Twenty-one
Wally watched as Marty's car pulled away from the curb and down the block. He refused to take his eyes off the car until it turned the corner.
As he crossed the street back over to his apartment, he remembered the note that Kali had slipped into his hand. He opened it. "Call me on my cell phone," it said, "My number is 555-896-7543 love Kali." Wally smiled. Staring at the note, he studied the phone number committing it to memory.
His growling stomach, reminded him that he hadn't eaten in a while. When was the last time he ate anything, he wondered. He ran up the stairs at super-speed, being careful not to let anyone see him, reaching the refrigerator in a split second. It felt great to back to normal, he said, as he downed a can of Pepsi.
He looked at the food Kali and Marty had brought him. He now had his choice of an assortment of cheeses, fruit, fresh vegetables, and juices in his refrigerator. There was an unopened gallon of milk, bottles of flavored spring water as well as assorted cold cuts in the meat bin. He was amazed at the variety of food stocked in his kitchen. Moving on, he opened his cabinet doors. Cookies, chips, loaves of bread, muffins, candy, pasta, sauces, and cereals, all neatly arranged, filled the cabinet shelves.
He was speechless. He had been eating out so much lately that he couldn't remember the last time he prepared a real meal at home. His stomach complained again. He grabbed a box of blueberry muffins and began devouring them one by one until the whole box was empty. He tossed the box into the trashcan under the sink. Next, he grabbed a box of honey coated raisin bran cereal from the shelf and poured a generous portion into a large mixing bowl. He poured the milk in and began shoveling large spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth at super-speed. Three bowls later, he sat back feeling satisfied.
He cleaned up the kitchen and began to get ready for his meeting with the Justice League. He changed into his Flash costume and raced through the apartment at super-speed, just for the fun of it.
He took a big breath and sighed, "It feels great to be me again!" he said enthusiastically.
I should leave for the meeting, he thought to himself, but he just couldn't go without calling Kali. He walked over to the phone in the kitchen, regretting his decision to go with only one phone in the apartment –and a corded phone at that. He dialed the number, listening to the song the different tones played. Kali answered right away. Now Wally didn't know what to say. He should have thought about it before calling, but all of the sudden his mind went blank and all he could say is, "Kali?"
"Wally? I'm so glad you called!" she said enthusiastically. "We really didn't get much of a chance to talk before and I wanted to apologize to you…"
He closed his eyes and imagined that she was standing there next to him.
"I shouldn't have run out on you like that Wally," Kali apologized, her voice cracking from the emotion she was trying to hold back.
"Kali, it's okay. I understand why you were upset. What I don't understand is how you found out what happened before I had a chance to explain it to you. Please don't cry," Wally said, wanting so much to comfort her.
"Wally, it's on the news. They showed video tape of Flash bringing that woman into the Police Station. They're saying that she was seeking some kind of revenge against you for her husband losing his job at the Police Station. Is that true?" Kali asked, calming down.
"Her husband?" Wally tried to think, he had no idea who her husband was. "Who was her husband?" he finally asked.
"His name was Vern something… sounded like a cross between a disease and a musical instrument. Mono something… cello, I think. Yes, it was Vern Monocello."
"Patrolman Monocello?" Wally asked in amazement. "They think she was trying to get revenge on me because her husband lost his job? No, no, that's not it at all…I mean I barely knew the guy," Wally said, thinking aloud.
"Well, that's what the media is saying," Kali explained, "What is it then? Why else would she attack you? Was there something going on between you two?"
"No, not at all. Please believe me! I only knew her as the waitress at the Pizza by the Pound, I swear!" Wally didn't know how he could explain this to Kali, without bringing Flash into it. "Kali, it's more complicated than that." He desperately tried to think of a truthful answer that he could give Kali.
"Wally, please! I'm getting worried. Why would a married woman you hardly know be set on attacking you?" Kali pleaded. "Can't you just come here so we can talk about this in person?"
"I really HAVE to go to this meeting. I should have left 10 minutes ago …" Wally said urgently.
"Wally?" Kali begged.
"I gotta go. Believe me, Kali, if this meeting wasn't so important, I'd be there before you could hang up the phone. Please Kali, I wish I could tell you everything right now, but there isn't time. I promise I'll come by the house as soon as this meeting is over, no matter what time. Okay?"
"Yes," she said sadly. "I'll wait for you."
Just as Wally was about to hang up the phone, someone grabbed him from behind, forcing a malodorous wet cloth over his nose and mouth. Before he could react, he felt himself fade into unconsciousness and slip to the floor.
Twenty-two
Flash awoke strapped to a table in a darkened room. Apparently, a rag saturated with ether had knocked him out. He had no idea where he was, but the room had an odd nauseating smell to it. He tried to move his head and could not. Presumably, it was strapped down, as were his arms and legs, he expected. He felt a little dizzy, but couldn't tell if it was from the smell of the ether he had inhaled or if he had been drugged again.
He looked in the only direction he could, straight up. There was a large circular mirrored light hanging above his head, surrounding what looked like camera or ex-ray equipment. Judging from the body restraints and machinery, Flash concluded he was in a medical facility or laboratory of some sort.
He heard footsteps and muffled voices coming closer.
"He should be coming around any time now," a deep male voice said. Flash imagined that this voice belonged to a doctor.
"Did you administer the Neurotrixatocin?" a familiar female voice asked.
Flash immediately recognized Sarah Monocello's voice.
"That stuff is too unreliable, the man's voice grumbled. I've got him on a special Neuro-muscular I.V. drip. He can't move anything but his eyes."
"Is it safe? How does it work?" Sarah asked.
"Sure it's safe," the man said matter-of-factly. "They do this all the time in hospitals for operations and such. It works the same way as regular spinal anesthesia works, but instead of losing limited sensation to only the lower the half of the body, I adapted the IV to numb portions of his upper body as well. By turning the dial up or down, I can regulate the extent to which he can feel anything. The anesthesia is not strong enough to cause him to lose consciousness or cause him any harm, but he won't be able to move anything that is numbed."
"I don't see anything, Vern. Where is it attached?"
"The anesthesia fluid drips directly into a web of tubing that connects to five separate injection sites patched to his back."
"How can he eat?" Sarah asked.
"Eat? He can't even talk right now," Vern said with a smug look on his face.
Flash tried to open his mouth to speak, but could not. It appeared that what Vern said was true.
"Brilliant, Vern! How are we going to talk to him?" Sarah asked sounding annoyed.
"You can ask him all the questions you want," Vern shot back. "When you want him to answer, you'll have to adjust the dosage. He's on '5' right now. It's enough to keep the internal organs working. It's like he's tied inside a body bag. Try to tickle him and he won't feel a thing," Vern snorted. "Whatever you do, don't set the dial any lower than '2' or he'll have full use of his arms and legs."
"I don't like this Vern," Sarah argued. "We never agreed to do anything like this. You said we only want to expose the Justice League to the world and make them accountable for their actions."
"That's right, dear," Vern's voice softened. "We just need to keep him here, until we find out who he is and expose him. Are you sure Flash isn't really Wally West?"
"I'm telling you Vern, I had Wally West tied to his bed and Flash showed up. Even though Flash can really move, there's no way he can be in two places at once. Even I know that!" Sarah said sarcastically. "Why don't we just remove the mask and see who he is?" she asked curiously.
"First of all, without proof of identification, it won't do us any good. He'll just be another nameless face. You know how many John Doe's come into the morgue everyday! Do you think he is going to tell us his name voluntarily? I don't think even he is that stupid. We just need some incentive to get him to talk to us."
"What incentive? Vern… what are you planning?" Sarah demanded.
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything," Vern said evading her question.
Sarah grabbed Vern by the arm. "Vern, tell me what's going on. I mean it."
"Listen Sarah, we need to get Flash to talk. You already established that there's a connection between Wally West and Flash. We traced Flash to West's apartment; we picked him up there. If West is not Flash, then he must have an important connection to him. Roommate, friend, brother… who knows, but there is a connection and having West here will give Flash incentive to talk. If he doesn't talk, then we can see what West will tell us. I've done this a thousand times, Sarah. There are ways of making people talk."
Vern leaned over to look Flash directly in the eyes, "Make no mistake, we'll find out just who Flash is before the day is out."
For the first time, Flash got a glimpse of Vern Monocello. Whatever kind of officer Vern had been before, he was no crime fighter now.
"I'll be right back, I have to check with Carter and Rowe," Vern said gruffly. "See if you can get a few snapshots of him in the uniform. And listen, Sarah, whatever you do, DON'T remove his mask."
"Why not?" Sarah asked curiously. "We're going to need to do that for the photos."
"I know you. One look at this man's face and he won't be 'the Flash' anymore. You'll lose your objectivity. When his mask comes off, I want you anyplace else but here."
Flash heard the door slam and Sarah's movements around the table.
I KNEW I should have left for that meeting sooner! Flash thought. Oh, Lord, if I ever get out of this alive, I promise never to be late for another Justice League meeting, he prayed silently.
"I have to turn the light on, you may want to close your eyes," Sarah said quietly.
Flash closed his eyes. He didn't want to be blind as well as paralyzed. Even through his closed eyelids, he could feel the brightness of the light. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut tighter.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sarah said, her voice full with compassion.
Flash was relieved to hear some modicum of concern.
The bright light was causing his eyes to water and he could feel a tear streak down his cheek.
Flash heard the sounds of knobs turning and motors running. He presumed Sarah was adjusting the camera equipment.
He felt another tear steak down his other cheek and wished he could just scream!
He heard a whizzing sound and wondered what was next.
"That's just the camera taking a full body picture," Sarah said, as if reading his mind. "Oh dear, you're crying!" she said sounding concerned. "You're not supposed to feel anything," she said, starting to panic.
"Vern! Vern!" she called as she ran out of the room.
Oh great! Flash thought, all she has to do is think I'm in pain, turn the knob and send me into oblivion.
After a few seconds, Sarah returned with Vern at her side.
"What makes you think he's in pain?" Vern asked, not sounding the least bit concerned.
"He's crying! Vern, look at him!" Sarah said nervously.
"He's not crying, Sarah, it's the bright light! What is wrong with you? Just dim the light a little and he'll be able to open his eyes!" he barked at her.
"Oh," Sarah said sounding embarrassed.
The door slammed shut again.
"Let me see, where's that knob….?" Sarah said, moving closer to the table.
Suddenly the light dimmed and Flash was able to open his eyes. There was still enough light to see Sarah. She looked tired, Flash thought.
"Here, let me get that for you," she said, gently wiping the tears from his face.
"I'm sorry for all this," she said, leaning closer to him. "None of this was supposed to happen this way; he really isn't a bad guy."
Flash knew she had placed her hand on his shoulder, but he could feel nothing. He turned his eyes away from her, not wanting to hear anymore.
"Please, don't look away. I'll turn down the dosage so you can talk," Sarah pleaded.
She disappeared out of his line of vision and heard the clicking sound.
"It will take just a few seconds," Sarah said reassuringly.
"Please, tell me who you are and I won't let him hurt you," she begged.
Flash moved his lower jaw up and down, to see what range of movement he had regained. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. His mouth felt dry and scratchy.
"Oh, let me get you some water," Sarah said, running from the room.
Flash realized he was able to move his jaw and his shoulders, but everything else refused to budge.
Sarah returned with a bottle of water. She unscrewed the cap and inserted a straw. She lowered it so that Flash could get a sip through the straw.
"Oh, wait a minute," she said, putting the bottle down on a table nearby. "I almost forgot to tilt the table." She pressed a lever on the floor with her foot. The table slowly tilted at angle, lowering his feet and raising his head.
"No, that won't do," she said, moving closer and unstrapping the restraint holding his head in place.
"There, that's better." She retrieved the bottle and held it close to his lips for him to drink. The water felt cool and refreshing going down his throat. She pulled the straw out from between his lips. "There. Can you speak now?" Sarah asked.
"Yes," Flash said quietly.
Sarah breathed a loud sigh of relief.
"Now, who are you?" Sarah whispered into his left ear.
Twenty-three
J'onn called the meeting to order. "Attention everyone," he began. "I guess we can get started now."
"Looks like Flash is a 'no- show' again," the Green Lantern commented.
"He promised me he'd be here," J'onn replied. "This worries me. Either he is running this 'solo' or he's in trouble. Either way, I don't like it."
"Why don't you just fill us in on the details?" Batman said evenly.
"The fact is, someone has targeted Flash as part of a larger plan to bring down the entire Justice League by exposing each member's true identity to the public. What we have so far is very little.
We have determined that a key player in this plan is a waitress named Sarah Monocello. Flash says that she condemns the Justice League for operating, what amounts to, a vigilante task force, ignoring proper police procedure and such. She has been responsible for carrying out the first phase of this plan. Yesterday, she drugged Flash with a compound that slowed his metabolism down to such an extent that he operated at 10 of his normal speed. She managed to track him down to his apartment and tie him to his bed. With my help, we were able to thwart her plan and send her to jail. She is currently in jail and Flash's metabolism has returned to normal."
J'onn paused, to allow the other members to respond.
"If she's in jail and he's back to normal, what is the threat?" Wonder Woman asked, looking around the table for any response.
"I presume the problem lies behind the woman. My guess is she is not working alone and won't be in jail very long. Regardless, the fact that she was able to track Flash to his apartment, means that she is one very resourceful lady," Batman explained. "I say we find out everything we can about her, past and present. We need to know whom she's been associating with, including her visitors at jail. We ferret out these people and the threat to the entire League is removed."
"That's good Batman, are you volunteering for conducting the research?" J'onn asked.
"I've got it covered," Batman nodded.
"I'd like to see someone check on Flash. He was to report for blood tests and a full physical check-up, before this meeting. Although he wanted to defer these tests, and handle this case himself, I impressed upon him the importance of his health and contribution to the team," J'onn replied.
"This is an investigative assignment that will require a bit of footwork," J'onn added. "I'd like to see Superman and Wonder Woman handle this, as I believe you two are best suited for this part of the mission. Agreed?"
"Anyone special you'd suggest we start with?" Superman asked, taking notes.
"I'd say check his apartment, talk to his friend Marty O'Malley, and Flash's new girl Kali. Marty can be trusted, as he is up to speed on Flash's dual identity and association with the League. I'm not sure where Kali stands. After that, you're free to take it from there," J'onn suggested.
"I'll check with Flash's co-workers down at the Police Station, his neighbors and local restaurants," Superman added.
"He wanted to see a girl and save the world all by himself again, didn't he?" Batman stated flatly.
"He swore he'd be here, girl or no girl," J'onn insisted.
"He's still a rookie, but I don't think he'd be foolish enough to take on this kind of mission by himself. What do we know about the girl?" Green Lantern asked.
"I'd like to see if the new girlfriend has any questionable connections. I'll see what I information I can suss out on her," Wonder Woman added.
"One more thing," J'onn said, looking at Green Lantern and Hawk Girl. "I'd like you to be prepared to cover air support. If Flash isn't in his apartment, at work or at any of the local restaurants, we may need someone to fly over Central City and its surrounding towns."
"That's fine," Green Lantern replied.
"As a last resort, I suggest we check the local hospitals, medical centers and morgues," Hawk Girl added.
"I certainly hope it doesn't come to that," Green Lantern said, shaking his head. "I'll bet he's holed up somewhere playing "Knock-em Sock-em Fighting Robots," with his new girlfriend, while we go nuts chasing ghosts around town."
"We can only hope," J'onn murmured.
Twenty-four
"Who are you?" Sarah repeated, anxiously leaning closer to be sure to hear what Flash had to say.
Flash whispered something that was inaudible to her.
"What?" she asked, moving even closer. The side of her face was almost touching his.
He whispered even softer, intending to draw her even closer to him.
She couldn't make out what he was saying and turned her face to look at him.
He smiled, turned his head, and planted a kiss on her lips.
Aghast, she jumped back and nearly fell off the table. "Flash, your lips… their so… cold!" she said nervously.
He laid his head back against the table and closed his eyes.
"Flash, please tell me you're all right!" she insisted, frantically placing both her hands on each side of his face. "My goodness!" she said, releasing him just as quickly. "Your skin is ice cold!"
Sarah rose to her feet and began pacing the room, "Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness," was all she could say, until she suddenly ran from the room, calling for Vern.
Flash tried to listen for any sign of life outside this room. It appeared that he was alone in this building, except for Sarah.
Sarah burst through the door, "Flash, I can't find Vern anywhere. You can't die! I won't be held responsible for murder!" she cried and raced over to the control for the IV drip.
Flash turned his head to see what she was doing. He could now see the machine that controlled the dosage of the anesthesia fed into his body. There was indeed a spider web of tubing leading from the machine to the patches on his back.
"There!" she said loudly, "I turned it down another notch. Let's see if that helps," she said with a shaky voice.
Flash began to feel some warmth rush to his shoulders, arms and upper torso. He could feel his fingers tingle, but still nothing below the waist. If she would just turn it down another notch, I think I'd get my legs back, he thought.
She moved closer to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, reluctant to touch his cold skin again.
"I don't feel any different," he lied.
"What?" Sarah said, beginning to panic.
She rushed back to the dial. "It says it's on '3', I can only go down one more," she said, turning the dial to '2'.
Flash closed his eyes, praying that the one notch would be enough.
"Oh no! Don't die, don't die!" she shouted.
Twenty-Five
Kali heard a knock at her bedroom door. "Come in," she said, glancing at the radio/alarm clock beside her bed. The orange glowing numbers read 11:15 PM.
The bedroom door slowly opened, as Margo entered the room.
"Why are you still awake?" Margo asked as she sat down on the bed beside Kali.
Kali held up a textbook for Margo to see. "I have my first General Psychology class in the morning."
"Ah… Yes, I remember those days," Margo said, leaning back into a reclining position supported by her elbows. Psychology classes were my favorite, though I found it a bit disconcerting that different Psychological theories were contradictory. I mean just look at the principal differences between Behaviorism and Existentialism. Should behavior and attitudes be shaped by the use of controlled environments founded on pre-established truths or should truth be determined by an individual's free will and personal experiences?"
"How can truth be different for each individual?" Kali asked, scratching her head. "Isn't truth a concrete concept?"
Margo laughed. "So, you don't subscribe to the 'everything is relative' and 'seek the answers within yourself' Philosophy."
"I don't see how you can possibly have the answers within you, when all you hold is the knowledge of your own experiences. Isn't that rather limiting?" Kali asked.
"Yes and no," Margo answered, "You can learn from your own experiences, but it's a trial and error process. I tend to think that if the answers were within you, you wouldn't even need someone to tell you to search within yourself. You'd do it instinctively. What are the chances of driving to San Francisco and arriving in New York City without a map, without stopping for directions and without any kind of factual information from the people who build the roads and can tell you where they lead? All people search for answers, but where are they likely to get them?"
Kali nodded. "So, what about all these theories of Psychology? Are they wrong?"
Margo smiled. "Theories are just that… theories! They are only opinions based on hunches, guesses, trial and error, and observations. First consider this, truth can be observed because it is a constant. The sun shines. That is a fact, an observable truth. What if I postulate that the sun is shining because my parakeet is awake? I confirm this by observing this to be true over a certain period of time. I confirm this by observing that when he is asleep, it is dark. My observations support my theory; therefore, it must be true. No?"
Kali laughed. "That's ridiculous!" she said. "Of course the sun isn't shining because your parakeet is awake. What happens when he dies? The sun goes out? I dispute your theory."
"You have to wait until he is dead to disprove my theory," Margo insisted. "And don't get any ideas, young lady!"
Kali shook her head. "So, truth remains the same, our understanding of it is biased by our perceptions and experiences."
"Yes," Margo nodded.
"You want the truth, you've got to go to the source," Margo said, rising from the bed.
"You mean God?" Kali asked. "I should ask God, why the sun shines?"
Margo laughed, "Well, yes, if that's your question. He'd certainly be the one to answer that one. I'm just saying, theories and illusions are similar in that they both look like the real McCoy, but, to the one who holds the knowledge of truth, the deception is clear."
"Thanks Margo," Kali said, closing her textbook. "I think I'll get ready for bed now."
"Pleasant dreams, sweetie," Margo said, hugging Kali.
Kali watched Margo close the door behind her as she exited the room.
The clock read 11:30 PM. Kali's heart sank. Where is Wally? I was sure he'd stop by tonight.
She glanced at her cell phone. Should I try him at home? she wondered.
She glanced back at the clock, as if in response to her question, the number changed. 11:31 PM it blared.
She checked her incoming message box for Wally's apartment phone number and hit the dial button.
She unconsciously held her breath as the phone began to ring.