Sniveling Rivalry

EXT. - TOWNSVILLE SKYLINE - AFTERNOON

NARRATOR: The city, of Townsville...is enjoying a lovely Saturday. This is a day that can be enjoyed by all. Except for the filthy rich Morbucks family's filthy, whiny, spoiled, greedy...

PRINCESS' VOICE (interrupting): Hey!!

EXT. - FRONT STEPS OF THE MORBUCKS MANSION

PRINCESS: You don't have to rub it in. My day's going to be bad enough as it is.

PRINCESS MORBUCKS is standing on the front steps with her father, DADDY MORBUCKS, who seems to be waiting for someone. Princess has a big frown on her face and an unhappy look in her eyes. She is dressed in a sailor dress obviously designed only to make her look cute.

PRINCESS (whiny): Daddy, does he have to come here?

Before Daddy Morbucks can answer a very long, jet-black stretch limousine drives through the gates and parks in front of Princess and Daddy. The back, passenger-side door opens and a young boy about seven years old steps out. He has blonde hair and wears a white button-down shirt with a black jacket and blue short pants. The chauffeur takes out numerous bags and trunks out of the limo and, after depositing them on the doorstep, drives off in the limo.

BOY (to Daddy): Hello father. I'm so glad you saw fit to see my return to our lovely burg. I know you will not regret your surely well thought out and wise decision. (to Princess) Ah, little Princess! It has been so long, nearly six months, since I saw you last. You've grown so much, in fact, I'll bet it's about, ohhhh, (low enough for Princess alone to hear) a quarter of a half of (out loud) an entire inch.

PRINCESS (forcing a smile): Hello to you too, Prince, my dear brother. I'm so (low) un- (normal) -happy you were able to come home.

NARRATOR: What's this?! Another Morbucks?! Wasn't one of them bad enough?!

Daddy Morbucks opens the front door and gestures for the two children to go inside. They do and Daddy begins a tour of the house.

INT. - MORBUCKS MANSION

PRINCESS (whiny): Da-a-addy, he already knows what the house looks like. He lived here for seven years.

PRINCE: Six and a half actually, before father so wisely decided it would be best for me to attend Carl Marks' Capitalist School for Boys in wonderful Europe. Six months is a long time, Princess, and I can only imagine what incredible things father's magnificent tastes have brought to our already beautifully decorated abode.

Daddy Morbucks' chest puffs out with pride as he continues his tour.

PRINCESS (under her breath): Suck-up.

PRINCE (under his breath): Whiner.

PRINCESS: What did you call me?!

PRINCE: What did you call me?

The two start staring each other down. Daddy Morbucks notices the tension and walks up to the kids. He puts each of his hands on the heads of each child, then proceeds to push them apart to separate them, Daddy then waves his finger at them in a "no-no" manner. He leads them to down a very long, lavishly decorated wall, stopping at two doors. He gestures Prince to the room on the left and Princess to the room on the right.

PRINCE (opening the door): Why? This room is marvelous! Thank you, father, for such a magnificent...

PRINCESS (interrupting): You can stop licking Daddy's boots, he's gone.

Prince looks around and sees that, indeed, Daddy Morbucks has left.

PRINCE: Thank Kennedy, I was getting tired of listening to that old windbag. I don't know how you deal with it Piglet. I forgot how long he could drone on.

PRINCESS: Don't call me Piglet, you stupid little plebeian!

PRINCE (with a smirk): Tsk, tsk, tsk, such words, Piglet. Not only are they harsh in nature but poorly chosen as well.

PRINCESS: Huh?

PRINCE: I suppose that should be the expected answer from you. What I mean is that you should've called me "stupid" because my Intelligence Quotient is an estimated 63 points above your own. I'm not a "plebeian" because I have more money in my accounts than most make in a lifetime. And as for "little" (he patronizingly pats Princess on the head) we all know who fits that department, don't we now? If you'll excuse me, since that's settled, I'll be getting adjusted in this tiny bedroom. Ta ta until lunchtime...Piglet.

Prince closes the door and Princess storms into her bedroom right next door.

INT. - MORBUCKS MANSION - PRINCESS' BEDROOM

PRINCESS (through gritted teeth): Privacy mode!

A set of soundproof, steel walls, cover up the pink walls of Princess' room.

PRINCESS: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Princess stands still for a short time after her scream. She breathes deeply to get rid of the rest of the anger. When she's calmed down she goes inside of her large, walk-in closet. She takes off the sailor dress and tosses it aside.

PRINCESS (from inside the closet): I can't believe he's back. That stupid Prince. How can someone as beautiful and rich and wonderful and rich and clever and rich as me have him for a big brother!!! He's always calling me "Piglet"! I hate that! I let Daddy do it 'cause he's the only person in the world with more money in his bank account than me! But I can't tolerate from him! He's worse than...than HIM! Ever since I was little he's always been showing me up and making me look bad!

FLASHBACK - MORBUCKS MANSION - RECEPTION HALL - 3 YEARS EARLIER

At a party being held in the Morbucks mansion, a two-year-old Princess, wearing a smaller version of the sailor dress identical she wore to greet Prince, is singing and dancing in a way only a 2-year-old can make cute. As everyone ooh's and aah's over the toddler a then 4-year-old PRINCE MORBUCKS appears and shows everybody a book he has in his hand. Everyone runs up to Prince and begins oohing and ahhing over him. Congratulating him on some accomplishment, leaving Princess all alone with a toy microphone in her hand.

PRINCESS: Just because he could balance a checkbook by the time he was four.

FLASHBACK - MORBUCKS MANSION - DADDY MORBUCKS' DEN - 2 YEARS EARLIER

Daddy Morbucks is bouncing a three-year-old Princess on his lap. Suddenly, a five year old Prince jumps into Daddy's lap, knocking Princess to the floor, and shows his father a set of papers. Daddy Morbucks pats Prince on his head showing his pride. Princess just sits on the floor and stares at her father and brother with a rejected look in her eyes.

PRINCESS: Or just because he masterminded his first hostile takeover at five.

BACK IN THE PRESENT - PRINCESS' BEDROOM

PRINCESS: I always got left in the dark, overshadowed by the wonderful little Prince. I thought I was finally rid of him when I made Daddy send him to that boarding school in Europe! But noooooooo! He had to be some boy genius and go beyond that stupid school's ability to teach him! Well, I've had it!! No more!!!

She steps out of the closet in her trademark crown, yellow dress with black belt, boots, and gloves.

PRINCESS: I'll show Daddy that I am the best! (her wristwatch beeps) First thing after lunch!

Princess goes down to the dining room.

EXT. - UTONIUM HOUSEHOLD

NARRATOR: Aw, man. After that display I need to see siblings that actually like each other.

BLOSSOM: BUTTERCUP!! Give me that!

NARRATOR: Maybe I spoke too soon.

INT. - UTONIUM HOUSEHOLD - LIVING ROOM

The POWERPUFF GIRLS: BLOSSOM, BUBBLES, and BUTTERCUP, are sitting on the living room floor, still dressed in their pajamas even though it is nearly 12:00pm. Bubbles and Blossom have their hair down, as opposed to their usual pigtails and ponytail. All three have empty bowls in front of them. Blossom and Buttercup are fighting trying to pull something from the other's grasp. Bubbles simply watches them, as if waiting for a chance to step in.

NARRATOR: Well, here are our girls, enjoying their cherished Saturday morning tradition of watching Saturday Morning Cartoons in their PJs with a hearty bowl of Lucky Captain Rabbit King Nuggets cereal.

BUTTERCUP (continuing the argument): No way, Blossom! The remote control's mine, fair and square!

BLOSSOM: Since when does fair and square include grabbing it out of my hand!

BUTTERCUP: It dropped out of your hands. And as soon as that happens, the remote's fair game!

BLOSSOM: It did not! I had a firm grip on the remote control!

BUTTERCUP: You did not!

BLOSSOM: I did too! And you know how I know? Because Blarney's coming on in 5 minutes and I'm gonna watch it!

BUTTERCUP: You're not watchin' that show while I got say anything to say about it! I'm gonna watch Mechanimals and you're not gonna stop me!

BLOSSOM: No, we're not! That Mechanimals is just blood and guts action for immature people like yourself!

BUTTERCUP: And Blarney is Masterpiece Theater?! That show's for babies!

BLOSSOM: It's not a baby show! We're right within the targeted demographic of 3-6 year olds! You want to watch a program meant for 7-12 year olds!

BUTTERCUP: Which means that my show's really more mature than yours, after all! Besides, there are no blood and guts, they're machines!

Before they can argue any further Bubbles grabs the remote from both of them.

BUBBLES: If it's that big a deal, than why not just play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" for it?

Blossom and Buttercup look at each other and shrug. They begin playing, when all of a sudden Blossom stops and looks at her mitt, Buttercup does the same. They both realize that they can only do "rock" with their mitts.

BLOSSOM: Wait a second...

BUTTERCUP: She almost got us with that again!

BLOSSOM/BUTTERCUP: Bubbles!!

Bubbles isn't watching them. Instead, she has the TV turned to the International Channel and is watching The Magical Funtime Adventures of Bunni-Bunni and Friend. Blossom and Buttercup just stare at Bubbles for a second as the realization that they've been tricked begins to sink in. The two sisters then look at each other and smile a devious smile. Bubbles looks over to see Blossom and Buttercup looking at her with those smiles on their faces.

BUBBLES (sensing what's coming): Uh-oh...

Blossom and Buttercup tackle Bubbles and begin to mercilessly tickle her.

BUBBLES (laughing): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Stop, ha, that, ha ha ha ha, please!

BLOSSOM: No way, not until we even things up for that little trick of yours!

BUTTERCUP: Yeah, we should probably do double since you've used that trick on us before!

They continue their onslaught as PROFESSOR UTONIUM walks in to see what all the noise is. He tries to break up the tickle fest but instead gets drawn into it as all three girls begin to tickle him. After a few minutes of this the Professor finally pulls the girls away from them and sets them down on the floor.

UTONIUM (still laughing a little): Well, that's something that doesn't happen everyday. Girls, I wanted to give you a little surprise I had.

He pulls out three slips of paper from his lab coat's breast pocket and hands one to each of the girls. The girls stare at papers for a few seconds before big smiles grow on their faces.

BLOSSOM: Tickets to...

BUBBLES: ...TV Puppet Pals...

BUTTERCUP: ...the Movie.

All three girls tackle Utonium and pin him to the floor in a big hug.

BLOSSOM/BUBBLES/BUTTERCUP: Thank you, Professor!

Utonium stands up again, but still has the girls wrapped around his neck hugging him.

UTONIUM: Now go to your room get dressed so we can get going. I want go get some lunch before we go to the theater.

The girls fly upstairs to their rooms in a flash of pink, blue, and green light. The Professor has a big smile on his face as he rubs his neck where the girls were holding on.

INT. - UTONIUM HOUSEHOLD - POWERPUFF GIRLS' BEDROOM

All three girls are now dressed in their usual pink, blue, and green dresses. Bubbles is working on her pigtails, Blossom is looking at a row of identical looking hairbows spread out on the girls' bed, and Buttercup is pulling on her stockings.

BUTTERCUP: You two are taking forever. By the time you're done the movie will have started, ended, started again, and then ended again. Why do you take so always long to get ready?

BLOSSOM (picking out a bow): Quit whining Buttercup. You gripe about this all the time. We don't take any longer than you do.

Blossom begins putting back the bows she had laid out. Buttercup puts on her black Mary Janes.

BUBBLES (putting finishing touches on her pigtails): All three of us always finish at exactly the same time.

BUTTERCUP (defensively): I'm not whining! I'm just hungry. When I'm hungry my voice echoes in my empty stomach and it just sounds like whining. That's all.

BLOSSOM: Uh-huh, sure. Look, we're ready now.

BUTTERCUP: Finally!

She blasts down to the living room before either of her sisters even begin to move.

BUBBLES: She can never wait for even a second.

INT. - UTONIUM HOUSEHOLD - LIVING ROOM

The girls are dressed and ready to go. They eagerly await PROFESSOR UTONIUM, who is making sure he has enough money for lunch and the show.

UTONIUM: Okay, girls, I'm ready to go. Go get in the...

The Professor looks outside to see the girls already buckled up in the back of the Utonium family's station wagon.

UTONIUM: ...car. Heh heh, guess I should take that as a sign to hurry up.

As Utonium opens the door a loud honking noise is heard. Buttercup is in the drivers seat honking the horn.

UTONIUM: Buttercup! Stop playing with the horn and get back in your seat! I'm coming!

As Buttercup goes back to her seat. Utonium gets in the driver's seat, starts up the car, and drives off towards the Townsville Movie Theater.

NARRATOR: Ahhh...that's much better. Now, what's next...(flips through the script)...ah, man. (reluctantly) Okay...back to the Morbucks

INT. - MORBUCKS MANSION - DINING ROOM

Prince and Princess are sitting across from one another at a ridiculously long dining table. They appear to be eating filet mingon, though Princess is merely picking at hers. Daddy Morbucks is nowhere to be found.

PRINCESS: I'm going to fire that chef. I specifically say medium-rare and he gives me rare. What an idiot.

PRINCE: Really, must you complain at every minor inconvenience? It's very irritating.

PRINCESS: I'm irritating?! How about you, with your "better than you" attitude? Thinking you're so cool.

PRINCE: Don't you take a similar attitude with those you deem your inferiors?

PRINCESS: Well, yeah of course I...wait a second! Are you calling me inferior?!

PRINCE: Is there any reason I should think otherwise? I'm older, taller, smarter, and I have a far better vocabulary than you.

PRINCESS: Hah! I have more money than you do!

PRINCE: True, but every dollar of it came from begging to and emotionally blackmailing Daddy. While I have less money I earned every red cent. Frankly, Princess, you couldn't do anything without Daddy's help. You can't even come close to destroying the Powerpuff Girls without heavy financing from Daddy. You don't even come close with it.

Princess stares angrily at Prince before she runs out of the dining room in a huff.

PRINCESS (as she leaves): I'll show you what I can do!!!

PRINCE (laughs): She makes this too easy.

EXT. - GENNDY STREET - MIDDAY

The Utonium station wagon is driving through the streets of Townsville on the way to the Townsville Movie Theater. The Girls are in the back seat with bags from Burger World strewn about the floor. The Professor is driving, carefully watching the road as he usually does when he drives.

BUTTERCUP (impatient): Are we there yet?

UTONIUM (trying to keep his patience): Almost, sweetie.

BLOSSOM: You can such a whiner sometimes.

BUBBLES: Yeah, and this time your tummy's full, so it can't be that.

BUTTERCUP: I am not whining! When my stomach's full, my voice doesn’t have any room in there anymore so it bounces around and echoes off of what's around me. It's my voice echoing off the car that's making the whining sounds, not me!

BLOSSOM: Sure, Buttercup.

BUBBLES: If you say so.

BUTTERCUP (trying to ignore the sarcasm): Well, I say so! An' anyone who says different is gettin' a black eye!

Before the argument can go any further an explosion hits the front of the car. The car spins out of control and hits a mailbox, scattering letters all over the street. In the backseat the Girls quickly recover from the shock of the collision.

BLOSSOM (worried): Professor?! Are you okay?!

The Professor's airbag is deployed in the front seat. He gets himself out of it and looks at Blossom.

UTONIUM (in a reassuring tone of voice): Yes, Blossom, I'm fine. Are you three okay?

BLOSSOM/BUTTERCUP/BUBBLES: We've taken worse.

UTONIUM (relieved): That's good...I think. Let's get out of the car. Could someone help with my door?

Buttercup breaks through the roof of the car on and rips off the driver's side door.

UTONIUM: Thank you, Buttercup.

Bubbles and Blossom follow Buttercup through the hole in the roof and stand with Professor Utonium, who's surveying the damage.

BLOSSOM: Is it bad?

UTONIUM: Not really, it shouldn't be too hard to fix. I'll go call a tow truck.

He enters a nearby bookstore to use their phone.

BLOSSOM: Well, at least nobody was hurt.

VOICE: Not yet anyway!

BLOSSOM/BUBBLES/BUTTERCUP: What?

They look to the end of the street, where Princess is standing in her gold super-suit. The jewel in her crown is smoking as if having just fired a laser blast.

BUBBLES: You're the one who hit our car, huh?

PRINCESS: That's right. I've decided that now is the time to destroy you once and for all! (to herself) not to mention stick it to that stupid Prince at the same time.

BUBBLES (getting angry): You picked a very bad time, Princess.

BUTTERCUP (also mad): We were going to see the Puppet Pals movie.

BLOSSOM (furious): A movie we've had to miss several times because of monsters and people like you!

BLOSSOM/BUBBLES/BUTTERCUP (enraged): And we're not missing it again!

All three girls attack Princess simultaneously. Despite the strength and speed enhancers of Princess' suit she can't evade and block attacks from all three of the girls at once and, as a result, many get through. Princess starts to take a beating. The fight ends with Blossom landing a kick in Princess' midsection which breaks the armor plating over her stomach. Princess flies into a wall which partially collapses on top of her.

PRINCESS: Ohhhh...it hurts...

VOICE: Of course it hurts, Piglet. What do expect to happen when someone with the strength of ten men kicks you in the stomach?

Princess and the Powerpuffs look over to the wreckage of the Utoniums' car, where the voice came from. Prince is standing there, leaning against the car non-chalantly, holding a remote control of some type in his hands. Princess gets up from the rubble and looks angrily at the Prince.

PRINCE: Maybe you could use lesson in how to do it, little sister.

BLOSSOM: Little...

BUBBLES: ...Sister?

BUTTERCUP: Ah, geez, as if one of them wasn't bad enough.

The Girls look to Princess to see her response.

PRINCESS: You?! What're you doing here.

The Girls look to Prince.

PRINCE: I just said that, you sad excuse for an Annie clone! I'm here to show you how this type of thing should be done. At the same time I'm going to do the one thing that you have never managed to do despite your pathetic best efforts.

The Girls look to Princess.

PRINCESS: YOU'RE going to destroy the Powerpuff Girls?! Don't make me laugh! There's no way you could do it! You don't even have any armor or super-suits.

The Girls look to Prince.

PRINCE: I won't need it.

Prince stands up straight and pushes a button on the remote in his hand. At first, nothing seems to happen. Then, a jet passes over head and something appears to drop out of it. The object falls to the ground with no apparent parachute or other device to slow down. Prince looks as if nothing's unusual as a shadow begins to appear and grow larger behind him. The object finally hits the ground or, to be exact, the Professor's car. The station wagon is completely crushed under the weight of the object.

The object appears to be a large humanoid robot. When Prince hits a button on the remote, it stands up from the crouching position it landed on the car in. It is six feet tall and has a very slender body. It is encased in light purple body armor, orange plating on its arms, and red leg armor. Its head is a horizontal cylinder which has a single red lens which appears to operate as its eye, the head itself has blue armor plating on it.

The Professor comes out of the bookstore to inform the Girls that the tow truck is on the way. But before he can open his mouth he sees the robot on his car.

UTONIUM (with a sigh): I'll cancel the tow truck and call the junkyard...

He slowly walks back inside. Everyone again focuses their attention on Prince's robot.

PRINCESS: What in Fort Knox is that?!

BLOSSOM: That was gonna be my question.

PRINCE: Ladies, meet the Tactical Remote Operated Unlimited Power Engine, or as I affectionately call it, TROUPE (pronounced "troop"). It is a humanoid cyborg created for extreme battle conditions. The arms and legs are double jointed, which make trying to sneak behind it all but impossible. The pistons and gears and various other gadgets simulate muscles twenty times stronger than a normal human being's. Its hard drive contains data on just about every form of martial arts that has ever been developed. Add that to an array of long-distance weapons and you've got the ultimate fighting machine.

BUTTERCUP (impressed but trying to hide it): No machine can compare to the real thing!

PRINCE: We'll see.

Prince pushes various buttons on his remote. TROUPE's single eye begins glowing to life as it steps off the car. The instant TROUPE's foot hits the ground it breaks into a run so fast it looks like a blur. Buttercup can't track it and ends up getting punched in the face and sent flying into a parked car.

BLOSSOM/BUBBLES: Buttercup!

BUBBLES: Why you?!

Bubbles charges Prince. Prince just stands there wearing an arrogant smirk on his face. He doesn't even touch the remote to call TROUPE to his aid. When Bubbles comes to within a foot of punching Prince she's thrown backward by what appears to be a blue light around Prince's body.

PRINCE: Oh, by the way, I borrowed a little something from a couple of former adversaries of yours. The Tech Boys' Kinetic Barrier will provide my defense so I need not worry about my own well-being while I control my TROUPE.

Buttercup and Bubbles recover from their respective hits and regroup with Blossom.

BLOSSOM (to Prince): Why are you doing this? We never did anything to you!

PRINCE: Well, to be truthful. You really have little to do with any of this.

PRINCESS: I get it! You're trying to score points with Daddy! Just like when we were little! Every time I got just a little bit more attention you had to find some way to steal my spotlight!

PRINCE (confused/angry): What delusions are you suffering from?! You've had the spotlight since the day you were born! I had to work my behind off just to get a sliver of your spotlight! All you had to do was sit there and smile to make people look at you! I had to learn how to balance a checkbook before I could even recite the alphabet! Do you have any idea how hard it is to do something like that when you can hardly grasp the concept of A, B, C, D, E, F, G? But even when I did achieve the near impossible it still seemed like nothing next to a small song from you! A badly sung one at that!

PRINCESS: Badly sung?! I was a wonderful singer! Daddy told me so himself.

PRINCE: You're a tone-deaf banshee!

Meanwhile the Powerpuff Girls are watching and listening to this whole display of sibling rivalry.

BUBBLES: That's so sad.

BUTTERCUP: Yeah yeah, he's a poor little rich boy! Can we beat him up now?

BLOSSOM: Forget him, Buttercup. (gestures to the currently unmoving TROUPE) Attack that robot of his while he's distracted with Princess.

BUBBLES/BUTTERCUP: Right!

The Girls charge the TROUPE and attack, putting some dents in its armor, but not yet penetrating to the robot itself. The noise of their attack grabs Prince's attention and he beings pushing a series of buttons on his remote. The once inactive TROUPE responds to his commands by counterattacking the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom, who was trying to trip its legs up, gets kicked away by TROUPE into the bookstore the Professor is in. Buttercup, who was trying to charge TROUPE from behind, is grabbed when the robots right arm grabs behind it and snares Buttercup's head. TROUPE throws her past Princess. TROUPE then extends its left arm in front of it and brings out a laser cannon that was hidden in the forearm. Using it's single lens, it aims for Bubbles and fires a shot. Despite Bubbles attempts to dodge, the beam makes a direct hit and Bubbles crashes to the ground.

PRINCE (to himself): I got too caught up in my emotions. Perhaps I shouldn't have allowed Piglet to attack first. Too late now, I just have to be careful not to let it happen again.

The Powerpuff Girls regroup and attempt a new plan. Blossom and Bubbles fly up to the air and fire their eye lasers at TROUPE. When TROUPE again brings it's left forearm cannon to bear Buttercup leaps at it and kicks at the joints attaching the laser to TROUPE, breaking them. The disabled laser falls to the ground in front of TROUPE and Blossom and Bubbles again start using their eye beams. This time aiming for the exposed part of TROUPE's left forearm. The damage done to the arm is great, Prince sees this but remains calm.

PRINCE: I'm very impressed. That's not enough to stop TROUPE though.

Prince presses more buttons on the remote. A snap sound is heard from TROUPE's left elbow and the forearm drops form it, leaving TROUPE with one arm. However, the elbow joint breaks off as well and now what appears to be another laser is exposed. It fires a large, wide beam which hits both Blossom and Bubbles. It turns to face Buttercup, holds out its right fist, which suddenly fires from the wrist and flies at Buttercup. Buttercup manages, just barely, to dodge it. Buttercup sees the fist is attached to a cord which comes from the main arm. It reels it's hand back in and prepares another assault on the green Powerpuff.

BLOSSOM AND BUBBLES

They get up from the attacks dealt by TROUPE and once again take to the air to fight.

BUBBLES: Shouldn't we go down and help Buttercup fight?

BLOSSOM: You heard what Princess' brother said, that things knows several forms of martial arts. Buttercup's probably the only one of us with enough formal training to match it. Until it gets a little weaker, our best bet is to support Buttercup and fire at the robot from up here to distract its attention. Then take over when Buttercup's weakened it, and probably herself in the process, to finish it off.

Bubbles nods in agreement.

BUTTERCUP AND TROUPE

Buttercup and TROUPE are engaged in an up close fist fight. The fact that TROUPE is missing an arm isn't slowing it down in the slightest. Buttercup is just barely evading the quick and powerful attacks of the robot. She is clearly having trouble launching her own offensive. Buttercup is beginning to get hit by some of TROUPE's attacks. However, just as it has her beaten, four red beams hit from the sky and send TROUPE flying. Buttercup looks up to see Blossom and Bubbles in the air. She quickly understands what they're doing.

BUTTERCUP (to her sisters): Keep the pressure on that thing! Don't worry 'bout hittin' me, just keep firing!

Blossom and Bubbles look at Buttercup, a little surprised at her instructions. They look to one another and reluctantly nod to Buttercup to signal their agreement. TROUPE recovers from the eye beams and renews its assault on Buttercup. Blossom and Bubbles continue to fire at TROUPE, though deliberately missing so as to avoid harming Buttercup. The beams serve their purpose and TROUPE begins trying to watch all three at once. Buttercup uses its lapsing attention to her advantage and scores several hits to its head and body, even managing to break through its armor.

PRINCE AND PRINCESS

Prince is watching the battle and operating TROUPE, but clearly see that the battle is turning to the Powerpuff Girls' advantage.

PRINCE (to himself): I never would have expected them to risk harming their sister like that. Then again, Buttercup herself is willingly taking the risk. Hmmm...there has to be a good way to counte...

PRINCESS: PRINCE!!!

Prince, distracted from his thoughts, looks to Princess who is trying to break through the Kinetic barrier around Prince. She is hitting the barrier as hard as she can but only succeeds in making Prince look like he's surrounded by a blue aura.

PRINCE: Do you mind, Piglet? I'm busy.

PRINCESS (still banging on the barrier): You have no right to do this! Those Poo-poo-puff Girls are MINE! Nobody gets to destroy 'em but ME! Do you understand?!

Prince isn't paying attention to Princess but is instead trying to watch the fight. Princess gets frustrated and attempts to break through the barrier by tackling it. She backs up and charges it, but she trips in a tiny pothole and stumbles. She doesn't fall but she does slow down. At that speed she easily passes though the Kinetic Barrier, which is made to prevent fast moving things such as bullets or punches to get through but does nothing to slow moving objects such as a stumbling little girl. She runs into Prince, who falls to the ground and drops the remote outside the barrier. Bubbles sees this and rushes to Prince and Princess.

PRINCE: Blast it!

BUBBLES: If you say so.

She uses her eye beams and melts the remote control.

PRINCE (witnessing the remotes destruction): No!

With the remote destroyed, TROUPE begins to wind down to a complete stop. When it finally stops Buttercup beheads it with a kick and Blossom kicks the body over. TROUPE has been defeated. Prince looks angry at first but regains his composure. He turns off the Kinetic barrier via a switch on his belt.

PRINCE (oddly calm): Well done, Powerpuff Girls. I commend you. It would have suited my purposes better if this fight would have gone on longer. But I guess there's always that one element that you cannot control (glares at Princess).

Police sirens announce the arrival of the local authorities.

PRINCE: Now that the police are here I suppose I'll just give up and be on my way to jail.

PRINCESS: Ha! What a loser! I won't give up so easily! Just watch me fight them off!

Blossom grabs Princess arms and holds them behind her back.

BUTTERCUP: The only thing you'll be fighting is the urge to puke after you see the new prison menu.

BUBBLES: Eww! Buttercup! We just ate!

NARRATOR: Hooray! The day is saved thanks to...(looks at the script)...oh wait, it's not time for that yet.

TOWNSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT - PRINCE AND PRINCESS' CELLS

The Morbucks children are in holding cells in Townsville's 10th precinct. Their cells are opposite one another. Princess is impatiently pacing back and forth in her cell. Prince just sits on the bed in his cell wearing the same cocky smirk he had on earlier. Almost seeming as if there's nothing wrong. An officer at the station calls out to them.

OFFICER: Hey, Morbucks!

PRINCESS/PRINCE: What?

OFFICER: You got visitors.

Prince's grin widens but soon turns to surprise as the Powerpuff Girls float to the cell.

PRINCESS: What're YOU doing here? Come to gloat about how you stopped me again?

BLOSSOM: Actually, we're here to talk to your brother. Prince, is it?

Prince nods, Princess resumes pacing but looks at the Girls and her brother periodically.

PRINCE: How may I assist you?

BLOSSOM: Well, you can feed our curiosity a little. What exactly was all this for? Did you really just want to kill us to score points with your father like Princess said?

PRINCE: Well, yes and no. Piglet was only half-right. I was out to "score points" with my father, as you put it. But it wasn't by destroying you. My father has nothing against you personally so all killing you would have done is aggravate Piglet. Not that that wouldn't be rewarding itself.

Princess sticks out her tongue at Prince.

BUBBLES: So then how was all that supposed to help you with your dad.

PRINCE: The battle alone wasn't my plan. If you really wish to know why I did what I did, you'll find out right about...(looks at a clock on the wall)...now.

At that moment a man in a Marine dress uniform walks into the station and, without speaking to anybody, approaches Prince's cell.

PRINCE: Hello General Strife. I hope everything was to your satisfaction.

GENERAL: That it was, lad. Here you go.

He hands a manila envelope to Prince, who opens it and smiles broadly.

PRINCE: Thank you, General. I trust the arrangements for my release have already been made.

GENERAL: They have, and no need to thank me. You performed your part of the agreement so we're keeping ours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going now.

PRINCE: Yes, I'll have the necessary documents delivered to you by courier by the end of the week.

GENERAL: Very good.

The General and Prince exchange salutes and the General leaves. Princess, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup just stand there for a minute staring at Prince. Buttercup is the first to finally speak up.

BUTTERCUP (clearly confused): Okay...what was that?

PRINCE: As the good General said, payment for services rendered.

He hands a document to Blossom, who gasps after reading it.

BUBBLES: What is it?

BLOSSOM: A full pardon for Prince Morbucks.

BUBBLES/BUTTERCUP/PRINCESS: What?!

PRINCE: That's right. It's part of the conditions for TROUPE's first field test. I had spent the past two years working on a super-powerful robot. At first it was just a hobby. A way of forever ridding myself of my hated sister that I could work on in my spare time. However, when Princess got me sent to a boarding school in Europe, I had an epiphany. I realized a much better use for my TROUPE.

BLOSSOM: And that would be?

PRINCE: I'm getting there. During the six months I attended the boarding school, I refined and revised my plans endlessly, until I devised the prototype TROUPE you battled. I convinced my father to use his companies to build the prototype. At first it sat useless for two months until fortune smiled on me. Or should I say, lack of fortune smiled on me?

PRINCESS: What're you talking about?

PRINCE: Well, it seems father's over-indulgent nature regarding you finally got the better of him. His constantly financing your plans against the Powerpuff Girls cost him dearly. Until now there was hardly any money left. The great Morbucks family was flat broke thanks to your petty grudges, Piglet.

PRINCESS: WHAT?!

PRINCE: That's what got me sent home. Not the fact that I was beyond the school's ability to teach, though it did help. It was the fact that Daddy could no longer pay the tuition. When I learned I would be returning to Townsville I made all of the necessary arrangements to carry out my plan.

BUTTERCUP (getting impatient): What plan?!

PRINCE: I made arrangements to sell the blueprints to build TROUPE to the U.S. military. They were reluctant, as would be expected. After all, how seriously would you consider buying plans for a machine of mass destruction if they came from a seven-year-old? They needed some reassurance. That's where you Girls came in.

BLOSSOM: We helped test your machine?

A police officer comes and opens Prince's cell. He steps out and continues his story.

PRINCE: Exactly. I told the military officials that I would arrange a test. TROUPE would battle the famous Powerpuff Girls in combat. All I asked in exchange was the guarantee of a pardon for any criminal actions I might perform along the way. Which, as you see, was kept. When that was all taken care of, I allowed Piglet there to draw you out into the open, and ensure you were on your guard.

BUBBLES: Why would being on guard make a difference?

PRINCE: Simple, I wanted the test to be as true a testament to TROUPE's abilities as possible. If I were to have won the fight mostly due to the element of surprise, what would it prove? I wanted you ready to fight and warmed up to do so. Princess helped arrange that quite nicely. All I had to do was push just the right buttons in her tiny little head.

PRINCESS: So I was just cannon fodder for your little scheme?

PRINCE (smiles and nods): That's right. I was a little worried, however, when Piglet caused me to lose the battle. I feared for a second that I wouldn't get the contract. But then I realized that it wasn't necessary for me to win. TROUPE's skills and uses were clear, or at least they should be.

BLOSSOM: But just WHAT does all this get you?

PRINCE: When you put the amount of money I gain for selling the TROUPE's plans with the government contracts my father's companies will get to mass-produce TROUPEs, I'll come out with a hefty sum of money for the Morbucks' coffers. A feat not even my baby sister Piglet could accomplish. If saving the family fortune doesn't win the old man over I don't know what will. Now, I must be going soon, I have some meetings I must attend. Daddy told me he is bringing me into the family business.

PRINCESS: Wait! What about me?!

PRINCE (with a cruel smile): Oh, right...well, I spoke with our father with my one phone call and we agreed it might be best if you stewed in that cell of yours for a little while. So, you're stuck where you are I guess.

As Prince leaves, with the Powerpuff Girls behind him, Princess can be heard screaming her lungs out.

BUBBLES (to Blossom and Buttercup): These two make the way you guys fight look like a game of Candy Land.

BLOSSOM: You got that right.

BUTTERCUP: In case I haven't mentioned it before now, I'm really glad you two are my sisters.

OUTSIDE TOWNSVILLE POLICE STATION

Prince steps outside to see a large limo waiting for him. He sees Daddy Morbucks in the backseat and prepares to join him, but then turns to the Girls.

PRINCE: Oh, I nearly forgot. I wanted to make up for the inconvenience I caused you.

He goes to the limo and pulls a thin box out of the backseat. He hands it to Blossom.

PRINCE: Here, it's a DVD of TV Puppet Pals the Movie. It's not due to be released to the public for five months, but I pulled some strings. I've also arranged to have your father's car repaired with no charge to you.

BUTTERCUP (looking at the DVD): Woah.

BUBBLES: I guess you're not such a bad guy after all.

BLOSSOM: It's at least nice to know you weren't really trying to kill us.

PRINCE (smirking): When did I say I wasn't?

BLOSSOM: Umm...back in the jail...?

Prince gets into the limousine.

PRINCE: I merely said that it wouldn't get me any points with my father. The fact is, if TROUPE had killed you our factories would have gotten more production orders since three of our world's protectors were permanently out of the picture. That would've meant more money for me and Daddy. (chuckles a little) You know, I just realized something. In the end killing you actually would have gotten me in better with Daddy.

Prince begins laughing so hard he starts to cry.

PRINCE (wiping a tear): Oh well, what's done is done, for now you having nothing to fear from me. But don't be surprised when you find yourselves testing TROUPE's upgrades. Farewell Powerpuff Girls, until next time.

As Prince again starts laughing at his latest realization, the limo drives off. Leaving the Powerpuff Girls to just stare at it with their mouths hanging open.

PULSATING HEARTS

NARRATOR: And so the day is...wait a sec...was the day saved at all? I mean, the kid got away with what he was doing! He duped everyone and made a bundle of money in the process! Oh, forget it. Let's just say the day is saved thanks to the Powerpuff Girls and end it there.

PULSATING HEARTS WITH THE POWERPUFF GIRLS