ACE STARED AT HERSELF, LOATHING THE SIGHT of her own face... well, Rose's face. Ace continues applying the lipstick with an irritated expression. She sees the rage and grief in her eyes so, with one motion she draws a smile on the mirror with her bright lipstick. She rolls her eyes at herself and smudges the smile as she walks out of the bathroom.

After Ace left she went home... but after taking a few stops.

ACE'S SMILES AS THE MOON SHINES THROUGH THE bright city lights. Hell's Kitchen was always the place to be when a storm was brewing. Especially when that storm is the Ace of Hearts' terrible temper. She would always go to Hell's Kitchen whenever she felt a fit of rage boiling... to relieve the tension.

The thunder clapped loudly as it began to rain. Ace shook her head in annoyance, she hates rain... "Of course, it had to rain..." She cursed the sky and walked up to the building.

Scaling the building would easy, getting back down would be the hard part. Ace patted the side of her belt and when she didn't feel the grappling hook, she groaned. Ace began the long climb up the wall. When she grabbed the next brick, it fell loose and she watched as it tumbled to the pavement. "Well, isn't that dandy..." 

Once Ace reached the top, she lifted the sleeve on her jacket. She had her 'mini-computer' on the screen and opened the chat bubble. "Will be late..."? Ace stomped her foot like an annoyed child. These meetings for parts had to be quick... discreet. Nobody could see them or else Ace might just get busted. When the sound of a door opening met Ace's ears, she looked up.

Standing there in her uniform stood Ace's personal police officer, Caitlyn Price. "Officer Price!" Ace exclaimed and Caitlyn just shook her head. "Got what I need?" Price nodded, pushing her closed fist out. Ace put her hand beneath Price's and Caitlyn dropped the piece of metal in Ace's hand. "Thank you, darling!" Ace smiled and clicked a button on her screen.

"Money's been transferred." Caitlyn nodded again.

"Nobody will know?" 

Ace nodded, "Of course, I would never expose you." Ace wondered why Caitlyn was acting so strange but decided it was just the weather. Ace saluted the officer and cursed the fact that she had to climb back down the stupidly tall building. 

ACE KNEW THAT SHE WOULD BE HUNGRY, so she stopped at 'The Heat' ( In Hell's Kitchen ). A small restaurant with amazing food. It also happens to be owned by the woman that stopped Ace from burgling an apartment a little while back. When she pulled the door open, she saw the same woman from the apartment.

"Blaze..." Ace murmured with admiration. She admired the woman because she could use a regular kitchen towel as a weapon... even a salt shaker! 

As she slowly walked up to the counter, she gazed at the menu above her. "You know－ technically －according to NYCPD, I have to report seeing you here." Ace looked at the woman who went as Blaze－ the crime-fighting... cook? 

She just shrugged, "Can I get a number two?" Blaze－ her name tag reads Hana －Hana nodded. "Extra breadsticks please." 

"Comin' right up." Ace waited for her meal in one of the few tables and when she received it, she thanked Hana and left promptly. 

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT－" ACE jumps at the sound of a voice in the empty house. She holds her hand on her chest and sighs loudly. When she saw Natasha's face she relaxes then puts on an angry face. "Well?" Natasha continues and Ace just brushes past her. 

"You can't just walk into my house, you know?" Ace opens the fridge, trying－ and failing －to be nonchalant. Natasha leans on the doorway with her arms folded over her chest. 

She shrugs, "I gotta go again... this time, I don't know if I'll be back." Without thinking, Ace drops the jug of orange juice and it breaks due to the impact. Ace turned about with wide eyes, she couldn't fathom Nat not being there anymore... it has become routine for Ace to get into trouble and for Natasha to save her...

Ace struggles to find words, "But－ wh－" Her mouth is open wide as she stands in OJ. Natasha steps forward, a hand reached out and Ace stares at it blankly. "I think I love－" Ace cut herself off. "No, nevermind... just... just－ just go." She says instead of the three words that have been stuck on the tip of her tongue since forever it seems. Natasha nods.

"Goodbye, Roseana." It seemed as though Ace's brain connected the dots with the simple phrase that Natasha murmured before turning out of the kitchen. Ace felt a rush of emotions, sadness, pain, anger... all of them suffocating her. She wanted to cry out to Natasha but she knew it would be pointless. 

The blonde woman from before appeared in Ace's vision, she smiled sweetly at Ace and at that point, Ace realized who the woman was. She was Rose's mother. She was the one that she saw at the jewelry shop she robbed and at the bank, she failed to steal from. Ace now knew why she chose her victims... they all reminded her jumbled brain of a life she knew nothing of.

The blonde woman faded into nothing as Ace found herself in the hallway again. This time, there was only a single door... red and blue with a golden doorway. It screamed at Ace that she should go inside. But, to be honest, Ace didn't think she was brave enough to see the horrors of Roseana's mind. She didn't think that her luck would save her from it.

Ace took a deep breath and walked toward the door with a sure pace and when she touched the handle... it felt cool. "Please don't be clowns..." Ace squeezed her eyes shut as she stepped into the room. Nothing changed, except it was the room with the table and chairs. A woman... Rose sat at the table, she was talking to an invisible person.

"Now, James... stop being such a joker." The word set something off in Ace as the visual changed. Roseana was walking toward the door and a green fog gripped her elbow... the very spot that Ace can feel aching in the same moment. "James... you're hurting me." Roseana whimpered as Ace moved to the corner of the room.

Ace feels Rose's anger build up as the room shifts again. Roseana is screaming at this 'James' character. "Stop being so difficult! Just make this easy for me!" Roseana is practically pulling her hair out from her scalp as Ace slides down the wall. The anger is immobilizing her. All she can do is watch as Roseana... a woman of her past yells at nothing.

Once again, the image shifts and this time, Ace is back in the kitchen. She's underneath the table－ cowering －like a child. Ace scrambles out of the table and runs to her room. The prospect of her snap decision working was slim to none but Ace couldn't take seeing Rose's life anymore. She was Ace and if Ace wasn't all there was... then what was the point?

Ace walked outside and the wind was howling, almost mimicking her inner turmoil. She didn't think it would work－ but when the gun went off and her vision went black... Ace felt peace.

Author's Note:

Holy cow... I think I did an amazing job handling Ace's inner emotions... I think I would be angry seeing myself－ but not myself's own memories? I don't know, but this is a longer chapter since it's so heavy... I hope you all enjoyed and as always... HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY/NIGHT/AFTERNOON <3