Chapter 5.5: If You Leave Me, I'll Kill You

 "The blood," she shuddered. "I can't watch."

The others heard them and got nervous. They watched in anticipation for something to happen. Simply, Invictus just shrunk. He shrunk and shrunk until he was Ace's size, and his hair returned to its original red.

  His brown eyes turned blue and his skin became lighter. Ace stood, surrounded by a broken wall with a gaping hole, shattered glass, a dead man, and his team members. He was sweaty and exhausted, feeling like he was about to collapse.

   "I'm so hungry," Ace mumbled. "I want some meat.. Burger or something."

"Nothing happened," Rikka said in disbelief. "No blood?"

Amy gripped Mark's arm in fear and Mark glared at Ace with suspicion. "How long have you been able to do that," Mark asked.

  I should just lie, Ace thought. I think the truth is more trouble than lying.

"I...must have a second ability I never knew about," Ace replied. He laughed nervously, and it was obvious no one believed him.

"Only like one in ten million have a second ability," Amy spat. "You're lying!"

  "I don't think he's lying," Casey whispered. Casey was a quiet man, and rarely spoke. When he did, everyone seemed to listen. He was the few of them that rarely fought with the others, and they all respected him.

He passed his verdict over Ace, and everyone started to believe his lie.

  Levi watched as Ace stumbled past them and into the ballroom. He walked over to find Candice, but her body was nowhere to be found.

This is why dad wanted me to follow him, Levi thought. I thought he didn't even remember anything.

"Where is she," Ace screamed. "What did they do to her!?"

   "She left," Fenton groaned. He was wheezing, sitting on the floor, still trying to keep the window from cracking. "Ace, I don't think I'm gonna make it," he wheezed.

  Ace was too preoccupied with wanting to find the dead body of the woman who simply wanted to consume his very soul, instead of the living and breathing person that almost died to save his life.

  "Fenton, there is no way she got up and left," Ace shouted.

"I'm not lying", he wailed. "Why don't you ever believe me about her? She went up the stage!"

  Ace climbed up onto the stage and searched the back. There he found Candice alive and breathing. She was grunting, moving all her bones back into place, shuddering with every placement.

"Candice," Ace whispered. She looked up from the floor and smiled.

"Hey sweetie," she mumbled. He's going to ask questions, isn't he, Candice thought. I'm screwed. I should just kill them all now.

   He didn't ask anything. Instead Ace sat on the floor next to her and took her in his arms. Candice was surprised by the sudden act of intimacy and blushed. "I was so afraid," Ace mumbled. "You never listen to me Candice."

"I, I'm sorry," she stammered.

  Ace took his time, inspecting her and she shivered in disgust. "What are you doing," she shrieked.

   "I'm making sure you're fine," he exclaimed. "I thought you died!" Candice sat still as he checked every part of her, making sure that she was real, that it wasn't a trick. Once satisfied, he smiled and held her close once more. Candice was flustered.

  He kissed her forehead and played with hair, telling her that he wanted to always be with her, and many other things. Candice gripped his shirt and just sighed. She leaned into him and felt something strange. Something different. "You've changed," she mumbled. "You're different now."

She looked up at him, and draped her arms around his shoulders.

"Don't ever leave me again," she mumbled.

  They kissed, and Ace held her by the waist. They gave each other sloppy wet kisses, and refused to stop, not caring if it was entirely inappropriate, or if there were more important things. They had both nearly died, and Ace wanted to spend every moment touching her as much as possible.

  She moaned as he kissed her neck and she relaxed, wanting more. Ace got on top of her and stuck his hands up her shirt. She grinned and grabbed his crotch, rubbing him through his pants.

"Let's go again," she whispered. "I want more."

  She would not get more as Levi found them in the back, kissing and groping each other. Levi stared at them like a dead fish and Ace turned red. Candice glared at him, upset that she was denied her moment of pleasure. Ace quickly got off of her and looked away, pretending as if he wasn't just rubbing her nipples like a radio dial.

"Get lost," she barked.

  "The… the reinforcements are here," Levi mumbled. "The escaped passengers called for help." Levi stared at Ace who was erect and his eyes went wide. Ace saw him staring and covered it with his hands. "Thanks for the information," Candice sneered.

  "Why are you alive," Levi whispered. "We saw you die. You died."

"I control the dead," Candice explained in a mocking tone. "I can't die. That's impossible." Ace nodded vigourously, believing whatever lies that came out of her mouth. Unlike everyone else, he didn't need to die first for her to control his body and mind.

  Levi wagged his finger, tapped his foot, and had a look of exasperation on his face, upset that they were both trying to play off that she had died and returned. "That, that does not sound right," he concluded. "There is something else going on here."

  "You're just jealous," Candice snarled.

"I do not want you," Levi said, stretching his words out, as if she could not understand him. "I already told him this."

"Oh I know that," she cooed. "I've seen the way you look at Ace." Levi made a strange noise and closed his eyes. His ears burned and he promptly just walked away, no longer wanting to be harassed.

  "Stop it, Candice," Ace grumbled. "It's not like that."

"You're too nice," she sneered. They got up from the ground and she took his hand, squezzing is gently, happy that her prized possesion was still alive, and now ready for her to finally kill.

"If you leave me for him I'm killing both of you," she said.

She was serious.

She would do it, and was planning the various ways to do so in that very moment.

  Ace thought she was joking and laughed, and she laughed along with him. Ace thought it was funny that she thought he would leave her for Levi, of all people. Candice thought it was funny that he thought he could leave her at all.

"I would rather eat my own fist first," Ace snickered.

  They exited the stage and reinforcements were in the ballroom. Someone else had come to take Fenton's place, sealing the crack in the window and he was finally released from his torture. The paramedics clapped as he stumbled to stand, complimenting him for his bravery, saving everyone on board. The clapping just hurt his head, as it pounded like a drum.

They helped him get medical attention, and everyone on Team 57 turned to look at Candice.

"She died," Ryle shouted. "We all saw it!"

"She can't die," Santos explained. "Roaches are stronger than they look."

Everyone snickered.

"I will kill you," Candice said coolly. "Not today but eventually."

She meant it, and again started planning which one of them to kill first.

   "No one is killing anyone for the rest of the day," Levi shouted. "Thats enough! No more!"

Candice genuinely looked disapointed upon hearing the edict of King Levi, King of the Vapid, Rich Idiots.

  He stomped off to find Rikka. She was with David, and she held his hand as they put him on a stretcher. He couldn't run away, and had to suffer the assault that they all went through.

  His other leg was broken when Clarence lifted them up into the air, and they all came crashing down. He was lucky to be alive, and smiled as Rikka stood next to him, barking at the paramedics to give him the best care, or else.

   "Be nice," he mumbled. "They're doing their best." Rikka pouted and followed them, off to make sure. She wanted the best for him. Levi went off with them, worried about what his cousin would do next.

  Gabriel looked at Santos quite differently. Santos noticed that ever since he sprouted wings, Gabriel was quiet. "You need something," Santos grunted.

"Yes," Gabriel hissed. "How did you do this?" He gestured at his entire body wildly, as if it was some kind of mess that needed to be cleaned.

Santos rolled his eyes. Here we go again, he thought. I should just lie to get him off my ass or else he'll never leave me alone.

"I was born like this," Santos said.

  Gabriel didn't believe him. He didn't trust him. Just like Billy his faith gave him insight. He knew inside his bones and the core of tiny little soul that there were two monsters walking amongst them, and he wanted to know what he was.

  "In all the time I've seen you around campus, I've never seen you do this," he grumbled.

"Didn't need to," Santos barked.

"You're hiding something," Gabriel hissed. "No sinner like you can be a servant of the Lord."

Santos laughed. "I'm not," he chuckled. His face suddenly went serious and his voice deadpan. "So drop it." Gabriel glared at him, considering what he should do to him.

   Should I use my powers to burn a hole into his head, he considered. Would this mortal sin be worth it save all their souls?

Gabriel sighed and simply left with everyone else, happy to have the entire ordeal over with.

  He felt something weird and he looked back. Candice was glaring at him. Instead what he saw was a grotesque monster. He shuddered and suddenly she reappeared, back to her regular self.

  "What's wrong," Harmonia asked.

  "N-nothing," Gabriel stammered. "N-nothing's wrong." Gabriel kept his eyes front, no matter how hard he felt someone was watching him.

Candice watched him, deciding he would be her next victim.