The Girls Are All Grown Up

Ch. 28

Thank you RainbowShinyEevee

and zoethecat158

******

''What the crap does that even mean?!" Buttercup hissed between her teeth, eyeing the red spray painted message left behind for her. It'd only been a day since she'd seen both her sister and Butch, but more messages had been showing up- following her like a target.

Violets aren't blue, Roses aren't red, what color are you?

''I hate riddles,'' Buttercup grunted, pulling her hoodie closer to her face as she walked past the large words left on the side of a building. She had abruptly left the hotel that she'd stayed in thanks to the money she bribed from Butch, and now was as good a time as any to check on her sister.

She supposed she might also want to check on Butch as well as her sister.

That didn't mean that they had to see her too. Regardless of what understanding her and Blossom had come to, certain habits couldn't disappear after being there for years to keep her alive. She just needed to see them. Nothing more.

It was the lie she'd been saying for the past week, not wanting to admit to anything else than she'd already had to.

Buttercup paused mid-step, observing the area around her. She was already two blocks from where the message had been. But there was something there- with her on the empty dark street. She could feel the hairs on her arms raise with goosebumps, unable to help shivering at the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

She wasn't alone.

She had suspected she might not be, which meant she hadn't been alone at all since coming back to the City of Townsville.

Bubbles had been right to run- and she wouldn't know just how right she was.

******

Brick sat in a chair in the corner of the room, watching Blossom straighten up the room. Regardless of how much he trusted her and wanted to believe everything she'd told him- he knew there was more. He could see it in her eyes- the haunted look that was etched into her eyes. There was something that she couldn't say.

She'd told him about the horrible night that the Girls' home was compromised. Blossom had told him how they were attacked when they least expected it- and nearly lost their lives just trying to get out of the house.

And then there'd been the fire- and the Professor wouldn't stop searching the ashes of the house until he found the remains of the girls- fake remains, but he didn't know that. He'd gone blind for a short amount of time after the fire, because he'd charged in- thinking his daughters were still inside.

The girls were being hunted by a nightmare, and they couldn't let anyone else get hurt. So running and hiding was the only option they had.

Brick believed every word of it, he and his brothers had looked into the Professor and his house's destruction many times over the years- enough to see how the dots connected and the proof of the story.

But he could see the shadows and edges in her eyes and face as she told him, and he knew that they hid more of the truth from him- because that's what Blossom did. She protected in anyway she could- if it meant she bled and died then so be it. He was positive she knew that he knew she hadn't said everything.

What was worse, was that he'd been sneaking out with Butch the past few nights to search more about the Utonium household fire. It wasn't bad that he and his brothers were still trying to find whatever they could to help the girls...but it wasn't good when they found things they weren't supposed to.

Underneath the floor in the basement that had caved in, was another smaller area. With a frayed notebook- the first half was charred from the fire but the rest was readable- hiding in the rubble.

We'd had so many prisoners, but at the end- they all escaped.

All but the most prized. It figured that they'd stay behind to make sure the others made it out safely first, I wasn't suprised. My research was flawless- much better than that of Professor Utonium's.

My vision was always more than his- and I will use his to accomplish my goal.

They'd never seen the handwriting before, but there were other passages in the notebook that were much more concerning to Brick.

They pointed to someone else- or someones- being the cause of the destruction.

''Do I have something on my face?" Blossom asked, without turning to look at him. But he could still picture the sharp look in her eyes perfectly.

''Besides a mask and false security?'' Brick asked, deciding the truth was better than lying to her. She had always appreciated honesty more. 

Only her head moved as she turned to look at him, her eyes showing her surprise but also that her guard had gone up. ''I know where you were.''

The red haired villain stood up, making his way towards her- his eyes holding her's the entire time. ''Looking through the remains of your childhood home? Yes, but do you want to know what I was looking for, pinkie?"

She grit her teeth, getting in his face, and in that moment- she looked wild with anger. And yet he could still see the fear and worry in her gaze too. ''Stop trying to dig up things that I buried a long time ago,'' she said.

He leaned closer to her as well, but spoke barely above a whisper,''Buried or burned, Blossom?"

''I'm not a hero anymore, Brick,'' she looked sad as she took a step back,''Me and my sisters are willing to do a lot of things- and have done villainous things- to keep others safe. And this is the only way to do that.''

''No it's not!'' He argued, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

''Try and stop me! It's already done,'' she waved her hands around for emphasis,''Years ago! There's nothing you could uncover- I destroyed it all.''

Her eyes turned hard as she stared up at him defiantly,''Go ahead and try.''

********

''Hello?" The blonde asked, picking up the new phone.

Silence. ''Hello?"

Just as she was about to hang up a voice responded,''Roses are stained with blood, Buttercups are ripped to pieces, and violets are next.''

********

Oh geez, I finally got another chapter out!