Re: Caught in the Crossfire

Re: Caught in the Crossfire

By Kevin Ivy

Author's Note: This chapter was not easy to rewrite. I wanted to keep as much of the kink intact as I can, since that was the focus of the chapter, while actually making it fit as a working part of the story. Your Mileage May Vary, but I think by now you, the reader, know what to expect from this story.

IV: Nowhere Is Safe

Blossom sat up with a startled gasp, one hand flying to her chest and the other flying to her mouth. Panting, eyes wide, she looked around the room warily. Even without her night vision, she knew nothing was out of place. Swallowing, she looked to her left and smiled. Bubbles laid curled up, snuggled close to Blossom. She clutched a very ragged and dilapidated Octi to her breast and sucked her thumb-a habit she'd developed when the girls went through their three year metamorphosis. Now, the evolution finished, they were scarcely distinguishable from the average human. The only tell remaining was their larger than normal eyes.

"She's so cute..." Blossom muttered, lying back down and staring at her sister. Her smile faded into a frown, the empty bed behind her felt downright frigid. Buttercup wasn't one for cuddling, like Bubbles, but it was unnerving to not at least feel her kicking every so often. The redhead sighed and sat up, rubbing her blonde-towed sister's shoulder. Bubbles moaned happily and slid closer, snuggling further beneath the blankets. Blossom smiled and slid out of bed, stifling a yawn and floating carefully to the door. Opening it just enough to slide through, Blossom slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

The click the door made when it closed seemed to echo through the silent household. Blossom held her breath and waited anxiously. Down the hall, the Professor was talking in his sleep-something about a unified theory-and in the bedroom, Bubbles just snored and rolled over. Blossom sighed in relief and floated over the banister, peering around the living room. Everything was in place, no sign of danger. She rolled her eyes and floated towards the lab, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"You're being so immature, Blossom," She whispered, floating into the lab, once again carefully closing the door behind her. "You're in your own home...you're safe here. No one but the Professor, Bubbles and..." She stepped around the corner and her heart sank to her knees. Buttercup was lying on a work table, an absolute mess surrounding her. Blood stained the table, the floor, even the instruments connected to her. Had they been even a second too late...

"Buttercup..." Blossom hovered over to her broken, beaten sister and stared at her with weakening restitution. She swallowed hard and wiped her eyes, taking a seat on the table beside her. Buttercup's face was almost unrecognizable. Bubbles had tried to fix her hair as much as possible, but it was beyond repair; Buttercup would need a major make over when she woke up. Tenderly, Blossom took her hand and held it tightly, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She hiccuped and shook her head, unable to take continue observing the damage. Her sister, the picture of strength, was now hanging on by a thread.

"There are more of them...we can't fight any of them..." Blossom whispered, her blood running cold. Belial had terrified her; she'd beaten her in combat without breaking a sweat and...threatened to do something horrible to her. But Buttercup...she'd faced the real strength of these mysterious enemies. Blossom narrowed her eyes and clutched her sister's limp hand tightly. More than ever...they needed to find a solution, an answer. Taking one more look at Buttercup, Blossom shook her head and gently kissed her horribly bruised cheek.

"Don't worry...I'll figure out something...I won't let this happen again," She vowed, licking her lips and gently brushing her torn raven hair. Blossom floated off the table and started for the stairs. As she passed by the Danger Grid, she hesitated, looking back at it. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind now. Her adrenaline was pumping and her mind was racing; she needed something to unload on. With a nod, she slipped into the training room, closing the door behind her. Blossom approached the control panel and stared at it. With a sigh, she cranked the danger level to eleven-as they'd grown more powerful, the difficult had increased accordingly-and glanced around.

'I don't want to wake anyone...' It was dangerous, if she got hurt, but she wasn't about to draw attention to herself. Blossom activated the soundproofing barrier on the danger grid. With a sigh she adjusted a few more controls and stepped inside. The door sealed shut behind her, leaving Blossom in a blank white cube. She looked down at her nightgown and pursed her lips; it certainly wasn't going to help her progress, but she couldn't risk returning to the room yet. With a shrug, Blossom stepped into the center of the room.

"Mission Begin," The danger grid kicked into gear and with a whirring sound that quickly faded away, the blank rectangular room was replaced by a darkened city street. Blossom crossed her arms, unfazed by the frigid wind blowing by. As it developed, her heat breath ability-ice and fire breath-had given her a significant resistance to extreme temperatures. Blossom floated into the air, looking around in confusion. The simulation had begun, she should have encountered her opponent by now.

"Computer, report Danger Level" She called.

"Danger Level: 11" The automated voice responded. Blossom frowned and floated deeper into the virtual city. Not even a sign of life, let alone a powerful monster or some other kind of evil entity. As she flew deeper and deeper into the city, Blossom noticed something sitting on the back edge of the computerized world. A warehouse, designed to stand out against the rest of the dimly lit cityscape. The warehouse was even darker. Blossom floated up to the window and tried peering inside. Inside, it was a massive square prison, completely empty. Not a crate or barrel to be found.

"Now that's really odd..." She muttered, floating down to the front door. Just as suspicious, the door slid open with a soft shove. Blossom entered, ready for anything. The computer had never generated a simulation like this before. It preferred the more direct approach such as a giant monster, an evil madman, a fighting robot. This level felt more ominous...more subtle. With a cautious glance back, Blossom flew into the musty warehouse. The door slammed and latched behind her. Blossom gasped and jumped, dropping to the ground. She tried pushing the door but it was locked tight.

'I don't like this...I don't like this at all,' She thought, steeling her nerves for whatever challenge the grid had for her. She took light steps, cringing and trying to ignore the dirty floor beneath her bare feet. More than before, she wished she had planned this through a bit better. Nonetheless, she inched closer to the center of the room, ready to act a moment's notice. With a loud clap, a light flipped on revealing her opponent. Blossom took a step back, mouth falling open and eyes widening. She hid her terror behind a mask of defiance.

"You...what are you doing here?" It took some effort to keep the tremble out of her voice, but the end result was a steadfast voice of determination. Across from her, Belial wore an angelic smile. She jumped from her perch atop a crate-strangely, there hadn't been anything in the building before-and slowly stalked toward Blossom. She clapped her hands and grinned brightly.

"Well I noticed that a certain someone couldn't sleep! I was so distraught, I really was. But, ya'see, I remembered that promise I made to you and what do you know! Here we are...ready for round two..." Her voice started off cheery and innocent, but by the end, there was a sinister sneer in her speech. Blossom swallowed and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't about to just lie down and let this monster knock her around. But, at the same time, she wasn't ignorant to the canyon of difference between them. Belial's leer sharpened; neither was she, Blossom noted.

"How...how did you get in my house?!" Blossom barked, thrusting an accusatory finger at Belial. Belial shrugged and continued her steady march toward the Powerpuff. Blossom swallowed and tried to find the courage to face her. But...sometimes fear was the appropriate response. Blossom took an uneasy step back, slowly mimicking her oncoming attacker. Belial just sauntered closer, an arrogant swagger in her step.

"So...I saw your sister," Blossom froze and glared at Belial. Just like that, her blood began to boil and all of the pain and frustration she'd been repressing exploded. Blossom lunged at Belial, throwing a deadly punch at her face. Belial stepped back, sticking her tongue out.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot? I'm sure Blood did," Blossom growled audibly and swung around, kicking at her face. Belial ducked under the blow and jumped back shaking her head and wagging her finger.

"Gonna have to do better...ya'see, I'm still faster than you, no matter how angry you get," Blossom clenched her fists and glared. If there was ever a time she needed to discover a new ultra secret power, it was now. Belial's arrogant, condescending smirk was grating on her. Her cocky, mocking eyes feigned concern but showed pleasure at her suffering. Even down to the how she held her hands on her hips. So smug and superior...this was just a sick, twisted game to her. Blossom flared up; she was tired of being afraid.

"Who was that?! How do you know her?!" Blossom's charge was vicious, it was downright brutal. Every punch, every kick flew with every ounce of her awesome strength. She pushed herself to the absolute limit, trying with every breath to wipe that infuriating look from Belial's lips. Belial snatched Blossom's wrists, just as the Powerpuff leader caught her by her shirt and slammed her against the wall. Belial shrugged and kept right on smiling.

"You mean Blood? She's...an acquaintance that sounds about right. She not on my team though," Blossom growled and pressed Belial harder against the wall, resisting the urge to tear her head off. Anything would suffice to get rid of that derogatory, sickening, disrespectful...terrifying look.

"What team!? Who are you?!" Belial held her hands up defensively. She cleared her throat and gently rested her hands on Blossom's shoulders. The look never left her face.

"The winning team. It mostly consists of me, that's all you need to know...which is already more than you deserve to know," Belial grinned and leaned closer to Blossom's face, "You adorable little human..." Something about the way she lowered her voice...it was chillingly familiar. Blossom's grip faltered when something of a revelation hit her. It was crazy but...

"W-What?! Wh-where are you?!" She gasped out, stumbling backward. Belial was gone, as if she'd never even been there. As impossible as it seemed, Blossom had been staring right at Belial. Backing up slowly, her heart stopped when she hit a solid form, and felt a pair of vice like hands clasp her wrists. Blossom struggled to pull free, but was pulled back against her assailant without any effort. Belial brushed her lips against Blossom's ear and took a deep breath of her mussed hair.

"You smell nice..." Blossom shuddered and redoubled her efforts to extricate herself from the evil girl's hold. Belial grinned and tugged her backward. To Blossom's shock, she fell backward and Belial passed through her body, appearing in front of her. Before she hit the ground, Blossom collided with something else.

"What the?" She moaned, staring at the contraption. She was sitting against a padded board, taller than herself and at a very slight backward angle., with a horizontal metal bar going through it, well over her head. Before she could contemplate the purpose of the bar, a pair of snakelike ribbons appeared from thin air and snatched her wrists, pulling her arms up over her head. Blossom yelped as she was pulled back against the board, her wrists firmly tied to the metal bar. Recalling her previous fight with Belial, Blossom began to panic.

"Oh no, no, no...please let me go!" She shrieked, hearing a loud snap. Her ankles were now tightly secured in a pair of metal stocks, lined with a material of questionable comfort. Blossom tugged at her binds, but suddenly realized that her powers had fled her. It was true; no matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to get the strength to pull away.

"Now don't you look pretty?" Belial teased, giggling as she sat down on Blossom's lap, straddling her hips. Blossom swallowed, nearly choking on her tongue. Her mouth had gone dry as sand. Belial leaned in dangerously close, her toothy smirk scaring the rest of the fight out of Blossom. The pink puff began to struggle in earnest, giving up what dignity she'd managed to hold on to.

"What...what are you going to do to me?" She whispered. Clenching her eyes shut, she tensed and prepared for anything. Belial just chuckled, brushing her captive's hair away from her face. She adoring caressed her cheek.

"Kinda the same thing I did last time...I'm going to tickle you, and, this time, I'm not in any hurry," She whispered, her voice sweet as sugar. Blossom whimpered and cracked her eyes open, laying Belial with the deadliest glare she could manage.

"Why?! Why won't you...won't you just fight me and beat me?!" Belial snickered and sat up, rubbing her chin. She picked at the fabric of Blossom's nightgown, making the puff tremble and jerk with every plucking motion.

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? You want me to fight you...because you know you'll have an excuse, an exciting story to tell. I'm stronger, faster, and smarter than you," Belial relished the venomous growl Blossom responded with. That last bit had touched a very sensitive nerve. Chilly blue eyes stared into fiery pink ones. Blossom tugged violently at her restraints.

"Let me go...I'll beat you, I will beat you! Just...just fight me! Stop playing these...these stupid games! It's...it's..." Blossom trailed off, too angry to continue her rant. Belial tilted her head, forcing the two into eye contact once more. She grinned, a feral and frightening expression.

"Humiliating? Yeah...that's the best part...seeing you get all pink and flustered. I just love it..." Blossom swallowed, closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth. Belial narrowed her eyes, that was all she needed to hear. She lightly stroked her finger across Blossom's bare armpit. The Powerpuff girl hissed and shuddered, swallowing the lump in her throat. Belial slowly repeated the same action, getting a very similar reaction. Blossom clenched her toes, balled her fists and tried to subtly pull away. Her bonds hadn't grown any weaker, though she feared that, somehow, she might have. Belial closed her eyes and repeated the same, slow stroke. Every time Blossom jerked and clenched up, a hiss escaped between her clenched teeth.

"That's it...keep fighting. It's just going to make it so much more fun when I win!" Belial snickered and changed tactics, lightly stroking Blossom's other armpit, all five fingers softly stroking the soft skin. Blossom bit her lip and squealed, giggles bubbling up in her chest. Her legs bounced, exploiting the very little movement she had left. She pulled in the opposite direction, taking fast, shallow breaths. Belial licked her lips and cocked her head, studying Blossom's face closely. Her cheeks were turning the most delicious shade of pink.

"Almost matches your eyes..." She whispered, her lips twitching. Blossom heard the comment, but didn't bother a retort. Anything short of complete concentration would cost her dearly. Belial sighed and smirked hungrily. She could feel the violent shudder, working its way up from her toes, traveling through Blossom. She leaned closer, watching her face closely. This was her favorite part...watching the break.

'Well...' she thought deviously, 'second favorite part...' the entire process was her favorite part. Belial bit her tongue and watched as Blossom shook her head and snickered. The giggles built up until finally they began to pour out uncontrollably. Blossom of the Powerpuff Girls was defeated. The pink puff squirmed uncomfortably, tugging at her bindings frantically. She wasn't sure...but she felt that if she couldn't get away soon, there would be no escape. It hadn't crossed her mind that escape had been impossible from the moment she stepped in the Danger Grid.

"Looks like I win, but don't you worry. I'll cherish every second of my prize," Belial whispered, her sweet voice vanishing, replaced its darker, more sinister counterpart. She tickled Blossom's other armpit, breaking what little defense the superheroine had left. Blossom bucked and wiggled her hands and feet, shaking her head back and forth. Belial's fingers danced up and down her trapped underarms, at times soft and slow, others hard and fast. Blossom struggled to pull the giggles back under control, but every time she started to fight back, Belial tickled her harder, forcing a bark of laughter from the puff. Only a few short minutes into the attack, Blossom felt helplessness setting in. She couldn't get out by her own power; her only hope was the mercy of her enemy.

"P-please, pl-please st-stop! Let me...let me go!" She cried out, stuttering and stumbling over the endless stream of squeals and titters. Belial slowed down, just two fingers tickling the hero's two armpits. The softening torment was enough for Blossom to open her eyes. Still giggling wildly, she tried her best to plead with the evil girl. Belial closed her eyes and smirked.

"Nah...ya'see we're just getting started," She lowered her voice, and Blossom could have sworn she'd seen that evil leer before, "You aren't even crying yet," Blossom laughed, her nerves getting the better of her, and tried for one final time to break free. Her powers were all but gone. She shrieked and burst into more frantic giggles when Belial squeezed her knees. Like a cat slowly devouring the canary, Belial watched Blossom's face with an intimate intensity. Every twitch of her lips, every strand of hair that fell out of place. She took it all in, giggling herself when the puff began to squeal; Belial's fingers slid beneath her knees, tickling the backs with wild abandon.

Stretched as she was, Blossom could only wiggle her legs back and forth. She couldn't bend her knees, couldn't escape the taunting fingernails dancing across the sensitive undersides. Her squeals and giggle became more panicked and more frightened as Belial spidered her fingers up Blossom's thighs, slipping under the hem of her nightgown. She trembled violently, pulling back as far as she could, ticklish giggles mixed with terrified embarrassed laughter. Belial tickled up her thighs with slow, deliberate grace. Her fingers getting dangerously close to Blossom's panties. Finally, she couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"NO!" She screamed falling forward and giggling painfully. Already her chest felt sore, her sides were beginning to hurt. Belial looked up, sincere confusion etched on her face. She looked down at Blossom, staring with a critical eye. Her lips pulled back into a lecherous leer. She scooted closer, pushing Blossom's nightgown up revealing her chest and white underwear. Belial whistled; her eyes traveled across the smooth, surprisingly soft...helpless skin. She was practically salivating, just imagining what was to come.

"You are so pretty," Blossom choked, scared tear trickling down her cheek. She shook her head, again trying to plead with her eyes.

"Please don't...please don't do that...please..." Belial narrowed her eyes in confusion again. She shrugged and smirked, licking her lips. She stared at Blossom's face, watching the look of growing horror as she lowered her hand, fingers wiggling suggestively. The pink puff tried pressing her legs together, tried anything to avoid what she was sure was coming. She shrieked in surprise when Belial's fingers tickled across her belly. Blossom fell into peals of laughter, giggling and snickering hysterically. Belial tickled up her sides, watching in adoration how her stomach quivered and trembled with every light touch. She spidered up her ribs and back down, gleefully noting the abrupt squeal and subsequent bouncing. She'd found a sweet spot, for sure.

"Mm...this has been fun," Belial whispered, taking in every inch of her captive's form. From her delicate belly-true to Puff form, she had no belly button-shamelessly up to her just budding breasts. Belial noted, with a childish giggle, that Blossom was more developed than her sisters and herself. It was scandalously attractive. Blossom noticed the unwanted attention to detail, but the pink-haired villain's teasing fingers kept her from responding with more than a constant stream of weakening giggles. Every bit of sensitivity and innocence vanished from Belial's face. As scared as she had been before...Blossom was paralyzed by the look.

"It's been a real fun warm up...let's really get you worked up now!" Belial dug both hands into Blossom's belly, roughly tickling her mercilessly. Blossom screamed and fell back into a flurry of hysteric laughs. She shrieked and thrashed, squealed and screamed as Belial furiously tickled her belly. She tried her best to melt into the chair, but to no avail, when Belial took to kneading her sides and tickling her hips. When she dug her fingers into Blossom's ribs, the puff tried to, quite literally, tear out of her skin. She'd had brief tickle fights with her sisters in the past, but nothing compared to the horrible feeling of the evil girl's malicious fingers playing her ribs like a fleshy piano. It brought a whole new, and very much unwanted, meaning to the phrase tickling the ivories.

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" Blossom screamed out with every breath she managed to catch. Belial only scooted closer, tickling her way back to Blossom's quivering belly. Her fingers scribbled back up her sides, briefly tickling her armpits before coming back to form at her ribcage. Blossom's face was bright red; tears were streaking down her cheeks. It took a lot of effort to make Blossom cry, she was no weakling. But completely trapped and having her one true weakness exploited so mercilessly, she cried like a baby.

Biting her lip, trying to hold in her excitement, Belial closed her eyes. If Blossom's tear-streaked face, twisted in forced laughter, was a work of art, her hysterical screaming laughter was a musical masterpiece. Her stomach tingled eagerly, her blood raced red-hot. Every gasp made her insides clench. Every scream made her shudder. Every tremble that ran through her pretty body made Belial tremble. She chuckled and opened her eyes, tapering off her ticklish assault. Blossom gasped for air and fell back. Moaning and trying her best to hide her pitiful sobs, Blossom looked up at Belial.

"N-No more...no more please..." Belial leaned forward, her face inches from Blossom's. Their noses brushed. Belial felt Blossom's quick and panicked breaths puffing against her face. Blossom felt Belial's deep, slow breaths brushing against her hot face. Belial's eyes were half-closed and there was a dangerous glint in them. A glint that terrified Blossom more than anything she could remember.

"Give me a kiss," Belial said at last. Blossom gasped and stared back in shock. She closed her mouth and swallowed, panting and narrowing her eyes.

"W-What...what?" Belial smirked and leaned even closer. Blossom shuddered and winced when she felt the pink-haired girl's lips brush against hers. She swallowed again and tried to pull back further. There was nowhere to run.

"Give me a kiss...and I won't tickle you anymore," Blossom blinked and stared back in wide-eyed disbelief. Belial continued to smile; she was speaking in her sweet voice again. Blossom flushed and looked away bashfully. She turned back and, with some effort, leaned forward and kissed Belial's cheek. Belial giggled and shook her head.

"Ah...ah...ah...that's not what I meant," Blossom screwed up her face and turned a darker shade of red. Belial stayed where she was, leaning on her hands over Blossom, staring down at her with an unreadable expression. A strand of her pink hair had fallen in front of her face, lightly tickling Blossom's neck. Blossom licked her lips and met Belial's gaze. Belial giggled.

"W-What...what do you mean?" Belial cocked her head in mock disapproval. Blossom lowered her eyes.

"I want a big...wet kiss on the lips...and I won't tickle you anymore," Blossom cringed as Belial pressed against her. Her sides hurt terribly and she felt completely humiliated; she could scarcely imagine giving into her demands would be more embarrassing than prolonged tickling.

"Alright fine…alright…" Blossom hesitated and screwed her eyes shut. Steeling her insides, she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Belial's lips. Belial moaned blissfully and lightly touched her lips, staring at Blossom with the same strange look of interest. Blossom whimpered and pressed back against the support board, as far as she could go. Belial licked her lips and smiled down at Blossom, leering deviously.

"You're lips are so dry…do you want something to drink?" Blossom blinked and stared back in disbelief. She swallowed; her throat was painfully dry. Unable to find her voice, Blossom simply nodded and looked away. Belial giggled and followed her, keeping eye contact with Blossom.

"I'll give you something to drink…but you have to drink all of it…do you want some water?" Blossom nodded again. Her insides crawled, considering Belial's condition. She turned back and gasped, watching a jug of water appear, from thin air, in Belial's hand. She clenched her toes and fists, wishing she hadn't agreed to Belial's terms. It had to be at least a gallon of water, possibly more.

"Here you go…drink up," Belial flipped the cap off and held the jug to Blossom's lips. At first, she was allowed to take a few small sips. As she started to pull away, Belial grabbed Blossom roughly by her chin and forced her head back, turning the jug upside down and dumping it down her throat. Blossom sputtered and struggled, but Belial held her firmly, pinching her mouth shut around the opening.

"Nuh uh…you have to drink it all. That was the rule, ya'see…so you better start chugging," Blossom sputtered again. Her chest was on fire, but she kept sucking down the freezing cold water. Droplets trickled down her chin, over her hot skin. Painfully gulping down the last drop, Blossom gasped for air when Belial threw the jug aside, smiling sweetly. Blossom coughed violently, desperately trying to catch her breath. She hiccuped and shuddered, tears falling freely. Belial watched her, head cocked and following her watery eyes.

"Is that better?" Blossom glared at her, sucking in long, deep breaths of air. Belial just smirked, the sweetness rushing from her face to be replaced by malice. Blossom gasped and tugged weakly at her binds. Belial started to lift her nightgown again.

"You…you said…you said…" Belial clicked her tongue and wagged a finger in Blossom's face. Blossom moaned when Belial's warm fingers trailed up her stomach, to her bare chest.

"Oh, did you already forget, Sweetie?" Belial gently tickled the edges of Blossom's tender little breasts. Blossom squirmed and shuddered, falling into a different kind of laughter. She giggled and squealed and gasped. Her now very full stomach sloshed around uncomfortably.

"I'm a very good liar..." She whispered. Belial bit her lip and let go of Blossom's nightgown. She was absolutely thrilled at Blossom's blushing reaction. It was much more entertaining, more exciting than how the twins reacted. Tickling both of Blossom's newly developing breasts, she squeezed the puff with her legs to completely strip her of mobility.

"Not there! Please don't touch me there!" Blossom managed to get out. Every gentle stroke, teasing caress was like electricity shooting through her. She was torn on just how the touching made her feel, but she could still think well enough to reason that it was just more malicious tickling. And she wanted it to stop. Belial moaned and shifted awkwardly, lightening her strokes and tickling faster. Her fingers just barely brushed Blossom's skin.

For the Powerpuff leader, it was worse than having her ribs tickled before. At least then, it hadn't been so physiologically awkward. Blossom, now drained of all her energy, stopped tugging and merely laid back in frenzied giggles and peals of confused laughter. Belial felt Blossom's skin heating up; she was mesmerized by her heaving chest, her trembling body. Every drop of sweat streaking across her soft skin drew the most incredible patterns. Her fingers accidentally brushed against one of Blossom's nipples, surprisingly hardened. Blossom screamed and bucked, panting frantically and staring with wide-eyed horror at Belial.

"Don't...please don't do that...please...just stop," Belial blinked and stared at Blossom. She hadn't been expecting that reaction. Her look of surprise became the most evil look the heroine had ever seen. Belial chuckled and leaned close to Blossom, mocking curiosity splayed across her face.

"What...this?" She flicked Blossom's nipple again. The Powerpuff shrieked and nodded; her breaths were shallow and quick, so fast Belial could barely feel her chest moving. Belial grinned and licked her lips. Blossom shook her head, her mouth moving uselessly to try and beg for mercy. Belial nodded and laughed along with her victim when Blossom screamed in wild hysterics, new strength restored to her tired body. Belial tickled her nipples relentlessly following every minute movement to ensure that her target never escaped for even a second.

"Ooh...I like this, I should have tried this earlier," Belial teased. Blossom whipped around with all the power she could find. She screamed and bucked and trembled, every tickling scratch sending her into spasms. And the confusing feelings were at their worst-Blossom could swear she was being electrocuted by the frustrating sensation. Despite the tears streaming from her eyes, and the spittle rolling down her lips, Belial was sure she could do better.

"Let's play a game...guess what instrument I play," Belial tickling Blossom's nipples now with not just one finger each, but her first two fingers in an alternating plucking motion. She strummed every ounce of laughter she could find from her victim, closing her eyes and drowning in the musical bliss of her voice. She went faster and faster, the tips of her fingernails just barely stroking Blossom's nipples. The laughter pouring from Blossom's mouth was the melody, played over the chugging bassline Belial played on her chest. After a momentous eternity, Belial stopped. She sat back and watched Blossom with a lecherous leer. The Powerpuff was fighting to keep from bawling, hiccups and sobs wracking her tortured body.

"Was that fun?" Belial asked casually. Blossom shook her head furiously, mouthing 'No' over and over. Belial shook her head and leaned in close to Blossom again. The pink puff looked up and bit her lip, holding back more sobs. Belial licked her lips and lowered her voice.

"Give me a kiss..." Blossom sobbed and shook her head, glaring at Belial with all the fire in her being.

"N-No! You lied t-to me...you...I..." Belial sneered and turned her head to the door. She stroked her chin and turned back to Blossom with a smirk.

"Well then...maybe I should leave you here...I could always go tickle Buttercup. Oh, can't you imagine how much that would hurt her? She can barely breathe on her own; didn't she puncture one of her lungs? ya'see, I doubt she could even fight back...wouldn't that be horrible? Being tickled to death?" Blossom gasped and, much to Belial's shock, began to fight again. She was practically foaming at the mouth, overflowing with rage.

"Don't you dare touch her! Don't you even think about touching Buttercup!" All of the meekness that had been tickled into her was gone, with just the slightest mention of harming her sister. Belial was almost nervous, but quickly brushed that feeling away. She smirked and rested her cheek on her hand, leaning against Blossom so that their noses were touching.

"Well then...why don't I go upstairs and tickle Bubbles, hmm? I bet she wouldn't even be a challenge. I could make her cry so easily...I bet I could tickle her into saying anything, into doing anything. I could make her hate you. Because, after all, it would be your fault," Blossom went silent, slouching helplessly in her restraints. Belial could see that she'd won. She turned Blossom's head and looked her dead in the eye.

"So give me a kiss..." Blossom swallowed and shuddered fearfully. But she held onto the fire stirred at the threat on Buttercup's life. It was the only thing she had left.

"I'll only kiss you if you don't tickle me anymore," Belial rolled her eyes and glanced away. She shrugged and smirked-something about the look worried Blossom.

"Give me a kiss and I won't tickle your body anymore," Without a second thought, Blossom leaned forward and kissed Belial's lips. She caught the villain off guard, drawing a surprised gasp from her captor. Belial closed her eyes and returned the kiss, refusing to let Blossom pull away. When she finally did, the devious look in Belial's eyes was chilling.

"Your lips are dry...I think you need a drink..." Blossom gasped and her eyes widened. She shook her head, staring in horror as the same jug of water, now refilled, appeared in Belial's hand. Belial grabbed her chin and forced her head back.

"No! I'm not thirsty! I can't drink m-" Belial cut her off, forcing the spout into her mouth. Belial turned the jug upside down and snickered as Blossom sputtered and gasped, struggling to keep drinking. Water dribbled out the sides of her mouth and poured down her face if she tried to cough. Somehow, she managed to down the greater part of the jug, down to the last drop. Belial tittered evilly and threw the jug aside again, patting Blossom's painfully full stomach.

"See? I knew you could do it..." Blossom coughed and glared at Belial, watching her with growing apprehension. Belial climbed off Blossom and walked to the end of the table, to her feet. Blossom looked around, noting in awe that the warehouse was suddenly filled to the brim with crates of various shapes and sizes.

"Wh...th...this place was empty..." Blossom coughed and choked down the urge to throw up. Her stomach heaved angrily and sloshed around miserably. The waterlogged, energy drained puff felt a growing sense of horror when Belial sat on a crate, positioned so perfectly at her feet. Belial tsked and wagged a finger, leering at Blossom.

"Would you look at that...you got your feet all dirty," Blossom wiggled her feet and clenched her toes self-consciously. Her soles were coated with the dirt from the warehouse floor. Belial shrugged and laughed, Blossom watched a metal pail appear in thin air and drop down on the crate next to her attacker. Soapy water bounced into the air and landed back in the bucket. When she turned her eyes back to Belial, she was shocked-and disgusted-to recognize it as her own toothbrush.

"W-Where did you get that!?" Belial snickered and leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand. She twirled the toothbrush between her fingers and shook her head.

"Of all the questions to ask...that's what you would focus on?" Blossom swallowed and shuddered, trying to pull her feet away.

"Y-You said you weren't going to tickle me anymore..." Belial dipped the toothbrush in the soapy water and shrugged, swirling it around, clicking it against the metal sides.

"I said I wasn't going to tickle your body anymore...I never promised I wouldn't tickle your feet," Blossom whimpered and beat herself mentally. How had she missed that loophole? Blossom balled her fists and jumped when Belial gently grabbed one of her wiggling feet. She swallowed hard and tried to reason with herself. How ticklish could her feet actually be? Surely nothing could be even remotely as bad as...as what Belial had just been doing to her. Blossom flushed and looked down at her rumpled nightgown. She shrieked and bucked, foot thrashing wildly when the soapy toothbrush bristles scraped against her dirty sole.

To her horror, it was worse than she'd ever imagine. Blossom screamed and laughed, catching yet another fighting wind. Her assailant was only inspired by this reaction. She leered and brushed down to Blossom's heel, taking her time to get every speck of dust washed away. Belial took a brief moment to wet her cleaning utensil, then set out to clean her victim's arch.

Blossom screamed again, bucking and yelping wildly. The tickling was so intense, she almost seemed overly aware of her situation. She could feel every individual bristle flicking against her helpless sole. She could intimately feel every millimeter the brush scraped across the ball of her foot, every tiny prickle sliding down the side of her foot. It felt like a lifetime before Belial stopped and sat back to observe her work. She frowned and shrugged, moving to Blossom's other foot.

"I'll have to come back to get your toes," Belial muttered off-hand. Blossom whimpered and began to giggle the moment Belial snatched her other foot. Belial giggled in response and took a little extra time cleaning her other foot. She worked with short, staccato strokes. Blossom jerked violently with each quick stroke, squealing and laughing a deep belly laugh. The two fell into a kind of rhythm, almost like Blossom's shivers and jerks were a dance to Belial's machinations. Belial took sinister delight in returning to spots already well cleaned, just to watch Blossom squirm more.

"Well, I think I did a pretty good job, just gotta work on your toes..." Belial snapped her fingers, getting Blossom's attention. She wiggled her fingers and grinned, "Watch this...I promise, it's amazing," Belial pushed Blossom's feet back, lacing her fingers between the puff's toes. She smirked and narrowed her eyes. When she pulled her hands away, Blossom was horrified to find that she couldn't move her feet anymore. They were stuck, stretched taut, her toes pulled back and spread, as if something was holding them in place.

"How...how did you d-do that?" Belial licked her finger and gave Blossom a seductive wink. Blossom trembled, her eyes falling on the evil toothbrush hovering near her defenseless, now immobile toes.

"You can call it a talent," Blossom wanted to respond, to inquire further explanation. She wanted to say a lot of things, but the only sound she could utter was a painful scream of laughter. Belial brushed her big toe, across the tip, the sides, the pad, even the fleshy underside, with a lazy sloppiness. Her target couldn't even move, why hurry? It only got worse from there, as the brush slid between her toes and up the next one, repeating the slow and agonizing process. Without missing a beat, and without making a snappy comment, Belial shifted to her other foot. Blossom didn't even have time to catch her breath before succumbing. For her part, Belial worked with an expert delicacy, taking care to not miss a spot on her victim's adorable feet. Her work finally completed, she sat back and just admired the incredibly ticklish extremities.

"Are...are you done?" Blossom asked, praying she didn't sound too hopeful. She wanted to return to a professional distance, but Blossom the Superheroine felt light years away from Blossom the Captive. Belial sighed happily and tossed the toothbrush over her shoulder. When it clacked against the floor it vanished, with the pail of water. Blossom mentally sighed with relief; she had worried Belial would make her drink the soapy water too.

"Sweetie...we're just now getting to the whole reason I came! Your feet are amazing..." Belial smirked and cracked her knuckles. Blossom whimpered, realizing that her feet were still completely immobilized by the invisible force Belial had put on them.

"Let's see just how ticklish they really are!" All theatrics gone, Belial stroked her fingers across Blossom's soles. She drowned in the puffs gasp and frantic giggles. The giggles escalated as she scratched across her heels, slowly up to the tips of her toes and back down. Belial hurried back to her toes, scratching the spaces between each spread toe. Blossom screamed and shivered, wiggling her legs and flailing her hands. She thrashed her head back and forth, more panicked laughter forcing its way from her lungs when Belial's fingers spidered over her arches.

Belial was impressed, she hadn't imagined she'd get the pink puff to laugh harder than when she tickled her chest. But her senses hadn't lied, the red-head's feet were more ticklish. Deliciously more ticklish, she thought with a grin. So quickly the hero was in tears, and trembling helplessly. But still...Belial noted with a frown, it still wasn't enough. Oh sure, the tickling was terrible. As her fingers skittered across her enemy's toes once again she managed to force out another scream and fall back into a steady stream of hysterical laughter. But, she knew that it wasn't heavy enough yet.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Belial stopped tickling and gently rubbed Blossom's feet. Slowly, the puff settled down, gasping for air and fighting off residual giggles. Though she smiled to maintain her position of power, Belial's mind was racing. Blossom was defeated, but she wasn't broken yet. She wouldn't be broken until...that moment. Belial grinned gleefully. So she had contradicted herself, but that moment was one of her favorite parts.

"A b-break? C-can't it be over?" Blossom whimpered, speaking barely above a whisper. Her throat was sore, her chest and sides were aching. And she was starting to feel an uncomfortable pressure in her lower belly. She swallowed and pressed her legs together. Belial tapped her chin, trying to think quickly. Needing a moment's reprieve, but not wanting to let her target get too comfortable, Belial recalled a game she loved to play with the twins.

"Oh no...we're going to play a game though. I think you might like it," Blossom moaned and swallowed, wishing she could wipe the sweat out of her eyes. Belial flicked her wrist and a stiff feather appeared in her hand. She leaned forward on the stocks and twirled it around, giving Blossom a childish grin.

"Feathers don't tickle so bad, so, ya'see, this game should be easier for you. You just have to not laugh...sounds simple, huh?" Blossom bit her lip and started to respond. Belial cut her off with a snicker, "Yeah...if you can beat my sister's record, I'll let you go," Blossom closed her mouth and stared at Belial. She lowered her head and mumbled. Belial perked up.

"What's that?" She asked excitedly.

"W...what's the record?" Blossom mumbled, her cheeks heating up. Belial grinned and sat back, eying her feet.

"Fifteen seconds," Blossom swallowed. Apparently feathers still tickled quite a bit if Belial's sister only lasted a few seconds. Belial giggled and looked up with an impish grin.

"Unless you wanna play easy mode, then you gotta beat my other sister's record," Blossom blinked and licked her lips. She opened her mouth and Belial responded without missing a beat, "Six seconds," Blossom's face paled. Belial grinned and shrugged, turning her attention back to Blossom's feet. The Powerpuff girl could only pray the two sisters were more ticklish than she was. Belial glanced back at Blossom, who clenched her fists and grit her teeth. Taking this as a sign to begin, Belial casually brushed the feather against Blossom's sole. Neither one expected the reaction.

Belial screamed and dropped the feather, taken aback by Blossom's bloodcurdling wail and eruption of laughter. She stared with a growing smile, nearly salivating. The evil girl laughed and picked up her feather, grinning at Blossom.

"Not even a second? Are you serious?" Blossom shook her head violently, staring with the most desperate look she'd managed the entire time. For the first time, Belial could see that Blossom was completely under her power.

"Don't...please don't do that again. Tickle...tickle me with my toothbrush or your fingers or anything, but please don't do that again!" Belial's grin broadened with every word, until it became the darkest, most vile look Blossom had ever encountered. Without a second thought, she brushed the feather against Blossom's foot again. The reaction was the exact same.

"Oh no...I think we just discovered your panic button! Oh...oh, oh! This is going to be so much fun!' Blossom screamed her eyes wide open and horror-struck with every gentle brush of the feather. It was the exact opposite of how Belial had described it. The gentle quill was easily the worst feeling Blossom had ever experienced in all her years of crime fighting. So soft, delicate, so light, but so blisteringly maddening. Anything would be a better fate than enduring this new brand of torture.

Belial stroked the feather with a painter's grace, tracing the edges of her soft foot, filling in the sole, painting the heel and shading her arch. Belial slid the feather in and out of her toes, even paused to lightly flick the pointed tip across the fleshy pads of Blossom's toes. Every tiny flick and stroke elicited absolute torment from her victim. The Powerpuff screamed and howled with downright painful laughter. All from a single feather stroking her sole. The most painful detail being her utter immobility. Blossom's toes couldn't even twitch held by Belial's mysterious power. Blossom clenched her legs tightly together and thrashed back and forth. She prayed the building sensation wasn't what she knew it was.

"Oh you're going to break...just gotta take extreme measures," Belial mumbled, breathing heavily and grinning almost as much as her captive. Just when she couldn't imagine the torture getting worse, Blossom's scream shattered the glass windows of the warehouse, her powers leaving her in one bellow that took out half the lights in the facility. Belial stroked the second feather wildly across Blossom's other foot, paralleling the delicate, slow strokes she took on her first target. The moment the second feather joined, Blossom discovered just why Belial had forced her to drink so much water.

"Stop! Please! Please stop I have to pee! Please let me go!" Belial snickered and sawed the feathers between Blossom's toes. Humiliation, the likes of which she hadn't even imagined possible, bubbled up in Blossom's heart as she felt her control slipping. Every breathless scream of laughter forced her one step closer to that unforgivable edge. But there was no way to fight it. Every agonizingly slow stroke across her sole, every brush against her toes, every flick across her arches drilled away at her mind, and ruined her strength.

"Oh I know...that's part of the game," Belial retorted with a mean snicker. Blossom screamed and began to cry harder, embarrassment flooding her tickle-hazed mind. She lost control of her bladder, shamefully wetting herself. Just when she thought it was over, another electrical surge of ticklish agony squeezed more out of her. Belial giggled and watched the invincible Powerpuff girl break. She was so absorbed in her game, she didn't notice the soft footsteps padding closer. It wasn't until a blast of white energy slammed into her side that Belial realized the two weren't alone anymore. Belial stepped back, feathers vanishing into thin air.

"Well what's this...the corpse decided to rise and shine?" Buttercup stumbled through the warehouse, green eyes narrowed in absolute fury. Belial noted, with a frown that it was the same look Blossom had worn earlier. She sneered and stood up straight, looking back at Blossom. She was beaten, she'd accomplished what she came for. The evil girl clenched her fists and snarled. She wasn't ready to be done, but if that was the case...she didn't have time to play with a new Powerpuff girl. She turned back to Buttercup with a smug grin. Buttercup watched the pink-haired villain vanish in a veil of darkness. Panting, barely able to stand, but with nothing but concern for her sister, Buttercup stumbled toward Blossom.

"Blossom?" The pink puff struggled to hold on, but though the tickling had stopped, she hadn't stopped sinking into a deep darkness. Staring at herself in disgust, Blossom fell back against the board and slipped into merciful unconsciousness.