This one is kinda short, but a lot of stuff happens. And this is where the T rating comes into play. There is some swearing and grisly (??) violence. But I have to say, I really love Him. He's pretty scary and one of the better bad guys I've created. But yeah, a lot of blood that was probably not necessary and more unnecessary swearing. And some things might not make sense, but then again, he is quite possibly the devil and since when did Powerpuff Girls ever really make sense? It'll probably be explained later, too, if it doesn't make sense now.

This WILL be the last chapter I add for a while. I'm having blockage with this story and can't seem to continue it, though I have begun the next chapter already. It's a matter of getting in all of the major elements I want to use (Ace, the Element Y, Alexander making another appearance, a chance for the girls to get there powers back, Blossom's overall fate). Still, forewarning that it might be a while before you hear from me again on this story.

A high pitch scream resonated in the square as a woman recognized him. Instantly, the shouting began, the reporters and photographers and journalists screamed and scattered like panicked mice that spotted a cat. Blossom and Bubbles stared at him in disbelief as he rose sinuously to his feet. He had a pleasant smile on his peculiar face, the crowd parting like the Red Sea as he neared the podium. He had two men in bright purple suits trailing behind him like obedient security guards, sunglasses with bright red rims covering their eyes. Their heads were shaved in a strange pattern that Bubbles couldn't place. They looked like characters out of a movie, not real, flesh and blood people.

"Please, kind patrons, I don't mean to cause any alarm." He waved one stark white hand with a grace that Bubbles and Blossom would've envied if it hadn't been him. A purple mist swirled around the crowd, and instantly, a terrifying calm began to bloom throughout the crowd, everyone becoming terribly complacent. Bubbles watched with absolute horror, her head disconnected from her body and the edges of her vision fraying like separating fibers. "Please, sit down."
And the once panicking crowd did so, reassuming their old seats and staring blankly forward. Bubbles had never seen him exert such power before. It was disconcerting and frightening. She wanted to faint dead away, but fainting wasn't a trend she wanted to start now.

"Ah, that's better." He sauntered serenely up the steps, his face changing like a candle. One minute, it was heartbreakingly lovely. The next, it was handsomely masculine. Anyone who had never met him before or knew his true nature would be enthralled. Bubbles and Blossom, thankfully, could ignore his wiles, but the purple cloud had touched the professor, who was now sitting on the steps like a subservient little dog. Bubbles wanted to cry with fear, but she kept her cool, as did Blossom and Sera. In fact, Sera was almost a little too calm…

"Sera, my love, thank you for executing the plan so perfectly." He said as he ascended the steps, his polished black loafers clicking on the cement. He went over and kissed Sera on both cheeks. A look of undisguised glee transformed her face, making her more ominous and distrustful than before. Bubbles and Blossom stared at her in horror and alarm. So it was true, Ace had been right.
Sera was working for him.

He threaded his arm through hers, and they turned to face the girls. He was much more terrifying in person, a strange, dark charisma exuded around his lithe, supple body. He smiled enchantingly at the girls.

"At last, our reunion," He announced grandly. He looked to Bubbles for a moment, frowning slightly. "You did not approve of my gift?"
"No, of course not," Bubbles was proud at how unruffled she sounded, but she could feel her lower lip beginning to tremble and her sweat was creating a film over her tingling skin.

"Back off," Blossom hissed dangerously, but fear glimmered in the depths of her pink eyes. "Release our father and everyone else."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," He actually looked remorseful about it. "At least, not yet. They mustn't remember that I was here. The man hunt for me would certainly succeed, then."
"Then take what you want and go." Blossom snarled menacingly. A smile swept across his face.

"I may have your sister with no argument?" He challenged sweetly. Blossom's mouth fell open. With a feral shriek, she lunged at him, but he easily reached out and, with a casual flick of the wrist, sent her flying onto the steps with a loud crunch. Bubbles screamed in horror as Blossom sagged in an awful, boneless way. Her eyelids fell shut, and her lips parting, a slight string of saliva dripping down her chin. She looked so desolate and weak and tiny, her form totally limp. Bubbles felt frustration and rage and despair and horror building in her constricted chest like wet cement. She whirled to face him, tears burning behind her eyes and sobs clenching her throat.

"What have you done?" She shrieked. Even Sera seemed shocked, eyeing Blossom's unmoving body nervously.
"Sweetie, you promised that nothing would happen to them, that you wouldn't hurt anyone. And Blossom looks awfully dead…" Sera looked worriedly up at his face, her eyes wide. But, before she could say anything else, her eyes widened in horror and her lips fell open, her mouth suddenly swimming with blood. A stain, hardly noticeable on her red suit, bloomed across her chest. She croaked incoherently, blood squirting from her mouth and dotting the pavement, and her arm slipped from his. She fell like a sack of potatoes beside the podium, blood gurgling in her mouth and the stain on her chest expanding like the petals of a deadly flower. Her body was wracked with terrible shutters, inhuman snuffling noises escaping her throat. Bubbles watched in mute horror. He smiled and knelt down beside her.

"I never loved you, you whore." He whispered amiably, his voice like honey and sugar. "Everything I've ever said to you is a lie. You are a foolish slut for thinking I could be taken by you. I hope you rot in hell where you belong."
Sera attempted a scream, but it came out as a sickening burble that forever seemed to ring in Bubbles ears. She grimaced, the tears flowing down her face as she crumpled to the ground. She felt unutterably isolated and alone as she stared at the complacent faces of the crowd. Were they seeing this, or were they lost somewhere else, somewhere awful? She glanced at the professor. What was he seeing? Was he seeing nothing? Was he even… dead?
The thought of losing the professor and Blossom made Bubbles sob. She looked over at him, who was still murmuring awful, awful things to Sera. With a final, body wracking shudder, Sera fell still, her eyes glazing over lifelessly. Bubbles screamed in dismay and revulsion and horror, attempting to get onto her hands and knees to escape, but he had already gotten to his feet and seized a handful of her hair.

"You will not be escaping me quite so easily, my dear," He purred. He reached down and grabbed her wrist, yanking her sharply to her feet. She was totally incoherent, her brain muddled with despair and terror. Blossom, Sera, the professor, him, Buttercup, Fabio…. All of it blurred in her mind like paint, the faces becoming harder to identify, the noises and colors and sounds and textures harder to place. He smiled alluringly down at her.

However, before he could escape with his prize, a gun shot echoed through the square, instantly breaking the spell on the crowd. Chaos and panic erupted once more. He cursed. Who dared to interrupt these proceedings? He scanned the panicked faces, ignoring the numerous people who called 911 and took pictures of him. He needed to find the traitor, the one who had done this.

He didn't bargain for the fact that the person who had shot the gun would come up directly behind him and shoot both his body guards before aiming the gun at him.

"Let her go, asshole." A familiar voice whispered. He looked at the speaker in disgust. Ace. The bastard. He should've known.
"I will for now, but I will be back." He murmured stubbornly before releasing Bubbles. She stumbled back into Ace, who held her protectively. 'He' glared at the boy, repulsed by him and his fancies. "You will die with them, Ace."
"Then I'll see ya in hell." Ace growled, undeterred by 'his' words. 'He' screamed in frustration before disappearing, with his body guards' corpses, in a puff of purple smoke. Bubbles sagged against Ace, all of her will and strength drained right out of her as the sound of sirens touched her ears. She looked gratefully up at Ace, who for some reason didn't look so threatening and hideous any more. She glanced over at Blossom, who was still seemingly… dead… on the steps. The professor came up behind Ace and Bubbles, glaring quizzically at Ace as he took Bubbles from him.

"Why are you helping us?" The professor asked quietly, deeply shaken by Sera's mutilated body and his perhaps dead daughter's. However, for now, he would worry about his Bubbles, who was clearly going into shock.

Ace shrugged.
"Life would be boring without yer daughters."

The ambulances and police cars roared up to the square, and Bubbles passed out as they hoisted her into one of the ambulances.