Bubblekiller
Chapter One: Always The Police Station
(Buttercup's Perspective)
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Bubbles was missing again. This had been happening for months now, so I was used to not having my sister around for a few hours every few days. We decided on a rule: only worry about Bubbles if she's gone for over two hours. It's only been an hour and a half.
Then, the knock. It was a soft, kind knock, not the usual knock you'd hear from a police officer. Yes, a police officer. It was Officer Goodway, he was really nice. He treated my sister well. Probably because he knows I'd kill him if he didn't.
"Here she is, Professor. With us as usual." Said Goodway, leading Bubs into the house, as she licked a lollipop emotionlessly. She's started to do this so often that the officers started buying treats for when she shows up.
The scar on her head was definitely permanent. It's been months, it would've healed by now. But what was worse was all the mental scars.
Ever since she had accidentally killed the escaped convict Tonya Statson, she… she just hasn't been Bubbles anymore.
I remember witnessing the bloodbath. Tonya had just hurt Blossom, and Bubbles and I were not happy. But Bubbles… Bubbles of all people… she killed Tonya.
Of course, she didn't mean to. Bubs was just trying to stop her like any other criminal… but then, it happened.
Bubbles had knocked Tonya into her own knife, slicing her neck wide open. Not even realizing this had happened, she continued to beat Tonya, like she'd beat the likes of Mojo. It just created more bloodbath.
Bubbles eventually realized what had happened… and she was not happy. She froze on the spot. I remember her looking at Blossom and I, her eyes full of tears.
She was quiet. Very quiet… in fact the last thing I remember her saying is "I didn't m-mean t-t-to…" before we lost her voice forever.
The scar was appropriately on her head, almost symbolizing her mental scars. Tonya had sliced her right there, right on her forehead, in between her large eyes, which no longer sparkle with joy.
I still remember the doctor saying she'd gone mute from the trauma. I remember basically yelling at the poor guy, "FIX HER!!! FIX HER RIGHT NOW!!!" I didn't know that mutism wasn't some kind of fix-it situation, I didn't really know much about PTSD before this. I didn't know it existed. But now, I know all about it. Because Bubbles has it severely.
I think I have PTSD too, but I don't dare tell the Professor. Bubbles is who we have to help right now.
Goodway and the Professor spoke for a good while, talking all about Bubbles. How do we help Bubbles, how do we help Bubbles, how do we freaking help Bubbles. This is always how they talk, every single time.
"WE CAN'T!!!!!!!" I interrupted. They just stared at me. All four of them, Goodway, Professor, Blossom, even Bubbles just stared at me.
"Buttercup, honey-"
"No!!" I couldn't take what the Professor would've possibly said. "There's no 'fixing' Bubbles. She's ruined. It happened. Tonya is dead. Bubbles is ruined. We can't do jack diddly squat about that now…" I said, through tears. Tears I never thought I'd ever have to shed.
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(Later that night, Blossom's perspective)
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Was Buttercup right? Was there no helping Bubbles? I lay in my bed, wondering that to myself, over and over and over and… I just couldn't stop thinking about it.
I just lay in my bed, wondering, why did this have to happen to her. Why. And the more I think about it, the more it's because of me. I mean, this was on my behalf, right? I stared at the huge scar on my arm that Tonya had given me, the wound that triggered Bubbles to attack on my behalf.
Maybe if I'd done a better job at dodging. Yeah. Maybe.
Every night I just couldn't stop thinking about what that psychiatrist said. "Traumatic mutism". Not to mention she'd stopped using her powers entirely. Does she really walk to the police station every other day to turn herself in? She must, because she doesn't even run anymore. She just slowly walks everywhere.
The officers say that since we were technically defending ourselves against Tonya, there is no crime. But Bubbles just keeps going to the station, locking herself in the little cell there.
I just want to hear her laugh again. She was always known as the Joy and the Laughter of the team, but both of those things have just… left her. She's just emotionless now. A husk of her former self.
The last thing that I ever heard her say was, "I'm not a superhero anymore." She muttered it to herself here at home, when it was just her and me in our room. She hadn't said anything for days until then, and hasn't spoken since.
I still remember the look of absolute fear, disgust towards herself, shock at what she'd done, and so much more all at once in her eyes. She hasn't emoted since. She's been blank.
Well, unless you count when she sees a knife. Heaven forbid the Professor cut into a juicy steak, because Bubbles will have a complete mental breakdown. If only she could tell us what exactly goes on inside her mind when she sees a knife.
It probably reminds her of Tonya's knife, and how it… no. Blossom, don't think about it. Don't don't don't don't don't. Don't you dare.
I started to cry at the thought of Tonya. I couldn't believe that this is what broke us. We've fought a literal demon on multiple occasions, but your casual escaped convict is what managed to break the Utoniums.
I tried not to think about the situation, trying to distract myself with happy thoughts. My favorite books. My favorite tv shows, heck even happy memories. Until I realized. Bubbles was missing again.
And it had been three hours.