Reveal the Darkness Within

by Shirley Ann Burton

When Angela Jacobs is kidnapped by a scientist who has dangerous intentions for her magical powers, will she have to resort to something dangerous to survive, especially since she is all alone with none of her friends close by?

5. The Darkness Explosion

Reveal the DARKNESS Within
Part 5: The Darkness Explosion

As the clock struck 6 a.m. in Washington, DC, one house was already stirring as four people were ready to leave with a mission in mind.
Ace Cooper had been unable to sleep all night long because his psychic bond with Angie was very strong, yet he was unable to find her with the effects of the drugs given to her by the kidnappers. Already dressed half-an-hour earlier, he was determined to search every inch of the nation's capital to find Angie before her buried feelings of pain and anger would explode, possibly harming other people…and herself even more.
Daniel Simons, head of the FBI, allowed Ace and Lt. Vega, an old friend of his during their days in the police academy, to say at his home the previous evening to let them rest.
Madam President Elizan Donovan was also assisting in the search for the missing female magician. Like Ace, she worried more for Angie's emotional state and prayed she and the others could find Angie before the explosion occurred.
As they were ready to leave, Madam President saw Ace stare off into space again. "Mr. Cooper, are you all right?"
"Angie," he whispered, "I'll find you. I won't give up until you're found safe. I will help you with your inner battle."
"Can you still sense her?"
He looked at the President sadly. "Yes, I can, but I can't see her. She desperately needs help, and I can't just give up on her. If her anger explodes…I'm scared to even think about it."
"I understand, Mr. Cooper."
"It's okay, Madam President, to just call me Ace."
Simons was still very skeptical about the magic. "Derek, it's just not possible for two people, not related by blood in any way, to have some strange connection to each other."
"When you've known one magician almost 20 years and the other nearly three, it's easy to tell. They both have real magic, Dan. Ace used it to save my life a long time ago." Vega then explained that situation to his old friend.
"That's…incredible," Simons said in awe. "So, Cooper had worked under crime boss Jack Malone as a teenager?"
"Right. That night changed both of us forever, since Ace was frightened of his own abilities at the time. Angie's the same way right now, just trying to hold back her own feelings of anger and pain."
"From…the loss of her parents in that road rage accident?"
"Yeah, and who knows what else, especially growing up, still having some fears about her powers, and her sudden celebrity status."
Ace and the President came up to the old friends.
"Gentlemen," said President Donovan, "we need to start searching now. Washington is a big city, and it won't be easy finding her in a population of 5 million."
Simons nodded in agreement. "The sooner we can find Miss Jacobs, the better. Who knows what the kidnapper is doing to her at this point?"
Ace had his concerns about the kidnapper's intentions, but he knew better. Whoever kidnapped her is in for a bad time…especially if her darkness reaches the surface. I have to find her at all costs before it's too late.
The Magician, Vega, Simons, and Madam President all got into Simons's car and immediately left his home to begin the long and harrowing search for Angela Jacobs…all praying she would be all right if and when she was found.

Back in the secret area, Angie finally awakened and groaned with a big headache. "What the—? What…what happened to me? Where am I?"
"So, Angela Jacobs," said a male voice, "you're finally waking up after so long."
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Swerving her head frontward, she saw bars. "I'm in…jail?"
"No, my dear," he replied. "You're not in jail. You've done nothing wrong."
Angie suddenly jumped up from her unique bed. "Who are you? What do you want with me!?" The pain in her head struck sharply, making her grunt in throbbing pain.
The man said, "Take it easy, Angela. Those drugs they put into you are still having a pretty good effect on you, and it won't help to use any magic."
After the pain lulled slightly, she looked up. "You…know I can do magic?"
"Yes, I do. I know you haven't been using your magic at its peak, either. That's why you're here. I've been watching you closely for nearly three years…ever since you joined up with Ace Cooper, the Magician."
Angie's breathing was a clear indication of the fear in her eyes. "So what? He let me have a home, and he's been teaching me the basics of magic."
"Nice try, Miss Jacobs," he said, his voice cold with anger, "but I know you're far stronger with your powers than you're telling me. After all, didn't you use your powers to take down Darlena Lowland and Mark Willoughby just weeks ago?"
"So I did. That was on the news."
"I know more about you than you think, Miss Jacobs. I said I've been watching you for nearly three years. However, I've known you were something special…for almost five years."
"What…are you talking about?"
"You were a senior at Iowa State University five years ago, weren't you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" the female magician asked angrily.
"In this case, everything. I recall a magic show at that time, with Ace Cooper attempting to break that water immersion world record."
"That was the…first time I saw him on television. I still don't understand."
"Well, when the laser cut the rod two seconds too early, it didn't look like he would make it out alive. Unbeknownst to Mr. Cooper, though, it seemed he had received help to escape."
"From whom?"
"Possibly…you."
"What!? That's not possible! I was in Iowa while he was in Electro City! How could I have helped him out?"
"My office at the time was across from the Segal Dormitory, where you were staying. Just when things looked hopeless for him, I noticed a blue light coming from that dorm. Using my binoculars, I saw you praying for Cooper's safety. You were glowing as bright as the old neon signs of the mid-20th Century. He managed to escape just in time, and I suspect that escape and your glowing are far more than sheer coincidence. I believe you used your own powers to help him break out."
Angie was shocked at what the man had said. "No…that can't be true."
"My dear, I know how strong your powers really are, even though you won't use them at their peak. If you did, you could inflict so much damage. That's why I need you, sweetheart. You're just the perfect tool I need in my experiment."
"Experiment? You…you're a scientist?"
The man behind Angie's kidnapping walked into the dim spotlight, revealing his brown eyes and brown hair. "That's right, my dear. Permit me to introduce myself, I'm—"
"No…it can't be," she said in shock. "I know who you are. You're…Dr. Gregory Collins!"
"Oh, you've heard of me?"
"Y-yes. You were helping grad students with the energy crisis situation when I was a senior at Iowa State. You're also supposed to receive the Science World Award this weekend."
"You know about that, too, huh? Well, I am to get the award for recent work on biochemistry and the environment. I only wish I could have done so for this experiment…magic as a defensive weapon."
"My powers…a weapon!? We'll see about that, Doctor!" She ran towards the cell door in a fit of anger.
Touching the bars, though, she received an electrical shock! "AHHHHH!" she screamed.
When she let go, she fell backwards and landed hard on the ground.
Dr. Collins shook his head. "Ah, ah, ah, Miss Jacobs. You touch those bars, and you get a 2,000-volt shock to your system. I could make it worse, but I need you alive."
The female magician slowly got back to her feet. She stared at him with cold eyes and said, "You're…never going to get away with this. My friends will find me."
"How are they going to do that when you don't even know where you are?" He chuckled with callousness. "You won't be going anywhere for quite some time. Get used to your surroundings, as this is where you'll be staying."
"And just…how long is that going to be?"
"As long as I need in order to understand and perhaps tap into the magical power within you. Think of the people we could protect, the enemies we could eliminate. You're famous already…you may become even more famous as a result of this! You'll become wealthier than ever before, you'll become—"
"Shut up!" Angie shouted. "I want nothing to do with this! I am not going to use my powers to help you with your sick plans!"
"In case you haven't noticed, Angela, you don't have much of a choice at the moment. I know you're probably getting very hungry. Water is more important than food, though, so there is a sink in your cell to provide you with water. It is clean, as I have a purification system in my home. You're entitled to water, but no food until you decide you will cooperate with me."
"You know that's blackmail, don't you?"
"Maybe, but I don't think you're going to last too long without some food in your stomach. When desperation time comes, you'll finally decide to cooperate. If you do so, you'll get a seven-course meal. As for me, I'll get the long-overdue experiment I wanted to do for so long." He then looked at his watch. "Well, time for me to go to work. I'll be home by dinner time. By then, you'll probably have decided that you'll cooperate with me in my experiment. Enjoy your stay, Miss Jacobs. I'll see you this evening." He then walked back into the dark, making sure Angie was unable to see just where he was going.
Angie sat on her lonely bed, as she started wondering if she would ever be able to see her friends again. As tears began to fall, she whispered, "Ace, where are you?"
Not anywhere close to here, responded the voice of her shadowed self. Face it, Angela, you're all alone, with no one to help you. You'll have to succumb to me soon enough.
"Never!" she said angrily. "I am not alone!"
Sure, keep saying that to yourself. Your constant denial is adding more fuel to my fire. It won't be long now. The darker voice chuckled coldly. The darkness will take over soon enough, and you will not be able to stop me.
"No," Angie stated in a trembling whisper. "I can't…I won't let you take me over."
Another two to three hours of denial, and I will finally come. You can't escape me anymore, Angela Jacobs. You've buried me far too long and wanted to deny that I am a part of you. No more, dear Angela. You will not reject my existence any longer.
"No…please," she pleaded. "I can't fall into the dark. If I do, I'll be alone again…completely alone."
The darker shadow hid her thoughts…thoughts of concern. Angela, the darkness will not let you be alone. Why do you keep thinking like this? Why do you think the worst will happen if your anger and pain surface? How can I get you to understand? I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's now our only hope for survival against this madman. Dr. Collins is not the noble scientist people have made him out to be. No one can physically help at this point. Your only hope now is to trust in me. Please, Angela, for our sake and survival, you've got to let me come to the surface.
Angie held her hands to the sides of her head as she cried very hard. Her heart felt nothing but pain and agony, and it would not be too much longer before her light would be eclipsed.
As Dr. Collins entered the living room to see Ferrio and Jameson watch television, he said, "Boys, I'm going to work now. I have some real research to do for my class on Thursday. Check on Miss Jacobs about every half-an-hour and make sure she's all right. However, I do not want you to give her any food. She only gets food when she agrees to work with me on my experiment. Is that understood?"
"Sure thing, boss," said Ferrio. "We'll keep close tabs on her."
"At least she's in a cell where there's no way for her to escape…not like that motel in Arizona when you two fell asleep. Remember, do not give her any food. If anything does happen, call me immediately."
Jameson gulped in a little fear. "Y-yes, sir."
Dr. Collins then entered his car and left for his job at District University. "By tonight," he said to himself, "I'll be conducting the most fantastic experiment ever known…magic as a powerful weapon against our enemies."

The sun was rising while Ace and the others were well active in their search for Angie.
In Simons's car, Ace concentrated with his heart to find Angie. "Still nothing," Ace said in frustration. "I know Angie's here. Why is it I can't find her?"
Vega answered, "Maybe the drugs have affected her so badly you can't even locate her heart right now."
"No…I can feel pain and agony in her heart, but I can't get a location out of it."
Simons drove the car trying to follow Ace's directions as best he could. Suddenly, he noticed something in a tree: a snowy owl. "Wha—?" He started concentrating more on the bird…and less on the road.
Madam President then shouted, "Dan, brakes!"
Simons quickly slammed on the brakes, only inches away from hitting a taxi cab.
Vega became flustered. "Damn it, Dan! What are you trying to do, kill us?"
"Take it easy, Derek! I saw something a minute ago."
"Something that made you take your eyes off the road!? What in the world could get your attention?"
"It was…an owl, a white owl."
President Donovan looked at him. "A white owl? How can that be? You can't find any type of owl loose here in Washington. The only owls around here are at the National Zoo."
Ace suddenly realized something the others were not able to grasp. That's no ordinary white owl. He knows what's happening. He then made telepathic contact with the owl. Can you hear me?
Yes,> replied the voice. Ace, listen to me very carefully. Angela's time is running out fast. Give or take another two hours, and her darkness will get complete control. The denial adds more power to her shadow. It will soon become a dangerous situation for herself and others.>
Have you been able to locate her yet?
No, I have had no success in finding your friend. Besides, whatever happens from this point, she must deal with it…alone.>
I can't let her, Ace thought fearfully. She could—
Magician, you have faced your darker feelings before…and alone, have you not?>
Yes…I have. She must be found, though.
I know. It will not be easy. Her shadow has somehow found a way to block both you and me from locating her. I do know she is somewhere within this area. Exactly where I cannot determine.>
I am having trouble myself, but I won't rest or give up.
That is the reassurance needed right now, Ace. I will keep looking from my end while you do it from yours. And…my apologies for nearly causing the accident with Derek Vega's friend.>
You managed to get Simons's attention, though, so it may be of some help. Thank you.
Vega looked at Ace strangely. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Derek," he answered sternly. "It's Angie that must be found as soon as possible. I can feel her darkness inching closer. The moment it surfaces…she'll be in serious danger."
The driver of the car in front of them was Dr. Collins himself. He considered turning around but then gasped at who the passengers were. The Magician, the President, and the head of the FBI in the same car!? They're all looking for that female magician, but they'll never find her, not as long as I'm holding her. I'll just act nonchalant about it.
When the light turned green, Dr. Collins moved on ahead to get to work while Simons and the others made a right turn.
"Listen," said Simons. "We're getting nowhere fast. I say we need to head to the office and try to figure things out there. We've got to look at a map of the entire city and determine possible places Angela could be hiding at."
Vega agreed with him. "Yeah, we need to work out some kind of strategy to locate her, Ferrio, Jameson, and the person behind this whole thing."
Ace felt very uncomfortable about their idea, but in the interest of locating her easier, he reluctantly concurred with their plan. "Very well. Let's move. Every second we lose equals more danger for Angie." And her inner soul.

Angie herself attempted desperately to summon the Magic Force within herself to escape from her prison. "It's my only hope. I've got to try."
She closed her eyes and focused into her soul to call its power forth. "I can do this," she whispered. After taking some deep breaths, she shouted, "Magic Force…reveal the power within!"
Her head began splitting in pain once more as her aura did not glow so brightly. The transformation proved unsuccessful. "No…I can't call on my power. Why?"
Angela, you fool, said the shadow self, why are you trying to call the Magic Force forward? You can't do it because those drugs are still affecting you, even though you haven't been given any for quite some time now.
Don't you understand? I have to get out of here! My friends—
Are nowhere to be found, little girl. You're the one who will not understand. There's no one here! You'll have to give in soon.
No! I won't give in to that mad doctor's demands!
Who said anything about him? I'm talking about me. The time for my arrival is at hand.
Angie then took some cups of water to help her parched throat and opted to lie down on her bed to try to get her mind away from the wild situation.
She tried to sleep her worries away as best she could, but to no avail, as she started hearing the voices of her friends…which were filled with anger and hatred.
You foolish girl, thought Ace angrily. Why did you have to come from a normal home? Our fractured lives were going just fine, thank you.
You've taken everything away from me, Angie! Cosmo noted wickedly. Why do you have the Magic Force and I don't!? You never deserved to be in the Magic Express! Why did I even take you there the night you ran into me? I should have left you alone to your bad luck life.
Ace is my boyfriend, Angela, said a distressed Mona. I know he loves you more than he does me, and I'm not going to let you get away with it!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Zina leapt in front of the female magician and growled loudly, scaring the three away from her. It should have been comforting for her, but it actually made her more nervous.
The shadow chuckled, not unkindly. From the dark which you fear comes your rescue…
Angie became more and more stressed, adding more intensity to her darker self. "No…no. Please, don't. I'm not trying to destroy anything."
The shadow self knew these thoughts were just delusions…caused by lack of food and the drugs. Angie, you're too weak to do anything now. Please, let me take over so I can at least help you get out of here. We have to find a way out before it's too late.
When Ferrio passed by the closet, he heard Angie screaming. "Larry, I think we'd better check on the girl."
"Why should we, Joey? She's fine."
"You heard the boss! We gotta make sure nothing happens to her. If something does, we're gonna be in serious trouble with him, you know that!"
"Okay, fine." Jameson felt annoyed as he got up from the couch. "I'm tellin' ya, she's fine."
When the twosome entered the secret laboratory, they found her struggling to hold her sanity together.
Ferrio approached her very cautiously. "Hey, little girl, you all right?"
She opened her eyes, which glowed in blue again. "I'm fine! Now leave me alone!"
The two hit men did exactly what she said and quickly left the lab.
Returning to the living room and panting in heavy breaths, the two were relieved to have gotten out of there.
"Told ya," said Jameson. "She's doing fine."
Back below, though, Angie continued struggling desperately not to allow her darkness to surface.
Within her soul the same struggle was taking place, but she soon noticed herself in a dark wasteland, just like she had done before when she nearly lost her life during the time of the dimensional rift. "What…what is this place?" she asked in fear.
"This is the place you've avoided for nearly eight long years," said an ominous and dark female voice. "You have never wanted to come here, but now you've been forced to be here."
"Just who are you!?"
When a stranger emerged from the shadows, she looked exactly like Angie! In a low tone she answered, "I'm you…only much darker."
"How can this be!?" Angie screamed. "I don't have a darker self!"
"Angela, do yourself a favor. Quit lying to yourself!"
"I'm not lying!"
"Yes, you are, you foolish child! This is the one lie you've believed all this time, that you are in total control of yourself. I know for a fact you're not! You continue to hide behind the light, wanting so badly to avoid me. I am a part of you, Angela. It's time you accepted the fact."
"No! I would rather die than have darkness take me over!"
The shadow self's eyes turned red with anger. "I don't believe this! You'd rather die than acknowledge my existence!? I am trying to save your life!"
"How can darkness save me!?" Angie shouted angrily. "All it does is create more hatred!"
"Which is exactly the buried feelings you have in your heart, even though you keep vehemently denying it. Think about Brad Fallon, Darlena Lowland, Mark Willoughby—"
"Stop it!" she screamed as she fell to her knees and held her head. "I don't have hatred!"
"Angela, listen to me. Every living being in this world has feelings of darkness within themselves. A lot of people like you won't accept that. Those closest to you have dealt with their own darker feelings in their lifetime. Even Ace knows of his darker side, growing up as a teenage criminal under Jack Malone's wing. What about Mona, who is trapped in the middle of this feud between the man she loves and her own father? You think she doesn't get angry about that?"
"I…guess so."
"And what about your best friend, Ashley? Being the daughter of Faceless, she's had bitter feelings, too. Remember what she and Marshall the shifter were both through at the same time? Ashley wanted to believe she was going mad rather than accept her mother being the master thief. It's like what you're doing now, even though you won't admit it."
Angie thought over very carefully yet shook her head violently. "No…I'm not a person who hates…I'm not going mad!"
"Yes, you are, Angela! You left Iowa altogether after college graduation so you could escape all those buried feelings of anger and rage, which have finally caught up with you after almost eight years. When you had to go back to Mason City for that parole hearing, you knew it would cause those painful memories to return. Ever since then, you've wanted so badly to forget my existence, but I am here, and you will accept it."
"No…I can't. I mustn't show my anger…"
The shadow became even more enraged. "Okay, Angela, that's the last straw! If you won't recognize my existence on your own free will, then I'll take you over right here, right now!" She ran up to Angie and started punching her in the face. "You're gonna understand my presence now, Angela Connie Jacobs! You will run no more!"
Angie wanted to use her magical powers, but each punch was getting more powerful. "No, don't! Please, stop it! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I know exactly what I'm doing, Angela! I'm forcing you to face those repressed feelings of anger, rage, and torture…all those feelings you have never shown, even to those closest to you!"
"NOOO! STOP IT!" Angie screamed at the top of her lungs while clutching her head in pain.
Jameson and Ferrio heard her commotion growing louder.
"Joey, call the boss, quick!"
Ferrio showed no hesitation in getting quickly to the telephone.
At his office, Dr. Collins was looking over information for his class the next day. "Okay, let's see here, um, this formula will certainly be of importance. That's one I'll definitely put on that midterm." He then looked at his calendar. "I can't believe it. Just three more days, and I'll have the coveted Science World Award again." He chuckled in delight when he heard his own phone ringing. "District University, Dr. Collins speaking."
"Boss, it's me, Joey!"
The doctor's tone quickly turned to whispered anger. "You stupid idiot! Why are you calling me here right now?"
"You said call if something's happening to Jacobs. She's screaming uncontrollably right now."
"What? Okay, you and Jameson get down there and try to tranquilize her. I'll be there as soon as I can." Collins quickly hung up the receiver and grabbed his coat.
When some of his colleagues noticed him leaving early, he said, "Sorry, everyone. A friend's having an emergency right now, and I'm the only one close enough. I'll be back soon."
He quickly sped off in his car for his home. "I've got to keep Angela alive!" he exclaimed. "She can't die on me! I need her for my experiment!"
What Collins failed to notice was a snowy owl watching him closely from its perched position on a nearby church. So, he is the one. I must follow him to his home. I will be needed to guide Ace to his heart sister. The owl took flight and started tagging behind Collins from a safe distance.

At Simons's office, he, Vega, and Madam President were looking over a map of the city, trying to isolate possible locations where Angie could have been held prisoner.
"Let's see," said the President. "There's this old shopping mall that closed down a decade ago because of the new mega mall built between Washington and Baltimore."
Vega then saw something else. "Say, what about this building here?"
"No," Simons noted. "That's the old mayor's office. It's set to be demolished next week. If she were to be kept alive, that wouldn't work."
"True. There are so many possibilities in this city."
"Despite the government buildings and all, you're right, Derek. There are just too many buildings where she could be."
Ace looked out the window at the blue sky when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a terrifying pain in his head. "AHHH!" he screamed while holding his head.
Madam President ran up to him. "Ace, what's wrong?"
"It's…the darkness…it's finally coming to the surface. Now we have to find Angie before she hurts someone or worse, herself."
The four ran out to Simons' car and quickly left.
Simons questioned, "How are we going to find her at this point?"
"It's all up to Ace now. He'll have to find her telepathically."
Ace closed his eyes and concentrated with his heart. "Angie, please, try to hold on. We're coming. Just hang in there." Glowing in a rippling violet, he felt the bond growing stronger again. "She's close…very close. Now if I can just get a fix on her location."
Simons this time followed all of Ace's directions to the letter with no hesitation, even though his belief in the existence of real magic was still somewhat skeptical at this point.

Back at Collins's home, Ferrio and Jameson grabbed their tranquilizer guns and went into the secret lab.
When they entered the lab, they noticed Angie glowing brighter than ever in her light-blue aura.
"What's with her?" asked a frantic Ferrio.
"I don't know, but we'd better get her back under control fast!"
The twosome aimed their tranquilizers into the cell and quickly fired their darts towards her.
Angie, however, saw them coming and quickly stopped them cold with a powerful stare. "Gentlemen," she said in a low and barely audible tone of voice, "you will not be using those petty darts on me!" With just a slight movement of her right hand, she turned the darts and aimed them back at the hit men!
"Duck, Joey!" Jameson shouted.
Both quickly hit the ground, just barely avoiding being hit by the tranquilizer darts.
As for Angie herself, her anger rapidly grew into full-blooded rage. She started screaming louder than ever. Mysteriously, her clothing began to change into her special crimefighting costume, even though she never said the command to do so!
Jameson could not believe his eyes. "Oh, man! The little lady…is packing major power."
"Whoa," Ferrio noted nervously. "This is frightening, man."
"Let's see if we can slip out of here without her seeing us. Go very slowly towards the exit."
The two men took delicate steps in hoping they would not have to face Angie's fit of rage.
When Angie completed her transformation into the crimefighting magician, she turned to see them trying to get away. Her tone low and her attitude hot-tempered, she said, "You're not going anywhere."
She put her hands forward and froze them dead in their tracks.
"Damn, I can't move!" shouted Ferrio.
"Me, neither!" Jameson then looked at Angie and pleaded for his life. "Please, little lady, don't hurt us. Just let us go. We were only hired by the doc, that's all."
"That's not a good enough excuse," she said coldly. "You kept me drugged so long I couldn't use my powers, but that miserable substance has finally let up, giving me the long-awaited chance to take out all my anger! You will pay!"
She levitated both men into the air and motioned her fingers in a circular motion, causing the men to also spin around in the air.
The two men screamed for their lives, both wondering if she had enough power to kill them.
After she stopped making them dizzy, she yelled, "Good night, boys! Sleep well." With a quick motion of both hands crossing each other, she made both men collide with each other hard, making them fall sharply to the ground unconscious, thankfully not dead.

In Simons's car, Ace concentrated with all he had to locate Angie with their psychic bond. "We're getting closer, the signal is much stronger now."
"Can you pinpoint the exact location?" Vega asked in concern.
"No, I can't. Her darkness is still blocking me out."
Ace, I think I know where Angela may be. I am currently following someone who wants to keep her alive for some kind of experiment. I will land in the tree of the correct location. Please, you and your friends must hurry.>
I understand. We will get there as soon as possible.
Simons followed Ace's directions as best he could, considering he was not taking the normal way of using directions. This is too weird. I'm following someone's psychic signal instead of a map? I don't know how I'm going to write a report on this one.
Madam President did the best she could to keep a cool head about the matter. I know their magic is real, and I hope Angie will be all right. The poor child. Being kidnapped as her own worst fears and nightmares come back to haunt her now. Whoever is responsible may end up regretting his or her actions.

Collins had used every regular short-cut to get to his home as quickly as he could. After parking his car in the garage, he quickly ran into the house and towards his own secret laboratory.
The snowy owl which had followed him landed safely on the strongest branch of a cherry blossom tree. This is the house. Now I must send Ace over here. It made contact with the Magician. Ace, follow my thoughts for now. I am at the location of your heart sister's prison.>
In the car, Ace heard the owl's thoughts. I understand. "Simons, take a right turn on Edison, quickly. I know where she is now."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Cooper." Simons followed Ace's directions down to the letter. "We'll find her soon enough."
As Collins entered his secret lab, he saw a very shocking sight. "No…it's not possible. Both men out cold?" He then saw Angie in her special costume, glowing brighter than ever in her light-blue aura. "How could you take them both out from inside your cell?"
Facing him with glowing blue eyes of anger and hatred, she answered, "Have you forgotten, Doctor? I am a magician, capable of who knows what…" She then started walking towards the bars of her prison.
"No, don't! You'll kill yourself! I need you alive!"
"You don't get it, do you? I'm wearing insulated gloves!" She grabbed two bars with her hands, amazingly not feeling any electricity going through her body. Her aura shielded her from being electrocuted again. With a scream of pure rage, she bent the bars with every inch of her own strength.
"I…I can't believe this," Dr. Collins whispered in fear. "I'll have to increase the voltage." He ran to the controls and increased the settings to 10,000 volts! "You'll stop now, Angela."
The escalation proved useless, as she still did not feel any of the electricity. "It won't do you any good, fool!" She bent the bars close to a 45-degree angle and simply stepped out of her cell. "Now for you, Dr. Collins!"
Just outside the house, Simons continued listening to Ace's instructions.
Passing one house, though, Ace said, "Simons, stop! Back up three houses, move!"
The FBI head put his car in reverse and parked it in front of the one house. He then saw the owl again. "Hey, that's the white owl I saw earlier today."
Madam President said, "That's a snowy owl. They're almost never found around here, just at the National Zoo."
When all four looked at the home, Simons said, "Wait a minute…this is the home of Dr. Gregory Collins. He couldn't be responsible for this, and she can't be here."
"This is it," Ace said slowly. "Angie is here. It's strongest right here."
When they ran to the front door, they realized it was locked.
"We can't just break the door down and burst into the house," said Simons.
Ace stated, "We won't have to…everyone stand back."
Vega, Simons, and Madam President did as Ace had said and stood on the sidewalk leading to the door.
Ace then grabbed his cape and went into a spin while screaming, "Magic Force, reveal the power within!"
The second he finished changing into his crimefighting costume, he put his right hand on the door. The hand glowing in violet, he quickly unlocked and opened the door. "There, no damage done."
Ace, Vega, and President Donovan quickly entered while Simons straggled behind, not believing what he had just seen. "I think I need a vacation."
Collins grabbed one of the tranquilizer guns, hoping to put her to sleep with a dart. "Don't make me do this, Angela. I need you for the experiment."
With a wicked smile on her face, Angie put her right hand forward and strained the muscles in that hand. "You've done enough to me. Now it's my turn!"
The gun quickly heated in his hands. "Ah, ouch!" he yelled as he had to drop the gun. "You're…out of control. I have to get out of here right now."
Angie saw him trying to run for his life but quickly froze him in place. "No, you don't, Doctor. You're not getting away from me. Now I'd like to try an experiment on you!" She thought over about what kind of punishment he should receive as she made him float close to the ceiling. "Hmm, let's see. I grew up in Iowa, which is inside Tornado Alley. I've always wondered about the effects of a tornado…on the human body!"
Collins gasped in total fear. "No…you wouldn't."
"Oh, yes, I would. I think you're perfect for my experiment!"
She quickly cupped her hands together and created a tiny tornado. When she threw it at Collins, though, it quickly grew into one that went from the floor to the ceiling of the lab. "See how you like it when you're trapped inside the tornado's vortex!" she shouted wickedly.
Ace, Vega, Simons, and Madam President searched frantically through the house to find Angie.
After meeting in the living room, Ace closed his eyes and said, "Angie is…below. I sense her presence just below this room."
"But," said Simons, "there's no basement for this house."
Madam President, though, noticed something not quite right in the living room. "Who would put a book case right next to the closet?" She then noticed a stack of books. "Let's see, Biochemistry and Me, Geological Hazards, Physics 403, Cooking for Dummies, Scientific Theories for—"
"Wait," said Vega. "Cooking for Dummies?"
"You're right. I've known Collins for quite some time. He doesn't cook." She grabbed the book and pulled it only slightly outward, which revealed a secret opening and a set of downward stairs in the closet. "Bingo! This must be where she is!"
"Let's move!" Ace commanded.
Meanwhile, Angie was starting slowly on her tornado. "Right now, I'm at the smallest level on the Fujita scale, F0, winds only going to about 72 miles per hour. Shouldn't have too much of an effect on the body, unless there's loose debris."
"Angela, please, don't do this!" the doctor yelled in fear.
"I'll do with you as I want, and you're not going to get out of this easily. How dare you try to use my powers to create a dangerous weapon! Let's increase the speed a little to F1 status, where the winds start to get a little more creepy, say about 120 miles per hour."
The twister became stronger as the scientist began pleading for his life. "Stop, please! I'm begging you! I'm sorry!"
"Sorry, Doctor," the young magician said in a very angry low tone. "Apologies will not get you off the hook from me. You took me away from my home, my family, and my friends, you jerk! Now feel my raw power. Let's move up to F2, with winds going to 170 miles per hour!"
Just then, Ace and the others entered the lab to an unbelievable scene.
"I don't believe it," Vega whispered. "I've never seen Angie be angry enough to do this."
Ace, concentrating on her soul, sadly said, "This is her darker, shadowed self, the self she buried for almost eight long years. All her anger and rage have finally come out."
"Oh, my dear Lord," said a worried Madam President. "The poor thing. She's had nothing to eat, become delirious, and her anger and guilt have completely taken her over."
Angie, still completely focused on her prey, decided to make her twister even stronger. "Prepare for F3, where peak winds reach 212 miles per hour! It's starting to become rather difficult to survive in these powerful winds, isn't it, Collins?"
Simons looked to his left and found Ferrio and Jameson both regaining consciousness. "All right, you two. You're both under arrest for kidnapping. Now, who hired both of you?"
Ferrio shook the webs from his head and answered, "It was him, Dr. Collins. He hired both of us to kidnap the girl."
"What for?"
"He said," started Jameson, "he needed her for an experiment on using magic against others."
Simons found himself flabbergasted by the answer. "Oh, my God. Collins wanted to tap into her powers and create a weapon out of it!?"
"Yes," Ace answered slowly. "Collins knew how emotionally vulnerable Angie was, so he wanted her kidnapped instead of me, even though my magic is more powerful than hers."
"What can we do to stop her from killing him?"
"I have to reach out to Angie telepathically. If she knows I'm here, she'll stop immediately because…this is something she wanted no one to see."
Simons decided to let Ace try it for a change, despite his skepticism. "I trust you, Cooper. Go for it."
Ace closed his eyes and used the bond between himself and Angie to communicate with her. Angie, I am here.
Angie still focused on her intended victim when she heard Ace's voice inside her mind. "No, it couldn't be," she whispered to herself. "He couldn't be here. If he saw me like this…"
Angie, I am here. I'm standing right behind you. You must stop this before you kill Dr. Collins. I know why you're doing this. Please, let me help you.
She kept the tornado steady as she slowly turned her head to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the familiar tuft of white hair on top of Ace's head. "Oh, no," she whispered in fear.
Oh, yes, said the shadow. Your brother in magic has seen me now.
The female magician quickly moved her hands back to her, which caused the tornado to abruptly disappear and force Collins to fall to the ground.
Ace opened his eyes to face her. "Angie," he whispered, "I'm here to help you. I know what's been happening to you."
Angie, though, feared the reality of this situation. "No…you…you weren't supposed to see this. You shouldn't have seen this!" She let out a blast of magic, causing Ace and everyone else in the room to fall to the ground. In complete panic she then ran out of the secret lab and up the stairs.
Vega helped Ace stand and said, "We've got to catch up with Angie before she hurts herself or someone else."
"You do that," said Madam President. "Meanwhile, we'll get the authorities here. Dr. Gregory Collins has a lot of explaining to do for this."
Ace and Vega quickly took off to find the distraught young magician.
When they got out the door of the home, Angie was nowhere in sight.
"She got a good start on us," said a concerned Vega. "And Washington's a big city. How do we find her?"
"I'll track her by feeling as best I can. I don't think she knows she's in Washington yet." He then noticed that the snowy owl in the tree earlier was already gone. He's trying to find her, too.
"Come on, Ace," said Vega. "We've got to find her now. Boy, finding Angie here is gonna be like finding that needle in the haystack."
The two men took off together in the hopes of finding Angie before she caused further damage…to herself.