* * *
EXCURSION 1 – "Ruff Times"
Professor Utonium worked on the large device he had been constructing in his lab. It was nearly ten feet in diameter, and consisted mostly of a single metallic ring, attached to a pedestal at the bottom. It was still far from completed, but he was making progress, little by little. Blossom flew down from upstairs, and called out, "Hey, Professor! We're almost ready for the trip you wanted to take…"
The professor glanced at his watch…it was that time already? "Wow," he said. "I guess time flies when you're having fun."
Blossom smirked. Only the professor would find toiling hours on end over a pile of electronics and mechanical parts 'fun'. "So, what is this thing, anyway?" she asked.
"This could quite possibly be my greatest invention since the Hyper Conduit Manifestation Device," he said, smiling proudly. "This is the Hyper Conduit Stabilization Portal, or HCSP. It's an enhancement of sorts on the HCMD…"
Curiously examining the edge of the giant ring, Blossom said, "Um, it's great…but wouldn't a tiny portable device like the HCMD be better? Why would you want this huge thing?"
"This isn't exactly like the HCMD," the professor explained, as he continued working on the circuitry in one panel. "The HCSP creates a stable portal, which is to say, one that won't just disappear a few seconds later. This way, you can open up a gateway indefinitely between the two dimensions, through which anyone can freely pass back and forth."
"Wow," Blossom remarked. "That's amazing…"
The professor nodded, "Yes…unfortunately, it's a two-step process. Some kind of receiving device must be located at close to the same location in the other dimension for it to work. Both sides of the portal must be stable, you see, or else it'll collapse just like any normal one." He set down his tools, "But anyway, it's still a long ways off from completion. A few important parts need to be developed, and I'm hoping that perhaps I can get help from an alternate Professor Utonium…is everyone set for the trip?"
"Bubbles and Buttercup are upstairs, they're ready," Blossom told him.
"Great!" The professor walked over to a table on the other side of his lab and scooped up the HCMD from it, and the plans for the HCSP. Blossom flew upstairs and out of the lab, while the professor followed behind her. I always welcome the prospect of new dimensional data, he thought, but hopefully I can find what I need to finish the HCSP also…
* * *
Out on the streets in front of 'their house', the usual swirling vortex created by the HCMD opened up, and the professor stepped through, accompanied a moment later by the Powerpuff Girls. The vortex sealed up as it always did, leaving them in the new dimension. "Well, what've we got?" Buttercup asked.
The professor examined the readings on the HCMD, and said, "Hmm…not bad, this dimension has a very low differential index. It's probably a lot like ours."
Blossom flew towards their front door and said, "Well, let's find out if our counterparts are home." She grinned a little, and then rang the doorbell. There was no response, so she rung it again. Still nothing, even after a little waiting.
"They're probably not home," Bubbles pointed out.
"Hmm," Blossom said, glancing towards the buildings of Townsville in the distance. As she did, she spotted a brief flash of light as something flew across the city skyline. They couldn't see it from a distance, but they did recognize a multicolored trail of light behind them. "Hey, there they are!" she said, pointing.
Buttercup looked over at the professor and asked, "Can we go over and say hi? We'll explain about being from another dimension and stuff."
"Fine, but be careful," the professor asked. "And hurry back. I'll be waiting here to see if their professor shows up."
"Okay! We'll see you later, professor!" Bubbles said, waving, and all three of the girls flew off towards the buildings in the distance. The professor watched them leave, then causally leaned up against a tree nearby, taking out his pipe and lighting it. He hoped his alter ego wouldn't take too long showing up.
* * *
It was over the skyscrapers that they caught sight of them again. The girls spotted the light trails that were left in their wake. Blossom was concerned, though, "Hey, do you notice something weird about those trails?"
"Like what?" Buttercup asked.
"They're different," she said. "I can't put my finger on it, but something's off about them…"
"I know what it is," Bubbles said, pointing at the quickly diminishing trails they followed. "They're darker!"
Buttercup looked, and nodded, "Oh yeah, you're right. Weird…"
They swung around the next bank of buildings, which emptied out into open air. It was near a section of lower buildings, so there was no longer any obstructions. They immediately came to a halt as they saw the three targets they had been chasing off in the distance. All three were stopped, and they were looking out across the rest of the city.
And they weren't the Powerpuff Girls, either. The girls had only seen them once before, but that was enough. There was no mistaking them, either; they looked precisely the same as they had remembered them. Buttercup and Bubbles both gritted their teeth at the memory.
Under her breath, Blossom said, "Rowdyruff Boys…"
Their heads perked up…they must have heard. Of course they would have heard, Blossom reasoned, since they had all the same powers as them, including ultrasonic hearing. The three of them spun around to face them, and looked equally shocked to see the girls. Now that they saw them head-on, there was no doubt who they were.
The girls had never learned their names. The red one spoke first, in surprise, "Powerpuff Girls! But how…"
"Nevermind how, Brick, let's just get 'em!" the green one shouted.
Blossom didn't like this one bit. They hadn't been prepared for a fight, especially against one of the most formidable opponents they had ever faced. She muttered quietly, "Stay close, girls…we have to do this together!"
Bubbles set her expression and nodded, and Buttercup said, "Right."
'Brick' pointed at each of the girls, saying, "Boomer, you take the blue one…Butch, you take the green…I'll handle the pink. All right…go!" In a flash, the three of them had crossed the skies, heading straight for the girls in the blink of an eye. At the last second, the Powerpuffs each flew suddenly upwards to avoid their charge.
Brick spun around, and said, "Separate 'em! They'll be weaker that way!" 'Boomer' and 'Butch' nodded and both of them suddenly opened fire with their eyebeams. They weren't aiming at the girls themselves, but at the spots between the girls. It did its intended job, as both Bubbles and Buttercup split off, instinctively moving away from the beams.
"No, don't split u--…" Blossom shouted, but was cut off as Brick slammed into her, shoulder-first. The impact sent her flying into the side of a building. Bubbles and Buttercup were about to fly over to help her, but were stopped as Boomer and Butch flew up in front of each of them respectively, blocking their paths.
Buttercup responded by swinging a fast flurry of punches at Butch. He blocked all of the incoming blows just as fast as she could throw them…but then, she suddenly spun in midair, swinging both of her legs into a double kick. They struck him on the side of the head, knocking him out of the sky, where he crashed into the rooftop directly below.
Bubbles dodged several strong blows swung by Boomer, just barely able to keep ahead of his speed. On his next punch, Bubbles slipped to one side, but reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. She swung him around in a circle, releasing and causing him to crash through the side of a small water tower.
By this time, Blossom had emerged from the side of the building she had crashed into, and ducked with a yelp as Brick's eyebeams struck the wall behind her. She fired her own eyebeams back, scoring a direct hit, but as the hit knocked him back, Brick ended up slamming into Bubbles from behind the hit carrying them both down to the street.
Noticing what happened, Buttercup started to fly down to help her out, when Butch rushed up behind her, grabbing her from behind and pinning her arms to her back. As she struggled, Boomer emerged from the water tower and flew over, throwing a series of punches to her gut while she was pinned. Blossom gasped and quickly threw herself into a flying kick, knocking Boomer away, and Buttercup took advantage of the moment to raise her feet and kick Butch off of her back.
On the street below, Brick and Bubbles had recovered, and their arms were locked against each other, trying to grapple the other. They pushed for a few moments, gritting their teeth, until finally, Brick did suddenly did a little back flip, kicking Bubbles up into the air. She tumbled for a few moments, but Blossom and Buttercup caught her as she reached where they were.
"This is crazy," Buttercup exclaimed, watching as the three of them regrouped below where Brick was. "How are we gonna stop 'em? They're just as strong as they were before…stronger, even…"
"We're going to have to go to the backup plan," Blossom said. "You remember, right?"
Bubbles smiled and nodded, but Buttercup frowned and said, "Ugh…don't remind me…"
Below them, Brick said, "The Powerpuffs are too strong…we're gonna have to do what we did before, okay, guys?" Boomer and Butch both nodded…but before they could do anything, Brick braced himself and said, "Hold on, here they come again…"
They were approaching differently, though…all three of them were in completely non-aggressive poses, and instead were smiling, their expressions fixed right on the boys. This strange behavior took them completely off-guard…What are they up to? Brick wondered. It almost looks like they're gonna… As he stood there, dumbfounded, Blossom glided right up to him and softly planet a kiss directly on his cheek…Bubbles and a reluctant Buttercup followed suit with Boomer and Butch…
"Ackpth!!" Brick cried out, falling back a few steps and wiping his cheek off. Boomer and Butch were in similar expressions of disgust as Brick exclaimed, "I've been kissed by a girl…yeech!!"
The girls' smiles slowly faded as they watched them, replaced by shock. Bubbles whispered, "But…i-it's not working…"
"I know…" Blossom said, equally confused. "But…why…"
Buttercup stuck her tongue out, "Agh, you mean I kissed that guy for nothing? Bleahh…"
Brick finished wiping his face and frowned, "That's the last straw…let's do it, boys!" The three of them suddenly flew away from the girls, heading for the woods. The girls just hovered there, not sure if they should follow or not, especially since their foolproof plan to destroy the Rowdyruff Boys hadn't worked…
They started to return a moment later, and the girls braced themselves, not knowing what it was they had planned, but they had to be ready for anything. They got closer, and Blossom realized at the last minute that they were carrying something. Before she could shout a warning to the other girls, though, the boys abruptly flung everything they were holding directly at them.
Whatever it was, it was slimy…and moving. It took Blossom a moment to realize that they had just thrown a huge handful of bugs and insects on them. Bubbles must have realized it too, because she suddenly shrieked and started flying around in a circle, going, "Gross gross gross gross gross gross!!!!" Blossom herself was a little revolted by it, brushing the bugs off from herself.
The boys, though, looked puzzled, like it didn't have the effect they had hoped for. Boomer said, "Brick…it…didn't…"
Buttercup scraped the last of the bugs off from her and gave them a heavy stomp on the ground. She fixed her eyes on the boys, gritting her teeth angrily, and said, "Okay…that's it! I've had it! You're goin' down right now!" She started to fly towards them, and the boys raised their arms defensively and with some uncertainty…
"Wait!" Blossom shouted loudly, and Buttercup came to a halt, glancing quizzically at her as she continued, "Something's not right here…Rowdyruff Boys, why did you do that just now?"
"Well, duh," Butch said. "It's how we destroyed you last time…don't play dumb!"
"Destroyed us…?" Bubbles said in shock. She glanced around at the city, which was still quite intact, save for the little damage caused by their battle just now. "But then…why didn't Mojo destroy everything?"
Brick looked even more confused now, and said, "We just told you, because we stopped you…"
"Wh…huh?" Buttercup said, scratching her head. "You guys aren't making any sense!"
Blossom thought for a moment, then said, "No, I think I understand…" She landed and started to walk over. The boys went into defensive stances, but Blossom rose her arms and said, "Relax, I'm not gonna fight you. I just wanted to ask a couple simple questions that'll probably clear this whole mess up."
Brick regarded her carefully and said, "Go on…"
"Okay…" Blossom said. "Who created you?"
Boomer blinked a few times and said, "Professor Utonium…why?"
Bubbles and Buttercup glanced at each other as Blossom asked, "And who created us?"
Butch frowned, "That jerk, Mojo…"
A smile of understanding spread across the girls' faces, and Blossom said, "Okay, that's what I thought…we need someplace to talk, I've got something to tell you…"
* * *
They gathered near the lake in the park and went over all the details, about the HCMD, about them being from another dimension…but mostly, about the differences between their two dimensions. The boys listened, and were amazed. "So…lemme get this straight…" Butch said. "Where you come from, the professor created you? And it was Mojo who created us?"
"That's about the size of it," Buttercup said.
Blossom nodded, and asked, "So, why the bugs, anyway?"
"Well, that's how we stopped you in our world," Brick explained. "I still remember the talk we had with Ms. Bellum. 'What are little girls most afraid of?' she asked…"
"Being kissed!" Boomer exclaimed.
"No, dummy, that's what you're afraid of," Butch said with a frown.
"Oh yeah…" Boomer said, sheepishly.
Bubbles cringed a little, "So you threw bugs on 'em? That's so mean!"
"Maybe, but it worked," Brick pointed out. "They totally freaked out, and ended up self-destructing right on the spot. 'Course, the professor said somethin' about their formulas probably bein' unstable to begin with…it was just our little extra nudge that caused 'em to break down."
"Yeah, our professor said the same thing!" Blossom said.
"Mmhm," Boomer said. "I take it that's how you defeated us, by kissing us, right?" He shuddered a little, "Man, what a way to go…"
"I dunno," Brick said jokingly. "Doesn't sound too bad…" Boomer nudged him hard in the ribs, and he quickly shut up.
Buttercup spoke up, "So, everything else is the same, then? Mojo? Fuzzy Lumpkins? Him? They're all still around? The Gangreen Gang?"
"Yeah," Butch said, frowning a little at that last one. "Man…that Ace is a jerk…I can't believe I wanted to be like him…"
"What do you mean?" Bubbles asked.
Butch looked away slightly and said, "Well…see, this one time, I kinda thought that the gang wasn't really as bad as we thought they were, so I…well, I wanted to join the gang…be just like Ace, you know…he was kind of like a role-model, I guess, something I wanted to become. But he tricked me, used me to set a trap for Brick and Boomer. I'm glad I found out in time…I'm never trusting that guy again…"
"Wow," Buttercup said. "That's not too far off from something that happened to me…"
Butch looked surprised, "Really? Ace was your role-model?"
"Nnnnnnot exactly…" Buttercup fidgeted. "Nevermind, I don't really wanna talk about it…"
"So despite you guys yourselves being different," Blossom observed, "events seem to have gone the same way in your world, except for these little things. Like, did you guys ever run into Femme Fatale?"
"Don't remind me!" Boomer exclaimed. "That little…arrgh! When we caught her, she told us that the only reason we managed to catch her was because of our superpowers…that without them, we'd just be 'useless boys'…"
Brick nodded, "Yeah, I just said, 'You bet,' and was ready to cart her off to jail, but then she kept talking, and actually convinced us how completely worthless we were…how we were relying on our powers to make up for our male stupidity…you know, things like that. It was kind of depressing in a way. She somehow turned tables on us and talked us into letting her go."
"We didn't even want to try and stop her anymore after that," Butch said. "We felt so useless…until the professor gave us a pep-talk, making us realize that we were equals. Being male or female doesn't determine our worthiness; what matters is how we live up to our potential, and our powers give us the potential to be great crime fighters. Needless to say, we caught her pretty easily after that."
"Speaking of the professors," Buttercup suddenly said, "we left ours out by your guys' house…maybe we should get back over to him, to make sure he's all right and everything…"
"Sure!" Brick said. "C'mon, follow us!" The three of them took off, and the girls followed directly behind them. Blossom shook her head, smiling to herself. It's amazing, she thought. I never would have imagined the Rowdyruff Boys as heroes. These alternate worlds really do hold a lot of surprises…
* * *
Reaching home, they found that the alternate professor had already arrived. The two professors were at the table in the kitchen, going over the HCSP plans that he had brought with them. As the six of them entered, and the professors looked up at their approach, Blossom said, "Professor, the…"
"I know," the professor said, cutting her off. "The Rowdyruff Boys are good in this world. Professor Utonium explained everything."
Alt-Professor nodded, "That's right," and gave the girls a cautious glance. "It is kind of strange to see the Powerpuff Girls again…you know, after 'they' almost killed you…"
"Relax, Prof, they're harmless," Brick assured him.
Buttercup folded her arms, "I'm far from 'harmless', thank you very much!"
Elbowing her, Butch said, "Eh, he's just teasin'…so, what have you two been doin'?"
"Trying to solve the last few problems with the HCSP before I can finish building it," the professor said. "The biggest problem we have right now is tracking the portal's coordinates through dimensional space. It has to not only be completely precise, but also adjust for minor fluctuations."
Nodding, alt-Professor said, "We'd definitely need to have some sort of dimensional scanning device that makes use of inverted quantum tachyons, but such a device doesn't exist yet…"
"Wait a minute," Brick said, floating over to the edge of the table. "Say that again? What does it need?"
"Um," alt-Professor said, rubbing his chin, "Inverted quantum tachyons?"
Brick pounded one fist into his other and said, "That's it! Last time we carted Mojo off to prison, he said he was working on a way for one of his discoveries to destroy us, and that it was only a matter of time until he found it. But he mentioned exactly what you just said!"
"Awesome," Butch said, grinning. "So let's just fly over there and get it, all right?"
Boomer seemed hesitant, however, and asked, "Uh, do we even know what we're looking for?"
There was a pause, before Brick said, "You're right…no idea what this thing looks like, and Mojo's probably not gonna just point it out for us…"
"In that case," Blossom suggested, landing on the edge of the table, "I have a plan. It's like this…" The others gathered around as she explained what it was they were going to do…
* * *
Mojo rummaged through his refrigerator in irritation, "This cannot be! I was certain that I had purchased the proper ingredients for the dinner that I had planned to prepare for this evening's consumption, but I am lacking some of them! Unless…" He scratched his chin as he recalled, "Curses, I have forgotten that in my haste to prepare breakfast this morning, I had used some of the ingredients in the meal I had prepared in the breakfast that I had eaten. I shall have to re-think this evening's menu with this in mind…"
He didn't have time to re-think for long, because at that moment, the Powerpuff Girls crashed in through the roof of the observatory. He spun around as he saw them enter, and Bubbles immediately started to shout, "Not so f—…"
Buttercup quickly clamped a hand over Bubbles' mouth, cutting her off, and whispered, "Shh…not this time, remember?"
"Sorry," Bubbles whispered back. "Force of habit."
As Mojo stared over wide-eyed at the intruders in his observatory, the carton of milk he had currently been holding slipped out of his hands and splashed to the floor. "Powerpuff Girls? But…how can this be?"
"Does it really matter?" Blossom asked. "We're here, aren't we?"
Instead of answering, Mojo did something unexpected…he rushed over, grabbing all three girls out of the air and hugging them tightly. "My girls," he said almost looking teary-eyed. "You do not know how much I've missed you!"
"Uhh…" Buttercup started to say.
Mojo released the embrace and said, "But now, to business…since you have returned, then perhaps together we can device a plan, to use my superior intellects and your tremendous powers, to rule the world and finally defeat those accursed Rowdyruff Boys, once and for all!"
"Yeah," Blossom nodded. "But you know, what we really need to defeat the boys would be something that can generate inverted quantum tachyons…"
Mojo looked confused, "What? Why would you need one of those?"
"It's…uhh…part of our plan!" Bubbles answered.
"Like you said," Buttercup pointed out, "a mix of your smarts and our strengths."
"Wellllll…" Mojo said, scratching the side of his head. "I suppose…if you really have found a way that it can defeat the Rowdyruff Boys, then it's all yours…" He headed over to a table, scooping up a small microchip-like object, carrying it over to them. "Just do not break it, as it is the only one I have constructed."
Blossom took it, and looked down at the tiny thing. "That's it?"
"That's it," Mojo said. "Now…before you leave, do you mind telling me just how you came back into being, after I was so certain that the Rowdyruff Boys had defeated you?"
"Well…" Bubbles said quickly, "…we just…came back to life! Just like that!"
Buttercup nodded, "Yeah…now, let's go get those Rowdyruffs!" The other girls nodded, and the three of them flew back out of the hole they made in the ceiling. Mojo watched them go, a little puzzled, as he thought, Just came back to life, for no reason at all? Highly illogical and unlikely…but I suppose acceptable, so long as they're back. He grinned evilly…Yes! With the Powerpuff Girls fighting for me once again, nothing can stop me from ruling Townsville, and then the world!
* * *
"Boy, Mojo's gonna be steamed when we tell him we just defeated you again," Brick told the girls, as they gathered with the professor outside their house. "He's not gonna like that at all!"
"Nah, he'll be okay," Buttercup said. "Just give him a few good punches, and he'll forget all about it."
Butch grinned, "That's what I'm talkin' about! I like the way ya think, Buttercup!"
As the professor finished making the proper adjustments to the HCMD, Bubbles said, "It's kinda sad, though…Mojo seemed like he really missed us…I mean, his Powerpuff Girls…"
"You really think so?" alt-Professor asked.
Bubbles nodded, and added, "I wonder if our Mojo felt the same way about the Rowdyruff Boys?"
They all stopped to think about this for a few moments, before Blossom said, "I guess we'll never know…unless you guys want to come visit someday, and help us find out…"
"That's all right," Boomer said, shaking his head. "I think I like things the way they are here. You girls have a safe trip, all right?"
All of them nodded, and the professor raised the HCMD, saying, "All set!" With a push of the button, the vortex back to their own world opened up. The girls slipped through, waving to the boys, and the professor gave the small chip in his hand one more glance before smiling and saying, "Goodbye, boys, Professor!" as he stepped through. They all waved goodbye, and watched the vortex seal back up once again…
END OF PART 1