"Ash?" Marceline asked in confusion.
"Wow you dated this guy for a long time, yet you can't tell when he's not himself, worst ex ever." Ash spoke, as Marceline questioned what he was talking about, as she saw Ash seemed off, his smile wasn't his usual cocky smile, but a usual smile with a sense of evil, and his eyes glimmered with a sense of wicked, as Marceline flashed back to when she watched the video on Darren's laptop.
"Insanity?" Marceline asked unsure of herself as Ash's smiled widened.
"And the winner is Marceline, yeah it's me." Ash answered.
"What the hell." Marceline yelled out.
"What?" Ash asked.
"Y-you're suppose to be dead, that video was over a thousand years old, and how are you inside Ash?" Marceline questioned, as Ash let out a frustrated sigh.
"Okay I'm going to explain this as simple as possible. I, you're still with me here, am what you people call, ghost, ghoul, evil spirit or what ever the fuck the media has come up for their shitty networks long ago. What I simply am is a psyche of my past self, how I'm here, I don't exactly age, as for your ex here, he just made a deal with me, I'm going to leave it as that. Also he brought you a gift." Ash spoke as he grabbed his bag on the side of his leg, and tossed it to Marceline. Marceline caught it as it landed in her hands with a the sound of a slush. Marceline hesitantly opened the bag to show the bag was full of Wizard City Guard's eyeballs, her eye twitched slightly as she tossed the bag away. "What didn't like." Ash asked with a smile.
"You know I'm actually glad you're here, and in Ash's body. I get to kick his ass, and your ass, for sending that ass hole here." Marceline said as she grabbed her axe base from here back, holding it firmly floating towards Ash. Ash simply yawned as he pulled out a lighter. "And what is that going to-" Marceline stopped mid-sentence as she saw Ash pull out Hambo from his back.
"Marcy, help me, he's going to burn me." Ash mocked a high pitched voice as he held Hambo over the lit lighter. Marceline floated there half scarred gasping each time Ash placed Hambo too near the fire. "You're going to listen to me?" Ash asked, as Marceline shook her head, eyes fixated upon Hambo. "Good will you take a seat please." Ash asked motioning his hand for Marceline to sit on her couch. Marceline obeyed, as she floated backwards and sat down, eyes still on Hambo. "Was that too hard." Ash asked as he got up from the chair. "Now then Marceline, I simply have a ….request from you." Ash spoke walking back and forth in front of her tossing Hambo in the air and catching him. Marceline holding herself back from getting Hambo, and killing Ash. "You help me, I help you." Ash said, as he tossed Hambo to Marceline, as she caught it, she starred at Hambo then to Ash in disbelief of what he just did. As her rage came back to her as she placed Hambo on the couch grabbed her axe base, she flew directly at Ash grabbed his throat and slammed him to the ground.
"That was the dumbest thing you could have done." Marceline told him, as she raised her axe base above her head.
"So you don't wanna hear my offer, I promise it's worth a 1000 times more valuable to you then Hambo." Ash told her a smile still on his face.
"There's nothing you got that I want." Marceline sneered as she brought the axe down.
"Not even the return of Simon Petrikov" Ash said as Marceline stopped the axe base inches away from Ash's throat. Marceline brought Ash's face to hers.
"What do you mean." Marceline growled as Ash simply smiled and broke her grasp from Marceline.
"I give you something you want, you give me something in return." Ash told her getting up, as Marceline pushed him back to the ground.
"You're not making any sense." Marceline yelled losing her patience.
"It's simpler if I showed you. Do you mind taking me to Simon." Ash asked in a nice tone, Marceline was about to yell at him. " I mean what reason do you have not to see the man you hold dear to your heart one more time."
"I swear if you-"
"I promise everything shall be clear when we get there, as well that I will not harm him." Ash promised holding his hand to his heart closing his eyes as he lifted the other hand in the air. As Marceline look at him with such hate, as she grabbed him by the collar and floated out of her house placing her base on her back.
"You do anything I won't hesitate to drop you." Marceline said as Ash looked towards the ground seeing they were 1000 ft above the ground. The two floated towards the Ice Kingdom, the ride being silent, almost as Ash continued to ask questions pissing off Marceline with every word he spoke.
Inside the Ice King was sitting on his recliner, looking at his foot with a drawing on it. As a person flew through his window smashed at the wall then fell to the ground slightly groaning, as he attempted to get up. "Hey uh you all right?" Ice King asked not sure what to make out of the situation.
"He's fine." Ice King heard a similar voice he turned to see Marceline coming through his window.
"Marceline, how have you been. Also whose the guy." Ice King asked as Ash got up from the ground.
"No, no, that wasn't too rough." Ash said as he got up and popped his back hearing the cracks. "Man that's gonna hurt when I leave this body."
"Hey, you said everything will be clear, and I have yet to see any proof of anything." Marceline yelled at him as Ice King was standing there confused of what was happening around him.
"Fine, first, Ice King take of your crown." Ash told.
"What why?" Ice King asked taking offensive, as his hands began glow a bright blue ready to attack.
"We're going to help get a princess." Marceline told him drily.
"Oh goody all right." Ice King said as he took off his crown. "All right now what?" Ice King asked, as Ash got next to him placed his hand on his head. "Uhhh." Ice King let out feeling uncomfortable with the contact. Ash raised his hand and snapped his fingers, the Ice King fell to the ground face first.
"Simon." Marceline screamed as she grabbed and threw Ash to the wall again this time causing cracks along the icy wall. "Simon wake up. I swear if you did anything to him I will-"
"Marceline." An old voice she hasn't heard in a long time was heard. "Marceline is that you?" The voice said again but weak. Marceline turned towards the Ice King to see him looking at her. "Marceline." Simon asked once more.
"S-Simon." Marceline asked voice shaky, and cracking from holding back tears. "Is it you." She asked.
"Marceline it is you, oh Marceline how long I've waited to-" Simon's words cut short as a snap of fingers were heard as he became unconscious.
"Simon, SIMON." Marceline screamed, as Simon groaned rubbing his head.
"What happened?" Ice King's voice was heard once more, as Marceline's heart sank. "Hey where are those Princess's you promi-" Ice King started as a similar snap of fingers was heard, as he became unconscious once more. Marceline turned around to see Ash.
"Man it's like turning off a switch." Ash said with a chuckling a bit, as Marceline screamed and soared through the air claw ready to rip off Ash's throat. "Touch me and what ever is left of Simon Petrikov dies." Ash spoke as Marceline stopped right in front of him. "Good, now then Marceline what about it do we have a deal." Ash asked her as he walked around her in a circle.
"What...exactly is the deal." She asked as kind as possible , not trying to be rude or harsh. She had a slight chance to have Simon with her, the first within 1000 years to hve her father figure back.
"Not much, just to help me in some favors that I will have from time to time. And in return, well you just saw what I could do for your friend there" Ash said still walking around her.
"What exactly are the favors." Marceline questioned.
"Can't say." Ash said.
"Look I need to know so I-"
"Fine, fine I can see Simon doesn't matter to you. I'll just leave." Ash said preparing to leave through the window.
"NO WAIT." Marceline cried out, as Ash stopped and turned towards her.
"This is once in a life time offer Marceline, and in your standing literally once in a life time. So here's as simple as I'm going to put it." Ash said as Marceline listened intently. "Going once." Ash yelled as he backed away from her towards the window, as Marceline understood, either take it or leave it. "Going twice, going-"
"I'll do it." Marceline spoke.
"Great, now then." Ash said as he extended his arm towards her as Marceline looked at the hand. "Well come on, shake my hand." Ash told her opening and closing his hand as Marceline grasped it. Ash took a firm grip of her hand as her palm began to burn in agonizing pain. Marceline let out yelps and screams of pain trying to free her hand from Ash. "Oh be quiet, don't you think it burns for me too." Ash grunted as he finally released Marceline as she put her palm on the ice a hissing sound could be heard as steam rose. She looked towards her palm to see a symbol of a two sided sword with the middle curved in, as it had a ring touching the hilt and the tip of the sword. "There we have a contract now. First thing I want you to do, cover that thing up I don't want Darren knowing I'm anywhere near him." Ash said looking at his burned palm as well, as Marceline thought over what he just said. Getting up she stood looking at him with a smile on her face as she crossed her arms.
"Why? Are you scared of him." Marceline humored, as Ash stopped what he was doing standing completely still till he turned towards her, Marceline still in the same position she was in. Ash walked towards her until he was in front of her face.
"Yeah so what." He asked of her, as her smile spread. "I don't see why you should be smiling. In the 30 minutes you've met me, I held you against your will over a bear, and using your past adoptive father as bargaining chips. And yet I still gave you a choice in the matter." Ash told her as her smile slowly faded. "I gave you options, I gave the opportunity to have something out of this, and yet I'm scared of him, if I'm this bad what do you think he's like." Ash finished as she slowly let the news sink in, as she judged who was the better person to trust. "Besides I wouldn't be talking, you just made a deal with me and your sign, is the sign of betrayal. And I doubt Darren will be so forgiving with you, if he knew you have anything to do with me, considering I placed him here." Ash told her as she took a gulp. "Good, now help me with him." Ash said motioning to the Ice King. Marceline didn't complain as she helped Ash pick up the Ice King as they carried him to his room.
"Why are you helping me move him?" Marceline asked expecting him to make her to do herself.
"Cause you got a sign and so did I." Ash said as he showed her his palm showing a shield with lines intertwining along each other to seem like a heart. .
"What does that mean? Also what does mine mean?" Marceline asked.
"Mine means protector, meaning I gotta make sure your friends and loved ones aren't harmed within our deal. So you can be at ease that I won't ask you to harm anyone you know, Darren is the exception. Yours mean betrayal, meaning if you disobey an order, the sign will consume you till...you die." Ash spoke as Marceline's eyes widened as her mouth was agape. "And there we go." Ash said as they placed the Ice King on his bed. "Marceline one more thing I need you to do."
"So for how long do I got to follow your orders?" Marceline asked while flying, she was carrying Ash towards her house.
"Hard to say. But hey, you'll get Simon back, upside right." Ash told her as they floated through the entrance of the cave. Ash was placed on the ground softly and walked inside Marceline's house as she followed close behind. Ash continued to walk till they were in the deepest part of the house. "So this is the basement?" Ash asked her looking at a wooden door on the floor.
"Yeah."
"Good." Ash spoke as his hands began to twitch, his head spun as black and purple smoke came from his mouth. Ash fell to the ground the cloud floated above the body as it soon touched the ground as it slowly shown to be a human figure cloud. "Damn I feel good." It spoke, as Ash groaned quietly rubbing his head looked up to the figure, then towards Marceline, his eyes turning to furry as he charged at her, and pinned her to the ground.
"You bitch, you left me back there, I'm going to ahhhh." Ash screamed as Marceline saw something on his throat a symbol of a circle with 8 arrows pointing out. Ash fell back to the ground, squirming in the ground in pain.
"Now now Ash, where's your manners." The figure spoke moving Ash towards the door, as he pushed Ash inside, Ash fell down the flight of stairs till he hit the ground hard. The figure marked the door, and the floor with the symbol in Ash's throat, and slammed the door shut. "Now Marceline you just have to make sure he stays alive, feed him, and that's it. Continue to follow orders and you'll have Simon within your grasp in no time." The figure spoke.
"Okay, and what do I call you?" Marceline asked as the figure pondered on that for a while.
"Call me. Insanity, it's been some time since I've been called that. Now then I'll show up from time to time, I'll ask you to do something and yada yada yada. Still make sure to cover that mark and not to tell Darren a word of this, got it." Insanity asked of her, his eyes were yellow, and had white jagged teeth.
"Yes." Marceline answered simply.
"Come on, don't seem so glum, you have a chance to have your life back, with the father figure you always wanted." Insanity told her, as he walked past her. Marceline turned around to find him gone, she turned her attention to the basement she opened the door to see Ash pounding on the air, she looked down to see the symbol glowing, it seemed to be containing Ash inside. Marceline closed the door, thankful that she didn't have to hear him. Marceline floated up towards her room, and fell with thump on her bed, rubbing her head feeling the scar left on her palm, she glared at it, then remembered she was close to freeing Simon. And all she had to do was obey an ass hole.
"Just hold on Simon, I'll bring you back soon." Marceline spoke as she covered herself with her blanket and let herself slowly fade to sleep.