Bumblebee couldn't understand what was happening to her; or rather, she understood what was going on, but not why: She was remarkably calm. She was about to be shrunk to nothing by her arch-enemy. She had no way of escape, and no way of fighting back that would be effective before the weapon did its work. The three other Powerpuff Girls might very well have been knocked out cold. Clearly this was the end. The Micropuff Girl thought that her heart would be leaping out of her chest, that she'd be trembling hard enough to shake the Mojobot to its legs, that even at her tiny size she'd be sweating buckets. Instead, she was watching calmly as Mojo Jojo squeezed the trigger that would seal her doom.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as Bumblebee's mind took in her situation. Any other time, she would have chosen from two possible courses of action: stand and fight, or retreat. But this time, a third option shone through.
"Hey, Mojo!" the Micropuff Girl yelled. "I was wondering. How come you're wasting a shot from your new ray gun on me? You've got me trapped. I have no means of escape. Why don't you just press your finger against my body and squash me?"
The finger on the trigger stopped; Bumblebee wondered how close the weapon was to shrinking her. "What manner of insanity is this?" Mojo yelled. "If I crush you now, you will die, and your life will be over because that is what happens when one dies! But if I shrink you, you shall have a fighting chance for life! True, you will be the size of a virus, but you will still have a fighting chance for life! Why would you make such an insane suggestion?!"
"Guess I'm just dumb," Bumblebee replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I couldn't help but wonder, though. The Powerpuff Girls always find a way to bust in on your plans. You don't want to fire that thing and only shrink two of them, do you? Why waste the energy in that gun when you'll need it later?"
The Micropuff Girl could see that Mojo had been thrown for a loop by her line of reasoning. She realized that she might have a chance of escaping. Bumblebee started to slip her legs up from under the finger that had her pinned down. Once again, she was thankful for her minute size: Her captor could hardly feel her moving with his gloved finger.
Bumblebee had just worked herself free when Mojo Jojo fixed his attention on her once again. "I fail to understand why you would sacrifice yourself in this way," the simian confessed, "but there is a crude but unarguable wisdom to your suggestion, Would-Be-Powerpuff Bumblebee! Now, if you will remain still, I, Mojo Jojo, shall squash you quickly, so that you might not suffer."
Mojo was moving one of his fingers closer to Bumblebee... "much too close" the newest Powerpuff thought. In a split second, she flew off the joystick and zipped to the front of the command globe. Mojo Jojo looked startled. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked with anger in his voice. "How could you not accept a merciful, quick death that was offered you, when you know that I, Mojo Jojo, shall now destroy you with much torment and anguish on your part?"
The Micropuff Girl flew to Mojo's ear and shouted, "I'm miffed 'cause you called me a 'Would-Be-Powerpuff'!" Mojo Jojo reeled from the volume of Bumblebee's shout. Flying to the enemy's back -- she didn't want him to have a clear shot at her -- Bumblebee added, "Maybe I should call you a 'Would-Be-Super-Villain' and see how much you like that!"
Mojo's face twisted into a mask of anger as he realized he'd been suckered. Lifting his shrinking gun, he snarled, "Your request for mercy is forfeited, Bumbleflea! Be prepare to suffer agony and misery at the hands of Mojo Jojo!"
The smallest Powerpuff zipped to the weapons arsenal and taunted her enemy: "I'd watch how I fired that thing if I were you. Miss me and you'll be firing the weapons in your arsenal with tweezers and toothpicks!"
To Bumblebee's surprise, Mojo fired his weapon without hesitation. She darted away, barely avoiding the shrinking energy. The Micropuff Girl looked back and gasped: the orange aura had dissipated on Mojo's arsenal without affecting it in any way.
"MWA-HA-HA-HA!!" Mojo Jojo's laugh filled the chamber. "Too late you learn, Stumblebee, that Mojo's weapons arsenal has been treated with the same titanium alloy with which I built this robot, and it is resistant to the effects of Mojo's shrinking ray! Mojo Jojo's Ultimate Mojobot is in no danger from this ray gun!" The monkey pointed it at Bumblebee and grinned. "It is most regrettable that the same cannot be said for you!"
Reality was setting in for Bumblebee. Her bluff had bought her a few minutes, but now Mojo had his gun trained on her and was in no mood to negotiate. The Micropuff Girl realized she needed a way out... and fast.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as Bumblebee's mind took in her situation. Any other time, she would have chosen from two possible courses of action: stand and fight, or retreat. But this time, a third option shone through.
"Hey, Mojo!" the Micropuff Girl yelled. "I was wondering. How come you're wasting a shot from your new ray gun on me? You've got me trapped. I have no means of escape. Why don't you just press your finger against my body and squash me?"
The finger on the trigger stopped; Bumblebee wondered how close the weapon was to shrinking her. "What manner of insanity is this?" Mojo yelled. "If I crush you now, you will die, and your life will be over because that is what happens when one dies! But if I shrink you, you shall have a fighting chance for life! True, you will be the size of a virus, but you will still have a fighting chance for life! Why would you make such an insane suggestion?!"
"Guess I'm just dumb," Bumblebee replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I couldn't help but wonder, though. The Powerpuff Girls always find a way to bust in on your plans. You don't want to fire that thing and only shrink two of them, do you? Why waste the energy in that gun when you'll need it later?"
The Micropuff Girl could see that Mojo had been thrown for a loop by her line of reasoning. She realized that she might have a chance of escaping. Bumblebee started to slip her legs up from under the finger that had her pinned down. Once again, she was thankful for her minute size: Her captor could hardly feel her moving with his gloved finger.
Bumblebee had just worked herself free when Mojo Jojo fixed his attention on her once again. "I fail to understand why you would sacrifice yourself in this way," the simian confessed, "but there is a crude but unarguable wisdom to your suggestion, Would-Be-Powerpuff Bumblebee! Now, if you will remain still, I, Mojo Jojo, shall squash you quickly, so that you might not suffer."
Mojo was moving one of his fingers closer to Bumblebee... "much too close" the newest Powerpuff thought. In a split second, she flew off the joystick and zipped to the front of the command globe. Mojo Jojo looked startled. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked with anger in his voice. "How could you not accept a merciful, quick death that was offered you, when you know that I, Mojo Jojo, shall now destroy you with much torment and anguish on your part?"
The Micropuff Girl flew to Mojo's ear and shouted, "I'm miffed 'cause you called me a 'Would-Be-Powerpuff'!" Mojo Jojo reeled from the volume of Bumblebee's shout. Flying to the enemy's back -- she didn't want him to have a clear shot at her -- Bumblebee added, "Maybe I should call you a 'Would-Be-Super-Villain' and see how much you like that!"
Mojo's face twisted into a mask of anger as he realized he'd been suckered. Lifting his shrinking gun, he snarled, "Your request for mercy is forfeited, Bumbleflea! Be prepare to suffer agony and misery at the hands of Mojo Jojo!"
The smallest Powerpuff zipped to the weapons arsenal and taunted her enemy: "I'd watch how I fired that thing if I were you. Miss me and you'll be firing the weapons in your arsenal with tweezers and toothpicks!"
To Bumblebee's surprise, Mojo fired his weapon without hesitation. She darted away, barely avoiding the shrinking energy. The Micropuff Girl looked back and gasped: the orange aura had dissipated on Mojo's arsenal without affecting it in any way.
"MWA-HA-HA-HA!!" Mojo Jojo's laugh filled the chamber. "Too late you learn, Stumblebee, that Mojo's weapons arsenal has been treated with the same titanium alloy with which I built this robot, and it is resistant to the effects of Mojo's shrinking ray! Mojo Jojo's Ultimate Mojobot is in no danger from this ray gun!" The monkey pointed it at Bumblebee and grinned. "It is most regrettable that the same cannot be said for you!"
Reality was setting in for Bumblebee. Her bluff had bought her a few minutes, but now Mojo had his gun trained on her and was in no mood to negotiate. The Micropuff Girl realized she needed a way out... and fast.