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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
- 68
- 69
- 70
“I always thought I might be bad

Now I’m sure that it’s true

‘Cause I think you’re so good,

and I’m nothing like you.

Look at you go, I just adore you

I wish that I knew,

what makes you think I’m so special?”

Love Like You (Rebecca Sugar “Steven Universe”)

Dreams of an Absolution
Chapter 62

It was well after midnight when a streak of pink light finally flew over the Utonium household and landed at the front door. The young man sitting on the porch stood up quickly, a bright smile flying to his lips, quickly fading when he saw his beloved’s tear-stricken expression. Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms, burying his nose in her hair. The pair stood like that in silence for several minutes, before he finally found his voice.

“Blossom...what happened?” Baku asked, pulling back to try to look at her. He was taken aback by the way she kept her gaze on her feet; his heart began to ache when her shoulders shook and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I...had to k-kill him...I, I had to kill him and I didn’t...I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to but...but, I just...I had to…I...” She whimpered, burying herself in Baku’s arms once more, her body shaking as sorrow overtook her.

Baku didn’t have to guess who she meant. The cryptic warning, his sudden departure, the answer was obvious: for some reason, Blossom had killed Mr. Green. While there were a hundred thousand thoughts and questions racing through his mind, Baku couldn’t bring himself to ask any of them. He simply held her as tight as he could, praying that no one passing by or inside the house would see the searing red glow from his chest.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes got lost as the pair refused to move. Eventually, though, Blossom finally pulled away, choking down the lump in her throat and sniffling as she glanced passed Baku to the house.

“H...How is everyone?” she asked, her voice thick with worry. She bit her lip and looked down again, relief washing over her when she heard Baku chuckle.

“They’re resting, but your father assures me that they will all recover by morning. It was quite a climactic showdown...you must be proud of them, they fought valiantly,” Baku explained, unable to hide the pride in his growing smile.

Blossom nodded, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she gave a great big yawn, one she was too tired to bother hiding. With a moan, she rubbed her eyes again and glanced up at Baku.

“C...Can I see them?”

The question caught Baku off guard. There was no strength in her voice, no determination. Just a simple, pitiful plea. Wordlessly, he nodded and led her to the front door. The two slipped inside, quiet as they could, and immediately Blossom caught sight of the four sleeping in the living room.

Buttercup and Brick were passed out on the couch, a blanket draped over the two of them. Butch and Boomer were on the floor in front of the couch, the latter snoring and drooling. Across from them, the TV was still on, the volume just above a whisper as a late night infomercial tried to convince the slumbering kids to order some kind of mop.

“Bubbles is downstairs, with the other girls,” Baku softly explained.

Blossom nodded, sniffling and shuffling into the living room, her feet dragging and her breaths becoming labored as fatigue suddenly washed over her. She paused next to Buttercup and leaned down, softly kissing her cheek.

Baku watched in silence as Blossom stood beside the couch, petting her sister’s hair and watching her sleep.

“Should I go?”

Blossom shook her head. She turned to the stairs, pausing to consider the trek upstairs. With a shake of her head, she turned to Baku.

“C-can you stay?” she pleaded. When he nodded she swallowed and nodded in return. She motioned toward the Professor’s recliner.

Without any instruction, Baku sat down and embraced her when she slid into his lap. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. Her grip on his collar, as she drifted off into a fitful sleep, was weak, but desperate. Whatever had transpired...it had truly shaken her. With a sigh, he rested his head against hers. Perhaps, when morning came, she’d be ready to talk.

XxXxX

Morning came with little fanfare, something that everyone in Townsville could appreciate. As the sun lazily rose up over the horizon and only a handful of birds sang to greet it, a teen on a bicycle rode passed the Utonium house, tossing a newspaper onto the driveway. The door cracked open and a sleepy Professor Utonium gave a great big yawn as he slipped outside, coffee mug cradled in his hands.

He paused, sipping his drink as he glanced around at the neighborhood. It was a peaceful place; he couldn’t help but smile, feeling grateful for that. Humming to himself, he went to retrieve the paper. As he bent over to pick it up, he swore he saw someone standing in the street from the corner of his eye.

The Professor stood up, paper in hand, coffee to his lips once more. He paused to glance around at the neighborhood once again. No one else was up, yet, it seemed. He chuckled and turned back to the house. That was for the best.

“This is good coffee,” The Professor mumbled, taking another drink. Humming a new song, he slipped back into the house, glancing out at the street once more before closing the door.

Inside, it was somehow even more peaceful than the quiet suburban morning. Glancing into the living room, he saw that Blossom had finally made it home, still asleep, curled up in her boyfriend’s arms in his favorite recliner. The younger kids hadn’t stirred yet, still exhausted from the day before. That was good, he thought. Let them rest.

“Now...where did I put it…” the Professor mumbled, standing in the hall, looking around with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled when he noticed the door to the basement, “Ah, yes, of course!” He left it in the basement, in the Danger Grid, of course! Where else would he store something that dangerous?

Humming to himself, the Professor shuffled down to the lab. He took a moment to peek into the side room, to check on the other girls. There was an inflatable mattress in the middle of the room, buried under a mountain of stuffed animals and blankets. In the middle ,Bubbles and Beauty were snuggled up together, still sleeping. Nearby, he could see Bright and Bliss, both fast asleep and clearly feeling better. Bright had tugged her arms out of their braces and was snoring loudly, while Bliss was mumbling to herself in her sleep, giggling every now and then.

That was good, they were all in one place.

“Now, the Danger Grid...ah, here we are,” The Professor took another sip of his coffee, moving into the training room and booting up the grid itself. “Mmmm...I’ll have to get some more when I’m done…” he murmured, carefully maneuvering through the grid’s various menus. He paused and pursed his lips when he wasn’t able to find what he was looking for.

It was safeguarded, he reminded himself. Something that dangerous wouldn’t be safe to leave where the girls could find it, so he safeguarded it with a voice activated passcode that could only be activated within the Danger Grid.

“Of course, of course, silly me.” The Professor chuckled and drained the last of his coffee, setting his cup down on the terminal and slipping inside the Danger Grid. Once the door was safely closed behind him, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

“Ahem, Danger Grid Special Protocol: Klaatu Barada Nikto!” There was a moment of silence after he finished, then, suddenly, the Danger Grid came to life. A smile began to spread across the Professor’s lips, but vanished when a sheet of silver-blue metal suddenly slammed down over the door.

A robotic, female voice spoke up saying, “Emergency Protocol: White Cat Enabled.” With that, a very faint electronic buzz filled the air and the lights in the Danger Grid flipped on, allowing him to see through the two-way mirrored glass in front of the control panel.

Starting to panic, the Professor ran to the door and pounded on it, searching for some kind of handle or way to exit.

“Computer, open the door!” He called, but there was no response. “Open the door! Open the damned door!” He shouted again and again, his voice becoming a snarl. With a frustrated growl, the Professor moved over to the window and drew his hand back. With a roar, he struck it over and over again, but the glass refused to give despite his best efforts.

“What’s going on? Wh-what...this isn’t what was supposed to happen, this is...this is…”

A trap? The Professor froze, his eyes widening. Yes, he thought, it was a trap. A trap he’d carefully crafted for just this kind of situation. One that he could never get out of. “Stop it! Shut up! Wh...what’s going on?” The Professor, his breathing now frantic and sweat trickling down his brow, looked around wildly. Realization slowly dawning on him, he stood up straight and took a long deep breath, slowly letting it out.

“You’re aware of my presence?” He asked the empty air. Yes, of course I am, he thought. You aren’t the first, and after the second time, I took the necessary precautions, he reminded himself. No, not reminded. He informed the presence wearing his body like a glove.

The Professor crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall, a scowl crossing his lips, “How is that possible? You don’t have any special powers or abilities...it’s impossible that you could mislead me like this. Your mind should be an open book,” He muttered.

The girls will be up soon. They’ll be able to figure out what happened, the Professor thought to himself. Growling, he began pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. Why did you choose me, he asked himself?

The Professor refused to answer, still pacing and racking his brain trying to come up with some way to escape. You can’t escape, he assured himself, only I know how to disable this safety measure. You’re stuck here until the girls, until Blossom, gets here, he thought.

“No...no, no, no! I won’t let that monster stop me. I won’t let her put an end to my mission!” He snarled, glaring at the window. What, exactly, is your mission, he asked himself.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! This is all wrong!” The Professor roared. Well, then, he thought, you could always just leave my body.

“I won’t give up this chance. I have to deal with those miserable traitors,” The Professor took a long deep breath and slowly let it out, “I was going to let the rest of you live, but now? Now, I’m going to kill the Ultratuff Girls, and then I’m going to kill that pretty wife of yours. With your own two hands, and the Devil will watch me do it. Unless you let me out of here this instant!” He demanded.

Tell me where Dick’s hideout is, and I’ll let you out.

“What?! Are you insane?! I would never betray the Messiah! You...you’re just as twisted and deceitful as that hellspawn you created…” the Professor snarled.

Without my voice and the correct deactivation phrase, you’ll never leave here.

“Grrr...we’ll see about that,” And with that, a sudden weight lifted from the Professor, who looked around, touching his own hands to be sure he was in control of himself once more. He glanced around the room, but couldn’t see anything around him. Still...it was too soon to celebrate.

“I know you’re still in here,” the Professor calmly called, “Your powers are Chemical X based, aren’t they? Then, I must regretfully inform you, you won’t be able to pass through the Duranium Walls or the Anti-X field that has covered this room.” The Professor smirked as he felt the weight suddenly wash over him again and caught the glimpse of someone standing at the corner down the street from his home.

Growling the Professor beat his hands against the walls and shouted, sliding to his knees, staring wide-eyed at the floor.

“I can’t get back to my body...you...you son of a bitch! Let me out! Let me out!” He shouted, pounding his fists again and again. “I swear I’ll tear your body to pieces if you don’t let me out!”

I doubt you will. You haven’t killed any of your other hosts, which I imagine means your natural self-preservation instinct is still present when you’re in someone else’s body.

The Professor growled again, his eye twitching.

I won’t let you harm those girls, and I won’t let you leave until you tell me where Dick is hiding.

The Professor slid to his feet, spotting a light shining into the training room. With a smirk, he cleared his throat, “We’ll see about that,” he muttered before walking up to the Danger Grid window. He noticed the Professor’s wife in the room and saw his chance, knocking on the window.

Cassandra jumped and hurried over to the Danger Grid, cocking her head in confusion.

“James? What are you doing in there? I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Her gaze shifted down to the command console, before returning to the Professor, still confused.

“Hahaha, sorry about that, Honey. I was...doing some cleaning up and there was a glitch in the system that locked me in here. Do you think you could activate the emergency release?” he asked, chuckling and scratching his head sheepishly.

Cassandra sighed and shook her head, looking over the console as she sipped her own mug of coffee.

“I swear, James Utonium, you are a handful...hang on, let me see if I can find it. Let’s see...Protocol White Cat…” Furrowing her brow, Cassandra continued to play with the console, shuffling through numerous folders and documents, trying to track down the release code for White Cat.

It’s not going to work.

“James do you know where the help file is for that protocol? It’s not listed under the normal procedures…” Cassandra sat her mug down and devoted her full attention to the console.

The Professor chuckled sheepishly once more and shrugged.

“It’s such an old protocol, I honestly can’t remember. I’ve been meaning to remove it,” he explained, “You’re smart, though, Honey, I’m sure you can find it,” he assured her.

Cassandra glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow and a bemused smirk. Shaking her head, she resumed her hunt.

“And, I mean, if you can’t, I’m sure you could get the girls to break down the door…” he offered, becoming increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked on. If he wasn’t quick, he’d lose his only chance to take out the traitors.

“No, no...you know that won’t work, James. The materials needed to reconstruct the Danger Grid are extremely expensive, and, with three more little girls to train, we’ll need it more than ever now. Ah ha! Here we are...Emergency Protocol: White Cat...now, what does it say here…” Cassandra trailed off as she read the document. It wasn’t a very in depth document, she realized. In fact, one of the first paragraphs stressed the need to keep its details an absolute secret, even from the girls. Cassandra pursed her lips, still hunting.

“That’s great! Now, there should be a deactivation phrase listed, I seem to have forgotten it, if you could remind me?” the Professor asked, a nervous tic in his tone.

“I’m looking, I’m looking! You didn’t leave very many notes for me to work with...mmm...Cassie’s Boy?” Cassandra glanced up at the Professor expectantly.

“Cassie’s Boy...ah! That’s it, that’s it! Um...hm...uh…” As Cassandra continued to look at him, waiting for him to speak up, the Professor began to get more and more anxious. He didn’t know of another child. There were the Powerpuff Girls, obviously, and then there were the Rowdyruff Boys, but they were Agent Honeydew’s boys. Her boy must have been much older, or didn’t live with them. Finally, he decided to risk it and sighed, looking embarrassed. “Um...what was your son’s name, again?”

“James…” Cassandra started, her confusion fading away, replaced by a stern determination, “I don’t have a son.”

The blood drained from the Professor’s face and his heart leapt into his throat. Coughing, he stumbled backward, pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes wide and trembling.

“Who are you? You’re not my husband, are you?” Cassandra asked, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at the man in the Danger Grid.

“Of...O-of c-course I…” With a growl, the Professor suddenly lunged forward, slamming his hands, and his face, against the glass, “Let me out of here, or I swear I will beat your husband’s brains in!” the Archangel of Death snarled.

You wouldn’t...if you kill me, you’ll be trapped in this room forever!

“Shut it, Utonium! I don’t care what happens, I swear, I’ll smash your skull in!” The Professor snarled, pulling away from the window and grabbing his head.

“Wh-who are you?” Cassandra demanded, “What have you done with James?”

“Get me out of here, or we’re both dying, got it!?” The Professor snarled again. And then, suddenly the weight lifted off him and he was once more looking through his own eyes.

“James?” The foreign, angry expression had lifted from his face. When he turned to her with a little smile, Cassandra relaxed. This time, it really was her husband looking at her..

“Cassie...get Blossom. I have the assassin trap-” before he could finish, he caught a glimpse of that same figure and a heavy weight fell on him.

“Wrong choice, Utonium!” The Professor snarled, hurling himself at the wall as hard as he could.

“Wait! St-stop! Get...Right! Hang on, James!” Cassandra muttered before hurrying to wake her oldest daughter.

The Professor hurled himself at the wall again, and again, still snarling as blood began to trickle from his temple. He stumbled backward, his legs turning to jelly as he sank to the ground.

I was right...you still experience the pain your host feels. Maybe you’ll batter my body, but you’ll never be able to kill me, and yourself.

“I won’t give in! I won’t give up on the Messiah...I won’t let you win, you fucking monster! I...we...we’re going to save this world! Save it from you!” the Professor growled, wiping away the blood trickling into his mouth. With a grunt, he flung himself at the wall again, before collapsing in a heap on the ground, groaning in pain.

You’re only hurting yourself. In this state, I can’t feel anything you’re doing to my body.

“Wh-what are you? How could you?” he choked out, coughing and forcing himself up onto his hands and knees. His arms trembled, threatening to drop him again. “I can just...l-leave your body, let you s-suffer...and then take it back any time I want!”

If you could do that, why don’t you?

The Professor’s eyes narrowed. With a roar, he slammed his fists, and his head, against the floor. A wave of dizziness flooded, him and, before he could stop himself, he vomited, falling over onto his side.

You can’t focus on your powers when you’re in pain; you’ve never had to, have you?

“Sh-shut…S…” the Professor trailed off when he heard a new voice speak up over the intercom.

“So, you’re the so-called, Archangel of Death,” Blossom’s voice was barely above a whisper, dripping with venom so fierce, the Professor very nearly threw up again. With a grunt, he forced himself to his feet and staggered over to the window, leaning against it and glaring into the eyes of the Devil herself.

“And you’re the Devil...you’re much less impressive in person,” he spat. For a moment, his vision blurred and he had to catch himself to keep from toppling over, “Don’t you want to save your father? Let me out, or I’ll kill him.”

Blossom crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. For a moment, he wondered if she was preparing her heat rays to tear through the glass. Then, just as quickly as it came, the hope drained from him when a smile spread across her lips.

“My father is the bravest and most brilliant man who has ever lived,” Blossom began, “if he managed to trap you in here, I’m sure he has everything completely under control.” The Powerpuff leader’s smile faded and her eyes began to glow, until they lit up into twin pink flames, “And, if you hurt him any more, I can promise you, you’ll be begging for death when I get my hands on the real you.”

“You think I’m afraid of you? I have your father’s life in my hands. You haven’t been able to find me, you haven’t even come CLOSE!” the Professor snarled, beating his fist weakly against the window. “I’ll kill him, and I’ll get away, just like I always have.”

The Professor yelped and fell backward when Blossom suddenly struck the glass, so hard that the entire Danger Grid shook. Much to the Professor’s disappointment, the blow didn’t so much as dent the glass. He watched as the Powerpuff girl took a long, deep breath and slowly let it out, the flames in her eyes flickering out.

“Your power is Chemical X based, just like the others, right? Do you know what might happen if I flood that room with Antidote-X radiation? One of my enemies, Mojo Jojo, developed a gun with the ability to take away a Powerpuff girl’s powers. If it hit you...well, my father doesn’t have any Chemical X based powers...but you do. What happens if you lose your powers while you’re outside of your body? Hah!” Blossom suddenly grinned, her eyes lighting up again, “Actually, if you’re in my father’s body, and you’re so desperate to escape, that means your real body is out there, helpless, isn’t it? Do you know how fast we could scan the neighborhood and find you? Now that we know you’re in the area, and we know what to look for...you’d be dead in seconds.”

The Professor swallowed, his face white as a sheet and slick with sweat. He looked down at the floor, his eyes focusing on a splatter of his blood. He swallowed nervously and glanced up at Blossom.

“Wh-what...what do you want? If you let me go...then I’ll let you father go. Deal?” he asked, his lips quivering when Blossom shook her head. He slammed his fist against the glass, desperation overtaking him, “C’mon! It’s a fair deal!”

“So, I was right then? Your power...it’s an astral projection of yourself, as a wave of Chemical X, that can take over others?” Blossom tapped her chin, her eyes unblinking.

“It’s...s-something...th-the Messiah says I...I can send my soul out, and take over others. Normally, I get full access to all of their knowledge and they get my super strength. W-when I leave, their memories just...fill in the blanks, like I was never there,” The Professor stammered, spilling the secret of his power. At this point, he didn’t care about keeping it secret, he didn’t even care about the Messiah’s revolution. At this point...he just wanted to live.

“Your soul?” Blossom asked, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow. When the Professor nodded, a small smile spread across the redhead’s lips. “Give me a moment...and then I’ll tell you the release phrase.” With that, Blossom turned and walked away, vanishing into the dark.

The Professor pressed both hands up against the glass, staring, wide-eyed into the dark. The Devil was just as intimidating as the Messiah had told him. He hadn’t been able to maintain his composure after only three, maybe four minutes speaking with her. Now, more than ever, he was certain that she was every bit the monster the Messiah had told him. But, none of that mattered anymore. No, the Messiah could bring about his own fucking revolution. Now, now he just wanted to live...he just wanted...he wanted…

“I’m back! Sorry, I’m sure you’re terribly anxious to get out of there,” Blossom called as she strolled back up to the glass, still wearing that same insufferably evil smirk on her lips.

“Just let me out! Let me out and I swear you’ll never see me again! I don’t care about the Messiah, I don’t care about justice or judgment, I just want out!” the Professor pleaded, a few tears streaming down his cheeks.

Blossom chuckled, “Let my father go, and I’ll tell him to release you.”

Without any hesitation, the weight suddenly lifted away from Professor Utonium. He groaned and grabbed his head, wiping away the blood still trickling from his temple.

“Oh god...it hurts a lot more than I was expecting…” The Professor swallowed and flashed Blossom a weak smile, “H-Hi, Honey...did you sleep well?”

Blossom bit her lip, relief washing over her. She glanced back over her shoulder and nodded, then turned back to the Danger Grid.

“Let’s get you out of there, Dad. Go ahead and release the Danger Grid.”

The Professor furrowed his brow and looked around the room. With a sigh, he turned back to her, “Are you sure?”

Blossom beamed, “Absolutely, Daddy.”

The Professor chuckled and shook his head, “Well, alright then. Ahem, Valentino.” There was a loud whirring as the computer came to life.

“Emergency Protocol: White Cat Terminated. Welcome Back, Professor.” As soon as the robotic voice finished, the buzz of the Anti-X field vanished and the duranium door lifted. The regular door slid open and Blossom hurried into the Danger Grid.

“Dad! Are you alright? Can you walk?” Blossom fussed as she checked on his head. She couldn’t help blushing softly when the Professor chuckled and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead.

“Right as rain, ugh...just, need some aspirin, can you walk me to the medbay?”

Not trusting herself to speak, Blossom nodded and wrapped her father’s arm around her shoulders, helping him out of the Danger Grid.

XxXxX

“AH!” A ragged-looking older man sat up suddenly, groaning and holding his head. Instinctively, his hand went to his temple, feeling for blood.

“Th-that...that man...how did he?” The old man groaned and stumbled to his feet, glancing around. He was at the Pokey Oaks Children’s Park, a recent addition to the sleepy suburb that was thankfully empty this early in the morning.

“That monster...I...no, I can’t give up. It was a necessary lie. The Messiah will forgive me,” he assured himself, nodding and turning to grab his coat from the bench where he’d been lying. He paused when he caught sight of a lanky teenage boy with odd black and blue hair, sitting on a nearby swing set and staring at him with a crooked smile on his face.

“What do you want, boy? Get out of here!” The old man shouted. Grumbling about disrespectful youth, he tugged on his jacket and started to walk away. He froze when he saw the same boy, now standing across from him, his crooked grin growing until it seemed too big for his face.

“Excuse me, sir,” the boy spoke in an effeminate tone. He lifted one hand and pointed a slender finger at the old man, “But, would you happen to be...the Archangel of Death?”

The old man’s blood ran cold and his heart seemed to stop in his chest. He stumbled back, looking around in a panic. That girl...she couldn’t have...there was no way she could have followed him. No one could see his soul when it was outside of his body.

“I um...I don’t...wh-who are...who are you?” The old man mumbled, taking another step back as the boy began to advance on him. With every step he took, the boy’s skin darkened, becoming like ink, as his hair became like flames. His grin continued to grow, as his eyes melted into empty pools of blue light.

“G-Get away from me! Get away!” The old man shouted as he tripped and fell back onto the bench. He began to scream as the demon suddenly spread its cape open, revealing the endless skulls that seemed to make up its body.

“I’ve never seen a soul quite like yours...I must admit, it made it quite easy to follow” The demon giggled, his expression darkening, “My mistress would be quite upset with me if I were to let it escape!” Demongo spread his cloak wider still, until it seemed to block out the sun. The birds at the Pokey Oaks Children’s Park halted their song for just a moment, just long enough for one last scream of terror. Then, when it was cut off abruptly, they began to sing once more.

XxXxX

“Are you feeling any better?” Blossom asked, her voice soft, but anxious.

The Professor nodded, adjusting the ice pack he was now holding to his head and flashing Blossom a quick thumb’s up.

“I’ll be fine, Honey. Just gotta wait for the aspirin to do its job. I was right though, he couldn’t deal with hurting himself enough to hurt me too bad,” The Professor chuckled, though he quickly groaned and winced.

“How...how exactly were you able to trick him? We’ve been investigating for days and haven’t run into anyone who had any of your symptoms...how did his power not take complete control of you?” Now, Blossom’s worry was quickly becoming intrigue, as she leaned in closer, so he wouldn’t have to speak so loud.

Seeing the sparkle of interest in her eyes, the Professor laughed again. He pointed to his head, and winked.

“So, I’m sure you remember the incident with that cat, right?” Blossom nodded and the Professor continued, “Well, after your mom and I broke up for the first time, over Valentino, I realized just how paranoid I was about being mind controlled again. After what happened with him, and then the cat, I just couldn’t stand to see myself hurt you girls again. So...I created a special microchip that I call a ‘Personal Backup’, and attached it to my frontal lobe. Essentially, what it does is creates a constant backup of my thoughts, memories, my “self” if you will. When it does so, it scans for abnormal thought patterns, and, if it detects any, it activates a second “James Utonium” in my head, and disables my natural ability to freely access my memories and thoughts.” The Professor sighed, pulling the ice away from his head.

“Functionally, if the microchip detects that I’m not myself, it cuts my normal consciousness off from my memories and thoughts, and a backup me turns on and gains exclusive control over my thoughts. Even if I can’t control my body, I can mislead and misdirect anyone who tries to take control of my brain. And, once my normal thought patterns return, it copies the memories from the microchip into my regular memories, merging my normal thoughts with my backup, to prevent any memory loss. Pretty nifty, huh?”

“Dad, that’s...jeez, I mean, wow...you never told us about that,” Blossom murmured. She glanced up when the Professor laughed.

“Well, see, that was part of the plan. If no one else knew, there was no chance anyone could try to work around it. I built another failsafe in, as well. If I were to lose control of myself for long enough, or if my life were to be in danger, the microchip would send a signal to my computer here in the lab, activating a third copy, which exists in my computer as an artificial intelligence. As long as the microchip and the central computer here stayed in touch, I could effectively exist outside of my body to help you girls get me back under control!” The Professor sighed and thanked Blossom as she passed him a fresh cup of coffee.

A gentle silence fell over the two of them. After a moment, though, it was the Professor’s turn to be curious.

“Did you have a plan to deal with the assassin?” The Professor nodded when Blossom nodded, returning to his coffee.

“He’s already dealt with, he won’t be causing any more trouble.” Blossom explained.

“That’s good, very good. I tried to get the location of Dick’s fortress from him, but...ah, he wouldn’t give in,” the Professor sighed and shook his head.

“That won’t be an issue. We’ll be able to get that. Then, we’ll finally be able to put an end to this…” Blossom trailed off, her nose scrunching and her brow furrowing. A stiff silence fell over the two again, as a gnawing heaviness in Blossom’s chest began to grow. She bit her lip and buried her face in her hands, pressing her palms against her eyes, trying to will away the whistling that was starting to ring in her ears. A wave of guilt washed over her when she looked up and saw the nasty bruise growing on the Professor’s face.

“Dad...why did you do this?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“Hm? What do you mean, Blossom?”

“You...you put yourself in so much danger...for u...no, for me. To help me with my war against the Messiah. To...to help me with my war against the General, against...against everything. Why are you doing this? Don’t...don’t you realize just...how horrible I am? Can’t you see that...that I really am the monster Dick says I am?” The whistling was getting louder, as the red haze began to fill Blossom’s vision.

As the silence dragged on, Blossom was forced to turn away from her father, to bury her face in her hands. The silence was screaming at her.

“Because you’re my daughter, and I love you, Blossom.” The Professor finally spoke up, reaching out and resting his hand on her knee. When she looked up at him, he smiled a truly sincere smile.

That smile caused the guilt to become even more unbearable.

“I’ve done so many horrible things...I’m...I planned to do so many things that were even worse. How can you still love me, after all of that?”

“Blossom, there is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you, and I mean that. Yes, you’ve...done things that I can’t condone. You’ve made decisions that I don’t agree with…” The Professor took a deep breath and slowly let it out, “But...those decisions you made, they were decisions that I could never make.”

“What do you mean?”

“The power you wield...Blossom, I can’t even begin to imagine the burden you must feel; I couldn’t bear the weight of your decisions for even a second. Yes, the choices you’ve made have hurt people. And, maybe some of those decisions are unforgivable. But...and I’ve thought about this, every single day since last April, you’re the only person who can make those decisions. And I’ll support you...every step of the way because…” the Professor chuckled and shook his head, a corny smile on his face, “You’re a god, and I’m not. You have even harder decisions ahead of you, Honey, but...just remember, you don’t have to make them alone.”

The red haze suddenly lifted and the whistling dulled until it faded entirely. Blossom bit her lip and took the Professor’s hand, staring at him with tears in her eyes.

“What do-” The heaviness between the pair vanished when the door flew open and Bubbles popped into the room.

“Good morning! It’s breakfast time! C’mon! C’mon! AH!” The blue-eyed girl shrieked, seeing the Professor’s face, “Daddy! What happened? Are you okay?”

The Professor laughed and slid to his feet, patting Blossom on the shoulder and giving Bubbles his best smile.

“I’ll be fine, Bubbles! Just a bit of an accident, why don’t I tell you about it at breakfast? Are you coming, Blossom?” The Professor turned to Blossom, holding his hand out to help her.

The redhead took his hand without hesitation, pulling herself to her feet. Her gaze drifted from the Professor to her sister, who was beaming at her with an eager smile. The knot of guilt in Blossom’s stomach began to unravel; a smile slowly spread across her face until it was bright enough to match her sister’s.

“Yeah...yeah! I’m starving!”
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Dreams of an Absolution