A/N: And in our final intermission chapter before the start of Book 2 for this story, we see Tulip pregnant yet again with 3 more cute babies known as River (Laura Bailey), Alice (Jeannie Tirado), and Daisy (Luci Christian). And this is where we learn of the threats looming in the next book. I know it's a bit out of order, but trust me when I say, it's necessary.
Infinity Train: Reflected Relationship
Intermission Chapter 3: One Big Happy Family
Seven Years Later
One afternoon, Tulip, who was once again pregnant, this time with triplets, was resting in bed as Lake and Ruby were making sure everything's nice and clean in the house.
"Thanks for the help, you guys. I really appreciate it.", Tulip thanked.
"Of course, honey. Happy to help.", Lake responded.
Everything seemed to be well in hand as
"I can't wait to meet my baby sisters!", Ruby spoke giddily.
Just then, a knock on the door sounded.
"Could they be here already?", Lake asked.
To be certain, Lake and Ruby went to the door, and were surprised to notice that Atticus, One-One, Amelia, and even Oddball were now standing outside the door. They gasped in surprise upon seeing them.
"Hello!", Glad One waved.
"Wow. You guys got here earlier than I thought.", Lake said.
"Hello. We're almost finished up!", Ruby greeted.
"That's great, Ruby!", Oddball spoke up, walking over to her.
"How is Tulip doing?", Atticus asked.
"Well, she's doing fine. She just needed some rest. Especially when she could be ready to give birth to Ruby's triplet sisters right about now.", Lake replied.
Suddenly, Tulip gave a loud groan, catching everyone by surprise.
"Mom! Are you okay?!", Ruby asked as she and Lake rushed over to Tulip.
"Yeah...! I'm all right. It's just that my water broke...!", Tulip replied.
"Your water broke? Why, that could only mean that...", Atticus began.
"That's right, Atticus. It means I get to do this.", Tulip replied.
She grunted and moaned in bliss as her big belly stretched into a crazy straw shape again and stopped while hovering above her big chest.
"Ahhh... I forgot how good it felt to do that. Now, for the best part.", Tulip grinned.
She grunted as she pushed one baby out through the big tube, making herself giggle while being tickled. It wasn't long before the 1st Baby came out from the tube and landed on her.
"There. First one...", Tulip sighed.
Ruby walked over to Tulip and the baby.
"Aw... she looks so cute...", Ruby beamed as the baby cooed.
"Yeah. And just as smooth, too.", Lake added, noticing said smooth features of the baby in question.
"Oh! I know. Why don't we call her River?"
"Huh. I think that name sounds beautiful.", Tulip grinned.
"Me, too, Ms. Tulip.", Glad One agreed.
"Great... one more target on our backs to worry about...", Amelia groaned.
"That's what I was gonna say.", Sad One added.
"What are you talking about?", Tulip asked.
"Tulip, I realize this topic may be heavy, so can you cover your daughter's ears?", Atticus asked.
"Do I have to get my ears covered?", Ruby groaned.
"Unfortunately, yes.", Tulip said worriedly.
"But why?", Ruby asked.
"Because whatever they saw, I'm not sure it's exactly kid-friendly.", Tulip responded.
After a moment, as she saw how worried they look, Ruby knew it was for the best.
"Okay.", Ruby nodded before Tulip covered her ears.
"All right. What's up?", Tulip asked.
"As we were checking for unnatural code among the train cars, we've noticed something startling.", Amelia began.
"How startling?", Lake asked.
"Apocalypse-startling.", Amelia replied.
"A bunch of passengers were tearing up the train cars like nobody's business. And they're all bad kids.", Sad One added.
"You say bad kids, I say kids who probably had off-days.", Glad One added.
"The point is, they call themselves 'the Apex'.", Atticus said.
"Apex?", Tulip and Lake puzzled.
"Yes. They've been wreaking havoc and insisting that they stay on the train, believing that numbers are power.", Atticus added.
"And what's worse? They view denizens as nulls and don't even view them as living beings. They'd rather even kill them than ever acknowledge them as living beings.", Oddball added in worry.
This made Tulip gasp in worry.
"That's horrible...!", Tulip said in worry.
"I'm afraid it gets worse...", Amelia only sighed before Ruby felt a kick on Tulip's baby.
"Oh! The 2nd baby's ready, mommy!", Ruby said.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Hang on one sec, okay, guys?", Tulip asked.
She strained as she gave birth to another baby, getting tickled as a result with yet another baby landing on her chest, making her sigh with a grin.
"All right. And that makes the 2nd.", Tulip sighed.
Lake picked the baby up and grinned as she saw how cute said baby is.
"Huh. I'm gonna call you Alice.", Lake said to the baby.
"Oh, yeah! Like Alice in Wonderland.", Ruby grinned in realization.
"Sorry about that, guys. Anyway, how worse can it be?", Tulip asked.
"There are two men that are against the Apex's way of life named Zenith and Polaris.", Amelia added.
"What's the bad part about that?", Lake asked.
"They're unfortunately so against it, Zenith mostly, that he'd go to very extreme levels just to put a stop to them wrecking any more cars. By any means necessary.", Amelia replied.
"Oh. That IS bad.", Lake said.
"Right?", Sad One responded.
Tulip gave a worried look for a moment before speaking up.
"Well..., we'll be careful around them.", Tulip assured.
Suddenly, she felt a little kick in her belly again.
"Oop! I almost forgot about you.", Tulip grinned.
She strained as the baby was then pushed through the metallic tube, earning her snickers and giggles as the baby was pushed through the crazy straw shaped tube until she finally popped out and landed on Tulip, earning her sighs of joy, still giggling as the tube then retreated back to her body and turned back into her stomach. The 3rd baby started to perk up with a coo, trying to open her eyes as Tulip held onto her.
"Aw... She's trying to wake up...", Oddball grinned, wagging her tail.
Everyone except Amelia (who only smiled softly) "aw'd" sweetly with Oddball as the baby finally opened her eyes.
"Hey, there, young lady.", Tulip greeted.
The baby started to fuss, naturally, but Tulip managed to keep her calm as she booped her nose gently.
"Boop.", Tulip grinned before Lake joined her.
"Welcome to the family..., Daisy."
Play Rammstein Music: "Ich Will"
"Well, well, well. You were even more formidable than I had hoped. This is going to be fun...", Bane smirked.
Elsewhere, an elevator door opened two figures, one dressed entirely in a black robe-like coat and another with a green short-sleeved jacket with a stylish purple feather plumage on top of it as they both walked out to the dark with only a keyboard shown amongst the remaining light in the ceiling before Zenith pressed a key, turning on the monitor to show a series of footage before Zenith went to a file labeled "Runaway Sliver" and it started with Tulip, Atticus, and One-One entering before the black coated figure then fast forwarded to the part with Tulip and Lake on opposite ends of the mirror.
"I'm still nothing. I'm nothing at all.", Lake spoke sadly.
"No. You're someone. If we switch back, I think I can get you a new mirror.", Tulip assured.
"No class...", the black-robed sighed before then fast-forwarding to another example being shown with Tulip and Lake from 12 years ago in the Ball Pit Car as another figure spoke.
"The young people today are sicker than ever.", the 2nd figure spoke as the video stopped and played as normally.
Moved, Tulip kissed Lake on the lips again, surprising her. But the moment they embraced each other while kissing, as One-One and even the Ghom watched in awe, the chrome finally began to spread all over her lower body, not only making her butt and Lake's half as big as Tulip and Lake's respective chests, which grew to an M-seize cup again, but also making them taller with the both of them now standing in at 6 feet and 4 inches while Tulip's clothes began to morph into a sexier version, now resembling a sort of breast-less leotard suit, except with some fine cloth covering the top all the way up to her wrists for her arms and her neck for the top, at least, before the kiss stopped. Lake gasped in awe as she saw what happened to Tulip.
"The chrome... it's finally spread all over you...", Lake said.
Tulip was at least curious enough and was in awe over how she now appeared in complete chrome, and with a wardrobe change, no less.
"Wow… That was… amazing.", Tulip spoke in awe.
"I thought you'd like it.", Lake grinned.
"No.", the black-robed figure spoke almost angrily before fast-forwarding past the point where Tulip and Lake were now at the engine with the former's number now at infinity.
"This is maddening. They're all infected with hero syndrome...", the 2nd figure commented.
"Tulip, you didn't have to do that...", Lake said.
"I wanted to. For you.", Tulip said. Then, she turned to Amelia.
"Goodbye, Amelia. I hope you get your exit someday.", Tulip spoke, earning a nod from Amelia before Tulip then walked over to Lake.
"I love you, Lake.", Tulip grinned.
"I love you, too, Tulip.", Lake blushed.
With that, the both of them kissed one another on the lips before the black-robes figure stopped the video with a key.
"This has gone too far. The laws of nature have been repeatedly broken aboard this train, and without those laws, how would there be any balance?", the figure asked.
"Well, Zenith, that sounds like something that needs to be dealt with crucially.", the 2nd figure surmised.
"Exactly, Polaris. The pieces are finally in place. Time to come out of the shadows, take control, and end this threat to the natural order. But first, we're going to draw Tulip back out by spreading the word, and what better way to do that than with a message?", Zenith agreed as he stood up and started walking out toward the elevator as Polaris followed before eventually stopping and turning around with Polaris behind him
"And what car did you have in mind for that?", Polaris asked.
"Simple. One of the cars that One-One tried to fix himself while he was with Tulip on her first adventure.", Zenith replied.
"You got the right idea, but I don't think it's going to be easy.", Polaris commented.
"I never was one for easy, Polaris. If anyone wants to break one more of nature's laws...", Zenith began before he pressed a button before the elevator doors started to close.
"...we'll make sure it's their last.", Zenith finished before the elevator doors closed.
End Rammstein Music: "Ich Will"