Buttercup led them downstairs to get a better look at the internet. Buttercup scrolled through social media on the family computer in the living room.
All over mainstream Townsville news, shows, trendings, and hashtags.
'What's going on with Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls?"
"Hidden Freaks Among Freaks!"
#VampiresExist
#BubblesPPG
One of the most top-rated posts was a post cross-referencing Bubble's picture at the Blood Bank Day with a red circle over her blue-slitted eyes. Bubbles squinted the best she could that day but the picture was zoomed in closely to show the black pupils in her eyes has turned cat-like.
The picture was compared side-by-side with the nurse's testimony from the hospital.
"The victim stated that she 'felt claws on her arms and saw glowing blue cat-like eyes staring down at her' before passing out."
Bubbles stared at the computer screen in shock. She felt her stomach plummet.
No...no this cannot be happening...
Blossom squinted to read the text, "Buttercup, scroll down a little bit. There. This post and the other articles came from this person...S. Lynda?"
"S. Lynda?" Bubbles said out loud.
Buttercup screamed, both girls reeled away. Buttercup shoved her finger on the screen, "Her!" Buttercup pulled up two other tabs and typed in two names.
Blossom squinted at the text, "The journalist lady?"
"No! Well that too!"Buttercup pulled up photos from the July blast, "Bubbles, she's also the scientist from the day the lab blew up!" Buttercup scrolled down and zoomed in on the journalist's face and pulled up an image of the scientist they saw at the blown up lab, "I knew she looked familiar, it was bugging me for a long time..."
Bubbles and Blossom compared the photos for themselves. Black curly hair, red lipstick...
Buttercup snapped her fingers, "Sedusa! They were both Sedusa all along!"
Bubbles felt mortified. Blossom asked, "Why is Sedusa involved?" It was as if a lightbulb went off in Blossom's mind, "Bubbles! She's the one who changed you-"
"Oh no, guys look at this," Buttercup pulled up a Live streaming video.
"Breaking News: Sedusa hangs victims with hair at City Hall…"
Sedusa stood between two large pillars at City Hall. Suspended above her were various citizens hanging by their limbs. Sedusa was using her long, tendrils of hair whipping each citizen on their back, face, chest, anywhere to cause them to bleed. Small circles of blood sprinkled the white floors of City Hall.
When the trio arrived, Sedusa smiled. "Girls, it's been a while. Especially you Blossom, how's college been?"
"Put down the citizens now, Sedusa!" cried out Blossom.
"Hmph, no," immediately long snakes of hair from all directions came at the girls. The girls were fast enough to maneuver all of them.
"Buttercup you and I need to get the citizens out of there," Blossom commanded. She turned to look at Bubbles, "Bubbles, get Sedusa."
Shocked that Bubbles was given a task, she asked, "Wait why me?"
Blossom nodded with her chin to the citizens, "They're all bleeding. I know you can do it."
Bubbles nodded in seriousness and flew towards Sedusa. Already her sisters were cutting through thick vines of hair to get to the citizens. Blossom used her ice creams to freeze the tendrils and Buttercup was kicking fire hydrants to release surges of water to splash on the hair.
"Bubbles dear, I love your new look." Bubbles licked her teeth, fangs. Well, there's nothing she can do about it now.
"You've gone way too far."
"Don't I always?" Sedusa's hairs darted at Bubbles. Bubbles flew upwards towards the sky and led the hair away from Townsville in a straight black line. She flew around in a knot, with the hair following right behind her. The ends of Sedusa's hair got snagged in itself in a knot.
Bubbles used this chance to fly down and raised her fist back to deliver a punch. Suddenly her arms were bound in hair as hard as steel. She was thrusted towards the ground, head-first, and was lifted towards Sedusa. Bubbles' head was still reeling from the impact.
Sedusa walked down some steps of the stairs, "Sweet, sweet Bubbles craves for blood. What a scoop."
Bubbles growled and bared her teeth, still feeling dizzy, "You'll pay for this."
"There you go, smile for the cameras," Sedusa gestured with her palm to the citizens who took out their phones to document the fight. Bubbles turned away.
Sedusa walked closer and whispered in Bubbles' ear, "I noticed your boyfriend has a thing for blondes."
Bubbles' eyes screamed murder at Sedusa.
Sedusa spread her fingers in front of her as if to indicate a headline, "Another news flash, 'Butch Jojo and Bubbles Dating? 'Bubbles Utonium has a Thing for Evil Boys.'"
Bubbles was turning red, "You leave him alone."
Sedusa cupped one of her cheeks with her hand, "He's as faithful as can be. He's not into cougars, he told me so himself." Bubbles was regaining her sense of balance and attempted to untangle herself out of the hair.
Sedusa just kept on going, "Even if you two did get together, what kind of future would you have? Aren't you too good for him?"
"Be quiet!"
"What if I asked him that question myself, looking like this?" Bubbles did a double take as he was staring at a perfect doppelganger of herself, with fangs, eyes, and nails.
She looked exactly like Bubbles but from the way she carried herself and the way she smiled was not her. The Bubbles she changed herself too had a fearsome smile. She angled herself to let herself get good shots from the bystanders.
"Stop! That's not me...Butch is..."
One of the citizens cried out from pain and was dangled in front of Bubbles as if he was a piece of meat. Bubbles stared at the lines of blood and breathed heavily.
"No! I won't!"
"You must be famished…" The man's neck was forcibly exposed in front of Bubbles. Bubbles turned her head away in disgust and…
...shame.
Hot tears split from the edges of her eyes. No...no...not like this...
"Take this!" A tsunami of water splashed at Bubbles and Medusa that swept them away.
Bubbles sputtered out water and so did Sedusa when the water drained through the sewers. All of Sedusa's hair lay limp and scattered all over the road and City Hall.
Buttercup spouted fire from her mouth towards Sedusa. Sedusa screamed as she clutched at the pieces of her hair falling from her fingers. A ring of fire burning at her clothes and hair.
Bubbles stood up. That was way too easy.
Sedusa smiled, her bald head shining in the setting sun, "My job here is done."
Sedusa was shoved into the back of a high security van in chains. Bubbles ran towards her.
"Wait…"
Even in shackles, Sedusa smiled.
"Sedusa, change me back. Please."
Sedusa's smile didn't falter, "I'll you in on a secret Bubbles. You're asking the wrong person that question. I just helped."
Bubbles breathed in deeply and stepped backwards from confusion.
It wasn't Sedusa? If it's not HIM, Sedusa, then...
Sedusa's yellow snake-like eyes never broke eye contact from behind the gated openings of the van as the vehicle drove off.
Buttercup and Blossom tried to shield Bubbles from cameras afterwards but the damage was already done. Bubbles' photos were all over social media, slitted eyes, fangs, nails, and all.
There was a group that labeled themselves as the Anti-Bubbles group that demanded Bubbles leave the Powerpuff Girls.
Somehow, Bubbles didn't return to normal after that day. She kept on a mask, wore long sleeves to hide her nails, and a baseball hat whenever she went outside.
Bubbles patrolled Townsville only once and parents pulled their children towards them whenever Bubbles was close. Bubbles could see the apprehension in their eyes. She never left her room afterwards.
"It's okay Bubbles, I'll handle patrolling. I'll call you if I need backup," Buttercup told her.
Bubbles hugged a life size bunny stuffed animal and buried her face in its fur.
It's okay to cry.
It's okay to not be okay.
It'll be okay.
"LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE OR I'M CALLING THE AUTHORITIES!" the Professor's voice belted from the outside.
The front door slammed shut and Bubbles couldn't help but startle at the noise. Paparazzi were outside their house; press, fans, and stalkers.
She needed to check on the Professor to see how he's doing.
When Bubbles visited the Professor in his lab, he looked awful. He hasn't shaved in days and clutter was building up around his desk. His back was facing towards her and she saw his shoulders shaking. She could tell the Professor was crying.
"Professor? Is everything okay?" The professor continued to shudder and sob. Bubbles approached him warily.
"P-Professor...please don't cry…" Whenever others cried, Bubbles couldn't help but cry too.
The Professor wiped his face with tissues before turning around. His eyes were puffy from crying, "Oh sweetie," He pulled Bubbles into a tight embrace. "It's all my fault! I turned you into this."
"N-No! It was HIM! He started all this! And Sedusa! She was around us the whole time and we didn't know..."
The Professor sniffled, "But it was my formula wasn't it?"
So all along it was...
"No dad...please don't think like this. It's exactly what HIM wants. He wants you to feel entirely responsible. You're not at fault!"
Bubbles started to whimper into the Professor's lab coat, "We can fix this. I know it…"
Bubbles held her father tight, "You're my favorite dad in the whole world."
There was still a crowd of people outside, waiting with cameras and their phones. Blossom asked the Mayor for temporary security and policemen are coming at any moment to clear out the area.
Bubbles's eyes stared at the drops of water hiting the glass surface of the window. She stared blankly at the sky until her phone suddenly vibrated. She received a text message.
Wanna come over to my place to get away for a bit? Here's my address.
The second text bubble showed up with his apartment address. Bubbles didn't think twice and got dressed in warm clothing and a raincoat. She put on her mask and flew out the backdoor as swiftly as she could.
His place was on the edge of Townsville, in a working-class part of the city surrounded by factories. It was an abandoned small warehouse whose walls were a somber grey color and the metal door's paint was chipping off. You could never tell someone lived in a place like this. Bubbles knocked on the door. There was a pause then the heavy door slid open showing a dishelved Butch wearing a black T-shirt and sweats.
"Hey bluey. Come in."
The interior was small and looked like it was built from the 80s. Fast food was sprawled on the coffee table in front of the couch. Bubbles saw stairs ran from the middle of the room to a second floor where a mattress was laid in the corner. Sunlight shone from large glass windows from above with black metal metals.
Bubbles took off her rainboots and hung her raincoat on a rack.
"I would offer you some fries if I could," Butch yelled from the small kitchen in the farthest corner.
"Thanks for the thought. You're actually...really sweet."
She eyed the food on the table and took a seat on the couch.
Butch approached holding a can of soda and eyed her, "Did you need to eat already?"
"I..uh...can't turn it off, "Bubbles fiddled with her long fingernails, "I can't change back for some reason. Not since the day Sedusa was in Townsville. But I'm not hungry right now. Thanks though."
Butch took a seat next to Bubbles. The dip in weight caused Bubbles to bounce lightly. He laid his arm out on the couch edge while taking a long sip from his can.
"How did you find this place?"
He shrugged, "I just did. No one was inside so I just took it."
"How long have you been living here?"
Butch thought in silence, placing his drink on the table, "About 3 years."
Bubbles nodded, absentmindedly gliding her tongue over one of her fangs, "I see." Since high school then...
They sat in silence, Bubbles leaned back on teh couch and let Butch's arm wrap over her shoulders. She leaned in a little bit.
Butch attempted to break the silence, "Rough few days?"
"Yeah."
Bubbles mustered up the courage to ask what was on her mind, she looked up at him, "Why did you and your brothers stop causing trouble?
Butch tilted his head to look at her, "We got bored." He said it so as a matter-of-fact that she almost didn't believe him.
"There's more to life than picking fights with girls," he continued.
Bubbles lifted herself to face Butch more, "What happened to us...back in high school? Why did we stop talking?"
Butch looked at Bubbles and sat up from his spot, leaning on his elbows.
"You told me to stay away and I did."
Bubbles narrowed her eyebrows, "Yeah but you boys always break the rules and are-"
"Evil?" he said. They stared at each other. Bubbles didn't know how to respond.
Butch sighed, "I was created to be evil. You were created to be good." Butch sighed and looked away, "It wouldn't look good on your reputation."
"What do you mean by 'reputation'?"
"It just seemed like you felt like you were better than me and my brothers because you're the superheroes. That you're too good to be bothered by us."
"Is that why you don't do crime anymore?"
Butch paused before answering, "...No. There were other reasons. It was fun while it lasted but it got boring and me and my brothers got too old to live with each other."
Bubbles looked away, thinking over his words.
I see.
Bubbles took a deep breath before asking this other question, "Is it...you?"
Butch looked at her as if she spouted a third head. He seemed to understand what she was asking instantly. "No…"
She couldn't look at him, "Sedusa had a part in it but if it's not HIM then I don't want to suspect you."
She felt Butch bearing holes at the back of her head. She felt him shift in his spot, "HIM…my second father. He likes to get into people's heads, Bubbles."
Bubbles seemed to be thinking hard, "So it really wasn't you?"
"Do you think I have the demented mind to turn you into a blood-sucking being and be hated out of all of Townsville?"
"No." she said with finality.
HIM. It was HIM all along.
HIM. Curse him. Curse him to Hell. He was deliberately throwing Bubbles in circles.
"I'm glad it isn't you then," she turned towards him and had a small smile. She balled her fist lightly. Her nails scraped against the fabric of the couch.
"If I don't figure out a way to reverse this, then I'd have to maintain these nails. Maybe I can decorate them." She smiled with her eyes closed. It was more of a self-deprecating smile more than anything. She was trying to make light of the situation.
"Stop that," Butch said sternly.
Bubbles was taken aback, "Stop what?"
"Smiling when you don't mean it."
"Oh," Bubbles averted her gaze and blushed in embarrassment.
"You don't like being disliked. Who cares about what others think? You try to please so many people."
Bubbles inspected her nails and poked herself with the tips, "It makes me sad that everyone in Townsville is afraid of me. After all those years of saving them."
"It's their true colors," Butch commented bitterly.
"What should I do? Should I move somewhere else?"
"Do you need a roommate?" asked playfully. Bubbles chuckled and elbowed him in his side.
Do we...have a chance at a future together?
Butch stood up to turn on some of the lamps in various parts of the warehouse. He floated around clicking lamps and lights didn't notice how much time flew by. She saw the cloudy night sky past the windows. She looked at Butch's frame.
He matured a lot. He was a lot calmer. Bubbles eyed the warm light that traced his built frame. Dark shadows accented his edges and curves.
She inwardly sighed. She really has fallen for him.
"Butch…"
He was floating on the second floor next to a desk lamp, "Hm?"
"...I'm hungry," Bubbles said softly. He stared down at her, frozen in place. She glided upwards to the second floor in front of him.
He hesitated for a second but then brought up a hand to hold one of her cheeks and lightly tapped her thumb under one of her canine teeth. Bubbles lifted her hands to grip his shoulders to pull him closer. She rested her lips on the soft part of her skin, she saw old old puncture wounds healing from the past few times. She grazed the scars with her lips. She swore she felt Butch shudder at the touch.
Butch was expecting Bubbles to bite down at any minute. Instead she said, "Can we...lay down?"
He looked down at her blue eyes and thought she looked absolutely breathtaking. The fangs just upped the sexy factor...by a lot. He led her to his bed by the waist and they laid down with Bubbles on top of him by his side. In that position, Bubbles rested her head in the nook of Butch's neck, her palm resting on his large chest. Butch left arm was under Bubbles' waist, holding her close.
She lightly touched the tip of one of her fangs in the soft meat above his clavicle and sunk down her teeth. His grip of her waist tightened in response to the slight pain then he relaxed.
She took her time and took long, slow gulps. She inhaled deeply through her nose and felt Butch's heartbeat quicken then slow down. When she was finishedShe made sure to not make a mess by licking away any excess by gliding her tongue over the two puncture wounds.
She pulled away and licked her lips. She looked down at Butch and saw he had a half-lidded gaze that darted to her.
He sat up, "Wait here," and flew away towards one of the rooms. As the door opened and closed, there was a loud screech.
Bubbles wiped away at her mouth with her wrist, sucking away excess blood. His blood was so sweet, addicting like candy. She instantly felt better and much warmer.
She was so occupied with the taste she was almost startled when a moist towel was brought to her face.
"Here."
She rubbed the moist towel across her mouth and her hands. As she handed him back the towel, his eyes paused on her lips before flying downstairs.
He came back and laid back down on the bed. She rested her head on his shoulder, the curve of her neck fitting nicely on top of his arm. She breathed in his smell and smiled. She couldn't contain her bliss.
He lightly played with the trails of her hair. Before Bubbles fell asleep, she heard him say, "I'm sorry about before Bubbles…"
"Bubbles."
Bubbles stirred and squinted her eyes from the rays of sunlight, "What?"
"Your sisters are coming," Butch mumbled.
She shot up from the bed, "What!" She dashed downstairs in a haze of blue to get her things together. Her phone was full of missed calls and text messages.
The latest group text from her sisters said, We're coming.
Bubbles ran to the door and slid the door open. Butch was behind her still half-awake with bed hair that made spiky hair at the top of his scalp go in different directions.
Butch placed his palm at her lower back, "See ya round." He groggily winked and pecked her on the forehead. She blushed and rubbed his arm before flying out.
She managed to fly up right when her sisters arrived.
"Girls!" Bubbles fiddled with her sleeves and laughed sheepishly, "...You're early. How did you find me?"
"We cornered Boomer and made him talk," Buttercup said.
Boomer POV
Boomer flinched from touching his cheek and sucked in a sharp breath, "Those girls are such bullies."
"It wasn't the first time they kidnapped you," Brick said nonchalantly on the couch, flipping a page of his book.
"Can you believe how shocked we were when he said 'Your sister's at Butch's place!'" Blossom cried out.
"I'm sorry I didn't give you two a heads up," Bubbles apologized.
"Don't be sorry. We were just worried something might've happened to you," Buttercup placed a hand on her hip, "Glad you have a vacation home to run to. I also don't like being trapped in the home all the time."
Bubbles flushed and cleared her throat, "Well, I have some news. I'm sure I know who it was that transformed me."
Both sisters looked at each other before looking at Bubbles, "You do?"
Bubbles floated closer to them, "I have something in mind."