9. Good
Ashley was wondering what was going on. To start with Drake had been late for the movie they were going to see. Seeing as she didn't want to see it she had left after twenty minutes. She had felt embarrassed for waiting that long, but sometimes he really did get caught up in stuff.
Then there had been the phone call from Becky a few minutes ago.
"What's up?" Ashley had asked.
"You need to get down to the Chrysler building," said Becky.
"Why? Did Bianca call?" she asked, suddenly becoming alert.
"No, I just have a feeling that you need to be down there."
Knowing better than to question a seer Ashley had grabbed her weapons and headed down. When she arrived she found Bianca walking around in the lobby, looking agitated. No one else was in sight, as was usual in a crisis situation. She wondered if perhaps Becky had been wrong somehow and Bianca's stress was caused by something else. Sometimes feelings were just feelings.
When Bianca saw her her jaw dropped.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Um…Becky said I might need to be down here," said Ashley, feeling awkward, "And…yeah."
"Did she say why?"
"No."
"Typical seer," muttered Bianca, "Didn't follow the vision through. I suppose that there's a reason for you to be here…"
She gave Ashley a hard look.
"I was going to tell you," she said, "I just thought that we should have a conference of Masters first to figure out the best move."
So it was a crisis situation. Ashley shifted her quiver that contained her arrows and bow. If a fight was brewing then she'd be ready for it.
"You may want to sit down," said Bianca.
Ashley did so, puzzled as to why she should. She'd been briefed on situations before and she'd only been asked to sit down the first time. Bianca knew better than to treat her like she didn't know much. After all, she was a Journeyman now and that wasn't just some empty title that was thrown around.
Bianca briefed her on the situation on the Morganians.
"How could they attack us here?" asked Ashley, "Isn't this basically an impregnable fortress or something?"
"Basically," Bianca said, "And there's the problem. We thought no one could breach it until Horvath came along. He just swatted everything aside and stepped in. We have to be cautious."
Sighing she started to scratch her arm where a nicotine patch had been applied.
"It's at times like this I wished I still smoked," said Bianca, "Can't afford to get lung cancer now though."
Nodding in assent Ashley straightened her back. She could be depended on.
"So how'd you find this out?"
Her Master hesitated.
"Drake told us," she said.
"Dead useful having a spy around," observed Ashley, "Much better than leaving him in a morgue."
She had meant it as a joke but Bianca suddenly looked tense. A strange feeling started in her gut and started to rise. Bianca never looked tense unless something was going on that was going to be very bad. In fact, she was putting on her bad news face. It was one part sympathy and one part business. One of Ashley's fists clenched and she took a few calming breaths. Then she asked, in a very even tone;
"Where's Drake?"
There was a long sigh.
"Drake obtained this information just seconds before he was apprehended by a group of Morganians," said Bianca, "We trained him well enough that he gave them quite the chase. He managed to take them all down but…"
"But?" asked Ashley.
"What you have to understand first-"
"But what?" Ashley snapped.
Bianca looked her in the eyes before turning away.
"He suffered a concussion, several cuts on his face, a broken nose and leg, and a stab wound to the ribs," said Bianca, "The knife nicked the bone but didn't hit any vital organs."
"Is he going to be okay?" asked Ashley, fighting to restrain a growing sense of panic, "You said no vitals so…right?"
"He's out of commission for a long time. We're going to have to keep him in the medical room 'round back with an IV for at least a few weeks," said Bianca, "The bone broke funny so the twins had a time with it, weren't able to heal it completely. We tried to call in Veronica but she couldn't come in immediately. She's coming now along with Dave and Balthazar. They're not part of the group officially but this is a situation."
Numbly Ashley nodded.
"I tried to do this gently because I know the two of you…if it had been serious I would've called immediately," Bianca said.
"I understand," she said, succeeding in keeping her voice under control, "Can he take visitors?"
"Yeah," said Bianca, "It's down the hall past the tech room."
"Thanks," Ashley said abruptly, getting up.
She knew it was rude to leave like that, but she couldn't restrain herself anymore. The best she could do was not to go run down there. The room was easy enough to find, it had a sign on it, and she went in. Lucky for her the twins were out, probably taking a rest after their work on her boyfriend.
Slinging down her bows and arrows she took his hand. The scrapes on his face had been healed but he was appeared to still be out. A beeping noise was the only one in the silent room and it was swallowed up almost immediately. For some time she stood there, not making a sound. Finally she felt like she needed to say something.
"You asshole," she said, "Feel heroic, getting yourself hurt?"
Ashley refused to cry over this.
"Did this make you feel any more Merlinian?" she continued, "You asshole, if you do this shit again I'll kill you."
"Hardly fair," he mumbled.
One of his eyes opened and he gave a half-hearted grin. She wanted to say something else to him when she heard a loud noise from outside. It sounded like a situation if anything did.
"You wait here asshole," she said, kissing him on the forehead.
"Yes ma'am."
Letting go of his hand she walked to the door. Opening it she saw Balthazar and Drake arguing with Bianca down the hall. Veronica stood behind them with Lorna in her arms, silent but watching events with a critical eye. Jack was there too, being a Master as well. Absentmindedly Ashley headed there, leaving the door open.
"You kept this from us!" Balthazar snapped.
"I made a split second decision," she said, "It was either that or let an opportunity go to waste!"
"He worked with Horvath!"
"You don't like how I do things?" Bianca hissed, folding her arms, "You wanna be Prime? I offered it to you, don't you forget that-"
"I haven't forgotten anything but it's a bad idea."
"He's provided us with useful information in the past," said Jack, "Despite what you think about him. He can but trusted."
"He tried to kill me in the bathroom," Dave said.
"Did not need to know that," said Bianca.
"I'm just trying to say that it was low," explained Dave, "You really think a guy like that is going to tell the truth about anything?"
"Yes!" Ashley shouted.
Everyone in the room turned towards her. In any other situation she would have been embarrassed. Now she was too infuriated to hear it.
"He has just been nearly killed trying to get this information and you're squabbling about something that happened two years ago?" she snapped, "You don't know him anymore! He's changed!"
She could see the incredulity in Balthazar and Dave's faces.
"He's not even a Morganian anymore!" insisted Ashley, "Drake's not like he was. Sure he's an asshole, but he's a good person now."
There was silence.
"You really think we can trust him?" asked Dave tentatively.
"Yes you can trust him," snapped Ashley, "I've trusted him with my life before and he's come through."
"She's right," Bianca said, "He's rooming with her because of security. You think I'd let some I thought dangerous Morganian stay with my student? Hmm Balthazar?"
Balthazar ran his hand through his hair, obviously thinking. He shared a look with Dave and even Veronica before he answered.
"Fine," he said, "Now let's get to business."
