Chapter 21

Amai just finished the call. Melee was informed first hand by him, and she is aware now that her brothers are asking for her. Wondering where she is. It broke his heart to hear her cry, but he insisted she come and see them with her own two eyes. "I'll try and keep them here with me for as long as I can, please, Melee, come see your brothers" he insisted.

She took a deep breath but agreed to the notion. With that Amai hung up and was about to go back out onto the set. As he made his way, he heard. "AMAI!" the Brawlers returned and were running right for him. "AMAI!" shouted Street until he stood before him. "Melee, our sister… where does she live?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be concerned about that… besides." He looked beyond them and into the sky, there was a glow object fast approaching them. "She's coming to you. Follow me." He brought the brothers on to the set, production actually finished up for the day so there was but a call set crew cleaning things up. "Wait here."

He left, and yet as he did, the brothers appeared nervous.

#

Melee's feet just touch the ground. Amai was there to greet her as she began to shake like a leaf. "Are you okay?" he asked of her.

She shook her head. "How… how can I be okay?" she questioned. "I buried my brothers… years ago… and now… they are going to be standing before me?" she asked as the tears welded up in her eyes. She shook her head at the thought of it all. Her body trembled as she tried to make sense of it. "What… do I say, how do I say it? Are they going to understand what has happened to me? What I became?" she asked.

"They are far more opened minded than I expected them to be." Amai said offhandedly. "Granted, I could have done without the punch to the face by both brothers…"

She paused. "They… punched you?"

"In the face mind you" he emphasized that point.

It brought a smile to hers, even a giggle escaped from her. "They did say that, if they ever saw you… they would punch you in that 'sweet mug' of yours." She said.

"In that case there is no doubt, they are your brothers," he muttered. "Melee, go inside and speak with them."

With a deep breath, she went in. Her legs felt like jelly, she wanted to throw up for the first time in ages. But her main worry was, would they know who she is with how she looks?

#

Street and Knuckle were getting anxious. "Did she have second thoughts?" asked Knuckle.

"I don't know, I just don't know." Street muttered.

Amai returned, he paused as he kept peering towards a corner of the room. "You've come this far, come a little farther." He insisted.

The brothers stood tall as a young woman slowly walked towards them. She… didn't look like Melee. There was no sparkle to her eyes, since they were white. Her arms covered in scales like… a monster. Yet just by the way she walked into the room, Street could tell she was just as scared as they were. "That's some hero look you are going for…" he said. Stepping a little closer, Street took in her feature. "Melee?" he asked.

She was about to speak, yet Amai cut her off. "Of course, one must stand out in this day and age as a hero. Sometimes taking the skin as a prize and forging it into something useful, like armor…" he explained.

Amai stepping it startled him a little. Why is he doing this, Melee was always capable of speaking for herself!

Knuckle however appeared rather distrusting of this woman. "Then why are her eyes white? They were brown before."

"Contacts" lied Amai.

"What are you doing!" She whispered angrily.

"Gentlemen, I can assure you here and now, the young woman before you is indeed your sister Melee Brawler. She went by the hero name of Shuriken Star before taking her leave to become a full time hero. She was the best personal assistant I ever had, no one has held a candle to her since."

They appeared reluctant to believe him. "I ain't convinced it is Melee. I mean, the last time we saw her, she was fourteen years old…" said Knuckle.

Melee began to tear up, but then, she quickly stopped herself. "You accidently pulled a prank on Dad a day before his birthday. When in fact we were going to have Amai over, he needed to use our shower and you wanted to prank him. You put butter rum lifesaver candies in the showerhead. Despite Sweet Mask finding another means of bathing, you didn't take out the lifesavers. Dad was sticky for the whole day because of it."

They froze. Street remembered that prank all too well. Amai Mask was having his bathroom renovated and invited himself over to use the shower before his big interview tour that day. The brothers wanted to get back at him for the anguish he caused to Melee, that and embarrass him. Knuckle began to laugh when all of a sudden, he grabbed hold and pulled Melee into his arms. "Sis…" he whispered and wept.

She began to cry too, Street came from behind as they encased her in their arms. As the brothers pulled away, Street caught Amai smiled to the reunion. He must have known how much her family met to her. "Now that this is done, please tell me I won't be punched in the face anymore?" he asked.

"Depends…" warned Knuckle. "For now, let us enjoy the moment…" they pulled away and smiled down at her. "So, I hear you have a family now huh?"

Melee went a little pale. "Yes… yes I do…"

"Can we meet them?" asked Street.

She was reluctant to agree, but she nodded. "Yes, how about dinner tomorrow night?"

"I have just the place too if you wish Melee. Bring everyone along!"

She froze but glared at Amai oddly, yet her brothers insisted on it. "Yeah, bring everyone! I want to meet the whole gang!" insisted Knuckle.

Melee sighed but gave in to the notion. "We will have dinner at my house, I just ask that any of the Neo Hero equipment you have is left behind." She said.

It was a strange request, yet Street nodded. "Sure, no problem. So… where do you live?"

"I can arrange for someone to pick you up if you wish it, it's the very least I can do for you," said Amai.

"Yeah, sure. Have the car get us at the Neo Heroes HQ, it's where we are staying. Say… four o'clock?" asked Knuckle.

She nodded in agreement as did Amai. "We better head back and explain what happened here to Accel. Who knew that an eight year old could bust down a metal door?" said Street.

Melee froze to the news. Amai couldn't help but laugh.