"Okay Henry, run through the tunnel. Get the fruit. C'mon." Boomer's mouse was running through some tunnels that he had made from some books Brick brought back from the library.
He had placed a piece of fruit at the end which he got from lunch earlier today. Henry the mouse scurried through as Boomer instructed it, finally getting to the fruit at the end. Boomer giggled, picking him up whilst Henry nibbled at the fruit.
"Amazing little thing aren't you."
Brick floated up to the top bunk and a tired Butch. "C'mon wake up. We've been ordered to clean the prison sheds today."
Butch slowly sat up with bags around his large eyes. "You think they could give us some extra blankets for the night. The central heating in this place isn't exactly much is it?" he gave a small chuckle.
"Not to mention the beds" Boomer put the mouse in his front pocket.
The three boys were then taken outside with a group of other inmates, and were quickly put to work. The work was hard, long and tedious without their powers, but they put up with it. It was amazing how exhausting physical work could really be without super strength or speed. It was so foreign to them. They have had their abilities for so long that it was hard to imagine life without them.
When the work was done, after the guards had doubled checked the sheds to see if it was spotless, and ended up having to clean it again, the boys were all allowed to spend the rest of the day in the courtyard playing with a ball catching it with each other.
It wasn't long however, when Boomer heard some sort of scuffle not too far away. In that same courtyard, one of the prisoners Boomer normally graffitied with, was being assaulted by a group of other inmates that he had annoyed. And by the looks of things, he was being beaten pretty badly.
"Brick" Boomer called over. The red Rowdyruff turned, and saw what his brother was referring to.
"No Boomer. Stay out of it" he ordered. But the blond couldn't stand there and listen to someone who he knew well suffer like this. But hey so what? He had no problem beating up random civilians before with his brothers. Then again, this prisoner had always been so nice to him. He floated over to the scene.
"Boomer, get back here" Brick said in almost a yell. But Boomer kept heading towards the group of rather large prisoners, beating on the weaker one.
He gulped before speaking up "Hey, could you leave him alone?" Normally Boomer wouldn't have any trouble standing up to large thugs, but this time he couldn't rely on his powers/super strength.
The prisoners ignored him and Boomer spoke up again "I said could you leave him alone" he demanded a little louder.
Only one responded. "Leave kid, this doesn't concern you."
The prisoner being beaten up, getting punched and kicked in the face over and over saw the blue Rowdyruff through a blood stained face. "Boomer," he grunted in pain. "It's not worth it."
Boomer ignored him though and spoke again. "Put him down or else" he commanded in an uncommon brave tone.
"Or else what kid-" the prisoner didn't finish as Boomer floated up and headbutted him.
"Boomer!" Brick exclaimed reacting to what his brother just did.
Butch witnessed it as well and a voice in the back of his head told: 'They're going to hurt him.' He ran over to the scene.
"Butch not you too!" Brick couldn't believe it.
Boomer realised his mistake as the group turned to face him. "It's a good thing he ain't allowed to use his powers eh?" remarked one of the prisoners to the other.
Boomer then felt someone come up behind him.
"Don't worry bro, I got your back" Butch assured him.
Seeing these prisoners approach his brothers knowing that they'll be defenseless, Brick's anger built up in him again. But he couldn't just lash out like he did last time, that wouldn't be a very wise thing to do, what with the warden in all.
But every inch of him was telling him to defend his brothers. He looked up, and saw that the roof of the building nearby had metal sheets on them, stacked up against some metal pipes. An idea popped in his head. Rarely would good ideas come to him but now, it seems as if something in his brain unlocked them.
'Gotta get this at the right angle.'
He threw the ball at the metal and it hit it at a perfect angle. This caused the metal pipes to fall upon the group of prisoners, hurting them. Brick floated over to a confused Boomer and Butch, who eventually realised what happened.
"Boomer! Butch! Grab a pipe, defend yourself!"
"Shouldn't we just run Brick?" suggested Boomer panicking.
"They'll only find us again, we can't be on our guard forever. Might as well get this over with now."
The boys grabbed some pipes and prepared themselves.
An inmate swung at Boomer, but he leapt out the way. Brick dodged a few as well, but because there were so many of them, not all of his dodges were successful.
Multiple swings were launched at Butch, but he held up the pipe to block the inmate's fist and bruised it. The ruff then floated up and performed some type of kick which knocked one of them back. He seemed to counter incoming blows too, though he wasn't always accurate with his defenses. He mirrored that of someone who was a beginner in martial arts and thought they knew everything.
Brick then noticed the way his brother was moving. Swift, flexible, and with strategy. "Butch how the-?"
"It's called a jump snap kick. I've been reading a few martial arts magazines." The two were punched into the ground again whilst distracted. The grudgingly got back to their feet and continued to fight.
"Keep your fist lined up with your arm, and draw your leg back as soon as you kick" Butch advised Brick, who had to admit, this was useful in the absent of their abilities. Not that they couldn't use them, but if they did, their punishments-.
Boomer was suffering the worst, receiving a hard kick to the head, causing the red ruff to become instantly alarmed.
"Butch, go help Boomer, I'll handle these!" Without their powers, it wouldn't make much difference, even with Butch's advice.
The fight went on for a few more minutes and Brick couldn't hold on much longer. The prisoners had grabbed the metal pipes and used them against the boys. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, as Brick was mercilessly beaten around the head and into the ground, until a final blow made everything go black, and that must've been some beating to knock a Rowdyruff boy out.
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The boy woke up in some sort of room in a different surrounding. His head ached intensively and his vision was blurry, though it slowly restored.
"Glad you're awake kid. You uh, you three suffered a lot worse than I did."
Brick turned to see someone standing next to his bedside. It was the same inmate whom Boomer wanted to stick up for which started the fight. He had a few bruises on his face as well.
"Where, where am I?" Brick rubbed his head and eyes and tried to sit up, but failed since he was hurting all over and the pain was too much. He clutched at his head letting out a child-like whimper
"You're in the infirmary kid. I'm surprised the Rowdyruffs themselves took a beating like that from just a bunch'a thugs."
Brick took a while to process what he said, but then wondered about that too. "What, what were those pipes made of?" his words came out exhausted. His lungs stung with every breath he took.
"Well I asked about that. Apparently due to the fact that you three are in 'ere, the prison ordered some duranium, or whatever, to be placed around the prison in case you boys tried anything. And, well, those pipes were duranium." The prisoner grunted in pain as from his own wounds.
Brick mentally kicked himself. No wonder those pipes were so heavy. He should've recognised it when he threw the ball at it.
"Y'know I've gotta thank you and your brothers, I'll come back later to thank them personally when they wake up. But hey, kid." he paused not quite sure what to tell him. "Just, make sure they're alright. I'll warn ya, they ain't a pretty sight right now" he turned his eyes to the floor not wanting to look the ruff in the eye.
As he left with those words Brick remembered. He turned to his left to see something which made him feel as if a ton of his own namesake fell on him. He shot up instantly ignoring the pain, and saw that in a bed each, Butch and Boomer were lying unconscious, covered in cuts, bruises and gashes, in several casts, and covered in blood, presumably, their own. Their whole appearances, it was as if they were on the verge of death.
Brick's world collapsed.
He'd seen his brothers beaten badly over these past few months, but not like this. This was far worse than anything they've suffered before.
He floated out of his bed despite the pain, and over to his family, where he just stared at them, guilt filling him. His own family, the only family, he ever had, because he didn't count HIM or Mojo. The sight of his brothers lying before him, beaten to probably near death, all because of himself.
The full realisation came, just like how it did when he came out of isolation. He was the reason his brothers were on the point of death. Why they suffered and were suffering now. All him.
He should've taken away from that fight, he shouldn't have led them into an assault on the police, he should've defended them better in court, he shouldn't have started that brawl in the canteen. He was the reason why they were in this place, they were following his leadership, and as a result, they were lying in front of him, bloodied and battered. His flaws led them to this. His brash actions, letting emotion take over, not thinking ahead or things through. Their life of crime, led them to this.
Brick felt tears well up in his eyes, which he couldn't fight.
With the doctor's permission, after he deemed it suitable for Boomer and Butch, Brick carried his brothers back to their cell and laid them down on their beds, covering them in anything that could keep them warm. More tears fell from Brick's crimson eyes as he floated by their bedsides.
'We can't go on like this. This is all my fault. Boomer, Butch, I'm sorry. Blossom was right, I am a disgrace, a terrible leader. I'll never compare to her.'
He wiped his tears, after sniffling like a small scared child. 'Don't worry boys, we won't be in here much longer. When we're released, we'll leave this life behind. We'll start again. We'll stay neutral, and nothing like this will happen to you again. I'll try my best to make that happen.' He promised.
The next 30 minutes felt like years but at last the boys began to stir. Slowly and painfully, making it difficult for Brick to watch. Butch was the first to wake, and like his leader brother, wondered what happened whilst dealing with the pain he felt all over.
Brick told him everything. Butch didn't know what shocked him more; when he caught sight of Boomer, or his brother's demeanour. He had never seen Brick anything less than abrasive, cocky and arrogant. But now, he was quiet, sorrowful, downcast, and showing genuine concern for him. Upon his blue Rowdyruff brother's sight, he too was overwhelmed with anger, guilt, worry, vengeance and sadness.
At first he tried to wake Boomer up, and then wanting to take revenge on those prisoners, but Brick stopped him immediately, and in a very strict voice ordered Butch not to do anything violent towards any other prisoner. Butch was taken aback. Brick had always given them orders in angry tones but this; this was more protective than angry.
Boomer did eventually wake up and it was the same for him too. The boys filled him in and told him his friend who they defended was alright. Brick and Butch decided to find said friend to bring him to the cell together, since this was the time of day prisoners moved freely around the cells under watch of the guards.
"Ow my head. Well I suppose my brothers are alright. Looks like we barely escaped that one didn't we Henry?" Boomer pulled his mouse out of his front pocket and held him in his hands.
However, Boomer's mouse wasn't scurrying or sniffing like usual, more like lying on his side, limp, not moving at all.
"Henry?" Boomer poked his mouse a little, wondering why he wasn't moving. Boomer remembered, he was hit several times all over his body, and he still had Henry in his front pocket.
"H-Henry?" Boomer's eyes began to water. He knew his mouse wouldn't get up. His only comfort in this cold dark place was gone. Brick and Butch came back with the prisoner, who thanked Boomer as well and comforted him because his mouse had died. Boomer buried the mouse in the prison courtyard.
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Brick strictly ordered the boys not to get involved in anything from now on that might hurt them. After that beating, Boomer and Butch, although Butch was tempted, never initiated any type of violence. The prisoners who beat them received two weeks in isolation. The boys too received a punishment even though this time they weren't the ones who started the brawl. Two days in separate isolation rooms.
All three of them kept out of most things for the rest of their sentence and mainly focussed on their pastimes, although it wasn't as fun for Boomer as Henry was gone. And finally, thankfully for the brothers, their 18 month sentence was over.
They were taken outside the prison walls and to the edge of the island. The walls were filled with guards with snipers, bullets tinted with antidote x because they still didn't trust the ruffs and suspected they might try something. It felt good for the boys to be back in their original clothes again, which were made to be slightly bigger now.
The ruffs themselves hadn't changed much physically. They were now 7 years old and apart from being two inches taller, they looked the same as they ever did. On the inside however, it was a different story.
Brick himself had cut his hair so it was short again. It wasn't the long hair we all know anymore, it was shorter and his hat covered most of it. Under his hat it was messy, scruffy and a lot of it stuck up.
They flew off the island and had no real possessions or anything so it was just them. Brick Boomer and Butch were finally allowed to use their powers again. They were halfway flying over the sea towards the mainland, and Boomer and Butch fired balls of energy at each other and heat vision, finally getting to use their powers after so long.
Although they were glad they could, a cloud hung over the boys, and they didn't talk for most of the flight either. Whilst they were following their leader, Boomer and Butch noticed that they weren't heading in the right direction.
"Hey Brick! We're heading the wrong way" called out Butch.
"This isn't the way to Townsville" noticed Boomer.
"We're not going to Townsville" Brick informed.
"What? Why not?" Butch wondered.
Brick stopped as so did his brothers and he turned around to tell them. "Look boys. I've been thinking during our time in that hellhole. Let's face it, Townsville is not exactly going to welcome us back with open arms. Our reputations, especially after that assault on the police, are not very glamorous. We'll probably have as bad a time there as we did in prison. So I've decided. We move, to another city. Somewhere where we can make a fresh start, where people probably won't hate us, and I emphasize the word probably."
"Wait, you just decided this without consulting us? Very undemocratic if you ask me" Butch remarked.
"Look Butch, I'm joking around here. Have you two ever considered that maybe the reason we ended up in there was because of our life choices? Because we were criminals?"
"We had to fill our stomachs somehow! And besides, the reason we ended up there was because of your decision to attack the police!" Butch finished his outburst. Boomer was just watching the two nervously.
Brick just looked down, still with the same facial expression and said quietly "I know. I'm the leader, so I take full responsibility for why we suffered."
He continued "And I am not going to make that same mistake again. That is why Butch, I've decided without your opinion, to move us to another city and start over. What I've decided to do is what I think, I know, will be best for us. We're moving to Founders city, which is a few miles north of Townsville. I read about it in the prison library. We move there, find some place to live, and stay neutral. Meaning we don't get involved in anything. Just finding a way to survive."
"And how are we going to do that without stealing anything?" questioned Butch.
"We'll find a way. Trust me, we will. And no, you two don't have any say in this." With that, Brick led his brothers to the new city, where he hoped would hold a better future.
Happy Halloween to all of you out there! Like I promised, here is the fourth chapter of the story. Since I haven't written the fifth one yet, the next chapter will be a little while but not that long. I was only able to upload the first four chapters daily since I already wrote them a previously. Next chapter won't be too long.
AC 97: Thanks for the constructive criticism, I also like it too when Brick is portrayed as intelligent. In this chapter I have aged the boys by about two years, so they should be seven years old, as I might be wrong but they were about five in the original series. Thanks again.
Powerpuff girls and Rowdyruff boys belongs to CN.
