Snake woke up the next morning in a sleepy daze, surrounded by the same blank four walls that he had grown accustomed to these last few weeks. As his thoughts started to clear, they fell on what had happened yesterday.
Ace. He turned to his side to see the other green man still fast asleep on his other side, his bare chest only partially covered by their blanket.
He peeked under the covers and saw that he too was naked and felt his face grow warm. So it wasn't just a dream then.
Smiling to himself, he wrapped an arm around Ace's sleeping form and pulled himself closer, causing him to stir. He wasn't quite sure what he expected his first time to be like, but despite the circumstances beforehand, it was… nice.
Ace had often bragged about his passionate sexual escapades in the past, often going into much more detail than he would've preferred to know; he couldn't look Melinda in the eye for months when they had started working at Super Savings. But despite this, Ace had been surprisingly gentle with him, almost hesitant once they got naked.
He never told Ace he was a virgin, knowing he would never let him live it down if he did. He could only hope he didn't reveal himself as the inexperienced idiot he was last night. The closest he had ever gotten to having sex before was when he and Ace snuck into a bar once as teenagers. A pretty brunette had caught Ace's eye, and under his order, he propositioned the girl's blonde, slightly awkward friend to get her out of the way. Even though he was already drunk, his hands shook the whole time.
The night had ended before they even got fully undressed, when the girl vomited on him and started crying about her ex. As gracefully as he could, he cleaned himself up in the bathroom and made his way back to the city dump.
"Man," Ace grinned when he came back the next morning. "What a night, huh? Never knew a human being could be that flexible."
"Yeah," Snake put on his best fake smile, trying his hardest to ignore Ace's disheveled hair and clothes, along with the hickeys on his neck. "It wasss pretty crazzzy, bosss."
"Ace," he whispered, gently shaking him awake. "Ace, are you up?"
"I am now," he groaned. He turned towards him with his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "What is it?"
"I…" Snake hesitated. There were so many things he wanted to ask him; Did you enjoy last night? Was I good? Does this mean… do you love…?
But instead, the only words that managed to slip past his lips were "Do you want to get breakfast?"
Ace sat up and yawned, lifting his arms up in the air and stretching out his back. Snake couldn't help but stare at his chest; lean but strong, and with a good amount of scars.
"I could eat," he said. "But I could use a shower first."
"You? Shower?" Snake raised an eyebrow and smirked. Ace rolled his eyes.
"Don't give me that. I shower. Sometimes."
"In that case," Snake sat up and scooted closer, half closing his eyes in a way he hoped looked seductive. "I could use a shower myself. And if we take one together we could save some water-"
Ace pulled back slightly. "Nah, I think I'll take one by myself. It gives me time to think, y'know?"
"Oh," Snake tried to hide to keep the hurt out of his voice. "Yeah, okay. Cool. I'll just take one after you then."
Ace nodded and reached over to grab his discarded clothes off of the floor. He was about to get up and get dressed until he noticed Snake was still staring at him.
"You mind turning around?"
"I…" Snake blinked. "Yeah, sure. Sorry."
As Snake turned his back toward Ace, he felt the bed shift as he stood up and the rustle of clothes as he got dressed. A few moments later, Ace appeared in front of him by the door, fully clothed with his signature sunglasses on. He turned back and gave him an expression that was unreadable before walking out.
He sat there in bed, listening as the shower water turned on in the bathroom next door and tried to fight the lump growing in his throat.
Maybe this is just how he is after sex, he told himself. Ace had never been the most cuddly of people in even the best circumstances.
Or maybe… maybe he had done something wrong. Or said something. Or, hell, maybe he actually was that bad in bed.
The sound of his stomach growling pulled him out of his thoughts. He sighed. Food did often ease his anxiety, and it's not as if there was anything better to do at the moment anyway.
He got up and got dressed before making his way towards the kitchen. Though on his way, he was stopped by Arturo, who was playing poker with Billy while Macho watched TV.
"Hey, man," his short friend greeted him. "Is everything alright?"
Snake paused and raised his eyebrows in question. "Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, I…" he hesitated. "We heard some… sounds, coming from you and Ace's room last night-"
Snake froze and felt all the color drain from his face. Oh god, oh god. They heard us. Shit. Shit. Fuck! I'm gonna have to change my name and go into hiding all over again-
"And I was worried that you and Ace were fighting again. It sounded like it might've even gotten physical. He's not mad at you for telling us about him shooting your dad, was he?"
Oh thank god, Snake breathed.
"We might've had a… small argument last night," Snake admitted. He crossed his arms and folded them across his chest. "Ace made me promise to not say anything, so he was upset. But I told him I felt you guys needed to hear the truth, so we could all be on the same page. After a bit of convincing, he understood."
"Really?" Arturo asked incredulously. "Just like that? Ace never forgives that easy."
Snake shrugged. "I guess he just understood that it was for the best."
"Well, if that's the case," Arturo said, still not entirely convinced. "I'm glad. I hate when you guys fight. And the last thing we need right now is to be fighting each other when the whole world's already against us, am I right?"
"Right," Snake smiled weakly.
Arturo looked like he was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by the phone hanging on the wall.
At the sound, all four men turned toward it and froze. It was the only phone in the entire hideout, and it only accepted and received calls from one number: Mojo Jojo's.
Sharing a terrified glance with the others, Snake reached for the phone and picked it up with a shaky hand.
"H-Hello?"
"I'm going to assume you know who this is and skip the unnecessary and time consuming pleasantries," Mojo's voice came through the other line.
"What do you want, Mojo?"
"It has come to my attention that you and the one who calls himself your leader has gone behind my back to conspire with my arch rival, the demonic entity who calls himself His Infernal Majesty," Mojo said.
If it was possible for his heart to stop while he was still standing, Snake's would've in that moment. How the hell did he know?!
"M-Mojo, I-"
"Mojo does not want to hear it," Mojo snapped. "I am calling for one reason and one reason only. Your sister is being held in a cell underneath my lair at this very moment, and unless you follow my instructions exactly, that is step by step, by the letter, with no shortcuts, I will force you to watch as I throw her into my lava pit alive before doing the same to you and the rest of your pathetic excuses of friends. And in case there is any doubt in your mind as to whether I actually have your sister…"
There was a rustle on the other line before a female voice came through that sliced Snake's heart in two.
"Snake?" Ivy asked over the phone. "What have you done this time?"
"Ivy!" he breathed. "Ivy, I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen, you have to believe me-"
"That's enough," Mojo took the phone back. "Now, what is your answer?"
Snake heard the shower turn off on the other side of the apartment. Arturo, Macho, and Billy were all looking at him, terrified.
"Tell me what you want us to do," he said. "Whatever it is, we'll do it. Just please-"
"Yes, yes," Mojo said, annoyed. "You'll have plenty of time to beg for mercy once the job is done. And if you do it correctly, I might consider listening."
Snake gulped. "What do you want us to do?"
"You will arrive at my lair within one hour. That is sixty minutes from now, or three thousand and six hundred seconds, and I will give you what you need for this particular mission. I do not trust you nor your friends, and especially not you and greasy green menace Ace together. So you will come by yourself, with no one and nothing else but the clothes on your back. Violating this instruction will lead to your sister's immediate death. Has Mojo made himself clear?"
"Yes," Snake said, "Very."
When Ivy finally started to come to, there were two things that she noticed right off the bat: She was down in what could only be described as a cell and tied to a chair, and Mojo Jojo, the most infamous supervillain in Townsville was grinning down at her.
"Oh good, you're awake," Mojo taunted. "You've been out for so long Mojo was starting to worry if you would wake up at all. Meaning of course, that you would be deceased as it is physically impossible for humans to truly sleep forever."
"Why… why am I here?" She slurred, her head still feeling hazy. "What do you want?"
Mojo leaned down towards her with his hands behind his back. "You will find out soon enough, Ms. Ingleberry. But first," Mojo pulled out a phone. "I have an important phone call to make."
Ivy felt her heart racing in her chest as she watched Mojo dial. As she heard the faint ringing sound on the other end, her mind went over the possibilities of who it could be.
Her first thought was her father. They had ended on bad terms, to say the least, and perhaps this was some sort of revenge. But, even that seemed to be a bit much for him. Perhaps Mojo kidnapped her thinking he could trade her for a ransom?
And then, she remembered what Snake had told her the last time they spoke.
"Look, we got ourselves into a bit of a tight spot. We owe some money to Mojo Jojo-"
Ivy's thoughts were interrupted when the phone stopped ringing and a faint voice was on the other line.
"I'm going to assume you know who this is and skip the unnecessary and time consuming pleasantries," Mojo said.
The person on the other line mumbled something she couldn't hear, and Mojo flashed his sharp teeth.
"It has come to my attention that you and the one who calls himself your leader has gone behind my back to conspire with my arch rival, the demonic entity who calls himself His Infernal Majesty."
His Infernal Majesty?! What the hell-
"Mojo does not want to hear it," Mojo interrupted the person on the phone. "I am calling for one reason and one reason only. Your sister…"
So she was right, this was about Snake. Of course it was.
"...unless you follow my instructions exactly, that is step by step, by the letter, with no shortcuts, I will force you to watch as I throw her into my lava pit alive before doing the same to you and the rest of your pathetic excuses of friends. And in case there is any doubt in your mind as to whether I actually have your sister…"
Mojo held the phone up to her ear. He nodded towards her, as if to say go on, beg for your life. She gave him the most intimidating glare she could manage while being tied up and in a cell. By Mojo's smirk, it wasn't very effective.
"Snake?" she asked over the phone. "What have you done this time?"
"Ivy!" her brother breathed. "Ivy, I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen, you have to believe me-"
"That's enough," Mojo took the phone back and held it up to his ear. "Now, what is your answer?"
Her brother's voice grew desperate and pleading, and Mojo rolled his eyes.
"Yes yes, You'll have plenty of time to beg for mercy once the job is done. And if you do it correctly, I might consider listening."
A short pause before Mojo continued. "You will arrive at my lair within one hour. That is sixty minutes from now, or three thousand and six hundred seconds, and I will give you what you need for this particular mission. I do not trust you nor your friends, so you will come by yourself, with no one and nothing else but the clothes on your back. Violating this instruction will lead to your sister's immediate death. Has Mojo made himself clear?"
After Mojo hung up the phone, he turned his attention back to her. "You should consider yourself lucky, Ms. Ingleberry," he told her. "Your brother appears to care for your well being a great deal."
Ivy scowled, trying her best to hide her fear. "I don't know what my brother has gotten himself into, but I had nothing to do with it-"
"Mojo does not care what you had to do with or what you didn't. I have had my eyes on you for a while now, and I am very aware of what you've been doing. No, the reason you're here is not because you've been involved with your brother's schemes. You are here for one reason and one reason only. Well, two reasons if we're being pedantic," Mojo said.
"First, is bait. In all my time as a supervillain, I have found that there are few things that create a sense of motivation like having a loved one in danger. And second, though equally important," Mojo stepped closer to her, until he completely blocked her field of sight. "Is that I need you to hack into the computer database of Professor Utonium."
"What the hell are you doing, man?!" Arturo asked Snake as he watched him flitting around the apartment in an anxious frenzy.
"I have to go meet Mojo," Snake said, not stopping to even take a breath.
"Snake. Snake!" Arturo grabbed his friend by the arm, forcing him to stop in his tracks. "I don't know what Mojo told you, but whatever it is, you can't just go off alone! What if it's a trap?"
"It doesssn't matter," Snake hissed. "That bassstard hasss my sssissster!"
"Your sister?" Arturo freed Snake's arm, and watched as he grabbed for his jacket and shoes. "Why?"
"It'sss a longsss ssstory," Snake grabbed a set of keys by the door, and reached for the handle.
"In that case, we definitely need to think of a game plan," Arturo said. "Ace should be out of the shower any second, and then we can think somethin that doesn't involve rushing into a suicide mission like a reckless idiota-"
"There's no time!" Snake snapped. "Mojo sssaid thisss isss sssomething I have to do by myssself. Otherwissse, he'sss going to kill usss all!"
"Snake," Arturo said, trying to reason with him, but he was already halfway out the door. "Snake man, come on! Come back and let us help you!"
But it was too late. Snake was already out and making his way to his destination. Arturo started to follow him, but was stopped by his father.
"Wait, Mijo. We'll figure something out."
"That dumbass is going to get himself killed!" Arturo cried.
"What dumbass?" Ace asked. Arturo and Macho turned around and saw Ace in a T-shirt and jeans, drying his wet hair with a towel.
"It's Snake man," Arturo said. "Mojo called and told him he has his sister, and told him to meet up at his lair for some secret mission he ain't allowed to tell us about."
"What?!" Ace yelled. "When did he leave?"
"Just now!"
"And you just let him go?!"
"I tried to stop him!" Arturo said. "What do you expect me to do, hold him down? Dude's like a foot taller than me!"
Wordlessly, Ace shot a glare at Macho and Arturo before he stormed into his bedroom. When he came out a few minutes later, he was holding the same gun he had used to shoot Snake's father.
"It saved his sorry ass once," he said. "Let's see if it will save it again." He looked around at the shocked expressions of the three men staring at him.
"What are you chumps waiting for?" he yelled. "Come on, let's go!"
Mojo flinched as his head felt like it was on fire. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and it took all of his self control to not vomit up everything in his stomach.
"Javier!" he snapped. "Turn down the light immediately!"
They were both sitting in Mojo's office, waiting for Mojo's headache to subside. Mojo was hoping, against his better judgment, that they would start to get better over time. But unfortunately, they have only gotten worse, and no amount of medications or personal concoctions he had made seemed to help.
Before, they would only last a few minutes at a time. But at least a half hour had passed and still the simian was nearly incapacitated with pain.
"Mojo?" Javier asked. "Are you alright?"
"Does Mojo look in any conceivable way alright to you?!" Mojo shouted. "I know your intellect is sorely lacking, but surely even a creature such as yourself can recognize that I am the furthest thing from alright imaginable!"
Javier walked over to him and reached out his hand to touch his head, only for Mojo to smack it away.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?!"
"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I was just-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Mojo snapped. "Just- just go. Sanford will be here any moment if he knows what's good for him. Meet him at the door and give him what he needs for his mission."
As Snake anxiously waited at the entrance of Mojo's lair, he was surprised to see when it wasn't Mojo who answered the door, but a tall, young Hispanic man who he vaguely recognized as one of Mojo's bodyguards.
The man looked him up and down. "Sanford?"
"Sssnake," he corrected, inwardly cringing at his speech impediment making itself present again. He cleared his throat. "Where's Mojo?"
"He isn't available," he said. "He sent me instead."
"Not available?" Snake asked incredulously. "He just called me."
"Mojo had some… personal business to take care of."
"Whatever," he snapped. "Right now, I care about one thing and one thing only; getting my sister back."
"Until you do what Mojo has asked, I'm afraid that would be impossible."
Snake straightened his back and forced himself up to his full height. Sadly, Mojo's lackey still had him beat by a good few inches.
"Look," he growled. "I don't know if you know who I am, and what I've done-"
"You're Sanford Dickens Ingleberry, known to most as Snake; disgraced son of Charles Ingleberry and second in command of the Gangreen Gang," the man said unfazed. "Of course I know who you are. Do you think Mojo would've sent me without telling me who you were?"
"My friends and I took down the Powerpuff Girls. We have connections to HIM. If I wanted to, I could get you dealt with in a heartbeat."
The man sighed. "Listen, I have no beef with you. I'm just doing what Mojo tells me to." Wordlessly, he grabbed a duffel bag and handed it to Snake. "And if you care about your sister, I'd suggest you do the same."
Snake winced as the weight dug into his shoulder. "What's in it?"
"Everything you'll need for the mission," he said. "A disguise, a digital communication device, and several explosives you're to put in designated locations of City Hall."
At the word "explosives," Snake felt himself grow nauseous.
"He still wants me to kill the Mayor," Snake whispered to himself in resignation.
"Yes," the man said. A look appeared in his eyes that might've been sadness, fear, or disgust. "But he doesn't just want you to kill the Mayor."
"There's more?"
"After the Mayor and everyone in City Hall is dead, he wants you to go on live television to tell the world that the Gangreen Gang took away the Powerpuff Girls' powers using a chemical he made himself, under his orders. He wants you to say that the city belongs to Mojo Jojo, as it always should've been and declare the Gangreen Gang as enforcers for his rule."
There was something in the man's expression that made Snake know he was holding something back. "What else?"
"I-" The man sighed. "Both as punishment for your betrayal, and to make sure that your leader will no longer be a threat to him… after the Mayor is dead and he's in charge, he's going to execute him. And he's going to make you be the one to do it."
K: Haha, thanks! It's definitely been exciting
GGGfan: Yeah, poor Ivy. She got roped into something bigger than she could've ever imagined. To be honest, I'm not even sure if Ace himself is completely clear on his feelings at the moment lol.
Anon: If there's one thing Ace is good at, (and the rest of the gang to a degree) it's making a mess. But yes, Snake is extremely loyal to those he loves, and it's both his greatest virtue and biggest downfall.
PPGGuy06: Maybe! We'll just have to wait and see
Anonymous User: I've had a few ideas. This fic still has a ways to go, but I would maybe like to write a prequel centered around Ace and Snake before they ran away together, or even something with Princess Morbucks when she's in high school or college. She's probably my favorite character outside of the gang. It just kinda depends on how I feel after this fic is done tho lol
Thanks again to everyone reading! Feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter! :D