"Were you the ones stealing Jericho's supplies?" Vi demanded as she took a step forward.
"Spunky little thing aren't ya? And stealing is such... an ugly word. We were just acquiring it for charity you see?" Mockery practically dripped out of the man's mouth.
Vi bristled at the tone but before she could fly off the handle, it was unsuprisingly Claggor who played peacemaker.
"Look man, we're just doing a supply run. I don't know what you have against the guy but-" But he unfortunately didn't get to finish as Mylo open his mouth.
"-But isn't it a little petty to keep stealing the guy's fish?" Claggor mouth flapped between opening and closing in sheer bafflement. Claggor took a deep breath and just pinched his eyebrows, letting out a huge sigh after. The guy honestly looked like he was just done with his life.
Kudos, to him. If it were Ekko he would have strangled the life out of Mylo if he wasn't so confidant in taking these guys down. But could he trust the other three to hold out while he is taking care of the chem-fueled brute behind their supposed leader?
'And...it's not gonna be an easy fight' Ekko thought as he eyed the fridge pretending to be human. While they might not be as strong as the newer gen Chem-tanks made with shimmer like in show yet, they are still formidable fighters.
"..." Ekko wordlessly make his way up to the leader. The brute behind nearly stepped forward but their ring leader put his arm out to halt it.
"What do you thing your doing boy? Trynna be a hero?" The sleazebag said as Ekko got to about 2 meters from the guy.
He didn't speak for a few seconds. Just staring at the man with his now glowing amber eyes stoically. Before breaking off eye contact, letting off a soft chuckle.
"What's so funny boy?" The guy spat out the last word like he think it was an insult. Maybe it was to his underdeveloped brain.
"Nothing. It's just funny that you're talking mad shit for a guy in punching distance." Ekko admitted, making the leather wearing pounch looked at him more angrily.
"I think, you need a lesson in some manners boy." He snapped his fingers, making the brute behind him lumber forward.
But before he could get infront of his leader, the man in question was punched so hard in the face that he flew past the other two lackeys he had brought. Ekko just time-skipped two times in rapid succession to hit him in his mug.
It was just a split second for the cast behind Ekko. One moment they're either worried for Ekko or thinking of a way to get out of there as fast as possible. The next moment, Ekko moved so fast he left what seemed like afterimages from their perspective. And punch the lead guy right in the kisser so hard, he flew a dozen of feet or so.
"Get' em" Ekko's victim called out incoherently, scrambling to get up after getting launched ass over kettle infront of his lackeys by what seems to be a kid. Showing that despite breaking half a dozen of his teeth, Ekko didn't knock him out yet.
And just like that, the fight was on. Ekko turned towards Vi and the others and yelled out.
"RUN!"
He passed the dumbfounded Vi and picked Powder up by her midsection, carrying her off like a sack of potatoes. What? You thought he was gonna fight? With four potential hostages nearby? If the kids were the ones after the canon timeskip, he could fight without care. They could hold their own if they were older but three of them are children barely into puberty and one is like him, not even into double digits in her life. No shot they're gonna be able to hold their own against multiple adults.
There was a beat before the rest of the gang followed, their pursuers a little after.
"Don't let the little bastard get away!" The leather wearing jackass whose nosed was also caved in by Ekko, yelled out, forgetting the cargo they're supposed to secure.
"I thought we were gonna fight!" Vi said from Ekko's side with some pause in between words to catch her breath. Ekko looked at her incredulously, making her look a little sheepish. She knew she was being stubborn but she has her pride as a fighter dammit.
"Not with that Chem-Tank back there!" Ekko yelled over the wind, taking a sharp right as Powder wiggle under his arms.
"Not soo tight Ekko! I'm trying to get Smiley here!" Powder shout as she reach into the back of her belt pouches.
"We know how to fight!" Vi was unwilling to let it go.
"You know how to fight street kids YOUR age. Not hardened criminals who are probably on a Baron's payroll." Ekko retorted as they took a sharp left down an alley. Mylo and Claggor bringing down any obstacle they could to slow their pursuers down.
During this, Powder finally got ahold of her bomb.
"Wait! Slow down. I want to use Smiley on them." She called out making Ekko hesitate for a brief moment before he stopped and turned to face the thugs in one smooth motion. Vi and the others stopping a little further away when they saw him stopping.
"Well then, here's your chance bestie." Ekko called out with a wild grin, half afraid it might work and half afraid it might NOT work.
Powder just beamed at him before removing the pin and set the timer to a measly 2 seconds-Ekko nearly had a heart attack at the ridiculously low timer-before chucking it with all the might a nine year old could muster.
The bomb bounched once, twice and then-
It stopped at the feet of the thugs who are now looking at the drawn sharp grin filled with equally sharp teeth on the bomb. There was a beat before-
"It's just a dud. GET THEM!"The poncy ass bitch leader called out as his brute lumbered forward pass the bomb-*CLICK!*
"Hrrrm?" A confused noise was all the broad man could offer before.
*BOOOOOOOM!*
The bomb exploded behind him. Shredding the skin on his back with nails and burning it with chemicals. The other mooks were not as tough as he, and not so lucky.
"Ugh!" "Aagh! MY FACE!" The two extra the leader-who's the only one that escaped the blast unharmed except for some ringing ears-brought were incapicated by the nail bomb more than the brute, but it was the chemical burns that truely brought them low. The softer unenhanced flesh making it more effective.
The five kids looked at their once scary chasers and immediately went to the fight portion of the flight or fight. Their years roaming the streets of Zaun taught them not to waste an opportunity once given. And this is as good a opportunity as it gets.
Vi uppercut the Chem-Tank in the jaw, Ekko slammed his head with an elbow from above. And Claggor bodied his leg, making the brute kneel dazed, confused and in pain.
Mylo tried to kick the leader in the nuts which he barely dodged with a scramble. But he was wide open for Powder to smack his knees with all she had making a crack sound. If it isn't broken? It's at least fractured.
"AEEEEEEEEGLEFB-*Cough"!"
The leader went down on his other knee with a scream. Mylo then kneed him in the throat which Powder followed with a strike to the head making him fell limp, out cold, joining his two lackeys on the ground. The two passing out from the pain long ago.
Back to the remaining trio, Ekko was pulling the big guy to a chokehold. But was not nearly as effective as he he thought due to the man having next to no neck for him to choke, so he pulled on one of the pipes pumping the chemicals to one of the ports on his head, Batman vs Bane style.
Vi layed on the guy's ribs with punishing blows that would turn a normal man's ribs to mush. When the guy tried to hit her Claggor felled on the limb and held it tight.
Ekko's effort payed off as the pipe came off the brute's head after a particularly hard pull, making the beast of a man stumbled before spasming and falling down on the dirt. Ekko was confused.
"That worked?" Claggor mirrored his thought. Making Ekko looked at the pipe he pulled before-
"Ew! Ew! throw it away! I SAID THROW IT AWAY NOT TO ME!" Vi yelled as Ekko chucked the pipe towards her direction. The pipe has bits and pieces of brains latched to it along with skull fragments from the end attached to it's previous owner.
It was understandable the Vi was freaking out.
'She can be such a girl sometimes.' Ekko laughed in thought. Powder and Myo came over, their fight ended a little earlier than Ekko's.
"Did'ya see that? I was like 'Wham!' and 'Bam!'" Powder bragged as she made motions with her bat to reenact her fight with the leader. Vi paused on her way to punch Ekko's smug face.
"That's great Pow. I'm proud of you. Now move, so I can punch your boyfriend in the face for that stunt." Vi said the first part with actual pride before moving on to menace.
"He's NOT! But you're not allowed to punch him." Powder denied as she latched on to Vi's waist to stop her from punching her bo-BESTFRIEND! Yes. Non-romatically involved friend. Ekko just laughed, looking the spectacle.
"Ekkoooo, stop laughing! Your making her madder." Powder whined as she struggled to keep Vi in place.
There was a pause, before Mylo and Claggor joined Ekko. Soon after the alleyway was filled with the laughter of five children, four of them glad for their victory and survival, one's just glad for his new chance at life and a new chance to make fond memories with his close ones.