Continuation of Their Father’s Crimes and My Name is A̷c̷e̷ Alex

Trigger warning: mentioned removal of an eye

Ace had been wondering when their father would do something to them. He knew, after all, that his beloved ‘daughter’ was fighting him, and definitely knew that they were still using their ‘ridiculous attention-seeking’ pronouns.

And as if that wasn’t enough, then they were openly attending gatherings of those who were fighting back in the waking world.

This…

Zero’s scars were inflicted by someone he knew, they were well aware of that. He was nervous about telling anyone about how he got them, nervous about talking to the older teens in general. Aislinn also claimed that he was homeschooled, so that left few questions to really be answered.

Ace knew their own home life was hardly brilliant, especially considering their father’s quick ascension to supervillain status, but up until this point it was a small comfort to think that they knew someone who was worse off. As horrible as the thought was, it was hard to help someone who didn’t seem to talk about himself enough to confirm anything.

They didn’t even know his real name.

But here they were, feeling very real blood trickle down the side of their face and trying to squint at their father through their left eye rather than using their right side to do so.

“I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me!” he snapped, holding up the eye he’d just tore from its socket. Blood dripped onto the floor, though Ace wasn’t looking at it.

“Yep, you definitely told me about this.”

“Access to the brain is all I need, Alexandra.”

Oh.

Oh no.

With only one real option, they flung themselves forwards, dodging away from their father’s grasp and sprinting for the still-open door. A shout in some language they didn’t know seemed to echo through the whole building, followed by screams and cries for help from other locked rooms down the corridor.

Ace didn’t have a choice. Dreamers and vilimora alike were likely being tortured behind those doors, but alone they were useless. It was Aislinn, Liadain, Isolde, even Zero, who could do incredible things. Their contribution to whatever their little freedom movement was just information and an odd benefit of being friends with Liadain.

“Ace!”

There was Zero.

His eyes widened as he took in the blood staining their cheek and the distinct lack of an eye, raising a hand as though in a trance to cover the scars on his right cheek. “What in the ever loving…”

“Don’t!”