Possessing Snake

by Kerianya

After getting tired of Ace's Not-Quite-Friends-With-Benefits and other abuses, Snake agrees to go on a date with his older sister's friend. The trouble is, her friend is none other than His Infernal Majesty – otherwise known as HIM. Is Snake jumping from bad to worse, and just how is Ace going to react when he finds out?

8. Chapter 8 - Ace - Blame & Confrontation

Fandom: The PowerPuff Girls (original version – 2002 designs)

Rating: Adult

Genre: Romance

Pairing(s): HIMxSnake, AcexSnake

Warnings: Slash, MxM, explicit sex, violence, rape, domestic abuse, language, Original Characters, mention of PPGZ characters (Znake, Ivy)

Summary: After getting tired of Ace's Not-Quite-Friends-With-Benefits and other abuses, Snake agrees to go on a date with his older sister's friend. The trouble is, her friend is none other than His Infernal Majesty – otherwise known as HIM. Is Snake jumping from bad to worse, and just how is Ace going to react when he finds out?

Disclaimer: The characters within this story are the creative property of Craig McCracken, with the exceptions of Belinda Ingleberry and Dr Hitomi Ingleberry, who remain my own characters, and Znake and Ivy, who are male/female versions of the same character, and are the property of the PPGZ creators. The idea to separate them as twin siblings is my personal headcanon.

Chapter 8 – Ace – Blame and Confrontation

Chapter-Specific Warnings: Language, Racism, Sexism, Domestic & Child Abuse,

Ace had cried himself to sleep that night, waking up to find his body was too sore to move in the morning. For the first few hours he lay there, wincing with every breath and listening to the sound of his dad sleeping off his morning hangover in the next room.

By around eleven, hunger and thirst forced him out of bed. A vicious headache struck him as soon as he stood: he was dehydrated for sure. His bathrobe was on the back of the door. Trying to put it on was agony after a few attempts he managed to get both arms into the sleeves and eased it onto his shoulders. He paused while the muscles of his back stopped screaming at him, wiping the tears from his eyes, which gave him time to remember the aspirin by his bed. Slipping the bottle into his robe pocket, he shuffled out of his room and down the stairs.

The kitchen was empty, though the smoke from his mother's cigarettes still lingered in the air. He filled a glass with water from the tap and gulped it down so eagerly he almost choked on it. Fishing the aspirin from his pocket, he took some with a second glass of water and set the empty glass in the sink. He turned to the fridge and took two cans of soda while he looked inside for something to eat. Though it was mostly empty, he found some leftover pizza and shoved it into the microwave to heat up. He had no clue how long it had been there, but it would have to do – he didn't feel well enough to cook anything properly. Secretly, he had always loved cooking thanks to childhood 'lessons' with his Nonno, who was a great cook himself. What he wouldn't give to be back in their kitchen, or even their new one in Italy, right now. His grandparents always knew what to do...

Feeling his eyes well up, Ace rubbed them quickly. He had cried enough today. Taking his warmed up pizza, he tucked the cans under his arm and crept back up to his room. He could hear that his dad was still deep in his hangover-laced stupor as he crept back into his room. From the looks of things in the kitchen, his mother had gone out to the store, and dad had only brought home booze again.

Shrugging off his bathrobe and gingerly climbing back into bed, Ace offered up a silent vow to any listening god that he would never touch a drop of booze himself. He'd always looked up to his father, the way any only son should do, but rapidly approaching adulthood was making him re-think this. His Nonno – his father's own father – had been a brilliant role model for Ace as a child: kind, strong and deeply devoted to family. Nonno was partial to the odd drink, but he had never come home too drunk to take care of himself. He had never prioritised buying booze over food for his family, and he had never, ever come home and beaten his wife.

Granted, that might also have been down to the fact that Nonna would have fought back if he did and probably dealt more damage, but that wasn't the point. The point was, Ace never wanted to end up dependent on alcohol like his father was. God only knew what he would have done to Snake the day before if he had been...

The memory of yesterday, his shameful near-rape of Snake and immediate near-murder by HIM – who was Snake's fucking boyfriend – caused him to curl up and shudder. He was under no illusions that it was only Snake's last-second intervention that had saved him from being murdered, nor was he under any illusions that he'd had any rights to expect that. Even thinking about the things he had tried to do to Snake made him feel sick! Suddenly, his appetite vanished, but he reached out and took one of the slices from the plate and taking a bite.

Ugh!

As he had feared, the pizza was a few days old and from the crappy pizzeria down the street! Dad must have gone there when he was wasted. Ace was adding that to the list of reasons why he was never touching booze! But he was hungry, so he ate the pizza regardless of its taste. It made him miss his grandparents a little – they always had good food in the house and always had time for him.

Once he had finished the crappy meal, he carefully sat up and opened a soda. The food in his belly and the aspirin had done wonders with his headache,which seemed to lessen even as the sugary drink trickled down his throat. If his back wasn't so sore, he would have felt fine.

He wasn't sure what to do next. Sure, Arturo, Billy and Grubber had been quick to help him after he got his ass beat by HIM, but he knew that they had all been angry at his treatment of Snake – over the past few days as well as yesterday. As for Snake...well, he was fairly certain he would never talk to him again. Not to mention that HIM would probably tear him to pieces if he were to try.

And yet...he needed to talk to Snake, even if it were for the last time. What he had done...the things he had said...they...they weren't...they weren't him!

He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes with a groan. He couldn't find the words for it, but he hadn't been himself when he tried to rape Snake. Something, or someone, had been steering him!

He groaned, resting his cheek against his raised knees.

How the fuck am I going to explain it though?

He knew he wasn't the best educated: Grubber, Snake and possibly Arturo were all better in that regard than he was. But that was down to colossal laziness on his part – he wasn't stupid! Even if Snake did decide to speak to him again, if he were willing to hear what Ace had to say and if Ace were able to actually make sense of what he wanted to say...Snake would laugh in his face! Everyone knew you couldn't force someone to put their cock in another human being when they weren't in the same room, or force them into saying things they didn't want to! Even Billy wouldn't believe him.

But, somehow, he had to convince Snake. The alternative...that he was a rapist who would beat his victims when they refused...that was something he couldn't stand the thought of! Snake was too important to him!

He really was! Ace would have laughed at the thought when the two first met, but it was true and not just because of the sex. Snake had become more than just his second in command, more than just a friend for both him and the gang. He was a part of their – part of Ace's – makeshift family, someone who they cared about. Yet now they were facing the possibility of losing him forever...and they would all know who was to blame...

His mother finally came up to his room a couple of hours later. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and regarded him critically.

"Ya feelin' better?" She asked, wrinkling her nose at the cans and plate on his bedside table. "Guess ya found somethin' ta eat too, huh?"

Grateful that he were covered up by the blanket, Ace pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Uh-huh." He managed. "I'm feelin' a little better, I think."

She nodded and took a long drag from her cigarette.

"Good." She replied, then turned to leave. "I'm makin' some coffee, if ya want some. Bring the crap downstairs with the plate."

Cigarettes had long since burned away his mother's sense of taste, so to counter it her coffee was so strong that you could almost chew it. Ace added three spoons of sugar to his cup, which only made it slightly more palatable. Sitting opposite him, his mother stubbed out her cigarette and narrowed her eyes over her own steaming cup of sludge.

"So," she said at length, "what'd ya get inta a fight about?"

"Huh?"

"Last night! Ya come home bloodied n beat up all tha time n ya shrug it off like nothin,'" she paused to light another cigarette, "then ya come home last night like somethin' put the fear of God in ya and lookin' like ya was gonna drop dead any second even though ya didn't have a mark on ya. What the hell did ya start fightin over?"

Ace dropped his head and took a sip from his cup, thinking about what he should say that his mother wouldn't sniff out for a lie. Then, it came to him.

"It was over a girl." He replied. His mother frowned at him.

"A girl?" She sounded incredulous, but didn't say any more.

"Uh, yeah. I had dis thing with her – not serious or nothin – and she started seein some other guy who didn't like me hangin round her much. Last night he made sure I knew dat in person, ya know?"

"Didn't ya fight back?" Ace grimaced at her, not wanting to risk a shrug.

"He caught me off guard, and he's stronger than me." He replied.

"So who's dis little bitch yous were both fightin over?"

Ace swallowed, hoping he was remembering this right.

"It was Snake..."

"Dat scrawny little Asian chick yous hang out with?"

Ace sighed inwardly: he'd remembered right.

"Yeah, her."

She snorted out her cigarette smoke.

"Didn't think dat gawky thing would be able ta bag herself a man, ta be honest." She snickered. "I don't get what ya saw in her anyways, ta get in a fight over her."

"It's a matter of pride, Sofia."

His mother tensed and Ace turned to see his father looming at the kitchen door, a mostly empty bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"He's a Copular, we don't just stand aside n let some punk take what's ours."

"Oh, hey Papa." Ace tried to act nonchalant as his father passed him. "I thought yous were asleep."

"Yeah, I was. But dis bitch's voice-" he punctuated the word bitch with a casual slap to the side of his wife's head "is enough ta drag ya outta a fuckin' coma."

Ace felt his stomach twist as his mother's head was knocked to the side by the impact, but she barely made a squeak. He couldn't suppress the mental comparison to the way he treated Snake and felt sick at the realisation.

How did I ever think that was okay?

His mother, however, simply straightened up and brushed the hair from her face before glaring at her husband with an evil grin.

"Aww, baby, yous say da sweetest things."

"Don't test me, Sofia." His father set the bottle down on the counter before turning and pointing a meaty finger in his son's direction. "The boy bein' home ain't gonna save ya if yous test me."

He lifted the coffee pot and grimaced at its contents.

"When are ya gonna learn ta make coffee people can drink?" He grumbled, abandoning it and pouring the remains of his bottle into two tumblers. Picking them up, he turned his attention to his son.

"So, ya got in a fight?" He asked, setting the glasses down and pushing one in front of Ace. Ace glanced up at him and nodded.

"Ya win?"

Ace sighed, and shook his head.

"No, Papa." He said quietly.

His father regarded him briefly, then grunted.

"Can't win 'em all, boy." He conceded, crossing to the liquor cabinet behind Ace.

"An' this fight was over dat little Chink girl ya hang out with?"

"She ain't Chinese, Papa, she's Japanese."

Thwack!

Ace squeaked as his father's hand slapped him across the back of the head. He didn't resist as his head was forced towards his father.

"You don't smart-mouth me, boy." The older man's voice was low, dangerous, but he released Ace's head and returned to his seat.

"Dat's just wat Snake always says." Ace grumbled, rubbing his head gingerly.

"What a woman says don't matter nothin' ta a man, Ace." His father sat down heavily. "They're all the same from over there anyhow. It don't matter what she is: it's what she's doin' to you dat matters."

He pushed one of the two tumblers towards Ace.

"Drink that boy – it'll do ya good."

Ace eyed the amber fluid cautiously. He opened his mouth to protest, then shut it when his father glared at him and pulled the glass closer.

"And don't yous sip it like yer a fuckin school-girl neither." His father snapped. "You'll be eighteen in a few months – dat'd make ya a man in a proper country – so yous need ta start drinkin like a man."

Nodding miserably, Ace lifted the glass to his lips and sniffed at the whiskey. Even the smell of it made him feel sick! Inwardly counting to three, he quickly knocked the drink back as quickly as it would go. He set the glass down, bringing the other hand to his lips as the whiskey burned his throat.

Please don't let me puke...he'll go crazy if I puke again!

Fortunately, after a few breaths, the nausea and burning subsided and he was rewarded with a nod and grunt.

"So...I'm gonna guess you've been fuckin dis Snake girl before she went sniffin round other guys, yeah?"

Ace's cheeks flushed crimson. He bowed his head and nodded quickly.

"Coupla times." He muttered.

He could smell the whiskey as his father leaned closer.

"Yous can do a lot better den dat little Chink freak – have some fuckin pride!" He hissed, leaning back to refill his tumbler. As he set the bottle down, he seemed amused.

"Course...if her tits were as big as her teeth, I'd completely understand!" He leered as his wife laughed with him.

"She wouldn't be able ta stand!" His mother sneered, lighting up another cigarette as the two laughed at the thought.

Ace kept his head down, not trusting himself to keep his expression neutral. Less than a fortnight ago, his father's remark would have had him laughing as well, but now he just felt disgusted.

Snake...I'm really sorry...

"Okay, okay. So yous were fuckin her, then out of the blue she sets some bigger guy on ya?"

Ace shook his head.

"N-not exactly...she told me she had a date, n that she was still seein' him..."

His father looked surprised.

"An' yous just accepted dat?"

"Wh-why wouldn't I?" Ace hated how timid his voice sounded.

"She's in your gang and yous were fuckin her! Little whore was yours, boy – she ain't got no right to let anyone else put his hands on her unless you say so!"

"I-I don't think they had..." Ace mumbled.

"Don't be such an ass!" His father snapped. "She's a Chink – she'll have spread 'em first chance she got on instinct! Why do ya think dey do so much porn? Yous were soft on her and she's played ya for it. S'what ya get fer showin weakness."

No! No! Snake ain't like dat, it wasn't like dat...

Was it?

It was all Ace could do to nod his head and hope the tears didn't fall.

"Best thing is to forget the little whore." He heard his father say. "She's outta yer hair now – let the guy she's fuckin deal with her. She's his problem, so make sure she ain't yours from now on."

"Probably gonna wind up dead or in a whorehouse within a year." His mother added, earning a nod of agreement from his father. "Girls like her always do when they start messin' about with guys."

Ace wanted to protest, to insist Snake wasn't like that and that it had been his fault. Hell, his father would probably fucking approve of him trying to rape Snake, if the way he had been speaking today were any judge...

But he couldn't even lift his head to look at them. Arturo said talking things through with his parents always made him feel better, but Ace just felt sick after listening to his! He just stared at his hands, clenching them so tightly his nails bit into his palms.

"Ah, fer fuck's sake!" His father slammed his tumbler on the table, making Ace look up. "If yer gonna sit around mopin yous can do it in yer room!"

Carefully, Ace got up from the table and made to move upstairs. His mother grabbed his arm as he passed.

"Ya used a rubber with her, right?" She hissed at him. Ace nodded at her dumbly before passing her and climbing up the stairs. As he crossed the landing to his room, he heard his father speak.

"Even Ace ain't dat fuckin' stupid, Sofia!"

He didn't go back downstairs until his father had left, then went down to get something to eat. He found his mother in an armchair, diligently working her way through a pack of cigarettes as she watched TV. She looked up at him, but said nothing as he walked into the kitchen. Ace looked through the cupboards and was relieved to see that there were a few cans of tomatoes and some pasta. As he set the water on to boil, he heard his mother call to him.

"Ya cookin' somethin' fer dinner?"

"Yeah, Mama. Yous want some?"

He knew the answer, could see his mother's lips pursing before she answered.

"Yeah, I might eat a bit." She called back. "Make sure ya put some aside for yer Papa too."

Ace measured out some more pasta.

"I will, Mama." He replied, before working on the sauce.

To his surprise, when he had done serving up, his mother was sitting down at the table. He tried not to wince as she coated the dish with pepper before she'd tasted it or even added any cheese, her tastebuds long burned into uselessness by her smoking. She studied him as he sat down with his own dinner, waiting for him to start eating before she spoke.

"Yer Papa was only tryin to help ya earlier, ya know." She said. "I know he ain't good at it, but it was what he was doin."

"I know, Mama." Ace said softly, stirring the cheese into his pasta.

"Good." She replied, pausing to take a mouthful. "Thing is, the Copular family name means somethin in Townsville..."

Only because of Nonna. Ace thought ruefully, but let her continue.

"So yeah, yous gotta think about what ya do and how it'll make us look." She jabbed her fork in his direction. "Yer Papa has done a lot ta keep this family respected, an yous need ta do the same. It's bad enough ya hang out with the big retard, dat zombie freakshow with the eyes and dat disgustin' beaner munchkin -"

Ace focussed on his pasta, trying to ignore his mother's racist rant. He knew his mother and Arturo's hated one another, though Maria de la Guerra had never extended this hatred onto Ace in all the years he had known her. Trying to stand up for Arturo never ended well, so he let her continue.

"...I mean, people would understand if she were pretty, but she's not. Besides, she'd have a better figure if she were a boy! People just won't overlook the fact a Copular was fucked around by something like her."

Ace found he was struggling to keep his appetite, but ploughed on regardless. His mother wasn't the type to be off-put by her son's discomfort.

"...yous would just be too ashamed to show ya face, if people found out..."

"I get it, Ma." He muttered. "S'not like I'm gonna be seein' much of Snake now anyways."

His mother frowned at him.

"Pity yer not gonna stop seein so much of the other three freaks along wit her." She sneered. "Ya'd find things a lot easer if ya did."

"I said I get it, Ma!" Ace snapped, glancing up at his mother angrily. She rolled her eyes at him and returned to her meal without further response.

"How is it?" Ace looked up at her after a few moments of silence. She chewed for a second longer, then swallowed loudly.

"Ya know I can't taste nothin,' Ace." She replied.

The next morning, when his mother had left to go to the store and his father was sleeping off his hangover, Ace opened the door to find Lil Arturo waiting for him.

"You not even dressed yet?" He looked Ace up and down as he stepped through the door without waiting for an invitation. Ace flushed, looking down at his bathrobe.

"I was just getting' dressed when yous knocked." He replied, lowering his voice. "What're yous even doin' here? Ya know my Ma hates ya, and my Pa's asleep upstairs – yous know what he's like if he gets woke up!"

Arturo looked from him to the stairs. As Ace's oldest friend, Arturo was the only one who knew just how frightened Ace was by his father – and knew it was justified! The others had only heard what Ace told them – which bordered on hero-worship. It was something the two childhood friends would often disagree on.

"Ehh," Arturo shrugged, "S'not like I was plannin' on stayin' long anyhow. I jus wanted to see if you was ok." He gave Ace a reproachful look. "Yous didn't answer my messages, so when I saw your Ma leave I came over."

Ace frowned, then gestured for Arturo to follow him up to his room.

"My cell's in my jacket." He murmured as he closed the door. Picking up his jacket, he fished the phone out of his pocket.

"Huh, I think the battery ran out...oh, no it ain't..."

The phone came to life when he pressed the power button, revealing it had three bars of battery left. As he turned it to show Arturo the screen, it vibrated and displayed that he had several messages pending.

"I guess it musta switched off when yous hit de car." Arturo guessed.

"Uh-huh." Ace looked through the texts. He had four: three from Arturo and one from Grubber.

"None from Snake though..." he sighed.

Arturo gave him an incredulous look.

"Ace...did yous honestly think Snake would wanna talk to yous after what you...after what happened?"

Ace bit his lip, knowing his friend was right. Of all the people he could expect to text him, Snake wouldn't even make the list. It would be more likely that his Nonna would text him from Italy first.

"I guess not." He replied, reaching up to wipe his eyes. "I just...I...it sounds crazy, Arturo but...it wasn't me dat tried ta rape Snake."

"It sure looked like yous, Ace..."

To his credit, Arturo didn't laugh at him, but he was clearly unconvinced.

"I-I know, it was me dat did it, sure..." he paused, trying to think of what to say next. "But... I didn't...it wasn't...it wasn't me in control when I did it. One minute we were on da couch drinkin soda, then he was on the floor..."

Arturo looked at him for a few seconds, clearly thinking about what to say.

"It makes no sense, Ace, but...I believe yous." He said. "But I've known yous for years. I don't think Snake is gonna buy it, though."

Ace's shoulders slumped.

"I know..." he looked down at his friend. "Have...have yous heard from Snake at all?"

Arturo nodded.

"Si. He replied. "He text me back this morning. He's...been with his...with HIM since he left us the other day."

Ace swallowed before he responded.

"Guess dat makes sense." His voice sounded tiny. "Did...did he say anything else?"

"He said he's okay, just...shaken up. He was sorry that we found out who he was datin' the way we did, and...he hoped yous wasn't too badly hurt."

Ace looked up in surprise.

"He..he did?"

"Si. I don't think he expected HIM to fling you around so bad...probably not at all."

Ace sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"Ain't like I didn't deserve it." He replied, bending down to pick up his pants. "I suppose I'd better finish getting dressed – I need ta get outta here."

They both listened as Ace's father gave out a loud, drawn-out snore.

"Can't say I blame yous." Arturo replied, before gaping at Ace's back. "Dios mio!"

Ace paused in the act of pulling on his sweater, turning to face his friend.

"What's wrong, Arturo?"

"Your back...it's all one big bruise! No wonder yous could hardly walk the other day – you're lucky it wasn't broken."

Ace winced, pulling the shirt over his torso.

"Yeah, I guess so." He grabbed his jacket. "C'mon, let's get outta here before Ma gets home and finds ya."

They met up with Big Billy and Grubber at the hideout. Grubber had examined Ace's bruises, also remarking about how lucky he was not to have broken his back.

Ace decided they should go to the arcade – he was still too shaken and his back was starting to ache. As there were no protests, they set out from the hideout.

They were only a few blocks away from the arcade when they saw Belinda leaving the clothes shop next door. Despite Ace's hopes, she turned and started walking towards them. He could feel the others tense as she got closer, her attention on a list in her hand. She seemed cheerful as she folded the list into the back pocket of her shorts, but when her eyes fell on the gang her expression froze, then turned thunderous when they stopped at Ace. As one, the gang stopped, trying to look in any direction but at her. She stopped, mid-step, for a moment, her gaze fixed on Ace.

"Yousss..." Her voice came out as a low hiss, her tongue flickering out in a way so reminiscent of her brother that Ace felt a twinge in his stomach.

Of course he would have told her...

He didn't try and defend himself – there was no point – when she stormed up to him and slapped him hard across the face.

"You bassstard!" She shrieked. "Everything my brother'sss done for youssss and you try to rape himssss?!"

"It wasn't like dat." Ace muttered. "It wasn't...I didn't..."

"Don't even trysss to lie to messs." She lunged forward, fists raised, but Big Billy stepped forward and caught her before she could land a blow.

"Get offss messs!" She struggled in the cyclops' grip for a few moments.

"Duh...please stop, Miss Belinda." Billy pleaded, trying to position his hands as respectfully as he could around the wriggling form. As it became clear that she wasn't going to be able to escape Billy's grip, she stopped struggling and glared at Ace hatefully.

"HIM sshould have broken both your armsss..." Her voice was low, but they were all close enough to hear her. They all gaped at her in disbelief.

"Youss...youss knew Snake was dating HIM?" Ace managed. Belinda snorted.

"Whoss do you think introduccced them?" She growled.

For a moment, Ace could do nothing but stare at her as he remembered Snake telling him that Belinda had set him up on that first date...

"Ehh, you do know who HIM is, right Belinda?" Arturo piped up, distracting her from her glares. She turned to look at him.

"Of course I do – he's a good friend of mine! Not to mention a much better boyfriend to my brother than he" she flashed a glance in Ace's direction "could ever have been."

This was too much for Ace.

"He's a fuckin' psycho, ya crazy bitch!" He snapped, regretting it instantly when Belinda sneered at him.

"Yet since they started dating, Sanford has been happier than he ever was when he was moping after you! HIM treats my brother the way he deserves, and you couldn't stand it that he was happy without you, could you?"

Her arms crossed under her chest, cocking her head.

"I saw through you, even if my brother couldn't. You wanted Sanford to be on stand-by, for those times that you couldn't find a girl stupid enough to screw you..."

Ace opened his mouth to protest, to scream that she was wrong...but he realised that he couldn't...

...she was right...

"It didn't matter to you what you were doing to him, not if you were getting what you wanted, and if you weren't you would just abuse him till you did. So when he actually got a boyfriend who treated him properly, you thought you could just do the same thing as you always had to get him back. But it won't work, Copular! My brother finally saw you for what you really are the day before yesterday, so you're never going to get near him again!"

Ace's head had hung down while she was talking, but he looked up at her now.

"An' yer just lovin' dat, ain't ya?"

He tried not to cringe at the tremor in his voice. Before him, Belinda's smirk froze for a split-second and she seemed to regard him for a little longer. But then she shrugged, and pushed past them to continue down the street.

"My brother is happy, Copular." She said softly. "So yeah, I'm happy too. That's all I ever wanted for him. See you guys later."

Unbelievably, she waved to the others with an apologetic glance before walking away. She left Ace and the gang in a deafening cloud of silence. Nobody knew what to say.

Deep down, Ace felt sick with embarrassment at the encounter. Even a week ago, he would have laughed off anything Belinda said to him, but today her words had cut more than he could have ever managed.

"C'mon yous guys." He said softly, turning back to the arcade. "Let's go."

He'd lost Snake; today had proven that. He had nobody to blame but himself for it either - not in a way that people could believe, at least. He would just have to accept it...

...and hope that, one day, he'd be able to tell Snake that he was sorry.