Allies and Rivals II
This Chapter takes place after my fics The Date, What is Buttercup's Plan? and The Dance. Those three happened between the end of chapter 21 and the start of this chapter. You don't really need to read those three fics to understand the events of this and subsequent chapters, although references to those three events would sometimes be thrown in subsequent chapters.
If you want to read more about the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys during the two months between this chapter and the last, you can read The Date, when Brick and Blossom arranged for Bubbles and Boomer to go on an amusement park one day. Buttercup was annoyed by the two leaders' arrogant attitude and tried, with Butch, to teach the redheads a lesson, but it slipped away. Will Boomer enjoy his date? Will Brick and Blossom get what they want out of the deal? Will Buttercup succeed in teaching the two readheads a lesson? And what is Mitch Mitchelson doing here?
Then there is What is Buttercup's Plan?, a story that happens directly after The Date, where Blossom attempts again to arrange something for Boomer and Bubbles, with Brick, but Brick wouldn't bite. It would be the last straw for Buttercup, who decided to implement her plan to teach the redheads a lesson! Would Buttercup this time succeed in getting the best out of the two brilliant redheads? What of Boomer and Butch? And will she escape revenge?
Then there is The Dance, a story where a Sadie Hawkins Dance, where the girls ask the boys, and the boy has to take the first girl to ask him to the dance, or else! The boys conjure ways to get out from being asked, and going to the dance, while the girls, as a result of a combination of events, were left with only the Rowdyruffs to ask. Will the Rowdyruff Boys escape from the terrors of the dance? Or will the Powerpuff Girls manage to get the boys to the Dance? And what does Princess Morebucks have to do with all of this?
Chapter 22
Brick's Challenge
The City of Townsville…
It has been more than two months since Ckracknow's defeat, and Townsville had experienced a period of relative peace. The crime rate dramatically went down because of the increased efficiency of the Ruff-Puff Alliance, and while monster attacks from Monster Island (and not from Ckracknow) continued, they were so weak, and the ruffs and puffs too fast, for them to do any damage. The villains all mounted attacks, but they were easily overwhelmed. Thus, with almost no security worries, Towsville experienced an economic boom, which brought more prosperity to the people, and made Dr. Edwards, and Spencer Morebucks even richer than they already were.
The ruffs and puffs continued to attend Pokey-Oakes elementary. All of them soon went to the top of their class, since all of them are intelligent—in book smarts at least.
Blossom continued to be the leader of the alliance. As such, among the six, she was credited with having the most to do of the strengthening security situation by most people. Her reputation as leader had never been higher among the people, and even among the members of the alliance, she was respected. Boomer and Butch, though they disliked her, had a grudging respect for her leadership abilities, though they still think Brick was much better.
It was at this atmosphere, at the height of her influence, and her confidence, that her ally and rival, William Bricker Edwards Jr. issued his challenge to Blossom.
It was the first of December, and Brick approached his father at his home office. Dr. Edwards was looking over some financial records of his corporation, and had a slight grin in his face at the increased profits of Edtech Corp., and at the millions of dollars flowing into his coffers.
"Dad?" Brick asked.
"Yes son?" asked Dr. Edwards, putting aside his work to talk to his son.
"Remember, when you told me that I would be a better leader last September, when we rescued you, well, I want to ask you something," Brick asked, looking expectantly at his father.
"Well?"
"Dad, you chose Blossom as the leader since you thought she were better qualified than me before that. I want to know why you changed your mind in between."
"Well son, you committed a number of blunders which influenced my thinking of your skills. You were inexperienced during that time. And I think that you need to gain experience in the business of saving the day before you can be the leader. But your performance on the fight against Ckrackers, notwithstanding your temporary resignation as leader, convinced me that you're qualified, and since you're my son, I think you'll be a better leader."
"Well Dad, do you still think that I would make a good leader of the Ruff-Puff Alliance?"
"Of course! I think you're experienced enough. Three months is a long time to be an underling to Blossom."
"So Dad, you won't mind if I become the leader of the alliance?" asked Brick with a grin.
"You're planning to grab the position from Blossom?"
"Yup!" Brick said.
"But why now?"
"Well, I want to wait this long so I can observe and study the girls so I can better control them when I become leader," Brick replied. "Plus, as you said Dad, three months is long enough for experience!"
"Okay, but I want to know how you'll going to do it, since I won't approve of it if it would be crooked and discreditable."
"Well, my plan is…" Brick said, and told his father of his plan.
"That's brilliant Brick!" Dr. Edwards said, after hearing Brick's plan. "But don't you think you're taking a high risk?"
"I'm willing to gamble on it Dad," Brick replied. "And if all goes according to plan, it won't be much of a contest!"
"Well, all I can say is, good luck, son, and I hope you win!" Dr. Edwards said, as he resumed his work.
"Thanks Dad!" Brick said, with a smirk on his face.
Blossom opened her email address, blossomutonium at townsville dot net , and read her messages. Most of them are either fan mail, and a few hate mail. She took one hour to read all of them. However, she noticed one particular email.
It was from one William B. Edwards Jr., and from the email address wbedwardsjr at edtechcorp dot com. 'Hm, so I got an email from Brick the first time,' she thought. The topic is 'The Challenge'
She opened the message.
Blossom Utonium,
Hello. I just wanted to tell you that you are a terrible leader. You are an arrogant, irritating, loathsome, despicable ugly girl. This past couple of months, you have proved to be an incompetent leader and had ruined Towsnville as a result. You have caused the situation of the alliance to deteriorate. So I am challenging you. I dare you to hold an election among the members of the Ruff-Puff Alliance to determine who will be the leader! And I am willing, no I insist, that you make the rules governing the election.
I will be eagerly awaiting your reply
Brick Edwards
Blossom read and reread the message, then burst laughing at her chair.
"What's so funny, Blossom?" asked Buttercup.
"Oh nothing. Brick just thinks he can grab my position," she said.
"I don't know," Buttercup replied. "He's pretty shrewd, and if he puts his mind into it, he can do it!"
"Yes, but if you think about it, there's no way he can do it," Blossom boasted. "There is simply no reason for him to replace me other than his ambition to be leader, and that isn't enough. But I won't take any chances. I'll make sure this would permanently end any of his ambitions to be leader, and that he would be a good second-in-command under me from now on!"
"Whatever suits you, Blossom," Buttercup said as she went out of the room.
Blossom then replied. She sent an email in reply.
Brick checked his email. He got the same fan email, and some hate mail, but he was looking if Blossom replied. He didn't even bother to read most of his emails.
He saw Blossom Utonium with the subject 'Re: The Challenge' from the email address blossomutonium . 'So she replied, eh?'
W. Bricker Edwards
I have received your message regarding your so-called challenge, and it was the funniest thing I've ever read in my life. Now before you reply, let me get one thing straight. I am not incompetent, and I'm not a failure as a leader of this alliance. As proof, ever since I became leader, we have yet to taste defeat. And implying that my leadership has been a disaster for the alliance is to indict yourself as well because you yourself advised me on many of my decisions as leader.
I dispute your assertion that the situation has indeed become worse under my leadership. In fact, under my leadership, we defeated many super powered monsters, monsters with though hides, with rubbery hides, with duranium armor, One, and others. We have staged a successful rescue of Professor Utonium and Dr. Edwards, and defeated Two. And since, we have not been ever close to defeat in any of the subsequent monster and criminal attacks that happened ever since we defeated Ckracknow. Now, how can you say that under my leadership, the situation deteriorated?
There is no reason why you should be leader now. Granted, I'll admit you're fully qualified to lead the alliance, and if you're the leader, I'll gladly follow you as I'm sure you'll do as good as me. But, right now, there is no compelling reason to replace me except your ambition, and your reasoning won't fool anybody.
I know you're smart, and I know you're not deluding yourself that you can actually beat me or replace me, so you must want something else, and you're using this to use as a leverage so you can have your demand. What do you really want? More power as second-in-command? You want Buttercup and Bubbles to do something for you? Maybe we can strike a deal?
Anyway, remove the silly notion that you can replace me as leader of the Ruff-Puff Alliance. It will never happen—no sir—it won't.
Anyway, I'm eagerly awaiting your substantive reply.
Blossom Utonium
Brick smirked as he read Blossom's reply. And he laughed at his seat.
"Why the hell are you laughing, Brick?" asked Boomer, who came to see him.
"Blossom thinks I'm not serious in my challenge to her," Brick replied.
"Challenge for what?" asked a curious Boomer.
"For the leadership of the alliance!" Brick replied with relish.
"Finally! You're making a move for it!" Boomer replied. "I am so tired of taking orders from Blossom! I'm sick of it! I hate it! At least now, Butch can't anymore call you 'Blossom's lapdog', or something!"
"Well, thanks. But I was never Blossom's lapdog, ever!" Brick quickly replied.
"Whatever! But I'm behind you all the way! Just ask me what needed to be done, and I'll do it! Blossom's going to get it now!"
"I appreciate the help, Boomer, but I've got to reply to Blossom," Brick said, and began typing.
Blossom again checked her email that night of Dec. 1.
'So, Brick replied, eh? Well, let's see what he has to say?'
Bloss. Utonium
I have received your reply, and I must say, it was very good. But you have left some points out.
First, I was not serious when I said that you were incompetent, and a terrible leader. I was just joking, and if you took my words describing you seriously, then you are a fool. I know of what happened during this past months, and I admit, you were a competent, even great leader, of this alliance, and you deserve full credit for the success that occurred.
However, I stand by my statement that you are an ugly and despicable girl. - Hahahahahaha!
You must take blame for all the failures as well take credit for the successes. You forget, you let Dad and your Professor to be kidnapped by Ckracknow. Now, I didn't blame you then because I was too busy blaming myself, but since you are the overall leader, you must take responsibility of any failure happening on your watch. But you redeemed yourself by the rescue conducted. But that proves that your leadership isn't all sunshine as you claim, ain't it?
But you're wrong. I am serious about my challenge to you, Little Miss Utonium, and this is not me trying to achieve some kind of deal. I want to be the leader of this alliance, because I deserve to be and you don't! Now, I reiterate my challenge of an election to determine who'll be the leader. And you'll make the rules regarding the election.
Unless of course you're yellow, and you're too afraid to lose, you're going to accept my challenge. I know you're no coward, and you will accept it."
Brick Edwards
'I'm no coward! So if he thinks I'm too yellow to risk my leadership, then he's wrong!' Blossom fumed.
"Blossom, it's late! Go to sleep!" the Professor shouted.
"Yeah, turn off the computer," Bubbles said and get some sleep.
"Just a minute, girls, Professor," Blossom said. She then quibbled a quick reply.
Brick
I can't make a long reply, so here's what I'm proposing.
We'll meet tomorrow at school and discuss this.
That's all.
BTW, I'm not ugly, you jerk!
Bloss. Utonium
The next day, December 2, at recess on school…
Brick and Blossom engaged in a private conversation at some corner of the school while the rest of the boys and girls played on the playground at school.
"Okay Brick, I received your email last night," Blossom remarked. "That was pretty preposterous, ludicrous, and outrageous!"
"Ain't it great?" Brick replied, smirking. "Well, I repeat my demand that you hold an election for the leadership of his alliance!"
"Don't be stupid," Blossom replied. "You can't win a contest against me!"
"And why not?"
"Because there's no reason why you should replace me?"
"Really?" Brick replied.
"Yes. You see, I have been very successful, and such, I am a great leader, and therefore, deserve to remain a leader!"
"Well, since you think you are so great," Brick remarked, "then you should quit while you're ahead. I mean you don't want to tarnish your reputation for greatness if something goes wrong, do you?"
"You've got to be kidding!" Blossom scoffed. "Is that the best you can offer? Listen, I want to be the leader of this alliance, and I will remain the leader, and nothing you say and do will make me quit! Now, what have you to say to that?"
"Well, I have a very good reason why you should be replaced," Brick asserted.
"What?" asked Blossom.
"You're ugly!"
"I AM NOT UGLY, Brick Edwards! I am very beautiful, thank you very much! And I have very beautiful hair, if you didn't notice! And even if I am ugly, which I'm not, so what? What does it have to do with being a leader?"
"Well, maybe your looks are so hideous that it would scare away all potential followers!" Brick teased, then laughed.
"BRICK, YOU'RE THE ONE TO TALK, YOU BIG FAT JERK!" Blossom shouted. "My looks are NOT hideous!"
"Well, you certainly went overboard there," Brick replied.
"Well, don't call me ugly again!" Blossom shouted, grabbing the collar of his shirt, and glaring angrily at him, "or you'll pay!"
"Okay, okay," Brick replied, but with fingers crossed behind him. He always enjoyed teasing Blossom by calling her ugly. Although he knew she's not ugly, and even admits she's quite beautiful for her age, he was a six-year-old boy who can't stand the idea of romantic love. Besides, Blossom was his rival, and he won't give her the satisfaction of complimenting her vanity. And it's fun to try to get under Blossom's skin. It is the only thing that would push her buttons as far as he knows. "Anyway, since you think you're so great a leader, then you'd be willing to hold an election for your position. Because if you really are as great as you believe, then you'd win the election."
Blossom then released her grip from Brick. "Well, if that is what you want, then you'll get it! If only to shut you up and prove once and for all the uselessness and the folly of trying to replace me! You'll get your election, but prepare your concession speech, for you'll surely lose."
"Thanks," Brick could only say, not believing his luck.
"And you mentioned in your email something of me creating the rules for this election?"
"Yup!"
"Well, here are my rules. First, every member of the Ruff-Puff Alliance will have one vote. They, in front of a third party, someone like Mike Believe, would verbally say who would they choose as leader. The one with the most votes win. The third party will announce the winner."
"Sounds fair to me!" Brick replied.
"If the vote is tied, or a draw, or are equal," Blossom continued, "the incumbent leader, or in that case, me, wins and continues to be the leader."
Blossom then looked at Brick.
"Well, that sounds fair to me!" he replied.
Blossom smiled at Brick's words. 'This election is in the bag!'
"And the losing candidate shall always follow the orders of the winner no matter what, even if he or she thinks that the winner's orders are wrong! The winner shall be an absolute leader, and all decision making shall be in the leader's hands!"
"I agree with it," Brick said.
"And the loser shall bow down with his head on the ground to praise the new leader after the election," Blossom added.
"I agree with it too!"
"And the loser shall refrain from calling the winner ugly or horrible looking!"
"Hey, I object! Every creature on this planet should be able to exercise their God-given right to call Blossom Utonium an ugly girl!" Brick teased.
"Don't push it, Brick!" Blossom said, glaring dangerously at her rival. "I am not ugly! And every creature on this planet should be able to exercise their God-given right to call W. Bricker Edwards a big fat jerk!"
"Whatever!" Brick replied, dismissing it. "You obviously are deluded."
"Okay, so let's continue. The winner would have the right to command the loser's siblings without going through the loser, and the loser shall order his or her siblings that they would automatically follow the winner without going through the loser."
"Okay!"
"The loser will wear the clothes of the winner for one whole day!"
"Well, okay, though I don't see how punishing it is for a girl to wear boys' clothes," Brick remarked.
Blossom ignored Brick's last remark, giggling to herself. 'Oh this would be fun.' "The loser shall style his or her hair so that it would look exactly like that of the winner's hairdo for six months!"
"Agreed. But I thought you loved your hair? I never thought you'd want to cut it!" Brick replied.
"Nope, it means that you'll grow you hair until it is as long as mine, and wear a bow to boot!"
"You wish! You'll be the one who'll be wearing a cap!"
"Anyway," Blossom said, "the loser will have to wear a big sign around his or her neck with a large picture of the winner and with the words in big bold letter, 'What a great leader she is!' and tell to all you meet for one whole week what a great leader the winner is."
"Sounds fair to me!" Brick said, chuckling to himself.
"And the loser shall pay the winner one dollar every week for one year," Blossom continued.
"Agreed!"
"And the loser shall return all books, comics and stuff that was procured from the winner by deals in the previous weeks," Blossom said.
"Okay!"
"And the loser shall be tied-up and tickled for as long as the winner would want to," Blossom stipulated.
"And I agree to it too," Brick replied, with a smirk on his face.
"Do you still want to conduct this election? After hearing my rules and terms for it?"
"There's no reason not to," Brick replied. "It would be amusing to see you make a fool of yourself once you lose!"
"Oh come on! You'll surely loose!" Blossom asserted. "I mean, think about it! If you go through with this, you'd be humiliated and you'd gain nothing! While if not, then you'd still be in the same position as before, but without the tickle-torture and the humiliation of losing!"
"And can you tell me why I can't win, aside from the tired old argument that there's no real reason to replace you, oh so great leader?"
"Okay. So you won't believe me? Then believe this. You have the votes of Boomer, Butch, and yourself. That's three. I have the votes of Buttercup, Bubbles and myself, that's three. Three and three is a draw, and according to the rules I just gave, then I, as the incumbent, or sitting leader, would win, and you'd lose, and you have to abide by the rules," Blossom explained. "And you'd never persuade Bubbles and Buttercup to vote for you!"
"We'll see! I still insist on it, on your rules of course," Brick said with confidence and swagger.
"It's your loss," Blossom said.
"We'll see. By the way, I have a hidden tape recorder, so I have all the rules recorded in case we forget it. And I'll type it tonight and we can all sign it and make it all formal."
"You're nuts!" Blossom said.
"And I'm proud of it, damnit!" Brick said.
"Whatever. The election will be held tomorrow afternoon after school."
"Okay!"
Brick rejoined his brothers, who were eating their snacks.
"What happened?" asked Butch.
"Blossom had just walked into my trap!" Brick said with relish. "And she just dug her own grave deeper by her ridiculous terms!"
Butch munched on his chips before looking at Brick. "I'm not following you, Brick? What the heck is going on?"
But the bell rang, and Brick wasn't able to tell them what really was going on.
Meanwhile…
Blossom joined her sisters, who were playing with their friends.
"So, what are you and Brick doing, alone, together?" Robyn Snider asked suggestively.
Blossom noticed the look of her female friends. "Oh it's not what you're thinking. Besides, I don't like him at all. We're just discussing business."
"What kind of business?" asked Robyn, who didn't believe Blossom.
"Well, we discussed something about the leadership of the Ruff-Puff Alliance," replied Blossom.
"Really? It seems that you were doing something else!"
"Oh pshaw! Brick wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole! He actually thinks I'm ugly, even though I think I'm not!" Blossom replied.
"I can vouch for that," Buttercup added in defense of Blossom. "Those two are like cats and dogs, and they always fight against each other."
"Aww," Robyn said, disappointed.
"Looks like Brick's lost his marbles," Blossom remarked, giggling and laughing.
"What do you mean?" asked Bubbles.
"He's basically set himself up for humiliation," Blossom said, laughing. "I mean I thought he was smart and clever, but it seems he lost all his senses today!"
Blossom then told Bubbles, Buttercup and Robyn what she and Brick discussed. Soon, Buttercup, Robyn and Bubbles were laughing with Blossom at the ridiculous terms she and Brick agreed to do.
That afternoon…
"Blossom, Brick, there's a monster attack at the beach!" Dr. Edwards sounded over the kids' watches. "And I think this monster is a tough nut to crack, so I advice you bring an extra member."
"Mr. Carlisle, could we go?"
Mr. Carlisle, their English teacher, nodded. "Sure! Good luck! Just make sure you whip them good!"
"We'll do!" Blossom replied. "Brick, Buttercup, it's your turn, but since Dr. Edwards said to bring one extra member along, I'll go along!"
"Yeah, whatever!" Buttercup said as she and Brick and Blossom flew out to the beach, where all monsters who attacked Townsville originated.
"I don't know, but why did the Doctor needed one more? I mean these so-called monsters who attacked us since that crackpot Ckracknow was defeated are now a joke! I mean a few days ago, I defeated one of them by just tapping my pinky finger on it!" Buttercup ranted.
The monster is a giant crab. It looked and acted like a giant crab. It had six legs, and had two giant claws in front. It was bright orange, and was attacking the building on the beach. The beach had already been long evacuated.
"Hey, let's catch it and bring it home! I'm in mind for some steamed crab for dinner!" Brick said with relish, the thought of a crab dinner salivating his mouth.
"Na ah! That crab will go home with me! I want to eat that crab!" Buttercup declared.
Brick looked at Buttercup. "No, I want that—"
"Will you two shut up arguing about who'll eat that crab! You still have to defeat it!" Blossom shouted at the two.
"Oh don't be a party pooper!" Buttercup replied. "That crab is as good as dead!"
Brick turned his attention to the giant crab. It was advancing on the city. After observing the monster for a few seconds, he concluded that his father was mistaken on the strength of the monster. It was far weaker than everyone thought, at least it was in his opinion. "Blossom, I think you should send me down there. That monster is weak, and a single punch in the gut should finish it off."
But Blossom, also observing the monster, came to a different conclusion. "No, I think that monster is as strong as Dr. Edwards say it is. Just look at it. Its skin is tough, and it looked like it could be as tough as duranium. Remember the various monster we fought that had a tough hide?"
"Like the one you used to beat us up because you thought we were evil?"
"Yes," Blossom replied, "and the monster Ckracknow sent! So I think…"
"Will you two shut your traps!" Buttercup shouted at the two. "Let's kick ass!"
The monster was already advancing into the city and people were stampeding to get out of its way.
Blossom pointed to a long metal pole standing in the beach. "Buttercup, get that pole over there and hit the crab with it!" Blossom ordered. "Be careful, we don't know how strong the monster is!" She was expecting the pole only to annoy the monster but not to do any harm to it.
"Got you!" Buttercup said, eager for action. She quickly snapped the pole and hit the giant crab like a golf ball.
Then disaster struck.
Brick was right as both Dr. Edwards and Blossom overestimated the strength of the crab. The crab died on impact from the pole, but like a golf ball, it flew at a rapid speed toward the city.
The dead monster struck some skyscrapers. Fortunately, the buildings were by now evacuated, but there were many people below who were watching the fight between the three and the crab.
"Buttercup, Brick, go save those people," Blossom instructed, as she, Brick, and Buttercup went to do as she ordered. Fortunately, they were so much faster than before that it only took five seconds to save all the people. But it was a close call with only a fraction of a second to spare. But millions of dollars of property were lost.
"You idiot!" shouted Brick to Blossom. "You just ordered your sister to throw that monster at those buildings!"
Blossom was furious at Buttercup because she thought Buttercup bungled her order. "No I didn't! Buttercup messed up my order by hitting the crab too hard and in the wrong direction!"
Buttercup was equally enraged at her sister for blaming her because she blamed Blossom for the near disaster for ordering her to hit the crab with a pole. "What? You ordered me to do that! So it's your fault, Blossom! You should've ordered me to beat up that monster, instead of hitting it with a pole, so it's your fault!"
"Well, you hit it too hard! And besides, you hit it toward the city instead of towards the city, I mean the sea, so it's your fault!"
"It's your fault! You can't admit a mistake because you're little Miss Perfect and you're so great a leader that you can't make a bad decision!"
"Oh shut up, Buttercup," Blossom stopped.
"No you shut up!"
"Shut up!"
"Quiet!"
"And you can't admit you can't fight a monster properly! You acted reckless with little regards to strategy!"
"Strategy smadegy! I am sick of your leadership, Blossom!"
"And I am tired of your insubordination!" Blossom shouted. "You are reckless, hasty, out-of-control, wild and rash! You are all brawn and no brain!"
"And you are all brain and no common sense!" Buttercup snapped back. "And your head is has become bigger than the country of Russia!"
"Oh shut up! It's your fault, and I demand you apologize for messing up, you clod!"
"No, you apologize, Blossom, for messing up, you prick!"
"Apologize! I order you to!" Blossom
"And if I don't?" demanded Buttercup.
Blossom stared at the eyes of her sister. "Then I'll have you tied-up and tickled for insubordination. I've done it before and I can do it again."
Buttercup stared back at Blossom, glaring angrily at her. Finally, after a staring contest, she capitulated. "Okay, I'm sorry!" Buttercup bitterly shouted at Blossom's face. The expression of her face, however, belied her words. "There, are you satisfied?"
She then took off towards school, bitter and angry towards her sister.
Blossom just shook her head at what she saw. "This isn't the first time that happened," she said, in a serious if somehow triumphant tone to Brick. "She'll come around when she realized how wrong she was." She then took off towards school without saying another word.
Brick just watched the entire scene. Though he personally thought Blossom was at fault for ignoring his warning, that doesn't matter now. What matters was that Buttercup was bitter at Blossom at that moment, and tomorrow was the election. 'You just nailed the final nail in your coffin Blossom. You may be right, but it was definitely not good politics to have a spat with your sister one day before the election.'
Elated at the turn of events, Brick took the body of the giant crab, dumped it at the hands of his father at home, and went back to school.