Dawn had arrived back at her house with Lila's gift in hand. At first she not liked her mother pretty much bribing her to go visit the stylist, it turned out to be a fun day after all. They shared a lot of things in common and Dawn regretted not having visited her sooner. Lila was really nice and besides the offer for an internship was looking forward to more visits to the building the designer spend most of her time in.

Taking her set of keys she slid the house key into the keyhole of the front door. Twisting it to open she only had to turn once to get it open compared to the normal two twists.

"That's strange. Why is the door unlocked? Normally mom locks it."

Stepping inside with the thought she might've forgotten Dawn stepped inside and kicked off her shoes in the hallway. She couldn't wait to tell her mother just how fun her day was. Not seeing Johanna in the living room watching TV like an ordinary Saturday night Dawn called louder to see if she was in the kitchen.

"Mom! I'm home!" Her voice echoed through the house with no response Dawn went to her mothers bedroom.

"Mom?! You still up!?" Opening the door the sheets were neatly made up. Dawn decided to check every corner of the house. The bathroom and her room empty too Dawn started to get more and scared.

"There is a need to worry!"

Going through every corner in the house there wasn't a single clue nor hint about where the former model is. Dawn started to get more and more nervous.

"No note, nothing. This isn't like her." Checking everything in the house at least three more times Dawn came to the daunting realization. Having found her mothers cellphone too during her search in the house Dawn didn't like it at all. With her fears and worries at an all-time high there was only one guy who could help her now. Fearing the worst she picked up her phone.

"Please pick up!. Please! Please don't be out yet!" Dawn pleading he hasn't been on his regular weekend 'hobby' yet. Hearing the phone ringing on the other end it dropped.

"Sup Dawn?"

"Get over to my house now! My mom is missing!" Getting straight to business crying on the phone Ash lifted it from his ear. He was almost sure he became deaf on one side before it really dawned on him what she said.

"Calm down for a minute! What do you mean missing?"

"I came back from my visit with Lila and she's not home! Mom never goes anywhere without telling me or leaving a note!" Hearing her panic on the other side of the line he tried calming her down.

"Maybe she's just getting something or eating at a restaurant. It is a Saturday. A lot of people go out on a Saturday." He tried reasoning with her but she wouldn't have it.

"I know my mom Ash! She never goes anywhere without telling me or leaving at least something behind! I'm telling you she's missing! Now you get over here or I'll tell the police you wrecked the museum!"

Dawn sounded that if he didn't get over to her house right now she'd spill his biggest secret. He trusted Dawn with it and even the 10.000 bounty wasn't enough to sway her. So whatever happened must have been urgent since he heard the anger mixed with panic and fear in her voice. Ash giving in to her demand had to text Riley fast that he's going to be a bit later tonight in their search for the mummies and a way to keep them down.

"Okay, I'll be there soon as I can. Just let me change…"

"Go away!"

"After I find out what's wrong with my mom!"

Ash threw his phone on his bed and ran to the stairway of his house. From upstairs he had a view on the door leading outside Ash saw his worst nightmare. His mother was being held from behind while someone jammed a syringe into her neck. What made it worse that it was one of the guys dressed entirely in black the same way he and Riley encountered on their latest patrol.

"SHE SAID GO AWAY YOU FREAKS!"

Leaping from the upper floor like a cat he was filled with anger. Dropkicking the guy holding Delia he let go of her. The guy holding her flew back out through the door landing in the front garden a few feet from the door. Delia's body landing with a thud on the carpet Ash quickly checked her over. Feeling a pulse in her neck he tried waking her up. Seeing his mother out cold he reached a boiling point. He didn't care who was underneath that mask or who send them, but he was sure to break every bone in his body so he won't get up.

The masked man that flew through the porch back into the garden fell just before a well dressed man in a black suit. Spitting out his cigarette he was shocked that someone send the guy flying but also pleased a bit.

"Guess I found one. The boss sure knows what he's doing." Knowing that the masked man will get up soon enough he waited for the person who punched him got out of the house. Seeing a teenage boy his expectation dropped.

"Where's your sister kid? We won't hurt if you tell me where she's hiding." The man in black spitting out his cigarette on the lawn with Ash not replying. Consumed by an almost unhuman amount of concentration he ignored everything he said to defend his mother and home.

Slowly walking to the creature Ash cracked his knuckles. Slowly getting up from the earlier dropkick, Ash wasn't going to stop now till it laid motionless on the floor permanently. Taking the deepest breath he could, he exhaled and all focus on the one that invaded the Ketchum residence and grabbed his mother. Nothing existed but them for now and even if he has no clue how to keep the masked guy down he'd improvise.

Standing in place the black masked figure ran up to Ash and threw a left punch which was easily blocked by Ash. Twisting his body quickly Ash judo threw him as hard as he could with a little aura boost with the masked man's body making a small hole when his back hit the ground. Ash quickly jumped back to create a small distance so that the figure couldn't do a surprise attack on the ground. He'd learned his lesson from the museum fight.

"You got heart kid. But that doesn't help you against this thing. We don't want to make any…unnecessary accidents. Just give us your sister."

As the well dressed man mocked him, the raven haired teen waited for the masked man to get up on his feet. Clenching his fist tightly he waited for him to get up. Getting up to his feet the dark character looked at the boy. Leaping up to do a right kick Ash blocked it with his left arm. The figure jumped up and did a backflip kick nearly catching Ash in the jaw. The teen jumped backwards and waited for the masked figure to come back at him.

The figure relentless in his assault ran up to Ash and slid along the ground doing a slide kick. The teen jumping over it the masked figure rolled backwards fast and did a swinging kick in Ash's right side. The teen clutching his side, did a quick side thrust kick in the masked figure's stomach sending him backwards.

Ash heard some sirens becoming louder and louder. Without noticing in his concentration the neighbors called the police seeing the boy fighting a masked man similar to the one that wrecked part of the museum. As much as the teen hated the cops interrupting this fight he couldn't go all out without his costume on and the neighbors watching. As far as he's aware he didn't show anything unnatural so far keeping his identity a secret.

"If I can keep one of them just a little longer here. The suited guy will do as well." Having a plan in mind the black figure at the noise of the sirens made a run for it. With a massive leap he stunned everyone but Ash in the street leaving his suited partner behind.

"Wait!? Where are you going!?"

Ash tackled and turned the man forcefully on his stomach. Putting his knee on his shoulder his full weight now pressed on the man. His aura still fueling him the man pinned beneath him stood no chance. The intruder still thinking he was dealing with just another teen. Although quite a strong one. It's still nothing compared to some of the bouncers he had the displeasure working with.

"Let me go! You have no clue who you're messing with brat!"

"I'll learn soon enough."

Ash put his right knee on the mans right elbow and with both his arms he started to pull on the mans right lower arm wanting to bend it to the opposite direction an elbow usually goes. If he didn't want to talk he'll just make him scream.

"You talk now! What did you do to mom and why did you ask for a sister?!"

Slowly increasing the pressure on which he twisted and turned on the man's arm he started to scream. Winching on his arm he slowly increased the pressure making it a torturous experience for the man who was pinned down. With him only struggling Ash had other ways to make him scream.

"There's an Ash living here! We assumed it was a shortened name for Ashley. Ashley Ketchum lives here right!?"

Increasing his strength even more with his aura Ash was prepared to pull the arm clean off to get the info he wants. And a bit more since one of the mummies was with the well dressed man. The man's feet smashed on the ground trying to relieve the pain.

"I don't have a sister! Why do you need her and mom anyway?" Keeping Johanna's disappearance to himself not to let the man know he knows that there's a bit more going on tonight and that his case sounded nearly the same as Dawn's. In anger he tightened the grip on the wrist and the man felt his elbow bending the wrong way ready crack.

"I…CAN'T…ARGH…THE BOSS…WILL…"

"Tell me who your boss is or I'll start with your knees!" Being completely merciless in his interrogation. The neighbors next to his house had gathered round to see him and the man who got away, with the teen boy pinning the man down now with improvised torture.

"STOP! YOU'RE BREAKING IT!"

"I'm going to break a lot more if you don't tell where your boss is! Who send you?" Ash increasing the torque till breaking point the man had enough.

"POCKET…JACKET…LEFT…SIDE! NOW LET ME GO YOU SON OF A…"

Ash did let go as he was asked too. But after he did that he smashed his fist into the man's temple knocking him out. Now motionless on the floor he started to search him at the spot the crook screamed out. Pulling out an envelope which had a stamp on it with a mark, he recognized it from his nights out. The mark existed out of a satellite which had half a sun behind it with a boat crossing at the bottom.

"Veilstone Harbor. Solar Shipping Company." Knowing his destination for tonight he still has to deal with things here.

"Sorry Dawn. But you'll have to wait. If I'm right this guy will lead me straight to your mom."

It didn't take long before a few squad cars and the paramedics were at Ash's house. All the neighbors being questioned as witnesses over the events that took place explained that the son of the household defended himself against the intruder who got away and the man currently unconscious.

"You ok?" The officer on duty was a known one to Ash. May's father Norman was on duty tonight and when he heard the surname of one of May's classmates he took it on himself to check the situation.

"I'm fine. Just focus on her." Ash his mind was only on the paramedics in the ambulance. The doors of the ambulance closed and Delia was transported to the nearest hospital. Her condition like heartrate and blood pressure was stable for now but for good measure they took her with them.

"What about you? They say you took a few nasty hits."

"I'm fine. Just a few bruises that won't buff out."

"That's the adrenaline talking. I insist you go and get checked up."

"Wish I could. But our night is just beginning Norman." The teen having a pretty good feeling that this might be their only encounter tonight.

"What are you going to do with him?" Ash knowing exactly how the police worked asked Norman just to make sure he didn't grow suspicious about his true nature.

"We'll take him to the agency and interrogate him. Then we'll lock him up and put him on trial. You won't be hold accountable for any injury he might have sustained, we'll say it was self defense."

"Also, he had this on him. What do you think about it?" Ash handed over the object the man screamed out that was in his pocket while he was pinned down and Ash knocked him out.

"It's an excellent clue to start with. But next time when you knock a guy out, leave any sort of evidence on him."

"Sure officer. Like I don't know that."

In the first couple of weeks Ash started his crime fighting more often than not he had a run in with the police commissioner. Only after that he left a few thugs unconscious for him to pick up, with evidence to proof that they were the culprit to go with it, did he got a bit more space to do his thing without the cops breathing down his neck. Norman's phone started to ring.

"Norman is fine for today Ash. I have to take this. How about I let one of my men drive you to the hospital. We need to close off the scene for further investigation and I'm sure you want to be with your mom in hospital to get your injuries checked."

He walked away to pick it up away from Ash since this was his job phone.

"What is it Max? *SIGH* You know not to call on my personal number when on duty." Ash waiting for the call to end so he can explain himself further about what happened here still had his visit to Dawn on his mind.

"Maybe I should text her."

"WHAT! Caroline too!? What about May?!" Hearing the police officer scream so loud he was sure the whole street heard him.

"First Dawn's, then mine. May's mom too!? Just what's going on?" Ash needed to get out tonight. Even if the neighbors were all going back home to sleep Ash's night was just beginning. Another officer on location went to Norman and couldn't keep a call from the bureau a secret longer.

"Sir! We have reports of people getting abducted all around town! Multiple reports of the same crime with the woman being kidnapped and the males being left unconscious. Orders from station are to issue an immediate curfew in the whole city!" With the news known know everyone in the whole street rushed to their home and locked the doors tight. Norman offering to take Ash to the hospital with sirens blaring in his car Ash needed a minute to grab something from his room.

Racing upstairs to get his outfit he threw out all his school items and books from his backpack and stuffed it in. Running downstairs where a police car was waiting for him Ash quickly got in and got transported to the hospital. Texting Riley to meet him near the docking area after checking the news about the curfew, he stepped out of the police car, waited for Norman to drive off and went looking for a spot where no one could see him change. Finding an empty alley he made sure no one saw him jump up high on a roof.

"This should do." Getting changed quickly into his costume he stuffed his backpack away hoping no one in the meantime is gonna check his or her roof and find his backpack. Hurrying to the location he got a clue about he hoped to find Riley waiting there with Dawn and May's mothers nearby.

I'll try and get the next chapter out before new years, but with the holidays no promises.

See you around.