5. One Armed Bandit

Initially, after he'd had the situation explained to him by Bubbles, the Professor had been too shocked to do anything more then agree to help. Now as the two of them approached Mojo's, he was beginning to find his tongue.

"Are you sure we can't try to negotiate with her," he asked again. Bubbles shook her head once more.

"You didn't see her," she said, "She seems to have gone completely mad while she's been in space." The Professor sighed. Bubbles supposed he was feeling guilty. "We can't let our feelings distract us from our duty," she tried to remind him.

"Maybe," the Professor replied, "but I'm not going to build anything that will kill her, okay?"

"Sure, we're not trying to kill her," Bubbles confirmed, although she mentally excluded Buttercup from the "we."

Presently they arrived at the volcano, where Boomer was having a problem of a completely different kind with Mojo.

"But if you don't help us everyone on the planet is going to be killed, including us!" the Blue Ruff protested in vain. Mojo shot him a vile look.

"No, I do not work with Puffs – unless I can twist it into an opportunity to destroy them that is."

"But you would get to destroy a puff," Boomer reminded him as Bubbles and the Professor slipped in through the open front door, "just not one of the ones that often foil you…"

"No!" Mojo bellowed more firmly. "I will not help. Absolutely not. There is nothing you can say or do, or that can be said or done to make me help, assist or contribute to your plan in any way, shape or form!" Mojo finished by swing his hands dramatically into the air, as behind him, through the window, the sky went pink.

"What's that?" asked the Professor, confused, as Mojo turned round to see what he was pointing at. "It's too early for a sun set." Then the force of the explosion hit, smashing windows and setting of car alarms as the shockwaves thundered across the town.

"That's Blossom," replied Bubbles sadly. The others stood in silence for a moment as they computed the ramifications. Eventually Mojo made a decision.

"This way," he said (for once) simply, and he led them to his lab.

Blossom studied the scorched ground around her. The city and all the unsightly concrete and tarmac that it had been made from was gone, leaving just empty space. There were no more humans either, which gave Blossom a good reason to grin widely. "Good," she said calmly. "Disgusting rodents."

She breathed in the newly fresh air, enjoying a rare pollution-free breath. Then she swept an arm down, and lifted the shell shocked Brick into the air. Slowly rotating him in her hands, she allowed him so see all the destruction she'd cause. "When you're a little older," she said calmly, "I'll teach you how to do this yourself. Would you like that?" Brick shook his head rapidly. Blossom sighed.

"Kids, they're all the same," she muttered, "you really don't know what's good for you do you. Eating vegetables, doing exactly as I say and agreeing with my every word, early bed times; its all for your own good you know."

Bricks reply was muffled by the sock in his mouth, which was probably a good thing. Blossom laughed; in his restrained state, he looked quite comic.

"I know, everyone finds the first time they see death hard, even me. But I shall persevere, although you can consider your self lucky. If it wasn't for the current lack of stability in universal politics, I wouldn't need an ally." She tucked him under her arm again. "So if you are going to be my apprentice, I think you need a bit more conditioning in the art of death. So rather then blowing the next city up, I'll destroy it slightly slower, so you can have a good long look…"

Brick's eyes where wide with fear again, but just as Blossom lifted off, her scouter beeped rapidly. The pink puff swung round to see two green streaks surging towards her. "No," she muttered. "Surely they aren't that stupid!"

Butch and Buttercup thumped on to the ground a couple of yards away from her, both instantly adopting aggressive positions in anticipation of the fight ahead. "Alright Blossom!" Buttercup declared. "You've really done it now!"

Blossom didn't bother to adjust her stance; she just looked at them slightly quizzically. "I take it then that you haven't come to tell me of the successful destruction of Townsville then," she said blankly. "Or is Bubbles just mopping up the survivors?"

"No," replied Buttercup, "not even close."

"We're here to shut that oversized mouth of yours for good!" Butch added, as he clenched his fist.

Blossom was not impressed, but she at least showed (of feigned) some sympathy. "This is a shame Buttercup," she said slowly, shaking her head. "We do appear to have got off on the wrong foot. But, since I am feeling particularly generous, I shall give you one last chance. Look around you my sister, at what used to be a City? Are you not impressed by this power, not satisfied by the deaths of scores of the pathetic creatures that destroy and corrupt this otherwise beautiful world? Don't you want all this for yourself."

"I do," muttered Butch, "but I would keep the humans as salves, rather then killing them."

"You're not helping," Buttercup spat.

Blossom smiled, a vicious smile. "I can see it in your eyes sis, the light of battle. You love fighting, you love victory, and if you give it a chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy killing. Become my assistant, and soon you'll be having the time of your life!"

"Never!" Buttercup answered. "Just because its fun, doesn't mean its right! Besides I have everything I want right here, on Earth."

"Fine," Blossom sighed. "You can bring your boy friend if you want."

Butch and Buttercup remained remarkably calm at this statement. "You've got that one wrong," Butch replied menacingly. "This is just a temporary alliance. Once I'm finished, she'll be as dead as you!"

Buttercup laughed, slightly impressed with his spirit. "See Blossom," she said, turning to face her sister. "Us green's bow to no one. Now give me back Brick!"

"No," Blossom said calmly, "It appears we go nicely in colour sets. Maybe I'll have better luck with the Blues too, once you two are dead of course." She leant down, and rolled the tied up Brick into a creator a short distance away. "He'll be safe there for now," she said, before starting to limber up. "Now, as you two are so week that you have no chance of victory, I'll give you a minute to come up with a plan while I do a few stretches. Wouldn't want to pull a muscle you know."

"What an arrogant cow!" Butch muttered. "She defiantly is your sister."

"Thanks," Buttercup replied sarcastically.

"And another thing," Butch continued, as he carefully removed his jumper. "If she's been away from earth for so long, how come she speaks such good English?"

Buttercup was going to reply, when Butch dropped the jumper to the floor, making a terrible crash. Buttercup lent down to pick it up again."

"Good grief!" she said startled. "This weighs a ton!"

"Yeah," said Butch smugly, as he rotated his arms to get some heat into them. "It's a training technique. Wearing heavy clothes is a great way of building up muscle all day. Impressed?"

"Partially," admitted Buttercup grudgingly, as she pulled at her shoes. "I thought that was my idea." She quickly dispatched of her footwear, wrist bands, jewellery and belt (since her trousers were elasticised) dropping them all to the ground with enough clunks to get Blossom's attention again. "That's about the same total weight as you jumper," the Green Puff added, jumping up and down athletically. "Yes, that's much better."

Blossom turned to face them, twisting her lip slightly. "I'm impressed," she said eventually. "You're not going to be as much of a bunch of losers as I thought." She turned her back on them. "Right, attack when your ready!" she commanded.

Butch was indignant! "Don't turn your back! Who do you think we are?"

"Calm down Butch!" Buttercup interrupted. "If she's going to be a fool then let's use it to our advantage."

The two of them dashed either side of Blossom, swinging a punch in each at her head. Blossom didn't seem to move at any stage, but suddenly, before she'd been hit, she was gone. Butch and Buttercup barely registered this before she elbowed them both in the back of the head, sending the two Greens tumbling away.

They stopped quickly, and swung round with looks of horror on their faces. "How can she be that fast," Buttercup thought, "I never even saw her move!"

"Boy that hurt," Butch thought, "she's stronger then I even thought possible, and I don't think she was even trying!"

Blossom laughed, as she looked at the two of them knelt on the floor. "Kneel to no one ahey?" she asked. The two Greens immediately jumped to their feet. Blossom nodded. "I'm glad you two know how to take a punch, because I could do with a good warm up." She chuckled again. "And once I'm warmed up, your brains won't even be able to comprehend what I can do…"

Bubbles and Boomer had been waiting patiently in Mojo's lounge. The silence between them was deafening; both were worried about there sibling, but neither trusted the other enough to talk about it. Occasionally one or the other would glance out the window in the direction of Cityville, or where Cityville had been, in the vain hope that they might see a returning Green streak.

Presently the Professor and Mojo emerged from the lab, looking glum (something that wasn't hard for Mojo.) Bubbles and Boomer jumped to their feet.

"Well?" said Bubbles hopefully.

Mojo opened his mouth to answer, but Boomer cut across him. "Not you!" he bellowed. "Time is a factor here."

The Professor nodded. "Well we've thrashed out a few calculations, and it's clear that we can't beat her with one shot. So any sort of anti-puff gun is not going to cut it."

"Fantastic," muttered Boomer. "Now what?"

Bubbles thought for a moment. "Can we beat her a more conventional way? Surely Mojo, you have some sort Robot in the pipe line that can could fight her?"

"No, no I do not," Mojo replied incredulously. "Do you understand how long it takes to build such a robot? No you do not, because you have never attempted to do so, but I Mojo Jojo am very experience since I have attempted to build such a robot many times, and thus know that it takes a very long time, unlike you, who assumes that it takes a very short time to build said robot, because you…"

"Alright, Alright!" Bubbles interrupted. "I was only asking!"

"Then now what?" asked Boomer, worriedly.

Suddenly, Mojo's face lit up. "I have a plan…" he began before going on for quite some time.

Buttercup and Butch where throwing everything they had at Blossom, swinging at her in a form of organised chaos as they darted round her. However, which ever part of her body they were aiming at, she had always moved by the time their attacks had arrived. That was until she got bored, when she decided to effortlessly catch the two fists racing towards her.

Butch and Buttercup were either side of her at the time, and Blossom allowed them long enough to register that she had trap them, and to try to struggle free, before jumping up and kicking them both under the chin. She neglected to let go of their hands though, and while they were temporarily stunned, she yanked them back towards each other, causing a clash of heads.

"Had enough?" she asked sweetly. The two Greens stay motionless for a while, as if beaten, before suddenly both swinging a kick at Blossom abdomen. To their utter horror, this had no effect at all.

"Holy shit!" Butch exclaimed.

"Dam it," thought Buttercup, "it doesn't even seem possible to hurt her."

Blossom released them and took a few steps back, to allow them to find there feet. "I must say, what you two lack in strength you make up for in toughness, most opponents would be down by now. But I prefer it this way; it means we can play a little game. The rules are quite simple, you two try and attack me, and the winner is the last one of you to beg for your life!"

"Over my dead body!" Buttercup screamed at her sister. "I'd never beg!"

"Yes, everyone says that at this point," Blossom reflected. "But you'll see…"

Buttercup gritted her teeth, and she and Butch charged once more. This time Blossom didn't let them reach her, she leapt high into the air instead. Landing briefly where she'd stood, Butch and Buttercup fired themselves up after her.

"Come on!" Butch grunted through gritted teeth. "We can get her this time, she's not ready!"

"Right, she's go her arms folded!" Buttercup confirmed.

"Blast, then thump!" Butch added, his green energy build slowly around his hands.

Blossom did indeed have her arms folded across her chest. But she didn't look worried. Waiting until they were two close to avoid it, her eyes suddenly started glowing pink.

Buttercup spotted it moments before her sister unleashed her eye-blast, and managed to scramble out the way with only the loss of her top's sleeve, which was flayed off by the edge of the blast. Butch however wasn't quiet so alert.

The three of them landed moments latter, Blossom ago ten yards away, looking very smug. Buttercup turned to Butch. "That was close! What on earth are we going to… Shit! Your arm!"

Butch was fully aware of this problem. Caught in the blast, his entire left arm had been seared clean off. The was little blood as the heat had mostly sealed it, but that wasn't much consolation. "Just be glad it wasn't my body," he growled, clearly in a great deal of pain.

Blossom laugh aloud. "Oh dear, have you lost your arm! If you want a quick break I can recommend a great second hand shop!"

Butch ignored the terrible joke. "If you have any secret technique that you've been saving Buttercup," he said, "now's the time."

"Sorry," replied Buttercup. "Wish I did, but no."

"You slacker," Butch laughed, gripping his injured arm hard with his other one to dull the pain. "Fortunately I have developed a new one."

"You have?"

"Well technically it's Boomer's. It's an energy attack you see, the one he was planning to use to finish Bubbles. I don't mind telling you, it's a bit of an overkill, as you'd expect from him. The attack is powerful enough to kill Bubbles ten times over."

"So you mean it might take Blossom?" Buttercup asked. Butch nodded. "And you can replicate it, even with just one arm?"

"Sure, that's no problem. The problem is it's going to take me some time to charge it up. You're going to need to survive against her on your own for five minutes."

"Five minutes!"

"And she's probably quick enough to doge it if she sees it coming, so when I fire you'll need to have her full attention."

"What are you whispering about?" Blossom called over to them. "I can't afford to stand around all day, I have a genocide to commit you know."

"Five minutes," Buttercup muttered, ripping off her remaining sleeve. "Sure, why not! How hard can it be?" Butch grimaced, but as he raised his remaining hand, put his two fore fingers on his forehead and started to focus his energy, Buttercup turn to her sister once more.

"All right Blossom!" she bellowed. "Get ready, because here I come!"