Talisman part 5

"I've never seen you before, but everyone seems to know our names, so..." Blossom made a gesture with her head toward Sora "You must be that friend of hers."

"You!?" came a snarl, this time from the spot where the green streak had impacted the tower's roof beside Bubbles, who still appeared a bit shaky from her close-call. A jet-haired youngster with folded arms and piercing emerald eyes glared at Blood as her skirt swirled in the afternoon gusts. She was not happy. "You're Sora's friend? Did you force her to abduct Bubbles!?"

Blossom blinked "Wait..."

Blood beamed angelically toward the third and final Powerpuff, hands clasped courteously in front of herself "We didn't abduct Bubbles, nor did I force Sora to-"

She was rudely cut off by Buttercup, who clenched her fists and barked "That flash of light was Sora's! I know that flash cos she showed us it last night before bedtime! She took Bubbles and brought her here and we find you with her too! That must mean you're that friend she was looking for, right?"

Blood nodded, still being regarded strangely by Blossom. "That's right, well done."

Sora remained quiet and withdrawn. Buttercup turned to her sister, hand on shoulder and fiercely protective. Nobody picked on Bubbles! Except her... "You ok, sis? What did they do to you?"

Blood glanced at Blossom, who only regarded her more curiously. Bubbles, meantime, shook her head as a strange feeling lingered in her neck. She brought her hand to her nape and rubbed it "I... I don't really know..."

Buttercup whirled to Sora, whose silence, to her, was cause enough for suspicion "Did you turn her stupid!? Uh..." she paused, before "Well, MORE stupid?"

"I didn't do anything to her!" Sora snapped back. Her relationship with Buttercup was always strained, and it wouldn't change overnight, "I only brought her here so we could talk! ALONE!"

Blood tilted her head, still smiling. She couldn't read Blossom's thoughts; like a wall made of pure lead, she couldn't see through her. But she took a wild guess "Does my face fascinate you?"

Blossom suddenly lit up, her eyes widening "Your face...!"

"For someone you've never met before, I seem to be having some sort of weird-"

"No... nooo! I know your face. I've seen it before!"

Blood folded her arms behind her head and declared aloud and childishly "Don't think so!"

"You..." like a light switching on, it all came to the lead Puff "You're Bethany Quintaine, that missing girl!" Blood's eyes snapped open and her pupils contracted slightly. Her lips spread to form three simple words.

"I.... am.... not."

Pink eyes averted. Curiousity; she'd sworn that was the face that headlined Megaville's missing. Whispers, posters, rumours of her death - yes, that had to be the face! Stopped by her defiant words, Blossom scratched her chin "But you look just like-" she was interrupted, a murmur escaping the dungareed child's lips. She spun, a tingle of angered shock turning her own lips into a frown. "Did you just... tell me to shut up?"

The crimson gaze seemed off-focus. Blossom's words brought her back to reality and she snapped her attention back at once, replying with a sheepish grin "Oh, eheh, not you..."

Arms folded and steely of expression, Buttercup was a true painting of ire. Her opinion toward Sora was not helped by her choice of actions today "This is TOTALLY unwarranted, Sora! Is this your way of having a private conversation with someone? Kidnapping them!?"

Bubbles spoke up to defend her but before she got even two words out, the lash of Sora's tongue overtook "You know, this is EXACTLY why I wanted to be alone to talk to Bubbles - cos I would never hear the end of it from you if you were there!" she actually shook when she spoke "Bubbles has a strong mind and a strong heart... things that make me feel better when she's near to me. But you're just a loudmouthed brat with a bad temper and I wish I'd taken Bubbles someplace further than this!"

Buttercup felt a vein in her temple throb. Powers of her own or not, Sora was making a big mistake by riling her. "Is... is that what you think?"

Sora's heart raced. The satisfaction of letting loose drove her to continue, "You might be able to fight the hardest but you just use that act you put on to hide what's in your heart and head! You've probably got the weakest mind of the three of you which is why you've got these issues. Just don't take it all out on me because I favoured your sister."

Blood shut out their inevitable screaming match, fixing a stare on the jet-haired tinderbox. Weakest mind... of course! Why couldn't she see that for herself? Sora was more observant than she gave her credit for. Blossom, beside her, balled her fists and interjected "Buttercup, stand down! She thought what she was doing was right so just let it go!"

Buttercup spun "I thought you were the one who WANTED to find a bad deed and punish someone for it today! Now we've got one and you want to let it go?"

"Bubbles isn't hurt and nothing bad has happened, so there's nothing wrong here. Just a mistake that won't happen again."

Sora began to giggle, raising Buttercup's attention again. When the fired-up forest-green feline turned her sight and focus back, Sora shook her head in a mix of amusement and pity "You wouldn't ever admit it" the eldest of them all murmured "but you care deeply for her if this is the kind of response I'm getting from you..." It struck Sora as odd, though. She was making these judgements - emotional judgements - and she felt comfortable doing so. Never had she had such outspoken confidence to say what another was feeling... it was almost like...

Almost like Bubbles. Her composure regained, the sky-blue Puff nonetheless staggered when she tried to walk, her neck still blistering with feelings indescribable yet not unpleasant "Look, I'm fine... we had our talk and I think we got somewhere. At least until..." her eyes met with Blood's. Something still felt wrong about her. Very wrong.

Buttercup took deeper breaths, trying her best to hide the flare of red that had erupted on her cheeks at the mere mention of her care for someone. Bubbles was her dear and precious sister, that was true. She could be so stupid at times, but that didn't make her any less important. At first, only Sora had seemed interested in her. But now, there were two. Casting an incredulous look at the youngster wearing the tightly cut denim one-piece, she murmured "So how do you fit into all of this, friend of Sora?"

"Oh, I'm nobody..."

"If you are 'nobody', what were you trying to do to Bubbles before we stepped in?" Blossom asked, hands mounted firmly on her young hips.

Blood's lips curled into another smile. "I... was... getting ready create a mental link with Bubbles so that we could share our deepest thoughts with only a simple touch." No sense in lying... but would they accept the truth?

Buttercup huffed "What were you REALLY doing?"

Nope, they wouldn't. "Before you got here, Sora and I were explaining to Bubbles about a situation that all supers will one day face. You've had a good day helping normal people out, right? Saving them from their everyday problems?" Oh, she knew the ammunition she had this time, so she loaded another round into the chamber. She didn't even have to read Buttercup's mind despite the effort it would take to do so. Her attitude betrayed her "Tired of there being no big monsters to fight in this town?"

It struck the heart of the nerve she was aiming for. Buttercup made a swift inhale and bared her teeth "How... how would you know what I feel?"

"Because it's the same for all three of you. It's the same for every super, really." Blood crossed her hands behind her head yet again, even Blossom unable to see through her mysterious air. 'The things I could do to you, Blossom... you may yet get your turn...' "Thing is, just before I was interrupted by you two, Sora and I wanted to explain how you can fight for something far more meaningful than just the people of this cit-"

"These people are the very reason we exist as a team of heroes." Blossom staunchly interjected "You wouldn't believe the things we've done to save them."

Blood put on a tolerant smile. Bubbles was timid yet resolute in her thinking. Buttercup was brash on the outside but may have been hiding something within. Blossom, however... Blood knew Blossom would be nothing but trouble, right then and there "I'm talking about something more than that, Blossom... do you believe in collecting debts?"

"We ask nothing in return from the people of Megaville for our-"

"Not from them!" Blood clapped her hand onto Blossom's shoulder "A debt that YOU owe!" Wary not to move her hand to Blossom's neck lest she attract suspicion from the other two, Blood whispered to Blossom in no uncertain terms "It's a debt we all owe... everyone blessed with powers owes a debt... to each other."

Sora murmured, bringing her hands to the jewel upon her chest "And the hardest thing to believe is... the people in most need of our help are not everyday men and women but others like us who don't have the chance to be all that they can be! Especially" like a ten tonne weight, her tone dropped "those that the everyday man and woman are holding back."

Chirping up at last, Bubbles bounced on the soles of her shiny blacks "Why would people keep supers caged up like animals, though? That's just mean!"

"Because they think they know what is best for them. They think they can play God with lives that are not theirs!" was Sora's reply.

"And what makes this worse," Blood added "is that these people they're chaining are people just like us! You've spent your whole lives defending them, but you have no idea what they're doing to fellow supers! Now's your chance, girls! All Sora and I wanna do is fight for the rights of others just like ourselves."

"And... and how much do we gotta do to make that happen?" Bubbles' voice squeaked, almost too timid to form clear words "How many do we have to kill?" Blood stared at her, unwaveringly, as though she'd asked the stupidest question ever. Bubbles recoiled after a moment, scrunching her own eyes shut "P-Please don't look at me like that..." she took a pace back and bumped into Buttercup, who raised an eyebrow curiously. When she noticed Buttercup's lack of a mutual feeling, she whispered to her sister "Those eyes... are just..."

Buttercup couldn't see the point of her fuss "They're... just eyes, Bubbles."

Bubbles quivered, voice still hushed "Bet she's got a big doom cloud..."

"Doom what?"

Knuckles went white. Fingernails dug into her own palms. The more she thought about it, the more she hated the notion of these peoples' actions... and the more she wanted to take action against them. "We will do whatever it takes, Bubbles, because this is a cause above all others that supers should fight for! Our own kind, bred into slavery for humanity for THEIR NEEDS! And they'll stop us from changing that all they can! But we're better people than them!" her furious lips curled into a malicious grin that made even Blossom shiver slightly "Wait 'til I show them what I alone can do! They'll think twice about stopping us then!"

Buttercup stepped forward, arms crossed against her chest firmly "You keep saying 'we' when you speak! It's not like made our minds up yet and you're not convincing me, for one! Sora can do flashy and knock soccerballs away with light - big deal!" Blood felt the tiniest auburn hairs on the back of her neck bristle at those brash, unmoderated words. Insult Sora? Insult Talisman!? "But that's more than you've shown us! Why should we be convinced about you? What makes you so special and why would you bother wasting me and my sisters' time?"

A slight chuckle. The glint of a playful smile. Tit for tat. "You're Buttercup, yeah? The one that's always mentioned last? Blossom, Bubbles... yeah, they always mention you last. What - did you just tag along or something? You've got a leader here who shows courage and charisma even though she's still so young" her compliments did nothing to remove Blossom's cross expression, "and then there's plenty I could say about Bubbles - she's great at making friends, she's open and honest and... she seems a bit more switched on when it comes to telling what others are feeling even if they don't wanna show it to her."

"...so?"

"Exactly, 'so?'!" She had her already. Checkmate! "Why do you always get bottom billing? What kind of special power or trait do you possess?" And the kicker... "Give me ONE reason why I should be in any way convinced about YOU!"

Buttercup's cheeks flushed a humiliated red, the rest of the colour in her face swimming to fill them. She stood stiff as a board, glaring and furious. Sora threw to Blood a glare of her own, one that screamed 'What are you DOING!?' soundlessly. Buttercup simmered, the lid of the pot desperately holding the boil at bay "Do NOT talk yourself into a big mistake!"

"The only mistake I'm gonna make is not finding out what makes you good as a super. If you've got a talent for fighting like I've heard people claim, I wanna see it."

"And who am I supposed to fight?"

Blood threw her arms to the side in a welcoming, perhaps insane gesture "Fight me!"

Shock and surprise crossed each of their faces, from stunned amazement on Buttercup's to sheer horror on Sora's. Bubbles whispered "Don't do it..!"

"You wanna prove it to me, then do it. I can tell you want to." the cheek in her voice did little to mask the absurdity of her proposal.

"Blood, no!" cried Sora, trying to take charge of the rapidly deteriorating situation "I'm not gonna stand here and see you get hurt just cos you wanna make her mad! If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to do it all on my own!"

When she tilted her head, her chestnut locks became pillows for her cheeks against her shoulders "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just one quick fight with her, that's all."

A scream of anger. A scream of fear. "NO, Blood! You're not serious, are you!?"

Instead of answer, Blood raised her finger at the only other person she knew could answer. She turned her head, staring down the centreline of her indication, smiling at the young, inexperienced empath "You can answer that, can't you?" She didn't blink, giving her a dose of the eyes the girl seemed to fear so much.

Bubbles gulped. Bubbles turned to Sora. Bubbles quietly answered "She... she is."

A smirk from the jet haired girl and a chuckle shortly after as she voiced her opinion of that "Your overconfidence is gonna get you hurt, girl. Go back and beat the boys up in the schoolyard if that's what you want - last chance!"

"I want to fight you." Blood told her. "But... do you, maybe, not want to fight me?"

Buttercup hissed through clenched teeth. Of all the stupid... "As much as I'd love to make you cry right now, I don't wanna be responsible for beating up a helpless kid!"

"If I get hurt, that's my own fault. You'll have at least proven that you're everything they say if you do!"

Her fists formed tight balls, the bones of her knuckles pressing her flesh so hard and turning them so white that they seemed to nearly rip through her skin. A taunt. A fight. A challenge. One or two smacks about the head would put this cocky little bitch in her place. But there was just one thing left to make sure of. "Blossom..." she muttered, calling upon the girl who'd remained silent in spectatorship all this time, "do NOT step in on this one."

"Just get this over with so we can go home. But if she decides enough and you won't stop yourself," a glare of warning in frosty magenta "I will."

Rolling her shoulders forward once or twice, Buttercup sneered "I'll make it quick..." Blood only smiled, invitingly. "I warned you." Buttercup cautioned for the last time. No change came to Blood's expression. She didn't even steady herself, choosing to keep rocking up and down on her heels merrily. A flaming trail of jade exploding from her heels, Buttercup shot the entire length of the building's roof barely in time for her to rear her fist back and scream "Defend yourself!"

Sora yelled, but the squeal of Buttercup splitting through the air "BLOOD! WATCH-"

The piercing squeal of Buttercup's flight died at once as green flash faded to pale and then dissipated altogether. Blood's hands kept a tight grip just above Buttercup's outstretched wrist, her head titled curtly to the side, avoiding the rocketing punch by half an inch before her hands alone brought Buttercup to a dead stop.

"...out..." Sora finished, further words failing her at what she saw. They'd all fallen silent. Blossom even seemed impressed!

Blood held her there, transfixing Buttercup with her stare. For a moment her smile had faded as she'd taken the moment to stop the raging youngster. But as she saw a blush come to the Puff's face, maybe not just from embarassment, the smile returned at once. "So... my turn?"

Despite her onslaught being halted with no apparent effort, Buttercup's mouth flashed a brief grin. Maybe this wouldn't be as quick as she'd presumed... but if this girl could fight it'd be WAY more fun! "Heh, alright... you wanna hang out with the Powerpuffs and do some hero-saving, you'd better show me what you're made of, girl!"

Blood released only one of her hands from Buttercup's arm, the other clasping it by the wrist and ensuring no defence. That was only fair. Buttercup had rushed her and she'd responded the instant her body told itself to. Buttercup was the renown combatant. Surely she would react just as quick. She clenched her fist-

"Free shot."

Blood blinked "Huh?"

Buttercup grinned "Free shot! Just cos you wanna see what I'm made of doesn't mean I'm not interested in you as well!"

"You're sure?"

"Well, you might be fast but with arms like that, you're only gonna tickle me." she teased as her emerald eyes narrowed. Two could play the game of words.

Blood sighed, "Well, I invited you, so..." she clenched. She swung. She struck.

Fwump went her knuckles lightly against Buttercup's tummy.

Buttercup tried to hide a grin, then switched to masking a chuckle, before settling on trying to stifle raucous laughter. Blood, meanwhile, flushed a deep scarlet.

Sora spoke up with a tentative suggestion "Uh, Blood, maybe you should... um..."

"Just... shut up, Sora..." Blood murmured, staring down at her fist in confusion.

"Oh, no, seriously, you should probably listen... I was expecting more from you after that little speech." Buttercup retorted, giggling like she was a kindergartener again.

"I thought I had..." Blood drew her fist back, shaking her forearm up and down as if to rid her limb of some undesired creepy-crawly. She still held onto Buttercup with her right hand but the more than amused superhero was too caught up in her own delight. Clenching her jaw as she did her fist, she nodded, now of the belief she had it right. She looked to Buttercup again, who was still giggling. Rolling her eyes with a besmirched grumble, her arm shot forward in a second attempt at the punch.

Buttercup's feet left the deck at once, her arm shooting out of Blood's grip as, with a pained and winded cry, she smashed into the towering radio mast. A dinted crater marked her impact point as the stunned child slumped to her knees in unexpected agony. Blood's pixie-like face returned. It worked that time!

"B-Buttercup!" squealed her sisters together.

"Save it!" Buttercup spat, a sickening pain in her gut "I fell for that one, I guess..."

Sora watched on in awe as a smile crept onto her face at last. "Blood... you always surprise me!"

Buttercup staggered to her feet, dying to erupt into another coughing fit. But she resisted. Blood had found her feet, now, and so Buttercup had found her foe. "You still wanna fight?"

"Only if I didn't scare you off just now." was the mischievous response.

Shaking off the ache in her midriff, Buttercup sped forward. This time, she would not miss. "This will be fun!"

Blood bent her knees "Three... two..." and with agility all but matching Buttercup's, she flew in to meet her. The first collision alone was volcanic, sending invisible ripples through the air. Punches flew everywhere, both girls trying but failing to land a single strike upon the other. Buttercup swiftly knocked one of Blood's lunges away, leaving her open. She still only needed one hit... one good hit to the head to put this upstart dow-

"GYAK!" she screamed as Blood's blue and white Adidas slammed its heel into her stomach, reigniting the furious pain from her first successful hit. Retaliating Buttercup swung a backhanded fist but Blood was gone. She didn't need to look for her, as Blood pounced her laterally, careening both of them back into the radio mask ferociously, dislodging a flimsy spar of the antenna's tip far above. Buttercup shoved her away and shot around in a circle to meet her from behind. Without turning Blood threw her arm back, ready to strike the oncoming girl away had it not been for Buttercup's own sharp reflex to grab the arm as it came, wrenching it and making Blood cry out in pain for the first time. There was her chance. She swung a fist she'd barely given the chance to flex.

It cracked a startled Blood across the face at full force.

"She got her!" Blossom yelped, just as surprised as Buttercup was.

But Bubbles quivered "But... why does she seem so..." Blood steadied herself and launched  back at Buttercup, vicious, ecstatic "...happy?"

"BUBBLES!" came Sora's cry as a slender shadow fell over the smaller blonde. Bubbles glanced it. It had nearly been too late. A slender, sharp piece of broken antenna was falling... had been falling, right at the distracted little girl. Its split-metal end looked so sharp... it would have cleaved her effortlessly. Sora's hand was outstretched, aglow and unwavering as the spar hung motionlessly. Sora gave the mortified Puff a quick glance "Thank me later... you owe me." She threw her arm downwards. The spar speared into the deck of the tower's roof, lodging fast.

Parrying her quick assault, Buttercup pulled against Blood's arm, pulling her to her until she held her chest to chest with herself. The ruby-eyed nymph's cheeks went red just for a moment, but the place where her fist had struck her face was barely even bruised! Who was this kid...? "You're not like any other girl I've ever met, you know?" Buttercup didn't know if that was admiration in her voice. She hoped not.

Blood spoke so softly, but her words were heard clear as day "Maybe I'm less like a normal girl and a bit more like you. "

Buttercup fought off another laugh as she held Blood's arms to the sides with her own knee raised to prevent a cheap lower body attack "Your name may start with B but you're no Powerpuff!" She shoved her away and with a smirk added "More like some kind of... Psychopuff."

Blood chirped "Hey, I kinda like that..."

"You fight alright for someone who's never fought a Powerpuff before! How'd you learn to attack and defend like that?"

Her head tilted sideways "Learn it? I'm just reacting to your moves, that's all!"

Pain speared through Buttercup suddenly, her ribs acting up from one of Blood's successful strikes. All of her attacks had hurt, whether against bone or soft flesh. She hadn't had practice or training? The very idea that she was being hurt by an amateur made her body ache worse. She tried not to pull a pained face "It's gonna take more than just reacting to outdo me! Don't just react; ACT!" she shouted, remembering something Sensei Jack told her once.

Baring her teeth like a wild animal, Blood retorted swiftly "You talk so much, Buttercup! Prove that such big words even fit in your mouth! If you're so confident" she extended her hand in a beckoning gesture "name your stakes!"

Buttercup raised her eyebrows, the choice resting comfortably on her shoulders. That was an advantage already. She announced "First knockout!"

"Oh, come on, that's nothing!" Blood cackled. She upped it further, "First blood?"

Smirking, she gave chase "First bone broken!"

But it would be Blood who named the winning term; a term that would ultimately show who not only had the greater strength and skill but also the strongest mind and willpower. The sinister pixie declared in a soft, personal tone "First... one... to cry."

She never gave her at direct yes or no but what she did the moment Blood's offer was made spoke for itself. She slipped her backpack off, a grin the size of the city upon her face. She flung her schoolgear to Blossom, who caught it on reflex. Blossom didn't look happy, but both girls knew there was no stopping what was about to happen especially since Blood was the one who opened the challenge. Buttercup shook and flexed her wrists, beaming coyly. Blood did nothing, still.

"B-Blood!" called Sora. Her friend turned her head but did little more. "Don't hurt her, alright? Remember what we came here for and why we need their help!"

"You heard our rules, right? Whoever cries first is the loser."

Sora hesitated. Somehow her 'rules' weren't convincing "Is... is that it?"

"As simple as that."

Buttercup bent at the knees slightly, keen to do little less than pounce her opponent first chance she had "Ready when you are, denim-girl!"

"Buttercup!" came the stern call of Blossom, who had sat her sister's backpack down at her feet "Just a suggestion, but... if you can, find out more about what they need our help with. Maybe we can give them an answer, then."

"You got it!"

Blood giggled "Have a little patience, Blossom. Before long, you'll know everything you need to..." she straightened the straps of her coveralls around her shoulders. "Maybe more than you'd prefer."

"S-Stay safe!" Sora squeaked, clutching the brooch on her chest "Both of you..."

Blood winked "This won't take long. Then we'll go find Cody as a team, like it was always meant to be."

Blossom blinked at the unfamiliar mention "Co...dy...?"

"Sure about this, now?" asked Blood.

Buttercup's response lacked no confidence "I'll go easy on you!"

A distinct flash of green erupted as again Buttercup's first instinct was to charge headlong. The feral glint of the hunter in her eyes fixed itself upon the plain and simple looking girl with the strange mind power and lightning reflexes. If she just kept her on her toes, soon her inexperience would break her. Drawing back her fist in a quarter of a second and streaking across the width of the rooftop in less than half, again she was outdone at the last second. Blood jumped aside, swiftly and gracefully, as Buttercup's momentum carried her onward and past her. It was as if she saw it all in slow motion and could tell exactly where and when to retaliate, as the moment Buttercup's stomach was at the right spot she lifted her knee with all gatherable force and slammed it in just below the jet-Puff's ribcage. A choking gasp followed and the straight green beam of light went suddenly wonky. Blood watched in hushed glee; Buttercup grinding to a halt and seizing the perimeter railing to stop herself skittering over the edge. With a moaning creak, it warped and buckled, her grip imprinting upon the metal. She sunk to her knees, eyes wide and breath knocked out. Blood, meantime, flicked a few strands of hair away from herself with yet another smile.

Buttercup shakily got back to her feet, still gasping for air. She wanted to cough but even that seemed impossible. "You... are..." she wheezed "the devil..."

"Aww, that's not nice... but if you're gonna try and make me cry by calling me names, it won't work."

"But how...? I'm the fastest of the girls! N-Nobody can dodge and counter that fast...!"

"You gotta learn to pace yourself!" Blood advised, leaning forward with her hands upon her thighs "What if a bunch of soldiers were shooting at you with high powered rifles and all you wanted to do was rush straight toward them? It's never a good idea to run straight at the person who wants to hurt you."

"Wh-why... why would soldiers wanna shoot me?"

Blood's expression was grim... not as happy as she usually seemed. Reality. "Why, indeed..."

"You ok, Buttercup?" came Bubbles' call.

"Use your freaky emotion crap and work it out for yourself!" her sister barked. That was the problem growing up as a triplet. There was always at least one of the others there to patronise her if something appeared to go wrong. She craved independence. Control.

Even leadership.

But like all titles and privileges, they had to be earned. To earn, she had to prove. To prove, she had to fight. She was great at fighting... so why hadn't she earned more than she had? Balling her fists and supressing the sudden surge of anger within her, she readied herself to try again. If physical attacks weren't going to be effective, there was another way she'd cause a big bang... but she chose to save it.

"Look, is something bothering you?" Blood asked, not as willing to let it slide as Buttercup was "You wouldn't be this cheesed after such a small scuffle and a kick to the stomach, so... what's REALLY the problem?"

Her gut surged with a renewed ache. She clapped her hand around her midriff as though it would do any good. It didn't. "W-What's it to you? You wanted me to fight you and that's gonna happen! But you're not gonna make me cry, that's a promise."

Blood narrowed her eyes, ruby glowing from between dark sheathes of raven eyelash "If you knew me and what I have endured, you'd know I won't cry easily either." she continued her graceful, predatory wander

"Then this fight will last a long, long time!" Buttercup barked "What if it gets in the way of what you wanna do with us?"

"It won't... I'll have broken you down enough by then!" she came to a halt several feet in front of Bubbles, her original point of interest. Her priorities had well and truly changed now. "So please, PLEASE... show me you're not just a weak, emotional little brat who's only acting this way to get attention and sympathy from others or else you're no use to-"

"ENOUGH!" Buttercup howled, thrusting two hands forward. Immediately a wave of blinding green light volcanoed forth at Blood, who only smirked. It mightn't make her cry but if her opponent was turned to dust then that meant Buttercup still won. The light was overwhelming. The noise of the energy, deafening. But her focus held strong against it all. She'd watch Blood suffer for her choice of wor-

Blood vanished. As quickly as she did, Buttercup dropped her arms to cancel the attack but it carried forward, out of control. Blood was no longer in the path of the onslaught. Bubbles, however, was. And all she did was scream in fright.

Against the sea of blinding green was an instantaneous flash of white. A heartbeat later the blast demolished the side railing, searing out from the tower's edge and dissipating over hundreds of feet, everything in its way powerless to stop it until it faded. The girl in the short-cut overalls had disappeared. The scream of the blast made Buttercup's ears ring. Blossom was shouting something at her that she couldn't decipher. She paid her no attention as her innards turned to ice. Upon the ground, in front of the molten gap in the barrier, Bubbles lay face-up, a second blonde girl atop her chest. If not for Sora jumping in that the last minute... she would have killed her.

Buttercup had nearly killed her own sister. More than any wound, punch, kick, cut, graze or broken bone, Buttercup knew the thought of her own carelessness stung much worse. She fought back the tears she swore never to shed "Bubbles... I didn't mean to... I-"

Sometheing seized her from behind as a hand pushed her head sideways, her neck bending until she heard a soft crack. Her nearest arm was held behind her, useless. She felt tender breath against her neck and, suddenly, a strange yet oddly soothing tingle building in her nape at the base of her skull. Cotton-soft curls brushed her shoulders as she glanced out her peripheral, staring straight into eyes an even deeper red than the bow upon her blouse. A voice. Gentle whispering. A firm instruction she would happily acknowledge.

"New rule, Buttercup... no energy attacks."

Sora slid off Bubbles, hands still pinning her to the deck "You ok?"

"I... will be, thanks..."

The underside of Sora's palm flashed and for the briefest moment she saw something beneath the strap of Bubbles' carrypack. Something small... metallic... and shaped like a star.

"H-How did you move... so quickly?"

She leaned in even closer, the tingles surging up and down Buttercup's spine as she swore she heard Blood's voice come from all around "If you would learn to see with not just your eyes, maybe you could move as fast as I do..."

"Get away from my neck!" Buttercup growled.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll break yours! Don't tell me your some kind of vampire or- KYAH!" her eyes flew wide as something warm and moist clamped onto her trapezius and bit down gently.

Blood giggled, stifled a little by the taste of Buttercup's neck as two fingers began to clasp her prey's nape. As expected she saw the girl's cheeks flash a multitude of red hues. Her lips let go. There was a little red mark, nothing more. "Don't be silly, Buttercup, vampires hate sunny days like this." Out of nowhere her next instinct was to duck.

It proved timely, Buttercup swinging around with a rapid backhand that found nothing but air and Blood crouched to the rooftop. Her eagerness to fight was a weakness of its own. Blood pounced, eager to exploit-

WHAM went Buttercup's knee, driving itself into Blood's cheek and knocking the startled girl to the ground. Buttercup staggered backward, a hand pressed firmly to her neck, smothering the tiny red mark as though her carotid artery had just been severed. Blood groaned, her vision spinning. "You... you're learning, at least..."

"If you EVER put your lips on me again...!"

"Where's your sense of fun?"

"I don't take it with me when I go to school."

She pulled herself to your feet "If you wanna make the most of this fight, you gotta learn to have a bit of fun."

"Fighting IS my fun! Just as long as nobody else is in the way and getting hurt, and so long as you keep your... antics... to yourself, I'm perfectly fine with that!"

"Well then let's stop just hanging around up here! There's a whole city out there we can use as our arena! Bubbles and Sora can continue their talk without us so let's make the most of this opportunity to have a bit of your kind of fun! Who knows... I might prefer it to my way." she gave a quick glance to Sora and with it she projected into her head *Keep the other two here. When I get back, we'll tell them everything.* Sora looked timid and unsure, but her faith in Blood's choices left her nodding in response.

"If we stick to the rooftops, it'll be fine." Buttercup agreed, throwing the one who claimed to lead the Powerpuffs a stare of mixed feelings. She was glad to be leaving her behind for a bit, but she knew the barrage of harsh words she'd receive if even the slightest thing went wrong. "First one to cry, no energy blasts..."

"And the sky's the limit!" Blood added. "Sora, pick somewhere nice for us to start!"

Sora closed her eyes and relaxed her breathing, Bubbles half-sitting, half-lying by her side. There was a big building, many blocks away, still under construction. Around it, clear space... perfect for a fight between two superhuman children. That would be their staging ground. Her apple-tinted eyes reopened with a smile "Behave, you two!" she said, more of a suggestion than an order. Tiny coronae of light flickered deep inside her youthful eyes.

Buttercup felt a strange tingle around her body and a frown creased her face "Hey, just whaddya think you're d-" A sharp white flash and she vanished along with Blood, cut off mid-sentence.

Sora relaxed, mumbling something to herself about Buttercup having it coming. Blossom shook her head in silence. That was the second time she'd witnessed her sister snatched away unexpectedly by Sora's strange bursts. Where did those things lead to? And when was it her turn? She was getting impatient.

"Are... are they gonna be alright?"

"Blood won't hurt her too badly." Sora confirmed, helping Bubbles back to her feet. "Blood's still learning as she goes, so this fight will help both of them."

"It's Blood that I'd be worried about." Blossom interjected. "Buttercup's not exactly sure about what 'lenient' means."

Bubbles steadied herself, still in disbelief that she'd come so close to being vaporised by her own sister "All of what Blood was saying... did you agree with any of it?" Her balance regained, she let her grip on Blossom's hand ease.

But Blossom kept it held firmly within her own as her head shook side to side slowly "Didn't you hear her self-righteous attitude? We only just met her she thinks she already owns us. Bubbles, did you really believe any of it?"

"I... I just..."

"And... Sora, you were talked into this by those sorts of words too?"

"You don't understand, Blossom!" Sora shouted "You don't know what it's like to know that someone you deeply care about is locked away like some sort of... some sort of SPECIMEN!" her eyes were watering. Bubbles didn't need to sense that Sora was upset by whatever happened to those poor people. "Maybe Blood's a bit too aggressive when she tries to get people to help, I dunno, but I am NOT some stupid bimbo-blonde who believes anything people have to say! If you knew... if..." her words shook and faltered, the sound of which made Bubbles' lower lip quiver "If only you knew..."

"We've heard enough of Blood trying to explain things, so while they're gone, why don't you tell us what you know about what's going on with these people."

Sora sniffled "O-Ok but... promise you'll be patient, cos... this kinda stuff makes me a bit upset..."

"We can tell... but do your best, alright?"

Sora mustered her courage. She'd never talked openly about it before and up until now she'd done everything she could to swerve the conversation away from such a topic. But now might be the very last chance she had of getting their help. Without the support of the girls, what she wanted to do would be simple suicide. Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the cold metal flooring of the tower's highest deck and began to tell them everything.