Fusion and Iron

22. Getting Back Together Again

"Hmm, dis is quite the interesting specimen, yeees."
Cradled in a white-gloved hand was the squelched fusion tech, tightly squeezed in the fingers like a freshly lobotomized kidney. The typical green fuzz that illuminated the insides had now transformed into a fluffy, cream-white swirling around. The miniature tendrils which had poked their way out of the slit were now just pacified little splotches of white, looking less monstrous and more whole. The container holding the specimen remained intact, reinforced by a golden wrapping. Occasionally the matter would swirl inside on its own, though like a relaxed current flowing through a lazy river. It had been tamed.

Dexter had a wide eye through the glass, blinking to digest every little detail of the creature within. His other hand adjusted his glasses, holding them tightly up to his face while reading into it.

"Vith the time I had, which was little, I managed to learn a lot from it. As for the other technologies, they are still being researched. I have no further interests other than dis, for today."

He set it down on a centerpiece wooden table in the middle of the room, its surface scarred with years of use, surrounded by mismatched chairs. Loose two-by-four technology, cobbled together from countless missions, littered the room—wires snaking across the floor, flashing lights on jury-rigged consoles, and makeshift gadgets scattered about. All around him was just the usual charm of the Kids Next Door, a few of these inventions owed specifically to Numbuh Two.

Surrounding this table were some iconic faces, all of them keen on the young scientist's judgments about the peculiar item.

Numbuh One had his iconic ambitious glare on his face, palms pressed out across the wood standing up. His eyes could pop up a little above his sunglasses, blinking rapidly. His red sweater and typical fit hugged the outline of his slim body, always ready for action.

Numbuh Two sat in one cloffee-stained sofa chair with his kicks on the table, a hand resting on the back of his head while he feasted on a big coney dog. His shirt had been partially unbuttoned, his suspenders off just to get cozy.

Together, Numbuh Three and Four were projected in a hue of blue light huddled beside one another. They were both struggling to stay in the camera since it was only made for one person, yet somehow still managed.

Numbuh Five had sat down in a jet-black spinning office chair, littered with small bandages all across her body. Not even her shirt and shorts did her justice; she was covered from head to toe. Her hat rested on the table in front of her, polishing one of her pop guns with a rag.

Cree stood next to her sister in armor like a loyal knight, her arms crossed and an icy glare toward almost everyone. Her long hair hid one of her eyes, coming off as much more menacing than usual.

Blossom had a hand shoved in her lab coat, the other holding a mug of cloffee freshly brewed. For today, she wasn't in her usual uniform but rather just a white t-shirt, jeans and running shoes. She took it easy, looking not quite bothered by anything around her.

Lastly came Dexter, who had set up a small, sleek kit—its polished surface and sophisticated design starkly contrasted with the rough-and-ready surroundings. On the edge of the table in front of his abdomen, a holographic azure keyboard was waiting to be used as a terminal. In the center, a circular disk for the scientist's demonstration remained on standby too.

"It took some time, though I managed to figure out that dis is a very particular kind of specimen Lord Fuse has cooked up. They are small, made to hide in plain sight for his watchful eyes. Vill you remind them, Five and Cree, of vhat Fusion Hoagie was trying to do?"

Cree was the first one to speak up, almost immediately, "He was trying to place that thing on our TV antenna."

Even though he didn't do anything wrong, Two slowed down his eating while listening to Cree. He could still feel her giving him a look, causing him to anxiously grin at the woman in response.

One nodded along rapidly, deeply invested in this.

"They are the equivalent of radars, organisms who send Fuse messages from their tiny bottles. Vith the metal covers they have for themselves, they can simply just come off as antennas. Though, thanks to the help of this little guy, he can help pinpoint vhere they are," Dexter continued, waving his hands to help articulate his points. The creature was offered out like a little handout for people to look at.

"How long will it take to figure out what the fusion was taking with him?" One asked.

The scientist took a deep breath, turning to look over at Blossom.

"It's likely we'll know within the next two days tops. We've been working on a lot of projects, though I have enough free time to see what they are," the Powerpuff Girl replied, taking a sip of joe. "Though they don't look promising, pretty pitiful."

Dexter snorted, "Not as pitiful as some of the things around here; dis place looks like a dump."

"Hey!" Two made a face, sitting up from his chair. "Two-by-four gets the job done! I spent hours getting this place to work back in the day, and I still do!"

Five nodded, "That fancy book got to your head or somethin'?"