The war was over. The world was struggling to settle into a new post-war normalcy. And the world's greatest heroes were left to find their place in peacetime.
The Nazi Reich and the Japanese Empire had fallen. Most of the super-powered Axis warriors had been either killed or captured following the climatic battle of Berlin. The most powerful of them had been exiled to an unpleasant, alternate realm by the powerful Spectre. He'd warned the rest of the Uber-Force that it wouldn't be wise to try escaping. They got the message. The Nazi and Japanese warriors mutually agreed to bide their time and ride out the Nuremburg trials and see what happens. They might try to escape sometime, but not right away. Additionally, Doc Savage had designed a series of special jail cells designed to neutralize the specific powers and abilities of each of the prisoners.
Back in the United States, Uncle Sam had spent the last few weeks leading his Seven Soldiers of Victory in tracking down and arresting all the remaining Nazi cells. Vigilantes like the Shadow and the Spirit had recently crippled the organized crime syndicates on the East Coast. Many of them had fled to the West Coat to set up new operations in Las Vegas. The crime families decided to lay low for a while and feign legitimacy while they restructured their operations.
It was a new world with no more supervillains, no more Axis powers, and a defanged Mafia. There seemed to be no one left to challenge the likes of the JSA and other heroes. There was a new, intense feeling of security around the country. Things were peaceful.
The last casualty of the war had been the saddest to the nation as a whole. The man who'd been the symbol of liberty and democracy throughout the war, and who'd led the world's costumed heroes to victory in Berlin, had fallen in battle, along with his young partner the Star-Spangled Kid.
Captain America was lost and the country mourned him. World leaders, military men and dozens of masked Heroes attended a memorial service in his honor. President Truman spoke of his patriotism. Flags were lowered to half mast and a statue was commissioned in his honor. There was hardly a person in America who didn't feel a sense of loss.
The Office of Dr. Charles McNider:
Prominent psychiatrist Charles McNider - a.k.a. Doctor Mid-Nite - sat in his office, thinking deeply about the state of things. Captain America was dead and had previously left the command of the Justice Society in his hands. He pondered the future of the team.
The JSA was severely diminished in stature. Half the team had resigned for various reasons. Flash, Doctor Fate, Wonder Woman, the Sub-Mariner, and Black Canary had all bowed out. Hercules and Miss Venus were gone as well. And Captain America was dead! The heart had been ripped out of the team. No one seemed to have the motivation to go on now that their leader had fallen.
Doctor Mid-Nite was left with only five partners. Toro, the Atom, Starman, Hawkman, and Sentinel comprised his team. However, Sentinel and Starman had been conspicuous by their absence in recent days. Were they thinking of leaving, too? If the two most powerful remaining members resigned, it would leave the team as a mere shadow of its former self. What could be done to salvage it then?
To add insult to injury, they were losing their headquarters. Since Miss Venus had disappeared, they'd heard from the real estate agent that the estate was up for sale. They had the option to buy; otherwise, they'd have to vacate the premises.
As he mused over the ramifications of current matters, he sorted through the patient list of the hospital he worked at. He had brail correspondences, although he could read in darkness. He found a referral that had been sent to him. A patient at a hospital in Opal City had asked for him specifically.
McNider was taken aback by the name he saw on the form. His fear of losing one of his most powerful teammates seemed to be coming true.
Opal City Teaching Hospital:
Doctor McNider was shown into the psychiatric ward. He passed the all the other patients, some of whom were suffering dementia, without reaction. He'd been to far too many places like this. However, it was usually not to see a friend.
He found the man he was looking for sitting alone in a corner, daydreaming. The man was wearing hospital pajamas and he looked up when he saw McNider.
"Hello Charles," the man said.
"Hello Ted," McNider said. "Good to see you again."
"And you," Professor Theodore Knight said, pulling up a chair. "Please, have a seat."
McNider sat down. "I must say, I was taken aback when I received your request to see me. I had no idea you were here."
"Very few people do," Knight said. "It's not the kind of thing you brag about. When I decided to commit myself, I chose to let very few people know. But I wanted to see you. I knew you were the man who could help me."
McNider leaned forward. "Ted, what happened? Why are you here? Does it have anything to do with . . . our other occupation?"
Knight shook his head and looked at McNider with horribly sad eyes. "No, it's nothing to do with the society. I was proud of being part of that. It's got to do with something I'm ashamed of. Something horrible I did. Something unforgivable!"
"What could you possibly have done that was so horrible?" McNider asked.
"Japan!" Knight said. "That was all my fault! Did you know I was part of Oppenheimer's Atomic bomb think tank? I helped him create the A-Bomb! What happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was all our fault. Oppenheimer and me and the rest! We're responsible for all those deaths!"
"Ted . . . " McNider started to say.
"I've been having horrible nightmares, Charles!" Knight said. "I flew to Japan to see the devastation myself and I've been seeing it in my dreams every night. I can still smell the burning flesh!"
McNider realized something. "You were in Japan? I heard through my sources that there was a third bomb dropped on Tokyo but it somehow missed. Did you . . . ?"
"I couldn't let it happen again!" Knight sobbed. "Not again. What I caused was unthinkable once! Twice was horrible beyond description. It couldn't be allowed to happen again! So Starman stopped it!"
"You did a fine thing," McNider said. "You saved . . . "
"I did a monstrous thing!" Knight shouted. "A million people dead or dying! Two cities destroyed! I can't live with myself, Charles! I can't stop seeing those black silhouettes that used to be people! Please help me, Charles!"
McNider put a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the man who used to be Starman, but who now was his patient. "Don't worry, Ted. We'll get you through this."
The laboratory of Dr. Phineas T. Horton:
Doctor Horton looked over his handiwork. This was his newest android, but it was also, essentially, his first. A recreation of his first, to be exact. He stared at it with mixed feelings.
He heard a knock on the door. He knew who it was and rushed to answer. As he expected, Toro, the one time sidekick of the Human Torch, had arrived at his request. Toro was polite but didn't really like Horton all that much, since he had dismissed the claim made by Toro and Black Canary that the Torch was still alive in some form. It turned out to be true. Therefore, Toro was surprised by the call from Horton.
"Hello, Doc," Toro said. "You rang?"
"Please, come in, son," Horton said. "I have something to show you."
Horton led Toro down the stairs to the lab. Toro wasn't feeling too friendly. "You know, we were right," Toro said. "Black Canary and me. We were right about the Torch. He's . . . "
"He's a fire elemental," Horton said. "I know. Black Canary called me to rub it in. I apologized to her and I apologize to you. I was wrong. But what I have to show you may help make up for my error."
Horton led Toro into his lab. Toro paused, stunned. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Jim!" Toro shouted.
Toro saw the form of the Human Torch - or what looked like him, lying on a lab table.
"You rebuilt him!" Toro said, happily.
Horton nodded. "I rebuilt his body, as I promised I would when he was destroyed. It was hard without the original technical specifications that Nathanial Richards provided. It took me a long time but here he is. The Human Torch, mark two."
Toro touched the inactive android. "But will he be the same Human Torch we knew?"
Horton shrugged. "I can't say. His memory core was badly damaged. I tried to recreate it as best I could, and I programmed in surrogate memories based on the records the JSA gave me. But if Black Canary is correct, much of who he was vanished into the elemental realm with the fire-form of the Torch. Think of it as his 'soul' passing on. I'm not sure if he'll be the same man without it."
Toro frowned, looking down at the unmoving droid. "Then maybe we shouldn't. What made the Torch so great was his morality and heroism, not his flame power. If this 'Torch mark two' isn't going to be the same, maybe we should just leave it be."
"That's why I wanted to see you," Horton said. "We need to discuss it. It's a big decision. Do we bring the Torch back or not?"
New York, Main offices of Scott Enterprises:
Alan Scott was burying himself in his work. He had a lot to catch up on. His time with the JSA, as well as his recent three month disappearance - which required a lot of explaining - had kept him from his job. He'd been delegating his duties to others and making excuses but now he was determined to devote himself to the business he'd created.
His secretary buzzed him to say that he had a visitor. She announced a Dr. Charles McNider. Alan asked that he be shown in. He got up and met McNider at the door.
"Charles, so good to see you," Alan said.
"And you, Alan," McNider said. "I've never seen your office before. It puts mine to shame."
"You're a doctor," Alan said. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Please, sit and tell me what I can do for you, old friend."
"Can we talk about . . . the Society?" McNider asked.
"Soundproof walls," Alan said. "No one's listening. If you're here to ask me what I think about Cap - may he rest in peace - giving you the chairmanship of the JSA, even though I'm deputy leader, then fear not. I have no problem with it. I have too much work to do here."
"Thank you," McNider said. "And can I count on you to continue as deputy leader? We need your strength now. Aside from our other resignations, I've recently learned that Starman will be out of action for the foreseeable future. We need Sentinel."
Alan Scott looked sad and leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry, Charles, but I'm taking a leave of absence, too. Probably a long one. I have a lot of things to consider."
"Business?" McNider asked. "Or is it about the Harlequin?"
"Neither," Alan said. "It's about the atomic bomb. I've seen what happens when great power is used unwisely. Power is a double edged sword. However useful it might be, one mistake and it can cause catastrophe. It made me think of my ring. Its power seems nearly limitless. I can destroy mountains. If I tried, I could probably destroy a whole city, just as the atom bomb did. I worry about any one man having that much power. I was so angry when the Harlequin died; I would have killed Hammerhead if I'd gotten to him before the Shadow did. And that scares me. Knowing that I'm capable of killing and knowing the power my ring possesses, I'm afraid of what I might do if I ever lost control."
"I see you're not wearing the ring," McNider said.
"No, not anymore," Alan said. "I've got the ring and the power lantern in my vault. I'm leaving them there until I decide what to do with them. Should I use them again or get rid of them permanently. I need to think it over. I'm sorry, Charles, but the Sentinel is temporarily retired. Perhaps permanently."
Doctor Horton's Laboratory:
Doctor Horton and Toro were engaged in a debate about what to do with their newly rebuilt Human Torch. They sat in his kitchen, trying to reconcile their feelings and misgivings. As they spoke, they heard a large crash. The whole house shook.
"What the . . . " Toro cried.
"It came from the lab!" Horton cried.
Toro rushed to the stairs, leaping down the stairs, half ignited in flame already. As he reached the lab, his jaw dropped. There was a large hole in the upper wall, near the basement window. And the body of the Human torch mark two was gone.
Toro climbed out and flamed-on fully. He took to the air to see if he could spot the thief but he could spot no one. Whoever had taken the Torch's body had vanished.
JSA Manor:
Charles McNider had switched to his Doctor Mid-Nite identity. He returned to the JSA manor. There was a large 'For Sale' sign on the front gate. The sight of it made Dr. Mid-Nite surprisingly sad.
Inside, he looked around to see if anyone else was there. Toro was the only one left living in the mansion, and the boy had been wondering where he would relocate to now that it was being sold. Doctor Mid-Nite went to Toro's room.
He found Toro packing a bag. The boy had precious few belongings and he was shoving them in an overnight bag. He glanced over at Mid-Nite.
"Going somewhere?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked.
"Yeah," Toro said. "I have to find something."
Toro explained about the incident at Horton's lab and the disappearance of the Torch's body. Toro looked angry. "I'm really not sure what to think about this new Human Torch. But even if he never gets activated, he's still all that's left of Jim. That body should either be reborn with Horton and me to supervise, or else it should get a hero's burial. Either way, I intend to find it."
"So where are you going?"
"Black Canary said she'd help me," Toro said. "She's a great detective. Anyway, since I'm losing my home here, she said I could stay on her couch for a while until I get my life together. But in the meantime, me and her are gonna work together to find the Torch's body. I don't care how long it takes."
"What about the Justice Society?"
"Sorry Doc," Toro said. "But I think I owe it to Jim to devote myself completely to finding his body. It'd be real disrespectful to his memory if I didn't. Anyway, the war's over and things are real quiet right now. We haven't seen any action in weeks. You don't need me right now. So I'm taking a leave of absence. Until I find Jim, I'm not coming back!"
Later that day:
Doctor Mid-Nite paced in the yard of the soon-to-be-sold JSA mansion. The departure of Toro was the straw that broke the camel's back. His team was down to three people. If he didn't get some new blood in the team, the JSA was as good as history. Captain America had asked him to oversee the team and in a month's time, it was almost defunct. Although he really had no desire to be the leader of a new JSA, he felt obliged to make the effort in Cap's name.
It was time to look up some old friends and acquaintances. He had detailed records of every hero who had ever worked with the JSA. He decided to go and ask the best candidates and offer them a job.
Uncle Sam and the Seven Soldiers of Victory:
Dr. Mid-Nite knew that Uncle Sam and his Seven Soldiers of Victory were criss-crossing the country locating and stamping Nazi sleeper cells. He'd heard they were in the area and arranged a meeting with Uncle Sam. They both come in their civilian guises of Sam Rogers and Charles McNider. They met in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
As they strolled, McNider told Sam his plans. "So, we need to rebuild the JSA. I was wondering if you or any of your Seven Soldiers of Victory would be interesting in replacing the legends." McNider asked.
"I wish we could, Doctor," Sam said. "I really do. I owe it to Steve. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty and neither is my team. We're deeply involved in eliminating Nazi sleeper cells. After that, our superiors have plans to use us in a new operation they're planning which involves the USSR. The government is very worried about the Communists. We're going to be booked for the time being. Me, the Patriot, the Guardian, the Spirit of '76, the Fighting American, the Whizzer, Miss America, and the Liberty Belle. All of us will be too busy doing government work to be of any use to the JSA. Sorry, Doctor. Good luck rebuilding the team. I hope you can do it, but I can't help you."
Wildcat:
At Ted Grant's gym, Dr. McNider visited ex-champion Ted Grant and asked him to rejoin.
"No can do, Doc," Ted replied, as he jabbed at a punching bag. "When I quit the JSA, I started my life over again. I'm a contender for my old boxing title again. And I found a new way to help people that doesn't require getting shot at or beaten up. I'm running a program of physical fitness for under-privileged kids. It's a real rewarding venture. And I'm also dating a great girl, and I know from the past how this secret identity stuff can kill a relationship. Oh, and I'm opening a third gym. Running a business takes up a lot of time. I have a busy life now and I'm enjoying it. I'm not giving it up. Sorry, Doc."
Carter Hall, the former Hawkman:
Dr. McNider talked to Carter Hall on the phone. Hall was in the museum where he worked as a curator, in New Orleans.
"I'm not interested in returning to the Justice Society," Hall said. "I quit to study means of communicating with the afterlife. I haven't given that goal up yet. I still want to find a way to contact my Shiera. Other than that, nothing matters. Please don't call me again."
Mr. Terrific:
McNider visited Terry Sloan at Gateway University, where Sloan taught, to ask if Mr. Terrific would join the team. They sat in Sloan's office.
"It's a flattering offer, Doctor," Terrific said. "I respect the JSA, but I must decline. If you recall, Captain America asked me to join the original team, and I turned him down. The JSA is wonderful at handling global crisis like the Nazis or alien invasions. I applaud you for that. But I am, and always have been, focused on the plight of the little people. The JSA seems to be too big to notice the small matters which vex the downtrodden every day. I wish you all the luck in the world, but your goals don't jibe with mine."
Hourman:
McNider met with Rex "Tick Tock" Tyler at the office of the Pharmaceutical company he ran. It was here that Tyler had invented the Miraclo formula that turned him into Hourman.
"I'm afraid I can't help you, Doctor," Tyler said. "In fact, I may have to give up being Hourman. I'm discovering some . . . side effects to my Miraclo formula. I've developed some - umm - health issues. I've decided not to use the formula again until I do more studies to see if I can curtail the deleterious effect it is having on me. Until then, Hourman is out of the crime fighting business."
Marvel Boy:
Bob Grayson was just preparing to make his way back East to Vietnam, where the Cosmic Cube was hidden. McNider caught him at the airport.
"Sorry, gotta say no, Doc," Grayson said. "I made a sacred vow to the Priests of Pama that I would devote my life to guarding the Cosmic Cube, Until someone replaces me, I have to keep that promise. I've been playing hooky a bit too long. The priests want me back and I can't stall any longer. Gotta go, Doc."
Johnny Thunder:
Johnny Thunder came to the mansion at McNider's request.
"Golly gee, Doc," Johnny said. "I wish you would'a asked me sooner. The JSA is keen! But I got something going on right now that's kinda important. It concerns those guys from Badhnisia who've been after me my whole life. I recently met someone who came give me some answers and maybe get those guys off my back. I've been waiting a long time for this. It's real important to me. So I gotta leave the country for a while. I don't really know exactly how long. But maybe when I get back we can talk again."
Johnny Quick:
John Chambers was a documentary film maker, who was also a speedy superhero. He met with Charles McNider in the editing room of his tiny, independent film company. With him was his current girlfriend Louise Mason, a.k.a. the Blonde Phantom.
"We're really not interested," John said. "At one time I would have been tempted, but our priorities have changed."
"I'm pregnant," Louise said.
"Congratulations," McNider answered.
"We're getting married," John added.
"We're starting a family," Louise said. "that's why I convinced Johnny that we should retire from the crime busting business. We want to have children. Not orphans. I'm sorry, our decision is final."
Sergeant Steel:
Hank Hayward was a soldier in the Marine Corps. Ever since he'd been turned into a metallic fighting machine, he'd served the government against Nazi spies and super villains. Now he was making the most of his sterling reputation as a bodyguard for President Truman. He spoke to McNider outside the White House.
"Impossible," Steel said. "The JSA is an honor, but so is working for the President. Besides, I'm still a soldier in the US Marines and I go where I'm assigned. And right now, I'm assigned to the President's detail. Sorry."
Amazing Man:
Will Everett was one of the most famous athletes in the world, following his amazing exhibition at the Olympics where he won four gold metals and defeated the German athletes. He'd segued his popularity into a movie career, becoming the first African American leading man in Hollywood. In his spare time - when he wasn't fighting crime as Amazing Man - he ran a community outreach center for African American children. McNider stopped by the center.
"It's a tempting offer," Will said. "But I'm saying no. I'm the most famous and influential black man in the country right now. I have a chance to do something good for my people. I need to devote myself to issues of racial justice. Sorry, Doc. But you JSA guys never seem to give a flying fig about the plight of the Negro in this country. Good luck fighting aliens and demons and whatever you've got going on there. I'm going to help my people."
Plastic Man:
"Eel" O'Brian - a.k.a. Plastic Man - had recently started a private investigations agency in the same neighborhood where he used to be a criminal. He and his pal "Woozy" Winks were surprise by how many cases and clients had come their way. Doctor McNider made an appointment to see Eel in his office.
"Ooooh, well jumping catfish!" Eel said. "So the mighty JSA wants me now, do they? Well, well, well, times have sure changed, ain't they? Last I remember, the government guys didn't want me on the team when they found out about my criminal record. In fact, now that I recall, some of the team members actually voted to keep me in the auxiliary squad because I didn't - what was the complaint? - I didn't 'Project an air of professionalism and seriousness.' So now that the team has cracked apart like Humpty Dumpty, you come running to old Plas with a gold plated invitation and some crumpets. Well pardon me if I don't get down on my knees and kiss your boots, Doc. I've got my own business now and employees who count on me to bring in the business. They have faith in me, unlike you JSA squares. Cap was the only one who seemed to be on my side and he's gone, so the rest of you can kiss my plastic posterior!"
Zatara the Magician:
"Thank you for thinking of me," Zatara said. "However, I'm afraid I can't accept your generous offer. I never considered myself a super hero. I use my powers to help people when I can, and I'm always here for a mystic consultation if you should require one. But I'm not a crime fighter by vocation and I have other personal matters to focus on. I'm a magician, not a super hero. I regret that I must decline your kind offer."
Back in the office of Charles McNider:
Doctor McNider went over the remainder of his files. Where there any suitable candidates left?
Aquaman and the Fin had apparently gone off together on some sea faring adventure and were out of reach.
The man known as Logan - or Weapon X - was working for the Canadian Secret service and they didn't want to release him to the JSA. A similar situation existed for the Union Jack and all the British heroes.
Five superheroes - Robotman, Stripsey, Black Condor, Dollman, and a new hero called the Thin Man had formed a team of their own called the All-Winner's Squad - and were sponsored by Alan Scott, who used them as his new fist of justice until he could decide what to do about his own career as a hero. McNider couldn't lure them away from the considerable pay that Scott was offering them.
The Phantom Lady had apparently joined forces recently with that wanted vigilante, the Shadow, which made her unsuitable material for the JSA, as far as McNider was concerned.
Doc Savage and the Judo-Master were deeply involved in the Humanitarian efforts in Japan and would be out of the country for some time.
The Sandman was hard to reach, and McNider hadn't figured out his identity. He'd let the word out that he wanted to see the Sandman but the Sandman never showed.
And that was all! That was the entire list. Charles McNider tossed the files aside frustrated. It seemed that no one wanted to join the JSA. It seemed that his fear had been realized. He had failed Cap and couldn't save the dying JSA. Obviously, the game was over. There was no use fooling himself. It was time to tell his two remaining teammates that the curtain had wrung down.
Later that day:
Doctor Mid-Nite stood in the sitting room of the JSA manor. Hawkman and the Atom had come in response to his summons. They sat and listen glumly to his pronouncement of the team's demise.
" . . . And despite my best efforts, there seems to be no new blood available to reinvigorate our fading society. Obviously, the three of us do not a JSA make. So, unless either of you has an idea, I think we have no choice but to face the inevitable."
"Well this stinks!" the Atom grumbled. "For years I wanted to join the JSA, but I didn't think I measured up. It's only been a few months since I got my super strength and got to join. In that time, Cap dies and the team breaks up. Talk about bad omens. Maybe that's a sign I should leave."
Hawkman sighed and stood up. "I guess this is a sign for me to leave as well. I only joined as a debt of honor. Hawkgirl sacrificed her life to save my Avian Kingdom. I swore I'd take her place until the war was over. But the war's over and I miss my home. I think I'm going to resign as well."
"That does it!" the Atom said. "I'm not going to be the last guy without a chair when the music stops. I quit, too!"
"Then I guess that's the end," Mid-Nite said. "At this moment, I'm a team of one. So, as the last of the founding members, current leader, and only member, I hereby announce that the Justice Society is no more!"
Hawkman and the Atom said their goodbyes and left, feeling a bit depressed. They'd miss the JSA. Doctor Mid-Nite stood alone in the mansion. So many people used to live here, he recalled. Cap, Bucky, the Torch, Toro, Wonder Woman, the Fury, and Hercules all slept in these walls, back when the JSA still fought the good fight. How many battles had they fought against intruders who's had the audacity to attack them right here in their headquarters?
He stood there lost in thought for several long minutes. He was aroused from his reveries by the front door. He was surprised to see Flash standing there.
"Jay?" Mid-Nite said. "This is a surprise."
"Hi Chuck," the Flash said. "I just thought I'd stop by. Joan is out visiting her mother so I thought I'd pop in for a quick trip down memory lane. I didn't know if anyone would be here or not. Word on the grapevine says your recruitment drive isn't going too well."
"The drive is over," Mid-Nite said. "It was a dismal failure."
Doctor Mid-Nite told the Flash about the different reasons for rejections. The Flash shook his head sympathetically.
"Hard to believe that no one wants to be on the JSA anymore," Flash said. "We used to be turning away unqualified applicants. I guess Plastic Man got the last laugh on us for not letting him join."
"His was my favorite rejection, by the way," Mid-Nite said. "Plastic posterior."
The two heroes chuckled. The Flash took off his helmet and scratched his head, looking around the uncomfortably silent mansion.
"So, what's your next move?" the speedster asked.
"There isn't one," Mid-Nite said. "My last two partners just jumped off the sinking ship. That left only me. The last little Indian! So I used my prerogative as the last founding member and acting chairman to disband the team. I'll put it in writing to the government brass, to make it official. The JSA is history!"
Flash was only surprised for moment. On second thought, it seemed inevitable. The end of the war, the death of Captain America, all these resignations . . . It was in the wind. History was passing. Time was up.
"Wow!" Flash said. "I hoped I'd never hear that. I used to think the JSA would outlive us both. I thought that a new generation of heroes would step up and take up the fight. People with similar powers or costumes. I thought they'd still be fighting for justice in the 21st Century."
"Maybe they will," Doctor Mid-Nite said. "In some other form, with a new name. We may yet inspire the future. But the timing isn't right. The war's over and the super villains are gone. Even the syndicates have gone to ground. There appears to be no need for a team as powerful as ours. Things are peaceful right now. One day that'll change and a new team will emerge as avengers of justice. But until then, the era of the super hero team is dead."
"I suppose you're right," Flash said. "I guess we should just enjoy the peace while it lasts. Come on. Let's take one more walk around the place."
Flash and Doctor Mid-Nite strolled around the big, ominously quiet dwelling. They could almost hear the ghosts of the past. Captain America slamming the gavel to start the meetings. The arguments. The enemies who attacked and were driven out. The inner-team romances. The Human Torch died here. Legends were formed here.
They stopped for a minute at the spot where the Torch had died, and another minute outside Captain America's old room. They then headed for the front door.
They stepped out into the evening air. Doctor Mid-Nite closed the door behind them. A symbolic gesture, he mused. They walked up the path, through the large front yard where they had had several skirmishes. They stepped out the front gate and onto the sidewalk.
"So, this is how it ends," Dr. Mid-Nite said. "Not with a bang but a whimper."
Flash looked at the mansion. "I don't know about you, Doc, but I'm going to just think about all the good we did here. I'm proud to have been a part of it."
"Me too, my friend," Mid-Nite said. "We made a difference."
Flash extended his hand to his old friend. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Doc. I hope we run into each other again. You're a good man."
Doctor Mid-Nite clasped his hand and pumped his arm with a vigorous but friendly energy.
"And you, Flash. You're one of the finest men I ever met. Good luck and good life to you. And to your good lady wife. I'll miss her Thanksgiving parties."
"I'll give her your love," Flash said.
Mid-Nite looked at the mansion and bowed graciously. "All respects to great yesterdays."
Flash saluted their old headquarters. "To heroes yet to come."
Doctor Mid-Nite smiled at the Flash, patted him on the shoulder and turned away. He didn't look back. He headed to the abandoned old garage where he hid his car. He wouldn't need the space any longer. He would just get in his car and drive away from his place for the last time. He didn't anticipate coming back. It was all in his past now. He didn't look back.
Flash stayed for another minute, looking at the Mansion headquarters. So many memories. A place of honor and legend. And then he saw the 'For Sale' sign, and frowned. 'Somebody will probably turn it into a supermarket,' he mused.
He started to walk away slowly and then glanced back. "Don't let it be forgot, that once, here on this spot; for one brief, shining moment - there was a fleeting wisp of glory that was known as the Justice Society of America."
And then he ran off. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. The last of the Justice Society had left, and the mansion stood empty. No more meeting would be held there, nor battles fought. The great society of heroes it once housed was no more.
The war was over, just as the Justice Society was finished. And the rest is history.
THE END!
Thank you for reading.
Bob Young