Harleen screamed as the pain of childbirth ripped through her, sending wave after wave of pain and torment. She was suffering, or at least it felt like she was. Every bit and fiber of her body was screaming for sweet, sweet relief. The baby inside of her, however, had other plans. The baby didn't seem to be moving, it seemed like it was stuck. Panic hit Harleen, what if her baby was dead? No, no. The baby couldn't be, Harleen could not fathom delivering a dead baby- Harleen hadn't even wanted to deliver a live baby. But here she was, in her room as she skipped out on her junior prom night, delivering her firstborn. She hadn't meant to get pregnant, she doubted any high schooler did, but she had. It hadn't helped that the father had been older, he'd said he was twenty-five. Harleen herself was only seventeen. Harleen had met him, Seth, while she'd been in Cairo, Egypt, for a rather important gymnastics competition (gymnastics was the one thing her parents forced her to do, Harleen was rather good at it- but she didn't enjoy it). In the couple months Harleen and Seth had courted he'd offered her quite a few lavish gifts- most of which Harleen had kept-, quite a bit of affection, some steamy romance, and another unexpected surprise- this baby. It had happened quite simply while her parents were out getting drinks. Harleen had allowed Seth in, they'd taken a couple drinks from the minibar, and made love in the hotel hot tub.

As she thought about the baby's conception, another contraction ripped through Harleen's abdomen. She clenched her teeth as a strangled cry ripped through her and thanked whatever gods were out there that her parents, as usual, weren't home. Harleen began to pant softly as her contractions grew closer and closer together, blood and other bodily fluids staining and drenching her sheets, just as her phone dinged. It was a text from Seth, he was nearby. Harleen had told him about the baby as soon as she'd learned, which had only been a couple of months ago... well, to be honest, she hadn't told Seth until a couple days ago. She'd been putting it off. Harleen's baby bump had been terribly small and she hadn't really had many symptoms of being pregnant and had been so horribly stressed and busy she hadn't even realized she wasn't having periods, but she'd known she was pregnant for sure when she'd felt the baby stirring within her for the first time. As soon as she'd told Seth, he had booked a flight to come and see Harleen and the baby, but he was running a little late. With shaking fingers, Harleen picked up the phone and told Seth to come right inside as soon as he arrived. She then told Seth which room was hers, and prayed he read the texts soon. One of the worst contractions of the night then hit Harleen, causing her to drop her phone and cry out in pain. She felt the weight of the baby drop a little lower in her pelvis as she gripped her sheets and tried to breathe. It felt as though a steel claw had wrapped around her and was squeezing as hard as it could, as if she was being crushed. She guessed, in a way, that was what her muscles were doing to her and the baby.

Harleen heard the front door open, along with the heavy footsteps of Seth as he darted up the stairs. Harleen wanted to call to him, but another cry tore itself from her lips as another contraction hit. It also hit Harleen that Seth was not alone, someone else was with him. A soft female voice, a bit irritated and moody, muttered something to Seth- but their conversation was inaudible until they entered the room. Harleen's baby blue eyes met Seth's odd, reddish-brown ones. "Hey there," Harleen panted, trying not to look at the other woman with Seth. It was clear to Harleen that she wore a wedding band around her left ring finger, and she was aware Seth did now too. It hurt her, but she tried to look past it.

"Hey you," Seth's soft, accent-mingled voice greeted as he bent down beside her. His hard, calloused hand took Harleen's- and finally she had something to hold onto that was comforting. His free hand, the left one with the wedding band, brushed against Harleen's stomach- and for a second she almost felt okay. The moment was ruined by another contraction, which caused Harleen to squeeze Seth's hand. Seth, of course, didn't even flinch. Instead, he frowned and glanced up at the other woman. "Nephthys," He said, "is there anything you can do?"

The woman, whose skin looked as though it had been kissed by a thousand suns- just as Seth's had-, seemed to glance at Harleen as though the girl was a mere speck of dust. The woman, Nephthys, blinked once and then spoke in a rich, silky voice mingled with the same exotic accent Seth possessed. "Of course there is. Bring her over here." Seth did as told, moving Harleen closer to the edge of the bed where Nephthys could reach her. Harleen felt a little awkward when Nephthys pulled off Harleen's sweatpants- Harleen had been in too much pain to remove them earlier- and spread apart her legs. Harleen's back arched slightly as another contraction hit. She cried out, hardly noticing when Nephthys spread Harleen's legs to see where the baby was. In fact, Harleen only noticed when Nephthys's surprisingly cold hands touched her- oh.

"Hey!" Harleen snapped in protest, but she earned a hard glare from Nephthys which was powerful enough to silence her. Seth's hand tightened around Harleen's for a moment, but he didn't say anything. It was growing clearer and clearer that Nephthys and Seth weren't just friends- Harleen could tell by the worried glances they offered each other occasionally, or just the fact that they both had matching wedding rings.

"The baby's head is already almost out." Nephthys said coolly. "As soon as the head and shoulders are out of the way it should be easy." Nephthys was right. Although Harleen was already screaming, and soon after she began crying, the majority of the baby had left her body- along with a gush of fluids- within another half hour. Harleen sucked in a deep breath, nearly squirming in discomfort- though she knew she couldn't, Nephthys would probably kill her- as she pushed and tried to get the baby out of her. As soon as the baby's head had been freed it was crying, screaming and piercing Harleen's ears. As soon as those damned cries hit Harleen's ears she wanted the baby in her arms, safe and away from all others, but at the same time Harleen didn't want the baby anywhere near her. Harleen knew she couldn't be a mother when she'd barely had a mother in her own life. How could she raise a baby if Harleen hadn't even been raised by her own parents? She couldn't keep this baby. Part of her didn't want to keep the baby. So many things were keeping her from this baby, and so... it couldn't be. With her fleeting thoughts of despair, one last push, and a final cry the baby was completely free of Harleen's body. The cries were louder, but with a few soft words from Nephthys the baby quieted.

"Is it okay? Is the baby okay? Can I see it? Please?" Harleen's tired, hoarse voice pleaded. She tried to maneuver her tired body to see the baby, but all she could see was the muscled skin of Nephthys's back from the thin party dress she was wearing. Seth's hand left Harleen's without saying a word as he got up and went to Nephthys's side as she cleaned the baby.

"She's beautiful." Seth declared, as an emotion Harleen had never seen in anyone's eyes before materialized in Seth's odd eyes. Was he proud? Pleased? Harleen didn't know. Seth's hands took the slightly squirming infant from Harleen's arms. The baby, as all newborns are, was not beautiful at all- or, well, maybe not to anyone that wasn't her parents. Her skin was still purpleish-red and covered in her drying birth blood. The baby's eyes were closed, but she was clearly awake- she looked rather discontent, which hurt Harleen's heart like no other. As soon as Seth was near enough, Harleen snatched the baby from him and examined the baby as carefully as she could- because she knew she might never see this baby again.

"I can't keep her." Harleen whispered, surprised at the regret in her voice. She gently ran an index finger over the baby's tiny knuckles, which in turn wrapped around Harleen's finger tightly- as though the baby was never letting go. The single gesture broke Harleen's heart, which shattered even more when the baby's eyes- they were blue now, but they would darken with age- opened and met with Harleen's. The baby's facial expression didn't change, but she did stare up at Harleen with tiny eyes. It appeared as though the baby had an odd ankh shaped birthmark upon her tiny wrist, and another on the opposite wrist. It was similar to the ankh, but not quite. "Seth, you have to take care of her."

"Me?" Seth quirked an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"You're her daddy." Harleen stated simply, already offering the baby up to him. "You have to. Please."

"It would be wise, Sutekh." Nephthys murmured. "She's a halfling, you know. Not a mortal baby."

Harleen blinked. "Is this woman crazy? What the hell is she talking about?"

"Nothing." Seth said, shooting a glare at Nephthys. He was not supposed to let Harleen know he was a god, he wasn't even supposed to impregnate her. Nephthys wasn't too happy about that. "I will take care of her, I promise."

Cold rain dripped down the side of Kira's face, soaking the thin hoodie she wore. The hood of the gray jacket was pulled over her face, but that didn't stop the water droplets from clinging to her skin. The sky was blanketed by a layer of dark storm clouds, occasionally loosing a stripe of lightning through the darkness. Kira's hazel eyes scanned her surroundings suspiciously, ready for anything, as she pulled her hoodie tighter around herself and proceeded to walk. She had found herself at the Gotham City harbor after shadow jumping- which had tired her slightly- in the middle of the rain. Kira hadn't intended to go to Gotham, she'd simply tried to escape from her father's realm. After what she had seen, she didn't want to go back. She shivered slightly as a cool gust hit her, ghosting through the jacket and against her skin which prickled with goosebumps. She coughed slightly, not used to the cold weather, as her combat boots stomped through puddles and connected with the solid ground below them. Kira wasn't used to the mortal world by any means and had no idea how one place could be so... so cold. It had never been this cold, or rainy, in the realm of Kira's father. In fact, the most rain they had ever gotten in Kira's realm had been when she was twelve- it had rained for a day, perhaps, then didn't rain for another year or so. But, all thoughts aside, Kira was in the mortal realm for a reason- she was no longer allowed in her father's realm, and she hated Horus for it. Her cousin, Horus, feared her. And why shouldn't he? Even though Kira was only half of a god, she was nearly as strong as Horus- maybe even stronger, and she was sure as hell angrier. How could the daughter of a chaos god not be angrier than the son of the god of the dead?

Even though she was trying not to think about it, Kira was finally drawn from her thoughts when she heard the plaintive, distressed cries of a girl. Her head snapped toward the sound, her eyes instantly narrowing, when she saw the source of the crying. There was, obviously, a girl- and she was, obviously, in trouble. Three men were shoving this girl around, laughing and tearing at her clothes. Though her father had never been the best role model, Seth had always told Kira that this type of behavior was not acceptable on any world. Kira knew assault was bad, and Kira knew she had to act. As she tried to figure out how to deal with the problem, Kira couldn't help but notice that these men looked as though they held some degree of power. They wore matching uniforms decorated with medals and pendants, so perhaps they were from some military branch of sorts. Still, it did not excuse their behavior. Kira's anger only grew as she saw the uniformed men begin to unbutton the poor girl's pants, and for Kira that was the last straw.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Kira's voice, surprisingly confident, boomed through the air. Her voice was taken seriously until the men turned and saw Kira, some seventeen year old girl with weird tattoos. They burst out laughing, but for the moment the girl was forgotten. She collapsed, looking a bit confused and dizzy- had she been drugged?

"What are you gonna do about it, little girl?" One of the men laughed, clearly entertained by Kira's audacity to intervene with their act. The faces of the other two split into sick grins as they laughed at their companion's comment.

"You don't wanna know." Kira snarled. "Just let her go, and no one gets hurt." Again, more laughter. These men would obviously not take Kira seriously, so she simply sighed. "I really wish you would've listened to me." She muttered as she dug deep into the Duat, summoning as much power as she needed for the shift about to take place. Instantly, her skin began to tingle with the familiar sensation of her body's anticipation of a shift. There was a slight burning sensation on her right bicep were her khepera tattoo- one of the tattoos which balanced her powers- began to glow dimly. She dug into her subconsciousness, drawing forth the identity of the creature she wanted to shapeshift into- one of her favorites, the form of a gorilla. She could feel her muscles adding layer after layer to compensate for the increase of strength, she could feel her bones and physical structure changing. Her skin still prickled, but only because the thick dark fur had begun to sprout from her skin. This form was not like the average gorilla, it was larger and stronger and Kira's tattoos were outlined by white fur. Her eye tattoos (which were literally eyeliner-like tattoos) were perfected depictions of the Eye of Ra and the Eye of Horus, but that skin was simply a bit lighter than the rest of her skin- or at least in the gorilla's form, in her human form it just looked like eyeliner. The djed column on her left bicep, the shen tattoo on her sternum, the Ma'at feather on the back of her neck, the ankh and sa on her left and right wrists respectively,and the Heru Behudet which lay tattooed across her back all stood out in pure white fur. Now fully transformed and a couple feet taller than the male silverback gorilla, Kira reared up on her hind legs and beat at her chest.

Immediately, of course, the men reached for their guns and aimed. Kira was fast, though, as she barreled over and began knuckle-loping toward them. Her powerful arms and legs propelled her toward the men, and for the most part she was unscathed by their bullets- aside from a couple which grazed her arms and shoulders. She slammed into them- knocking one over the railing and into the water and two to the ground; however, all three guns were no longer in the men's hands. One of the men was a bit quicker to get to his feet, but Kira was quick too. He tried to grab Kira, but her beefy arm locked around his neck and pulled- drawing him into her side to cut off his air. It didn't take long to subdue him, and Kira even felt a satisfying crunch against her ribs- and then he was still. She dropped him, not bothering to think twice about him, and turned her attention to the other man who had climbed to his feet. The man took one look at his fallen friend and let out a battle cry, charging toward Kira. Kira ran toward him, and was obviously more overpowering. Her body crashed into his, slamming him to the ground, as she proceeded to beat her fists against his face, neck, chest, and abdomen. Blood coated her knuckled and palms then after, along with the man's face and body, and soon he too was still. Now all that was left was the man who had finally climbed up the pier ladder, drenched and pissed- and who was also holding a gun. He aimed and fired, loosing a bullet right into Kira's shoulder.

"Aagh!" Kira roared, a hand instantly clamping over the wound. The gorilla's rage filled her, along with her own, as she dropped to all fours again and began knuckle-loping toward him. Bullets hit her body again and again now, striking her in the chest and shoulders, as she ran toward him. Kira drove her shoulder into the male, knocking him into the railing and forcing him to drop the gun, and then took his head in a giant hand and began to smash. His skull collided again and again with the metal pole, denting the railing along with his face, until he was near unrecognizeable. Finally, her hands and body drenched in blood, she dropped his body- panting with rage. As the anger faded, she turned her attention toward a new threat she hadn't foreseen- the girl. The girl was standing on shaking legs now, a gun pointing shakingly at Kira.

"Don't.. don't move!" The girl's voice quivered. Nearly forgetting she wasn't in her human form, Kira instinctively rolled her shoulders and lifted her arms into the air as a surrender.

This is what I get for being nice. Kira thought to herself. Slowly, she felt the form of the gorilla melt away. Kira opened her mouth and spoke calmly and levelly. "Look, miss," Kira said gently, "I know you're probably hurting and you're probably confused, but I'm not here to hurt you. These men were hurting you." The girl lowered the gun slightly, her eyes narrowing.

"What are you?" She demanded, voice still shaking.

"My name is Kira." Kira told her, lowering her hands slowly. "I'm not a threat to you."

"What are you?" Was the girl's next question.

"That's a little more complicated." Kira admitted gently. She was slowly esging toward the girl now, and the sirens were getting closer. "What's your name?"

"I... It's Hannah.. Hannah Reid..." The girl, Hannah, said. Kira was in front of her now, gently steadying Hannah's hands. Kira gently lowered the gun all the way and gently began looking her over.

"I don't think you've got any major injuries, just a few scrapes and bruises." Kira said. "Let me take you home." Kira said, gently patting Hannah's shoulder.