In Another Life [Ace X Reader ]

part one

I kicked the large man as he tried to pick me up and carry me off, "Let me go! Let me go, old man!" I screamed loudly as I tried to pull away. The burly criminal didn't budge, only tightened his grip on me.

"I'm sure a sweet girl like you will fetch a pretty penny on the slave market," he grinned slyly. Panic continued to settle in as I squirmed for freedom. A light tinge of pain swept across my face every time my red hair hit it. I was trying desperately to escape. "Stop squirming so much i'll lose my grip!" He yelled, tightening his hand around my small arm.

"Let me go!" I cried out loudly. I could barely force back the sobs that wanted to spill out.

Suddenly, he stopped walking at the sound of metal hitting something, "you little-" his sentence ended abruptly as the metal made contact with his large head. I quickly ghasped as the burly man began falling to the ground, his arm lay on top of me nearly crushing me.

I slowly opened my eyes, now having a pounding headache from the landing. The sun blinded me as I stared at a boy who couldn't have been much older than me. A wide smile was plastered on his freckled face, and his hand was outstretched, offering me help up.

"Why did you save me?" I questioned, rubbing the dirt from my white dress and taking his hand firmly in mine.

"I'm Ace! Who are you?" He questioned curiously with his brow raised. He had ignored my question.

I quickly gave the kid mysterious boy—who i now knew as Ace—my name, "i-its
(y/n)!" My voice was loud as I spoke up to him.

"There he is! Theirs a girl with him, grab her too!" A random man called out causing me to look up at the kid—Ace—with my eyes wide open, "w-" I couldn't even get a word out as he cut me off, tugging me behind him as he ran quickly towards the forest. There was a large bag clutched tightly in his other hand.

He pulled me along until we were deep in the woods. "Sorry about that!" The boy apologized half-heartedly, "I didn't mean to be seen!" He rubbed the back of his neck shyly.

I looked up at him, still stunned by everything that just happened, "why did you save me?" Tears brimmed my eyes. I was thankful to Ace for saving me for whatever reason. No one had ever done something like that for me before. I always had to get myself out of sticky situations.

"What kind of man would I be to leave a lady in danger!" He smiled before running off deeper into the thick forest. "H-hey wait! What about me!" I reached towards him before I began running in the direction he went.

I ran for hours before I came to a big tree,  rain had begun to pour down, leaving the tree as my only protection. I shivered as I tried to get warm. It was to no avail. The cold seemed to run straight through my bones.

I curled up into a small ball to keep myself from freezing or catching a cold until I slowly drifted off.

~~~~

"I don't know! I left her behind so she wouldn't follow me!" A voice whispered.

I woke up to the sound of voices. I quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes before yawning. "Who are you?" I didn't recognize the boy from before or the other one who wore a top hat. "How did you find this place!" His tone was worried and angry with me.

"I-i uh," I tried to answer, but I was too scared. "Ace! You're scaring her!" The blond one smacked him upside the head with his hand, "give her time to answer." He scolded harshly.

"I tried to follow you, but I got lost..." I admitted with a small blush from embarrassment on my cheeks. "Why did you follow me?" He questioned with a strange tone.

"Because you saved me!" I said loudly with a wide smile on my face. "Well, get lost. I'm only saving you once." He crossed his arms. His act had changed completely.

"Civilization is that way—" he pointed to his left while the blond watched curiously. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen next.

"No."

His head snapped back towards me, "No?" He questioned, making sure he heard me correctly. "No! You put me in danger, and if I go back, they will surely kill me! They will torture me until I tell them where your hideout is!" I tried to convince them to let me stick around.

"She's right, Ace. We have to get rid of her." The blond said as he looked at me with a hint of fear in his blue eyes.

"Eh?!?" I yelled, trying to run away only to have ace pin me down on the ground, "kill her, Sabo!" He told his friend. "You kill her!" He shot back, trying to get out of it. "It was your idea!" He spat back hurriedly.

I managed to free myself and run for the woods only to have a bunch of angry monsters run me back towards the two boys I ran from.

"Grab her!" Ace yelled. The one called Sabo tackled me to the ground, pinning my arms behind my back. My dress was now dirtier and torn. "Shell tell them where we are!" Ace and the boy argued, giving me a chance to free myself and make a second run for it.

~~~

After hours of trudging around in the mud and rain, I came across a small abandoned cottage. Half the roof was caved, and in what was left of it looked like it would soon follow. The whole thing was run down and charred beyond repair. I recognized the place I was seeing, but I didn't know from where. It was so... familiar? I walked through the doorway. It was long gone, leaving only a hole as a reminder of what was once there.

In the one-room space sat a bed and a small kitchen, nothing looked like it would work. The bed was unmade, and the shelves that once hung lay on the black wood flooring.

I picked up a small shattered picture frame. You could hardly see it in the lighting. The right side was torn and burned while the left was unharmed and in good condition.

"What's with this?" I questioned out loud, furrowing my brows while looking at the man in the pictures. My finger gently wiped the ash from the image as I stared at it. Half the man's face was showing along with his bright red hair. My hand twirled my long red hair while I looked at the man.

"Who is he?"

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Sleep well! Don't forget your medications! Make sure you've had a glass of water and eaten!