Legendary Heroes of Townsville
(Summary so far: There was just one last day until HIM arrives for you-know-what; the girls thought they'd take it upon themselves to train as much as they can until during that same day. Also Katrina's parents came to them asking to help find their now missing daughter. Buttercup is enraged and immediately points the finger to HIM, who did indeed, have Abysmal turn her into a statue. As soon as the girls got back home, Buttercup is given a stern talking to, and is also immediately forgiven because she 'did what she had to do'.)
Chapter 11
Speaking of 'one last day', that day has officially arrived... and this is the very day that will determine the outcome of what will become of the world's 'last' form of defense. Send them your support, they're gonna need it... As of now, they were discussing a plan amongst themselves.
"We don't want what happened last time to happen again. Even if we're totally immune to the stoning curse now, Abysmal's power is still greater than ours." Blossom said.
"I'll do my best, and I'm sure Bubbles will too; right Bubs?" Buttercup said.
"Of course I will! I don't wanna screw this up as much as you don't either! I'm sure Blossom will do her best too! She always does!" Bubbles said.
"Well... I don't mean to toot my own horn..." Blossom said to herself. "As much as I hate to admit it, even my best strength won't help; we'll need to push past our limits for the most part."
"What if we can't?"
"As of now, failure is not in my vocabulary; and it better not be in either of yours' either."
"Alright Bloss... sorry..."
"No need to apologize Bubbles. I understand; you're afraid, and so am I. I'm not so sure about Buttercup, but I'm sure if we try hard enough, we can do this." Blossom then held out her arm. "Townsville on three." Her sisters held out their arms and they raised their arms as they all shouted 'Townsville!' When they got out of their room, they were first met with their friends and Professor.
"We heard everything, and we've only this to say:" Ms. Melinski said.
"Be safe." Everyone said.
"We'll support you till the very end, heroes." Mr. Melinski said.
"I just hope you don't end up disappearing for another eighty-three years again..." Katrina joked.
"Hah! If we do fail, it probably won't even be eighty-three! Try like... five!" Buttercup said. "I don't know where I was going with this..."
"Guys we'll be fine. We may come out with cuts and bruises but remember: we heal fast." Blossom said.
"If you're all being afraid for us you don't have to. Sure we didn't win the first round, but we'll I'm sure we'll-." She was hit by Buttercup. "Ow! Why!?"
"Don't you dare jinx it Bubbles." She said.
She did a lips sealed motion.
"Doesn't matter, any mistake we make will leave us screwed. It's best we buckle down and pull out all the stops. I know it may sound dumb coming from me, but it's pretty much our only option." Blossom explained. "Combined with a few tactics of course."
(Outside in the center of the city...)
HIM was sitting in mid-air with his legs crossed; he was shaping an energy orb into a snow globe that pictured a large explosion wiping out Townsville from inside it. Abysmal wasn't around yet... HIM was waiting for that moment however. When he looked away from his creation, the girls were several feet away from HIM; giving him the stare down. He levitated straight, and stretched like he had just gotten out of bed. This gave off an aura that told the girls he pretty much has no belief that he'll lose. He teleported and came to the girls.
"So you showed up after all? I thought you'd cower out and allow me to reign over this city~." He taunted.
"As if!" Buttercup said.
"Yeah! Just because you're strong and frightening doesn't mean we're afraid to fight you!" Bubbles added.
HIM looked over at their leader and taunted them again. "What's wrong? Have no comeback?" He asked. Blossom crossed her arms, totally unfazed. "You're not saying anything because you're afraid you're too weak hmm? Is that it?" He sad with mock sadness.
"So what if you think I'm weaker than you HIM?" Blossom finally said, which piqued HIM. "As I would probably say: 'Strong alone, stronger together.' I know I can't beat you..." She raised up towards her comrades. "... but I know we can."
"You honestly believe the three of you can still stand up to me? Truly... you must be stupid."
"Never underestimate human stupidity. Even if there's no chance we win, we were born heroes, and we will die heroes."
Buttercup was welling up with tears, so Bubbles came over to comfort her. "*Sniff, sniff* It's so true! *Sniff*."
"Well then... I'm taking as refusal to surrender. So in that case... Let the battle... COMMENCE!" HIM summoned two separate orbs in his claws and he fired them at the girls. They blocked them and sent them barreling towards HIM, who slashed them out of existence. "So that's how it's gonna be eh~? Have it your way!" He shot a bolt of pink lightning up at the sky, and turned the entire blue sky into a blood red. From a hole in the clouds arrived the one who sent the girls into their eternal slumber...
"You honestly think hiding behind your minion will stop us!?" Buttercup asked.
"It's not so much hiding as it is, forcing them to fight... But Abysmal is loyal to me and me alone... of course you already remember what I told you that day hm~?"
(Flashback)
"You'll never beat us HIM! Just give up already!" Blossom said.
"I know I can't... but he can..." HIM warned.
Just then a blue axe with many holes in it struck Blossom in the back. She fell from the sky and onto the ground. When she got up she couldn't move for some reason. "What the? What's going on!?" She yelled; all of a sudden her legs felt numb, for they had been turned to stone. "Huh!?"
"Surprised? I've been waiting for an appropriate time to reveal my newest creation. He is the most loyal and powerful force of evil ever created! Blossom... before you're totally turned into a statue like the rest of your lower half... I'd like you to say hello to the one who will be your demise... Abysmal..." The figure revealed himself in the same clothing as outside of this flashback.
Blossom's arm forced themselves to her sides, and completely turned to stone. "How is this possible!?"
"Actually it's rather surprising... I simply combined this piece from a dark source with the piece from the strongest light source known to man... the sun! And after a combination process... I had created the demon to balance both dark and light! Or as I had just said... 'Abysmal'. Oh... would you look at the time? We won't have enough time to speak for each other... rest easy~. Ohohohoho!"
Blossom screamed as her face and other features were totally turned into stone. Her statue had also become featureless...
(Reality)
"Of course I didn't forget... it was horrible! But now that we're back... and totally immune to the 'stoning curse's' effects now, we'll have no trouble ending you!"
"I disagree..." HIM held out his claws and shot a blast of energy at Abysmal, which caused him jitter and split apart!"
"Not this again..." Buttercup moaned.
"Relax... try not to get overwhelmed..." Blossom said. No one was moving for a solid minute... then when Abysmal W dashed forward, the girls spilt up. "Now the real battle begins..." Blossom flew at Abysmal W and managed to land a punch, doing some damage; but Abysmal B came close and struck her with his axe. Like mentioned before, it did nothing except hurt her badly. Her sisters came to the rescue by tackling Abysmal B; since he was stronger, both Bubbles and Buttercup had to take it on while Blossom fought W. Things were seeming to tip in favor of the girls, but HIM's creation had one more trick up their metaphorical sleeves... The two sides gathered together, and both Abysmals held the hands together and shot a devastating beam of concentrated light and darkness. The girls had to fly really fast to escape being swallowed up by what looks like literal oblivion. Two escaped, but one wasn't so fortunate.
"BUBBLES!" The two other sisters cried out.
When the evil ray had disappeared, Bubbles had fallen unconscious... and fell straight towards ground level. On instinct, Blossom reacted, but was blocked off by Abysmal who had reformed into a whole again. Buttercup blasted forth and knocked back Abysmal. "I got this! Just catch her!" Blossom nodded and flew up to Bubbles, who was still falling. Once she caught her, the tremendous force from her falling sister caused Blossom to fall towards the ground as well! She forced herself upwards to prevent contact with the ground... About five whole seconds later, she just barely managed to prevent any further harm. She sighed a breath of relief when she felt her sister's heartbeat.
She then started to wake up again. "Ugh... ow... Blossom? Is that you?" She said through her barely opened eyes.
"Yeah it's me... you took the laser almost like it was nothing..."
"It hurts... bad."
Her sister looked around hastily for a place to let her rest. She found a lone bench that she laid Bubbles on. "Please, stay here for a bit... only come back if you truly think you're alright. Don't try to push yourself too far..."
"What about... *cough* what you said earlier? About pushing... *inhale* past our limits?"
"I know... but thinking over it... it's probably not too smart now..." She lifted herself into the air. "When you're ready..." Her sister gave a slow nod and Blossom dashed off to help Buttercup. "I'm not gonna lose a sister yet... not today... not ever..."
(Back in the battle)
Buttercup was blocking off Abysmal's punches; it looked as if he was about to get to her anytime soon. "Blossom!? Anytime now!" She said to herself. She needn't freak out however, since she was on the way.
"Duck!" She blew out a cold mist that managed to freeze Abysmal. "It won't hold him long enough... let's get to work on HIM." They flew off faster than a speeding bullet, and attempted to 'strike down the devil'.
HIM merely looked in their direction... "Ah... perfect~." ... and shot four lasers in their general direction. They swiftly moved out of harm's way and continued forward. "All part of the plan~. Hehehehe..." The lasers, now combined into one, swerved back and nearly struck both heroes from behind.
"BAIL!" Blossom yelled at frame-perfect timing. The laser continued its path and returned to sender.
"How'd you like that shellfish!?" Buttercup taunted.
HIM wiped his face off and noticed Abysmal charging at the girls from behind. "I like you this much!" Abysmal came up to the girls, grabbed them, and slammed them into each other, knocking them out effectively. They fell to the ground in defeat... "As they say: 'Watch your backs'! Ohohohohoho~! Even eighty-three years later they still can't win... it's such a shame really... Hm... I wonder..." HIM the dove down to the craters where Blossom and Buttercup were. A quick dive into the mind of their leader is what he's there for.
(Blossom's mind)
She came to in a place that was total black. "What the?" She got up. "Hello!?" She yelled out, she got no response. "Hello!? Where am I!?" She tried again, only this time someone did respond.
"You are in your mind..." A voice exactly like her's said.
"Huh?" She turned around and saw herself. "My... mind?"
"Yes... your mind." The imagery of herself glitched slightly, revealing HIM's figure.
"HIM?"
The image of herself poofed away and HIM appeared in its place. "So... this is the inner depth's of your mind eh? Rather dark and roomy in here..." He conjured up a chair and sat in it.
"Get out of my head HIM, there's no place for company such as yourself!"
"Oh please... I'm not here to stay and toy with you. I'm here to stay and... chat."
"Not in the mood. Leave now!"
"Is that how you talk to a guest? Really, you should know why I'm not leaving... it's because your will is weak against my strength."
"Huh?" She suddenly became bound by tentacles that wrapped themselves around her. "What do you mean?"
"If you wanted to, right now, you could remove me from your head immediately... But alas, you can't. Oh the things I can do~! Let's see... some mind control? Maybe a bit of memory loss? Or I could I even just end your life here... Wouldn't that be amusing~!?"
Blossom started to plead. "Please... no..."
"Ohohohohoho~! Don't worry! I'd never! I just wanted to see your cowering face!"
"Well then if you're simply trying to scare me... it won't work!"
"I have my ways, why don't you take a look outside?" Two large circles that represented her eyes opened far off in the distance. HIM brought her over. "Wait... what!?" He was surprised to be Bubbles fighting Abysmal.
"Oh no... she needs help." Blossom was fearing for her sister.
"Well... if she really wishes to do so that badly... I won't stop her, for I'm not out there yet..." His body slightly disappeared. "Hm?"
(From outside)
Blossom's eye twitched slightly. "Ugh..." escaped her mouth somehow.
(Back inside)
"Wait... how are you doing this!? You're too weak to keep me out!"
"Maybe so..." She started. "But I may was well darn try... besides, remember that this is MY mind." She broke free of the trap that bound her, and out of somewhere came to other Blossoms that shifted into the designs of her sisters. "And MY mind... I push OUT the bad thoughts!" All three Powerpuff Girls flew at HIM and socked him in the face.
(From outside)
HIM shot straight out of Blossom's forehead through a flash of light, and Blossom managed to regain control of her body again. Buttercup had woke up not a minute soon after hearing HIM's voice. "I can't believe this! Your mind has managed to escape my grasp!"
"And it'll continue to do so! Just. Like. Me!" Abysmal fell from the sky and onto his feet, Bubbles had landed next to her sisters. "How did you hold up?"
"For long enough..." Bubbles replied.
"Buttercup are you alright?"
"Nothing to it." She replied.
"Well then girls... it's clear what we have to do now..." She crossed her arms and her sisters gathered closer. "Let's do this..."
Abysmal summoned his axe again, and held it with two hands.
"His axe must be his greater strength... we need to get it somehow..." Buttercup suggested.
"I think I have an idea of doing so..." Blossom said.
"Care to elaborate?"
"Next chapter..." She said with a wink.
To Be Continued...