On December 12th Ace got a surprise visit at his house. He had not spoken to anyone in about two weeks. He told Fenton that he didn’t want to speak to him anymore, and Fenton was worried that Ace was in a dangerous place because he was shutting everyone out of his life.

They got into a heated argument, and Ace purposefully said the most horrible things he could think of to get Fenton to leave him alone. It sadly worked, and Fenton never called him again. Yue-Liang was not surprised and knew that he was just saying those things to push him away. She told her son that she did the same thing to her friends when her husband had left, and pushed Fenton to keep trying.

Fenton did, but Ace never picked up the phone. Fenton had a key to his house, but he didn't want to come in unannounced. He knew that if he did it would just be another fight. Instead, he called their old friend to go check on them and hoped that Ace was still okay.

Ace had just finished digging a hole in the backyard, next to his old treehouse, and dropped the watch inside. He never wanted to see it again, and he hoped that no one would ever find it.

After mocking it, and enjoying its muffled screams as he buried it in the ground, Ace got washed up and wore only red boxers and a plain shirt. Invictus was again quite chatty now that the rude watch was gone, but Ace was bored having only one person for conversation.

The doorbell rang and Ace was so surprised he accidentally teleported three feet to the left, onto the floor. Invictus laughed and Ace groaned, wondering who could be bothering him. He just wanted to be alone.

He quickly blinked upstairs and put on shorts, and after the second ring, he answered the door.

It was his old friend Oberon.

“H-hey, Ronnie,” Ace stammered.

Ace wasn't expecting visitors, especially someone he rarely called.

"Is it ok if I come inside," Ronnie asked.

Ace nodded, happy about the conversation but nervous. It had been a long time since he had seen Ronnie. He was much taller, had a few piercings, and was much larger as well. He had brown eyes and black hair and wore a large brown coat to shield him from the cold weather.

Ronnie brought food, and Ace started to salivate at the familiar smell.

“Is that your mom’s pumpkin pie,” Ace asked quietly.

"Yeah, it is," Ronnie grinned. "She made it when she heard you came back."

Ace was no longer nervous about the offer of food. He was still a terrible cook and was confined to frozen dinners and burnt spaghetti.

The pie was still warm, and Ace was excited. Ronnie was relieved to see that Ace was okay. Over the phone, Fenton sounded like he was about to hurt himself, or worse, but Ace seemed fine. On the outside he was fine.

He had begun to take regular showers again, and it was easier for him to eat since he could just put his frozen dinners in the microwave.

“I’m glad you're okay,” Ronnie sighed. “I’ve been worried about you. You never pick up your phone.”

Ace felt guilty. He had changed his phone number and didn't want to speak to anyone ever again.

"I just needed to be alone."

“I don’t think that's what anyone needs,” Ronnie replied.

Ace rolled his eyes and continued with the pie. Ronnie knew the easiest way to his heart was through his stomach, and took the entire pie away from Ace, leaving him with the only slice he took out.

“That’s mine,” Ace mumbled through his chews.

"You can get the rest if you agree to talk and not stuff your face," Ronnie said. "That's my only demand."

Ace chewed faster, trying to think of different ways to steal the pie. It tasted even better than ever, after weeks of cold-in-the-middle food. Ace swallowed and finally had something to say.

“I’m not talking about it,” he replied. “You can’t make me.”

“Fine.”

Without the food in his mouth, Ace was again nervous. He was nervous because he was alone with a man and was still paranoid. He was nervous because he was alone with Ronnie and didn’t want to be weak.

“Can we talk about something else,” Ace asked.

“Sure,” Ronnie exclaimed. “Let’s talk about anything!”

He was simply happy that Ace was talking at all. He returned the rest of the pie, and Ace continued to engorge himself.

“How long will you be here,” Ronnie asked.

“Until next year.” 

“You can’t go back to work already,” Ronnie groaned. “That’s just weird.”

Ace finished his 2nd slice and began to work on his third, the chewing now faster and louder.

“I’m not going back there.”

“ What, ” Ronnie exclaimed. “Why?”

“What do you mean why!?"

“It’s all you could ever talk about before and after you left! Didn’t you want to be a hero, or whatever?”

Ace sighed and chewed his pumpkin pie. Suddenly it didn't taste great. He forced himself to swallow it, as the taste had become too strong in his mouth on the 3rd slice.

"I just wanna be a good person," Ace mumbled. "I finished training anyway. Afterward, we can decide whether to leave or stay. They let us all pass after… you know…"

The conversation had become tense, and Ronnie tried to change the subject to get him to keep talking.

“Do you want to hang out,” Ronnie asked. “You must be bored inside all day.”

Ace wanted nothing more than to be with someone else, but he was still irrational and confused.

“I don’t know,” Ace said. “I feel weird around people now.”

Ronnie didn't understand why he would feel weird around people, as Ace was usually making bad jokes or never taking anything seriously. But now his entire demeanor was different.

“You don’t have to be around lots of people,” Ronnie said. “You can come to my house and visit, and you can also go to my mom’s and say hi.”

"You have your own place!?"

Yeah, I do," Ronnie boasted. "After high school, I got a job in construction!"

He flexed his arms and pointed at his biceps. He pretended to be a bodybuilder and got a laugh out of Ace. Ronnie was pleased with himself and knew he could come to visit again.

“It pays pretty great and I got a small apartment.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Ace replied. “But I don’t think it's that great living alone.”

"Yeah, it sucks," Ronnie complained. "I almost died the other day!"

“ What!?”

Ace slams his fist on the table, and leans in, wanting to learn more. The careful and strong Ronnie almost died at home. Was it a burglar? Some kind of poisonous snake?

“Don’t laugh,” Ronnie warned him.

Ace grinned and prepared himself for another of Ronnie’s stories.

“I went to that pizza place near the Chinese buffet,” Ronnie explained. “The one with the good wings!”

“And,” Ace pressed on.

“When I went home to eat them I almost choked and died on one.”

Ace laughed at him and Ronnie was upset. Ace continued, wheezing, his pale face red from it all.

“Who, who dies from chicken, ” Ace screams.

“I said not to laugh!"

“I never said I wouldn’t.” 

“It was horrible! I almost died and no one would have known because I live alone. ”

This just made Ace laugh harder, but Ronnie was quite serious about how he had almost met his death a few days prior. He cut out a giant piece of the pie in retaliation and Ace complained.

“You can’t eat four slices,” Ronnie said.

“It’s for later,” Ace grumbled.

Ronnie promptly licked his giant slice and stuck his tongue out. Ace was surprised that his tongue was pierced as well.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Ace hissed. “I’ve already kissed you, spit is nothing!”

Suddenly the mood was no longer playful but awkward.

“I mean, yeah, I guess,” Ronnie mumbled.

Ace said nothing and tried to think of what to say but he couldn’t. Ronnie looked expectantly at Ace, and Ace did not want him there anymore.

“I’m tired,” Ace said. “We, we can talk later.”

“R-really?”

“I mean, if you want,” Ace replied.

Ronnie was more than happy to get his new phone number and left. Ace was relieved once he was gone but then was soon lonely after a few minutes.

He hated that he missed him, and also hated that he didn’t want him there.