Dreams of an Absolution

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I fear no evil, for thou art with me

Locked and loaded, gonna find my truth

I'm bustin through, all hell breaks loose

And you can all hide behind your desks now

And you can cry 'Teacher come help me!'

Through you all, my aim is true"

Hammerhead (The Offspring "Rise and Fall")

Dreams of an Absolution

Chapter 57

Blossom laughed, ruffling Buttercup's hair as the younger girl continued with a story about Uka-sensei going off on a student earlier that day. She glanced toward Bubbles, winking. The blonde girl giggled and nodded, confirming the story. The two had just been let out of class and Blossom had offered to walk them home. Their parents had been home for several days now, but for some reason or another, a new excuse always cropped up; the sisters hadn't been able to find the time to just be together. The Powerpuff leader sighed, tightening her hold on Bubbles' hand.

"So then he's...huh? Oh hey, aren't those your friends, Red?" Buttercup pointed out, slowing to a stop.

Blossom cocked her head and looked up, raising an eyebrow when Cicero bowed and Darien giggled, waving enthusiastically, "Oh hey, you guys...did you...need something?"

She hadn't summoned them…

Cicero cleared his throat and bowed again, "Our apologies for interrupting you! We simply erm…" he trailed off and scratched his head, face turning red.

"It's been a while since we saw you and we never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves to your lovely sisters. So, we saw you and decided, why not now?" Darien explained with a cheeky grin.

Blossom rolled her eyes, but smiled, "That makes sense. Alright, so Bubbles, Buttercup, these are my friends Darien," she gestured to the lanky teen. He grinned, shaking their hands.

"A pleasure! Blossom tells me so much about you!" he exclaimed.

Her sisters turned to look at her blushing. Buttercup laughed, "Really? Bad things?"

Cicero stood up straight, "Of course not! Blossom speaks highly of you! Ahem," he cleared his throat and approached, bowing one last time," Forgive me for interrupting, I am called Cicero, it is an honor to make your acquaintances, Miss Buttercup, Miss Bubbles,"

Bubbles giggled, "You can just call me Bubbles," she beamed and nodded, shaking Cicero's hand. The tall boy swallowed nervously, "It's nice to meet you too, Sissyro!"

Darien and Blossom laughed while Cicero cleared his throat and bowed his head, "It is, erm...pronounced Cicero, Mis-ah, I mean...Bubbles,"

"Ciseeroo?" Bubbles asked, cocking her head in confusion.

Cicero sighed, "Just...Sissy is fine, Miss- ah, I mean...Bubbles," He glanced up at his mistress nervously when Bubbles giggled and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Sissy! I can say that! Okay, it's nice to meet you Sissy, and you too Darien!"

"Yeah, Blossom told us a little about you guys," Buttercup began, hovering up to Cicero's eye level, "She met you guys in Japan, right?"

Darien beamed, "That's correct! In Tokyo, as we were boarding the same flight to Townsville. It was almost like fate," He sighed and the girls laughed. The five resumed their journey down the sidewalk, now talking boisterously.

The redhead just shook her head, a small smile on her lips. She'd have to thank Aku later; this was a good idea.

"Woah! You really know how to use a sword?" Buttercup exclaimed. Cicero chuckled and nodded, stroking his chin in a way reminiscent of his master.

"Yes, I've taken it upon myself to master all manner of weaponry. Swords, spears, even more modern artifacts such as guns. It isn't easy, but I always strive to be the best! Honing my body and mind to best serve my maaaahaaa….ahem, to best serve my needs," He quickly corrected himself, glancing at Blossom. To his surprise, his mistress hadn't noticed his slip of tongue.

"That's awesome! I always wanted to learn to use a sword, but dad says it's too dangerous," Buttercup rolled her eyes, "Okay, yeah, a sword is dangerous, but my fists are fine. You know, the fists that can punch holes in buildings? Whatever, Dad is such a worry-wart," she laughed.

Meanwhile, on Blossom's other side, Darien and Bubbles seemed to have hit it off.

Bubbles squealed, "You collect pets? What kinds? Can you talk to them? I can talk to animals! I love animals, especially kitties and puppies and fishies and-"

"Ah yes! I do speak with them every day!" Darien responded with a giggle, "It began as a hobby, but well, you can ask Blossom or Sissy," he grinned toward his partner; it quickly became a frown when he realized Cicero was too absorbed in his chat with Buttercup to notice his taunt, "All of our friends call me the...Collector," He chuckled.

"That's so cool! I wish I could have pets, but we have a kitty now. His name is Valentino, our dad was a little scared of him, but that's just because a cat took over his brain a couple years ago and made him jump off a building, but we caught him and saved him and now he's okay and he even pets Valentino every now and then and it's super cute!"

Darien nodded, "Yes! Yes! It is wonderful having so many pets. Such work, but such reward! Yes, yes!"

Blossom sighed and shook her head. Why hadn't she thought of introducing them before? Sure, Bubbles had no way of knowing that Darien was talking about the stolen souls of people they'd killed, but their interests weren't so far apart...and Buttercup would be horrified to learn that Cicero used his skills to cut down anyone who dared to stand against Aku, but...were they so different? Buttercup used her own skills to beat down anyone who stood against order; to beat down the enemies of the Powerpuff Girls.

Pink eyes snapped open; a scowl pulled across her lips. The others continued walking, unaware that their leader had come to a halt. Blossom lowered her head, perking her ears. There it was again...a gunshot. She looked up.

Suddenly a scream rang out, so shrill it could be heard over the afternoon traffic. Anyone and everyone around them froze in their tracks. Cars swerved and stopped in the road; onlookers stared in horror. That wasn't the scream of someone witnessing a monster.

It was something much worse.

"What are you waiting for? Go! Darien, Cicero, you can help. Oh, but Darien," The two little Powerpuffs rushed off, while the older boys stayed behind, falling into step with their mistress. "Darien, get the wraiths out and searching. Cicero, I want the minions patrolling as well. I have a bad feeling about this," The two nodded. Darien's eyes became solid blue; Cicero pulled a cell from his pocket.

Blossom hurried after her sisters.

XxXxX

The citizens of Townsville weren't known for their ability to handle pressure. And, sure enough, as soon as Blossom arrived on the scene, the bystanders were already in a panic. She heard Buttercup shouting at someone to get away; Bubbles was doing her best to push back the growing crowd. An eerie hush fell over the crowd when Blossom touched down by the body.

Malph, owner of one of Townsville's favorite little grocery stores, hung halfway through the broken window in front of his store. The Powerpuff leader knelt down beside him, pulling his head back. A bullet, right through his forehead, she noted with a grimace. Malph deserved better than that. She gently laid his head back down and glanced around the area.

It was likely his work, and he always wanted her to know when he was pulling the strings. He wanted to scare her; he only managed to make her angrier.

"What's going...oh," Darien muttered, slipping through the crowd and approaching the scene. He squatted beside Malph and frowned, peering over at Blossom from the corner of his eye. His frown deepened when he caught the subtle shake of her head.

"Bubbles! Buttercup, are you unharmed?" Cicero asked, finally joining them.

"We're fine just…" Buttercup swallowed, a lump forming in her throat. Bubbles just stood to the side, rubbing her eyes and sniffling.

They weren't used to this sort of thing. Blossom scrunched her nose and glared at the shards of broken glass beneath her feet. They shouldn't need to be used to it. They deserved better than this. Taking a deep breath, Blossom relaxed and took in the whole scene.

The cash register was closed, untouched other than the owner's fingerprints on the keys. There was a scuff along the counter, along with a torn button lying on the floor. Other than a scuff, the counter was clean, most of the blood was on the floor in front. Then there was Malph, thrown face first through the window. Blossom narrowed her eyes, noticing something in his back pocket: a card. Plucking the card free, Blossom turned it over, hoping for fingerprints.

Nothing...just, "the ace of spades...how original," she muttered, throwing the card to the ground. Malph had been minding his own business, just doing his job. The killer likely grabbed him by his collar and drug him over the counter. Then he shoved him up against the window, put a bullet through his brain and shoved him face first out to the street. There were no bruises or signs of a struggle, so her best guess was that the killer was strong and quick.

That made sense, they likely had superpowers.

She sniffed the air; gunpowder, still fresh. The killer didn't have a lot of time to run, her sisters likely showed up less than a minute after the scream. Busy as this part of town was, whoever screamed must have done so the second Malph smashed through the window. Blossom glanced up at the ceiling. There were several cameras watching the counter, but something didn't seem right. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath. Electrical burn, coming from the nearest camera. The killer wouldn't want her to be able to identify him.

"Alright, we're, Blossom! Sorry it took so long-" Officer Perez trailed off when the Powerpuff girl turned to him and shook her head.

Blossom spoke low, just to him, "The perp is gone, check around for clues, don't forget to check the security footage. I'm pretty sure the cameras are all defunct, though. Possibly a metahuman, so keep the other officers away from him. If you see anything, call us," Perez nodded and began to give directions to the rest of the officers. Blossom approached her sisters, turning them away from the murder scene.

"Do you...do you think it's...do you think it was…" Buttercup swallowed.

Bubbles whimpered and sniffled, clutching Blossom's hand tight.

"Probably him. I found a card that I think was left for me. I don't think this is the end, none of these freaks ever stop after just one…" Blossom trailed off, looking up and around at the crowd. Someone was watching her, someone other than Aku. She recognized her boyfriend's stare, but this one...this was a cold, hateful glare. Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched. The killer was in the crowd, watching her. She was starting to grind her teeth; she could feel heat rising from her eyes. It was getting colder, everything was starting to look red.

"Blossom," Bubbles voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Blossom knelt down and gave her little sister a hug, "Don't worry, we'll find him...I promise, okay?"

Bubbles looked away and bit her lip. She nodded and returned the hug, whispering, "Don't let it get to you, okay? You can't let him make you mad." She pulled away and blushed.

Blossom sighed and laughed. Why was it so easy for Bubbles to see through her?

"I promise. Listen, girls, I want you to find the Rowdyruff Boys and get them to help us look for this guy. I don't want any of you out alone. We're likely dealing with another Chemical X monster here,"

"My Lady," Cicero snapped to attention, bowing once more, "Allow us to assist you,"

"I planned on it, you and Darien see what you can find. People won't recognize you, maybe they'll be quick to open up?" Blossom stood up straight, gesturing for Bubbles and Buttercup to be on their way. The two nodded and hurried to find the boys. "Cicero, call Abby, we'll handle getting her out of her shift tonight, but I want her help. She was able to find Doppelganger before," Cicero nodded and walked away, making another phone call. Blossom turned to Darien, "Darien, we're going through with Figaro Sierra Maximus,"

Darien bowed, "Of course, are there any exceptions?"

Blossom turned and paused, glancing up at the sky, "Ms. Bellum, I'll speak with her. All others are fair game, just as we planned," Darien nodded and disappeared into the crowd. Blossom closed her eyes and snorted a small stream of fire. He, or she, was gone. If she wasn't quick, she could only imagine how many people were going to die. Blossom sighed and took to the air.

It wasn't that she was afraid of having blood on her hands. She just wanted that blood on her terms, not his.

XxXxX

"This is terrible. Already six assassinations and no clues to go on," Ms. Bellum sighed, reading through the latest report she'd received from the chief of police. In light of the mayor's...untimely end, she'd been appointed to acting mayor until an election could be arranged. With the way things were going, she was growing increasingly concerned that said election would never come to pass. Worse, she worried she'd never be free from the responsibility of running the city herself.

"Every victim has an ace of spades on their person...some kind of calling card? What kind of sicko are we dealing with?" She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"One of Dick's super-minions," Ms. Bellum jumped, hearing the cold voice in the shadows. She peeked up, spotting the young woman sitting near the door, flipping one of the killer's calling cards around between her fingers.

"Blossom! You, ahem, I'm sorry. You just startled me," Ms. Bellum apologized, sliding to her feet and approaching the heroine. She froze when Blossom gestured for her to sit down, still glaring at the card. Nodding, she relented, taking a seat on the mayor's old love seat.

"I don't mean to intrude, Ms. Mayor,"

"Please don't call me that,"

"It's true though, as of right now, you are the Mayor of Townsville," Blossom flicked the card, so hard it cut through one of the flowers on the mayor's desk. Blossom crossed her arms and fixed Ms. Bellum with an unflinching stare, "And when the election comes this fall, you'll officially be the Mayor of Townsville,"

Ms. Bellum shook her head, "Blossom, I don't want to be the mayor. I was happy helping...Mayor…" she hiccuped, her voice catching in her throat. "I just wanted to be his assistant, I didn't want this to happen. Things were perfect the way they were before."

"I agree," Blossom sighed, "The Mayor was a good person. An idiot, but a good person. With you in his corner, I never doubted that the city could be made a better place. And that's why Dick killed him,"

Ms. Bellum gasped when Blossom's eyes lit up on fire. The room was getting colder, she could see her own breath.

"No, you have to take his place, Ms. Bellum." Blossom explained, looking down at her hand. Her skin darkened and her fingers became claws, "I can't afford to deal with someone else, not while this is going on. Not with what's going to happen soon,"

"Blossom, what are...what were you...I just want to...re…" The words caught in her throat when Blossom rose to her feet. She sat upright when the Powerpuff leader approached her. Her claws gleaming in the darkness. Blossom patted her cheek, leaning closer, until she could feel the flames on the young woman's breath.

"You're going to be the mayor. My mayor. Do you understand?" she whispered.

Heart pounding in her chest, Ms. Bellum nodded instinctively. She shivered when Blossom smiled and patted her cheek.

"Don't worry about the assassin, he won't be able to get near you as long as I'm looking after you," Blossom explained.

Ms. Bellum looked around, now noticing that there was a cleaning lady watering a plant behind Blossom. She peeked up at the mayor, her eyes glowing solid blue. The mayor shuddered again, wrapping her arms around her middle, "Blossom, what are you doing?"

"I'm saving the world, Mayor Bellum,"

"By becoming a...a…"

"Becoming a villain? No...this world doesn't need another villain. It doesn't need another hero," The doors to the office opened. There were two security guards, both had a burning black tattoo on their left hands. They glanced at the mayor and nodded, bowing their heads as Blossom took her leave, "This world needs something better."

One of the guards glanced at Mayor Bellum again, then slammed the door shut. Mayor Bellum returned to her desk. Someone, possibly the cleaning lady, had left something for her.

It was a business card. Mayor Bellum picked it up and flipped it over. There was just one word burnt into the surface. She gasped, letting it fall back to the desk. That name…

XxXxX

"D-D-DAMMIT" The word flew from her lips before she could control herself. Snarling, Blossom smashed her fist through a filing cabinet, throwing it across the room. Icicles clung to the ceiling; more forming with every harsh breath she took. Blossom growled and knocked over another cabinet, stomping through the police chief's office.

How many times had she come close to trapping him? How many times was he going to escape? She could still recall his gaze. He'd been here, he was in the building when she arrived. He'd seen her; she'd likely seen him. But now, nothing! No one to question, no one to interrogate, no one to kill!

Baku rested his hand on her shoulder. He winced when she whipped around to face him, but his smile diffused her budding frustration, "Hey, it's cool. We're gonna find this guy, even if we have to tear the whole city apart." He cooed, pulling her into a hug. She was stiff and unresponsive at first, but after a moment, her face warmed up and she wrapped her arms around his middle, screaming into his shoulder.

"I don't understand! How is it I can never pick him out of the crowd? He was just here!" Blossom screamed again.

Baku rubbed her back, shushing her, "It's okay, at least he didn't kill anyone this time," he pointed out, glancing toward the body of the chief of police.

There was a hole in the middle of his head and an ace of spades lying beside him. Suddenly, the corpse coughed and sat upright, the hole in his head healing. He reached up, wiping the blood from his face, "Apologies, Mistress," the chief's eyes were glowing bright blue. His voice echoed with the ghost of his living voice, and that of his new demonic master, "I couldn't get a clear look at him. I've failed," he bowed his head.

"It's fine, it's...fine." Blossom growled, pulling away from Baku. "Clean this place up, I'm going to look for him,"

"Let me come with you, you're in no mood to be alone," Baku insisted, starting after her. He reached for her arm, but one of her tendrils tore out of her shirt and slapped his hand away.

"I'm fine! I'm…" she took a deep breath and sighed, crossing her arms tight over her chest. Closing her eyes, Blossom began to count to ten, like she used to so many months ago when she and Buttercup were fighting. The red fog in her head became thinner; it was a little easier to think clearly. "I'll be alright, just take care that no one asks questions,"

Baku nodded, though she didn't notice as she hurried out of the police station. A few of the living officers stared at her, clearly frightened by the mess she'd made. She lowered her head and sighed, counting to ten again.

There had to be some clue, some way to pinpoint exactly who was behind this. It wasn't like Doppelganger or Ka-Boom. Clearly after she'd slaughtered the first of Dick's minions, he decided it wouldn't be a good idea to face her head on. But, Doppelganger had made a point to taunt her. That let her track them down much easier.

This one...this...archangel was avoiding her entirely. Blossom growled; avoiding her and stalking her all at once.

She blinked. Her communicator was beeping. Maybe Dexter or one of the others had found something? She answered the call, but no image appeared on the screen. Just a black fog.

"Powerpuff Blossom," the voice was unfamiliar, but she knew who it was. Her hackles rose and her nose scrunched. Her eyes began to burn.

"You...you're the one behind this,"

"I am the Herald of Death,"

Blossom snarled at her communicator, glaring at the black screen, "Where are you? What are you trying to prove?"

"I will burn down this city in the name of the Messiah. First, those who worship its false goddess will die. Then, those who waited until now to repent, will die. There is no more hope for Townsville. Remember April," And with that, the call went dead. Blossom screamed and threw her communicator at the ground, shattering it to dust and smashing a hole in the sidewalk.

Dick had given up any pretense of being a savior. Now he was just a cold-blooded murderer who was out to get her. Was that his game? Was that what he planned?

Blossom snarled and took off into the air. If Dick believed the endgame was so close, who was she to argue? If he wanted a war, why not give him what he wanted? She was the goddess of this world, he would learn that. She would make sure he learned that lesson well.

XxXxX

"Hey so why are we here? Should we be, like, looking for that guy?" Buttercup asked, trailing along behind Blossom. The oldest sister had asked her to accompany her, though she wouldn't say where they were going or what they were doing. Buttercup glanced back towards Townsville, which was slipping further and further away. She shivered looking around at the forest. It seemed quiet, way too quiet. Normally, this far out, they'd have run into a lumpkin or something. But...Buttercup looked up at Blossom. Her sister didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Blossom?" she called, coming to a stop. Blossom paused and glanced back over her shoulder, "What's up? You're acting weird."

Blossom sighed. She glanced around, noticing a fallen log, and motioned for Buttercup to sit down. The two sat in silence for several minutes. The younger stared at her sister expectantly. The older stared down at her folded hands.

This would be the hardest conversation she'd ever have, she thought with a frown.

"Buttercup," Blossom began, hushing whatever Buttercup was about to say, "Do you...trust me?"

Buttercup blinked and looked down at her feet.

Blossom licked her lips and fidgeted with her hands. Whatever the answer, she'd promised herself, swore to herself, that she would tell her everything. Whether she accepted her or hated her, she was going to tell Buttercup everything. She deserved to know the truth. She deserved to know everything. Especially...if they really were nearing the end of the line.

If Dick was going to force her hand, she refused to let him until she had a chance to talk to her sisters. Until she had a chance to let Buttercup know everything.

"Yeah," Blossom's heart jumped to her throat and her mouth went dry, "Yeah, I mean...I don't really understand what's going on. With you and Dick...you and Aku, but I trust you. I uh," Buttercup blushed and scratched her head, "I know we fight a lot...a lot, especially after...you know, but, I mean…even after all that y-you're still..." she crossed her arms, torn between a smile and a frown, "C'mon, don't make me say it…"

Buttercup looked up at Blossom. Blossom looked down, eyes wide, "You're my h...my h-he...I trust you, of course I trust you. Cause you're...Blossom," Buttercup's cheeks turned bright red and she looked away. She only blushed more when Blossom pulled her into her lap and hugged her. The smile on her face only grew with her blush.

"You mean that?" Blossom whispered.

"Yeah, I do," Buttercup whispered back. She gasped when Blossom set her back down and rose up from the log, pacing away.

This was it, Blossom thought. This was the moment when she'd finally….finally take off all her masks. She'd finally peel away her disguise and...and really show Buttercup who she was. Buttercup, who trusted her in spite of everything. Buttercup, who still thought of her as a hero. Buttercup...who deserved so much better than she'd given her so far.

Blossom clenched her eyes shut, clenched her fists and steeled her nerves, "Buttercup I...I want to t-tell you everything. Everything, the good...the bad...the ugly, every single thing because you deserve to know. You deserve...you deserve…" Blossom breathed in, her breath shaky, "You don't have to agree. If I scare you, I'll understand. If you...if you hate me, I won't blame you,"

The Powerpuff leader shuddered when she heard Buttercup laughed. It was a nervous laugh, "Blossom...I don't think I could ever hate you. I've tried," she laughed again, "it sucked."

Blossom smiled. Her heart was still racing, but somehow, she knew this was right. She knew she could do this. With a soft sigh, her horns rose up from her head. Her wings spread from her back, slipping under her shirt, and her eyes lit up the night. With another shaky breath, she turned to face her sister, all masks cast aside.

"Woah…" It was just one word. One word that tumbled out of her mouth. But that word brought tears to Blossom's eyes and made her laugh. She began to laugh uncontrollably, covering her mouth to stifle the sound. Through her watery gaze, she could see Buttercup blushing, smiling.

"This...you s-saw me like this before," Blossom explained, her laughter finally dying down. "But, this time, this is real. Not just a dream. This is…" Blossom spread her arms, "The real Blossom. The real me,"

Buttercup floated toward her, hovering at eye level, staring at her. When one of Blossom's tendrils waved by her face, Buttercup caught it. She laughed when it tugged free from her grip, "How do you move them?"

"It's just like having a few more arms, I don't really have to think about it...are you?"

"This is so cool…" Buttercup murmured. There was a hitch in her voice, some part of her was still afraid.

Blossom pulled her tendrils back and sighed, looking away, "I'm sorry,"

"Why?"

"You've spent so much time trying to tell everyone I'm not a monster. Trying to convince everyone I was still good. Then," Blossom gestured to herself, "Tada...it's all true. I am a monster. I always have been, just...it was buried so far down, I couldn't see it,"

"Yeah, you are," the casual tone, the way Buttercup just shrugged, caught her off guard, "I mean...yeah it's hard to believe...you told us before, but seeing you like...this is the real you. Right? The...other one, the one at dinner, that was a fake?"

Blossom shook her head, "My body was a disguise, but that's all. I'm still Blossom,"

Buttercup nodded. She had to understand, Blossom thought. She needed Buttercup to understand. Just because she was a monster, just because everything Dick had convinced the Ultratuffs...just because it was all true, it didn't change that she was Blossom! It didn't mean she didn't…

"So then, he's right, yeah?" Buttercup asked.

Blossom tried to speak, but the words caught in her chest. She crossed her arms and nodded, tendrils snapping at the air in agitation.

"You're the devil?" Buttercup prodded.

Blossom closed her eyes and nodded again. It was starting to snow on the outskirts of Townsville. "Does it...do you…" she started, but couldn't finish. She couldn't bear to hear the answer.

"Scare me?" Buttercup laughed, "I'm the toughest, remember? Big, strong Buttercup, I ain't scared of nuthin!" She sighed and scratched her head, "Okay, maybe a little bit...it's...it's like you were before, you know? You look almost like...but…"

Blossom blinked when Buttercup pinched her cheek. The tomboy smirked, "I can still see it's you. That's the difference. You're you, you're m…" her lips trembled and her confidence began to waver, "You're m-my sister...m-my Blossom,"

Buttercup sniffed and rubbed her eyes, the smirk quickly returning to her face, "So, that's...that's good enough, you know? You...look scary, yeah it scares me. But, you're still Blossom. I can see you're Blossom so...I...I don't hate you," Buttercup laughed and shrugged, "I told you, I...I can't hate you. You've always been m-my, um…" she sighed and nodded, "You've always been my best friend. Just cause you're a monster, doesn't mean I want that to be over,"

Blossom reached out, taking Buttercup's mitts in her hands, "I don't want that to end either. I love you, Buttercup, more than anything. I…I just want to make this world better. I want to…"

"What? What are you and Aku gonna do?" Buttercup asked, keeping her voice low.

Blossom started to look away, but caught herself. She shook her head and looked her sister in the eye. She deserved the truth, no more lies, "We're going to take over this world. I'm going to take over the world,"

Buttercup laughed, "So, what, you're a villain now? Are…" she frowned, "Are Bubbles and me supposed to stop you?"

"If you want to try," Blossom replied, "But you can't stop me. No one can stop us at this point,"

"Heh…" Buttercup chuckled, "I figured. We been fightin villains trying to take over the world our whole lives. You're too smart to mess up like them, aren't you?"

Blossom giggled, "I would hope so. I figured all I need to do is just look at what Mojo has tried and just try the opposite," The two laughed. Blossom finally let go of Buttercup's hands. Her arms fell to her sides. Despite the smile on her lips, she could see that Buttercup was torn.

"So what, then? Just, you feel like it and you're evil so take over the world, huh?"

Blossom shook her head, the smile slipping off her lips. "No, it's not like that,"

"So, why then? Why not just...I thought things were fine the way they are now. We protect the city, everyone is happy. Right?" Buttercup's voice hitched. There were tears slipping down her cheeks that she angrily wiped away. More quickly took their place, "Answer me! Why does anything have to change?!"

"I can't leave things like this, Buttercup," Blossom explained, "Things aren't perfect, they're just getting worse. You can't see it because I've...I've been trying so hard to hide it from you and Bubbles,"

"The world doesn't need more heroes. It doesn't need new villains either. Dick thinks he's a hero, standing up to the devil. But some people think he's a villain and expect us to be the heroes to stop him. How is that fair? How is that right?"

"What...what do you mean? That's how it's always been. We're the good guys, we fight the bad guys…" Buttercup sniffed and rubbed her eyes again.

Blossom sighed, reaching out to wipe away her tears. Her touch lingered on the scar covering Buttercup's face. Her sister blushed and looked away, "Remember how things used to be? The worst things we fought were Mojo's robots or the Rowdyruff Boys. We never got hurt too bad, everything just...worked out. But the stronger we got, our enemies got stronger. Every time we won, someone stronger took their place." Blossom laughed mirthlessly, "Eventually, the only thing left to challenge the Powerpuff Girls...was a Powerpuff Girl,"

Buttercup shook her head and crossed her arms. Her lips trembled, more tears slid down her cheeks.

"Now, we've got Dick running around, claiming he's saving the world. What happens after him, hm? Now the bar is raised even higher. To challenge the Powerpuff Girls, the villain needs to be even stronger. Dick managed to…" Blossom's voice caught in her throat, overcome by a snarl. Buttercup glanced up at her. Her eyes were burning brighter.

"He managed to kill Bunny. He managed to hurt you. What's the next person going to do? It's not a game, it's an...an arms race. One that is going to keep hurting us, keep hurting you and Bubbles. What about Mom and Dad? He tried to hurt them...what if we weren't there? No...no, no, no!" Blossom barked, turning away. Her tendrils whipped at the ground, her claws dug into the palms of her hands.

She was on fire, but the air was freezing.

"So...you're going to...take over? How will that help? Won't...heroes just try to stop you? Won't…"

"No." Her answer was so curt, so confident Buttercup's heart skipped a beat, "No more heroes. No more villains. Heroes and villains belong to humans, people so weak and frightened they have to rally around someone powerful to tell them right or wrong," Blossom turned back to Buttercup. The sudden snowstorm began to lighten up, "I will tell them what is right and what is wrong. They can't decide, they've never been able to to," she spat.

"That's...that can't work. People won't just...doesn't that make you…"

"Maybe, right this moment, that makes me a villain. But, if it means I can make a world where you're never hurt again," Buttercup's mitt slid to her scar, "If I can make a world where Bubbles never has to cry again. I'll be anything to make that world. I will be the villain. I will be the Devil. If it means you never get hurt again, I will be anything, and do anything,"

Buttercup was silent, still holding her face.

"You don't have to join me," Buttercup looked up, shocked, "You don't...have to agree with me. You can hate me, you can fear me, you can fight me. Even if you spend the rest of your life fighting me, I'll never raise my hand against you again. I will never let you or Bubbles be hurt because of me. And, even if you fight me every step of the way, I will make a world where you can finally be happy. Even if...if that world doesn't need me in it,"

"Stop it!" Buttercup shouted, grabbing Blossom's hand. "I...don't ever talk like that! A world without you? How...how could that ever be right? How could I...how could I be happy if you weren't there? You're my…" Buttercup blushed, dropping Blossom's hand.

She couldn't hate Blossom, even when she tried so hard to.

"Buttercup...do you trust me?"

The little girl looked up. Blossom was holding her hand out to her. Buttercup swallowed the lump in her throat and shivered. With a sigh, she slid her mitt into Blossom's hand.

"I'll always trust you...Leader Girl," Buttercup smirked, "You lead the way...and I'll follow, even if I argue the whole time,"

Now, Blossom felt warm tears on her face. She pulled her little sister into a hug, "I love you, Buttercup...I swear I'll make the world you deserve."

Buttercup returned the embrace, resting her head on Blossom's shoulder. She closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to hate being treated like a baby. That part was silent when she snuggled into her big sister's arms and hugged her tight, "I love you too, Bloss,"