161 Trick 160: Marking Someone for Death!

Ace returned to Jack and Margaret, sitting with them, rubbing their heads before frowning as he noticed something on the two of them. He pressed on their necks as they closed their eyes.

He laid them on the couch and lifted their shirts, placing his hands on their stomachs. His eyes glowed purple and he lifted his hands, purple and red liquid in a pouch coming out of their bodies with a little black device with a glowing red light.

Ace hovered the two packages in his hand and started laughing, the building started rumbling and lightning flashed, striking the ground around the city as the skies darkened to an absurdly dark black.

Ace held the two packages and closed his eyes, slowly calming down. He gripped them between one hand and his other hand was bathed in an inky purple light as he slowly twisted it.

A scene started playing in Ace's head of a young girl, white, freckled, extremely curly red hair. She was a temporary teacher for the kids before she slipped these sacks into them as they were sleeping.

Their skin healed instantly because of the Super Soldier Serum and didn't even leave a scar. Afterwards, the young girl stole 20 vials of the Serum and fled Madripoor.

Ace found out many things, there were 23 originally, the girl stole 20 after Sharon and the kids used them, and she left the packages in the kids for insurance in case she was caught by Sharon.

A good plan!

Unfortunately…

Ace opened his eyes and they were extremely calm, terrifyingly calm. He patted his chest and pulled out an extremely bright goopy substance, it had never changed since he had been born and it still didn't change.

He hadn't ended a life for his entire life.

Ace put his soul back and sat on the couch, rubbing the packets together as the kids woke up, saying "Huh?" Ace smiled gently "Two little dummies, falling asleep while we were playing! Looks like I won~!"

Jack and Margaret were stunned and said "What! No fair! We want a redo!" Ace chuckled and played video games with them until they fell asleep, leaning on him. He hugged them as they snuggled closer to him, muttering "Daddy… Miss you…"

Ace sighed and put the packages in his personal space, hugging the twins as he laid down on the couch, letting them sleep on his chest as he rubbed their backs, staring at the ceiling.

Karli Morgenthau…

Ace closed one eye and the other turned pitch black as he made a finger gun.

Across the world..

Karli was running when her heart suddenly beat extremely loudly and she heard a whisper all around her, "Karli Morgenthau… You touched someone you shouldn't have…"

She looked around and everything turned black as a cloaked figure with a skull head and curved horns appeared in front of her, pointing right at her head, the whispers continued "You've been marked for death…"

Karli started sweating and hyperventilating as purple flames blazed in the skull's eye sockets, "Run while you can… but Death always claims his mark… eventually…" she looked around in fear as more orange flames appeared…

One, two, three, four…

Four figures of different sizes turned their flaming skull heads towards her, a giant in alien battle armor, another smaller one with a trench coat, a female one in a tight combat suit holding little flaming scythes, and another with electricity crackling around its flames in a blue battlesuit…

Then finally, another one right in front of her, she stepped back in fear as the last one held a shield in its hands, right in front of its stomach, the familiar circle shield as it raised its skull, looking right at her.

The horned skull stood behind them and a whisper escaped its jaws, "Run, little lamb…"

Ace shot from his finger pistol and Karli fell to the ground, hyperventilating as her group turned to her asking "Are you okay!?" Karli was terrified as she looked around, seeing everything was normal again, she said "I'm fine… Tired…"

Her group fell silent and one said "Karli… Your face…" Karli panicked and touched her face, not understanding. One of her friends took out their phone, handing it to her and Karli saw a pitch black star over her left eye, her skin had turned black and all the color was inverted!

She dropped the phone and panicked "Oh god! What's going on!?" The group was worried and she said "Don't touch me!" keeping them away as she added "Maybe it's a disease!"

Ace closed his eyes and Karli heard a chuckle all around her, she shouted "Who's there!?" her friends were stunned and she looked at them, asking desperately, "You didn't hear that?!" they shook their heads and Karli was confused and scared.

Ace closed his eyes and went to sleep as he got several calls. He answered the phone and said "No. I was just scaring her… What do you mean you wanna do it? Natasha, tell me honestly… Have you lost your goddamn mind? What do you mean 'I'm better than ever'?? Okay, whatever! Don't go crazy on me, okay? A runaway Rider is not what I need right now…"

He paused and made a confused look, saying "This is why Pietro is better than you! Yes, Thanos and Mezorak are better than you too! At least they can control themselves! What do you mean 'I need to punish sinners'? No! Wha- I suggest you go to therapy. Don't make me send the old man after you again. Yes! I will! Fine! I'm not bluffing! Have it your way."

Before calling a number, saying "Steve, Nat's getting crazy again. You can- Yeah? Alright cool… Peggy? You already spent a lifetime with her… Yeah I guess… I mean, man, you can do whatever you want. I just want you alive. How is it my fault? No of course no- Dude! You decided to die! The Earth is still in danger, you maniac! What do you mean 'They can handle it without me'?? Have you seen the news? They decidedly cannot handle it without you!"

Ace was even more confused than before, "What do you mean 'Sam is the right man for the job'?? In case you haven't noticed, he gave up the Shield… Okay, look Steve, I'm not gonna argue with you about this. My opinion is you take the Shield back, but that's just me. Wha- No of course it's not weird… What? People come back from the dead all the time! You never heard of Jesus? Well, I can tell you he is most definitely a real person… Man! If Lucifer exists, why wouldn't Jesus! Oh my god! Whatever! Whatever! Okay! You can go see Peggy! Damn! Bye, Steve!"

Ace sighed and hung up, muttering "Animals! Animals, these people…" before calling Pietro, "No, you don't have to… Okay. Yes when I have time. Well, Pietro, if you haven't noticed she enslaved a town of people! Well it was either that or experimented on. No she's not dead, she's frozen in time… Yes, just like Captain America. No, when you're dead she will still be there. Okay. Alright. Yeah, oka- I said yeah! Damn! I got it! Okay! Bye! Pietro!"

He rubbed his head and his phone rang again as he answered it, slamming his head into the couch "Yes. No. Tell Mezorak. Yes, I'm sure I don't need you and him on Earth. You're nearly 48 jumps away even if you came, they would get her fir- No you can't make it here before they- I'm not having this conversation! No! You're supposed to be the level headed one! What do you mean 'I am'?! No I'm not betting with you! NO! YOU HAVE A GAMBLING ADDICTION AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT, GOODBYE DIONE!"

He hung up and threw his phone onto the table, going to sleep. He had enough of these people! They're all coocoo for cocoa puffs… his phone rang again and he groaned, grabbing it "Yes, Mezorak. No. Alright, bye." before letting out a breath and smiling as he put his phone down.

At least one of them wasn't crazy…