Allies and Rivals II
(You can skip this intro and go down to the story if you want)
Well, after a long time, I'm updating this. Forgive me for this long update. I lost interest in the PPG fandom for a long time, as you can see when I started writing Happy Tree Friends fanfiction. I only recently came back and began reading PPG fanfiction again. And I also reread, Allies and Rivals, and the first part of this story.
This story is really old. I wrote the first instalment of Allies and Rivals nine years ago. That was really a long time ago. In fact, I needed to reread all my fics to refresh my memory of the plot and the universe that I've created. I'm still happy with the stories, but a long lay off allowed me to notice several grammatical errors that I have not noticed before. In fact, there were several, and I spent the last few days correcting all those typos in this story. I also reduced some of the dialogue and trimmed paragraphs that were unnecessarily long.
I have completed this story several years ago, but for some reason, it was deleted, so I reposted it. However, it was really long, so I took a long time to repost all of it. I have still the source file for the entire story, but it was unedited. It took a long time to do it. However, I stopped at some point when I reached chapter 26, because I thought I lost the entire story when my computer crashed a long time ago and I had to reformat it. Fortunately, exploring my files, I rediscovered the rest of the missing chapters hidden in some obscure folder I forgot. I posted chapter 27 three years ago with only the barest editing, then I forgot about it.
Going back, I wanted to post again the missing chapters, but before I can do that, I need to clean it up. I apologize if there are more mistakes appearing, but even after reading it many times, sometimes I still miss something. If you go and reread the earlier chapters of this story, there are far less grammatical errors than before. I hope that I removed all of it, but if there are some that I missed, I apologize. There are some aspects of the plot that I would have changed, but I decided to retain the original one.
So here it is. If you want to refresh your memory on what happened and catch up, you only have reread chapter 25-27. The chapters before that was altogether a different story, as you have seen.
(If you haven't read the first story or the chapters before this, there are spoilers below).
This story was set in a universe I made with the first Allies and Rivals story. I began the story before the episode The Boys are Back in Town aired, so I apologize if the RRB in this story are different from what they are in the later episodes. So this is effectively an Alternate Universe where instead of Him reviving the Rowdyruff Boys, my own character Dr William Edwards revived them, albeit accidentally. He used a different method than Him to revive the boys, so their personalities and appearances (their appeared as they were when they were first created by Mojo, not when they were revived by Him, so in this universe, Brick has a shorter hair than the one in the later episodes) were different from their reincarnation in the show. Rather, their initial attitude was that when they were under Mojo, but would slowly change under the direction of Dr Edwards.
In Allies and Rivals, Dr Edwards recreated accidentally recreated the RRB. He was a rich scientist, who had a feud with Prof Utonium. He decided to adopt the three boys, but was disturbed by their evil tendencies. They wanted revenge on the PPG. Dr Edwards was able to persuade them to only beat them, but not to kill them. Then, he started, slowly, to wean them away from their evil personalities using their newfound loyalty to their new creator. He even, in the name of protecting their father and his properties, started to get them to play superhero and protect the city.
But the Powerpuff Girls, by a series of events, became friends with Dr Edwards at the very moment he was trying to help his boys defeat them. Due to a series of misunderstandings, the girls came to believe the boys were in league with Mojo and were deceiving Dr Edwards and the town by pretending to be good, but were really evil. It took a couple of events to really convince the girls that the boys were not as evil as they were, in the process nearly destroying their own reputations.
In Allies and Rivals II, there are essentially four parts. Part I is the process of forming the alliance itself, from Blossom proposing the alliance, to Mojo making another attempt at the lives of the girls, and to the Fourth Clash, to the start of Blossom and Brick's rivalry for leadership, and Brick's defeat and Blossom becoming the first leader of the Ruff-Puff Alliance.
Part II was the struggle against Ckracknow and an exhibition of Blossom's leadership, from the thieves who had no names and only whites in their eyes, and the extraordinarily strong monsters, One, the kidnapping of Dr. Edwards and Professor Utonium, Brick's resignation as leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, the leadership trials of Butch and Boomer, the resumption of Brick as leader and Dr. Edwards and Prof. Utonium's renewed contact with the kids, the rescue of Dr. Edwards and Professor Utonium, the fight with Two, and Blossom's triumph as leader.
Part III is when Brick resumed his challenge for the leadership, from Brick's challenge, to Blossom's arrogance getting worst, to Brick's winning the election.
Part IV is Ckracknow's attack on Citiesville. This part is the showcase of Brick's leadership abilities. And this part began on chapter 25.
All in all, the thread running throughout the story is Brick and Blossom in a constant struggle for power, all the while battling their foes. Also shown is the process where they and their siblings slowly become genuine friends.
Chapter 28
Two Crises
The Town of Citiesville, and at it's edge, Bubbles and Buttercup were in big trouble as their attempted rescue attempt went awry when they failed to conceal themselves from Beta, Cychaela and Delta.
Predictably, Bubbles and Buttercup were beaten up in a one sided fight. Not only were each of the villains individually stronger than the two girls, but they also outnumbered the girls three to two. So, unless a miracle happened, the outcome was never in doubt.
"Hey Cychaela, you and I beat Blondie over here while Delta would make take care of green girl."
"Well, who made you our leader? But for once I agree," the female villain replied. "Is it okay with you Delta?"
Delta nodded.
Cychaela and Beta immediately assaulted Bubbles. Bubbles backed away a bit, but Beta grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms to her side. Before she could attempt an escape, Cychaela pummelled Bubbles by repeatedly punching her, in movements so fast that Bubbles received a hundred powerful punches in the face and body in a minute. Beta's grip was so powerful that the blond puff couldn't get away. Only Bubbles own powerful body and strength of will kept her conscious and alive.
Delta and Buttercup sparred. He played with Buttercup, letting her attack him. Buttercup's attacks were useless. Her punches barely scratched Delta for the few times it didn't completely miss him.
For ten minutes, this continued. By this time, Buttercup was exhausted from all her futile attacks. She wasn't hurt since Delta just let her attack him, and he just dodged all the attacks, whether punches, kicks, laser eyes, or laser from her hands. Even those that he was unable to dodge didn't hurt him at all.
Bubbles was worse. She was nearing unconsciousness, both from the tightening grip of Beta, and Cychaela's constant barrages. She was coughing blood, but her tormentors wouldn't let up.
Nobody of them noticed a camera crew recording the event.
At that moment, two of the Rowdyruff Boys, Brick and Butch, arrived. They immediately attacked Cychaela and Beta to relieve Bubbles.
"Look! More flies!" Cychaela sighed when she saw the two boys approaching them.
"Good! That means we'll have more fun swatting them!" Beta remarked.
Cychaela gave one powerful blow on Bubbles' head that finally knocked Bubbles out cold. Beta and Cychaela waited for the two to reach them.
Suddenly, Butch suddenly halted and run and flew like hell in the other direction.
"Well, I didn't expect green boy to show his cowardice so soon! Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Cychaela said.
"Nah! Cychaela, let me take care of it! I'm sure he's fast, and it would somewhat be a challenge for me. You're so fast that it wouldn't take much for you to catch him! I'll take care of him while you take care of the redhead," Beta suggested.
"Okay then!" Cychaela agreed.
Beta went off to chase Butch.
Brick approached Cychaela and attacked her by using his laser eyes, but the super fast Cychaela dodged it with no effort at all.
Brick in frustration tried tactics, like feint, retreat, combined with ice attacks that would devastate someone with equal speed or someone that was at the most twice as strong and fast as him, but Cychaela was just too fast that even when she was caught off guard, she was able to dodge it, and even if Brick was able to hit her, it would only tickle her.
"Keep still, you bitch!" Brick shouted.
"What's the matter? Surprised that a girl could whip your ass that bad?"
"Not really. You forget that I worked for a girl ten years younger than you. Well, I should ask, surprised that a mere baby like me could stand against a teen-ager like you? In fact, I'm doing quite well considering the circumstances!"
"We'll see! I'm tired of dodging your attacks. See if you can dodge mine," the girl replied before assaulting Brick.
Brick backed off a bit, but his opponent was simply too fast for the red ruff. Soon, Cychaela was flying around him in circles giving Brick many powerful punches and laser attacks.
Meanwhile…
Butch flew to the center of the city, but before he could go further, Beta suddenly appeared before him.
"I don't think so! Ha! You can't run from me!"
"Ha! I bet you couldn't beat me!" Butch boasted.
"We'll see! I can kick your ass pretty good and you'll soon be crying out for your mommy!" Beta replied.
"Ha, the only reason you were able to beat me is because you outnumbered me! One on one, you don't have a prayer!"
"We'll see now, won't we?" Beta replied. "We're alone so I will prove once and for all that I'm better than you!"
"Phooey! The others will join you and beat me up if we fight here!" Butch protested.
"Well, I assure you I'll fight you alone this time, or are you chicken?"
"Well, you sure fought Bubbles one-on-one," Butch sarcastically replied. "I'd rather trust a car dealer than trust you. Ha, the moment we would start the fight, Alpha, or Epsilon would suddenly join up and beat the living hell out of me!"
"Well, I can't help it if my they'd try to act brotherly," Beta said.
"Well, how about this. To prove once and for all who among us is stronger, how about if we fight one-on-one in a deserted place! No one would know about it but us! Then, we settle who is the best by having a fight to the death where anything goes!" Butch proposed. "And make sure no one, I mean no one, but the two of us can know about it!"
"That's not a bad idea at all!" Beta replied. "Not bad at all! Okay, since you want a death wish, I'm going to let you choose the time and place for this supposed match!"
"Well, since you're ever so kind as to let me select the place and date of your death, I'll give. Okay, meet me in the plain forty miles west of Townsville on December 18. One on one, a fight to the death!"
"You got your fight then," Beta said. "If you can get out of here alive! If you do, then I won't tell anybody else."
Beta then attacked Butch. Butch decided to fly away as fast away as he could. Beta decided to give Butch a head start, confident that he could easily overtake the green ruff.
"Ha, you say you can take me one-on-one and yet you run away like a girl! If you actually go to the plain west on Townsville six days from now, I'd be amazed! If you're a man, if you've got balls, come back here and fight, sissy!" Beta shouted at Butch.
Butch heard the insults, and was sorely tempted to turn back and attack, but he knew better. He knew at that point, there was no chance at all that he could survive a fight, let alone be victorious. He swallowed his pride and flew towards Brick and Cychaela.
Brick was getting thrashed pretty badly by Cychaela. By this time, he was weak, and coughing blood, but still strong enough to stand and fight. But Cychaela had barely a scratch on her, and there was no way he can beat the girl due to her superior speed.
Delta was still playing with Buttercup, with the green puff making fruitless attempts to attack him. Most of her punches and kicks were either dodged or blocked, while her laser attacks either didn't hit her mark or if it did, had absolutely the same effect as slamming a watermelon against a concrete block. Delta was way slower than the super fast Cychaela, but he was still considerably faster than the green puff.
Butch charged at full speed towards Brick, and to his extreme surprise, managed to accidentally slam Cychaela by the back. It seemed that she wasn't paying attention to him at all.
Cychaela was pushed slightly backward, and it gave the ruff leader a reprieve.
Cychaela was surprised, but when she saw Butch, she smirked.
"Ha, running away from Beta! Such courage, such bravery!" she sarcastically proclaimed. "I bow at your valor, Wilbur Edwards!"
"And such common sense! As somebody whose name I forgot said, 'it's better to run away to fight again another day, and perhaps, win'?"
At that same time, Beta arrived. Soon, both Beta and Cychaela were standing side by side, with evil smiles plastered on their faces, their eyes on a battered Brick and a determined Butch.
Delta got tired of dodging Buttercup's attacks. He suddenly grabbed Buttercup's lunging arm, spun her around a few times, and tossed her towards Brick, her head hitting Brick's stomach, and sending both of them careening to the ground just besides the unconscious Bubbles. It hurt Brick more than he already was, as he coughed more blood, his shirt redder than it already was.
"Aw! Did you have to hit me so hard? I think you broke a rib," Brick remarked.
"Well, my head hurt," Buttercup said. "Oh my aching head. Your stomach is like a steel wall! Bubbles!"
Buttercup quickly stood and went to Bubbles lay. She was unconscious. She was still breathing, and alive, but her situation was precarious.
Butch quickly flew to where they are.
"I think we better get her out of here," Brick advised. "She looks pretty bad."
Buttercup just nodded as she quickly hugged Bubbles then slung her over her shoulder.
"Well genius, what's the plan?" asked Butch.
"Have you done it?" Brick asked Butch.
"Yup, he fell for it!" Butch replied.
"Good! Now, we know we can't beat those three, especially now that Bubbles is out and I'm weak, so the best thing we could do is escape."
"Brick, hello! They easily can outrun us! Did you see how fast that girl is?" Buttercup said.
"Well duh! I was the victim of that bitch, of course I know how fast she is," Brick replied. "But just to tell you, even those two bastards besides her, even though they are much slower than her, are still faster than us! But I know how we can escape!"
"Use the sunball? Oh please! Can't you see those fckheads are wearing shades! It won't work!" Butch declared.
"You fool! Don't you think I haven't thought of that! Of course I know using the sunball for the second straight time probably won't work!"
"So what's your plan to take us out of this predicament?" asked Buttercup.
"Just go into that building! That skyscraper over to our left!"
"What? How's that…" Buttercup began.
"Just shut up and do as I say!" Brick snapped.
Beta, Cychaela and Delta were just floating above them, looking at the kids talk among themselves.
"So what do you think they're talking about?" Beta asked.
"A plan maybe?" Delta proposed.
"Oh boy, a plan! What a joke! Not even the best plans could defeat us! We're invincible!" Cychaela boasted.
"Nah, maybe they're just crying for their mommies?" Delta joked, and the three laughed.
Suddenly, they saw their enemies fly and run towards the inside of a skyscraper.
"Now that was the most stupid thing I ever saw!" Beta observed.
"Yeah! Do they think they could hide from us by going to a skyscraper. Ha, Alpha and Master Ckracknow totally underestimated those assholes' competence!" Cychaela added.
"Well, time to smoke them out," Delta said. He raised his hand and pointed at the building, ready to destroy the building by laser.
Suddenly, four beams—two green, one red and one light blue—darted out of the building.
"What the, how'd the blond girl get up and running? I thought she was out for the count?" Delta asked, astonished. "I thought you guys took care of her?"
"She probably faked it and pretended to be unconscious," Delta observed. "By the way, I never knew they could be so fast. But why the hell would they run away in a direction opposite of Townsville?"
"Hey guys? What the fck are you waiting for? Let's chase them!" Cychaela said.
"What's the rush? They aren't going anywhere near Townsville…hey wait for me!" Beta shouted as Delta and Cychaela gave chase to the fast moving puffs and ruffs.
"Suckers!" Brick, still inside the building, quietly said. "Bet you didn't think of the decoys, did you?"
"Yeah, that was brilliant!" Butch complimented.
"Let's get as many people as we can out of here before those three realize they've been duped," Buttercup proposed.
"No. We better get out of here. We haven't seen Alpha and Epsilon, but they're probably here in the city with Ckracknow. Right now, they'd probably think, like those three morons, that we're fleeing from Citiesville away from Townsville. If we go out and go saving stuff, they might see us," Brick said, coughing more blood and groaning in pain. "We best get out of here as fast as we can. Besides, Bubbles needs critical help."
"And so do you. You're worst than shit," Butch observed.
Buttercup just nodded. "You're right, but God, you're just like Blossom, you know that Brick?" she said.
"You've been telling that to me since September," Brick said. "And I don't care. Let's go home."
Soon, with Buttercup carrying an unconscious Bubbles, the three flew at top speed, though Brick lagged behind as he was very weak. Butch took pity on him and carried him, and just in time, for the last effort to fly fast exhausted all his remaining energy and rendered him unconscious.
Meanwhile…
Blossom and Boomer faced a mob, about five thousand strong, approaching the house. They had angry expressions on their faces, and they're carrying some kind of weapons like guns, sticks, pitchforks, and torches.
"Let's waste them," Boomer suggested. "It wouldn't take a minute to kick them so they'd be crying for their Mamas before we tear their guts out!"
"No. No violence," Blossom ordered.
"Then how the heck would we stop it, oh great leader? If you were Brick, you'd attack them," Boomer charged.
"Well, Brick has common sense, and he wouldn't be too rash. But the point is, I'm Blossom, and I'm not Brick!" Blossom replied. "As for your first question, we can persuade them."
"Well, if the house was burned and Dad was killed, it would be on your head, Blossom," Boomer said.
Blossom, followed by Boomer, flew towards the crowd. "Now I want you to shut your mouth unless I told you to, okay?"
Boomer was annoyed and irritated at Blossom, but he just nodded.
The two landed in front of the crowd.
"Stop!" Blossom shouted.
"Get out of our way, you cowards," one of the men the mob shouted. "Since you Powderpuffs wouldn't fight, we're taking the matter into our own hands."
"Yeah, and don't say anything about what the Mayor said. It's complete bullsh!t! Townsville maybe dumb, but not all of us are that dumb."
"And I'm from Citiesville! I saw those teen-agers whip your ass! Fake video my ass!"
"Please, there's no need for profanity," Blossom shouted. "Look, I admit, the mayor wasn't exactly truthful—"
"He took us for fools for expecting us to believe that malarkey?" one of the men shouted. "Townsville is dumb, but not all of the citizens have brains the size of a nut!"
"Yeah! Thank God some refugees from Citiesville saw what actually happened and not all of us were dupes!"
"I'm sorry for it. I assure you, the Mayor only meant well," Blossom said. "So why march to our home?"
"Look, we know you don't have a prayer against those five. We don't want Ckracknow attacking Townsville and doing here what he did to Citiesville, so we're going to take matters into our own hands!"
"Meaning?" asked Boomer.
"We're going to raze your house and kill of the Doc and the Professor! We all need to survive, and those two have become a liability and a luxury this town could not afford! They must die if Townsville is to live!"
The other members of the crowd echoed the sentiment and they resumed their march towards the Edwards house.
Blossom backed away and barely succeeded in restraining Boomer.
"So this is all about Ckracknow's message? You're showing yourselves to be cowards, submitting to his demands without a fight?" Blossom scolded. "Townsville, Citiesville, what kind of people are you. Are you going to let some mad scientist bully you?"
"Well, better live cowards than dead heroes," they shouted.
"And you're going to betray the one who ever so often saved your lives? After all that we've done for you, after all the hardships we had to endure to ensure your safety, this is how we will repay us? Where is your gratitude, Townsville, where is your gratitude?"
"How many times have we been hurt by Mojo Jojo in your defense? How many times have we risked our lives so you can breathe? How many times have you been threatened by Fuzzy? And who always flies to rescue you from that pink hillbilly that you once elected mayor? How many times had we rescued you from mugging by the Gang Green Gang? How many times upon countless times have we saved this town from monsters after monsters, at the risk of our own lives? How many times have we delivered you from the evil clutches of Him? How many of you have jobs and homes because of us? Indeed, how many of you have a Townsville to call a home because of us? And not only that, but how many times had we rescued your cat from the tree, fix your plumbing, water your plants, tie your shoes, catch criminals, all things which you're perfectly capable of doing? That after you ostracized me and my sisters!"
"A perfect girl, I may not be, but who is? Have we not done enough, or do you want us to throw ourselves to your feet, to grovel for your mercy so that our house may stand and our fathers may literally keep their heads?"
"And despite all, despite all that we've given, the only thing we crave in return is thanks. We don't need wealth, though we don't mind if we have them. We don't need fame, but accept it anyway. What we want is that you would recognize us for the job that we're doing in preserving this town, and for you to recognize that we sacrificed a lot too!"
"Yet what have you done, fellow citizens? Many times, despite all, you have shown your extreme ingratitude! You have listened to demagogues like Harold Smith who have taken advantage of situations to demonize us, or you have fallen under the power of Ckracknow who is not even here but in Citiesville!"
"Townsville, where is your faith in us, the Powerpuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys? Where is the faith that in so many earlier occasions, have led you to trust us with your very lives? Tell me, what time did you not put your very lives in our hands when it hung on the balance? And most importantly, tell me, was there a time when we have proven not worthy of that responsibility, of that trust, of your lives, that you put in our hands? Have we ever failed you, Townsville, have we? Tell me, when did we ever fail you?"
"I'll answer that question for you, my fellow citizens. NEVER! Never were we defeated when it truly mattered, never where the life of Townsville is at stake! Yes, I readily admit, we were nearly defeated several times by our enemies! We are not invincible. But when the dice was rolled, despite the odds, the Powepuff Girls and the Rowdyruff Boys always rolled on top, as if destiny and fate intertwined to give us the push and luck needed to win."
"Yes, we are always victorious! And you say, 'we were defeated too?' Yes, I admit, we lost some of our battles, but not those that matter. As long as we are still breathing, as long as we are alive and well, as long as we have our superpowers, our enemies couldn't consider us completely and utterly defeated. Consider us defeated when we're buried six feet under ground. We always win our wars in the end."
"And now, I ask you, given our track record, why do you betray us? Why would you cower in fear of a mad scientist and his five thugs, when you all know that not only us Powerpuff Girls, but also the Rowdyruff Boys, would do everything in our power to defeat them! Why Townsville? Why take the most precious things from us—our fathers, and our homes—when we have sacrificed so many so you could have so much? Why?"
Blossom spoke with high emotion, and several times, it looked like she would break up. The citizens of Townsville, about half the number of the mob, listened, and guilt seeped in. Some of them were in tears as they listened to Blossom's emotional peroration, remembering all that had happened in the past. Soon, they were ashamed at their actions. And they dropped their weapons.
The refugees from Citiesville, on the other hand, who only remembered that the Powerpuff Girls destroyed their big red bridge before, weren't affected at all.
"So why don't you go and fight them now?" shouted one citizen of Citiesville.
"Well, to tell you the truth, we're not ready. I admit, we're weak right now, and we can't prevail on a one on one fight at the moment."
The Citiesville half of the mob booed and hooted, while the Townsville half were still silent as they were still ashamed of their actions toward their greatest heroes.
"Then we'll kill your Dads! We can't risk Ckracknow attacking here. If we do that, we live!"
"Listen you all," Boomer thundered. "Do you think that Ckracknow would leave this town alone if you do that? Ha, I'd sooner trust a car dealer than trust Ckracknow! He'd stab your back sooner than an Al Capone would the moment you deliver the Professor's head on a platter!"
"Boomer's right," Blossom said, surprised. "You can't just trust guarantees from Ckracknow! Besides, I promise you, we will defeat his five thugs! But not now. Give us a few days, and I promise you, we will be victorious after we trained hard enough to beat them before they can attack Townsville!"
The Townies cheered, while the Citiesvillians grumbled.
"But what if they do attack here before you're ready?" asked one of the people of Citiesville.
"Then I'd leave it to fate. I don't know if they would attack before we're ready," Blossom lied. She knew that she couldn't let Ckracknow know that she knows that they won't not attack Townsville or it might upset their plans. "We can only hope that they wouldn't attack! But rest assured! If they attacked Townsville even before we're ready, we're going to be the first to fight them—ready or not. If they attacked tomorrow, they can only destroy Townsville over our dead bodies!"
Every Towny in the crowd cheered wildly.
"Way to go Blossom!" shouted one of them.
"We're sorry for doubting you!" one of them shouted. "We should never have turned against you!"
"Yeah! You never let us down, so there's no reason to doubt you! We're with you!" another shouted.
The Citiesvillians were quite disgusted, but kept quiet for they don't want the Townsville half to attack the Citiesville half of the mob. They didn't believe a word Blossom told them.
"So, people, I implore you, go back into your homes, and show that you wouldn't bend to Ckracknow!"
The Townies cheered, and disbanded, and went home, their morale tremendously boosted by Blossom's oratory, their faith in the boys and girls restored.
The Citiesvillians, seeing that the mob was cut in half, went back to their refugee camp, not so much because of Blossom, but because they lost half their number. They were disgusted by the supposed "gullibility" of the Townies.
Blossom wiped her brow, which was full of sweat.
"That was great!" Boomer suddenly said, slapping her in the back. "And coming from me to you, it meant a lot!"
"Yes I know! You never gave me a compliment before, as I recall! In fact, only Brick would say such a thing among you and your brothers, at least that's what I thought until now."
"Well, don't expect anymore compliments from me. And don't expect me to blab about this to Brick and Butch! And don't tell anybody I gave you a compliment! I have a reputation to protect. I don't hate you anymore, but neither do I like you! You still made that Monster Alliance you know!"
"Whatever! Let's go home," Blossom said.
And the two went home, with Boomer's respect of Blossom increased, though he still dislikes the pink puff.
Meanwhile…
Buttercup and Butch arrived at home, with Boomer and Blossom and their fathers waiting for them. Brick and Bubbles were immediately sent to the medical rooms. They were severely injured, but the Chemical X, plus the fact that they had faster healing than ordinary humans, plus the fact the Dr. Edwards had the most advanced medical equipment, meant that at most, it only took a few hours for them to heal them completely.
Blossom decided that the rest of them should rest and would resume training when Brick and Bubbles were ready.
"You know you're in trouble, Buttercup!" Blossom said in their room. "If I know Brick, he'd probably punish Bubbles and you."
"Well, it was a good idea, until we run into those three!"
"More like a reckless one! Do you really expect you could have beaten those three, let alone five, and win, when all of us five couldn't beat them? What were you thinking?"
"Well, we want to save the people, and we would've if we didn't run into those three! But, well, it was a stupid idea. I could've gotten myself and Bubbles killed."
"Not to mention Butch and Brick!" Blossom scolded. "Well, I'm just glad you're alright. I know you meant well, but please, use your head."
"Thanks, but what punishment would Brick do?"
"Probably the same as before. The same old tickle tortured while being tied-up and gagged, though now, I don't consider that a punishment at all. I mean, we always did that to each other while playing our games in the last three months!"
"Yeah, though I always came out on top! I was never tied-up and tickled since Ckracknow's first defeat. Ha, you never got your revenge on me! I'm still the best schemer!"
"Well, we would've if we got all those embarrassing photos!" Blossom said.
"Well you didn't, so there!" Buttercup said, and stuck her tongue out to her. Soon, it degenerated into a pillow fight, after which they switched off their lights, and spend an hour talking to each other while they were in bed.
The next day, December 13…
It was morning, and Brick woke up at about eight in the morning. He rubbed his eyes, stretched and looked at the side, and saw Bubbles, fully awake, her wide eyes staring directly at him.
"Good Morning Brick!" the blue puff greeted.
"What's so good about this morning?" Brick replied. "Anyway, morning to you too."
"Well Brick, I was thinking, are you mad at Buttercup and me for going to Citiesville?"
"Well aside from the fact that you were probably duped by Buttercup," Brick began, "Well of course I'm mad. That was reckless and irresponsible! What were you thinking? You two could have been killed, and if that happened, our chances of ever defeating those five are nil!"
"Well I'm sorry about that!" Bubbles said.
"Well, apology accepted," Brick replied.
"So we can be friends again?" asked Bubbles.
"We're not even friends in the first place!" Brick snapped.
"Aw, you're just too proud to admit it!" Bubbles insisted. "Just like Boomer. And if so, why did you save us?"
"Well, I need you two to defeat those five. Without you, it would be impossible to win!" Brick said.
"And the fact that you can't bear to lose us because we're your friends," Bubbles said.
"Whatever!" Brick rambled.
"Oh I knew it! You really like us all! Um, so are you going to punish us for what we did?"
"What'd you think? Of course!"
"So you'd tie us up and tickle us?"
"Nah After the events of the past three months, I don't think you and I could consider it as punishment, since you seem to enjoy it too much! Na, I'll just think of something else!"
"So you're awake?" Blossom said as she entered the room.
"Well, I had beautiful dream, I woke up, I saw you, and then I knew I was in a nightmare, a horrible nightmare! Depart, oh ugly one!" Brick teased before bursting into laughter.
Blossom took a pillow and threw it at Brick, who just ducked under the blankets.
After the teasing stopped after a few minutes, the two leaders, with Bubbles going out to join Buttercup, went to more serious matters.
"Congratulations on the rescue! I should've known you'd use those decoys!"
"You should've! I mean, you fell for it during the third clash!"
"Yup! That's the only reason we didn't beat you up till you confessed to being evil, deceptive to Dr. Edwards, and in alliance with Mojo! Though I'm glad that didn't happen! In turned out that you weren't those," Blossom replied, referring to the events before the formation of the alliance. She then told Brick what happened with the mob.
"Well, good then! With the people pacified, and not running around crazy, screaming for Dad's head, then we won't have to worry about that. The TV station to Citiesville is shut down so Ckracknow won't influence them. At least we don't have any problems, now do we? All we have to do is train until we're ready, then we could liberate Citiesville and kill Ckracknow once and for all!"
"I don't think so, Brick. The people of Citiesville didn't believe a word I said. And when I last saw the news last night, there were about 50,000 refugees here in Townsville, and from the people that I've talked to, they hate us, and they were the ones who persuaded the 2,500 Townies to march to our house. Townsville I could easily persuade, but Citiesville, no," Blossom said. "They still remember their stupid red bridge."
"Well, whatever happens, we can't let them get here. We can't flee, since outside Townsville, we're vulnerable to Ckracknow. And aside from your Professor's Lab, there isn't any other place where we can train sufficiently to overcome them," Brick said.
"Agreed," Blossom said. "But we would be in real trouble if all those fifty thousand refugees rioted. And we couldn't just beat them up."
Brick nodded.
Brick and Blossom knew that they had two problems at hand—the refugees from Citiesville, who are liable to cause unwanted trouble, and Ckracknow and his goons on Citiesville proper.
But for now, they decided to punish both Buttercup and Bubbles first for disobeying orders before doing any further training.