« And the problem is that we don't even know what the Ivory Stone is. Or we get information from Princess or from Sedusa. But in each case, the result won't be good for us. » said Blossom.
The Professor closed his eyes, thinking what his daughter had said. The girls explained to him, the whole plan to get information and their deal with Sedusa.
When he opened his eyes, he said :
« I have no idea what the Ivory Stone is and where you could start your research. I can ask to some friends, maybe someone knows about it. »
« Can't you... I don't know... try to see Mister Morbucks at his mansion. » asked Bubbles.
« That would be suspicious... The best way to get in is for someone to invite you. Maybe if Princess does, she could...» he stopped in the middle of his sentence.
« She won't accept it. She won't let one of us in ! » Buttercup interrupted the Professor.
« I told you, I'll take care of this part of the plan. » said Bubbles.
« How are you going to do that ? » asked sarcastically Buttercup.
She didn't answer but smiled at her.
« Alright, if the Professor asks to his friends, Buttercup and I will look for information about the Ivory Stone. Everybody is agree ? » they nodded.
« Hourras, let's read a bunch of boring books. At least it could be like Indiana Jones's adventures or something. »
Blossom shook her head and said :
« It's a serious problem, not a joke. »
« Yeah, but it should be fun. »
Blossom rolled her eyes :
« Not everything should be fun and... »
« All right, no more fighting at dinner. Let's talk about something else. Bubbles, how your repetitions are going ? »
Bubbles choked with her food before answering:
« Good, we started to practice a bit. I'll be behind my drums. »
« And nothing with Boomer ? He didn't attack you ? »
« No... » she said with a small voice. « Nothing. »
« Great. If something is wrong, you have to tell us. »
« Sure... »
« And you Blossom ? »
« We are making progress on our project. It's still about the theory of dimension, but I think it's great to talk about it. Most of us are working on experience. I wanted something unusual. And I hope Brick is not working on it too. »
« Brick ? »
« He is in my class. The last time, he took the book I wanted. I guess he's working on dimensions too... »
« If you need anything you can ask me. »
« I know, but I don't want extra help, I want to do it alone with my own ressources. »
The professor smiled when he saw his daughter's determination.
« I respect that. And you Buttercup ? Anything special ? »
« Nothing. Butch didn't bother me, classes are boring, but it's high school, so... »
He nodded, with a dark expression. He never liked to see his daughters get hurt.
After the dinner, the girls and the Professor cleared the table. This time, it was Buttercup's to do the dishes, with the Professor helping her.
« You know... I can see something is wrong with you. » he wiped the dishes.
« Nothing is... »
« Don't lie to me. You know you can trust me. You have been through a lot of things. If you need to talk, I'm here. »
She sighed and replied :
« You know, Butch said we were alike. I-I don't know how to explain it, but he said I liked the fight. And it's true, I did like it. I have all this power inside of me. It's like a fire burning inside of me, but I never use my powers to this point and it was... »
« I understand. You girls are more special than you can imagine. I can try to find a solution to use your potential, but you should control yourself and never let your powers take control. Innocent people can get hurt, it's a big responsibility. Never forget that. »
« I know... »
He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.
« Promise me you will talk to me if anything is wrong. »
She smiled back :
« I promise. »
She has already broken this promise.
****
« So, are you going to talk to me ? » Blossom asked Bubbles.
« About what ? » she said, doing her skincare.
« Boomer. »
She paused before pretending not to hear.
« Exactly, every time we talk about him, you react like this. What happened ? »
Bubbles looked at Blossom through the vanity mirror, Blossom was standing behind her with her arms crossed.
« Bubbles... »
« Nothing, and that's the problem. I don't know what to think about Boomer. And don't tell me I shouldn't approach him. I know. It's just... I don't think he's evil. He doesn't seem like a bad guy... »
She was thinking about his eyes, how sad they were at the gala. The way he blushed or laughed. This is not how someone evil would act.
« It's a good thing to try to see the good in everybody, but... »
« But he's not evil. But anyway, he hates me now. I won't try to get close to him, not after he attacked me. »
Blossom took Bubbles in her arms.
« I know I shouldn't think like that but I really think there is something special about him... »
« Maybe this is part of their plan... Look, I understand you, but we really have to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt. »
« I know. »
Buttercup arrived and floated to her bed.
« Mitch's concert is on few days. Do you wanna go ? »
***
Mojo Jojo has recovered from the last battle. During the night, he prepared his new plan and woke up the Rowdyruff boys.
« You've had the whole day to work and it's now you're starting to do something. » said Boomer. He was wearing a frog pyjamas with an eye mask on his head, and his hair was more tangled than usual. He yawned and looked at Mojo with his sleepy eyes.
« That's it, we're gonna eat you. » said Butch, he was shirtless, his eyes were glowing in dark green and his muscles were tense. His hair weren't cover with hair gel
« This is my home. If I want to create a plan of mass destruction at night, I'll do it. It's dramatic, evil, diabolical. » Mojo laughed and added. « I made this house by myself. You are just enjoying the comfort of my home. »
« That's it, you're dead ! » said Brick, standing in front of the monkey with his fists clenched. His long hair was pull back into a bun.
Mojo covered his face and said :
« You won't know the truth if you send me to the hospital. »
Brick stopped a few inches away from Mojo's face. Mojo wiped his forehead and smiled, showing his sharp teeth.
« Ha, finally you come to your senses. »
« Right, our deal. Speak now before I change my mind and send you back to prison. »
« Can you make it quick ? » said Boomer with his sleepy voice. « If I don't get at least 8 hours of sleep, I'll look like a dead fish. »
« You already look like a dead fish, that doesn't change from usual. » said Butch with his eternal smile. This time, he reverted to his usual demeanor.
Boomer showed him his middle finger. Brick gave them a look over his shoulder and they stopped arguing.
« We got you out of jail and you said you'd tell us the truth. »
Mojo cleared his throat and said :
« Take a seat, this is going to be a long story. »
Butch and Boomer protested in unison before joining at the circular table Brick and Mojo.
« As you know, I created you first, my sons, with snips, snails and a puppy dog tail... »
« We know the story, we fought the Powerpuff girls, they kissed us and we exploded can you shorten the story ? » asked Boomer.
« I'm trying to get you in the mood. But right after that, for months and months I didn't see my boys. But, Him brought you to life and made you immune with his powers. In exchange, you have to obey him. »
« We know the story... » said again Boomer.
« Silence ! Let me speak ! »
« Alright, alright... » he sank into his chair.
« And you must have met the Infernal Circle, right ? »
« He barely talked about it. » said Brick, focused on Mojo.
« Of course he didn't ! This manipulator... » Mojo was rehashing his past with Him;
« The Infernal Circle is an old and powerful group, I don't know where do they have their roots, maybe at the same time with the rise of humanity. They have 7 members inside, Him is the last one. Their powers work differently, all I know is that Him need to make deals with people and every time he gets stronger. Just like how he did with you. »
The boys had their attention on Mojo, they didn't make any jokes or anything.
« How do we get free from him ? »
Brick said it. He finally asked the question that he and his brothers had been asking for years.
« A riddle. He loves games, everything is a game for Him. »
« A riddle ? » asked Butch, « and after that a tea and a uno game ? Are you fu**ing kidding me ? » said Butch after punching the table, the table toppled over and the room shook from his powerful punch. « It can't be that easy... »
« I'm telling the truth. And watch your tone when you talk to your father. »
« A father who gave up on us. » added Boomer.
Brick didn't say anything about the interaction. It's true, Mojo gave up on them, his obsession for the girls sent him in prison and the boys had to live with Him and stayed under his control.
« What is the riddle ? » Brick finally asked.
« Every members of the Infernal Circle have their own weakness. To be free you, have to find his name. »
« His name ? » said the boys is echoes.
« See, he became senile after all those years in prison. » said Butch
« Butch is right, it can't be that easy. » said Boomer.
« He keeps his name secret, I don't know anything else. »
The fist of Brick clenched and the temperature increased in the room. Black burning marks started to appear around his fist and ran over forearm.
« How do you know this ? » he asked to Mojo.
« I've spent time to be defeated by the Powerpuff girls. I also spent time to know every enemy they have. We were in the same band, Beat-Alls, he told me this around a drink. And we are co-parents, working together to raise our sons and defeat the Powerpuff girls. It was a nice...»
« Let's get back to sleep. »
« I was hoping you could help me to finish my new weapon. A gunshot laser. »
Brick pinched his nose and shook his head.
« If you bother us in the middle of the night, I swear.... »
« Fine ! But when it will work I want apologies. »
« That's funny you think you could defeat them. » Boomer and Butch laughed.
« Go to your bed ! You're grounded. »
« We were sleeping before you disturbed us. » said Butch and the boys left Mojo returning to their bedrooms.
Mojo mumbled in his corner assembling his pieces when a whirlwind cloud appeared behind him. A breath on his neck make him startled, he dropped his new weapon and cursed after Him:
« You will pay for this ! »
« You shared my little secret... » said Him with his distorted voice, deeper than usual.
« You know, these are our sons I can't lie to them and you shouldn't manipulate them. » he pointed a finger at him furiously.
« Look who is talking, a father that couldn't protect them and you were the one using them first. »
« I'm a better father than you ! »
« Think whatever you want. Just to remind you, I have eyes everywhere. Everywhere. »
Him disappeared soon as he appeared.
« Jerk... »
The weapon exploded in the hands of Mojo Jojo and he yelled before the boys yelled at him:
« Shut up ! »
***
The next day, Bubbles had plan to eat with Princess or at least trying to eat with her. She abandoned her sisters when she saw Princess coming with her court of fans in the cafeteria.
« Can I eat with you today ? » she asked firmly to Princess.
Princess looked at her up and down with disgust.
« Are you kidding me ? Your sisters are just here. » she pointed them with her finger covered with purple and yellow polish nail.
« I know but I want to eat with you. »
She laughed before stopping, she remembered what her father had said. She needed to try to act civilian with the girls or at least pretending to be.
« Fine... » she said with a devilish smile, « But I want Boomer to eat with us. » she grabbed the arm of Boomer who was walking to his table with his meal tray, an apple in his mouth. Like everyone else, she knew about their fight and the tension between them.
« What ?! » they said at the same time and the apple fell.
« Both of you are the least annoying of your siblings. I'd rather eat with you. The others you may go. »
« Wait, but we want to talk with Bubbles. » said a girl from her court.
« Yeah, and the Rowdyruff boys are mysterious. I want to know more. » said another boy.
Princess's face became red, but before yelling she sighed and smiled to them.
« I know guys, you really, really, really want to eat with us but I think it's important things about superheroes and secret things, do you understand ? After all, my father is about to be mayor. It's perfectly normal Bubbles wants to talk to me about security or hidden things.»
Her court nodded to her « explanation » and left her, she smiled until they didn't look at her and faced Boomer and Bubbles.
She gets around them to sit at a table, her table, in the middle of the cafeteria.
She smiled, but the menace could be felt in her tone.
« What are you waiting for ? »
Boomer and Bubbles sat, embarrassed with their meal trays.
« What do you want ? Because I'm sure it's not about me but my father. »
« I was just walking around... » said Boomer.
« I just realized I lost an earring in your mansion. I think it was after the fight with Sedusa. Do you think I could check if it still there ? » she asked innocently.
« I haven't heard about a lost earring... » answered Princess.
« If you keep talking about jewels or poney I'll kill myself. » they didn't answered to him, their eyes locked on each other. Princess judged if she could trust Bubbles or not.
« No. »
« No ? »
« Tell me if I bother you... »
« I don't trust you. I never heard of any earring. The personal would have told me. »
« Really ? You don't even have the right to go into the jewel room, right ? »
Bubbles touched a nerve and Princess looked at her completely surprise. No one knew about it. But Bubbles did unconsciously, or maybe because she knew it from somewhere else... but where ?
« Your father told us nobody could enter into the room but only him. Even the personal can't. »
Boomer looked at them, knowing something important is happening between them. But what ? He wasn't a strategist.
Princess smiled to Bubbles, she didn't like being humiliated. Hopefully for her, nobody could hear them. She was boiling inside but as her father asked for her, she had to pretend being in good terms with her.
« Fine. » she said loud enough to be heard. « Whenever you want you come after all you are a special guest of my father and I. »
She added with a smile :
« Bubbles why are you that cold with Boomer ? »
She split her water and Boomer stopped the course of his fork, full of pastas.
« What do you mean ? »
« Oh, don't pretend you don't know. Everybody knows about your fight but also how close you were. Especially in your music class or something. »
Someone shared the drama... Princess was talking loud enough to be heard. Some people around their table were paying attention, looking at them or whispering about what she said.
« Princess, Boomer and I are just... focused on other things. »
« Princess is not you fu**ing business. » Boomer said. For the first time of the conversation, he got the attention of the girls.
« Do you want me to talk about what we saw in your house ? Or what we heard ? »
« You don't know anything. »
« I maybe dumb, or stupid and maybe I don't know anything, but I know more than you. »
Bubbles was stunned, she never saw him acting that cruel. Princess didn't know what to say, because he was right. Her father didn't tell her everything. Boomer felt uncomfortable, but for his sake, knowing that Princess is not in total control and it's an advantage. And for Bubbles, knowing that Princess wasn't deeply involved is important to know.
***
New adventures, new conversations and new opportunities for our superheroes. Especially for Buttercup.
Mitch, after high school, invited Buttercup to his trailer park.
She had a bandanna around her Afro. She was wearing a blue baggy pants with a black tight top and a vest over it.
She smiled when he opened the door.
« Hi, come in. Sorry, it's a total mess. My grandma is sleeping. I thought she would be gone for her bingo game. »
The room was a bit messy, some bottles of juice were on the floor, on the old and broken drawers, some flowers were dying, proof that they didn't get any water or sun for a moment. The television was turned on and an old lady was sitting in front of it watching a game show.
« I'm sorry... » he said, embarrassed.
« It's okay, you know. »
She followed him to his bedroom, the room was clean, no dust, even if the room was small. In front of his bed a computer and in a corner of the room the guitars of Mitch, an acoustic one and an electric one. He had a bunch of albums and CDs next to his computer and on his wall.
« I brought some snacks. » she said, she showed him her bag and sat on the bed.
« Great, you'll love this movie. »
« I hope so, the last one wasn't that scary. But Blossom and Bubbles were so scared. You should have seen that. » she laughed at the memory of Blossom trying to comfort Bubbles in front of the horror movie even if Blossom was scared too.
« You can't be scared easily. You're made of stone. »
« Kinda. »
After putting the movie, Mitch sat down next to her and her heart started to beat faster. She ignored him, trying to concentrate on the movie. Mitch was focused, eating the bag of chips.
For a moment, they stared at the movie in silence. Buttercup took a look at his face, his eyes focused on the screen as the killer started to approach his victims. She looked at his freckles. The way his mouth moved when he's surprised or impatient. And every time he moved, his shoulder was touching her.
The silence was filling the room, only broken by the screams from the movie. But the voice of the grandmother or Mitch could be heard in every single place.
« Sh*t ! »
Mitch ran to his grandmother's armchair. Buttercup stood behind looking at the scene. His grandmother was yelling and moving her arms in all sense. Buttercup knew what happened, his grandmother was senile. Sometimes it happens she yelled because of her paranoia or became aggressive before returning to her sleep or watching silently the TV. Where did she get this information again ? Mitch didn't talk about this before. Did he ?
Mitch tried to calm his grandmother, taking her hands and talking to her softly. She calmed herself and in an incomprehensible sentence, she apologized.
Buttercup was looking at the scene, not knowing how to react.
« Is-Is she going to be ok ? » she finally asked.
« I think you should probably go home. » he said, « It wasn't a good idea and my shift starts soon. »
« But... »
« Buttercup... » he sighed.
« Fine. » her tone was a bit it dry. He shouldn't keep her away and she shouldn't react like this. And she should have said something nice to him. Before she left, Mitch grab her hand, she didn't remove it or felt uncomfortable like she has the habit to be when someone touch her.
« I'm sorry, it's nothing against you. I can handle it alone. »
She felt the warm getting her face
« Don't apologize, if you need to talk I'm here, ok ? »
He nodded and let her leave. She left even if she didn't want it to.
***
Blossom was practicing with her danse class while Buttercup was occupied with Mitch.
They were supposed to create their own dance. And Blossom didn't know why but as the contest is approaching she felt more and more anxious. The dance helped to free herself, moving her arms, and legs. Doing pirouette or arabesque made her feel better. Dancing and forgetting her fear, dancing and forgetting her problems and responsibilities, dancing and feeling free. That's all she had in her mind. And Brick...
Again, always him. His presence, earlier in the day, was stuck in her mind. She hated him even more after the fight and the fact that he attacked her. But he couldn't seems more nonchalant than he actually. He didn't even try to say something about it. Hopefully for her.
Blossom discovered they have been working on the same idea, that drove her crazy. She had to be better, better than everyone else and especially him.
She was working with Harry, when she saw Brick working behind a shelve of books. She noticed his stupid red cap and used her X-ray vision to see what he was working on. The same project, the same idea. What she said to Harry stuck in her mind :
« We have to work harder, Harry... we'll try to open a portal. »
Harry laughed but stopped when he saw the serious face of Blossom.
« Wait, you aren't serious, right ? You're kidding ? »
She put her hands on Harry's shoulders. He blushed slightly when he saw her leaning a bit.
« I'm not. I'm serious, we have to win. »
« Al-alright. » he said.
« We will use the Professor's laboratory. »
He nodded.
She knows what she had to do. Be better.
After all, in fews day the contest will take place. She knows every subjects and every corner of the high school who will be presenting to the crew.
« Blossom ? » asked her teacher.
She stopped dancing, everybody were staring at her.
« It's the break time. And you've been dancing for five minutes now. »
She was a bit embarrassed, that's what he do to her, only embarrassed her.
She enjoyed the moment to check her telephone, she received a message of Bubbles and the Professor :
« Princess invited me. The plan is working ! »
« I have an information about the Ivory Stone. I will tell you at the dinner. »
'Great she was thinking to herself, and me I have a contest to win.'