I'll Take Spades (Draft)

Chapter XVII: Manchester

Outside the glass window there were trees that could spread for miles, lakes and streams with muddy banks, and for the first time, the world actually looked alive. We arrived at the station and about a quarter of the people on the train got off, I stayed close to Diana and Will, not wanting to get anywhere near Ace and James.

"Where are we exactly" Diana asked, tapping Ace on the shoulder, Ace pointed at a large sign that read. "Manchester" Diana nodded and kept walking, Will was one my right, next to James who still looked murderous. His left cheek was red from where Ace had hit him.

Ace was in front, leading us up the stairs to the fresh, cool air of England. I walked up the stairs feeling the cold air brush my face, it was cold but not too cold, it was peaceful in a way, other than the hundreds of people about, it was nice, I just hope that no one recognized us on the train, if anyone finds out I'm muddled up in all this, oh gosh, I'm dead!

We walked around for a while, walking through alleyways and across roads, we went through and alleyway beside a large white building, there were kids there, they looked about my age, they were smoking and laughing, Ace walked straight into one of the boys of the group, "Hey watch it!" He yelled, Ace took the Cigarette out of his hand and put in her own mouth, I watched as Will made a face at this but turned back to the rest, "What's this, some school trip" the boy said, looking around at the group, he looked back up at Ace approximately 0.3 seconds before her fist collided with his face.

He fell to the ground, his lip bleeding, James snickered behind me and I looked at him, he stopped instantly, "You got a key" Ace asked sharply, she was looking at the door on the opposite end of the alleyway, "No!" Another voice said, this was a tall, blonde girl, cigarette in hand, Ace took her gun out of her pocket and aimed it at the girl, "I said, do you have a key?" The girl backed up about three steps and hit the wall, tears sprung to her eyes as she fumbled around in her pocket, she pulled out a keychain with three silver keys attached to it, she dropped on the floor, Ace swooped for it, The girl took a few steps to her right, making sure she was out of Ace's aim before running off.

The third boy was shaking the first, he was still on the floor, "Troy!" "Troy!" He yelled "Get off of me!" The boy grunted, he looked up at Ace and scrambled to his feet, the two boys ran in the same direction as the girl, "Go home Troy!" Ace yelled laughing, she threw the keys in the air and caught them again.

"You coming?" She said to the rest of the group, I nodded and stepped forward, the rest of the group behind me. "Nothing like a little fear to make a paper man crumble" She said, I've heard that before, my dad said it once, when I was a kid. He almost drowned me in our garden pond because I smashed on of the windows playing football, "Nothing like a little fear to make a paper man crumble"

We kept walking through the black door one by one, entering what looked like a large, inn sort of place, there was a bar in front of us and stairs leading elsewhere, "Oi" a man's voice came from behind the bar, "we're closed!" "Sorry sorry" Ace protested, backing towards this door, "you don't happen to have a back door do you?" The man stared at her, "who's asking?" "No one!" Ace said innocently, "we just want to get through'' The man looked her up and down, "you look familiar, the innocent expression on Ace's face flickered for a moment but she didn't say a word, the man stayed silent, looking at the group one by one.

"Alright, go now before I change my mind" he snapped, edging towards a large wooden door next to the bar, he opened it and we all hurried out
We ended up on the other side of the alley, it was a strangely placed bar to be honest, probably just a hang out for dodgy people, we walked out of the alleyway and Diana scowled at Ace, "What?" Ace asked a sound of annoyance in her voice, "Ace!" Diana started, "You can't just attack everyone who gets in your way!"

"Why can't I!" Ace protested, "Because, in a few days maximum, the whole country will know you're out and all we need is kids all over Manchester.." "And Bedford!" James chimed in, "Shut it" Diana snapped, still rounding on Ace, "we don't need kids all over Manchester going to the police claiming to have been attacked!"

Ace frowned and looked at the floor, "not my problem" she mumbled, "what?" Diana snapped, looking at her, she lifted her head up, gave her a horrible, dangerous look and turned away, she carried on walking but no one followed, "Do you actually know where we're going?" Will asked from behind me.

"Of course she doesn't" Miles voice came, he pushed past me and went over to Ace, he had finally snapped, "Don't start with me King!" Ace said, cracking her knuckles threateningly, Miles laughed dangerously, "you know I find it funny that you think your so... what's the word? Threatening to me, just because youre a world known schizo, but you seem to forget while you were locked away in a mental asylum, getting... electrocuted" he touched the sleeve of Ace's hoodie, tugging it up slightly to reveal the bruises and scars, she jerked her arm away quickly, "I spent my sweet time in a little place called prison"

Ace's face was turning bright red, "you know you learn things in prison that you just don't get taught in the real world..." the smile had yet to leave his face as he continued, "things you just don't get in mental asylums..." "Oh yeah" Ace said loudly, "Like what" Miles smirked at her and looked away, "like how to fight someone double your size... and how to realized when what your being told is bullshit" he licked his lips, turning back to Ace, her face was bright red with anger at this point, making her pearly white hair stand out.

Miles stared at her before laughing again, "Jesus Christ!" He said, a tone of disbelief in his voice, "you don't know?"  He turned to the rest of the group "she doesn't know" "Doesn't know that in prison, you can tell if you're just on so wild goose chase, what's there" "where are we going Ace?" "What's waiting for us there?" Ace stayed silent, James stepped forward but Will caught his shoulder.

"Nothing, like I suspected" "you know Ace, maybe you can just turn yourself in now, make the whole thing a lot... quicker-" at this word he threw a tremendous punch at Ace, she ducked just in time and smashed into him, "Hey!" James yelled running towards the two, they were on the floor now, Ace punching Miles's face as he laughed hysterically, James tried to pull her off him but failed to do so, I stood there in shock as Miles laughed, it was terrifying to watch, blood spouting from his mouth and nose but still he didn't even resist, "alright" he grunted, "that's enough sweetheart" he grabbed by the wrists and straight up threw her off of him. Diana, Will and James were all trying to separate the two but even together they struggled, Ace and Miles were stronger than they were.

Ace went at Miles like she had nothing to lose and Miles laughed out loud before hitting her in the face with his elbow as James tried to grab him by the wrist, Ace fell to the ground, blood streamed down her face as she stood up, I watched as she ran her fingers through her hair murderously, her white tips stained with both blood and dirt, she ran towards Miles for a third time but was stopped by James, he swung his arm round her and tried to restrain her but she slammed her head into his face, causing him to release her, that's when James snapped.

He swung his arm in front of Ace causing her to slip on the rain splashed floor, her head smashed into the ground as she fell, I ran to make sure she was ok, but before I could reach anyone I was hit hard in the chest by Miles's fist, sending me flying, I hit the ground with a thud, all the breath leaving my body.

I watched as Ace was brought into a headlock by James and Will was next to Miles, watching him, he didn't move, Diana was stood in front of him, her gun pointed at his face, Ace grunted and struggled, clawing at James's arm but he didn't let go, both of their faces covered in blood, he and Ace both watched as Diana began to speak in a cool, calm voice.

"Don't. Move" Miles stayed still, his hands and face dripping with blood, the only who looked unharmed was Diana, Will stood beside Miles, his hand covered in blood, I think he cut it but I couldn't see, my eyes drifted in and out of blackness and everything was just a blur, Ace's face began to turn purple as she grunted trying to say something, "shut up" James snapped, "Ash" she called out, Diana spun around to me, Will took her place as she came over to me, "you ok?" She asked, I nodded knowing I was lying but I thought that she had enough to deal with, "I'm fine" that was the last thing I said until the world slipped into darkness.