"Well, well, well. Didn't think you'd actually deliver, Horace. But I guess you're partial to your balls, huh?" Larry said, going through the merchandise. Larry and his goons were in the alley with Horace, counting out the rings they need to pay. Horace was tugging at his shirt collar, looking around. He wasn't worried about police, but considering what he knew about Xorelaz and Vylania, if Isaac was going to rampage, it was something to watch out for!
"I'm an old man, Larry! Most people at my age are usually impotent! I did this because I'd rather not have to deal with your chutzpah!" Horace replied.
Larry nodded, wanting to get this deal over with! His boss has been hurting for a fix, and the last guy to attempt to offer him some of the stuff off the streets had his brains blown out with a shotgun!
"How much, Horace? And don't you dare think about screwing me over!" Larry asked. Horace nodded, doing a few calculations.
"That'll be about… 1,347 rings." Horace said. Larry's eyes widened, not realizing it was going to be that expensive!
"What?! We barely have enough with us to cover that! I warned you, Horace! I told you not to screw with us!" Larry said, pulling out an Uzi! He and his goons quickly pulled out their pieces, aiming them at Horace!
"Now, hold on! This is to cover the expenses of the chemicals, the amount of them! There are over 5,000 tablets in these boxes! And considering you'll be selling 20 for 40, you'll be making more than seven times what you're spending!" Horace explained, not wanting to get pumped full of lead!
Larry looked back at his goons, giving them a quick nod. They lowered their pieces, handing Horace the money and taking the boxes of Bubble Bombs.
"Don't say I never did you a favor, Horace! But, like we promised… last time we're doing this. We got ourselves a chemist to check out what's in these things. Of course… if you were to tell us what is in these things and how much, that'd save us a lot of trouble." Larry said.
"Fuck off, Larry! I want nothing more with these damn things! And I swear to God Himself, if I find you near my laundromat again, sniffing around for more Bubble Bombs, I won't hesitate to sick my wolverine employee on you!" Horace responded.
Larry showed fear at the mention of Xorelaz, knowing that the guy could kill him pretty easily with his bare hands! The one time he had pissed him off, he wound up with his head shoved through the glass panel of a washing machine!
"Alright, I get it! No more surprise visits! Although… is regular laundry business off the table?" Larry asked.
"Fuck off!" Horace responded, pointing to the end of the alley! Larry nodded, feeling that was a stretch before he even said anything. The thought of maybe shooting him crossed his mind, but the thought of being hunted down by a pissed off wolverine was much more terrifying.
As they were walking from the alley, they didn't know Isaac was watching them, growling as they moved from the alley. He soon saw the boxes of Bubble Bombs, a deep craving growing within him.
"Don't even think about it! That stuff almost killed us!" Isaac's voice echoed within him, being the voice of reason.
"The feeling of freedom, Isaac… no longer tethered to your responsibilities… just one, please! Just one!" The Demon pleaded, absolutely hooked on them!
"NO! As soon as you have your fun with them, you're taking those tablets and dumping them down into the sewer!" Isaac demanded, seeing them as nothing but trouble. The Demon groaned, feeling his cravings growing stronger! Deciding to take action, Isaac leaped from his vantage point, falling towards the criminals!
Isaac landed hard in front of them, his hooved feet clacking down onto the pavement! The dealers quickly backed up, already recognizing him from what one of their guys told them!
"Holy shit! It's him!" Larry exclaimed. The quickly dropped the boxes, taking out their guns! The Demon began laughing, turning towards them.
"Your Judgement has come. Your souls… are tainted!" He proclaimed, beginning to walk towards them. They soon began emptying their guns into him, aiming for the chest and head! Isaac began stumbling backwards, never having been shot so many times before! His back hit the wall, guns still popping off! Suddenly, the rounds in the magazines exploded, the powder inside of their casings having been ignited! Their guns exploded apart in their hands; parts of the guns having been rendered incandescent!
Isaac regained his footing, molten lead pouring from his wounds! As fire exited from his wounds, beginning to heal, Isaac rolled his neck, a few pops being heard.
"You shouldn't have done that." He said, before quickly launching himself towards them! In a quick flash of light and a loud 'BANG', the dealers had vanished, leaving Isaac alone! Isaac was looking around, not knowing where they had gone!
Sniffing the air, he began looking around the alleyway, before he saw a vision begin to materialize before him. Part of the alleyway turned into a section of forest, a few armored Mobians hanging near a large oak tree, smoking from a wooden pipe.
Isaac began walking closer to it, stepping into his vision. The forest was in the late Spring, the Mobians still talking and smoking. Isaac recognized one of the Mobians as some version of himself, wearing a militarized hunting outfit, two pistols hanging from his back.
"Isaac, want another puff before we get going? I don't believe we'll be seeing any of those assholes out here after the failed raid." One of them said, offering Isaac the pipe. Isaac gladly took it, taking a few puffs.
"Thanks, Rob." Isaac said, his voice laden with a Russian accent, before taking in a lot of smoke into his lungs. He then blew a ring of smoke, before blowing a line through it.
"Dead center, chief. Alright, let's get ourselves back to the Kingdom." The Mobian leader said, before the others hoisted their packs. Isaac handed the pipe back to the owner, stretching out his arms.
"Thanks for the hit. Sally would kill me if she caught me smoking again." Isaac said. The Mobian Leader laughed, leading the group down the trail.
"And to think you used to hate her." He said. Isaac shook his head at this comment.
"I never hated her, alright. I… I had one goal in my life. And that was to raise Lily. Protecting Sally was just a job, alright?" Isaac explained.
"Yeah… was." Rob said. Isaac groaned, knowing he was going to bring up 'The Samogon Incident'.
"Don't bring it up, Rob! I don't want everyone to go around, spreading that story like a wildfire!" Isaac exclaimed.
"There's no shame in it, chief! We don't choose how we fall in love with someone. Of course… six glasses of Samogon was a bit much, don't you think?" Rob mentioned.
"Six glasses?! That's insane! I'd be shitfaced after two!" One of the others commented.
"It wasn't six glasses! Rob, stop this before I feel tempted to shoot you!" Isaac threatened. Rob was instead laughing, knowing Isaac wouldn't shoot him.
"And then Isaac was stumbling from the wine room, probably drunker than anyone had ever been in the entirety of Castle Acorn, climbing upstairs like he had a 100-pound weight on his back." Rob explained, laughing as he told the story.
"Rob, I will fucking kill you!" Isaac threatened, his bark worse than his bite.
"After he got to her door, he was pounding the shit out of it, as if his hand were made of lead! Princess Sally quickly opened it, seeing Isaac standing there, drunk out of his mind! She told me she could smell the Russian moonshine on his breath!" Rob explained, Isaac's forehead vein beginning to pulse.
"Rob… you have three seconds to wrap it up." Isaac said, his anger about to reach a melting point.
"Long story short, he confessed his love to her, threw up, passed out, and woke up in her bed!" Rob finished, the others soon laughing in response.
"Heh, heh, heh, fuck you!" Isaac responded. The others were beginning to lighten up on the laughing, getting it out of their systems.
"Oh come on, bud. We're just having a bit of fun. You should be lucky you drank enough liquid courage to admit you loved her!" The Mobian Leader commented.
"Yeah… and I'll admit, Lily does love her." Isaac admitted.
"And from what we heard; she's lightning under the sheets!" One of the others said, before Isaac lunged towards him, pinning him against a tree! Isaac's eyes were glowing, showing he was truly pissed off!
"I'M THIS CLOSE TO RIPPING OFF YOUR GODDAMN HEAD, TREVOR! NO ONE, AND I MEAN, NO ONE, TALKS ABOUT SALLY LIKE THAT!" Isaac yelled, lifting him off of the ground, his back pinned to the trunk of the tree!
Trevor was terrified, never actually seeing Isaac like this before! His hands were trembling, feeling something warm run down his leg. Isaac looked down, seeing Trevor was pissing himself. Isaac threw him to the side, Trevor landing hard on the trail. Isaac was breathing heavily, feeling the air around him being heated! His outfit was fireproof, but the metal on it was becoming incandescent.
"Isaac, get a hold of yourself! Trevor didn't mean anything about it, did you bud?" The Mobian Leader said, Trevor shaking his head, slowly getting back up. Isaac began calming down, the air around him cooling down.
"Well, apologize to him!" Rob said, feeling that was warranted. Isaac shook his head, refusing to do so. He only hoisted his pack, walking off on the trail.
"Hey! Isaac, I'm giving you an order! Apologize to Trevor!" The Mobian Leader yelled out, stopping him. Isaac stopped, turning around.
"Fine, Trevor! I'm sorry! I'm sorry you're fucked in the head and didn't realize you were saying that to me!" Isaac yelled, before continuing down the trail.
"Isaac! ISAAC!" The Mobian Leader yelled, Isaac still walking down the trail.
"Let him walk it off, Terry. Isaac needs to cool down for a bit." Rob said, the others following, keeping their distance. The vision soon faded, Isaac standing in the alleyway, still in his Demonic Form.
"That… that never happened." Isaac said, confused by the false vision. Isaac didn't even know any of them, the other Mobians in his vision. Isaac couldn't even drink a shot without passing out, let alone six glasses! As he stood there, Isaac's senses grew keen once more, picking up the dealers' scents. As he ran down where they would've left, he picked up the scent of potassium nitrate, an indicator of an explosive having gone off.
Isaac soon ran out from the alleyway, being exposed to the streets and people walking outside! Isaac saw the dealers running into another alleyway, trying to get out of sight! Isaac ran out across the street, quickly vaulting over a police cruiser that was in front of him! The two officers were wide-eyed, seeing the Demon vaulting over their car and running into the alleyway.
"Uh… Jim, you want to call this in?" The officer driving asked, not sure of what to make of that. The officer next to him pulled out a flask from his jacket, shakily unscrewing it and taking a swig.
"George… we're going to need backup, bud." Jim said, grabbing the radio from the dash of the car.
The dealers stopped running, catching their breath! They were looking back, not seeing Isaac running after them!
"Oh, thank God! We lost it!" Larry said, out of breath. He looked to the woman in their group, who was looking everywhere around them.
"Smart fucking move with the flashbang, Trina!" Larry complimented, standing up straight. Trina smiled at this, feeling validated. Suddenly, she bent over, vomiting! The others gave her room, letting her finish. After she was done, coughing, and breathing heavily, she cleared her throat, letting the others know she was good.
"You gotta stop with the Bubble Bombs, Trina. There's a reason we ourselves don't use them." Larry said, thinking that was the problem. Trina shook her head, standing up straight.
"I don't! I think I might have the flu, guys!" Trina explained, not actually knowing why she's been throwing up the past few weeks.
"FUCK! We left the product!" One of them realized, thinking about going back to get it. Larry shook his head, looking back to where they came from.
"We're not risking our fucking lives for a few tablets of some fucked up drug our boss is hooked on! We're getting the fuck out of this city!" Larry exclaimed, not feeling this was worth it. The others began nodding, feeling the same way. As they were talking, Isaac's footsteps were heard in the alleyway, his hooves clacking against the pavement. They quickly snapped their head towards his direction, seeing him sharpening his claws against the brick wall.
"Listen, if this is about the drugs, we're out of the business, alright?! We've only been doing this because of our boss! Here!" Larry yelled out, throwing Isaac his gang pin. Isaac snatched it out of the air, seeing the ablaze skull engraving. The others quickly followed suit, taking off and throwing their pins to Isaac.
"We're done, alright! Just… please, let us go!" Larry pleaded. The Demon didn't know what to make of this. He could sense their sins, but he also knew they were trying to get out of the business.
"Where is your boss?" Isaac asked. Larry smirked a bit, finally feeling that payback was in order.
"You'll find him drinking in this honkytonk bar out on main street later this week. He only goes there on Fridays. Right now, he's going through withdrawal and is easily provoked, not getting a fix. Why?" Larry asked.
"It is time I collect his soul for the Inferno." The Demon answered. Larry gulped a bit, now knowing that he wasn't just wearing makeup.
"So… it's true, then. You are a demon." Larry realized. Isaac used a hand gesture to indicate that it was a yes and no answer. Suddenly, sirens were heard from the opposite end of the alleyway, Isaac's head snapping towards it in response. The dealers began unloading their pockets, knowing being caught with the Bubble Bombs would result in a heavy sentence!
"Quick, throw them to me!" Isaac ordered, ready to dispose of them. They quickly threw the bags to him, Isaac tucking them under his arms.
Isaac looked to the rooftops above him, seeing a good escape route. But before he did so, he suddenly heard a faint heartbeat. Different from the others around him. He began walking towards it, it becoming louder the more he approached the group. Soon, he stopped in front of Trina, hearing the faint heartbeat inside of her, not coming from her own heart. He remembered from a prior vision, of how his father heard the same thing when he had discovered that Gloria was pregnant with Isaac. Isaac believed that this was the same case.
"New life grows within you, Trina. Protect yourself from harm. It's not only your life you're protecting." Isaac revealed, before leaping towards the rooftops, getting himself out of the area.
"Trina… what the hell was that about?" Larry asked, not understanding what he had said. Trina's hand slowly went to her stomach, now beginning to realize what he had meant.
"I… I think I'm pregnant." Trina said, before the two officers ran into the alleyway, their guns pointed towards them!
"Freeze! Don't move!" They yelled out, causing the dealers to hold up their arms. The officers ran over to them, beginning to frisk them for weapons and contraband. While they had found a few knives on them, it was nothing they could be apprehended for, the blades being less than three inches. But the officer known as George had found a bag of rings, being quite a bit of change for an evening stroll.
"What's with the money?" George asked, becoming suspicious. Larry sighed, not quite having an excuse. Before he could say anything, Trina interrupted him.
"We were going out to one of those expensive restaurants to celebrate. I… I just found out I was pregnant." Trina lied.
"Jim, over here for a moment. Don't any of you move, or we'll take you downtown!" George warned, he and Jim walking over a few feet to talk privately.
"What do you think, Jim? I don't trust these kids. Something tells me there's something else at play here." George asked, suspicious of these people. Jim shook his head, not feeling this was what they should focus their attention on.
"George, that thing that vaulted over our car is more of a pressing matter than a few kids going through the alleys for a shortcut! Only way that thing got out from this alley would be going out into Folk Drive. We'll divert forces to the ends of the alleyways to catch this thing before more innocent blood is shed!" Jim explained. George nodded, feeling this was a good course of action.
"Alright. You kids, stay together and just stay out the alleyways! Call a cab or something! Don't be walking around here with that thing out there!" George yelled out, he and Jim quickly running out to their squad car, getting in, and driving off! They breathed a sigh of relief, getting themselves out of being arrested.
"Holy shit, Trina! You're on a roll tonight!" Larry exclaimed. Trina nodded, feeling her heart racing. She walked up to the other dealer in their group, grabbing his hand.
"Let's go, Hector. We need to get the fuck out of Dodge before the boss gets smart." Trina said, she and Hector running out of the alleyway. Larry and the other dealer were silently chuckling, watching the two lovebirds running off.
"Called it, Gene. I fucking called it." Larry said, looking around the alley. He and Gene walked off, Isaac still watching them from a distance. Isaac took out one of the bags from under his arm, seeing the pink tablets.
"Isaac… just one, please!" The Demon cried out, his cravings beginning to grow stronger!
"Stop it! These things aren't worth it! Listen, we're going back to the alley and we're going to pick up the boxes full of these things and get rid of them!" Isaac demanded, taking control! Isaac quickly ran through and leaped from the rooftops, making it over the street! He soon saw Xorelaz and Vylania in the alleyway, picking up the boxes full of the Bubble Bombs.
He studied the area further, seeing Sally standing to the side, herself looking around for signs of others that could walk in on them carrying these things. Isaac leaped down, the sounds of his hooved feet hitting the pavement alerting them! They were hesitant, not knowing if Isaac was coherent or not. Sally slowly approached him, seeing the look in his eyes. She knew immediately Isaac was the one in control.
"Isaac, we're just taking the boxes of Bubble Bombs out of here." Sally calmly explained, not wanting Isaac to become angry for any reason. Isaac responded by walking past her and to Xorelaz and Vylania, opening up his arms, dropping the bags of Bubble Bombs. The Demon struggled within him, wanting to eat as many Bubble Bombs as he could get his hands on!
"Get them as far away from me as possible! It's taking everything I can to keep the Demon from eating them!" Isaac exclaimed, trying to keep himself as stiff as possible to keep his own body restrained. They already knew what Isaac was talking about. They too knew what it was like to inhibit ther own Demonic nature.
"Alright, Vylania and I are going to dump these in the gutter! Once these things hit water, they dissolve and become inert! The rain from last night should do the job!" Xorelaz explained, he and Vylania quickly running off with the boxes.
As they ran off, Isaac could feel the Demon trying to break control, the stronger it was getting the further the two were running! Isaac was struggling to hold him, feeling the scraping sensation become stronger with each passing second! Isaac soon collapsed to his knees, feeling like the Demon was just going to claw his way out of his stomach! Sally quickly ran over to him, seeing him in distress!
She looked into his eyes, seeing Isaac was in pain, tears beginning to well up. Isaac was clutching his stomach, as if the Demon were about to erupt through his stomach! Sally quickly embraced him, an attempt to give him some shred of comfort. As they were there, the feeling beginning to recede, the sound of sirens began to become apparent, Isaac knowing the police were nearing their location! In a fell swoop, Isaac picked up Sally, carrying her as he leaped from the alleyway, running, and jumping over the rooftops towards Shenandoah Residences so as to get away from the police force searching for him!
As soon as they got to the apartment complex, Isaac moved sally to his back, herself instinctively hooking her arms and legs around him. Isaac leaped for the side of it, his claws anchoring into the concrete. Isaac soon began climbing the walls of the complex, getting closer to their apartment. Sally was internally freaking out, never actually being this high off the ground without a harness, to say the least!
Isaac soon reached the window to their bathroom, Isaac opening it. Holding onto the frame of it with one arm, he securely grabbed Sally, letting her through it before himself. After she was in, Isaac let himself back in, his horns getting caught for a moment before being able to get himself in. Breathing heavily, Isaac collapsed to the floor, his body beginning to shake! Soon, his body reversed its transformation, Isaac returning back into his normal form. Sally quickly helped him up, Isaac coughing and feeling winded.
"Sally, when did I become the Wolfman? This is getting ridiculous!" Isaac exclaimed, referencing his violent transformations.
"Don't worry, Isaac! Listen, Lily is already in bed and she has no idea this had happened. I told her you were talking to G.U.N. for the day, along with me." Sally explained.
"So, you lied to her." Isaac surmised, Sally reluctantly nodding. Isaac groaned, Lily being the last person he wanted to be lied to.
"She would've understood if you would've told her the truth. She's already seen me transform before. She knows it's not a pleasant experience." Isaac said, Sally helping him into the bed.
"I can tell it isn't pleasant, just by the fact I heard some of your bones crack." Sally said. Isaac shook his head, feeling she was nowhere close.
"No, it's… just imagine every bone in your body, breaking apart and reforming. Then, imagine your muscles tearing apart and reconnecting, your skin stretching along your frame. Your blood igniting, as if it were gasoline. And then to top it off, your skin burning and practically turning into charcoal that doesn't break apart. It is an extremely painful experience; one I wouldn't even dare to wish upon my worst of enemies. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be between being set on fire and getting crushed apart by a boulder… slowly." Isaac explained, making Sally shudder at the detailed explanation.
"Isaac, before I say anything else… do you want something to eat?" Sally asked. Isaac shook his head, feeling like his stomach was in knots.
"I'm not hungry. Sally, do you have something to tell me?" Isaac asked. Sally sighed, really hoping she could hold off on telling him. She sat herself next to him, holding onto one of his right hand.
"Isaac, do you remember when I said I was feeling sick a few weeks ago?" Sally asked. Isaac nodded, distinctly remembering that.
"I started feeling sick again, so I decided to go to a doctor to get checked out. I've been hoping that it was something small, but after a few tests, I…" Sally began to explain, before being unable to finish. Isaac gently gripped her hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand, looking into her eyes.
"Whatever it is, we'll take it on together. You're not alone in this." Isaac said. Sally gently smiled, holding onto his hand tightly.
"Isaac… I'm pregnant." Sally revealed, Isaac's face draining of color in an instant. Isaac suddenly felt dizzy, his heart racing. Isaac's eyes soon dimmed, himself actually fainting. Sally sighed, not really expecting for Isaac to react like that.
"Well… that could've gone better." Sally said to herself. She pulled the covers up to Isaac's neck, gently kissing him on the forehead. She quietly walked out of the bedroom, walking over to, and collapsing onto the couch, sighing loudly. Lily opened the door to her room, peeking out. She saw Sally on the couch, looking exhausted.
"You're back! Did you tell Isaac yet?" Lily asked. Sally nodded, looking back at their bedroom door.
"He fainted, Lily. I told him he was going to be a father, and he fainted." Sally said. Lily sat down next to her, having an understanding of why Isaac fainted.
"Sally, you can't blame him for passing out. The only reason he did was because he's afraid. I should know. He had to raise me when he was ten, and every day, he was afraid." Lily explained.
"Every day?" Sally asked, finding that hard to believe.
"He would hunt every day because he was afraid we would starve. He would teach me how to survive, because he was afraid he would die without me knowing how to take care of myself. And finally, he made you my legal guardian, because he was afraid I wouldn't be able to get by without him. Everything Isaac has done; it was because he was afraid." Lily explained.
"But… he couldn't have been afraid all the time. It's impossible." Sally responded. Lily nodded, agreeing he wasn't always afraid.
"After we got to the Kingdom of Acorn, after he met you, he stopped being afraid. He told me about it but told me not to say anything… but I guess I can now." Lily said.
"And that is?" Sally asked.
"He told me the first day he met you, he felt like he already knew you. And he felt a comfort he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt like things were safer, more secure, because he was around you. And right now, he needs that security now more than ever." Lily explained.
Sally didn't realize how much of an impact she had on Isaac. She had always thought that Isaac was the one that had an impact on her. She learned how to swordfight from him, how to fight the soldiers from the Order of Honorius. But she also realized that her promising Isaac to watch Lily in case he would be killed gave him a previously unattainable comfort, one he couldn't find with them living alone on a trading route.
"Is he scared now?" Sally asked. Lily shook her head.
"Not scared. Afraid. From what I can tell, he hasn't been afraid for a while. Not since he's been dating you. But right now, knowing he's going to be a father, and not just a guardian, he's going to be afraid again." Lily answered.
Sally nodded, feeling she knew what to do to help Isaac. She got up off of the couch, stretching out her back.
"Lily, get to bed. It's a school night. I'm gonna see if I can wake Isaac and talk to him." Sally said, walking to her bedroom. Lily obliged, quickly running into her room. Sally opened the door, seeing Isaac was awake, rubbing the temples of his head. Sally closed the door, walking over and sitting on the side of the bed. Isaac looked to her, seeing the look in her eyes confirmed that he didn't imagine what she told him.
"I'm… I'm actually going to be a father, aren't I? By Elohim, I'm… I'm going to be a father, and we're in a crime-ridden cesspool, for who knows how long!" Isaac exclaimed, feeling himself begin to panic. Sally quickly embraced him, attempting to comfort him. While Isaac returned the embrace, it didn't help in relieving his panic.
"And your father! He's going to kill me! He will actually kill me!" Isaac exclaimed, feeling his heart begin to practically beat out of his chest!
"Isaac, he's not going to kill you. He won't because…. Because I already told him." Sally admitted. The color from his face drained again, one of his eyes beginning to twitch. Sally noticed this, never actually seeing Isaac's eye twitch without a possible onset of a transformation. Isaac was experiencing an amount of stress he himself had never actually experienced before!
"Isaac, it's alright! My dad, he's actually… well, he told me it was a possibility he was expecting, you living with me as a married couple. But he told me he knows that it wouldn't have happened if you didn't love me. And… I told him that we basically married each other before any of this had happened." Sally explained.
Isaac's eye stopped twitching, but his heart was still racing. Sally could actually begin to hear it in his chest, his heart sounding like it was beating against his ribcage! She quickly grabbed both of his hands, squeezing them.
"Listen. When we're able to go home, my dad wants us to get married. And I mean an actual marriage, with a ceremony and everything. I want our baby to have an actual family, Isaac. And I know you do as well." Sally said. Isaac breathed deeply, his heart beginning to slow down, returning to its normal, resting rate. He was calmed, but Sally didn't believe this was going to last long. Not with everything that's been happening.
"G.U.N. has been telling me that they're on the last stronghold in France. They said we could be going home in a month. And the moment we get back, we start planning the wedding! There's no need to worry about it right now, alright? We just focus on what we have going on right now. Right now, we're Issachar and Samantha Horowitz. We're going to worry about rent, paying our taxes, keeping the lights and water running, things happening in Lily's school, and how we're going to spend our weekends. That's what we need to focus on, okay?" Sally asked, giving Isaac on what they should worry about.
Isaac nodded, feeling that was as good a plan as anything. But a concerning thought emerged from his mind.
"What happens if we are still here when the baby comes? Do we give them the name Horowitz, or Abaddon?" Isaac asked.
"Personally, I don't think we'll be here that long… but if it comes down to it, we can have two different birth certificates. As long as you sign it when the time comes, our baby will be either or both." Sally answered.
Isaac breathed a sigh of relief, feeling better about this. As he began to think more on this, he started to really feel better about all of this, actually beginning to laugh! He quickly got out of bed, holding onto Sally, and lifting her up, practically twirling her around the room!
"We're having a baby! Hahahaha! I can't believe it! I'm going to be a father!" Isaac exclaimed, soon letting Sally down, Isaac feeling reinvigorated! Isaac quickly opened the drawer to his nightstand, pulling out a pen and a tablet of paper, scribbling down multiple listings.
"We're going to need baby clothes, bottles, formula, toys, diapers! And we have the luxury of doctors being nearby!" Isaac said, beginning to fill out pages in the tablet of paper. He was speeding through pages, filling every inch of the pages, his handwriting as close as possible to ensure space wasn't wasted! Sally had never seen Isaac write as fast as this, but it wasn't too surprising, considering his dexterity and coordination.
"Isaac, don't worry about all of that! Listen, a lot of the agents at G.U.N. told me they were going to throw a baby shower for me when we get closer to my due date. All the things we need: bottles, clothing, diapers, everything will be given to us as a gift. Right now, we just need to focus on our covers. Everything else, G.U.N. will take care of." Sally explained, not wanting Isaac to give himself a heart attack over all of this. While Isaac stopped writing, there was nothing to stop him from knowing he was going to be a father and will be legally marrying the love of his life! Isaac went to his dresser, changing into a pair of running shorts and a shirt, quickly putting on a pair of socks and putting on his sneakers.
"Where are you going, now?" Sally asked.
"I can't sleep now! I'm going to the roof gym to run a bit, try to burn off some of this energy! I'll come back down when I'm tired!" Isaac answered, quickly running out of the bedroom and out of the apartment. Sally was left alone, trying to figure out just what had happened.
The Next Morning:
Sally was walking with Johnson, going upstairs to the roof gym. Johnson opened the door, letting themselves onto the roof, walking over to the gym equipment. They stopped at the edge of the pad where the equipment was stored, Isaac running on the treadmill at its fastest setting, two, one-hundred-pound weights in his hands. Isaac wasn't showing signs of stopping, a constant stream of sweat pouring from his forehead.
"I found him up here a few hours ago. I told him the limit for the treadmill was thirty minutes, but really, that was to prevent him from hurting himself. Never in all of my years have I ever seen someone running on a treadmill at fourteen miles per hour, carrying the equivalent of a full-grown man in his arms, swinging them around like nothing! Especially for three hours!" Johnson explained.
"He left the apartment around Eleven o' clock, so there's a good chance he's been here all night. So, fourteen miles per hour for… ten hours, that'd be in the ballpark of 140 miles." Sally said. Johnson's mouth was agape, never meeting a single person who could do all of that!
"Besides Sonic the Hedgehog, I've never heard of anyone else doing anything close to that!" Johnson exclaimed.
"Don't be too surprised. There's Mobians all over with special abilities like that. Issachar just happens to have near-limitless stamina… at least, I'm assuming it's near-limitless." Sally explained.
"Guess I need to get out more. But can you please get him to stop? I don't want him getting hurt on the gym equipment. I'd rather not have to help him out of here on a gurney." Johnson said, standing outside of the pad. Sally walked to the front of the treadmills, stopping in front of Isaac's. Isaac was zoned out, still running. His breathing was constant, maintaining his stride.
"Issachar." Sally said, getting his attention. Isaac was still running, but he was now coherent of those around him.
"You've been running all night. Time for you to get something to eat and to get some sleep." Sally said. Isaac was still running, but he was beginning to slow down, Isaac pressing the button to decrease the speed. Eventually, the treadmill stopped, Isaac sweating heavily. His breathing was even, indicating he wasn't pushing himself as far as he could. Isaac dropped the weights, the weights shaking the exercise pad, Isaac beginning to stretch out his sides and arms.
"I'm still wide awake, Samantha. I could run for a few more hours." Isaac said, beginning to stretch his legs. Johnson walked onto the pad, still wide-eyed from the display of stamina.
"As much as I appreciate use of our gym equipment, I can't be held responsible if you pass out from dehydration and end up with two hundred pounds of steel impacting against your chest." Johnson said.
"Noted. And Samantha's right, it would be good to get something to eat." Isaac said, walking past them, showing a spring in his step.
"Well, he seems happy. Anything I should know about?" Johnson asked. Sally smiled a bit, one of her hands going to her stomach.
"Issachar heard some good news last night. I haven't seen him do that in a long time!" Sally answered.
"He got a good job?" Johnson guessed. Sally shook her head, still smiling.
"Hmm… wait a minute, you're pregnant, aren't you?" Johnson asked, Sally beginning to nod in response, still smiling.
"What tipped you off?" She asked.
"Your hand's on your stomach. And unless you have a history of stomach pains, there isn't really a reason for you to do so." Johnson answered.
"When I told him last night, from how fast he was writing down things we needed, I thought he was going end up making a fire! So, he said he was going to come up here to run until he got tired." Sally said.
"Did he do this before with Lily?" Johnson asked, opening the door to the stairs. Sally walked through the door, Johnson following.
"As far as I know, no. I told him before he went through his Basic Military Training with G.U.N. But from what they told me; he had the most energy out of everyone in his squadron." Sally lied.