Chapter 11: Get Back
Luckily, they all landed safely in Townsville. As soon as they reached there, Him's eyes flashed as he looked at both Professors. "I still don't know which of you is which, but you make me very, very mad!" He went up to attack, but then the wound from the sword made him stop and bend over. He glared. "I'll be back, girls. Rest assured, I'll be back!" With that, he disappeared.
"Wow!" Buttercup said and ran over to the attacker with the sword. She gave him a big hug. "Jack, you're so awesome! You took on Aku! Oh man, I'll never forget this!"
"Uh, Buttercup," Blossom said, "I hate to break it to you, but that's not Jack."
Buttercup laughed. "Very funny, Blossom. It's gotta be Jack. He's got the sword and the know-how to take on Aku."
But Bubbles flew quickly up to the attacker and tackled him with a hug. "I'd recognize my Professor any day."
"But-but it can't be!" Buttercup cried. He's got Jack's voice, Jack's swords, Jack's looks--"
But as she spoke, the other look alike took off his lab coat to reveal samurai robes. Buttercup looked at the two in disbelief. Jack just smiled mischievously.
The real Professor took out some of microphone in his mouth and gave Jack back his sword. "Thank you so much for letting me borrow this."
Jack bowed. "It was an honor fighting with you."
"I-I-I-I still don't understand."
"Little one," Jack answered, "my plan was actually a test. Several tests. It is too complex for me to explain, but I mainly wanted to see how you measure up as my descendants, and you passed tremendously."
"But-but how--"
"Oh, several ways," the Professor answered. "Strength and speed increasers, voice modifiers, agility boosters, and Jack helped me conceal them all so well."
"They were all old components of the Powerprof suit the Professor made so long ago," Blossom explained.
"So with all that stuff, the Professor can fight like Jack?" Buttercup said. "Cool!"
"Now, don't get any ideas, Buttercup. I'm not going back to my superhero days. I work best as a Professor and father. And right now, I got to get back to that time Portal."
So he went in and worked. Jack and the girls finally got to talk more about each other's adventures, until the Professor called Jack back. They discussed getting Jack back to his own time, but it did not look good.
"I'm sorry Jack, but without any specifics like the exact year that you are from, I can't send you back to your own time. The best I can do for the time being is send you back to the time from which you came."
Jack hung his head. "I understand."
The Professor smiled. "But always know that I will continue to work on it. I'll make my time travel technology better, and once I find the way back, I'll let you know one way or another."
"With all of my heart, I thank you," Jack replied looking up. He put his hand on the Professor's shoulder. "I have every confidence in you. You truly have the heart of a samurai, and you will always leave our family a wonderful legacy. In the words your girls taught me, you, Professor, you have an explosive device on you."
"WHAT?!? WHERE?" The Professor searched all over him the same crazy way Jack did a while ago. The girls just looked at him and laughed.
Oh, now I see the resemblance! Ha ha! Keep the samurai spirit alive, Professor!
So, once again, the day is saved thanks to the Powerpuff Girls, but mostly thanks to the best samurai in the universe, Samurai Jack! The E--
Wait! I'm not done yet!
Hey, who's the narrator here?
You are, but I'm the one telling this story. I mean, you want to know how Jack beats the Rowdyruff Boys, right?
Well, yeah, I guess I do. You can put in an epilogue, I guess.
Thank you.
Epilogue
"Calm down, Professor!" Buttercup said. "He means you're the bomb!"
"Oh. I knew that."
The laughter subsided as the girls turned to Jack. "So, you'll be able to take on the Rowdyruff Boys ok?" Blossom asked.
"I think so," Jack answered. "After all you told me, I have a few ideas about what to do."
Bubbles began to cry. "Oh, don't go, Jack! Please stay with us! We just started getting to know each other!"
"Don't cry, little one," Jack said. "You are breaking my heart. I must go."
"But we'll miss you so much!" Buttercup sniffed.
"We are tied by blood. I will never really leave you, for I will always be a part of you. And since I met you, you will always be a part of me. I will never forget you." He could see their sorrow was not stopping, so he kissed each one of the girls on their foreheads. "Goodbye, little ones."
The Professor sadly turned on the time portal, and Jack stepped in. They all watched him until they couldn't see him anymore. They watched the portal fold in on itself and looked closely at it until the indicator went from "Occupied" to "Vacant." Jack made it through ok.
"It's not fair," Buttercup sighed. "I know he'll always be a part of us. When he dies, he'll probably will always be watching us and all. But he never taught me anything, and I never got to really know him as a person."
"Yeah," Blossom added. "We only watched him. I wish we knew more about it."
"Girls," the Professor answered, "you gotta remember I'm the one closest related to him, and I learned the least about him. You girls are extremely lucky."
"Yeah, but still--" Bubbles sobbed.
The Professor grinned. "Listen, girls, I didn't tell Jack this, but I wrote down the coordinates of the time where we dropped him off. Maybe every once in a while, we can go and visit him. And if he doesn't object, maybe he can visit us."
"OH BOY!" all the girls cried. They immediately cheered up.
"Of course, we can't do it anytime soon, but I'll give it a little more thought. Now, why don't all of you go to the living room? I want to hear everything you and the samurai went through."
"We'll be glad to tell it," Blossom said. Then the girls flew for the couch.
"I'll be there in a moment. I just got to find my pipe. Oh, here it is." He picked up his pipe from the counter, but then he spotted something on the other side. "Wait a minute! That's my time portal!" It was there, a little dusty, but still in excellent condition. "But if it's here, then what's--"
The Professor turned to the old time portal just in time to see it vanished. He stood there, mystified.
RETURN MANAGED. TIME PORTAL RECEIVED.
Professor Plutonium took the antique out of the new, improved time machine. Indeed, his ancestor fixed it well. How he wished things had changed. The new time machine made time travel more efficient and a little more comfortable, but it needed more specifics than ever. He ought to invent a mind reader that would tell the computer what era the time traveler was interested in visiting.
"That reminds me," Professor Plutonium thought. He went to the top window and looked toward the ancient observatory.
"There he is!" he heard Brick yell. He grabbed a telescope and looked closer.
Jack threw something at Boomer, which Boomer caught with ease. "Excellent catch!" Jack smiled.
"You think?"
"Yes, you will make a wonderful addition to the team."
Boomer smiled in kindness then suddenly blew up in a blue flash. The boys were surprised, but it only made them attack more fiercely. Every time, Jack complemented them and praised their methods. His kind advice was too much for them to take, and one by one they were defeated. Every once in a while, he grabbed a boy, tackled him or tickled him. That was too much as well. Soon, only Brick was left.
"Why are you doing this?" Brick asked surprised.
"Aku has been an awful father to you. I am gladly giving to you something you have been denied, but his evil has made it that it is too great for you. If love is the only way to defeat you, so be it." He came closer.
"Don't do this! All my friends will see me!"
Jack didn't listen but took the boy and his arms and rubbed his head, hard. Brick screamed and disappeared.
Jack smiled with satisfaction. "I will make a good father one day," he said to himself. He sighed and walked on.
Professor Plutonium took out his megaphone. "Hey you! Great job! I knew the girls would show you the way!"
Jack couldn't quite hear everything he said, but he could see a man in a lab coat waving at him from the Powerpuff Girls' old home. He didn't look quite like Professor Utonium, but Jack knew this too was his descendant. He raised his hand in peace. "Thank you, Grandson. Thank you for everything," he called back. He walked back through New Townsville with a little bit more appreciation, but also a little more sadness. "My quest continues . . ."
Professor Plutonium watched him leave and smiled. He looked at the girls' old room at an artifact hanging above their famous, three-colored bed. It wasn't until today that he really understood what it meant. It was an Oriental tapestry of the three girls, smiling from ear to ear, and being led by a samurai who was holding a sword, seemingly pointing the way. The Professor always assumed that the samurai symbolized Professor Utonium, their creator, but the caption and signatures just beneath the samurai's feet, all written in Japanese characters, always mystified him:
"Domo arigato, Jack. Buttercup, Bubbles, Blossom"
THE END
(Sorry about the inconsistencies, grammar errors, unresolved plots, and whatnot, but you know, it's just a story. I want to thank everyone who kept up with it, especially Harry Gregory and Phoenix Feather. It was definitely fun to write. I'll probably do a few short Samurai Jack stories next. Hope to see you there. Thanks again!)
Luckily, they all landed safely in Townsville. As soon as they reached there, Him's eyes flashed as he looked at both Professors. "I still don't know which of you is which, but you make me very, very mad!" He went up to attack, but then the wound from the sword made him stop and bend over. He glared. "I'll be back, girls. Rest assured, I'll be back!" With that, he disappeared.
"Wow!" Buttercup said and ran over to the attacker with the sword. She gave him a big hug. "Jack, you're so awesome! You took on Aku! Oh man, I'll never forget this!"
"Uh, Buttercup," Blossom said, "I hate to break it to you, but that's not Jack."
Buttercup laughed. "Very funny, Blossom. It's gotta be Jack. He's got the sword and the know-how to take on Aku."
But Bubbles flew quickly up to the attacker and tackled him with a hug. "I'd recognize my Professor any day."
"But-but it can't be!" Buttercup cried. He's got Jack's voice, Jack's swords, Jack's looks--"
But as she spoke, the other look alike took off his lab coat to reveal samurai robes. Buttercup looked at the two in disbelief. Jack just smiled mischievously.
The real Professor took out some of microphone in his mouth and gave Jack back his sword. "Thank you so much for letting me borrow this."
Jack bowed. "It was an honor fighting with you."
"I-I-I-I still don't understand."
"Little one," Jack answered, "my plan was actually a test. Several tests. It is too complex for me to explain, but I mainly wanted to see how you measure up as my descendants, and you passed tremendously."
"But-but how--"
"Oh, several ways," the Professor answered. "Strength and speed increasers, voice modifiers, agility boosters, and Jack helped me conceal them all so well."
"They were all old components of the Powerprof suit the Professor made so long ago," Blossom explained.
"So with all that stuff, the Professor can fight like Jack?" Buttercup said. "Cool!"
"Now, don't get any ideas, Buttercup. I'm not going back to my superhero days. I work best as a Professor and father. And right now, I got to get back to that time Portal."
So he went in and worked. Jack and the girls finally got to talk more about each other's adventures, until the Professor called Jack back. They discussed getting Jack back to his own time, but it did not look good.
"I'm sorry Jack, but without any specifics like the exact year that you are from, I can't send you back to your own time. The best I can do for the time being is send you back to the time from which you came."
Jack hung his head. "I understand."
The Professor smiled. "But always know that I will continue to work on it. I'll make my time travel technology better, and once I find the way back, I'll let you know one way or another."
"With all of my heart, I thank you," Jack replied looking up. He put his hand on the Professor's shoulder. "I have every confidence in you. You truly have the heart of a samurai, and you will always leave our family a wonderful legacy. In the words your girls taught me, you, Professor, you have an explosive device on you."
"WHAT?!? WHERE?" The Professor searched all over him the same crazy way Jack did a while ago. The girls just looked at him and laughed.
Oh, now I see the resemblance! Ha ha! Keep the samurai spirit alive, Professor!
So, once again, the day is saved thanks to the Powerpuff Girls, but mostly thanks to the best samurai in the universe, Samurai Jack! The E--
Wait! I'm not done yet!
Hey, who's the narrator here?
You are, but I'm the one telling this story. I mean, you want to know how Jack beats the Rowdyruff Boys, right?
Well, yeah, I guess I do. You can put in an epilogue, I guess.
Thank you.
Epilogue
"Calm down, Professor!" Buttercup said. "He means you're the bomb!"
"Oh. I knew that."
The laughter subsided as the girls turned to Jack. "So, you'll be able to take on the Rowdyruff Boys ok?" Blossom asked.
"I think so," Jack answered. "After all you told me, I have a few ideas about what to do."
Bubbles began to cry. "Oh, don't go, Jack! Please stay with us! We just started getting to know each other!"
"Don't cry, little one," Jack said. "You are breaking my heart. I must go."
"But we'll miss you so much!" Buttercup sniffed.
"We are tied by blood. I will never really leave you, for I will always be a part of you. And since I met you, you will always be a part of me. I will never forget you." He could see their sorrow was not stopping, so he kissed each one of the girls on their foreheads. "Goodbye, little ones."
The Professor sadly turned on the time portal, and Jack stepped in. They all watched him until they couldn't see him anymore. They watched the portal fold in on itself and looked closely at it until the indicator went from "Occupied" to "Vacant." Jack made it through ok.
"It's not fair," Buttercup sighed. "I know he'll always be a part of us. When he dies, he'll probably will always be watching us and all. But he never taught me anything, and I never got to really know him as a person."
"Yeah," Blossom added. "We only watched him. I wish we knew more about it."
"Girls," the Professor answered, "you gotta remember I'm the one closest related to him, and I learned the least about him. You girls are extremely lucky."
"Yeah, but still--" Bubbles sobbed.
The Professor grinned. "Listen, girls, I didn't tell Jack this, but I wrote down the coordinates of the time where we dropped him off. Maybe every once in a while, we can go and visit him. And if he doesn't object, maybe he can visit us."
"OH BOY!" all the girls cried. They immediately cheered up.
"Of course, we can't do it anytime soon, but I'll give it a little more thought. Now, why don't all of you go to the living room? I want to hear everything you and the samurai went through."
"We'll be glad to tell it," Blossom said. Then the girls flew for the couch.
"I'll be there in a moment. I just got to find my pipe. Oh, here it is." He picked up his pipe from the counter, but then he spotted something on the other side. "Wait a minute! That's my time portal!" It was there, a little dusty, but still in excellent condition. "But if it's here, then what's--"
The Professor turned to the old time portal just in time to see it vanished. He stood there, mystified.
RETURN MANAGED. TIME PORTAL RECEIVED.
Professor Plutonium took the antique out of the new, improved time machine. Indeed, his ancestor fixed it well. How he wished things had changed. The new time machine made time travel more efficient and a little more comfortable, but it needed more specifics than ever. He ought to invent a mind reader that would tell the computer what era the time traveler was interested in visiting.
"That reminds me," Professor Plutonium thought. He went to the top window and looked toward the ancient observatory.
"There he is!" he heard Brick yell. He grabbed a telescope and looked closer.
Jack threw something at Boomer, which Boomer caught with ease. "Excellent catch!" Jack smiled.
"You think?"
"Yes, you will make a wonderful addition to the team."
Boomer smiled in kindness then suddenly blew up in a blue flash. The boys were surprised, but it only made them attack more fiercely. Every time, Jack complemented them and praised their methods. His kind advice was too much for them to take, and one by one they were defeated. Every once in a while, he grabbed a boy, tackled him or tickled him. That was too much as well. Soon, only Brick was left.
"Why are you doing this?" Brick asked surprised.
"Aku has been an awful father to you. I am gladly giving to you something you have been denied, but his evil has made it that it is too great for you. If love is the only way to defeat you, so be it." He came closer.
"Don't do this! All my friends will see me!"
Jack didn't listen but took the boy and his arms and rubbed his head, hard. Brick screamed and disappeared.
Jack smiled with satisfaction. "I will make a good father one day," he said to himself. He sighed and walked on.
Professor Plutonium took out his megaphone. "Hey you! Great job! I knew the girls would show you the way!"
Jack couldn't quite hear everything he said, but he could see a man in a lab coat waving at him from the Powerpuff Girls' old home. He didn't look quite like Professor Utonium, but Jack knew this too was his descendant. He raised his hand in peace. "Thank you, Grandson. Thank you for everything," he called back. He walked back through New Townsville with a little bit more appreciation, but also a little more sadness. "My quest continues . . ."
Professor Plutonium watched him leave and smiled. He looked at the girls' old room at an artifact hanging above their famous, three-colored bed. It wasn't until today that he really understood what it meant. It was an Oriental tapestry of the three girls, smiling from ear to ear, and being led by a samurai who was holding a sword, seemingly pointing the way. The Professor always assumed that the samurai symbolized Professor Utonium, their creator, but the caption and signatures just beneath the samurai's feet, all written in Japanese characters, always mystified him:
"Domo arigato, Jack. Buttercup, Bubbles, Blossom"
THE END
(Sorry about the inconsistencies, grammar errors, unresolved plots, and whatnot, but you know, it's just a story. I want to thank everyone who kept up with it, especially Harry Gregory and Phoenix Feather. It was definitely fun to write. I'll probably do a few short Samurai Jack stories next. Hope to see you there. Thanks again!)