(Hi! Sorry these always take so long, but what with school finals, my MSTing series, and the stress of maintaining a site, these take a bit. But don't worry, I think I've got this all figured out. Remember people...this is gonna be LONG!)



Chapter 12



The whir and click of machinery flew through the air like a drum beat in a parade. The steady hiss from the respiratory created a certain woodwind effect to the scientific instrumental. Every jolt as the lightening jumps bantered back and forth built up the excitement like a brass instrument solo. The music of his own laboratory was enough to drown out the Grand Symphony.

He lifted his head from his work as he had been staring at it for so long. He didn't know the time, or the day, all he knew was that with the mere flip of the switch, he would either fail or succeed.

Beads of perspiration dripped off of his face as his gloved hand reached for the forked switch. The synthetic symphony roared louder as his hand approached, awaiting the de nu mont of the masterpiece. He touched the silver forked switched with shivering hands, as though touching destiny itself.

He sighed and with a renewed forceful grip, threw the switch.

The silence was unbearable. The feel of the blood pumping heatedly through his veins was enough to make him explode. Succeed or fail. Sink or swim.

The lab cast him and his hopes into eternal darkness. The symphony ended abruptly with the final last jolt from his "brass" section.

He had failed.

His face contorted with hostility. A horrible grimace spread across his unshaven face. His work, his pride, gone in a flash of a white bolt. The last fizzling whips of energy barley streaked over his latest failure. He frowned; his fists clenching around the device which had drove his heart to elation, only to crash it down in utter despair.

He breathed a heated breath, which spoke his anger without words. His lip curled up into an awful, vengeful sneer. He spoke finally:

"Oh darn." Professor Utonium sighed as he flipped the lights back on in his laboratory. The Transdimentional Time Reverser had been a failure. But what in his blue prints could've forced this experiment to go awry? He picked up the flat sheet of blue and white and stared intently on the page. He was surprised when a little blue ball rolled down from inside the blue print. Bubbles must have been playing in the laboratory again.

At first, the Professor looked at the little nerf intruder with a bit of distaste. How many times had he told his little blue-eyed baby NOT to play in his laboratory? He picked up the tiny blue sphere and found his heart softening. The poor girl.

The Professor looked toward the clock. 9:00. Was that a.m. or p.m.? The Professor couldn't even remember. His square fingers brushed over the roughage of his jaw. A light stubble was forming across his face in a rather homely looking beginning of a beard. He frowned at this. The stuffy laboratory was giving his clothing a chemical smell and his appearance was suffering over his work. Things like hygiene only seemed to get in the way when Professor Utonium worked hard on his latest breakthrough. Or failure in this case.

He sighed and headed up the stairs, his footsteps pounding the whole way. He finally reached the top and twisted the knob. He'd either find day or night on the floor above. He opened the door and the house was silent and dark. The lights were off and it was pitch black. The air in front of him was dark enough that shutting his eyes would've made no difference. The Professor reached over the walls, feeling for a light switch. He flipped one on and found himself staring into the faces of his three little girls.

Well, actually, a picture of his three little girls. Their faces smiled happily. They almost brightened the room more so than the measly lights dangling above. His little angels. His mood improved at the sight of them. The Professor's greatest creations, with them around, he never felt like a failure.

How long had it been since he had last laid eyes on his sweet little girls? His eyes glanced towards the calendar and his jaw dropped open. It had been days since Professor Utonium had exited the confines of his cave-like laboratory. His little angels had to fend for themselves for THAT long?

The Professor paced back and forth wildly. His poor little babies! He glanced back towards the calendar and realized that the last day Blossom had X-ed off was the day of Sunday. Mother's Day. The Professor bit his lower lip sadly.

The issue of Mother's Day had always been a skittish one around the Utonium household. The topic had always been skirted around and avoided as best as he could. The Professor didn't want his girls to grow up without a mother, of course. But, he hadn't found the "one" yet. He didn't want the girls to think that they were unloved either. But sometimes instantly changing from bachelor to father in mere moments can really be hard to adjust to. Sometimes he forgot he had three little angels awaiting him. The Professor sometimes didn't realize how much time flew by as he worked in his laboratory. Leaving his angels alone. Especially on Mother's Day.

The girls were already very special. Super powers are enough to distinguish anyone from a particular species. Let alone their physical appearance. Rounded nubs for hands and obscenely large irises were enough to make any human call them…freaks. He shuddered at the words. But, the girls were accepted in society as protectors and as normal children despite their physical differences. Not only were they accepted, but hailed as gods among the citizens. As heaven-sent protectors of an otherwise defenseless city.

So the girls had not only accepted this, but themselves although they were different. Professor Utonium even questioned if they thought of themselves as different in any physical way. But, he knew they felt different in another way. They were mother-less, and although they insisted that he was enough parent for them, the Professor couldn't help feel as though they wanted that aspect of a family too. Something to make their family a little more…normal. To make it as normal as they could.

Whenever Mother's Day rolled around, it seemed to be a constant reminder to them that they weren't normal. That there WAS something missing. That's how the Professor saw it anyway. He usually tried to make them feel like it was any normal day or take them someplace special to keep their minds off it. But he'd missed that Mother's Day and probably left his children alone…lonely…and reminded of everything that was different or odd about them.

The Professor only hoped that his little girls could forgive him, like they always had in such cases where their father had mysteriously vanished into his dimly lighted lab. He took the steps up to the top floor slowly at first. He was worried about how the children would react to him. But…they were probably asleep and he took the steps quicker. Now he thought of their sweet little faces as they slept. Dreaming something pleasant and wonderful. Some sweet little sugarcoated dreamworld. He smiled at the thought and slowly cracked open the door to his girls' bedroom.

There was an eerily bright glow coming from the small children's table. The Professor had to shield his eyes for a moment to block out the intensity. The light swirled and glowed around a little rock a…pebble. The Professor looked towards his girls' tri-colored bed.

No one was there.

Professor Utonium began to panic a bit, wondering where his sweet angels had gone. Off to save the world again? So late at night? He looked, but the window had been shut, and the roof was in tact. Whenever his children left they either made a huge hole in the ceiling or forgot to shut the window.

The Professor began to get even more worried. But, maybe they were just hiding somewhere…or…or sleeping somewhere else. Would they really leave without a note? He paced a bit and headed for the door when the tiny orb on the table, changed colors.

He turned to see the glowing ball change into a pinkish color. It burned brightly like a miniature version of the Aurora Borealis on his children's drawing table. The Professor picked it up carefully and stared at it. But it was as if starring into a sun. He turned away and clamped his hand over the luminous pebble. Bubbles picks up the STRANGEST toys. The Professor thought, although finding it hard to believe such a tiny object could generate such radiance.

The Professor moved from one room to the next looking for his children. The living room, the den, his own bedroom, the dining room.

Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.

He bit his nails nervously. He hoped they were all right. The front door was closed and locked. His girls knew better than to sleepover a friend's house on a school night. Where were they?! His mind was racing as he clutched that tiny ball in his hand. The light glowing through the flesh of his hand and only seeming dulled a bit by its skin-lampshade.

The Professor, distraught, sat down suddenly on the couch in the living room. He lied his head against the back of the couch. The pebble burning in his worried hands. He tried to calm himself down.

"It's all right." He spoke aloud to his shattered nerves and frazzled brain. Professor Utonium no longer felt as exhausted as he had before. He was much too worried now. "Calm down…they're probably over a friends. Or…or perhaps they've finally learned to use the window and shut it after they leave. Or maybe they went out the door." But all these reasons were of no comfort to the Professor. The only thought in his mind that made sense was: My children are in danger!

His panicked mind brought up thousands of possibilities. Horrible things that could happen to his little darling children. Tortured by Mojo Jojo. Lying somewhere hurt and injured. Even…maybe even somewhere dying. That was going a little far, he thought. But he was too busy imagining…the horrible things that might have been happening to his children. How would he survive without them?

The Professor leaned forward resting his head in his free hand that did not contain the glowing orb. He let a tear roll down his cheek. He couldn't imagine life without them. He shook his head slowly; he was letting his imagination run away with him. The Professor put on a determined expression and stood up suddenly. He would not let himself get carried away with worry! He would just take things calmly and rationally.

"I just…wish I knew where they were." The Professor said aloud. The little pebble in his hand began to shake. It burned brighter till the Professor had to let it go or risk his hand scorching. He stumbled backwards as he watched the pebble start flashing violently. As if…as if it were going into some kind of overdrive. It spun quickly in mid-air casting a red light across the room, glowing and burning brighter. It was so bright the Professor thought he may have gone blind. He fell upon the couch covering his eyes. The room exploded into a bright white.

The Professor grabbed onto the now invisible couch. Everything was drenched in white light. The color intensified brighter and brighter till the man thought this was no longer any shade of white…or any color he'd seen before. Something…whiter than white. He questioned if he was even seeing anymore. If he were even living anymore.

Suddenly there was a voice. Soft at first, but familiar. But all the Professor could see was this new color…this more-than-white light. The voice was faint and waved. Professor Utonium thought for sure that he had died now. The air around him rippled as though he had touched the surface of still water. It ringed out over and over, bigger and bigger till there was a picture in front of him. A shaky mass of colors attempting to form a picture.

It wobbled with an odd redish then yellow, then all colors and none at once! The Professor thought he'd go insane and clutched at his head. Suddenly there were shapes with the colors, restricting them and controlling them. The shapes grew more defined like giving everything a blackish lining. Like watching the world as a cartoon. Then he recognized the voice.

"Is…is she dead?" The voice whispered. It was soft but high-pitched with a sweet tone to it. His little Bubbles. His eyes focused as the once all-white (or whatever color that was) world rippled away, and he was in the colors and shapes. Amongst them. Viewing all from every side. Standing atop them and within them. He then saw his sweet little girl.

Bubbles, his littlest, was leaning over someone slowly shaking the person. Bubbles had her hair in those adorable pigtails except, rather than rubber bands, they were tied up with blue ribbons. She was wearing a shirt with an "S" symbol on it and jeans. Funny…the Professor thought I don't remember buying her that. Her blue eyes were transfixed on whoever was on the ground. She put her other mitt to her mouth in worry.

"I am near positive that she is still amongst the living." He heard another voice say. This voice was a little deeper, not by much, with a more intellectual and almost snobby tone to it. As if someone grabbed his whole world and switched camera angels, the Professor switched whole positions now looking at Blossom. Like someone had picked him up, flipped him around and placed his eyes on his "eldest". The girls of course were all born at the same time, but Blossom acted like she was the big sister.

She seemed a little dazed. And the Professor noted her voice sounded slightly different with the snobbish tone. But she looked the same. A bright, red, satin bow rested on her carrot-topped head. Her pink eyes closed slowly as if trying to collect herself. He reached out to hold her but his fingertips just brushed through her, like he was a ghost. Blossom's eyes snapped open and she looked around quickly. She was wearing a light pink top and old, ripped jeans with a shimmering golden locket hanging in front. Blossom shook off whatever she thought might've happened and looked concerned and also went to check on this mysterious person. He leaned over slightly to look at the face of this enigmatic…woman. But, suddenly he heard a third familiar voice say an unfamiliar thing.

"Mommy?!" The voice cried. The voice was deeper than the other two. It seemed panicked though, which raised it a few octaves. The Professor's whole world changed again flipping him upside-down and spinning him again till he thought he'd lose his lunch. And he saw his little girl.

More of the "middle child" Buttercup stood in front of him with her mitts over mouth, scared. She looked the same as well, with short, black, hair curled into a flip. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and maybe fear. She began to run towards the person on the ground, in fear for her. The Professor felt her rush right through him. Like feeling a wave wash through him. His little child slowed in her run and looked around, like she'd just touched something strange. She clutched her bare arms and shivered. As if she had ran through a gust of freezing wind.

Buttercup turned back and looked toward the nothingness curiously. She saw nothing. The Professor could hardly stand it, she was standing right in front of him and he couldn't touch her. Or comfort her. Or hold her. Or thank GOD she was all right. He shook with frustration and finally he knelt down, wrapping his arms around her, and tried to hold her.

Something cold and icy brushed through Buttercup and froze her inside and out. Like a bucket of ice water had been poured all over her. Then, the freezing sensation melted away. There was nothing but a tingling all over her body. Like she was being tickled but she didn't feel like laughing. And warm. The cold went away and there was warmth. A heat flowing through her that was more than just physical warmth…but emotional. Like the comfort of someone's arms. She felt as thought she was being held by…by an angel.

There was a soft groan as Red stirred from her unconscious state. She looked up and Bubbles was staring directly into her face.

"Hey…hey she's up!" Bubbles cried, delightedly. Bubble's face was then replaced with Blossom's big pink eyes. Red rubbed the back of her hand across her own eyes and blinked at Blossom.

"Red…Red I am ever so sorry! What has happened to you? Gracious, you swooned. And we came out of this odd dream and you were on the floor! Well, thank goodness you are all right." Blossom grabbed Red's hand and smiled. "Let me help you up."

Her eyes popped open in surprise and she got up quickly, stumbling to her feet and startling Blossom a bit. The pieces in her mind were scrambled all around. Bubbles. Blossom. Buttercup. Fisher? Lukan? Robins? No…none. Utonium. Gotta find, Utonium. Her mind cried. She recognized them finally. From a different time, a different place, and a different world. The…the PowderPuff Girls. No wait…PowerPuff. Images of standing in a crowd of screaming people staring up at a giant monster crashing a clawed hand through a building and the three of them…flying overhead with a rainbow tail. With a montage of attacks, destroying the foe and saving them all.

She rubbed her head slowly. Everything still a little fuzzy. Red noticed the two children's imploring looks onto her. Two? Where's my daughter?. She looked to she her tiny girl standing in the room with her eyes shut and her arms floating in front of her like she was trying to hug something. There were too many weird things happening that day.

The Professor held on as best as he could try. Trying so hard to keep his arms around his intangible little girl. As soon as he had, the feeling at first was cold. Freezing even. And then soft warmth that started tingling around his arms and spread through his entire body. His whole body vibrated with a sort of electricity as he held onto his precious child. The world was rippling again, around him. As if holding onto her was like placing his hands on pure energy. He didn't want to let go. He felt as though his whole world would dissipate if he broke from her.

"Buttercup…what on earth are you doing?" Blossom inquired, following Red's gaze. Buttercup's eyes were closed tightly and her body was shaking. She didn't want to let go either. Whatever she was holding onto.

"Come on, Buttercup. Your mommy's okay." Bubbles walked over and touched Buttercup's arm. It was like touching an ice cube. She withdrew her hand immediately. "YOW! Buttercup! You're all cold!" Bubbles noted.

Red, having had too much of this weird happenings, raced over to her child and scooped her up, severing her from whatever she was holding onto.

The Professor watched as an attractive young woman hurried over, and began to take his Buttercup away from him. He felt his imaginary hold slip off of her as she was pulled away. Her little mitt slipping away from his squared fingertips. No. He thought. The world around him shook as he watched his child get held in someone else's arms and stolen away from him. The Professor watched his other two children huddle around the woman's legs, looking up at their sister with concern. The world blurred and the shapes distorted.

"GIRLS!" The Professor cried out finally, as his children were obscured by mixing colors.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup all looked up at once. Then they looked at each other. Funny. Bubbles thought. I thought I just heard someone call for us. I guess it was just my imagination.



* * * *



The Professor shook his head and looked up. He was in his own living room, the dismal ticking of the clock his only company. One quick, jutty, look around later, and he found that his world was fine. He was on a comparable plane; everything was as it should have been. The couch was in it's exact spot, the TV was parked in front, every piece of furniture in tact and unmoved.. Everything was fathomable. But…his children were still gone.

Professor Utonium leaned foreword, rubbing his exhausted eyes. Had he dozed off? Had that all been a dream? Every touch, every feeling, every emotion…fake? That just couldn't be! He got up quickly and felt something roll off of his palm and drop to the carpet below. He looked to the ground and had no trouble locating a tiny pebble, glowing brightly against the blue carpeting.

Professor Utonium bent down carefully and picked it up. His hands shook as he touched it. The pebble glowed brighter with the Professor's shaky grip. It seemed like it was either brightening with happiness or…or with anger. But, of course, a pebble could have no emotions.

The Professor remembered a story he had heard once as a child. A story about a magic orb that granted one's every wish. He rolled the radiant pebble in his palm. That was just a story though…right? That couldn't really happen…could it? And the end of that story…there was a gimmick with that pebble. But he couldn't remember what it was. Something not right. But, he had a strong feeling that this pebble had somehow taken away his daughters. He was determined to get them back.

Every ligament in the Professor's muscles twitched. He took in a deep breath and then spoke to the inanimate object in his hand which seemed to increase in its intensity as the words slipped through his lips.

"I wish I were with my girls right now." The Professor said aloud. For some reason he didn't feel foolish. He just felt determined.

The pebble shook violently in the Professor's hand. It began to grow hotter, faster than before. It burned and swirled and let out an angry hiss and it spun faster and faster in it's own little orbit. Then he remembered. He remembered what was the gimmick with that pebble. But, it was too late.

The orb seemed to seethe and spit as it furiously spun. The Professor was cast into an aura of bright white…followed by darkness.