Chapter Text
There was no evidence of their presence, no trail for them to follow. There wasn't even anything missing. So much so that Buttercup began to question whether she hadn't left the door open when she left.
No, that couldn't have been it, it was a mistake that even she knew she wasn't capable of. She'd locked up she was sure of it. She tapped her foot as she racked her brain for some sort of explanation.
Butch was on the phone with Brick and from what she gleaned they'd all experienced something similar.
"Yeah, you found the same thing too? Boomer also?"
Buttercup sunk deeper into her seat, soaking up the conversation. Her tapping pace increasing with each second.
"Yeah, I think that's it too. Okay, Brick, thanks for the call."
Butch tossed his phone onto the couch and followed its descent.
"Well, that was that."
Buttercup looked at him, expectant from the loveseat opposite him. She raised a brow, bringing her tapping to a halt.
"So..."
Butch scoffed.
"Don't act like you don't have super hearing Butters, I know you heard what I heard."
She leaned in.
"Yeah,"
Butch propped his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
"The bastards are making us sweat. They want us to know that they're watching us. And we don't even know where to start."
They'd broken into all their apartments. The enemy knew they were looking.
Buttercup grabbed her phone out of her pocket and opened her Candy Crush.
"Well, that doesn't make much of a difference to our investigation, does it?"
Their eyes met.
"No it doesn't" he replied.
Butch pushed himself off the chair, phone in hand and headed to the kitchen.
"Well, I should get that lasagna started, no point in starving ourselves."
He opened the fridge.
"Shit, I forgot. We've run out of parmesan and parsley. Could ya get that at the corner store for me please Butters?"
She finished up the level.
"Yeah, sure, just borrow me the keys cause it's still pouring out there."
Butch grumbled fishing out the keys from his pocket.
"Just be careful with my baby Buttercup, she's precious to me."
Buttercup grinned, grabbing the keys from his outstretched hand.
"Jeez Butch, you're making me blush, I can't believe you care that much about me."
Butch's cheeks tinged ever so slightly.
"You know what I mean Buttercup. "
Buttercup laughed, slipping the keys into her own pocket.
"Don't sweat it. I'll be careful. besides its just to the corner store, relax,"
"We both know that's enough distance for you to do something crazy,"
"I won't sheesh, Puffs honour."
"Ha, that doesn't make me feel remotely better. Just don't take too long, and also grab a slab of dark chocolate and a carton of heavy cream I wanna try my hand at some chocolate mousse."
Buttercups mouth watered
"I'll make sure of that"
She hadn't been followed. She was at least sure of that.
Buttercup turned off the car and zipped up her windbreaker. She pulled her hood up, pulling at the strings. Not that it mattered anymore, but she didn't want to get wet again. She jumped out of the car, locked up and made a beeline to the store.
A short, plump lady swooped a mop across the store entrance, wiping off the muddy footprints.
"Miss Utonium, fancy seeing you here, dear."
She straightened up and tucked a silver lock behind her ear.
"Hi, Mrs Kowalski," Buttercup replied.
"Where's Butch? I finally got my hands on the brand of olives he asked me to look for. He was right about them; they make all the difference to a Greek salad. I even have some out for sample testing, but I guess today wasn't the best day to have that idea running,"
The jar of olives at the entrance was still pretty much full. The shop was relatively empty. This wasn't surprising, of course, people tended to stay indoors in this kind of weather.
Buttercup smiled.
"Well, I'll give them I try then."
She took a toothpick and poked into two olives. The olives were sour and sweet with firm flesh, tingling her taste buds.
"They're pretty good. Butch is back home by the way. He sent me out to pick up some ingredients, but I'll definitely pick up the olives as well."
The old lady smiled, folding her hands under her old apron.
" Oh okay, oof, silly me making you wait outside in the rain. Come in, dear."
The florescent lights lit the shop brightly as Buttercup made her way in and headed down to the food aisle. She browsed through the snacks and sweets, making sure to grab a big pack of sour blueberry worms. She grabbed the parmesan from the fridge. She got everything and made it quickly to the checkout station. She tipped the basket onto the counter and pushed it towards the cashier.
"You're Buttercup."
She looked up; the cashier was new it seemed. A teenage girl, with long raven hair which shed tucked into a red cap.
"Yup,"
The girl smiled
" I guess you're used to it now. Being known by everyone.'
"Yup,"
"Must be frustrating when your known and not the other way around.
Buttercup paused and looked at the cashier.
She smiled, handing her groceries.
"Have a lovely day, miss Utonium."
Buttercup paused before she started the car, sending Blossom a quick text. She'd grown exceedingly reckless, maybe flying in the rain had made her sick. Perhaps she'd tested the limits of Chemical X far enough. She tossed her phone onto the passengers' seat and threw the car into reverse, backing into the main road. Her movements were sluggish as she changed the gear, and the only thing that was on her mind was getting back home so that she could take a nap. The rain had subsided now, the faint pitter-patter being the only evidence of its existence. She exhaled and turned her head to the right mirror. A car came speeding from her left. Buttercup didn't even have the strength to accelerate out of the way. The horn rang, and the car came crashing into her.
Her ears rang, and her head rattled as she was squashed in between the metal and glass. The air smelled putrid with wet copper, and her vision swam. Her stomach lurched and turned, and she could feel its inside force their way pout of her mouth, burning their way through her windpipe as she vomited. She coughed and attempted to squeeze her way out, but she couldn't move. Her head was heavy. She heard the screams as she faded away falling away into the open arms of the sea swirling darkness.