Dollhouse

The Day His World Changed

"ACE!! Get your grimy butt up here this instant!" A deep, shrill voice screamed from the lounge area in a ratty apartment.

Those who were outside took pity on the poor soul who had to deal with the murderous Queen's wrath, scurrying away from the house as if she would be coming outside to chop the heads off of each one of them. It was a normal occurrence, the Queen of Hearts' anger flaring with even the smallest thing. The giant of a woman was not known to be delicate to those who angered her, but without her castle and dungeon, her punishments were severely lessened, and four years after being moved to the Isle of the Lost, her anger focused solely on one person; Ace of Hearts, her son.

"Coming mother!" A boy with black and red hair yelled from outside the apartment building, a quick flash of fear in his red eyes that his four best friends caught with ease. The girl with short purple hair stepped forward, opening her mouth to say something when the boy turned and smiled weakly at them, scratching lightly at his cheek.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go. I'll catch up in a bit." He said softly, bowing his head a little before turning back to enter their home. The girl frowned, opening her mouth again as he began to walk away.

"Ace!" She called, prompting the boy to turn his head, black side of his bangs falling into his face. She looked conflicted for a moment, before a small smirk appeared and she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back slightly as she shifted her weight. "We'll be down by the slums, so get over there fast, you got it?"

The boy nodded, turning his head and starting his walk back into the building. His long black and red coat fluttered behind him, and his footsteps were so silent that his friends could hardly believe he was walking. The boy with white and black spiked hair looked over to the girl who spoke. "Hey, Mal? You sure it's a good idea not to go with him?"

"Yeah Mal, his mom sounded really angry." The girl with blue hair said softly, lightly biting her lips as she looked up at their apartment. They could see flashes of red, black, and white on a big figure, and a small red flash darting around the big one. Ace's mom and dad.

"He'll just get mad at us if we follow him, and our parents won't be happy if we show we actually care about him." Mal said, sighing as she turned to walk down to the slums and cause mischief with her friends.

"Yeah, but... Even they don't like how she treats them." The fourth friend, a boy with long, straight black hair and a maroon beanie on his head, said.

"Still. We are the children of some of the most powerful villains in the world! We can't afford to go soft- we have to protect Ace from the others. He's too kind to live here and survive, you know that."

All four of them sighed, looking back at the apartment one last time before heading off to the slums in defeat.

When Ace entered the lounge area, he caught his father in his arms as he was thrown from his mother's outrage. "Dad? Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, looking down at the tiny man he was cradling to his chest. The man adjusted his large crown and smiled up at his son.

"O-o-oh, yes! Yes, I'm alright! I was just trying to calm your mother a little. I'm afraid it didn't work." His father said as Ace placed him back on the floor. His mother growled as she turned, and both Ace and his father tensed. She almost had literal flames coming from her eyes, and her face was quickly turning darker shades of red.

Ace quickly knelt to one leg, placing his right hand over his heart and bowing his head. "What did you need me for, my Queen?" He asked emotionlessly, staying as still as possible even though he was scared beyond belief. A moment later he felt a painful stinging on his cheek, hard enough to bruise and cause tears to form in his eyes, but he still did not look up at his mother without her permission.