Arturo had to admit, waking up in a hospital bed with blinding fluorescent lights above him, a massive headache and feeling like he was half dead, with an angry, bruised Ace standing above him looking as if he was considering killing the other half was not the most pleasant way he had ever woken up.

"What, in the fuck, were you thinking?" the gang leader spat out through gritted teeth.

Arturo looked over in the corner of the room to see Billy sitting in one the chairs, who immediately broke out into a grin upon seeing him.

"You're not dead!" he cheered. "Ace told me you weren't, but I was still really scared. I'm glad you're not."

"Thanks, man," Arturo shot him a small smile. He turned back to Ace, staring at the bleeding wound right above Ace's eye. "What happened to your head?"

"Don't try to change the subject. We ain't talkin' about me, we're talkin' about you. Seriously? Mixing Oxy and booze?! How stupid are ya?"

"That's what it was?" He groaned, slowly pulling himself into a sitting position and stretching.

If it was possible, Ace's expression grew even angrier. "You mean you didn't even know what you took?!"

Ace's voice rose with every word, and Arturo flinched. "Look man, you said you were taking us out for a night of fun, to help us forget about all this shit. That's all I was trying to do. Besides," Arturo narrowed his eyes. "It's not like you haven't taken worse yourself, man."

"Yeah? Well I'm also not the size of a fucking ten year old," he snapped. Sighing, he took a seat next to Arturo's hospital bed, rubbing his temples. "Do you know how much your little stint is gonna cost me? I thought you were one of the smart ones, but apparently I overestimated your ability to think shit through."

Arturo felt his face heat up in anger. "Hey man, it's not like I even wanted to go to that stupid club! I didn't want any of this! I wanted to get the hell out of this place and lay low, but instead you tried to take over the town! And as soon as Bellum gets back she's gonna lock all our asses up and throw away the key-"

"Bellum ain't comin' back," Ace cut him off. He turned towards him with an unreadable expression.

"What? What the hell do you mean?" Arturo looked at him incredulously.

"I don't think, I know," Ace scooted the chair closer and leaned in. "While you were out of it, me and Billy saw her on the news. She signed over the city on live television. She's sendin' her lawyer out here to deal with all the paperwork bullshit," Ace grinned. "You gotta see her, man. I'm not usually into blondes but she's the hottest chick I've seen in a long time-"

"Wait? Bellum gave over the city, to us?" Arturo asked.

"She has some family thing in Canada that she's gotta deal with. Somethin' about her brother and his brats," Ace shrugged. "Point is, she's not our problem anymore."

"Ace…" Arturo said. "I don't like this. All of it. Bellum handing over the city? Snake bombing City Hall? And Isaac…" Arturo swallowed. "All of this has gone way too far. I'm glad that we ain't going to jail anymore, but I don't think I can stick around for this anymore," he said.

"Not stick around?" Ace asked. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I think I might give Grubber a call and ask if I can crash with him for a bit," he said. "I don't think I can handle being in Townsville anymore."

"You want to leave now? Just when we've got the chance of a lifetime?" Ace shook his head.

"I don't care about ruling Townsville, man!" he said. "It was a stupid thing we used to say as kids that we knew was never gonna happen. It was a pipe dream."

"What about all that shit you said to your old man about us bein' your brothers and needin' to stick together? Was that all just bullshit? You want to abandon us like Snake did?"

Arturo flinched. "Of course not-"

"Well, then what the hell are you sayin'?"

"I'm saying everything's turned to shit," Arturo said. "Ever since you got that stupid potion, everything has gotten worse, and I don't see it changing anytime soon."

Ace sighed. "Look," he took off his sunglasses, giving Arturo a rare glance at his eyes. His right eye was a yellowish-green hue from the fight he had with his father.

"Now that we're in charge, we can make a positive difference. We got cash now, maybe we can give some to Isaac's family, for all the trouble."

This gave him pause. "Really? You mean that?"

"Of course I do, man," Ace gave him a small smile. "I didn't want that kid to kill himself anymore than you did. And hell, now that we got some real power, maybe we can actually change some shit for the better for people like us. If the Mayor could hire a bunch of kindergartners to protect his city and the Morbucks brat was able to make crime legal, imagine what we can do."

Arturo hesitiated. "I don't know…"

"Look," Ace said. "You can run away to Monster Isle and feel sorry for yourself until some mutated fifty foot tall freak makes you their lunch, or you can help me fix this town for the better."

Arturo thought about it. "We could maybe get Snake off the hook with the cops," he suggested.

Ace's eyebrows rose. "Snake? He sold us out to save his own ass!"

"I know, but," Arturo sighed. "He's one of us. The dude has to be scared out of his mind right now, and he's facing serious time," turned to Ace. "Look, if you're serious about making Townsville a better place for people like us, including Snake, than I'll stay."

Ace groaned. "Alright fine, I'll see what I can do," he said.


"Dad!" Bubbles's panicked, high-pitched voice pierced through the Professor's unconscious state. "Dad, wake up!"

"Huh?" he squinted, flinching when he realized one of the girls had turned on his bedroom light. When he registered Bubbles and Blossom's terrified looks, he sat up with a start.

"Girls?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Buttercup!" Blossom explained. "Bubbles saw her sneak out and take the Dynamo!"

"What?!" he exclaimed. "What do you mean? When?"

"Just a little bit ago!" Bubbles cried. "Oh Professor! I saw her get out of bed and at first I didn't want to follow her because you always told me that spying was wrong, but then I started getting worried and I saw her take off and I ran to get Blossom-"

"Bubbles, Bubbles sweetie, calm down!" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you know where she went?"

"We think her target is the Gangreen Gang," Blossom spoke up. "Either way, she probably won't be hard to find."

"Come on," the Professor got up out of bed and started walking towards the stairs, Bubbles and Blossom close behind. "Put on your shoes and jackets, and meet me outside."

"Do you think she's gonna be okay?" Bubbles asked nervously.

The Professor gave her a small smile. "Of course, honey," he said. He pushed the bad feeling in his gut down. "Your sister is a tough girl. Now, go get on your shoes."


The good news about all of this mess was that Bubbles and Blossom were right; Buttercup wasn't hard to find and she was exactly where they suspected she would be.

The bad news, on the other hand…

"Buttercup!" The Professor exclaimed. As soon as he saw the collapsed Dynamo in front of the old observatory that Jojo, or rather, Mojo Jojo, claimed as his hideout and a small crowd of people surrounding it, he threw his car into park and jumped out. The bot was covered in burn marks and dents, and the old observatory had seen better days.

He cut through the crowd, and all but collapsed when he saw his daughter's unconscious body.

"Oh my god," a sob broke out as he knelt beside her and took note of her injuries. Her head had a massive bump on it, as if something had struck her. Her arm was bent in an unnatural position and it was likely broken. Her body was covered in countless scratches and bruises, and even a few light burns.

"B-Buttercup?" Bubbles whimpered as she rushed to his side. She moved to grab her and pull her up before Blossom intervened.

"Bubbles, don't!" she cried. "We don't know the extent of how badly she was hurt. If you move her you could make it worse."

"She's right, Bubbles," he agreed. "We… we have to call 911 and get an ambulance. Blossom, can you grab my cellphone? It's in the car."

"They're already on the way," a middle aged dark-haired woman with glasses spoke up. A tall man with tired eyes stood beside her.

"Hugh and I live just around the corner. We heard a crash and checked to see what it was…" she gestured toward a modest-sized house that had a minor hole off to the side and some scorch marks. The Professor widened his eyes in surprise.

"It will take some time for it to get fixed," the man beside her said. "A good deal of money too."

"Hugh, not now. We'll figure it out," Caroline said firmly. She looked toward the Professor and gave him a sympathetic smile.

The Professor gave them an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry..."

"Caroline," she introduced herself.

"I'll help you pay for any of the damages Buttercup caused," he assured them. He looked back at Buttercup miserably. "Really, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have told the girls about the Dynamo until it was stable enough to use. I know Buttercup especially has been struggling with everything going on."

"We think she snuck out and tried to fight the Gangreen Gang," Blossom spoke up. "It was stupid, she should've listened to the Professor and waited-"

"Your sister is a brave girl," Caroline said. "And once the ambulance gets here, the police should be with you soon as well."

"Like they'll do anything about it," Hugh snorted. "I'll give her one thing; she was willing what those lousy cops, grown men, were too afraid to and stood up to that no-good criminal scum," Hugh agreed.

"Hugh..." Caroline muttered disapprovingly. She gave them an embarrassed smile. "What he means, is that she was trying to do the right thing. We all know that."

"She was trying to save the day," Bubbles cried. She wiped her tears on her jacket sleeve and hugged the Professor, who felt his own eyes water as he put his arm around her.

"You're right, Bubbles," he whispered. "She was."


As soon as he was sure that Arturo wasn't about to keel over, Ace stepped out of his hospital room and made his way to the nearest vending machine to get some snacks.

"Oh fuck yeah, sour Skittles," Ace grinned to himself when he saw his favorite candy. "At least one thing is goin' alright today-"

"Oh my god, is that Buttercup?!"

Ace whipped his head around as he heard a woman exclaim behind him, and, to his surprise, he saw a few of the nurses wheel the injured Powerpuff across the hall, the Professor and her sisters not far behind.

"Shit!" he hissed. Before he could even think about it, he flattened himself against the wall as best he could to avoid being seen. Of course, it didn't matter regardless as all three conscious Utoniums were fully focused on the injured girl.

"Sir, why don't you go and the girls go take a seat in the waiting room?" One of the nurses said to the Professor. "We'll call you as soon as her condition is more stable."

"But I want to be with her," he protested. "She's my daughter! She's only twelve and I don't want her waking up scared and alone-"

"We'll take good care of her, I promise," the nurse assured him. "Dr. Kelley is the best in the business."

He looked like he was about to argue, but sighed in defeat.

"Just… make her better again," he said. "Please."

Ace watched from his corner as the Professor and the other two Puffs took seats in the waiting room.

"This is all my fault," he said miserably. "I've been neglecting you girls. I've been so focused on fixing the Dynamo and everything with Jojo-" he swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Professor," Blossom patted his hand reassuringly. "It's the Gangreen Gang. They did this. If it wasn't for them, we'd still have our powers and none of this would've happened."

Well shit, Ace thought. If they were here, then surely the cops wouldn't be far behind. He looked around for another way back to Arturo's room, and saw another hallway a few feet away. He started walking towards it until-

"Ace?"

Fuck! He jumped at the sound of the familiar voice, and noticed Blossom was looking straight at him. Bubbles, the Professor, and several of the other people in the general area began starring as well. At the sight of him, her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?"

Ace looked back at everyone looking at him, and felt a wave of heat rush over him. He stood as tall as he could, and replaced the startled expression he wore with a sneer. After all, Townsville was his now. What did he have to worry about, really?

"Right now? Trying to get a snack," he patted the side of the vending machine. "What's it to ya?"

"What's it to me?!" Blossom snapped. "Our sister is in the ER because of you right now! It wasn't enough that you took away our powers, you had to try and kill one of us too?"

"Blossom, now calm down," the Professor said, putting his arm around her. "He isn't worth it."

"Yeah, it was your stupid sister who tried to kill me," Ace stood tall, walking closer towards the young girl. "And she's payin' the price for that. If you ask me, she should've just left well enough alone."

Tension grew in the air, and Ace caught wind of a few angry whispers from the other people in the waiting room.

"My daughter is a twelve year old girl who was trying to do what she thought was right," the Professor said firmly. He stood up, and walked over towards Ace's direction. "I don't know what you're doing here or why, but I'd suggest you leave my children and I in peace. The police are looking for you as we speak."

Ace snorted. "Good luck with tryin' to arrest your new mayor," he smirked. "Bellum signed the city over to me and my boys, just a couple hours ago."

"What?!" Blossom snapped. "Ms. Bellum would never!"

"Check the news, toots," he said. "Townsville's mine now, so you better get used to it!"

"I don't care if you're the President of the United States!" the Professor put himself in front of his two daughters. "My daughter is fighting for her life right now, and if you don't leave this hospital immediately, I will make you leave."

Ace laughed out loud, looking the skinny scientist up and down, and sauntered in their direction. "You? What are you gonna do? Sic your daughters on me? Even without their powers, I'd still bet they'd put up a better fight than you-"

Before he could even register it, he felt a fist colliding with his face, aimed right on his nose. The force had knocked him back a few feet.

Shock was the first thing he felt. He looked at the wimpy looking man, his face filled with rage and everyone around, including Bubbles and Blossom, looking at the Professor in shock. After a few moments came the pain.

"Woah, Dad!" Blossom spoke up. "You got him good! Buttercup would be proud!"

"It was a lucky shot," Ace said. He felt blood dripping under his nose, and wiped it away. He balled his hands into fists. "If you really want to go old man, we'll go. I won't be goin' easy on ya though just cause you're a fuckin' nerd."

A few moments later, the front doors opened. When Ace turned to see who it was, it was three cops, all of who looked vaguely familiar.

"Ace Copular?" The one in front asked. He looked at his bleeding nose, took another look at the gangly Professor, and his eyes widened.

"Officers, thank goodness you're here," Ace said, trying to best ignore his rising heartbeat. He gestured toward the Professor. "I was just goin' about my business gettin my good friend a snack, and this man assaulted me," he pointed to his nose. "Now, I'm guessin that's illegal under the best of circumstances, but as your new mayor, I won't tolerate this disrespect. Arrest him for attackin' a city official or whatever."

The cop took another look at the Professor and snorted. "You're kidding me, right? He did that?"

"He caught me off guard," Ace snapped. "Now, are you gonna do your job or what?"

"We have been looking for you and your friends, Arturo de la Guerra and William Williams. You said you were getting a snack for your friend; are they here in the hospital?"

Ace instantly felt himself tense. "What's it to ya?"

"Did you say Arturo de la Guerra?" The receptionist spoke up. He and the cops turned toward her. "He was just admitted a few hours ago. Room 116."

"Thank you," the cop grinned. He nodded at the other two, who left the waiting area and walked toward the hallway."

"Hey, what the hell?" Ace said "Where are they going?"

"To take them to the same place I'm taking you," he pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and even had the audacity to smirk. "Ace Copular, you're under arrest for child endangerment. Everything you say can and will be held against you-"

"Hey, you can't arrest me!" he protested. "I'm the Mayor! You should be arresting that asshole Professor!"

The cop turned toward the other people in the room. "Did anyone see the Professor hit this young green gentleman?"

"I didn't see nothin," one of the men in the waiting room said.

"Me neither."

"Nuh uh."

"Well, I guess that settles it, then," the security guard shrugged. "You must be mistaken-"

"Wait!" Blossom spoke up. "He's right."

"Blossom!" Bubbles exclaimed.

She brushed her sister off. "Bubbles, it's wrong to lie," she said. She turned toward the security guard. "The Professor did hit Ace, after he all but admitted to hurting Buttercup," she said. "You can probably get a warrant for the security cameras before the footage is erased. I would do it as soon as possible if I were you."

"Thank you, Blossom," he said. Feeling a wave of anger, he turned toward the redheaded brat and glared at her. She gave him a small, self-satisfied smirk that he wanted to slap right off her face.


"Damn, Ace is sure taking a while," Arturo said as he turned toward Billy. "I'm starving."

"Duh, maybe he had to take a number two?" Billy suggested.

Arturo snorted. "Maybe. Or maybe he got distracted by one of the nurses."

The door opened, and the two men turned toward it.

"It's about time, man-" he froze when he saw a doctor accompanied by two cops.

"Arturo de la Guerra? William Williams?" One of the cops said. "Dr. Holz has informed us that you are well enough to leave the hospital. In which case," both cops pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"You're both under arrest."


Sedusa took a sip of her champagne as she looked over her notes once again, making sure she got everything down right.

Of course, this wasn't the first time she had taken on another identity, but this one would be one of her most complicated yet. Justine St. Claire, lawyer extraordinaire employed by Sara Bellum herself to aid in the task of overseeing Townsville in its darkest hour.

Foolishly, she assumed that when she left nearly six years ago, that it would be the last time she would ever see the city. She had left many times before, each one of them intending it to be her last, and yet something always pulled her back.

As much as she hated it, it was a part of her. It had been since she was born on her father's dairy farm nearly a century ago, and she supposed it always would be.

She looked out the window of the plane, staring down at the tiny, ant-like people on the ground below, and smiled. That was one good thing about coming back to Townsville, aside from the opportunity to get revenge; it was an excuse to fly again. It always made her feel like a god, and especially when she was flying first class.

Her temporary joy was interrupted when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She checked the caller ID, and frowned when it said 666.

Of course, it has to be him.

"Yes?" she said with as much contained annoyance as possible.

"Justine, my dear! It's your old pal from back in the day. You know, way, way back-"

"Yes, I know," she hissed. She looked around to make sure none of the other passengers were looking at her. "What do you want?"

"The Mayor of Townsville might've found himself in a bit of a pickle," he giggled. "Oh, it's hilarious, you should've seen it! Little Buttercup and Ace got into a scuffle, and long story short our brave hero is being told to not go into the light, and our noble public servant is being taken into custody with his two sidekicks," he said.

"Ugh," Sedusa groaned. "Is the brat going to live?"

"Hmm, perhaps. I could make do with just her sisters, but she might prove to become useful later on. And making a martyr out of her would do little good."

"Well, what does this mean for the plan?"

"The plan remains largely the same, though you'll have to bail our dear jailbirds out first and work some PR magic. But that shouldn't be a problem for the great Justine St. Claire."

Sedusa rolled her eyes. "Is that all?"

"Once you get Ace's position solidified, we'll have to do something about the Utoniums. Townsville still idolizes them, simpering fools they are. But as long as the people recognize them as their heroes," he paused. "They'll see the Gangreen Gang as villains. That's where you'll come in, my dear."

Sedusa snorted. "Good luck with that. They worship those brats."

"For now," he admitted. "But humans are fickle creatures. Though you're right, it would be quite difficult to turn the town against the girls fully at this moment in time, especially after Buttercup's 'noble sacrifice.' But luckily we don't have to make the town hate the girls themselves, just to focus their energy on someone else."

"Oh?" she asked. "Like who?"

She couldn't see his face, but Sedusa knew him well enough to know he was grinning ear to ear. "Who else, but the man who created them?"


PPGGuy06: Yeah, probably not the best night for either of them lol

GGGFan: Ah, thank you! Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to having them meet again after all these years

Anon: Thanks! Yeah, Butters kinda reached her breaking point in the last chapter with everything going on. Poor girl's been through a lot.

Thanks to everyone reading! Sorry this chapter took a bit longer to come out, but I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave a review and let me know your thoughts! :D