Pains of Labor and Loss

Flick!

The sound of an umbrella opening filled the surrounding area, soon being taken over by the sound of rain pelting onto its surface. The person stood under the umbrella calmly, they stepped forward and let out a breath of despair. The sight of blood, an empty hospital. A battle had gone down and they couldn't tell the details of who was hurt and when it happened.

***

[Two Days Earlier]

Amora stepped outside into the cool air. Her hair was long and brushed down. The wind took hold of her hair and dragged it lightly to the side, out of her eyes.

"It's... calm." She said, looking over at Cole, who was helping her down the steps.

"Seems like it. We better be careful yet. You never know with them." He said, hinting toward Shogeki once again. Ever since she started showing signs of pregnancy, Amora had felt vulnerable. She felt that she was easy prey to Shogeki and in all aspects she would be an easy kill.

"Luckily that bastard doesn't kill-" She winced, feeling something inside her move. "doesn't kill kids."

"What are you suggesting?" Cole asked, concerned for her, holding her closely to his chest.

"If we end up dying... he won't kill our baby." Amora smiled weakly. "That brings me a little comfort. If we die... our child won't die with us..." She said, trying to hold back tears.

"We won't die. We'll raise our child. We will, I promise." He said, wiping her eyes, letting the tears fall loose for him to catch with his hand. "It'll be alright. We'll figure it all out." He said, sitting her down on Aya's and Andrew's old bench swing.

"If it's a girl?" Amora asked, changing the subject.

"Elizabeth? Maybe Amora Jr." He chuckled and she smiled.

"If it's a boy?" She asked.

"Echo. Definitely Echo." Cole suggested. To which Amora turned away and breathed the air deeply. "I like that name." She said, maybe even lying.

"Our child will be perfect. No matter what they have or don't have." Cole said, rubbing Amora's back. She smiled and he sat down next to her.

That day, Amora felt calmer, felt more attached to Cole and her child than ever. Her attachment only grew in the following days, her love for them growing.

Until one day when she felt the pressure building up and her elements began to flare. Reyon and Leon rushed her to the Hospital, and she was giving birth. Many doctors were inside, blocking the public from seeing Amora.

Amora gave birth to a girl, and she held it calmly, before she could begin to cry, her body began pushing once more, and the doctors declared that there was another one.

Clover snuck into the hospital room at this time, a despair filled look on her face.

Amora and Cole held the twins.

"Elizabeth AND Echo..." Cole said. Smiling, he wiped a tear from his face as he held Echo in his hands.

The doctors observed the babies and while looking at their eyes, Elizabeth followed the light with her eyes, her young look made her look mad, while Echo did not follow the light at all.

He was making a clicking noise with his tongue. The doctors looked to Amora and she began questioning what was wrong, they took Echo out of the room and she waited, asking many questions. When they returned, Echo was still with them. They handed him over, saying:

"His eyes... are... damaged. He won't be able to see. He might be blind for the rest of his life."

Amora never cried harder. Her child was hurt. Permanently damaged. There was nothing she could do to help him. On the other hand, Echo, who was just born, was smiling and making that clicking noise. Amora couldn't understand why he would be making the noise, but Cole smiled.

"Echo. Echo location?" He smiled. "Looks like we got ourselves a Modern Day Batman." He said, "Maybe that clicking noise-" He began, getting interrupted by the doctor.

"That seems to be his element. The young baby has elements already, and it's to use soundwaves. It's perfect for his condition currently. He can see just normally with the soundwaves." The doctor said, smiling and clasping her hands together happily. "What a miracle!" She began jumping for joy as the sound of clashing began outside. Amora tilted herself upward in an attempt to look outside the window, but the doctor pushed her back down slowly with a lousy, "you need rest" excuse.

***

Amora did faint, the pain and loss of some bodily fluids affecting her finally. When she awake, the room was dark and there was the sound of chanting outside. She sat up and Clover ran in, quickly transforming to look like a person, and sitting near Amora.

"We need to go... now. Your children are safe, don't worry about that, what you need to worry about is yourself. Come here." Clover slit her hand open a bit and held her hand up to Amora's mouth, despite Amora's weak protest.

Amora went blank, her eyes widen, and when she came to, she was a cat.

"Mreow?" Amora meowed questioningly.

"Think about being a person when you're done with it, but for now..." she began to transform, taking the form of Amora. "We need to run. Outside... when we get there. Run in the opposite direction of me." She picked up Amora, and ran. Amora felt really weird being a cat, and hearing someone else talk like her and even look like her. She had no clue what was even going on. She felt... worried.

***

Clover opened the front doors of the hospital, and Amora, despite being at ground level, could see Shogeki and a whole horde of people waiting with weapons. Hexcorp people...

She ran as Clover insisted, and Clover ran another way, still looking like Amora.

Amora was chased by Hexcorp guards at first, but soon they gave up the chase or simply lost her when she reached the cities huge buildings. Amora dodged and weaved between moving cars as they honked and the rain began pouring harder and harder down on her.

***

"Your out of places to run Amora." Shogeki announced, stepping closer to Amora, who was trapped in some kind of sharp wire, holding her in place.

"And you're out of luck idiot." Amora said before shifting into who she really was.

"So the cat and girl simply switched..." Shogeki said, seemingly disappointed. "Well... I guess I'll have to just..." he stabbed the cat in the stomach and she lurched, becoming a person once again, to which Shogeki kept stabbing her. She never begged to be let go, instead she just winced in pain and let it happen.

As long... as Amora was safe. Just as she promised Leon. Just... as she promised.