A/N: Have you ever read over your past writings and cringed for like a minute straight? Yeah, that happened to me. I cringed so hard I almost fell out of my chair. But no worries! I'm back and uninjured. Ready to try my hand at writing again. If you read this story already, you may be able to tell I changed somethings. Ya girl like to move too fast and it was really affecting the direction of the story. We're just gonna take it nice and slow from here on out. For any newcomers, welcome! Take your coat off! Enjoy your stay. Get comfortable because you're not going anywhere. :)

Disclaimer: do we still need these? I mean, its fanfiction. We all know who really owns this whole thing.

A white-cloaked figure hid among an alley shadowed by the surrouding skyscrapers. As the figure levitated slightly above the ground, it's golden irises focused on the three extraordinary young girls standing defiantly over their latest victory. Paparazzi and newscasters flooded the young girls, and if they had been any other children, they would have cowered away from the overwhelming crowd.

But these weren't just any ordinary kids. They were the—

"Powerpuff Girls! Powerpuff Girls!" A reporter shook his microphone in their faces, hoping to get the scoop on the daily lives of the little wonders who protected their city, "How do you balance your academics with fighting these huge monsters every single day?"

The blue-eyed girl tilted her head. "Academics means school, right Blossom?"

"School?" The green-eyed one exclaimed. "Look at this thing. You want me to sit in a boring classroom after killing this? The bastard looks like he crawled out of the lowest rings of Hell. I ain't goin—

The pink eyed girl slapped a hand over her sister's mouth as the paparazzi balked at the girl's language. The white cloaked figure let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes in the distance. The little green girl didn't know how right she was.

"I like the green one." A harshly grave voice rasped from over her shoulder. The white-cloaked figure plopped back on her feet in shock. She turned to the black cloaked figure behind her.

"Kharon, you're not supposed to be here." She hissed.

The figure lifted his shoulders into a shrug. "You were taking too long. I came to see if any progress was made."

"Well, your impatience is risking my "progress". It takes time to find the right virtues. Unlike vices, who can be picked up off the street...or out of the toilet."

"Whatever. Just hurry up, unless you want to spend the rest of eternity in purgatory." And with that Kharon disappeared. A thin wisp of smoke and the stench of cigarettes and decay was left behind.

The white-cloaked figure shook her head before focusing her eyes, completely gold from the sclera to the pupil, back on the three girls. A few seconds later, the green one furrowed her eyebrows and vigorously rubbed her fists against her eyes. The blue one blinked quickly for a few seconds as if trying to clear something away. Finally, the pink one's eye twitched and her little smile for the press fought to be a grimace.

"What Buttercup was trying to say is that we take school just as seriously as protecting the city. Education is very important and..."

"Just close your eyes, little one." The figure spoke with a velvety voice. Blossom inhaled and let her eyelids fall. When she exhaled, her pink eyes opened and were noticeable brighter. "And we, the Powerpuff Girls, hope to be an inspiration to all children that you can do anything you put your mind to. We are the future."

The press swarmed her with more questions but were waved away by the short, little mayor who began to address the crowd. The girls flew off towards their home and a widespread grin stretched across the figures face. Her work was done and in a wisp of white vapor, she was gone.

—
"Here, kitty kitty. Here. Come on, Calico." A white cat with orange-splotched fur cowered in the back corner of the plastic kennel. The blonde woman beckoned with her fingers and made kissy noises with her pink lips.

The cat meowed in response and slowly stalked out onto the counter and into the young woman's open arms.

"There ya go." She cooed and passed her hand softly over the animals small head. "She's all yours."

"Thank you so much!" An older man grabbed the cat and passed it down to his waiting child.

"Lemmie see him. Lemie see him!" The little girl took the cat into her outstretched arms and snuggled it against her cheek. The cat purred in familiarity. Tears gathers in the young woman's eyes as she watched the reunion. The man smiled down at his child then turned to face the woman..

"You're a blessing, Bubbles. A God-sent."

"Don't mention it. It's my job." The blonde blushed and waved as the duo left with the cat. Her bright blue eyes trailed up to the clock hanging above the door. She gasped as the hands inched closer to lunchtime.

"Oh, dear!" Bubbles tossed her white apron onto the hanger and snatched her purse from the table.

"Bye, Mrs. Pettington!" Bubbles waved at the front office as she exited the building. The busy streets of Townsville appeared before her. She lifted her hand to hail a taxi. A dusty yellow car immediately pulled to the side and Bubbles climbed in.

"Downtown, please."

As she rode to her destination, Bubbles sat in silence and let her eyes wander over the citizens of Townsville. It was the textbook urban environment. Men and women of all ages stalked the streets, some with suitcases and other with phones glued to their ears. Unsupervised children licked at their ice cream before the sun could melt it. All of the bustling city life didn't keep the birds and the squirrels from making their own habitat.

Bubbles was inspired by it all. Life itself brought her so much joy, she could barely keep from containing her bright smile. Bubbles left the taxi fare with a small tip and stepped out of the car, her smile infectious as she practically lit up the street corner.

Her arms swung by her side as she opened the door to the familiar cafe and plopped down at the table where her two sisters sat.

"'Bout time you got here." Buttercup muttered, stirring her vegetable smoothie with her straw.

"Sorry, I had a client come in to pick up his cat at the last minute. Did I keep you guys too long?" Bubbles tugged on her low pigtails.

"Chill, Bubs. I was just messing with ya." Buttercup took a sip and rested her elbows on the table. "I'm bored and Blossom here is just being a party pooper."

Bubbles quickly looked at her red-headed sister, who shot a look at Buttercup. "What's wrong, Blossom?"

"She's crying because her new captain boss lady or whatever isn't taking her skills seriously." Buttercup cut in before Blossom could speak. "I said to hell with Townsville PD and just start your own vigilante group."

Blossom tried to speak, "Buttercup-

"Well, we kinda already did that. You know, the whole 'Powerpuff Girls save the day' thing?" Bubbles said.

"Guys-" Blossom tried again.

"True, but still. Instead of giving out parking tickets, leader girl could be taking out the underground bad guys. She's got better intuition than most of the dumbnuts on the force." Buttercup took a short sip from her smoothie.

"Hello-" Blossom growled.

"Maybe it's a good thing for her. It's been a long time since we've had to fight any big monsters or crazy villains. She's probably a little rusty." Bubbles whispered the last bit.

"Girls! You cannot possibly be talking about me as if I'm not sitting right in front of you." Blossom looked sharply at her two sisters as her smooth voice took on an authoritative tone.

Buttercup rolled her eyes as a waiter approached the table to take their orders. "Uh, yeah. We kinda were."

"But seriously, Blossom," Bubbles glanced at her the screensaver of her phone after ordering a lemonade. Confetti and balloons filled the background of the picture as Blossom beamed in her royal blue police uniform with her arms draped around her sisters. Bubbles grinned with a fist pumped in the air while Buttercup gave a modest, almost uncomfortable smirk. Cops were never her thing. "You literally just graduated from the academy. Don't you think starting off slow is better? I mean, when was the last time we did any crime-fighting?"

"Normally, I would agree with you Bubbles, but I'm wasting my potential. All the skills I've acquired as a Powerpuff girl have to mean something. I can be a bigger help for the detectives than my captain realizes. I think I have what it takes to be a detective."

"So do we, but you can't just go in there shaking up the system. That's my thing." Buttercup said, slurping obnoxiously from the pretty much empty smoothie. "Who is this new chick anyway? The captain we know adored us when we were kids."

"It's some new woman they brought it a couple years ago. The precinct isn't really happy about it, I've heard, but they can't do anything about it. Captain McCarthy retired early and the Commissioner apparently really wanted her." Blossom shrugged, stirring the lemon in her water.

"If it's upsetting you this much, maybe you should talk to her." Bubbles warmly touched Blossom's hand.

"I will. I'm actually going to meet with her today...in like an hour." Blossom exhaled and straightened her jacket.

"Good luck." Buttercup said as Bubbles gasped.

"I'm sure it will go well. You're the Blossom Utonium. Just speak your mind and be firm about it. We'll be here to talk about it afterwards. Right, Buttercup?" Bubbles said. Buttercup gagged a little before Bubbles lightly slapped her arm.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Try not to get fired." Bubbles moved to wrap her small hands around Buttercup's throat, but Blossom only chuckled.

"Thanks, girls."

"Anytime." Buttercup replied with a smug gaze directed at Bubbles. She grabbed the lemonade from her sister's hand and left her with another vegetable smoothie that no one knows where she was hiding. "Catch ya later."

"Buttercup!" Bubbles groaned, "Good luck with your captain, Blossom. You're gonna be fine." And the blue-eyed young woman rushed out the door.

"Buttercup, give it back!"

"You work with sick animals all day. You need antioxidants, not sugar."

"I'm literally made of sugar!"

Blossom shook her head and smiled as the conversation reached her superpowered ears. She couldn't imagine loving anything else more than her two siblings. Her pink eyes glanced at the silver watch on her wrist. Anxiety bubbled up in her stomach. Blossom stood, smoothed our her polyester uniform slacks and left money on the table before exiting the cafe.

—

"Hey! Stop! Police!"

His feet moved quickly, with one arm clutching the brown leather satchel close to his body. The young man's wavy golden hair whipped against his forehead as he looked behind him. Two police officers were locked on him. One had her hand stuck to her gun holster, the other clutching his radio, no doubt shouting their location into it. He whipped his head to look forwards, ignoring the irritated protests of the pedestrians he crashed into.

The rush of adrenaline and the tightness in his chest excited him. The calculations of his robbery and escape raced through his mind. The "possessions" he takes home are just a plus. It was the rush that he was addicted to. The blonde bared his teeth in a grimace. These slow cops were no match for his speed. He had already won. The adrenaline was wearing off. He shot off into the air with a blue streak following behind.

"Boomer Jojo, you are one smooth son of a gun." He said to himself as he pulled his satchel from his side and peered into it. He smirked reminiscing on the one of the many catchphrases his green brother would use when they were kids. He looked up and his eyes locked onto his destination.

Boomer floated down to the front entrance of the residential high-rise. He pushed through the revolving glass doors, gave the concierge a two-finger salute as she buzzed him in, and whistled a happy tune as he rode the elevator to the upper floors.

He rapped his fist on the door, tapping his fingers against his thigh as he waited. The door flew open and forest green eyes pierced down into his own cobalt ones. The two stared at each other for a beat before Butch pulled his younger brother under one of his beefy arms and roughly rustled his hair.

"What brings you here, you little shit?" Butch said with gritted teeth.

"Geez, what a way to greet your brother who brings you gifts." Boomer struggled under the stronger man's grasp. Butch pulled him farther into his expensive condo and shut the door behind them.

"Gifts? Oh, fuck yeah, let me see what you got." He rubbed his hands together. Boomer shoved his hand into his satchel and brought out a tangle of sparkling necklaces, chains and rings.

"Boomer, what is this?"

"What?" Boomer looked up from his "possessions" innocently.

"You robbed a jewelry store? What are we, thirteen? This is the age of technology. Where are the expensive-ass watches that tell you when it's time to piss and stupid shit like that?" Butch circled around his granite bar counter into the kitchen, pouring himself a drink before moving to plop down on his couch.

"I didn't feel like going all out. There's a lot of heat out there. Besides..." Boomer began to crack his knuckles.

"Oh, fuck. I know that look. What do you want from me now? Money? Girls? Cops off your back?"

"Nah, none of that. I was just wondering if you got any...gifts...I could have." Boomer rubbed the back of his neck.

"What kind of 'gifts'?" Butch lifted an eyebrow.

"You know, like, drugs. Like, heroin?"

"The hell? What makes you I think I would give that shit to you?" Butch finished his drink and licked his lips.

"...Aren't you, like, the main drug guy or something? You run the streets, right? Or did you, like, quit?" Boomer watched him stand and walk to his kitchen.

"Boomer, shut up. What the fuck are you gonna do with that shit, anyways? Become a junkie? Hang out on the street with all the other loser addicts? Nah, not my little bro."

Boomer laughed in an attempt to lighten his sibling up. "Come on, Butch. I'm not gonna be a junkie. You know how Chemical X works...or were you not listening when Mojo used to ramble about it?"

Butch's glass shattered and Boomer flinched, staring at his brother's hand, now clutching broken glass. "Please, don't fucking mention that stupid monkey's name in my house."

"Alright, bro." Boomer raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, all I want is a fix."

"For fucks sake, Boom. If I give you a fucking "gift" , will you leave me alone?" Butch grunted, inspecting his hand for cuts that weren't going to be there.

"You don't want me to stick around?" Boomer put on a fake pout. Butch paused and looked fixedly at Boomer.

"Don't tempt me." His temperament shifted and his deep forest green eyes were soft. Boomer blinked as a brief flash of their adolescence appeared in his mind. An 18-year old Butch stared back at him.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to trap me here."

"Boomer, what the fuck are you talking about? I'm not trying to trap you. I'm trying to keep you safe."

Boomer threw his leather satchel over his head. "Safe my ass. I'm not trying to stay anywhere near him."

Butch scoffed and rubbed his temples. Boomer's eyes hardened. He was even turning into the unmentionable asshole.

"Stop being a dumbass. Boomer, you don't know what the streets are like. You won't survive."

"I've been watching you do it long enough. Now you watch me." And he flew out the window, a blue streak following behind.

"Boom." Boomer came back to reality from a stinging slap to his temple.

"Oi, fuck." Boomer rubbed a hand against his head.

"You back on Earth now?" Butch gazed at him with lifted eyebrows. Boomer cleared his throat and blinked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here..."

"You probably didn't hear me say I'll have my people call you."

Boomer slowly shook his head, his mind on the journey back from his memory.

"No? You weren't here for any of that?" Butch tsked. Boomer scratched his head and his eyes focused back on Butch, now back to his 23-year old self, with those dominating green eyes and dangerous vibe.

"Sorry, bro."

"Just get the fuck out of my sight." Butch twirled Boomer around and pushed him towards the exit.

"Wait, wait. Is there a discount code I get to use or something?" Boomer asked as he met the front door.

Butch cackled. "You're already high on something now, aren't ya Boomer?"

"No?"

"It would've been funnier if you had said yes. Catch ya fucking later, hermano." Butch said with a middle finger and a brotherly shove. Boomer shook his head with a smirk as the door slammed behind him.

"Bastard."

—

"Buttercup!"

"What?" Buttercup landed hit after hit onto the punching bag. A short, stocky man with a magazine gripped in his hairy hands, strode to her side, but not too close. He knew the dangers of standing next to a focused Buttercup.

"You did not tell me you were going to be in this month's BodyRight magazine." The man stepped further back as Buttercup sent a roundhouse kick to the bag. The metal chains creaked from the force, threatening to let loose of their hold on the gym ceiling.

"Buttercup believes in a strong exercise regiment and commits to a healthy diet of water and nutritious smoothies? Ha! More like a healthy diet of sweat and tears from her clients."

"Very funny, VIctor."

"Buttercup trains celebrities and the like from around the world and has glowing reviews to show? More like her clients are too scared they will be rolled into their yoga mats and tossed onto the freeway if they say otherwise." VIctor held his round stomach as he cackled.

"You should be a comedian." Buttercup deadpanned.

"I'm only playing with you." The man chortled, "I've got people lined up to exercise at the same gym as the great Buttercup Utonium. I have you to thank for a raise in profits."

"Hey, as long as you promise to stop making that Russian tea or whatever, I'll be here forever."

Victor looked offended and held the magazine to his heart. "What is wrong with my tea? It's a family tradition."

"Victor, it makes the place smell like shit! I know. My sister made me volunteer to help her clean up the doggy park once." Buttercup scrunched up her nose and punched the bag.

"Alright, alright. Just remember you traded your freedom for tea."

"Not just any tea. Shit-smelling tea." Buttercup pointed a finger at Victor. He threw his hands up and walked away to the front desk. Buttercup smirked and continued to wail on the punching bag, until it busted and grains of sand began to seep out.

"Damn it." She glanced around the empty gym. Sunday was everyone's "sit at home and relax day". Everyone except for Buttercup, of course, who was glad that no one was there to see her destroy company property. She unhooked the bag and threw it over her shoulder. "Victor, how about I let you keep the shit tea if you buy quality punching bags."

"Buttercup, behave yourself." He waved his hands and muttered something in Polish. "You have a new client who would like your services." He motioned towards a woman with a ponytail and a purse standing in front of the desk.

"Alright, well you're gonna have to change into some real work out clothes." Buttercup said, gazing at her simple button-up top and jeans.

"Oh, no. This is not for me. I'm here for my son." She stepped aside and both Victor and Buttercup widened their eyes. A boy, who looked no more than seven years old, stood awkwardly by his mother's legs. His curly hair was disheveled and the tan skin of his cheek was faintly bruised.

"Uh...I don't deal with kids." She said, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the chocolate ones of the little boy.

"Please. We just moved here and he doesn't have many friends or kids to play with...he's being bullied at school." The little boy silently stood and gazed off into the distance as if he couldn't hear his mother talking about him.

"Well, for the right price, I'm sure Buttercup would love to train the kid." Victor said. Before he could talk about pricing, the woman rummaged through her purse and pulled out a few crumpled bills. She shook her purse, listening for any spare change.

"This is all I have right now, but I...I can get more. Please. I just want to feel secure about my boy when I'm at work." Buttercup cringed at the begging tone in the woman's voice. Victor's words sounded muffled against her ears. All she could focus on was the little boy in his dingy white tank top, faded basketball shorts and timid eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I'll work with him." Buttercup said. She could feel the gaze of the other two adults locked onto her but the little boy was all she could focus on. Silence barely had time to fill the room before the woman broke out in tears of joy.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" The mother took Buttercup's hand and shook it with zeal. "When can he start?"

Buttercup shrugged. "Now." The woman smiled, then looked down at her son.

"Okay, Carlos, go with the green lady." The mother pushed Carlos closer to Buttercup. "I'll be back in an hour, mijo."

Then it was Victor, Buttercup, and Carlos. Carlos looked at Buttercup. Buttercup looked at Victor. Victor shrugged.

"This is all yours." He walked away. Buttercup blew out a sigh and dropped the broken punching bag on the ground.

"Let's go, kid." Buttercup led him to the mat area. She stood in front of the mirror with her hands on her hips. He stood in front of her and silently scratched his arm.

"So...you're name's Carlos, right?"

He simply stared.

"I had a friend named Carlos. Well...he wasn't a friend. He was cousins with this kid i knew named Pablo. I had to beat him up 'cause Pablo told him I said shut up and he wanted to fight me for it. I mean, it wasn't my fault his little cousin couldn't take a joke." Buttercup took a breath.

Carlos stared.

"What have I gotten myself into?" She muttered to herself.

—

"Kharon, I'm getting worried."

Kharon's coal black eyes followed the white cloaked female as she paced back and forth, hands clasped in front of her chest and her head bowed.

"Obviously." He grunted. The hood of his black cloak was casually pulled over his head. He crossed his arms behind his head and rested.

"How can you be so lazy at a time like this?" She turned to him, hands falling to her sides in frustration.

Kharon shrugged from his casual position on the ground. "It's in my genes."

The feminine figure scoffed. "We are not even made after human genetics."

"It's a saying. Lighten up, Jia." He chuckled and let his eyes roll under his lids.

"Lighten up? Look around us!"

Kharon lifted his head slightly from the jagged tombstone he had made his pillow and gazed around the quietly aging cemetery. Vines curled and squeezed around the old tombstones riddled with once maintained grass was now tall and brittle, brushing against the steel fence that enclosed the large, abandoned area. A slight breeze had begun and the smell that accompanied it wasn't exactly pleasant.

"Better than the purgatory." Kharon said and Jia let out an anguished grunt.

"We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no idea how to get to our chosen people. For all we know, they could be...fraternizing already!"

Kharon snorted.

"What?" Jia gruffed.

"You're heavens away from the big guy and you're still scared to use a little language. Just say it. They've probably already fucked, which means the world is probably fucked and in that case, we're definitely fucked."

Jia's hands were tightly clenched in fists. A white mist began to steam from her hands. Kharon's eyes were closed but his own body was emanating an offensive heat. If they both didn't cool down, a holy fight would ensue.

"Well," Jia cleared her throat and tried to resume her holy posture despite the demonic heathen lazing in front of her. "We can't just sit around and do nothing. We will soon be in the purgatory if we don't figure something out."

"We broke the rules. We're going there whether we like it or not."

"We broke the rules to redeem ourselves from our past mistakes. If you thought this plan wouldn't work, why did you agree to it?" Jia seethed through clenched teeth.

Kharon smirked. "I like playing God sometimes."

A/N: Welp, that was it. The first new chapter of Vice and Virtue. Please take the time to let me know what you think. My self-esteem and will to continue rests on the validation of other people. :)