As they finally reached the peak of the climb, Jamal could not bother to listen to the chatter behind him. It made sense since they haven't seen what happened here in the last three years, but why was Hops entertaining them?
"Yo, they actually bombed the crap out of us, and then if Jamal hadn't appeared out of nowhere, then you guys probably wouldn't be here." Hops began to explain his return.
"Is that so? Wasn't Jamal with you guys the entire time?" Leon noted.
"Well, he got captured by some people working for Youden, so he didn't get to see what had happened until he came back."
"I thought he was stronger than that to be taken like that. That's a pity." Jamal could hear Alice snickering behind them.
He wasn't going to bother to respond to their nonsense and was more worried about the troops near the border. Remembering as they passed through the area. he could see a small build-up of troops on both sides, already in this long conflict, and all because Youden was trying to kill him. He would ruin this nation and their people just for his death.
"Is this the place?" he could hear the driver trying to talk to him multiple times.
Looking back outside, he could recognize that they weren't far from his place, as he realized they passed the bakery he fought Kurt by, as Jamal replied back to stop the vehicle.
"Alright, we're going to walk the way back now." he told them, as he paid the driver before getting out. "Let's get a move on."
He watched as they pushed themselves out of the thing, causing him to laugh. Hops just glared at him, before beginning to walk ahead of him, Jamal following in suit.
"Would you look at that, what a surprise," he called back to them, to which he could hear them getting up in a rush.
Continuing the stroll, Jamal looked around anxiously. Even though he hadn't been here a week or so, it sure felt great being back. At least to him, but maybe not to the others.
"So this is where you really been?" Leon continued to note, as he passed by a small street vendor.
"How many times are you going to ask that question?" Jamal shook his head in disappointment, as they took a turn towards the street he lived on.
"Aren't we meeting your family from this?" Alice remembered him saying.
"Indeed we are. But you do realize you guys will have to find a place to stay, at least for now. Good luck with that." Jamal grinned back at them.
As he turned back ahead, he could see his house only a few yards away, he took a breath of relief making it back alright. This was it. Everyone watched, as he slowly walked up the steps of the place, before fishing out a key he left in his pocket for this exact moment. Bringing it inside the hole, he felt a click before he was able to open the door. Back home, he was.
"Is it me, or does no one realize there's a covered hole in the wall?" Alice noted, to no response.
Only except no one was inside, at least that Jamal could see, not listening to what they were saying behind him. Did they leave for something?
"Ula? Laken?" he called out, before hearing a door open from inside.
"Jamal?" he heard a familiar woman's voice.
"Alright guys, you can come in now." he looked back at them, before staring ahead to see Ula waiting for him.
"You're back already." she managed to say before they embraced.
"I did what had to be done." he smiled back at her, before kissing her passionately.
"So, this is what I came for?" Alice just watched in some disgust for several seconds.
"Jamal, who's that?" Ula pushed off him to stare at the person that spoke up.
"Oh, you should have seen him there. My man was-" Hops began to say, before Jamal stared him down. "He was eating good. Definitely hungry when we got there."
"Anyway babe, you should probably ask Hops who he was bringing along with him, as I thought otherwise." Jamal glared back at them, "But I did persuade Leon to join, although it was harder than I assumed."
"Eh, it was that or he was going to die." Leon shrugged.
"What! Jamal!" Ula cried out in shock.
"I knew what I was doing, but I'll be right back. I got to find one last person for later. Just give me some time." Jamal kissed her goodbye and dipping from the house before everyone could react to what just happened.
They all just stared at each other in silence, not sure what to do, until Hops coughed to break it.
"So, I guess you can start off with what happened since the tournament?" Leon tried to add once no other noise was produced between them.