"God, you really are a dumbass."

Mindy laughed as she charged the gang banger that was holding his switchblade like he was the killer in the Psycho shower scene. Dave had to turn back to fight his second opponent.

These scumbags had been carjacking people down town and had beaten the shit out of an old man only a couple days before when he took to long to get out of his car. He and Mindy had followed four of pieces of shit until they met up with five of there lowlife friends behind a grocery store that had been closed for months. Dave and Mindy recognized a couple of these fuck ups from the recon they'd done and they all had gang tats.

Hit-Girl had silently climbed the cinder block coral that had a dumpster in it that smelled like the garbage company hadn't been by since at least when the store closed. She threw a knife that buried itself to the hilt in one guys chest, before he'd hit the ground her foot had broken another guys jaw and sent several of his teeth flying. Dave stated working over one of the others from behind with his batons about that time but was able to get a good view of the flying kick.

Mindy was immediately on her feet and this is when the guy who had no idea how to handle a knife.

She charged the slasher movie wannabe then hit the breaks when he over-committed with his downward stab. She stepped slightly to his right still facing him jabbed his right forearm to keep him from bringing the knife back up quickly and kicked the outside of his right knee shredding the cartilage. She was moving to face one of the fallen "dumbass"'s friends. Kick-Ass meanwhile had used rapid fire strikes to keep his knife wielding opponent(he would get the guy that knew how to use a knife) from getting an opening and Dave had landed some decent hits on the guys arms but he knew he needed to finish this guy off before the fight stopped being one on one.

"What is with you costume freaks? We ain't never fucked with you."

Dave answered "You fucked with that old man then you drove off in his car and left him for dead." The gangbanger didn't seem to understand why that would matter to Kick-Ass but before the mother fucker could say anything else Dave had faked an attack at his opponents leg's then did a 360 spin bringing his green club crashing across the shithead's ear. The carjacker's eyes started to role back in his head but he managed to stay conscious as he collapsed to the ground.. Kick-Ass dislocated the fallen man's shoulder and broke a couple of his ribs with three quick strikes then turned to see who was left.

A guy who had apparently pulled a gun was on his side nearly in the fetal position screaming with his hands to his face. Dave could see blood and more importantly a knife handle protruding from the screaming man's eye socket.

Mindy was fighting a guy with some martial arts skill but nowhere near hers. The last two gangbangers were running past Mindy's fight making a break for it. Dave managed to run one of them down, tackling him from behind. Hit-Girl let the guy graze her shoulder with a kick so that she could get hold of his leg. Holding his shin she twisted and stepped toward him sweeping his other leg forcing him to the ground on his stomach. Dave was on the guy he'd tackled's back striking him in the head with the batons, he couldn't get a lot of force behind any of the swings but they still did damage.

The other runner had barely even glanced back and had disappeared around the corner of the building. Mindy had followed up the leg take down with a quick kick to the balls, the kick didn't have a lot of force because Mindy was so close to him but a kick in the junk is a kick in the junk. Mindy stepped around the guys legs and as he rolled toward her she punched him three times hard in the face with her brass knuckles, then turned his back on his limp body and walked toward Dave. Dave had pushed off of his guys back so that he could get a long swing of the baton hitting the crook in the back of the head hard enough that it bounced the guys face off the pavement.

As they approached each other Dave ask "What about the other one?" and pointed in the direction the last ass-wipe had run. Mindy shrugged

"We'll he probably shit his pants so you can follow the smell if you want to."

"Probably not worth it besides maybe some of the people that he tells about this will decide not to try carjacking."

Dave was trying to hide how out of breath as he spoke. Mindy was recovering her knives(the guy who's eye she had destroyed was now whimpering instead of screaming but the noise he made when she yanked the knife out was disturbing, she didn't seem to notice). As the duo walked off Dave made a comment about his skill's having improved but noticed that Mindy's face below her mask was covered by sweat. Dave waited for Mindy to make some comment about how little he knew but she stayed quiet. She realized he was looking at her face as the walked down an alley.

"Why the fuck are you staring at me?" He couldn't figure out what but there was something off about her voice

"You are really sweating a lot and it's not even that hot today."

She merely shrugged but seemed like the movement caused her pain. "Hold on" He grabbed her sleeve "are you ok?"

"That's dumb fucking question, like those guys could hurt me." He walked where he looked at her back then stepped facing her, there were no punctures or tares in her costume so Dave started to relax.

"I know you're the best there is at what you do, just I dunno wanted to make sure." She started walking again but winced and bent forward. "Damn it Mindy somethings wrong, did one of those guys hit you?"

"I might have a small bruise on my shoulder tomorrow but that's it none of those cum stains hit me in the stomach." She pressed her hand against her side walking past him and Dave got really nervous.

"Come on we need to change into civilian cloths fast then figure out what's wrong."

The recovered the cloths they'd hidden and each found a private place to change. Mindy was obviously in pain and agreed to go to the hospital on the way she had to call Marcus.

"I'm fine just my stomach hurts and Dave thinks I have a feaver.".."It's not his fault."

"Nobody hit me or anything my stomach hurt this morning but I didn't pay any fucking attention.." "Yes sir, sorry." "Ok, I'll see you at the hospital."

"So how mad is he?"

"He's pretty pissed. He doesn't want me being Hit-Girl anymore" Dave nodded that he knew how serious Mindy's foster dad was about her retiring from crime fighting. "and he's worried about why I feel like shit."

"I am too."

"Don't be a pussy Dave, probably just Marcus's cooking."

They met Marcus at the hospital, the forms got filled out quickly but Dave couldn't hear the conversation Mindy had with her dad's old police partner.

While the doctor was examining Mindy, Marcus walked over to Dave. "What the hell were you two doing out there?"

"It wasn't anything big we..."

"You were risking your lives! You know I told Mindy all that was over. She needs a normal life, she needs to learn how to be an 11 year old girl and not a killer. I think you really care about Mindy and I know you mean a lot to her. I don't want her to lose another person she's close to, God knows she doesn't have many with the life she's lived. Now I want you to look me in the eyes and hear this, if you two ever try this crimefighting stuff again if you ever encourage her to be Hit-Girl again it will be the last time you ever talk to her."

Marcus waited to make sure it had sunk in and there was no doubt or room for compromise in his voice. Dave looked at the floor "Yes sir. I don't want to lose Mindy as a friend" he looked Marcus in the eyes again "no more Hit-Girl" he wasn't sure if he meant it or not.