Chapter 10: We are the same girls...

Momoko's P.O.V.

Brick joined his brothers and my friends during lunchtime but I didn't. I was going to talk to Takaaki about the Rowdyruff boys Z. He refused to speak to me about them these last few days but he had suddenly changed his mind and had asked me to talk to him in private.

We went to an empty classroom and seated down opposite of each other. Takaaki casually relaxed in his chair as he made a small statement. ''I cannot talk about things confidential to the boys Momoko, but if it's really this important to you then I will try to answer your questions.''

I agreed and smiled softly at him. ''Well… I found out that Brick and his brothers fight some of the villains in return for food or material things, but when I asked him why he was afraid the government would frame him if he did it legally, he refused to talk to me…why can't he go to the professor of the PPGZ?'' Takaaki pinched his nose and thought deeply before giving the right answer. He clearly didn't want to tell me what was really behind it and took his time.

''If I told you the boys tried going to the professor before? Would that change anything for you?'' I frowned and pouted a little as I thought. If the boys had gone to the professor then what had gone wrong? And why did the professor keep this a secret?

''No...it only gives me more questions than answers,'' I said to Takaaki who wisely kept his mouth shut after that. I wasn't leaving without knowing at least something and stared at him with determination. ''I'm sorry Momoko but I can't tell you more than this…''

I interrupted him by standing up and staring down at him. I really needed to know everything I could know, even if that meant I had to make it a little more personal. '' Then don't tell me about the boys but tell me why you yourself haven't talked to professor about their integration into society…''

He was surprised by my comment and I hoped he hadn't recognized me from those many years back. Being this assertive before a boy who knew what I looked like without being transformed could give everything away.

Takaaki mentioned for me to sit down again with his right hand as his face got a little emotionless. ''I used to be friends with the PPGZ, three girls that looked a lot like you and your friends today. When they got killed by Mojo I went on a rampage in which only the Rowdyruff boys were strong enough to stop me. I turned to the Professor and he learned me how to control my powers.

After a year I replaced the Powerpuff girls Z as the hero of the city but the problem was that I alone was too weak to defeat large gangs like the Ganggreen Gang. After my tenth defeat the Mayor back then lost all faith in me and fired me from the 'White & Black light' project.

I had no idea the Rowdyruff boys Z had been with the professor at the time as I had never seen them at the lab. It was only when I asked the Professor about it that he told me it was best not to contact him anymore.''

I blinked a few times as I processed his words. Again all clues were pointing to the Professor. He was hiding something from us but why? The Professor is a good person and he would probably tell us if we really needed to know things…right?

''Momoko, Why do you even want to know all of this, if it isn't going to change anything for you?'' He asked to snap me out of my thoughts. I smiled friendly at him and gave him one of the yellow post-its that I had received last week.

Understanding is caring was written down in the middle of the paper and it made Takaaki smile for the first time in their conversation. ''Brick told me about you standing up for him. He was grateful for it but it made him wonder why you and your friends are so nice to them. Most people walk along with the crowd but your friends and you don't.''

I smiled friendly and watched as Takaaki stared more intensely at me. ''Has this something to do with the fact that your friends and you go to the professor's lab every day after school?'' My smile faded a little as I debated about what to do. How was I going to explain this without looking like a spy? Or a bad person?

Blindly, I typed a message to Miyako and Kaoru to come. If I was going to tell Takaaki the truth then all of us needed to be here. He used to be our friend and Miyako's secret crush. Off all people, he deserved to know what was going on.

''Well, I guess that I have something to explain. Don't I?'' I asked while I prayed my friends would hurry up and join me. Takaaki looked angered and he nodded impatiently. I looked at the door but my friends were still absent. I was running out of time and now I could either make an excuse or tell him the truth on my own.

''Takaaki, you said something earlier…about three girls that looked a lot like me and my friends?'' Exactly then Kaoru and Miyako opened the door and walked into the room. They had no idea why I had texted them to come and Kaoru quickly closed the door behind her.

Takaaki wondered why my friends walked in but he focused back on me. ''Well, you three look the same as three friends that I lost so many years ago and now I think of it, you three even have the same names.'' He was probably thinking about clones or something because he was surprised when Miyako laid her hand on his shoulder and told him what was really going on.

''That's because we are the same girls Takaaki. Mojo didn't kill us….he teleported us to the future.'' Her voice struck him with such force that he almost began to cry. For a grown up man, he was having a lot of trouble to control his emotions.

''No…that's impossible'' He softly said as Miyako hugged him thigh. Kaoru kept an eye on the door as I transformed into Blossom and showed him it was really me. Miyako did the same but Kaoru kept leaning against the door. ''Unless he promises to keep this a secret, I'm not going to transform.''

Bubbles and I quickly transformed back but Takaaki did get our point. He was holding his head like he had a migraine and thought all things over. ''I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner but the professor told us not to tell anyone we are back until we are capable of defeating the dark- particle villains again,'' Miyako told him as she hoped it would ease his headache.

Takaaki observed all of us and eventually turned his head to me. ''So you keep the boys close to find out their weaknesses and are able to beat them?'' I walked up to him and crossed my arms. He knew why we had originally joined this school and followed these classes but the last week had changed a lot.

''At first, we did….but our sense of judgment showed us that they aren't that evil and although we have doubts we can see the boys are trying to be good. Momentarily most of us are on friendly terms with them and we are more focused on defeating the other villains then them.''

Takaaki facial expression told me he was relieved but he stayed quite. ''The professor estimates it will take roughly three more weeks of training before we are strong enough to handle the villains again….It's weird that he's hiding things from us and I also wonder why he hasn't even informed the mayor or Katsu about our return…'' As I spoke I could see that Takaaki didn't know the answers to these questions. Talking to the professor would be my main priority as soon as we would arrive at the lab. I want to know what's going on and I want to know the truth.

''I will keep this from the boys as long as you inform them about your return before you go and safe the city. They deserve to know what's going on and I can't keep this from them forever. Maybe your 'friendship' can help them handle life a little better.''

Butch's P.O.V.

As math class started Brick and I both noticed the absent of Kaoru and Momoko. We didn't ask ourselves why as a group of boys before us was discussing something that got our attention.

''That blond girl is cute but she has no backbone. I would rather have someone like Momoko who stands for what she believes in.'' The small nerdy guy told the others around him. I frowned and tried to finish my papers until I heard Brick say something I had never heard before. ''She has a great set of legs too''

I frowned and the guys before us laughed and agreed with him. Brick normally never talked about girls and if he did he never talked about their appearance. He always kept it to himself….until now. I was about to rejoin my work when the group started to talk again.

''Well If you like muscles you should check out Kaoru during soccer practice. I'm telling you, that girl keeps the best to herself. Someone as athletic as her has to have a six-pack… I mean have you seen those calves and biceps? They're the perfect combination of hard and soft muscle.'' The most muscular guy of them all said with hearts in his eyes.

If Kaoru would find out about this she would break every bone in his body but it did make me think. I had never thought about Kaoru that way as I had no intention to check her out, but this did get me curious. Did she really look that different if she switched from her normal cloths to her soccer shorts? I hadn't noticed that before.

''Kaoru is a little too aggressive for my taste...'' The purple haired guy in the middle said a few seconds before Kaoru and Momoko walked into class. They had a permission slip for the teacher and took a seat in the front row.

Everyone had now stopped talking with the girls in hearing range and I watched Kaoru from a distance. I again found myself thinking if the sports freak was right and wondered if she indeed had a six-pack.

It took me a full second before I realized what I was doing. I was actually checking her out. It was something I had never done with any girl before because I don't like to bond with people. I try to avoid making real friends because I need to protect not only them but also myself.

Thank god Brick pinched my arm to get my attention and it cleared my head. '' You okay? I saw you zoning out…'' I nodded yes and stared back at him. Kaoru wasn't that special but maybe our friendly conversations this morning did make me see her more as a friend. Maybe…just maybe…. Takaaki was right and I am really capable of forming a friendship with someone.