Chapter Twelve: The Heroes Learn Of The Temple Breach
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were lazing around in their home with Professor Utonium busy inside of his lab with his deep scientific research. The girls were just flipping through channels on their TV just trying to find something good to watch. Blossom and Bubbles had more of an annoyed look on their faces while Buttercup was growing more agitated by the minute.
"Fuck, there's nothing good on TV and Townsville is all fucking quiet." Buttercup said.
Bubbles flipped through channels some more, passing through some old game shows, dramas, infomercials, the works. She eventually landed on a channel to a show very familiar with the girls, Blarney The Singing Sea Serpent. However, the three girls sighed in annoyance as they were very burned out by the show they've seen so many times.
"Damnit, this fucking show isn't good anymore." Bubbles said in an annoyed tone.
"Yeah, you're right, Bubbles." Blossom agreed. "I've just about memorized every last fucking line in the show like the back of my fucking hand."
After several more channel flips by Bubbles, the girls landed on a professional wrestling show where a promo was in progress.
"Wait, stop right there!" Buttercup said to Bubbles just as she was making another stride to change the channel.
Bubbles smiled and nodded as she placed the remote down, the girls watching the pro wrestling show. The pro wrestling event wasn't WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, ROH, or any other major pro wrestling promotion, but rather a rising star amongst many fans. It catered mostly to the old school wrestling fans who wanted something similar to the Monday Night Wars of the 90s between WWF (now WWE) and WCW. It did its best to keep the presentation similar, though they couldn't avoid using the technology that replaced the technology of yesteryear. They once did a show in Townsville knowing its hotspot for crime, but it went off without a hitch. The girls themselves even guest starred on the show as guest general managers when it was in Townsville.
While the girls watched the pro wrestling show, the scene shifted over to Capitol City, where Shoeshine Boy could be seen walking into an electronics store that was local to Capitol City. It was not only a favorite for the predominantly older generation of Capitol City, but it served as a low key tourist attraction for many retro enthusiasts. It was a store that still had the older technologies that once ruled the world, all in brand new or pristine condition. Everything from the rotary phones to the CRT TVs to the typewriters to the oldest Apple computers. If it was old school, Capitol City Throwback Electronics, the name of the store, had it. But of course they had to cater to the small number of younger people there, so there was another section of the store with the more modern electronics.
Shoeshine had come to CCTE, as it was known to the locals, to purchase a Walkman he was told was in stock. One of the employees walked him over to where the Walkmen were.
"Here you are, Shoeshine, in your requested color as well." The employee said, pointing to a new and in-box red Walkman.
"That's great, sir, I would like to purchase it now." Shoeshine replied to the employee.
"Of course, Shoeshine. Ms. Amanda over there will get you checked out." The employee said to Shoeshine as he pointed at the checkout register.
The register was only one person deep, and the person was buying a like-new VCR, meaning Shoeshine would not have to wait long for his turn.
The scene was equally on both cities, The Powerpuff Girls towards the end of the promo on TV, beginning to sing along to the babyface's catchphrase. Just when it was about to hit the punchline, the news interrupted the show.
"We interrupt this program with some major breaking news." Stanley Whitfield, the news anchor, said with an urgent tone in his voice.
"Awww, son of a bitch!" Blossom said angrily.
"Damnit, he interrupted the best part!" Bubbles said also angrily.
"Fuck you to all hell, Stanley!" Buttercup added also angrily.
The girls all waved their right arms and shouted out "DELETE!" multiple times while Stanley Whitfield was speaking, voicing their displeasure with his presence.
Meanwhile, at Capitol City, Shoeshine walked towards the register with his Walkman, having to walk past modern TVs of multiple sizes to get to the register, the TVs all playing a random western movie on the screen. But it too was interrupted by Polly Purebred, who had a worried look on her face, which caught Shoeshine's attention.
"Capitol City, our apologies for interrupting, but there is a very major situation unfolding that affects us all." Polly said.
Both Stanley and Polly were speaking in their respective cities at almost the exact same time, and the scene shifted back and forth to them both.
"The once-thought urban legend of the Temple of Reckoning, which was said to be just a myth, is very much true and in existence. But not only that, but the legend said that the Temple of Reckoning had eleven impenetrable and transparent layers. We have just learned that those layers have been penetrated." Both Stanley and Polly said, pretty much exactly word for word.
It perked Blossom's ears up, though Bubbles and Buttercup were still shouting out "DELETE!" while waving their arms.
"Girls! Shhhh! Listen!" Blossom said to her sisters, who also listened in.
"Uh oh, this is not good." Shoeshine said as he stood in front of the TVs in CCTE, listening to Polly.
"Legend has it that the Temple of Reckoning houses four pieces of jewelry with unlimited power, the single Forbidden Necklace and the three Bracelets of Despair. There was once a single male and three females that ruled a place high up in the clouds for many, many centuries. That was until a rebel wife and husband duo managed to stop their tyrannical rule." Stanley and Polly both mentioned as the girls and Shoeshine all gasped.
"Holy shit!" Blossom said in shock.
"Oh my." Shoeshine said in shock as well.
"We do not know just who or what could have broken through the layers into the Temple of Reckoning. The resulting penetration sent very loud shockwaves that could be heard and felt from Temple Island, the very island that the Temple of Reckoning sits on. A massive sonic boom could be heard upon the initial penetration and it actually registered a 4.3 earthquake on the Richter Scale, prompting a tsunami watch by the National Tsunami Warning Center." Stanley and Polly both said as the girls and Shoeshine continued to listen in shock and disbelief.
"Oh no!" Bubbles cried out.
"Oh shit, Shoeshine, better get Underdog on the horn." An employee told Shoeshine as many of the patrons inside the store watched the news.
"Temple Island is believed to be somewhere near this general vicinity, where the loud sonic boom and blinding light originated from." Stanley and Polly both mentioned as their news stations showed the area around the Atlantic Ocean where the loud blast and blinding light came from, viewers able to see it all on their TV screens.
"We simply cannot allow the jewelry to fall into the wrong hands. If it does, it could mean doomsday for us all, if the legend is to be believed." Stanley and Polly both added.
"Not on our fucking watch!" Buttercup said, determined.
"Powerpuff Girls, if you are listening, it is imperative that you investigate this area immediately." Stanley said with an urgent tone in his voice.
"Underdog, I hope you can hear me. Go there, and go there RIGHT NOW! Please!" Polly said, also with an urgent tone in her voice.
Both news stations went right back to regular programming, many folks around Townsville, Capitol City, and beyond all horrified at the news they heard.
"That's gotta be Mojo!" Blossom suspected. "He's the only piece of shit who could've figured out how to get in!"
"That mother fucking bastard!" Bubbles said angrily.
"Well, what the fuck are we sitting here for? Let's fucking go!" Buttercup said as the girls flew out their window to head to the Temple of Reckoning.
Shoeshine very quickly placed his Walkman back on the shelf then made a very quick dash outside. He quickly scanned the area for a phone booth that he could enter. After making sure no one was around, he ran inside one he found. The phone booth exploded, and Shoeshine turned into Underdog.
"That can only be Simon and his evil plans. I must keep the jewelry out of his hands!" Underdog said as he flew away, also heading to the Temple of Reckoning.
END OF CHAPTER TWELVE
Music Credits
Song Artist/Source: Bruce Faulconer
Song Title/Source: Devastation (Android Remix)
Year Song Released: 2003
When Played: While Stanley Whitfield and Polly Purebred are relaying the news of the Temple of Reckoning's penetration.