Oh man! Was that all real or was it a terrible nightmare. Couldn't be the latter since my recorded audio transcripts match what I remember. I even have a hologram recording of me committing the…I can't even speak of it now. To think I was capable of such violence. Has desperation really taken that much control of me? Did I also just walk right through space and time to return here and begin the day armed with better choices to make? It all seems so surreal…even now in the 28th century. Perhaps I'm still in some crazy nightmare. How else could this all be explained? That hypothesis is instantly rejected as I place my bare feet on the icy floor of my little apartment, the cold shocking me fully awake. So it did all happen! I really set out to gain access to the Loonatics HQ here in Acmetropolis, use Tech's computer to hack into the prison and release three dangerous criminals just to travel to their new HQ on Blanc and…No! I won't even say it. For now I have the chance to permanently sever that particular branch of the future with my actions today. So much to analyze right now…I mean…I was in the future and voice transcripts and hologram recordings of my actions. I stored relevant information in my memory. Now, even though I'm back here at the time before all this takes place, these items still exist. Yet if those events didn't happen till later than how can they remain with me here in the past. Ahhhh!!! I swear this is melting my brain considering all the contradictions this must be causing. I guess we all truly carry a little of our own personal time line with us. Well…I'll let Dr. Chroniker worry about the implications of all this. Right now, I've gotten a second chance. The first thing I'll do is what should've been done back during those first weeks following the meteor strike; reunite with my little brother Tech. Yes Tech, you're not the only one of our family left. You are not alone.
So now here I sit in the Loonatics new HQ in Blanc. The living area is just as I remember it…from the future. Still can't get over the fact that I've been here already yet not been here…ok time to drop that. I got a very warm reception from all the Loonatics…well there was a lot of stern questions from Ace as to how I accessed the wormhole in their HQ back on Acmetropolis. Fortunately Rev's younger bro Rip smoothed things over by offering to equip their Acmetropolis HQ with practically unhackable security measures. The look on his face when I told him that he really should tell the rest of the team about his gift in cryptography was priceless. I also had one of the best breakfasts I've had in what seems like ages. I'm a pretty capable cook when I have to be mind you. I'm just not all that motivated to fix anything too good since I don't have long to live. That and Slam is a pretty awesome cook believe it or not. That's where things stand at this point. I've told them of my cancer. Poor Tech is still having a hard time holding back his tears.
"You know doc, I don't know if we'll be able to do much of anything about your illness. I do know for a fact though that we can make you as comfortable as possible. "Ace offered, placing his hand on my right shoulder.
"Yes and between your biotech skills and me and Tech's kick-butt skills in the lab, we might be able to extend your prognosis though this is just a theory mind you. I mean who knows how exactly…" Rev's deluge of words was finally stopped when Rip took hold of his motor-mouth brother's beak.
"Chill bro…There's no need to overwhelm our guest. He's not used to your fast and furious speech."
"Don't worry about it Rip," I add as I get up from the couch and start to walk around a bit. "I'm well aware of Rev's gift of supersonic gab. As I mentioned earlier, I've been observing each of you from a far for awhile. I guess I wanted to be sure Tech's new family was a good and stable one. From what I needn't had to worry about that. You're all very sane individuals…well…most of you anyway," I say as I glance over at Duck.
"Oh ha…ha…ha…ha…Like I haven't heard that one before. Looks like comedy runs in your family Tech," Duck responds with not-so-subtle sarcasm.
That actually elicited a smile and a little giggle from Tech much to the relief of me and all his friends. I've should've realized just how hard this news would be for him to take. All this time he's believed that he was the only one left in our family. And now I finally show up and reveal that I'm alive…that I survived the meteor impact, but that I only have months to live due to pancreatic cancer. He's probably struggling with so many different emotions. He's ecstatic that I'm alive and yet he's deeply grieved at my terminal illness and he's most likely very angry that I didn't reunite with him a lot sooner. I can't blame him for that really. I want him to be able to move past this soon so we can make the most of the time remaining. I feel a little sick to my stomach as he excuses himself and darts off to his lab.
"Don't worry too much about Tech," Rip added as if he was reading my thoughts word for word. "He's just having a tough time processing all this. If it were me in his position, I'd probably have a hard time dealing with it. I'm not saying you would ever put me through that Rev."
Before Rev can answer I interject, I answer "no I doubt that Rev would ever have done that to you Rip. He's a much more considerate individual than I. Despite his new-found heroic abilities, he took the time to check on you and your folks…making sure that you came through the impact unharmed. I should've put that much effort into finding out how Tech was. I found him and made sure he was all right but…I should've let him know I was al…"
Before I can finish, Tech enters with a rectangular device in his hand. I'm having a hard time reading his face at this point. With Tech's always stoic profile, it's hard to tell exactly which emotion he's experiencing at times. I know all to well that I share the same trait. Must be a coyote thing I guess.
"Get and turn around Cobalt," he commands me with not as much sternness in his voice as one would expect. "I need your back facing me."
"You're not gonna stab me in the back or anything like that are you?" I ask very nervously.
"What?! No…of course not," he responds rather alarmed. "I'm your brother. What would make you think of such a thing as that?!
"Oh…um…well…it's a very…very long story that you all really don't ever need to hear. Anyways, what is this all HEY!!!!" I yelp and begin to laugh as this…uniform begins to materialize around me. I've always wandered why the Loonatics took on such a different outward appearance when they're in uniform. This was obviously why…the suit literally formed around them. "Oh man…this really tickles like crazy Tech," I add as I'm getting very close falling onto the floor and laughing my fool head off."
"Don't worry Cobalt, you'll get use to it quicker than you think," Rip assures me.
I really don't see how you could get use to this. Dang my hyper ticklishness! When the process is finally complete, I go over to the mirror to check out my new threads. I am taking a back by what I see. It was just like the others, all black except for the upside-down triangle emblem and the lighter markings on my face and inner ears. My color was silver. Tech remembered that silver was my favorite color. I don't know why I got so chocked up over such a seemingly insignificant thing but I sure did. I immediately embraced Tech and cried for a good while on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the team Cobalt," Ace says though I barely here him at this point. "You are officially a Loonatic. You'll be our resident biotech guru and assist Tech, Rev, and Rip with the technology matters of the team." he continues as I continue to bawl on my bro's shoulder.
"Oh how I can't stand to see grown coyotes cry," Duck chimed in with an annoyed tone. "Especially a grown male coyote." Glares from the others were cast in his direction. "What…what…it's nothing personal. It's just a pitiful site is all."
"Well you can't blame Duck for his lack of empathy toward Tech and Cobalt after all he spent his early childhood as an orphan and has not been exposed to the bonds shared between biologically related siblings and by the way it's so good to see you reunited with your brother Tech." Rev said in no time flat.
"It is very good indeed Rev," Tech adds I finally start to pull myself together. "So Cobalt…I'm sure you must have a lot more questions to ask us. We would be glad to answer you to the best of our abilities."
"I do have some questions but before I ask them, there's something I think you should all know about some friends of mine. Folks that were very near and dear to me before the meteor impact. This isn't just a story about what happened to me and to my parents but also a story of some folks that you know as enemies. It will help explain why I was so hesitant to approach you Tech…you and all your friends here. This you need to know. But first…I say we get us some lunch. That breakfast has been long gone for some time now."
"Mutter grumble mutter agreed!" Slam added.
"Can't argue with that logic," Lexi said as she got up to stretch a bit.
Well it was unanimous. So we all went to the dining area to grab a quick bite to eat. It was during this time that I filled them in on exactly what had happen during the day of the impact. The day I was about to sign a contract to play basherball for the Acmetropolis Rangers. It was hard for Tech to hear but I knew I big part of him wanted to know the details of the final moments of his folks. I also showed them the picture of Cassie that I carried around in my wallet. Such a lovely bride she would have made. I could just picture her shoulder length blond hair framed little face and petite snout, behind a bridal veil. She was only about two inches shorter than I. This was great since that allowed me to look easily into her aqua eyes every time we caressed.
"She is quite the looker I must say Cobalt," Ace said as he examined the small photo.
"I'll say…that blond hair really brings out the light brown of her lower muzzle and her light eyes," Lexi added.
We finish up and return to the living area. I have one more important photo to show them and a good bit of commentary to accompany that photo. Who should I tell them about first? The most logical choice would be my best friend and fellow basherball player, Drake Sypher…whom the Loonatics simply knew as Sypher. I pull the photo from my pocket. In it is a photo of four individuals. The farthest one on the left in the photo is Drake Sypher. He's not hard to pick out and they all recognize him immediately.
"Ah good ole Drake. He was always a bit too eager to prove himself in the basherball arena," I begin. "He had talent but he also had a dangerous drive to be the best at everything he set out to do. Not that there isn't anything wrong with that per say, it's just that it can be overdone. Despite that character flaw, he was a very decent guy. He'd do anything for you. He was the ultimate team player."
"Humph…that sure doesn't sound anything like the mister power-sucking psycho we've met," Duck interjected.
"No…I'm sure it doesn't," I continue. "I wish I could fully understand what had changed him so dramatically. Surely the radiation from the meteor alone couldn't account for such a dramatic shift in his character. It's more likely that, once he discovered the ability that the radiation gave him, he simply gave into his darker desires to be the best at everything. I could spend weeks hypothesizing how the radiation affected his brain chemistry. Heck I'm sure Tech could spend a month coming up with ideas as to the radiation's affect.
"Try six months," Duck added, rolling his eyes as he did.
"Anyway…the best explanation is that he allowed his desire for attention and notoriety clouded his ability to stick with his good common sense and he pretty much…went mad. It also didn't help that all traces of his past seemed to be pushed aside, including his relationship with young Paula Hayes here," I say as I point at the young lady that Drake is holding onto in the picture.
"I actually recognize her from footage shot on the day she became the atmospheric control villain known as Weathervane, "Tech said as he begin to recall what he had seen and also what he learned about her. "There was something strange going on with her even before the lightning strike. I didn't understand it at the time but…it seemed like she was actually influencing the weather."
"That she was little brother," I respond. "Before the meteor impact, she never was all that interested in the weather. Her true passion was investigative journalism. She was well on her way to fulfilling that goal. She was tenacious in her efforts to get at the truth. The only problem she had was that she was never taken very seriously by most folks. This is most likely due to her heavy partying as a freshman at the Institute. We were all pretty wild back then. At any rate, she developed a significant chip on her shoulder over that. She started to develop a short temper. It got to the point where it didn't take much to set her off. We all attributed to the simple fact that it was just the stress of the end of our college days approaching fast. Once the meteor hit, the Paula we all knew and loved was for all intents and purposes dead. Her uncanny ability to affect the elements started to surface with every temper tantrum she'd throw. It was doing this time that she became obsessed with the weather and interned at the TV station. I actually did speak to her after the impact. It didn't go well. She did remember me and she did actually remember Drake but…it was like all the good times we shared had vanished from her mind. She snapped at me. Telling me that Drake and I were responsible for holding her back from her full potential. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me or anyone else she knew before. So you can see why I was hesitant to approach you guys early on. I never could approach Drake for the same reason. I also could never check on…Vivian," I add as I point at her in the photo.
She is the one on the far right, the one I have my arm around. Her mocha skin and chocolate brown eyes are a good compliment to my predominately dark brown fur. So too is her jet black hair a perfect compliment for my nose. She wears that hair down freely to her shoulders. The others are enamored by her looks but Tech in particular was strangely drawn to her.
"I know I've seen her from somewhere. There's something about her stare that's…captivating." he said as he looked closer at the photo.
"Press the button on the side of the frame little bro," I tell him. When he does, the group is treated to recorded statements that all three of my friends in the photo recorded for me. They recognize the first two as Sypher and Weathervane. There stares all go blank and Tech's jaw drops when they hear the third and final voice recording.
"Hey Cobalt baby. Congrats on yet another successful basherball season. I'm so glad that you've been selected to the Acmetropolis Rangers. I knew you would impress them sugah. I'm saddened though by the fact you won't be back here with me for my final year of undergraduate work. Maybe for the best though, I'd be so busy trying to secure a position for vision research that I wouldn't be much fun to be around. I do wish you and Cassie the best though and don't forget about us once you're a big basherball star. Keep your eyes opened for a bright future baby. From your black velvet baby doll Vivian Summers.
I sit back and watch as this latest realization sinks in. Boy it's taken a lot longer than I thought it would. They are speechless at this point, even Rev. Truthfully…I'm kinda enjoying their stunned expressions. It's very hysterical actually.
"That's…that's….Black Velvet," Tech stutters as he breaks the long silence. "You knew her before…you've got to tell me all you can about her. I have to know…"
"Easy there Tech," Ace interrupted. "though I am just as riveted by the prospect of learning more about our own queen of darkness."
"I'll say," Lexi added. "She is by far one of the most mysterious villains we've dealt with."
"And like Drake and Paula, she was not a villain before the meteor strike," I quickly add. "She was quite the opposite. The unique thing about her was her appreciation for the gift of sight. She went out of her way to help those with eye problems because she could not imagine anyone going through life without such a precious sense. To think, something that most all of us take for granted, she cherished as if it were a precious jewel. I think that's what drew me to her…"
"Whoa…whoa…whoa! Are you saying that you and hot stuff had a little fling?"
"You make it sound like such a dirty thing Duck," I respond a little annoyed. "but yes…we did go out the first couple of years at the Acme Institute. I got the feeling I was the first guy she ever really confided in much. She came from a pretty bad family situation. Her parents were frequently in trouble with the law, mostly over illegal drugs. Her siblings have all been in jail at some point or another. She was determined to be the one that got away. The one that actually rises up from her situation much like the way the Phoenix rises from its own ashes. Because of that past, she kept her feelings distant from those around her. She feared letting folks in as it might shed light on her dark and painful past. The decision to split up was a mutual one. I was too involved in my sports and biotech endeavors and she was too engrossed in her vision research. We agreed to remain friends. I fear though that all our past happy memories are nothing but a blur to her."
"But she remembered the pet name you gave her," Lexi blurted out. "She must have remembered some things from the past."
"The way she was drawn to ole Tech-E here might be another indication of some of her past memories sneaking through," Duck suggested. "It may just be that she has a thing for coyotes period."
"I wish I could tell you more about her transformation but…I just don't know that much about it. I suspect the loss of her sight, her most cherished sense, made her go mad. I actual did come across her once after her transformation. It wasn't long after you destroyed her city in the clouds. I found her among the few fragments of the ship still left."
"She's still alive," They all cry out in unison.
"Cobalt…you have to tell us where she is now. She could still be a real danger to Acmetropolis. Remember she's not the Vivian Summers you knew and loved. "
"I know Ace and I wish I could help but…you see I took her back to my place to care for her. You see…she wasn't the Black Velvet you had battled earlier that evening. Her original mocha skin had return and the cybertronic arm she had as gone. The only thing was that her beautiful eyes were glazed over. It was nothing more than a bad case of cataracts caused by the impact's burst of intense thermal radiation. I knew it could be repaired. So I took her to an old friend and former professor of hers, I guy who specialized in advanced laser correction surgery. I got a call from him a couple of days later. He said she had just vanished. Just left without saying a word."
"That can only mean that she's still out there and might be plotting her next evil scheme of course then again she wouldn't really have any reason to condemn the world to darkness if her sight was restored and if she was going to strike Acmetropolis again then you would think she would have done it by now. Anyway I'm glad to hear she's still alive Cobalt," Rev said.
"How can anyone put up with such a chatterbox is him," I ask.
"You get used to it," they all answered and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Well…wherever she is now, I hope she's happy. I may have said some pretty harsh things to her when she kidnapped me but, deep down I knew she didn't deserve the hand she was dealt," Tech said as he thought back to his brief, personal encounter with Black Velvet.
"I hope so too bro. Well it's great that I had the chance to tell you about those special people in my life. It was important for me to get that off my chest. I feel such relief now. I'm very tired though at this point. Just don't have the energy that I used to have. I would love to hear about how you were all brought together and how you reacted when you first learned of the power you possessed. For now though, I need to rest.
"Then rest you shall brother. Rev and I have already set up a room for you near ours. Go get some rest and will see if we can't start you on some treatments for your cancer."
"Thanks guys. I should've come here so much sooner. The news of my illness would have been easier to take if I had been around each of you at the time, my new family. I'm not alone anymore. Such a relief to know that I don't have to make this journey to the grave on my own now. I'm not alone."
"Yes my brother, relax now. You're not alone.
Author's note: No it's not the end yet. Still have one more short chapter to add to wrap this up. I will be making a reference to an event that occurs between the ending of this chapter and Cobalt's time to meet his maker in the last chapter. It will basically be my way of leaving an open door for yet another spin off story from this one. A story that I'm sure fellow Black Velvet fans will love. It will definitely help answer any questions that have not been covered in this chapter in regards to Black Velvet. So be on the look-out for that. I don't see it being published very soon after this one completed but it just might if I keep getting some bursts of inspiration. This has been the most difficult chapter for me to put together since it is the most important in my opinion. Hence why it's so much longer too. Thanks for all the input thus far. Have a good evening everyone.