Hunters: Deception (Original Edit)
Fourth story in the series. This one I really want to rewrite and do a much better job. Delilah is supposed to be a pretty bad ass in her own right, with mental control and image control, much like one of the girls on Heroes (although I will point out, I had the idea first). I also wanted there to be more development with her and Ace, as well, this was supposed to be Ace's first relationship in the series. I also wanted to write a lot better with Ace being under her control better. I don't like that it necessarily has him "waking" up to there have been a fight and such, especially injuring Kat. I did it because well Ace is the main character and its somewhat from his perspective, so if he's out due to being under her control, I just don't think it should be blank like it was.
“Hit me!” Ace yelled, taunting Kevin. Kevin smiled, and then threw a flurry of punches at Ace. Ace tried to block them, but was overwhelmed. He went down.
“Oh yeah.” Kevin commented, looking at his work. Ace flipped up and wiped the blood from his lips. He and Kevin were practicing fighting out in Ginyard park which was right down the street from BC.
“Nice. Okay, now let’s see you do that again!” Ace yelled back, rushing at Kevin. He caught Kevin across the jaw, before getting pummeled again by Kevin. He tried to strengthen his body to take the blows, but it just wasn’t working. He went down again.
“Stay down bitch.” Kevin joked, picking Ace up. Ace slapped him away.
“We can’t help our enemies up, so don’t help me up.” Ace lifted himself up. “The purpose of this is to teach us how to fight better. What we do here is a reflection of what we do on the battlefield.”
Kevin stopped Ace. “No, it isn’t. We’re just training, Ace. Nothing more. Just because I’m helping you up doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it when we fight. I know the difference between foe and enemy.”
Ace threw a quizitive look. “I know...I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on the both of us.”
“Yes you should be hard. We need to train. But we also need to realize each other’s potential. I trust you’ll have my back in battle. Do you trust me?”
Ace looked at his friend. “I do trust you. You’re my partner. Trust is the basis of being partners.”
“Good. Now, wanna go again?” Kevin asked, grabbing his staff. He twirled it again. “Or do you think we should call it quits and go meet Kat at the arcade?”
Ace smiled. “Let me whip your ass, then we’ll leave.”
Kevin twirled around his staff. “Fine with me. Any conditions?”
“Full out attack, leave nothing back, weapons, no holds barred. Let’s do it like it was the real thing.” Ace replied.
Kevin put his staff down. “Question. What would you do if say we had to fight each other?”
Ace stopped. “Well I don’t quite know. I’m sure it would be really tough. And I don’t think I would like it. But this is different. We’ll know when to stop. We’re just playing around. In a combat situation like your suggesting...well it would not be pretty. But let’s just hope it doesn’t happen.”
“My thoughts exactly. Ready?” Kevin twirled his staff around. He moved into a fighting stance, with his right foot out toward Ace, the left holding him up, and his staff held at a neutral position.
“Ready!” Ace yelled, upping all of his stats. He got in a tiger fighting position, with his claws extended. He looked at Kevin and then rushed toward him. He swung with all his might, and his claws dug deep into Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin retaliated with his staff, battering Ace with the end. He whacked Ace upside the head and sent him rolling back. Ace quickly flipped up and then twirled around, roundhouse kicking toward Kevin. Kevin blocked with his staff, which broke in half. Kevin looked at the two pieces, then smacked Ace in the shoulders with them.
“Fuck that hurt!” Ace yelled, flipping up. He rushed Kevin, then dropped to a roll before flipping and doing a hand stand kick. He got Kevin in the chin and sent him sprawling back. Ace then rushed in, threw a right hook and caught him square in the jaw. Then he punched him in the stomach a few times before stopping. He then grabbed his friend’s chin, held it up, reeled back like he was going to punch, then he just thumped his friend in the head. “I win.”
“Finally.” Kevin replied back. He got up and then spit out some blood. “I just wish I had your healing powers.” Kevin leaned against a tree.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ace walked over and accelerated Kevin’s healing. “I guess I just have my gifts that you don’t. C’mon, let’s go take on Kat at the arcade.” Ace gave Kevin a hand up and they walked to the Monster.
“So like if you hit someone in their knee then kick them as they check their knee, you’ll lead to a knockout.” Kat explained to a group of kids who were watching her fight at the arcade. The kids were mostly 11 year olds but liked to watch the 16 year old explain fighting moves.
Kevin and Ace walked up behind the group and towered slightly over the puberty-stricken group. Ace lowered his shades as he watched Kat. She was very beautiful and had a nice body. She had on a black pair of cut-off shorts, with her leather combat boots and red shoelaces. She also had on a tight tank-top that was blue and had a small Superman symbol on, but instead of a ‘S’ there was a ‘B.’ Her hair has done up in a bun with two little silver needles sticking out of it, and it was completely blood red. She had on red eye shadow and red lipstick, and Ace’s eyes were just checking out. Kevin noticed Ace’s hounding eyes.
{Dude stop!} Kevin sent Ace.
Ace rolled his eyes. {Can’t help it. I mean she looks great in that tight ass top and those tiny little shorts. I mean no wondered these kids are getting hard-ons. I know I am!} Ace sent back. He then got a slightly pain from Kevin.
{Look she’s our friend. We can’t think about her like that. It’s...it’s...okay fuck it, yes she looks damn fine.} Kevin admitted.
{Told you. C’mon, let’s grab her and go to the movies.} Ace sent back. He threw a wave at Kat. “Hey girl, ready?”
Kat’s eyes got wider as she saw the two Hunters standing there. “Hey guys! Sure I’m ready. Um..okay class, next time we’ll discuss even more ways to drop an opponent. Until then, I want you all to use the Fighter Machine to practice. Later.” Kat told her class. She then turned to her two friends.
“I wish I had a cute teacher like you to teach me how to fight.” Ace smoothly said, kissing her hand. Kevin smacked Ace in the back of the head. “Ow!”
“He’s had a rough day, a bit delirious. Um...ready for Mortal Kombat Mutilation?” Kevin asked, taking her hand from Ace. Ace threw him a scowl and then grabbed Kat’s other hand. He placed her between himself and Kevin and kept throwing looks at Kevin.
“Sure. So who’s paying?” Kat asked, figuring the two boys were both vying for her hand. She stopped them both in their tracks.
“Paying?” They both asked in unison.
“Okay let’s see two buckets of popcorn, the large drinks, one box of M&Ms, one box of Skittles, and one box of GummiBears. That’ll be 21.45.” A cashier told Ace and Kevin as they bought snacks for the movies.
Ace pulled out his wallet and paid the cashier, as he whispered to Kevin, “This girl is gonna break us you know.”
“Shhh...don’t worry about it Ace. Next time we go out, it’s on me okay.” Kevin whispered back, as he took a bucket of popcorn and the candy. They turned to see Kat standing there.
“Breaking you two huh? Well we’ll see who goes on the next date with me.” Kat joked, smiling at the two surprised guys. They both blushed and then handed her a drink.
“Well I mean....it doesn’t matter Kat. We got the money, I was just trying to save up for another video game this week.” Ace admitted, as they walked toward the ticket stand. The ticket person took their tickets and showed them to the door to the movie.
“If you want me to start paying then tell me guys. I got money too. I do work and all.” Kat told them, as they climbed the small ramp toward the front of the theater. They turned and climbed the stairs and found the seats they wanted.
“We both don’t think a girl should have to pay, even if she is a friend of ours.” Kevin told Kat, as they sat down. Ace was on one side of her, with Kevin on the other. They put her in the middle and stuck both buckets of popcorn on her laps.
{What the hell are you doing?} Kevin sent Ace.
{Nothing dude...just trying to see how far I get...} Ace sent back.
{Perv...}
{To each their own...}
“So you don’t think a woman should pay?” A sultry voice said from behind the group. They all turned to see a raven haired girl with silver clasps in her hair sitting behind them. Both guys were amazed at her. She wore a black tank top and had on a black leather mini shirt with a gold belt. She had deep dark blue eyes and long black eyelashes. She had dark pout lips and a tiny little mole by her nose.
Ace’s jaw dropped. “Um...yes a woman should not have to pay for things. Like for instance if I took you out on a date, I would not like you to be paying, I would pay.” Ace tried to say smoothly, while checking her out. He slowly rose and took her hand, kissing it. “By the way, I’m Ace Micheals.”
The girl looked at him, and then at Kat and Kevin. “And your friends?”
Kevin looked up at her, sensing a blocking of some kind, but he couldn’t quite place it. He threw her a friendly look. “I’m Kevin Duval, and this is Katlin Orchid. And who might you be?”
The girl stepped down and stood next to Ace, just looking into her eyes. “I’m Delila Delphi, and you can call me Lila.” She said, touching Ace’s hands.
{Something’s amiss with this one Ace...I can’t quite...} Kevin tried to send to Ace, but for some reason he couldn’t push into his mind like he was used to doing. He looked over at Ace, and threw him a look.
{What?} Ace sent to Kevin, but he too ran into the same telepathic blocking. He didn’t notice but instead turned his focus to Delila.
“Well Lila, why don’t you join us?” Kat asked, sitting back down. “I’m sure having another female voice in this matter would be good.”
“Why thank you Katlin. Sure. I’ll just sit next to Ace here, since you and Kevin seem to be close, if you don’t mind me commenting.” Lila said, sitting down next to Ace’s seat. Kevin and Kat both blushed and Ace just sat down.
“I wouldn’t say that exactly Lila, we’re just really close friends.” Kat replied to Lila’s comment. Kevin just threw her and Ace a look.
“Well speaking of couples and things like that, um...do you have a boyfriend Lila?” Ace asked, having a look of hope that she didn’t.
Lila looked up into Ace’s deep brown eyes. “Not at the moment, but we’ll see how things go.” Ace started to blush and he looked at Kevin, trying to throw a thought at him. But he couldn’t get one through.
The movie started to come on, and the lights went down. Lila put her hand on top of Ace’s and slowly got close to him. Both Kat and Kevin noticed this, but kept their thoughts to themselves. Something is definitely wrong with this picture here. Kevin thought to himself.
The movie ended and Ace and Lila walked out holding hands. Kat and Kevin walked behind them and just watched. Both had a bad feeling about this girl. Especially Kevin, since his mental powers weren’t working and they stopped working as soon as she showed up.
“Well Ace, I had a lovely time. By chance you wouldn’t happen to go to Brookland-Cayce?” Lila asked, as the group escorted her outside the mall. All three friends looked at her.
“Why yes I do. Um...do you?” Ace asked her, watching her. He was starting to fall for this new girl, like a rock from the sky.
“I do or will be. I just moved into town a few days ago, and this was the first time I had been out. Think you could give me a tour of town too?” Lila asked, batting her eyes.
Ace blushed a bit and then looked at Kevin. “Sure I think we can arrange that. Um...well look. Why don’t I pick you up tomorrow morning, so I can help you find your classes?” Ace asked her, getting out a pencil and a piece of paper. “Just write down your number and I’ll call you later to get your address and stuff.”
“Why don’t you take me home? My daddy dropped me off and he had to go back to the house and finish unpacking. We could take your friends home and then you could help me unpack my room and we could get to know each other a little bit better.” Lila asked Ace, slowly walking up to him and touching his chest with her finger seductively.
“Okay!” Ace answered, grabbing his keys from his pockets. He threw a look at his friends with puppy-dog eyes. He walked up to them. “C’mon guys, she’s new, she goes to our school,” And Ace moved closer to them. “And I think she likes me.”
Kevin leaned toward his friend and pulled Ace closer to him. “Look I don’t have a good feeling about this girl Ace. Notice that I haven’t been able to ‘talk’ to you, right?” Kevin through Ace a ‘You know what I’m talking about’ look.
“Yeah, sorta.” Ace replied, turning to see an impatient looking Lila.
“It started when she showed up Ace. I don’t like it. But it’s your car and you’re the driver, so we’ll do what you want, okay.” Kevin told his partner. They shook hands, each giving a firm lock.
Ace turned back to Lila. “Okay sweetie, I’ll take you home.” He took her hand and led her to his car. Kat and Kevin followed, still not happy with their friend. They got in the back seat and let the two lovebirds sit up front.
After half an hour of driving, he dropped off Kevin and Kat, and then drove Lila to her house. He pulled up into her neighborhood, which wasn’t too far from his own neighborhood. She pointed out her house and he pulled into her driveway. There wasn’t a car in the driveway and there weren’t any lights on in the house. Ace noticed and looked at Lila.
“Um...explain...” Ace tried to say, before Lila slammed into the window, as their two lips connected. She tried to kiss him deeply, but Ace, being a novice at kissing, didn’t know how to respond. He just pushed her off and she threw him a mean look.
“I’m...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to kiss you like that...and I guess my parents left...but...I like you Ace...you’re cute...and funny...and very sweet...don’t you like me?” Lila asked, in a soft voice, while batting her eyes at Ace.
Before he could answer, she started screaming, and then someone punched through the glass in Ace’s windowed and pulled him out. Ace looked up to see Hammerstien standing above him. “OH SHIT!!”
“That’s right little boy! I think we need a rematch, and then after I beat your ass, I’ll take your sweet little girlfriend and your junk piece of car for a ride!” Hammerstien bellowed, as he started to grow to extreme proportions.
Oh no! A fight..and infront of her...this is not good...where’s Kevin when I need a mind-wipe...oh well...I think it’s time I just fight...I mean she might think I’m a hero or something like that... Ace thought to himself. He looked up and saw a great opportunity. With every ounce of strength he had, he pushed it all into his strength, as he extended his claws and punched Hammerstien square in the nuts. “Take that!” Ace yelled, flipping up.
Hammerstien looked at Ace and then fell over in pain. He started to moan and cry, but then he saw Delila. Their eyes passed back something that Ace didn’t understand, and Hammerstien stopped crying. He then got up and clenched his fist, making an awful crunching sound as his knuckles cracked. “You’re about to die little man!” And Hammerstien rushed at Ace.
“Ace, look out!” Delila yelled out the window. Ace smiled at her, but then he was speared into the concrete by Hammerstien. They both sunk into the cracking concrete, as Hammerstien’s increased body size and weight, and the force of his running, was too much for the driveway to handle. Ace struggled as the huge behemoth’s weight was almost too unbearable.
{KEVIN!!!} Ace cried out in his mind, hoping that his friend would somehow hear it. Ace could feel the air in his lungs going out. He was gonna pass out soon if he didn’t get the big guy off of him. God I’m gonna look like a weakling in front of her...Fuck this. Time to go Super Hunter! Ace thought to himself. He could tell that Hammerstien was stuck and couldn’t get out. Ace was gonna give him an extra hand in getting out. He maneuvered his hands to grab onto Hammerstien’s shoulders, and then increased his strength as far as he could. He pushed his arms back and then threw Hammerstien out of the hole. Ace flipped out and stood above the hole, claws extended, and looking pissed as hell. “Yo, he-bitch, let’s go!” Ace yelled, trying to be like his best friend.
Hammerstien was a bit dazed, but recovered in time to see Ace charging him. He dropped down and scooped the little Hunter up. Then he threw him over his shoulder and on to Delila’s roof. Ace flipped in midair and landed on the roof. He jumped down on the hood of his car and ran across and jumped on Hammerstien’s back, driving his claws into his shoulders.
“Ace what are you doing?” Delila yelled, as she got out of the car. She screamed as she saw his claws. Ace saw that and then retracted them back into his hands. Hammerstien took the opportunity to grab him and then fling him down into the hole they had just gotten out of.
Ace laid in the hole just staring at the stars above. {KEVIN!!!} His thoughts screamed out, hoping once again that his partner would hear him. He then realized that he was losing. He punched the walls of the hole and climbed back out.
Hammerstien had grabbed Delila and was trying to grope her. He had shrunk back down to his normal size, but he was till bigger than Ace. Ace slowly walked toward him, with a dispassionate fire in his eyes. He could feel the energy he needed burning inside him, as he started to grow with a faint blue hue. “Times up Hammerstien. Let the girl go.” Ace ordered, a deep dark tone in his voice.
Hammerstien looked up and saw Ace. He was surprised that he was still moving. He laughed and then pushed Delila into the car, where she promptly slumped to the ground. “What are you going to do little man? I just got some from your little hottie girl over there.” Hammerstien boosted, just chuckling to himself.
Hammerstien’s words pissed Ace off and his faint blue hue started to get brighter, brighter than it had ever been. He moved toward Hammerstien. “I’m gonna do this...R-A-Z-O-R S-T-R-I-K-E!!!” Ace yelled, as he pushed all the energy he had acquired into his strength and speed. With a fierceness, he hit Hammerstien like a freight train, slicing an ‘X’ into his chest. Then he grabbed Hammerstien and chugged him high in the air toward the next neighborhood. After that, Ace fell to the ground, exhausted.
And Delila opened her eyes and smiled, as she stood up. She walked over to Ace's exhausted body and kneeled down beside him. She slowly patted his head. "Now my plan's just working out fine. Hammerstien was an added bonus, and now I'll just have a much easier time using you. Hmmm...what to do first....well let's see...." Slowly he touched his head with her hand and then she started using her telepathic powers to reach into Ace's memories. "Hmmm....you're very loyal, especially to Kevin...well we'll just have to change that....I think tomorrow someone's gonna be walking..."
Ace started to stir a bit, but she put him to sleep. "Not now Ace, sleep baby, sleep." She kept pressing further and further into mind and she started to change some of the most basic of his beliefs. She was doing what she had been sent to do: Reprogram Ace Micheals and separate the Hunters.
“Ace...Ace wake up...” A familiar voice. Ace opened his eyes to see Kevin standing above him. He looked around. It was daylight, and he was at school. He looked at his clothes. They were different, but somehow familiar. So were the ones that Kevin was wearing. He got up and looked at around.
“How...did I get...here?” Ace asked, looking around. It was school alright. He was standing in the middle of the breezeway. A group of kids were standing watching him and Kevin. Kevin looked a bit roughed up. Kat was no where to be found and neither was Delila.
“Ace...c’mon. Let’s go punk!” Kevin told Ace. Ace turned, just as Kevin hit him. Ace took the punch in the chin and almost went down. He looked at his best friend.
“What the fuck was that for K?” Ace asked, looking at Kevin. Ace was stunned. Something was amiss, but he couldn’t place it. How had he ended up here, at school, apparently during lunch, after fighting Hammerstien and performing a Finisher on him. A punch from Kevin interrupted his thoughts and sent him flying back into a fence.
“That was for attacking Kat, bitch!” Kevin yelled, jumping on top of Ace. He started wailing on his best friend, and he wasn’t hiding his powers. His fist blurred as he continued wailing on Ace. “And this is for defending that little bitch of yours!!” Kevin yelled, punching at Ace. Ace suddenly increased his speed and dodged the bunch. Then he raised his strength and pushed Kevin off of him.
“No I didn’t! What the hell are you talking about dude?” Ace yelled. Kevin ran at him, and threw more punches. Ace blocked each on, but still took a few shots. He then balled up his fist and knocked one into Kevin, which sent him flying to the ground. “The last thing I remember is fight Hammerstien, and it was at night. I don’t even know how I got here or why you’re fighting me.”
Kevin flipped up and walked toward Ace. He looked at Ace. Then he scanned his mind and he could actually get inside it for once. “Hmm...this is not good. I think I made a mistake and I think we need to talk.” Kevin then looked around, and raised his hands. He winced a bit. Everyone around suddenly shut up for a few seconds, and then continued on like nothing had just happened. Kevin went and picked up his trench he had thrown down earlier and grabbed Ace by the arm. “Come with me.”
Kevin marched Ace to a secluded spot on campus and sat Ace down. “I think her control over you is gone for now. Ace, why don’t you try sending a thought at me, like I taught you to do?” Kevin asked, sitting infront of him.
{Sure, why not? Can you hear me?} Ace sent to Kevin.
{Yes, finally!} Kevin exclaimed loudly in both their heads. He smiled at Ace. “Okay, this is what’s happening. So far it’s been three days since our meeting of Delila Delphi. But to you it’s only been probably a few minutes since the Hammerstien fight you had that night. During the two days that your mind is missing you’ve managed to forget picking me up for school, you’ve stopped sitting with me and Kat, and you’ve been missing your classes due to her. We’ve had a few fights, and we had a majorly yesterday when we fought a Gen3 named Napalm. By the way, your cars in need of a new paint job. It took me all of last night to figure out what the hell is wrong with you. That girl has powers Ace. She’s one of us.” Kevin explained to the confused Ace.
“My car? What happened to my car?” Ace asked, a bit more concerned over his car than over the situation.
“Oh Napalm burned the back of it. But it’s fine, I mean it still runs. But that’s not what’s important. The important thing is that you’re not under her spell.”
“Spell? You mean she’s a witch?” Ace looked at his friend with an odd look.
“No you dick, she’s a telepath. She’s been controlling you, or atleast blocking you from you controlling yourself. Hell, I haven’t even been able to enter your mind since she showed up. I guess when I knocked you out it snapped you out of it.”
“Guess so...wait...that means she took control of me after my fight with Hammerstien...” Ace added. He scratched his chin. Then he realized something as he looked at Kevin. “What did I do to Kat?”
Kevin got a bad look in his face. “You attacked her earlier today, well about half an hour ago. She’s okay, a bit shaken up, but I’ll tend to her. I’m actually surprised that you stood up to her. She’s an impressive fighter Ace, and I think its about time we get her into the Hunters.”
Ace looked at Kevin. “She’s okay right?”
“She’ll be okay. You just hit her too hard and slammed her through a table. She in the nurses office and I had to do a lot of mind tricks on a lot of people. Oh well. Look, we need to go take care of that little girl Ace. I know you think you’re in love with her, but she’s just using you Ace.” Kevin told his friend. “Stop using your dick and let’s get this girl.”
Ace blushed a bit and then realized what his friend was saying. “I’m not believing in this deception any longer. Let’s go hunt down this little hoochie!” Ace jumped up and started toward his car. Kevin got up and followed him.
“Dude, chill. We can get her later. First we need to go and heal Kat, and then we need to wait for her to come and get you, since her connection is broken. Besides that, I need to work on a way to keep her from getting a hold of your mind. I can’t keep fighting you Ace. Atleast we were sparring earlier this week, you weren’t doing it with the same passion you do when you fight people. But when you’re under her control you’re a hell of a lot harder to beat. But c’mon, let’s go see Kat.”
Ace and Kevin entered the nurses’ office. Kat was lying on bed. She had on a simple red t-shirt and black shorts, plus her combat boots. Her make up had been smeared from obvious crying, and her hair was a mess. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises and she wasn’t the same flower girl that the guys loved.
She woke as the two guys entered and she turned to watch them kneel beside her. Ace started to cry as he saw he like this. He had done this to her, but he wasn’t in control of his body, a body that was a weapon of pain. Kat saw this and put her hand on his face. “It’s not really your fault Ace. Sometimes it happens.”
{She thinks we all got in a car accident. I couldn’t let her remember fighting you. I know how much it would hurt both of you to remember that, and I know that you don’t even remember it, just the knowledge that you did hurt her. Can you heal her though?} Kevin sent to Ace, as he patted Kat’s face.
{Yes I can heal her. She’s not terribly bad, Thanks for doing what you did to her, too bad I did what I did to her. Just let me take care of her, and you try to work on your problem with Delila.} Ace sent back. He looked into Kat’s jade eyes. “I’m sorry sweetie.” He put his hand over her eyes. “Sleep for now, sweet angel. We’ll take care of all your class problems, while you rest okay?”
“Fine. I’ll sleep..” Kat said, not knowing that Kevin put her to sleep with his mental powers. Kevin winked at Ace, as Ace put his hands on her body. Kevin slapped Ace’s hands as he put one of his hands on her chest, so Ace moved it to her arms and increased her healing as far as he could. He held on to her, just watching the wounds go away. He stopped when he knew she was healed.
“Now let’s go take care of that bitch.” Ace growled, clenching his fist. Kevin patted him on his shoulder and shook his head in agreement.
The Hunters waited at Ginyard park. They were dressed for battle. Ace was wearing a black pair of long shorts and his black Payless shoes. He had on a T-shirt that read ‘I do what the voices in my head tell me to do’ and he had on his Stife trenchcoat and his fingerless gloves. Kevin was wearing blue jeans and an alien South Park t-shirt. He also wore his Stife trenchcoat. They both sat on the back of Ace’s car, which was the nice burnt part of the car.
They had been at the part, waiting. They knew she would track down Ace, much like she had done earlier that week. They knew that she was working for the Company. They knew she could control them. They knew she was a dangerous Gen4. And they knew that this would be a very hard battle. But they were prepared for it.
Kevin winced as he felt his powers going on the fritz. “She’s here...there went my mental powers...” And he turned to point at her. She was coming down the stairs leading into the park. She was wearing a mean leather purple outfit. It consisted of a mini shirt, with an open mid-drift top that was cut really low. She had on knee-high black leather combat boots with purple laces and she had on a choker and two bondage-like wrist guards. Her black hair was free and she had on a purple hair band. Her blue eyes were enhanced by purple eye shadow and she even had on purple lipstick. She was ready to fight as well.
“Okay Lila, time to tell the truth, or we’re gonna have to do things the hard way, and that’s something I don’t want to have to do to you.” Ace yelled at her, jumping off the car. Kevin followed and stood beside him.
“I’m surprised at you Ace. I’ve never lost a connection to someone as strong as you in such a short time. Generally the more powerful you are the easier it is to control, but obviously not. There’s just something special about you.” Lila told him as she came toward him. Ace and Kevin stepped back a bit. “Afraid of me?”
“No afraid of what I might do to you. I broke him from your control bitch. It took me a while to figure it out, and perhaps knocking the punk out might have done the trick, but no more. You’re not breaking us apart little girl. Even if I have to do to you what I did to Stife.” Kevin threatened. He threw her a mean look.
“Oh being a big man now huh Kevin. I knew with you I would have an even bigger challenge. I touched your mind a few times, but found that you have already made very strong mental blocks. So I knew that I could get Ace to be my slave, to be the one who would fight for me. But perhaps you are stronger than they say you are. I mean you broke my control, yes, and I can already feel you protecting your friend here, well with some added help from his power, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll show you my true powers as well. So now it’s time to melt away this shell and for you two to meet Deception!!” Delila yelled, as she stood still. Her eyes started to glow a deep purple and she then screamed an ear shattering scream.
“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!” Ace yelled out, as he and Kevin dropped to the ground. The world started to swirl all around them, and Deception, as Delila was calling herself, started blurring in and out, along with the rest of the world.
“She...got us...in some...kinda trance...I think....we’ve got to find her and get her down...” Kevin muttered out. He tried to get up, but it felt as if he was stuck in the ground. He watched as the ground rippled like raindrops hitting the surface of water. He started to feel like he was sinking into the ground.
Ace was having the same problem. He tried to flip up, but he swore that there were tree limbs holding him down. He unleashed his claws and cut them and then stood up. He closed his eyes, but it wasn’t shutting the world away. “I think she’s got control of both of us. We’ve got to find another way to see things...see through her deception...” Ace yelled out, trying to regain control of the world around him. He opened his eyes and saw that the world as it used to be. And she was right in front of him. He punched at her and hit her in the head.
The world swirled back into place and Kevin got up from the dirt he was rolling in. “Fuck this!” Kevin said, rushing her. They both jumped her. She could barely dodge the hits, even though she could sense what they were trying to do. She grabbed a hold of Ace and smacked him in the head, send a telepathic signal to his brain that he was in a lot of pain. Ace grabbed Kevin and tried to pass it to him, because he knew what too much pain would do to one of them.
Kevin could feel the message being sent and he intercepted it just like Ace had planned. The message hit his brain and he went flying back. He slammed against a tree and started to lose composure.
“Your trick failed Hunter!!” Deception laughed, as she kicked him in the balls. Ace reeled back and she caught him in the chin with an uppercut. He went sailing back into his car. She slowly walked up to him. “I thought you loved me Ace....you found me beautiful once....” She said him with a girlish voice.
Ace looked at her as he saw Kevin standing and moving toward her. “Honey you got real ugly.” And then he kicked her back and Kevin rolled underneath and tripped her. He was glowing with a faint blue hue.
“No more deceptions...just emptiness...M-I-N-D W-“
“NOOO!!! SHIT DON’T DO THAT K!!” Ace interrupted him, as he speared his friend in the middle of his Finisher.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” Kevin asked, as the energy he had faded away. He looked at his friend and saw the pain in his eyes.
“No...I need to do finish her...I need to take her out...my own reasons...” Ace said, as he started to feel the power surging through his body. He started getting the blue hue that Kevin had a few minutes earlier.
Deception slowly got up and then looked at Ace. “You...no...don’t Ace...don’t do that to me...I can tell you what you want to know....did you know that your parents created us...”
Ace stopped moving. “You’re lying!”
Deception fell on her knees. “No I’m not. The Micheals came up with the genetic formula for the Gen4s. They created the classes and they made us who we are. They work for the Company, the same people you fight against. You have to believe me Ace...you have to believe me...”
Ace started to cry. He lowered his guard and dropped to the ground. “No!! NO!!! I WON’T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU!!! AHRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!” Ace yelled, scaring most of the park’s small animal inhabitants. He punched the ground and cracked the earth beneath his fists.
“Believe me Ace. I don’t like doing what I do. I don’t like being this bitch, but I have to, for the sake of my parents, because they too work for the Company. Yours are just lucky because they helped make the Gen4s the way they are. But they still work for the Company. I can understand that you don’t like me much now because I’ve been controlling you, that I made you face your friends, and that I’m telling you the truth, but you have to believe me. You have to understand that I have to do what I do for my parents. That’s why the Company wants you two back so much, so they can blackmail you and make you work for them, because they will just go and kill your parents if you don’t co-operate. If it wasn’t for your parents making cybernetics or doing all the research they did, they’d be dead right now. You have to believe me Ace...please.” Deception told Ace. She started to cry, as she looked at Ace. Ace was just staring at the ground, crying. This was too much for him to handle. He punched the ground again and then slowly rose. He walked over to her and picked her up.
“Go...leave...we’re not fighting you anymore...go back to the Company and tell them...and I mean tell them...tell them that we will defeat and possibly kill each and every person they send after us....tell them that Delila. Tell them to stop messing with us...tell them to not even mess with our parents...and tell them to just quit this damn project...we aren’t guinea pigs for them to play with...we are human beings...and we are Hunters....” Ace told her.
He looked into her teary eyes. “I wish that we didn’t have to do things this way....I think I could have honestly fallen for you Delila....but not now....but know this. If you ever need a friend...if you ever need help, or if you ever decide that you want to help us, then find me. But don’t do it unless it’s for real. I’m not gonna fall for your deceptions anymore.” And with that, Ace kissed her. They kissed for several minutes, tears just running down their faces.
Kevin just stared in disbelief. “That’s just fucked up right there.” And he slowly walked off, leaving them to themselves. He walked up the stairs leading to the park and just sat down. He looked at the two enemies, enemies by their conscience, but enemies no less. They were kissing, and it kind of disturb him. He looked down and just put his head in his hands. He just wanted his friend to hurry up.
Kevin looked up, just in time to see his friend rushing at him. “Yeah, well this is gonna get a little fucked up right here!!” Ace yelled, with a slightly deeper tone to him. He swung with a fierceness that Kevin had never seen, and to add that, his claws were extended, something Ace hardly did. Kevin dodged the blows and punched Ace back a bit.
“Whoa dude chill!” Kevin yelled, trying to reason with his friends. His mental connection to Ace was severed, due to Deception’s over-powering control. And it was obvious to Kevin that she had him once again. Kevin punched at Ace, and then pushed him back with a slight telekenetic blast. Ace went reeling back down the stairs. Kevin took the opportunity to look for Deception, but she was no where to be seen.
“I’m sorry I have to do things this way, Kevin. I know that Ace is your best friend, but I’ve got a job to do. I have to bring in one of you two or both, or kill both of you. What better way than to have one kill the other, or both!” Deception’s voice added to Ace’s as he spoke to Kevin. Kevin raised an eyebrow and then looked around.
She may have taken away my connection, but not all of my powers. I can still sense her... Kevin thought to himself. He pushed out with his mind, sensing thoughts of him. He knew he could feel Ace’s, but Ace’s had to have some base to be thinking of him, especially since Ace’s thoughts were on tearing Kevin’s throat out. He felt the connection to Ace’s mind and traced it back to inside the Monster. HA!!! The Monster! The bitch is hiding out in the Monster. Ah now that’s fucking romantic. Oh well...so she wants me and Ace to fight huh? Let’s play then.
Ace was getting up, and he was looking really pissed. He turned toward his friend, just in time to catch a jump kick. Both friends fell toward the ground, with Kevin crashing on top of his friends. Ace rolled on the ground and threw Kevin off of him. Kevin flipped in the air and landed on both feet, in a fighting position.
“So this is how you want things? You want to kill me huh Ace?” Kevin yelled, ushering his friend to come toward him. He knew this wasn’t the best idea to take on Ace, since he liked to fight up close and personal. Ace smiled a deeply evil grin, and he rushed toward his friend. He extended his claws and slashed as hard as he could toward Kevin. Kevin dodged, but one caught his arm, tearing into his flesh.
Ace stopped and saw this. Part of him was in awe of the sight, but part of him felt terrible. That part of him was trying to fight against Deception. “I’m so....” He tried to speak out, but then stopped and cackled evilly.
Kevin noticed and sensed his mind. He could tell Ace was fighting her. He smiled as he clutched his arm. “Fight her Ace! Fight her! Try to remember who you are....try to remember what she did to you...try to remember what she made you do....try to remember what she made you do to Kat...” Kevin yelled at his friend. He kept pushing the memories into Ace’s head.
“Oh-no! I’m not losing him!” Deception yelled, getting her out of the car. She ran toward Kevin, and tried to make the world swirl around him. He was fighting her mentally, and it was pissing her off.
“Look bitch, I’m not gonna let you have him. He’s....he’s my bitch!” Kevin yelled, dashing at her. As he did, Ace jumped in front of her and grabbed Kevin by the throat.
“Well your ‘bitch’ doesn’t seem to like you right now.” Deception ripped Kevin, as she raised her hand like Ace was holding Kevin. Slowly she took over Ace’s motor controls. “Now I have complete control over him.” She said, laughing. Ace laughed with her, and their tones matched eerily.
Kevin struggled with Ace holding him. Ace had increased his strength and it was starting to choke him. He started to kick at Ace, but it wasn’t working. “Ug...not...good...” Kevin mumbled out. He kept struggling, while Deception and Ace just laughed at him.
“Stop struggling Kevin. Just take it like a man and die!” Deception and Ace told him in their mixed voice. She slowly closed her hand, making Ace squeeze tighter on Kevin’s throat.
I’ve got to think of a better way to fight Ace. Wait...no I don’t need to fight him, I need to fight her...she’s got control of him....mmmm....oh wait...I think I’ve got a way... Kevin thought to himself, as he started drawing more and more energy. He was starting to turn blue, both in skin color and in hue. If I don’t do this now, then I’m a gonner.
Slowly Kevin raised his hand, aiming it just slightly at Deception. But Ace was still in the way. He couldn’t get past him. If he did his Finisher he might take out Ace too. Then he remembered something Ace had once told him. “We do what we do because we have to do...because we’re Hunters. If that means taken out one of our own for the sake of the team, leaving them behind because it’s the only option, then so be it. One Hunter down means the rest of the Hunters can fight another day.” While it was a bit morally wrong, Kevin knew what Ace meant. This was his only option.
“M-I-N-D W-I-P-E!!” Kevin growled, as a blue bolt jolted from his hand and into Ace’s head. They both slunk to the ground, and Ace landed on top of Kevin. Kevin was alright, a bit exhausted, but he knew he had to make sure that Deception was taken care of.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!” Deception’s horrified scream filled the air, and Kevin watched as she started to spaz a bit. “You....damn it....is...this...what....you....did...to....Stife...this emptiness???” She tried to get out, as she sank to her knees. She started to weep and Kevin just looked at her.
Ace stirred and slowly rose. He looked at her and Kevin. “What’s going on?”
Kevin’s jaw dropped. It did exactly what he wanted to do. He had snapped Deception’s hold over Ace, and now the Hunter leader was back. “I fixed you.”
Ace got up and looked at Deception. “Why Delila...why did you do this again?” He looked at her, as she just stared at the ground, tears dripping off her nose.
Kevin patted him on the shoulders. “I don’t know if she’s gone like Stife, but I do know that she’s not completely gone. I can still feel her. Her mental powers blocked the damage it would have done, but it still knocked her out.” Kevin walked over to her body and picked her up. “Let’s take her to her parents. It’s what she’s asking out in her mind for.”
Ace shook his head in agreement and then took her to the car. They put her in the back seat and left the park. Ace drove solemnly while Kevin just tried to get a hold of the situation.
“I did what I did because of something you once told me.” Kevin admitted, looking at his grief stricken friend.
“I know...I know.” Was all that Ace could say. He looked in his back mirror that looked down at Delila Delphi’s now stiff body, and he cried a single sad tear.
“Hit me!” Ace yelled, taunting Kevin. Kevin smiled, and then threw a flurry of punches at Ace. Ace tried to block them, but was overwhelmed. He went down.
“Oh yeah.” Kevin commented, looking at his work. Ace flipped up and wiped the blood from his lips. He and Kevin were practicing fighting out in Ginyard park which was right down the street from BC.
“Nice. Okay, now let’s see you do that again!” Ace yelled back, rushing at Kevin. He caught Kevin across the jaw, before getting pummeled again by Kevin. He tried to strengthen his body to take the blows, but it just wasn’t working. He went down again.
“Stay down bitch.” Kevin joked, picking Ace up. Ace slapped him away.
“We can’t help our enemies up, so don’t help me up.” Ace lifted himself up. “The purpose of this is to teach us how to fight better. What we do here is a reflection of what we do on the battlefield.”
Kevin stopped Ace. “No, it isn’t. We’re just training, Ace. Nothing more. Just because I’m helping you up doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it when we fight. I know the difference between foe and enemy.”
Ace threw a quizitive look. “I know...I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on the both of us.”
“Yes you should be hard. We need to train. But we also need to realize each other’s potential. I trust you’ll have my back in battle. Do you trust me?”
Ace looked at his friend. “I do trust you. You’re my partner. Trust is the basis of being partners.”
“Good. Now, wanna go again?” Kevin asked, grabbing his staff. He twirled it again. “Or do you think we should call it quits and go meet Kat at the arcade?”
Ace smiled. “Let me whip your ass, then we’ll leave.”
Kevin twirled around his staff. “Fine with me. Any conditions?”
“Full out attack, leave nothing back, weapons, no holds barred. Let’s do it like it was the real thing.” Ace replied.
Kevin put his staff down. “Question. What would you do if say we had to fight each other?”
Ace stopped. “Well I don’t quite know. I’m sure it would be really tough. And I don’t think I would like it. But this is different. We’ll know when to stop. We’re just playing around. In a combat situation like your suggesting...well it would not be pretty. But let’s just hope it doesn’t happen.”
“My thoughts exactly. Ready?” Kevin twirled his staff around. He moved into a fighting stance, with his right foot out toward Ace, the left holding him up, and his staff held at a neutral position.
“Ready!” Ace yelled, upping all of his stats. He got in a tiger fighting position, with his claws extended. He looked at Kevin and then rushed toward him. He swung with all his might, and his claws dug deep into Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin retaliated with his staff, battering Ace with the end. He whacked Ace upside the head and sent him rolling back. Ace quickly flipped up and then twirled around, roundhouse kicking toward Kevin. Kevin blocked with his staff, which broke in half. Kevin looked at the two pieces, then smacked Ace in the shoulders with them.
“Fuck that hurt!” Ace yelled, flipping up. He rushed Kevin, then dropped to a roll before flipping and doing a hand stand kick. He got Kevin in the chin and sent him sprawling back. Ace then rushed in, threw a right hook and caught him square in the jaw. Then he punched him in the stomach a few times before stopping. He then grabbed his friend’s chin, held it up, reeled back like he was going to punch, then he just thumped his friend in the head. “I win.”
“Finally.” Kevin replied back. He got up and then spit out some blood. “I just wish I had your healing powers.” Kevin leaned against a tree.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ace walked over and accelerated Kevin’s healing. “I guess I just have my gifts that you don’t. C’mon, let’s go take on Kat at the arcade.” Ace gave Kevin a hand up and they walked to the Monster.
“So like if you hit someone in their knee then kick them as they check their knee, you’ll lead to a knockout.” Kat explained to a group of kids who were watching her fight at the arcade. The kids were mostly 11 year olds but liked to watch the 16 year old explain fighting moves.
Kevin and Ace walked up behind the group and towered slightly over the puberty-stricken group. Ace lowered his shades as he watched Kat. She was very beautiful and had a nice body. She had on a black pair of cut-off shorts, with her leather combat boots and red shoelaces. She also had on a tight tank-top that was blue and had a small Superman symbol on, but instead of a ‘S’ there was a ‘B.’ Her hair has done up in a bun with two little silver needles sticking out of it, and it was completely blood red. She had on red eye shadow and red lipstick, and Ace’s eyes were just checking out. Kevin noticed Ace’s hounding eyes.
{Dude stop!} Kevin sent Ace.
Ace rolled his eyes. {Can’t help it. I mean she looks great in that tight ass top and those tiny little shorts. I mean no wondered these kids are getting hard-ons. I know I am!} Ace sent back. He then got a slightly pain from Kevin.
{Look she’s our friend. We can’t think about her like that. It’s...it’s...okay fuck it, yes she looks damn fine.} Kevin admitted.
{Told you. C’mon, let’s grab her and go to the movies.} Ace sent back. He threw a wave at Kat. “Hey girl, ready?”
Kat’s eyes got wider as she saw the two Hunters standing there. “Hey guys! Sure I’m ready. Um..okay class, next time we’ll discuss even more ways to drop an opponent. Until then, I want you all to use the Fighter Machine to practice. Later.” Kat told her class. She then turned to her two friends.
“I wish I had a cute teacher like you to teach me how to fight.” Ace smoothly said, kissing her hand. Kevin smacked Ace in the back of the head. “Ow!”
“He’s had a rough day, a bit delirious. Um...ready for Mortal Kombat Mutilation?” Kevin asked, taking her hand from Ace. Ace threw him a scowl and then grabbed Kat’s other hand. He placed her between himself and Kevin and kept throwing looks at Kevin.
“Sure. So who’s paying?” Kat asked, figuring the two boys were both vying for her hand. She stopped them both in their tracks.
“Paying?” They both asked in unison.
“Okay let’s see two buckets of popcorn, the large drinks, one box of M&Ms, one box of Skittles, and one box of GummiBears. That’ll be 21.45.” A cashier told Ace and Kevin as they bought snacks for the movies.
Ace pulled out his wallet and paid the cashier, as he whispered to Kevin, “This girl is gonna break us you know.”
“Shhh...don’t worry about it Ace. Next time we go out, it’s on me okay.” Kevin whispered back, as he took a bucket of popcorn and the candy. They turned to see Kat standing there.
“Breaking you two huh? Well we’ll see who goes on the next date with me.” Kat joked, smiling at the two surprised guys. They both blushed and then handed her a drink.
“Well I mean....it doesn’t matter Kat. We got the money, I was just trying to save up for another video game this week.” Ace admitted, as they walked toward the ticket stand. The ticket person took their tickets and showed them to the door to the movie.
“If you want me to start paying then tell me guys. I got money too. I do work and all.” Kat told them, as they climbed the small ramp toward the front of the theater. They turned and climbed the stairs and found the seats they wanted.
“We both don’t think a girl should have to pay, even if she is a friend of ours.” Kevin told Kat, as they sat down. Ace was on one side of her, with Kevin on the other. They put her in the middle and stuck both buckets of popcorn on her laps.
{What the hell are you doing?} Kevin sent Ace.
{Nothing dude...just trying to see how far I get...} Ace sent back.
{Perv...}
{To each their own...}
“So you don’t think a woman should pay?” A sultry voice said from behind the group. They all turned to see a raven haired girl with silver clasps in her hair sitting behind them. Both guys were amazed at her. She wore a black tank top and had on a black leather mini shirt with a gold belt. She had deep dark blue eyes and long black eyelashes. She had dark pout lips and a tiny little mole by her nose.
Ace’s jaw dropped. “Um...yes a woman should not have to pay for things. Like for instance if I took you out on a date, I would not like you to be paying, I would pay.” Ace tried to say smoothly, while checking her out. He slowly rose and took her hand, kissing it. “By the way, I’m Ace Micheals.”
The girl looked at him, and then at Kat and Kevin. “And your friends?”
Kevin looked up at her, sensing a blocking of some kind, but he couldn’t quite place it. He threw her a friendly look. “I’m Kevin Duval, and this is Katlin Orchid. And who might you be?”
The girl stepped down and stood next to Ace, just looking into her eyes. “I’m Delila Delphi, and you can call me Lila.” She said, touching Ace’s hands.
{Something’s amiss with this one Ace...I can’t quite...} Kevin tried to send to Ace, but for some reason he couldn’t push into his mind like he was used to doing. He looked over at Ace, and threw him a look.
{What?} Ace sent to Kevin, but he too ran into the same telepathic blocking. He didn’t notice but instead turned his focus to Delila.
“Well Lila, why don’t you join us?” Kat asked, sitting back down. “I’m sure having another female voice in this matter would be good.”
“Why thank you Katlin. Sure. I’ll just sit next to Ace here, since you and Kevin seem to be close, if you don’t mind me commenting.” Lila said, sitting down next to Ace’s seat. Kevin and Kat both blushed and Ace just sat down.
“I wouldn’t say that exactly Lila, we’re just really close friends.” Kat replied to Lila’s comment. Kevin just threw her and Ace a look.
“Well speaking of couples and things like that, um...do you have a boyfriend Lila?” Ace asked, having a look of hope that she didn’t.
Lila looked up into Ace’s deep brown eyes. “Not at the moment, but we’ll see how things go.” Ace started to blush and he looked at Kevin, trying to throw a thought at him. But he couldn’t get one through.
The movie started to come on, and the lights went down. Lila put her hand on top of Ace’s and slowly got close to him. Both Kat and Kevin noticed this, but kept their thoughts to themselves. Something is definitely wrong with this picture here. Kevin thought to himself.
The movie ended and Ace and Lila walked out holding hands. Kat and Kevin walked behind them and just watched. Both had a bad feeling about this girl. Especially Kevin, since his mental powers weren’t working and they stopped working as soon as she showed up.
“Well Ace, I had a lovely time. By chance you wouldn’t happen to go to Brookland-Cayce?” Lila asked, as the group escorted her outside the mall. All three friends looked at her.
“Why yes I do. Um...do you?” Ace asked her, watching her. He was starting to fall for this new girl, like a rock from the sky.
“I do or will be. I just moved into town a few days ago, and this was the first time I had been out. Think you could give me a tour of town too?” Lila asked, batting her eyes.
Ace blushed a bit and then looked at Kevin. “Sure I think we can arrange that. Um...well look. Why don’t I pick you up tomorrow morning, so I can help you find your classes?” Ace asked her, getting out a pencil and a piece of paper. “Just write down your number and I’ll call you later to get your address and stuff.”
“Why don’t you take me home? My daddy dropped me off and he had to go back to the house and finish unpacking. We could take your friends home and then you could help me unpack my room and we could get to know each other a little bit better.” Lila asked Ace, slowly walking up to him and touching his chest with her finger seductively.
“Okay!” Ace answered, grabbing his keys from his pockets. He threw a look at his friends with puppy-dog eyes. He walked up to them. “C’mon guys, she’s new, she goes to our school,” And Ace moved closer to them. “And I think she likes me.”
Kevin leaned toward his friend and pulled Ace closer to him. “Look I don’t have a good feeling about this girl Ace. Notice that I haven’t been able to ‘talk’ to you, right?” Kevin through Ace a ‘You know what I’m talking about’ look.
“Yeah, sorta.” Ace replied, turning to see an impatient looking Lila.
“It started when she showed up Ace. I don’t like it. But it’s your car and you’re the driver, so we’ll do what you want, okay.” Kevin told his partner. They shook hands, each giving a firm lock.
Ace turned back to Lila. “Okay sweetie, I’ll take you home.” He took her hand and led her to his car. Kat and Kevin followed, still not happy with their friend. They got in the back seat and let the two lovebirds sit up front.
After half an hour of driving, he dropped off Kevin and Kat, and then drove Lila to her house. He pulled up into her neighborhood, which wasn’t too far from his own neighborhood. She pointed out her house and he pulled into her driveway. There wasn’t a car in the driveway and there weren’t any lights on in the house. Ace noticed and looked at Lila.
“Um...explain...” Ace tried to say, before Lila slammed into the window, as their two lips connected. She tried to kiss him deeply, but Ace, being a novice at kissing, didn’t know how to respond. He just pushed her off and she threw him a mean look.
“I’m...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to kiss you like that...and I guess my parents left...but...I like you Ace...you’re cute...and funny...and very sweet...don’t you like me?” Lila asked, in a soft voice, while batting her eyes at Ace.
Before he could answer, she started screaming, and then someone punched through the glass in Ace’s windowed and pulled him out. Ace looked up to see Hammerstien standing above him. “OH SHIT!!”
“That’s right little boy! I think we need a rematch, and then after I beat your ass, I’ll take your sweet little girlfriend and your junk piece of car for a ride!” Hammerstien bellowed, as he started to grow to extreme proportions.
Oh no! A fight..and infront of her...this is not good...where’s Kevin when I need a mind-wipe...oh well...I think it’s time I just fight...I mean she might think I’m a hero or something like that... Ace thought to himself. He looked up and saw a great opportunity. With every ounce of strength he had, he pushed it all into his strength, as he extended his claws and punched Hammerstien square in the nuts. “Take that!” Ace yelled, flipping up.
Hammerstien looked at Ace and then fell over in pain. He started to moan and cry, but then he saw Delila. Their eyes passed back something that Ace didn’t understand, and Hammerstien stopped crying. He then got up and clenched his fist, making an awful crunching sound as his knuckles cracked. “You’re about to die little man!” And Hammerstien rushed at Ace.
“Ace, look out!” Delila yelled out the window. Ace smiled at her, but then he was speared into the concrete by Hammerstien. They both sunk into the cracking concrete, as Hammerstien’s increased body size and weight, and the force of his running, was too much for the driveway to handle. Ace struggled as the huge behemoth’s weight was almost too unbearable.
{KEVIN!!!} Ace cried out in his mind, hoping that his friend would somehow hear it. Ace could feel the air in his lungs going out. He was gonna pass out soon if he didn’t get the big guy off of him. God I’m gonna look like a weakling in front of her...Fuck this. Time to go Super Hunter! Ace thought to himself. He could tell that Hammerstien was stuck and couldn’t get out. Ace was gonna give him an extra hand in getting out. He maneuvered his hands to grab onto Hammerstien’s shoulders, and then increased his strength as far as he could. He pushed his arms back and then threw Hammerstien out of the hole. Ace flipped out and stood above the hole, claws extended, and looking pissed as hell. “Yo, he-bitch, let’s go!” Ace yelled, trying to be like his best friend.
Hammerstien was a bit dazed, but recovered in time to see Ace charging him. He dropped down and scooped the little Hunter up. Then he threw him over his shoulder and on to Delila’s roof. Ace flipped in midair and landed on the roof. He jumped down on the hood of his car and ran across and jumped on Hammerstien’s back, driving his claws into his shoulders.
“Ace what are you doing?” Delila yelled, as she got out of the car. She screamed as she saw his claws. Ace saw that and then retracted them back into his hands. Hammerstien took the opportunity to grab him and then fling him down into the hole they had just gotten out of.
Ace laid in the hole just staring at the stars above. {KEVIN!!!} His thoughts screamed out, hoping once again that his partner would hear him. He then realized that he was losing. He punched the walls of the hole and climbed back out.
Hammerstien had grabbed Delila and was trying to grope her. He had shrunk back down to his normal size, but he was till bigger than Ace. Ace slowly walked toward him, with a dispassionate fire in his eyes. He could feel the energy he needed burning inside him, as he started to grow with a faint blue hue. “Times up Hammerstien. Let the girl go.” Ace ordered, a deep dark tone in his voice.
Hammerstien looked up and saw Ace. He was surprised that he was still moving. He laughed and then pushed Delila into the car, where she promptly slumped to the ground. “What are you going to do little man? I just got some from your little hottie girl over there.” Hammerstien boosted, just chuckling to himself.
Hammerstien’s words pissed Ace off and his faint blue hue started to get brighter, brighter than it had ever been. He moved toward Hammerstien. “I’m gonna do this...R-A-Z-O-R S-T-R-I-K-E!!!” Ace yelled, as he pushed all the energy he had acquired into his strength and speed. With a fierceness, he hit Hammerstien like a freight train, slicing an ‘X’ into his chest. Then he grabbed Hammerstien and chugged him high in the air toward the next neighborhood. After that, Ace fell to the ground, exhausted.
And Delila opened her eyes and smiled, as she stood up. She walked over to Ace's exhausted body and kneeled down beside him. She slowly patted his head. "Now my plan's just working out fine. Hammerstien was an added bonus, and now I'll just have a much easier time using you. Hmmm...what to do first....well let's see...." Slowly he touched his head with her hand and then she started using her telepathic powers to reach into Ace's memories. "Hmmm....you're very loyal, especially to Kevin...well we'll just have to change that....I think tomorrow someone's gonna be walking..."
Ace started to stir a bit, but she put him to sleep. "Not now Ace, sleep baby, sleep." She kept pressing further and further into mind and she started to change some of the most basic of his beliefs. She was doing what she had been sent to do: Reprogram Ace Micheals and separate the Hunters.
“Ace...Ace wake up...” A familiar voice. Ace opened his eyes to see Kevin standing above him. He looked around. It was daylight, and he was at school. He looked at his clothes. They were different, but somehow familiar. So were the ones that Kevin was wearing. He got up and looked at around.
“How...did I get...here?” Ace asked, looking around. It was school alright. He was standing in the middle of the breezeway. A group of kids were standing watching him and Kevin. Kevin looked a bit roughed up. Kat was no where to be found and neither was Delila.
“Ace...c’mon. Let’s go punk!” Kevin told Ace. Ace turned, just as Kevin hit him. Ace took the punch in the chin and almost went down. He looked at his best friend.
“What the fuck was that for K?” Ace asked, looking at Kevin. Ace was stunned. Something was amiss, but he couldn’t place it. How had he ended up here, at school, apparently during lunch, after fighting Hammerstien and performing a Finisher on him. A punch from Kevin interrupted his thoughts and sent him flying back into a fence.
“That was for attacking Kat, bitch!” Kevin yelled, jumping on top of Ace. He started wailing on his best friend, and he wasn’t hiding his powers. His fist blurred as he continued wailing on Ace. “And this is for defending that little bitch of yours!!” Kevin yelled, punching at Ace. Ace suddenly increased his speed and dodged the bunch. Then he raised his strength and pushed Kevin off of him.
“No I didn’t! What the hell are you talking about dude?” Ace yelled. Kevin ran at him, and threw more punches. Ace blocked each on, but still took a few shots. He then balled up his fist and knocked one into Kevin, which sent him flying to the ground. “The last thing I remember is fight Hammerstien, and it was at night. I don’t even know how I got here or why you’re fighting me.”
Kevin flipped up and walked toward Ace. He looked at Ace. Then he scanned his mind and he could actually get inside it for once. “Hmm...this is not good. I think I made a mistake and I think we need to talk.” Kevin then looked around, and raised his hands. He winced a bit. Everyone around suddenly shut up for a few seconds, and then continued on like nothing had just happened. Kevin went and picked up his trench he had thrown down earlier and grabbed Ace by the arm. “Come with me.”
Kevin marched Ace to a secluded spot on campus and sat Ace down. “I think her control over you is gone for now. Ace, why don’t you try sending a thought at me, like I taught you to do?” Kevin asked, sitting infront of him.
{Sure, why not? Can you hear me?} Ace sent to Kevin.
{Yes, finally!} Kevin exclaimed loudly in both their heads. He smiled at Ace. “Okay, this is what’s happening. So far it’s been three days since our meeting of Delila Delphi. But to you it’s only been probably a few minutes since the Hammerstien fight you had that night. During the two days that your mind is missing you’ve managed to forget picking me up for school, you’ve stopped sitting with me and Kat, and you’ve been missing your classes due to her. We’ve had a few fights, and we had a majorly yesterday when we fought a Gen3 named Napalm. By the way, your cars in need of a new paint job. It took me all of last night to figure out what the hell is wrong with you. That girl has powers Ace. She’s one of us.” Kevin explained to the confused Ace.
“My car? What happened to my car?” Ace asked, a bit more concerned over his car than over the situation.
“Oh Napalm burned the back of it. But it’s fine, I mean it still runs. But that’s not what’s important. The important thing is that you’re not under her spell.”
“Spell? You mean she’s a witch?” Ace looked at his friend with an odd look.
“No you dick, she’s a telepath. She’s been controlling you, or atleast blocking you from you controlling yourself. Hell, I haven’t even been able to enter your mind since she showed up. I guess when I knocked you out it snapped you out of it.”
“Guess so...wait...that means she took control of me after my fight with Hammerstien...” Ace added. He scratched his chin. Then he realized something as he looked at Kevin. “What did I do to Kat?”
Kevin got a bad look in his face. “You attacked her earlier today, well about half an hour ago. She’s okay, a bit shaken up, but I’ll tend to her. I’m actually surprised that you stood up to her. She’s an impressive fighter Ace, and I think its about time we get her into the Hunters.”
Ace looked at Kevin. “She’s okay right?”
“She’ll be okay. You just hit her too hard and slammed her through a table. She in the nurses office and I had to do a lot of mind tricks on a lot of people. Oh well. Look, we need to go take care of that little girl Ace. I know you think you’re in love with her, but she’s just using you Ace.” Kevin told his friend. “Stop using your dick and let’s get this girl.”
Ace blushed a bit and then realized what his friend was saying. “I’m not believing in this deception any longer. Let’s go hunt down this little hoochie!” Ace jumped up and started toward his car. Kevin got up and followed him.
“Dude, chill. We can get her later. First we need to go and heal Kat, and then we need to wait for her to come and get you, since her connection is broken. Besides that, I need to work on a way to keep her from getting a hold of your mind. I can’t keep fighting you Ace. Atleast we were sparring earlier this week, you weren’t doing it with the same passion you do when you fight people. But when you’re under her control you’re a hell of a lot harder to beat. But c’mon, let’s go see Kat.”
Ace and Kevin entered the nurses’ office. Kat was lying on bed. She had on a simple red t-shirt and black shorts, plus her combat boots. Her make up had been smeared from obvious crying, and her hair was a mess. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises and she wasn’t the same flower girl that the guys loved.
She woke as the two guys entered and she turned to watch them kneel beside her. Ace started to cry as he saw he like this. He had done this to her, but he wasn’t in control of his body, a body that was a weapon of pain. Kat saw this and put her hand on his face. “It’s not really your fault Ace. Sometimes it happens.”
{She thinks we all got in a car accident. I couldn’t let her remember fighting you. I know how much it would hurt both of you to remember that, and I know that you don’t even remember it, just the knowledge that you did hurt her. Can you heal her though?} Kevin sent to Ace, as he patted Kat’s face.
{Yes I can heal her. She’s not terribly bad, Thanks for doing what you did to her, too bad I did what I did to her. Just let me take care of her, and you try to work on your problem with Delila.} Ace sent back. He looked into Kat’s jade eyes. “I’m sorry sweetie.” He put his hand over her eyes. “Sleep for now, sweet angel. We’ll take care of all your class problems, while you rest okay?”
“Fine. I’ll sleep..” Kat said, not knowing that Kevin put her to sleep with his mental powers. Kevin winked at Ace, as Ace put his hands on her body. Kevin slapped Ace’s hands as he put one of his hands on her chest, so Ace moved it to her arms and increased her healing as far as he could. He held on to her, just watching the wounds go away. He stopped when he knew she was healed.
“Now let’s go take care of that bitch.” Ace growled, clenching his fist. Kevin patted him on his shoulder and shook his head in agreement.
The Hunters waited at Ginyard park. They were dressed for battle. Ace was wearing a black pair of long shorts and his black Payless shoes. He had on a T-shirt that read ‘I do what the voices in my head tell me to do’ and he had on his Stife trenchcoat and his fingerless gloves. Kevin was wearing blue jeans and an alien South Park t-shirt. He also wore his Stife trenchcoat. They both sat on the back of Ace’s car, which was the nice burnt part of the car.
They had been at the part, waiting. They knew she would track down Ace, much like she had done earlier that week. They knew that she was working for the Company. They knew she could control them. They knew she was a dangerous Gen4. And they knew that this would be a very hard battle. But they were prepared for it.
Kevin winced as he felt his powers going on the fritz. “She’s here...there went my mental powers...” And he turned to point at her. She was coming down the stairs leading into the park. She was wearing a mean leather purple outfit. It consisted of a mini shirt, with an open mid-drift top that was cut really low. She had on knee-high black leather combat boots with purple laces and she had on a choker and two bondage-like wrist guards. Her black hair was free and she had on a purple hair band. Her blue eyes were enhanced by purple eye shadow and she even had on purple lipstick. She was ready to fight as well.
“Okay Lila, time to tell the truth, or we’re gonna have to do things the hard way, and that’s something I don’t want to have to do to you.” Ace yelled at her, jumping off the car. Kevin followed and stood beside him.
“I’m surprised at you Ace. I’ve never lost a connection to someone as strong as you in such a short time. Generally the more powerful you are the easier it is to control, but obviously not. There’s just something special about you.” Lila told him as she came toward him. Ace and Kevin stepped back a bit. “Afraid of me?”
“No afraid of what I might do to you. I broke him from your control bitch. It took me a while to figure it out, and perhaps knocking the punk out might have done the trick, but no more. You’re not breaking us apart little girl. Even if I have to do to you what I did to Stife.” Kevin threatened. He threw her a mean look.
“Oh being a big man now huh Kevin. I knew with you I would have an even bigger challenge. I touched your mind a few times, but found that you have already made very strong mental blocks. So I knew that I could get Ace to be my slave, to be the one who would fight for me. But perhaps you are stronger than they say you are. I mean you broke my control, yes, and I can already feel you protecting your friend here, well with some added help from his power, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll show you my true powers as well. So now it’s time to melt away this shell and for you two to meet Deception!!” Delila yelled, as she stood still. Her eyes started to glow a deep purple and she then screamed an ear shattering scream.
“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!” Ace yelled out, as he and Kevin dropped to the ground. The world started to swirl all around them, and Deception, as Delila was calling herself, started blurring in and out, along with the rest of the world.
“She...got us...in some...kinda trance...I think....we’ve got to find her and get her down...” Kevin muttered out. He tried to get up, but it felt as if he was stuck in the ground. He watched as the ground rippled like raindrops hitting the surface of water. He started to feel like he was sinking into the ground.
Ace was having the same problem. He tried to flip up, but he swore that there were tree limbs holding him down. He unleashed his claws and cut them and then stood up. He closed his eyes, but it wasn’t shutting the world away. “I think she’s got control of both of us. We’ve got to find another way to see things...see through her deception...” Ace yelled out, trying to regain control of the world around him. He opened his eyes and saw that the world as it used to be. And she was right in front of him. He punched at her and hit her in the head.
The world swirled back into place and Kevin got up from the dirt he was rolling in. “Fuck this!” Kevin said, rushing her. They both jumped her. She could barely dodge the hits, even though she could sense what they were trying to do. She grabbed a hold of Ace and smacked him in the head, send a telepathic signal to his brain that he was in a lot of pain. Ace grabbed Kevin and tried to pass it to him, because he knew what too much pain would do to one of them.
Kevin could feel the message being sent and he intercepted it just like Ace had planned. The message hit his brain and he went flying back. He slammed against a tree and started to lose composure.
“Your trick failed Hunter!!” Deception laughed, as she kicked him in the balls. Ace reeled back and she caught him in the chin with an uppercut. He went sailing back into his car. She slowly walked up to him. “I thought you loved me Ace....you found me beautiful once....” She said him with a girlish voice.
Ace looked at her as he saw Kevin standing and moving toward her. “Honey you got real ugly.” And then he kicked her back and Kevin rolled underneath and tripped her. He was glowing with a faint blue hue.
“No more deceptions...just emptiness...M-I-N-D W-“
“NOOO!!! SHIT DON’T DO THAT K!!” Ace interrupted him, as he speared his friend in the middle of his Finisher.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” Kevin asked, as the energy he had faded away. He looked at his friend and saw the pain in his eyes.
“No...I need to do finish her...I need to take her out...my own reasons...” Ace said, as he started to feel the power surging through his body. He started getting the blue hue that Kevin had a few minutes earlier.
Deception slowly got up and then looked at Ace. “You...no...don’t Ace...don’t do that to me...I can tell you what you want to know....did you know that your parents created us...”
Ace stopped moving. “You’re lying!”
Deception fell on her knees. “No I’m not. The Micheals came up with the genetic formula for the Gen4s. They created the classes and they made us who we are. They work for the Company, the same people you fight against. You have to believe me Ace...you have to believe me...”
Ace started to cry. He lowered his guard and dropped to the ground. “No!! NO!!! I WON’T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU!!! AHRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!” Ace yelled, scaring most of the park’s small animal inhabitants. He punched the ground and cracked the earth beneath his fists.
“Believe me Ace. I don’t like doing what I do. I don’t like being this bitch, but I have to, for the sake of my parents, because they too work for the Company. Yours are just lucky because they helped make the Gen4s the way they are. But they still work for the Company. I can understand that you don’t like me much now because I’ve been controlling you, that I made you face your friends, and that I’m telling you the truth, but you have to believe me. You have to understand that I have to do what I do for my parents. That’s why the Company wants you two back so much, so they can blackmail you and make you work for them, because they will just go and kill your parents if you don’t co-operate. If it wasn’t for your parents making cybernetics or doing all the research they did, they’d be dead right now. You have to believe me Ace...please.” Deception told Ace. She started to cry, as she looked at Ace. Ace was just staring at the ground, crying. This was too much for him to handle. He punched the ground again and then slowly rose. He walked over to her and picked her up.
“Go...leave...we’re not fighting you anymore...go back to the Company and tell them...and I mean tell them...tell them that we will defeat and possibly kill each and every person they send after us....tell them that Delila. Tell them to stop messing with us...tell them to not even mess with our parents...and tell them to just quit this damn project...we aren’t guinea pigs for them to play with...we are human beings...and we are Hunters....” Ace told her.
He looked into her teary eyes. “I wish that we didn’t have to do things this way....I think I could have honestly fallen for you Delila....but not now....but know this. If you ever need a friend...if you ever need help, or if you ever decide that you want to help us, then find me. But don’t do it unless it’s for real. I’m not gonna fall for your deceptions anymore.” And with that, Ace kissed her. They kissed for several minutes, tears just running down their faces.
Kevin just stared in disbelief. “That’s just fucked up right there.” And he slowly walked off, leaving them to themselves. He walked up the stairs leading to the park and just sat down. He looked at the two enemies, enemies by their conscience, but enemies no less. They were kissing, and it kind of disturb him. He looked down and just put his head in his hands. He just wanted his friend to hurry up.
Kevin looked up, just in time to see his friend rushing at him. “Yeah, well this is gonna get a little fucked up right here!!” Ace yelled, with a slightly deeper tone to him. He swung with a fierceness that Kevin had never seen, and to add that, his claws were extended, something Ace hardly did. Kevin dodged the blows and punched Ace back a bit.
“Whoa dude chill!” Kevin yelled, trying to reason with his friends. His mental connection to Ace was severed, due to Deception’s over-powering control. And it was obvious to Kevin that she had him once again. Kevin punched at Ace, and then pushed him back with a slight telekenetic blast. Ace went reeling back down the stairs. Kevin took the opportunity to look for Deception, but she was no where to be seen.
“I’m sorry I have to do things this way, Kevin. I know that Ace is your best friend, but I’ve got a job to do. I have to bring in one of you two or both, or kill both of you. What better way than to have one kill the other, or both!” Deception’s voice added to Ace’s as he spoke to Kevin. Kevin raised an eyebrow and then looked around.
She may have taken away my connection, but not all of my powers. I can still sense her... Kevin thought to himself. He pushed out with his mind, sensing thoughts of him. He knew he could feel Ace’s, but Ace’s had to have some base to be thinking of him, especially since Ace’s thoughts were on tearing Kevin’s throat out. He felt the connection to Ace’s mind and traced it back to inside the Monster. HA!!! The Monster! The bitch is hiding out in the Monster. Ah now that’s fucking romantic. Oh well...so she wants me and Ace to fight huh? Let’s play then.
Ace was getting up, and he was looking really pissed. He turned toward his friend, just in time to catch a jump kick. Both friends fell toward the ground, with Kevin crashing on top of his friends. Ace rolled on the ground and threw Kevin off of him. Kevin flipped in the air and landed on both feet, in a fighting position.
“So this is how you want things? You want to kill me huh Ace?” Kevin yelled, ushering his friend to come toward him. He knew this wasn’t the best idea to take on Ace, since he liked to fight up close and personal. Ace smiled a deeply evil grin, and he rushed toward his friend. He extended his claws and slashed as hard as he could toward Kevin. Kevin dodged, but one caught his arm, tearing into his flesh.
Ace stopped and saw this. Part of him was in awe of the sight, but part of him felt terrible. That part of him was trying to fight against Deception. “I’m so....” He tried to speak out, but then stopped and cackled evilly.
Kevin noticed and sensed his mind. He could tell Ace was fighting her. He smiled as he clutched his arm. “Fight her Ace! Fight her! Try to remember who you are....try to remember what she did to you...try to remember what she made you do....try to remember what she made you do to Kat...” Kevin yelled at his friend. He kept pushing the memories into Ace’s head.
“Oh-no! I’m not losing him!” Deception yelled, getting her out of the car. She ran toward Kevin, and tried to make the world swirl around him. He was fighting her mentally, and it was pissing her off.
“Look bitch, I’m not gonna let you have him. He’s....he’s my bitch!” Kevin yelled, dashing at her. As he did, Ace jumped in front of her and grabbed Kevin by the throat.
“Well your ‘bitch’ doesn’t seem to like you right now.” Deception ripped Kevin, as she raised her hand like Ace was holding Kevin. Slowly she took over Ace’s motor controls. “Now I have complete control over him.” She said, laughing. Ace laughed with her, and their tones matched eerily.
Kevin struggled with Ace holding him. Ace had increased his strength and it was starting to choke him. He started to kick at Ace, but it wasn’t working. “Ug...not...good...” Kevin mumbled out. He kept struggling, while Deception and Ace just laughed at him.
“Stop struggling Kevin. Just take it like a man and die!” Deception and Ace told him in their mixed voice. She slowly closed her hand, making Ace squeeze tighter on Kevin’s throat.
I’ve got to think of a better way to fight Ace. Wait...no I don’t need to fight him, I need to fight her...she’s got control of him....mmmm....oh wait...I think I’ve got a way... Kevin thought to himself, as he started drawing more and more energy. He was starting to turn blue, both in skin color and in hue. If I don’t do this now, then I’m a gonner.
Slowly Kevin raised his hand, aiming it just slightly at Deception. But Ace was still in the way. He couldn’t get past him. If he did his Finisher he might take out Ace too. Then he remembered something Ace had once told him. “We do what we do because we have to do...because we’re Hunters. If that means taken out one of our own for the sake of the team, leaving them behind because it’s the only option, then so be it. One Hunter down means the rest of the Hunters can fight another day.” While it was a bit morally wrong, Kevin knew what Ace meant. This was his only option.
“M-I-N-D W-I-P-E!!” Kevin growled, as a blue bolt jolted from his hand and into Ace’s head. They both slunk to the ground, and Ace landed on top of Kevin. Kevin was alright, a bit exhausted, but he knew he had to make sure that Deception was taken care of.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!” Deception’s horrified scream filled the air, and Kevin watched as she started to spaz a bit. “You....damn it....is...this...what....you....did...to....Stife...this emptiness???” She tried to get out, as she sank to her knees. She started to weep and Kevin just looked at her.
Ace stirred and slowly rose. He looked at her and Kevin. “What’s going on?”
Kevin’s jaw dropped. It did exactly what he wanted to do. He had snapped Deception’s hold over Ace, and now the Hunter leader was back. “I fixed you.”
Ace got up and looked at Deception. “Why Delila...why did you do this again?” He looked at her, as she just stared at the ground, tears dripping off her nose.
Kevin patted him on the shoulders. “I don’t know if she’s gone like Stife, but I do know that she’s not completely gone. I can still feel her. Her mental powers blocked the damage it would have done, but it still knocked her out.” Kevin walked over to her body and picked her up. “Let’s take her to her parents. It’s what she’s asking out in her mind for.”
Ace shook his head in agreement and then took her to the car. They put her in the back seat and left the park. Ace drove solemnly while Kevin just tried to get a hold of the situation.
“I did what I did because of something you once told me.” Kevin admitted, looking at his grief stricken friend.
“I know...I know.” Was all that Ace could say. He looked in his back mirror that looked down at Delila Delphi’s now stiff body, and he cried a single sad tear.