Title: For Lost Years
Author: SeBriar
Summary: The boys are back after having disappeared for years. They must be up to something, but what? And who's leading these random attacks on the town? It's not the boys, so who?
Pairing: RrB/PpG
Rating: Changed back to T for the moment
Genre: Romance/Drama/Family
Details: Ruffs and Puffs are 16, and for the sake of the story as they grew older they developed fingers, toes, noses, etc.
Disclaimer: I most definitely don't own the Powerpuff girls. Meh...
Chapter Five: Leap A City Block In A Single Bound
Happy Reading! BIG THANKS TO ELIZABETH BURKE! She made this previously awful chapter readable. ^_^
''Being good is commendable, but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful.'' ~Author Unknown
It'd been a week since the attack on the hospital, and Blossom had scratched off her usual potential villains..
She'd gone through her entire list of suspects, but few of them seemed capable of this kind of attack. The ones that were-Him, Mojo, or possibly Princess-were unlikely.
That kind of attack simply wasn't Him's style; he preferred mind games to outright attacks.
If it'd been Mojo he would have been somewhere in the area, boasting about the brilliance of his plan as they struggled to stop the missiles, and Princess had been in Hawaii for the weekend, so she was also out.
Now she was considering the possibility that it could've been the boys. After all, they did work in a building that produced military weaponry, and Brick had mentioned that very day that he had helped build half the items developed. They seemed to be her best lead, and with her evidence to back it up she was ready to discuss it with her sisters.
Bubbles and Buttercup sat on Bubble's bed as their sister stood in front of them grimly.
''Uh.'' Buttercup grunted impatiently. "Stop pouting and just spit it out, Leader Girl."
''I think it was the Rowdyruff Boys.''
Bubbles let out an inaudible gasp, and Buttercup only raised an eyebrow. ''It took you a week to think of that?''
Blossom sat down in between them. ''I was mulling over everything; when I first came up with the theory it didn't make much sense.''
''I'll say,'' Buttercup snorted, ''Why would they help us out if they sent the missiles?''
''And why would they target the hospital while their mother was in there?'' Bubbles whispered.
Blossom crossed her arms, frowning seriously. "I know your talk with Jen has changed your mind about them Bubbles, and you're right it doesn't all make sense, but I'm not convinced. It's possible that they were just using Dr. Cathy for means of a home and food, not to mention access to her artillery and space. Or, they staged the missile attack, knowing exactly how to stop it so as to look good in our eyes and in the eyes of the people.''
"But...Boomer...he was so upset...'' Bubbles muttered faintly.
''It may very well have been an act, Bubbles.''
Bubbles covered her face with her hands, shaking her head in disbelief. There was no way anyone could simply fake grief like that. And there was no way a person could live with someone for so many years and feel nothing for them. She just couldn't believe it.
Buttercup was deciding whether or not to agree with Blossom's theory. Butch had seemed perfectly content to just let the missile crash into the hospital if not for the little girl calling him a superhero and asking for him to protect her. Would he have just let the missile kill everyone, including Jen and Dr. Cathy? Or, was he putting on an act and using the girl as an excuse?
''We can't just confront them about it,'' Blossom interrupted her thoughts. ''They would most definitely deny it. What we need to do is find proof that they can't simply dispute.''
''How would we do that?'' Bubbles asked, defeated. She kept her face hidden by her hands.
Blossom stood up to pace, and Buttercup sat impatiently waiting for her to finish. This was an issue Blossom had always had. She was good at thinking up plans, yes, but it took her a moment to do it. Rarely could she come up with an exceptional one on the spot. Buttercup had seen the panic on Blossom's face when they were trying to stop the missiles, and knew her sister might not have been able to figure out how to stop them.
''They probably built the missiles in Magnesium Industries; the building is definitely large enough. If we could get a hold of the building's security tapes we could catch them.'' Blossom said after several minutes.
''Whatever you say, Leader Girl.'' But Buttercup couldn't help but remember that it was Brick who had come up with the plan to stop the missiles, not her sister.
Cathy smiled, hands on her hips as she stared down at the first two sets of armored suits. They were pitch black and made of a stretchy spandex-like material. There were thick gray stripes around the neck, gloved wrists, and ankles of the boots. On one was a 'Rr' logo, on the other a 'Pp.'
''BRICK!'' She called out, knowing he would hear her from wherever he was in the building.
Instead of the elevator Brick came flying in from the stairs a moment later. He was wearing a T-shirt and sweats, and only then did it occur to Cathy that it was Sunday, Brick's appointed 'sleep 'till noon day.' His long hair was loose and messy, practically sweeping the floor, and his hat was placed haphazardly on his head.
''Sorry, Honey, I forgot it was Sunday.''
He grunted, looking at her through disheveled bangs.
She smiled apologetically. ''I finished your suit and thought you might like to try it.'' She gestured to the clothing folded on the table.
Brick gave her a deadpanned stare. She pushed the suit into his arms, making a vague hand gesture for him to change as she turned and headed toward the large monitor to give him his privacy.
She typed in a code and several files popped up onto the screen. Brick tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned back to him. She took in his appearance with a satisfied smile. The suit was form fitting, yet breathable for comfort and suited him quite nicely.
''Why did the stripes change color?'' He asked, tugging on a fingerless glove with a red stripe around the wrist where it was previously gray.
As soon as he'd finished putting the suit on the stripes had lit up and turned a vibrant orange before fading to a dark red.
''That was the suit adapting to your genetic signature and verifying who you are.''
He raised an eyebrow. ''Why?''
She smiled innocently and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ''Well...just making an armored suit for the Reality Chamber was boring, so instead I infused the suit with some of your key traits so you can use it as Battle-Ready armor whenever you need it.''
''...What traits?''
''It's almost as heat resistant as you yourself are, it's flexible, and I've encoded muscle memory into from my studies of how you move when you fight. This way, if you're injured and a little slow to make a move the suit will just do it for you.''
He crossed his arms. ''You study me?'' There was a note of irritation in his tone.
Cathy shrugged and reached over to access a file on the monitor. A current photo of Brick popped up, along with a lot of information such as his height, weight, eye color, hair color, favorite food, and superpowers. Underneath that were images of him fighting with his brothers, going back to when he was seven. He glared at the screen.
''I just like to observe you and your brothers when you fight. It's so fascinating, and if this information contributes to developing something that will help protect you I say it's a good thing.''
''What could I possibly need protection from? I've got bullet proof skin.''
''You never know...'' She replied quietly, staring at one of the earlier pictures of Brick and his brothers. Brick was sitting on top of Butch and yelling at him while Boomer laughed a few feet away.
''So who's the other suit for?'' She shook her head to disperse her thoughts, giving him a confused look. ''There was another one on the table.'' He explained, nodding to said table.
''Oh, that's Blossom's. I got the muscle memory from your fight with her a while ago and decided to take advantage of it.''
Brick felt his eye twitch.
Net's hands shook badly as they hovered over the large red button resting on his desk. 'Why is the dangerous button always on MY desk? Why can't it be on Andrew's from down the hall?'
''I suggest you make haste, Net.'' The man said casually. ''Don't you want to be getting back to your family soon?''
Net let his index finger rest lightly on the button, glaring subtly at the man next to him from the corner of his eye.
He added more pressure to the button, pushing it down slowly before removing his hand. He'd pray for whoever was on the wrong end of whatever it was that this button did.
...But he simply could not risk his family.
From the start, Bubbles was not having a very good morning.
For one thing it was Monday, and nobody likes Mondays.
For another, she was already in a somber mood from yesterday's conversation with her sisters. Tack on running into Princess and being called 'Bubblebutt,' then failing a science quiz you get a not-so-Bubbly Bubbles.
She walked down a third floor hallway, counting the hours left until school ended before pausing. Why was the hallway empty, she wondered. Granted, it was lunchtime; but not for everyone, right? There should be some students walking around.
She continued on, intending to go downstairs to check the second floor when the door to the girls bathroom flew open just as she was going past. A girl stumbled out, clutching her neck and hacking violently. Behind her an odd gray gas seeped from the room, spreading along the hallway and making Bubbles' eyes water.
The girl slumped to the ground, unconscious. Worriedly, Bubbles lifted her up and flew toward the stairs and down to the first floor. She froze at the mass panic that greeted her.
People lay all over the hallway as the gas floated over their heads. Others were desperately leaping over them, trying to get out of the building but the toxic fumes were making them dizzy and slowing them down. Most were screaming and others were crying, unable to move.
Buttercup flew past her from the stairs, three people carried on her back and two hanging from her arms as she took them outside. That reminded Bubbles that she had a job to do, and still carrying the girl she grabbed a few more people and made sure they were safely outside.
''What's happening?'' Buttercup asked, coming up to her as they went back inside to get more people. ''I'm minding my own business going to lunch when a stampede of teenagers suddenly try to run me over to get out of the school, not to mention there's this weird ass gas coming from all the bathrooms!''
''I don't know,'' Bubbles replied. A boy her age clutched onto her leg, and she screamed in fear and surprise before he fell over, the gas knocking him out. ''Where's Blossom?'' She asked meekly. There was no way they could get seven hundred and fifty students out of the school by themselves, plus the teachers.
''I don't know! I was hoping you did!'' Buttercup heaved four teens over her shoulder. ''I tried calling but she's not answering her phone!''
Bubbles had to dodge those who were still able to run out of the building themselves to get to the students who still lay unmoving inside the school. Only then did she notice the open bathroom door, spilling out gas like cold air from an open freezer. Sitting on the floor, eyes half-lidded and staring directly at her was Blossom. Her breathing was labored and she was clutching a rectangular device to her chest that seemed to be what was releasing the gas.
There was some type of black mist coming from it too, and as Bubbles neared it she accidentally let some of the strange vapors touch her. Almost immediately, she felt her strength leave her and she dropped to her knees.
Blossom blinked slowly at her before mouthing the words 'Antidote X.'
''Butch, what are you doing?'' The green Ruff glanced over at his blonde brother who plopped down onto the couch beside him, putting his feet up onto the table. Hayate lounged on the floor at their feet.
''Channel surfing. Nothing's on,'' he muttered, resuming his constant pressing of the channel button on the remote.
The elevator opened and Cathy and Brick strode in, Cathy smiling as usual and Brick scowling at nothing, still wearing his suit. He sat down between the two of them, staring absently at the television as Butch continued to search through the channels.
''I finished your suit, Butch,'' Cathy announced as she went past them and into the kitchen to get something to drink.
''Yes. Something to do. When can I use it?'' He asked, smirking at the thought of getting to fight monsters ten times as strong as the ones in Townsville.
''Later today; I just need to make some last minute adjustments.''
Butch leaned back into the couch, somewhat disappointed that he'd have to wait.
''Hey, stop! Go back!'' Boomer shouted, snatching the remote from his hand and turning back a few channels. He sat forward as a reporter stepped up, standing in front of a school where kids were slumped over around the outside, some type of gas coming from the doors and windows.
''I'm standing a safe distance away from Townsville High School where it seems some kind of toxic gas leak has broken out through the inside,'' the reporter said. His voice traveled throughout the apartment and Cathy came in holding a glass of water to see what was going on.
''No word yet on what could've caused the gas leak,'' the reporter continued, ''but we can rest assured that the Powerpuff Girls have complete control of the situation.''
Brick snorted at that. This town was stupid to put so much trust into those girls. They wouldn't always be able to save them. The idiots probably would've stood outside gaping like fish when they fought over a week ago if not for their mother bribing the police to keep everyone inside.
Cathy sat down on the arm rest beside Butch, absently running her hand through the boy's dark hair as she stared worriedly at the screen. Butch's mouth twitched as he felt her smooth down his spiky locks before focusing again on the T.V.
At the school Buttercup and Bubbles were constantly flying in and out, dropping people off outside before going back to get more.
''That won't work,'' Brick observed. ''There are too many people in that building for only the two of them. It would take hours to evacuate them all if they're all unconscious. I assume they would have to go looking for some of them too, since they may be in the classrooms or back hallways.''
The next few times only Buttercup came out, looking more and more distressed as she glanced around wildly for her sister.
''Why don't they help them instead of just broadcast it? Firefighters have gas masks right? Well, why aren't they in there?'' Boomer complained, frowning as Buttercup continued to try and save more of the students, looking winded.
''Because Townsville is completely dependent on the Powerpuff Girls to protect them. They don't know how to deal with crap like this.'' Brick replied bluntly.
Cathy furrowed her brow, turning to the three of them. ''Why don't you help them out? They might be in trouble.''
She received three blank stares and sighed in disappointment. She may have been able to 'Mother' the evil out of them, but attempting to turn them into anything more than 'public menaces' was more or less a lost cause.
She stood up, retrieving her gloves from her pocket and pulling them on as she shrugged out of her lab coat and let it fall to the floor. She went down the hall to her bedroom, coming back out wearing black tennis shoes and a utility belt with her hair in a ponytail before going to the elevator. She looked over at Hayate, who dutifully went to where she was and hopped into her arms.
''Where are you going?'' Boomer asked curiously.
''The school.'' She replied as the elevator closed behind her.
The boys blinked, sitting still for a moment.
''She's not serious, right?'' Butch asked slowly. ''She can't be serious.''
Brick got up from his seat, walking over to the window and glancing to the ground. His eyes widened. ''She's definitely serious.'' He mumbled. ''And she's crazy.''
''Well, we knew that already,'' Butch said with a smirk. ''You'd have to be a little insane to take us in.''
''That's not a good thing.''
Cathy crouched low on the sidewalk, ignoring those giving her odd looks. Hayate was clinging to her back mewling desperately in an attempt to persuade her not to go through with what she was about to do.
She glanced back at the hysterical cub. ''No worries, Haya. I've got you in case things go wrong.'' Hayate was not in the least comforted by her words.
She looked up toward the roof of Magnesium Industries. ''It's been quite a few years since I last tried this. I hope I've still got it.''
Hayate clutched tighter to her shoulders and aimed a wide-eyed stare to the top of the building. His master had officially lost it.
Cathy leaped, shooting upwards at least two-hundred feet, just shy of the roof. She bit her lip as she started to fall; she may be able to jump this high but if she fell from here she would more than likely die.
She reached out, snagging onto her windowsill and managing to stall her decent. She strained to keep hold as Hayate whined behind her. ''I-I'm okay, Haya,'' she said unconvincingly.
She heard noise coming from the inside, and looked up to see the window opening. Three heads poked out and she managed a lighthearted smile.
''Hey, boys.''
''How did you get up here?'' Boomer asked incredulously.
''No time to talk.'' She rasped, struggling to press her feet flat against the side of the building. She bent her knees and propelled her body upwards, this time landing safely on the roof. She dusted her hands off, smiling in accomplishment. ''That wasn't so hard.''
Hayate sniffed at her, whacking his paw lightly against the back of her head.
She shrugged. ''Not too hard anyway.'' She jumped over onto the next roof and the next one, making her way to Townsville High School.
Three boys watched her, shock clearly written on their faces.
''Did anybody know she could do that?'' Butch asked, oddly with a wide smile. ''Because I sure as hell didn't! Do you think she can fight too?''
''I doubt it,'' Brick mumbled, climbing out the window. He turned back to his brothers as they followed him out of the apartment suite. ''And I don't want you asking her to spar; you know she'll say yes.''
Butch pouted. ''Well, how are we ever going to know what all she can do with that Chemical X inside her if we don't try it out?''
''She can't fly and she can heal injuries, that's all we need to know,'' Brick said, taking off toward the school.
''He sucks the fun out of everything,'' Butch complained, following after him.
Boomer frowned to himself as he flew behind them. He thought back to the news broadcast, wondering if Bubbles was okay...
Buttercup was definitely not okay. In fact, she was read to pull her hair out with frustration. Where the hell were Blossom and Bubbles? She hadn't seen Blossom since lunch, and Bubbles had just disappeared somewhere, leaving Buttercup to try getting all these people out by herself.
By now most of them were out cold so all she had to do was carry them out, not have to dodge around several panicking, but that was little consolation considering she could only pick up so many of them at a time, and there were still somewhere around five hundred of them left.
Just as she was dumping the latest load out front parking lot, scowling at the camera crew that seemed content to just watch her struggle, she was rammed into, pushed face first into the dirt.
''Buttercup?'' The person on top of her asked. Her response was a muffled curse, and the person quickly stood up. ''Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Buttercup! Here let me...''
They pulled her up by the arm before proceeding to dust the dirt off her clothing. She stared, not entirely believing who she was seeing. ''Dr. Cathy?''
Dr. Catherine, straightened and tried to smile, though it turned into more of a pained grimace. Hayate peeked out from behind her hair, staring curiously at Buttercup. ''I came to help out,'' Cathy said, rubbing her bruised side. Yes, she could definitely scratch off 'pain resistant' on her list of what the Chemical X allowed her to do.
Buttercup stared blankly at her. ''You?''
Cathy walked past her and into the school, used to skepticism in her abilities from Brick. ''Yes, me.'' She felt the gas wash over her as she entered, a wave of dizziness nearly making her loose her footing. She reached into her utility belt, pulling out two miniature gas masks. She reached back to put one on Hayate before doing the same for herself.
Now able to breath sufficiently she continued on, Buttercup following her. ''What are you going to do? I've tried carrying them out...''
Cathy glanced back at her. ''I think the first thing to do would be shutting off whatever it is producing the gas. Once that's done the school will be able to air out. It's apparent that the gas was only made to comatose, not kill. If the gas is gone they might wake up.'' She said, gesturing to the people she was taking care to step over. ''Do you know what's causing the gas?''
''I know it started inside the bathrooms. All of them, I think.''
''Good,'' Cathy said, walking into the first bathroom she saw, which was a boys' bathroom.
''Up there!'' Buttercup shouted, pointing above the stalls to the rectangular device where the gas was pouring from. She flew up to it, tugging it off the wall and flying back down, handing it to Cathy. ''What now? Do you want me to crush it?''
''No, wait...'' Cathy stared at it for a few seconds. The blinker in the top right corner that was previously flashing with a gray light suddenly changed to black. Black mist suddenly erupted from the device, swooning around Cathy.
''Dr. Catherine!'' Buttercup called out in alarm, but Cathy held out a hand to stall her.
''Back away, Buttercup. This is Antidote X.'' She ordered sternly. 'It's too bad Antidote X has no affect on defective Chemical X...'
Buttercup did back out to the doorway, but scowled angrily at the floor, clenching her fists. ''So this was meant for us.'' She growled. 'Us' meaning her sisters and herself.
''I would assume so,'' Cathy mumbled. ''This may be why Blossom and Bubbles have disappeared; they could've been doused with Antidote X. Without their superpowers they would be susceptible to the gas and simply pass out wherever they were at the time.'' She threw the device to the floor, ignoring the way the blinker suddenly turned red and started flashing rapidly. ''Now you can destroy it.''
Buttercup wasted no time in blasting it to bits with a Fist-Beam.
''Wow, this place is a mess,'' Boomer observed. They flew over the many bodies of unconscious students and faculty, looking around for any sign of their mother or pet lion. He rubbed at his irritated eyes. ''Uh! I hate this stuff! Where's it coming from?''
''It's coming from the bathrooms,'' Butch said, pointing to one bathroom in particular with its door open and heavily spilling the gas.
''Right then,'' Brick said, coming to a halt in the middle of a hallway. ''Spread out. Boomer, take the third floor, Butch second. I'll search this one.''
"Yes, sir!'' Boomer said, saluting before flying up a nearby stairwell. Butch only rolled his eyes and followed him.
Brick began checking all the bathrooms, ignoring the gender-specific doors in his search. He circled the entire floor before finally coming to the last bathroom. He landed lightly on his feet and strode in without a care before freezing in place.
In front of him, on the disgustingly dirty floor of the high school bathroom, were the two unconscious and slumped over figures of Bubbles and Blossom. The latter was clutching steadfastly to the device that was causing the gas leak. He recognized the mist that was coming from it for what it was, Antidote X, which was why he hadn't gone any closer.
He'd only ever seen Antidote X in the form of mist once, and it wasn't exactly an experience he wished to relive.
What should he do? He wondered. He could just leave them there. It really was no concern of his if the gas actually turned out to be toxic from prolonged exposure. He'd come to find his mother and pet, not save the student body.
Blossom let out a shallow breath, and it occurred to him that the gas mixed with the chemicals from the antidote probably was toxic from the close range with which she was holding it. With a frustrated sigh, Brick temporarily resolved the debate with his psyche, and walked closer. The antidote was not spreading like the gas, only hovering around the two girls, so he was able to stand almost directly over them.
Looking down at them, they were both pale, looking almost sickly. Blossom's bow was rumpled and their clothes were dirty from the grime of the bathroom floor. While Blossom lay on her side Bubbles was in the extremely uncomfortable and awkward looking position of being on her back with her legs bent underneath her. He assumed she'd passed out while on her knees.
He stared at Blossom's face for a few seconds longer than he needed to. What an odd time to take in the details of her face. Her eyebrows, drawn in with her discomfort. Her normally intense pink eyes, hidden behind thin eyelids which were shut tightly. Her mouth, normally in a thin line to display her serious, overactive brain at work, was instead settled in a light frown.
He shook himself violently from his thoughts, mentally berating himself. She was the town hero, and more or less everything he despised, her physical appearance aside.
With careful aim he blasted the devise from Blossom's hands, and it slid across the floor and collided with a wall. Brick waited a moment for the gas and Antidote X to clear away from them before reaching down and wrapping an arm around both girls' waists.
Only then did the rapid red blinking of the device catch his attention. He hefted both girls into his arms and blasted the device with an Eye-Beam before walking out the bathroom.
A/N: This was originally longer, but I didn't want to cram everything into one chapter, so I split it in two.
As a heads up, the next few chapters may be slow to update, because my Beta is having trouble finding time to get online. It shouldn't be too long, but I just wanted to make sure you guys were aware.
I don't like this chapter because it's the product of me pushing through writers block. I think the next chapter is better; not only because it flows more smoothly, but it's just more interesting.
Also, if the chapters start to get too late, I can post oneshots, hm? How does that sound? I have one typed about the boys and Cathy, but I'd be happy to take RrB/PpG requests. Any combination is fine. (Reds, ButchXBubbles, etc.) Just tell me which pairing and what you want it to be about. It's summer; I've got nothing but time.
See you guys next time! Review please!