Chapter 29

"A broke nose, sprained wrist and ankle… looks to me you got off easy… oh… and a black eye."

Emp sneered as he saw the Destro list off his injuries. "I suppose it could be worst…" Emp replied back as he held an ice pack over his eye. "Still, I didn't think the Neo Hero hunter would have done such a thing… especially in a public place like that."

"It does seem odd doesn't it? Perhaps it should be looked into. That, or he was targeting you…" Erimin stated. But then paused. "Were you trying to retrieve Metal Bat yourself? How did you know he was there?" he asked curiously.

"I was getting snacks for my lab, I happened to walk into the store and saw him there. It was strange though, I haven't seen him in a while and he looked… different." He said offhandedly. "I mean, Bad was nearly 30 years old right? Why did he look like his seventeen year old self?" he asked aloud.

Destro and Erimin were rather silent. "He… became younger?"

"That's what I said!" Emp protested. "I couldn't believe it either, also he kept his hair down, like he didn't want to be seen… Since when did he take a leave of absence?"

The two exchanged looks for a moment. "We got word his sisters wasn't feeling well, and allowed him some time off. Perhaps there is more to this story than what he was telling us…" Destro said offhandedly.

Emp sighed aloud. "Well, whoever this new hero hunter is, we better be prepared." He explained. "I'm going home to rest up."

"You do that Emp, please, keep us posted if you obtained any more data on this Hero hunter." Erimin asked.

He merely nodded in agreement.

Emp ventured back to his lab, he made certain to ditch his clothing and cleanse his body as he always did when he returned from the Neo heroes. When he was refreshed, he entered his lab and saw him lingering.

Emp paused but sighed aloud. "Thanks for going easy on me,"

He merely got a nod from the shadowy figure. Stepping into the light, Emp saw he was the spitting image of Bad, just a lot taller than before. "So, you're Bane huh?"

"Yeah," he said rather plainly. "Again, sorry for roughing you up. You insisted so that way, your people don't suspect you as a traitor."

"I want to know everything that happened to Bad. Alley hasn't even told me the full story, let alone how he got to be young again…"

"Take a seat, I'll tell you all of it,"

Emp did just that, as Bane told him the whole story. From Bad being turned into a cyborg to the clone body made for him and where Bane himself came from. The agreement he made with one of the alien fabricators to the brain transplant. When he was done, Emp was amazed to the story. "So… you're like the Brawlers?" he asked.

"More high tech then they are now," he said with a grin. "But yeah. I'm just like them." Bane then leaned on Emp's desk. "Now, what I want to know, after all, you knew most of this ahead of time… why are you still with them?" he demanded.

Emp sighed. "There so much going on, at the same time. I have to know what they are doing, what they plan on doing next. If anything, I need to stay to ensure that the world remains safe."

Bane smirked. "Really now?" he asked curiously. "You don't think I would be easier for me to go in there and wreck the place?"

"Without knowing the truth as to their motives and means? Look, Bane, I just learned that there is someone else pulling the strings of this, in fact, this person claims to be a fortune teller… in fact, he claims to be the grandson of one Madam Shibabawa. Mr. Fuzzy apparently is his name, but I don't have any more information on him than that,"

Bane appeared curious. "Mr. Fuzzy huh? Perhaps he's the next head I have to crack… let's see if he anticipates this coming huh?"

Emp shook his head. "We have to let this play out, I never knew about Mr. Fuzzy until recently. But now, I am thinking if he's pulling the strings, or is this another face they are putting up to throw us off?" he asked aloud.

"Ah I see…" Bane paused for a moment and appeared to be thinking it over. "So you are seeing how deep the rabbit hole goes…"

"Damn, you are creepy when you think things through. Bad is more of a smash and go kind of guy…"

Bane smirked. "Yeah, well aware, but right now. I got a brain and I intend on using it. Perhaps we need to see what Mr. Fuzzy knows and how good his powers are…"

Emp was curious to the notion. "What do you suggest?"

But there came no answer from Bane. "Perhaps we need to give him a scenario that he himself cannot predict, as well, we have yet to properly gauge his so called 'abilities' first hand… Emp, keep Alley and I posted on this. And, if push comes to shove…"

"I'll call for help,"

"You call me first," he demanded. "If Alley or the Association are believed to be attacking the Neo heroes… then shit will hit the fan. Call me, I am more of a natural chaos" he said and grinned.

As much as Emp didn't want to admit, he was right!