PR 8:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story line. Not the characters, not the music, nothing! Just the story line.
This chapter pisses me off to no end... Sorry if the ending is crappy but after spending nearly two months on it and getting nowhere I finally decided to just post it. I'm kind of a perfectionist and don't like when I find something wrong with my stuff but I just couldn't seem to fix it like I wanted.
•••000•••
Three pairs of eyes stared in silent awe at the scene before them, watching as the paper white walls of the gym room faded away.
Brick let out an indignant yelp of surprise as the bench he was leaning against suddenly became intangible, causing him to tumble to the floor in a very undignified heap.
Butch shoved his knuckles against in his mouth to muffle the roar of laughter that threatened to escape. Boomer blinked in surprise, turning to wave his hands through the once solid objects around him. Moments later the entire room had disappeared, leaving the four teens suspended in darkness.
It was a bit unnerving, like being trapped in one of HIM's dimensional pockets again, but not quite the same.
Butch could feel the floor beneath his feet so he assumed that he was still standing on it, even though he could see nothing there, or anywhere for that matter. Even his own hand directly in front of his face didn't seem to be there. Although for some reason he could see the glow of the visor things as clear as day.
There was a lurching feel, as though he were falling for a split second before the ground reappeared beneath his shoes, though the previous carpet had become asphalt. After the asphalt came little specks of, glass?
Butch blinked again, watching as the ground slowly spiderwebbed, cracking in various places, completely disappearing in others. More shattered glass appeared, along with flecks of dirt and spots of nasty chewed up gum.
Faded yellow lines surfaced nearby marking what could soon be recognized as a road. Dirty cream colored concrete rose out of the asphalt becoming beaten sidewalks heading in all sorts of directions.
A throbbing sort of mechanical thrum echoed in the air before tall, weather worn, buildings materialized from thin air. Their faded red brick walls cracking or peeling and in most cases spray painted. Most looked pretty beat up.
It took Butch all of a second to recognize where he was.
If he hadn't known better he would have said they were back at the outskirts of the city. Everything looked so real… even down to the trash on the side of the street and the occasional dilapidated car. It was almost a perfect copy of the bad side of town. The only thing missing was the gangs and hobos. Scratch that, the only thing missing was the people period. There wasn't a single living thing in sight.
Now normally this is the part where he would begin to get creeped out but he didn't have to dwell on those thoughts for long. A few moments after the buildings and their mildly cracked or boarded up windows settled in something shiny caught in the edge of his vision. Turning around, Butch literally gaped at the sight before him.
'I TAKE IT ALL BACK! I LOVE THAT MONKEY!' Butch felt like a kid in a candy shop all over again. He was really beginning to fall in love with these Puffs too, they never ceased to amaze him.
Judging by the looks Boomer was throwing, Butch assumed he had that 'creepy' smile on his face again. He didn't care though, there was rows upon rows of bikes that had appeared in front of him.
'My favorite color IS Crome!' Ok so technically it was green but still! He could see his reflection just about everywhere on any one of those Motorcycles. 'Not even a fingerprint!'
Not bothering to contain his excitement, Butch dashed off along the expanse of mechanical wonders, each one more beautiful than the last. It didn't matter that none of them had shells or any form of outer body's. That just meant he had an easier time seeing and admiring them.
His eyes widened again as he stopped on a dime, zeroing in on a particularly beautiful bike. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered just how big his eyes could get before they inevitably fell out or at least dried up. Hovering around, he examined every angle of the gorgeous bike before him, prodding at parts and freaking out over the fingerprints he left behind.
"I had a feeling you'd like this one." Butch was so preoccupied that he hadn't noticed Blossom until she was standing beside him. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Butch toppled back to look at her as she leaned against the seat, slightly flustered by the distance between them. "Buttercup's got a soft spot for this model too. Growls like a Jaguar." She cooed, seemingly unaware that she was practically leaning over him.
He had never noticed before but her creamy skin was actually covered in a light dust of freckles.
Just as his hormones began fogging his brain, demanding attention, all was forgotten in favor of the shiny slip of metal fished from a pocket now dangling between her slim fingers.
"Wanna start em up?" Blossom questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow.
No need to ask twice! In the blink of an eye Butch snatched the keys and slid it into the ignition. In seconds flat the engine roared to life, growling like a wild cat.
There was just no explaining the feeling he got each time he heard an engine like this. It was indescribable! The power behind the engines that made it roar so loud he could literally FEEL the vibrations buzzing through to his very core. It was like a small dose of ecstasy!
"Hey Mojo. Type in code 09BC17" Blossom called out beside him.
Oh shit. Was he seeing things? Roughly rubbing his eyes, Butch blinked a few times to see if he was imagining it. No… he wasn't imagining.
"I've seen heaven…" Murmuring breathlessly, emerald orbs danced over the sleek body drinking in the sight. The coloration of the bike had turned a deep emerald green. Black ghost flames and jade skulls flashed in the light over the tinted Crome. The handle bars and wheel walls even took on a chain like design.
Fingers twitching spasmodically, Butch glanced at Blossom, asking for permission. Sure he was a Ruff but even he had some sense of respect, especially for someones bikes or cars.
Pulling back she gave a simple nod of the head and he was glued to the seat probably looking like a four year old on crack if Boomers expression was anything to go by.
"Well since Butch has obviously chosen a bike already, which one of you wants to ride with him?" Blossoms voice seemed distant in his ears as if he were in a tunnel. He hardly even registered what was going on around him, even the long lines of bikes that vanished into thin air, until he felt someone sitting down behind him.
Swiveling his head around he was shocked to see Brick. The redhead didn't look too happy and for some reason he was holding something that looked eerily like a gun. His eyes must have bugged out of the sockets then.
"Bro, I swear," Butch started slowly, hands up in surrender. "If this is about the itching powder, it was all Boomer's idea."
"Figures you weren't listening." Brick rolled his eyes, huffing in exasperation, he paused a second later, crimson orbs narrowed dangerously as he registered his brothers words. "Wait a minute, what itching powder?"
"Huh?" Butch blinked, attempting to look as innocent or clueless as possible.
Brick stared the green down, daring him to elaborate upon his previous statement. When It became obvious that Butch wasn't about to say anything anytime soon Brick relented, but not without a final glare. He would get the information out of his brother later.
"Were playing a game. It's some type of laser gun or something. I don't really get most of it but apparently this is like one of those Speed Racer games only with Motorcycles instead of cars." Brick fumbled with some sort of velcro wrist band, strapping it down tight before handing Butch a second one. "Here."
"What's that for?"
"I don't know! Just put it on."
Blinking owlishly, Butch stared at Brick for a moment trying to absorb the new information while he absently wrapped the black band around his wrist just above where the previous one had been. He snapped around when he heard the distinct sound of another engine to the right. If he had been surprised to see Brick sitting next to him he was down right shocked at what he was seeing now.
Blossom was seated on a blood red bike. A fiery nine tailed fox, in mid stride was painted into the side. The paint was so realistic that it gave off the look of dancing fire and moving fur as they rolled forward. Her clothes only accentuated the looks with her midnight black sweat pants and hot pink fitted tank top. 'Holly fuck she looks hot...' there was no doubt that he was openly starring.
That wasn't what caught his attention though. What surprised him was who was seated behind her. Practically lying on Blossoms back, arms wrapped firmly around her waist, legs pressed tightly to her thighs so as not to fall off, was none other than Boomer. Hell, judging by the position, Butch had no doubt that the blonde was pressed against every inch of the girl.
Oh what he'd give to be in his brothers place. The saddest part was that Boomer didn't know how to appreciate the moment and was obviously nervous about being so close to her when he should have been enjoying it.
'Stupid blue boy. Note to self, get Boomer over his fear of girls.'
"Ok Mojo, code 001RC28." Blossom called, laying flat over the bike. Butch couldn't help but notice how her breasts mashed against the gas tank. His ogling was cut short when he felt the bike shift under him. "Its to adjust the weight distribution."
Looking over them again, Butch took note of how the frames lengthened to accommodate both riders. Normally he'd expect the length to make the bikes look weird but they actually looked better this way. He was about to ask how they could change like they did but decided to leave it to imagination and brush it off as a feature of the game.
"Alright, now that that's out of the way." Blossom turned to look at him, a sneaky, almost seductive smirk plastered on her cherry lips. "Show me whatcha got boys."
Gunning the engine, the bike reared up, charging foreword. This in turn caused Boomer to yelp and cling tighter to the redhead until the wheel returned to the asphalt.
"What ya waiting for idiot? Go!" Brick snapped, cuffing Butch on the head. Snapping out of his daze, The green Ruff raced off trying to catch up to the other bike which was already a speck of red on the horizon.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Boomer's terrified shouts echoed out over the buildings like a siren. "SLOW DOWN!"
Either Blossom didn't hear him or the girl was choosing to ignore the boy whom by this time had wrapped himself around her like an octopus. Even at a distance, Brick could still see the look of surprise and mild fear on the blond.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Brick snapped, readjusting his grip on the laser gun and his brothers shoulder.
"Course it can." Butch grinned darkly, flexing his fingers over the handle. "You might wanna hold on tighter though."
"Wha-aaahhh!" Flailing wildly so as not to fall off, Brick grabbed onto Butch's belt as the green gunned the engine.
"A little warning next time, would ya!" he snapped, smacking the ravens shoulder with the butt of the gun.
"I said you should hold tighter." Butch shrugged nonchalantly, glancing over his shoulder with an eye roll. "Not my fault you never listen."
Choosing not to acknowledge that statement, Brick simply glared, pointing towards where Blossom and Boomer had disappeared around a bend in the distance. Grinning like the mad man Brick knew he was, Butch cranked the throttle as far as it could go, not bothering to slow down as he turned sharply at the corner, leaning so far that he could touch the ground.
He regret that decision a second later, slamming the breaks, nearly tossing Brick over his shoulders. ("The fuck is wrong with you?") Pausing for a moment, Butch allowed the bike to roll slowly as he took in the cramped space. They had entered a street market or bazaar sort of area if the many boxes and general clutter was anything to go by.
Glancing ahead, he spotted the pink Puff and blue Ruff zigzagging through the maze, alternating between gassing and breaking but still managing to keep up the fast pace. Ducking around a particularly large crate in the middle of the street, Blossom changed her direction, heading straight towards the back of an old school farm truck.
Butch's first reaction was to shout at them, call them idiots for not paying attention or throw something, anything to make them notice the cluttered truck they were about to crash into.
His concern was unfounded, for in the few moments before the two would hit the fruit/vegetable crates Blossom flattened herself against the bike. Boomer, leaning back and away, wrapped both hands around the laser gun and fired. A blaze of cobalt burst from the muzzle, clearing the loading ramp in an explosion of wood and produce.
"Did you see that!" Boomer shouted enthusiastically, undeterred by the watermelon juice now splattered across his cheeks. Giving the pink liquid a quick lick he grinned, spitting out a seed. "That was awesome!"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot YOU with this thing." Brick drawled out in a dangerously calm voice, pulling Butch back to the situation at hand. "First you drop a weight on my foot, then you try to throw me off the bike, not once but TWICE! And let's not forget the itching powder I still have to find."
"Eeh heh." Butch chuckled nervously. "Sorry?"
Brick growled, fingering the trigger, still eyeing the raven like a cat debating whether it wanted to play with a half dead mouse a little longer.
"Hurry up. We still have to find them." Brick said, dropping the issue for the time being.
"Ugh…"
Butch gazed wide eyed over the cramped space he would have to maneuver for a moment longer. With something along the lines of a pout coupled with a sneer he huffed in irritation before yanking the bike around. There was no way he would be able to get through, his bike was larger than the other and consequently wouldn't fit. Heading down the street he attempted to map the area out by memory, trying to guess where Blossom and Boomer would end up.
Brick took this time to better acquaint himself with his new weapon, blowing up random signs, streetlights, and the occasional window. Taking aim he shot three rounds at another stoplight scowling a bit when he only hit the red and yellow, missing the green.
It was a good thing none of this was real, dealing with the cops would be a hassle. There was no way he was going to juvie again. Speaking of Juvie… Butch was pretty sure they were still supposed to be locked up in there, why they had been let out was beyond him, not that he was about to start complaining.
Picking up the sounds of a distant explosion Butch took a left at the next bend. Cutting closer to the sidewalk than he normally would the emerald eyed boy yelped in surprise as something came flying out of nowhere, aiming straight for his head.
Butch flattened himself against the bike frame. A sudden jerk at his waist nearly pulled him back up but he stubbornly stayed put. Peeking over his shoulder he found the source. Not having enough space to lean forward and duck under whatever it was that had nearly cleaned his head out, Brick had done the opposite. Grabbing onto Butch's loose belts for support he leaned backwards instead, not the least bit fazed about his upper body hanging completely off the seat.
The offending projectile flew clear across the street, imbedding itself into the side of a building, but only after slicing clean through a lamp post.
"Holy crap!" Butch swore, gaping wide eyed at the serrated metal disk which looked to be the size of a manhole cover. "That thing could have took my head off! Well, probably not, but that would have left a nasty bruise."
"Well… this might be harder than anticipated." Sitting back up, Brick lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. A quirk Butch had noticed for whenever the red was thinking.
"Wait a minute. You knew that was gonna happen?!" Butch shouted, not paying any attention to the road.
"Well I knew something was gonna happen." Brick grinned impishly. "Didn't know it was gonna be a buzz saw though, an watch where your goin!"
"You knew, and you didn't warn me?" Butch accused, the bike swerving dangerously.
"I'm warning you now." Brick slapped Butch on the shoulder, grabbing the raven by the hair and making him look ahead. "An watch where your going dumb ass. We're gonna crash!"
"Yah, whatever." Butch grunted noncommittally, straightening the wheel.
•••***•••
"Ok… I know I don't say this often, but… THIS CHICK IS SCARY!" Butch shouted over the roaring wind, swerving to avoid an incoming blast of energy. "EVEN HIM'S NOT THIS BAD! SHE'S FUCKING NUTS!"
"For once I agree with you! Shit! Look out!" Brick ducked, tightening his grip around Butch as the green did a hairpin turn, barely dodging a second blast of magenta. "That girl belongs in a loony bin!"
Engines roared as streaks of red, blue, and green tore down the street, asphalt flying in every direction. After nearly twenty minutes of racing through the city streets, Brick practicing his aim and Butch nearly crashing into the seemingly endless array of obstacles that appeared from every nook and cranny, the boys had finally found their brother and the pink Puff.
It hadn't been easy though for just like in video games, weapons of all shapes and sizes seemed to appear from nowhere. Get too close to a building and a colossus buzz saw or poisoned spikes shot out at you. Don't pay attention to the road and lasers popped out of the concrete, barrels blazing.
The heavy artillery had caught them by surprise on more than one occasion. Already Brick had lost one leg of his jeans and the bottom left corner of his shirt while Butch sported quite a few scorch marks.
As much of a threat as all of this was, they were nothing compared to the psychotic redhead on the blazing red bike though.
'If this chick isn't an assassin, SHE SHOULD BE!'
Though Blossom had originally started out driving some time along the way, probably around the point that she realized that Boomer wouldn't shoot his brothers, they had swapped places.
Just remembering it had Butch the slightest bit hot under the collar. Never in his life had he seen a girl flex quite like that before. Granted he never really cared to find out, he didn't want to look like a creep.
Somehow, she had managed to throw her leg over the handlebars of the bike. From there she stood up on one side, tossing the same leg over Boomer's back. The blonde in turn slid foreword on the bike to allow her space, his hands slipping under her palms to grip the handles. Once on the seat, instead of wrapping her arms around Boomer like Butch expected, Blossom had wrapped her legs around the blues torso.
His initial reaction to this was thinking how hot that looked and how much he wished he could be in his brothers place. Hormones were a real pain in the ass, why did they have to be so distracting? About two seconds later he realized just how much shit he was in though now that she was positioned like that.
Using her legs to hold on had freed both her arms, thus allowing Blossom to use not only her own laser but Boomer's as well. The blonde, to his credit, was unexpectedly good at driving and somehow was managing to avoid just about everything that came flying at them.
Butch on the other hand was having difficulties, it seemed that no matter what he did or where he went, he always managed to trigger another trap and soon enough had ended up behind. A place, he found, that was not to his liking.
Ducked low over the bike the raven ruff tried his best to avoid the incoming beams of magenta and cobalt blue. Shots of crimson flashed past, blocking what he couldn't.
"Come on Butch! We are NOT loosing to that pink snob!" Growling loudly, Brick shot off a barrage of crimson bullets, watching as they fell in sheets towards the other bike.
Dropping back, Blossom laid down over the seat. With pinpoint accuracy she shot every beam, fire and air exploding around them as the blasts collide.
'And there's that freaking smirk again!' Butch would have been furious if it hadn't looked so damn sexy.
"Come on, you can do better than that can't ya?" Blossom taunted sending a hail of cobalt at them.
Butch swerved, coming perilously close to a parked car, cleaning out the side mirror. In the confusion he hardly even noticed the magenta bullets that streaked past his face, missing him by hairs. "You haven't even hit us yet!"
"That girl is getting on my last nerves!" Using both hands, Brick aimed and fired a few rounds, most managing to come close to the Puff though not close enough to hit.
"Now THAT'S more like it! Come on boys!" Blossoms taunting voice took on a sing song tone then and Butch could swear he heard faint music playing through his headset.
"WILL YOU STOP SINGING!" Butch flicked his left wrist out in front of him creating a tiny barrier of energy just in time to block the bullet headed towards his chest.
"Why?!" Blossom actually sounded surprised for a moment before brushing it off. She began swaying slightly, hands moving like drum beats. "Try to guess this next one and maybe I'll listen. 'I know you know, I see you smiling at me. Well, it's alright! It's alright!"
Surprisingly enough it was something the raven recognized. He took a moment to wonder why Blossom would know a rock song, she seemed more the type that liked classical junk. None the less he answered her question.
"Boom, from P.O.D.!"
"Yah!" Blossom grinned, swaying precariously as Boomer took a sharp turn. "One more time. 'I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a-"
"MONSTER!" Butch shouted, a sonic boom blasting forth, missing Blossom by hairs. He was really getting annoyed with the girl.
"There ya go! But you still gotta loosen up a little! This games supposed to be fun! It gets boring if your all tense." Grinning excitedly, the redheaded female bobbed rhythmically. "It's hidin in the dark!"
"It's teeth are razor sharp!" Oh great, now Boomer was singing too.
'There's no escape for me.' The lyrics seemed to play through his mind, calming his tense nerves slightly. The obstacles on the road suddenly seemed easier to avoid the more he relaxed. 'It's just some virtual reality. Since when did I start worrying about getting hurt?'
The second that thought passed through the green Ruffs mind the obstacles seemed to melt away. Getting his confidence back, Butch gunned the engine, the bike rising slightly as they caught up. Coming alongside Blossom and Boomer, he gave Brick the perfect shot.
Blossom had only just managed to sit back up before Brick hit them point blank. There was no way he missed this time. A cloud of smoke explode around them. Seconds later, two bikes erupt from the cloud, blitzing down the road in streaks of red and green.
"What? How the hell!?" Brick snarled, glaring daggers at the girl across from him.
"NOW things are getting interesting." Arms still crossed in front of her face, Blossom gave an undeniably sadistic smirk, slight burn marks appearing over the right side of her face.
'Ok, sexy psycho chick! Hot AND creepy!'
•••***•••
'Bed. Beeed~'
Holy crap. Never, in his life, had he EVER been so tired! Every muscle ached, screaming for mercy. Just moving his fingers had him groaning. It pissed him off!
He was BUTCH damn it, the toughest of the Rowdyruffs! The guy that could take on a freaking tank without even trying! So what the fuck was he doing whining like a pansy? What happened to his 'no pain, no gain' motto?
Butch attempted to sit, only to collapse on the bed in a pile of green and black. His arms felt like they were being hacked to pieces with a dull wood chipper. This was definitely the side effects of that, quote, unquote 'examination' and 'game' Blossom had them do.
And just to make his LOVELY-note sarcasm-evening worse, Mojo told them that they were going to go back again the next day. There was no way his day could get worse.
"BUTCH! It's your turn to do dishes! Get down here!" Boomer yelled from somewhere downstairs.
'Really? Great day Butch, great day.'
•••000•••
Aahh! I haven't updated in like forever! I'm so sorry! I've been really busy with a whole bunch of crap. Not to mention my new job as a game room monitor. Normally one would think the job is easy, which for the most part it is, but it can get pretty difficult when you gotta watch all the kids like a freaking rabid guard dog. I tried being nice for the first two days and one of these little fuckers stole a video game! Give an inch, they take a mile! Now I'm stuck sitting at my desk watching them like a hawk every day.
On a different note. I told myself to write my other story before I do this one. So I kept trying and failing with my writers block. Finally I just gave in and wrote this again.
Honestly the whole idea for this chapter came from this picture I found of this bad ass devil chick with a pair of guns. Then I thought of how awesome it would look if she was on a motorcycle. Combine that with this Speed Racer type idea I had and my brain went into overdrive.
The first thing that came to mind was the thought of Blossom lying flat on her back, along the seat of the bike, firing some sort of gun behind her while flying down the street. I originally thought of making them each be on individual bikes but it made things a little harder and I figured that would end up an information overload for the boys. Even if they all could drive to drive while dodging and firing bullets would be too complicated. So I partnered them up and decided to make the guns fire lasers instead.
Please leave a review and tell me how I did so I can try to make the next chapter better cause I plan on making this game be a little more common. I just hope I can make it interesting enough since I've found that I suck at action scenes.
Thank you! ^_^