New Xanocite: Part 2

[blossomgb]

Buttercup spoke first. 'That'll bring them running', she stated, quietly. Blossom looked at the watch and there were some more Pries coming into the screen area.
'Right, fly but be silent. Hide up there', Steve said, pointing to a ledge. They flew up to it and waited as the scene below came into view.
'What are they doing down here', Blossom asked. The men appeared, guns at the ready, looking ready and a bit coarse. The pries appeared from various cracks and tunnels, including the one they were in, and surrounded the men as they moved in for the kill. The guns went off and some pries went down but the men were overrun.
'We've got to help them', Bubbles whispered.
'Rough does not always mean bad, but I've got a feeling about them', Steve commented.
'They might not be our enemy, but they are being attacked by somebody that is our enemy and theirs', Angel remarked. 'If we do save them, then we can find out one way or the other.'
Whatever decision they made, it had to be fast....

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rulerofice]

As Timo watched the strangers shooting at pries, he got highly worried.

"Their killing is raising the radiation level at this rate." Timo whispered.

He quickly tried to think up an idea, but all he could think up was one thing.

"Don't move." he said to everyone.

Timo slowly moved away from the group and into opening just above the starngers without them noticing. He created two ice staves then.

"STOP!" Timo yelled just when the strangers were about to fire on incoming pries, stopping them.

Timo attacks pries
Attack: Ice Beam x2
Defense. None

"I hope this works." he thought just before firing two beams at the pries, trying to freeze them.

[rcblazer]

"Timo, wait!" Blossom says, but is too late. The ice beam easily freezes the remaining pries, which helps to keep their deaths from raising the radiation level.

Pri Horde Condition: Frozen - Irradiated 4%

The two hulking mutants with red-orange skin and gorilla like arms stare at Timo for a brief moment. "What the heck is that?" One of the two armed mutants asks.

"Don't know, but it looks tasty!" The other one says. "Let's get it before it flies away!

Ult Sniper and Ult Gunner attack Timo
Attack: Sniper Rifle/Lever Action Rifle
Defense: Suppressing Fire

Timo is caught off guard when the two mutants he just helped aim their weapons at him and open fire! While the Earth equivalents of these weapons would cause little to no harm to a Powerpuff, the FL-49 versions of the bullets fired by these weapons easily pierce the skin! Timo is hit in the arm and the stomach by the shots and drops to the tunnel floor in pain!

Timo Condition: Bloody - Irradiated 4%

"TIMO!" Bubbles screams, forgetting her fear entirely as she zooms down from the ledge right at the two ults!

Bubbles attacks Ult Sniper
Attack: Punch
Defense: Fast Flight

Bubbles attacks Ult Gunner
Attack: Kick
Defense: Fast Flight

Bubbles catches both mutants unaware, landing a punch to the face of one and a kick to the side of the head to the other, but both mutants effortlessly shrug off the hits and grab Bubbles by the arms!

Ult Sniper Condition: Fine - Irradiated 4%

Ult Gunner Condition: Fine - Irradiated 4%

Bubbles Condition: Perfect! - Restrained - Irradiated 2%

"Another one! Today's our lucky day! We're gonna eat a really good dinner tonight!"

Bubbles struggles to escape their grasp, but the mutants appear to be stronger than her! The sniper easily hoists Bubbles over its shoulder as she continues to kick and scream in protest while the gunner kneels down to pick up Timo.

Buttercup attacks Ult Gunner
Attack: Laser Rifle
Defense: Duck

"Oh no you don't!" Buttercup shouts, aiming at the ult's arm and firing the rifle before it can grab Timo. The laser sears into the monster's arm and it pulls away, clutching the bruise it made on its arm.

Ult Gunner Condition: Bruised - Irradiated 4%

"Oww! Pain!" The gunner shouts, readying its rifle to return fire at Buttercup, but its target has already taken cover.

"How many are there?" The mutant sniper carrying Bubbles asks its partner.

"I saw another one. Holding a weapon that fires hot lights!" The gunner answers, turning to look at him.

Buttercup attacks Ult Gunner
Attack: Laser Rifle
Defense: Duck

"Big mistake!" Buttercup shouts as she takes aim and shoots the gunner right in the head with the laser! The gunner drops its firearm to clutch at the back of its head in pain. "Oww, head hurt!"

Ult Gunner Condition: Battered - Irradiated 4%

"We've got to get Bubbles and Timo and run!" Blossom orders. "These guys are too tough to take down; even the laser gun is barely hurting them!"

Blossom attacks Ult Sniper and Bubbles
Attack: Ice Breath
Defense: Duck

"Sorry about this Bubbles." Blossom says before taking a deep breath and freezing both her and the ult carrying her.

Ult Sniper Condition - Fine - Frozen - Irradiated 4%

Bubbles Condition - Perfect! - Frozen - Irradiated 2%

Blossom quickly flies over and fires her eyebeams at a low frequency, melting the ice around Bubbles enough to pull her free. Bubbles quickly flies over and grabs Timo, carrying him carefully out of harm's way as the gunner stumbles in search of his dropped rifle. Buttercup is about to take another shot at the ult before it finds its gun, when the other one suddenly smashes free of the ice!

"Now I'm angry!" It shouts, aiming its sniper rifle up at the upper ledge and firing randomly, thankfully not hitting anyone with its shots, but keeping them trapped behind cover.

"Now what do we do?" Buttercup asks.

Bubbles sets Timo down and hugs him tightly. "I want to get out of here! Timo needs a doctor!"

"Good thing we're on our way to see one then." Blossom comments. "Unfortunately we can't get to him so long as those two freaks down there keep shooting at us! I don't know if we should hold out here until they give up or run out of ammo."

[rulerofice]

Timo was bleeding badly and the pain made sure he stayed concious. His breathing, however, was getting weaker and weaker.

"D...arn..." Timo managed to say through the pain he felt. He could feel Bubbles hugging him. "I'm sorry..."

Blood began to come out of Timo's mouth.

[blossomgb]

'Bubbles, carry him gently when I say. Buttercup, fire on the roof space. Angel, do the same. The rest, bolt up that cavern.... NOW!'
Steve got ready to bolt as he said this. Buttercup and Angel fired on the roof and followed, still firing. The Ult's follow, but they didn't look at where Buttercup and Angel had fired. Rocks, big ones, fell from the roof onto the Ults as the area suffered a landslide. The group kept on flying as the landslide fell on the Ults, burying them and the Pries alive. There were a few shouts of 'Aaah' and then silence.
'Did you get them', Blossom said to Buttercup and Angel.
'Got 'em good', Buttercup replied.
They flew further on and then found a place to stop. Bubbles lay Timo down and they looked at him. 'He's hurt badly', she sobbed.
'It hurts', was all Timo said.
'Look at me', was all Bubbles said as she held his hand. Steve was a mixture of concerned and angry. Worried for Timo and, rarely for Steve, angry. He was angry at Professor Utonium for dragging them into this mess. Steve felt gently for the pain, and when he found it Timo screamed.
'Sorry', he said to Timo. The arm could wait but he was worried about the hit to the stomach. There was a large hole there and what looked like an intestine was poking through.
'Is it bad', Timo asked.
Steve lied. 'Nothing we can't fix up dead easily', he said. The truth is he could fix him up, but it would probably hurt. A lot.
'Blossom', he said quietly, 'go and tell Bubbles that he's going to yell!!'
Blossom looked at the wound. 'What are you going to do?'
'Something I don't want him to see', he replied. He reached into one of the pockets of his coat and brought out a tube of Super Glue. Softly he told Blossom 'You know why this stuff glues your fingers together? It was invented for soldiers in the field of battle.'
Blossom was horrified. 'You mean you're going to...
'Yes. When I say, hold the wound together. '
Blossom went to tell Bubbles while Buttercup and Angel watched on. He gently squeezed some of the glue onto each side of the skin. 'Blossom, come here'. He looked at Bubbles and said now, then Steve and Blossom held the wound together. Timo screamed with pain as the glue knitted together. Bubbles held him and cried with him. The pain began to subside, but there was no way that Timo could fly, or walk.
'Carry him', Blossom told her sister. Steve looked away, tears in his own eyes. He hoped that would hold him until they found a doctor. They took off up the tunnel...

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rcblazer]

The map leads Steve and the Powerpuff Girls to a part of the tunnel with a ladder that leads up to a door. Bubbles is carrying Timo as carefully as possible so as not to cause him any more pain or injury than he has already suffered.

"That's got to be it." Blossom says, opening the door. The door leads into a dilapidated building where several udds are seen wandering about. Some of them are wearing tattered suits and dresses, while others are wearing simple shirts, pants and jackets.

The first mutant to notice Blossom and Buttercup as she emerges from the tunnel behind her is an udd wearing a white shirt stained with oil and overalls. He is carrying a box of tools in one of his hands. "Well, look at what we got here. Couple of visitors who aren't mutants, and they're pretty ladies too. Welcome to Udd City."

"Can the sweet talk, rot-face; it'll never work out between us!" Buttercup says rather rudely. "We need a doc, now!"

"Lookin' for Seymour, are ya? Yeah he's here. My name ain't rot-face by the way, it's Wristley. I'm the town mechanic, and it's nice to meet you too."

"Sorry about Buttercup, but we really are in a hurry. One of us is hurt badly. My name's Blossom. We're here with four others: my husband Steve, my daughter Angel Felicia, our sister Bubbles, and her husband Timo. He's the one who's hurt."

"I understand. You can find Seymour in his clinic. It's the room with the sign that reads 'Butcher Shop' ya can't miss it."

"Butcher shop?!? This is 'cause I called you rot-face, huh? I'm sorry okay, but this is serious!"

"What? You think I'm jokin' with you? You really need to work on your manners lady. It may say Butcher Shop on the sign, but it really is our hospital, I swear."

Buttercup shows Wristley the laser gun. "If I go in there and find any animals being chopped up for meat and not a hospital, I'm comin' back to burn off what's left of your face!" She warns him. "C'mon Bubbles!"

"Y'know, we got a word 'round here for women that act like you, but I ain't gonna say what that is 'cause you got a child with ya!" Wristley shouts back at Buttercup as she leads Bubbles into the Butcher Shop. To her surprise, Wristley was in fact telling the truth; instead of seeing butchers cutting up meat, Buttercup and Bubbles see a room with several beds and operating tables, as well as medical equipment lining the walls.

One of the mutants inside, a woman in a blood stained white shirt and jeans turns and nods at Bubbles. "Welcome. I see your friend needs help, and you have come to the right place. Doctor Saw is almost done in the other room."

Bubbles sets Timo down as gently as possible onto a bed, then jumps in fright when she hears a pri snarling in one of the other rooms, followed by a splattering noise! The door to that room opens, and a mutant wearing a bloody lab coat and a stethoscope emerges from the room, removing a pair of bloody gloves and handing them to one of the nurses.

"Doctor Saw, a young girl who is not a mutant is here to see you. She has brought someone with her who is also not a mutant, but is very heavily wounded."

The doctor walks up to Bubbles and nods to her. "I am Seymour Saw, Udd City's doctor."

"What were you doing in the other room?" Buttercup asks him.

"Oh, you heard that? I've been trying to determine the causes of different forms of mutation that occur as a result of Radiation X. Why did some of us mutate into udds and others into pries? Most believe it has something to do with the amount of Radiation X absorbed prior to mutation, but I want to know for certain. Unfortunately, I have not had much success with the experiment. That is not important right now; who are you and how may I help you?"

"My name is Bubbles. This is Buttercup my sister, and this..." Bubbles looks at Timo, tears in her eyes. "...is my husband, Timo."

Doctor Saw looks over Timo's arm and patched up stomach. "Bumped into ults in the tunnel, right? Your husband's lucky to be alive, though I gotta give credit to whoever patched him up on the spot. I've seen worse."

"Does that mean you can help him?" Bubbles asks hopefully.

"It may take a little time, but he'll be fine. Go ahead and leave me with Timo; I'll get to work fixing him up right away." Doctor Saw answers, signaling one of the nurses to bring him some surgical tools.

Buttercup and Bubbles emerge from the Butcher Shop, where they see Wristley waiting for them along with Blossom, Steve, and Angel. "Uhh, heh heh, sorry about the way I acted." Buttercup says to the mutant mechanic. "I guess there's a reason I'm the only one of my sisters who's still single, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd imagine so." Wristley says with a chuckle. "Ehh, don't worry 'bout it. Let's start over, K? Hi, my name's Wristley, and I'm Udd City's mechanic! What's your name?"

"Buttercup." She says, playing along with a smirk. "I'm from Earth, where I find bad guys and beat them up."

"Don't know if we have much work available for a crime fighter I'm afraid." Wristley says, pointing at a crude robot patrolling the hallway. "We don't get many criminals in Udd City, and if anyone does try to steal stuff or start any fights, we got Protecto 'ere watchin' the hallways, and Ozzie workin' security. You'll know him when ya see him; he's the big guy in black leather walkin' around with a shotgun."

"We're trying to find some people who we were told came through here." Blossom tells Wristley. "A human named Professor Utonium and a Federation Enforcer named Patriarch."

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I think I saw 'em. The human was talkin' to Seymour about the radioactivity. That Enforcer with him didn't really say anything; I thought he was working as the human's bodyguard or somethin'. Kinda reminds me of the way Ozzie acts really. Strong silent types, know what I mean?"

"Do you know where they went?" Blossom asks the mechanic.

"No idea myself. Seymour might know, but you'll have to wait until he finishes patchin' up your friend in there before you can talk to him 'bout it."

[blossomgb]

'Will Timo be OK', Angel asked.
Bubbles sighed. 'Yes, but it will take a while.'
'That's good to know - that he'll be alright I mean', Blossom said. Steve was silent for a second.
'Thank God', Steve sighed. He'd been more worried than he'd let on, although Blossom knew he would be. 'That was a rush job', he added.
'Without it, he would have died, so the doc said', Buttercup interjected.
Steve didn't reply, as Timo was the important one at the moment.
'Well, we're here until he's fit again, certainly overnight', Blossom supposed. 'By the way, what was that bang we heard in there?'
Whistley answered. 'He's doing some research', he told them. 'About why people mutate different ways'.
Steve looked at the door. 'We'll wait until we are called, but I'd like a look at his work. The thing he should be working on is a cure, but anything that is central to the condition may show up something that could be used as a cure.'

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rcblazer]

Wristley leads the girls and Steve to a hall of rooms that are marked with numbers. "If you're going to be staying the night here, we'll let you use these rooms. They ain't luxury suites like the ones they probably got on those alien Feddie colonies, but they got beds and four walls, and that's good enough for us."

Buttercup and Bubbles each take a room to themselves, while Blossom, Steve, and Angel all take another room together.

Buttercup sets the laser rifle against the wall and falls backward onto the bed, quickly falling asleep. Bubbles ends up staying awake all night, partially because she is worried for Timo, but also because she is in a dark, unfamiliar room with well meaning, but scary looking mutants wandering the hallway right outside.

"It's like trying to sleep during a zombie outbreak, even if the zombies don't want my brains." Bubbles whispers to herself as she sits on the bed by herself. "No lights, no Timo... I'm too scared to go to sleep here."

Blossom prepares Angel for bed, looking at the small, unpleasant room they're in. "He wasn't kidding when he said this wasn't the height of luxury." Blossom comments. "Even if there were a bathroom with a working shower, chances are I'd advise we stay out of it anyway."

Blossom sits on the bed and cradles Angel until she falls asleep, then sets her down, a worried look on her face. "I can't even begin to imagine how the Professor is coping with being on this planet. Not to mention that Mojo and Imposter are still around here somewhere, using my own thoughts to keep tabs on us. We still don't know where they're hiding out, but they will know about everything we do, all because of me! I've never felt so detrimental to the mission, to myself, or to my family before!" Blossom starts to cry as she says this.

[blossomgb]

Steve was listening but saying nothing as Blossom was getting Angel to sleep. He was jamming the door shut from the inside and forcing the chair from the side of the bed against it, so that if anyone or anything did come in, then they'd know about it. He had a few defensive weapons in his coat pockets too.
He was about to go over to Blossom and Angel when, with Angel asleep, Blossom was crying softly after what she had been saying about this mission. He sat beside her and held her close for a minute as she sobbed into his coat. Then he lifted her face up and brushed the tears away.
'You're not putting anyone in danger.'
'I am', she sniffed.
'Please stop crying', he softly said to her. 'I don't like it, it might scare Angel and besides we can turn this to our advantage'. He kissed her on the lips.
'How'. She was non-plussed.
'If she gets everything we send, then we send stuff she does not like. Besides, she knows, like Mojo knows, that we know she senses everything. So therefore they also know that by not telling you everything, they won't get to know everything.'
Blossom looked at him.
'I know that she will have sensed that, So we can put her, albeit briefly, on the wrong path. But she knows how close we are as well and that we tell each other everything.'
'In the end', Steve added. 'And the doubt is in her mind as well.'
Blossom leaned against him. She knew that he hated lying to her but if he must, then he must. She looked up and they kissed again.
'And....', she asked.
'Think of all the horrid things that would happen to her on this planet. Burns don't look so good on a 'Model' do they, Think what the radiation would do to her. Imagine her being captured by Ults! Bet they wouldn't eat her, she'd taste to gristly'.
Blossom laughed at that. 'Seduction wouldn't work on them', she chortled. Angel stirred but didn't wake.
'Exactly. Now I've sealed the door and put a chair against it, just in case. So picture Imposter being made ugly or irradiated until you go off to sleep. I'll keep guard.' Steve tried not make that sound like an order. Blossom lay down beside Angel, pulled the covers over them both and took Steve's hand. Just like Angel, she needed to be comforted too sometimes, Steve thought.

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rulerofice]

Timo had calmed down while getting treated. The pain had been too much and had made him do involuntary movements. Seeing this, Doctor Saw had given Timo sedatives, making Timo close his eyes, while trying the best he could to treat Timo.

In his mind, Timo was crying. "What have I done? I let my guard down and I paid the price. Now I'm getting treated, Bubbles is worried sick about me, I've slowed down the whole group and... I don't know if I can even help them anymore. I've... never been this scared since the first sealing of Dark Timo."

In her room, Bubbles was silently shedding tears.

[rcblazer]

After a mostly restless night in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place for everyone, the heroes wake up in the morning, still feeling a bit tired, but still prepared to head out. Dr. Saw is standing outside in the hall as Bubbles opens the door and sees him. She nearly yelps in fright at the sight of him, but manages to restrain herself.

"Your husband is going to be all right. I've removed the bullets and put his insides back inside where they belong." Dr. Saw tells her before she can ask him anything. "His body is rapidly healing now that the worst of it has been taken care of, which I must admit I thought was only possible among mutants like myself."

Bubbles breathes a sigh that hints at both relief and exhaustion. "Thank you. I barely slept at all, and not just because I didn't find the room very comforting."

"I'm afraid I must apologize for the shoddy accommodations; as you can see, there really isn't much left in terms of luxury or comfort. The fact that most of us don't get tired or need sleep doesn't help, what with most udds wandering around even at midnight."

"Can I go see him?" Bubbles asks.

"He's still sleeping right now. He was writhing in pain a lot during the operation, so I had to sedate him. He should wake up sometime this afternoon."

"Thank you again, for helping him." Bubbles says, lowering her head as if in apology. "I know I haven't acted appropriately to you and the others, but you aren't bad people. You don't deserve any kind of bad treatment; not from me, not from my family, and not from the Federation."

Dr. Saw smiles, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It means a lot to me, to all of us actually, to hear you say that. Not everyone in the Federation is a jerk to our kind. The Enforcer that brought the Earth human here to talk to me for one. Didn't say anything, but didn't show any hostility either. The human claims that guy came here to try and heal our planet, and brought him here to help, that he's an expert on the black stuff from Xanocite that caused the irradiation of our world."

"Black stuff? You mean Chemical X?" Bubbles asks him. "My sisters and I were born from Chemical X! Professor was pushed into a beaker of it by his pet monkey, which caused him to smash it open and pour it into his recipe for the perfect little girl."

Dr. Saw is most intrigued by this story. "Incredible. Our planet was inhabited by humans who had traveled to Xanocite to take what we called 'The Black Nectar of Xanocite' and used it to create nuclear weapons. We have only ever known the black nectar to bring about the death of FL-49's humans and the birth of us mutants through what we call 'Radiation X'. Perhaps this makes us similar to each other in some small way?"

Bubbles shudders, having a sudden thought about this. "You may be right. If Chemical X was ever weaponized on Earth the way it happened on this planet, then..."

"I hope you never have to worry about that." Dr. Saw interrupts her. "It's been over fifty years since humans wiped themselves out on our world, and I can tell you that things have not gotten better for us since. Between Kai'zhar's declaration of war against the aliens and the rumors that the Federation wants to wipe out all traces of mutation from our world, not to mention what I've been hearing of this Mojo Jojo and who knows what else. We'll be lucky if a planet is left to restore after all this is over."

Bubbles suddenly finds herself feeling sorry for the mutated remnants of FL-49, now that she has a better understanding of their constant struggle just to survive on what amounts to a rapidly dying world.

Buttercup steps out of her room, wearing a green sleeveless t-shirt and blue jeans instead of her usual green dress. "Oh, hi there doc. Timo feelin' any better?"

"He is asleep right now, but he'll be just fine when he wakes up." Dr. Saw answers.

"In that case, we were told you talked to Professor Utonium, the human from Earth. Did he say where he was going?" Buttercup questions.

"He didn't say anything about where he was going to me, but I did suggest to him where to go if cleansing the planet of Radiation X was his goal." Dr. Saw responds. "There is a rotunda in the area we call the Museum where a series of large pumps are responsible for managing the water that flows from the ocean. If he could somehow add some kind of purifying agent to the water that goes through those pumps, they would be able to clean the oceans and lakes of our planet given enough time.

He may still be at the Museum if you wish to find him, but be careful. There have been sightings of ults around that area. If he didn't have that Enforcer with him, I'd have told him to steer clear of that place, forget about us and leave FL-49, but it is possible that he may be the only hope we have of saving our world."

[blossomgb]

Blossom, Angel and Steve were for once last to emerge. Steve had jammed the door just in case and he'd done rather too good a job of it. They all heard the conversation about Timo and Professor Utonium.
'Morning all', Steve called. trying to be chirpy. The fact was that like Bubbles, he hadn't slept much. He'd stayed awake to guard his family. who looked a lot better for the sleep they'd had. In a way, he'd enjoyed watching them sleep.
Buttercup and Bubbles turned to meet them as they came up.
'Good morning sleepy heads', Buttercup joked.
Hi all', Angel said.
'So Timo is going to be all right then', Blossom said.
'Yes'. Bubbles replied, relief evident in her voice.
'Great. Can we see him', Angel asked. She was looking forward to telling him how his stomach was held together when they got here.
Dr Saw looked at her. 'He's asleep right now', he explained. 'Will wake this afternoon.'
'Did you say that you had seen the Professor', Blossom enquired.
Dr Saw told the new arrivals what he knew.
Steve chipped in. 'We are not going to split up, so we'll wait. We know he's around and safe. Let's get Timo right first.'
Blossom looked at him for a moment. He was becoming a good leader but sometimes a little cautious. Then she realized that he was right. 'Yeah, I agree. What do you three think.'
'Besides', Steve added. 'I would like to see your work if possible,'

Cheers,

Blossomgb

[rulerofice]

Timo was really still asleep, but his expression had turned from calm one to sad one.

He dreamt of being in a dark place. Voices were echoing all around him, mocking him.

"Some hero you turned out to be." the voices said. "Can't even stand for a few measly bullets. And you call yourself Ruler of Ice?" The voices laughed.

Timo was shedding tears and was holding his hands on where his ears would be, trying to silence the voices.

"I... it wasn't my fault!" Timo yelled. "I just misjudged the situation."

Right then he saw Bubbles in front of her. Timo couldn't say anything. Instead he saw an ice staff behind Bubbles, floating in the air and pointed at Bubbles.

Timo went wide eyed. "No... no don't!"

"If you are the Ruler of Ice, then why can't you control your weapon?" The voices mockingly asked.

The ice staff suddenly flew at Bubbles in high speed.

In reality, Timo was sweating a bit and he was breathing faster. Suddenly, he yelled: "Bubbles!!"

[rcblazer]

Having heard her name being shouted from the Butcher Shop, Bubbles zooms inside in a streak of blue, finding Timo laying in one of the beds. "I'm right here. Is something wrong?" She says, taking his hand and looking into his eyes. Timo can see the worried look on Bubbles' face as Dr. Saw enters the room behind her.

"Ah good, you're awake, and sooner than expected." He says, using a small device to scan Timo's vitals. "You're safe here, and your wounds have all been treated. Do you feel all right?"

"I was so scared for you." Bubbles exclaims, hugging Timo tightly.

Dr. Saw watches Timo's expression closely as he returns the hug to Bubbles. "He doesn't appear to show any signs of pain, and there appears to have not been any permanent damage. I'm proud to say that you have made a full recovery!"

"I've got good news." Bubbles says to Timo. "We know where Patriarch took the Professor, and we're gonna go there as soon as you're ready to go." Nodding to Bubbles, Dr. Saw leaves the room to allow Bubbles to spend time alone with her husband. She continues once he is gone. "Of course, we don't have to leave right away if you're still tired or hurting. I'll stay here and keep you company until you're ready."

Dr. Saw returns to the main hall where the others are. "He's all right; I think he just wanted to see his wife." He suddenly slaps himself on the head. "You folks are probably starving. I don't know if we have any food to offer that would be safe for you, but I do have some Federation supplies that were left here by the last ambassador who visited here. You can have them; you'll need them more than us."

"That's very kind of you." Blossom says. "I am curious about something; you said the mutants emerged after the humans of FL-49 destroyed themselves with Chemical X based nuclear arms. Does that mean you are the remnants of those humans, or a new species entirely?"

"That actually a really good question." Dr. Saw says, sitting down to think about it for a moment. "It's one of the areas in regards to my research. Is it possible that Radiation X killed off the humans, then reanimated their bodies as what we are; a zombification of sorts? No one I have ever spoken to has any memories of being human. I have been testing other udds and pries in the hopes of finding out, but so far I have not found any substantial evidence to prove or deny these theories."

"What about a cure?" Buttercup asks. "Do you think it would be possible to reverse the mutation?"

"I had thought about it." The doctor replies. "To be honest, if we really were born this way, then there really wouldn't be anything to cure. Mutants on FL-49 are stronger, faster, and more durable than the humans who lived here before. The Radiation X doesn't even cause us harm. Quite the contrary actually; we udds and other mutants can purposefully irradiate ourselves to heal or even to boost our strength.

I have been trying to find alternatives to doing this however, as it is known to become an addiction. Many udds can't get enough of the high they feel when they are 'powered up' by Radiation X. I think that addiction and the existence of pries, ults, and gols are related in some way, but I would have to have an intact ult or gol to test this theory, and capturing one alive is next to impossible."

[rulerofice]

"Bubbles..." Timo said quietly

As Bubbles hugged Timo, she felt Timo shivering. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... just a horrible nightmare." Timo said as he broke up the hug and finally looked around. "Where are we?"

"We're in Udd City." Bubbles said. "We all made it."

Timo closed his eyes and hung his head. "Yes... I do remember someone saying that name. Thank goodness. ... ... I'm sorry, Bubbles."

"For what? For making me worry?"

"That and... for putting you all in danger. I misjudged the situation and let my guard down."

Bubbles put her head against Timo's head. "You just did what you thought was best at the time."

"Stopping those hunters from killing pries and raising the radiation in exchange for almost dying." Timo said. "Yeah... what a great idea it was."

Timo checked himself out. His light blue diamond was still in one piece and the spot where the shot had hit was all patched up. "The doctor in this place must be good. I don't feel any pain from the arm or the stomach."

"It's a good thing too that you didn't see the wound." Bubbles said.

"Yes... but I did feel how bad it was thanks to Steve." Timo said as he tried to stand up.

Bubbles stopped him. "Hold it! You just woke up when you were supposed to be in sleep for a few more hours because of the sedative."

Timo thought about it for a moment then looked at Bubbles. "Would you please support me then? I don't want the group to be delayed because of me."

"I don't think you need to worry about that." Bubbles said as she let Timo lean on her and helped him to hover on the air.