Author's note: GOSH DARN, I GOT SO EXCITED WRITING THIS. I got to watch the remake, and it does suck, but Blossom and Princess constantly getting at each other's throats while also having an episode where they're friends, Blossom's focus on politics, and the messed up sister dynamic (do they hate each other now? Why would Bubbles and Buttercup sell Blossom's soul to HIM for a dollar?), gave me a few ideas. Hope reading it is as enjoyable as writing it.
The three kinds of Intelligence: "There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless." – Niccolo Machiavelli
Chapter 1: "Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times." – Niccolo Machiavelli
Blossom was prone to over-planning. Surely, when she traced her entire career trajectory at six-years-old, from kindergarten all the way into adulthood, she knew she would encounter a few bumps in the road.
Except the road turned into a rocky, mountain pathway.
It started when they entered Elementary School. Suddenly, Townsville's social media was swarming with "anti-powered people" groups, who wanted to take a stance against both the PowerPuff Girls and the RowdyRuff Boys. They were quick to disseminate lies and convince many of Townsville's citizens that super-powered beings represented a danger and put them in a vulnerable position.
Sure, the PowerPuff Girls have saved Townsville many times before. But... what if they just decide not to? What if they turn against us?
That's not even half of it, what about those boys? What if they team up?
You don't even need to go that far, what if the boys finally beat the girls? Who will protect us?
Townsville's safety needs to be at the police's hands, not underage girls.
It did get worse when it was time for Ms. Bellum to step into the electoral race and become the town's new mayor. One would think that'd improve things, that a capable, rational, experienced woman like Ms. Bellum would win the election, and finally become the town's mayor, silencing these groups, and bringing the improvement, and innovation the town needed. The girls were counting on it to ensure their safety and their future as heroines.
That's when Mr. Morebucks stepped in. Yes, the one Morebucks.
He has always been a typical trillionaire, businessman. He mainly stayed out of politics, only to (supposedly) bribe one senator here and there, and to keep policemen away from his daughter's way.
But overnight, he'd decided he wanted to take a position in politics. Suddenly, Mr. Morebucks felt that the position of mayor belonged to him, and that, as the one person to contribute the most to the city (tax-wise), he should be the one calling the shots.
This was just as ludicrous as it sounds, and Ms. Bellum stood up against him and strived for a fair election, but Morebucks won through cheating, mass manipulation, lying, and bribing, many said, although it remained unproven whether he'd gone that far.
With that, the city of Townsville turned a new leaf: the "anti-powered people" groups were now stronger than ever, demanding the girls, and boys to be stripped away from their powers, pushing that the town's safety should be at the hands of the police. Suddenly, they didn't want the PowerPuff Girls anymore.
Morebucks, unsurprisingly, supported such groups and brought the case all the way to the Supreme Court, and their decision was unanimous: all super-powered people were to be stripped away from their powers, by law.
And that was precisely the beginning of the end for Blossom (or so she thought).
The clock struck 7 AM, but Blossom was already up, slowly munching on a piece of cheese with black coffee. For a moment she thought of Bubbles, and Buttercup, but it was too early, they didn't have to be at school until 9.
Pink eyes scanned the kitchen. Empty and silent. It seemed to have acquired a tinge of grey throughout the years, but so did everything else.
After being stripped away from her powers, Blossom was no longer the PowerPuff Girls' leader, Townsville superheroine. Bubbles and Buttercup were no longer part of a super-powered trio of little girls doing amazing things.
Each one of them went through this change in a different way.
After grieving the loss of their powers, Blossom saw her sisters seize the freedom from responsibilities, while the redhead felt herself become distant from her family, friends, and classmates.
Now, at 16, she has mostly been left aside and pretty much had become an easy target for Princess's little personal vendetta.
Blossom and the heiress always have had personal conflicts, so why would it stop now? Surely, Princess wish to be a PowerPuff Girl started it, but the end of the PowerPuff girls didn't necessarily mean the redheads grew out of their rivalry. Princess had never needed an actual reason to be bratty, and Blossom would not go down without standing up to the Mayor's daughter. It was quite the show, and it had been this way since kindergarten, but this one year of High School though, Blossom gradually felt herself giving up.
Sure, Princess. Go on. Gossip, make snarky comments, criticize the outfit, the hair, etc. Blossom could not bring herself to talk about, or even care anymore. She was tired of a life with no purpose, of gravitating on High School drama she didn't understand.
At this point, she kept her head down, stayed at the top of all her classes, got straight A's, and tunnel-visioned her way into the future without looking sideways.
"So, you're looking... relaxed." She looked up to Buttercup. "I mean," the brunette cocked her head to a side "is this a new look or something?"
The redhead's eyelids drop.
"You're the last person that can talk about my fashion choices, Buttercup." She stated rather bluntly, before looking back at her coffee.
"Sorry, I'm just sayin'." The brunette retorted, defensively. "It's been going for a while, we thought it was a phase."
Blossom rolled her eyes, but you couldn't blame Buttercup. Back in the old days, she'd never get caught dead in a pair of old, dark, plain sweat, with her dirty hair tousled in a messy ponytail, but getting ready had become increasingly hard, and the redhead was at her final point. Showering, and leaving the bed, along with everything else, have become difficult tasks on their own.
"Have you two finished breakfast?" Blossom asked, to which both sisters nodded. "Great." She sighed, looking up at the kitchen clock "we still have some time until we get to-"
A horn blasted loudly at their door, followed by a familiar, screeching voice speaking from a mega-phone.
"Girls! Hi! Bubbles! Buttercup!"
All three girls ran to the living room's window to see what that was all about.
Blossom felt her blood run cold when she saw none other than Princess Morebucks waving at their house from a limo... a megaphone on her hand.
That is so low.
Her sisters started acting civil towards Princess in freshman year, at Blossom's request, hoping to not tangle them into her and Morebucks' catty verbal fights. They gave in, albeit with some resistance at first, but they soon realized that being civil towards Morebucks could result in many free shopping sprees at the mall for Bubbles, and the latest sports gear to Buttercup.
They also started urging Blossom that "Princess isn't actually that bad, she isn't evil." As if.
"I'm here to pick Bubbles and Buttercup! Girls! Are you home!?"
Oh, that was low, even for her.
"Bubbles!" Buttercup shouted, turning around with a huge smile, which quickly vanished. "I, it's a limo..." Her widened green eyes slowly gazed at a concerned Bubbles, and then a very unamused Blossom. She scoffed "I mean, how desperate can she be?"
Bubbles followed suit. "I knoow!" She grinned, blue eyes quickly darting at Blossom "I mean, it's obvious she-"
Still clearly unamused, Blossom cut her off. "It's ok."
Both her sisters slowly glanced at each other, still unsure.
Blossom insisted. "I mean it, go or you're going to be late."
That was convincing enough to make Bubbles almost jump. "Really!? I, I mean..." she solemnly cleared her throat. "If... that's what you want, Bloss."
Pink eyes bore from one worried sister, back to the other worried sister, and back to Bubbles. "Yes, Bubbles. Yes, it is."
Both sisters started jumping in excitement while "woo-hoo'ing": Buttercup making fist pumps in the air, while Bubbles clapped enthusiastically, before pulling Blossom into a tight hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Bloss!" Bubbles squealed, before running to grab her bag and running out of the door. "C'mon Buttercup! Bye, Bloss!"
Buttercup quickly grabbed her own bag and waved Blossom goodbye before running out of the door.
Blossom watched them happily get in, and the limo drive away, before walking to get her own backpack.
Inviting everyone at school, except for her, to parties was getting old, and it has gotten to a point where hearing Bubbles and Buttercup excitedly talk about how much fun they had at a Princess Morebucks' party, and how they couldn't wait for the next, and everybody else's posts on social media about it, didn't even really hurt anymore. Blossom had long decided she didn't even think she'd enjoy herself surrounded by teenagers with (illegal, mind you) access to alcohol.
Well. Driving her sisters to school in a limo while she had to walk seemed to be Princess's newest attempt to get at her for... whatever they had going on between them since kindergarten.
Ok, did it sting? A bit. You had to give Princess that, all the other snarky jabs about her looks or social life weren't getting anywhere.
Good one, Princess.
Blossom looked down at her cellphone, closing the door behind her. 8.30. She frowned, deep in thought. The school was close, but it would be no leisure walk if she wanted to make it as early as she liked to be.
"Looks like someone got left behind."
"Oh, for God's-" Blossom closed her eyes, and took a deep, slow breath, to calm herself down. Her blood was still running cold from Princess's little antics with her sisters, she didn't want to put up with him too.
Not all the eye rolls in the world could make up for the dread she felt at that moment.
She opened her eyes to glare at her counterpart.
"Oh, look, another powerless Townsville citizen."
Brick just grinned back. Blossom noticed he was leaning against a motorcycle parked right in front of her house. Like, facing the front yard.
"Looks like you'll have to do some power walk. I mean," he faked some thoughtfulness "takes a bit of effort when you don't have a ride." Brick pointed his head to the motorcycle, a mischievous grin on his lips. "Not the case, though. This baby can go twice as fast as a city car."
The former leader of the PowerPuff girls fell in silence.
Blossom gazed at her counterpart with a blank expression that almost made Brick's grin disappear. That was an expression he could not read, which was deeply unsettling on its own.
Finally, her gaze turned into a glare, which made Brick's grin disappear all right.
Oh, shi-
"You drove all the way," Blossom hissed through gritted teeth "from downtown to here... only to rub it in my face?" That came out as a furious statement, rather than a question. "How did you even know I am-" Blossom cut herself off. She was getting too worked up over that.
Brick stared at her with wide eyes, his usually sharp, witty mind racing, trying to find ways to fix whatever the hell was going.
Ok, be cool.
But Blossom spoke before he even had the chance.
"Whatever. I need to go." She shook her head, noticing her counterpart's open his mouth for a moment before she stormed away.
At this point, Brick's mind had given up trying to find a smooth way to get out of this situation.
"I, I was going to take you on a ride, you idiot!" He shouted at her retreating back.
Not cool, nor smooth.
"Very funny, Brick." Blossom shouted back, without turning back to him.
"So... where's your damsel in distress?"
Brick glared at Princess as she leaned by his side, against his motorcycle. "Shut up."
The heiress shook her head "You're the worst with women, did you know that?"
Brick scoffed.
"Really? Weird, because I'm fairly sure half of the girls in this place would give everything for a piece of that." He stated, motioning at his torso.
Princess stared at him for a bit, and well, he wasn't lying. A tall, athletic, red-eyed redhead with a stoic, witty, bad boy attitude? That was certified High School eye candy.
She brought a hand to her chin, faking thoughtfulness. "Yeah, except these are all girls that don't interact with you. You're emotionally stunted, big boy."
Brick groaned. "Shut up."
"Look at that." Princess pointed her chin at Blossom, who had just made her way to the school entrance. She greeted a guy, a tall, slender red-head male with thick glasses. Brick stared at them for a bit, at Blossom's wide smile, nodding her head along to whatever the guy was babbling about. They walked in together. "It really is that easy, you know. Just do whatever Dexter is doing there."
Brick narrowed his eyes, "I don't do friendly."
Princess rolled hers.
"You're not a RowdyRuff anymore, drop that." She said, patting him on his shoulder before leaving.
Brick just fixed a glare on his face before heading towards the school, walking past Blossom rather closely, wishing he had his super hearing back. They were speaking by Blossom's locker, right by a hallway corner.
Ever so smoothly, Brick turned in that corner and leaned against the wall right away.
It wasn't stalking, he wasn't jealous nor desperate. He was simply curious about what they were talking about. That's all. Any passing student would just think Brick was simply being his usual cool self.
Mr. Give no fucks. Townsville's blasé king.
Yup, that was him. Brick agreed to himself, turning his head, carefully peering at the other two redheads.
Pink eyes widened at the boy she was talking to, "Dex, this is so fascinating! You invented a car moved by solar energy?"
Brick had to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from saying anything out loud.
''Dex'! A solar energy car! Woo! Wanna see how that works out in the winter!' Pft.
"Dex" shrugged, "It's just for a mechanics project." He said nonchalantly, with a hint of cockiness Brick knew from experience.
"Are you kidding!?" She rolled her eyes, that wide, bright smile still on her face. When was the last time he had seen Blossom smile? "Please, tell me you have a business plan for it."
Her friend cocked his head, "Why would I do that? It's not part of the project."
Brick furiously rolled his eyes. This dork didn't have one single entrepreneurial bone, not like Blossom and himself. Brick had lost count of all the lemonade stands he came up with during his childhood, just to compete against hers.
Brick expected her to scowl in disapproval, but Blossom just laughed, before saying her goodbyes to her friend and heading to her first class.
Brick watched her left, sighing.
I should've just offered her a ride.
"Nice to see you again," Dexter said as soon as Blossom popped up at the corner of his eyes. "will we keep having lunch under the bleachers until we graduate?"
Dexter's curly, ginger hair was fluffed out, and he had to squint his eyes a bit when he looked up at her. Blossom smiled.
"Always." she assured, taking her seat under the bleachers' shadow.
He smiled back. It was a rather calm part of the school at the time, where they both could seat on the field grass, eat in peace, and protected from the raging 3 o'clock Sun.
Dexter grunted, wiping his forehead "I hate this darn weather. And the cafeteria gets so stuffy with all that... people."
Blossom shrugged, although she felt her own cheeks heat up under the sun. "That's because you barely leave your lab, you're not used to the outside world."
"Tell that to your red-beet face". He said, offering her half of his sandwich (his mother always made an extra-large in lunch, "for that nice girl you're always with, Dex").
"Shut up." She said with a smile, taking her half. "But thank you, and your mom for the lunch." Blossom motioned to the food at her hand. "How was mechanics? Did you get the appraisal you deserve for your idea? Maybe a million-dollar investment proposal?"
Dexter shrugged. "I got an A."
Blossom squinted her eyes at him. "That's it!?"
Dexter glanced at her. "Well, I was happy." He paused for a moment, shuddering. "Can't say the same about my classmates."
"Do you think they got mad?" Blossom asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.
"I don't even know why!" He grunted, raising his hands. "Other people got an A, too! Another kid got an A! Why do I get to be the one shoved into lockers?"
Blossom frowned. "Did they also invent an Elon Musk-esque car that is moved by a renewable source of energy?"
Dexter shrugged, taking a bite of his own lunch. "Sorry for being a genius, I guess."
The commentary elicited a chuckle from Blossom, though it still made her chest tighten.
Suddenly, she remembered all the opportunities students from public schools had had under the previous Mayor's administration. Had Miss Bellum won the electoral race, she would never let Dexter's genius go unnoticed.
She interrupted her own train of thought as soon as these rather dangerous thoughts loomed over, reaching for her backpack.
"Here," she offered, taking a large bottle of iced tea out of her backpack. "I've brought a drink! Can't let you be the only one bringing lunch."
Dexter accepted it with a smile. "Nice!"
Blossom frowned, still reminiscing about her earlier life. "Just wish I still had my ice breath."
"No problems," Dexter said, taking a sip. "it's still good. What about you? How were your classes?"
Although they were tight friends since senior year of Elementary School, the two of them had only a couple of classes together, due to Dexter being a "man of science" from birth, and Blossom being more on the side of business and politics.
Blossom shook her head. "Oh, they were... they were ok... Same stuff, I guess."
Her tone made Dexter frown. "What happened?"
It had been a while since he first noticed her usual cheerful tone when talking about classes whittling away.
"Nothing," Blossom mumbled, "it's just... it is always the same, you know." She shrugged. "I will just keep studying until I am finally out of here." She said, trying to keep a smile on her lips. Dexter frowned, passing the iced tea back to her. "Thanks!"
"What about the big plan?" Dexter questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You know, your career trajectory from Pokey Oaks Kindergarten all the way to the White House."
Blossom shrugged. "It is still there. I am following it to a T: I am getting straight A's, I am in the debate club, I am a mathlete, I..."
"Then why do you sound like you're on the way back from your own funeral?" Dexter cut her off, watching her drink the iced tea, before passing it back to him.
"I mean, what else is there to do?" Blossom asked, mostly to herself. "I just have to wait until I am out of this childish environment. This school, these people, the gossip, the drama..."
"Out of Morebucks' sight?"
Blossom looked up at him with a cheeky smile. "Oh, you know I am looking forward to moving." Words her six-year-old self could never fathom to say. "This is the worst town administration in history, and nobody but me seems to care. I'll just have to -"
Dexter rolled his eyes. "I meant the daughter."
Blossom paused for a moment.
"Getting away from her is a plus."
"Does she still have that weird vendetta against you?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "I mean, I saw Buttercup and Bubbles stepping out of the limo…" He trailed off for a second, replaying the memory in his mind with a giggle. "It was quite the scene."
Blossom sighed. "I just wish they did not enjoy it so much." She immediately bit her bottom lip with a bit of guilt. "Ok. Maybe just a little? I don't know. Oh, and you'll never believe who was at my house, ready to rub salt in the wound."
Dexter's eyes lit up at the prospect of gossip. "Ooh, wait..." He grinned narrowing his eyes for a bit. "Was that hunk, Brick Jojo?"
"Yes! Wait, what, hunk?"
Dexter nodded.
Blossom crossed her arms, a less-than-impressed expression on her face. "You didn't strike me as the type to go for bad boys."
Dexter grinned. "And how do you think I ended up with my own arch-nemesis?" He chuckled. "I mean, Mandrake did have a crush on my sister, but that is the past. Brick Jojo was once a snotty brat, but those arms tell me this is also in the past."
Blossom groaned. "He's so tacky. Can you believe he was at my door, right after Morebucks drove by… on a motorcycle?"
Dexter narrowed his eyes. "I thought the boys lived in downtown."
Blossom nodded vigorously. "They do!"
"And... he came all the way to the suburbs, just to annoy you?"
Blossom threw her hands in the air. "I know! I left home right after my sisters, and he was there, parked motorcycle and everything, like he'd been waiting for it or something."
Dexter narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment. "Yeah, that's a lot of effort just to get a rise out of you."
Blossom sighed in annoyance. "That's Brick for you. As if I wasn't mad enough."
"Sheesh, relax." He chuckled, rubbing his friend's shoulder with a hand. "Summer break is just around the corner."
This did not seem to be of much comfort.
"Meaning, my sisters, and the whole school are going to Morebucks' house parties almost every day, and I'll have to listen to that brat gloating about how 'everyone who's someone' was at 'yet another successful Morebucks' get-together.'" Blossom said, making quotations with her hands.
Dexter frowned. He hasn't seen her like this in a long time. "You are acting odd."
"Yeah, never mind. Sorry, I got carried away." Blossom apologized, putting his hand down on the grass, hoping he would let it go, but Dexter kept his frown fixed at her. "I must be PMS-"
"Oh, trust me, I know when you're PMS-ing," Dexter muttered, cutting her off, "don't pull this on me, I'm the smartest guy in this town."
Blossom forced a small laugh in defeat, hoping her friend would lay off. When he didn't, she just let out a heavy sigh.
"I just wish I had something to look forward to, at least during this summer." She said, glancing down. "And I don't mean parties. I mean, something more adult, with more substance. You know?" She asked, looking up at him. "Something fulfilling, meaningful. Everything is so bland, so joy-less, I can't even force myself to enjoy anything anymore."
Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Bloss, are you depressed?"
"What?" Blossom gasped at his bluntness. Not quite the psychologist. "No. That's absurd."
"You just spoke like a depressed person."
"No, I mean…" Blossom sighed again. "Maybe I am? I don't even know why I would be, honestly."
Dexter squeezed her hand. "You don't need a reason."
The ex-PowerPuff just looked down. It has been a while since she cried, and she had come to believe she couldn't bring herself to cry anymore, but she felt like her old self would cry at this moment. Maybe let out a single tear.
"I can stay with you-"
"No, Dexter!" Blossom let go of his hand to point an accusing finger at him. "This is long due. You need to talk to Dee-Dee."
It was Dexter's time to look down. "We always talk on video calls…"
"Dexter." Her tone was stern. "You have to do it. We spent all semester writing your coming-out speech!"
"Ssshh!" Dexter nearly panicked, slamming his index finger over his lips, but it didn't stop Blossom.
"I'm not letting you off that easily."
He nodded. "Fine. But I'll only go if we get something to keep you busy, or I'll have to call suicide watch on you." Blossom rolled her eyes at the dramatic statement.
Dexter stayed silent for a few moments before speaking.
"Did you hear about the summer internship at the city hall?"
Blossom blinked. "Yeah, it's only for seniors."
"It is." Dexter nodded again, "but… I think you can get in with your school curriculum. You're taking all AP, advanced-type of classes anyway."
Blossom shook her head. "Being rejected for a summer internship is the last thing I need now. Especially by the world's worst mayor."
"But you were going to apply for it anyway!"
"As a senior! When I'd most likely to pass!" Blossom emphasized. "And also, it'd be just for show anyway, I can't just-"
Dexter took her hand. "Look, my sister has plenty of friends who applied for it. You have to apply with a video presentation and an essay. This year's essay theme is about decreasing the crime rates in Townsville in a sustainable way…" Blossom opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "That's your entire life! And I can help you with the video presentation!"
"It's Mayor Morebucks." Blossom spat back. "He barely cares about the crime rates, there isn't anything constructive I could learn from him. I highly doubt he is not involved in unethical behavior, too."
"Even better!" Dexter beamed. "If he even steps one foot out of line, you'll be there to witness! Bring it to the public, even if through an anonymous tip to the police!" The sentence made Blossom freeze. Dexter could almost hear the engines turning inside her head, which encouraged him to keep egging her on. "And, even if it doesn't work, and he's actually just an honest jerk, think about the weight it'll have in your curriculum! A 16-year-old being approved for a senior's internship? Ivy Leagues will eat it up!" Dexter urged her.
"Dexter…" Blossom mumbled, shaking her head. His words were starting to affect her, that little sparkle in her chest warming up. She tried shutting it down. "I'm not-"
"Let's just try." Dexter pleaded, leaning towards her. "Dee-Dee has plenty of friends, one of them was on this program when they were seniors. I bet she got plenty of advice." Blossom but her lower lip, concerned, but Dexter kept going on. He decided to shoot his last shot. "I'll even ask Dee-Dee for help! You've got nothing to lose, and, if you're rejected… it will be our second little secret."
Blossom's eyes went wide at the last sentence, and she started laughing.
"Is this a yes!?"
Blossom looked at him, biting down her lip to suppress her own laughter. Dexter was really going all out, he used all his ammunition and some more. On top of that, he just promised to speak to Dee-Dee on her behalf.
He was really going all out, and the thought of him going out of his way for her just because he sensed she was sad made Blossom's pink eyes turn glassy for a moment.
She sighed, ensuing a dramatic pause.
"Ok, fine!" Blossom finally shouted, making Dexter jump up, throwing his fist at the air. Blossom just laughed. "Fine… I better not regret it."
Dexter smiled at her. "It will be a game-changer."
r&r! :)
I vow to the skies I'll finish this baby.