In case you didn't notice, I changed the time limit from 10 minutes to 20, since it didn't seem like enough.

(Grumble, grumble…) Whoever heard of homework and projects during Winter Break? (Grumble, grumble…)

Chapter 2

Shazam! A Goner!

………………………………………

"You're saying you can give me special superpowers?" Buttercup said, intrigued.

"Yup," Professor Bratt nodded. She unbuttoned her lab coat and revealed that the inside was like that of a trench coat. There were pockets with test tubes filled with different colored liquids all around.

"All sorts of superpower formulas from A to Z. And you can have a free sample of any of them!"

Buttercup was excited for a moment. But then she paused to think. 'Newsflash. I just meet a strange mad scientist in the middle of the streets, and she offers to sell me superpowers. Yippy Skippy. I might as well also buy some cigarettes while I'm at it.'

"Thanks but no thanks," she said. "I have to go home anyway." And with that, she went off to head home.

"Okay, but if you change your mind, come see me again tomorrow," Prof. Bratt called. "Same time, same place!"

…………………………………

Back at their home, the Utonium family was eating dinner. Buttercup had her elbow on the table, chin rested in her palm and was twirling her fork around in circles on her plate. As the metal prongs scraped along the plate's surface, it emitted an annoying squeaky noise. It made Blossom shiver and her bangs curl.

Before Blossom could open her mouth to begin another one of her use-proper-etiquette-when-at-the-table lectures, Buttercup sat up straight.

"Professor?" she asked. "Do you, by any chance, know someone named Professor Bratt?"

"Bratt? Professor Bratt?" the Professor replied. "Why yes, I know her. She was a young scientist from Hawaii who graduated from college at the age of 13. I think she's about 16 right now. I met her when I was guest speaker at Townsville's annual Meeting of the Minds." (Note: from the episode 'Child Fearing.')

"Really?" Bubbles asked. "Was she nice?"

"Yes. In fact, she asked me about you girls and said she wanted to meet you sometime."

"I'd like to meet her too," Bubbles said cheerily.

"I heard she aims to create formulas that would give you superpowers," the Professor added. "She's probably been working on that for quite some time now."

"Hmm. Maybe I can believe that Professor Bratt after all," Buttercup thought. She decided to stop by and see her again after school the next day.

In her bedroom, Buttercup opened the piggy bank and found a sum of twenty dollars and seventy-five cents.

Hmmm…

Five bucks and an autograph should cover it.

…………………………

On Tuesday after school, Buttercup told her sisters that she would catch up with them later. She landed at the same spot where she met Professor Bratt earlier and saw said person sitting on a folding chair.

"Hi again," Prof. Bratt said. "You came back, which probably means you decided to accept my offer?"

"Not quite yet," Buttercup said. "First, show me some I.D. to prove who you really are."

Prof. Bratt took out her I.D. card and let Buttercup examine it carefully. Once she confirmed it was the real deal, she relaxed.

"Okay, but I have another question. If you were able to make all these special superpowers, why are you only offering them to me? Why not Princess? She'd have her daddy dumpling pay trillions!" Buttercup said, the 'daddy dumpling' part in a babyish tone.

"I have my reasons," Professor Bratt replied.

(Flashback)

"Rip-off quack scientist!" Princess screamed. She opened the door of her private jet and pushed Professor Bratt out with no parachute. Prof Bratt was plummeting down toward the earth through the clouds!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!"

(End of flashback)

"Well, at least she didn't sue me."

"'At least'?" Buttercup repeated, wide-eyed. "What do you mean 'at least?!' How the heck did you survive that?"

"In the nick of time, I temporarily gave myself the ability to stretch like rubber and became a parachute," Prof. Bratt answered.

"Oh. I see. But still, I'll make her pay for that!"

"You'll do that? Thanks! Anyway, do you have any more questions?"

"Yeah. You said before that I could have free samples of any superpower you have. What do you mean by that?" Buttercup asked.

"A sample will give you that special ability, but you will have 20 minutes to use it before it wears off."

"Oh, okay. Let's see…any superpower…what about shape-shifting?"

"Would you like to try that first?"

"Yeah. That's a power I always thought would be really cool!"

"Okay! Super-shape-shift coming up!"

Professor Bratt took out a test tube from her lab coat, pulled out the cork and splashed the liquid all over Buttercup. For a moment, Buttercup felt a bit tingly.

"There. Now to use this power, you have to say 'Shazam!' and then whoever you want to turn into."

"So if I say, 'Shazam! Bubbles…'" but before she could finish, there was a puff of smoke and Buttercup realized she had just turned into her sister Bubbles.

"Yes. That's exactly how it works. But hurry up and use that power to the fullest because you only have 20 minutes before you turn back to normal."

"All right!" Buttercup said in Bubbles' voice. She took off, leaving a light blue streak behind her.

"Now, what should I do with this new power first?" Buttercup thought. She remembered Professor Bratt's story of Princess and the plane incident. She grinned and thought of the perfect plan.

What was the plan, you would ask? Simple. Change into Princess' daddy and make her sorry she ever messed with the Powerpuff girls. Make her sorry for all the misery she caused them. Sure it wasn't as cool as beating her into a pulp, but Buttercup wouldn't need shape-shifting powers for that. And no one, not even Him, nor even the Gangreen Gang in Speedos, could strike fear into Princess like her father does. So this will be a piece of cake.

Now, this wasn't because of a selfish reason. She did promise to avenge poor, poor Professor Bratt. And Princess really could use some attitude adjustment.

Muhahahaha!

…………………………

Shortly, Buttercup arrived at the Morbucks' mansion. She noticed that she would have to avoid the security cameras, Dobermans, lasers and guards. It wouldn't be hard at all to just smash through them, but she didn't have time for that.

"Shazam! A rat."

There was a puff of smoke and Buttercup changed from Bubbles into a little black rat with large green eyes. She snuck easily past the gate and along the wall, staying low. Finally, she reached a rain gutter, climbed up and slid into an open window.

Okay, now I'm in. Shazam! Mr. Morbucks!

Nothing happened.

Shazam!! Mr. Morbucks! Shazam! Shazam!! Mr. Morbucks!

Still nothing happened.

"What's going on?" Buttercup tried to say. But she couldn't. All that came out was a little squeak.

Then realization hit her like a ton of Duranium. She couldn't say 'Shazam' because as a rat, she couldn't talk! And she had changed into an ordinary rat, so she didn't have her superpowers!

"Dang it! Why the heck didn't Professor Bratt tell me about this?! Dang it, dang it, dang it, DANG IT!!" Buttercup squeaked. "Okay, calm down. This is only temporary. In less than twenty minutes, I'll change back to normal."

There was nothing to worry about…

"Did you hear that squeaking noise?" Buttercup heard a woman's voice say. "There's a rat in the house!"

"Oh no!" another voice replied. "We can't let the master or Miss Princess hear that we have rats in the house!"

Two maids appeared from around the corner armed with brooms, a vacuum and various other cleaning (or rather, rat-killing) utensils. They spotted Buttercup, and then their target was locked.

"There it is! Kill it!"

…except that.

…………………………

A/N: I'm not sure how well this story will do. Most people don't like fics where the author inserts him/herself in it. (Even though Prof. Bratt is very different from the real me.) Plus, I'm getting lamer than ever!

Actually, my family is telling me to stop posting up my stories on the Internet. They say I should write my own stories with my own characters and show them to real publishers instead. This may be my last fanfiction story.