Always when he was least wanted. Godsend had appeared, and he took Colinaude with him, to the rooftops. In the super hero hierarchy, Godsend was near the top, with his flash and pizzazz, while the Eidolon was near the bottom, with his cloak and dagger. Yet like the preternatural pairing of cliché, they had once gotten past that and formed a powerful alliance. They were billed as the Terrific Tandem, and for a while nothing can stand against them, or between them.
"Hello, Godsend," Colinaude said.
"You’ve said that already," Godsend said.
"Yeah," Colinaude said. "I know. I enjoy saying it. What can I say?"
"Sarcasm is unbecoming," Godsend said.
"I disagree," Colinaude said. "I think it can be, especially on me."
"You could call me Robert," Godsend said. "That would be better, Cotton."
"Okay, Robert," Colinaude said. "A little early, are we?"
"Not at all," Godsend said. "This is exactly the time I told you. You know how punctual I am."
"Time must have slipped up on me," Colinaude said.
It was time that had gotten caught up with the Terrific Tandem. Neither would have ever admitted it, but there was always the perfect window for their collaboration, the zeitgeist. They had seized the moment when it came along, the Eidolon still fresh, still a yearling. It was also the beginning of Rancor’s quest for global anarchy, and the perfect moment began as a mutual decision that this just shouldn’t be allowed to happen. That Rancor should choose Traverse of all places to usher in his ambitions, when it happened to be home to both Godsend and the Eidolon, was one of those ironies one can’t help but marvel at years later. Godsend had gotten his own start not long before either, like a blaze of glory.
"You should be more careful with it," Godsend said. "Just a suggestion."
"I’ll make a note of it," Colinaude said. "Is this really the best place you could come up with? Why can’t we rendezvous like other people do?"
"Because you have a nasty habit of blowing people off you don’t want to see," Godsend said. "It’s one of your less endearing qualities."
"Some people would beg to differ on that," Colinaude said. "Knowing who you like and don’t like is one of the more important life lessons. Also one of the simpler ones."
"Don’t get snippy with me," Godsend said. "Anyway, to be very trite about it, it’s just not nice."
"Very inner-man-child of you," Colinaude said. "I do have other things to do, you know."
"I’m aware," Godsend said. "You run yourself ragged. Just what is it you’re running from? Do you even know?"
"Everyone’s a psychologist today," Colinaude said.
"Perhaps there’s a reason for that," Godsend said.
"There’s a reason for everything," Colinaude said. "Some are much better than others."
"And some are easier to accept than others," Godsend said.
As if to punctuate the dichotic approaches they came with and would always draw from, Godsend and the Eidolon wound up joining forces against Rancor by following different leads. Rancor was more than willing to oblige the two approaches. He was never one for overly subtle plans. Eidolon had come across the paper trails. He knew how Rancor’s operation had begun, how it ran, and what would tip over the house of cards. Godsend had followed the heists needed to fund the operation, and was more capable of handling the insurance measures Rancor sprang in his defense. Together, Godsend and the Eidolon toppled every aspect of Rancor’s ambitions, at least for the time being, sending the villain to plot for another day, or possibly reconsider things altogether.
"Still," Colinaude said, "you did catch me on a break of sorts."
"So I noticed," Godsend said. "And how was your hotdog?"
"You spoiled it," Colinaude said.
"I was afraid of that," Godsend said. "But that doesn’t excuse your being rude about it."
"I like to play with you," Colinaude said.
"You don’t have much need to respect," Godsend said, "do you?"
"Oh, I respect many things," Colinaude said. "I respect the notion of justice, for one thing."
"Do you now," Godsend said. "That’s not what I’ve been hearing."
"And thus we get to the point," Colinaude said. "I don’t know what you’ve been hearing, but I haven’t changed a thing about how I operate, how I conduct myself, since I began. If you had a problem then, you should have mentioned it."
"I believe I may have made a comment or two," Godsend said. "Maybe you don’t think you’ve changed, but like I’ve said, I’ve heard a few things. Of course, the way you initially went about things leant itself very easily to this slide."
"I resent that," Colinaude said. "I have a different approach to yours. Doesn’t make it any less legitimate."
"I’m not saying that," Godsend said. "But I am saying that your methods are indicative of the many reasons our work is not more widely accepted."
"I’m accepted by the people," Colinaude said.
"So am I," Godsend said. "And those with more influence don’t mind me, either. They do mind you."
"I also get my hands dirtier," Colinaude said. "Would those people like me to use better soap?"
From the first success, the Terrific Tandem was able to put aside its differences, not exactly by ignoring them, more like not counting them as all that important. Godsend and the Eidolon had a common goal, that much they valued, and they saw their disparate approaches as complementary, which only facilitated that goal. In the early years, it was true that Eidolon had less of an interest in the greater social problems confronting Traverse like every other community. Perhaps that was the key difference.
"Please take it seriously," Godsend said, "for once. Don’t think every one is charmed by your cavalier attitude."
"I’d rather be that than clay," Colinaude said.
"That’s a personal attack," Godsend said. "Have you become petty?"
"Not at all," Colinaude said. "And I wouldn’t choose the word ‘cavalier’ to describe myself. Far from it. Maybe more like carefree."
"At least you didn’t say fearless," Godsend said. "That’s something."
"What’s wrong with fearless?" Colinaude said.
"Fearless gets people killed," Godsend said. "Fearless is synonymous with careless."
"Not to oversimplify or anything," Colinaude said.
"A man without fear does not know his limits," Godsend said. "And a man with no limits, or none he will acknowledge, is a man who will eventually run into them. That’s dangerous, both for himself and for the cause he claims to champion. Fearlessness flirts with death."
"Your image is that you have no limits," Colinaude said.
"That is an image," Godsend said. "A useful one at that. It’s more useful than I myself thinking I have none. It’s an advantage."
"Or a challenge," Colinaude said.
So they battled the forces of evil together, Godsend and the Eidolon. This took up most of each’s attention. When they were fighting crime at all, they were doing it as the Terrific Tandem, and they were feared. It was said that Traverse had no greater era than when the Terrific Tandem was in full force. That wasn’t really the case, but it seemed so to most observers. It was certainly the case for morale. Everyone was in a better mood then, including Colinaude. He didn’t even seem to mind that most of the attention lavished on their successes was directed toward Godsend, as if the Alabama Lamb was alone responsible for everything. Other contributing factors to the overlooking of the Eidolon’s efforts included an incredible boon in the overall presence of super heroes, when even Fin Lad could become an international sensation.
"That’s a cynical attitude," Godsend said.
"No, it’s a realistic one," Colinaude said. "There’s a lot of bad things that go bump in the night. And bump in the day, too."
"I’ve heard of your long hours," Godsend said. "They can’t be healthy."
"I do what I have to," Colinaude said. "I do what it takes."
"And it takes its toll on you," Godsend said. "An observation."
"Yes," Colinaude said, "it is."
"And you are just going ‘blow it off,’" Godsend said. "Call that attitude anything you like. It is not a healthy one."
"You’re one to judge," Colinaude. "You and your high horse."
"There is nothing wrong with having scruples," Godsend. "Mock me if you will, but it is far better to have them than to not have them."
"You’re suggesting I don’t," Colinaude said.
"I am," Godsend said.
"There’s a word that comes to mind," Colinaude said. "It’s descriptive. I’ll give you one guess."
"That’s uncalled for," Godsend said.
"It probably doesn’t help my standing as a role model," Colinaude said.
"Scoff at that responsibility if you want to," Godsend said. "I happen to cherish it. What else are we here to do but stand against evil and present ourselves as worthy models to emulate?"
"Kids jumping from roofs with bath towels," Colinaude said. "That’s how much some of us have to exemplify. Not to suggest anything."
"There you go," Godsend said, "mocking me again."
It was among other heroes, Switchblade and Manner, that strains in the relationship first appeared. Switchblade, as his name indicated, had chosen one of the riskier paths, and Godsend did not approve. Manner supported her partner, but the Eidolon did not support his. This was because Colinaude had shared an experience with Switchblade, a humbling excursion on his rounds where Colinaude began to reconnect with many of the ideals that had set him onto the path of the Eidolon in the first place. Switchblade also talked tough, and made him to examine his emerging rationales face up, as no one else had done since the Terrific Tandem had come together.
"I’m not mocking you," Colinaude said. "I’m speaking honestly. Would you rather I not do that?"
"Of course not," Godsend said. "But your attitude…"
"Is my attitude," Colinaude said. "It’s who I am. Do you really expect to change me?"
"There are things that could use changing," Godsend said, "yes."
"And you’re the one who sees things clearly," Colinaude said. "That’s so very nice to know, that I have you to help me like that. You who openly admits to projecting perfection. To throw people off."
"I believe there are many things we need to work out," Godsend said.
"Aren’t there, though," Colinaude said. "Aren’t there."
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