Ace gambit

Ace of clubs 7

Chapter 7
Ace of clubs pt6

Dice sat silently just listening intently to Jackson as he spoke.

Jade and scarlet look at the notes as the also listened.

"What exactly made you want to leave? Where you a higher rank there and someone wanted it?"
Dice said swirling around his drink in his cup.

"Not necessarily, I was a rank 6, moderate rank but there were a lot of people who were ready to go out and hunt soldiers. Ace Dante, he maybe an ace but he runs the district like a king, iron fist and what not. But he enjoyed experiments, super soldiers real inhuman creatures and I don't mean half breeds. Just.. monster."

"What do you mean?" Dice said stopping and placing his drink down.

"Well there is an insane monster he created, keep him locked up in the deepest part of the district, the ace. He leaves all the way at the end of the capital city surrounded by a massive raven on all sides of the kingdom. Down way in the center he has a man locked up who is actually more powerful than the ace himself. I really don't want to talk about it actually. Just the things he's done is..." Jackson stared down at his plate as his eyes widened. Despite the light swelling from his fight with Jade, it was clear he was traumatized.

"I'm sorry to hear about your story Jackson, I understand there are a lot of things wrong in this world." Dice said.

"I don't know about you but I'm interested in hearing about this guy. What was his name Jackie boy?" Jade said leaning over and placing both hands on the table and leaning over. Scarlet placed a hand on her sister shoulder trying her Best to pull her back. "Sorry Jackson, my sister was raised in the bad half of the neighbourhood, she just enjoys fighting people who are tough. You don't have to tell us if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

"No no, it's okay, it's just rough. The man in the basement his name is Darius. He does have a rank but I'm not sure what it is. The reason I left home was because last I heard where orders to capture or kill him."

"Wait he got out?" Jade said staring blankly at him. Her eyes wide. "Yes, he broke out. I heard he had done a lot of fucked up things. He killed the queen, and 80% of the capital citizens and 70% of the army. The king demanded that all remaining forces go find him. I was among the ranks that survived."

"Holy shit, how did he manage to do it?"

"His fist, he was a monster of a man who can take rifle shots to the head and survive, stab wounds from swords, explosives shrapnel and acid like it was rain. The man is a freak of science, the ace was always interested in pushing the boundaries of humanity. Didn't think it would backfire on all of us. Fucking bastard." He grunted under his breath, gripping the napkin tightly in his hand.

"You ran away because he ordered you to find Darius and bring him back or kill him. That's pretty rough." Jade said pulling herself away from the table.

"You have no idea what it is like to lose your family, you friends, coworkers and brothers in arms. Like a flash of lightning, one second it's there and the next, gone." Jackson said as he raised the napkin to his face as he cleaned off the slight tear in his eye.

"No, I think we do have an idea." Scarlet said as Jade turned around and walked off.

"I'm sorry for you Jackson." Dice said pushing himself up from the table.

"Thank you, I'm glad to know that there are still kind people willing to listen to others." Jackson said pushing himself up, he was wobbly and exhausted from the fight but the food was finally starting to settle for him.

"Jade help him, he looks pretty tired." Dice said turning back to the bar to pick up his drink from before. "Don't you think you had enough dice?" Scarlet said helping Jade hold onto Jackson.

"Don't worry about me, Jackson go ahead and let these girls guide you back to a guest room. You can sleep all of this off." Dice said as he faced the bar taking the last of his drink and downing it with a slam of the glass on the counter.

"Thank you dice, I really appreciate your hospitality." Jackson said with a slur, as the girls walked him out.

"No no, it was a pleasure." Dice said softly as he listened to the door close, he looked over his shoulder to see the door shut before looking into a mirror that sat between the bar counter top and the top shelf of drinks. Dice stared at himself intently as he watched part of his face start to morph and take shape. His body becoming bulkier as he shut his eyes and took a breath and finally opened them again to see Jackson in the reflection. Dice spoke out loud to himself as his voice slowly changed to the tone the proper tone. "Jackson is going to be staying with Bolt, Psycho is dealing with something. Jade and scarlet are helping Jackson, I guess I have to go deal with my manager."

Jade and scarlet look at each other as they help Jackson down the hall and down to the more baron hall that psycho has gone. Jackson already more than half asleep.

"This way Jackson." Scarlet said before he finally gave out, Jade and scarlet now dragging his feet along. "You got this Jade?" Scarlet said looking over at her.

"Yeah I got it." She said taking Jackson and placing him over her shoulder like a sack of flour. She wasn't even fazed by his size or weight as she moved down the hall.

"Good thinking on asking him about the other ace, we got some useful information but still we need more before we send him off to the underground." Scarlet said scribbling down notes. "Think that's why they wanted him? Because he defected?"

"Most likely, Ace Dante isn't a fan of un-loyal soldier." Scarlet said looking through her notes. "What about this other guy? Darius? What does the ace want with him. I understand it's for mass murder but why does he care? Not like he doesn't cause mass genocide on the daily with him being at the dead center of a freak show land of elemental controlling weirdos who worship gods that calm to live there at one point."

"Well we have our gods to worship. If it brings us abilities to control what we want thank I'm sure we would do it more often. And your right about him Dante he maybe a tyrant but what gave him such interest in Darius?"

"He killed his queen and a good portion of his populous, think he wants revenge?" Jade said looking up to see the corner that leads to the stairs as they both turn into the hallway.

"They really should fix the light here." Scarlet said flipping the switch to no avail. "I got it." Jade said flipping the switch as the light shoots on before bursting the bulb.

"Damn it, I wanted the light on not broken." Scarlet said, raising a hand to her face.

"Well now we know it's not a bulb issues it's a wiring issue, put that down in the notes to tell bolt to come look at it later." Jade said moving down the hall lighting a finger on fire with a snap to light the stairs to walk down.

"Yeah Yeah," Scarlet said as she wrote it down. Jade moved down and swung open the metal door of the hall with a clang as they walk in. The sound of growling could be heard as they see psycho standing by a large cage that looked like massive pit in the center down several feet.

"Feeding the dogs?"
Jade said.

"Someone snuck into the high roller, he was a drunk who lost all of his ranks and chips. I spoke to one of the bartenders who gave me a description. Had to put him in place for not calling security from the start. Now the dogs are going to be full for the most part." Psycho said looking down at the sight of several hungry dogs gnawing and ripping away at meat from the drunks body. The blood filling the already salty air with an even thicker layer of iron to it.

"You don't get sick of watching this sort of thing uncle?" Scarlet said slightly sickened by the sight of the rabid dogs pulling in the corpse.

"I'm well passed the point of being sick of it, but I have to watch to make sure they don't get back up." Psychos said spitting aside in disgust.

"Right." Scarlet said as she turned away.