Chapter 8

Slave the Day

"No, Billy, don't!" the girls cried out in unison, their voices echoing through the city streets.

But their pleas fell on deaf ears as Big Billy charged headlong into the towering monster with a forceful shoulder slam. The impact was cataclysmic. The monster was hurled backwards, crashing into a nearby skyscraper with such force that it toppled over, its steel and glass structure crumbling like a house of cards. The falling building hit the next one in line, triggering a chain reaction that saw an entire row of buildings collapse one after the other, just like dominoes toppling in a line.

When the dust finally settled, Big Billy stood atop the vanquished monster, his arms raised high in a victorious pose, completely oblivious to the wreckage that surrounded him - the aftermath of his reckless heroism.

"BIG BILLY SAVE THE DAY!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the devastated cityscape.

Meanwhile, Blossom was seething in silent fury. She was still embedded in a Blossom-shaped dent in the concrete wall, a souvenir from the monster's earlier attack. Her sisters, Buttercup and Bubbles, also trapped in their own respective imprints, watched her with concern as her anger simmered, building up like a pressure cooker about to explode.

"Uh...Blossom, are you okay?" Buttercup asked, her voice strained.

"Blossom?" Bubbles chimed in, her voice filled with worry.

"THAT'S IT!" Blossom exploded, wrenching herself free from the wall. She rocketed over to Billy, her eyes blazing with fury. "First, you let the bank robbers get away! Then you destroy irreplaceable art! And now you've destroyed all of Townsville! You do less damage as a member of the Gangreen Gang!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Now, GO!"

Billy's lower lip began to tremble, and after a moment, he burst into a torrent of tears. "WAH! Billy no like you anymore! Billy go back to Gang!"

Blossom's eyes widened in surprise at his reaction and she reached out for him, calling out, "Wait, Billy! Come back!" But his heavy, lumbering steps were already carrying him away, back to the Gang in the opposite direction.

Blossom slowly retracted the arm she had outstretched toward him, now looking down and rubbing it with a sense of regret.

"Geez Blossom," Buttercup remarked, her eyebrows raised in a mixture of awe and apprehension. "And here I thought my tirade against the Amoeba Boys was intense."

"Did I really cross a line?" Blossom asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Well, he did level half the city," Buttercup pointed out, her tone matter-of-fact.

"But he also managed to defeat the monster," Bubbles chimed in. "And he did technically thwart the Salami Swami—even if it involved using the priceless paintings the villain was trying to steal as weapons." Bubbles' eyes welled up with sympathy. "It was only his first day on the job! We had our fair share of blunders when we started out too..."

"And let's face it, we kind of wreak havoc on Townsville on a regular basis," Buttercup confessed, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly.

In the grand scheme of things, Billy's actions weren't all that different from their own.

"Do you think we should apologize?" Blossom asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"I think we should." Bubbles nodded, her eyes filled with resolve.

With that, the Powerpuff Girls took to the skies, their voices echoing through the city as they called out for Billy. Their frantic cries were filled with worry and regret, reminiscent of mothers searching for a lost child who had run away from home.

"Billy!" Blossom shouted, her hands forming a makeshift megaphone around her mouth to amplify her voice.

"Billy?" Bubbles echoed, her wide eyes scanning the cityscape, searching for any sign of their runaway friend.

"Where are ya, ya big oaf?" Buttercup hollered, her voice carrying a note of concern beneath the gruff exterior.

They strained their ears, listening for the familiar sounds that would indicate Billy's presence. His sobs, his heavy footfalls, or any other loud noises—Billy was not known for his subtlety or stealth.

Eventually, they found Billy, hunched over a toppled trash can in a dimly lit alleyway, surrounded by scattered garbage bags. His face was buried in his hands, his body shaking with sobs that echoed off the surrounding walls.

"Billy!" Blossom exclaimed, her voice filled with concern as she swiftly flew over to him.

Bubbles, empathizing with his distress, gently rubbed his back in an attempt to soothe him. "Oh...there, there, Billy." Her voice wavered, on the brink of tears herself, regretting the part she played in his distress.

"Billy," Blossom started, her hands nervously clasped behind her back, "I'm really sorry for shouting at you. I was just upset. But that's no excuse for the way I behaved and I shouldn't have treated a valued teammate like that." She glanced up at him, her foot idly scuffing the air as she hovered, her lips forming a small pout. "So, can you forgive me, Billy?"

Billy lifted his head from his hands, his face a picture of surprise. "Teammate?"

"Yes, Billy! You're one of us," Bubbles reassured him.

"Yeah, you really showed that monster who's boss today!" Buttercup chimed in. "Even if you did cause some unintentional collateral damage."

Billy wiped his runny nose with the back of his large, green hand. "You really think Billy was a good Powerpuff today?" His voice was hopeful, a glimmer of his usual cheerfulness peeking through.

The girls' faces lit up in response to his question. "Absolutely!"

"With some training, you could become an even stronger Powerpuff than any of us!" Blossom added, her voice filled with encouragement.

"Yeah," Buttercup chimed in, a grin spreading across her face. "You could be our Big Billy wrecking ball!"

Billy's face broke into a wide, toothy grin at their words. "Billy like that! Billy be best wrecking ball!" He pounded his chest with a hearty laugh, his earlier tears forgotten.

Blossom smiled, relieved to see him happy again. "That's the spirit, Billy! But remember, we need to be careful about the city too. We can't just go smashing things willy-nilly."

Billy nodded, his expression serious. "Billy understand. Billy be careful."

Bubbles clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And we'll help you, Billy! We'll train you to be the best Powerpuff you can be!"

Buttercup gave a thumbs up, her usual tough demeanor softened by the moment. "Yeah, we got your back, big guy."

With that, the Powerpuff Girls and their newest member, Big Billy, flew off into the sky, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them. Their bond strengthened by the day's events, they were more prepared than ever to protect Townsville, together.