For the Future
Chapter Two: Only the Beginning
So Dexter was in trouble. Big surprise, her neighbor was always in some sort of mess…but unfortunately, the situation was a little more life threatening than the usual malfunction inside his lab.
So Ash leaped carefully across the platforms to reach Buttercup's lair, forcing herself to stay calm. Dexter was fine, he was a Boy Genius, and he was smart enough to stay safe.
'He'll be safe when I get there,' she growled internally. Ash was angry and frustrated, at Fuse for trying to destroy her planet, and at Dexter for sending her way too far into the future and then landing the wonderful title of "Thou who shall save the planet" on her young shoulders.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't really his fault, but Ash would blame it on him until she felt better.
She finally found the warp gate…thing, 'Geez, maybe I should pay more attention to Computress,' and stepped onto it. The feeling was akin to being thrown into the air and then falling violently onto her feet. Ash stumbled as she appeared in Buttercup's lair, throwing out an arm to steady herself on the wall behind her.
"Gotta get used to that," she mumbled briefly, and then held up her rifle, advancing slowly. Several feet ahead of her she spied a figure in white, a nice contrast to the dark tunnels of the underground. 'Dexter,' her mind supplied. Thank goodness.
He noticed her right away and motioned for her to get closer. She obeyed without a second thought.
As soon as she was within ear shot, Dexter explained, "Fusion Buttercup is in the next room. We must destroy her."
Ash's eyes narrowed. "You think we can take on the fused up version of a Power Puff Girl?"
"I think we can handle it."
The time traveler tried desperately to think of a way to avoid a fight but ultimately couldn't find one. With a defeated sigh, she nodded. "Fine. I'll cover you, but I won't be happy about it."
He didn't need to be told twice.
The two charged into the next cave, luckily catching Buttercup's evil counterpart by surprise. However, the advantage didn't last long. Dexter only managed to land two good hits in before he was tossed like a ragdoll across the room and into the wall, where he crumpled to the floor and didn't move.
"Hey!" Ash lifted her rifle and took aim, but before she could pull the trigger it was knocked out of her hand. The time traveler instinctively dodged to the right, effectively avoiding a super human blow to the stomach.
There wasn't any time to retrieve her weapon, so Ash swiveled around and sprinted to Dexter's unmoving form, launching herself at his wrench and grasping it in both hands, looking up and then panicking at the empty space before her.
Where did she go?
The answer came a second later when pain exploded up her back, causing her to lose her grip on the wrench, sending it skittering across the floor and into the next room. When the spots cleared from her vision, Ash realized she was sprawled on the ground, and Fusion Buttercup was inspecting Dexter on the other side of the room.
'Rifle,' was her only thought. She struggled to her feet and sprinted towards the discarded weapon. As soon as she had picked it up, her enemy was face to face with her, close enough to touch.
Ash grit her teeth and pulled the trigger.
"She is-"
"Cute."
"…I was going to say powerful."
Nano Buttercup put her hands on her hips. "Can't you just agree I'm both?"
The time traveler raised an eyebrow at the small, floating version of the Powerpuff Girl. "Okay, so, explain this to me again."
Dexter rolled his eyes, but as soon as he opened his mouth the ground slid violently beneath them, sending the two kids stumbling in the opposite direction of each other. As soon as the tremors died down, Dexter grabbed her wrist and pointed to another warp gate at the far end of the cavern.
"You must go, now!"
"Wait – you're coming, right?"
Dexter shook his head, no. "I will stay and see if Fusion Buttercup has stolen anything from my lab."
She wanted to explain to him just how stupid that decision was, but Ash knew him well enough to know he wouldn't listen. So she tried to smile in a hopefully reassuring way, but what was really only an awkward quirk of her lips.
"Alright," she answered, exasperated, but accepting.
Dexter turned away from her with a curt nod, and then disappeared around the corner without a word of thanks.
A/N: Dexter is awesome...just in case we haven't already established that. But he's also that kid who has the emotional range of a tooth pick.