I can't love a bad boy, can I?

Chapter 29

"Brick. Come here." Momoko held out her pale hand for Brick, but Brick didn't move. He just stood there, his eyes locked with his counterpart. It didn't look like he was breathing. 

Momoko smiled. "It's fine. I understand. Just hear me out okay? I don't blame you for what you did. None of it. All you did was fight for what you thought was right. I know that we haven't exactly been the nicest to you guys, and I'm sorry for that. You were only trying to survive, and we stopped you from that. So I'm sorry. I also don't blame you for attacking me." 

Kaoru snapped her head to Momoko. "What? He tortured you! He hurt you! And now his blow will kill you! How can you forgive him?" 

Momoko just smiled. "Because we lied to him. We thought we couldn't trust him, and that made him angry. So he acted on that anger. It wasn't his fault. We were the one that pushed him to do this. Or, I was. By not telling him he got angry at me. So his reason to attack me wasn't wrong."

Momoko had to stop for a few moments to catch her breath before going on. "I know you didn't mean to do this Brick. It just happened. And it's okay. I forgive you." 

Brick gave up. His knees buckled as he fell down, his sword clambering to the ground. "Why?" He whispered, hands digging into the dirt. "Why would you forgive me? After everything I did to you. How can you say this isn't my fault?"

His head was swimming. He never thought he would kill Momoko. He wanted to hurt her and make her pay, but he never believed he would kill her. And now he would be the reason a person lost their life. And he wasn't even getting the blame.

Brick looked up, his tears falling down his face fast. "I wanted to hurt you. But I never wanted to kill you. How can you forgive me when you are dying right now? How can you even talk to me?"

His breathing was short, and his entire body was shaking. 

Momoko just smiled at him, her own tears running down her face as well. "Because I believe you can be better. I knew you would never kill me, and that this was just an accident, and I hope that you now at least can be with your brothers and be a better person." 

Her breathing was getting thinner, and her eyes closed soon after. The heart monitor was slowing down, the beep's getting slower and slower. Soon the beeps were almost gone. Miyako stared for a few seconds at the closing pink eyes before grabbing her face. "No no no no no. Don't do this to us. MOMOKO! NOOOO!!!" 

Her usual sweet voice was thrown away in favor for screaming and begging in a high pitch tone. Kaoru looked at Miyako for a few seconds before walking around and pulling her away. "NOO! NOO! KAORU LET ME GO!!! MOMOKO!!" Miyako trashed around, not really fighting but just moving around for the hell of it. 

"Miyako, let's go," Kaoru whispered the words slowly, not daring to look at the bearly alive body of her friend. "Come here. Boomer." She said, getting the attention of the blue ruff. "Take her. She needs you right now. I can't ..." She didn't say anything else as Boomer pulled Miyako to her chest. Butch got up as well, hugging her with both hands around her. 

Brick watched the entire thing and moved only when he saw Momoko's chest stop. "No.." He whispered. "No." He said more firmly, crawling over and putting a hand on the pale cheek of his counterpart. "Please don't die. You can't do this to me. Please." But nothing happened. He didn't really expect anything either. He pressed their foreheads together, his hands clutching the pale head with long orange hair and usually bright pink eyes.  

Ken and the Professor walked up to the group, having observed the entire thing from the side. "Brick." The Professor said. "There might still be a way to save her." Ken placed a hand on Brick's shoulder as his head snapped up. "We didn't think about it because we didn't know if you would agree to it. But it might work."

Brick looked between the two scientists, his heart-rate picking up. 

"How?" 

Ken looked at the red belt around Brick's waist. Brick grabbed it out of instinct, keeping it close to himself. 

"That belt. Momoko's power belt with Momoko's DNA. If you gave it to her she might be able to draw enough power from it to survive. And if she did that we could take care of the rest. We didn't say anything because we didn't know if you would give it up or not." 

Brick glanced down at the belt around his waist, and then up to Momoko. His mind was battling his heart. He didn't want to give up the greatest power he had ever felt, but his heart felt like it had to help her. He didn't know what to do. 

Butch looked up and watched his brother stare out into nothingness. "Brick. Please. For once in your life, do the right thing. We don't need the power to be happy." 

Boomer nodded. "Butch is right. Watch, we can do it first, and then you. Look." Boomer moved his hands down to take off the blue belt. He carefully showed his movement to Brick as he placed it back around Miyako, who sucked in deep when the belt clicked back into place. 

Butch nodded. "See Brick? It's easy." Butch did the same, snapping the belt back on Kaoru slowly so Brick could get the idea. "Now you Brick. You know it's the right thing to do. Just take it off and save her. Do it. If not for us, or for you, then for the girl who knew what we were the whole time, and still helped us. The one that gave us a job, helped us fit in at the school. Save the girl that saved you. Remember that Brick? In the woods? Momoko saved you, even though she didn't have to."

Brick snapped his head to Momoko, one hand going to his pocket to pull out the pink ribbon. He rubbed it between his fingers, his deep red eyes looking over Momoko. "Okay." He said slowly. 

With one hand still on the ribbon, he slowly tugged at the belt, the lock giving up with a 'click'. He then rose Momoko up into a sitting position, the cords to the monitors tugging along. The belt slowly slid around her waist. And with a final 'click' the belt was back around the waist of its proper owner. 

For a whole minute, they waited, Brick still holding her upright. They were about to give up when the belt glowed bright pink, Momoko's eyes snapping open and lungs filling up with air. She heaved for a good thirty seconds before collapsing backward. Brick held her tight, not letting her fall down.

Ken looked at his father. "Dad. We have to hurry." The professor nodded, and with the help of Bubbles and Buttercup, they were able to race towards the lab faster than ever before, leaving the Rowdy Ruff's to sort out their own problems. 

"So," Brick started. "I nearly killed a girl. How's that for evil?"