A/N: Hello, all grateful viewers. CLS is back.
Back at chapter 9, I told you that after about 4 more chapters, this story will be completed. That's chapter 13, this chapter.
Unfortunately, it seems that I've miscalculated. The story doesn't end here, and you'll find out why.
ㅡ
The batch of beautiful scenery was truly a shame to leave behind.
Landing down from the iridescent sky, the children headed for the site where Mojo said he would be at in happy conversation. But from ill-timing, their joyful chit-chat on the way had to stop cold at their reach of the volcano.
The top of the volcano was conspicuously missing its usual adjunct: and there at its bottom, it revealed every pieces of metal compartment that used to be the work of the chimp, destroyed. The inhabitant of the once observatory had knelt down in front of the aftermath, sifting his paws through remaining scrap metals of what was no longer there.
...As fate had it, HIM had not only affected the boys and the people in town. He had demolished all what was most important to the monkey. His children at one point, then his right and dignity as a parent, every one of his works, his home... all had reduced to rubble. His solemn back was enough to show that he was in great deal of grief.
The Powerpuffs, saddened by the misfortune, followed the boys into the territory. After a few advances, however, Brick held out a disallowing hand.
"No... this is our call to make," he told them.
Caught midway in their steps, the girls took the point and backed away from the possible dispute, giving them and their father some respectable space. To what they estimated, this was probably going to be one of the first haulmarks in their decision-making future.
Trudging the rest of the way, the Rowdyruffs gathered their gall for the father-to-son talk, as they stopped behind the distraught creature.
Butch was first to try, parting with his heavy words. "Sorry about what happened, Mojo, your house and everything..."
"..It's gonna be awfully hard to build back what you've made for us, isn't it?" Boomer followed suit.
"Yeah.. I've heard." Brick came last.
They waited, patiently.
Soon enough on their watch, the back figure of the monkey readjusted, but settled again to a crouching position. "No, it isn't the matter," his gravelly voice crawled out, "All it will take is some... time."
Faltering at the end, he picked up a burnt metal piece and caressed it in his hand despite its sharp edges. What Mojo was talking about evidently meant more than just the ruins he had in front of him.
Brick took a coerced breath and pulled back into the loose hanging conversation. "Look, Mojo, I know what you're thinking," he said.
Boomer delved in, "It must be a shocker for you that we've become frien..emies with the girls—"
"-without you knowing." Butch added for him.
"It was uncalled for us, too." The leader, though it went past without being seen, presented his hands in honesty.
"But to break it to you, we aren't gonna go back to fighting like before," Butch came again.
"..."
Mojo barely moved a muscle. A beat of silence intruded in between, but they could see that their voices weren't just suspended in the air.
The boys swapped glances that were inconclusive.
"I know we've been enemies," they strung out their sentences, one after the other,
"But you've also seen eye-to-eye with them at some point."
"You musta seen the good to it, right?"
There was no answer.
"Don't get us wrong, you're cool and everything," they tried again,
"But you can't always stop us from makin' our own decisions."
"HIM tried to do that. It was such a jerk move and you know it."
Still, no answer.
"..But, if you're still disappointed at us,"
"...There's nothing we can do about it, I guess.."
"...Can't blame ya if you don't want us, no more."
Growing the more glum at each proceeding, the last of their sentence ended with a dismal sigh, dropping any expectations. They dipped their heads and prepared themselves for anything.
...Anything, fortunately, became something.
After a few moments, at last the monkey spoke up, letting go the metal piece he had fiddling in his hand.
"Don't speak nonsense, boys..." he croaked wearily, "You are all I have, after I almost lost you again..."
His returned vocals rumbled in his chest, raking with sadness. Mojo rose to his two feet, letting off some dust, and uttered the rest in a deeply grievened tone; "I just wish this old chimp would have caught on with that devil's antics before all this... atrocity unfolded..."
The monkey hastily hid himself in the fur of his arm, ashamed to turn to them, "...I am obstensibly a poor parent."
The boys all lifted their heads in heated refutation. They neared him, their bodies around him forming a small embracing arc.
"Nah, man, you better not speak nonsense." Butch consoled him.
Boomer was next, "You're the best dad we can ask for!... uh, obstensibly?"
Brick nodded, agreeing with them, "Thanks for standing up for us back there... with HIM."
By the end of their lines, all three had their arms draped over the monkey. Surrounded by the warmth, the monkey pulled away from his forearm, coming first in contact with the pardoning smile of his red son.
His eyes moistened with newly sprouting tears, "Oh dear child, forgive me for what foolishness I've committed!" he lamented.
Brick as a start, he smothered each of them in his tight embrace as if he hadn't met them in eternity's time, dare not letting go. The red boy returned the affection with a pat on the monkey's back, purging any leftover hard feelings.
"It's all good," he said in a muffled sound.
For a bit, the girls dwelled in the poignant atmosphere, being eye-witness to the reunition that had nearly been torn apart. A peaceful smile lingered on their calm faces.
Later on when the family finally parted, they tried out for their permission to enter.
Blossom carefully let herself in. "Speaking of the devil," she addressed to them, "What happened anyway? Just before all this?"
Butch and Boomer turned to file their hefty complaints.
"He chiseled us, the crook!"
"Yeah, that fatheaded jerk!"
Supplemented by Mojo to fill in missing links, the Rowdyruffs each presented their own viewpoint of the happening. It all came together like puzzle pieces, as the Powerpuff Girls were let known of the schematic behind the boys' birth, rebirth, as well as the main component of what constituted their existence—not chemical X exclusively, but free will, which likewise pertained to the sustenance of the girls.
The puffs, while listening, couldn't figure out how to respond in terms of how their 'defined goodness' had once destroyed their counterparts. Though, given that the whole nervewreck over cooties was yet another gimmick by HIM, they were assured that there would be nothing stopping them from developing into closer friends. It was a long circuitous path they took due to outside intervention, but seeing the outcome, it was ultimately worth it.
However, in the fogs of their conversation, the small family had all overlooked a group of curious citizens approaching in dense waves. Picking up to the dialogue, the crowd began to hear the truth behind the preceding chaos in town.
The seven adjoined figures ceased their talk a step too late as they sensed the forming audience. Nervously, they searched the faces of the crowd. They each had on expressions that they couldn't quite put a hand on; shock? pity? sadness?... none of them were anger at least.
Relieved for the time being, Blossom took the position to sate their questioning stares as quick-appointed ambassador.
Said person in position made access in between them and landed in a sector that had cleared for her. She looked to them evenly, hopeful for a positive response.
"Honorable citizens of Townsville," she opened up as if to hold a press conference, "as you must all recognize, this is the Rowdyruff Boys," she pointed, "Though we are well aware of what wreckage they have caused to our hearts these past times, that is no longer true. Up until today, they have all been blinded and manipulated by the evil grasps of HIM..."
She paced herself through the crowd, seeing some of them voice shock as she let the message stick to them.
"...But things have changed. Now they stand before us from their own, real decision. And it is to our humble request that you can find place in your kind hearts to give these boys another chance, as there is more to them than meets the eye. We as the protectors of Townsville, can bare witness to what good they can bring. Today as an example."
Lastly, the leader took a heavy breath and thanked the crowd as she retreated back to her group. The look on their glazed faces made her unsure if she had left an impact. But as much as she wanted to add more, her part was over. It was up to the public opinion to come to a decision.
At once as her space was emptied, the whole crowd opened to discordant arguments of their own. There was a debate going on amongst themselves by the looks of it.
The boys and their simian father stood in front of what was probably the entire population of Townsville, waiting for the verdict. All this time, what the people thought of them had by default meant nothing in their ill-motivated minds. And never had they expected that they'd reach the day to be conscious of it. They knew very well these were the people who had attacked them, these were the people who had casted them with looks of contempt, but, as they were fully aware, these were the people who they had once hurt before...
Somewhere along the process, the unbridled discussion hit an endless loop going no where, and it was then when a group of hands raised themselves out of the vociferous crowd. There was an intermediate halt, as every attention was turned to them who stood out, from their outfits, as presumably fry cooks. There were three in number who pulled out.
"It's true," one of them came forward to testify, "They've always had some good in them."
"The blue boy," said another, "he saved us way back, when one of us were in danger of being sprayed by hot fries—"
"-Back at the burger place we work in," the last one completed.
There was a sharp gasp as everyone focused on the boy in the spotlight.
The boy himself, had a hand pointing to him as if to say—'me?' It took him some seconds to find himself.
"Burger place?" Brick and Butch both raised their question. They didn't recall getting near a burger franchise during battle.
Right then, Butch whipped his eyes to Boomer with a 'wait a minute,' "The burger place I sent you to?" he interrogated, "Before all this happened?"
Boomer laughed sheepishly at his hunch dead on.
Exuding happy giggles, Bubbles excitedly chimed in to his support. "Yup! He already told me all about it! Right Boomer?"
"What?!" Brick exclaimed, "When did that happen?"
Boomer choked nervously at the disclosure. "...We uh- kinda...were... hanging out... before all this...? hehe..."
His brothers looked at each other at a loss.
...Uh well.. that explained what HIM meant by all of them becoming friendly with the puffs...
Blossom cleared her throat and carefully intervened, "Well, Brick, you and I were also-"
"Oh FOR CRY-NOT-LOUD! Don't you get it?!" Buttercup shouted in frustration, "We were all getting buddy-buddy with each other before this happened!"
"Huh?" said Boomer, the one who didn't understand.
"WOULD SOMEBODY KINDLY PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION!" Mojo hollered.
But before any of them could get through with more bickering, by then, vivacious remarks had already collected between the townspeople to a positive direction. All six of them and Mojo faced the crowd with surprise as the previous statement in the boys' favor started an impetus for further witnesses.
"The red young man!" a man shouted towards Brick, "He saved me from being squashed!"
"The green one held me up in his arms! Aaaah—!" a woman's voice swooned.
Butch, at that, let off hot air, suspecting the authencity in that previous reaction. The green puff was strangely scowling at his direction, to which, he too for some reason hunched up his shoulders appalledly in defense.
More effervescent reactions rised up from the crowd.
"We were saved from being burnt by acid!"
"They piled us up in their flight so we wouldn't get hurt!"
"What splendid performance, I should say!"
"Wonderful!"
"Stupendous!"
"I always knew those boys would turn good!"
"Yeah, we're sorry for all those things we said to you..."
"We're sorry, boys." They all chorused at the end.
Standing before the crowd, the boys were amazed with the ripple effect that occured from their one or two gratuitous acts of kindness. It never crossed their minds to earn recognition.
Coughing into his hand, Boomer bashfully stepped out, returning the sentiment. "We're sorry, too."
Brick, as a follow up, didn't forget to pass credit to their counterparts. "It was all thanks to them... that we got to where we are."
And for whatever it was worth, their audience gathered in standing ovation, thankful for the events. Mojo and the Powerpuffs began exchange of pure bliss.
After a while as the high cooled down, Butch, as a compliment, nudged his brother in front of everyone.
"Which reminds me—Boomer, you saved someone and got along with the blond without us knowin? That's real sneaky."
Boomer beamed joyously at his praise. "It was, huh?"
Brick joined them, grinning broadly, "I guess it was all bound to happen, us getting along with the Powerpuffs."
Butch sneered at him. "What do they call this? Destiny...?"
They all blehed playfully and laughed, pushing each other. There was pleasent laughter ensuing from the crowd, some of them taking a liking to them through cordial glances.
Letting by some time in their moment, Blossom later informed the boys of a ceremonious arrival.
"Guys, the mayor is here to speak with you."
Indirectly in answer to that, the crowd in front of them cleared a path to make room for the small senile representative of town and his tall redhaired assistant. The plump old man, in spite of his age, seemed to have a case of a major big-league adrenal kick in.
The head of town elatedly ran about their view immitating some of their moves, "That was quite some action! I watched everything from my office! Is it true? You boys are set on saving this city with the girls?"
The boys stared at each other then back at the Mayor.
"Save this city?" Brick asked.
"You mean, like, become heroes?" Boomer swallowed.
An exuberant cheer fell from the crowd before any of them could give a proper answer to the accolade. The ruffs had to collect their baffled-selves to the excessive amount of praise and expectation they were receiving, as much to make this appearance of the Mayor himself.
They rubbed their eyelids. Presumably from the influence, the boys were all starting to see sporadic blurry vision. The Powerpuffs were in for encouragement.
"It's okay," said Blossom, assuming they had been struck by stage-fright.
"He won't bite," huffed Buttercup.
"He's really nice," finished Bubbles.
Somehow their voices seemed distant for a second. But all came to normal.
Shaking out of their funk, the boys pulled to a side spot in order to confer amongst themselves.
"What are we gonna do?" Boomer asked, frantic.
Butch was equally fretful. "I know we're getting off easy, but is this what we're really in for? Settling down as their saviors?"
Brick couldn't answer. This was all coming too fast after their just earned freedom. In truth, he did appreciate the flattery he received from Blossom before—about him being something close to a hero—but in his mind he had doubts of him dedicating to be one. They had spent too much time as a dog astray, and frankly, that's probably what suited them, instead of being tied down to any code of conduct they couldn't keep.
After exchanging talks under lowered voices, the Rowdyruffs came to a final consensus: They were not cut out to be a hero.
Brick, clearing his throat, took a determined walk toward the faces of Townsville.
"Uh-hm, we—!" All too sudden, he winced at a pain crossing his head, "ugh..."
"Are you alright?!" Blossom rushed to him stumbling on his feet, her sisters also tending to their partners.
The boys concurrently seemed to suffer from a mild migraine. The Townspeople, along with the Mayor, all worriedly leaned in to seek out what was happening.
"I'm fine." Brick waved his head.
"I just... still feel a bit dizzy." Boomer followed, holding himself up.
Butch simply growled as he steadied his steps. Buttercup, when she realized she had gotten too close, pulled back in distance.
Mojo entered briskly to nurse his children. "It seems to be remaining side effects from the long durated injections. That wretched demon!"
There was a small commotion as the meeting with the Mayor was put off for the moment. People were calling out for a doctor or an ambulance. Buttercup, while watching all this, brooded on the talk they had earlier.
"Should we try... kissing them?"
"What?!"
Every head lifted to the person they least expected to propose such a suggestion. Butch the most out of all, had a red hue inflaming his cheeks.
They looked at her with entirely doubtful expressions, wondering what had gotten into her.
Seeing what was close to flat rejection, Buttercup threw her arms out front, simmering with embarrassment, "Don't give me those looks! You heard the story, there ARE NO COOTIES! If it's evilness that took control of them, then we could probably get rid of them with our 'defined goodness' or whatever!"
The green puff put herself out right after that. She broiled at her spot, regretting the fact that she hadn't kept quiet. It most likely was a dumb idea, but she was no miss-little-kiss-me-desperate!
But by the looks of it, out of the stares that were still wandering, the pink Powerpuff took her seriously and considered the proposition, hand to chin.
"Buttercup has a point. It might actually work..." Blossom voiced. Buttercup looked to her with unexpected surprise. The leader continued with a smile, "What we used to destroy them before, we could actually use to help them this time."
"Oh goodie!" Bubbles squealed, quickly hyped at the idea.
Blossom owed one to her green sister who had turned more abashed. "Good thinking, Buttercup!"
Hearing this out, the crowd nodded and shrugged all together, seeing it worth a shot.
What was left now was the ask for permission to the boys' guardian. The girls, as well as the whole crowd, courteously awaited his call to go. Mojo, with little to say, huffed in consent. Though it didn't please him, there was nothing really in Mojo to fight the remedy, as he had no better ideas to put on the table.
After all, how much could a little smooch do?
With no other outlying objections—other than the ones probably present on the boys' fearful faces—the girls advanced towards them.
Just as the first time they had been nice to them, they had their hands clasped behind their backs, their curly eyelashes standing out from their half-opened eyes. Three muses sashayed in their captivating walk.
The Rowdyruffs, knocked out of breath, faintly resisted through their ill condition.
"Are we really gonna do this...?" Brick asked his counterpart, plainly nervous.
"It will only take a second..." Blossom said indistinctly, mildly embarrassed as it arrived to the moment.
She had her face to the side, eyelids evading his glance, and her hand rubbing on her cheek to calm down the heat. ...But all he could focus on her profile was her rosy lips opened partway.
The red boy had his telltale blush pelted all over his face as he snapped his head the other way.
"I-If it's to get rid of this stupid side effect, then let's get it over with!" he stuttered out.
"Do it on the lips!" whistled a voice from the crowd.
"That's how it usually works!" another raised, overly excited.
The children, to questionable advantage, were suddenly trapped in the overzealous pressure added on by the many eyes.
What was said though, had to be done. It was just a stupid kiss that didn't mean anything than a treatment method, right?
The girls neared closer to their awaiting patients.
"Here we go..." Blossom told hers.
Brick didn't respond but nonetheless turned his flushed face front, eyes closed shut.
"Hey..." Bubbles called out shyly.
"H-hey." Boomer replied.
Things were more feverish in the greens' side.
"Back off! Keep your girl germs away!"
"There are none, you dumb-brain!" Buttercup growled, trying to put him in place, "Hold still! You think I want to do this?!"
"Well I dunno, you're the one who came up with the stupid idea!"
"Shut it!" she snatched his collar.
Seamlessly, the girls bent in and closed the gap—Buttercup more roughly with hers—causing all three pairs of lips to come into slightest contact. The crowd awwed at the adorable scene.
...
Soon after, with a distinct pop!—all of them drew apart from their staged public display of affection, blushing profusely. Other than the area of contact and the place of conduct, the kissing meant so much differently than what it used to.
The Rowdyruffs for that matter, faced down, cupping their lips at the nonetheless, warm, thrumming sensation. There were some fireworks inside them, if it were shown to the naked eye. In time, they couldn't help but smile pleasently as their past pain subsided.
"Hey, whatdaya know, I feel much better," Brick admitted. He turned to the person he owed. "Thanks."
Boomer danced up and down like he just scored a goal, "Yeah, I feel like I can fly!" He looked shyly at Bubbles with the most innocent puppy eyes. "C-can we do it again?"
Bubbles was most heart-willing to abide to that wish of his.
The greens, on their marks, both pigmented with red at the sight of the other upfront, then refused to look each other in the eye, arms folded.
"Better than blowing up I guess..." Butch grumbled softly enough to be heard.
"-or the revamped cootie vaccinations!" Brick added teasingly for them to hear. Blossom simpered beside him.
Buttercup let out a 'hmmph.'
Back to the blues in the back, Boomer was already putty in the blue girl's arms as he laid limp with lip marks all over his face. Bubbles laughed herself silly as she realized she might have literally loved him to death.
As a bystander to all this, Mojo had a hard time watching more of the outward acts of affection and...obscenity. He tried to hide his distaste as he approached them, naturally pulling them apart.
"H-hmm.. if you're all done with your canoodling, I must tell you, Brick, that I have something to give you."
Not so subtly, he held out the wrist device to his son that he had yet been able to gift him.
Brick recognized it in an instant. "Hey, thanks Moj-"
With a thud, the gagdet passed right through the boy's hands.
...
The lively audience subdued with shock. With a look of disbelief, all three boys stared down at their hands and body suddenly becoming intermittently translucent and intangible.
"What's going on..?!" People screamed.
"Is it because of us?!" Blossom cried with guilt.
Brick swayed his head in fervent denial, despite his transitory stages of existence. "No... it isn't your fault."
There was an auditory rise of undefeated laughter in answer to that. All pairs of eyes searched the area with unrelenting repugnance.
"HIM!" Bubbles screeched.
"Show yourself!" Buttercup growled warningly.
But none of the culprit's features were to be seen. It was as if his crude sense of presence was residing in them, feeding off of what could be their fear and apprehension.
All the while, the boys were not faring too fell in the ill-omen, coming closer to fading. Blossom clenched her teeth in anger. "What evil have you bestowed again on our beloved new friends!"
"Our heroes!" People took a shot at their orientation.
"Turn them back!" They shouted. The Mayor and Ms. Bellum were in on this revolt.
The laughter stopped brief before it fired up to an accusatory harangue, "Friends? Heroesss?! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! THESE ARE THE VERY LIVES YOU'VE DESPISED! I'M DOING YOU ALL A FAVORRR!"
"Rubbish!" someone called out.
"Complete claptrap!" another shouted.
"It is you who has to be despised!" They put together.
Still in a heated outburst, the demon's attempt to set against was deliberately trampled, not only by the girls, but all the people in the crowd protesting throughout.
"What have you done to them?!" Blossom demanded indignantly. The Powerpuff had the whole support of the crowd behind her.
Soon realizing his method was no longer tenable, an awful din clawed the inside of their heads, pinging between their ears.
"YOU IMBECILES! THE BOYS ARE ALIVE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF ME! WITHOUT MY EVIL POWERS, THERE IS NO GROUNDING TO THEIR EXISTENCE!"
That instant, red swath of smoke swept up from underneath the earth that the boys were standing. It twisted into tie-ropes that ensnared the boys' waist and ankles, tugging them down to an endless black-hole unfolding the underworld beneath. Horror was written over the onlookers.
This finally brought satisfaction to one lurking evil.
"WITH THE POWER I USED TO BRING THEM TO LIFE—" it sentenced to all, "—WITH THAT I WILL TAKE THEM!"
Stuck in a roaring whirlpool, the crowd fell back from shockwaves from the portal, the gale of impact encasing only the three prisoned souls. The entangled bodies of the boys were sinking as if they were placed on quick-sand. Their voices were inaudible from the containment, contrary to the drastic cries drawn out.
"No... no! Brick!"
"Boomer!"
"Spike-head!"
"My boys...!"
Desperately—in attempt to save them, Blossom the closest and the quickest, dashed through the blockage of force in strenuous strides, arms outreached. Just barely, the hand of hers and her red friend overlapped—...but with him incorporeal, she could not lay hold of anything but air.
—thump!..
...
The minute she dropped on to her hands and face, all signs of them were gone at the lift of her head. No roaring shockwaves, no gaping portal, no fleeting existence... As if none of it ever existed.
"...Brick..!"
All climbing up in a rush, teardrops rolled down to her chin as the girl felt herself hurl. Struck hard with desolation, the pink puff clamped her crestfallen chest, falling forward to swollen cries at the loss of her dear friend. At almost the same time, her blue sister slumped near to hug and sob next to her. Buttercup beside them, uplifted her head, preventing her emotions from being seen. As a result of an immense chain event, the monkey guardian and the majority of the people followed in the mourning, bawling their hearts out.
Blossom shivered through the thicket of woe.
...Why did it have to be this way?
They had been so close... All the boys had in front of them was a bright future, a freedom to choose their path, and a family to love them. They had just earned a shot at a new start. And Brick, he had been through so much to come to where he was with his brothers—a part of it shared with her...
Sniffling uncontrollably, she tore out her heartache as she pulled back to look at her conscience-striken hands. Just when she felt he was right within reach, he slipped right through her grasp. She promised him what she couldn't keep...
...He was a life she had destroyed once, and both a life she could not save.
On the other end, brimming with barely heldback tears, Buttercup stomped towards the bawling monkey kneel-bent on the ground, whisking him up by the collar.
"What can we do?! What do we do to bring them back?!" The green puff screamed in outrage, taking it out on the one who might have the slightest key to a solution. She shook him viciously as if to strangle out the answer. "Tell us Mojo! I gave away my FIRST KISS FOR HIM OF ALL THE STUPID—!"
Driven up to his limit, Mojo pushed her off with no little frustration.
"THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR CAPABILITY TO DO SUCH A THING!" he bellowed, "Unless if we can perhaps find a way to open up the infernal realm ruled by the damned demon himself! ...It is now up to the boys' power to profoundly fight for their existence..!" he hung his head at his throat welling up on the last of his sentence.
The Townspeople exhibited the same sorrow. No quick-fix remedy could possibly clear up this mess...
Unless...
"Girls, I have it here! A device that will open up a portal to the burning depths of the infernal zone!"
...?!
"-Or use that." Mojo's eyes expanded as he spoke.
Incredible serendipity was brought out-front as Professor Utonium dashed in with another one of his inventions—earning the attention of everyone.
Blossom stood bolt upright at the news, not knowing what to make out of it. "Professor, why on earth would you own a device like that?!"
The man gave a convenient shrug and likeable smile, "I don't know. Isn't that how all my inventions go?"
Sure enough, the same convenient shrug fell as an answer from all of them. His fortuitous resourcefulness was not something to argue for the people who had seen it before. Except probably the genius monkey who was perspicacious enough to turn the tables on him.
"How about it, Mojo?"
Well aware of that, the scientist sought approval from his lab partner, nudging him with great anticipation. Up close, Mojo squinted his eyes and scrutinized the missile-like vessel as if that really would help appraise its entire capacity.
He grunted after a brief size-up, but with surfacing appreciation.
"I suppose it will do," he confirmed.
Delighted cheers piped up from the crowd at the speck of possibility.
Yet the scientist rubbed his chin at a remaining matter to take care of; "But I have yet been able to activate it," he stated, "because it is in need of exponential heat for its power source."
The monkey stepped closer, now in with the idea. "How much heat are we talking here?"
Professor reached down to whisper in his ear, causing Mojo's eyes to enlarge to unbelievable size.
"Great Scott! One point twenty-one times 10 to the 4th power fahrenheit?! That's 7000K!" (A/N: A half-baked attempt at a reference to Back to the Future.)
"7000K?!" The townspeople repeated mindlessly.
The Professor sighed resignedly at the disclosure of what was apparently too mind-boggling to publicly announce. "Yes, it's the temperature of the earth's core. And the only place that grants access to generate that much amount of subterranean heat is-"
"Down Mojo's volcano!" The girls gasped the answer for him.
Their eyes glided to the exposed volcano top and then back toward Mojo and the professor. Hope was finding its way back, but there was evidently no one else who could get by with the task.
"We'll do it." They said without hesitation.
The crowd as well as Mojo blinked at their outspoken willingness. The latter choked out of his throat.
"You should know that there is nothing you can remotely do for them other than safely guide them back," the monkey clarified the unwieldiness, just to be sure, "It's solely up to them to gain the strength for their lives."
Blossom nodded, fully knowing the consequences. "We understand, but we don't care."
Buttercup blew wind out of her bottom lip to disarrange her bangs, not all pleased. "As long as those buttheads can make it."
Bubbles smiled to Mojo tenderly, noticing the monkey's brimming appreciation along with the underlying concern for his boys.
"Don't worry. We'll come back with them, Mojo." She gave him a hug, "They're strong enough to defend themselves."
Mojo, though he bristled, willingly accepted her kindness and searched for an optimal plan in his head before he let go. Blossom, at the time being, had received the device from the professor.
"Wait just a moment," the chimp said, reaching into a satchel he had around his shoulder. His face was plastered with grave decision. "This was meant to be spares for my boys, but for the slight unfortunate change of matters... it will serve as a communication method between us."
What he had for them was, as they've seen before, the devices worn by the boys and almost handed to Brick.
Wholeheartedly entrusting them with his tech, Mojo gave each Powerpuff brief instructions on how to operate the wrist watches. The girls listened carefully as he demonstrated in front of them. Augmented reality projections popped up in VR mode for their visual.
"I have installed a GPS tracker to all of the watches... once you reach into their proximity, you will be able to track down their red light on the round coordinates, presented on the visor." he explained, "There will be a commensurable beeping noise to guide you. However, since there have never been any precedents—obviously—of actual coordinates of the infernal realm, you must mostly rely on your chance event to navigate and scout them out."
Buttercup crinkled her nose, "Thank god you're an overprotective psycho parent," she said, mocking him.
Mojo looked rather offended, refusing to be even somehow treated the same as the devil. "It was meant to be only used in times of emergency!" he snapped, "...But I'll take that as a compliment."
Then as the girls stood by and tested out their given gadget, Mojo kept his distance for a while in self-reflection. To himself blamingly, he looked down at the leftover gadget kept in his palm, the one missing its owner.
"...I was able to give Boomer and Butch theirs before this whole predicament," he let them know after their individual test-run, "but hadn't had a chance to with Brick."
Blossom waved a comforting hand to the monkey. "It'll be alright," she said, "Although it had always been a dream or illusion, we have been in his realm before. We all have a good idea where to find them."
Despite the condolence, the father's insides were rumbling with regret. He had his head bowed down, as he approached her. "...So for that, Blossom," he said, "I want you to give this to Brick when you find him."
Blossom stared at the last device he possessed, handing it to her voluntarily. She, at the same time, witnessed his paws trembling and red abrasions he had on his two wrists from struggling against HIM earlier that day.
The girl nibbled her lip and searched his face, as taking it didn't seem right at the moment.
"No, Mojo." She refused politely, gently curling his outreached fingers back to him to cup the device. "You give it to him when we come back. You're their rightful father."
Taken off guard, the monkey parent, in due time, gave her thankful recognition through his plain-spoken eyes and retreated in his steps.
Proceeding with their inevitably vague plan, the superpowered girls laterwards took position at the lip of the volcano. The surface of bubbling lava was shown within.
Before long, Bubbles queried through pouted lips, "Doesn't this remind us of a similar event?" (A/N: *cough* The Powerpuff Girls Movie!)
The girls narrowed their eyes and glared at the monkey, who with a guilty cough, turned away from their blame-filled vision. The rest had no idea what they were talking about.
Nonetheless with more important matters to take care of, the girls reverted to their task, getting ready to set foot on the mission.
Three streaks alligned, flashed upward to the sky and dived down to the heats of the lava on everyone's watch. Submerging to the magma below, the three paid no mind to the scorching heat and sped down the boiling depths in full gear, hauling their equipment along. By the time the speed and intensity grew unbearably cumbersome, they reached a foreseen dead-end to their destination. On their marks from experience, they released the payload into place and rocketed their way back out, a tethered platform rising from the activated device hot in their trail.
The girls bursted out of the hot fluid, after only a few minutes time into traveling. A cabel attached platform ensued their path and dislodged its jointed legs, attaching to the opening of the volcano. The platform took a round shape with a two-doored entryway. And later, at the professor's gentle push of a button on a remote control, it powered to sequence in its place for an intense moment as they cleared the way, watching its mouth unveil the horrors of the same but extensively larger black portal from before. The unleashed passageway gave rise to a tall projection of energy up to the sky, dense with dark aura and little glints of flames.
The three girls examined their work with grim expressions and called to their creator.
"All set to go, professor!"
In spite of the success, everyone had stilled at the sight of the intimidating air, Mojo included.
Before the monkey could maybe think about escaping the situation or the teamwork duty, the professor swooped the chimp under his arm to take him back to the laboratory.
"We'll be back at the lab, trying to figure out what we can do to help steer your way. Listen closely for our instructions!" he called out.
"Aye-aye, captain!" Buttercup replied to their father.
"And girls, please be careful," the man beseeched. He didn't fall second when it came to protective nature for his children.
"Be careful!" The crowd cried to them, ditto on the concern.
"Yes... be very careful." Mojo mumbled while trapped in the professors' arms, indebted to their bravery.
"You got it, professor, Mojo—everyone..." Blossom gave each subject a nod and announced valiantly, "We promise we will return with our partners. Our new heroes in town."
With the finish of her sentence, all three heroines soared up at once, knitting the sky, and used the help of earth's gravitational pull to plunge deep down into the inauspicious hollows of the dark portal.
ㅡ
A/N: Life can't always be easy... especially when you have to fight for it.
Do some of you remember how Brick phrased in his monologue in chapter 5? HIM is the one with the power to ultimately set them free.
Let's hope that this isn't true, and the boys can find a way to do that for themselves.
The next chapter will be largely inspired by the last episode of Inuyasha, where it also delves into the void and subconsciousness. Frankly, I don't know how to handle the next one, since it literally reaches into hell.
Will return, regardless!
P.S. Friday the 13th, not intended.