THE BLOSS-UNZEL AFFAIR

A/N: Did I mention how I really suck at titles? This idea came to me after I watched the PPG episode "The Mane Event". The "pencil sharpening" scene in this chapter is what happens between the Mayor and "Ms. Bellum" in the episode "Something's a Ms.".

Timeline/Summary: A little after the "Mane Event" and "Something's A Ms." episodes. Blossom and her sisters learn that too much of something isn't necessarily a good thing.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls, or any other publically recognizable characters. They belong to Craig McCracken, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and any other affiliates and partners. I'm not making a dime off of this fic.

CHAPTER ONE

In the city of Townsville, Blossom flew home way before her sisters that afternoon after the monster with the million eyes, or the "Million eyed Monster" as the Townsville media called it, had been defeated. She'd managed to "barbeque" Bubbles and Buttercup for laughing at her with her laser beams, but now she thought about what would happen when word of her disastrous mane of hair (or lack of it) reached the Pokey Oaks Kindergarten class.

She thought about faking an illness to get out of going to school, but Professor Utonium, the Powerpuff Girls' creator and father, would insist that she make the short trek to her kindergarten class.

Blossom could just hear him say, "Aww, come on, Blossom. You used your haircut to your advantage and you took your sisters down a peg in the bargain. That seems like a fair exchange, and if the kids at school tease you, you can put them in their place, as well."

The five-year-old sighed, frowning as she floated into the house with the three huge windows where she, Buttercup, Bubbles and the Professor resided.

"Professor, we're home!" Bubbles and Buttercup called as they floated through the house. When they didn't hear anything, they called a second time, announcing that they were home.

"Hmmm, that's strange," Blossom said, her momentary upset forgotten. Bubbles looked worried, and Buttercup scowled.

"Maybe he got eaten up by some monsters!" the brunette Powerpuff Girl pronounced.

Bubbles put her arm to her face as her eyes watered. "Monsters!" she wailed. "Oh, no! What'll we do?"

"Pound 'em, of course!" Buttercup said, waving her arms as though she were punching the snot out of real monsters.

Blossom looked somewhat disdainfully at her sisters. "You know, he could have just gone out for a paper or to the store for something," she told them. "Let's split up and search for clues."

The other two girls nodded, and the search was on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the women's prison, Sedusa sat on her bench in her cell, her face in her hands.

Angrilly she thought, if only I'd defeated that Ms. Bellum and the Cream puffs! She touched her once-long and lovely living strands of hair and walked over to the mirror. Her face fell as she saw that her hair had not grown very much in a month's time.

Not too long ago, Sedusa had used her special brand of hair gel to trap the Powerpuff Girls, even as she'd kidnapped the Mayor's assistant, Ms. Sara Bellum. But that fiasco had ended up trapping the villainess when the secretary and the girls overwhelmed her and snipped off all of her beautiful hair.

Now, amidst the still vibrant green eyes, the fanged teeth that could give a vampire a run for his money and a cute freckled face sat the boyish cut, all mismatched and scruffy looking.

Sedusa started to cry, but as the warden walked by, snapping at her to "shut up!" she sniffled and decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. The jewel thief extraordinaire thought a moment, making a plan that could secure her early release.

"Hmmm..." she said, her long gloved finger tapping her cheek as she considered something.

Sedusa could hear the footsteps of the Mayor approaching as he sang a song off-key. She had let him visit her, partially because she adored any man who adored her, and also because one never knew where an ally could be found in times of need. He liked her, maybe enough to get her out! Although the Mayor had refused her request, saying that the "people wouldn't like it", and "Ms. Bellum would have a to do about you being out too soon", the female burglar hadn't given up. Sedusa knew that her feminine wiles were getting to the Mayor little by little, and soon, she would be free to commit more crimes; free to get her revenge on the secretary and the Power Puffs.

She applied the small less-than-one-inch-tall tube of lipstick the prison matron had let her keep after a thorough inspection, making sure that she showed off her plump, seductive lips to their best advantage.

When she heard the prison guard telling the Mayor that it was okay to go in to visit cell number eleven, Sedusa used the tiny plastic comb and arranged her boyish locks as best she could. Peering in the mirror one last time, her lips curled up in an evil grin as she finally came up with a plan.

The Mayor's stubby legs carried him in through the chamber and past the cells with all of the female thieves. He paid no attention to Femme Fatale who gave him a dirty look and snarled about a man being in the women's side of the prison. He hummed and let the guard lead him closer to the woman he wanted to see more than anything.

Sedusa could hardly wait for the twit to enter her area. When the Mayor came in, pulling his sash which pronounced that he was a man of power, he said in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Sedusa...! Where are you, my little cup cake? Are you there?"

From the shadows where she sat on her cot, Sedusa thought, frowning, First thing I'll do when I reach my salon is finish this boring idiot off!

Her face became happy as she projected warmth toward the Mayor. "Ye-esss..." she sang back, hoping her act would be convincing. The Mayor came closer to the bars, his face lit up with excitement that Sedusa was there.

"I couldn't get you out of my mind after our last meeting," the Mayor said joyfully. "Why, my wife says that my peanuckle game is better than ever."

Sedusa couldn't let that one pass. She gave him a look and asked, "You play what with your wife?"

"I play peanuckle," the Mayor repeated. When he caught her expression, he asked, "Well, you don't think that we snuggle together under the comforter, do you?"

The villainess wasn't going to touch that with a ten-foot-pole. In her mind, however, she pictured the man she considered older than Methuselah and a woman who resembled him in looks trying to...She shook her head, trying to erase that image from her thoughts and glared at the Mayor when she couldn't.

That's another reason to finish you along with the girls and that accursed secretary when I get out of here you little elf! Sedusa thought.

"Well I could pay a call by your house sometime, or maybe your office," Sedusa purred, "to help you"—her next words held a twinge of disgust as she uttered them—"improve your, uh, peanuckle game."

The Mayor blushed, saying, "Oh, Sedusa, you make me smile. But I couldn't do that! My wife doesn't like any one to intrude!"

Sedusa rolled her eyes, but said, "Well, when you're in the office by yourself, I could help you with a lot of things, if you get me out, okay?"

The Mayor thought about that. He imagined Sedusa's long fingers sharpening the pencils in his office like she'd done before. Even Ms. Bellum wasn't that talented! He could use a good pencil sharpening.

Sedusa could tell by the way he was murmuring that she was about to hook a big fish. She said in her most charming, seductive voice, "Let's seal the deal, shall we?" She planted a very long, passionate kiss on his lips through the bars.

With a dreamy expression in his eyes, the Mayor stumbled toward the Warden's office, saying, "Ms. Ipswitch, uh, Warden Ipswitch?"

Warden Theresa Ipswitch looked down at the tiny man who held the futures of Townsville, including her job, in his hands. She could tell: he was bewitched by something. But, she was just the Warden, and she didn't have any prospects, particularly in the looks department. Her face was square and jowly looking, and her lips were very small and colorless. Her skin was almost as white as the Rowdyruff Boys'.

"Umm ah, could you release Miss Sedusa into my custody for awhile?" The Mayor asked.

Theresa considered, her forehead crinkled with worry above her beady, brown eyes. She didn't want to think of what the brunette temptress could do once released. But, the Warden needed her pension, so she wordlessly offered the key to Sedusa's cell to the most powerful man in Townsville.

"Thank you!" the Mayor shouted. He put the key in the lock of Sedusa's cell and told her, "you're free as a bird! Shall we continue this over a game of peanauckle in my office?"

Sedusa realized she had to put in an appearance at the Mayor's office, but she wanted to go to her lab and put things into motion, so she said, "May I take a rain check, honey?"

Looking up into her moist, light colored olive green eyes, the Mayor said, "Oh, shucks...Okay."

The temptress smiled evilly. Once she reached her lab and put the chemicals together for the formula she had in mind, Blossom, Ms. Bellum, and every woman and girl in Townsville would pay!