Chapter 52: B-50

The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.

22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989. 1248.

Taking in a deep breath, Bubbles stepped out of her room, nervously straightening her shiny blue sequin dress. Blossom was beside her, holding her hand, leading her out. Buttercup, on the other hand, was following up behind. She found the whole situation annoying - she just wanted to get to the food because she was starving! Why the whole ritual?

Together, the Girls went down the corridor on the second floor to the stairs. Below, a whole group of people was looking up at them. For security, Agent Blake and his men were 'guarding' the House, though, in reality, all they were really doing was to attend a party. Dad and Mom were there, too, of course. After all, it was the Powerpuff Girls' third month's birthday. Alice was there - she had to be. She had decided to double their sessions, starting with today, after the party. Miss Keane was in the group, too - and she, too, was worried about the Girls, since they were absent from class most of the time. Mister Morbucks and the Princess, Elodie Morbucks, were given special civilian clearance to attend the party. Similarly, the TPD was represented by Mister Mullens and Olivia. Stanley Talker sat beside then, his tongue hanging out. Like Buttercup, he couldn't wait to get to the food. General Blackwater was there, too - he had his own reasons.

As the Girls descended, the entire group - well, most of them, anyway - began singing them a birthday song. A huge cake was unveiled, and they were led into the kitchen. The House was still under repair, but with the Chief of Logistics' impressive ability to expedite anything, it was already mostly pristine, though there were still some bullet holes that needed to be filled.

While they were in the kitchen, numerous photos were taken. Everyone - well, almost everyone - wanted a shot with the Girls.

"Time to make a wish!" Professor Utonium exclaimed with excitement as the Girls sat in front of their cake, each of them smiling for their own reasons. One after another, the Girls closed their eyes and made their wishes. They blew out the candles on the cake after that.

'What did you wish for?' Blossom would ask her sisters after the party.

'I just… want it all to go away. The crime, the pain, the sadness. What I did,' Bubbles would say, flashing a smile, though it was a shallow, bitter one, one mired by muck that had been piling up and needed a way to be unloaded.

'Don't be sad, Bubbles. They will. They always did. That's what Daddy said,' Blossom comforted her sister.

'I wanted my own motorbike,' Buttercup admitted. Both Blossom and even a depressed Bubbles gave her a puzzled look. What use would a motorcycle be if they could fly? 'Hey, it'd be cool, admit it!'

'I guess it is,' Blossom admitted, managing to dig a smile out of Buttercup. Blossom smiled back. 'We should all get one.'

'Told you so,' Buttercup said with a burst of mean laughter.

'What about you, Blossom?' Bubbles would ask in return, hoping for some kind of enlightenment from her. 'What did you wish for?'

Blossom said nothing. She communicated the content of her wish by putting an arm around each other her sisters and pulling them into a group hug.

'Oh brother,' Buttercup would say, hating that the very same person who'd been undermining her was hugging her, somehow still attached to her.

'This,' Blossom simply said.

Lab Report 02221989

DOC: 22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989.

TOC: 0830

By: Professor Utonium

Title: Concerning Bubbles (B-49) and Creation of B-50

As of this date, Bubbles has made full recovery from the wounds she had sustained on 19 FEB 1989. However, it is merely physical. The implications of the incident that caused her to attack everyone around her, without discrimination, is severe and disturbing.

Even as we speak, as you know, investigations have turned up nothing as to who might have supplied Bubbles with the drugs known as 'His Secret 2.0'. My sources, Lieutenant Blake of the Powerpuff Task Force and Lieutenant Mullens of the TPD, have no real news to share. I have spoken to her at length about this, but she has revealed little about what she experienced. She claims that a 'fairy godmother' had provided her with the drugs, a being capable of even greater enhanced abilities and powers than her, but I have consulted with security as to the possible identity of this enhanced individual and turned up nothing. It's possible that she was hallucinating this 'fairy godmother' into existence, and it was little more than a drug pusher who tricked her into using it. I will turn my attention to that which is in my area of expertise, rather than speculating.

The toll on Bubbles is enormous, and whether it is surmountable is hard to say. The Chemical-Y assisted drug had accumulated in her, and even with time and the experimental treatment I have devised with my Anti-X, it will be months, perhaps even years, before the drug could be fully eliminated from her system. Needless to say, the staying power of the drug is unprecedented; mundane drugs do not accumulate this way in the human body. It does not help that Bubbles will need to inject herself with the less harmful 'His Secret' from now on to manage the withdrawal effects of 'His Secret 2.0'. I guess there is a hidden benefit to Buttercup's trophy hoarding after all. Her secret stash should last Bubbles a few months, by which time, I hope Bubbles will no longer need the damn chemicals.

While 'His Secret' will not cause Bubbles to backslide in any way, it will slow down the detoxification process. I can't imagine how she's been taking it either. Even as I write this, I have been keeping her close to me; I have no choice but to get her to play on the lab floor. Her depressed, vacant look can only be a symptom of the psychological aspect of all this. Alice will have a full report on that.

I would like to emphasize again that the trio you have named 'The Powerpuff Girls' should no longer be deployed the way they are. I believe you have received my report on Buttercup's behavioral deviancy on 21 FEB 1989 and my write-up on the implications of her mental difficulties. I think it is clear by now that they have to be substituted with something better. A new Powerpuff Girl, if you will.

This leads me to the next topic of this report.

I believe I am now ready to begin the production of subject B-50. Over the past 4 days, I have been able to work my way up towards creating an enhanced human being by going through the usual gauntlet of organism modifications: the testing of Chemical X2 on plants, and animals. All test subjects are stable, but all but one guinea pigs used for the experiments had to be destroyed due to their enhancements. The last guinea pig will be kept in a Duranium cage for observation.

There will still be numerous unknown factors, however. Due to the short time frame given, I have been unable to eliminate them all, only minimize them. That said, it is not helpful that more of them have been introduced for the sake of confidentiality.

The unknown nature of the DNA source, for instance. I would rather that I personally select the DNA to be used, to eliminate any chance for congenital diseases. We have already seen the effects of poor genetics on Buttercup and we do not need a repeat of that again.

Furthermore, the sample provided is questionable. I required stem cells, not a human zygote produced by in-vitro fertilization. That the sample provided is a zygote raises many questions. Why must we create an entirely new DNA strain (albeit with the DNA of two donors - unknown donors, I might add) rather than use an existing one which will be more predictable? There is no telling what the results will be. Therefore, I would like to state for the record that I claim no responsibility for the failure of B-50's production arising from the use of the sample provided.

Only time will tell now how B-50 will turn out. I can only hope that I can use it as a surprise for Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup's 3rd month birthday. I had promised them that I had a way out for them - Bubbles, especially, needed some kind of hope that she could live a normal life as a normal little girl. Judging by how she had just been tricked into drug abuse, I believe her fears are justified. B-50 will likely uplift their moods.

The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.

22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989. 0845.

"Are you ready, Professor Utonium?" Doctor Vanum asked his esteemed colleague as he and several others crowded around a table, which had been designated the workspace for the creation of B-50, the next stage in the evolution of Project Powerpuff.

The professor nodded. He tried to maintain a calm demeanor on the outside, but he was a flaming pile of wreck on the inside. Three months ago, he had opened Pandora's box, and while he had found a new family to love because of it, there were problems. Although much of the uncertainties had been eliminated with their present experiments, there were new ones that had been introduced.

For example, he knew of one that was in himself. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were created by accident, but he had taken them in as his own. It was love at first sight. B-50, on the other hand…

He wanted to create B-50 to protect his adopted daughters, and he knew what that entailed. He wanted B-50 to take the pain and suffering and abuse away from them, to fight crime so they didn't have to. If he was honest with himself, he wouldn't want to adopt B-50 if he had a choice; instead, he'd decided that he would distance himself from it. That was all 'it' was to him, a tool to protect his family.

"Are you sure, professor?" one of the research assistants asked - an old hand, an intellectual in her own right, just one who wasn't as accomplished to rise through the ranks yet.

"Yes, let's begin," the professor said, trying to sound as professional as possible, both for the record and for himself.

"Wouldn't the Girls see what we're doing?" the other research assistant wondered aloud.

"Selicia's been keeping them busy. There's going to be a party later, one that I hope would distract them as much as lift their spirits and lighten them up," the professor said, his eyes a little blank, focusing on the task at hand, a task which he knew that was motivated but intentions that were less than moral. "Thank God that Wiggums was able to repair the airlock last afternoon. I've sealed it up and told them I have a surprise in the lab tonight."

"Alright, let's get to work, people," Doctor Vanum said, and so they started the production of B-50. One of the research assistants began positioning a microscope over the sample for observation. Another began setting up a station for managing the rapid growth of the zygote into what the professor hoped would be the Girls' crime-fighting replacement. The professor and the doctor began setting up equipment for preparing Chemical X2 and dispensing it.

File 79: Production of Subject B-50

DOC: 22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989.

Created by: Senior Clerk Quixote (Codename)

Background: Due to the underperformance of subjects B-47, B-48 and B-49 and problems posed by the accidentally-created prototypes, losses suffered and an increase in crime in Townsville, a new organic weapons platform, or bioweapon, has been commissioned by Director Cliff. Unlike the prototypes B-47, B-48 and B-49, which were created by accident using an incomplete version of Chemical X2, known as Chemical X, B-50's creation was premeditated and done so through the use of Chemical X2.

Note on Chemical X2: The substance to be used for enhancement of the individual is known as Chemical X2. According to its creator, Professor Utonium, it will offer enhancements to the bioweapon that are superior to the prototypes. Projections based on plant and animal experiments predict up to a 50% improvement in all areas. Experiments also yielded the foresight that the bioweapon B-50 will be able to gain access to enhancements and abilities faster, though the improvement in this regard hasn't been quantified. It is also likely that B-50 will be able to gain abilities B-47, B-48 and B-49 are incapable of.

Timeline of events.

Time 0915: B-50 Zygote has grown rapidly to become visible.

Time 0949: B-50 is now a week 6 fetus. Professor Utonium notes that B-50 is growing faster than B-47, B-48, and B-49.

Time 1009: Week 8 equivalent fetus. The subject is healthy thus far.

Time 1026: Week 10 equivalent fetus.

Time 1048: Week 12 equivalent fetus. A genetic sample was taken for testing.

Time 1112: Week 16 equivalent fetus. Growth appears to be accelerating as expected based on data from B-47, B-48, and B-49 growth pattern.

Time 1125: Week 20 equivalent fetus.

Time 1140: Week 24 equivalent fetus.

Time 1156: Week 36 equivalent fetus. Growth of B-50 exponentially increasing.

Time 1210: Subject B-50 is now a fully grown baby equivalent to at birth. Blood, cell and hair samples were taken for testing. The subject is observed to have brown hair, purple glowing eyes, and crooked teeth, but is otherwise healthy. Subject has begun crying, likely requiring sustenance and natal care.

Time 1211: After much convincing (and coercion from General Blackwater, who had taken leave from B-47, B-48 and B-49's welfare event and arrived to witness the creation of the fourth bioweapon), Sergeant Selicia Goodwin, assigned secondary handler of Project Powerpuff subjects, has agreed to breastfeed subject B-50. Selicia and subject B-50 closely monitored for aberrations in life signs.

Time 1239: Subject B-50 observed to be growing in size rapidly whilst obtaining sustenance from Sergeant Selicia Goodwin.

Time 1245: Subject B-50 ceases feeding and appears to have fallen asleep. Due to B-47, B-48 and B-49's welfare event approaching its main segment, Professor Utonium, and Sergeant Selicia Goodwin have to temporarily stop work on B-50 to attend it. Subject B-50 has been put under the care of the professor's associates and under guard by the security sergeant's colleagues.

Time 1259: Subject B-50 equivalent of a 6-month-old baby.

Time 1314: Subject B-50 equivalent of a 1-year-old baby.

Time 1327: Subject B-50 equivalent of a 2-year-old baby.

TIme 1340: Professor Utonium and Sergeant Selicia Goodwin were able to extricate themselves from B-47, B-48 and B-49's demand for attention. Their work on B-50 resumes.

Time 1342: Subject B-50 equivalent of a 3-year-old baby.

Time 1357: Subject B-50 equivalent of a 4-year-old. Accelerated growth expected to slow down and cease within the next half-hour.

Time 1413: Subject B-50 equivalent of 5-year-old.

Time 1427: Subject B-50 did not stop growing as predicted by growth models drawn up by B-47, B-48 and B-49's data. B-50 equivalent of a 6-year-old.

Time 1442: Subject B-50 equivalent of 7-year-old.

Time 1453: Subject B-50 equivalent of 8-year-old. Accelerated aging appears to be slowing down.

Time 1458. B-50's growth appears to have stopped. The subject has discharged some energy, purple in appearance, resulting in a temporary power outage.

Time 1459: Subject B-50 has stopped breathing. This was anticipated by Professor Utonium. The professor opts to observe the subject first; he will only intervene at the 3-minute mark. ECG reading erratic.

Time 1501: B-50 has resumed breathing. Brainwave pattern normalizing, but minimal and resembling sleep. ECG readings nominal. The experiment to create B-50 has been deemed a success.

The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.

22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989. 1902.

It was almost time; the party was long over and the last of the guests, including those closest to the Girls, had left.

But there was never enough time for him, Professor Utonium. Or more specifically, there wasn't enough time for him to think things through; to think about how he should treat B-50, or how his family should.

Sitting beside B-50, who was lying on a table, a cushion beneath her newly-created head, he was racking his brains over it, and yet, even after hours, he still couldn't resolve the bloody conflict within him.

And for the hours he'd spent thinking about it, he had to resist holding B-50's hand, or to stroke her cheek in affection. It couldn't be this way, he had decided at the beginning of the experiment to produce her, the organic weapon platform, or bioweapon, that was meant to deliver his daughters from the soul-crushing struggles and demands of crime-fighting. He was supposed to maintain a distance from her. His family was supposed to maintain a distance from her.

And yet… Yes, B-50 was female too. She was created a brunette, somehow physically an 8-year-old – the Girls would surely be jealous, and perhaps that would be good – though she wasn't as beautiful as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, with her overly-square jaws, crooked teeth and plain look. Her eyes were the only features on her face that stood out as beautiful – that said, he couldn't help but notice it when he saw it when B-50 was conscious as a baby on Selicia's bosom. Their eyes met. Her beautiful, glowing purple eyes stood out with intelligence and curiosity in them, perhaps rivaling or even surpassing Blossom – and that could be a good thing as it could foment resentment between them. But... Oh, how she looked at him until she fell unconscious again as if awaiting his decision! But it couldn't be that way. He couldn't allow himself to love her and take her in as his own, could he? That would defeat the purpose of creating her in the first place!

And yet… Professor Utonium stood up from a chair next to B-50. Looking around at a guard, he noticed the way he was looking at him.

"I'm just going to examine her," he found himself a pretense before leaning over B-50 and opening her eyelid. An eye with a glowing, purple pupil gleamed back at him. He went through the motions and shined a penlight into her eye briefly. The guard was none the wiser.

No, he decided. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave B-50 be and toss her out in the storm just to save his daughters' skin. How could he even consider that? He hated himself for it for even considering such a heinous and selfish thing. Dooming a kid to a lifetime of child soldiering (an immortal's lifetime at that, if his theory holds true) just so his own didn't have to suffer the same fate… No, it wasn't him. He didn't want to be that person.

He clasped B-50's hand in both his own, before raising it up to his lips and kissing it. Her hand was limp, and even then, it felt strong. It was another thing he noticed - B-50's musculature was already hard and somewhat beefy.

"Is that wise, prof?" the guard said, looking tense. The professor couldn't blame him. After Bubbles' outburst with His Secret, he would be surprised if the guard wasn't afraid.

The professor turned to look at him.

"Yes, yes it is," he said. "Could you call my family down?"

"Yes, sir," the guard said. "My buds here will cover you while I'm away."

"You and your buds are dismissed," the professor simply said. "And before you ask, yes, it's the wise thing to do." But before the guard could run off, the professor added another layer of complexity to his task: "One more thing. I want you to get Bubbles to come down alone first. Hold everyone back until I say otherwise."

With that, the guard and his detail left the professor alone. His associates in the research department were already gone about an hour ago.

It was time.

The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.

22 FEB (Wednesday) 1989. 1905.

Bubbles was terrified as if she was struck with yet another visit by the fairy godmother. A PTF soldier had told her to go down to the lab. Alone. The soldier himself, though even-tempered, was a stranger, and he had come into the Girls' room without knocking or greetings.

Blossom, Bubbles and even Buttercup (reluctantly) were pretending to be farmers or ranchers when he entered. Blossom frowned at the man for being rude, while Buttercup was relieved and glad for any pause in the 'playtime' whenever she could get it. Bubbles on the other hand…

She had to fly out of the room and down to the living room with only a rabbit soft toy for company – the soldier explicitly stated that she had to go down alone – but as she crossed the airlock, old memories were resurfacing. Bad memories of her doing unthinkable things.

Why would Dad want her down alone? She knew about Buttercup, how she had lost her powers for a couple of days when Dad got mad at her. Was that what's going to happen to her?

She could almost hear her heartbeat echoing against the walls as she descended the stairs down to the lab. She knew that her entire family had forgiven her, but then Blossom and Buttercup were punished whenever they had erred too seriously. Was it her turn to get punished?

Bubbles was almost reduced to tears by the time she reached the wide-open space of the lab until she was met with a most peculiar sight.

Her Dad was sitting in a chair by a bed, holding the hand of… someone lying in the recovery bed at the medical section of the lab. Flying closer, her previous fears forgotten, she went sideways for a better look.

That someone was a girl, and she looked older than she was. She had brown hair, and she was wearing a patient's garb. She looked like she was asleep. Bubbles didn't have time to study the new girl when her Dad noticed her.

"Bubbles!" he greeted her and beckoned her to come closer, which she did by floating up to him.

"What's happening, Dad?" she said, confused, and still a little frightened partly because of the new development. 'Who is that girl?' Bubbles thought. 'What is she doing here?' At the same time, another awful thought struck her. Something Mom warned her about when they were alone in the Duranium table room, though unbeknownst to her, she was just joking and at the same time, trying to keep her in line.

"Dad, is she replacing me?" Bubbles asked frantically, on the verge of tears again. "Please don't send me away… I'll be good, I promise!"

"Bubbles, I would never!" the Dad reassured her quickly, hugging her to him and she floated into his arms. "Who gave you that idea?"

Bubbles didn't say. It felt like one of those times when she needed to shut her mouth 'or you'll destroy the family', in Mom's words. She had already come too close to destroying the family physically. She didn't want to come anywhere close to that again.

Dad cleared his throat before continuing: "Anyway, today's your lucky day, Bubbles."

"Lucky? Why am I lucky, Dad?" Bubbles asked. His words didn't help with her confusion, though as it always did, it'd calmed her down. At least she knew now that she was wrong to think she would be replaced.

"You get to see your new sister," Professor Utonium announced. It wasn't his original intention to make B-50 Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup's new sister, but he had decided. His initial intention to make B-50 their 'bodyguard' had been rooted in his flawed idea to protect the Girls from further harm, be they physical, emotional or psychological, by sacrificing someone else.

"But why me?" Bubbles asked. She felt like she would be the last person to receive any kind of special treatment. The professor hugged her tighter when he picked up her doubts.

"I've… neglected you," the professor admitted sadly. "It's all my fault, what happened to you."

"But it's not…" Bubbles said. She, in turn, noticed that Dad was upset and she didn't like that.

The professor sighed.

"It doesn't matter, as Doctor Simmons said," he swiftly redirected the conversation; it was supposed to be a moment of joy. He turned around to let Bubbles see her new sister, and the enhanced little girl studied her.

And even Bubbles could tell that B-50 wasn't exactly good-looking, though she wasn't ugly either, but somewhere in between.

"How… did she get here?" Bubbles asked. She remembered being in the living room all day. What she didn't remember was an 8-year-old girl sneaking into the lab because she would have to go through the living room.

"Remember when I said that there will be a surprise? She's it," the professor said, though he was also stalling for time to think. He hadn't thought about it, explaining B-50 away. Had it been Blossom in Bubbles' place, she would have asked how B-50 was born. It was a mystery that needed to be nipped in the bud in order to preserve the beautiful illusion of a family they had here. Pushing away any self-doubt, the professor continued: "Mom gave birth to your new sister this morning. We've been checking her and taking care of her since. But I think she's ready now… For the three of you to meet her."

It wasn't the perfect explanation, but the Girls' naivety and lack of understanding in sexual reproduction would make it good for years to come until they were ready to know the truth – whenever that would be.

"What's her name?" Bubbles asked innocently, partially distracted by B-50. She couldn't take her eyes off her. In her mind, she meant something, symbolized something – she just couldn't tell what it was yet.

"Why don't you decide, Bubbles?" the professor said. It felt like the perfect apology and gift for neglecting her. "There's just one rule."

"What is it?" Bubbles asked, her spirit lifting. She got to name her own sister!

"It has to start with a B, like Blossom and Buttercup… and Bubbles," the professor stated and pressed Bubbles in the nose playfully. She giggled.

"Okay…" Bubbles said before looking around the room, thinking and straining her mind for a name that started with a B, squeezing her soft toy as she did. The professor was actually worried for her as she looked like she might blow her engine that way.

Bubbles' eyes shifted to B-50 herself as if her name was written there. It wasn't. Out of options, she held her rabbit soft toy in both hands as if it could talk to it.

That was when it hit her, like that semi-truck on Highway 13, except in a good way.

"Bunny…" Bubbles spoke B-50's name for the first time.

The professor was stunned. He'd never expected it out of Bubbles. It was like a miracle in and of itself. He thought that it was even better than his own ideas, such as Bernadette or Bess. He'd even thought about naming B-50 after his own late biological daughter, Bloome.

"It's a beautiful name," the professor said, before giving Bubbles a peck on the temple. When Bubbles tried to wriggle out of his arms, he let her go. Floating over to the sleeping Bunny on the table, she placed the rabbit soft toy on her chest and put her arm over it, such that she looked like she was just sleeping…

"Bunny it is," the professor said, and this time around, he believed that things were going to get better…

Now that Bunny had joined the family.

END OF ACT 2: HIS SECRET

A/N: Due to the nature of the works-in-progress of the next cover, there will be no preview of it. However, the cover will still be available as per normal when the next act comes around. Thanks for reading!