'Love is weird,' that's what Mysterion thought as he looked at Butters's drawing. Love really was odd, and Kenny knew that as he lay in a pool of his own blood. How did he get here, you may ask?

~*~

Well, you see, he was on his way to deal with a few more people who were bothering Butters when he saw a fight in an alley. "I guess a little detour wouldn't hurt," he thought to himself. He turned into the alleyway, classic superhero style. The fighters turned to him, surprised.

Kenny then spoke in his normal fake deep voice, "What is going on here?" The guys stared down at him. An uncomfortable moment went by before the guys broke out into laughter.

"Hold on, hold on! Are you Mysterion!?" a guy asked.

Kenny nodded, "Yes! I am Mysterion, the protector of this town, South Park!"

The guys laughed harder, "So you're telling me that this little guy is the protector of South Park!? This little shorty? No way you managed to beat people to a pulp!"

Kenny raised an eyebrow, unamused by their mockery. "Looks don't matter," he responded, his voice steady and determined. "It's not about size; it's about standing up for what's right." The laughter began to die down as Kenny's words held a certain gravity. "Now, why don't you tell me what's happening here?" He took a step forward, his presence commanding attention.

One of the guys stepped closer to him, "If you're so powerful and confident, then fight us!"

Kenny shook his head, "I am not here to fight. I'm here to stop a fight. So I'll ask again, what are you fighting about?" Kenny said with a bit more sternness in his voice. That's when he noticed a bag. He squinted his eyes; it looked to be filled with money. "Why do you have a bag of money? Where did you get it from?"

One of the guys shifted uncomfortably, looking at his partners before muttering, "We... We robbed a convenience store down the street. We needed the cash, man." The guy then began to waver as he felt like Kenny's eyes were digging a hole into him.

Kenny's face softened slightly as he listened, "Look, I get it. Times can be tough, but robbing and hurting others isn't the answer." He paused, letting his words sink in. "You're better than this. There are other ways to deal with your problems."

The guy who spoke earlier looked down, guilt in his eyes. "Yeah, well, life ain't exactly fair, you know?" he mumbled. Kenny sighed, his voice taking on a softer tone. "I know it's hard, but causing harm only continues the cycle of pain. Find another path, one that doesn't hurt innocent people."

That's when the third and final guy spoke up, "Hey look, buddy. Don't try to fix us. It won't work."

Anougher gay spoke up, "Yeah. Our companion over there might be weak enough—"

"Hey!"

"It's true! Anyway, he might be weak enough to tell you why we have a bag, but none of us are going to be fixed! And, to be honest, we're kinda pissed that you're trying!"

Kenny put his hands up, "Hey. Let's not get violent here." Kenny's voice stayed calm as he talked to the trio. "I'm not trying to fix anyone. I'm just asking you to think about the consequences of your actions. If you keep down this path, it won't end well for you or anyone else." He took a step back, his eyes scanning each of them. "You have a choice right now – to continue down a chaotic road or to find a way to make things right."

The third guy, the one that seemed to be the leader of the trio, seemed to get mad, "How about this!? I'll give you an offer. You walk away and you don't get the crap beaten out of you!"

Kenny sighed, "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this point, but it seems you pulled my leg." Kenny then got into a fighting stance.

The leader of the trio narrowed his eyes, his anger rising. "You think you can take all three of us on?" he asked, his tone strong.

Kenny's stance conveyed a mix of determination and concern. "I don't want it to come to that. You still have a choice right now – a chance to change your path. Turn yourselves in, return the stolen money, and try to make things right."

The tension in the alleyway escalated, the air was thick. The other two guys looked at each other with nervous glances, seemingly unsure of how to continue. The leader clenched his fists, his frustration practically palpable.

"Enough talk," he growled, taking a step forward. "Let's see what this 'Mysterion' can really do."

Kenny's face tightened as he prepared himself for a fight. He hoped it wouldn't come to blows. God maybe Butters was rubbing off on him.

"You're just a kid playing hero," the leader spat, his fists clenched. "Let's see if you can back up your words."

With a fast movement, the leader lunged forward, aiming a punch at Kenny. Kenny's reflexes kicked in, and he quickly dodged the blow. The alleyway was filled with the sound of scuffling feet and clashing of fists as the fight heated up.

Kenny defended himself, blocking and countering their attacks, his movements fluid and controlled.

He punched the leader straight in the jaw, causing the guy to fly backwards. Another guy, the one who had told him about the bag full of money, lunged at him, getting on Kenny's back.

Kenny quickly backed up and slammed his back onto the alleyway's wall. The guy let go and fell to his side.

Finally, the last guy grabbed his cape. At first, Kenny didn't care much, but that's when he remembered, 'Butters's drawing! It's in the cape!' Kenny panicked, not wanting to ruin the drawing that Butters had given him. He knew that if he kept the cape on, the guy could ruin the drawing.

Kenny's mind raced as he tried to think quickly. He had to find a way to protect Butters's drawing without getting hit. So with a swift maneuver, he twisted his body and managed to slip out of the cape, leaving the guy holding the now-empty fabric. Kenny lunged forward, giving a powerful blow that knocked the last guy down.

Panting slightly, Kenny stood looking at the fallen trio, his heart pounding. "Enough. It's over," he declared firmly, his voice carrying a mix of tiredness and confidence. He then ran over and grabbed the cape that the last guy had dropped. He opened the pocket in it and pulled out the drawing. It was safe, 'Thank God.' Kenny smiled a little, relieved, 'I need to find a safer place for it.' Kenny thought as he stood back up.

He looked at the trio, who were groaning on the ground now. But that's when Kenny realized something was wrong. There were only two; the leader was missing, 'What the-!? Where is the-' That's when he felt a sharp pain in his back. He dropped the drawing, and it landed gently on the floor, safely, thankfully.

He spun around, realizing that the leader hadn't given up. The guy had managed to grab a broken piece of glass from the alley and used it to stab Kenny's back. Even though Kenny was in pain, his confidence stayed strong. He turned to face the leader, blocking the guy's attempts to hit him again.

"You don't want to do this, man." Mysterion says.

"I don't? No. No, I think I do. You can't stop me!" the leader then lunged for Kenny. Kenny tried to dodge, but the guy managed to get his side. Blood came pouring out, and Kenny grabbed his side in pain.

"You should have stayed in school, kid," the guy said before stabbing Kenny again in the chest. He then pushed Kenny to the ground. Blood flowed out of him; the pain was nothing compared to the others he had felt, but it was still horrible.

That's when he saw Butters's drawing again. It was still safe, just there, Butters's drawn face smiling up at him, almost as if it was saying, "I believe in you. You made the world a better place, starting with South Park. Get up, please."

~*~

And that brings us here. Kenny knew Butters was not actually saying that, but it felt like it.

'Love is weird, but it's also powerful! I got this, Butters made that picture because he believes in me.' he thought as he got up.

He looked over to the now-distracted leader, he with the bag of money; it was kicked over in the fight, and he was putting some loose money back in the bag.

So Kenny, despite the pain, was confident to end this situation once and for all. Summoning every ounce of strength left in him, Kenny managed to get back on his feet. He limped forward, his vision blurred from the blood loss and the pain in his side. But the thought of Butters's drawing pushed him forward, it gave him confidence.

And with a burst of energy, Kenny lunged at the distracted leader, catching him off guard. He tackled the guy to the ground, the two of them struggling for control. Despite Kenny being weaker and tired, Kenny managed to grab the piece of glass from the leader's hand.

"You don't have to do this!!" Kenny yelled, his voice shaking with pain. He pinned the leader down, his grip strong. "You have a choice right now - to keep down this destructive path or to change and find a better way."

The leader's resistance began to weaken, his anger giving way to a little doubt. He met Kenny's eyes, the intensity in his gaze holding the guy's attention. "You don't know what it's like out here," the leader muttered, his voice softer now. "It's survival."

Kenny's grip on the guy loosened slightly as he listened, the guy reminding him of his parents and siblings, "I get it, trust me, I know. Life can be tough, but causing pain won't make it better. There are people who care about you, who want to help. You don't have to go down this path alone."

The leader's eyes shifted, his gaze looking to the bag of money on the ground, "Tell that to Chaos."

"What?"

"Chaos, Professor Chaos. Tell it to him. He wouldn't listen to you for a second."

"What do you mean? What does he have to do with anything?" Kenny knew that name all too well, Professor Chaos, his arch-enemy, "Nothing to do with the money but if you really think what you think, then tell it to him."

Kenny's had a serious look on his face as he processed the leader's words. 'Chaos? Professor Chaos?' he repeated in his head, his mind racing to piece together the puzzle.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, he was both concerned and curious.

The leader let out a bitter laugh, "You think you can change people, make them see the light? Well, good luck with that. Chaos doesn't care about anyone or anything. He's out for himself, and he's convinced that the only way to survive is to create chaos and destruction."

Kenny's mind raced as he tried to process the leader's words. Professor Chaos was Kenny's arch-enemy, he was causing chaos in South Park for almost as long as Kenny was Mysterion. He was known for his chaotic and destructive actions. But the idea that he was somehow connected to this was confusing.

"Why are you bringing up Professor Chaos?" Kenny asked, his voice firm as he kept his grip on the leader. "What does he have to do with your choices here?"

The guy laughed, "He's the reason everything happens in South Park. Well, everything that has to do with crime. With the exception of a few things." The guy then muttered under his breath, "Stupid kids. Especially the girl..."

"What?"

"Nothing! My point is he's basically the crime lord, and if you actually believes the stuff you do, then tell it to him."

Kenny was silent, "Okay. Then I will. I will, but for now..." Kenny then grabbed a rock and hit the leader on the head, hard. The guy then was knocked out and Kenny stood up. He grabbed Butters's picture and the bag before taking out his phone and calling the cops, along with an ambulance.

As sirens wailed in the distance, Kenny watched over the fallen trio, holding his back, side, and chest in pain, he knew he was probably not going to make it but that wasn't his biggest problem right now. His mind racing with thoughts of what was to come. With Butters's picture by his side, the actual alive Butters being okay, and the confidence to make a difference, he knew he could take down Professor Chaos, once and for all.

Oh, if only poor Kenny knew.

-What do you all think? My fingers hurt, but I think it was worth it. I feel like I needed to make up for the lack of plot and words in the last few chapters. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. I hope you all have a good day or night, and I'll see you all later in the next chapter!

-Word Count: 2242