The Redemption of Ace Merrill

Where am I?

The entire cobra group stood around staring down at the girl, still laying unconscious on Ace's sofa.

"Her head looks pretty fucked up." Vince mumbled to the others, as they nodded slowly.

"Get us something to clean it with then moron!" Eyeball snapped at him.

Ace glared angrily at them all from his chair. "Remind me why she's on my fucking sofa?"

Each cobra pointed to themselves as they gave their excuse.

"Dad." Eyeball.

"Parents." Fuzzy, Charlie, Billy and Jack.

"Nada." Eyeball added as he pointed at Ace.

"Vince?" Ace snapped as Vince came back in with an old cloth and a bottle of vodka.

"Take the girl to yours?" Ace attempted to kindly say.

"Parents." Vince mumbled.

Eyeball took the rag from him and poured some vodka on it as he crouched down in front of the girl.

They all somewhat crowded around as they ignored Ace's grumbles and bitches about it.

Eyeball reached out but the moment the rag touched her head, she shot awake.

Her fist flew out, going straight into Eyeball's nose.

He stumbled back as he grabbed his face while the others attempted to hold him up.

The girl scrambled off the sofa as she looked down at Ace, who was laughing loudly and pointing at Eyeball, still clutching his face.

"Where am I?" She asked as she looked around, feeling incredibly intimidated about the amount of guys in a house she didn't recognise.

"My house." Ace replied as he stood up. "Now you're awake, can I interest you in a trip to the police station or hospital or anywhere that isn't my house?"

"Ace you can't take her there! They'll wanna know what happened!" The others all pleaded.

"She don't even know what happened?!" Ace snapped in response as he gestured to the girl as she flinched at his sudden movements.

"She's petrified Ace." Billy mumbled as he noticed the way she cowered away from them all.

"She ain't my fucking problem!" Ace bit back as he turned to her. "Look you clearly don't belong here so how about I drop you off at the police station and let them sort you out?"

The others all looked disappointed as the girl stared up at Ace.

"What's a police station?" She asked quietly.

"You really hit your fucking head aye?" Ace asked.

"Look," he grumbled as she walked over to Eyeball and snatched the cloth.

"We'll clean you up then drop you down there. You ain't my fucking problem." He spat out as he walked back over to her.

The others watched as she flinched but remained standing.

"It will only hurt a bit." Ace mumbled and he steadily raised his hand to her head.

He watched as she winced again. Yet she stood still and allowed him to gently try clean up the side of her head.

The others continued to watch curiously, they hadn't seen any hint of a soft side to Ace before.

"Ace." The girl mumbled as she stared up at him.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah what?" He let himself snap out.

Yet before she could speak again, his front door flung open and a girl came storming in.

The others all scrambled aside seeing the anger on her face.

"Ace fucking Merrill!" She snapped as she stared at him.

Her eyes fell on the other girl.

"Who the fuck is she?!" She snapped as she nodded towards her.

"No-one." Ace blurted out as he looked down at her before back up at the angry newcomer, firing daggers his way.

The girl scoffed as she came storming closer, raising her hand as she was planning on giving him the slap he deserved.

It didn't come.

Instead she got a hard fist to her face as she dropped down, out like a broken light bulb.

The cobra's mouths dropped slightly as they stared at the girl in front of Ace. Even he turned to look down at her confused.

"You just fucking knocked her out!" Ace snapped.

The girl stumbled backwards slightly. "I thought... She was going to hurt you..."

Ace turned back to the others. For the first time in his life, he was speechless.

"That's a pretty little punch you got there girlie." Eyeball finally spoke as he laughed slightly, looking down at the unconscious girl on Ace's living room floor.

The girl forced a smile slightly as she looked back up at Ace.

"Should I not have done that?" She asked quietly as her fingers twiddled together.

Ace just stared down at her. "No no it was okay. Rather you hit them than them hitting me." He mumbled as he looked back at her head.

"Get her out of here." He mumbled as he waved his arm down at the girl and returned his focus to the unknown girl.

"I'm almost done." He mumbled as he used his other hand to carefully hold her face as he continued to try clean her head up.

"Why am I bleeding?" She asked quietly as she watched the others attempt to pick the girl up, leaving Ace and her alone.

Ace shrugged. "Fucked if I know, I weren't there." He mumbled. "You really don't remember anything?"

The girl tried her hardest. "Nothing." She mumbled.

Ace looked down at her blankly.

"Are police stations bad?" She asked as she continued to stare up at him.

Ace laughed slightly. "Depends on who you ask."

"I'm asking you."

Ace sighed and took a few steps as he rolled the cloth about in his hands.

"I don't have the best friendship with them, let's say." He mumbled as he walked into the adjoining room.

The girl followed him as she looked around at the many items that all seemed so strange to her. His eyes watched her curiously as he lit another cigarette and watched her walk over to a bowl of nuts he had on the side.

"You eat them." He mumbled from behind his cigarette.

The girl reached out and picked one up. Looking at it strangely he found himself smiling slightly.

"Like what you did with the cig, except they taste better." He said with a small laugh.

He watched her place it in her mouth and begin to chew before she swallowed.

"Good?" He asked as he blew out more smoke.

Eyeball reappeared. "We're gonna drop her home then I assume station, then bar right?"

The girl turned to Eyeball with a smile. "Ace's nuts taste good!" She said excitedly.

Ace's hand face planted as a huge smirk came to Eyeball's face.

"Whatever you say sweetheart." He said as he stifled a laugh. "She gonna stay for a couple of nights then?" Eyeball asked as he leant to the side to look at Ace.

Ace glared at him. "Not like that you fucking cockend." He snapped as he moved to her side, grabbing a fistful of the nuts he chucked them all over Eyeball.

Eyeball just laughed as he quickly left, leaving the girl to stare up at Ace confused.

"I don't get it."

Ace shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get you sorted." He mumbled as he nodded down the hall.