"Buttercup! Buttercup!" Blossom called as she flew ahead. "Come on Buttercup! We have to talk to you!"

Bubbles trailed behind, she didn't try to call out for Buttercup. She had a feeling that it wouldn't do much. After all, if someone is hiding, they obviously don't want to be found. At least in this example; hide n' seek is a bit different.

Blossom waited for Bubbles to catch up. "Okay I'm gonna go check out the dump, you go check out the convenience stores and arcades. Okay? Sheesh why does she always have to go and do this?"

Bubbled nodded, still too ashamed to speak. Blossom wizzed through the sky, leaving behind her pink mark. Bubbles sighed as she went to go find the arcade.

She didn't care much about arcades. The smell of burnt pizza, stinky cheese and nerd sweat was sometimes too much to bear. Not to mention the noises and lights can be a lot to take in for her sensitive hearing and sight. She took a deep breath, and walked right in.

Coins clanking against metal, the sounds of jeering and cheering, and the obnoxious music immediately attacked her ear drums. Along with the stale smell of sweat wafted around her nostrils, or nose holes. She cringed as she shuffled along, looking for her wayward sister.

"Ah yeah! Who's the arm wrestling champ? That'd be-this girl here!" A familiar voice bragged.

"Buttercup?" Bubbles whispered, following the sound of her scratchy voiced sister.

The toughest Powerpuff was surrounded by the green tinted teenagers as they all cheered around her. Their leader, Ace, had his arm limply around the young girl's shoulder. "Hey-hey, way to go Buttercup. I didn't think that you'd be able to beat Billy here, but who knew?"

Buttercup smirked. "Yeah well, that's what happens when you go against the best, and I am the best."

"Buttercup! There you are!" Bubbles cried cheerfully.

"Oh great! The fun sucker's here to spoil our fun." Ace moped.

"Yeah, fun suckers~" Snake hissed out.

"Whoa, whoa. This party's not gonna end on my account." Buttercup pacified. "Bubbles, did Blossom follow you?"

"No, she's checking the dump."

Ace turned to his boys. "She better not be touching our stuff or she's gonna get it." He threatened as he cracked his knuckles.

"Ace-baby, she's not gonna touch your stuff. She wouldn't dare to anyway." Buttercup glared at Bubbles. "Well what are you waiting for, go find Blossom and let her know that I'm alright and she can leave their stuff alone."

Bubbles played with her hair nervously. "But shouldn't you come home? The Professor gets worried you know."

"I'll go back when I want to. Right now I'm with my friends." Buttercup narrowed her eyes and grabbed on of Bubbles' puffs.

"Ouch! What is that for?"

"Where did you get these ties? Are they new?"

Bubbles whimpered. "They…were a gift."

"Oh really? The Professor got you something nice? Geeze, when do I get something good?"

Bubbles was about to answer when she heard, "Ah-ha! There you are Buttercup! You leave Bubbles alone!"

Buttercup glared at the intruding Blossom. "What? I was just asking why she got these hair ties?"

"That doesn't matter right now, what matters is that we take you home. We have much to discuss."

"No way! I'm out with my friends right now!" Buttercup bemoaned.

"It's of the upmost importance. We need to have a team discussion."

"And I told you that I'm going solo. So you'll just have to talk about it with Bubbles!"

"It's about Bubbles!"

Bubbles gasped, she knew what Blossom was gonna say. "Oh no Blossom, don't say it!"

But Blossom couldn't be stopped, with disgust she announced. "She's been hanging out with-HIM!"

It was like the whole arcade stopped what they were doing to watch this unfold. The machines were untouched and everyone's eyes were focused on the three girls. The Gangreen

Gang took a step back from Bubbles, fear evident on their green faces. After all, they had their heads handed to them by the lobster demon before.

Bubbles fumbled and flustered. "No-no, you don't understand. He's actually a very nice guy. He makes me food, we watched a movie, and he was the one that got me these hair ties! Believe me he's changed!"

Buttercup tore away from her, disgust warping her face. "Bubbles, how could you do that. He's the lowest of the low, the creepiest thing out there. And you're just watching movies with him like it's nothing?"

Bubbles teared up. All around her were familiar faces, all looking at her with either distrust, sympathy, fear, or betrayal. Her chest started thumping, and even though it was cowardly. She flew away bawling. They don't trust me! They think I'm the bad one for being friends with HIM! I messed up! I ruined everything! She could hear her sisters calling out to her, but she flew too fast before they could catch up.

She kept flying, not paying any attention to where she was going. Her tears obscured her vision. Her wails echoing behind her like her blue trail.

She found herself sitting at the edge of large cliff, with waves crashing down below. The caws' of seagulls cried overhead, flying to wherever. Bubbles continued to sob, hiding her head in her arms

They hate me! The hate me! I'll just have to stop being friends with HIM…but I can't do that, he has no other friends. I won't let him be alone. I should tell him about this, he'll know what to do. She wiped her eyes and called out, "HIM! I want to see you!"

The all too familiar scent of cinnamon surrounded her. The thin clouds of red drifted away, leaving behind the lobster demon. He lounged beside her, a smile on his face. "I see you're wearing the hair ties I got you, what did I tell you? They look great on you."

Bubbles managed a small smile. "Thanks, but I…I told my sisters that I have been hanging out with you…and they didn't take it too well."

HIM slowly nodded. "I see, that's pretty unfortunate that your sisters couldn't look past their prejudices. So what happened?" His face strange without the grin.

"Blossom told everyone in the arcade and Buttercup looked like she hated me! I don't know what to do!" She cried in her arms and curled up in a small ball. HIM gently brought her closer in, she clung onto his side. His grin returning.

"My dear sweet Bubbles. You know that it's gonna be like this for the rest of your life."

She looked up at him, her face red with tears. "What?"

"Oh sure." He answered nonchalantly. "They just can't believe that a villain can go straight, not a lot of heroes do. I mean Batman himself has been known to stalk his adversaries to see how they're doing being out of Arkham."

Bubbles looked down. "But Batman is a good guy, and I want to be a good guy."

He tilted her chin up gently with the tip of his claw. "But don't you see? You are a good guy. You've become friends with the one person that no one wants to be around. You're a super good guy." He 'booped' her on where her nose should be. She giggled as she wiped away her tears.

"You know what? You're right! I am being a good guy here! Not Blossom with her stupid books or Buttercup with always making fun of me! I'm the one who's friends with you, and they won't even give you a chance! Well-phooey to them!"

HIM laughed at her attempt at profanity. He teased her ponytails. "Oh how lucky I am to have a friend like you!"

She smiled brightly. "So am I! Even if you're my only friend, you're still the best."

He grinned at her, then slowly turned away and looked worried.

"Huh? What's the matter?" She asked.

"It's just that, now that the town knows about us. Your sisters will try and beat me up again, and I'm just not ready for that sort of thing." He sighed and looked exhausted. "I'm…just fed up with this business. It drains a person you know?" He collapsed on the ground and looked at the moon, high above the horizon with stars peppering the night sky. "Such a beautiful night to get my teeth knocked in."

Bubbles growled. "Well, I won't let that happen! I'll stop them." In a low voice she promised, "By any means necessary." With that, Hardcore Bubble flew away to intercept her sisters.

HIM waited till she was out of sight before that grin flashed back on his pointed face. Then he started to smirk, giggle and chuckle until he was full blown laughing. That cold high laugh that haunted the children that woke up in a cold sweat from the nightmares that would stay with them forever. Indeed, the was the laughter of a plan gone deliciously right.

And he had little Bubbles to thank for that.

Author's Note: Getting down to the nitty-gritty here folks. I'd like to thank my beautiful readers for sticking with me through my long hiatuses! I know, I'm awful for just never updating. But I'll be glad to write more for this series while the new PPG goes on. By the way, PPG 2016 sucks, who else agrees?