AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, after finding no way of fixing the lack of italics in the upload, I have finally decided to utilize brackets in place of the italicized font. Hopefully this workaround will make the writing a lot easier to comprehend.
Also, my apologies for not updating in so long. But hey, at least I didn't abandon the work. :)
I hope you enjoy this chapter…it is a tad longer than usual.
CHAPTER 24
Clang. Clang.
[I am enveloped in darkness. I hear death outside. He cannot get in, for I am in sanctuary.]
[I cannot see. But I can feel the cold of the sanctuary's walls, taste the growing scent of Malukian flesh, and hear whimpers close to me. I am not alone.]
Clang. Clang.
[The girl fears the worst for her family. I check with my sanctuary; turns out they escaped. She and I are the ones who are trapped.]
Clang. Clang.
[I had saved her. Her, as in the one with the soft, golden hair, the soothing blue eyes, and skin that men would kill to caress. She trembled in our sanctuary, fearing the worst of everything. I know this because I feel her. Oh, how I feel her.]
Clang. Clang.
[This was not the first time, for there were two other times her body was below mine. The first time, mud hid her attributes. The second time, a light gown tantalized me. Now, her clothing conformed to every curve.]
Clang. Clang.
[Lust was ready to overtake me. I couldn't even talk. All I could do was stare into her eyes.]
[The fantasy barraged my mind. Thinking became a pointless diversion from what I really wanted: To hold her. To caress her. To please her.]
Clang. Clang.
[I pressed my lips against hers. She cried.]
**********
"Buh-huh-huh! Buh-huh-huh! Wu-u-u-uh!"
On a semi-demolished street in the city of Townsville, two grown men sat in the middle of the roadway and cried inconsolably. To their left was the scrap metal that used to be a white stationwagon, its engine crushed into the back of an abandoned Ferrari. To their right lay the unconscious bodies of Robin (the kindergartener), Professor Utonium (the square-jawed man in the laboratory coat), and Bullet (the super-powered squirrel.) Directly in front of the two men laid a battered video camera, its battery almost expired.
"It's not fair, Billy!" One of the men bawled, "Why is it when we try to do something big it always comes out as a big pile of crap?"
"I know, Boris!" Billy bawled in return, "All we got were three seconds of the good stuff! Just THREE!" He raised three fingers to make his point. "If only that squirrel didn't fily into the car, making the robot chase us!"
"If only we still had our media van!" Boris said weakly, yet with exclamation.
"If only we kept our cool!" Billy added.
"If only they were awake for an interview!" Boris cried, pointing to Robin, Bullet, and the Professor.
"Now we're only SCREWED! Wu-u-u-uh!" The reporters cried in unison, before collapsing back to their inconsolable sobbing.
There are times in life, occasionally, in which at the very moment one reaches the lowest point of his/her day, something suddenly falls in sight to give that person a second chance. Most miss that chance, however, and end up waiting for Godot. Not in the case of Boris and Billy, however; their second chance literally rocketed down to them in the form of two battle-damaged superheroines named Blossom and Buttercup. Instead of approaching the reporters, however, the two little girls immediately set about to waking their comatose friends and family on the road, shaking the three figures every which way as hysteria screamed from the two's emerald and pink eyes. Nevertheless, the reporters got a shot of excitement as they leaped from their sad postures and scrambled to sieze the day.
"Quick, Billy, get the camera ready!" Boris said, stumbling with his cameraman towards their coveted recorder of breaking news.
"Right! Billy responded. In a matter of minutes, Billy's camera was perched on its owner's shoulder, the viewfinder pressed against the cameraman's right eye.
"Boris," Billy said "The battery's low on this thing. We probably have ten minutes left, at best."
"We'll have to make the most of it. Besides, those two can fly off at any second! We HAVE to get the story now or we can kiss our careers goodbye!" Boris replied.
The news-media duo, doing everything in the usual impromptu fashion, rapidly approached the two Powerpuffs. The girls' attempt to wake the professor, their playmate, and the squirrel bore no fruit thus far, feeding Blossom and Buttercup's sense of desperation. Boris and Billy were oblivious to this, being trained in their jobs to put the story above emotional consideration.
Boris, standing in front of the camera's eye, hastily began his reporter routine as footage of the distraught Powerpuffs was recorded on tape: "Boris Wiltzer of the local Townsville news here. After briefly witnessing part of the awesome battle with the robot and enduring a lull, the Powerpuff girls have suddenly returned to our location. As you can see, they are severely wounded, and for some reason the blue Powerpuff known as Bubbles is not with the two seen here. At this point I can only assume the worst, but I'll try to find out what's going on."
Boris approached Blossom, who was busy shaking the limp form of Professor Utonium by his collar. "Blossom, if you could, please give us an update of the situation! What is the status of the robot? Where is your sister, Bubbles? And what of the albino Rowdyruff? Is he still a threat?"
"I don't have time to answer these questions!" Blossom snapped, glaring at Boris with hateful, tear-stricken eyes before turning away to shake the scientist even more, as Buttercup hopped back and forth among the other two comatose companions.
"But Blossom, the people need to know! At least tell us what happened to Bubbles! She's not dead, is she?"
"If I can't wake the professor, then she will be! Now LEAVE ME ALONE!" Blossom cried.
She shook the scientist violently. "C'mon, professor! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
**********
How does one describe a sever blow to the male crotch? How does one describe the feeling of the testicles crushed like delicate walnuts, the contortion of the male's once-pleasant expression, and the pitiful, high-pitched "eep" that flows from the masculine lips? While it probably doesn't compare to, say, natural childbirth, there is no hesitation in the average male when he says that it hurts like crap, minus several colorful words from the dictionary of obscenities.
Bubbles, who was shocked, confused, and frightened by the deep, passionate kiss Pathie gave her, taught this lesson the hard way with her knee, as she pushed the scout off from her body and to the opposite side of the cramped, miniscule dome (which, to her, appeared mysteriously out of nowhere, when in fact it was Pathie's MPSD working to protect its user and his companion from certain death.) This wasn't because of revulsion, but rather, because such an intimate embrace was very alien to her innocent mind. Deep down she had a curiosity, but fear of the unknown kept it suppressed.
Pathie held the painful region, almost rolling into a fetal position, but that was impossible to do, due to the limited space. He squeezed his eyes tightly, grinding his teeth and letting out a soft hiss, before he summoned the willpower to crack them upon, looking upon the flustered, feminine face that lay next to his own.
"[P-P-Pathie! Why did you do that?]" Bubbles stuttered, the clanging of the metallic tentacles against the impromptu dome now an accepted ambience in their minds.
Pathie frowned in disappointment, though his face was still twisted with the horrible pain. "[I guess I deserved that blow,]" He muttered, before speaking up to address Bubbles.
"[I…got carried away with the moment. I had let my little head think for me,]" Pathie said, mocking himself, "[I should've asked permission first. I apologize.]"
"[Little head? But you only have one head,]" Bubbles pointed out, a tad confused over Pathie's euphemism. The scout almost rolled his eyes in response, wishing that Bubbles didn't act so childlike.
"[It's not important. But look at it this way, Bubbles,]" The scout said, "[Now you have undeniable proof that I'm not a Rowdyruff.]"
"[What do you mean?]"
"[Did I explode like you said I would?]"
"[No, you didn't.]"
"[Well, there you go,]" Pathie said with a slight grin.
The small talk froze unexpectedly at that point. Bubbles stared worriedly into the Scout's eyes, evoking uneasiness on the malukian's part. Another question was burning in her naïve mind, but for some reason the blonde could not decide whether or not she should ask. At last, she broke the ice in the shelter, speaking very meekly.
"[Pathie?]"
"[What?]" The scout replied, almost as meek.
"[The way you…kissed me…isn't that something only grown-ups do?]"
The question nearly snapped Pathie in two, but all he expressed was the suspicious raise of the eyebrow. "[Come again?]"
"[The way you kissed…it's like how they do it in love movies…if the professor finds out, I could get in trouble! We're just little kids!]"
"[What? You think we're CHILDREN? Oh, for the love of…]" Pathie could not finish the sentence, for he slapped his forehead and dragged his hand down his face, nearly overwhelmed by the blatant denial of the survivor. "[Bubbles, there is no possible way that we are kids!]"
"[What do you mean? We're the same size and everything,]" Bubbles pointed out sharply, her meekness dying way in the face of Pathie's apparent idiocy.
"[That's exactly my point, Bubbles!" The scout exclaimed, "[We are of the same height AND we appear to be the same age. That means you are in your late twenties, just like myself. If we are kids, as you claim we are, we'd at least be HALF of our current size!]"
"[Only BABIES are that big, you dum-dum head!]" Bubbles exclaimed, as she gave the scout a disciplinary bonk on the noggin, "[I'm SIX years old!]"
"[What!?]" Pathie nearly shouted, before holding his head in pain, bearing a cross between a shock and a grimace. "[You are, for a lack of a better word, INSANE! Who the bloody hell taught you Malukian anatomy? Whoever did was lousy at it. I mean…it defies all logic! IF I was, in fact, a kindergartener, I would be back at home learning grammar instead of rotting on this rock doing grunt work for the military!]"
[Or more likely dead,] The scout thought grimly.
"[I'm telling you, we're kids!]" Bubbles cried in exasperation.
"[Your denial is unbelievable!]" Pathie cried back.
"[I'm NOT in De Nile! We're in Townsville!]"
Pathie buried his face in the ground, grumbling, resisting the urge to pull out his silvery hair. After the feeling managed to pass, he at last thought of an idea to settle this tiring dispute.
"[Bubbles…why don't we let the MPSD tell us who is right?]" Pathie offered.
"[Wha?]"
"[Where do you think this dome came from? That's the MPSD doing its job. Without it we'd be dead already…Though I have to admit, that robot is incredibly persistent. Anyways…it can scan your entire body in a span of seconds, and tell us the facts plain and simple. It's in a convenient position to do so, since it's now expanded into the dome above us. Here, I'll show you.]"
Pathie shifted onto his back, lying in the center of the shelter. Bubbles looked on curiously.
"[Computer, I want you to perform a quick medical scan on myself,]" Pathie spoke to the dome, "[When you are finished, state my 'common name' species and my age.]"
"[Understood,]" The dome chimed, "[Please lay still while I scan.]"
A brilliant flash of green light filled the dome for but an instant, momentarily blinding the occupants inside. Bubbles, in particular, squeezed her eyes tight like a clam, feeling like onions were just smashed into them. "[My eyes!]" she complained.
"[You get used to it,]" Pathie said, though in truth it still disorients him every time he goes through with the procedure.
"[Results for common scan are, Race: Malukian Male. Age: twenty-seven,]" The computer chimed.
"[See? The computer says that I am an adult,]" The scout confirmed, "[Now it's your turn. Just lay on your back like I did.]"
Bubbles and Pathie traded positions, albeit somewhat awkwardly. The blonde, nervous of the scan, trembled slightly. In this positioning, Pathie managed to get a better view of Bubbles' attire. Her black, skin-tight clothes, lended to her by the scout, were no longer the scant invitation it first was: It had finally grown to full size, a black tunic and pants of uniform fabric, exactly the clothing that Pathie wore. The temptation to undress her in his mind began to grow, but he quickly squashed that line of thought.
"[Now, computer, perform the same scan on Bubbles. State the same categories of information as before.]"
Again there was the flash of green light. Again the two occupants had to rub their poor eyes. But the Déjà vu halted when the computer, for a lack of a better phrase, fell silent. It came across data and information it never processed before, and analyzed it quietly like a wise philosopher, until it finally put the pieces together to obtain a definite answer.
"[Computer, what's wrong?]" Pathie asked, an ominous feeling brewing in the moment of silence.
"[The results are hard to decipher,]" The computer stated.
"[Decipher?]" Bubbles questioned, not knowing what the word meant, as she shifted back onto her side.
"[How can that be? I have every reason to believe that she's a Malukian just like I. Isn't that the case?]"
"[There is a flaw in your perception,]" The computer said, "[To be precise, there are two flaws, both of which cannot be perceived by visual scans. Shall I detail them?]"
"[Yes, of course!]" Pathie said hastily, the ominous feeling now stronger.
"[What does it mean by 'flaws'?]" Bubbles asked.
The question was unheard by Pathie, for his mind slipped into a speculation. A possibility concocted in his head began to jeer at him, mock him, and pulverize him. It grew worse with every explanation the computer stated:
"[The first flaw in the perception is that the female is a Malukian. It is determined that this is only half-true. Though she has the appearance of the Malukian race, her natural Estrox is in fact the 46 isotope that is being mined for the medical purpose of this mission. This shows she is not a full Malukian because the power of the 46 isotope, if injected into a normal Malukian at extreme amounts, would eventually kill that Malukian in a very horrific death due to the overload of uncontainable energy.
"[The only sure explanation of her origins is that she is, in fact, an artificial creation derived from the 46 isotope, which would explain how her body manages to uphold homeostasis with such a powerful substance.]"
The mental blank overloading Bubbles' brain nearly caused her to pass out, but she managed to ask, "[Does that mean I'm not a Maluky thing?]"
"[Technically, yes.]"
"[Ha! I told you I wasn't a maluky thing, Pathie!]" Bubbles nearly exclaimed to Pathie; but when she turned to the scout, she cut herself short, for Pathie had slipped into a harrowing stupor. His eyes stared at nothing, formulating the horrible truth, growing wider with each passing second.
"[The second flaw is in the perception of the female's age. She appears to be a young adult by all accounts of Malukian Biology. However, analysis reveals that her body has never experienced a menstrual cycle or excreted the musky scent of mature body odor. To put it bluntly, her body is, in fact, prepubescent.
"[The presence of the 46 isotope may be a significant factor in this female's life cycle. It most likely has accelerated the cell production rate of her body, meaning that when her body reaches puberty she might outgrow a typical Malukian by several feet or more. If not, then her lifespan will probably be much shorter than the average.]"
"[Um…does that mean I'm a kid?]" Bubbles asked, again perplexed by all the fancy talk.
"[Yes,]" The computer answered.
Bubbles made no exclamation this time. The petrified expression of the scout had already begun to disturb her as well. She didn't understand the shock that coursed through Pathie's veins, the full truth now grotesquely realized in his mind.
"[Pathie?]" Bubbles asked, trying to snap him out of it.
No response was given.
"[Pathie!]" Bubbles blurted out, now significantly scared.
No response.
"[Pathie! What's wrong with you! SAY SOMETHING!]" Bubbles cried, as she began to shake the petrified scout by the shoulders, fearing she was sharing room with a corpse. This action managed to snap the scout back to reality; but his demeanor was no longer calm, nor irritated, nor angered. From that point on, his words were forced out like water through the spaces of teeth, hinting at the pure hatred he now directed upon himself.
"[You…were right all along…I was in the wrong…]" He said, "[Now that it is…settled…I can focus on…the robot.
"[Stay…I will face it alone.]"
Bubbles was surprised by these words. "[Pathie, I should help!]"
"[NO! YOU MUST STAY!]" Pathie exploded, frightening the blonde into submission, before he sank into a boiling depression.
"[Computer…I need three hypos…of Estrox-46. Protect her while I…am away.]" Pathie requested, nearly spasming with fury.
"Understood," The computer chimed. The three hypos materialized before Pathie, filled with the sickly, black substance. He grasped them with one hand, holding them tightly, as Bubbles looked on with the same expression of horror on her face back when she had first encountered the scout.
Pathie took his other hand. He began to rhythmically punch through the ground below him with that hand, until he formed a hole to the awaiting sewer tunnels below large enough for him to fit through.
Before dropping down to meet his fate, he turned to look at Bubbles…possibly for the last time.
"I am so sorry," he whispered, and disappeared.
**********
[What do you think you are doing? Are you insane? You need your device more than ever now! You honestly expect to survive against that machine with nothing but your bare hands?]
[I have committed an atrocity. I ignored the truth. I knew it before the scans revealed it. I nearly brought my fantasy out of my wretched soul and upon her innocent flesh.]
[But you still have a mission to accomplish!]
[It will be accomplished.]
[That robot will tear you to PIECES. Are you trying to punish yourself this way? Committing suicide won't save your race from extinction!]
[You should look at what I have in my hand.]
[…You plan to inject ALL of that into your body?! But that's one step away from an overdose!]
[You see now how I will serve punishment? The Estrox will burn in me like a roaring inferno, boil my very blood, blanket my eyes with a demonic crimson, electrify me with the force of a thousand storms…yes, it is a pain of unspeakable extremes, but it will give me the power to survive. More importantly, it is the only way to let it out.]
[Let out what?]
[That cold, primal voice, whispering in my head that I should not have stopped when she struck her blow…That voice, whispering in my head that I should've taken that beautiful creature and enslaved her like a prostitute, to melt away the depravity of my lust, ignoring morals for the sake of my grotesque satisfaction. "It doesn't matter that she's a child," it says, "It's much better that way, being so fresh and innocent! You'd have your lust sated whenever you want without consequence, and she'd eventually enjoy it anyway!"
[I must destroy that voice, for my sake and for hers, before I succumb to it and shatter her innocent soul through her womb.]
[No! This isn't the way. You can't bring yourself to the brink of death like this. You must confess-]
[She cannot know! If I tell her, I'll lose her forever! I would die before losing her! I would bathe in acid before losing her!]
[You can't have her anyway, at least not as a lover. And if you don't tell someone, you'll lose your sanity!]
[I'm already insane, haven't you noticed!? But no matter! It is time to fall into the depths of hell! I shall conquer the machine! I shall conquer the demons! And at last, I will be free! Free! FREE!]