Mystic Mind
The seat leaned back as the Powerpuff Girl stared up at the ceiling, her eyes darting around the room nervously. Her arms were shaking as the sweat crept down her forehead, the bright light directly overhead nearly blinding her with its intensity. She bit her lower lip nervously, looking around for any sign of escape, but she couldn't see anything through her haze of fear and desperation. The material of the chair felt eerily warm to her bare skin like a monster waiting to close its jaws.
Her breath quickened, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest under the harsh glare of the light. She squeezed her eyes shut, sensing the instrument coming toward her. She waited with her arms tensed, waiting in a terrible silence she would have given anything to break. When she felt the prick in her arm she let out a piercing scream, the sound traveling through the operation area to the sound of breaking glass.
Finally the pinch ended and the light moved, revealing the doctor looking down at her through broken glasses. "There, that wasn't so tough now was it?" The doctor rubbed his ear as he helped Bubbles sit up in the seat. She whimpered and held her arm where the needle had gone in. The doctor carefully put a Band-Aid over the small pinprick and gave her a few moments to get the rest of her clothes back on. He then led her out into the lobby where the Professor and her sisters were waiting. Blossom and Buttercup already had Band-Aids on their arms and grumpy looks on their faces, having gone before her.
"Oh you're done, how is she?" The Professor stood up to greet them.
The doctor looked over at the nurse, still rubbing his deafened ears after Bubbles' scream. "I don't think this is the time to be looking at women Professor. Anyway, Bubbles is a perfectly healthy little girl and the vaccination worked just fine." He told them with a smile while Bubbles floated over to her sisters grumpily.
"Well thanks a lot Doctor, I've been meaning to get the girls checked out for some time just in case there were any complications as they grew up. It was really great of you to do them all in one day." The Professor said gratefully.
"I'm sorry, what?" The Doctor rubbed at his ear irritably.
"I said, THANK YOU!" Professor Utonium shouted.
"Well no need to shout is there." The doctor straightened his coat and turned to head into the back again. The Professor turned to the girls with a wry smirk on his face, jerking his head toward the door and turning to leave. The girls floated after them, Buttercup and Blossom grumbling while Bubbles rubbed her Band-Aid.
"That stank. I hope we never have to get another checkup." Buttercup grumped.
"It was for our own good Buttercup, if there was something wrong we would have to find it early BEFORE it became a more serious complication." Blossom reminded her, having practically memorized what the Professor told them on the way to the hospital.
"I hate needles..." Bubbles pouted and rubbed her Band-Aid as they all started climbing into the car while the Professor held the door open.
"The whole thing's stupid anyway, the Professor's smarter than any doctor, why couldn't he do it?" Buttercup demanded.
"Because I'm a geneticist not a physician. I don't know all of the possible complications that could sprout up, especially as far as you girls are concerned." The Professor closed the back door and climbed into the drivers seat while the girls buckled themselves in.
"Well it still stank!" Buttercup announced, sinking back into her seat in a huff with her arms crossed over her chest.
"My arm hurts..." Bubbles moaned pathetically.
The Professor chuckled and looked at them through the rear view mirror. "Well since you were all so good and patient at the doctors office I have a special treat for you tonight." The girls all perked up instantly at this.
"Really!? Where are we going!?" Blossom asked.
"Are we going to the zoo!?" Bubbles asked.
"Wrestling match!" Buttercup yelled eagerly. The Professor chuckled and shook his head.
"You'll see when we get there girls." He told them. The girls spent the rest of the car trip chattering to each other in the back seat in excited tones. Finally they pulled into the parking lot of the old theater where Al Lusion had once performed a long time ago. Well it was the same lot, the building had been completely rebuilt.
"What are we doing here?" Blossom asked.
"Tonight is opening night after the renovation, including a new magician. I thought you girls might like to see it." The Professor told them. The girls all screamed in joy at once, leaping out of the car the second he had their door open.
"Come on come on!" They chanted, pulling the Professor behind them as they streaked into the building. The front lobby was packed with people eager to see the first performance to happen there in years.
The Professor walked up to the man behind the counter. "Four please." The girls waited eagerly, bouncing up and down while he gathered the tickets before they picked him up and carried him into the theater. They found four seats near the back, setting the Professor down on the far right while they sat beside him in the order of Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup.
"When is it gonna start!?" Bubbles asked, hopping up and down on her seat eagerly.
"Just a minute Bubbles, they have to wait for everyone else to find their seats." The Professor replied, patting her head. She sat down, but didn't sit still, bouncing on her butt in anticipation.
Finally the audience had filed in the theater and the stage lit up, revealing a tall thin looking man in the usual magicians garb including a very tall top hat. He took off his hat and bowed deeply.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to my premier performance. I am Del Lirious, come straight from Citiesville. It's quite an honor to perform for such a civilized looking bunch." He said, standing up and looking over the crowd slowly. Bubbles could have sworn his eyes lingered on them for just an instant, but she didn't say anything. "Such civilized people that I would like to call for a volunteer."
Several dozen hands shot up in the audience, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He pointed up past the audience to a seat in the back row. "You there, why don't you come down here?" Bubbles looked around, thinking he was pointing at her until she saw a little boy who had been sitting beside her heading down the isle to the stage. The rest of the audience applauded politely.
"Now sir we have not met before have we?" The man asked.
"No." The boy replied, blushing as he shot a glance out at the audience.
"Good now could you inspect this for me?" The magician pulled out a small white egg from his cape, handing it to the boy. "It's just a normal egg, as brittle and white as any other, correct?"
"Yes sir..." The boy replied nervously. The magician took the egg and threw it in the air, catching it.
"Keep your eye on it." He moved so that the boy was between him and the audience, doing a little juggling act with the egg. He threw it in the air, caught it behind his back and threw it over the boys head to catch it again. The boy laughed as he watch, the rest of the audience joining in. "Watch closely." He bent over and threw the egg behind his back, but the one he caught was striped in the different colors of the rainbow.
The boy stared with wide eyes as the audience burst into applause. Bubbles clapped as hard as she could without hurting herself, laughing joyously while Buttercup jumped up and down, demanding to know how it was done. Blossom just smiled and watched calmly.
"Here you go." The magician handed the boy the egg and sent him back to his seat. "I'd ask for another volunteer, but this next one, is a little dangerous." He grabbed a cloth from a table and yanked it off, revealing that half a dozen sharp steak knives lay on top of it. "Remember kids, do not try this at home without first taking out life insurance." A few audience members laughed as he picked up the knives, three in each hand.
He started juggling the six knives, much to the enjoyment of the Powerpuff Girls and the Professor. He kept it up for thirty seconds before one by one he started flinging them out toward the audience. It changed so fast the Powerpuff Girls barely had time to realize what had happened before all six knives were arcing toward the audience members.
Screams erupted as the blades whirred through the air, but they lifted upward before they hit their apparent targets, flying above the audiences heads. They flew up through the air on their own, plunging into the ceiling in a perfect circular pattern. The audience let out a collective sigh of relief, a few having the presence of mind to give a weak applause.
"That was scary..." Bubbles mumbled.
"Are you kidding? That was great! Scared everyone!" Buttercup yelled, clapping louder than anyone else in the theater.
"A little too much..." Blossom replied. Bubbles couldn't help but agree.
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After the show the audience was piling out while the Powerpuff Girls floated backstage with The Professor following. They were allowed pretty much anywhere they wanted to go in the city, so the security didn't even try to stop them. They found the magician in his dressing room. He turned around when he heard them enter.
"Well if it isn't Townsville's trio of tiny titans, I'm honored to see you here." He gave them a dashing smile and a nod of his head.
"Mr. Lirious, we need to talk to you about your performance..." Blossom began, but Buttercup jumped in front of her.
"It was GREAT! You had everybody so scared, I think Bubbles actually wet herself!" Buttercup laughed. Bubbles looked angry, but Buttercup continued before she could speak. "The knife trick was just great! We need more magicians like you! You know, keep SOME people on their toes." She shot a glance at Blossom, but again didn't give her time to respond. "And the fire trick, I don't know HOW you did that!"
Finally Blossom managed to shove Buttercup out of the way to get to the magician. "I just think maybe your tricks are a little bit dangerous. Those knives could have hurt someone and the fire could have easily gotten on someone's seat." Blossom reasoned.
"Oh come on Blossom, you're just upset because you fell for it along with everyone else!" Buttercup retorted. Del Lirious just chuckled and put one arm around each girl, pulling them close.
"Now come on, you don't think I would actually put my audience in any danger do you Blossom?" He reasoned.
"I guess not..." Blossom admitted.
"We have everything that happens planned down to the millisecond. There is absolutely no danger at all to anybody in the audience." Blossom looked up at him still distrusting, but there wasn't much she could do. "I promise... in fact, how would you girls like to take a look around and see how everything's done?" He asked.
"Really!?" Buttercup's eyes lit up instantly. "Can we stay here for a little while Professor? Please!"
"I don't know, we still have to get home to dinner." The Professor mused.
"Go without me and I'll meet you there when I'm done." Buttercup replied logically. Blossom still looked distrusting of Del Lirious and Bubbles just looked solemn, but Professor Utonium could see how excited Buttercup was. It wasn't often she showed such interested in much of anything other than fighting. It would be good for her to have another hobby.
"Okay, you can stay here for another thirty minutes, but then you come straight home." He told her sternly.
"Yes! Thank you Professor!" Buttercup streaked up and hugged him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back before she floated down to the ground again.
"Come on Bubbles, Blossom, let's go home and start dinner." The Professor told the other girls, looking down at Buttercup. "Remember, thirty minutes." He told her sternly.
"Yeah yeah." Buttercup turned back to Del Lirious excitedly. "Can we go right now?" The magician chuckled and put one hand on her head.
"Of course, come on." He turned and led her back through the hallways out onto the stage where the props were already set up again for the next nights show. She streaked up to the table and looked around suspiciously, looking for wires or magnets of some kind. She didn't feel any though, it felt like a normal table with a cloth over it.
"How do they fly?" She asked.
"It's my little secret." He whispered conspiratorially in her ear, pulling the blanket off the table to reveal the knives. "You see, there is no illusion." He raises his hand, and the knives floated up off the table of their own accord, floating through the air over the seats.
"No illusion?" Buttercup asked, staring at them in surprise. "You mean... you can really move things with your mind?"
"Exactly." The magician replied, closing his fingers as the knives came together in a circle, flying back toward them. They stopped just before they hit him, floating slowly back to the table and settling down where they had been moments before. "And I think, you can do it too... with proper training." He told her softly.
"Me? All I can do is punch stuff and fly... I can't do anything cool like that." Buttercup replied, picking up one knife and examining it appreciatively.
"I think you can." He knelt down beside her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Haven't you ever done anything with just your mind that you couldn't quite explain? Anything like... telepathy?" Buttercups mind flashed back to their encounter with the SandMan, with the girls entering his dream. "Spontaneous bursts of energy when you're all built up?" Her mind flashed back to Bubbles in Mojo's costume, frying both her and Blossom without even touching them. "Accidental effects of hyperactive energy?" Her mind flashed to the time the girls flew straight through time during their race.
"I... I guess..." Buttercup replied, staring at him sullenly.
"Don't you want to learn how to harness that power? You could become much more than you are now." He told her, staring into her eyes.
"Could you teach me?" Buttercup asked softly.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure." He held one hand out, smiling kindly. Buttercup took it without hesitation in a firm handshake. Del Lirious smiled. "Well then, we can begin later tonight after your sisters and father are asleep." Buttercup nodded. "Oh, and don't tell them. This is our little secret... for now."
"Okay... well I should go." Buttercup took off from the ground and floated toward the exit. Stopping to look back at him. "Later!" She streaked out the door toward her house where the others were busy making dinner.
When she got home she found Blossom and Bubbles already sitting down to dinner, with the Professor just bringing her own plate to the table. The others looked over at her as she entered.
"Well? Did you find out how they're done?" Blossom asked curiously. Buttercup smiled and took her seat.
"Yeah, it was really interesting." She replied, digging into her food without another word. She could feel the others exchanging a curious glance, but she didn't pay too much attention. They didn't like the show anyway, they wouldn't want to know how it was done.
"I just don't want to have to go flying to the rescue when one of those tricks goes wrong." Blossom grumped. Bubbles nodded in agreement.
"Now Blossom we should give him he benefit of the doubt, I don't think he would intentionally put his audience in any danger." The Professor told her kindly. Buttercup decided not to answer, her mind was already on the night ahead of her. She could hardly wait to start her training.
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That night Buttercup waited until she felt her sisters' breath slow to a steady sleeping rhythm before getting up and getting dressed again. She streaked out the window and flew back to the theater as fast as she could. When she went inside she found the auditorium empty. She flew up to the stage, but she still couldn't see anyone.
"Hello?" She called softly. She whirled when a puff of smoke erupted behind her, the thin form of Del Lirious coming up out of the floor behind her. She clapped appreciatively while he took a small bow.
"Glad you enjoyed it, now, shall we begin?" He smiled at her and took the blanket off the same table from before, gesturing to the knives.
"What am I supposed to do?" Buttercup asked confusedly.
"Reach deep inside yourself, find the power born from the Chemical-X inside your body. You can use that to move whatever you want." He walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, watching her staring at the knives. She stared hard, looking inside herself for any hint of power. She could feel something bubbling up, but she wasn't sure what to do with it. She was shaking from the strain of trying to hold it where it was.
"Focus on the knives, and sent it outward." He told her. She gave a small grunt and gave a push to the table. The wood splintered apart with a thunderous crack as it flew through the air into the audience seating, the knives flying free to plunge into several seats while the wood rained down over the theater. Del Lirious gave a whistle of appreciation as he watched the wood come down.
"Not bad Buttercup, but you need to learn a little more control." He smiled down at her and patted her head. "But then, that's why you're here. We'll have you doing whatever you wish in no time, I promise." Buttercup smiled and turned back to the theater. This was looking more promising every second, a little while longer and she could indeed do it.
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The sun shone down on the playground at recess as it always did several days later, finding the Powerpuff Girls each going about their own business. Bubbles was busy swinging on the swing set with Robin and Mike while Blossom sat on one of the many benches reading a book with Elmer. Buttercup was playing a small game of Volleyball with Mitch using the little white lines Bubbles had cheerfully drawn on the ground for them.
"I got it!" Mitch yelled, diving for the ball before it could get past him. He hit it back fast, too fast for Buttercup to catch without using her powers. Still she dove for it, but she was far too late. Suddenly the ball went flying straight for Mitches head of its own volition. "WHOA!" Mitch dove out of the way before it could decapitate him, sending it flying straight behind him.
"Blossom, heads up!" Buttercup yelled. Blossom looked up just before it slammed into her face, sending her flying back through the playground to slam hard into the pavement, sliding a good twenty feet before she skidded to a stop. "Blossom!" Buttercup ran to her side in a green flash of light, lifting her head up. "Are you alright?"
"Ugh..." Blossom rubbed her head, closing one eye. "Yeah I'll be fine... you should be more careful Buttercup..." Blossom chided her.
"But she didn't even touch it, I saw her..." Mitch began, but Buttercup quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Blossom stared up at her curiously.
"Yeah I'm really sorry Blossom, I'll be more careful from now on I promise. Can I talk to you Mitch?" Buttercup dragged a very confused Mitch to the side of the school for a private talk. "Don't tell anybody about what happened okay? It would mean a lot to me."
"Why not? But you didn't touch the ball it did it on its own." Mitch complained.
"I know, but it's something the other girls don't need to know about yet." Buttercup replied. "I'm still kind of learning how to use it... and when I get better I can teach them. It was an accident, and I won't let it happen again, so please don't say anything." She begged.
"Well..." Mitch thought for a minute, staring at her. "Eh whatever, I don't really care anyway." He replied, shrugging it off.
"Thanks, now come on, I still have to kick your butt." Buttercup went back to the area where they'd been playing the game, followed by Mitch. She would have to try to be more careful, someone could really get hurt if it happened again. She was just lucky it was Blossom who got it or someone could have REALLY gotten hurt...
Before they could resume their game however Miss Keane came outside. "Okay children recess time is over. It's time to come back inside and learn a little more." Buttercup grumbled to herself and floated inside with the rest of the class, taking her seat with Blossom and Bubbles without complaint. The class waited silently for Miss Keane to begin their new lesson.
"Okay class, today we'll be studying Twiggy." She took the Hamster cage out from behind her desk and put it on top. The little rodent just stared at them all with a blank gaze. "Now, who can tell me what Hamsters eat?" She asked. Three hands shot up, including Blossoms. She looked around at the rest of the class disapprovingly. "ONLY Twiggy's weekend caretakers know? Haven't the rest of you been paying attention?" The rest of the class just stared blankly.
She sighed and sat in her seat behind the glass. "Okay, pop quiz Buttercup, what do Hamsters eat?" She asked, staring at the brunette Powerpuff Girl.
"Me?" Buttercup suddenly snapped back to attention, looking around. She gulped and stared at Twiggy's cage. "They uh... eat... Hamster... pellets?" She asked with a nervous smile.
"What do they NATURALLY eat Buttercup." Miss Keane corrected herself.
"Oh... uh..." Buttercup scratched the back of her head, staring at the little rodent in the cage. Suddenly the glass shattered outward, sprinkling Miss Keane with shards of broken glass and sending Twiggy flying back against the blackboard.
"Miss Keane!" All three girls streaked over to help lift her back up off the ground, picking glass out of her hair and clothing. She had a few scratches, but otherwise seemed okay enough.
"Ugh... girls... what... what was that?" Miss Keane asked, staring at the shattered cage in front of her with a look of surprised amazement. Blossom and Bubbles exchanged a clueless glance while Buttercup picked up a piece of glass, studying it. As the concentrated a small crack spread through it, almost looking like a spider web against the smooth glass.
"Maybe it's the air pressure or something." Blossom mused. Bubbles let out a worried shriek and grabbed Twiggy, who wasn't moving. Buttercup looked back at the rest of the class for a moment, noticing a suspicious look on Mitch's face.
"Twiggy's hurt!" She cradled the rodent in her arms like a baby, sobbing and crying frantically. The other kids all ran up to see what the commotion was about while Miss Keane struggled to regain control. Buttercup slipped out through the crowd, streaking through the door to land on top of the building. She looked down at her hands.
"Come on Buttercup get a grip." She told herself, balling her hands into fists. "No more breaking things or sending them flying. Self-control, that's what he said. I can do that. Just don't let anything else happen." She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Suddenly she wasn't so sure this training was a goods idea. Then she shook her head. When she learned to control it, it wouldn't be a problem. It was just a matter of time.
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After the class finally settled down and school let out the girls walked outside with the rest of the children. Twiggy was fine as it turned out, just in utter shock. A few kids stuck around to play in the playground a little longer, including a somewhat confused looking Mitch Mitchelson. Buttercup didn't quite trust the look on his face, so she too stopped before they left the playground.
"I'll catch up with you girls later, I want to stick around for a bit." Buttercup told her sisters. They looked at her strangely. Normally she couldn't wait to get home and jump in the training simulator.
"Any reason in particular?" Blossom asked.
"I just want to hang out with my friends, is that wrong?" Buttercup asked. Wrong answer obviously, Blossom looked more suspicious than ever. She turned to face her squarely, putting her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't going to mention this until we got home, but WHERE did you go when poor Twiggy was hurt?" Blossom demanded. Buttercup silently cursed herself, she thought she'd snuck out without anyone seeing her. "And WHAT was Mitch talking about earlier when the ball hit me?"
"Nothing! Okay? How am I supposed to have anything to do with any of that? You know we can't do stuff like that." Buttercup retorted sharply.
"Unless you finally got your own power, right Bubbles?" Blossom asked. Buttercup glared at her balefully. Blossom knew Buttercup was bitter about not having her own individual power yet. Blossom's Ice Breath and Bubbles' Linguistic abilities were theirs alone, but Buttercup didn't have anything of her own. Just when she thought her powers matched theirs, they got a new one. She was always a step behind.
"Trust me, Blossom." Buttercup spat venomously. Blossom just smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I had a new power, you'd be the FIRST to know." The meaning behind her sharp tone was perfectly clear to all of them. Bubbles gasped and put her hands over her mouth, looking at Blossom.
"It's a good thing that's not likely to happen." Blossom commented smoothly, not caring about the threat just moments before. "Come on Bubbles, she'll tell us what's going on soon or we're telling the Professor." Blossom stares back at Buttercup for another moment before she turned and streaked off into the sky, Bubbles following soon after.
Buttercup growled under her breath, looking down so she wouldn't accidentally shoot them with her eye lasers. She gasped when she saw the pavement beneath her feet cracking apart. She quickly calmed herself down, closing her eyes. She'd have to be more careful.
She whirled to find Mitch, seeing him across the playground talking to Miss Keane. Buttercup growled when she saw this, streaking over to a bush thirty feet away from them to hide. Thankfully her hyper-sensitive hearing could pick up their conversation easily even from this distance.
"I'm telling you Miss Keane, I think there's something wrong with her." Mitch complained, his tone unusually hushed for the school bully. Buttercup growled again, snapping a branch off the bush she was hiding in. That little tattle-tale...
"Mitch, are you sure?" Miss Keane asked worriedly. "I know she's been acting strange lately but... well maybe I should give the Professor a call. Just to make sure." Mitch nodded and looked around nervously, probably looking for her. Buttercup sneered.
"Okay... see you tomorrow Miss K..." He stopped suddenly, his eyes going wide as he was dragged wildly across the blacktop. He screamed in a panic as it tore through the back of his shirt, scraping his back mercilessly. Buttercup's hand had turned white from her grip on the plant, threatening to tear their roots right up.
"Mitch!" Miss Keane chased after him, but he was moving way too fast to catch. Mitch was in tears by the time he slammed into the wall of the school, screaming in pain as his torn up back made contact. Finally Buttercup snapped back to herself and blinked, letting Mitch fall to the ground, sobbing in pain. "Mitch are you okay? What happened!?" Miss Keane ran up to check on his worriedly.
"My b... back..." Mitch gasped out between sobs.
"Come on, it'll be okay." Miss Keane picked him up and carried him inside the building, leaving Buttercup staring at the dent in the wall where Mitch had connected. She blinked, looking down at her hands. She had done that... she sent Mitch up against the wall without ever touching him. It had been easy... she hadn't even had to think... and nobody knew it was her. It was so easy...
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That night Buttercup fled from the house again, this time taking with her all her clothing and personal belongings. She streaked into the theater where they usually met, landing on the stage and dropping her large briefcases to the ground with a loud boom. Del Lirious looked up at her from the audience seating, where he had been waiting patiently.
"Well?" He asked curiously.
"Teach me more." Buttercup demanded, her mind and eyes set on him. She'd tasted what she could do just after a few nights... what could she do after several more days full of training? She was too impatient to wait while she trained just in the nights... she'd have to stay here for a while. She didn't care right now, she'd do anything it took. She would show her sisters a real power.
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Blossom stirred with a soft moan the next morning, mumbling in her sleep and rolling over onto her back, pulling the blanket with her. Bubbles shivered beside her and yanked it back, pulling her over on top of her sister. They both yelped in surprise, staring at each other.
"Don't hog the blanket." Blossom chided her, rubbing her eyes and sitting up in bed. Bubbles sighed and sat up, yawning and stretching her arms out to the sides.
"Sorry sorry..." Bubbles grumbled sleepily. Blossom turned around to wake up Buttercup, only to find her side of the bed empty. Blossom stared down at it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Guess she's already downstairs." Blossom figured. So she and Bubbles got dressed for the day, then floated downstairs in their typical dresses. Blossom looked around, but couldn't see Buttercup anywhere. In a few moments though the Professor came out of the kitchen with four plates of eggs and grits with bacon stacked to one side of the plates.
"Have you seen Buttercup Professor?" Blossom asked worriedly. After yesterday she was afraid of what her brash sister might have done. What if she'd run away... because of Blossom?
"No, isn't she upstairs?" The Professor replied. Blossom and Bubbles shook their heads.
"She was there last night but she was gone this morning." Blossom told him.
"That's strange... well maybe she had to go save the day and just hasn't finished yet." The Professor looked doubtful, but he obviously didn't want to worry Blossom and Bubbles. "I'm sure she's just fine. Now go ahead and sit down to breakfast while I go try something." He set three of the plates on the table and carried the final plate down into his basement laboratory with him.
Blossom ignored her plate, flying downstairs after him. "What are you doing?" She asked. Bubbles streaked up behind her.
"I'm setting the PKE meter here to detect your girls specific power signatures. This is how I keep track of you when you're fighting monsters. See, here, this pink and blue dot is you two." He gestured to a pale green screen with a blueprint of Townsville displayed on it. Indeed, two dots were flashing dimly in one of the buildings. "When any of you uses your powers, this machine can pick up on it, and tell me exactly where you girls are."
"Whoa." Blossom stared at the screen, her fears only growing. "But I don't see Buttercup, does that mean she's..." She trailed off.
"It only means she's not using her powers, at least not within range of this machine. See, land and see what happens." The Professor suggested. Blossom and Bubbles landed on the ground, watching their dots vanish from the pale green screen.
"So if she flies anywhere in Towsville, we'll be able to see it here and find her." Blossom realized, her heart suddenly growing lighter. "But what if she... doesn't fly Professor?" She asked, the unspoken part of the question hanging in the air. What if she COULDN'T fly?
"Then we'll look for her the old fashioned way... after school." The Professor looked down at them meaningfully. They both groaned, being more eager to find their sister than sit through a lesson.
Suddenly a green flash drew their attention, covering the entire screen in a dark green hue. They had to cover their eyes against its intensity until it finally died down, leaving the screen as it had been before. They all stared at the screen, dumbstruck.
"Professor what... was that?" Bubbles asked.
"I don't know... it was Buttercups power signature but... over a thousand times more powerful." The Professor replied. Finally he shook his head and smiled down at them disarmingly. "I'm sure it was just a glitch in the system... why don't you girls go to school while I work on fixing this machine and getting a more accurate position on her?"
"Okay Professor." Blossom and Bubbles spoke in unison as they floated upstairs to get ready for school. They weren't very eager to get to class, but what else could they do? They would find Buttercup soon enough... they were sure of it.
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A week later with still no sign of Buttercup except the occasional flash of the PKE meter, Blossom and Bubbles were frantically trying to help the Professor increase its range of effect and its accuracy. Mostly they fetched tools or lifted the machine when the Professor needed under it, but they were happy to help any way they could. The green flash pulsed across the screen again, this time looking like it had an actual identifiable source.
"Quick girls, turn the dial there up all the way!" The Professor told them climbing out from under the machine. Bubbles set it down while Blossom streaked over to turn the knob. The green flash got a little smaller, letting them see the edges of the city, but they still couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from.
"Let's see here..." The Professor started messing with the dials, but suddenly the signature vanished as quickly as it had come. He punched the monitor in frustration, his two remaining daughters exchanging a disappointed glance. When he realized he looked back at them and gave them a small smile. "It's okay, I'll get it working in no time."
"I hope so, I miss her." Bubbles told him seriously. Blossom smiled and took her hand gently.
"I miss her too, but don't worry, the Professor won't let us down." She told her. This seemed to satisfy Bubbles, who smiled back and nodded, turning to look at the Professor.
Suddenly it seemed like all the weight in the world bore down on Professor Utoniums shoulders. He wasn't at all sure he could do it, he'd already boosted the accuracy and buffers on the meter far beyond their intended specs. It might be impossible to do any more... but he couldn't let his girls down. He had to try... no matter what.
So he set his mouth in a grim line and went back to work, turning knobs and fiddling with wires. In a minute the flash came back, brighter than ever. The machine started humming loudly, the processor inside sending up sparks.
"It's gonna blow!" The Professor exclaimed. Before he knew what was happening Blossom and Bubbles had grabbed him and streaked back to the other side of the lab. The fireball that had been the PKE meter came just inches from consuming him during their flight. The thunderous explosion coupled with the smell of smoke and scorched metal almost seemed to be taunting them. They'd just lost their last hope of finding Buttercup... what now?
The seat leaned back as the Powerpuff Girl stared up at the ceiling, her eyes darting around the room nervously. Her arms were shaking as the sweat crept down her forehead, the bright light directly overhead nearly blinding her with its intensity. She bit her lower lip nervously, looking around for any sign of escape, but she couldn't see anything through her haze of fear and desperation. The material of the chair felt eerily warm to her bare skin like a monster waiting to close its jaws.
Her breath quickened, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest under the harsh glare of the light. She squeezed her eyes shut, sensing the instrument coming toward her. She waited with her arms tensed, waiting in a terrible silence she would have given anything to break. When she felt the prick in her arm she let out a piercing scream, the sound traveling through the operation area to the sound of breaking glass.
Finally the pinch ended and the light moved, revealing the doctor looking down at her through broken glasses. "There, that wasn't so tough now was it?" The doctor rubbed his ear as he helped Bubbles sit up in the seat. She whimpered and held her arm where the needle had gone in. The doctor carefully put a Band-Aid over the small pinprick and gave her a few moments to get the rest of her clothes back on. He then led her out into the lobby where the Professor and her sisters were waiting. Blossom and Buttercup already had Band-Aids on their arms and grumpy looks on their faces, having gone before her.
"Oh you're done, how is she?" The Professor stood up to greet them.
The doctor looked over at the nurse, still rubbing his deafened ears after Bubbles' scream. "I don't think this is the time to be looking at women Professor. Anyway, Bubbles is a perfectly healthy little girl and the vaccination worked just fine." He told them with a smile while Bubbles floated over to her sisters grumpily.
"Well thanks a lot Doctor, I've been meaning to get the girls checked out for some time just in case there were any complications as they grew up. It was really great of you to do them all in one day." The Professor said gratefully.
"I'm sorry, what?" The Doctor rubbed at his ear irritably.
"I said, THANK YOU!" Professor Utonium shouted.
"Well no need to shout is there." The doctor straightened his coat and turned to head into the back again. The Professor turned to the girls with a wry smirk on his face, jerking his head toward the door and turning to leave. The girls floated after them, Buttercup and Blossom grumbling while Bubbles rubbed her Band-Aid.
"That stank. I hope we never have to get another checkup." Buttercup grumped.
"It was for our own good Buttercup, if there was something wrong we would have to find it early BEFORE it became a more serious complication." Blossom reminded her, having practically memorized what the Professor told them on the way to the hospital.
"I hate needles..." Bubbles pouted and rubbed her Band-Aid as they all started climbing into the car while the Professor held the door open.
"The whole thing's stupid anyway, the Professor's smarter than any doctor, why couldn't he do it?" Buttercup demanded.
"Because I'm a geneticist not a physician. I don't know all of the possible complications that could sprout up, especially as far as you girls are concerned." The Professor closed the back door and climbed into the drivers seat while the girls buckled themselves in.
"Well it still stank!" Buttercup announced, sinking back into her seat in a huff with her arms crossed over her chest.
"My arm hurts..." Bubbles moaned pathetically.
The Professor chuckled and looked at them through the rear view mirror. "Well since you were all so good and patient at the doctors office I have a special treat for you tonight." The girls all perked up instantly at this.
"Really!? Where are we going!?" Blossom asked.
"Are we going to the zoo!?" Bubbles asked.
"Wrestling match!" Buttercup yelled eagerly. The Professor chuckled and shook his head.
"You'll see when we get there girls." He told them. The girls spent the rest of the car trip chattering to each other in the back seat in excited tones. Finally they pulled into the parking lot of the old theater where Al Lusion had once performed a long time ago. Well it was the same lot, the building had been completely rebuilt.
"What are we doing here?" Blossom asked.
"Tonight is opening night after the renovation, including a new magician. I thought you girls might like to see it." The Professor told them. The girls all screamed in joy at once, leaping out of the car the second he had their door open.
"Come on come on!" They chanted, pulling the Professor behind them as they streaked into the building. The front lobby was packed with people eager to see the first performance to happen there in years.
The Professor walked up to the man behind the counter. "Four please." The girls waited eagerly, bouncing up and down while he gathered the tickets before they picked him up and carried him into the theater. They found four seats near the back, setting the Professor down on the far right while they sat beside him in the order of Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup.
"When is it gonna start!?" Bubbles asked, hopping up and down on her seat eagerly.
"Just a minute Bubbles, they have to wait for everyone else to find their seats." The Professor replied, patting her head. She sat down, but didn't sit still, bouncing on her butt in anticipation.
Finally the audience had filed in the theater and the stage lit up, revealing a tall thin looking man in the usual magicians garb including a very tall top hat. He took off his hat and bowed deeply.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to my premier performance. I am Del Lirious, come straight from Citiesville. It's quite an honor to perform for such a civilized looking bunch." He said, standing up and looking over the crowd slowly. Bubbles could have sworn his eyes lingered on them for just an instant, but she didn't say anything. "Such civilized people that I would like to call for a volunteer."
Several dozen hands shot up in the audience, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He pointed up past the audience to a seat in the back row. "You there, why don't you come down here?" Bubbles looked around, thinking he was pointing at her until she saw a little boy who had been sitting beside her heading down the isle to the stage. The rest of the audience applauded politely.
"Now sir we have not met before have we?" The man asked.
"No." The boy replied, blushing as he shot a glance out at the audience.
"Good now could you inspect this for me?" The magician pulled out a small white egg from his cape, handing it to the boy. "It's just a normal egg, as brittle and white as any other, correct?"
"Yes sir..." The boy replied nervously. The magician took the egg and threw it in the air, catching it.
"Keep your eye on it." He moved so that the boy was between him and the audience, doing a little juggling act with the egg. He threw it in the air, caught it behind his back and threw it over the boys head to catch it again. The boy laughed as he watch, the rest of the audience joining in. "Watch closely." He bent over and threw the egg behind his back, but the one he caught was striped in the different colors of the rainbow.
The boy stared with wide eyes as the audience burst into applause. Bubbles clapped as hard as she could without hurting herself, laughing joyously while Buttercup jumped up and down, demanding to know how it was done. Blossom just smiled and watched calmly.
"Here you go." The magician handed the boy the egg and sent him back to his seat. "I'd ask for another volunteer, but this next one, is a little dangerous." He grabbed a cloth from a table and yanked it off, revealing that half a dozen sharp steak knives lay on top of it. "Remember kids, do not try this at home without first taking out life insurance." A few audience members laughed as he picked up the knives, three in each hand.
He started juggling the six knives, much to the enjoyment of the Powerpuff Girls and the Professor. He kept it up for thirty seconds before one by one he started flinging them out toward the audience. It changed so fast the Powerpuff Girls barely had time to realize what had happened before all six knives were arcing toward the audience members.
Screams erupted as the blades whirred through the air, but they lifted upward before they hit their apparent targets, flying above the audiences heads. They flew up through the air on their own, plunging into the ceiling in a perfect circular pattern. The audience let out a collective sigh of relief, a few having the presence of mind to give a weak applause.
"That was scary..." Bubbles mumbled.
"Are you kidding? That was great! Scared everyone!" Buttercup yelled, clapping louder than anyone else in the theater.
"A little too much..." Blossom replied. Bubbles couldn't help but agree.
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After the show the audience was piling out while the Powerpuff Girls floated backstage with The Professor following. They were allowed pretty much anywhere they wanted to go in the city, so the security didn't even try to stop them. They found the magician in his dressing room. He turned around when he heard them enter.
"Well if it isn't Townsville's trio of tiny titans, I'm honored to see you here." He gave them a dashing smile and a nod of his head.
"Mr. Lirious, we need to talk to you about your performance..." Blossom began, but Buttercup jumped in front of her.
"It was GREAT! You had everybody so scared, I think Bubbles actually wet herself!" Buttercup laughed. Bubbles looked angry, but Buttercup continued before she could speak. "The knife trick was just great! We need more magicians like you! You know, keep SOME people on their toes." She shot a glance at Blossom, but again didn't give her time to respond. "And the fire trick, I don't know HOW you did that!"
Finally Blossom managed to shove Buttercup out of the way to get to the magician. "I just think maybe your tricks are a little bit dangerous. Those knives could have hurt someone and the fire could have easily gotten on someone's seat." Blossom reasoned.
"Oh come on Blossom, you're just upset because you fell for it along with everyone else!" Buttercup retorted. Del Lirious just chuckled and put one arm around each girl, pulling them close.
"Now come on, you don't think I would actually put my audience in any danger do you Blossom?" He reasoned.
"I guess not..." Blossom admitted.
"We have everything that happens planned down to the millisecond. There is absolutely no danger at all to anybody in the audience." Blossom looked up at him still distrusting, but there wasn't much she could do. "I promise... in fact, how would you girls like to take a look around and see how everything's done?" He asked.
"Really!?" Buttercup's eyes lit up instantly. "Can we stay here for a little while Professor? Please!"
"I don't know, we still have to get home to dinner." The Professor mused.
"Go without me and I'll meet you there when I'm done." Buttercup replied logically. Blossom still looked distrusting of Del Lirious and Bubbles just looked solemn, but Professor Utonium could see how excited Buttercup was. It wasn't often she showed such interested in much of anything other than fighting. It would be good for her to have another hobby.
"Okay, you can stay here for another thirty minutes, but then you come straight home." He told her sternly.
"Yes! Thank you Professor!" Buttercup streaked up and hugged him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back before she floated down to the ground again.
"Come on Bubbles, Blossom, let's go home and start dinner." The Professor told the other girls, looking down at Buttercup. "Remember, thirty minutes." He told her sternly.
"Yeah yeah." Buttercup turned back to Del Lirious excitedly. "Can we go right now?" The magician chuckled and put one hand on her head.
"Of course, come on." He turned and led her back through the hallways out onto the stage where the props were already set up again for the next nights show. She streaked up to the table and looked around suspiciously, looking for wires or magnets of some kind. She didn't feel any though, it felt like a normal table with a cloth over it.
"How do they fly?" She asked.
"It's my little secret." He whispered conspiratorially in her ear, pulling the blanket off the table to reveal the knives. "You see, there is no illusion." He raises his hand, and the knives floated up off the table of their own accord, floating through the air over the seats.
"No illusion?" Buttercup asked, staring at them in surprise. "You mean... you can really move things with your mind?"
"Exactly." The magician replied, closing his fingers as the knives came together in a circle, flying back toward them. They stopped just before they hit him, floating slowly back to the table and settling down where they had been moments before. "And I think, you can do it too... with proper training." He told her softly.
"Me? All I can do is punch stuff and fly... I can't do anything cool like that." Buttercup replied, picking up one knife and examining it appreciatively.
"I think you can." He knelt down beside her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Haven't you ever done anything with just your mind that you couldn't quite explain? Anything like... telepathy?" Buttercups mind flashed back to their encounter with the SandMan, with the girls entering his dream. "Spontaneous bursts of energy when you're all built up?" Her mind flashed back to Bubbles in Mojo's costume, frying both her and Blossom without even touching them. "Accidental effects of hyperactive energy?" Her mind flashed to the time the girls flew straight through time during their race.
"I... I guess..." Buttercup replied, staring at him sullenly.
"Don't you want to learn how to harness that power? You could become much more than you are now." He told her, staring into her eyes.
"Could you teach me?" Buttercup asked softly.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure." He held one hand out, smiling kindly. Buttercup took it without hesitation in a firm handshake. Del Lirious smiled. "Well then, we can begin later tonight after your sisters and father are asleep." Buttercup nodded. "Oh, and don't tell them. This is our little secret... for now."
"Okay... well I should go." Buttercup took off from the ground and floated toward the exit. Stopping to look back at him. "Later!" She streaked out the door toward her house where the others were busy making dinner.
When she got home she found Blossom and Bubbles already sitting down to dinner, with the Professor just bringing her own plate to the table. The others looked over at her as she entered.
"Well? Did you find out how they're done?" Blossom asked curiously. Buttercup smiled and took her seat.
"Yeah, it was really interesting." She replied, digging into her food without another word. She could feel the others exchanging a curious glance, but she didn't pay too much attention. They didn't like the show anyway, they wouldn't want to know how it was done.
"I just don't want to have to go flying to the rescue when one of those tricks goes wrong." Blossom grumped. Bubbles nodded in agreement.
"Now Blossom we should give him he benefit of the doubt, I don't think he would intentionally put his audience in any danger." The Professor told her kindly. Buttercup decided not to answer, her mind was already on the night ahead of her. She could hardly wait to start her training.
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That night Buttercup waited until she felt her sisters' breath slow to a steady sleeping rhythm before getting up and getting dressed again. She streaked out the window and flew back to the theater as fast as she could. When she went inside she found the auditorium empty. She flew up to the stage, but she still couldn't see anyone.
"Hello?" She called softly. She whirled when a puff of smoke erupted behind her, the thin form of Del Lirious coming up out of the floor behind her. She clapped appreciatively while he took a small bow.
"Glad you enjoyed it, now, shall we begin?" He smiled at her and took the blanket off the same table from before, gesturing to the knives.
"What am I supposed to do?" Buttercup asked confusedly.
"Reach deep inside yourself, find the power born from the Chemical-X inside your body. You can use that to move whatever you want." He walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, watching her staring at the knives. She stared hard, looking inside herself for any hint of power. She could feel something bubbling up, but she wasn't sure what to do with it. She was shaking from the strain of trying to hold it where it was.
"Focus on the knives, and sent it outward." He told her. She gave a small grunt and gave a push to the table. The wood splintered apart with a thunderous crack as it flew through the air into the audience seating, the knives flying free to plunge into several seats while the wood rained down over the theater. Del Lirious gave a whistle of appreciation as he watched the wood come down.
"Not bad Buttercup, but you need to learn a little more control." He smiled down at her and patted her head. "But then, that's why you're here. We'll have you doing whatever you wish in no time, I promise." Buttercup smiled and turned back to the theater. This was looking more promising every second, a little while longer and she could indeed do it.
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The sun shone down on the playground at recess as it always did several days later, finding the Powerpuff Girls each going about their own business. Bubbles was busy swinging on the swing set with Robin and Mike while Blossom sat on one of the many benches reading a book with Elmer. Buttercup was playing a small game of Volleyball with Mitch using the little white lines Bubbles had cheerfully drawn on the ground for them.
"I got it!" Mitch yelled, diving for the ball before it could get past him. He hit it back fast, too fast for Buttercup to catch without using her powers. Still she dove for it, but she was far too late. Suddenly the ball went flying straight for Mitches head of its own volition. "WHOA!" Mitch dove out of the way before it could decapitate him, sending it flying straight behind him.
"Blossom, heads up!" Buttercup yelled. Blossom looked up just before it slammed into her face, sending her flying back through the playground to slam hard into the pavement, sliding a good twenty feet before she skidded to a stop. "Blossom!" Buttercup ran to her side in a green flash of light, lifting her head up. "Are you alright?"
"Ugh..." Blossom rubbed her head, closing one eye. "Yeah I'll be fine... you should be more careful Buttercup..." Blossom chided her.
"But she didn't even touch it, I saw her..." Mitch began, but Buttercup quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Blossom stared up at her curiously.
"Yeah I'm really sorry Blossom, I'll be more careful from now on I promise. Can I talk to you Mitch?" Buttercup dragged a very confused Mitch to the side of the school for a private talk. "Don't tell anybody about what happened okay? It would mean a lot to me."
"Why not? But you didn't touch the ball it did it on its own." Mitch complained.
"I know, but it's something the other girls don't need to know about yet." Buttercup replied. "I'm still kind of learning how to use it... and when I get better I can teach them. It was an accident, and I won't let it happen again, so please don't say anything." She begged.
"Well..." Mitch thought for a minute, staring at her. "Eh whatever, I don't really care anyway." He replied, shrugging it off.
"Thanks, now come on, I still have to kick your butt." Buttercup went back to the area where they'd been playing the game, followed by Mitch. She would have to try to be more careful, someone could really get hurt if it happened again. She was just lucky it was Blossom who got it or someone could have REALLY gotten hurt...
Before they could resume their game however Miss Keane came outside. "Okay children recess time is over. It's time to come back inside and learn a little more." Buttercup grumbled to herself and floated inside with the rest of the class, taking her seat with Blossom and Bubbles without complaint. The class waited silently for Miss Keane to begin their new lesson.
"Okay class, today we'll be studying Twiggy." She took the Hamster cage out from behind her desk and put it on top. The little rodent just stared at them all with a blank gaze. "Now, who can tell me what Hamsters eat?" She asked. Three hands shot up, including Blossoms. She looked around at the rest of the class disapprovingly. "ONLY Twiggy's weekend caretakers know? Haven't the rest of you been paying attention?" The rest of the class just stared blankly.
She sighed and sat in her seat behind the glass. "Okay, pop quiz Buttercup, what do Hamsters eat?" She asked, staring at the brunette Powerpuff Girl.
"Me?" Buttercup suddenly snapped back to attention, looking around. She gulped and stared at Twiggy's cage. "They uh... eat... Hamster... pellets?" She asked with a nervous smile.
"What do they NATURALLY eat Buttercup." Miss Keane corrected herself.
"Oh... uh..." Buttercup scratched the back of her head, staring at the little rodent in the cage. Suddenly the glass shattered outward, sprinkling Miss Keane with shards of broken glass and sending Twiggy flying back against the blackboard.
"Miss Keane!" All three girls streaked over to help lift her back up off the ground, picking glass out of her hair and clothing. She had a few scratches, but otherwise seemed okay enough.
"Ugh... girls... what... what was that?" Miss Keane asked, staring at the shattered cage in front of her with a look of surprised amazement. Blossom and Bubbles exchanged a clueless glance while Buttercup picked up a piece of glass, studying it. As the concentrated a small crack spread through it, almost looking like a spider web against the smooth glass.
"Maybe it's the air pressure or something." Blossom mused. Bubbles let out a worried shriek and grabbed Twiggy, who wasn't moving. Buttercup looked back at the rest of the class for a moment, noticing a suspicious look on Mitch's face.
"Twiggy's hurt!" She cradled the rodent in her arms like a baby, sobbing and crying frantically. The other kids all ran up to see what the commotion was about while Miss Keane struggled to regain control. Buttercup slipped out through the crowd, streaking through the door to land on top of the building. She looked down at her hands.
"Come on Buttercup get a grip." She told herself, balling her hands into fists. "No more breaking things or sending them flying. Self-control, that's what he said. I can do that. Just don't let anything else happen." She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Suddenly she wasn't so sure this training was a goods idea. Then she shook her head. When she learned to control it, it wouldn't be a problem. It was just a matter of time.
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After the class finally settled down and school let out the girls walked outside with the rest of the children. Twiggy was fine as it turned out, just in utter shock. A few kids stuck around to play in the playground a little longer, including a somewhat confused looking Mitch Mitchelson. Buttercup didn't quite trust the look on his face, so she too stopped before they left the playground.
"I'll catch up with you girls later, I want to stick around for a bit." Buttercup told her sisters. They looked at her strangely. Normally she couldn't wait to get home and jump in the training simulator.
"Any reason in particular?" Blossom asked.
"I just want to hang out with my friends, is that wrong?" Buttercup asked. Wrong answer obviously, Blossom looked more suspicious than ever. She turned to face her squarely, putting her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't going to mention this until we got home, but WHERE did you go when poor Twiggy was hurt?" Blossom demanded. Buttercup silently cursed herself, she thought she'd snuck out without anyone seeing her. "And WHAT was Mitch talking about earlier when the ball hit me?"
"Nothing! Okay? How am I supposed to have anything to do with any of that? You know we can't do stuff like that." Buttercup retorted sharply.
"Unless you finally got your own power, right Bubbles?" Blossom asked. Buttercup glared at her balefully. Blossom knew Buttercup was bitter about not having her own individual power yet. Blossom's Ice Breath and Bubbles' Linguistic abilities were theirs alone, but Buttercup didn't have anything of her own. Just when she thought her powers matched theirs, they got a new one. She was always a step behind.
"Trust me, Blossom." Buttercup spat venomously. Blossom just smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I had a new power, you'd be the FIRST to know." The meaning behind her sharp tone was perfectly clear to all of them. Bubbles gasped and put her hands over her mouth, looking at Blossom.
"It's a good thing that's not likely to happen." Blossom commented smoothly, not caring about the threat just moments before. "Come on Bubbles, she'll tell us what's going on soon or we're telling the Professor." Blossom stares back at Buttercup for another moment before she turned and streaked off into the sky, Bubbles following soon after.
Buttercup growled under her breath, looking down so she wouldn't accidentally shoot them with her eye lasers. She gasped when she saw the pavement beneath her feet cracking apart. She quickly calmed herself down, closing her eyes. She'd have to be more careful.
She whirled to find Mitch, seeing him across the playground talking to Miss Keane. Buttercup growled when she saw this, streaking over to a bush thirty feet away from them to hide. Thankfully her hyper-sensitive hearing could pick up their conversation easily even from this distance.
"I'm telling you Miss Keane, I think there's something wrong with her." Mitch complained, his tone unusually hushed for the school bully. Buttercup growled again, snapping a branch off the bush she was hiding in. That little tattle-tale...
"Mitch, are you sure?" Miss Keane asked worriedly. "I know she's been acting strange lately but... well maybe I should give the Professor a call. Just to make sure." Mitch nodded and looked around nervously, probably looking for her. Buttercup sneered.
"Okay... see you tomorrow Miss K..." He stopped suddenly, his eyes going wide as he was dragged wildly across the blacktop. He screamed in a panic as it tore through the back of his shirt, scraping his back mercilessly. Buttercup's hand had turned white from her grip on the plant, threatening to tear their roots right up.
"Mitch!" Miss Keane chased after him, but he was moving way too fast to catch. Mitch was in tears by the time he slammed into the wall of the school, screaming in pain as his torn up back made contact. Finally Buttercup snapped back to herself and blinked, letting Mitch fall to the ground, sobbing in pain. "Mitch are you okay? What happened!?" Miss Keane ran up to check on his worriedly.
"My b... back..." Mitch gasped out between sobs.
"Come on, it'll be okay." Miss Keane picked him up and carried him inside the building, leaving Buttercup staring at the dent in the wall where Mitch had connected. She blinked, looking down at her hands. She had done that... she sent Mitch up against the wall without ever touching him. It had been easy... she hadn't even had to think... and nobody knew it was her. It was so easy...
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That night Buttercup fled from the house again, this time taking with her all her clothing and personal belongings. She streaked into the theater where they usually met, landing on the stage and dropping her large briefcases to the ground with a loud boom. Del Lirious looked up at her from the audience seating, where he had been waiting patiently.
"Well?" He asked curiously.
"Teach me more." Buttercup demanded, her mind and eyes set on him. She'd tasted what she could do just after a few nights... what could she do after several more days full of training? She was too impatient to wait while she trained just in the nights... she'd have to stay here for a while. She didn't care right now, she'd do anything it took. She would show her sisters a real power.
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Blossom stirred with a soft moan the next morning, mumbling in her sleep and rolling over onto her back, pulling the blanket with her. Bubbles shivered beside her and yanked it back, pulling her over on top of her sister. They both yelped in surprise, staring at each other.
"Don't hog the blanket." Blossom chided her, rubbing her eyes and sitting up in bed. Bubbles sighed and sat up, yawning and stretching her arms out to the sides.
"Sorry sorry..." Bubbles grumbled sleepily. Blossom turned around to wake up Buttercup, only to find her side of the bed empty. Blossom stared down at it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Guess she's already downstairs." Blossom figured. So she and Bubbles got dressed for the day, then floated downstairs in their typical dresses. Blossom looked around, but couldn't see Buttercup anywhere. In a few moments though the Professor came out of the kitchen with four plates of eggs and grits with bacon stacked to one side of the plates.
"Have you seen Buttercup Professor?" Blossom asked worriedly. After yesterday she was afraid of what her brash sister might have done. What if she'd run away... because of Blossom?
"No, isn't she upstairs?" The Professor replied. Blossom and Bubbles shook their heads.
"She was there last night but she was gone this morning." Blossom told him.
"That's strange... well maybe she had to go save the day and just hasn't finished yet." The Professor looked doubtful, but he obviously didn't want to worry Blossom and Bubbles. "I'm sure she's just fine. Now go ahead and sit down to breakfast while I go try something." He set three of the plates on the table and carried the final plate down into his basement laboratory with him.
Blossom ignored her plate, flying downstairs after him. "What are you doing?" She asked. Bubbles streaked up behind her.
"I'm setting the PKE meter here to detect your girls specific power signatures. This is how I keep track of you when you're fighting monsters. See, here, this pink and blue dot is you two." He gestured to a pale green screen with a blueprint of Townsville displayed on it. Indeed, two dots were flashing dimly in one of the buildings. "When any of you uses your powers, this machine can pick up on it, and tell me exactly where you girls are."
"Whoa." Blossom stared at the screen, her fears only growing. "But I don't see Buttercup, does that mean she's..." She trailed off.
"It only means she's not using her powers, at least not within range of this machine. See, land and see what happens." The Professor suggested. Blossom and Bubbles landed on the ground, watching their dots vanish from the pale green screen.
"So if she flies anywhere in Towsville, we'll be able to see it here and find her." Blossom realized, her heart suddenly growing lighter. "But what if she... doesn't fly Professor?" She asked, the unspoken part of the question hanging in the air. What if she COULDN'T fly?
"Then we'll look for her the old fashioned way... after school." The Professor looked down at them meaningfully. They both groaned, being more eager to find their sister than sit through a lesson.
Suddenly a green flash drew their attention, covering the entire screen in a dark green hue. They had to cover their eyes against its intensity until it finally died down, leaving the screen as it had been before. They all stared at the screen, dumbstruck.
"Professor what... was that?" Bubbles asked.
"I don't know... it was Buttercups power signature but... over a thousand times more powerful." The Professor replied. Finally he shook his head and smiled down at them disarmingly. "I'm sure it was just a glitch in the system... why don't you girls go to school while I work on fixing this machine and getting a more accurate position on her?"
"Okay Professor." Blossom and Bubbles spoke in unison as they floated upstairs to get ready for school. They weren't very eager to get to class, but what else could they do? They would find Buttercup soon enough... they were sure of it.
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A week later with still no sign of Buttercup except the occasional flash of the PKE meter, Blossom and Bubbles were frantically trying to help the Professor increase its range of effect and its accuracy. Mostly they fetched tools or lifted the machine when the Professor needed under it, but they were happy to help any way they could. The green flash pulsed across the screen again, this time looking like it had an actual identifiable source.
"Quick girls, turn the dial there up all the way!" The Professor told them climbing out from under the machine. Bubbles set it down while Blossom streaked over to turn the knob. The green flash got a little smaller, letting them see the edges of the city, but they still couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from.
"Let's see here..." The Professor started messing with the dials, but suddenly the signature vanished as quickly as it had come. He punched the monitor in frustration, his two remaining daughters exchanging a disappointed glance. When he realized he looked back at them and gave them a small smile. "It's okay, I'll get it working in no time."
"I hope so, I miss her." Bubbles told him seriously. Blossom smiled and took her hand gently.
"I miss her too, but don't worry, the Professor won't let us down." She told her. This seemed to satisfy Bubbles, who smiled back and nodded, turning to look at the Professor.
Suddenly it seemed like all the weight in the world bore down on Professor Utoniums shoulders. He wasn't at all sure he could do it, he'd already boosted the accuracy and buffers on the meter far beyond their intended specs. It might be impossible to do any more... but he couldn't let his girls down. He had to try... no matter what.
So he set his mouth in a grim line and went back to work, turning knobs and fiddling with wires. In a minute the flash came back, brighter than ever. The machine started humming loudly, the processor inside sending up sparks.
"It's gonna blow!" The Professor exclaimed. Before he knew what was happening Blossom and Bubbles had grabbed him and streaked back to the other side of the lab. The fireball that had been the PKE meter came just inches from consuming him during their flight. The thunderous explosion coupled with the smell of smoke and scorched metal almost seemed to be taunting them. They'd just lost their last hope of finding Buttercup... what now?