WEEKEND AT BUBBLES'


A 'black comedy' by Gary Curtis (Icekings2000)



Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network







CHAPTER TWELVE


News of Mojo's escape from jail reached the Townsville Police with a collective 'So what?'. It happened all the time. Now, if Mojo went a week WITHOUT escaping from jail, that WOULD be news.

Looking for him wasn't on the top of anyone's priority list, either. He'd commit a crime, oh, in the next twenty-four hours or so, the Powerpuff Girls would catch him and put him back in jail, he'd get out again, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just another quiet Sunday at police headquarters.

Where was he going to go, anyway? Back to his lair, probably, so they'd send a couple cars to stake the place out. Mojo would NEVER head for Townsville Hall. It was crawling with cops and the Powerpuff Girls were there, too. Nah, that was the last place he'd go. Of greater concern to the desk sergeant was the fact that the donut shop down the block had run out of Bavarian Creme again.


* * * * * * *

Where WAS he going to go? Mojo knew that the police would probably be watching his lair. That's where all his weapons were and that's where he'd have to go to get one. His revenge against that little brat who tormented him into thinking that he was going crazy would come, oh yes it would, but it would have to be done without the use of a weapon. He smiled. Who needed weapons when you were an evil genius? They made life much easier, of course, but you could do nicely without them. No, he would need nothing more than his bare hands. And the prison guard's uniform that he had snuck out with him.


* * * * * * *

The camera was hooked back into the screens again, ready for the show to begin. Blossom and Buttercup stood on either side of Mayor as he spoke, Sara stood behind her boss and Bubbles was backstage awaiting her moment. She was ready, holding the mike that Blossom had given her. The crowd finally got to see the other thing they had come for, the Bubbles they all knew, sealed in her cardboard-and-plastic tomb. She stood propped against the closed curtain. Mayor was making a long, rambling speech that started out about Bubbles and her sisters and how they would always be protecting Townsville no matter what, but it quickly spun out of control and off-topic. The crowd was getting restless again. Both Girls looked pleadingly to Sara to put an end to it. She stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mayor, that was a wonderful speech!"

The crowd cheered; not the speech, but its end.

"Now how about we let the Girls say a few words before Bubbles comes out?" Sara said.

Mayor answered, "Alrighty, but first I'd like to ask everyone to join me in a moment of silence." He took off his hat.

"What for, Mayor?" Blossom asked, surprised. "This isn't a funeral, it's a party!"

He fiddled with his left ear. "I need to adjust my hearing aid. You kids and your loud music!"

That got a big laugh out of everyone, and then Sara turned the show over to the Girls. That was the cue to begin the feed to the TV screens. Blossom went to the karaoke machine and punched a few buttons. A nice reggae beat came out of the speakers, something to loosen everybody up. Buttercup needed loosening, she was wound tight as a drum.

"All right! Let's get down!" she yelled, and got a roar and a sudden display of lit cigarette lighters.

Blossom took charge. "Townsville! Are...you...ready?!!"

The music changed to a steady rock beat, drums pounding, pumping up the crowd. Another loud roar was the reply.

"OK! But before Bubbles comes out, we just wanna say, don't get used to seein' her like this, 'cause in a few days she'll be back to her old self again!"

Channel Five's scoop hadn't said a word about the possibility of bringing her back because they weren't told; at that point Professor hadn't heard from Spengler and they didn't want to get everyone's hopes up. This was news to everyone. The crowd went wild.

"Now, Townsville!" The music became more intense, raising the excitement level. "We won't waste any more time, 'cause tomorrow we got school. So here she is folks...your Powerpuff Ghoul!!"

On cue, Bubbles came tearing out through the part in the curtain and flew excitedly over the crowd. She waved and smiled and everyone smiled back and cheered and pumped their fists and waved their lighters and their homemade signs and called out to her thousands of different sentiments that no one could hear above the noise. They couldn't see her above them, only on the video screens; but they knew she was there and she knew she was loved. She began to cry ghostly tears of joy, but then she heard the music change again and it was time for her to get back on the stage with her sisters.

The karaoke machine began to play, minus the words, Ray Parker Jr's 'Ghostbusters' theme. This was it, Bubbles' idea, and the sisters were pumped. The crowd screamed its approval on the first notes, and watched the screens. Bubbles stood between Blossom to her right and Buttercup to her left, and they began to dance to the music. Mayor and Sara stood in the background; Sara tapping her foot but Mayor was a dancin' fool.

Buttercup took the first verse. "When a bad guy comes...to steal your car...who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!" the crowd roared.

She continued, swaying to the beat. "The dork might run...but he won't get far! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

The Girls danced happily to the music and at the right moment, spun around on their heels, just like they planned it.

Blossom took over. "If Mojo tries...to rob the bank...who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

"He'll think he got...hit by a tank! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

Bubbles couldn't contain herself. She launched herself out over the crowd again, and at the right time they pumped their fists and shouted, "WE AIN'T AFRAID O' NO GHOST!!"

The Girls couldn't remember when they'd ever had more fun. Bubbles was back between her sisters when it was time to sing her verse.

"So if you're bad...an' rotten an' mean...you're gonna take a fall!"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

"I'll never lose...'cause I can't be seen! Who you gonna call?"

"GHOST BUBBLES!!!"

She had one more verse to do and it was the one she was really looking forward to, but the crowd had to have its second shot at their reply. She waited for the music...here it came...

"I AIN'T AFRAID OF NO GHOST! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The music screeched to a stop and the karaoke machine skidded along the stage and flew off the edge and crashed into pieces. No one had seen Mojo, dressed in the guard's uniform, sneaking from backstage. The Mayor jumped into Ms. Bellums arms. The crowd gasped along with the Girls, as they whirled to face their enemy. He was wearing a pair of the goggles, so he could see Bubbles just fine; where he got them from nobody knew, or cared at that moment. The Powerpuffs' instinct to lunge was stopped by what they saw: The evil primate was holding 'the toy'.

"Put me down, you, you...YOU!!" Bubbles screamed at him.

"Uh, hey, Mojerk, in case nobody told ya', she's already dead, so what do you think YOU'RE gonna do?" Buttercup smirked.

"Why even bother, Mojo?" Blossom said. "You know you're gettin' your butt kicked no matter what!"

"Oh, that is right, I have forgotten, since you are still able to go on defeating me even when you are, how should I say this, breathing challenged? Well, Powerpuff Girls, I may never have the satisfaction of destroying you accursed females once and for all, but I will find it very satisfying indeed to prevent you, Bubbles, from ever again breathing the same air as I, Mojo Jojo!"

The Girls leaped at him but it was too late. He laughed maniacally as he ripped open the plastic covering. The crowd had gone completely silent by this time and the sickening 'whoosh' of the vacuum being broken could be heard by everyone.

Mojo held her up to his nose and inhaled. "Ahhhhh! Don't you just love that new car smell?"

Buttercup and Bubbles were on him, screaming and pounding him unmercifully. He didn't care, he laughed at the pain, and at theirs. Blossom got the package away from him, but the horror of it hit her and she sagged to her knees. Ms. Bellum rushed to her aid and helped her to stand. She saw the security men who had moved in to cuff Mojo struggling to pry her sisters off of him. They weren't having any luck. Especially with Bubbles; police training didn't teach how to manhandle a ghost. Blossom came to her senses and ordered them off. She had to scream at them a second time, and Buttercup stepped away, a glassy look in her eyes. Bubbles took one look at herself in the torn-open package.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

She disappeared, not looking back. Sara told Blossom everything would be all right and for her to get Buttercup home. She nodded, and told the crowd she was sorry for their party being ruined. She put one arm around Bubbles' body and the other around Buttercup and lifted off to catch up with Bubbles.

The camera had caught it all. While they were dragging Mojo away, he yelled out after the Powerpuffs.

"Oh by the way, your little friend Lenny has decided to retire from the packaging business! Muahahahahaha!!!!!"


End of Chapter Twelve