IX
"of Porter"

"Buttercup, stop!"

I ground my teeth together the closer we got to the origin of the smoke cloud. One more block, we'd be back at Kat's. Impossible, I thought to myself. She's anal about her apartment. She wouldn't let it burn down. It must be a neighboring building.

"God dammit. Buttercup!" I was good with just ignoring the pain in my ass but that didn't seem to roll well with him. He got the upper hand quick and tackled me into a nearby rooftop. We both grunted at the impact and rolled to a stop. Boomer got the worst of it by breaking my fall and he stayed down longer than I did.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I bellowed, getting to my feet and towering over the crouching blonde.

"Me?! What's wrong with you?" He bit back exasperatingly. "You're supposed to be laying low, remember? Normal girls don't go flying around like they're a Powerpuff!"

"Do you not see what I'm seeing?!" I threw my arm in the direction of the black smog.

"I do! Shit…" he winced as he got up. "Look, nobody is supposed to know what I used to be."

I snorted. "Used to be." I repeated sarcastically.

"Yes, what I used to be. I'm not that Rowdyruff anymore, okay? I can't go flying around like this. Even if it might sound probable, nobody is going to believe I'm some manufactured brother of the Powerpuff Girls!" Before I could open my mouth, he held up a finger warningly, "And you're not supposed to be flying around. You told me the Professor wanted you to have a low profile."

"Somebody could be in trouble." I stopped him before he could interrupt me. I grabbed his shoulders, "Kat lives this way, Boomer. I live this way. That could be our apartment. I'd be right there in that if you hadn't—" I stopped, my eyes going wide. Boomer looked at me weirdly, half-expecting me to finish but half-understanding why I didn't. I squared my shoulders and averted my eyes.

I'm the superhero around here. I grumbled to myself, almost like a reminder.

Boomer took a cautious step forward, "Let's go, Buttercup. On foot."

"We won't get there—"

"You promised." He interrupted with a stern glare.

I glared right back. "She's my roommate."

"And you're not a Powerpuff anymore. Remember? You're just like everybody else."

Never have I ever felt so defeated.

"Lead the way, Goldilocks."

Fighting bad guys all your life, you've learned to expect the unexpected. If something could go wrong, it will, and that was a fact. For twenty years, Blossom has prepared herself for the worst case scenario. From petty burglaries to terrorist attacks on City Hall, she thought she's seen everything. But nothing could ever prepare her for this.

Kathryn Douglas, like Richard Masen, was some kind of invincible. At least, Blossom thought so. Buttercup told stories upon stories of how she drank herself to oblivion and lived to tell the tale the next day. She survived the bombing of Townsville by staggering—incoherently, she might add—behind a dumpster and walked out of a would-be fatal car accident (a head on collision in which two people died) with only a scar on her lower lip, all the while only being charged with public intoxication (as the car's engine was shut off and she was not the one behind the wheel to be arrested for manslaughter). Kathryn Douglas was one lucky son of a bitch. Blossom knew that, Buttercup knew that, everyone from Townsville to Burgsville knew that.

But here she was, the only woman across the state who could infamously go tete-a-tete with a Powerpuff Girl and survive, sitting on the surb outside her flaming apartment complex, scared straight with a face as white as her watch. Of everyone, Blossom knew Kathryn Douglas from the many hospital records she's seen when she interned at the hospital. As such, she knew just what she suffered from. Anxiety, schizophrenia, a family history of depression and insanity. Even as she says this, Blossom can't help but admire the well-controlled disposition she had; calm even in the face of danger. "Kathryn," the red-headed Puff tried as she and Bubbles approached. The officers and firemen recognized them through their respective and famous pink and blue hues, and quickly let them through the police tape. "Do you know what happened?"

Her eyes, dilated to where the green in her iris was undetectable, darted to a fro; from Blossom to Bubbles to the cement to the fire trucks and police cruisers. Bubbles stood a good distance away, giving them the space needed. "Ka—"

"I hear ya." She murmured, her body shaking.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

She shook her head. The flames of her apartment were slowly being controlled and her face started to lose illumination from the fire. The high beams of a cruiser turned on and Kathryn flinched back, squinting her eyes painfully tight. Bubbles narrowed her eyes and shot a stern glare to the officer, who quickly shut them back off. "Can't tell ya anything, Bloss."

Bubbles put a hand to Blossom's back and nodded her head towards Chief Edwards. He was the man in charge of the police force. He wasn't really a chief. That was just his name. The girls have stopped a few too many crimes to be just acquaintances with Chief; he and his wife's been an invited guest to their barbecues every Wednesday.

"How are you girls?" He asked kindly as he always does. The sisters both said a quick "fine" in unison and then got to the situation at hand. He pulled them aside, away from earshot of Kathryn, and sighed deeply. "Has she said much?"

"Nothing worth reporting." Blossom answered, glancing over at their only witness. "She looks like she's in shock."

"The firemen tell us the source came from her apartment. Her stove caught fire. I guess she tried to make ravioli but she had it sitting too long."

"That doesn't explain how she got out but no one else did." Bubbles commented quietly. She was almost afraid to ask about the elephant in the room.

"They've managed to bring out around twenty people. They all have minor burns, some with concussions from falling debris, nothing too major. But the ones living above and underneath Ms. Douglas weren't so lucky. Their bodies couldn't be recovered." That's when the girls noticed the soot that covered his uniform.

"Chief, your firemen days should be over." Blossom scolded lightly. Chief chuckled and brushed off the char from his uniform, blackening his fingers in the process.

"When the trucks come late, the officers take charge with what they got Blossom. You know me better than that."

Bubbles sighed softly. "So many lives lost. How terrible. Have they checked out Kat?"

"Not that I'm aware of. She's refused to be looked at professionally. Officer Henderson has been treating her burns through the medics and what they've been giving her but she can only do so much. If she doesn't get looked at, she's running the risk of infection; amputation if it gets as bad as I think." Chief cleared his throat awkwardly. "But there is a matter of residues we've found from what's left of her apartment and on her person. She's had well over ten pounds of cocaine put away in a safe behind her kitchen cabinets. But that's not to say what amount she might have consumed within the past four hours."

"C-coke? Kat?" Blossom repeated incredulously as she looked over at the quivering woman, her wounds being overseen by Henderson again. She knew of her alcohol problem but nothing prepared her for a hidden coke addiction.

"I've managed to scrape some up. The safe that was left behind was fire-retardant." He pointed over to where a large compartment was being loaded into a police cruiser. "Detective Morris has been called on the scene. He won't arrive for another few minutes. She's going to be detained for possession and possible distribution of drugs."

Bubbles shared a worried look with her sister, both thinking the same thing. How will Buttercup react when she finds out? "Has my sister come around, Chief?"

"Buttercup? Not that I recall. Wouldn't she have come with you?"

"She was staying with Kat." Bubbles replied shakily, anxiously looking over the immense crowd that had appeared to watch the spectacle. It's not every day a building catches on fire in the middle of the night. And wherever the Powerpuff Girls were, a hoard of admirers was sure to follow. "We thought she would've been here."

"Kat! Kat!" The three looked up and spotted the devil herself pushing past the onlookers to get to Kathryn. A blonde haired boy followed her and Blossom couldn't shake the familiarity of his eyes. Henderson got to her feet and stepped back to allow Buttercup full access to her roommate. "Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?"

The Puffs quickly approached their sister, Chief following dutifully behind. "Buttercup!" Bubbles exclaimed excitedly despite the current situation and quickly enveloped Buttercup in a hug. The green-eyed heroine grunted under Bubbles' strength but hugged back anyway. Blossom watched their exchange curiously. It was like seeing them interact for the first time. In retrospect, maybe she was. Her head's been gone for a while, she's still stuck on how they were when the three of them were younger. Seeing them so close to the point where Buttercup would openly accept and return Bubbles' affections in public made Blossom realize just how far away from home she's really been. The pink-eyed woman approached them and smiled softly to herself. It was good to see them finally act as the sisters they should have been years ago.

A presence made her guard come up. She let her pretty smile fall and stared hardly at the blonde that appeared with Buttercup. "Civilians are to stand behind the tape."

Buttercup looked up and freed herself from Bubbles' embrace. "He's with me, Bloss." The two of them shared a knowing look and Blossom's suspicions grew. Who is he and what was his relationship with her sister? "We'll explain later." She nodded curtly, full well expecting some explaining to be done later that night.

Boomer looked towards Bubbles and offered a weak smile as she eyed him with inquisition. Realization seemed to dawn on her and she smiled back behind Blossom's turned back. How long had it been since she's seen her old friend? Granted that the Rowdyruffs were everything but friends to her and her sisters, Bubbles could look past his title to see the genuine, caring soul he showed her way back when. In her eyes, Boomer was no villain and she won't treat him like one unless she saw it fit.

Seeing Blossom's compliance, Buttercup knelt down in front of Kay. "Hey, Kat. What happened here?"

Kathryn shrugged, keeping her head down. "I'unno. Wanted some ravioli."

Buttercup chuckled, "You realize you burnt the place down, right?"

Kathryn scowled and lifted her head to glare tiredly at her friend. Just as she opened her mouth, she stopped and her eyes grew large. Realization crossed her eyes and her words died in her throat. The group all looked at her in surprise, taking careful note of her reaction.

Then her brows knitted and her hands were wrung tightly around Buttercup's neck.

"That was unnecessary." Butch frowned.

"You wanted it done, it was done."

"You realize you've brought attention to yourself?"

"Doubt it. They think she just left the stove on." Brick's hard stare made Butch roll his eyes, "Which she did."

Brick looked down at the scene before them. Police officers everywhere, firemen still trying to maintain the chaotic inferno, annoying civilians crowding around to watch the spectacle. Definitely not a place for any sane Rowdyruff to be sticking around. "What did you get from her about Fuck-for-Brains?"

"Nothing good. Shit we already know. He was at that guy's party Thursday night." Butch's eyes watched the fire with a strange yet serene look of utter boredom. Even from their distance, the dim illumination highlighted their features handsomely. Brick clenched the cell phone in his palm. "You know this one's got some real problems, bro. Bottles everywhere and coke stashed away."

"That doesn't interest me, Butch."

Butch clicked his tongue and glanced down at the scene. Surprise glittered his face for a brief second, then he smirked broadly. "This might. See them down there?" Brick followed his rowdy brother's finger and pursed his lips in annoyance. There he was. In plain mother fucking sight.

"We go all around Townsville looking for him, and he just shows up at the nearest burning building. Fucking waste of time." Shaking his head, Brick turned on his heel and walked. "Get him. I want to go home."

"Not a good idea with those Powerpuffs around." Brick stopped mid-step. He swiftly returned to his brother's side and clenched his fists, the phone crumbling in his vice grip.

"Dammit." He cursed.

"Don't they look close?" Butch's finger turned to the dark haired woman embracing who Brick could only recognize as Bubbles. Boomer stood by awfully close and he knew it wasn't because he was just an innocent passerby looking for an autograph. "You heard 'em earlier, bro. He rescued her."

Of all the fucking people, Boomer had to not only choose a Powerpuff but Buttercup fucking Utonium to follow around like a fucking lap dog. "That's just perfect." Brick mumbled sarcastically, angrily. His displeasure was seen only by the slight downturn of the corners of his lips.

"What do you say? We go down anyway and know his ass a few times? Give the girls a real show."

"No. I don't want you to be on their radar again."

"Old Man's expecting us back at Burgs."

"I don't need more trouble following you all the way back to the Capital."

"He's probably told her everything about us, bro." Maybe Butch was just looking for an excuse to kick his feeble brother's ass.

"He won't. He knows what'll happen if he does. He won't be riding out our asses, it's his own too." Brick looked to his brother from the corner of his eyes. "Go back to Citiesville. Get his shit together. I'll take care of him."

Butch frowned. "What a shitty plan."

"Do it." Brick's order hung heavy on Butch and he sighed.

"Whatever. Just don't keep me waiting too long." Butch clamped his hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Come back in one piece, alright? The both of you." Brick's hand found itself on Butch's shoulder, mimicking their brotherly affection.

"Stay out of trouble. I mean it." Butch's response was a smirk and he started back to Citiesville on foot.

Brick watched his brother jump from rooftop to rooftop. Flying was dangerous here. As Butch's unruly hair and silhouette became unrecognizable, he turned his ruddy eyes back to the scene. Without the dim light, his eyes found an unnatural glow and zeroed in on the girls surrounding his brother.

The errand to pick up Boomer in Citiesville and should have been easy but with the Powerpuffs involved Brick knew he'd have to be extra careful on how he treads. This was Powerpuff territory. If he was going to approach him, he has to keep his trail clean. After all—Brick mused—you can't catch what you can't find.

Blossom and Bubbles may be nuisances in their own right but Buttercup was definitely an issue, especially with Boomer attached to her hip.

In spite of himself, Brick smirked and watched Buttercup get feebly strangled by her own roommate. Let's just see how much you girls have grown.

Copyright © 2013 by scorpialin
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