Author: Sorry for the wait. Thank you for your reviews.

"Operation what?" Butch asked out of boisterous curiosity. Buttercup looked over at her commander excitingly. The other four just watched and waited for him to explain.

"Operation: Take Back." Mickey re-stated calmly. "We have finally became strong enough to defeat Him's power over the city and the rest of the states. As Blossom was ordered earlier in the month to do so, There are informants that have kept me notified on his actions in Europe." He explained. "The rulers of England have already told me they are willing to help. We also have Italy and France on our side a well."

"So what's stopped you?" Brick asked, keeping his arms around Blossom. "If you've had this power than why haven't you started already?" Mickey gave him a wry smile.

"You." He answered.

"Us?" Boomer chimed in. Mickey nodded. "Why us?"

"Simple. Too simple. At the time I made these arrangements, you boys were ticking time bombs. You may have not been angry at us, but Him would only have to bring up the girls', so-called deaths, and you would have released your wrath on us. We would have no way to calm you, even if we tried to explain that the girls were indeed alive. The girls, themselves, had no idea on who they were, so it would've ended in total destruction on our part." He stated. The boys nodded, completely understanding. Their arms tighten around their counterparts at the mentions of their deaths.

"Um?" Bubbles spoke up timidly. All eyes locked on her. "How exactly did we die?" She asked. Blossom and Buttercup looked to their Commander and back to their lovers.

"Yes. I've wondered that myself." Blossom said, looking into Brick's eyes. The Rubies darkened at the memory.

"Him tricked us." Butch spat bitterly. "He told us that we didn't need to worry anymore. That we could love you girls freely. He said that he and Mojo had talked it over."

"He was lying." Boomer told sadly. "That day we went shopping for our suits and dresses for the dance..."

"Can I please get a tux instead of a dress?" Buttercup whined. Blossom rolled her eyes at her sister's antics. Bubbles just giggled as she towed Boomer away so they could shop alone. "I'm telling you, I will be a better dancer in a tux. I won't feel as...naked wearing one." She tried to reason with her bull-headed date. Butch stuck his tongue out at the thought.

"Nope." He said popping the P, making Buttercup frowned. "I want you to be a girl. My girl." He said huskily in her ear. At this Blossom laughed. Brick also laughed shaking his head. Buttercup blushed and pushed him away.

"This does not mean that I'm your girl. We are just going to this stupid school dance." Buttercup said stubbornly. Butch smiled and swooped her up. Buttercup gasped in shock, causing people to start looking.

"Oh but, Butters, the truth is, you're already my girl. You have been since I first laid my eyes on you and you will be until we take our last breaths." Butch said kissing her deeply.

"HOW CUTE!" Girls shouted as they watched the scene before them.

"We better go." Brick said leading Blossom off. "Buttercup is going to explode and I don't feel like being in cross fire."

"You're right." Blossom chuckled as they left.

"Butch." Buttercup mumbled as Butch put her down. She was looking down at her sneakers, her bangs covering her eye. Her fists were clenched to her did not know this and leaned in,humming out a 'What'. Buttercup looked up at him with lime green flames dancing in her eyes, Fire was radiating off her body as she seethed. Butch's eyes widen as he saw his near-coming doom. He tried to make a run for it but Buttercup gripped onto his shirt."I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She yelled in her famous war-cry.

In another store not to far off, Bubbles and Boomer were looking around. Both of them looked to the entrance as they heard Buttercup's yell. Bubbles sweat-dropped and Boomer laughed. Bubbles continued looking through the racks of dresses. Her tongue was sticking out and rested on the corner of her lips as she thought of herself in any of these dresses. Boomer watched her. He sighed dreamily, imagining the perfect night they were going to have.

"Hello? Do you need any help looking?" A small brunette asked out to Boomer. Boomer looked back and faced her. She only came up to his chest, but she had curves to show she was not a little kid. Her green eyes held an immense amount of lust as she looked him up and down. Boomer, being only 13 and already in love with Bubbles, didn't notice. He looked over at Bubbles and called out.

"Hey, Bubbs? Do you need any help with finding a dress?" Bubbles looked over the rack and saw the girl looking at her annoyed. Bubbles didn't like the tension that she was letting off and kindly dismissed, but kept her eyes on her as she talked to Boomer. Boomer smiled down at the girl. "It looks like we're just fine. Thanks, though." He then put his attention back on Bubbles. The girls huffed and tried a different approach.

"Are you two siblings?" She asked, hopeful that they weren't a couple. Boomer shook his head.

"No. She's my best friend." This made the girl smile, but it quickly fell when Boomer whispered: "Hopefully we'll be more after the dance. That'd be the best thing that would ever happen to me." The girl glared over at Bubbles, who was staring curiously at the two, wondering what he whispered. She turned back to Boomer and placed her hand on his stomach. Boomer looked down at her shocked.

"Don't bother with her. I can make you feel like a real man." She stated, seductively. Boomer looked at her confused. He was then torn away abruptly by Bubbles. Bubbles gave the girl a menacing look that made her flinch.

"Come on, Boomie." Bubbles sneered. "I don't like the dresses here." She dragged him out of the store and quickly passed by a Bruised Butch and a proud Buttercup.

"Woah, Bubbles. Why so mad?" Boomer looked at Bubbles in concern when he realized Buttercup was right. Bubbles was mad, and he didn't know if it was his fault.

"I just don't like people trying to take what's mine, that's all." She answered simply. The other three looked at her confused.

"Who tried to steal from you? When? Was it when That girl was talking to me?" Boomer asked. Butch and Buttercup smirked now knowing that Bubbles meant. Boomer. Bubbles shook her head and smiled up at him.

"It's nothing, let's go find Brick and Blossom." At that moment The reds had just exited out of the store they had began at. Blossom was carrying what they guessed was her dress in a cover-up. Brick had a white tux with a red tie. "OOH! I want to see it!" Bubbles shouted trying to peak in the cover up. Blossom snatched it away, laughing.

"Not until the dance." She said.

"Really? A white tux?" Butch laughed. Brick just smirked at him.

"Really? Another black eye?" Brick mocked. Butch pouted and Buttercup laughed.

"they had some really pretty dresses in there, Bubbles." Blossom stated. "Do you want to check them out?" Bubbles nodded her head excitingly.

By three-thirty, they had all picked out something to wear. Blossom and Bubbles were excited, Buttercup just muttered out things here and there. The boys just followed the girls out of the mall.

"I'm starving!" Buttercup finally yelled. Butch smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go to the Volcano and grab some grub." Butch suggested.

"Are you sure Mojo wouldn't mind?" Bubbles asked, Boomer nodded and grabbed her hand.

"Him said that he and Mojo talked about us being friends and they accepted it." Boomer told them. The girls smiled and agreed. They all took off in the sky, heading to the volcano. When they got to the top, the boys opened the door. Mojo smiled at them as they entered the house, but it quickly fell as the girls entered.

"What are they doing here?" Mojo yelled. The girls' flinched.

"Chill, they just wanted something to eat. We'll leave after, okay?" Brick said, grabbing Blossom's hand and leading to her to the kitchen.

"No! I will not 'chill'! How dare you bring the enemy in our home!" This made them freeze.

"Enemies? But I thought you said it was okay for us to be friends?" Boomer asked.

"I said no such thing!" Mojo screamed. Then a pink haze started to fill the room. The girl's clutched their heads and screamed as an agonizing pain coursed through them. The boys tried to help them, but were blown away. "Him, What is the meaning of this?" Mojo asked. Him touched down to the floor and smiled evilly at the girls.

"Just finishing a project of mine." he said in a sickly sweet voice. He twisted his claws and the girls' screams were louder.

"Stop!" Boomer screamed, tears coming down his face.

"Him, you bastard!" Butch yelled, his eyes were on Buttercup. Brick struggled against Him's power to get to Blossom. Him looked towards the boys and smirked. The girls screamed and screamed, but there was nothing that they can do.

"Him! Stop this Nonsense!" Mojo yelled. Him looked at his friend in shocked.

"But Mojo, this is what we wanted." Mojo looked to the girls and back to his boys. tears were in the Ruff's eyes as they watched their counterparts. Mojo gave Him a stern look.

"No! I never wanted them to go through this pain. I just wanted them to bow to me. I've never wanted them dead! Release them from this pain!" Mojo screamed. Him frowned. He had not expected this reaction. He looked to the boys, who couldn't do anything else but to watch. Him's blood began to boil. How dare the girls have such power over his sons. After they were dead, The Ruffs would be perfectly fine. He was sure.

"Fine. I'll end their pain." Him whispered with a brutal intensity. He twisted his claw sharply to the right. That moment the girls stopped screaming, falling limp. The girls laid there. Motionless.

Mojo stared in disbelief. He ran to them quickly checking their pulse. It was faint, but still there. He looked to Him, who smiled wickedly. There was no way he would tell him that, though. He looked to the boys. They were clawing at an invisible force, screaming.

Him chuckled. This was exactly how it was supposed to be. Clapping his claws together. The girls disappeared from in front of Mojo. The boys were now released from the force, running to where the girls used to be.

"Now that that's over with. The fun may now begin."

"Oh my god." Bubbles whispered. Boomer tightened his grip around her, never wanting to let go. He nuzzled the top of her head. Tears began to pool from his eyes at such the horror of the image.

Buttercup's eyes were wide. She looked to Butch, who kept his eyes down. She put her hand on his forehead, bringing his eyes to hers. Pain. Lost. Sorrow. This was not Butch's eyes. These eyes belonged to a broken man. Butch pulled her to him. She cradled his head, kissing his temple.

Brick tried to keep his calm. He tried to stay stoic. But with one touch of Blossom's hand to his cheek, made him fall to his knees. All the tears that he had never cried, came pouring out. Blossom bent down. She took a hold of his head and put it in the crook of her neck. Brick gripped her like vipers. He needed to know she wasn't fake. That this was his only love in his arms.

Mickey turned away. He didn't like the story that led the girls to his possession. It was too cold. To heartbreaking. That was why Him needed to be destroyed. That wouldn't happen, However, if they could not get Professor Utonium back. Mojo was already waiting to help. The Mayor and Miss Bellum also stood with them. He was certain they would win. They had too.

"Buttercup," Butch whispered. The girl hummed in question. "I will never let you down again. I swear on my life. I don't think I could bare losing you again." Buttercup hushed him. She didn't want to hear the words of such weakness. Butch was strong and confident, not meek. She knew he would never let her disappear again.

A loud knocking came from the iron doors, making all seven people jump. Mickey walked to it and pressed in a code to make it slide open. It was a young scientists that worked in the department right outside the doors. He looked as if he ran a great distance to the door.

"I have a note for the Ruffs." He panted out. Boomer reached forward, being the closet one to him. He flipped open the note. His dark blue eyes became wide. Bubbles tried to stretch and see what it was, but failed. Everyone else stared in curiosity. Boomer finally looked up from the note to his brothers.

"Well what's it say?" Brick asked, sniffling.

"Congratulations, Ruffs. You have found my daughters. I knew you could do it. Now, I will come back. Meet me downstairs. I'm eager to see my girls so please do hurry. From The Professor."

Author: Oh My God! I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible author. I've been so busy. God! I hate authors that take so long to update their stories.