DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Primus nodded then saluted Ally before sauntering off.  He maintained his air until he got outside and in an alleyway.  Only then did he give into his panicked desire to run, and run he did.  He didn't care where he was going so long as it was away and over the rooftops.

The leader tossed Shuni into the middle of the ring, laughing.  Shuni whimpered, crawling back then rolling over and trying to run.  One of the other caught him and threw him back, causing him to stumble but he kept his feet.  Shuni wanted to cry out, but he couldn't find his voice.  They tossed him back and forth amid gales of laughter.  At first it was just shoves, but gradually they got rougher until one struck Shuni hard across the face, sending him spinning to the ground.  
Shuni collapsed and lay there, playing dead.  As a pair of hands grabbed him and yanked him up, the word tore from him.  "ASHY!!"  Then a fist caught him in the stomach and he lost all air.

Echo was traversing the roofs herself. She had just about tracked down her guy to get the drugs she owed Primus. 
(Not sure if you wanted them to run into each other...?)

Ashton heard Shuni, and heard the panic in his brother's voice. He bolted over there, and perched on the wall. "I will give you one chance to drop him and step away." He growled in a low an lethal tone. Ashton looked menacing and heartless, a look he developed quite well as a scare tactic on the streets by Primus's side while he was The Shadow.

(Not really, he's just running.  You want them to run into each other?)
Primus finally slowed, breathing hard.  He glanced around, orienting himself.  Oh, he was in the factory district. Not a terrible place to be.  He hardly ever bothered coming this way.

The group looked up, two of them holding Shuni between them. After a surprised pause, the leader growled, "Yeah?  And how is one little old you going to make us?"

(Sure? Or maybe Primus stumbles upon Echo getting the drugs he wants?)
Echo slid down from the roofs into the factory district and walked towards one building in particular. Her person would be waiting around behind that one. She just hoped he was in a good mood today...

Ashton merely smiled and jumped down. In the blink of an eye, Ashton had one guy knocked out, another with a broken nose, and a third with the wind knocked out of him. Ashton slammed the leader into a wall, pinning him. "Well, seeing as mongrels like you ain't got nothing you can do to me, listen here and listen close; That kid is off limits to you. I will never kill any of you, but there are far crueler things than death I can deal. For example...." He took one of the leader's fingers and slowly bent it back. Not enough to break it, but the strain would still be quite painful. "Oh, and on top of that, be glad it's me who came to his aid, and not our older brother. Otherwise, dead wouldn't begin to describe how sorry you lot would be."

Primus noticed movement down below and slowed.  Ah.  It was the girl.  What was she up to?

The leader squealed, struggling to get away.  "Let go!  Let go!  You're breaking it!"

Echo took a shaky breath and slipped into the shadows to meet the guy, oblivious to Primus watching from the rooftops.

Ashton smiled cruelly. "No, I am not. This is far from the angle I have to push it to break it. I'm just causing discomfort." His smile vanished and he pushed the leader harder into the wall, and lifted him off the ground some. "Now, listen here and listen close; I'm being merciful right now because my bro is here, but if you ever, ever even think of looking funny at him again or cause him trouble, there's no where in this city you can hide from me, and I will find you, and you will have a bad time. Got it?" he growled.

Primus laid low on the rooftop, watching silently in the shadows.  What were they up to?

"He's off limits!  I got it I got it I got it!" he squealed.  "Le-go!  We won't touch him!"

Echo swallowed and slowly approached a guy smoking a cig in the shadows. She couldn't tell what mood he was in yet. She just knew he had horrid mood swings. If he was in a good one, he could be borderline generous. If he was in a bad one.... she wouldn't want to be anywhere nearby if he was in a bad one.

Ashton narrowed his eyes and dropped the leader to the ground. "Scram." He ordered the whole pack.

Primus' eyes narrowed when he saw the guy in the shadows.  That one.  He'd never dealt with him personally, but he'd heard the stories.  Ashton dealt with him now and again.  What was a little girl like her doing in bed with him?

The leader took off running, his guys going with him.
Shuni lay on his side pressed into the corner between the two walls, curled in a tight ball.  He was scared and trying to protect himself, waiting for the next blow to land.  His nose and lip were bleeding, he had a few bruises along his ribs, and one eye would probably swell.

Echo slowly walked up. "Um, Heath?" She asked quietly. "Can... can we do business?" Heath drew on the cig before he stared at Echo, eyes narrow. Bad mood. Echo swallowed. "What kind of business?" He growled. "Um, d-drugs." She stammered in response. "I... need top line stuff...." Heath pulled out a silver tin. "Oh, like this? Not for yourself though, eh princess?" He threw the cig to the ground and stamped it out before he quickly pinned the small girl to the wall with one arm, and pulled out some crack with the other. He was going to force feed her into an addiction, and knowing his reputaion, probably have "fun" with the girl once she was good and high.

Ashton relaxed and knelt next to his brother. "Shuni." He said gently. "They're gone now. It's just you and me, and they won't hurt you no more."

If it had been just a little roughing up, Primus would have let it go, but forcing someone into a habit he despised?  And then to follow up with... Nope.  Even at his worst, Primus had a line he never crossed.  Silently, he slid down to the alley and stepped up right behind Heath.  "That's not nice."

Shuni flinched then relaxed.  He looked up at Ashton.  Letting out a tiny whimper, he crawled into Ashton's lap, nestling against him.

Echo gave Primus a desperate, pleading look, just as Heath moved to jab an elbow into Primus's gut. "Keep yer nose in yer own business, Shadow!"

Ashton held his brother close, and gently rubbed his back. He wanted Shuni to know he was safe now, and feel that way too.

Primus caught Heath's forearm just below the elbow as Heath jabbed back. He twisted hard, allowing Heath's own momentum to snap the elbow.  He leaned forward, still holding the arm in an iron grip, and whispered, "I'm making this my business, Heath.  Let go of the girl.  Now."

Shuni still trembled, but he did feel safe.  Ashton was here.  Ashton would help.  He'd make everything better.  "I'm sorry," he whimpered.

Heath cried out in pain, but let Echo drop. She coughed before she shakily stood. Once on her feet, Echo bolted, bumping into both men in her escape.

Ashton laughed softly. "For what? You've done nothing wrong, Shuni." He assured his brother quietly.

Primus let go of Heath, stepping back to let Echo go.  Before Heath could get the idea to run, Primus' foot lashed out, his heel connecting solidly with Heath's knee, shattering the cap.  

"I messed up the game," Shuni answered quietly.

Heath cried out again as he sank to the ground. "You sick b----rd!" He swore with his off hand, he drew a gun and fired it at Primus... only to have the gun click, out of bullets. A trail of bullets marked where Echo ran, now out of sight. Heath spat curses at and about the vanished girl.

Ashton shook his head. "No, we would still be playing if it wasn't for them. It was them that screwed it up. Now, where all do you hurt?"

Primus' eyes flicked toward the trail and a smile curved his lips as he turned back to Heath.  Everyone knew when the Shadow smiled.... well, you'd best pray it wasn't you he was smiling at.  Good little pickpocket.  "Now then," he said, gently plucking the gun from Heath's grasp.  "Where were we?  Oh yes.  You were about to tell me exactly what kind of sick ba__ would force a girl in more ways than one."

Shuni pointed to his face then his ribs.  "Nothing broke.  Just owie," he explained.  "Can we go home now, please?"

Heath spat at Primus's feet. He wasn't about to give up, even though he knew he already lost. "Heard you retired. Guess once a street rat, always a street rat." He grinned awfully at Primus.

Ashton nodded and stood, carrying his brother. "Yes. We can get you home, at at the least washed up. Sound good?"

"Despite what people say, retired don't always mean dead," Primus said calmly, ignoring the spit.  He reached out and grabbed the front of Heath's shirt hauling him upright.  "Let's go find a quiet place to have a nice chat, you and I.  Sound good?  Good."  He dragged Heath along, going to an old warehouse he knew would be empty at this time of day.  He liked warehouses.  Lots of chains and open rooms.

Shuni nodded, hugging Ashton around the neck.

Heath struggled just enough to try and find his knife... which also proved to be missing. Dang pickpocketing little brat...

Ashton smiled faintly and carried Shuni home with no trouble at all. He took his bother straight to the bathroom and started a warm bath running. "Are you scraped up anywhere?" He asked as he looked for the antibiotic ointment.

Primus carried the struggling sack of flesh into the warehouse and let him drop onto the concrete floor.  Conveniently letting him land on a ledge that would snap a rib or two.  Primus kicked him hard, rolling him over onto his back then knelt.  "It's not nice to touch girls.  Say it."

Shuni looked himself over then presented his elbow.  "Here."
The cats began to gather, ignoring Ashton for once as they mewed fretfully and sniffed at their injured clan-mate.

Heath winced from the pain, but the angry guy still had too much fight left for his own good. "If we don't touch girls, how else are little sh--s being made?" He said stubbornly.

Ashton nodded and squeezed a little ointment out. "Might sting a little, but it's good if it does. Means it's stopping it from getting infected." He gently applied the goop to Shuni's elbow. "Once you're all cleaned up, we'll put a little more on and a band aid, okay?"

Primus calmly fitted the brass knuckles onto his hand and flexed his fingers.  He turned his entire body into the punch as his fist connected with Heath's ribs.  "It's not nice to touch girls."

Shuni bit his lip and nodded.  "Okay."  When Ashton was finished, Shuni leaned forward and hugged him tightly.  "Thank you, Ash."

Heath screamed in pain, choking to get air. "It's... not nice.... to... touch girls..." He gasped out.

Ash was surprised at first, but gently hugged Shuni back. "What kind of big bro would I be if I didn't beat the snot outta your bullies?" He asked softly.

"Good boy," Primus said softly.  "Now say it again.  It's not nice to touch girls."  A fist into the other side, cracking ribs.  "Say it again."

Shuni sniffled as he pressed his face into Ashton's shoulder.  He tried to fight it, he really did.  But his shoulders sharted to shake.  He started sobbing quietly.  Safe.  He was safe.  Not just here, everywhere, because his brother loved him and would protect him.