Blossom was just a
little surprised when she got home to find another car in the
driveway, but once she identified it as Fabio's faded green Saturn,
the shock abated, and she jumped out of the truck. What had truly
surprised her was getting out of detention—yes, detention of all
things!—and finding the truck still in the parking lot. How had
Bubbles gotten home? Had she walked? Blossom felt that that
question was answered when she saw the green Saturn. She could put
two and two together easily, and it looked like Fabio had brought
Bubbles home. Blossom's concern faded somewhat. It would be like
Bubbles to leave the truck for them so they could get home and get a
ride with Fabio instead. Bubbles was a good person that way.
"Dad,
we're home." Buttercup cried as they entered the house. It
seemed strangely barren, and Blossom felt her stomach ping in
anxiety. Something seemed… off. She went to sprint into the
kitchen, but the professor suddenly appeared in the threshold,
fatigued and his hair a mess. It was like he'd been through a
tornado.
"Buttercup, Blossom, you're home." He observed blandly.
"Dad, is something wrong? Is Bubbles okay?" Blossom inquired worriedly.
"No, no. She's upstairs with Fabio." Their father replied, but his mouth compressed into a hard line. "Girls, I have to ask you… if you could, would you get your powers back and return to crime fighting?"
Okay, way out of left field. Blossom and Buttercup stared at their father for a long time, their eyes wide with shock Blossom opened and closed her mouth a few times, but found herself unable to say anything as she stared wordlessly at her father. The question was one she had ignored, one she had been afraid to confront for fear it would awake a fierce longing in her she couldn't fill. Now, however, she could not dodge the question. She tried to convince herself she was happy, tried to tell herself that the powers weren't apart of her anymore, but she couldn't deny the true answer, the one lurking in the darkest corners of her active mind.
Yes, if she could, she would rejoin that world of fighting crime and reclaim her powers. It felt like a betrayal to Bubbles, and she felt a familiar frustration and anger at her sister for causing them to lose the powers in the first place, but she stifled it and stared serenely at the professor as she replied.
"Yes," She said truthfully, and the professor's face sagged in defeat. He looked hopefully to Buttercup, but anyone with half a brain would know the girl's answer. She looked at her father squarely in the face, a look of vicious desire transforming her features.
"Hell yeah." She declared unabashedly. Blossom rolled her eyes indulgently at her sister before returning her mind frame to the moment at hand. Why would the professor ask them this question? He couldn't… Blossom felt too wary and scared to hope. Did he have… have a… a stash of Chemical X he had only just discovered among his numerous lab equipment? Blossom could already feel herself falling into the trap of hoping, enthusiasm trying to force its way to the surface and expose her hunger.
The professor leaned against the door frame in defeat, shaking his head.
"Girls, I have to tell you. Sera Bellum stopped at your school today and picked up Bubbles." He explained softly, his voice rough as sandpaper. Blossom stared at him, hardly able to comprehend his words for a long moment. Sera Bellum? As in, Sera Bellum, advisor to Mayor Charles Morelli of Chicago? What had she… why had she… who…?
"What the fuck?" Buttercup swore, her dark eyebrows going high on her pale forehead. Blossom noticed that her hands were clenched into tight fists, almost to the point that it looked like the bones of her knuckles might poke through. She was shaking a bit with some intense emotion, her green eyes blazing in her face. "Sera Bellum? What the hell is she doing in Mariner?"
"The mayor… the mayor was murdered by 'him', and Sera came to try and convince you girls to help catch him." The professor whispered weakly, clearly surprised and dismayed at the fervor in Buttercup's eyes.
"Holy shit,"
Buttercup murmured, dazed, her eyes very far away for a long, tense
moment. Blossom was silent and stoic beside her, horror making her
utterly silent. Despair wedged a sharp barb into her side, and she
felt like screaming and crying with terror and misery. It felt like
a coat of frost had been painted onto her skin, her heart locked in a
block of ice. Ripping sobs threatened to escape her suddenly heavy
lips. Could this… be true? "Holy fucking shit."
"What
did you do?" Blossom whispered feebly.
"I turned her away—"
"YOU TURNED HER AWAY? WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Buttercup shrieked deafeningly. Blossom winced, but she knew she was wondering the same thing.
"Buttercup, I thought—"
"Well, you thought wrong! We have to help Sera find him!" Buttercup screamed.
"Please, stop
shouting." The professor advised resignedly. He folded his hands
behind his back, standing up straighter and glaring into the girls
eyes defiantly. "I will contact Sera and arrange for the press
conference next Friday."
"Really?" Blossom looked at him
with anticipation.
"If you want this so
badly, I guess I should…" The professor sighed wearily. His
Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "I can make you no
promises."
Blossom lunged forward and wrapped her strong arms
around the professor, squeezing him tightly and pressing her face
into his crisp white shirt. It smelled of fresh laundry and pine
trees.
"Thank you, daddy!" Blossom exclaimed gratefully. She tore away from him and sped up the steps to tell Bubbles.
"Blossom, wait."
He called, and Blossom froze dead, looking down at him curiously. "I
already spoke to Bubbles. She's in this one-hundred-and-ten
perfect like you. But… just leave her alone with Fabio for
now."
It was odd that the professor would allow Fabio and
Bubbles to be alone since he was so protective and wary of any boys
let into the house, but Blossom didn't object, instead coming back
down the stairs. Buttercup looked dazed. She shook her head and
turned to Blossom.
"This isn't going to bring our powers
back." She pointed out dully. Blossom's face fell. Why had she
believed that catching him would bring their powers back? Her jaw
tightened. "I don't know… I don't think I want to do
this."
Well, Buttercup was the definition of hypocritical.
"What?" Blossom yelled, shocked. Buttercup looked abruptly awkward.
"I guess… I was
just so shocked hearing Sera was back that I didn't think. I
really don't think I want to do this."
"You
hypocrite!"
"Blossom." The professor warned. She glowered
crossly at Buttercup. "Buttercup, are you sure?"
"Yeah,"
Buttercup shrugged uncomfortably. "I have to go to my
room."
Buttercup darted up the steps before Blossom or the
professor could say anything. They stared after her in confusion,
and Blossom finally spoke.
"She's so doing something illegal." She assumed acidly. The professor shook his head at her.
"Don't start
making wan ton accusations, Blossom." He said calmly. He set his
intense gaze on Blossom. "By the way, where have you been? School
ended forty-five minutes ago."
"I, uh…" Blossom
stammered, embarrassed, looking down at the floorboards in
humiliation. "I got a detention." She mumbled, mollified and
ashamed.
"That's a first." The professor remarked mildly, barely concealing his amused grin. Blossom glared portentously at him.
"Whatever!" Blossom cried, aggravated, as she stomped into the kitchen to make herself a snack.
