Deuce and Ace (pt3)

Deuce joins Ace and Grim in sneaking into the kitchen during Book 5 but claims he is only there for a drink of water.

When Ace begins eating chocolate cake (against Vil’s orders) Deuce says, “I’m not looking. I don’t see any of this.” Ace shoves apple pie into Deuce’s mouth, making him into a “partner in crime” and Deuce responds, “I can’t let the slice go to waste now that I’ve bitten into it. If it’s just one piece…”

It is then revealed that Vil cursed the treats to immobilize them, with Deuce, Ace and Grim then left paralyzed on the floor in the kitchen together until the following morning. 

Ace insults Deuce’s intelligence in Book 5 to the point that Deuce snaps, running out of rehearsal in frustration.

Deuce then immediately reflects, “I had no business lashing out the way I did…Someone gives me justified criticism, and I go off on them. Man, I’m lame…”

Deuce takes Epel to the beach for a cathartic scream about how he is well aware of his faults but he is trying his best, and one day he really will change.

Deuce explains to Epel that his own “hard head” might actually be his strength: “I’m not smart enough to think about a lot of things at the same time. But that also means that once I put my mind to something, I can make a beeline for the goal without stopping.”

(Ace seems to agree with this, saying, “Deuce is like a boar who charges headfirst into everything. His internal brakes are busted.I feel like he sees me as a rival. I’d wipe the floor with him if he ever wanted to throw down, of course.”)

Deuce decides that he and Epel should play to their strengths and prove themselves to Ace (for him) and Vil (for Epel).

After returning from the beach Deuce confronts Ace directly, telling him that while Ace was right and he isn’t as smart as Ace himself, he won’t be letting Ace outshine him. Ace responds, “Did he just declare war on me? Is he nuts? That knucklehead wouldn’t outshine me in a million years.”

Deuce and Ace work well together during Deuce’s dream of Book 7 and Grim successfully wakes Deuce up by pointing out that dream-Ace would never be so nice to him.

Deuce sees a montage of Ace insulting him in various ways, including his comment from Book 5, and tells Dream-Ace, “The REAL Ace is way more inconsiderate and annoying than you!”