The Beginning of Normal

It was the last day of elementary school for the Powerpuff Girls. The grade was having a party in the school's gym, complete with music, drinks, and party food. The girls enjoyed it all in a dark corner, trying to keep away from their cruel classmates. They might be superheroes to the outside world, but in this secret society known as grade school, they were just Grade-A freaks.

"I need more punch," Bubbles whispered. Buttercup scoffed. Bubbles looked hurt by her sister's reaction, but Blossom nodded in agreement: They couldn't go back to the refreshment table, not with certain people standing nearby. Bubbles pouted, "I wish I had telekinesis," she murmured.

Buttercup shook her head, "Then they'd have something else to bug us about. 'You move things with your mind. Why don't you move yourself to another universe?' Please!" Buttercup hissed. Bubbles whimpered, but Blossom did nothing to comfort her. She and Buttercup had done a lot to shelter her from the bullying they faced, but middle school was coming. The students there would be more cruel, probably too cruel for them to keep from her. They had to stop babying her if they wanted to do her any good.

"Girls, why aren't you dancing?" the art teacher asked. She was costumed, but the girls didn't understand exactly what costume she'd chosen. She was a strange woman, far too excited considering she was alone and single. From what the rumors said, the school had tried to get rid of her for years, but she was a cryer: One wrong word and she's a mound of tears.

"We don't dance," Blossom said firmly, wishing the woman away. Almost on cue, a teacher called out to her from the refreshments table. She flitted away to her task as Blossom rolled her eyes, "She's just trying to make things worse without even realizing it," she murmured. Buttercup nodded as the refreshment table became clear of students. Buttercup flew over, grabbing more punch and an armful of snacks. She returned as the teachers moved into a back area.

"Yay, more punch!" Bubbles cried. Blossom gulped and got Buttercup's attention. Buttercup followed her eyes around the gym: The teachers were gone, and they weren't the only ones to notice this. Students congregated, eying the girls with evil glances.

"Do you seriously want to keep the whole 'don't hurt the innocent' rule in place, Blossom?" Buttercup asked as the group started to approach, some of them picking up chairs. Students had tried for years to beat them into a pulp. Blossom made a rule that they couldn't fight back. The administration was just as much against them as the students, and now was no exception. They were leaving anyway, but that didn't mean they were free from discipline.

"We have to run," Blossom whispered. Bubbles, oblivious to everything, finally looked up, "Run where? Wait, what is everyone doing?"

The students descended, striking blows before the girls could react. Blossom was right, and the girls flew upwards, blasting away a section of the roof as they flew high above the elementary school. The administration hated structural damage more than them hitting victims, the girls suspected, and they wondered how that would go later.

But they didn't care. They flew to their favorite park, a patch of grass at the edge of town that was surrounded by thick woods. Only joggers and hikers came here, and on a cloudy day like today, only the bravest athletes were out and about. The girls settled into a picnic table. Bubbles looked the saddest of all, but they all looked depressed.

"What are we going to do next year?" Buttercup asked, looking up to Blossom, "You won't let us hit them, but these kids need to know we're not to be messed with. So what if the criminals left and we don't save the day anymore. We don't deserve what they do to us."

"That's still no reason to almost kill them, but...we need to do something," Blossom agreed, looking to Bubbles, "You see that this is a problem now, right? You know that none of those people were your friends?"

"I already knew that, Blossom. I was trying to be optimistic. I thought I could help them be happy if I were happy, but I think I only made them madder," Bubbles whispered, hanging her head. "Can the Professor move us somewhere else that isn't so mean?" she asked.

"No, Bubbles. We have to go to school; it's the law," Blossom replied. Buttercup scoffed, "Too bad the stupid law never did anything for us."

A moment later, their cell phones buzzed. The Professor had been called by the school, and the girls were in epic trouble. They flew home slowly, even slower than the birds and the insects and any other tiny fliers. They arrived almost an hour later, expecting the Professor to be a very angry man.

But he wasn't. In fact, he looked so hurt that the girls wondered if someone important had died. They asked, but he shook his head, patting the couch as he chewed his pipe and paced the floor.

"The school called me. They were all 'we're disappointed in the girls' and 'why would they do such a thing?', but I asked questions. I wanted to see the video of what happened before the roof collapsed. Girls, I had no idea things were so bad! Why didn't you tell me?" Professor Utonium asked in a concerned voice.

The girls exchanged glances, but it was Buttercup who spoke first, "We didn't think you'd care. No one else does. 'Oh look, the superheroes are getting their heads bashed in.' They don't care about us! Why should you?!" Buttercup screamed.

"Blossom?" the Professor asked. Blossom merely nodded in agreement. "Bubbles, what about you?" the Professor questioned. She hung her head, unable to say anything. "Girls, this is too much. I'm proud of you for not hurting your classmates, but something needs to be done, and...I've had an idea for a while now, but it's drastic."

"We're willing to try anything," Blossom said sternly. Buttercup nodded, "Anything," she repeated.

The Professor nodded and stopped pacing. He sighed heavily, "I've devised a method of extracting Chemical-X from molecular beings, meaning I can get Chemical-X out of living things. It's highly dangerous. Half of the animals I tested on didn't survive the experiment, but...I can put the Chemical-X into an amulet, making your powers optional. The effect will be strong enough for you to use your powers if needed, but otherwise, you're just normal girls."

"Professor, we don't use our powers at school, but the kids still come after us. Blossom arranged everything but the kids don't care. They want us dead," Buttercup emphasized, slamming her fist on the coffee table, sending a wicked crack down the center. No one even noticed it.

"I know that your current classmates could care less, powers or not," the Professor nodded. "There's a small private school next to the university. I've been studying there, as well as teaching a few classes, so I can check in on you, and I can afford the tuition."

Blossom and Bubbles looked happy, but Buttercup scowled. The Professor turned to her to get her thoughts. He almost regretted his decision.

"Really?!" Buttercup screeched. "Really, you bring this up now?! We've been suffering since we started at that stupid elementary school, and now you can put us in private school?! You had no idea what was going on, did you? And you don't care either!"

"I care a great deal. You're my girls, and I hate to see you hurting. I honestly didn't have the tuition money until now, at least, not for all three of you. And...I knew what was going on, but you girls seemed to be managing. The world isn't fair, and you needed to know that. But now, the technology is there to make you the same as the others, with some safe guards in place just in case the villains and monsters return," Professor explained.

Buttercup wasn't satisfied, but she didn't care. Her sisters out voted her two to one, so even if she thought the extraction process was just too dangerous, she had to accept the offer. She had to be yet another experiment.

The Professor's lab had changed quite a bit since the girls last came down. A large machine took up most of the floor, and as they meekly hovered down the stairs, the girls quickly realized that was the extraction device. Bubbles whimpered, but Blossom took her hand, trying to send some of her bravery to her sister. It didn't work, and Bubbles trembled as Professor Utonium approached with devices. He stuck them on the girls' foreheads, and Buttercup resisted the urge to rip them right off.

"I can't do all three of you at once. Who would like to go first?" Professor Utonium asked. Before Blossom could volunteer, Buttercup flew to the device. Professor Utonium nodded, pressing a button. A surgical table was revealed, and Buttercup climbed onto it.

After some instruction, the Professor moved to a small box on the side of the machine. Inside, he placed a green substance, then he moved back to the control panel. He made sure his girls were okay, then he started the process.

A brilliant flash of light filled the room, and the three girls closed their eyes. Buttercup cried out. It was a painful process, and she could feel herself being pulled into pieces, inside and out. Her cries made the others whimper, but Blossom kept her hand on Bubbles, watching as the flickers got less frequent and the noise of the machine died down.

The Professor stood and revealed Buttercup. Her eyes were a dull green now, her dark hair long and flat. The Professor looked her over, then he asked the valuable question, "How do you feel?"

"Weak," Buttercup admitted, "but I'll manage," she added, stepping off the table. She wasn't used to her legs, but Professor Utonium expected that. He provided her with a chair, and she collapsed into it as Blossom exchanged glances with Bubbles. Bubbles bit her lip, but she stepped forward. She would go next.

The process was the same for all three girls. The only difference was the color of the material, and the Professor gave Bubbles blue and Blossom pink. At the end of the process, all three girls sat in chairs, exhausted. Their eyes were dim now, their hair less full. But overall, they were in good health.

"The amulets are ready. The Chemical-X that wasn't lost in the process is inside these stones. Wear them always, but do not use your powers unless you have to," Professor Utonium warned, placing the amulets around each girl's neck. Their eyes and hair returned to normal as he did, and Buttercup felt her strength return.

But the girls could feel the difference. They would have to walk now. No more flying pillow fights, no more super powers whenever they wanted. They'd have to get used to it, but right now, they had plenty of time. Summer was ahead of them, and they couldn't wait to start again at their new school.

Summer ended, and soon the girls were walking through the doors of their new school. Students watched them as they entered the building, wondering who these new arrivals were. This private school had all the grades, K-12, and the girls would go here for the rest of their schooling. All three silently wished this would work out as they smiled through the halls.

They were immediately accepted. No one knew of the girls' abilities. Their amulets were seen as your standard fashion jewelry, as it matched each of their outfits perfectly. And because the villains and monsters had left Townsville years ago, their classmates never had a reason to see their abilities.

The girls missed flying around school when it was empty, but the three knew it was likely for the best. Children could be cruel, and the girls couldn't use their abilities on their classmates because of their super strength. Their former classmates didn't know the girls were holding back. Their current classmates had no reason to target them in the first place, and the girls made lifelong friends with those they met.

~End

Themes: New life, Bullied

Themes from my Infinite One-Shot Theme list. PM me for more info.