A/N: Hi guys, I realize I haven't uploaded a single chapter in what must be like a month. Simply put it, I haven't been able to. It's now peak period when it comes to my job, so I'm busy 7 days a week. That would have been easily manageable by itself, but other things in my life have changed - and it isn't because things have taken a turn for the worse, quite the opposite.
I've been having weight problems. While I'm not morbidly obese, I'd just crossed the overweight-obese line during the Covid lockdown last year. In late November, I forced myself into a weight loss regime to protect my health. That weight loss regime is still in effect now, though less harsh. I've been able to bring myself back into the 'overweight bracket' by losing about 4-5kg, but it's been harsh, time-consuming, and uninspiring. I've basically been hungry for half a day every day since November last year, and when you're hungry, you won't feel like doing anything that isn't related to survival.
Then there's also the fact that I've decided to take charge of my finances actively where it used to be managed for me passively by my robots and professionals I hardly/never meet. This has become a second job, as it means making numerous decisions on where my money is invested in, based on research and technical analysis that I have to cook up on my own. Again, I've been successful in that regard (especially when it comes to coin and other cryptocurrencies), but again, it's time-consuming and doesn't exactly inspire me to write. It also has the effect of overtaking my authorship dreams as my second source of income.
Anyway, I'm hoping for now that I've settled into a new status quo and will be able to release content in any meaningful amount.
Chapter 144: Family No More
The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.
24 MAR (Friday) 1989. 1421.
Last midnight had been a nightmare, and Blossom was wide awake when it happened. Olivia was killed, Mister Mullens, her father, had lost her. He had also lost his sanity briefly, and Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup had to bring him to The House so they wouldn't lose him too. It didn't end there, of course. Dad had to work through midnight to patch them up - well, mainly Buttercup, up. But there was nothing he could do for them when it came to their Anti-X poisoning except giving them a tray of Chemical X-infused orange juice. It would be a day before they could use their powers fully and freely.
But the worst part? Blossom had put two and two together. She had been helping the Amoeba Boys out over the weeks, and though she didn't quite see it at first because of her naivety, they became stronger as a result, strong enough to enslave her and her sisters, and strong enough to control rival criminal gangs… strong enough to kill Olivia. And it was all her fault.
But she was going to make things right, as Daddy had taught her. Just as she had learned to clean up her own mess in her room after playtime, she was going to fix the mistakes she had made.
The Amoeba Boys had called once again. This time, Blossom was more than willing to go, and it wasn't because she was going to do their bidding again. She had spoken to Bubbles and Buttercup about it before they flew off, and it was unanimous… for the most part.
Bubbles was horrified, more so than her, at Olivia's death. Even after a night's sleep, even if it was a turning-and-tumbling affair for a bit, Bubbles was still a little pale from shock. Stopping everything they had been doing for the Amoeba Boys was all she could think of the moment Blossom mentioned it.
Buttercup, on the other hand, advocated doubling down on working with the Amoeba Boys at first, but not without getting the gangsters to promise immunity for Dad and friends. Buttercup had even tried tempting Blossom with everything but the kitchen sink: the need to keep secrets, the promise that her way will keep everyone safe, good food with the dons, and a way to be friends with everyone. It was a losing proposition, of course, considering how it was impossible to put trust in the Amoeba Boys after Olivia's death and how it nearly caused Mister Garrett Mullens to follow her in despair.
Buttercup deferred to Blossom's judgment eventually and quite surprisingly when Blossom had put her foot down and insisted on a total break with the mobsters. Buttercup had made a lightning U-turn and supported her totally. For a moment, it was as if her 'Better Buttercup' ruse was shattered, but she'd glued it all together by whispering sweet-sounding words and huge promises.
The City of Townsville. Outskirts. Lombardi Family Estate.
24 MAR (Friday) 1989. 1449.
The car that would take them to the Amoeba Boys was driven by someone else, an unnamed man in a business suit who refused to introduce himself, nor even talk to them. Fedele Palladino was nowhere to be seen.
After a long period of nervous silence, the Powerpuff Girls arrived at the gates of the Lombardi mansion, that hive of crime and corruption. The gates were opened manually by smartly-dressed gangsters. Blossom's plan, if it could be called as such, was simple. She would pretend that yesterday did not happen and meet the Amoeba Boys for their 'playdate' obediently, following through with all the usual routines.
The three Don Riccis knew everything, Blossom was certain. They always knew. It meant that she would have to do what she planned quickly.
And so the Powerpuff Girls went through the mansion; Blossom and Bubbles didn't even have to pretend to be scared. They found Buttercup to be a strong pillar of support, quite surprisingly - she was afraid of nothing, and she had largely ceased being so antagonistic towards them.
They went up to the top floor of the mansion, and as directed by their nameless chaperone, changed into their little black dresses. The moment of truth was coming.
Walking through the same corridor they had been passing through, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup went through the door, which was shut behind them as if some kind of a trapdoor that would never open forever.
"Come forward, le regazze," Bossman ordered them, with another cigar in his mouth. Smoke belched from his mouth. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup followed along, as they always did. But soon, that would change.
"Mister Ricci-" Blossom's voice was a squeak.
"You have any idea what happened yesterday, Blossy darling?" Bossman boomed over her, easily silencing her, overwhelming her verbally.
"I- I- urm-" Blossom was considering lying at the moment, but she decided quickly that it wouldn't work. They knew. They always knew. "Yes."
"So lemme get this straight," Bossman boomed, this time removing the cigar from his mouth with two fingers. "Not only did you refuse to kill a man who's been hurting our- OUR- family, but you've somehow decided that killing MOST of the men I've sent to take care of our enemies is the smartest thing to do?"
"Yeah, are you stupid or something?" Junior added mischievously. Although just a word, Blossom was hurt by that insult to her intelligence.
"Hey, that's mean!" Bubbles shot at Junior, but when all three of the Amoeba Boys glared at her for this transgression, she immediately regretted it. Her eyes went downcast, staring at the floor instead.
"Do you know how much effort I've put into the three of you?" Bossman began lecturing them. He stood up and took a quick puff of his cigar. "I've welcomed you into the family, get you involved in the business, I gave you my love, and showed you who the real enemies are. I taught you everything! And this is how you repay me!?"
Blossom remained silent. She was more confused than ever, overloaded with conflicting information. Everyone claimed to be her friend, and yet everyone was hurting her, some more than others.
"How about if we punish them, boss?" Slim suggested, with a wicked smile on his face.
"Hehe, yeah, punish them!" Junior seconded Slim. Bossman smiled along with his brothers, picking the cigar out of his mouth as he stared down at tiny little Blossom.
"And I might just have a lil' something to make you remember where your place is," Bossman said, looking dangerously creative. Blossom didn't dare look up, despite all her powers, but she forced herself to. When her eyes met Bossman's, they began to water out of pure fear. She remembered her first run-in with the Amoeba Boys. They'd wiped the floor with them, and it had only been Junior kicking their ass by his lonesome. On their second encounter, Slim had nearly killed Buttercup. Blossom did not want to even think about what Bossman was capable of.
Bossman bent down, getting on a knee. He cupped Blossom's chin in one of his massive hands and turned her head to face Bubbles.
"You see your sweet little sister over there?" Bossman said, deadly calm. "I want you to beat her to a pulp. I want you to beat her up so badly you'll have to carry her home."
The moment Blossom heard Bossman's idea of punishment, she felt faint, almost ready to throw up.
Bossman smiled. He could see Blossom trembling in fear, like the little girl she was.
"You'll beat her into the ground and show me you're part of the family. But it won't end there, because we'll be talking about how you can help finish off your dear Garrett Mullens after that," Bossman added. "You know, clean up your own mess. Ain't that what good parents teach you to do?"
"Well, go ahead. Do it," Slim encouraged Blossom, stepping forward menacingly, his gangly and unnatural body shape cowing her further. "Do it before you really make Bossman mad. You wouldn't like him mad."
Blossom reluctantly approached Bubbles, who stepped away from her, backward, afraid of her own sister. Bubbles had to will herself to stand her ground - hard. She knew what was at stake. If they didn't do what Bossman wanted, the whole world would know about their secret.
"Do it, Blossom," Bubbles said, her voice quivering in fear. "I forgive you…"
Blossom stepped forward, whispering an apology as she grabbed Bubbles by the dress and raised her fist. She glared at Bubbles, forced herself to hate her for what she had done long ago, in what seemed to be another world.
But she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"What are you waiting for!? Whack her! Whack that bitch!" Junior screamed in frustrated anticipation.
"No!" Blossom finally shouted, stepping away from Bubble. She turned to the Amoeba Boys, eyes on fire, glowing brighter than before, glaring at them with the intensity of a thousand suns.
"Did you just squeak 'no'?" Bossman said coldly, but calmly as if he had anticipated this as if he knew this was going to happen. "Did you just said 'no' to daddy?"
"I won't do it!" Blossom declared, and it felt good. "I won't hit my sister! I won't kill my friends! And you're not my daddy!"
"How very disappointing, Blossy darling," Bossman said with a laugh. He took another puff from his cigar. "You know, I thought we'd have some kind of a relationship going after you've passed the tests. I'll give you one more break, lil' miss - you'll either pay the price of disobedience, or you'll pay something more, capiche?"
"I said no!" Blossom screamed at him, stamping her foot. "You can't make me!"
"Sure," Bossman said. "I can respect that. In the family, it's all about respect. Respect runs the family, and clearly, you have none of that. Last chance, Blossom. Clearly, this is all just you throwing a tantrum, right?"
To say that she wasn't tempted to reverse everything she had done would be a lie. Either way, the consequences would be grave.
"No," Blossom finally said. She felt free all of a sudden. The fear that had been hanging around her for so long - the fear of being found out, the fear of consequences and reprisals - was largely gone. But now, all there were now were the consequences that she had to deal with.
"Then if I can't have you, no one can," Bossman said before turning to his taller brother. "Boys, looks like it's time for some spring cleaning!" The instant he said this, doors were flung open, revealing heavily-armed mobsters. Fedele Palladino was amongst them, giving the orders. Even the windows were barriers, as men in non-standard combat gear had rappeled down to them.
All three Girls knew what to do, bringing up their X-energy shields just in time to receive lead, which bounced off them. But the true dangers were the flareguns that some of the soldatos were wielding.
"Run!" Blossom ordered at the top of her voice before turning tail, just as some Anti-X vials were shot at them, exploding into balls of white smoke - but the Powerpuff Girls weren't caught in it.
As the Girls ran through the door they came in, bullets were whizzing through the white smoke behind them, bouncing off their weakening shields, which were flimsy because of yesterday's Anti-X poisoning. None of them were Duranium, at least not yet.
Doors were opening in the corridors they sped through, with gangsters rushing out of them and spraying hot metal at them. At the opening of the corridor, four more came out; the Girls could see the deadly shine of Duranium on them.
Just as they raised their anti-Powerpuff weapons, Blossom fired off quick stunning beams at them, which Buttercup emulated with her more-deadly laser beams, causing sprays of blood and screams, though they weren't lethal: Blossom could see that the criminal shooters were sliced below the knees or in the shoulders.
Anti-X bombs were detonated in front of them, but it did not deter them. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup continued sprinting, fast like motorized bikes, until they crashed through something wooden and flimsy by their standards. Out of the white smoke, they fell, and when they were clear of the Anti-X cloud, found that they were falling from the third floor down towards the central hall of the Lombardi mansion: a death sentence to a normal child, but not to these three.
Just feet from the ground, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup blasted back into the air, bright pink, baby blue, and lime green trails streaking behind them. Gunshots, however, weren't far behind. Wasting no time, they smashed through a huge window high above the hall, bullets peppering them in the back, bullets which were thankfully conventional and mostly harmless.
The Amoeba Boys had been part of the firing squad seeing them off, but they had done nothing, like their men, as their deadliness lay in their hands and unnatural abilities.
Except for Bossman, whose weapon and marksmanship had been the exception in equal measure. Lowering his Tommy gun, he smiled, content despite how the Powerpuff Girls had escaped his clutches.
Enjoy the little things - he knew that adage as well as anyone, and in this case, the little things included the fact that his Tommy gun hadn't exploded… and the fact that he'd done some damage with his singular Duranium round.
"And that's just a down payment, Girls," Bossman said as he took another contented puff of his cigar.
The City of Townsville. Downtown. Sky.
24 MAR (Friday) 1989. 1506.
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup flew as fast as they could, slowed by another brief exposure to Anti-X but motivated (extremely well) by their close shave with the Amoeba Boys and their Lombardi army. They'd pushed themselves to the edge, flying as close to the sound barrier as they could with less than what they normally had, and they pushed themselves until they were exhausted.
But Blossom moreso than her sisters. Eventually, she began descending, and her sisters followed.
"Blossom, are you okay?" Bubbles asked, studying her leader sister's face as they were going down towards the urban landscape beneath them. "Your face… you look pale!"
Blossom did not answer. In fact, she could barely hear Bubbles; her voice had become muted. Buttercup, unlike Bubbles, had studied Blossom from head to toe while pulling away from her sisters briefly. She had noticed the blood trail behind Blossom but said nothing, for all she saw was an opportunity.
Touching down on the flat roof of an apartment building, Blossom began taking erratic steps forward, away from her sisters, making curves towards nowhere. It was then that Bubbles noticed that something was wrong. Drops of blood marked her progress towards the middle of the apartment roof. When she finally collapsed, Bubbles and Buttercup had zipped up to her just in time to carry her by the arms, preventing her from falling flat - they each had their reasons for helping.
"I'm fine… I- I'm fine…" Blossom said deliriously. But both Bubbles and Buttercup knew she wasn't. Laying Blossom down on her back, Bubbles traced the river of blood back to its source - a hole in her leg, likely made by a Duranium bullet.
"Bubbles, that looks terrible!" Buttercup feigned surprise and fear. She could barely hold back a smile when she saw Blossom suffering from her a wound she deserved - which was just a drop in the ocean, with more yet to come. "What do we do?"
Bubbles unclipped the first-aid kit from her belt and set it down, doing a quick check of what she needed to help her sister. The first aid kit was shot up as much as the three of them, but most of the stuff she needed was still intact.
Opening a satchel, Bubbles poured a powder into Blossom's thigh wound, which immediately fizzled and burned, sealing it shut and stopping any further bleeding. Buttercup had the foresight to hold her down even when Bubbles had forgotten about it in the heat of the moment.
"Thanks, Buttercup," Bubbles said distractedly as she unwrapped a roll of bandages, careful not to contaminate it despite the Girls' immunity to all diseases, a product of first-aid training from Selicia, Alice, and Doctor Simmons. She quickly wrapped the bandage around Blossom's thigh as Buttercup fought to keep Blossom, who was struggling from the pain, down and secure.
They had to assist Blossom after that; she couldn't fly home on her own power in that state. The fact that she could still produce enough thrust to race a sports car was the bigger surprise.
The House couldn't appear on the horizon fast enough, but eventually, it did, much to the Girls' relief. Blossom needed her Dad's help, so they touched down next to the front door instead. Blossom had to hop towards the door, with an arm still around Bubbles' neck.
Before Buttercup could even ring the doorbell, all three Girls discovered that there was no need to. The door was ever so slightly ajar. Someone had tried to close it but did a sloppy job. Perhaps it was someone who didn't care for such trivial things?
Bubbles looked down at the doormat. The welcome sign was slightly muddy. There were bootprints across the doorstep. She pushed the door open, heart pounding, afraid of what she might find in the living room. Buttercup peaked in from where she was hovering.
"Oh no…" Blossom said as she hopped towards the door with Bubbles' help, but she let go of her after that, alarmed that something was amiss.
Dad wasn't in the living room. He was normally in the living room. He would always be worried sick while they were out fighting crime.
Mister Mullens was nowhere in sight either, which worried Blossom. It meant that she had to wonder if she would find him in some room with the barrel of a revolver stuck in his mouth.
"Blossom, slow down!" Bubbles shouted as Blossom began hovering towards the center of the living room, unsteady due to her injured leg. Bubbles and Buttercup followed.
It wasn't that Dad was hiding. It didn't take long for them to find him in the kitchen. And he was holding something in his hands, looking at them. Beside him was a man in a grey USDO security uniform. Upon spotting the Girls, he walked away quickly, perhaps afraid that the Girls might do something to him. He walked past them and out the door.
"Dad?" Blossom called out to the professor. Now, it wasn't only Blossom who was pallid. Bubbles could feel it in her guts. Buttercup understood the familiar sensation of being in trouble. They didn't need their Sister Sense to understand the same thing.
For Dad was holding photos in his hands, the same ones that Bossman had taken of them.
