Chapter 7

He was terrified, embarrassed and wanted to be sick with himself. That's what's wrong with him… he's carrying the experiment of 106 in his body. He was grateful though that no one in the room was laughing at him. Garou however was the first to speak up. "Could be worst…" he said.

Suddenly the whole room stared at him. "How? How could this possibly be any worst!?" Snek demanded.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just trying to make you feel better, besides. I've been through this three times. It's no big deal."

"Dad…" sighed Alley. "We don't know the reasoning behind this. Not to mention the real intent of 106's test. I mean if his whole purpose was to get Snek to breed, he succeeded. If that's the case though… why didn't 106 do everything in his power to keep him?"

"You mean the whole purpose was to knock me up!" Snek demanded. "This doesn't even make ANY sense!"

Alley abruptly cleared her throat. "Actually… it does… in a monster perspective." She explained that Metal Knight was doing research on Monster reproduction. Females are rare in the species, and the males are plentiful which means there is constant competition for a female and the opportunity to pass off their genes to the next generation. Males would do acts of strength to impress a mate, if successful. They would breed. "Due to the rarity of a female, the male incubates and tends to the children since after all, rivals will still come by and try to destroy not just him but the offspring as well. It's to save the female who can reproduce again and find a new mate if the one she had failed. It's quite cut throat." She explained. "Yet, if the male succeeds in getting the children to develop and grow strong, then his work is done. When the children are able to see and hunt, they are on their own."

"I don't exactly feel any better about this Alley,"

"I know Snek, I am just trying to explain why you got them and not the female. I mean, look at dad. Dad kept mom contained in his body until she gave birth, after, he held us until we were oddly over grown considering the age we should have been."

"What the hell do I do?" he asked.

"Well… there are options…"

"Options?" asked Drax. "What do you mean?"

"I can ask Dr. Genus to take them out of you. They won't survive to say the least."

Snek thought it over. "Perhaps…"

"Dad!" protested Drax. "You can't just jump on the first idea!"

The room froze as they stared at him oddly. "Excuse me…" he stormed out shortly after, just as Amai returned with the Triplets. It was a good thing he kept candy in his car of such an emergency.

"So, is the matter resolved?" he asked.

"It's in its discussion phase." Alley stated.

Amai didn't like the news. "Really? What more is there to discuss about this? We know the truth… we know the situation, how is it that there isn't a conclusion to the matter?" he demanded. His glare shifted to Snek. "Do I have to remind you what happened? How that thing nearly killed your own son!"

"I don't need to be reminded…" muttered Snek. "But this isn't an easy option for me either way. I either…" yet froze, Snek found himself being stared upon by Luna, Eclipsa and Akira. "I need time." He said.

Amai glared at him, the veins soon return to his face as he said. "Be that as it may, whatever you decide… know I have already made up my mind those… things" he settled himself down, he cleared his throat and announced his leave. "I'll be keeping an eye on this situation…" and left without another word.

"What did he mean by that?" asked Akira. "I don't like the way he spoke just now,"

"Me either, it sounded like he wanted to hurt something really bad…" said Eclipsa.

Luna glared at the door Amai walked out of. "He thinking bad things, isn't he?" she asked. "No one should think bad things about babies…"

#

Snek had to get out of the lab. He was quick to remove himself before Luna and the others began their bombardment of request to help him and wondering what he would be naming the brood. He just got outside and coiled up, he knew this was all a mistake, it was 106 who made this happen, for what reason? He didn't know. "Was I the damn guinea pig?" he asked himself.

He knew what needed to be done, whatever was in him has to go!

"Dad?"

Snek froze as he heard Drax's voice, he looked to him yet turned away embarrassed. "I am not exactly thrilled with this either…" he said.

Drax however had a strange look on his face. "You don't want them… do you?"

"You know why and how these things were made, of course I don't!" he protested. "Why would I?"

Drax sat on the ground before peering out over the land. "I wanted you to know something… despite what the clone of mom did… there was a moment… where it WAS mom." He explained. Snek became all ears as Drax told him after she bit him, she was going to kill him next. "She lifted me up off the ground, her hand was poised to slice me in half if I were to guess. But then… she stopped herself. The crazed look vanished, and then… she looked at me… it was mom's look" he said. "She said my name, confused to what she was doing, then… was killed."

Snek was never told this, not until now. "But she was a clone."

"So were Street and Knuckle." He snapped back.

He got the sense of it now. "You… want them, don't you? You want these things born."

"It was mom… I know it was mom… even for a moment… dad, what you have is a little bit more of her that could be brought back into the world. I don't care that you're a snake man. I don't care that my siblings would be too! I… I don't want to be alone in this world anymore. It's selfish I know, stupid, even more so. But, if we can let a little bit more of mom return…"

He sighed to it all. "I was thinking it too…" he confessed.

Drax stared at his father with great surprise. "Really?!"

"Yeah… it's just how you feel now. We get a little bit more of your mom back, I also don't know what will become of them either. I mean… we could be in for a hell of a battle, if these things aren't what we think they are… and GOD the guys are NEVER going to let me live it down!"

Drax snickered. "Then, we don't tell them!"

Snek glared at his son. "Luna knows… everyone will know the moment she speaks, she can't keep a secret!"

"Oh, right…"

The two sighed. "You know I thought being a serpent man would be the worst thing to ever happen to me, yet the universe tends to enjoy kicking me around doesn't it?"

Drax snickered. "Yeah, this whole family gets its fair share of lumps doesn't it?" But his smile vanished. "Are you sure you want to do this dad? Even if it means we are playing into the hands of that asshole?"

"I think Alley made a valuable point earlier. If 106 wanted this to happen and succeeded… then why didn't he do anything to keep me around if this was his desired result?"

Drax appeared to think it over, yet he was rather taken aback by the notion. "You're right. In fact… I was in the room the whole time it happened. They were pleased with the result of it all, and yet… they merely made notes as to what occurred, nothing more."

"So I was the lab rat"

"Which means they got something bigger in mind."

"Son of a bitch…" growled Snek, yet he sighed aloud. "I guess I will get to see what being a dad is all about like this… and apparently mother too!"

"Actually… Alley had a hunch about this earlier too. You aren't really the mother…" Drax said with a smirk. "She explained that the female merely breeds first and whatever takes she puts into the male for him to keep safe. I guess it's a monster way of passing the buck in a sense."

"Enough about that!" Snek snapped. "God I just want this over with,"

Drax then appeared confused. "About that… How long do they stay with you? Is it anything like Garou?"

"God, I hope not!"