Cowboy and Ajax had been soldiering in Tremont when it happened. It was a simple task Cleon bestowed upon them in order to scope out the area and while they were out patrolling Ajax somehow managed to get separated from Cowboy. It wasn't really uncommon to lose track of each other and they had a pre-designated meet up area just in case.
When Ajax got to the subway platform to look for his fellow Warrior he was elated to see him waiting there for him, but as Ajax approached closer he noticed something a little off about Cowboy. Firstly, Cowboy had a busted lip along with a black eye that could be forming sometime in the near future and secondly, his trademark hat that was the genesis of his name was missing.
"Cowboy, what the hell happened to you?" Ajax asks flabbergasted, itching to find out who did this to his best friend and give them a piece of his mind.
"Those fuckin' assholes, man!" Cowboy swears and he clutches at his ribs as he hunches over slightly. Possibly bruised as well.
"What assholes?" Ajax presses further as he walks over to stand in front of Cowboy.
He doesn't look too well and when Cowboy winces it strikes a nerve or two inside Ajax. Ajax can be a stubborn bastard and perhaps a little too extreme at times, but he's loyal to his fellow Warriors regardless of personal differences. And Cowboy is no exception either. If anything, Cowboy comes first and foremost before anyone else.
"Those goddamn Orphans," Cowboy final spits out on a strained breath. They certainly did a number on him. "Can't believe I let them wreck me like that..."
"Where are they?" asks Ajax.
Cowboy looks up at his friend for the first time since they met up and he takes no peace in what he sees. He recognizes that familiar glint of mayhem warring behind Ajax's blue irises and Cowboy does not like it at all. He knows that look and what usually follows after. Cowboy stands up abruptly, or at least tries to since his ribs hurt, and begins to reassure Ajax that everything is alright.
"Hey man, we really oughta be gettin' back. Cleon will worry about us," Cowboy gushes, hoping Ajax will let it go, but Ajax has never been too keen on following orders when all he can see is red.
"Tell me where they are, Cowboy," Ajax warns a little more firmly, cracking his knuckles in momentum.
"It's not worth it, Ajax," Cowboy pleads but it's useless because Ajax isn't listening. "I can get another one."
"That's not the point. How's it gonna look if other gangs find out that The Warriors lost to a bunch of two-bit wimps, huh?" Ajax is furious now and he can hardly hear past the blood pounding in his ears. He's ready to bust a few heads. "We can't just puss out and let them win! Now are you gonna tell me or not?!"
Cowboy looks away and contemplates the scenario Ajax so colorfully painted for him, sighing to much of his chagrin when he decides that maybe Ajax is right... How lame would backing down make them look? They have a reputation to hold up after all. It just doesn't seem right making up their own orders without telling Cleon or the others first.
"They were two and a half blocks east from here when I ran into them," Cowboy sighs in defeat and Ajax is gone just as fast as the words leave his mouth.
Ajax can hear Cowboy shout something at him as he's leaving the subway, but he's too pissed off to comprehend it. Instead, Ajax flies down the stairs leading out onto the street and heads eastward towards where Cowboy said he was beaten up. Ajax hoped they were stupid enough to still be out there, laughing it up like they are the toughest pieces of shit they think they are.
All the way down the street Ajax fumed and plotted, in graphic detail, what he'd do to those assholes when he got his hands on them. He was ready to wipe those smug grins off their faces with a solid punch to the jaw and shove his foot so far up their asses they'd all be shitting shoelaces for a week. Just thinking about it got Ajax in the brawling mood.
There's a moment when Ajax's rage slows down enough for him to think clearly about what he's doing and while he's aware of how Cleon will take it, Ajax can't stop himself from soldiering down to these lame fuck's territory and teaching them a lesson. Getting chewed out by the Warlord isn't on the top of Ajax's list of concerns right now. He'll cross that bridge when he has to but right now he has to retrieve a piece of property that belongs to his friend.
Sure enough when he was half a block away Ajax could see them standing around and leaning up against a stoop, cackling like a pack of hyenas and spreading tall tales of their conquests... or lack thereof. Ajax came storming down the rest of the street with the strength of an entire army just raging to break free. Ajax could hardly wait.
The Orphans were so wrapped up in the retelling of their affairs that they didn't even notice the company they were attracting. Typical. One small victory had gone to their heads and distracted them from holding down their turf properly. When Ajax is only ten feet away he realizes that the leader is wearing Cowboy's hat like a trophy and it makes his blood boil.
"Hey! Little orphan asshole!" Ajax shouts over to the Orphan leader, Sully, calling him out on his turf.
This catches Sully off guard and the laughter immediately drones down into silence when the attention off all The Orphans standing around focuses on the lone Warrior invading their turf. For a moment they all just stand their gawking at Ajax like they have no idea what to do, or perhaps waiting for Sully to give an order.
Sully looks over at one of his fellow Orphans and snaps in the direction of someone's apartment. Ajax knows what this means and it doesn't unnerve him a bit. He can take on these wimps if he has to. Ajax is sure he can hold his own no matter how many come to Sully's aid. Right now there's six of them, including Sully, and Ajax is more than capable of kicking all their asses.
"You have something that doesn't belong to you," Ajax tells him matter-of-factly.
"Oh, yeah?" Sully challenges, stepping up to face Ajax fully. "It's on my head... So that makes it mine. Now piss off or I'm gonna have to come down on you too."
Ajax is unmoved by this statement.
"What kind of a lazy-eyed faggot needs five other guys to gang up on one person, huh?" Ajax antagonizes profanely, stepping closer to Sully. "Didn't want to break a nail or something, princess?"
Ajax watches with a satisfied and bemused grin as Sully's face goes through an array of teeth clenching scowls. Ajax had no intention of talking this out peacefully, or at all, and the sooner he pissed off the leader the better because he was just itching to get some real action. Sully's face turns red and Ajax can tell he's furious now.
"D'ya know who you're talking to Warrior?! We got a real heavy rep!" Sully barks out as he draws a straight razor from his pocket. "You see what you get when you mess with an Orphan?!"
"Oh, yeah! Real heavy rep," Ajax mocks, drawing out each syllable as if he were talking to a child. "Watch out for the curb, princess. Don't want you scuffing up those pretty heels of yours!"
Sully lunges forward to slash at Ajax with his straight razor but misses when the Warrior jerks to the right to land a solid punch to his ribs. The Orphan falls to the ground, losing Cowboy's hat when it falls off his head, and grunts as he tries to compose himself. Sully stumbles to his feet as fast as he can, watching with dismay as his fellow Orphans struggle to contain Ajax's rage and failing when they all drop like flies at the fists of the Warrior.
Sully advances on Ajax again when the Warrior is busy kneeing one of his Orphans in the gut. This time Ajax isn't fast enough to dodge and as he turns around the sharp edge of Sully's razor slashes a line across the exposed part of Ajax's chest. He hisses for a second and when the initial shock of pain passes Ajax is fast enough to retaliate with a left hook right to Sully jaw and he swears that he sees a tooth or two go flying in it's wake.
The Orphan leader makes the mistake of clutching at his jaw and it gives Ajax the opportunity to knock the straight razor free from his grasp. Ajax lands two more solid uppercuts into Sully gut with makes the Orphan heave and dribble out more blood. Ajax then grabs onto one of Sully's shoulders to steady him before putting his lights out with a knuckle cracking punch to the face.
Ajax staggers away, only slightly exhausted, after all he did just put up one hell of a fight when he was clearly outnumbered. The back up Sully sent out for could be showing at any moment and Ajax figured he'd boogie on out of there before they did. Ajax snatched Cowboy's hat off the ground and dusted it off with the back of his hand.
The Warrior turned to leave when he spotted a spray paint can discarded in the gutter. Ajax smirked and figured, what the hell? Might as well let everyone know The Warriors were there.
When Ajax got back to the subway platform Cowboy was still patiently waiting there for him and when he approached close enough he was able to see that Cowboy was both elated and shocked. Happy to see that his friend made it back and with his beloved hat but distressed to notice the nasty cut on his chest that wasn't there before.
Cowboy was moving better, or perhaps just that determined, because he rushed to Ajax's side and started to worry over him like a child. Ajax hated it when someone babied him but seeing how it was Cowboy, he figured he could let it slide just this once. Besides, Ajax would be lying if he said he didn't absolutely love the attention Cowboy was giving him, especially after a vigorous bare knuckle rumble.
Cowboy clung to Ajax's arm and Ajax wasn't even ashamed of himself when he flexed a little.
"Ajax, are you alright?!" Cowboy implores frantically, cringing at the wound as little drops of blood build up and run down his friend's chest. "My god, what happened?!"
"I'm fine, cupcake," Ajax remarks dryly, shrugging Cowboy off out of reflex and bashfulness. It hurts Ajax's cold shriveled heart to see so much worry and affection made just for him. "I got yer stinkin' hat back, alright? That's all that matters."
"What did you do?" Cowboy questions after Ajax shoves the worn Stetson back into the hands of it's rightful owner. Cowboy worries at the brim of his hat before settling it back onto the top of his head.
"We had a nice little chat over biscuits and tea..." Ajax huffs sarcastically before snorting indignantly, "Whaddya think happened?"
This reaction seems to hurt Cowboy a little but it doesn't dawn on him that it's a defense mechanism. When Ajax is feeling pressured or overwhelmed he lashes out with sarcasm and tasteless jokes to distract him from any real feelings. Ajax just wishes Cowboy could see through all that as simply as he can. Ajax frowns slightly at his own reaction, slapping Cowboy tenderly on his forearm just near his hip.
"I'm really alright, Cowboy," Ajax insists, ditching his whole tough guy routine to give Cowboy the serious answer he deserves.
"You didn't have to go and risk your life just for my stupid hat..." Cowboy dismisses with a shy murmur. He turns his face away to hide the fact that he's blushing.
"You're right. I didn't," Ajax agrees. "But then what would we call you? Just "Boy"? I think you're better off with you're hat."
This makes Cowboy smile a little but he's still too embarrassed to look Ajax in the eyes. Ajax has always had a soft spot for Cowboy and he thought it was purely platonic in a brotherly sort've way but he knows better now.
"Let me take a look at you," Ajax mumbles.
He doesn't give time for Cowboy to react before he captures the shorter man's chin in his bruised hand. Ajax angles Cowboy's head up to inspect the black eye forming over his left eye socket and then drifts his gaze down to his busted lip.
"How are you holding up?"
"I've been a whole lot worse," Cowboy hums softly, smiling out if nervousness because Ajax is so close to him. Cowboy looks at the nasty cut on Ajax's chest and his heart aches just knowing what Ajax is willing to go through just for him. "I ain't the one bleedin'."
"I'll say..." Ajax huffs.
"It's looks really bad..." Cowboy comments with his face twisted up in a wince.
It's not very deep but it might leave a scar for a while and that makes Cowboy feel a tinge of guilt. It's all his fault. If he hadn't wandered off and got wrecked by The Orphans Ajax wouldn't have gotten hurt. Him and his damn hat...
"Sorry..." Cowboy mumbles, feeling the shame setting in. "I shoulda been more careful..."
"Hey, don't sweat it," Ajax reassures, slapping Cowboy on the shoulder tenderly. It's the most compassion he's ever shown anyone and it feels right. "I won didn't I?"
"I suppose you did," Cowboy smiles.
They stare at each other longer than they ever have and something hits Ajax hard when they lock gazes. Ajax doesn't realize it until now, but he could've lost Cowboy today at the hands of those low life fucks... and it would've been Cowboy's blood on his hands. Ajax stares at Cowboy's puffy and irritated bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and kiss the throbbing pain away, but he refrains from doing so. Ajax is too afraid of what that might mean.
They are both snapped out of the moment as the next subway to Coney Island pulls up to a halt and Cowboy smiles awkwardly when Ajax releases his chin reluctantly. Something should've happened, anything, but it will have to wait when they get back to Coney since Ajax just single-handedly started a war. Oops.
"Come on, Cowboy. Let's go home and get cleaned up," Ajax says hopefully, jerking his head towards the subway train.
"So... How many guys did you wreck?" Cowboy inquires nonchalantly, slipping back into his normal self as he follows a step behind Ajax to the train.
"Six. And that's including their leader," Ajax brags triumphantly, flexing his muscles like the show off his is. "Also left them a little present on their turf. I may not be as artistic as Rembrandt but I think they'll get the message."
Cowboy laughs hysterically, coughing just a little when the exertion hurts his ribs only slightly. They board the subway train and take a seat next to each other.
"I don't know how you do it, Ajax," Cowboy praises with awe, always excited to hear about Ajax's rumbles and victories.
"I told ya," Ajax chides as the doors slide shut beside them. "They were a bunch of wimps!"