amount of time. "I don't know-"
"-You know exactly what I'm talking about!" The redhead narrowed her eyes in malice over how casual her sister was reacting to something that could very well ruin their lives. "You're so selfish! We haven't been here a WEEK and you're busy trying to play hero?!"
"Since when did you give a damn about anyone here but yourself!" Buttercup yelled.
"I NEVER do anything for myself! I'm always worrying, always taking the initiative, ALWAYS looking out for what's best for you two! I JUST SEARCHED THIS ENTIRE CITY THINKING YOU WERE DEAD!"
"Does it look like I need you babysittin me?"
"Buttercup have you looked at yourself lately? Of course you need to be babysat!"
Bubbles started to step closer to her sisters as she realized where this was headed. "Guys stop!"
"So what I got into a fight, what's it matter to you people? It's not like I have my real name written on my forehead!" the dark haired girl shouted.
"Are you an idiot? No human gets hit with a mailbox without going into a freaking coma! And now you want to go back out there like nothing happened? Of course people are gonna put two and two together Buttercup, it's not rocket science!"
"Oh you should know! You know everything, don't you Blossom?" Buttercup then slowly relaxed her stance and scoffed at her sister in disbelief. "You act like you fuckin OWN us. Prancin around like 'Blossy knows best', but the fact of the matter is that you don't know shit! And now you're having this giant bitch fit like you know what's good for me when you don't even have a fucking clue! None of you do!YOU NEVER EVEN ASKED!"
Instantly Blossom lost her nerve, unsure of what to say at that point. "'Always looking out for us', huh?" Taking advantage of the momentary silence, Buttercup shoved past her sisters with a look of resignation. "Don't lie to me Blossy, the only one you care here about is yourself."
Blossom felt stung, barely veiling the hurt in her eyes. She couldn't even look at her sisters and instead looked down at the carpet, trying to swallow the lump in her throat over what she just heard.
Bubbles took notice and tried desperately to pull at Buttercup's t shirt to get the two to reconcile. "Buttercup-" But the green puff easily pushed her off and proceeded to her room. "Buttercup please–"
"–You think you can play with your life?" Blossom suddenly snarled, like a snake recoiling for an attack. "Go into your 'secret identity' and 'save the world? Is THATwhat'll make your problems go away?"
"Beats being here acting like we don't exist!" Buttercup sharply retaliated.
"This is your life Buttercup, NOT A COMIC BOOK!"
"My life? IF IT WAS MY LIFE I WOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"
"GUYS–!"
"–What are you trying to say Buttercup?"
"I'M SAYING I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE IN ANY OF THIS FUCKING BULLSHIT!"
"GUYS!" The two girls abruptly stopped fighting to see their younger sibling shaking with tears. "Please…" she whispered. "stop arguing… please…please just–!"
"–What is going on in here?" The three girls stiffened at the sound of the Professor's voice, unable to utter a word as a tense silence filled the room.
"All of you. Sit." He growled.
Blossom was the first to recover to try and explain. "Professor-"
"SIT. DOWN."All three girls quickly followed his order and sat on the couch with Bubbles separating the two at a safe distance. Taking in their silent expressions, the Professor stood before them with his arms crossed in disapproval. "Now I want to know exactly what is going on between you three. For three days days you guys have done nothing but argue and fight amongst each other. And you?" he turned to Buttercup as his features darkened. "I have had it up to here with your antics. Now you WILL go to your room and consider the mess you've made of this city!"
Buttercup's face paled in horror. "You knew?"
"You thought I didn't know? You're all over the news Buttercup, how could I not know!?" He rested his head onto the palm of his head, feeling the onset of a migraine. "What do you have to say for yourself?" But the dark haired girl kept her head downcast to avoid looking at the Professor, suddenly feeling insurmountable remorse for how much her family's been affected.
"Well if you're going to sit there, you'd better start marching to your room. I've already told Gladys to watch over you three, so consider yourselves grounded for the rest of the night!"
Bubbles shot her head up to protest. "Professor, wait I have to go to–"
"–Do I make myself clear?"
"It's not fair, I didn't do anything!"she cried as tears threatened to fall from her bright blue eyes.
Even though the Professor had his face turned from Bubbles's pleading look, his voice stood firm. "That doesn't matter to me, because all three of you are to blame for what occurred here. You guys act like your strangers to each other when you were born from the same pot! But that's gonna change starting now." The biochemist went to go to his room but stopped at the door frame and turned back to the girls for one final word. "I just came for a change of clothes for the Science Exposition, and no one's going ANYWHERE until I'm back."
Just then the front door opened to reveal Gladys in an off white cotton blouse and washed out jeans. The Professor nodded to her in acknowledgement of her presence before closing his door. "They're all yours."
5:00 PM
The two boys entered the field in silence to see the soccer team starting a warm up jog around the field. Donnie was sitting on the bottom rows of the bleachers before seeing the redheaded captain approaching them and pushed Tyrone to get his attention. "Oye, Ty! Es el Jefe!"
When Ty turned to see Brick, his face turned serious, something seen more often in him than Donnie, but still a rare feat. "Que paso, man? Yo' bro isn't answerin my calls."
Brick's scowl deepened at the thought of his brother. "Don't ask. I just want details on the game."
"The dance team looks fine…"
Brick ignored Donnie and turned to his solemn brother expectantly. Ty shrugged, unsure of how the game might turn out. "They started stretches thirty minutes ago and they look alright, but with Cole gone and Julian on bench, it's a 50-50 shot."
The soccer coach approached them in his usual stiff posture as the boys were talking, but the minute Brick took notice of him all conversation ended as the four acknowledged his entrance with apprehension. Coach Alik Belov was a Corporal in the Gulf War, got promoted as Sergeant with the war in Iraq despite the fact that he was almost forty, and even at 49 he still had iron fisted control over anyone that stepped foot on the field. Nobody messes with this guy. "Jones?" he asked expectantly.
Brick instinctively understood what he was asking for and gazed out on the field to examine the players, but only turned back to his coach in bitter disappointment. "I don't think they're ready."
"Is it them, or is it just you?" Brick looked skeptical, signaling for Belov to continue as he cross examined the team captain. "Throughout the past few days Jones, you've been distant. Anything you'd like to confess?"
Avoiding his coach's scrutinizing look, Brick kept his face downcast. "…No sir."
Picking up on the lie, Belov's face hardened as he stood up to prepare for his departure. "If that's the case then I suggest you take your head out of the clouds and onto this field, Jones. We have prelims to worry about!"
"Yes sir." Brick murmured, never looking back once at the veteran. But as the coach left the bleachers, Brick chuckled to himself, remembering a time when people were terrified at the very thought of just being near him. The nostalgia of it all came in huge waves, but as he mused through his past life, he could honestly say he didn't miss a single thing surprisingly. It just wasn't fun for him anymore.
Checking his clock, he realized fifteen minutes had already passed, meaning the game would be starting in just under two hours. He checked around the bleachers again, but Butch was nowhere to be found.
Guess some things never change.
Brick shook his head in disappointment at his brother, wondering when he'll come to terms with what happened, or if he will at all for that matter. If only he knew.
"…Alright let's start drills!"
5:45
Two hours after Gladys entered the apartment and the girls still kept to themselves in silence, the only noise coming from the TV as it blared on about the Science Convention. Coming out of her room with a the large Tote bag, Bubbles crept into the kitchen to where Blossom was as Gladys kept her eyes on the TV.
"Blossom." She whispered, but her sister went on with her business undisturbed as she poured milk into her cereal.
"Blossom!"
The pink clad girl rose her head to see her sister dressed up with a bag in her hand and looked at her suspiciously. "What is it, Bubbles?" Bubbles crept up closer to Blossom to make sure what she was saying couldn't be heard by the others.
"I'm calling Becky to pick us up for the game."
Blossom gaped at her sister in shock. "Bubbles! You can't just-"
"-What! I didn't do a thing and now I'm getting punished? That's not fair, so I'm going no matter what the Professor says!" she snapped furiously as Blossom continued to stare at her, surprised to hear such defiance coming from her innocent young sister.
And as much as she hated to admit it, the conflicted redhead knew she wanted to leave too, but it was out of spite rather than defiance. Just like her sister, she couldn't understand why she was being punished with Buttercup and held even more resentment for how rash the Professor was to make up his decision without even hearing their sides to the story!
"So?" Blossom left her train of thought and turned to Bubbles's impatient expression. "Are you coming or what?"
Looking back at Buttercup, who was leaning on the living room chair looking out the window, another wave of resentment filled inside of Blossom. There's no way she'd last the whole night with her without Bubbles, so she might as well go. "How long do you think it'll be when Becky gets here?"
"Could be a while. But I'm sure we could both sneak out if–"
"–"-Blossom, Bubbles?" The girls flinched at the sound of their names and slowly turned to Gladys who stood just a few feet in front of them with a dubious look. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
Blossom cursed under her breath realizing their fatal mistake in speakin five feet away from their caretaker. But before she could defend their position, Gladys intercepted as she took Bubbles's bag.
"The LEAST you could have done…" At that moment Bubbles hung her head low to try and hide her tears, knowing her chances at making the dance team were long gone.
"…is say please."
"What?" Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup all looked up at the young woman in shock, delight, and outrage.
Gladys grinned brightly. "You can still call her of course, but for now this can be our little secret." Adding the girls' cell phones inside the Tote bag, she handed it back to Bubbles with a wink, assuring their freedom.
Blossom still looked shocked, but her sister beamed with excitement. "Thank you Gladys!" Bubbles could barely contain her excitement and dropped her Tote bag to give Gladys a giant bear hug "ThankyouThankyouThankyou!"
"Bubbles, calm down." Blossom giggled as she started to loosen up, but Bubbles in contrast stiffened at the sight of the clock. "What do you mean? We have an hour and fifteen minutes before it starts!" With that she grabbed Blossom's wrist and ran to her room as the older sister cried out in protest. "Wait–but that's plenty of time!"
Gladys gazed at the pair with a warm smile, glad to see that they wouldn't suffer at home in misery. And with that taken care of, she held in a deep breath before turning to the root of the problem glowering at her from the windows. Expecting the worst, she took her seat right at the couch and awaited the impending backlash.
"So they have a get-outta-jail-free pass while I sit here and take the blame, how's that fair?" the green puff retorted.
"As far as I'm concerned Buttercup, you're the only person that seems to have a problem."
"Don't act like you know me! You met me three days ago, so I hope you're not expecting me to give you hugs anytime soon!"
"I'm not asking you to," Gladys sighed. "but the least you could do is follow the rules."
"Oh, so there's rules now?"
"Do I have to write them down for you?"
"You can jump in a ditch for all I care."
Gladys stared at Buttercup for a long time before replying. "You'll never change, will you?"
But Buttercup only snorted at her. "Don't count on it."
6:15
"Alright Danny, you're next!"
At my call Danny took a start off run towards the ball centered at the PK line, the one thing separating him from the goal lied in the palms of my hands. Focus…
"BRENT!" Crap.
"What is it Donnie?" I groaned, unsure of how he got on the field without facing Belov's wrath. Nonetheless he ran up to me with a huge grin on his face. Must be pretty serious.
"I made a few calls and got the art club to do your faces for the game." Are you serious?
"What? It shows school spirit!" he protested seeing my dubious expression.
Before I could respond, Boomer came running up to my goalpost. "Bric-Brent! I wanted to talk to you about something!"
"What is it Brandon? I am NOT in the mood."
He turned his head to the grass below him before muttering a response. "Look um, if you need a fill in I ca–"
"–And what exactly can you do for us, Mr. Jones?"As if on cue, my coach appeared behind the two with a threatening glare. Donnie suddenly disappeared. "Last time I recall, my boys don't wear tights."
"They're baseball pants, b-but just forget what I said." Boomer blurted out quickly. "Uh, good luck!"
"Quite." he growled as he turned to see the team standing idle. "Don't just sit there, MOVE IT!"
6:40
"Hello? Is this Rebecca Stewart… Hey! It's Brook! Um, me and Brianne–"
"Brianne and I." Blossom interjected.
Bubbles rolled her eyes in response. "were gonna go to the soccer game, wanna come with us?"
::R-Really? For what?::
The blonde only giggled in reaction to her friend's shock. "Nothing silly! We just thought it'd be fun with you!"
There was a pause in the room before Becky responded again. ::…Okay! I'll meet you there in the back section!::
"Kay! See you there!" she beamed before closing the phone. Blossom looked up at her sister in amusement at how excited she looked as she threw on a jacket. "She sounded pretty happy, don't you think?"
Bubbles glanced back at her sister with a dubious look. "Of course she was, these are the preliminaries. Let's go!"
-Buttercup-
Gladys and my two sisters headed off towards the front door to leave the flat, but not before she turned to give me a final warning like I'm four.
"Now I'm gonna drop off Blossom and Bubbles to the game, so don't try anything because I have this place monitored."
Instead of giving the silent treatment like I planned, I glowered at the three to show them how unfair they're being. "And what if I tell the Professor?"
"Who do you think he'd believe, Buttercup?" Gladys calmly replied. I was about to snap at her before until Bubbles came forward with that stupid pout. "Buttercup please let us go. If I'm not at the game my spot on the dance team's as good as gone."
She's playing the guilt trip again. "Whatever. Just go."
At my comment the three took off, but not before Bubbles turned around to whisper a small 'thank you' before gently closing the door.
I scowled to myself. Of course I'm finding a way out of here!
First I needed a test run. To start off, I cracked open the front door to see how far it'd go before the alarm rang, hoping that there might be a chance I could slip out before the alarm sounded off. But before I could make it to an inch, the warning bell sounded off.
…Okay, so front door's out of the option. Time for Plan B!
I went inside my room and tried to open up the windows but got my fingers shocked instead. As I cried out in pain, the door to my room locked shut from behind me leaving me stuck inside my room. Damn she's good!
I sat on my bed to try and think things through. So now thanks to Gladys, I'm locked in with the threat of being electrocuted. And it's hot as hell in here!
I huffed to myself in agitation. This was gonna be harder than I thought.
Meanwhile…
At the Townsville Research Institute the crowds gradually grew teeming with excitement and anticipation for the grand event. As journalists began to enter the building, Russell Cross started to feel his skin crawling with anxiety and flinched as a hand rested on his shoulder to see Ian Taylor giving him a stern look.
"It's almost half past six, sir. Are you sure she's going to come?"
The SWAT captain grunted and roughly pulled himself from Taylor's grip. "Get yourself ready and let me worry about that." When Taylor was out of earshot Cross muttered another round of curses to himself.
Where the hell is this kid?
6:50
-Blossom-
I must be in heaven.
The three of us drove in Gladys's 2013 silver Honda Civic lined with black leather seating highlighted by a tinge of white on the outer edges of the seats. With HD radio, a GPS system, and a voice command control system, this thing looked fantastic.
Bubbles gawked at the interior in amazement. "Wow, Gladys! Your car looks amazing!"
"Seriously!" I added. "Can we go to school in your car?"
Gladys chucked lightly at our comments. "Let's just see what your dad might say to that." In the next few minutes we saw the towering school as Gladys turned into the driveway entrance. Even from the entrance you could see the lights coming from the football field as everyone got ready for the game to start.
Bubbles started shifting in her seat nervously as she kept looking back from me to the field. "There it is! How do I look?!"
"Bubbles I already told you, you look fantastic." I wasn't just saying it to make her feel better. Bubbles had on a royal blue shirt she designed with silver bold lettering and cursive handwriting of our graduation year. Matching that were a pair of white shorts along with her hair pulled up into two uptight pigtails. She definitely looked better than I did. At Bubbles's protest I wore my one navy blue tank top underneath a black sweatshirt zipped halfway and a pair of fitted dark blue Bermuda jean shorts.
Suddenly Gladys's watch rang off and she immediately stopped the car to see the alert, risking the wrath of many impatient drivers.
"What was that?" I asked
Instantly her concern flashed into relief, and then even amusement. "Just an alert." Bubbles got ready to leave the car, but I stayed unconvinced by what she just said.
"Is everything okay?"
She laughed lightly and turned to face me with a little smirk. "Trust me. Everything's perfect"
Guess it was just an alert. I shrugged off my concern to join my sister outside, but not before seeing Gladys poke her head out the window for one last goodbye.
"Have fun ladies!" she shouted above the honks. I forced a smile at her, but in all honesty I felt like I was going to be sick with anxiety. Whatever happens here, I just hope we don't stick out too much.
6:53
-Buttercup-
Wait… I can…
What about if I…
If I just turn this I can…
"Agh, DAMMIT!" I threw myself onto the bed exasperatedly. Nothing's gonna work in here! While my sisters get to have the time of their lives at the game I'm stuck here in my stupid room thanks to that dumb agent that thinks she's the boss of everything! She's like the future version of Blossom!
"AND FOR FUCK'S SAKE CAN I AT LEAST TURN ON THE AC?!" I yelled to myself in the empty apartment.
But then I froze. Wait… THAT'S IT!
-Science Exposition-
Professor Utonium took in the setting in wonder trying to control his excitement, almost like a giddy child. Mesmerized from the device set before him, it was clear to him at this point how far they've come as a species.
"Professor Underhill?"
"Come again?" he turned to see a young attractive reporter with blond hair and bright blue eyes holding a microphone at him. "Underhill? That is your name, right?"
"Oh- Right! I apologize it's been a long day!" he blurted nervously. Being his first time on camera –by choice–, he was understandably anxious to show the thing he's been working tirelessly over for days.
The reporter showed a wide grin with pearly white teeth. "Understandably. It's been rumored that you've worked on this for quite a while."
"I only came a few days ago to finish the final touches to the design." He admitted modestly. "Full credit for this phenomenon should go to the chemical engineers who're at the moment busy with even more interviews!" Despite him being here only a few days, for all the work he put in for just those few days made him have profound respect for those doing the project for years, decades even at that.
"Would you mind giving our viewers an idea on what we're looking at right now?"
"Of course not! What we're looking at is what our research committee calls a Transubstantiation Ray…"
"Those are some… pretty big words there Professor!" the blond woman stuttered in astonishment. The Professor tried his best not to show his annoyance over her interruption as he was just about to go into full detail on the device.
"…or the Trans Ray for short. Allow me to explain. This new invention rearranges the composition of atoms in a specified space, altering it to whatever structure it wants." Seeing the look of confusion on both the reporter and the cameraman he decided to dumb it down a bit. "In a nutshell, this machine has the potential to alter matter into whatever we desire. Rocks turning into diamonds. Water to gold. Now this may be a prototype, but it can lead to the next evolution of mankind! The possibilities for this are unlimited!"
Regaining her professional composure, the young woman held concern on her face as she introduced the next question."Now Professor, with this new invention, amazing as it is, aren't there supposed to be… precautions? Fears for what it may lead to if caught in the wrong hands?"
"With the security lining these walls, I find it highly unlikely for us to be breached. But say we were," The Professor took a moment to ponder the situation, "then the first thing I'd make a grab for is this object right here. It's crucial that we keep these objects away from international warfare of any sort, as the releasing of such a potentially hazardous device could lead to the destruction of mankind just as much as it could lead to its evolution."
The reporter's face paled slightly taking in such information, but quickly flashed back into her bright composure for her audience. "Thank you, Professor Utonium for your insight. I'm Sandra Stewart reporting live from the 25th Annual Science Exposition."
"And… CUT!" By the time the cameraman cut her off she turned to give the Professor one last handshake in gratitude for his interview and left for a water break. As soon as she left the Professor turned towards the machine in front of him as dread crept over him for what he's helped produce in front of the public eye. The federal guards should've reassured him, but on the contrary it made him feel worse about the situation.
If this much attention's spent for the main showcase, what'll happen to it if it got into the wrong hands?
6:56
When Gladys crossed the hallways to enter the Utonium's residency, she wasn't surprised to see the door left open ever so slightly. Probably Buttercup calling my bluff. She thought to herself. The stun guns wouldn't shoot her, but they certainly proved how far Buttercup would go to test her. She opened the door to see the living room empty. She must've tried the windows next. With that Gladys checked every room to see that they were all still unlocked, leaving Buttercup's of course.
That girl just never learns! "Okay Buttercup. Unless you want to sit there boiling under the heat, allow me to give you an ultimatum. You can either stop with these ridiculous games, or I can make your life all the more miserable."
The room hung in a dead silence.
"I can double the classes you're taking at the gym and remove you from any team or clubs to keep you here at all times. You need to understand that you can't just decide to do what you want however you want to do it! There are limits to what you're capable of doing in this city, so why are you the only one who can't understand that?"
The silence ensued, much to the agent's annoyance. "Unbelievable…" She muttered to herself as she headed towards the living room and entered the kitchen for a drink of water. As she took a sip of the cool drink, Gladys kept trying to find a way to understand that girl's motives, her thoughts, and why she would choose to act this way. It was like she hated every suggestion they gave her out of spite!
But at the same time… Gladys couldn't disagree with the way she's reacting.
Looking around the room, no matter how nice the apartment appeared it still seemed… empty. No picture frames, no signs of any memories from before, nothing to make it a real home like in the city they dwelled in before.A complete stranger could walk into their living room under the assumption that it was unoccupied, like a sparsely decorated hotel room.
The agent looked towards the Professor's room in curiosity. Is there even a picture of them in there? Checking his room she saw dozens of paperwork and files on his desk, bed, drawers and even in some corners of the floor. Only the nightstand managed to come out of the mess unscathed with a tiny photo of the family years ago smiling at the camera. Buttercup of course, only glared with a deep pout. Gladys suddenly found herself giggling at the girl's adamancy.
She was just like me when I was little. As a wave of nostalgia hit, the agent abruptly froze at the sight of a protruding dent from the air vent above her. Everything became clear at that moment.
Gladys knew she herself would've fought any ruling she didn't like to the very last nail, and Buttercup's no different.
She ran across the living room to the girl's hallway. "Buttercup?" Still no answer.
Barging through the teen's door, she froze in horror at the sight of the air vent wide open, big enough to fit Buttercup in for her escape. On the floor laid the detached lid with a note scribbled in red pen.
-TRY TO FIND ME NOW BITCH!
She threw the paper in the air as curses flew under her breath. At this point, she could be anywhere in the city without a single trace to where she went. So there was only one thing she could do.
6:57
The Professor's phone rang off just as he was going through his second interview, but he quickly ignored it to proceed with his explanation.
"Now if you look here, you'd see…"
His phone rang for the second time, however this time he checked the caller ID to see who'd call him at such an important time. His blood ran cold at the sight of Gladys's name appearing on his phone, thinking of what could've happened inside of that flat when he left. It was only for a few hours…
"Dr. Underhill," he looked up to see the reporter waiting for his answer. "Would you like a minute?"
The biochemist nodded his head absentmindedly and turned to answer his phone, preparing for the worst.
"Gladys…what happened?"
-Buttercup-
It's not what I usually wear, but it'll work.
The hoodie I grabbed was a little too small for me, so I grabbed a cap to put over my head a little bit to still keep my cover. As soon as I left the flat, I didn't even need the captain's card to know where I should go considering the huge line of traffic going straight to the Institute.
Hiding behind the buildings, I flew towards the sight as fast as possible to see the research center. On the upper side of Townsville, the cars led up to a tall building with multiple compartments (tall building that was connected to smaller buildings) and a grassy field area on the right side of the lot and another corporate building to its left. The entrance had steps leading down to the sidewalk that stretched down into the street sidewalk where guests were waiting to come inside from.
Naturally I had to take the back. But before I could cross the grassy fields to get to the back entrance, I could already hear security guards screaming my name to stop. Considering what I was wearing, I should've seen this coming.
Not my smartest idea… "STOP! She's one of us." Someone called out. I looked up to see the captain from before with two officers covered in black by his sides as they came out of the back entrance. "Made it right on time kid!" he grinned as he held out his arm. "Captain Russell Cross of the SWAT-"
I slapped his hand away. Not here for him, or the people, just because it's the right thing to do. "Two conditions: I keep my cover and I get left alone"
"Understood." He said briskly motioning towards the two officers. "Jane Turner and Austin Emery, the two that will help you into your uniform."
"What uniform?" I snapped angrily.
"You need to blend in with us if we want to catch this guy." He explained already turning his back to leave the field.
"There's no WE–"
"–whatever. Turner, Emery! Get to it!"
-Butch-
God this is boring!
HIM finally told me about the target, but I still don't find the point. After stealing money, jewels, and even some cars here and there, I don't see why now he's taking this shit so seriously now. Seems like just another fix to me.
By now the crowd was filled with people trying to get in to see the showcase. Businessmen, senators, celebrities, basically everyone that was worth six digits came, even the Morbucks had a spot right in front of the gates taking pictures in front of the tabloids. A grin spread across my face at the thought of seeing their terror once I arrived. These people want a show? I'll give em the best fucking night of their lives.
Imbecile…
"Leave. Me. ALONE." I growled out bitterly. I'm getting his crap for him so the least he could do is give me five minutes to myself!
The signal's coming soon.
Whatever.
Don't Fail Me.
You already said that last night smartass, and I'm already in position. Weird. He didn't come up with some stupid speech on his legacy, in fact he didn't even say ten words to me this time. He must be that serious about this. Looking through the building, my fingertips started to twitch in anticipation. Whatever's in there better be that important.
I checked my watch to pass some time. Brick's game's probably starting right now. But I quickly brushed the thought away and scoffed to myself. Why should I care? Last time I checked he didn't give a damn about how I felt, so I don't see why I should listen anything he says!
Hypocrites, every last one of them.
As far as I'm concerned they're all dead to me. Seven minutes left. Let's get this over with.
-Brick-
"Luis, keep your position! Danny, stay behind the defender!Sam-" When I noticed one of the forwards missing, I turned to see the freshmen sitting on the bench with his face buried in the palms of his hands.
"I-I can't do it Brent, there's no way." He mumbled dejectedly.
"Sam," I growled. "the last thing I need right now is your bitching at prelims. So get your ass off this dirt and start doing these fucking drills if you feel so damn insecure!" Sam scrambled off his feet and ran towards the two forwards like his life depended on it. This wimp's talking about how rough he's got it.
By now he has to be at the Institute and there's nothing I could do to stop him. Does he even know what he's doing? Does he even care?
That poor dumbass is gonna get himself killed.
"It's not just about you anymore." I muttered, but I didn't know who I was addressing; the water boy putting our game on the line, or the brother that was about to make my life a living hell.
-Boomer-
This thing smelled like living shit!
"Stupid costume." I muttered to myself. Amazing how bad things can end up in a few hours. I couldn't hang out with Brook, my brothers are about to rip each other's throats out, and now I have to wear this dumb shark costume for another two and a half hours!
Why's everything so complicated? I thought miserably to myself. At least I'm covered up though! Wait! If I'm covered up Brook'll think I stood her and the team up since I'm 'supposed' to be one of the players.
…But if I show her I did show up, she'll see me as the dork that couldn't tell her the truth and never trust me again.
Hearing my name I knew it was almost time, and the only thing I could hope for is that she didn't recognize me in the costume, if she even came.
Life couldn't get better.
-Bubbles-
Blossom went to go find Becky, but I stayed at the main gates of the building until I saw Bella and Joanna walking towards me in matching royal blue varsity jackets.
"Hey Bella! Hi Joanna! I'm on time right?"
"It's Joanne." The co captain growled. She eyed me up and down as a look of scorn crossed her face. "Nice getup pigtails."
Bella rolled her eyes in response to her comment and took my hand. "C'mon, I'll show you where we practice before games." As I followed her towards the space underneath the bleachers, I took one last look at the sky and thought about Buttercup sitting all alone on the couch by herself. I hope she's okay…
I turned back around to see the team glaring at me as we walked towards them and swallowed a huge lump in my throat. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
-Blossom-
"Hey Brianne?"
"Hm?" I turned to see Becky giving me a look of concern. "You're okay, right?"
I nodded my head lightly as a bright smile lit up my face. I felt a little guilty lying to her when she was so worried, but I didn't have any other options. She held up her camera in front of her face as she beamed with excitement. "I just wanted to take a few close-ups of the team. Be right back!"
When Becky went down the stairs, I looked down at the stands beneath me in agitation as doubt clouded my mind. I chose to come here for the opportunities we were given, how we could finally get past our past mistakes. This was supposed to be the best thing to ever happen to us in a long time!
But thinking about what was said that afternoon made me doubtful. I thought I knew what was best for them, I always knew.
…but what if I'm wrong?
-Buttercup-
Not Bad. Looks like Cross kept up with his side of the bargain. With all the armor and their helmet, you couldn't even tell if whether or not I was a girl in the black uniform.
"HEY!" I whipped my head around to see Jane at the door motioning towards her watch. "Time's up!" Before I left, I took off the helmet and turned back to the mirror to get a full look at my face. Bruises cuts and all, I was going down fighting. Nothing's gonna change that. It's my life, so I'll live it however the fuck I want. They don't care.
They never did
6:59
From the press box*, Ty looked down at the bleachers as the crowd roared with excitement and anticipation. With a tiny smirk, he motioned towards Donnie to start the intro.
"'mano! Estamos listo!"
Host and owner of Townsville's Research Center Bradley Schuber looked upon the center, filled with achievements made by some of the finest men known internationally that he could proudly call his colleagues. With an air of satisfaction and pride, Schuber set his microphone to begin the national event.
These people want a show? I'll give em the best fucking night of their lives…
Does he even care…
Why's everything so complicated…
I hope she's okay…
What if I'm wrong…
The doors are opening. This is gonna be one hell of a night…
"…LET'S BEGIN!"
"…LET'S BEGIN!"
Yeah it's not my favorite, but I hope you guys liked it. 13,000 words… an all time new record! But I'm gonna try to minimize the word count for a while. Took me two and a half weeks to get this set up and I must say that was the hardest chapter I've ever had to go through (so far).
** for anyone who wanted to know what a press box was, it's the section of a football field set exclusively for media that broadcast what happens during the game may it be speakers for the crowd, radio forecasters or journalists.
If there are any questions, comments, or anything I messed up on, feel free to put it in on the review box and I'll either PM you or put it in the introduction on the next chapter and if you guys have any feedback.
-Review and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!-