XI

…

Moment of Glory

…

It was not long before the girls returned with the sand. It seemed they had gathered more than enough to make what was needed for the glass equipment. After giving proper instructions, I stood to the side and watched as they fired up their eye beams and set to work. Moments later I, too, set to work and helped secure the bolts and screws in place where they were needed.

“Look! Can’t you see our plan is working?” I exclaimed happily. “Our work is proceeding as planned! At last, our lives will be better! At last, we will be accepted! At last, our greatest work is comple….oops,” I said in realization as I glanced at the blueprint in my hands, seeing that I had foolishly forgotten about the most important thing needed to finish the project.

“What’s wrong?” asked Blossom.

“Wellll…there is one last teeny, tiny, itsy bitsy thing we still need.”

The girls looked curious for a moment and then looked towards the blueprint. “What?” asked Bubbles.

“Well,” I began as I rolled up the blueprint. “I need a container of Chemical X.,” I answered simply, but the girls did not seem to express any familiarization to the name. “Trust me, we won’t be able to execute the plan without it.”

“But what is it?” asked Buttercup. “Where would we find it?”

“You do not know of any location that would harbor such a chemical?” I asked, cocking my head slightly.

“The Professor’s lab!” Blossom shouted. “I think I saw something that said Chemical X there.”

“Are you sure we should?” asked Bubbles. “He might get mad.”

“But we’re doing it to help the town!” Blossom reassured, and I had to hide my smirk. “Don’t worry, Bubbles. I know he’ll be proud of us! Come on!”

And then they were gone again, and I had to take a moment to laugh at Blossom’s statement. The tiniest voice inside my head tried to tell me how sick I was, but I easily blocked it out as I turned to admire my new observatory. My heart swelled with pride again and a strong, deep feeling that I had already run made my heart accelerate. But there was still one last step that needed to be completed.

The girls returned within seconds, Blossom with the large flask of Chemical X in her hands. I smiled and pointed up to the top of the device, where the flask would need to be set. Once the Chemical X was properly in place, my smile widened.

“Yes! Yes! YES!” I shouted, jumping up in down in glee.

“We did good?” Blossom asked.

“You did very good. Very good indeed,” I answered.

“Now what do we do?” asked Buttercup. Hmm…déjà vu.

“Well, because you’ve done so good, I’ve got a special surprise.”

The girls’ faces instantly lit up with excitement, though Bubbles looked by far the most enlightened by my words.

“What kind of surprise?!” Buttercup shouted eagerly.

“Yeah! Are you taking us to the toy store?!” Bubbles asked, practically tackling me to the ground.

“The museum?!” Blossom chimed in, equally excited.

“The museum?” Buttercup asked, looking towards Blossom with a look of displeasure. “How is that any fun?”

“The museum is very educational,” Blossom snapped, throwing her nonexistent nose to the air.

“Girls, girls, girls,” I began with a smile, “let us not argue. It is neither the museum, nor the toy store, but it is just as equally exciting, and educational. But I shall not reveal it to you here. You will just have to see for yourselves when we get there. Now come, we don’t have a moment to spare. Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

Oh I was most certainly more excited than they were. No doubt.

o0o

On the way to our destination the girls just would not hush up for a moment about the surprise, though I tried to remain as patient as I could and not snap at them. In an instant I knew the burden of being a parent, and it made me wonder how in the world my mother had such patience with me.

“Here we are,” I said, then looked to the Girls to see their reaction. Their faces were bright with happiness and instantly made a mad dash for the Zoo’s entrance.

“Yaaay!”

As soon as we passed through the entrance the Girls went ahead without me, going from pen to pen and admiring the numerous species of animals they happened upon.

“Ohhh,” they said in unison as they happened upon the elephant pen. They managed to stay put for a moment, long enough for me to catch up with them, though I simply walked on by, not at all intrigued by the presence of the elephants. It was nothing I had not seen before.

“Aahhh,” they said when they next came upon a pond of seals, though I was still uninterested and continued on, though I gave the Girls a chance to admire the creatures.

“Oooh,” they said when they saw the lions, but I continued on, paying no mind. A thought occurred to me and I quickly made my way over to where the zebras were located. Knowing little girls, horses, or anything resembling a horse, were something they loved above all other creatures for some reason. Sure enough, within moments, I heard the Girls give a delightful squeal when they saw the sign, but I quickly grabbed them before they could dart past me, and I tucked them under both arms. Smiling, I started for Primate Plaza, which was the primary reason for coming to the Zoo.

When we came to the large fenced in structure containing a large portion of the primates, I let the Girls down and they quickly ran over to take in the sight, completely forgetting about those zebras. I had to take a moment to look myself, though I knew straight off that it would probably affect me too much, and it did, just as I anticipated.

I tried to maintain a rather apathetic expression, but as I watched the monkeys hang from the branches in a frighteningly carefree manner, I felt myself plummeting into despair. In a way, I saw myself as I had once been - carefree and without fear, just as they seemed to me, but to me this case was so much worse than what I had endured. As said before, these primates were living in an allusion of what they once had…or could have had. I guess the ones who lived in ignorance were the lucky ones, since they knew nothing of the beautiful world out there, away from humans, but I knew the ones who knew of that life…the life I once had, were probably yearning for a chance to taste that life again.

I almost wanted to speak to them. I wanted to tell them they would have their chance at a new life outside of cages and pens and fences. I wanted to say it, but I remained silent, watching them with remorse. And then I saw that the girls had glanced my way and I quickly erased all traces of my sadness and smiled, holding up the camera, which contained the tiny teleporting components. I backed up a few feet and looked through the lens, but saw that the girls were standing in the way of my target and simply made a gesture for them to step to the side. Once they were out of my aim I gave a thumbs up, and hit the bottom, which projected one of the devices hurtling through the air at rapid speed, hidden by the bright flash of the light. The device hit its target and the monkey fell to the ground in a state of shock after being hit. I almost laughed at the creature’s expense.

I hit every last primate, trying to remember which primate I had hit so that way I did not make the mistake hitting the same primate again and waste one of the components. The girls had wandered off on their own after about three pictures to marvel at the other monkeys, but I continued with the task. When the first batch of components ran out, I quickly opened the compartment and started refilling it. The girls were too preoccupied with the monkeys that they didn’t even notice what I was doing, though if they did they most likely would have assumed I was adding another roll of film.

I had not realized how many monkeys there were, but the more I hit, the bigger my smile grew. The more the better. The humans would have no control whatsoever. It seemed easy enough, but there was still that tiny, nagging fear in the back of my mind, a fear that originated from the three very creatures who had helped make the plan a reality, but I easily pushed that fear into the very back of my mind, hoping it would not rear its ugly head again. I could not afford to let any concerns put a damper on this mission.

After I was certain I had hit every last primate with the teleporting component, I quickly brought my attention back to the girls, who I saw had stopped to look at something, though I couldn’t quite see from the distance I was at. When I came to stand beside them and looked up at the picture, I felt my blood begin to boil. It was supposed to be a poster that explained how man evolved, and I use that term loosely.

“Worthless.”

“Lame.”

“Stupid.”

“Okay.”

“Better.”

“Almost.”

“Awesome!” the girls all shouted excitedly.

Awesome? Yes, of course. If you consider dominating every last creature on the planet and finding pleasure in slaughtering anything that moves. And worthless? Apes have always been the first ones to be the most resourceful. After all, it was we who first discovered the use of tools! Honestly…

While the girls laughed at the disgusting pictures, I turned my head to the left, looking very bitter as I tried to find interest in something else less offensive, but then my eyes widened. Perched atop a large boulder stood a large, black gorilla. How on Earth had I missed that? That is to say how could I have not acknowledged such a large and powerful creature that would under most circumstances be….I’m don’t it again, aren’t I? Well, I for one find nothing wrong with how I speak the English language. But people seem to think that my way of speaking is just annoying and is never ending, and they feel they have to teach me how to speak it “properly”. But they’re humans after all. What do they know? Oh well, I shall speak English the “proper” way for the remainder of this story, as I do want to get this book published and I know the publishes do not appreciate my superior way of speaking.

Perfect, now I’ve gotten off track. Well, on the off chance that you have not stopped reading after that last paragraph, I shall continue:

I flashed a grin as I held the camera up. Knowing the power a gorilla possessed, he would be an excellent addition to my army, probably the best.

There was a quick flash and the gorilla looked surprised for a moment as he picked at his fur where the component had been imbedded. I lowered the camera, still grinning. The next biggest step was completed, and now the main mission was about to begin.

“Come, girls,” I began. “Our work is fin - oh, I mean…time to go,” I corrected myself. I cannot believe I almost slipped up like that.

I started making my way towards the exit, feeling quite content with myself, despite the girls complaining as they trailed behind.

“Awww! But Jojo!” they all said disappointedly.

“We haven’t seen the gazelles,” said Blossom.

“Or the crocodiles,” added Buttercup.

“Or the unicorns!” cried Bubbles. I was not sure why she assumed the zoo would have a mythical creature, unless it was just a horse with horn glued to its forehead, but I chose not to answer her. I just continued making my way towards the exit, humming a happy tune. I had almost completely forgotten about the girls, and it was only when I finally reached the exit that I realized that they had fallen behind, but I quickly spotted them a few feet behind me. It seemed that Blossom was comforting Bubbles while Buttercup was shouting at some woman who obviously had done something to offend Bubbles.

“Don’t listen, Bubbles,” I heard Blossom say, and I quickly seized the opportunity to interject.

“That’s right, Bubbles. Do not listen,” I said as I stepped up to them. “All of you, deafen yourselves to their heartless words. They do not know that it is their saviors they are speaking to. They are unaware that your actions will have helped change their world forever.”

Their mood quickly changed and a smile spread across each of their faces. Smiling back at them, I bent down and picked them up in an embrace. “Because we have helped the town and made it a better place,” I lied. Well, sort of. I was only making it better for my kind, as well as myself, but of course I saw no wrong in this. I felt that mankind had had this coming for centuries.

“You think they’ll be surprised?” asked Blossom.

“Oh, yeah.”

“You think they’ll still be mad at us for playing tag?” next asked Buttercup.

“No, they’ll have forgotten all about that,” I replied.

“Will they love us?”

I was very silent for a moment. That obnoxious voice in my head spoke up again, trying with all its might to spread a thick layer of guilt over my conscious, but again, I had the upper hand and pushed that pesky voice aside as I answered, “Yes.”

“Really?”

“Would I lie to you?”

o0o

When we had prepared to make our departure from the Zoo, we spotted a vendor near the entrance giving away free juice and animal crackers. The girls were quick to help themselves. I was quite hungry myself so I too obtained a box of crackers and a juice box.

As we made our way back I remained silent, sipping on the strawberry-flavored juice and devouring the crackers, while the girls chatted about the different animals they had seen. While they went about their excited jabber, I could only engage myself with silent excitement, hiding smirks and grins as I continued to imagine how sweet my revenge would taste.

We each got our fair share of angry looks on our way back to the observatory. Most of them were directed towards the girls, who amazingly didn’t seem to care as much anymore. I, on the other hand, mostly got odd looks, confused looks. One punk kid passed by us, and I heard him mutter, “Freaks of a feather flock together.” Yes, very witty. In fact, I think that was one of the brats who had chucked rocks at me just the other day. So, we were the town’s official freaks. The insult hardly affected me. It only made my smile grow bigger as I thought of how all of mankind was going to suffer at my hand.

I suddenly felt something latch onto my neck and hug me, causing my heart to jump in surprise. “Thanks for taking us to the Zoo!”

It was Blossom.

“Oh…umm, you’re welcome.” I felt my face begin to heat up.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” said Buttercup. “I just wish we could have stayed longer.”

“The zoo isn’t going anywhere. There will be other opportunities in the future to go again,” I said.

‘If I don’t make you into an exhibit’ I thought, trying not to laugh at the thought.

We stopped by the Townsville park and disposed of our trash, then finally made it back to the observatory.

“What do we do now?” asked Bubbles.

“Well, there is one last thing I could use some help with. You see last night I took some time to design my own garb that would best suit me, because as you can see,” I gestured toward my current attire, “this isn’t too fashionable. Most of this I got out of a dumpster, and I need something new and I also need better, more protective coverage for my brain.”

“No problem!” said Blossom.

“Very good. Well, hopefully it shouldn’t take too long. I would like to make several of these outfits so that I will always have another once either of them gets dirty or becomes tattered. Come, the sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll be done.”

o0o

The designs for the tunics were not difficult, so it didn’t take long to make, but I was amazed at how quickly the girls worked, although I shouldn’t have been surprised. For every tunic I completed, the girls had each completed three, making that nine for every tunic I made. I originally only wanted about six or so, but the girls would just never cease. It was apparent that they liked being useful. They liked not being looked down upon as a bunch of freaks who destroyed everything they touched. Obviously, me giving them jobs and asking for their help really boosted their self-esteem. I really did pity them for a moment there

I was just finishing up my third tunic when Buttercup appeared in front of me, looking quite proud of herself as she held out a finished brain cap for me to inspect. “I went ahead and made one of them. I already made like six of those outfits so I thought I’d start on this. This is what you wanted, right?”

I reached out and took the turban to give it a full inspection. “Hmm, sleek,” I knocked on the glass, “durable…It’s perfect.”

“Really?”

I nodded, running my hand over the glass. “Yes, indeed.”

“Cool, I’ll go make more!”

I turned around to check on Bubbles and Blossom, only to see a massive pile of blue tunics. Both girls looked rather sheepish for a moment.

“Too much?” asked Blossom.

“Nah,” I said as I waved my hand dismissively. “The more the better. This way I’ll never run out. Now we just need to make the shoes, gloves and belts.”

“This is so much fun! I love doing stuff right!” Bubbles cheered happily.

“I know,” agreed Blossom. “It feels good not destroying everything in sight and then have everyone be mad at us. So when do we help the town and make it a better place?”

“Tomorrow,” I said, grinning.

o0o

“Let’s go to the park, Jojo!” Bubbles squealed as she tugged on my arm.

“Yeah, come on! Let’s go play at the park!” added Buttercup.

“Oh…you girls go ahead. I think I better stay behind and get these clothes put away. I should also inspect all the equipment and make sure it is working properly.”

“Aww, come on, Jojo!” they all whined.

“No, no, you go ahead. You deserve to have some fun after all the hard work you’ve done.”

“But we want you to come, too!” Blossom begged.

“No, I’m afraid I’ve used up most of my energy. You go on without me.”

They finally accepted that I was not coming with them, though they could not hide their looks of disappointment. They darted out the front door and made their way for the park, leaving me alone with the comfort of silence. And it was strange how I had become so accustomed to that silence, too. Noise was something I had been born into, and come to live with through my short-lived childhood. I suppose it was the fact that knowing that since there was silence, there was the comfort of knowing that there was no one there. No one there to hurt me, or threaten me, or make me feel small and helpless. Although with that silence, there was nothing there to keep me occupied…and to keep my thoughts from drifting, and it was all I could do to keep my thoughts from wandering into those memories that I would sooner forget in a heartbeat if I could.

I quickly busied myself with hanging my tunics up and tried to imagine the day to come, which I hoped would offer me some happiness, but that’s when my conscious started up again, trying to convince me that I was basically being a prick. And I’m sure most of you are probably finding it hard to believe that I even had a conscious. Well, honestly, after everything that happened to me, that voice inside my head just kept getting quieter and quieter, until now it was nothing more than a mere whisper. This was what seemed right to me; getting my revenge and making all of mankind pay for my suffering, as well as the suffering of my kind and any species that suffered at the hands of humans. There was no way I could turn back now. The road ahead of me was paved and ready to lead me.

Strangely, for a moment, I felt calm and at peace with myself. I even whistled a happy tune as I inspected the equipment and tested it.

o0o

When the girls returned, night was beginning to set in. Street lights flickered on, one by one as the sun descended behind the massive skyscrapers. I stood with the door opened, allowing the three girls to float inside.

“We really need to get home,” said Blossom.

“Yeah, but we can’t wait till tomorrow!” added Buttercup.

“Neither can I,” I replied. Bubbles flew in and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Bye, Jojo! Thanks for taking us to the Zoo!”

“Should we meet you here?” Buttercup asked.

“No, no. I will have everything set up near City Hall. You can meet me there.”

“Awesome! See ya tomorrow!”

Buttercup joined her blonde sister outside, leaving only Blossom and I. She slowly floated down to the floor and looked up at me, her arms behind her back as a smile crossed her face. “Thanks for everything,” she said. I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach again. It had to be guilt, I knew just knew it.

“My pleasure,” I said. “Tomorrow is the beginning of a new era.”

“Thanks for giving us a chance and showing us how to believe in ourselves. What you’ve done means more to me than anything.”

She flew up and hugged me, and I could not even bring myself to return the affection. Once she departed and returned home with her sisters I let out the breath I had been holding for the last ten seconds, happy to finally be alone. I inhaled through my nose but nearly wretched when I found out just how foul I smelled. I turned and shuffled my way towards the bathroom, which the girls had completed with questions of why it was needed. My simple response had been, “Everything needs a bathroom.”

I ripped my tattered, smelly clothes off and turn on the water, eager to wash the foul stench from my body. Once the steam began to fill the room I quickly stepped into the tub and let the water cascade down my back and chest. Unfortunately I had no soap or shampoo, but the water alone did well to wash the dirt from my skin and fur.

As I stood there, I completely lost myself in thought, which I had been doing a lot those past couple of days. It was like my mind was switching over, switching over to ‘Destroy and Conquer’ mode. It was rather frightening, actually. I was barely acknowledging that I was turning into a blood-thirsty animal. My conscience was slowly becoming nonexistent, and I had never felt more alive.

Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a small hand towel off the rack and ran it along my arms and sides, trying to sop up what little bit of water it could hold. I was clean for the most part, and the smell of garbage that still lingered was almost gone, and my fur was definitely cleaner now that the dirt had been washed away. I didn’t feel quite as clean as I would have liked to, but I did feel fresher.

I discarded the towel and left the bathroom, walking swiftly towards the control console where I would begin the next step in the plan. Taking a seat, I cracked my knuckles. “Showtime,” I said. I leaned back in my chair and slowly held up my hand, my finger hovering high above the button needed to activate the transportation components. All I could do right then was just savor it all.

My finger hit the button and I sat back patiently to await their arrival. One by one, they appeared in the tanks reserved for them, where they would soon receive the gift that had been given to me. Yes, it was no mere accident that I had stepped in the path of the explosion and received the power of the Chemical X. They say everything happens for a reason, and it was true! This was all meant to be! At first it had seemed like a curse, just another unfortunate event that I was meant to suffer through. I had been treated like dirt, looked upon as a freak, but it had all given me the extra momentum I needed.

The last of the primates made their arrival and I flipped the switch that soon brought the machine we had constructed to life. The Chimical X drained from its main container and found its way into the multiple flasks awaiting it. I watched from the corner of my eye, my hand firmly gripping the lever which would start the next phase. The flasks spun out of their positions, the Chemical X filling them halfway. I quickly pushed the lever forward and the flasks came to a sudden halt. My hand glided over the console and found the switch to send the Chemical X though the many translucent tubes, where it would finally find their hosts. Electricity surged, as did my anxiousness, while the room glowed a bright, neon green. The powerful liquid coursed through the tubes, flowed into the tanks, and found its captives.

I felt a slight twinge of pity when I saw their faces constrict in pain and shock, as I knew just how painful it was. But I knew they would come to appreciate their new powers just as I had. I saw their skin color change, and then the final transformation when their brains emerged from their skulls. I could not quite see if the easiest or hardest part had been complete, as I did not know how easy it would be to take over the world. Somehow I felt Townsville would be quick to fall under our reign.

Any possible screw ups or complications were easily shoved into the back of my mind as I lost myself in a long laugh of success. I can’t even remember how long it lasted.

o0o

I could see the sun rising.

My heart started pounding rapidly against my chest. This was it. The long overdue pay back was now in session.

“Today’s the day!” I said, throwing my hands to the air. I slowly made my way over to the wardrobe where the clothes had been put away previously, smiling happily to myself. “What to wear?” I said aloud, opening the door. “Oh, that’s nice.”

The tunic was the first thing I put on, and it fit me like a glove. It certainly felt nice to get out of those ratty clothes and into something that was made just for me. “Perfect,” I said, nodding in satisfaction. I next grabbed a set of boots and slipped them on, bending down to zip them up. Next I grabbed a pair of gloves and slipped my hands through them, stretching out the fabric to make sure they were durable. Then came the belt, and lastly was the brain cap, which gave the uniform the finished look. If only I had a mirror to observe myself in.

Once dressed, I made my way down to the control console, my hands behind my back and my smile still present. I knew I had butterflies in my stomach, but I was not sure if it was because I was nervous. I knew I was excited; there was no hiding it. I was about to change history. What’s not to be excited about?

My arms came to rest at my sides as I stepped in front of the console, my fists balled in determination. I mashed the ‘ACTIVATE’ button, which would awaken the primates from their induced sleep. Finally…my moment of glory had come.

“Yes. Yes! Wake up! Wake up, my brothers and seize the day!” I cried triumphantly as I threw my arms to the air. I eagerly pulled the lever to drain the tanks of the fluids, and then hit the button to lift the tanks from their platforms, giving the primates complete freedom. I could sense their eagerness. I knew their minds were all set on the same goal. “Our day has come to take back our world! No longer will we be putty in mankind’s hands! No longer will we take their torture! No longer will we suffer! This is our moment to shine!” I made my way towards the front entrance, eager to set them all free. “THIS IS THE DAY WE SHOW TOWNSVILLE JUST WHAT OUR POWERS CAN REALLY DO!”

With the doors open and the world awaiting, they all ran past me, shouting their battle cries. I watched with satisfaction as they all took off for the town, their angry cries soon becoming mingled with the terrified cries of the unsuspecting citizens. My expression turning stern, I quickly made my way down the volcano to join them, my mind set on one human in particular - the Mayor, the man who was supposed to protect the city, the leader of the pack, the alpha male so to speak. Once he fell, the entire city would follow. This was our first step, and if one town fell, then the rest of the world would fall with them.

I made my way through the streets, my eyes focused straight ahead, though I still acknowledged the humans around me, screaming and running for their lives. You all had it coming I thought continuously. How does it feel?

As City Hall came into view I quickened my pace, becoming completely oblivious the noise around me. I pushed open the front doors and continued on in. Everyone who worked within the building were too busy trying to save themselves to even take note of me. I strode through the halls with a determined pace, my arms swinging forward and backward. I found the set of double doors at the very end of the hallway and figured on the other side was my prey. I vaguely wondered if the man had already fled the building the moment the raid started, but once I threw open the doors, I saw the pint-sized human at the other end of the room, still sitting at his desk.

Grinning, I made my way forward, enjoying the way he cowered as I got closer. This was the man who was supposed to lead and protect the city? Some alpha male. At least Rudo died trying to protect us. This man was just pathetic. How he had been elected as Mayor still boggles my mind.

Once I reached his desk, I pushed myself onto my tip-toes and loomed over him, still grinning as he tried to completely hide behind his desk, sweating heavily.

“Not so tough now, are you?” I said as I grabbed him like a cat, much like how I had been handled numerous times, and proceeded to hall him outside.

“Oh please, Mr. Monkey Man! Please tell your friends to stop scaring everyone and destroying my beautiful town! I’ll give you all the bananas you want!”

I groaned. Humans and their stupid stereotypes…

Stepping outside before the chaos, I held up the Mayor for all to see, showing that their leader was under my control and of no help to them, though I really don’t think they could have expected much from him anyway. I threw the man down to the ground and placed my foot over his head, taking a moment to enjoy the chaos before clearing my throat.

“City of Townsville!” I addressed. “I would like to take this moment to thank the little people who made this day a smashing success!”

I saw them arriving, the Professor in their grasp. Their shocked expressions were just what I was expecting. Pointing to the advancing group, I shouted, “Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup! I couldn’t have done it without ya!”

Their faces went from shocked to downright horrified. The angry cries from the citizens could be heard from within the chaos as they flew over. I couldn’t contain it any longer. I threw my head back and laughed.

Blossom was the first to speak. “Jojo, what happened?”

Bubbles was next. “This isn’t making the town a better place!”

“Yes, it is…for me!” I shot back. “The hobo fo-mo-ly known as Jojo is no mo’! From this day fo-wo’d, I shall be know as…MOJO JOJO!”

All they could do was gasp in response. I continued:

“For too long apes and monkeys have been under the thumb of man. But the time has come to oppose that thumb! And to take hold of what is rightfully ours - THE WORLD!”

“Professor, we didn’t want this!” they all shouted desperately. Their protest was quickly met with shouts of disagreement from the panicked crowd. I watched the exchange with a smirk, my attention sometimes redirecting itself to the army of primates that continued to reek havoc within the streets.

I suddenly heard a horrified “NOOOO!” which grew fainter as the sources of the cry descended farther and farther into the sky. It was apparent that even their own creator had not believed them. I might have pitied them, but at that point I was too far gone. I was completely lost in my success. It was all going so perfectly, so smoothly, so flawlessly, that it was almost too good to be true. And right then my only focus was to bask in the glory.

“YEAH! WOO! ALRIGHT!” I did what most would call a ‘happy dance’, the Mayor now in my grasp again, though I quickly threw him to the ground again in a touchdown formation. “I rock! I rock…so hard. For I, Mojo Jojo have succeeded in my first, greatest, and most brilliant plan ever! And I, Mojo Jojo, shall be…KING OF THE PLANET OF THE APES!”

And then all became silent, and I quickly learned that usually when something seems too good to be true…it usually is.

“You shall be king?” I heard a voice say. I could see where this was going already. “Preposterous!” he added, though it certainly did not sound that clear.

“What? How dare you-”

“For it is I who is the one most suited to be ruler!”

The orangutan who had dared speak out against my authority was dressing himself in the uniform I had personally designed. I wanted to kick myself for making them ‘one size fits all.’

“Those are my clothes!” I said in shock.

“I, Ojo Tango shall be simian supreme!”

This was not going according to plan.

“No Ojo, Mojo!” I protested, pointing to myself. But the defiant orangutan suddenly climbed inside a giant, impressive tank with two large cannons mounted on both sides. Where the heck did that come from?

“As I unleash the offensive omnipotence of the oppressive Orango Tank!”

As the orangutan finished his introduction, the large gorilla spoke up next.

“Hold on!” he interrupted.

“Oh no!” I responded. This was not good at all. Everything was going so smoothly. Why did this have to happen?

“It is I who shall get a grip on the situation!” he continued.

“You better not!” I shouted back.

“As I, Rocko Socko, seize control and rule!” At this point he was already in uniform and now wearing a pair of steal gloves. He demonstrated their durability by punching through a building.

“Wait!” I said, though this showed no signs of stopping. This time a baboon decided to interfere.

“I, Baboon Kaboon, with my Baboom Bot will be da bomb!” he shouted as he leapt into a giant machine resembling a baboon which was perched on the rooftop of a building. Where the heck were they getting these machines?! Maybe they were too smart.

“Uh-oh,” I whimpered.

“And if you don’t like it…” I saw one of the machine’s robotic arms reach behind itself and catch several bombs which had been disposed from a pipe at the rear. Rather disturbing if you ask me. “…you can sniff my Baboom Bot bombs!”

Wait, what?

“Oh, that’s classy,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Next I heard a group of voices shouting, “Gangway, gangway!” while a large barrel came…well…barreling down the street. Coming to a halt, it split open, revealing a large group of very small monkeys, their arms all linked together as they stretched themselves around several buildings before finally grasping one of the taller skyscrapers. “For we, the Go-Go-Po-Trol, as brothers in arms, are linked to form a chain of command that will reach out and take hold of your world!”

I am not even going to continue to go into detail about how many monkeys defied me and proclaimed themselves to be the supreme rulers. It is far too annoying, and it went on forever, one monkey right after the other, all dressed in my clothes and stating their false authority. The only one who had any authority was me! I was the one who gave them their power! It was because of me that they had their freedom! They had no right to defy me like this. They should have been thanking me!

I had had enough.

“NOOOOO!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. I couldn’t take it anymore! “Stop! Cease! Desist! Do not continue with your ramblings, for my ramblings are the ramblings to be obeyed! For I am the king, supreme ruler, and all-around dictator! DON’T YOU SEE?! All you monkeys are my plan! So your plans are my plans, because you made plans, and my plan was to make you! I plan to rule the planet, not to have my plans plan to stop me! I am your creator! I am your king! I am Mojo Jojo! OBEY MEEE!” I cried angrily, running forward as I said this and pushing the Professor out of the way.

Unfortunately, it did not seem as though my outburst had done much to even slightly gain their acceptance of my authority. “Are you even listening to me?!” I shouted, taking a few steps forward. The monkeys continued raiding the city, torturing the citizens and running amuck, not once acknowledging me. I closed my eyes and sighed. For right now, it did not matter. The plan was still going well. Who would be king would be decided later, but at the moment there was too much chaos. There was no way these monkeys were going to listen to me right now.

At that moment, all I could do was stand and watch. While I was still frustrated, I still found myself smiling at the human’s expense. To see them running for their lives, to see them crying out to their loved ones, to see them screaming in pain…made me feel as though justice had been served. Well…partly.

I swiftly turned my head, my gaze finding the Professor still lying where he had fallen. Turning on my heels, I began to approach him slowly, my need for revenge still not fully satisfied. It did not matter to me that this man was the only one who had really treated me with kindness. In fact, I did not see him as the Professor anymore. I saw him as every disgusting, selfish, cruel human on the entire planet I had ever had contact with. It was their faces I saw, not the Professor’s.

I grabbed him by the throat with as much strength as I could muster, and I had plenty of it. I lifted him into the air, hearing him give a strangled grunt. I then reached up with my other hand and secured it around his throat as well. I saw all their faces, their gleaming eyes boring into mine. Their faces were as I remembered them: cruel, cold, emotionless. It angered me beyond belief and caused me to tighten my grip. I wanted to see their fear. I wanted to see their pain! But they just continued to stare at me with cold eyes.

The face that stuck with me the most was the face of the man who had shot my mother. He was probably the one human I had the least amount of contact with, but his face was the face I remembered most of all, and still do to this day. You just don’t forget the face of the person who killed someone you love. His face was forever seared inside my mind, and it was looking back at me with those same beady eyes and grinning, yellow teeth. I bit back a scream as I tightened my grip ten fold. I could hear the choking sounds coming from the Professor’s (killer’s) mouth, but this only encouraged me. I honestly do not know how long I had the man in a vice grip. The only thing that had been on my mind at the time was to strangle the life out of him. Only when the battered monkey landed in a crumpled heap in front of me did I snap back into reality.

“Girl-” the Professor began to shout now that my grip had loosened, but I quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Shut up!” I commanded. I then gave a worried glance towards the fallen monkey “I was afraid of this. They’ve returned and found out just what their powers can really do.” I realized then that the true ruler would be revealed right then and there. The Powerpuff Girls had returned, and I did not have a lot of time. I dragged the Professor along as I made my way for the observatory. “Come! You will make a good powerproof vest!”

I managed to make my way through the streets, avoiding fallen debris and keeping far to the side to avoid the rampaging monkeys and the humans they chased. I could feel the Professor trying to break my hold, and I looked down just in time to see him free his mouth so he could speak.

“Jojo, is that you?” he asked as he looked up at me in bewilderment. “It can’t be…”

“I’m surprised you remember me,” I said, still glancing down at him.

“Jojo, listen to me, if you think I forgot about you, you’re wrong! I didn’t mean to! I just got so distracted after the girls had been created. I remembered you were still down in the lab after I had put them to bed. I looked all over the house but couldn’t find you anywhere! Please, Jojo, I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to abandon you!”

“You think this is about that? You know nothing,” I said in a low voice, turning my attention to the front again. I moved my arm to cover his mouth again before he could speak. I was not interested in anything he had to say.

There was nothing anyone could say anymore that would ever change anything.

Author’s Note: Wow, I can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I’ve updated this story. Well, I didn’t have a lot of readers before, and I’m certain now I probably don’t have any since I’ve taken so long to update this thing. Since I’m more interested in Prisoner right now I can’t be sure when chapter 13 will be out, but I honestly hope it won’t be another year XD I really don’t have an excuse for not updating...again lol. I guess it was just lack of interest, which always gets the best of us.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that ridiculously long chapter. I don’t think I’ve ever written a chapter that long. Stay tuned for chapter 13, which I don’t think will be that long, hopefully lol.