Villain: Redux
By: Yay Ninja Bob
Part II: Hate & War
Chapter 14
Divide and Dissolve
The whispering was quiet, but easily heard by the super powered teenager without much of any effort. It wasn't as if the green Puff was trying to eavesdrop. It was quite the opposite, actually. They would rather be unaware of the pink and blue Puffs' presence completely, and most of their time as of late was spent avoiding both their sisters at all costs. This was mostly due to the fact that it seemed more and more as of late that even the very sound of their sisters' voices was all it took to get their blood boiling. Awaking to the pair of hushed voices talking about them in the next room that morning was definitely not the best way to start the day.
"I don't think she's seen daylight for almost a week now."
"You're right, Bubbles. It's been too long. Today, we have to find a way to bring her out of there."
"But how? She's hardly even talking to us! Even when I try to visit with her in her room all she says is 'go away,' or 'leave me alone,' or 'I don't wanna talk about it-' Last night when I tried to bring a plate of dinner up to her room she screamed at me before I could even open up the door 'Didn't I tell you to stay the eff out of my room?'" The faint sound of sniffles, followed by a squeaky whisper, "Blossom... do you think Buttercup's gonna hate us forever?"
A sigh, before Blossom's whispered response, "Bubbles, we're sisters, and that's forever, OK? I don't know how, but we have to try to figure something out. It's not healthy- her staying locked up in her room all day and night. It seems like all she ever does is sleep..."
As the raven haired tomboy sat up in bed, there was already that familiar tingle beginning at the end of their scarred fingertips. That was how it always started. Next would be the stiffness in their fingers, while the heat in their palms began to build as their blood boiled more and more. They knew that their power surges were triggered by their anger, and this was not new. However, upon their return home, they found themself inconsolably angry all the time, and the power within them was constantly fighting to be let out.
"OK... well, I guess I'll try to make her some breakfast. She never ate her dinner last night, so she must be hungry."
"OK, well, I'll be back in less than an hour."
"Where are you going?"
"I just have something I need to take care of, but it shouldn't take too long. Remember, the Professor wants one of us home with her at all times, so don't go anywhere until I get back."
"OK, Blossom..."
The green Puff held out both scarred palms before them and gritted their teeth. The pain in their hands was building fast, and they knew they had to act before the power became too much. Their latest solution to the surges was an accidental discovery, but the most effective solution so far. The crystal pane glass to their circular bedroom window was designed to be completely Powerpuff-proof. Several nights ago during a painful power surge, the hero had felt desperate to escape and tried to break through the impenetrable glass. The glass never broke, but it proved to at least be a safe target to relieve themselves from the agonizing power.
They stood upon their bed's mattress and reached for the dark green curtains with a shaky scarred hand. They pulled back the curtains and winced momentarily from the brightness of the morning summer sun just outside, but proceeded to press both open palms against the window's crystal glass. The window pane glowed a faint neon green as the energy from the Puff's scarred hands was absorbed. The release was always draining, and the green Puff could only stand it for a few seconds at a time at most, but it was just enough to calm their surges. It kept the Puff from imploding from a power that would otherwise continue to grow beyond their control, and it alleviated most of the pain they felt, but it always left them extremely tired.
The green Puff shut their bedroom curtains again and slowly lowered themself back onto their bed's mattress. Even though they had just awoken from a full night's rest, it hardly felt like that any more. Even the smallest surge would zap them of most of their energy. Wake up, zap, sleep and repeat. That seemed to be the neverending cycle for the last several days. As they rested their head against their pillow and their eyelids grew heavy once more, it definitely felt as if it was going to be another day of the same repetitive misery.
It was more difficult being there than Blossom had first imagined it would be. A sudden rush of emotions came over her the moment she touched down upon the empty driveway to the small eastside home- the very place she and Bubbles had managed to find their missing sibling just one week prior. As her pink eyes settled on the tiny brown house, a wrenching pain was felt in her chest, but Blossom knew she could not allow her emotions to get the best of her. She was there with a purpose. Even if Buttercup claimed that Blossom didn't care, she did. She would not be there if she didn't.
Blossom took a deep breath to compose herself before marching up the home's cement driveway. She rang the doorbell and as she waited, she could not help but think back to the other night when she last stood on that doorstep. The reveal of Buttercup's plan to run away with the Gangreen Gang was one thing, but what really stung was the heartbreaking look her green-eyed sibling wore that night- a combination of total devastation and crushing defeat- as if the very sight of she and Bubbles there was enough to indirectly destroy the last bit of their sibling's hope and spirit.
Buttercup had really wanted to run away. Buttercup had meant to leave Townsville and everyone else behind forever, including she and Bubbles without so much as an explanation or even a goodbye. Buttercup would have rather run off with a bunch of outlaws than continue being her sister. Before she had uncovered her sibling's whereabouts, Blossom had imagined finding Buttercup hurt or injured would be the most dreadful scenario she would have to face, but this unforeseen heartbreak proved to be just as painful, and in some ways, even worse. Second choice to a lot of grimy green gangsters... how could Blossom not feel betrayed?
The door was answered by the same shaggy haired punker from the previous night, "Oh," he squirmed nervously as his eyes fell on the pink Puff who stood on the porch. "Uh... How can I help ya-?"
"I'm here to see Ace," Blossom answered directly.
"Well, he's not home right now. He ran down to the store this morning-"
"So he should be back soon then, right?"
"Well, yeah," Tyler shrugged, "I guess he should be back any minute-"
"Mind if I wait for him inside then?"
Tyler blinked back at the tall redhead who stood with her hands on her hips, looking almost as determined as she looked the night she had come by looking for Buttercup. He could see that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Ever since everything went down, Ace had instructed Tyler to be cooperative with any law enforcement that came around. He bit his lip and stood aside as he held open the door and muttered, "Sure... Come on in..."
"Thank you," Blossom said as she stepped through the doorway.
Tyler shut the door behind her, "I'm Tyler, by the way."
Blossom turned to face the punker as he shut the door behind her and saw that he held his hand out for a handshake. Blossom hesitated but politely took his hand and shook it, "Tyler..." Blossom repeated the name, "Yeah, Buttercup mentioned that you were one of her... friends..."
"How is-?"
"She's fine," Blossom answered before he could finish. "She's home, and with her family- where she belongs."
Tyler could feel the tension thicken in the air around them as the hero's pink eyes seemed to narrow on him then. Fea had always shared stories about her controlling redheaded sister, and he was beginning to see what she meant then. He cleared his throat as he avoided the unwavering judgemental gaze directed at him, "Glad she's good then," he muttered. "You wanna sit down while you wait?" he gestured towards the living room area.
Blossom took a seat on a nearby armchair and watched as the punker slunk down into the two-seater sofa across from her. The slouched posture as he sat was much like the way her sibling would hunch when sitting, too. Seeing this similarity only stirred a sick feeling in Blossom's gut then, but she tried to ignore it.
"So..." Tyler began slowly after several minutes of awkward silence, "I'm not exactly sure when Ace will get back... so if you just wanna leave a message or something..."
"Thanks, but, I would like to speak with him myself."
Tyler watched as Blossom continued to glance about the room. Her eyes settled on the ashtray on the center of the coffee table, overflowing with ashes and cigarette butts. Her nose instantly crinkled with a look of disgust. Tyler continued, "Yo... you're not here to arrest Ace or something, are you?"
Blossom raised an eyebrow as she looked to Tyler. "Why do you ask that?" she tilted her head slightly, "Did he do something that would warrant an arrest?"
Tyler gulped quietly, "Look, Ace is a good guy-"
"That's exactly what my sister said-"
"Yeah, 'cause it's true," Tyler sat up in his seat as he spoke to Blossom, "He's like the big brother I never had. Since I known him for the last five or six years or so he's done nothin' but just try and keep me outta trouble, and as far as I know he's always been the same way with Fea."
"Fea?" Blossom raised an eyebrow.
"Uh- er- yeah. He's always been the same way with Buttercup, I mean."
Blossom studied Tyler for a bit before continuing, "How old are you?"
Tyler blinked back, "Uh... Twenty-two-"
"Hmm..." Blossom's pink eyes narrowed again for a brief moment, before she looked away once more. "Interesting..." she commented under her breath as a clicking noise was heard coming from the home's front door. As she glanced over her shoulder then, she saw Ace step inside with a plastic bag of groceries in hand.
Ace lowered his shades a little as his eyes fell on the pink Powerpuff who stood from her seat to face him. "Oh, hello, Blossom. Didn't know you'd be dropping by..." As he approached her, Tyler took the groceries from his hand for him and left to the kitchen. "How can I help ya?" Ace forced a smile as he watched Blossom continue to stand with her arms folded across her chest. Her pink eyes seemed to look him up and down.
Blossom unfolded her arms and rested her hands on her hips, "I thought you'd like to know that as of this morning, the investigation surrounding you has been dropped."
It sounded like good news, but the way she said it, Ace still wasn't sure, "So... that means..."
"It means as of right now, you're in the clear. The investigators were satisfied with everything you had to say and they couldn't find any evidence to suggest you might still be involved with your former gang. You're off the hook for now."
Ace could not help but breathe a heavy sigh of relief, "Well, that's great news then," he tried to smile, but the serious look Blossom still wore stopped him. "Well..." he cleared his throat a little, "Thanks for comin' by to let me know-"
"I didn't just come here to deliver good news," Blossom interrupted quickly. She took two steps towards him and continued to speak in a low and serious tone of voice. "You and I both know that you are guilty of harboring and aiding escaped felons. The only reason why you're still a free man today is thanks to my sister. If it weren't for Buttercup, you and the rest of your gang would be back in prison."
"Yeah, I know-"
"And the only reason why I've decided to keep quiet is for Buttercup's sake-"
"I know, and I appreciate it-"
"Yeah, I bet you do," Blossom's eyes narrowed on the olive-green man. "Are you aware that providing marijuana to a minor is a crime? A felony, actually."
Ace stared back at Blossom, "A'ight, Blossom... I get the idea that you're not too happy with me. And I know you and your sister have had your issues and all, but I want ya to know that I ain't ever tried to get between ya-"
"Don't speak to me as if you know what mine and my sister's relationship is like." Blossom could feel a fury inside her beginning to build and it took everything to keep from knocking the shades off from Ace's face then, but she forced herself to remain composed. "Look," Blossom began through gritted teeth, "I really shouldn't have to explain to you how inappropriate it is for a grown man to befriend a young teenage girl. Buttercup may think that you're her friend, but I can see right through you, alright?" Blossom's pink eyes narrowed once more as she took another step towards Ace, "The cops might not be watching you anymore, but you can be sure that I'm not letting my guard down when it comes to you. Your gang better stay out of town, and you," Blossom paused to ensure her last point was clear, "You better stay the hell away from my sister, got it?"
Ace could read the threat behind her pink eyes and nodded slowly, "Got it."
Blossom held her unwavering glare for another full minute before she pushed past Ace, and showed herself out. "Good."
It was a quarter past ten, and since the Professor had a difficult time locating exactly which lab coat he last left his car keys in, he was running late to his scheduled meeting that morning with the mayor. He was halfway down the front driveway before he realized he had forgotten the notecards to help with the presentation he was expected to give on his renovation proposal for the Townsville Villains Ward. Next came the frantic scramble to try and recall where he might have last left those. He checked his basement lab first, then the kitchen and as he ascended their home's staircase to go to search his bedroom next, a baby blue flash of light appeared before him as he reached the final step.
"Found them, Professor!" Bubbles announced holding his notes safely in hand, "You left them on your dresser!"
"Thank you, Bubbles!" the Professor exhaled a big sigh of relief as he took the small stack of index cards from her.
"You're welcome!" the blue Puff replied with a smile. She gave her father a quick hug and peck on the cheek, "Good luck, Professor!"
"Thank you, Sweetie," the Professor returned with a smile. His eyes drifted over the tall blonde's shoulder and settled on the shut bedroom door belonging to Buttercup. "Let me tell your sister goodbye before I go-" the Professor began as he started for the bedroom door.
"She's still asleep," Bubbles said as he walked past. The Professor halted just as he was about to knock and glanced to Bubbles. She continued: "I tried to wake her to tell her that breakfast was ready, but... I guess she's really tired..." The blue eyed Puff frowned as she added with a quiet squeak, "And now the breakfast I made her is cold..."
Professor Utonium returned a small frown before returning his attention to the door, and reached for the handle. He quietly and carefully opened the door, and stepped inside. The teenager's steady snoring filled the darkened bedroom. Buttercup was asleep and turned onto her left side with her back facing the doorway. The Professor took a moment as he stood over his slumbering daughter to watch the rare peaceful sight.
The scientist gently pulled up the dark green comforter and tucked Buttercup in as he whispered quietly, "Sweet dreams, Buttercup. If things go well enough today, I promise everything will start to get better from here on out..." He gently patted the top of Buttercup's head who sunk lower underneath the dark comforter in response with a sleepy grumble.
The Professor was careful to be quiet as he left the room and shut the door behind him. He descended their home's staircase with Bubbles, "I shouldn't be gone for more than a few hours."
"OK, Professor," Bubbles nodded as she followed him out to the front porch. She waited there as her father pulled out of the driveway in their family station wagon, and waved as he drove away down the road. As the blonde turned round her blue eyes fell on their neighbor who walked across their yard.
"Hey," Robin greeted the blue Puff with a grin.
"Hey," Bubbles replied with a surprised smile, "What're you doing here?"
Robin raised her cellphone in her hand, "Your sister just texted me-"
There was a bright flash of pink light just as Blossom landed between them, "Great!" the redhead grinned, "Robin, you're here! Come on, Girls, let's get started then!" Blossom spoke as she continued inside ahead of them.
Bubbles and Robin exchanged glances. Bubbles raised an eyebrow while Robin returned a shrug, "She just told me to come over."
Blossom led the two upstairs and to her bedroom at the center of the hallway. "OK," she began as the three entered the pink themed room, "Today's mission: Get Buttercup out of her room. Ideas?" The tall redhead placed her hands on her hips and looked between Bubbles and Robin who blinked back.
"Are we supposed to answer?" Bubbles said, tilting her head slightly.
Blossom let out a sigh, "Fine, I'll go first. How about..." she paused to look about her room. Her pink eyes brightened as they settled on something on a nearby shelf, "Oh, maybe this will work!"
Robin watched the tall redhead remove a somewhat dusty box from the shelf. "Scrabble?"
"Well yeah," Blossom shrugged, "I honestly can't remember the last time we all played a family board game together. It could be fun!"
"Hmm..." Robin seemed hesitant, but was soon interrupted next by Bubbles.
"Oh!" the blonde shouted suddenly, "And then after that, what about if we bake cookies together? We can make chocolate chip! Or maybe Snickerdoodles!"
"Yeah, that sounds like fun, Bubbles!"
Robin gave the pair of sisters a weak smile, "Guys, don't you think that those are both kinda things that you two like to do? I think we'll probably have better luck convincing her to leave her room for something... more her style... you know?"
Blossom and Bubbles exchanged glances, and frowned slightly. "What if we use our Halloween themed cookie cutters?" Bubbles tried again.
"Come on, guys," Robin encouraged, "She's your sister. Think. What does she like to do?"
Blossom opened her mouth, but could not think of an answer.
Bubbles perked up again after a brief moment of thought, "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I know! Smoke weed!" Both Blossom and Robin looked at her with raised eyebrows and the pigtailed girl blinked back, "What? You said what she likes to do! I didn't mean that we should do it!"
Blossom scratched her chin for a moment, "...A movie?"
"That might work," Robin smiled as she reached for her cell in her pocket, "You know, I think there's a new horror movie out in theaters. Let me check..."
"Oh!" Bubbles jumped in again, "She likes to watch them at night! She's always said that horror movies are better at night! I know that!"
"How about an eight 'o'clock showing then?" Robin suggested as she scrolled through her cellphone.
Blossom smiled, "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Yeah!" Bubbles cheered. After a brief moment her grin turned slightly nervous, "So this movie... how scary is it supposed to be?"
Robin laughed a little, "I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, Bubbles."
The blonde laughed along nervously, "Well... if we're gonna go out tonight, then I better get my shift done at the hospital early today." The blue Puff started for the doorway, "I'm gonna head over and see if they might need some help now."
"OK, Bubbles," Blossom answered as she watched her sister leave her bedroom. She waited until the blue Puff was far enough down the hallway before speaking to Robin. "Thanks for helping us figure something out, Robin."
"No problem. I just hope it's enough to work and maybe help Buttercup somehow..." Robin frowned a little, "So... how did it go this morning?"
Blossom's pink eyes darted towards the doorway and glowed brightly for a split moment as she quickly scanned for signs of the blue Puff, but she appeared gone. "You didn't say anything to Bubbles, did you?"
"You asked me specifically not to-"
"You know how she can be, and I just didn't want this to get back to Buttercup somehow-"
"You don't have to explain it to me. I get it," Robin shrugged. "So... what happened?"
Blossom floated over to her bed and sat down with a heavy sigh. "He's a total creep confirmed, Robin-"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"How are you so sure?"
"Well, besides just feeling his creepiness for myself in person? Well, for one, when I got there he wasn't there at first, and so I talked for a bit with this other guy- Tyler. He said he was twenty-two and had known Ace for the last six years. That means he met Ace when he was also just a minor!"
"So...?"
"So," Blossom continued, "It's like Ace just adopts these misfits from the streets and recruits them into his gang or something. I mean... I can only imagine him seeing Buttercup as lonely as she is- he must've known he could take advantage of her! Having her babysit his kid for him, and keeping her all doped up and lazy- I always wondered what could have possibly influenced her to get mixed up in that stuff these last couple of years, and this whole time it was him!"
Robin watched as the redhead sighed deeply once more and frowned. The pink Puff's soft gaze was focused on the shared wall to her sibling's bedroom next door.
"I feel like a failure of a sister, Robin," Blossom confessed quietly. "I... I should have known something like this was happening. How did it have to come to this? How did it get so far that I didn't even know until it was almost too late? I... I should be able to take care of both my sisters and be there for them and know when one of them might have fallen victim to some dope dealer's stupid tricks..."
"You're a good sister, Blossom, but you can't protect her from everything." Robin sat down beside Blossom on her bed and placed a comforting hand on her knee as she spoke softly, "You just need to spend a little more time with Buttercup. When's the last time you guys spent any time together- just you two?"
Blossom looked to Robin, "I... I'm not sure..."
Robin gave a small smile, "Well, with Bubbles at work, it sounds like the perfect opportunity for some quality time." The brunette stood and Blossom followed her out of the bedroom and down the hallway. She stopped at the staircase and planted a quick kiss on her girlfriend's cheek before leaving, "I'll see you guys later for the movie, alright?"
"See you later..."
As Blossom stood at the stairway and watched Robin leave their home, she suddenly heard a muffled groan coming from the bedroom just behind her. The pink Puff turned around and looked at the shut door to her sibling's bedroom, and could have sworn she saw a brief glimpse of a faint green light glowing from underneath the door frame. Feeling concerned, she tried the door, "Buttercup?" she called out as she opened the door.
"Ugh," the green Puff was sitting on the bed mattress with both feet on the ground, and hunched over slightly, "How many times do I have to fucking say it? Stay the fuck out of my room!"
Blossom stared at her shouting sibling, noticing the beads of sweat that covered her forehead and her sickly, ghost white complexion, "Buttercup... are you OK?" she stepped towards the green Puff.
"Are you fucking deaf?!" the tomboy immediately snapped back. It seemed like the closer she got, the louder Buttercup screamed, "I said get the fuck out of here!"
Blossom stopped and bit her lip, "I... I don't want to make you angry, Buttercup, I just-"
"Yeah, well, it's too late for that! Can't you see I'm already pissed?! So just fucking leave already!"
"Buttercup, where is this coming from? Why are you so mad?"
"Because you don't know how to mind your own fucking business, Blossom, that's why!" Buttercup spoke through gritted teeth. Her eyes were narrowed on Blossom, and as full of hatred as they were, Blossom could easily see how tired they looked also. "I heard you just now! Talking shit with Rob about Ace! You're fucking wrong, Blossom! You're wrong about everything! You think you know it all, but you don't know shit!"
"I'm sorry, Buttercup, but what am I supposed to think?! And what was I supposed to do?! My sister comes home behaving even stranger than ever, and I'm not supposed to try and find out why?!" Blossom didn't mean to yell back, and certainly didn't want to argue, but she was desperate to have Buttercup understand. "If I've gotten the wrong idea, then please tell me! All I want is to know what's happening with you lately so that I can fix it! I just want to help, Buttercup!" she pleaded as she knelt onto the ground before Buttercup, forcing the tomboy to look at her, "Please! Tell me what happened! Because I've been trying to talk to you for the last week to get a clearer picture, but you won't say much of anything! Any answers we've gotten are vague or clearly lies! You refuse to talk to me, or to anyone else! So you force me to piece these scattered tiny pieces of information together on my own to try and make sense of anything! Why you ran away- why now that you're back, you're worse than ever! Why you're in your room all day and night and why you can't seem to stand me or anyone-"
"You're right! I can't fucking stand you, so I don't want to talk to you! You guys seriously think I wanna go out and watch a movie with you tonight?!" the raven haired teen scoffed, "What like some big fucking happy fucking fake family?! Well you can forget it! IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!"
Blossom's eyes began to water as she watched Buttercup rise to both feet and start for the bedroom door.
"Fine," the tomboy grumbled, "If you won't leave my room, then I will-"
Blossom immediately followed Buttercup who quickly shot off for the bathroom across the hallway, successfully slamming the door shut in the redhead's face before she could follow in after.
"Go away, Goody-Goody."
Blossom frowned at the shut door, "Buttercup, please... I'm just trying to help... I know that something's going on... I know it. Please... just talk to me..."
"Urrgh!" Another groan from inside the bathroom, "Would you just shut up and go away already?! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
As the pink Puff stood outside the bathroom, she took a step back then as she noticed a faint green glow radiating from underneath the door frame. This time, the sight was unmistakable and her bubblegum eyes widened, "Buttercup?! Buttercup, let me in!" Blossom tried the door handle, but it was locked. The simple door lock wasn't enough to keep her out, however. After no response, she forced the door open just as the green light disappeared.
Stumbling inside the bathroom, Blossom found her sibling sitting on the tiled ground with her back up against the wall. The tomboy's green eyes were wide, staring at both scarred hands as they seemed to shake and quiver.
The pink Puff immediately knelt down beside her sibling with extreme concern, "Oh God, your surges are back, aren't they? Buttercup, this is serious! Is this what's been going on with you? How long has this been happening?" Blossom stopped as she noticed then that Buttercup's frightful stare seemed to focus on something across the small room. Her sibling shook with such intensity- she hadn't ever seen the green Puff look so petrified before, "...Buttercup...?"
Blossom followed her sibling's wide-eyed gaze and stood slowly. Buttercup's attention seemed fixed on something. There was normally a potted fern plant that sat upon the bathroom sink's countertop, but as Blossom approached the small, lavender colored pot, she could see that the bushy green plant was gone. As she peered inside the planter, she blinked for a moment in confusion, "What happened to the fern...?" She reached inside the pot and scooped up a handful of sand and let it fall between her fingers, "What the-? Is this... sand?"
Blossom took the pot in hand and turned back around to face her sibling once more. "...Buttercup...?"
The tomboy still sat on the ground, and stared again at both trembling scarred hands. As Blossom came near once more, the green Puff's entire body began to shake as both emerald eyes flooded fast with tears.
Blossom sat down beside Buttercup on the tiled ground and watched as the green Puff erupted suddenly into hard, loud sobbing.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't mean to!"
The wailing was unexpected and the pink Puff was still very confused, but Blossom wasted no time wrapping her arms immediately around her sibling who seemed to be having a breakdown. She held onto Buttercup who only continued to cry loudly. "I'm here, Buttercup," Blossom choked a little, fighting back her own emotions. "It's going to be OK... I'm here for you... Shh..."
The uncontrollable sobbing continued as Blossom kept both arms wrapped around her sibling where they sat together on the tiled floor. Clearly distraught, every bit of anger was gone then, and all the green Puff could do was cry. Blossom still wasn't sure what was going on, or why Buttercup had started to cry so badly, but as her sibling sobbed against her shoulder then, she could not help but feel grateful for the moment somehow.
"Shh... shh..." Blossom continued to rub her sibling's back as she hushed softly, "I'm here, Buttercup... I'm right here..."
To everyone there, she was Natalie Shurley, a potential investor for the city's latest big infrastructure project. Underneath the honey blonde wig however she was known more infamously as Sedusa. Her disguise had worked perfectly and thanks to the seductress's natural charm, she was able to find her way into the otherwise closed off meeting. Lucky for her, one of the invited investors- Morbucks- was unavailable for attendance that day. And so she sat among the crowd of investors, and pretended to be interested in whatever the scrawny scientist yammered on and on about, standing in front of his strange, giant glass box that apparently cost millions.
Although the sparkle in her bright green eyes suggested that she was captivated by whatever he was saying, and her smile looked sweet and genuine, behind the masterful performance, Sedusa was secretly thinking to herself: "Sure the revenge will be nice in the end, but I forgot what a bore this guy is. Jeez, I can't wait until he's dead..."
"So as you can see," at long last Professor Utonium sounded as if he had finally reached the end of his wordy presentation, "I am confident that with these technological advancements implemented within Townsville's Villains Ward, we can safely rest assured that we will never see another incident such as the chaos that was caused fifteen days ago. Now, as I've explained, these new cells would require use of a rare material only found on Monster Isle-"
The villainess in the honey blonde wig suddenly perked up from where she sat, hearing the mention of Monster Isle for the first time then.
"And so I will hand the rest of our meeting off next to our mayor, Mayor Sara Bellum, so that she may discuss the finances required for such an expansive project. I thank you all for your attendance today and for your consideration. Mayor?"
"Thank you, Professor Utonium," the redheaded politician stepped up and took the attention of the room next as Professor Utonium took a seat amongst the crowd, in the front row.
As the mayor continued with facts and figures, the hidden villainess debated for several minutes whether or not it would be too bold of her to try and slip into the vacant seat beside the Professor during the ongoing meeting. She decided against it however, and thought it best to wait. As the meeting concluded at last, she watched as the Professor politely excused himself as he rose from his seat. She noticed that he stopped to personally thank each of the investors one final time as he made his way across the room and towards the back exit.
Natalie rose from her seat and patiently waited for her opportunity. Once the scientist had shaken hands with everyone else, she approached her prey.
"Thank you for coming today," Professor Utonium offered the same handshake he had just given the last investor, "And you are?"
"Shurley, Natalie," the blonde vixen replied with a sweet smile and a twinkle in her bright green eyes, "Ms. Natalie Shurley. It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Utonium. I must confess I'm quite a big fan of your work actually."
"Y-you are?" the scientist found himself stammering as his cheeks flushed an embarrassing bright red. "Why, thank you, Ms. Shurley..." he paused to clear his throat a little, "You'll consider investing in the new Villains Ward then I hope."
"Hmm? Oh yes, that. Of course! I can't wait to support such a... vision for the future. Brilliant work yet again, Professor."
"Well," Professor Utonium chuckled somewhat nervously as the petite blonde beauty stepped closer. He found himself lost in her mesmerizing bright green eyes, "I... I... thank you again... Ms... Shurley..."
"Hmm," Natalie smiled, taking yet another step closer to the scientist who found himself frozen in place by her hypnotic stare. "Tell me, Professor. Would you possibly care to discuss more of this Villains Ward with me over some lunch-?"
Before the seductress she could even finish, the Professor found himself interrupting with a loud and very enthusiastic: "Yes! Lunch would be great!"
Blossom had felt too afraid to really move or say anything for the last hour and a half. She still sat on the tiled floor of the bathroom with her sibling's head resting in her lap, and truthfully did not want the rare closeness between them to end. She worried that if she tried to speak that the green Puff might be frightened away for good, and so she kept quiet. Buttercup had stopped crying, and laid silently staring up at the bathroom's ceiling light. Blossom could see a dim glaze to her sibling's emerald eyes and knew that the green Puff's mind was someplace far away then.
As Blossom silently petted Buttercup's short raven hair, her bubblegum eyes settled on the small lavender pot filled with sand that sat on the ground just before them. She still wondered what happened, and why it seemed to affect Buttercup so profoundly. Usually after a power surge, Buttercup was left drained of her energy. Busting through the bathroom door earlier, Blossom had anticipated finding her sibling incapacitated just like any of the prior incidents, but this... this was different. Physically, Buttercup seemed to be just fine. Mentally, however, Buttercup's mind clearly took some sort of damage from whatever happened...
"...Blossom...?"
Blossom looked down and saw that Buttercup's gaze had shifted and now focused on her. The hazy look to the green Puff's eyes was gone, and they were clear again and soft.
"...You're not gonna tell the Professor about this... are you...?"
Blossom opened her mouth, but stopped before she spoke. Buttercup stared up at her with a vulnerability she had never seen before then. How her sibling spoke, she could sense that this was something Buttercup did not want the Professor to know about, but... this was serious. Buttercup's power surges were always serious, and if they had returned, then that only meant they were getting stronger and worse. The Professor spoke before about the possibility of her sibling's power surges becoming unsustainable, but it had been so long since it last appeared to be an issue, Blossom had believed they had finally solved the problem. But if Buttercup's surges were truly back then the Professor would have no choice but to increase her medication again. The only issue with this was the Professor's limited resources for Chemical X which was an essential ingredient to the treatment. This of course was why the Professor also believed that if her sibling's power became too much to safely control with medication, then...
Blossom's bubblegum eyes locked with Buttercup's as she made the realization, "Buttercup... you're not going to lose your powers, OK?"
"But the Professor said if my surges continue then-"
Blossom saw her sibling's emerald eyes begin to water again, and she quickly interrupted, "Hey," she leaned forward with a serious, direct stare, "Look at me, OK? The Professor would only ever do that as a last resort. And that means as the absolute last resort, OK? We're not there yet-"
"But what if we are there?" Buttercup sat up and faced Blossom, "You can't know for sure that we're not..."
Blossom frowned, "Buttercup, how can you get better though if we don't-"
"Please don't tell him, Blossom!" the tomboy's plea was clearly desperate. "Please..." Buttercup said again more softly, "I'm... I'm... scared. I'm really scared, OK? If I have to take Antidote X... If I don't have powers anymore... I... I won't have anything then... I don't know what would happen... And I... I..."
Blossom moved closer to Buttercup and began to wrap her arms around her sibling once more, but the green Puff flinched underneath her touch and she stopped. Blossom frowned, "Buttercup... I know, OK? I don't want that to happen to you ever..." she gulped, "...Never again..." She reached out for Buttercup again and this time the tomboy submitted and allowed the embrace to happen. Blossom squeezed her sibling tightly, "I'm not going to let that happen, OK?"
Buttercup remained still until Blossom pulled away. The green Puff watched as the pink Puff glanced over her shoulder towards the lavender pot that sat on the floor beside them.
"I need to know what happened though, Buttercup," Blossom frowned, "If there's something new happening with your surges-"
"I didn't mean to, OK?" Buttercup interrupted in a quiet mutter.
Blossom saw that Buttercup avoided looking at her or the pot of sand in her hands. "Didn't mean to what, Buttercup?"
The green Puff held out a scarred hand and stared at it, silent for a long time.
"Didn't mean to what, Buttercup?" Blossom repeated quietly after a while. She watched her sibling's scarred hand start to tremble, and she reached out for it, taking Buttercup's hand in hers, "Just tell me so I can help..."
Buttercup pulled away and turned away, muttering low again, "...Snot and Pus."
"What?" Blossom wasn't sure what she heard.
"Snot and Pus," Buttercup grumbled barely audible again, "I didn't mean to... I... I was half asleep when it happened, and... I guess I had a surge or whatever... and the power... it just came out..."
Blossom's bubblegum eyes drifted slowly to the pot of sand once more. "Oh my God..." Blossom breathed quietly, "You... vaporized those cute little birds? I mean something told me you were lying when you said that they just flew away- even Bubbles had a hard time believing that- but I never imagined this-"
"I said I didn't mean to, OK?! And I didn't vaporize them! I just-" Buttercup stopped, "...killed them... accidentally..."
"...With a power surge?"
Buttercup nodded, silent and still avoiding eye contact.
Blossom found herself at a loss for words then, and so for a while the two just sat in silence.
"...You think I'm a monster?" Buttercup muttered quietly after a while.
"What?" Blossom turned her head to Buttercup and blinked, "Of course not," she shook her head. "Buttercup, any one of our powers has the potential to," she paused to gulp, "...go too far..." She shook her head again, "Look, whatever this power that got out of hand was, we just need to figure it out so that you can control it better. I mean, the only thing is..." Blossom raised the bright ceramic planter again, "This doesn't look like the work of any power we've used before-" Blossom suddenly stopped as a new idea crossed her mind then. She let out a small gasp as she looked again at Buttercup with a dropped jaw.
Buttercup looked to Blossom and found her wide bubblegum stare to be strange. "What?"
The green Puff watched as the pink Puff suddenly jumped to her feet. She pulled her sibling up next and shouted with a sudden eagerness that seemed to come from nowhere. "Come on!" Blossom pulled Buttercup along by the wrist, and led them quickly out into the hallway, "I have an idea!"
The calming waves of the bright blue ocean only seemed to enhance the captivating power she held over him. Deep down, he knew it was crazy. It was absolutely crazy. To think that possibly this woman he met not more than two hours ago might actually be the one. Somehow, that's how it felt the moment they first locked eyes. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Professor Utonium found himself on a ferry ride across the Pacific. He had been so completely mesmerized by the breathtaking blonde, he only realized then for just a brief moment, that he couldn't quite recall exactly how they got there. As he stood upon the deck of the small ferry and stared at the approaching shadowy landmass in the distance, he blinked for a moment at his new curvaceous companion, "Wait... why are we out at sea again?"
Natalie threw her head back as she laughed a little, "Oh, Professor! You are such a jokester! You remember, don't you?" the blonde leaned up against him as she playfully fixed his black necktie, causing the scientist's face to flush a bright shade of red, "You wanted to convince me to invest in your torture chamber so badly, you absolutely insisted on taking me straight to the source of your latest invention, remember?"
"I-I... I... did?"
"Mmm-hmm," the pretty blonde flirted with a smile. "And look at that!" she clapped her hands, "We're here!"
The Professor looked ahead and saw that their boat had reached its destination. The silver sanded shores were dark from the overcasting shadow of the massive steel walls which encased the island and the eerie darkness was enough to fill the Professor with an overwhelming sense of dread. "Monster... Isle?"
As the scientist stood dumbly for a few moments still on board the small ferry, Natalie stepped onto the sandy beaches, "Come on, Professor! Let's not waste any more time!"
Professor Utonium watched the petite woman remove her heels and begin to walk barefooted along the sand towards the island's marked security access gate in the distance. "Oh, Dear!" Professor Utonium exclaimed as he rushed after her, "Ms. Shurley! I do apologize, but perhaps I may have gotten a little carried away earlier trying to impress you and all. You see, I find that I really like you, and so while I'd love to show you where I've made my discoveries here on the island, I'm afraid we just cannot go in there!"
Natalie turned around and faced the Professor with a pout, "But, Professor, we came all this way already," she batted her eyelashes as she stepped closer, "Can't we just go inside for a little incy teensy bit?"
"But it is extremely dangerous for us to be here, Ms. Shurley. Even after all the efforts to eradicate the monsters on the island, there still are plenty of beasts behind those walls that can hurt us or even kill us! Excavation efforts are always done with assistance from our military, and a highly trained crew of professionals. Not to mention, we don't even have clearance to be on the island! Perhaps we can discuss this with the mayor and come back another time-"
The Professor found himself interrupted by an unexpected, soft tender kiss.
"Or..." Natalie smirked as she slowly pulled away from the kiss, "How about now?"
The Professor nodded slowly as a dumb smile swept his face, "Or now. Now is good."
"Blossom, what are we doing down here?"
"You know, Buttercup, my ice breath wasn't always easy for me to control. I had to practice with it for a long time before I really got the hang of it."
The green Puff stood aside and watched as the pink Puff entered a code into the control pad to a tall, locked cabinet located in the back of the Professor's basement laboratory. The redhead swung the cabinet doors open, and revealed a large storage space which housed many assorted and neatly labeled concoctions. However what took up most of the space inside were the neat rows of hundreds of small plastic white medicine bottles. These were of course Blossom and Buttercup's power stabilizing medication.
Blossom momentarily placed the purple painted pot filled with sand that she had brought down into the lab with them upon the shelving. As she searched the cabinet for something, she continued to speak to Buttercup, "Of course, it became more difficult to control at times the older we got, and once the Professor invented our power stabilizers, it definitely made things a whole lot easier. But even the Professor has said that if I hadn't come up with my own nightly breathing routine, I might have needed more adjustments to my medication, too, Buttercup."
"Nightly breathing routine?"
"Yeah," Blossom glanced over her shoulder back at Buttercup, "Every night after dinner, I go into the backyard and take ten big, deep breaths and just release all the coldness I might have built up inside throughout the day. I know you've seen me! I clearly remember a time last fall when I accidentally iced over your bedroom window a little, and I watched you write 'GET A LIFE' in the frost with your fingertips."
"Huh..." the green Puff shrugged, "I always thought you were just back there trying to show off..."
"Who would I be showing off to if I'm in our own backyard, Buttercup?" The redhead shook her head, "Anyways," she continued with a sigh, "The point is: Since I started that routine every night, I haven't needed any adjustments to my meds, and have actually cut down a little."
Buttercup stood with both arms folded and scoffed, "Good for you. So what's this got to do with me?"
"Well, the Professor tried to think of a way for you to develop some sort of daily exercise too, but your surges have always seemed so different, and so he believed it was an impossibility. However, this whole time the Professor thought that your surges were a collective backfiring of an amalgam of your powers, but what if that's not the case after all?" Blossom paused to retrieve the purple ceramic planter once more. She held it and continued with an eager looking smile, "What if this is your ice breath?"
The green Puff blinked back, looking from the pink Puff to the planter filled with sand. "You mean... I actually might have... a special power?"
"I think you might, Buttercup," Blossom nodded with a smile. "I mean as soon as the idea came to me, it made total sense! The Professor has always thought it was odd that my surges only affected one capability- my unique one at that. He also always asked why Bubbles never developed any surges of her own. But if this is something that affects only our special powers when we don't properly utilize them, then it would explain why Bubbles has never had an issue! She's always using her special power- speaking to squirrels, cats, birds, coyotes, our neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen- countless languages every day!"
Buttercup continued to stare with a skeptical expression as Blossom returned her attention to the cabinet once more.
"Oh! Here they are!" the pink Puff exclaimed as she retrieved a set of keys from the top shelf. She turned round to face Buttercup once more, "Come on!" she grabbed her sibling by the wrist and began to lead them to the far corner of the lab.
They reached a door at the back of the lab and Blossom quickly used one of the keys she had just retrieved to unlock it. Buttercup stood behind her and blinked, "The training room?"
"If I'm right, and if we can determine what power this is, then maybe we will be able to find a way for you to manage your surges a little better." Blossom swung the door to the secretive back room open and flipped the light switch by the doorway. The two Puffs stepped inside together and looked beyond the control board at the massive enclosed simulation room where they used to train their powers as kids. "This should be a safe environment for you to test your power."
"I didn't even know this thing still ran..."
"The Professor and I actually just tested it a few days ago. In light of everything that's been going on, he figured it may come in use again. And well... here we are, I guess," Blossom gave her sibling a small smile. "So. What do you say? You wanna try a simulation and see if we can figure this out?"
Buttercup looked from Blossom to the simulation room, "I dunno, Blossom... What if you're wrong?"
Blossom wore a small frown, "I'll be in the control booth watching everything, Buttercup. If anything bad happens, I'll be right there to hit the emergency stop button and shut down the simulation." Her sibling still appeared hesitant and so she continued, "Look, if we can figure this out and find you your own routine somehow, then we won't have to worry about Antidote X anymore... right?"
Buttercup looked back at the simulation room and let out a small sigh. "Alright, fine. Let's try it."
Blossom smiled again, "Alright! Let's go then!"
As the pink Puff floated over to the control booth next, the green Puff entered the enclosed simulation room through its single door entrance. From behind the control board, Blossom had a clear view of the training area. Once she began the simulated mission, the virtual arena would be projected upon the crystal glass walls of the enclosed space.
Inside the arena, Buttercup could see Blossom standing behind the control board on he other side of the crystal glass walls. The green Puff waited in the dead silence of the powered down room for several minutes as the pink Puff fiddled with the settings. While waiting, Buttercup could see Blossom pause to reach for her cell in her pocket. Her bubblegum eyes seemed to widen with excitement as she looked at the device, before she raised it to her ear and seemingly began to speak on her phone. From within the enclosed training room, the tomboy could not hear anything. It was then that the green Puff realized that the old training room had been constructed with the same Powerpuff-proof crystal material the Professor had just started implementing with his latest cell designs. Whoever Blossom was talking to on the phone, she looked extremely happy to be speaking with them. Buttercup wondered if the redhead could hear from outside, "Yo," the green Puff called out, "Who you talkin' to?"
Blossom's bubblegum eyes shifted towards her sibling, as she lowered her cellphone with a smile. She reached for a switch on the control board and her voice echoed through the enclosed room's speaker, "That was Robin," she announced. "She was just offering to come over and bring us some lunch. I told her that lunch would be great!" The redhead returned her cell to her jeans pocket and refocused her attention on the arena, "OK... you ready?"
Buttercup gave a single nod, "Yeah. I'm ready."
As soon as the pink Puff hit the "START" button on the control board, Buttercup's view of the outside world completely disappeared. Blossom or the control room was no longer visible as their blank surroundings slowly faded into a new virtual reality. The green Puff found themself standing upon the streets of Downtown Townsville. As the teenager glanced about the tall buildings and skyscrapers that surrounded them, it was hard to believe they had left the basement lab at all. It had been years since last the hero was within the virtual arena, and they had forgotten just how real everything truly felt.
The asphalt beneath the teenager's sneakers suddenly began to tremble, and Buttercup could feel the vibrations of something massive approaching in the distance. The surrounding high rise buildings blocked their view of their opponent, and so the green Puff steadily ascended from the ground and into the air. As they soared higher, the virtual citizens and virtual cars below scattered about in a wild frenzy as the booming steps of the impending monster attack drew nearer. Buttercup suddenly halted as they sensed something just behind the building to their left. Just as the hero turned round, there was a piercing shriek as a set of razor sharp claws sliced through a high rise structure. Buttercup jumped back narrowly in time, just barely avoiding the monster's dagger-like claws as the beast tore its way through the city.
The green Puff hovered in the air and blinked at the giant rat faced monster for a moment. Its massive, fat body looked like a bloated tick, and it had a set of four wild arms with four sets of those razor sharp claws which continued to effortlessly slice through everything in the monster's path. As the ugly beast shrieked again, Buttercup could feel the heat of its breath as she remain halted in the air.
"You got this, Buttercup!" Blossom's voice suddenly echoed throughout the arena.
The rat beast blinked at the floating teenager with its red beady eyes and shrieked again before swinging its two upper sets of arms towards the green Puff. Buttercup swiftly dodged the attack and grabbed the creature by its hands as they swung for them. The hundred foot tall creature was easily tossed onto the asphalt street by the skinny super powered teen. The giant crashed onto the road with such a hard impact, it cratered the earth beneath. As the monster hopped back onto its feet it opened its mouth to let out another shriek, but the green Puff appeared before him with a flash of green light and met him with a hard punch to the snout.
The simple blow across the beast's face was powerful enough to cause the creature's neck to snap as its head spun round several times. Once the monster's head stopped spinning, it wavered in place for just a brief moment before the giant collapsed forward onto the ground, defeated with just the one, simple punch.
The green Puff hadn't meant the blow to have quite that much force behind it, but it had been years since they faced an opponent of that size. They weren't sure if they had gotten stronger now that they were older, or if maybe their sister might have purposefully chosen an easy enemy for them. As the virtual world around them began to fade, they could see beyond the far clear wall again and into the control booth. Blossom stood behind the control board with a smile and to her left beside her stood Robin who clapped her hands enthusiastically.
The pink Puff reached for a switch on the control board and stood aside as Robin spoke into the microphone, "Wow! That was awesome, Buttercup!"
The tomboy stood within the empty blank virtual room and rubbed at their short raven hair, "Thanks... I didn't know you were watching, Rob..."
Blossom's voice cut in next, "That was great Buttercup, but next time you have to try and channel whatever power you felt during your last surge, OK? That was a good warm-up though!"
Buttercup nodded, "Right... Got it..."
"Well, Robin made some sandwiches for us. You wanna take a break and have some lunch before we try again?"
"Sure," the green Puff shrugged before flying out of the arena. The skinny teen floated back into the control room and continued past Robin and Blossom, heading for the door, "I'll be right back. I gotta pee real quick."
"OK," Blossom grinned, "Can you grab us some sodas upstairs on your way back?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sure," the green Puff shouted back from the other room.
Robin turned to Blossom and grinned, "She's back to normal, and you got her out of her room! I knew you could do it!"
Blossom blushed a little as her girlfriend handed her the brown paper sack lunch she had brought for her, "Thanks, Robin."
"So how did you do it?"
"Well," Blossom began as she retrieved her tuna sandwich, "It wasn't easy. There was a lot of screaming, and a lot of yelling, and then a lot of crying, but... I dunno... I think we had a pretty good heart-to-heart, and I think I finally know now what's been up with her. Her surges, not wanting to lose her powers, and on top of everything else- I think she just panicked when she tried to run away, you know? I mean... I just hope now that we've talked, she remembers now that she's got me here for her. Also, I just hope we can figure this whole surge problem out so she doesn't feel the need to hide stuff like this anymore..."
As the redhead bit into her sandwich, her girlfriend planted a kiss on her cheek, "You're a good sister, Blossom."
Blossom swallowed and blushed again, "Thanks for lunch."
Robin smiled, "Of course." She paused, "Say... do you think maybe after the movie tonight with your sisters... maybe me and you... could have a sleepover?" the brunette playfully brushed her fingertips along her girlfriend's arm as she smirked suggestively. "It's been a while..."
Blossom took a step away from Robin, her cheeks a bright red then, "Robin," she whispered back somewhat harshly, "Careful, OK? My sister should be back any second now..."
Robin frowned a little, but also stepped back, "Sorry..."
Blossom frowned, feeling guilty, "I... I'll come by once everyone's asleep, OK?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
The look the two shared was undeniable, and the green Puff could see it from where they stood at the open doorway. If they hadn't walked in on the talk about the secret sleepovers, they might have believed the sight to be just their mind playing games with them again. But Robin and Blossom were so clearly wrapped up with one another, they hadn't even noticed Buttercup's return. The tomboy stood in the doorway watching for several minutes in stunned silence before clearing their throat loudly as they continued inside, causing the pair to instantly step further away from each other.
"Here's your sodas," Buttercup muttered low, setting three cans of cola down on the control board before Blossom and Robin. The green Puff avoided looking at the two and continued to float back towards the simulation room's door. "Well, let's get back to it then-"
Blossom watched her sibling disappear quickly into the training room with a flash of green light. She blinked at the green Puff who stood at the center of the empty room, looking tense and ready to fight. She spoke into the control booth's microphone, "Wait. Don't you wanna eat your sandwich first-?"
"Just hit 'start' already, would ya?!"
The tomboy's sudden snap surprised Blossom, but she obeyed and switched on the simulation once more.
As the virtual world came to life again, the green Puff stood at the center of the arena with their fists clenched tightly at their sides. It was the exact same simulation as before, with the same, fat rat faced enemy. As the city around them began to tremble from the giant beast's approaching footsteps, the super powered teenager held their rigid stance as they waited for their opponent to come into sight. While they waited, their furious thoughts swirled round their head as every moment between their sister and Robin began to replay in their mind, causing them to question everything.
"Sleepovers? Fucking unbelievable! Those two are actually together?! Fucking Blossom?! Seriously?! Robin chose fucking Blossom?! The way she was touching her and smiling- Fucking sick! What the fuck is wrong with her?! And Blossom knew how I used to feel about Robin and she doesn't even have the fucking respect to tell me about it?! When I had the fucking chance, I never fucking backstabbed her like that! I shoulda known! They're always with each other nowadays! How the fuck did I miss this?! I can't fucking believe that those two have been lying to my fucking face this whole time!"
The young hero's emerald eyes were burning with a green fire as they stared directly forward. They narrowed on their opponent as he slashed through the row of highrises in the distance and shrieked. The green Puff could feel a jolt of pain strike the center of both scarred palms, and as they tightened their fists, they ignited suddenly with balls of bright glowing, green electric fire.
Gritting their teeth, the pain in both hands was excruciating, but it was a torment the super powered teenager had grown used to by then. If Blossom wanted to see power, then that was exactly what they were going to give her.
The green Puff clenched both fists, feeling all the fury within them build and concentrate within the fiery green orbs of energy. Their scarred fists glowed brighter and brighter, as the power continued to build and their enemy came closer.
The rat faced monster's red eyes locked on the hero in the distance and it suddenly sprinted towards them. The moment it took a step in their direction, the green Puff opened their scarred palms and unleashed everything that had been building. A blinding neon green light erupted from both hands and shot forward. The overwhelming brightness of the fiery green power was enough to stop the beast in its tracks. It shrieked loudly and used its four arms to shield its eyes from the light of the oncoming blast.
Blossom stood in the control room with Robin. The two of them watched with wide eyes and their mouths agape. The fiery green light was unlike anything they had ever witnessed.
"Oh my God," Blossom breathed in awe, "I knew it!" A giant grin swept the redhead's face, "Robin, I knew it! This is it! This is her special power!"
The pink Puff found herself holding her breath as she watched the fiery green electricity envelop the shrieking beast. Her sibling still stood on the ground with both arms outstretched as the power continued to flow out of both scarred hands. Blossom intently watched the simulation room and eagerly waited to see what sort of damage had been dealt to Buttercup's opponent by this new power. However as the green light faded away, it appeared that the monster was left completely untouched. The beast let out another shriek before sprinting forward once more.
Blossom's bubblegum eyes widened as they fell on Buttercup who collapsed backward onto the ground then. She gasped and quickly grabbed the control room's microphone, "Buttercup! Buttercup, are you OK?! Buttercup, get up! Get up! PLEASE!"
Blossom could see that the green Puff was unresponsive lying still on the ground. She realized then that the power had drained her sibling of every bit of energy much like past power surge incidents. She quickly hit the emergency 'STOP' button on the control board, ending the simulation just before the ferocious rat faced monster could reach the unconscious Puff.
Blossom darted into the training arena with a quick flash of pink light, and rushed to her unmoving sibling's side.
As soon as the blue Powerpuff finished her shift at the animal hospital that afternoon, she wasted no time soaring directly over to East Townsville. Bubbles felt sick every day knowing how miserable her tomboy sibling was back at home. She really hoped their plan to take Buttercup to the movies that night would work, but she knew deep down that no matter how good or scary the movie ended up being, it likely would not be enough to make up for everything. After all, she heard what her sibling had to say that night. As heartbreaking as it was to hear, Buttercup obviously felt more at home with her friends. Bubbles imagined that they must have been pretty great people for Buttercup to like them so much.
The pigtailed Puff landed upon the porch to the tiny brown home and rang the doorbell. Shortly after, it was Ace who answered the door.
"Hi, Ace!" the blue eyed girl smiled big as the door swung open. "Um, hi. Um, I know it's probably weird for me to come by- especially after everything that happened here last week- you have a really nice house, by the way- so much better than that old shack at the junkyard! Anyways, um, well, I just wanted to come by, and maybe talk to you about Buttercup, and-"
"Don't worry about it," Ace interrupted, sounding less than happy to see the blue Puff. "I got the message from your sister already, and I got it, OK?"
"My sister was here?" Bubbles blinked back. "You mean Blossom?"
"Yeah, Blossom," Ace answered, "Like I said, ya don't have to worry. I'll stay on my side of town, and I ain't gonna bother your guys's sister no more. And if she ever comes by, I'll be sure to tell her to get home. Hell, I'll probably be outta town altogether by the end of the year as soon as shit settles and when I know for sure no one's followin.' So, no need for another shake down, a'ight?" Ace shut the door with a final, "Have a good one."
The blue Powerpuff stood on the porch and blinked dumbly at the shut door for several moments. Realizing soon that she was not welcome there, Bubbles took off with a flash of blue light and started for home. As the young hero soared above the city, she squeaked quietly to herself, "Oh gosh, Blossom, what did you do? I know Buttercup's friends seem strange, but... how will losing all her friends help her? Everybody needs friends..."
As Bubbles reached the border of the east side, suddenly she heard a cry from below, "HELP!" The hero immediately skittered to a stop midair and looked down to the streets. The first thing she noticed were the rising blue flames that engulfed an apartment building, followed by the sight of people running in the streets. As she soared towards the fire, her path was cut off by an unexpected flying beast.
"Woah!" Bubbles jumped back just as the winged hairless jackal tore past at lightning speed. The blue eye Puff watched in stunned shock as the leathery skinned monster with bat-like wings swooped down towards a crowd of fleeing citizens. There hadn't been a monster attack in Townsville for six years, and the sight of the monstrous wild dog there on the streets of Downtown was definitely a surprise.
Another cry for help snapped the young hero out of her stunned state. The winged jackal had snatched a young boy from the ground, and gripped him by the collar of his t-shirt with its sharp bite, soaring once more into the sky. The kid cried out for help as his helpless mother watched from below and cried out after him.
Bubbles saw this and immediately shot after the beast with a flash of baby blue light. The blue puff reached the winged jackal in the sky and quickly grabbed the kid from the monster's grasp. As the blue Puff made a backflip in the air, while cradling the small child safely in her arms, she kicked the wild dog hard against his snout, sending the beast crashing down to the ground.
The blue Puff zipped down to the streets and returned the kid to his mother who tried to thank her over and over, but Bubbles kept her attention on the beast who wasn't quite defeated yet.
The monster crawled back onto its four legs and faced the blue Puff. The mangy beast let out a loud, ear-piercing howl and a burst of bright sapphire fire erupted from its mouth. The blue flames traveled fast toward the young hero who still had the civilian and child standing just behind her. Bubbles responded quickly by grabbing a nearby parked minivan with her bare hands and pulled it in front of herself and the mom and son, shielding them all from the fire's blast.
As the blue flames beat against the vehicle, Bubbles leapt over the burning van and shot off towards the jackal once more. She snatched the beast by its tail and swung the monster hard against the pavement, rendering it unconscious at last.
As the young hero stood over her defeated enemy, she heard an eruption of cheers and applause break out behind her. The pigtailed girl whipped around and blushed slightly from the overwhelming response from her audience. She gave the crowd a small wave and smile, but was soon distracted by yet another call for help in the distance.
Bubbles gasped as she shot off into the air once more. As the blonde hovered in the sky, her baby blue eyes widened from the sight of several scattered blue fires throughout the city. "Oh no... there's more?! Where did these guys come from?!"
The Powerpuff forced herself to shake away her shock and quickly tried her wrist communicator to call her sisters for backup as she shot off once more towards the heart of the city.
"I just don't understand..." Blossom spoke as she petted her sibling's raven black hair. "Why didn't it do anything? All that light and all that energy and it didn't even leave a scratch? It was just like one of her surges, but... it wasn't supposed to end like that. It was supposed to be her special power. I was supposed to help her find some answers, and now..."
The redhead's voice trailed off as her pink eyes began to swell with tears. She quickly rubbed them away before they could fall and gently pulled the dark green comforter over the slumbering tomboy. Robin stood behind her girlfriend and tried to think of a way to find some positivity in the situation. "So you were wrong," she began, "It's OK, Blossom. At least you guys know now that these surges only hurt Buttercup, and... well, maybe now when she wakes up she'll be able to see for herself how serious this is, and maybe she'll want to get help from the Professor on her own. At least you tried. I'm sure Buttercup will see that."
Blossom glanced at Robin, "It just doesn't make sense though..." she shook her head and returned her attention to her sleeping sibling. The redhead's brow was furrowed in serious thought as she racked her mind about what had just happened. "How can her power surge affect the plant and those birds, but do absolutely nothing to that monster...? Why did it just wipe her out completely inside the arena, but earlier...?" she muttered her thoughts low to herself.
"Wait. What about birds?"
Blossom blinked at Robin for a moment. Just then, the pink wrist communicator she wore began to beep loudly, along with the matching green device the sleeping Buttercup wore. Blossom raised her wrist and saw the incoming call was from the mayor's hotline. She answered, "Yes, Mayor?"
"Blossom! There have been several monster sightings in Townsville-"
"WHAT?!" Blossom's bubblegum eyes widened.
"Yes! Flying hairless dog-beasts that breathe fire! We need the Powerpuff Girls!"
Blossom spoke into her wrist communicator, "R-right! We're on it, Mayor!" She ended the call and immediately began to pace in a panic, "Oh God, why do these things always happen at the worst times?!" She quickly dialed for Bubbles' line on her watch, but before she could complete the call, her sister was already calling her.
"BLOSSOM, THE CITY IS ON FIRE!" the blue Puff's high pitched cry echoed from the small device.
"I'm on my way, Bubbles! Hang tight!"
Robin watched as her girlfriend ended the call and turned back towards the slumbering Buttercup tucked in bed. Her pink eyes were soft as she gazed at her sibling for a moment. "Don't worry," Robin spoke softly as she came to Blossom's side. "I'll stay and look after her."
Blossom gave her girlfriend a weak smile, "You're the best, Robin." She stood aside and watched as her girlfriend pulled up her sibling's computer desk chair to the tomboy's bedside. "You know... one day I'm going to prove to you just how much you mean to me..."
Robin showed the pink Puff a small smile and nodded towards the door, "Go."
Blossom gave the brunette a nod before she disappeared fast with a flash of pink light.
A lot had changed about Monster Isle. Most notably the lack of monsters, of course. Only smaller beasts and underground dwellers seemed to remain, but those beasts' populations had certainly increased. There were many lurking and watchful eyes on them as the Professor and Natalie made their way across the island. Sedusa could sense each and every one of them, but she had nothing to fear. She knew that the creatures of the island would never attack one of their own.
While her powers of persuasion were strong, it was always easier when the villainess was familiar with her prey. Every puppet she played with was different, and knowing exactly which strings to pull only made it easier for her to achieve what she desired. When it came to Professor Utonium, Sedusa knew exactly how the scientist worked. The single father hadn't changed much over the last six years. He would still do anything for his kids, and he still had no idea what he was doing. All she had to do was direct him where to go. Whenever he gathered enough sense along the way to question where it was they were going, all she had to do was remind him that they were there so that his precious little girls would have their new little Villains Ward.
"Wait... did we remember to shut the security gate behind us? It requires a code, but... I... I don't remember imputing anything. Maybe we should turn back around-"
"Hush now, Professor," the villainess led the scientist by his necktie along the narrow cave passageway, "We are almost there..."
The journey through the mines of Monster Isle had been much easier than Sedusa's previous visits. When last she traveled through the old tunnel systems that ran through the mountain, they were deteriorating and teetering on the verge of complete collapse. However, just as the Professor mentioned, there had been a lot of recent excavations performed on the island and the newer tunnelways proved to be an effortless trek. The villainess didn't even have to remove her heels.
The deeper into the mines they went, the more barren the walls of the tunnels looked. The earth of the mountain had been practically scraped clean. The last team of miners there had clearly taken every bit of mineral and crystal they could get their hands on. Sedusa knew however that there would be one place certainly left untouched by humans, and that was where they were headed.
As the two came to the end of the final tunnel within the fourth level of the mine, it first appeared to be a dead end. "Let's see..." Sedusa pondered for a moment, "Now where was it again?" The petite woman in the blonde wig tapped her heel several times against the ground, listening out for a spot of hollowness. "Oh yes," she stopped as she found her place. "Here we are."
Professor Utonium was yanked once again by his neck tie and made to stand beside the vixen. She showed the scientist a devious smirk before she stomped her foot hard against the ground, causing the earth to suddenly collapse beneath them. The Professor could not help but let out a loud yelp as he began to plummet through a steep vertical drop. The scientist kept his eyes shut firmly as he fell for what felt like minutes. When he finally landed upon solid ground again, he hit the rocky floor hard, knocking the wind out from himself completely.
It took a full minute for the Professor to regain his senses after the fall. When he did, he found himself beside a small river that stretched across a gigantic rocky grotto. The underground river widened into a shallow pool of water, and at the edge of this pool he could see a trickling light, waterfall in the distance, surrounded by giant clusters of bright, crystal formations.
"This..." The Professor began as he rose to his feet, staring at his surroundings with wide eyes, "This is incredible!" The scientist looked to his left and touched a nearby massive crystal structure which protruded from the ground. "These specimens are unlike anything I've ever seen!" His eyes followed along the shallow river once more and stopped at the waterfall. "Wait a minute... Is that-? It can't be!"
Sedusa watched as the Professor took off in a quick sprint towards the waterfall. She casually followed after him.
As the Professor approached the light trickling water that cascaded over a giant slab of jet black rock, he wondered briefly if he was only dreaming. The dark crystal that stood behind the waterfall was something he was very familiar with- Cinnabar X- the very rock that when treated properly in his lab became Chemical X.
"This is amazing! There's so much of it! Do you understand what a discovery like this means for my kids? For my daughter Buttercup?! My God, this will be life changing! How could I have missed this before?! I've explored these mines at least half a dozen separate times! How is it that I've never seen this portion of the mountain before now?!"
"Well, that would probably be because mortals are not permitted here unless invited," Sedusa spoke from behind, "And unfortunately for you that is usually just for human sacrifices."
"What was that-?"
Before the scientist could fully turn around, he was met with a jagged heavy boulder to the head. The villainess in the blonde wig slammed the rock hard enough to bring the man to his knees. One more knock against the back of his head and he collapsed completely onto his belly, bleeding profusely from the top of his head.
Sedusa stood over the unconscious body and tore off her honey blonde wig, unleashing her wild, raven curls, "Finally!" she groaned with annoyance as she tossed the wig aside. "They say blondes have more fun, but I'd beg to differ..." The seductress could hear a painful groan from the Professor and looked down. She knelt down beside the man's sprawled out body beside the river bank and smirked, "Oh, what a lovely shade of red!" she dug a finger into the Professor's open wound, causing him to groan louder in pain, "It's perfect!"
As the Professor lay beside the river, he tried desperately to regain his senses. His head throbbed terribly, and he found it near impossible to move. His vision was blurred and faded in and out, but he could make out a woman with wild raven hair which writhed like snakes standing before the wall behind the waterfall. She traced her blood-soaked fingertips along the black crystal's surface.
"You know, Professor," the villainess began, "It is an awfully cruel thing to lock a lady up with no end in sight. They told me I was sentenced to life, but my life? Well, it is cursed to last for all eternity, you see. Can you imagine spending eternity in a cold, lonely box, Professor? I don't know about you, but that just doesn't sound fair to me." Sedusa continued to speak while she used her finger to write a series of strange characters and symbols with the Professor's blood.
"Immortality sounds like such a wonderful gift at first," the villainous continued with a sigh, ignoring the painful groans of the Professor, "But what they don't tell you is that the aging never quits, you know? This is the only way I know how to get it to stop. He's the only one who has ever been able to help with it. Of course, I imagine he's been asleep this whole time with nobody else around to wake him. He'll sleep for decades if he finds things have gotten too boring. Truthfully, between me and you, I can't stand him, but... I suppose a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do..."
Sedusa finished her bloody artwork and took a step back as the writing began to glow a deep red. She smirked to herself, "Well, all that is left now is the human sacrifice."
As the villainess turned around she saw that the Professor had managed to crawl some several feet away back down the river bank. Sedusa rolled her eyes as she marched over to him. "Come on, Professor," she said as she grabbed the man by his ankles and began to drag him back towards the water along his belly, "Don't you worry. It will all be over soon..."
Once the Professor was in the river, Sedusa wasted no time forcing his head under water. The scientist was already weak from his injuries and it didn't take much effort to keep him pinned down, as shallow as the water was. The petite vixen sat against his back as she grasped his head of hair firmly with one hand and kept him face down in the cave's pool. After a couple minutes of light struggling and gurgling, Professor Utonium's body finally went limp.
A wide, devious smirk swept her face as Sedusa looked down at the floating corpse. She turned her head and saw the black crystal wall in the distance glowing fully and brightly then, and the cascading waterfall began to part like curtains. The sacrifice had worked.
"Knock knock!" Sedusa announced as she stepped through the gateway, "Is anybody home?"
The vast pink void that was home to the demon was always a strange place to be, but Him had always been a strange fellow. As Sedusa entered the villain's lair, a puff of pink mist appeared and began to build. As the pink clouds thickened before her, he stepped out from the mist with a sing-song greeting, "Ooohh, is that my dear little old Sedusa?"
"It is," the villainess replied with a fangy smile as she fluttered her eyelashes and struck a pose.
"My, my," Him continued as he looked the villainess up and down, "Look at you! So kind of you to visit! How long has it been?"
"Too long!" Sedusa threw up her hands, "Did you know those rotten townsfolk locked me away for six years this time! Six years! And look!" she gestured towards her face with her hands, "I look as if I'm thirty now!"
"Yes, you do usually drop by for your treatments much sooner than this-"
"Again, I couldn't, because I was locked up!"
"Well then," the demon raised his claw and waved it in a circle, causing a puff of pink mist to gather behind him. As the clouds dissipated, there was a small, vintage vanity set. "Why don't you have a seat and let me work my magic then, hmm?"
Sedusa let out a sigh of relief as she walked over to the vanity set and sat down before the mirror, "Ah, you're a life-saver, Him!"
"Yes," Him smirked to himself as he stood behind the villainess, "I know."
With another twirl of his claw, more pink mist gathered and gently caressed Sedusa's face. She shut her eyes and allowed the dark magic to do its work as the light clouds tickled against her skin. When she opened her eyes a giant grin swept her face as her sparkling green eyes fell on her own reflection, "Yes! Twenty-five again! As it should be!"
"And here you are," Him sang as he dangled a bright pink, gift-wrapped bag in front of Sedusa. "For those ravenous curls of yours, of course..."
Sedusa took the bag and reached inside, retrieving the tub of specially made hair products. "Two favors for one sacrifice?"
"What can I say?" Him replied with an echoing giggle, "I'm feeling generous."
Sedusa rose from the vanity and showed the demon a smile. "Well..." she began as she started for the void's gateway once more, "It's been nice visiting with you, Him. I'll see you again soon-"
"Leaving already?"
Sedusa stopped and turned around to face Him. She smiled weakly, "Well, yes, I'm afraid I have a lot to do today-"
"Ooohh, what a shame," Him said with a light sigh. "Here, I'll walk you out. I suppose now that I'm up, it might be nice to take a stroll around town and see what's new..."
As the pair of villains stepped through the black crystal gateway together, their eyes fell on the floating corpse of Professor Utonium.
"Ooohh!" Him sang with surprise, "Is that who you brought me today?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Well with these Isle Walls the townsfolk built around the island, he was one of the few I could find who had access to get inside."
"What's this about walls?"
"You really need to step outside more often."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Him shook his head as he approached Professor Utonium's body, "You know, I'm surprised he lasted this long. He really was fun though. One of my favorites, actually."
Sedusa couldn't help but produce a short laugh, "This guy- fun? You're kidding me."
Him smiled deviously as he waved his claw in the air for a moment. Sedusa watched as the Professor's body floated back to the river bank and as he touched the land once more, he began to choke and gasp for air, spitting up water.
Sedusa turned towards Him and shouted, "WHAT?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
Him's cackling echoed throughout the crystal cavern for several minutes before he answered, "I told you! He's fun!"
"Ugh," Sedusa shook her head, "You know I was really looking forward to reading about some sad little orphaned Powerpuffs in the paper tomorrow morning, and you just ruined that for me."
"Take him back with you for me, would you?"
Sedusa stared at Him, "You're really pushing it-"
Him waved his claw and the gift bag in Sedusa's hand was suddenly tugged by an invisible force.
"Alright! I'll do it!" Sedusa shouted as she clung desperately to the bag of cosmetics.
"Trust me. It will all be worth it."
"Fine." Sedusa walked over to the semi-unconscious scientist and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him behind her as she left, "Come on, lover boy..."
Him smiled wickedly to himself as he watched the bruised and battered Professor being carried away by the villainess. "Now," he began with a high pitched song, but it grew deep and chilling as he continued, "Why don't we go out and see what everyone else has been up to..."
