Inner Turmoil- Chapter 21
Oh no, oh no.
Professor Utonium peeked around the corner down a long hallway, his face flushed and sweaty. He hadn't seen anything like a guard in the past 30 minutes, and instead of that calming him down, it actually made him uneasier.
He looked around, noted that the coast was clear, and then hurried down the dimly lit passageway, searching for any sort of evidence of a struggle. It wasn't likely that there would be one, because the heavily armed soldiers had knocked Buttercup and Bubbles out with tranquilizer just seconds after Buttercup had shoved him into an empty room.
The professor rubbed his head. He'd landed on something hard, and it had left him dazed for just a few moments, but that had been long enough for the soldiers to cart his two daughters away. Now, he was trying to look for them, not really knowing where exactly to go.
He knew which room they'd be in, emergency stasis, but where that was he couldn't quite remember. The professor was busy looking for some sort of signpost on the wall for directions, when a very strange sound caught his attention.
It was a very faint, but constant beeping sound that the professor knew all too well. It was an ECG. That could only mean.
It was coming from his left; from a room that appeared to be empty from the portion of it he could see through the thick glass window. Cautiously he put his hand to the cool metal door, feeling it slide beneath his fingers as it opened, only to reveal an empty room.
The professor peered inside cautiously, then cried out softly when he saw the occupants. Behind a thick glass window he could see both Bubbles and Buttercup, unconscious and very still. He ran into the room with renewed urgency, searching for the door that would lead him into the operating portion of the chamber.
The observation half of the room was separated by a large complicated control panel and a thick glass window that looked out onto the operating tables and stasis tubes. An airtight door blocked him from his daughters, but he opened it with the pressing of a button on the control deck.
The door opened with a light swish and the professor hurried into the room, relief flooding him for the first time that night. Buttercup was lying motionless on what appeared to be an operating table, various instruments strewn about, but thankfully she looked to be in good health. It was as if someone had been prepared to do something, but had left in mid-task.
The professor looked around, double-checking to make sure there was no sign that this person was planning on coming back soon. Satisfied, he hurried to his daughter's side and examined her carefully.
She was unconscious, but her breathing and heart rate were perfectly normal. The professor looked around for something he could use to wake her, but never found what he was looking for. Realizing he'd have to wake her manually, he gently tapped her face and shook her lightly to get her to open her eyes.
Buttercup opened her eyes very suddenly and shot up quickly, taking the professor completely by surprise. He stumbled backwards and spilled over the tray of operating instruments with a particularly loud clatter. He hadn't been expecting her to wake so easily.
She turned to him with a bewildered expression on her face.
"Professor?"
He nodded quietly. Buttercup looked around, and spotted Bubbles, who at that moment was being contained in an empty stasis tube. She was upright, and her mouth and nose were covered with a very thick plug, presumably for oxygen. Her eyes were closed, and she looked eerily peaceful with the strange blue hue of the glass reflecting off her skin and hair.
Professor Utonium hurried over to the thick glass container and examined it carefully. It was locked by a keypad, and the professor lost hope when he realized there was no way he could open it without a code. He doubted that the glass could be broken.
Buttercup had swung herself off the table and landed onto the ground, swaying just slightly. She walked over to join the professor at Bubbles's side, and looked at him incredulously.
"Oh, move over," she said very haughtily, and the next second the entire keypad mechanism was dangling precariously from the unit, fizzing and popping with severed electric wires. Buttercup had punched her fist entirely into the electric keypad, and had torn it open, the lock releasing because of mechanical failure.
There was then an orchestration of various beeps and chimes from the instruments around the tube as the entire machine went a bit haywire, canceling the containment stage.
The front part of the glass slid open with a soft burst of trapped air, and Bubbles woke instantly. With a muffled gasp she tore the plug off her face and stumbled out of the tube, gasping and coughing. She blinked twice, and finally noticed the professor who had caught her just before she'd fallen.
"Professor!" she squeaked weakly, her voice partially fearful. He didn't say anything, not knowing exactly what he should say, and his mind suddenly turned to Blossom.
"Where is she?" he said tonelessly, not really expecting any answer, because none of them knew where she was, except-
"Blossom's in trouble," Buttercup said very abruptly. Her eyes had suddenly gone wide and her whole body had become rigid. Bubbles had also suddenly frozen in the professor's arms and he noticed it. "She needs us."
As if on cue, a very strange sound met the professor's ears. It was very far-off and haunting, almost sounding like a scream; a female cry so weak and scared it made his blood run cold; every fatherly instinct that had grown inside him the past twelve years told him it was his little girl crying out, hurt or dying. As the strangled cry died out, fading away like some ethereal ghost, the professor tightened his grip on Bubbles, as if fearful that she would also disappear with the strange cry.
As the scream faded, Bubbles suddenly let out a heavy gasp as if she'd suddenly realized something, or as if something had suddenly shocked her that she couldn't see. Buttercup looked over at them, her expression mixed with urgency and worry. The professor understood instantly; it had to have been Blossom, there was no other explanation, and the girls before him were the only things that could save her, if there was still something left to be saved.
"Go. I'll be fine." He said, feeling his lip trembling with oncoming anguish. He held the tears back, biting his lip tightly; he had to stay strong and focused.
The girls nodded in unison, and Bubbles gave the professor one last saddened look as if afraid she'd never see him again. He nodded quickly to her, and gently shoved her towards Buttercup, who was making her way towards the entrance.
With one last fleeting look in the professor's direction the girls were gone, running towards some unseen horror, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't find their sister dead.
***
"NOOOO!"
Panic, panic!
The gigantic claws were coming straight for her chest. She would die instantly. She'd have to act fast.
Blossom heaved her lower body up with the strength of her arms, extending her leg outward, landing it brutally upon Him's chest. He was stopped in mid-swing, and he flew backwards to the other side of the room, creating a fresh, crumbling dent in the wall.
With an angry roar he was up in a flash, once again charging for Blossom like a raging bull. As soon as he was upon her she let loose another hailing storm of hits, which were blocked easily by Him's increase in power. What was strange was that he didn't even try to fight back. He'd run for her as if he was going to attack. but it was like he was allowing her to make the first move. Throughout the last fifteen minutes while she'd been fighting him, all he did was block her punches, and whenever she fumbled or hesitated, he did something to knock her down. He only attempted to harm her when she was out of the fight, and Blossom was finding that very frustrating. Him was making it very difficult, and was only succeeding in making her try harder to deal some sort of damage, because at this rate she wasn't getting far.
He's trying to tire you. He wants you to exhaust yourself so that you'll be too weak to fight him off of you.
It was a good thing that her brain knew what was going on, but it didn't make her feel any better. Of course that was what he was trying to do. He was trying to wear her out. That was why he wasn't actually fighting back until she fell, because it would be harder for her to defend herself if she was tired and on her back. It made perfect sense.
She was in fact starting to tire fast, and wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer; her muscles were already starting to burn from fatigue and cried out in protest whenever she attempted to enlist their help. Unlike Him, Blossom was still human, Powerpuff or not, and she'd never exactly had a fight this intense before. He on the other hand, still seemed as if he could carry on for ages, and didn't look as if he was going to tucker out anytime soon; to say the least, the odds were steadily moving in Him's favor.
She hadn't been expecting it. In fact, she'd forgotten all about it. It happened too fast for her to react properly. Him tripped her up and she fell backwards, waving her arms to gain balance. She managed to stay upright, but that wasn't enough.
Him suddenly opened his mouth wide and hissed, a flashing jet of sizzling acid propelled towards her so suddenly; she only had time to let out a small "Oh" of surprise as it butted into her chest. It was so powerful, that Blossom was once again sent crashing against the wall, but this time, she couldn't get up. It was too difficult to muster the strength to move out of the way, that she was doomed as soon as he'd opened his mouth. It was as if some strange magic had turned all her muscles into lead weights, and Blossom dimly mused that that probably wasn't far from the truth.
She lay heavily against the cold stone, half leaning, half standing against the wall, looking at nothing more than the floor. Her hair covered her face like a veil, and she dimly thought that was better, that way she couldn't see Him coming towards her for the last time; his claw up and ready, his face absolutely thrilled at his luck. There was no possible way that she could have moved. Every response her muscles gave were slow and sluggish, barely fit to fight Him and longer.
Several things then happened in very quick succession.
Blossom suddenly felt Him grab a huge handful of her tangled hair, wrenching her face upwards to meet his own. He forced her brutally against the wall, making every piece of the building shudder ominously. It was very quick, but to Blossom it seemed like an eternity.
"I was contemplating finishing you off quickly-"
She looked up at him blankly, her eyes seeing, but barely focused.
"But you've really pissed me off my dear, trying to fight me off like that- "
Blossom tried to say something, her mouth opened, but no words escaped her throat. She was shaking, from pain and fear, and knew that she was about to die. It was only a matter of time.
"So I think I'll take my time. perhaps I'll start with this-"
Then Blossom felt searing pain in her abdomen that quickly spread to her entire body like a wildfire. It never really registered in her barely focused brain what he'd just done, until she realized with a sudden rush of panic that she was falling forward, her legs suddenly giving out from under her.
Very suddenly, without control, she released a strangled cry of pain, her hands fumbling for something to grab onto, latching onto Him involuntarily. He violently wrenched his clenched fist free from her stomach, thin rivulets of her own blood following his claw, pattering to the floor like tiny liquid rubies. She screamed, finally fully aware of the excruciating pain that was tearing through her body; Him's high pitched, squealing laughter mingling with Blossom's cry, creating a chorus of hell. Blossom then fell heavily to her knees, barely able to keep herself up, trembling and jerking every movement as she clutched her bleeding stomach.
She moved her hands away, without even realizing what she was doing, and watched with ghostly wonder as her own blood slid down her arm. She'd never seen so much blood in her life. never her own blood. and it came out faster when her heart beat harder. It was pouring out like a hose.
She fell on all fours, Him still standing over her, screeching like a deranged banshee, but she tried to shut him out. Purely on instinct she tried to crawl away, barely aware that her body and mind were separating very slowly, her eyes becoming heavy and drowsy. She felt sick and lightheaded, her innards a jumbled, squirmy mess of nerves and pain. Her bloodied hand slid on the floor just slightly, smearing a gory trail of fluid as she tried to get away.
Him made no motion to follow her. He just stood behind her, laughing-
With a shuddering crash Blossom fell, unable to go on. She lay on her side exhausted, still clutching her bleeding hole, feeling her life fluid drain with an awed, barely aware interest. Her sides heaved rapidly, each gasping breath a chore, her mind fogging up with only one mingling thought; she was dying. Him had actually stabbed her with his mutated claw; he'd actually beaten her.
Blossom was about to close her eyes when a new sensation forced her to stay conscious. She actually felt Him move closer behind her, because she felt the heat rise on her skin. He was standing right over Blossom, and in one fluid motion he scooped her off the ground, holding her throbbing neck in his original claw. Blossom was forced roughly to her feet as new puddles of crimson fluid pattered around her. He brought her face just inches away from his own, and she could feel the heat of his breath on her skin.
"Now the real fun begins." he breathed, his voice a thick throaty purr that sent a rather unpleasant jolt through Blossom's wound. He was watching her with intense interest, and slowly Blossom tried to close her eyes, trying so hard to shut off her imagination that was throwing out all the possible things he was going to do to her. but something new caught her attention, something she hadn't been expecting.
No. not possible. she thought sluggishly, but it was as clear as day. The forms of her two sisters, Buttercup and Bubbles slid into her blurring vision, moving into place behind Him. He clearly hadn't noticed them enter the room, but he jerked just slightly as Buttercup let out a muffled scream; more than likely her reaction to the bloody scene before her.
Very slowly Him turned his head in their direction, grinning wickedly, and they both looked at him with their eyes wide and staring. He was glaring at them, smiling, but for a moment none of them spoke. Everything seemed to have frozen, except for Blossom's blood, which continued to flow evenly.
Buttercup gulped thickly, "Let her go Him," she said very softly. In fact, Buttercup's voice had never been so quiet before.
"Blossom?" Bubbles cried softly, fresh tears in her eyes. Bubbles looked absolutely torn apart, and she was watching Blossom, terrified, but Blossom couldn't respond.
"And why would I want that?" Him replied airily, but through her pain Blossom thought she felt Him trembling.
"Because if you don't, I'll-" Buttercup hollered, and she took one flying leap at Him, ready to strike, but stopped dead when Blossom suddenly screamed in pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" he snarled, tightening even harder on Blossom's throat, nearly cutting off her air supply. "Your sister's life depends on you staying right there."
"Buttercup. Blossom, she's-" Bubbles stuttered, grabbing Buttercup roughly by the shoulder.
"I see it Bubbles!" Buttercup said angrily, her voice jumping with trembling rage. She jerked away from Bubbles's grasp and took a very cautious step forward, pushing her luck. "I swear Him. when I get through with you."
"Oh. but you're just in time for the. show." and Him raised his claw again threateningly, this time, ready to slit Blossom's throat. Blossom barely noticed, and watched Him's claw loom over her face lazily, partially in a dream.
"LET HER GO!" Bubbles suddenly screamed, with a hidden fury that she very rarely possessed. Blossom tuned them out, but strangely busied herself with looking around the room to wherever she could strain her eyes.
They were now arguing, yelling, but Blossom wasn't listening, for something new and intriguing had caught her interest. If she had been in better condition she would have whooped for joy, but seeing the professor creeping towards Him very slowly, brandishing a very large chunk of wall in his hand, did not stir up an elation. Instead she watched the professor very softly, and very briefly he caught her gaze, and in that instant he looked like he was going to be sick.
The professor grew closer. Him hadn't even noticed. Bubbles and Buttercup kept talking to Him, trying to keep his attention focused away from his backside. they had clearly noticed.
With a satisfying crack of rock on bone, the professor smashed the piece of wall directly onto Him's back with surprising accuracy. Him let out a strangled cry of surprise, and Blossom felt his grip on her throat suddenly release. Very slowly, she was falling. and a second later she felt her body hit the ground with a very heavy thump.
It was if an explosion had gone off in that very empty room. The second Him had released Blossom, stumbling and cursing, Buttercup had lunged at him with heightened fury. Bubbles, who threw herself into the frenzy with gritted teeth, every ounce of anger bursting, closely followed her. The three of them were engulfed in a smoking battle, Blossom barely able to follow.
There was a very defined shriek as Him was caught in the chest by Bubbles's eye lasers. Then Buttercup knocked him with her specialized uppercut, followed by a perfect roundhouse kick. The battle raged on, Blossom just struggling to stay conscious as she felt the professor scoop her up in his arms, propping her up against the crook of his elbow as he kneeled to the floor.
There was a stinging sensation of pain as she felt a hand against her wound. She looked up weakly, and met the flushed gaze of the professor who was desperately trying to stop the bleeding with his own hands. Blossom watched her father lovingly, and he did nothing but stare down at her bleeding stomach with puffy, reddened eyes.
There was suddenly a scream that was female and very familiar. Blossom gasped, feeling a sudden surge of energy move through her as she watched Buttercup fall, a fresh trail of raw wounds along her right side. The pure shock of being hurt sent Buttercup thrashing to the ground.
Blossom moved herself to a shaky stand with renewed strength, making the professor gasp with surprise as she pulled away from his grasp, ignoring the biting pain and soaking blood on her body. She was very aware of the Chemical X that was putting her body back into overdrive, perhaps for just a moment.
Bubbles roared very angrily and flew at Him, blood trickling down her cheek from a very minor scratch. Just as Bubbles reached Him, he grabbed a good- sized chunk of her blonde hair and forced her head first down onto the floor, connecting with an echoing smack. It was as if a piece of the floor partially exploded; as Bubbles's head hit the ground, it created a crumbling hole in the floor that matched the exact shape and size of her skull. Bubbles lifted her head shakily; gently fingering the part of her head that had met with the ground, blood oozing from her forehead. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she groaned, crashing face first back onto the floor where she remained still as a rock.
As that was happening, it seemed as if Blossom's mind had been over run by some vengeful spirit. Her sisters were in trouble. She had to do something-
Blossom pressed her hands together firmly, feeling the pressure build between her palms and the shooting tingling sensations that streaked through her arms. She separated her hands very slowly, creating a thrumming bridge of electricity that jumped between her conduit fingers. Him was just about to kill Buttercup.
"Hey!" Blossom croaked, the energy in her hands making her tremble. Him spun around, saw her, and then growled angrily. Blossom very quickly glanced at Buttercup, who had jumped up to help Bubbles.
Then Him's attention shifted to something behind Blossom, and he smiled wickedly. Blossom heard the professor gasp, and as Him moved forward to attack Blossom moved directly into his path.
"You won't touch him," she said very weakly, and she lifted her palms in his direction, directing the energy with her mind. There was a blinding flash as the lightening jumped from her fingers and engulfed Him, fizzling and popping as it did its work. Him was replaced by an exploding ball of hot, sizzling white light, screaming and yelping as it licked at his body.
Then very suddenly it stopped and Him fell to his knees. For a second Blossom was terrified that her plan hadn't worked, because Him appeared as if he was going to get up again, but he didn't. Him's entire body was smoking, and he was shaking violently as a few stray sparks continued to pop amongst his smoking skin. He looked up at Blossom very weakly, and his eyes dropped just slightly, blood covering his face-
"This-isn't-over." And with a very loud crack and whirling mass of smoke Him was gone.
Everyone had frozen, and they all watched Blossom as she wobbled, suddenly very weak again. The professor leapt up and ran to her, just as Blossom fell over to the side with a huge sigh. Her sisters were upon her in an instant, and Blossom looked up at her entire family as her vision began to blur.
The professor peeled off his dirty lab jacket and attempted to use it as a bandage, pressing it against Blossom's wound. He looked up at Buttercup,
"Keep pressure on it," he said very softly. Buttercup looked at the professor, horror struck, as if the weight of the entire world had been pressed against her shoulders, but she obeyed his every word.
Blossom could barely feel a warm hand on her forehead, as the professor looked her over, silent tears falling down his cheeks. Bubbles very softly touched Blossom's face, her other hand still holding her head where she'd hit the ground.
"The Chemical X is keeping her alive. but it won't for long." the professor's voice floated through Blossom's consciousness slowly. She felt herself slipping, and almost felt her heart fluttering weakly in her chest, struggling like a wounded bird trying to gain flight.
"Professor!" Buttercup choked, sobbing. All this was happening very slowly, and Blossom's attention was very minute.
"Blossom! Please don't leave!" Bubbles cried, her voice soft and distant.
The professor looked back at his other two daughters and his face became very serious, but Blossom never saw the strength in his gaze. She had closed her eyes weakly, her breathing becoming very slow and shallow. If she had been able to see her face she wouldn't have recognized herself. Her entire complexion had changed into the pasty white of a ghost, her skin clammy and cool.
"Only you can get her there in time," he said, his voice almost having an echoing quality to it. Buttercup nodded shortly. In the next second, Blossom felt herself lifted away from the professor, only to find herself in Buttercup's strong grasp.
"I'll take you," Bubbles said mournfully to the professor, but Blossom knew nothing else after that. Everything had suddenly gone very dark and quiet.
Oh no, oh no.
Professor Utonium peeked around the corner down a long hallway, his face flushed and sweaty. He hadn't seen anything like a guard in the past 30 minutes, and instead of that calming him down, it actually made him uneasier.
He looked around, noted that the coast was clear, and then hurried down the dimly lit passageway, searching for any sort of evidence of a struggle. It wasn't likely that there would be one, because the heavily armed soldiers had knocked Buttercup and Bubbles out with tranquilizer just seconds after Buttercup had shoved him into an empty room.
The professor rubbed his head. He'd landed on something hard, and it had left him dazed for just a few moments, but that had been long enough for the soldiers to cart his two daughters away. Now, he was trying to look for them, not really knowing where exactly to go.
He knew which room they'd be in, emergency stasis, but where that was he couldn't quite remember. The professor was busy looking for some sort of signpost on the wall for directions, when a very strange sound caught his attention.
It was a very faint, but constant beeping sound that the professor knew all too well. It was an ECG. That could only mean.
It was coming from his left; from a room that appeared to be empty from the portion of it he could see through the thick glass window. Cautiously he put his hand to the cool metal door, feeling it slide beneath his fingers as it opened, only to reveal an empty room.
The professor peered inside cautiously, then cried out softly when he saw the occupants. Behind a thick glass window he could see both Bubbles and Buttercup, unconscious and very still. He ran into the room with renewed urgency, searching for the door that would lead him into the operating portion of the chamber.
The observation half of the room was separated by a large complicated control panel and a thick glass window that looked out onto the operating tables and stasis tubes. An airtight door blocked him from his daughters, but he opened it with the pressing of a button on the control deck.
The door opened with a light swish and the professor hurried into the room, relief flooding him for the first time that night. Buttercup was lying motionless on what appeared to be an operating table, various instruments strewn about, but thankfully she looked to be in good health. It was as if someone had been prepared to do something, but had left in mid-task.
The professor looked around, double-checking to make sure there was no sign that this person was planning on coming back soon. Satisfied, he hurried to his daughter's side and examined her carefully.
She was unconscious, but her breathing and heart rate were perfectly normal. The professor looked around for something he could use to wake her, but never found what he was looking for. Realizing he'd have to wake her manually, he gently tapped her face and shook her lightly to get her to open her eyes.
Buttercup opened her eyes very suddenly and shot up quickly, taking the professor completely by surprise. He stumbled backwards and spilled over the tray of operating instruments with a particularly loud clatter. He hadn't been expecting her to wake so easily.
She turned to him with a bewildered expression on her face.
"Professor?"
He nodded quietly. Buttercup looked around, and spotted Bubbles, who at that moment was being contained in an empty stasis tube. She was upright, and her mouth and nose were covered with a very thick plug, presumably for oxygen. Her eyes were closed, and she looked eerily peaceful with the strange blue hue of the glass reflecting off her skin and hair.
Professor Utonium hurried over to the thick glass container and examined it carefully. It was locked by a keypad, and the professor lost hope when he realized there was no way he could open it without a code. He doubted that the glass could be broken.
Buttercup had swung herself off the table and landed onto the ground, swaying just slightly. She walked over to join the professor at Bubbles's side, and looked at him incredulously.
"Oh, move over," she said very haughtily, and the next second the entire keypad mechanism was dangling precariously from the unit, fizzing and popping with severed electric wires. Buttercup had punched her fist entirely into the electric keypad, and had torn it open, the lock releasing because of mechanical failure.
There was then an orchestration of various beeps and chimes from the instruments around the tube as the entire machine went a bit haywire, canceling the containment stage.
The front part of the glass slid open with a soft burst of trapped air, and Bubbles woke instantly. With a muffled gasp she tore the plug off her face and stumbled out of the tube, gasping and coughing. She blinked twice, and finally noticed the professor who had caught her just before she'd fallen.
"Professor!" she squeaked weakly, her voice partially fearful. He didn't say anything, not knowing exactly what he should say, and his mind suddenly turned to Blossom.
"Where is she?" he said tonelessly, not really expecting any answer, because none of them knew where she was, except-
"Blossom's in trouble," Buttercup said very abruptly. Her eyes had suddenly gone wide and her whole body had become rigid. Bubbles had also suddenly frozen in the professor's arms and he noticed it. "She needs us."
As if on cue, a very strange sound met the professor's ears. It was very far-off and haunting, almost sounding like a scream; a female cry so weak and scared it made his blood run cold; every fatherly instinct that had grown inside him the past twelve years told him it was his little girl crying out, hurt or dying. As the strangled cry died out, fading away like some ethereal ghost, the professor tightened his grip on Bubbles, as if fearful that she would also disappear with the strange cry.
As the scream faded, Bubbles suddenly let out a heavy gasp as if she'd suddenly realized something, or as if something had suddenly shocked her that she couldn't see. Buttercup looked over at them, her expression mixed with urgency and worry. The professor understood instantly; it had to have been Blossom, there was no other explanation, and the girls before him were the only things that could save her, if there was still something left to be saved.
"Go. I'll be fine." He said, feeling his lip trembling with oncoming anguish. He held the tears back, biting his lip tightly; he had to stay strong and focused.
The girls nodded in unison, and Bubbles gave the professor one last saddened look as if afraid she'd never see him again. He nodded quickly to her, and gently shoved her towards Buttercup, who was making her way towards the entrance.
With one last fleeting look in the professor's direction the girls were gone, running towards some unseen horror, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't find their sister dead.
***
"NOOOO!"
Panic, panic!
The gigantic claws were coming straight for her chest. She would die instantly. She'd have to act fast.
Blossom heaved her lower body up with the strength of her arms, extending her leg outward, landing it brutally upon Him's chest. He was stopped in mid-swing, and he flew backwards to the other side of the room, creating a fresh, crumbling dent in the wall.
With an angry roar he was up in a flash, once again charging for Blossom like a raging bull. As soon as he was upon her she let loose another hailing storm of hits, which were blocked easily by Him's increase in power. What was strange was that he didn't even try to fight back. He'd run for her as if he was going to attack. but it was like he was allowing her to make the first move. Throughout the last fifteen minutes while she'd been fighting him, all he did was block her punches, and whenever she fumbled or hesitated, he did something to knock her down. He only attempted to harm her when she was out of the fight, and Blossom was finding that very frustrating. Him was making it very difficult, and was only succeeding in making her try harder to deal some sort of damage, because at this rate she wasn't getting far.
He's trying to tire you. He wants you to exhaust yourself so that you'll be too weak to fight him off of you.
It was a good thing that her brain knew what was going on, but it didn't make her feel any better. Of course that was what he was trying to do. He was trying to wear her out. That was why he wasn't actually fighting back until she fell, because it would be harder for her to defend herself if she was tired and on her back. It made perfect sense.
She was in fact starting to tire fast, and wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer; her muscles were already starting to burn from fatigue and cried out in protest whenever she attempted to enlist their help. Unlike Him, Blossom was still human, Powerpuff or not, and she'd never exactly had a fight this intense before. He on the other hand, still seemed as if he could carry on for ages, and didn't look as if he was going to tucker out anytime soon; to say the least, the odds were steadily moving in Him's favor.
She hadn't been expecting it. In fact, she'd forgotten all about it. It happened too fast for her to react properly. Him tripped her up and she fell backwards, waving her arms to gain balance. She managed to stay upright, but that wasn't enough.
Him suddenly opened his mouth wide and hissed, a flashing jet of sizzling acid propelled towards her so suddenly; she only had time to let out a small "Oh" of surprise as it butted into her chest. It was so powerful, that Blossom was once again sent crashing against the wall, but this time, she couldn't get up. It was too difficult to muster the strength to move out of the way, that she was doomed as soon as he'd opened his mouth. It was as if some strange magic had turned all her muscles into lead weights, and Blossom dimly mused that that probably wasn't far from the truth.
She lay heavily against the cold stone, half leaning, half standing against the wall, looking at nothing more than the floor. Her hair covered her face like a veil, and she dimly thought that was better, that way she couldn't see Him coming towards her for the last time; his claw up and ready, his face absolutely thrilled at his luck. There was no possible way that she could have moved. Every response her muscles gave were slow and sluggish, barely fit to fight Him and longer.
Several things then happened in very quick succession.
Blossom suddenly felt Him grab a huge handful of her tangled hair, wrenching her face upwards to meet his own. He forced her brutally against the wall, making every piece of the building shudder ominously. It was very quick, but to Blossom it seemed like an eternity.
"I was contemplating finishing you off quickly-"
She looked up at him blankly, her eyes seeing, but barely focused.
"But you've really pissed me off my dear, trying to fight me off like that- "
Blossom tried to say something, her mouth opened, but no words escaped her throat. She was shaking, from pain and fear, and knew that she was about to die. It was only a matter of time.
"So I think I'll take my time. perhaps I'll start with this-"
Then Blossom felt searing pain in her abdomen that quickly spread to her entire body like a wildfire. It never really registered in her barely focused brain what he'd just done, until she realized with a sudden rush of panic that she was falling forward, her legs suddenly giving out from under her.
Very suddenly, without control, she released a strangled cry of pain, her hands fumbling for something to grab onto, latching onto Him involuntarily. He violently wrenched his clenched fist free from her stomach, thin rivulets of her own blood following his claw, pattering to the floor like tiny liquid rubies. She screamed, finally fully aware of the excruciating pain that was tearing through her body; Him's high pitched, squealing laughter mingling with Blossom's cry, creating a chorus of hell. Blossom then fell heavily to her knees, barely able to keep herself up, trembling and jerking every movement as she clutched her bleeding stomach.
She moved her hands away, without even realizing what she was doing, and watched with ghostly wonder as her own blood slid down her arm. She'd never seen so much blood in her life. never her own blood. and it came out faster when her heart beat harder. It was pouring out like a hose.
She fell on all fours, Him still standing over her, screeching like a deranged banshee, but she tried to shut him out. Purely on instinct she tried to crawl away, barely aware that her body and mind were separating very slowly, her eyes becoming heavy and drowsy. She felt sick and lightheaded, her innards a jumbled, squirmy mess of nerves and pain. Her bloodied hand slid on the floor just slightly, smearing a gory trail of fluid as she tried to get away.
Him made no motion to follow her. He just stood behind her, laughing-
With a shuddering crash Blossom fell, unable to go on. She lay on her side exhausted, still clutching her bleeding hole, feeling her life fluid drain with an awed, barely aware interest. Her sides heaved rapidly, each gasping breath a chore, her mind fogging up with only one mingling thought; she was dying. Him had actually stabbed her with his mutated claw; he'd actually beaten her.
Blossom was about to close her eyes when a new sensation forced her to stay conscious. She actually felt Him move closer behind her, because she felt the heat rise on her skin. He was standing right over Blossom, and in one fluid motion he scooped her off the ground, holding her throbbing neck in his original claw. Blossom was forced roughly to her feet as new puddles of crimson fluid pattered around her. He brought her face just inches away from his own, and she could feel the heat of his breath on her skin.
"Now the real fun begins." he breathed, his voice a thick throaty purr that sent a rather unpleasant jolt through Blossom's wound. He was watching her with intense interest, and slowly Blossom tried to close her eyes, trying so hard to shut off her imagination that was throwing out all the possible things he was going to do to her. but something new caught her attention, something she hadn't been expecting.
No. not possible. she thought sluggishly, but it was as clear as day. The forms of her two sisters, Buttercup and Bubbles slid into her blurring vision, moving into place behind Him. He clearly hadn't noticed them enter the room, but he jerked just slightly as Buttercup let out a muffled scream; more than likely her reaction to the bloody scene before her.
Very slowly Him turned his head in their direction, grinning wickedly, and they both looked at him with their eyes wide and staring. He was glaring at them, smiling, but for a moment none of them spoke. Everything seemed to have frozen, except for Blossom's blood, which continued to flow evenly.
Buttercup gulped thickly, "Let her go Him," she said very softly. In fact, Buttercup's voice had never been so quiet before.
"Blossom?" Bubbles cried softly, fresh tears in her eyes. Bubbles looked absolutely torn apart, and she was watching Blossom, terrified, but Blossom couldn't respond.
"And why would I want that?" Him replied airily, but through her pain Blossom thought she felt Him trembling.
"Because if you don't, I'll-" Buttercup hollered, and she took one flying leap at Him, ready to strike, but stopped dead when Blossom suddenly screamed in pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" he snarled, tightening even harder on Blossom's throat, nearly cutting off her air supply. "Your sister's life depends on you staying right there."
"Buttercup. Blossom, she's-" Bubbles stuttered, grabbing Buttercup roughly by the shoulder.
"I see it Bubbles!" Buttercup said angrily, her voice jumping with trembling rage. She jerked away from Bubbles's grasp and took a very cautious step forward, pushing her luck. "I swear Him. when I get through with you."
"Oh. but you're just in time for the. show." and Him raised his claw again threateningly, this time, ready to slit Blossom's throat. Blossom barely noticed, and watched Him's claw loom over her face lazily, partially in a dream.
"LET HER GO!" Bubbles suddenly screamed, with a hidden fury that she very rarely possessed. Blossom tuned them out, but strangely busied herself with looking around the room to wherever she could strain her eyes.
They were now arguing, yelling, but Blossom wasn't listening, for something new and intriguing had caught her interest. If she had been in better condition she would have whooped for joy, but seeing the professor creeping towards Him very slowly, brandishing a very large chunk of wall in his hand, did not stir up an elation. Instead she watched the professor very softly, and very briefly he caught her gaze, and in that instant he looked like he was going to be sick.
The professor grew closer. Him hadn't even noticed. Bubbles and Buttercup kept talking to Him, trying to keep his attention focused away from his backside. they had clearly noticed.
With a satisfying crack of rock on bone, the professor smashed the piece of wall directly onto Him's back with surprising accuracy. Him let out a strangled cry of surprise, and Blossom felt his grip on her throat suddenly release. Very slowly, she was falling. and a second later she felt her body hit the ground with a very heavy thump.
It was if an explosion had gone off in that very empty room. The second Him had released Blossom, stumbling and cursing, Buttercup had lunged at him with heightened fury. Bubbles, who threw herself into the frenzy with gritted teeth, every ounce of anger bursting, closely followed her. The three of them were engulfed in a smoking battle, Blossom barely able to follow.
There was a very defined shriek as Him was caught in the chest by Bubbles's eye lasers. Then Buttercup knocked him with her specialized uppercut, followed by a perfect roundhouse kick. The battle raged on, Blossom just struggling to stay conscious as she felt the professor scoop her up in his arms, propping her up against the crook of his elbow as he kneeled to the floor.
There was a stinging sensation of pain as she felt a hand against her wound. She looked up weakly, and met the flushed gaze of the professor who was desperately trying to stop the bleeding with his own hands. Blossom watched her father lovingly, and he did nothing but stare down at her bleeding stomach with puffy, reddened eyes.
There was suddenly a scream that was female and very familiar. Blossom gasped, feeling a sudden surge of energy move through her as she watched Buttercup fall, a fresh trail of raw wounds along her right side. The pure shock of being hurt sent Buttercup thrashing to the ground.
Blossom moved herself to a shaky stand with renewed strength, making the professor gasp with surprise as she pulled away from his grasp, ignoring the biting pain and soaking blood on her body. She was very aware of the Chemical X that was putting her body back into overdrive, perhaps for just a moment.
Bubbles roared very angrily and flew at Him, blood trickling down her cheek from a very minor scratch. Just as Bubbles reached Him, he grabbed a good- sized chunk of her blonde hair and forced her head first down onto the floor, connecting with an echoing smack. It was as if a piece of the floor partially exploded; as Bubbles's head hit the ground, it created a crumbling hole in the floor that matched the exact shape and size of her skull. Bubbles lifted her head shakily; gently fingering the part of her head that had met with the ground, blood oozing from her forehead. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she groaned, crashing face first back onto the floor where she remained still as a rock.
As that was happening, it seemed as if Blossom's mind had been over run by some vengeful spirit. Her sisters were in trouble. She had to do something-
Blossom pressed her hands together firmly, feeling the pressure build between her palms and the shooting tingling sensations that streaked through her arms. She separated her hands very slowly, creating a thrumming bridge of electricity that jumped between her conduit fingers. Him was just about to kill Buttercup.
"Hey!" Blossom croaked, the energy in her hands making her tremble. Him spun around, saw her, and then growled angrily. Blossom very quickly glanced at Buttercup, who had jumped up to help Bubbles.
Then Him's attention shifted to something behind Blossom, and he smiled wickedly. Blossom heard the professor gasp, and as Him moved forward to attack Blossom moved directly into his path.
"You won't touch him," she said very weakly, and she lifted her palms in his direction, directing the energy with her mind. There was a blinding flash as the lightening jumped from her fingers and engulfed Him, fizzling and popping as it did its work. Him was replaced by an exploding ball of hot, sizzling white light, screaming and yelping as it licked at his body.
Then very suddenly it stopped and Him fell to his knees. For a second Blossom was terrified that her plan hadn't worked, because Him appeared as if he was going to get up again, but he didn't. Him's entire body was smoking, and he was shaking violently as a few stray sparks continued to pop amongst his smoking skin. He looked up at Blossom very weakly, and his eyes dropped just slightly, blood covering his face-
"This-isn't-over." And with a very loud crack and whirling mass of smoke Him was gone.
Everyone had frozen, and they all watched Blossom as she wobbled, suddenly very weak again. The professor leapt up and ran to her, just as Blossom fell over to the side with a huge sigh. Her sisters were upon her in an instant, and Blossom looked up at her entire family as her vision began to blur.
The professor peeled off his dirty lab jacket and attempted to use it as a bandage, pressing it against Blossom's wound. He looked up at Buttercup,
"Keep pressure on it," he said very softly. Buttercup looked at the professor, horror struck, as if the weight of the entire world had been pressed against her shoulders, but she obeyed his every word.
Blossom could barely feel a warm hand on her forehead, as the professor looked her over, silent tears falling down his cheeks. Bubbles very softly touched Blossom's face, her other hand still holding her head where she'd hit the ground.
"The Chemical X is keeping her alive. but it won't for long." the professor's voice floated through Blossom's consciousness slowly. She felt herself slipping, and almost felt her heart fluttering weakly in her chest, struggling like a wounded bird trying to gain flight.
"Professor!" Buttercup choked, sobbing. All this was happening very slowly, and Blossom's attention was very minute.
"Blossom! Please don't leave!" Bubbles cried, her voice soft and distant.
The professor looked back at his other two daughters and his face became very serious, but Blossom never saw the strength in his gaze. She had closed her eyes weakly, her breathing becoming very slow and shallow. If she had been able to see her face she wouldn't have recognized herself. Her entire complexion had changed into the pasty white of a ghost, her skin clammy and cool.
"Only you can get her there in time," he said, his voice almost having an echoing quality to it. Buttercup nodded shortly. In the next second, Blossom felt herself lifted away from the professor, only to find herself in Buttercup's strong grasp.
"I'll take you," Bubbles said mournfully to the professor, but Blossom knew nothing else after that. Everything had suddenly gone very dark and quiet.