-1-
The City… of Townsville.
Such a gosh-darn nice and peaceful place to live!
Sure, perhaps the streets had been a tad nosier and - shall we say - "event heavy" in the past. What with the long since passed barrage of monsters, crime, evil crackpots, and downright tomfoolery that wreaked havoc on Townsville in its earlier days.
But the city has since matured into the self-sustaining metropolis that it always knew it was capable of becoming.
Much like the quaint city of Townsville, the mind gets older, yet wiser. Perhaps more weathered, but all the better for it. At least… we hope so.
The town was no longer home to the criminal element nor the target for the inhabitants of the infamous Monster Isle. But it was still, at its very core, the city we've always known as Townsville.
There was our lovable buffoon of a Mayor. Forever a headache for one Miss Sarah Bellum, and lover of a good Pickle!
On the way to a convenience store establishment for a quick refreshment, I can see a local rapscallion known as Mitch Mitchelson walking with another familiar-looking face. I've known that face since he was small, I have!
And ah, yes, as we slowly ease into view of the comfortable and familiar sight of the Utonium household I am filled with pride as we check in on arguably the most core-est of core elements of Townsville. The city's every-present protectors. Our girls.
The Powerpuff Girls.
It wasn't every day that the superpowered heroines of Townsville were called.
Point of fact, the last time a cataclysmic event rocked the fair city was some ten years ago… ah - give or take a few years. This narrator's remembering, it sure ain't what it used to be neither!
This does not of course discount occasional rabble-rousing from the occasional monster or small-time passing-through thieves who quite simply just did not know what they were getting themselves into.
All three of our girls still stand to defend Townsville at a moment's notice.
Even if that was only now once in a blue moon or two. Or three or four.
You know if you think about it, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Such can be said in almost tragic poignancy for Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup - the pint-sized trio that of course make up The Powerpuff Girls.
This was just it: pint-sized.
Just like always.
Just as they had always been.
Despite the elongated period in which we have checked in on our Powerpuff trio, it was most painfully obvious to the three of them when they did not grow in physical shapes like the rest of their friends and classmates.
Not just counting Townsville's new age of "mostly peace", the girls had been existent for precisely 23 full years.
Yet still, their visage was that of the perfect little girl. Their dulcet little voices. Those big, bright, entrancing eyes. Topped off with their perfectly assigned personas.
The same dramatic pause in growth could also be said for their male foils, The Rowdyruff Boys.
Though the boys had of course been revived at one point, which skewed their official years a bit. Never mind of course that as rare as it was for the town to call on the Powerpuff Girls, even rarer was a sighting of now small-time hoodlums known as The Rowdyruff Boys.
It was originally hypothesized by Professor Utonium, famous creator and father of the PowerPuff Girls, that the girls might experience the same changes young people do emotionally. But even this notorious raging stage of hormones passed our girls by.
Around the Powerpuff' 16th year when the entire Utonium household slowly stopped asking why instead of giving themselves to the current of life.
It made little sense for three super-powered, growth-stunted children to share classrooms with older and maturing classmates.
It was in that 16th year that after years of refusing to do so, the Powerpuff Girls enrolled strictly in online classes for the Townsville Independent School District. Their attendance in recent years had waned anyway.
They were enrolled in remote learning but Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were bonafide high school juniors, on paper.
Could ya believe it? Our girls! In high school! They sure do grow up fast, don't they?
They were just here. Being the only selves they knew how to be. There were no doubt moments of growth, events that might make one think of their journey coming of age.
But no actual change to them.
Devoid of physical change, devoid of life-affirming experiences.
Let's not kid ourselves, here - almost no one in life particularly enjoys those awkward phases.
But all the same, as individuals, we're ultimately glad that they transpired and/or pubescently perspired.
But seriously, folks, with the small checkpoints of life all but gone from the lives of our three girls, all that was left was our old friend time and its inevitable passing.
With just time passing that always means fundamental change.
No matter what the subject, be it person, foodstuffs, animals, buildings, balls of tangled yarn, or growth-stunted girls with superhuman power.
The only constant with time was change. So if Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were three super-powered humans who couldn't grow up…
Who couldn't experience life in the rat race...
Who couldn't experience the miracle of childbirth and the daunting elation of Parenthood...
Heck, they wouldn't even be able to experience their college years.
Without any experience in life to shape them…
What? Your humble narrator asks.
What has changed about the Powerpuff Girls?
-2-
One of the only recognizable parts of this new ghost-Townsville is the city skyline. From a distance, it appeared unchanged. One would have to explore the streets to confirm the lack of activity, any activity - criminal, metropolitan, or otherwise.
Suffice it to say that our beloved city of Townsville is experiencing, at this point, an almost overwhelming period of peace.
And as such, the sunny citizens of this pretty city have more time to spend at home with their families.
That is, largely separated from friends and neighbors in the greater Townsville area.
I'm sad to say that this gradual, passive isolation has led to the confounding phenomenon of many households turning entirely inward. That is, untrusting of any "outside" persons - Townsvillian or not - who are not part of their family unit.
It was on the shoulders of these anxieties that one true evil silently still thrived in Townsville as well as its neighboring cities. The treacherous demon is known as…
"The Twenty-four-hour…" The uncanny high-pitched echo belonging to the archvillain Him chimed, "Neeewwwws cycle."
Oh, no!
"Oh, yessssss." The mischievous echo called back, "So much fear. So much hate. So much vitriol! For an illustrated evildoer such as myself, it's like being a kid in a candy store!"
I should have guessed. If there is any supernatural evil to be had in Townsville, it would be handled and sickeningly enjoyed by the prince of darkness. The evil whose name I dare not speak.
No! Not I. I can't bring myself to say it.
This is a villain so evil... so sinister... so utterly vile that even the utterance of his name strikes fear into the hearts of men.
The only safe way to refer to this kind of darkness is simply…
HIM.
"Careful, Mr. Narrator." Him chuckled as thick red plumes of smoke filled the immediate area, "You risk being ruled trite. How many years have you been at this? Surely you can come up with a few new introductions for little ol' me."
Hey, what's the deal! Not that it's any of your business, but I've just come back from an extremely elongated sabbatical. What's more, you seldom acknowledge my narration! What gives?
"That is my modus operandi," Him nodded, "But in case you haven't noticed… the times, they are a-changin'. Ahaaaaaahahahahaha!"
In the shape of water swirling down a drain, Him teleported to his personal chaos dimension where many of his infinite walls were turned to 24-hour news stations. He lay back, his crustaceous claws behind his head as he hovered freely around the walls projecting news shows from all around the world.
You monster of monsters! Who could take in so much blatant pandering and enjoy it? Have you no shame? No humility?
"Neither," Him replied joyously, "It's just too much fun. But this one is a favorite of mine.
With a wave of Him's clawed hand, all walls in the seemingly infinite space now were all showing the same program.
The news pundit, lovingly coined Mr. Pundit, emotionally spat at a single-camera setup.
The show title "TownWars." floating dutifully camera-right, using a tacky, attention-grabbing font.
"Today marked 11 years since the illustrious city of Townsville," Mr. Pundit put air quotes in front of the camera's as he said the words 'City of Townsville', "After the widely questionable "Key to the World" debacle that upended Economies GLOBALLY… wouldn't you know it? Officially, conveniently, was found to be the one city in our beautiful United States, with the lowest level of criminal activity. So inspiring, one would think."
Him smirked at Mr. Pundit's open cynicism.
"I mean, I'm just calling it as I sees it, folks!" Mr. Pundit continued on the news network.
Suddenly a dramatic graph depicted the surrounding city's decade-long jump in violence to the City of Townsville's sudden dip, the camera zoomed in on Townsville dramatically, placing transparent question marks over the glaring results of Townsville's safety over every other surrounding city's uptick in crime.
"Is it too much for the "TownsVee Elite" to lend a helping hand where there is one needed?!" Mr. Pundits face was growing red with shaking rage.
With such raw gumption that even the prince of evil himself was caught up in the effective anger storm, simply watching the show now.
"Keyboard Warriors LOVE to threaten and smear me ALL THE TIME ONLINE but THERE. IT. IS. TOWNSVILLE is safe. Only THEIR FAMILIES are safe. THEIR SCHOOLS are safe. What about us? Isn't it time?" Mr. Pundit caught his breath and looked directly into the camera lens, calling his viewers to action, "Isn't time someone helped us?"
"Someone…" Him repeated out loud, his soft voice echoing in the void of his reality-bending video walls, "to help them?"
Suddenly there was more reverb as the external sound reached Him's bizarre chamber, a kind of scratchy sound. It was a familiar voice. The kind of voice that the dark lord Him recognized as one of three freeloading, ungrateful little boys.
"'Eeeeeeey!" the sound slowly seeped into the cloudy consciousness, the volume steadily raising.
The shape of a door traced itself out not far from where Him had set to lean, still in thought about the dramatics of Mr. Pundit.
The traced door proved practical and opened, revealing the backdrop of Townsville behind it. Through the door stepped the freeloader. Another err in judgment that could walk and talk.
RowdyRuff Boy, the one who at least favored red. His name was Brick.
"Hey there, uh," Brick paused, "Pops?"
"You want something." Him growled, his voice deep and impatient, vastly differing in mood from his softer tones used when in solitude, "You brats always want something."
"Just checkin' in, old-timer! I'm bored like you are." Brick held his arms in front, sarcastically bowing, "No need to go all… The ExorMist or whatever."
"I've always wondered what charred Rowdyruff carcass would smell. Is it similar to chicken?" Him pondered, softly, "If you'd like to waste more time, we can certainly find out as a fun little father and son bonding experience!"
There was no boom or nuance to Him's voice as he spoke the previous statement, making Brick nervous. It was when the master of darkness didn't show raw anger that worried Brick and his brothers.
The Rowdyruff Boys had been around Him for long enough now that they knew his calm voice meant he was meaning what he said.
Brick attempted to save face, not flinching.
"Geez, if you're gonna be all… Destructo-demon-pappy" Brick said, "Fine, I'm leaving."
"Wait, just a moment." Him said, slithering to be next to Brick.
Him's voice. Still soft and echoey. Still serious, Brick noted this as he opted to keep his mouth shut.
"I could use you." Him said.
Mr. Pundit's talk show was still blabbering in the background, his dialogue heard clearly in the chamber, and Him gathered his thoughts.
"Here we are all, paying for it. Sure, Townsville is nice, cozy, and safe - but that only drives the undesirable criminal element to places like our city." Mr. Pundit ratta-tat-ranted, "Last I checked there were three of those little super PowerPuff Weapons of Mass Destruction. Whatever they call them. Oh, girls? Still little girls after existing for over a decade? Well, GIRLS, divide up the work. Other cities need help too! Who decides which city gets help, what government body is controlling this aspect of our lives? Who do we even have in THIS town?"
"I'll even pay you in truckloads of snacks for you and your insufferable bro-horts." Him finally said, "And the best part is you don't even have to do anything. Just a quick application, reap the rewards, and come back tomorrow to do it all over again."
"Sounds…" Brick stammered, "Sounds kinda like I don't have much of a choice here."
"Don't look so disappointed, Brickie-poo." Him chuckled, his laugh growing deeper and darker, "It takes discipline to learn how to allocate your resources as a person. And you're only a 16 year old 6-year old. We have shortcuts around the inconveniences of... Shall we call it, vanilla existence?"
"Aa...alright, whatever you say." Brick said, a beat sweat forming for the first time in the upper corner of his eyebrow, "So what am I doing?"
"Juuuuuuust," Him sing-songed, "Stay here for a moment. I have an… accessory that you boys and your brothers will just go nuts over!"
Despite any concepts of life or death at the hands of Him, the evil dark lord, Brick had almost no control at auto-rejecting this concept.
"Ugh, accessorizing?" Brick said, crossing both of his arms, "What kind of sissies do you take me and my brothers for?"
"The exact sissies I created," Him crooned, "To finally CRUSH the PowerPuff Girls and bring doom not just upon Townsville, but this puny concept of existence. Now…"
Him rummaged around the seemingly infinite area, looking under cushions.
"I know I had the blasted thing somewhere and saw it recently." Him said to himself.
Brick stood in waiting. This was different. And it didn't seem like it was going to be the good kind of different.
Mr. Pundit's show's volume still turned high up, continued to blast:
"I am Mr. Pundit's and this has been TownWars Tonight," Mr. Pundit professed proudly, "The show that is the sworn enemy of fibbers, the TownsVee Elite, and the walls of lies that leave us divided as a people. From Jump City's 24-hour Ultra News headquarters, I salute my fellow truth seekers. Until next time."
Brick took it upon himself to pick up the nearest remote and lower the volume of whatever 24-hour news was playing. "What's Him's obsession with news anyway?" Brick thought, "What a freak."
"Ah ~!" Him's excited yelp echoed across the abyss, "Here we are!"
Him was ceremoniously using both of his claws to hold over his head a small tube of what a layman might assume to be a tube toothpaste, missing its cover cap. The letters Div-G were printed across the tube.
But it couldn't be as innocent as dental hygiene if we're dealing with the evilest of all evil here.
"What's that, old-timer? Some kinda underworld edition of Brylcream?" Brick cackled.
"SILENCE, INSOLENT FOOL!" Him's voice grew deep, sending such a charge of sound waves toward Brick, it was enough to knock the Rowdyruff down on his bottom.
Brick used his arms to hoist himself off the floor. He dusted himself off, trying to seem unimpressed, "Pfft…" He lowered his voice to an inaudible whisper, "...Say it, don't spray it..."
"What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of?" Him recited, slipped back into his darkly dulcet echo, "Snips and snails and puppy-dogs tails. That's what little boys are made of."
Brick suppressed every urge to yell 'heard it before!' and simply crossed his arms watching his loosely defined parental figure bask in the concept of whatever scheme he was concocting.
"To find evil little children, there is but one tell…" Him continued the poem, "And that is a dab of Division Gel."
Brick raised one eyebrow. "Uh… never heard that variation of the poem before I guess. Soviet version or somethin'?"
"It's a re-written fan version." Him said proudly, "I found it on the internet."
Brick sighed, shaking his head, "So it must be credible. You ever think that the internet isn't the most trustworthy source you could pull from?"
"Well," Him started, "Be that as it may… Division Gel does indeed exist. It's such a nifty little evil chemical."
"So," Brick asked, "What's it do?"
"To make a long story short?" Him asked.
"Too late." Brick blurted, unable to help himself.
Him ignored Brick, "The gel in this tube, when applied to an individual's skin, will divide them into the two worst versions of themselves. The more violence and corruption you house in your heart, the less gel is required."
"Sounds lofty." Brick said.
"I agree." Him shifted his gaze to meet the eyes of the RowdyRuff Boy, his lips curled into a mischievous smile, dulcet tones unwavering, "So you'll fill the role of a test dummy."
-3-
On the front lawn of the Utonium household, there were our girls.
Two unmistakable palettes of pastel red and blue standing ready for action, across from the final palette of olive green.
There was at least one format of pretend that could perhaps, maybe show the girls a good time in this seemingly endless loop of boredom: a good ol' PowerScrimmage match. For internal shorthand, of course, our little geniuses had their way to keep track of this Pufftastic training.
Buttercup took a moment to turn, facing away from her sisters in what appeared to be a football drill stance.
Bubbles and Blossom glanced at each other knowingly, half-smiling.
"Okay, Buttergirl," Buttercup said to herself, "PS Y16-M46"
For the uninitiated, this meant Buttercup was preparing herself for the 46th scrimmage match on this, their 16th year of life. That is, PowerScrimmage Y(ear)16, M(atch) 46. Oh, the graphs I could show ya these girls kept! Talk about passionate little record keepers. Especially that Blossom!
Blossom and Bubbles preferred to pull their punches from usual form - that is to stay, head-on, as if facing a classic monster from Monster Isle in a battle, not unlike those fought in the past.
It was only our little firecracker Buttercup who chose her particular stance - that of American Football. The stance was familiar to most who had ever watched an American Football game or practice as that of a pre-snap Stance.
"Been fighting these two little babies since we shot out the X chute," Buttercup smirked to herself, "So, so predictable,"
Buttercup's gaze shifted behind her toward Bubbles, "Wittle Bubbles. No finesse at all,"
Bubble tensed up, gritting her teeth. Bubbles hated when Buttercup eyed her before her stupid little "footie-ball" snap. She was probably thinking something all… mean and rough. She'd show Buttercup. She wasn't always the fastest. But one concept Bubbles never wanted to float from her sisters' perceptions was her element of surprise. She had true power that was hers. The trick was tapping into it. That was… less consistent, she admitted to herself.
Buttercup's other big glossy eye shifted beside her to meet with Blossom. Her oldest, most respected sibling - hypothetically, that is.
Blossom held a hard scowl across her brow, not about to let Buttercup have a moment of smarm. Instead, Blossom thought to herself mockingly, "The pre-snap Stance, huh?" Blossom mocked Buttercup internally, "Where's the ball, Cuppo? I don't see it a ball."
"Usual PowerScrimmage rules apply," Buttercup finally quipped, announced "Two on one. No holds barred."
"But!" Bubbles screamed, reminding them of the pretend potion of this battle, "More than four consecutive punches landed ends the match!"
Blossom responded with a simple nod, "Right."
Buttercup let out an inaudible sigh. That four-punch rule took the fun out of everything, "Fine." She said. "Just like always with you two rookies - just a matter of divide and conquer."
"Ready?" Blossom started.
"Set?" Bubbles continued.
"And g -" Buttercup stopped short.
"Buttercup?" Blossom asked, "Thought we were?"
There was the bold, but an obvious roll of thunder across the yard.
All at once, the weathered humidity hit the bodies of the Powerpuff Girls.
Along with the concept that this day had just turned rainy and had washed their only semblance of fun away with it before even a single drop had fallen from the sky.
All three of the girls let out a collective groan as they realized that their fun was destined to be rained on.
"Son of a - " Buttercup began, kicking the air numerous times annoyingly, "Of course, just when we were going to start enjoying life in any respect whatsoever…"
"None of that," Blossom interrupted, "Let's get inside. Rain isn't too far away now."
"B-But…" Bubbles started.
Blossom knew her role of interference would need to be run, "I know, I know…"
Bubbles sniffled, "We never get to play outside anymore!"
"Bubbles, we…" Blossom began as she took Bubble by the hand, "We can't control the weather."
"Bad guys can Blossom!" Bubbles spat, "If bad guys can, we should have a free day to play outside."
Ooohkay, alright," Blossom said, "Let's do some light breathing sis."
"Sis?!" Bubbles exclamation was a high note, "When do you ever call me sis? Only to talk me down. When do you have to be doing breathing?! Only to talk me down! Well, I've had it, I'm bored, my life is nothing! I wanted some quality -"
"Uh, just give me a sec!" Blossom said, "I think I have an idea! Two minutes!"
Blossom zoomed upstairs, slamming the Powerpuff Girls' door behind her.
"Hmph," Bubble grunted, crossing her arms. She floated slowly until she was beside the Professor, who was in the middle of watching a news program. Though, Bubbles noted, it wasn't the usual local Townsville channel. Something different.
The professor was sitting down watching television in the front room. The same front room that had been there for decades, with the same furniture arrangement.
Professor Utonium saw Bubbles in his peripheral vision, "Girls? Oh, it's you Bubbles. Where are your sisters?! I was just about to call you inside," The Professor said worriedly, "I know it's been so boring lately. You were looking forward to some recreation... but it's the weather is so dangerous - "
"WE are MADE from RADIOACTIVE CHEMICALS and SPICES, PROFESSOR!." Bubbles said angrily, not missing a beat, "It's RAIN. I wanna PLAY!" Bubbles shamelessly threw a tantrum.
"It's a little more than that," Professor said worriedly, motioning toward the TV.
The television showed an hourly forecast of strong winds followed by the possibility of thunderstorms, possible tornadoes.
Suddenly, Bubbles wasn't so concerned about playing in the rain, "More?"
"What kinda news is this?" Blossom immediately noticed a difference from their local Townsville personalities.
"Some station outside of town, but listen…" The professor used his remote control to turn the volume up.
"It appears," The handsome head anchor started, "That there have been several cyclones as strong as F4 spotted in our area, specifically Citiesville and our City of Jump."
The camera cut to another host, a woman meteorologist, pointing out all of the cyclones that had recently started showing up.
"Yes, Si, Eduardo." The hispanic-accented meteorologist joined, "Y aqui, alla, alla, muy
ventoso y peligroso, evacúe! Todos!
"Well, my oh-my." The handsome anchor chimed in, "this new weather "peligroso" you speak of sure sounds serious!"
"No, Ed!" The meteorologist tried to translate in her fervor, "The weather. The weather is preligroso! Peligroso means "dangerous"... the wind is too strong. All citizens must evacuate!"
"Waitaminute… ALL citizens!?" The handsome anchor squeaked, "That's us too!"
"Yes! Let us hurry, please!" The meteorologist said.
And with that the two news personalities were gone, no one left to host.
There was a few seconds of silence as the background crew started to reel in microphone chords.
Before Bubbles and the Professor could react to the television goings-on, Blossom ceremoniously flung open the door to the Powerpuff Bedroom. There was an incandescent golden light emanating from the room that highlighted her new change of costume.
She had only ever worn this costume a couple of times before but she forgot how good she looked in the ensemble she dubbed, Liberty Belle.
"Prepare!" Blossom announced, still caught in her little moment, "For the Powerpuff Girls Best Rainy Day Adventure… EVER!"
Buttercup, who had resigned to the kitchen to pour herself some cereal, saw her opening, "HEARD IT BEFORE!" Buttercup called from the left of the house.
"Shut it!" Blossom shouted, motioning to the two other costumes beside her "Behold, ye olde secondary threads!"
Bubbles looked at the two costumes beside Blossom. One belonged to Buttercup, which Bubbles remembered was named Mange - inspired by some spooky comic Buttercup liked, which was originally called Spore.
Bubbles half sneered at the other costume.
The other costume was that of a cute bunny, as seen on the pages of an anime manga.
"Gosh I must have read this one like ten plus years ago," Bubbles recalled, "Chiisai Banii-Banii no Kawaii Bouken Monogatari. My original character was Harmony Bunny!"
Suddenly Bubbles was smiling. It was this smile that led her to place her first leg into the costume and dawn her Harmony Bunny costume again. It had been years.
Bubbles turned around to see herself in the mirror, "OhEmGee!" Bubble squealed, "I'm so kewt!"
"Okay, well," Bubbles said, "Whatever else happens today I'm glad I got to enjoy this mood for a sec."
Suddenly, there was a high-pitched monotonous beep from the television speakers.
All three girls - currently dressed as LIberty Belle, Harmony Bunny, and Mange - rushed to the television where the Professor was still standing.
Colored bars appeared across the television screen. With black letters:
"EVACUATE CITIESVILLE AND JUMP CITY LIMITS."
"Umm…" Blossom said, "Anyone know what this is about?"
"Professor and I were watching before!" Bubble remembered, then exclaimed, "There's like, crazy tornados… all over the place!"
"Hmmm." Blossom wondered out loud, "Only Citiesville and Jump City. What about…?"
As if reading Blossom's need for an update from their fair city, something happened that rarely happened.
The Powerpuff hotline was buzzing.
At first, the buzz didn't sound like a buzz. More like a cackle, possibly a cough.
Slowly but surely, the soundbox of this device found its alternate groove and rang in a seemingly proudly boring tone across the Utoniium house.
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
Bubbles' blue streak was the first to speed up the stairs and pick up the receiver, "Thanks for calling PuffCare. May I have the serial number of your product please?"
"Bubbles!" Blossom and Buttercup exclaimed.
Bubbles fumbled with the phone, handing it off to Blossom, "I'm sorry, it's just been so long!"
"Hello? Mayor?" Blossom said into the receiver.
"Bwah, Blossom! It's awful!" The Mayor said, "Just awful!"
"Bad weather heading for Townsville?" Blossom asked.
"Bwah, No, not Townsville! But everywhere else near Townsville!" The mayor exclaimed, "Everyone is blaming cute little ol' me! But it isn't me, girls! It's the evil gremlin! Faster than fast I tell ya! Oh and he's breaking anything he can get his grimey little gremlin hands on.
From the Mayor's end, Miss Bellum took hold of the line, "Blossom?"
"Bellum." Blossom nodded.
"Good to hear your voice." Miss Sarah Bellum breathed a sigh of relief, "He's acting ridiculous but… yeah, he's right. Record speed cyclones heading for all prefectures besides Townsville itself."
"Originating from?" Blossom asked.
"They just look like random bad storms." Bellum said, "But it is not hard to see how this could reflect poorly on the town. Someone's specific will is afoot here."
"Nothing else? There has to be an unseemly event today." Blossom started.
"One anomaly" Bellum said, "It involves Rowdyruff Boys in the park."
"Those three goons!" Buttercup groaned as she overheard, "What brought them out of hibernation?"
"Not three, Buttercup," Bellum confirmed, "At least not the three you're familiar with."
Buttercup sighed, "Jeez, can't a summer go by without someone having the bright idea to pair us back up with those losers."
"Again, this is a little different." Bellum again corrected, "There are three boys. Three Rowdruff boys."
"Right," All the girls said in unison. There have always been three, just like the girls themselves. Brick has a red color scheme. Boomer took on a cerulean blue, and Butch took on a sickeningly guacamole green.
"But these three boys are all copies of a single one. The one with the red hat." Bellum said.
"Brick." All Powerpuff Girls said in unison.
"That's the one."
"Three Bricks?" Buttercup said, "Sounds fishy. Doesn't add up."
"You're right, Buttercup." Blossom said, "Something evil is afoot here. I can just about… smell...Him."
Buttercup and Bubbles nodded, knowing the 'Him' to whom Blossom referred.
"But we still need to head off however many Brick's there are," Blossom said, "Stop these cyclones and save the neighboring cities of Townsville!"
"Well…" Bubbles sighed, "We wanted a day outside."
"Guess we're gettin' it," Buttercup nodded
"Do we…" Bubbles started, "Have a chance to change?"
"We need to jump into action now. Let's forgo any fancy third-party vehicles and get there the old-fashioned way." Blossom said with a wink, "Whataya say girls?"
Bubbles and Buttercup both looked at each other, their lips slightly curled up in smiles of determination. "Sounds good."
"Guess we're wearing these threads, interesting change of pace?" Blossom asked
"Haha, I guess so," Buttercup said, genuinely entertained to be saving the say in her old OC superhero cosplay.
"Yeah, feels a little cool!" Bubbles chimed in.
"Well, let's not get too caught up in the moment, girls." Blossom said, aiming her flight trajectory for Townsville park, "We've got a date with a Ruff in red."
And with three super-powered streaks, the girls were off.
- 4 -
"I am an empty vessel." Brick thought to himself. He did not feel the usual limber nature of his superheroic body. Instead, when he looked upwards he saw but the shriveled exoskeleton legs of a vermin. He was somehow a bug. Naught able to move or speak, simply existing with his surroundings.
Brick curled inward, cold and exposed. His exterior shell was chipping away. There were two other young men around who sounded familiar to Brick, but he was too weak to lift his head to tell who they were. There was one truth Brick knew about these two, however.
"They took what I am." Brick whispered to himself, "From me."
Again he shivered, pieces of his shell continuing to chip away. What was he? What was happening to him?
He wasn't sitting still or stationary, but hovering, almost paralyzed.
"Hey, uh," a familiar voice called beside him, "Not for nothin', bug boy, but you're kinda crampin' my style maybe - hide a little further back?"
Brick used what little strength he had left to lift his eye and meet - himself?
There was no mistaking it. He was looking into his eyes himself. Brick. The proud leader of the Rowdyruff Boys.
But if what he was looking at was Brick.
Who was he? Why was he reduced to a shedding exoskeleton?
"Like I said, shed-Zilla...eh…" The other Brick started, putting on a pair of sunglasses, "Get lost or I'll get you lost."
"I can't…" Brick managed to poof out, "Move."
"That's a big 10-4, big ugly." The lively Brick doppelganger said as he pushed the shedding corpse back behind some shrubbery. "Let's just leave ya there."
"Ohh mee, oh myyyy…" A familiar echo rang around them, "What interesting a case study we have here."
In a crimson spiral, the evil dark lord Him had teleported back into vision, looking at at least two versions of Brick in front of him.
"You know, I'm not entirely sure where Division Gel comes from…" Him giggled, his giggle morphing into a maniacal chuckle, "And I'm starting to enjoy all the surprises it has."
"Not sure what you're talking about," The Brick-doppelganger in sunglasses quipped, "But if old weird girly devil dudes are gonna be around it's gonna chase away anyone worthwhile, that's for sure."
"That must be the deadly sin on pride ripped from Brick's psyche." HIm cooed out loud, now eyeing the shedding exoskeleton, "And you? It doesn't quite add up, but it only makes sense that you are the golden cicada shell."
"Shell? Golden?" Brick the newly realized Cicada thought, "Cicada? Is that why I was… shedding? Molting?"
Him took out his reading glasses to read the fine print on his tube of Division Gel, "Ah, indeed. Apply as needed to divide the child into their two most powerful and persevering sins Ideal for battle. This will also result in a single golden cicada. Apply golden cicada as needed."
This time, it was even the dark lord him who had a questionable look on his face, "As needed? What in… the Cosmos could that mean?"
"Hmmm…" Him thought out loud, continuing his reading trek down his half-specs, "To return the specimen to normal simply return both sins to Golden Cicada with the incantation "back to the whole whence you came". Ah! Nice and simple clean-up."
"Yeah well," Brick's Pride announced, flicking down his sunglasses, "I don't plan on going back Mister Miss Girly Devil."
"Someone should teach you respect before you go anywhere," Him smiled sweetly, his voice now growing darker, "But first you have a job to do before I decide if you live or die."
"Hmph" Brick's pride nodded, "Shouldn't there be another one anyway?"
Suddenly and without warning there was a loud crash as pieces of random wall came tumbling down.
After the dust cleared, there was another - much taller - doppelganger of Brick that stood behind a few layers of a wall as they fell away. This version of Brick seemed normal except for his cartoonishly thick arms, as well as his constant affinity to yell "FIGHT ME AND DIE."
"This must be your counterpart: Wrath," Him waved politely with his free claw, "Now make with the destroying of the PowerBRATS!"
An annoyingly familiar, effortless crash through the walls of Him's protected dimension echoed in the distance.
The three Powerpuff Girls all hovered in perfect form, ready as ever to take on the one thing standing between innocents and safety.
"Not so fast!" The three yelled in unison, "Him!"
"It's been too long, girls." Him swayed happily.
"Not long enough!" Bubbles growled.
"Oh, wow!" Him giggled, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Harmony Bunny? From the land of the riiiiiiising sun. Good luck seeing a rising sun around these parts any time soon."
Bubbles grimaced despite her cute bunny hood, not missing her chance to snap at the villain "We know you're causing all the poopie weather!"
"It's because of you we didn't get any physical activity today!" Blossom shouted, "And we've known each other so long at this point, you know how anxious that gets us."
"The Liberty Belle doth tollllll for evil prince meeeeee" Him continued, slithering next to Blossom mockingly.
"You know we could stop your puny little soap tornados without breakin' a sweat," Buttercup said, glaring through her green contact lenses, "So why the dramatics?"
"And the darkest of the dark," Him laughed again, "Inspired by comic legend Spore. The dark and useless Maaaaange. Oh, I do hope my super-powered Brick's can handle such a cute little cosplay party."
"Shut it!" Blossom barked, "You may have caught us in the middle of dress up. But I promise you - we kick demon hiney the old-fashioned way. Original evil, copy Rowdyruff…"
"Or otherwise." Bubbles and Buttercup nodded in unison.
"The dreamiest of teams, for sure." HIm yawned, "Now…."
Him waved a claw in front of himself, crimson red smoke teleporting Brick's Pride and Brick's Wrath directly in front of him.
"I'd like you to mee the two most evil sections of my son, Brick." Him presented, "The cocky one with the sunglasses would be a personification of his Pride, and the buff angry one, that's Wrath."
"I know a slow game when I see it, Him!" Buttercup growled, "Buying time, elongated exposition. What are you building up to?"
"Nothing really," Him shrugged, "Honestly just waiting for one of them to…"
"FIGHT!" There was only enough time for the word to scream from Wrath's mouth before his entire fist - the size of your basic Powerpuff Girl - smashed Buttercup squarely on top of her head, sending her hurtling toward the ground in a concussive stupor.
"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles both screamed, real fear in their shrieks
It was hard to say - but the same thought that crossed both Blossom and Bubbles' mind was that they weren't sure any of them had ever taken such a direct and powerful force all at once.
Bubbles had an immediate instinct to follow after their injured sister, but Blossom held an arm out, "Bubbles, don't let him get into our heads. Buttercup is strong."
Bubbles glanced worriedly downward, Buttercup's rumbly trajectory had yet to even make landfall. The fall could hurt her more than any of them have ever been hurt. "I know she's strong."
"We're all a little out of practice." Blossom said sternly, "But we still need a plan."
"R-right." Bubbles nodded.
"You take the cocky one. I know you have the strength." Blossom delegated, "And besides that, he is no doubt the distractible takedown. You're the queen of distraction. I know you can do this."
Bubbles remembered earlier years when she often ran from certain danger or crisis. But Him wasn't prepared for a matured dynamic. He wasn't prepared for the closeness her sisters had only grown further into, "I know I can too."
"Good." Blossom said, "I'll go after the buff meanie. Let's try to meet in the middle and give 'em the good ol' Twin Slam."
Bubbles simply nodded. "10-4, sis." Bubbles said.
The clock was ticking, "And when, again, is it that you call me sis?" Blossom asked teasingly.
Bubbles giggled, "When I want to lift you up. Give you confidence."
"Atta girl!" Blossom yelled back, "Eye on your target?
"Eye on target." Bubbles confirmed.
"Get ready to rush the target approximately 45% east," Blossom said.
"West for you." Bubble said.
"From there, on three, we throw one target directly at the other," Blossom said.
"Ain't my first rodeo, cowpoke Blossom." Bubbles smiled.
"Don't lose focus now. Ready?"
"Set…" Bubbles confirmed.
"GO!"
In two blinding fractals of pink and blue, Blossom and Bubbles streaked immediately to their targets, scooping them up effortlessly.
"Whaaaaa?" Brick's Pride was confused as Bubbles picked him up, "Am I dreaming?"
"Course you are, Bricky" Bubbles said, not losing grip, "No one's faster than you."
"Hyeah, that's right…" Brick's Pride nodded.
"I FIGHT?!" Brick's Wrath grumbled as he was dragged by Blossom across the terrain. "DESTROY."
"You…" Blossom started, lowering her voice to an audible whisper, "Die."
"Blossom!" Bubbles called from kilometers away.
"Bubbles!" Blossom called back, confirming the position.
"And…." The two continued in unison, "THREE."
The girls had learned long ago that while yelling in unison wasn't absolutely necessary, that it made for one heck of a morale boost before the big moment.
"Powerpuff….." The two sisters roared together, "TWIN SLAM!"
In one moment, Blossom released Brick's Wrath flying into thin air. In that same millisecond, about 3 kilometers parallel from them, Bubbles released Brick's Pride flying into thin air.
The two Brick doppelgangers met in the dead center of the city in an expected collision. But instead of a collision, there was simply the blinding white light, followed by just as deafening white noise. Like an air conditioner… in reality's brain…
Instead of collateral destruction or crumbling buildings from the colliding bodies, there was but the majesty of this light.
When this light faded, there was but a single gel-like entity, in the shape of Brick hunched over in what could only be described as somewhat of a pupa state. He curled inward.
"I want… to be whole!" The pupa-screeched, "MAKE ME WHOLE!"
"And so it shall be," Him chimed, adding, "Back to the whole whence you came."
Suddenly, the pupa-Brick was floating over the skyline, heading for a golden aura hidden behind some bushes.
"Back into the golden Cicada, I see." Him said, "Gotta read a little more on that."
"I've never seen anything like this," Blossom said, stroking her chin, "Even from someone as evil as Him."
"Buttercup!" Bubbles exclaimed, remembering their fallen sister.
"Oh my gosh!" Blossom zoomed as fast as her speed could carry her.
There had not been a peep from Buttercup since her fall.
Not a single…
Before any additional thoughts could be gathered, once again the red haze of Him's red vaper filled the skyline.
Him's dulcet and echoed tones took over any surrounding soundwaves. "What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of?" Him paused, "Snips, snails, and a puppy dog's tail. That's what little boys are made of."
There was a beat of simple silence.
"What are little girls made of? What are little girls made of?" The dark lord of evil paused once again, "Sugar, spice, and everything nice. That's what little boys are made of."
There was light coughing heard in the distance.
Bubbles and Blossom had managed to dig Buttercup out of the street rubble that Brick's Wrath had pummeled her into. She surfaced right at the end of Him's annoyingly on-the-nose-rhyme, "Heeeaaard… it…before…." she tried to yell, but could only manage a hoarse whisper before that gave way to a violent cough.
Bubbles and Blossom supported Buttercup on their shoulders as she coughed harder than any Powerpuff Girl… no, louder than any person they had ever heard.
Buttercup spit out a tooth and some blood mixed with mud.
Blossom and Bubbles took a moment to exchange worried glances.
"Well look at all this!" Him held his claws together, feigning relief, "Thank goodness! The Powerpuffs have their pep back. For now."
"We'll n, never…" Buttercup fought to get on one knee to look up at him.
"Buttercup, don't push yourself," Blossom warned.
"We'll NEVER fall to you, MONSTER!" Buttercup screamed, her chest feeling a painful ripping sensation before more blood came, with more coughing.
"But to find evil little children, there is but one tell…" Him continued, cackling as he and the pupa-Brick teleported away, "And that is a dab of Division Gel. Ta-ta, girls! Welcome to the beginning of the end. See you soooooooooon!"
The dark prince of evil waved jubilantly as he and Brick disappeared within his plume of vapor.
Our three Powerpuff Girls had indeed saved the day. But they were worse for wear.
An attack like this was something Townsville had not seen the likes of for…
Decades.
And what's more, this didn't appear to be the last of these kinds of events.
No, siree.
Not by a long shot.
-5-
The #1 rated news show in the nation, TownWars, was just ending a three-hour-long live television event on Jump City's Ultra News Network.
The tone of this orating was normally loud. It was normally accusatory and full of alternate theories besides what was being reported.
These were elements not entirely missed by the TownWars faithful today. However, the new blanket of somber that accompanied angry confusion made the smoldering sadness and betrayal seethe with all the pure pain in the cosmos.
The television event was long by design, It was a donation Telethon. The unprecedented multiple-cyclone trauma-affected everyone and anyone in the city areas. The wealthy, the middle-class, the poor, the…
"I don't think that three super-powered girls want to hurt us, folks." Mr. Pundit finally said, his face red from the last three hours of shouting, crying, and braying.
It even affected people like the faces we see on our TV screens.
Mr. Pundit loosened his tie in desperation and frustration, "I never told you all this because I didn't want to be labeled another sheep but…"
Mr. Pundit fought back tears, silently sobbing into his hairy arm.
"When I was a copy clerk at the new station, bout 13 years ago," He sniffed, "There was some weird attack by a monkey, the news called it a Robo Jojo, ripped the office building clear in half in a millisecond."
Mr. Pundit sniffled yet again, "I was so terrified. My wife and my two daughters… my babies… were on the first floor. Waiting to have lunch with Daddy at his fancy new job."
Mr. Pundit breathed shallow breaths, but steadily, "For the last several years I spent day after day pushing back against what I knew was a fake and dangerous narrative about our neighbor of Townsville. I just didn't know how dangerous. I just didn't know why it was fake, why it was them who were safe…"
Mr. Pundit trailed off…
"And the thing is, all that commentary and theories don't mean nothin' no more." Mr. Pundit mumbled, "Because people are dead."
There was a long, what seemed to be scripted silence in the newsroom of TownWars.
"PEOPLE ARE DEEEEEAAAAAD!" Mr. Pundit screamed in a sobbing rage, skin red, his body shaking.
"I've had my life and the lives of my family saved by those girls." Mr. Pundit sniffled once more, wiping his nose. It was clear he was finished with crying.
"But after the tragedy of the three cyclones, there's only one consistency. One problem." Mr. Pundit nonchalantly cupped his hands in front of himself on his news desk.
In one swift over-shoulder pivot to face his Camera 2, Mr. Pundit recited drawly, "That problem is the Powerpuff Problem. More after this."