Disclaimer: I do not own the PowerPuff Girls or any of its characters. It all belongs to the Cartoon Network and anyone else who has proof of ownership. I'm just using them for my own purposes.
The PowerPuff Chronicles
1 - Here we go again
Chapter 1
"Oh come on Mojo Jojo, how many times we gotta kick your ass each week before ya give up and become a good citizen?", asked Blossom, who was exasperated at yet one more poorly organized attempt to take over Townsville by its own resident second-rate genius, the monkey-man with the silly helmet.
"You will never get me to surrender", yelled Mojo in return, from inside the this-time nose-mounted cockpit of his recently reconstructed Robo-Jojo robot. "Nor will you get me to relent, give myself up, or exceed to you and your puny, dim-witted and decidedly dumb mayor! I will become ruler of Townsville one day, and, in ruling it, will be its ruler and will therefore govern it as I see fit, since I will be its one and only ruler, and because there will be no-one ruling it besides me, Mojo Jojo!"
"Man, I am so bloody well fed up of that guy and his rambling. Let's just get him, while he's not looking, please Blossom?" asked Buttercup, who was looking, if anything, even more pissed off than usual at Mojo going of on one.
"But that wouldn't be fair, Butter.......OW! That really hurt", Bubbles started, before being hit from behind by Mojo, who had been throwing the girls off guard before attacking. "On second thoughts, lets just get him now."
As they flew into battle once more, Buttercup screamed out at the top of her lungs "This is the bit I love most", before beginning to pound a missile launcher, concealed in the robot's arm, seriously out of shape, and then bending it round so it pointed up its own nose.
Meanwhile, Bubbles was attacking the metal monstrosity's legs, trying to tip it over, and Blossom repeatedly rammed the chest are, before freezing it with her ice breath and then smashing a giant hole through the sub-zero outer casing.
As they continued attacking the thing, as though it was just another day on the job for them (which it was), Buttercup flew in front of Mojo's face, and started blowing raspberries at him. "How dare you mock me and make fun of me, you insolent and impudent little brat, you miniature minx, you...you...you...now I will make sure to kill you even more!", and then he fired a whole broadside of rockets straight at Buttercup.
Of course, since Buttercup has already bent the missile launcher out of shape, the rockets travelled right up the nose, and into the side of Mojo's bubble-dome. "Oh no, I do believe they have beaten me yet again...", was all he managed to say before the rockets went off, and the little monkey was blown sky, and fell the hundred feet or so to the ground, where after the three girls had checked to make sure the robot was inoperable, began pummelling him into a quivering wreck, yet again.
"Oh, you two, look at the time", said Bubbles, when she felt that Mojo had had his recommended daily allowance of physical injury, "Ms. Etic will be wondering where we got to. We were only supposed to be out of class for half an hour, and its almost home time."
"Well then, we may as well go home and ring the school from there, mightn't we?" said Buttercup, who was covered in blood. From Mojo, naturally.
"Since when were you one for a quiet night in, eh Buttercup?" asked Blossom, suddenly suspicious of her tomboy sister's motives.
"What?! I just want to get home and veg out in front of the TV, or can't a girl get a bit of piece and quiet on her own without being up to something?"
"OK, OK, chill out sis, there's no need to bite my head off."
"Well in future, keep your nose out of my business, alright?"
"Whatever you say, Buttercup. It's just that I'm........"
"You're what? Too nosy for your own good?"
"If that's what you call being concerned about you, then....yes, I am."
"I'm sorry", said Buttercup, looking down at the ground, up at the clouds, anywhere but her sister's face. "I just need some time alone right now, to sort out my head, 'kay?"
"OK", piped in Bubbles, "but don't forget that we're here for you when you need us."
"I won't. Thanks, you guys." And Buttercup hugged her sisters both tightly before flying off home on her own.
"What am I doing? Why do I always have to say the wrong flipping thing?" Buttercup asked herself, as she flew home ahead of her sisters. "I mean, did I have to make it quite that obvious that I'm having trouble dealing with something? 'I need to sort out my head' my eye. I know exactly what's going on up there, I just don't know why, or how to make it stop."
"Hmmmmmmm, I wonder what that was about?" Bubbles thought, not quite sure what to make of their tough sister's momentary display of emotion.
"Well", began Blossom, tentatively "as far as I can see, its one of two things".
"And what are they, then?"
"Either Buttercup is in love, and is trying to keep it a secret, or......."
"Hee hee, Buttercup in love. That's about the most difficult thing ever to imagine. What's the other possibility?"
"She could just finally be getting in touch with her girly side."
"Does Buttercup even have a girly side?"
"I'm not entirely sure", responded Blossom, gracefully moving out of the way, just as she was about to be hit by a short-sighted eagle. "Whatever the matter is though, we should try not to make fun of her unnecessarily, OK?"
"Yes, ma'am! OW! OW!" shouted Bubbles in mock pain, as Blossom started swatting at her playfully.
At the Utonium residence, the Professor was working hard in his laboratory, researching something (does it really matter what?), when he heard what sounded like an explosion in the lounge above him.
"Hi Dad, I'm home!", yelled Buttercup, the moment she burst through the door. When the Professor put down his equipment and went to both greet her and scold her about breaking yet ANOTHER front door, he found her with a dustpan and brush, already sweeping up the debris.
"Well", exclaimed Prof. Utonium, "I'm glad that you're cleaning up your mess Buttercup, but it would be so much easier if you didn't break the door in the first place. There's a very good reason why doors have handles, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, but better the door than the roof, eh Dad?"
"I suppose so. And that's another thing Buttercup..."
"Yes, Daddy?"
"I still haven't gotten used to you three girls calling me Dad. Something just doesn't....sound right about it. Oh, hello Blossom, Bubbles."
"Hi Daddy. What do you mean, it doesn't sound right to call you 'Daddy'?"
"Oh, I'm sure its nothing, Bubbles. I've just gotten used to everyone I've met in the last 20 years calling me Professor all the time, I suppose it'll just take some time getting used to." Suddenly, the frown lines creasing his face seemed to melt into a big grin. "How do you feel about calling out for dinner tonight, girls?"
"Yay!!" they all shouted, and then the big food debate started up, as they each had different ideas on what constituted a balanced meal.
"I want a vegetarian kebab!", shouted Bubbles.
"I want Sloppy Joes!", yelled Buttercup. "Eww," thought Bubbles, "they're gross".
"I want a Chinese take-away!", screamed Blossom.
"Girls, girls, quiet please.......QUIET! I'll leave you to decide. You have fifteen minutes, or I order an extra large pizza..."
"Hooray!"
"...topped with triple anchovies..."
"Ooooooooooh"
"...and NOTHING else."
"Ewwwwwwwwww"
"Precisely. Now hurry up. I'm not kidding."
As soon as the Professor left the lounge to go back to work in the laboratory, Buttercup went on the meat offensive again.
"Listen, B-U-B-B-L-E-S, I am not having rabbit food ever again, understand?"
"Buttercup, what do you mean? You never eat anything remotely resembling a vegetable. At the rate you're going, you'll have a heart attack before you turn thirteen!" yelled Bubbles, incensed.
"Wha? Are you trying to say I'm UNFIT?"
"Yeah, you wanna make something of it?"
"You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"
"Anytime, any place, any way, sister."
"Well, come on then. Let's go!"
However, just as an all out brawl was about to erupt, Blossom finally decided to step once more into the breach.
"Hey, hey, we're all sister's here..."
"Yeah, but not by choice!" shouted Buttercup and Bubbles, at exactly the same moment.
"...and I'm sure we can come to some sort of compromise."
That calmed Bubbles down slightly. "OK, like what?" However, Buttercup was less enthusiastic. "Compromise. Oooooh, how I hate that word."
"Well, how's about we order from Taco Bell? That way, you can have your vegetarian meal Bubbles, while Buttercup...BUTTERCUP!?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening, whassup?"
"I was about to say that you can have a healthy, balanced meal for once, and I can finally get a moments peace in this house."
"Hmmmm....", Buttercup thought. She wasn't actually looking for a fight with her sisters tonight, and Blossom had made a good point. So, what were her options? Argue? No, she'd get in trouble with Dad. Storm off to their room? She'd been thinking too long already for that to look convincing, and anyway, it'd look petty. Oh well, she'd just have to give in, this time.
"OK, I suppose tacos are better than nothing", she said reluctantly.
"Good, I'm glad that that's settled. And Buttercup, could you not call me Red anymore? You know I don't like it. "
"Sure thing, Bloss!"
"Ummmmm, I 'spose its better than Red. Come on, let's go order those tacos."
"Hello, Townsville Taco Bell, how we can help you today?" said the guy on the other end of the line.
"We'd like a dozen large tacos please, sir, to be delivered to the Utonium household", said Blossom, in her politest voice possible.
"OK", came the reply, "your order will arrive within 20 minutes. Anything else?"
"Ummm, no, I believe.... that that's....Buttercup, what do think you're doing?!"
"Bubbles is a vegetarian, remember Bloss?"
"Oh, right. Sorry Bubbles. Yes sir, we'd like three of those tacos to be vegetarian ones, thank you."
"Right, we have your address, Ms. Utonium, the food will arrive shortly." And with that, Luigi put down the phone.
"Hey, Mario, 9 ordinary, 3 veggie, for the Utonium house!"
"Already on it, Luigi. I sometimes think those girls are what keep us in business!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean", shouted back Luigi, over the sound of the stereo blasting out '80s rock music.
Also listening to the conversation over that radio, was a mysterious creature crouching just outside the window, holding a vial of vile liquid.
(A/N. A vile vial. Try saying that ten times fast!)
As Mario staggered over to a barrel of something obviously alcoholic to get himself a drink, the creature rapidly uncorked the vial, and poured it contents over a large batch of dough used to make the tacos. Then, just as quickly, he vanished into the darkness of the alleyway, laughing maniacally under his breath. (Is it possible to laugh silently like a maniac?) The only clue that he had been there at all was the now empty vial on the sidewalk, with a label reading "Warning - HAZCHEM".
"Aaaaaah, that was a delicious meal, girls. I'm glad you finally decided on something to eat. I often wonder if you prefer fighting crime and villains, or each other."
"But professor", whined Blossom, "We don't like arguing with each other..."
"We're just so good at it, it'd be a shame to let the talent go to waste!", laughed Buttercup, as she stole made a grab for Bubbles' can of No-name brand Coke (A/N. Yep, the name of the brand is "No-name". Get over it).
"Professor, did you see that? She just stole my coke. I don't like you Buttercup, you're mean."
"Aaaaa, quit being a baby Bubbles. Anyway, you can't mean to say you actually like this stuff?"
"Buttercup, give Bubbles back her coke this instant." Interjected Blossom.
"OK, OK, I was just thirsty is alllllllllllllllllllup", complained Buttercup, giving a tremendous burp right at the end of her sentence.
"Buttercup, remember your manners, young lady" scolded the Professor. "And you shouldn't have drunk your own coke so quickly".
"Well, I drank it quick 'cos I was thirsty, and that was because Bubbles were getting up my nose", stated Buttercup, triumphantly.
"I was not annoying you!", screeched Bubbles.
Buttercup sighed. Bubbles could be so brain-dead sometimes. "I said Bubbles were, I was referring to gulping down my drink too fast making me burp, you dimwit." Honestly, she really could be so ditzy at times.
"I am not a dimwit!" shouted Bubbles, flying off up to the girls'd bedroom.
"Not again" moaned the Professor, as he got up. "You girls can deal with this yourself, I'm going back to work downstairs. And try not to stay up too late, please? You've got school tomorrow, 'kay?".
"Yeah, and it's our birthday, too!" said Buttercup, excited at the thought of all those presents and a huge twelfth birthday party the following afternoon.
"Oh yes, we can't forget that, sweetie", the Professor said, with an odd look on his face for a split second, and then the door shut behind him, as he went back to work on something or other.
Buttercup looked over at Blossom, who had a very stern face on at that moment. "Buttercup Utonium, you know what you have to do, right?"
"Yes Blossom, I hear you", said Buttercup, all enthusiasm draining from her face. Slowly she floated up towards their room, wondering what sort of reaction she'd receive from her baby sister. Though, technically, she's not my baby sister. We're all the same age as each other. So why does Blossom always act like she's my mother? And then, another voice in her head said, because she cares about you and Bubbles, dummy! So stop being so mean to both of them, all the time. Do you want them to hate you?
"I suppose not", whispered Buttercup to herself, as she knocked on Bubbles' door.
Bubbles heard her sister knocking, but chose to ignore it. When, a couple of minutes later, she realized Buttercup was still at the door, she shouted "Haven't you got the message yet, Buttercup? Go AWAY! I HATE YOU".
At that, Buttercup just froze, and then felt the first tears rolling down her cheek. "I'm sorry Bubbles, I wasn't trying to hurt you, I've just......got a lot on my mind right now, and I just took it out on the nearest person."
And that just happened to be me, did it? Why do always pick on me, and not Blossom?", cried Bubbles, finally getting her crying under control.
"I dunno, I 'spose it just natural to pick on the one who acts like a baby the most. It's not like a hate you, I'm just.......a little screwed up right now", said Buttercup, starting to develop a slight blush on her cheeks from the crying.
"Yeah, no more than usual", laughed Bubbles, finally opening her door, and motioning Buttercup to take a seat on the bed. "So what is the problem anyways, BC?"
"Oh, nothing important, just something I have to work through on my own. Anyway, we're cool now, right", said Buttercup, sounding hopeful.
"I guess so", said Bubbles, giving her sister a hug. "You know I can never stay mad for long. It's my big weakness." Suddenly, a thought sprang to mind, which Bubbles just couldn't seem to get rid of. "Did Blossom make you come up here to apologize to me, BC?"
"Nope, I just felt that it was the right thing to do. I promise I was not trying to impress anyone." Yeah, right. Keep saying it long enough, you might actually start believing it, too. I think I might go to bed now. Night, Bubbles, Sweet dreams, Bloss", she aimed at Blossom, who'd just come to see how the pair we're getting on.
"Night-night, you two", Blossom said, marvelling at the change in her usually tough sister. Hugging Bubbles, voluntarily? And since when did Buttercup give in so easily in a fight with Bubbles or me? No, there's something's not right here. I wonder what it could be...
Meanwhile, in the basement, the Professor was busy watching a video, thinking to himself aloud.
"I suppose I should tell them. They have a right to know, after all. I just don't know how they'll take the new when they find out about it, though. I wish I did. But I really should tell them. Yes, soon, right after the birthday party. I have to. They deserve to know. They deserve to know. They deserve to know. They deserve..."
To be continued... (Don’t you just HATE that phrase?)