Desolate World

"Nice earrings, you looked stunning," Ace said as he saw Sofia's new accessory. Before, he wondered what her family got from the mission completion. At that moment, he knew that his wife got a pair of blue earrings. He believed that her wife got more.

"Do you like it?" Sofia said while beaming. 

Ace then did a howling gesture.

"Awu…. Can I eat you tonight?" Ace then said with a naughty smile.

Sofia then pushed him out and said, "You rascal!"

Ace liked to tease her. As he wanted to 'throw another ball'...

*Bang*

The door was shut by Sofia. She said, "You are too much. Remember your age!"

It made him dumbfounded. He felt he didn't make any mistakes to deserve such treatment.

'Was what I did too overkill?' He asked in his heart.

He really couldn't understand women. If he treated her coldly, she would ask if he didn't love her anymore. If he teased her a little bit too much, she would say that he was too much. It made him confused about how to act.

"Do you know what was your mistake?" He heard Sofia's voice from inside. 

'What mistake?' Ace complained in his heart.

Then he smiled evilly. He had a good idea. Then he activated the effect of his new cloak. His body then disappeared in a second.

As he didn't immediately answer, Sofia then asked again, "Are you there, honey?"

He still didn't answer. He just stood beside the door silently. 

"Honey!?" Sofia asked a little loud. It seemed that she started to think that something was wrong.

Not getting an answer, She then opened the door a little and took a peek. Of course, she wouldn't find him, even if he was just a meter away from her.

"Damn, he is gone. Did I do too much?" She asked.

'Yes, you did,' Ace said while nodding.

<Ace, I'm sorry, okay. I did too much,> Ace then heard her voice through the party channel. But Ace ignored it. He wanted to give a lesson to his wife.

Sofia then stepped out of the house. Ace saw her a little panicked. 

It made his heart soften. But then he thought it would be too early for him to show himself. He then decided to adhere to his earlier plan. 

He then entered the house and….

*Bang* 

He closed the door.

He then heard hurried steps outside. The door then was knocked on several times.

"Open the door! I don't believe that I fell for that trick. Ace, Open now! Or…," Sofia said harshly. 

"Let me guess. You will lock me out. But unfortunately, I am inside now, and you are outside. So I guess our positions are reversed now. Hahaha…," He said.

In fact, he was a little happy. It seemed level 10 stealth was worthy of its name. Even if he talked, he didn't quit from his stealth state. At that moment, he understood the description of the effect of the cloak. 

As long as he wasn't successfully attacked or did an attack, he wouldn't quit the stealth state. Even if he talked or even shouted he would still be able to maintain his stealth state. Actually, he wanted to try something else.

"Open now! Or you will regret it!" Sofia seemed to be a little serious.

"Or what?" Ace then asked.

"I will…. Huh?" Then Ace heard Sofia's voice from behind him. 

It shocked him to his core. He couldn't understand how she did that. As he turned back, and saw Sofia was there with a confused expression.

'Is it teleportation? Wow!' Ace exclaimed in his heart. 

He then saw Sofia's shoes. And he was right. She was wearing a new pair of shoes. It was surely the effect of her shoes. What made him feel pity was that it was a woman's boots. So, he couldn't 'lend' it. It could be seen by their girlish features. 

"Honey! Where are you?" Sofia asked and then looked around. Apparently, she didn't think that he could enter a stealth state. She then turned back. 

Ace then had a sudden urge. Maybe, he could also test that. He then approached her without controlling his steps. She seemed to haven't been able to hear his steps. Ace felt it was amazing. Imagining he could be completely unnoticed, made him excited. 

He then tried to leap not too high. But Sofia still couldn't realize his presence. He even couldn't hear the sound of his own landing, which would be pretty loud if he was not in a stealth state.

'Damn, it's too overpowered,' He said in his heart.

"Ace. Stop doing silly things. I will be really angry if you don't come to me now," Sofia then said. 

After waiting for a few minutes, he saw Sofia had given up on searching him in that room and intended to go in the kitchen direction. 

He just followed her. As he came in front of Sampson's room, Ace found that he hadn't gone home. As Cloud's room was next to Sampson's, he realized that she was still awake. She seemed to have prepared to sleep.

Next to Cloud's room was Geo's room, he heard his stable breath. It meant he had fallen asleep. Ace then followed Sofia to their room that was a little farther in the back. 

Sofia then entered their room. Ace had to do a kind of acrobatic move by jumping over her, so he could enter the room. She then closed the door.

"Stupid Ace, I don't know how, it seems he went out by transforming into bats. Is he angry?" Sofia asked.

It seemed like she guessed that Ace had gone out by turning himself into bats. 

Well, with his speed and his bat form, he definitely could fly pretty fast, without her seeing him. But it was still too difficult for him to do that, as she suddenly appeared behind him. Even if he had an ultra-fast response, he would still be stunned by her transportation. As he had never seen her do that. So, she was wrong this time.

***