Chapter 24

"Well, now that the introduction is done here… I better explain my two…" Boros said aloud.

The whole family wanted to hear this. Garou most of all. Gene explained to the family that Boros's people were prolific fighters, breeding was hard to come by since many of his people would parish in battles over mates, or even in attempt to mate with a strong female warrior but most of the time, they were not powerful enough to stimulate reproduction. "I figured something was wrong with him when I noticed two growths on his back, He didn't pay much mind to it, but I knew there was something happening…" Gene explained.

Boros blushed green a little. "I had no idea this was a way for my people to reproduce to say the least…"

Garou turned to Luna who continued to hold the two in her arms. She cuddled them and they in return nestled into her shoulders. "So… they are mine?" She asked with the biggest grin on her lips.

Boros nodded. "You were the only one powerful enough to stimulate reproduction in me!" he said and laughed. "I always knew you were the one for me…"

"Too young to be dating you," Garou muttered.

"And yet Eclipsa has a mate!" Luna protested.

"She got me there…"

"ANYWAYS" Boros stated. "My son is named Garos, named after both myself and his grandfather… My daughter is Meteora"

Suddenly Meteora began to rush around all over the place, it was like a flash as she was on Goliath's head one moment, hanging off of Titan another and them peering into the eyes of Snek the next! "Wow, I got a big family, daddy said I came from a big family, I didn't realize how big it was!" she said in a hyperactive tone.

"Yeah, that's definitely Luna's" Melee muttered.

Garos eased himself out of Luna's arms. He turned to the family and bowed respectfully before them. "It's a pleasure and honor to meet all of you," he said in a respectful tone.

"Wow…" Alley muttered. "So, what's next for you Boros?" she asked.

He appeared reluctant to speak of it, but sighed. "Since I reproduced, I have to bring the children back to the home planet and display them to the elders and the people… they take this quite seriously… twenty years worth of travel… I am not looking forward to it…"

"Send them an email or something, why go?" Garou asked.

"I have to, for I am the clone of Boros, the strongest out of all the people. To show that I have reproduced only validates my position as the strongest…"

"I agree with dad here, just do a link chat with them and show the kids off that way. Besides, since you are the strongest of your people, what the hell are they doing to do to you if you don't?" Suiryu asked.

"He has a point," said Chuck. "Quite frankly boy, I think that all messed up in the head that you got to take your kids out to show them off… They ought to be grateful that you managed to HAVE kids in the first place. That or they are taking record in case they go to war, they want to know their stock levels…"

"I never thought about that," muttered Gene. "Your people take record of each child that is born… in case they go to war."

"My people are always at war," Boros said with a sigh.

"Don't even bother then, again, what the hell are they going to do?" Chuck asked as he continued to glare down at Amai. "You can get up now boy, but from this moment on… you're gonna be my bitch!"

Amai slowly got to his feet.

Melee however had to step in. "Dad… he's been through enough as it is, you know this isn't his real appearance too right? Like Garou right now, he doesn't really look like that…" she explained.

Chuck suddenly turned to Garou, his eyes continued to spin before they came to a stop. "Son of a bitch boy… you were holding out on me!" he laughed,

"Uh… yeah…"

"How the fuck do you manage!?"

"GRANDDAD! THERE ARE BABIES HERE, NO SWEARING!" snapped Luna.

He froze to her tone. "Damn, that girl's got Gaia in her!"

"Gaia?" Melee asked.

"Mom," whispered Knuckle. "Dad called her Gaia, since she always kept him grounded. She had a voice that would made even dad's blood run cold if he made her mad"

"Oh…" she whispered.

"Sorry baby girl, I will try and watch my tongue, sometimes stuff still slips out…"

"It's okay mother, we have heard all the swear words, we don't repeat them either," Garos explained.

However the glare in Luna's eyes were not ones that people wished to see. "Just a warning, if she can kick Boros's… butt… she can kick anyone's" Garou announced.

"Fair," everyone muttered back.

"Well, how about we go back inside, we can show everyone around," insisted Titan.

"I got to get back to helping out Bad… God I hope there is something I can do for him…" Alley said with a sigh.

Not even Garou has seen Metal Bat recently, but an idea did come to mind. "Hey Alley, let me see him." He said. "Oh… and I need his bat"

#

He was taken to Bad's room.

From there, Garou knocked on the door with the bat and waited. Slowly, the door cracked open. Garou peered in and smirked. "There you are… How about a round for old time's sake?" he asked and held up the bat.

"Not in the mood,"

Before the door could close, Garou shoved his foot into it. "Hold it, maybe that came out a little wrong…" he said. "How about you TRY and beat the hell out of me. You couldn't do it the last time…"

"Quite baiting me…"

"Whose baiting you? All I am saying is that you were an easy mark, and I could have taken you out easily. You were just a wimpy boy that couldn't hold his own against a bug…"

The door wrenched open. The bat was grabbed out of his hands as Bad stared at Garou with that blank look. "You are pushing it," he warned.

"I don't know if I can take you that seriously… I mean there's no anger in that voice of yours. Guess it just means I'm right…"

"Outside…" Bad ordered.

Garou on the other hand was grinning. "Sure thing… short stack…"

"You are going to be eating your meals through a straw when I am through with you…"

"Like to see you try…"

#

They went at it for three hours straight.

Garou felt Bad's power grow more and more as the fight dragged on. He even got him to bleed a little, but not by much.

When they were tried out, Bad stared at him, the look alone startled Garou as there was no emotion, it was just a blank stare at him. "Hey… thanks…" Bad said offhandedly.

"This was for my own sake, I wanted to see what they did to you and if it really did make you stronger… got to say, I am greatly disappointed."

Bad nodded. "I wasn't looking for this…"

"Like hell you would, you would be no better than the current me right now, turned against your will… it sucks!" he said.

Bad fell silent for a moment, until he said. "Can Alley really help me?"

Garou paused to the question, but smirked. "That girl has done impossible things, she stopped three heroes from turning completely into monsters, she raised an alien overlord to be a hero, and she can create things not even I have ever heard of. If anyone is going to be able to fix you, it's her and those she trusts."

Bad nodded in agreement. "I haven't seen Zenko in a while…"

"She's with Pac… well… in Pac. She wanted him to hold on to her… come to think of it, that was a day ago, I don't think she left him yet!"

Bad merely nodded. "She didn't mind that, she told me how she felt safe when he did that for her…" he said offhandedly. "Glad I know there is someone who can take care of her when I can't…"

Garou smirked. "You know, for someone who is usually angry all the time, seeing you like this is really freaking me out. How about this, you and I, when you get fixed up… we take out the sons of bitches that did this to you!"

"Why would you help me?" Bad asked. "This is my fight,"

"True, but I owe these guys a good beating still… after what they put Melee through… Blue stalking her, they brought her brothers back without her permission… what they are doing to close friends… Like it or not Bad, you're family now… Goddamn it, nearly every jackass I have beaten up in the past is starting to become family…"

"If you held back on the kids, you wouldn't be in this situation."

"Shut the hell up!" Garou snapped back.