"This should do it."
Having found a quiet spot on a basketball court near the café they just left they think they had enough privacy now. As much as the boys wanted Dawn gone she stayed around promising she wouldn't day a word and interrupt the three.
"You start again Kenny." Ash told him to continue as the auburn haired male still had an angry look on him s he took his bag and pulled out a basketball.
"I want to play a game of horse." Kenny started to dribble it he suddenly tossed it hard to Ash who caught it not feeling the force Kenny put behind it. Brock saw the trouble brewing at the hard pass. Ash ignorant of the ball being handed over hardly just held it with a stunned look.
"What? You mean racing while giving a piggyback to someone?" Ash wondered.
"Not that type of horse!" Kenny scolded him.
"Why play a game? Shouldn't we talk this out?" Brock asked what's gotten into him as Kenny had no ears for him.
"I'll make a shot, you try to copy it. If you miss, you get a letter. If I miss my first shot and you make it instead I get a letter. First one to get five loses."
"Why do you want to play a basketball game with me? You know I don't play."
"Just play. You make the first shot." Since Ash was holding the ball so he might as well start. Standing at around the three point line Ash threw it up and only hit the backboard. The ball bounced off the rim and flew off wildly. It landed near the door of the cage that the court was in and caught by an unwanted person.
"Going somewhere?" The same style of dress as the ones that got beaten in the café the gang known as Scraggy's were now eight in size in front of the cage exit. The one that stood out had an orange jacket and pants with a red Mohawk splitting over his bald head who now stood in the cage. Brock and Kenny were growing a bit nervous again. Ash and Dawn were unaffected by the group interested to see where this goes. The leader of the group eyed the girl glaring at her to intimidate her.
"This the bitch?"
"Yeah boss!" Another shouted. He saw his friends got beat up in the café by the two across them.
"Haven't we concussed enough of you already!? Go home!" Dawn yelled as she wouldn't hesitate to give him a good smack on the head too. He eyed Dawn's body nodding in approval.
"You sure you don't wanna join us? Gotta be a reason you're skipping school like we do. We could use some eye candy in our group."
"Over my dead body!" She got creeped out by his offer.
"She's too good for you cowards!"
The leader threw the ball straight at Kenny's face. Ash's hand blocked Kenny's face preventing the ball from hitting him catching it in the process. Kenny stopped flinching and looked to what Ash did for him. Before he could say anything Ash threw the ball backwards over his shoulder as it bounced to Kenny who caught it.
"What are you doing?" Brock asked him.
"We might be playing horse, but I'm going to make a donkey out of him." Only after saying did he realize the stupidity of it.
"That sounded awful. This is why I don't do one liners."
"We got ourselves a badass boys!" The leader of the group told his minions to back off. Standing in front of the exit of the cage they blocked the way out leaving the three boys and girl with no way out. The group outside began to rattle the cage with pipes. The head stepped forward to the middle of the center circle were Ash was already waiting.
"This is going to be fun." Dawn looked forward to the show Ash is going to put up. And it could be a great learning moment to see just how much Ash limits himself fighting without the hidden identity protecting his image. Ash stood across the boss a few steps away.
"You got some big words kid. What's your name?" Cracking his neck and knuckles to intimidate the black haired boy Ash already had his fists ready.
"Strong silent type huh? I'll carve one in your chest after you tasted my fist."
"Scrafty! Scrafty! Scrafty!" The mob yelled their leaders name on. Brock and Kenny began to pale while Dawn just looked on completely at ease smiling as the only one who knew what kind of mess the gang boss threw himself in. The two stood on the edge of the circle and moved around to get position.
Scrafty started by kicking forward, which Ash jumped back a bit. Scrafty got closer trying to throw a punch with Ash blocking using his forearm. Pressing the advantage the boss got close again. Ash seeing it a standard side kick with force he swept Scrafty's legs right from under him making him fall awkwardly on his side.
"What the hell?"
Ash waited for him to get up. Scrafty crawled up and stood ready again fists raised. He went to his opponent again who made a mockery off him so far. Swinging wild Ash got in a few light punches in his ribs.
"Give him a hard one for me will you!?" Dawn encouraged him. Ash abided with her request by throwing a big gut punch into Scrafty's stomach making him bend over forward on his knees.
"I get the feeling he isn't even trying." Brock did not know much about fighting but he knew a slaughter if he saw one. Either his suspicions about Ash were true or he was going to see him on TV in the future as a professional fighter touring the globe.
"Ok. Gotta watch out." Kenny meanwhile got more scared of him. Ash pinned him before and it was clear he wouldn't stand a chance in a fight counting his lucky stars he didn't do worse.
"ARGH!" Scrafty punched the ground in frustration. His gang got a bit quiet their earlier attitude gone now. Looking up to the kid that was beating his ass he didn't wanted to waste his special surprise on just some normal brat like him but it left him no choice. He reached into his pocket and then put it in his mouth swallowing it. Scrafty got up from the ground now.
"Don't blame me what happens to you now." He got up and performed a side kick which Ash was going to block like before. His leg connecting with his arm Ash immediately felt something was off. The weight of the kick was so much it actually hurt as it lifted him off his feet and he flew into the side of the cage against the messing. His body bouncing off it he landed on his knees.
"Ok. Where did that come from?" Scrafty came running up to him. Ash put out a bit more aura himself as he moved out of the way with Scraggy punching a hole right through the cage.
"Are you kidding me!? Where are the cops!?" Kenny screamed in terror with Brock slack jawed at the display. Dawn cursing to herself now she couldn't get out of the cage and turn into Umbreon now.
"Umbreon, bit of help in what I need to do!"
"Knock the other two out!"
"What!?"
"It gives Ash some more freedom cause he's holding back thanks to your classmates! Knock them out!"
Dawn disagreeing but trusting her partners in heroisms snuck up on Kenny who was to focused on the fight and the exit door of the cage. Hating what she was about to do she never thought she use her new skills on her friends.
"Sorry Kenny." Dawn hit him with a chop in his neck making him slouch over like a bag of potatoes. Catching him to make sure his head didn't crash into the pavement and let a concussion ruin his day more. She quickly moved on to Brock who got the same treatment of being knocked out as Dawn would protect their now prone forms.
"Go for it!" Dawn yelled him on. Ash got on his feet and looked at Scrafty. The boss pulled out his hand from the hole and looked at it. Not a scratch on him he seemed to grow bigger.
"What do you know? Those 'vitamins' actually work from that new dealer!"
"Vitamins?" Ash thinking there's no vitamin in existence that make one so strong. Even the most potent steroid didn't work that fast.
"New dealer!? He's a lead! Check his pockets!" Umbreon shouted hard enough for Ash to hear. The message loud and clear he got ready to run at him with Scrafty now facing him with the boss his back turned to the cage.
Ash jumped over him and hooked his arm over Scrafty's neck. Rolling over his opponent's back the guardian planted his feet and lifted Scrafty over his back slamming the punk into the cage on his stomach before dropping on his head on the ground.
Ash dived down on top of him and started searching the jacket of the punk the moment he dropped to the ground. Frisking him while wrestling on the ground he felt something weird.
"There!" Ash reaching into the pocket Scrafty swallowed something from he took out a red bottle with two red circles labeled X-attack. His right hand got grabbed by Scrafty again who still wasn't out.
"Give that back!" He started to feel his knuckles and fingers getting bend by Scrafty's pure strength. The punk rose up as Ash felt his fist getting squished. The grip so tight Ash raised his trapped arm actually lifting up the punk that got surprised at the teens power. The guardian open hand grabbed Scrafty's wrist and swung him at the cage.
"Hands…" Ash pulled his back and with Scrafty still holding on acted like a human baseball bat.
"off…" Ash repeated the same motion slamming Scrafty even harder into the cage.
"me!" The third time was the charm as the punk finally let go.
"Dawn! Catch!" He threw the pills towards her. Ash moved to wrestle with Scrafty again putting an arm bar on him. Usually he didn't have an issue contorting another persons arm but Scrafty's super strength made him expend more aura. Scrafty grabbed Ash's feet and tried to break the hold.
"Get to the exit! It's a funnel! Control that flow and you cut off from anyone else entering and give Ash more room while keeping the other two safe." Umbreon's location control top notch the host obeyed did what the spirit said.
"Get her now!" The punks at the cage door and outside ran in but Dawn was already headed to them. She wasted no time beating people up. Tossing the red pill bottle on the ground she kicked it away making the lower punks scramble for it. The distraction working Dawn used her legs to kick her enemies as she easily moved from one to the next.
Scrafty meanwhile managed to lift Ash up even when he still had the arm bar applied. Power bombing him into the ground he was forced to let go.
"Ash!" Dawn with a big kick floored her last opponent only leaving her, Ash and Scrafty as the fully conscious ones. Scrafty grabbed Ash off from the ground by his leg and threw him straight into Dawn. The two colliding Dawn fell over with Ash on top of her. He rolled off her fast as she kipped up making them stand up again side to side. The pile of bodies around them the boss looked around.
"What the hell are you weaklings doing!? Get up! They're just two kids!" Scrafty began to heave and clutch his chest. Sweat started to droop over his head and his skin turned red. He dropped to his left knee and started to look for the red bottle that was stolen from him earlier.
Ash and Dawn nodded to the other. Ash started by running up to Scrafty and slid over the ground. Scrafty caught his two footed slide as Dawn mule kicked him off Ash right in the face as it forced the punk back against the cage wall. Dawn jumped off the side of the cage wall ramming her knee into the back of his head as she rolled off him on the ground. Dawn went back in but Ash grabbed her shoulder.
"That's enough." He told her.
Seeing him not moving they finally got him down.
"Brock and Kenny are your priority now."
Dawn nodded at the two more experienced fighters. After a few tries trying to wake up both downed classmates. They called for the cops and an ambulance to assess the mess they made. Ash took to the spot that had the red pill bottle and stuffed it safely in his pocket for evidence.
Kenny woke up and saw paramedics tending to him. Looking around he saw police too slamming cuffs on the punks who were being loaded into cars that would go to the station.
"What happened?" He wondered. Dawn was by his side feeling awful what she did to him but lied nonetheless.
"Some of them climbed into the cage while Ash was fighting the boss. One snuck up on you and hit you in the back of the head."
After the KO of the gang leader at the hands of Ash, the police and paramedics picked up the damage he and Dawn caused. The red pills were handed over as evidence to the authorities and a worrying look in the police told the teens the so called war on drugs is only going to expand further.
"Thank you for the aid but don't try and be a hero next time. These are dangerous people."
The female officer tasked with taking a testimony from them warned the group. Ash told her he would take it into account next time. Kenny was being loaded up into an ambulance for a simple check up to see if he wasn't concussed. Brock called Kenny's parents to tell what happened and they would go to the hospital as well.
"Sorry about today Kenny." Dawn apologized as she watched him got loaded into the back of an ambulance on a strecher.
"It's cool. Just happy we're alive to continue this another day."
"We'll visit you if you aren't released from the hospital ok?" Dawn promised to go see him as soon as she could. This produced a small smile on his face as the doors closed and Brock and Kenny were transported away.
"Shouldn't we go to the Scraggy's hideout? You know where it is right?" Dawn eager to smash a few extra skulls.
"The police will be all over there looking for those pills. And with them also looking for us it's best we keep our heads down and wait till Norman Maple gives us info." Umbreon suggested to stay put and not get into trouble with the law. Ash drew her attention as he wanted to leave this place as well letting the cops do their job in rounding up the delinquent group.
"Come on. I'll walk you home."
See you around.