Chapter 24
The brothers stayed and played with Luna, Akira and Eclipsa. After dinner they did a little rough housing which tired the three out rather nicely. Yet it was Boros who approached them with an odd request. "I want to scan you." He stated.
It even stunned Melee. "Scan them?" she questioned.
"Yes, I have been working on a device with mother figure, any object we place upon it we can make a scan of said object into a holographic image. May I?" he asked.
The brothers nodded. With that Boros went into his pocket and took out two small flat disks. He pressed the center of it and gently placed them onto the ground. The disks grew and spread out into a standing platform. "So… we just stand on it?" asked Street.
"Indeed,"
With a shrug, the brothers stood on the device, when both their feet were flat on the panel, a beam of light shot up from the bottom. "WHOA!" said Knuckle. As quickly as it was done, the light stopped and registered everything. "That's it?"
"Yes, I have made it so the device works quickly and without flaw. It will take me a few minutes to process the image, but then, I can reveal to you what it made." He reached for his devices once more, rendering them down to small disks. Boros returned to the kitchen table and processed the data.
"He's so yours…" muttered Suiryu to Alley.
"You have… a remarkable family, sis." Street said with great admiration. "Dad would be so proud of you."
Melee choked back the tears, but she forced a laugh. "You really think dad would have approved of Garou?" she said.
"HEY!" he protested, but then paused. "No, wait, you're right… carry on."
Street smirked. "I've been having such vivid dreams about that. If dad were still here… in fact, my dreams told me, he would have tried to hook the two of you up himself!"
"Wait, what?!" demanded Melee. "Dad HATED the idea of me dating. He was heart broken when I told him I liked Amai Mask!"
"No kidding, the guy is a class A hole!" said Knuckle, but quickly checked to see if Luna reacted to his near swear, so far, he was in the clear. "I got the feeling dad would have done that too." He paused and turned to the human monster with a smirk. "Our old man had a bit of a strange habit you know, anyone he saw with potential yet was causing trouble, he would personally fight them to see what they are made of. No doubt you would have impressed him to say the least. He would seek you out again… only to invite you over for dinner."
"Huh?" Garou asked in great confusion. He turned to Melee with a very uncertain look. "Was your old man nuts?" he asked.
"Depends on the day and his mood,"
"I doubt you would have turned him down for a free meal after all. If you were hero hunting, you wouldn't want to be seen. Not to mention getting something to eat would be difficult for you. So this was the least amount of work and risk needed, would it not?" Street questioned.
Garou sat there, frozen to his words. "Damn it…" he muttered.
"DARN IT!" scolded Luna.
The brothers snickered. "I forgot to mention something about my brothers, they have very good intuition. They can also break down the mindset of opponents rather well by observing their patterns, behaviors and emotions. As well after fighting an opponent once, they are able to understand the mind set and know how far they could go in order to gain that person's interest on a matter. They pegged you pretty good."
"And I barely even know them."
"That's handy, so one fight and you can see if that person has good intentions or not?" asked Pac.
"Pretty much, old man rule number one. Never show everything you got all at once. Number two hold back when gauging an opponent until you know what you're up against."
There appeared to be a look of interest on Garou's face. Melee instantly picked up on it. "Oh no… come on, they just ate!" she protested.
"So did I… wanna work off dinner? Let's see this Brawler go all out!" he said as a look of excitement came across his face.
Knuckle cracked his fists. "Yeah… I think I could go for a spar session."
"Garou!" Melee protested.
"I'll go easy on him, relax…"
"Sis, little bro doesn't have to go easy on me, besides, he can't be THAT strong!"
Melee sighed. "How do I put this…" she said and then nodded. "I could beat the both of you with an arm tied behind my back with great ease and in less than ten seconds. Compared to Garou, what I am capable of is nothing to compared to him."
Her brothers paused, they looked between each other and back at her. "I'm want in on this too!" Street announced. "Two on one!"
"Okay," Garou said with a grin. "To the pit!"
#
The whole family gathered and watched from the sidelines. Melee was still cringing at the notion that her brothers were getting in over their heads… again. Yet, she also trusted Garou to go easy on them. No doubt he will toy with the two to prolong the fight, not to mention get them to go all out to say the least. But the family was stunned when he demonstrated a new trick. He was able to pull in his dragons, wings and meld his tail to his body! He looked nearly human again! "Whoa… when did dad learn that?!" asked Pac. "Why hasn't he taught it to me yet?"
"Oh, he's been doing that since he learned about the Neo Heroes and before the Association falling," explained Snek. "He said if he had to go into town and look human, he would try and pull off the look, he can hold this for about an hour until he has to release it all again. It's like sucking in your gut."
"Still…" muttered Pac.
Melee watched on as Knuckle and Street began to walk around and gauge Garou just by sight alone. Then the two rushed right at him! Their fists flew as they gave off a battle cry, however it had no effect on him. He easily blocked their strikes and could see where they were going to go, how they would move and counter act those movements. He never landed a single blow, he merely waited for her brothers to tire out… that took a half hour for them to run out of steam and breath. Her brothers' skills thought have improved greatly from what she could recall. They would normally go in and just bash an opponent. Perhaps they have learned something from the Neo Heroes?
"Is it my turn?" Garou asked of them. "If it is, it's best you catch your breath now. I'll just knock the air out of you."
"Come on Garou! There's no point in continuing!" Melee protested.
"No, we're going to see this through!" protested Street. He and Knuckle somehow gained a second wind. They stood on their feet and took a stance. "Come on little bro!"
Garou didn't mercy them to say the least. He picked them off, first knocking Street back away before he landed quick strikes against Knuckle! Melee could feel the impact of the blows from where she stood! Knuckle was thrown back and landed face down in the dirt, his sights then turned to Street. Street was kicked up off the ground, in mid air, Garou struck him ones in the back, forcing him back into the earth and made an imprint.
"Really!?" Melee demanded. "You had to beat them THAT badly?"
Garou shrugged. "They asked for it!"
"Damn dad…" muttered Goliath.
Knuckle picked himself off the ground. Street did as well. The brothers shook their heads to it all. Despite the cuts, blood and bruising they will get by tomorrow, there was a smirk that came over their lips. "AGAIN!"
"Oh God…" Melee muttered. "THAT'S ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU!" she yelled. Her brothers were about to protest, but she gave them such a look, they instantly stopped their argument.
"Another time." Garou promised them. "It's getting late, did you two want to stay overnight?"
"Thanks, but we got to get back. We got some business to attend to at the Neo Heroes to say the least." Stated Street. "We're going to correct that incident report they did about you and the family."
Melee approached her brothers and embraced them tightly once more. "Please, be careful!"
They wrapped her up in their arms, she hasn't quite had a hug like that in a long time. "We will sis, we won't leave you behind again."
"Want a ride home? I can esper lift you if you want." Asked Goliath.
"Ooo flying in style, sure!" said Knuckle.
"Is it safe?" asked Street.
"He wouldn't be offering to do it if it weren't," whispered Garou.
Melee watched on as her brothers floated off the ground, they were like kids since it was the closest sensation they will ever have to flying. After toying with the notion, they regain their composure and allowed Goliath to take off. She watched them leave, yet a part of her wished they stayed. "Melee…" Garou said gently. "We'll work on them, and convince them to stay with us. Would you like that?"
"I don't know… I mean, we still have the house of evolution to deal with. If they are with the Neo Heroes and being in the limelight right now, they are safe, aren't they? Safer than being here?" she asked.
"I don't know what to tell you anymore, but, knowing your brothers. They don't want to be safe… they want to be Brawlers. And you said so yourself. A Brawler will do what a Brawler will do, they are stubborn no doubt."
She gave him a playful punch to the arm. "Yeah we are!" she said. "I just wish there was someway to keep them safe. I don't ever want to lose them again…"