Disclaimer: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls. It is owned and created by Craig McCraken, and by Cartoon Network.

An Education From HIM

Peace reigns between the Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys. Even as the boys claims that they remain evil, they become close to their counterparts, becoming penpals and playmates to each other. Yet HIM watches, and vows to shatter their peace. Chapter 11. The Boys fulfilled their part of the bargain. Will HIM fulfill his part and free their beloved teacher? And what of Mojo Jojo?

Book II (VI)

The Tasks

Chapter XI (XXX)

The Rescue

Please, please, leave a review. Thank you.

103 (292). Pictures

The girls hopped to the living room. Blossom was glad. Five minutes more! She hoped that their ransom would be paid for real. She did not know how much more she could take. It was about six hours straight, since about two in the afternoon, that they've been tied. Thankfully, Brick made it bearable by making time fly. She really enjoyed both the quiz in the form of the True or False and the Multiple Choice game, and also got much enjoyment out of reading his books.

She never knew he could be so kind and considerate. And she enjoyed his company. Now if he only acted like that when they were free!

Now was the time. She wondered who it was that Brick got to pay for the ransom. Or what the ransom would be. She was sure it was not the Professor since she doubted the Bludgeoner would include their dear-old-Dad in such a game.

But at last, they would be free! Free! Free! And they would give the boys a piece of their mind for prolonging their game so much. If it wasn't for Ms. Keane…

They hopped, and her eyes widened. There was Buttercup, leaning on Butch, who was clutching a controller. How long had they been playing? On the floor were dozens of discarded cartridges, and judging by their eyes, Butch had been playing all afternoon and all night, and she had been watching—her attention fixed on the violence of the game.

Blossom nearly fumed. If she could talk, she would give a stern lecture on her for wasting her time on video games and corrupting her mind with violence. Really, if she wanted violence, she could have it in their training simulation.

And she would talk to Brick to tell him to discipline his middle brother. Because if Butch would continue to act so immature, then he could be a bad influence on Buttercup. And her task of disciplining her middle sister would get harder.

"Die! Die you stupid monster!" the green ruff shouted as Butch's character emitted laser eyes and struck the monster! "Yeah! Yahoo! I win!" he shouted, and Buttercup yelled too.

"I'm glad you're finished," said Brick. "Look at the time."

"Already?" asked Butch.

"Yes. Let's prepare the girls."

What did Brick mean, for prepare?

"Pinky, sit on Buttercup's left. Bubbles, on Blossom's left."

Both girls obeyed, hopping to their respective places.

Butch cleaned up his mess, unplugging the Play-station from the television, and putting the game cartridges in their respective places.

Boomer left and returned with an old-style Polaroid camera. "Now girls," said the blonde, "look at the cameras, and look like you're mad or distressed! Act like you're really kidnapped by evil bad guys."

It was easy to act like it. The boys made the game so realistic that it wasn't hard to act like they were tired and wanted to be free and wanted this game to end.

He took several pictures. He then got another camera, a digital one, and took more pictures.

104 (293). HIM's Plans

Brick looked on as Boomer took the last of his pictures. The photos were for HIM. It was to show the red lobsterman that they really did kidnap the girls. It was to make him believe that it was a real kidnapping and it wasn't a fun game. The expression on their faces and their eyes would be all that he would need to convince him that what they did was a real crime.

…

Boomer set up their DVD player and popped in a recently released movie, Chicken Little.

As the girls settled in watching, the three boys quietly sneaked out.

They went upstairs to Brick's room and called out. "HIM! It's time!"

…

HIM was in his pink room, watching his exercise show. He was wearing green exercise gear, and he was on his couch, following the instructions.

"One, two, three! Come on girls! You can do it!" the voice in the television said. Normally, he would have watched the boys and the girls in their predicament, but it happened to be the day of his favorite exercise workout. Too bad it conflicted with the last day of the tasks of the boys. Still, he checked them occasionally. All throughout, the girls were held captive, bound and gagged, except when they were fed lunch and given bathroom breaks afterward.

The girls would hate the boys after this! Hate them, hate them, hate them! They broke the truce! They violated the agreement! And with the boys forbidden to tell the girls the real reason for their captivity, their relationship was irreparable. And with the boys isolated, hurt, and broken, it would be easier to take the boys into his fold once more and manipulate them into being his servants and lackeys like they were before. It was going to be fun breaking their spirit and independence.

Oh, it was amusing to see them try to get out of the grip of the Evilest of Evil. He had to admit, it was entertaining to see them use HIM's words against him regarding the first two tasks. But HIM worded his third task carefully, and the boys would have no choice but to break their agreement with the girls. HIM expected the girls to get beaten up or killed but kidnapping them was the next best thing.

And he had something even eviler up his sleeve. If the boys were stupid enough to fall for it, the Powerpuff Girls would be his forever.

Oh, he was so clever! He remembered one time he played a similar game with the Powerpuff Girls, making them do various tasks or the Professor would "pay"! Of course, the Professor at that time was not really in danger, and their tasks were more mundane. And he remembered the time he made the girls beat up their loved ones by possessing them and making them evil. But that was foiled when the girls beat up their loved ones.

How would the boys get out of the predicament he put them in?

THEY WON'T!

"And one, and two, and three!" he said as he rotated his legs as he exercised, following the video.

"HIM!" he suddenly heard. "It's time."

"Time already?" HIM wondered, irritated at the interruption. He looked at the clock. 8:05 pm.

"Yes, it's time. Let's see if the boys would be good puppies! Too bad they had to interrupt my favorite show," he said to himself in his high-pitched voice.

He waved his hands and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

105 (294). The Refusal

He smiled as he saw the boys in their room.

Brick had a wicked grin on his face. He was holding photographs. "Look at this. We just took it! They were our captives all day! Isn't it a lovely crime to kidnap the greatest superheroes of Townsville?"

HIM took the pictures and gave a happy smile. His boys were living up to their end of the bargain. It was indeed a despicable crime. Look at the eyes of the girls. So scared, so angry, so tired! He could see it in their eyes. They hate their captors.

This would be so delicious!

"Aren't we great?" Butch said, laughing. "We took them against their will, tied them up tight all day long, made them miserable!"

"Yeah! We did evil! We're criminals!" Boomer boasted.

HIM was so happy with the boys.

"You can see them for yourself!" said Brick. "Show yourself to our captives! That would be glorious!"

"Oh no! Not that! You won't trick me into revealing my role in this!" said HIM. "I'm going to watch from here."

He waved his hand, and a television appeared against the wall. It came alive, and on the screen, they saw the three Powerpuff Girls, tied and gagged, on the couch.

"That is so sweet!" HIM said, looking at his adversaries.

"And now, we've done our part," said the Bludgeoner.

"Yes. We committed a crime against the persons of all Powerpuff Girls!" the blond continued. "Ain't we evil?"

"Yes! Evil! We did everything! So now, do what you said you'd do! We did all three tasks!" Butch added.

"Free Teacher Keane!" Brick shouted.

"Oh yes, you did well!" said the lobsterman. "Yes, yes, your teacher will be released. But before that, I want to say, thank you."

"Um, for what?" asked the boys.

Can they be so dense?

"For giving me what I wanted!"

"Huh?" asked Boomer.

"The Girls! The Powerpuff Girls!" said HIM.

"What about them?"

"Don't play dumb. You kidnapped the girls for me! Now they're all wrapped up like a Christmas Present, and helpless!"

"You want the Powerpuff Girls?" asked Boomer.

"Why yes! Wasn't that the reason you kidnapped them in the first place? Give them to me, and Ms. Keane would be yours once more!"

…

Brick looked at HIM. Did that freak really think that they kidnapped the girls for him? And did he think that he would give the girls to him?

A few months ago, he would have accepted the deal without hesitation. A few months ago, he would happily have handed over the girls in exchange for their beloved teacher. He had hated the girls before.

But now, it was different. Not that his opinion of the Powerpuff Girls changed at all. Or that he began to like the girls! Or that he became closer to the Powerpuff Girls, especially Blossom. Or that his relationship with them was vastly different from before.

It was their knowledge of Ms. Keane's closeness and love for the Powerpuff Girls that changed. If the Powerpuff Girls were gone, they feared that it would kill their teacher. The girls were very precious and very close to their beloved Teacher. What use was there of freeing her from HIM if she would die within because the girls were gone?

He would be lying to himself if he denied that he wanted the agreement with the girls to succeed. They had become useful to him, as playmates, amusing companions, no doubt, and penpals too. It would be a waste to give it up to HIM. Not that he cared about them—no, he was evil, and they were his enemies, but it's more convenient to have the girls around, and sometimes, they were fun to be around with.

Even for their sworn enemies. No, he didn't care one iota for the girls.

And he was not in the mood to give something to HIM that they didn't agree to. He would not give HIM a single thing he wasn't entitled to. And the girls weren't his to demand.

His answer was clear. He stole a glance at his brothers, and their eyes told him everything. They were of the same sentiment.

And he knew how to refuse without looking soft.

"No."

106 (295). The Girls are Ours

…

HIM's smile disappeared when he heard the eldest ruff say, "No."

"What do you mean, no?" asked HIM. "Don't you want to save your teacher?"

"Of course. And we did all that you asked us to. We committed a crime against the Powerpuff Girls. We didn't promise to give the girls to you, and you didn't ask us for it before. So, you must release Ms. Keane, right now," the leader answered.

"But what are you going to do with the girls if you're not going to give them to me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" said Brick.

"Don't play games with me, foolish boy! I hold the life of your beloved teacher! Give the girls to me, or your teacher would suffer!"

"Don't you dare do such a thing!" said Brick. "If you do so, I'll free the girls, and tell everything since we won't lose anything."

"You dare defy me?"

"We already did, when we chose Mojo. What's one more thing?" said Brick. "So why don't you release our Teacher?"

"Eager little fellow, aren't we? What're the girls to you? Why not give it to me!"

"We won't. You cannot have the Powerpuff Girls!"

"Why not?"

"Because they're ours."

"What?"

"The Powerpuff Girls are ours!" he repeated, exasperated.

"Don't tell me you've grown to like those wretched superheroes," mocked the lobsterman.

"Nothing's further from the truth," Butch said.

"What do you plan to do with them after this?" the demon inquired.

"Oh, we'll release them," Boomer answered.

"You'll what?"

"It's really simple, HIM. The crime we did is kidnapping. To be more precise, it's kidnap for ransom. Get it now?"

"So, you're holding them for ransom?" asked HIM.

"Correct. That's eviler and carries a greater penalty under state law than mere kidnapping. By demanding ransom, I commit a worse crime! Ain't I evil?" said Brick proudly with a perfect wicked grin.

"But why release them in the first place?" asked HIM.

"Because, I could kidnap them again, and gain more ransoms in the future! Sure, I could demand everything right now, but if I let them go, they'll buy new things, and make more money, and I could take it away by again kidnapping them again!" said Brick.

"Yeah. It's gonna be a cycle!" Butch asserted. "We'd be evil all the way."

HIM puzzled why his boys refused to hand over the girls. It would be so easy! The girls were helpless! Why?

Then suddenly, he realized something. They said The girls are ours.

Of course!

A naughty smile formed on his face.

"Oh, I know what's up! You like the girls!" HIM said in a teasing tone.

"Huh?" Boomer said, scratching his head.

"What do you mean?" asked Butch.

"Yeah. They're our enemies who happened to have a truce and an agreement with us," said Brick.

"You like them! You know, like them?"

That sailed past their heads. "Like them? Huh? I guess you could say that," said Boomer. "They're friendly and all. But we're not friends if that's what you mean."

"Don't get the wrong idea just because we're not killing each other!"

HIM looked at them. They were seven-years-old. Of course, they would not get the hint.

Time to be blunt.

"I mean you know, like them like they are your really close friends. Like girlfriends?"

Then realization dawned on them as their eyes widened.

"No way! That's disgusting! I ain't doing nothing that would get me cooties!" said Brick, gagging.

"Yeah! Girls are bad and weird!" Boomer agreed. "All too soft and hard to understand. They play stupid dolls and dress-ups and like to do stupid kissy stuff!"

"And they wear dresses and are sissies and are weak!" Butch finished.

HIM gave a high-pitched laugh. "Then why don't you prove it? Give them to me?"

"No way!" said Brick. "We don't like them, but they're good company, and they'll be a good source of stuff in the future when we kidnap them again! Imagine the ransoms!"

"And Ms. Keane likes them enough, and don't want Teacher to be sad," Boomer said.

"Aw, and yet you don't like them and don't like romantic stuff?" asked HIM.

"Yeah! That's yucky!" Brick said.

"Yet you say the girls are yours!" said HIM.

"Well, they are. They are our captives. They are tied and gagged. We decide what they do, and when to free them. Until we free them, they're ours!" said Brick without flinching or being embarrassed.

Ah, the joys of being innocent.

"Give me the Powerpuff Girls! Or you really like them!" said HIM, trying to provoke the boys.

"No!" Brick replied again. "And we don't like them! They're not yours! They're ours! Right boys?"

"Yeah! Ours!" Butch agreed.

"Yeah!" Boomer added.

107 (296). Giving Up

HIM was disappointed. He really hoped that this would be an excellent opportunity to get the Powerpuff Girls. Damn! He should've made his third task more specific. If he knew that the boys would have kidnapped the Powerpuff Girls to fulfill the task, he would have demanded that they give the girls directly to him.

HIM could renege on his word, but that was not his style. He was naturally playful and being playful meant following the rules of the game—even if he stacked things in his favor in making the rules. But he would never change it in the middle of the game. In the past, when he played with the Powerpuff Girls, he always retreated when the girls managed to outsmart him. And now, the boys, despite his best efforts, were outsmarting him!

Despite everything, despite ruining everything, that still made him proud. The boys that he had brought back to life became smart on their own, and now, beat the evilest of evil in his own game!

If only the boys would come back to him!

Time to retreat on the issue. He was beaten, but it was fun. Fun and the boys showed that they were as bit as good as the Powerpuff Girls.

So evil!

And he still gained his original goal. The Powerpuff Girls would hate the Rowdyruff Boys! The boys broke their truce by committing the horrific crime of kidnapping the girls! He's going to watch the girls see the boys for who they really were—still evil, ready to commit any crime. And when the boys are separated from the girls, the boys would be easier to gain for himself.

And he might as well get as much fun and embarrassment as he could. Something he could use against them in the future.

"Very well," said HIM. "The girls are yours."

"And our Teacher?" asked Brick with a firm voice.

"I return her to you. Still, you must do something for me!"

"What?" Butch asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just one simple thing."

"What?" asked Boomer. "If you think we'd give the Girls—"

"No, no, no!" laughed HIM. "It's really simple. Since you won't give them to me because you say the girls are yours, I want you to repeat it. And maybe I could record it on tape?"

"Huh?" asked Brick, mystified at HIM's request.

HIM waved his arms, and a video camera on a tripod appeared.

"Just say again that the girls are yours. And do it with passion! And your beloved Teacher will be freed!"

"Um, okay!" said Brick, clearly puzzled. "Um, the girls are ours?"

"Say it with more feeling! With more pizazz!"

"Okay. The girls, the Powerpuff Girls, are Ours!" Brick said in a loud voice.

"And you two also!"

"The Powerpuff Girls are Ours!" Butch said in a low voice.

"The Powerpuff Girls are Ours!" Boomer said in a louder voice.

"Very good! Very good! Now, try to say it individually. Like your counterparts are yours."

"What?" asked Brick.

"Say that Blossom is yours."

"Why?" asked the ruff leader.

"I just want you to state a fact. Say that she is yours, all yours. Better yet, say her full name, and say that she is yours. Forever."

"Okay," said Brick, still having no idea what HIM wanted him to do.

"Okay. Three, two, one, and you're on!"

"BLOSSOM CATHERINE LYNN UTONIUM, COMMANDER AND THE LEADER OF THE POWERPUFF GIRLS IS MINE! ALL MINE! FOREVER AND EVER!" Brick said, in a loud voice.

"Very good! That's very very good!" said HIM. "Now, Butch."

"What's this all about?" he asked. "They're our captives. They're ours!"

"What harm will it do?" asked HIM.

"Oh okay. BUTTERCUP THERESE UTONIUM, THE TOUGHEST FIGHTER, IS MINE! ALL MINE! FOREVER AND EVER!" Butch nearly shouted.

"Is it my turn?" asked Boomer.

"Yes," HIM said, with the biggest grin he ever sported.

"BUBBLES JOY UTONIUM, THE JOY AND THE LAUGHTER, IS MINE! ALL MINE! FOREVER AND EVER!" he said in a thunderous voice.

"Good! All recorded! Do you know what you just said?"

"Well, we actually said that they're our captives, that we've kidnapped them and no other, but why did we say forever? We're gonna free them after the ransom arrives and they're not ours anymore," Brick asked.

"Oh nothing," said HIM, before collapsing into laughter. He'll have so much fun with the video as soon as they're older. Now, they're too young to understand what they've said.

But as soon as they're older…

"What so funny?" Boomer asked.

He stopped laughing as both boys had blank expressions on their faces.

"Free Ms. Keane now!" Brick demanded.

"Yes, yes. But one thing. You must not tell the Powerpuff Girls the real reason you kidnapped them! And the same goes for Ms. Keane. I assume you will tell her to keep her mouth shut?" HIM asked.

"That goes without saying," the leader replied.

"Good. Because if you renege, if I learn that you or Ms. Keane told the Powerpuff Girls that you kidnapped them to save your precious Teacher, then I'm going to get very angry. I am going to take away your teacher, and this time, you won't be able to save her! And I'm going to make you very miserable. Got it?"

"Got it!" said Brick. "The girls won't know what's this is all about."

108 (297). Sandy Keane in the House

Sandy Keane was anxious.

In her home in the middle of nothing, she was reading old magazines. She wished she had company, but she was not selfish enough to want someone to share her misery.

The magazines were of the old variety. Mostly in the 1970s and 1980s—magazines that she remembered in her parent's farm. She had nothing else to do at the moment. It carried news during that time—she saw an article about Mayor Jay Mayor looking very young in the 1970s. And he saw pictures of the Professor and herself when they were young—in a school photo about an article about Pokey Oakes. Oh, she missed those days.

She had already cleaned the house ten times over. Everything was spotless and shiny. There was very little dust—not surprising considering that she was living in the middle of a black void. She had explored every part of the house—from the basement to the attic. The cellar was traditional—with the heater and the washing machine, and a couple of old couches. On the attic were lots of junk—she had organized the junk to pass the time away—from old books to older appliances—there was even a black and white television set and an old-style phonograph and even old records. There was also an old original Beatles record and even some of Elvis Presley's from the 1950s.

Where did HIM get this house?

Not that she was complaining—it was better than nothing, and it had a certain charm to it. Her imprisonment, or house arrest, was comfortable as far as physical things were concerned. She discovered domestic skills she never knew she had. The food in storage changed if she found that it was too monotonous or it wasn't to her taste. And the clothes were old-fashioned, yet comfortable. And the very fact that they were old-fashioned, more likely from the 1950s and the 1800s than in the 2000s, made it a delight to try and see how pretty she looked like.

But all those small comforts were scant consolation for the loneliness she felt and the fact that she was a prisoner. Looking out of the window and seeing the black void reminded her that she cannot leave. Every time she looked at the old-style phone, she was reminded that she cannot call anyone. She had picked it up one time, and it was dead—it might as well have been a toy. She wondered why HIM bothered to furnish the house with a phone—probably for the look and feel.

She was lonely and felt like a prisoner.

But her greatest worry concerned her boys.

She was shocked by their narration of the first two tasks. Stealing the Diamond of Despair! And the Powerpuff hotline! If the Powerpuff Girls found out, they'd be in trouble as the boys cannot admit doing it to save her. She was thankful that Mojo had helped them keep the illegal operations stealthy.

She had no doubt that they were doing the third task assigned to them. She knew that her boys would do all they could to save her and get her out of her prison. But at what cost?

What would HIM demand of her students?

She was worried.

The first demand was to commit a crime. The second was to commit a crime against the girls. What would be the third?

She hoped that the boys didn't do something they'd regret, even for her sake. She worried. What if she was rescued, only to find out that her boys were outlaws and open villains, and the Powerpuff Girls hated them?

That would be unbearable. All her plans, all her work, would be wrecked!

All because one lobster-like Devil cannot accept that the boys chose their real father as their father!

Her musings were interrupted by a cloud of smoke forming outside.

"Sandy!" she heard the high-pitched voice outside the house. "Come out, come out!"

She hurried out of the house and saw HIM standing on the grass in the front yard.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" she asked politely.

"Hello, Ms. Keane. I have some good news for you."

She maintained a neutral expression. "Yes?"

"The Rowdyruff Boys have completed the third task. You will be free."

"That's good news."

"You want to know what the third task was?"

"I'm curious."

"Well, I told them to commit a crime, a terrible crime, against the persons of the Powerpuff Girls, not just their property. And the Powerpuff Girls must know that it was the boys that committed that terrible crime. You know what the Rowdyruff Boys did?"

"No."

"They kidnapped the Powerpuff Girls. Held them captive all-day long. They held them for ransom. And they will release the girls after they got what they wanted," said HIM. "I don't need to tell you that you can't tell the girls the real reason why they did the crime."

"I know."

"Needless to say, something terrible will happen to both the boys and girls if you told them."

"I understand."

She maintained her calm expression, but inside, she was reeling. What did you do, my boys! You didn't have to do it just for my sake!

She could only hope that the girls would forgive the boys. Kidnapping the girls! That was terrible! Terrible! Terrible!

"So, you're sending me to the Rowdyruff home?" she asked.

"Oh no. If you just appeared out of nowhere, the girls might figure out what's going on," HIM said. "I'm sending you back to your house."

"Thank you."

"And I have to compliment you on the job you did. The boys really are smart and learned cleverness and common sense—things I never guessed they'd have."

He waved his hands, and Ms. Keane began to feel faint as her surroundings began to spin and she felt the ground under her feet begin to crumble.

109 (298). Mojo's Day

What was he doing here?

He was Mojo Jojo! A genius chimpanzee! Yet here he was, reduced to doing a stakeout outside the home of Sandy Keane, sitting in his ordinary car, waiting for the lights of the house to be switched on. What was he? Reduced to a regular cop doing work on missing persons?

He was here because of his sons. More specifically, his eldest son, the future Emperor of the World, Brick.

Even if he was irritated by this menial job, he still relished the struggle that he was part of. For this was a struggle against HIM. One that he would win for his sons. For the ultimate prize would be control and custody of the Rowdyruff Boys. And because he had gained them, he would give all to retain them. He would fight tooth and nail against HIM to maintain the allegiance of the three boys with superpowers.

He was glad to help. First with stealing the Diamond of Despair, and then the Powerpuff Hotline. Doing those had the added benefit of discomfiting the Powerpuff Girls, something that would never become old for the genius, even if he was pretending to be good. He imagined their shocked faces upon finding out that their precious hotline, the instrument that had led so much pain to Mojo before, suddenly disappear while they were having a picnic with the Rowdyruff Boys.

The first two tasks were easily accomplished. Only the third task remained.

…

But throughout most of the day, before he came home, he had no idea what the third task was. He stayed ignorant as he slaved away making the last modifications of the invention he intended to patent and mass produce. It was only when he returned and saw Buttercup Utonium tied and gagged in the living room, with Butch besides her, playing video games, that he an inkling what had happened.

Earlier…

It was about five in the afternoon…

"What is going on here?" asked the monkey as he stared at Buttercup, bound and gagged, wrapped in a green blanket while Butch was beside her, playing video games.

Butch scarcely stopped by pressing the pause button, looked at him and said, "We kidnapped the girls. Brick will explain."

"Brick? Where is he?"

"The library, Pops," he said, and he unpaused the game, ignoring the genius.

What was going on?

He walked into the library and saw an even more astonishing sight—Blossom and Bubbles, tightly tied and gagged, sitting on chairs, and beside them, standing, reading with them, were their counterparts, occasionally flipping the pages.

"What is going on here?" he asked.

The kids looked at him, and Brick went beside him and said, "Pops, let's talk. Boomer, turn the pages for Blossom, will you?"

"Will do," said the blond.

"Pops, let's go somewhere private," said Brick.

"My lab."

"That would be a good place," his eldest son said.

They walked to Mojo's lab.

"What's going on?"

"We're playing."

"What? You mean you're playing kidnapping the girls?" asked Mojo.

"Yes, and no."

"I don't understand."

"Listen. Don't tell anyone, especially the girls. Remember the diamond and the hotline?"

"The first and the second tasks, yes, and… Don't tell me the third task was—"

"Commit a serious crime against the Powerpuff Girls, against their persons, and not their property, and the girls must know that we committed the crime against them."

"Wait! Are you telling me that you want HIM to think that this is a real kidnapping while you want the girls to think you're just playing?" asked Mojo in a loud voice.

110 (299). Favors for Brick

"Don't be too loud, Pops. Please! Keep it down. The girls and HIM might hear us."

"Okay," Mojo said in a whisper. "But let me tell you that this is ingenious! More ingenious than I ever could have imagined. Now, while I think that the theft of the Diamond of Despair and the Powerpuff Hotline were plans of genius, those two are nothing to compare with kidnapping the Powerpuff Girls! But of course, you must be careful. For if the conditions of the diamond and the hotline are the same, you cannot ever tell that you are doing this to save your Teacher. So, the girls must not have an inkling that this is not a game. Which means you must keep this game a fun one, or they might resent you and wreck the written agreement. And HIM must always think that this was real."

"I know."

"So what can I do for you? I want to help! I want to participate in hoodwinking that accursed devil! HIM is even more accursed that those accursed Powerpuff Girls! I never thought that I'd meet anyone even more accursed than those accursed Powerpuff Girls, but I finally met someone who is more accursed! Not that I thought he was more accursed than the accursed Powerpuff Girls when I first met HIM the very first time, but now, I realized the truth that he is the most accursed being ever to exist, which makes him even more accursed than the accursed Powerpuff Girls! Curse them all! Curse the eternally accursed HIM! Curses!"

"What?" Brick asked.

"I want to do my part and frustrate the schemes and plans of HIM! I want to make sure his plans fail! I want him to lose!" ranted Mojo. "I want to join in your plans, Brick! You should've told me earlier that you planned to kidnap them!"

"I only thought of it after you went to work," said the leader. "Listen, Pops. I want a favor."

"Anything! I want to spit in the eye of that devil who tried to steal you from me, your rightful father! Who does HIM think he is?"

"Okay. We are expecting to free Ms. Keane by eight in the evening. Could you please, if you have the time, go and greet her at her home when she comes back? And please deliver this letter?"

Brick handed him a thick envelope.

"This is three letters actually. One from me, one from Boom, and lastly, from Butch. These are instructions. See, we wanted to keep this illusion of a game, so we need to have someone pay the ransom, and the Professor's out, so—"

"You need not tell me anything else," said the Monkey.

"Oh, and please order some food for, say, six kids, and two adults, later for nine in the evening. We're gonna have a celebration!"

"Anything else?"

"Could you tell Ms. Keane what's going on, and about the kidnapping and stuff?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. Oh, and one more thing, Pops. If it is okay with you, that is."

"I'm listening, my son."

…

Outside the house of Ms. Keane…

So, there he was, on a stakeout. He had been there since seven in the evening. He had earlier placed an order in a restaurant to deliver food later that night. And now, he had in his pocket a thick letter from Brick to Teacher Keane when she came back.

He looked at his watch. 8:10 p.m. What's keeping them? Did HIM see through the boys' ploy?

The lights on the living room suddenly came on. It's about time! he thought.

…

111 (300). Letter from Brick

Sandy Keane found herself back in her home. Same room, same house, same look. And she was wearing the same clothes she wore when she disappeared. Yet everything was so dusty—the consequence of nearly a week without housekeeping.

And what was that smell? Was that?

Yes, cat urine and cat feces. It seemed as if the litter box of her cat Valentino wasn't cleaned—not surprising, as there was no one at home. The smell was so intense that nothing else could draw her attention, and she hurriedly switched on the light.

And the house was mostly in order, except for an overturned lamp. Still, the smell was so overwhelming, that she had an urge to go to the bathroom and clean the entire house. But then, she heard the doorbell ring.

Who could that be?

Could it be the boys? But then, she wouldn't want them to go inside the house. It reeked! She looked out the peephole, and it was Mojo Jojo.

What was Mojo doing there?

She opened the door and stepped outside and closed the door so he would not have time to smell it. It would be so embarrassing.

"Hello, Mojo. I'm afraid I can't invite you in," she said.

"That's all right. Brick sent me. He asked that you proceed and sit in my vehicle. There, I will tell you everything."

Then she remembered everything. She gasped. What about the third task! That meant that the Powerpuff Girls were held captive at the Rowdyruff Home.

She hurriedly went and sat shotgun on Mojo's car. There, on the chair, she saw a thick envelope, where Teacher Keane was written in Brick's handwriting.

She sat down and opened the letter. There were three papers inside. She read the topmost first.

Dear Teacher,

I am so glad that you're free! I am so happy that we finally freed you from the clutches of HIM. We will never abandon you! And we will do everything so that you may be satisfied.

I'd like to say more, but it's urgent that you do as I asked. Please, it's vital that you do what I am going to ask to the letter.

Mojo Jojo, is, as you are reading this, driving you towards the home of the Professor. I want you to say to the Professor that the girls want to have some of their books and other stuff brought to the Rowdyruff Home for their sleepover. Don't worry, I'll explain later.

Here are the things:

From Blossom

…

Ms. Keane's eyes widened as she read Brick's letter, at the things the boys were demanding. She was not sure that she could obtain it from the Professor, but she'll try her best. She continued reading after the list of items.

…

Please, please, do your best to obtain the above items as soon as possible. Beg, cajole, do anything to get it! Steal it if you have to! I'm sure Mojo will help you if you decide to get drastic. Let's not hope it will come to that, but it's better to be prepared.

Now, after you get it, Mojo will drive you to our home. When you arrive, you will shout that you've come to deliver the ransom and that we should free the girls. We will let you inside. And all the things from Blossom will go to me. From Bubbles to Boom, and from Buttercup, to Butch. Don't worry, we will just borrow it in reality, and the girls know it too.

Please make up some excuse, because we all thought that HIM will release you by lunchtime, and so we had to make an excuse to the girls that the ransom payment would be delayed until at least eight in the evening. Make it believable. Remember, the Powerpuff Girls must think that this is some kind of gigantic kidnapping game. And remember, the girls were continuously tied up since the morning, and so they may not take it too kindly if the game had a disappointing end or if it doesn't make sense.

After we get the ransom, we will free the girls.

And we can celebrate afterward.

Brick K.C. Jojo

Your faithful student

112 (301). Boomer and Butch's Letters

Ms. Keane was puzzled by the letter, but she would follow Brick's instructions to the letter.

She read the second letter. It was from Boomer.

Dear Teacher,

Oh, I miss you so much. I miss your voice teaching us new things to learn. Because you of we learned lots of things and we beat those sissies the Powerpuff Girls!

Please come back to us! I miss you! We learned so much from you, and you make learning so much fun. Then we can be like one big happy family! Even if you're not actually family, you're like family, more so than Pops, although Mojo is a swell Dad, and not like that big meanie HIM.

Please come back. Not being taught by you even for a day makes me very sad. And makes big brother Brick the future ruler of the world so sad. And Butch is unhappy too.

And I made drawing of us at the back.

Boomer D. Jojo

She flipped the paper, and there was a beautiful drawing of the boys with Ms. Keane. It was Ms. Keane standing, and the boys were around her.

A single tear fell from her right eye.

She looked at the third letter. From Butch.

Dear Teacher Keane,

Hello! What's up?

I hope you're okay. Although your place in HIM's world looks fine, but without any company, you must be lonely.

Like Brick and Boomer, I miss you. It's been so many days since you've last been with us as teacher. And I really am thankful that HIM allowed us to visit you.

Hopefully, things would go back to normal. I hate that HIM is forcing us to do all these things. I mean, doing crime and violence is fun, but not when you're being forced to do it. And don't get me wrong—the Powerpuff Girls are the biggest sissies in the world and don't deserve anything—but I don't like stealing from them or kidnapping them just to please HIM.

HIM is playing mind games with us so we would leave Pops and come back to HIM. And I am sure I won't do as he says. What he did is despicable—forcing us to choose between you and Pops.

I will be delighted to see you in this world, Teacher. Take care, and always be strong. For the strong will rule the world, and that strong guy is my eldest brother, the future emperor of the world, Brick.

Butch B. Jojo

…

"What's going on?" she asked Mojo as the chimpanzee drove towards the Townsville suburbs.

"Well, you remember the third task? The boys decided to kidnap the Powerpuff Girls because it could be plausibly interpreted by the girls as just some innocent game."

And Mojo filled her with what had been happening all day long.

She gave a sigh of relief. Things were not so hopeless after all. If the girls would think this was a fun game, then the agreement won't be broken, and there would not be a need to tell them the truth. Still, what excuse should she say to the Professor? After all, she can't tell him that they were tied and gagged all day—game or not, he might flip.

…

"Sandy!" Professor Utonium nearly shouted when he opened the door to his home and saw his friend and former sweetheart. He gave her a warm hug.

"John!" she said, hugging back.

"Come in! Come in! Where have you been? Where did you disappear to?"

"What can I say? Something came up, and I had to leave in a hurry, without saying goodbye," she said, trying very hard not to lie.

"Let me guess, a family emergency, and one who's living in some remote place? Tell me no more! I understand."

"Listen. I first went to the home of the Rowdyruff Boys to apologize for leaving abruptly," she explained. "Then, the Powerpuff girls were there—"

"Oh yes. They're having a sleepover with the boys. How are they?"

"They're fine. Listen. Your girls said they need to get some things. I volunteered to get it for them," she said. "Mojo offered to drive."

"Really? What things?" he asked.

And Ms. Keane told him, omitting the fact that it was actually Brick who dictated what she was going to ask.

"Oh, that won't take long to pack," he said with a big smile as he went upstairs.

…

Fifteen minutes later…

"Here it is!" said the Professor, carrying a big blank trunk. "Let me carry it to Mojo's car."

After he placed it in the car, he asked, "are you sure you two won't stay for coffee?"

"I'd love to, but I would have to decline," said Ms. Keane. "Bye, John."

"Bye, Sandy. Bye Mojo. Say hello to the Girls for me, Sandy."

"Will do!" said Ms. Keane as Mojo started the car engines.

As soon as they were out of earshot from Professor Utonium, she said to the monkey, "Faster!"

"I know! I'm driving as fast as I could!" the chimpanzee said. "It seems to me that the boys failed to take into account the time it would take for you to go to the Powerpuff home, for the Professor to pack all those things he asked for, and to drive back home. And the boys announced eight o'clock. What time is it already?"

"Eight-forty," she said, looking at her watch.

"The girls were promised they'd be free by eight. They'd be angry since they've been tied up and gagged since early afternoon. Be ready for an excuse to spare my boys an earful from the Powerpuffs," Mojo advised.

"Don't worry about that," she said in a quiet tone. "I have the perfect excuse for them."

…

113 (302). Arrival

Blossom was getting irritated.

Her attention was supposed to be on the Chicken Little movie that they were watching. The girls had not watched it before, and it was entertaining. Yet her mind kept looking at the clock. 8:40 p.m.! They promised they'd be free by eight! If this were a real game, then they'd keep their promise.

The movie started before 8:00 p.m., so at the latest, they would get free after the film ended, which would be about 9:20 p.m. if it lasted the usual time for movies.

But she wanted to get free! Now! Fun game or not, it had gotten way too long. This wasn't supposed to be a real kidnapping, but a fun game.

But what can she do? Well, she would give an earful on the boys.

She adjusted her position. On her left was Bubbles, and on her right, was Buttercup. She looked at them—both their eyes were on the television screen. She turned her head as far as she could without disturbing her sisters.

Boomer was pacing back and forth with an agitated look on his face, Butch was sitting on another couch, his attention on the TV, a smile on his face, yet his green eyes seemingly distant. As if he was worried about something.

And there was Brick. Standing beside the couch, his blood red eyes on the TV, but even a cursory glance would indicate that he was not paying attention to the TV. When it was funny, he didn't laugh. Or even react. When something shocking happened, he did not even gasp or jump. He was somewhere else, deep in thought, his hands folded in front of him.

She looked at him and tried to read that unreadable face, that red eyes that were hiding so much. There was deep worry, Blossom could tell. Of what, she cannot say, but if her hunch was right, it was about Ms. Keane. If these were a regular game, then they would have happy looks on their faces, their attention would be on the TV or on the girls. But it was not. They were distracted.

And it was something about their Teacher. She hoped he would tell her. And open up.

Why don't they free them? What were they waiting for?

Then they heard it. A car arrived. But her sisters were so intent on the television that they did not notice.

Then there was a knock.

Again, they did not notice.

Until Brick took the remote and paused the movie.

"MM mmmphyhyh mmphh!" Buttercup said, annoyed at having her watching time interrupted.

"MMmm phhh ppphhhff?" What's going on? Blossom asked.

There was a tense silence. Brick stared at the front door.

"Who is it?" the leader asked in a loud voice.

"It's me! I'm here to deliver their ransoms!" said Ms. Keane's voice.

"MMM mmmy!" Ms. Keane? she shouted, jumping from the couch and hopping to the living room, standing beside Brick. Her sisters followed her.

"You may enter," said Brick.

And the door opened. And there she was, with her short dark hair, blue eyes, and usual orange shirt, red vest, and brown pants. Beside her was Mojo Jojo, carrying a black trunk.

She looked like she had not slept for a long time.

"I have brought the ransom of the girls!" she announced, her blue eyes wide upon seeing them.

Before Brick could say anything, there was a fast blue blur.

"TEACHER!" Boomer shouted, his voice nearly breaking, and he suddenly hugged her on the legs and began to cry.

Then both his brothers lost it too, and went and hugged their teacher and cried too.

"I'm so glad you're here!" said Butch, hugging her waist.

Brick did not say anything, just buried his head on her hers, his tears from his red eyes wetting her hair, his arms wrapped around her neck.

And she hugged them, her arms around them, tears falling from her eyes too, and positioned them so that they were all at the same level, giving a kiss on each of their cheeks.

Blossom and her sisters looked on in wonder and amazement, not knowing what was happening before their very eyes.

End of Chapter 11

As always, please do me a favor and review if you've read this chapter. Reviews really lighten my day and makes me very happy. Thank you very much for reading!

Author's Notes

To Ash141,

AAAH! I missed this story so much! I was so worried about you, I had no idea what happened! I'm glad you're back, at least for a short while. This chapter was fantastic! I missed your versions of the Girls and Boys (especially Brick and Blossom). They're all so adorable, I LOVE it! C'mon Brick, you know you like taking care of Blossom while she's helpless to you. HIM is going to do something tricky, I just know it! Can't wait for the next chapter! Until next time.
~Ash141

Yes, I missed writing and posting this story so much too. And don't worry about me, but I still am extremely busy. And I won't go away permanently, though my updates would be much much less frequent. And thank you. I'm glad you liked my versions of the boys and the girls. And yes, Brick does love to take of Blossom! But he's too young to realize it, as this chapter shows.

To XXstatictvXX,

Yes! Glad to see you updat again!

Thanks. And I'm glad that I could update again this story.

To Groudon202,

Yes, you're back! I barely even realised how much I missed semi-frequent updates for this fanfiction, but miss them I did.

It's a pity that real life got in the way of you keeping the pace with this. Though to be fair, it was amazing you managed to keep the pace as much as you did, churning out 80,000 words in almost exactly three months from Chapters 1-9 (it might be a little less due to the Author's Notes where you reply to every review, but even so!). Great that you got enough of a reprieve to return for one chapter. If it'll ramp up again, you could try setting yourself a schedule to upload a new chapter every x days. If Chapters 1-9 were across three months, that was 3 a month, averaging 9,000 words each. Assuming your chapters continue to be as long, why not try looking at just one chapter a month, same day of the month? Or if even that's too still much, perhaps one every six weeks? Just tossing that out there. If you do pick one and stick to it, informing your readers will help keep them anticipating it. No obligation to go with this, your own personal life, mental health, all that is much more important. But it's something to consider.

Thank you. Yes, one factor is that I can type really really fast, that's why I was able to keep such an insane update time in such a short period of time, but yes, real life got in the way, and it's still in the way. But I can't just leave this story hanging... And I'm trying to keep a schedule of one update per month, but I can't promise that I'll be able to maintain it.

As for this specific chapter... not a whole lot to say. I know I say that a lot, but it's especially true this time. Brick's right on Blossom's tail academically, Boomer and Bubbles have fun as they always, even Butttercup's relaxing a little around the boys, with that whole moment between her and Butch, watching him playing the game and using tactics she wouldn't have thought of. All fine, expected development, though I do question Professor letting Buttercup play a game with zombies. Unless they're cartoon-style like in Plants Vs. Zombies, don't see him letting her play a zombie game. Speaking of Professor, his little moment with overcompensating for the girls' packing given neither the Boys nor Mojo know how to look after girls was hilarious, and totally him.

I do attribute it to Buttercup pestering the Professor until the Professor gave in and let her have the game-after a lecture on the proper way of playing and to limit her playing, of course, and Buttercup making lots of promises in return. And besides, the violence of her play was nothing compared to what she does when she fights monsters. But violence on the computer still appeals to her. The Professor might think that she would outgrow it, etc...

The main thing I want to mention didn't originate in this chapter, or even this story, but this chapter brought it to mind. You have this odd fascination with having the characters tied up. Now, it's not nearly as severe as in the old Allies & Rivals trilogy, with paragraph after paragraph explaining in detail a given Powerpuff or Rowdyruff being handcuffed, leg-cuffed, gagged, tape-wrapped and fitted with anti-laser goggles and an anti-gravity belt, but it is odd nonetheless. Now, it was always, largely, story relevant, both there and here, given the characters need to be powerless briefly for tension sometimes. But even so, I still find it a little... weird. I get that how the girls would be restrained needs to be explained at least a little, as opposed to, say, Bubblevicious, where Bubbles is in Mojo's restraints and no dialogue explanation is given for why they're able to hold her back until she snaps them when he turns the laser up to 11 (yes, the reference is worth making). Again, much less severe of an issue here, and it is always story and plot-relevant, but it's still a weird and odd carryover emphasised a little more then it needs to be. I'm sure it's nothing, but it does come across, on occasion, as something that's around partially because the author wants it to be. That's only a suspicion of mine, I could be wrong.

Well it's plot relevant, and sometimes, my tendency to overdescribe some aspects of the story and to tell every detail of the plot and event spilled over. And it's a convenient plot point, so there's that.

One more thing: why is the story (as well as An Education For Power) T rated? Unlike in the second and third Allies & Rivals fics, which had some mild intense elements, there's basically nothing in these that would push it above K/PG. I can't help but wonder that you're keeping it at T because you're afraid people won't check it out if it's K. Maybe if it was K rated, but no, K won't deter people. Even the most intense fight scenes, other then slightly more description of the girls' battle wounds, don't get any more intense then the most intense scenes in the original show, and there's no thematic content that would justify a T rating (as nearly every Powerpuff fic that has the girls as teenagers would, for instance). So, yeah, K rating with this and An Education For Power fits much better. If anything, they'll help make it stand out more, when browsing, given the gluttony of T-rated fics.

As for the rating, just wait until future chapters. The reason I keep it this way was that I have a tendency to forget to change it back to a higher rating when the tone shifts. I have plans for future chapters that would, I think, justify a higher rating.

Keep it up, Tonifranz! I'll be right here when the next chapter drops, even if it takes another six months. Like it if it didn't, but I'll understand, as will the rest of the readers.

On an aside, I wish to thank you. What you've done here is return to an old story of yours and retool it to start over and improve it, even if it's basically a page-one rewrite on Allies & Rivals. Around when you went on hiatus with this last November, perhaps because of this story, perhaps for other reasons, an unfinished Powerpuff trilogy fic of my own surfaced in my mind for the first time in quite some time. Like yours, it stuck close enough to the show while going off in its own direction and kept the girls as little kids, though the Rowdyruff Boys are kept to a minor supporting role. And since then, I've been working hard to rewrite it so I can finish and conclude it, as well as rewrite the first, finished one. I haven't started publishing any of it yet, as I want to make sure I'm far enough along so that when I do start publishing it, I'm close enough to the end that it will get finished. But, it remains not only possible, but likely, that were it not for you returning and improving immeasurably on Allies & Rivals, I would not have been inspired to do the same. And I know when I published the improved Galactic Willpower, as well as the overhaul and finished version of Heroes & Villains, it will be totally worth it. And for you, and this story along with An Education For Power to be the probably catalyst for that... well, words cannot contain how thankful I am for that. But this paragraph should give you a decent idea!

You're welcome.

I'm so glad that I could help you and inspire you to finish you stories. And I am happy that my writing would be a big help to my readers.

To mayflowerbel,

Yay, Buttercup finally gets some well deserved attention! Good on her, figuring out that something was wrong and man does Blossom seen dumb in this! I mean, she didn't realise the boys were getting smarter when it was shoved in her face, she didn't realise ms Keane was kidnapped and now this? I'm not complaining though, it gives buttercup a chance to shine.

I really love the scene with the Greens. Finally, they're starting to get along! I adore this fic, keep up the good work!

Yup. Buttercup got neglected throughout most of this story and the last one. And yes, her instincts were right and is leading her to the right direction. As for Blossom and Ms Keane, she isn't dumb, as will be shown in the next chapter. And her not realizing that the boys were getting smarter was excusable.

Buttercup and Butch had so much in common. So much more than realized.

And thank you.

To William F Somebody,

I'm glad you're back in action!

Thank you. I'm glad to be back in action too!

To John,

I hope the girls would be okay.

This chapter answers that question.