Disclaimer: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls or any characters from the show. They are the property of Cartoon Network and its affiliates.
The Alchemeister
Chapter Five: Wake-up Call
The Powerpuff Girls were soon flying over Pokey Oaks again, their home in sight.
Let's hope the Professor knows something about invisibility, so we can change Miss Bellum back., Bubbles began.
And maybe he can explain why he didn't wake us up earlier., Blossom added.
Buttercup looked ahead, and then asked, Blossom, you didn't close the door when we left did you?.
No, I thought the Professor would get it when he got up.. Then something dawned on her. Oh no! Do you think something has happened to him too?. The others only exchanged panicked stares before speeding up towards the house.
They all flew right in the door and started calling out, , We need to see you!, Professor! Professor Utonium!, Are you ok?, Are you there?. Getting no response, they all split up in search of him. Blossom went to the lab, Buttercup to his bedroom, and Bubbles was left to search the remainder of the house. At the lab, Blossom noticed that the door was left ajar, even though she knew he kept it closed at all times.
Professor? Are you down there?, she called. Still getting no response, she took a look around. He might have been up judging by the number of beakers and bottles that were lying out on the counter, as well as the open cupboards.
Before she could get a closer look though, she heard Buttercup calling out, Found him! He's still asleep in bed!. Soon, all three of them had gathered in his room, hovering by his bed and watching him quietly sleeping away.
I don't believe it., Buttercup muttered. He's still in bed at this hour?. She then moved closer to him. Wake up Professor....
He still didn't get up, so Bubbles came closer as well. Wakey Wakey!. No effect.
Blossom came up and started shaking the Professor. Hey! Wake up! Professor!. He just rolled over in bed, continuing his slumber. This isn't right... Try something louder.. Buttercup started clapping her hands, but that wasn't enough. Blossom then flew over to his alarm clock and intentionally set off its buzzer. Though it annoyed the other two, it still didn't wake him up. Bubbles in some frustration then unleashed a loud scream that shut off the alarm clock and cracked its screen in the process. But again, this was not effective.
That... didn't work?, said Buttercup uncovering her ears.
Blossom then considered some other options. Lets try some of his coffee, maybe that will wake him up.. Soon enough, they all came back with the entire pot of coffee, and all of it still quite hot. Bubbles moved the Professor's jaw so that his mouth would open, and as she held him like that, Blossom began to pour some of the brew into his mouth. Buttercup was also propping his head up to make sure that he was swallowing it. Yet, even when Buttecup's hands slipped, causing a mortified Blossom to spill the hot coffee directly onto his chest, he didn't wake up.
Time for something I know works., Buttercup said. She left the room, and came back with a bucket full of cold water. Before Blossom could stop her, she dumped it all over the Professor, leaving both him and the bed soaked. It succeeded in washing away the spilled coffee, but still no change in the Professor.
This is unbelievable., sighed Blossom.
What is he? Cursed? I know I couldn't sleep through half of that., Buttercup added.
Seeing this was going nowhere, the girls went downstairs, taking time for lunch and thinking about what might be the cause of all this.
We should pay Mojo Jojo another visit. He's taken care of the two most intelligent people in town by putting the Professor to sleep, and making Miss Bellum invisible. Then he sets the Gangreen Gang on a crime spree as a distraction. He must have something planned..
Buttercup, still sat at the table, looked over at Blossom. I still think this is too strange for him..
He's made some weird schemes before..
I know that, but each time, there's evidence pointing straight to him. Either he's gotten clever and covered his tracks, or he's not responsible. I think this could be Him's doing..
The weirdness is his style... But I don't think affection is one of his powers. I mean, the Gangreen Gang having a crush on us? He'd have done better by possessing them..
Both sat in silence for a while, then Bubbles came in from another room. Say, have you two been hearing a thumping noise?.
Now that you mention it, yes., Buttercup answered.
It's been going on since we got back, but I didn't pay it any mind with the Professor being out cold and all., said Blossom. They then listened in silence for a while. Indeed, there was a sort of thud going through the house, and now it seemed as if they could feel it. Quickly! Outside!. On Blossom's order, all three flew out and were now above the house, looking to see if there was something heading their way.
I don't see a monster., said a slightly puzzled Buttercup.
And I don't hear the thumping noise up here., Bubbles noted.
Then it has to be somewhere inside.. The girls then returned to the house, only to find that the thumping was getting much louder, and quickly. Also, the house was shaking somewhat. It must be coming in from below!.
I hear ya Blossom.. Yet before Buttercup could say more, a cracking of rock, and a crumbling of concrete was heard from below. It's in the lab! Hurry!. Upon opening the lab door, the girls flew up and hovered near the ceiling. Yet, instead of seeing a large hole in the floor like they expected, there was a fairly large hole in the lab wall with rubble and soil from outside spilled around it. A hulking figure stood atop it all, and it looked up at the girls with two large eyes, both glowing a sickly yellow.
Elsewhere, a figure was exiting a warehouse in the Industrial District at an agitated pace. Not there either, just more chemical; I..., He takes a sniff of the air, ... something smells terrible.. He looks around and spots a shadow advancing along an alley. He analyzes the shape and draws from his cloak a couple of flasks. Abruptly he turns the corner, showering the figure with one chemical before lobbing the entire flask of another liquid, hitting it square in the head. A little antidote and a little acid, ought to take care of you kid.. Then he realized that what he doused wasn't a Powerpuff Girl. It looked like one, but at any rate it didn't now, as it had been reduced to a heap of grey slime with black foam spilling out of it. Why did that corpse come for me? Did it deal with the other three? If not, that's one distraction gone, and there are still seventeen hours till the next dawn. I had better take my search downtown; perhaps my jewel' is in the businesses' crown?. He then produced another potion of his, drank it, and then ran towards the main part of Townsville at a greatly enhanced speed.