"Tapped out huh?" The lead gang member asked with a wide wide grin.

I looked at him blank faced, exhaled slightly, "Yep. Punting an Endbringer into Orbit will do that. Probably at... ten percent or so?" I commented raising a hand and clenching it every knuckle popping, as I did, before looking back up at them, eyes flashing alongside my caste mark as I looked at them, into them, and took in their number.

Seven combatants, they were armed, at least three with guns and another three with knives, no idea on number seven but they clearly had no idea just what they were getting into and outside two of them none really knew their way around a fight. Still for some reason they were confident. They thought they could take me if things went down.

Except that that last little flash of power had actually intimidated them a little, as did the mark still faintly burning across my brow. Now they weren't so sure.

I might be able to walk away from this without a fight.

Except that one of them also had a brain.

"But that's not your problem is it?" the one guy to the lead man's right commented. The man, kid really, couldn't be out of his teens yet smirked widely, "Your power needs to 'quiet down' right? There's a price tag on your power," he observed.

I threw up my hands and sighed, "Well you caught me."

That brought more smiles, until I suddenly smirked, "Still... even if there is a price... Are you really ready to bet I can't pay it? Ready to gamble against an unknown cape without any backup? Those are some serious brass ones kid."

"We got you outnumbered seven to one, who doesn't have back up again?" he demanded frowning at me in what was probably his best attempt at intimidation.

His leader however quickly shoved a hand to his front and pushed him back, "Easy there Ron, we're looking to make friends, not enemies."

"Yeah that's not happening," I snorted, and he shot me a frustrated look. "Look, I'm not signing up with the Empire. I'm not going anywhere you want to take me. Honestly the only reason I'm not beating your brains in for everything you stand for is that I am tired, and I don't want to spend the effort doing it right now. So you can let me pass, or we can throw down right now," my lips started twitching up, a brassy rumble building up in my chest as an odd gleeful rage built up inside me "and I can show you fine lads just what the hell you thought it was a good idea to pick a fight with."

The mark on my head gleamed violently as I felt motes simultaneously burn and cycle back, more taken in then leaving as my blood began to hum under my veins.

Then one of them cracked and drew a gun.

Violence occurred.

I surged in as the gun was coming up hand flashing out and ripping the weapon roughly from his hand, a thundering 'bang' sounding out as the idiot pulled the trigger discharging a round behind me as I ripped the weapon free, throwing it behind me.

Immediately one guy took a swing at my approach, but he badly underestimated just how quickly I moved and the blow grazed my shoulder to absolutely no effect. Two more pulled knives, fifth cursed as he started pulling his own gun out, the Leader started yelling but it was far to late for that, while the seventh did the smart thing and jumped back for room.

I twisted around fast grabbing the outstretched arm of the idiot who had swung at me and continued the rotation releasing him as he came in between me the guy drawing his gun, and one of the knife leaving him wind milling for balance as I came face to face with the other blade user.

He promptly struck out, trusting his knife properly not swinging it like some idiot and grazing off my leather hard skin.

I repaid him with a quick jab the solar plexus hard enough to crack his ribs while sweeping his legs out from under him into the blow.

The leader cursed and tried one more call for everything to stop, while the one who had cracked earlier stumbled and fell flat on his ass.

Knife guy two cursed and tried to catch his off balance friend while the one with the gun side stepped to try and plug a round into me.

Lucky for me, he had good weapons training and didn't try to pop a shot while a friendly was in the line of fire.

Unfortunately for me I'd just dropped that friendly in the line of fire, and he squeezed off another deafeningly loud shot off.

A bug bit my shoulder, as I stepped in suck low and drove my arm into his stomach, then elbow up into his jaw with a satisfying 'Crack'.

The guy who had taken the initial swing came charging back in, but this worked out even less well for him as I swept his leg mid charge tripping him sending him onto the ground where another kick quickly shattered his collar bone.

The kid I disarmed started scuttling for room, knife guy got his friend standing and quickly moved to stab and the leader brought out a gun shaped item with bright yellow and black bars along the front. A stun gun.

Knife guy took a swing, this onewasamateur hour and I grabbed the limb pulling him full bodied between me and his leader, as I seeped the dazed and injured other gun man.

Of course I'd made another mistake there as I'd forgotten about the third guy with the gun who had gotten space and quickly pumped two shots into my chest as a third ricochet off my side...

Into his friend I was using as a human shield.

Adrenaline was with me, the wounds didn't hurt really, I barely even noticed them, I twisted his friend back around sending him stumbling towards the gunner as I dove in fast and low for the leader.

He called out, but before I entered striking range my hand lashed out and ripped the weapon from his hand, this time not discarding it as I shoulder tackled him knocking him to the ground.

The weapon spun in my grip ad I found the weapons grip, primed it reflexively, looking up in time for the third gunner to push his friend aside. The next moment came down entirely to who was faster on the trigger.

No contest.

His gun barked a forth time as the pins sunk in and his muscles ceased up dropping him.

I looked at the guy who had freaked out earlier.

The front of his jeans darkened.

I quirked an eyebrow, "Gun Safety Courses. Take them," I suggested to him as I zapped the asshole who shot me a again earing a wincing cry from him.

Then I looked at the leader who was getting back up to his feat.

"Okay, you actually tried to be reasonable, so I'm letting you go," I told him frankly.

He bit off a curse, "-ucking..."

I tossed him the stun gun, and he looked up at me bewildered as I walk over to grab the more lethal firearm. "Taking these," I informed him shaking the murderous tool as I went over and collected the other handgun from the guy who'd been inside the melee, currently groaning on the ground.

I stopped a moment to look at him one last time before walking over and collecting the third one, "You can do whatever with your friends, but if I was you I'd seriously rethink your choice of associate."

He didn't look all that appreciative of my good and useful advice.

Well that was his problem now.

I started back down the street trying not to wince as the bullet holes pumped into me started complaining more and more.

~Yeah they're not the only ones. Do not get hit by more of those things~

Good advice.

Didn't think I really would be able to follow it.