Magic from the Heart The Conclusion!
When Ace awakened after a few minutes, which felt more like hours to him, he found himself in the grip of a giant robot. Looking at the face of all red and yellow, he knew what was happening. "The missing construction robot?"
"Oh, so you've noticed," said a grumpy voice with a cough. Ace looked down and realized who spoke.
"Black Jack! I should've known this was a trap for me."
"Of course, Ace. You've bothered me, ruined my plans, and gotten too close to my daughter long enough. I'm going to let this robot finish you off once and for all!"
Ace struggled desperately to get himself free of the monster machine. I can't get out of this, he thought to himself. That blow Spade gave me won't let me concentrate long enough to call on the Magic Force or to break this grip mentally. If Jack gets this robot to tighten its grip, it could finish me. There's only one hope left. He closed his eyes and slowly concentrated, hoping to reach out to one very special person.
Sound asleep in her bed, Angie started to see a strange image in her mind. The image was extremely blurry, but it did cause her to start tossing and turning. "What's going on?" she asked in her sleep. "What's this I'm seeing?"
She also started to hear a whispered voice. Angie, it said so quietly. Angie, I need your help.
The magical power in her heart triggered once more. It flowed to her mind quickly to make both the image and the voice clearer. As soon as everything was crystal clear to her, Angie saw the top of a building, a large robot, and Ace in the robot's left hand! Angie, she heard from him, I need your help!
She suddenly awakened screaming and breathing heavily.
Cosmo rushed into her room, followed by Zina. "Angie," he said, "are you okay?"
"Oh, Cosmo," she said in a terrified state, "I just had the most horrible nightmare possible."
Trying to calm her down, he then asked, "What happened?"
"I saw Ace in the left hand of a huge robot standing on the top of a building. What was even more frightening about it was I heard Ace's voice as clear as a bell."
Realizing Ace did not rush in to check on her, Cosmo went to the Magician's room to check. When Cosmo returned, he yelled, "Ace isn't in his room!"
"Maybe he's somewhere else in the Express," Angie concluded.
"Okay, you check this side while Zina and I check the other side and the garage."
After they did a frantic search, their efforts turned up empty. Cosmo added, "The Magic Bike's gone, too."
"The what?" asked Angie.
"Ace's turbocycle." Thinking fast, he then said, "Maybe Angel knows where he is."
"Let's get to the computer room!" There, Angie called Mona just in case Ace may have been at her house. When Mona said he was not there, Angie grew very concerned.
Cosmo asked Angel to locate Ace's signal on his radio watch. The computer tracked the signal to a building on Emerson Drive.
"That's where the apartment building is," Angie noted. She then asked, "Angel, what does the top of that building look like?" Seeing the visual on the screen, she realized she did not have a nightmare. "Ace is in real danger. That was the building I saw in my mind."
"Then what're we waitin' for?" said Cosmo. "Let's go!"
Angie froze for a second to think things out.
"Angie?"
"I'm sorry, Cosmo. I've just come to an important decision: I can't run anymore. Ace needs help, and I'm not going to let him down, not after everything he's done for me as a friend."
"Don't worry, Angie, we'll find a way to rescue him."
The two friends got to Cosmo's cycle and quickly took off for Emerson Drive. Through the trip Cosmo explained to Angie about the heated rivalry between Ace and Black Jack, including Ace's past as a criminal. Angie understood, believing what was done in the past needed to stay in the past. Cosmo also told her it was Jack who bought that apartment building. When Angie heard about Jack trying to kill Ace on more than one occasion, she finally understood into which she was about to get. "If he's done anything to Ace-maybe I better save that for later."
After they arrived at the apartment building, Angie could feel Ace's presence strongly in her heart. "Cosmo, I have to get up there. You stay here and let Lieutenant Vega know what's going on."
"Are you sure you want to do this alone? I mean, Black Jack is a dangerous person to cross."
"I know, but I have to think about what Ace said to me this afternoon. I must face this sooner or later, at a time when I may need it. This is it, Cosmo. The time has finally come."
"Okay, but whatever you do, please be careful."
"I will, my friend." She received a hug from Cosmo for some much needed luck.
She then walked up to the door at ground level and held the locked doorknob. Closing her eyes, she allowed the power in her heart to help her unlock the door.
When Cosmo saw Angie go inside, he smiled and softly said, "Go for it, girlfriend. It's your time to play, now."
Back on the roof, Ace had a strong feeling in his mind. Angie's close, he thought. I can feel her coming up the stairs. He then looked at Jack and said, "I don't get it. Why don't you finish me off now?"
"You're unable to do anything, and I want you to die a slow, painful death." Speaking into the control box, Jack added, "Robot, squeeze him a little tighter."
Ace could feel the grip getting stronger. Grunting in pain, he did the best he could to survive this ordeal.
Halfway up the building, Angie could feel Ace's pain. "Hang on, Ace, I'm almost there. I'm coming."
Jack looked at his enemy and said, "You know, Ace, it's too bad you won't be able to perform tomorrow night. You have such a talent, but you've been a big problem for me since you broke away from my gang."
"That's because after your accident I saw you for the type of person you really are: coldhearted, cruel, and greedy. You'll say or do anything to get whatever you want, and I'm glad I'm not like you."
"Yes, unfortunately. You've become the greatest magician in the world, and you've also used your magical skills to try to right the wrongs here in Electro City. This time, though, it ends here." Jack, Spade, and Diamond laughed real hard when they suddenly heard the roof door slam open.
They all turned around to notice a strange sight: a young woman with light brown hair and green eyes standing in the doorway. "Black Jack, I presume?" she asked.
He immediately recognized her. That's the young lady Mona met a couple of days ago, he thought. She couldn't be that mystery magician, or could she? I haven't even sent a message about this yet.
Spade and Diamond drew their guns, but Jack told them to hold their fire. He then asked her a question. "Are you the one who rescued a little boy with magic today?"
Putting her head down, she responded, "Yes, I'm the person who did that."
"Is your name by chance, Angela Jacobs?"
"How did you know my name?"
"I have ways of knowing. From what I've heard, you lost your apartment in this very building because of me. I can give you a mansion if you come work for me."
Angie gave Jack a very angry look. "Why, so I can help you obtain whatever you want at any time? I know all about you, Black Jack. You're a total creep, and there is no way I'll ever use my own magical powers to help you commit crimes. Now, I demand you let Ace Cooper go immediately!"
Jack just laughed at her. "Demand? Young lady, you are in no position to demand anything from me!"
Angie saw the voice-control box on the ground next to the crime boss and seized an opportunity to try something. Getting her arm into a frisbee-throwing position, the power in her heart helped her to create a playing card of her own. When she tried to fling the card at the box, Jack ordered his two bodyguards to fire at her!
"Angie, watch out!" Ace yelled. The card she threw was decimated by the gunfire, but she quickly ran to the other side of the structure on the roof away from the door.
She then cried, feeling hopeless. "I've failed," the young woman said in tears. "For the first time, my powers won't be able to save someone. There's nothing I can do."
Angie continued crying until she heard a voice. Angie? Angie, can you hear me?
The sobbing stopped. "Ace, is that you? Oh, I must be going crazy. Now I'm hearing things."
No, Angie, it's really me, Ace.
"How? I'm over here, and you're over there. Yet . . . you sound like you're right here with me."
This is something new to both of us, but I'm speaking to you through your heart.
"You are?"
Yes. I know you're confused by all this, but you must listen to me.
Angie closed her eyes and spoke from her heart. What do you mean?
Angie, you have the power to stop Black Jack, but you lack both the courage to overcome your fear of using your powers and the confidence to do what must be done. I believe in you, but you have to believe in yourself in order to use your powers in the way you want. It's you and your powers working together that can make all the difference.
What can I do, Ace?
Look into your heart, for that is where your greatest magic lies. Find the power within, and don't be afraid anymore.
Angie opened her eyes and understood what Ace had said. He's right, she thought to herself. I've run from this for too long. I've been afraid about having these powers because I only considered what other people would think, not how I felt. I've never regretted using my powers to help people in danger, but now I need those powers more than ever. It's time to quit running away and face this challenge . . . head on!
Placing both hands on her heart, she calmly said, "Power of magic within my heart, you've been locked away and suppressed because of my fears. At last, though, my fear is gone. It's time to release my powers and discover my true destiny!"
For the first time since she discovered her magical powers 15 years earlier, Angie finally felt as one with her heart. She could feel the power flowing through her from head to toe.
All the while, Black Jack called out, "What's wrong, little girl? Scared to death of facing death?"
She stepped out from her hiding spot, her body glowing brightly in a light-blue aura, and yelled, "Not anymore, jerkface!"
Angie extended her arms out and stared at the voice-control box in intense concentration. The box slowly lifted into the air and started moving towards her.
"No!" Jack yelled. "Robot, tighten the grip!"
As the robot's grip started to reach a point where it could crush Ace, Angie neared being enraged.
Spade and Diamond pointed their guns and tried to fire at her, but she took one hand and made two more playing cards appear. She threw the cards at such a high speed they cut the guns in half!
Jack had seen enough. "Robot, crush him!"
Ace screamed in terror as the grip became much tighter on him. In a matter of seconds, he lost consciousness.
Angie then decided to put an end to Jack's control. Using her left hand, she flung the control box into the chimney stack. "You've lost, Jack!"
"Maybe, but you've lost as well. Without the control box, the robot will do away with everything in its sights!" Jack turned to Spade and Diamond. "Let's get out of here!"
The robot was going out of control as the three criminals made their escape. It still had Ace in its clutches when its arm went over the side.
On the ground Cosmo noticed the arrival of both Vega and Mona.
"What's going on?" asked a concerned Mona. She looked up and discovered what was happening. "Ace!"
The robot itself configured Ace as just a piece of debris, so it let him go, and he started falling!
Angie ran up to the edge yelling, "NO!" Extending her arms downward, she made Ace's cape into a cushion to stop his fall.
When he landed safely on the ground, Angie turned her efforts to stopping the robot, which started coming after her! "Time to go all out!" she yelled. She closed her eyes and extended her arms forward at full length. She concentrated as hard as she could as the robot struggled to move forward. Starting to feel the strain, she said, "I don't know if I can hold this monster back, but I have to try."
She suddenly felt something coming from a point even deeper within her heart, like a special reserve source of magical power. What's happening to me? she thought. Do I have even more power than I realize?
Knowing of only one way to be sure, by instinct she yelled, "Let my heart guide my power!" That command allowed her to get even stronger in holding the robot back, but the machine was holding its own against her increased magic.
Back on the ground, Ace finally woke up, most of the pain from the blow gone. "How did I get here safely?" Realizing he was still tied up, he quickly freed himself and said, "I must have missed the action." He then noticed Mona nearby.
When she saw him walking up, she quickly asked, "Ace, are you all right?"
"I'm okay, but what are you doing here?"
"I knew you were in trouble when Angie called and asked—"
"Angie." Ace looked up and realized, "She's all alone up there against that robot!" He closed his eyes. "I can sense she's not going to be able to hold that thing back much longer."
Watching the robot get one step closer to her was more than enough for Ace. Grabbing his cape with both hands, he went into a crazy spin. "Magic Force," he yelled, "reveal the power within!" When he finished spinning, he was no longer wearing his stage outfit. Instead, he wore an outfit worthy of a crimefighter: dark grey, form-fitting suit, black boots with yellow trim on top, blue gloves, yellow belt with a black-and-red belt buckle, yellow collar, and darker-colored cape. He completed the transformation by pounding his left fist to the right side of his chest, making a red half-face with a yellow eye appear.
With the Magic Force, Ace's magical abilities expanded to an unbelievably higher level. There was nearly no limit to what he could do, and he would only summon this power in times of extreme danger.
Seeing this was an extremely dangerous situation, Ace knew he had to act quickly to help Angie. "The rest of you wait here."
Mona put a right hand on his shoulder and said, "Just make sure she's all right, Ace."
"Don't worry, Mona. That's one thing I intend on doing." He then looked up and said, "Hang on, Angie. Here I come!" He grabbed his cape, went into another spin, and completely disappeared.
At the rooftop, Angie struggled valiantly to keep that construction robot at bay. "Even with this extra boost, it's still not enough, but I can't let my friends down now!"
Suddenly, a cape appeared to her right, and the Magician emerged, ready to give her some desperately-needed help.
"Ace!" Angie yelled. "Am I glad to see you!"
"Let me see if I can help you with this problem." Ace extended both arms out and concentrated his magic on putting a stop to this out-of-control killer machine.
The pair's efforts were hard and trying yet still no good against the powerful robot.
"It's no use!" Angie screamed. "We can't stop it! We're going to be scrapped for sure!"
Ace then came up with one last idea. "Angie, quick, give me your hand."
"What?"
"It's our only chance left. We've got to try it."
Thinking carefully, she decided to go for it. "I trust you, Ace. Let's do this!"
The two magicians continued holding back the robot with one hand each. Then, Ace's left hand and Angie's right hand clasped each other. They suddenly felt an incredible surge of power, the likes of which neither had ever experienced before.
"What's going on?" asked a confused Angie, her aura glowing brighter. "I feel my heart getting even stronger. I feel like saying something."
"I have the same feeling," Ace said as he knew something special was about to happen.
Grasping the other hands together, both Ace and Angie managed to say one sentence at the same time. With their eyes closed they calmly said, "Magic Force, unite our powers."
Amazingly, a series of lights surrounded both of them. When the lights reached their hands, they let go, turned at the robot, extended their arms, and let out a blast of pure magic. The robot lifted into the air, as its circuitry was no match for the pair's combined magical powers.
In thought, Angie said, It's working, Ace!
Keep going, and don't give up!
In a matter of 30 seconds, the pair took one gigantic step forward and sent the robot crashing into the abandoned building next door, causing the robot to explode and short out completely!
When it was finally over, Ace and Angie looked at what had just happened.
"Ace, did we just pull this off?"
He gave a simple nod. After placing his hand on her shoulder, he said, "See what happens when you stop running away from your powers and face your fears?"
"I do now." Angie put her face down and closed her eyes. "I must have been the only person who thought my powers were nothing more than a terrible curse. What I have can be either a gift or a curse, but it's up to me to decide, not everyone else."
"Exactly, Angie. You're the one who chooses which way your powers can be used. The most important thing to remember is how you feel, not what others think." Grasping her hands again, he closed his eyes and said, "Besides, you haven't even begun to realize the full extent of your powers."
"You mean what happened with me was just the beginning?"
"Yes, you have greater powers than you know. If you stay with me long enough, I can help you realize your full magical potential." Opening his eyes again, Ace added, "You already created a lot of magic before I knew you had these powers, but do you still think of them as a curse?"
She looked up at Ace and smiled. "Not anymore, thanks to you."
Just then, Mona, Cosmo, and Vega ran up to the roof to see if the pair were all right.
While Ace, Cosmo, and Vega discussed the wild situation, Mona and Angie went to the other side of the roof to have their own heart-to-heart talk.
"Angie, you and Ace make an incredible and nearly invincible team."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah, I really do, but this isn't the reason why I wanted to talk to you."
"What is it, Mona?"
"There's something I have to tell you. You kept a secret from all of us, but I've kept an awful secret from you." She put her face down and said, "That man you had to face tonight, Black Jack."
"The creep who took my apartment, nearly killed Ace, and wanted me to join his gang?" "Yes, well, he also owns the Croesus Palace, and . . ."
"And?"
"He's also my father."
Angie was taken by surprise. "You mean . . . oh, Mona."
Mona started to shed tears about her secret. "I'm sorry, Angie, but I was afraid I would lose my friendship with you. I'll understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore."
Angie smiled and held her hand. "Mona, I do want to be friends with you."
"Even though my father's a crime boss?"
"Mona, in case you forgot, my best friend came from a wealthy family, but she never let wealth or popularity get in the way of a true friendship, and I won't allow your father to do it either. My parents may be gone, but one lesson I've always remembered growing up was to judge a person by how she is in the heart and the mind, not by how she looks or who her relatives are. You're sweet, kind, and very fun to be around. You're not like your father, and I don't think you want to be."
"You're right, I don't. In fact, I don't know if I should forgive him at all this time."
"Hey, he's still your father. Cherish the time you have with him, like I did with my parents. The fond memories I have with Mom and Dad can help me get through a day, and spending time with your father can help you, too."
"Yeah, I still love him as my father. I can still care about him while being my own person. Thanks for the advice."
"What are friends for?" Angie then asked, "Is there any way your father can be arrested?"
"As long as he has Clockwise for a lawyer, I can honestly say probably not this time."
Later, they were all together when Ace had another surprise. "Angie, would you spin three times, please?"
She did so, but upon finishing the third spin, she noticed she wore the exact same costume as Ace, as he magically changed her clothing.
"Whoa!" Cosmo explained. "Two Magicians!"
Angie, though, was not very comfortable with the outfit. "Um, Ace, not to be rude and all, but I don't quite feel right in tight clothing."
"Oh, sorry. Wait a minute, I've got it. Spin around three times again, but this time, think about what you want to look like, and it should work."
"Okay." She did it again, and this time she was happier. "Now this is better. Same cape, same collar, same gloves with a female look, same belt. Short sleeve shirt and ruffle skirt in the same color as your costume, plus an inside red jumpsuit, smaller black boots, and long yellow socks."
"You're missing one thing," Ace noted.
"The half-face with the yellow eye? No problem." Angie placed her left hand in front of her chest and magically made the symbol appear on her right side of her shirt. "Now, what do you think?"
Everyone approved of her choice when a gentleman with glasses came up through the roof door and said, "All right, Vega, what's going on here?"
"It's simple, Captain Friedrichs. The missing robot has been found and destroyed."
Friedrichs noticed both Ace and Angie and said, "I'm willing to bet you and this kid here caused all this trouble."
A young gentleman came up and yelled, "No, Captain! Ace Cooper and this young lady made the right decision in destroying the robot. Our company still had to install the chip for foolproof voice recognition when it was stolen. I am not going to allow you to arrest them."
Angie suddenly remembered his face. "Excuse me, but didn't you sit next to me on the bus coming here to Electro City?"
"Yes, I remember you now. You're the young lady who wanted to see the Magician when you would move in. I'm Jason Beager, Chief Executive Officer of Beager Electronics."
"You're so young, though."
"I'm only 28. Don't worry; the captain thought I was crazy, too."
When Beager mentioned the dinner being canceled and not going to be able to make the show, Angie magically made the original ticket appear and gave it back to him. She explained she no longer needed it because she was staying with Ace Cooper permanently.
Meanwhile, Friedrichs had an argument with Vega. "Who is that kid anyway, and why does she look like Cooper?"
Angie came up to the captain and said, "For your information, I'm 22 years old and a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts." She then made a special card appear. "Here's my Iowa driver's license to prove it." After he examined it, he gave it back to her. "You've got a lot to learn about judging a person on looks alone."
Ace stood behind Angie and said, "As for why she looks like me, let's just say Electro City is about to deal with two crimefighting magicians instead of one."
"Oh, no!" Friedrichs said as he stormed off.
Suddenly, a group of reporters came up onto the roof, including Duke Paparazzo. "Mr. Cooper, who is this young woman looking like you? Your biggest fan?"
Ace looked at Angie and said, "You'd better get used to this, since you're a celebrity now."
Angie just smiled, seeing that she went from being unknown by anyone to being in the public eye.
At the end of the interview, Ace said Angie would never be considered as a rival magician because her magic came from her heart. He was also adding the budding magician into the act, starting with the next night's performance.
The next night, the new act with Ace, Angie, and Cosmo was a tremendous success as the audience, which included both Mona and Mr. Beager, loved the double dose of magic the two magicians delivered together.
Later that night, Angie sat outside on the steps of the Express and looked at the stars.
Ace joined her for a conversation. "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah, since you probably could sense that," she joked. "Ace, what would my parents think of me, right now?"
"I can't answer for them, but I honestly think they're smiling at you."
"Really?"
"Sure. They would be proud at what you have become: a strong, intelligent, and independent young woman who's always willing to help someone when needed."
"You know, when I arrived in Electro City days ago, all I expected was to move into an isolated apartment and be alone. The end result is I have a home and a group of friends—no, a family, with two big brothers as in you and Cosmo and three big sisters as in Angel, Zina, and Mona. I just wish I knew about my other 'sister' Ashley."
"Don't worry, we'll figure out a way to find her, I promise." Ace then changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, Mona's got her new song ready, about friendship's trials and tribulations. She's going to dedicate the song to you at her show tomorrow night."
"That's sweet of her to do that." After looking at her watch, Angie said, "I'd better hit the sack. I mean, if I ever want to take your place in about 15 to 20 years, I've got to start with a good night's sleep."
They both went back inside and went to bed.
In Angie's mind, the one line of Sarah McLachlan's song played again. Angie softly said, "Would I spend forever here? Yes, I would, and at long last, I am satisfied." She slept very soundly after she snapped her fingers to magically turn the room light off.
Finally, at the Croesus Palace, Black Jack was visibly upset. "I can't believe I have someone else to worry about now! First Vega, then Cooper, and now this girl Jacobs!" He added Angela Jacobs to his growing list of archenemies, for he knew she would forever side with the forces of good and she would be a force to be reckoned with, especially since she was now working alongside Jack's worst enemy: Ace Cooper, the Magician.
THE END . . . FINALLY!