Jason was trying exceedingly hard not to shoot anyone right now. It was proving difficult, his second finger on each hand twitched with the want to pull a trigger. Hadn't they learned by now, his men, that what he says was law? Sure they got riled up every now and then but a shot to their feet usually calmed the dumbasses back into submission. This, this was a frenzy that he was having trouble controlling and evading.
Two of his men had been found dead in their homes, the toxin in their veins. Thing is, neither one of them were drug users, and neither one was shot up with the toxin mixed with other narcotics. The only evidence was the cheap whiskey that both of them had bought at different corner store, at different times of the week. And different brands. But both had the toxin in the bottles. Jason was going to get a migraine soon if these fuckers didn't shut up with their screaming and crying about not feeling safe. They were criminals, fucking act like it.
He couldn't take it anymore, his hand grabbed the gun at his thigh and he was ready to shoot straight into the crowd of his men arguing in the chapel. But a small hand on his forearm caught his attention. Ashley looked up into his face behind his helmet and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, you shut them up. See how hard it is." she rolled her eyes and turned more the face the crowd.
Her hood was up on the leather coat he'd gotten for her, she seemed to like it that way whenever he brought her here and that was fine by him. She looked good, added an air of mystery to her as she stood at his and Roy's side up at the pulpit. So far none of his men had tried anything, though he'd never let her out of his sight. There was really no way to tell how they would react to her trying to get their attention. As far as any of them knew, she was just the Hood's girl, you didn't look and you didn't touch. She was quiet and rarely said much, but Jason knew she was taking in as much information as she could every time he brought her down here with him. Which was turning into pretty often since he refused to leave her alone even at his own apartment.
Ashley walked closer to the edge of the raised stage and looked out at the men for a moment. Bringing her pinkies to her lips she placed them in the corners of her mouth and blew, hard. A sharp, loud whistle sounded through the chapel and over the crowd of arguing men and teens. Within a few moments the entire mass of them were silent and looking at the blonde standing her her hands back in her coat pockets.
"Shut up and listen." Her voice was just loud enough to carry over them all and she turned to move back beside himself and Roy. Jason was grinning like a madman behind his face plate and Roy tucked his tongue in his teeth to keep from busting out laughing.
With Ashley back to his side Jason wrapped an arm around her hip for a moment before leaving her with Roy to go talk to his men, like adults. With inside voices. Roy sidled up to Ashley and flung his arm over her shoulders, leaning into her so he could whisper to her. "How the fuck did you do that?"
She shrugs under his arm and tilts her face to whisper back to him. "I was an asssitant second grade teacher for one of my classes. The kids would get rowdy right before recess. If you get their attention, just act calm as if their behavior wasn't bothering you. Simple." This time Roy did outright laugh and more than a few men looked their way. Roy flipped them off with a middle finger as he chuckled.
"You just reduced about thirty murdering, drug selling criminals into second graders... I fucking love it." Ashley rolled her eyes and tried to keep a blush from peppering her cheeks. It was becoming easier to see her blush with the winter fading her hard earned tan.
"Well, if they're gonna act like children, treat them like children." She shrugged again and Roy leaned over to kiss her cheek. Ashley froze at the affectionate contact. She didn't know if it was okay for Jason's men to see her like that with Arsenal. If it would make her seem even more of a slut than she already was thought of here. But Roy grinned at her ear and did it again closer to her neck this time. She bit her lip.
"When Artemis is here we're basically fucking her in front of them all. Don't worry about it. Means you're not only Hood's but mine, they won't try anything." He pulled back and made a face. "Well, they shouldn't, they don't mess with Kori but she's you know, an alien with laser bolts in her hands." Hearing Roy say she was his too.. It made her heart beat a little faster.
"That makes me feel so much better." She crosses her arms and Roy only chuckles at her expense. She still hated the fact that she knew next to nothing of self defense. Her work out regiment was non existent now. She hadn't practiced yoga but a few times since staying with Jason, course, sex with Jason Todd was a work out itself. But it wasn't as harsh as she was used to. Her legs were starting too cramp up and feel restless if she didn't move more. She knew Jason had noticed this morning when she started to pace across the apartment. Ashley wanted to train, she wanted to fight. She wanted to do something instead of sitting on her ass or laying on her back. Well ,she liked laying on her back with Jason but that wasn't the point. They'd promised to teach her, and Ashley was about to bring up that promise.
Roy used the hand hovering over her shoulder to reach out and grip her chin, baring her throat to him as he peppered soft kisses down her neck. "Easy, you're grindin' your teeth. Don't let them see you can get riled up over nothing." His words whispered into her neck and Ashley relaxed her shoulders, removed her tongue from pressing at the roof of her mouth and released her clenched teeth. She really had been riled up. Now a pink dust of a blush came over her cheeks and Roy grinned against her jaw. "There ya go Dodge."
Releasing her chin from his gentle grip Roy returned the hand to hanging over her shoulder as he leaned some of his weight on her. Just enough to make her plant her feet more and find her balance without making a huge fuss about the added weight. Jason glanced over to them with a slight tilting of his helmet, Roy nodded in a slight movement. He had her, telling Jason to focus on calming his men and getting them organized instead of where Ashley was at all times.
"Want to make a statement?" Roy grinned down at Ashley's half hidden face under her dark hood. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Aren't I already making one?" She tugged at the wrist bracers he wore on his forearms, to prevent him from any sort of back lash from his bows while also holding some small explosive pellets hidden in the lining. Roy grinned wider and she could see the red domino mask he wore shift as he winked from behind it.
"Depends, this is a little statement. Making sure you ain't messed with while we're around. Want to make a big one?" Roy had this shit eating smirk on his face and Ashley was starting to feel her spine going taut with apprehension. This was one of the few times Arsenal was actually with her and Jason when they were at the chapel, only showing up when he felt like it when the Hood needed him. So she wasn't accustomed to how he acted in front of Jason's men. She didn't know if he was just as much of an authority as Jason was or just someone who occasionally came by the chapel and helped out as muscle. There was so much she still needed to learn.
He doesn't say anything, instead turns some and heads toward Jason's high backed chair. Ashley's feet tried to stop but Roy just had a fuck ton more power in his legs then she did in her entire body. So she was dragged along until Roy is slumping down into the chair, his long legs wide and feet planted on the ground and he leans more to the left. His left elbow and arm supporting his weight as his right hand reaches out to Ashley's hip. His index finger hooks into her belt loop of her coat and pulls.
The next thing Ashley knows is that she's sitting on Roy's lap. His arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Her hood had fallen down to reveal the long length of her white and blonde hair. They're siting on Jason's chair. On the Outlaw King's throne.
Ashley doesn't have the frame of mind to even blush. Because Jason glances over to them, the crowd of men slowly turn to look at them both. Silence reigning inside the chapel as Arsenal pulled Dodge more onto his lap, a smirk on his lips as his left hand rose to cup his jaw as he looked back at them all. Jason only turned back to the rest of his men, giving no indication that what Roy and her were doing was wrong. When in fact, every man under the Hood's reign couldn't look away for long moments because Arsenal rarely sits in the chair, but Ashley was there. Dodge was there with Arsenal, on the King's throne.
"What the fuck are you all looking at?" The Hood's voice rose, several men backed even further away from the raised stage and everyone went back to taking orders from their leader. Jason was explaining how to use thin strips of paper and a drop of a mixed solvent that tell if any of their drinks or product have the toxin mixed inside.
Roy's thumb was running soothing circles on her hip, he could feel her spine taut with nerves and was slowly relaxing but not by much. Though her face was devoid of much but a light blush. Roy grinned, she was so cute. He rarely got to see a blushing woman anymore. Kori was so tan it was a miracle to put color on her cheeks. He liked it, more than he should have. Ashley was Jason's girl first, but they'd always been god with sharing.
When the orders were finally given and the men had calmed and left, Jason slowly stalked back to the raised stage. Roy rose, pulling Ashley with him, Jason sat down and Ashley was switched to Jason's lap. The blonde huffed and crossed her arms as Jason's thick muscled arm came around her hip to grip at her stomach, pulling her close to him. Roy chuckled at her exasperated expression, chucked her chin lightly before moving to lean his hip agaisnt the back of Jason's chair.
Ashley waited a moment before furrowing her brow and turning to look at Roy and then the gleam of Jason's helmet. They usually left after orders were given, or at least went to do something else. This time they were both just sitting there, as if waiting for something. The blonde chewed her lip for a moment but shrugged it off. She wasn't going to question Jason in front of hearing distance of anyone that could cause whispers in his men. She knew better than an action like that. A cigar burn on the back of her right thigh was a very good reminder to not speak when her voice wasn't needed. She was going for the whole, strong and silent type.
Jason moved Ashley to sit on his left thigh, her legs pointed towards his right leg. Making her not so much fully on his lap but still close enough for him to palm her hip. If he needed to stand, it wouldn't uproot her so harshly if she was caught by surprise. Mack came up to him some time later and gave him reports on his shipments, everything else was going smoothly otherwise. He'd have to replace the ones killed obviously, but there were actually plenty of men who wanted a steady paycheck, no matter the cost of legality or bloodshed. Jason would gladly foot the bill if it kept his people safe and his accounts growing.
The doors to the chapel swing open, some shouting form the guards outside were silenced into groans as someone strolled into the Outlaw's base. Jason's thigh underneath Ashley's legs tensed and she glanced at Jason, then towards the figure walking into the chapel. Several guns were trained on the figure and some words were shouted but all Ashley could see was the figure standing there. Her heart wrenched, and just like the moments she'd come into true contact with Starfire and Raven, her mind filled her with visions of animated stills and fanart.
This character wasn't as widely known, it was unknown to some even. But she remembered it all very clearly. Late Saturday nights, popcorn and cartoon network. Some of the most intense episodes of the Teen Titans she'd ever witnessed. Ashley wouldn't forget that white skull like helmet and the bright red 'X' slashed into the jaw. Silver utility belt and blackest black cape at his shoulders. This version was much taller, muscled and had the shoulders of an adonis. Not the lanky teenage one she'd seen animated on screen. But it was him, and Ashley knew exactly who it was under that skull like mask like helmet.
"Stand down." Jason's voice rose, the guns were slowly lowered and the figure strode casually over to the raised stage. Arms crossed over his chest, silvered metal bracers on his forearms. "Red X, been awhile. What are you doing here?"
"Can't an old friend stop by? Say hello?" Jason tilted his head to the side, his chin dipped into a nod and he stood, his hands on Ashley's hips. Once standing, Jason led them off the stage, Roy threw his arm over Ashley's shoulders again as they walked down the hall and toward the farthest room on the right. When it opened with a swipe of Jason's palm on a nearly perfectly blended metal plate into the wall, did Ashley realize it was the same room Kori had taken her from nearly a week ago.
With the door sealed shut behind them, Jason crosses his arms and glares, behind his helmet, at Red X. Ashley couldn't help but gawk, she was surprised her jaw wasn't wide open and catching flies. Just the sight of them alone made her heart flutter. Jason, god Jason in his full get up had her heart racing. But adding Roy, padded and masked, quiver of arrows on his back standing to the other side of Jason's muscled leather jacket covered shoulders. And then Red X, hands on hips and almost looking,... Sassy. Motherfucker looked sassy.
Ashley giggles, and it's so sudden and unthinkable that all three men turn to look at her. Roy, she could see raise an eyebrow beneath his red leather domino mask. Hood and Red X tilted their heads in exactly the same degree and same side, the left. And she lost it, lost it. (Seriously, imagine that shit oh my lord). Ashley started to giggle and cackle, one of her arms wrapped about her middle as the other pointed at all three of them. Her breath coming in wheezing gasps after a while and Jason finally stepped forward. His hands searching her pockets of her coats for the inhaler, Ashley wasn't any help trying to find it, still lost in her laughing fit of near insanity.
"I think we broke her? How did we break her?" Red X, his voice scrambled and more technological sounding from the helmet, tilted his head the other way while Roy only rolled his eyes and sat heavily in the one office chair in front of the computers.
"Easy, baby," Jason muttered from behind his helmet, grasping her chin in her shaky movements and forcing the inhaler past her lips to he could releases the breathing aide into her throat. Ashley coughed, gasped for a moment before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, making herself breath as Jason rubbed circles against her back. "Better?" Ashley nods, wiping tears from her eyes from her laughing fit. "Mind explaining why you're half insane?"
She chuckles softly, and notices how they all stiffen with worry that she might start another laughing fit. Jason's gloved hand brushes back some of her hair and she doesn't miss how Red X's helmet twists some. "I just had a moment of 'holy shit I'm in the same room as Red Hood, Arsenal and the fucking Red X'. I'm good." She smiles and hums up at Jason and he only shakes his head, the gleam of his helmet shining in the low light from the computer.
"Fucking crazy." Jason whispers just loud enough for her to hear and Ashley grins up at him.