Sisters Reunited

by Shirley Ann Burton

When Angie's lifelong best friend reunites with her, Faceless plans on using them to get to Ace! Please R & R.

3. Part 3

Sisters Reunited

Part 3

Back at the Magic, Ace and Cosmo set up the equipment for the metamorphosis trick to be practiced later.

Cosmo noticed Ace in an unusually upbeat mood. "Ace, I've never seen you like this before."

The Magician looked at his apprentice and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're so . . . happy."

"Why shouldn't I be, Cosmo? It seems everything's going right for everybody lately. Angie's best friend is back in her life, our shows have been getting better with her around, and, well, I don't know. Things just seem to be up-and-up with me. Is there any problem with that?"

"Aw, don't be silly, dude. I think it's great to see you in such a great mood, considering, well, everything you've had to go through yourself."

"It's so strange for me. Angie and I are total opposites in terms of the way we grew up. I grew up in an orphanage, and she grew up in a loving home with two special parents. This may sound weird, but when Angie and I bring our powers together, I can almost feel her love reaching out to me, the love for her friends and life in general. It's like she's forgiving me for everything I did in the past."

"When you say 'love,' is it the same as what you and Mona have?"

"No, it's far different. I think this is 'friendship love.' Remember, she thinks of you, me, and Mona as brothers and sisters, not best friends. Also, keep in mind her greatest power kicks in only when someone she deeply cares for is in grave danger."

"Oh, yeah, just like her aunt. Even though they had their arguments, Angie still cared for her and risked her life to save her."

Ace closed his eyes and put his head up. "Angie always thinks about the safety and welfare of others before she even considers thinking about herself. She seems to be afraid to consider what she wants herself."

"Why is that?"

"Maybe because she's afraid if she starts thinking about herself, she believes her power will become corrupted and cause her to become irresponsible with her gift." Ace opened his eyes and said, "At times, I can sense her thinking her gift is still a curse in some aspects."

"You mean, she really wants to be careful about how to use her magic, right?"

"Exactly. She has so much love in her heart for others, but I wonder if she loves herself. After all, you can't love others unless you have some love for yourself, too."

Cosmo understood what Ace was talking about. "Yeah, it's like the time I almost shot you when that music took me over. You were able to forgive me, but it took me a long time to forgive myself and love myself again."

Ace patted his friend's shoulder. "Cosmo, what happened to you was not your fault. That Hardbeat music had a clever subliminal message, and it gave you the wrong idea. Things like that happened in the late 20th century, and it still occurs today."

He was about to speak again when he heard a message in his mind. "Ace, we'll be home in about ten minutes. Have you got everything set up?"

"It's all set, Angie. We're ready and waiting for your return."

Cosmo noticed the silence and said, "They're on the way, I assume."

"Yes."

"I wonder what Ashley's going to think about the city."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Within ten minutes, Mona, Angie, and "Ashley" had returned to the Express.

"Ace," said a happy Mona, "I think Ashley loves Electro City. She's taken so many photographs and gotten some great odd souvenirs to show to her class when she goes home. She was so surprised at how everything looked."

Meanwhile, Angie and "Ashley" went into Cosmo's workshop and discussed what they did on their tour.

"This city is beautiful," said "Ashley." "I've never seen such unusual looking buildings. I really can't wait to show the first-graders what I saw here. I know they're gonna love it!"

Faceless had succeeded in fooling everyone so far. "What fools these people are," she thought wickedly. "All I have to do is get Angie to be by herself with me, and I can commence the second part of my plan to finish off Cooper forever!"

Angie looked at the time and said, "I need to get to the training room to work on the trick for Thursday's show."

"Ashley" quickly asked, "Can I watch you do it?"

"I don't know," Cosmo said. "It's usually not a good idea, since it's your first time here."

"What's the matter?" she asked, growing angry. "You don't trust me or something?"

Angie was surprised by Ashley's sudden mood swing. "Ashley, take it easy. Cosmo's just saying Ace isn't the type who's going to let someone watch his tricks on the first try because you can never tell who could be spying on him to pick up his secrets."

"Ashley" realized her error in judgment. "I'm sorry, Angie. I guess I'm getting a little too anxious about seeing Ace Cooper in person, let alone in his own home."

"That's understandable. Let me ask him first, and I'll give you an answer shortly."

"Okay."

Within a minute, "Ashley" was given permission to enter the training room and watch Ace and Angie practice their metamorphosis trick.

Angie shackled Ace's hands and feet and tied him in a straight jacket to make sure he could not get out. After he entered the box, she put the lid on the top and proceeded to put steel locks on all the latches. She then took the cover and stood on the top of the box. "Now, here comes the fun part. One, two--" She quickly moved the cover over herself.

In less than a second the Magician emerged on top of the box. "Three!" he yelled in success. He then jumped down, unlocked all the latches, and opened the box.

Out of the box came Angie, now she being in shackles and the straight jacket. Ace quickly used his magic to free the younger magician, and she joined him in taking a bow in front of "Ashley."

She applauded their trick. "I'm very impressed," she said happily. "It's amazing what two magicians can do when working together. So this will help the show on Thursday?"

"Yes, it will," replied Ace. "We've been working on this trick for the last month, and it'll be ready come Thursday." He then put his hand on Angie's shoulder. "Ever since she came here, Angie's magic has just been getting better all the time. I know she'll make a great magician herself in a few years."

"Wow," said "Ashley." "I guess you've really come a long way since you teamed up with him, right?"

"You know it," Angie answered while looking at Ace. "He's not just a celebrity to me. He's one of the best friends I've ever had."

"What do you mean 'one of the best friends'? Aren't I your best friend?"

"Ashley, you're the best friend I've had most of my life. Now, I've got a couple of more best friends. You're a sister, and Ace is a brother. Not in kinship, mind you, but I care about my best friends so much. You don't have to limit yourself to just one best friend."

In her wicked mind, Faceless could not stand something like this. "Yuck! This friendship and 'brother and sister' routine makes me want to puke! I don't see how Ashley could be with her for so long, since she has way too much heart for me to handle." However, she also thought about her plan. "It looks like the only way I'll be rid of Cooper for sure is to get his younger magician to go along with me, but how? I've got to get her away from him long enough."

Angie looked at her watch and realized she was late in getting dinner started. "Oh, no. I need to get the steamed catfish and lo mein ready for supper. If you'll excuse me, Ace."

Faceless was very surprised. "She can cook herself? She's becoming a celebrity, and she'd rather cook? Oh, brother, it's like I'm seeing her as a maid instead of a magician. She doesn't have to cook for anybody; she and the others could just eat out if they wanted to. Nobody cooks in this day and age. I'd just leave it to the real chef."

A couple of hours later, "Ashley" joined Ace, Cosmo, and Angie in the kitchen for dinner. When she ate it, she was very shocked at how flavorful the fish and noodle dish really were. "Boy, you cook delicious meals. I've never had steamed catfish before. I'm used to eating it fried or grilled."

"Oh, yeah," Cosmo said with his mouth full. "Angie can come up with ways to make something good for us taste great, and that's thanks to her mother."

"Hey, Ashley," Angie started, "remember that really hot dish Mom made when you came over during Christmas holidays when we were in the eighth grade?"

"Eighth grade? Oh, yeah, I remember. All that tabasco sauce really made it super spicy, didn't it?"

Angie looked at her lifelong friend very strangely. "Ashley, Mom never used tabasco sauce in that dish. She used crushed chili peppers, remember?

"Oops, I guess I forgot."

Faceless nearly lost her edge. "I'd better be careful. I almost blew my cover."

Zina entered the kitchen and suddenly started growling.

Ace became somewhat concerned. "Zina, what's the matter? Why are you acting this way?"

He remembered her doing the same thing once before. She detected something odd when she was incarcerated for supposedly attacking a scientist, only to turn out it was another panther who had done it.

Angie could not understand Zina's sudden behavior change. "Zina, there's nothing extra in here, or is it you want some fish?"

She tried to give the panther some fish, but Zina simply walked out of the room. "I wonder what's gotten into her."

"Ashley" was a little nervous. "Oh, well, maybe it's just the smell of a different kind of fish."

Angie sensed something different about her lifelong friend. "I can't figure this out, but something about Ashley doesn't feel the same as this morning. If only I knew what it was."

After dinner, Angie and "Ashley" decided to watch some television in the living room. Space Goofs was being shown, and "Ashley" was thoroughly enjoying the show.

Laughing out loud, "Ashley" found the adventures of the funny space aliens very amusing. "Wow, I've never seen anything like it. This is hilarious!"

Angie was happy to see her friend in such a great mood. "I'm glad you like it. I love this show because these guys are trying so hard to get used to Earth's traditions and rituals."

Meanwhile, in his room, Ace was ready to turn in for the evening, but he began to sense something wrong with his younger female counterpart. "Angie, can you come here? I think we need to talk."

Angie heard his telepathic call. "Okay, Ace, I'm on my way." She turned to "Ashley" and said, "There's something I need to do right now. Would you mind being out here yourself?"

"No, of course not. Go ahead and do what you need to do."

Angie went to Ace's room and asked, "Something up?"

After the door closed, Ace replied, "Angie, I can feel a great deal of anxiety in your heart. What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, Ace. I have the strangest feeling something isn't right about Ashley. In all the years I've known her, I've never seen her change moods so quickly, like she did this afternoon when Cosmo mentioned about you allowing anyone to see you work on your tricks. She got angry at him. Also, the fact she asked, 'Aren't I your best friend?' Then, at dinner time, she said Mom used tabasco sauce in the hottest dish, but Ashley knows every recipe Mom had done when she would come over. Finally, Zina growled when she came into the kitchen, and Ashley got nervous, but she petted her last night. I've never seen her act that way before. Maybe it's just me, I don't know."

"Remember what your parents taught you, trust your instincts. Try talking to her and see what that does."

"Good idea. Maybe it'll ease my worries about this situation."

"She's been the best friend you've known for so long. If you think something's not right, don't be afraid to talk to her about it."

"You're right. Thanks, Ace." She then walked out of the room.

Ace could feel more than anxiety. "She knows something's wrong, and I think so, too."

Within minutes, Angie and "Ashley" both took a walk in the early evening.

"Ashley, I want you to be honest with me. Is something wrong?"

"What are you talking about? I'm fine."

"Yesterday, you were excited about reuniting with me here in Electro City. For the first part of the day today, you seemed to be fine, but it all changed after we came back to the Express. You've suddenly become moody, you're nervous around Zina, and you question my friends. If there's something you're running from, please tell me, so I can help you."

"Angie, there's nothing wrong with me."

The younger magician took hold of "Ashley's" hand. "Ashley, you're my 'sister' in heart and spirit. I don't want to see you get hurt in any way. Please, tell me what's troubling you."

Ashley suddenly snapped back. "What is your problem? I said I'm fine."

Angie then said, "If you're fine, Ashley, then I want to hear our secret sixth-grade poem we had made at the playground near my house."

"What poem? What are you talking about?"

"Say the first two lines of our poem."

"I don't have to do this! Don't you trust me?"

"Normally, yes, but if you can't recite that secret poem, then it's obvious to me. You are not my best friend Ashley Brighton."

"How in the world can you say that? That really hurts because I've been with you since the first grade."

"I know that, Ashley. Do you remember where you went when you found out about me not being invited to your sweet 16 party?"

"Ashley" began to sweat nervously. "I . . . I went to . . . I went to the rollerblade arena."

"Now I know you're not Ashley for sure. The real Ashley went to the Fine Arts Museum when she needed to get away and think. Besides, there is no rollerblade arena in Mason City. The closest one is in Cedar Rapids." Growing angry, Angie asked, "Who are you, and what have you done with the real Ashley Brighton?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! I am Ashley Brighton!"

"No, you're not! Now tell me what you've done with her before you make me do something I really don't want to do!"

"Ashley" quickly took out a capsule from her pocket and broke it in her hand. Out of that capsule came a strange gas.

Angie suddenly had trouble keeping conscious. "What's going on here? What's happening to me? What have you done with . . ." She passed out and fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Ashley" let out a wicked laugh. "At last, phase two is completed. Now to get her safely to my hideout and make certain she can't use her magic."

Some time later, her not knowing how long she had been out, Angie finally awakened, only to find herself in some kind of jail cell. "Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"The same place I am," answered another woman, "wherever that place is."

Angie looked up to see who had spoken. "Ashley?"

"Yeah. Listen, I hope you don't think I caused all this trouble. It was--"

Angie put up her hand and interrupted, "I believe you, Ashley. Whoever impersonated you did a fairly good job, but the dead giveaway was when she failed to say our secret poem and the fact you always went to the Fine Arts Museum to think." After slowly getting up, she asked, "Are we in some kind of cell or something?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, it's not going to be for long!" The younger magician stared at the steel door and put her arms forward to use her magic. However, she felt an incredible pain when she tried to concentrate. "What's wrong with me!?" she asked painfully as she put her hands to her head.

"You may not be able to do any magic. The person who kidnapped both you and me injected some kind of drug into your system."

"So for the moment, I have a problem." She turned to Ashley and asked, "Do you know who's behind this?"

"I wish I could tell, but when I was able to get a glance through the cell door, all I could see was a woman dressed in black, but she didn't have a face, so that won't help matters much."

Angie gasped at one part of Ashley's sentence. "Did you say she didn't have a face?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Ace told me about someone who fits that description. She's a very dangerous person to mess with because she's just as clever as he is. Her name is Faceless, and she's almost taken him out on more than one occasion. She must have dressed up as you to get to me."

"So, what'll we do now?"

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling both of us may have become the bait for Faceless's trap intended for Ace. If only I could warn him, but I can't think to communicate with him telepathically."

"Oh, boy, we're in serious trouble here, but at least we're together."

"That is one piece of consolation in this problem. What I don't understand is what you have to do with any of this."

"I don't know. All I heard her say is the first two phases of her plan went successfully, and in my case it was painful, being hit over the head with an aluminum bat."

"Aluminum!? You're lucky she didn't kill you!"

"I don't think she wanted to kill me because I was a part of her plan. The question now is: What's going to happen to both of us?"

"Who knows at this point? I'm just glad you're okay."

"Same here." Ashley then sniffed into the air. "Hey, what's that awful smell?"

Angie took a whiff and in fear replied, "It's the same gas she knocked me out with. Try . . . not . . . to . . . breathe it."

Both ladies were overcome with the gas when Faceless entered the cell. "Now, the bait is set, and all I have to do, as Ashley, is tell him Angie's being held prisoner. Boys, get these two ready for the final part of my plan."

As they took the two ladies toward a frightening fate, Faceless said, "I'll wait for about an hour, and then notify Cooper of the problem. Then, he's history!" She let out the nastiest laugh she had, knowing she was a step closer to eliminating the Magician once and for all.