Nathan Jackson was only five minutes behind Buck and groaned as he heard the sounds of fists, chairs breaking, curses, and Buck's exuberant shouts as he had jumped right into the fray.

Nathan entered as Ezra took a blow and was shoved into Nathan. "Ezra, your head is bleeding," Nathan said as he turned Ezra around, trying to check Ezra just as Lex jerked Ezra around and raised his fist to hit him. "Stop it!" Nathan called moving Ezra aside and landing a knock-out blow to Lex.

"Now, Ezra, let me see . . ." Nathan got no further as Vin ducked a blow from Dumbest that collided with the side of Ez's face.

"Sorry, Ez!" Vin boomed, then delivering a smart one-two to Dumbest, who dropped.

After Nathan deposited a groggy Ezra in one of the remaining chairs, he grabbed Vin, bleeding from a blow from Dumber's pool stick. "Vin, hold still, you're bleeding . . ." and then Vin took another hit from Dumber and staggered.

"Hey," Nathan yelled, delivering a punch to Dumber's stomach and then tossing him over in the corner, where he landed by his brother.

"Vin, stay down!" Nathan ordered, but Vin leaped up to land on a man punching Chris as two more held Chris' arms.

"Thanks, Vin," Chris gasped, as Buck grabbed the two men's head and banged them together with glee. "Woo-hee!" Buck shouted and leaped onto a table and dived into a group of men.

"Chris, your eye," Nathan started, getting a Kleenex to wipe blood on Chris' face.

"I'm okay, Nate," Chris answered and one of the remaining thugs grabbed Nathan's arm.

"Honestly!" Nate yelled, exasperated as he jerked his arm away and punched the man, who dropped and didn't move.

"Nice move, Brother," Josiah approved, grinning through a split lip as he finished Rat with a left hook.

"Josiah, let me see your lip . . ." and Nathan turned Josiah around and started dabbing at the blood on his lip.

"Excuse me, Brother," Josiah said as he threw another miscreant up and over the bar, just missing the bartender, frantically trying to save his mugs. One of the smaller combatants leaped on Josiah's back and then was easily slung over Josiah's shoulders and over the bar where the other miscreants were piling up.

"Josiah, be still so I can . . ."

"Duck, Brother!" Josiah called as he struck a man trying to break a chair over Nathan's head.

Nathan gave up on treating Josiah and went back to why Ezra sat, still dazed. "Ezra, tell me where you hurt?"

"My wallet," Ezra groaned, remembering the pile of money on the table.

Nathan, exasperated, turned to scan the other men. Chris was limping, Vin was holding an arm against his ribs, Josiah's lip was bleeding; only Buck seemed to have escaped any noticeable injury until a knife flashed as Nathan yelled a warning and scraped across Buck's face. Josiah promptly squeezed the man's arm until the knife dropped and then hit the man hard enough to send him over the bar.

"No!" Buck roared, feeling around his face.

Nathan ran over, trying to get Buck's hand down so he could inspect the wound.

"My mustache!" Buck yelled. He then looked around. "Come on, you yellow-bellied snakes! Fight!"

"Buck, they're down, we've won," Nathan intervened. His voice raised, he said, "Chris, Vin, Ezra, Josiah! Let's go!"

Buck went to help a limping Chris; Josiah a wobby Ezra, and Nathan spotted Vin by Dumbest, who cowered before him. After Vin pushed Dumbest back, he stood up, nodded to Nathan, and they left the bar.

Nathan took Ezra to his car; Buck helped Chris to his pickup; and Josiah paired with Vin; as the cars headed towards the hospital.

TBC