Chapter 18.

The night came once more, after his research done for the day, Street went off to bed and tried to figure everything out. Garou kept coming into his mind, there was something about him that he hasn't quite figured out just yet. As his mind drifted off to sleep, he began to think of his father once more, and the sister whose name has yet to be recalled…

#

It would be the day after the ass kicking. Street's father would be out on patrol in search of the teenager whose power was something he has never felt before. He would hear a commotion going on in an alleyway, then the smell of blood would waft over his nose. Shortly after, the kid would appear, wrapping up his bloodied hand, he turned and nearly walk right into him. "Back for more!" Garou demanded as he stood at the ready.

"Nah, not tonight. I was looking for you though… you hungry?"

"Huh?"

"You hungry? You haven't eaten in a while have you? Come on, I just wanna talk, and get something to eat."

Garou blew him off. "Tch, like I am going to trust you. Heroes like you wait to be called in to strike! I ain't falling for it!"

Then, his stomach growled. It had been a while since he ate anything. All the fighting has made him hungry. Even Brawler's stomach rumbled. "Ah see, we're both hungry! Come, we have plenty!" In a brash move, he wrapped his arm around Garou's shoulder and walked him down the street. "I don't live too far, my daughter is a great cook!"

"Let go of me!" Garou hissed.

Yet there was a reason for his actions. With his arm around the human monster, no one really saw it was indeed Garou walking down the street. His father's arm was too large to make out who was under it. By the time they reached the apartment, Garou wrenched himself out of the brace. He would glare at him for his brash move, and yet the human monster held back on striking.

When he got home, Father paused. "Now, this is a no fighting area, not even my boys are allowed to rough house inside. Only rule I ask you abide by if you want to eat."

He would sneer at the notion, yet as his stomach roared in hunger, he reluctantly agreed. With that, Garou was taken into the Brawler's lair. Street would be setting the table yet freeze at the sight of the teen that beat him up just the night before. Garou would glare at him, Street glare back with a look of distrust. However, his father would slap Garou's back. "Come on, we ain't gonna bite ya!" he laughed. "DAUGHTER, HOW IS DINNER COMING!"

"ALMOST DONE, KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON DAD!" she snapped back.

"Ah very good, sit, want something to drink?"

"Coke." Garou muttered. Street would roll his eyes as he went to the fridge, yet in the kitchen he would see his sister hard at work. Tonight was special, she got paid and was given a bonus for a recent take down of a bounty. She was able to afford good meat tonight for father's favorite dish. Udon noodles with slivered beef and cabbage in a light brown sauce. It wasn't much, however he always looked forward to such a meal. It's what he and mother survived off of when things were tough. The meal then became a treat, even more so when meat got too expensive.

But tonight there was plenty.

Street returned with the drink as he placed it aggressively before Garou. Knuckle would appear yet hung back to say the least. Neither of the brothers trusted the notion that the human monster would abide by the no fighting rule. "So, What did you do to your hand?" father would ask.

Garou stared at it. "None of your concern." He muttered and took his drink.

"Huh? If I didn't know any better, I would say you were stabbed with a small sword, yes, a small sword if I am not mistaken… judging by the scuffs on your hands, you deflected projectiles from something metal."

There was a surprise look on Garou as his father appeared to have broken down his most recent fight. "Let's see, those weapons, Spring Mustachio and Golden Ball like to hang out together, especially near that bar you wondered out from the back of it. If anything should one be pulled into battle the other would come running. You appeared to have succeeded in defeating them both, not bad, the two got skill."

"Tch" Garou muttered. "I thought you brought me here to eat, not chit chat."

His father smiled just as the meal was finished being prepared. She came into the room with a small cart and four massive bowls. She placed down a bowl for everyone and one for Garou. He was stunned to the size of it. Father smirked. "You better eat every bit of it, this is my favorite dinner, and I won't tolerate anyone turning their nose up at it!"

She would sit at the end with a small bowl for herself. "Damn it girl!" Knuckle scolded. "You don't work for him anymore, quite it with this dinky portion of food!"

"Shut up, I'll eat what I want to eat!" she snapped back.

Street then turned and noticed Garou was already halfway done his meal, everything was shoveled into his mouth without hesitation until the bowl was empty. He paused as he placed his chopsticks down. "Another!" father called.

She nodded and got more. Taking the empty bowl away, she returned with more for their guest. He was stunned to say the least. "I know that look, you ain't satisfied with one serving. We got plenty," he insisted.

He ate as good as a Brawler did. Three bowls and he was satisfied. Father had two himself as did Street and Knuckle. When finished, Street cleared the dishes as father spoke with the human monster. "I don't quite know what your aim is at, but let me say this, should you realize it's not what you are truly after, come back and see us. We won't turn you away, we won't turn you in either. We ain't registered heroes either… well one of us is."

"What the hell are you talking about you fat, old man?" Garou snapped. "I know what I want, and I can taste it too. I don't need your help!"

Father would back off. "Fine, but the offer is on the table should you change your mind."

"Is that it?" Garou demanded. "Can I leave now?"

Father nodded. "Before you go…" he got up and left the room for a moment. Only to return with a small bag. Inside was medical supplies, a towel, bottles of water and a few energy bars. "I ain't much, but it will hopefully do you good." He said and offered it to the human monster.

Garou sneered at it as he turned away, yet he snatched the offering out of the hands of Father. He took his leave yet wouldn't go through the front door, he took the fire exit and vanished into the night. Street returned as he shook his head. "The guy is a younger than us, what's his deal?" he asked.

However, there was a look on father's face. One he didn't like again, he had an idea. "Dad…" asked Knuckle nervously.

His smile only grew as he took a seat once more and leaned back in his chair. "The boy needs to be taken down a few pegs, but we ain't the ones to do it. But when that happens, I think it will become clear as to what he need in his life… part of it would be a good woman. A strong one at that… like your sister."

Street froze. "No… you wouldn't!" he protested.

"Oh yes, I think he would be perfect for her. You know how I am picky about any boy that makes a move on her. This one… this one is different. I think they would balance each other out quite nice."

"Good thing she's in the shower, she would kill you if you said that to her!" said Knuckle.

Father's grin only grew. "Give it time, let's see how this plays out…"

#

He would wake up once more in a cold sweat. Street slowly sat up and out of bed as his mind raced. "Is this trying to tell me something?" he wondered. "Was this… a clue or a sign about our sister?" He turned to his left and saw Knuckle was out like a light. He was at least sleeping well, Street wasn't. It was 4am, he would be getting up soon anyways. However he lay back down and tried to figure out the dream, what was it trying to say to him?

For certain there was one thing he has to do. He has to find and speak with Amai Mask!

#

He got straight to searching the next morning. He learned all he could of Amai Mask and supposedly an apprentice he had for a short while named Shuriken Star. There, Street knew there was something about her. However, he has to hear it from the superstar himself.

After breakfast they went to City W where he was filming for his latest movie. There was a massive crowd to say the least, yet the brothers were able to get through to the front. Knuckle approached a security guard and made small talk with him, yet as he did, he paused at the sight of 'Sweet Mask' himself. He was just going into his trailer when he stopped and waved at the fans. Yet in doing so, the smile suddenly vanished from his face. His eyes locked on to the brothers, Street could have sworn that Amai appeared a little pale. He reached for a walkie talkie that connected to the bouncers. The one Knuckle was talking to paused. "He wants to speak with you two." He said. "Go ahead."

"Strange… just like that huh?" Street muttered. The brothers approached the trailer the door left open yet out of courtesy they knocked.

"Enter."

The brothers were barely able to fit through the door, yet the trailer was a lot more spacious inside than it appeared. Amai stared at them, frozen stiff to the sight of the brothers. "Street… Knuckle…" he said.

"Oh, he does remember us? I certainly remember him for some reason… and I promised myself this…" Knuckle said with a smirk.

POW!

Without warning, Knuckle clocked Amai right in the face! He stumbled back a little his nose nearly broken but instantly healed. "I… do believe I deserved that…" the superstar stated as he looked back to the brothers.

BAM

Street needed his shot too!

Amai healed quickly once more. He glared at the two yet held his tongue for the moment. "Am… I safe to assume that will be all the surprises you have in store for me?" he asked with a sneer on his lip.

"We got that out of our system." Said Knuckle, but then turned to Amai. "We got questions… about our sister… we… can't remember her."

Amai froze to the news. "So it would seem. I thought you two died in a monster attack."

The brothers froze. "Died?" they asked. "How could we if we're here?"

"That's the question. I can assure you, Melee was with me all day when the attack happened. I only learned about what happened afterwards when she said that her family was killed. And yet, here you stand before me."

"Melee… her name was Melee… THAT'S WHY THE NAME WAS FAMILIAR!" Knuckle announced with glee. "Melee, she was named Melee!"

Street however wasn't celebrating just yet. "Is… she still alive?" he asked.

Amai sighed and nodded. "Yes, she is, and has a family and… well… I suppose you can call him a man, devoted to her." He paused. "Strange, if she knew you were alive, why hasn't she sought you out yet?"

"That's what I want to know… what we want to know," said Knuckle. "Amai, if what you say is true, we died in a monster attack, then how are we here now? What happened that brought us to this point? What could have happened?"

"I cannot say for certain, but know this. Melee would be thrill to know you are alive, perhaps I should call her myself and see…"

"You know where she lives?" asked Street with utter amazement.

"Indeed,"

"Then tell us!" demanded Knuckle. "We want to see her, we want to see our sister!"

"Let me make a call first, and then we can arrange something. Just a moment…" yet as Amai made the call, the Neo Heroes began to call them. There's an incident in City W that they must go and investigate. Apparently something is attacking the Neo Hero base in the area, the door ripped off the wall.

"Duty calls. We will be back!" vowed Knuckle.

Amai nodded, the brothers were quick to leave, just as he got through to Melee…