Allies and Rivals II

Chapter 6 - To Forfeit or Not to Forfeit

The City of Townsville, and at the home of millionaire Spencer Morebucks…

"That idiot!" Princess shouted, resisting the temptation to pull her hair. "I shouldn't have hired that monkey to do the job!"

"Now who can I hire…hm, I know!" Princess shouted, then turned off the TV that showed the news of Mojo's latest arrest. "Daddy!"

Princess Morebucks then marched towards his father lounge, where he is wearing his expensive businessman's suit looking over some papers.

"Yes Princess?"

"I've got a problem!" Princess whined to his Dad. "You see, I've got a crush on a three boys and I want to have them yet the Powerpuff Girls are there so they aren't looking at me! Oh please oh please Daddy, give me some money, maybe a million will do, so I can buy things that I can use to destroy those Powerpuff Girls and so that those boys will fall for me instead!"

"You wanted the Powerpuff Girls dead so you can have three boys all for yourself?" asked his Dad in amazement. 'This has got to be the most far-fetched thing my daughter has told me—even for her.'

"Yes Daddy," Princess whined.

"Don't worry. I won't give you the money, but I'll take care of it for you," Mr. Morebucks said. "Now go along and go to bed."

Princess was disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted.

"But Daddy!" Princess whined.

Ordinarily, Mr. Morebucks would just acquiesce when her daughter whined, but this time he held firm.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you, Princess," Mr. Morebucks. "Now go to bed." He then glared at his daughter warning her not to whine anymore.

"Yes Daddy!" she said, grumbling all the way back to her bed.

As soon as his daughter went to bed, he received a message from his butler.

"Mr. Ferguson Ckracknow is here to see you sir," the butler said.

"Oh yes. Let him in," Mr. Morebucks said.

Soon, a small man, about 5'4" tall, thin, about 92 lbs., wearing a suit not unlike that of Mr. Morebucks. He wears a large dark glasses which covers his entire upper face. He has a carefully combed blond hair.

"Ah, Ckracknow, glad you could come here," said Mr. Morebucks. "Now, let's get on with business. As you know, I am a very successful businessman. We also know that my multi-billion dollar business is one of the things keeping your criminal organization alive. However, as of lately, the arrival in Townsville of Dr. Bill Edwards and his company has given me serious competition."

"Get on with the bloody point!" Mr. Ckracknow interrupted.

"I suggest you be more polite. Need I remind you that you are in my payroll? Good. Now, Bill Edwards recently bought the hide of a monster for a billion dollars. Now, why do you think he would do that? Because he has something which might ruin my business. I know it—he has a sharper instinct business than Bill Gates and Andrew Carnegie combined, plus the genius of Thomas Edison, with the ruthlessness of John D. Rockefeller!" He ranted. "Your task, Ckracknow, is to use your syndicate to try and steal his secret and whatever might be useful and deliver it to me. Then, kill Edwards so he won't be anymore a threat to me. But not until you steal all his secrets about this hide and his new inventions."

"Okay, but I have only one request, aside from the money of course," said Mr. Ckracknow.

"What?"

"That you should not in any way interfere with me and my organization. I should have the freedom to choose on how to do it. You should freely give any amount that I will request to carry out your orders. As always, I'll give a full accounting of my expenses."

"Okay. I won't interfere. But just remember that I won't be involved if you were caught by the authorities, Ckracknow."

"Of course, Mr. Morebucks," said Mr. Ckracknow. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. For my daughter, kill the Powerpuff Girls too!" Mr. Morebucks ordered.

It was the morning of September 6, Friday, three thirty in the morning…

"Boys, wake up, its time," Dr. Edwards said, gently nudging his sons who were quietly asleep.

"Huh, what time is it?" Boomer said, glancing at his watch. "It's three thirty already? Oh yeah, oh yeah!" He then groggily woke up, taking off his clothes and going straight to the shower.

Dr. Edwards then woke up Brick and Butch. After minor complaining, they woke up and went to separate showers.

"Brick, go and wake the girls," Dr. Edwards ordered soon thereafter.

"Dad, I think you should let them sleep," Brick said while yawning. "After all, they didn't eat much so they don't have much spare energy. Don't worry, we'll go back and wake them up at around eight."

"You think so?" said Dr. Edwards. "I guess you're right, son. Now, off you go to the shower."

At about four in the morning…

The boys are in their ordinary clothes, each holding a fishing pole. Their Dad was wearing a fishing outfit, with a similar fishing pole in one of his hands, and a can of bait. "Now, you go and get the fishing boat from the garage," Dr. Edwards ordered, and the boys went and get their fishing boat, which is actually a tug-boat.

Soon, the four began walking from the house, through the forest towards the lake, which took them an hour. The boys were already used to this kind of excursion in the very early morning hours of the night, so there weren't much complaints. In fact, it was lively, with the three boys talking about just about every topic to their father, and their father just listening and talking just as much. It was times like this that made them even closer.

They soon set up the tugboat, and about five twenty, they were fishing. Or at least Dr. Edwards was. His sons fell asleep in their chairs while their poles were locked in their armpits so they could fish while sleeping. They also conveniently "forgot" to put bait in their hooks, so no fish actually tugged on their poles to wake them up. Dr. Edwards knew about this, but decided to let it pass.

"Boys wake up!" the doctor said in a loud booming voice.

"Huh, what?" said a startled Brick when he woke up. He then lost his balance in his chair and fell to the floor. "Oh yeah, the fishing!" He then pulled the pole, which caught only a few drops of water.

His brothers were less startled and woke up in less dramatic fashion than their brother. They noticed a big pile of fish in the boat.

"Boys, it's seven thirty in the morning!" he said. "They should be awake right about now. I want you to go and fetch the girls!"

"Oh yeah," said Brick, scratching the back of his head. "I forgot all about that! Come on, guys!"

So Brick and Butch flew at top speed back towards their house. They arrived none too soon, for the girls just woke and just got dressed.

"Where have you been?" Blossom exclaimed. "I've been worried sick!"

"Yeah, we thought you just disappeared," Buttercup said.

"Oh, Dad and us just went to the lake about four hours ago," said Brick. "Dad and I have been fishing for the past four hours."

"We wouldn't want to wake you up, since we all know you can't wake up at three thirty in the morning 'cause you're sissies!" Butch taunted.

"Looks who's talking," Buttercup replied. "You'll eat your words once we whoop you in the fight!"

"Who's saying so?" Boomer shot back. "You're so weak you won't even touch us!"

"Oh yeah!" Blossom retorted.

"Yeah! I bet you're so weak you couldn't even break a rope!" Brick teased.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" challenged Blossom.

"I guess I would! Ten dollars says that you couldn't even break the rope Boomer is going to get!" Brick said.

"Prepare to pay up then!" Buttercup then said.

"Okay Boomer, get the rope," Brick ordered.

"Yes sir!" Boomers said, doing a mock salute before getting it. Soon enough, he brought a basket full of rope.

Brick "randomly" picked one and handed it to Blossom.

"Break this one," Brick challenged.

Like a piece of thread, Blossom easily snapped it. "Okay, where's my ten bucks!"

"Not yet! Let's make it more interesting," Butch said. "Double or nothing says that you couldn't break this ropes if we tie you with it."

Blossom was caught off guard by this suggestion, and have some doubts, but she was preempted by Buttercup.

"You wish! Prepare twenty bucks!" Buttercup challenged. Blossom decided to go along. And Bubbles had no choice but to.

The boys grinned at each other. They then got a few lengths of rope from the basket.

"Okay, turn back and hands behind your back!" ordered Brick.

"Hey…" Blossom began to complain.

"What's the matter, you afraid!" Butch taunted.

"Of course not!" Blossom replied, and against her better judgment, turned around and offered her hands.

"Of course, don't begin until I say so," Brick said.

"Okay okay, just get on with it," Buttercup said.

Brick, Butch and Boomer each tightly tied their counterparts hands behind them, then their feet. Then, in a surprise move, they suddenly placed the anti-laser goggles on the girls eyes, the same one used on them by Mojo.

"Hey, this wasn't part of the bet!" complained Blossom.

"You didn't say it can't be used, sister!" Boomer said as he put the goggles on Bubbles eyes.

Then, they strapped the anti-gravity belts on to the girls.

"Now can we begin," Bubbles asked.

"Not yet!" Brick said as he left the room with three pieces of clean cloth and a roll of duct tape.

"Hey, no gags!" Buttercup says. "Okay, I've had enough!" She tried breaking the ropes. To her surprise, it didn't easily snap like she expected it to. Blossom and Bubbles tried it but the rope was too tight.

"What, can't break it? I thought I just heard you three say how easily you could've broken it!" taunted Butch.

The girls resisted the gags, but having been again tied up and rendered helpless by their own cockiness, it was a futile effort. Soon, their mouths were bulging with the cloth in their mouths and duct tape sealing their lips.

"Okay, here's the deal. You have three hours, until about ten thirty this morning, to get free. If not, then we'll untie you at that time and you lose and pay us twenty dollars."

'Ten thirty?" Blossom thought. 'Hey, isn't that thirty minutes after the start of the fight. Of course, they tricked us so we would forfeit the game!'

Blossom then started thrashing wildly, trying to get off the ropes on her body, but to no avail. One could hear loud mmppphhs from her gag, and her eyes glared at the three boys.

Soon, the boys left the house and headed back towards the lake.

"That's a great plan, Brick!" Boomer complimented. "Using ordinary rope to lure them in and using rope made from the fibers of that monster's hide to tie them up!"

"And the best part is, we get to win by forfeiture!" Brick added. "If they don't show up by ten, then we'll win, and they would have to choose one of my three demands. At least we're out of the mess Butch led us in!"

"And the best part is, they can't really complain, since they agreed to it!" Butch said.

The boys then flew towards the tugboat with evil smiles on their faces.

"Hi boys," Dr. Edwards said. "Where are the girls?"

"Oh they were still asleep. We decided that they're still so tired that it would be heartless of us to wake them, given what happened to them yesterday," Brick explained.

"Oh well, they're missing on all of the fun," Dr. Edwards said.

"Dad, could we take a swim?" Butch asked.

"Sure, sure," said Dr. Edwards.

The boys then went to the edge of the lake, stripped naked like they always do when swimming in their own private lake.

It was eight thirty in the morning, one hour later, and the girls have gotten nowhere in their squirming. They were all covered with sweat and tired. They tried and tried to break the rope, but as they found out, the rope was very tough.

'I need to escape, fast, or we'll forfeit the fight!' Blossom thought as she renewed her effort. 'This ropes are too strong! I can't break it. What are these things made of? She then looked at her sisters and saw the rope tying Buttercup's hand. An idea popped into her head.

He hopped and rolled to where Buttercup was. She mmmpphhh a little, and Buttercup decided to relax her struggling. Blossom then felt with her hands the knots tying Buttercup's hands, and a then made a few clumsy tugs and pulls. Twenty minutes later, Blossom finally pulled the right knot, the rope unraveled and Buttercup's hands were free.

Buttercup first ripped off the duct tape and spit out the white handkerchief from her mouth. "When I'm through with those boys, I'll…"

"MMmmpphhh!" Blossom and Bubbles said.

"Oh yeah!" Buttercup said, then went and untied Blossom hands. Blossom then untied Bubbles.

"Well, at least we get to collect the twenty dollars," Bubbles said.

"That was a dirty trick they pulled on us!" Blossom said. She then picked up the rope was tied in and tried breaking it and it didn't, despite using her full strength. "And it would've have worked too if Butch didn't tie such wretched knots."

"Is that so," Buttercup said. "Ha, I'll bet he couldn't even tie his shoes properly. So Red, what's your plan?"

"Well, let's see where those boys are. I think I heard them mentioning that they are besides the lake. Let's stick to the ground so we can surprise them!"

So the three puffs flew at low altitude, probably not higher than the trees so as not to be seen by their victims-to-be. They soon reached the place near the edge of the lake but still in the forest. They soon sneaked towards the edge of the lake when they came upon a very important discovery.

"Hey, isn't that the clothes of the boys?" asked Bubbles as he saw the discarded clothes on a bush right beside the lake.

"I wonder what they are doing there?" Blossom wondered. Her question was answered when they peaked at the lake.

They saw the boys swimming in the lake, completely naked. The girls immediately turned from the sight, giggling, resisting the temptation to peek. However, Blossom smirked.

"Buttercup, get those clothes and hide them in the forest somewhere. Bubbles, get three of our frilly party dresses from our room, and bring it here," Blossom said. "I'll stay here and make sure they don't go anywhere!"

"Oh come one, they aren't going anywhere without their clothes," Buttercup asserted. "You just want to peek at them!"

Blossom's cheeks flushed red at Buttercup's suggestion. "No, I do not!" she nearly shouted.

"Shush! Quiet Blossom, want those boys to hear us and unravel all our plans!" Buttercup loudly whispered as she covered Blossom's hand with her hands.

"Sorry. Okay, I'll go with you!" Blossom said, scratching the back of the head.

So Blossom and Buttercup hid the boys' clothes on some undisclosed location in the forest, while Bubbles got the dresses from their room.

A few minutes later, at about 9 in the morning, they met up.

"Now, put those dresses on the bushes where we found the clothes of those boys," Blossom directed. "This should be fun!"

Bubbles did as instructed.

"Now, let's go back to the house, then went back and pretend we just got out of those ropes," Blossom said. And the three went back to the house, and went back to the lake.

"Hey boys, we just got out of your ropes, and now you owe us 20!"

The boys, who were swimming blissfully unaware of the girls' machinations, were shocked to find that their captives has gotten free. They quickly submerged themselves deeper into the water to prevent them being embarrassed, so only the head was visible to the girls.

"How did you…" Brick said, with mouth wide open.

"Oh you mean get out of those ropes," Blossom said. "Well, we couldn't break those ropes, but Butch has the knot tying ability of a one-year-old. I bet he couldn't even tie his shoes!"

Brick turned and glared at Butch. Butch shuddered under the intense glare of his brother then resigned himself from another tongue lashing from his brother after this is all over. 'He's just like Dad when he's angry. It's scary!"

"Okay, okay. Now go turn around or close your eyes or go hide yourself or something. We're naked and we'll get dressed!" Brick replied.

"Okay," said Blossom. "Girls, let's go down and let the boys get 'dressed!' "

As soon as they were sure the girls were not peeking, they quickly leapt out from the lake and into the nearby bushes, where they last left their clothes.

"Hey, where are our clothes," Boomer said. "And what are those dresses doing here?"

Then Brick realized what happened. "Those girls took our clothes and left these dresses here!"

"What are we gonna do?" Butch said. "We've got nothing to wear, and I'm certainly won't wear that!"

"Let's go back to the lake before someone sees us!" Brick quickly advised, and on cue, all three boys, as quick as could be, jumped back.

"BLOSSOM, BUTTERCUP, BUBBLES, I DEMAND GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE AND GIVE US BACK OUR CLOTHES!" Brick shouted, with only their heads seen from the top of the lake.

They then saw the girls emerge at the edge of the lake.

"What? I thought you're going to get dressed?" Buttercup taunted.

"Cut the chase!" Butch said. "We know you took our clothes, and get those icky dresses!"

"Oh that," Blossom said, "oh yeah. We noticed that too! Listen guys, I'll stop beating around the bush. Both you and I know that it was not about the twenty dollars that you tied us up, it was about forcing us to forfeit the game. Think about this as payback."

"Now," Blossom continued, "I'm giving you a choice. I have hidden your clothes somewhere in the forest. If I were you, I wouldn't waste your time looking for it. Now, as you know, in half-an hour, it would be ten a.m., the start of our fight. Now, I know you can't fight naked, so I'm giving you two choices. Forfeit the fight to us, or you could wear those pretty dresses that Bubbles brought over and fight in them."

Brick knew he was caught in a trap. He was very angry at the girls, though he was even more angry at his brother Butch for botching up his plans again. Yet true to form, he resisted the urge to blow up at his brother in front of the girls. 'If that Butch tied up Buttercup properly , then we wouldn't be in this mess. Nah, it's my fault, I should've checked his knots. That Blossom is one smart girl! One way or another, she'll humiliate us, and we can't do a thing about it. I can never show my face to Dad…hey wait a minute!'

"Um, could we talk about this for a while?" asked Brick.

"Okay," Blossom said, but keeping a close eye on the three.

"Okay, here's my plan. And it's not hopeless," Brick assured his brothers. "I just remembered, Dad's fishing in the middle of the lake in his tugboat."

"And he always keeps in one of the cabinets three pairs of clean clothes and underwear just in case we get ourselves wet when we go fishing!" Boomer added.

"And there's a small cabin in it where we could get dressed!" Butch added in delight.

"Glad you remembered. Now here's what we'll do…" Brick then planned their strategy.

The girls were sceptically looking at the boys, confident at having them in a bind they cannot get out of. They saw the boys dive. They then waited for them to reemerge. Then, they noticed, for the first time ever, Dr. Edwards' tugboat.

"Hey, that tugboat is going to that shore over there," Blossom said. Then, she saw three streaks of light-blue, red and green, dart out of the water besides the tugboat and into the boat.

"The boys—our plan is ruined!" Blossom said when she saw them enter the boat. "We totally forgot about Dr. Edwards!"

"Yeah! But at least we can now thrash them in the fight!" Buttercup exclaimed.

"Bubbles, could you return the party dresses back. We—and the boys—won't be needing it," Blossom said with a defeated voice.

"Okay," Bubbles said.

"Oh well. We'll have to win the old fashioned way—with a good knock-out fight!" Blossom said to her sister. "This is only a temporary setback, and one way or another, I'll get my way with those boys."

The boys quickly changed into their new clothes, which looked identical with their old one, in the cabin. "Whew! That was a close one!" Boomer commented.

"Yup. They nearly succeeded too!" Brick added.

They then went outside, where they noticed that the boat is outside the cabin is almost full of fish. "Not bad, though I still need to catch more to break my old record," said the doctor. "Hi girls, come join us!" he shouted and waived his hand when he saw the girls floating just above them.

To their pleasant surprise, they saw Dr. Edwards in a fishing outfit. True, it shouldn't be unusual, but it is the first time the girls ever saw him not wearing a shirt and tie. The girls then joined the former friend of their father.

"Not bad for an amateur fisherman, eh?" Dr. Edwards said. "Anyway, it's nine forty five, and I think we should go to the shore so that you can prepare for your upcoming fight."

Dr. Edwards then went and began steering the boat towards the shore. Ten minutes later, they arrived.

Dr. Edwards then set up his video camera on a tripod to record the fight on tape. He then checked his watch. It is 9:59 a.m.

"Okay, in one minute, you two would begin the fight. Since both teams made it just in time, nobody forfeited. Now the rules are contained in the videotape that we made last night. I'm sure you all remembered it."

Brick, Boomer and Butch slowly floated up in the air and readied their fighting positions. Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles did the same. The two teams angrily glared at each other.

"And it's 10:00! BEGIN!" he shouted.

Thus, the fourth clash with the girls since the boys were resurrected commenced.