Heightened Tensions- Chapter One
"Girls! You'll never guess the good news!"
Professor Utonium burst into the kitchen one morning in late August, where his three daughters were already sitting around the kitchen table. The three of them were deeply engrossed in their separate activities, and barely looked up when their father came into the room.
"Hmm?" one of the girls, Blossom, mumbled as she lightly turned a page in the book she was reading. Her brow was furrowed in deep concentration, and her lips set in a light pout as she read the jumbled words on the pages. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail as pieces of her grown out bangs hung over her eyes. She twirled a strand of her amber locks as the other hand sat next to the book on the table, fully prepared to continue the learning by turning the page.
"You will never believe this. oh- I was so excited when I found out!" the professor said as he swooped into the room, his dark eyes glittering with excitement that possible only he could appreciate. He took a seat across from Blossom at the table, and folded his hands before him, shooting eager glances between the three girls.
"Oh, what is it professor?" one of the other girls, Bubbles, mumbled as she toyed with a spoon in her hands. Her elbow was propped on the table, her head resting on her hand, and she was staring straight into the wall. Her clear blues eyes were dull and bored, and her blonde hair was loose on her shoulders.
"Well. I was talking to your principal on the phone just a few minutes ago."
"Oh god. please don't tell me." the last sister, Buttercup groaned as she shifted the position of her head on top of the table. She was leaning forward in her chair, her head resting on the table as if she was sleeping, her black hair covering the table top like a sheet of ebony cloth. At the sound of her father's words, her flashing green eyes snapped open in alarm, but she never sat up otherwise.
"I was just offered a position at you school! I'll be teaching biology!" he exclaimed, his face all smiles.
"WHAT?!"
"Oh my gosh! That's so cool!!"
"Congratulations professor."
"And it looks like I'll be teaching you three as well. Aren't you excited to be in my class. Of course that means. no special treatment." he blabbered on, running a hand through his thick black hair which was just starting to gray in some places.
This was of course a huge development in the family. In their last residence, the professor had in fact had a stable job at the local university where they'd lived. But, he'd lost that job on account of their moving back to Townsville, and for the last month he'd been unemployed. He had been looking for a job; his eye mainly on freelance work, but their school principal of Pokey Oaks High School had gotten wind that he was looking for a new employment when they'd come in for orientation. Excited by the professor's past experience (not including the one nobody knew about, the one that involved the girls), he'd briefly mentioned seeing what he could do. Apparently the deal had been sealed officially, and whether or not the new development would be horrifying to the girls remained to be seen. Naturally, the three of them were in fact hesitant, but since he didn't have a history of embarrassing them too bad, they didn't feel too apprehensive. Except, Buttercup did have a few problems with it of her own.
"This isn't possible!" Buttercup said, leaping up from the table, her black hair standing on end. "You'll embarrass us! I don't want to start my last year of high school like this!" She cried, her voice panicked, but there was some degree of humor in her tone.
"Buttercup, please tell me there's some sort of neural mechanism working before you open your mouth," Blossom said indignantly, closing the book to look at her sister with disapproval. Her rose eyes sparkled maliciously as she moved the book away from her, waiting for her sister's next outburst.
"This is soooo cool! Ooooh my goodness! I'm so happy!" Bubbles exclaimed, exploding into her normal demeanor of giggles. She leapt up and planted a huge kiss on her father's cheek before smothering him in a huge hug.
"Yes, this is definitely good news professor. We are happy, for you-"
"Ouch!"
"-Really."
"Don't pinch me!" Buttercup cried, falling back onto the chair. She looked at her red-haired sister furiously, her face growing warm with anger.
"It's okay, girls. I know how it is for you teenagers and parents. we just aren't cool enough, I know."
"That's not true!" Bubbles squealed as if what the professor had just said was utter blasphemy. "Buttercup is being a doo doo head!"
"Geez, did you forget to grow up!?"
And as the banter continued Blossom stood from the table and looked at her father, trying her hardest to ignore the feud that was going on around her. That was pretty much how every morning started. If it wasn't Bubbles and Buttercup fighting about the most irrelevant things, it was her and Buttercup screaming at each other about more personal issues. To her knowledge, she'd never had a fight with Bubbles, because she was always patient enough to handle her blonde sister's rather immature personality.
But, Bubbles had in fact grown up the past few months. There was a different natural countenance on her face that had never been there before, at least it hadn't before the summer had started. She still childish at times, but those occasions were getting fewer and farther in between. It was as if the entire ordeal they'd been through over the summer had given her an entirely new outlook on life, which was understandable seeing as the type of situation they had gone through. She'd hardened, and there were certain times were she'd actually become mean to put it mildly. Buttercup no longer always won their arguments, which had usually happened by default, ending with Bubbles scampering away in tears. Now, a lot of their arguments ended with a draw, which was surprising when taking into account their history. Something in what had happened had changed her, and in fact, it had done the same damage to the rest of them as well.
Buttercup had changed the least out of the three of them. Completely outside of the point, she'd started growing her hair out to where it fell just past her shoulders. Her sense of fashion had changed just slightly as well. She still wore the same unconventional clothing as before, but it just didn't seem as extreme, and occasionally she actually made an effort to look nice.
Her attitude and stand-offishness had stayed in tact, but the main difference in her was how she now treated the professor. She was now more affectionate towards him, which was unusual since she'd never been the lovey-dovey type of girl. They'd been in a huge fight over the entire summer, probably saying no more than twenty words to each other during a good portion of July, but that had changed after the terrible ordeal had ended. They had been in such a situation where she'd faced the awful truth that she needed him more than ever, and that she did owe quite a bit to him, considering everything he'd done to save them from the life they could've had.
She was the same around Bubbles, always picking on her and encouraging fights with her, but she'd always done that. It was like fighting with her was out of habit, and her criticism was almost her way of looking out for her sister.
Perhaps the way she acted around Blossom was the strangest of all. They still fought naturally, but most of the time she seemed to constantly have an eye on her red haired sister. It was like her attempt at protecting Blossom, constantly watching her as if she'd croak at the drop of a dime. Blossom could take care of herself, but her experience over the summer had turned Buttercup into something of a bodyguard. There were countless times where Blossom could swear that Buttercup was following her, and she tended to not let Blossom be alone for long periods of time. It had at one point gotten annoying, and she'd been close to telling her sister off for not allowing her any privacy, but then she remembered why Buttercup was doing it.
Blossom had been near death, and Buttercup had carried her from the middle of nowhere all the way to the hospital all by herself. She also had given her own blood to save her life. Perhaps that was what was making her so protective, the fact that she'd almost lost her sister, and was now going to go to any lengths to make sure nothing ever happened to her again.
Nothing would happen to her even if she'd wanted it to. Their job of saving the day had gotten awfully slow in the past few weeks. It was as if the criminals had finally given up, knowing that they didn't really stand a chance with the girls around. That was just as well, because they did have their own problems to deal with internally, what with the pressures of school and everything that did come along with growing up. Townsville was high on the list of crime-less cities in the U.S., all thanks to their mere presence within its boundaries.
There was however still the problem of a certain simian genius that reared his ugly head from time to time. But these times had been different. Ever since escaping his imprisonment, Mojo had started robbing the most odd of places. The week before they'd returned, Mojo had raided a medical supply warehouse on the outskirts of town, and he'd taken at least twenty crates of medical supplies. A week after that he'd robbed an iron mill, and after that it was an armament on the air force base just over the mountains. The girls had never arrived in time to stop him, but they hung around long enough to get just a whiff of what he could possibly be up to. He was creating something, that part was obvious, but what on earth would he have needed the medical supplies for?
That had been bugging them ever since, but instead of worrying about it, they were more focused on getting prepared for school, which they weren't quite finished doing yet.
"No, you're so cool in fact, that I think you should help us finish our school shopping today," she said, pushing the book to rest beneath her arm. "Won't you come? I'd love you're help. er, we'd love your help," and she flashed him the brightest smile she could muster.
The professor smiled at his red haired daughter and nodded his head.
"I actually need to go and look for a new microwave. I haven't been able to find any good deals ever since someone-" he gave Buttercup a reproachful stare. "-Rammed their fist through the glass."
"It overcooked my pizza pocket!" she whined in protest, waiting for more scolding, but none ever came. The professor had been incredibly angry at the time, but he'd gotten over it quickly. Ever since their last argument he'd learned to not stay angry for too long, because it could have drastic consequences on Buttercup. They'd learned that the hard way.
"Allright, I'll go get my money," Blossom said, and she turned to leave the room, Bubbles following close behind her.
Buttercup lingered, an expression of youthful defiance on her face. The professor just smiled at her and stood, grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger near the door. He moved over to her and ruffled her hair, gaining a smile as her emerald eyes brightened, and they moved together to leave.
***
Blossom and Bubbles walked alone through the aisles of the department store, glancing at the various sales as they passed. Blossom held the basket in her hand while Bubbles bounced along behind her, her good mood very obvious.
"So, what exactly are you so happy about?" Blossom asked incredulously, moving over to a bin of protractors that were on sale for 35 cents apiece. She began ruffling through them, looking for a pink one, when her sister finally spoke.
"Oh. I dunno, I guess it's sorta exciting that the we'll get to spend an hour of every day with the professor," she said brightly, fingering a silk flower that was part of an art display.
"We get to do that anyway," Blossom said, raising an eyebrow. "We see him just about 24 hours a day in fact."
Bubbles stared blankly for a few moments, but then she smiled.
"I know. I guess it's just that. it's kinda nice having him around even more. you know," she said softly, her blue eyes clouding over. "It's a bit hard to explain. but it just seems like I need to have him closer now."
Blossom looked at her, her otherwise condescending stare softening with understanding. She knew what her sister was getting at. It seemed as if they all had grown more attached to him the past few weeks. Maybe it was the harsh realities of growing up that made them resistive to leaving the nest, or maybe it was because they felt sorry for him. After all, he had gone through hell during the summer just as they had.
"Ah. Well, I guess you're right. It might be kinda fun. I've never actually seen him in action before," Blossom said, swinging the handcart around to grasp her blonde sister's shoulder. "I think that about wraps it up. Why don't we go find Buttercup and the professor?" she said, rubbing her stomach uncomfortably, trying to be elusive about it.
This of course didn't go unnoticed by Bubbles, whose gaze instantly snapped onto her sister. Blossom was looking straight forward, her focus clearly gone and her expression very grave.
"Blossom?" Bubbles asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
Blossom suddenly snapped out of her stupor and looked at Bubbles. She smiled.
"I'm fine. I guess I've just been thinking," she said, letting out a sigh. Something had in fact been bothering her, but she wasn't about to readily tell her sister for fear of scaring her.
"You don't seem fine. You've been acting funny ever since we got here," Bubbles said, putting her own arm around Blossom as a gesture of comfort. ".Is it that scar?"
"Huuh?" Blossom said, surprised. "Well. Not really. I was just thinking."
"Is it bothering you? If it is you really need to tell us-"
"No! It isn't." Blossom trailed off, letting her gaze wander over the racks of clothing they were passing. She didn't really want to say what she'd been thinking, but she didn't really have a choice.
She turned her glance back to Bubbles, whose face looked very hard. It was the very same stare she'd acquired every since the accident. The mature, concerned face of a girl who's seen more than she should. It was a face Blossom couldn't deny.
"I guess. it is bothering me a little."
At that moment, Bubbles steered her over to a bright red bench that was against the wall next to the food court. They both sat down, and Bubbles turned to give her full attention.
"Go on." she said softly, not wanting passerby's to hear. In Townsville they were a lot more noticeable, and if something was obviously wrong with them, the tabloids would be on them like wolves in a meat factory. This wasn't exactly a story they wanted to share, for humility's sake.
Blossom took a deep breath, wondering where to begin.
"I'm sure this must sound stupid. but it's like. whenever I look in the mirror, I can't help but. notice it, you know?"
Bubbles nodded, urging her to continue.
"It isn't just that. it's almost like my entire shell has changed since then. I see myself differently. I see myself as being. sick. damaged. not perfect."
"Blossom, that's nonsense. Nobody is perfect. Not even us," Bubbles said, weaving her fingers into Blossom's hair affectionately.
"I can't help but feel as if the scar is with me for a reason. I know it sounds stupid. because of course I would have a scar after an accident. like that," Blossom said quietly. "But, it seems like it should be important, because, I guess, considering who gave it to me."
Bubbles nodded silently eyeing a couple strangers who were pointing at them excitedly from a good distance away.
"You know, that if anything's wrong, if anything happens you need to tell us."
"I know. I will," Blossom said quietly, looking up as she also noticed the people who were staring at them. She smiled a little, trying not to look upset. "I wonder what Him's doing now."
Bubbles jumped just slightly at the mention of his name. This was the first time in a long while that Blossom had voluntarily brought Him up. It was as if the subject had become taboo for them, to painful to even speak of.
"Well. I. don't know."
"I wonder what his next plan is going to be. What ridiculous plot is he going to come up with just to tangle us up in his twisted web of evil?"
"Blossom. I don't know if we should talk about this."
"What's he going to do to try and kill us?"
Bubbles went instantly silent. She stood and looked down at Blossom, her eyes wide with shock as to how blunt Blossom was acting. She was at a loss for words.
"But we'll be waiting for him right?" Blossom smiled, a new wave of confidence passing over her eyes. She looked up at Bubbles, her face serious. "Let's go find them, okay?"
Bubbles nodded, and took Blossom's hand as she stood. They were both silent as they walked to the music section, the place Buttercup would most likely be. It seemed as if Blossom's words had knocked Bubbles into shocked silence. She didn't know if she should feel uncomfortable, scared, or sad or what she should feel. Blossom was being so open about it, and so non-chalet. even though she'd almost died because of Him. It just made her very confused and put an uncomfortable, yet temporary, silence between them.
They were walking together in that uncomfortable silence, when very suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks. They looked at each other simultaneously, both of them feeling the oncoming dread like a tidal wave. Something was coming, something big.
Then all at once there was a rumbling explosion above them, followed by the chorus of screams from the shoppers around them. The girls stood their ground, prepared for anything to come through that crumbling hole in the ceiling.
The crumbling pieces fell around them, but they stood, their faces up as they waited, bodies tense. There was a second explosion as they heard the rumbling whine of a turbine engine, followed by a blast of hot air that took their hair up in a billowing cyclone.
With a lurching growl something dropped through the ceiling, landing in front of the two girls with animal agility. It was a machine, its powerful appendages stretching out as it recovered from its fall. It towered over them, a malevolent presence in itself, yet Blossom and Bubbles never even flinched. They looked up, smiles spreading across both of their faces.
"Hello Mojo. I see you've been busy."
And with the sound of metal working against metal they both found impossibly large guns shoved into their faces, an insane cackle rising above it all.
"Girls! You'll never guess the good news!"
Professor Utonium burst into the kitchen one morning in late August, where his three daughters were already sitting around the kitchen table. The three of them were deeply engrossed in their separate activities, and barely looked up when their father came into the room.
"Hmm?" one of the girls, Blossom, mumbled as she lightly turned a page in the book she was reading. Her brow was furrowed in deep concentration, and her lips set in a light pout as she read the jumbled words on the pages. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail as pieces of her grown out bangs hung over her eyes. She twirled a strand of her amber locks as the other hand sat next to the book on the table, fully prepared to continue the learning by turning the page.
"You will never believe this. oh- I was so excited when I found out!" the professor said as he swooped into the room, his dark eyes glittering with excitement that possible only he could appreciate. He took a seat across from Blossom at the table, and folded his hands before him, shooting eager glances between the three girls.
"Oh, what is it professor?" one of the other girls, Bubbles, mumbled as she toyed with a spoon in her hands. Her elbow was propped on the table, her head resting on her hand, and she was staring straight into the wall. Her clear blues eyes were dull and bored, and her blonde hair was loose on her shoulders.
"Well. I was talking to your principal on the phone just a few minutes ago."
"Oh god. please don't tell me." the last sister, Buttercup groaned as she shifted the position of her head on top of the table. She was leaning forward in her chair, her head resting on the table as if she was sleeping, her black hair covering the table top like a sheet of ebony cloth. At the sound of her father's words, her flashing green eyes snapped open in alarm, but she never sat up otherwise.
"I was just offered a position at you school! I'll be teaching biology!" he exclaimed, his face all smiles.
"WHAT?!"
"Oh my gosh! That's so cool!!"
"Congratulations professor."
"And it looks like I'll be teaching you three as well. Aren't you excited to be in my class. Of course that means. no special treatment." he blabbered on, running a hand through his thick black hair which was just starting to gray in some places.
This was of course a huge development in the family. In their last residence, the professor had in fact had a stable job at the local university where they'd lived. But, he'd lost that job on account of their moving back to Townsville, and for the last month he'd been unemployed. He had been looking for a job; his eye mainly on freelance work, but their school principal of Pokey Oaks High School had gotten wind that he was looking for a new employment when they'd come in for orientation. Excited by the professor's past experience (not including the one nobody knew about, the one that involved the girls), he'd briefly mentioned seeing what he could do. Apparently the deal had been sealed officially, and whether or not the new development would be horrifying to the girls remained to be seen. Naturally, the three of them were in fact hesitant, but since he didn't have a history of embarrassing them too bad, they didn't feel too apprehensive. Except, Buttercup did have a few problems with it of her own.
"This isn't possible!" Buttercup said, leaping up from the table, her black hair standing on end. "You'll embarrass us! I don't want to start my last year of high school like this!" She cried, her voice panicked, but there was some degree of humor in her tone.
"Buttercup, please tell me there's some sort of neural mechanism working before you open your mouth," Blossom said indignantly, closing the book to look at her sister with disapproval. Her rose eyes sparkled maliciously as she moved the book away from her, waiting for her sister's next outburst.
"This is soooo cool! Ooooh my goodness! I'm so happy!" Bubbles exclaimed, exploding into her normal demeanor of giggles. She leapt up and planted a huge kiss on her father's cheek before smothering him in a huge hug.
"Yes, this is definitely good news professor. We are happy, for you-"
"Ouch!"
"-Really."
"Don't pinch me!" Buttercup cried, falling back onto the chair. She looked at her red-haired sister furiously, her face growing warm with anger.
"It's okay, girls. I know how it is for you teenagers and parents. we just aren't cool enough, I know."
"That's not true!" Bubbles squealed as if what the professor had just said was utter blasphemy. "Buttercup is being a doo doo head!"
"Geez, did you forget to grow up!?"
And as the banter continued Blossom stood from the table and looked at her father, trying her hardest to ignore the feud that was going on around her. That was pretty much how every morning started. If it wasn't Bubbles and Buttercup fighting about the most irrelevant things, it was her and Buttercup screaming at each other about more personal issues. To her knowledge, she'd never had a fight with Bubbles, because she was always patient enough to handle her blonde sister's rather immature personality.
But, Bubbles had in fact grown up the past few months. There was a different natural countenance on her face that had never been there before, at least it hadn't before the summer had started. She still childish at times, but those occasions were getting fewer and farther in between. It was as if the entire ordeal they'd been through over the summer had given her an entirely new outlook on life, which was understandable seeing as the type of situation they had gone through. She'd hardened, and there were certain times were she'd actually become mean to put it mildly. Buttercup no longer always won their arguments, which had usually happened by default, ending with Bubbles scampering away in tears. Now, a lot of their arguments ended with a draw, which was surprising when taking into account their history. Something in what had happened had changed her, and in fact, it had done the same damage to the rest of them as well.
Buttercup had changed the least out of the three of them. Completely outside of the point, she'd started growing her hair out to where it fell just past her shoulders. Her sense of fashion had changed just slightly as well. She still wore the same unconventional clothing as before, but it just didn't seem as extreme, and occasionally she actually made an effort to look nice.
Her attitude and stand-offishness had stayed in tact, but the main difference in her was how she now treated the professor. She was now more affectionate towards him, which was unusual since she'd never been the lovey-dovey type of girl. They'd been in a huge fight over the entire summer, probably saying no more than twenty words to each other during a good portion of July, but that had changed after the terrible ordeal had ended. They had been in such a situation where she'd faced the awful truth that she needed him more than ever, and that she did owe quite a bit to him, considering everything he'd done to save them from the life they could've had.
She was the same around Bubbles, always picking on her and encouraging fights with her, but she'd always done that. It was like fighting with her was out of habit, and her criticism was almost her way of looking out for her sister.
Perhaps the way she acted around Blossom was the strangest of all. They still fought naturally, but most of the time she seemed to constantly have an eye on her red haired sister. It was like her attempt at protecting Blossom, constantly watching her as if she'd croak at the drop of a dime. Blossom could take care of herself, but her experience over the summer had turned Buttercup into something of a bodyguard. There were countless times where Blossom could swear that Buttercup was following her, and she tended to not let Blossom be alone for long periods of time. It had at one point gotten annoying, and she'd been close to telling her sister off for not allowing her any privacy, but then she remembered why Buttercup was doing it.
Blossom had been near death, and Buttercup had carried her from the middle of nowhere all the way to the hospital all by herself. She also had given her own blood to save her life. Perhaps that was what was making her so protective, the fact that she'd almost lost her sister, and was now going to go to any lengths to make sure nothing ever happened to her again.
Nothing would happen to her even if she'd wanted it to. Their job of saving the day had gotten awfully slow in the past few weeks. It was as if the criminals had finally given up, knowing that they didn't really stand a chance with the girls around. That was just as well, because they did have their own problems to deal with internally, what with the pressures of school and everything that did come along with growing up. Townsville was high on the list of crime-less cities in the U.S., all thanks to their mere presence within its boundaries.
There was however still the problem of a certain simian genius that reared his ugly head from time to time. But these times had been different. Ever since escaping his imprisonment, Mojo had started robbing the most odd of places. The week before they'd returned, Mojo had raided a medical supply warehouse on the outskirts of town, and he'd taken at least twenty crates of medical supplies. A week after that he'd robbed an iron mill, and after that it was an armament on the air force base just over the mountains. The girls had never arrived in time to stop him, but they hung around long enough to get just a whiff of what he could possibly be up to. He was creating something, that part was obvious, but what on earth would he have needed the medical supplies for?
That had been bugging them ever since, but instead of worrying about it, they were more focused on getting prepared for school, which they weren't quite finished doing yet.
"No, you're so cool in fact, that I think you should help us finish our school shopping today," she said, pushing the book to rest beneath her arm. "Won't you come? I'd love you're help. er, we'd love your help," and she flashed him the brightest smile she could muster.
The professor smiled at his red haired daughter and nodded his head.
"I actually need to go and look for a new microwave. I haven't been able to find any good deals ever since someone-" he gave Buttercup a reproachful stare. "-Rammed their fist through the glass."
"It overcooked my pizza pocket!" she whined in protest, waiting for more scolding, but none ever came. The professor had been incredibly angry at the time, but he'd gotten over it quickly. Ever since their last argument he'd learned to not stay angry for too long, because it could have drastic consequences on Buttercup. They'd learned that the hard way.
"Allright, I'll go get my money," Blossom said, and she turned to leave the room, Bubbles following close behind her.
Buttercup lingered, an expression of youthful defiance on her face. The professor just smiled at her and stood, grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger near the door. He moved over to her and ruffled her hair, gaining a smile as her emerald eyes brightened, and they moved together to leave.
***
Blossom and Bubbles walked alone through the aisles of the department store, glancing at the various sales as they passed. Blossom held the basket in her hand while Bubbles bounced along behind her, her good mood very obvious.
"So, what exactly are you so happy about?" Blossom asked incredulously, moving over to a bin of protractors that were on sale for 35 cents apiece. She began ruffling through them, looking for a pink one, when her sister finally spoke.
"Oh. I dunno, I guess it's sorta exciting that the we'll get to spend an hour of every day with the professor," she said brightly, fingering a silk flower that was part of an art display.
"We get to do that anyway," Blossom said, raising an eyebrow. "We see him just about 24 hours a day in fact."
Bubbles stared blankly for a few moments, but then she smiled.
"I know. I guess it's just that. it's kinda nice having him around even more. you know," she said softly, her blue eyes clouding over. "It's a bit hard to explain. but it just seems like I need to have him closer now."
Blossom looked at her, her otherwise condescending stare softening with understanding. She knew what her sister was getting at. It seemed as if they all had grown more attached to him the past few weeks. Maybe it was the harsh realities of growing up that made them resistive to leaving the nest, or maybe it was because they felt sorry for him. After all, he had gone through hell during the summer just as they had.
"Ah. Well, I guess you're right. It might be kinda fun. I've never actually seen him in action before," Blossom said, swinging the handcart around to grasp her blonde sister's shoulder. "I think that about wraps it up. Why don't we go find Buttercup and the professor?" she said, rubbing her stomach uncomfortably, trying to be elusive about it.
This of course didn't go unnoticed by Bubbles, whose gaze instantly snapped onto her sister. Blossom was looking straight forward, her focus clearly gone and her expression very grave.
"Blossom?" Bubbles asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
Blossom suddenly snapped out of her stupor and looked at Bubbles. She smiled.
"I'm fine. I guess I've just been thinking," she said, letting out a sigh. Something had in fact been bothering her, but she wasn't about to readily tell her sister for fear of scaring her.
"You don't seem fine. You've been acting funny ever since we got here," Bubbles said, putting her own arm around Blossom as a gesture of comfort. ".Is it that scar?"
"Huuh?" Blossom said, surprised. "Well. Not really. I was just thinking."
"Is it bothering you? If it is you really need to tell us-"
"No! It isn't." Blossom trailed off, letting her gaze wander over the racks of clothing they were passing. She didn't really want to say what she'd been thinking, but she didn't really have a choice.
She turned her glance back to Bubbles, whose face looked very hard. It was the very same stare she'd acquired every since the accident. The mature, concerned face of a girl who's seen more than she should. It was a face Blossom couldn't deny.
"I guess. it is bothering me a little."
At that moment, Bubbles steered her over to a bright red bench that was against the wall next to the food court. They both sat down, and Bubbles turned to give her full attention.
"Go on." she said softly, not wanting passerby's to hear. In Townsville they were a lot more noticeable, and if something was obviously wrong with them, the tabloids would be on them like wolves in a meat factory. This wasn't exactly a story they wanted to share, for humility's sake.
Blossom took a deep breath, wondering where to begin.
"I'm sure this must sound stupid. but it's like. whenever I look in the mirror, I can't help but. notice it, you know?"
Bubbles nodded, urging her to continue.
"It isn't just that. it's almost like my entire shell has changed since then. I see myself differently. I see myself as being. sick. damaged. not perfect."
"Blossom, that's nonsense. Nobody is perfect. Not even us," Bubbles said, weaving her fingers into Blossom's hair affectionately.
"I can't help but feel as if the scar is with me for a reason. I know it sounds stupid. because of course I would have a scar after an accident. like that," Blossom said quietly. "But, it seems like it should be important, because, I guess, considering who gave it to me."
Bubbles nodded silently eyeing a couple strangers who were pointing at them excitedly from a good distance away.
"You know, that if anything's wrong, if anything happens you need to tell us."
"I know. I will," Blossom said quietly, looking up as she also noticed the people who were staring at them. She smiled a little, trying not to look upset. "I wonder what Him's doing now."
Bubbles jumped just slightly at the mention of his name. This was the first time in a long while that Blossom had voluntarily brought Him up. It was as if the subject had become taboo for them, to painful to even speak of.
"Well. I. don't know."
"I wonder what his next plan is going to be. What ridiculous plot is he going to come up with just to tangle us up in his twisted web of evil?"
"Blossom. I don't know if we should talk about this."
"What's he going to do to try and kill us?"
Bubbles went instantly silent. She stood and looked down at Blossom, her eyes wide with shock as to how blunt Blossom was acting. She was at a loss for words.
"But we'll be waiting for him right?" Blossom smiled, a new wave of confidence passing over her eyes. She looked up at Bubbles, her face serious. "Let's go find them, okay?"
Bubbles nodded, and took Blossom's hand as she stood. They were both silent as they walked to the music section, the place Buttercup would most likely be. It seemed as if Blossom's words had knocked Bubbles into shocked silence. She didn't know if she should feel uncomfortable, scared, or sad or what she should feel. Blossom was being so open about it, and so non-chalet. even though she'd almost died because of Him. It just made her very confused and put an uncomfortable, yet temporary, silence between them.
They were walking together in that uncomfortable silence, when very suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks. They looked at each other simultaneously, both of them feeling the oncoming dread like a tidal wave. Something was coming, something big.
Then all at once there was a rumbling explosion above them, followed by the chorus of screams from the shoppers around them. The girls stood their ground, prepared for anything to come through that crumbling hole in the ceiling.
The crumbling pieces fell around them, but they stood, their faces up as they waited, bodies tense. There was a second explosion as they heard the rumbling whine of a turbine engine, followed by a blast of hot air that took their hair up in a billowing cyclone.
With a lurching growl something dropped through the ceiling, landing in front of the two girls with animal agility. It was a machine, its powerful appendages stretching out as it recovered from its fall. It towered over them, a malevolent presence in itself, yet Blossom and Bubbles never even flinched. They looked up, smiles spreading across both of their faces.
"Hello Mojo. I see you've been busy."
And with the sound of metal working against metal they both found impossibly large guns shoved into their faces, an insane cackle rising above it all.