Ashley sat on the roof of the motel, staring out into the darkness as cars passed and keeping a watchful eye on the two teenagers even with the knowledge that Dick and Kory were beneath her, watching over them as well. Finally feeling a semblance of peace, a stray tear fell as emotions grappled her and a silent choked sob as the feelings of the last few days finally caught up to her. She forced the sob to stop and let out a shaky breath as she pulled out her phone and dial Roy.
"Ashley?" She heard a groggy voice answer the phone.
"Roy" Ashley replied, her voice wavering as she whispered his name.
"What's wrong?" Her oldest friend answered.
"Everything" She replied. "Nothing, god it was stupid to call this late. I'm sorry" She said, crying again.
"Emotions aren't stupid, Ash. No matter what he has you thinking" Roy told her.
"Dawn might not wake up and don't get me started on Dick and everything that's going on" She told him, wiping a tear from her eye.
"What do you mean, Dawn might not wake up? And since when is Dick a thing again?" Roy asked confused.
"I can't believe I gave you the money to stalk everyone with Argus and you haven't kept tags on us" Ashley said with a laugh, furiously wiping her tears.
"Seriously Ash, what's wrong? Lay it all out, I'm here" Roy told her, truly concerned for her for the first time in a year.
"I found Dick in Detroit before I came to Star, then you know I left to help with Hank and Dawn with a job. I also died there too, Roy. I was ready to go when he put the gun behind my head" Ashley told him as a tear streaked down her face. "I was ready but Dick showed up the day before and Dawn told him about the job, and I obviously didn't die. I was mad or upset. I don't know, I can't even really distinguish the two completely but he said he wanted to talk but then Dawn got the shit beaten out of her on her roof and pushed off by some psycho-family who is looking for the teenager that Dick saved and is a very bad coma. They don't think she'll wake up" Ashley continued. She took a brief moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. "And now I'm with Dick and I've got two teens on my plate and he refuses to act like he left me, like he wasn't gone a whole year, like it's old times when it was me, you Dick, Donna, and Garth. Like we're still happy but- I don't know anymore. Maybe it's all stupid" Ashley muttered the last sentence as she kept a watchful eye on the teens through her tears.
"So just to make sure I got this right, you hunted down Dickhead, are on the verge of losing Dawn and you're on a revenge mission with Dickhead?" Roy asked, wrapping his head around her summarization of events.
"Long story short, yes" Ashley said to him.
"If I need to Ash, I'll deploy Argus for this" He told her seriously.
"I don't need Argus, Roy. I need everything to make sense again" Ashley told him. "I haven't even told him that I told Dad to fuck off with the batshit, that I told Dad I was done. I haven't even told Dick that I told Alfred to sell penthouse" She said sadly. "Everything is helter-skelter to me, I've been practically attached to Hank and Dawn at the hip the last four years and it just doesn't make sense anymore." She told him, her sad voice becoming dejected.
"This all does sound extremely overwhelming for you" Roy agreed. "If you need me at all Ash, I'm there" Roy promised.
"No, no. I'll eventually figure this all out, Argus is busy and it needs its leader there" Ashley told him.
"Drop of a hat" Roy promised her.
"I'll wake up tomorrow Roy, and whatever the hell is going on with these emotions will be gone" She told him.
"I doubt it, but you know where to find me if you need to vent some more" Roy told her.
"Your my best girlfriend" She teased softly.
"I am very much so a male" Roy grumbled through the line.
"It's a joke, speedy" She told him with an eye roll.
"It is Arsenal now, thank you very much" Roy told her with
"Whatever, you're always gonna be Speedy as long as I'm alive and kicking" She told him.
"One bad nickname from Oliver and your life is over" He said dramatically.
Ashley smiled and said "Goodnight Roy."
"Goodnight Ash" He told her. They hung up their phones and Ashley gazed down at her two teenagers that were joking around before deciding to climb off the roof. She sat down on the edge and swung herself onto the walkway.
"Hey" Ashley said awkwardly, pushing past Dick and Kory.
"-That combat training you and Ashley were talking about, was it military?" Ashley heard Kory ask Dick as she walked off. The Wayne heiress couldn't help but shake her head as she entered her room to stare at the wall as she entertained her own thoughts.
♠️♠️♠️
Ashley towel-dried her damp hair as she emerged from the shower, clothed in just sleep shorts and a tank top as a toothbrush hung from her mouth and basketball played in the background as white noise when the silence became too much. She smiled when she heard a shot being made and grabbed a brush and gently brushed through her hair. Ashley jumped when she heard a loud bang on her door and "It's Kory" come through the door. Ashley's eyebrows furrowed and rushed to her door and yanked it open.
"Hi Kory" Ashley said, confusion crossing her face and tone.
"We need to talk" Kory said and held up a bottle of tequila. She entered the room and grabbed two of the paper coffee cups, filling them up as if they were meant as shots. The Gothamite looked at the woman confused as she closed the door and folded her arms over her chest.
"What does tequila have to do with talking?" Ashley asked as she forced the drink into her hand.
"Everything" Kory shrugged. "Nothing" Kory said a moment later with a shrug. Ashley raised an eyebrow but down the tequila in one drink and sat on the table as Kory smiled. "I knew you were the fun one" Kory told her, grinning widely.
"Always have been, always will be" Ashley said, watching Kory refill her cup. "So why are we trying to get me drunk?" She asked, both her and Kory downing the tequila in the cups.
"I don't know anything about you, and we're currently being hunted by psychopaths together" Kory said with a shrug. "Call it curiosity of who I'm working with" the woman told Ashley.
"Everything about me is on google, unfortunately" Ashley told, taking a seat at the table and drinking another shot.
"Google?" Kory asked her.
"Perks of having a famous father, I guess" Ashley said with a shrug.
"Who's your father?" Kory asked her.
"Dick didn't tell you?" Ashley asked with a snort. "He loves to tell everybody how much he despises my father" Ashley said ruefully.
"Not a peep" Kory told her.
"Shocking. It's Bruce Wayne" Ashley told her.
"No mother?" Kory asked.
"You didn't ask" Ashley said with a shrug. "Long dead last time I checked."
"Oh" Kory said awkwardly as Ashley drank another shot, seemingly unfazed. "How did she die?" Kory asked, uncomfortable with the new information.
"Cult" Ashley told her sitting back in her chair as she began to feel the effects of the alcohol.
"What do you do?" Kory asked her.
"Elaborate, please" Ashley asked her.
"What do you as a day job? Dick's a cop but I know next to nothing about you" Kory said.
"CEO, CFO, entrepreneur, philanthropist, Investor, sports team owner, the list goes on" Ashley told her with a shrug.
"That is a lot of hats to wear" Kory told her.
"My father expects nothing short of exceptional from me. In order to keep my hefty inheritance, I comply, albeit unwillingly" Ashley said as she took another shot of tequila with Kory gazing at her questionably. "What? Not everyone would want my life" Ashley told her bitterly.
"Why not?" Kory asked her genuinely.
"When your life is wracked with nothing but pain, guilt, and overwhelming expectations from men who want nothing more than to do undress you because that's all you're good for, well it gets a bit old" Ashley said with a frown gracing her features.
"Men" Kory said with a shake of her head.
"Most would do everything in their power to never see a woman ahead" Ashley confirmed, downing another shot for good measure. After another hour of drinking and talking Kory began to see Ashley begin to fall apart and questioned her method of getting to know the woman. Kory felt terrible for not knowing how to take care of her in this state, so she pulled the woman out of her room and across to Dick's hotel room where she banged on the door and called out for Dick.
"I got her drunk" Kory said as Dick opened the door wearing just a towel, barely holding Ashley up by her waist as she giggled. "I also have no idea how to take of a drunk person" Kory said.
Dick sighed and said "I got her." He picked her up in a bridal style and said goodbye to Kory as Ashley giggled squished his face and said "Squish, squish" and giggled maniacally. Dick blinked and then laughed, sitting her on the bed and maneuvering her underneath.
"Have I ever told you that you're pretty?" Ashley asked him with a smile and pulled him to sit on the edge of the bed.
"One too many times" Dick told her.
"Liar" Ashley said and kissed him. Their mouths moved in sync as if they were never apart. She pushed Dick back onto the bed and removed his towel and sat on his stomach.
"Your drunk as hell" Dick told her.
"I'll still remember it in the morning" Ashley said, and within a moment Dick was on top of her and everything suddenly made sense again as her shorts came down.
♠️♠️♠️
Ashley curled up into Dick and he held her close, refusing to let go after he had redressed her and put on sleep pants that Ashley had gotten him from the supercenter a few miles down the road. She started softly breathing on his neck as she fell into slumber and his need to protect her drove him to stay awake just a few more moments to make sure everything was going to be sound for the rest of the night. He ran his fingertips up her back as he laid his head back and closed his eyes. Without any sort of warning, there was a knock on Dick's door and Ashley let out an audible groan. He sighed and got up to answer the door, quickly putting on a shirt and answering it. "What's wrong?" Dick said as he opened the door.
"I got the ice machine working" Ashley heard the lobby lady say. "Wine's on the house, so is the company" She heard her continue.
She curled her lip in disgust and got up to walk behind Dick. "Look that's very sweet of you, thank you but it's late and my girlfriend wants to go to bed" Dick told her gently.
"I just thought that maybe-" She said before Ashley interrupted her.
"Look I'm sure your nice, but he just told you he's with someone. Maybe it's time to look elsewhere in the world, because your place isn't beside him" Ashley told her, giving her a reality lesson.
"Well if you change your mind" She said, and Ashley prayed she would just leave.
"I won't" Dick told her.
"Ok" She said, looking Ashley up and down. Ashley pulled him backward and slammed the door in the lady's face.
Ashley sighed and said "If you have any hope of keeping me in this room with you, you had best get in bed now." Dick chuckled and before they could head back to their bed they heard a commotion outside the door. "What the hell?" Ashley asked and Dick opened the door to see what was going on. As he poked his head out the door, Ashley saw the lights go out and she groaned. "All I want is one goddamn day" She said out into the universe as Dick was kicked backward and two adults walk into the room.
"I didn't order That 70's show" Ashley said through narrowed eyes she took in the hand saw the woman carried and that the man had a hammer. "And if you're going to attack next time, find something that actually scares me, like an alligator or the Joker" She sassed. The woman cocked her head as she took in Ashley's appearance and a grimace took over her face.
The woman went straight for Dick and Ashley darted forward to kick the man straight in the knee. She smirked as he stumbled back and caught his wrist that held the hammer but before she could disarm him, he kneed her in her stomach. "You bitch" Ashley grunted out as he hit her back with his forearm. Dick tackled the man backward and Ashley turned to face the woman and frowned as she started up the chainsaw. "What the fuck" Ashley whispered as the woman came up to her. She ducked around the saw and stomped on the woman's foot and pulled the woman down by her neck and slammed the woman's head into Ashley's knee. She heard Dick start to hit that the man with the computer and got angry when no matter how much force she put into breaking the woman down, she would not knock out. "What kind of drugs are they on?" Ashley asked Dick as they switched again.
"I don't know" He told her, holding the bird computer over his head as protection when the woman brought the saw down to try and open his head. Ashley took the hammer from the man and began to hit him over his head with it.
"Fucking" Ashley grunted as she tossed the hammer and slammed her fist into the man's nose when it didn't work. "Pass" Ashley said and punched him between his eyes. "Out" Ashley said with a roar and slammed her elbow down to his face. Ashley heard a thud against the wall and quickly turned to see Dick against the wall and her eyes widened. "I haven't slept enough for this" She complained and the man threw her off him.
Ashley would up crouched in front and dove to grab a chair. She hit the woman in the back of her head with it as she tried to attack with a chainsaw and when she wouldn't stop, she kept hitting her until she dropped the chair with a swear and pulled the woman backward and kicked her against the wall. The woman grunted and tried to throw Ashley off her but Ashley shoved her head roughly into the drywall as she began to move again. The woman shoved her heel against Ashley's unprotected ankle and she moved just enough for the woman to leave her hold, but as she began to make another move she was shoved quite roughly into a lamp. "Not tonight bitch" Ashley said with a grunt when she saw a bruise beginning to form where she had kicked her. The woman grinned and tossed the saw to the ground and pushed Ashley out the window.
Ashley groaned as she saw she had landed on the top of a gray older vehicle and let out another grunt when Dick landed on top of her, bird computer in hand. "Is my suit still in the van?" Ashley whispered.
"Yeah" Dick said and got off of Ashley and helped her off of the top of the vehicle. When Ashley was standing up straight she quickly popped her back so she move while feeling minimal pain. The duo quickly changed into their super-suits and Dick leaned down to kiss her.
"The kids' Dick" Ashley told him as they made their way up onto the room to hide. They only had to wait a few moments as Kory, Rachel and Gar made their way out into the parking lot with their attackers following behind them. Ashley pulled the smoke bomb from her utility belt and rolled into the attacking group. Dick released his grappling hook into the younger man in the group and she smirked as he flew backward. Dick and Ashley made their way on top of the gray station wagon, Ashley standing tall in Bat Regalia and Dick in his Robin suit crouched in front of her ready to attack.
"Dick?" Rachel asked as Gar simultaneously asked "Ash?" Ashley gave them a small wave with her fingers but otherwise didn't move a single muscle as she gazed down at the enemies.
"That's Robin and Batgirl" Gar breathed as he looked up to the two in wonder.
Dick extended his bo staff and jumped down to attack and Ashley moved into to attack with her blade catchers attached to her armguards. Blood coated Ashley's face as she slashed the girl's side and beat her face into the trunk of a car. Ashley kicked the younger girl towards Dick and he slammed the bo staff into the front of her head. She turned her attention to the older two attackers and frowned. "Turns out I'm a bad person to piss off" She said sarcastically before throwing a batarang into the older woman's head. "A very bad person to piss off" She reiterated.
"You should be putting your toys away when you're through with them" The woman told her as she removed the weapon.
Ashley rolled her eyes and smirked as her boots sprouted roller blades, skated forward and wrapped her hand around the woman's face, and watched as electricity ran through her body. "These are toys, what you held was a batarang bitch" Ashley said as she crumbled to the ground and for good measure, stomped on the lady's face with her steel wheelies. Ashley retracted them back into her boot now that her fun was over and lunged toward the man. Ashley punched him in the gut with her reinforced gloves and once again slammed his face into her knee and caused him to eat electricity that was being emitted from the suit that was in full defense mode. Gar quickly took out the younger male as Rachel took out the female. Dick made sure the older man stayed down as Ashley looked at the woman as she stood up with her hand firmly grasping her handheld saw. Ashley folded her arms over her chest as Gar roared.
The woman looked between Ashley and her group as she stood front and center, with an aura of protectiveness. "Well, look at the mess we've made" She said looking around and moving her hair out of her eyes. Ashley frowned and stepped forward, causing the woman to take a step backward and Gar roared.
Ashley's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward into arms reach of the woman. Ashley leaned forward and whispered "You shouldn't have fucked with my kids." The woman noticeably gulped and Ashley's left hand shot up and wrapped around her throat and let her suit taze the woman. Ashley let go of her as she tumbled to the ground and turned off defense mode on her suit. "Get them tied up with the rope in the van. I don't want them moving" Ashley said, picking up the older woman and throwing her over her shoulder. Rachel went to go grab the rope from the van as Dick carried the older man, Kory got the teenage girl and Gar got the teenage boy.
"Since when did Batgirl have wheelies?" Gar asked, confused. Ashley simply smirked as they climbed the flight of stairs.