Sixteen
Sarah ran back to Wally's apartment and headed directly for his bedroom. This was getting out of hand, she told herself. She just needed to get a photo of Flash, unmasked, (rather Wally), snap a few photos of the super-suit, and find some piece of mail for proof of his identity and current address. That shouldn't take but a few minutes, she hoped. She may have to drug him again to keep him still, she thought.
As she walked through the bedroom door, she was relieved to see that Flash had not moved. Good, she thought. He was still in the same position she had left him in a few moments ago.
She lifted the camera that hung on a strap around her neck and pointed the camera. "Say cheese, honey. I do want this to be a flattering picture."
"What makes you think that I am Flash?" Wally asked in a sarcastic tone.
Sarah lowered the camera and moved closer. "Remember how I always greeted you with a nice big old hug at the pizza place, sweetie? Each time I saw you, I gave you a little souvenir for you to take home with you. I planted tracers on your uniform. Flash's uniform. They led me directly to this apartment. Flash's apartment." She raised her camera again to take the picture.
"You've made a mistake. I'm not Flash," Wally said flatly.
"Don't be silly, I'm not going to fall for that!" she warned, pressing the button on the camera, taking the picture. She advanced the film in the camera and prepared to take another photo, when Sarah felt a whirlwind move about her. In an instant, she was standing there with her arms tied down at her sides and her feet tied firmly together.
"If you stand in a garage, does that make you a car?" Flash asked, standing beside Sarah fully dressed in his Flash costume. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Wally. I'm sure this nice lady won't be bothering you again."
"Flash?" Sarah asked, looking back and forth between Flash, and Wally. "How can this be?" she mumbled to herself.
"I think I'll take this little lady down to the Police Station for her own little photo-shoot and finger printing," Flash announced, zipping out of the apartment at record speed taking Sarah with him.
Seventeen
Kali was glad to see Marty. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Wow! What did I do to deserve such a warm welcome? Is it my sparkling personality? Or just my good looks?" Marty joked.
Kali broke down in tears. "I feel so stupid," Kali said.
"What's wrong?" Marty asked.
Kali looked down at her feet. "I … just feel …. naïve, … very naïve. I should have known better, that's all."
"What are you talking about?" Marty had no idea what she meant. Why couldn't women just talk like men? Plain and simple, flat out say it without tripping over a bunch of emotions! Maybe Margo should handle this, he thought. "Is this about Wally?" he asked.
Kali nodded.
"Listen Kali, I don't know what you think Wally did, but I'm sure you can both work it out. Just like Margo always says, 'if you don't talk it out, you can't work it out'." Marty hoped that would be the end of it. He really wasn't very good at these kinds of things. He had enough trouble understanding Margo.
"That's just it, there's nothing to work out," Kali said, sadly. "He's engaged to someone else."
"Wally? Engaged? That's not possible," Marty was amazed. In all the years he's known Wally, Wally had always claimed that he wasn't ready to settle down. But, the fact was, Wally rarely dated and he preferred to be seen in public as Flash; so, Wally never really got much of an opportunity to get close enough to any woman to form a real relationship.
Flash, on the other hand, obviously didn't have the freedom to pursue a relationship that Wally had, since opening himself up to a woman would leave Flash completely vulnerable to his enemies. Even though Flash's flirtatious behavior earned him the reputation as a ladies man, the flirting never went any farther than that.
"No, really," Kali insisted. I saw her, I mean them, kissing in his bedroom."
"Wally?" Marty was astounded. Surely this girl must know everything about Wally and Flash, then. "This must be some special kind of girl."
"What? Why is that, because she's sleeping with him?" Kali said bitterly.
"I'm sorry," Marty said. "You really like him, don't you?"
"Liked. Past tense. Now I hate him," Kali said, feeling guilty. How could she blame him, she only met him yesterday. He never kissed her, or even held her hand. What did he do that she could blame him for? falling for him so quickly? He held a few doors open? He took her to dinner after she flooded his kitchen? She didn't understand this, she had no reason to feel betrayed, but yet she felt completely … hurt.
"Listen, he's not feeling well, perhaps you thought you saw something that wasn't what it appeared," Marty suggested. "After all, the guy's sick and can hardly move! Kali, no man can … well, never mind. I just think you're over reacting."
"Over reacting! The woman he's engaged to tells me he had been cheating on her, does that sound like I'm over reacting?" Kali argued. She realized she was hurting and just wanted someone to yell at. "I'm sorry."
"Forget it, let me bring these groceries to him and I'll have a talk with him to find out what is really going on, okay?" Marty asked.
"I don't want to see him," Kali said, looking down at her feet.
"You won't have to, the guy is bed ridden, remember? Just hang out in the living room; you can hear everything from the bedroom if I leave the door open. I promise you, I've known this guy forever, there's no way he can lie to me. I'll get to the bottom of this. If he's been leading you on, I'll find out for sure."
"I've only known him one day, how ridiculous is that? How could I expect anything more than friendship so quickly? I must be out of my mind. Forget it, I don't need to know. If he is engaged, it's not for me to say. He didn't mislead me," Kali said, looking embarrassed.
"You're coming with me and waiting in the living room. I don't want to hear another word about this." Marty was beginning to wish he had stayed at home this morning with the blanket over his head. How do I get involved in these things?
Eighteen
Flash reached the Police Station only moments after leaving his apartment. The Desk Sergeant had been very accommodating when he informed him that Wally West would be stopping in later to sign any necessary papers filing a complaint against Sarah. Flash made a special point of thanking the Sergeant for his time, and sped home at lightning speed.
He returned to his apartment through the back way, as always, so as not to be noticed; and in moments, he was back in his bedroom.
"J'onn? Are you still here?" he called.
J'onn stepped into the bedroom doorway, still morphed as Wally.
Flash smiled, "Gee J'onn, you sure are a handsome devil!" he teased.
"Very funny," J'onn said.
Flash watched as he saw his Martian friend morph back into his normal green-skinned body.
"Listen, thanks for coming to the rescue," Flash said, "You literally saved my tail."
"No problem," J'onn replied. "I'm glad it worked."
"Me too," Flash agreed. "Say, are there any results back from those blood tests?" Flash asked.
"Yes, in fact, that was the reason I'm here. The doctor found traces of an unstable chemical compound in your blood stream that attacks your metabolism like a virus. Your body tried to process this compound, which it could not do. This overloaded your super-hyperactive metabolism, causing it to slow down to a tenth of its normal speed. In effect, slowing down the metabolism caused a clog. I came here to administer the antidote that would dissipate the clog and return your body to its normal function. It appears that Sarah did that before I arrived."
"Yes, she squirted it under my tongue. It took effect almost immediately. How could she have given me the original virus?" Flash asked.
"This compound can easily be mixed with any common beverage. Its unstable properties could have a cumulative effect, or possibly affect you sporadically. Did this woman have any access to your food or drinks?" J'onn asked.
"Not here at home, but possibly at the restaurant I go to," Flash answered hesitantly. "In fact, she's a waitress at the Pizza by the Pound restaurant."
"You're going to eat yourself to death one day," J'onn stated flatly. "She can't possibly be working alone. We're going to have to find out more about her. I'm calling an emergency meeting at the Watchtower."
"You don't have to, I can handle it alone," Flash said confidently.
"I think we need to get you back at the Watchtower for a full physical. I want a complete lipid profile on you. We need to know that this antidote was not tainted in any way."
"I can't leave yet, there are a few loose ends that need to be tied up first," Flash argued.
"Flash. Is this about a girl? … Never mind, don't answer that; it doesn't matter. I don't want you endangering your life. You're of no use to anyone if you're dead," J'onn retorted.
"Very compelling argument, J'onn; I bet you won lots of debates in high school."
"Very funny."
Nineteen
Kali followed Marty into Wally's apartment. He placed the grocery bags on the counter in the kitchen. "Listen Kali, just have a seat on the couch, and wait for me. I'm going in the bedroom to talk to Wally and get to the bottom of this."
"Wait a minute, Uncle Marty," Kali stopped him. "I don't want to listen in on your conversation with him. If he has something to say to me, I'd prefer he say it to my face. I don't want to eavesdrop. I think I will just get my suitcases and leave. That's what I should have done in the first place."
"I understand, Kali. But don't go without me. I'll help you with your suitcases and take you home to my place. You still need a place to stay while they renovate your apartment, no?"
Marty made sense, Kali reasoned. She might as well wait for him. Those suitcases were a bear to carry.
"Okay, I'll wait," Kali agreed. She began unpacking the groceries and putting them away. It amazed her that Wally's kitchen cabinets were so bare. The only food items in there were the things she had purchased earlier.
Kali pulled three boxes of chocolate chip cookies from the first grocery bag. What is Uncle Marty thinking! Then she dug out four containers of canned potato chips. Hmmm, is there a common theme to this diet? she wondered. She reached in the bag and pulled out the final item: a pound of red licorice sticks. She burst out laughing. This has got to be some kind of joke; no one could exist on this kind of diet! Kali neatly folded the empty bag and placed it on the counter top.
She couldn't wait to see what other 'fine' selections were in store for Wally. The first item she pulled from the second bag was a microwave dinner consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and chocolate pudding for dessert. At least this is something more nutritional, she concluded. There were five more boxes exactly like it. At the bottom of the bag, was a six-pack of Pepsi cans and a single card sealed in a white envelope. The envelope was addressed to 'Wally Wonder'. What an odd nickname, Kali thought, as she placed it on the counter as well.
As she returned to the living room, she thought she heard laughter coming from the other side of the closed bedroom door. Well, at least Wally is feeling better, she thought.
She settled down comfortably on the couch and pressed the buttons on the remote control, turning on the television set. News reporter Ron Bevins from W3DTV was reporting on the latest news.
"Now, the latest on our favorite super-hero! Flash does it again! How does he manage to always be in the right place at the right time?" Ron shouted enthusiastically into the camera. "We have some exclusive footage taken here down town at Central City's Police Station. Shown now, taken only moments ago, is video footage of Flash bringing in 23 year-old, waitress Sarah Monocello. She is being held to face alleged trespassing, home invasion, and assault charges filed by 24 year-old police mechanic Wallace West. Details of the alleged crimes are not known, at this time; however, the crimes are suspected to be retaliatory in nature. The rumor is that Mrs. Monocello holds Mr. West responsible for the loss of her husband's job with the police station three months ago. Sarah Monocello is the wife of Vern Monocello, former police patrol officer who has been on the force for 2 years. He was recently removed from duty for failure to follow proper police procedure."
"Oh my goodness!" Kali said breathlessly, jumping to her feet. "Wally!" she called, as she ran to the bedroom door. She held up her fist, about to knock, when the bedroom door opened and Wally appeared.
He looked at her fist and then to her face. "Was it something I said?" he asked, smiling from ear to ear.
"Wally!" Kali cried, as she threw her arms around him.
Wally smiled at Marty and held Kali tightly in his arms. For the first time in several hours, he actually WISHED time would stand still.
Twenty
Marty winked at Wally before slipping into the kitchen to give them some privacy. He hated to break them up, but he knew that Wally had to leave soon to attend the meeting at the Justice League's Watchtower. What he wouldn't give to go with Wally and meet, in person, the seven infamous Super-heroes he had heard so much about. He was still thrilled at meeting J'onn J'onzz, the 6'7"green Martian. Granted, he did walk in on them, but who would expect to find a Martian standing Wally's bedroom?
What an amazing creature, this 300 lb giant Martian was! Most people didn't believe in Martians, but he knew better. He could still feel those beady little black-red eyes boring into him. How unnerving it is to know someone can read your thoughts! Although, he had to admit, J'onn was a rather good sport about demonstrating his shape shifting abilities for him. Marty really didn't think J'onn was going to do it, but Wally managed to talk him into it. He does have a knack for getting what he wants, doesn't he? Watching J'onn morph into perfect replicas of Batman and Superman was incredible! He truly wasn't convinced about the accuracy of J'onn's abilities, that is, until he duplicated Wally. It was mind-boggling to see. The man has a definite talent there; he had to admit.
Marty opened a box of chocolate chip cookies and popped one into his mouth. He was going to offer some to Kali and Wally, but another peek into the other room, told him it was definitely not the time! Wally and Kali were in the middle of a deep, passionate kiss. He wondered just how much she really knew about Wally. After all, ten minutes ago she was convinced Wally was engaged to another woman.
Marty was beginning to feel a little awkward here now, after all, Kali was still his brother's daughter, and he felt some odd sense of responsibility for her. He loudly cleared his throat before poking his head into the living room. "Anyone else want some of these delicious chocolate chip cookies?" he asked.
Wally and Kali immediately pulled apart, looking embarrassed.
Kali excused herself and stepped into the bathroom.
"Wally, get a grip, man. She's my NIECE!" Marty whispered.
"Sorry, Marty. It's not like that. I really like her," Wally explained. "I'm thinking of telling her the truth. What do you think?"
"I don't know Wally," Marty said hesitatingly. "She's just a kid; it's her first time away from home. You know, first year at college… she has a lot of growing up to do. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life yet. Do you really want to put that kind of responsibility on her?"
Wally remained silent.
"Wally, I know she's a terrific girl and you really like her. She really seems to like you too. Just take it slow, okay? I don't want to see either of you get hurt," Marty explained.
Marty didn't know how much of this sunk in. He knew Wally was already too far-gone here. And Kali? he wondered. He couldn't be sure. It might be too late already, he thought.
Kali stepped out of the bathroom and joined Wally and Marty.
"Hey, Kal, I think we should get going, Margo will have my head if we're not back soon," Marty said calmly.
Kali looked at Wally. "Sure you'll be okay?" she asked uneasily. Marty could see she was hoping Wally would extend an invitation for her to stay with him. Judging from the look on Wally's face, he would have, if Marty had not said anything.
"Sure. I'll be fine. I've got to go to a meeting tonight anyway," Wally replied.
Marty felt guilty. Clearly, they both wanted to be together.
"Say, Wally, if you get done early with the JL meeting, why don't you pop by the house? You haven't come by since we moved in three months ago," Marty said, affectionately poking Wally in the abdomen. "You know, I'm beginning to think you don't have time for your best buddy anymore."
Wally chuckled. "Okay, I'll see what I can do," he said, smiling broadly.
Kali's face brightened.
Marty felt much better now. He hoped that Margo didn't have anything else planned for this evening.
Wally and Marty each grabbed a suitcase and followed Kali out of the apartment and down to the Marty's blue sedan parked across the street from the apartment house.
While Marty loaded the two suitcases into the trunk, Kali slipped a piece of paper into Wally's hand.
Just as Wally leaned forward to give Kali a kiss on her cheek, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and slowly released him from her grasp.
Marty saw the expression on both their faces and realized there was no stopping this. Any idiot could see they were both completely hooked. Did he and Margo look like that when they were dating? How embarrassing!