Villain: Redux
By Yay Ninja Bob
Part I: Remote Control
Chapter 3
"One day, you're going to have a child of your own, and you'll know how this feels."
The voice of his own mother was clear, as if her presence was in the room beside him. Professor Utonium reclined in the desk chair he had been sitting in for the last two hours as he waited Buttercup's bedroom for her return. The Professor rubbed at his tired eyes as he checked his wrist watch for the time yet again- twenty-four minutes past eleven.
"One day, you're going to have a child of your own, and you'll know how this feels."
It was something his mother would tell him on more than one occasion. Admittedly, Professor Utonium wasn't the easiest son a single mother would have to raise. He and his older brother were more or less free to do whatever they pleased while their mother worked day and night to support their small family. Most of his adolescent mischief was innocent enough-pranks on classmates, tee-peeing houses on Halloween, and those sort of juvenile things. However, looking back, Professor Utonium could see he didn't make his mom's life any easier. In elementary school, he was always his class clown and teacher's nightmare. He would be sent home with notes on his bad behavior on a weekly basis. Those notes piled up for years before his mother ever found them. Even now as a forty-nine-year-old man, he could clearly recall the sound of his mom sobbing over the collection of bad report cards. "After everything I have sacrificed for you, this is how you behave? And on top of that, you hid this from me! You lied to me! One day, you're going to have a child of your own, and you'll know how this feels."
It was never his intention to disappoint his mother, and by middle school he had changed his ways. All he needed was a little direction. Once he discovered his passion for science he found his path. His mother passed long before the creation of his three girls. Professor Utonium imagined that if his mother had been there to see her grandchildren, she would refer to Buttercup's behavioral issues as "karma."
Sure, Buttercup was a mischievous child, without a doubt. However, Professor Utonium was a child whose devious tendencies lessened as he aged, and Buttercup's rebellious nature only seemed to grow with age. At thirteen, her pessimistic attitude and quick temper was far worse than his own had ever been as a youth. Not to mention, she was a child with super-powers which brought its own unique challenges to parenthood. There were no parenting books on that. This new "growing pain" of Buttercup's superpowers was the latest challenge. The source of that power was Chemical X- something he, too, created. It, too, accidental. Chemical X was his children's' life force, yet the power behind the substance was still a mystery to Professor Utonium to that day.
That night, he found himself between a rock and a hard place. He had to be a father to his child, and hold her accountable for her actions. Sneaking out in the middle of the night was a serious thing, and he couldn't let it slip by without consequence. However, he had no idea how to handle her wild emotions, and he feared what they triggered. He knew he had to approach this situation carefully. As he watched the time, his emotions battled between worry, fear and frustration. He wasn't sure which emotion would win once Buttercup returned, but the moment she appeared through her bedroom window, the emotion that swept the Professor was relief.
"Shit," Buttercup muttered under her breath as she slid through her bedroom window, and spotted the Professor sitting at her computer desk.
Professor Utonium immediately stood and rushed to embrace her. Buttercup stood awkwardly on her bed as the Professor wrapped both his arms around her. She kept both arms to her side, and held her breath as he hugged her. She was frozen partly due to the surprise of this sort of reaction- she anticipated getting screamed at as soon as she arrived home. Truthfully, she was hoping his anger would be enough to blind him enough to not notice her intoxication. The other reason she was so still, and why she held her breath, was due to the fact that she was still high, and somehow rationalized in her mind's state that holding her breath would keep the Professor from noticing this.
"Thank goodness you're home," Professor said as he squeezed her tightly.
Buttercup still held her breath as the Professor released her from his smothering embrace. He stepped away so she could step down from her bed. "Just don't look him in the eyes," her mind spoke to herself as she cautiously stepped down from her mattress, "Don't breathe, and don't talk, and maybe he won't-"
"Buttercup, are you holding your breath?" Professor Utonium raised an eyebrow as he watched Buttercup stand strangely still. He noticed her eyes dart away from him, as if actively avoiding eye contact as he moved towards her, studying her odd behavior.
Buttercup shook her head "no," but said nothing in response. Still, the teenager curiously held her breath, as she turned her back from him, and began to untie the hooded jacket she had fastened around her waist. She moved away from him, still not looking at her father who watched her, and tossed her jacket onto a pile of clothing on the floor of her closet.
"Buttercup, where did you go after dinner? You can't just leave without saying anything. Something could have happened, and we wouldn't know where to find you," the Professor lectured as calmly as he could, as he simultaneously studied the teenager's movements.
Buttercup gave a simple nod as she walked past the Professor again. As she moved past him, her eyes were on the floor, avoiding him, still.
"Buttercup," the Professor pleaded, "Where have you been? And why couldn't you answer your phone when I called you? You had me worried sick!"
Buttercup sat on her bed, and finally took her first breath, knowing she couldn't avoid not speaking to him. Still, she kept her eyes on the floor as she spoke slowly and carefully, "I... couldn't sleep. So, I met up with Mitch at the park, and we had a pick up game. I guess I just didn't hear my phone. ...Sorry. It won't happen again." She gave the first lie that came to her then, and held her breath once more as she silently prayed for the Professor to believe it. Judging on the silence, it wasn't a good sign for her.
The Professor crossed his arms as he stood before his guilty child. He knew she was lying. He had just learned the day before from her sister that Buttercup was no longer friends with Mitch Mitchelson. He watched Buttercup nervously bounce her knee as she continued to hold her breath, and not look at him. He sighed deeply, and tried to not get too angry over the obvious fib, "Buttercup," he said a little more sternly, "I know that's not true. Now, tell me where you've been all night."
Buttercup said nothing.
As Professor stood there with his arms crossed and waiting for his explanation, he began to notice a faint skunk-like odor coming from the teenager. He stepped towards her, knelt down, and smelled her hair.
Buttercup cringed as he did this, knowing her tactics were failing, she desperately began to shout her next lie: "OK, I went to a concert, and-"
"You've been smoking pot?!" the Professor yelled as soon as the realization came.
"No!" Buttercup continued her lie, "There were people at the show, and they were smoking, but I didn't! I didn't smoke anything! I swear, Professor! The smell must have just rubbed off or-" Buttercup stopped as soon as she noticed the Professor had left the room. She sat on her bed, her heart racing now, as she waited for his return. He'd never gotten so angry before that he left the room in the middle of her explanation. She thought if she at least told a half-truth maybe it would be enough to be believable. As she watched the doorway to her bedroom for his return, she could hear her sisters in the next room whispering over what they just overheard. Sure enough, the two of them showed up at her doorway next. They stood there, jaws agape as they looked at their sister in shock of her state. Blossom opened her mouth to say something, but the sounds of Professor's footsteps returning stopped her. She and Bubbles disappeared quickly with bright flashes of pink and blue, and darted into their respective bedrooms down the hallway.
The Professor reappeared with a large cardboard box in hands. He spoke sternly as he entered the room, "You know, Buttercup, I had convinced myself that maybe your recent behavior was because I was too strict a parent," he walked to the Buttercup's desk and sat the cardboard box down on her desk's swivel chair. "I thought what I needed to do was trust you more. Give you more room to grow into your own person. Trust, that you would find your way. But clearly, I was wrong, and what you've had is too much freedom."
Buttercup sat on her bed and watched the Professor remove her laptop from her desk and place it inside the box. He then started to collect the various CD albums she had scattered across her desk and toss them into the box as well. Buttercup stood from her bed, "Professor, what are you doing?!" she shouted as she watched him collect her belongings one by one.
"I gave you a chance to explain yourself, but I'm obviously not going to get any straight answers out of you. You've given me no choice, Buttercup. You're grounded for a month, and that means no computer, no music, no comics, no video games, and no phone."
"But Professor, I told you the truth! I went to a show, but I didn't smoke anything, I swear!"
Her continued lying only elevated the anger within the Professor. Still, he managed to keep himself from raising his voice. He remained quiet as he removed Buttercup's video game collection from its shelf on the wall, and placed them in the box with her music and laptop. He watched Buttercup closely from the corner of his eyesight. Buttercup's response so far wasn't anger, but frozen shock, so he proceeded with his lecture, "You will get these things back once I've gone through them, and determined what's appropriate for you."
"What?! Professor, since when do you care-"
"Since my thirteen-year-old came home high!" he shouted loudly, but could not help himself. Buttercup stared at him with wide eyes. He forced himself to speak calmly again, "You just turned thirteen, Buttercup... And this path you're going down... well, I don't like it."
Buttercup looked at the Professor, but said nothing. She only frowned at him as she sat back down on her bed, feeling defeated.
He walked up to where she sat on the bed and held out his hand, "Phone."
Buttercup obeyed and handed over her cell phone to him. She watched quietly as he added it to the box, and removed her comic book collection next. He paused to make a disgusted face at the cover one issue before tossing it into the box as if tossing away a piece of trash. She had to look away then, as she finally felt the effects of her previous euphoria long gone, and now replaced with sickening misery. The sight of seeing her possessions being taken from her made her feel hopeless in the situation. Her mind raced for a solution to stop the Professor, but all she could think of was to stick to her story, "I didn't smoke, Professor," she gave it one last shot.
"Buttercup, I wasn't born yesterday!" he immediately snapped back, "You may think I'm just some old square, but I know the symptoms of marijuana use! I can't believe you're still trying to lie to me!" His daughter's continued denial only dug her a deeper grave. Professor forcefully dropped the last bundle of gory comics into the box.
The loud thud of her belongings being carelessly handled suddenly ignited Buttercup's anger. She shot the Professor a direct glare. Professor Utonium stopped as soon as he noticed her intense gaze.
Buttercup glared at the Professor as if staring down a monster on the battlefield. Her green eyes were on fire with pure rage, but they teared up at the same time. She clenched both her fists hard, and her thin frame shook with her surfacing emotions. Through gritted teeth, and tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked Professor Utonium in the eyes and spoke low, but with serious venom: "I hate you."
All Professor Utonium could do was stare back in disbelief. His heart pounded in his chest, as he felt paralyzed by the hatred in his own daughter's eyes. Never before had the teenager ever looked at him like that. Buttercup sat there, her fists clenched, shaking with rising anger.
The fear of her experiencing another "meltdown" was heavy on the Professor's mind as he proceeded the best way he could. He slowly turned back to the box of Buttercup's belongings, and removed the teenager's cell phone from the box. He then slowly approached his daughter, and held out the device to her. "Here," he said quietly, "You can keep your phone, but I am holding onto the rest of this at least until the end of summer."
The intensity in Buttercup's face faded a little, and she wiped the tears from her face, her hands still clenched. She winced a little, as she reached for her cell phone and took the device. She said nothing, and turned her back on the Professor as soon as she held the phone in her hands.
Professor watched her closely as she seemed to slowly calm down. She wasn't speaking to him, but her expression had softened again, and her body seemed much less rigid, as she quietly sat on her bed and scrolled through her cell phone. His heart still raced though, and he felt as if he just managed to narrowly dodge a bullet.
Professor Utonium picked up the box of belongings. "I only want what's best for you, Buttercup," he said quietly, his voice shaking a little. "I hope you understand that." He turned to leave the room, "I love you very much," he told her as he left.
Buttercup watched as the Professor left. Once he was gone, she slowly kicked off her sneakers, and lowered herself onto her bed, and clutched her head. The Professor had made her so angry, her head now throbbed terribly, and she felt very drained of energy. As the teenager plugged her cell phone into its charger on her bedside nightstand, her hand twitched. Buttercup stretched her fingers as she tried to work out the cramping sensation that seemed to tingle from her palms through her fingertips. The teenager reclined against her pillow, as she cracked her knuckles. The tension in her hands made her tired.
Buttercup took deep breaths as she tried to push her frustrations out of her mind, but she couldn't stop the thoughts as they swarmed around her throbbing head: "Why did he have to take everything?! What's appropriate for me?! What the hell does he even mean by that?! What a joke! He never cared before, but now he does?! Typical! Just like he never cared about us crime fighting until suddenly that was inappropriate, too! He's such an idiot! I hate him!"
Her left hand that grasped her forehead felt warm, and she winced from the sudden burning sensation. The intensity of the heat suddenly surged, as she felt a shock of electricity pierce the center of her palm, causing her to pull her hand away quickly. She cradled her aching palm with her other hand, and rolled over onto her belly, burrowing her face in her pillow. She let out a muffled cry into the pillow as she worked out the intense cramping in her left palm and cursed to herself, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
It took a minute, but eventually the tension in her hand calmed down. She rolled back onto her back and exhaled deeply, feeling relieved to have survived the worse muscle cramp of her life. She would get them from time to time, but the pain was always brief. However, the sudden jolt of heat in her palm was definitely something new, and the pain this time was definitely stronger. She lay on her back and raised her palm to her face for closer inspection. But the heat was gone, and everything appeared normal.
Buttercup's headache was worse than before, and it made her dizzy as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling. That intense migraine, the strange burning in her palm, and all the drama with the Professor had her exhausted. She closed her eyes, and gladly surrendered to sleep.
"Rise and shine, Princess!"
Princess's eyes were shielded from the sunshine by the velvet sleeping mask she wore to bed nightly. She lay in her oversized bed, tangled in a heap of purple silk sheets, completely undisturbed, as her nanny went window to window, pulling the drapes open, and revealing the bright summer sun outdoors. "Come on, Dearie!" the stout woman continued to sing cheerfully to the sleeping teenager. "It's two in the afternoon now, Princess! Rise and shine!"
The woman's high pitched voice finally coaxed the curly-haired redhead from her slumber. She lifted her sleeping mask, resting it on her forehead, and sat up in bed. She crossed her arms and pouted, "Cathy, it's summer! If I want to sleep all day, then you should let me!"
"Sorry, Dearie," her nanny quickly shuffled across the grand bedroom suite, and opened the double-wide doors, retrieving a rolling cart. On top of the cart was Princess's daily breakfast, prepared by the Morbucks Manor kitchen staff. Cathy wheeled the platter to Princess's bedside, and carefully removed the golden breakfast tray from the dolly, and set it down on her lap. "I have no issues with you sleeping all day on the weekends, but Mr. Jacobs has been waiting downstairs for your lesson for two hours now, and he's getting a little impatient you see-"
"Ugh!" Princess groaned loudly, "Tell him to get a grip!" she shouted at Cathy as she picked at her plate of scrambled eggs. "Jeez, what the hell does he expect from me anyways?! You know, Cathy, it's not fair! All the other kids get an actual summer vacation, but not me?! He's the worst tutor yet!"
As Princess began to nibble on a piece of bacon, a lump at the foot of her bed started to move from underneath the bed sheets. The smell of bacon had awakened Princess's canine companion- a tiny, eight-pound, red Pomeranian she called Precious. Instantly her grumpy expression softened, she grabbed her fluffy pet and squeezed him tightly, "Good morning, Precious!" She happily sat him down beside her, and the tiny pom danced in circles as Princess dangled a piece of bacon over his head.
"Good afternoon, Princess," Alfred announced as he entered the teenager's bedroom.
The smile on her face was instantly gone, and she turned her nose upward as she answered him, "Hello, Alfred. You know, it's not appropriate to come into my bedroom when I haven't even gotten dressed for the day."
The butler rolled his eyes, and glanced over at the nanny Cathy who tried her best to hide a small smile from their juvenile boss. "I just thought you would like to know that your tutor has been waiting for you in the study for-"
"I know! OK?! Jeez, Alfred, give me a break! I just woke up for crying out loud!" Princess pounded her fists angrily against the surface of her breakfast tray, causing her tall glass of orange juice to spill.
Her nanny reacted quickly by removing the tray altogether, and replacing it with a new one that was already prepared and waiting on the second shelf of the dolly. "Before I came to wake you for the day, I explained to Mr. Jacobs that you need at least an hour to get ready, Ms. Princess," she spoke cheerfully as she set the new breakfast platter down on her lap.
Princess smiled at her nanny, "See, that's why I like you, Cathy. You get it." She then shot a dirty look at the butler, "Unlike some people."
Alfred forced a smile on his face as he spoke to the spoiled heiress, "I'll remind him then, Princess." He turned to leave, but was stopped.
"Wait!" Princess shouted at him. She held out her tiny dog towards him, "Here. You can take Precious on his walk today," she said with a devious smile.
Alfred sighed as he reached for the dog. The tiny pup's face turned to a snarl as the man reached for him with his gloved hands. The tiny pet snapped and barked at him with the fierceness of a wild grizzly bear. Alfred stopped and looked to Princess who still wore her mischievous smile. "Would you at least put his leash on for me this time? I'd rather not have another pair of gloves shredded today."
Princess cradled the dog in her arms like a baby, and the tiny beast was tame yet again. She lovingly scratched the dog on his belly, causing the fluffball to kick his legs rapidly and excitedly. She then set the dog down beside her again, and held a finger up to him, "Go with Alfred, Precious," she instructed the dog with a loving smile.
The Pomeranian hopped off the bed and started to prance towards the open doorway. Precious stopped once he reached the door, and began to bark a high pitched demand towards Alfred who trailed behind, as if telling the man to hurry up. As Alfred walked past the tiny dog, through the doorway, Precious latched onto his pants at the ankle, and ferociously ripped at the cloth. While Alfred continued to walk, the dog held on tightly with his bite.
Princess continued with her breakfast as her nanny went about her bedroom, getting things ready for the day, just as she did every day. She first turned on the television in Princess's room, which was enough to distract the teenager for some time. The young heiress sat amongst her mountain of pillows, enjoying her breakfast and the latest episode of one of her favorite reality shows. Her dark brown eyes were glued to the screen as she eagerly watched the latest drama unfold.
The heiress's large bedroom had its own bathroom suite, and while her young boss was entertained, Cathy prepared Princess's daily bath next. As she added the young girl's favorite lavender infused oils to the hot bath water and decorated the purple colored water with fresh rose petals, she heard Princess scream from the bedroom, followed by the sound of something shattering.
Cathy shut off the running water, and quickly returned to the room. Princess's tantrums were never a surprise, but it was always her duty to deal with them. When she reentered the room, she stood clear of a soaring ceramic plate that flew across the room, and watched it crash against the already damaged TV screen. The screen's images were distorted beyond recognition due to the large crack Princess had made in the screen with her glass of OJ, but Cathy recognized the commercial's voice over that still spoke, "Don't miss it! The Discovery Dome is opening this November-"
A second loud, high pitched scream drowned out the announcement, as Cathy rushed to shut off the TV.
Princess ripped at her own hair as she screamed at the top of her lungs, standing on top of her mattress, in the middle of her bed. Her long, silk nightgown, snagged on her feet as she frantically bounced across the large bed, attempting to reach the vase of fresh flowers on her nightstand. However, Princess's nanny was always on top of her job, and beat the teenager to it. She grabbed the vase before Princess could, and tried her sweetest voice to calm the emotional girl, "Come on, Dearie, don't let those Powerpuffs get to you... Let's calm down... Deep breaths now-"
"GIVE ME THE VASE NOW, CATHY!"
"How about we-"
"NOW, CATHY!"
The servant had no choice but to listen to the angry teenager who stood above her. Princess ripped the glass vase from Cathy as soon as it was offered back to her. The short, five-foot girl stood at the edge of her bed's mattress, and held the vase of flowers above her head. She chucked the arrangement down at her marbled bedroom floor, and watched the vase burst into a thousand tiny glass shards, picturing it to be the head of her enemy, and hoping it would be enough to satisfy her growing inner rage.
It was not.
Princess let out another scream, this time muffled through gritted teeth, as she marched to her walk-in closet. Her freckled skin turned redder as her anger continued to boil within her. She had been fine watching television and enjoying breakfast, until the Powerpuff-themed commercial began to run. As soon as Princess saw the images of her three former nemesis, it ignited an uncontrollable fire within her. It had been over three years since their last encounter, but for Princess, the wounds from their last battle were far from healed. Just the sight of the famous trio was enough to cause Princess to become completely blinded by her temper.
She flicked on the lights to the oversized closet, and retrieved the first pair of jeans she saw, slipping them on forcefully, while she simultaneously searched her closet for a decent top. She forcefully plucked a yellow-colored, high-collared chiffon top from where it hung in the closet. Her brown eyes darted to her left and saw Cathy waiting at the doorway with a helpless and confused expression. Princess immediately snapped at her: "Well, what are you waiting for?! Go clean all that glass off the floor! NOW!"
Princess slammed the door to her closet shut before Cathy could try and rationalize with her. A full length mirror hung on the back of the door, and as it shut, Princess's eyes fell on her reflection. Her emotional tantrum had caused her to pull her perfectly pinned up hair out of place, and now her dark red, kinky curls were ravished and wild. She pulled out the remaining bobby pins in her hair and shook out her curls, letting them fall where they naturally sat shoulder length. She cursed to herself as she pulled off her nightgown, and then paused for a moment.
Her dark eyes narrowed at her reflection as she turned to her side, and her sight fell on the one thing she hated about her body- her scars. She could only see the ones that stretched across her shoulder blades for herself, but she knew they were much worse in the center of her back. The raised gashes wove a sinister looking web of scarred flesh across her entire backside. There were several spots along her spine where her flesh was bumpy from the permanently embedded pieces of metal and shrapnel. And although she couldn't see these lumps for herself, she would always be reminded of the metal embedded in her which kept her growth forever stunted. The brief sight of her imperfections only fueled her anger more, as she was reminded of the blue Powerpuff in particular who she held responsible for those scars. Princess forcefully slipped on her yellow shirt, and kicked the door to her closet open.
The teenager had to redirect her rage on something before she imploded, and for her, that meant one thing- a quick session at her private shooting range on the west wing. As soon as she emerged from her bedroom, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "SOMEBODY FIND ALFRED AND TELL HIM TO READY MY TARGET PRACTICE NOW!"
Her orders echoed throughout the manor, but unknown to Princess, her nanny had already instructed another staff member to have Alfred waiting for the heiress at the shooting range. In fact, he had everything prepared for the teenager. He hung a freshly printed photo of each Powerpuff Girl, on three separate target carriers that sat at the far end of the private range. As Alfred made his way to the range entrance, he carefully adjusted the spread of gold-plated firearms that were laid out for Princess. Three personalized semi-automatic handguns, each loaded and waiting for the teenager's fury.
Alfred opened the door to the range, perfectly timed for her entrance. She said nothing to Alfred, but proceeded to her station, picked up the first pistol, and aimed at the target to the left, swiftly unloading its entire chamber on the green Puff target. Her anger had overcome her so much, the gun clicked several times, before she realized it had been emptied of all its bullets. She threw the exhausted weapon on the floor, and picked up her next pistol, taking aim at the center target, and again unloaded everything it had.
Even as careless as her aim was, Princess hit her target easily. It was her favorite activity after shopping, after all. Watching the bullets shred apart the papered Powerpuffs was a satisfying sight. As the image of Blossom's smiling face was torn to pieces by the force of the bullets, Princess finally could feel the rage inside her slowly die down. If only the images were the real thing, and if only bullets could pierce a Powerpuff as easily as they pierced paper. Unfortunately for Princess the one evil mastermind who could forge a weapon capable of harming a Powerpuff was locked away for life in the Villains Ward. So the next best thing the young enemy of the Puffs could do to gratify her never-dying hatred was to pretend her fantasies of revenge were real.
Princess set the emptied gun back down, and smiled to herself as she picked up her final weapon. The redhead slowly released the safety on her glock as she moved slowly across the range floor. Her brown eyes were narrowed, and focused intently on her final target. As she stared down the image of the blonde Powerpuff, her memories flashed back to the last time she faced the heroine in battle.
They had come for her blaster rays, claiming that any anti-Powerpuff technology had been ruled illegal in the city. Princess would never give up her trusted ray guns without a fight. The pair of golden laser pistols were priceless, and the destructive energy they emitted had the power to successfully stun a Powerpuff Girl. It took the young villain some practice, but over time she had become a skilled marksman. She discovered if she managed to catch one of those Puffs with both blasters at once, the electric shock was damaging enough to knock them completely unconscious. Truly, her blaster rays were her most prized possessions. Without them, Princess wouldn't stand a chance against the super-powered girls she sought to destroy one day. So, even though she promised her father that she would be a good girl and surrender her villain-made weapons peacefully, when the time came, she could not.
She strapped on her jet pack and flew away, and it was Bubbles of the Powerpuff Girls who pursued her. It was Bubbles who aimed her laser eyes at the ten-year-old villain's jet pack, causing it to explode on impact. It was Bubbles who caused the accident who left the young heiress scarred forever. And even though she was completely unaware of this, it was Bubbles who was Princess's most hated Powerpuff of all.
Alfred watched the deranged child laugh maniacally as she held the pistol to the paper target's forehead, and he knew then that the young girl was completely absorbed then by her fantasies. He knew better than to ever interrupt Princess during her villainous monologue, but he'd overheard it so many times, he could recite it word for word:
"Well, well, Bubbles, thought you could get away with it, didn't you? You thought you could just shoot a girl in the back and get away with it?! Well, it's just like you stupid Powerpuffs to think you're so above consequences! You think you're better than me, don't you?! You and your stupid sisters have always thought that you were better than me! Well, you're wrong! And now you're de-"
"Excuse me?"
Princess's finger was still on the trigger when she had been interrupted. She had been right on the verge of her fury's climax. However, the sound of her teacher's pathetic, quivering voice had derailed her execution fantasy and this enraged the mentally disturbed child yet again.
"Big mistake," Alfred thought as he watched Princess's home school tutor, Mr. Jacobs, enter the room. Sensing trouble, the butler disappeared quietly behind the safety of the bullet-proof shield to his right.
"Sorry to interrupt, Princess," her teacher continued as he stood at the other end of the range, "It's just that we really need to get started if we're going to accomplish any sort of lesson today. I only have another hour to spare before-"
He stopped as the teen whipped around, and aimed the weapon directly at him. Mr. Jacobs stood, frozen in fear with both hands up in surrender as the short girl continued to threaten him with her pistol. Princess glared at him as she debated whether or not to shoot his brains out for the interruption, but luckily for Mr. Jacobs, she resisted. She gritted her teeth and returned her attention the Bubbles target across the room. She took aim and fired, screaming in frustration at the top of her lungs as she sent a steady stream of bullets flying through the paper Puff's forehead.
As soon as the crazy-eyed teen's attention was back on her original target, Mr. Jacobs ran out of the room, leaving only a sad puddle of urine behind.
"That's the fifth tutor you've scared off now, Princess," Alfred shook his head as he stepped out from his hiding spot once it was safe to do so again. "You do remember what your father said after you lost the last one, right?"
Princess tossed her pistol aside, and crossed her arms stubbornly as she recalled her father's promise to send her back to public school if she failed to keep her newest tutor. She looked to Alfred who wore a smug expression, and she rolled her eyes. "I hate it when you're right," she muttered as she quickly moved past him.
Her tutor was still running down the hallway, as she turned the corner she shouted after him: "HEY, YOU! WAIT!"
The sudden sound of Princess's voice calling after him was enough to make the school teacher trip over his own feet. He fell flat on his stomach, knocking the wind from himself, and buying Princess some time to catch up. She snapped her fingers at Alfred to hurry after him on her behalf. The butler reached the young tutor and helped him off the ground.
"OK, Mr. Jacobs, what's your price?" Princess sighed loudly as she approached the panting man.
"Excuse me?" he gaped at the teenager.
"How much for you to stay on and be my tutor?" Princess demanded as she crossed her arms.
"Look," the young man held his hands up again in defense, "I could deal with you not finishing any of your assignments, or you not showing up for half of your lessons, but... I-I don't think I can do this! I just want to go home."
Princess looked to Alfred and gave him a nod, signaling for the butler to retrieve the checkbook he kept guarded in his vest pocket. Alfred held a pen to the checkbook and waited for further instruction.
Princess uncrossed her arms, and tried on her best imitation of a charming smile, "Look, I can't go back to public school, so just tell me a number and it's yours. All you have to do is stay on as my tutor, and when Daddy asks how I'm doing, you tell him I'm that I'm your best student. You just give me the A's that my daddy wants, and I'll give you enough money so you won't have to worry about teaching any other kids ever again. Deal?"
"Honestly, Princess, I don't think I could be your teacher for a million dollars," Mr. Jacobs stepped cautiously away from the smiling teenager. The fact that she had just minutes earlier been screaming at the top of her lungs, and now she stood before him while she batted her eyes innocently, made him feel all the more uneasy about the situation.
"So, two million then?" Princess placed her hands on her hips, and sighed deeply. "Very well. Alfred, cut him the check."
Mr. Jacobs stared at the check written out to him for two-million dollars in disbelief.
"Same time tomorrow then, right?" Princess extended her hand out towards Mr. Jacobs for a handshake.
The tutor slowly took the short teen's hand in his and shook it, nodding slowly in agreement. He then tried to pull away to take his leave, but Princess held onto her grip firmly.
"Daddy is returning home from his business trip this Friday. You better be here to tell him what a perfect student I've been. Or I'll see to it you don't enjoy a dime of that money, got it?"
He gulped loudly as she released her tight grip on his hand. "Got it."
Princess smiled, "Good."
Alfred stood beside the heiress at the top of the grand stair case as they both watched the nervous school teacher leave through the manor's grand entrance below. He glanced to Princess who stood, wearing a proud smile on her face. She was right to feel victorious. Two million dollars may have been a large sum of money to the average man, but to the Morbucks family it was hardly a noticeable amount. It was certainly something Princess's father would never notice missing since he was used to the spoiled girl spending just as much on a spontaneous shopping spree. "Feeling better, Princess?"
Princess straightened her posture and gave the butler a smug smile, "Much better, Alfred."
Bubbles stood outside the door to her sister Buttercup's bedroom for a long time. She debated whether or not choosing to enter without permission was a good idea or not. On one hand, her green-eyed sister was very strict about her privacy and would get angry at her for disrespecting her wishes to be left alone, but on the other hand, she hadn't seen her sister outside her bedroom in three full days and she was growing concerned. She knew her sister had to be pretty upset about being grounded for the rest of summer, but Bubbles couldn't understand why Buttercup would shut her out, too. Even if she was mad at the Professor, or Blossom, Buttercup rarely ignored her, too. For two days, Bubbles had tried knocking on her door at various times of the day, but never received an answer. X-ray vision proved she was in the room, however. Every time Bubbles failed to hear anything coming from her sister's room, she was sure to check, and all she could see was Buttercup lying in bed, curtains drawn shut, and her bed sheets pulled over her head.
Bubbles held her breath as she carefully and quietly turned the doorknob to Buttercup's bedroom door. The blonde Powerpuff was cautious as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. She stood there, quiet for several minutes as she watched her tomboy sister sleep. Buttercup lay on her side, with her back turned towards her, and her bed sheets pulled tightly around her. Bubbles quietly hovered over to her sister's bedside and placed a gentle hand on her sister's backside and whispered gently, "Buttercup, hey, you awake?"
Buttercup only grumbled in response and pulled her bed sheets further over her head, disappearing completely under her quilted comforter.
Bubbles frowned, but kept trying. "Robin's mom is taking us to the mall to do some back-to-school shopping with Robin. Did you want to come with us? Professor said it was OK if you wanted to."
Bubbles waited several minutes for an answer, but there never was one. She left her sister's room just as quietly as she entered it. As she descended the staircase, she hung her head low, and Robin who waited for her at the bottom of the stairs could see she had been unsuccessful. "She said 'no,' didn't she?"
"No," Bubbles sighed deeply. "She's still not saying anything."
Robin frowned as she watched Bubbles sit on the last step of the stair case and prop her head in her hands. She sat down beside her best friend and sighed, too. She loved all three of her best friends equally, but seeing Bubbles so defeated was a very depressing thing. It was the girl's best quality to always remain on the bright side of things. It wasn't like Bubbles to mope about nothing, so seeing her so concerned over Buttercup was enough to make Robin equally concerned. "We could buy her something while we're at the mall," Robin tried with a reassuring smile, "Maybe a new video game would cheer her up."
Bubbles shook her head, "Professor said no video games," she frowned, "It was hard enough trying to convince him to let her go with us to the mall. The only reason he said 'yes' was 'cause I swore your mom would be with us the whole time, and if she went the only thing she'd be allowed to buy is clothes and school supplies."
Robin's teal eyes widened a little, "Jeez, what did she do this time?"
Bubbles bit her lip, "I'm not supposed to say. But it was bad."
"How bad?"
"Bad," Blossom answered as she entered the hallway from the dining room entrance. She had been in their basement's laboratory assisting the Professor for the day. "Let's just say it was behavior that isn't very Powerpuff-like." Blossom placed her hands on her hips and looked to Bubbles, "Just leave her be," she said. "She's the one choosing to be a shut-in after all. If you ask me, she's just being dramatic. Really, the only one she has to blame is herself."
"I dunno, Blossom," Bubbles still wore her glum expression, "She's never slept for days like this before, and I don't think she's even eating."
Blossom rolled her eyes, "This is what she does. She breaks the rules, does something bad to get in trouble, and then guilt trips the Professor into caving in on his punishment." The redhead crossed her arms as her eyes fell on the door to her sister's bedroom on the second floor. "She's just feeling extra pitiful this time because she's been at it all week, and the Professor won't budge on this one. And who can blame him? I mean, she broke the law for one thing!-"
"She broke the law?" Robin gasped.
Bubbles stood from where she sat, and faced her taller sibling. "I don't think what she did was a good thing at all, Blossom. And maybe she is feeling sorry for herself, but I feel sorry for her, too! She's really taking this hard!"
"Well, you shouldn't feel sorry for her!"
"But I do!"
"Bubbles, that is exactly what she wants!"
"Oh my gosh, Blossom, that's crazy! So you think she got in trouble just so that people could feel sorry for her?!"
"No, I think she got in trouble, because she got caught! And that's no one's fault but hers! So, you shouldn't feel sorry for her!"
"I feel sorry for her because she's my sister, and I love her, and I know she's been having a hard time! She probably just got caught up having too much fun, and-"
"Oh my God, are you seriously defending what she did right now?!"
"Ever since Mitch started those mean rumors at school about her, you know she's been miserable since! Everyone in our class has pretty much shut her out, so it's no wonder she acts the way she does! Can't you see that?! I know she messed up on her own for what she did, and yeah, I know the Professor is just trying to keep her from messing up again, but... she's just worse now!"
Robin remained sitting on the bottom step of the staircase and watched the two sisters bicker back and forth. She tried to follow along as best she could with their arguments, but truthfully had no idea what the center of the controversy was, and didn't know how she could help. It was unusual for Blossom and Bubbles to be fighting like that, so it only heightened Robin's curiosity as to what they could be talking about. While the two sisters continued to fight, Robin quietly slipped away, and went to get answers from the source herself.
When Buttercup felt the touch of somebody's hand on her back, she assumed it to be Bubbles again. "Go away, Bubbles," she muttered, half-asleep still.
"It's me," came Robin's sweet voice, which was enough to wake Buttercup up fully.
The tomboy sat up immediately, and saw Robin sitting at the foot her bed. The brunette couldn't help but giggle a little when Buttercup tore the bed sheets off from over her head and revealed her wild bedhead. Buttercup ran her fingers through her short, stiff, black hair, feeling embarrassed to be seen in such a state by her secret crush. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew it had to be late into the afternoon already. So being caught still in bed felt pretty humiliating for the teen. "Oh, hey, Robin," she tried to force a smile, "What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd visit," Robin smiled. "You sure you don't want to come to the mall with us today?"
Buttercup shook her head, "Nah, that's OK."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Robin stood from Buttercup's bed and looked around her room. She began to notice how bare the shelves in her room were, where she normally kept her comics and video games. She remembered what Bubbles had said about Buttercup's punishment. "I heard the Professor punished you pretty bad this time," she started.
"Yeah," Buttercup answered as she watched Robin. "I'm grounded at least until the end of summer he said."
Robin frowned a little, "Yeah, that sucks," she said. "I got my green belt in karate the other day. I wanted to invite you, and that's when Bubbles told me you were grounded." She paused, "What'd you do anyway?"
"I stayed out past curfew."
"That's all?"
"Nah," Buttercup hesitated. "I went to a concert."
"Really?!" Robin turned around and faced Buttercup. Her teal eyes were wide with excitement as she returned to her bedside. She plopped down on the teenager's bed and began to beg for details, "Was it a rock show?!"
Buttercup smirked. "Yeah."
Robin bounced a little with anticipation. She and Buttercup had talked before about wanting to catch a live rock show one day. "Who did you see?!"
Buttercup shrugged, "Just some local punk band-"
"Were they good?!"
Buttercup laughed a little as she watched Robin continue to bounce from where she sat, "Yeah, they were."
"Oh my gosh, I'm so jealous!" Robin playfully swatted at the tomboy. "Was there a mosh pit?!"
Buttercup's grin widened, "Yeah, it was crazy!"
"That's so cool!" Robin stood again from the bed and began to bounce around energetically. "Was it like this?!" she laughed as she danced around in an imaginary pit.
Buttercup couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, they were a little more aggressive than that."
The brunette continued to dance, happy to see her friend awake now, and wearing a smile. She grabbed Buttercup by her hand and pulled the skinny teenager from her bed, encouraging her to bounce with her. Robin held onto both of Buttercup's hands as she jumped up and down, and Buttercup felt inspired to do the same. The two girls jumped in unison while holding hands and laughed together. "I'd play some music, but the Professor took all of it," Buttercup confessed between jumps.
"That's OK!" Robin shouted as she leapt onto Buttercup's bed mattress, pulling the tomboy along with her. They continued their jumping on the spring mattress, still hand in hand. "We don't need it!" The brunette released Buttercup's hands and leapt off the bed again. She grabbed a hairbrush she had spotted on a shelf in the room, and returned to the bed. She continued to bounce again with her friend as she held the hairbrush to her lips like an imaginary microphone and began to sing poorly, between bounces and panted breaths:
"Color me your color, baby!
Color me your car!
Color me your color, darling!
I know who you are!"
Robin's singing was far from impressive, but Buttercup nonetheless became captivated by Robin's spontaneous song. She stopped bouncing, and found herself mesmerized by her crush's inspiring free spirit. The tomboy realized her cheeks hurt from how wide her own grin had gotten, and feeling embarrassed by how goofy she imagined herself to look then, she stopped grinning immediately. To Buttercup, Robin's infectious positivity was something that truthfully frightened her. The green Puff felt a stabbing sensation in her chest, and she knew she was pathetically falling deeper for the girl. This really scared her. It wasn't as if she ever wanted to feel this way about her friend, and still she did. It was out of her control, and the very idea petrified her time and time again.
Robin noticed the moment her friend's smile had faded. "What's wrong?" Robin asked with a frown as she, too, stopped bouncing.
Buttercup shook her head and forced a smile again, "Nothing," she lied.
Robin held her hand to her chest as she panted heavily, still catching her breath from their dancing. She sat back down on the bed and laughed a little, "You can tell me I'm a bad singer, it's OK."
Buttercup fought the smile, but it won over anyway. She shook her head, and laughed a little, "Nah, you're not bad," she lied.
Robin watched Buttercup as she sat down beside her. She thought about what Blossom and Bubbles had been fighting over, and decided she'd try and get her answer then. "Going to a rock show doesn't sound so bad," she thought out loud. "Why'd the Professor get so mad this time?"
Buttercup wondered if she could trust Robin with the truth. Robin was her only friend, after all. One of the reasons why Buttercup liked her so much was she wasn't as uptight as the rest of the girls in their grade. Still, Robin could be pretty innocent like her sister Bubbles, and tended to be a rule-follower like Blossom. So, she didn't want to scare her away.
Robin sensed her friend's hesitation. She moved closer to Buttercup and lowered her voice as she spoke, "I promise, I won't tell."
Buttercup's green eyes darted quickly towards the doorway, checking for signs of her sisters or the Professor before she answered her friend: "OK, I tried pot at the concert."
Robin gasped, and Buttercup shushed her immediately. "Sorry," Robin whispered. "It's just... wow. I guess I can see how that got you grounded from pretty much everything then."
Buttercup waited for Robin to say more, but the girl had grown quiet. "You think that makes me a bad person?"
"No!" Robin almost shouted. She lowered her voice again, "No," she repeated, "Don't tell anyone, but my dad does it all the time."
"Your dad smokes weed?"
"Yeah, but don't tell anyone, OK?"
"I won't," Buttercup smiled a little.
"And I don't think you should, you know, do it anymore... I mean, I get why you'd wanna just try it! That's cool, but my dad says you should wait till college."
Buttercup scoffed, "If that's the case, then Blossom can in a year then," she crossed her arms.
Robin frowned, "Yeah I heard about that. Blossom seems really excited about it." Robin sighed as she reclined back on Buttercup's bed, "It's gonna suck not having you guys in school with me, though."
"Bubbles and I will still be in high school when you catch up," Buttercup shrugged.
"Yeah," Robin sat up and smiled, "Blossom's IQ must have been pretty high if the Professor is going to let her start college next year. She said it was one hundred and sixty-one, but I honestly have no idea what that means," she hid a girlish giggle behind her hand. "What'd you get?"
Buttercup shrugged, "I dunno. Who cares. Not high enough for college apparently."
The brunette could sense the dark cloud returning over her friend's head as she grew quiet once again. Robin poked Buttercup playfully in the arm, "So," she smiled somewhat deviously, "What was it like?"
Buttercup blushed a little from how Robin looked at her then. She wondered for a moment what she was talking about, and then realized, "Oh. Being high?"
Robin nodded.
"It was weird, but fun," Buttercup shrugged. "I dunno. It definitely wasn't what I expected. I thought maybe I'd hallucinate and see something crazy, but that didn't happen. It just made everything feel... deeper. Does that make sense? Like, everything was clear? I dunno. Like, it made the music sound super crisp, like you could hear everything in high-def or something. And I noticed shit I never really did before; it's hard to explain. It made me feel super happy, too. Like a ridiculous level of happy. But, it was like I didn't care, you know?"
"Wow," Robin breathed. "That's so cool!"
Buttercup could feel her face grow warm as she noticed her crush staring at her with wide eyes. She had hoped Robin wouldn't judge her for her actions, but the way she looked at her then, Buttercup wondered what was going on in the girl's mind to cause that particular sparkle of amazement that shone in her eyes.
"Seriously, Buttercup," Robin continued, "I don't care what the other girls in our grade say about you," she smiled. "I think you're super cool."
Buttercup laughed nervously, "What do they say about me? That I'm a gross dyke?"
"They're stupid," Robin said with frown. She reached for her friend's hands then and held them in her own. "I think you're brave, Buttercup. You're not afraid to be who you are. I wish I was as brave as you."
Buttercup sat there, allowing Robin to hold her hands, but she had gone completely deaf to what the girl was saying. The moment Robin took her hands in hers, all Buttercup could focus on were her best friend's soft lips as they moved almost in slow motion. There was nothing more that Buttercup desired than to plant her lips on hers in that moment. Instead, she found herself paralyzed by the way her crush daintily held onto her hands. Maybe she was reading into things too deeply, but Buttercup wondered just why Robin hadn't let go yet.
"Robin, your mom's waiting for us downstairs!" it was Bubbles who interrupted the moment.
Buttercup immediately pulled her hands away from Robin as Bubbles entered her bedroom. Bubbles smiled innocently at the two of them, she looked to her green-eyed sister, "You're up! Does that mean you're coming, too?"
Buttercup looked from Robin to Bubbles who both pleaded at her with puppy dog expressions. As much as Buttercup wanted to continue to talk with Robin, she truthfully felt tired and in no mood to leave her room, let alone their home, or be in a place as crowded as the mall. Besides, shopping was never something she enjoyed, and when it came to her sisters and Robin, a trip to the mall was an all day adventure. Buttercup shook her head, "No thanks."
Bubbles sighed heavily, "Fine. Guess it's just you and me then, Robin."
"What happened to Blossom?"
Bubbles shrugged, "She said she's going to keep helping the Professor in the lab today." It was the best excuse Bubbles could think of on the spot, and it was half-true after all. But the whole truth was that she and Blossom had been eavesdropping on both their friend and sibling, and Blossom had her feelings hurt from what she overheard. Bubbles wasn't sure if it was the fact that Robin called Buttercup's rebellion 'cool,' or if it was when she admired their green sister's bravery. Whatever it was crushed Blossom's hopes, Bubbles knew it'd take some time before her redheaded sister would be able to act normally around her crush again.
While it was true these comments struck up a bit of jealousy in the pink Powerpuff, they weren't the main reason for Blossom's sudden departure. Yes, she felt somewhat hurt by Robin's uncaring attitude concerning her sister's actions. Yes, she felt jealousy- lot's of jealousy, in fact. That was obvious, and something she had already battled with. What she hadn't anticipated were the simultaneous feelings of something bigger. It overwhelmed her, and it completely caught her off-guard. When she and Bubbles spied on the two of them, Blossom thought for certain she would hear Robin trying to get Buttercup up, and Buttercup still refusing. Instead, things went very differently. As she eavesdropped on Robin and Buttercup, Blossom's meager little crush unexpectedly erupted into an undeniable hopeless, aching, and pitifully crippling love. For hours, it was all she could think about.
"Isn't it just like Robin to be the one capable of putting a smile on the grouchiest person on the planet? Of course, Robin could do the impossible and get Buttercup up and out of bed- dancing even! Bubbles had tried to get Buttercup up for the last three days, and was unsuccessful. But Robin? First try, and she did it. I even heard Buttercup laughing. How did she manage that? God, she's incredible... amazing... daring... beautiful... the perfect girl..." Blossom's mind raced only with admiration for Robin. She found it difficult to focus on what the Professor spoke about as they worked together in the basement laboratory. The two of them had been performing the same task all day though, so she was able to compete her work despite being totally absent-minded.
Still, Professor Utonium could tell there was something different about Blossom that evening. Earlier in the day she had been her usual self, but since the afternoon she had grown oddly quiet, which was nothing like her. "Blossom?" he repeated her name for the fifth time, but still the teenager was unresponsive. She sat on the stool at her work station with her elbows propped up on the counter top, and her head resting on her hands. Her pink eyes were focused on the solution boiling in the beaker that sat in front of her, but Professor Utonium could tell that her mind was someplace else as she wore a dreamy sort of expression.
Professor Utonium stood from where he sat across the room and joined his daughter at her work station. He sat down on the stool beside her, and still the girl seemed unaware of his presence completely. "Blossom?" he repeated for the sixth time.
Blossom finally heard him and answered, "Yeah?"
"I was asking you if that polysulfide solution was ready yet?"
Blossom blinked at the beaker that sat in front of her. The solution had turned red, signifying that the sulfur had completely dissolved and in fact, had been ready for some time. It still boiled though, and Blossom realized she had forgotten to remove it from the heat like she should have. "Sorry, it just needs to cool," she apologized as she quickly removed the beaker from its stand. She held the solution up to her lips and softly blew a cold, icy breath against the glass, cooling its contents to an appropriate temperature before handing it off to the Professor.
The Professor chuckled as he took the beaker from her and returned to his own work station. "Something on your mind, Sweetie?
Blossom smiled weakly, but wasn't sure if she was ready to share her feelings with the Professor of all people. Instead, she changed the subject, "Do you want me to get started on purifying yesterday's overnight batch?"
"Already done," the Professor answered with a smile. "I took care of it while you were upstairs with your sisters." He nodded towards a small vial which sat on the highest shelf above his work station.
Blossom's eyes fell on the vial of black, metallic liquid. She hovered off the ground by several inches so that she was at eye level of the chemical solution. "That's all we got?" she blinked at the vial's contents in disbelief.
"That's all."
"It's barely what? One milliliter?"
"Just about, yes."
Blossom lowered herself into the stool beside the Professor. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said this stuff had a disproportionately low yield," she poked at the pile of black colored ores that sat in a tiny heap on the Professor's work station. She picked up one of the golf-ball sized crystal-like rocks and held it up to the light for closer inspection. In the light, the dark black mineral became more opaque, and one could see faint traces of pink, blue and green sparkle within the clouded crystal. These hidden colors were only viewable under direct light, and still very hard to see. The ores were pretty dull and almost coal-like in appearance at first glance, which was probably why the rare mineral went unnoticed for so long.
Professor Utonium had mistaken it for a rarer form of cinnabar himself, since the Townsville mine he had collected it from was known for its abundance of it. However when the young Professor began to experiment with refining the strange black ore, he was surprised to discover something entirely knew. The mineral shared the same characteristics that an average natural specimen of cinnabar would, and it behaved just as mercury sulfide should. It's color was off, but not too different from the darker version of the mineral- metacinnabar. Mysteriously, though, at the end of Utonium's refinement process, where there should have been pure mercury, there was something else.
He called it Chemical X.
"It'll be a least thirty more batches before we have the amount of Chemical X we need," Professor Utonium said as he used a small plastic spoon to scoop a tiny amount of the grounded up ore that was the main ingredient to his chemical solution. He slowly added the grounded black substance the the polysulfide solution Blossom had prepared. "Truthfully, I'm not sure we'll have enough. I've been writing for permission to enter Monster Isle in hopes of locating a fresh mining location, but so far, all my attempts have been denied. They sure have that place on high security."
Blossom returned the small black rock to its pile, and then looked to the other end of the room where the Professor's latest solution sat. He called it a microdose of Antidote X, and had designed it to help her sister Buttercup with her strange energy-surges. It wasn't enough to rid her of her powers, but it would be enough to calm them at least temporarily. At least, that's how the Professor explained it to her. The red colored metallic liquid was already prepared for administration, and loaded into a capped syringe. It sat on a raised table which was beside to a small, white sheeted medical cot the Professor kept in the back corner of his laboratory. The basement medical ward was a place Blossom and her sisters hadn't had to visit in years. Blossom wondered if Buttercup would ever need it, but now that she noticed the Professor already had the antidote ready and prepared... she began to understand the sense of urgency the Professor seemed to have about making more. Clearly, something made him believe that another meltdown to be inevitable.
Blossom's eyes drifted upwards toward the tiny vial of Chemical X again. It was at that moment when she noticed the small glass container began to vibrate and shake, along with the other contents on the shelving above her and the Professor. Blossom shot up with a flash of pink light and caught the tiny vial of Chemical X before it could fall from the shelf. As Blossom caught the vial in her hands, and watched other empty glass beakers start to clash to the ground, she realized what was happening.
An earthquake.
Professor Utonium scrambled to keep the solution in front of him from tipping over as the entire room began to shake even more. The Professor took the beaker of solution with him as he ducked for cover underneath his work desk. However, Blossom was hardly intimidated by an earthquake, and she stayed where she was. Her eyes fell on the solution of Antidote X across the room. She immediately zipped over to it in a flash of pink light, and took it in her hands for safe keeping.
Books toppled off their shelves and more glass containers shattered against the concrete basement floor. Blossom watched the fluorescent lights that hung from the ceiling sway back and forth as the earthquake shook for a full minute and half before finally stopping. Once it did, she placed the Antidote X back in its place, along with the vial of Chemical X. She next helped the Professor to his feet, "Careful, Professor, there's glass everywhere now."
The Professor stood, "We haven't had a quake that strong in some time!" he exclaimed as he carefully avoided the shards of glass on the ground, "Thanks for saving our work there, Blossom."
Blossom smiled big, "Of course!"
The Professor began to ascend the stairs to the basement, but was cut off by both Bubbles and Buttercup who descended at the same time. "I was just coming to check on you both. Are you OK?"
"We're fine," Bubbles and Buttercup answered in unison.
"Are you guys OK?" Bubbles added.
"Yeah, just some broken glass. Nothing major," Blossom responded. "How's upstairs?"
"Everything's just a little jumbled I think," Bubbles reported. "Oh my gosh, and we just got back from the mall, too!" Bubbles gasped. "I'm gonna call Robin and see if they're OK!" she said as she started to re-ascend the stairs.
"Well be quick," Blossom said as she placed her hands on her hips. "We better split up and survey the city for damages."
"Aw man, surveying? For what?" Buttercup groaned. "It wasn't that big an earthquake. I'm sure everyone's just fine."
"If things fell down here, Buttercup, then they certainly fell elsewhere. There's probably debris all over the city! That could lead to some unfortunate accidents. It's our duty to make sure the citizens are safe. So come on," Blossom began to climb the basement stairs, "Let's go."
Buttercup rolled her eyes. This was hardly the action she wanted when it came to being a Powerpuff. What Blossom just described was trash pick up. More community service- it was all the Powerpuff Girls did anymore. "Wait. Aren't I grounded?" Buttercup raised an eyebrow and looked to the Professor for some help.
Sensing that his grounded teenager wouldn't enjoy herself on this expedition, the Professor decided it was a good way to add to Buttercup's ongoing punishment. "Actually," he said as he scratched his chin, "Go on, Buttercup. I think you could use a little fresh air."
Buttercup crossed her arms and huffed, "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Princess sat alone in the grand dining hall of Morbucks Manor. The magnificently sized mahogany dining table could sit up to fifty people comfortably, but it rarely entertained more than two. It was just the young teen and her father, after all, and that was only when her father was actually home and not away on one of his countless business trips. Princess sat at the seat beside the head of the table, and slouched in her purple-cushioned chair as she waited patiently for her father to join her for dinner. He had returned home some several hours ago, but a parade of conference calls kept the man busy in his home office for the entirety of the day.
The heiress sighed heavily as she watched the wax melt slowly on the candles that burned on the centerpiece candelabra. The silver centerpiece was polished so perfectly, she could see her own reflection. She fixed a fallen strand of her straightened red hair, and tucked it back behind her ear. It had been a three hour long appointment in her home salon to have her tight curls relaxed in the style her father liked best for her. Normally, Princess preferred to skip the long salon appointment, and wear her kinky curls naturally, but she wanted to do everything she could think of to make her daddy's return home ideal.
What she secretly hoped for was that if everything was perfect upon her father's return, then maybe he'd actually stay home for more than just the weekend. She even wore the dress her daddy had brought home to her from his latest trip to New York, just to show how appreciative she was. The dress was actually her least favorite color- a bright Tiffany blue. It was also sleeveless- a fashion style she would normally avoid, due to it exposing her back scars. She paired it with a dark purple cardigan sweater to hide her scars, and also wore the pearl necklace and earrings her daddy had gotten her for her birthday earlier that year.
Princess's brown eyes then fell on the plate of roasted chicken in front of her. The young girl hated the stuff, but it was another of Daddy's favorites. Since it was his first dinner home in over two months, Princess was certain he'd appreciate having his favorite meal. Still, the smell alone was enough to irritate the girl's delicate senses. She hated the smell, the texture and the taste, no matter how the bird was prepared. All forms of chicken immediately reminded her of the cheap microwavable chicken nuggets she once had to rely on for daily sustenance in another life. It was so long ago, she hardly remembered anything really about the group home she called home for the first four years of her life. There were flashes of memories like having to share a bunk bed with another child who had a bed-wetting problem- that was particularly traumatic for the girly girl. But Princess rarely thought of the time before. Of course, she was still so young when she was officially adopted as a Morbucks. However, the one strange thing that haunted her the most from the time before was the memory of cold, rubbery and disgusting chicken nuggets. Every day, that's what she and the other foster children had to eat, and so the bird repulsed her for the rest of her life.
Princess immediately corrected her posture as soon as she heard the sound of her father's footsteps echo from down the hallway. She knew it had to be him since it was evening time, and all of the manor staff had retired to the staff lodging outside the main home to enjoy their leisure time. Everyone except Alfred, of course, who was the manor's only 24/7 servant, but Princess had instructed him to take Precious on another walk for the evening.
Her father was a very large and tall man. Despite not being her biological father, he shared the same red-colored hair as Princess. It was the only similarity they shared however. His hair itself was thin, straight and more hair plugs as of late than actual hair. Princess knew him to be fifty-three in age, but she was never allowed to say. He was rather quiet when not performing business, and only spoke when absolutely necessary. When he did speak, his voice was deep and booming, and had a sternness that made everyone shut up and listen, which was something Princess always admired most about him. He was a powerful man- the most powerful in Princess's eyes. Out of all the other children, he chose her to be his heir. Princess always held great pride in that fact. "I like your spunk," he said that day, and Princess would never forget it.
As Princess watched her father enter the room, her eyes grew wide with excitement as she noticed he held something behind his back. The giant man wore a slight smile, and she knew he had a surprise for her. "Good evening, Daddy!" she greeted him with a bright smile.
Her father only smiled as he approached the table. He greeted his daughter with a kiss on her forehead, and took his seat at the head of the table beside her. The envelope he had previously had hidden behind his back, he sat down on the table beside him, and he began to eat his food without a word.
Princess smiled to herself, knowing her father always saved gifts for after dinner. She quietly ate some of her side salad, but pushed aside the chicken on her plate. She watched her father from the corner of her eyes as she attempted to start a conversation with him, "How was New York, Daddy?"
The large man took a moment to rinse down his roasted chicken with a glass of Chardonnay, before answering simply: "Fine."
Princess waited several minutes before trying again, "My summer's been fine, too, Daddy," she said with a weak smile. "Did you see my tutor's given me straight A's? I've been working really hard, you know? Even though it's summer. Just like you always say-"
"Work never stops," the man finished for her.
"Exactly, Daddy," Princess wore a proud smile.
They were quiet again, as Princess waited for her father to finish enjoying his meal. Her brown eyes fell on the envelope her father still had to the side of the table. As the man took the last bite of chicken on his plate, he noticed the teenager's attention on the envelope. He smiled to himself as he picked up the sealed envelope and handed it to his daughter. He sat back and watched the teenager tear open the envelope with excitement.
Princess pulled out two paper tickets from the envelope and eagerly read the event's title. "Daddy, thank you! Tickets to-" her smile instantly faded, "...The Discovery Dome..." She forced herself to smile again, but it was hardly convincing, and her father instantly noticed.
"What's the matter? I thought you would love this! It's for the premiere- a very exclusive event! You always loved those Powerpuff Girls, right? You wanted to be just like them when you were younger!"
Although Princess had tried her best to hide her displeasure with the gift initially, this comment was enough to ignite the anger within her. She shot up from her seat and shouted at her father: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THEY'RE MY ARCHENEMIES!"
The horrified teenager's exclamation echoed throughout the entire manor. Her father sat there with a disapproving look, but said nothing as the girl's emotions continued to spiral before him.
"It's like the BIGGEST THING about me, Daddy! How could you not remember?! I fought the Powerpuff Girls, like, ALL THE TIME! They almost KILLED ME during our last fight! Don't you remember that?! Don't you remember the surgery?! I'm still in physical therapy for crying out loud! Don't you remember having to donate millions to that stupid Villains Ward so that they wouldn't throw me in there?! AND YOU THINK I SOMEHOW LIKE- NO WAIT LOVE?!- THE STUPID POWERPUFF GIRLS?! I KNOW YOU'RE NEVER HERE, BUT HOW COULD YOU NOT REMEMBER THIS ONE THING?!"
Princess had screamed so loud, she could feel her vocal chords tear as she shouted that last part. As she forced herself to sit back down in her seat, she saw that her father stared back at her with displeasure. She didn't care though. Normally, she always strived to make him proud, but right then her hatred for the Powerpuff Girls consumed her. She waited for him to say something- anything- but the man never spoke. He simply took the cloth napkin from his lap, wiped his mouth clean, and stood to leave.
As he stood, both he and Princess began to notice the china rattle on the table before them. Princess's eyes fell on the large chandelier that hung from the high ceiling above, and watched it begin to sway violently. She stood from her seat and felt the ground rock beneath her with a heavy jolt. Just as her brain registered that they were experiencing an earthquake, her father grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her beneath the dining room table with him. Princess flinched as she clung to her father, and heard the sound of the crystal chandelier crashing upon the table top. Thankfully, the grand table provided more than enough shelter for the father and daughter as they waited out the earthquake together.
Princess had just been so mad at her father, but all of that was forgotten then. She was just relieved to have him there with her. She might have been crushed by that awful chandelier if it had been any other night when she usually had dinner alone. But Daddy was home, and he was there to protect her, and that was all that mattered. Princess buried her face in her father's chest as the world shook around them, and quietly thanked the earthquake for bringing them together, at least for that moment.
Blossom had instructed Bubbles to survey the east side of Townsville including the Hills, while Blossom herself would be responsible for Downtown and the north end of the city, which left Buttercup with the west side and coastline. Buttercup was truthfully relieved to have the least populated side of the city as her own duty. Also, the quake was centered on the east side close to Townsville Hills, so that's where there would be the most damage, if any. As Buttercup flew across the city, she saw that everything seemed to be just fine and perfectly in order. She knew Blossom would prefer that she actually check in with some civilians to make certain things were fine, but Buttercup felt that step to be unnecessary. Just as she expected, the earthquake hadn't done much of anything, and she could see that just fine for herself.
As Buttercup finished combing through the beach side district, she made her way inwards towards the center of the city. Blossom had instructed them to reconvene at Townsville Hall in fifteen minutes, to report their findings, but Buttercup had finished her surveillance in five. As the green puff soared towards the capital, she passed by a landmark she hadn't passed by in years. At first, she failed to recognize the newly renovated structure, until she had already zipped past it by miles.
Buttercup halted in the air, with a screeching stop as it dawned on her. The super-powered teenager turned around and looked back at the structure in the distance. Now that she was further, and could only vaguely see the shape of it, she recognized it for sure- Mojo Jojo's observatory. Buttercup hung in the air for a full minute, wondering if her eyes had deceived her when she had flew by the first time. Since the superhero had some time to spare before she had to report back to her sister, she decided to investigate further for herself. It was technically her assigned area, after all.
Buttercup circled back to Mojo's observatory. As just a shadow in the distance, it seemed the same, but as she closed in on her destination, she again questioned what she was seeing.
Just like she had discovered the other night on the east side of Townsville, there was the same Powerpuff themed advertisement on the west side for the Discovery Dome. Only this advertisement wasn't painted on a billboard, but instead it stretched across a giant paper banner that hung along the metal chain-link fencing which ran around the perimeter of what used to be Mojo Jojo's volcano top observatory.
Buttercup landed on the outside of the fence and read the giant colorful print for herself: "Coming Soon: The Discovery Dome." She stared for a long time in disbelief. "This is going to be the Discovery Dome?" She shook her head, "No way..."
Buttercup hovered into the air again, and looked beyond the tall construction fence. Where there had been a grassy, park area, there was now just concrete. Buttercup spotted several markers on the floor where the current construction crew seemed to be mapping out some sort of parking structure. Since the grand opening was not more than two months away, Buttercup imagined the parking structure was probably the last thing to be completed. Not spotting anybody within the vicinity, she decided it was safe to trespass. It was well into the evening so all construction workers must have gone home by then.
The teen flew over the tall fence and landed on the other side. Her eyes fell on the volcano mountain that had been the base to Mojo's observatory. The dark rock had been polished to an unnatural shine, and Buttercup wondered if it was actually still the same volcano it used to be as she approached it. She touched the smooth, glistening rock, and still wasn't sure what to make of it. Her green eyes traveled upward, and saw that the massive stair case that led to the top of the observatory had been replaced by a full functional escalator. It was of course, out of order, but that didn't matter to the super-powered teenager. She ascended into the air again, and made her way to the observatory entrance.
As she stood outside the tall, now glass door, she looked at the new exterior walls of the old observatory more closely. The entire structure had once been made of mostly iron, among other metals. The renovations had replaced the entire exterior with brightly colored, crystal-like panels of bright pink, blue and green. Even the telescope which protruded from the side of the structure had been repainted the same bright Powerpuff-themed color scheme.
Buttercup's curiosity begged her to go inside, but she worried about setting of some sort of alarm. With how much trouble she had already been in, she decided it was best to not risk it, and resisted the temptation. Instead, she cupped her hands over her eyes and pressed her face against the entrance's glass doors, and got her best look from the outside.
As she peered inside, she again, could not believe what she was seeing. It was dark, but her vision was well enough to make out that the interior of the observatory had completely been redone. Even in the dark, she could make out the same bright colors painted across virtually every surface. There were hundreds of large, unpacked boxes littered across the floor of the main lobby. The super-powered girl used her x-ray vision to look within the sealed packages and saw that they were filled with merchandise- mainly t-shirts, toys and plushed Powerpuffs.
Buttercup returned to her normal vision and took a step back. "If Mojo were here to see this... he'd lose his mind," she shook her head, still feeling mostly shocked. She had known about the Discovery Dome being built, but she never asked where it would be. She never imagined it to be a renovation of Mojo's old observatory of all places. She supposed it was equipped well enough to be converted into a science museum... but somehow, it still felt wrong.
Buttercup stood outside the building entrance for several minutes in silence. She knew she had to get to City Hall to meet her sisters, but she couldn't tear her green eyes away from what she saw. As she still gazed through the glass door, her mind flashed back to memories of when it was still Mojo's observatory, as she tried her best to ignore all the bright colors and remember it for what it once was. Her green eyes fell on a window above the tall entrance, and she was reminded of the time she accidentally lost a baseball through it when she and her sisters were five. The teen smiled to herself when she remembered how angry she and her sisters had made him that day. He did return the ball, though.
She and her sisters relationship with the villain had always been a complicated one. First time they met Mojo, he practically adopted Buttercup and her sisters while the rest of the city shunned them and their powers. Of course, shortly after they became sworn enemies once the girls discovered that the chimp was completely evil and insane. Then soon after, she and her sisters discovered the shocking revelation that Mojo had played a part in their own creation. The trio never quite agreed on whether or not to consider the chimp a brother or second father, but nonetheless they treated him like a distant, crazy relative... who sometimes could be a lot of fun, but at other times, he wanted to murder them. It was definitely an unconventional family dynamic. But to Buttercup, her life had always been unconventional anyways.
As strange as their history was, Buttercup still couldn't help but feel nostalgic for those times again. She paused in the sky for one final moment, taking pity on what she saw. "Everything's changed," she breathed to herself, still feeling the setting to be too surreal, before she forced herself to finally leave.
When Buttercup arrived to the mayor's office, she found both her sisters waiting for her. Blossom was speaking to Mayor Bellum, and Bubbles stood off to the side holding something wrapped in a towel. Buttercup approached Bubbles, "What's that?" she pointed at the bundle in her sisters arm which seemed to squirm.
"I found him lost on his own at the base of the Hills," Bubbles frowned.
"Him?"
"A cute little Pomeranian. I'm not sure his name. I tried to ask, but," Bubbles struggled to keep the squirming dog contained underneath the towel she had wrapped him inside, "he's really mean." The animal lover sounded clearly heartbroken. Friendships with creatures of all walks of life came to her easily and naturally. It was pretty rare that an animal would ever hate her. However as the tiny dog ripped through the towel, he wasted no time on chomping on the girl's nearest finger. Buttercup didn't have to speak dog like her sister to see that the little guy really wanted nothing to do with Bubbles. "I'm just trying to get you back home!" Bubbles pleaded through watery eyes, as she fought to keep the fluffy dog in her arms.
Buttercup shook her head, "Jeez, you shoulda just left the dumb dog on the streets."
"Well, he has a collar, but he won't let me close enough to read it," Bubbles slowly reached toward the gold-plated ID tag that dangled from the pup's collar, but the dog instantly snapped at her as her finger drew near.
Buttercup rolled her eyes, and quickly yanked the tag off from the collar before the dog could respond. She snorted as she read the name out loud, "Precious. His address is up in the Hills."
"There you are," Blossom said as she joined her sisters. "How was the coastline?" she asked Buttercup.
Buttercup shrugged, "Perfectly fine."
"Good," Blossom smiled. She clapped her hands together, "So," she began, "Downtown was in good shape, too. A tree was uprooted and fell near central park, but I've taken care of it already. Bubbles said the east side had some damages though, right Bubbles?"
"Well, yeah, the market place on Main street for one was pretty messed up. Literally everything fell down inside there-"
"Ugh," Buttercup interrupted, "That's why they have employees. Please don't tell me we're going to go pick up trash next?"
Blossom placed her hands on her hips, and began to speak but was interrupted by high pitched barking as Precious the Pomeranian still fought against being held. The Pink puff crossed her arms and stared at the toy-sized terror, "OK, first thing's first, actually." She reached for the dog, careful to hold its snapping teeth away from herself as she took the rabid beast away from her sister Bubbles. "This dog needs to get back home." Blossom turned to Buttercup and held the dog out for her to take.
"What?! No fair! Why me?! Bubbles is the one who picked up that crazy thing!"
"It's trash pick up, or dog delivery, Buttercup," Blossom laid out her options. "You're a Powerpuff, and you're going to provide some sort of service today. So which is it going to be?"
Buttercup stared at the snarling dog her sister held in her hands. "Do I at least get to go home after I take the dog back?"
Blossom sighed heavily, "Yes. Take the dog, and go home, Buttercup."
"Deal," Buttercup snatched the dog from her sister, tucked him under her armpit like a football, and disappeared with a flash of green light outside the mayor's office window.
Blossom shook her head, and looked to her blonde sister, "Come on, Bubbles. Let's go help our city."
The angry Pomeranian was scared stiff as the Powerpuff Girl carried him through the sky. Buttercup used the dog's ID tag to locate his home at the very top of Townville Hills, where the largest homes in the city rested. She didn't recognize the address before, but as she approached the large, golden arched gates with two giant golden M's, she knew she had arrived at Morbucks Manor. Buttercup spoke to the now subdued dog she still carried under her armpit, "Of course you're her dog."
The skinny teen stood at the gates and rang the buzzer. A man's voice came through the speaker, "May I help you?"
"Uh yeah, I have your dog," Buttercup answered. "Precious, right? Really fluffy. Really mean."
There was a long pause, followed by an incredibly long sigh from the speaker next. "Yes. That's him. ...One moment, please."
"Someone doesn't sound too thrilled to have you back," Buttercup muttered to the dog next. She moved the dog so that she held him less crudely. Surprisingly, the dog remained tame in her arms as she held him and waited for the gates to open. As the gates parted open, Buttercup walked inside the grounds. In the distance she could see a butler waiting with the door open. A short girl with red hair appeared through the doorway and she shouted the instant she spotted the dog in Buttercup's arms: "PRECIOUS! OH MY GOD, YOU'RE OK!"
The dog immediately began to squirm wildly in Buttercup's arms at the sound of his owner's voice. Buttercup allowed the tiny dog to leap from her arms, and run towards Princess. Buttercup watched as the girl was united with her dog. As soon as Precious reached her, he leapt into her arms and began to lick the girl's face excitedly. Princess giggled as she held onto her tiny companion. Her attention was completely on her precious Precious, and she had failed to see who it was that brought him home. Distracted by the love of her fluffy canine, Princess gave Buttercup a genuine smile as she thanked her, "Thank you for bringing him home! You probably want a reward. Wait here!" she shouted as she ran away with her dog in hand.
Buttercup stood awkwardly at the doorstep. She glanced over to the butler on her left. "Hello, Buttercup," he greeted, emotionless as he spoke.
"Uh. Hey, Alfred," Buttercup waved. "She doesn't recognize me, does she?"
"Apparently not," Alfred answered. He looked to Buttercup with an almost sad expression, "Please make my job easier tonight, and keep it that way."
Before Buttercup could respond, Princess returned with a giant wad of cash in hand. She held it out to Buttercup who stared at the stack of hundreds with wide green eyes. "Here," she insisted as she motioned for Buttercup to take it.
Buttercup grinned as she took the large amount of money in her hands, "Cool, thanks!" she said. She hadn't expected that sort of bonus, but she gladly accepted it.
Before she could put the cash in her pocket, Buttercup heard a deep, booming voice come from the doorway next: "Wait one minute," the giant millionaire stood behind his daughter. He stared down at Buttercup with a raised eyebrow, and looked at the cash in her hands. He then looked down at his daughter, "Princess," he began to lecture, "There's no need to pay her for returning Precious. That is why we pay taxes." He smiled slightly at the green-eyed teenager, "Isn't that right, green one? All a part of the job, hm?"
Princess blinked up at her father, unsure of what he meant. She then watched as Buttercup reluctantly and sadly handed the money back over to her dad who held out his hand.
Her father returned the money to his own wallet, "Thank you for your service." The millionaire nodded at Alfred, who responded by shutting the door on the Powerpuff Girl.
Princess watched her father as he began to ascend the main stairway. "Wait-wait-wait," Princess thought out loud as she hurried after her father, "Who was that? Why would our taxes go to some kid?"
Her father chuckled, "Oh, I can't ever remember their names. The green one."
Princess stopped in her tracks, but her father continued to climb the stairs. "Wait. That was Buttercup?!" Princess shouted.
"That's the name! Buttercup!" her father answered from the top of the stairs.
Princess shook away her surprise and continued after her father again, "You mean to tell me, there was a Powerpuff Girl on my doorstep and we just let her get away?!" Princess ran after her father, stopping in front of his path. "Daddy! I just finished telling you over dinner how much I hate them!"
Her dad only shook his head as he continued to walk around his daughter and towards his home office at the end of the hall.
Princess only grew more offended by this, and ran to stop in front of him once more. "DADDY!" she shouted again, "DON'T YOU GET IT?! I HAVE TO DESTROY THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!"
Finally, the large man's patience was spent. He raised his voice as he began to lecture Princess sternly, "Daughter, let me share with you how things work in this city. We Morbucks have always been here, and we own most of the real estate in Townsville. Whether you like them or not, those super-powered girls have been the best thing for business. Now, I don't care what sort of childish feud you had with those girls in grade school, but it's gone too far. You want to destroy the Powerpuff Girls? Then you'll be destroying your financial future. How does that sound?"
Princess stared back at him in disbelief. "But... Daddy, they almost killed me! Don't you care?! Whose more important to you? Those stupid Powerpuffs or me?!" She watched as her father reached the door to his office, and entered without another word, or any sort of acknowledgement.
Princess stood there for a long time, unable to move, as she stared at the shut door to Daddy's office. She felt strangely numb, and her mind drew a complete blank, as something inside her broke. The young girl trembled as she stood there in silence, breathing heavily through her nose. She felt her cheeks begin to sting from the tears that started to stream down her face. Princess wiped the tears from her eyes, and then felt the familiar rush of rage begin to surface within her.
Without thinking, the young heiress tore open the doors to her father' office and marched inside. Once inside, she was frozen once again as her eyes fell on the collection of blueprints littered across the entire office. All of the prints were labeled with "Discovery Dome." As the irony struck her, Princess couldn't help but start to laugh as something else snapped within her yet again, "You're building the Discovery Dome, Daddy?" she laughed even more. "Of course, you are!"
Her father only stood there as he watched his daughter laugh her way back out of his office. Screaming, then crying, then laughing- he had no idea what to make of the girl's strange behavior. The millionaire shook his head, and sighed deeply to himself as he lowered himself into his oversized desk chair. He had no time for teenage drama, and began to turn his attention back to his work. He opened his laptop computer, and had just finished entering his password when the doors to his office swung open yet again.
Princess kicked the doors of the office in, and entered with her golden pistol pointed first. Before her father could say anything, she silenced him with a single bullet between his eyes. As soon as the bullet struck the man in the head, the walls of the office were instantly sprayed with blood and brain matter. It was the sudden wet slap of her father's blood across her face that snapped the crazed girl from her murderous state.
Her brown eyes softened immediately as she realized what she had done. She dropped the gun in her hands, and rushed to her daddy's side, but he was already gone.
