Escape

Yay Ninja Bob

A/N: Rated T for violence, bad language reference to drugs, and adult themes. Not a romance story, however some bits here and there. If you're not familiar with my writing, expect some very dark themes, angst and insane characters.

Anyways, if none of this scares you away, then please enjoy. Reviews are always very very much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

-Bobby

Chapter 1: This Is Not an Exit

The water began to slowly drain from the iron casket where the blue Powerpuff Girl had been trapped for nearly a decade. The security alarms to warn the captors had been screeching loudly for the past two hours, but no one was there to hear them. The temperature of the water had grown so high, it had warmed the thick walls of the metal box to a red hot glow and sure enough… crack! With that, the boiling liquid began to seep from the tomb.

As the water level fell, Bubbles' lungs caught its first dose of oxygen in over eight years. Upon that first breath, the Powerpuff Girl sprang upward with an immediate jolt and gasped loudly for air, a terrified scream escaping her. First, the relieving sensation of air, but then quickly followed by the sudden scorching of the boiling water in which she found herself submerged.

Her dizziness was severe and her sight was blurred. Her muscles were weak, and her limbs heavy and sore from staying in the same, locked position for so long. She had no idea where she was, or what was happening, but she knew she couldn't withstand the boiling pain for much longer. It took every bit of strength and ounce of will power within her to pull herself out from the tub. Desperately, she fought against crushing gravity to crawl over the wall of the wet box. She fell to the ground with a hard thud.

She lay on her right side for a long while, coughing and spitting as her lungs struggled to readjust to the feeling of oxygen. She was naked, though she didn't have the mind then to notice. Her throat ached terribly with a sweltering sensation, burned and scarred from the boiling water she must have swallowed.

Her back stung with unimaginable pain, and she realized that she lay in the path of a gushing waterfall of steaming liquid, which flooded from the tub. Her once bullet proof, super heroine skin was so waterlogged and soft, it tore as she clawed against the ground, trying to pull herself away. She was still tethered to the water coffin with IVs, tubes, and probes, which also ripped from her delicate skin in an excruciating way as she pulled herself free.

Bubbles cried loudly in pain as she dragged herself across the hard metal floor, towards the only door she saw. She could feel the power of flight inside her, trying its best to recharge and pull her up off the flooded floor, but she was all too weak to do anything but crawl like a very sad and wounded animal.

"Blossom! Buttercup! Blossom! Buttercup! Blossom!—" She screamed and called out for her sisters, although her instincts told her only enemies could be near. She knew she should keep quiet. That would be in her best interest of survival. However, it was impossible for her. She cried and cried, as she reached desperately for the doorknob to the room's exit but no one heard her.

"Anybody! Please!"

Exhausted with her failed attempt to reach her only hope for escape, she turned and leaned her back against the metal door. She exhaled deeply, trying her best to keep calm, and faced the two large tanks of water before her. She studied the tall tanks that stood on either side of the room as her vision finally began to focus. They must have held thousands of gallons of water each. A piercing whistling sound escaped them, as the tanks began to rise in temperature. Her super hearing could barely pick up the sound of the cracking in time for her to react.

Bubbles had just enough time to take one last deep breath of air, filling her lungs to their maximum capacity, before the tanks erupted and the room instantly flooded with the boiling, hot liquid, drowning her yet again.

Blossom collapsed into her chair at the dining room table in fatigue. She had had a very busy day. Two separate monster attacks, a bank robbery, and not to mention the Professor. And her only help, Buttercup? She was, as usual, nowhere to be found. Blossom's eyes fell on a scrap of paper that lay before her on the table:

"I'll be back by seven with dinner. -Yah Sistuh YO."

Blossom laughed to herself a little as she imagined Buttercup saying the words in a silly accent only she could pull off. Even when gone, she could count on her sister Buttercup to put a smile on her face. Even though, technically, things would be a lot easier if she wasn't missing all the time, Blossom could never bring herself to blame Buttercup for her constant disappearances during the day.

Ever since the day their sister Bubbles disappeared, Buttercup had tried to act as if nothing bothered her. At least until she had her privacy. She kept to herself a lot since that day. Blossom understood how Buttercup felt, and supposed she worked the same way as she. They were strong for each other, always. But when apart... they mourned Bubbles and missed her. Alone, they felt safe to cry, to miss, and remember. But with each other? Neither ever wanted to discuss it with one another. Maybe it was because they didn't want to make the other sad. Or maybe it was because talking about it wouldn't change anything, really. But mostly, it was due to the fear that if they talked about it... they'd have to admit the fact aloud: Bubbles was gone, and would probably never return.

Blossom rested her chin on her hand, with her elbows propped up on the table surface. When she closed her eyes, she could almost remember that cheerful little giggle that belonged to her sister in pigtails. But it had been so long since she last heard the happy, high-pitched voice, that she found herself unable to recall it exactly. The memories of Bubbles were ever fading. And Blossom could never decide if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. She wanted to remember her always. And although the memories of her were of happier times… they brought on the worst heartache imaginable.

Blossom sighed deeply, and shook her thoughts away. She stared at the clock, which hung on the wall across from her: Seven-thirty-eight. She raised an eyebrow at the time.

Thirty minutes past seven? But Buttercup's note said she'd be home by seven...

As much of an irresponsible, immature teenager Buttercup tended to be, she never lied about what time she'd be home. It was the least thing she could do, after all. Especially since what happened to Bubbles after she never returned home...

An immediate feeling of panic swept Blossom and she was on her feet. She stood there for a moment, paralyzed by the sudden fear that overcame her.

She's late! She's never late! What could have happened? What if…

Several moments passed before she convinced herself that she was overreacting and coxed herself back into her chair. She sat there, extremely tense, trying to not think about the passing time.

She grew uneasy as the seconds began to add up. Another minute, passed, and yet another...

Blossom had enough. Before another minute could pass, she was out the door and beginning her frantic search for her sister.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

The dates repeated endlessly in Buttercup's head, and she knew she had to hurry up and get to her destination in order to escape this insanity that grew inside her.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen-

Finally, she had arrived. The door to the rotting shack swung open, before she could knock. "There she is!" exclaimed Ace with a wide smile, "Always right on time!"

Buttercup only smirked as she walked past him and into the dirty home that belonged to the infamous Gang Green Gang. "Yeah, so whatchya got this time, Ace?" Buttercup asked, pulling one hand out of her sweater pockets to high-five each of the gang members who were scattered throughout the room. When she reached Snake, he offered her a fat joint in place of a high-five, and Buttercup took it without question. She inhaled deeply, and let the smoke fill her lungs. She held it there for a while, closing her eyes and savoring the taste. Like lemons… or oranges. ...Definitely citrus.

The green-eyed girl opened her eyes and let the smoke escape from her lips, forming a big cloud in front of her. She put the rolled joint to her lips one more time, and inhaled again, raising an eyebrow at Ace, and then handing him the joint. "What is this?" she asked without breathing, keeping the smoke inside her before her body forced it out with a cough.

"Cranium Candy," Ace answered before taking his turn.

Buttercup rolled her tongue over her teeth, trying to decide whether or not she liked the taste. She nodded, "It's good."

"I always have the good stuff," Ace laughed as he reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a small prescription container, and tossed it to Buttercup.

The teenager caught it and shoved it in her sweater pockets. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Ace smiled. He swat his hand against hers, exchanging one last high-five. "And just wait till it actually kicks in. Light and happy. Just like you like it."

"Sounds perfect," Buttercup grinned.

"Ahh, you see? Working already!"

"Later, Ace."

"Later, B."

Sure enough, as Buttercup began her short fly home, she began to feel the effects of the marijuana.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen...

Her mind, at long last, fell quiet and at ease. Cranium Candy was definitely a strain she would have to remember for next time. Fast relief in only two hits. This one was a keeper.

As she rose into the sky, hovering over the junkyard that was the Gang's homeland, she heard it. An explosion and a big one. The super hero whipped around, to search for the source of the noise. Her eyes fell on the forest outside the borders of the city. Quickly, her super-sight zoomed through rows and rows of a thousand trees, before finding the burning building. And then just as quickly, her sight swept backward into her regular vision again. Buttercup looked from left to right, expecting to see Blossom already flying to the scene, and to the rescue. After all, this was more her thing, than Buttercup's. But there was no pink Puff in sight. Buttercup would have to handle this one on her own.

After much hesitation, she made her way to the small, lone building in the middle of the forest.

"An electrical problem? That's your explanation?"

"Precisely."

"So what now? The building's on fire! How are we supposed to get inside to retrieve her?"

"There is no going inside to retrieve her, or any of the equipment for that matter. It is too dangerous. Too risky. Any attempt would surely be a failed one. Besides… it's safe to assume that she is dead. She more than likely perished even before the fires broke out. Electricity and water naturally do not mix well. Even a super hero would have a hard time surviving such a deadly current."

"Ugh! You were supposed to be the one watching her! How could you let this happen? You idiot!"

Mojo held the phone away from his ear as the screaming continued on the other line. He rubbed his forehead in pain. Honestly? What did she expect from him? Run acoss town, through the forest and into a burning building? Fat chance. He gave the villainess thirty seconds to calm down, but when she continued to just rant louder and louder on the other line, enough was enough and he slammed the telephone back down onto its receiver.

Buttercup stood outside the burning structure, and tried her best to plan the best route to take. It probably would have been a little easier to focus on the task if she wasn't high. She swallowed hard and jetted herself through the front door of the small building.

After crashing through the hard wall, she surveyed her surroundings and saw that most everything was beginning to go up in flames. "Is there anybody in here?" she shouted.

She received no answer, instead a beam from the roof collapsed and crashed down beside her. She jumped out of the way. As the metal beam fell, it tore through an opposite wall, bringing it down as well. As the wall collapsed an instant avalanche of water began to poor from the room. Buttercup jumped backwards and into the air, avoiding the water which seemed steamed heavily from heat. As the water poured out, it began to extinguish any flames in its path.

Buttercup's eyes widened as she noticed something floating amongst the water. A body. A human body. Hero's instincts kicked in, and she swept down to retrieve the person. As she knelt down beside the body, she turned them over onto their back, to look at their face. Once the blonde girl's face was turned up, Buttercup screamed and fell backward.

A hard feeling hit her in her gut and she felt sick. She sat on the ground, paralyzed in shock as she stared at the person before her. Her mind must be playing tricks on her.

It's the weed. It's gotta be the weed. Remember that time you thought you were traveling through time? It's just like that, Buttercup. Just like that. In your head. It's only in your head. It's not her. It can't be her. …But it looks just like her. Only older. My age. Or… the age she should be today.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen days.

Eight years.

Eight years.

Eight years.

Eight years…. Six months…. Fourteen days…. I told you to go away. I told you to never come back.

Eight years.

It's been eight years.

It's not you.

It's can't be you.

Eight years. Six months. Fourteen—

"…B-Buttercup? …Is that you?"

Bubbles.