One punch.

Two punches.

A punch with both arms.

No matter how hard she tried, willed her body to work, Buttercup was far too slow and far too weak to land the hits. It was pitiful how easily he dodged all her attacks. Her stupid, frail -weak body couldn't keep up. She could see all the moves he was making before he made them but no matter what she did her body was half a beat slower than her mind and her opponent; it was driving Buttercup mad.

"Don't stop." She hissed when she saw him taking an extra step back, knowing the way his knees turned that he was readying a retreat.

This time, for the first time since they started fighting -or, technically, since Buttercup started fighting (all he was doing was dodging and occasionally pushing her fists away with open palms) he looked at her. He was actually looking at her instead of looking through her as though she wasn't even worth his time. Which, the anger continued to boil as Buttercup recognized, she truly wasn't. This fight was one-sided and pathetic, which was saying something since she fought the Amoeba boys.

"Fight me!" Buttercup screamed and, throwing any rationality behind (the little she had left), she lowered half of her body, stretched her arms out, and charged.

He just...stood there.

Stood.

There.

"Don't tell Blossom."

She could see him lowering his fist and unable to stop because of her stupid, delayed reactions, tried to brace herself.

Of course her body couldn't even do that in time.

It hurt, hurt so bad. Hurt more than any other hit Buttercup had ever taken. It showed her that yes, this sad, sad world where she had no powers wasn't a dream because she was so pathetically slow and a punch with no strength knocked the breath out of her.

"Thank you." She wheezed as her arms clutched her stomach, body trembling as it instinctively curled into itself as though looking like some feeble turtle wannabe was going to make the pain go away. Even though Buttercup's ego was far more bruised than her stomach was going to be, she was thankful for that small moment he took her seriously. That alone made this sad, sad fight just a little less...depressing.

"Weirdo."

~~~1 week earlier~~~

It was a regular day in the city of Townsville. Even as a breeze signaling the start of Fall swept the town, the sun countered the weather with an abnormally bright shine. People cluttered the streets, teens squeaked their sneakers down the halls, and Buttercup was overcome with the yawns as her AP Math teacher (why the school decide she'd do good in that level was beyond her) droned on and on about math problems she knew she'd struggle with until she was senile. Never had she'd been more thankful for her Powerpuff Hotline cellphone going off in the middle of class. She grinned, waved a quick goodbye to her classmates, and flew out of the "conveniently" open window. It didn't take long for Buttercup to find her sisters in the middle of Downtown Townsville as they observed a giant monster that looked eerily like a golem made out of molten lava turn the ground beneath it into red pools. She sighed and rolled her eyes as Blossom and Bubbles exchanged a pre-victory high five. Why wouldn't they? Blossom's icy breath was all they needed to defeat this small fry menace.

"Leave it to me, girls." Buttercup mouthed Blossom's lines as she disappeared with a pink streak.

"You should be happy, Buttercup! This means we'll be done super quick and won't have to miss too much class. Oh, I'm so excited! I'm almost done with my art project. Do you want to see it when I'm done?"

She really didn't care but said yes for the sake of her sisters happiness.

She never thought she would want to see the project or her AP math class.

She never thought the monster would manage to escape Blossom's ice and make a beeline to where they were floating.

She never thought the monster would eat her.

Buttercup didn't think at all until she smelled alcohol and, blinking repeatedly, realized that the view of the open city transformed into the view of a white-tiled ceiling.

"See, I told you that would work! I saw it in a movie once."

"Bubbles! That's only when someone faints! Pu- Oh, she's awake...DAD! SHE'S AWAKE!"

Blinking the grogginess away was all Buttercup could do as she saw the blurred outlines of her sisters disappear and the outline of the Professor take their place.

"Oh dear. Buttercup, sweetie, would you like some water?"

Buttercup weakly nodded her head and continued the vain attempt of regaining her vision. She could feel chilled glass touching her lips and, on instinct, opened her mouth just enough that the Professor was able to tip some of the water in. She gulped it down, only then processing the feeling of sweat all over her body, sticking her clothes- a nightgown? On her skin. It felt sticky and gross but those emotions easily vanished the minute she turned her head and felt long strands of hair sticking to her back. She froze.

"What the-"

She could feel the Professor slowly move away to give her space as her hand went behind her head and pushed the strands, feeling just how long they were. It felt…like it was long enough to reach her hips.

"Bubbles, did you contact the boys? Blossom, can you click for the nurse?"

"Yes!"

"I'm on it!"

But that was impossible, her hair only reached up to her shoulders and that was only because she decided to let it grow out a little with all the "Buttercup! Please please pleaseee let your hair grow out a little. Try something new!" pleads from Bubbles. A voice at the back of her head screamed ideas like "you got yourself in a coma", "the monster was a hair monster", they put a wig on you as a joke". Yes, it all sounded ridiculous but for a girl who was slowly regaining her sight and was able to confirm that she wasn't imagining the smell of a hospital room, anything could be possible.

Taking a deep breath, Buttercup asked "How long have I been out?" realizing after the words left her mouth just how raspy her voice sounded. Really, how long had she been out?

"About three day." The Professor replied while his cool hand touched her forehead, making her flinch. As his fingers crawled into her scalp she could feel the smooth, slightly calloused skin ease her tension away. She almost lost herself in the familiar soothing sensation before recalling the reason she was in this situation.

"And the monster? Did Bloss get it with her ice breath?"

It was a genuine question but weirdly enough the Professor looked at her like he had no idea what she was talking about. He ought to have known what knocked her out, right? So she searched for Blossom and Bubbles to see why it was that he seemed clueless. When she spotted them through her still blurred vision sitting on some chairs close to the door of the room, she could tell from the silence and squinting her eyes to see that they were looking at her like they had no idea either. She would have reiterated her question if she didn't suddenly feel a wave of nausea that made her lean back into the hospital bed. Buttercup didn't say much else, deciding it would be best to just stay quiet and let her body relax as the nurse came into the room. The unfamiliar pudgy blond looked so happy to see her that it was a little unsettling; she never did like too cheery nurses, they gave her the creeps. So she decided then to pretend like she had fallen asleep. Luckily they bought it. After all, if she had been asleep or whatever for three days then who's to say she couldn't fall asleep then.

"How is she?"

"See seems a lot more stable. I felt her forehead and it seems her fever has reduced."

"That's amazing. I'll get her temperature in a moment. Is there anything she told you she might want or need?"

"No...Nothing of the sort." Why did the Professor sound so hesitant? And why was she...so sleepy?

When she opened her eyes again she was greeted with the sight of a dark ceiling. She could hear mumbling and made out one of the voices as Blossom but...who was the other?

"It was weird. She said something about a monster and me having ice breath and then fell asleep. The nurse says that it's probably a delirium she was going through. If she wakes up again just let us know, okay? I gotta go now. Bye, love you." The sound of a kiss hitting skin, the squeak of sneakers, and the closing of a door were the last sounds Buttercup heard as she pieced together what Blossom had said.

It made no sense, what delirium? What did that even mean?

When Buttercup felt she had enough strength to move she pressed her hands firmly on the mattress and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She could hear the drip of the IV plug and make out the static of the TV hovering a few feet away as it struggled between showing a white screen and what she assumed was tomorrow's weather report. At least her vision had gone back to normal with rest.

When she turned her head to the side, she saw the door that Blossom had left out of and the row of three uncomfortable looking black chairs where Blossom and Bubbles had been sitting (she assumed with the darkness) hours before.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Mornin'." He didn't even look at her, his head hanging low and body slouched over what Buttercup assumed must be his phone. Even in the dimly lit room (which she'd think later is ridiculous, why was it so dark? Did he have night vision or something or was the hospital trying to save a little on their electric bill?) she could make out the ridiculous red cap he'd always wear. It was flipped back, same old fashion, and with the little light that the room had thanks to the curtain-less windows she could catch the pieces of orange hair that stuck out of the cap closure. She didn't need to see the eyes to know.

"What are you doing here?" Buttercup spat purposefully. There was no way, no way Blossom had left her alone with...with...a Rowdyruff boy.

"Babysitting."

She had to bite back a scream. A large, angry howl that was sure to shatter the glass of the entire floor if she didn't contain it. Buttercup struggled to pool all her energy into grabbing the side of the bed. Even though her body was so weak she felt like she'd topple over, she turned. One foot then the other and she managed to somewhat control the wobbling as she stood up. Tried as she might Buttercup's could not float and she wondered if Brick spiked her IV with Antidote X just to spite her.

He must have heard her because that made him finally look up and- yup, that was definitely Brick. What with the glowing red eyes and what not.

"What's your angle?" She asked as she took one small step towards him, hating just how much she had to struggle for that step. She had about five more to go if her math wasn't failing her.

Brick looked utterly unamused as he watched her. If anything, Buttercup hated to think, it was as though he was looking through her. Not only did she feel weak and confused but this jerk had the audacity to make it seem like she wasn't even there. It (she'd never admit aloud) added an extra kick to her bruised and confused ego.

"Go back to bed." He muttered while his attention returned to the phone she had caught a glimpse of seconds ago.

It took much longer than Buttercup would have liked but when she finally made it to her destination she pulled her arm back and released a punch she had been itching to throw for hours. But...it did absolutely nothing. She watched, appalled, as Brick's head remained firmly in place as though all she did was poke his cheek and not release all the strength she had left in her body. Speaking of, Buttercup felt her legs shake uncontrollably as they let themselves go and with it all of her fell to the ground. He didn't even flinch. Buttercup laid there. She knew that even if she tried her body wouldn't budge, so she opted to stay on the ground and wonder how in the world this could happen because of some giant lava rock.

"This blows."

She felt arms go underneath her and pull her up. He was... carrying her? Brick took her all the way and (shockingly) gently laid her down on the bed. She could feel his body heat leave and a shiver crawl up her arms from the AC that, for some stupid reason, was pointed directly at her. The covers were underneath her and as much as she needed them she refused to ask the retreating guy for help.

"Listen here, when I get my powers back I'm going to make you beg for mercy."

She thought he'd stay slouched over, ignoring her. For a few seconds Brick did before slowly raised his head. She couldn't fully make out his face but with the little she saw through the darkness she thought he looked confused.

"The power of crying? No thanks. I've been hoping for years you'd lose that."

Now that got her over the boiling point. How could he insinuate she was a cryer? She was the Powerpuff that cried the least! It was one of her many pride points, one of the many reasons she held her title of toughest. Even if Bubbles was 'hardcore' Buttercup was the stronger one and that strength included not crying in front of her enemies.

"'I'm going to beat you so bad you'll think twice about sayin' somethin' as bogus as me being a cryer."

She could make out the sound of Brick's chuckle. It was a small, quick sound that disappeared as fast as it came but it gave her just enough strength to ball her hand into a fist. Now she was determined to heal as fast as possible. Buttercup may have learned to control her temper through the years but she also developed the ability to turn her rage into fuel for her goals. She grinned maliciously as she closed her eyes and willed her body to let go. It was simple; keep quiet, do as the doctors say, get strong, get out, and get the stupid Rowdyruff alone to show him a thing or two about belittling her and spiking her IV with Antidote X.

The next morning welcomed Buttercup with more strength and a bigger than life resolution to recover; she was excited to practice some punches with a clear victim in mind. When the door to her room opened and she saw her sisters come in with the Professor following behind, she was both ecstatic to see them and fully prepared to question if they knew who had paid her a visit last night. Her eyes jumped from the Professor to Blossom before resting on Bubbles -her grin faltered. Her vision had fully cleared from the night before and she knew she wasn't seeing things. Bubbles, who looked genuinely happy to see Buttercup awake was shorter, her face a little fuller, and her eyes just as big as they always were. Of course that was Bubbles but...why did she look like she just came out of their Pokey Oaks Middle School photo album?

"What's wrong, honey?" The Professor chimed in. Only he and Blossom seemed to realize something was off as Bubbles walked the rest of the way and brought Buttercup into a soft, gentle hug.

She knew she'd hate herself later for asking but had to make sure she wasn't in another time travel episode gone horribly wrong. "What year is it?"

Now all three of them were giving her concerned gazes. Bubbles lips were pouting as she pressed their foreheads together for what Buttercup figured was to make sure her fever was gone. Sure it was still hot but Buttercup knew she was okay, she could feel it.

"It's 2009. August fifteen to be exact." The Professor (finally) answered.

"Her fever feels like it's almost gone." Bubbles chirped up. It was likely her attempt at alleviating the mood.

But that didn't make sense. The year was the same but she remembered it being closer to the end of September when she last looked at the calendar. What made even less sense was how Bubbles looked like she did back in 2006 and, she could feel it as she moved her head slightly, the long hair she knew couldn't be a wig brushing against her back. There was no way her hair could grow over twice as long as it used to be in such a short amount of time. Well, maybe the monster did have magical hair growing abilities after all. Wouldn't be the first time one of those things had a useless power.

"I'll go get the nurse." Blossom said as she slipped out of the room.

It was easy to pretend to be asleep after the test of the day. She was grateful for her amazing acting skills and the fact that her doctor and family seemed completely comfortable with talking about her as if they weren't in her room. Being a 'deep sleeper' sure paid off sometimes.

Buttercup still couldn't believe the doctor had the nerve of not only saying that 'hallucinations' aren't uncommon for people to suffer after high fevers but that she also seemed to have amnesia. After a few seconds of silence (were they not going to protest what the guy said!?) she could make out the voice of the Professor bring up what she said yesterday about the monster and how she questioned what year it was. The doctor muttered something as the sound of a pen scratching paper echoed in the silent room. Buttercup hated the guy, how he looked like he believed her when she retold the story of the lava monster during the test. Maybe Brick wasn't the one who spiked her IV with Antidote X, maybe it was this clearly deranged doctor. Didn't he realize he was dealing with the Powerpuff girls? Was this some new villain's big scheme to mess with her mind? When the doctor left Buttercup debated confronting her family. She couldn't believe they all just went along with the nonsense that doctor was saying. How could they? She was mad, so mad, but she knew that getting mad at them wouldn't change the words on her medical report. She kept the act up, listening as Bubbles and Blossom whispered to one another but not able to make out all the words.

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep for real until she woke up and saw the Professor stepped into the room without Blossom or Bubbles. He was kind enough, helped her get out of bed and talked to her about random little topics like his latest experiments and how he was planning to take everyone out to celebrate after Buttercup's release so she could have some good food inside her. They both laughed at that because, as the Professor had said, "nothing beats food outside of a hospital". She did a great job of swallowing her outrage (then again, could anyone stay mad at the Professor for long?). She had almost forgotten until the Professor brought up that the stupid doctor would be conducting some more psychological tests the next day.

"Honey, you know we're worried." Buttercup scowled, partly because of the stupid man (she'd later discover his name was Kevin but what did that matter?) but mostly because she didn't like that she was making them worry.

"Professor, do you really think I have hallucinations and amnesia?"

The pause after her question was far too long for her liking. Buttercup wasn't exactly the expert at reading others emotions based off their facial expressions but she didn't need to be to know the Professor did believe she had that stuff.

"Well…" Buttercup sighed as her body fell back on the firm mattress. "Just please take the test. We want to make sure you're alright. Besides, the sooner you show the doctors you're fine the faster we can grab some delicious grub."

He was doing his best to look as lighthearted as cold be, what with the way he plastered a ridiculous grin to his face as he flashed her two thumbs up. It was his attempt at looking 'hip'. She let out another sigh and rolled her eyes. She couldn't stay mad at him too long (again, he had that sort of charm). He was just worried, so all she had to do was prove the hospital wrong and get out of there as soon as possible.

Hours later around eight o'clock the door to the room opened again. Buttercup half expected it to be another doctor but when her gaze locked on a red cap she had to do her best to restrain herself from getting up and punching the face that wore it. She noticed as he walked in that Boomer was by his side. They both looked from the Professor to her.

"Bee, you're awake!"

She wasn't too shocked (except for the nickname, what was up with that?). Boomer was the friendliest of the three and while she never really interacted with him much she always did her best to respond to his greetings. Not for his sake but for Bubbles who would throw a mini fit if Buttercup ever ignored her counterpart.

"Sup."

Both looked slightly bemused by her greeting, whereas Boomer seemed to mix that reaction up with some visible amusement as he repeated her words. Now she was the confused one. Was it really that weird that she said hi back? The Professor took that time to get up from his chair beside her bed and walk towards the boys. Buttercup watched, mystified, as the Professor pulled Brick into a short hug and fist-pumped Boomer; maybe she was having hallucinations. They left the room and closed the door behind them as Buttercup just...couldn't stop gawking. The Professor never liked the Rowdyruff boys. He tolerated them the few times they saw each other because they were usually accompanied by Bubbles and Blossom. He never hugged them. Hugs were reserved for the girls, no one else.

When the door opened again it was just Brick with his hands in the pockets of his red sweater. It seemed that the Professor and Boomer had left together and, like the previous night, he took the seat closest to the door.

"What was up with that?" She had to know, the curiosity outweighing all other emotions she felt.

Brick stayed silent as his fingers continuously fumbled with the screen of his cellphone. She grit her teeth. Today, while not fully recovered, she could easily get out of the bed and walk to where he was. She wouldn't admit it out loud but she did feel a small sense of triumph when she snatched the phone from his hands and saw the momentary look of disbelief in his eyes.

"As I was saying. What was up with that?"

"Up with what?"

"Don't act dumb. Why'd the Professor hug you?" By then Brick snatched his phone back. She wasn't exactly going to keep it hostage, it was just to make a point of paying attention and it had worked. He still kept his eyes on her (good) but the look of mild disbelief was there.

"Professor? Since when did you call dad Professor?"

"Dad?" She thought she questioned that in her head but seeing Brick roll his eyes she realized that was clearly a response to her confusion.

It seemed she lost Brick's interest and his phone had gained it once again. She didn't know whether to slap the stupid device, slap him, or slap herself. Buttercup opted to slapping herself on the forehead. The fact that she once more thought the possible new villain of the block aka the lying doo doo head doctor might be right and she was suffering delusions or whatever made her want to scream. Losing all sense of reason to stand there she turned and walked back to her bed, relishing a little too much the feeling of the cushion sink with her weight. At least now she could keep resting and was far away enough from Brick that she could properly observe him. Unlike Bubbles he, Blossom, and from the bit she saw of Boomer all looked like they were the same age.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

Okay, something really was wrong. They were all supposed to be sixteen but Bubbles looked like she was younger and Brick was a year older? The time travel theory seemed like a stretch, especially when she remembered the Professor said it was the same year she remembered it being. If she had time travelled they should be the same age regardless of the year. Right, science? (Right...ugh.)

"How old am I?"

"Sixteen." Now he was actually looking at her and Buttercup wasn't sure she really wanted that. Instead of looking through her like he had last night, he was looking at her like she was some sort of experiment or something. It was pretty uncomfortable.

It made her feel defensive.

"I don't have amnesia, y'all are just wack. Why is Bubbles younger and you older? It doesn't make sense. I'm probably just dreaming." That had to be it. There was no way she was sitting in a hospital room with the red Rowdyruff contemplating her mental sanity. No way he was staring at her like that for a few seconds longer before going back to his phone. No way that, after about thirty minutes of silence where she had finally gotten comfortable and felt herself slowly lulling to sleep-

"Do you really think you have powers?" There was no way Brick was seriously asking that question.

Buttercup stared at the ceiling, debating if it even deserved an answer. Of course she had powers. By now she had enough strength that she could walk so it was likely she must have had enough to shoot a laser beam or float. Buttercup tried to do both but saw no hole and felt her weight still on the mattress. She had taken the IV off hours ago, practically had to beg the doctors to take it away. She was thankful the Professor was considerate enough to take the pleas in earnest and talk to the staff. Whatever he said worked and she knew that if the IV had been spiked with Antidote X she should have recovered a bit of her powers by now, at least enough where the residue of an attempt would show. Maybe she had too much in her system but she just couldn't believe it.

Brick spent the rest of the night ignoring her and she did the same.

By the time Buttercup woke up the next morning she was alone with a few theories as to what was going on. The reasons of why were all different but for the time being she concluded that wherever it was it had to be another world where there were no Powerpuff Girls. Before the doctors came in to do the tests she confirmed this by asking Bubbles how many times the Hotline had rung while she was away. Bubbles paused and when she started asking what that meant Buttercup laughed and played it off by saying she had meant her cell phone.

Buttercup was ready when the doctor privately asked her about the monsters. She had no idea what they were talking about, or so she made it seem. Kevin (eww) didn't even react as he jotted some notes down on a small white clipboard (super obnoxious, Kevin) and continued with the questions. By the end when he left (good riddance) she let herself do small victory fist-pump. She didn't even need to overhear to find out the doctor told her family that her hallucinations had gone away but it seemed she still had amnesia.

It took a lot longer than Buttercup liked, about three or four days, but she felt as good as new. What she really didn't like was the sad realizations she discovered in her days at the hospital. Her family had been okay with her having amnesia and were helping in their own way by openly asking questions and letting her ask as many as she wanted. She hated lying to them but knew she had to until she could come up with a plan on how to get back to her normal life. Strategy was all Blossom's forte, not hers; Buttercup was surprised she had managed to deceive everyone so far. If Blossom was cognizant about what was happening in this messed up alternate reality would she have been proud of her strategic maneuvers?

Buttercup turned her head to look behind her. Blossom met her gaze and offered her a small smile. She tried giving her own but felt the strain on her cheeks so she looked away and back at the hall ahead. Bubbles was walking next to her, their arms linked as she skipped with each step. It must have looked funny to the people in the halls who bothered to give them a glance. A small, blond ray of sunshine bopping to her own beat while her slightly taller, clearly exhausted sister was dragged through the motions. The big plastic bag the hospital provided to hold her belonging slipped and slide in Buttercup's free arm, mimicking Bubbles bounces. She wished she could laugh, talk to her sisters, and scream all at once. She really wished she could punch something but when the elevator doors opened and they made their way to the outside world, Buttercup knew of all her wishes that one would be the toughest to grant.

The city looked normal with no signs of destruction. There were no monsters or villains to release her frustrations on. No matter how many times she looked at the sky and willed her body to fly, she stayed rooted to the ground. None of her powers worked.

"Hurry, hurry! If we don't get to the van first we'll have to sit in the back!" Bubbles screamed as she dragged Buttercup across the road to the open hospital parking area.

She did her best to run (tried to jump in a feeble attempt to fly a few times) but felt her body growing tired with each step. By the time they made it to the shiny silver van that was clearly the Professor's (the big atom logo on the side doors were kind of hard to miss) Buttercup just wanted to throw her bag inside and shake the spikes of pain off her tired arm- oh, and scream (again). Almost as though she could read her mind (or maybe she noticed the muscle spasms), Bubbles detached herself and yanked the van door open. Buttercup bit her lip to crush the off the charts urge to howl at the sight of all three Rowdyruff boys inside (oh, and Ms. Bellum was also there sitting on the passenger side but really what did that matter when THE BOYS WERE HAUNTING HER).

"Get in, kiddos." Out came Butch, all smug as he pulled his seat down so that they could get in the back. By then Blossom had caught up and, feeling no need to acknowledge the boys (how?), slipped into the seat at the furthest end. Bubbles followed after and sat in the middle. Buttercup stayed rooted to the spot staring her counterpart down. Part of it was because she hadn't seen him in so long she wondered if he was okay, another part was because she wasn't sure whether to feel slightly relieved that the only Rowdyruff she was somewhat comfortable with was there.

"What's up, sis? You okay?" He looked concerned but all she could do was be shocked at the 'sis'. She wanted to retort but everyone was staring at her so she just retreated to the only spot available in the back of the van.

"To Pete's!" Butch and Boomer hollered the minute the Professor buckled his seatbelt.