(Disclaimer: I do not own OK KO Let's be Heroes, all credit goes to Ian Jones Quartey and Cartoon Network; please support the official release).

Chapter 3: The Struggles of Pregnancy

One morning, just before his alarm clock could wake him up for school, KO was awoken by a different sound.

It was the sound of someone vomiting.

KO climbed down from his bed and ran over to where he heard the sound, he came to the bathroom where he saw his mother gently rubbing Red Action's back while the cyborg threw up into the toilet.

It had only been a month since she had discovered she was pregnant with hers and Enid's baby, and Red Action was feeling the absolute worst parts of pregnancy. The morning sickness was rather irritating because it didn't matter where she was or what time it was or how well she was feeling prior, Red Action would suddenly feel nauseous and needed to run to the nearest toilet or trashcan to vomit.

It wasn't too bad of an experience, though. Carol was there to help her with her struggles, being a mother herself, Carol knew what it was like to experience the unsavory parts of it. The only difference is that Carol had to do it all alone, Red Action had a girlfriend and friends to help her through it, and that's exactly what they did.

The others had organized times when someone would come and stay with Red Action just to make sure she wasn't all alone during the most vulnerable time of her life. Whenever someone had the day off work, they'd stay with her.

When it was Rad's turn, she stayed with him at his house being taken care of by him and his parents. When it was Drupe's turn, she'd stay in her apartment. When it was Enid's turn, they'd both stay in KO's house because neither of them had a place to stay at the moment.

That was another issue: when Enid had told her parents of what happened, they had kicked her out of the house for being irresponsible and reckless, and with magic no less. During that month, Enid had tried calling her parents dozens of times. Sometimes to try to apologize, other times just to speak to her brothers since she knew that they weren't upset at her.

But her parents never answered nor did they return her calls. Eventually, Enid stopped trying when Rad had told her that if they haven't responded by now, they were never going to and that she needed to move on and focus on Red Action and her unborn baby.

As much as Enid didn't want to, she knew Rad was right; if her parents weren't responding, then it meant they wanted nothing to do with her. And as sad as that made Enid feel, she had another family in the friends she had, people who wanted to help her. Right now, what was most important was taking care of her pregnant girlfriend and ensuring that her baby had everything they needed.

Today was Enid's turn to look after her girlfriend and that was good because there was a few things they needed to do that day such as buying Red Action some more maternity clothes as well as picking up her prescription of prenatal vitamins from the pharmacy. Not only that, but Enid found a way to make sure Red Action still stayed the awesome badass from the future she's always been.

There was a gym in Lakewood, outside of the Plaza, that had a special fitness program for expectant mothers. It was something to ensure the women would stay healthy and to keep off excess baby weight. The two had signed up for the program as a way of making sure Red Action would stay fit and healthy, and ensuring the baby was born healthy and strong.

Once Red Action stopped vomiting and relaxed, she climbed into the shower to wash up while Carol went to breakfast for her and KO. It was also made clear to Enid by Carol and Dr. Fieldstone that she shouldn't be allowing Red Action to give in to her cravings.

Many of them weren't very healthy such as that double cheeseburger she had before or her sudden cravings for a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, jalapenos and nacho cheese or crabmeat and a cheesecake donut stuffed inside a roasted chicken and drizzled with butter sauce.

Both Carol and Dr. Fieldstone had told Enid that such a diet could make both Red Action and the baby susceptible to obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a number of other serious health problems caused by a poor diet. So, Dr. Fieldstone had given her a detailed list of healthy foods and meal ideas for Red Action to have.

Which was why Carol was now making her a breakfast of porridge topped with fresh fruit and served with a side of wholegrain toast, the perfect healthy breakfast.

Red Action soon came out of the shower and sat at the table to eat her breakfast while KO sat next to her eating a bowl of oatmeal, "Enid will be here in a minute to come pick you up soon, Red. I have to leave to take KO to school and open the Dojo. Are you gonna be okay until she comes?", said Carol. "Yeah, I'll be alright. Thanks again, Ms. Kincaid", said Red Action.

Carol let out a laugh, "You're welcome, dear. And we've been over this: you don't have to be so formal, you can just call me Carol. Anyway, KO...go and get your school bag. Don't wanna be late", she said. KO finished his breakfast and placed his bowl in the sink before going to get his backpack.

Once he did, he followed his mother outside as she grabbed her car keys and left. Once she finished her breakfast, Red Action placed her dishes in the sink and went to sit on the sofa bed to watch tv. Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door; she stood up and answered it, seeing Enid standing outside.

"Hey babe!", said Red Action as she and Enid kissed. "Good to see you too, Red. Come on, let's go. We've got a lot to do", she said. Red Action got dressed and followed her girlfriend outside. Their first stop was the pharmacy to pick up Red Action's prenatal vitamins, which they had to wait on a line for since there were other people waiting for their medications.

That was when Red Action noticed a few people staring at her, which made her feel very uncomfortable. She didn't understand why people were staring at her, was it because she was pregnant? Or was it because she wasn't wearing her armor but instead a white tshirt, grey sweatpants and a single red sneaker on her left foot?

Whatever the reason, Red Action could feel dozens of eyes on her and she didn't like it; she reached forward and wrapped her arms around Enid's torso from behind, burying her face between her shoulder blades. Enid felt her girlfriend suddenly cling to her, she could feel her shaking and hear her fearful whimpering.

Enid looked up to see the people staring at them and it made her blood boil. These strangers were just gawking at her girlfriend, scaring her and stressing her out, something that wasn't good for her or the baby. But before Enid could spout her anger at them, she heard a pair of voices laced with anger and annoyance.

"Get lost, you creeps! You've never seen a pregnant woman before?!"

"Yeah, stop staring at her! Its rude, not to mention you're stressing her out! Don't you know that's dangerous for the baby?! Go on, beat it!"

As the small crowd of staring people dispersed, Enid saw who it was that angrily told them to go away: it was Brandon and A Real Magic Skeleton. The two walked over to the girls, "Thanks you guys. What are you two doing here?", said Enid. "No problem. We were just here picking up my allergy medication when we saw those jerks staring at you. It was not cool!", said Brandon.

"Yeah, you two have enough to worry about. You think need a bunch of weirdos giving you unneeded stress, especially since it's not good for your baby", said RMS.

They both knew about Enid and Red Action's unborn child since they were friends with Drupe and she told them about what happened; they were happy for the girls and couldn't wait to see their baby. "By the way, do you guys know if you're having a boy or a girl yet?", asked Brandon.

"Its still too early to tell, we're gonna wait one more month before getting a sonogram to find out", said Enid. "Well, when you find out, let us know. We wanted to make you a custom picture frame for your family photo but we're not gonna make until we know what gender the baby is, we don't wanna accidentally make it the wrong color", said RMS.

Enid thanked them once again before walking up to the counter to pick up the prenatal vitamins and left the pharmacy with Red Action.

[Time Skip]

Later, the two were at "The Thunder Bolt Gym" for their fitness program.

The first activity was a swimming class, which was pretty fun. Since the women couldn't exercise too hard, they were moving doing stretches in the water but they were allowed to swim freely once the instructive part was done.

Then there was a yoga and pilates class where Enid helped Red Action do some squats and leg lifts. Then Red Action took a ride on a stationary bike and did some walking on a treadmill, but at a normal pace since running would've been too intense for the baby.

Then there the strength training, which was just Red Action lifting three pound weights since that was the safest amount of weight she was allowed to lift.

[Time Skip]

After they were done with their workout program for the day, Enid decided they should break for lunch before heading to the clothing store. Red Action knew she was supposed to be eating healthy as it was better for the baby but she wasn't too keen on doing so since most healthy foods didn't taste good.

So, Enid decided to help her out with that by taking her to this small restaurant that was known for making healthy dishes, probably because a majority of its customers were vegans and vegetarians.

Enid ordered her girlfriend a plate of brown rice, grilled chicken and assorted vegetables, all washed down with a glass of water. Once she finished, Enid had her drink her prenatal vitamins; Red Action hated taking those vitamins because the pills were often hard to swallow and they tasted awful.

Red Action questioned why she couldn't just take chewables or gummy vitamins, to Enid responded by saying that Dr. Fieldstone said that chewables and gummy vitamins may not have a sufficient amount of the necessary nutrients such as folic acid, iron and zinc, which was why she needed to take the pills despite their foul taste.

[Time Skip]

Enid and Red Action were now at the clothing store shopping for maternity clothes.

"Hey Enid, what do you think of this?"

Red Action stepped out of the dressing room wearing an off white dress with thin black stripes under a blue midriff jean jacket. Enid smiled, "I think you look cute", she said. Red Action smiled as she looked at herself in a mirror, "Yeah...I like it. I'm keeping this one", she said.

She went back into the dressing room to take it off just as Enid laid another outfit on top of the door, "Try that one on when you've taken the other off", she called out. "Okay!", Red Action called back.

She reached up and grabbed the other outfit to put it on, then she walked out wearing a white shirt, ripped jeans and an army green sleeveless jacket. Enid looked at her as her cheeks turned a slight pink, "What do you think of this one?", asked Red Action. Enid smirked, "I think you look really hot!", she said. Red Action blushed as she let out a small laugh, "Well maybe I should keep it then", she said.

They picked out a few more outfits before going to the counter to pay for them. They soon went back to KO's house, opening the door using the spare key they were given; Red Action immediately laid herself down on the sofa bed, letting out a small yawn. "Man, am I tired!", she groaned.

Enid giggled, it sounded like her girlfriend was just exaggerating but she believed that she really was exhausted since fatigue was a common symptom of pregnancy. While Red Action turned on the tv, Enid sat down near her on the sofa bed; she picked up her left leg and started massaging her ankle.

Red Action sighed as she enjoyed the massage, soon falling asleep as Enid slid next to her and let her lay her head on her shoulder.

[Time Skip: two months later]

Enid and Red Action were at the hospital waiting to be seen by Dr. Fieldstone. They were there to have a sonogram screening to see how their baby was doing and to see what gender it was.

They were supposed to do it a month ago but Enid was too busy between work and fighting off against attacks from Boxmore that they had reschedule their visit.

"Ugh...I hate this! The gel is way too cold!", Red Action complained. "Sorry babe, that's something they need to do", Enid said with a sheepish smile. Red Action pouted just as Dr. Fieldstone walked in, "Good morning Enid, Red Action. Nice to see you both again. Okay, let's check up on the little one, shall we?", she said.

Dr. Fieldstone washed her hands and put on a pair of gloves, then she took the bottle of gel and squirted some onto Red Action's slightly distended belly, the cyborg wincing at how cold the gel was. Dr. Fieldstone then turned on the ultrasound machine and picked up the transducer probe, slowly moving it all around Red Action's belly.

A black and white image of a small fetus soon appeared on the screen; despite being small, the fetus already had a pair of visible arms and legs with tiny hands and feet, and the heartbeat was clearly audible as it beat at a normal pace.

"Ah, there we are. The baby's still looking nice and healthy", said Dr. Fieldstone. "And...there's just one, right?", asked Enid. She only asked this because a while back, Rad had joked about Red Action giving birth to twins or even triplets, asking how they'd be able to handle that. That conversation ended with Red Action almost flying into a panic attack and Enid beating Rad up for his stupid joke.

But thankfully Red Action was three months into her pregnancy and it was confirmed that she was in fact only having one child and nothing more. "Yes, Enid. There's only one baby, lucky you. Most of the first time parents I've seen have had twins or triplets, and boy, were they not ready for that", said Dr. Fieldstone.

Enid was still thinking back to that stupid joke Rad made and wishing she could go back in time and slap him a few more times.

Jerk almost gave Red a heart attack with his dumb jokes...hope he learned his lesson, she thought.

"So...do you two want to know if you're having a boy or a girl?", asked Dr. Fieldstone. Before Enid could answer, Red Action spoke first. "Actually...I wanted to but now...I want to leave it as a surprise. Wait until its born, that way it'll be more special", she said. Enid was surprised but she supported her girlfriend's wishes and agreed to wait until the baby was born to see what gender it was.

[Time Skip]

"You have to tell them, Red. They need to know, especially since you're not going back to the future".

Red Action sat on a bench next to Enid, holding onto her belt which held her old communicator; she was thinking about whether or not she should contact the other Hue Troopers and tell them about her pregnancy, scared of what they might think.

Enid was trying to encourage her to tell them, that it'll be okay but Red Action wasn't so easily convinced. She remembered how Enid told her parents about what she did and they kicked her out of her home because of it. Since it was so supposed to be impossible for cyborgs to reproduce, Red Action was afraid that her old teammates would she her as a freak of nature.

Enid gave her a comforting hug and a kiss, easing her worries. Red Action smiled as she took a deep breath as she activated her communicator, it beeped for a few seconds before a holographic screen appeared and on it was Yellow Technique, one of the members of the Hue Troopers.

"Red Action, is that you?"

"Heh heh...hey Yellow, how's it going?"

"Oh my Cob, it is you! It's been so long since we've heard from you! How have you been? What's up?"

Red Action suddenly fell into nervous silence, she still didn't know whether or not she wanted to tell her old teammates the truth, but a reassuring smile from Enid was enough to give her courage. "I need to talk to you and the others in person, there's something super important I need to tell you and it can't wait", she said in a serious tone.

While Yellow Technique was confused, the tone of Red Action's voice was enough to tell her that this was a serious matter. "Of course, I'll tell the others and we'll be there in a few minutes", she said.

Red Action nodded as she ended the call, and waited with Enid for her former teammates to come. "Its gonna be okay, Red. And even if they don't accept you, it won't matter. You still have friends here 201X who will love you and take care of you, and you still have me", said Enid as she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Red Action smiled and nuzzled her cheek against Enid's, happy to know that her girlfriend would always be there for her. Just then, a rectangular portal opened up as the members of the Hue Troop: Yellow Technique, Blue Power, Green Guts and Black Strategy, came through it.

Keeping her back turned to her former teammates, Red Action shook with fear and nervousness, she was just so scared of what they would say and think; Enid was at her side right away, gently rubbing her back as a way to ease her fears since she knew that stress wasn't good for her or the baby.

"Red, we came as soon as we could. What's wrong? What was the important thing you wanted to tell us?", said Yellow Technique. Red Action took a deep breath before speaking, "You guys...the reason I called you here is..."

She trailed off as she slowly turned around, showing them her slightly distended belly.

"...I'm p-p-pregnant!"

Everything fell silent, the only sound that could be heard was the Autumn breeze blowing through the foliage of the nearby trees. Red Action tightly shut her eyes as she waited for any number of verbal insults to be thrown her way.

What she didn't expect was the feeling of something gently pulling her close to something else, Red Action opened her eyes just in time to she herself being gently pulled into a hug by Blue Power, her former leader having tears in her eyes. The other three Hue Troopers also had tears in their eyes as they joined the group hug.

Red Action was thoroughly confused, "I-I don't get it? Aren't you guys mad at me? Don't you think I'm some sort of freak or abomination?", she asked. Her former teammates looked at her with astonishment.

"An abomination? Red Action, we would never think that way about you!", said Black Strategy.

"Sure we're a little shocked by the news because as cyborgs, we're incapable of conceiving any children but the fact that you were able to is amazing!", said Green Guts.

"Not only is it amazing, it's an absolute miracle! A gift from Cob above, you've been truly blessed Red Action!", said Blue Power.

"And besides, you may not be a Hue Trooper anymore, but you're still our friend. We could never stay angry at you, we're so happy for you Red", said Yellow Technique.

Red Action smiled as she hugged her former teammates, happy to know that they wouldn't turn their backs on her. "So...who's the father?", asked Blue Power.

"Uh...technically, that would be me".

The Hue Troopers turned to see Enid nervously waving at them, and now it was their turn to be confused.

"Wait...Enid? I'm confused", said Green Guts.

"Yes, unless you happen to be trans, there is no way you could've been the one to impregnate Red Action", said Black Strategy.

"Sorry Enid, it's not that we think you're lying, it's just that...we kinda find that hard to believe", said Yellow Technique.

Enid smiled as she placed a hand behind her head, "Its a really long story that involves a magical old spellbook. Why don't we go get some coffee and discuss? Not you, Red! No caffeine for you, you're getting an herbal tea, doctors orders!", she said.

Red Action pouted and stomped down her artificial leg like a two year old who was just told they're not getting a toy they wanted. The Hue Troopers all laughed as they followed Enid and their former teammate to the nearby coffee shop, eager to learn about how Red Action came to be an expectant mother.

[End of Chapter 3]