Chapter 21
On the seat of his beloved motorcycle, Kain rolled into a rather dusty town, one he hadn't visited in quite some time. He removed the pair of sunglasses adorning his face to get a chance to take in the atmosphere buzzing about him. The air, filled to the brim with sand from the surrounding area, was strangely sweet to him. Even the shady looking population and the multitude of tumbleweeds passing by were nostalgic to him.
"I'm home..." he muttered. "To think the Dragon Ball would be here of all places."
There was always the chance his Dragon Radar was malfunctioning, yet even without it, he could tell what he was searching for was here. It was as if the ball's power had drawn him to this place, the place where he had grown up. Finding it shouldn't have been too difficult as such, since he knew the area like the back of his hand.
His eyes found their way over to a young girl with long, blonde hair gradually making her way through a nearby street. Kain had to squint to see her clearly, but when he did, he let out a gasp of disbelief.
"E-Eliza...?!"
The girl did not hear him. Instead, she collapsed right into the dirt out of the blue. Kain almost knocked his bike over trying to get to her, lifting her up in his arms when he did. The girl let out a number of dry, raspy coughs prior to opening her eyes and getting a glimpse of the man peering down at her.
"K-Kain...?!" she whispered in astonishment. "I-Is that really you...Kain...?"
Before she could talk any further, she lost consciousness.
"E-Eliza?! ELIZA!" Kain, now frantic, moved his head to and fro. "H-Hey! Is there a doctor around here?! Someone, please help!"
Those around Kain were far more interested in minding their own business as opposed to helping him. While their selfishness was infuriating, he hadn't the time to berate them for it. The girl resting in his arms was far more important.
"D-Don't worry, Eliza! I'll find you some help! Just hang on!"
He left his bike behind and quickly dashed off into the distance.
A tiny, cramped, and old room in the middle of town was where Kain sat next to the sleeping Eliza. His old home hadn't changed a bit, though for all the wrong reasons. It still looked as if it would come crashing down at any second in its decrepit state. Everything was in the same place as well, including Eliza's bed. Quietly, he watched her sleep soundly while holding an empty, red bottle.
"Good thing her medicine was still in the same place we always left it," he said to himself. "Still, why in the world was she out walking by herself?"
Her being alone seemed to be a recurring theme today. The apartment Eliza was supposed to be sharing with someone was empty when it shouldn't have been. Getting up, Kain searched the place throughly, confirming he and Eliza really were the only ones there.
"...That's weird. Where is he? Don't tell me he actually left Eliza by herself?"
His thoughts were interrupted by Eliza finally waking up. Dashing to her bedside, he grabbed her hand, which was slightly cold, and she in turn grabbed onto his. The two stared at each other without saying anything for some time, maybe taking in the reality that they were actually there in the same space.
"Kain, is that really you?" she asked.
He nodded. "Y-Yeah, it's me alright! I'm glad to see you're doing better, Eliza."
Hearing him speak was too much for Eliza. A flood of tears she was unable to hold back began rolling down her face. She sat up and slowly reached her hands out, eventually touching Kain's face. It had been quite some time since she had last felt the warmness in his cheeks and because of this, she began sobbing even more.
"I've missed you, big brother!" she stated. "I-I can't believe it's really you!"
"Hey now! No need to cry like that, Sis!" Kain informed her. "Besides, you need to rest."
He sat her back down on the bed and though she wanted to protest him coddling her like this, she knew it would be useless with such a stubborn brother.
"Tell me now, Eliza. Why were you walking around on the streets on your own like that? You know you shouldn't be moving around like that considering your condition."
"Oh, I'm fine, Kain. Really!" Eliza replied. She then let out a series of scratchy coughs that did nothing to prove her case. "S-Sit down, Kain! I told you I'm fine! A-Anyway, I was out looking for Abel, but couldn't find him."
"Abel? Where is he? He's supposed to be taking care of you!"
Eliza was a bit hesitant with her reply. "Well, actually...I haven't seen him for quite some time. That's why I went out to search for him. I'm growing worried something might have happened. He's been doing this a lot recently, though he's never been gone this long. D-Do you think he's in some kind of trouble, Kain?"
"If he's not already, he's sure going to be after I find him and give him a piece of my mind! You could have died if I hadn't shown up today!"
"Really, Kain, I think you're overreacting."
"The hell I am! You just stay here, Eliza! I'll drag Abel back here by the tail of his shirt if I have to!"
"I guess there's no stopping you then." Eliza shook her head. "J-Just...try not to be too rough on him, okay? I know how you two can get once you start arguing."
Kain, flashing a thumbs up and a smile, answered, "Sure thing!"
Eliza looked around and said, "I just noticed something. Where's Sarai? How come she's not with you, Kain? It's not often you two are split apart from one another."
The question stopped Kain in his tracks. He had been hoping the conversation with his sister would pass without a mention of Sarai and now that she had, he honestly wasn't sure what he was supposed to tell her.
"Er...s-she's back in West City with Master Daigu!" he said quickly. "T-That's right! She was just feeling a bit...under the weather, so she couldn't make the trip with me! She sends her regards though!"
"Oh...I see," said Eliza. It was clear she was disappointed by this news. "I really wanted to see her. Can you tell her I said hello when you go back?"
"...Yeah, sure. No problem."
Lying to Eliza was one of the more painful things Kain had to do, yet telling her the truth about Sarai would have been eve worse. For now, he would leave her in the dark.
"Alright, I'm off!" he told her, kissing her on the forehead. "Don't go anywhere again, okay? I'll kill you myself I you do!"
Eliza laughed at the remark. "Fine. There's no winning against you anyway. Just be careful, alright?"
Kain took her words to heart as he departed.
Walking down a street filled to the brim with suspicious characters, Kain kept to himself and moved forward with quickness. Things around town had gotten a bit more dangerous since his last visit and he pondered over the matter some. Maybe it had something to do with there evidently being no police officers around. He had spotted a police station on his arrival, but it was vacant and it seemed to have been that way for quite awhile now. It was like the denizens of the town were the ones who ran it, with their words and actions the only law.
"...Good thing I didn't bring my wallet out here..."
He figured he had no right to criticize anyone for stealing. After all, he was once a notorious thief himself. Five years had passed since then, but back in those days, he, Sarai, and their friend Abel ran a rather large street gang in town. Their acts mostly consisted of petty theft, though it was always out of necessity. What everyone in the group had in common was a lack of parents, with Kain and Eliza's in particular having died some time after Eliza had been born. With no one else to count on, the band of youths opted to fend for themselves.
"Man, I can't even count how many times I was thrown in jail back then," Kain said with a laugh. "It was all worth it though. Eliza wouldn't be here now if we didn't do all that..."
Ever since birth, Eliza had been afflicted with a strange and seemingly incurable disease that left her quite weak and dependent on others to take care of her. This didn't even include the constant supply of medicine she required to stay alive. Money came at a premium and in a town like this, Kain had to do things he wasn't proud of to help his sister. As bad as they were, he didn't regret them, not for a second. He and his friend Abel had promised to look after Eliza no matter how bad things got.
"Abel. Where is that guy anyway?" muttered Kain. He stopped recollecting his past when his Dragon Radar beeping suddenly. "H-Huh? The Dragon Ball is really close by! And it's...moving?"
He soon saw why that was when a mob of men dressed in all black rushed past him and into a nearby alley. For a second there, he could have sworn he had seen something orange glinting in one of the individual's hands.
"Those guys looked like trouble. And was that the Dragon Ball they had? No, it couldn't be..."
He had to be sure though, so against his better judgment, he trailed them. His persistence led him to an abandoned basement of a building that was falling apart, where he saw the last of the group from earlier pile inside. He carefully followed behind, hiding himself behind a wall as the men congregated in the center. His eyes then widened when he witnessed one of them hold up what was clearly the six star Dragon Ball.
"Looks like this is the real deal after all!" stated the person who was holding the ball. "Looks like that old man who told us about it wasn't lying, or at least, I hope he wasn't. The boss has been givin' us hell about finding this thing, so maybe he'll chill out now."
"Seriously, he's been a real pain the ass," said another member of the group.
"Tell me about it!" added a third. "He punched me in the face the other day because he said I was looking at him funny!"
"I could see why he wanted it so badly though," said the man with the ball in his grasp. He held it up to the minimal amount of light coming from a hole in the ceiling, adding, "This thing must be worth a fortune!"
The men continued to talk amongst one another, while Kain mulled over everything he had just heard.
So this 'old man' or whatever is the one who told them about the Dragon Ball. They don't seem to know what it actually does though, otherwise, they wouldn't be trying to sell it.
From a staircase in the background came an unpleasant looking man dressed in a black leather jacket. He glared at those present and the men in turn all lined up neatly, waiting to hear what he had to say. Spitting out the toothpick he had been juggling between his teeth, the man with short, black hair stepped forward, eying each and every one of his subordinates down one by one. This was intimidating enough, yet the multitude of scars running down the left side of his face just made it even worse. As Kain watched this, he couldn't hardly believe what he was seeing.
N-No way! T-That can't be who I think it is!
"...I heard you idiots yapping down here from upstairs. If you've got time to waste talking shit, I'm assuming you managed to bring back the Dragon Ball," the man snapped.
"Y-Yeah! O-Of course, Boss!" replied one of his men. They then handed him the item in question hastily. "S-See? Just like you asked!"
The man, staring at the ball silently, eventually looked back up at his men, unintentionally making them jump in the process.
"And you're sure this is the real thing?" he asked.
"U-Uh, y-yeah, of course! Why else would those stupid townsfolk we stole it from in the town over try so hard to stop us from taking it?"
"Those idiots! If they had only handed it over from the start, we wouldn't have had to rough so many of 'em up!" said another of the group, laughing after he told his tale. "Oh well! It was good fun regardless!"
The boss of the group chuckled at this. "I see. Well then, let's just hope that Doctor Miro keeps his end of the deal and gives us the money he promised. If this thing is that valuable we should be set for life! Still, I wonder what the big deal about this thing is..."
Kain watched the man toss the Dragon Ball up and down in his hands, noting that he couldn't take sitting on the sidelines doing nothing anymore.
"ABEL!"
Those present in the basement turned their heads to him when he jumped out from his hiding spot and they pulled out an array of firearms, aiming them straight for his head. Kain did not flinch at this, however, focusing more on the boss of the gang. Abel in response scowled at Kain, seemingly incensed he was even standing there.
"...You've got a lot of nerve showing your face to me, Kain. Just what the hell do you think you're doing back here?"
"I'm the one that's going to be asking the questions here, Abel! What are you doing with these people, this gang?! They just said they hurt some people, yet you're standing there next to them like they're your friends or something! What's going on?!"
Abel grinned. "For your information, I'm the head of this gang, hence them calling me 'Boss.' You see, I started the Black Serpent Gang sometime ago to make some extra cash. You wouldn't know anything about it since you're off living in West City in blissful paradise, but taking care of your sister Eliza is a rather daunting task. Her medicine is rather expensive nowadays and making an honest living in a town like this is a waste of time. A little extortion here and some drug trafficking goes a long way to keep your precious sister alive. Why am I even bothering to explain all this to you? You don't care about her, not while you and Sarai went off to train with some senile old man!"
"...None of that matters right now, Abel!" Kain replied with some hesitation in his voice. "Eliza has been worried sick about you! You say you're doing all this for her sake, yet you haven't checked in on her in days! What in the world do you think she'd say if she saw you hanging out with losers like this?!"
The Black Serpent Gang took exception to being referred to as 'losers' and were ready to blow Kain's brains out right there. Abel wasn't done speaking with his 'friend' yet though, telling everyone to stand down for the time being.
"You think you have a right to be criticizing me right now, Kain?! You're the one who entrusted Eliza's care to me in the first place while you went off and left us behind! If you want to survive in a town like this, Kain, you have to do things that aren't necessarily pretty. But of course, you should know that well. What about that little street gang we used to run? Wasn't that basically the motto we lived by, the one that kept us going every night we didn't have a warm place to sleep or food to eat?! West City really has softened you up, hasn't it?!"
"T-That isn't true! I..."
"...You know what? I'm tired of seeing your face." Abel turned around and began walking up the stairs behind him, but he stopped and moved his head over to his men. "...Take care of him."
"A-Abel, wait! How do you know about the Dragon Ball?! Who this guy that hired you and your men to find it?!"
"...It doesn't really matter if I tell you, since you're about to be a dead man."
"ABEL!"
Abel took his leave, leaving Kain with a rather nasty group that couldn't wait to tear into him. A number of them grinned, laughed, and made mocking gestures in his direction.
"You're fucked now, kid!" one of them informed him.
"You made the biggest mistake of your life showing up here today!" said another.
Kain cracked his knuckles. "I don't have time to waste on chumps like you..."
A torrent of gunfire filled the walls of the basement just then. Everyone fired until exhausting their ammunition, intending to make Kain resemble swiss cheese for his brass remarks. However, they all stopped once they saw their target was nowhere to be found. It was like Kain had literally vanished into thin air.
"Up here," said Kain. He was standing on the ceiling. By the time everyone realized this, it was too late. He placed his hands up to his forehead and cried, "TAIYOKEN!"
A brilliant flash of light blinded everyone and Kain took advantage of the situation. The sounds of fists colliding with flesh were heard for a few moments, eventually replaced by groaning. The illumination then faded away, with Kain standing amongst the unconscious bodies of the Black Serpent Clan. Paying them no mind, he leered at the staircase Abel had went up prior to dashing up it himself. There was no way he could just let things end between he and someone he thought was his best friend, not like this anyway.
"What the hell is going on?! That wasn't the Abel I know! Yeah, we did some shady things back in the day to stay alive, but never once did we resort to hurting innocent people! What's gotten into him?!"
Perhaps all of this had started the day Kain first encountered the old man he now knew as Master Daigu.
"H-Hurry up or we'll get caught! Move those legs!"
Running through a street with a loaf of bread in his hands was a much younger and desperate Kain, who gasped for air with every step he took. Trailing behind him were Sarai and Abel, who also had an assortment of food on them. What the three were dashing full speed away from way a rather angry man wielding a baseball bat chasing them at full speed. Despite him being overweight, he was rather speedy.
"Come back here, you thieves!" he shouted after them.
"Kiss my ass!" Kain yelled back. "Come on, Abel! Sarai! Hurry up already!"
"W-We're trying, but we can't run as fast as you!" said Sarai. "And besides, we're holding way more stuff that you!"
"Y-Yeah! Slow down some, will ya?" said Abel.
Kain shook his head. "No chance! We're dead meat if that guy catches us! Quick, let's go down that alley over there!"
"Huh? But that's not the way to our hideout?"
"I know! It's a shortcut!"
Neither Abel nor Sarai knew of any shortcuts in this part of town. Still, they figured they weren't in any condition to question Kain at the moment, so they followed him down the alley he pointed to. Only seconds after they turned into it, the three were dismayed to see a metal fence barring their path.
"D-Dammit!" Kain yelled. "T-That fence wasn't there before, I swear!"
"I knew this was a bad idea!" said Sarai. "What are we going to do now?! That guy's gonna catch us in no time!"
"M-Maybe we should just ditch the food and run. We can move faster without it anyway," stated Abel.
"W-We can't though!" replied Kain. "We got all this for Eliza, remember? We can't just sit by while she's both sick and hungry! We might not be able to do anything about her illness, but we can do something about her grumbling stomach!"
Sarai and Abel exchanged a glance at one another that showed how selfish they thought Kain was being at the moment. Eliza's well being was good and all, yet them getting their skulls crushed in wasn't going to help anyone.
"Ugh! My guilty conscience is getting the better of me," Abel groaned. "Right, we're keeping the food then! I promised to take care of Eliza just like you two did, so I'm not going to let her down!"
Sarai nodded. "Yeah! I'm sure we'll figure something out!"
The shopkeeper wielding the bat huffed and puffed his way into the alley and quickly spotted the three that had stolen from him. They in turn backed away, running out of room to do so when their backs hit the fence behind them.
"You kids have taken stuff from my store for the last time!" he snarled. "I'm going to teach you a lesson once and for all! After I get through with ya, you won't even want to look at my place of business, let alone ransack it!"
"L-Leave us alone!" Sarai cried. "W-We need this food for someone important! We're not hurting anyone for taking it, so...let us go this time around!"
"You need it for someone important? Give me the money you owe for it then!"
Begrudgingly, Kain admitted, "...We don't have any money. Why the hell would we take this stuff if we did, you fat tub of lard?!"
"No money? Well, that's too damn bad because I have no sympathy for common thieves!"
Almost taking pleasure in the whole situation, the shop owner moved in for the kill, swinging his bat up and down in his grasp. Kain grit his teeth at this, feeling that people like this were the reason he and his gang rebelled against the world. There really was no remorse for orphans like he and his companions. They were forced to fend for themselves, forced to do things like stealing just to sustain themselves. He didn't like it, but what else was he supposed to do? His lack of options was causing him to grow angry, angry enough to do something stupid. Sarai saw this and held her arm out in front of him to stop him. However, it was Abel who acted first, dropping his food as he abruptly charged for their attacker.
"Y-You aren't hurting my friends! You'll have to go through me to do it!"
"A-Abel, no! Get back here!" said Sarai.
"W-What's that idiot think he's going to do?!" asked Kain.
The man with the bat swung and hit Abel right across the face, knocking him backward. His friends ran to his side at once, while he gradually sat up with a bruise on his cheek.
"I-I'm alright," he muttered.
"Y-You idiot! Why'd you do that?!" Kain wanted to know.
Abel forced a smile. "I...just didn't want to see you guys get hurt. That's all."
"Now to teach the rest of you a lesson!" the man with the bat said.
There wasn't much the three could do but brace themselves for the worst. Kain hated being this weak. He didn't mind getting hurt, though he just wished there was someway he could spare Sarai and Abel from the same fate.
Before the man could strike, a chop aimed at his neck dispatched him and he collapsed onto the ground like a ton of bricks. Kain, Sarai, and Abel opened their eyes, each confused at why they were still in one piece, and gasped after seeing their attacker dealt with. They were also confused though because the person who had saved them appeared to be nothing more than a harmless old man holding a walking cane.
"Are you three alright?" he asked them while stroking his lengthy, white beard. "I just happened to be passing by when I realized what was happening. Hmph. I came to this town for a bit of relaxation, but judging from the state of things, I might have picked the wrong place..."
That had been Kain's first encounter with Master Daigu and also the day he became enamored with the concept of learning the martial arts. He asked Daigu to train him so that he would be strong enough to protect his friends and prevent another predicament like the one that occurred that day from ever happening again. Though hesitant, Daigu eventually gave into Kain's constant requests, perhaps seeing potential in the boy. Sarai joined in on the training as well, not wanting to be too far away from Kain if she could. The sole problem that arose from this arrangement was that Daigu's dojo was back in West City, meaning Kain and the others would have to travel. Knowing Eliza would be unable to make such a trip in her fragile condition, Kain came to the conclusion that he wouldn't be able to bring her alone. Fortunately, Abel offered to stay behind and watch after Eliza until Kain and Sarai finished their training. He figured himself the weakest of the group anyway, meaning any training he got would be worthless in the long run.
"That was over five years ago," Kain said, while he continued to make his way up the long and seemingly endless staircase. "I...never meant to be gone for so long. I figured Master's training wouldn't take so long, I suppose. No, that's no excuse. I should have checked up on Abel and Eliza. I should have made sure they were doing alright. I've been writing Eliza letters all this time, but maybe that wasn't good enough. Maybe I was just scared of coming back after letting so much time pass. Tch. I really am idiot!"
He finally reached a different part of the building: a dark and lonesome space with garbage and rubble littering the floor. He took some steps through it, sighting someone standing near a window smoking a cigarette. Taking a drag on it, Abel removed the item from his mouth and blew out dark colored smoke, keeping his eyes attached to the town below. Kain wanted to say something, yet no words, none that would matter anyway, made it to his lips.
"...That training you got from that old man...it must have been something," said Abel. He didn't turn to Kain when he spoke though. "Otherwise, you'd be dead by now."
"Abel...? I'm...er...really glad to see you and Eliza are alright. I was worried after the Invaders attacked, but it looks like this place wasn't hit by them."
"Is that so?"
"Really! I was worried! B-But, that's not what I came up here to talk about! Abel, why are you doing all this? This doesn't make any sense."
Abel shook his head. "...Just get lost, Kain. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."
"No! I'm not going anywhere until you explain to me what's going on! Why are you and the Black Serpent Gang after the Dragon Ball?! Who is this Doctor Miro you mentioned before?! Tell me!"
"...You just don't understand, do you?"
Abel grabbed his cigarette and ground it to bits under his feet prior to facing his former friend with an irate expression etched onto his face. The sight of it made Kain growl quietly under his breath. There was so much malice and hatred in it that for a moment, he wasn't even sure if he was looking at Abel anymore. He wondered how one man could be hardened so much in the span of only five years.
"Why do you suddenly want to know so much about me, Kain?! Why do you care?! You didn't care for the last five years, that's for sure! We were supposed to be friends, man, but here you up and abandoned me and Eliza to live our lives in this shithole city! Do you even know the sorts of things we've had to go through? No, of course you don't! You live in West City now with your girlfriend and master now!"
"...I never meant it to be like this, Abel."
"Oh, is that so?! Is that supposed to make everything all better then?! You might have felt that way, yet you didn't do a damn thing to make things right! You never once came to check up on me or Eliza! Instead, you chained me down to some sick girl! Y-You think I wanted that kind of life?! You think I want to rot in a place like this with some girl that's basically clinging to life at this point?! Dammit, Kain! You took everything away from me and yet you still have the nerve to show up here out of the blue and demand things from me?!"
Kain wondered how long Abel had been waiting to say these things, these words that were practically flying off his friends chest and out into the open. If Kain had known he had caused him so much pain, he would have never left Eliza in his care in the first place. With guilt swelling up in his throat and threatening to choke him, Kain wasn't sure what to say or what to do.
"...Alright, Abel. You're right. I can admit that," he managed to mumble.
"...What did you just say?"
"It...really was selfish for me to leave you with Eliza and just go off somewhere. Even if we both agreed that's what we wanted to happen, it's still not right what I did. Still, I can't stand to see you go down this path of yours, Abel! You'll either end up in jail at this rate, or a grave and I don't want to see that happen! Neither would Eliza, so you have to stop all this!"
Without warning, Abel let out a scream filled with his anger and frustration, one that reverberated about the hollow building. He then pulled out a handgun and aimed it straight at Kain's forehead. His finger pulled back on the trigger, making a single bullet exit the chamber. Kain didn't flinch at this, instead peering at the bullet that had narrowly missed him and hit the adjacent wall instead.
"YOU STILL DON'T GET IT, KAIN?!" Abel screamed while both laughing and shouting in a disturbed manner. "I don't think a guy like you ever will! You always did think the world revolved around you! Even when we were running that little street gang of ours, you always acted like you were better than the rest of us! You always acted like our leader when we were supposed to have equal standing!"
"Abel..."
"I'm not finished! Someone like you isn't even good enough to be Eliza's brother! Hell, I've been more of a sibling to her the past couple of years to her than you have! She needs someone dependable, someone reliable, someone like me! Someone like you would be better off dropping dead!"
Another round was fired off at Kain and this time, it was far more than a warning shot. Jumping out of the way, Kain dodged another and another, unsure of how things had come to this.
"S-Stop it, Abel!" he shouted. "I don't want to fight you! You're like a brother to me!"
"My ass you are! A real brother wouldn't abandon family!"
"I-I didn't abandon you! I just wanted to get stronger!"
"Stronger for who?! You only wanted to get stronger to help yourself, not any of us! You just wanted to inflate that massive ego of yours!"
Kain's eyes widened at hearing this and a part of him wasn't sure if Abel's words had some legitimacy in them. It was true he had always felt weak and helpless back in the old days and that he basically jumped on the opportunity to receive training from Daigu. He was certain though that he had done all of that for Abel, Eliza, and everyone else he cared about. He just wanted to protect them because watching a friend get hurt in front of him was always so painful.
"Haha! Your silence is answer enough, Kain!" said Abel. Abruptly, he stopped his shooting spree and appeared to calm somewhat. "...You wanna know why me and my men are after the Dragon Ball? Fine, I'll tell you. A couple weeks ago, this guy named Doctor Miro came to us and asked us to find the thing. He was offering a lot of money to do so, so naturally, we took the job."
"Even if it meant you'd have to hurt some people?"
"That's the name of the game, Kain. Like I said, to survive in a town like this you're going to have to do things that aren't pretty."
"...And this Miro, who is he?"
"How should I know? I don't care who he is as long as he gives me the money he promised. With that much dough, I should be able to find a cure for Eliza's disease once and for all!"
"...That's quite a generous offer, considering you were just complaining about having to take care of her just a minute or two ago. Anyway, I don't think Eliza would even want you to do that if she found out where you got the money from in the first place!
Abel, scowling, replied, "...I guess we just see things differently nowadays, old friend."
"Whatever. I think I'm done trying to convince you to change your ways. I came to this town for the Dragon Ball and since you have it, I'm going to need you to hand it over!"
"Tsk! You really are a selfish bastard! You're telling me you didn't come to see Eliza after all? You're willing to forsake your sister's health for your own selfish goals?!"
"They're not selfish! That ball you have can help a lot of innocent people!"
"And I'm saying it can help your one and only sister! Do you want her to die or something?!"
"Of course I don't, but I'm looking at the bigger picture here!"
"What could be bigger than your sister fucking dying at a moment's notice?!"
"God dammit, Abel! Listen to me! SARAI IS DEAD!"
The conversation broke off, while a genuine look of shock and confusion appeared on Abel's face.
"...What do you mean she's dead...?"
"You heard me. She's gone," Kain replied somberly. "She died during the Invader's attack. T-That's why I need the Dragon Balls. I don't know what this Miro guy told you they can do, but if you gather all seven of them, you're granted a wish. My friends and I are going to use that wish to bring her and everyone else that died a few weeks ago back to life! That's why I need the one you have so badly! I don't have time to screw around, Abel!"
Abel glanced at the Dragon Ball in his possession quietly for a bit.
"Tell me, Kain. Why should I believe a ridiculous story like that?" he asked afterward.
"Why would I make such a thing up?!"
"...Good point. Still, even if you are telling the truth, why should I do this favor for you? You've wronged me more times that I can count. It would be smarter of me to just sell of this thing like I intended, rather than hand it over to you!"
Kain sighed. "Look, Abel, I don't care if you hate me. In fact, you can hate me for the rest of your life if it helps you sleep at night. I'm not asking you to do this for me, but for Eliza and everyone else on the planet! We can help a lot of people with the Dragon Balls and I promise we'll find another way to help Eliza! Regardless of what you think, I care about her more than anything else in the world! There wasn't a day while I was training with Master Daigu that I didn't think about her well being! In fact, I think she was the one thing that kept me going! Come on, Abel! Do the right thing here!"
"...And what if these Dragon Balls turn out to be a bust? What if you can't do the things you're promising here? It wouldn't be the first time..."
"...You can go ahead and kill me then, Abel. I'm pretty sure my life is the only thing I could give you that would atone for everything I've done."
"Tch! You better be careful or else I'll hold you to that."
Abel appeared to be mulling the proposition over where a phone in his pocket began to ring. Answering it, he listened to a voice tell him something or another, talk Kain couldn't discern from where he was standing.
"Who are you talking to?" he inquired.
Abel pointed his gun at him again, signaling for him to stay back and be quiet.
"You want to give me how much money?!" Abel stated with his voice trembling in excitement. The person on the other end said something else, inducing a whistle out of him. "Sounds good to me. I'd be set for life with that much cash. Only a fool would turn that much down."
"Abel, no!" Kain warned him.
"...Nevertheless, I think I'm going to have to back out of our deal." Abel wasn't exactly sure what he was saying. He glanced over to Kain, perhaps in an effort reassure himself that what he was doing was the right thing. "I'm just going to keep the Dragon Ball myself if you don't mind. Money isn't everything."
Hanging up, he tossed his phone away like it were diseased. Kain, with his jaw wide open, wasn't sure if he should have been questioning his friend or hugging him right now.
"You've finally come to your senses!" he cried.
Abel frowned again and replied, "Don't get too happy. Remember, I ain't doing this for you! Tch! I must be nuts turning down that much money! Oh well. It really would have been a pain to explain to Eliza where it all came from anyway, so screw it."
Even with him putting on this tough guy act, Kain could tell that Abel was still the man he had known five years ago. It simply took some prodding to get him to behave like normal.
"Quit daydreaming, Kain," Abel then said. "You know where the other Dragon Balls are at, right? I swear to God if you were lying to me earlier...!"
"R-Relax! Relax! Like I said, why would I make up a story like that? Anyway, my friends should be going after the others one right now. I don't know how long it'll take us to gather them all up, but it'll happen! Trust me!"
"...I guess I have no choice but to now after doing something that stupid..."
Abel chucked the Dragon Ball over to Kain and he immediately wondered if he was making the worst mistake of his life. He supposed that even if he was, he was doing it for Eliza, so she more than made up for it.
"I don't know how you always sweet talk me into doing something stupid," he added. "Do me a favor. Get the hell out of this town and never show your face here again. That'll make us even for me handing you that Dragon Ball."
"I suppose that's fair," Kain begrudgingly replied. "Still, I'm going to swing by and check on Eliza every single week! You and your gang came come try to stop me if you want!"
"Hmph. You really are a stubborn guy."
"Just make sure you go check on Eliza too, okay? She's worried sick about you."
"Whatever. If it'll make you go away, I promise. She's getting older though, Kain. She doesn't need us to look after her as much as we used to."
Kain wasn't so sure about that.
The two of them slowly turned their heads at something rolling into the room suddenly. The black, metallic ball clicked open, revealing a digital screen that began to count down from ten. It took Kain no time at all to realize what the object was and he quickly pushed himself and Abel to the floor. Just as he did, the bomb exploded.
Nothing was making any sense to Kain. His mind, and his vision, were both clouded by the thick, black smoke surrounding him and his body didn't want to move. He willed it to do so, however, pulling himself up from some rubble. The building he had just been in was no more, replaced by fallen wood and smoldering debris. The blast had taken everything save for his life. Standing, he quickly recalled that he hadn't been alone inside that worn down edifice.
"A-Abel! Abel! Where are you?! I swear to God if you're dead...!"
"S-Shut up! M-My head is already killing me and you're not helping with all that yapping!"
Abel, alive and well, appeared from underneath a fallen piece of concrete. He appeared no worse for the wear, as he wiped some dust off his clothing. He glanced around at the destruction and growled, more than displeased to see his base of operations in a million pieces like this.
"What just happened?" asked Kain.
"How should I know?!" Abel replied. "Whoever did this just made the biggest mistake of their life though!"
"Huh. You think that guy over there might be responsible?"
Kain was pointing his finger at a large, white robot that was staring back at the two with its sole, red eye. Its presence was shocking enough, but the fact it had Kain's Dragon Ball in its possession was even more jarring.
"Yeah, I'm going to need you to give that back," Kain told it.
The robot didn't respond. Instead, a screen materialized on its chest and the face of a sunglasses wearing man Kain had never seen before appeared on it.
"You!" said Abel.
"Ah, Abel. Long time no see, eh?" the man said, grinning. "I was really hurt when you hung up on me back then, so I figured I'd come see you in person. Well, I guess this isn't really in person, but you get the idea."
"You know this clown, Abel?" asked Kain.
Abel nodded. "This is Doctor Miro. He's the guy I was going to sell the Dragon Ball to."
"That's right, yet you double crossed me, Abel. I was very disappointed," said Miro, with a sarcastic hint of sadness in his words. "So, I figured I would take matters into my own hands."
"Is that so? Too bad I really do need that Dragon Ball, old man," said Kain.
In a blinding flash of speed, he managed to snatch the Dragon Ball from the robot.
"...Hmm. Not willing to play ball, eh?" said Miro. "Not a problem. I always make sure to have an insurance policy for situations like these."
Miro stepped back, allowing Kain and Abel to see the horrifying sight behind him. Bound to a chair by thick ropes was Eliza, who's eyes and face were stained with tears. Because her mouth was covered by a cloth, her muffled words weren't understood. Nevertheless, Kain and Abel realized they were cries for help.
"Eliza!" Kain cried. "Y-You bastard! How did you...?!"
"Like I said. I tend to plan ahead for things like this. All it took was a little research on Abel to find out about this girl here."
"D-Dammit! I didn't think he'd go after her," Abel admitted.
"Tch! Let me guess, you want the Dragon Ball for Eliza!" asked Kain in anger.
"Good, you catch on quickly!" Miro replied.
"Hmph. Not a bad plan. This guy certainly knows his stuff when it comes to this," said Abel.
Kain glared at him. "J-Just whose side are you on here?!"
"Relax. Rather than yelling at me, figure out what we're supposed to do now."
"W-Why do I have to figure this one out?!"
Leering down at his Dragon Ball, Kain felt like his decision had already been made for him. There was no possible way he could choose anything over the life of his sister.
"I swear, if you harm even one single hair on her head...!" Kain warned.
Miro put his arms up in defense. "She'll be safe. I promise. Now then, hand that ball over to my faithful assistant in front of you."
"No way. We want Eliza back first," said Abel.
"You guys really think you're the ones calling the shots here?"
"W-We can screw around with this guy here," muttered Kain in defeat. "W-We can't risk putting Eliza in any more danger!"
Abel conceded and Kain tossed the item Miro wanted so badly at his robot, who caught it and promptly stored it inside itself.
"Nice job, boys!" said Miro. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Who the hell are you?! Why are you after the Dragon Balls?!" asked Kain.
Miro let out a number of laughs. "Does it really matter who I am?"
"No it doesn't," said Abel. "So, give us back Eliza now!"
"Oh, the girl? I don't have any further need for her. In fact, I'm thinking about disposing of her..."
"WHAT?!" shouted Kain. "That wasn't the deal, Miro!"
"Heh. Hey, you should know better than to trust me by now."
"MIRO!"
The robot launched itself into the air with its powerful thrusters and the energy wave Kain shot after it missed its mark, as the machine soon disappeared.
"Dammit!" Kain screamed. "I can't believe this!"
"Shit! He didn't tell us where he was holding Eliza either..." said Abel. "That's why we should have gotten Eliza back first before handing that thing over!"
"I couldn't risk him doing something to her because we pushed him!"
"Hell of a lot of good that did us! Now he has the Dragon Ball and your sister!"
"Don't you think I know that?! Jeez! You know, instead of criticizing me for once, you could actually help me come up with a plan to get Eliza back!"
"Why should I?! This is all your fault, Kain! If you hadn't come back to this town today, I would have sold that damn Dragon Ball and been a few million dollars richer!"
"God dammit, Abel! Forget about the money! What about Eliza?!"
"I am thinking about Eliza! I could have used the money to help her, but once again, she in trouble because of you! You never cared about her! I've always been more of a brother to her than you and you know it!"
Kain snatched Abel up off the ground by the end of his shirt and held him up, unsure of what exactly he wanted to do to his friend. Abel responded to this by glaring as sharply as he could at the man he was quickly losing faith in again. Seeing this made Kain calm himself and he lowered Abel before punching the air in frustration.
"Dammit!" he shouted. "Look at us. Eliza needs both our help and we're sitting here arguing about which of us loves her more."
"...You're right. We need to do something. Let's just put our differences aside for the moment and save her. She didn't do anything to deserve being dragged into this mess started by a couple of fools like us."
"Heh. You've got a point there. I just wish we had some way of figuring out where she is..."
Kain, slapping himself upside the head, recalled that there was a way to determine his sisters location.
"The Dragon Radar! That's it!"
"What the hell is a 'Dragon Radar?'" Abel inquired.
"Basically, it lets me track the location of a Dragon Ball. That's how I knew the one you had was here. Look, that robot is probably going to bring that Dragon Ball back to Miro and if Miro has Eliza..."
"I see. We can use that thing then to find her."
"Exactly!"
"Alright then. We've got a plan. Now we just have to hurry up and get to her before Miro 'disposes of her.' How far is she from here?"
Checking his Radar, Kain answered, "Just a couple of miles. Wait, I know where they are! They're at that old abandoned quarry that just outside town!"
"Now that takes me back. We used to go exploring there all the times as kids."
"Sure did, but now's not the time for nostalgia. Let's go!"
"Wait a second. If we're going, I say we go in style."
Kain turned his head in a confused manner at Abel's suggestion.
A pair of motorcycles screeched their way down a dusty trail at high speed, both only slowing to dodge the tumbleweeds in their way. The drivers were calm, collected, and focused on staying the course. Kain, leering forward through his sunglasses, told himself he wasn't going to stop until his sister was back in safe hands. Glancing at Abel driving next to him, he could tell his friend felt the same way and quite honestly, he felt sorry for anyone or anything stupid enough to get in their way.
"Just a little farther now!" said Kain over the sound of his bike's engine. "It looks like Miro is staying put where he is for now!"
"Hmph. I'm praying Eliza's alright."
"...Yeah, me too."
"I just wish we had some backup. Wish we could have brought my boys, but they're still banged up after that explosion. Oh, and you beating them down."
Kain laughed anxiously. "W-We don't need any help! The two of us can kick enough ass!"
"Heh. Damn straight. Just like the good old days."
Kain's and Abel's bikes screeched to a halt when the path ahead of them was abruptly blocked off by laser fire. Above them was a battalion Miro's robots that had seemingly been waiting for them to arrive before starting their ambush. The two, moving on ahead, dodged and swerved out of danger, determined not to let this 'road block' stop them.
"Tch! What with you and attracting trouble?!" asked Abel.
"Oh, you're seriously blaming me for these guys showing up?!" hollered Kain.
"Hey, they ain't my friends."
Tired of the situation, Kain launched off a wave of energy that destroyed a number of the machines. Abel followed suit by shooting some down with his pistol. Still, more and more continued popping up and Kain knew trying to turn them all into scrap was a waste of time, time they didn't have to spare.
"Looks like Miro was ready for us," said Kain. "That bastard really does like to plan ahead."
"It doesn't matter. We're taking him down regardless," said Abel.
The two fought off robot after robot until they could hardly stand it any longer. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, they saw that the road up ahead was about to end. They both slammed down hard on the brakes, yet Kain saw that they weren't going to make it in time. Jumping off his bike, he snatched Abel up and flew high into the air, just as their motorcycles skidded off into the chasm below.
"That was a little too close..." muttered Abel.
"Tch! I was still paying off the loan on that bike!" Kain yelled. "Miro is going to pay for this! Literally and figuratively!"
"Wait a second, are you flying? Man, the old man back in West City sure taught you some nice tricks..."
"Yeah, thanks, but I think we'd better get moving again!"
Kain screamed in terror, as a flurry of lasers sailed past him. With Abel in his grasp, he wasted little time in flying off into the distance.
For whatever reason, Miro's robots stopped chasing Kain and Abel. As such, they made it to the abandoned rock quarry where the Dragon Ball, and hopefully Eliza, was without a hitch. The area was empty and quiet, something that unsettled Kain when it should have made him relieved. If Miro was around here, he found it strange the doctor would leave the premises so unguarded.
"So?" asked Abel.
"The Dragon Ball is here alright," answered Kain. "Let's just hope Eliza's okay."
"Tch. That girl has always caused us so much trouble," said Abel. "Well then, what are we waiting for? She ain't gonna rescue herself."
Kain certainly had to agree with that. The two jumped down into the dark quarry and took a few steps inside it. Everything had a damp, musty smell to it, making Kain cover his nose with his shirt. He had no idea why someone would want to hide out in a place like this. Then again, it was unlikely that anyone would venture here for no particular reason, so he thought that maybe it was a good place after all.
"Maybe that radar of yours is busted," said Abel. "I ain't seeing anything."
"Well, if it is, I certainly don't know how to fix it!" said Kain, chuckling.
Abel's face reddened. "This isn't the time for your stupid jokes, Kain! Get serious!"
"Aw, you're no fun!"
"In case you've forgotten already, your sister is about to die unless we find her!"
Growing irate, Kain replied, "Do you think I'm stupid or something?! Of course I know that! I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit! You're always so damn grumpy!"
The two were about to butt heads again when a beam of light suddenly shrouded them. As both of them shielded their eyes from it, they turned their heads to the cliff above them and saw some sort of silhouette looking down at them.
"My, my! I must admit, you two are rather persistent! I didn't think you'd come all this way for one little girl," said Doctor Miro, laughing.
"You! Where's Eliza?!" said Kain.
"Hmph. Don't trouble yourself with her. I'm more curious as to how you two managed to find me. Ah, I see! You must have a Dragon Radar in your possession! Yes, it makes sense now."
"Don't screw with us, old man!" yelled Abel. "Tell us where Eliza is! Now!"
"Heh. Relax. I haven't harmed a hair on her little head. Scout's honor."
He snapped his fingers and a robot carrying Eliza landed right next to him. Both Kain and Abel were relieved to see there was some truth in Miro's words. Though clearly shaken, Eliza looked no worse for the wear.
"K-Kain! Abel!" she cried. "B-Be careful! This man is...!"
"I-I know, Eliza!" Kain replied. "Just stay put! We'll get you outta here safe and sound! I promise!"
"I'd really like to see that!" taunted Miro.
Another snap of his fingers summoned more of his metallic creations. This time, however, there were more of them than Kain and Abel wanted to count. It was clear they had been lying in wait all over the rock quarry, waiting for their master's signal to strike.
"Looks like we're surrounded," said Kain. "Jeez, how many of them do you think there are this time around?"
Abel reloaded his gun and replied, "Does it matter? We'll scrap 'em regardless!"
"Heh. Well, at least you both seem confident enough," Miro stated.
Kain figured he would have been tired of destroying Miro's robots, yet as he reduced a number of them to smoldering ash with a Ryuho, he recalled just how fun it was.
Superior numbers aside, Miro's robots were no match for the combined effort of Kain and Abel. Smoldering scraps of the machines lied all around the two and judging from Miro's stunned expression, they both had a feeling he was all out of reinforcements.
"Is that all?" asked Kain. He tore the last robot in half with his bare hands and threw the pieces away, wiping his hands off afterward. "Well, that was good exercise at least."
"Hmph. You might be able to talk so confident, but I'm out of ammo," said Abel.
Miro whistled. "N-Not...bad! To think my creations could be defeated so easily! I applaud your efforts, gentleman! You both are such wonderful fighters!"
"Why does this bastard still sound so confident, despite us having taken care of his robots?" asked Abel.
"Beats me. Maybe he's finally lost his mind," Kain answered. He cracked his knuckles and pointed to Miro, telling him, "This is your last warning! Hand over Eliza or prepare for a world of hurt! I won't mind pounding your face in after all the grief you caused me either!"
"Hand over that Dragon Ball while you're at it too."
"You two are comedians," Miro said. "Seriously. You're both are quite humorous!"
Neither Kain nor Abel understood Miro's strange behavior until he pulled out a revolver and pressed it against Eliza's skull. Her entire body tensed up at this and seeing her in such immediate danger drained every drop of confidence out of Kain.
"H-Hold on a second! D-Don't hurt her!" he cried.
"It's clear you needed a reminder on who holds the cards here," said Miro with an assured smile. "Now then, you two have interfered with my plans long enough. I'll release this girl...in due time, after I've collected all the Dragon Balls and gotten my wish! You both will stay away from me until then, otherwise, I can't promise this girl's safety here."
"Tsk! You son of a...!" said Abel. As much as he wanted to wring Miro's neck, he couldn't risk doing anything without placing Eliza in harm's way. "Tell me you've got a plan here, Kain! I'm about to lose it over here!"
Abel jumped in shock when he saw he was talking to nothing but the air. Kain had long since moved and was high in the air, right in front of Miro and Eliza. Before the mad doctor got a chance to even react to this, Kain placed his hands on his forehead.
"TAIYOKEN!"
The technique blinded everyone save Kain and he used the confusion to snatch Eliza right out of Miro's slimy grasp.
"D-Dammit! I can't see anything!" said Miro, as he stumbled backward.
"You wanna warn someone the next time you do that?!" yelled Abel.
"Heh! M-My bad!" replied Kain. He turned his attention to Eliza, asking, "You alright?"
"Y-Yes. My eyes sting a bit, but I'm otherwise unharmed. I-I can't believe you two came after me though! I-I must have put you both in a lot of danger!"
"Don't sweat your cute little head about that! As long as you're alright, that's all that matters!"
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life!" Miro declared. He aimed his gun at Kain and prepared to put a bullet right through his head. However, he froze on the spot when Kain moved right in front of him with a blinding burst of speed. "H-How...?"
"Sorry, doc, but this is game over!"
Kain landed a devastating punch right into Miro's gut. It was so powerful in fact that it tore right through his flesh and to the other side. Eliza gasped at this and even Kain wondered if he had gone too far until he saw that his fist had gone through nothing more than metal and wires.
"You're...a robot too?!" he exclaimed.
Miro began chuckling, disregarding the fact his wound was sparking. "You didn't really think I would be stupid enough to expose myself to harm, did you? This is merely a robot duplicate I made of myself. Rather convincing, isn't it?"
"Tsk! You coward! You can't even do your own dirty work?!"
"There's no need for me to do so, not when I have an entire army at my disposal. Besides, I believe you're going to have much bigger problems to worry about. I bid you all adieu!"
Kain certainly didn't like the sound of that. His fears were proven when Miro's double glow began to glow ominously. Spring into action, he leaped on top of Eliza and dragged her to down, just as the robotic replica of Miro exploded. The resulting blast knocked Kain and his sister off the cliff and destroyed a portion of the rock quarry, causing a rock slide. Abel narrowly got out of the way of a stray boulder, though his own safety was the least of his concern at the moment.
"Dammit! Kain! Eliza! Where are you two?! Answer me if you're alright!"
When he got no response, he took matters into his own hands. He feverishly started to remove rock after rock from the massive pile in front of him, fearing his friends were trapped underneath the rubble. The more he dug, the bleaker things seemed, yet he refused to stop. Even after his hands began to blister, he refused to believe the people he cherished most dearly in the world were gone.
"Just...a bit further! They have to be in here somewhere!"
He was scared half to death when someone burst out of the mound of stones all of the sudden. It was Kain and along with him was Eliza. He crawled his way to freedom and flashed Abel a smile after making it to safe ground.
"Yo!" he muttered. He was covered in cuts and bruises, yet his demeanor was the same as ever. "Huh? You actually look like you were worried!"
Abel smacked his lips at the remark and held his hand out to help Kain up. Taking the kind gesture, Kain got to his feet.
"Are you okay, Kain? You saved me yet again," said Eliza.
"Heh! No need to worry about me! I'm practically indestructible!"
Without warning, Abel slugged Kain across the face, flooring him. He had been trying to hold in his anger, but it erupted all at once and he honestly felt better about his decision to let it afterward.
"A-Abel, what in the world was that for?!" Eliza scowled at him, tempted to throw a few punches herself.
"Because this idiot always treats stuff like this as a game!" Abel replied through clenched teeth. Tears were welling in his eyes. "I was worried to death about you two just now and this dumbass is over here cracking jokes!"
Kain held his cheek and smiled. "I wouldn't take it too personally. As crazy as it sounds, that's just how I tend to deal with these sorts of things. I mean, look at the bright side! We're all still alive and in one piece, right?"
Abel had to stop himself from hitting Kain again after hearing this. His friend really was an idiot in his opinion, but as his temperament softened, he supposed that's what he liked best about him.
"I should've left your ass under those rocks..."
"Isn't this a surprise! You really were worried about me! And here I thought you still might have wanted to kill me!"
Horrified, Eliza asked, "A-Abel, you were trying to kill him?!"
"...What about the Dragon Ball, Kain?" asked Abel, quickly trying to change the subject. "It was half the reason we came here, so you better make sure it's in one piece!"
"Yeah, yeah! I'll find it!"
Kain switched on his Dragon Radar and was relieved to see the ball was still showing up on it. He just hoped it wasn't under too much rubble, as he didn't have the patience to search for it half of the day.
"Say, what's a Dragon Ball?" Eliza asked.
Juggling the six star Dragon Ball in his hand, Kain was ready to give himself a pat on the back for a job well done. He had gone through more than his fair share of hardship to get the object, including nearly losing his sister. Still, apart of him had to admit it was worth it. Thousands of people would be forever grateful to he and his friends after they used the seven magic Dragon Balls to bring their loved ones back to them.
"Kain, quit spacing out," said Abel. "We're back."
Kain looked up and saw he, Abel, and Eliza were indeed back in town. Though it was foolish of him to expect it, nothing about the dreary, dusty, and crime riddled city hadn't changed much in his short time away.
"Someone's hot wiring that car back there," he muttered.
"By the way, big brother, you haven't told me what that strange ball you have does," said Eliza. "That Miro fellow...er...that robot replica of him at least, wouldn't stop talking about it. Is it important to you?"
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, princess!" replied Kain. He took his hand and roughly rubbed it around Eliza's hair, messing it up a bit. "You'll find out in due time, I promise!"
"H-Hey! Stop that! Y-You're always treating me like a little kid..."
She blushed at this fact, while Kain merely responded with a hearty series of chuckles. His constant enthusiasm was really wearing on Abel's nerves.
"Like I told you before, Kain, I think she's getting to the point where she's old enough for us not to worry about her as much as before. Believe it or not, Eliza really is becoming quite the dependable young woman. She even does most of the cooking around the house now."
Eliza beamed at this. "That's right! You've got to try some of my cooking when you get a chance, Kain!"
Kain frowned at what he was hearing. "Abel, I'm ashamed! You're telling me that you have my poor, frail sister slaving over a hot stove for you everyday?! What else do you have her doing?!"
"W-What?! What the hell are you talking about?! The only thing she does is the cooking and she does that willingly! I can't keep her out of that kitchen for the most part! I handle the cleaning and all the other labor in the household!"
"Hmph! I don't believe you! You're exploiting my poor sister!"
"Tch! How the hell would you even know what goes on in our apartment?! You're never there anyway!"
The two shoved their faces into one another and growled like a pair of dogs fighting over their territory. It took Eliza pulling them apart to stop a bloodbath from erupting in the streets.
"Would you two quit it?! You've always been like this! You...!"
Suddenly, Eliza found her strength sapped from her body and unable to stand any longer, she fell to one knee. Violent coughs escaped her person, while she covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle them.
"Are you okay, Eliza?!" Kain and Abel asked at the same time. They shot one another a look afterward in annoyance at them thinking the same
"O-Of course," Eliza assured them. "I think I'm just...tired after what happened today."
"Are you sure? Do you need me to carry you?" asked Kain.
"No, no. I wouldn't want to bother you and Abel anymore than I already have today. I think I'll just keep walking the rest of the way home. The fresh air might do me some good."
Kain had no clue what fresh air she was taking about. Every breath he took was filled with the foul taste of sand.
Man, she really has become mature though...
The trio made their way further into their desolate hometown and found their path impeded by a large gang of men. Kain recognized them as members of the Black Serpent Clan, the notorious gang Abel ran in town. None of them looked relatively pleased at the moment, although Kain understood why. He figured he wouldn't have been in the best of moods if a building had collapsed on top of him.
"Whoa. I can't believe those guys are still alive," he muttered.
"Huh? What's going on?" said Eliza.
"Yo! Boss! It's you!" said one of the members of the clan.
Abel walked over to his subordinate and said, "Looks like more of you guys made it out alive after that explosion at the base than I thought. I'm glad to see that."
"Boss, look!" said another one of Abel's men while pointing at Kain. "It's that punk from before!"
"Heh! I'm glad we did make it out of the headquarters in one piece!" another stated. He pulled out a knife and added, "Just tell us how you want him finished and we'll do it in an instant, boss!"
"S-Seriously! What is going on?!" asked a now panicked Eliza. She quickly hid herself behind Kain. "B-Big brother, do you actually know these people?"
"Not me, but Abel does. Isn't that right, Abel?"
Abel sighed. "...I can't lie to you any longer, Eliza. This gang here, the Black Serpent Clan. Well...I'm their leader."
Eliza let out a drawn out gasp. "A-Are you serious?!"
"That's right. I needed the money to take care of you, but I won't use that as an excuse for all the crimes I've committed anymore. I'm ending this once and for all."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean, Boss?" said a member of the gang.
"Yeah! Y-You can't be seriously thinking of shutting the Black Serpent Clan down, can you?" inquired another.
"That's exactly what I intend to do," Abel replied. "If running this gang means I have to keep lying to and hurting the ones I love, I don't want any further part of it. It ain't worth it. Besides, we're all going to either end up in prison, or in a grave somewhere. I'd be no good to Eliza either way."
Eliza was on the verge of tears hearing this. "A-Abel..."
"Tch! It took long enough for some sense to seep into that thick skull of his!" said Kain. "E-Even though I'm the one who said that grave and prison stuff in the first place..."
"B-But think of all the money we'd be losing by breaking up the gang!" said yet another of the Black Serpent Clan. "What we do might not be pretty, but it's been keeping that girlfriend of yours alive all this time!"
"Dammit, I'm through discussing this! Either you idiots go out there and get a real job, or I'll kill you myself! The Black Serpent Clan is dead as of right this moment!"
A few more of his men wanted to argue, yet they knew better and everyone present simply dispersed.
"Good. Thats out of the way now..."
Kain came over and suddenly patted his friend on the back roughly, frightening Abel.
"You did a good job!" Kain gleefully declared. "I didn't think you had the heart, or the balls for that matter, to tell your boys off like that!"
"Tch. Whatever. It was just something that needed to be done. Besides, you weren't going to leave me alone about the matter anyway."
"Heh. You've got a point there."
"How about you though? Are you leaving now that you've gotten what you wanted?"
"'Fraid so. My friends really are waiting on me to bring this Dragon Ball back to them."
"Can't you stay for a bit longer?" Eliza latched herself onto Kain's arm tightly, perhaps in an effort to keep him there next to her. "It's rare that we're all together like this..."
Kain knelt down to his sister and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Eliza. As much as I want to stick around, I really can't. Don't worry though! I won't be separated from you nearly as long this time around!"
"You promise?"
"Of course! As soon as this whole thing is over, me and Sarai'll be down here to see you again! Then we can hang out, just like the good old days!"
The answer was enough to assuage Eliza's worry and she smiled in the way only she could. It was that smile that Kain missed, and one he was determined to preserve.
"Abel, old buddy, I guess I'm going to have to leave my sister in your care for a little while longer. Just don't try anything funny while I'm not around!"
"Tsk! A-Are you serious?! She's just a kid!"
"Huh? Now I'm a kid again?!" said Eliza, annoyed.
"I told you already! You don't have to worry about her when she's with me. After all, I'm a much better brother to her."
Kain's nostrils flared. "You wanna say that again?!"
"You heard me! You really suck when it comes to being a brother! On that note, Eliza and I will be just fine without you!"
"W-Why you...! Now I don't trust you alone with her for ten seconds!"
"Y-You punk! What are you accusing me of again?!"
The two continued to argue in the middle of the street and Eliza could do nothing more than shake her head and smile. Despite Kain and Abel's long separation from one another, she saw that they hadn't changed one bit from the 'good old days.'
END