Surprise! I got Serpentine out before GM. Someone asked for Butch and I decided to include the brutal dude and give you all a look into his thoughts. Also, we get a glimpse into what "Cobra" is secretly working on.

VII

The car rumbled along while Butch stared outside from the back seat. Summer was in full swing here, with the wind blowing hot air onto the unsuspecting populace. Butch growled, he hated this heatwave. It was the kind of heat that made it uncomfortable to breathe, like your lungs were sweating. It was the kind of heat that made you wish you were in the Ice Age.

It was the kind of heat that made Butch more irritable than usual.

He increased the A/C, but it did little to cool him. Probably because he was forced to wear a suit for this meeting. He hated meetings and suits, but this was his job. Brick handled the political side of things, Boomer took care of security department, and Butch dealt in the military aspect.

Unfortunately, that meant dressing up.

"How much farther are we?"

"Another fifteen minutes, Sir," his driver responded immediately. Everyone knew Butch and one hundred and four degrees did not mix well. Butch leaned back as he took out his phone and reread the text message Brick had sent him.

I was right. Ai Hanazawa is Blossom. Didn't go very well. I'm going to try again Friday.

Butch knew what that meant. Blossom never left her sisters far behind. She was fiercely protective of them, she'd even gone as far as threatening to torture him until he lost all mental strength if he hurt Buttercup.

He wondered if that threat still stood... knowing Blossom, probably.

Butch wasn't like Boomer or Brick. For all their agony, the two were hopeful.

Bubbles was a gentle soul, always had been. She'd been one of the first to truly believe that they had changed. She would often greet them with a bright smile and include them as soon as she saw them. Bubbles forgave so quickly, the boys had to scare off anyone who abused it. Boomer was probably hoping that her forgiveness extended to this. Perhaps if he talked to her, got on his knees and begged, Bubbles would forgive him again.

Blossom was a bit harder. She was willing to trust them before, after they had proven their worth. She gave second chances, that was it. Brick never broke her trust before, so he was probably going to plead for a second chance.

Butch had no such delusions. He knew his chances at getting Buttercup back where slim. He expected disappointment. Butch was prepared to watch his brothers get their happy endings while he was left in the cold. Because Buttercup did not give second chances, she did not allow redos, and she did not suffer fools.

Butch showed her that he was a fool. Probably one of the biggest. He was the first of them to win his girl. They had been together for four years when Mojo's coupe started. They had discussed plans for the future. They had talked about what they really wanted out of life. Hell, they even talked about kids.

And he messed up.

Butch let his own insecurities blind him. He let his guard down and it cost him more than he ever thought.

He was a fool, the biggest fool of all.

These thoughts brought back bad memories. He could remember her eyes, clear as day. Giant jade pools filled with horror, heart break, and betrayal. They were filled with anger and confusion...tears.

But there was something he remembered, when he thought of that look she gave him. Something that made him continue to search for her.

There had been a slight pleading look there too...like she was begging him to stop. It was like she was telling him that it wasn't too late, that he could fix it.

She left before he could fix it.

The car rolled to a stop, he stepped out into the sun where his base was situated. Within, Butch would lead a meeting about what countermeasures to take to prevent another attack like the one in Thailand.

Butch was a fool, he would always say that. But maybe he wasn't too foolish to believe that she could come home.

Butch straightened his jacket and checked his breath to make sure the smell of Jack Daniels was gone. His advisors already hounded him about his alcohol addiction, he didn't need his generals doing the same thing. Satisfied with his breath, Butch walked up to the building. Once he got to the meeting room, the green ruff began immediately.

"Alright, gentlemen. Tell me, how the f-" beep-"did they find out about this base?"

The lab hummed as radiators crackled with energy, buzzing incessently. She was the head scientist here, a part of an elite group that worked directly beneath Cobra. She hadn't seen the real world in months.

Her orders came late one night, when two of Cobra's underlings pounded on her door, stuffed her head in a black cloth sack, and shoved her in some sort of vehicle.

She currently one of the few people to have spoken to Cobra 'face to face' and come out unscathed.

"I'm placing you on a special mission, one that is strictly need to know. Your employment has been notified of your resignation and I've alerted your landlord that you'll be out of town of business for some time. Rest assured, your rent will be taken care of. This project will undoubtedly change the tide of this war between us and the Empire, so i expect full cooperation. Am I clear, Agathea Reynolds?"

"Crystal."

Now Dr. Agathea Reynolds, AKA Femme Fetale, was stuck here in the middle of the Congo, performing experiments that one would be hard pressed to call...ethical.

She stood, clad in a white lab jacket and black shirt with matching pants and thigh length high heeled boots, watching behind a plexiglass window. The man in the containment room had been injected with a toxic mixture of chemicals, including King Cobra venom.

Watching in irritation as the man convulsed and foamed at the mouth before flatlining, Femme Fetale growled and checked the concoction off her list. Cobra had been supplying her with an endless amount of possible chemical cocktails to try on a similarly unending supply of test subjects but each one had failed.

Of course, Femme Fatale knew what Cobra wanted, but how to get it was proving difficult.

After all, mass alteration of human DNA was no easy feat. Especially when it is not supposed to happen right away.

Femme Fetale turned to her assistant, a lowly man who honestly took up unnecessary time more than he helped her. "Cross out Formula no. 379 and get the next formula ready."

"Ma'am, you've been at this for three days. I have to insist that you get some rest."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Mica! I gave you an order." The man slumped away like the dog he was as one of the scientists walked up to her.

"Cobra is waiting for you." Great. She forgot that she was expected to give a report. Femme Fetale sighed, she needed coffee...preferably Hazelnut.

As she walked to her office, she reflectex back to when she was considered a villian, a bad guy. Not much had changed, she guessed, since she was still causing pain and havoc (most of her test subjects were male).

But, instead of stealing Suzanne B. Anthony coins and terrorizing the male populace, she was stealing life and terrorizing her assistants. And all to take down a regime run by three stupid men who only got it by tricking three goody-goody girls who should have seen it coming.

Andrea wondered how the Powerpuff Girls were now. Did they finally see that she was right, that men could not be trusted? They say they love you, that they need you, that they'd do anything for you...then they stab you in the back and walk all over you.

She hoped those girls get to see her crush the Rowdyruff Boys' reign. They deserve that much, at least.

Andrea entered her office, dark and humid like the rest of this stupid lab. Cobra couldn't arrange for A/C here because this lab is supposed to be so off the books that it's not even in the same library. She sat at her desk, the chipped mahogany was like an old friend from how many times she'd fallen asleep here.

The screen in front of her was large, broadcasting information from the outside world, and allowing her access to the deep web, the Rebellion's main communication line. She opened the request and the screen fizzed in and out, revealing a darkly lit room.

On the other side sat a figure dressed totally in black. The cloak they wore reminded Femme Fetale of Assassin's Creed or something. She could barely make out any discerning features, but she could tell that the figure was slender...feminine.

Made sense to her. After all, only a woman could run such a large scale organization so precisely.

The figure was sitting in a large, leather chair with a glass desk in front of them. They sat in silence before speaking with that gravely voice that was bordelining on a hiss.

"*Femme Fetale...I would ask how your mission is going, but given the facts that you have neglected to send in progress reports and that you look like you haven't slept in the last seventy-two hours, I believe I already know.*" Femme Fetale stood and bowed.

"*I apologize, Cobra. These past few months, we have created and tested three hundred and seventy-nine formulas. All has failed so far.*"

"*I see...*" Cobra hummed, their slender hand thrumming on their desk, "*what do you think needs to be done?*"

"*...Sir...?*"

"*What should be done, Femme Fetale? We have a deadline that cannot be missed.*" Femme Fetale gulped and thought hard. If she answered wrong, she would be "replaced". Currently, she was the sixth head scientist to work here.

But really, creating a serum to alter human DNA, but only when activated intentionally? How was that even possible? Was Cobra on drugs or...wait...

She looked up, "perhaps if I was able to make a formula with a similar base to that of both steriods and opiods, I'd be able to genetically alter someone's DNA. The main issue remaining would be engineering the medication to only affect the individual at a specific time and ensuring that the chemicals wouldn't affect them before than.*"

Cobra hummed again, "*leave that to me, I already have a new plan for that. I expect results from our new approach soon. Understood?*"

Femme Fetale bowed again, "*Yes, Cobra.*"

"*Oh, and Femme Fetale?*"

"*Yes?*"

"*Take the next forty-eight hours off. I can't have you making mistakes due to sleep depravation.*" She blinked and nodded. Cobra was right, she'd set her progress back if she made errors due to lack of sleep.

"*Yes, Sir.*" The screen terminated, returning to her usual monitor and Femme Fetale sank onto her chair, thinking about what she now had to do. She had to create a serum formula that mimicked the effects of steriods and opiods in a certain way, only the effects had to be almost instaneous.

Cobra was right. She really would need a nap before all this.

In all honesty, her place screamed Blossom. It was classy, elegant, and smart. It was situated in the outskirts of Tokyo, where the wealthy, influential, and modern made their nests. It was a two story, modern style condo with white walls and ceiling to floor glass windows. The front had vibrant, fresh cut grass with replicas of Grecian statues spotted throughout and finely trimmed potted trees and hedges. Her car, a white 2015 Kia Cadenza Premium with custom interior and dark tinted windows, sat parked in the front. The windows to her house were tinted too, blocking the view from the outside.

Brick parked his black Scaldarsi Emperor I in park and took a deep breath. Everything was riding on tonight. If things didn't go smoothly, then his life would be so much harder.

You can do this, he thought to himself, your job is making sure this world runs like clock work. You can win back your ex. He reached over and grabbed the bouquet of flowers he brought, straightened his jacket, and got out. He walked up the steps, each one making his heart beat harder. Brick stood at the door, shook his shoulders, and rang the doorbell.

Fifteen seconds later, the door opened. Brick's eyes grew wide. Blossom stood in front of him, wearing a black dress that fit her like a second skin. It ended halfway down her thighs, showing off her hips. The bottom bunched up on the sides, showing off even more leg. She also had a sweetheart neckline, with thick black straps wrapping around her neck and over her shoulders. She had also curled her hair until it fell in ringlets over her shoulder. She topped it off with natural styled make up and black Louis Vuitton stilettos with red soles. Brick's mouth nearly dropped, but he composed himself. "Hmm," she checked her watch, "six fifty... you're early."

"Well," he cleared his throat, "couldn't leave the most gorgeous girl on the planet waiting, now could I?" She rolled her eyes, but Brick detected a hint of a smile.

"Are those mine?" She gestured to the flowers in his hand, which Brick handed over. "You remembered that I like hybrid tea roses this time."

He smirked, "and I even remembered which color. Fushia. Still looks pink to me, so I really hope the girl at the flower shop got it right."

"She did. Come in, I'll go put these in water," he followed Blossom inside, trying not to note how her hips swung in a very hypnotizing way. Instead, Brick took a glance around.

Blossom's house was tasteful, with a quiet elegance. She had a few still art paintings hanging in strategic places, above various points of interest. Her television set hung on her wall, in front of a black leather sectional and a glass coffee table. A matching recliner was situated on the left side. Towards the kitchen was a large wine rack, filled with different wines and coolers.

Blossom put the roses in the sink before grabbing another vase from under it. "Nice place you got," he said quietly.

"Thanks. I like not being too close to the center of the city. I can actually sleep." She set the flowers on the counter, now properly hydrated in a crystal vase. Grabbing a leather clutch purse with gold edging and her jacket, she went over to him. "Let's get this over with," Brick chuckled.

"Don't sound so excited, Babe. You'll make me blush."

"Do not make me feel like I wasted this make up, Jojo. I will end you," he led her to his car and watched with pride as she whistled lowly. "Wow, I don't see these around."

"Well, I felt like I shouldn't drive you around in anything less," Blossom hummed, but in truth she did like the car. It had a shiny black paint job with copper spinners and edgings. Brick opened the door for her and waited until she slid into the passenger seat.

As he walked to the driver's side, Blossom leaned over and pushed his door open. He flashed her a grateful smile and got in. "You're wearing your contacts again?"

"Yup."

"Bloss, it's me. There's no need to hide from me." She gave him a look.

"I have plenty of reasons to hide from you, Brick. Just because I'm going to dinner with you doesn't mean I've forgiven you..." She turned away with aa heavy sigh, "besides, as far as the world knows, you're going to dinner with Ai Hanazawa, not Blossom Utonium." Brick let out a heavy sigh before revving the engine. As they headed out of her neighborhood, he spoke up.

"You still like Italian?"

They pulled up to a small restaurant in one of the downtown areas of Tokyo. Blossom blinked, she hadn't been to this one before. The sign read La rosa della sera in hiragana and in Italian. Brick opened the door.

So far, there was nothing but an awkward silence. Brick wanted to say something to break it, but each time he opened his mouth, the words clogged up in his throat. What does one even say to the girl they lost because of their own selfishness?

'Sorry I let my demented, mutated ape dad convince me that the only way I could give you the life you truly deserved was to destroy everything you held dear in the first place?'

'Sorry I indirectly caused the death of the man who created you?'

Somehow, Brick knew that would end up with her freezing him in rage. As he led her into the restaurant and got to the table he had reserved days in advanced, Brick racked his brain for a solution. Come on, Brick, he thought, she'll slip away again if you don't do something...

He wasn't like he was when he was younger. He was much wiser than before, but Brick was also more aware of what he stood to lose if he screwed this up. He pulled out her chair and then they sat in a thick silence.

On the other side, Blossom was feeling quite similar. She had believed that she could do this. For two years, she had meticulously planned out every step she and her sisters took. She rose to stardom first, with Buttercup following and Bubbles close after. She had had planned every smile, every laugh, each bat of an eyelash. Each action was a strategic move to further her goal of vengeance. Seeing and interacting with the Rowdyruff Boys was not a possibility, it was an inevitablity. She had steeled herself for the moment she would have to grin and bear Brick's presence.

Or she had thought.

Sure, back in the trailer, she was more than angry at him. This boy... man... whom she had loved had destroyed everything. Her home, her hard work, even her dreams were gone like paper in flames. She had loved him...they talked about everything together and had even planned on going to the same university together. They had planned to live their lives together.

She had every right to be angry at him and seeing him in the flesh after seven years made all that rage boiled over.

But now, Blossom couldn't help but feel the old feelings she had felt before. When Brick came up to her door and stared at her like she was the most gorgeous thing on the planet, Blossom felt like she was fourteen again, going on their first real date. When Brick showed that he remembered her favorite flowers, Blossom wanted to squeal.

Get it together, Cobra, she snapped mentally, remember what happened the last time you trusted him? Remember how you held your dying father because of him? Remember Bubbles' screaming? Remember how Buttercup wailed? Keep it together or you'll fail them again! She huffed and glanced at the menu.

Brick finally decided, after fifteen minutes, to say the first thing he thought up. "So, you're an actress." Smooth, Jojo... she's practically begging you to take her on the table now.

Blossom raised a copper eyebrow, "that's right... and you rule the world."

"Yeah... not as glamorous as it sounds, to be honest." He looked back down at the menu, but Brick couldn't focus on what he wanted. The waiter walked up, smiles abound. This place was no stranger to celebrity diners, but it also wasn't a five star hot spot. This was the first time an A-list celebrity like Ai Hanazawa had stepped foot here.

Plus Brick Jojo, Supreme Ruler and leader of the Rowdyruff Boys, was with her. That alone would bring people there in droves.

"*Hello, welcome to La rosa della sera. I'm your host, Hiro. Can I start you off on something to drink?*" Blossom smiled at him, switching to her Ai persona.

"*I'd actually love some water, please.*"

"*Yes, of course. Normal or sparkling?*"

"*Sparkling, if you don't mind.*"

"*Right away. And you, Sir?"

"*A normal water, please.*" The waiter nodded and scurried off to give them time to think of an order. "No wine tonight, Ai? You don't have to hold back, I'm driving after all." Blossom shook her head.

"I don't drink." Brick thought back to all the alcohol he had seen on display at her house. She seemed to catch his confusion, "those bottles were all gifts. Not one has ever been opened... by me at least." He smiled.

"Can still read me like a book, huh?" Blossom shrugged.

"Well, you are as easy to read as a Hooked on Phonics work book." And just like that, the tension shifted. Brick saw the girl he had loved before, hiding behind a cold exterior. The teasing, sassy girl who had him wrapped around her pretty little finger was still around. And he knew just how to keep her there.

"Well, I wouldn't know that. I didn't need those books."

"Oh no, you just needed me to help you spell 'dumb'. Are you still having trouble with silent letters?"

"Are you still having trouble with cooking?"

"I was not that bad, Bri-"

"Babe, the fire department banned you from making s'mores over an open fire ever again. I was legally required to make your s'mores."

"Okay, so... that was one time-"

"You were also legally banned from making soup by the Department of Health and Human Services."

"Okay, that-"

"And must I even mention the dreaded Coconut Cream Pie Massacre?"

"Alright. I get it. I suck at cooking, way to woo a girl." The slight upturned smirk on her face was a great sign. She was into this banter, "but shall I, Mr. Jojo, mention your endeavors in sewing?"

"Please, God, no."

"Bubbles never forgave you for what you did to her favorite miniskirt." Brick blushed.

"I was just trying to hem it."

"You somehow turned it into a hat."

"I didn't-"

"You stitched Butch to a couch."

"That was on purpose."

"And you cross stitched your hat to my bow. How did you even do that? You had to be physically holding both to do that."

"You spent hours helping me fix it. That was the plan."

"Right, I believe you." She smirked as the waiter came back.

"*Ready to order?*" Blossom flashed him a pretty smile before speaking.

"*I'd like an order of cheese tortellini with a small salad, please.*" Hiro blushed and hurriedly scribbled down her order. Brick glared at him before ordering the same. As Hiro walked away, Blossom chuckled. "Jealous, are we?"

"Well, who wouldn't be?"

"Self assured men, I suppose."

"When it comes to you, I'm not that confident...not anymore." The conversation took a more somber turn as Brick addressed the elephant in the room, "look...I won't bother telling you how sorry I am that I did what I did...I know you won't believe me."

"Good, at least I won't have to repeat myself."

"I was stupid, okay? Mojo convinced me that I would eventually lose you unless I made the world change and the only way to do that was to rule it."

"Thus destroying all that we had worked for and killing my father."

"I was really stupid."

"That's one way of putting it," their plates were placed in front of them. Blossom glanced away as she pucked up her fork and began eating.

Brick sighed, sipping his water. Come on, Jojo, you're losing her..."Remember when we first started hanging out...? How I didn't want to be around you because... I blew up when you kissed me?"

Blossom stared at him. She barely remembered that. Brick had been so reluctant to be her friend because...he was afraid of being hurt again.

"You asked me to give you a chance to prove that you wouldn't hurt me again...and you never did...well...well I'm asking for a chance now. Just one chance and I'll prove to you that...that I still deserve you..."

"You will always deserve me."

Blossom stared at him, eyes shining as she remembered the day he had forced her to take a vacation, a year before he took over the world. She remembered the renovated cabin and three blissful days of peace, where all they did was watch movies, read books, and make love. She remembered him divulging how insecure he felt about her, about how he felt his past made him unworthy of his love.

Don't fall for this, Cobra. He needs to go down, an angry voice hissed.

But what if he's telling the truth...what if he really is sorry? Another, softer, voice said.

She gulped down some water and mumbled, "...one chance..." Brick's heart sped up, he couldn't breathe. She was giving him another chance. He got another chance to be with his girl. He wanted to jump up and cheer, to dance on the table. She was giving him, Brick Jojo, a chance. "...But that's it...just one..."

He gave her a smile that screamed happiness, "one's all I'll need, babe. I promise."

Blossom gave him a small smile, unwanted thoughts in her head. She never knew revenge would make her feel so...unworthy.