Dreams of an Absolution

"I was out on the radio starting to change

Somewhere out in America it's starting to rain

Could you tell me the things you remember about me

And have you seen me lately?"

Have You Seen Me Lately? (Counting Crows "Recovering the Satellites")


Dreams of an Absolution

The Serpent Pt. 1

Townsville had been quiet...too quiet in fact. The city certainly hadn't descended into its previous state of utter turmoil, but after witnessing the true power of the city's defenders, what criminal in his right mind would think to test the waters? None, that was the honest answer. And yet, it still felt eerie to wake up every morning and go to bed each night, having never heard the Hot Line ring. Then again...since their last encounter with Sedusa, Blossom hadn't gone with her sisters on patrols, let alone gone to answer any cries for help.

To be perfectly honest, what good would she be? The fight with Sedusa had proven that Blossom couldn't keep up anymore. With her power repressed to the extent that it was, she would just prove to be a liability more than anything. Though, it was a curious situation. Why hadn't Sedusa struck again? Maybe she had and her sisters simply refused to tell her. Maybe they were afraid. Sedusa now had powers...frightening powers. Powers granted to her by none other than Chemical X-real, true Chemical X.

How had she gotten ahold of it? The only true Chemical X still in existence...was pumping in the veins of the Powerpuff Girls themselves. It was...terrifying, to think that someone else had access to that kind of power. Someone who couldn't handle that kind of power.

And so...when Sedusa escaped, Townsville fell into a silence, so powerful that even jaywalkers took the time to go to the nearest crossway. The Powerpuff Girls, once active protectors, had become full-time elementary school students. People were, perhaps, starting to forget they were ever heroes to begin with. People were starting to forget to whom they owed their safety.

It had been quiet for far too long...something had to break.

XxXxX

"Child, what's troubling you? Blossom?" Blossom yawned and snuggled closer to Aku, clutching her Devil Blossom doll against her chest. Aku's hand trail down her back, his fingers slipping through her long, silky hair. Blossom shuddered and smiled.

"Nothing, Aku...I'm just thinking," The demon chuckled and continued to lightly caress her back. Blossom yawned again and opened her eyes. The room was dipped in darkness, the only light, the light of the moon, pouring in through the window. It was a chilly night, snuggling with Aku-he was always warm, hot to be exact-was enough to take her mind away from her worries. Aku paused, his hand resting heavily on her side.

"What is it that has you so preoccupied? Typically, these visits are spent on your vibrant chattering," Blossom gasped and sat up, blushing hot red. Aku chuckled; Blossom smiled back sheepishly, brushing her hair away from her face.

"I'm sorry if I talk too much," Aku shook his head and Blossom nodded, continuing, "I guess I'm just wondering...if they've forgotten us yet,"

"What do you mean, Blossom?" Blossom shrugged and sighed, laying back down against his side.

"We haven't had to stop any crimes for the longest time...I just wonder where everyone disappeared to," Aku laughed and Blossom smiled. He knew just as well as she did why their rogue gallery vanished off the face of the Earth.

"Who would dare to challenge you now? They've seen you for the g..." Aku trailed off; Blossom's breath caught in her throat. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. Blossom closed her eyes and nuzzled his bushy beard.

"Goodnight, Aku..." His fingers lightly touched her cheek. She peaked one eye open; the two shared a secretive, knowing smile.

"Goodnight, Blossom...I wish you luck on your test tomorrow..." They both laughed softly. She didn't know how long he stayed...but he still held her as she drifted off to sleep. She could still smell his breath as the dream began again. A dream that died a long time ago...a dream best left forgotten. A dream she dreamt, nonetheless.

XxXxX

Blossom's attention was oddly divided as she stared down at her history test. The room was perfectly quiet, almost like the mere possibility of Uka-sensei's wrath was sucking away the sound, creating a vacuum. Uka-sensei himself seemed uneasy. Normally, the teacher would simply sit and stare at the class, unmoving and unblinking. Whereas Blossom found it flattering, her peers had a tendency to complain about it in private later. Today, though, Uka-sensei sat back in his seat, fidgeting this way and that. A few times, he climbed to his feet and began pacing the front of the room. He could feel it too, something was off.

More than one person screamed when a low, irksome buzz began to ring out from the corner of the room. Every eye turned to the gaudy white phone, the eyes drawn on staring in fearful awe at the classroom. The ruby red nose blinked with every irritating buzz. Blossom turned to Uka-sensei, who looked baffled by the phone-it had never rang before. Thankfully, Buttercup found her nerve and answered the Hot Line.

"Hello, Mr. Mayor? Wh-What's the trouble?" She glanced at Uka-sensei; his eyes narrowed, his fists clenched, it was obvious their teacher wasn't happy about the interruption. Buttercup swallowed nervously and turned back to the phone.

"Uh huh...r-really? Okay, alright! We'll be right there!" Buttercup hung up the phone and whipped around, "Girls, we need to get to the police station! There's something bad going down!" Blossom blinked in confusion. Buttercup sighed and gave her a sharp nod. Blossom nodded and the three hovered into the air. Uka-sensei folded his hands behind his back-though the phone had never gone off before, he seemed to have been briefed on it-and glanced at Blossom.

"Take care, Blossom," Blossom blushed and nodded, hurrying after her sisters. The police station...of all the places in town, she'd assumed that one would have been somewhat safe.

"Did the Mayor say-" Buttercup growled and sped up, cutting Blossom off. Blossom glowered, flying as fast as she could to keep up with her sisters. They arrived at the police station...the facility was a wreck. The doors had been blown away, the ceiling was peppered with holes, and the street was lined with officers and patrol cars-some of the cars beyond repair...some of the officers beyond salvation.

"Oh my gosh..." Bubbles whispered. The three touched down, staring through the gaping doors. The power had been taken out, it was pitch black inside. Blossom took a deep breath and glanced at Buttercup. She was stony-faced...but it was faltering. She was nervous, they were all nervous. They hadn't had a real challenge in a while.

It took a moment, but eventually the three sisters hurried into the police station, glancing around nervously. Monitors were busted, spraying sparks through the air. The lights had been shattered, glass covered the floor...along with several battered bodies. More terrifying than the battered bodies were the statues. Eerily detailed statues of police men and women were careless tossed around the station like cheap toys.

"B-Butterc-cup..."

"Shut up, Bubbles!" Blossom swallowed and peered around. Even her night vision did little to alleviate the sense of horror building. She was here, she'd come out of hiding. Her sisters kept pushing forward, toward the chief's office, Blossom broke from the pack and headed toward the door to the basement. The evidence room...that was the only logical reason. There was something down there she wanted. With her new powers, she didn't have to be subtle anymore.

"-he okay?" Bubbles voice trailed across the distance. Blossom swallowed and turned back to the door. It was cracked open...with only a passing glance back to her sisters, Blossom slipped inside and floated up to the ceiling, following down into the basement. Blossom held her breath-breathing was more of a passtime than a real necessity anyway-and slipped through the door, pressing her back against the ceiling.

More statues, some smashed, some shattered. She was nearby, Blossom could faintly hear the sick sound of her tail, slithering across the floor. There was a green glow coming from the high priority evidence chamber. Blossom floated closer, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of the monster...though she strained her senses, the only thing she could hear was her own breath. Her own heart blasting against her chest.

"-has to be here somewhere...yes here it is..." The sultry voice chuckled. Blossom swallowed and reached for the door. There was a sudden movement inside-she froze in place. The green glow rubbing against the thick glass window suddenly became darker. She was staring her way.

If the room had been silent before, the sudden, and it was very sudden, lack of anything at all was asphyxiating. Blossom's heart wasn't beating, her blood seemed to have stopped in her veins. Distantly, she realized that something was coming, and on numb legs, threw herself to the side. The door exploded, showering the room in a coat of glass. Blossom sat, hidden in a pile of evidence, her entire body trembling. She didn't dare breath, didn't dare allow her heart to beat. The dark form shot out, looking around with a venomous glowing glare.

"I know you're out here...I can smell you...you can't hide...from...me!" Sedusa lashed out, her claws tearing through the place Blossom had previously been hiding. Blossom pressed her back tight against the ceiling, begging for some kind of escape. Sedusa's sick gaze was searching the room again. There was something tucked under her arm, an unmarked black box. She slipped the tiny package away, Blossom couldn't quite see where, and reared up on her tail. The bright green glow passed over the empty ceiling, searing and melting the thick metal covering.

"Why do you run from me? Heroes don't run...heroes stand and fight...unless, you're saying you're not a hero? I'd be inclined to agree" She snickered, slithering around the room. Blossom pressed herself against the floor as tight as she could. Molten slag rained down from the melting ceiling, but thankfully it provided some kind of audio cover to her movements. She backed up, crawling as slowly as possible.

Sedusa whipped around the corner, just as Blossom ducked under an upturned desk. She was so close now, Blossom could reach out and touch her if she so desired. Her long, black serpentine tail was just beyond the threshold of her cover. Her razor sharp talons scraped the wall just behind her. Sedusa was getting closer...she knw where Blossom was hiding. Sedusa grasped the side of the desk. Her talons were just inches from where Blossom lay curled up, staring tearfully.

"Do you want to know a secret? You'll never get away from meeeee..." Sedusa flipped the desk over, hurling it across the room. She snarled, finding an empty space beneath. The snake whipped around, her emerald green gaze trailing the room at lightning fast speeds. Blossom swallowed and tried to remain perfectly still, her back pressed against a rather large stone officer. Sedusa growled, a high pitched hissing snarl, as she slid closer and closer.

"My new powers...gave me an incredible ability!" Sedusa smashed through the statue; Blossom rolled around the corner, just as a wave of venomous green light washed out, destroying everything in its path. Blossom floated just off the ground, ducking over the top of the shelf between them, just as Seudsa whipped around, slashing the ground where she'd been previously.

"I can smell your Chemical X...I can feel you nearby! You can't ever get away from me, I can follow you to the ends of the Earth! You don't have a chance!" Blossom fell backward, avoiding Sedusa's gaze. Thankfully, she called the villain's bluff and held onto the shelf, flipping herself over the other way and flying quickly to the end of the hallway. Sedusa howled behind her, shooting toward her, slashing through the piles of cops and criminal evidence in her wake. Blossom shot up the stairs, glancing back over her shoulder, just in time to see a wave of green light heading her way.

'NO! I can't let that hit me!' Blossom pushed her speed to its limit, just barely tumbling into the station proper, ducking under the wall of petrifying light. She scrambled forward, snatching a computer monitor and throwing it at Sedusa. The villainess slashed through it and slowly began to advance on Blossom with a gleaming gaze.

"I'm impressed...you managed to get this far," Sedusa giggled and licked one of her claws. Blossom only now realized that it was stained with blood, "I should have known it was you..." Blossom narrowed her eyes and stood her ground, even as the monstrous thief slipped around her. Her tail was long...far longer than Blossom expected. Here, in the open, there was no chance for her to avoid it. Especially not with it circling her so lazily. Hot breath touched her face, but this time Blossom stayed strong.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?!" She hissed. Her sisters would be here soon...then the time for talking would be over. She had to make this quick.

"I had to get something for a friend....don't worry your precious mind over it, it's all for the best," Blossom growled and clenched her fists. Sedusa's talons trailed across her back, her tail slipped around Blossom's legs. Now the two stood face to face. Sedusa's eyes seemed to have stopped glowing so fiercely, her grin had faded. Instead she wore a look of...adoration?

"You're not going to get away with this, my sisters are here, they'll be here any second!" Blossom snapped back. Sedusa snickered and lightly kissed her cheek. Blossom blushed and tried to step back. Her opponent's tail kept her trapped in place.

"You say that like I should be worried about them...I'm not, no. They're no threat," Blossom shook her head and leaned closer to Sedusa, grabbing her by the collar of her torn shirt.

"You've seen what they can do! If they wanted to, they could tear you apart! You're the one who isn't a threat!" Blossom snarled back, glancing anxiously toward the door. Sedusa slowly grinned, tenderly, her tail began to wrap around Blossom, working its way up her abdomen. Sedusa's eyes began to glow viciously once more.

"Perhaps...but they won't risk something happening to their...dear sister, now will they?" Blossom blinked, then screamed when Sedusa's tail crushed her. The door flew open and Bubbles and Buttercup arrived on the scene, battle ready. They gasped and stared at the scene. Sedusa grinned and flexed her claws, holding Blossom up triumphantly.

"Why hello there girls! It would seem you're a little late to the show...I've already claimed my prize, and I managed to get an added bonus!" Sedusa cackled hysterically, holding her claws dangerously close to Blossom. She was helpless, Sedusa was far too strong for her to escape now.

"L-Let her go!" Buttercup shouted, taking a step closer. Blossom moaned and hissed as Sedusa dug a talon into the side of her face, leaving behind a light, but bloody cut.

"Don't move, Leader Girl, or I won't hesitate to turn your dear sister into a just another casualty!" Sedusa spat back. Buttercup growled and started forward again, but Bubbles grabbed her arm and held her back. Sedusa snickered and tightened her hold on Blossom. Blossom gasped, the crushing force driving the stored air from her lungs. Everything faded to a foggy blackness, she could only vaguely hear the negotiations between the monster and her sisters.

"-go! or I swear-"

"-free and don't even-die. I won't-your fault"

The world faded back in, air flooded Blossom's lungs. She sat up coughing and holding her cheek. The cut was stinging badly, but she'd certainly ended this encounter better than the previous one. Buttercup and Bubbles knelt down beside her. The former's concern was tainted by a vicious scowl of defeat. The latter held her mouth, tears sparkling in her bright blue eyes. Blossom wiped the blood off her hand and shakily climbed to her feet.

"She got away..." She stated simply. Buttercup nodded and gestured to the police station. Blossom nodded, swallowing nervously. Sedusa had escaped, and single-handedly destroyed Townsville police force. Now, the Powerpuff Girls really were the only defense the city had.

"So...what do we do?" Blossom blinked and looked at Buttercup. It had been so long since her sister had looked at her that way. She seemed...helpless. She needed someone to save her. She needed Blossom to be there again. Blossom sighed and crossed her arms, tapping her chin.

"I don't...I don't know..." Buttercup sighed and nodded, slouching in defeat. Blossom stared at her, unsure of how to react. Running with the moment, Blossom turned to Bubbles.

"Bubbles, go tell the Mayor what just happened," Bubbles blinked in surprise, but nodded and flew off into the sky. Blossom took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then turned to face Buttercup. She hadn't noticed it before, Buttercup had done a good job of hiding it. She had been crying.

"Are you alright?" Blossom asked. Buttercup shuddered and shook her head, crossing her arms tightly. She kept her head low, but Blossom could see clearly now. The way her chest jerked, the way she sniffed softly. Buttercup rubbed her eyes and stood up straight, glaring at Blossom.

"D-Don't you...don't you ever go off on your own again!" Buttercup jabbed Blossom in the chest, but even that action was weak, forced. Blossom stared at her sister. She was fighting it beautifully, but it didn't stop a stray tear or two from trickling down her cheeks.

"Buttercup, I..." Buttercup shook her head, and hardened her glare. A few more tears.

"Don't you ever...ever go off alone again!" Blossom sighed and looked away. Her chest tightened, she crossed her arms and lightly wiped her mouth.

"I...I won't, I promise," Buttercup continued glaring at her. Her arm dropped to her side and the two stood, mirroring one another-arms crossed, heads low, unable to meet the other's eyes.

"C'mon...let's go help, Bubbles explain," Buttercup nodded and, together, they left the scene of the crime.