Tales of Two: Wasted Energy
We all know that Ace and Matthew have formed a friendship that has lasted them many years. Together they have made even more outstanding friends at Beacon Academy. But this story isn't about the now. It's about the then. A time when it was just two best friends.
1 Year Ago…
"Alright, we're going out." Matthew's father said as he stood in the doorway to his son's room.
Matthew and Ace sat on the bed relaxing after a grueling training session between the upcoming hunters.
"Ace, make sure this one stays out of trouble while we're gone." He said to the swordsman.
"Of course sir." Ace replied politely. Even after so many years of being well acquainted with Matthew's family, he still upheld the most respect when speaking with the eldest members.
"Hey! Why do you make it sound like I can't be trusted?" Matthew huffed indignantly.
"Because you lack the means of being responsible on your own." Ace chided.
Matthew glared at his best friend lying on the opposite side of the bed.
"He's got you there son. We'll be back tomorrow morning. There's money for food on the counter."
"K Dad. Cya later." Matthew said.
"Have a great time." Ace added.
"Thank you Ace. You boys have fun." Matthew's father said as he left.
Matthew's parents had planned a special outing to a secluded spot in the hills. The two liked to enjoy the peace of nature and as such, decided that a night together under the night sky would make for a wonderful date.
The area they were heading to was known to very few, making it a perfect place to have enjoy some time together in privacy. It was also virtually Grimm free, making it safe for even civilians to explore.
Ashlynn also had made plans and was currently at a friend's house for a sleepover.
That meant Matthew and Ace had the whole house to themselves to do whatever they normally enjoyed doing as friends. Mostly watch movies or play games.
But after a few hours of doing exactly that, Matthew grew bored, and a bored Matthew meant trouble was in the near future.
"Hey Ace." Matthew grinned slyly. "You know what would be interesting?" He asked his friend.
"No idea. What would be interesting?" Ace replied lazily.
"If we tried some of my Dad's wine while everyone's away." He answered mischievously.
Ace cocked a confused eyebrow at his friend's suggestion. Out of all the things he could have thought of, he came up with that.
"That sounds like an awful idea." Ace stated with disinterest.
"Aw come on. Just a little bit." Matthew pleaded.
"Absolutely not. I promised I'd keep you out of trouble." Ace said adamantly. No way would he let Matthew do something so stupid, even if he was inwardly curious as to what it would taste like himself.
"Yeah but, this way you can keep an eye on things so we don't get out of hand. We get to try it, and nobody gets in trouble. Everybody wins." Matthew reasoned.
"… You're not going to let this go are you?" Ace sighed.
Matthew grinned and shook his head in response. Of course he wouldn't.
Ace thought intently at his options. He could just try to ignore Matthew, but that was easier said than done. He could also give in to his friend's suggestion. He did have a point. As long as he was there to monitor things, nothing would get out of hand. Plus it wasn't like they were going to try to get drunk. A mere taste couldn't possibly be that bad.
After a few minutes of tossing his options around, Ace finally settled on the second option.
"Fine. We'll each have one glass. No more than that. Agreed?" Ace asked.
"You got it. Just one glass." Matthew said giving a thumbs up.
"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Ace moaned.
As Ace stared at the empty wine glass in front of him, Matthew searched the area for his dad's stock of alcoholic beverages. Finally he found a small bottle of Atlas Vineyard wine and brought it over to the kitchen table.
"So why do you want to do this again?" Ace asked his eager friend.
"Eh, just curious you know? I mean, the legal drinking age is eighteen here, and dad never seems to have any problems with alcohol, so I figured why not." Matthew answered as he poured the blood red liquid into his glass. "Besides, there's no way you're not curious yourself."
"I guess I am, but that doesn't mean we should. There's drinking ages for a reason." Ace countered as Matthew filled up his glass.
"Ace, I love that you like to stick to the straight and narrow, really I do, but you need to loosen up sometimes." Matthew said as he sat down and raised his glass. "Cheers!"
"Yeah fine. Cheers." Ace responded clinking his glass against Matthew's before swallowing a small gulp of the beverage.
The liquid burned slightly in his mouth, the alcohol causing a weird sensation in his throat. But after the initial taste, the overbearing presence of the alcohol dissipated. The flavor was foreign but not at all displeasing. Ace had to admit, the drink wasn't as bad as he feared.
Matthew also seemed satisfied taking another quick drink from his glass.
After a few minutes they had finished their one glass of wine.
"So what did you think?" Matthew asked.
"Not bad. I'm surprised though. It didn't really feel much different than drinking a glass of grape juice." Ace replied.
"I know right? I thought we'd feel something, even after only one glass." Matthew said. "Guess it's just not as powerful as everyone makes it out."
"Maybe…" Ace replied.
"… Wanna have one more?" Matthew asked.
Now Ace and Matthew had agreed to have one glass just to make sure things didn't get out of hand. But considering the wine apparently did so little, Ace didn't see why one more glass could hurt anything.
"Alright. One more." Ace answered.
"Awesome." Matthew cheered before pouring him and his friend another drink.
"To our future as Hunters." Matthew toasted.
"You're enjoying this way too much. I should probably be concerned, but screw it." Ace responded before drinking.
After finishing their second glass, aside from some slightly blushed cheeks and the faintest tingle at the top of their skulls, the pair still felt nothing.
"Alright. Last round." Matthew said pouring his third glass.
"Last round." Ace said in agreement.
That was his mistake. Halfway through the third glass of wine, both Ace and Matthew discovered something about wine. Something they would learn a little too late. Wine was a silent killer and would creep up on you when you least expected it to.
Ace began to feel the effects of three glasses of alcohol through his body. He swayed a little in his chair. Even a novice drinker could tell that he was now officially drunk. The room seemed to spin around as Ace looked at Matthew, who wasn't fairing very well himself. The hammer wielder was, well, hammered and had his head rested on the table.
"Uno mas?" Ace asked through his drunken state.
"No mas Ace." Matthew replied as he shook the now empty bottle upside down to prove that there was no more… Right before losing his grip on the bottle and dropping it on the hardwood floor, shattering it.
Ace and Matthew looked at each other in shock before Matthew started giggling like an idiot. Ace, in his buzzed state, could only join him as they laughed hysterically.
"Pfft, whoopsie." Matthew snickered.
"M-Matt I think… I think you're drunk." Ace giggled.
"I swear to drunk I'm not Dust." Was his unintelligent reply.
"Yer definitely drunk." Ace replied.
"Not as drunk as you." Matthew responded. "You're drunker than I is."
"Nooo, no, no, no, yer drunker." Ace smirked.
"Thas what I said. I'm drunker." Matthew slurred before slamming his head into the table and toppling his wine glass.
"Mahew?" Ace asked, calling to his friend. "Maaatthew. Maaaaatttheew."
Suddenly Matthew bolted up and frantically scrambled to his room. He returned a moment later with his hammer Vulcan in tow.
"Wha- What are you doin?" Ace asked as his friend ran by him and to the front door.
"ADVENTURE!" Matthew yelled before colliding with the door and falling to the floor.
Making a quick recovery and opening the door, Matthew ran outside leaving a very drunk and very confused Ace to process this sudden act of insanity. But being in an equally impaired state, Ace, still dressed in his armor, ran out after him.
Now being out where Matthew's family lived, there was only two ways you could go. To the wilderness that surrounded them on three sides, or north to the city that was a few miles or so away. As chance would have it, Matthew was heading for the city, Ace trailing slightly behind.
In no time at all they had ran all the way up to the beginnings of Vale city.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Matthew laughed manically as he ran down the empty streets of a small neighborhood.
"Matt. You shou slow down a lil." Ace slurred as he finally caught up.
Matthew continued his laughter as he ran around in circles. That was until he ran into a parked truck, setting off the car alarm.
Ace held his hands up to his ears as the annoying sounds from the truck hurt his sensitive ears.
"I THIN YA MADE IT MAD!" He yelled over the blaring alarm as lights in the neighborhood began to turn on.
Matthew looked at the offending source of the noise with disgust.
"AWW! SHUT THE HELL UP!" He screamed as he violently swung Vulcan at the truck sending it high into the air and into an electrical tower.
The truck hit with such force it bent around the frame of the tower, crushing some of the suspension and tearing apart wires, knocking out all power to the surrounding area.
"AHH!" Matthew roared as he ran down the street, flailing his hammer wildly, denting even more cars.
Within a few minutes, sirens could be heard in the distance, quickly making their way towards the drunken pair. Soon the faint whine of the sirens became loud as they rounded the corner.
The sound of police cruiser sirens was apparently enough to quickly sober Ace up enough to realize they were in trouble.
"Matt! Run! Hide!" He yelled.
Matthew, despite being blitzed, complied and began running back in the direction of his home, crashing into a garbage can on the way.
Ace followed after him passing through the headlights of an oncoming cop car. The vehicle turned around and began to follow after the strange Grimm.
In front of Matthew was yet another police cruiser blocking the way out of the neighborhood. With no choice, Matthew turned around and ran back before turning right and down another street.
Ace quickly caught up and turned the corner as the cop car following him continued its pursuit. As Ace caught up to Matthew they neared the end of the block and turned yet again down a different street. This time however, Ace tackled Matthew down to the curb and cloaked both of them, hiding them from their pursuers.
The car screeched to a halt as it passed the street, as the police had lost their mysterious target, being as Ace was the only one that was actually seen by any of the cops.
"What the, Where did it go?" The driver asked his partner as he stepped out, pointing a flashlight around to scan the area.
"I don't know, it just vanished. Know what I'm saying?" His partner asked.
"What kind of Grimm was that? You thinking Beowolf?" The driver asked.
"I'm thinking we don't get payed enough, especially not to track down a Grimm. Leave it to the Huntsmen."
"Yeah, let's go." The driver said in agreement before returning to the car and driving off.
As soon as both cars had left, Ace uncloaked both himself and Matthew.
"Wheew! Tha was awesome." Matthew cheered.
"Hehehe. Yeah." Ace said returning to his drunken stupor. "I think we should go home though. I'm soooo tired."
"Aww man!" Matthew whined. "Yer no fun Ace."
Ace, being too drunk to care, ignored his friends whining and picked Matthew off the ground, catching him as he nearly collapsed from his lack of balance due to the alcohol.
"C'mon Matt. Les go home." Ace said as he wrapped Matthew's arm around the back of his neck and his around Matthew's back to keep him balanced as they made the long trip home.
When they finally arrived back at the house, the pair went straight to Matthew's room and crashed. Ace being fortunate enough landed softly on Matthew's bed, while Matthew flopped onto the floor. Within minutes they were asleep.
"A neighborhood was left in chaos when locals awoke to smashed property and no power this morning. I now turn to my partner for the rest of the story." A man said on the television, standing in the aftermath of last night's events.
"Thank you Cyril." Lisa Lavender said to her partner as she appeared in the screen. " Around midnight of last night, a call went out to the local law enforcement about reports of strange noises in the neighborhood. When police arrived on the scene, they claimed sighting a rather unusual Grimm lurking around the neighborhood. Despite their valiant attempts at finding the creature, the police could only come home empty handed, claiming it had vanished without a trace. A few thousand in damage was reported, including a crumpled electric tower and a crushed truck. Police blame the damage on the creature's rampage. In other news…"
The television clicked off as Matthew's father stood in the room looking angrily at his son.
"Oww, my head." Matthew whined as he suffered through his first hangover ever.
"Yes Matthew. That's what happens when you decide to get drunk." His father sighed as he handed him a glass of ice cold water.
Matthew accepted the drink and greedily gulped it down in an attempt to alleviate his pain. He couldn't remember anything past the first glass of wine. Everything else was a huge blank.
Ace however could not say the same. While Matthew couldn't remember anything, it turned out that Ace remembered everything quite vividly. While he too was suffering from a hangover, he did a very good job of hiding it with his helmet.
When Matthew's parents came home and found the broken bottle on the floor they quickly deduced it was Matthew's doing. They were shocked when they found two glasses. Obviously it meant Ace was also involved.
"I'm very disappointed in you young man." Matthew's father said to his son. "And Ace, you were supposed to keep him out of trouble." He sighs.
"Sorry sir. I'll do better next time." Ace replied glumly.
While they suspected Matthew had talked Ace into drinking, they never assumed he was also drunk, rather tired from chasing Matthew around late last night. And that's how Ace intended on keeping it.
Sure he felt bad for throwing his friend under the bus, but it was Matthew's fault they were in this situation to begin with. And what Matthew didn't know couldn't hurt him.
"I should punish you both, but considering how you're feeling right now…" Matthew's father said, pausing as Matthew moaned into his pillow "I think you've suffered enough to learn your lessons." He smirked.
With that he left the two to their silence. After a while of calming the pounding in their heads, Ace finally spoke up.
"I'm never letting you talk me into doing something as stupid as that ever again." Ace growled.
"Oh, kill me now." Matthew moaned.
Present Day…
As Ace sat in Junior's club he stared at Matthew, who was of course, drunk off his ass again, swaying to the music. As he looked into his drink, he smiled as the memory of their drunken adventure played in his mind.
"C'mon Ace! Have a drink! Have fun!" Matthew said before falling off his stool and laughing.
Ace smiled shaking his head at his friend. Looking back at the drink before him, he picked it up and downed it.
After all… What's the worst that could happen?
A/N: So while reading over my first few chapters of my fanfiction, I decided to do a short based on the time Matthew got drunk that Ace mentioned in chapter two, but with a small twist. You can count on seeing more Tales of Two later on. Happy Friendship Day everybody!