#ashmite

It was Jordan's idea to set up an old Western style showdown between the law and bandits, maybe just a little inspired by western movies he was all over as a younger kid.  He was extremely dedicated, putting every last outfit and backdrop together for a proper Western scene.  Proposing the idea to Maestro had gone a lot better than he expected, although that was probably because Maestro had gotten way more into it than he ever would’ve thought, too, going as far to get Alibi into it and convincing her to join him for an almost Bonnie and Clyde trope.  

It was definitely a little -more like piss your pants- terrifying to try and ask Caveira to join in, but when given the freedom to wear whatever she wanted, plus getting Capitão to join in, she was much more cooperative about it.  That was a good sign for his well being in the future around base.  It made things a lot easier when Maestro was keen on asking others to join, or a few like Rook and Twitch were more than eager to join in with permission.  There was just one person he wanted to ask specifically, and he already had her outfit all ready.  He just had to find where she was, and after a bit of asking Miles and Jack, he knew exactly where to go.  

Once he made sure he had her outfit in his bag, he slung it over his shoulder and headed to her room.  He always had a tendency to knock a little bit harder than he needed to on her door, 

“Hey, Eliza, are you still here or did Miles and Jack send me on a wild goose chase?”

He can hear someone getting up to open the door, and he can’t help grinning when Eliza opens the door.  

“No, I’m here.  What do you need?”  

He pats his bag, still grinning.  

“I have a great idea.”  

She eyes the bag suspiciously, then glances to him.  

“Jordan-”

“It’s not like last time, I promise!”  

She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.  

“What is it, then?”  

His grin grows wider as he brings out the hat, Eliza opening her eyes when he holds it out to her.  

“Where did you get this?  And what is it for?”

“I made it!  And you’re gonna wear it, of course.”  

Her eyes widen at that.  

“I’m going to what?”  

“It’ll be fun, Eliza!  I’ve got a whole Western Showdown party planned, and there’s already a bunch of others to join in!  Even Caveira is getting into it!”  

Eliza could only rub her face.  

“Are you joining in, too?”

“No, I wish.  I have to set everything up!”  

“Jordan-”

“Eliza, come on, I made it just for you!”  

She sighs, especially when Jordan takes her hands and holds them together in that way he always did when pleading her for something.  

“Fine, give me the damn outfit.”  

He grins widely at that, handing her the bag and taking a step back so she could close the door and change.  He leans against the wall next to her door, tapping his foot as he waits for her to open the door again.  When she walks out, he grins widely.   

“See?  You look fantastic!”  

“This is ridiculous, Jordan.”

“Come on, you’re doing a great job at the whole Texas Ranger look!”  

She just sighed again, shaking her head. 

“Where’s the damn thing you have set up for this?”  

“Not so fast, I’m taking pictures first.”  

Before she could say anything in response, Jordan is quick to pull out his phone and take a few pictures.  

“Jordan!”  

He just grinned at her, waving her to follow.  

“Come on!  Don’t get left behind!”  

Ash and Thermite working together was hardly out of the ordinary.  Between them, there wasn’t any wall or obstacle that could get in their way.  They tended to go back and forth on who would take the lead, usually agreeing to go through their normal routine of Ash rushing in and Thermite following behind her, taking his time.  If something went wrong, they would deal with it then.  

This was just another mission, really, taking care of the White Mask threat reported in the house they were now clearing.  He was glad that the civilians had been taken to safety already, giving him the freedom to work without worrying about innocents in the way.  He and Ash tended to split up, but they were always still close to one another in case they needed assistance.  

He was taking more time to fully clear every room, making sure there was a safe point to fall back to and that once they left, there wasn’t anything that could potentially harm the people who lived here.  If it meant opening up walls to provide better pathways, so be it.  But, he usually used his brimstones sparingly.  He’s in the process of clearing a room, making sure points where they could hide behind cover were empty when he hears her yell.  

He rushes into action, racing over to the garage where he heard the yell from, but still being as cautious as he can.  The last thing he wants to do is to run right into danger and get himself hurt, or worse.  When he races through the garage doorway, he’s relieved to see she’s taken care of the hostiles and is overall okay.  But, he just as clearly sees the bright red braid in her hands, and when her head turns to face him, the braid doesn’t follow.  

“Ash?”

“Don’t.  Say.  Anything.”  

He didn’t need to be a genius to know she was beyond pissed.  But, he also couldn’t deny that she was really cute with short hair.  

“Hey, it’ll be okay-”

“Don’t.”

Right now, her concern is just getting to extract safely.  She knows for a fact the rest of opfor are taken care of, but she doesn’t want to run straight into a trap or be caught on camera revealing things they shouldn’t say to anyone.  The remaining hostile’s last ditch effort involved a handsaw, and it had cut straight through her braid.  She was fine, and that was the important part, but she didn’t want to address her cut hair.  

It’s silent between them until extract arrives, Ash unwilling to say anything and Thermite not pushing his luck.  In the truck, he sits next to her, giving a small smile and admiring her new, impromptu look.  

“Eliza, really, it’s not so bad.  It looks nice!”

She sighs loudly, taking her head off and running her fingers through her hair.  It barely reached her shoulders, now.

“Jordan, stop mentioning it.”

“How can I when you’re still seething about it?”

She shakes her head, crossing her arms.  

“I’ll get over it.”  

He grins, wrapping an arm around her shoulder for a lopsided hug.  

“It’ll be alright, ‘Liza!”

“Jordan-”

Then, an idea hit him.  

“Wait, do you have another hair tie?”

She tilts her head, grabbing an extra one she carried just in case.  He takes it and starts pulling her hair back, putting it in a small ponytail.  

“There.  Out of the way.”