THE SHADOWS WE CAST

WRITTEN BY THE NEAR-SIGHTED JEDI

BASED UPON 'THE POWERPUFF GIRLS'

CREATED BY

CRAIG McCRACKEN

Disclaimer: Don't own PPG. Craig McCracken does I believe.

FROM THE AUTHOR:

Hello all. Welcome to The Shadows We Cast, a hopefully dark and dramatic story I've had in mind for a while now. Quoting several authors: I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

There will be a few elements and references to Bleedman's Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi, of which I am a fan. In writing this fic, which I honestly hope to complete unlike previous works, I plan on making things dark and dramatic.

There will be gruesome moments, for you bloodthirsty readers out there, but do not come expecting a total bloodbath on par with Evil's Shadow *shudders.* The genre will be Adventure/Drama as of me typing out these words.

In terms of locations, Citysville and Megaville exist as neighboring cities to Townsville, all between a hundred to two-hundred miles to the north of Pasadena, California.

Townsville is to the north-west, Citysville is to the north-east across the Citysville Bridge, and Megaville is to the north a ways. Despite Townsville and Citysville both having waterfront districts, only the former has ever suffered giant monster attacks, for reasons unknown.

In terms of crime, think of Citysville as being Gotham and Megaville as Metropolis. One is dark, dingy and dangerous, while is the other is brighter and moderately more pleasant. Townsville in this universe, is a median between the two.

On to timelines. The Shadows We Cast begins around August of 2012. The PPGs were created/born in April of 1997, making them fifteen.

The Powerpuffs are fully human in appearance in this particular universe. For a bit of realism, the girls are triplets and the biological daughters of Professors Antonio and Lauren Utonium. Lauren died from complications when the girls were only a few days old. In terms of the girls having different hair and eye color, we'll say that the changes are a side effect of the Chemical X, much the same way Mojo ended up with green skin.

The Powerpuffs gained their powers at the age of five, after Mojo shoved the Professor and broke the vial of Chemical X, dousing both he and the girls in it. Shortly thereafter, the girls began manifesting their powers to their delight, the Professor's shock and curiosity, and Mojo's jealousy and feelings of rejection.

Driven mad by his sudden increase in intellect, Mojo fled and ultimately became the archenemy of the Utonium family in the same manner he did in the movie. However, his brain did not grow out of his skull in this timeline. His only physical changes were growing larger and stronger, as well as having green skin and reddish eyes.

Professor Utonium's first name will be Antonio. I happened across the suggestion on a PPG wiki. Whether this is canonically his first name, I don't know. I like it better than John, I'll tell you that much.

Several non-PPG characters often may also be mentioned or make cameo appearances. After searching around online for what Dexter's last name might be, I decided on Cavanaugh after his original voice actor. This idea also came from a wiki.

There will be no appearances by the Justice Friends. They don't seem particularly effective at crime-fighting (just watch the episode of Dexter's Lab 'Last But Not Beast.' They get their asses handed to them on a silver platter by Badaxtra. Consider them non-existent in this universe.

One last thing. Many of the Powerpuff rogues gallery will not appear due to various circumstances in-universe. To name all of their fates would drag this on too long, so I will reveal one: Sedusa died after her hair tentacle was caught in a crusher/shredder machine she attempted to kill the de-powered Powerpuffs with. She was pulled in and eviscerated, which the girls were unfortunate enough to witness. To see the crusher machine, go to Youtube and search 'This Machine Destroys Everything' by seedeeep.

Enjoy.

-Near-sighted Jedi, 3/26/13-

We stop looking for monsters under the bed when we realize they are inside us.

-Gil Grissom-

ONE: The City…of Townsville

High above the gleaming spires of Townsville a streak of pink light arced across the afternoon sky, coming and going as quickly as a meteorite. Those citizens of Townsville who saw it however, simply went about their daily routines. Long-time residents were used to strange things occurring in their city.

Fifteen-year-old Blossom Utonium was the source of the photon trail, which propelled her through the air at a cruising speed of four-hundred-fifty-five miles-per-hour. She was not born with such an amazing ability though, but by an accident in the laboratory of her father, Professor Antonio Utonium.

At the tender age of five she and her sisters, Bubbles and Buttercup, were helping their father sweep his lab when Jojo, the Professor's pet monkey, shoved him, causing his broom handle to shatter a container of the mysterious Chemical X all over the three Utonium sisters, as well as Jojo.

Within minutes the trio were flying around their father's laboratory and showing superhuman strength and speed. On their first day of school the girls discovered just how powerful they had become, ravaging Townsville while playing a high-speed game of Tag. Needless to say, the citizens were not pleased.

Ultimately the sisters who came to be known as The Powerpuff Girls, saved the city from Jojo, who had since become the evil genius Mojo Jojo. Accepted and beloved by the citizens, the trio quickly set to work keeping Townsville safe from crime.

Blossom was the leader of the The Powerpuff Girls, and took her job very seriously (Buttercup would say too seriously). As the sisters grew into young women, the three decided to omit 'Girls' from their team name as a way to show their maturity. Thereafter people simply referred to the trio as The Utonium Sisters or The Powerpuffs.

Despite growing up and having their own aspirations for the future, the girls still fought as a team when necessary, which was not often due to crime being rare nowadays. Most crooks stayed as far away from the city as possible. As for the super villains, the vast majority either retired, disappeared from the public eye, reformed, or passed away. For the past five years Townsville had enjoyed relative peace, allowing the Utonium sisters to focus attention on other pursuits.

In the present, Blossom flew up past the cloud layer and hovered in the air on her back, letting the rays of the sun warm her. Like Superman she could draw strength from solar power. Closing her eyes to meditate as she often did, Blossom very much enjoyed the quiet and solitude.

"Earth to Red!" The sudden, loud voice in her ear startled Blossom out of her meditation. Momentarily losing her ability to fly, she swore a blue streak as she plunged straight through the clouds like a red-headed lead weight. Catching herself well before hitting the ground, Blossom rocketed back up to the stratosphere.

Buttercup was hovering a few feet away, doubled over and having herself a hearty laugh. Raven bangs concealed a pair of striking emerald green eyes, which were filled with tears of mirth. She was clad in her favored green-and-black attire: a green t-shirt with three slashes across the front, a black tank top underneath for the sake of modesty, and well-worn black jeans. The slashes on her shirt were acquired during a fight with a rather small monster.

Blossom did not find her sister's amusement, in the least bit amusing. Over time the leader of the Powerpuffs had grown somewhat dour and uptight, often responding to Buttercup's attempts at humor with a snippy attitude or just outright blowing up and starting an argument. When asked, Professor Utonium stated his belief that Blossom was just stressed, like any leader burdened with many responsibilities.

Blossom chose to blow up today.

"Did you come up all the way up here just to give me a heart attack?" Blossom icily demanded, arms crossed, red eyes glowing faintly with anger, "I hope you have a damn good reason for interrupting my meditation Buttercup!"

Her omnipresent red hair-bow was bent back in the wind like the ears of an angry dog. When she wanted to be alone, the fool that bothered her was in for quite the dressing-down. Even Professor Utonium suffered Blossom's wrath once. Needless to say, he was not happy at being shown such disrespect, grounding her for a week.

Buttercup rolled her eyes, sick to death of her sister's venomous attitude. She snapped back, "oh for heaven's sake Red, lighten up and get the redwood tree out of your ass! All I came to tell you, is that I got some grub from the Golden Star." She held up several paper bags. "Do you want any, or have you finally mutated into a crab-apple tree and only feed on sunlight and rainwater now?"

Fearsome growls from Blossom's stomach immediately answered the question. Superpowers burned thousands of calories when used, requiring a rabid metabolism.

"Lunch sounds good to me" Blossom replied, finally calming down, "Let's go home." She silently forgave her sister for interrupting her 'me-time.' Her pride and ego, however, would not allow her to say so out loud. Flying side-by-side, the two sisters zipped away towards Pokey Oaks, the suburb of Townsville where they had resided for all fifteen years of their lives. Far below, the huge metropolis sprawled out in a hodgepodge of architectural styles, soon giving way to rows upon rows of humble houses.

Flying low, the girls waved to the various residents. Such was the life of super-heroines, the Utoniums were delayed getting home a number of times by people in need. Blossom and Buttercup rescued two treed cats, stopped a car with snapped breaks and saved a group of children from getting run over by said car. Good deeds done, the girls quickly reached 33171 Faust Avenue.

The cubical house with three huge circular windows, had barely changed since the girls were born aside from a blue, green, and pink paintjob, and a communication dish on the roof.

The kitchen (blue) was to left of the central house (pink), and the garage/underground D.Y.N.A.M.O. launch pad on the right (green). The girls bedrooms, now separated into three by walls, were located on the second floor. Landing neatly on the porch, Blossom and Buttercup went inside, letting out a sigh of relief as the chilled air washed over them.

"Ahh, home sweet home" Buttercup said to herself, making a beeline to the kitchen. She set the four carry-out bags on the table, eagerly tearing into the one she had marked with her name. She liked her food extra-spicy, enough to send even her sisters running for the milk jug.

Blossom called up the stairs, "Bubbles, lunch! Chinese food!" There was no reply for a few moments. She could swear she heard the strumming of a banjo.

Chalking it up to Bubbles' listening to music, she shook her head and dismissed it. Bubbles did not own any instruments that she was aware of, and could only play the drums.

Opening her heavily-decorated door ten seconds later, Bubbles quickly poked her head out, causing her shoulder-length ponytails to swing like a pair of blond ropes. "Be down in a minute!" the blue-clad Utonium sister answered, sporting her usual broad smile, "oh before I forget, tell Buttercup not to be an oinker! Too much MSG and she'll end up like Blob from the X-Men!" She snorted like a pig and ducked back into her room, giggling to herself.

Buttercup paused mid-way through a box of ghost pepper Kung Pao chicken and quipped, "I heard that Bubs! Best get down here or I might eat your lunch as payback! When I get all roly-poly from the calories I'll steamroll you!" She immediately resumed stuffing her face, though she smiled at Bubbles' humor.

In the decade that the Utonium sisters had been fighting crime, Bubbles had changed the most out of the three. Gone were the days of bawling over the smallest things or needing the hall light on. She could take any insults Buttercup directed her way, and immediately throw her own right back. Despite the frequent banter, they loved each other dearly as any good siblings did.

Maturity had been good to the Utonium sisters. Bubbles, having developed some nice curves, often turned heads wherever she went. Despite the attention however, she showed little interest in pursuing a relationship in the near future. She was of the belief that she would know 'the right one' when she saw him or her.

Buttercup was the strongest of the three since she worked out and sharpened her skills at every opportunity, retaining enough muscle to show her power while still cutting a nice figure. She had every intention of continuing her career as a super-heroine as long as she was able.

Blossom was an intermediary between Bubbles and Buttercup. While she kept herself in top form, her preferred activities leaned more towards the academic and scientific, giving her a slim but strong physique.

Bubbles came skipping down the stairs, humming 'Only the Young' to herself. Taking a seat at the table next to Blossom, she pawed through a bag to see what was available.

"Thanks for buying lunch B.C." she said gratefully, grabbing three cans of root beer out of the fridge. Taking a drink of her own, she looked through the bags and was pleased to find the sweet-and-sour chicken she was fond of. During her childhood she had gone through a vegetarian phase, but resumed being an omnivore at the recommendation of the Professor.

Buttercup nodded her head to mean 'no prob' due to her mouth being full. She had finally taken up some semblance of the manners Professor Utonium taught his girls. That did not mean however, that she was totally civilized. Green and wild as the jungle, in her own words.

Professor Antonio Utonium, the girl's father, was currently away at a meeting of the World Science Council, of which he was a long-time member. The group included such luminaries as Professor Dexter Cavanaugh, Dr. Nora Wakeman, and a reformed Mojo Jojo. Blossom had ambitions to join the ranks after graduating college.

From what the girls knew of the meeting subject, there was a powerful new super-heroine, named in the news media as the Tiny Titan, who was earning the love of the masses over in England. She had superpowers very similar, if not identical, to the girls. The Council was to discuss whether she might have been exposed to Chemical X like the Powerpuffs. If so, then how had her parents acquired the rare substance, and who were they?

Titan's identity was of course unknown. What was known, was that her Cockney-accented voice confirmed her gender as female and that she or her parents hailed from London's East End. She always wore a midnight blue hoody, matching pants, gloves and boots, and a simple steel mask to hide her face.

"So, what all did you do today?" Bubbles asked presently. This question was a ritual the family had taken turns with in recent times. This helped them keep track of each other's activities and what was going on in Townsville.

"Blossom and I rescued a couple of cats and save some kids from gettin' skooshed by a runaway car" Buttercup replied, "other than that I haven't done anything worth talking about. Townsville has been real quiet. Too quiet if you ask me. I want something to punch!"

Blossom fought back the urge to roll her eyes. "Prior to the usual day-saving, I went to the library for a bit and then meditated, until Chuckles here snuck up and scared the living daylights out of me. My hair is still damp from all the cloud vapor. I'll be blow-drying it for hours."

Buttercup shook her head. "Well here Ms. Vanity, let me save you the trouble. Hold still, this won't hurt a bit!" She charged up her eye-beams, pupils glowing bright red as the energy built up inside.

Blossom raised her hands in self-defense. "Don't fire your eyebeams at the table Buttercup! Hey didn't you hear me, I said put the peepers away!" Naturally, her protests fell on deaf ears. The red lasers passed down over Blossom's head for a few seconds.

Buttercup ceased her eyebeams and sat back with one arm draped casually over the back of her chair, unafraid of the fireworks that were likely to ensue. She was confident in her ability to restrain Blossom if her otherwise stoic sister lost control and attacked. She loved getting under Blossom's skin. That was her third favorite activity after fighting and training.

"Laser-drying sure is…effective" Bubbles said, nervously scooting away just incase her sister threw a punch or fired her own eyebeams. Blossom sat unmoving, red eyes wide. For a brief second, Buttercup feared she might have brain-damaged her sister. She was relieved when several blinks indicated that a driver remained behind the wheel.

Surprisingly, Blossom did not go hardcore and verbally and/or literally slaughter Buttercup. Instead she cracked up laughing, having a fit of the giggles not heard from her in many an age. Danger passed, Bubbles and Buttercup joined in with their own joyful laughter.

"Thanks for saving me the trouble B.C." Blossom said once she regained control of herself, "I'll have to figure out to laser dry myself. I think my mirror should reflect well enough."

Lunch devoured and bonds of sisterhood stronger than ever, the Utonium sisters settled down for a relaxing evening at home. All three piled onto the comfortable red couch, favored snacks in hand, to watch The Secret of NIMH.

Naturally, the girls were interrupted during one of the best parts of the movie. Blossom reluctantly paused the movie and flipped open her phone, an advanced model designed by Mojo. While she would have preferred red or pink, her former archenemy built the device in his signature white with purple stripes.

"What's the situation Mayor Bellum?" she asked, switching off the TV to avoid any distraction. She sat up, fully alert and ready for anything. Bubbles and Buttercup mirrored her actions, looking forward to fighting crime again.

Sara replied, "I just got word of suspicious activity from my brother, Officer Andy Bellum. He said one of the unused waterfront warehouses has been broken into by a large number of people in black cloaks. They have a number of captives, so rather than endanger those people by calling in the cavalry, he decided to call me so I could send you in. Hurry and go stop those cultists girls!"

"On it Mayor!" Blossom replied, "we'll bring everyone home safe and sound. Tell your brother that he made a wise decision." She put away her phone and flew out the front door in a flash of pink. Bubbles and Buttercup immediately followed, wondering what the situation was.

Mayor Sara Bellum was elected in a landslide vote after the previous mayor passed away. She was, unlike her bumbling predecessor, highly competent and effective at her job. Townsville's citizens loved her, and the Utonium family considered her a dear friend and mentor.

Buttercup pulled up alongside her sister. "What's going on Red?" she asked, "sounded pretty serious. I caught something about the warehouse district. Giant monster right?" She grinned, sincerely hoping for a Godzilla knock-off to thrash.

"Cultists, the kind that sacrifice animals and people for their dark gods" Blossom explained, "pedal to the metal girls! We can't let those captives get hurt!"

Bubbles held a hand to her mouth, trying not to be sick. "D-do people r-really carve up innocent creatures like that?" she asked shakily, somewhere between tearing up and going hardcore. She held animals and nature dear to her heart. Once, she had come very close to incinerating the owner of an underground dog-fighting arena, but her sisters had stopped her from becoming a murderer. The scumbag still got his just desserts however, since the girls beat the ever-loving hellfire and brimstone out of him when he coldly shot one of the dogs.

"'Fraid so Bubs" Buttercup replied, "people will do the most evil things for money, or power, or revenge. You know that since we've fought pretty much every kind of scum and villainy there is." She felt a pang of guilt, remembering all the people she hurt to obtain money from the tooth fairy.

"Doesn't make it hurt any less" Bubbles softly replied, narrowing her eyes, "I'm going to kick ass extra-hard, B.C. There will be blood tonight, oh yes!" She punched her fist into her palm.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Buttercup exclaimed, "that is the Bubbles I want to see more often!" She held out a hand for a fist-bump, which Bubbles happily obliged.

Flying faster than any aircraft on Earth the Powerpuffs rocketed over Townsville, which was reduced to multi-colored blurs. Skyscrapers rapidly gave way to the city waterfront, which stretched along the banks of the Stony River.

Bubbles scanned the enormous warehouses with her x-ray vision, looking for any signs of life. She spotted a large gathering of people in Warehouse 32 and reported this to her sisters.

"Good thinking Bubs, using x-ray vision!" Buttercup complimented, "I'll admit I was wrong about you being a total ditzy-doo. There is a decent brain in your head after all."

Bubbles flatly replied, "gee…thanks Buttercup." She sped up a bit to catch up to Blossom. Circling the warehouse, the commander and leader thought up a plan and she thought it up quick.

"We can't go crashing in like we usually do" she said after a few moments, "the cultists might panic and kill their captives. We sneak in and catch them off-guard. These old buildings have catwalks in the upper sections, so find a window and get in that way. We will observe and see what we are up against."

Buttercup, who had been looking forward to immediately creaming the bad guys in a blaze of glorious fisticuffs, grumbled her disapproval but stood by Blossom's plan. She loved a good fight, but the lives of the citizens were far more important. Buttercup was not so callous as to put innocent people in danger for her own benefit. Not anymore, anyway.

Plan in mind, the three sisters flew up to the roof and peered in through the skylight, taking great care not to be seen. Numerous metal barrels, filled with wood and other debris, had been ignited for warmth, light, and atmosphere. Flames cast long and eerily moving shadows across the walls, making it seem like they had a life of their own.

Just as Andy reported, there were hundreds of black-cloaked people gathered around a makeshift platform at the center of the warehouse.

Tied to the beams were four captives: three terrified women, and one tall, red-haired man who looked battered and half-conscious. Clad in the uniform of the Townsville P.D. The Powerpuffs immediately recognized him as Officer Andrew Bellum.

"Looks like Andy got caught" Blossom grimly whispered, "we know he reported in, so…damn, I bet the cultists are expecting half the cops in Townsville to show up! Stay alert girls." She scanned the surrounding area for signs of guards or hired thugs, not finding any signs of life aside from a few rats and nesting seabirds.

"True that may be Blossom, but what the creeps don't expect is for three super-powered teenagers to crash the party!" Buttercup countered, grinning savagely with a fire in her eyes that evil-doers knew meant trouble and ample time spent in a full-body cast.

Blossom hovered over to one of the upper windows. She used a quick zap of her laser vision to cut the lock and slip inside. Bubbles and Buttercup trailed close behind, watching each other's backs. The trio had learned long ago that they were more vulnerable if caught off-guard.

One cloaked evildoer, taller than the rest by at least a foot and clearly the leader, addressed his followers in a deep and resonant voice that reminded the girls far too much of HIM. The interior of the man's hood was completely dark.

Taking cover behind a pair of large crates, the Powerpuffs watched the proceedings down below.

"We gather here tonight for only one purpose" the cult leader began, looking around at his puppets. He had easily duped a wide variety of dark-worshipping men and women into flocking to his side like the sheep they were. "We are to bring a demon unto this mortal plane."

Despite being influenced, the gathered people kept their free will and muttered amongst themselves, wondering what their dark master was talking about. There were no such things as demons unless you counted HIM, and most these days thought him to have been a cos-playing hack with a taste for the theatrical. Everyone present was of the impression that they were here to chant in Latin, drink some wine or blood or if things got really wild, carve up some unlucky animals or the kidnapped people.

"However, I shall need something from you all" the cult leader continued once he had attention focused on himself again, "I will need…your blood and mortal souls!"

The worshippers immediately panicked upon learning the true reason for gathering in this dingy old warehouse. Scrambling for the exits, they were horrified to find huge metal bars blocking the way out.

"We have some guests it would seem" the cult leader said, looking right at where Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup were hiding. The crates exploded and threw the girls into the wall. Recovering immediately, the Powerpuffs leaped over the railing and landed in front of the cloaked fiend.

"Don't you move!" Blossom commanded, dramatically pointing at the cloaked man, "we're the Powerpuffs, and you are going to jail for kidnapping and breaking and entering!"

"Gimme a reason to kick your ass, just one!" Buttercup snarled, "try and run so I can cut your legs out from under ya!" She tensed, ready to leap on the robed villain and batter him into a quivering heap.

Move the man did not. He calmly replied, "I know who you are Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup Utonium. Fortune has smiled upon you this night, for you will be participating in a most important event: the resurrection of Mephistopheles!" He slid two pale hands out of his sleeves. Bluish energy crackled over unnaturally long fingers tipped with shiny black claws.

Before the Powerpuffs could move in for the kill, the cult leader fired a burst of energy which instantly dropped the super-powered trio to the floor like stringless marionettes. He waved his hand and the trio floated into the air, now fearful for their continued existence.

"When I get…feeling back in…my fists" Buttercup grunted, using all of her willpower to speak, "I'm gonna…pound you into the…ground like a…golf tee!"

Chuckling, the cult leader replied, "you have got a lot of fight in you Buttercup…I like that. Before you die I should show some manners and introduce myself, so shall you know the name of your destructor: I am Hesperian, a demon sorcerer of some renown in the underworld."

"When we get loose…your name is going…to be mud!" Blossom replied, trying to get her limbs moving.

Beside her, Bubbles was trying to do the same. She had no plans to be sacrificed to bring back Mephi…whoever the heck Hesperian was talking about. She loved life, and that included her own.

'Let me take the reigns Bubbles' a soft, slightly throaty voice commanded from somewhere in her mind, 'I will get our body working. Hesperian will not know what hit him. I will rend his flesh and bones asunder.'

Bubbles found the voice familiar. She realized with a sudden start that it belonged to her dark side, the personality she took on when in 'hardcore' mode. Bubblevicious.

'No, you are too dangerous!' Bubbles replied back, 'if I let you loose you might kill all those other people. I'll find another way to escape. You go back to whatever dark corner of my mind you crawled out of, and stay there!'

Ice cold laughter. 'I do not think you will escape from the binds without my help, Bubbles. When I am in control, I am faster and stronger than you by a thousand fold. Now let me take over or I will have to use force.'

'Never!' Bubbles focused all of her willpower on keeping her dark side suppressed. She felt Bubblevicious fighting back…and winning.

'No, no you get back you monster!' Bubbles snarled, 'I hate you, go away!' She was good, a champion of the light, and refused to give in to darkness. Never again would Bubblevicious harm innocent people. Bubbles struggled with all her might, but ultimately she was shoved into a mental cage in the back of her mind.

Bubblevicious took control and narrowed her eyes, which had darkened to navy blue. Flexing her hand to work the remaining pins and needles, she surged forward with a feral grin on her face.