Hey guys. :P

Here's the next chapter, a little later than planned, but, eh, close enough…

Buttercup's eyes narrowed as she waited to hear exactly what Sherry planned to do. The plump woman walked around the edge of her desk, and stood in between the two groups of feuding teens.

"I'm going to tell you the complete and total truth."

Everyone blinked.

Not what I was expecting…

"We need you. The world needs you. We're incapable of defeating this threat; that has been proven without a doubt. Without you, the murders will continue, he or it or whatever will gain confidence, and try something bigger. And we will be powerless to stop him."

Sherry stopped, and took a deep breath, for once her features not twisted in a furious glare, a predatory smirk, or an exasperated stare. She looked uncertain, and perhaps a little fearful, although it was obvious she was trying to stifle such an emotion in front of Frocks and Daves.

Buttercup cast a swift glance at her sisters. Bubbles looked like she wanted to agree, but wasn't quite sure. Blossom didn't look as impressed. Her pink eyes were hard and piercing, but not unapproachable. It seemed she was simply considering.

Buttercup was undecided. They couldn't let the world crash and burn. That just…wouldn't work. Buttercup wasn't going to sit back and watch the world dissolve beneath her.

I wonder what she means by "try something bigger"… Nothing good, that's for sure. World domination? Or perhaps world destruction. Neither sits well in my book.

But, on the other hand, these were the Rowdyruff Boys. Buttercup wasn't their biggest fan, and she never would be. For example, when they first met them, the boys, had beat the crap out of her and left her for dead. Their relationship never did improve.

And didn't Sherry mention something about teams of two? Partners? Ugh, I think I know where this is going… Fantastic. Not.

So in the end, Buttercup figured, it boiled down to working with them, or watching the world get taken over.

Buttercup sighed. Unfortunately, it was obvious what she had to pick. She knew no matter how long she and her sisters hesitated, they would still end up picking the only considerable option.

Finally, Blossom voiced the unavoidable.

"We'll cooperate."

Sherry nodded and turned her attention to the boys. Brick sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. It's not as if we have a real choice, do we?"

Sherry didn't respond to Brick's smartass comment.

"Good. Now, not to repeat myself, but you will have partners."

Buttercup tensed, prepared for the worst.

"After much consideration, we decided to go with traditional teams of two, which means three pairs. Red, Green, and Blue."

The puffs and ruffs simultaneously winced, before looking at their respective counterparts. The Blues uncertainly surveyed. The Greens furiously glared. The Reds coldly observed.

Sherry frowned slightly as she watched the apparent antagonism.

"Okay, break it up. You guys will have to learn to survive each other's company. Anyway, you'll each get a continent. Blues, you two will stay here and guard North America, mostly the USA. Reds, you two get Europe. Greens, off to Asia. You all will spend the night at a nearby hotel. You leave in the morning. I'll see you then."

With these final words, Sherry turned on her heel and stalked back to her desk with dignity, dismissing them without another word. This meeting was over, there was no more to say.

Agent Frocks and Agent Daves exchanged a brief glance before nodding at their charges to follow. Obediently, the six trailed after their escorts, following them outside, across the street, around the corner, and through the doors of a fancy, four star hotel.

Frocks traded few words with the hotel manager, while Daves waited with their teenage responsibilities. Within a few minutes, Frocks returned, gave them a brief nod and walked stiffly towards the elevator.

Wordlessly, they followed. As they entered the elevator, the puffs crowded one corner, eager to keep away from the ruffs, who also squished themselves into the side of the elevator. Frocks and Daves stood in the middle, as stoic and silent as ever. The only noise to be heard in the small moving box was the cheesy music in the background.

Finally, the reached the ninth floor, and the entire company burst out of the overcrowded confines of the elevator. The two agents walked about twenty feet down the hall and stopped, turning to face the six young people following them. Then, for the first time since Buttercup had laid eyes on the man, Agent Daves spoke.

"We have two rooms, 917, and 918. One for the Powerpuffs, and one for the Rowdyruffs. We'll be back here at 7:00 am precisely. Be ready."

Frocks handed Brick and Blossom each a room card, and together, Frocks and Daves stalked quickly back to the elevator and slipped in, leaving the six to their own devices for the next eleven hours until 7:00 am.

A brief moment of silence fill the hallway as the rival teams stood outside their doors.

"Well, uh, we'd love to chat and catch up on the good ol' times and all that rot, but we're going to hit the sack," said Brick in an obviously fake friendly voice, before sliding his door key through and leading his brothers in, but not before Butch could throw her one last glare, which Buttercup returned with just as much hatred.

Blossom rolled her eyes at her sadistic counterpart, before mimicking his movements and sliding her door key. 917 was a typical hotel room, with two queen beds, a mini fridge, and a small bathroom.

The three girls stood in the doorway, simply looking at it's normalness.

How can anything be normal? Nothing's normal! Gah! 72 hours ago, my biggest worry was that I hadn't studied enough for mid-term exams! Now, here I am, in a fancy hotel in D.C., about to leave for Asia, with Butch of the Rowdyruff boys, who I haven't even thought of in the past ten years!

Shaking her head at the insanity of it all, Buttercup plopped her backpack down on the ground, and, with a flying leap, bounced heavily onto the nearest bed and spread her arms and legs out across the mattress.

"This one's mine!"

Bubbles rolled her eyes and giggled slightly, before running into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

"I get the shower first!"

Buttercup smirked.

"What are you going to claim, Blossom?"

Blossom dropped her backpack unceremoniously on the ground next to Buttercup's.

"I claim having the most annoying counterpart," she moaned.

"No you don't! Brick is a monster, but Butch is over-the-top, unspeakably horrible!"

Bubbles was silent in the bathroom.

"Bubbles? Isn't Boomer annoying to you?" asked Buttercup curiously.

Their 'youngest' sister's voice finally echoed through the door.

"Well, he was evil, and that's why I hated him, but if what Sherry says is true about them being good now…I'm not sure."

Buttercup scoffed.

"I bet it's all an act. I think their trying to worm their way up the system so they can sell secrets out or something. Once a criminal, always a criminal. I don't trust them."

Okay, so, yeah. Not much to say…

Except, please review! Please? I was kind of disappointed by the amount of reviews my last, triple length chapter raked in. Chapter 4 got a grand total of...*drum roll* 1 review!

Yeah…

So review!

Other than that, thanks for taking the time to read my humble little story :)