(Bad end part 2) Most of the Weather Watch has been "knocked" off of the team. Your evil rivals have won.

"Mood Ring," you say flatly as you crane your head up a little bit and look down at your bandage-wrapped body, "please... pinch me. Pinch me as hard as you can. I have to wake up from this. This has to be a bad dream. I'm.... I'm still laying on the ground in front of Goldie Glider waiting for G.S. to get me to the paramedics..."

"Ugh, sorry." Mood Ring sighs. "Wow, I was really insensitive with that one, you know? I always told the Ring Guardians that I was a terrible choice to be a ring wielder, because I'm terrible at managing other people's emotions, on top of being completely inept at expressing my own feelings. So, blame the Guardians for this, not me." she says, folding her arms behind her back.

You look down and see that your stomach has gone from being firm, slender and well-toned to pooching outward like you'd swallowed a whole cantaloupe. Now you know what this strange feeling of pressure is and why it isn't going away even when you try to pee. There's a large round weight pressing out on your tummy from underneath your navel.

Mood Ring keeps going on. "I really feel partly responsible for this whole thing with you and Dr. Rainbow, and I don't just say that because you might have gotten that way from a shapeshifter impersonating her. A lot of people said that I should train and mentor Dr. Rainbow because her powers have a little in common with me. But it's weird to be the 'mentor' of someone older than you, and since it's public knowledge that she's bi, I didn't want certain people in my life to get jealous, and..."

"Holy shit! Shut up!" you shout at her, more in disbelief than in sharp anger. "Are you trying to make this about yourself or something? This is... I mean... how could..."

You try to tell yourself impossible, but you know that just isn't so. You were pretty sure you got your period after that disastrous pool-table pounding you got from a mob boss after the Full House gang had captured you and Doc. But then again, it had seemed like an awfully light example where the cramps weren't noticeable, just a tiny bit of bleeding. And... damn it all... that isn't the only possibility either. Just a few weeks after that you'd 'gone for a ride' in the back of a police cruiser to try and help play guardian angel for Dr. Rainbow against the corrupt cops Beast Beauty was helping to **** their power. It's funny - with all that's happened, it feels like it was a long time ago even though it was just days from your perspective. And of course, now it really HAS been half a year or thereabouts.

As your one eye rolls back in your head, you groan. You never even got a chance to brace yourself for this. Now you're suddenly awakening to find your body changed as if overnight. And probably too late to do anything about it, whether or not the special rules for registered heroes that Elliot and Dr. Rainbow alluded to apply.

1 hour later

"...yes," La Petite Mort says. "Clearly there are some weaknesses in my initial design for the suit enhancements. But you must understand, it wouldn't have been a matter of stripping out the sophisticated feedback sensors, cameras and tactile elements and replacing them with stronger armor. That would've added too much bulk. A heroine costume must be tight-fitting and sexy, no?"

"I don't give a shit about that, Mort," you grunt at her. "I want you to tell me how I can get this taken care of without needing to confront my mother about it."

The short, pale super-scientist snorts. "Get it taken care of... hnh! Forget the euphemism. You mean you want to dispose of the baby? I'll tell you the same thing I told your partner. You have to resign first, it's stupid political shit about the League not wanting to 'take sides' on the issue, because you live in a stupid country run by pigs." she says matter-of-factly. "Normally we heroines are out of luck, but in your case, considering you were gravely injured... hmm... perhaps if you were transferred to a different hospital and got someone to declare it was medically necessary, you'd be in the clear."

"And you'll do that for me, right?" you ask.

Petite Mort pulls back her veil and gives you a withering, baggy-eyed glare again. "I'm a doctor of physics, you bird brained imbecile. And aside from that I'm not going to do you any favors. You 'bitch in the manger', stealing the last of my contraceptive micro-drones after Photobomber destroyed my laboratory when you didn't even need them. Because of you, I'm having to stop drinking and smoking tout d'un coup."

"You're joking." you say flatly.

"I wish." Petite Mort says with a sigh. "Just as I was finally about to be able to come home to an empty nest, I'm looking at muddling through another 18 years of parenthood. Not only for looting my lab, but I also blame you for capturing and bringing in those duplicitous villains, since you'd failed. After I captured that blonde ice-skating psychopath and her pirouetting boyfriend, a certain friend of mine dared me to try out her favorite fetish and seduce Gyro in front of Glider. I certainly did not want to seem prudish or easily embarrassed, she's the sort who would never let me live it down. And it turned out at the end of it, both of them were into it - Glider was rubbing herself off on the chair while watching." she pinches the bridge of her nose. "I'm fucking forty three, I thought I was old enough that I didn't need to worry about it anymore."

You start to wonder out loud why she looks as skinny as ever if she got pregnant, but actually, the reason for that is pretty obvious. You aren't especially sympathetic to this obnoxious cynical woman. She can't compare her simple carelessness to your dedication to your mission. You think of who else could help. "Dr. Rainbow... she's qualified as a doctor here, right?" you ask. "And you're sure she's safe? That's about the only good thing I can think of right now coming out of this disas..." you pause and gulp, thinking back to how Dr. Rainbow had been involved in some of that unsafe x-rated action you'd been engaging in. "Wait... you said... what was that about my partner? You don't mean Rainbow?"

"Hm? Oh, no, the funny thing about that..."

30 minutes later.

Snowflake is standing by your bed, wearing the long trenchcoat and fedora that she'd had on the first time you saw her despite the fact that it's a warm sunny day outside. But although before your coma you found her company annoying enough most of the time, it's nothing compared to now. Because standing right next to Snowflake is a contender for your highly competitive list of least-favorite people: Your stepbrother, Elliot, also wearing his trenchcoat. And what's worse, he has just finished smugly introducing himself as a recently joined 'superhero'.

"Snowflake..." you ask. "Why is this guy here? What the hell does this have to do with... what Mort sent you her to talk about?"

For one of the first times, you see the tall, shapely tan-skinned woman in front of you blush a little and clear her throat. "It turns out that this so-called League is an even more regressive institution than I thought. And since it needs to be challenged from within, thanks to changing circumstances, I'm having to take a leave of absence."

To show what she means, Snowflake unbuttons the front of her trench coat and holds it open. There you can see that she's wearing some blue 'gender neutral' maternity overalls. Her abdomen, formerly just as toned and athletic as your own, has gone the same way as yours: she has a prominent bulge sticking out from over her hips.

"...partly because they came down on me for freezing Red Balloon into a block of snow when she made some joke about 'who the gender reveal party would be for'. But we decided it would be best for me to go ahead and start my leave so I can catch up on my classes."

"We?" you ask suspiciously, wishing you could sit up in a properly angry, suspicious posture.

Elliot speaks. "Hi, I don't think we've formally met as members of the League yet." he reaches down and mockingly shakes your hand where it's tied up in the traction bands. "I'm called 'Shush'. I was a real fan of Thunderbird even though you were just getting started. So you can imagine how tickled I was when I learned that my handsome new spouse was on the same team."

"Spouse?!" you ****.

"Yeah." Snowflake shrugs. "We're not making a big deal out of it. I mean, we aren't going to always patrol together or anything. Even though he really should've been more careful, and I wasn't quite planning on marriage or family so soon, he's been very supportive since it happened. In fact, we just started our joint parental leave this week. In a situation like this it really helps to have a partner. Unlike some people who white privilege has placed in the top 1%," she stares accusingly at you, "I don't have a lot of resources to fall back on. I'm going to have kind of a lot of student loan debt. But Shush is helping me with that."

"Oh yes. On an unrelated note, the number of unsolved jewelry store robberies and the like has been absolutely swamping the League lately," Elliot/Shush says with a smug, mocking grin. "They were begging me to stay. But I said, this is the 21st century. A modern man should make family his first priority and not leave his birthing partner to do all the hard work."

You grit your teeth in rage. You can't use your powers to whisper, but right now you don't care. "And you're absolutely sure that it's your kid, 'Shush'?" You know for a fact that Snowflake fucked at least two other guys in the week before she met him, emphasis on the 'at least'.

Snowflake gives you a very frosty glare. With her temper, she probably would lash out at you if you weren't already laying in a hospital bed. She starts to protest but Elliot steps behind her and begins giving her a back massage, calming her down. "That was a very rude thing to say to my spouse, Thunderbird. But I understand you've had a hard day. And the truth is, it doesn't matter to me. I'm not the kind of insecure person who'd ask for a DNA test. Even if," he walks around and cruelly gives you a little poke in your swollen belly, "I had doubts about who the baby's father was."

You groan helplessly. You consider telling Snowflake the whole history of it. But... whatever. If Elliot is going to be satisfied taking Snowflake as his prize and you don't have to deal with him anymore, you'll take that for now. "You at least got Dr. Rainbow out of captivity okay, right? Please tell me she's okay. Those guys were psychopaths, I can only imagine what they did to her."

"Yeah, whatever." Snowflake still looks irritated as she closes her trenchcoat back up. "I think she is. I'll send her in. I'm not really interested in being on a team with you or her anymore, but it looks like that's moot anyway, as of yesterday." she says enigmatically. Snowflake turns to leave, walking a little slowly and awkwardly with the new weight she has to support in front of her.

Elliot creeps up next to you and pats you on the shoulder. "I know things have been tough. But let's let bygones be bygones. I forgive you for all the bad things you did to me, Rikki."

"Hnnghh, rhhhhrllll, aaaaaAHHHHHHHHH!" you clench your throat and try to call on your power like never before, your one eye staring murderously at your stepbrother. The bastard who tried to ruin your relationship with your own mother, who robbed his own family out of jealousy and spite. Who now has nothing standing in the way of him claiming to be a 'hero' while he steals and blackmails whoever he pleases.

"Oh yeah," he chuckles. "I remember back when you were in high school, you were always telling me that you had discovered a way that sufficiently concentrated sound waves could explode the human head, and that one day you were going to 'test it out on me'. The suit blocks your power, remember?" he taps his chest.

"You won't get away with this forever." you gnash your teeth at him. "I'm going to catch you, you bastard. Just as soon as I deal with this problem of mine you're first on my list."

"What'd be the point of that? You'll only cause the family more problems." he grins down at you. "Funny you should use the term 'bastard', heh heh. You see, Rikki, this time your stubbornness ended up benefiting me. Turned out that by snooping on you, I managed to get a far more ironclad recommendation to the League than you ever could've given me. And I got to pay Molly back for all her years of favoritism for her bitchy daughter at the same time."

"Out, GET OUT!" you do your best to spit on him, and he just chuckles evilly again as he leaves.

30 minutes later

Your heart raises and sinks in the same moment as a colorful whirl of colors clicks her way into the room on her high heels. There is Dr. Rainbow, looking delighted to see you again at last. She is whole and alive, no missing limbs or terrible injuries the likes of which you suffered. But apparently, this nightmare scenario is going for a hat trick. Dr. Rainbow's cutesy frilled magical girl dress is starting to get stretched out around the middle as a prominent bulge juts out from her midsection. Even if your worst fears about what might happen to her in Hot-Cross Bunny's clutches didn't come true, your second worst fears seem like they did, in spades. That, or... well, there were a couple of weeks when Dr. Rainbow was acting as a solo heroine after you got the Nightengale identity taken away from you but before the Weather Watch was formed. Plenty of time for plenty of bad guys to get their hands on her.

"Oh Thunderbird! I'm so sorry! Soooo sorry! I don't want to seem like I'm demanding your forgiveness or anything. But Mood Ring told me that you'd almost died trying to rescue me, and... and I wasn't there to help you or anything because I let myself get caught and couldn't escape..." She puts her hands together and bows by your bedside.

"Doc..." you say with a sigh. "Don't worry about it. Really, please don't. You know I love you. And even though it's been a hard, uh, day, it makes me really happy to have you back with me again."

Dr. Rainbow starts tearing up, her eyes turning rosy pink, and smiles broadly. "Oh... Goody gumdrops... that is the kindest, most heartfelt, most caring thing anyone has ever said to me, Thunderbird! You're the best friend anyone could have in the whole wide universe!" A soft glow suffuses her and she holds her magical medical rod aloft and points it at you. A blinding flash fills the room. You feel a sudden warmth engulfing your body... and all of the aches and discomfort you had been experiencing are suddenly gone. You feel a new strength in your arms and legs, and begin immediately tearing the bandages off your body. Dr. Rainbow forgets her own usual courtesy and stares at you as you get naked. Sure enough, your body is looking as good as new except for some tiny scars. Your hair has gone back to its natural color and is trimmed short and close to your head. Of course, your biggest problem, the one pressing against your navel from the inside, is still there.

"Hi there!" You glance at the doorway. It's Spangle, one of Maiden America's sidekicks, chivalrously holding a hand over his eyes. "I hope I'm not interrupting a moment."

"You're interrupting a moment very hard, actually." you frown at him. "Go away, Spangle!"

"Sure, I'll be right on my way, but our glorious leader said that you'd want to see what is going to be coming on TV. An announcement." he looks a little nervous actually. "Don't, uh, don't 'shout' the messenger, okay? Because of your power? And... just, look. Alright, I'm going." he holds up a remote and flicks it on.

It's the news. "...and now, everyone's favorite costume-related news segment of our broadcast!" the smiling woman on screen says. "We're going live to our interview with 'Red Balloon', who has just defeated eccentric billionaire Monty Millon and his scheme to **** the east coast with a sun-blocking satellite, together with her 'new and improved' superhero team, the Weather Watch!"

There is Red Balloon, posing for the camera and making sure to stick out her oversized tits and waggle her ass in her tight latex suit-skirt-and-stockings outfit. She makes kissy faces at the camera. Standing behind her are four guys in short midriff-baring overalls with various cloud and weather accoutrements on them, all of them looking even more fit than the usual male superhero - it looks like Balloon raided the nearest Mr. Universe contest.

"Thaaaaank you so much Maria! I couldn't have done it without my teammates! Aaaaand all my sponsors and benefactors! And in particular, one very special little benefactor!" Red Balloon winks at the camera. "I mean, I know the Big 7 is still a very big deal, heeee heee, but my new and improved team is going to be stepping forward to deal with disasters when they can't. Not to mention lots of very important events! Don't forget to remind your viewers to check out our merchandise catalog!"

"Yes, but a lot of our viewers have been asking questions - what became of the initial Weather Watch with Thunderbird, Dr. Rainbow, and Snowflake after they defeated Bella Donna and her monstrous werewolves late last year? Just yesterday we got a report that Snowflake is going on matern- uhm... I'm sorry, 'parental' leave. And several other weather-related heroines who were considered for membership after Thunderbird and Dr. Rainbow's disappearance, such as Solar Power Girl, Tornado Witch, and Qimuqsuq, have recently announced in rapid succession that they are taking maternity leave as well..."

"Well I certainly had nothing to do with that." Red Balloon smirks and conspiratorially looks over her shoulder. "And if I may say Jenny? Off the record? Snowflake, Thunderbird, and all of those other sluts should've kept their legs closed."

"Um..." the interviewer laughs nervously. "We're, uh, we're actually broadcasting live, Miss Ballo-"

The front of the television explodes in a shower of sparks and broken glass. Your mouth is wide open. At least you've discovered that your sonic shriek ability hasn't atrophied during your coma.

"Thunderbird...!" Dr. Rainbow give you a hard pinch on your arm. "I know you're feeling upset but that's no excuse for destroying hospital property! What if the next patient in this room really needs to watch some nice soothing cartoons?"

"We have to stop her! That bitch! Dr. Rainbow, you need to... to use your credentials or whatever, and tell them..." you trail off, eliding your exact request, "...so the two of us can get back out there and reveal the truth!"

Dr. Rainbow nods awkwardly. "Um... of course, I'll do whatever will make you happy, Thunderbird. I'll always be here at the headquarters to support you. But... you know, I'm not going to try to be a heroine anymore. It just hasn't worked out. And besides from all of the new responsibilities I'm going to be looking at..." she rests a hand on her rounded belly meaningfully, "I'm just not cut out for it. I've only led other heroines I try to help into disaster. No one's died, thank goodness, but there have been some really... undesirable outcomes." she gulps and winces, looking down at your own bulging midsection. "I always thought that it would be a waste to only stay in the headquarters and use my magic to heal. It's capable of so much more. But now I realize I was just being silly. I'm a doctor, and I belong in a hospital. Fighting evil isn't something I'm good at." she smiles. "I'm kind of relieved, actually. No more, um, unexpected situations with naughty people."

You swallow, feeling a great weight of guilt replacing your justified anger at Red Balloon and that fuckstain Elliot.

"So, what were you going to ask me to do for you, Thunderbird?" Dr. Rainbow says, putting a hand gently on your knee.

"Oh... nothing. I forgot." you say. "Let's get out of here. In civilian clothes. I know a nice italian restaurant near here. I'm starving. I'll call my mom and she can meet us there. She won't be able to make as much of a scene if it's in public."