The decision had not been taken lightly, and as Sixes looked around the HQ at his members, he knew it was the right choice. They had been through so much lately, with Ashley’s shooting, Nora dying, ‘Sixes’ showing up at a party and getting beaten within an inch of his life and now Rebecca dying… They needed some stability, some hope, some… honesty from their leader. He’d thought long and hard about it, weighing up the pros and cons, but he trusted them all. Each and every member had been through (or was currently going through) their training process, they all had a unique relationship with their leader and now it was time for something from him. They’d put their lives in his hands time and time again; they stood by him through every framing, through everything that had happened. Although some had questioned their (or even his) loyalty, it didn’t matter in the end.
Sixes was just finishing off a speech about how they needed to stick together, that they would avenge the death of Rebecca and ensure that it would never happen again.
“And I know that, after the issue at Halloween, my real identity is important for you to know… I don’t want anything like that to happen again, and whilst wearing this mask in public helps to protect my family, I completely trust each and every member here. Now, I know some of you might not want to know, but if you do want to know who I actually am… I’ll be in my office… You just have to walk in, and I’ll show you. But I must swear you to secrecy… Like I said, I trust you all, just like I hope you trust me.”
With that, he turned and walked off, wondering who would come and who would not.
Difficult was a vast understatement for how Ashley felt the week had been. Devastating was closer to the truth, but he was still struggling to even admit to the depth of Rebecca’s loss. While the string of tragedies and chaos seemed to have shaken many of the members, for the young thief, he had never been more certain in his allegiance. The Diamonds were monsters, and they were the only ones brave enough to stop them. So it surprised him to hear Sixes offer them such an unprecedented level of insight as if he was in danger of losing their trust and confidence.
He was curious to see who would take their leader up on the offer, watching as Alexa, Jake, and others approached the office over the course of the day for answers. It left him conflicted, wondering if their unmasking of the vigilante would form a new bond or if it revealed their waning faith in the faceless hero. So for a while, Ashley distracted himself with training, an activity he had finally started to throw himself into with vigor, and waited until the other members had their turn.
When Sixes’ many visitors finally dwindled, Ashley approached the door. Like so many before him, his hand reached for the doorknob. However, he stopped before he could turn it, changing course instead to knock on the door. If Matt was waiting inside, he assumed Sixes would be the one to meet him outside.