Chapter 1 Spoiled As Always
I hate them so much, she thought. After Mr. Morbuck bailed her out of jail again, she made her way back to the site of her last defeat. She walked slowly, recollecting every detail of the fight. For a little while, she had the upper hand and it seemed like she would win. Then, as with all the previous times, the Powerpuff Girls found a way to overpower her suit and destroy it. When they'd taken her, she nearly went insane from the deepest fit of rage she'd ever had. Stomping, kicking, and screaming until all that was left wwas disappointment and a deep sense of hopelessness. All my life, I wanted to be just like them: Strong, fast, to shoot lasers out of my eyes and fly high into the sky! More than all of those things though, there was one thing that seemed beyond her reach: the adulation. Despite all the destruction that they cause, they're loved and revered by the people. Hell, the town may as well build statues of the little wenches! That's why I used Daddy's money, so that I could be like them. I only wanted to be accepted and have what they do, but they rejected me! They took my dream away and now the only thing left... is to take revenge.
Time after time, it ended like this. I will beat them someday! I swear I will! I'll have them on their knees, forced to worship their Princess. Then when I've had my vengeance, I'll do to them what they've done to me. Smiling at the thought of putting the Powerpuff Girls In their place, she started walking a bit faster until she arrived at her home. Her residence was something that most kids would die for, the mansion to end all mansions. The building from the outside was imposing, both tall and wide. They had more rooms than they knew what to do with and twice as much furniture to boot. Just moving from one side of the house to another would be an adventure in its own right. Right as she stepped up to open the door, there was a note placed there.
Picking it up, she read it out loud.
For whom this may concern,
No one is home and there won't be anyone here for some time.
What...? This has to be some kind of twisted joke. My dad didn't have any business meetings until Friday. Even if he was gone, the servants should still be in attendance.
Tossing the cryptic note on the ground, she began pounding on the door. "Open this door! NOW"! For all the effort, the only reward appeared to be an ever-growing silence. Curses, this just had to happen at the worst possible time. If it hadn't been for those stupid Power...OH FORGET IT! She kept doing the same thing over and over again, until she found herself on the verge of tears again. "Why isn't he coming"? He usually opened the door before, but it's almost like he's not there anymore...
It's almost like no one's there and then she starts to look through the window to see if any of her maids were just playing a prank. The place was more desolate than Death Valley. This has to be a joke...This is just a joke that the maids are playing on me...On the verge of a panic attack, she slows her breathing down and tries to compose herself. Just keep calm Princess...There has to be an explanation. Trembling from the unknown, lips quivering and heart beating fast, her imagination ran wild.
What could have happened? Why is everyone missing? It couldn't be...
Oh no...
As soon as the thought had entered her mind, a couple of men in suits had arrived outside and were eyeing her with great interest. MOVE! MOVE BODY, MOVE! Despite all her orders, Morbuck was frozen like a statue. It was as if she had never known motion, and the signals in her brain weren't being registered by her body. The two men pulled out pistols and walked over to the entrance. They both looked like hardened criminals, expressing no visible emotion as they came into clear view.
"Eh, Andy are you sure this Pipsqueak is his daughter"? Smiling confidently at his partner in crime, he replied "Oh, it's his kid alright". "Don't you ever pay attention to the news reports Wade"? Wade gave his friend a disapproving look. "You know I don't like tv man, I can't stand the stuff they put on today". "We used to have the good stuff back in the day, with characters blowing each other up with dynamite and shooting at each other with guns". To Morbucks surprise, his friend was listening as if she weren't even there. "If they did that stuff today, you'd have parents crying about the effect it can have on the chillen today". "What does this have to do with watching the news"? Morbuck kept trying to move, but it was as if her entire body had shut down from terror alone. "The news is boring, they don't show the good stuff". "I need some action to get my blood pumpin". "I think you're just one of those guys who hates anything new". Rolling his eyes at his friend, he rebutted "Oh come on man, why you gotta do me like that". They kept jabbering at one another, until it appeared as if they would start an argument. Then, the conversation ceased as Andy finally explained himself. "This little kid has always hated the Powerpuff Girls, see"? His friend finally shut up and listened quietly again, tapping his foot impatiently. "The Boss wanted to bring her in, but what's the point in wasting bullets and killing a kid"? Andy winced at the mere thought of it. Morbucks was growing confused, and her anxiety dropped a little bit. However, she felt unsettled for an entirely different reason. Could these two be hired guns for...
"Whacking old rich farts and their servants is one thing, but you can't pay me to kill the youth". Morbucks eyes grew wide and she immediately caught his meaning. Her father was murdered! Anxiety turning to anger, she ran at her attackers and screamed. Catching her as she ran forward, Andy put her in a submission hold and covered her mouth to prevent any more noise from escaping her lips. "What a tough little tiger, eh Andy?" "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted...I knew Morbucks would seek revenge like she always does. Whatever beef she has with those super powered freaks, I figure we could use it to our advantage. Morbucks stopped struggling, and now she felt a different emotion now, one that she had never experienced before. "You're really tough with that suit, but without it you're just a harmless, little girl". Both men started laughing profusely as Morbucks was forced to endure the humiliation and shock of having everything taken away from her. Silently, she cursed the names of the Powerpuff Girls, as if to blame them for her misfortune. Feeling helpless, she latched onto anything to give her hope but there was none. She refused to stave off this strange feeling welling inside of her. What was this thing eating away at her? Why couldn't she just make it go away. With everything hitting her at once, she broke down into tears. The two men took notice of this and the laughing died down a bit. "Guess she isn't all that, is she?" Nodding to his partner, he motioned to him to go retrieve something from the vehicle they came in down the street. If only I had my suit...if I'd just stayed home today...Fighting off the feeling again she continued to deny it, to stave off the truth a while longer.
Andy's partner had returned with handcuffs. Fighting with every inch of her strength, she tried to wriggle free from the older man's control. It would all be in vain, as the steps grew closer until she could feel the vibrations from the spot where she'd been held down. Pushing her onto the ground now and restraining her hands, Morbuck could feel the cuffs being attached to her wrists. Once they were on and locked into place, Andy kept covering her mouth with his hands to muffle her screams. They both dragged her to her feet, and brought the rich kid forcibly to their vehicle. She kept trying to force her legs backwards, but without the ability to move her hands it was difficult to offer any effective resistance. "Maybe we should've brought ankle cuffs as well". Morbuck continued to pull backwards, but she wasn't strong enough to overpower 2 grown adults. "Nea, we got a handle on this one". Once they were positioned at the back seat of their car, Andy tossed Wade his keys so that he could unlock the back seat. As he exited the brown car, Morbucks saw that he carried duct tape with him. Maybe if I scream right when he removes his hands, someone can call the cops. Andy looked down at Morbucks contemplative gaze and as if he read her mind, he said "not happening kiddo". Morbucks looked at him with a mixture of fear, and oncoming despair. Picking her body up, he carried her into the back seat of his Chevrolet and sat down in the middle. His parner climbing into the seat adjacent to him and locked the door behind him. Holding Morbucks in the air, she tried to kick at him with her feet. While she did that, Andy looked expectantly at Wade. Both of them spoke in unison this time as Wade held the ducttape right below Morbuck's chin. "One"...is it a three count? If it is, I can time the scream just right so that I can-"TWO! Before she had time to register what had happened, Andy had let his hand go while Wade ductaped Princess Morbuck's mouth shut. I thought I had more time...but those hands of his were like lightning. "It gets them everyone time". "Hahahaha you can say that again bro".
Ever the optimist, the auburn haired girl held onto a glimmer of hope. I screamed a bit earlier, so maybe someone will call. That's stupid. If someone really saw that, then why would it take several minutes? A sudden realization hit her: It was an angry scream. Morbucks couldn't count on one hand the amount of times she had temper tantrums at night. At first, the neighbors would just ignore her but eventually they complained to her father. Knowing that he couldn't control Morbuck, he paid off everyone so they wouldn't report his daughter for a domestic disturbance. Her heart sank and the realization that no one would come to her aid set in. True Despair is a feeling that she knows all too well. It's like being thrown into the water with a weight tied to your leg; at best you can swim with enough force to prevent yourself from drowning. She felt this way many times, especially after being defeated by Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. Sometimes, Morbucks would catch herself thinking that the day would never come when she'd defeat them. The only difference between then and now is that her entire future was up in the air. If her suit got busted up, daddy could buy her a new one. Money seemed to be the great equalizer in her life and for every problem the child encountered, it could always provide a solution. Money can give a comfort that few things in her life offered her, and in the darkest moments, the idea that things weren't over yet would always raise her spirits. But now...Daddy...He's...She couldn't bring herself to say the word. If her father really was...then what would become of her? Why did they keep her alive? Who are they working for?
Andy seemed to be a very intuitive criminal, as he kept close watch. Noticing her change in demeanor, the man correctly guessed what was on the young girl's mind again. "We're going to be taking you to the boss now". Boss? It can't be...him can it? Morbucks always wondered why their family was so stinking rich, but never thought to look into why that was. Up until now, it never really piqued her interest. However, she did occasionally see the men who hung around Mr. Morbucks. One of them seemed to be like ice, incapable of showing any emotion and when the guy did, the expressions seemed...calculating and forced. It was almost as if the person was only pretending to feel, and didn't actually have a soul. I really hope that it's not that weirdo...
After a considerable amount of time passed, the car came to a stop and Andy carried her out of the car. The vile scum walked up to the door, gave it a special knock. Tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. At least, that's the rhythm her ears could make out. As if to spite her, life had added to her already miserable state when the door slid open. The one person she didn't want to see was standing right there, in the same business suit he wore 6 months ago. The anxiety that had been replaced by a slew of powerful emotions had now returned with a vengeance. Would this man kill her? Why did he order those thugs to kill her father? If they went through all the trouble of kidnapping her, there must be a reason. She really wanted to believe Bernard would show mercy, but looking at those cold eyes of his convinced her otherwise. I just had to fight with the Powerpuff girls...Why can't they ever just lose! It's because of them that I wasn't there...damn you Blossom...Bubbles...Buttercup. Tearing up again, she felt that strange feeling again but didn't know what to call it.
"Come in".
Were in not for her current disposition, Morbucks might have admired the man's house. The furniture looked like it was brand new, the paintings were swimming with detail, not one speck of dirt could be seen on his brown carpets, and the amount of other things she couldn't put a name too. Bernard pointed to the couch and Princess Morbucks was placed there by his subordinates. Looking at Andy and Wade, he said "I'd like to speak with Mr. Morbuck's daughter privately". Without a second of hesitation, they stepped outside and the sound of a car engine starting could be heard from a distance. When the sound abated, Bernard broke the silence. "In truth, I didn't want things to turn out this way". Mfffm. "Oh, that's right your mouth is muffled. Hold on a second". With one quick motion, he ripped the duct tape off of her mouth and Morbucks screamed in agony. "Why am I here"! "Why did you...Why"?!
"You know, your father and I go back further than you could imagine". Morbucks wanted to yell, but knew that it wouldn't help at this point. To her own surpise, she managed to contain the desire. "We were actually childhood friends..." Then a man she once thought was just a mindless sociopath began to show genuine emotion for the first time. "Then why did you-I'M GETTING THERE!
The change in temperament caused Morbucks to recoil in fear. "Spoiled as always" he said contemptuously. "In my business, I've had to do a lot of things I didn't want to but I followed through anyways". "Over time, I grew into the person that I am today". Morbucks was watching with a mixture of intrigue and terror as this man was constantly flipping from showing nothing to giving away everything. "This business has a way of desensitizing you to stuff that would freeze most people stiff". Afraid to speak and provoke Bernard any further, she decided to maintain silence. "Eventually, I became the victim of my own success and now have several associates who work with me". His face became visibly angry and he took a deep breath to cool down a bit. "Their loyalty exists only so long as they benefit from my actions". Failing to see what this had to do with her father, she felt lost at what to say. Then, with a flash of anger, he pointed his index finger at her. "If it wasn't for you, none of this would be necessary". "What are... you... talking... about" Morbucks asked meekly?
Finally realizing the truth, he groaned in disappointment. "I knew it". "knew what"?!
"Your dad never talked about his financial situation, did he"? "No, why would Daddy ever-
Cutting her off, he finished her sentence "tell you"...
"Your father never could deny his daughter anything, even when he should have".
That feeling had returned stronger than ever and this time Morbucks couldn't repress it the way she did before. It was welling up inside her again, like a mosquito that keeps coming back to draw more blood.
"Those suits of yours cost a pretty penny and each time you lost a bout with those Girls, your dearly departed father would continue to dig into his funds to build new ones". Morbucks had never considered how her actions affected anyone. To her, anything that came about as a result of her ambition was just collateral damage. She had never considered that her actions would lead to this predicament. Despite knowing deep down that it was her fault, she kept trying to pin the blame on the superheroes. If they had just let her be a powerpuff girl, none of this would be happening! Deep in denial, she wallowed in self-pity and regret. "I, and other associates of mine loaned him some money with the understanding that he would pay it back". "For a while, I stayed off your dad's back for old time's sake; Then, my associates came complaining to me about how they hadn't got their money back when it was promised". Morbuck was at her breaking point. Sighing, the man said morosely "I didn't have a choice"...and hung his head down in defeat. Losing control again, Morbucks cried out "No..Nooooo...Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! Daddy! Morbuck's sobbing lasted so long, the couch was drenched. "I don't understand...Morbucks said with labored breathing". "Why"? "Why did you do this!" Everything was falling apart before her eyes. No more dad, no more money, which meant that she was all alone in this world. No one would take her in, even if she could escape from this madman. Contemplating a life without luxury, she asked" and why did you let me live"?! His face was stoic, giving nothing as rebuttal to Morbuck's latest outburst. "Like I said before...the loyalty they give me is determined by my commitment to our mutual interests". "If I stopped serving those men and women, they would threaten me and my family". Morbucks was rocking back and forth, sobbing quietly now. The man kept going, but she started tuning him out. It was hard to explain how she felt. Aside from all the different emotions hitting at once, there was also an anger at Mr. Morbucks himself. Why did he have to consort with hardened criminals? There had to be another way...Tears streaming down like a river, Morbucks tried to wipe them away only to remember that those hands were cuffed. Daddy...You're so stupid...Now what am I going to do?!
"As for your other question, the answer is simple". Grabbing her chin, he stared into Morbuck's black eyes. Holding the little girl in suspense, he spent several moments glaring at the orphan. Then, grabbing her shirt he lifted her into the air and brought her to one of his rooms and threw Princess on the floor. Morbucks waited anxiously for the crook's answer, but as if he had a change of heart the man slammed the door and left. Was he doing this on purpose? Morbuck's imagination went to work again on her heart. Would Bernard pour hot water over her body? Stretch her body to its limit with ropes and horses to pull them? Maybe the old geezer will burn her skin with cigarettes? Or what if wants to kill me himself?
Thud,Thud, thud. ...Footsteps. Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud,...They were growing closer until she could see a silhouhette at the door. Was this it? Will this be the beginning of the end? Would there be no more battles with that trio? No more money to go shopping, no more worldy adventures? Has it really come to this? With that last thought, Morbucks lost consciousness.