The sound of chains rattling was the first sound that Ashley heard as she slowly regained consciousness. Eyes blurry from a concussion, all she could make out was a redheaded woman in the far corner, doing something and muttering to herself. She was not gonna let the secret out. Not just yet, so the warrior pretended to struggle, which caught the woman's attention. It wasn't until Ashley heard the tearing of flesh that she realized how bad a situation it was. Shards of glass had penetrated right through just under her elbows, pinning her to the wall. "You like my handiwork, Miss Grey?" Ashley's mind was whirling, the profiler and assassin assessing the situation. "It's a great work, Miss Bane. It is not everyday that you come across someone as intelligent and meticulous as you." Ashley praised, carefully treading with her, as the violent nature may appear any time. "I am flattered, Miss Grey, but I do have something you love, so one toe out of line and I will hurt her badly, aren't I right, Miss Mills?" And with a push of a button, a wall pane appeared, and Ashley gasped in horror as she saw Henry and Regina chained up high, with spikes underneath. "You like my newest contraption? It's wonderful isn't it? If she falls, or if you try to save her, those sharp, sharp spikes will impale one or both of you." Ashley's anger and fear swelled, but she calmed herself. No need to throw all cards on the table just yet. That was to be her trump card. She needed to play along or Regina would get hurt. "So what is your endgame here, Bane? What are you trying to accomplish?" Ashley asked casually, and Judith laughed. That laugh was one of utter cruelty and loss of reality. Ashley inwardly shuddered. This woman has lost all touch with reality, and unsubs that are in the worst case scenario are the worst and scariest, as there are no boundaries to what they could do. "The endgame? There is no end game. It is the more privileged that get this treatment. It was always people like them that tormented me since I was a child. Only my friend, Veronica, guarded me from their taunts. When I am injured, she comes out and protects me. I made something of myself, but no one had accepted me! Now with these murders, I will go down in history as "Jill the Ripper." I get the recognition I rightfully deserve. But then you." She walked up to Ashley with an evil gleam in her eyes with a sharp knife in her hand, and pointed it right at her throat. "You ruined EVERYTHING. I was going on my merry way. I was happy killing whenever the opportunity arose. But you ruined everything by hunting me." Judith then raised the knife high above her head and stabbed Ashley four times; two on her lungs, one near her heart, and the other near her stomach. It never hit any vital organs, but it was near the nerves as to give the victim the most pain. Spitting out blood, Ashley raised her head defiantly. "Is that all you've got, you coward? Yeah I heard about you. You are nothing, and you always will be nothing." Ashley rasped, a sneer on her face that made Judith so mad, the evil personality made an appearance. Pulling out a scalpel, Ashley looked on in horror as the persona named Veronica cut the blouse off Regina, and leered at Ashley. "Since you won't break, lets see how this beautiful woman will look with some pretty cuts on her body." Veronica leered as the tip of the scalpel gently touched Regina's skin, and that was when the calm profiler snapped. A roar rang through the den, and when Veronica turned, she was met with a bleeding, but still standing Ashley. And when black looked up, it was met with cold, yellow ones. "You will be sorry if you lay a finger on her…." Ashley growled, and Veronica let out a maniac like laugh. "A puny human, against the famous rage monster of all time? I. DON'T. THINK. SO." And with that, Veronica reared and struck Ashley, sending her flying to the far wall. The laughter that followed Ashley sent adrenaline flowing through her veins, which steeled her resolve as she stood up and wiped the blood from her mouth, and as Veronica watched, Ashley spat blood and sassed as she sneered. "Is that all you've got, little girl? That was a pussy's punch. My grams can hit harder then you." Veronica roared in frustration and hatred, and charged. Ashley ducked and dodged, and as she reeled, Ashley got Regina and Henry down. "Take Henry and run." Ashley commanded, looking back at the slightly dazed Veronica. "I'm not leaving you. Come with me dear we need to go together." Regina pleaded, tugging on Ashley's arm. "Go, you have your best chance. Take it and run, Gina. I love you." Ashley leaned down and kissed the Queen of her heart and looked up to see Rossi running toward them. "Get them out of here, I'll hold her off, but get them to safety." Ashley growled, the beast at the ready to rip the target to shreds. Regina's cry could be heard from the tunnel leading to the den, and Ashley's heart broke. She was bleeding and broken, and she knew she would not make it out of this alive, but she'd be damned if she left with Judith Bane still on this earth. "You, Bane!" And when Veronica's head snapped around, Ashley shed her tank top and pulled on her war gloves. "You ain't the first to be called 'Ms. Hyde', you know." And with that, the beast emerged with an animalistic growl. And with a roar, the monster of literature and the super solider collided in a battle of claws and strength.
Ashley's wounds were slowing her down. After being thrown for the umpteenth time, she got back again, her superhuman durability and her steely resolve to end it lending her strength to go back in again. Ducking and clawing Veronica on the face, the super solider ran to the cracked wall, and clutching her beloved locket and looking at the face of the love of her life one last time, she mustered all her strength and with a roar of strain, she caused the den to collapse on Judith and her. And as Ashley laid fading, all she could see was Regina, and with a dying 'Gina' on her lips, Ashley's vision faded into blackness, her hand still clutching the locket. But she was not wrong though, Rossi and Regina had gone back in for her, and when they cleared the debris, Regina ran to Ashley's side. "Ashley, Ashley, don't leave me, don't you dare, don't you dare, you promised! You promised!" Regina screamed, shaking Ashley as she clutched at the fallen soldier's form. Rossi lowered his head as Regina sobbed and pleaded for Ashley to come back to her. "I love you, Ashley Grey, I love you, please. Please come back to me." Nuzzling into Ashley's chest, she numbly moved with the medics as they rushed Ashley to the hospital, and as she waited for Ashley to come out of the surgery, she couldn't help but compare this feeling to the time when she lost Daniel. Ashley had given light into her life, and even with her last breath, she was willing to give her life to make sure Regina was safe. Ashley had gone into a coma while she was in surgery, and day after day Regina sat by her side, hoping and praying she would return to her and Henry. It was only three days after entering the coma that Regina kissed Ashley's forehead when she left to go get coffee, but stopped dead in her tracks with she felt a twitch, like a squeeze around her hand.
Her Knight was finally waking up.