“Please, just find him,” Jason said, his voice cracking. “I don’t know what I would do if he—”

“We’ll get him back,” Ashe said. “I promise.”

“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” he said softly. “The police are here, including your mom and she wants to talk to me. Anything you want to pass along?”

“Tell her to follow the video, she’ll understand the reference,” Ashe said, then ended the call.

Steam hissed from one of the nearby pipes, still damaged from where it had been clipped in the firefight over a month prior. Ashe moved past it, ignoring the dark stains on the concrete where a body had once lain, another man in a long line of corpses left in her wake. Crystal hesitated for a moment, looking down at the long dried blood.

“Did they even attempt to clean it up?” Crystal asked in a hushed whisper.

Ashe shrugged one shoulder, the steam leak had been almost loud enough to obfuscate her words, but not quite. They didn’t know exactly where Gray had run off to, but he had something planned down in the tunnels for her. That had been all she managed to get out of the whimpering linebacker before she ran out of fingers.

It felt like overkill, the two of them going after some high school kid that was in over his head and didn’t even realize it. She was prepared to kill, and had done so many times before. Was he the same? Sure, he had encouraged Jessica to put those men up to attacking her, he had tried to attack her with a group, but was he actually willing to follow through with murder when it was just him?

He’d taken Todd hostage, and might have more people helping him than she expected. Some part of her feared that there was more to this attempt than she was aware of, but there was nothing to be done about that, all she could do was continue to press forward.

“Even after watching the video, I never really appreciated how claustrophobic this place is,” Crystal said. “Not to mention the sounds, it’s creepy as hell, like a horror game.”

“Afraid something will drop from the ceiling?” Ashe snarked.

“Please don’t,” Crystal said with a groan. “We just watched that alien movie.”

Ashe chuckled, again making sure to check her corners, being a bit more thorough this time to avoid people rushing from blind spots. Retreading the ground, almost step for step, it brought some interesting feelings to the forefront. She had to admit, at least to herself, that she was nervous being back in the tunnels that almost claimed her life.

“We could always split up,” Ashe teased, mostly to hide her own nerves.

What they were doing was beyond foolish, and there would be no legal defense if it came down to it. Her own backup plans would still work, if nothing else. She just had to hope that everything lined up properly.

Todd being taken was already a wrench in her plan, and she was wondering when it had happened. When Jessica was giving her speech, Todd was right there with the rest of them, which meant that someone had to have grabbed him in the chaos that followed Gray opening fire on the stage.

He wasn’t alone, and those punks she had interrogated for information weren’t in on that part of the plan on purpose. Fuck, this was getting deeper than she thought, which meant it might involve the Patriots in full. If they knew Jason and Todd were an item, making an example of the queers at their own prom would make headlines everywhere.

No, she had to put a stop to whatever was going on, and make sure that everyone involved was put down with prejudice. Any survivors would just mean potential revenge seekers. Ashe clutched her gun tightly, knowing that what was to come wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.

“This isn’t a simple act by a desperate kid, someone got their hooks into him.”

Crystal came up beside her, eyes still on the corridor in front of them, but keeping Ashe in her periphery. “You think this might be the same people that went after Jason?”

Ashe paused, feeling out the shape of that scenario. If true…

“Shoot to kill,” Ashe said, moving just a bit faster than before. “If it is, then we’re in for one hell of a fight.”

She followed the same path she had taken with Todd, moving in reverse, deeper into the tunnels. That was when she heard it, at first it was an indistinct voice, but as they crept closer, it became clearer.

“You’re sure it was her?” Gray asked.

“Shut the fuck up,” a much harsher voice said.

The hairs on the back of Ashe’s neck stood on end at the tone of it, that was the voice of a man that wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone. Ashe shared a look with Crystal, her girlfriend biting her lip as they listened. A phone chimed and there was a bit of a commotion ahead.

“Word from the brats?” the same man asked.

“Nothing,” Gray said, sounding frustrated and scared. “They might just be letting the police handle it.”

“You just had to shoot at her,” the man growled. “Couldn’t keep to the plan at all. Useless.”

An idea came to mind and Ashe pulled her phone out and sent a text to Todd’s number. It was a simple request for proof that Todd was still alive, which would hopefully be provided. If he was already dead… Well, she would have a bunch of questions to answer to her parents once they caught up with her.

“The tranny just texted me,” Gray said. “Wants a picture of the little fag.”

Several cursed, and Ashe knew they were outnumbered, which wasn’t really anything new. She waited several more moments, but nothing further was spoken. She was about to say to hell with it and go in regardless when her phone vibrated, Todd’s number revealing a picture of the boy with a swelling black eye and bloodied nose, but awake and alert. He was bound and gagged, which explained why he hadn’t been cursing up a storm.

“We’re going,” Ashe whispered.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She typed up a second message, then sent it along. Ashe then held up her fingers, waiting for Gray to say something. The moment he did, she started counting down. The moment she closed her fist, Ashe was already in motion, gun up. Ahead, there were two people with rifles at the door, looking inside the adjoining room rather than at the hall.

They were armored, wearing gear that wasn’t too far off from what Alejandro had gifted her and carrying bullpup rifles. The second of the men noticed her first, he attempted to bring his gun up in a panic, and Ashe fired a single shot. His neck spouted red, his own gun discharged as he fell, striking his buddy. Even as he recoiled from the impact, Crystal fired off her own shot and dropped the sentry where he stood.

Armor was only as effective as its coverage, and there was no such thing as perfect. It was why, despite the gift, Ashe didn’t want to rely on it when in the field. Ashe grabbed hold of the falling man, pushing him into the doorway as cover and took in the room. She spotted two armed men, and immediately fired on one of them before he could get his bearings.

He staggered, but she wasn’t looking for kill shots, her aim shifted, and the second round went into the other. Shots rang out after that, peppering her meat shield heavily. Searing lines traced over her skin, and she knew that familiar sting of grazes. She held on anyways, knowing it was the safest way to handle things.

The moment the shooting stopped, she shot again, aiming for the two she had hit earlier. Behind her, Crystal snapped off her own shots into the room as Ashe pulled back and let the corpse drop just as she took cover on the other side of the door.

“Stop shooting or the brat dies!”

Ashe took a moment to reload, knowing that it was largely a bluff and a play for time. “You kill him, you have no hostage.”

“Children playing cops have no place in this,” he said. “Leave.”

“Who were you hoping to ensnare with this farce of a trap?” Ashe demanded, checking where she could feel the sting of the bullets. She was bleeding but wasn’t able to tell exactly how bad it was without taking off her coat and pants. She wanted to curse the loss of her suit, but would have to wait for another time. “Because this has to be one of the dumbest plans I have ever seen.”

“Blame the Mayor’s brat,” he answered. “He was supposed to provide a distraction, not shoot the place up. I’ll happily deliver him if that lets me walk away.”

“And what about Todd?” Crystal demanded.

“Not your concern.”

Fuck, the mayor’s son was expendable, but Todd wasn’t? That was one hell of a situation if he wasn’t bluffing. Ashe tried to look at it from outside angles, but couldn’t quite see what their motivation might be. What employer would want Todd in the first place, or was Jason still the objective? He would make an effective hostage if the goal was to lure Crystal’s brother into his own kidnapping, or execution.

Ashe took a shaking breath, knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to talk through this situation. No, she was going to have to kill more people and deal with her parents. Ashe’s phone buzzed again, but she didn’t have the time to check it. Whatever it was, she just had to hope it wasn’t too important.

The crack of a gunshot rang out and Ashe’s eyes widened. She spun, more gunshots sounding as she did and the room came back into view. Two more of the mercs went down, including the one that Ashe assumed was issuing the demands. Across the way, stood a figure in motorcycle leathers, with a red demon mask and flaming bandana hiding her hair.

Huh, she wasn’t sure if Keiko would come through or not, but it seemed she had.

Ashe checked each prone figure, barely paying the coward in the corner any mind before confirming that Todd was alive. Ashe’s eyes flicked over to the other person with Keiko, Brie’s eyes being recognizable even if she was wearing Riptide’s colors. Todd was on the ground, squirming against his bonds, but seemed to be largely okay. Ashe moved right to his side, and immediately removed the gag.

“Fucking…” Todd spat aside. “That thing tasted like sick ass that was two days ripe.”

Brie gagged at the mental image, and Ashe was almost right there with her. Untying his legs and arms came next and she was focused on that when a whimper drew her eyes. Crystal had a gun to Gray’s head, the man sitting in a pool of his own urine as he shook.

“Oh how the proud have fallen,” Crystal said.

“You—you can’t,” he stammered. “My father—”

“Isn’t here to save you,” Ashe said, helping Todd to his feet. “The only question right now is what happens to you.”

“I say he dies,” Todd said. “Prick was gleeful about them killing me once they got Jason.”

“That’s strike one,” Ashe said. “What else?”

“Are we actually playing this game?” Keiko asked. “Seems pointless to me.”

“Thanks for coming when I called,” Ashe said. “Sorry to put you through that.”

“Are you kidding?” Brie said. “That was… Whoo! What a rush!”

Ashe chuckled. “Yeah, the adrenaline of a firefight can be like that.”

Gray’s eyes danced from person to person, before pausing on Keiko. “Is that Inferno? And Riptide? Wait, why aren’t you freaking out about a killer being right here?”

That last question had been directed at her, and Ashe knew then and there how it was going to play out. Ashe shrugged, looking down at the mewling brat with more money than sense.

“I’m not freaking out because I know them,” Ashe said. A bland statement of fact. “Just as you seemed rather chummy with these mercenaries. Care to explain why that is?”

“His father has dealings with them,” Todd interjected. “I was able to confirm that much.”

“Good to know,” Ashe said. “Anything else you could tell me?”

“I don’t know anything!” he tried.

Crystal pistol whipped him.

“Strike two,” Ashe said. “Third time’s a bullet to the brain.”

He stared at her, and seemed to find a sliver of defiance. “You don’t have it in you.”

Ashe blinked, and she couldn’t help but humor him. “You really haven’t been paying attention, have you?” She gestured around them. “Remember the firefight that made the news? How Jason was saved by someone? How I stopped two from escaping and nearly died for it?”

“All her,” Crystal said. “We just didn’t want the media to catch on that she had snuck into the building.”

“Yeah, still healing from that too,” Ashe said with a grimace. “So, when you say I don’t have it in me?” She sighed and held out a hand for Keiko, who snorted and handed the familiar gun over without a word.

Gray’s eyes widened as Ashe stepped forward, tears streaming down his face as she leveled the gun upon him.

“Try me,” she said. “Now, the mercs, explain before I paint the wall.”

“Dad hired them,” he squealed, tears and snot running down his face as he did. “He was asked to by someone important, and used a dummy corp to pay them. He asked me to give them a good distraction and we came up with the idea to name you prom king.”

“Ha! Knew he wasn’t smart enough to come up with that on his own,” Todd said. “Jason owes me twenty bucks now.”

Ashe rolled her eyes. “That answers that. I suppose we’ll need to be talking to him next. At the very least, the media learning that the Mayor was behind an attempt on Jason Ellington’s life should disrupt the Patriots for a while. Hopefully Jessica’s statements are enough to get some pressure on the Viuda while we’re at it.”

“Hey, can we wrap this up?” Keiko asked. “I still have an errand to run, if you recall.”

“Why are they listening to a tranny like you?” Gray demanded, almost pleadingly.

Ashe raised an eyebrow at the sniveling man.

“This doesn’t make sense!” he said, looking desperately between them. “You’re nobody! They’re killers! Why would two of the most dangerous monsters in the city defer to you?”

“Because things aren’t as they appear,” Ashe said with a smile, though there was no kindness to be found in it as she met his gaze. “They listen, because I am Inferno.”

He had just a moment to comprehend her words before Ashe pulled the trigger.