School ended without another issue, but as Bubbles left the office (she had had to see what Buttercup and Blossom's punishment was; after school detention) a sleek black limo pulled fluidly up to the curb, the watery yellow sunlight reflecting off the glossy surface. It was so clean, Bubbles could see her reflection. But the license plate gave her supreme pause. 173- JYJ, Illinois. What was someone from Illinois doing this far north in a freaking limo?
Suddenly, the back car door opened with a silent whoosh of air, and Bubbles felt her blood run cold. A tall, statuesque woman unfolded herself from the plush leather seats, her big scarlet locks framing her gorgeous face. She was wearing a crimson blouse and skirt that hugged her slim body like a second skin, her bright red heels clacking loudly against the pavement as she strode elegantly forward to stand in front of Bubbles. The woman was only too familiar, a face Bubbles had never wanted to see again.
It was Sera Bellum, the previous mayor of Chicago's advisor, the same woman who had often encouraged and aided Bubbles and her sisters when they were stumped with cases.
"Bubbles?" Sera
Bellum whispered in her sultry voice, her hooded azure eyes widening
in shock as she took in Bubbles slender figure and narrow face and
permanently mournful blue eyes. "Bubbles Nygel? Is that
you?"
"S-Sera?" Bubbles stammered, shocked. It suddenly
felt like someone had swathed her brain in cotton, her arms going
limp like they were filled with sand and her legs feeling akin to
jelly. She stumbled, staring, mortified, up into Sera's face.
The last time Bubbles had seen Sera had been ten years ago, in the hospital soon after the Nygel sisters had forfeit their powers with liquid Z. She had been crying, her mascara running in rivers down her high cheek bones and her eyes swimming in black. She had been so relieved to see Bubbles alive, but she had been angry when she'd learned that they'd disposed of their powers for good. She'd argued with their father for hours in another room, the screams becoming louder and louder as time passed until at last Sera had marched proudly from the room, her make up totally smudged and destroyed and her hair a wild tangle around her face. Bubbles remembered the sullen drum of her high heels against the linoleum as she'd disappeared out the door, not once looking over her shoulder and not biding Bubbles, Blossom, or Buttercup good-bye. Their father had appeared several moments later, haggard and disheveled, like he'd been through a violent war. They hadn't asked what had transpired; they had heard.
Sera hadn't approved of their father using an unknown, untested chemical to rid the girls of their powers.
Bubbles was shocked to see Sera here, now, an ethereal creature suddenly appearing from the ether of her past life.
"W-why are you here?" Bubbles inquired in a low voice, her lower lip quivering and her hands trembling with fear and shock. She suddenly felt very cold, like she'd been dipped in ice water. The pain, the agony, the blood, the screaming…
She shook her head vehemently to dispel the thoughts of her fatal wound, turning her mind to the present.
"Bubbles, I have to
speak to you." Sera murmured urgently, reaching out tentatively.
Bubbles recoiled away from her, and Sera winced daintily. "Where
are your sisters? I must speak to all of you about…
about…"
"Leave me alone." Bubbles hissed breathlessly,
her eyes blazing in her white face.
"Bubbles, I—" Sera began insistently, her face softening kindly.
"No. I don't care. I don't have my powers anymore. I can't help you, and neither can my sisters." Bubbles said softly, her voice, on the surface, like that of a marshmallow, but underneath was a knife sharp, lethal threat that Sera couldn't ignore. The lovely woman took a slight step back, misery and remorse scrawled clearly on her dazzling features.
"Bubbles, please, I must speak to you." Sera pressed.
"What can I do to help you?" Bubbles inquired quietly, glaring defiantly at Sera.
"Please, listen to me." Sera demanded desperately. Bubbles resolve wavered. Should she listen to Sera? It was tempting, but she had abandoned the life of fighting crime as a super hero long ago. What could Sera possibly have to say to her now, all these years later?
Bubbles inclined her head in reluctant approval, and a smile swept across Sera's striking face. She moved aside, gesturing for Bubbles to get into the limo.
"Bubbles?" Suddenly, Alexander, Fabio, and, regrettably, Lila came up behind Bubbles, Alexander's eyes wide with confusion, Lila's narrowed with suspicion, and Fabio's face totally unreadable. "What are you doing?" Alexander asked worriedly.
"I, uh… She's a… an old friend of mine." Bubbles explained hurriedly, stumbling over her words as her heavy lips moved. Her throat felt clenched with tears, and her stomach was twisted in tight triple knots, her blood running like slush through her narrow veins and her heart beating rapidly in her rib cage.
Alexander looked doubtful, and Lila curled her long, bright red nails into Fabio's arm. He was wearing a fine leather jacket that cut him a dashing figure. Bubbles berated herself inwardly at noticing such a thing at such a stupid time, ignoring the slight longing she felt in rooted in her chest like a tree.
"I need to go… with her somewhere. I'll catch you guys later, okay?" Bubbles waved halfheartedly good-bye and went to get into the car. She sat down in the comfortable black seats, sinking into the fabric. The ceiling was low and the cab was dark, white lights set into the ceiling and illuminating a cooler imbedded into the floor. The windows were tinted almost completely black. Sera got in behind her, sitting down across from Bubbles in a seat that was pressed against the glass divider between the driver and the passengers.
"Wait, Bubbles." Fabio's said abruptly. She looked up in surprise as Fabio leaned forward in the car and lightly kissed her cheek. "Be careful." He breathed in her ear before pulling out. Sera pulled the door shut, so Bubbles only got a glimpse of Lila's enraged face and Alexander's stunned one. Bubbles heart was now racing in her chest for another reason. She shook her head in annoyance and embarrassment, banishing all thoughts of Fabio and the cold fire that had bolted through her body where his lips had touched her.
Bubbles looked up at Sera, who had a knowing look on her model's face.
"He's just a friend." Bubbles claimed unconvincingly.
"Yes, of course, dear." Sera nodded absently.
"What is that you want to talk to me about?" Bubbles asked now to get them off the topic of Bubbles kinda-there-kinda-not love life. Sera's face grew abruptly grave, desolation contorting her features. Bubbles heart tore at the sadness on Sera's face, the imperceptible sag of her narrow, graceful shoulders and the slanting of her perfect red eyebrows. Her full, scarlet lips turned down at the corners, and her eyes glazed with tears. Bubbles went icy with dread.
"The mayor is dead,"
Sera intoned forlornly, making Bubbles gasp in horror. Tears welled
up in her powder blue eyes. "And he was killed by Him."
That
was such a big shock that Bubbles almost fainted. Her thought
process was muddled, and she was dazed. She felt eerily numb, her
fingers tingling with apprehension and scalding tears dripping down
her face, snot falling from her nose unchecked. Sera reached into
her pocket and withdrew a monogrammed handkerchief, the entwined
letters in the corner that of the mayor's. That made the tears
gush down Bubbles face as she clutched the handkerchief to her face,
wiping away the tears. She felt like someone had ripped a gaping
hole in her chest, a hole that spiraled down into a cold darkness. A
part—a very small part—of her heart died. She had adored the
oblivious, good natured mayor. That he was dead was a big blow.
But even worse was the
fact that he had been killed by Him, who had supposedly disappeared a
decade ago after the girls had drank the liquid Z. He had somehow
managed to escape the maximum security prison and everyone assumed he
had decided pursuing crime would be boring without his arch rivals
around. He had floated off the map into foggy darkness where no one
could follow. He had been totally silent and unheard of.
Until
now.
Now, he was back. But
why? Was he determined to restart his rivalry with Blossom, Bubbles,
and Buttercup, powers or no? Or had he come back for another reason
altogether to create a new rivalry with someone else? It was
impossible to guess his motives; he had always been unpredictable,
but jarringly charismatic and sane. Why was he back? Why?
It
took ten minutes for Bubbles to gather her scattered bearings. She
wiped at her tears, tightly clutching the damp handkerchief. She was
shaking like a Chihuahua, her teeth chattering and her skin prickling
with unease. She realized that the car was moving and that they were
speeding down the street, though she could only faintly make out the
blurred forms of passing trees.
"W-what now?" Bubbles asked drearily.
"You and your
sisters need to help me find out his motives and, most important of
all, him." Sera grimaced and pulled a thrice folded piece of
crumpled paper from her breast pocket. She handed it to Bubbles, who
accepted it warily, like it would burn her fingers. She unfolded it,
and was confronted with a grainy faded image of a thin man with
luscious black hair slicked back tightly against his skull, his
pointed face bearing no sign of worry or concern as he smiled openly
at the camera. He had full lips and rounded childlike cheeks with a
knife sharp nose and proud forehead, a strange combination that made
absolutely no sense; but he was attractive all of the same. Looking
at him from one angle, he looked ethereally pretty and feminine, but
from another he looked strikingly handsome and masculine. The suit
he wore was a startling shade of scarlet, the buttons and trim
shimmering gold and a lily in his breast pocket. Bubbles hadn't
seen him in years, and it had been the first time in a decade that
morning in the video montage on the news, but this photo truly
captured his alluring scariness. Bubbles had never met anyone like
him.
"Where was he last seen?" Bubbles asked clinically,
struggling to hide her looming fears.
"Fleeing the crime scene." Sera sighed wearily. "The police tried to follow him, but you know how he is."
"Unfortunately,"
Bubbles agreed unenthusiastically. She clutched the photo tightly in
her hands, along with the handkerchief. He was the worst villain
Bubbles had ever encountered in her crime fighting days.
"I
think… I think he'll come out again if we use you as bait."
Sera explained lackadaisically. Bubbles started, astonished. "We
need to openly challenge him. We've already got a warrant for his
arrest, so you have to do nothing but go on a press conference."
"Do
you truly think so?" Bubbles inquired doubtfully.
"Yes, I
think so." Sera smiled reassuringly. "I think we'll be able to
catch him."
"It would be nice to put this villain in jail
too." Bubbles mused vaguely. She turned her gaze to Sera again.
"When are we gonna do this?"
"Next Friday; talk to your
sisters about coming, too." Sera encouraged gently.
"Alright."
"Where do you live?"
"Oh, 491 White Violet Avenue."
A few quiet, awkward minutes later the limo came to a mild halt, and Sera patiently opened the door for Bubbles, who slithered out. She was in the driveway of her quaint, two story house. It was a quaint blue cabin, the wood worn from years of rain and snow and sleet, a dreary, feeble garden planted in the front and a cobbled stone path twisting up to the wrap around porch, a few hanging and potted plants adorning it. The pines hugged the perimeter of the lush green yard. Bubbles silently led Sera up to the door, pulling her keys from her messenger bag and pulling open the screen door with a metallic groan. She unlocked the main white door, throwing it open and stepping tentatively into the living room.
The living room was painted a rich shade of honey, the floors paneled in cherry oak wood. The worn green couch was placed in the center of the room, the TV mounted on the wall above the fire place in front of it. A glass cabinet with the fine china was in the corner, and three tightly packed book shelves pressed up against the wall that held the stair case. Portraits of the girls—from five to fifteen—hung on the walls. It was cramped with random things, making it very cozy and homey. At least to Bubbles.
"Oh, Bubbles, you're home—" Bubbles father wandered into the room from the threshold opposite them (which led to the kitchen), stopping dead when he saw Sera. His mouth fell open in shock and his brown eyes widened. "Bubbles, why is… why… Sera… how?" He spluttered incoherently, staring—in dismay and aggravation and longing—at Sera. Bubbles was reminded none too softly of the brief romance her father and Sera had had years ago. They had been engaged, even, but Sera had ended up calling it off when she got cold feet. Their bad romantic history was one of the many contributing factors to the awkward silence that pushed oppressively on the trio.
"Sera, why are you here?" He at last managed.
"I'm here to talk to Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup about… him." Sera replied calmly, her voice unbearably reasonable. But the professor was immune to such tactics, his eyes narrowing in distrust. Bubbles looked warily back and forth between them, sensing the growing animosity sparking in the air.
"My daughters no longer have their powers, and I refuse to involve them in the crime fighting world again." The professor growled threateningly, his eyes glimmering maliciously. "Leave, Sera, and don't come back."
"Austin, please, listen to me…" Sera begged weakly.
"Get out." He maintained, unaffected by Sera's feeble tone.
"The mayor was
killed by him! We have to find him and lock him away for good before
he causes more trouble!" Sera exclaimed frantically. "You know
what he's like, Austin. He'll come after the girls next!"
"He
won't find them." The professor said fiercely.
"You can't know that." Sera pointed out desperately.
"You could've led
him here!" The professor roared ferociously. "Bubbles,
Buttercup, and Blossom are no longer part of that world, and they
aren't going back now. Not ever!"
Sera looked taken
aback, her eyes wide with terror and her scarlet lips falling open.
She trembled with fright.
"Dad, please,"
Bubbles pleaded, trying to stifle the hostility. He turned his
burning gaze onto her, relaxing a bit. "He killed the mayor, and
we have to help put him down for good. He was the one villain we
didn't ever beat. We need this; it'll be closure for all of
us."
"Bubbles…" The professor muttered. He closed his
eyes for a brief moment, his lips turned down sharply at the corners.
He clenched and unclenched his hands. "I don't know." He
finally whispered. "I can't put you in that kind of danger
again."
"But dad—"
"I can't. I
forbid it." He said obstinately. He opened his eyes and set his
piercing glare upon Sera, then Bubbles. "Bubbles and her sisters
aren't going to help you, Sera. So just leave."
Sera looked
flabbergasted.
"Leave." He
repeated tenaciously, his face closing down and his eyes becoming
absolutely glacial with disapproval and anger. "I never want to
see you here again. Just go back to Chicago and leave us
alone."
Sera stood there, shell shocked, for a long moment.
Finally, and with what appeared to be a great effort, Sera turned
proudly away and left, her neck and shoulders stiff with resentment.
A long silence followed the closing of the front door, and Bubbles could tell her father's rage was boiling just beneath the surface. She grimaced, taking a slight step back. She hadn't wanted to inspire her father's anger by doing this; she'd simply wanted to help Sera and catch 'him' for good.
All she had done was reopen wounds better left closed. The Pandora's box, Bubbles thought dryly.
"Bubbles," Her
father finally spoke, sounding deceptively calm, but she could hear
his temper seething in that one word. "I am disappointed in you.
You and your sisters chose to leave that world behind for good, so
why? Why would you let Sera convince you to try to rejoin that?"
His statement was simple, but the warning and displeasure was clearly
displayed. Bubbles felt tears of embarrassment and bruised pride
burn behind her eyes, her fingers tingling and blood rushing to her
face white hot. She looked down, ashamed. She opened her mouth to
say something with her leaden lips, but her father cut her off. "No.
Don't try to make excuses, Bubbles. Just… go to your room and
don't tell your sisters about this."
"Dad, I'm sorry."
Bubbles mumbled earnestly as she shuffled to the steps, suddenly
taking acute interest in the hem of her worn old jeans. She only
then considered the folly of her actions. What about her sisters,
what would they've thought? What if Sera had been lying to get
them to come back? And her father; she should've known how he
would react. He had always been protective of them to a fault. What
had made her think that would change? She had been stupid and
idealistic. Perhaps, even though she had never considered it, she
missed her powers and was just searching for a romantic way to
somehow regain them. What, would 'he' have chemical X stashed
somewhere and they would find it after they found him? No, her
powers were gone for good. She should've known better.
But still, her pride was rankled at the professor's easy dismissal of her ideas. And a small part of her yearned to help Sera, a small part that felt like it could overcome her if left unchecked. As she ambled up the steps, she thought of the mayor and his kindly face and words and demeanor. She had to check, see if he was really dead. And if he is, what then? Bubbles asked of herself as she ghosted into her room. Will you swoop in and find him and save the world?
She shook her head stubbornly and fished her laptop out from under her black bed, turning the old PC on and drumming her fingers impatiently on the dark carpet as she waited. She glanced around her room as she waited. It was a plain, boring room painted white, a silver and navy tapestry the only wall hanging. The bed was a queen, and the coverlet was black, the pillows white and the bedside table bearing a black wire lamp and red alarm clock. The only personal effect in the room other than a portrait of Bubbles, Buttercup, Blossom, and the professor was an old, stuffed purple octopus sitting on the pillows.
Finally, the computer turned on, and Bubbles went to Mozilla Firefox. She rested her fingers on the keys for a long time, staring at the Google bar in the corner and trying to gain the courage to type in the mayor's name. She sat there like that for a long moment, her back pressed uncomfortably against the edge of the bed and the frame digging into her skin. She swallowed the bitter bile crawling languidly up her throat, her skin hot with anxiety and her muscles tightening. She at last typed in the mayor's name—Charles Morelli—and bit her lip viciously hard as she waited for the screen to load.
The first link that appeared, in clear, distinct blue script at the top of the screen, made Bubbles go pale and her skin prickle.
Ex-mayor of Chicago Charles Morelli, 68, murdered
It took a very long time for Bubbles to process that information, her mind totally blank and her body limp as she reread the words several times. She snapped out of the stupor after the seventh time reading it, and sniffled, struggling to hold in her bitter tears. Charles Morelli truly was dead. That stung so harshly, and a despaired thorn lodged in her heart. She felt sobs build in her constricted chest like wet cement, her throat clenching with tears. A shiver went down her rigid spine as she clicked the link and quickly skimmed the article.
Ex-mayor Charles Morelli savagely murdered on March seventeenth… found dead in apartment by wife and previous advisor… killed by ferocious villain known only as 'him'… cause of death is reported as burning… Chicago devastated… 'Him' is back…
Bubbles jaw tightened, grinding her teeth audibly. This was… terrible. How could this have happened? Why would he return now, and kill the mayor in such an open act of rebellion?
She sat there for a long time, staring at the image of the mayor posted beside the article. He was a stout, portly man with a receding white hairline and big, twinkling brown eyes that told only of happy, kind things. He was such a sweet man and hadn't deserved to die in such an awful way. Bubbles felt resolve harden in her heart; she had to find him and get him thrown in jail for killing Charles Morelli like this. She didn't care what her father said.
They had to get rid of him once and for all.
Suddenly, the computer pinged, and an MSN chat room opened. Bubbles frowned, checking to see who had contacted her. Fabio. She stiffened, but read his message.
R u ok?
Bubbles hesitated for a long time before replying.
No.
Fabio took only seconds to reply.
What happened?
Bubbles wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.
An old friend, back from when I was a PPG, was killed by the only villain we never caught.
That was met by a long virtual silence. Bubbles worried she had said too much, but then, much to her surprise, he replied.
I'm coming over.
??? really???
Really. I'll be right there.
And then he logged off, and Bubbles was staring at their brief conversation. But her day was far from over. She got one last shock that night.
It has been far too long, my sweet.
Bubbles started as another virtual conversation started up, and when she read who had IM'ed her, she felt her blood run cold. Horror clawed at her throat and innards, her eyes widening to the point it felt like they would fall out of their sockets. She was ice cold, and it felt like her heart had momentarily stopped beating.
It was him.
Surprised, my darling? You should be. Did you truly think I was gone?
Bubbles throat was bone dry as she shakily typed a response.
No, I didn't. But why r u back NOW???
Bubbles couldn't believe she was IM'ing him, and being so freaking casual about it. She should've logged off, ignored him, but she had risen to the bait and she wasn't going to back down now.
I have my reasons.
A smiley face? Was this guy serious? Did he really have that much confidence, that much arrogance? Bubbles felt an unchecked, unwarranted rage build in her chest, a veil of red falling across her vision.
We're gonna hunt you down and we're gonna get you locked up.
That is part of the game, my love.
Game? What game? What did he mean?
What do you mean? Why did you kill the mayor???
You shall find these answers soon. Our reunion is on the horizon.
And then he logged off, and Bubbles erased the conversation from the computer's memory. She took a deep breath after she'd turned the computer off, staring mutely at the ceiling.
