Chapter Eighteen
"The Game is Called Tonk"
The Watchtower
For all the heroics, the League in many ways is like every other organization or club. While there are many moments of high drama and emergencies, there are also many long hours in between. Some train, honing their skills. Some learn more about the systems and weapons available on the station. Some watch television or movies to pass the time. Then there are the card games.
The specific game may change from region to region and country to country, but they all have one thing in common, gambling. It doesn't really matter the amount, a friendly wager always adds an element of excitement to any game.
There's no feeling quite like winning. You calculated the odds, judged your opponents and then placed a bet on the belief that you're right. It's not even the money, really, it's that you proved you were right. No matter how large your paycheck is, it never feels as good as knowing you bet on yourself and won. For once in your everyday, drab existence, you were right.
They can make all the laws they want, but people will always gamble. Money won is always sweeter than any other.
Vigilante, Wildcat and Ollie were teaching Captain Atom and the Shining Knight this. The five had been playing cards for over an hour. At first the new comers, Atom and Knight won, even though they really didn't understand all the rules of the game. Slowly as the game progressed, their fortunes turned. All their initial success vanished along with their winnings and now they were in the hole.
"All right, ante up, boys," Vigilante said, as he shuffled the cards.
"I'm still a little uncomfortable with gambling," Captain Atom replied. "It somehow doesn't seem right. I mean we're supposed to be heroes setting an example."
"Oh, God, here we go with another patriotic diatribe," Ollie moaned. "I noticed you didn't have a problem with it when you were winning. Just like a fascist, when things aren't going your way, you want to impose your ideas on everyone else."
"Maybe to a left wing radical like you Arrow it's just another 'do your own thing' hippie lifestyle choice, but I take my role seriously," Captain Atom said in his defense.
"Did you just call me a hippie? Really, a hippie?"
"What do you prefer, progressive," the Captain asked. "Unlike you, I'm proud to be an American!"
"You're not going to start singing that Lee Greenwood song again, are you? I don't think I could take that one more time," Arrow replied.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please." Vigilante interrupted. "We're all teammates here, just trying to a have a friendly game. There are three topics that are off limits in polite social situations like this, religion, politics and what's wrong with your baby."
"Absolute," Wildcat added.
"Now Captain, as I told you at the beginning, the game is called Tonk and it's a workingman's game. What could be more American than the salt of the Earth, blue-collar workers, I ask you? Yes, there's gambling involved, but it's just the friendly type. The Shining Knight here is curious to learn about the modern world. America's the land of immigrants, Captain, we owe it to the Knight to teach him."
"And losing his money is just part of the learning process," Wildcat added.
"Still, gambling," Captain Atom protested.
"Reagan gambled," Wildcat replied.
"He did?"
"Sure, Old Dutch loved a good game of pinochle," Wildcat said.
"You're not calling Ronald Reagan un-American, are you Captain," Vigilante asked.
"No, no! Of course not," Captain Atom quickly replied.
"Good to hear, now let's play, pardners."
"Tis most exhilarating," Shining Knight said. "To once again be part of the sporting life is such a boon for thee! One hopeth that fortune twil smile on thee again."
Everyone stopped and gave him a look. They looked at each other, but no one had a clue what he was talking about.
"Ante up." Vigilante began to deal the cards. Each player put a dollar into the pot.
"You know I'm still a little hazy on the rules, Vigilante." Captain Atom said as he looked at his cards. "I'd swear they change from hand to hand."
"Nonsense, they're house rules," Vigilante said dismissively. "It's like making something wild in poker. It adds to the fun."
The game progressed, but somehow the cards seemed to have turned against Captain Atom and the Shining Knight. Even when it seemed they had won, one of the house rules was invoked and they lost.
"So let me see if I have this right," Captain Atom said. "Even though I had a low hand, I still lose?"
"You had a two in your hand, didn't you," Wildcat replied.
"Yeah, but that's a low card, shouldn't that help?"
"Normally, yes, but this was the twenty second hand we played, so twos automatically become worth twenty two," Wildcat explained. "It's one of the house rules, everybody knows that."
"So since this is the twenty third hand, does that mean twos and threes become twenty three," Captain Atom asked.
"No, of course not." Vigilante shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. That house rule only applies to the twenty-second hand. I thought I explained that?"
"I must have missed that one."
"You're not sandbagging us all, are you, Captain," Vigilante smiled. "You waiting for us to all get comfortable and then pulled the old switcharoo and take us to the cleaners?"
'It's the clean cut ones that you have to watch out for," Wildcat added.
"No, no, I would never be that deceitful. I'm learning this game as we go," Captain Atom said. Vigilante and Wildcat gave him a look and then chuckled as they split the winnings.
"All the same, I'm going to keep an eye on you," Vigilante replied.
"Fortune is a fickle mistress," Shining Knight lamented. He paid out his money once again.
"Amen to that, brother," Vigilante added.
A few more hands went by and it seemed the Shining Knight and Captain Atom couldn't catch a break. The Captain won a hand.
"Finally," he smiled. As he was reaching for the pot, Vigilante stopped him.
"Hold on there, Captain. I hate to do this to you, but you didn't win."
"What? Of course I did, I laid down all my cards first! You said yourself that's the rule about who wins," the Captain replied.
"What's the name of the game we're playing, Captain?"
"Tonk?"
"You forgot to say it when you laid down your hand," Vigilante pointed out. "The rules say you got to say Tonk first before you go out."
"Oh, come on!" The Captain protested.
"Rules are rules, Captain," Wildcat added.
"But, but…"
"You know what you have when people stop following the rules, don't you, Captain," Ollie said. "Anarchy."
The Captain stiffened at this. He looked around at the others and they all nodded their heads, except Shining Knight who seemed more confused than ever.
"Anarchy, Captain," Ollie whispered. He gave him a big grin.
"All right, fine!" The Captain pushed the pot away and paid the others.
"Tis an unfortunate turn, Captain," commented the Shining Knight, even as he paid the others too. A gush of wind caught everyone's attention. Wally was suddenly standing next to the table.
"A card game," he said. "How come no one told me?"
"We reckoned you'd be busy," Vigilante replied.
"What's the matter, Captain, you don't look happy," Wally asked.
"I'm losing," the Captain grumbled. "There are just so many rules it's hard to keep them all straight."
"What are you playing?"
"A game called Tonk."
Wally smiled at this. He looked from Vigilante to Wildcat to Ollie and then at Shining Knight and Captain Atom.
"Let me guess, house rules?"
"Yes, how did you know," Captain Atom asked.
"Just a hunch," Wally replied with a smile. "Wait until you get to Double Tonk, that's when it really gets interesting."
"I didn't even know there was such a thing."
"Thee either," Shining Knight added.
"You know, maybe I'll stick around for a few hands." Wally had a big grin on his face as he started to pull over a chair. The sound of a woman screaming his name stopped him.
"Wally! I know you're around here somewhere!"
"Oh, no," Wally gasped. "Got to go! Um, ah, guys, could you not tell her I was here? Please? Thanks."
Before anyone could answer, Wally was out the side door and gone. In the next moment Diana came storming in.
"Where is he," she demanded.
"Who," Vigilante asked.
"Wally! I could have sworn he came in here," Diana replied.
"I don't think so," Wildcat answered. "I was sort of concentrating on the card game, so I might have missed him."
The others either nodded or said nothing.
"I cannot bare false witness, fair maiden," Shining Knight spoke up. "The young jackanapes doeth yonder pass."
Diana stared at him with a confused look on her face. She finally turned to Ollie.
"Hera help me, what?"
"No clue, Princess."
Diana crossed her arms in frustration and then pressed ahead.
"Then where is Dinah, Ollie? I want to 'talk' to her as well."
"I'm afraid she left, Diana," Ollie replied. "I think she said it was for her health."
"Damn!" Diana balled up her fists and looked like she was going to explode. In frustration, she looked around the table and then turned away. All five men watched as Diana stormed out.
"I gotta say, even as pissed as she is, that's one fine looking filly," Vigilante mused.
"Both coming and going," Wildcat added.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate," Shining Knight waxed poetic.
"She's a stunner, alright," Ollie agreed.
Captain Atom seemed uncomfortable with this topic and said nothing. The others noticed.
"What's a matter, Cap? You don't find her attractive," Wildcat asked.
"Yes, but it doesn't seem right," Atom replied. "I mean she's a valued teammate and all."
"Son, if you're breathing, it's hard not to notice," Vigilante offered.
"Actually, I don't breath, but that's not the point. I mean, Arrow, you're involved with Black Canary, do you really think you should be looking at other women?"
"Well, if she can kiss them, I can look at them," Ollie replied.
"Still," Atom protested.
"You know who else is a handsome woman? I know you don't care for her, Cat, but that Power Girl is a stunner," Vigilante observed. "Got to hand it to Superman for snagging that darling."
"Thou speakest truth," Shining Knight agreed.
"We might not get along, but I'm not blind," Wildcat replied.
"So no one is troubled by those two being together," Captain Atom asked.
"How so," Vigilante asked. He was sorting his earnings and picking up the deck of cards.
"Look, I respect Superman as much as anyone, but two Kryptonians together is worrisome."
"Ah, come on, they're just dating" Vigilante replied.
"Look, I don't want to think about it either, but it's happened before. He was brainwashed by Darkseid and you saw how easily he shredded Earth's defenses."
"He could probably take us all out himself," Wildcat said. He seemed more interested in the money in front of him than Atom's point.
"But his heart is true and honor sways him." Shining Knight spoke up.
"I hate to agree with the Captain, but I keep thinking of the Justice Lords," Ollie said. "No one brainwashed him that time."
"That was also another reality," Vigilante pointed out.
"But it could still happen," Ollie replied. "What if this time he has Power Girl with him? For that matter, you might as well add Supergirl, too. I might be just an old lefty, but anyone with that much power scares me."
"The government is already worried enough about him to form Cadmus," Atom said. "I'm still an officer in the Air Force, sworn to defend my country."
"Is this about him whooping you a while back," Vigilante asked.
"He didn't whoop me," Atom replied.
"Son, take it from an old boxer, he whooped you," Wildcat told him. "You were on Queer street when they brought you back."
"I was not," Atom protested.
"You keep telling yourself that, boy.' Wildcat smiled.
"It doesn't change the main point," Ollie said. "If for whatever reason Superman went rogue, who could stop him?"
They all seemed to soberly think about this for a moment.
"So what are you saying, Arrow, the man can't date? What happened to all that freedom talk you usually spout," Vigilante asked.
"I'm concerned for that average Joe on the street's freedom, Vigilante," Ollie replied. "This whole set up makes me nervous. The League says it's just looking out for humanity, yet it's in a floating tower high above them with a huge weapon pointed down. Add to the extraordinary powers some of the people around here have and I can understand why people would be worried. Superman's the most powerful of us all and Power Girl isn't far behind. A lot of people will see those two as a threat and want to do something. It's the average Joe that usually pays the price when that happens."
"And don't forget they're both aliens," Captain Atom added. "As much as they look and act like us, their not really. Who's to say if they fall in love their loyalty will be to Earth first? I took an oath to protect this country and world. I take that very seriously."
"So if I have this right, the rules don't apply to Superman that apply to everyone else. One mistake and he has to watch his back forever? I didn't sign up for telling anyone who they could love or not love," Vigilante argued.
"But the risk with him is unlike any other," Atom protested.
"This is how it starts," Wildcat said softly. He sat back, a somber look on his face. "I'm reminded of an old proverb about the Nazis.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me."
"That's not what we're saying, Wildcat," Captain Atom argued. "Earth is too important to let anything happen to it, even if sacrifices have to be made."
"Fear," Shining Knight whispered. "When reason slumbers, monsters are created."
They sat in silence, the card game forgotten.