Part 2: Confusion and Chaos
Cosmo was
in the computer room running tests on the new electron microscope given
to him by Professor Surge a few weeks ago, the result of helping the professor
with an experiment on using solar cells to help power the Surge Battery.
"Man, this
is awesome!" he exclaimed happily. "I never thought seeing the skin
of an apple so close up on this thing could ever look like this."
The holographic
dodecahedron which was Angel's movable form then appeared. "This
microscope could be of help to us."
"Yeah,
we could solve a case days before Friedrichs gets through with the paperwork!"
The teenage
hacker then adjusted the microscope to see the sample magnified 500 times.
"Wow! So many particles, so little time."
At the
front door of the Magic Express, Ace was about to enter when he placed
his hand to the identification device.
"Access
denied," said the female voice.
He looked
angrily at the device. "That's what you think, you stupid machine,"
he whispered as he took out a small device from his inside pocket.
He attached it to the identifier and punched a special code.
A few seconds
later, the computer said, "Access granted. Welcome back, Ace."
"Thank
you, Angel," he said upon entering. "Thank you very much."
Looking
around, Ace noticed very little change in the atmosphere of the Express.
"Looks just like it did the last time I was here."
Going through
the kitchen, though, he noticed there were more pots and pans around, and
something simmering on the stove. "What? The Magician can cook?
Oh, man. That's something I didn't think about. Man, being
in prison with no television sure hasn't helped me."
Cosmo then
entered the kitchen and saw Ace without the ginger root. "Dude, where's
the ginger you were supposed to get for Angie?"
"Ginger?
Angie?"
"Yeah.
You said you were gonna get the ginger root for Angie to cook the ginger
shrimp scaloppini tomorrow."
"Oh, oh,
the ginger. The store didn't have any this morning. They said
they'll have some more…by next week."
"Hmm, that's
odd. The grocery store normally has new ginger root come in today.
I guess the shipment got delayed or something."
"Yes, that's
what the produce manager told me." He then sniffled in his nose.
"You spent
too long in the cold areas of the store, right?"
"Yeah,
I did. I, um, just wanted to try to check the expiration dates of
all those meats and the milk. I'm not skilled in that part yet."
"Cool."
Just then,
Zina came into the kitchen. Noticing Ace, though, she suddenly started
growling in anger.
"Hey, Zina,
chill. It's only Ace."
The panther
pounced on the Magician, but he playfully took the matter. He laughed
heartily as he reached into his pocket and took a small dart. Planting
it on the bottom of Zina's front right paw, Zina suddenly stopped as the
poison took effect. "It's okay, girl. I don't mind having some
fun."
Zina soon
stepped back and sat down calmly on the floor.
"Well,"
said Cosmo, "Angie's gonna have to wait to make that shrimp scaloppini
till next time."
"It certainly
seems that way," Ace added. Who's Angie? Cooper's new girlfriend?
"So, what's for lunch?"
"Probably
leftovers. After all, Angie's busy helping to build that house for
the low-income family."
What
did he do? Get married or something? I'm going to have to watch
myself for the time being. "She gets a kick out of helping others,
doesn't she?"
"Yeah,
dude. She'll be back at about 7 or so. Only thing is, I won't
get to eat a hamburger from her. She spent last night gettin' the
meat ready to serve the volunteers, and I know they're looking so forward
to the food."
"Well,
um, I guess I'll head back to the practice room for a little more practice."
"Hey, cool,
Ace. I'm gonna head over to the arcade. I've been getting rumors
about a new game…for your feet to use! I've gotta give that a try."
"Sure thing,
Cosmo. Just, don't wear yourself down."
The experienced
hacker then left the Express for the arcade, leaving the imposter the perfect
opportunity. "That brat figured me out before, but not this time."
He then
went into the computer room and started working on the system. "Okay,
Angel, you're going to listen to me…and only me." Ace then
typed in encrypted information that would be tough for even Cosmo to break
the code.
Zina entered
the room and calmly lay on the floor, still falling into the effects of
the poison dart.
"That's
a good girl," he said wickedly. "You just lie there and relax while
I make certain I'm the only Ace Cooper left in town."
In about
a minute or so, the imposter finished the code. "There. Angel,
can you recognize me?"
"Yes, Ace."
"Good.
I won't have to worry about the real Cooper anymore. He'll be dead
in that dumpster."
Meanwhile,
Darlena Lowland walked through the streets of Electro City, her mind totally
focused on finding Ace and his home, the Magic Express.
"Where
is that miserable home of his?" she whispered angrily. "I want Cooper's
head for what he did to me a couple of years ago. I was supposed
to be an apprentice to him, but he chose that loser Angela Jacobs instead.
When I do find the Express, I'll finish Cooper, Jacobs, and all their friends
and then destroy the Magic Express. I—no, wait. I could have
use for the Magic Express when they're all dead. I may as well use
it for myself."
As she
passed by one alley, two young men noticed her beautiful looks.
"A girl
that pretty's gotta have some money," one said.
"Yeah,
let's tail her."
The two
boys started following Darlena around town, waiting for a perfect opportunity
to strike and rob her.
A few blocks
down, Darlena herself had a good idea she was being followed. "Those
two lame brains have been tailing me. What do they think they're
gonna get from me? Money? Well…I'll show those losers."
She then
walked into another alley and stopped right at the dead end.
The two
crooks followed her and felt they had her surrounded.
"Well,
well," said the second young thief. "Why'd you walk into this lonely
spot for?"
She looked
at them and said, "Because I knew you two blockheads were trailing me for
a little while."
The first
criminal looked at her and said, "Ooh, you look so pretty. Now, why
don't you fork over the jewelry and dough you've got on you?"
"Gentlemen,
I don't have any money or jewelry on me at all. I just have the clothes
I'm wearing."
"How can
you have a beautiful dress and not have any money on you?"
Her eyes
turning evil, Darlena simply replied, "Don't you know we magicians can
do anything?" She soon put her hands forward and made the two criminals
float upward.
The two
boys screamed like girls.
"I don't
believe it!" the first one shouted. "She's a magician herself!"
"That's
right, loser! I am a magician, but I'm more dangerous than
any other!" Her anger caused the pair to float further upward and
all over the area. "I didn't come here to Electro City to play games
with the likes of you idiots. My sole purpose is to find and kill
Ace Cooper the Magician once and for all, and I will not let jerks like
you stand in my way!"
When she
was through, she dumped the pair into two trash cans. "Maybe that'll
teach you not to mess with me…ever!" She then walked out of
the alley with her nose in the air. "Typical scum," she whispered.
"I've got more important things to do, like getting rid of the Magician."
When the
two criminals got themselves out of the trash cans a few minutes later,
they ran to find the nearest police officer.
"Help,
help, please," said one of them in a frantic tone.
"Calm down,
son," the officer stated. "What's going on?"
"Take us
to jail, please. We tried to rob a lady, but she made us float in
the air!"
"Oh, sure,
another Angela Jacobs." He handcuffed both individuals and read them
their rights. "Come on, gentlemen. A nice trip behind bars
may get you two straightened up."
Captain
Friedrichs was finishing papers on the previous night's robberies by several
criminals. "Boy, what a time for Vega and Miss LeSage to take the
day off. But…they are helping to build that home for the low-income
family, and they did plan this for a long time. Maybe I shouldn't
be so hard on them…not today, anyway."
Just then
he heard his phone ring. "Yes?" he spoke into the intercom.
"Sir, you
have a phone call from the warden of the prison."
"Please,
put him through."
As soon
as the connection was established, the warden on the other end spoke first.
"Captain Friedrichs?"
"Warden
Millsford. What can I do for you?"
"I've got
some rather disturbing news for you. That man who looks exactly like
Ace Cooper. He escaped from prison last night."
"What!?
He managed to escape? How?"
"He fooled
the guards into thinking he was sick and then took the uniform of one of
them. He took the costume and cane and made his way out with the
keys. We're also missing two medicines from our infirmary."
"I wouldn't
be surprised if he's here in Electro City trying to get revenge on the
real Ace Cooper with the medications. I'll notify all officers immediately
on the matter."
"Okay.
Considering his nature, you should consider him armed and extremely dangerous."
"Very well.
I'll get an all-points bulletin out on the imposter at once." After
disconnecting the line, Friedrichs mumbled, "Wonderful, that's all I need…a
second
Ace Cooper all over again."
He then
pressed a button on his panel. "Attention all officers. Ace
Cooper's imposter double has escaped from prison and may be here in Electro
City. Be on guard, as he is considered armed and very dangerous."
At the construction
site of the home, all were enjoying their individual jobs.
Lt. Vega
worked on the roof of the home while Angela Jacobs and Ms. LeSage worked
on putting the nails on the side of the house. Victor Raven was on
the ground helping to put the concrete mix together properly.
Angie,
standing on top of the ladder, was carefully hammering the nails, making
sure she would not hit her finger. "It's been a while since I've
done this," she said happily to Ms. LeSage.
"Don't
worry, once you get the hang of it again, it'll be second nature to you."
"I guess
you're right. Thanks."
Ms. LeSage
smiled at the female magician and then returned to doing her work.
As Angie
concentrated on putting the next nail into the wood, she suddenly heard
a very weak voice within her mind. Angie…help…me.
She gasped
at whose voice she heard. "Ace," she whispered. The sudden
straightening caused her to begin losing her balance. "Uh-oh, I can't
hang on!"
The female
magician unexpectedly started falling from the ladder, but Victor reacted
quickly enough to run and catch her before she hit the ground.
Angie opened
her eyes and found herself in Victor's arms. "Whew," she said in
relief. "Thanks, Victor. Man, I'm so embarrassed."
"Now why
would you be embarrassed?" he asked jokingly.
"I'm supposed
to be a magician, and I can't even maintain my balance." She blushed
in a cherry color.
Victor's
tone then became serious. "Angie, what happened? It's not like
you to just lose your balance like that."
Ms. LeSage
then came up. "I have to agree with him. You're not the type
who just falls off by accident. You had a good footing on the ladder."
"Well,
um, I'm not sure," the female magician tried to respond. Oh, no.
Victor, Miss LeSage, and Vega are the only three people here who know about
my psychic bond with Ace. If I say something here, I'm gonna have
bigger problems.
Vega soon
came down from the roof. "Hey, what's going on?"
"I lost
my balance," Angie answered with her face going inward.
The lieutenant
had known her long enough to understand when something was wrong by her
facial reactions.
Just then,
the person in charge of the homebuilding project came up with a concerned
look. "Is everyone all right?"
"It's okay,"
said Victor. "Angie just lost her balance. She probably looked
down and got some acrophobia out of it."
"Just to
play it safe, why don't you let her rest in the tent for a little while."
"I think,"
Vega stated, "that's a good idea. We'll stay with her to make sure
she's all right."
As soon
as the four were in the tent, Vega kneeled down to Angie, who sat on the
side of the cot. "Okay, Angie, it's just the four of us here.
What's really going on? You couldn't have lost your balance
without getting some kind of feeling about Ace."
"Yeah…you're
right, Vega. I heard Ace…calling for help. He's in danger;
I can feel it." She closed her eyes and focused her heart to locate
Ace. I heard your call, kindred brother. I know you need
help. Where are you, Ace?
She heard
the weak response. Angie…help…me. Feeling very weak.
Been…poisoned by double. Please…help me.
Angie concentrated
further to see if she could locate Ace. The poison's effects on Ace,
though, clouded the image, making her unable to see just where he was.
"It's no good. All I got was 'poisoned by double.' What does
that mean?"
"Who knows?"
said a confused Ms. LeSage.
Just then,
Vega's radio went off. "Yes?"
"Vega,
it's Friedrichs. I know it's your day off and all, but I have something
important to tell you. The Ace Cooper imposter escaped from prison
last night and may be here in Electro City."
"That miserable
excuse who caused all the trouble before? You're kidding!"
"Not this
time, Lieutenant. I want you to remain vigilant and keep a close
lookout for either the real Cooper or the phoney one."
"I'm on
it, Captain." After turning off the radio, he suddenly looked at
the other three. "Poisoned by double…that's it! Ace was poisoned
by the man who looks exactly like him."
Angie felt
a little perplexed. "Huh? I don't understand."
Victor
explained the story. "A few years ago, a man who looked exactly like
Ace came to town and created a lot of chaos. I mean, he caused trouble
for Paparazzo, Mona, Cosmo—"
"And myself,"
added Vega. "It was amazing just how much he remembered, especially
when he brought up the old Richie Valenti caper. I'll have to explain
that story later, but right now we need to concentrate on finding both
Aces. Angie, your link can help us find the real Ace."
"So…there's
someone out there who looks exactly like Ace, while the real one could
be dying somewhere." Angie's face showed her true concern.
Victor
sat next to her and said, "Don't worry, Angie. We'll find Ace safe
and sound, that's a promise."
"He's right,"
said Vega. "It's all going to depend on the strength of your link
with Ace. I know you can find him, and we'll go with you so when
he is found, we'll get him somewhere safe."
Angie felt
reassured, since she felt Vega to be a father figure after knowing him
for over three years. "Thanks, Vega. That means a lot to me."
"So," said
Victor, "are you feeling up for it?"
"Yes, I
am," she answered with determination. "We've got to find Ace and
help him quickly."
"Wait a
minute," interrupted Ms. LeSage, "how do we get out of here?"
Victor
thought it over. "Um, Angie, I think you're due for an allergy attack
from all the dust around here, aren't you?"
Angie smirked,
understanding the idea perfectly.
Moments
later, the four of them came back out of the tent, with Angie's head leaning
at Victor's shoulder.
The person
in charge became very worried. "Angie, are you all right?"
"I'm sorry,"
she answered with her nose running, "I think the dust is getting to me.
It's been so long since I've done this, I guess I haven't readjusted myself
to working with the dust."
"Aw, and
we were looking forward to the hamburgers, too."
Just then,
singer Nesh Divine, who was also assisting in the project, walked up.
"Don't worry. I'll take over the hamburger duties. Since Angie
already has the meat set up, all I have to do is grill them. It'll
be fine."
Angie smiled
at the young singer. "Thanks, Nesh. How can I repay you?"
"Could
you maybe perform your magic at a future show for me?"
"We'll
talk about it when I'm better. Fair?"
"Cool.
Take care of yourself, Angie."
"Thanks.
Victor's gonna take me home."
Vega then
added, "Miss LeSage and I have to report to headquarters. A dangerous
prisoner escaped last night, and Friedrichs wants me on top of the case."
The supervisor
said, "I understand. It's part of the job of being a lieutenant in
the police department. Can you describe the prisoner?"
"How should
I say this, um…it's the Ace Cooper imposter."
"I remember
him," said Nesh angrily. "We'll keep our eyes open for that creep.
If I find him first, I'm gonna—"
"Whoa,
Nesh," said Victor. "Leave it to Ace, Angie, and Vega. That
guy may not be able to do magic, but he's dangerous still."
"Yeah.
Good luck, guys."
In a matter
of minutes, all four took off in two cars: Victor and Angie in his
car, and Vega and LeSage in the classic.
As soon
as they were out of range, Victor said, "Okay, Angie, we're clear."
She came
out of her slumped state and sat up straight. "Thanks for the cover,
Victor."
"No problem,
Angie. A service project is a wonderful thing, but right now a friend's
life is at stake."
"Right.
I've got to locate Ace before it's too late for him." She closed
her eyes and reached down into her heart. "Magic Force within my
heart, please help me locate my kindred brother. He's in terrible
danger and needs help fast."
As her
power radiated in a light-blue aura around her, she started hearing that
dark voice again. So, you're friend's in danger, huh? You're
going to think about his life before you want to consider the fact your
life is in danger also?
Please,
don't interfere right now, Angie thought to the dark voice. Ace
could be dying somewhere. I can't—I won't let him die. I can't
deal with you at the moment. Try to understand.
Oh,
I understand all right. You still want to keep me buried away.
Well, fine. I'll let you find your kindred brother, but don't expect
me to keep this inner truce for too long.
The darkness
within her left her alone to concentrate on finding Ace. "Victor,
get ready to turn when I tell you."
"Just give
me the directions, and I'll lead you to him." Angie's first love
was also concerned because he understood just how closely shared was the
friendship of both magicians.
At her house
along the coast, Mona Malone stood at the balcony taking in the calm sea
air. "Ah, it's so pretty outside today. Of course, I can't
wait to try the ginger shrimp scaloppini tomorrow at the Express.
Angie's culinary skills are so phenomenal, I wonder why she doesn't like
to start a restaurant or a cooking show. It'd be nice if I get a
call—"
Her sentence
was interrupted by the ringing of her own telephone. "Well, speak
of the devil. It's either Ace or Dad. I'm gonna guess it's
Ace."
After going
inside, she answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Mona."
She smiled.
"Ace, what a pleasant surprise."
"So, how
are you?"
"I'm fine
this morning. I don't have to perform at the Croesus tonight, so
I'm wide open for anything today."
"That's
great! Um, would you like to meet me at Keaton Park for lunch?"
"I'd love
to. Angie cooking something special?"
At his
end, Ace hesitated greatly. Wait a minute…she knows this "Angie,"
too? Just who is she? I'd better play along with this.
"Um, I'm not so—"
"No, wait,
I forgot. Angie won't be cooking anything today because she's helping
with that homebuilding project. Oh, well, maybe we can go to one
of the sidewalk cafés there for lunch."
Whew,
got out of that mess. "Right. What's the best one out there
right now?"
Mona felt
somewhat surprised. "Ace, don't you know? We always eat at
the Rosary. What's the matter with you? You forgot?"
"Oh, um,
sorry, Mona. My mind's been a bit too focused on something."
"Like the
show you've got next week? Yeah, knowing you, you tend to get too
much into your work." She giggled heartily. "It's okay, Ace.
When it comes to me and music, I can do the same thing, too. So,
what time do you want to meet at the Rosary?"
"Around
noon sound all right?"
"Perfect.
I'll see you there…Magician."
"Yeah,
I'll…see you." He quickly hung up the telephone. "Well, looks
like I have a lunch date, and not a lot of time to pull this off."
He decided to take off on the Magic Bike and try to find something special
for Mona. "I need to find the nearest ring store. At last,
I have a chance to make it with Mona!"
Angie continued
using her heart bond to locate her very ill kindred brother. Guided
by her heart, she led directions for Victor and Vega to take in their cars.
Upon passing
one alley, though, she had felt something. "Wait, Victor, stop.
Go back to that alley again. I'm getting the strongest feeling from
there."
Signaling
Vega to back up, Victor reversed his car and stopped at a dark and rather
lonely alley. "Is this the right one?"
"Yes,"
Angie answered slowly. "This is where I am getting the strongest
emanations." She stepped out of the car and entered the alley.
"Ace is somewhere close. I can sense his presence."
Vega, LeSage,
and Victor all looked at each other.
"Are Angie's
powers that strong?" Victor questioned.
"Yes,"
Ms. LeSage answered, "and her powers will keep getting stronger."
And
possibly more dangerous, Victor thought gravely. I'm not sure
Vega and Miss LeSage even know about Angie's inner struggle with her soul
right now.
Walking
around the alley, Angie could not shake the feeling Ace was so close she
could almost touch him.
She then
came up to a dumpster large enough to hold an average-sized person.
Placing her hand on the dumpster, she suddenly felt a horrible pain.
"AHHHHHH!"
"Angie!"
Victor shouted as he tried to come up to her.
Vega held
him back. "No, Victor, don't. It's just a side effect of her
telemetric ability."
"Oh.
You mean when she touches something, it makes her react this way?"
"Not all
the time. Some cases are gentle images, but this case has created
a terrible 'flare' of images, which means something bad has happened."
In her
mind Angie saw what appeared to be two Ace Coopers, with one carrying the
other.
"This
shall be your final resting place, Cooper. A nice garbage dumpster,
where you belong. Now your name, your money, and your life belong
to me."
"I see
one of the Aces being thrown into the garbage. The other one has
closed the lid on it, and is now saying, 'Now, back to the Magic Express
to take it over again.'"
She had
seen more than enough. "Ace is here!" She stepped back and
extended her arms forward. Summoning her magic, she began glowing
again in her light-blue aura.
The dumpster
lid opened, and someone slowly floated out of the dumpster.
Vega was
shocked. "Ace!"
Angie carefully
levitated Ace down onto the ground. After allowing him to land softly,
she quickly came up to him and held his left hand. "Kindred brother,"
she said softly, "I am here. Please answer me."
He struggled
to get his eyes open, but when he managed to do so, Ace noticed who was
standing over him. "Angie…you found me. How? My mind
was—"
"Shh,"
Angie whispered. "You're hurt, and you're weak." She closed
her eyes and felt the pain within her kindred brother's soul. "You've
been poisoned by someone who looks exactly like you, right?"
"Y-Yes.
He must have…escaped from prison just to…get even with me for what I did
to him a couple of years ago."
"Victor
and Vega told me the story. Someone is going to any dirty length
possible to put an end to you, but we're not going to let that happen."
She then
turned to her friends. "Is there any place we can take Ace and get
a doctor for him?"
"We can't
take him to the hospital," said Vega. "That'll cause a media blitz."
Ms. LeSage
added, "We can't use either my apartment or the lieutenant's because they're
too high up."
"Maybe,"
Angie said, "we can take him to Mona's house. I'll contact her and
see what we can do." She then used her wrist communicator to get
in touch with the singer. "Mona, this is Angie. Are you there?"
Back at
her place, Mona was freshening herself when she heard her communicator
beeping. Quickly grabbing it, she answered. "Yes?"
"Mona,
it's Angie. Listen, um, is it all right if we have Ace spend some
time over at your place? He's really sick."
"How can
he be sick? I just got a call from him a few minutes ago, and he's
supposed to meet me for lunch at the Rosary in Keaton Park. What
happened?"
"Well,
from what I've been able to make out, Ace was apparently poisoned by someone
who looks exactly like him."
"That can't
be…that imposter is in prison, isn't he?"
Vega then
spoke. "Not anymore, I'm afraid. He escaped last night."
Mona could
not believe what had happened. "Oh, my God! Then, the person
who just called me was…the imposter! I'm gonna wring his neck!"
"No, Mona,
don't. He's considered armed and very dangerous."
"Hmm, it
may not be a good idea to get him over here, then. That imposter
is supposed to pick me up at 12 noon, making this even more dangerous."
Victor
then spoke up. "Can I make a suggestion?"
Angie nodded
with her answer.
"How about
we drop him off at my father's home? It's not too far from here,
and Ace could sleep comfortably on the couch. I can also call our
family doctor and see if he can help Ace."
Angie liked
the plan. "Okay, Victor, let's go for it." She then spoke into
her watch again. "Mona, stay with the double as long as you can,
and see if you can get any clues as to what the poison is."
"Don't
worry, Angie. I'll stay with him long enough so I don't miss a thing.
I'll keep him busy while you get the real Ace somewhere safe."
"Thanks,
Mona. Just be careful yourself."
"I will."
She then ended the connection. "She's right. I have to be very
careful. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to propose
to me again. I'll play along for a while, and then I'll go to Bob
Raven's home. I just hope Ace will be all right." Mona returned
to freshening herself up for her date with the imposter. "I'll give
that imposter a good time, but he'll be exposed soon enough, that's a promise."
Back at
the scene, Victor questioned, "We know where to take Ace, but how do we
get him into the car? If we try moving him ourselves, it could cause
the poison to spread."
Angie stood
up and said, "I'll take care of this part." She took a couple of
steps back, closed her eyes, and put her arms out to the sides.
Her aura
emanating again, she began to carefully lift Ace and move him gently towards
the car.
Victor
was amazed by Angie's abilities. Her magic is so heartfelt,
he thought. She cares for the safety and welfare of those closest
to her, just like she did for me back at that rock formation. I wonder,
though, how she'll be able to deal with the darkness within herself.
I may need to tell Vega and Miss LeSage the truth about what Angie's seriously
going through.
Getting
Ace to land gently in the car, she turned to the others. "He's in.
Let's get him out of here before there's more trouble."
She and
Victor got to his car while Vega and LeSage got back into Vega's car to
get Ace safely to Victor's home…before it could be too late for the Magician.
Darlena
Lowland had wandered through many of Electro City streets in hopes to find
the Magic Express…and kill everyone inside it. "How in the world
can I miss a two-car bullet train!? It's too big not to be seen!
I'll find that home of Cooper's."
Upon coming
through a tunnel, she happened to see the two cars with the distinctive
letter "M" on the side. "Bingo! I knew I'd find that Magician's
home. Now to see if Mr. Cooper will answer the door for me."
She ran
up to the door and asked the computer, "Is Ace Cooper home?"
"No, he
is currently on his way to see Mona Malone for lunch."
"Ah, Cooper's
girlfriend. Fine. I'll wait here until that loser comes back.
Then, he'll be sorry."
Darlena
then went pacing around the area, waiting, hoping, itching for the one
chance to get even with the Magician, who helped put her away a couple
of years ago for trying to kill him and his friends.
Mona came
outside the fence of her home to wait for Ace to arrive. She already
knew this was not the real Ace, though, thanks to the conversation with
Angie, Victor, and Vega. I don't know what he'll do yet, but until
I have enough info, I'd better not do anything stupid and just play along
with him.
Ace arrived
at her home on his Magic Bike. "Hi, Mona. You ready?"
"You bet,"
she said, putting her acting to work. "I'm starving." Hopping
in the back, she added, "Let's go."
"Right.
To the Rosary in Keaton Park."
About 10
minutes later, they arrived at the Rosary Café in the park and started
eating lunch.
"So, how's
your day been, Mona?"
"It's been
quite uneventful. I mean, I don't have a concert for the next week
at the Croesus, so I'm just resting and taking in the sea air."
Rubbing
his nose, Ace smiled. "It's been boring today, huh? Well, I
think I can change that." He stood up and took something out of his
pocket: a red case. He then kneeled down to Mona and opened
the case.
Mona acted
very excited. "No…you're kidding!"
"No, Mona,
I'm not. You've been there for me all these years, through the best
and worst of times, good and bad, thick and thin. Mona Malone, I
want to make magic with you for the rest of my life. Will you…marry
me?"
She thought
it over. "I think I…will. Yes, I'll marry you."
He then
placed the one-karat diamond ring on her finger. "I love you, Mona."
"I love
you, too." When pigs fly, jerk! You'll pay for what you've
done to my true love. "How long do you want to keep this before
we tie the knot?"
"How about
a year or two, or is that too much?"
Mona shook
her head. "No, I think that's a perfect time frame." A perfect
time frame to get you back in prison for the rest of your life, loser.
I'll do what it takes to put you away forever, so you'll never harm anyone
again. "Ace, is it okay if I spend the rest of the day enjoying
my engagement by myself?"
"Of course
you can, Mona. I'm gonna head back to the Express anyhow to make
sure I'm ready for the show next Wednesday."
"Ace, the
show is next Thursday, not next Wednesday. Boy, you've
been really forgetful today."
"I'm sorry.
I guess I've made myself hyper over this new engagement."
"I understand,
Ace. Take it easy on the way home."
"Thanks,
Mona." He then kissed her on the lips. "I'll see you later."
He then got up and walked to the Magic Bike.
As he took
off, he waved at Mona and blew her another kiss.
The moment
Ace was out of range, she quickly took the ring off. "Stupid jerk!
He doesn't even kiss like the real Ace Cooper." She considered
throwing it away, but then said, "No, wait. I wonder if someone else
could use this ring."
She then
found a young man who was apparently practicing for his own proposal.
"Excuse me, but do you need an engagement ring?"
"I want
to get one for my girlfriend, but they're so expensive."
"Here,
you can have this one."
The young
man was shocked at the fact it was a one-karat diamond. "You're…you're
just giving this to me? Do I owe you anything?"
"No, you
don't need to pay me. I'm in no need of this ring. Give this
to your girlfriend with all your true love."
He took
the ring from Mona, appreciating it for far more than the monetary value.
"Thank you, Miss. I won't forget your act of kindness."
Mona smiled
as she knew he was right. Just then, her immediate concern focused
back to the her real love. "I'd better head over to the Raven home
to see if I can help Ace somehow."
Ace came
through the tunnel on the Magic Bike ready to enter his home when a blinding
light suddenly threw him off the turbocycle. "What the—?"
"Hello,
Cooper," said the voice of a rather angry young woman. "Did you ever
think you'd see me again?"
He looked
up at the young woman. Is that Angie? The young lady everybody's
talking about? "Wait, who are you?"
"Who am
I? You don't know who I am? Either you have amnesia, or you're
acting like a hell of a liar! I've come for revenge, Cooper, and
you're not going to weasel your way out of this nightmare this time!"
"No, wait,
please," he begged as he sniffled at his nose again. "I'm sorry.
I didn't realize how much trouble I caused." This girl may be
of help to me. I'll put her to good use for a while, but I don't
want her to stick around for too long, since the fame and fortune will
be mine. "Listen, it's obvious how talented you are…Angie, so—"
"Angie!?
I am not Angela Jacobs! I am Darlena Lowland!
I'm far better than that loser Angela—"
"Hold on."
Ace slowly stood up from the crash. "How about I let you join me?
Will that help?"
"You trying
to pull some trick on me or something?"
"No, it's
no trick. I'll let you join me." I still don't know who
this girl Angela Jacobs is, though. I guess I'll just have to wing
it with this girl Lowland and watch my back.
Darlena
found herself very surprised. "Well, okay, Cooper. I'm glad
you see things my way. Say, is that hacker friend of yours home?"
"Hacker?
Oh, you mean Cosmo. No, he went to try out a new video game.
Something about using feet instead of hands."
"Typical.
He's still addicted to those video games. You're seriously taking
me in?"
"Yes, Miss
Lowland, I am. Please, come in and feel welcome." At least
for a little while, my friend.
