Everyone except Levi yelled in surprise when Invictus, puppeteering Ace’s body, appeared on his yacht.
Julia and Annie were there, visiting Mary Jane, none happy to see Invictus whom they believed was Ace. Invictus was the world’s worst actor, and their disdain of Ace, believing him to be an idiot made his horrible acting passable.
They were all on the deck, and Levi purposefully invited him over to rub it in Mary Jane’s face that he didn’t care anymore. She was hurt, even more, hurt that the man whose life was saved twice by her mother would betray her.
Everyone was in their swimwear, and Levi was nursing another coffee, unable and unwilling to sleep, the stress of more information making his life one long, sick joke. The women had looks of disgust on their faces when Invictus waved hello.
“ Good morning! ”
Only Levi replied, and Invictus repeated it again, thinking they didn’t hear him, and the women continued the silent treatment, hoping he would get the message.
“Are you hard of hearing, ” Invictus asked innocently.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Mary Jane shouted.
“ That’s not very nice to say. Friends don’t talk to each other like that.”
“We are not your friends,” Annie replied.
“ Time to leave then, ” Invictus said.
His eyes turned black, and the women got up as well, ready to fight, and Levi set his mug down on the table, trying to stop a fight before someone became dangerously hurt. He stood between them, trying to get them to back away, but they were relentless, screaming and shouting at him.
“ It’s hard to talk with all these people here. ”
Invictus blinked behind Julia and Annie, put his hands on their shoulders, and they were whisked away, yet Invictus was still there. Mary Jane backed up, and tripped, grabbing onto Levi and hiding behind him.
“How did you make them leave without leaving with them,” Levi asked.
“ It’s not hard! Ace is just very bad at using his ability, ” Invictus replied.
The sound of what was left of Levi’s sanity breaking could be heard, quietly crumbling, soft like glass, that this was not Ace.
“You’re the imposter,” Levi said.
“ No! I’m Ace, and we’re special friends, ” Invictus said.
Mary Jane bared her teeth at the declaration, and then turned, once Julia and Annie returned, not taken away very far.
“ I can’t send you far, you have to stay in the corners I put you in, ” Invictus shrieked.
“What the heck is going on,” Julia asked.
“That’s not Ace,” Mary Jane said. “It’s the guy that’s been burning down the town!”
“I’ll take care of him,” Levi shouted.
He ran towards Invictus, his body covered in electricity, but once he got close, it fizzled out, and he was all out of juice.
“We don’t want to fight him. We like him,” Tair and Trom replied.
“ I like you too!”
Levi swore under his breath, now absolutely useless, and Invictus knew it.
He could smell it.
“ You’re weak! I can tell because I get stronger the weaker others around me are,” Invictus declared. “ It’s okay though because I’ll protect you!”
Invictus grabbed Levi, and Mary Jane ran, but it was too late, they had disappeared, and the women were baffled, wondering why the imposter would want Levi, why he had the same ability as Ace.
“He stole your husband physically this time, ohmigod,” Julia said.
“That is not Ace,” Mary Jane replied.
“He looks like him. All those Ionadians look and sound the same, with their gross ears and deep voices,” Annie said.
“Yeah,” Julia nodded. “I didn’t know he was one of them until he cut his hair. No wonder he killed everyone!”
Mary Jane was hearing the same words Peter Forthright used, now out of her best friends, and was conflicted, because they supported her. Showering her with love, giving her hugs, they told her that Levi was a traitor and that she could do so much better.
She was nervous to say anything because then she was afraid they would turn on her next.
“I heard they eat people,” Julia said.
“It’s true. I saw it online,” Annie replied. “They’re like vampires, but super tall, drinking blood and covering their faces in it!”
“Guys...let’s stop,” Mary Jane said. “You don’t really believe any of this stuff, do you?”
They both nodded and said yes, don’t you?
“Ace is immature and a homewrecker. That’s proof right there that none of them can be trusted, ” Annie said.
“He dated a witch that ate people too! Ionadians eat people! It all makes sense,” Julia shouted.
“That doesn’t matter! What matters is finding Levi,” Mary Jane replied.
They had no idea where to look for him, and wouldn’t find him, as Levi was on the other side of town, held hostage in Fenton’s small apartment, now humid with the broken window and the AC blaring, straining against the heat.
Levi sat on Fenton’s bed, smoking, not worried he would die, because Invictus already revealed his true identity, and now Levi was simply frustrated and worried. Invictus was extremely friendly, trying to start many conversations, and Levi tried to use the moment to his advantage.
He used a plastic green bowl from the kitchen as an ashtray, and smiled his half-smirk; his manipulation tactics would work quite well on the emotionally stunted man-child.
“Hey, Invictus, you like me, right,” Levi asked.
“Oh yes!”
He bounded over, still in Ace’s body, and sat too close to Levi, pushing his face towards his, and Levi told him that Ace wanted to take things slow.
“Oh, that’s a lie! Ace knows that you’re nervous about sex and lied to help you save face,” Invictus said with a smile.
Levi’s ears burned, annoyed that every single sentence he said had a happy voice, no matter what the words were. As the conversation went on, Invictus started to sound sarcastic instead of cheerful or polite.
“What else is he lying to me about,” Levi asked.
“I don’t think I should tell you that. Friends keep secrets.”
Levi held his hand and whispered in his ear that they were special friends, and for Invictus, this was the equivalent of getting to third base and he became more than willing to tell Levi everything and anything, stumbling over his words because they couldn’t get out fast enough.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Ace had very few secrets, but Levi The Liar assumed everyone did because he had many.
“Do I look like Ace’s ex?”
Invictus was naive, but not stupid.
“ Nope, ” Invictus lied.
Levi was very pleased with this answer, the worry in the back of his mind gone that he was another replacement. Next came another question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to.
“Is he hiding something important from me,” Levi asked. “He keeps avoiding me lately.”
“He doesn’t want to tell you people are coming to kill everyone because everyone thinks he’s silly! That’s not true though, I believe him!”
“ What?”
Levi listened to everything that Ace went through in prison, smoking through another cigarette, and Invictus kept talking, non-stop, and sometimes had to slow down, so excited that someone wanted to get to know him!
The Empire was going to attempt another invasion on Paradis, and Kalei had told Levi the night before that she came to find the celestial objects. If the Empire acquired even more of them, it would be impossible to stop them.
Invictus continued to talk, veering off-topic, now discussing his favorite day of the week and why there should be three more when Levi interrupted him and made a phone call.
Maximillian did not pick up.
Levi knew he wouldn’t. He had acquired a new habit, having people call him, refusing to answer, then calling them back, making them answer the phone instead.
“You always call me when you want something. What is it now,” Maximillian asked.
Maximillian groaned as he was given the news, that somehow, someway, his son knew that Atlaan might not exist within a few days.
“Levi, stop trying to get attention, you’re too old for this,” Maximillian said.
“Dad! You never listened to me about that fucking witch—”
“—don’t curse.”
“—and everyone died! They all died!”
“Your infatuation with that Ionadian has warped your mind. Now you’re obsessed with all of them,” Maximillian said.
Levi said nothing, and Maximillian chuckled, because he knew, he had long known but did not care thinking that he would eventually get his prize, as Levi had promised him long ago.
“ I need you to give me a baby, ” Maximillian said. “We have been over this, so many times. Why are you so willful? ”
“She doesn’t want one.”
“Convince her!”
“Why does it have to be her and me,” Levi shouted.
“ To keep the blood pure. Do it or else I’ll wipe your breathing masturbation sock’s mind, making him unable to even feed himself. ”
Levi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ended the call. He laid down on the bed, and Invictus laid next to him, telling him, it’s okay, I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.
“I want Ace.”
“Why? Aren’t I enough? Can’t we be special friends too?”
“I need some space,” Levi grumbled.
Invictus sighed, closed his eyes, and laid still. Thinking he fell asleep or was ignoring him, Levi tapped his shoulder, and Ace awoke with a start, screaming and gripping the bed.
Levi was frozen, and Ace saw him, saw the broken window, a missing Fenton, and knew that something happened, but he wasn’t sure what. They said nothing, because they didn’t know what to say to each other, and they laid together, spooning each other until Fenton returned, and they remembered it was not their house.
He knocked on the door, missing his keys because he left the house in only his boxers and a t-shirt. Ace opened the door, and Fenton was happy to have him back and upset that Levi was in his home.
Fenton was holding The Rock and it had a large crack in it, having dropped from a few floors above, and he had spent a very long time searching the bushes behind his building to find it, its soft little dings weak because it was in pain.
“Hey, don’t take this the wrong way Levi, but uh, get out of my house, ” Fenton said.
“Sure. Let’s go, Ace.”
Fenton stood in the doorway, refusing to move, believing he was the last line of defense in more very bad decisions his friend would make, and Levi accused Fenton of secretly being into him.
Ace and Fenton laughed because it was not the first time someone had insinuated it, and Levi pouted, expecting Ace to take his side.
“That would be like fucking one of my sisters,” Fenton said monotonously. “ You’re the one that’s jealous. ”
“I don’t want you hanging around him anymore,” Levi said.
Ace looked at the floor and took Levi’s hand, and Fenton scoffed because it was all repeating again, and Ace was too thick to notice.
“We’ve been friends for twelve years! He stays over at my place all the time!”
“Exactly. I trust him, not you, ” Levi replied.
Fenton gave Ace a look and was at his wit's end. He would not sit by and witness another relationship that would hurt him and he was tired of being ignored, tired of always being the responsible one.
“Ace, if you leave with him, we aren’t friends anymore. I can’t watch you hurt yourself anymore. It’s too much. ”
Fenton sniffled, holding back tears, and Levi accused him of being manipulative, such a good actor as well.
Invictus whispered in Ace’s ear that Fenton was a horrible friend anyway, never supporting his relationships, always being no fun. He said that they could always make new friends, friends that would always say yes, always would be there for him.
“ I’ll be there for you no matter what. You can trust me,” Invictus said.
The Rock started to make little dings again, warning Ace of danger, and Invictus decided it was time to help Ace because he was too indecisive. He took control of Ace’s hands and feet and tried to grab The Rock out of Fenton’s hands.
“Ace, what are you doing,” Fenton shouted.
“I’m not doing this!”
Levi grabbed onto Ace, and they tried to pry him away from The Rock which dinged even louder, frantically, repeating SOS, but no help would ever come. Invictus was much stronger than the two of them combined, and he stole The Rock out of Fenton’s hands, but Levi wouldn’t let go.
“Stop it or else,” Levi shouted.
“ Or what? Don’t you want to be special friends, ” Invictus asked.
Levi knew his creepy guardian angel had returned, and again played his game.
“I only want you,” Levi said.
Invictus smiled, and he mumbled something to himself, scanning through Ace’s memories.
“ You said the same thing when Ace tried leaving you. ”
“That’s messed up,” Fenton said.
Invictus kicked Levi off, brought The Rock up over his head, and smacked it down, right over his head, cracking his skull wide open, breaking The Rock as well.
“You’re a born liar, Levi,” Invictus shrieked.
Fenton clutched his shirt and screamed, over and over, loud and quick screams, feeling like he had witnessed two murders instead of one when The Rock cracked open, confused and terrified as to why.
“ You’re next Fenton. We’re not best friends anymore.” .