Chapter 13

His mind went into a 'what if' scenario.

If his father hadn't died, what would have happened if they encountered Garou during his 'Hero hunting' phase of his life? Street began to have a good indication.

I would be shortly after the Tank Top Army fell, Garou cleaning the blood from his hands yet as he turned, he would encounter the Brawlers. "Quite a mess ya made boy."

"Who the fuck are you?"

A massive burly man snickered as he scratched his beard. "Don't really matter now, don't it? You ever heard of a Brawler before? We like to fight, but not just anyone… Did that poor kid have to get his face smashed in?" he asked pointed to Muman Rider.

Garou would smirk. "He calls himself a hero… I take it you do as well old, fat man?" he would take his stance, his hands poised to strike as he smiled towards him. Lingering behind him would be Street himself and his brother Knuckle at the ready. They already saw him take out the Tank Top Army, the guy has skill and strength no doubt, the question remains, why is he using it for this?

"If I said yes, you going to come at me with all ya got?"

The sinister grin grew. Next thing Street knew Garou was in a full charge! He took aim right at his father who was quick to block and push Garou off balance. It started him a little, he didn't expect a man this big to move as fast! Yet he quickly regrouped, this time, he landed the blow, right across his face, Street froze as his father flew through the air, yet before he hit the ground he turned himself enough to roll back on to his feet. He was missing a tooth now, his nose and lip split open as a deranged smirk came over the old man. "That's some punch you go kid."

"I ain't trying yet!"

SMASH.

Knuckle came out of nowhere, catching Garou off guard with a single strike! The kid stumbled back and yet kept on his feet. "Can take a hit, impressive… OOF!" Knuckle was struck multiple times in a single swoop! He was knocked back and into the bush, he didn't get up again.

Street stood, as Garou's glare turned towards him. "Too scared?" teased the human monster.

"Nah," Street stated. "Just observing you. I got most of the details I needed." With that, he went in. He knew he wasn't going to win, but allowed Garou to get his shot in before knocking Street back and out.

He would come too a few minutes later. Despite the blood he laid in, it wasn't that bad of a beating. "Hey, don't move, we're going to get you some help!" he woke to the voice of paramedics, Street waved them off as he picked himself off the ground.

"No thanks, take care of those boys first. I'll walk it off. Knuckle! Dad!" his brother came too, his father shook off the beating, and he now has a black eye and a sprained arm.

"Okay, let's go home, no doubt we won't hear the end of this tonight." His father muttered.

They would retreat home to City B, in a small apartment where a hot meal would be waiting for them. As they sat down, their father then turned to him. "So, what did we learn tonight?"

"He has power, no doubt about it. Constantly growing the more he his challenge, no doubt that's his aim. Genius combatant skills, seeing a move once, he will be able to replicated it. Also, once he has observed one's fighting style, he has already created a means and counter action to aid style," Street announced.

"Hits hard, could hit harder, strange though, for someone looking to be a monster, it's not what I was expecting." Said Knuckle.

His father nodded in agreement. "Lacked conviction, despite stating he was going to kill everyone, no one died. Which means, he isn't aiming to kill." They devoured their meal until his father called out. "ARE YOU NOT JOINING US?"

Street could recall a young fourteen year old girl, yet with the time that has supposedly passed, he envisioned a young woman that emerged from the kitchen with a small plate. "Sis, that ain't enough!" said Knuckle. "You're losing too much weight, eat!"

"I'm okay, this is more than enough for me…"

"Sister, we're worried about you. You need to eat to grow up strong!" Street protested.

"This is fine, I assure you." She ate in silence as father appeared concerned.

"It's that damn Amai Mask again isn't it! Is he telling you to lose weight!" he demanded.

She said nothing. She would speak ill will of Amai, especially since her job kept food on the table. It upset them, Street in particular since he has seen his sister suffer first hand. She would always go without since they ate so much more than she did.

Knuckle then scraped some of his food on to her plate. "Eat it!" he ordered.

"Really, I'm not that hungry!" she protested.

"You eat it or I swear you will not go back and work for that smug asshole again!" her father warned.

"I'm Class B dad! I won't work for him anymore!" she protested.

"Then you won't be doing hero stuff until I see that plate cleared young lady!" There was no choice as she cleaned her plate, when done she took everyone else's and washed the dishes. "I wouldn't be lecturing me on my habits, considering yours! You can put your own Band-Aids on tonight!" she scolded.

When they were alone, Street turned to his father. "So… what do we do about Garou?" he asked.

His father went into a deep though, but then a smirk came over him. "What we always do." He said.

Knuckle cringed, Street never liked it when his father stated his intentions that way. It can lead to disaster!

#

Street woke up in a cold sweat.

That dream… it felt so real.

"Sister…" he whispered.

"Huh… Street? You're awake?" muttered Knuckle. Street turned to his brother, the look of panic came over him as he realized what was missing.

"We have a sister…" he said.

Knuckle appeared confused at first, he didn't quite understand what he was getting at. "A sister… you sure man? I mean, I don't think that was possible. I am sure it was just us and dad…"

"No, there's a sister… she… worked for… someone… Mask…" he said as he tried to recall the dream he just had.

Knuckle snapped out of bed. "Amai Mask!" then he held his head painfully. "Yeah… Amai… sis worked for Amai Mask!" then, his eyes shot open. "Sister! We did have a sister!"

"Yeah, but now the question is, what happened to her? Last I remember she was fourteen years old, but in my dream just now… she was an older teenager," said Street.

"She looked a little older for her age which was how she got the job… yeah… I remember that now. She… she's alive, right? Or did she die with dad?"

The brothers were wide-awake now, remember a family member they nearly forgot existed. "I can't even remember her name, who she was, what she looked like, I got a hint of it in my dreams, but… I couldn't picture her being any older." Street tried to recall his dream, if it was accurate his sister would nearly be the same age as Garou if that were the case. But, he couldn't imagine her being such an age.

"Bro, maybe we should look for her tomorrow huh? I mean we got to do patrols, how hard could it be?" Knuckle asked.

"Perhaps, or we could just ask, I mean our family history book has to be somewhere right?"

"Yeah…" Knuckle flopped back down in his bed. "I didn't tell you what I learned tonight. The underground criminals have a huge ass bounty on the head of Garou and his family. The thing was, I think it was one of his kids, and his kids look as old as him! But one… had some of dad in him."

"Really? Could it just be a coincidence?"

"I don't know, but they said Garou has five kids, rumor has it he just had more. Why he is breeding and with who. I don't know, but there was something of interest. Do you remember a young hero named Snek?" he asked.

"Yeah, that guy was just getting started, helped dad a few times in a fight, good potential. Why?"

"He's become a monster in a sense, a human snake of all things… but he was a lot older than what I remember."

Street fell silent.

"Brother…" Knuckle said gently. "This is wrong, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is… I have never felt so out of place before. It is as if… I mean, I feel like I was ripped out of a moment in the past, and brought here…"

"Me too." Knuckle sighed. "Well, perhaps tomorrow, we will see what we can find."

"Yeah, I still got to finish reading up on Garou. There a whole section I missed, but perhaps a clear mind will see what is really going on."

Knuckle agreed. The two tried to fall back asleep, yet Street had trouble. "Say bro, if sis is still alive… would she remember us?"

"If sis is still alive, how could she not know we were?"

Dread filled Street the moment he uttered those words, if what he said is true, then his sister could very well be gone, just like their father…