author's note: I'm a little under the weather, but I have this update ready :3c
The song suggestion this time is If You Let Me by Alina Baraz!
Time to let these two go see the Professor :3c
Thursday, May 06
Any energy, when concentrated and potent enough, could possibly form a black hole.
This was a theory proposed in one of Butch's physics classes that he'd barely paid any attention to.
He couldn't remember who's theory it was, nor the exact and proper wording of it- but that was the basis of it. And in that moment, Butch remembered it because of the mounting worry he had for the blonde flying in a streak of aqua just above his head. They'd all become hyper aware of just when the monsters were showing up when two weeks went by without Bubbles getting a single day off.
But this was the third week of Wednesday and Thursday both having monster attacks.
His girlfriend was beginning to look more and more ragged with time. What ramped up the amount of attacks lately, he didn't know- but Brick had already started looking into that case on his own. The redhead had even gone as far as to consult both of their parents, looking for any sort of lead. HIM, as usual, was reluctant to help considering he was worried about a Powerpuff Girl … But did admit that they genuinely knew nothing about why there had been so many lately.
They'd even gone as far as to admit that even they were getting annoyed by someone 'stepping all over' their 'turf ' with the consistent attacks.
Butch felt the worry tighten his chest.
Bubbles was verging on an entire month of non stop and daily power use- to a level and extent she hadn't before. To a level and extent that was less like training at this point, less useful, and more like a rabbit that runs and runs and runs until it cripples itself in a frantic attempt at escaping it's predator. Accidentally pulling muscles and tendons, ripping them off the bone, just trying to escape. He needed to start teaching her how he manifests his energy as a shield, but he couldn't do that when she was this exhausted.
Much like an invisible thread made bare to only his eyes, he could almost literally see just how thin her energy was stretched.
Any further and it was likely to snap and pop back at the blonde.
The green Ruff had come out the very second he felt uneasiness settle in his gut, not even daring to chance the possibility of the day going smoothly. Sure enough, when he ran out of his shop, he caught sight of green and pink energy blasts attacking a giant lizard with an absurd amount of eyes that he really didn't want to stop and take the time to count. He didn't even wait for a story to hit the news for any confirmation of a monster attack.
Instead, he'd jumped in to fight alongside the Puffs- hoping his contributions could prevent Bubbles from needing to expend much energy. It didn't, unfortunately enough, and she still ended up coming out to help. She fought alongside them, but he was acutely aware of just how quickly she was growing exhausted in comparison to the rest of them. She used her sonic screams, her energy balls, and she was smart to keep at a distance.
Butch could see the wobbling of her energy balls, though, and it made him acutely aware of how much this was wearing at her. Bubbles and Boomer usually had more X energy than the rest of them did, and Bubbles had more energy than even Boomer, but now even her basic attacks weren't stable. More than that, he heard her hiss as she summoned the energy whip she'd grown to use since that cold, snowy February night.
The cringe on her face told him everything he needed to know about how dangerous this was getting for her.
The blues were glass canons, both holding an insane amount of energy but not being able to take too many hits before they crumpled under the weight of the enemy. They worked better using distance based attacks, not close-up melee ones. But even still, she shouldn't be crumpling this soon in battle, and she definitely shouldn't be crumpling from using her own power.
He looked back at the bright orange monster- and a new unnaturally red fire was burning it from the legs up. He knew from the blue lightning soon joining it that his brothers were trying to help keep the blonde from pushing herself too far… But he also knew it was a little too late for that.
Her hiss told him that.
The Ruff shot up to hover just behind her- just in time to throw his shield around the both of them when the lizard let out an angry roar and its fire breath in their direction.
"Butch," she gasped when his arms wrapped around her. "Thank you."
"We need to get you out of here, Angel." He'd said it like a gentle suggestion, trying not to upset her with it, rather than a demand to get her out of there. "You're using too much of your energy."
She wanted to retort, but she knew he was right. The blonde looked back to the lizard- now having been electrocuted so thoroughly with her counterpart's cobalt lightning and Brick's fire that it was left charred and scorched and turning to ash where it stood. No life lingered in any of the many eyes it had.
Finally, it was done. Faster than usual, but not fast enough to keep Bubbles out of it.
But it was done, and all of the fight left her body. "...Is it that obvious?"
He grabbed her wrist and turned her hand over to show just how red and tender her palm was. She hadn't even had the energy weapon in her hand that long, either. Then with the sweetest move she'd ever seen, he lifted her hand to place the gentlest kiss to her raw palm. Her heart thumped heavily, but the hurt flesh drew her attention more. "You need time to rest just like anyone else."
Her blue eyes were caught on her palm, her exhaustion written in the frown that covered her features.
"Come on, Angel. Trust me?"
"I do," she whispered immediately.
He hummed and pulled her more firmly against his torso. "Let go. Let me take care of you."
She curled closer, pulled her legs up for him to carry her fully and her entire body wrapped around his torso like a koala. His hands reached to hold just under her thighs that were wrapped around his waist- and she let go. The streak of aqua that lingered at her feet when she flew disappeared, physical proof of her letting go and trusting him to carry her wherever they were headed.
He held onto her, relishing in the way she clung to him so fully. "We're going to go to your dad's," he said softly. "If your energy is recoiling on you, I wanna know it's going to be okay."
"Alright," she agreed softly. "Dad knows we're together, by the way."
"I'd kinda figured you told him," he shrugged as he started them off towards Professor Utonium's house. Her childhood home. "You guys are much more open as a family than we are."
Bubbles was silent at that, and neither seemed all too sure about where to go from there. She placed a soft peck of a kiss to his neck. "We can be open together."
He hummed. "I mean, we do already have two kids."
She giggled. "I guess we are a little family, huh?"
"If you wanna be, momma ," he chuckled. "I wouldn't mind."
"Maybe in the future. Maybe far enough in the future that I don't really want to think about it yet," she responded simply.
He patted her thigh. "Ain't nobody rushing you, Angel, trust me- I definitely don't want that responsibility. Not now. Right now, we gotta focus on making sure all you gotta do is get some uninterrupted rest and relaxation and it's not something more serious."
"We should have told them that we were heading out before we left…"
"I plan on calling Bloss Boss when we get to your dad's." Butch turned his head just long enough to kiss her temple. "It's a little more important that I make sure you are going to be okay. I know they're fine- I need to know you are too. I'm pretty sure they'll agree with me this time."
She hummed, not arguing his point. Even she knew he was right- to some degree. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Angel. It's okay, and nobody blames you for any of this," he reassured. "It's not like you're the one summoning these things on your only days off."
She sighed deeply and slumped even more against him, if that were possible. "What… What happens if something's wrong…?"
"I'm right here every step of the way, regardless," he replied simply. "Not to make light of a bad situation, but we died before," he said simply. His thumbs traced back and forth motions against her thighs. "It's not pleasant, and not something I'd wish anyone have to go through- but I'll walk with you through anything. Even something as extreme as death. This? This is easy and I'll be here regardless."
Tears burned along the bottom of her eyes.
He made loving him so, so easy.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked up.
He held her just a bit tighter. "Come on. Let's go see your dad, we're almost there."
"Send your energy to the door," she urged softly. "It's how we let him know we're coming in with an issue of some sort. The doormat should light up."
"Even mine?" he raised a brow.
"Might make him a little more worried," she offered, "but he'll still come out for it. It's X energy, not just Puff energy, that it reacts to."
Butch nodded and as soon as they were less than two minutes from touch down, he let go of her thigh with his right hand and held it palm out just long enough to do as she told him. Minimal energy- not enough to make anything explode- in a simple deep green sphere hit the red door and lit the mat in question up with a deep green glow that he could see even from this distance.
It took a moment, but just like she had claimed, even at this late hour, Professor Utonium came barreling out of the front door, pulling his night robe tighter. His eyes were squinted at the sky until he caught their profiles while they were descending.
"Professor Utonium," Butch greeted in a stiff and mildly uncomfortable tone as his feet touched the ground. "Her own energy hurt her- I wanted to come by and make sure it was just over use and nothing worse."
The elder man seemed both a lot more relieved and a lot more worried by the explanation. "Tell me what happened while we go to the lab. Butch, right?"
"Yes sir." The Ruff's tone was stiff and unsure and the tightness of the two words only worked to emphasize that.
"He's not going to bite your head off," Bubbles giggled, whispering the sentence softly against his ear so her father wouldn't hear her.
Butch didn't respond to her remark as he followed the elder man deeper into his house. "Speaking of people who will - I still need to call Bloss Boss to let her know we're here and safe after all that."
"I'll give her a call, don't worry about it," the Professor offered as they continued down to his lab. "I greatly appreciate you bringing Bubbles here. I'm not sure who is more stubborn about injuries- Bubbles or Buttercup."
"I'm right here," the blonde huffed.
Her father chuckled warmly as he opened the doors to his lab. The Ruff felt more than a little awkward- unsure of how to even begin acting around the elder. He decided to play it safe and chuckled softly, an airy laugh leaving his nose.
"Do you feel well enough to hook yourself up to the machine while I get my proper coat on and call your sisters?"
"Yeah," Bubbles agreed easily. "Same as usual?"
"Same as usual!" the professor readily agreed, leaving the two there as he walked back out of the lab.
The blonde unwrapped herself from her boyfriend but grabbed his hand to drag him over to the exam seat they usually sat on. "You don't have to be so nervous, you know."
"Yes I do," Butch scoffed. "He's your dad."
"Yeah, exactly," she laughed. "He's the same dad who's listened to me and BC and Blossie all whine and gripe about you Ruffs, swoon over you Ruffs and listened to us plot to kill you Ruffs. I'm pretty sure you're fine," she snickered.
He lifted his hand to cover his face. "That's not necessarily a good thing."
"What I'm saying is that he's already heard the worst he's gonna hear about you," she clarified slowly, a soft smile crossing her features while she reached for the wires she'd need. "If that wasn't enough to make him turn you away at the door, nothing will be because you've changed since trying to burn Townsville to the ground."
His hand slowly came off his face. "…I guess you're not wrong…"
"First impressions aren't everything, anyway," she laughed off. "If they were-"
"We wouldn't be here," he conceded, a lopsided smirk coming up to his face. "Why do you just… Get it? So well?"
Bubbles shrugged but reached out to nudge his leg with her foot. "…Also, you're starting to act like me now. That's totally a me move- the hand on the face thing?"
Butch made a fake disgusted face, complete with his tongue out and his eyes squinted in distaste. "Groooooss… I can't believe I'm acting like a Puff."
Her laughter made him smile again.
"Married couples do tend to share a lot of mannerisms, especially those who have been together for a while," the Professor cut in as he came back- now properly dressed.
Both of their cheeks reddened.
"Dad!" Bubbles squeaked.
He laughed heartily and took the wires from her hands.
His lighthearted mood completely vanished when he caught sight of just how red and raw her palms were. Dark eyes were stern and now in- what the whole of Townsville knew as- Serious Professor Mode. He was swift in pulling the sticky tabs off the ends of the pads connected to the wires and getting them placed along her forearms.
"Tell me, Butch- how long has it been since she's had a day's rest?"
The Ruff hummed knowingly. Her blue eyes narrowed when he was asked about her right in front of her- but he knew better than to lie. "In terms of monster attacks, I'm pretty sure the fourteenth was her last day off. In general? Not since Spring Break."
His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Bubbles."
"I'm taking the grooming class- I started it a week after we got back from vacation, that's what he's talking about," she clarified.
"I'm aware of what he's talking about," her father said simply as he turned to the computer monitor where all of whatever information he was looking for was being sent to. "Why have you pushed yourself so far? For a grooming class that has little bearing on being a veterinarian?"
Butch felt his stomach drop a little.
Whoops.
He turned to the blonde, tears already lining her eyes. She stared down at her lap- or at her clenched fists on her lap. It hurt to clench her raw, pained hands- but she did. Tightly. Only to then get a mild scolding for doing so.
"Relax your grip, dear," her father reminded. "The readings won't be right-"
"I'm not going to be a vet, dad."
Butch did not want to be in the room at that moment, and when Professor Utonium turned to look directly at him, he almost ran. He almost followed through with that want and just ran out… But he didn't. Because the look in the older man's eyes wasn't judgmental- it was full of respect. An understanding that the slightly taller- albeit younger- of the two didn't quite understand himself.
And that confused the hell out of Butch.
"And you've finished your last final already?" he asked her, returning his gaze to the computer.
The blonde shook her head. "My last test is Monday…"
Her father hummed softly. Butch briefly wondered if she picked the habit up from him, but the Professor soon brought his mind away from that. "I'm very proud of you, dear," he started, his eyes soft when he looked up at her. "You finished your schooling regardless… And while I absolutely disapprove of running yourself so ragged… I can't be mad when you're making your own future. I'm nothing less than proud that you've finished your schooling and made your own path… Just, maybe don't do it again. Your energy levels are lower than I've ever seen them."
The Ruff was quick to come to his girlfriend's side when her hands came up over her eyes. Her immediate response was to lean against his torso when he came close enough, and he rubbed her back soothingly when she did so. "Thank you…"
"Of course… Just don't do it again. Butch, I expect you to make sure she stays as relaxed as possible until further notice. As I said, her levels are lower than I've ever seen them before, but thankfully nothing is amiss. I don't want her using much of her super powers until I give the okay- and that means keeping her rested as much as possible," he rattled off, his dark eyes casting to the younger man.
"Aye aye, captain," he saluted, grinning supportively down at the blonde. "That, I can do."
The Professor smiled at the young man. "…I'm just as proud of how you boys have shaped up to be."
Butch's face burned red at the sudden compliment. "O-Oh… Thank you, sir…"
The elder just smiled wider. "Come on upstairs. I've got water on for tea- your sisters should be on their way, if they aren't already here."
