The next day, J'onn resumed his investigation. He teleported back up to the Watchtower, determined to get to the bottom of the Florida attack. The Martian's footsteps echoed down the hallways of the JLA base on the moon. He walked directly to one of the auxiliary monitor rooms, and powered up the interface. J'onn ran a search of all known psionics powerful enough to remote control a group of people. The JLA computer began to pull up the relevant information from its immense data base.
"Hello, J'onn."
The Martian Manhunter turned toward the voice. Wonder Woman leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed lightly across her breastplate. "Hello, Diana. I did not mean to disturb you."
The Amazon smiled, and moved languidly into the room. "You did not, but I thought I would come down and welcome an old friend." She looked over J'onn's shoulder. "What are you working on?"
"The Florida attack," he replied.
"Ah," said Wonder Woman, and the Manhunter saw her eyes go flat and hard. "Have you found who was responsible?"
"Not yet," J'onn admitted. "Whoever was behind this incident, and some others I have uncovered, they are very secretive and very good at staying hidden."
"When you find them…"
"You will be the first one I contact," said J'onn.
"Good," said Wonder Woman. She turned her head back toward the open door. "I had better return to monitor duty, and leave you to your work." Diana, Princess of the Amazons, put her hands on the Martian's shoulders, and smiled. "It is good to see you again, J'onn," she said. "Don't forget to say goodbye before you leave."
"I will not forget," said J'onn. He watched Diana turn and leave the room. She walked with an uncanny grace that he had never seen on another being. Wonder Woman affected more people, in vastly different ways, than anyone else in the League, past or present. His lips twitched slightly upward in a smile. She inspired others to become something greater than they thought they ever could be, and was a powerful symbol of hope to millions around the globe. Yet, on the other hand, her physical beauty and presence were strong enough to arouse vaguely prurient thoughts in almost everyone within close proximity to the Amazon warrior. Even during League meetings this was true. Wally and Kyle were bad, but were too intimidated, and smart to do anything about it. Plastic Man was not as shy, nor as smart. Diana had once wrapped him around an inner pylon strut and threatened to dice the stretchable sleuth into tiny bits for posing as a shower curtain inside her personal quarters on the Watchtower. J'onn had to throw up a mental block whenever Wonder Woman and Green Arrow were in the same room. Ollie was relentless, but he knew better than to give voice to his thoughts. A couple of times, the Manhunter thought he caught a flicker of interest from Batman, but he could not be sure. For her part, Diana tried hard to ignore the reactions she caused among her teammates. It was part of her nature, and she could not change it. J'onn wondered if she would, were such a thing possible.
The computer beeped, signifying that its work was finished. The Manhunter began to look over the names which appeared on the screen, and a frown creased his mouth as he discarded one after another. He had hoped the computer would drag up a name which he had somehow forgotten, but nothing rang a bell. He was left with nothing more than a vapor trail of maybes and suppositions. Masking his growing frustration, J'onn said farewell to Wonder Woman, and beamed back to Earth.
He spent the remainder of the day, and much of the next, tracking down a series of second-tier villains who might have somehow gotten a power boost. The Manhunter dropped in on the likes of the Mind-Eater and Dr. Trawley, but none of them seemed to have the resources to create a national network of sleeper agents. The Martian returned to Denver irritated and annoyed at his lack of progress in cracking the case. Everything seemed to lead to a dead end. The one thing he had to look forward to was tonight's dinner with Kasey. He hoped it would be enough to take his mind away from the investigation.
Later in the evening, a tentative knock sounded on his door. John opened it to find Kasey on the other side. She was wearing a light blue dress, with matching shoes and handbag.
"Hi, John," she said. "Ready to go?"
"Yes. If only I knew where we were going."
"Don't worry, Jones. I have a place already picked out. I figure a man of your discriminating taste deserves something special."
John cocked an eyebrow. "Then let's not waste any time," he said, offering one arm to Kasey. The pair walked down the hallway, and out of the apartment building. John suggested a taxi, but Kasey insisted on walking, saying it wasn't that far, and she enjoyed strolling through the city. After a meandering walk punctuated with laughter and increasingly bold conversation, Kasey swung John into a sushi restaurant called The Golden Clam. Since J'onn had spent ample time in the Far East, and had acquired an appreciation for the cuisine, he was pleasantly surprised with the choice.
Kasey had reserved a table, and the two sat down facing one another, to enjoy a sumptuous meal together. While they ate, John learned of Kasey's dreams and ambitions, her family and past, and her thoughts on Denver and its inhabitants. In turn, John revealed little about himself, but kept the chat going with well-timed misdirection. He found that he genuinely liked this young woman and enjoyed her company. It was just the right antidote for his sour mood.
After dinner, the twosome left the restaurant again arm in arm. The night was clear and bright, with a three quarter moon shining down, illuminating the streets and sidewalks with a pale glow. J"onn looked up at the gleaming stars and smiled.
"Let's take a walk through Eastland Park," suggested Kasey. "Unless you're in a hurry to get home."
Not at all," said John. Eastland was a large park just a few blocks from their location. It was a bit of a detour from their apartment building, but the it offered a serene beauty, even after the sun went down.
The park was largely deserted at this time of night, leaving John and Kasey to walk the paths which wound through the park alone. The trails were lit by widely spaced overhead lights , and the pair walked and talked, at times lapsing into an easy silence as they enjoyed the splendor of their surroundings.
Something suddenly tugged at J'onn's mind, and he looked down the path they were traveling and saw a lone man standing in the middle of the lane. He was dressed in a suit, and appeared to be grinning. J'onn did not recognize him. He was about to say something, when Kasey stepped in front of him.
"John, can I ask you a question?"
J'onn tore his eyes away from the man on the trail. He had not moved at all. "What is it, Kasey?"
She took a small step away from him. "Do you believe in God?"
"What?" The query took him by surprise, and it was a moment before he noticed the strange transformation which was rapidly overtaking Kasey. Her eyes were now bright and full of hate, J'onn could feel the intense emotion burning from the girl. It shook him.
"Do you know how hard it was to allow you to touch me, you alien filth," she hissed. "Soon, your kind will be washed away by the one, true God!" Kasey reached into her handbag and pulled out a handgun. J'onn was shocked, even when she pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bullets shredded J'onn's shirt, but did no physical damage to the Manhunter.
"Kasey, stop," pleaded J'onn. "Someone is making you do this." He cast a quick glance down the trail. The man was still there, watching, but he had not moved an inch.
"I serve God, Martian," the woman spat. "He has opened my eyes to the truth about you and the rest of you so-called heroes."
"You are a Shepherd" said J'onn. His voice was tinged with sadness. Here was the break in the case he had been searching for, and it was destined to cause him sorrow and pain.
"I am Chosen," said Kasey with a triumphant smile. I'll tell you something else, Martian. God has sent His angels to help me destroy you." J'onn heard a deep rustling in the trees overhead. Kasey backed up another step from the Manhunter, then one more. "God wants you, J'onn J'onzz!" she screamed. "Darkseid wants you!"