The Punisher and The Assassin

8

"Hey, can I ask you a quick question?" Amy asked Alex watching the gym with her. Alex and Amy were waiting behind a car. Alex had a gun aimed at the gym, ready as a sniper.

"Sure." Alex answered half listening to Amy.

"How can you be okay with what Frank does?"

Alex quickly glanced back at the girl like she had lost her mind. Amy looked genuinely curious. "Because I do it too."

"Don't you have any issues with what he does?"

"Amy, I'm prepared to kill someone for him right now. I don't have any issues with what he does."

"Not one?"

Alex sighed, she knew Amy wanted to know what got under Alex's skin. She wanted to know what annoyed her about Frank.

"It annoys me to no end that he rolls in with that ridiculous skull and takes no precautions." Frank knew all of this already. Alex gave Amy no leverage by telling her this, which was the only reason why she did.

"Do you think he'll ever stop?" Alex wanted to tape the girl's mouth shut. Talking during a time like this was extremely unnecessary. Even Alex would have kept her fat trap shut.

"Look, both Frank and I are wired the same way. None of us see truly stoping until a bullet does. I know one day I'll die by someone like Frank. And he knows just as well that he'll die by someone like me." Alex explained watching the fight through the lens attached to the gun. They were hanging on to a moment, because one day they both knew they'd get what they dealt. Alex's finger moved a hair has the big man in a grey hoodie grabbed Frank. But he quickly got control and won.

Alex turned back to Amy for a moment. "I know part of you is wondering if there's some kind of stability in a life like this. There's none. After this job, I probably won't see Frank for a couple months. After this, you run away and get as far away from this as possible. This isn't a life, it's a death sentence."

"I think that's why Frank is helping you. He wants to give you a chance to live. Don't turn around and loose your chance." Alex told Amy who had gone quiet. Alex put away the gun as Frank stepped out of the gym. He had blood all over his face. Alex rolled her eyes as she and Amy strolled in the opposite direction of him. They met back up in Dinah's apartment. Packing everything up, they left for whatever space Frank found for them.

Frank came out of the bathroom cleaned up. "Ready?" He asked Alex grabbing his bag.

"Yeah."

"You're going to hate this, it's Curt's." He mentioned opening the door for her and Amy. They walked awhile in silence, Frank leading the way. When they stopped in front of a little metal trailer Alex swore.

"Hell fucking no! We're going to be hiding in a tin foil can!" Alex yelled.

"Get in." Frank said opening the door.

"Let's go to my apartment."

"It's too dangerous. If that man got a good look of your face, you won't be safe there."

Groaning Alex walked into the dumb trailer. She set her bag on the table and stared at the homely looking furniture.

"I hope you like sleeping on the couch." She told Frank.

"Tell the Kid to take it. I won't even fit on it."

"Your place, your couch."

"No, my place. My bed."

"Curt's place. And he would want you to be a gentleman Frank." Alex teased.

Later that night Frank was reading on the couch and Alex was reading on the bed when Amy disrupted the peace.