Time
Part 2: Metamorphose
Chapter 7
Buttercup hummed to herself as she turned the water on in the bathtub. Psylocke whined as she felt the warm water on her black paws. Buttercup giggled at her dog's opposition to her long overdue bath. The rambunctious dog loved to go out whenever it rained. The Powerpuff was reluctant at first, but soon was swayed by her dog's puppy dog eyes and led her down the stairs of the apartment into the thunder and lighting. So, in turn, the canine no longer smelled sweetly of daisies and roses. Buttercup twisted the knobs once the bath was full enough and turned off the water. She grabbed the soap and lathered Psylocke's fur with it.
Buttercup couldn't help but let her mind wander to her older sister. Blossom had been in something of a slump for the past two weeks. Ever since dinner at Boomer's, Vincent had been getting worse. Brick tried time and time again to comfort her, but Blossom was as stubborn as a mule. She vowed to be by Vincent's side 24/7.
None of the doctors knew what was wrong with him. They performed various tests involving the taking of his blood and numerous scans. The girls called the aging Professor in, and even he didn't know what was wrong with Vincent. He used his most advanced systems that he created in his lab to search Vincent's very brain and even the stem. Alas, he still had as little luck as the doctors did.
It was all so odd. Buttercup hoped that Vincent would be back on his feet soon enough. She shook her head. Why was she even thinking about this stuff when Psylocke was getting her bath? Buttercup sighed heavily, continuing to wash her companion. I guess baths are a place for deep thought. Even if it involves washing someone else.
As she was washing her, Psylocke continued to whine in protest. Her perky ears dropped down flat on her head. She lowered her head and gently licked Buttercup's arms, giving her owner frequent puppy dog eyes. Buttercup smiled and shook her head.
"You're not getting out of this bath, girl. Nice try, though." Once Buttercup rinsed and repeated the process, she dried off her dog with a large towel.
Just then the doorbell rang. Buttercup sighed and left the towel on top of her dog. She stood up and jogged from the bathroom to the front door. She unlocked it and opened it up.
"I think I found a lot of good stuff, Kitten!" Butch held up the large bags in his hands for Buttercup to see. Brick stood right behind him with two more bags of his own. Buttercup opened the door wide, and the two brothers walked in. Butch kicked off his shoes and trotted into the living room.
"Butch, what is all of this? We talked about this. I thought you were just going to get a few things? This is far from a few." Butch chuckled and plopped the bags down with a thud on the floor.
"Just a little something for the little guy." Buttercup scoffed.
"How do you know it's going to be a boy?" Butch stood up straight and crossed his arms.
"See, us men have this little sixth sense. Just like how you have 'women's intuition.' We automatically know if we'll be having a son." Buttercup giggled and rolled her eyes.
"Right, uh-huh. So, since you know it's a boy, you decided to buy out half of the store?"
"Yeah, pretty much!" Brick chuckled and set his bags next to Butch's. He fixed his hat before turning to the two of them.
"Well, I should be off. See you two later then." Butch waved as Buttercup opened the door for Brick. Once he was gone, Buttercup walked back into the living room.
"I really appreciate you doing this, Butch. No matter how crazy it is, I'm glad you did it. Thank you." Butch smiled and walked up to Buttercup, pulling her in for a tender kiss.
"Anything for you, Kitten." Buttercup smiled.
"So," Buttercup sighed as she plopped herself down on the couch. Butch sat down beside her, placing his arm on the back of the couch. "What do you think we should do once the baby comes?" Butch glanced down at her.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Buttercup waved her arms around her, motioning to her home.
"This. Living in separate places. What do we do? I mean, I do have the baby room, but I don't want the baby to have to travel from one house to the other. I'd rather save that for when we get divorced." She placed a too sweet grin on her face. Butch chuckled.
"Well, we could always move in together. Get a nice two bedroom place in a good neighborhood. Did you want to stay in any place in particular?" Buttercup pursed her lips together in thought.
"I don't want to live too far from Professor and my sisters, that's for sure. And I know you don't want to be too far from your brothers or your mom. And we gotta stay close to Mojo!" Butch scrunched up his face in surprise.
"You, out of all people, want to stay close to Mojo?" Buttercup giggled, biting her lip.
"I know it sounds strange, but I find the thought of seeing Mojo trying to work out how to hold an actual baby pretty hilarious." Butch chuckled along with her. Mojo was never the fatherly type and seeing him with a squirming, whining baby in his furry arms would deal him some much needed justice. It'd be what he deserves for not being a parent to his three "sons." Buttercup snorted once more before leaning over into Butch's chest.
"You know I'm going to get fat, right? You'll probably not really want me anymore when I do." Butch placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her head up. His emerald eyes locked with her bright, lime green ones.
"Don't play me like that. I'll always want you, Kitten. I still do." Buttercup shuddered at the deepness of his voice, the calm nature of his words. She licked her lips slowly, watching him eye her as she did.
"It's been a long time since we've…" Butch nodded.
"Oh, it's been too long." Butch brought his arms around her waist to pull her closer, pressing her up against him. Buttercup slid on top of his lap and grabbed a good portion of his hair. Just as things were beginning to get heavy, he suddenly broke the kiss. Buttercup's eyes fluttered open, and she looked down at him, worried that he was going to back out.
"It won't hurt the baby, will it?" Butch reached down and placed a hand on her growing belly. Buttercup giggled in relief.
"No, it won't. I promise. I've been… reading up on these things." Butch chuckled deeply before pulling his lover back towards him.
The two held on to each other, grabbing at each other's clothing. Butch kissed down Buttercup's neck and nibbled on the soft flesh just above her collarbone. Buttercup sighed in delight and tugged at the back of Butch's head. The Rowdyruff growled before gently pushing the Powerpuff on her back, into the soft fabric of the couch.
Buttercup could feel herself become more ravenous, more needy for him. She clawed at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up along his back. Butch lifted up his arms and broke the kiss to let Buttercup pull off his shirt. Once it was off, she threw it to another part of the room. Butch latched onto her mouth once more. He grabbed the back of her thighs and encouraged her to wrap them around his waist, which she did without a second thought.
Butch broke the kiss once more before staring up into Buttercup's eyes.
"Are you sure this won't hurt the baby?" Buttercup smiled.
"I'm positive, Butch." The Powerpuff kissed him once more before grabbing the zipper to his jeans. Once she unzipped them, Butch laid back in between her legs, kissing at her neck.
Bubbles paced around her room, eyeing the phone laying on her bed as she passed. She'd been like this for the past hour, going back and forth, contemplating whether or not to pick up the phone and call him. She wanted to see him again. Ever since she admitted to Blossom her true feelings for him, she's been a bigger mess than that day. Every waking moment was filled with fantasizing about him and how she hoped their relationship would flourish. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about him! Not that she really wanted to…
Bubbles suddenly stopped her pacing and faced her phone. She sighed heavily and grabbed the device off of her bed. She tapped on the contacts app and scrolled down the list of names until she got to his name. She tapped it again and the screen popped to a picture of his smiling face and bright, dark blue eyes. She blushed as she stared at that face, loving the wide smile he put on for her picture. Just as she was about to click the call button, Bubbles felt her stomach begin to grumble. She sighed, relieved that her own body was distracting her from the task at hand.
Bubbles placed the phone in her shorts pocket and trotted downstairs into the kitchen. She opened the fridge up and grabbed some of the leftover vegetarian BLTs she made the other night. She grabbed another plate and placed one of the sandwiches on it before placing it into the microwave.
As the microwave whirred loudly, Bubbles grabbed the phone once more. She opened it and stared at the picture of her counterpart. She felt her face burn hot as she stared at his smiling face. Every time she saw it, it sent a sudden shudder down her spine. She brought her hand up to click the call button, but suddenly the microwave beeped sharply at her. She closed the phone and pulled the sandwich out from the microwave. Bubbles grabbed a soda and headed into the living room. She clicked on the TV and chomped down on the sandwich.
She was done with it in a matter of moments. Mostly because she ate faster when her nerves were skyrocketing. The blonde pulled out her phone once more and opened it, repeating the process for the third time. She stared intently at his face before hanging her finger over his number. Just then, she heard the theme music from her favorite show begin to play. She threw her phone onto the coffee table and brought her knees up to her chin, rocking along to the beat of the music.
About half way into the episode, Bubbles glanced down at her phone. She grumbled and placed her face into her knees, berating herself for being such a chicken.
"God, Bubbles, don't be such a pussy! You've gotten by your whole life with being a pussy! Time to break the mold!" She angrily snatched the phone up from the table and opened it up. She ignored Boomer's picture and fiercely tapped on the call button. Her face held fierce determination, and her posture straightened up. She held her shoulders back as she placed a fist on her waist. The phone rang once, twice before Boomer's voice sounded from the other end of the line.
"Hey, what's up, Bubbles?" he greeted.
"HEYBOOMERIJUSTWANTEDTOSAYTHATWESHOULDGOOUTTOGETHERFORLUNCHSOIFYOUWANTTOJUSTSAYSO!" There was a long silence between them before Boomer spoke up again.
"Uh… what?" Bubbles' fierce determination fizzled quicker than a fire being doused with a bucket of water. Her chest deflated, and she slouched deeply into the couch, feeling her old mousey self resurface.
"Uh… just… never mind, never mind. Just… forget I said anything. Who said something? Not me!" Boomer snorted.
"Alright then. You okay, Bubs? You seem a little jumpy. Even for you." Bubbles scoffed.
"Hey, what the hell does that mean, asshole?" Boomer chuckled loudly.
"Oh, nothing. So, what's up with you on this fine afternoon?" Bubbles sighed and laid back on the couch, forgetting her previous annoyance with his comment.
"Not much, really. Just been home all day."
"Yeah, me too. Brick is out, and Butch won't pick up his phone, so I'm here all by myself. Such an exciting life I lead!" Bubbles giggled and place her arm over her forehead.
"I guess we're both lost causes then." Boomer chuckled.
"Well, since we're both losers with no lives, why don't we be losers together?" Bubbles shot up, clutching the phone tighter.
"What, uh, what do you mean?" The blonde had to try extremely hard to keep her voice level and calm.
"Why don't we, I don't know, hang out? There's this new burger place that opened up down the street from me. Its right at the corner of your street. I'm sure you've seen it." Bubbles thought back and realized that he was right. There was a new burger restaurant right down the street. She didn't know why she hadn't gone there yet. Veggie burgers were her kryptonite.
"Sure! I mean, yeah, why not?" Boomer chuckled, hearing the clear excitement in her voice.
"Alright, why don't we meet up there in an hour? Is that good for you?" Bubbles nodded her head eagerly. She then realized that she was on the phone and decided to answer him.
"Yeah, yeah, that would be great."
"Okay, well then, I'll see you in an hour." Bubbles agreed before saying her goodbyes. She slowly lowered the phone and shut it off, placing it back on the coffee table.
"YES!" Bubbles threw her arms above her head and quickly floated up into the air before pinging off up to her room in a bright blue streak.
Suddenly, once she entered her room, Bubbles came to a halt when a sharp ringing invaded her hearing. It was high pitched and growing louder with each passing minute. Bubbles scrunched up her face and grabbed at her forehead. Where was it coming from? Then, just when she thought that her head was going to implode, it stopped. Completely stopped. Her home was silent once more.
The blonde glanced around her room and shivered, feeling some sort of negative energy around her. She couldn't place where it was coming from, but all she knew was that it was quite unpleasant.
Once she calmed herself down, the Powerpuff sighed with a smile and bounced her way into the bathroom. When Boomer saw her, she was going to look like an A class celebrity.
Blossom sat next to Vincent's hospital bed. An icy cold cup of untouched coffee sat on the side table next to her. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and her clothes were disheveled and wrinkled from her overnight stay. Dark circles began to form under her eyes, a warning sign of the sleep deprivation she was experiencing with each night she tried to peacefully sleep at the hospital.
To her dismay, Vincent wasn't looking like he was going to get better any time soon. Whenever he was awake, their conversations were extremely limited. Only a few words were exchanged between the two. In those short talks, however, Vincent expressed regret about ever putting his hands to Blossom. He apologized over and over again, wheezing about how sorry he was. Blossom hushed him every time, not wanting him to strain his voice farther. Yet, in reality, she couldn't hear him say sorry. She should be the one apologizing. Her fraternization with Brick only made her feel worse. She couldn't tell him, and yet, she had to. It wasn't fair to Vincent to go on believing that his girlfriend was still faithful to him. It just wasn't fair.
Blossom sighed and placed her hand over her sleeping boyfriend's. She couldn't help but to let her words spill from her lips.
"Vince, sweetheart, I'm so, so sorry. I-I never should've done what I did with Brick. It was stupid and juvenile! I don't know what I ever saw in him, but all I know is that I'm with you now. Brick can't come between what we have. I may have had some sort of infatuation with him before, but now… I feel nothing. I promise." Even though he wasn't in any sort of coma, Blossom needed to get it out. It was bothering her ever since they left Utah.
Just then, the door to the small room clicked open, and a tall man clad in a red and black jacket walked in. He held a small, brown paper bag in his hand and made sure the door closed shut before walking up to Blossom's side. Blossom's regret turned into anger at the presence beside her.
"You shouldn't be here," she hissed. "I told you days ago that I didn't need your help, and nothing has changed now." Brick rolled his eyes and disregarded her warning.
"Here, you should eat something," Brick said, holding out the bag to her. Blossom glanced up at the bag that was shoved into her face before pushing it away.
"I'm not hungry, Brick." Brick sighed.
"You really need to eat, Bloss. You're starting to look like death." Blossom rubbed her forehead with her fingers.
"I said, I'm not hungry, Brick!" she snapped. Brick growled and threw the bag into her lap.
"Oh, for God's sake, just eat it, Blossom!" Blossom jumped slightly at his raised voice. She looked up at him with glassy, tired eyes. Brick's harsh demeanor seemed to break away at her pathetic state. He sighed and pulled up one of the chairs next to her.
"You didn't have to yell…" Blossom mumbled. Brick placed a hand on her own with a sigh.
"I know, I'm sorry, Blossom." Blossom nodded before pulling her hand away from his grasp.
"I never thought I would be seeing him like this. No one even knows what the hell is wrong with him! Professor even ran some tests on him, and he still can't place what's wrong with him. And Mojo helped! I just want him to get better." Brick glanced at Vincent. He stared at the man in the hospital bed; Blossom's voice seemed to drift farther away.
He noticed the dark circles under Vincent's eyes and the paleness of his skin. He even seemed like he had gotten smaller. The deep scowl on his sleeping face stayed planted onto Vincent's features. For some reason, Brick got a stinging feeling of familiarity, like he's seen this all before. But where? Come on, Brick, think!
Brick gasped. He knew exactly where he's seen this all before!
"Brick? Are you alright?" Brick glanced over to Blossom with a troubled look.
"Red, you're not going to like what I have to tell you." Blossom scooted closer to him, leaning to hear what he had to say.
"What is it?" Brick shook his head with a deep sigh. He looked up at the man in the bed before locking eyes with Blossom.
"I-I think I know what's wrong with Vincent."
"You want lunch?" Buttercup asked, wrapping one of Butch's button up shirts around her smaller form. Butch slipped on his dark jeans and let them hang down low on his waist.
"Sure, why not? After an hour of that any normal man would be hungry." Buttercup scoffed and entered the kitchen. Butch followed after her, smirking.
"Yeah, well, you're no normal man, are you?" Butch laughed and sat in one of the bar stools. Buttercup leaned down and brought out her large cutting board and set it on the counter. Before she could reach for the fridge, a sharp pain shot through her belly. She groaned and clutched at her bump, leaning on the counter. Butch frowned and got up from his seat.
"You alright, Kitten?" Buttercup smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a small cramp is all." She reached out again for the fridge. Before she could open it, a large hand encased her wrist. Butch glanced down at her with a smile.
"I got this, Kit. You go sit down." Buttercup leaned up and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek before plopping herself down in the bar stool. Butch grabbed the ingredients for the pasta and set them on the counter in front of Buttercup. As he was chopping away at the tomatoes, Buttercup couldn't help but smile. The way he looked in the kitchen filled her mellow heart with joy. Maybe someday it would be a permanent thing…
"You know, you look quite nice being all domestic like that." Butch chuckled.
"I've had some cooking practice over the years, Kitten. I kind of like it. I bet it would be better if I do this every day for you… and for the little one." Buttercup's eyes widened. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
"You mean, like in the 'till death do us part' type of way?" Butch looked up from his vegetables. His glowing eyes bore into hers.
"The whole nine yards, Kitten." Buttercup could feel a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. She sighed, shaking her head with a lopsided smile.
"Wow. I never pegged you for the marriage type, babe. But, I think we should move in together before we decide to tie the ol' knot." Butch nodded and pulled out a large pot from under the counters and went over to the water jug to fill it up. He set it on top of the stove and turned on the heat.
"How about we go and look at a few houses, you and me? There are a few houses on Liberty Street. We could look there if you want. It's not too far from everyone else and closer to Pokey Oaks." Buttercup grinned, nodding vigorously.
"Okay! Let's do it!" The Powerpuff could feel her very being spark up in excitement. Moving in with Butch… finally. It was something she only saw in her dreams.
Butch placed the pasta boxes on the counters when his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He picked it up and saw Brick's face on his screen. He tapped the speak button and held the phone up to his ear.
"Sup, bro… No, I'm at Buttercup's… Why?... Woah, slow down, bro… Are you sure?... Okay, we're on our way." Butch placed the phone back in his pocket and turned off the heat on the stove.
"What's wrong?" Buttercup asked, noticing the troubled look on his face.
"Brick want us to come to the hospital." He quickly slipped on his shoes and jacket. Buttercup hopped out of the chair and followed.
"How come?" she asked.
"He thinks he knows what's wrong with Vincent."
Boomer walked into the new burger place and took a deep breath. He took off his light jacket and smoothed out his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. He glanced around the restaurant and found a nice, secluded table near the counter of the bar. Once he walked up to it, he set his jacket on the back of his chair and sat down.
His leg bounced continuously under the table, making his shoe tap against the clean, dark wood floor. Whatever Boomer did, he couldn't get his leg to stop its jittering. Nerves. Going on a date again after several years would make anyone nervous. He glanced down at his watch to check the time. 12:30. Right on time. Boomer always prided himself on being punctual.
As he was fidgeting around with a button on his cuff, a waitress walked up to him. Her heels clicked along the wood as she approached Boomer's table. Once she reached the table, she set down a menu and drawled out a greeting in a bored tone.
"Hello, welcome to Stacked. My name is Robin, and I will be your waitress for today." Boomer quickly glanced up at the woman next to him, and lo and behold, Robin Snyder was standing at the table.
"Robin?" Boomer asked, his lips twitching up into a smile. Robin looked down at him and gasped.
"Oh my god, Boomer? Holy shit! How are you?" She leaned down and opened her arms. Boomer hugged her tightly before chuckling, pulling away.
"I'm great, thanks. And you? How did you end up working at a place like this?" Robin's ecstatic look on her face dropped instantly and was replaced by a look of deep annoyance. She huffed and crossed her arms over her white button up dress shirt.
"My uncle owns this place. He offered me a job, and I thought it would be a great idea to boss people around. But, unfortunately, he didn't have me in mind to be Manager. So, here I am, stuck as a fucking waitress." Robin sighed and frowned. Boomer chuckled and shrugged.
"Well, does it pay well?" Robin uncrossing her arms and pulled a menu out from the pocket on her short green apron.
"No, not really, no. Not even a small perk. Here's your menu," she set the black leather on the table in front of Boomer. "Let me know when you're ready to order." The Rowdyruff nodded, and Robin walked away to the back of the restaurant.
Boomer decided to keep himself occupied and picked up the menu, flipping it open. There was a section for burgers, a section for fries, and a whole page full of different drinks, ranging from alcoholic to simple lemonade. After a minute of looking it over, the front door chimed as it opened. Bubbles stumbled in, slightly tripping over her own feet. She smoothed out her wavy blonde hair before glancing around the building to find her date. She quickly caught sight of his broad back near the counter of the bar. Bubbles smiled and forced her legs to move towards him.
"Hey, Boomer," she said as she rounded the table to the other side. Boomer jumped a bit before glancing up at his counterpart. He quickly stood up and moved towards her chair.
"Hey, Bubbles! Oh, here, let me get that for you." Boomer pulled out the wooden chair and motioned for Bubbles to sit. Bubbles blushed at his chivalry and held the back of her skirt before sitting down. Boomer returned to his seat and closed the menu up, pushing it away.
"This place is beautiful! I can't believe I've never been in here." Bubbles glanced around at the interior of the elegantly designed burger joint. "Pretty swanky for a burger place." Boomer nodded with a smile.
"I'm glad you came, Bubs. It's been awhile since we've done something like this." Bubbles nodded.
"Yeah, definitely. It's been way, way too long if you ask me." Boomer agreed before the two fell into an awkward silence. Both didn't know how to approach the other. Going through a break up, not speaking to each other for a time, then having conversation only when the need arose took a toll on them. Nothing seemed to really feel as natural as it once was. But, for both blondes, their complicated history alone was enough to fill them with determination to strengthen their relationship again.
Bubbles decided to take the first step. Having lunch together should not be this difficult.
"You better not have ordered without me." Boomer chuckled deeply. He picked up the menu and handed it to her.
"And if I have?" Bubbles took the menu and opened it up.
"I would say I would have to kill you but, I don't think that would be such a good idea for a first date." Boomer smiled. First date. The words sounded foreign yet, very familiar. It reminded him of his high school days. When things seemed to be easier. Of course, they never really were.
As Bubbles ordered, Robin trotted back over with a small notepad in her hands with a pen. She grinned as she saw Bubbles sitting at the table with Boomer and quickly put two and two together. She took both of their food and drink orders and told them the food would be out soon. Once she left, Boomer and Bubbles continued to chat about numerous different topics. Ranging from the past to the present and even dabbled a bit into the future. They talked about movies, TV shows, debated about which character from a Marvel movie could beat the living shit out of a character from DC, and vice versa. As they waited, they became more and more comfortable with each other with each passing second. It was like they were in their own world.
"Oh, come on! Queen was way better than The Beatles," Boomer argued. "Not to mention Freddie Mercury's sexuality is still being debated to this day." Bubbles rolled her eyes with a playful smile.
"Is that the only reason why they're better?" Boomer shook his head.
"Not entirely." Bubbles giggled. Just then, Robin walked back up to their table with their plates in hand.
"One extra cheesy cheese burger with a cherry float for Boomer and a veggie burger with everything on it and root beer for Bubbles." She set the two plates down before grabbing the large plate of fries from her tray. "And a plate of fries with ketchup and relish. Let me know if you two need anything else." The two counterparts thanked their friend before Boomer looked up to the brunette.
"Actually Robin, do you think you could turn on a little Queen on the radio?" Robin nodded.
"Any particular song in mind?" Boomer scrunched up his face in thought before grinning.
"Killer Queen, please." Robin smiled.
"Sure thing!" Robin trotted away to the radio system and clicked on the music. The light piano riff to the older classic popped on from the speakers, filling the restaurant with plenty background noise. Boomer nodded his head along to the beat before digging into his burger. Bubbles chuckled and did the same, moving her head along with the beat.
As the two ate, Bubbles heard the door chime as it was opened. Out of curiosity, she glanced up at the body that walked in and nearly choked on her burger. Standing at the front of the restaurant was Jessie. His off looking blue-hazel eyes scanned his surroundings before catching sight of the two blondes. Bubbles lowered her eyes and slumped further over her food, hoping Jessie wouldn't recognize her. Or Boomer.
To her dismay, the brunette walked over to the table with a large, overdone grin plastered on his face. Bubbles groaned under her breath, hoping Boomer didn't hear her. Boomer was too into his food to notice Jessie standing right at their table. Bubbles glanced up and summoned a small smile.
"Oh, hey Jessie," she greeted. Boomer glanced up and smiled at the sight of his old friend.
"Jess! Hey, what's up?" Boomer grabbed a napkin and wiped off a stream of condiments flowing down his chin. Jessie chuckled and shrugged.
"Just decided to come and check this place out. Heard it had some good food. But what I didn't expect was to see you with her. Having lunch." His eyes seemed to flash red before returning to their natural color. "Together." Bubbles felt the return of that odd energy again. Her head prickled with the dark energy that she was sure was somehow coming from Jessie himself. Boomer seemed oblivious or even unaffected by the energy and smiled up to Jessie.
"Well, I decided it would be better to come here with some company." Jessie's smile became more overdone and strained in hiding his irritation as he stared hard down at Boomer.
"If you wanted company, you could've asked me. I've been free for such a long time." Just when Boomer was about to reply, his phone rang in his pants pocket. Boomer pulled it out and opened it up. The picture of Butch flashing on his screen. He held it up to his ear.
"Hey Butch-"
"Boomer, get down here now!" Butch's voice was frantic and full of panic. Boomer frowned.
"Butch? What's wrong? Are you okay?" His voice was laced with worry.
"It's Vincent! He's gone batshit crazy! He suddenly woke up and attacked Brick, then he went after Blossom! Get here, get here now!" Butch's voice suddenly clicked off. Boomer took a moment to lower his phone. He placed it back in his pocket before standing from his chair. Bubbles took notice of his distressed face.
"Boomer, what's wrong?"
"We…we need to get to the hospital. It's Vincent. Something's happened." Bubbles gasped slightly before standing up from her chair.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Bubbles started towards the door with Boomer quickly following. Jessie watched them, and a long, wide grin began to break out onto his face. He quickly plastered an apprehensive mask onto his face before following after them.
"Wait up!" Jessie called once he burst from the restaurant's front door. "Let me come with you!" Bubbles whipped around to face him, hostility glaring from her eyes.
"This is more of a family emergency, Jessie. It would be better if it was just-"
"Now hold on, Bubbles. I think Vincent should have all of the support he can get. I think it would be fine if Jess were to come." Bubbles glanced from Boomer to Jessie and back to Boomer before huffing.
"Fine." Without another word, Bubbles quickly entered her car. Boomer led Jessie to his and quickly turned on the engine, following after Bubbles. Jessie couldn't help but smirk as he stared out the window. Everything was going perfectly…
Boomer and Bubbles both jumped out of their cars quickly once they parked near the hospital. Jessie sighed and tried to hide his delighted grin from the other two as he followed after them. They all entered the hospital just in time to see the absolute chaos it was in. Nurses and doctors were running around grabbing everything they could that they knew would be able to put a two hundred pound man under.
"Ooh, what are you planning to do, Jessie?" a voice whispered in the brunette's ear. Jessie smirked before placing his best concerned face on for Boomer. He tapped the larger man on the shoulder. Boomer spun around to look at him.
"I'm going to go find someone who may know what's going on. You go find your brothers and the girls. I'll catch up in a little bit." Boomer agreed and grabbed Bubbles' hand, pulling her down the hallway. Jessie glanced around and saw a sign down one of the hallways that said "stairs." He walked down the white and light blue hallway before opening up the door to the staircase. He closed the door behind him and went up one flight of stairs before stopping.
"So, now that we are alone, do you plan on telling me what you have in mind?" HIM misted onto the landing in front of Jessie. His black cloak still hid the rest of his figure away. Regenerating after being completely destroyed took more time than one would think for a demon of his age. Jessie blinked his eyes several times. The soft, innocence of his blue-hazel pools broke away for his more sinister pinkish-red orbs. The colors swirled within each eye with the power HIM's curse over the young man.
"This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of that wannabe hero, Vincent." HIM scoffed as if he just rolled his eyes.
"Is that it? Seems like a waste of time." Jessie's smirk grew.
"But…but that's not all. I'll make it seem like it was an accident for him to die." HIM stayed silent, waiting for the young man to tell what he meant. "Your dearest half-son Brick is going to kill him. All I need to do is get Vincent to act even crazier than he was before and get Brick to snap his neck while trying to subdue him. Then dearest little Blossom will never be happy again. Her boyfriend was killed at the hands of her almost lover. It's the perfect plan." HIM hummed in amusement.
"That's… surprisingly devious. I'm proud, Jessie. Now, I've noticed that you've been taking interest in that parasite growing within Buttercup. Care to divulge the plan for that baby?" Jessie chuckled.
"Oh, just you wait. She'll never see it coming." With that, Jessie jogged back down the stairs, leaving HIM to dissipate into the air.
Once he entered the chaotic hospital hallways, he put back on his concerned mask, his pinkish-red orbs returning to their blue-hazel coloring. He saw a rushing doctor and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me, doctor. Um, where are the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys? I'm a family friend, and they said I could come." The doctor panted as she whipped a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
"Oh, they are with one of the patients trying to calm him down. But, sir, I think it would be wise to just stay in the waiting room." Her voice quivered slightly. Jessie shook his head at her.
"That's okay. I can hold my own. Besides, they may need my help. Which hallway are they down?" The doctor sighed in defeat before pointing to the hallway on the far left side of the waiting room.
"Once you get to the end of the hall, turn right. You should be able to figure it out from there." Jessie thanked the small doctor before turning towards the hallway. He quickly walked down the white and blue hall with his hands casually placed in his jacket pockets. He turned right and could hear the yells and screams from the others. He picked up speed and jogged down the hallway to a large room.
As he reached the door of the large room, he caught sight of one of the nurses dragging out another on his shoulders. The nurse he was carrying was bloody and bruised with scrapes and cuts decorating her skin from head to toe. Even parts of her scrubs were torn, the fabric frayed messily. Jessie pushed the door open and saw several doctors and nurses all trying to hold down a flailing and screaming Vincent. The room was completely torn apart. Several appliances were skewed across the floor; potted plants were broken, and dirt was scattered along some parts of the once clean floor.
Suddenly, Vincent roared and shoved off the doctors and nurses with some unknown force. Bubbles and Boomer were the first ones to take action while Buttercup helped the hospital staff to their feet and urged them to leave at once, helping the injured exit the room. Blossom was too busy crying her eyes out as Brick and Butch stayed close to the blue counterparts just in case they needed help.
"Jessie?" Blossom asked glancing up at him. Her eyes were puffy and red from the many tears she shed. Her bottom lip was split, and she had a large dark bruise on her collarbone. Jessie rushed up to her and hugged her close.
"Oh my god, Blossom! Are you okay?" he asked. Blossom sniffed and buried her face into the hem of Jessie's jacket.
"This is all my fault! This is all my fault…" Jessie shushed her and rubbed her back soothingly. He glanced down at Vincent who was, to Jessie's dissatisfaction, staring at him.
"NO! NO, NO, STOP! IT HURTS! DON'T MAKE ME!" Bubbles frowned deeply.
"Wait, wait, wait, what hurts, Vince? Who are you talking about?" Vincent locked eyes with her before growling, pushing her away. Bubbles slammed hard into the opposite wall creating a dent in the plaster. Her head made a sickening smack noise before she tumbled to the ground, blacking out. Boomer gasped and called for Butch and Brick to take over.
Jessie glanced over at Boomer looking down over at the blonde woman and scowled. His eyes flashed red and, in turn, Vincent shrieked. His back lifted off of the ground as he shook free of the Rowdyruff's hold. He jumped to his hands and feet, crouching like an animal, hissing unnaturally at the two blondes. Jessie's eyes honed in on Boomer who hadn't yet noticed the hissing man behind him.
"Boomer, look out!" Brick called out to his little brother, but to no avail. Vincent pounced on Boomer's back, clawing him away from a knocked out Bubbles. Boomer tried to kick Vincent off, but the brunet got the upper hand. He flipped Boomer onto his back and grouched over him, snarling. An inky black substance began dripping from his lips. The thick liquid hit Boomer on the side of his face. The blonde yelped in surprise. It was burning him! Boomer grabbed Vincent by the shoulders and pushed with all of his might. Vincent snarled and bit down at the Rowdyruff, snapping his teeth loudly. The black substance spraying over Boomer's face. Boomer let out a pained yowl as he kept trying to get Vincent off of him.
Jessie kept hold of Blossom who was still sobbing into his neck. Jessie stared down at the struggling Boomer and smirked slightly. Time for the grand finale.
Bubbles groaned slightly shaking herself awake. She place a delicate hand on her head as she looked at the scene around her. A sharp ringing blocked her hearing from the yells and screams from the others. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Boomer was struggling to move Vincent away from him. His brothers grabbed Vincent by the arms and hoisted him away from Boomer. Butch shot over to Boomer and checked his face to see if there were any type of burn marks on him. Surprisingly, after wiping to black liquid away, there were none. Bubbles slowly moved her gaze to glance at Brick who was holding Vincent with an arm around his neck. Bubbles looked over to Jessie and saw that he was staring intently at the struggle.
Then, in a single moment, Bubbles saw Jessie's eyes flash a magenta color. She frowned and turned to see Vincent struggle even more. Brick's grip tightened, his large arm clutching Vincent's neck harder. Bubbles frantically glanced back over to Jessie who flashed his eyes once more. Vincent roared again and started pressing his neck against Brick's arm.
I know what he's doing, Bubbles thought. The throbbing in the back of her head wasn't as important as stopping Jessie. She struggled to lift herself, the weight of her own body making her movements sluggish and stiff. She only had a little bit of time before Vincent snapped his own neck.
"Vincent, NO!"
Crack!
Jessie's eyes ceased their slow flashing, and a serpentine smirk slithered its way onto his lips. He held Blossom by her arms as she saw the whole scene unfold in front of her. Bubbles gasped as she watched Vincent's eyes roll to the back of his head, and his body slouched into Brick. The redhead yelped and let the brunet go from his arm. Vincent feel to the floor with a thud.
"VINCENT!" Blossom pulled herself away from Jessie and fell to the floor next to her boyfriend. "Vincent, no! No, no, no! Please, no! Vincent!" She moved the sleeve of his hospital gown and placed two fingers on his pulse. Nothing. Not even a single beat. She sniffled once before clutching her lover to her chest, sobbing into his hair. Brick stared down at the dead man and backed away slowly. He swallowed harshly and removed his hat from atop his head before pinching the bridge of his nose.
The door to the room opened up and a slightly bloody Buttercup entered. Jessie glanced down at her outfit wide-eyed. She brushed him off, running her bloodied fingers on her shirt.
"It's not mine. Is Vincent okay?" Jessie sighed and lowered his head solemnly. Buttercup glanced over to a sobbing Blossom and a limp Vincent in her arms. Buttercup gasped. "Oh my God, w-what happened?" Jessie sighed before answering.
"I think Brick held on a little too strong and…Vincent didn't make it." Buttercup stared up at Brick and frowned. Brick wouldn't do that! Would he? She did know that he had a thing for Blossom, but killing her boyfriend?
Blossom's sobs suddenly were silenced, and she wiped her eyes slowly. She glanced up at Brick with a snarl. Brick stared into her eyes, afraid to look away. If looks could kill… Fierce, unadulterated rage burned from the Powerpuff's eyes. Her bangs hung low over her eyes creating a shadow under her glowing pink pools.
"You. You did this," she said, keeping her voice quiet. Brick shook his head.
"No, no he pressed his neck against my arm. I swear I didn't do this, Blossom! I would never even dream of doing something like this! Vincent-"
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME! You never liked him! You killed him! You killed him in cold blood, you monster!" Brick kneeled down on the ground in front of her.
"Blossom, please! I didn't do this. I swear to you!" Blossom scoffed, bringing Vincent's body closer to her.
"Get out. And take your brothers with you. I'm done speaking to you," she hissed.
"Blossom, come on-"
"Out."
"Blossom-"
"OUT!" Brick decided not to push her any longer and stood up from the floor. His brothers stood up and frowned at him. Both of them seemed astonished that Brick could do such a thing. Brick glanced at both of them before motioning to the door.
"Come on, guys," Brick commanded quietly. His brothers looked at each other before following their leader out of the hospital room.
"Come on, Jessie. Let's give them some space," Boomer called to his friend. Jessie nodded and followed. With one final glance back, Jessie saw her sisters speaking in hushed tones, trying to comfort Blossom. Jessie smirked to himself before closing the door behind him.
One down, five to go…
HELLLOOOO EVERYOOOONE!
I'm back! Yay! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I should've given ya'll a heads up on my page. I've just been so busy with getting ready for graduation and prom. So, so, sorry again. Summer is close and that means that I can write the living shit out of this story. And I promise that I'll make it work. If I don't, send me all the hate mail you want.
So, with that said, I hope you all liked this chapter and can't wait for more! I'll see ya later!
Bye Guys!
~TheRedWolf
