Months went by, and the life of the organization remained much the same, and routine. Flug did his best to manage all of the projects and inventions for sales, along with creating a room for the baby. Black Hat took it upon himself to be more mindful around Demencia. Not that he particularly went with her to her Lamaze classes or to satiate her cravings. After all, that was Flug's job. He knew exactly what such things entailed.
He'd have to endure the annoyance of how the body was supposed exercise while pregnant, or the incessant whining of what she wished to eat the moment. Things that held useless information to him that he would personally never need. He frowned upon such trivial things with a bile at the thought of becoming affectionate if he joined her. Afraid that if the child growing inside her, already giving her the ability to damage him, perhaps a chemical concoction much more powerful would lure him into...caring.
Guacatelas.
However, he knew better than to simply be removed from her altogether. He was the Huey Tahtli of the child and as such, he had the responsibility to see the more important aspects of the pregnancy with Demencia the whole way through. At least the parts to which he deemed necessary.
Of those aspects to which he viewed as mandatory to attend were going shopping together for toys, cribs, and room decor. Something at which at first he protested with annoyance when she suggested one day at breakfast. Him at the table and her leaning just next to him.
"Para que? I can get Flug to make everything the child needs." He then squinted menacingly at the thought of failure. "He'd better." He said.
"Welll" She exaggerated her words. Something he found quite irritating. "It's mostly to see what we can find that we both like and can give him or her." She scooted closer to him, the aroma of her breath making his up the nostrils of his nonexistent nose. "Come on, it'll be fun." He growled as his patience was tested. "Think of it as checking the quality of the products that Hat Island produces and buys." She appeased to his need to keep things in order in his domain.
"Fine." He grunted, getting up. "If only to see what the conditions of our stores are like." He got his keys, with Demencia running towards his black Rolls Royce.
"Shotgun!" She yelled.
"As if I'd let you drive." He rolled his eye, to which she turned around and winked at him.
"Well, I can't. Remember?" She said, using her arms to point several times to her belly. Much to his confusion.
"Ch-qu-What?!" He asked incredulously. "That doesn't prevent you from driving!" He bared his teeth at her stupidity. To which she just whirled around and headed out giggling. He sighed at her returning immaturity. Although, he knew, no, felt that this was good for them both. And he slowly curled the edge of his lips into a caring smile. Quickly frowning again, before heading to the car after her.
Another thing that he, painstakingly, felt the need to do as an upcoming parent, was to read books with Demencia. If he were honest with himself, the mere idea of it sounded like absolute torture. A demented woman with virtually no impulse control, who's attention span was about as focused as a chameleons eyes. He figured that upon reading the first page that she'd encounter difficulty reading the first word, hell the title alone, and go into a fitting rage and rip it apart with teeth and claws.
But, much to his surprise, she was very diligent. Even taking out her glasses to read on the leather couch. Wearing pajama pants and some turtleneck sweater, a cup of warm coco on the table next to her. She flipped the page at a higher than average pace. Something that completely took him aback, as he wasn't aware of her literate abilities. Or any abilities beyond muscle beast that he and Flug altered her to be. She looked up slightly from her book, and saw him standing there. Surprised, but expectant, she reached over into a bag and pulled out a black and read hardcover book titled "Paternidad Para Villanos".
"Here, Daddy-O. Let's get started." She said and flawlessly threw him the book. To which he effortlessly used his telekinetic abilities to catch mere inches from his face. He took his seat on his leather armchair and opened to the first page. Occasionally glancing over to her. A little sense of admiration towards coursing through him. He admitted, he knew little of Demencia as far as personality went. Only really knowing her as crazy and obsessed. Understandably emotional as he got to know her after the fact.
But overtime, he came to really know her better. For one, she was much smarter than he initially gave her credit for. For certain, he'd underestimated her ability to comprehend what would happen, and he never could have imagined just how much of a mother's instincts would have kicked in. He now found himself wondering how much he truly knew of her since her unwilling employment into a different being entirely. He'd caught a glimpse of who she used to be when he took her sadistically. But the woman that sat calmly dedicated to her role as expecting mother, he found something estimable.
Shaking the feeling away, he turned back to the book she ungraciously threw at him and began to scan through it.
"I wanted to ask." She piped up, getting his attention. "Does any of this apply to...us?"
"What do you mean?" He put the book down.
"Well...how were you in the womb?" Her question confused him.
"The womb?" He asked dumbly, she thought it was cute.
"You know, your mom? What did she do when you were gestating. Or...is it like a sea-horse thing with your race and it was your dad?" Black Hat nodded at the validity of her concerns.
"Well...it's not exactly so simple. I just...remember being." He said simply. "Just ask Flug about all this." He waved it off.
"Oh." She said, a bit disappointed in his answer. "Ok." She returned to her book. As did he, only with his own questions in his mind now.
The first sonogram, to any mother to be, is a special moment for them. The ability to watch a certain stage of the growing bun in the oven while surrounded by friends and family has always been a great joy. The mere giddiness and anticipation of wanting to see it is overwhelming and could always bring people closer together in the most emotional and intimate ways possible. For a couple decades, this miracle in prematal care founded and brought many together and will continue to do so until some better way to do so comes along.
Societies all over the world with access to this type of technology knew the importance of the ambiance as well. A kid friendly environment with soothing colors to make the mother feel as safe as possible before witnessing the life growing inside of her. Those fortunate enough to have their partners hold their hands and family members to witness it with them have called the feelings as transcendent and magical. To which would follow the praises and excitement of seeing the bundle of joy on a screen with the subtlest of movements. And if they were lucky, could witness a kick.
This wasn't one of those.
"Flug! Carajo! Hurry up! What's taking so long?!" Black Hat asked impatiently as he rushed the doctor to get the machines for such a moment up and running.
"I'm hurrying up as fast as I can Jefe Chulo!" The poor doctor frantically called out as he moved from one part of the lab to the other, hauling, and pushing things he needed and the ones he didn't out of the way.
"Baw!" Bellowed 505 as he helped retrieving some cables needed for the machines.
Demencia was laying about on the chair bored out of her mind. She honestly didn't even feel the need to get the sonogram because she knew that among them this exact thing would happen. Sighing, she tried to get up from her chair, only for the boss to sit her back down. Telekinetically and safely of course, much to her annoyance.
"Oh no you don't! We're doing this because I need to see what's going on in there." He pointed to her belly. "Are you chewing gum?!" He heard her smack something in her mouth. She smirked, sticking her tongue out to show a masticated pink blob.
"Cherry." She winked. "Gustas?" She teased, to which he flicked it away, completely avoiding her tongue.
"Dude!" She hmphed and crossed her arms, looking away.
"Demencia! We just need to check on the progress of it just once to get an idea of what we're dealing with!" Flug called out, somehow ending up entangled in a mess of wires and bouncing on whatever surface of his body he could. 505 close behind.
"Then you should have been prepared like any other office." She sassed. Causing the doctor to glare at her.
"You know perfectly well we just ordered the parts the other day!" He shouted in his defense, getting out of the bind he was in and starting to connect everything together. "Finally!" He said triumphantly, raising his hands in the air confidently.
"About time doctor." Black Hat growled. That confident energy soon evaporating at the voice of the Lovecraftian demon.
"Sorry, sir!" He said and quickly began applying the ultrasound gel on Demencia while focusing on activating the monitors.
"Tierra al pendejete de Flug!" She smacked his lubed hand away, getting his attention.
"What?!" He shouted in tired frustration. She pointed at the mess he made all over her shirt and blouse due to his negligence.
"Some doctor you are." She rolled her eyes.
"You could have helped!" He bickered.
"I. Am. Pregnant." She stuck her tongue out.
"Both of you be quiet!" Shouted Black Hat. Flug cowering in fear while Demencia leaned her cheek into her knuckle for support.
"Fine, whatever, just lets get it over with." She resigned herself to get the sonogram and lifted her mess of a shirt to reveal her bare baby bump, looking away. A slight shiver traveled throughout her body as Flug applied the gel on her stomach and took out the wand camera that would scan her insides. On the screen, nothing but a mass of darkness appeared. Not that it didn't have a shape or anything, on the contrary. It was just sort of a blob that appeared to be struggling to form a shape.
"Are you getting this doctor?" Black Hat asked, as he looked at the blob without concern or wonder. Just, expectant. Almost with disregard.
"Y-yes sir." Flug said, writing with his free hand. Demencia was tempted to look at it. Initially she was very interested in getting the sonogram, but when she found out it was mostly for gathering data, she detested the thought. It made her feel like some kind of pregnant lab rat. As well as the ambiance of it all. They were in the damn plane for crying out loud.
She wasn't expecting much, but at least, she was hoping it'd be as whimsical as her telenovelas and fading memories portrayed it to be. But now, she chose to see it. She slightly turned her head to look at the screen and her eyes shined with reverence and wonderment. For what appeared on the screen, to her at least, appeared to be almost a little universe. galaxies, stars, and all. She then looked at the her belly and then at Black Hat.
She cautiously reached up to his hand and took it in hers. Surprising him as she lead it to her belly.
"Entiendo." She said softly. Much to his own surprise. He nodded simply and looked back into the monitor. Seeing something completely different. An abyss worse than his own.
A chaos. One that he could feel could put him in ruin. But at the same time, a sort of sense of salvation. Was this what mortal parenthood felt like? Or was he doomed like every other God who'd be struck down by its own offspring.
Demencia saw the conflicting look in his eye and squeezed his hand softly. He soft eye and sharpened one could see his worry.
"Don't overthink it. It'll come naturally." She said, before turning her eyes once again to the screen. Pure admiration in her eyes. His mouth softened into a smile and for once, acknowledged her worth not to the company or to the revenue of his company. But to him. This put him at ease.
Flug merely jotted down what he saw, but at the same time, it felt as though the screen was teasing him. Not in a horrific way, but in a worse way. The way a child does with a babysitter knowing it has no real authority. He gulped but counted his blessings.
As for 505, he merely waved at the screen, and happily, one of the corners of the blob tried to materialize and mimic the movement as best it could and waved back. Causing the bear to smile happily.
Perhaps, it wasn't so different.
Somewhere, offshore of the island. There was a base of operations where a covert group of agents gathered around. Many using aliases, some super powered, others regular. But what they all had in common, was there disdain for the hat.
"We've been gathering intel these last few months on the Island. And we've just received the crucial bit of information that we needed to confirm our suspicions." A figure spoke as they brought up a screen for presentation, which was accidentally switched to the figure's vacation photos. Particularly one of them in a bikini. A couple chuckles followed.
"Ahem...pardon me. How embarrassing." They fidgeted with the control until the live feed of Demencia's sonogram was broadcast. "This is currently growing within the belly of the beast." Gasping and murmurs could be heard among the agents. "Our biggest concern has just squared, ladies and gentlemen. However." They brought up another slide that titled ASCENDING DEVIL. "We can turn it around." The figure said confidently.