An Eventful Reunion Ch. 1 ~Guess Who's Back~

    The summer sun shone down on the fort grounds, warm and bright. Strategically placed near the harbor, it could monitor incoming water traffic and deal with those who violated regulations accordingly. Soldiers within took turns guarding the fort and making sure no one tried to get in. If they did, the sentries were to alert their fellow men inside.

    The town, on most days, was calm. Nothing overly exciting or eventful happened. Occasionally, there was some disturbance. Discontented colonists acting out against the King or his acts. But these issues were quickly quelled and the perpetrators placed under arrest. Things then continued as normal.

    No colonist would dare attack the sentries, for the price of such an act was immediate arrest. But there was no punishment for taunting, and the sentries could be subjected to all manner of harsh words. The words were mainly yelled by young, bored youths looking for a fight. But they knew the soldiers could do nothing against them, and had to simply endure the threats. Strict orders. Conditioned to follow orders to the letter, the sentries remained stoic until the end of their shift.

    For a particular sentry, his shift was almost over.

    Kent Davis stood guard outside the fort, his boots newly shined and uniform washed. He glanced around, looking to see if there was an officer close by. When he didn’t see any, he reached up and tugged at the tight collar. The uniform was itchy, as usual. If Kent was honest with himself he wasn’t even focusing on guarding. His mind was wandering. What would he do when he finished his shift?

    Oh that’s right. Arthur and Joseph invited me to get drinks with them. I told them yes and I can’t really go back on my word. Besides, I’d be stupid not to. It’s not often a soldier of my age and rank gets invited to drink with soldiers of their high rank. But why would two captains ask a private to drink with them?

    A sudden yell came from the top of the building close to him. Curious what that was about, Kent looked up. More yelling followed the first, and soon a black clad figure came into view at the top of the two story building. The man came to a stop at the edge, and the hair on the back of Kent’s neck prickled. That figure was… familiar?

    They jumped off the ledge and into the large tree that stood a just halfway between the building and the fort. To Kent’s shock, they continued to run out onto a limb that stretched towards the fort. Kent stiffened and pulled his musket from his shoulder. Were they trying to get inside the fort? They must not have been, for they jumped off the branch and did a flip in midair and landed on their feet with practiced ease. As soon as the massive figure’s boots hit the ground, the man was rolling.

    Straight towards Kent.

    Before the British soldier could even get his gun in position, the man jumped up from the roll. His hood had fallen off, giving Kent a good look at his very familiar face. Crooked nose with a nasty scar across the bridge, icy blue eyes, ginger mustache, sharp jaw, and a spiky ginger mane.

    Kent screamed when he recognized the man. Memories hit him like a ton of bricks. Running, screaming, terrible pain, blind panic, terror, water swirling, smothering blackness. No! It can’t be! It can’t!

    “Ace?!”

    He leapt back as Ace reached his full height. He was still terrified of the man, and his scar began to ache. This monster had captured him three years ago with the help of his mate, given him the two scars that now marred his face, and then nearly caused him to drown in an underground river.

    Ace gave the horrified soldier a feral grin that showed teeth. His eyes gleamed. “Hey, soldier boy! Just the bloody back I wanted to see! How ya been, buddy?” he yelled breathlessly between pants. “That’s great!” he continued before Kent could even get a word out. “Now, I got a question for ya. Are ya in or out?”

    Kent sputtered, caught completely off guard by the various and motley assortment of questions and statements. In or out? What is he going on about? “I… wait… hold… hold on… In or out on what?” Kent managed, shaking his head in utter confusion. Here was the very man who had captured, tortured, and nearly killed him just three years ago, asking him all these questions and seeing unnaturally happy to see him. In fact, the ginger was ecstatic.

    Kent knew he should be running away screaming. Ace was a criminal and a monster! A strangely friendly monster at the moment, but that was beside the point. He needed to get reinforcements now. But his legs wouldn’t move.

    Ace, breath already regained, shook his head quickly. “Nah nah nah!” He waved his hands about. “No time for questions! In or out?” He glanced over his shoulder as shouts grew nearer.

    Kent regained some control and took a step back away from Ace. “What? O-Out of course!” he exclaimed.

    Ace’s grin grew wider. “Too late. You’re already in!” he yelled happily.

    Kent was dumbfounded. Why had Ace even asked then, if he was going to take Kent anyway? “What?! I most certainly am not!” Kent protested, turning to alert the guard within the fort.

    However, before he got half way, Ace grabbed him by the waist, making Kent drop his musket. He pulled him off the ground with ease and threw him over his shoulder. “Oh yes, ya most certainly are!”

    Kent yelled in shock. “What!? No! I will not be taken by you again!” he screamed as he kicked and struggled. Fear welled up in him as what happened with Ace last time flashed in his mind. It had only been thanks to Scarlett that he’d escaped. And now Ace had found him. It was that terrible night all over again. “P-Put me down!”

    A group of soldiers, muskets drawn, ran around the corner of the building. “Oi! There he is! Get him!” roared the leading soldier of the. There must have been close to 15 men. What had Ace done to get them angry? Or was it just his presence?

    Kent was about to sigh in relief. Help had arrived and they would save him from Ace. Last time would not repeat itself. He was safe.

    Then he quickly found out how wrong he was. Ace spun around with Kent still on his shoulder. “Come any closer and I’ll shove my blade in your precious friend’s redcoated back!”

    Kent beat his fists against Ace’s broad back. “Help me! Ace, let me go!” he yelled frantically, dimly aware he was making absolutely no progress against the Rageryan. The man was simply too massive and strong. He struggled nonetheless.

    “Put Private Davis down, you twisted monster!” one of the soldiers ordered, and Kent heard the familiar sound of muskets being primed and leveled at a target.

    “I’m no monster, asshole!” Ace barked, keeping his grip on the squirming man.

    Wriggling under Ace’s arm, Kent tried to free himself. “Let me go! Please!” he yelled, twisting his head to try to see what was happening behind him.

    Ace remained silent, then fished for something in his pocket. “Go screw a bayonet, you lobster back bastards!” Suddenly the world was engulfed in white smoke and Kent barely had time to grip on Ace’s shirt before the ginger Rageryan took off down the street in a dead run. “Good good good good good goody goody goody goody giddy giddy giddy giddy giddy,” Ace muttered as he ran, leaving Kent confused to what gibberish Ace was spouting.

    Not that it mattered. Ace had caught him and was taking him who knows where. Kent had a little bit of hope, however. Ace hadn’t appeared to be as aggressive as last time. Maybe he wasn’t after Kent to hurt him. But what could he possibly be asking Kent to join him for? Perhaps the man had lost his mind…

    The Rageryan held Kent firmly on his shoulder as he shot down the street, far away from the fort and reinforcements. Skirting around a building and then running into a back alley, Ace stopped and looked behind him.

    The alley he had run into had a tree growing in the center which was surrounded by tall bushes. Enclosed on two sides by a build walls and on another by tall wooden fence. The only way out was the way he ran in. He knew he could climb out with ease. Kent, however, would only be able to get out if Ace allowed him to. “Good?! Good?! We good?! Ok! We good!” Ace said. He dropped Kent unceremoniously onto the ground.

    Kent coughed, glad he had breathed out when dropped. Glaring up at Ace, he scrambled to his feet. “Oi! What’s the big idea?” he yelled, then shrank back as he suddenly remembered Ace was a supernatural being who could easily tear him apart. He learned that the hard way. Where had that outburst come from anyway? Fear? Panic? Indignation? Whatever it was, Kent feared it would be the death of him.

            Ace, thankfully, didn’t seem perturbed. That, and he was too busy looking around the side of the building. He only looked back at Kent when the soldier tugged on his sleeve. “Can I help ya?” Ace asked, tone startlingly polite.

            Kent scoffed. “Can you help me?” he repeated, sarcasm thick in his tone. The whole bizarre nature of this was so strange, his fear was replaced by utter confusion. So my first outburst had been from indignation.

    Ace raised an eyebrow at Kent’s attitude, the slightest hint of a frown on his face. He made no move towards Kent, however. Seeing that as a sign Ace wouldn’t tear him apart for being slightly aggressive, Kent went on. “Why the hell did you take me?”

            Ace turned, reaching towards Kent’s face. Expecting a slap, the soldier was more than shocked when Ace playfully tapped his nose. “That’s on a need to know basis, bud.” He then turned back to keep watch.

    Kent stood frozen, only able to blink and stare at his nose in a confused stupor. Did Ace just boop me on the nose? The killer had. The most dangerous criminal in all of the colonies… had booped Kent on the nose. Not important. “Well I need to know!” he protested.

    Ace turned back to him, and Kent saw Ace’s eyes flash. The Brit gulped, any boldness withering under that stone gaze. Have I gone too far?

    Ace took a step towards the soldier, arms coiling back, ready to grab.

    Yep, I’ve gone too far!

    Ace lunged at Kent and tried to wrap his arms around the soldier to grab him. By sheer luck, Kent managed to duck under the brawny arms and race past the Rageryan. He wasted no time in making his escape. He screamed and bolted, back the way he came.

    Ace turned and the scowl was immediately replaced by a sly smirk. He laughed softly. “Good boy. Go fetch.”