Chapter 46

It became a rather strange spectacle.

When Bad was finished his meals, he would ease himself down, then his tense belly would suddenly relax. Elle and the others watched on with interest as King Bad's stomach began to move rather violently! He's been doing this for the past month, despite getting bigger, the movement within him was growing stronger each and every day. A few times he would grip his sides and try to contain the odd rippling, but then he would settle and continue to allow it to happen. "King Bad?" Elle asked of him one day.

He appeared a little tense as he tried to contain an odd rebellion on his left side. "Yeah?" he asked with a strain in his voice.

"What… what's happening?"

He forced a small laugh. "Letting the kids move about…" he explained. But the process was getting rather difficult to do. "They are getting too big for me…"

Elle pause as she the middle of his belly suddenly push forward, two small hands were forcing him to the brink until they pulled back. "Oooo, that's going to hurt later…" he moaned.

"King Bad, why do you allow them to harm you?!" Elle demanded. "You are their father, take command!"

He laughed aloud. "I do this now… to save me anguish later. It won't be long now Elle, they are going to be born, but until then, I can't keep them still… they have been trapped in me for three years… THREE YEARS. Could you imagine being imprisoned in someone like me for that long?"

She gave but a small grin. "With the way you have been treated, I wouldn't call it a prison!"

King Bad smiled to her for that. "Still, kids need to stretch out and feel things… OOOooo, come on kids easy on daddy!" he protested as they were pushing against him once more. "I have to let them, if I kept them in place it would have been a lot worst. They would fight me tooth and nail to have a small taste of freedom. But this way, I let them do this, it tires them out and I can draw them back in, just in time for a meal or to sleep. Or I would have rebellious belly rumbles as I ate or slept!"

She saw the logic and it was true. After these strange sessions, he would be able to walk, eat and sleep without a commotion going on. If it occurred all the time, then it would he hard for him to maintain order.

"I understand now. How much longer do the children have to roam around?" she asked.

"Well I'll give them another ten minutes, after that, I need to eat."

"I will call the chef and let him know."

#

Up, down, side to side. The kids tossed about.

Bad was cringing now every time this happened, one, they were getting bigger. Second, they were getting stronger. Third, Bad couldn't grow out any farther! He felt that too after his last trimester, his stomach refused to expand any more. Which meant despite the kids growing, he won't be!

"Two more… months… two… more… months…" he kept telling himself. "I can make it two… more… OOoooo!" He moaned as the rebellion grew. "Come on kids, not so rough!" he pleaded.

'Haul them in Bad' came Garou's voice. 'They had enough free time, time to pull them back.'

'Yeah…' Bad was starting to hate this part now. Each time he pulled the kids back into himself, he felt them struggle, resist and attempt to stay out. However he was too strong to contend with, the moment he felt them sink back into him. The quelling stopped. He was able to move again and now, he has to eat! "Up we go…" he sighed.

He's counting down the days, hours and minutes until he can stop being this way. As much as he loves his family, Bad has felt sick carrying everyone for so long. His back ached, his stomach's a mess, and he nearly forgot what he looked like before getting stuck with all these kids! He misses Garou, Botan and Zenko.

The shadows must be worried about him, after all, they too wanted to help with the raising of the children and helping Bad as they were growing within him. But soon, it will be over. It has to be over. "I can't take another month longer of this…" he muttered.

#

"Oh God…"

The months passed.

Bad woke one morning as his body began to churn in pain, everything felt horrible as the torment spread. He was lying in bed as his stomach began to sway to and fro, back and forth, up and down. He saw hand and feet prints pushing against him. The kids were rebelling badly, but the pain wasn't what he usually felt.

Despite it though, the kids want out!

He couldn't sit himself up, he couldn't move all that well. In his many attempts to pull the kids back into him, his body refused to do so. Bad was in agony until he yelled out. "ELLE! PLEASE, HELP ME!"

She appeared quickly. "Shadow King?"

"OH GOD! MAKE IT STOP!" Bad roared aloud.

Elle vanished, only to return with Gaia and Death. Death was quick to rush to Bad side as he placed his hands on his belly. The he felt the movement occur within Bad, from there he was able to feel about before his eyes widened. He turned to Bad who was desperate for help. "Please… make it stop… I can't hold them in anymore!" be begged.

Death nodded in agreement "It's time…" he announced.

"Time? OH!" Gaia said with great amazement. "Please, do what you need to!"

Death nodded as he helped Bad up. "Come, we are going to the shadow realm now!"

"Are you sure?" Bad asked with concern. The sweat began to bead down his face, the pain continued to grow.

He wanted to be certain it was safe, until he heard Garou shout. 'GET MOVING!'

Death effortlessly got Bad on to his feet, in a plume of black smoke, they came to the shadow realm. There, he eased Bad down, and the legions were quick to return.

"TO THE KING!" called Jima.

They moved about so quickly. The dragons got all things of comfort for him, one curled up behind Bad to give him support as he sat up. Bloodbore organized the blankets and called for other shadows to be on stand by. "There are five children to come, be prepared, wrap them up in blankets as soon as you see them" he ordered.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Bad screamed.

His stomach felt it was splitting open, black smoke began to seep out of the wound and them the slit spread up to his chest. He gave out one more powerful scream until his body began to weaken. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground, Bad didn't see what happened, but he remembered seeing Garou just before him, and he looked like hell!