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Dreams of an Absolution	By : DeusExProcella Category: +M through R > PowerPuff Girls Views: 9670 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls or any related characters. All characters exclusive to this story do belong to me. I make no money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 60
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"Show me how to lie

You're getting better all the time

And turning all against the one

Is an art that's hard to teach

Another clever word

Sets off an unsuspecting herd

And as you step back into line

A mob jumps to their feet,"

You're Gonna Go Far Kid (The Offspring "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace")

Dreams of an Absolution

Chapter 54

"Relax, James! We have plenty of time!" Cassandra giggled, tugging on her husband's arm, slowing his frantic pace. They'd long since checked their bags and passed through security, but even with everything moving smoothly the scientist couldn't help worrying. It was one of his endearing, if somewhat frustrating, qualities.

The Professor sighed, "Yes, yes, I know we have an hour, but oh…" he trailed off, tightening his hold on her hand. After a moment of hesitation, he laughed and shook his head, "Well, I guess I just miss the girls already. The last time I left like this-"

Cassandra cut him off with a quick peck on the lips, turning his anxiety into a goofy smile and a sheepish grin. She hugged his arm again and gave his hand a pat, "I know, Honey…" she soothed. "Things are different now,"

As much as the situation was similar, she was right. This trip was so different from his last departure from the city of Townsville. This one was planned, thought out, and this time...the Professor looked down at Cassandra and smiled, kissing the top of her head. This time he wasn't alone.

The two chatted idly as they wandered to their gate, only to come to a sudden halt when they found someone waiting for them. She'd lost the confidence and poise she had earlier that day, sitting slouched in her seat with her hands digging into her wild mane of hair. When they stopped, she glanced up. Their oldest daughter bit her lip and looked down again, her shoulders shaking.

"Hey there, Sweetie. We were wondering where you ended up…" Cassandra exclaimed, keeping her voice low as the parents approached her. When the Professor laid his hand on her shoulder, her trembling stopped.

The Professor took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "We were worried when you weren't there to see us off,"

"Blossom, what's wrong?" Cassandra asked, taking a seat on Blossom's other side.

Whatever it was, the teen kept her mouth shut. Every so often, a shudder would work its way through her body. At first, the two weren't sure what to make of her silence. It was clear Blossom was upset, but about what exactly was another thing entirely.

After her outburst, before the dust had even settled, Blossom had fled from the chapel. What happened to Dick, no one was quite sure. But, just before she left, the Professor had managed to get a look at her face. He'd seen her fangs, seen the way her eyes burned. Most of all though, more than the physical changes, he'd seen the darkness in her gaze, he'd seen the way her nostrils flared, the way her chest heaved and her fists clenched.

Sitting beside her now, rubbing her back, his touch faltering whenever he felt her tremble, he knew the truth. He cursed himself for his humanity, he had no reason to be afraid of her. He wasn't the target of her burning glare.

"I'm sorry for ruining your wedding," It was little more than a whisper, slipping through her teeth. Whenever she spoke, her shoulders hitched and her jaw clenched.

It wasn't sadness. No, Blossom had done her time wallowing in sorrow.

What consumed her now was fury.

"You didn't ruin anything, Blossom. The wedding was perfect; you were perfect," the Professor smiled and kissed her head, "I couldn't be more proud of you."

"They called me a monster,"

She wasn't wrong. After the friends and family that didn't know the truth caught a glimpse of Blossom without her composure, they'd been terrified. That painfully human part of them, stirred up already by Dick's proselytizing, had gone wild. His brother had demanded to know what was going on. His sister-in-law had shielded her children behind her.

Cassandra joined the Professor, slipping her arm around Blossom's waist. Whatever it was about the woman, she had an affect on Blossom the Professor couldn't help be jealous of. Her trembling settled; the growl deep inside her finally faded. Her shoulders slumped and she began to breath normally again, "People are afraid of what they don't understand. But, you stood up to that man, while everyone else stood and listened to his lies. You don't have to be ashamed of that,"

"I am a monster,"

Blossom had been changing. What exactly she'd become, it was something the two had always danced around. Of course the word itself had never come up, but it had always lurked in the back of their minds, hidden in the subtext.

That word, it was there in the company she kept, in the way she looked at even common criminals. It was there in Townsville's quickly plummeting crime-rate, and the unexplained dwindling of its supervillain population. It was something they never expected to hear her say, as if they were ignorant for not seeing it.

The Professor and Cassandra traded a glance.

Somehow, they shared a moment of understanding.

They recalled her flaming eyes; her gleaming fangs.

They recalled the doll she still held tightly to when she slept.

"Is that what you are now?" The Professor asked, raising an eyebrow. When she nodded, he chuckled and stroked his chin, "Well, that makes you my, ahem, our monster, and I'll be a monkey's uncle before I let anyone crack wise about my little monster,"

Cassandra giggled and nodded, "That's right! Whatever you are, you're Blossom. And no matter what anyone else says, that will always be good enough for us,"

The two jumped when she suddenly stood up, arms crossed and walked a few feet from them. Her shoulders shook, but this time, she turned to face them and they could see that she was smiling, she was laughing.

As soon as the Professor got to his feet, Blossom wrapped her arms around him, "What did I do to deserve such amazing parents? You guys just can't be real…" she murmured. He returned the embrace and Blossom sighed contentedly, her smile growing again when her mom joined the hug.

They broke apart when they heard a voice over the PA, announcing that the flight was to begin boarding. Blossom sighed and took a step back, putting her hands on her hips and flashing her parents her best smile.

"You two have a great trip, "She winked, "I'll keep everything under control back home, don't you worry!"

With a smile, the Professor gave her shoulder a squeeze and lowered his voice, "Are you sure you'll be alright? Don't let what Dick said get to you,"

Her smile wavered.

"Just do your best, Blossom. We love you and we'll be thinking about all three of you girls every day," Cassandra insisted, giving Blossom one more hug.

The air was colder than usual.

Blossom smirked and crossed her arms, "I'll be fine, you just focus on enjoying yourselves!"

"Yes ma'am!" The two chorused with a laugh. They said their last goodbye and made their way to the plane. Blossom watched them go, icicles glittering around her with each breath she snorted. The air around her eyes crackled, and her smile grew darker as she turned and began to make her way out of the airport.

The smile slipped from her lips.

Her teeth turned to fangs.

XxXxX

It was a surprisingly warm, and more shockingly quiet, night for the town of Citysville. The moon overhead, surrounded by countless twinkling stars, cast a pale glow across Townsville's more industrialized sister city. Were it not for the howling of a car alarm on sixth street, or the sound of a fight breaking out on third street, the night would have almost seemed peaceful.

A small group, teens and young adults alike, had taken to loitering in the city park, near the construction site for a monument dedicated to the old Citysville Bridge. Due to constant vandalism and shady practices within the construction company hired for the task, it still hadn't been completed in two long years since They lived in town.

Thanks to Them, Citysville had been spared the nuisance of superpowers and meta-humans. In fact, following the Meta-Human Regulation Act, the mayor had banned all open displays of supernatural ability and make-up within the city limits. Yes, Citysville, with her stunning crime rate of .68 per capita was a safe-haven for normal people everywhere.

A teenage boy with hair that had seen better dye-jobs sat next to the monument, shaking his head and turning away a cigarette offered by one of the others. After a moment of contemplating, he spoke up, "You guys hear what's going on in Townsville?"

"What isn't going on in Townsville?" A young woman scoffed.

The boy shivered, "Fuck, not the monsters or the freaks, I mean the missing people. I got a cousin that works for the Townsville PD," he rolled his eyes when one of his friends coughed 'Pig' and continued, "Like, entire packs of people going missing. Then like, one or two will show up later and they're just…" He waved his hand in front of his face and shrugged, "Nothing, won't even talk to the cops,"

A short boy with a shaved head laughed, "I wouldn't neither. Not even your cousin," he sneered.

The other laughed and voiced similar sentiments. The boy just sighed, finally taking a cigarette when it was offered. As soon as it touched his lips, he heard something nearby and looked up.

Nothing but…

He watched the orange-furred cat saunter from the shadows, mewing once more. With a scowl, he flicked his unlit cigarette at her. The cat watched it fly by her head, then turned to glare at him.

Wait, what?

The cat was glaring at him, her strange, pink eyes narrowed. Her tail whipping back and forth dangerously. She mewed again and he couldn't help swallowing sheepishly. Clearing his throat, he got to his feet and said to his friends, "Hey maybe we should get going? I think I hear the cops,"

"Huh? I don't hear anything. What you scared by your own ghost story?" One of his friends laughed. This time, when the cat mewed, they all looked up at her. The one who had just spoken, a tall kid with shaggy dark hair, scowled, "Get lost!" He threw an empty coke bottle at the cat, just missing her. She didn't flinch away from the projectile, instead the cat narrowed her eyes again, flicking her tail.

The group heard someone clapping and turned quickly. It was a young man, maybe seventeen years old, with blue hair neatly combed into two tufts on his head. He wore a smirk on his lips; he stopped uncomfortably close to the group, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Attacking a cat? You must be quite the fighter," he laughed.

The tall boy growled and took a step toward the newcomer. He froze when he heard the cat mew again. Something about that damned cat, "Who the hell are you? You know where you are, kid?"

The newcomer bowed, "My apologies, I neglected to introduce myself. I am Cicero," He stood up straight, his smirk becoming a deathly serious leer, "And I am here present you with an offer," Cicero lifted a finger, silencing the sudden outburst, "Please, I am aware that your time is short, as is the time of all lesser creatures in this world, but grant me just a moment of it. Humans, such as yourselves, cannot afford to decline the gift I offer,"

"Humans?" The teen with the badly dyed hair questioned. He shot to his feet, hurrying to the tall boy's side. From the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw the cat smile, "What do...you're a freak aren't you? One of the monsters from Townsville!" He stormed in front of the tall boy, shoving Cicero back a step.

Cicero brushed his shirt off and stood up straight. The air around them felt darker, suddenly, "You are correct. I am from Townsville, searching this world for ones such as yourselves. Souls lost to society, miserable wraiths wearing scraps of human flesh. I am here in the name of the Eternal, the One God of this and every other world, the Master of Masters, the Shogun of Sorrow, the Deliverer of Darkness. I come, in the name of the Great Master, Aku, to offer you a new future,"

As he outlined his cause, Cicero's form began to change. He grew taller and his arms grew longer, splitting into two each. His four arms stretched and four hands clenched. A blue gi rose up from within him, wrapping him in its unholy fabric, a hood rose up and quickly covered his face, preventing the gang from seeing his true visage.

His transformation complete, Chamberlain folded one pair of arms behind his back and held the others out to the group, "I am Chamberlain, Grandmaster of War, first of those who came from the Great Aku. Lord Commander of his armies, it is my duty to seek out those unfortunate souls this world has forsaken and grant them a new life in Aku. You have been chosen, you need only accept the gift I offer,"

"G-Gift? Y-You want us to be slaves to some monster?" The girl questioned, throwing her cigarette butt to the ground and stomping it out, "Fuck that! I don't need some stupid monster god!"

The tall boy nodded. He started to take a threatening step toward the demon, but Chamberlain now easily stood over seven feet tall, dwarfing any of them, "Y-Yeah, I ain't scared of no monsters," He spat on the ground and stood up straight, puffing out his chest, "And I ain't scared of you, get lost!"

Chamberlain sighed and closed his eyes, "Unfortunate, we had hopes for you,"

The messy-haired boy crossed his arms, "Whatever, get lost, freak!"

All of them screamed when the cat behind them mewed again. Behind them was another teenager, around sixteen years old, very thin with black hair that moved like fire, bubbling blue at the tips. He giggled in a high-pitched voice, sauntering toward them with long, lazy steps.

"How disappointing, Chamberlain! They turned down your gracious gift," he taunted. He stopped next to one of the boys who'd remained quiet and ran his hand through his short, spiked hair. The young man swatted the thin boy's hand away and backed up, pulling a switchblade from his pocket.

"Don't touch me, man! Who're you supposed to be?" he barked.

The thing boy giggled, "In this form, I am Darien, however…" A swirl of darkness swept up from the ground and wrapped around the thin boy. His skin turned black and a billowing red cape fanned out around him. He opened his burning blue eye and cackled, caressing the skulls on his chest, "You may call me Demongo, the Soul Collector, last of the Master's creations, ruler over the souls of the damned in service to him,"

Another girl, in an oversized hoodie, backed away from Demongo. Now they were all packed in together, with a monster on either side. "D-Damned? What do you…" she trailed off as Demongo began to laugh.

"Silly humans! You have been chosen! You will be among the first to experience absolute submission to the Master's reign. You have two choices...join Chamberlain and serve in the Master's army. Or give your souls to me, and join in the Master's legion," He explained, hands beginning to glow with sick white energy, while darkness bubbled in his palms.

The gang jumped, hearing a blade collided with the ground. Chamberlain rested his upper hands on the hilt of his sword, staring at them unblinking, "Lord Aku shall rule over this world. Every knee will bend, every mouth will proclaim that he is God above all others. In life, or in death, the choice is yours alone. This is the gift I offer,"

This time, the tall boy pulled out a gun, leveling it with Chamberlain's head, "I told you! I told you freaks, I ain't scared of no monster!"

The temperature in the air suddenly dropped when a tiny voice laughed. When they turned to find the source of the laughter, the gang realized that the park was shrouded entirely in darkness. And the greatest source of light was a pair of dangerous pink eyes softly padding around in the darkness around them.

"So brave...so stupid. Humans are all the same. You stand tall and try to convince yourselves you're something special. You try to believe that, in the grand scheme of things, you mean anything at all. You don't. There is no future for the human race. This world, its future, is Aku," She explained. As she spoke, the darkness around her shifted and her form grew bigger.

What may have been a cat before, was now some wicked, horrible beast. She chuckled again, in a voice equal parts terrifying and beautiful.

"Monsters aren't what you should be afraid of. There is a great evil in this world, something worse than any monster. Worse than your wildest imaginations. There is someone in this world even monsters fear,"

It was starting to snow in Citysville.

XxXxX

It was less than a week after the Professor and Cassandra left on their honeymoon when the Powerpuff Girls found themselves together in Uka-sensei's classroom, filling the normally somber place with laughter and chattering. It was lunch for the younger girls, and Blossom had surprised them by showing up to eat with them and their teacher. Blossom's appearance must have spread because the four were quickly joined by Miss Elise, Mr. Green, and even Principal Durry.

Bubbles laughed and continued her story, mouth still half-full, "And then Buttercup is like 'Pay up suckas!'"

The green-eyed girl snickered, noisily sipping her drink, "Yeah, you were so busted! Bubbles was all 'No, it's my last hundred!' and I'm just like, laughing all evil like," she explained. The night before the girls and their Aunt Abigail had managed to finally finish a game of Monopoly they'd been at since the girls' parents left.

"But then…" Buttercup's laughter trailed off when Blossom spoke up, wearing an evil smirk on her lips, "Buttercup proceeds to walk into four of my hotels," The others laughed while Buttercup sighed and rested her cheek on her mitt.

Buttercup stuck her curled tongue out, "Yeah, yeah, I'm still sure you used some kind of psychic dice cheat power,"

"Excuse me?" Blossom scoffed, "You honestly think I would cheat to win a game? I'm appalled, Buttercup!"

Miss Elise cleared her throat, peeking up at Blossom with a knowing smirk, "To be honest, Blossom, I wouldn't put it pass you,"

"It's true, child," Uka sipped his tea, ignoring Blossom's gasp and incredulous glare, "You are a ruthless competitor," he finished explaining.

Blossom blinked in shock, looking around at the others. Bubbles was giggling, while Mr. Green and Principal Durry refused to make eye contact with her. The teen crossed her arms over her chest, pouting, "I can't believe you all think I would cheat! I would never stoop to such...such insidious tactics! I prefer to rely on my own skill, wit, and luck to claim victory," Blossom huffed and stuck her nose in the air, while the others laughed.

"Oh come on," Buttercup rolled her eyes, "You are the evil one here,"

"Evil doesn't mean dishonorable, Buttercup," Blossom snapped back, glaring, but wearing an amused smile. She jerked a thumb at Uka, who looked up in confusion, "And if you think I'm a cheater, you've never played a game with Uka-sensei,"

When the others looked up at him for confirmation, Uka simply shrugged and sipped his tea, "There is no room for honor or honesty in war, only victory and defeat. A wise man will do whatever is necessary," he sipped his tea again and another animated discussion broke out amongst the group. Before their debate on the nature of honor, warfare, and stupid evil big sisters trying to justify their cheating could go further, the Hotline went off.

The conversation trickled to silence, while Blossom strolled across the room to answer the phone, "Yes, Mayor? Hm? A man screaming about penance and retribution down by the Able Sister's clothing store? We'll take care of it," Blossom threw the phone back on its cradle and turned to her sisters.

"What's penance?" Bubbles asked, looking to Mr. Green.

The monster stroked his chin, "Punishing yourself to make amends for past wrongdoing. Could it be related to?"

Blossom nodded, "Likely," The smile was gone from her face and there was an odd, almost feral look in her eyes, "Let's roll, girls."

"Should I call the Rowdyruff Boys?" Principal Durry offered, rising from her seat.

Blossom waved off her offer, gesturing for the older woman to sit back down, "We won't need them. If this goes how I expect it to, we should be back before lunch is over. Come on," In a series of flashes, the three were off, into the sky and bee-lining for the Able Sisters' store.

XxXxXX

Downtown Townsville was a frequent sufferer to the constant attacks made on the city. Today was no different, with several stores in shambles and flames, cars strewn across the street and people with various injuries sprawled along the ground.

The Powerpuff Girls touched down and Blossom took immediate control of the situation. While keeping her eyes peeled for the perpetrator, she directed Bubbles and Buttercup to begin cleaning up the attack site, and to get what information they could from the victims.

"Come out," she called, placing her hands on her hips. It wasn't long until the perpetrator made his way back to them, dragging a mailman behind him. He threw the postal worker to the ground and spat on his back, glaring at Blossom. His eyes had an odd glow, and were filled to the brim with conviction.

He spoke in a low, rumbling voice, "The Devil comes at the first sign of dissent. Just as I was told," He was a big, brute of a man. His head was shaved and covered in tattoos, across his face and his massive body. His muscles were trembling with strength and his skin bore a soft, familiar glow. His hands clenched and relaxed, power crackling between his fingers. There was no doubt about it: this man had been imbued with Chemical X, just like Sedusa and Tyler Benson before him.

"You were calling me out; you have my attention. Why did Dick send you out?" Blossom hissed in a low, serious tone. Her sisters quickly appeared at her sides.

The man snorted, "Like moths to the hellfire, clinging to their wicked mistress. Pathetic; predictable," He cracked his neck and rose up to his full height. He was taller than Uka-sensei, taller than any human the girls had ever seen.

"Answer me," Blossom replied, snorting out smoke while flames tickled her lips.

Somehow, the man wasn't intimidated by her display. Instead, he began to march toward them, each step causing the ground to tremble.

"He came to me, the Messiah, when I was at my lowest. Rotting away in prison, my life stolen from me, just because I wanted to tear this rotten, filthy city down at the foundation. He came and he told me about the new world, he told me about salvation. And he told me I was destined to help him, destined to aid in bringing down this sinful world. And then...then he gave me power unimaginable. He took a common crook and made him into a mighty beast! A raging bull with destruction itself at his fingertips!" He clutched his hands together and searing rays of red light poured from between his fingers. When he opened his hands, he held two crackling balls of unstable light.

"I am the Left Hand of the Messiah, the Mighty Archangel of Destruction, Ka-Boom! Taste his holy love, and offer penance for your sins, Mother of Demons!" With a booming shout, the giant man, Ka-Boom, swung his arms down and hurled the unstable energy orbs at the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom took a step forward and swung her arm, hitting both. The second they touched her skin, they exploded with enough force to send her skidding backward, nearly toppled over.

Blossom narrowed her eyes, "Definitely Chemical X, he's a tough one,"

"What do we do?" Bubbles asked, turning to look at Blossom.

Blossom's eyes widened and her teeth clenched, "Scramble!" The girls shot into the air, narrowly avoiding Ka-Boom's roaring charge. He swung his fist down, hitting the ground, releasing a massive explosion that shook the block. When the dust settled, he glared up at them, standing in a crater deeper than he was tall.

"The Messiah's Holy Light will crush you! You cannot escape retribution!" He roared, leaping into the air. Buttercup managed to dodge his first swing, but when she pulled back to swing at him, he threw his fist forward. It collided with hers and another explosion erupted between them, shotgunning the green-eyed heroine out of the air and into the pavement below.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles cried, rushing to her fallen sister. The moment she hit the ground, she spun on her heel, narrowly avoiding Ka-Boom's fierce blow. He brought both hands down and grabbed her shoulders, lifting her from the ground and slamming his knee into her little body. Like before, the contact released an explosion, shooting the Powerpuff girl across the street and threw a shop window.

She crashed into a dress rack in the Able Sisters' store, sitting up in an oversized, flower-print dress, "Ow…" Bubbles muttered.

"Hng!" Ka-Boom grunted, spinning around and blocking a fierce blow from the Powerpuff leader. Blossom unleashed a hellish frenzy on him, punches and kicks flying faster than the eye could see. The fanatic couldn't do much more than hold his arms over his face to avoid the assault, that is until a fierce grin forced its way onto his face, "Gone with you!" He threw his arms out, an unstable explosion erupting from his chest and blowing the red head back several yards. With a chuckle, Ka-Boom marched out of the smoke, eyes glowing with brilliant green light. His body was glowing with unearthly white light, the same light the Messiah had given off.

"You truly are the Devil. But I was made to stand against you. I cannot fall to your wicked powers," Ka-Boom explained. He glanced back over his shoulder when Buttercup appeared on his left. He looked the other way, his grin growing when Bubbles landed across from her sister, "The three heads of the dragon. It's my honor to be the one to strike you down," he laughed.

Blossom's expression was like stone, her eyes beginning to heat up. She stood up straight, keeping her gaze focused on the fanatic. He was powerful, much more powerful than she had been expecting. Dick's experiments were getting out of control. This one might even be more powerful than Sedusa, judging by how easily he brushed off her attacks. She could deal with him easily, but...she wasn't about to let Dick get to her again. She wasn't going to lose her cool and show her hand.

"Bubbles, Buttercup, increase your power levels to twenty-five percent," she called to her sisters. The two looked up at her in shock. Suddenly, Blossom's communicator watch began to beep and Dexter's face appeared on the screen.

"Blossom! I've let you girls work on your own, as per your request, but I cannot allow you to make that call! Bubbles and Buttercup, and you, I might add, have power level restrictions for a reason! You are not to go above ten percent of your maximum power, under any circumstances!" He ranted. Dexter's confident tone faltered when Blossom lifted her wrist and glared at him.

Blossom turned her eyes back to Ka-Boom, "This one is working with Hardley, he has Chemical X pumping through him. This is no time for your stupid restrictions," she hissed.

Dexter swallowed, "Blossom, I understand your point, but you have to understand mine! If you girls break your mandated power levels, it could escalate into an international incident! Your stunt with the Meta-Human Regulation Department is still…" Blossom cut the call and tore her communicator off, throwing it to the side.

Fine. Just this once, she'd play by Dexter's rules, "Use ten percent, girls," Blossom called. Bubbles and Buttercup nodded, quickly powering up. "Now...Kappa Tao Sai!"

Bubbles took off at full speed, keeping close to the ground until she got near Ka-Boom, sweeping up around on his left and taking a swing at his face. Ka-Boom swung around and slammed his fist into her face, an explosion echoing with the blow. Before she could fly away, he caught her leg and swung her back, throwing her through the wall of a nearby building. Buttercup came down from above him, taking a swing at him with an overhead swipe. Ka-Boom managed to step back just in time and brought both fists down on her head, an explosion driving her into the ground. With a roar, Ka-Boom brought his foot up, preparing to bring it down on her.

A wave of arctic air rushed over him, freezing him in mid stomp. Before he could even gasp, a wave of electricity fell over him, blasting him down the street. Blossom stopped by Buttercup, helping her out of the ground, "Get Bubbles," she growled, advancing on Ka-Boom.

"Let me help you! We can beat him together!" Buttercup insisted, rushing to keep up with Blossom.

Blossom narrowed her eyes, batting Buttercup away, "Just get Bubbles!"

"She's fine, let's just beat this guy, like we used to! Just because you're older doesn't mean you have to do everything alone!" Buttercup argued, taking up a stance beside Blossom. The younger girl's fierce expression mirrored Blossom's own determination.

Ka-Boom climbed to his feet, cracking his neck and shaking out his hands, "Pitiful, deceptive tactics won't save you, Mother Harlot. Prepare yourself!" Ka-Boom clenched his fists and his entire body became engulfed in unstable red light. He threw his head back and roared. When he lowered his head, his eyes had become solid white and the veins in his neck were bulging.

"Use fifteen percent," Blossom whispered, charging at Ka-Boom.

Buttercup's eyes widened, "What?!"

"Do it or stay out of the way!" Blossom shot back, dodging Ka-Boom's first hit and throwing a fierce uppercut at his jaw. He snarled, returning the blow with one of his own, driving her back a step. Blossom fell back a step and lunged forward, throwing another punch at his face. This time, he dodged and brought his knee up into her gut.

Both were surprised to hear a battle cry and see a streak of green lightning appear out of nowhere, colliding with the side of his head. Her skin lit up, her eyes glowing soft lime green, Buttercup threw another punch at his face, driving him back another step. When he took a swing at her again, Buttercup swung at his fist. The collision released some of the energy building up inside of him.

This time, though, the explosion only blew Buttercup back a few steps. She landed next to Blossom, mitts trembling, lightning crackling along her skin.

The older puff stared down at her. A smile slid across her lips as she slowly turned her gaze back to Ka-Boom, "That isn't fifteen, Buttercup,"

The green-eyed puff narrowed her eyes, "I'm not good at following orders, remember? Let's smash this sucker," The two shot forward, zipping around one another in a zig-zag formation. Ka-Boom raised his fists, a snarl spread across his lips. When he took a swing at Blossom, Buttercup threw a devastating kick at his side. When he swung his arm around at her, Blossom's fist collided with his cheek. Like a pair of angry hornets, the two zipped around his blows, landing powerful blow after powerful blow.

"Enough!" Ka-Boom spread his arms and released a massive eruption of red light from his chest, throwing the sisters away from him. Blossom caught herself in the air, while Buttercup spiraled out of control and crashed into a building. She pulled herself free, but Blossom could already see the strain was wearing on her.

Her sisters had never mastered commanding their true power. While Blossom was perfectly comfortable resting at fifty percent of her power these days, her sisters seldom went above the seven percent limit the Professor had imposed on them. Using nearly thirty percent of her power was taking its toll on Buttercup.

Blossom couldn't help feeling proud. Buttercup was never one to go half-way. But, it wouldn't be good if she ended up hurting herself. If she couldn't think of something quick, she would have to break her promise to Dexter. Though...she had to admit that ten percent was terribly restricting.

"Taste his holy retribution, Hell Spawn!" Ka-Boom shouted, holding out his hands. Waves of unstable energy gathered in his palms. With a roar, he slammed them together and hurled an extra large blast at the two. Halfway along its path, it suddenly veered to the left, careening straight toward Buttercup!

Blossom's eyes widened. In an instant, she appeared in front of her sister and, with a scream, took a swing at the blast. The resulting explosion was devastating. Debris and shrapnel flew threw the air like a vicious tornado. The street, several yards below, had been blown open straight to the sewer.

"Buttercup, are you-" Blossom's voice caught in her throat. She'd intercepted the brunt of the explosion, but the force had still been enough to knock her little sister out of the air. Buttercup was embedded in the ground below, unconscious, with a burn along the side of her face. She was twitching, breathing heavily. Blossom couldn't tear her eyes away, as her hands began to tremble. As her heart began to race and her blood heated up.

It was starting to snow in Townsville.

"Mother Harlot!" Blossom turned, the world moving in slow motion around her.

The fanatic was glowing, stalking toward her. His hands were crackling with unstable power, the same power that had burnt her sister. The power he'd used against Buttercup. He lifted his hand, preparing a new explosive blast. Blossom's fists clenched.

Her eyes widened; a blue streak shot out and smashed into Ka-Boom, causing the blast to erupt in his hand. He took a swing at the streak, only to miss and have his legs kicked out from under him. The blue comet shot up into the air and came down on his chest, unleashing a furious barrage of kicks on his chest. Her attack finished, the blonde Powerpuff girl dodged a retaliatory swipe and appeared at her leader's side.

"Blossom! Is...is Buttercup...I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I was dizzy, I should have come back!" Bubbles cried, grabbing Blossom's hand. She gasped when Blossom's fingers wrapped around her mitt, holding it in a crushing, desperate grip.

"Bubbles, stay away from him,"

Bubbles shook her head, "No, I can help! I'm using forty-"

"Don't argue with me," Blossom's words came out so cold, so harsh they froze any retort the blue-eyed heroine had planned.

The Powerpuff Leader's skin was trembling. Her eyes were suddenly on fire; her teeth were suddenly fangs. Bubbles looked down at the hand holding hers. Her fingers were quaking with emotion. Her skin was getting darker. The air around her was freezing cold, but Blossom was burning up.

"Blossom…" Bubbles gasped when her sister tore her hand out of her grip. Blossom lowered herself to the ground and stalked toward Ka-Boom, her lips trembling, her nose scrunched and her eyes giving off steam.

Ka-Boom climbed to his feet, his skin pulsing with unstable energy, but otherwise none the worse for the wear after Bubbles' attack, "You dare show your true colors, Devil? You come at me with your unholy light? It's pointless, I won't be-"

His words caught in his throat. Ka-Boom doubled over, eyes bulging and mouth agape, a trickle of saliva spraying from his lips. Gasping, struggling to find his breath, he looked down at the fist now embedded in his middle. With a whimper, he turned to look into the fiery eyes of his attacker.

"Shut up," she growled, "Just shut up. Shut your worthless mouth and just die!" Blossom pulled back and slammed her fist into his cheek, throwing him to the ground so hard his head smashed the pavement. Ka-Boom lay unmoving, still gasping for air. Blossom grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up, slamming him into the ground with another earth-shattering punch.

The snow storm around her was quickly becoming a blizzard, icicles and snowflakes swirling around them like a veil, obscuring the brutal assault on the fanatic. Bubbles cradled Buttercup, watching in silence as Blossom hit him again, and again, dragging him out of the crater each time to make a new one with his body.

When he finally found his voice, Ka-Boom began to scream.

"Shut up!" Blossom spat, slamming her elbow against his throat. Panicking, he threw an explosive punch at her face, the eruption of energy only enough to blow her hair back. A stream of blood sprayed from his mouth; she slammed her fist into his side again. Each blow came harder than the last, her rapid, furious breaths turning into feral snarls, and finally into monstrous roars.

With a scream she dragged him from the ground and slammed him against the building he'd thrown Buttercup into. Her grip on his neck tightened and blood began to stream across her fingers. She held up her free hand, clenching her fists until her fingernails pierced her own skin.

"When you get to Hell," she snarled, "tell them to save a special place for Hardley," Before Ka-Boom could even scream, her arm turned black, becoming a wicked blade. She slammed the blade into his chest once, twice, three times. Over and over again, wailing furiously with every blow. Finally satisfied, she pulled her arm free, shifting it back to its human form. With a grunt, she threw Ka-Boom to the ground.

Bubbles whimpered and tightened her hold on Buttercup as Blossom approached.

Blood streamed from her fingers; her eyes blazed like the only lights in the blizzard. Blossom's snarl faded. Her lips quivered and she dropped to her knees, pulling Buttercup and Bubbles into her arms. The storm continued raging around them, while the Powerpuff Leader held her baby sisters, shielding them with all of her strength.
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Dreams of an Absolution