Endless Possibilities

Endless Possibilities

Author's Note: This chapter was too big to submit at once, so it has been split into two parts.

Chapter 16 Part 1

XxXxX

brick by boring brick

The morning light dripped in softly through the trio of rounded windows. Steadily it made its way from the foot of the bed, pouring over three slumbering figures. The one closest to the light began to squirm, popping her yellow-towed head from the covers and yawning, a cute and delicate sound. She smiled and looked around the room through still sleepy eyes, rubbing away the sleep and taking in a deep breath of the brand new day. She turned to her sisters, her smile brightening.

“Girls! It's time to get up! It's Friday!” The furthest lump began to move, a dark head popping up, narrowing angry green eyes at her sister. Bubbles only giggled and grinned bright. Buttercup groaned and rubbed her head, yawning obnoxiously loud.

“How are you so stinkin' cheery? I'm still tired from last night...” The yawn proved infectious and Bubbles echoed it with an equally obnoxious one. She smacked her lips and laid back against her pillows.

“Yeah...I'm still really tired too, but we're doing a lot better, aren't we?” Bubbles asked, trailing off when Buttercup's mitt shot to her lips. She shushed her blonde sister and pointed at their still slumbering leader. Bubbles sat up in confusion, pulling her knees to her chest. Buttercup sighed and leaned forward on her mitts.

“Don't let Blossom know yet...I want it to be a surprise. I wanna see the look on her face when I prove her wrong!” Buttercup swallowed and covered her mouth—she'd been growing exponentially louder with every word. Bubbles giggled and nodded, climbing out of bed and floating toward the closet.

“Okay, I won't tell her...but we gotta wake her up! It's time to get ready for school!” Buttercup looked down at Blossom and shook her head, floating out of bed and joining her sister in the closet.

“Let her wake herself up,” Bubbles gasped and glared at Buttercup, pulling her dress over her head and adjusting it. She turned to the mirror and started to work on taming her bad case of bed head.

“Don't be so mean Buttercup!” Buttercup licked her hands and matted her hair down, flipping it up with a satisfied smirk. Bubbles stuck her tongue out in disgust, tying her pigtails carefully. Buttercup sat back on the bed, pulling on her stockings and glaring at Bubbles.

“She's the one who's been acting weird! Maybe she needs the sleep,” She mumbled in response. Bubbles let her second pigtail fall out and looked, sadly, at her still sleeping sister. Buttercup wasn't lying, Blossom had been acting very, very strange lately. She rarely ever spent time with them; she spent a lot of her time with Boomer at the library or locked in the bedroom. Bubbles turned back to the mirror, tying up her other pigtail again.

“Maybe...” The two looked up at a knock on the door. Ms. Keane peaked her head in.

“Good Morning girls! How did you sleep last night?” Bubbles hushed her teacher, pointing at Blossom. Ms. Keane nodded, entering and sitting on the edge of the bed. She gently shook Blossom, who remained unmoving.

“Blossom...honey, it's time to wake up...sweetie? It's time for school,” Bubbles swapped Buttercup spots, now tugging on her stockings. Buttercup scowled and hurried out the door, shutting it with a slight slam. Ms. Keane frowned and shook Blossom a little harder. Bubbles covered her mouth, watching the exchange. The teacher looked up and smiled at Bubbles, nodding for the door. Bubbles smiled and flew out, closing the door very softly behind her. Ms. Keane looked down at Blossom again, sighing in frustration.

“Blossom...sweetie, it's time to get up,” Her frustration began to give way to worry. Blossom hadn't moved in the entire time Ms. Keane had been in the room. She pulled the blanket down and relaxed greatly. Blossom was there, and was breathing, but the kindergarten teacher had never seen the little girl sleeping even half as hard as she seemed to be. Blossom was laying on her stomach, mouth open, breathing in deep, breathy gasps. Drool seeped out onto her partially soaked pillow, sticking her cheek the soft white case.

'Oh Blossom...what's going on with you, honey?' Ms. Keane took a deep breath and looked around the room. It wouldn't hurt to give her a few more minutes. She nodded and leaned in close, whispering in her ear, “Blossom...I'll be back to get you up in a few more minutes,” Blossom remained unresponsive, unmoving until Ms. Keane was gone and the door was tightly shut. The room remained unmoving, not even a shadow out of place. Octi sat on his perch, staring at Blossom, his smile never changing as she began to stir.

Blossom cracked her eyes open slowly, moaning and barely moving. She groaned loudly pulling her drool covered face away from her pillow and tenderly wiping away the saliva. The pink puff rubbed her stomach and looked around the room dizzily. Her eyes drifted back to her wet pillow; clearly she'd slept hard. Why then, was she so tired?

'What...happened?' She thought, brushing her hair back out of her face. Blossom let out a puff of air, wincing and rubbing her stomach. Her mind was a fuzzy fizzling portfolio of foaming and fading photographs. Was everything just a dream? And if it was...what had she even dreamed about? Blossom shook her head and climbed out of bed. She wandered, walking rather than flying, to the bathroom and climbed up on her step stool, looking at her reflection. Her eyes were a bit bloodshot...but otherwise she looked fine, if a tad frazzled.

“Then why do I feel so...” Blossom swallowed and bent over, holding her stomach. A wave of nausea racked her entire body, nearly knocking her off her feet. She swallowed and stuck her tongue out. She jumped and gasped, looking at the door when a soft knock rang against it.

“Blossom are you in there?” Ms. Keane called gently. Blossom nodded, swallowed again and wiping off her mouth. The pink puff hopped down from the stool and walked to the door, opening it and smiling sheepishly at her guardian. Thankfully, her surrogate caregiver seemed well at ease.

“I'm glad to see you awake, Sleepy Head! Did you not sleep well last night?” Blossom frowned and looked down at her feet. How had she slept? That was the question she seemed to be swirling around. Everything was a purple haze in her brain, she recalled something. Something horrible and terrible...but for all she knew it was just a fading nightmare. Blossom shrugged and smiled as she passed by Ms. Keane, walking to the closet.

“I think I slept alright Ms. Keane. I can't really remember,” Blossom replied, a smile forced to her lips. The teacher nodded and gently patted her head, walking to the door.

“Alright, hurry downstairs for breakfast! I made your favorite!” She sang, winking while she strolled out the door. Blossom licked her lips and hurriedly pulled on her dress. Blossom rubbed her stomach and groaned, covering her mouth. Her legs felt weak and wobbly, she stumbled to the bed and laid down. Blossom closed her eyes and waited for the feeling to pass before sitting up and pulling on her stockings.

'What's wrong with me?' She thought, racking her powerful mind trying to recall the night before. She remembered one part...very, very clearly. Blossom blushed and giggled, laying back and staring at the ceiling, kicking her feet dreamily. The rush of exhilaration she felt when he looked into her eyes, the jolt she felt when he touched her cheek, the flutter in her heart when she felt his breath on her face. Blossom's mood fell, her stomach sinking into the bed. Then, just like that, he screamed and ran away.

“Why did you run?” She narrowed her eyes, turning to look at the windows. More importantly, she admitted, was what happened after that. Blossom knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she had never returned to bed last night. Sighing, Blossom shook her head and walked to the door, heading downstairs to breakfast. Bubbles and Buttercup were already digging into plates stacked with golden brown waffles, smothered in syrup and butter. Blossom licked her lips and took to the air, flying to her seat with a cheerful smile.

“Good morning!” Blossom licked her lips and snatched the syrup, drenching her waffles. Buttercup gave her a curious glance, narrowing her eyes and turning her eyes back to her food. Bubbles giggled and took a big bite, patting Blossom's arm.

“Morning Blossom! You look so happy today...are you feeling better?” Her voice trailed into worry toward the end. Blossom tapped her fork against her lip, thinking for a moment. A smile slowly broke out across her face; her sister wore a matching smile when she nodded in reply.

“Yeah, I feel pretty good today! Thanks for asking...” She wasn't sure why, but Blossom felt inexplicably touched by Bubbles' concern. Her blonde-haired sister only smiled and returned to her breakfast. Ms. Keane pattered around the kitchen, her own breakfast already finished. Her eyes drifted to the clock, though her worry was uncalled for. They were making great time today. The teacher's eyes drifted over the phone and she gasped in surprise. The three little girls looked up in shock.

“Oh that's right! I forgot to tell you girls, the Professor said he'll be calling before your bedtime tonight!” The girls squealed and flew out of their seats, flying around Ms. Keane in an excited fervor.

“Really? Oh my gosh! I have so much to tell him!”

“How is he? Is he alright? Did he find anything?”

“When's he coming back? Soon right? Right?” Ms. Keane giggled and shooed the girls back to their seats, winking and putting a finger to her lips.

“That would be telling girls, I'll let you ask him yourselves!” The girls squealed again and began to chat excitedly. Blossom took another bite of her waffles and froze in mid-swallow. Her stomach flared up and the room span around her in a dizzying display. By the time she blinked, it had long since passed, taking with it what remained of her appetite. The pink puff pushed her plate away and rubbed her stomach, her mouth suddenly dry as cotton.

“Alright girls! It's time for us to go!” The girls laid their dishes in the sink and quickly buzzed around, cleaning up what little mess had been made of the kitchen. Ms. Keane watched them with a smile, glancing out the door. She sighed and rubbed her arms, it was shockingly cold for that time of year. The sky was dreary and covered in dark clouds.

'Hopefully it won't rain...the kids never like to stay in for recess...' She turned, beaming when she found her girls ready. Shoes and backpacks properly equipped, the quartet piled into Ms. Keane's car. Bubbles started to close the door, but Blossom suddenly felt her chest clench up. Sitting between her sisters she felt strangely...contained. She grabbed Bubbles' arm, a bit harder than she meant to.

“Uh...hey! Bubbles can we um...switch spots?” Bubbles blinked in surprise. The crack in Blossom's voice only intensified the almost desperate way she had asked. Bubbles shrugged and took off her seat belt, switching spots with her sister. Blossom sighed in relief, closing the door and leaning against it, staring out at the murky morning. Bubbles watched her curiously, brow knit and hand to her lips. Blossom's previous good mood seemed to have vanished instantly. Bubbles turned to Buttercup, who was trying to stay awake.

“Hey Buttercup...” She whispered, gently shaking her sister. Buttercup snapped awake and yawned. She turned to Bubbles and rubbed her eyes.

“What's up?” She whispered back, raising an eyebrow, “And why are we whispering?” Bubbles glanced back at Blossom; Buttercup rolled her eyes, mouthing an 'oh'. Bubbles nodded and scooted as close as her seatbelt would allow her.

“She's acting funny again!” Bubbles whined, keeping a close watch on Blossom. The last thing they needed was their bossy sister to realize they were talking about her, quite literally, behind her back. Buttercup looked passed Bubbles, scowling at her auburn's sister's back. She leaned back and crossed her arms, shrugging nonchalantly.

“She's been acting funny for a while...just leave her alone. If she doesn't want to talk about it, then who cares?” Bubbles frowned and returned to her previous spot in the middle of the seat. She glanced at Buttercup, staring out the right window. Bubbles smiled, and giggled silently to herself. She could see the sun breaking through the clouds. If things kept going this way, it would be a pretty day. Bubbles, smile still firmly on her lips, turned to look at Blossom. She frowned and sighed, resting her chin on herhands. Blossom was staring out the left window, holding her stomach and leaning against the glass. The sky was still dark and miserable looking in the distance. Bubbles only hoped it would go away before too late.

'Why can't anything be right anymore?' Blossom thought. She clenched her eyes shut, tightly screwing her mouth closed as her head started to spiral once again. The world came to a crashing halt; she feared if she hadn't been sitting it would have knocked her off her feet. Blossom lurched up, hands flying to her mouth when the car finally came to rest in the school parking lot.

“Here we are! It's going to be a very big day girls! I hope you all remembered to study for your history test!” Bubbles and Buttercup chattered excitedly; the latter had studied her butt off to be ready for the test in question. The last of the trio continued staring out the window, watching the dark clouds looming in the distance. The car doors slamming around her snapped her out of her revere. Blossom put on her best smile and flew in to join the others.

turn it off

Blossom sat and watched the world flow in slow motion around her. Her classmates poured in, filling up the empty seats. The clock ticked and the world shuddered. Blossom held her head and closed her eyes. The chattering that filled the air created a chaotic dissonance, keeping her mind from focusing. Blossom opened her eyes and looked up. The clock tocked and the world came back into focus. Ms. Keane stood at the front of the room, smiling brightly.

“Good Morning class! I hope you're all ready for your history test!” Blossom held her head, clenching her eyes shut. The overwhelming groan of response pierced through her like a stake. She stayed like that, unmoving, until she heard the rustle of paper sliding against the wooden desk. The puff opened her eyes and looked blearily at the test. She looked up at Ms. Keane, offering her the most sincere smile of the day—completely fake. Ms. Keane smiled in return, though Blossom could see worry etched on her face, clear as day.

'History test? Oh...I don't remember studying for this...' Her own nonchalance would have, any other day, terrified her. Blossom picked up her pencil and wrote her name at the top of the paper, pausing just after finishing the 'm'. Blossom's eyes crossed and the room swam around her. She quickly covered her mouth, looking around nervously. No one seemed to notice; for some reason, she was glad. Taking a brief moment to catch her breath, Blossom walked up to Ms. Keane's desk.

“Um...I need to use the restroom Ms. Keane,” Without looking up, the teacher nodded and gestured to the door. Blossom smiled and hurried out, sighing with relief to be out of the stuffy classroom. Though she knew the hallway was short, that day it seemed miles long...the ceiling seemed to reach higher than even she could fly. Blossom rubbed her head, taking a sharp breath when her cold mitt touched her blazing forehead.

'I need to...get to the restroom...' Blossom took a slow, deep breath. She walked with awkward care, delicate precision. Every step counteracted every step; she couldn't keep her breath. Shouldering her way through the heavy door, Blossom breathed a sigh of relief. The painfully white restroom was empty. She walked to the sink and looked at her reflection, brushing her hair away from her face.

'I'm a bit pale but...other than that I look fine, right?' Blossom ran cold water over her hands and splashed it on her face. She swallowed hard, grabbing the edges of the sink. She felt a ripple of pain run through her body and, with all the subtly and grace of a bomb going off, lurched forward and threw up. Blossom bit her lip, ignoring the tears stinging her eyes. She wiped her mouth and hiccuped, sobbing silently. Hands covering her mouth, she took a nervous step away from the mirror, watching the red-tinted vomit stream down the mirror. The room swirled around her and another wave of nausea hit her when Blossom caught sight of her reflection.

XxXxX

looking up

The class dismissed for recess following their history test. The day's usual activities were in full swing, with the centerpiece being the exponentially more epic dodgeball game. Three teams had formed, all with the single-minded goal of crushing the opposition. The first was Team Mitch, the longest running team. Team Buttercup was next, comprised of most of the girls who joined in the dodgeball havoc. Last was the newest, Team Brick. The playground faced a ferocity like never before.

“Alright let's do this! I'll go after Buttercup, you guys take out the rest of them!” Brick commanded, his troops huddled together. With a resolute nod, they broke and faced down their enemies. Standing to the side, the portly young girl Mary, raised a whistle to her lips and blew. The war commenced, and in seconds the casualties were numerous.

Brick leapt over his fallen comrades, snatching one of the red rubber balls and seeking out his target. With some effort, he spotted the dark-haired menace, slunking in the back like a grinch. The red ruff grinned and prowled through the masses like a lion. He shoved anyone that got in his way to the ground, and used anyone nearby as a shield against those who dared attack him. His target was coming closer, soon she'd be in the optimal firing range.

His moment never came, a loud plunk echoed across the playground. Those still in the game turned in shock, watching the red ball roll away from the Rowdyruff boy. Brick stared at it, slowly looking up to face his assassin. Mitch laughed, a gobbling laugh. He threw up devil horns and grinned at Brick.

“Gotcha Ruff! Mitch rocks!” Mitch's team cheered, echoing his sentiment. Brick snarled, ready to lash out at Mitch. Another ball collided with his head. He whipped around glaring at Buttercup, now wracked with barrels of laughter. Red-faced, and humiliated beyond reason, he stomped off to the side. Buttercup turned to Mitch with a vicious leer. Mitch swallowed and took off running, the green puff in hot pursuit. The swing set was, thankfully, a no man's land safe from the tides of war.

Robin sat on one swing, being gently pushed by Mike, who was engrossed in the dodgeball war with a fearful awe. Bubbles sat in the second swing, being pushed with far more vivacity by Butch. She giggled and squealed with every push, nearly flipping over the top bar. Mike turned and watched, envy clear in his expression. Robin peeked back at him and smiled.

“It's okay Mike...I don't want to go that high,” Mike looked back at Robin, blushing dark red.

“R-Really...uh...o-okay,” Robin giggled and, just to make him even more flustered, gave Mike a kiss on the cheek. True to form, the bashful little boy turned four different shades of red and lost his ability of speech. Bubbles watched her two closest friends, giggling enthusiastically. She spoke quickly, getting in as much as she could in the few seconds she was close to Butch.

“They're so cute aren't they?” Butch blinked and glanced at the other two. He looked back at Bubbles as she swung back and blushed.

“Um...I guess? He's kind of a wuss,” Bubbles giggled. When Butch caught her again she giggled deviously.

“So are you when Brick's not around,” Butch pushed her hard enough to knock himself down, blushing dark red. When she came back he barely had time to catch her, bringing her to an abrupt halt. He glared at her, his lips trembling.

“I...I'm n-not a wuss!” Butch whispered dangerously. Bubbles giggled and glanced at Mike and Robin. They were still distracted, thankfully. She grinned evilly at Butch and lowered her voice.

“Yuh huh!” Butch growled and gave her a rough shove, sending her looping over the top bar of the swing set. Laughing victoriously, he didn't see her coming back around; Butch ended up on his face, with Bubbles lying on his back. Butch rolled over, face to face with the blonde Powerpuff. Her blue eyes so close, he could see his reflection. Her mouth so close, he could feel her breath. Butch, thought to be the toughest Rowdyruff boy, was completely paralyzed.

“Oops sorry!” She laughed, pushing herself up. The Rowdyruff boy twitched, struggling to swallow the lump in his throat. She looked down at Butch and offered him a helping hand. The green ruff took it warily, staring at her in awe. Bubbles beamed and turned back to Mike and Robin with a grin. No more time for games, though, as the bell rang and a disappointed chorus rang out across the playground. In their trek back to the building, Butch held his hand, staring at it intensely.

where the lines overlap

Somehow the school day managed to move even slower. For each of the Powerpuff Girls, it was a painful experience just waiting for the clock to strike three. Ms. Keane's lecture on the mathematics of currency wasn't enough to keep their fancies in focus.

Bubbles kept nervously watching the window. The clouds hadn't broken, and with every passing minute it looked more and more like it was going to rain. Bubbles liked a gentle spring shower. It made the air smell pretty and clean, and made the day cool and refreshing. Bubbles did not like thunderstorms, and the dark clouds did not look like a spring shower.

Buttercup was just itching to tear through the door and race to the arcade. Following the dodgeball showdown, Mitch had challenged Buttercup to a game of air hockey. Brick had overheard and stated that he could beat them both. Buttercup had accepted both challenges. Now every passing second made her more anxious. Made her squirm for the want of combat.

“And so if we have four quarters that means we have...that's right! One dollar,” The clock ticked. Blossom stared at her desk, tired but incapable of sleep, in pain but incapable of crying. She took notes, but they were jerked and disconnected. Her mind was a whirlpool; it took all of her effort to just focus on the paper. Her beloved teacher's words went unheard, lost in the cacophony of her own jumbled thoughts. The clock tocked.

“Now...for homework, I'd like everyone to turn to page two hundred fifty-two of your text books. I'd like you all to finish the even numbered problems,” Blossom glanced at Bubbles and gasped out loud, drawing her sister's attention. Bubbles blinked and stared back in confusion.

“What's wrong Blossom?” She asked in a low whisper. Blossom pointed beneath her blue-clad sister's chair, where Octi sat. His big, empty eyes were trained on Blossom. Bubbles squealed silently and picked him up, hugging him subtly to her chest.

“Octi! That's funny...I didn't bring him to school...how'd he get here?” Blossom jumped to her feet, her chair sliding back noisily. Every eye in the room turned to her; her cheeks flared up and humiliation set in. The Powerpuff leader walked to the front of the room and whispered that she needed to be excused. Ms. Keane nodded, clapping her hands and getting her students' attention once more. Unfortunately, by that time the bell rang and class was over. Ms. Keane sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“Have a nice day, class! Don't forget about your projects, they're due next week!” The class cheered and charged out the door. Buttercup flew up to her guardian, her best grin on her face.

“Ms. Keane, Mitch and Brick wanna go to the arcade and I wanted to go and um...can I have five dollars for some quarters?” Ms. Keane gave the puff a wry leer, putting her hands on her hips sternly. The puff's grin widened, her best face forward. Giggling, Ms. Keane nodded, taking a five dollar bill from her purse and handing it to the brunette puff. She drew her closer, whispering in her ear.

“Alright...this is for getting an A on your test. I'm proud of you,” Buttercup gasped and grinned brightly, throwing her arms around the teacher. Ms. Keane giggled and gave her a quick hug in return, shooing her toward her friends. Mitch and Brick looked angry. Buttercup frowned and shrugged, approaching the sourpuss twins.

“What's wrong with you guys?” Mitch snorted and crossed his arms, walking outside with the two following.

“I can't go...my grandma needs me to clean the house or something stupid...” Buttercup rolled her eyes and turned to Brick, who looked just as irate.

“I don't have any money...this loser didn't mention that!” He shoved an angry mitt in Mitch's face, earning him a glare from the class bully.

“Hey, what stupid kid doesn't know you need money for the arcade?!” Brick growled, his eyes narrowed lethally.

“I ain't stupid!” Mitch snorted and hopped on his bike.

“Whatever, see ya later, Buttercup,” Buttercup waved as he pedaled away. She turned to Brick and shrugged.

“Oh well, I got money so I'm going. Later!” Brick sighed and watched her fly off, his rage boiling over. Now he'd not only lost the dodgeball game, he also lost his chance to beat her at the arcade. Someday...he'd clobber that stupid girl and make her admit he was better.

“So what are you doing today Butch?” Butch stopped, turning to look at Bubbles, who was now following him and Boomer. Butch looked at his angry red-haired brother and slowly shrugged.

“I dunno...why?” Bubbles shrugged, falling into step beside him as they joined Brick and Boomer.

“I just thought we could play together, if you wanted to?” Butch blushed and twitched, trying to think of the right response. Brick snarled and whipped around, pointing his mitt at the three of them.

“We're going to practice dodgeball! NOW!” Boomer slowly raised his hand. Brick glared at him and punched him in the face. “No! We're going to practice dodgeball NOW!” Boomer sniffled and rubbed his cheek, glaring at Brick. Butch pointed at Bubbles, keeping his eyes forward, on Brick.

“Can she come?” Brick turned and glared at Bubbles, who gave him her best smile and waved. Brick nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

“Sure, she's tougher than Boomer,” Butch snickered and Boomer glared. Together the four flew off into the sky. Blossom walked out with Ms. Keane a few minutes later, rubbing her stomach.

“I'll be at the library with Boomer...” Ms. Keane nodded and climbed into her car, patting Blossom's head.

“Are you alright, Sweetie?” Blossom smiled the best she could—couldn't even fool herself.

“I'm okay, I'll see you tonight,” Ms. Keane nodded and watched the last Powerpuff girl fly off. She closed the door and drove off. Pokey Oaks Kindergarten was quiet and still. Octi sat on the stoop, smiling emptily, as the rain began to trickle down.

XxXxX

the only exception

Buttercup strolled into the arcade, clutching her precious five dollar bill with a bright grin. The chingling of change, booping of beeps, and clanging of levers had her spirit soaring. Not even the light rain falling outside could dampen her mood. Whistling her favorite song, she jogged up to the front desk—putting on her best smile—and sat the bill on the register.

“Can I get this many quarters, please?” The portly young man behind the counter smiled and nodded, cashing the bill and handing her a small bag with her change. Buttercup set out, stalking the facility like a predator on the prowl. She came to a halt, staring at the Powerpuff Girls fighting game. With a cocky grin, she put in her quarter and floated up to the controls.

“Alright, it's butt-kicking time!” Selecting herself, Buttercup bit her tongue and prepared to start the single-player campaign. She blinked, hearing a quarter rattling and a new cursor appear on the screen. With a practiced arrogance, she smirked and shrugged.

“Suit yourself! You just wasted a quarter,” Buttercup's eyes snapped open when she heard the familiar chuckle. Looking up, she met a pair of dim gray eyes, peeking out from behind a pair of black shades. The green-skinned hoodlum winked and brought his glasses back up.

“We'll see, kid. Give me your best shot,” Buttercup grinned and reached for the start button. At the same time, Ace reached for it. His hand brushed hers and Buttercup found herself blushing with uncharacteristic bashfulness. Ace smirked and gripped his controls. The green puff shook her head and put on her game face.

The game started up, creating a digital replica of Townsville. A midi of the 'Powerpuff Jingle' played as a three-colored rainbow flew through the background, the green streak swooping around and landing on screen. The digital Buttercup scowled and punched her fists together, crossing her arms. The ground shook and a twang of Southern banjo wailed. A digital Fuzzy lumpkins stomped into the arena, snarling and puffing his chest. He and Buttercup got into fighting stances as the word “Ready?” popped up. A timer counted down from three, and a pink, green, and blue colored “FIGHT!” flashed over the combatants.

“Ha! Take this sucker!” Buttercup slapped the buttons, and jiggled the joystick, trying her best to stay a step ahead of her opponent. Ace, to his credit, had a lot of practice, and was definitely able to make up for Fuzzy's lack of speed with his abundance of skill. Unfortunately, he found that the kindergartener he was up against was as fluent in virtual combat as real combat. The timer ticked down, the round was coming to a close. Sweat streaked down Buttercup's face; Ace's sunglasses slid down his nose.

“I win!” Ace snorted and crossed his arms, glaring at the screen where the virtual Buttercup stood over the defeated virtual Fuzzy. The teenager sighed and smirked at Buttercup, who floated up to his eye level, arms crossed and a smug grin on her lips.

“Yeah, you did. Nice job, kid.” Buttercup flushed and grinned cheekily. She jutted an accusatory mitt in Ace's direction.

“You're just trying to act like you aren't mad!” Ace chuckled and put his hands in his pockets. He glanced around the arcade.

“Maybe...maybe, y'see I play this game just about every day, Buttercup. Kinda steams a guy to get beat by a little girl so easily,” Ace smirked, noticing that Buttercup's grin, like her ego, was swelling.

“That's cause I'm the best and you're just a stupid villain!” She opened her eyes and stared at the quarter now held up. Ace wore the same smirk, eyes hidden behind his shades.

“Whadya say we play another?” Buttercup snorted and took out a quarter, shoving it in the machine. Ace slid his in with laid-back assurance. The two picked the same characters, and the game set up for round two. This time, Buttercup was shocked to find that, before the round was even half over, she'd been knocked out. “Fuzzy Wins!” flashed on the screen, while Ace turned on his heel and walked away with a laugh.

“What the...hey! Come back here! How did you do that?!” Ace stopped and glanced over his shoulder at the green puff. She was furious, but at the same time...intrigued.

“That's called hustlin, kid! Why don't ya come with me and I'll teach you?” Buttercup crossed her arms and glared at him...but curiosity won in the end. With a smirk the tomboy flew after the gangster, who was already eying his next target at the air hockey table.

To Be Continued