Say you walk right into a trap, and you are being ambushed. By a group of people, like a group of illegal immigrants, on a poorly lit path, or on a solitary area. You don't know for sure and you can't be certain if they are going to harm you, abduct you, or downright kill you. What to do to defend yourself?

Let's assume you know both in theory and practice some skills to damage seriously others. And you can be quick enough to utilize the environment for your offense purposes. Or that you already carry items that qualify as weapons, or can be utilized as such. Long story short, you become startled enough from your ambushers, and with skill alone and/or gear kill or cripple one or more of your attackers while trying to stay unharmed yourself.

Is it justifiable self denfense? Even if you cannot present proof of you being hunted and in danger? What if you are already framed, and by even touching people really sent after you with genuine harmful intentions against you, you get into serious legal and not only trouble? Is it better to stay pinned, play the duck, eat their blows in your gut, and play victim? What are the healthy, socially acceptable solutions you can employee, in situations like this? How to preserve you ass literally, in such a case?