Being A Nurse And A Mom Is Tough

by AcrossEveryUniverse

Valentine, a nurse who uses ninja techniques, is part of a black-ops Anti-Skullgirl Unit team called 'The Last Hope', sometimes known as 'Bloody Romantic' by the Medici and even her own collages, now faces her most difficult challenge yet: motherhood. Can she handle being a mother? Or will she give in to pressure? A Skullgirls AU where Valentine is Carol's biological mother.

3. Chapter 3: Hallow? She's Sweet As Honey

Hello, all you wonderful people~! I hope you are having a lovely day or night! Or afternoon or evening-can't forget those.

Firstly, guess who turned 22 today?! I have now been on this Earth for 22 years, wow. Second, I got Skullgirls...on Steam...with its Digital Art Compendium. Worth it, definitely worth it. I also draw so this could be a good reference for me to use. Thirdly, for my lovely readers on AO3, and for the wonderful readers here as well, y'know how I have the 'considering drawings/illustrations' tag? Yeah, that might take a while for me to do. There are a few scenes that I would like to illustrate so hang tight. Because I also have a few other works in progress: one that is mentioned at the end of this chapter and my version of a crossover that I finally have the guts to do after 5-7 years.

Alright, enough from me. Onto the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Skullgirls.

Chapter Content Warning:

Before you continue any further, this chapter will have: implied death/mentions of death, organ trafficking, mentions of human and child trafficking, mentions of substance abuse/overdose/experimental drugs, and mentions of abortion. If any of these things disturb you or if you've had a traumatic experience with these topics please skip this chapter.

---

There was a gentle hum from the air conditioner and the buzzing of the flickering lights in the lab room. Valentine continued her staring session with the dull gray ceiling. She knew that it was going to win but she kept going at it. For how long? She wasn't sure. In the end, there was no getting around the current news she was in. Valentine also was not sure what to do with, what, or how to feel about what she just found out. The information still needed time to settle properly before any decisions could be made. So for now, Valentine was going to have to improvise and see what she was going to do with this newfound information.

She sighed deeply as her head slowly came down from looking at the ceiling. The back of her head was starting to hurt from leaning against the unforgiving metal wall. Flickering lights seemed to taunt her as the dry buzzing continued. It won the futile staring contest. Not like it mattered anyway. She took a deep breath in, and let it out alongside her mental do's and don't's.

Well, for starters, she can't drink any coffee or alcohol. So Valentine was going to have to completely cut those substances off from her daily life. They were going to have an effect on the baby if she continued having them. Her brain did a slow turn in horror as she realized that she had been drinking alcohol every couple of nights, and having coffee almost every morning. Her blood levels were okay, but Valentine decided to do some extra tests before she went home to be sure that the fetus wasn't affected in any way. Just to be safe.

And another thing was that she will have to only wear her mask when around her teammates. Hopefully the other employees and scientists won't bother wondering why she wasn't wearing her mask while working. She needs to breathe oxygen properly through her mouth and nose for the fetus. If she took it off anytime she was not around The Last Hope, they might start asking questions. Valentine shuddered, she was not sure how she was going to tell her teammates about…her condition.

Silent goosebumps spread through her body as Valentine wondered what would happen if all the labs got wind of her situation. If Brian, Christmas, Victor, or even the King heard about this…

Her heart dropped thinking of the countless possibilities, each outcome seemingly worse than the last. Valentine would rather not think about it right now-she already felt overwhelmed. There was a lot at stake, or at least that was how she felt right now. Having a baby right now might throw in complications and road-blocks in her life's work and routine. She wasn't sure if she could drop everything just for a baby just yet.

Valentine unbuttoned her lower scrub and hovered a hand over her lower abdomen. Fingers lightly brushing over her skin as she could only stare at where her womb was. She was long aware of the pregnancies that human women (and some Ferals and Gigans) have. The...fetus was still developing so it was barely bigger than her hand. A small defenseless little lifeform that already had a beating heart and depended on the mother for its first nine months of survival. How the human body never ceased to amaze her.

But...the baby would take time to develop, and given her body type she might start showing around two months and a half. Or if the Trinity felt like blessing her, three months. There was time to figure out how to tell her teammates that she was carrying.

But Valerie felt as if that wasn't enough time. She didn't know how they were going to react. A few possible reactions came to mind: shock, surprise, worry, panic, disbelief...disappointment. Some might be lenient with the news, like Hallow and Easter. Others, like Christmas and Victor, were probably going to freak out or chew her out for not taking more precautions or necessary steps ahead of time.

And...what was she going to do with it? Yes, she and Beowulf were careful during their passionate fornication. Was this one of those one in a hundred or thousand chances that life likes to throw at people? Just to remind those like Valerie that there will always be a lack of control in life? Or did The Trinity just felt like being mischievous?

She honestly didn't know.

With all this weighing her heart down, Valentine eventually got back to work. But she felt her focus weaver throughout the hours. No matter how much she tried to put her attention back on her half-baked hypothesis, her mind always kept returning to the developing life inside her body. In the end, she decided to write in the reports that she came up empty-handed on her theories. Which actually wasn't new considering the amount of information they have on the Skullheart.

Granted, Valentine was only telling most of the truth in her reports. She ended up properly disposing of her blood samples. After all, she never told Victor that she was going to use her own blood to experiment and practice on her theories. Victor had given her permission to use small doses from the extra blood they had in the storage rooms. Nobody was any wiser when she had gathered some blood should some witnesses-even if it was just a few-were around. She didn't want any questions or suspicion rising from her now newly discovered situation.

Besides discovering...that, what Victor doesn't know won't hurt him. And in turn, the rest of the Labs. If she had kept even one drop, one of the other employees might end up seeing who it belongs to and discover her pregnancy by accident.

Valentine was not going to take the risk, nor was she willing to risk everything she had built up as well. She headed home after she triple-checked that everything was cleaned top to bottom, turning in the report to Victor's office, and wrapped her coat snuggly around her figure.

Valentine didn't mind the cold much, but she wasn't going to let her body be exposed to the harsh winter. She was not heartless.

---

It was almost time. She needed to find another suitable host for the Skullheart. The Skullheart had been destroyed by that cynical, immortal girl and her cheap stuffing of a parasite partner before an unknowing woman could make a wish on it. She had felt frustration until the soothing voice of her Master reminded her that there were plenty more opportunities. Much more. All of the populace was not going anywhere. Especially with the war. Somebody, if not multiple ladies, wives, or daughters had to feel desperate or enough dread and despair to want to make a wish on the Skullheart. And so, any negative emotions she felt were gone in an instant. Focus came back to her.

Double would not let her Master down. It was the will of the Trinity themselves.

It had been a slow, long, and uneventful few years but she could wait. After all, unlike the pitiful mortals with their short lives and empty promises to leave the world better than before. She had a goal and a continuous purpose to serve the Trinity. A faith so strong that it never quivered. She had been created by them after all, so it was only natural that she follows whatever they ask for. Double was but a humble servant who will continue walking on this planet among the short-lives.

Once in a blue Moon, there would be individuals who would itch her curiosity. Standing out among the rather dull public lies some rather remarkable specimen. The man, Beowulf, had intrigued her when they first met. She was bored and wanted to try donning a disguise as a male human. Those damned researchers and scientists were close to finding her until the Medici took care of them—good riddance. They bumped into each other, said their quick apologies, and left to continue on with their lives. At first, Double paid no mind to it. It was another mortal who would probably live up to a century at best.

Until her Master spoke of using him to their advantage.

And with that, she looked for him again. Once again, donning the male human disguise as 'Zane'. Double shifted her 'scarf'. She focused on the most recent message that her Master gave her. Telling her to go and follow a woman named 'Dahlia', who was an Anti-Skullgirl soldier. Another pawn who paid the price by slowly losing her mind after her life was saved by the Anti-Skullgirl Labs. A woman, once an innocent civilian, who wished she was dead after seeing what had happened to her. There were desperate cries that quickly turned into apathetic sadism.

An interesting piece of information came to her: she had a family living by themselves a little ways off the grid from New Meridian. And from what her Master told her, they were the only things keeping the woman from snapping into an irreversible insanity. Go and take care of them. Then follow the Contiello Family, they are needed for the Plan.

Double would not bother understanding why the Contiello family would be required for the plan. If it were the Medici family then it would make more sense. Speaking of which: rumors had it that around last year, Marcus Medici, son of Lorenzo and brother to Vitale, had run off with his wife. Double didn't know why nor did she care. But some people say that perhaps they had waited for a chance to get away from the Medici lifestyle. When that was said and done, the Medici Mafia had never been more tense and distrusting. Whatever it was, it is still a rumor.

No matter. Everything will go the way her Master wants...demands it. And so it shall. Everything will fall in the order that it needs to go in.

---

The sun rose and gave way to another day in New Meridian. People begrudgingly got up and prepared for work. Others had just gotten home from a graveyard shift and crashed on their beds, not even bothering to remove their work outfits. The younger generation rushed and sprinted to their schools, hoping that they were not late or if they were—would not disappoint their teachers. Some stopped caring, knowing that disappointment was imminent. Street vendors got ready for another day of hard work. Nevertheless and no matter who it was, it was another day in the streets of New Meridian.

More so for some than others. For the select fewer, such as dear Valentine, there were more pressing matters that varied from day to day.

Sun rays beamed on Valentine's face as her eye fluttered open and saw that the sunrise was slowly coming up. It took a while for her consciousness to process that the day had arrived and only turned to her other side. Back facing the sun's warm beams despite her blankets covering most of her body. She didn't feel like getting up nor did she want to. Her grip on the covers tightened as the unwanted information she got last night came back.

A deep inhale and a huge sigh was all that she could do as she stared at her bland apartment walls. Valentine still didn't know how to feel that she was…carrying. Not even dreamland could comfort her, if anything she didn't stay long enough. Meeting an unknown person that only existed in her dreams sounded better than dealing with this. But…it wasn't in her nature to run away.

This…this was different though. Valentine had at least hoped that having children would come later in her life. Not now, when there was so much destruction and uncertainty going on.

A rhythmic ticking sound was heard from near the top of the ceiling. She glanced upward to see that her clock read 7:15 AM. It was still early. Why did she bother waking up?

Her stomach turned upside down. Nausea. Oh…right.

One of her hands went to her mouth as she flung the covers off. Valentine shot out of bed and rushed into her bathroom. As she emptied her dinner, she chastised herself for forgetting to put the trash can next to her bed last night. Then again, her mind wasn't completely grounded as she left the Labs and headed home. Sure Valentine was on her guard, but her mind was running a mile a minute. How could she not? She was still processing and denying that she was with a child. She's living for TWO now.

Luckily, it was way past midnight when she went home. A time when nobody except for a few night owls (quite literally and metaphorically), loners, and wayfaring souls were out and about. So nobody would see the distress she was in. The tears she almost spilled. How vulnerable she felt…how weak she was at that moment.

Once she was sure her stomach was done making her feel miserable, Valentine exited the bathroom and plopped on her bed—making sure that her back was on the soft surface. She halfheartedly pulled the covers over her body once more. making sure to at least cover her abdomen. Actually, now that she thought about it, she should have brought another cover to sleep with. Oh well, she was already in bed and didn't feel like getting up. Her soft pajamas with cute bird designs and patterns that she got as a birthday gift a few weeks ago from Holly should be enough. After all, she remembered how much Hallow, and at times Easter, would ask that Valentine at least wear something long-sleeved every now and then. Valentine only agreed so that they would get off her back about her preferred choice of attire.

Not her fault she liked short sleeves and whatnot. They were more liberating and gave her more mobility to move around. Also, it didn't press against her chest as much. The scrub already did that.

She glanced over to where her nurse scrub hung near the window. The white uniform almost glowed against the dark gray walls of her claustrophobic apartment. Valentine was honestly not looking forward to work today. Normally she would be, but with her condition, she would rather take some time off. Unfortunately, Victor had announced that all breaks or nights off were going to be cut even shorter in yesterday's meeting. Meaning that there would be less nights to enjoy some alone time.

Luckily, Victor let the workers who stayed for most of the night at the Labs a little more time to rest. Though they should come no later than 12:30 pm. The King's demands were becoming more and more strict.

Once again, Valentine checked the old clock, this time it read 7:45 AM. Good, she still had time to sleep in, if her body wasn't going to start her morning sickness again. She closed her eyes and drifted away for the second time, not registering how one of her hands slowly drifted over her lower abdomen.

---

Light footsteps softly stepped on dirt and dry leaves crunched beautifully under as a tall woman walked on the roads to the Anti-Skullgirl Labs. A soft humming could be heard from the young lady as she recalled a song that had been released recently. At first, she found the tune annoying but it eventually grew on her. Then again, that was how most songs started out. Some people fell in love almost immediately with the tune. Then again, when the singer is the young, beautiful, and talented Eliza herself, nobody in their right mind was going to dislike the song.

Well, maybe except Hallow herself. Most of the employees at the Lab had said at least once that the new singer was quickly becoming their favorite besides Selene Contiello. When a few workers asked if Hallow liked the singer, she ended up snorting before saying 'no'. While Hallow admired Eliza's genre of songs, she could not help but feel there was something...off about the lady. She didn't know what it was but Eliza made her feel highly uncomfortable and disturbed. Like she should start running if she ever came close to Hallow.

She shuddered, maybe it was just her. Who knows?

There was a passing breeze that made Hallow shiver and goosebumps quickly rose on her delicate skin. She used to be able to withstand the slight chills. But after taking the practice enhancement drugs, her body decided to turn paler and be more prone to the cold. Even her skin had gotten sensitive to the point where she can't put on surgeon gloves and masks anymore as it would give her unbearable rashes for hours on end. Hallow would scratch the rash until her skin was bright red. In fact, she remembered a time when she scratched so hard her skin started to bleed. Her itchy skin distracted her until her friends pointed out that she accidentally made herself bleed. She was so glad when Brian suggested she try out bandages. It was far more soothing and didn't scrape her delicate skin when it moved around.

A rush of painful memories slowly resurfaced and Hallow internally winced as screams and pleas for death echoed inside of her head. Hallow dreadfully remembered how Lab 7 used to have more ASG nurses and doctors. Friendly faces and good souls who genuinely wanted to help bring better changes to the public who were long dead. In a twisted sense, they ended up paying the price by volunteering themselves to test out the enhancement drugs first. Some lasted more than others, but it was all the same. They were in great pain before their deaths.

That's why their group of five was given 'The Last Hope' title. Sure there were other groups of five formed to throw off potential eavesdroppers. But Hallow and her friends were the only ones who survived every practice drug that the scientists and they created to experiment on themselves. It…was a heartbreaking situation. Hallow wished that everyone else who had attempted the practice drugs were still alive. Some of them had families and loved ones. It was not easy to tell them the news.

A dull, gray metal entrance surrounded by plants came into view. The entrance to the Anti-Skullgirl Labs was finally in sight and Hallow thanked the Trinity that she was almost there. Like seriously? Who's bright idea was it to practically put the Labs in a mountain that glows up partly brightly at night?

...Okay, she was being sarcastic. The King himself requested that it would be located somewhere easy to locate for everyone involved. But this was a bit ridiculous. It was right there in plain sight, from far away, and even if you were standing somewhere annoyingly bright—like the River King Casino—there would still be a little flicker somewhere in the mountains.

With a frustrated sigh, Hallow came up to the scans that were on the left of the giant metal doors. She brought her eyes as close as she could to the scanners. It immediately hummed to life and started to scan.

"Identified: Holly Shadewood. Agent Hallow of The Last Hope from Lab 7. No body scan necessary, you may proceed."

Hallow grunted as she blinked and rubbed her eyes from the dying lights. She wondered how people like Valerie or Brian did the eye scan. The question was there but she kept forgetting to ask. How annoying, at least she didn't have to do a body scan today. She wasn't going to bother asking why later, after all, it would save a few seconds in her day for work instead. Maybe it had something to do with the DNA in the cornea and retina-who knows. And probably a few complaints from employees yesterday about saving time. As the doors opened, she steadily entered inside and was greeted by the dim lights of the hallway.

There were a few scientists who were chatting amongst themselves, Stanley and Ileum being one of them. She quickly walked over, happy to see them, "Good morning!"

Both of them turned to the familiar voice. Ileum was the first one who replied with a smile, or at least it looked like she smiled behind her mask. It was hard to tell when the poor woman's parasite made her body intestine-like and wore a mask over her disfigured face "Oh! Good morning, Holly!"

Stanley quickly followed, albeit a little nervous "G-good morning, Ms. Hallow."

Hallow was quick to roll her eyes at Stanley's formal speech but ignored it, the poor shark was already stressed as he was in Lab 4, which specialized in weapon making, "It's always good to see the both of you. How have the two of you been?"

Ileum softly spoke up "Nothing much. I have been getting more used to the synthetic parasite the Doctor had grafted just for me. Big Band has been sparring with me, though he still doesn't fight at full strength. And Dr. Avian has been working nonstop since yesterday."

"...Attempting to make more synthetic parasites?"

Ileum softly shook her head "There are barely any ancient records or documents that survived about parasites. So yes, making more synthetic parasites."

Hallow scratched her chin "Yeah, that makes sense...I guess. Looks like the King wants some kind of backup...just in case."

Hallow was aware of what happened to poor Ileum when she was greatly disfigured in the war. Who wouldn't? Many if not everyone had been told of Ileum's case once she was transferred to the Anti-Skullgirl Labs for an emergency operation. Dr. Avian and The Last Hope tried their best but it wasn't until the doctor tried a different method. In which, making a synthetic parasite from the collection of theonite the Labs had. At first, it brought about a hesitation until Avian pointed out that they didn't have another option and they were running out of time. Fortunately, the Trinity really seemed to be smiling at Ileum when the bonding process worked and she lived to see another day.

Although, her appearance had been...less than appealing to most of the ASG Labs. Well, when most of your body is now intestine material instead of the usual living flesh, it tends to be unsettling. However, Ileum had greatly thanked Dr. Avian and The Last Hope and indebted herself to the Doctor. Who had told her not to but she insisted. Shortly after, she was introduced to Big Band and the rest of the ASG Labs. They welcomed her with open arms but couldn't look her directly in the eyes. When Ileum saw her reflection she quickly found out why. A few, like Hallow and Big Band, told her that she shouldn't worry that the other employees couldn't look at her in the eyes-or even her face.

That didn't stop Ileum from asking Dr. Avian for a mask. It made her feel better that people could look her in the eyes again.

Ileum nodded and Hallow turned to the Dagonian shark, who immediately rearranged his glasses, "Stan?"

"Oh! Um, well so far no troubles in Lab 4-thank Trinity. But, well, we haven't made any progress or rather we didn't get very far on the prototypes that we made," Stanley shivered, "We tested about more than one hundred prototypes, some…ended up exploding."

Oh? That would explain why Lab 7 and a few other Labs shook a little yesterday. And why poor Stanley smelled like cooked fish and looked like he got a dreadful sunburn when he dropped some reports in Victor's office. Returning back to Lab 4 on shaky feet and a dizzy head.

Hallow added her own voice in the matter "Maybe they won't explode today?"

Stanley shook his head like a dog "Hopefully, anyways I gotta get going. Those prototypes can't test themselves and I don't want to get chewed out for being late again. I'll see you two ladies later!"

"Byeeeee~!"

"Be easy on yourself, Stanley. Speaking of which, I need to go too. The Doctor actually needs my help with testing various theonite particles with certain chemicals along with viewing my progress with my parasite. It was really pleasant seeing you this morning, Holly."

"Alrighty, see ya Ileum."

As the respective women headed off in the directions to their assigned Labs, Hallow was left alone to her thoughts again. Not that she minded, she was used to her own company by now. Even before the practice enhancement drugs made her skin paler and whatnot, Holly Shadewood had a hard time connecting with people. Her parents and younger brother told her it was no fault of hers. But she never really could get along with other kids. Or…rather they never understood why she would rather get dirty in the mud looking for cool amphibians, gathering dangerous plants, and all sorts of mischief. Hallow would always come back to her class covered in patches of, or practically soaked, mud and covered in rashes by the end of recess. Along with a phone call from the front office asking her parents to pick her up.

At first they scolded her…but they forgave her, quickly learning that their daughter was different. Holly had later cut back on all the mud digging and plant picking but whenever the chance came, would get her feet dirty…along with looking for cute, squishy, little amphibians. She did end up getting a growth spurt at the end of middle school easily making her the tallest of her classmates. This itty bitty detail also made her stand out during high school. If she remembered correctly, she was always the tallest in yearly class photos even in group pictures. Over the years, she tried to have fun as much as she could. Sure, Holly had a hard time connecting with people but she still attempted to be social. Although, it took her years to find out that her generation wasn't exactly the most friendliest. A lesson that was learned the hard way unfortunately.

The sound of soft crunching took Hallow out of memory lane. That's odd, there was never trash in the ASG Labs. She glanced down. Wait, what was this? Looks like someone dropped a paper. Hallow mentally paled a bit when she saw that it was a report. A small smudge from her foot had left a mark, to which she quickly tried to whip it off. Victor could be picky about the condition of reports. Which quickly made him rather unpopular among some of the labs. Then again, when you are the Founder of the Anti-Skullgirl Labs and the King is breathing down your neck for faster production and progress...of course Victor was going to try and be on top of everyone.

The report read: Valerie Tfarcevol. Possible hypothesis on the Skullheart and the Skullgirl.

Oh, looks like Val was just doing another hypothesis, Hallow mentally thought as she quickly skimmed it. Looks like good ol Val forgot to double check if she had everything when turning in the graveyard shift work. Classic Val! Of course that woman would try and push studies to try and find out more about the Skullheart. It was still their world's biggest mystery, after all.

So there was nothing to worry for me to worry about after all, Hallow mused as she gently put the paper in her scrub. But then…why do I feel like there's something…missing? The report is less detailed than usual. Almost like she didn't bother with this hypothesis.

Hallow walked the currently empty, gray and tasteless hallways to Victor's office. Usually located near the entrance, but easy to find. It was at the end of the hallway from the entrance. A bit...too easy to find.

Hallow knocked on the door. "Yoo hoo~! Anyone home?"

At first, nothing. She knocked again, this time harder. "Mail's here!"

Her shoulders shrugged and she knocked again. "…Trick or treat?"

No answer even after standing outside awkwardly for about a minute. Not a peep or shuffle. Nothing.

"Okay Victor, I'm coming in! Don't complain about the delivery person being me when you don't open the door."

Hallow turned the handle and gently pushed. She was immediately greeted by the simple but slightly more decorative office of Victor. Pale gray walls decorated with three wooden bookshelves, a sturdy stainless steel desk that had piles of documents and folders, and some plants in some corners. Not many other personal possessions were in the office.

Well Victor always did prefer to keep things simple and organized. Especially if you had such a demanding job.

Hallow walked over to the desk and quickly sought out which one was Valentine's. After finding it, she took out the missing paper from her scrub. As Hallow gently placed missing paper on top of the stack, something caught her eye. "Wh-What?"

One tiny detail stood out among the reports Valentine had written. She had proposed a possible theory regarding human blood. And while Hallow was not one to pry, her curiosity got the better of her. She quickly skimmed the other papers from Valentine's recent reports. Most, if not all, of her recent theories were the same: using a woman's blood, as well as using the different blood types known to every living organism, to see if there would be a possibility that the Skullheart might have a preference. Hallow did recall that there were a few blood bags and samples in the multiple storage rooms in case of an emergency or someone was in critical danger.

But…Holly knew Valerie, or at least she felt like she did by now. Valerie was a very ambitious person, for a lack of a better word. So much so to the point where she would forget to take care of herself at times, to slow down when learning something new or doing something, or even if it was to be The Last Hope's new leader. Actually that last one wasn't anything new, but Valentine and Christmas would always end in a tie whenever they dueled. Frustrating poor Valerie and leaving her to wonder why she couldn't surpass her own leader and so-called 'rival'.

There were many possible factors on the ties from the duels but once again: Valerie was too ambitious for her own good. But Valerie wouldn't go this far just by using some of her own blood samples, right?

---

"Mother? You should rest, you look exhausted."

A tired but very beautiful middle aged woman sweetly looked at her daughter. She was the spitting image of her father: brilliant auburn red hair, firm but gentle yellow eyes, and his resilience , "I'm fine, Care Pear."

Princess Parasoul rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated groan "Mother! I thought I asked you to stop calling me that!"

"Awww~, but you'll always be my little Care Pear to me. And don't worry about me, love. Now come on, you should go get ready for school." Nancy had walked over to help her daughter properly tie the headband she was struggling with. Parasoul had told her that she wanted to grow out her hair like her mother. And so far, it was pretty long! Parasoul really was keeping her word. No doubt she would be a wonderful Queen one day.

Nancy grimaced internally as she remembered when her husband started his war campaigns. She had gently asked Franz to stop it. This was not worth lives and it would only hurt everyone involved. He had considered it at first…until the Chess Kingdom and Gigan Nation answered. Now there was no going back, the damage had been done.

Nancy snapped herself back into reality, finally getting Parasoul's hair in a loose ponytail. She remembers how her Care Pear used to complain about the knots being too tight and giving her a headache during school. Speaking of which "By the way, Care Pear…There's no trouble at school, right?"

Parasoul shook her head with a smile "No, mother."

That was a lie. Nancy could practically feel Parasoul forcing herself to smile and put on a brave front. It didn't take much of a genius to figure out that there was peer pressure on Parasoul. A lot of angry children were upset that their parents and relatives were getting caught in between or are part of the war campaigns. When she becomes Queen there will be a lot of pieces to pick up and fix. There was already some pressure from her father as well to try and uphold the Renoir name.

Parasoul was going to have a lot to clean up.

Nancy sighed. It seemed that was all she could as of lately. She could only do so much within her power. Maybe a visit to the Grand Cathedral will help ease her mind.

---

An even harsher sun beam glared in Valentine's eye, once again waking her up the second time in a row. She groaned as she slowly and gently turned over to see that now her clock read 11:11 AM. Rolling slowly to the side, debating if she should get up now or in five more minutes. Luckily, she wasn't feeling nauseous but Valentine felt sluggish. Every time she shifted, or the slightest movement, it all felt like it was a hard thing to do.

But in the end she had to get up. There was no avoiding work.

So groaning, she left the soft heaven that was her bed. Valentine checked the cupboards to see if she had anything decent to eat. Inside her small cupboard were some instant noodles, tea packets, coffee, Hallow's homemade batch of dark chocolate, a baguette, her favorite alcohol brand, and a loaf of bread. Not too many nutritional foods she could eat. Her team was right: she really needed to upgrade her cooking skills and food compartment. Even if she felt lazy to do so. Although maybe she could try to ask Holly for some easy recipes. It would do Valentine good to start off with something simple.

Valentine reached inside for the baguette and grabbed the small box of instant tea. Setting the meal down, she opened another cupboard for plates and took it out. Placing the plate on the wooden counter, Valentine gently cut the baguette in half. Crumbs littering the plate. Using the plate instead of a cutting board did save time. Although, maybe she should take better care of it, Valentine noticed that there were light scratches starting to show on the surface.

After cutting the baguette in half, she grabbed the small squares of dark chocolate and propped them inside halfheartedly. Everything else was a blur: getting the pan and small kettle ready for the baguette and tea, the bread being warm enough to make at, the kettle boiling, and setting the substances on the table.

She slightly opened her mouth and took a small bite of her warm sandwich. Luckily her stomach didn't reject it. If anything her mouth watered as Valentine felt the soft, buttery, and bitter sensation. Granted her breakfast wasn't much…but it would have to do. Maybe Easter brought some lunches for the team today. It was her turn to boost the team morale with her homemade cooking for the week.

As she chewed on her heated chocolate-filled baguette, Valentine mindlessly stared at her cup of instant tea. The liquid didn't move and it seemed to mock her for being her coffee's replacement for the time being.

"Hmph." Valerie muttered as she finished her sandwich and grabbed her cup of tea. Downing it in one go, it had cooled down by now so it was safe. As she gently returned it to its spot on the table Valerie couldn't help but think about which kinds of tea she would have to start drinking.

She was going to have to ask Patty and Hallow about which ones were good for nausea. Actually, scratch that, Hallow would immediately pick up her distress and ask her what's wrong. Hallow was naturally intuitive when she wanted to be. So asking Holly was out of the question. Valerie hoped that Patty wouldn't ask too many questions but there was always that slim chance she would. Even Ferals had some ways of knowing if something was wrong. It was one of the aspects they were known for.

Maybe Easter had some remedies? She did have three children. Granted, two of them were adults and her youngest was in high school but still. The lady has been through it three times so there must be something—no wait. Easter might pick up on Valentine's symptoms. So no asking Esther either.

Christine and Brian were out of the question. Valerie wasn't sure how she was even going to approach her leader about this topic of all things. She wasn't sure how Christine would react. That woman was a hard book to read at times. One time sweet and caring, another time authoritative, and other times she could be a bit demanding and on top of everyone. Almost like Victor: but with more sympathy and no King over her shoulder. And Brian, well he is a very sweet man with a big heart but followed orders a little too much. Sooner or later he might tell Victor—even if it was by accident—or someone else about her condition. And then—

Valerie rubbed her forehead, stopping her train of thought. She was too young to be going through this. Why did—why wasn't she more careful about this?! Maybe if she had gone out on a different night, this wouldn't be happening! She…she can't be…not right now…

Valerie felt some tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She forced herself to stop lest she wanted to feel vulnerable on the way to the ASG Labs.

And with that she washed the utensils, put on her scrub, and went on her way to work.

---

It was warmer than usual today. The sun seemed to finally be of use and brought even more warmth in the day for the unforgiving Winter season. Luckily it seemed that there were only a few people in the streets of New Meridian. Said people were rushing about or simply enjoying the moment at noon. Seemingly without a care in the world or just flat out wanting to forget about the war that was affecting everyone.

Valerie edged along the buildings, making herself as small as possible. Which was actually easy considering that was one of her advantages during battle. But she just wanted to get to work and get it over with. To the point of losing track of time when she entered the mountain path. As she walked along the secret road to the ASG Labs, Valentine wrapped her arms around herself. Although the sun offered a lot of warmth, it did little to comfort the back and forth anguish and despair.

There were no thoughts, and even if there was, they were immediately replaced by another flurry of thoughts. And so on and so forth, a useless mental battle. Valentine knew that her mind wasn't clear at the moment. She felt self-conscious about everything and nothing. Sure maybe this isn't showing now but sooner or later it will. And then that was when the questions were going to begin. Which once again, begs the question, how-

Bong! Valentine groaned and rubbed her forehead as she bumped into the entrance. It's blank, gray exterior stood proudly against the lush, calming greenery growing around it-seemingly competing with mother nature. On the left side were-

Shit! The scans!, Valentine thought as her stomach dropped. She had remembered that they would read the body's conditions every other day. But maybe the enhancement drugs would throw it off. Sometimes that happened, and then she and The Last Hope would have to go in and write a physical documentation to fix it.

She hesitantly put her eye against the scanner. It hummed to life and made her jump slightly.

"Identified: Valerie Tfarcevol. Agent Valentine of The Last Hope from Lab 7. No body scan necessary, you may proceed."

Valentine wondered if The Trinity heard her prayers or if they felt like being mischievous by letting this small step happen. Nevertheless, Valentine let out a shaky exhale and entered the Lab entrance.

---

Hallow heard light footsteps echoing and turned her head to see Valentine approaching her work station.

"Good morning, Valentine~!"

Valentine turned to the familiar voice and attempted to smile back as much as she could with her mask. She softly replied "Good morning, Hallow."

"You came right on time," Hallow chuckled as both ladies entered the Valentine's workstation.

Valentine only sighed tiredly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Hallow turned to look at her with surprise, thinking that good ol' Val would be ready to start the day. Until she remembered reading the report Hallow found this morning. Her current exhaustion made sense but a nagging feeling was tugging at Hallow's brain. She was wondering how to approach Val and ask if she did use her own blood in last night's hypothesis. But looking at said smaller woman and seeing how tired and out of it she was made Hallow bundle up whatever stagnant feeling she had and flat out asked her "By the way, Val? You dropped a paper about a possible hypothesis."

Valentine felt her stomach sink and her blood turn cold. She thought—she could have sworn—how did she drop one paper? Valentine had triple-checked—unless she wasn't really paying attention yesterday because of the—

"Val? Are you okay? It's just one paper." Hallow gently shook her friend out of her mini panic state.

"O-Oh, yeah. I'm okay. Thank you, Hal. I could have sworn that I turned in everything to Victor's office."

"Yeah, but…um," Hallow awkwardly started while chuckling before sighing, "Val, I kinda saw a sneak peak of your hypothesis. Did…Did you use your own blood?"

Valentine paused, this time she took control of her actions. Making sure to be careful about body language before saying

"Yes…I did."

Hallow had both hands on Valentine's shoulders, a firm but gentle grip "Val, why?"

"Hallow, how else are we supposed to advance if we keep playing it safe?"

Hallow let go and shrugged her shoulders "Val! I get that you want to use every opportunity you can to help or learn something new about the unknown! Trinity knows this is also not the first time you did something like this! But you tend to have a habit of seeing how far you can learn or push yourself! You need to learn to take a break every now and then along with being content with where you're at."

Valentine opened her mouth during Hallow's mini speech. But no sound came out, Valerie knew that Holly was right. Sometimes she did push herself too hard and it would take its toll on her. She knew that she should be satisfied and content to an extent. Valentine has accomplished so much in a short amount of time, has a job that she enjoys, all while indirectly helping every living being.

But it wasn't enough. Valerie knew she could do even more in this lifetime. Be it becoming leader of The Last Hope or discovering something new about their world or the Skullheart. There was so much she wanted to keep contributing for the betterment and the good of every living creature.

But...but… "Okay."

Shock did not do justice for what Hallow was feeling as she heard Valentine's soft response. Holly had at least expected Valentine to argue or mildly give a headstrong answer, be it short or long. Not this one word, gentle-toned agreement. Maybe her gut-instinct from last night was right?

"Come on, let's get started." Valentine's voice snapped Hallow out of her mini train of thought. She saw that Valentine had gotten started on grabbing some documents and folders that were on her table.

Hallow inhaled deeply before mimicking Valentine's earlier response "Okay."

---

Valentine groaned as she reached over to the bathroom handle and flushed. Her breakfast was long gone as she coughed slightly. Now her mouth had a horrible aftertaste and needed to eat and drink something to wash it away. Luckily this was the only time Valentine's stomach acted up. None of her teammates or Brian had been in her work station or the halls when she was dashing to the nearest bathroom.

Dark chocolate could help remove the stale taste but...it didn't sound tasty. Was her body craving something else? Sugar perhaps?

If so, wasn't it too early? It had to be she was only three weeks in. It was too early to be craving sugary sweets. And yet her mouth was watering as Valentine thought about the overly sweet...delicious delicacies.

"Ugh!" Valentine groaned as she removed her mash quickly and wiped her drool. Great. Another thing she needs to be careful about: suddenly drooling at the thought of sweets. Maybe if she thought about dark chocolate by itself-no wait. Nevermind, her stomach was starting to turn again.

Valentine forced down a gag as she returned to her work station. Hallow's presence was lacking. Then again, she did mention heading to their other teammates' work stations. Along with some scientists to...test some new enhancement drugs.

Oh no…Valentine's heart sank as she heard Hallow's footsteps coming ever so closer. A slight skip in them accompanied by humming Eliza's recent song. It was too late to think of an excuse or run back to the bathroom as Hallow carried in a crate.

"There you are! I was wondering when you were coming back! We got the latest batch from our co-workers and even Patty thought of some good ones. Finally." Hallow muttered that last bit. She carefully placed the crate on the table and opened it.

All Valentine could do was stare as Hallow brought out a vial containing clear liquid and a label. Her hands wrapped around herself subconsciously. Last night came back to haunt her. A dreadful thought came to her as she recalled the amount of enhancement drugs-among other ingested substances-she and The Last Hope test in the last three weeks. Actually, Valentine was surprised it lasted this long. Considering the chemicals that are put in tht enhancement drugs, Valentine and her team were sure that it would halt their bodies natural activity. Maybe her body got used to it?

"Val?" Hallow gently called out. "Are you okay?"

Valentine nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Hallow stared at her with a squinty look, seemingly not believing her until "If you say so. Which ones do you want to test first?"

Valentine slowly walked over to where Hallow had set the enhancement drugs. She sat down and reached out towards two. Quickly scanning them over, Valentine quickly took note that one increased agility for a short amount of time while the other increased endurance and strength for five minutes.

Definitely Patty's, Valentine mused mentally as she read the endurance drug's drawbacks.

Hallow glanced every now and then at Valentine while reading the labels. Normally, Val would already try one or two without even reading the labels. But Valerie was taking her time and seemed...hesitant. Then again, these tiny things weren't a joke.

"Val?" Her head snapped towards Hallow, "Are...Are you going to test one now?"

"Um…" Valentine tried thinking of whatever excuse she could use to avoid testing it. Nothing came to mind until, "Truth is...I'm pretty tired."

"Hmmmm, yeah. I mean, you did use your own samples last night."

"That and…" Valentine chose her next words carefully, "since we're not going to do any field work, maybe we should...I don't know, take it easy on the enhancement drugs for a while."

Hallow paused, blinking owlishly while holding one drug before reply "Good...that's a good point. I mean, we did a little more than usual yesterday. It might start to mess with our bodies again if we take too many doses during the next three months."

Valentine let out a mental sigh. Okay, so far so good.

Hallow gathered what was taken out and put it back in the crate, which was then put in the corner of the work station. Clinking could be heard as it was set down.

"Careful with those!" Valentine chided slightly.

"I am careful!" Hallow retorted. Valentine rolled her eyes as Hallow stretched her arms above her head and yawned. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Apparently there's rumors that Marcus and Amelia Medici ran off and cut all ties with the Medici Mafia."

Valentine was baffled. Then again, she was not surprised. When she took a look at his profile once it seemed the buff man could hardly harm a fly. Then again, looks were deceiving. "Why?"

Hallow gently shrugged "Some say that Marcus was next in line to inherit the family but refused. Others say that Marcus turned chicken at the last minute. And then there's the smaller rumors that say that his wife, Amelia, was pregnant before they disappeared."

All that last statement, all Valentine could say was a measly "Huh? Is that so?"

"Yeah that last one makes more sense if it were true."

"Oh well. They're just rumors, so they may not be true."

Hallow chuckled slightly at Valentine's attitude before continuing "By the way, I heard that one time Brian got hit on by a random chick and then Christine-"

Valentine listened with great intent. However, as the conversation moved on her mind wandered. She was interested in what Hallow had to say and tell, mind you. It was just...Valentine kept going back to the possible reactions of her teammates. Unavoidable as it was, she needed to tell them soon-

"Val!"

"Huh?!" Valerie felt her eye shot open in surprise. She blinked a few times before groaning lightly and rubbed it. When had she fallen asleep?

"Geeze", Hallow softly teased, "You must have liked my bedtime stories if you dozed off."

"Overworked." was all that was muttered as Valentine yawned. Okay, so that was a half-truth, but still.

"Maybe you can request to go home early today?"

"Mmmfine."

Hallow pinched the bridge of her nose "Okay, if you say so. At least try to sleep early today...please? If you can't drink a little bit of liquor. That should help you sleep tonight."

Valentine almost let out a sarcastic laugh but held herself. If only that were true. The two ladies then got back to work creating new enhancement drugs.

---

3:30 pm had come. And while some employees continued working some thought a little reward for themselves was due.

"Lunch time!" Easter called out playfully, though a hint of motherly tone could be heard. Patty and Hallow didn't need to be told twice as the both of them jumped on the elder woman's shoulders. Hallow had somehow dropped down from the ceiling. Said woman only laughed as she walked over to the resting longue.

The resting longue was settled in between Labs 4 and 5. Compared to the rest of the full, gray metallic walls of the main Labs this was much more cozy and homey. Sleek redwood planks with soft, colored fuzzy carpets. Along with some beanbags, couches, a few stainless steel stoves, and plenty of windows and plants.

Many employees came here during break or if they needed to get away from their work stations. Which was happening more and more often.

Patty had shifted to a sitting position while Hallow...fell asleep, a little snore bubble seen as the tall woman took a quick power nap. Christmas followed her friends a few minutes after. She had been quickly double-checking some of the mixtures that would soon be turned into future enhancement drugs. Brian had been with her and had fallen asleep before they both knew it. To which Christmas gently laid his lab coat over his still frame.

Valentine was...well, she was sitting in the bathroom stall. Seat down, don't worry. She had felt her stomach going back and forth. Thinking she was going to empty her stomach again but instead left in a state of misery.

"Mmmmmm." she could only groan as her hands cradled her head. Her ears perked slightly as she heard her name being called by Easter.

Seeing that she couldn't skip lunch, Valentine slowly exited the stalls. Her footsteps almost dragged against the floors. When she had made it to the resting longue, her teammates-excluding Brian-had seated themselves at one of the rounder tables. Chrsitine was the first to notice her "Oh! There you are Valerie!"

Patty looked up from her food, mouth full and ears flicking "Vhal!" Phannally!"

"Ew, Pats. Stop that." Hallow chided as she scooped a big spoonful of food. Meanwhile, Patty rolled her eyes.

Easter gently shoved a mini-glass tupperware towards Valentine as she took a seat. "Here you are, dearie. Fresh, hot, and made with a lot of love, enjoy."

Valentine smiled before replying "Thank you."

She reached out to grab a plastic spoon. Valentine looked on at the simple dish: rice with green beans and potatoes. It would look appetizing on an average day but her body had other plans with the new reminder. Valentine knew she was hungry but at the same time she didn't want to eat. She gently stirred the food around, hoping that the longer she waited that it would appear appetizing.

"Val…Val! Yer food 's going to get cold if ye keep staring at it!"

"Patty, honey! Leave her be, she's probably exhausted from overworking last night."

Valentine gently shook her head "Y-Yeah."

Easter looked worried though, "But I do agree with Patty, Valerie. At least try to eat the food while it's warm."

"Okay mom." Valentine poked jokingly.

It took a while before Valentine forced herself to start taking small bites. Licking her dry lips before putting the first spoon into her mouth. Her taste buds both welcomed and opposed the nutritional subsistence. She needed to force it down without making faces. This was like eating Hallow's candy yesterday but this time she was having more trouble. There was a whole plate for her to finish. And she can't just go back to work on an empty stomach.

She never noticed the worried glances from Hallow or Easter as the Team continued eating lunch.

---

Valentine felt her body being soothed and warmed by cinnamon, honey, and ginger. She drank the tea that Patty made for both of them after lunch in her work station. This was her third cup, surprising the Feral. When asked why, Valentine gave the excuse of wanting to warm herself up. It was still January after all, and Winter was not going to end anytime soon. Patty shrugged and agreed, saying something about how good it was that Valentine was changing her diet every now and then. Glad that their team's second-in-command was finally taking their advice to heart. Even if it was just small baby steps.

Valentine only nodded, not even paying attention. Valerie wanted to take extra steps to ensure that her nausea would not get the better of her or catch her off guard. Much less she wants to explain to her teammates about her condition earlier than she wanted or before she was ready to tell them. She indirectly glanced at her abdomen when she had a small amount of tea left. Patty was looking over some documents before sliding them over to Valentine "Alright! Val, aye need ye to continue this fer me! Aye'll be getting more tea to keep us awake. Ye want anything else? Snacks a' whatnot?"

Valentine gently shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Okay, aye'll be back soon!" Patty left, leaving the young blue haired woman by herself as she took off her mask. Glad to be given some alone time even if it was just at her own workstation. She didn't mind her teammates' company though. It was just that she felt…claustrophobic all day.

Valentine was here last night but…but—

She glanced down again, taking a deep breath and then sighing. Valentine reached for the pen that Patty left her before starting to read the report. Noting how her body seemed to finally be giving her a break from the hourly, back and forth nauseous state.

Done making me feel miserable? She mentally asked, getting nothing but silence in return. Wait…why am I even bothering?

Valentine sighed again and read the document Patty was looking over and making corrections to. Looks like she forgot a few pieces of information here and there. She grabbed the pen and started to add in her two cents to the paper. Not knowing how much time has passed—possibly five minutes at best but it felt longer.

Why was she avoiding this? Was she really that scared of telling her teammates about her condition? Or maybe she was being selfish by giving herself time to find ways to tell her teammates? Did…did she feel ready? No. That was it. This was something out of her control. Or whatever control she had in this life that she lived. Sure, Valentine would attempt to study multiple resources-be it books, resorts, and whatnot. But...but...but was she ready for this? The long-term responsibility?

She was about to place a hand on her lower abdomen when there was a gentle knock. Then the door opened and an erringly smooth voice called out to her. Her free hand shooting up to put her mask back on.

"Oh, Val~. Do you want to spar? Y'know, to keep ourselves sharp and ready? …Also, I'm bored."

Valentine felt herself make a mistake on the paper she was writing. Instantly, she grabbed the nearest whiteout and tried her best to fix it. Hopefully, the scientist—and Patty—who was going to read this later would ignore the mistake, "Oh! Sure! When do you want to spar?"

Holly merely blinked, "Right now."

Valentine blinked owlishly. "Like…right now, right now?"

"Yes Val, now. Unless you have better plans than reading and re-reading documents and making new enhancement drugs for the day?"

Realizing that Hal had a point and that there was no way out of this, Valentine responded "O-oh, well in that case! Let me get ready!"

Holly watched with interest and suspicion as her best friend hurried out the room. Valerie was always so quick to start training…Why was she being hesitant this time? Where were all the indirect sayings about how she was going take Christmas's place as leader? And about how 'creepy' Hallow was? Or how did she make this 'Treat'? What did she put in it? Val was acting too…cautious and docile to an extent. And this was coming from her, the one who liked to get a raise from people for fun and spooks.

All day Valentine had been avoiding her and the other members of The Last Hope. Not even Brian said that he saw her. The only times they saw Valentine was counted on one of their hands. Hallow only saw Valentine today about five times. She seemingly disappeared all day only to come later looking a little skittish. Valerie may be good at hiding her emotions but the littlest body language was still catchable to the trained eye.

Unless-

---

Hallow stretched her arms over her head, syringes clanking as she tried to pop some bones. Some of the liquids revolved around inside the medical equipment. The pale woman looked at her friend, who was stretching her legs. Although, it looked like she was

"You ready?"

Valentine nodded stiffly. Hallow immediately started by swinging her occupied arm and threw some syringes to see if Valerie's reflex was still quick enough to deflect all of them. Said woman quickly brought out her bonesaw and deflected most of them. One of the syringes ended up scraping her upper thigh. Leaving a small scratch that bled slightly.

Valentine already knew she was slightly sluggish than before thanks to her morning sickness and constant state of nausea, which went and came back all day.

Meanwhile, Hallow had a mild look of surprise before snapping back into battle. Hallow flung a syringe hand towards her head which Valentine quickly blocked with her bonesaw. Taking advantage of the reflex that Hallow's body was going through in the split-second reaction, Valentine turned her hips and swung a round kick at Hallow.

The taller woman brought up a wrist and blocked it before jumping back. Valentine saw her chance and attempted to swing her bonesaw at Hallow. She barely had time to react before grabbing a filled syringe and attempted to plunge it into Valentine's neck.

Valentine felt her body's instincts arise and grabbed it. That split second reaction was all Hallow needed as she raised a leg and plunged it into Valentine's chest. Sending the shorter woman flying a few feet back.

Valentine landed rather clumsily, making sure to avoid hitting her abdomen. So far, she noted that her nausea hadn't been acting up during the fight. But she was slower than usual due to fatigue. Luckily no one picked it up. But if Valentine doesn't keep up her guard…she or Hallow might end up either accidentally killing the fetus.

Hallow dashed toward her and tried to punch Valentine as the shorter woman could only deflect and walk back slowly.

Hallow saw that Valentine was more defensive today. Perhaps she was trying to wait and see if there would be an opening? Which wouldn't make sense actually. Valentine would always find an opening no matter how small and take advantage of it. So far, it looked like Valerie either wasn't trying or seemed to be holding back.

Seeing as Valentine was acting indecisive and defensive today, Hollow decided to change tactics. Deciding to aim her syringe 'hand' at Valentine's abdomen. Endless shock spread like wildfire throughout her entire body when she saw Valentine go into a state of panic.

In a quick flash, Valentine grabbed one of Hallow's arms and flipped her around. Hallow's arms were tightly pressed against her back as Valentine had a death-like grip hold on her.

That-That was close, Valentine started to shudder. Holly almost unknowingly-she-she could have-

Her shaking slowly got worse even with controlled practice. Valentine's attempts at staying calm usually worked but the new small factor added she now needed to be more careful. She chided herself greatly for not being more cautious. She knew that her spars with Holly were part of her daily routine at work. Valentine wasn't sure why she was bothering to protect the fetus. Maybe it was the primal and maternal instinct in her human body? Or was she actually hoping…that…well…it would survive?

Holly was beyond shocked. This is new…usually they would go at it until the bonesaw broke into more than two pieces or all of her Tricks and Treats were shattered and spilling on the floor. Hallow took note of the shaky vice grip Valentine had on her wrists. It was almost like Valentine had stopped Hallow from doing something the taller woman would highly regret later.

Valentine never panicked. And even if there was a small amount, Valentine would shrug it off. Stating what good would it do her to panic at every moment or situation out of her control?

Though it wasn't just her grip or change of battle stances. Valentine's breathing sounded…uneasy, shuddering as she tried to soothe it back into a natural rhythm.

It had then hit Hallow. All day Valerie had been acting odd, docile even. Actually considering taking more breaks and Hallow's worries, worried about the enhancement drug's side effects, recently drinking tea, working more slower than usual, more trips to the bathroom, and even the sudden hesitation to spar.

Hallow could feel that something was off all day. Out of all The Last Hope, she was the one who could sense people's emotions the best. And can immediately sense when something is wrong with someone. In this case: Valerie. Something was amiss all day, Valerie was known for her 'stone-cold' demeanor and strictly sticking to routine—unless something 'big' pops up or something similar. It was like her whole spirit…deflated, for a lack of a better word.

But…why was Valerie nervous?

Needing more answers, Hallow took the opportunity and slammed her head back. Colliding with Valentine's head but barely missing her nose with a small crunch! Forcing the taller nurse to take a few steps back. The collision ended up causing the smaller woman's head to spin. Her heart dropped when she felt a certain and now familiar nausea starting to rise.

No! No! No! No! No! NO! Not now please! Valentine begged her body and the baby as her stomach turned upside down again for the day. Her body acted out of reflexes and forced her to let out a gag.

The sound made Hallow spin around, syringes ready. All that greeted her sight was Valentine letting a grunt out followed closely by a heaving sound. She had taken off her mask, her hands over her mouth, and slowly started to turn green. It looked like she was going to well…vomit.

Hallow somewhat dropped her guard "Oof, Christmas wasn't kidding. Maybe you should go back home for the day. We can spar tomorrow if you're feeling better by then."

Valentine quickly shook her nauseous state away and coughed slightly while replying "No, I can keep going."

"Valerie…you're not feeling well. Just go home, please. It's not good to push yourself this much." Hallow gently chipped back.

"I'm fine." Valentine insisted. Keeping up her battle stance and bonesaw at elbow's length. A determined look on her face.

Hallow felt her battle-boosted adrenaline rush go away, arms completely lowering to her sides. She let out a sigh before walking to Valentine and saying, "We'll stop for today."

"Hal-" Valentine's words fell on deaf ears as Hallow softly grabbed her hand and gently dragged her outside the sparring room.

---

Soft and loud conversations could be heard as Hallow and Valentine entered the resting lounge. The taller woman saw that their teammates were already occupying a couch and a beanbag.

"Hello, ladies." Christmas greeted as Hallow and Valentine approached "I trust the sparring session went well today?"

Hallow opened her mouth to inform their leader of her friend's well being before Valentine cut her off a little too quickly "Yeah, although we didn't go at each other's throats this time around."

Hallow quickly glanced at her best friend and saw a small bead of sweat forming. Huh…looks like Valerie's panic and uneasiness hasn't gone away yet.

Patty's head popped up from behind a couch, looking pretty cute and comedic "So! 'o won this time?"

This time Hallow answered "It's a tie."

Patty didn't believe her. Both her ears flickered in disbelief "Whaaaaaaat~? F'r real? I thought ye lassies woul' kn'ock each oth'er out to the point wh're we would have to come pick ye up."

The air conditioner suddenly let out a burst of cold air and with it a horrid smell while Patty was talking. Possibly from one of the nearby chemical rooms. Valentine felt her skin give way to goosebumps and her stomach curled in on itself.

"Valentine? Are you okay? You're looking green." Christmas questioned, concern for her second-in-command and friend.

A few seconds passed and Valentine's stomach decided to respond for her by turning upside down and making her vomit into the closest trash can. All of her teammates were immediately around her, concerned for their friend.

"Well, th'ere goes her lunch."

"Oh dear." Easter said softly as she rubbed Valentine's back gently "are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Might be something I ate, o-or a stomach flu going around."

"But dear, you should be immune to most sicknesses by now." Of course, leave it to good ol' Esther to worry and point out your practical immune system in her own way. Valentine really appreciated, and dare she think it-loved, the woman to bits but this was not one of those moments.

"Heh, maybe you ate something bad or expired at your apartment," Hallow voiced her opinion on the problem.

Valentine immediately decided to use this to her advantage, "Yeah. I haven't cleaned out my fridge in a while so maybe it was something that was expired."

A clicking sound can be heard from Christmas as she tsked, "Valentine, Easter and I keep telling you to stop skipping meals and actually learn some culinary skills."

"I know, I know. But you know how much I hate to cook-"

"'Because you might be missing out on some important research regarding the Skullheart' or something else that is important. But just consuming instant noodles and frozen foods-or dark chocolate- is not going to help you if you ingest it daily."

Valentine rolled her eyes as Christmas finished her lecture, "Okay, mom."

Christmas merely pinched the bridge of her nose in minor annoyance, "Look, you can continue working for the day if you want. But if you aren't feeling well again, I'm ordering you to go home and rest up."

"Ugh, fine."

Holly suddenly grabbed Valentine's shoulders as she led her out of the room with a grin (or as much as a grin as her muscles and mask allowed her to), "Don't worry, ladies. I'll be sure that Val doesn't pull any Tricks to avoid working!"

Christmas playfully rolled her eyes at Holly's antics, "Please Holly, make sure Valentine doesn't over exert herself."

"Yes, ma'am," was Holly's only response as she and her best friend left the room to Valentine's workstation.

---

The door had a gentle creak as it closed behind the two ladies. Valentine sighed and took off her nurse mask. She immediately went over to her work station, expecting Hallow to be right behind her. Instead she heard a click, turned around and saw that Hallow had locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Valentine asked. Hallow only put a finger to her mouth, and pressed her ear against the door. Once she was sure the coast was clear that was when Hallow spoke up.

"Okay Val, spill. We both know you are way too healthy to have a small flu of any kind. And even if you did catch something, those enhancement drugs were supposed to take care of it."

"Yes, I am aware of that. But-"

"But what? Val, if there is something on your medical records we missed now would be a good time to renew it. Or if something genetic popped up that went against the enhancement drugs."

"I...there's nothing wrong with me," Valentine merely countered while rubbing her arm and looking away, hoping that Hallow would drop it. She didn't.

"Then what is it? Did you extract something? Or did you do extra experiments behind our backs-"

"What?! I would never! Especially since last night I found out-"

Valentine paused in horror as she realized what came out of her mouth from the rush of adrenaline and anxiety. Hallow had a look of surprise before it went back to stoic. Valentine merely covered her mouth as she felt her heart continually sinking.

"Found out what?"

The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Valentine thought of every possible way that she could avoid telling Holly the truth while also indirectly lying to her. But every second that was passed with the stare contest, all possible confrontations hit a roadblock. Even if Holly dropped the subject, someone else might end up picking up Valentine's symptoms or lack of work ethics. If it was Christmas, she might find out one way or another. Prying and finding out the truth from other witnesses. And if that meant invading a small speck of Valentine's privacy she might do it. Patty always begged her for details and would no doubt bug her until she spilled the truth. Easter has…her ways, Valentine only shivered mentally.

She might as well tell Holly about her condition. Better to tell her best friend than her leader now, even if she was hoping for more time. After all, Valentine was hoping to become The Last Hope's leader. And with this little roadblock, now she wasn't sure how.

So with buried courage Valentine spoke the words she had been denying herself until now.

"H-Holly…I'm pregnant."

With that being said, nothing but silence filled the room the two ladies occupied. And with each second, the atmosphere started to get heavier and thicker. Hallow blinked and opened her mouth to say something but closed it. Her eyes slowly drifted to the side as a slight frown started to form. An attempt to calmly gather her thoughts at the new information. Val brushed a stray piece of her hair behind her ear as she waited for her friend to say something, anything. But in the end, Holly took a sharp intake of air before gently pulling her beautiful raven hair back.

"Oh…oh….." Hallow finally responded as silence was Valentine's only answer.

"You're not...that's it?"

"How am I supposed to react? By your statement, you barely found out. Am I surprised? Of course. But what good would it be for me to be angry or freak out at you for being a little selfish?"

Valentine felt a small weight off her shoulder. Suddenly, Holly was hugging her. All Valentine could do was stare at the wall ahead.

"Look Valerie, whatever happens I…we will figure it out. Even if…some of the ASG Labs might try to dissuade you."

Valentine let out a small breath she was holding in, "That's…putting it lightly. In fact, some of the scientists might panic and quit on the spot."

Hallow let out a sound that resembled a cross between a dry chuckle and genuine giggling, "Yeah, they might-wait, how far along are you?"

"About three weeks now…"

"Hmmm..." Hallow softly hummed while putting her thumb under her chin, "then that means you are barely reaching a month with your pregnancy."

"Which also means that…that there is still time before it becomes visible."

Holly sighed, she had a feeling that Valentine probably wanted to say something else but placed it on the back burner, "Val, there is no way around telling the truth. But finding a way of telling our team and co-workers is one thing…what you're going to do with the baby and afterwards is another story. Did you decide what to do with it?"

With the last question, Valentine placed a gentle hand on her lower abdomen. Did she want to keep the baby? Being a mother had hardly crossed her mind, considering all the work that she and her team were entrusted with. Meeting Beowulf again (or someone similar) and settling down someday did sound nice but with the Skullgirl reappearing from time to time it was becoming more difficult. And right now, Valerie is not mother or girlfriend or wife 'material'. She was a nurse through and through, a ninja second-Valentine loved to help people even if she would never admit it openly. No amount of studying or small time experiences could ever get her ready for the responsibility of parenthood. Then that means…she should abort the baby? No, Valerie didn't have the heart to go through with it as cold and apathetic as she appeared and thinks at times. Yet if she carried to full term…what would happen? Would she put her work on hold? Be kicked out of the Labs for safety measures? Where would she go if she did? There were not too many places in the Canopy Kingdom to raise a baby. And secondly, what about the current lifestyle she dedicated herself to? How was she going to continue Skullheart research? Would she need to stop taking the enhanced drugs all together? That might have a negative effect on her body if she did stop her ingestion of them-Wait…maybe the drugs she took before might have a negative effect on the baby. Which in turn might cause her to have a miscarriage. But if the drugs didn't affect the baby's growth at all…Should she put the baby up for adoption? The chances of the child even finding a good and loving family keep slimming thanks to the paranoid-filled rumors surrounding the Medici gang and even some smaller groups forming. The King might even take an interest in using the baby if it survived the practice enhancement drugs! Perhaps…she could…keep it? But…but…

But then more questions started to arise: Would she even be a good mother? Would the baby be in constant danger because of Valentine's involvement with the ASG Labs? What if she screwed up in her attempts on motherhood? Accidently neglecting her child in some way or aspect? Would the child end up hating her? Or what if something bad happens to the baby because of Valentine herself? Or some of the more heartless scientists get an idea to experiment on the baby for 'the betterment of society'? If it was a girl, then the amount of danger she would be exposed to would rise because the Skullheart seems to prefer female hosts. That really would give some of the Labs justification to experiment on her and her child if so.

There were so many worries and thoughts that came all too much that Valentine was having a hard time keeping her emotions under control-

"Val, breathe..." Hallow finally interrupted her train of thoughts by gently grabbing her hand.

Valentine let out a shaky breath that she didn't realize she was holding. Her fingers were white and numb from tightly gripping her scrub. After a few seconds, Valentine looked at her best friend dead in the eye.

"I…" Valentine started, her breathing jagged and swallowed before mustering enough courage to say, "I don't know."

Hallow blinked gently after Valentine's response, "I had a feeling. Look Val, you still have some time, and we both know you can't go through with an abortion. You're not that heartless. Plus with…with the recent report we got about the Medici..."

Both shuddered as they recalled the report the ASG Labs got in less than twenty-four hours. An undercover Canopy soldier had found out about the missing civilians around the Canopy Kingdom, Chess Kingdom, and the Gigan Nation. The report stated that unsuspecting, innocent children-even teenagers- have been lured into the back alleys. And it wasn't just the children…men, women, anyone that the Medici could get their hands on. In fact, some of the missing posters that have been going around lately are being put up more than they are getting let down. And even more disturbing was that some of the areas where the victims were last seen alive were: hospitals, clinics, abortion and fertility centers, morgues, orphanages, and even a few retirement centers.

Most never come back alive, some were still reported missing but never found. Those who were found were almost unrecognizable to their friends and families. The poor fleshy messes that were once people were missing some organs and body parts. There were a few theories by police and even some everyday workers.

Let's just say the Medici gang have a few more organs and tissue to work from and even sell with.

Just thinking of it made Valentine's stomach start to rise again. Her hand shooting to cover her mouth as bile shot up. To which, Hallow immediately got the trash can to Valentine. As Valentine heaved, her thoughts continued to swirl around in a huge puddle of overwhelming worries and thoughts. All Hallow could offer was rubbing her back in soft, circular motions with one hand and holding Valerie's hair with the other.

The mentioned woman was in deep thought. How could she not be? Her best friend and sister figure just dropped a huge bombshell on her. Being pregnant on a team full of Anti-Skullgirls soldiers was basically asking for early and risky retirement. Granted, Valentine might actually be better protected because she is among The Last Hope unit which is highly respected no matter what…but there might be a few, if not a lot, of backlash and perhaps some paranoia from the other scientists. Along with some peer pressure that Valerie either gets an abortion, put the baby up for adoption, or…give up her position as second-in-command for The Last Hope, be banned from the ASG Labs, and go live a 'normal civilian' life. Long story short: never come back.

Ever.

Hallow mentally sighed. Several scenarios were definitely unavoidable if Valentine did decide to announce her pregnancy early. And even more, whether she keeps it or gives it up for adoption. One of them being the mentioned backlash: which will mostly be due to Valentine having the baby out of wedlock and would probably be labeled as "careless" for an assumed lack of protection. Adding to the fact that most of the Anti-Skullgirl Labs environments were not exactly child-friendly. Paranoia because this might change everything in all of the Anti-Skullgirl Labs. There is that slime chance that whoever Valerie did the horizontal tango with might be someone who does not want the ASG Labs to continue. If that were the worst case scenario, then they would have to pack up as much data, equipment, and information that everyone can gather and find a new place. With or without the King's orders. Which, according to most employees and the royal couple themselves, would be a big pain and annoyance. Because there were only so many places that could offer a secret spot without being detected. Actually most places are now being added to "highly dangerous", so there is not really much to choose from. Having a baby now might be hard, not just for the job position in the ASG Labs, but also because the Skullheart is still active. It was why so many couples were hesitant on having children nowadays.

Which brings up another fork in the road: retirement...or a similar situation that could be considered retirement in the ASG Labs. Maternity leave or having families does not exist in the ASG Lab guidelines, so that there may be less risk (physically, mentally, and emotionally) that the Labs do not want to be responsible for. There were a few exceptions: like Easter, however her family lived pretty far from the ASG Labs. If Valentine retires, she can never breathe a word of the Labs to anyone-be it close friends or family. Should the scientists (and even the King) wanted: there would also be a close monitor on Valentine and her child. While it was an extra precaution, it is pretty unnerving. And to a fault, disgusting. King Renoir might, keyword: might, have some empathy and mercy on Valentine's condition. Seeing as how he is also a father as well. Queen Nancy could probably convince him to be empathic, she did peek at the ASG Lab files every now and then. She even came to visit on some days! Her visits to the lab were much more welcomed than her husband's.

Valentine heaved one more time, coughing and finally thanking The Trinity that it was over. For now. But…? What about the next step? And after that? Did she want to become a mother right now? She still wasn't sure. And if she did, how was she going to juggle work, life, and a baby if she kept it? Should she send a letter to Beowulf to at least let him know the news? How would he react? Trinity damnit, there were all sorts of new and old emotions coming back to overwhelm Valentine. She really hated these feelings of being weak and feeling unprepared. Valerie usually felt ready to take on anything and everything no matter the cost. Especially if there is any new information regarding the Skullheart and its hosts. But this? This was...is something else entirely. She doesn't feel ready for this at all. She felt scared.

A hiccup escaped from her.

"Val?"

Hallow blinked as she saw her best friend shedding big fat tears. Valentine attempted to wipe away her tears in a vain attempt to shrug off her oncoming emotions. It was also a poor effort to not make herself look weak or vulnerable. But all this new information was too much for her to handle. Hallow gently placed a hand on Valentine's shoulder. Knowing how stubborn and ambitious Valentine did not like showing too much affection or sentimentality. Though the fact that she was brought to shaking knees because of a fetus was surprising. Then again, pregnancy and parenthood were not a joke.

"Even if I do keep it? What if I am an awful mother? Or if the baby is going to hate me regardless? I barely have a good grasp of what motherhood even is."

"Val, you are not obligated to keep it—"

"B-But I'm its mother, Holly. Shouldn't I at least...try?"

Hallow let out a small sigh, knowing that her best friend already felt responsible for the baby, "You don't have to force yourself to try and raise it. There are plenty of families that are looking to adopt right now. We even have a list of people from the Canopy Kingdom who are infertile or are having fertility issues. And we can also do interviews to see if they would be happy to adopt it after it's born."

"Even so, what about the Labs? I don't know what they are going to do if they find out. If Victor finds out about us. Or if I would be able to keep working here. And-And-And-"

Valentine couldn't finish her sentence and only leaned into Hallow's shoulders, tears flowing nonstop. The taller woman just rubbed her best friend's back as Valentine continued crying. Normally, this would be an instance where Hallow attempted to joke but she let it slide. Now was not a good time.

---

The time went by and soon it was night. A full moon was high in the sky signaling her time of temporarily ruling until the sun came back.

Hallow and Valentine both walked on the road in a soothing rhythm. They both waited until everyone had gone home or fell asleep at their stations. Valentine ended up curling into a fetal position on one of the seats after her crying session, too exhausted to continue working after her confession. Hallow triple checked that all the day workers had gone before helping Valentine to her feet. Neither woman felt like explaining Valentine's tears lest they want the Labs to find out about Valentine's condition without feeling prepared. When they were sure no other soul was around, they took to the secret entrance and made their exit for the night.

The taller woman had offered Valentine to stay the night at her apartment, to which she numbly agreed. The sound of their footsteps was one of the few things that seemed comforting for now. Valentine's eye was bloodshot red from crying. Sniffles could still be heard from the blue-haired woman as she fell behind her best friend. She weakly hung on to Hallow's banaged sleeve in an attempt to match her pace while wiping her eye. The other hand was holding the taller woman's scrub in place. It covered her body from the night winds. Hallow tried to go slow so as to not let Valentine stumble or trip.

As the late January winds picked up, Hallow shivered immensely. Kicking herself for not bringing a second jacket for tonight. All she wore under her long scrub besides her bandages was a thick, purple tank top with soft black shorts that cling to her legs. Then again, she didn't know that Valerie was pregnant…or that she was the first one to find out about her condition out of The Last Hope.

"You sure you don't want your scrub?" Valentine asked for the fifth time. Attempting to make Hallow take it knowing how the enhancement drugs left Hallow defenseless against the tiniest of chills.

Said taller woman sighed, man Valerie was stubborn when she wanted to be, "No Val. You need it more than I do."

"Keep this up, and all you'll be getting is frostbite."

"Well keep up that sharp tongue of yours and I will be giving my special stash of dark chocolate to somebody else."

There was a brief silence.

"I'm glad we both agree."

"But Hol…you're not wearing much."

"I'd rather deal with this than those itchy surgeon masks you ladies wear."

She felt Valentine shiver from a memory resurfacing. Okay, so a part of that was true. But Hallow really would rather face the cold than wear the plastic surgeon wear they were required to wear.

When Valentine's shaking stopped, Hallow looked back and could not help but feel pity for her best friend. She looked so small and broken. Hallow was not sure how to comfort her best friend without indirectly harming Valentine's pride. Sure Valerie never liked being given sympathy but she needed some aspect of comfort.

Hallow sighed before stating, "What if I told you everything is going to be okay?"

"Don't…*sniff* don't force yourself to make me feel better."

"Val…"

"I don't want any pity. I just…want to know what I am going to do. And to know what's going to happen. I don't want my research and work to stop…but I don't know if I want the baby or not. Or even if I can even raise it properly on my own."

"I can help you—all of us in The Last Hope can help you. You wouldn't be raising it by yourself. You know I like kids and would like to have some of my own one day. In time, whatever happens will happen. ...If that makes sense."

A small snort from Valentine made itself known "You're really horrible at this."

Good, her mood was slightly better than before. If she kept this up, Valentine might be in a somewhat better mood when they get to Hallow's apartment. Valentine really needed it. So Hallow attempted to continue with the light jokes with a small chuckle, "Yeah, I know. That's why I sometimes stick to my Tricks and Treats."

"Oh Trinity no. Nevermind, I would prefer if you learned something new than stick with your creepy shots and whatever you mixed in the labs."

"Awwwww~, are you going soft on me Val?"

"Don't press your luck."

A comforting silence now hung over the two women as they were getting closer to New Meridian. The bright lights were getting more and more vibrant with each step. Holly decided to try her chance with one more question, looking over shoulder and gazing Valerie square in her eye.

"By the way…was that himbo you banged a monster in bed?"

Valentine gasped and flushed red out of embarrassment and annoyance, "HOLLY!"

Hallow was sure that her name ended up echoing around some places in the mountain but she didn't care. Said woman only laughed, glad that she was able to take Valentine's mind off her current condition. Even if it was something perverted and unholy.

"Seriously, was he? You didn't tell me everything, I'm curious as to how you both did it and how long it lasted. Especially with all those marks he gave you that day you came late to the Labs. And! And and and! With how you used to boast about all the guys falling for your charms! This whole time I thought you weren't a virgin! Give me all the details, I want notes for my own future use!"

Valentine merely punched her best friend in the back lightly. She would only tell Hallow the details if said woman didn't joke about it later.

---

That very same night as the two ladies walked to Hallow's apartment, there was a long line of people in New Meridian. A match was going to take place soon and people were excited to see the fight. Word was that a twenty-two year, newbie rookie was quickly making work of some of the big titles and names out there. Many didn't believe the tales that were spreading like wildfire and few had even scoffed until they saw the young man in action. Any doubt that they once had was immediately gone. Now they joined the growing fans in their cheers.

As the people filled the vacant stands, the man of the night himself took a peek outside. Some lovely velvet curtains acting as a temporary hiding space to the wrestling ring.

There's a lot of people here too. Beowulf thought with excitement. If he had an actual tail he was sure it would be a windy blur by now. His new manager, Zane, really did keep his word.

In less than a month, Beowulf had finally found a manager. And it seemed like he hit the jackpot because the blonde man had a lot of connections and was also proving to be a good friend. Zane had no skepticism or doubt when he introduced himself to Beowulf. Telling how he already saw his potential.

Within less than a week, Beowulf had his first match. Even if his opponent had a head start than he did. The match was intense, heart-grappling, and led the audience at the edge of their seats.

…And in the end, Beowulf was victorious. Everyone stood from their stands and applauded the newbie. Generously welcoming him among the wrestlers.

Beowulf was sure he would remember that day for the rest of his life. Everyone's faces, the way his heart pounded, and how he felt as the calls and cheers of the audience echoed in his ears.

Thinking of his debut ended up always put a smile on Beowulf's face. All that extra time spent training himself and whatnot were showing its results. Now he just needed to keep going strong and he should reach the New Meridian Championships in no time. Which should be too tough if he kept up his workout routine.

"Man, you are one tough cookie."

…Looks like his brain decided to bring up that night again for the umteemth time. No matter how many times Beowulf tried to put it aside he couldn't. Beowulf had wanted to see Valerie again. He was not sure what it was, but something about the lady definitely felt more real than half the people he had met in his life. Which definitely said something about the current mentality of the public. Maybe it was the way that she enjoyed life without a care in the world. Or how she doesn't care that she can have fun even while she is by herself.

Nevertheless, Beowulf realized a week after their…fun session that he just didn't want the situation to be just that: a one night stand. Some people may find it cliche in this day and age. Though there were a lot of people who did this just to escape. Beowulf cannot, and probably will never, understand how some people do this as a part of their routine. It looked pretty unhealthy. And from what he saw, people only kept digging themselves deeper and deeper in a hole they can't get out of. There were a few who wanted to get out and start anew, while even fewer didn't want to be saved.

Nowadays there are hardly many people who want to live life being themselves. Everyone seemed so worried about what they were going to do in the future that they were hardly focused on the present. With the war, this brought out some of the worst in people. And the King even didn't seem to care or was too caught up in said war to notice his subjects suffering.

Franz's family might end up paying the price if this keeps up. There was already pressure on his wife and daughter from a lot of the public to try and persuade him to make a treaty, a truce-anything that involved calling off his war campaigns. Due to this, both the Queen and the Princess had attempted to put their focus on finding ways to improve New Meridian for the people while ignoring their own health. Beowulf appreciated the effort they were putting in but even he could see that King Franz was too stubborn for his own good. Queen Nancy and Princess Parasoul were at their limits and it was starting to show. People were starting to get rowdy, restless, and beginning to despise the King. Not that he had a good reputation to begin with.

Adding to the war was the disappearance of the children and the adults. Many parents and families ran to the police but to no avail. Some even attempted to look for their loved ones on their own but they also went missing after a couple of days.

Unfortunately, this only fueled the unrest that many people were feeling already. More than some were starting to blame the other kingdoms who were in the current war.

Beowulf's heart went out to all those poor children and people who disappeared. He hoped they would be found soon. Or at the very least, the families would get closure as to what happened to their loved ones. Nobody should ever have to go through that.

Almost immediately Beowulf started asking around for Valerie. And while he asked a lot of people, they all gave the same answer: they only saw her once or never. No one seemed to know where or even who Valerie was. It almost seems like…she didn't exist.

Which made him worried that Valerie had disappeared like the other poor souls.

Even when he entered the wrestling ring, Beowulf asked his new manager Zane and a few wrestlers as well. Maybe she was from a different area? That would make sense considering that she looked like she didn't belong in a place like New Meridian. If anything, she looked tough as nails. Maybe even tougher.

So for the two weeks after his new resolve, Beowulf attempted to find Valerie in any way that he could. Anybody that understood him, he asked the same question like a broken record. The answer always remained the same: they didn't know of anyone who had matched Valerie's description. A few ogled and asked where he had met a woman like that. Beowulf merely gave them a vague answer. Not too interested in giving them too many details. An elderly couple stated that they had seen her once at a bar that served some of the best drinks they had to offer. But that was all they had for him. Another source, a group of children and teenagers, said they saw her early in the morning—way before the sun rose to touch the sky. But that was it.

Ironically, he didn't want to waste time. But it seemed like the more he searched, the less he came up with. Which was weird.

The cheers of the crowd as his opponent came into the ring snapped him back to reality. Beowulf steadied his breathing and pumped himself up for the match. As he walked into the arena, there were a few people who greeted him with a howl which he happily returned. Some fans saw his potential when he had first entered the ring about three weeks ago. They were definitely going to stick with him till the end. Others came to escape the current reality that was going on. Beowulf didn't mind.

He wanted to give everyone, especially the young, Hope. Be it just by getting excited and roaring with the crowd or feeling like they could be like him one day. Beowulf knew how important Hope was and what it could do. Children were always brimming with hope while most adults seemed drained and lost the fire. Somehow Beowulf's spirit had survived youth all the way to adulthood. To this day, he still doesn't know how. But he does know that he can at least give Hope to everyone who needs it at the moment. Someone to look up to, matches to look forward and get excited about…to be a hero in someone's eyes—even if it is just one person. Then that was good enough for him. At least that way, he knew he helped in some way.

And yet, his brain kept nagging him with the current million-dollar question: How does someone just…not exist?

---

Gee, I don't know Beowulf. If that person was working for the King herself then of course you are going to have a hard time finding her. So that was Chapter 3, I thought I would try something new with a few in-between perspectives. Also, did you think I would forget everyone's lovable himbo, furry, wrestler? (The answer is no). You'll be seeing more of him, that I am sure of. I mean, I am the one writing this so...let's play a game of story foreshadowing! Nah, I'm kidding...or am I?

Anyways, Hallow is a good friend! And she will be a wonderful auntie as well! Slight spoilers but at this point, I am slowly starting to slip about wanting to spoil a few, FEW, segments of the story. Some of you lovely readers have asked me but I said: "Wait and see because I might accidentally tell you something big or important". But given how academically focused I will be in these next two months, I will try to answer questions but not give everything away at the same time. After all, even though I have written some stuff ahead of time this story might have some changes down the line. But I will give you this much: Carol will be born sometime after Chapter 10. It will depend on the story's circumstances.

Now, I have about two questions for you beautiful, handsome, and lovely readers.

One: Would you be interested in a sub-variation of this AU where Valentine and Beowulf kinda knew each other in high school but are married when they had Carol? Some additions to this AU is that Hallow is Marie's mother while Patty is Peacock's mom. I already got started on a few sentences for a few chapters (In the end I couldn't resist, lol). The story won't be in chronological order like its predecessor, it would be out of order. Making it more of a series of one-shots.

Second: Is anybody interested in me making a Discord Thread just for all of my Fanfiction or just to randomly say hi? Just wondering.

And the third question-okay, so it was more than two, but still: Anybody wanna help me name the AU? I have an idea but it turned out to be summed up as "The Nurse's Daughter AU" or "My Mom Is An Anti-Skullgirl Ninja-Nurse AU". Lol, I am not good with picking names.

Alright, this is where I take my leave lovely readers. Until next time, have a wonderful day and night! And if you have midterms around this time, good luck! Remember to take breaks and to take care of yourselves 'cause you'll do great!