Villain: The Epilogue

A/N: For those of you wondering, the Epilogue should run between 14-16 chapters. I'm a little unsure of the exact number because my outline looks a little thin on a couple upcoming chapters, so I may just combine the shorter ones… or not. Actually, it might be 17. This is how unsure I am, lol I'll let you know again once we near the end.

Also: I just wanted to take right now to thank everyone for reading and special thanks to you reviewers. I was really not expecting this many hits/visitors/reviews when I started writing this again due to the huge hiatus. Thanks so much for sticking with this story! It means a lot to me! :D

This chapter is a bit slow… one of those lame-o "set up" chapters for everything that is to come in the next. There's so many damn characters… I just want to make certain that it's understood where everyone stands at this point in the story. More action to come immediately following this chapter, I promise!

Chapter 10

"How could you have done this without any warning?"

"A warning? Well that would defeat the purpose of a surprise attack, wouldn't it?"

Blossom felt herself growing hot with anger. She clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply, trying to recompose herself. "Mayor," she began again, "I don't think you realize just how drastically our situation has changed because of this."

Mayor Kelley had always been her least favorite politician. She certainly didn't vote for the man. It didn't matter which political party he represented. The man was just down right rotten. He reminded Blossom of a spoiled child- and that's exactly what he was. Daddy was mayor and daddy before that mayor… the man didn't really care for the people he governed. He just liked the power and feeling of importance.

Kelley sat at his desk, and stared coldly back at Blossom. He laced his fingers together and propped his hands under his chin, studying the young professor. "How has our situation changed?" he asked purely for amusement.

Blossom sighed. "You know how."

"Look, Blossom," the mayor reclined backwards in his chair a little. "What was I supposed to do after you shared such information with me? Sit back and take it? Hell no! That's not what I stand for, and that's not the man the people elected. I've sworn to protect this city-"

"And so have my daughters," Blossom interjected. "Including Cat. And what you've done is destroy her faith in this city and its people. You've pushed her off the edge, by showing her that we are no different than the villains of Townsville."

"Cat?" the man practically spit out the name like a bad taste in his mouth. He stood from his chair and began to walk around his desk, to approach Blossom. "That girl abandoned this city a long time ago. When are you going to get that through your head? Oh what? A part of the plan right? No. No, I don't think it ever was. She's your daughter, and you wish to protect her. Believe me, I understand. I get it: A mother can never give up on her child. However, don't try to feed that bullshit to me or the citizens of this great American city. Your daughter is no hero in disguise. She is a villain. She is one today and always has been."

He stopped, standing directly in front of the ex-superhero. "You saw the footage yourself. She is a monster. How can you keep lying to yourself even after this? You saw the destruction. You saw her kill every single soldier I sent out there with absolutely no hesitation. Face it, Blossom: Your daughter is evil. The Powerpuff Girl formula created by your father is clearly defective. Your sister was born evil and so was Cat. It is in both of their genes. Do you need any more evidence of this?"

Blossom bit her tongue in frustration. "Cat is nothing like her!" She shoved her hands in her lab coat pocket forcefully, just to restrain herself from smacking the man across the face. "She would have never done those things if you hadn't foolishly invaded like that," Blossom continued through gritted teeth. "I admit it: Cat has always been on the fence of this situation. I do not blame her. I lied to her. She had no idea who to trust, and if I could do it all over again, I would have been more honest with my daughter. But I can't change what's been done. The fact remains that she was on that fence. But her love for her sisters and her old home kept her there. It kept her from falling to the other side with Jojo. But you," Blossom shook her head in disgust, "You, Mayor, have thrown her off that fence, and she is no longer on our side. She no longer remembers that she loves her sisters. If we lose this war… Mayor Kelley, if you lose your own life… you only have yourself to blame for this. You have created a monster."

Blossom turned to leave. She couldn't stand to stare at the politician any longer. As she made her exit, the Mayor, always quick to have the last word shouted at her: "No, Blossom, I'm afraid you are her creator!"

"I see that she's still asleep."

"Yeah," Jojo answered without turning to look to see whose voice it was.

Cat was fast asleep in her bed and had been that way for several hours. The young villain's battle had taken a lot of energy from her. She had never used her special power for such a long period of time. That day she learned that her sound blast had a hugely negative effect on her, if used too largely. She managed to injure herself with its great power. Under the severe pressure of her sound blast, the noise seemed to have pierced a hole or two in her mind. She knew that her power had the ability to drive a person insane before finally perishing… but in the process she had managed to damage her own psyche.

Although, she no longer physically ached, her mind had grown inconsistent. It was as if her brain played like a broken movie reel. The images that flashed before her mind's eye were jumbled- jumping back and forth between past events, present, and imaginary. At one moment she relived a nightmare, and the next, she was happy and content. Skipping from one emotion to the next, caused her to go insane. Jojo insisted all she needed was rest. But she could not escape from this even while she slept. It was the same madness even in her dreams.

Jojo could see this, and so the villain had not left her side since tucking her into bed.

"So you are just going to sit there until she wakes up? Do you really think that is necessary- essential- required- needed? What are you doing by just sitting there? How are you helping exactly? Would it make any difference at all if you left her side?"

Jojo finally recognized the voice and looked up. Mojo stood on the other side of Cat's bed with a serious look and his arms crossed.

Jojo blinked at the chimp. "Where the hell have you been, Old Man?"

"Where I should be: Gone and dead. I thought you've finally, at long last, at length, ultimately had healed. Mentally had recovered. Psychologically better. Once the kid showed up, you seemed to have no more need for this imaginary nonsense. Which is a good, positive and well thing. How could you complete your mission as insane and unhealthy as you were? But alas, here I am again. So what is wrong with you now? Why am I here? Why has your subconscious returned to this madness? What reason do you have to conjure up this illusion once again? For what motive am I here, standing before you, at this moment in time?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong," Jojo answered the imaginary ghost. "I always wondered where you went, you know? It's like you just disappeared without no warning or nothing."

Mojo simply rolled his eyes. "You will never face it, will you?"

"Face what?"

"The truth, Junior. I am gone. Not here. Departed. No more. Passed on. No longer. Deceased. Dead."

Jojo just laughed. "Well, it's good to see you, again," she smiled.

The monkey sighed. "I wish I could say the same."

Jojo looked up as she could see Princess pass by the doorway. She walked quickly and held her nose up towards the ceiling, not bothering to look at Jojo as she passed. Princess hadn't talked to her much since yesterday. In fact, it was as if her sweetheart were avoiding her.

"What's with her?" Mojo asked.

"I dunno," Jojo responded. "She's been acting stranger and stranger lately." Jojo shook her head. "She hates the kid. The kid hates her. It's exhausting. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"I see," Mojo scratched his chin in thought. "Sucks to be you."

"Gee, thanks."

After about eight hours of rest, slowly Cat's chaotic dreams began to fade as her mind repaired itself. When she awoke, she still felt tired. Indeed, her eyes were swollen from exhaustion. But at least she was no longer trapped in madness.

"How you feeling?" Jojo asked as soon as she saw Cat' eyes open.

Cat sat up in bed, and held her head slightly. She looked about her room, pausing for a moment to make certain that the insane images were gone for good. She looked at Jojo and nodded: "Better," she signed.

Jojo smiled. "I still want you in bed, alright? Take today off. You deserve it, Kiddo." Jojo took a moment to look at the teenager. She was still surprised that it was this kid who took out an entire military. All on her own. It wasn't as if Jojo asked her or commanded her to do so. She just did it. "I'm proud of you, Kiddo," she added. "I really am."

Cat smiled at her as she watched the villain stand from her chair at her bedside. "I, on the other hand, have a lot of work to do. I'll check up on you later, alright?"

Cat nodded and watched Jojo leave. She reclined backwards and rested against her pillows. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the events of what happened earlier that day. They all seemed to be lost in the sudden mental illness that consumed her. She tried to sort out what really happened and what was just a product of insanity. She wished half of it to not be true. However, it remained a very ugly reality:

Yes- Leticia was dead.

Yes- Her sister Cherry betrayed her.

Yes- There was an invasion which resulted in the death of hundreds of citizens of Townsville.

Yes- It was all her sister's fault.

Yes- Cherry was the enemy.

Cat could not escape the immediate nausea that overcame her. She reached for her TV remote which sat on her nightstand and switched on the television, looking for anything to get her mind off things. Instead of cartoons, sitcoms, or zombie flicks, every station was fixed on today's events.

"We all knew this would eventually happen," the mayor of Neighborfield spoke to reporters. "Cat was never an ally to this city. The child was born a monster. She is, and always has been, an enemy. But I swear to you today, that when we catch this devil- for we will win this war- the punishment of death will be all too forgiving for this villain."

Cat glared at the man on the TV before changing the channel.

An anchorman reported: "Over seventeen hundred soldiers are dead today after falling victim to the merciless hand of the ruthless young villain, Cat-"

Next channel: "The federal government has agreed to pull together all forces of the military to aide Neighborfield with this crucial battle. If this battle is lost, it is popular opinion that the entire world will soon fall prey to the evil dictator, Jojo-"

Next channel: "We tried to catch Blossom Utonium for a comment on these events after leaving the mayor's office, but she refused to comment. We were, however, able to speak with Cherry of the Powerpuff Girls outside their home in Neighborfield while her mother met with the mayor."

Cat sat up in bed and listened intently as her sister Cherry appeared on the television screen.

Cherry's eyes were swollen and she looked very tired. She stood beside Candy, who seemed to try to hide her face from the camera, burying her head on the shoulder of her boyfriend who stood beside her. Cherry's boyfriend, Stephen, also stood by her side, with one supportive hand resting on her shoulder as she spoke.

"Well," Cherry began, her eyes were cast downward, "We tried to reason with her, but she refused. I thought I knew who my sister was, but… I guess I don't." Her eyes finally met the camera. "I don't know her at all," she confessed. Her eyes then went from soft, to seriousness. "All we can do now is fight back," she said more confidently. "My sister Candy and I will protect this city. We have sworn to do it, and we mean to. Even if it means we have to bury our old relationships." She paused for a moment, before continuing: "We will do whatever it takes to protect all that is good. After all, this is what our mother created us for… to defend justice. And I promise: That is exactly what we intend to do."

Cat's nausea disappeared and she instead filled with anger once again. She watched as her sister turned her back on the camera, and began to ignore the dozen of follow-up questions being shouted at her by the reporters on the scene. She took her boyfriend's hand and held it as they walked into the home, closing the door behind them.

"That good for nothing little bitch," Cat thought to herself. "That's what she has to say, huh?" she turned off her television in disgust. "And her stupid little boy toy standing next to her! What the hell is that? He has nothing to do with this. Why is he even there? Must be nice to still have your sweetheart, Sis! Where's mine? Oh yeah… she's dead! Thanks to you!"

Cat crossed her arms and reclined again in her bed. "Wouldn't it be nice if she got a taste of her own dirty medicine?" she thought to herself. "I think so."

"You did good, Sweetie," Stephen tried to encourage his girlfriend as they closed the doors on the reporters. He wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tight hug.

Cherry sighed deeply. "I hate talking to those rats," she muttered.

"I know," Stephen replied. "But the people need to be reassured that you and your sister will protect them. You did good," he repeated.

"Right…" Cherry pulled away and began to walk towards the kitchen to try and find something to eat. She was beyond exhausted. She was beyond her breaking point. But somehow, she managed to bury every emotion inside of her so that she could push forward. She couldn't be sentimental. Not now. They were at war. A serious war. If they lost it… it meant their lives as well as the lives of every free person on the planet.

"Candy, please stop crying already," she said as she opened the refrigerator.

"Yeah, Babe," Candy's boyfriend, Frankie, agreed. The kid was as dumb as rocks, but Candy loved him so much. He was goofy, artsy sort of kid. He had real talent in music, drawing and anything creative- people called him a genius in these fields. However, Frankie was far from that. His IQ had to be the lowest possible. Sadly, they were perfect for each other. "Your sister is dumb," Frankie tried to console her. "Just forget about her! She's ugly anyways! "

Candy erupted into bigger tears.

Cherry sighed. "Not quite the best thing to say, Frank," she said taking out the gallon of milk so that she could fix herself some cereal.

"I-I… I should have l-learned s-s-sign language!" she wailed loudly.

"Sign language is dumb! It's for dumb people who can't hear or talk or whatever! Besides you tried! And it was so dumb you just couldn't do it! It's not your fault that she has to speak stupid sign language! She's dumb! " Frankie tried again, but again she only cried louder and flew quickly out of the room in distress. Frankie chased after her.

Cherry sat at the counter with her bowl and box of Fruity Pebbles. "She'll be OK," she said as she poured her cereal into her bowl.

Stephen took a seat beside her. "Are you OK?"

"What do you mean?" Cherry asked, concealing her emotion even further.

"Cherry, I'm not an idiot," Stephen said with sigh. "I know your sister left you guys over three years ago, but I also know that you still care for her at least a little. And even after today, I'm certain you somehow still care, and I'm sure that hurts."

"I don't care," Candy replied indifferently as she picked up her spoon and took her first bite of her cereal. "Not one bit. After today. I'm over it. I'm fine. She's chosen what she wants, and so I've made my choice. If she wants to be a child, and kill thousands of innocent people because of hurt, insignificant feelings, then good for her. I don't care. She can do whatever she wants. I don't care. I don't care at all. Why? Do you think I should care? 'Cause I don't. I don't care. "

Stephen only sighed again. "Alright," he said, giving up.

"Don't judge me, Stephen," Cherry pointed her spoon at him.

"I'm not," he defended.

Cherry raised an eyebrow. "I'm doing what I have to. It's what's best for everyone. I have a job to do, you know? I have a responsibility. A great one."

"When duty calls, huh?"

"Exactly."

"What should I do, Frankie?" Candy finally calmed down enough to be able to speak actual sentences. The girl had not stopped crying all day since her interaction with Cat.

"Just forget her!" Frankie repeated.

"But I can't!" she cried. "I love my sister! Nothing will ever change that!"

Frankie crossed his arms: "Candy, she hurt lots of people! No wait… she killed lots of people! That's like double bad! If not triple bad! She's just plain bad!"

"She said she thinks I don't care about her, but I do!" Candy sniffled. "I've always cared about her! How could she think that?"

"Because she's dumb. Every family has a dumb one, and she's it."

"Maybe if I prove to her that I care, she will understand… maybe she will stop being evil?"

"I don't know, Candy…" Frankie scratched his head. "How could you do that?"

Candy immediately rushed over to her study desk in her room. She opened the bottom drawer and started digging through her books. Finally she found what she was searching for. "Maybe it won't be so hard now that I'm a little older. Maybe I can try again."

Frankie took the book from her hands and studied it: "American Sign Language?" he read the title aloud.

"I'm going to do it!" Candy nodded her head confidently. "I'll study the hardest I've ever studied and I will prove to Cat that I do care!"

Frankie shook his head. "If you say so, Candy…."

"Word is: The military is planning an air strike next. We're not sure when exactly, but we have men on watch on every inch of the border for signs of attack," Princess reported. "They've been ordered to sound the alarm immediately whenever they see anything. No matter how small."

"Good," Jojo replied. Her eyes fell on Princess who sat across the table from her. Princess's eyes were on the paperwork in front of her. She acted as if everything were all business, and conveyed no emotion in her voice. Jojo looked to the other villains. "I think we have everything covered for now," she announced. "Everyone should get some rest while we still have time for it."

The villains stood from their seats and began to take their exit. Princess stood and collected her papers. Before she could turn to leave, Jojo quickly flew in front of her. "We need to talk."

"About what? I gave you the defense report already."

"Not about that," Jojo replied. "And you know what."

"What?" she played dumb.

"You're really going to play this game again? You're really going to make me say it?" She rolled her eyes. "What good is mind reading if you don't use it, Princess?"

"What good is mind reading if you don't believe what I tell you when I read it?" she replied.

"Well you were obviously wrong or lying," Jojo answered. "You saw what the kid did. She defended us. She fought for us. She's clearly on our side. So… were you wrong or lying?"

"I wasn't lying," Princess said, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "And I wasn't wrong."

Jojo shook her head. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, Jojo. You seem to have all the answers. So why don't you tell me?" Princess crossed her arms.

Jojo felt herself grow hot with anger. "Why are you such a bitch?" she blinked at the redheaded villain in disbelief.

"I thought that's what you liked about me?" she flipped her hair.

Jojo rolled her eyes. "Not like this," she shook her head. "Why do you hate Cat so much? Even after all this? What more does she have to do to get you to trust her? You're being unfair. And I don't like it! I don't like being in the middle of this crap!"

"Well, you are," Princess replied, trying to push past her.

"Stop it!" Jojo yelled, stepping in front of her again. "Stop acting like you don't care! I know that you do! Your problem is that you care too much over something stupid! Your problem is that you're a jealous bitch! Get over it! I love you, Princess, but I also love the kid! She's my kid, after all!"

Princess rolled her eyes. "Oh please-"

"NO!" Jojo shouted with even greater force, her hands involuntarily heating up with her death ray. "This needs to stop," she said with a growl. "It's gone on too long. It stops now. Do you hear me?"

Princess's eyes fell on Jojo's glowing hands. "Are you actually mad at me, right now?"

"Yes."

Princess's mouth hung open in disgust. "Fine," she replied simply, finally pushing past her.

Princess managed to keep her emotions disguised as she marched out of the meeting room. Once she was on the other side, she could no longer keep it inside. She threw her papers down and screamed loudly at the top of her lungs, trying to release the rage that filled her.

She breathed heavily as she continued to throw her tantrum in the hallway, falling to her knees and beginning to shred every piece of paper she had dropped. As she tore to paperwork to shreds, her eyes fell on the wall to her left. Her shadow seemed to approach her as she threw her fit.

Princess's shadow lifted from the wall and walked closer to her. It peered over her shoulder. "I think we both know now what has to be done," it whispered into her ear.

Princess nodded as she stood. "Clearly," she said dusting herself off and continuing down the hallway as if nothing had happened.

Cat sat in bed, reading through Mojo's old diary again. Since the TV wasn't an option, she decided that reading was the next best option and she listened to music. As she sat up in bed, reading, her eyes fell on the doorway as Princess passed it: "Hey!" she called out in her head, knowing Princess's telekinesis could hear her.

Princess stopped and stood at the doorway: "What do you want?" she said angrily. "Having a nice, relaxing day in bed, are we?"

Cat bit her tongue. Normally she would have snapped back at Princess's sarcasm without hesitation. "I just wanted to apologize," she forced herself to say in her mind. She still didn't care for Princess but she knew she had to say this to her. "I know we don't get along… but I can tell it's really stressing Jojo out lately. And you were right… I did mean to turn Jojo in… but I just wanted you to know that it's over now. I don't plan to do it anymore. I want to be a villain. I want to make Jojo proud. So… sorry for before, OK?"

Princess crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "You think you actually have what it takes to be a villain?" she laughed a little. "How pathetic!"

Cat blinked back at her. "I just-"

"Please. Your battle today was nothing but a tantrum gone wrong. You don't have the Evil required to be a real villain. A real villain is calculating and intends to do what she does. You? You lost your temper. So stop acting as if what you did was intentional or brave. It wasn't."

Cat glared at Princess. "You're wrong," she shook her head. "I intended it all."

"Why do you insist on trying to kid yourself? I can see inside you, Idiot. You lost your temper. It's as simple as that. Nothing villain-worthy whatsoever."

Princess smiled deviously and turned to leave. Cat said nothing as she watched her exit. She looked down at Mojo's diary in her hands, and wrinkled her eyebrows in thought. "She's wrong," she said to herself. "I'll prove it. I'll show her what my intentions are."

Cat flipped open the diary. She had read it so many times now, she knew the exact page to turn to. She had read about Jojo's first planned attack on her sisters. Her first true plan for revenge. Mojo retold the events so proudly in his diary of how Jojo returned to her high school to murder everyone there, proving her Evil for certain.

Cat knew she would have to top that plan of Jojo's if she were to ever be taken seriously as a villain. She threw off her bed sheets and jumped to her feet, making her way over to her study desk. She took a pen and paper and began plotting.

The next morning, Jojo felt weird waking up without Princess beside her. The two had shared the same bed for over a decade now. Jojo wondered where she slept since she never came to the bedroom that night. She knew that the villain was probably pretty mad at her, but Jojo was still angry, too. She was tired of Princess's behavior when it came to Cat. Cat was only a kid, after all.

She was surprised to see Princess sitting at the dining room table that morning, as if everything were OK. Jojo took her usual seat beside her without saying anything. They were quiet for a long time, before Princess finally spoke:

"I'm sorry," she said.

Jojo blinked at her. "…Really?"

Princess nodded. She looked pained to say it: "Yes."

Jojo hesitated. It was never easy for her to say it: "I'm sorry, too," she muttered.

Princess kept her eyes forward, not looking at Jojo. "I have to tell you something," she confessed.

"What's that?" Jojo asked.

"I haven't…" she stopped. She didn't know how to word what she wanted to say. "I haven't felt… well… lately."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't… feel like myself."

"…What do you mean?"

Princess drummed her fingers on the table as she thought about the correct way to break the news to Jojo. "I just feel… weak. And I feel like I'm only growing weaker…. My mind is slipping. I think I might be losing it, Jojo. I'm trying to hold on… I really am. I'm trying to resist… but… I don't know how much longer I can do it."

Jojo frowned. Her eyes looked forward too, away from Princess. "I started seeing my dad again," she also confessed.

Princess blinked at her. "Oh no…"

"Yeah…."

Princess sighed deeply. "I think my mental situation is worse for once. In fact, I think it's much more than just hallucinations-"

Jojo stared at Princess for a moment, wondering what she meant. Her eyes then fell on Cat's empty seat. "Where is she? What time is it?" Jojo immediately stood up and made her way to the teenager's bedroom.

She opened the door and found the room to be empty. She walked inside and looked around, "Cat?" she called. She walked over to the bed, and found a note on her pillow. Jojo picked up the piece of paper and read:

"Jojo-

I've gone to seek revenge. Be back before lunch.

-Kiddo."