Chapter 16

Alley and Zenko entered another room, from there she closed the door off and nodded to her. She can speak what's on her mind.

At first she was silent, until she choked back her tears. "I'm worried for Bad." She explained. "He… he thought something was going on at the Neo Heroes, he sent me here to be protected in case he was right… Alley, I haven't heard from him since. He kept answering his phone for a week after he left, and then… he didn't pick up anymore." She whimpered. "He's not hurt! I can feel it, he didn't get hurt enough to not answer his phone! But now, the Neo Heroes are answering it. They are saying if I want to see my brother, I need to go to their headquarters. Bad told me if that happens to NEVER go… but I… I'm scared for him!"

"How long ago?" Alley asked with concern.

"A week after your family 'died'" she said in quotation marks. "After that, the Neo Heroes have been telling me, if I want to speak with him to go… I stopped calling after that, but now... they are calling me. Trying to guilt me into go… I nearly have a few times. Boros stopped me."

She nodded, this was concerning. "What had Bad worried?" she asked.

Zenko shrugged her shoulders to it all. "I… I don't know," she said. "But it must have been something he has seen personally. I mean, I love my brother dearly, but he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer right?"

She snickered to the comment, but she also trust Bad has good instincts about something. "He may have seen something and knew it wasn't right. Bad acts on what he sees." She muttered and began to think.

"Alley…" Zenko whispered. "Can… can you rescue him from the Neo Heroes?"

She gave a nod. "I've always wanted Bad here anyways. I will start making a plan, getting in and out is going to be a bitch to say the least…"

Just then, a knock came to the door. "Hey… may I come in?"

"Uncle?" muttered Alley. She opened the door and saw her uncle Knuckle leaning against it casually. "Uncle Knuckle, please, we're trying to…"

"I know the situation, you forget, I was 'suppose' to be brainwashed. Remember?" he asked with a smirk. But the smile vanished as he looked to Zenko. "Short stack is in trouble?" he asked.

"I… I don't know…" she said in a worried tone.

"The thing is after the family was taken out and the monster attacks spiked. Ubet allowed the Neo Heroes to convert convicts into 'heroes' using whatever they could to do it. I've seen some of those guys out on the streets, nothing more than mindless grunts to say the least. They point and shoot them at a monster, if they nearly die, they get taken away only to be rebuilt again…"

"Oh God…" Alley whispered in shock.

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Her uncle paused. "Tell you what, next time those assholes call, you give the phone to me."

"What? Uncle Knuckle…"

"These guys have wanted Street and I for a while. They aren't going to turn down an opportunity to get at least one of us. I'll be bait here, if it gets me in, great. If not… I'll bust my way in!"

Zenko sniffled. "Please… please find my brother," she pleaded.

Knuckle smirked as he placed a hand on top of her head. "Short stack is like a little bro to me, like hell I am going to leave him behind. You don't get a call soon, I'm going in anyway."

"Uncle Street going to help you?" asked Alley.

He laughed off the notion. "Like hell that's going to happen. Takes the fun out of it for me! Nah, I can solo this no problem."

Zenko was about to cry.

But then her phone went off.

She looked down and saw the number and answered. "Hello?"

"Zenko, your brother has been asking about you recently. Are you too busy to come pay him a visit?"

She choked back the tears until Knuckle took the phone. "Hey, Neo Heroes!" he said in a cheery voice.

"Knuckle Brawler?"

"That's right, hey look, I am starting to think that perhaps this Association isn't the place for me, care to talk out some details about perhaps rejoining you? By the way, who the hell is this? I knew a few of you guys but your voice… I ain't familiar with…"

There was silence at first, until the voice continued. "My name is Destro, I am one of the heads of security. We would be MORE than happy to have you come visit us Knuckle Brawler. In fact, it would be a great honor and learning experience."

"Sweet, okay then, I'll be there soon!" He hung up and gave the phone back. "I'll be back in a short while. I'm going to get Short Stack."

Alley nodded. "Be careful Uncle…"

"When am I not!" he laughed and walked out the door.

Zenko was trembling. "Bad… please be okay…" she whispered.