Scarlett clenched her fists and cursed, "Fuck!"
The growls of monsters echoed in the distance, instilling deeper fear in Scarlett and the others.
"What are we going to do now?" the pregnant woman asked, clutching her stomach, her face filled with worry. "Do we kill the monsters or try to run? But where do we run to?"
"Kill the monsters?" the red-haired woman scoffed, rolling her eyes in disdain. "Can't you hear those deafening sounds? Does it sound like there's only one monster out there? It's countless! How many are we supposed to kill? And with what, exactly?"
"Is this… is this some kind of monster apocalypse?!" the black-haired man stammered, fear clear in his voice as he continued making the sign of the cross on his chest. "Are these things going to kill us?"
"Do you have any other name to give them than 'monsters'?" The red-haired woman snapped, her voice filled with urgency and anger. "Yes, this is a fucking monster apocalypse! We're doomed unless we start thinking straight. If not, we'll end up as food for those things."
"The Axe Squad won't help anyone. They never planned to," the pregnant woman growled, her voice shaky as she grimaced in pain, her hands still clutching her stomach.
"Those evil bastards have been hoarding weapons! They probably want everyone dead!" She let out a loud scream as water suddenly gushed down from her legs.
"What? You're going into labor?!" The red-haired woman exclaimed, her face registering shock as she rushed over to the woman. The others stared in disbelief, frozen in place as they watched the pregnant woman writhing in pain.
Apart from Scarlett, the red-haired woman, and the pregnant woman, the rest of the group were men, standing uneasily at a distance.
"The baby is coming, Rose. He's coming!" the pregnant woman gasped, clutching Rose, the red haired woman hand with desperation.
"Fuck! This is terrible timing!" Rose cursed under her breath as she gently patted the pregnant woman on the back. "Can you hang on for just a bit? We'll get out of here and find somewhere safer. There has to be a doctor somewhere who can help."
"I can't hold it anymore, Rose!" The pregnant woman turned to the red haired lady, her face twisted in agony as she struggled to suppress the pain, the overwhelming urge to push becoming unbearable.
She cried out, "The baby is really coming!"
"I don't fucking know how to deliver a baby! I'm not a doctor!" Rose said in frustration, her face pale as she looked helplessly at the pregnant woman.
The underground bunker shook violently, dust and small stones falling from the ceiling. The growls and hissing of monsters grew louder, more menacing.
"Holy Mother Mary, save us," the black-haired man muttered repeatedly, making the sign of the cross again and again.
He and the other men had turned away from the women, giving them some semblance of privacy, though fear was etched in all their faces.
"We have to get out of here before this place collapses," Rose said, her voice trembling as more stones began falling around them.
"I can't go anywhere! I'm too weak to walk!" the pregnant woman cried, tears streaming down her face. "Even if I die here, please, save my baby. Take him with you. I can die in peace knowing he'll live."
"There's no time to do any of that!" Rose snapped, her frustration mounting as she released the pregnant woman hand. "How am I supposed to save a baby when I can't even save myself? We might get buried here before the monsters even find us."
"Please… just save my child," the pregnant woman begged, her voice breaking as more tears fell, but Rose turned away, her expression pained but resolute.
Scarlett stood frozen, her hands trembling as she watched the pregnant woman agony. She had always dreamed of being a mother, but that dream had been shattered years ago in college when complications from her wayward lifestyle had damaged her womb beyond repair. Her husband's mother had never let her forget it.
Her heart raced as memories flooded her mind. She had studied childbirth, desperately hoping for a miracle that would allow her to conceive one day. Now, fate had brought her to this moment...a woman in labor, begging for help.
"Rose, I'll help," Scarlett finally said, her voice shaking but determined.
She didn't even realize when the words had left her mouth, but she couldn't bear to watch the pregnant woman suffer. She couldn't stand by and let both mother and baby die because of her fear.
Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "You know how to deliver a baby?"
Scarlett nodded. "I've studied it. Let me try."
"But there's no time!" Rose warned, her eyes darting from the pregnant woman to the ceiling, where stones continued to fall. "We might all die here."
The pregnant woman tear-filled eyes locked onto Scarlett's. "Please, save my baby, lady. I beg you."
Scarlett knelt beside the pregnant woman, her hands shaking as she prepared herself. "Okay, madam, I need you to push. I promise, I'll help you deliver this baby."
"This is insane," Rose muttered, running a hand through her red hair. "This is a terrible idea." She glanced towards what felt like the underground exit, but her feet wouldn't move.
With a deep sigh, she turned back to the pregnant woman and Scarlett. "Fine. I'll help too."
The pregnant woman nodded weakly, her face a mask of pain.
"Push, madam!" Scarlett urged, trying to keep her voice steady all while using her earth element in stabilizing the underground from collapsing any time soon. Rose gripped the pregnant woman hand as she screamed through another contraction.
The underground groaned, the stones falling faster now but Scarlett kept suppressing it.
"One more push!" Scarlett cried.
"I can't...it's too painful!" the pregnant woman sobbed, her fingers clutching her gown so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"You can do it! Just one more!" Scarlett urged again, her heart pounding.
"Push!"
With a final cry of pain, the baby slipped into Scarlett's trembling hands, covered in blood and fluid, but alive.
"It's a girl," Scarlett whispered, tears welling up as she handed the wailing infant to Rose.
"We need to cut the umbilical cord!" Scarlett shouted as the ground shook violently.
"With what?!" Rose's eyes darted around, desperate.
The woman, barely conscious after just delivering a baby, shakily reached into her gown and pulled out a small blade, handing it to Rose. There was no time for questions. Rose quickly used it to sever the cord.
"Thank you..." The woman weak voice murmured as she looked at Scarlett with gratitude.
The underground trembled, darkness closing in as the monsters' growls grew louder.
"We need to get out of here, now!" Rose barked, casting one last glance at the woman before leading the way out. The others followed, Scarlett holding the baby tightly, quickly used her water element in stabilizing the woman condition as well as her earth element in stabilizing the underground so that even if it collapse eventually, the woman can still be saved but it was hard to tell if she was going to survive.
Scarlett then ran up to the others.
As more sunlight streamed into the tunnel, signaling an exit, the group rushed forward only to be met with the sight of monsters roaming the city, blood and body parts of humans covering the streets, and the distant screams of the dying.