The Conclusion!
As Angie
awakened on Saturday morning, she knew this day was one of the most important
in her life. That evening she was about to take part on her very
first date. She already started to feel very nervous when the warm
sun touched her face. "I can't believe it…this is it. Today's
the day. I'm just…worried. Maybe I can get some help from Mom
and Dad."
She got
into her meditative position and started breathing deeply and calmly in
order to reach out to her deceased parents spiritually. "Mom…Dad,"
she whispered. "I need some advice from you…can you help me be calmer
for tonight?"
Deep
in her mind, she found herself in the living room of her family home with
her parents once more.
Robert
patted her on the shoulder. "Feeling nervous, honey?"
"Yes,
Dad. I don't know if I can go through with it."
"It's
okay. Most people going on first dates are nervous enough, making
sure every detail is right. In fact, don't be surprised if Victor
himself is anxious also."
"I figure
most guys were prepared. No offense, Dad."
"None
taken, Angie," he laughed. "Believe me, I was probably more nervous
than Nancy when our first date came along. I had to double check
everything."
Nancy
then added, "So did I. I wanted my hair to be perfect, my dress to
look exactly the way it should, the earrings, the make-up, everything just
had to be just right…but you know not everything did. I just hope
we don't end up jinxing you about it."
"Mom,
if something does go wrong, I won't blame it on you or my darker shadow.
It's Ronald Sikes I'd like to get my hands on. Of course, that may
not happen because Victor sidetracked him with the wrong location."
"That's
right. He told that man Sikes your date was at the Croesus Palace.
But, what will you do for your part?"
"I'm
going to tell Mona, who can then inform her father…Black Jack. I
have a pretty good idea he can take it from there." She then gave
a rather wicked smile.
"Oooh,
you're becoming a sneaky little devil, aren't you?"
"Yeah.
My darkness needs some freedom to move."
Robert
quickly answered, "I agree. Ronald Sikes has been nothing less than
a vulture searching for its prey."
"I know.
Paparazzo was bad, but Sikes is a lot worse."
"Now,
back to your situation, Angie. I know you're very nervous and very
excited about tonight, but just remember not to expect anything.
Let everything play by ear."
"And
don't worry if anything goes wrong," added Nancy. "Just think of
it as part of the lesson."
"I like
the advice. Thanks, Mom and Dad. I just need to stop worrying
so much and go one step at a time. It all starts this morning with
my hair at 10. The guys will have to go without me cooking lunch
and dinner."
"What
did they say?" asked Robert curiously.
"Well,
Cosmo didn't take it too well at first, but Ace reminded him about tonight,
so he eventually accepted."
Nancy
laughed and said, "Anyway, we know you have a big day ahead of you, so
we want to wish you well. We'll be watching over you as always."
Angie
hugged her parents lovingly. "Thank you."
Returning
to reality, she opened her eyes and calmly walked to the kitchen to cook
up a special breakfast. "Let's see, French toast with a touch of
cinnamon, eggs benedict, and the fluffiest pancakes they've ever had."
Gathering the ingredients, she got herself to work on making a good meal
for her friends. "Oh, I need to give Zina something, too. Perhaps
some extra lean bacon? No, no. Zina's a predator, too. She
needs some meat." She went to check the refrigerator for anything.
"Ah, here we go. This thick sirloin should satisfy her breakfast
needs."
After cooking
was completed, she thought, Ace…wake everyone up, please. Breakfast
is ready.
When Ace
heard her telepathic message in his room, he quickly sat up on his bed.
Thanks, Angie. I'll have everyone there in less than five minutes.
Sure enough,
everyone enjoyed her exceptional breakfast.
"Angie,"
said Cosmo happily with his mouth full of egg, "this is the best eggs benedict
I've ever had!"
"Aww,"
blushed the chef. "You're just saying that."
"No, he
means it," said Ace, "and so do I. This is the best breakfast you've
done yet. Of course, today is a special day. What time do you
have to be at Madame Scalia's?"
"10.
I'm gonna make sure my hair comes out right. Are you sure you'll
be okay?"
"Yes, we'll
be fine. This is your day, Angie. Take as much advantage
of it as you possibly can."
"Thanks,
Ace. Cosmo, are you gonna be—"
"Hey, I
can go without lunch and dinner from you for a day or two. Like,
have fun today. Don't worry about a thing."
"Okay.
You're right. Oh, and there's one little thing I need to ask Mona."
The Magician
eyed her with arousing curiosity. "What is it?"
"Let's
just say her father's going to be involved heavily."
"Angie…you're
really
being a little wicked, but I think it's good."
A couple
of hours later, Angie and Mona arrived at Madame Scalia's Hair Salon, where
Angie would get her special style done by Madame Scalia herself.
"Ah, welcome,"
said the owner and professional stylist. "You must be Angela."
Angie shook
the hand of a truly gifted hairstylist. "It's nice to meet you, Madame
Scalia. You're the one fixing my hair for tonight, right?"
"Yes, my
friend. After Mona showed me the printout on Wednesday, I made sure
everything was ready for you today. I promise your hair will be a
knockout."
"I appreciate
you doing this, Madame Scalia. Boy, I'm getting extremely nervous
about tonight."
"I understand.
A first date is to be special, but it has been watched closely by everyone,
including those awful reporters."
"Don't
worry," said Mona with a smirk. "Victor said the wrong location about
the date."
"Which
reminds me, Mona," interrupted Angie. "I need to ask you something.
Does your father, um, like Sikes?"
"No, Father
likes Sikes 100 times less than Paparazzo. Sikes pushes that
ethical envelope at times. Why?"
"Victor
told Sikes my date was going to be at the Croesus Palace."
Mona's
eyes widened. "I see."
"I hope
you don't mind—"
"Are you
kidding? It's downright perfect! He'll never know the truth
until it's too late. While Madame Scalia does your hair, I'll let
Father know about the situation."
"Thanks,
Mona. I was worried you'd be mad at me after how I reacted to your
song."
"Angie,
you had every right to be upset with me last week. Now, you enjoy
your hair while I contact Father."
As Madame
Scalia got to work on Angie's hair, Mona went to her car to telephone her
father at the Croesus Palace. "Father?"
In the
main office on the top floor, "Black Jack" Malone heard his daughter's
voice. "Mona? Is something wrong?"
"No, but
how would you like to get a chance to humiliate Ronald Sikes?"
Jack's
blue face showed a wicked smile. "Humiliate him? I have
been waiting for that opportunity for a long time. How?" After
being told about the details, he smirked, "Very clever. I think it's
the perfect idea. He needs to be punished severely, and humiliation
is just what he deserves. I'll have things arranged here for him.
I also know he will probably bring his boss Victoria Corliss here to prove
himself. She needs to get her just desserts, too. Tell Angie
and Victor thank you for me."
"I will,
Father. Thanks for helping out on this."
"In this
case, I'm glad I can help." After the line disconnected, he called
in Spade, Diamond, and Clockwise. "Boys, Ronald Sikes and Victoria
Corliss will be here tonight. Clockwise, let them enter. They
believe that Angela Jacobs and Victor Raven's first date will be here.
I want to personally humiliate them both myself. Then you will both
have the honor of throwing them out as soon as I tell them the truth."
Spade became
curious. "Will you tell them where Jacobs and Raven are really at?"
"Maybe
I shouldn't. I would rather see them cringe in desperation for the
story on Monday morning."
Diamond
chuckled. "That's brilliant, boss."
"Thank
Victor Raven for telling Sikes the wrong location and Angie Jacobs for
letting Mona know, which in turn alerted me. I am part of this big
plan against those two people from The Inquisitive. Shall
we go ahead and prepare a scrumptious meal for them tonight?"
The crime
boss and his lackeys laughed very hard, seeing that everything for their
part of the plan would not fail.
A couple
of hours later, Angie's hair was done.
"Ah, Miss
Jacobs," said Madame Scalia happily. "Look in the mirror."
The female
magician did so and became very excited. "This is…wonderful!
It's just the way I wanted it! Very wavy and lots of body!
Madame Scalia, thank you!"
"It was
an honor doing your hair, Miss Jacobs."
Mona nodded
in delight. "Angie, your hair is definitely right for tonight.
Victor will not believe his eyes!"
"I hope
you're right, Mona." Turning to the owner herself, Angie said, "A
job well done, Madame Scalia." She then paid in full with an extra
20% tip.
After receiving
the money, Madame Scalia said, "Thank you, Angela. If you ever need
me for a special hairstyle for a special occasion, let me know."
"I will.
Thanks again."
When the
pair left the salon, on-lookers found themselves in surprise.
"Um, excuse
me," said one woman, "but who is your friend?"
Mona answered,
"A good friend of mine who's about to have her first date tonight."
The two
then went to Mona's car and left for home.
"Wow, just
seven hours left," Angie stated with her nerves slightly increasing.
"Don't
worry, Angie, everything will be fine. Just have faith."
Meanwhile,
at the Raven home, Victor felt more nervous than Angie. "Wow…so close
now."
His father
came into the living room. "Victor, relax. Things will go fine
tonight, I promise."
"I know,
Dad. I'm sorry, I think I'm more nervous about this than Angie is."
"Hey, just
take it easy. Tonight will prove to be a most memorable night for
you and Angie, no matter what happens."
Victor
took a deep breath and beamed with calm. "I hope you're right, Dad.
This means a lot to me. Angie's the first girl I can honestly say
I truly love. Her spirit is so…"
"Alive,
real, and true," his father completed calmly. "She loves you for
you and vice versa. To the two of you, celebrity status means nothing.
Your true love for each other is what will make it work."
"Thanks,
Dad. I feel a little better."
For both
Angie and Victor, the closer the time came, the more nervous they both
became.
At about
5:00, Angie changed into her evening gown, the one she had chosen earlier
in the week. She made some adjustments to her hair to make sure the
body was still there when she would meet Victor.
Angie looked
at the clock in the living room as she paced very nervously. "I've
never been this anxious in my life, not since high school graduation."
Ace stood
up and said, "Take it easy, Angie. It's 6:30 right now. Victor
should be here any minute."
Soon enough,
Angel made an announcement. "Victor Raven is standing by at the door."
"Let him
in please."
Victor
entered through the front door and found Angie in the living room.
He gasped in complete surprise at how she looked with her wavy hair and
sparkling blue evening gown. "Angela…you look so beautiful this evening."
Angie looked
into Victor's eyes and said, "You look more handsome than ever."
He then
took something out from behind his back. "For you, a beautiful bouquet
of roses to match your true beauty inside and out."
She took
the bouquet from her first true love. "They are beautiful."
"Oh, and
I have something else in the car. It's a special corsage for this
occasion."
The last
corsage brought very painful memories to the female magician. This
time, though, she calmly said, "Thank you, Victor."
Ace noticed
the change in her. Angie's not frightened about the corsage anymore.
That means she really is healing. This is your night to shine,
Angie. Just go for it.
Victor
took Angie's hand and looked at her friends. "Ace, I'll make sure
she comes home safely tonight."
"I have
complete trust in you, Victor. Don't worry." He then thought
to Angie, I won't go through your mind or heart. This is very
intimate, and we have our inner agreement.
Yes,
we do. Only in emergencies do we contact each other. I just
hope I don't lose control tonight.
You
won't. Just have faith. Now, have a good time, and we'll see
you at home.
"Well,
I'm off to the Planet Electric for the evening. See you guys later
on tonight."
"Okay,"
said Cosmo, "now, like, go on already. You're gonna be late."
Victor
escorted Angie to his car and gave her the corsage. "Here it is."
"It's beautiful,
Victor," she said as she noticed the pure red rose. She used her
magic to levitate the corsage over her left wrist. "I'm ready now."
As soon
as he helped her into the car, the pair took off for the Planet Electric.
Meanwhile
at the head office of The Inquisitive, there were only two people
there: Victoria Corliss and Ronald Sikes.
"This is
it, Sikes," said Corliss wickedly. "We'll have the exclusive scoop
on Jacobs and Raven's first date on the newsstands first thing Monday morning."
"Yeah,
really dumb of that Raven guy to tell us where their date would be…at the
Croesus Palace."
The two
were dressed formally and went to Victoria's expensive car and left for
the casino.
"Just think,
boss. We've got the story of the year right here!"
"That's
right, and nobody can stop us this time!"
They soon
arrived at the Croesus Palace and parked across the street.
"Got that
special camera ready, Sikes?"
"Yup.
It's concealed inside the second button of my dress shirt."
Across
the way, Spade and Diamond noticed them approaching.
"Here they
come," said Diamond in his watch to Clockwise.
The right-hand
man said, "Very well. Let them in with no incident. I will
lead them to the…special table."
When the
two walked up to the door, Corliss did all the talking. "Yes, Victoria
Corliss and Ronald Sikes. We're here…with Angela Jacobs and Victor
Raven."
Diamond
acted like he understood. "Of course, Miss Corliss. You and
Mr. Sikes may enter."
When the
pair walked by the two bodyguards, Sikes was surprised. "I thought
they wouldn't let us in."
"Ha, they
knew about the story with Jacobs and Raven."
Entering
the lobby, they soon faced Clockwise.
The lawyer
and accountant knew what to do. "Ah, welcome, both of you.
Please follow me to the special table." The fools, they don't
know anything at all.
Clockwise
led the two to the table close to the window and near the stage.
"What a
perfect place to see them," whispered Sikes. "Raven and Jacobs will
surely be able to dance up there on stage, and I can get some wicked shots
of 'em in action."
"You sure
can. Only thing is…where are they?"
"Probably
not here yet. Most dates are never on time."
"I guess.
Since they're going to end up paying for our bill anyhow, let's eat."
The maître
d' gave them their menus in order to decide just what expensive meals they
wanted.
Meanwhile,
five minutes before 7:00, Victor and Angie arrived at the front door of
the Planet Electric.
They soon
exited the car and allowed the parking valet to take care of the vehicle.
Victor
put out his arm and said, "Shall we go in, Angie?"
"Of course."
She wrapped her arm into his, and they walked into the restaurant itself.
They came
up to the front, where the maître d' said, "Good evening. Can
I help you?"
"Yes, sir,"
said Victor. "Victor Raven and Angela Jacobs."
"Ah, yes.
Your special booth is ready, Mr. Raven. If you and Miss Jacobs would
follow me, please."
The pair
came up to a special booth in the center of the restaurant.
"Wow, this
is it?" asked Angie curiously.
"Yes, this
is the booth I reserved. It stood up for us."
"Whew,
I'm glad." After being helped into the booth by Victor, she said,
"This place is very nice."
"Thanks.
I'm happy you like it. You'll like the grab-bag menu, too."
"Okay,
I think I will."
The maître
d' brought them both their menus. "Here you go. Take your time
in choosing your meals."
She then
noticed how long the menu was. "Wow, what a list of foods.
I may have a hard time choosing."
"Angie,
I need to ask you something. Do you drink wine or champagne?"
"Uh, no…never
had either in my entire life."
"Well,
how about milkshakes?"
"Milkshakes?
Homemade and not like the fast-food places?"
"That's
right. Would you like that?"
"Sure.
I love homemade milkshakes, particularly chocolate skim milk with vanilla
ice cream. That's my favorite."
Victor
nodded. "Very well. One milkshake made for two. Now,
choose your meal carefully."
After it
took about 10 minutes of carefully eyeing everything on the menu, she finally
came to a decision while Victor had already done it five minutes earlier.
Angie felt
slightly embarrassed by the long selection time. "Most of this I've
never had, but I did spot something familiar."
"That's
okay. Considering you barely eat out at all, I can understand you
don't know a lot of these dishes."
The maître
d' came back and asked if they had decided on their meals for the evening.
"I would
like linguine pasta with scallops and meatballs," said Victor.
Angie stated,
"I would like to have the chicken shrimp chow mein, please."
"Very well.
And for a drink?"
They looked
at each other, and then Victor said, "Homemade milkshake with chocolate
skim milk and vanilla ice cream. Two straws in one shake."
"Of course."
He then took the menus. "Our appetizer special tonight is mildly
hot wings, coming to you in about five minutes."
"Thank
you," said Angie. "I apologize for taking so long in choosing a dish."
After he
left, Victor laughed some. "Angie, don't worry about anything.
We're going to have a good date. I really don't think anything could
go wrong."
"I know.
In fact, Sikes and his boss should start to wonder why we're not at the
Croesus Palace yet. And to sweeten things, Black Jack will take care
of them in an orderly fashion in the next few minutes."
"You're
being a sneaky one tonight, Angie."
"Sneaky
is as sneaky does."
A half-an-hour
later, Corliss and Sikes sat at their table and ate their expensive meals,
yet wondered where Angie and Victor were.
"I don't
get it," said Corliss suspiciously. "Are you sure Raven said it was
here at the Croesus Palace?"
"Yes, he
said so himself. I got it out of him earlier this week. There
was no way he could've lied about it."
Clockwise
kept an eye on them from the front desk. "Boss, they're beginning
to grow impatient."
In his
office, Jack had decided enough was enough. "Very well, Clockwise.
The boys and I will be there shortly."
Soon, all
four of them were at the table.
Black Jack
himself spoke for the entire group. "So, are you enjoying your meals?"
"Yes, we
are," said Corliss, "but we were supposed to have two other people in our
group."
"You mean
Victor Raven and Angela Jacobs?"
"And just
how did you know that?" Corliss questioned. "Is this all a set-up
or something?"
"To tell
you the truth…yes. This has all been a very well-coordinated set-up.
Raven completely lied to you about the location. He and Miss Jacobs
aren't here."
Corliss
looked at Sikes with a furious face. "How could you have not verified
it first!?" She then turned to Jack. "Do you know where they
are right now?"
"Maybe,
but I'm going to let you find out for yourselves. I have a right
to keep that information private."
Sikes jumped
out of his chair and started yelling at the owner. "No, you don't!
We have every right to know where they are!"
"You, Sikes,
are in no demand to force anything from me. Spade, Diamond…"
"With pleasure,
boss," said Diamond wickedly as he grabbed Corliss's arm.
"Get your
hands off me!" Corliss screamed. "You can't do this to me!
I am the editor-in-chief!"
Spade took
a hold of Sikes, who himself struggled to get free. "Hey! The
public has the right to know the truth! We'll sue you for every cent
you've got!"
Clockwise
wisely said, "Go ahead. You will lose anyhow, like you have on a
number of occasions. And one other thing, you owe more than $150
for your meal, which we expect within a week."
As Sikes
and Corliss were dragged to the front door, everyone in the restaurant
area laughed at them.
Spade and
Diamond cordially threw them out by pushing them backwards.
Fortunately,
the two Inquisitive people only staggered backwards and did not
fall down the long stairway.
"And stay
out!" yelled Spade and Diamond as they walked back into the Croesus.
Inside,
Jack felt very satisfied. "Serves them right."
As for
Corliss and Sikes, Corliss was none too pleased with what had happened.
"Sikes, I oughtta fire you for not doing this right! Now how are
we ever going to get the jump on Jacobs and Raven when we don't even know
where they are!?"
Sikes actually
stood up for himself and said, "I'll tell you what we're gonna do!
We're gonna check every damn restaurant until we find them!"
Corliss
was shocked by his sudden backbone. "Now you're being a real reporter…someone
who isn't afraid to stand up to me when the going gets tough. Now
come on, we still have time to find the two lovebirds."
They took
off in Corliss's car to check out the swankiest restaurants in Electro
City, hoping one of them had Angela Jacobs and Victor Raven as guests.
An hour
later at the Planet Electric, Victor and Angie had finished their food
and shared their milkshake.
"Victor,
this was delicious."
"Good.
I'm glad you enjoyed the meal. And you were right about the milkshake.
It's really good."
Then, they
heard a slow song and decided to get themselves onto the dance floor.
"Um, can
you help me, Victor? I've never really done a slow dance before."
"Of course,
Angie. I'll lead, you follow."
The pair
started slow-dancing, feeling closer than ever before.
Angie wandered
into deep thought. Victor, can you read my mind? I mean,
do I have to say I love you, or can you tell? I've never felt so…comfortable
in my life. I've kept myself closed for so long, and then you entered
my life. You are…my first true love. I really love you.
Victor
also pondered deeply. Angela, you're just the third girl I've
ever had in my life, but you are the first genuine girl I've ever known.
You are truly beautiful, inside and out. You let me be there for
you when you suffered through your darkest times. You are not alone
and never will be. I love you with every beat of my heart.
The two
then closed their eyes and kissed passionately, creating an aura of electricity
around them. This kiss lasted about a minute, but between them it
felt like an eternity.
When they
finally let go, Angie said, "That's…the warmest I've ever felt."
"You deserve
happy moments, after all the pain and tragedy you've been through."
The female
magician smiled and had a small tear come from her right eye. "I'm
sorry, it's just I've never felt this happy before."
"I understand,
Angie. I'm glad you're letting me be a part of it."
She then
hugged him tightly. "Victor…don't let go, please."
The two
felt their intimacy could last a lifetime…that is, until they heard a gunshot
hit the chandelier on the ceiling.
The attachment
to the chandelier quickly came undone and started falling towards Victor
and Angie!
"Hang on,
Victor!" Angie yelled as she put her right hand straight up and concentrated
her magic on stopping the large chandelier from hitting them. After
managing to slow it about 10 feet above them, she started feeling the strain.
"Victor, I can't use any magic to get us away from it while I'm holding
this thing up…pull me out of the way, fast!"
He ran
with her out of the way so the chandelier could crash safely to the floor
without anyone getting hurt.
After they
took shelter underneath a table, Victor was worried. "Angie, are
you all right?"
"Yeah…just
tired. What the heck's going on here!?"
Two men
in masks appeared close to the front door of the restaurant. "All
right," said one of them, "this is a stick-up! Everyone get all your
valuables out right now!"
While most
people were doing what they were told, Angie started panting in anger.
"I don't believe this," she said in subtle fury. "This was supposed
to be the night of my life, and these two hooligans are going to ruin it
for not only us but also for everyone else here!"
Victor
started noticing her body glow in her light-blue aura while her eyes were
changing to the same color. "Angie…are you all right?"
"No, Victor,
I'm not. I am very angry. Being bumped by a manager
is one thing, but it's different when crooks decide to wreck everything!"
Back at
the Magic Express, Ace and the others were relaxing in the living room
while watching Casablanca.
Just when
it reached the climax, Ace jolted his head forward. "Ahhh…"
Cosmo noticed
very quickly. "Dude, what's going on?"
"Angie…she's
starting to lose control. Something must've happened at the Planet
Electric."
There,
she bordered on rage, similar to her time in Washington. "You two-bit
jerks!" she said loudly as she stood up. "This is supposed to be
my special night, but you came along and wrecked everything!" Her
hair started flowing in the electricity of her power. "I'm going
to make sure you don't cause any more trouble!" She spun around
and glowed brightly as she yelled, "Magic Force, reveal the power
within!" The second she emerged in her costume, she directed
her anger towards the two criminals.
The other
of the criminals shouted, "Don't you move another step, or we shoot!"
Her eyes
still glowing in anger, she said, "Not if I enclose the two of you in a
little barrier where you can't shoot anyone except yourselves!"
She focused her magic on the pair only and encased them in the small barrier.
One of
the crooks on the inside screamed, "No, you fool! You'll get us
killed!"
Within
her soul, her darker self made contact. Angie, you'd better consider
where you are right now.
She realized
the situation. Uh-oh, you're right. If I don't take this
outside, an innocent person could get hurt by either a stray bullet or
my magic. Thanks. "Maître d', open the front door
please. I've got to take this mess outside the restaurant
before someone gets in harm's way."
He nodded
in understanding and ran to the front door to open it. "Okay, Miss
Jacobs."
"Thanks.
Now, for all of you in here, please do not follow me outside.
This could get ugly, and someone could get hurt." She then looked
at Victor. "I'm sorry, but I don't want you getting hurt, either."
"I understand…just
be careful, Angie."
The female
magician was about seven feet behind the criminals as she moved them out
of the restaurant and into an open area across the street, away from drivers
and pedestrians. "Now that we're out of the way where it's just the
two of you against me, I'll just let you down." She let up the barrier,
which dropped them the 10 feet downward and made them land hard on the
ground.
The two
thieves looked at her with their own anger.
"You think
you can thwart us, little girl?" asked one of them.
Angie did
not take that comment particularly well. "Little girl? Little
girl!? You fools really think I'm a little girl!? I'm going
to make you both suffer for ruining my first date!" Her eyes started
glowing again, as her anger returned. "This was supposed to be the
most important night of my life, and you decide to wreck everything!
Now you will face my wrath!" She directed her angered magic at the
two criminals and made them float at least 20 feet off the ground this
time.
Back at
the Express, Ace could feel Angie's pure rage growing. "She'll lose
control unless I can get through to her." He closed his eyes and
telepathically reached out to his female counterpart. Angie…Angie…can
you hear me?
Angie's
anger continued growing further towards fury when she heard Ace's calm
mental voice. Ace?
You're
losing control again. Remember what I've taught you. Channel
your anger.
Her darker
self also spoke from within. He's right. Now listen to me.
You're accepting the fact you're extremely angry, right?
Yes,
Angie thought, I am angry…I am not denying that fact. They
destroyed my special night, and they should suffer for it!
They
should, but remember what you almost did to Dr. Collins. You need
to channel that anger and create something positive, just like you've been
learning from Ace.
I'm…not
sure…I can.
Find
the darkest thing you see. Remember that line I said about "from
the darkness you fear comes your rescue"?
Yes, I remember.
To reach the light, I have to understand the dark. The guns.
I don't want to see those guns. She used her right hand to make
the guns leave the crooks' holsters, and then floated them about two feet
in front of her. "Something positive," she whispered. Soon,
the two guns transformed into two single red roses, to remind her of the
bouquet Victor had given her earlier in the evening.
Within
minutes, police units had arrived on the scene, with Lieutenant Vega leading
the team. "I don't believe it," he gasped as he stepped out of the
car. "Angie's got them wrapped up for us."
She found
herself calming down again after she was able to channel her fury away
from her heart.
Vega then
came up to her. "Angie, you all right?"
Taking
a deep breath, she calmly answered, "I am now. I almost lost control
again."
"Well,
you kept enough control to take it outside the Planet Electric and keep
anyone from getting hurt." He then looked at the pair of criminals
still levitated in the air. "That's them all right. They're
responsible for a rash of fancy restaurant robberies, but they don't work
for either Black Jack or Sonny Boy. Would you mind putting them down,
um, gently?"
"Of course."
She moved them to within two feet of the ground and released the magic,
causing them to fall hard to the ground for the second time in less than
five minutes. "Who are they then?"
"Obviously
a pair who thought they could break themselves into the big time.
Unfortunately, that didn't work, thanks to you." He then turned to
his group of officers. "Take them in and book them on robbery and
attempted robbery."
"You better
add attempted assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.
One of them shot the wiring holding the chandelier, and it nearly took
Victor and me." She then made the two guns reappear in her right
hand. "Here's evidence."
Vega took
out a plastic bag for Angie to float them into it. "Thank you, Angie.
I think I will. Add those charges, please."
In the
middle of the commotion, Victor ran outside. "Angie!"
She quickly
turned. "Victor!" She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry, Victor. I nearly lost it."
"It's all
right, Angie," he said calmly. "You're only beginning your healing
process. It's going to take time, patience, and…love. You've
got plenty of support behind you."
The female
magician gave a light smile. "Yeah, I do. I've got support
from everywhere around me."
Victor
then looked at her. "Angie, I know this didn't end up the way we
really wanted it to be, but…I still had a fantastic time with you tonight."
"R-really?"
she said in complete surprise.
"Yes.
Angie, there's something I need to tell you now, and I'll understand if
you get upset with me."
"What do
you mean?"
"I've had
two previous girlfriends in my life."
Angie just
smiled at him. "Why would I be mad? You're the son of a prominent
businessman. I thought you'd have more girlfriends than that."
The pair
laughed heartily at each other with Victor saying, "Well, this is the first
'first date' I've ever had where a robbery was involved. You were
also not scared to show how you really felt. You were true to yourself."
He then noticed the scene. "Listen, you and I will probably have
to issue a statement at the station tomorrow, but until then, may I…escort
you home?"
"I'd like
that, but I'd rather do it—" She enveloped herself in her cape and
spun around, changing out of her crimefighting costume. "—in the dress
I wore for the evening."
"Of course.
Ace probably knows all the robbery details."
"He would…we're
bonded by magic, remember?"
The two
held each other closely and walked back to Victor's car. Angie was
ready to go home for the night, but she would always remember their first
date for the journey and the end.
Corliss
and Sikes continued looking for Angie and Victor when they came across
the action at the Planet Electric.
"This must
be where they are!" shouted Sikes. "Come on, let's get that scoop!"
Corliss
ran up to Vega and frantically stated, "Lieutenant Vega, we're looking
for Angela Jacobs and Victor Raven. Are they here?"
"They were
here, but they already left for the evening."
"I don't
believe it!" screamed Corliss angrily. "We lost the scoop!
Now what are we gonna publish on Monday!?"
"Why not
this story? Angela Jacobs single-handedly captured the two criminals
responsible for four restaurant robberies."
"This is
not
the story we wanted!"
"Well,
if you don't have a story on Monday, this won't look good for your tabloid."
"Come on,
Sikes, we'd better come up with something before tomorrow."
They left
feeling flustered after missing out on the best story of the year.
Victor and
Angie returned safely to the Magic Express, after an unforgettable evening.
He walked
her to the door. "Despite everything, this is the best first date
I've had in my life, and I have you to thank for it."
"Are you
sure?"
"Absolutely.
The robbery just added to the excitement. I just hope our future
dates never go through something like that."
Angie laughed.
"Yeah, no kidding. I did have a wonderful time, even though the robbers
almost got the better of me."
"Look,
healing takes time, and you're not going to be in complete control at every
given moment. You'll get through this in time." He then gave
her a kiss on the mouth. "I have to go. Dad needs me tomorrow
for work. Oh, and just 15 more hours, and I'll finally have the riding
school open."
"Great.
I look forward to being your first student. Good night, Victor…and
thanks for a memorable evening."
"We'll
cherish this for a long time. We'll figure out what to do next soon
enough, okay?"
"Okay."
"I'll call
you tomorrow. Good night." He drove off in his car, ending
an unforgettable evening for himself and Angie.
She entered
the Magic Express to the relief of her closest friends.
"Angie,"
said Ace as he came up to hug her, "I'm so glad you're all right.
You had us worried for a little while."
"I almost
lost it. If I had, I don't even want to think about the consequences."
"Maybe,
but you took the situation outside before someone could get hurt.
You're coming along just fine with your darker shadow."
"I know.
I want my darker self to be a part of me. I don't feel rotten when
I just express myself, even in anger."
Cosmo smiled
as he petted Zina. "It's cool, Ang. We all have those days
of, like, being angry with the world."
Ace then
said, "We heard from Mona about Sikes and Corliss being at the Croesus,
where Jack threw them both out."
"Good!
That's just what I hoped would happen. I wonder what Monday's headline
will be."
"Who cares?"
said Cosmo jokingly. "I'm ready for bed."
"So am
I, Cosmo. I'm so tired."
With that,
they all turned in for the night, and Angie would always remember her special
night.
As she
drifted off to sleep, she quietly said, "Thanks, darker shadow. I
couldn't have done this without you."
You
did most of the work. I just made sure you showed your true feelings.
Sleep well…
Monday morning,
The
Inquisitive hit the newsstands, but the headline was nothing like what
the reporters there had hoped. The main headline was Female Magician
Thwarts Fancy Crime Spree. It showed Corliss and Sikes looking
rather stupid while talking with Lieutenant Vega.
Corliss
was completely embarrassed by the look on her face. "Honestly, I
never thought I would be so disgraced in the search for two celebrities.
Our night was pure hell."
"Maybe,
but next time, we'll get the inside scoop before anyone else does."
"We'd better…because
if not, you may find yourself out of a job!" She then slammed her
office door in his face.
Ronald
Sikes realized his job was now in danger because he could not get the big
story on a female magician and a prominent businessman's son's first date.
All the better, since everything worked out for everyone else…
Angie made it through her first date with Victor, even though she nearly lost control of her powers in her anger against the two criminals. Allowing her darker shadow freedom, she is on her way to healing her own soul. She also knows there will be obstacles ever so often. Fortunately, she has the love of all those close to her, living and deceased, at her side, which is a huge plus to her.
