Chapter One: Returning Home
The wind rustled past, playing it's hand to all the passengers on the ferry, causing most to become seasick. Only a handful of people weren't, and most of them were rushing around the deck, snapping photos with cameras and eating real "Electro City" food. One man stood, watching the commotion with an absurd smirk on his handsome face. He stood at about five-foot10, with a pair of silver eyes that clearly showed he was nobody to mess with. Slicked back auburn hair completed the look, and it would take an expert to notice who this man was.
He was, in truth, Cosmo.
After nearly four years of wandering, he'd packed up to come home, following the wind as well as his heart to the place he'd been raised. Nothing had he heard from Derek Vega, and he knew the man had honored his request. Nor had he heard of Ace, whom he was certain was dead by now. His thoughts were more controlled now, and anybody could see that he was completly at ease here on the wild, empty sea.
A young girl bounced by, one with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She flashed Cosmo a smile, which he returned... then he beckoned her closer.
"Wanna see a trick?" He asked softly, in a voice that would have made any child agree to stay. That, combined with his looks, made the girl nod vigorously.
"Uh-huh..." she muttered, then watched Cosmo whip out a knife she hadn't seen him carrying. Her first impulse was to run, but somehow those silver eyes kept her eyes glued to him. He went for the blade... and pulled out a chain of colorful scarfs?
The child laughed in delight and clapped, eyes dancing like jewels in the sunlight. She touched them, as though assuring herself that they were real, then laughed when the man draped them around her neck.
"Keep em," he told her with a soft smile, and she raced back to her mother, half dancing. He watched her go, then shifted his gaze to the shore of Electro City.
It hadn't changed much, that was for sure. Even from here, he could see the many logos of various casinos, and a few of them rammed his heart like shards of ice. He glanced back at his companion of a sorts, and wondered how the man could stand the cold, then recalled their first meeting, through Ace, of course.
Gus Morland. Also known as, for a long time, enemy, by Cosmo, who had harbored anger against him for even considering hurting Ace. Now, however, he'd become used to the man, and knew that he'd eventually learned to control his "power" of ice. Now, although he could stand an untolorable amount of cold, he had become a dear friend to Cosmo, a link to the past of a sort, he guessed. The hulking man had taken Cosmo in, near death, after finding him in an alley. Not about to be ignored, Gus had forced him to tell everything, and Cos had done so with no problems.
Gus had also, in a sense, kept a close, almost overbearing eye on Cosmo. A protective shadow that was always with him, even when he didn't want it. That much was true for them all.
He controlled fire. He'd never known it, nor had he cared, but it was true. He could harness it, wield it to perfection... much like Ace could wield magic. Without Gus, Cos might have actually done some harm, and that was something too great to risk. Now he could keep an exquisite control over it, and he did so with fine skill.
It was a power that left him breathless, leaving raw energy in his system that he loved to feel. Now he could see how Ace's gift had sustained him. He'd always looked exhilirated when he'd called up his magic, and now Cos knew why. Even being a telepah hadn't revealed why Ace loved it so. That man had such defenses up... the last time Cos had tried to get inside his head, he'd ended up with a splitting headache and passed out soon afterwards.
Now he knew... he knew everything.
His head snapped up as the whistle blew, evidencing the fact that he was about to set foot on a dock he'd thought he'd never return to... one that would bring him home.
***********************
While Cosmo was en route to the City, Derek Vega sat in his office, papers cluttering up the work area, coffee strewn across everything. The old hand had his head resting on the desk, letting out a few occasional snores, much to his secretaries amusement. He'd been working round the clock, and had been doing so more often since Cosmo Cooper had left town.
Ah, the poor kid!
She'd liked him of course, but she hadn't known him the way her boss did. Her boss had loved him like a grandson, perhaps the way he'd always treated Ace like a son. So the circle moved, an eternally whirling wheel that was just itching to come full circle. It never would.
She walked into Vega's office with another file, which she set down gently, then draped his coat across his shoulders. Walking out silently, she closed the door with a soft 'click', then went on with her work.
***********************
"I'll get it!" A femine voice yelled up the stairs. It was followed by a man shouting down.
"No, wait!"
Too late. Mona had already reached the door, and blinked in surprise as she noticed a single rose upon the doorstep. The redhead still had the perky build of a high school cheerleader, and her eyes were as lively as ever. But, even then, she seemed a bit distant. She too missed Cosmo. Who wouldn't, after all they'd been through. She turned around as she heard footsteps decending the stairs.
The newcomer smiled with his eyes and his moulth, a sparkle in those silver- blue eyes that couldn't quite be forgotten, even if they'd been gone for years. The woman stepped closer, and pressed the rose into his hand, then trailed her fingers through one of the white streaks that marred the otherwise perfect black hair.
"I found that on the doorstep, Ace. I don't know where it came from..." Ace gently quieted her with a finger on her lips. He was studying the flower with interest, noting the coloration.
"It's exquisite."
"The color of fire," Mona said with a smile. "Wonder who'd have sent it?"
Zena padded in, sniffing the rose and suddenly purring.
"Zena likes it at least," she laughed, but there was something aloof in her husband, who simply stared at the rose.
He was being quiet... too quiet for Mona's liking. It was as if he was trying to analyze the flower to bits, figuring out everything about it. A natural reaction, but sometimes it annoyed her to no end. She sighed, and reached down to pet Zena, who was mewing in her own way, much deeper than a cats. The huge cat began to purr, rubbing her head against Mona's leg in delight, nearly knocking the woman off her feet.
In a flash, Ace caught her, holding her tightly.
Wouldn't do to have something go wrong.
He could have kicked himself for ignoring it. Mona was, after all, going to be having their first child in about six months, and he had to do everything in his power to keep her safe. His strong arm held her close, as he suddenly picked up the reason he was so drawn to the flower.
"Cosmo..." he murmered softly, with a smile on his face that seemed so soft and kind... leaving Mona to wonder how Ace knew.
**********************
The docks were busy, the redhead mused, walking across the pier with strides that would have made a showman jealous, even though he was short. His much taller companion, who wore no jacket, walked on his heels, smiling to himself. He liked to be near Cosmo; people were attracted to the young man like a moth to a flame. Why wouldn't they be, considering the kid's use of fire.
He preferred ice. He couldn't stand heat, not after being locked in that ice block for years, and therefore kept a wide berth around the young man, who's temper was, as his hair insinuated, flaming hot. Cos, true to form, stopped walking to watch some kids playing.
There was a longing in his eyes that made Gus want to weep, for the young man. He'd have made a real good father, had he stayed here. He'd had a good life here, one filled with promise for a bright future. So much shattered in a few moments... a few short moments that Gus knew had haunted Cosmo since he'd left. Heck, even Dallas couldn't get to the deepest side of Cos, and he was his closest friend, even partner. In crime, he added silently. The kid had missed the ferry, and, in short, was the reason they stood on the pier. There was always one ferry going each way, so it shouldn't have been too long before the kid arrived. Another sigh from Gus, and he walked closer to swing an arm lightly around the kid's shoulder.
"Cos? Hey, you okay?" He asked, noting the expectant way that silver gaze was turned. A second later he saw why, as a blonde head popped out of the crowd and hurried towards them. Tousled blonde hair crowned the fair- skinned face, and eyes of a jaden hue rimmed with gold laughed at the two.
"Sorry... had to wait...." he gasped, doubled over, trying to catch his breath. Cosmo chuckled, gently easing out of Gus' grasp and over to the teen.
"S'okay, kiddo. You ready to see Electro City for the first time?" He asked, a smile on his face, though it didn't reach his eyes. They stayed flat, almost lieless if it hadn't been for a spark of intelligence that still glowed there. The boy noticed and looked to Gus, eyes pleading for an answer to why Cosmo was acting this way.
He shook his head.
"Cos, maybe we should get settled first?"
****************************
Vega was not having a very good day.
He'd woken with a start, staring into the eyes of his secretary, who looked back with compassion... and, yes, respect and love. He didn't want to see sympathy... and had growled inwardly as he'd stood. Leaving a few moments later, he walked through the streets silently, brooding like an adolecent that wanted something. Well, in a sense he did want something.
Cosmo.
He turned his steps towards the pier, not really knowing why. Perhaps his heart compelled him, perhaps it was something else. At any rate, he was walking toward the pier as Cosmo was about to leave it. The crowd was thick, and, not really paying attention, they went right smack into each other.
*************************
"Ooof!" He looked up, meeting a pair of dark brown eyes that were hauntingly familiar. They locked, held. And just as sudden, Cosmo knew why he knew them.
"Vega?" It was a silent plea, perhaps even a denial, that left his lips even as he thought it. Silver orbs filled with visions of a better time, one that Cosmo repressed violently. Not so today. It hit too close to home.
"Cosmo? Cos... is it really...?" His words were cut off by a sudden hug, nearly knocking all the wind out of the old detective. He turned his face into the silky hair, knowing he had the silliest grin on his face and trying to hide it.
"Oh, god, Vega. I've missed you so..." It was all that was said... It was all that was needed to be said.
The wind rustled past, playing it's hand to all the passengers on the ferry, causing most to become seasick. Only a handful of people weren't, and most of them were rushing around the deck, snapping photos with cameras and eating real "Electro City" food. One man stood, watching the commotion with an absurd smirk on his handsome face. He stood at about five-foot10, with a pair of silver eyes that clearly showed he was nobody to mess with. Slicked back auburn hair completed the look, and it would take an expert to notice who this man was.
He was, in truth, Cosmo.
After nearly four years of wandering, he'd packed up to come home, following the wind as well as his heart to the place he'd been raised. Nothing had he heard from Derek Vega, and he knew the man had honored his request. Nor had he heard of Ace, whom he was certain was dead by now. His thoughts were more controlled now, and anybody could see that he was completly at ease here on the wild, empty sea.
A young girl bounced by, one with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She flashed Cosmo a smile, which he returned... then he beckoned her closer.
"Wanna see a trick?" He asked softly, in a voice that would have made any child agree to stay. That, combined with his looks, made the girl nod vigorously.
"Uh-huh..." she muttered, then watched Cosmo whip out a knife she hadn't seen him carrying. Her first impulse was to run, but somehow those silver eyes kept her eyes glued to him. He went for the blade... and pulled out a chain of colorful scarfs?
The child laughed in delight and clapped, eyes dancing like jewels in the sunlight. She touched them, as though assuring herself that they were real, then laughed when the man draped them around her neck.
"Keep em," he told her with a soft smile, and she raced back to her mother, half dancing. He watched her go, then shifted his gaze to the shore of Electro City.
It hadn't changed much, that was for sure. Even from here, he could see the many logos of various casinos, and a few of them rammed his heart like shards of ice. He glanced back at his companion of a sorts, and wondered how the man could stand the cold, then recalled their first meeting, through Ace, of course.
Gus Morland. Also known as, for a long time, enemy, by Cosmo, who had harbored anger against him for even considering hurting Ace. Now, however, he'd become used to the man, and knew that he'd eventually learned to control his "power" of ice. Now, although he could stand an untolorable amount of cold, he had become a dear friend to Cosmo, a link to the past of a sort, he guessed. The hulking man had taken Cosmo in, near death, after finding him in an alley. Not about to be ignored, Gus had forced him to tell everything, and Cos had done so with no problems.
Gus had also, in a sense, kept a close, almost overbearing eye on Cosmo. A protective shadow that was always with him, even when he didn't want it. That much was true for them all.
He controlled fire. He'd never known it, nor had he cared, but it was true. He could harness it, wield it to perfection... much like Ace could wield magic. Without Gus, Cos might have actually done some harm, and that was something too great to risk. Now he could keep an exquisite control over it, and he did so with fine skill.
It was a power that left him breathless, leaving raw energy in his system that he loved to feel. Now he could see how Ace's gift had sustained him. He'd always looked exhilirated when he'd called up his magic, and now Cos knew why. Even being a telepah hadn't revealed why Ace loved it so. That man had such defenses up... the last time Cos had tried to get inside his head, he'd ended up with a splitting headache and passed out soon afterwards.
Now he knew... he knew everything.
His head snapped up as the whistle blew, evidencing the fact that he was about to set foot on a dock he'd thought he'd never return to... one that would bring him home.
***********************
While Cosmo was en route to the City, Derek Vega sat in his office, papers cluttering up the work area, coffee strewn across everything. The old hand had his head resting on the desk, letting out a few occasional snores, much to his secretaries amusement. He'd been working round the clock, and had been doing so more often since Cosmo Cooper had left town.
Ah, the poor kid!
She'd liked him of course, but she hadn't known him the way her boss did. Her boss had loved him like a grandson, perhaps the way he'd always treated Ace like a son. So the circle moved, an eternally whirling wheel that was just itching to come full circle. It never would.
She walked into Vega's office with another file, which she set down gently, then draped his coat across his shoulders. Walking out silently, she closed the door with a soft 'click', then went on with her work.
***********************
"I'll get it!" A femine voice yelled up the stairs. It was followed by a man shouting down.
"No, wait!"
Too late. Mona had already reached the door, and blinked in surprise as she noticed a single rose upon the doorstep. The redhead still had the perky build of a high school cheerleader, and her eyes were as lively as ever. But, even then, she seemed a bit distant. She too missed Cosmo. Who wouldn't, after all they'd been through. She turned around as she heard footsteps decending the stairs.
The newcomer smiled with his eyes and his moulth, a sparkle in those silver- blue eyes that couldn't quite be forgotten, even if they'd been gone for years. The woman stepped closer, and pressed the rose into his hand, then trailed her fingers through one of the white streaks that marred the otherwise perfect black hair.
"I found that on the doorstep, Ace. I don't know where it came from..." Ace gently quieted her with a finger on her lips. He was studying the flower with interest, noting the coloration.
"It's exquisite."
"The color of fire," Mona said with a smile. "Wonder who'd have sent it?"
Zena padded in, sniffing the rose and suddenly purring.
"Zena likes it at least," she laughed, but there was something aloof in her husband, who simply stared at the rose.
He was being quiet... too quiet for Mona's liking. It was as if he was trying to analyze the flower to bits, figuring out everything about it. A natural reaction, but sometimes it annoyed her to no end. She sighed, and reached down to pet Zena, who was mewing in her own way, much deeper than a cats. The huge cat began to purr, rubbing her head against Mona's leg in delight, nearly knocking the woman off her feet.
In a flash, Ace caught her, holding her tightly.
Wouldn't do to have something go wrong.
He could have kicked himself for ignoring it. Mona was, after all, going to be having their first child in about six months, and he had to do everything in his power to keep her safe. His strong arm held her close, as he suddenly picked up the reason he was so drawn to the flower.
"Cosmo..." he murmered softly, with a smile on his face that seemed so soft and kind... leaving Mona to wonder how Ace knew.
**********************
The docks were busy, the redhead mused, walking across the pier with strides that would have made a showman jealous, even though he was short. His much taller companion, who wore no jacket, walked on his heels, smiling to himself. He liked to be near Cosmo; people were attracted to the young man like a moth to a flame. Why wouldn't they be, considering the kid's use of fire.
He preferred ice. He couldn't stand heat, not after being locked in that ice block for years, and therefore kept a wide berth around the young man, who's temper was, as his hair insinuated, flaming hot. Cos, true to form, stopped walking to watch some kids playing.
There was a longing in his eyes that made Gus want to weep, for the young man. He'd have made a real good father, had he stayed here. He'd had a good life here, one filled with promise for a bright future. So much shattered in a few moments... a few short moments that Gus knew had haunted Cosmo since he'd left. Heck, even Dallas couldn't get to the deepest side of Cos, and he was his closest friend, even partner. In crime, he added silently. The kid had missed the ferry, and, in short, was the reason they stood on the pier. There was always one ferry going each way, so it shouldn't have been too long before the kid arrived. Another sigh from Gus, and he walked closer to swing an arm lightly around the kid's shoulder.
"Cos? Hey, you okay?" He asked, noting the expectant way that silver gaze was turned. A second later he saw why, as a blonde head popped out of the crowd and hurried towards them. Tousled blonde hair crowned the fair- skinned face, and eyes of a jaden hue rimmed with gold laughed at the two.
"Sorry... had to wait...." he gasped, doubled over, trying to catch his breath. Cosmo chuckled, gently easing out of Gus' grasp and over to the teen.
"S'okay, kiddo. You ready to see Electro City for the first time?" He asked, a smile on his face, though it didn't reach his eyes. They stayed flat, almost lieless if it hadn't been for a spark of intelligence that still glowed there. The boy noticed and looked to Gus, eyes pleading for an answer to why Cosmo was acting this way.
He shook his head.
"Cos, maybe we should get settled first?"
****************************
Vega was not having a very good day.
He'd woken with a start, staring into the eyes of his secretary, who looked back with compassion... and, yes, respect and love. He didn't want to see sympathy... and had growled inwardly as he'd stood. Leaving a few moments later, he walked through the streets silently, brooding like an adolecent that wanted something. Well, in a sense he did want something.
Cosmo.
He turned his steps towards the pier, not really knowing why. Perhaps his heart compelled him, perhaps it was something else. At any rate, he was walking toward the pier as Cosmo was about to leave it. The crowd was thick, and, not really paying attention, they went right smack into each other.
*************************
"Ooof!" He looked up, meeting a pair of dark brown eyes that were hauntingly familiar. They locked, held. And just as sudden, Cosmo knew why he knew them.
"Vega?" It was a silent plea, perhaps even a denial, that left his lips even as he thought it. Silver orbs filled with visions of a better time, one that Cosmo repressed violently. Not so today. It hit too close to home.
"Cosmo? Cos... is it really...?" His words were cut off by a sudden hug, nearly knocking all the wind out of the old detective. He turned his face into the silky hair, knowing he had the silliest grin on his face and trying to hide it.
"Oh, god, Vega. I've missed you so..." It was all that was said... It was all that was needed to be said.