Chapter 4: 03: double jeopardy

03: double jeopardy

 

He was supposed to Awaken a fire Ability. That was the intention behind his name - Ashe. With [Ember], he would burn all opposition to ashes. Thematically, he would rise from the ashes of his own tragedy. Even Ashton's Ability, [Squall], was only supposed to supplement his. Wind amplifies fire, spreads it, turns small flickers into a flame or an inferno.

(Lack of wind - air - can smother fire, too. Suffocate it, strangle it in the womb. Leave it to wither and die alone until naught but darkness remains.)

Rather than painlessly erasing the Rotting Pests that killed his parents with ["Gone"] and choosing to fight against fate itself, he would set the whole house ablaze with [Skill: "Ignite"] and stir within himself a burning rage that would never go out. With no Knowledge to stamp out the sparks or instill a sense of maturity foreign to a child his age, Ashe would give in to the anger and hatred and embark on a road of revenge that would see him incinerate hundreds of thousands of monsters and conquer well over a thousand Gates, making him the undisputed strongest.

It would also make him a lot of human enemies. His lack of social graces and an ever erupting temper meant that in his self-destructive spiral, he would step on toes and piss off a lot of people, most without even noticing. He would then kill those who attempted to kill him but would otherwise pay no attention to even other S-Ranks. He would maintain a vicious vendetta against the beasts invading their world, and nothing would sway him from it.

That is, until they would bring his sister into it. Realizing correctly that she was his only weakness, Ashton would be lured into an ambush and kidnapped by members of a certain guild. This wouldn't normally be much of a problem. As soon as Ashe was informed, he could simply show up and burn everything down. One of his Skills, ["Unburning"], would allow him to bestow protection from his Ability onto others. Ashton would be safe from the firestorm, as she always was, and their enemies would get their due.

But Ashe and Ashton would not be the only targets of this farce. Attempting to kill two birds with one stone, they would turn their blades on Jasper, too, another S-Rank who would have angered the wrong people on the way to the top. Having no immediate family and unable to capture his love interest - the Female Lead, Marylin Burke, who, while A-Rank, possessed a tricky Ability that put her on par with S-Ranks - they settled for one of his closest companions, Riley Rae.

Meaning that when Ashe tracked his sister down to rescue her, he would run into the Protagonist, who would be in the midst of his own rescue. Too incensed to listen to reason, Ashe would then mistake Jasper for a collaborator and start a fight, as the true culprits would have intended, that would only end when Jasper used his Ability, [Replicate], to copy Ashe's ["Unburning"] and remove the protection around Ashton.

With the benefit of omniscience, Ashe knows now that Jasper had only intended to force Ashe to stop throwing fire around long enough for Jasper to convince him to work together, and that Ashe's Ability suddenly growing wildly out of control was due to outside influence, but that Ashe would only witness what happened as a result: Ashton being consumed by his own Ability, helplessly swept up in the flames, and her heart-wrenching screams of terror and agony as she burned to death, killed by his hand.

Killed by his hand.

Is it any wonder, then, that Ashe would go mad? That he would turn on humanity, too? That he would end the world and thus end the lives of every single human complicit in his sister's death and the plots of those monsters who made it possible in the first place? It makes sense to Ashe, of course, who understands himself to an unsettling degree and who knows without doubt or exaggeration that if something similar happens to him, he will do the same.

The only meaningful difference between himself and the Ashe of that unborn future is foresight, after all.

All of that is to say that Ashe is, understandably, wary of any interaction between Ashton and the Protagonist's party. Never mind that it was an unintended consequence. Never mind that Riley technically had no part in it and was, in fact, as much a victim as his sister in that situation. She and Jasper both are inextricably linked to Ashton's dark fate, and no amount of logic or reasoning can divorce the impression from Ashe's mind.

Unfortunately, his very valid concern is completely squandered on his sister, who knows nothing of Ashe's Knowledge or the truth of their world's humble origins, and so interprets Ashe's protests as nothing more than familial concern, the baseless paranoia of an overprotective older brother. Subsequently, she brushes off his every warning and worry with first, relentless teasing and then, exasperated annoyance. As the date looms ever nearer, he finds that he cannot convince her of the potential danger nor can he change her mind, and so that leaves him with but one recourse.

"I can't fucking believe this," Ashton says for the umpteenth time, giving him a nasty look from where he walks, discomfited, next to her. "You're really not gonna let this go, are you?"

Ashe doesn't deign to answer the accusation, knowing it to be rhetorical after several similar exchanges this morning. Instead, he stretches his senses, casting about for any sinister auras sequestered in the shadows or strange movements - really, anything at all that could hint at foul play.

"You've never cared about my dates before," she goes on complaining, unaware of his actions. "Seriously, what do you think is gonna happen? If you're worried about my purity or whatever, then, boy, have I got news for you. That ship sailed a while ago."

Yet another rhetorical. Ashton knows that he knows she's no longer a virgin because she made him high-five her when she got home after her first time and then proceeded to describe the experience in entirely too much detail, no matter how much he begged her to stop. He makes a face at being reminded, though, and Ashton rolls her eyes.

"If you can't handle the deets, then I can guarantee you don't want to watch me up close and personal," she threatens, realizing where his mind had just gone. "Besides, how am I even supposed to flirt when my fucking brother is watching, huh? I'm not into voyeurism or any of that creepy twin crap! Ugh, this is gonna be a shit show." She rubs a hand over her face, frustrated, but she doesn't tell him to fuck off or try to escape.

Ashe takes this as reluctant permission, as he has since the beginning, and continues his silent vigil. "You'll figure something out," he reassures her blandly, not particularly apologetic or averse to the idea of ruining her chances with this girl. It's not like anyone is good enough for Ashton, but those who might play some part in her death are very obviously unacceptable partners.

Ashton shoves his shoulder half-heartedly. "You're lucky Riley didn't mind me bringing you. She even brought someone for you to hang out with while you chaperone our date." Aggravation practically dripping off of those last three words, she shoves him again.

Not having been informed of this development, Ashe asks, alarmed, "Wait, who did she-?"

Suddenly, he senses an aura he recognizes (and one he doesn't) materializing out of nowhere behind them. Instinctively, without conscious thought, he whirls around to face it and makes eye contact with a very familiar pair of pretty pink eyes.

Those eyes flash with recognition and then seem to sparkle, curving alongside an equally beautiful blooming smile. "My angel!" Jasper Hart, the Protagonist, calls out happily, loudly, and without shame.

"Fuck," Ashe curses, unhappily, quietly, and drowning in all of the shame Jasper seems to lack. 

He miscalculated. Although he had been worried about an ambush, he hadn't actually expected one. Not this early and not when Ashe's real identity is unknown. Sure, he's somewhat notorious, but only as a hidden figure, a powerful unregistered Player who's never shown his face. He's learned from his other self's mistakes and taken to conquering Gates either secretly (i.e. sneaking in before anyone else) and/or while wearing a mask. This has, of course, earned him a certain reputation as well as a ridiculous Title (Seriously, fuck the System), but no one would or should be able to link him back to Ashton, a relatively popular registered Player who is all the more renowned for being so strong while unaffiliated with any Guild. 

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To be honest, he had mostly come along to assuage a lingering fear that the Narrative, angered by Ashe's thwarting it at every turn, would attempt to set in motion the events that would lead to his sister's death. Things are obviously changing already. It's not crazy to think that events could be sped up rather than being avoided entirely. One need only look to the handsome, pink-haired hero greeting him with a bright grin and an asinine nickname like they're old friends for proof of that.

"Oh? Do you two know each other?" A woman wearing glasses and a boater hat with long, muted red hair tied into a messy braid asks of Jasper, a curious tilt to her painted lips. Riley Rae, presumably.

Ashton, her long, curly, blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail rather than cascading wildly down her back like usual because she's pretending to be a put-together person for her date, looks at Ashe like she's never seen him before. "What?? Do you actually talk to people other than me?? Do you have, like, friends or something??"

Ashe frowns at her, not understanding the overblown reaction. "Obviously. You're friends with them too." Or rather, Ashton made friends, and Ashe puts up with them. None of them let him get away with saying as much, which is annoying, but the point stands. He talks with Matt, Cherry, and Leo on a regular basis, if only because they seek him out when Ashton isn't around.

"No, yeah, our friends, I get," she says, waving dismissively. She then peers at him suspiciously. "But are you being social behind my back???"

He turns his head, avoiding her probing eyes. "No." Unfortunately, that just means he's looking at Jasper again, who is watching the two of them with a strange smile.

"He's the one that got away," Jasper explains, addressing Riley. His strange smile has been tucked away, replaced by a sheepish grin. "He fell right into my arms, like an angel falling from heaven. But he vanished before I could learn his name."

Riley quirks an amused grin. "Hence the pet name."

"Fell from where, exactly?? And when??" Ashton asks, bewildered. 

Jasper answers her, amiably, "It was last Tuesday. From the TV Station downtown. Either that, or the building next to it. He wouldn't say."

She punches Ashe on the arm, but his S-Rank endurance means he barely feels it. "Dumbass! Why wouldn't you tell me that!"

Considering she knows he's more than capable of surviving a fall from that height, Ashe is fairly certain she means his meeting with the newest S-Rank. "It didn't come up," he defends himself. It's not like she said, "Hey, did you meet anyone last Tuesday?" Or "Have you met the newest S-Rank?" As a vessel for all of the knowledge in the universe, if he has to start volunteering unasked for information, he'll never run out of things to say. It's not a habit he's eager to start.

"You are impossible," Ashton tells him. Ignoring his indignant expression, she smiles sunnily and greets their spectators. "Hi! My name is Ashton, and this is my twin brother, Ashe. He's older by two minutes, but he's stupider, too, so it evens out."

Letting out a boyish laugh, Jasper nods in greeting. "Nice to meet you. My name is Jasper." To Riley, he says, "I see why you like her. She's fun." He looks at Ashe as he says it, though, giving the words an entirely different meaning.

Not understanding but finding it distasteful anyway, Ashe wrinkles his nose in disgust and looks away.

"Now that we're all acquainted, what do you say we get a jump on this double date?" Ashton suggests, abandoning Ashe to link arms with Riley, who smiles prettily and winks at Jasper, and ambling away, toward the Gate they'd previously booked. (Even Ashe knows Gate Raids aren't the kind of thing you do on a date, but his sister has always been a little unconventional. Her weird tastes have never prevented her from getting second dates, though, so he guesses her taste in women is equally strange.)

Left behind, Ashe swallows his protest - it isn't a double date; he's here to protect her - and frowns at Jasper, who had just laughed unprompted.

He gives Ashe an appreciative once over. "Can't say I expected to run into you again so soon, Ashe. This is a pleasant surprise."

"More like a nightmare." Ashe grimaces, turning to follow his sister before she escapes his line of sight. He doesn't trust her not to try to ditch him if the opportunity arises.

"I'm a little disappointed you didn't throw yourself into my arms this time, but I guess that was pretty forward of you for our first meeting," Jasper continues, unfazed, moving to keep pace beside him.

"I didn't throw myself into your arms," Ashe denies heatedly. "I fell. I didn't even know you were there."

Jasper's smile widens. "Right. You had a plan to save yourself. Some sort of Teleportation Skill?" He watches Ashe's face closely and concludes, "No, I don't think it was. Something to do with invisibility, then? Or incorporeality, perhaps? Oh, that's it, isn't it? Fascinating." Apparently able to discern information from Ashe's microexpressions, Jasper asks and answers his own questions without any actual input from an increasingly vexed Ashe.

"What does it matter?" He demands, in an attempt to change the subject. He also attempts to clear his expression, but he's never been very good at that. (Ashton's told him he has a "resting bitch face" which apparently makes him seem unapproachable, but since that's an effect he wants, he's never made much of an effort to change it.)

"I suppose it doesn't, really," Jasper admits easily. "I was just curious about your Ability." He shoots Ashe a roguish grin, pretty pink eyes twinkling merrily. "Because, well, my Ability allows me to copy other Abilities, and so far, there have only been two exceptions: a woman with the Ability to nullify other Abilities - and you."

Oh shit.

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