Allies and Rivals II
Chapter 12 - A Test of Strength and Will
The City of Towsville, and Brick and Blossom are on Monster Island
Suddenly, Dr. Edwards' voice could be heard from the communicator. "There's another monster attacking Townsville!"
Brick and Blossom looked at each other. They haven't seen any monster leave the island the whole time they were there, and that confirmed their suspicion. The monsters did not come from Monster Island.
"Butch, Buttercup, you heard it, take care of it!" shouted Blossom. "Boomer, Bubbles, go to Dr. Edwards' house and make sure nothing happens to him. We'll join Butch and Buttercup and help them with the monsters."
"Ha, I told you the thieves and the monsters were connected," Brick boasted. "Somebody made a deal with them to make them stronger!"
"Nobody can make a deal with monsters!" Blossom retorted.
"Don't say that. Look, the only reason I didn't bring it up earlier is that it would only result in a shouting match between you and my brothers. Remember Tom? You made a deal with him, so if you can do that, how can others not?" Brick asked.
"Because only we know that monsters are intelligent," defended Blossom. "The people only know the monsters as mindless beings or creatures that just attacked for its' own sake. They have no way of knowing those monsters are intelligent!"
"Yeah," replied Brick. "But that doesn't mean that a thing! A secret that big certainly couldn't be kept from somebody determined that long. Remember, you can fool somebody all of the time, you can fool everyone some of the time, but you can't fool everybody all of the time! And whoever is behind this figured that out and made the deal just to get back at Dad and to distract us!"
"That's pure hogwash!" Blossom said. "Nobody but us knows about this!"
"Oh hell with it! We're going nowhere with this! Let's just go and see if the new monster attacking is anything like the last one!" said Brick.
"Agreed!" said Blossom, and both of them began racing towards Towsville.
However, when they were flying over a deserted Island, before they could reach Townsville, a large man suddenly appeared before them. He is about six feet tall, wearing complete black, and his eyes were hidden by shades. But what surprised the leaders is that the man is floating like they were.
"You are Brick and Blossom, am I correct?" said the man.
"Yeah, but who are you?" asked Blossom.
He removed his shades, and to the utter horror of the red-haired kids, the eyes had no color, only white, just like the robbers. "I am One, the most powerful of the Master's minions, and he sent me here to make sure you never return to Townsville."
"Well, you'll eat our dust first!" Brick said as he tried flying past the mysterious man. However, he blocked his path and stuck Brick in the face, sending him crashing to the island. Soon, he was eating sand on the beach.
"Brick!" shouted Blossom. "What do you want with us?"
"You! And your death!" said One. He quickly flew towards her and kicked her hard in the back of her neck, sending her towards the beach. Soon, she was lying on the ground besides Brick.
Both leaders stood up as One descended into the ground.
"Who is that guy?" asked Brick.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling we're not going to get out of this one easy!" Blossom replied.
"Well, what's your plan, leader girl?" asked Brick.
"We attack with plan Kappa Epsilon Delta," said Blossom.
"What?"
"Uh, oh yeah. Well scrap that. It's too complicated to learn here. Okay, here's the plan. We don't know how strong or powerful he really is, so we can't be too careful. I suggest we all attack at the same time, since we have a numerical advantage over him," Blossom said.
"Okay," said Brick.
Soon, the redheaded children flew towards One and tried to take him down. Blossom reached him first. She tried punching him, but he just ducked and grabbed her arm and tried breaking it. But Brick kicked his head from behind, forcing him to release Blossom.
The man then turned his attention to Brick. He swung his fist and punched him, which Brick blocked with his arms. However, it was so powerful that it hurt his arms more than expected, and One quickly went behind and kneed his back. He soon fell to the ground. He then stretched out his arms, opened his palm, and a large glowing ball materialized.
"Goodbye, Brick. See you in hell!" said One as he prepared the fatal blow. Before he could strike, however, he was suddenly frozen by ice.
"Don't turn your back on me," said Blossom. She then laser-eyed him, and tried to divert his attention from Brick.
Meanwhile…
Butch and Buttercup went to the city and saw the monster. It was ordinary looking monster, without any plates or anything special. Indeed, it looked like just another ordinary monster from Monster Island.
"That's it? Give us two super-powered monsters twice in a row and this is the third?" Buttercup said incredulously. "Pathetic."
"Why, your sissiness can't handle it? If that is pathetic, then you haven't looked in the mirror yet," said Butch.
"Put a sock in it," Buttercup retorted as she dove in towards the monster. Butch just stood there and watched his counterpart.
But before she could get anywhere near it, the monster opened its enormous mouth, and a swarm of locust-like mini-monsters each the size of a TV remote control emerged, and quickly headed for Buttercup. Buttercup just looked with her mouth agape, and just before the she was engulfed in the swarm, got out of the way. Fortunately, both to the pleasant surprise and amazement of Butch and Buttercup, it didn't chase her and it just went for the town and beyond.
"So it can vomit grasshoppers, big deal! It can't even attack its target," laughed Buttercup, and went right for the attack. She went straight for the head. However, the monster just faced her, and shot her with laser from its eyes. It was quite powerful. Soon, Buttercup was a smoldering heap lying besides Butch. "Oh, my aching head," said the green puff as she shook her head and rubbed it with her hands.
"Sissy! I still don't get what Brick sees in you girls! I mean you're so weak and pathetic and he wants to ally with you? Now, look at how a real pro works!" Butch boasted before he powered up and headed to attack the monster. The monster then spit up another of its swarm of locust-like monsters. Like before, it ignored Butch and headed for the town and beyond. He headed for the lower belly to try and avoid the eyes but the monster just swatted him with its arms like a butterfly. Soon, he was eating asphalt.
"Ha, in your face, Butch!" Buttercup said. "And don't ever call me a sissy! If anything, you are more of a sissy than Bubbles!"
Buttercup then went and tried for its back. The monster spit another of its swarms. Then it quickly turned around—faster than Buttercup thought it capable—and laser-eyed her. Like before, Butch just watched. The monsters followed where she fell, and began stomping her. She was hit half of the time. She recovered however, and punched the monster hard in the jaw.
The monster let out a scream, which released more swarms, and fell to the ground.
"Ha, not so tough now, are you?" said Buttercup. The monster however, flipped back to its feet and laser-eyed Buttercup. It then threw her through buildings. She sound found herself lying on the ground hurt, besides a mocking Butch.
"You wuss," he said in mocking laughter. "That monster tore the skirt off you!"
"That's it! You take that back!"
"I won't! And just watch me! You'll see what I'm really made of!"
The monster just coughed another of its swarms. God knows where they went, but they didn't attack the duo. Butch, moments later, attacked the monster.
Meanwhile…
Boomer and Bubbles went to Dr. Edwards' house to protect his father. However, he was not there. He then tried calling for his father with his watch. "Dad?"
"Hi son. I'm at work here at my office," Dr. Edwards said on his communicator watch.
"We're coming there for you," said Boomer. "Come on, Bubbles!"
"Right behind you, Boomie!" replied Bubbles.
"Don't call me that," said an annoyed Boomer.
"But that name makes you very cute!" said Bubbles.
"I am not cute! I am strong, and ruthless, and a boy!" said Boomer.
"Aw, but I'm strong and I don't mind being called cute?" replied Bubbles.
"That's because you're a girl, and I'm a boy," explained Boomer as they flew to his Dad's office.
"But that doesn't mean you can't be cute," said Bubbles.
"I AM NOT CUTE!" said Boomer.
"Well I think you are. Can I can call you Boomie?" asked Bubbles.
"Well, let me think…um, yeeaaannnoo! Definitely no," said a triumphant Boomer. "And you can't make me."
"I can," said Bubbles.
"Try me," challenged Boomer.
"I'll kiss you if you don't let me!"
"Aaarrggghhh! Anything but that! Okay, you can call me that, but only when we're alone," pleaded Boomer. "It'd be too embarrassing if Brick and Butch finds out. And please don't tell your sisters, they'll be sure to blab to my brothers about it!"
Bubbles smiled. She had found Boomer's weakness: he was deathly afraid of being kissed by her. But she also was happy that Boomer is acting nice towards her. She was afraid he would revert back to his former evil self. All her hard work, including the afternoon playtime, had been really paying off. 'Boomer's really nice. Nicer than Brick too. But I wonder why he acts funny? I was just acting like I always do? Nah, he's just not used to people other than his brothers being nice to him.'
Boomer was red-faced and beginning to sweat. 'That girl is driving me nuts. I better tell Brick not to partner me with Bubbles anymore. She's scary! Though not in a bad sort of way. But she's definitely cooler than her sisters anyway. I guess after all what happened, you can't think anything bad about her. But still, she'll drive me insane if she keeps this up!'
Halfway to his Dad's office…
"Boomie, what's that?" asked Bubbles, pointing to something flying in the sky, approaching them quickly.
"I think it's a flock of birds, or something. Wait, I think it's a swarm of locusts," Boomer replied. "No wait, cancel that. They're too big for locusts. What the heck are they?"
They were too absorbed by it that they forgot to dodge. Before they knew it, they were engulfed by the swarm, and it started biting them.
"Ouch! Whatever this is, it definitely has a mean bite!" Boomer shouted as he laser-eyed one of them to crisp and smashed another one with his fists.
"Yeah! And this is more yucky than those cockroaches we fought once!" Bubbles said as she smashed another of the locust-like mini monsters and kicked another. The locusts-like-things are easy to kill, yet can inflict much pain if they bit you, and they were simply too many of them.
After killing three dozens of it, and each of getting bit four times each, they broke out of the swarm.
"Where did they come from?" asked Boomer.
"I don't Boomie, I just don't know," replied Bubbles. Both were now dirty with the guts and blood of the monsters they killed.
The swarm then turned and flew towards the duo.
Bubbles then used her sonic voice or sonic scream, and Boomer used his sonic boom. It killed about half of the locusts-like monsters.
The other half of the swarm then continued, and soon, there was a desperate fight between the kids and the swarm.
Boomer and Bubbles stood back to back, fighting the swarm with determination.
Meanwhile…
Professor Utonium hesitated before knocking on the door of the office of Dr. Edwards.
"Come in," said Dr. Edwards. He was wearing a large coat, wore his hat on and has his hands in his pockets.
"Come on John, we've got places to go!" Dr. Edwards said, pulling his arm and dragging him to his car outside. "Of course, it's strictly business."
"Wait William, how about work? Wouldn't they be upset if you played hooky?"
"What are they going to do, fire me?" Dr. Edwards incredulously said. "Besides, I own the company and give their paychecks, so they can't bitch me about it! Don't worry, Blockhead and Clark could run the company in my absence."
"Where are we going?" asked the Professor as he sat in the front sit besides Dr. Edwards.
"To Morebucks Inc. office, of course. I have a strong suspicion that dear old Spencer is behind all of this," said Dr. Edwards to his fellow scientists as he turned on the keys and released the handbreak.
"What makes you think that?" said John. "We've know him since we're kids."
"Yes, and that makes it more obvious. See here, a few days ago, Spence called me and asked if I were willing to sell that monster hide. I said no. And the thieves were all after the data on the monster hide. See the connection?" William explained.
"Yeah, but there's no actual proof!" said the Professor.
"You're right. But you and I know Morebucks, and we know he's the only one capable of doing such a thing. You see, he's filthy rich, second only to me, right?" asked William.
"Yeah, William, and he was able to provide Princess with all that technology and money to make her a Powerpuff suit," John exclaimed.
"And couple it with the fact that Spence knew about the probable worth of the monster hide. He knows that when we crack the secret of that hide, all other companies like his would fold and would be bankrupted and I'll have a monopoly of the market, right?" William explained. "And do you think he can be that desperate?"
"Well, yeah! I know him well enough to know that he's capable of such chicanery," John replied. "But don't you think it's bad to have a monopoly?"
"John, monopolies are only bad when you're not the one who has it," replied Dr. Edwards. "Screw all those people who'll complain about fair business practices. Make their own monopoly instead, if I don't kill their businesses first. It's a jungle out there, the business world, and I intent to crush all who stand in my way! Anyway, I need you because I need someone to witness the event when I confront Spence. We'll bring him down!"
Meanwhile…
Blossom continued her assault on One. She kicked him in the head. Then punched him in the stomach. It caused One to back off a bit, but the extent of damage caused by Blossom had been small. One then counterattacked by grabbing her foot and spinning her. When she became dizzy, he threw her upwards, and waited for her to fall.
She finally recovered from the dizziness on her way to the descent, but before she could do anything, One grabbed her. He wrapped his right arm firmly against her neck, and his left over the rest of his body.
"Let's see if you can survive this!" said One, as he began choking her. His overwhelming physical strength rendered Blossom helpless, and soon, she began to drift into unconsciousness as her air supply dwindled.
Suddenly, Brick rose and gave a very powerful kick to One's back, hitting a sensitive spot.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" One shouted, forcing him to release Blossom.
Brick then followed it up with a powerful kick in the head, then balled his fists together and smashed it against his back. To his surprise, One fell to the ground.
"We need a new plan," said Blossom.
"Yeah. Let's see. That guy is stronger than either of us," began Brick.
"Yet he is just as fast as we are, so he doesn't have any advantage there," continued Blossom.
"His attacks could really hurt, and has weakened us considerably," Brick observed.
"Our attacks aren't ineffective, but it's much weaker," Blossom opined.
"But it is only weak when his guard is up. When his guard is down, like when he's too busy trying to kill one of us and not notice the other, our attacks are much stronger, though not like his punches," Brick remarked.
Before they could continue, One recovered. "You'll pay for that! No one does that to One and gets away with it!"
"Well, you should call yourself Zero, cause that's what you are!" Brick taunted. "A Zero!"
"See if you're still cocky after this!" shouted One. He then opened his palms in the direction of the two redheads, and shot two powerful beams at them. Both of them waited until the last minute and dodged. Both redheads were looked at One, smirking. The beams continued until they hit something, creating a very powerful explosion.
"Your aim is way off!" said Blossom.
"Yeah, now see real professionals work," Brick boasted. He then slowly began to position his arms, slowly letting touch each other. Slowly, he gathered his energy. Finally, he fired the beam at One.
One gathered his arms before him to shield himself against Brick's beam, but suddenly, he was hit by another beam at his back. The sharp pain caused him to put his guard down, when Brick's beam hit him head on. The man doubled over by the double beams from Brick and… he turned to see who hit him… Blossom.
"So that's why you did it slowly," One said. "You were giving her time to position behind me!"
"No shit, Sherlock," said Brick.
"Yeah. You aren't so tough now are you?" Blossom added.
"You brats! I can squish you with my bare hands!" said One. "I am much, much stronger than you!"
"True, but you can only crush one of us at a time," says Blossom.
"Let see about that," said One as he charged the kids.
"Just remember, Blossom," advised Brick.
"Yeah I know. Just keep your distance from him and only attack when his guard isn't up. Whatever you do, don't attack him physically head on. Hey, I'm the leader here, and you do as I say. And I say do as you suggested!" Blossom asserted.
"Right," said Brick, rolling his eyes. "You just keep doing that, but remember, when I'm leader, you'll have to treat me as I treated you when you're the leader!"
One lunged at Brick, but he quickly backed off. He froze One, but he quickly broke through it and chased Brick. However, he didn't notice Blossom sneak at his back until she gave him a powerful laser-eye attack.
One got angry and turned around to face Blossom. Blossom immediately fled the scene, while One gathered some energy balls in his hands and carefully aimed it at Blossom. 'Ha, one hit from this and you're dead,' said One.
He made another mistake however. He turned his back on Brick. Before he could hurl the energy ball, Brick buried his elbow into his unprotected back, then froze him. That caused One to aim his energy balls into the sea instead of Blossom. Brick then flew again, putting some distance between him and the man.
"Dang you kids! Why can't you just stay still!" said a frustrated One. He can easily kill either of them. Problem is, the kids were too smart for him to accomplish it.
Meanwhile…
Boomer and Bubbles braced themselves for the swarm. The first swarm closed in but the blue puff and ruff fought them off. They were able to kill them by using laser, punches and kicks to smash the mini-monsters. The finally beat the oncoming swarm, killing each and everyone of them, having only seven bites. But those bites hurt like hell.
They were just catching their breath when they saw another swarm closing in on them.
"This isn't good," said Boomer.
"Ditto," said Bubbles.
The two kids then used their sonic screams at the charging swarm. Like before, half was killed by it, but the swarm just kept coming. "I'd wish Brick was here. He's ice breathe would put those monsters on ice!"
"Yeah, and he and Blossom would be able to think of something!" Bubbles added.
They then laser-eyed the charging little monsters.
"Run!" shouted Boomer, as they were nearly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of it. Both began flying backwards towards the sky, so as to be able to fire laser at the swarm while flying.
They flew high into the atmosphere and into space, backwards and constantly firing into the little monster, picking them off one by one. Nevertheless, the bulk of them followed them into space, where they died from lack of air.
"Whew, that was close," said Boomer after they went back to earth.
"We were great, Boomer!" said Bubbles, who suddenly hugged him. Boomer suddenly blushed, and sweated profusely.
"Um Bubbles, I think I can't breathe."
"Oh sorry, I was just excited and, well, I couldn't help it!" said Bubbles.
Boomer looked her in the eye, but his expression is a little gentle. "Well next time, control… what the heck, there's more!" He said as he saw more swarms coming.
"Where do these things come from?" Bubbles shouted as the swarm engulfed them. Soon, they were fighting for their very lives.
A few minutes later, after repeated laser attacks, a couple of screams, a couple of bites, and some hand to hand fighting, the couple defeated the swarms. They were covered by the guts and blood of the dead monsters, but they had prevailed.
"All right!" shouted Bubbles, raising her fist to the air before she and Boomer high-fived each other.
"Yeah, uh oh, not again!" said Boomer as he spotted another swarm.
Bubbles and Boomer fought off the new swarm. After that, another, then another, and another. The only good thing about this is that the swarms didn't come all at once, or the two would have been dead.
After continually fighting off five swarms, the blue puffs and ruffs were exhausted, and they're bodies were hurting from all the bites that somehow got through.
"Is it over?" asked Bubbles.
"I don't know," said Boomer. "We can only hope!"
They waited, but no more swarms came. Still, they were not sure if it was over. They waited for a good ten minutes, never dropping their guard. After ten minutes, they relaxed.
"Well, it seemed the swarms stopped coming," said Boomer. "Oh, my aching leg, arms, and head!"
"Yeah, and my entire body too!" said Bubbles in agony. "Well, come on. Let's go to your Dad's office."
The two then slowly flew Edtech Corp's main office, but, before they could reach it, they saw Buttercup and Butch. The two just stared at the two.
"What the heck are they doing!" asked Boomer.
Meanwhile…
Butch and Buttercup were getting nowhere with the locust-spitting monster.
Butch then charged directly at the monster. He kept one eye on its arms and another on its head and managed to avoid the monsters swipes as he went straight and punched its belly. The monster doubled over, but before Butch could do anything, it laser-eyed him then ate him—or rather tried to chew it. On finding the green ruff too hard for its teeth, it just spit him it out.
"Ha, so much for that," said Buttercup snidely to Butch. "And all you've got to show for is being covered with the spit of that monster! You're no better than a used up and spit bubblegum!"
"Aw shut up! You've done no better. At least I hurt monster!" Butch replied.
"Yeah, well I did too, and I wasn't chewed up like gum like you!" Buttercup boasted. "Okay, I'll make it plain and clear to you! That monster is fast and can predict our moves. So I need you to make a distraction while make the kill."
"Oh no!" Butch said. "I won't play second fiddle to you, unlike Brick did to Blossom. No, you'll make the distraction and I'll take out the monster itself!"
"No! You'll distract the monster while I make the kill!" Buttercup said.
"Oh screw this!" Butch said. "I can take that monster all by myself and I don't need a distraction like you!" He then attacked the monster. This time, he tried using laser attacks both to keep away from the monster and to try and get a scratch on it. At first it seemed to be working. He used repeated laser attacks, unlike the steady one used by Blossom in an earlier fight, so the heat did not accumulate. However, he had no tough armor like the one before, so his attacks really hurt the monster.
Buttercup sneaked behind the monster while it was busy with Butch. 'So that jerk decided to distract him after all,' thought Buttercup. Suddenly, she flew and punched the monster—already weakened by Butch's attacks—in the jaw, knocking the monster out. However, right after hitting the jaw, Butch accidentally hit Buttercup with one of his laser attacks. Needless to say, Buttercup was upset.
"Watch where you aim, you knucklehead!" shouted Buttercup.
"You shouldn't be in there. Who told you to butt in? I clearly told you that I was going on alone!" Butch shouted. "I was going to defeat that monster and you have just to butt in and steal the glory!"
"Steal the glory? You've got to be kidding! You're getting nowhere! And besides, you make a great distraction!"
"You idiot!" shouted Butch. "You're not supposed to interfere. Ha, I'm glad I hit you with that laser. You deserve it, sissy!"
"Take that back, you wuss!" said Buttercup in a dangerous tone.
"Make me you girly freak! 'Look, I'm Buttercup, and I can't fight because I'm afraid of Butch and I my fingers might break and I might tear up the lace on my dress.' Now that's the true Buttercup!" Butch mocked.
"That's it you cowardly moron! You weakling! You're even weaker and more pathetic than the Amoeba Boys!"
"That's the last straw!" shouted Butch before he flew in and punched Buttercup in the face. "Ha, take that! Now who's the wuss!"
"You are," said Buttercup as she attacked Butch. Soon, the two green-colored members of the Ruff-Puff Alliance were fighting—again.
Meanwhile, the monster regained consciousness. It then saw its two earlier opponents fighting each other. It then swatted its palms between it, smashing the two between its palms. They soon fell to the ground. Because they have weakened themselves considerably while fighting each other, the monster was able to regain its strength while unconscious—it only took one powerful slap to knock them out cold.
"What the heck are they doing?" Boomer, who just arrived and with Bubbles, asked, after he witnessed how the monster knocked out Butch and Buttercup.
Bubbles was shaking her head in disapproval at her sister. "They were fighting each other instead of the monster!"
Boomer got a look of determination into his eyes. "Looks like we got our hands full! Well, let's hope that those swarms didn't weaken us too much. Come on Bubbles, LET'S KICK IT'S ASS!"
"Right behind you, Boomie!" shouted Bubbles as she and Boomer charged at the monster.
Meanwhile…
"Sir, I don't think you have an appointment with Mr. Morebucks!" said a frightened secretary as Dr. Edwards and Professor Utonium barged into Morebucks Inc.
"I don't need to! I'm William Edwards, and I'm the richest man in Towsville and Citisville, and I don't need an appointment if I want to talk to Spencer!" thundered Dr. Edwards as he brushed off the objections of the secretary. "And John Utonium is the most brilliant scientist in this part of the country, and he certainly doesn't need an appointment! Now where is Spence?"
"Oh let them in!" said Morebucks' voice in the intercom. "They're old classmates of mine."
So the staff let the two former friends into the office of Mr. Morebucks.
Morebucks then lighted a cigar. "So Bill, ready to sell that monster hide?"
"I've already given you my answer! No I will not sell it!" said William Edwards. "And don't call me Bill! You know I hate that nickname! Call me either Edwards, Dr. Edwards or William!"
"Oh come now Bill, don't be so formal!" said Spence, delighted in annoying his business rival with that nickname.
"Anyway, that's not the reason I came here, Pence," said Edward. "John and I came here to say that we know!"
"Know what?" asked Mr. Morebucks with a surprised expression. "Forgive me, I seemed to be clueless here."
"Don't play innocent, Pence," replied William. "You're the one who sent those five thieves! You wanted that data on the monster hide, and when I wouldn't sell, you sent those thieves after me! Don't deny it. Those thieves told me point blank that they wanted the data for the master! Look at the mirror and you'll see who their master is!"
"Oh I'm very sorry about what happened to you these past few days. But I resent being accused of sending that thief! I want that hide but I would never do such a thing!" Morebucks protested, raising his voice. "I do not associate myself with criminals like the one who tried to rob and kill you, and I have nothing to do with it. Indeed, those thieves are not only trying to steal the hide and kill you, Bill, but they also tried to sully my name by linking me with the criminals."
"Then why'd they tried to kill me and not you?"
"Because you don't have enough security in your goddamed house!" Morebucks thundered. "Even a shack with a Chihuahua guarding it has more security than your poor excuse of a home! And don't say anything about your boys. They cannot guard you twenty-four hours a day. Look at me! I have the best security money can buy, and I haven't been robbed ever, except during that time my daughter made crime legal! And you don't have any evidence against me!"
"Pshaw!" Dr. Edwards said, dismissing Mr. Morebucks arguments. "I know you, and John knows you, and we all know that you are capable of doing such a thing. After all, you permitted your daughter to commit crimes, and even financed it."
"Don't drag my daughter into this!" said Morebucks, his calm demeanor gone, replaced by an angry one.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" replied John Utonium. "You and your daughter have repeatedly tried to destroy my girls. Your money is what kept Princess from being convicted by the courts, and you yourself managed to keep your skirt clean. But now, somebody with even more money than you will drag you kicking and screaming into jail!"
"We'll bring you down, Pence, mark my words!" said William Edwards said before he and the Professor left.
The two were driving back to Dr. Edwards' office when suddenly, a large van suddenly stopped in front of him. Dr. Edwards quickly slammed the brakes.
"What kind of an idiot are you!" Dr. Edwards shouted at the driver. "Get your tin can off the road! Other people use the road, you know!"
However, the doctor and the professor froze when they saw that the driver and the passengers are wearing the same outfit that the robbers wore. Plus, they were heavily armed.
Dr. Edwards was about to turn around when a car with the same type of men blocked his escape. Since buildings were on either side, there really was no escape.
Dr. Edwards quickly grabbed a gun in the glove compartment and gave it to the Professor.
"John, you take… what the?"
One of the robbers threw some kind of can—breaking the window of the doctor's car in the process. Soon, green gas was sprayed from the can.
"It's sleeping gas!" shouted the Professor. Minutes later, both men were out cold.
The armed men then took the two scientists and put them in the back of the van.
Meanwhile…
Blossom and Brick was having success in dealing with One. One gritted his teeth in anger as he saw the two kids smirk at him. 'If I could only take them one at a time,' he thought. 'Well, this should work.'
He then flew speedily towards Brick. Brick then flew off in an opposite direction to avoid him. Blossom then noticed that his back was turned on her, so she decided it's another opportunity to attack. She then flew towards his back.
However, One anticipated this and at the last moment, turned around. He then gave Blossom a hard kick in the head. The kick was so powerful that it drove Blossom to the brink of unconsciousness, and with another kick to the back, sending her into the ground. She was temporarily incapacitated.
One then turned his full attention to Brick.
'Damn it! Now I'm alone!' Brick thought as he prepared for the worst. He would have flown away had not One quickly grabbed his legs. Pulling Brick towards him, he gave him a powerful punch to the stomach. Brick was forced to double over because of the pain and clutched his stomach. Then One gave him the most severe beating of his life, even more severe than what he received from Blossom and Buttercup during the third clash—continuously for two minutes straight. He then threw him towards where Blossom was.
Blossom has just recovered her senses when Brick suddenly crashed besides her.
"I think that's enough! Now, I'm giving you one last chance to attack me! Ha, ha, in your weakened condition, it would be useless, even two against one, but I'm giving you a two minute break to plan. As if it would make any difference!"
"Brick! Are you alright?" asked Blossom with concern, helping him by grabbing his arm.
"Don't touch me! You're icky!" shouted Brick, pulling his arm from Blossom. "I can take care of myself!" He then with utmost effort stood up, and slowly hovered. "Damn it! I'm so weakened! How the hell are we gonna kill that son of a bitch?"
"Watch your language, Brick. Well, I've been thinking, but it's too much of a risk," said Blossom.
Brick looked at Blossom in surprise. "Cough it out!"
"Well, I have this very powerful attack that I think could kill him!"
"That's terrific!" shouted Brick.
"There's a catch. You see, it would take almost all my energy, and so if this doesn't work, then we're doomed!" Blossom explained.
"I'll take that risk," Brick said.
"And it's too slow. It's like waiting for a turtle to hit you! He would easily dodge it with a minute to spare," explained Blossom. "But I think we don't have any other choice. Also, I never had to use this before."
"By the way, what kind of attack is this?" asked Brick.
"Well, I would gather all—as in all—my energy in my hands, and form it into a laser beam. It would take at least two minutes. Then I would throw it at my target, and that would also take one minute. After that, I'm out, since I don't have any energy left. Would you carry me back to the Professor?" Blossom asked.
"Well, I could leave you on this Island and just call the coast guard," said Brick. "I might get cooties if I carried such an ugly girl like you all the way to the city!"
Blossom suddenly became angry. "Brick!"
"Okay, okay! And I know just how to make that laser hit Mr. Zero over there. I'll distract him, while you gather that energy of yours. By the way, I would have done the same thing, but I have only zilch energy left after that beating, and it wouldn't be effective against One."
"What do you plan to do?" asked Blossom.
"Well, I'll let myself be a punching bag to that idiot. Right now, I'm very weak, and the only thing I could do is distract that bastard!"
"But you'll get killed!" Blossom protested.
"I won't if you hurry it up! I do not intend to be a martyr!" Brick said. "Of course, since you are the leader, I won't do it without your approval."
Blossom began to think. 'It's too much of a risk. There's a ninety-nine percent chance that I would miss and that would be the end. And even if I don't, Brick might be killed by One's beating. But we would all die if I don't go through with this. It's a hard choice, but it's got to be made.'
"Would you please hurry? I don't have all day you know!" said One.
"Just wait a minute," shouted Blossom. "Okay, Brick, I approve. So this is the plan. I'll gather all my energy and form it into a beam, while you distract him. Just keep him from noticing me until I hit him at his back. Remember, he mustn't see it or he could easily dodge it."
Brick looked Blossom in the eye. "Okay. But before I go, I want you to know that you're a better leader than I expected. Though that doesn't mean anything. I still have my ambition of replacing you as leader, and I think I'll be better than you. And I'm not doing this because I'm all nice and stuff. I only doing it because…"
"I know, it's for your personal and selfish self-interest, and I couldn't care less," Blossom replied. "You've said that a thousand times! What's important is you're your know what your self-interests really are, and that you're doing this. Anyway, take care!"
Brick then went and "assaulted" One. He was so weak that he could only fly very slowly. His body is aching from the recent beating, and his energy was drained. His mind is still sharp, however, and nothing indicated he'll be out cold soon, unless he was knocked out on purpose or inhaled sleeping gas.
One looked at Brick in utter contempt. "Ah, look at you playing hero!" Brick tried punching and kicking him, but he was too slow that One was able to block all of his punches and kicks, and he was too weak to make any laser-attacks. One just looked amused. "You're nothing but a pathetic shell of your former self!"
Brick smirked at One, even as he saw his attacks getting nowhere. "We'll see about that!"
Blossom was on the ground gathering her energy in her hands. "Just hang on, just hang on! Just a little more!"
One got bored with Brick's attacks, and counter-attacked. It was devastating to Brick. At first, he just played around and pulled his punches, but then, he got bored and got serious and began pummelling Brick. Brick was forced to take the punches and kicks, and just hope it won't kill him. Miraculously, he was able to hang on to his consciousness through it all, though he wished he would be just out cold. 'Hurry Blossom. Hurry! I can't take much more of this and survive, goddamn it!'
Blossom just completed her laser beam. 'I hope he doesn't notice it, or it's all over!' She then threw the beam at One. Like she said, it was so slow in reaching him.
Luckily for them, One was so absorbed with Brick that he completely forgot about Blossom. His back was on her as the beam approached him.
He clutched Brick's sweatshirt and stared at him. "Now, what would your last words be before I finish you off and kill your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend. She's not even my friend! She's icky!" Brick coughed out with a weak voice.
"Well, see you in hell," One said as he prepared to kill Brick.
But Blossom's beam hit his back, exactly one minute after Blossom launched it.
"What the…" shouted One as he suffered a stinging pain in his back. Soon, the beam tore through his body and he was dead. His body fell to the sea and was devoured by sharks.
"What took you so long?" Brick shouted. He then gave in to weariness and collapsed mid-air, as his last energy reserves was spent on that shout.
Blossom, who was very weak as a result of using almost all her energy, flew and caught Brick before he plunged into the sea.
She was too weak to make a sustained flight towards Townsville, and she was near collapse. She then limped towards the island, found some shade with some grass, lay Brick there, and collapsed besides Brick.
Meanwhile…
Boomer and Bubbles charged at the monster. The monster then spit another of its swarm of locusts from its mouth.
"So that's where those things came from," Bubbles explained.
"And Butch and Buttercup were too busy fighting each other to defeat that monster sooner!" Boomer bitterly added.
The swarm was about to engulf them and they prepared to fight it once again. However, before the swarm can engulf them, the monster suddenly went behind Bubbles, and in a brief moment, swallowed her. It was too sudden that it might have been possible that Bubbles didn't see what was coming.
Boomer was horrified. "Bubbles!" he shouted in panic, and was about to go after the monster but the swarm engulfed him. His body is still aching, and he was tired, but seeing his counterpart get eaten for some reason gave him the extra adrenalin. He kicked, punched, laser-eyed and crushed all the little monsters of the swarm in just over a minute.
He then rushed to the monster. 'Bubbles is gone,' he thought. He was both sad, but too angry to cry. 'I think I'm getting too soft. I mean why would her loss bother me? And yet for some reason it did bother me. I will avenge you!'
However, before he reached the monster, a sudden bulge in its stomach appeared, and seconds later, Bubbles broke through the skin of the monster, carrying with her its stomach. Bubbles was covered with the slime and blood of the now dead monster. She then took the monster by its tail, and threw it into the sea.
"Bubbles, you're alive! I thought…" Boomer suddenly said.
"Well, this isn't the first time I fought a monster inside out, you know," said Bubbles, slightly blushing. "Thanks for your concern, Boomie."
"I'm not concerned at all. I was just… um… ahhh… well… cause… Brick and Dad would kill me if you were killed… yeah that's right," Boomer stuttered, his face reddening.
"You're not as good as Brick in hiding your true intentions, Boomie," teased Bubbles. "At least Brick is believable. You're a terrible liar."
"Ah, let's get Butch and Buttercup," Boomer said, quickly changing the topic. "I've got a mouthful to say to them."
The two of them then went to where Butch and Buttercup lay.
"How'd you think we should wake them up? A nice ice-filled water? A prick with a needle? Or would you like to kick them? Or even laser-eye them? How about hot water? Or how about using our sonic screams in their ears? That should certainly wake up these Neanderthals."
"Boomie, that's not nice!" protested Bubbles.
"Well, I'm not nice either, and neither is Butch, and I think Buttercup too. And what they did certainly isn't nice to us, so I think… nervermind. They're coming to."
"Ah. My aching head!" said Butch.
"What happened?" asked Buttercup. "Last time I remember, I was kicking his butt when suddenly, all went black!"
"Are you alright, Butch?" asked Boomer.
"Yeah," replied Butch.
"In that case, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO DOING? You should've fought that monster instead of fighting each other!" shouted an angry Boomer at his brother.
"Don't shout at me. You're no Brick, and he and Dad are the only ones who could shout at me!" said Butch dangerously. "And for your information, I fought that monster, and would have beaten it sooner if it wasn't for her meddling!"
"Meddling!" shouted Buttercup. "Meddling? You were messing it up. If anything, I was doing the job quite nicely but you have to mess it up with your idiotic moves!"
"But why are you two fighting?" asked Bubbles. "Shouldn't you be working together to defeat that monster?"
Buttercup frowned as she looked at Butch. "Well, because he's a jerk. But I would like to say that I didn't fight him until I defeated that monster!"
Butch scowled back. "Yeah, I only fought that nagger when I knocked that monster out cold!"
Both Boomer and Bubbles were shocked at the Butch and Buttercup's words.
"Are you living in another planet? Because in planet earth, I saw you two fighting with the monster very much alive, and slapped you two out cold," Boomer accused.
"That's not true. He/She knocked me out cold!" Butch and Buttercup said at the same time, pointing to each other.
"Sorry, but Boomer and I saw what happened. You haven't defeated the monster when you fought," Bubbles asserted.
"And if you don't believe us, watch the nightly news," Boomer added. "It's all there."
"And I defeated the monster!" Bubbles triumphantly said.
"And don't you know that the monster coughs this locust like things that nearly killed Bubbles and I?" Boomer madly said. "We were fighting for our lives for crying out loud, and you two didn't do your job. We all could've been killed because of you."
The information shocked the green-eyed children, and Buttercup lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry Bubbles. Me and that jerk should've killed the monster first before fighting each other. Besides, it's his fault!"
"I forgive you Buttercup," said Bubbles. "Everything turned out all right, so there's nothing to get angry about. And you shouldn't blame each other. Both of you are equally at fault."
Butch was also ashamed, but unlike Buttercup, he was too proud to apologize. He was just silent.
"Now, Boomer, forgive Buttercup and your brother," asked Bubbles.
"Not until Butch here says sorry!" Boomer said.
"I won't! It's her fault that it happened!" Butch said.
"I'll tell Brick, and he'll force you to apologize! And if he doesn't, I'll tell Dad!" Boomer said.
"Brick would support me! I'm right in this matter," said Butch with gung-ho.
"I think we should go home first before going back to class," said Bubbles, changing the topic to avoid another fight.
"Yeah," Boomer said. "We're a mess!"
Butch just grumbled.
"I don't need no stinkin' bath!" Buttercup asserted.
"Come on, Buttercup," Bubbles said, dragging her sister. Buttercup protested, but allowed herself to be dragged by her sister back to her home. Boomer and Butch went home without even talking or looking at each other.