"Pregnant? What do you mean you're pregnant!?"
"It means I have a parasite inside me, ma. There's a freaking bun in my fucking oven!"
Loud voices echoed throughout the walls of the Hope Guild; but unlike what it was in the present times, screens were not yet filled with screens. Instead, there were maps littered on most of the walls of their meeting hall– different countries, different cities. Some had red lights blinking on them; a sign that there was trouble that might need the Hope Guild's attention.
There was one element that seemed to have remained unchanged throughout time, however– Charlotte. She still looks the same as she did in the present times; the only difference was her somewhat provocative three-colored costume– gold, red, and blue.
And in front of her, was a woman who sported the same hair color; light brown, bordering in red. The length of her hair that was tied in a ponytail, almost reaching past her waist. Her outfit, a tight-black suit and a small brown leather jacket– the outfit that Alice had worn all throughout her stint as a superhero.
"What!?"
And once again, Charlotte's voice echoed throughout the meeting hall of the Hope Guild, not even caring if some of the other members that were currently not inside the room would hear them.
"How are you even pregnant!?"
"...What kind of question is that, ma!? I'm just pregnant!"
"How!? You don't even have a boyfriend… or a fuck buddy that I know of!"
"Ack, can you not!? That's disgusting!"
"I am asking you who the father is!"
"It's… classified."
"What!?"
And once again, Charlotte's screams thundered as she listened to her daughter's words. One might think she was being overly dramatic, but for Charlotte, she thought she was still calm considering the situation. Her daughter, who doesn't really talk to her that much, suddenly called her out of nowhere and wanted to discuss something.
Charlotte had already thought that it was something important for her to actually call her… but her being pregnant?
Her one and only daughter, suddenly pregnant? What kind of mother wouldn't be surprised or angry hearing such news?
"What do you mean it's classified!? What do you think your vagina is, the pentagon!?" Charlotte then stood up as she slammed both her palm on the table, "Who is it!?"
"I–"
"Wait, just fucking wait…" Charlotte then pointed her palm towards Alice; her other hand, grasping her head as her breathing became unusually heavy, "Don't tell me… please don't fucking tell me it's Whiteking's?"
"What!?" And with those words coming from Charlotte, Alice also stood up and also slammed both her palms on the table.
"I don't see what you girls see on that fucking guy! Even Empress is sleeping with him knowing full well that he's a married man!"
"Ma! No! What!? Ew!" Alice then started walking around the hall; her shoulders slightly shivering as her mother's words reverberated through her air, "Who would want to have sex with that nerd!? Ew! Just…
…just ew!"
"Then tell me who the father is!"
"I don't fucking know!"
"What!?"
Charlotte's screams were reaching their peak; causing the entire hall itself to tremble as her voice also shivered from the sheer frustration she was currently feeling,
"What do you mean you don't know!?" She then bellowed; frantically waving her hands as she stomped her way towards Alice, "Wait… don't tell me you've actually been sleeping with a lot of people!?"
"What!? No!"
"Alice! Why!?" Charlotte's eyes then started getting moist as she looked her daughter straight in the eyes, "I… I didn't raise you to be a fucking whore!"
"I'm not! Why aren't you listening to me!?"
"You're the one not hearing yourself! You're the one who said you don't know who the fucking father is!" Charlotte started circling around in place for no apparent reason, "What!? Are you trying to say you just suddenly became pregnant or something!? Who do you think you are, the virgin–"
"Yes! That's what I have been fucking trying to tell you, ma!" This time, it was Alice's bellows that reverberated through the hall,
"I am fucking pregnant," she then said; each of her words, filled with weight, "I wanted to hide it from you at first since I don't know if it's really happening. But when I went to the ob-gyn a few days ago and had myself checked, they found something in the ultrasound!"
"Who… is the father?" Charlotte repeated her question; this time, however, the tone of her voice was calm– her eyes, however, felt otherwise.
"I. Don't. Know," Alice then mouthed each of her words, "I had… a friend inject me with something."
"Inject you with his penis?"
"No! Ew! It was a female friend!" Alice grunted as she dropped her shoulders, "I've been wanting to have a child, but I don't really want to be involved in a fucking toxic relationship… so when a friend told me they have this Vitro fertilization project something that didn't need a man's sperm– I volunteered to test it."
"...What?"
Charlotte looked at her daughter; her eyes, clearly in disbelief with what she was hearing. She almost fell butt-first on the floor, but Alice quickly dragged a chair to catch her,
"You… did what?"
"That's why I told you it was classified!" Alice once again grunted as she also floated a chair for her to sit on, "They haven't really revealed the technology to the public yet. And since I'm a super and wanted a baby, I said `why not'. I'm sure nothing would happen to me–"
"Are you… crazy?" Charlotte once again grasped her head in frustration, this time with both her hands, "You injected yourself with something that hasn't been tested?"
"W… well, as I said, I was–"
"Tell me what company this is, I will fucking burn it to the ground and–"
"Ma! Stop! It's done," Alice then grabbed both her mother's arms as she looked her straight in the eyes, "Just… be happy for me that I am finally going to have a child."
"Alice… you're 21," Charlotte shook her head; her eyes, still completely in disbelief, "A child isn't a fucking pet. I mean… what!? I know you're impulsive, but this is just… this is on another level."
"..."
"..."
And with that, silence. None of them knew how long this silence went on, but both of them knew they needed it to get their thoughts settled. And soon, perhaps a quarter of an hour or so, Alice whispered.
"I… am going to take care of him, ma."
"...Him?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, "How many weeks in are you?"
"T… twenty-one weeks."
And as soon as Charlotte heard Alice's words, her eyes quickly dropped towards Alice's belly, "That's a fucking baby already, Alice! Why is your stomach so small!?"
"I… I've been tucking it in to hide–"
"Are you fucking crazy!?" And as soon as Charlotte heard Alice's words, she quickly ripped off Alice's tight outfit, revealing the bandages wrapped around her stomach– and without even waiting for Alice to complain, Charlotte ripped the bandages, gently.
"O… Oh fuck," Charlotte then once again almost fell on her butt; her hands, trying to fan herself as her eyes remained glued on Alice's slightly bulging stomach,
"It… it's really happening."
"P… please calm down, ma. I–"
"Don't you dare fucking touch me," Charlotte then said as her breathing became gasps, "A child… A child isn't a pet, Alice. Do you even have any idea how hard it is to raise a child– and without a father?"
"Well… you did it and I turned out fine."
Charlotte opened her mouth as soon as she heard Alice's words; her eyes, looking at Alice from head to toe, "In which angle did you turn out fine, Alice!? You…"
"..."
Charlotte was about to say something harsh, but as soon as she saw her daughter caressing her slightly bulging stomach, the only thing that Charlotte could do was close her eyes and sigh. Just… where exactly did she go wrong raising her? Charlotte thought.
But what's done is done, the only thing she could really do… was be there for her.
"Do you even know what you're going to name him?" Charlotte then sighed as her breaths finally calmed down.
"I… I've been fancying the name Lucifer for a while now since it sounds good."
"You're a fucking wreck, Alice."
Charlotte and Alice's disagreement and arguments did not end there. It went on and on– it became a whole mess when others in the Hope Guild found out; some information was omitted from them such as there being no actual father, but other than a few expressions of shock, the rest of the members of the Hope Guild took the news well. Well, compared to Charlotte, that is.
Months passed and Charlotte and Alice's arguments only got worse; that is until the time came for Alice to give birth.
"Push!"
"What do you think I'm doing!?"
"You're not pushing enough! That's it, proceed with the c-section, doctor!"
"No!"
"Don't you dare use your telekinesis to push out the baby, Alice!"
"Rraah! I feel like shitting, ma!"
"That's completely normal! Push!"
Screams once again. But this time, it was Alice– her screams almost piercing the ears of all the people that were trying to help her give birth. The doctor and nurses have lost count on how many times the objects in the room started to tremble; they have also lost count on how many times Charlotte slapped Alice whenever it happened.
But finally, after 5 whole hours–
"T… that's it, Alice. Just… just a few more! Push!"
"Kkii!" Alice greeted her teeth; almost to the point that her gums bled as she gave everything she could. And finally… a short relief as the sound of the waters inside her gushed out.
"D… doctor?"
Alice, however, quickly held her breath as she heard her mother's somewhat concerned voice,
"W… what's going on… mom?" Alice tried to lift her head, but was too weak to do so, "What… what?"
"Doctor…" Charlotte repeated,
"Why… why does he look like that?"