“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Mother asked as they drove along the Jericho streets. “You can always say no, tell him you still need to recover.”

“And prove to him that I’m still weak?” Ashe said, shaking her head. “No, I need to present myself in a way he can’t use against me.”

“Taking the time to heal isn’t showing weakness,” Mom added.

Turning to look out the window, Ashe sighed. “It is to a man like him.”

“Who gives a shit what he thinks,” Mom said dismissively. “Your health matters far more than his opinion.”

Not if he knew who she was under the mask, or rather, who she was when it came time to put the mask on. The timing was suspicious as hell, and Ashe was beyond worried about why the Senator might want to speak to her. If he knew she was Inferno, she needed to be prepared to kill the man, and that wouldn’t be an easy task in the heart of his own castle.

Sure, Crystal had talked her down from a blatant attempt, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be prepared to defend herself against aggression. Even if his intention was to provoke her, Ashe refused to just roll over and take whatever he tried to dish out. She was done being a victim, because she knew that she had what it took to stand up to the worst scum in the city.

She was Inferno, she had looked death in the eye and refused to blink.

“Besides,” Ashe said, eager to get off the subject. “Today is just a suit fitting. I needed to get this done regardless.”

“Prom is still a month away,” Mother said. “This could have waited for you to recover.”

They didn’t understand, or rather, they didn’t want to acknowledge what was happening. When someone as powerful as Senator Ellington invited you into their home, it wasn’t a request. She wasn’t being given a choice in the matter, he was making a special trip from DC just to see her, to deliver whatever message it was that he intended.

Ashe couldn’t back down from such a blatant challenge.

“I’m not going alone,” Ashe said instead. “Crystal will be with me, and we’re making sure Jason is around too, just to make sure he doesn’t get as many bright ideas about disposing of the troublesome trans girl.”

“You think that would stop him?” Mom huffed. “Don’t forget all the people that have been killed in his name, all the deaths swept aside.”

Ashe’s fist slammed into the window, rage suddenly boiling over. “You think I haven’t thought of that? My birth mother was killed by his psychopathic followers and nobody even blinked about it!”

The bastard that did it barely got a slap on the wrist, and was set to be released next summer. Justice didn’t mean a damn thing anymore, and she was determined to make sure that people like him never hurt another. The sick fuck that killed Lily was dead, he would never hurt anyone else. The same could be said of the people that tried to kidnap back in January.

No, sitting back and waiting for justice wasn’t the answer. She needed to be proactive, expand her influence, and make sure that she could look after her own, if nothing else. Policing the world was beyond her, but Ashe would be damned if she didn’t at least look after her own.

Pulling up to a small building on the outskirts of Uptown, Mother was quick to pull into an empty spot. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Ashe had to be careful as she got out of the car, her side was still rather tender even after almost a month of recovery. Mom was at the door before Ashe had a foot on the ground, offering her arm as support.

Biting back her own stubborn pride, Ashe accepted the assistance, letting her mom take some of her weight as she shut the door behind her. Car rides were still unpleasant, but she was getting better with each day, and that was all she could hope for. Her nerves were frayed and she could feel the fuzz at the edge of her consciousness from the oxy she’d taken before the ride.

The shop was nothing impressive from the outside, just a bland office space. Ashe had seen stores hidden in plain sight like this before, hoping to blend in so they didn’t attract the wrong sort of attention. It was necessary when you had people willing to firebomb a store over something as simple as a rainbow sticker in the window.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by rows of clothing, from blazers to full suits. Everything screamed high end in a way it really shouldn’t, especially for the area. This was the sort of store she expected to cater to Jericho’s elite, not a hole in the wall deep in Viuda territory. Infact, Ashe spotted a stuffed black widow sitting behind the counter, making it clear that this place was a Viuda run business.

“Just a minute!” a voice called from the back.

Had that been why her parents didn’t ask Crystal to come with? To avoid the Viuda taking notice of her? Fat chance of that, but her parents couldn’t have known. That begged the question, why the hell were they aware of the place, and why bring her there?

“You see it too, right?” Ashe asked, making it a point to not look at the plushie.

Mother nodded, still looking over some of the clothing options on display. “The owner is an old friend, and we are aware of the connections they were required to accept in order to stay safe in this city.”

“It is an unfortunate truth of life in Jericho,” Mom added, her voice solemn. “Yet another reason we hadn’t given you much hassle over Crystal’s past dealings with the gang.”

Ashe understood that sometimes the police would overlook obvious gang activity, which meant that whoever ran the place was probably an informant, passing information along to the police in exchange for a blind eye. She just hadn’t expected her parents to be involved in that with how against corruption they were.

“Sorry about that,” a rather tall individual said, their voice hard to identify. Their presentation was androgynous to the extreme, with close cropped hair bleached white and dark skin. “Ah, Cat, Lin, how good to see you both! And on a social call if your little cub is any indication.”

“Taylor, I trust all is well?” Mother asked.

Taylor waved the concern off. “You know how it works around here. I’m happy you’re worried, but things are just peachy.”

Mom snorted. “That’s not what I’ve been hearing on the streets. Something about Inferno carving out her own territory and spooking the Viuda something fierce.”

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Taylor’s eyes briefly flicked to Ashe and she felt a chill go down her spine as they looked back at her mother. “Not sure whose feeding you that rubbish, but Inferno is Viuda. Sure, she’s running a bit detached, but her people still report to the queen in her little web.”

“I hope you’re right,” Mother said. “The last thing we need right now is another gang war on the streets. It was bad enough when Alejandro slaughtered the Derringers.”

Ashe winced, recalling the news coverage of that whole mess some three years back. Gang wars on the streets were never pleasant, though in a way she was waging one against the Patriots herself. She had little doubt that the Viuda saw her as an opportunity, as well as someone they could cut free if she became too much of a liability. Yessina hadn’t said as much, but she may as well have.

Tapping her foot, Ashe glanced from Taylor to her parents and back. “Not to be rude, but we did come here for a reason and my meds will only last for so long.”

Mother had the decency to wince at the reminder. “Right. Ashe needs to be fitted for a suit, and it’s a rush job.”

“I have a dinner date with our illustrious Senator and Presidential hopeful,” Ashe confirmed begrudgingly.

“Interesting,” Taylor said. “I assume you’ll want plenty of ways to conceal weapons on your person?”

“Sure,” Ashe said with a shrug, flipping open her jacket to show her under the arm holster. “I usually have one of these if I can help it.”

“Easy enough to accommodate,” Taylor said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll need to take you into the back to size you up. Would you be comfortable with just me, or would you rather your parents be present?”

Ashe considered that for a moment. “I’m fine alone.”

Taylor smiled wide. “Then follow me, I’ll get you sized and see what styles suit you best.”

“A pun, really?” Ashe asked, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. “Wait, you’re a tailor named Taylor… Fuck, now I have to hate you on principle.”

“Oh come now,” Taylor said, shutting the door behind them. “Like you’re one to talk.”

Ashe stopped, her eyes narrowing. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“A raging fire leaves behind naught but ash,” Taylor said, leaning against the wall. “Isn’t that right, Inferno?”

Gritting her teeth, Ashe looked back towards the front of the store where her parents would be waiting. Was Taylor going to blackmail her? It wasn’t as though Ashe could kill them without raising all sorts of scrutiny, and she did need the suit.

“I don’t suppose you’ll give us the Viuda discount then?” Ashe asked, letting her shoulders drop.

Taylor eyed her for a moment then chuckled. “You really are just a naive and idealistic child. Still, you did us proud by killing that fucker, even if they kept it out of the news, your girls made sure we all knew.”

“I protect my own,” Ashe said with determination.

“That you do,” Taylor said, then clapped. “So, a date with Riptide’s sperm donor and you want to make a statement. I can work with that.” Taylor stepped forward, looking Ashe up and down. “Slim, but with enough curves that nobody could mistake you for a man, yes. I’m thinking of a flared coat, to accent your hips, and tightened up so your chest stands out all the better. I have just the suit to serve as the base, and it’s in a nice dark gray.”

“Just don’t pair it with a red tie,” Ashe said, shaking her head as the measuring tape was brought out. “Or jacket liner for that matter.”

Taylor huffed. “Please, I have some experience with your type, I’ll keep all my work discreet, don’t worry. Now, take off your jacket but leave the holster in place.”

Ashe did as instructed, wincing a bit as the tape was pulled around her at points. Her left arm wasn’t in a sling anymore, but she still wore a brace under her jacket. Taylor considered it for a moment, then measured anyway.

“That might be a bit snug, but I’ll leave your arms a bit looser in the right places to hide how muscular you are.” They continued to circle, then nodded. “Alright, give me a few minutes and I’ll bring out the suit with your measurements pinned in.”

Ashe nodded, leaning back and checking her phone. There were a few messages from the girls, but nothing pressing needed her attention. Ashe replied to one conversation with a meme, then chuckled at some of the replies coming in. It served Brie right for claiming to be an animal in bed, and a cute cat girl demanding treats under the covers was just the right level of teasing to get everyone else to pile on her.

Taylor returned not long after, two hangers in hand. “Careful of the pins, but feel free to use my changing room over there.”

With a heavy sigh, Ashe accepted the clothes and moved off, shutting the door behind her. She’d been afraid of what she might look like in a suit ever since she’d been forced to wear one by her foster family for her birth mother’s funeral. The anger was old, but she still hated them for taking away all her clothes and forcing her to dress as a boy. The less said about their attempt to send her to a torture camp, the better.

Ashe was careful as she put everything on, wincing at the dull ache when she pulled the pants up, they were far tighter than the shorts she was currently wearing and tugged on the scar on her leg. It barely ached anymore, which she was thankful for. The same couldn’t be said of her arm and stomach.

After more time than she would like to admit, Ashe had finally put the entire outfit on and shut her eyes, turning to face the mirror. She could do this, it wouldn’t be the same as last time, it wouldn’t have the broad shoulders of her last suit… All she needed to do was open her eyes.

The reflection looking back at her from the mirror was something Ashe had once dreaded seeing. She twisted gently, being careful to not overextend herself and pull at her still healing injuries. A fitted suit and tie, once the ultimate expression of male presentation in her mind, now looked sharp and feminine. She gasped at the sight and a chuckle came from the other side of the door.

“Can I do magic or what?” they asked.

Ashe turned, a wide smile on her face and tears pricking at her eyes. “It looks wonderful, Taylor.” Ashe’s hands ran down her sides absently, feeling how the suit jacket hugged her form so well. “I never thought…”

“You’re gorgeous honey, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” Taylor said with a wink. “Also, your finger is bleeding.”

Ashe glanced down and sure enough, one of her numb fingers had indeed been pricked by a pin. She shrugged, not feeling it anyway, and moved to lick the wound before a hand caught her wrist.

“Nope, not watching that,” Taylor said, pulling back for a moment. “Here, have a tissue to clean that up so you can change out of it and I can get to work.”

Ashe did as instructed, then pulled the jacket off and handed it over. “How long until everything is ready for pickup?”

“Go have a long lunch across the street, treat your parents for once because I know you can afford it,” Taylor said, putting the jacket on a mannequin. “I’ll be done in a bit over an hour, so be sure to grab dessert as well, just mention my name and you’ll be seated immediately.”

That didn’t sound like a bad idea, though Ashe was hesitant to enter another Viuda establishment with her parents for fear of being recognized. Taylor had seen through her easily enough, what was to stop other Viuda from doing the same? Would they display the same level of tact that had just been shown?

“I’ll consider it,” Ashe said, moving back to the changing room. “Any recommendations if I do decide to take them?”

“Authentic tacos, hands down,” Taylor said with a chuckle. “It is Tuesday after all.”

Shaking her head, Ashe changed back into her casual wear and considered it. That didn’t sound like a bad idea at all, but the danger of being outed…

“How did you know I was Inferno?” Ashe asked, curious to know the answer.

A loud snort answered. “I’m a tailor, I’m good at recognizing builds. Though, you must have missed me at the Web that first night Riptide brought you to meet Headhunter and Hanabi. I was sitting at the bar watching you acting like a scared little babe.”

“Oh,” Ashe said, her head dropping.

Of course it had been something so simple.