Ash recovers swiftly, the status quo finally restored to headquarters as he quickly returns to his position as the boss once again. There's no doubt to anyone that Serena still holds authority in the ranks, but she's more than happy to relinquish her more tedious duties back to him.
"I don't know how you do it. I almost let Miette put that old man out of his misery," Serena says to Ash who takes his seat on the barstool across the island. Serena pours him coffee and slides it across the marbled surface in one smooth motion. Ash sips it with a satisfied hum.
"Did he say anything to you that I should kill him for?" Ash asks nonchalantly, setting his mug down.
Serena sighs before shaking her head. "He'll probably do a fine job himself with all that wheezing he's doing. He should worry about his health instead of us, anyway."
Ash chuckles in agreement. "Well, no one would dare threaten you now."
After all, it's well known who Serena is with and who Ash answers to. She takes a seat beside him, puffing her chest with pride as she sips at her own drink. They enjoy each other's company in the morning light with a foreign feeling of peace that's long overdue.
Ash is eventually called away to his duties and kisses Serena's cheek before he departs.
Serena whispers a soft "be safe" before she lets him go. Ash gives her a reassuring smile and a kiss on her lips this time before he disappears. If anything, whoever Ash is meeting with today would be wise to consider their own safety above all.
There's a lot to be done with the fall of the Ketchum gang. New loyalties to be established, new territories to be overseen by the Demons with Shalour City's underground world dwindling out of control, as well as a new influx of recruits that have defected from Ketchums territory to take up strength with the Demons.
In the evening, Serena oversees the recruits and their training along with Dawn and Misty as additional instructors. Some of them showed promise, but it was clear to Ash's closest members that these recruits were rough around the edges to say the least — prone to cheap tactics and sloppy violent attacks. It's of no surprise that this was due to Giovanni's leadership, undisciplined and driven by a rabid, bloodthirsty will.
To Serena's annoyance, though not unexpected, there are some individuals that aren't quite accustomed to the hierarchy of the Demons. In Giovanni's world, women weren't in their ranks, serving as maids and sources of entertainment. Some of them would even ogle at her in what they thought was their own secrecy and Serena rewarded them with intense sparring sessions that always left them begging for her to yield.
Today, there's a recruit she doesn't know the name of that challenges her. Serena raises her brow from her post, unimpressed by his bravado.
"With live steel," the recruit suggests cockily, resentment clear in his eyes. Whether it was for Serena being a woman or a woman in power, she doesn't know, but she has an inkling that it's both.
"Hold on now. Easy there. You don't want to-" Dawn starts and Serena puts out her arm to interrupt her words.
"I've got it, Dawn," she says simply, her gaze never leaving her opponent.
"It's not you I'm worried about, Serena," Dawn sighs, but leaves Serena to her devices.
She nods towards the weapons rack. "Go ahead. Choose."
He grins and takes not one, but two katanas off the rack and Serena has to will herself not to roll her eyes. Someone is clearly compensating for something.
From her waist she draws a finely crafted katana, the steel polished to the dangerously sharpened blade. The guard hilt is in the shape of a golden rose that blooms at the base of the blade. The weave of the handle intersects with crimson red and abyssal black. A gift from Ash that he commissioned from the finest weaponsmiths in the country.
The call to start is barely out of Misty's mouth before the recruit charges wildly in Serena's direction, swinging with such aggression in hopes his rampage would be too quick for her to make sense of. She sighs as she sidesteps, ducks, and blocks all his strikes with ease.
She ironically remembers Ash's advice the first time he flipped her onto the mat, leaving a bruise on her back.
"Your balance is off," Serena remarks dryly before dodging his horizontal strike at the last second that leaves him stumbling. She jabs the edge of her handle against the back of his neck, causing him to crumple and drop his weapons out of shock. Before he can fully hit the floor, Serena drives a kick into his side, flipping him onto his back and a gasp of pain leaves his body.
When his eyes open, he stares down the endless path of steel that leads to the frigid gaze of Serena's blue eyes.
"Looks like the win is mine," Serena announces boredly. She withdraws and sheathes her sword with a click and backs away from where she stood over him. "Now, get back in line."
The recruit is evidently frustrated, rising and doing his best to hide the wobble in his step. His swift defeat doesn't deter him from spitting his true opinion of Serena and all of the women in higher seats amongst the gang.
"Women should know their place," he grumbles.
Everyone in the room freezes. Dawn slaps a hand against her forehead in exasperation and Misty shakes her head, covering her mouth. They both know Serena is terrifying when she's angry and even worse when she doesn't show it — something they all have in common too.
The recruit looks at everyone else with a sneer. "What?"
One of the operatives clears his throat, keeping ample space between himself and Serena. "Dumbass. That's the boss' girlfriend. She's the one who killed Giovanni Ketchum."
The new recruit blinks and turns back to Serena whose arms are crossed over her chest, a smug smirk on her face with a slender brow raised. She speaks airily, higher in pitch, taunting, and alluring. "Would you like to say that again?"
She giggles as she approaches him, watching a bead of sweat slide down the side of his face. In the moment, she also sees everyone halt and rise to attention, their arms ramrod straight at their sides. It makes her laugh a little louder because it can only mean one thing: Ash has returned.
Serena feels the familiar touch around her waist and sinks into the possessive embrace of Ash's arms. She grins, tilting her head up to kiss the line of his jaw, and pressing her palm on his chest to slightly tug at his tie into a full kiss.
Ash laughs against her lips when they pull away, a thumb brushing on Serena's lower lip, and he feels his girlfriend sigh against his fingers.
"Later," Ash whispers lowly, a sound only Serena can hear and she nods. As a consolation, he combs a hand through her hair once before turning to the room, the lines of operatives unmoving and a newer face in the center looking as though he had seen a ghost.
He had returned to the manor with blood still spattered on his cheek and on his skin from where his shirt was unbuttoned. Whatever meeting he attended clearly ended in Ash's favor.
When he first came back, he looked immediately for Serena to see how the training was going, having heard the whispers of less than favorable behavior. He watched, unnoticed, from the upper floor that oversees the entire room - prideful of Serena's performance. What he overheard was enough to tip his blood into a boil, deciding another punishment was on his list today as he descended the stairs to the entrance.
The recruit pales when two gunshots go off and his entire body jerks backwards, falling to the tiled floor, his eyes gaping at the two bullet holes in the floor just before his feet.
Ash smiles in a way that can't be perceived as anything, but predatory as he stalks forward, closing the distance, and with each bit lost, the new recruit's heart thrums faster in his chest. But the way Ash's eyes glint beneath the lights of the manor make him not dare move away. Ash looks down on him, one hand in his pocket, the other twirling the gun on his fingers, catching it in his palm on a rhythm.
"So, I see you've met Serena, rookie," Ash says with a tilt of his head. "Beautiful, isn't she?"
The recruit makes a terrified noise in his throat, completely caught out. He watches his eyes narrow dangerously when too much time passes for his answer. "Y-Yes s-sir," he stammers.
Ash nods and tucks his gun into the holster at his hip. For a moment, the recruit breathes a little lighter, but it immediately morphs into a yelp of pain because Ash, in a flash of speed, punches him right into his jaw with a hook that sends him to the floor. He clenches at his jaw as he seethes and notes the red in his palm from the blood in his mouth. He barely has time to gather his thoughts between the searing pain and the fear that trembles through every limb in his body as Ash crouches down beside him, yanking him up by his tie and bringing him to eye level.
"Let this be a reminder. You're in my territory now. If any of you forget your place here and if you ever speak to her that way again," Ash begins threateningly, the growl in his throat evident as it spreads to the flames in his eyes. "I'll shoot you five times and punch you twice."
He quivers when Ash pats his head twice and shoves him back down to the floor. Ash rises and stands above him and his wolfish grin is razor sharp, knowing his exact place in the pack.
He adds flippantly as Serena takes her place at his side once again. "And then I'll kill you."
The recruit trembles and nods before scrambling back into the formation, sweat making his dress shirt cling to his skin.
"Get out of here. All of you. Training's done today," Serena commands and no one hesitates to file out of the door as quickly as their feet can carry them to avoid the wrath of the pair.
Dawn let out a breath she was holding in relief, her hands on her knees as though she ran the perimeter of the estate. "Now that was way too scary. I thought we'd be carrying out a body today."
"It would've been a hell of a statement," Serena comments. "That's the only strike he gets."
"Oh, merciful Serena has blessed us!" Dawn says loudly, pushing her palms together in mock prayer.
Serena laughs. "Stop that. Why don't you two help Miette with her target practice lesson? Make sure she doesn't kill anyone either."
Ash snickers and the two women agree and exit the room, leaving him and Serena alone. She turns to Ash and notes the state that he's in.
"I thought I told you to be careful at your little meetings," Serena sighs disapprovingly.
Ash puts his hands up in defense and Serena holds back the snort at the sight of his bloodied palms. "Hey, I'm alive! Can't say the same for the other guy though."
Serena rolls her eyes and plants a kiss on Ash's cheek. "Good. Now go get cleaned up."
"Aw, c'mon. How do you expect me to go when you wiped the floor with him? I want to kiss you more."
Serena's expression doesn't change and deadpans, "go."
Ash sighs with a pout following after and drags his feet away, knowing there are some things he will never win with his beautiful, stubborn lover.