Chapter 24

Suiko was sitting about at the Neo Heroes. She toyed with a ball, bouncing it off the floor, then the wall only to catch it again. However, she was waiting for someone. The moment the door opened, she stopped her meaningless time killing task and saw the person she was waiting for. "Emp!" she cheered.

He was taken aback by her sudden excitement. "Hey Suiko, what's up?"

She froze, then her face flushed with red, as she appeared to embarrass to speak. "Uh… I was wondering… what information do you have on my brother?" she asked.

Emp merely smiled as he waved for her to follow him. They walked down the halls in silence, after all. Neo Heroes were everywhere and a majority of them don't quite take orders from them.

Emp brought her into the lab. "Wait just a moment okay?" he asked, she merely nodded her head as she looked about the room.

He built all of this?!

Every piece of equipment isn't the kind found in any stores or even high ended places. She could tell when something had been taken apart and forged together. Emp did it all with his own two hands. The kid was a lot more remarkable than she realized.

"Here you go,"

She paused as he began to play a video of Suiryu from a martial arts tournament. He stood across the ring from what appeared to be a human looking Garou, but his hair was blood red with white within it.

"Who…"

"Garou's oldest son, Pac." Emp explained. "Before he began to turn into his dad… his kids have all been born looking like a human being, some of them have strange eyes or hair, but as kids, they looked human, no one would know they were a monster to be honest with you. Now, I think this is what you were looking for."

She watched on as a man appeared. Pac appeared to be uncomfortable until he burped aloud. Yet the mad man demanded to know why Pac wasn't changing, claiming he tainted the food on his table. But when he explained there wasn't any. She saw Suiryu sweat oddly, then, he held on to his sides and appeared rather sick.

"Is this…"

Emp nodded. "But watch."

She continued to watch on, she was taken aback as Pac tired to help him, Alley suddenly jumped the barricade and rushed to Suiryu's side before taking out a serum, injecting it into her serpent that came off her arm and then bit Suiryu! "What the hell!" she demanded.

"Alley told me, before this whole thing happened. She had been looking for a way to stop her brother's transformation. Pac didn't want to become what he is now, she tried to help him by making a cure. She told me about it that day before leaving for the tournament to cheer on her brothers. She also learned her serpent like appendages, she can control how much venom they inject. Yet being given the cure, she managed to get it into his system faster."

She continued to watch as she helped Max and then Snek as best she could. "They were trying to help them…"

"They always have been trying to help people. Which is why I don't quite understand the obsession right now Blue has with the family." Emp explained. "No matter what happens, no matter the people who turn on them, attack them and out right try and kill them, they have never took their anger out on the people. I've been trying to tell Blue it is a waste of time and effort to go after the family. But he believes in stopping a threat from becoming a threat… I can understand that too… but at the same time, I can't let it happen."

She continued to watch on, Pac and another appeared wearing wolf masks and kept Suiryu moving, she learned it was to speed up the cure's potency. Yet before her eyes, she saw her brother transform and collapse.

"How… he didn't look that bad before… how did he…"

"Alley," he explained. "Not intentional either. Alley matured one year and it caught Suiryu and Max's attention. The two began to change; in hopes of impressing her… sometimes the monster side gets the better of them. But in the end, Alley picked Suiryu; the two had been dating for some time. But Suiryu never changed back. Max did a little but not by much."

She tried to take it all in, Emp turned the video off when she sat at the end of the table. "Emp… is he still my brother?" she asked. "I know when someone becomes a monster…"

"That's the thing though. He didn't fully turn," he explained. "Suiryu, Max and Snek, despite their outer appearance changing, they maintained their minds and values. The Suiryu you see out and about is still your brother, without a doubt. He's just a little different."

She paused as she stared at the screen.

Emp hit another button; there were news stories of Suiryu fighting monsters. There was no hesitation as he took beast after beast down, he would then flash a fanged grin and laughed off the whole battle like it was nothing. He would excuse himself and then take off shortly after. "Before, he couldn't be bothered with it, but now…" she said.

Emp smirked. "Alley really changed him for the better, same with the whole family. He doesn't hesitate to help out when needed, hell he will take down a monster for the pure hell of it and out of fun. He really loves her you know…" Emp said as his voice trailed off. "Alley… he cares for her deeply,"

"He told me they have kids…"

Emp nodded. "No doubt he has them now,"

"Why?"

"Oh right, you didn't know. Male monsters, the stronger they are, the more rivals will want their children dead. It's to eliminate competition. So the stronger males adapted themselves to hold on to the children until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. Garou did it with all of his kids. Now, Suiryu does it for his."

Suiko sighed aloud. "I haven't spoke to him since he saved A and I. That ice monster was difficult, even with the power suit… I can't stand wearing that damn thing."

"Then don't. That's my advice," Emp insisted. "But, you can talk to him. You might as well clear the air with him."

She shook her head. "I said things… I am not proud of."

"Let me guess…" he said as his voice trailed off. But she nodded. Emp sighed aloud. "You can still say you are sorry to him. The longer you keep quite the worst you feel… personal experience here."

"Really?"

He nodded. "When the whole thing with Alley went down, Max and Suiryu fought over her. Max got a little over zealous; broke into the joined lab we had and fried one of my robots. I held Alley responsible since she saved her work over mine… I should have respected that she had genetic samples that can't be obtained now. Robots can be rebuilt, but I held it over her head for a while, despite her best attempt to apologize. I refused to listen… it took her uncles to set me straight."

"Oh… Excuse me Emp… and thanks,"

Suiko rushed out of the lab, but paused.

Where was McCoy going with Metal Bat's little sister?

#

Zenko was only dropping by to give Bad his lunch. She made it special just for him and was determined he would be eating it. As of late, he has partaken too many meals at the Neo Heroes. Those rich foods will catch up to him sooner than later!

Yet as she stood at the front desk waiting, she felt someone staring at her. "Well look who it is! Zenko right? Metal Bat's little sister!"

She turned and saw McCoy. She remembered him from the Heroes Association. "Hello McCoy. I am just dropping Bad's lunch off and going." She explained.

"But of course, come this way if you please, let's wait for Metal Bat here in the lounge area!"

She couldn't help but feel he as luring her. With a sigh, she agreed and followed him to a lounge area. It was merely a small room with two couches.

She sat on one as he took the other. "Zenko… I was wondering how things were at home? Is everything well?" he asked.

Her back was already up. "Of course, why are you asking?"

"Well… it's come to our attention that you are still dating that… thing."

"His name is Pac," she snapped back rather venomously. "But that's no concern of yours now is it?"

He smiled off her comment. "It is, Zenko, it really is. You need to understand the… pressure this is putting your brother under. You see, we are trying to show the world that we are free from the corruption that plagued the Heroes Association. I mean, look at the scandal they had with Amai Mask!"

"Uh… he didn't destroy a city." She said. "A monster will kill any and all around them without hesitation or reason. He sacrificed his looks to become stronger to stop a threat. And that's a scandal?" she asked.

McCoy cleared his throat. "Zenko… you shouldn't be dating something that isn't human to begin with. I mean, the genetic complications that will follow. You are not part of the solution, you are adding to the problem we heroes face every single day. If this relationship continues and you have… reproduced… it puts us in a very strained situation…"

"Oh shut up!" she said without fear. "I don't give a damn about your image. I am not a Neo Hero. My brother is… my brother is not dating a monster. Quite frankly, I don't believe I am either. That needs to be changed as to what is considered to be a monster come to think of it…"

"Miss Zenko…"

"I had enough of this chit chat. I am going to find my brother, drop off his lunch and leaving. You don't intend on stopping me, now do you?" she asked in a warning tone.

She must have startled him. McCoy went a little pale as she glared at him. He was quick to shake his head no as she excused herself from the room. She just opened the door when her brother walked by. "BAD!" she called.

He nearly jumped out of his skin!

"Z! What brings you here?"

"I brought you lunch!"

He smiled as he graciously took it from her. "Thanks sis, you good getting home?"

She giggled. "Of course I am!"

He gave but a nod and walked her out of the facilities. When she went down the street and into the city park, he came out of hiding.

Pac was hanging upside down in a tree. "That took a little longer than expected…"

"Yeah, sorry. Ready for our lunch?"

He flipped himself over as he landed on the ground. "Led the way, and whatever you want to have today!"