Thirty-six
Superman led the way toward the Watchtower's medical facility followed by Wonder Woman, Kali, and Flash.
"Listen, Superman, I appreciate what you and Wonder Woman have done, but I think I can take it from here. I don't need a police escort to take me to the doctor. Really. I'm fine, see?" Flash said, circling around Superman at super-speed, creating a whirlwind around him.
Superman reached out and grabbed Flash, stopping him in his tracks.
"I hate when you do that!" he groaned. "But don't worry; I won't hold it against you. In fact, I'll even get you your favorite soda pop from the fridge."
In the blink of an eye, Flash had disappeared and returned with a purple can of carbonated soda pop. "Here ya go," he said, smiling broadly, handing Superman the soda can. "But I wouldn't …"
Superman pulled the tab off the can, releasing an explosion of purple carbonated liquid that rained down all over him.
"… open it yet," Flash finished.
Superman shot Flash a dirty look.
Wonder Woman covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh.
Kali was too embarrassed for the 'Man of Steel', to laugh at him.
"Sorry…" Flash said, zipping quickly away and returning with a handful of paper towels.
"I think I'll go get cleaned up," Superman said calmly.
"Does that mean you aren't taking me to the doctor?" he called after Superman as he headed away. "I guess not. It looks like it's just us then," he said cheerfully.
Wonder Woman shook her head. "Let's go," she said firmly.
"What? Don't you think I can there myself?" Flash asked lightly.
"You didn't make it there before, so I am going to make sure you get there now; even if I have to use my lasso. Got it?" she replied.
Flash nodded. He knew she meant business and in light of his recent experience; he had no desire to be tied and dragged to the medical facility.
He glanced at Kali. He had just realized that she had not said a word since they arrived. He reached over and took her hand. He wished he could have some time alone with her so they could talk, but it would have to wait until later, he gathered.
When they reached the door to the medical lab, Wonder Woman stopped. "I'll see you in the conference room afterward," she said.
Flash nodded and opened the door, holding it for Kali to pass through before him.
"Good evening, Flash. Welcome to the Medical Facility," a computer generated voice announced. Please step into 'Pod Unit 1' for routine evaluation and treatment.
"Where's the doctor?" Kali asked surprised.
"Good evening Kali O'Malley. Welcome to the Medical Facility," the computer repeated. "I am E.M.S.E. which stands for Earth-based Medical Systems Evaluator. I am one of several computer-generated medical physicians. Please step into Pod Unit 2 for routine evaluation and treatment."
"Oh, I'm not here for…" Kali began.
"It's okay, Kali," Flash said. "He's just going to run some tests to see if you're okay. Aren't you, Doc?"
"He?" she asked.
"Well, with his personality and all, none of us really think of the Doc as an 'it'. He doesn't care for the neutral gender references, if you know what I mean," Flash explained.
"I am programmed to evaluate and repair all maladies afflicting Earthling life forms in order to promote and restore optimum health."
"It's safe, Kali really. And you feel terrific afterwards too!" he said enthusiastically. "Look, I'll go first," he said, as he stepped into a plastic encasement labeled 'Pod Unit 1'.
Flash looked at Kali through the clear shell of the pod. He watched as her expression transformed from one of curiosity to one of amazement. He smiled and waved at her.
"Please hold still, Flash," the computer commanded.
Flash shrugged, still smiling at Kali.
A blue flash of light illuminated the pod for only an instant.
"Evaluation complete, report generated," the computer announced. "Please return for next evaluation in 30 solar days."
Flash stepped out of the pod, "Please Kali, go ahead," he urged. He felt wonderful and wanted her to feel as good as he did."
Kali nodded and stepped into the pod marked 'Pod Unit 2'.
"Please hold still while I calibrate for you the optimum parameters for your gender, size, and molecular structure."
Flash moved closer to the pod, knowing she would be through shortly.
"Parameters are set. Please hold still for evaluation and treatment," the computer repeated. The blue light flashed brightly, illuminating the second pod.
"Evaluation complete, report generated. Please return for next evaluation in 30 solar days," the computer announced.
Kali stepped out of the pod. "That was wonderful! I've never felt anything like it!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Flash and drawing him into a big bear hug.
It felt so good to have her so close to him for the first time in hours, that he did not want to let her go. They held on tightly to each other, hugging.
"Flash, your presence is required in the Conference room," the computer interrupted.
"Got it, Doc.," Flash replied.
They slowly broke apart.
Thirty-seven
"Where shall I wait, while you're in the meeting?" she asked, not sure she was allowed to attend.
"I'm sure you can come. It's no big deal; I mean it won't be long or anything. " Flash said.
"Really?" she asked. "What are these meetings about?"
"This one will be a wrap-up of today. They want the information for the files. Basically, it's going to be a rehash of everything that has happened. Everyone involved reports what they know and then the information is stored on the computer for the future. The main purpose of this kind of meeting is to help everyone to fill in the blanks. It's sort of like leaving in the middle of a movie to get popcorn and when you return your friend fills you in on all the good stuff you missed while you were gone," he explained.
"Oh, I see. It's a meeting that brings out the truth so you all know everything."
"Exactly," Flash agreed. "No one is left in the dark about anything. Ready to go?" he asked.
"Before we go, we need to have a little meeting of our own," Kali said quietly. She looked all around to be sure no one was watching.
"A meeting now? Kali, I've got to…" Flash began.
He saw the look on her face. She NEEDED to talk with him and it was apparent that it was important enough to her to do it now.
"…have a meeting with you," he finished.
"Flash, I need to know…." She reached up and gently tugged at the edge of his mask, pulling it slightly away from his face and stopped, quickly releasing it. She hesitated respecting his privacy in the event that he might object.
Flash smiled that familiar, smug, self-assured big grin. "I thought you knew," he said teasingly, in a tone that dared her to remove the mask.
"Wally!" she whispered.
Flash laughed and lifted the mask for her to see. "No secrets," he said.
Kali smiled. "We have a saying in my family it goes like this, 'there are no secrets…'" she began, slowly.
"… 'when you're face to face.'" Flash finished the quote for her.
Her puzzled expression drew a laugh from Flash.
"Marty," he explained.
Thirty-eight
As they walked into the conference room together, the rest of the Justice League looked up. They all were obviously surprised to see Kali joining them.
Kali suddenly regretted agreeing to attend this meeting with Flash. She should have stayed in a different room; she admonished herself. She had no business attending a Justice League meeting and doing so would certainly be perceived as presumptuous, if not disrespectful.
"I'm sorry, everyone here hasn't met my girlfriend, Kali," Flash said cheerfully. "Kali, this is the Justice League: Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and J'onn J'onzz. Superman and Wonder Woman you've already met. Anyone mind if Kali sits in on this one?" Flash asked, pulling an extra chair over to the table for Kali.
"Uh… never mind, Flash, I think I'd better wait outside," Kali said quietly. She got the distinct feeling that she was intruding.
"No, no, that's okay. They don't mind, do you guys?" Flash asked, holding the chair out for Kali.
Batman spoke first. His deep throaty voice resonated through the room. "It's nothing personal Kali, just some Justice League business we have to wrap up. It won't be long." Though spoken politely, the intention behind his even, businesslike words was clear.
Not wanting to cause a problem, Kali turned to leave, but Flash held her back.
"Just a minute please, Kali. I have something to say to the rest of the Justice League that I'd like you to hear," Flash said sounding more than annoyed.
He turned his attention to the members seated at the conference table. "The mission we are discussing tonight is about a threat that was made solely against me. The only reason Kali ever got involved in this, was because of me. She was kidnapped, strapped to a table, held against her will, threatened, and nearly poisoned to death because of me. I have no objection to her being here; in fact, I insist that she stay, for me."
Flash was getting angry and Kali was growing concerned for him. She reached out and touched him. This seemed to help. She saw him draw in a deep breath and let it out before continuing.
"Though she is not a Justice League member," Flash said in a calmer voice, "I think she is entitled to know the full truth behind why her life was threatened. And perhaps, if that isn't a good-enough reason for her to stay, consider the fact that because of her involvement, she might have something to contribute to the case."
Superman rose out of his seat and walked over to Flash. He placed his arm around Flash's shoulder. "I agree with Flash. I saw, first-hand, what this girl suffered today. In light of her participation in the mission and her relationship to Flash, I say she is more than welcome to stay and participate."
Wonder Woman rose from her seat to address the others. "I think this is ironic that we are even discussing this issue. Today I was told, by the Sergeant of the Central City Police Department, that the three men, who perpetrated this crime against Flash and Kali, did so because they 'had a problem accepting assistance from outside their Police Department, specifically the Justice League'. "
She paused and looked around the room at her fellow League members. "These men could not accept the fact that we wanted to help and were able to help share in the protection of their citizens," she continued. "Is this not what Kali did by getting involved herself?"
Kali could see that Wonder Woman's words were having an effect on the others.
Wonder Woman began speaking again, this time the tone in her voice was gentler, "The Sergeant commended us for our support and asked me to pass his appreciation on to the rest of the League. Dare we humbly accept Kali's offer to help and welcome her to our table, being thankful for what she has to give and not ungrateful for what she hasn't?"
Batman rose from his seat and walked around the table to address Kali personally. "Please accept my apologies," he said. "You are more than welcome to stay." He respectfully bowed his head to her.
Suddenly the room was quiet and all eyes were on Kali. She felt obliged to speak. "Thank you all for allowing me to join you at this table. I want you to know that I have the deepest respect for you and consider it an honor to be in this room, much less attending one of your meetings."
"Now, if no one has any objections, I think we should start the meeting," J'onn J'onzz announced.
Everyone took their seats.
Kali glanced around the table and noticed that no one at the table had any file folders or papers in front of them. There were no pens, papers, or prepared reports of any kind.
"First, before we begin to discuss this case, let us hear the results of Flash's medical evaluation," J'onn began.
Flash stood up and walked over to the wall behind J'onn. He placed his right hand upon a square green panel protruding from the wall.
"'The Flash', medical report for this date please," he said.
Kali felt the tabletop vibrate and a computerized image appeared in the tabletop before every member. She was surprised to see a detailed list of the laboratory results of Flash's examination in the pod, taken just moments ago. The information was extremely technical, but the conclusion was clearly stated, 'health fully restored'. There was an advisory for Flash to increase exercise and caloric food intake.
"I think the report speaks for itself," J'onn concluded. "Glad to see you're back in top condition."
Kali nodded in agreement.
"Next, let's hear from Superman and Wonder Woman. Who would care to go first?" J'onn asked, looking back and forth between the two Super-heroes.
Wonder Woman indicated to Superman that he should give the report. He walked over to the wall behind J'onn and placed his hand on the panel.
"Superman and Wonder Woman, report for mission '1-1-2-3 Central City'," he said activating a new report.
"It's pretty cut and dry," Superman commented. "When we arrived at Flash's apartment, there were two men parked outside, watching the entrance. They were later confirmed to be Joe Carter and George Rowe. Rowe followed us into the apartment where we quickly apprehended him. We discovered that Carter and Rowe were working for or with Vernon Monocello, later confirmed to be the husband of Sarah Monocello.
I listened-in on Carter's cell phone conversation with Vern Monocello, which provided me with the location of Sarah and Vern Monocello's employer, the Wilkinson's Mortuary and Funeral Home. Kali O'Malley appeared about this time and was kidnapped by Carter. I proceeded to follow Carter and Kali to Wilkinson's, while Wonder Woman deposited Rowe at the police department.
Carter carried Kali into the autopsy room of the mortuary where she was strapped down to a table. I apprehended Carter when he left the mortuary. About 10 minutes later, Sarah Monocello exited the mortuary. Wonder Woman arrived and apprehended her. She brought them both to the police department and reported the crime in progress. When she returned, she and I rushed the room and apprehended Vernon Monocello. We released Kali and Flash. It should be noted that Flash was drugged and strapped down, as well. The police arrived. Charges are being made against Rowe, Carter, Vern Monocello, and Sarah Monocello."
Having concluded his report, Superman returned to his seat.
"Does anyone have any questions at this time?" J'onn asked.
"We've touched on the subject of the motive for this crime, but I'd like to know, was there any specific incident that set this off. Surely it wasn't just that these people felt threatened by us," Hawkgirl asked.
"I can answer that," Flash responded. "I haven't had time to submit a report, but I'd like to fill in some of the blanks right now."
Kali could not believe her ears. Flash described a group of cops who resented the Justice League so much that when they lost their jobs, they blamed the League and plotted their downfall. He described how Sarah, while working at the pizza place, tainted Flash's drinks to drug and plant tracers on him.
"How is it that you didn't discover the tracers?" Batman asked. "You should be running scans on your uniforms for that kind of thing."
Flash shrugged, "I'm a busy man, what can I say? Who has got time?"
"Perhaps you should make time," Batman suggested.
"You didn't explain why they were casing your apartment when they already had you?" Hawkgirl asked.
Kali listened intently as Flash described how Sarah had followed the tracers on his uniform to his apartment. He explained how he had already been ill in bed when she arrived and assumed that 'Wally' was 'Flash' so she administered the antidote to him, in hopes of confirming his identity. Flash explained that Kali's unexpected appearance created a problem for Sarah that drew her out of the apartment long enough for J'onn to come and help. When Sarah returned, she found Flash dressed in costume and J'onn (morphed into Wally) in bed, convincing Sarah that Wally was not Flash.
Kali was amazed, it all made perfect sense now. When Sarah learned that Wally was not Flash, she realized that they now had no idea who Flash really was. Without any documentation of Flash's true identity, they needed to ascertain it some other way. It was clear that kidnapping Wally would serve that purpose. Either they would get the information out of him or they would use him to get the information out of Flash. They were casing Wally's apartment to kidnap him, but when Kali showed up, they took her instead.
This was truly a nightmare, Kali thought.
Flash, finished with his report, turned to Kali and smiled. "Any questions?"
Kali shook her head 'no'. She had had enough of this ordeal and was beginning to get tired. How long had she been away from home? she wondered.
"Does anyone else have something to add at this time?" J'onn asked. "I'm looking for general incident information for now. I think we can wait on the background and technical material until we get a full report from the Central City Police."
Kali was relieved when the meeting finally ended.
Thirty-nine
It was still early, nearly 5 o'clock in the morning, when Flash and Kali returned home from their meeting at the Watchtower. The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, sending angry streaks of reds, pinks, and oranges across the sky.
Flash affectionately wrapped his arm around Kali's shoulder, pulling her close to him, as they approached the apartment building; as exhausted as he was, he sensed Kali's own resistance against the onslaught of sleep.
"Give me a sec. to change into my regular clothes and I'll give you a lift over to Marty's," Flash said wearily.
"No… that's okay," Kali answered drowsily, bleary-eyed and dragging. "If you don't mind, I'd rather just crash on your couch for a few hours."
Tired and worn-out from the evening's events, they rode up in the elevator together, in complete silence.
"You take the bed," Flash instructed, unlocking his apartment door and helping her into his bedroom.
In his sleepy stupor, he could barely keep his eyes open; nevertheless, he managed to change into a comfortable pair of blue sweatpants and a fresh t-shirt. He stumbled into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, finally surrendering to slumber.
As he gratefully drifted into a sweet state of unconsciousness, a myriad of conflicting images flooded his mind. First he saw himself slow dancing with Kali, holding her snugly against him; he was entranced by her sweet smile and engaging laugh. Suddenly, Kali's face began to change; it melted, shifting and reshaping, taking the form of another. Sarah's face appeared where Kali's face had been; Sarah's mocking snickers replaced Kali's merry peal of laughter. Wally watched, in horror, as Sarah poured the familiar cloudy toxin into a drinking glass and placed a plastic straw into it. She moved closer, lifting the drink closer to his lips.
The incessant ringing of his telephone broke through his nightmare and jolted him awake. He bolted for the telephone, picking it up in mid-ring. "Hello?" he asked his voice still thick with sleep.
"Wally, this is Mike, at the station. You coming in today?" he asked.
"Mike?" Wally repeated, yawning. What time is it? he wondered, rubbing his half-open eyes.
"Wake up man! Sergeant Stetson is looking for you!" Mike warned. "It's after 6:00 AM already, you were due in here at 5:30, don't you remember? You're never late to work; are you okay?"
"Yeah, Mike. I'm okay. I had a rough night, that's all," Wally said, yawning again.
"Well then, get your act together and get your butt down here," Mike ordered.
"Yeah yeah yeah. A mechanic's work is never done," Wally grumbled into the phone, "I'll be in shortly."
Wally groaned loudly, returning the corded phone to its cradle on the wall. He was still very tired, but suddenly very hungry as well. He pulled open the refrigerator door and searched for something to eat. An unopened quart of freshly squeezed orange juice caught his eye. He removed it from the fridge and placed it on the counter nearby.
About to dive back into the fridge to retrieve something else, Wally paused. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small white envelope lying on the counter beside the fridge.
Where did this come from? he wondered, picking it up. Carefully printed on the front of the envelope, in large block-shaped letters, was the name, 'Wally Wonder'. He immediately recognized the mocking nickname Marty had dubbed Wally upon learning of his super-hero identity.
He opened the envelope and pulled out a colorful kids' cartoon birthday card. The greeting on the front of the card read 'Ever wonder why we're such good friends?' Wally noticed the many underlines penned in beneath the word 'wonder'. Under the greeting message were two stick-figured boys playing basketball together. Marty had labeled the two characters 'Marty' and 'Wally'. Wally flipped the card open to read the rest of the message. Written in bold large letters were the words 'because you're so super!' Marty had added his own personal message at the bottom of the card, 'Happy Birthday Wonder Boy". "Cute, very cute!" Wally said sarcastically.
"What's this?" Kali asked, peering over his shoulder. She playfully wrapped her arms around Wally's waist and nuzzled his neck.
"Just a card from your uncle," Wally said, laying the card face down on the counter and turning around to face her. "I'm sorry, Kal, did I wake you up?" He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Want me to whip up some breakfast for you?" he asked cheerfully.
"You're so sweet," Kali replied, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "A small bowl of cereal will be more than enough for me," she answered, releasing him.
Wally shrugged, "Okay, I'll have cereal too," he said.
Kali opened the cabinet doors and retrieved two small cereal bowls for her and Wally. Busying herself with preparing the breakfast table, she didn't notice that Wally had left the room, showered, shaved, and dressed in the time it took to set the table.
He strolled back into the kitchen and had a seat. "Breakfast ready yet?… I'm famished!" he declared eagerly; grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.
"Wally?" Kali asked stunned.
Forty
C.J. entered the County Sheriff's office. "I'm here to post bail for my sister," he told the guard at the door.
"Go to the first window on the right; the clerk there will help you," the officer answered.
"Thanks," C.J. said, hesitating at the portal of the walk-through metal detector.
"Please remove all items from your pockets before you pass through the detector, sir," the man instructed politely.
C.J. deposited his wallet, keys, and loose change into a plastic container before passing through the detector. "That it?" he asked, retrieving his things after passing through the archway.
The officer nodded his head.
The uniformed officer behind the glass window looked up as C.J. approached. The identification tag, pinned to his shirt, read 'Officer Ed. Tyler'.
"Please sign-in," Officer Tyler said, pointing to the 'Visitor's Sign-In' sheet fastened to the clipboard in front of C.J.
"I'm just here to post bail for my sister," C.J. explained.
"Who are you posting bail for?" the officer inquired.
"Sarah Monocello," C.J. answered, sliding his hands into his back pockets.
"Sarah Monocello… let me see," the officer repeated, "Spell the last name please," he asked.
"'M… O… N… O… C… E… L… L… O,'" C.J. recited slowly.
"Monocello… Sarah... Ah! Here it is; she's been transferred out to another facility," the officer said matter-of-factly.
"Where?" C.J. asked.
"The computer doesn't say. She must be in transit. We'll know when we get the final papers in, probably sometime this afternoon."
"Thanks," C.J. replied. "Say… what about Vern Monocello? Is he here?"
Officer Tyler checked his computer screen once again. "Vernon Monocello is here, but bail cannot be posted for him."
"Can I see him?"
"Sure, just have a seat and we'll have him sent to the visitation room for you," Officer Tyler answered.
C.J. slowly ambled away from the window and had a seat on a chair in the waiting area nearby.
There was not much to this place, C.J. thought, taking in the faded pale-green cinderblock walls, metal tables, and vinyl-covered plastic chairs. The room had a deliberate cold and impersonal atmosphere. Aside from the few out-dated magazines on the table beside him, there was nothing for him to occupy his attention. He sincerely hoped he would not be waiting too long.
He glanced back at the guard seated near the metal-detector. What a boring job that must be, C.J. thought to himself. As if, hearing his thoughts, the officer looked up from the paperback book he was reading and shot C.J. a curious look.
"Mr. Jensen?" called a young-looking female officer.
C.J. jumped to his feet and approached the woman.
"Please follow me," she instructed. "You should know that there are video equipment monitoring this room. Your conversation and visit will be recorded and may be used as evidence in a trial against you or the defendant."
"I thought you needed my consent to record my conversations," C.J. objected.
"You are giving your consent by entering this room, Mr. Jensen," the woman officer said firmly.
Without a word, the woman opened the door and held it for C.J.. "Press the buzzer by the door when you are through," she said coolly, shutting and locking the door behind him.
The visitation room was nothing more than a small 8'x 10' windowless room. Another faded pale-green cinderblock room, C.J. observed. Except for the long metal table straddled by two more vinyl-covered plastic chairs, the room was empty. The video camera the officer had spoken of hung high on the wall, in the far corner of the room, aimed at the table and chairs.
C.J. had a seat in the chair closest to the door.
The door to the visitation room opened and in walked Vernon Monocello. "C.J., nice of you to come," he said, having a seat in the chair across from his visitor.
Vern was wearing a pale blue prisoner's uniform and a set of handcuffs secured to a chain around his waist.
"We're on Candid Camera," C.J. said, nodding toward the video camera on the wall.
"Yes. Watch what you say," Vern warned.
"Understood. No problem," C.J. said, slipping a piece of chewing gum into his mouth. "Want a piece?" C.J. offered Vern a stick of gum.
"No thanks," Vern said flatly. "That stuff rots your teeth."
C.J. rose out of his seat, stretched and took a few steps circling around the room toward the video camera. Looking up, he commented, "It's no video camera; it's just a 'Mickey Mouse' time-delay camera. Looks like the cheap XKR camera model they had in Toronto. The best it can do is snap photo still sequences 4 seconds apart. There's not even a microphone."
"The best our tax dollars can buy, I suppose," Vern said wryly.
C.J. snickered, sitting back down in his seat. "We're ready to set up the deal at the O'Malley apartment," he commented. "The busted pipe worked like a charm. We have the place for at least a week."
"How are they going to pack the drugs this time?" Vern asked.
"Vince says they'll deliver the stuff inside the rolls of the new carpeting," C.J. answered.
"Good. Right on schedule," Vern said, contentedly. "When I get out, we'll start working on the next deal."
"How long 'til you get out?" C.J. asked. "I thought you couldn't post bail."
"The lawyer's working on it. He thinks he can get me off on a technicality," Vern explained. "I'll be out by the end of the day, I expect."
"Listen Vern, I've got to hold off on having another accident at the apartment for a while. This time the busted pipe leaked down into the apartment below. The owner is stressing about the renovation and repair costs as it is. We do not need him asking any questions. Besides, this deal is going bring in a bundle and should be enough to hold us until things cool off."
"C.J. you worry too much! Who would suspect you of causing damage to the apartments in your own building? Besides, this set-up is perfect; we force the tenant out of his apartment to make renovations and while he's out, we use his place to conduct major drug deals. No one would dream that there are drugs hidden inside the supplies and trash coming in and out of the apartments. How's the damage to the other apartment?" Vern asked. "Maybe we can use that one too," he suggested.
"Not a good idea," C.J. said emphatically. "The damage is really minor and on top of that, the tenant works for the police. We don't want to push our luck."
"Oh really? The police? A patrolman?" Vern asked, considering the possibilities.
"No, he's just a police mechanic," C.J. answered. "His name is Wally West."