Chapter 15

News spread fast that day.

The return of the monster family was felt throughout the supercontinent.

The Neo Heroes however weren't taking it in stride. "Hm, we should have known it was too good to be true…" said Destro.

"Indeed, but here we are." Erimin replied. "But it was all the time we needed anyways. There is no going back now… it's a pity though we didn't get Metal Bat's sister…"

They paused before one of their modification tubes and smiled to their work. Metal Bat has been held within for the past month as they continued to add on to his body, constantly removing the human elements of him, ensuring that when he is released, he will be a very compliant hero to their cause. But it has been a struggle.

Metal Bat was a lot stronger than they took into account. His body has rejected past implants, but until recently, they just started to take. "His fighting spirit sure is something isn't it? Still, for a human it will only get him so far…"

"Be that as it may, it's to our advantage now!" Destro said.

"Let's give it another 24 hours, from there… we will see how far he has come…"

#

The family returned.

Every hero in the Association paused as they walked the halls once more, no worst for wear after their ordeal. Many were dumbfounded, others stunned to the sight of them. "Damn, they did survive after all!" snickered Stinger.

"I think I told you guys before, can't get rid of me that easily!" Garou said with a smirk and a wink. But he sighed aloud. "Sorry, everyone for putting you through this. It wasn't our intent…"

"I doubt anyone was anticipating on you getting shot up!"

Alley smiled as she turned to Zombieman. She hugged him out of the blue, that alone took him off guard as he froze from the embrace. "Thank you…" she merely whispered and released him. "Needless to say, you are no longer needed to run…"

"I'm out then…" he announced.

He took his leave rather quickly. "Zombieman!" Alley called out. He paused before he turned back around. "Thank you for everything…" she said and bowed with respect.

He merely gave a nod. "I'm going to do some investigating…" he said and left shortly after.

Boros then took a moment to explain everything to the heroes. What he did and why he kept it all a secret. Yet as he explained thing, he stopped as the Six appeared.

They froze at the sight of their family. Tempest was trembling. Titan wept until he rushed towards them with the children in hand. "MOM, DAD! EVERYONE!" he cried.

Melee was quick to embrace him, as the twins began to speak. "Momma! Momma!"

Her heart broke to their voices and she took them back from Titan. "My little ones… My sweet Titan…" she whispered and held the side of his face gently. "You have been so brave…"

He smiled and nodded, but couldn't stop crying. "I missed you so much mom… I missed everyone, so very much." But he paused. "Oh… Alley, Suiryu!"

Reaching behind him from the snuggy he had on his back, he took their twins out and presented them. "They… they haven't opened their eyes yet. I… I also named them. This is Shiryu, the other is Okami."

"Isn't that a girl's name?" ask Garou

"It's close to mine!" snickered Okama.

"It means wolf, that's why I picked it!" he protested.

Alley giggled on the other hand as she held her sons close to her. As she did, their eyes opened.

Suiryu froze as they stared right at him, they both had his eyes, but then the smile that followed melted his heart. "My God… Alley…" he said lovingly.

She wept but nodded.

"PAC!"

He was bulldozed over by Zenko!

He hit the ground rather hard but endured as she cried aloud for his safe return. "Oh God, Pac, I am so happy to see you!"

In the same boat was Hunter as Jag followed suit! "DON'T YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN ASSHOLE!" he protested.

"I didn't know I was going to get shot!" Hunter snapped back. "I missed you too!"

Next to be scolded was Knuckle as he found himself lifted up on his feet. "Oh boy here it come…" he said and then…

SLAM!

He was thrown to the other side of the room, high off the ground for good measures.

"Maybe it's a good thing I am not in a relationship right now…" Street muttered.

Tatsumaki gave him the third degree for his actions. "YOU OWE ME BIG TIME FOR THAT STUNT YOU PULLED, AND DON'T THINK I WON'T FORGET IT EITHER." She shouted.

"Love you too babe," Knuckle said with a smirk as he was suddenly dropped from her hold and hit the ground hard. "Ain't she wonderful?" he asked as he continued to grin like an idiot.

"Glad I got the smart one of the Brawlers…" Garou whispered to Melee.

The continued on with the reunion; Lilly rushed to Goliath, Shadow Ring and Draven exchanged pleasantries but nothing more. She kept her face hidden under the hood, perhaps hiding her own emotion from him.

Jason rushed to Eclipsa… and absorbed her into himself.

Much to the shock of the room!

He stood there contently as Eclipsa appeared to be struggling under his skin.

"Uh… Jason…" Melee said gently.

Eclipsa's face suddenly appeared from his left side. "It's okay mom, he does this sometimes… he gets a little clingy…" she explained.

Jason, however, realized his own actions were startling the room. He let her go and apologized to her. "I'm sorry… I just… I thought I lost you forever… there would have been nothing left worth living for, for me." He said meekly.

She embraced him. "I'm so sorry I scared you. I was scared too that I may never have seen you again."

Jason merely held her tightly to him. It was a cute moment, one that Genus even shed a tear to.

With the reunion over, Alley looked about as she held the twins in her arms. "Okay, now we need to get things back up and running…"

"Uh… Alley…" came the voice of a meek Zenko. "Can… can I talk to you alone please?"

She picked up her tone, and nodded in agreement. Passing the twins back to Suiryu, Alley excused herself along with Zenko to another room.

Garou was already picking up on something being off. "Stinger…" he said and nudged his head over.

Stinger was trying to be discrete but Garou gave him the look as he shifted his gaze between him and Zenko as she walked down the hall. "She's been here since the day after the attack." He whispered. "She hasn't left the Association. Metal Bat sent her shortly after you guys were taken out. He thinks something isn't right at the Neo Heroes and wanted her protected in case he was right."

"And…" Garou demanded.

Stinger sighed. "She hasn't heard from Bad. Before he would answer his phone no problem, no matter what time she called. A week later, he stopped answering. The Neo Heroes began to answer her call and say. 'Come see your brother, he misses you' stuff like that…"

Melee froze, as she appeared to be eavesdropping on the conversation. "He's missing? The Neo Heroes are behind it aren't they?" she asked.

"The thing is, ever since you guys went missing, I noticed a lot more of the Neo Heroes are going into battle… with cyborg parts."

Garou froze, he turned to Melee who was just as stunned. "Oh God…" she whispered. "They wouldn't dare do that to Bad would they?"

"Unless he's been brought to the point of death…" muttered Garou. "But it's Metal Bat we're talking about here. I kicked his ass six ways from Sunday after he battled elder centipede and he still came back for more. You can't kill him that easily." He protested.

"Still…" Melee said with worry.

"Thanks," Garou muttered to Stinger. He knows now to keep an eye out on this…