None of the Hope Guild members knew when; none of them saw the signs at first… none of them realized Alice's slow descent to madness. No, perhaps it was ludicrous to say that it was slow– because it happened almost in an instant.
"Ma! Can you watch Riley for a li'l bit?"
It happened during a normal day– perhaps more normal than most as the Hope Guild headquarters have not received any calls; the map that signaled them if there was any disturbance in a certain area that needed their attention has also remained somber.
The day was probably the most peaceful they had. There was one that needed their attention, but Megawoman happened to be in the area, so whoever was causing trouble was probably in prison now.
And so, none of them really had anything to do– most of the members were just idle inside the meeting hall. Tempo, just a fresh recruit that more or less joined the guild at the same time as Alice, was looking at the map ready to run at any time and prove himself.
Butcher was just sitting on the floor, fiddling with his knife without uttering a single word; Empress was also there, trying her best to talk and get closer to Whiteking, who was tinkering with the screens attached to the wall.
The remaining member was someone called Doctor Late who was just reading a book. Doctor Late was only a proxy member of the Hope Guild, standing in for Bulwark whenever he goes on his little trips around the world to apparently find himself.
Sadly for Doctor Late, he would be killed by Lady Divider, aka Sophie Turner, sometime soon. He had the power to temporarily cease or slow down everything around him within a range of a 5-meter radius. And like Whiteking, he was a master in all sorts of weapons.
And then there was Alice and Charlotte, who were currently shouting at each other for no apparent reason. The rest of the Hope Guild did not seem to give them any mind, as they were used to the way the mother and daughter pair talk to each other.
"Ma! Are you listening!? Can you watch Riley for me!?" Alice then repeated as she gently cradled baby Riley in her arms; almost as if she was trying her best not to wake him up even though she was already screaming.
"What!?" Charlotte responded with a scream of her own; her eyebrows already furrowed as she turned her head towards her daughter. Her frown, however, quickly disappeared as her eyes landed on baby Riley,
"Why? Where are you going?" Charlotte then playfully said as she started fiddling with Riley's tummy, trying to make him laugh. The only response she got, however, was a small sneeze.
"I'm going out to meet a friend," Alice muttered, "I can't really leave Riley alone in the crib anymore since he learned how to walk."
"Pft. The little guy almost touched Sir Butcher's knife the other day," Tempo then quickly commented.
"What!?"
This quickly garnered not only Alice and Charlotte's eyes, but the rest of the members of the Hope Guild as well; their gazes, almost lighting up Butcher's shiny bald head.
"There… was only a 12.8% chance of injury," Butcher then quickly hid the knife he was fiddling with behind him, "All… my knives are blunt. I also hold 0% responsibility in watching where Riley–"
And before Butcher could continue his words, his eyes met with Alice.
"..."
"..."
The two stared for a few seconds, before Butcher took in a very subtle gulp, "Yes, it was 100% my fault."
"As long as you know," Alice then said as she strayed her squinting eyes away from Butcher. Right after, however, she suddenly handed Riley to Charlotte, causing her to almost fall where she stood, "Don't miss mama too much, okay!?"
"Where are you going!?" Charlotte then said as she tried her best not to wake Riley up… while screaming.
"To meet up with a friend!" Alice then ran away; not even looking back as she waved her hand and disappeared from the meeting hall.
"..."
"..."
"Wanna try holding him?" Charlotte then quickly turned her head towards Empress, who was staring at her and baby Riley.
"I…" Empress slightly glanced at Whiteking, before slowly approaching Riley and Charlotte,
"I… don't think I'm ready yet." A wry smile then crawled on Empress's face as she looked at Riley, "I don't think I ever will be again."
"What happened was not your fault, Adaeze," Charlotte let out a sigh as she started cradling Riley ever so gently, "Besides, this little man seems to like being touched… see?"
Charlotte then started tickling Riley, causing him to smile as he slept.
"C'mon, carry him. It's better than whatever it is you're trying to do now," Charlotte commented as she glanced at Whiteking, inadvertently causing him to drop the phillips he was holding,
"He's a married man, Adaeze," Charlotte then whispered very quietly.
"..." Empress, on the other hand, could only keep her silence as she also glanced at Whiteking.
"And he's also a broken man. That's a recipe for disaster," Charlotte then slightly winced. She was about to whisper more words of sermon– but Riley finally woke up from all the activity happening around him.
"M… mama?" Riley then worded out as he blinked a couple of times; puttering his lips as he seemingly looked back and forth between Empress and Charlotte, "...Mama?"
"Your wreck of a mom isn't here, snowball," Charlotte then started to gently place Riley on the ground, "But you have grandma… say grandma. G… ran… ma."
"...Mama?" Riley once again blinked; his little arms and legs, trying to lift himself up but struggling to do so. It only took 2 tries, however, and he was able to fully stand; and without even any warning, started prancing about.
Butcher quickly got off the floor as soon as he saw this, quickly throwing his knife to the top of the meeting table. Whiteking also stopped whatever it was he was trying to do with the screens, placing all of his tools in a safe place Riley couldn't reach.
Tempo and Doctor Late also stopped what they were doing as they watched as baby Riley made his way everywhere inside the meeting hall.
"They grow up so fast," Doctor Late breathed out as he closed his book, "Next thing you know, he would be making trouble for all of us."
"Pft, hopefully, he doesn't turn out anything like his mother," Tempo chuckled as he carefully approached baby Riley, "If not, this child would probably grow up into an even bigger menace than Alice. You're not going to become a problem for us in the future, are you?"
"...Mama?" Riley only blinked a couple of times, before letting out a wide smile and holding Tempo's stretched finger.
This was probably the most normal day in the headquarters of the Hope Guild. They were all just lazing around, smiling and laughing like friends. Trying their best not to make Riley cry; as once he starts, only his mother would be able to stop him.
Their day continued on with a smile on their faces. And then, the sound of the door sliding open whispered through their ears.
"Oh, look who decided to return," Charlotte then said as she quickly stood up from the floor; her hands, also carefully assisting Riley up so he wouldn't trip from all the toys scattered around him,
"Go, go greet your mommy," Charlotte then gently let go of Riley, who immediately sprinted towards Alice with a smile on his face.
"Look at him go," Tempo chuckled, "Maybe he will grow up to be a sprinter like me. What do you guys thi–"
And before Tempo could finish his words, everything around him slowed down. His eyes, quickly focusing on Alice's left knee… which was currently on its way straight towards Riley's face. Tempo slightly opened his mouth first as he watched Alice's knee slowly making their way toward Riley.
But as soon as he was sure that Riley would get hit, he quickly disappeared from his spot. For the others, the only thing they heard was a whispering echo… and Tempo was suddenly beside Alice with Riley in his arms.
"Putang ina!" Tempo then worded out as he gently carried baby Riley away, "What the fuck was that, Alice!?"
"...What's going on, Tempo?" Empress furrowed her eyebrows; the look on her face, completely showing her confusion. It was not only her, the rest of the Hope Guild was looking at Tempo with a weird look on their face as well.
"Alice was about to knee Riley!" Tempo bellowed as he carefully dashed towards Charlotte, handing Riley gently to her.
"...The fuck are you on about, kid?" Charlotte squinted her eyes; she was still confused, but she immediately grabbed Riley away from Tempo.
"She was going to hit him!" Tempo repeated.
"You must have seen–" Whiteking was about to say something, but before he could do so, Alice suddenly turned around to leave; not even uttering a single word in her defense as the metal door slid open.
"...Alice?" Charlotte whispered as she tried to approach and follow Alice; before she could do so, however, Alice suddenly glanced back; her eyes wide and trembling as they stared at Riley.
"Get…"
"Alice?"
"Get that... thing... that monster away from me," she then whispered through her breath as the metal door slid closed behind her. Charlotte could only stop in her tracks as soon as her daughter's words reached her ears; her eyes, traveling to the others as if to ask if they all heard the same.
And seeing the flabbergasted looks on their faces… they did.
"Did… she just call Riley a monster?"