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Agent Honeydew was a long way from home.
She was sent to observe the antics of what her superiors had described as “experiments gone wrong”. She didn’t realize those experiments would be three little girls with incredible abilities.
She watched Monkey and the girls- fittingly dubbed the Powerpuff Girls- play in the middle of the lab. Ms. Bellum scribbled notes in her clipboard as she observed them. They were all getting along splendidly, but Bubbles and Monkey were clearly communicating on the same wavelength, perhaps even in the same fashion as Honeydew herself communicated with him. It was fascinating to watch; she’d never met anyone with similar abilities. She didn’t let herself get swept up in the excitement, however; Honeydew stood at attention beside Miss Bellum, as if anticipating danger at any moment. She was conscious always of the pistol on her hip.
“Agent Honeydew,” Ms. Bellum addressed her.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Stand down. We’re safe here. If anything happens with one of the girls, the Professor and the other two girls will be able to handle it.” Ms. Bellum’s singular visible eye shifted toward Honeydew. “And failing that, you and Monkey are perhaps the best back-up we could ask for.”
Honeydew couldn’t help the smile that broke her hard facade, her own gaze turning to the floor with a blush. No one could deny Ms. Bellum’s attractiveness, but more than that, Honeydew enjoyed her calm demeanor and stolid presence. Not to mention her hospitality, allowing herself and Monkey to stay with her during their observation mission. A compliment from her was one of the highest honors to receive in this city, and Honeydew knew that, cherishing it.
“What is the Professor working on, anyhow?” Honeydew asked. Ms. Bellum’s lips curved into a smile.
“Buttercup is finally coming into a special power.”
“Finally? They’re so young. They already have multiple powers?” Ms. Bellum laughed.
“You forget, Agent Honeydew: they weren’t born with something special nor were they trained to excel the way they have, like you. They were created , and they're unique . There’s no telling how they might develop.” Honeydew nodded.
“So what can they do?”
“Many things. All three can fly, have super strength, can shoot laser beams and become small infernos. They can create tornadoes, emit supersonic screams, and become invisible.” She pointed to the redhead, then to the blonde. “Blossom also has ice breath, and her intelligence and strategical ability is off the charts. Bubbles can talk to animals, go into super-powered rages, and learn any language.” That left the brunette. “Up until recently, Buttercup was the only one of the three who didn’t have a special ability of her own. Aside from curling her tongue.”
“Curling her tongue?” Ms. Bellum winked, as if to say watch this.
“Buttercup!” Ms. Bellum called. The girl turned, annoyance painted on her face.
“What?”
“Can you show Agent Honeydew your special power?”
Buttercup’s face lit up.
“Hell yeah!” She stuck out her tongue and curled it. Agent Honeydew laughed. I won’t tell her that I can do it, too…
“That’s marvelous, Buttercup!” she praised. The little girl ate it up, grinning until her father scolded, “No swearing!” Agent Honeydew chuckled over her whining, one sister jumping to her defense while the other argued against her. Ms. Bellum smiled fondly at them. It made Honeydew’s heart flutter.
“The Professor is currently analyzing Buttercup’s cells, trying to see if anything has changed in her compared to her sisters. He’s trying to see if he can crack the secret to her new power.”
“Which is?”
“Healing factor.”
Honeydew started.
“You’re kidding.” Ms. Bellum shook her head, pointing with her pen.
“See how the other two are still bruised? Buttercup was in the same fight. She actually took a worse beating than either of them, but she’s fully healed already.” Her smile curled wider. “It looks like ‘the toughest fighter’ is also the quickest healer. In a year’s time, she could well be a tank unlike any other.” Ms. Bellum’s expression grew thoughtful, tugging at a curly strand of red hair. “If we can figure out how she’s developed such quick healing, we might be able to manipulate the cells of average humans to heal faster. Her cells might be a stepping stone to creating cells resistant to cancer, or rebuilding dead tissue. We just have to figure out how it all works.”
Honeydew was in awe. Aside from their obvious physical abnormalities, they seemed for all intents and purposes like ordinary schoolgirls. They played with Monkey and bickered amongst themselves about meaningless things. Bubbles was obsessed with ponies and carried her stuffed toy Octi around everywhere. Blossom liked music, and Buttercup screamed over boxing matches on TV. Honeydew had only been there a day, and hadn’t seen the girls in action yet, but she was already growing fond of them. She would certainly have words with her bosses over their description of them as mere experiments, as if they were some threat that needed to be contained instead of living children with feelings and lives. It was reminiscent of how Honeydew herself had been treated in her younger years, as a mutant, a freak of nature that had to be hidden instead of respected. I want a better fate for these girls. They seem to be on a good course, they have many adults in their lives to help guide them toward the right choices. Not like me…
Ms. Bellum’s hand was soft on her shoulder, but she stiffened all the same.
“It’s been a long day, and you traveled very far to get here. Why don’t we go rest for a while?” Honeydew couldn’t help but look relieved.
“Yes, of course. That’d be nice.” Monkey, she called. Monkey turned, and curiously, so did Bubbles. Honeydew cocked her head to the side. “Were you able to hear me?” she asked as Monkey bounded over and perched on her shoulder.
“Sort of. It was strange,” Bubbles said. She certainly looked confused. Honeydew smiled.
“We can try it out again tomorrow. Perhaps we can talk to each other the same way we talk to Monkey.” Bubbles brightened.
“Okay!”
She giggled, boasting to her sisters that Honeydew wanted to train with her one-on-one. The Professor did his best to tame them before an instrument got knocked over (again). She almost felt bad leaving him by himself, but he was their father; if he couldn't wrangle all three at once, then surely no one else could.
Honeydew followed Ms. Bellum out of the lab and through the house to the front door. Honeydew insisted on driving, seeing as Ms. Bellum was already doing them the courtesy of allowing them to stay at her home. Ms. Bellum refused to let her cook, though. It was for the best, as it turned out: Ms. Bellum was a gourmet chef comparatively.
After nightfall, Honeydew found herself lounging on Ms. Bellum’s couch as if she belonged there, clad in sweats and watching the fire in the hearth. Monkey was curled against her chest like a baby, fast asleep. Ms. Bellum herself was in an armchair, idly flipping through a magazine. They had been talking non-stop, more than Honeydew ever got to talk on missions, and it made her feel as if she’d found something familiar even so far from her homeland.
“Tell me, Ms. Bellum-”
“Sarah,” she corrected. Honeydew flushed.
“O-oh, uh, right. Um, Sarah.” She smiled beneath her hair, half-hidden, and the fire made her tawny skin glow gold. She looked like a goddess, and Honeydew nearly lost her breath. “H-how did you end up as the Mayor’s assistant? You’re brilliant. I would think you’d better serve the community by staying in the lab.”
Sarah turned pensive, leaving the magazine open in her lap.
“I suppose it’s a fail-safe,” she said after a long silence.
“Fail-safe?” Honeydew echoed. She nodded.
“Even if I fail spectacularly in the lab, even if I never achieve anything of merit in the world of science, engineering, or medicine, I’ll still be the Mayor’s assistant. I’ll still be doing something good. Isn’t that the point, after all? Making a difference?”
“I could hardly see someone like you failing at anything,” Honeydew replied. “You should have more confidence in yourself, Sarah! You’re an incredible woman. Sure, your work now is doing good. But wouldn’t you rather contribute something amazing ? That’s what you could do if you focused on yourself and left your doubt at the door!”
Honeydew flushed further at Sarah’s wide-eyed stare.
“I-I’m sorry, that was too forward. It’s not my place to say any of this-”
“Thank you.” Honeydew faltered. “It means a lot to hear that from a strong woman like you.”
She felt her face turn the same shade of crimson as Sarah’s lipstick. Sarah didn’t seem to mind; she rose from her chair and leaned down over Honeydew. Her pulse quickened, and for a moment she was sure it was all a ruse to get in close and go for the kill. Her hand was already on her pistol, still clipped to her side. Then Sarah’s lips met hers in a chaste kiss, and she relaxed.
“Goodnight, Agent Honeydew,” she said with a voice like silk as they parted. She coughed out a breathy laugh, her head spinning.
“That’s just Honeydew to you.” Sarah chuckled, resting her hand on Honeydew’s shoulder.
“Goodnight then, Honeydew.”
Sarah left behind a warmth in Honeydew’s heart that lingered long after the fire went out.