Allies and Rivals II
Chapter 32
New Clothes, New Weapons and Old Tricks
The City of Townsville, and it was gripped with one of the worst snowstorms in history and the coldest winter in memory.
Citiesville was particularly hard hit. Ever since Ckracknow took over, most residents of Citiesville were miserable. Most of it was because they didn't really have homes in the City—most of them just commuted from the suburbs—and because of their sole link to the mainland suburbs, the red bridge, was destroyed, and with the teens guarding the water between the island and the mainland, no successful attempts to escape were made.
All of the apartments and hotels in the city were packed to the full and more, while restaurants, office buildings, and any kind of building were converted into temporary dwellings.
The people of the city were miserable. Since the source of the electric power was a generator on the mainland connected to Citiesville by wires, and the wires were cut, there was no power at all on Citiesville except for a few buildings with generators on them. One such building was the skyscraper that Ckracknow made into his personal building. It actually was the media center of the city, with a giant TV screen where Ckracknow made announcements.
Water was cut off too, as Ckracknow's teens destroyed the main pipe bringing fresh water into the city. The people resorted to melting snow or to boil water taken from the surrounding lake to get potable water. Telephone lines were cut. However, the Citiesvillans were still able to connect to the outside world by wireless internet on laptops, cell phones, and radios on batteries. But soon, their batteries ran out without a place to recharge them.
The main problem was food. With the city cut off, in the worst winter weather, thousands starved to death. The city stocks quickly ran out. They had to resort to butchering the animals in the city zoo. Rats became a delicacy. Dogs and cats also became top of the list menu. Luckily, they were able to fish in the lake surrounding the city. But even that was too few. Fortunately, Ckracknow allowed the Red Cross and other charitable organizations to air drop food to the populace, partially relieving their situation, in exchange for giving him and his teens the most luxurious wines and the choices foods.
Chaos and disorder reigned in the city. Since the police force was decimated on the first day of the attack, there was nothing to stop armed hoodlums and criminals from looting every building and business establishment that wasn't destroyed on the first day of the attack. And the citizens themselves in a fit of panic looted all stores, from supermarkets to local vendors, taking all the food and stuff they could carry on their hands. Riots proliferated on the city as citizens formed vigilante groups to combat the looters, but who degenerated into looters themselves and fought other looters for goods and food.
The rule of law was dead, and only the strong rule. Anybody who had a gun pretty much can do anything he wants to somebody who doesn't have one.
And there was the fear. Yes, fear, fear of his fellow citizens, who might steal what they have. Nothing was safe. Fear from hoodlums, self-appointed vigilantes, rioters, criminals and such. There was fear from starvation, or from freezing to the death. But above all, there fear from the Ckracknow and the five teens, since they never knew who among them would be killed by the teens, and they knew that they would randomly pick out a citizen and kill him in front of the cameras, and they never knew if they would be next.
In short, Citiesville was wrecked.
And the blizzard plunged the city into temperatures not experienced by the city, or the state, in living memory. The temperature on the night December 18-19 dropped as low as -10ºF, not as low as on the plains 40 miles west on Townsville, where, on that night, the coldest temperature in the state for over a hundred years was recorded at negative 20ºF, but that was cold comfort to those people in the city who had to endure the bitter cold.
Most people had no heating in the buildings they occupied because the electricity and gas were cut off, and only buildings that had generators were able to generate enough heat to warm the occupants. The rest had to contend with fireplaces or super thick clothes or such. But because of the unexpected nature both of the attack and the blizzard, there was a shortage of thick clothes. Most were reduced to breaking off branches of the trees on the park and making makeshift bonfires, or getting all wood and paper and burning them inside buildings—fire outside was impossible because of the blizzard.
And the result was a disaster. About one million Citiesvillans in the center of the city died that night, most of whom just froze to death, as the buildings, without electricity, were not able to contain the heat inside. The streets were covered with six feet of snow, and many of the people who huddled in the streets were buried in the snow. Still, considering the dire situation, it was remarkable that about three million of the citizens survived that night.
There was one good news, however. The water between the city and the mainland froze solid. Many people began fleeing to the mainland by running across the thick ice. However, before many had crossed, Delta immediately put off any thoughts of crossing into the suburbs when he destroyed the ice and once again isolating the city.
When the sun rose, the temperature rose to 0ºF.
Townsville, to put it mildly, didn't suffer in comparison to Citiesville.
To be sure, about a thousand people froze during the night, but most of these were homeless drifters, people who slept in the streets, and beggars and such. They, as usual, didn't expect the cold when they slept in the streets with not so thick blankets. They froze as they slept, as the temperature drop was sudden as it was big. It dropped to -2ºF during the night, but at sunrise, rose to 5ºF.
Most of the people, about one million five hundred thousand of them, were in their comfortable homes, which was properly heated because the electricity was secure, and people had enough thick clothes in their homes.
On the morning of Dec. 19, the streets were covered with four feet of snow. However, it was quickly cleared by snow plows. It required constant work since the snowfall that morning was quite heavy. However, despite the fact that it was the coldest winter in living memory, and snow was still falling, people donned their jackets and scarves and went out—to shop for Christmas, which was only six days away—to skate in the frozen lake on Townsville park, to play in the snow, make snowmen, to clear snow on their driveways, to go to school, and to go to work, and only occasionally worry about Ckracknow attacking.
One exception was the Edwards and the Utonium family.
They were all exhausted, both from overwork, battles, and lack of sleep during the previous night. The Professor and the Doctor were kept awake by the need to provide ready hot drinks for the kids, and to prepare fresh clothes.
The kids, however, were even more exhausted. They were worn out by their continuous fight with Beta, shattered by their attacks on the chained Cychaela and her resulting counterattacks, and utterly worn out by their hours of waiting for Cychaela to freeze to death. It was lucky that the temperature got that cold, or they might have been forced to stay until sunrise to ensure that Cychaela was dead.
The doctor and the professor got up at nine and ten respectively. They went to work at the lab after drinking a cup of hot coffee and eating a heavy breakfast. Professor Utonium, since the days of Ckracknow's attack on Citiesville, had taken a leave of absence from Townsville University. He was, after all, the Dean of the University and was probably the next candidate for appointment as University President when the current president retires. Dr. Edwards, who was the head of his company, left Mr. Clark, his clerk, to run his company for him. Despite the crisis, the increase of Christmas shopping of the Townies compensated Dr. Edwards' lost of his Citiesville market, and he still pulled a huge profit.
The doctor joined the Professor in the lab, who had been working there for an hour, at about twelve noon. At about one in the afternoon, after working with the Professor, the Doctor called it a day.
"Well, that's it," the doctor commented. "We've done it!"
"Let's go and tell the kids about it! I'm sure they'll be absolutely thrilled when they find out."
"Nah. You go tell them. I'm going out," Dr. Edwards said.
"Where are you going?" asked the Professor.
"I'm going Christmas shopping for my boys. Since this goddamned Ckracktow crisis will force us to give our presents early, I decided to buy something so my boys would have something to open on their first Christmas."
"Christmas? Dammit, I forgot because of all our problems that it's only six days away! Wait for me, William, I'm going with you to find some presents for my girls," the Professor replied.
"Hurry then, I don't have all day," the Doctor said as he put on a thick frock coat, a hat, and a scarf, plus another coat over his suit on the door of the lab. "I'll wait for you at the front door."
The Professor hurriedly put on a thick coat and a hat and joined his friend.
It was about one in the afternoon, and Brick rose from his bed. He was still very sleepy, but all the hot drinks during the past night made him go to the bathroom. He then noticed he was hungry, so he went to the phone and ordered 60 boxes of pizza with everything on it.
He then went back to his room and changed from his pajamas to more regular clothes, then went down to watch TV while waiting for the pizza to arrive. Though he really wasn't watching TV. Despite his drowsiness and hunger, he was in a good mood. They had just won a great victory over Beta and Cychaela in spite of the fact that each of their opponents was far stronger and faster than each individual ruff and puff.
Brick smirked as he stared at the TV. It was because of superior strategy, tactics, and psychological warfare. Yes, it was because of his leadership, his smarts, his tactics and his training that defeated Beta and Cychaela. And he realized that they were going to win. At this rate they were going to win! Whereas before, it was only hope that sustained them in this grim struggle. Now the tide was finally turning. 'We're going to win, and all because of me,' he thought. 'And if I don't bungle, and defeat the remaining three using my brilliant tactics, then there would be no doubt of the superiority of my leadership over Blossom. Yes, Dad would be so proud, and Blossom would be ever so humbled, that I am the greatest leader, and her sisters would have no choice but to acknowledge it.'
At that moment, Blossom woke up and went to the kitchen to get some food.
"If you're looking for food, there's nothing in the kitchen. Better wait for the pizza I ordered to arrive."
The still groggy Blossom, still in her pink nightgown, ignored Brick and went to the kitchen. Finding no food, she groaned.
"See, told you," Brick teased.
"Oh shut up!" Blossom snapped. "I'm not in a good mood today."
"Why not? We have just won a great victory! Against overwhelming odds I might add! We just accomplished a grand strategic and tactical masterstroke! We have fooled a superior enemy, maneuvered them into a field of battle we have chosen, and outfought them, totally negating their advantages and maximizing ours! We have, for the first time ever, beaten then to a pulp in a fight! Now they are only three, and who among us have any doubt that we'd beat them before Christmas? Our battle yesterday would go down in history books as our most brilliant victory yet! So when you're old, wrinkley, and even uglier than you are now, you can tell your grandkids how you've beaten what was considered the unbeatable! "
"I guess you're right. I'm actually happy! I never thought we would have beaten them, but we did. Now all we need to do beat the other three!" Blossom replied.
"Hey, I know why you feel down! Because last night proved once and for all that I am a better leader than you ever are!" Brick proclaimed.
At this words, Blossom lost all her drowsiness and rose to the challenge. "No it didn't! Remember, I was largely responsible for Cychaela's defeat!"
"And how about Beta?"
"Well, you were the one responsible for Beta's defeat, but I was the one who defeated Cychaela!"
"Well, it was my concept in the first place! And you just went along for the ride! Remember, if it weren't for my plan to lure Beta in alone, you would never have made your plan to lure Cychaela too! And you just imitated my plan! And besides, even if your plan was brilliant, which by the way, it was, I approved of it, so if it wasn't for me, you'd never prove how brilliant a leader you are! So there, case close!" Then, in a totally mature manner, he stuck out his tongue at Blossom.
Blossom stuck her tongue out at her rival too before replying. "So? It's still my plan! Yes, you can share in it's glory, because you are the current leader after all, but it's still my brilliant mind that thought of it! If it hadn't been for me, then only Beta would have been defeated, not Cychaela! So there! You're still not a better leader than me!"
Brick yielded the point. "True, but if it wasn't for my plan to kill Beta, then you'd have no opportunity to execute your plan!"
At this point, Boomer woke up, and seeing Brick and Blossom, decided to ignore the two arguing leaders and watched TV. However, the two proved more entertaining than what was on TV, so he switched it off, rotated the sofa so it was facing the two, and enjoyed the show. "Go Brick," he shouted in support of his brother. And started hooting and waving! Brick and Blossom just ignored him.
"Ha! Even if you didn't tell Butch to lure Beta to that deserted plain, I'd still propose that plan to you!"
"And I wouldn't accept it. It was too much of a gamble!"
"But you did accept it!"
"Yeah, you're right," Brick admitted. "I did, and I would too! It's just too brilliant and the rewards too great! But still I'm a better leader than you!"
"In a pig's eye! Listen Brick, you're a far better leader than I thought you were, but that doesn't mean you're better than me! I am superior to you in every way imaginable!"
"That's bullsht! I am better than you! Want proof? Well, I was the one who is responsible for crushing the great riot!"
"You have a potty mouth, Brick! Anyway, it wasn't you who is responsible for it, it was Chief Grulp and the people of Townsville!"
Bubbles soon woke up. She saw Brick and Blossom arguing and saw Boomer on the couch watching them.
"What are they doing Boomie?" asked the blue puff.
"Oh, they're making enough hot-air for a balloon to go up to the stratosphere!" Boomer replied.
"Oh you're funny, Boomie," Bubbles laughed as she sat close besides Boomer. Too close.
Boomer flinched, blushed, and scooted away from her. 'I don't like the way she looks at me. She's too nice!' "Bubbles, don't get too close! You have cooties!"
Bubbles pouted angrily at Boomer.
"Nevermind," Boomer, intensely sweating, replied, "Anyway, I don't know why they're arguing—you know, Blossom and Brick! Everybody knows Brick is far better than Blossom."
"Nah! Neither is better than the other," Bubbles replied. "I think that they're both wonderful leaders, and they should be cooperating instead of fighting!"
"Give it a break! It's a good show! Go Brick, crush Blossom, yeah!"
"Well, if that's the case, then go Blossom!" Bubbles shouted.
"Wrong! I ordered Grulp to use his five thousand police to quell the riot! If I didn't drag him kicking and screaming into action, he and the entire police force would have sat on their big fat behinds and done nothing and we again would have to save the day! And as for the people, need I remind you that I was the one who gave the speech to the people that inspired them to go and beat the living hell out of the rioters?"
"Well yeah, you're right, but need I remind you that I was the one who held the Townies for us and prevented them from defecting over!" Blossom countered.
"Well I declared Martial Law on this city, suspended the writ of Habeas Corpus, banned further entry of refugees on this city! Ha, did you do those things? You never did, so I must be better!"
"Well, that because I never was given the power you had! If the city gave me the power that they gave to you, I would've done it too, and could've done it better than you, and it should've been me with the power!"
"Coulda, shoulda, woulda, the excuses of those who had no more arguments to offer!" Brick teased. "Maybe you're right. If they did, maybe you could, and would have done better than me, and maybe they should've given you that power, but the fact is, they didn't, and I had that power, so your arguments are worthless! Where's the logic? Not only have I proven that I am a better leader than you'll ever be, but I also proved that I am a better debater than you! You spin facts around you to support you faulty arguments in a web that is increasingly difficult to get out of! And to drive one final nail in the coffin of your argument, if you really are a better leader, then why'd did Ms. Bellum and the Mayor choose to give me the power while they didn't give it to you while you were the leader? Or even before we were resurrected? Logic, Blossom, logic, use it, and you so clearly would see why I am superior to you in every way!"
Blossom nearly exploded at Brick's arrogance and condescension, but decided not to lose it. 'Blossom, don't lose your temper. If you do, you'll fall for his trap and give him more ammunition to pound me.' "Okay, I concede that point, but ask yourself this? Maybe they gave it to you because they think that you need to prove yourself as leader, because they don't need to give me such a power because they know that I could do save the day without it! But let's shift the discussion! I'll concede that you have done very well in this crisis. Every decision you made since you became leader is the right one, and you deserve all the credit you received. However, my experience and performance before it outweighs your brilliance in this crisis! So in that, I'm still a better leader than you!"
"I'm waiting for your explanation on why that is so," Brick replied.
"Let's start with the first attack on Ckracknow, on how my plans defeated all those super strong monsters, on how I pulled us through it, even though our Dads were kidnapped and we thought they're dead. And yes, I remembered, you resigned as leader of the Rowdyruffs, didn't you? And made Butch and Boomer leaders, which nearly wrecked the alliance! Such a great leader indeed!"
"I think Brick's losing it," Bubbles whispered to Boomer.
"Brick don't snap!" Boomer said.
Brick was infuriated at Blossom, but kept his temper in check. She had hit a nerve.
Blossom continued. "In fairness though, you were able to snap out of it, and aside from that, you have an exemplary record as a second-in-command during that entire period. Still, that incident would alone make any claim of yours to be a better leader than me ridiculous."
Brick smiled, his temper now held in check. "Ah, so you now mention the first fight with Ckracknow, eh? Well, the fact that you let Dad and the Professor be kidnapped when you should have made more effort to protect them. That would make your argument superfluous," Brick said.
"Will you guys cut it out!" Bubbles suddenly shouted, flying between the two. "You two are like cats and dogs? You two are worst than Blossom and Buttercup!"
"Calm down Bubbles," Blossom said.
"Calm down? You two are each other's throat, and are ready to fight! You're the ones who need to calm down."
"No we're not!" Brick said. "Perhaps our debate on who is the better leader heated up, but we both aren't going to physically fight each other. No, we both know that resorting to that is a surrender of the argument to the other!"
"Yeah, we wouldn't fight each other over an argument," Blossom reassured her sister.
"But why are you insulting each other?" Bubbles asked.
"Well, she started it," Brick said, pointing at Blossom.
"No, you started it," Blossom retorted.
"No I didn't, you did, you ugly girl!" Brick shot back.
"I'm not an ugly girl, you stuck-up jerk!"
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Hey, I think the argument has dumbed down," Boomer said, "from who is the better leader to whether Blossom is ugly or not."
Bubbles could only nod.
"I demand you take back your words, William Bricker Edwards!"
"Make me, Girl," Brick smugly challenged. "And no, punching me or kicking me doesn't count!"
"Oh I will, Brick," Blossom asserted, and she suddenly tackled Brick to the ground. She then began tickling her rival, and Brick began laughing.
"Let go me, Girl! Get your hands off me you ugly girl!" Brick shouted as he tried to shove Blossom off. But Blossom was persistent.
"Not until you take back your words, you know, the part where you said I was ugly, you blind boy!"
"And lie? Never!" Brick shouted. "And I wish I was blind every time I have to see your ugly face!" he teased, then laughed. "Then I might not have been scarred for life the first time I saw your face!" He then laughed even more, more from his jokes than from Blossom's tickling. "And stop tickling me!"
This only infuriated the vain Blossom. Boomer and Bubbles were laughing, watching the two proud children fought like cats and dogs on the most trivial matters.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Boomer went to the door to see who it was. It was the pizza delivery guy, and he delivered the sixty boxes of pizza that Brick ordered on the living room.
"Hey, Brick, the pizza is here!" Boomer shouted with watering mouths.
Brick quickly shoved Blossom off him and went to the boxes of pizza, his mouth watering.
"Come back here, Brick, you still have to take back those words!"
"Later! Pizza is more important than redheaded ugly girls for me anyway," Brick remarked, eyeing the boxes of pizza, drooling at the sight of all the food.
"Do I smell pizza," Butch said as he went downstairs, still in his pajamas.
"Yup! Boomer and I will divide it twenty each while you change out of your pajamas into your regular clothes," Brick said.
"Nah. I'll eat in this," Butch replied.
"I said, and I'll make it clear, go to your room and change!" Brick said in a stern voice, making it clear that it is an order. Butch complained, but nonetheless went back to his room and changed.
"Hey, what about us? We need to eat too?" Bubbles complained.
"Okay. We each only have nineteen, boxes, while you girls would have a box each! And if you want to eat, then go upstairs and change to your dresses!"
"You can't order us to do that!" Blossom said. "That order does not have anything to do with the saving the day, so there!"
"Well, not only am I the leader of the Ruff-Puff Alliance, Blossom, but in the absence of Dad, I am the master of this house, so what I say goes! Anybody under this roof, when Dad is not around, except the Professor, is under me! And if you don't want to change, then eat something not of this house and eat outside in the snow!" Brick declared.
"Why Brick, you have no mmpphh…"
Bubbles covered Blossom's mouth and began dragging her to their room.
"Bubbles, I'm still not…" Blossom said as soon as she removed Bubbles had from her mouth.
"Blossom, he's right you know, this is his house. And I'm hungry and I don't want to starve," Bubbles whispered. "And I don't want you to fight over it."
"Well next time there is a crises, I'm going to insist that the boys stay in our house so I can be the boss over him for a change," Blossom said. "I'm sick and tired of taking orders from him!"
"If so, why do you still take orders from him?"
"Because, if I don't, then he'll have no reason to follow my orders when I become leader again!" Blossom reasoned.
"Well, you two are funny!" Bubbles said as they entered their room.
Butch, meanwhile, in his green everyday clothes, went to the kitchen, where Boomer and Brick have divided the pizza into three huge piles, nineteen boxes of pizza each, with three boxes a smaller fourth pile.
When Butch arrived, the three boys began digging in the food in a fast manner. When the girls (with a newly woken Buttercup), fully dressed, went down to join the boys, the boys already have eaten half their piles. The girls then got their boxes, and ate.
It was about three in the afternoon, and they've just finished cleaning up the kitchen…
"Well, now that we've eaten, let's get back to training," Butch suggested. "I can't wait to get stronger so we can finish off the rest of 'em!"
"Nah, let's take the day off. I mean, we deserve it after defeating Beta and Cychaela," Boomer countered. "We've been training too hard! And we also need to celebrate our victory! After all, it's our very first since Ckracknow attacked the second time!"
"Well, I don't think we should waste…"
"Guys, guys, before you get into another argument, let's ask Brick what he thinks," Bubbles interrupted.
"Well Brick?" Butch asked.
"Boomer's right. Let's take this day off, what's left of it anyway," Brick said. "But tomorrow on dawn, training will start again, and it'll be harder than usual, understand?"
The rest of them just nodded their heads.
The kids then went and took their jackets and clothes, and the kids played in the snow and skated on Dr. Edwards's frozen lake the rest of the afternoon, with the boys and girls playing separately from each other.
The next day, about ten in the morning, December 20…
The kids were again training. They were already on level 30, and were hard pressed on beating that level, when suddenly, in the midst of their training, the simulation suddenly disappeared and they accidentally punched each other.
"What the…" Buttercup said. She looked at the control panel, where the simulations and the levels were controlled, and saw the Professor and the doctor.
The kids then went to the control panel.
Brick was teed-off. "Dad, what are you doing? We were training and you…"
"Brick, shut up," Dr. Edwards snapped at his son, "and let us finish."
"Yes Dad," he merely replied.
"You see, boys and girls, the William and I decided to give your Christmas presents early!"
"What? You interrupted our training just to give just to give our presents five days early?" Buttercup started.
"Yeah! Shouldn't we wait until Christmas itself till we open our gifts?" Bubbles asked. "I mean, won't Santa be mad?"
"Well, we originally planned to give it to you not today, but on Christmas, but since the crisis, it's giving was dictated not by the holiday, but on how fast it can be given to you," Dr. Edwards said. "Okay, now, here's the first part of it."
Dr. Edwards and the Professor pointed to a six bundles of neatly folded clothing, one red, one pink, two green, and two blue. Taking a closer look, it was identical to their clothes and dresses.
"Oh please, another set of matching clothes!" Butch said. "I mean Dad, you interrupted our training to give our presents early and our presents turn out to be something we already have by the score?"
"I'm not that shallow," Dr. Edwards said, laughing. "Boys, change to those clothes, now! As fast as you can!"
"But Dad…" Boomer said.
"NOW!'" he shouted.
"Yes Dad," his three sons said, taking the clothes, going to another room, and in ten seconds changed, and went back out.
They just wore identical clothes, thought it was newer and crispier. The Professor and the doctor seemed pleased.
"Butch, Boomer, where are the caps?" the doctor asked.
"But Dad," Boomer complained. "Only Brick among us wears a cap!"
"Boomer, Butch, just do what I say. I promise you won't regret it!"
Reluctantly, Boomer and Butch wore matching blue and green caps.
All this time, the girls were either giggling, or outright laughing at the boys.
"How about us?" asked Bubbles.
"Don't worry, you'll have your turn," the Professor said.
"Okay," the Professor continued. "You six go to the training room, you hear?"
The six nodded and did as told.
Dr. Edwards then grabbed the microphone. "Boys, the girls will fight and assault you. You will just stand there and take whatever blows they give. Girls, you are permitted to kick, punch or anything, but you cannot use laser attacks, or special attacks like ice breathe, or sonic scream, or punch them and kick them in the head. Boys, you are permitted to fully retaliate if they used the said attacks. If not, then you are to receive the attacks. Boys, I know this sounds crazy, but I've never let you down before, and I never put you in a position of severe disadvantage before, nor do I intend to do so ever, so trust me. Kids, this will last five minutes. You may begin…now!"
With that, the Professor set up a five minute timer.
The girls then made a furious assault on the boys, punching, elbowing and kicking them as hard and as fast as they could. The boys immediately staggered back at the initial assault, and soon, they were up against the wall of the training room, being attacked by their counterparts. At the end of the five minutes, the girls were panting and sweating, still ready to attack.
The boys stood up, and didn't seem hurt.
"Boys, did you feel anything? Are you in pain?" asked the doctor.
"No Dad, I didn't feel a thing," Butch said. "In fact, I was pushed and shoved, but nothing in my body hurt. It was like I was being punched using pillows."
"What? That was my strongest punch, and you didn't feel anything! Baloney! You are bluffing," Buttercup said.
"No really, I also didn't feel a thing. At least those things that you feel when somebody punches you or kicks you," Brick added.
"Yeah, I wasn't hurt at all. It seems that we were wearing some kind of armor!" Boomer remarked.
"That can't be right, we're both on level 30, how can you be stronger than us?" Blossom said.
"Well, that proves that we boys are better than you girls!" Butch shouted. "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"You're wrong, Butch," the Professor said by the mike. "The reason why those attacks of the girls were useless is because of your new clothes. Come up here to the control panel and we'll explain further."
The kids then went to where the doctor and professor were.
"You see, kids," the Doctor began, "I've been working on a kind of armor or protection for you kids ever since you boys were born, to give them an advantage over stronger opponents. Now, my chance came when I got hold of that monster hide. As you very well know, I was able make rope from fibers of the monster that can hold you, which I know very well you are fond on using on each other. But rope and clothes are different, and I was unable to find a solution to make materials out of that hide other than rope and a duranium cutter and cutter for that metal until I have found out the secrets of the metal. By the way, we already have a name for the metal. Its official name is Utonium, after the Professor, but to avoid confusion, we nicknamed it Hardetal, from Hard Metal. Not very original, huh?"
"The big break came when I was able to acquire the data from Ckraczow's research after our rescue from that island. Using the data, I was able to at last unlock the secrets of Hardetal last November. And using that information, I was able to make a fine thread that could be fashioned to feel like any kind of garment, whether linen or cotton or silk or rayon, yet just as hard and as tough as the original metal itself. Using scissors and needles made from Hardetal, with the help of Sandra Keane, the Professor and I were able make these clothes. At the surface, it's just like any other outfit, but in reality, it's made from the toughest materials in the world."
"Now, the clothes work like this. The armor only works against powerful and high-pressured attacks. For example, any punch or kick that could hurt you would be blunted, as any duranium object. If for example, I stabbed you with a duranium knife with you wearing that, the knife would snap as it cannot break the hardetal thread. However, if I pinch you, tickle you, or poke you with my finger, you would definitely feel it, as the force and pressure isn't high enough to trigger its armor."
"And girls," the Professor said, "your armored clothes are there," pointing to the remaining sets of folded dresses and white stockings. "Now go and put them on."
"Well, you could at least have made those dresses on a different style!" Buttercup complained.
"Well, I'm a scientist, not a fashion designer," the Professor said.
The girls then changed into their armored clothes, looking and feeling no different from their regular dresses, other than the baseball caps with matching colors. Blossom's cap, or course, had a rectangular hole to accommodate her enormous bow. And her bow of course was made of the same hardetal thread.
"Well, I hope you like your Christmas presents," the doctor said.
"It's awesome! Now we can defeat those teens more easily!" Brick said with enthusiasm.
"This is super cool!" Bubbles said.
"Now, I want you to train like before, but use those clothes, okay?" the Professor advised.
The kids then went to the training room, and they trained like before. Of course, the simulations of level 30 were just as tough, and they found out that they were still vulnerable, like before, to laser attacks, but on close hand to hand fighting, they were invincible, as long they were not hit on the head.
Two hours later, they ate lunch, discussed the new clothes, and went back to the control panel.
"Now, I'm going to show you the second part of your presents," the Professor said, and he presented six pieces of large black handkerchiefs, so large that they are even larger than the faces of each ruff and puff. "This handkerchiefs were made same materials as the clothes you're now wearing, and it has many uses."
"And I'll demonstrate one of it. Boys, come here," the doctor said.
The three boys nervously went forward. Dr. Edwards then folded three handkerchiefs into a triangle, and tied the ends around the boys head, covering their face from below the eyes, just like cowboys of the Old West.
"Girls, could you punch the boys on the face on the handkerchiefs as hard as you can," the doctor said.
The girls did so, and the boys staggered back. But like before, they didn't hurt the boys at all.
"You can use this as protection for the face when fighting. Now there is another function you can with this. Boys…"
"Um, could you please make use the girls as guinea pigs? It's only fair," Boomer complained.
"Okay," the Professor said. "Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, come forward now."
The girls did as told.
"Now," the doctor said, "turn around and put your hands behind your back."
The girls did so. The doctor then used the handkerchiefs to tie the girls' hands tightly behind their backs.
"Now, try to get free," the Professor ordered.
The girls tried, but to their surprise, it held. "This is just as tough as rope," Blossom said. "I can't get free."
"Yup, you can also use this to restrain superpowerful prisoners when you don't have the special rope or the duranium cuffs!"
"Yup! Now, on to our third sets of presents!" the doctor said. "Boomer, Butch, untie the girls and we'll wait for you on the living room."
Boomer and Butch nodded. Brick and the two men then left the control panel of the training lab.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Blossom demanded. "Untie us!"
"Okay, okay," Boomer said, but as he was about to do so, he was tapped by Butch. Boomer looked at his brother and he had a mischievous smirk on his face. At once, Boomer knew what Butch was up to, and both got mischievous expressions on their faces and snickered. Boomer only nodded. Butch then left the room.
The girls became worried, but it was all allayed when Boomer went to try to untie them. But he got stalled when it seemed not to be able to undo the knots.
"Damn knots are too complicated," Boomer complained.
Butch then got back carrying several lengths of rope, pieces of cloth, a roll of duct tape, three anti-gravity belts, three anti-laser goggles.
The girls saw it and knew what the boys were up to—it was a game they played before and knew too well. Before they could do anything, Butch tossed the materials to Boomer, and in less than ten seconds, he gagged the girls by stuffing the cloth in their mouths, duct taped their mouths to prevent them from spitting it out, tied their feet with the rope, and strapped then with the anti-gravity belts and the anti-laser goggles. The girls' hands were already tied behind them so they couldn't resist.
"Consider this a test of that handkerchief, to see if it can really hold you!" Butch laughed.
After that, they high-fived each other, congratulating each other on a job well done. Boomer then picked up Bubbles and Blossom, while Butch picked up Buttercup, and they carried them to the girls' room. They put Buttercup and Bubbles on the bed, tied them together back to back, while they tied Blossom to her favorite chair, the one they knew Blossom would die before seeing it break. The girls during this time were squirming and wiggling, and tried to shout, but it was of no use. After that, the boys went to their respective rooms, put on their respective thick coats and jackets, scarves and hats, and went to the living room downstairs, where the Professor and Dr. Edwards and Brick were waiting.
"Well, where are the girls?" asked the Professor.
"Well, Blossom remembered something that she and the girls absolutely must do today, and they are right now very busy doing it. They're now too tied-up by their work that they can't join us," Butch lied.
To his and Boomer's surprise, the Professor bought it. "Oh well, it's their lost. If it's really that important, then I can't disturb whatever it is their doing now can I?" the Professor remarked. "You boys will just have to tell them about it when it's all over."
"What? For all they know, this is something very very important, and they say they can't come?" Brick, who had no idea of what his brothers did, ranted. "Bull!"
"Now Brick, I'm sure that whatever it is they're doing is very important for them to miss this," Dr. Edwards said.
"Yes Dad," they said.
"Okay, let's go," the doctor said. Brick was suspicious of his brothers. He was concerned that the girls missing this would be a setback on their training, but he dismissed his misgivings.
They went to the car, and Dr. Edwards drove them to the headquarters of Edtech Corp. in the middle of Townsville. The building itself was partially damaged by the Great Townsville Riot, but it wasn't too damaged. They were greeted by his employees, chatted for a minute with Mr. Clark about the state of his business. They then went to the roof of the skyscraper where there was a helicopter parked. They went in and Dr. Edwards flew them towards a deserted land north of Townsville.
The land was composed of several deserted hills. The ground was covered with snow, and the sky was overcast, but it was not snowing.
"These, my sons, are hills made almost entirely of solid rock! This will be the ideal place to test the Professor's new invention—our third present!"
The professor took a bag from the chopper, and took three cases of sunglasses from it. He gave it to each of the boys.
"Now, those devices that I invented, I named the William Edwards Super Shades, in honor of the doctor, but we just call it the super shades. I got this idea when Bubbles one time needed glasses, and when she used her laser attack, it was magnified many times over. Now, if you look at the rim of the shades, you'll see a tiny lever and five numbers on a scale. Use the levers to adjust the power of your laser eyes," the Professor explained. "If you put the lever to number two for example, it would give a laser beam twice as large and as powerful as your current laser eye beam."
"For example, boys, your current level is thirty, right? Well, level 1 on your shades is your normal power. Now, if you put the lever on two, the power of your laser-eye beams would be as if you already reached level 60. If you put the lever on three, it would be as if you reached level 90, at lever four level 120, and level 5 would be as if you reached level 150," the Dr. Edwards explained. "Now, go out and try each lever and see how strong your lasers really are when using this device.
The boys then wore the shades in their eyes.
"Boomer, Butch, put your shades on and adjust to lever two," Brick ordered, "and make one shot at those hills!"
They did, and a large part of the rock-solid rock was chipped away.
"Set it to lever three, and at full power, shoot the hill to the left!"
They did, and half of the hill was blown away.
"Set it to four, boys, and at full power, attack the hill on the right!"
They did, and the entire hill, plus two hills besides it, was utterly destroyed, with lots of debris falling all around.
"Set it to five, and we'll see how powerful our lasers with these shades really are! Shoot those hills over there, at our extreme right!"
They did, and six hills were totally incinerated, with nothing as much as a single dust surviving from those hills. And a large crater, about a hundred feet deep, was formed where once the rocky hills were.
"Whoa! That is powerful! I can't remember me ever seeing such power!" the Professor remarked.
Dr. Edwards could only nod as he gawked at the enormous destruction caused by the laser-eyes magnified by the shades five times. "I never knew you were so powerful!"
Even the boys were thoroughly shocked at the amount of power that was brought about by the shades. It was powerful beyond their wildest imagination.
"I'm starting to feel sorry for Ckracknow and his teens. They'll utterly be crisp, no, they're just be molecules in the air when we're done with them," Boomer said.
"I'm not so sure. Sure, our firepower is huge, but we still don't know how powerful our enemies really are. We just got lucky with Beta and Cychaela. For all we know, those two are the weakest among the five. And we don't know if they're also training, like us, and making themselves more powerful. Plus, Ckracknow is just a good a scientist as our Dad, and he might also have developed some new technology that might give them an edge. So we can't really be overconfident. It's best that we remain cautious," Brick advised.
"And to top it off," Prof Utonium said, "this shades can also be used when the sunball is activated!"
Dr Edwards and the Professor wore their own shades, and the doctor activated the sunball. There was a bright white light, but to all present, it was just like a bright noon day.
After that, they all went home. They were away for a total of two hours.
Dr. Edwards and the Professor immediately went to their labs to work, while Butch and Brick stayed to watch TV. Boomer went to the girls' room.
The girls were still tied up. Blossom was still in her chair, occasionally squirming but generally was not going anywhere. Buttercup was asleep, while Bubbles was still awake, staring at the window.
Boomer quickly untied Bubbles' hands and quickly joined his brothers before the girls could fully untie themselves and face their wrath alone.
Ten minutes later, the girls went down, angry and teed-off at Boomer and Butch.
"I'm giving you thirty seconds to explain what it is that's so important that you have to miss the meeting with Dad and the Professor? Do you know how much you've missed?" Brick demanded of the girls.
"Well, your brothers didn't untie us," Blossom snapped. "Instead, they tied-our feet, gagged us, and left us on our room! Now we can't join you if we're tied-up, now can we? Now, I demand you either punish them or let us have our revenge!"
"Or we'll tell the Professor!" Bubbles threatened.
"Is that true?" Brick asked, facing his brothers.
"Yup! Hey come on, it was just a prank!" Boomer whined.
"And it's not like you haven't been tied-up by us before," Butch added. "And you didn't complain too much before."
"Are you guys idiots?" Brick shouted to his brothers in front of the girls. "Yes, they are just pranks, and I know you're only playing, but do you have to lie to me and to Dad? And besides, what we did this afternoon on those hills is part of our training! You could have done this yesterday afternoon when we were doing nothing important! You've seriously set back our schedule! Did you know that? So as punishment, you would go back to the hills with the girls and teach them how to use the super shades! And I want them to be experts on it, understand? And I want you to tell them what the Professor and Dr. Edwards told us!"
"But…" Butch protested.
"But nothing! Do it, or there will be hell to pay!" Brick shouted, clearly showing his anger, and frightening his brothers by the look of his eyes
He then turned to the girls.
"Hey, that punishment is too light," Buttercup complained.
Brick got three cases of sunglasses "Well, first of all, I would want you to take this. These shades are the third part of gadgets that our Dads gave us this day. You three will go with my brothers to a plain with rocky hills north of Townsville and they will teach you how these gadgets work. Now, about the punishment. The prank my brothers did, compared to what Buttercup and Bubbles attempted when you tried to rescue the people of Citiesville, did not endanger any lives nor did it nearly cause the weakening of our team. It was only a prank, and a harmless one at that, one designed to piss you off and nothing else, and which you yourselves have done to us in the past. So the punishment that I've given them is commensurate to the mildness of the consequences of their actions. As for your revenge, I won't stop you, but neither will I help you. And if you do it, it must not interfere with our training or cause delay of our plans, or I'll punish you three even harder. Understand?"
"Yes Brick," the remaining five said.
"Now, go!" he shouted.
At once, the Butch, Bubbles, Blossom, Buttercup, Boomer flew out towards the rocky hills where the boys thought the girls the uses of the super shades while Brick relaxed in the couch and watched TV.
Two hours later…
The five kids arrived home after the boys finished teaching the girls how to use the super shades. Brick was at the door, and he immediately yanked Blossom by the arm, and pulled her to a room adjacent to the living room.
"What now, Brick?" an annoyed Blossom asked.
Brick gave her a folder.
"What's this?"
"Oh, it's my plan for our next course of action against the remaining three. I made it last night when I have nothing better to do, and I think it's perfect, but I want you to read it very carefully and tell me its flaws, how can it be improved, in short, critique it. Meet me here at the training lab tonight after all the others are sleep, and we'll finalize our plans on taking the remaining three out."
"Okay," Blossom said as she began skimming the contents of the folder.