DARK DREAMS by BILLA1

Copyright July 2004

Disclaimer: The Characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman & Flash are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. A tribute to A.A. Fair. For Jaida Lewis.

Dark Dreams

Rating (PG-13)

Synopsis: The Flash and Hawkgirl dream about each other, but not in a way that either one like.

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Chapter One

"Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy." - Sigmund Freud.

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It was shortly after two o'clock in the morning. The doughnuts were stale and the coffee was lukewarm. It's amazing, Wonder Woman thought to herself, as she sat in the dining area of the Watchtower. It must cost millions to keep the Watchtower, home to seven of the world's greatest superheroes, in orbit; yet they never seem to have fresh doughnuts and coffee for those standing duty. She sighed, decided against taking another bite of the stale doughnut and put it down on her plate. She decided she would wait another ten minutes in the dining area before she relieved the Green Lantern of his monitoring duties and assume her shift. She gazed out the large plexiglass window of the dining area and watched the Earth slowly rotate below.

Hawkgirl walked slowly into the dining area toward Wonder Woman's table. Catching Hawkgirl's reflection in the window pane, Wonder Woman turned to look at the winged form approaching her. She was startled by Hawkgirl's appearance. Hawkgirl, who was fastidious about her appearance, wasn't in costume. Wearing only her helmet, a bathrobe and carrying her mace, she appeared agitated.

"Hawkgirl, are you okay?" Wonder Woman inquired softly.

"No...no, I am not... Diana, do you have a moment?"

"I'm supposed to go on in a couple minutes and relieve the Lantern. But, what's up?"

"John...um... the Lantern will understand. You're the only one here I can talk to about this...and I don't know where to begin."

Hawkgirl sat down at the table, interlaced her finger together and brought her hands to her forehead. She squeezed her lips together to suppress crying.

If their relationship had been perhaps closer, Wonder Woman might have gotten up from the table and hugged Hawkgirl in an effort to comfort the obviously distressed woman. But being what the relationship was, that of just teammates, Diana just reached across the table and gently touched Hawkgirl's forearm.

"Sister, do you to talk here or in my room?"

"Here is okay. I just got to talk to someone," Hawkgirl paused, unlaced her fingers and touched the back of Wonder Woman's hand on her forearm and held it in place. She continued, "I think I am having a breakdown...a nervous breakdown. Diana...I don't rattle easily but this is getting to me. And I can't talk to anyone else about this."

Diana smiled weakly. "Go on. I'm listening."

Hawkgirl let go of Wonder Woman's hand, brought her hands together under her chin and then put them together on the table. She took a deep breath and returned Wonder Woman's small smile.

"Every night for the last four nights, I have had the same dream...the same...exact... freaking... dream. It starts the same way every time; the words are the same and it ends the same way every time."

She pounded her fists rhythmically on the table as she spoke, "I think I'm going crazy...you can't imagine what it's like to be afraid to sleep because you relive the same dream every night over and over and over again."

"Every night," she continued, "I dream I am asleep in my bed and in my dream I wake up to find the Flash on top of me."

Wonder Woman sat back in her chair and exclaimed, "Hera forbid."

Hawkgirl shook her head, "No. No. No, we're ...he's not doing anything - he's just on top of me. I tell him to get off me - which he does. He apologizes and says he doesn't know how he got there. He is nude except for his mask. I am nude; wearing my helmet but my wings are gone. He then sits on the side on the bed and says he is just as confused as I am and shows me what looks like a hotel room key with a number on it. But I can't read the number. The Flash points to the key and says "four."  Then he gets up and moves over to a baby bassinet that's sitting in the middle of a stream or river of what looks like blood, the bassinet has a sign on it but I can't read it either, then Flash point to the bassinet and says "Speed Hawk" and then holds up a glass of liquid, I not sure what it is, and says Peter Hill can't swim. I walk over to the bassinet and as I reach for the glass he throws the liquid back in the bassinet and yells at me to get back in the bed. I get angry because he told me to get in the bed so I look in the bassinet anyway and I find an apple and then I get really sick and can't stand and crawl back to the bed. Flash lies down next to me and tells me he's sorry I'm going to die and then I scream "no" then wake up sweating."

Tears appeared underneath the helmeted eyes of Hawkgirl and fell silently to the table.

"Every night, it's the same. Nothing changes. I can't change what I say or do and he doesn't change what he says or does. Damn it all. This is killing me. Diana, I think I am going out of my freaking mind."

Wonder Woman sat silently stroking Hawkgirl's forearm. Finally, Wonder Woman broke the silence.

"I have to tell you I don't know what to say. I mean that's some dream, rivers of blood, a bassinet named speed hawk. But I have to ask for my own curiosity, is there anything between you and the Flash? Maybe your..."

"No," Hawkgirl interupted. "There nothing between the Flash and me. Nothing. I am very close to John...the Lantern. Is that clear?"

"Oh, it very clear to me and you sound like you're trying to make it very clear to yourself. - Have you talked to the Flash about this?"

Hawkgirl forced a small laugh. "Princess, you may not have a lot of experience in this area but trust me on this. The last thing I want to do is tell the Flash is that I had that kind of dream about him. I would never hear the end of it." She looked at her trembling hands. "Besides, I am more concern that I've had the exact same dream for four nights. I don't know what it means but it can't be good."

At that moment, the Flash walked into the dining area. He yawned and appeared haggard despite most of his features being hidden by his mask. As soon as he saw Hawkgirl, he stopped, "Am I interrupting something? I...I can come back later."

Without waiting for a response, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" said Woman Wonder; looking first at Hawkgirl and then at the Flash, "Did you have trouble sleeping or maybe a bad dream?"

"Princess, I've had the same bad dream for the last four ...." He stopped and looked at Hawkgirl, his face flushed with color. "Maybe, I should just come back after you two have finished talking."

Wonder Woman pushed her chair back, stood up and said, "Hawkgirl, Flash, I'm late for duty. But you two should talk about your sleeping problems while you're awake because apparently you are unable to talk about them in your sleep."

Hawkgirl shot an angry look at Wonder Woman who smiled a cat-like smile and left.

The Flash stood behind the empty chair Wonder Woman had just vacated. "This is embarrassing for me. May I sit down?"

"Please," Hawkgirl said, quickly wiping the tears away from her face and pointing to the empty chair.

The Flash sat down opposite Hawkgirl, his look was subdued. He put his hands on the table being careful not to touch Hawkgirl's hands which were still clenched in a fist on the table.

"Hawkgirl, I've had the same dream for the last four nights and I am embarrassed to say that you are in them."

She knew he expected her to bite his head off or snap some terse remark at him. Instead, she said softly, "Tell me about your dream."

After a couple of seconds of silence, the Flash spoke very quietly as if wanting to ensure that no one else would overhear.

"You and I are in a room together...um...I'm not wearing my costume and you don't have wings. You show me what looks like a hotel room key with a number on it. You point to the key and say "four."  Then I...um...um...get up and walk over to a baby carriage that sitting in the middle of a river of blood or something like it, the baby carriage has a sign on it but I can't read it, You point to the carriage and say "Speed Hawk" and then before I know it, you're at the carriage and you hold up a glass of water and say Peter Hill can't swim. I walk over to the carriage and I take the glass and suddenly throw the glass of water back in the carriage and yell at you to get back in the bed...er...to get away. You don't go and take an apple out of the carriage and become really sick and I tell you that you're going to die and then I wake up."

Hawkgirl smiled weakly. "Well, that's the essence of my dream too but mine was a little more 'R-rated' and shall we say with more 'adult situations'."

She paused trying to read the recognition of embarrassment in his face. Her smile brightened a little. "Flash, I can appreciate that you might wish to spare me some embarrassment, but I need to know if we... you and I, are sharing the exact same dream and why"

"Okay... okay...," he said softly, bowing his head and not making eye contact with her. "We're both naked in my dream, except you're wearing your helmet and I am wearing my mask. And the dream always starts with us in bed in a...a...compromising position. There I said it and...and...Hawkgirl, I'm so sorry."

Hawkgirl reached across the table, grasped the Flash's hands and smiled. "Flash, it's okay...really it is. It was a dream and wasn't real. What is real is that we both have been having the same dream over four days and we have to find out why and what it means."

The Flash raised his head and smiled at her.

"I want to hear more about the compromising position." It was the baritone voice of the Green Lantern. Standing in the doorway with his arms folded, he glared at the couple seated at the table. The Flash immediately withdrew his hands from Hawkgirl's and stood up.

"Lantern, the Flash and I are comparing notes about a case we're working," she said angrily. Her eyes narrowed into an icy stare at the Lantern

Then looking at the Flash, she continued in a softer tone, "Meet you in thirty minutes at the computers and we'll finish comparing notes."

"Right." The Flash said as he trotted past the Green Lantern, not making eye contact.

"What's this all about?" The Lantern asked as he unfolded his arms and walked toward the table where the seated Hawkgirl now rose.

"Indeed, what is THIS all about," she snapped. Her eyes and voices softened.

"John, you know how I feel about you. But we still have to work with other members of the team without being jealous. Right now, Flash and I need to work together to solve a mystery."

"You must trust me," she continued softly, looking in his eyes and stepping toward him until she was inches away, "because I trust you."

The Lantern smiled and placing a hand on each shoulder gave her a kiss on the top of her helmet.

Looking up, she grinned at the Lantern and cooed, "Marine, I know you can do better than that."

The greenish light of the computer array cast a warm glow in the computer room. Seated in front of the computer keyboard, the Flash made notes of his dream as he awaited the arrival of Hawkgirl. He had just written his third entry when Hawkgirl arrived, fully dressed with her mace clipped to her belt. Standing behind his chair, she leaned over his right shoulder.

"You know, Flash, I think Freud would have a field day with these dreams."

"I would welcome Freud's help with this. I mean don't get me wrong," the Flash said flashing her huge grin. "At the risk of getting hit by you, I will tell you that I've had dreams about you before but you usually don't die in them. In fact, you want to keep living so you can continue to keep me company."

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes at the Flash and grunted trying to suppress a grin of her own. 

"By the way, is Lantern okay...he seemed a bit upset when he overheard part of the dream," the Flash continued.

"Lantern is okay. He and I had plans but we both agreed that this was more important."

"Well, let's get started," the Flash said, "let's put down what we know or at least what we think we know about this dream"

"Okay, we have a couple of names: speed hawk and Peter Hill. Let try those first and see what we get."

The massive array of computers went to work digesting the input the Flash keyed in and within seconds displayed a report on the monitor in front of them.

"Look at this," the Flash exclaimed. "No hit on people named 'Speed Hawk' but there was a hit a seventeen year kid named Peter Hill who was reported missing four days ago." He paused then added. "Maybe four as in the room key number."

He turned his head to look at Hawkgirl who was looking intently at the screen. He turned his head back to the screen. The disappointment was clear in his voice. "Okay...okay, I know it's a stretch. Anyway, his home town is Taos, New Mexico."

"New Mexico," Hawkgirl echoed. "Hmm...just suppose Speed Hawk is not a person but a place."

The Flash changed the search perimeters and re-keyed the data in the computer. Seconds later the search result flashed on the monitor.

The Flash laughed. "Say, you ARE a pretty good detective. How about the Speed Hawk Motor Lodge outside of Red River, New Mexico.

They both looked at each other and said at the same time, "a river of blood."

"Okay, so maybe our river of blood is supposed to be Red River. How far is Red River from Taos?" Hawkgirl asked.

"About 40 miles...that number four again. I don't know about you, I'm starting to get creeped out by this."

Hawkgirl folded her arms and shifted her weight on to her left leg. "I would only admit this to you and if you tell anyone I'll...I'll...well...just don't tell anyone... but I am bother by this too."

She looked back up at the computer display and then at the Flash. "Why don't we split up on this? Why don't you go to the Hill's house and I'll go to the Speed Hawk and check out room four. We can meet back at the Speed Hawk tonight and then compare notes."

Flash stood up and grinned. "Okay, but I want you to be the one to explain why we paid for a motel room out of petty cash."

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Chapter Two

"Maybe the wildest dreams are but the needful preludes of the truth." Alfred Lord Tennyson (1802-92), English poet.

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Hawkgirl had no problem locating the Speed Hawk Motor Lodge just outside of the small town of Red River, New Mexico. Unlike the other bed & breakfast establishments in this small tourist town of five hundred people, the motor lodge, which was two miles away from the cluster of other ski-lodge motif bed and breakfast inns, did not resemble a ski lodge. It was older and appeared run-down.

The harsh weather of this town located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains had been particularly cruel to the outside of this little motor inn. The gray exterior paint had blistered and peeled away from the sides of the building and the fake wood shutters outside of each room window.

Cautiously, Hawkgirl circled the property from above. She noted the building was laid out in a "U" shape with ten rooms on each side and the main office in front.

Room air conditioners jut out from each room and into the path of the walkway. Each room air conditioner is supported by wooden timbers outside each room.  The condensation from the air conditioners had formed pools of water on the walkway which cause the wooden timbers to swell at the bottom and discolor. There was a swimming pool in the center of the courtyard. The pool was empty with construction equipment and a small cement mixer nearby. The sign in front of the building said:

Speed Hawk Motor Inn

Since 1939

Vacancy

Pool / Cable TV

The word "No" was in neon tubing in front the word "Vacancy." The neon sign was unlit. After circling the property, she landed near the only two cars in the parking lot. One of the cars was a pickup truck with New Mexico license plates parked in a spot marked "manager parking." The other car was a Mercedes Benz SL600 convertible with California plates. Hawkgirl knew enough about cars to know that this was a very expensive car and appeared out of place in a place like this.

She walked to the manager's office and opened the door. A bell attached to the door rang as she walked in.  Behind the counter sat a man in his early forties reading a newspaper. He looked up from his paper at the winged, helmeted woman standing on the other side of the counter. He put his paper down, not sure what to make of this spectacle in front of him.

"May I help you, Missy," he offered as he stood up.

Hawkgirl bristled at being called "missy." Taking a deep breath, she smiled at the man and in her calmest voice said, "I'd like a room for two nights. Two people."

The manager handed her a pen and the registration book as he looked her over.

"Please fill this out. Sorry, the pool is cracked so it's not available. Ought to be fixed any day now - say, are those wings real?"

Hawkgirl took the pen and started filling out the registration book. She looked up at the manager and said, "They were this morning when I woke up."

She put the pen down and looked at the name plate on the counter. The plate read,

Paul Birks

Owner/ Manager

She asked, "Is room four available, Mr. Birks?"

Birks turned the book around so he could read it, then looked at the woman suspiciously.

"Your name is Hawkgirl? Is that a last name or a first name? Is that like Madonna or something? You got some ID?"

"ID? I am Hawkgirl! Have you ever heard of the Justice League? I'm a member of the Justice League."

"Sorry, missy. I have to have positive ID for anyone who stays here. Look, you got a credit card or something?"

"Credit card? Hell, I don't..."

"Well, peel me a pineapple. If it isn't my best girl friend, Gertie Drake. What are you doing in costume so early, Gertie? The costume party is not until this evening."

Hawkgirl looked behind her, in the direction of the voice, to see a square-jawed woman in her late fifties with short gray hair dressed in a gray pants suit. The woman stood 5'7" and weighed about 200 pounds.

Hawkgirl had never seen this woman before. 

The woman rapidly walked up to the startled Hawkgirl, placed her hand on Hawkgirl's shoulder and said, "Gertie, honey, let me take care of this for you."

The large woman then pounded on the counter surprising the manager. "This here is Gertie Drake. She's part of my party so charge her room to me."  Then turning to Hawkgirl said, "Which boy friend is showing up tonight, honey? Superman? Batman? - Well, it don't matter. A room for two - put it on my bill."

"Yes, Mrs. Waters. I'll put them in room ten next to you," replied Birks. Birks turned around and took a key from one of the open box slot behind him and gave Hawkgirl a room key and said, "Shame on you for funnin' me about them wings."

Hawkgirl looked at the room key, and eyed Mrs. Waters suspiciously and said sharply, "Is room four available? I would like to get room four!"

Birks tried to smile but his eyes betrayed his anxiety and he stammered, "Uh... room four is being cleaned up. I can give you room ten?"

"I can wait for you to clean room four."

Birks looked at Mrs. Waters and then at Hawkgirl, "Uhhh... room four is not going to be available tonight. The air conditioner doesn't work and the room has a mold problem, so it will not be available for at least a month. Has to be cleaned and inspected by the state, you know. Room ten is a good room. You'll be more comfortable in there anyway. Lots of privacy. Last room on right hand side."

Mrs. Waters squinted her dark brown eyes and pounded the counter again. "Room ten will be just fine." Then turning to Hawkgirl said, "Come on, Gertie, we have so much to talk about and to catch up on."

Hawkgirl put her hand on her mace and walked to the front door pulling the large woman with her.

"Yes - DEAR - Do come along - we have so much to talk about!" She growled pulling the large woman through the door.

The home of Peter Hill was in a quiet suburban neighborhood located outside of Taos, New Mexico.  The modest three story house came complete with all of the trappings of Americana to include the white picket fence, two rocking chairs on the porch and the American flag flying at the front door.

The Flash opened the screen door, knocked on the oak front door and closed the screen door again. He wondered to himself how was he going to explain showing up at the house to the parents?

A woman answered the door and upon seeing the Flash exclaimed, "Omigosh - you're here. Come in - come in."

"Had she been expecting me?" he thought to himself. She opened the screen door and stepped back allowing him to enter.

"Mrs. Hill, I'm sorry to disturb you during what is obviously a trying time, but I was hoping you might tell me a little bit about your son, Peter," the Flash said as she escorted him to her living room.

Seated on a couch in the living room was a small man about forty-five, balding with dark hair and glasses. He was approximately 5'5" and weighed about 125 pounds. He stood when the Flash entered the room and offered his right hand.

"Oh, dear, where are my manners," Mrs. Parker said, "Mister Flash, this is Mr. Ronald Lion. He's a private investigator. Mr. Lion, this is the Flash."

Both men exchanged greetings as they shook hands. The men both sat down on the couch. Mrs. Hill sat in a chair opposite the couch.

Lion turned to Mrs. Hill. "No offense, ma'am, but how do you know he is really the Flash and not some joker in a red Halloween costume."

The Flash grinned at Mrs. Hill.  "Mrs. Hill, he's right. You are entitled to proof of my identity. I don't usually do parlor tricks but let's this time."

The Flash stood up and turned to Lion and said, "Sir, would you take out your wallet and show Mrs. Hill how much cash you have?"

Lion stood up, took his wallet out of his coat pocket and opened it to show it contents to Mrs. Hill.

"Sixty-four dollars," he announced. He closed the wallet and turned toward the Flash who was now fanning dollar bills.

The Flash smiled and said, "I count sixty-three dollars, better check your wallet again." Lion looked astonished and looked again into his now empty wallet.

As the Flash gave him back his money, Lion grinned broadly, "Sir, it really is an honor to meet you."

The Flash turned to Mrs. Hill. "Mrs. Hill, you didn't seem surprised to see me. Why?"

"Follow me," she said, leading the Flash and Mr. Lion to a bedroom on the second floor. As she opened the door, Mrs. Hill said, "This is Peter's room."

Inside the room, the Flash saw a single bed, a computer setup and desk and several tables with toy action figures of various heights of the Flash and Hawkgirl. The walls of the young man's room were filled with posters and pictures of the two Leaguers in action. On one of the tables lay several scrap books with newspaper clippings of sightings and stories of the Flash or Hawkgirl.

The Flash stood in the middle of the room, whistled and said under his breath, "Hawkgirl, I am way beyond creeped."

Mrs. Hill looked at the Flash and said tearfully, "He was...is your biggest fan and I knew when you found the time you would help find him. Now, with you and Mr. Lion on the case, I'm sure he will be found safe.

Lion smiled at Mrs. Hill. "Ma'am, would you leave us alone for a few minutes while I fill the Flash in on what I know?"

Mrs. Hill nodded and left the two men alone in the boy's room.

"It's Ronald - not Ron - not Ronnie, but Ronald," Lion said looking the Flash squarely in the eyes.

The Flash grinned at the shorter man. "Got it, Ronald. Now what can you tell me?"

Lion tossed his notebook on the boy's bed and walked to the window. He stared out the window for a few seconds, then turned to the Flash.

"First, don't worry about touching anything, the police dusted for prints earlier. They have already checked his computer and it didn't show any unusual activity. The story is last week Hill and his friend, Gary Parker, were going to go on a two day overnight biking trip around Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, which is near Red River for Parker's nineteenth birthday. Parker was driving. Mom here made reservations for the boys at the Skyline Inn at the Springs. Gave them cash to pay for the room. The boys apparently never made it to the Springs. They found Parker's car and body three days ago outside of Taos. No blood, no prints in the car. His body was in a plastic bag and his stuff and Hill's stuff was in another plastic bag. Each bag was doubled bagged. You get the picture, double bagged. The autopsy ought to be back today, but I already don't like the look of this."

The Flash walked over to one of the tables housing the action figure display. He picked up one of the Flash display figures and looking over his shoulders said, "Ronald, I don't get what bothers you about the double bagging."

Lion walked over to the Flash and picked up one of the Hawkgirl figures. He ran his fingers slowly along the figure's wings, legs and breast caressing them gently. The Flash turned his head toward the shorter man, his eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat. Without looking at the Flash, Lion put the figure back on the table and spoke.

"This is bear country. People are occasionally attacked by bears near Red River. The conscious act of bagging would indicate a homicide - it is unlikely that a bear in the woods killed young Parker and bagged him and his possessions. Now if you killed someone, why not leave the body in the woods and let the bears or nature take its course. I mean they get almost 200 inches of snow here each year. You might even dig a shallow grave and it may be years before anyone finds the body.

As for the double bagging - you would double bag when you want to make sure what was inside the bag couldn't get out or attract animals. So why double bag the boys stuff? And why both boy's stuff?  Here, let me show you something else."

Lion walked over to one of the other display tables. "Tell me what you see here."

"Uh,oh. Payback for the parlor trick."

Flash spoke slowly, "I see various sized figures of Hawkgirl and myself, arranged by size. There seem to be two each of Hawkgirl and me in each size except for the littlest set at the end. There's only one each."

Lion smiled, "Exactly - where's the other set?"

"What makes you think there is another set?"

"This room is a shrine to you and Hawkgirl. Do you think he would have two of each figure in each different size and only one of the little set."

Lion paused and then answered his own question. "No. This shrine is not complete without the other set. I think he took them with him, but it wasn't in the bag they recovered or in the car. I think he still has them."

Flash picked up both of the little action figures. The faces had painted masks but the costumes were removable and the wings on the Hawkgirl figure were detachable and came off in his hands. "Hawkgirl without her wings just like in the dream."

The Flash put the figures back on the table, and agreed. "I think you're right. There is another set missing."

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Chapter Three

"Now Allah has created the dream not only as a means of guidance and instruction, I refer to the dream, but he has made it a window on the Unseen." Words of the Prophet Mohammed, Arabia, 7^th century A. D.

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Hawkgirl cornered Mrs. Waters outside the manager's office.

"Who the hell are you, lady?" she said hovering a few feet off the ground in front of the bigger woman.

"My goodness, wings, you are such an angry little thing. I just got you a room and I would think you would be a little more appreciative. After all, you almost screwed up my play. Now, let's go check out your room," said Mrs. Waters walking toward room ten.

Hawkgirl landed in front of the large woman. "Wait a minute, woman. I asked you a question but I won't ask you again. Who are you?"

Mrs. Waters walked around Hawkgirl and continued walking down the walkway toward room ten.

"Well, open me a can of tuna. What are you going to do, Wings? Hit me with your little lightening stick? That might work with the super villains you fight, but honey, how would it look if you zapped a fat, gray haired, old lady who just paid for your room. That certainly won't get you good press. Come on, ease up, honey and I'll explain as we get closer to your room and further away from the manager's office."

Mrs. Waters continued walking toward the room while Hawkgirl followed grumbling behind her. They stopped in front of room ten. Hawkgirl stepped in front of Mrs. Waters and opened the door. They were greeted by the musky odor of stale air coming from inside the room.

"Oh, Wings, let's get that air conditioner on high and let's get this room aired out. This is terrible," Mrs. Waters said, as she pushed her way past Hawkgirl and into the room.

The room had two double beds with a single night table between them. Above the two beds on the wall, hung a large picture of a beach sunset. Across from the beds, a small black and white TV sat on a desk. Underneath the desk were two small straight back chairs.  Mrs. Waters opened the windows curtains and turned the air conditioner from 'Low' to 'High'. Without saying a word, she walked to the back of the room, past the bathroom and opened the curtains against the far wall which revealed French doors leading out to the pool area.

Hawkgirl stepped into the room and exploded, "Look lady, bad press and all, I have run out of patience with you. Tell me who you are AND - STOP - CALLING - ME - WINGS!"

Mrs. Waters walked to the front door, closed it, making sure it was locked and sat on the bed nearest the door. Smiling, she pointed to one of the two chairs in the room, "Sure thing, Wings, have a seat."

Hawkgirl didn't move but continued to glare at the seated woman.

"Suit yourself, honey. And for the record, Hawkgirl, I know who you are. My name is Carolyn Waters. I'm a private investigator. Run a business called C. Waters Confidential Investigations out of Los Angeles. I'm working on a missing person's case. That reminds me - we need to talk about how you going to pay me for this room. That was so funny. How in the world did you think you would get a room without a credit card or ID.? Don't you superheroes have a school or something that teaches you how to get by in the real world?"

There was a long silence as Hawkgirl glared at the still smiling woman. Finally, she spoke. Her tone was flat. "Okay...Thanks for helping me get the room - But why the help in the first place?"

"Like I said, honey, you were about to screw up my play. Wings, did you notice that there was a page torn out of the registration book or that there was no key in the box for room four or five? My junior partner and I have been the only people here for the last three days. Neither room four nor five has ever been rented out since we've been here, but at night we can hear noises and voices coming from the room four."

"Damn!" Hawkgirl thought to herself. She had not noticed the torn registration page or no key for room four or five. She eased her stance. "How can you hear voices from room four all the way down here?"

"Pickle me for a beet. Wings, we go to each room and listen from outside. The manager lied to you about the broken air conditioner and he lied about the pool. I seen that air conditioner run at night. I'm sure you noticed the puddle of water from condensation under the air conditioner when we passed by room four? It's been running. And my 'legs' tell me the pool's not cracked - at least not yet."

"Damn it all!!" Hawkgirl cursed to herself that she had not noticed the condensation puddle either. She had been too easily distracted by the manager and this woman she thought to herself.

Hawkgirl sat down in the chair opposite the bed. "Your legs? What do you mean by your 'legs'? And that missing person wouldn't be someone named Peter Hill, would it?"

"Wings, my partner is my 'legs'. He's been down in the pool and as he puts it, something ain't right. Now, honey, I'm not going to tell you who I'm looking for. But is that who YOU'RE looking for? Is that why you wanted room four?"

Hawkgirl decided she could be as coy as the large woman. "Room four is important, but I'm not sure how yet. As for who I'm looking for...I'll keep that to myself for the moment."

"Tell you what, wings. You do me favor and I'll do you one by picking up the cost of this room for one night and maybe we can exchange a little information about our... mutual friend. Here's a freebie to sweeten the deal. Like I said no one else is here at this motel but us, but at night, you can see lights in room fourteen which is on the backside of room four on the other side of the pool. The lights are so bright they leak pass the drawn curtains. We got a deal, honey?"

Hawkgirl's eyes narrowed. "What's the favor?"

"Where can I find the detective in charge of the Hill missing person case?" The Flash asked the police sergeant at the front desk.

"Are you for real, buddy? Who are you supposed to be?" The police sergeant asked, looking at the masked red costumed figure in front of him.

"Does Superman have this problem?" the Flash thought to himself.

"Look officer, I am the Flash. Now can you tell me which detective is assigned to the Hill case?"

"Missing persons is down the hall - fourth door on the left. Ask for Detective Holcomb. Look, if you are really the Flash - do something really fast."

"When I leave, I'll show you a parlor trick, but if you will excuse me, I have to see Detective Holcomb."

The Flash walked down the hallway ignoring the stares coming from the officers passing him in the hall. He opened the door of the room marked "Missing Persons."

"Pardon me, I'm looking for Detective Holcomb," the Flash said as he walked through the door.

Seated behind one of the three desks in this small room, a heavy-set man looked up and gave the Scarlet Speedster a crooked smile. "You must be the Flash. Mrs. Hill called and said you were in town."

"Thanks, detective."

"Thanks for what?" the detective asked arching his eyebrows in surprise.

"Thanks for not asking for a demonstration or proof of identity." The Flash pulled up a chair next to the desk and sat down. "Now, can you tell me about the Hill case? I mean do you have the Parker autopsy back yet?"

"Yeah, the autopsy came back this afternoon. The Parker kid died from a gunshot at close range. But they also believe there were traces of ricin on his clothes. They had to send a sample away to confirm it."

"Ricin? Isn't that a poison made from castor oil or something?"

"Almost Flash. It's made from the castor bean. They press the bean and get the oil, but the residue of the bean is the poison. It takes only 500 micrograms to kill an adult if it's inhaled. Parker was some place where he came in contact with it."

"How long would it take him to die from a dose like that?"

Holcomb leaned back in his chair. "The accepted theory is it takes three to five days to die form ricin poisoning. If death hasn't occurred within that time, the victim usually recovers. Parker had trace amounts on his clothes and probably wouldn't have died from it, but I think that explains the double bagging. It was to keep the ricin from spreading."

"Are there any places around here that make castor oil or would use the caster bean commercially?" the Flash asked.

"Nope. The castor bean plant doesn't grow naturally around here and there are no commercial plants around here that make the oil. That was the first thing we checked."

"Detective, I can't tell you why I am involved in this case yet, but if you will give me your business card, I'll call you if I find anything."

Detective Holcomb took a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to the Flash. The Flash looked at the card, shook hands with the detective and walked out of the office. He stopped at the front desk and looked at the desk sergeant. When the desk sergeant acknowledged his presence, the Flash smiled and said "Parlor trick." The Flash raced out of the building at high speed pulling papers off the desk, down the hall and out of the building.

The Flash ran toward Red River and the Speed Hawk Motor Inn. It was 6 P.M.

He wasn't running at top speed. He would take his time and make the forty mile trek in a few minutes. This would give him time to review what he knew. And he still knew little. The Hill kid and the dreams must be connected. But he still wasn't certain how? And Lion was right to be concerned about the double bagging. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a comm link transmission.

"Flash. Hawkgirl here. What's your ETA?"

"About two minutes unless you need me sooner." He answered into the comm link.

"Meet me outside the motel parking lot. Look up." The comm link went dead.

The Flash arrived at the parking lot and spotted Hawkgirl hovering at the back of the motel. She landed and met the Flash at room ten at the back of the inn. She opened the door to the room and they both entered. Upon entering the room, she turned on the TV and he closed the door. She turned the volume up on the TV so that the TV could be heard from outside. He looked at her quizzically.

"In case the doors have ears." she said. He nodded, closed the window curtains and sat on the bed nearest the door. She unclipped her mace and sat on the other bed facing him with her mace in her lap.

They quickly exchanged information.

She told him of her meeting with Mrs. Waters, the missing page from registration book and the reported goings on in the supposedly vacant room four and room fourteen.

He told her of his meeting with Ronald Lion, Peter Hill's shrine to both of them, the missing action figures, the double bagged body and the ricin.

"I agreed to do an all-night surveillance outside of room four. That means I'll be awake tonight but you should sleep and see if the dream changes," she said.

"Nope, not sleeping until you do. What time does the surveillance start?"

"I'll start at twilight but if you're not going to sleep how about checking out the construction on the pool with me."

"Wow, a pool - leave to you to get us such high quality accommodations," he grinned and lay back on the bed.

Around 7:30 PM, the two Leaguers made their way to the empty pool. Hawkgirl stood guard while the Flash climbed down and entered the drained pool.  He walked over to deep end of the pool. He called to Hawkgirl, "Can you come down and take a look at this?"

She looked around, unclipped and energized her mace and landed next to the Flash.

"Look at this," he said. "I'm not sure how you fix a cracked pool but I don't think it involves raising the deep end by almost two feet."

She looked at the Flash and then looked at the concrete mass in front of them. The recently poured and still curing concrete was about eighteen inches to two feet high, three feet wide and ran the pool width of thirty feet.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Hawkgirl said. "Remember in the dream, Peter Hill can't swim. What if he's in the pool, but not able to swim? What if this is him?"

"Looks like an amateur repair for a cracked pool - don't you think?" It was voice of Ronald Lion standing at the edge of the empty pool.

Hawkgirl, with mace in hand, immediately assumed a defensive stance against the stranger but relaxed when the Flash whispered; "No threat." She lifted the Flash out of the pool and landed next to Lion. Standing behind Lion was Mrs. Waters.

Mrs. Waters said, "Wings, please introduce me to your big red handsome friend here."

The Flash looked at Hawkgirl, "Wings?"

"Don't say it," she snapped at him. "Mrs. Waters, this is the Flash. Flash - Mrs. Waters who is in room nine."

Mrs. Waters extended her hand and said, "This is my partner..."

"Ronald Lion, we've met," the Flash interrupted. Turning to Hawkgirl, he said, "They've been hired to find Peter Hill by his family."

Turning back to Lion, the Flash raised his eye brows and said, "So Ronald - do you think you found him?"

Mrs Waters answered immediately cutting Lion off, "Lover, let's walk back to our room and talk this over - we don't want to get spotted out here."

She turned and headed back to her room. Lion shrugged his shoulders at the Flash and Hawkgirl and followed Mrs. Waters. The Flash and Hawkgirl looked at each other and followed them both. Once inside room nine, Mrs. Waters spoke.

"Call me a clam and throw me in the stew. If we knew for sure where the Hill kid was, we would have reported it by now and collected our money. We can't be sure until we can prove that either Hill or Parker stayed here. Ronald, break the case down for them, lover."

Lion cleared his throat, "This town lives off of tourism. Rooms in the other bed and breakfast places cost several hundred dollars a night. This place is the cheapest in the area. Mom makes a reservation at a good place - a better place, the kids have the cash. So why not stay at the cheapest place you can find and pocket the difference. You don't tell mom and you don't register here under your own name and maybe the good time you were going to have - gets better."

"Surely, the police thought about that, too," the Flash said. "I mean, contrary to popular mystery novels, they are not stupid."

"Not stupid - just busy. You see Taos has a police department. The body and the car were found in Taos. Red River is out of their jurisdiction. Red River has a marshal's office. It's bad business to have kids disappear during tourist season. Makes tourist not want to stay. The marshal's been helpful, but there is no proof that the kids were ever here, since the body and car turned up in Taos. So he's not going to invest a lot of resources and time hunting for kids that might turn up in Taos anyway.

But here's my question and you two can ponder it. If you're going to bag one body, why not bag two?  Since there's not two bagged bodies maybe that means they didn't die at the same time or in the same place."

Lion shrugged his shoulders and continued. "Maybe Hill is still alive and he killed Parker or maybe he's the concrete patch in the pool. Can't prove either one - at least not yet."

"Why not simply tell the police what you know or what you suspect?" Hawkgirl asked.

Mrs. Waters spoke sharply, "Wings, I'm in business to make money. I will tell the police what I know when I know something for certain, but I ain't letting anyone screw me out of my fee. And that INCLUDES you guys."

"And looking at the car you drive, I can't imagine that you have ever been screwed out of a fee or anything else," Hawkgirl retorted.

Lion stepped between the two women, "Ladies, please. To the task at hand. Let's setup up for our stake out. We need to see what going on in room four."

The loudness of Hawkgirl's growl surprised the Flash and certainly startled Mrs. Waters.

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Chapter Four

"In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbers upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instructions." Job 33:15

"The soul in sleep gives proof of its divine nature." Cicero

xxxxxxxxxxx

It was 10:45 P.M. The night sky was lit only by the Speed Hawk Motor Inn motel sign. Hawkgirl, hovering just below the skyline, had assumed a surveillance position that allowed her to see the back of room four and the back of room fourteen. In the distance, she could see the lights of the other bed and breakfast lodges and the quiet town of Red River.

Mrs. Waters was in room nine with the lights and TV on and the volume up so that it could be heard through the front door.

The Flash had stationed himself outside and in the shadows of room ten, so that he could not be seen from the walkway but could see the entrance to room four.

Lion sat in the Mercedes Benz SL600 convertible which now had the convertible top up. He had moved the car so that he had an unobstructed view of the front of room four.

At 11 P.M., the French doors facing the pool of room fourteen opened. Hawkgirl dropped to the ground from her surveillance position and whispered into her comm link notifying the Flash of the movement. A man walked out of the room fourteen French doors that opened onto the pool area and looking around walked slowly to the back of room nine and started listening through the French doors for sounds.

"Go," Hawkgirl whispered to the Flash in the comm link. The Flash raced to the front of room nine and tapped on the room door three times. With this signal, Mrs. Water started talking to the TV.

"Ronald, lover. Wake up dear. Your big mama needs some loving. Come on, wake up..."

The man listened at the French doors for a couple of minutes and then moved to the French doors of room ten. There were no sounds coming from that room. He paused outside room ten for a few minutes and then slowly made his way back to room fourteen and closed the French doors behind him.

"He's back in room fourteen," Hawkgirl announced over the comm link. The Flash acknowledged her transmission and raced to the front door of room ten and tapped on the door twice. Mrs. Waters stopped talking and turned off the TV and the room lights and waited.

At 12:30 A.M., the French doors of room fourteen opened again. Again, Hawkgirl from her surveillance position whispered "Go" in her comm link and the Flash raced to the front of room nine and tapped on the door three times. The same man again walked to the French doors of room nine and listened for sounds from the darken room. Hearing none, he moved on to the French doors of room ten where he also heard nothing. He returned to room fourteen.

"He went back into room fourteen." Hawkgirl whispered into the comm link. "Wait a minute - he coming out the front door of fourteen and walking around the front of the building."

The Flash gave Lion, sitting in the car; a sign and Lion shrank down in his seat so he would not be seen. The man walked past the car and to room four. Pulling a key from his shirt pocket, he opened the door, turned on the lights and closed the door behind him. He switched on the air conditioner.

Seconds later, the French doors of room four opened and the man walked across the pool area and back to room fourteen. He and a second man appeared a few minutes later carrying buckets. He opened the French doors of room four and they both entered. He closed the French doors and drew the curtains.

"Now" said Hawkgirl into the comm link. The Flash raced to room nine and tapped on the door four times and then flashed a sign to Lion in the car.

Mrs. Waters, keeping the lights off, opened the French doors in room nine and enter the pool area where she was met by Hawkgirl.

Lion got out of his car and walked to room four. He carried an opened wine bottle inside a brown paper bag. Standing outside of room four, he splashed a little of the wine on his shirt, then pulled out a cigarette and banged on the door.

"Open up!" Lion shouted, slurring his words "I need a light and...the old fat lady done kicked me out." He banged on the door again.

The door to room four opened a few inches and Birks, the owner/manager, peered out.

"Quiet" Birks said. "You want to wake everyone up."

"Nah... I don't wake up the old fat lady and hear her whine and whimper about pineapples and clams and crap like that. Buddy, I need a light...you can help a war veteran, can't you? Share some of my hooch with you? Hey...what's making that noise?"

Lion swayed unsteadily back and forth continuing his act of drunkenness. He leaned against the partial opened door.

"Oh, man, what's that smell?" Continuing to slur his words, Lion shouted at Birks, who was inches away. "Reminds me of the stuff my grandmother use to give me every time I got sick...hey, I know you. You're the owner, right? Hey, didn't you tell my pal, Gertie, the air conditioner was broke. Seems like it's working now. I got to wake up Gertie and tell her she can get this room now."

Birks opened the door a little wider. "Buddy, you're drunk. No need to wake up your pals. I got a light inside and I'll share that hooch with you. How's that?"

Lion staggered in front of the door. "Okay, but I got to tell Gertie about the room first. Be right back."

Lion turned his back to the open door and started to stagger down the walkway. He had only taken a couple of steps when Birks hit him from behind. Lion didn't lose consciousness but he was stunned enough to dropped the bottle. Birks grabbed him and pulled him back toward room four.

The Flash sped toward the stricken Lion in a red blur and knocked out Birks with one blow to the chin. The second man in the room, hearing the commotion out front, ran out the French doors and into a blast from Hawkgirl's mace.  He dropped softly to the ground with a groan.

Hawkgirl looked at Mrs. Waters and said, "Just think - DEAR. I was nowhere near as angry with him as I was with you - DEAREST!"

"Can you stand up?" the Flash asked Lion who was sitting on the ground outside of room four.

"I can." Lion answered. "I'm okay. He did what I wanted him to do but it still hurts like hell."

"Hawkgirl, are you okay?" Flash asked into the comm link.

"I'm fine. Not a hair out of place," she answered.

"Look, I don't want you or Mrs. Waters to go into room four until I tell you too - AGREED?"

"Flash, I've had four days of warnings about this room. Trust me...I'm not going in."

The Flash pushed the door of room four completely open but didn't step inside. The malodorous smell of castor oil whiffed out of the room. Looking inside he could see at the center of the room what looked to be a hydraulic cold press. The hotel room furniture had been stacked in a corner. The mattresses were laid against the back wall. One of the mattresses had a large dark red stain at the bottom.

The press was on and emitting a loud electronic hum. The press was four feet high and had a barrel in the center with a single rod attached to the lid coming down the center of the barrel. The rod pushed the lid into the barrel, squeezing oils from the contents of the barrels into a drip tray which emptied into a clear container. There was a quart of yellowish, translucent liquid in the clear one gallon container.

That must be the castor oil the Flash thought.

On a table, against the wall, in a cardboard box, sat an open case of 24 jars of baby food.

The outside of the case read: Bassinet Brand Baby Food - Applesauce.

The Flash stepped away from the doorway and dragged the still unconscious Birks toward room five. Lion followed. The Flash called Hawkgirl on the comm link,

"I found the apple, the clear liquid and the bassinet. How about if you check out room fourteen. Don't go inside, but see if the room is a "hothouse" for growing plants.

"I'm on it." She answered back.

A few seconds later, the Flash heard a loud "BOOM" come from the direction of room fourteen.

"Hawkgirl!" he screamed into comm link. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. The curtains were drawn so I couldn't see into the room. Now the doors are gone and I can see just fine. Yup. It is...or was a hothouse. Growing lots of tall plants. Mrs. Waters says they're castor bean plants. Lots of buckets in the room. Looks that the buckets are full of beans."

Lion turned to the Flash and said, "Is she always like that? I mean - blowing up stuff."

The Flash winked and said, "Nahh, some days she's worse. That's what makes her so special. Here take this card and call Detective Holcomb in Taos and tell him we may have found the source of the ricin that Parker had on him. Then call the marshal's office and let them know that you were assaulted by Mr. Birks here and you want to file a complaint.

Lion smiled. "Got it. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Lion had been gone about minute when the Flash heard Mrs. Waters screaming, "Put me down...please - put me down."

He looked up and saw Hawkgirl carrying Mrs. Waters. She was traveling fast and at rooftop level. She landed next to him.

Hawkgirl winked at the Flash as she set Mrs. Waters down.

Then turning to the heavily breathing Mrs. Waters, Hawkgirl said, "I have been patient but my name is Hawkgirl - not wings. Please remember that from now on."

Mrs. Waters sat down on the walkway and clutched her hands to her chest, "Honey, you can be called whatever you want, but you really did frightened this old lady so. Now, be a dear, wings, and get me a glass of water."

"Ohhhhh," Hawkgirl screamed as she stomped off in the direction of room ten to get water.

Mrs. Waters winked at the Flash. "Old age and cunning can defeat youth and aggression every time."

The Flash laughed.

It was nearly dawn when Detective Holcomb arrived with a search warrant. The Red River Marshal had arrived earlier. Upon seeing the baby food jars and the hydraulic press in room four and hearing the complaint of assault, the Marshal arrested Birks and his co-hort. The marshal called for the local county hazardous material team to come and sealed off room four.

Detective Holcomb, the Flash, Hawkgirl and Lion were at the pool as the hydraulic shovel brought in by the Detective gingerly broke apart pieces of the still curing concrete in the pool.

Holcomb looked at the Flash, "You people did good work. That was pretty clever getting Birks held on the assault charge."

"Actually, that was Mr. Lion's idea," the Flash said.

Lion smiled and rubbing the back of head said, "Yeah and some ideas are more painful than others."

Turning to the Flash, Lion said, "Look, I have to help Carolyn pack up the car. I'll see you before I go."

Then turning to Hawkgirl, he said, "That ride you gave Carolyn last night...this morning must have shaken something loose in the old girl. She told me we were going to waive our fee to the Hill family. That's not like her...I mean, she's never been a softie before."

Hawkgirl smiled back and said, "We'll meet you at your car."

As Lion walked toward his car, Holcomb continued, "We think Birks was going to run an extortion racket against the baby food company. You know - tell them he put poison in the jars and then demand a payoff. We now think Parker & Hill stayed here last week and somehow stumbled into this. We need to type the blood found on the mattress in room four, but I'm guessing that it will match Parker. And just..."

"Detective," a police officer interrupted as he rushed up to Holcomb. "We opened up room five and there was blood all over the bed. Looks like someone definitely died there, too. We found this under one of the pillows."

The officer held up a plastic bag containing two small nude action figures. One had the painted mask of the Flash and the other the painted masked face of Hawkgirl. Both of the figures had dried blood on them, with the Flash figure on top of the Hawkgirl figure.

Flash and Hawkgirl looked at each other in stunned silence.

Finally, the Flash said, "Detective, you'll find two more action figures just like those in Peter Hill's room. If you're lucky, you find Hill's print's on the figures proving he was here."

"Hey Detective," shouted the shovel operator. "Think, we found something. Think it's a body."

"Be right there." shouted Holcomb at the operator.

"If this is who I think it is, there will be no doubt Hill and Parker were here and we'll charge Birks with murder," he said to the Flash and Hawkgirl. "It's been a pleasure to meet you both but I have to get back to work and...maybe prepare myself to give Mrs. Hill some bad news."

As Holcomb left, the Flash asked Hawkgirl, "Are we ready to get back to the Watchtower?"

"In a couple minutes," Hawkgirl said walking toward the parking lot, "I want to say goodbye to Mrs. Waters."

Hawkgirl and the Flash met Mrs. Waters and Mr. Lion at their car as they were packing the car to leave.

"Well, you didn't get cheated out of your fee, did you?" asked Hawkgirl smiling.

Mrs. Waters got in the passenger side of the car and said to Lion, "Lover, you drive. Wings, here scared me so bad this morning."

She tossed Lion the car keys.

As Lion got in the car, Mrs. Waters smiled at Hawkgirl. "Wings, if Carolyn Waters gets cheated out of something, she didn't want it in the first place."

Mrs Waters then smiled at the Flash, "Here's how we make it, honey. Parker and Hill stayed in room five. We think both boys went to room four to complain about the noise coming from the room. Birks killed Parker in room four and Hill ran back to room five where Birks killed him there. Birks and his co-hort bagged Parker and all the stuff because he was in the room with the castor beans. Hell, he may have even fallen into the beans or the mash. Anyway, he gets trace ricin on him. Birks probably thinks Hill will be blamed for the murder if he never is found. So Birks makes Hill part of the pool. Not pretty- but that's it."

Mrs. Waters paused, flashed a glance at Lion and then looked at Hawkgirl, "You know what, tell you what I going to do, Wings, I'll waive my fee to the Hill family if you allow me to continue calling you 'Wings'. How's that? We got a deal?"

Hawkgirl flashed a glance at Lion and then smiled broadly, "Deal. You two take care of each other."

Mrs. Waters slapped Lion on the back and said, "Come on, lover, we got to get another case so I can make up the losses on this one. Take care, Wings. You too, Red. If you're ever in Los Angeles, look us up."

As the car drove off down the road, the Flash was grinning broadly. "Are we ready now, Wings?"

"If you ever call me that again or tell anyone about this," she snapped, "I'll light you up redder than your suit."

"Yes ma'am," he replied trying to suppress his laugh.

The next morning, Hawkgirl met the Green Lantern for breakfast in the dining area of the Watchtower.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Well, I dreamed I was in bed and nude again," she replied. Then she smiled and winked. "But this time it was with the right person, Marine."

The Lantern smiled back. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

The Flash walked in and said, "Hawkgirl, can we talk?"

Hawkgirl's eye narrowed, looking at the Green Lantern, she said, "Lantern, would you excuse me?"

Not waiting for an answer, Hawkgirl grabbed the Flash by the arm and escorted him to another table where they both sat down. The Lantern left the dining area to give them some privacy.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Did you have the dream again?"

"No." he smiled, "At least not that dream, but I did have a dream that you were in and while it was similar to the other dream, it turned out like my dreams about you are supposed to - really good."

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Okay. So, what's the problem?"

The Flash got up and walked to the Plexiglas window and stared at the Earth rotating below. He then looked out toward the stars.

He said softly, "I've been asking myself since we got back yesterday, why we had these dreams in the first place. I mean did some kid who died days ago or some toys put into motion events that caused us to act to prevent a madman from poisoning babies."

He turned to face Hawkgirl. "I mean could there have been some sort of divine intervention at work?"

Hawkgirl walked to window and stood next to the Flash. She looked out to the stars and then back to where the Green Lantern had been seated.

She looked up at the Flash, shook her head and smiled weakly, "I don't know. I'm not sure I believe in divine intervention. I mean sometimes the order of the universe is chaotic and other times the chaos of the universe is orderly. I believe in the finality of death but I can't explain what happened either."

The Flash returned the smile and looked at the Earth below. "Maybe young Peter Hill saw a crime so great in the making that even in death he thought that the only ones who could save the day were his heroes - Flash & Hawkgirl."

Hawkgirl put her hand on the Flash's shoulders and said slowly, "In that case, I'm glad we didn't let him down."

The Flash reached across his body and put his hand on top of hers and looked into her eyes and said, "So am I...So am I."

END