Blossom flew through the air, thoughts racing in her mind. Who was she going to meet? What if April was in some sort of conspiracy against them? Well she was confident in her ability to handle anything they could throw at her, so she wasn't too worried.
She landed in the alley and looked around. She didn't see anything unusual, just a few rats and mice running around on the other end of the alley. She jumped slightly when she heard a whispering voice.
"Psst, down here." She looked around, then finally down. She could see a pair of eyes staring at her from beneath a manhole cover. They were surrounded by orange cloth, concealing the skin beneath. "Come on, quick, before someone sees us." He lifted the cover higher, revealing himself to look just like the turtle that'd attacked them... just with a different voice and headband.
"Why should I trust you?" Blossom demanded.
"If I wanted to fight, do you think I'd introduce myself?" The turtle asked ironically. After pondering this, she decided to trust it. She flew into the sewer and the turtle climbed down after her. "Name's Michelangelo." He didn't say much else. He just led her through the sewer to some unknown destination. When they arrived she was surprised to see two more of these turtles, and a giant rat too.
"Welcome." The rat nodded. His body looked old and decrepit, but his eyes shone with wisdom and kindness. "I am afraid we've found ourselves in a disastrous situation."
"Who are you people?" Blossom demanded. So the rat explained their entire story. They'd been mutated sixteen years ago by a jar of what they called ooze created by the TGRI company. He finished off with the names of the three turtles present, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
"There's another one of us, but... he's gone missing." Michelangelo commented worriedly.
"The one who robbed us." Blossom nodded.
"Yes, I am afraid so." Splinter's eyes met hers. "He is not an evil person, but something tempted him into committing this crime."
Donatello stepped forward. "You see, with your professor's Molecular Re-sequencer, we could all become human and live up on the surface without having to worry about being hunted down and feared. We all agreed we wouldn't do anything about it but... Raphael's never been good at self-control." Blossom could certainly understand the motive. She'd thought of being normal on more than one occasion.
"So where would he take the Re-sequencer?" Blossom asked.
"That's the thing, he would bring it back here for Donatello to figure out." Leonardo stepped in. "So someone, or something, must have stopped him before he could get here."
Splinter nodded. "We must find Raphael and this device." The remaining three turtles nodded while Blossom stroked her chin. Splinter turned to the turtles. "Go with her to see her professor. He may have a way to find his device, and I suspect where we find that, we shall find Raphael."
"Yes master." Leonardo said as the turtles bowed respectfully. They turned back to Blossom. "Lead the way." Leonardo said. Blossom stroked her head, but turned to lead them back up to the surface anyway. Three mutant turtles, well she supposed it wasn't too different from a mutant monkey and a... whatever Fuzzy Lumpkins was.
________________________________________________________________________________
After the interview, Professor Utonium, Bubbles, and Buttercup had gone with April O'Neil to her apartment where they could speak in privacy. She told them everything she knew about their attacker, a mutant turtle named Raphael. The professor found this intriguing, and on further questioning, found out about their origins and the ooze created by TGRI. This piqued his interest, so when the turtles finally arrived he met them with open arms as if this was his apartment.
"So you're the mutated turtles." He looked each of them over, touching their shells and squeezing their biceps. They seemed unnerved by this, but didn't complain.
"Uh... yes we're turtles..." Leonardo replied. "Look about your device..."
"The nice young lady here has already filled me in." The professor grabbed a syringe from an inner coat pocket and held it up to Leonardo's arm. "May I?" The turtle looked even more nervous.
"Um... sure..." The professor drew some blood and hurried over to where he'd set up a small laboratory kit. Donatello joined him in a moment.
"This is some advanced stuff here to be just a field kit." Donatello commented appreciatively. "Is this a sub-molecular analyzer?"
"Yes it is." The professor replied, putting Leonardo's blood under the microscope. Without looking up he gestured to Buttercup. "Come here for a moment so I can take some of your blood."
"Why?" Buttercup complained. Professor Utonium glared at her and she obediently floated over so he could take the sample. He went back to work, ignoring the turtles and tots around him. The work took hours, but he learned much in that time. It was really quite amazing, such an old discovery and it was still so potent...
"Astounding..." He muttered.
"What is?" Donatello asked. The Professor had forgotten he was there. Michelangelo and Bubbles were watching cartoons while Blossom and Leonardo talked in the corner. Buttercup was in the corner skulking and April was trying to cheer her up.
"Well, I worked for TGRI many, many years ago." The professor replied. Donatello gasped, but didn't interrupt. "This mutagen in your bloodstream was a substance I helped create, but it wasn't potent enough for what I wanted to do with it. So I left the company to work on my own. I eventually multiplied its efficiency by several thousand percent, and called it Chemical-X."
"Chemical-X?" Donatello asked.
"The substance I used to create the Powerpuff Girls." The professor took Buttercup's blood and mixed it into Leonardo's. The reaction was immediate and complete. "Fascinating... the Chemical-X in my girls' blood is... absorbed by the mutagen in yours. That must be why their powers didn't work last night... but if it was absorbed, then Raphael would have traces of Chemical-X in his body. I can use that to track him, but I need a device attuned to molecular composition."
"Why don't we use the analyzer, and boost it with some of the energy modifiers I have in the sewer?" Donatello suggested. The professor stared at him in surprise. "You'd be surprised what some people throw away. Now come on, we should hurry before something happens to Raph."
"Or worse..." The professor nodded and followed Donatello to the underground hideout. If someone used that Molecular Re-sequencer the wrong way, it could spell disaster.
________________________________________________________________________________
It was almost nightfall by the time they returned. Michelangelo was asleep on the couch with Bubbles curled up in his lap. Buttercup had taken control of the TV and was watching a kung fu movie while Leonardo, April, and Blossom had a conversation in the kitchen. They walked in and the professor clapped his hands together to get their attention.
"Girls, gather around." He demanded. Blossom floated up silently. Buttercup grumbled and shook Bubbles awake before joining her. Bubbles looked up at Michelangelo and gave a squeal before she remembered he was a good guy. She blushed and joined her sisters. "We have a problem."
"What is it Professor? You couldn't find anything?" Blossom asked.
"Oh I found something alright..." The Professor held up the Molecular Analyzer. There were three dots in the dead center, with another, much dimmer dot far away from them. "That is Raphael." The professor pointed to it. Leonardo smiled and jumped to his feet.
"So let's go find him!" He exclaimed. The professor shook his head glumly and turned a knob. The barely glowing dot was replaced by a large red one, surrounded by nothing.
"This is the energy pattern for spectral beings..." He looked down at the girls. "I suppose you girls know whose it would be."
"It's... Him..." Bubbles' voice shook as she spoke. The utter silence in the room was broken only by snores coming from the couch. Leonardo grabbed a wet rag off the kitchen counter and threw it at Michelangelo. It covered his mouth, blocking his air until he woke with a start.
"Hey! What was that for!?" Michelangelo demanded. Leonardo rolled his eyes, but Bubbles giggled.
"Who is this guy?" Donatello asked.
"A powerful entity that doesn't really live as we think of it. He's a mystery to us, but I know one thing. If he has the Molecular Re-sequencer, it could spell trouble for the entire planet."
"Don't worry professor! We'll take care of Him!" Buttercup punched one fist. "We've beat him plenty of times, this one shouldn't be any different!" She turned to leave.
"We're coming with you." Leonardo turned to follow her. The girls were about to argue, but he preceded them. "We're not leaving Raphael at the mercy of some spectral lunatic. It's not that we don't trust you, we just want to help."
"Okay..." Blossom looked around at the group of turtles and tots. "Let's get going!" Blossom grabbed Leonardo, Buttercup grabbed Donatello, and Bubbles grabbed Michelangelo. They streaked out into the night. Donatello looked down at his tracking device, which the professor had given to him before they left. "He's a few more miles this way!"
"When we get there, leave Him to us." Blossom told him seriously. "Find your brother and get out of there as fast as you can." Donatello didn't respond. They soon landed in the parking lot of a large stadium in the middle of the city. The faint Chemical-X trace was coming from just inside. "We can't see through the walls... there must be something blocking our X-Ray vision."
"It might be Raphael." Donatello told her. "If the mutagen that created us absorbs chemical-X, then when we're around most of your Chemical-X powers will probably be less effective." The girls exchanged one long glance.
"I thought flying was a bit harder than normal..." Bubbles said.
"Just perfect!" Buttercup screamed. "Here we are with Him inside the building with the professor's device AND a hostage, and we don't even have our full powers, and it's all thanks to these green mutant freaks!"
"Calm down Buttercup!" Blossom yelled. "Let's not panic! So our powers aren't working a hundred percent, we'll just have to avoiding fighting Him directly." She whirled. "Bubbles, Michelangelo, sneak in the top of the building and make as much noise as you can. When Him goes to investigate, me and Leonardo will sneak in the front and find the device."
"What abut us?" Buttercup demanded.
"You and Donatello can sneak in the back and find Raphael. As long as Bubbles and Michelangelo get out again fast enough, we won't even have to SEE Him. Let's go!" Nobody complained, it was the best plan they had. So they split up and entered the building their separate ways.
________________________________________________________________________________
Michelangelo and Bubbles landed in one of the upper story offices. Computers sat on desks throughout the entire room. Mike could just imagine dozens of people all tapping away at the same time. What a life, he was almost glad to be a turtle when he thought about how many humans lived.
"Now, to make a lot of noise." Bubbles started to walk through the room. Suddenly a red light began to blink and a siren blared loudly from somewhere in the Hall. A security system. He couldn't believe they didn't think to check for that.
"Think that's loud enough?" Michelangelo asked. Bubbles giggled, but she was cut off when she heard something from outside the door.
"Come on, quick!" Bubbles streaked through the window and paused to wait for him. Before he could reach it however several bars plunged through the windowsill, trapping him inside. "Mikey! Hide!"
"Crud..." Michelangelo whirled when he heard the doorknob turning. He lunged for one of the desks and hid underneath it just as the door opened. He listened to a set of footsteps walk through the middle of the room slowly. When he passed Michelangelo scampered silently under another desk, closer to the door. He crept silently along the ground under the tables, so close...
"Another turtle!" He whirled to find the crimson skinned figure staring at him. It lifted one crab-like claw toward him.
"Catch me if you can dude!" Michelangelo lunged toward the door, springing off his hands and kicking the door open. A beam of energy passed right behind him as he landed in the hallway, taking off at a run. He turned down another hallway, narrowly avoiding another blast of energy. He leaned against the wall and reached behind him to pull out his nunchucks.
When the figure appeared around the corner he leapt off one foot, kicking it in the face. Him stumbled back, but Michelangelo didn't let up. He jumped forward and kicked him in the stomach, face, shoulder, anywhere he could reach. He let out a yell and whirled in a high, arching kick that sent him to the floor. "Yeah! Even a demon can't stand up to a turtle!"
Without warning the figure got to its hands and knees and kicked him in the chin with both feet, sending him flying back against the wall. Him laughed in a soft tone of voice and did a cartwheel to his feet again. "Stupid turtle, I've already begun mixing my DNA with that of the turtle I already captured." He laughed.
"You... what?" Michelangelo's eyes went wide.
"Quite interesting DNA he has... absorbs Chemical-X. When I finish bonding our DNA, the Powerpuff Girls won't even be able to come near me!" His voice lowered to an evil growl. "They will finally die!"
"You leave him alone!" Michelangelo lunged, bringing his nunchucks around expertly, but Him dodged them with all the ease of a trained martial artist combined with the speed and stamina of a ghost. His claw snapped one of the nunchucks in half, and the other gripped his wrist, crushing it under his tight grip. "HUGH!!!" Michelangelo screamed in pain.
"Maybe I'll use you too... after all, the more of this fascinating DNA I have, the weaker the girls will become." Him laughed and slammed one claw into his head, knocking him unconscious as he was dragged through the halls.
________________________________________________________________________________
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" Bubbles chanted in a panic as she streaked down the side of the building, and in through the front door. She hadn't been able to break the bars, which meant her strength was getting even weaker the longer she was around the turtles. Even worse, Him had Michelangelo, and he was probably heading down toward the main dome even now. She had to warn the others.
She streaked through the hallways as fast as she could, which was far slower than her normal speed. Still, she made good time and soon found them huddled in the middle of the stadium, where the device was lying on a steel table. The missing turtle was already on his feet, getting ready to make a break for it with the others.
"Blossom!" Bubbles screamed as she streaked up to them. "Michelangelo was caught, and Him is coming downstairs right now!" Blossom and Leonardo swore softly and Raphael stood up.
"I'll take this guy on, I caused all this." Raphael announced. Blossom grabbed his arm.
"No way, we Powerpuff Girls have to fight him. You should get out of here before he gets back." Blossom said.
"Too late!" Buttercup pointed toward the ceiling. Him was floating in mid-air with the unconscious turtle in his arms. He was grinning victoriously.
"Well well well, a whole crop of turtles and the Powerpuff Girls too. How convenient this is." Him laughed and floated down slowly. He let the turtle go, watching him fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Michelangelo!" Leonardo, and Donatello, ran to make sure he was okay, while the Powerpuff Girl and Raphael stared up at the floating menace.
"You're not getting away with this! Come on girls, full power or no, this guy is going down NOW!" The Powerpuff Girls streaked into the air in a perfect V formation. They slammed into Him at once, knocking him back several feet. They began to pummel him their hardest. Blows rained down on every inch of his body, but he barely flinched at their best hits.
Him laughed and swept one arm in front of him. The girls were flung back to the ground, slamming into the floor with a heavy thud. They pushed themselves to their hands and knees, glaring up at him. "You've spent too long with the turtles, your powers are almost completely gone." His claws snapped together as he continued in a dark voice. "Your death comes now."
"I think not." Leonardo whirled in front of the girls, pulling his twin swords from their scabbards. Donatello drew his bo beside him, and Raphael drew his one remaining sai. "You'll have to go through us first fruitcake!" Him laughed, his hands clinking together.
"Blossom, they don't have a chance..." Bubbles whispered.
"I know Bubbles... we have to... give them the rest of our Chemical-X." The other girls stared at her in shock.
"But... but what'll happen to us?" Buttercup asked.
"I don't know, but we can't let Him go free to take over the world." Blossom replied. She touched each of her sister's hands. "As we get weaker they get stronger, if we give them all we have, they'll be stronger than we ever were. They can finish this." Buttercup set her mouth in a grim line and Bubbles nodded.
"Let's do it." They said together. Their bodies began to glow softly, pink green and blue. Their clothing dropped to the floor as their bodies dissolved, becoming little more than the essence of what had created them. They threw themselves forward into the turtles' shells.
________________________________________________________________________________
"What the... AAGH!" Leonardo stumbled on shock as something surged through him. Donatello and Raphael were doing the same beside him. It felt like his body was on fire, but at the same time it was like it was speeding up. A computer with more power than every surging through it. Faster, stronger, better, he could feel everything inside of himself pulsing with energy.
"What? What have you girls done!?" Him exclaimed. Leonardo raised his head to stare up at the demonic form. He could remember... everything that Him had done. He could remember all of Blossom's memories, he knew everything about her. Her life, her dedication, her powers, he had it all. He also remembered moments before, what they'd given them.
"They sacrificed themselves to be rid of you!" Leonardo exclaimed, raising his swords in front of him. "So we'll do them the favor!" Raphael and Donatello stepped up beside him, raising their own weapons high.
"I'll destroy you all!" Him thrust his claws forward, sending a crimson wave of energy surging toward them. Leonardo leapt back twenty feet against the wall, launching himself off of it. He flew through the air, bringing his swords back. Him barely had time to raise one claw before the blades struck home. They sliced clean through Him's arm, sending it falling to the ground.
"AAAGH!" Him howled in pain, but Donatello was already coming up from the other side. The bo slammed into the side of Him's jaw, sending him reeling back through the air. Several teeth fell to the ground far below, followed by a small trail of blood.
"Time to end this!" Raphael leapt up from the ground beneath Him, clutching the sai in one hand. The triple blades plunged into Him's stomach, drawing forth a startled cry from the crimson demon. Raph pulled his sai free as he fell to the ground. Him fell to the ground in the middle of the stadium, weak from blood loss and barely moving.
"You... can't... kill a... specter..." Him tried to push himself to his hands and kneels, but Donatello and Raphael each stepped on one of his claws, holding him down.
"That's the power of Chemical-X." Leonardo lifted his sword over his head. Even it was pulsing with the power the Powerpuff Girls had given them. "Your reign of evil ends here." He brought the blade down, putting an end to the girls' fight forever.
"Whoa... dude..." They whirled when they heard Michelangelo stirring. They approached him as he pushed himself to his knees. "What a major headache... wha?" He looked around, seeing everything calm. "I didn't miss everything did I?"
"We'll wake you up next time we have to fight a spirit from the bowels of Hell." Raphael quipped. He and Donatello helped their brother stand up. Michelangelo looked around curiously.
"Hey... where did the Powerpuff Girls go? They didn't already leave did they?" The other three exchanged a glance.
"Hey you don't think they're... gone forever do you?" Leonardo asked.
Donatello turned around and looked down at the still-intact Molecular Re-sequencer. "I don't know about that..." This time it was Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael who exchanged the glance.
________________________________________________________________________________
The light flooded through her eyelids painfully. It was like her eyes were brand new, in fact her entire body felt strange. It was like she was a newborn child who didn't know how to use her body yet. But she remembered her life, her adventures with her sisters, her friends in school, the crime fighting, the turtles...
"The turtles!" Buttercup's eyes shot open. The professor and Donatello were standing over her with pleased expressions on their faces. "But... what happened... I thought we..."
"Calm down and let me explain." The professor smiled. "The Chemical-X in your body integrated with the turtles' mutagen, that's true, but your entire physical makeup went with it. Which meant reviving you was a simple matter of extracting the appropriate DNA sequences and reassembling them. The precise task my Molecular Re-sequencer was designed for."
"But won't they just absorb our powers over time again?" Buttercup asked, looking at Donatello.
Donatello responded to that one. "Nope, the DNA extraction process wasn't completely accurate, so you took some mutagen with you. It was just a small amount, not enough to hurt you, but it's enough to constantly run your Chemical-X through a never-ending absorption cycle. You're always reabsorbing your own powers, so nobody can take them from you THAT way again."
"That's a relief." Buttercup sighed. As she watched the other turtles, and even Master Splinter, entered the room.
"You wanted to see us professor?" Leonardo asked, looking at Professor Utonium."
"Ah yes, your sensei has told me that you want me to make you human. It's certainly possible, if you still want it. As thanks, for helping my girls get rid of one of their worst enemies." The turtles all looked at each other, none saying anything for a long while. They turned to Splinter, as if asking what they should do.
"It is time for you each to choose your own path." Splinter told them seriously.
Leonardo thought for a long time before he responded. "It's a generous offer professor..." Leonardo said. "But after thinking about it, I don't think I could live with being human."
"Yeah, how much more boring can it get than sitting at a computer all the time?" Michelangelo added.
"While that doesn't sound too bad to me, I'll have to pass too." Donatello said. "I just couldn't get used to having five fingers."
Raphael approached the professor's device, staring at it intently. Buttercup could still remember something from his mind, his memories. Master Splinter's words... "I have tried to channel your anger Raphael, but more remains. It clouds the mind. Turned inward, it is an unconquerable enemy. You are unique among your brothers, for you choose to face this enemy alone. But as you face it, don't forget them, and do not forget me." The words faded from Buttercup's mind, carried by whatever she'd taken from Raphael when she'd been extracted from him.
Everyone watched him, some nervous, some curious, but all waiting in tense silence. Raphael let out a short sigh and closed his eyes, then looked up at Buttercup. She stared back, for a moment feeling something between them that she couldn't explain. An understanding of what it was like. She felt the same way as him, that anger that always yearned to burst out. But her sisters always helped her past that... what would it be like to fight it alone?
Raphael turned slowly back to the others. "Who needs hair? A shell works for me." He smiled. Everyone in the room released their breath at once and the other turtles let out cheers.
"Woohoo! All together dudes!" Michelangelo raised his hand. The others followed suit. "Cowabunga!" They shouted together, laughing away the tension that had built up. Buttercup actually smiled, watching them party like they'd just saved the world... which they had of course.
"Hey, pizza's on Leo!" Michelangelo shouted, rushing into the kitchen.
"Hey wait a minute!" Leonardo complained, giving chase. Donatello, and an amused Splinter and Professor Utonium followed them. Raphael waited, turning back to her. They didn't say anything, but they didn't really have to. If he could control his anger and remain with his brothers, then she could stay with her sisters, no matter what opportunities came along.
She landed in the alley and looked around. She didn't see anything unusual, just a few rats and mice running around on the other end of the alley. She jumped slightly when she heard a whispering voice.
"Psst, down here." She looked around, then finally down. She could see a pair of eyes staring at her from beneath a manhole cover. They were surrounded by orange cloth, concealing the skin beneath. "Come on, quick, before someone sees us." He lifted the cover higher, revealing himself to look just like the turtle that'd attacked them... just with a different voice and headband.
"Why should I trust you?" Blossom demanded.
"If I wanted to fight, do you think I'd introduce myself?" The turtle asked ironically. After pondering this, she decided to trust it. She flew into the sewer and the turtle climbed down after her. "Name's Michelangelo." He didn't say much else. He just led her through the sewer to some unknown destination. When they arrived she was surprised to see two more of these turtles, and a giant rat too.
"Welcome." The rat nodded. His body looked old and decrepit, but his eyes shone with wisdom and kindness. "I am afraid we've found ourselves in a disastrous situation."
"Who are you people?" Blossom demanded. So the rat explained their entire story. They'd been mutated sixteen years ago by a jar of what they called ooze created by the TGRI company. He finished off with the names of the three turtles present, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
"There's another one of us, but... he's gone missing." Michelangelo commented worriedly.
"The one who robbed us." Blossom nodded.
"Yes, I am afraid so." Splinter's eyes met hers. "He is not an evil person, but something tempted him into committing this crime."
Donatello stepped forward. "You see, with your professor's Molecular Re-sequencer, we could all become human and live up on the surface without having to worry about being hunted down and feared. We all agreed we wouldn't do anything about it but... Raphael's never been good at self-control." Blossom could certainly understand the motive. She'd thought of being normal on more than one occasion.
"So where would he take the Re-sequencer?" Blossom asked.
"That's the thing, he would bring it back here for Donatello to figure out." Leonardo stepped in. "So someone, or something, must have stopped him before he could get here."
Splinter nodded. "We must find Raphael and this device." The remaining three turtles nodded while Blossom stroked her chin. Splinter turned to the turtles. "Go with her to see her professor. He may have a way to find his device, and I suspect where we find that, we shall find Raphael."
"Yes master." Leonardo said as the turtles bowed respectfully. They turned back to Blossom. "Lead the way." Leonardo said. Blossom stroked her head, but turned to lead them back up to the surface anyway. Three mutant turtles, well she supposed it wasn't too different from a mutant monkey and a... whatever Fuzzy Lumpkins was.
________________________________________________________________________________
After the interview, Professor Utonium, Bubbles, and Buttercup had gone with April O'Neil to her apartment where they could speak in privacy. She told them everything she knew about their attacker, a mutant turtle named Raphael. The professor found this intriguing, and on further questioning, found out about their origins and the ooze created by TGRI. This piqued his interest, so when the turtles finally arrived he met them with open arms as if this was his apartment.
"So you're the mutated turtles." He looked each of them over, touching their shells and squeezing their biceps. They seemed unnerved by this, but didn't complain.
"Uh... yes we're turtles..." Leonardo replied. "Look about your device..."
"The nice young lady here has already filled me in." The professor grabbed a syringe from an inner coat pocket and held it up to Leonardo's arm. "May I?" The turtle looked even more nervous.
"Um... sure..." The professor drew some blood and hurried over to where he'd set up a small laboratory kit. Donatello joined him in a moment.
"This is some advanced stuff here to be just a field kit." Donatello commented appreciatively. "Is this a sub-molecular analyzer?"
"Yes it is." The professor replied, putting Leonardo's blood under the microscope. Without looking up he gestured to Buttercup. "Come here for a moment so I can take some of your blood."
"Why?" Buttercup complained. Professor Utonium glared at her and she obediently floated over so he could take the sample. He went back to work, ignoring the turtles and tots around him. The work took hours, but he learned much in that time. It was really quite amazing, such an old discovery and it was still so potent...
"Astounding..." He muttered.
"What is?" Donatello asked. The Professor had forgotten he was there. Michelangelo and Bubbles were watching cartoons while Blossom and Leonardo talked in the corner. Buttercup was in the corner skulking and April was trying to cheer her up.
"Well, I worked for TGRI many, many years ago." The professor replied. Donatello gasped, but didn't interrupt. "This mutagen in your bloodstream was a substance I helped create, but it wasn't potent enough for what I wanted to do with it. So I left the company to work on my own. I eventually multiplied its efficiency by several thousand percent, and called it Chemical-X."
"Chemical-X?" Donatello asked.
"The substance I used to create the Powerpuff Girls." The professor took Buttercup's blood and mixed it into Leonardo's. The reaction was immediate and complete. "Fascinating... the Chemical-X in my girls' blood is... absorbed by the mutagen in yours. That must be why their powers didn't work last night... but if it was absorbed, then Raphael would have traces of Chemical-X in his body. I can use that to track him, but I need a device attuned to molecular composition."
"Why don't we use the analyzer, and boost it with some of the energy modifiers I have in the sewer?" Donatello suggested. The professor stared at him in surprise. "You'd be surprised what some people throw away. Now come on, we should hurry before something happens to Raph."
"Or worse..." The professor nodded and followed Donatello to the underground hideout. If someone used that Molecular Re-sequencer the wrong way, it could spell disaster.
________________________________________________________________________________
It was almost nightfall by the time they returned. Michelangelo was asleep on the couch with Bubbles curled up in his lap. Buttercup had taken control of the TV and was watching a kung fu movie while Leonardo, April, and Blossom had a conversation in the kitchen. They walked in and the professor clapped his hands together to get their attention.
"Girls, gather around." He demanded. Blossom floated up silently. Buttercup grumbled and shook Bubbles awake before joining her. Bubbles looked up at Michelangelo and gave a squeal before she remembered he was a good guy. She blushed and joined her sisters. "We have a problem."
"What is it Professor? You couldn't find anything?" Blossom asked.
"Oh I found something alright..." The Professor held up the Molecular Analyzer. There were three dots in the dead center, with another, much dimmer dot far away from them. "That is Raphael." The professor pointed to it. Leonardo smiled and jumped to his feet.
"So let's go find him!" He exclaimed. The professor shook his head glumly and turned a knob. The barely glowing dot was replaced by a large red one, surrounded by nothing.
"This is the energy pattern for spectral beings..." He looked down at the girls. "I suppose you girls know whose it would be."
"It's... Him..." Bubbles' voice shook as she spoke. The utter silence in the room was broken only by snores coming from the couch. Leonardo grabbed a wet rag off the kitchen counter and threw it at Michelangelo. It covered his mouth, blocking his air until he woke with a start.
"Hey! What was that for!?" Michelangelo demanded. Leonardo rolled his eyes, but Bubbles giggled.
"Who is this guy?" Donatello asked.
"A powerful entity that doesn't really live as we think of it. He's a mystery to us, but I know one thing. If he has the Molecular Re-sequencer, it could spell trouble for the entire planet."
"Don't worry professor! We'll take care of Him!" Buttercup punched one fist. "We've beat him plenty of times, this one shouldn't be any different!" She turned to leave.
"We're coming with you." Leonardo turned to follow her. The girls were about to argue, but he preceded them. "We're not leaving Raphael at the mercy of some spectral lunatic. It's not that we don't trust you, we just want to help."
"Okay..." Blossom looked around at the group of turtles and tots. "Let's get going!" Blossom grabbed Leonardo, Buttercup grabbed Donatello, and Bubbles grabbed Michelangelo. They streaked out into the night. Donatello looked down at his tracking device, which the professor had given to him before they left. "He's a few more miles this way!"
"When we get there, leave Him to us." Blossom told him seriously. "Find your brother and get out of there as fast as you can." Donatello didn't respond. They soon landed in the parking lot of a large stadium in the middle of the city. The faint Chemical-X trace was coming from just inside. "We can't see through the walls... there must be something blocking our X-Ray vision."
"It might be Raphael." Donatello told her. "If the mutagen that created us absorbs chemical-X, then when we're around most of your Chemical-X powers will probably be less effective." The girls exchanged one long glance.
"I thought flying was a bit harder than normal..." Bubbles said.
"Just perfect!" Buttercup screamed. "Here we are with Him inside the building with the professor's device AND a hostage, and we don't even have our full powers, and it's all thanks to these green mutant freaks!"
"Calm down Buttercup!" Blossom yelled. "Let's not panic! So our powers aren't working a hundred percent, we'll just have to avoiding fighting Him directly." She whirled. "Bubbles, Michelangelo, sneak in the top of the building and make as much noise as you can. When Him goes to investigate, me and Leonardo will sneak in the front and find the device."
"What abut us?" Buttercup demanded.
"You and Donatello can sneak in the back and find Raphael. As long as Bubbles and Michelangelo get out again fast enough, we won't even have to SEE Him. Let's go!" Nobody complained, it was the best plan they had. So they split up and entered the building their separate ways.
________________________________________________________________________________
Michelangelo and Bubbles landed in one of the upper story offices. Computers sat on desks throughout the entire room. Mike could just imagine dozens of people all tapping away at the same time. What a life, he was almost glad to be a turtle when he thought about how many humans lived.
"Now, to make a lot of noise." Bubbles started to walk through the room. Suddenly a red light began to blink and a siren blared loudly from somewhere in the Hall. A security system. He couldn't believe they didn't think to check for that.
"Think that's loud enough?" Michelangelo asked. Bubbles giggled, but she was cut off when she heard something from outside the door.
"Come on, quick!" Bubbles streaked through the window and paused to wait for him. Before he could reach it however several bars plunged through the windowsill, trapping him inside. "Mikey! Hide!"
"Crud..." Michelangelo whirled when he heard the doorknob turning. He lunged for one of the desks and hid underneath it just as the door opened. He listened to a set of footsteps walk through the middle of the room slowly. When he passed Michelangelo scampered silently under another desk, closer to the door. He crept silently along the ground under the tables, so close...
"Another turtle!" He whirled to find the crimson skinned figure staring at him. It lifted one crab-like claw toward him.
"Catch me if you can dude!" Michelangelo lunged toward the door, springing off his hands and kicking the door open. A beam of energy passed right behind him as he landed in the hallway, taking off at a run. He turned down another hallway, narrowly avoiding another blast of energy. He leaned against the wall and reached behind him to pull out his nunchucks.
When the figure appeared around the corner he leapt off one foot, kicking it in the face. Him stumbled back, but Michelangelo didn't let up. He jumped forward and kicked him in the stomach, face, shoulder, anywhere he could reach. He let out a yell and whirled in a high, arching kick that sent him to the floor. "Yeah! Even a demon can't stand up to a turtle!"
Without warning the figure got to its hands and knees and kicked him in the chin with both feet, sending him flying back against the wall. Him laughed in a soft tone of voice and did a cartwheel to his feet again. "Stupid turtle, I've already begun mixing my DNA with that of the turtle I already captured." He laughed.
"You... what?" Michelangelo's eyes went wide.
"Quite interesting DNA he has... absorbs Chemical-X. When I finish bonding our DNA, the Powerpuff Girls won't even be able to come near me!" His voice lowered to an evil growl. "They will finally die!"
"You leave him alone!" Michelangelo lunged, bringing his nunchucks around expertly, but Him dodged them with all the ease of a trained martial artist combined with the speed and stamina of a ghost. His claw snapped one of the nunchucks in half, and the other gripped his wrist, crushing it under his tight grip. "HUGH!!!" Michelangelo screamed in pain.
"Maybe I'll use you too... after all, the more of this fascinating DNA I have, the weaker the girls will become." Him laughed and slammed one claw into his head, knocking him unconscious as he was dragged through the halls.
________________________________________________________________________________
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" Bubbles chanted in a panic as she streaked down the side of the building, and in through the front door. She hadn't been able to break the bars, which meant her strength was getting even weaker the longer she was around the turtles. Even worse, Him had Michelangelo, and he was probably heading down toward the main dome even now. She had to warn the others.
She streaked through the hallways as fast as she could, which was far slower than her normal speed. Still, she made good time and soon found them huddled in the middle of the stadium, where the device was lying on a steel table. The missing turtle was already on his feet, getting ready to make a break for it with the others.
"Blossom!" Bubbles screamed as she streaked up to them. "Michelangelo was caught, and Him is coming downstairs right now!" Blossom and Leonardo swore softly and Raphael stood up.
"I'll take this guy on, I caused all this." Raphael announced. Blossom grabbed his arm.
"No way, we Powerpuff Girls have to fight him. You should get out of here before he gets back." Blossom said.
"Too late!" Buttercup pointed toward the ceiling. Him was floating in mid-air with the unconscious turtle in his arms. He was grinning victoriously.
"Well well well, a whole crop of turtles and the Powerpuff Girls too. How convenient this is." Him laughed and floated down slowly. He let the turtle go, watching him fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Michelangelo!" Leonardo, and Donatello, ran to make sure he was okay, while the Powerpuff Girl and Raphael stared up at the floating menace.
"You're not getting away with this! Come on girls, full power or no, this guy is going down NOW!" The Powerpuff Girls streaked into the air in a perfect V formation. They slammed into Him at once, knocking him back several feet. They began to pummel him their hardest. Blows rained down on every inch of his body, but he barely flinched at their best hits.
Him laughed and swept one arm in front of him. The girls were flung back to the ground, slamming into the floor with a heavy thud. They pushed themselves to their hands and knees, glaring up at him. "You've spent too long with the turtles, your powers are almost completely gone." His claws snapped together as he continued in a dark voice. "Your death comes now."
"I think not." Leonardo whirled in front of the girls, pulling his twin swords from their scabbards. Donatello drew his bo beside him, and Raphael drew his one remaining sai. "You'll have to go through us first fruitcake!" Him laughed, his hands clinking together.
"Blossom, they don't have a chance..." Bubbles whispered.
"I know Bubbles... we have to... give them the rest of our Chemical-X." The other girls stared at her in shock.
"But... but what'll happen to us?" Buttercup asked.
"I don't know, but we can't let Him go free to take over the world." Blossom replied. She touched each of her sister's hands. "As we get weaker they get stronger, if we give them all we have, they'll be stronger than we ever were. They can finish this." Buttercup set her mouth in a grim line and Bubbles nodded.
"Let's do it." They said together. Their bodies began to glow softly, pink green and blue. Their clothing dropped to the floor as their bodies dissolved, becoming little more than the essence of what had created them. They threw themselves forward into the turtles' shells.
________________________________________________________________________________
"What the... AAGH!" Leonardo stumbled on shock as something surged through him. Donatello and Raphael were doing the same beside him. It felt like his body was on fire, but at the same time it was like it was speeding up. A computer with more power than every surging through it. Faster, stronger, better, he could feel everything inside of himself pulsing with energy.
"What? What have you girls done!?" Him exclaimed. Leonardo raised his head to stare up at the demonic form. He could remember... everything that Him had done. He could remember all of Blossom's memories, he knew everything about her. Her life, her dedication, her powers, he had it all. He also remembered moments before, what they'd given them.
"They sacrificed themselves to be rid of you!" Leonardo exclaimed, raising his swords in front of him. "So we'll do them the favor!" Raphael and Donatello stepped up beside him, raising their own weapons high.
"I'll destroy you all!" Him thrust his claws forward, sending a crimson wave of energy surging toward them. Leonardo leapt back twenty feet against the wall, launching himself off of it. He flew through the air, bringing his swords back. Him barely had time to raise one claw before the blades struck home. They sliced clean through Him's arm, sending it falling to the ground.
"AAAGH!" Him howled in pain, but Donatello was already coming up from the other side. The bo slammed into the side of Him's jaw, sending him reeling back through the air. Several teeth fell to the ground far below, followed by a small trail of blood.
"Time to end this!" Raphael leapt up from the ground beneath Him, clutching the sai in one hand. The triple blades plunged into Him's stomach, drawing forth a startled cry from the crimson demon. Raph pulled his sai free as he fell to the ground. Him fell to the ground in the middle of the stadium, weak from blood loss and barely moving.
"You... can't... kill a... specter..." Him tried to push himself to his hands and kneels, but Donatello and Raphael each stepped on one of his claws, holding him down.
"That's the power of Chemical-X." Leonardo lifted his sword over his head. Even it was pulsing with the power the Powerpuff Girls had given them. "Your reign of evil ends here." He brought the blade down, putting an end to the girls' fight forever.
"Whoa... dude..." They whirled when they heard Michelangelo stirring. They approached him as he pushed himself to his knees. "What a major headache... wha?" He looked around, seeing everything calm. "I didn't miss everything did I?"
"We'll wake you up next time we have to fight a spirit from the bowels of Hell." Raphael quipped. He and Donatello helped their brother stand up. Michelangelo looked around curiously.
"Hey... where did the Powerpuff Girls go? They didn't already leave did they?" The other three exchanged a glance.
"Hey you don't think they're... gone forever do you?" Leonardo asked.
Donatello turned around and looked down at the still-intact Molecular Re-sequencer. "I don't know about that..." This time it was Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael who exchanged the glance.
________________________________________________________________________________
The light flooded through her eyelids painfully. It was like her eyes were brand new, in fact her entire body felt strange. It was like she was a newborn child who didn't know how to use her body yet. But she remembered her life, her adventures with her sisters, her friends in school, the crime fighting, the turtles...
"The turtles!" Buttercup's eyes shot open. The professor and Donatello were standing over her with pleased expressions on their faces. "But... what happened... I thought we..."
"Calm down and let me explain." The professor smiled. "The Chemical-X in your body integrated with the turtles' mutagen, that's true, but your entire physical makeup went with it. Which meant reviving you was a simple matter of extracting the appropriate DNA sequences and reassembling them. The precise task my Molecular Re-sequencer was designed for."
"But won't they just absorb our powers over time again?" Buttercup asked, looking at Donatello.
Donatello responded to that one. "Nope, the DNA extraction process wasn't completely accurate, so you took some mutagen with you. It was just a small amount, not enough to hurt you, but it's enough to constantly run your Chemical-X through a never-ending absorption cycle. You're always reabsorbing your own powers, so nobody can take them from you THAT way again."
"That's a relief." Buttercup sighed. As she watched the other turtles, and even Master Splinter, entered the room.
"You wanted to see us professor?" Leonardo asked, looking at Professor Utonium."
"Ah yes, your sensei has told me that you want me to make you human. It's certainly possible, if you still want it. As thanks, for helping my girls get rid of one of their worst enemies." The turtles all looked at each other, none saying anything for a long while. They turned to Splinter, as if asking what they should do.
"It is time for you each to choose your own path." Splinter told them seriously.
Leonardo thought for a long time before he responded. "It's a generous offer professor..." Leonardo said. "But after thinking about it, I don't think I could live with being human."
"Yeah, how much more boring can it get than sitting at a computer all the time?" Michelangelo added.
"While that doesn't sound too bad to me, I'll have to pass too." Donatello said. "I just couldn't get used to having five fingers."
Raphael approached the professor's device, staring at it intently. Buttercup could still remember something from his mind, his memories. Master Splinter's words... "I have tried to channel your anger Raphael, but more remains. It clouds the mind. Turned inward, it is an unconquerable enemy. You are unique among your brothers, for you choose to face this enemy alone. But as you face it, don't forget them, and do not forget me." The words faded from Buttercup's mind, carried by whatever she'd taken from Raphael when she'd been extracted from him.
Everyone watched him, some nervous, some curious, but all waiting in tense silence. Raphael let out a short sigh and closed his eyes, then looked up at Buttercup. She stared back, for a moment feeling something between them that she couldn't explain. An understanding of what it was like. She felt the same way as him, that anger that always yearned to burst out. But her sisters always helped her past that... what would it be like to fight it alone?
Raphael turned slowly back to the others. "Who needs hair? A shell works for me." He smiled. Everyone in the room released their breath at once and the other turtles let out cheers.
"Woohoo! All together dudes!" Michelangelo raised his hand. The others followed suit. "Cowabunga!" They shouted together, laughing away the tension that had built up. Buttercup actually smiled, watching them party like they'd just saved the world... which they had of course.
"Hey, pizza's on Leo!" Michelangelo shouted, rushing into the kitchen.
"Hey wait a minute!" Leonardo complained, giving chase. Donatello, and an amused Splinter and Professor Utonium followed them. Raphael waited, turning back to her. They didn't say anything, but they didn't really have to. If he could control his anger and remain with his brothers, then she could stay with her sisters, no matter what opportunities came along.