01<~`ST`> "I tried to talk some sense into her... for most of the day," she says. "She listened, was polite about it even, though she changed the subject quite often and I let her if only to distract both of us from everything else for a bit and hope to bring back some of the Blossom that I'd known. Eventually, though, Boomer came in and told Blossom that 'it was time' and I asked her where she was going."
01<~`ST`> "She didn't tell me, just said that I was welcome to wait here and that she'd probably be in my way. But... she noted, 'But, you won't do that. If you insist on coming along with me, that's fine, but don't get in our way.'"
01<~`ST`> ((and that she'd probably be back before morning, even. Not in my way.))
<@Buttercup> "You followed her...? And she'd already started?" Buttercup asks nervously.
01<~`ST`> "I... well, I tried to follow her. As I said, I'm not as fast as I used to be. Blossom and Boomer... Well, they flew to the northeast, out into the Northsea and I managed to at least keep them in sight if I couldn't really catch up with them. I saw when Boomer dove into the cold water of the Sea, Blossom hovering up ahead, waiting..."
01<~`ST`> "He was down there for almost 20 minutes or so, when I finally caught up, I asked Blossom what he was doing- worried! -and she just grinned and told me to wait, that it wouldn't be long now."
06* @Buttercup nods
01<~`ST`> "Sure enough, I'd only been there for a few minutes when the water started to churn and I could see a great dark shape under the water. I worried... well, you can imagine what I'd worried consider what she'd been talking about earier!" Bubbles glances over at you, frowning. "However, when Boomer came back up, he was hauling some vast.. metallic cylinder, of a very odd shape, almost like a ship but entirely enclosed. It must have been travelling under the water."
01<~`ST`> "Blossom froze the surface of the sea, and Boomer set the craft down on the ice. It creaked a bit, but held, and then... well, they tore the ship apart, like two kids breaking a wishbone! There were people inside; I'm fairly sure British Navy! But with strange markings on their uniforms and odd weapons. They started fighting back, trying to keep the two of them out, but..."
<*Bubbles*> "There was a marking on the side, even. HMSS Ray. I'm not sure what the extra S is for, and I'd never heard of a ship like this, but... It was quite impressive."
<@Buttercup> "That thing... Submersible? Yeah, but they wouldn't have had a chance..."
<@Buttercup> "No wonder I haven't seen it lately."
<@Buttercup> "What IS she doing!" Buttercup says horrified.
01<~`ST`> Three years ago? That'd put this in... 1838? Buttercup supposes that explains why there hasn't been much recent rumors about it; the Navy's Special Fleet must be keeping its destruction on the downlow for now. Still, surprising that even the Kerberos Club doesn't know yet.
06* *Bubbles* just looks at Buttercup, kind of curious, but still-she continues her story!
01<~`ST`> "I still didn't really know what was happening, though I was pretty upset now, honestly. Tearing up British Shipping; that's Supervillain Work!"
06* *Bubbles* shakes her head.
<@Buttercup> "It is.." Buttercup looks worried. "But you know, that's not so bad. I mean it could be so much worse. At least - at least it sounds like she still cares about you!"
06* *Bubbles* just frowns, and... well...
<*Bubbles*> "I watched; they pretty much ignored most of the soldiers that were shooting at them. Eventually, though, Boomer came back up with some fancy-looking Officer type guy who was struggling. They were going to kidnap him or something. I decided that, well, I thought--"
<*Bubbles*> "I was able to distract Boomer with a cheap shot while he wasn't paying attention, and get away with the fellow they were after, getting him over to some of the British Sailors who looked particularly well armed and standing between them and Blossom."
<*Bubbles*> "Boomer was about to come for me, when Blossom grabbed his arm and stopped him, as I'd hoped she would."
06* @Buttercup squeezes her hand proudly.
06* *Bubbles* looks down at this point...
<*Bubbles*> "They argued for a bit, he eventually left, after Blossom told him that she'd take care of this. And... she came and hovered in front of me, looking very annoyed, and told me to get out of the way."
01<~`ST`> Bubbles face is stained by tears, which fall silently down her face...
<*Bubbles*> "I shook my head, and told her that I wasn't going to, that she shouldn't be out here doing this and that we could talk about this more after we got the ship somewhere safe and made sure that all the sailors were /okay/."
06* @Buttercup wipes them away with a fresh hankerchief, as hers is no already smeared with makeup from her own.
<*Bubbles*> "She looked really upset, and told me again, and I just shook my head."
<*Bubbles*> "It... didn't really go much beyond that. I had opened my mouth to say something, when suddenly I was on the floor. I swear one of my arms was broken... so she must have hit me hard because even now my bones don't break easily."
<*Bubbles*> "I remember her saying, 'God, you're useless,' and then she booted my in the head and everything went black."
06* @Buttercup hugs Bubbles, tearing up again herself...
06* *Bubbles* opens her mouth again, and its at this point that Buttercup realizes that she hasn't even heard the worst part...
01<~`ST`> "I woke up.. I don't even know how much longer. The ice was beginning to break, some of the sailors were trying to get me to wake up, saying that I'd have to swim or I'd die. I... I came to pretty quickly, once I realized what was going on, and... I managed to get as many of them to shore as I could, Buttercup, I did!"
06* *Bubbles* sobs, crying full on now...
<*Bubbles*> "But, the ice all melted and the ship went under and... then... The water was just so cold..."
<*Bubbles*> "And we were so far out to sea..."
<*Bubbles*> "I told you, I don't fly so fast anymore!"
06* *Bubbles* grabs onto Buttercup, sobbing, looking for absolution...
<*Bubbles*> "Eventually, I flew back, and..." She can't bring herself to say it...
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