A/N: I apologize for the delay in the update. I kinda passed out while editing last night and couldn't finish it in time for release. Anyway, what was originally a gigantic chapter had to be split up, especially after editing when holes had to be filled in the narrative, further increasing the length.

Chapter 8: Masks

The City of Townsville. Esperanza Acres. Morbucks Family Mansion.

3 FEB 1989 (Friday). 1941.

While transiting on the way to the Morbucks Family Mansion, where the Morbucks' masquerade ball was held, Professor Utonium didn't even need to drive. In an attempt to boost their public image, the USDO had requisitioned a limousine for the Girls and their handlers, protected front and back by a motorcade of humvees and even a few APCs. When they were on the way there, they were even escorted by a couple of USDO helicopters.

While they were walking towards their limousine through their lawn, the Girls had seen the men who were in those vehicles. They were all in dress uniforms like the one Mommy wore when she first met them, except with pants and for men. They were grey, and many of them had medals and pins and highly visible chevrons and marks of distinctions on them. However, since they weren't just for show, they were also armed with mainly XM4s and had belts that served to hold additional magazines.

The Girls were only thinking one thing when they saw the USDO soldiers though - they were hoping that Mister Blake and his squad of friends would be among them, only to be sorely disappointed. Where could he be all this time? It had been weeks since they last saw him. Blossom and Bubbles were missing him that it almost hurt, that it almost felt like a betrayal when he had never visited. Buttercup was feeling it too - she thought that he was a cool dude, and wanted to see more of him.

When the Girls had finally reached the Morbucks Mansion, they were wowed by its size. It wasn't the first time they had seen it, but the novelty had never worn off. The mansion was five floors high, with innumerable windows hinting at innumerable rooms. The porch alone was almost as big as their house.

The Princess herself, along with her father, Mister Morbucks, was personally there to receive the Girls in person. Having met Elodie a few times over January, they knew this to be a great honor, as any 'lesser' guests would have been received by their servants instead. Moreover, the Princess was in no shape herself to do so - that she would come out of her massive home especially to take them in meant that they were incredibly special, as it had likely taken the Princess great pains to do so, considering her condition.

The Morbucks stood in front of their porch, smiling. While Mister Morbucks had opted to be less flashy in his black tuxedo, the Princess was regal. Imperial. Her dress looked like something out of a fairy tale, golden and decorated with a purple sash around her waist. She wore purple silk gloves that reached up to her upper arms to match. The one thing that was familiar was her cancer wig, which came in the usual hairstyle: two messy buns, except this time, they were tied with purple ribbons.

When the Girls got out of their limousine, they smiled at the Princess, Bubbles, especially, who shared an especially close bond to the rich little girl as they had survived an ordeal together. Bubbles and the Princess were positively squeeing when they saw each other. While the Princess gingerly came forward, Bubbles was almost running up to her, and the two embraced warmly. When they were done, which took some time, the Princess then hugged Blossom as well, then moved on to Buttercup, who could only just barely tolerate the gesture.

Meanwhile, Professor Utonium and Selicia met Mister Morbucks. The men shook hands, while Mister Morbucks took Selicia by the hand like a gentleman and kissed it. The theme of the day had allowed it. They hadn't met much, and the only time they had seen each other was in a pre-arranged meeting, when the billionaire desired to meet the 'parents' of the children who had saved his most precious thing in the world - the only thing that money couldn't buy (in his opinion) - his daughter, Elodie 'Princess' Morbucks.

"Dad, can I take them to the dressing room myself?" the Princess asked.

"You sure, precious?" Daddy Morbucks asked, concern just oozing out of his voice. "You haven't been well at all, and it's cold out here…"

"I think the night air is soothing, Dad. Besides, Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup are here with me - I'm always safe with them." the Princess replied.

"Alright, jewel," Mister Morbucks said, before coming up to the Girls and addressing them: "Take good care of my daughter, will the three of you?" He gave each of them quick pats on the head before turning away. In the billionaire's mind, it was a good deal, having what were literally three of the nicest bio-engineered killing machines on Earth on his side and protecting his daughter.

As the Princess showed the Girls a side path leading around the side of the mansion, her father beckoned for Professor Utonium and Selicia to follow him through the grand entrance. Curious guests standing on the porch watched them with intense curiosity and scrutiny, wondering what these newcomers in Townsville had to offer.

The Princess took Bubbles' hand as they walked, with Blossom and Buttercup coming up beside them. The path skirting around the mansion was dark, around the corners - whatever light there was had come from antiquated-looking electric lamps along the path. Blossom and Buttercup would occasionally get a fit of paranoia and light up their eyes to search the sides of the path - and the bushes and trees and the occasional security guard that lined the way forward like ceremonial guards. This was despite the fact that not far behind, a whole squad of USDO security officers was following, not just to stay in range in case of an attack but also to get into their final guard positions.

"Why are we walking out here, Elodie?" Bubbles asked, not even wary in the slightest - she had complete trust in the Princess. Their shared experience in that dark hole they nearly died in had cemented their friendship - and the few times she was able to visit her had completed it. "Shouldn't we go to the party?"

"But we're going to surprise the guests," Elodie Morbucks explained. "Besides, we still have masks to put on, and you'll really like the ones I selected-" Before she could finish, she started coughing, and what seemed like regular coughing became a coughing fit. They had to stop for a while.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Blossom asked, concerned. The Princess had to cough for a while, still, and the only other thing she could do was to pull out a red silk handkerchief to cover her mouth when the hacking cough wouldn't stop. Bubbles patted her on the back, hoping that it would help.

"You know, we could fly you to the dressing room or whatever it is - it's faster anyway," Buttercup offered. She was getting bored with walking in a cold, dark and unexciting place at what amounted to a snail's pace. She'd even had an image of Princess in her head as a snail, royalty of the gastropod society.

"No- It's fine," the Princess was finally able to say something. Straightening up, she adjusted her dress to make sure she looked perfect, pre-coughing-fit. "I like spending this quiet moment with the three of you. If you don't mind…"

"I don't mind," Bubbles said. "It's nice, in a way."

They continued walking, but they didn't get very far before the Princess' knees buckled from exhaustion. Walking across her own mansion had been challenging enough with her disease - to go around it straight after that was really pushing it.

"I thought I was getting better…" the Princess mumbled, ashamed of falling in front of her guests. "I'm sorry. I'm a terrible host."

"How about I carry you?" Bubbles offered, putting out a hand. Princess smiled at her and took it. With a heave, the sweetest of The Three was able to pull her up effortlessly and take her off her feet without even feeling it - the Princess was practically weightless to her. Grateful, the Princess put her arms around Bubbles' neck.

"Just like before, huh?" she said.

"Just like before," Bubbles nodded. They smiled at each other. It had been more than a month since Bubbles had rescued Princess from Mojo Jojo and what seemed like certain death, but their camaraderie was timeless, the natural friendship between them struck up quickly. Bubbles and the Princess had a connection - they could relate with one another. They were both fearful, vulnerable and fragile in their own ways, even if the state of their health were like night and day, sunset and sunrise.

"I wish I could be like the three of you…" the Princess said, somewhat delirious still from her coughing fit. "I hate myself sometimes."

"But you're really sweet and nice and… great, Elodie," Bubbles said immediately, summoning everything she could from her vocabulary. They were close friends, and she wanted to make sure the Princess was comfortable, although unknown to the blonde little girl, she was really convincing herself of the same thing just as much - that she shouldn't hate herself for who she was, for being the softest, shyest and most fearful of her sisters. Everyone had said as much that it wasn't wrong for her to be this way, right? Well, everyone except for General Blackwater, and more than half the USDO and police force.

"Yeah. And you're really kind and generous too," Blossom added. She'd seen the Princess on the newspaper several times over the past month, giving away presents and visiting hospital patients just because. Being sick and home-schooled and lacking everyday companions were routinely giving her cabin fever, and it was one way for her to leave her home and do some good at the same time. "In a way, we're trying to be like you when we went to the soup kitchen, or help with building a big house for the poor…"

"And your food and toys were great," Buttercup chipped in. "That night when we had a sleepover here? Your bedroom and washroom's awesome!"

Eventually, they came by the side door on the eastern wing of the mansion. It was still far grander than the Girls' front door. Climbing the stairs leading up to it, Bubbles let Princess down, who proceeded to slam the door-knocker thrice. The door was opened from the inside. A maid stood beside it, holding the door open.

"Evening Princess. Evening, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup," the maid greeted the Girls formally. It wasn't the first time they'd met. The Girls had seen her before. Annie was her name, the very same maid who'd brought them their bathrobes and pajamas during their sleepover.

"Evening, Miss Annie," the Girls greeted in unison, their Sister Sense kicking in again when their mood was in sync. Annie, being the servant assigned to the Princess and her enhanced guests, had spent the most time with the Girls. However, even she could feel the chills running down her spine when she saw The Three again. Friendly though they were, the fact that any single one of them could rip a man in half with ease was unnerving enough – then there was the look of their eyes in the dark just before they came through the threshold of the side door and into the light, which reminded Annie of predatory animals in the dark, or even creatures. Monsters. Of course, the maid kept her feelings and thoughts hidden, and simply stood at attention like a royal guard.

"Will they need assistance in preparing for the ball, Princess?" the maid asked courteously.

"No, not this time," the Princess brushed her off. They continued walking down the corridor, before ascending a flight of stairs.

"Isn't that a little… rude?" Blossom said to the Princess. It wasn't the first time she had noticed the Princess doing this to Annie.

"She's cold in the first place, didn't you see how she was like the first day you met her?" the Princess replied, before coughing a little. The stairs were treacherous to her, but thankfully she need only climb a single floor. Blossom could not argue. The Princess was right. Annie was a no-nonsense domestic worker, seemingly nothing more.

"I don't know… I would have kept trying," Blossom said.

"I've tried for weeks when she came to my home last year," the Princess said. "I told my Dad I wanted her gone, but he wouldn't listen. I miss my previous personal maid."

"That must be hard. I can't imagine losing a friend like that," Bubbles said. The previous maid had been dismissed over reasons the Princess wasn't aware of. Her father wouldn't tell her.

They were soon in the dressing room before they knew it. Time seemed to pass faster whenever they weren't in a more surreal location, such as the dark, snowy path they were on.

The dressing room the Girls found themselves in was unfamiliar to them. The relatively humble size, however, suggested that it was once meant for the in-house workers. The modest furnishing, which was still generous by middle-class standards, said as much.

The Princess padded up to a wall, where three masks were hung as if on display in a theatrical production. The Princess had arranged for the masks to be introduced that way – and the servants had carried out her request without question. Everything had to be perfect – there wasn't anything Elodie wouldn't do for her new friends. While it was good that they were Townsville's newest and strangest and most effective law enforcers, what was most important was that they seemed genuine. She couldn't remember the last time the people she called her friends were sincere about their friendship. The previous group had even abandoned her to her fate when she couldn't run as fast as them, owing to her cancer treatment and the fact that she had only just gone into remission. Had Bubbles not found her, she would have either been killed or held for ransom and probably mistreated while the money took its time to reach her kidnappers.

The Girls gasped when they saw the masks.

"They're beautiful!" Bubbles exclaimed. It didn't even matter which belonged to her. They were all stunning works of art. Blossom was equally taken by them. Even Buttercup had her interest piqued.

Reaching for a shiny silver-blue mask with what looked like tentacles that would cover the cheeks, Princess handed it over to Bubbles with both her hands courteously, beaming toothily at her best friend. Bubbles took it gladly, before holding it up in front of her to inspect it, and found that she liked it, unwise to the fact that it looked like the face of some elder god from the Cthulu Mythos.

"You really like your Octi doll, Bubbles, so I thought I should give you a mask that looks like it," the Princess said thoughtfully. "It's a good name, Octi. I couldn't have thought of it myself."

"It's really nice, Elodie," Bubbles thanked the Princess before putting it on and showing her mask to her sisters, laughing as she imitated the aquatic movement of an octopus whilst floating in mid-air. "I'm Octi! Blub blub blub!"

The Girls, including Princess, laughed. When they were done, Princess returned to her wall and picked the next mask off it. Like Bubbles' mask, the next one was shiny. Unlike Bubbles' mask, it had an avian theme. The feathers, which were as hefty as Blossom's hair such that it covered the entire forehead and more, were of a glossy light pink hue, while the beak was black in color, made where the nose was.

"You're brave like an eagle, Blossom, and Daddy said that the eagle is majestic and 'symbolizes leadership' too, so I thought it fits you," the Princess presented the mask, then handed it to Blossom, who took it gladly. It was even better than how she envisioned her mask to be. Blossom put it on immediately.

"What do you think?" the leader of The Three said from under the mask. Her glowing pink eyes shone through, completing the visage of the mask with her fierce, piercing gaze.

"It's actually awesome," Buttercup admitted excitedly - she didn't think that the masquerade ball would even be remotely fun, and it hadn't even started yet. Blossom flew next to a mirror to look at herself and liked what she saw. She raised her arms as if they were the wings of an eagle, then laughed along with the rest of them, who saw it too.

The Princess didn't wait this time and proceeded to unhook the last mask on the wall. This one was much more mysterious. It was mostly black with green highlights that were ornately designed and rich with pretty curves. The entire forehead was covered, with cat ears on top. There were whiskers left and right of the nose, though it wouldn't cover the face anywhere below the nose. She handed it to Buttercup.

"A cat?" Buttercup guessed, surprised as to why she chose the cat as her animal theme.

"Yeah, you kept mumbling about some cat in your sleep, Buttercup," the Princess explained, and when she saw that Buttercup was taken aback, quickly continued: "I'm sorry I overheard. I couldn't sleep that night."

"I didn't know you like cats, Buttercup," Blossom said. Bubbles wanted to say something too but kept quiet as she was unsure if Buttercup would snap at her or smile at her.

"Yeah… I guess I do…" Buttercup lied. Well, it was more of a half-lie. There was one cat she liked - the one that could talk, and talked it did… with her. It had been appearing more and more often in her sleep, just watching, but running away the moment she tried to come close. She had tried digging up the dead cat in the lawn of The House where she buried it with snow; she'd tried to wake it up, but it wouldn't respond to her any longer. It was deeply upsetting, for it was one of the few things in the world that understood her need for bloodshed and violence.

"What about your mask, Elodie?" Bubbles asked, realizing that there were only three masks on the wall, and a fourth was nowhere in sight - not on the dresser, not next to the mirror or on any tables in the room. "Aren't you wearing one?"

"No…," the Princess said, before falling morose once more. "The truth is, I've been wearing a mask for my entire life." There was some pride in her, at least, for being able to understand metaphors at such an early age, but it couldn't outshine what she had been feeling her entire life. She stood in front of a standing mirror, looking sadly at herself. "So many masks at once. A girl like me can't say or do certain things in front of people. I had to act all the time. And this face… Every time I look in front of a mirror, I remember that it was different. My face used to have color - I would joke that I wouldn't need powder for my face but... It was all an act so people would like me… I… remember I used to have real hair - my wig is just fake, and I feel it all the time. I don't want a third mask."

Bubbles took her hand when she sensed the Princess' need for encouragement.

"But I have the three of you now," the Princess brightened up a little, squeezing Bubbles' hand. "The three of you can do whatever I can't and… I guess that makes me happy."

"Thanks, Elodie," Blossom said, coming up to her, hugging the Princess from behind even as she continued staring at the mirror, wishing as a child only could, that some fairy godmother would just materialize out of nowhere and give her back everything she had lost. But as a child who had suffered the cruel irony of having everything material but having nothing that really mattered, she couldn't seriously believe in such a fairy tale. At least, until three angels had entered her life. Blossom had an idea. "It wouldn't be much, but if your father would let us, we could take you out flying around Townsville one day."

"I would like that very much," the Princess said, a hard-won smile spreading across her face once more - her face, which had been a battlefield between her spirit and her disease for most of her memory.