It had been a week since the Rowdyruff boys had been sent to the offshore prison. And to be honest, they hadn't adjusted very well. They did their best to avoid other prisoners, and usually the prisoners avoided them. They didn't think it strange that three five year olds were sent to a prison like this when they found out it was the Rowdyruffs. The two boys did what Brick had ordered, and had not tried to escape, although Butch was tempted.

Brick Boomer and Butch were lined up with trays waiting for food. The boys were sick several times because of the prison food, they couldn't stomach much more, but in reality they had no choice. Normally the boys would sit on a table on their own, but this time there were no free tables available. Reluctantly, the trio floated over to a table with other prisoners already seated. "Don't say a word, just mind your own business" Brick whispered to his brothers. The three brothers just sat and ate from their trays, trying not to savour the taste.

The other prisoners acknowledged the boys, giving them a few dirty and scary looks, but carried on anyway with their conversation. "I know, heard he had his skull smashed open in the courtyard before the guards could break it up."

"Did the doctors patch him up then, or what have ya?"

"Tried, he ended up in the prison morgue however. Won't see him again."

Boomer tried his best to shut out and not listen to their conversation, but out of some curiosity, and some concern for this unknown prisoner, he couldn't help but ask "How'd he die?"

"Boomer" Brick shouted in a whisper.

One of the prisoners turned his head slightly as the table suddenly went quiet, and eyed him. "What's it matter to you kid, you didn't know him."

"I just, wondered" Boomer replied rather sheepishly.

"He had his skull smashed open kid, how'd you think he died. And he definitely had more in there than it seems you do" the prisoner insulted and Boomer just looked down.

"Hey that's my brother man, don't you insult him" Butch stood up.

"Butch you insult me all the time" Boomer pointed out.

"Quiet Boomer I'm trying to defend you."

"Don't bother kid" another prisoner turned back to his food.

"Ah you're just afraid of what I've got up my sleeves" Butch mocked.

"Look kid" they replied staring at the ruff dead on. "Out there you may have been an all powerful Rowdyruff boy, but in here you're nothing, so just sit down and mind your own business" the prisoner punched Butch with some force that knocked him back into a wall. Everyone else, including Boomer turned away.

Normally, the prisoners would have just left it at that, but seeing Butch get smashed into a wall, something came over Brick. He became angry. Beginning to see red and just because of his irises.

He let his emotions take over, and wasn't thinking rationally. He grabbed that prisoner with his super strength and launched him to the other side of the room. The whole cantina went deadly silent, including Boomer and now Butch who had just looked up.

"Anyone else?" Brick challenged, not thinking anyone would. Not until someone threw a tray to the back of his head. "Ah! Shouldn't have done that" Brick zoomed over to the prisoner who threw the tray and attacked him, causing some others to attack Brick too.

Remaining loyal to their brother, Boomer and Butch joined in the fight, all three of them using their powers against the other inmates. There were flashes of red blue and green, heat vision was used and so was their new power of being able to shoot coloured balls of energy from their hands. The brawl lasted 5 minutes before the guards broke up the fight. They had to fire their guns in the air to gain the boy's attention. They took the prisoners away, including the boys who were to be taken up to the warden's office.

"Now boys, I was informed today that you three, mainly you Mr Brick Jojo, started a brawl in the canteen. And I suppose you must know by now that brawling is something we don't tolerate in here, though I wouldn't be surprised considering it's the reason you're in here in the first place" the warden scorned.

"So much for good behaviour" Butch muttered.

"Sir, we didn't start that brawl. My brother here was punched by one of the prisoners" Brick decided to try to reason with him, since even he knew arguing wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Yes but you continued it. Grabbing that prisoner with that super strength of yours and throwing him across the room. And from what I hear from the witnesses, your exact words were 'Anyone else' provoking the others to attack you. Then your brothers got involved, and by looking at the injuries the other prisoners sustained, you three did most of the hitting, with your powers."

The warden leaned in closer at this point and had a more serious tone. "Now I'm forbidding you boys to ever use your powers inside these prison walls, is that understood?"

"But sir, what if the other inmates try to fight us again?" Boomer pointed out.

"Then you avoid it as best as you can and report it to me. I also suggest you don't provoke any of them. Now you realise I have to punish you three for this. Give them a fortnight each in separate extreme isolation rooms" the warden ordered.

"What!" the boys said in usion. Although stunned by this punishment the boys didn't fight back against it. They just accepted not wanting to get into any more trouble, and all of them were definitely worried about not being allowed to use their powers now.

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The next two weeks were hard. They had their food taken to them and were not at all allowed out of the isolation cells. The boys had to mentally strain themselves not to use their super strength to smash out of the cells from sheer boredom.

They had a few things given to them to keep them entertained. Butch was given some weights, which he used to exercise to pass the time. Boomer was given a few toys, albeit a maximum security adult prison they weren't very good toys, a lot of them broke after a while. And Brick was given a few books, which again he wasn't too keen on reading. But with nothing better to do he swallowed his pride and picked up the first one.

After all, he thought. They can't be that bad right? That's how all those smart people got the way they are, right? In fact that's probably how old pinky of those powderpuffs got the way she was. Not that she was better than him no way! But, maybe he was at some sort of disadvantage not, knowing, as much as she did. No he couldn't read a book! It wasn't cool, it wasn't fun, it wasn't, wise. He sighed, and gave in picking up the first one.

It was about crime, fitting. Police case files, forensics, and DNA analysis. He began reading the first line, wanting to fall asleep already, however, part of him wanted to find out more. 'So that's how those cops probably busted us.' He read and read and read, until to his utter disbelief, he finished it. It scared him almost. But what scared him more, was that he wanted to read another. Something in his brain just wanted to know more.

The next involved strategies of history's world leaders, such as Churchill, Wellington, Napoleon, and Ceaser. There was one on history, basic science and biology. Then he eyed another. The last one: Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Months ago the Rowdyruff would've mocked and ridiculed someone for reading a book like this for being a nerd. Now, now he couldn't put it down.

The food was disgusting as always and it became incredibly lonely. But the nights were the worst. It was freezing every night, and they, chemical X users, could feel their own bones on the concrete-hard beds. Only a single blanket kept them warm. The only light was from the windows and they heard noises every night, which scared Boomer quite a lot. He cried silently at night, clutching his blanket and slumped up against the wall, wishing to be anywhere else but there.

Brick and Butch had no pleasant experience either. Although they refused to show it, deep inside they were very terrified. Brick was still in denial. Playing thoughts over in his mind.

'You don't deserve this. You just, made a mistake in defending yourself that's all.'

'You know, you didn't just put yourself into this mess, you put your brothers in here too.' Brick's conscience was getting to him.

He shook his head and looked out the window. 'No, if it wasn't for them messing up that robbery, we wouldn't even be in here' he dismissed.

'But wasn't it you who led them into that assault on the police?' he argued to himself again.

'Maybe Blossom was right, maybe you-, no! I am a great leader and a fantastic brother. Everyone just makes mistakes that's all.'

'A mistake that put you and your brothers in extreme isolation.'

Brick tried to get these thoughts out of his head by strolling back and forth, well, floating back and forth in the room, with the blanket still over him because of how cold it was. "How salving it'll be to finally be out of this place." he muttered to himself.

Eventually, the boys's time in isolation was over, and Brick watched as the guard opened his cell door.

"Okay kid, time's up." Brick floated out of the cell and covered his eyes slightly because of the light. He then heard two other doors open to his left, and turned to see other guards releasing two other people from separate cells, whom he recognised.

"There you boys are I-, boys?" Brick stopped upon the sight of his brothers. They were far different to what they looked like a fortnight ago. They looked tired, Boomer looked like he'd been crying. Butch, who normally had a reputation of not being affected by anything, almost looked traumatised.

The voice came back to Brick, he was the reason they were like this. Brick looked down at the floor, guilt starting to fill him, but he was interrupted when the guard said:

"Okay boys, move" the guards lead them away. Brick floated alongside Boomer and Butch, not saying anything at first. He had to know how they felt.

"What was it like?" he quietly asked.

They took a while to respond. "Let's, not do anything like that again" Boomer said this almost like a plea.

"You boys don't have to, have to follow everything I do y'know. If I do something, brash," he remembered reading that word in one of the books. "You don't have to follow it," Brick told them unusually softly.

"Well you're the leader bro. You know best" Butch reminded him.

"Do I?" Brick said this more to himself.

They were led back to their cell, where they were given time to recover, and some food. Boomer tried to lift his shaking hand to bring the spoon to his mouth, but he gave up. Brick watched his brother, and floated over to lift up Boomer's hand so he could eat.

"Eat up buddy."

He looked up at Butch, and both of them had a look as they knew, they would have to face the other inmates again. And indeed they did. Other the next course of months, the boys were subjected to all kinds of fear. Always having to watch their backs, they couldn't rely on powers for defense, and when word somehow got round of this, they were attacked far more frequently. Butch was tempted so many times to use his powers against the beatings they received, but Brick stopped him every time. Flashbacks of seeing his brothers for the first time after the isolation period plagued his mind.

Boomer suggested they inform the warden of the other prisoners, which Butch argued was cowardly, but Brick, decided that was really their only option. There was hardly any point however, as the warden did nothing about it. He assumed, just because they were chemical X users, it wasn't as bad when it happened to them.

Brick was annoyed to say the least. Day after day, forced to watch his brothers endure this because 'it wasn't bad when it happened to them.' Okay they had chemical X in them, so they were able to take several blows without breaking a bone, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

The food just got worse and the boys were really sick at times because of it. It was really bad for Boomer once when he contracted food poisoning. Brick and Butch got the prison doctor to help him, who told them Boomer had to stay the night in the infirmary, which only made Brick and Butch more concerned.

Butch was floating up and down the cell all night. His worry for his 'little bro' keeping him awake. Brick wasn't moving much. He was wide awake as well, but he just sat on the bed, staring at the floor.

"What if they don't give him the proper treatment? What if-"

"Butch calm down" Brick said this to Butch mainly to keep down his own worry. "They're not giving him any treatment, it's food poisoning, they'll just let his stomach settle while he keeps hydrated. Poor guy's probably lonely and scared right now" Brick sighed, learning all about sickness from those biology books, that he didn't want to admit, were becoming more interesting.

Something had come over the red Rowdyruff. He had never been this concerned for his brother's wellbeing before. Even when he was captured by the puffs he wasn't even the slightest bit caring at all. But now, in such an alien hostile environment, completely out of their comfort zone, he began to have feelings of worry and protectiveness over his brothers. Butch, well he too was experincing similar feelings of that he couldn't explain.

Boomer was glad when he was let out. Brick was right about him being lonely and scared.

"Buddy, are you okay?" Brick came up to him along with Butch, who was equally just as worried.

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm all better now, really" Boomer replied. "They just kept me drinking and I fell asleep."

"They didn't use sedatives did they? Brick asked. The guards had used them on the boys before.

"No, I fell asleep on my own. It wasn't all bad, I met this little guy here" Boomer revealed a small mouse on his shoulder.

"That thing isn't diseased is it?" Butch raised an eyebrow.

Boomer made a few squeaks, apparently talking to the mouse and it squeaked back. "He says he's fine."

"How you learned to do that I don't know" Butch floated towards his bed.

Eventually, each brother found their own way to cope during this time. Butch engaged in exercise more, increasing his own body strength since he wasn't allowed to use his powers.

Boomer practiced his speed in the prison courtyard, and Brick spent a lot of his time in the prison library, reading almost everything, and also learning how to avoid fights when not necessary.

Boomer took an interest in drawing things with stones that left marks. He did this with a bunch of other prisoners who didn't bother the Rowdyruffs. He just spent time outside with them, graffiting on the prison walls, which they had to quickly scrub off when their time outside was over.

Brick told Boomer that heat vision concentrated at a low level will erase a small thin layer away from the wall, so he quickly did this on the graffiti they made, so no one else saw him use his powers. Yes Brick was learning a whole new amount of facts and techniques with the time he had.

"C'mon Henry" which was what Boomer named his mouse. "Time to go back in," the blond ruff floated alongside Brick as he floated into the cell. "Say Brick, what do mice eat?"

"They're herbivores Boomer. Oats grains, fruits, just give him bread crumbs."

Boomer had grown an attachment to his pet. He would play with him in any spare time like in the cell or in the prison courtyard, and was one of the main things that made Boomer laugh and smile during this time.

Meanwhile Butch was elsewhere in a sort of gym that the prison had, trying to lift weights that could be physically beneficial to him, and having a casual conversation with some of the others in there, since not all the prisoners gave the boys a hard time.

"I don't get it Butch, you have superpowers, why are struggling to lift that weight?"

"Warden says we're not allowed to use our powers, but, don't tell any of the other inmates that."

"Ah, say no more" the prisoner understood. "Some of 'em in here will eat you alive if they found that out."

'Some of them already have' Butch thought furrowing his brow.

"I bet you'll be glad when you get out. Then again it probably won't be long until you end up back in 'ere. Or if not 'ere somewhere else" the prisoner remarked.

Butch stopped lifting and looked up curious. "What do you mean by that?"

The prisoner sighed. "Life ain't exactly peaches and cream after you get released kid. And I ain't just talking about finding a place and a living. There's a lot of, prejudice, against ya."

"Prejudice? Like what?" Butch asked.

"People aren't gonna treat you like royalty. When I got out after my first offense I tried setting my life straight, pick up the pieces. I tried getting a job, but the crime stays on your record, no one would hire me, no one would give me an apartment either. I know they had good reason to, since you can't trust anyone these days so I don't blame 'em. But it still continued. No homeless shelters would let me in, your friends and family will look at you differently. Before you know it you're committing another crime and end up back in here" he finished his speech.

Butch put down the weight, thinking that over for a second. "So, what do we do?"

"My advice, learn how to fight to survive in here, because it's inevitable that you're gonna end up back in here."

Butch pondered over those words, before floating over to magazine that he spotted laying around the gym, about boxing and wrestling etc. Not unusual to find in a gym. He picked it up and began reading.

So like I promised another quick update. I have the next chapter already written as well so that should be up tomorrow. After that it might be a while until the next chapter since I haven't written the fifth one yet and so on. But I'll get to it. So the boys will are experiencing harsh times. I felt like Brick went through a bit of a character change too quickly, I tried to space it out the best I could, but his real breaking point will come next chapter.

Powerpuff girls and Rowdyruff boys belongs to CN.