Contract of Engagement
The city of Townville. A bustle metropolis that hadn't changed much in the generous fifteen years gone past since the birth of their homegrown heroes, the Powerpuff Girls. Or, as one would suppose themselves to be calling grown females, the Powerpuff WOMEN. Yes, it had been a good many years of crime fighting for the stalwart puffs, aging them well into their twenties. Despite that, they were still the Powerpuff GIRLS to many and thus they would stay beloved in the hearts of the citizens.
But little girls have so few true concerns; women had so many!
That was Blossom could think blearily as she hung up the phone, her chat with one of her co-workers cut tragically short by the beeping sound emitting from her wrist. Rolling up the sleeve of her light rose blazer, pink eyes focused in on the miniature beeper strapped around her arm. All of the girls had them nowadays—while they had been together all the time as children, there eventually came a point where they began to drift into different crowds, hobbies, and even jobs. Their leader liked to consider themselves all still very close, but really…their differences had to be considered.
So shortly after almost messing up ANOTHER battle due to them being apart at the time of the emergency, Blossom had eventually crafted up these small wrist beepers that would alert them when their trusty phone buzzed. Even if they had jobs, even if they had different hobbies, and even if they were hanging out with different people…the only thing that would always keep them together is that all three sisters knew that they would never let crime prevail. It was a comforting feeling, even while rushing awkwardly out of the office in high heels.
"Another monster to punch at, Ms. Utonium?" Her supervisor joked, gesturing at the redhead's wrist. Blossom laughed awkwardly. She knew this would've been unacceptable in any other town—the only reason the girls could get away with it was because they were in Townsville and the Mayor had ordained (via Ms. Bellum's suggestion) that the powerpuffs be allowed the freedom to have work breaks whenever an emergency struck. Thankfully none of their jobs thus far had complained. It was a bit difficult to do that, she supposed, when the break could mean the difference between life and death for Townsville.
"Sorry, Mrs. Watson! The database will be on your desk in the morning!"
Before the other woman could reply, the puff was gone in a flash of blinding pink light. A small burn mark trailed across the white carpet in her stead, the frame of the door slightly inflated outwards. Calmly, her supervisor massaged her temples with an exasperated smile on her face before picking up the phone and pressing the button to reach through to her boss.
"Yes, Mr. Carson? Yes, it's me. I was just thinking that maybe we should re-carpet the office in black...and perhaps get some bigger doors."
High above the city, the pink puff couldn't hear the giggles of her supervisor on the phone. What she could SEE, however, was flashes of blue and green jettisoning across the clear skies. Pushing forward she cast her pink stripe across the sky, her elbows hit up against the other two as they joined to make their puff rainbow. Bubbles giggled against the pull of the wind, with Buttercup giving a derisive snort—accompanied by a clear grin.
Her sisters had changed both not at all and yet entirely so. The perky cut of Buttercup's childhood was gone, replaced with short spikes that flared around her untended bangs. The green dress was long past gone, replaced with a pair of tight running shorts. A white tank top pressed against her breast as the fabric of an electric green hoodie bustled around madly in the wind. Constricting Mary Janes had long since been traded out for the finest—as well as most dynamic—pair of black and green sneakers that she could find.
Bubbles, on the other hand, was covered in a light blue sleeveless dress that fluttered sweetly around her knees. A series of small rose patterns curved around the bottom hem. Her pigtails, though…they seemed to be something that would never leave. They had simply grown longer and curlier as they bounced off her back. Blossom sometimes had to laugh when she watched the yellow of her sister's hair illuminate within the blue stripe generated upon flight. She wasn't even sure if Bubbles even noticed—the blonde certainly didn't notice how frequently she forgot to wear shoes nowadays, at least.
One thing Blossom COULD say they had unfortunately all retained was a chronic case of being very short. They had certainly grown up, it was true, but apparently it wasn't ever destined to be that far. Buttercup was the only one who cut through the five foot mark, and ONLY the five foot mark. Both Bubbles and Blossom still hovered around the unfortunately diminutive size of somewhere around four foot ten at best. No matter how short they ended up, though, they did always manage to make the scene with a great presence.
With a loud bang, they crashed through the double doors of the Mayor's office. Blossom slackened her pose slightly when she saw Ms. Bellum shaking her head with fingers tapping against the fine hardwood desk, tiny elderly man aside her holding up a large green colored jar. He shook it in their direction expectantly. No, it couldn't be. Not again.
"Girls, would you…"
"OH GOD DAMMIT, MAYOR, NOT AGAIN!"
"Buttercup, please! Language!" Blossom scolded; the green coated woman just slunk backward to sulk and mutter to herself. With that their leader turned a force smile on the Mayor's desk—she wasn't even sure how he was still alive. The man had been elderly even when they were children, yet not a single change seemed to have overtaken him. He was still as full of foolishness and pep as he was when they were in kindergarten…but she had also been a little more willing to tolerate this kind of abstract silliness when she was five.
"I tried to warn him." Ms. Bellum sighed.
"No, no, it's fine, it's just…Mr. Mayor, we're not little girls anymore." Blossom approached the desk, folding her hands in front of her chest in a pleading gesture. With Bubbles investing herself in one of the old coloring books that the Mayor used to keep in his office for them, it was hard to make her point, but it had to be made. "We…we're ADULTS now. We can't be coming at all times for something that really isn't a serious emergency, because we have jobs. Like YOUR job! You wouldn't want to be distracted from your job, would you, Mr. Mayor?"
"We~elllll…I suppose not…" The man mused, tapping his finger against his moustache.
"Aaaand maybe you can ask someone else to open your jars, like Ms. Bellum!" Blossom suggested. The red haired assistant nodded, carefully lifting the jar from the Mayor's arms to pop it open with a quick twist of the wrist. The man looked up to her with what could only be described as gleaming admiration. "See! So for more mundane stuff like this, maybe you could…try to find other solutions, okay?"
"Ah, well, I'll keep that in mind, girls." The man clearly wasn't listening to her, indulging himself in his pickles. Ms. Bellum waved her hand, gesturing the girls to leave before he found some other preposterous task for them to attend to. All three of them floated out as quietly as possible, with Buttercup's arm wrapped around Bubbles' mouth to keep her from complaining that she had not yet finished her coloring. The double doors slammed behind them.
"….UGH! THAT STUPID—" Buttercup began, but crossed her arms when the redhead leader just shook her head. It wasn't worth their time to rant over this. She wasn't even entirely sure if it was the Mayor's fault—he was getting up there in years, and she had the sneaking suspicion that he was suffering from a little bit of onset dementia. "You know, I was doin' some important stuff when it buzzed!"
"What, hanging out with your boyfriend?" Bubbles cooed. Buttercup's cheeks reddened, teeth grating together loudly. Blossom sighed, pressing the small of their backs to push the pair down the hall as they began to snipe at each other.
"We weren't on a date! We were just watching the game! Which I ALSO am missing right now, if I might add!" Buttercup snapped. The blonde simply smiled impishly. She knew better than to take Buttercup's jabs seriously when it came to this topic. "Besides, who are you to talk? You don't even have a boyfriend!"
"I don't need one." Bubbles said carelessly.
"Ha! What happened to 'love makes the world go round', Bubblebrain?" Buttercup snorted. A small smile seemed to be perking at her cheeks anyhow. Blossom dropped her arms back to her side; both of them seemed to be walking alongside her without struggle now.
"Love DOES make the world go round, Buttercup!" Bubbles exclaimed, picking up her pace down the hall as her arms flailed around in some incoherent accompaniment to the oncoming speech. "But there's more than one kind of love in the world that helps it go around! There's like…the love we have for the Professor! He's not our boyfriend, but we love him because he's dad! And then there's the kind of love that someone feels for something oh-so-cute like a kitten, or a puppy, or Octi!"
"You still have that thing?"
"Of course! Because I love Octi! And love makes the world go round." Bubbles said proudly. "And since I love SO MANY different things, I don't think I really need a boyfriend. But even if I did, I still wouldn't have a boyfriend! Because I would be waiting for that very special person."
"Of course you are. Dork."
"This from the one with the actual boyfriend!" Bubbles tittered slyly. Buttercup flushed red again. "What about Blossom? She doesn't have one either, you know!"
"T-that's not really important, I think." Blossom stuttered. The last thing she wanted was her love life—or lack thereof—brought to the attention of others. But large eyes were focused questioningly in on her…particularly Bubbles' big blues. The leader sighed in defeat. "I guess I'm like you, Bubbles. I guess I'm, uh, waiting for the right…person. To, uh…"
"Make love keep the world going?" Bubbles suggested. Blossom shook her head with a smile, ruffling her sister's blonde hair; the girl broke out in a fit of giggles. Age didn't seem to matter to Bubbles—she would forever be the sugary sweet part of the concoction that was the Powerpuffs. From any other grown adult, saying something so sappy would seem almost groan inducing. Out of Bubbles, though, it seemed almost encouraging. Probably because Blossom knew the blonde girl really believed in what she was saying.
"There's all sorts of love!" Bubbles proclaimed as they strode out into the street and leaped upwards in a flash of colored lights to return to the sky. "Love for couples, love for families, love for animals, love for objects, you can even have a love for the people that you hate sometimes!"
Blossom screeched to a halt so abruptly that her red pump flew off her foot, plummeting to the ground. She stared blankly down at it as the shoe disappeared into the trees of the park, completely ignoring the confused gazes from her sisters that had slid to a halt in front of her. Neither of them said a thing—they knew that if Blossom wanted them to know what had stopped her midair than she would tell them. The redhead leader was no liar, nor did she keep secrets.
"I…guess I should go get that..." She said lamely. The other two nodded uncomfortably, watching the redhead sink into the park as if gravity itself was weighing down on her. She felt the foliage brushing against her cheeks and tangling in her hair as she pushed through the tree branches—why had she done that? She had no reason to do that. Bubbles hadn't said anything that astounding, or mindblowing, or even anything that offensive. Just…something she had said. It had thrown her off.
And she wasn't about to admit to what it was.
Just…just to that it was nice to sit in the grass of the park. She had her shoe in her hand, and normally she would've just flown back up to her sisters. Now she was just playing absentmindedly with the strap of the shoe…enjoying the sensation of the grass and the more gentle wind that blew against her skin down closer to earth. It wasn't something she got to appreciate much, these calm moments. Most of life seemed to be taken up by hectic fights, or rushes to get databases done, or to work on her experiments in her free time, or to try and figure out what she thought about…
Unimportant. It was unimportant. As was what Bubbles had said. It was an overreaction, an unneeded alarm, a shock that was not necessary to the situation, a position that most certainly did not call for such a high level of confusion and disarray in one's mental facilities…
"The park is not typically where one finds juvenile superheroines taking their intermission from daily life, one would have to admit."
Blossom groaned and buried her face in her hands. It was like redundancy SUMMONED him or something. Begrudgingly she lifted her hands from her face to cast an annoyed look at the villain currently standing aside her underneath the canopy of the trees. Unlike them, Mojo Jojo had not particularly changed much aside from becoming a bit larger—which she could only assume had to do with normal chimp growth patterns rather than the 'who knows what's coming next' way that she and her sisters had developed into adults. One thing was incredibly certain, though. No matter if she was five or fifty, Mojo Jojo was an expert at showing up at exactly the WRONG time.
"What are you doing here, Mojo?" She snapped, pulling her pump back onto her foot. "Because if you don't have anything important to say in any form other than a rambling monologue, I have places to be."
"I am sure you certainly do, Powerpuff Blossom." An amused grin spread across the mastermind's face, exposing those familiar rows of sharp fangs. "However, it must be noted that I am here because I LIVE here, as in that I take residence in this place in a home in which I sleep, eat, and perform all the actions that are necessary in keeping a living being in the status of living."
"What part of 'any form other than a rambling monologue' doesn't make sense to you?" Blossom shot back—it was a weak attempt, though. She was tired. It had been a long, rather annoying day and she just didn't have the energy left to deal with this rotten cherry on top. She did spare a glance to the side; to her irritation, the villain was indeed correct. The volcanic observatory was not too far from where her shoe had landed. Just her bad luck.
This seemed to be amusing Mojo, at the very least.
She stood up fiercely, not to be laughed at by some villainous chimp, only to be greeted with the ever-constant reminder that she and her sisters were very, very SHORT. She barely reached the nose of the egomaniac, much less surpassed him. It was one of those things that she always tried to not let bother her, but yet somehow always did. After all, a superheroine wasn't too intimidating if she was four foot ten…and had to stand on tippy toes to look her enemy in the eye.
"What are you doing out of your observatory, anyways?" Blossom narrowed her eyes. Mojo Jojo only left his dwelling for two reasons: shopping, and megalomaniacal evil deeds…and she didn't see any shopping bags in his hands. Only a slightly worn hardcover of a book.
"It is a fine, beautiful, lovely, enjoyable day out. Believe it or not, those of us who come from the villainous persuasion can possess a certain enjoyment for the simple things in life." He gestured to his book. "These simple things in life can include the reading of a novel outside in the afternoon."
"You're just…reading a book."
"Yes. That is, in fact, what I, Mojo Jojo, am doing. I am reading a book. A classic in many ways, that being that it is a book remembered across many generations for its quality and introspective looks, written down in the format of text on a piece of paper for those like myself to take in—"
"Oh, what IS it?"
Mojo grinned; Blossom grimaced. He had been baiting her. "Lord of the Flies."
"Pretty run of the mill for a super genius." Blossom stepped back into her confident skin, casting a derisive look over the villain. It didn't seem to bother him in the least. "Sure, it's definitely a quality read with a well thought out look at human nature and the line between civil and savage, but it's the kind of book read in high schools. Hardly the material that someone that calls himself 'intellectually superior' to have not read through before."
"Ah, you have always been a proud one. If your emotional strength is your strong suit, then your pride will undoubtedly be the downfall of said emotional strength." Mojo chuckled darkly; the woman flinched visibly. "I have in fact read through, perused, studied, and interpreted the contents of this novel many a times before. Your derision in its face is most amusing, Blossom…especially in its application to yourself."
"W-what? What's that supposed to mean?"
"There is a line, is there not? A line that you trace between 'good' and 'bad'. Very similar to the line traced in the novel between civil and savage? Yet the children in the novel are always only one step away from that savage nature, that is to say that merely one mistake or bad day would change these civil young men into savage murderers…into what you call the 'villain'." Blossom was frozen under the gaze of the slanted red eyes, horrifically entranced by the direction his words were leading. She didn't want to hear it but it couldn't be stopped. "Maybe, dear Blossom, your line between good and bad isn't as solid as you believe it to be. Even in the 'good' Blossom and the 'bad' villains she fights against."
You can even have a love for people you hate sometimes!
Crouching on her heels, the puff launched herself violently into the air and away from the chimp. Mojo simply watched as the pink stream shone across the sky, amusement painted in his own eyes as he slammed the tome in his hand shut. Such a sensitive girl. It was almost bothersome that she was his intellectual equal when such simple discussion could hurt her. Then again, even though she thought she was concealing it well, everyone who knew the redhead knew that something hadn't been quite right with her in the past few months.
It likely wasn't really any of his concern that Blossom was having some sort of odd breakdown, but at the very least it WAS interesting to observe.
Such a sensitive, smart girl.
So very, very smart…
Buttercup laid stretched out on her rooftop as she stared up at the slowly appearing stars. She wasn't much of the type for sitting still and thinking about stuff, but this afternoon had bothered her a bit. She fought with her pink sister a lot—hell, she even fought with Bubbles sometimes. But whenever anything was really, TRULY wrong, they all could tell…and this had been going on for some time now. So many constant slip-ups unlike Blossom, an almost inability to pay attention, a certain air of confusion and almost anger that lingered around their leader….
The black haired woman was broken out of her reverie when a knocking rang out against the metal plate separating her from the inside of her house.
"What's up?" She asked morosely, not even bothering to get up.
"Wanted to know what you wanted for dinner. There's not much left in the kitchen, y'know, so I'm gonna grab something. Any special requests?" Buttercup sighed, a small smile passing over her face as she propped herself up to look at the brunette relaxing against the opening to the roof. "Chinese, maybe?"
"Chinese sounds like some good shit, Mitch, but there's a finale game on tonight. Sounds more like a pizza event, if you ask me." She replied as she scooted over the roof to hang her legs over the side of the hatch. He chuckled, laying a peck on the side of the exposed upper hip hanging from her track shorts. "Get some extra cheese on that pie, if you don't mind. I'm feeling a heavy need for heavy cheese."
"Hard day, huh? Kick some ass? I didn't see nothin' bout it on the news."
"Ha! I'm almost surprised. The Mayor needing his pickle jar unlatched again seems like something he'd make priority over any other news." Buttercup let out a barking laugh, throwing her head back to stare at the stars. "…I dunno. I'm worried about Blossom. She's still acting kind of weird."
"Oh, this…still goin' on?"
"Yep. No idea what triggered it all." The black haired woman sighed. "It just kinda started out of nowhere some day after she was doing some private research. Ever since then she just kinda has been way more quiet than she's ever been, and she's seemed really damn quiet. It's almost eerie at this point. I hate to say it but I miss my bossy ass sister…this tired wreck isn't the sister I grew up with."
"Well, I—" Mitch was interrupted by the loud chimes of the doorbell. "Ah hell. I'll get it, be right back."
Buttercup snickered slightly, sliding across the roof to peer down at the door. Her eyes widened at the sight—standing there, slumped and rubbing her arm nervously, was the very topic of the conversation herself. Blossom looked blearily up to her sister. Those pink eyes were filled with confusion and…for the first time in Buttercup's recent memory…something almost similar to defeat. The leader of the Powerpuff Girls standing there like a nervous child with defeat just permeating her form.
"Hi, Buttercup." She said with a weak smile. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Jesus, Blossom! Are you okay? You look like a goddamn wreck!" The raven puff said automatically, clasping a hand over her mouth quickly. She always had been prone to making stupid comments at the worst possible time.
But it didn't seem to bother the redhead woman; she simply lifted slowly off the ground to hover up to the roof, falling unsophisticatedly onto her butt against the smooth metal surface. Mitch watched from below in confusion before slowly inching back into the house. It didn't take much to realize that Blossom didn't really want anyone to overhear whatever was bothering.
"Buttercup, I need to ask you a question." She said. Her gaze seemed focused straight forward, over the reach of the suburbs and onto the raised towers of downtown. "I….uh, I hope its okay."
"Is this about what Bubbles said this afternoon?"
Blossom jolted slightly and Buttercup sighed, collapsing down next to the redhead with her arms resting on her outstretched knees. "Look, you know I'm not really one for words and sympathy. But if you think that I'm the right one to come to with whatever the hell this problem of yours is, then I'm willing to listen. You just ain't been you lately and frankly anything that'll get you out of that sounds like a great idea."
"Do you remember when you had a crush on Ace?"
"I….what?" Buttercup faltered, words catching in her throat as her eyes narrowed visibly. "Blossom, look, we all know that was…"
"…A mistake, I know." The redhead sent a long, calculating glance at her sister. "…The FIRST time. When you were five. I'm not talking about when you were five. Well, I mean, I guess I am, but I mean…you know what I mean. You remember, right? You remember having a crush on him."
"…Yes." Buttercup finally muttered. It wasn't a pleasant memory—none of her memories tied to the boss of the Gangreen Gang were really ones she liked to look back on. She could have at least given herself an excuse when she was five. She was FIVE, for crying out loud. All it took was a little buttering up. Any five year old would have loved the special attention. There was no excuse, however, for the mistake she made when she was eighteen….and gave Ace another chance.
Needless to say, it hadn't ended well. All it taken the slimy gangster was one chance to squirm himself back into her favors, approaching her at the high school graduation ceremony to congratulate her on become a 'real stand up woman'. Buttercup could only assume that the crush had never really worn off, only temporarily waned…and he took this chance to manipulate her from every direction and keep her from stopping crime so his petty idiots could freely perform their petty crimes. Saying that she needed to work more on 'their relationship' and less on 'fighting crime'. It was humiliating but she had fallen for the whole scam…right up until he had willingly and opening beat the everloving hell out of her during one of their particular crime routes. She hadn't lifted a finger to fight back, because it was LOVE, but…
…well, shortly afterwards she hadn't thought so much so.
It had ended less than a day later. In the end, she had managed to get more free time to hang out with her old friend from elementary school, Mitch Mitchelson, which had developed into something more. And certainly a real something. Buttercup could honestly say that even if this relationship didn't work out, she would at least not regret it like she had with Ace. She had no business LOVING a villain anyways.
This paused the girl's contemplations.
"….Why are you bringing this up?" Buttercup asked. She kinda had a feeling what the answer was, but the green puff wanted to hear it straight from her sister's mouth. She wanted it to be confirmed. Even the destitute expression on Blossom's face wasn't enough to really tell her what she was so sure was true.
"…I think I caught the same problem." She muttered.
"You're in LOVE WITH A BAD GUY?!" Buttercup screeched as she jumped up; Blossom sent her a vicious glare and her sister shrank down a bit. That had certainly been tactful. "U-uh, sorry. I didn't mean to…but you know. It's kind of a big thing. This is the kind of wild child behavior they expect from ME, maybe even from Bubbles. Not something that anyone would expect from you."
"I am well aware of that." Blossom's tone was clipped and impatient.
"Well, I see why you came to me instead of Bubbles, anyways. Experience gives way to better advice, right?" Buttercup sat down next to the redhead, a somewhat bitter smile on her lips. "Even if it's from advice from someone who made the same stupid mistake twice. So who is it?"
"…I don't see how that is important."
"It's important, trust me. I mean, I fell for Ace…TWICE…because he had a certain type of appeal that really could only draw ME in. I mean, I can't see Bubbles or you falling for him. He isn't your type." Buttercup cast a suspicious glance over to her sister. "…Is he? God, it isn't Ace, is it?"
"No, ew. Don't be gross. I would think you'd have enough confidence in me to think I would've learned my lessons about him from watching YOU get ripped apart by him." Blossom stuck out her tongue in disgust. "I would never date that pig OR any of the cronies in his dumb little gang. They hardly even qualify as anything more than petty criminals outside of those instances."
"I guess you've got a point, but geez, give me SOME credit." Buttercup joked, fingers tapping rhythmically against the smooth roof. "Couldn't any of the Rowdyruffs, those three collectively have the brain cell count of a damn ant. Can't see you even putting up with that one of those losers, much less being in LOVE with one of them. Is it Him? That'd be pretty creepy."
"Dear lord no. Stop guessing."
"No. I ain't gonna help you if I don't know who it is. I mean, I'm not even sure I CAN if I don't know." Buttercup paused and frowned. "….shit, it isn't PRINCESS, is it?"
"I would sooner shoot myself in the mouth." Blossom sighed. "Look, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned this…I've just been really frazzled over it lately. That's all. And I mean…it's hard to deal with. I know he's not going to bother with any love manipulation like Ace did. LOVE is very unlikely to be on the top of his list of interests. Probably doesn't even understand it…well, I mean, he probably does. I guess I've seen him in love before. But I doubt he's considered it with someone like…."
"Like us?" Buttercup supplied. "Not like many people really do, so it can't be much better involving someone you're probably punching on a regular basis. We're short, bug eyed little science experiments freaks. Even if he's wrong almost all the time, Mojo was kinda right in that one."
Blossom flinched; her sister narrowed her eyes.
"…No."
"…Yes…"
"NO." Buttercup said firmly, slamming her palm down on the roof below her. "Absolutely NO. That can't be right. You're confused about something. Maybe you drank something weird in your dumbass lab. Maybe you just aren't getting enough sleep. Who knows. But you are not in love with fucking MOJO JOJO."
"I am."
"I swear to God, Blossom…" Buttercup fell backwards against the roof, holding her face in her hands in frustration. "Explain. You need to start explaining to me right now why you are sitting on my roof claiming to be in love with our worst enemy. Our worst enemy, the goddamn maniacal mutant chimpanzee. I know you're smarter than this."
"Smart, huh? Smartest woman in the city, according to all the tests and work I've done. Maybe one of the smartest women in the world." Blossom replied; if it weren't for her exhausted tone, Buttercup would've though the redhead was bragging. "So who does the smartest lady in the city look to for intellectual stimulation? Well, so far, no one. It's one of the reasons I've so successfully avoided relationships so far. Significant others bore me. They can't challenge me. They can't tell me anything I don't know."
"And you're saying Mojo can."
Blossom smiled—a crooked, uncomfortable smile. "I'm not saying Mojo can. I KNOW Mojo can. Even if he's always been on the losing end of our fights, he's one of the few who have given us a run for our money. And why? Because he's smart. Just as smart as me, just as smart as the Professor, and far smarter than anyone in this town. I realized this, you know. I was in my lab experimenting with a chemical combination. I was alone. And I realized that I was alone, and I was fine with that. Because I don't think of anyone else as being smart enough to accompany me in my own private lab."
"How humble."
"Well now, I don't mean it like that. You and Bubbles are smart. But you're smart in different ways. Certainly not in the way of chemical concoctions, engineering layouts, mathematical equations, and philosophy. Just to name a few." Blossom poked her sister in the side. "You're smart in your confidence. And Bubbles is smart emotionally. You just are smart in a different way than myself."
"Nice save." Buttercup grumbled. "So Mojo? Mojo is smart in that way?"
Blossom paused, staring at the stars for a few moments before dipping her head. "…Let me finish the story. I was working in my lab when that thought came to mind. That I don't consider anyone as being smart enough to accompany me in my own private lab, with my own private experiments. No one else could handle them. But then, out of nowhere, I was hit with a thought that just….rang out in my mind. Mojo Jojo. He…he would be smart enough. He could do it. Mojo is my intellectual equal, perhaps even my intellectual superior. Only he would be useful in my lab."
"And since then, I thought about him more and more." Blossom closed her eyes in exhaustion. "But it wasn't what I was used to thinking about him. No plans on how to evade his attacks, no analysis on the villainous patterns he displayed…I guess my thoughts kinda shifted to this reoccurring admiration. I went from thinking about how annoying an attack was, to thinking about how finely tuned it was. To how impressive the robotics work was, and how cultured he can be when he wants to. I didn't know what I was thinking…but it was driving me crazy, Buttercup. It was just driving me right up a wall. I didn't get it, I didn't get an ENEMY, and that…"
She fell silent.
"And then Bubbles said that."
"…Yeah." A deep heaving sigh as the redhead finally collapsed backwards herself. Pink eyes stared, unblinking, at the span of glimmering stars above the pair of sisters. "Yeah. 'You can even have a love for people you hate sometimes'. And everything that been bugging me for the last few months finally snapped together in my head. I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't figure it out sooner."
"Well, you don't really admire anyone you know personally…"
"That's not true." Blossom snapped defensively, banging her fists against the roof stubbornly. "I admire the Professor. I admire Ms. Bellum."
"So what's different here? Why is it 'love' with Mojo…" Buttercup rolled her eyes when the redhead shot a glare at her—as if even saying it out loud would curse the situation and make it worse. Like it could GET worse. "…and admiration for people like the Professor and Ms. Bellum? I mean, come on. Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself. Maybe its just a, eh…a professional respect."
"The Professor is our father. I would never 'love' him in this kind of context. I'm no Electra." Buttercup made a face; she hated when Blossom did that. Always with the weird psychological references—her sister read far too many of those books about mental conditions and didn't have much of a filter for bringing the contents up in casual conversation. Even if it was an incredibly uncomfortable topic. "And Ms. Bellum…she's smart and talented. I 'love' her in that I admire her. She's almost like an idol; I can't really 'love' her in this way because I'll always see her as the person I want to be rather than anything she really is."
"Really, Professor Blossom? Do go on."
"Oh, don't be a brat, Buttercup. You're the one who asked." Blossom sighed loudly, irritation obvious. "Besides…I'm not really happy with this either. Having a 'professional respect' of Mojo Jojo would be acceptable. But what I'm feeling right now…what I've probably been feeling for a really long time…"
"Ain't acceptable."
"Yes. It is not acceptable. But I don't know how to deal with it."
Buttercup and Blossom stared into the familiar sky, their conversation giving way to the sounds of the night. Crickets chipped around in the darkened trees that swayed gently under the push of the warm wind, an owl hooting in the far distance. The green puff couldn't help but think how nice it was…or would've been, if there weren't that ugly awkwardness hovering around them both. These were really the times that she could've used Bubbles around—the blonde was their ideal mediator. She was always there to be happy and perky, and get people through their hard times. Anything to help was enough for Bubbles.
….but Blossom had come to her. Buttercup. It was obvious why. Bubbles had no experience with this kind of thing. She didn't know personally what it felt like to be in love with the kind of…person who would never quite match up to your own morals. Granted, she hadn't ever really had anything in common with Ace to begin with…and even as painful as it was to admit it, her redhead sister DID have things in common with the one who had garnered her affections. Even with the display of shock Buttercup had given at the news, when she really sat down to contemplate it, she could see how it would've arisen. She didn't like it but she could see why it happened.
A thought struck her.
Nothing destroyed affections like rejection. Whether the affections would wither and die on the spot, or slowly wane out, knowing that their affections would not be returned no matter what tended to act as something of a medicine to the lovesick (if the logical woman next to her could ever really be called that). Though it could lead to manipulation…if it were Buttercup in that position. The green puff knew she had always been emotionally weak in the case of love; Blossom was no such thing. She could spot manipulation on the spot, moreso now that she was an adult.
"Maybe you should talk to Mojo about it."
Blossom shot up immediately, balking away from her sister with horror in her eyes; it almost made Buttercup laugh. "Are you crazy?! That's the worst idea I've ever heard! That could only end in disaster!"
"Exact-o." Buttercup waved her hand flippantly. "He'll reject you, the feelings won't be returned, and they'll die."
"T-that's really forward."
"I've always been pretty forward. You know that." The raven haired woman grinned mischievously at her redhead leader; the amused expression was not returned, only a frown and crossed arms. Blossom was very familiar with Buttercup's more forward behavior. It had gotten them in trouble during battle more than once. "You know I'm right, though."
Blossom ran a finger across her lips, eyebrows knotting in concern as she pulled her legs against her chest. It seemed like such a drastic way to handle the situation. But it wasn't a plan without its merits. Mojo would reject her. In fact, he would probably laugh at her. Depending on the scenario he might accompany that with an attempt to kill the crimefighting trio she led. Love wasn't his thing; she'd only seen the genius chimp fall head over heel once and it had backfired horribly on him. The likelihood was low that he was open to the concept even with people who WEREN'T his mortal enemies.
"I admit it may be a plan with some amount of…merit." Blossom frowned as she watched her sister's grin increase in size with every word. The redhead slowly rose to her full diminutive height, feet lifting off the metal roof as she rose into the air to cast her pink eyes across the city of Townsville. She stared blankly at the park, then closed her eyes as her fists clenched.
"Thanks, Buttercup."
And she was gone in a blast of pink light. The black haired girl sighed and made her way over to the opening to the roof—Blossom could handle this, she knew. She hadn't been their leader for so many years without knowing how to handle herself, even if Buttercup was sometimes stubborn to her sister's leadership. Still the woman paused slightly as her hand breezed over the hatch for to door down, green eyes casting a worried glance over the city.
She really hoped she hadn't just given her sister the wrong advice.
In retrospect, crashing through the ceiling wasn't really the best way to leave a good impression.
Not that it was an unusual occurrence—Blossom could see signs of wear and tear across the observatory's ceiling. Welding marks and careful repairs from all the holes made in his ceiling when the girls had burst in to confront their biggest enemy. Enemy. She had to remember that. This was their biggest enemy, and she was here to settle this final score she had with him. Even if 'being in love' was something of an odd final score to be settling.
…Which of course, would be impossible to settle if she was here all alone.
The main observatory was completely empty and dark. Her pink eyes scanned the area—nothing aside from a few rounded red couches and a coffee table scattered with books, pencils, and the beginnings of what were likely diabolical plans to cause more unneeded havoc in Townville. It took all of Blossom's self-control to keep her from inching over to them for a….preliminary look. It never hurt to be prepared, after all, especially in battles with supervillains.
…Well, it couldn't hurt to take a PEEK…
"And here I thought the heroine was supposed to have higher standards than that of breaking and entering without reason." Her hand froze above a blueprint that looked to be the beta version of a large robot equipped with some sort of sleep darts. "As well as the clear cognitive abilities to decipher that it is poorly thought out plan to carry out such a breaking and entering scheme without the assistance of your sisters, that is to say that it truly is remarkable to behold the foolishness of a single woman invading the property of Mojo Jojo even if said woman is one with superpowers. By which I mean, what are you doing in my domain, Blossom?"
She straightened up quickly, dusting off the front of her blazer. But she did not turn to face the mutant supergenius. Even the redhead did not know what compelled her to continue staring across the city from the windows that circles the room. Deep in the back of her head, she felt a pang of shame—she did not KNOW what compelled her to not face Mojo, but she did have an idea.
Either way, she had to close her eyes and reassure herself that this was a simple matter. Introduce the concept in a more downplayed manner, have it rejected, possibly laugh, and immediately get over it. Yes. That was the way to go at this. It was the perfect plan. No muss, no fuss, just getting straight to the point and having the whole matter rectified. The simple genius of the plan almost sent a broad smile across her face even as the back of her mind reminded her that it was Buttercup's idea, not hers.
"I do not appreciate being ignored, Powerpuff." Blossom's eyes snapped open and she immediately stumbled back; Mojo now stood in front of her with annoyance apparently on his face. With a small shriek she stumbled backwards, tripping over that blasted pump (new shoes, she scolded, she really needed new shoes), to collapse in an undignified heap atop one of the red couches. "You are not much on your game this particular day, are you. One would think that you would take notice of said lack of coordination and avoid coming near the lairs of evil genius, that is to say, the dwelling that is Mojo Jojo's."
"Shut up, Mojo." The redhead groaned. "I need to talk to you about something."
"If it about plans of evil, then I do not have any that I have enacted as of today. For this day I have been partaking in the innocent acts of blueprints and reading. There is no involvement that I have with whatever you are currently trying to bust in terms of illegal activities." Mojo snorted flippantly, watching with thinly veiled amusement as the redhead tried to straighten herself up on the couch. "So be gone. Believe it or not, whether it will convince your mind or detract it, those who perform villainous acts have a right to privacy as well. I have no desire for you, Powerpuff Blossom, to be around my observatory."
"It's not about any crimes." Blossom replied, finally situated herself with her legs crossed; instinctively one of her hands tugged at the matching skirt so that it didn't ride so high up her hips. Blearily she tried to ignore the red eyes that caught contact with said action, trailing upwards the already low-fitted skirt. A small, almost mocking grin tugged at the chimp's lips.
"Really now? That is truly a different turn of events. It is an odd happening between the evil genius and the good genius." Mojo commented, striding over to the couch to pull one of the matching footrests up to sit on. This was all going far more casually than Blossom had anticipated; she had expected at LEAST one blast of laser in her direction when she crashed through the roof. "What is it that you wish to discuss with I, Mojo Jojo? Do you perhaps have a dilemma that not even the brain of the mighty Blossom Utonium can conquer?"
The sarcasm in his tone was clear; her form stiffened up again as a glare crossed her face. This was a simple, easy plan. There was nothing to worry about. All she had to do was extinguish her own admirations, her own affections. To find a way to let go of the fact that deep under her irritation, she felt a small pang at her chest when the villain had trailed his eyes up her hips. To find a way to let go of the fact that she was occasionally peeking to the coffee table, examining the plans and (while noting the flaws) considering the sheer brilliance in the construction plans. Blossom coughed slightly; the plan. Focus on the plan.
Extinguish the affection.
"I'm not here to talk to you about anything crime related." She said—distraughtly, she realized that her voice had raised an octave. It didn't seem like the slight chance had escaped the chimp's notice, either, but he simply raised a brow in amusement. "I'm here to talk to you about a, uh…a…that is to say…a matter. A non-crime related matter."
"…I am intrigued. Keep me as thus and perhaps you will be heard out completely." Mojo rested his chin on one white gloved fist, the other hand gesturing at the redhead to continue. Half of her was miffed at his self-confidence, the other half begrudgingly impressed by the chimp's ability to truly make a presence. That and how the shadows of the room fell across his face in an almost intimidating manner. The redhead had to hold down a scream of frustration at the feelings it was inflicting on her heart and stomach.
She took a deep breath.
"Recent contemplations have led me to a realization that, having discussed with my sisters, I have decided that I have an issue that can only be solved with your cooperation." Blossom announced. She was greeted only with a confused look from the villain sitting in front of her. "Well? Will you give me your cooperation?"
"Well—"
"Good, I'm glad you're feeling helpful today. It'll be much more useful in solving this entirely ridiculous scenario." Blossom interrupted; Mojo rolled his eyes. What had he been thinking, assuming that was an actual question? If Blossom Utonium wanted his cooperation then she would get it one way or another. "So. I would like to clear up the conundrum that has been plaguing me for the last few months."
"Ah. So this concerned the current unknown plight of the leader." Mojo muttered, then let out a rough chuckle when she shot him a confused glare. "What? Did you think that I, Mojo Jojo, had not NOTICED this behavior of yours? Did you truly believe that one of my intellectual superiority would have discounted the occurrence of such a strange emotional change in the enemy I intend to defeat? Knowledge of the psychology of your opposition can make or break your success in any venture."
"It never seemed to help you before." Blossom commented thoughtlessly, immediately regretting it when a sour expression crossed the chimp's face. "Ah…I…sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"What is your concern? Make it quick! Make it instantaneous, do it immediately, make haste with your need to be here! I have designs to return to." Mojo snapped, throwing his large arms up. Blossom drew in a deep breath, tucking her hair to the side of her ear. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this.
So she took the cue of the sister who had given her the advice to even be here, and just went for it.
"I have concluded that I am in love with you."
Silence. Uncomfortable, pervading silence. The kind of quiet that could literally be felt, smashing down on both of the occupants of the observatory. Even though she would've liked to elaborate on her obviously imposing statement she realized that she couldn't. Her voice, and what seemed like all of her air, felt like it was stuck in the back of her throat as the supervillain stared at her. No trace of a reaction, not even a smidge of a laugh, crossed his face. Blossom almost felt like she would've preferred the simian to break down laughing while pointing and mocking. It had been what she had EXPECTED, anyways. Not this blank stare. This…empty and unsure look that didn't help quell the nausea raging in her stomach, nor the violent flush trying so desperately to overtake her face no matter how hard she tried to resist it.
"In love." He repeated, scratching his chin; it was an almost nervous motion. Not the same confident stance that Blossom was used to. "As in having affection. A specific and special affinity for a single other being, this thing known as a deep and intense affection where one feels a deep romantic or sexual connection with another individual. And you, leader of the Powerpuffs, feels that deep romantic or sexual connection with the individual that is I, Mojo Jojo."
"Y…yes. That's what I said." Blossom said nervously, finger twisting around the lock of red hair that had fallen out from behind her ear again. This wasn't going as planned. She had expected a laugh. A derisive, cruel laugh and a mocking speech something along the lines of how he was far too superior to love his enemy. Instead he was just standing there, repeating himself and staring at her. Well, the repeating wasn't too unusual, she had expected that no matter what.
But everything else was…off.
"You. You are in love with Mojo Jojo."
"Y-yes?"
"…Is this your foul attempt at attacking myself outside of battle?"
"N…no. I'm being quite serious."
"….You understand, Blossom, that you are on an opposite side of myself." Mojo stated—he seemed to be struggling to keep a calm tone. Even his poise seemed to have been broken. Fingers normally pressed firmly together were now crudely squeezing at each other.
"I think that's pretty obvious…" Blossom sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead to massage it vigorously. He would still reject her. She was sure of it. He was just taking his sweet time. Maybe it had just been SUCH a smack in the face that he needed a few moments to recover and return to laughing like a hyena at her poor emotional decisions. "…look. I realize the inevitable conclusion this is coming to and it really is getting late. So I was hoping maybe you could laugh at me, reject me so I can start moving on, and go to sleep."
"I shall not."
"…Excuse me?" Blossom opened her eyes, shifting backwards immediately when she realized that the chimp had risen to his feet and was standing right in front of her knees now. A wild blush, almost equal to that of her old bow, overtook the pink puff's face. "What do you mean you SHALL NOT? I came here just so you COULD! I gave you an opportunity to just laugh at your enemy! I planned to benefit from it, and you give me that you SHALL NOT?"
"Indeed. I shall not, will not, cannot, and never will make a pledge of rejection to your affections. These feelings of affinity shall not be shoved to the side." Mojo said matter-a-factly. Blossom's hands balled up into fists as his white gloved hand rested aside her own on the couch arm, eyes directed firmly at her side. Mojo apparently was having none of it; roughly he hooked his free hand under the woman's chin to jerk her face in his direction. Embarrassing….so embarrassing. She had the strength of a million men yet somehow she so simply succumbed to a moderate tug on her face. It was so difficult to comprehend, especially just sitting there blankly staring at the villain she had so often punched and kicked.
"Why?" She finally managed to breathe. "It was all you ever had to do. Then everything could go back to normal. Fighting. Planning. Destroying. Losing. Winning. All of it. So why won't you just laugh in my face and tell me that I'm not worth your time? I'm the leader of your ENEMIES, god dammit!"
"Indeed. You are the one in control of the team that so frequently devastates my astounding evil deeds, the woman in charge who successfully always throws a wrench into my fantastic schemes, the heroine giving all her brilliant commands to counteract the brilliance I put out on the table." Mojo grinned again—rows of sharp teeth revealed themselves. His fingers squeezed tightly against her cheeks to press her lips together. "Ah, Blossom Utonium. You always were a smart one. Out of all those girls, you always gave me the most trouble. Inevitable, since you were their leader. For years upon years…I, Mojo Jojo, have focused efforts on eliminating you. Ridding of you. Killing you. Without you, without your brilliant mind, your sisters would be an uncoordinated mess!"
"What?! You plan on taking advantage of this?! Well, go ahead! I wouldn't want to keep living in a world where I'm in love with you anyways! You egomaniacal monkey!" Blossom snapped, thrusting her hand across her face to slap the hand grasping her away. Mojo's eyes narrowed into slants. "Why you?! It could've been anyone else! I will have you know that I was courted by a handsome guy in my office! But I ended up rejecting him, and I couldn't even figure out why. But this right here is it, this right here is why! Because I'm in love with YOU, a mutant chimp who tries to kill me on a weekly basis! Someone so smart that there have been times that even I haven't been able to conceive of how your plan was made, or even how you plan to execute it! Someone who can really interpret things, who can talk to me, who can understand what I'm saying, someone who I can honestly feel like I'm on the same standing with. Except we AREN'T! And we never will be! You'd rather kill me than talk to me, so go ahead. I'll make sure you go down with me!"
"I have been incapable of killing you for years, Blossom Utonium! No matter these plans, there was always an ultimate flaw that in them that ensured my own failure!" The chimp roared, frustration finally peaking into his voice as he snapped. "Are you truly so selfish, Powerpuff, that you are to believe this is a problem you alone suffer from?! That is, a scenario in which it is only you yourself realizing your enemy as the only one equal to you, a situation in which the only potential mate is one who you are engaged in almost constantly war with?! Your burden of this love of the enemy is not a conflict that is only yours!"
If the air had felt heavy before, it was practically like standing under solid rock at this point. Blossom sat, body leaned forward, with her fists clenched and her brows knitted into an expression of pure forward. Her barely developed nose poked challengingly against the chimp's extended snout, the flush against her face unable to override the sheer determination radiating off of her. Both of Mojo's hands now gripped tightly on the armrest around her, a formidable barrier to anyone without the ability to smack a truck across a field. Red eyes had narrowed down to mere slits on his face as he barred his fangs in an intimidating frown.
Neither moved. They just sat there, glaring furiously at each other. Blossom thought dimly in the back of her mind that this had not what she meant to achieve, and really, bumping heads with Mojo was just going to increase this sick infatuation. There was no point debating with the people around her; they had no surprises. They provided her no challenge whatsoever in their minimal intellectual. Even when someone was arguing this close to her she usually took it in stride…but with Mojo it was different. There was no telling what was around the corner. There was a challenge in being here, a danger in being pinned down under him.
She was encased in a deep fury.
But she slowly realized that she was enjoying it, too.
Her life was nothing but empty conflicts. It had been for a while. She had no challenges in her office work and no more of them would be presented no matter how many promotions she received. She liked hanging around Bubbles and Buttercup, but neither was stimulating in this way. She always knew what to expect out of both of them and while she deeply loved both of them it was definitely a predictable means of entertainment. Even her private lab, which had previously been her biggest source of motivation, had become boring and droll—it begun to feel like all of the things that she could discover had been examined, and that the test tubes and chemicals just became a monotonous process.
It was absolutely nothing like this. Nothing like talking to Mojo Jojo. Nothing like matching wits with the supergenius chimp in battle, and nothing like the thrill beating in her chest at the sensation of being pinned into the red couch of this long held enemy of hers. Him, and only him. Her only challenge, her final frontier of the intellectual world. His ego was willing to butt up against her equally inflated one, pride infested in every pursuit—and the joy in when the combined egotistical intellects found the final solution even after all the clashing.
Buttercup had been wrong. Coming and confronting Mojo was not the solution to her problem. This was not like the greasy slimeball who led the Gangreen Gang, looking to manipulate an unfortunately lovestruck fool. This was two intellectual minds equal to each other, crashing into each other like waves at sea and downing both their warships in one fell swoop.
There was no solution.
They were both just completely fucked.
Blossom took a deep, shaky breath—she had barely realized that she had been holding her breath. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up dying of shock before Mojo managed to kill her…though that seemed to be a full separate matter now. Her body slacked in defeat under the large, furred arms; the chimp sent her a cautionary glare and she shook her head as her arms went limp at her sides. She was finding it difficult even to think at the moment. What exactly was a superheroine SUPPOSED to think when she found out that her misguided affections, her misguided love for a villain, was actually a mutual affair?
…And was being a 'villain' in Townsville really all that serious?
She couldn't believe the thought crossed her mind, but it did. Blossom couldn't help but ponder this new question, even while placed in this odd scenario being stuck under a mutated supergenius chimp that she regularly fought with. What did it really mean to be a villain in Townsville? It meant defeat by the hands of the Powerpuff Girls. No matter the villain, the scheme, or even their methodology…it always meant defeat at the firm fists of the city defenders. Sure, they were thrown in jail but they were usually out in a week…sometimes even legally. That was just how seriously Townsville took the many evildoers in their town. It meant nothing to them. Even the villains themselves seemed to be somewhat aware of their position on this ever-repeating food chain.
If anything, she pondered as she ignored the growing frustration on Mojo's face, it benefitted the chimp. What else would motivate Mojo Jojo more than the theoretical idea of destroying her sisters and taking domain over the world? Hell, he had ACHIEVED the latter at one point and had reverted back out of pure boredom. All of his engineering skills, his intellect, and his planning skills were devoted to that one single goal and when it was removed so was the motivation.
He was an enemy, yes, one trying to rule the world. But he never would succeed, and that lack of success is what motivated his mind. It was what motivated herself and her sister to activity and thought. This was Townsville; everything was just a little bit strange in Townsville. For all Blossom Utonium could tell, this would be one of the LESS odd happenings to behold the town.
She slipped a hand upwards, resting it on the crook between Mojo's neck and shoulder; the villain flinched visibly and she couldn't help but let a warm smile pass over her lips. Her eyes felt heavy with sleep, and she knew her sisters wouldn't approve of what was about to happen, but they had done things she hadn't approved of either. They were adults now; it was time to make adult decisions, even if they were absolutely ridiculous. After all, wasn't more ridiculous than Townsville?
"Rules. A contract of engagement." She said firmly, stroking the thick black fur on his cheek. Mojo stared blankly at the redhead for a moment, and then a noticeably tired grin broke across his face. "We still fight. If you cause trouble, my sisters and I are going to come after you. I'm not saying don't continue your pointless journey to take over the world, because I know you will no matter what I say. Our relationship in battle is business only. I'm the hero and you're the villain, and you'll get completely what you deserve for whatever you choose to do."
"Beyond that, though…" Blossom paused, hand playing across the pointed green ear above the fur. "I prefer a more slow, mature relationship if you don't mind. Try to keep your animal instincts under control, if you don't mind."
"You wound me if you are to believe that I am nothing but a wild animal, dear woman. I, Mojo Jojo, am the master of many arts. Those that are not mastered are easily conquered." Mojo's grin was one of a victory—even though his face had fallen a bit at the knowledge that he was not going to get any slack for his more criminal activities. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected it, though. "You will get your petty 'romance', Blossom Utonium."
"Petty, is it?" She snorted derisively, though the smile on her face didn't fade. "Well, whatever helps you sleep at night."
To her surprise, his gloved hand rose to her hair clip and pulled it free to let the red hair tumble over her frazzled eyes and tired shouldered. Blossom yelped slightly, hand running down the large arms circling around her. Mojo chuckled throatily as one claw ran through the smooth locks toppling onto her shoulders. "So does Mojo get any say in this so called contract of engagement? Is the input of this villainous genius appreciated in the consideration of these decisions of a relationship, said input in order to properly configure the workings between myself, yourself, and your sisters?"
"I suppose its only FAIR…"
"I cannot have my glorious, wonderous, one of a kind, superior observatory in poor condition if I plan to have company over frequently, that is, the company of the other engager of this contract. A genius villain must have an equally genius lair to present to potential individuals of…interest, yes?" Mojo snickered, brushing the clumps of red hair up over the pink puff's shoulder. Blossom blew a strand out of her face indignantly, puckering her mouth and crossing her arms.
"I don't know if you deserve that for picking on me."
"Mojo Jojo?! Pick on a lady, a woman of esteem, a female of high intelligent like yourself?" The monkey gasped mockingly, circling a hand around the back of her neck into a firm hold. "I would not dare."
"Then we'll try to dare in not destroying the observatory. Unless you really raise some hell, of course." Blossom chuckled, pushing away from his grip to rest herself against the blue fabric on his shoulder. "More can be arranged as it proceeds, I assume. I'm sure it will need to be."
"In a case like this I certainly cannot fathom more additions not coming along." His hand hovered awkwardly above her waist for a moment, finally choosing to rest on her shoulder instead. Blossom chuckled; how amusing it was that his hesitant actions betrayed the pride and confidence that he was trying to display. She couldn't blame him. This was ridiculous. The chemical accident that called herself a superheroine, and a mutated chimpanzee that was bent on making the world his in the most destructive way possible. And here they were, instead of punching and biting, just standing lamely in the middle of a volcano mounted observatory. Right after establishing a romantic relationship between hero and villain in the most indirect way they possibly could.
There truly wasn't any place in the world like the city of Townsville.