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Showcase
Who Killed The Angle Man?by Martin Maenza,
with beginning part by Marv Wolfman
Dark clouds were forming over the Raleigh Inn just on the fringe of Las Vegas, Nevada. And it was more than just the stormy weather that was brewing. As the smaller hotel off the main strip welcomed the annual Detective Convention, trouble was brewing inside as well.
"Yaghhhh!" again screamed a white haired, older black woman dressed in a white uniform.
"What in th' name o' Heaven?" Harvey Bullock, a dark suited cigar smoking man helped catch the woman as she fell. "The cleaning dame fainted." He helped her out to the hallway where the other detectives had gathered after hearing the woman's screams.
A tall blonde woman in a white suit and a black shirt burst past the others and entered the hotel room. "Take her somewhere safe, Bullock," instructed Jonni Thunder. She glanced around the room and couldn't help but notice the disarray. "Hmm, this room was locked from inside when it exploded. There's no other way in or out." A cloud of orange smoke came from the center of the room. "Obviously someone is lying dead in all that."
Jonni kneeled down near the wreckage by the unkempt bed. A man in a green costume with yellow strips could be seen lying on the floor, his hand grasping an item. "How was it done? How did the killer escape? And who is the killer?" She rattled of these questions in a matter of fact way. Such was the nature of her business -- finding answers to those typical queries.
A brown haired man in a brown suit and blue turtle neck sweater approached her. "Seems t'me, Ms. Thunder," he said, "this is the beginnin' of 'the Murder Game'." He was referring to one of the activities that the Detective Convention sponsored every year. The convention organizers would set up a mock-murder and have the participants search for clues to solve the whodunit. The one who solved the mystery first was rewarded a prize of some value.
Jonni Thunder shook her head. "No, Mr. Double. This isn't any detective's game. That's a real corpse in this smoke."
"You're kidding?" Jonny Double replied.
"I wish I was, mister," she replied. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and carefully removed the item that was in the man's hand. "He was holding this." She lifted up a triangular shaped device. "What do you make of it?"
Harvey Bullock pulled the cigar from his mouth. "Hey, I 'member readin' 'bout that in the files," the man with the five o'clock shadow said. "It belongs t' one of Wonder Woman's villains." He looked in closer for a confirmation. "It's Angle Man's angle weapon. Then he's the one that got himself skragged!"
The other detectives let Bullock's words sink in. The man was a bit rough around the edges and dressed in the rumpled fashion of street detective for the Gotham Police Department, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable about the situation. It came from frequent encounters with the costumed lunatics that terrorized Gotham, folks like the Joker, Two-Face and the Riddler. "We should prob'ly let the local yokels in on this one."
Bullock brushed his way past the other detectives, including a platinum blonde woman in a pink dress with the name tag Angel O'Day and a good looking dark hair man with graying temples in a red suit and gray shirt with the name tag Christopher Chance.
"I'm with Bullock on this one," said another man in the hallway. He was kind of short and wore a light brown trench coat. His hair was bushy and his nose long and pointed. "You best leave the evidence be for the police to handle." And with that, Mike Mauser headed back to the bar near the lobby.
The remaining three looked at Jonni Thunder, who still held the Angler weapon carefully with her handkerchief. From the looks on their faces, it was obvious each was contemplating on the same subject.
Jonni Thunder broke the silence. "So, are you all thinking what I'm thinking?"
Christopher Chance stroked his chin. "I may not have a mystery sniffing nose like Ralph Dibny," he said flatly, "but I definitely think there is more to this than meets the eye."
"I'm with you, Chance," Jonny Double nodded as he walked over to the dresser area. "Guys like this don't get snuffed due to faulty equipment. Someone wanted this guy dead and good." He noticed a piece of paper that had fallen on the floor and bent down to look at it.
"But who?" asked Jonni Thunder as she put the Angler back where she had found it. "And why? And how?"
Jonny smiled as he stood up. "That will take some investigatin'," Double replied. He eyed the other three. "And perhaps we might be best off poolin' our resources."
"Agreed," Chance said. "Though I have my own idea on how we might be able to flush out our killer."
As the group prepared to leave the crime scene, Angel O'Day paused for a moment longer. Jonny Double noticed this and turned to her. "Is something wrong, Miss O'Day?" he asked.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I was just thinking about my usual partner." Sam Simeon was half a world away in Gorilla City at the moment. "Kind of wish he was here. He always has a unique way of looking at things."
Jonny put his arm about Angel's shoulder to comfort her some. "Don't you worry about that. Between the four of us, we're bound to find some interestin' spins on this case." He escorted her out of the hotel room.
A few minutes later, Harvey Bullock returned to the scene of the murder with a uniformed police officer. "Here's where we found th' body," he stated plainly. "I can round up th' others if you'd like, Officer..." He glanced at the blond woman's badge. "Officer Warner."
The blue eyed woman, in her late thirties, shook her head. "No, Mister Bullock, that can wait," Liza Warner said as she took out a pair of gloves and put them on. "Since we have no witnesses at the time, dealing with the crime scene is top priority. I can get statements from the others afterwards."
Bullock watched as the woman went to work. Taking out an evidence bag, she carefully picked up the Angler weapon and deposited it inside to preserve any finger prints. She took in the entire room. "Appears to have been some kind of struggle," Officer Warner stated.
"You seen stuff like this much?" Bullock asked.
"I was a member of the NYPD for ten years before I transferred out her to Vegas," she said as she checked the drawers. "During that time, I dealt with my fair share of lunatics, rapists and armed tough guys. After all that, nothing really surprises me any more." She noticed a piece of paper on the floor near the dresser, picked it up and placed it into another bag.
"Yeah?" said Bullock. "You gotta be one tough lady cop t' keep goin' after all that." He lit up one of his cigars. "So, what brought ya from the Big Apple to the City of Sin?"
Liza Warner looked up from her work. "Believe it or not, a pair of boots," she said. She vividly recalled the day as a young woman starting out on her own, the day her roommates were murdered by someone wearing white western boots with a black skull and crossbones dangling from the laces. The killer targeted women, leaving Aces of Spades as his calling card. It was the haunting memory of that killer that lead her to enroll in the police academy. It was a clue to that never solved case which lead her to Las Vegas just a few months ago.
"Boots, huh?" Bullock puffed on his cigar. "Guess that's as good a reason as any."
Liza straightened up. "This isn't about me," she said. "It's about this man who was murdered in cold blood." She gathered up the evidence. "Let me get one of my partners to run these things down to the station house and put a call in to the coroners to check the body over. Then we can have a little talk with your friends."
About fifteen minutes later, Harvey Bullock escorted Officer Warner to the Raleigh Inn's lounge. There was a good crowd from the convention, all talking about the incident. Bullock frowned as he scanned the crowd. "It don't look promisin', miss," he said. They walked over to the bar where Mike Mauser was polishing off another beer. "Hey, Mauser! You seen Thunder, Double and the others?"
"They took off awhile ago, Bullock," Mauser replied. "In kind of a hurry too."
Bullock cursed. "Damn! Just like them t' go off on their own."
***
Christopher Chance pulled his rental car, a cherry red mustang, to the curb and turned off the motor. He looked to the tall blonde woman in the passenger seat next to him. "I do appreciate your company, Miss Thunder," the older man said, "but I should warn you that my approach to things like this might be considered unorthodox by some."
"I understand about unorthodox, Mister Chance." Jonni Thunder nodded as she reached for the door handle. She didn't want to get into explaining that she had once received powers from a statue that had been cursed by Apu Illapu, the Incan god of lightning. "I'm aware of your reputation though. My father and I were in the business together for years, and he occasionally mentioned your exploits."
They exited the car and headed for a nearby shop. "Truth be told," the young woman continued, "when we decided to split up, I felt more comfortable working with you than with Double."
Chance laughed. "I've worked with Jonny Double before," he said. "While he tends to often go off without a clear plan, his heart is always in the right place. Some might think his white knight persona is an act to get him in good with the young ladies, but he is genuinely that way. Very much a modern day Don Quixote."
"I suppose, Mister Chance," Jonni concurred. "But stuff like that can get one killed if they're not careful."
Christopher Chance smiled. "Perhaps. But I can't talk given that I have consciously earned the reputation of 'the Human Target'." He opened the shop door and stepped aside so that Jonni Thunder could enter first. "And, please, call me Christopher. Mister Chance is my father."
Jonni Thunder nodded and entered the store. It was full of many colorful costumes, organized by themes. There were horror ones, occupational ones, and even the occasional super-hero or villain knock off. The place had a unique odor, with a slight musty tinge to it. The sign behind to counter indicated that costumes were both available for rental or purchase.
Christopher Chance immediately hit the racks near the back, drawn by certain colored fabrics. "We'll have to do some mixing and matching to get this down right," he said. "Good thing I'm handy with a needle and thread."
Jonni watched with extreme interest as this master of disguise set about his work. She could only imagine what type of costume he might be pulling together.
***
Jonny Double and Angel O'Day walked down the Vegas sidewalk to a small building with red and pink neon hearts on the sign out front. The platinum blonde woman wrinkled her nose slightly; while she liked the color scheme, the place seemed awful tacky. "Are you sure this is the right address?" she asked.
"Sure is," Jonny replied. "That slip of paper I checked out back at the Raleigh Inn was a marriage certificate, issued from this place." He glanced at the sign. "Chapel of Love, open twenty four hours a day for your marryin' convenience." He pushed open the door and held it for the lady. "Shall we?"
Angel stepped inside with the brown haired man right behind her. If she thought the front sign was tacky, the decor in the entry area was even more so. The walls were covered with a red shag carpet, and the couches and chairs were covered in a hot pink vinyl-like material. "Charming," she said flatly. While she liked pinks and reds as much as any other woman, even this was a bit too much for her. The bell above the door jangled as the door closed behind them.
Suddenly, a rather large woman in a brightly colored dress and a pink feather boa stepped out from a red beaded curtained area behind the front desk. "Hello!" she said with great enthusiasm. "And welcome to the Chapel of Love! I'm Estelle, your wedding guide."
For a heavy woman, Estelle moved quickly and was soon upon the couple. "My, aren't you two just a lovely couple! How long have you known each other?"
"Er, we just met this weekend," Angel said.
"Ah, love at first sight!" Estelle exclaimed. "My favorite kind!"
Jonny started to chuckle. Angel spun around on her heel and glared at him. "Jonny!" she said through gritted teeth.
The San Francisco detective stopped laughing. "Sorry about that," he apologized to Angel. He then turned to Estelle. "Actually, we aren't gettin' married. Though Miss O'Day here would certainly make a lovely bride for some lucky fella." He smiled at Angel in a special way. She found it increasingly difficult to stay mad at the man for very long.
"Oh!" said Estelle. "Then what can I do for you?" She raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
Jonny Double was seeing a slight change in the woman's mood. He decided it best to pour on the charm. Easier to catch flies with honey, his mother always told him. "Actually, I was wonderin' if you could help us out, my dear woman," Jonny said as he took Estelle's large hand into his own.
"How so?" Estelle asked.
"An associate of mine was married here at your fine establishment just the other day," Jonny said. "One Angelo Bend. A rather handsome man with a thin mustache. Do you recall him?"
"Well," Estelle said, "we do have many young couples pass through those doors, and most of the men are rather handsome. Might you be more specific?"
"They were married yesterday afternoon," Jonny said, recalling the date from the license. "And I believe his bride had a formal name, like Duchess."
"I could check my records," Estelle said as she took her hand away. "Though doing so is not something I'd regularly do for someone off the street."
"Oh, please do, dear lady," Jonny said, laying it on thick. "I would so forever be in your debt."
Estelle blushed some then went behind the desk. She pulled open a drawer and began to flip through one of the hanging files. "Let's see, Bend... Bend... Bend... Ah yes, here it is." She pulled out a piece of paper, an identical copy to the marriage license that had been in the Angle Man's hotel room. "Angelo Bend and his bride Duchess Castlebury. This is a copy of their license that we submit to the state of Nevada."
Jonny glanced at the paper, confirming it matched the one he saw earlier. "Yes, Castlebury. How could I forget that last name?" He glanced at a sign behind the counter, one that outlined the wedding extras that could be purchased with the ceremony. He looked up at the large woman and smiled. "By chance, did the happy couple have photographs taken?"
A short while later, Angel O'Day was still chuckling as they walked down the street. "I have to admit, Jonny, you are some piece of work," she said. She took a sip of the diet soda can in her hand.
"How so?" Jonny asked, his mouth still full of the chili dog he was eating.
"Well, not only did you get the woman to show you the wedding photos, but you managed to convince her to give you one besides." Angel glanced at her purse slung over her shoulder where a corner of the picture protruded.
She reached for the glossy photo and pulled it out, again glancing at the couple. Angelo Bend, as known as the Angle Man, wore a sharp brown suit and tie. The woman in the photo, one Duchess Castlebury was tall and well-built. "She reminds me of an athlete of some sort, maybe a body builder or something," Angel guessed. The woman had her long black hair tied back into a single ponytail. Angel focused on the eyes for a moment; they were dark and piercing.
Jonny wiped his hands on a napkin, tossed it into a nearby trash can and joined Angel. "I think you might be right," he said. "She certainly doesn't look like any demure flower."
"Hardly," Angel agreed. "In fact, she seems more the black widow type. Perhaps your initial hunch was right after all."
Jonny smiled and nodded. "Yep. It's not that wild of a guess to think the new wife might've knocked him off. Maybe you want to make another bet with me? Let's say a steak and lobster dinner this time instead of just a quick dog."
Angel shook her head. "No way, Jonny. The more I get to know you, the more I think I shouldn't underestimate you."
Jonny chuckled. "You're one smart cookie, lady," he said. "Still, I'm curious about who this Duchess Castlebury might be. Think she was in the same line of business as Bend?"
"No clue," Angel said. "But I wouldn't rule that out." She slipped the photo back into her purse. "Come on!" She took Jonny by the arm as they began to walk again. "We've got another stop to make."
***
Officer Warner took the stairs to the police precinct two at a time. As she reached the door at the top, she turned to see Harvey Bullock huffing and puffing as he climbed the remaining three steps. "It was awful nice of you to take me to lunch, Detective Bullock," she said, "but you didn't have to escort me back to work. I am capable of taking care of myself."
"No argument there," Harvey said between gasps. "I 'preciate ya acceptin' my offer."
Liza smiled. "Well, I really do need to get back to work. See if anything more has come up on the murder case."
"Mind if I tag along?" Harvey asked. "I mean, I was there when the body was found and all."
Liza bit her lip. Bullock almost looked like a sad bulldog with those eyes and all. She figured it probably couldn't hurt. "Okay," she relented as she opened the station door. "But you've got to promise to stay out of my way, okay?"
"Ya won't even know I'm there," Harvey said.
As they stepped into the busy station house, the place was full of activity. A young woman sat on the bench, battered and bruised, as she waited to file assault charges against her boyfriend. Another couple sat fretting as they waited to hear word on their missing son. Liza recognized the moods in their faces; she'd been in this line of work for a long time, and it was for helping people like them that she became a police officer.
Suddenly, a uniformed officer with red hair looked up and noticed her arrival. "Officer Warner!" Paul called out as he waved to her. "Officer Warner, I have some news for you!"
Liza Warner and Harvey Bullock rushed over to his desk. "What kind of news, Paul?" she asked.
"Not the good kind," Paul said. "You know those items you brought in earlier, for that murder case?"
"Yes," Lisa said.
"They've been stolen! Someone broke into the evidence room and stole them!"
Liza and Harvey exchanged looks of surprise.
***
The next stop for Jonny Double and Angel O'Day was the coroner's office where the Angle Man's body had been taken. "You thinkin' maybe his grievin' widow might show up here?" Jonny asked as they sat in the waiting area.
"If she did commit the murder, I doubt she will," Angel stated. "But I wanted to see if the cause of death was determined yet. That might help us figure out what kind of woman this Duchess Castlebury is, assuming she was the murderer."
Suddenly, the door to the lab area opened, and a tall figure of the man entered the room. He was dressed in white scrubs, with some blood stains on the material. His face was oblong in shape and his head balding, except for two tufts of curly black hair that stuck out from just above his ears. "Yes, can I help you?" the man said in a deep, almost eerie voice.
Angel stood up. "Hello, Dr. Vargas. I'm Angel O'Day," she said extending her hand. She noticed that the man did not take it. "Um, yes, and this is my associate Jonny Double. I phoned you a little while ago about coming up to view a body."
The man rubbed his lower lip as if he were in thought and paused for a moment. Then he said, "Oh, yes, of course. Won't you follow me, please?" He stepped into the lab area and motioned for the detectives to follow.
The room was full of metal counters with various tools on them. The wall to the back was covered with long drawers. The entire place had a sickening smell of embalming fluids and other chemicals. Dr. Vargas went to the table, pulled out a set of latex gloves, donned them with a loud snapping sound and proceeded to one of the drawers. "And the body you wanted to see again?" he asked as casually as if he were asking if she wanted a drink of water.
"Angelo Bend," Angel said. "Also known as the Angle Man."
Vargas nodded. "Yes, of course. The costumed man. Very interesting color choices." He moved down the row to the third one on the left, grabbed the handle and heaved the drawer open with a good, strong tug. The tray slide out to it's fully open position with a loud clank. A white cloth covered the body; only the ends of the feet with a tag on the left big toe were visible under the sheet.
"Here we go!" Vargas announced as he pulled off the sheet dramatically. The body looked still and drained of color, and the chest cavity was open and exposed. Jonny Double gagged slightly.
"Guess that chili dog wasn't a good idea after all," Angel said. She turned back to Vargas and the body, moving closer to get a good view. "So tell me, doctor, have you come to any conclusions about the cause of death?"
"Well, miss," the forensic doctor began, "the body did appear to have a number of severe burns to the hand. That could have been caused by any number of things. But that did not lead to his death." He began to poke around the open chest cavity with his gloved right hand. "I did examine the heart and other organs for any signs of unnatural failures." He removed a bloody glove; Jonny went for the nearest trash can. "I didn't see any signs of that. But there did appear to be some lung collapse."
Angel nodded. "Any signs to what might have caused that?"
"Why, yes," Vargas said. "After cutting away his costume, it was obvious that these marks upon his neck were related to the cause of death." He moved back so that Angel could get a good look at the man's neck; there were thick bruises to his entire throat, all the way about the neck.
Angel nodded. "Strangulation."
"Yes, exactly," Vargas said in his non-animated way.
Suddenly, the police scanner in the corner of the room came to life with a squawk. That actually startled Angel a bit. "Oh, don't mind that," Vargas said. "I like to listen to the police bands while I work."
"Charming," Angel said. Then part of the broadcasts caught her attention.
"...repeat, a costumed criminal has been sited near the Sand-Dunes! Man has been identified as the Angle Man. Repeat, the Angle Man..."
Angel and Jonny both glanced at the lifeless body in the drawer and exchanged surprised looks. "Thank you, Dr. Vargas," she said, "but we need to go! Come on, Jonny!"
"Right behind you," the brown haired man said as he wiped his chin with a napkin and tossed it into the trash.
***
"Casino owners beware!" the man in the green body suit with yellow trim and gloves bellowed. "You may have all the odds worked out in your favor, but that won't stop me!" He adjusted his goggled mask slightly then made a little twist of his long, thin mustache. "For who better to have worked out all the angles to your games than the one and only Angle Man!"
Watching from the rooftop entrace to the smaller building was three individuals. They observed the costumed man who stood near one of the roof's edges, allowing those below on the street to hear his banter.
"Is this a smart idea?" Harvey Bullock wondered aloud.
"I question that too," Officer Liza Warner said. "This is a bit out of the ordinary, especially for us. The LVPD won't allow this to go on for too long."
"We have to give it a shot," Jonni Thunder said. "We're pretty certain the killer can't have gone too far. This just might flush him out." She reached inside her white suit jacket and pulled out a pistol. "Just cover me."
Jonni leaped out into the open. "Hold it right there, Angle Man!" she ordered. "You're under arrest!"
The costumed man spun around. "Oh really," he laughed. He reached for the holster on his right hip and pulled out a yellow, triangular shaped item. "I'd like to see you try!" He dramatically gestured with it, pointing it towards the blond detective.
Jonni dove to the pavement and rolled, as if avoiding some kind of attack. Got to make this look convincing, she thought as she aimed her pistol. She let fire two shots, both wide of the figure. She purposely missed hitting the man.
Angle Man laughed. "Ha ha! You might be a cute one, but your thinking is obtuse. You cannot hurt me as long as I possess this." He again gestured with the triangular shaped item.
"Oh please!" another strong female voice called from the shadows. "You ain't fooling anyone with that, sweetcakes!"
Stepping from the shadows was a woman dressed in a dark blue costume with many white bands around the legs and arms. Her face mask consisted also of white straps; her eyes and mouth were visible between three of the straps and her long black haired extended out the back in a ponytail.
"That Angler's a fake!" Lashina announced. "And I know it, because I have yours right here!" From behind her back, the Female Fury produced a similarly shaped triangular item.
"You!" Angle Man said in surprise. The man behind the mask didn't truly know who the woman was, but he was prepared to play along. After all, Christopher Chance was an excellent actor, and he prided himself on his skill of playing a good target.
Lashina confidently strode across the roof. "Don't know how you managed to cheat death, sweetie," she said. "But this time, I plan to make sure you're good and dead!"
Just then, Jonny Double and Angel O'Day arrived on the scene and joined Bullock and Warner. "That's her!" Jonny exclaimed.
"Who?" asked Bullock.
"It has to be Duchess Castlebury," Angel explained, "the woman who Angle Man married yesterday. We saw her picture, and the long hair and build matches that."
"Looks like we've got us a susp'ct!" Bullock said. He pulled his gun. "Thunder, get her!"
Jonni Thunder rolled to her feet, took a stance and aimed her weapon at the costumed woman. "Lady, you're under arrest for the murder of Angle Man!"
Lashina threw back her head and laughed loudly. "Are you kidding me, you gnat?" she asked. "Your laws mean nothing to one born of Apokolips! I only answer to Darkseid!" She flipped her free hand back and then whipped it forward. A white battle lash sprang forth, cutting the air with lightning fast accuracy. The lash struck Jonni's pistol squarely, knocking the weapon from her hand and sending it clattering across the rooftop.
"Consider that a warning shot, honey," Lashina said. "Next time, I go for your throat!" She turned to the man dressed as Angle Man. "First, I have unfinished business with my 'husband'. This time, he doesn't have his precious weapon to save him from my killing assault!"
The white lash sprang forward, but the Angle Man leapt away with incredible athletic skill. "Hey!" Lashina exclaimed. "You couldn't move like that before!"
"I guess you didn't know me as well as you thought, my dear," Angle Man said as he tumbled across the roof.
"Fine!" Lashina spat. "The gloves are off!" She wound back again, and this time she anticipated his moves. The thick lash wrapped quickly around the man's torso. "Come to Momma!" With a quick tug, the Angle Man went flying across to roof towards Lashina's awaiting arms.
Angle Man struggled with the binds, his arms pinned to his sides. "Oh, don't struggle, my sweet!" Lashina purred. "It won't do any good! I only came back after I thought I'd killed you the first time so I could retrieve your weapon. However, since you are alive after all, having it is secondary. This time, I'll make sure you're dead!" She leaned closer, licking her lips. "How's about one last kiss before you die?"
Suddenly, a few bullets exploded at her feet. "Consider that a warning shot, honey!" Jonni Thunder said, repeating Lashina's words from a few moments before. "Back away now and put your hands in the air! I won't miss next time!"
Lashina spun around, pushing the bound Angle Man to the ground. Standing defiantly with their guns aimed as her were Jonni Thunder, Angel O'Day, Officer Liza Warner and Harvey Bullock. "Well, well, well," she said. "Four to one. I like those odds! Heyah!"
With a quick flip of her lash, the Female Fury disarmed Bullock and Warner. Before she could attack again, Thunder and O'Day opened fire. The bullets winged Lashina's shoulder, tearing her costume. She laughed at the pain. "Fools! You'll have to do better than that to harm one of Granny's girls!" With another loud crack, her lash disarmed the other two women.
"And now, you shall pay for your effrontery!" Lashina said.
Suddenly, there was a loud sonic boom of a sound!
Everyone turned at the sound of the boom! On the edge of the rooftop, a shimmering circle opened up as a pathway appeared in the air. The sound of great winds could be heard as the portal opened.
From the light, the outline of a figure could be seen. It was a thin individual with a cape. The facial features were pointed and sharp as was the outline of the person's hair. "Lashina!" a shrill female voice called out. "I've come to fetch thee!"
"I'm busy, Bernadeth!" Lashina said. She eyed the bound prey at her feet and those who were opposing her.
"You are required by Lord Darkseid!" Bernadeth called in a nagging tone from just inside the Boom Tube. "Another Crisis is at hand, one that threatens even Apokolips!"
Lashina shook her head. "Then give me a minute," she said. "It won't take me long to finish my business here!"
"No!" Bernadeth scolded. "Our service to Darkseid must come before our own personal agendas! You know that! Do you truly wish to incur the great Darkseid's wrath?"
Lashina gave pause for a moment, knowing that it was not wise to tempt her master's orders. She knew that one did not face down the might of his Omega Beams and survive. "Very well," she said reluctantly. Looking down at the bound Angle Man, she said, "I'll be back for you, sweetcakes! Don't miss me too much!"
Lashina started for the Boom Tube. Angel and Jonni dove for their weapons. The two women began to open fire on the villainess once more as she was about to reach the Boom Tube's edge. A few shots hit Lashina's hand, the one holding the Angler weapon. The item fell to the rooftop and bounced towards the edge and over.
"By the fire pits of Apokolips!" Lashina exclaimed. Before she was completely enveloped by the Boom Tube, she let fly one of her battle lashes.
"No!" Jonny Double cried as he leapt forward. He dove into the path of the oncoming attack, taking the brunt of the blow before it could reach the unprepared Jonni and Angel. Jonny fell to the rooftop hard as the Boom Tube vanished in another sonic clap.
Epilogue 1
At a nearby hospital, Jonny Double awoke in a semiprivate room. He had a couple familiar faces to greet him. "Did we win?" he asked and then winced in pain as he tried to sit up.
"Relax, my friend," Christopher Chance advised. Gone was the make-up from his Angle Man disguise, and he was dressed once more in his own clothes. "Though the murderer escaped in a bit of an unorthodox way, we have managed to solve the case. Bullock is down with the police making sure the case of who killed the Angle Man is completely closed."
"Good," Jonny smiled.
"Hey, Double," Jonni Thunder said. "Thanks for the save back there. You're a good egg after all." Chance had told her earlier that Double was a knight in shining armor, and the man's actions a few hours earlier proved that.
"Yes," Angel O'Day agreed. "Jonni and I do owe you our lives." She leaned forward and gave Jonny a gentle kiss on the cheek. "There. Maybe that will help you feel better."
Jonny smiled again. "Thanks, Angel," he said. "Maybe there's somethin' else you can do for me."
"What's that?" Angel asked.
He gestured for her to lean closer, and she did so. "How's about sneakin' me in a steak dinner?" he said with a smile. "I never was one for likin' hospital food."
Angel let out a giggle. "For you, Jonny, why not?"
Epilogue 2
The thin man in the long purple robe and cowl cursed as he crossed his dank and murky facilities. "That stupid cow!" DeSaad spat. "How could Lashina fail me so? And my sister! Bernadeth will pay for her role in the failure too!"
He glanced out a small window at the dark, smoky skies of Apokolips. From this vantage point, he could see the huge stone statue of Darkseid that had been erected to remind the hunger dogs just who was truly in charge here. DeSaad shook his head.
"Why Darkseid respected that human any way is beyond me!" he said aloud with little fear of retribution. Darkseid had called Lashina back to join the other Female Furies in this time of great Crisis. When something like this actually worried the great Darkseid, DeSaad knew he was the last one that would be watched at this time.
"He had us create that Angler weapon because he felt the Earth man would be a great ally. Little did any of us suspect that he would double-cross us the moment he got the weapon. That Angle Man managed to hide from Darkseid's wrath for quite awhile!" DeSaad swept his hand across one of the tables, sending an experiment full of beakers and glass tubes crashing to the floor.
He rubbed his bony hand. "Still, if what Lashina reported is true, then we have no worries. If the man still lives, then the fail-safe in the weapon was not triggered. The fail-safe that Darkseid had us put into the device would insure the man's intellect would not be lost in case of accidental death. Had he been killed by Lashina, his consciousness would have been transferred to the weapon to be retrieved at our leisure."
"As long as the man lives, we will be able to track him down again. And then we will make him pay for his betrayal to Darkseid!"
***
And back on Earth as the skies turned cloudier and darker, a man dressed in dingy ragged clothes turned into a Las Vegas alley way. The homeless man poked his head into one of the garbage dumpsters as he often did daily, hoping to find a half eaten meal or discarded item of value.
After poking around the trash for a moment, something caught his eye. "What's this?" he asked as he reached for a shiny object poking up among the refuse. He pulled forth a shiny triangular object. "Hmm, wonder what this is?" he asked, holding up the Angler that had been lost in the battle earlier that evening. "Maybe I can sell it to someone. Get a couple bucks to buy me some Boon's Farm."
The cold wind blew from the stormy skies. The man slipped the item into his ragged coat and pulled the collar tight. "Gonna need that wine," he said. "Sounds like something big is brewing." And the man walked off to find some shelter as the worlds began to face the final events of the Crisis.