A/N: Hi! CLS here. So I updated the book cover image. May not be the best, but I think it turned out okay. Forgive me, I'm not used to drawing cartoon characters on the computer. xD

This was a tough chapter to write, but I hope you enjoy it. I tried to depict Brick's emotional state as specifically as possible.

I always re-read my drafts several times so that everything makes sense without missing details. It's frustrating because I have everything in my head planned up to the ending (but I won't tell you what happens shhhh…lol) but writing it down is harder than it seems. Sometimes I keep editing it even after I upload. But I promise, it's usually very very minor. *Sigh* …If stories can always turn out perfect from one try, right? Anyways, here we go!

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Blossom was zooming across a pine forest detached from Townsville by the time she received her blue sister's message. Her face lightened from the news. So Brick was alone by himself, she confirmed.

Moments ago, the leader puff had asked a few townspeople if they had seen the boys, and some of them claimed that they witnessed a single red streak of light last found heading for Fuzzy's forest. Blossom was bemused to hear only Brick's signature light was spotted, but still thanked them and headed for her next destination. However unlike what she expected, all she found when she arrived at Fuzzy's cabin was the furry pink monster playing tranquilly on his Banjo, tilting his body back and forth on his rocking chair. Naturally, as soon as the hillbilly spotted the pink puff in the corner of his eyes, the creature in overalls rose from his seat, gnarling and threatening for her to get off of his propert-ay! Needless to say, before the pink-clad girl could ask him anything about seeing Brick, she had to evade the gun shots from his rifle and was kicked out for trespassing into his territory.

Back to the present moment, Blossom was scavenging the periphery of Fuzzy's lodge, hoping to find any sign of the red boy. If he hadn't taken over Fuzzy's cabin, then there was a chance that he probably was somewhere here in the woods.

As her search continued on, the leader girl was recounting on how much it was a relief the way things were unfolding. She had previously worried that they might, as an individual, run into an outnumbered ambush, but a one-on-one situation was definitely good news for them three. Though the leader girl wasn't clear on why her red counterpart had isolated himself from his brothers, she wiped it out from her concern. It was odd for sure, but at the same time it was perfect opportunity for her. Especially since she personally wanted to deal with him herself. She was confident that she'll be able to handle her counterpart on her own, and she trusted her sisters (even Buttercup) the same.

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Blossom assumed correctly. The red-capped Rowdyruff had arbitrarily selected an area within the vast forest as his hideout. Nonetheless, he had made a pretty decent choice as to select a place with a small lake and an abandoned but fixable wooden lodge. Currently, the red ruff was skipping stones on the lake as his mind loosely brooded over some thoughts.

Then, after spending some time skipping stones immaculately over the lake, for some reason, Brick's face gradually formed a discontented scowl as he threw one stone after the other… Until finally, he angrily fired the next stone in his hand to the bottom of the lake, causing wide ripples to disperse throughout the water's surface. He huffed and looked down into the lake to see his reflection resurfacing as the ripples dissipated. He stomped over to a distant tree stump and plopped on to it. He was done with this activity. It inevitably reminded him of the stoning from the mob.

'Those stupid weaklings… thinking that they can stand up to me, Brick!' He boiled, but stopped shortly. He placed his cheek on his hand and slightly crouched forward.

'Ah, what's the point,' he thought, 'I'm done with them.'

The red boy was dead serious about this. This wasn't just a one-time deviation from his evil-ridden life, he really had no will to go back. And not even his two fathers were going to drag him back to it.

Speaking of 'father,' Brick creased his eyebrows as he thought of his red-clawed demon parent. The truth was, Mojo and the mobs were not the only reason for his sudden eruption of temper today. In fact, it was HIM who had already made him build up unresolved questions toward his life as a villain.

HIM would always reiterate to him and his brothers that their powers were unconquerable and over-powering, and since they were given the special advantage, they should therefore dominate the ones who were pathetic and weak. But Brick was lately getting tired of the whole 'we-have-to-rule-over-the-world' speech from HIM, always berating and driving them to destroy and train down at his underground lair. Ever since they were brought back from the dead, that's what HIM pushed them to do, and that's exactly what they had to do during the last entire month they spent with HIM.

Brick held a grudge on that. Long ago, right after their resurrection, they had their first vigorous training session. It lasted for weeks with almost no sleep and rest. But after that very day that they were let out above ground to make their reappearance, their red-clawed father had time to time allowed them outside to the real world as a sort of recess. But last month, after agreeing on equal custody with Mojo, HIM reverted back to his old method. He made them constantly go through intensive training, and when they demanded for their rest and fun time, instead of letting them out, he let them play video games and fed them as much junk food as they wanted. His brothers seemed content from the reward, and Brick was too at first, but he was beginning to feel differently.

Sure, he liked blowing up and demolishing creatures down at HIM's territory, but he found playing pranks and harassing the people outside more entertaining. He wanted to give a kid a wedgie just for kicks, he wanted to punch the candy machine to make candies flow out, and he wanted to vandalize walls with graffiti. To Brick, life underground at HIM's kingdom was like that of imprisonment, no matter how much HIM would pamper him with other distractions. Besides, the red ruff was keen enough to recently become suspicious of the liquid HIM kept injecting into their veins occasionally. Weren't they already immune to cooties already? Why did they have to keep taking the dose?

Unfortunately though, the Rowdyruff had no potency to complain. He was well aware that HIM was the one who had the ultimate power to let them free. And he was the one who had omnipotent control as long as they were inside his realm. He winced a little, as he remembered the last time he tried to defy him.

"Why can't we go out? Why can't we do whatever we want?! And what's with the syringe again?!" Brick yelled at his red father in frustration.

"Brick my dear son, you're asking an awful lot of questions today…" The red devil put together his claws. "Daddy told you that it's medicine to make you stronger." He cooed in his echoing voice.

"Well I don't feel stronger!" Brick snarled. "And I don't need it, cuz I'm already tough enough to kick butt! And it'll be yours next pops, if you don't let me OUTTA HERE!"

With his son's deafening tantrum ringing in his year, HIM's eyes flamed with fire. He instantly gathered up black smoke-like essence and started to choke his red son with his formidable dark powers.

"You dare DEFY ME?! You're forgetting your place, you disrespectable piece of dirt! Here I am INVINCIBLE, and I will not cease until you swear that you will NEVER go against me again!"

Brick squirmed and writhed in pain as he felt as if every inch of power he possessed was being drained from his body.

"SWEAR TO ME AT ONCE!" HIM bellowed again in his dark voice.

Butch and Boomer who were watching the commotion prompted Brick to answer him.

"Dude! What's your problem? Just tell him what he wants!"

"Yeah, are you crazy?!"

Brick struggled to cough out an answer. "Alright alright! I'll do what you want!.. Now let me go!"

"You PROMISE?!" Him squeezed tighter.

"Y-yeah! I promise!" Brick yelped.

HIM released his son, and Brick's body dropped in an instant. Showing no remorse, HIM nonchalantly walked towards his son in slow steps and held out the syringe in his claw.

"Now my child, be a good boy, and show your arm to your father." He said with his voice calmed down. The end of the needle flashed brightly. "This is going to hurt a little." He grinned evilly.

Brick subdued his heavy uptake of breaths and reluctantly pulled up his sleeve.

"I'm no baby…" He grumbled.

Brick found himself grumbling the last phrase out loud as he got his grip back to reality. He automatically clenched his fists. He was no baby. And powerful or not, he wasn't going to take it from HIM anymore! HIM was dead wrong if he thought he could overpower and belittle him like that again! And anybody else, for that matter too! Brick recalled the scornful eyes from the mob, Mojo's look of disdain, and his brothers' disapproving scowl. Just as he was glad to be released from that scoundrel of a father, he was mobbed by some pathetic nobodies and THEN, that monkey brain picked up a nerve to downgrade his existence! Not to mention his useless brothers decide to betray him and side with him, those idiots! And this entire baggage was dumped on him for none other than one reason! —The Powerpuff Girls!

Brick's eyes enlarged as he realized he had tracked down the very end source of his anger. Of course! He grimaced. This was why he was angry at them! None of this would have happened if it weren't for those losers! And he had enough of it! He was absolutely fed up of being told that he had to destroy those meddling Powerpuffs—train because they were already behind them due to lost time, and just listen to orders because apparently that was their job, their duty, their purpose for being brought to life! They were the reason he and his brothers had to be controlled and manipulated all their life! They were the reason he was so miserable right now! And they had it all easy, because basically everybody around them thought they were all cute and loveable, letting them do whatever for saving their butts!

Hah! It disgusted the boy to no end. There was a time when Brick thought that he wanted to defeat the Powerpuff Girls. The time when he thought it was cool to mindlessly follow what HIM and everybody else pressured him to do. But not anymore. If those annoying little sissies showed their face ever again in front of him, then-

"Got'cha." A familiar voice announced from behind.

Brick flinched and turned around, hoping to hell it wasn't who he thought it was. Alas, unlucky for him, it was Blossom looking straight at him with hands to her sides. The red ruff growled under his breath and stood up from his tree stump. Oh great, one of them shows her idolized self when he least wants to see them.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Brick angrily demanded.

Blossom narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb, Brick. What makes you think you can just terrorize innocent civilians in the park?"

The pink puff tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms. The red ruff narrowed his eyes at her as well. Oh sure, it's always about her innocent citizens.

"What makes you think that's any of your business?!" Brick snapped with contempt. Blossom dropped her mouth from his ridiculous comeback.

"Because it is my business! I protect those people, Sherlock!" She argued, and positioned into her battle stance. Seriously? Brick just crossed his arms and taunted his counterpart.

"I protect those people!" He mocked her tone. "Aww, look at you! Thinking you're such a perfect hero. Nosey miss goody-two-shoes thinks that she's in charge of everything!"

Blossom, who had enough of his mockery, took the offensive and dashed towards him in top speed. Brick however, was not up to it. He easily side-stepped her, causing her to kick on her breaks and come to a stop right before she reached the lake.

"I don't have time to deal with your girl-punches." Brick jeered slyly. "Go back to your doll-house before you cry yourself home."

The pink puff faced her foe and smirked. "Oh yeah? It looks like you have lots of time on your hands." She said, eyeing their surroundings. "After running helplessly from your responsibilities like a coward."

Right as Brick's head steamed from the insult, the super-humans charged at each other at the same time. Meeting at the middle, Brick was first to deliver an attack as he uppercutted his enemy up to the sky. Blossom caught herself, and seeing Brick soar up to apply a punch, she countered with her elbow and spun around. She kicked him in the abdomen, sending him back to the ground with a loud thump. Blossom soon followed him down but was sprung over him as Brick kicked his legs up. The pink puff landed a short distance away, and both rose up but Brick was quicker. He put his hands together and blasted Blossom to a tree behind her, then the red ruff pursued his target, only to be frozen by Blossom's ice breath. Blossom took a hold of the created ice piece, zoomed over above the lake, and thrust her frozen counterpart into the body of water. The force she applied was so hard that the ice chunk ignored the water's buoyancy and shattered at the bottom of the lake, breaking the red boy free.

Brick swam up the swirling waves formed from the impact to grab his red cap that came loose. He then stuck his head out above the water's surface and inhaled deep breaths. Blossom was waiting for him in front of the lake with her arms crossed.

"Why did you hurt those people? Why?!" She prompted for his answer.

"Because!" Brick zipped out and above the water after catching his breath. "They were stupid enough to attack first and call me names! Ya happy?!"

Then, instead of charging towards her, Brick zoomed back down to the grass and shook water off of his body. He seemed to have lost interest in getting back to battle. Blossom, perplexed, stared at him momentarily, but let down her guard anyways.

"That's the best you can come up with?" She scoffed. "Do you really expect me to believe that a crowd of citizens just ganged up on you and, ...wait..." She paused as something that previously bothered her from the investigation found its way back into her head. The stones...The citizens gathered in one place...for what reason?

"Did they…" Blossom continued, "stone you?"

Brick was squeezing water out from his cap when he heard her. He scrunched up his face. "Yeah? How'd you know?"

Blossom collected her thoughts shortly and enumerated her reasoning. "There were stones that were piled near the site of the attack. So one, it's strange to think that anyone would have 'coincidentally' gathered up stones at the attack site just for fun, so it must have been used for a weapon during the attack. Two, I assume it was the citizens that chose that for a weapon since it's highly unlikely that you would do so when you have your powers."

Brick blinked as Blossom finished. He squeezed the water from his long hair too, and put his cap back on.

"Nice try, nerd-brain." He sneered. "But it was before my attack, not during. Those wimps were too busy screaming and running away afterwards when I fired them with my awesome ray." The red ruff gloated proudly. Blossom frowned and internally punched him in the face for his audacious statement.

"Now, if you've finally figured out the truth, get lost before your girliness wears off on me." Brick snapped. Seeing their little battle was over, he walked past the pink girl, towards the wooden lodge.

"How can I be sure you're not the one who started it?" Blossom inquired with antipathy. Brick halted in his tracks.

"And another thing," Blossom continued. "You hardly even get hurt from those stones, but those people you attacked were seriously injured! What does it matter if they called you names? You can brush it off, can't you?! It's still nothing compared to what you did to them!"

Brick's head pulsed with anger. Nothing? Yeah! Of course it was nothing, right? He couldn't possibly admit to her that what happened before influenced him. He was fine! He was absolutely…

No... The red ruff knew. The red ruff knew deep down that wasn't true. And he couldn't just stand there and let that stupid puff tell him off.

The leader ruff turned to her furiously. "Nothing?! Well maybe for you it's NOTHING!" He roared in exasperation, taking Blossom by surprise. "News flash, pink-eye! Your innocent citizens, are not really that innocent! But then again, how would you know what it's like, huh? You're their precious hero, and every one of those lame wimps adore you!" He spat in a mocking tone. "Nobody ever blames you for anything because you're all so goody-goody, and all 'I'm going to save the day because I'm so much perfect and better than you all!' But guess what? You aren't! You're just a pathetic sissy trying to kiss up to everybody no matter what they do!"

Brick seethed and shot looks of sharp daggers to his counterpart. Blossom, taking in his long rant, just stared at Brick with incredulity. Wait, what?!

Besides the fact that he insulted her, she couldn't believe what she just heard. Could it be that he was... actually hurt by this incident? Blossom stopped herself from snorting out loud. This was ridiculous! A ruthless Rowdyruff actually making what happened to him a big deal!

Blossom speculatively searched his eyes to see if he was making some kind of joke. But to her shock, when she managed to see past his rage, she discovered the seriousness and hurt stricken in two wavering eyes. The pink girl bit her lip. Was it a big deal to him? Did things really happen like he said? It did answer why the attack earlier at the park seemed impetuous and unplanned, but that was just her presumption. Did the citizens really gang up and publicly shame him? ...so harshly that it made him capable of feeling... hurt?

She stared at the boy in front of her waiting for her response. No matter how hard the situation was to believe, she had to make something clear to him.

"I DO NOT think that I'm better than anybody." She asserted.

Brick scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I don't!" Blossom immediately hissed, taking him aback. "Never in my life did I EVER think I was more superior! Yes, I might have an advantage in my powers, but that doesn't make me 'better' or 'superior' than normal people, it just makes me 'different' and 'special'! And helping people is what makes my powers so special, not stomping over others and calling them 'wimps'!" Blossom marched closer to Brick and pointed to his chest. "If you don't want people to attack and treat you with hatred, how about you start working on how you treat them first?!"

"Hah, what?! Treat those losers nicely? You gotta be kidding me!" Brick snorted as he whacked her hand away.

"Suit yourself." Blossom responded, crossing her arms. "If you want to live your life sad and alone."

Brick twitched from her offensive remark. "You should know, that I want to be alone! I ran away from home!" He shouted bluntly.

Blossom blinked from his unexpected frank remark, and to be fair, Brick was a bit embarrassed after seeing her reaction. So that's why he's out here, she thought in realization.

"What about it? I don't need family like you lamos. It's what I wanted for a long time!" Brick added quickly, trying to make it seem less personal.

The two stood still in their place silently, staring at each other. Yes, Blossom had found out why Brick had separated from his brothers, but she didn't know what to think of it. Tired from this silly tension, she looked away to survey the area of Brick's new territory.

"Well? Are you like, gonna 'arrest' me now?" Brick broke the silence. "Because you're stupid to think I'll go down easily."

"Are you planning to go back anytime soon?" Blossom ignored his comment and asked.

"No. And you're not gonna make me go anywhere either." The red ruff said sharply. "So if you're done poking your nose where it doesn't belong, you better leave because no one invited you to this party."

Blossom was just finished with her surveillance of the area. It was a decent choice for a runaway place, he was in luck. She looked back at his red foe. Brick seemed pretty stubborn about his stay. Something drove him to run away, which means he was definitely affected by the raid from the citizens. Or, there was something else she didn't know going on.

"Didn't you hear me?! Buzz off!" Brick yelled impatiently to the wordless puff.

Blossom huffed and closed her eyes. "Fine." She turned on her heels and faced the other direction. Whatever it was, he sure wasn't going to tell her.

With the unusual confront with him, the red-bowed Powerpuff had lost her determination to fight. And frankly, the pink puff didn't know what to do from here. She had initially searched for Brick's whereabouts to beat him up and make him receive the punishment he deserved. But now, with an uncomfortable truth unveiled and with Brick showing signs of emotions that she has never even seen in him before, she wasn't sure if that was really the right answer. Looking at him somehow reminded her of a certain memory in the past... A woeful memory before she and her sisters became heroes. The pink girl sighed and decided to retreat for now.

"By the way, Brick." Blossom paused before her departure. Brick gave her a 'what now' look. "You're wrong. People didn't always like me." She said, turning her head slightly and looking meaningfully at the red boy with no longer anger-ridden eyes. "I was just as upset as you were."

With that, she soared up the sky, leaving a pink trail of her own. The red Rowdyruff was left to himself as he wordlessly stared at the Powerpuff disappear into the clouds.