Ashe couldn't help it, she laughed.

Rachel sputtered indignantly. "This— This isn't some laughing matter!"

Stifling her laughter, Ashe leveled a flat glare upon them. "Clearly I disagree."

"How can you be so heartless?" Heather demanded, tears in her eyes. "It's your fault she's missing!"

Ashe raised an eyebrow. "I am afraid I don't follow your logic. Explain it to me like I'm one of your little Patriot flunkies, nice and slow."

She couldn't help but smile as their faces turned scarlet with indignation. It wasn't often that Ashe could get under their skin, but she would relish it while she could. She had a suspicion as to why someone might kidnap the little bitch, but it couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

Heather wiped her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Jessica, she—"

Ashe turned and walked away, leaving the two girls behind. She could hear them trying to say something, but words were proving to be too much of an endeavor for their collective intelligence. It wasn't her fault that Jessica decided to do something stupid, and it sure as hell wasn't her problem to solve.

"The Viuda took her!" Rachel yelled.

"Not likely," Ashe called back to her.

Ashe didn't trust any of the gangs in Jericho, but she at least knew the Viuda weren't the terrible people that the Iron Patriots portrayed them as. Crystal had one of their tattoos, and likely worked with them to some degree, and despite everything, Ashe did trust the woman. Their robbery was still fresh in her mind, the pounding thrill of finding all that money, of being handed her cut of the cash that was currently hidden in her closet.

She hated herself for how she felt about it, she'd enjoyed it and wanted to do it again. Even admitting that much to herself was difficult, because how does one deal with that? Ashe was raised by two members of law enforcement, she understood the odds that she would be caught and arrested better than most would. Yet, she was still thinking about calling Crystal to plan another outing.

Actually…

Ashe pulled out her phone and sent a message to Crystal, informing her that two of her bullies were claiming that the Viuda kidnapped the third. There was a chance Crystal had called in a favor with them to go after those making her life hell, and while the thought was sweet, she hoped that wasn't the case.

She stopped by the staff restroom and was washing her hands when the reply came in. She read it and frowned. Hopefully Crystal was telling the truth and she had nothing to do with it. Ashe was trusting her, which felt odd, but after committing a felony with someone, what else could you do but trust them?

It wasn't like Ashe could talk about it with her parents, not without implicating herself in a crime that they would be forced to report. Worse, they would arrest Crystal and that was a trust that Ashe refused to betray. Crystal went out of her way to help her in her own way and Ashe found it touching, even if it was a bit misguided.

The man was back in jail, and wouldn't be getting out until everything went to trial. Ashe wasn't happy that it took another crime to get a modicum of justice, but she would take what little she could get. Stepping out of the restroom, she adjusted her backpack and took a deep breath. She was already growing tired of the moral quandaries that kept circling her thoughts like vultures.

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Ashe's classes passed without much fanfare. Rachel and Heather sent pleading looks her way whenever they passed each other, but Ashe was still was unable to muster a single fuck to give about one of her bullies facing a touch of karma. Jessica was responsible for countless injuries over the years, and if her suspicions were correct, Ashe's own hand could now be counted among those her tormentor had caused.

After all, why else would the Iron Patriots single her out? There was no doubt the organization knew who she was, and yet her attackers hadn't been aware of it. She was singled out for that attack, which left few other explanations. Jessica was dating a known member of the IP, the Mayor was a vocal member and staunch supporter. His son Gray certainly wasn't looking all that beat up about Jessica's disappearance, if the freshman hanging off his arm between classes was any indication.

It wasn't that she cared about her bully's fate, but she was curious if her intuition was correct. That her boyfriend had been so quick to move on suggested so. When the final bell rang, curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't resist poking the bear.

Ashe saw the freshman, some girl she vaguely recognized but had never spoken to, and made her approach.

"Hey, you got a minute?" Ashe asked.

The girl turned in surprise, then scowled when she saw Ashe. "What does the freak want?"

"Harsh," Ashe said, her voice clipped. "You don't even know me."

"I've heard enough," the girl said, turning back to her locker.

Ashe sighed, counting the days she had left in the hellscape that was Jericho High. The girl shut her locker, a sticker with Senator Ellington's presidential slogan slapped across the door. She wanted to swallow her disgust, because she needed answers to settle her mind.

"I saw you managed to bag Gray," Ashe said. "Given it will piss off Jessica, I figured I'd offer you my congratulations, if only to drive the spike a bit deeper."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Not like she's gonna be around to seethe about it."

"Yeah, I heard she wasn't here today," Ashe said casually. "I'd be quite happy if that became a permanent thing."

"You would," the girl huffed. "Now that you got that out of the way, fuck off."

Ashe sighed, but turned to leave only to stop in place. Gray was standing there with his arms crossed, along with two others from the football team. A cold chill ran down her spine at the sight, but she squared her shoulders and let her arms hang loosely at her side. She broke into a drug dealer's house while armed, dealing with a handful of highschool pricks should be easy in comparison.

She just had to keep telling herself that.

"This tranny harassing you?" he asked, not looking away from Ashe.

The girl shuffled for a moment, Ashe paying as much attention as she could spare out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't about to look away from the three athletic men, she might be able to hold her own in a fair fight, but not against three on one odds. Never mind her injured hand.

"Eh, she was just looking to rub salt on your ex," the girl said. "Nothing worth having to explain why you took out the trash."

Gray didn't budge, and Ashe didn't risk doing anything that might set him off. He usually left things to Jessica but she was gone, and if what the freshman said held any merit, he was more than aware of the reasons. She couldn't help but think back to their most recent run in, and the argument that followed after she sent them packing.

"Come on, Gray. We've got a movie to get to," the girl said, flouncing over and taking his arm. He didn't break eye contact until the girl pulled him away. His two bookends followed a moment later and Ashe finally allowed herself to relax.

"Stupid," she muttered, massaging her numb hand. "You're in no condition to get into a fight, so why are you provoking them?"

"I was asking myself that same question."

Ashe spun, fists coming up as she did. Rachel flinched back, arms up to shield her face. Seeing the woman, Ashe took a step back, but didn't lower her guard. Instead, she glared at her bully, hoping that she would instantaneously develop the ability to set someone on fire with her eyes.

"The fuck are you following me for?"

Rachel blinked. "I wasn't, I just saw you talking to that freshman and thought you might learn something about Jess."

Ashe snorted. "Tough luck there, I was just congratulating her on getting Gray."

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"Bullshit," Rachel said, taking a step forward. "You want to know what happened to her too."

"I'd like to thank whoever made her disappear," Ashe countered. "Or did you forget how your little group has made my life a living hell for the last four years?"

"Oh, don't give me that," Rachel snarled. "You're the one that chose to come to school like that. If it hadn't been us, any number of other people would have treated you the same. Get a thicker skin if you can't take it, because you definitely asked for it."

Ashe blinked, her mind trying, yet failing, to grasp the fact that Rachel had the nerve to interrogate her while simultaneously insulting her to such a degree. Actually, she easily believed it, Rachel was entitled to hell and back.

Rather than entertain her further, Ashe decided to take the high road and walk away. Rachel yelled, running after her, but Ashe made it to the front door before she could catch up. Ashe kept moving, looking across the lingering students when she caught sight of a familiar green bike and brilliant blue hair.

The door behind her flung open, but Ashe was already moving down the steps. She hadn't asked Crystal to meet her, but if she did have ties to the Viuda, it stood to reason that she might be curious about the rumors being spread about Jessica's disappearance.

"Crystal!" she yelled, waving her arm.

Crystal turned, a smile blooming on her face as she lifted her sunglasses. "Hey Ashe, how was school?"

She stopped, her hands dropping to her side. Ashe found herself unsure what she should be doing with her hands as she stood in front of the gorgeous woman. She didn't want to appear desperate, or come on too strongly. Crystal set clear boundaries and she intended to honor them, even if she would rather toss them aside.

"Get back here, you little fag!"

Ashe sighed, turning to watch the red-faced Rachel pushing her way over. Ashe was about to retort when a firm hand pulled her back and Crystal stepped forward. She caught a glimpse of her as she did, stone-faced and fury sparking in her eyes. Rachel made it all of two more feet before Crystal was looming over her despite their similar height.

"The fuck did you call her?" Crystal demanded, her voice cold as ice. Rachel huffed, then moved to go around her before Crystal's arm snapped out and took hold of her collar. Rachel shrieked, but Crystal stepped in close, eyes locked upon the bully's. "I asked you a goddamn question."

Other students were beginning to gather, and Ashe knew that if she didn't do something to de-escalate, Crystal would be considered at fault no matter how someone acted against her. She stepped between them, resting her numb hand on Crystal's sleeve. Crystal's head whipped to her, and Ashe hoped her eyes were pleading enough to get her to back down.

A man was shouting to clear a path, she risked a glance in that direction and realized it had to be someone on the faculty, because people were actually moving.

"Come on," Ashe said. "Let's just go."

Crystal regarded Rachel for a moment, then pulled her close. "This isn't over." She then sent her stumbling to the ground before turning to mount her bike. Ashe sighed in relief then hopped on with her. The bike rumbled to life and she barely got her helmet secured before they were in motion and she was forced to grab hold of the older woman.

They rode several blocks with nothing but the wind and the rumble of the engine for company. Ashe had no idea where they were going, or if there even was a destination in mind. She only knew that they were traveling west, towards the Gulf.

The waters stretched to the horizon, glittering in the afternoon sun as the waves rolled across white sand beaches. It never ceased to steal her breath away when she saw it, a jewel in an otherwise ugly city. Crystal guided the bike down to the boardwalk and found a place to park that didn't charge, which was a minor miracle in itself.

Ashe hopped off the bike, but Crystal remained seated for a moment. Had she done something wrong? Was Crystal mad at her? Standing there, she found herself fidgeting, the desire to ask her something, anything, all to break the oppressive silence. She stood, helmet gripped tightly in her left hand since she couldn't trust her right to do the same.

Crystal finally pulled her helmet off, an expression on her face that Ashe wasn't even going to attempt to read. She stared off into the distance, the sound of waves and gulls filling the silence between them.

"I knew it was bad," Crystal said softly. "But I didn't expect that. How can you stand to let others talk to you like you're—"

"Less than dirt?" Ashe supplied.

"Yes!" Crystal exclaimed, rounding on her as she hopped off the bike. "You're human, and a genuinely good person at heart, and they talk to you like you're trash just because of how you were born."

"Welcome to Jericho," Ashe said, failing to keep the bitterness at bay. "I've lived in this city for most of my life now, I've grown used to being treated like this."

"You shouldn't have to," Crystal said softly. "You deserve to have someone in your corner willing to do what's needed."

"Is that why you were going after my attackers?" Ashe asked, moving beside Crystal. "Because you wanted to be that person?"

"Not at first," she answered slowly. "But the more we talked, the more I came to care. You're my friend Ashe, and dammit if I don't want to see you suffer."

Tears were rolling down Crystal's face, and Ashe found herself crying as well. She wanted nothing more than to pull the woman in close, hold her tight, then share a tender kiss at the end of it. She refrained from doing so, much as it was a strain to do so. Just because Ashe was thirsting after her hot rescuer, didn't mean that she was going to jump her.

"Thank you," she said instead. "You're the first person after my parents that has actually done something to help me. I'll forgive you for it being illegal, because it actually got results, and that galls me to admit."

"Does it now?" Crystal asked, a hint of a smile hidden behind the tears.

Ashe nodded. "I was raised to trust the police and the courts to see justice carried out. Yet, in every aspect of my life I was denied even the barest notion of the word." Ashe took a deep breath, the weight of what came next settling on her shoulders. "Then you came along and shook my view of the world."

Crystal turned, facing Ashe properly. "What are you telling me?"

Another breath. "I think… No, I know that the only way justice will happen in this city is if we take it into our own hands. You gave me a taste of that, and now I want the whole plate."

Crystal blinked, her brow creasing in concentration. "Ashe, are you asking me what I think you are?"

Ashe nodded. "I want to make a difference. I want to help rid this city of the people that keep those like me down. I don't want to end up like my parents, powerless to act yet still holding up a failed system. I want to do something meaningful, even if it isn't exactly legal."

Crystal stared into her eyes and while Ashe wasn't sure what she was looking for, she wasn't going to flinch away now. She meant every word, and she knew that no matter how long she dwelt on things, that feeling would only grow stronger. It would be dangerous, but just living in Jericho was putting her life at risk. The attack was the final straw, and now there was another choice being given to her, the clarion call all but impossible to ignore.

Crystal sighed, leaning back while pinching her nose. "You have no idea what you're asking here."

"Then enlighten me," Ashe said resolutely. "Let me go into this with eyes unclouded."

Crystal grumbled, then fished out her phone. "Fine, but first things first, you're meeting the rest of my friends."

"That sounds strangely ominous," Ashe admitted.

Crystal laughed. "You've already met Robbie, so it won't be so bad." She sighed, sending off a text then began to put her helmet back on. "Come on, it's a bit of a ride to get to the Tangled Web."