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Adventure Comics
Green Arrow & Red Tornado
Times Past, "1974"
The Greatest Giftby HarveyKent
Part One
"Hey there, Rust-Bucket," Green Arrow said amiably as he strolled into the Justice League communication center. "Consider yourself relieved."
"Thank you, Oliver," the android called Red Tornado said, turning in the console chair to face his teammate. Red Tornado had not been a Justice Leaguer long; a little more than a year. Tonight was Christmas Eve, the second Red Tornado had spent as a Leaguer. "Are you certain you do not want me to take your shift? I do not mind."
"Thanks, Reddy, but I might as well do my shift," Green Arrow said. "Ordinarily I'd like to be spending Christmas Eve with Dinah, but she got invited to the Floral Cooperative's Christmas party, and I'd be bored out of my green-capped skull." Green Arrow poured himself a cup of coffee from the coffeemaker in the corner. "Gotta admit I'm glad it's you I'm relievin', Tobor. You make the best coffee in the League!"
"Thank you, Oliver," Red Tornado said. "It's a simple matter of the proper ratio of coffee grounds to water, and the proper brewing time--"
Red Tornado was interrupted by the buzzing of the Justice League communications system. It was an outside call, not one of the other members calling for assistance.
"Justice League, Red Tornado speaking," the android said into the communications microphone.
"Hello?" a voice came through the speaker, a voice with a touch of fear in it. "Hello, this is Captain Monahan of the Star City Police Department. I'm trying to get in touch with Green Arrow."
In a heartbeat, Green Arrow was at the console. "Green Arrow here. Go ahead, Captain."
"Green Arrow? Thank God. We need your help, sir. As fast as you can get here."
Sheesh, the crumb-bums don't take Christmas off, do they? Green Arrow mused. "Who is it, Captain? Camouflage King? Red Dart?"
"It's none of your costumed enemies," Captain Monahan said. "But a little girl has been kidnapped."
Part Two
Red Tornado watched Green Arrow's face contort into a grimace of controlled rage. "On Christmas Eve," the archer snarled. "I'll be down there immediately, Captain." With a snap, Green Arrow broke the connection. "Looks like I'll take you up on that offer of working a double, Tin Man, if the offer's still good."
"It is, of course," Red Tornado said. "But Oliver -- may I accompany you?"
Green Arrow stared at the android. "You think I need help on this one?"
"Not need, no," Red Tornado said. "But I offer it anyway. It would mean a lot to me to assist you in restoring the kidnapped girl to her family."
"I see," Green Arrow said, nodding. "Well, I'm glad of the hand, even if it is plastic. But who'll watch the store?"
"If you mean the monitor duty," Red Tornado said, "I can do both. I can establish a microwave link between my own android brain and our monitor and communications systems. If any situations arise that require the League, I can be alerted of it and contact any of our members, wherever I am."
"Yeah? A walking trouble-alert?" Green Arrow said, impressed. "If you can do that, why do you ever do monitor duty in the satellite?"
"The League is my home," Red Tornado said. "It pleases me to spend my time there. Besides, there are still many past cases I need to peruse in the files, many active criminals I need to acquaint myself with. For example, this Camouflage King you mentioned. I have not come across his name in my studies as yet."
"I'll tell you all about him, later," Green Arrow said. "Right now, we have to beam down to Star City and find a kidnapped child!"
"I am setting coordinates for the teleporter tube," Red Tornado said.
Part Three
A short time later, Green Arrow and Red Tornado walked into the Star City police station. A tall uniformed man in early middle age was there to greet them; he grabbed Green Arrow's hand and wrung it enthusiastically.
"Green Arrow!" he exclaimed. "Oh, thank God! Thank you for coming so quickly! We didn't know what to do!"
"It's okay, I'm here now," Green Arrow said calmly. "I take it you're Monahan."
"Yes, I--" Monahan's enthusiasm died when he saw Red Tornado. "Who's this?"
"Him? He's the Red Tornado," Green Arrow said. "Don't you follow the news? He's our newest Leaguer, been on the team over a year now."
"Sure, I follow the news," Monahan said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Ain't he a -- you know, a--"
"A Justice Leaguer," Green Arrow said, evenly. "That's all that ought to matter. Right?" There was an edge to Green Arrow's voice that indicated there was only one possible correct answer to that question. Monahan, never a slow man on the uptake, nodded quickly.
"T-the parents are right in here," Monahan said. "Follow me."
Green Arrow and Red Tornado followed the captain into a small room, where a young couple sat at a long table. Green Arrow could tell, the woman had been crying for a long time. The man didn't look much better.
"Green Arrow!" the man exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Oh, thank you, thank you for coming! You're our only hope!"
"I won't let you down, sir," Green Arrow said. "Why don't you give me the skinny?"
Part Four
Green Arrow sat down across the table from the man; Red Tornado remained standing. The man began his story.
"First of all, my name is Harrison Caldwell."
Green Arrow's eyes widened. "Caldwell, the big investment banker?"
"No!" Caldwell cried. "No, that's just the problem! I'm not that Harrison Caldwell; I just happen to have the same name! I-I'm an elementary school teacher!"
"I see," Green Arrow said. "Go on."
"This has caused problems before," Caldwell said. "The other Mr. Caldwell and I have gotten each other's mail sometimes. But never anything like this! Our daughter, Cindy, is eight years old; about the same age as banker Caldwell's daughter, Marcia."
"I begin to see," Green Arrow said. "The kidnapper swiped your daughter, thinking she was banker Caldwell's kid."
"Caldwell the banker got a ransom note at his office," Monahan said. "He immediately checked and learned that his daughter was safe at home. He thought it a cruel practical joke, until he remembered the other Mr. Caldwell and how they sometimes got each other's mail. He called us, then."
"The note said no police," Caldwell said. "It said our daughter would be killed if the police were involved! But he's demanding five million dollars! I-I don't have anywhere near that kind of money!"
"So you thought I might be able to find your girl without attracting the kidnapper's attention the way the police would," Green Arrow said. "Fair enough. I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell, Cindy will be spending Christmas Eve with you."
Red Tornado's head turned to look at Green Arrow then, but he did not speak.
Part Five
"Was that wise, Oliver?" Red Tornado asked, as they left the police station.
"Was what wise?" Green Arrow asked.
"Promising the Caldwells the return of their daughter. We do not know for sure that we can deliver on that promise."
"We're going to," Green Arrow said, simply. "End of discussion."
Red Tornado did not comment on that.
"Monahan said the note was delivered to the banker's office by a personal carrier. That bank sees maybe ten or twenty different carriers a day; nothing's going to stand out remarkable about one. No sense even following that lead."
"Then where do we begin?" Red Tornado asked.
"Well, you heard what they said in there," Green Arrow reminded. "The kid left school like normal and never got home. The only place she could've got snatched was on the six-block walk between home and school."
"I remember," Red Tornado said. "It struck you as odd that school would be in session on Christmas Eve, and the parents said there was a special Christmas pageant at the school today. They said Cindy usually walks home with two other children, one of whom was absent today due to illness. And the other--" Red Tornado suddenly stopped speaking, and froze in his tracks. Green Arrow stopped too, and waved a hand in front of the android's eyes.
"Reddy? Yoo-hoo? Anybody home?"
Abruptly, the android came back to full alertness. "I am sorry, Oliver. The satellite monitors alerted me to a cruise ship 400 miles off the California coast that had been struck by lightning and lost all power. I was dispatching Aquaman to aid the ship."
"Um... yeah. I figured it was something like that," Green Arrow said. "Anyway, the other kid, one Steven Farmer, says he didn't walk home with Cindy today. But Monahan said he seemed scared when he spoke to the boy."
"You believe the child is lying," Red Tornado asked. There was nothing accusatory in his tone.
"I wouldn't have put it so bluntly," Green Arrow said, "but let's go pay him a visit."
Part Six
"He hasn't come out of his room since the police were here," Mrs. Farmer said, leading Green Arrow to the boy's bedroom door. Red Tornado remained downstairs in the living room.
Mrs. Farmer knocked on the door. "Stevie? Stevie, there's someone here to see you."
"I don't feel good, Mom," a tiny voice came from the other side of the door. A voice shaking with fear.
"That's too bad, champ," Green Arrow called. "Because this is Green Arrow. I just wanted to say hello."
"Green Arrow?" Stevie said again, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Sure, open the door and see."
A few moments passed, and then the door opened a crack. A tiny, wide-eyed face peered out into the hallway.
"It is you!" Stevie cried. "Green Arrow!"
"In the bearded flesh," Green Arrow said. "How about I come in and talk, sport?"
Stevie opened the door, and Green Arrow entered. The eight-year-old's bedroom was adorned with pictures and toys in the image of super-heroes. Green Arrow noticed that for every one representing himself, there were at least three of Superman. It stung a little that the Metropolis Marvel was more popular even in Green Arrow's own town, but he hadn't time to dwell on that now.
"Do you know why I'm here, son?" Green Arrow asked gently, kneeling to look Stevie in the eye.
Stevie nodded once. "Cindy," he said simply.
"The police tell me that you told them you didn't walk home with her today."
Stevie said nothing.
"I'm wondering if that's not really the case. Maybe you're afraid to tell what happened. Maybe you've got good reason to be."
Stevie looked away; wouldn't meet the archer's eyes.
"Cindy's your friend, isn't she?"
"Uh-huh."
"You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, would you?"
"No! No, never!"
"Then help me find her, Stevie. I need your help. I can't do it without you."
Suddenly the boy broke out in tears. "I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! He-he said he'd kill me if I told! S-said he'd find me and kill me! A-and he'd kill my mommy and daddy, too!"
Green Arrow reached out and hugged the crying child close. "It's okay, Stevie, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry. You haven't done anything wrong."
"But I did!" Stevie cried. "I didn't tell the police about the man! I wanted to, b-but I was afraid!"
"There's nothing wrong with that," Green Arrow said. "I'm afraid, a lot of the time."
"You are?" Stevie asked, amazed.
"Sure," Green Arrow said. "I've had to fight guys like Despero and Gorilla Grodd. You'd have to be pretty dumb not to be afraid of those guys. But I didn't let it get to me; I did what had to be done. And you're going to do what has to be done, aren't you, Stevie?"
Stevie hesitated just a second, then nodded his head.
Part Seven
"Good man," Green Arrow said, releasing Stevie from his embrace and holding his shoulders at arm's length. "Now tell me what happened."
"We... we were walking home from school," Stevie said. "A man jumped out of the bushes, grabbed Cindy. Covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. He -- he stared at me, with a crazy look on his face. He told me to get lost, and he'd kill me and my mommy and daddy if I told anybody."
"What'd the man look like?" Green Arrow asked.
"Big. Big and scary."
"I'll bet he did. What color was his hair? Did he have any hair on his face, like I do?"
"He was bald," Stevie said. "But he did have a picture, here." Stevie touched his own forearm.
"A tattoo?" Green Arrow asked. "What did it look like?"
"A spider," Stevie said. "A green spider, with big red eyes."
"Stevie, you've been a big help. You're a brave young man, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." A moment later, after autographing a boxing glove arrow and giving it to Stevie, Green Arrow left his room.
"I think Stevie's going to be okay now, Mrs. Farmer," Green Arrow told the boy's mother. The woman thanked him profusely before he and Red Tornado left.
"What did you learn?" Red Tornado asked.
"The kidnapper had a tattoo," Green Arrow said. "A green spider with big red eyes. That's the symbol of the Jade Spiders, a gang that runs in the waterfront section of town."
"Does this gang have an established headquarters?" Red Tornado asked.
"They generally kick at a bar called Deadman's Cove," Green Arrow said.
"Then that should be our next destination," Red Tornado said.
"My thoughts exactly, Tin Man," Green Arrow said.
Part Eight
Deadman's Cove was a rundown shack on Star City's waterfront. It stood on a crumbling, deserted pier far from the regular shipping area, off by itself like a wooden pariah. Inside the dimly-lit bar, unemployed stevedores, assorted gang members, and various outcasts drank themselves blind.
The low susurration of mixed conversation in the bar died down slowly, as a zone of silence began at the front door and spread throughout the bar. Mouths closed as two brightly-costumed figures strode purposefully up to the bar.
"Well, well," the bartender said. "Seems we've got a couple of super-pansies tonight, boys! All red and green for Christmas, too! Will you both be drinkin', then?"
A hard case at the bar turned an eye on Red Tornado. "Yeah, how about you, robot? Can I buy you a quart of motor oil?" The drunk laughed robustly at his own joke.
"I do not imbibe motor oil," Red Tornado answered coolly. "I wouldn't say no to the use of an electrical outlet, however."
But Green Arrow grabbed the front of the drunk's shirt and hauled his suddenly-frightened face close to his own scowling countenance.
"This is a friend of mine," Green Arrow growled. "If you've got a problem with him, you've got a problem with me. Capeesh?"
"Y-y-yeah," the drunk stammered. "I-I didn't mean nothin'!"
Green Arrow held the drunk a moment later, then released his shirt. In his fear he stumbled backward and tripped over the barstool.
"Listen up, people," Green Arrow said loudly. "My friend and I have business with the Jade Spiders. No one else has to be involved. Anyone who doesn't want to mix in it, there's the door."
Five or six men hurried out the door.
"What you talking about, Robin Hood?" A young tough in a sleeveless black T-shirt demanded. On his forearm, Red Tornado noticed the tattoo of the Jade Spiders. "You got no business with us!"
"I beg to differ," Green Arrow said. "We can make this easy or hard, boys. Your call."
"Man, these super-cats think they can come in here and get all up in our face whenever they want to!" Another young punk with the Jade Spiders tattoo cried.
"Freakin' pigs!" another yelled, and hurled a beer bottle. It shattered on Red Tornado's chest, with no noticeable effect. Other than to start the bar brawl in grand style.
Part Nine
"Pardon me, Green Arrow, but may I ask a question?" Red Tornado said. The two Justice Leaguers stood back to back, trading punches with the oncoming gang members and waterfront toughs.
"If you're sure it can't wait," Green Arrow said, blocking a blow from a burly stevedore and getting in one of his own.
"I know how much you enjoy a fight," Red Tornado said, letting a rusty box-cutter snap against his stomach. "But we do have to find the missing child as quickly as possible. Would it not be in our best interest to end this fight now?"
"Hell, yeah!" Green Arrow said, landing a punch in a gang member's bread basket.
"Then please stand back," Red Tornado said. Turning his back to the bar, the android spread his arms wide. His arms began to spin, churning up the air in the bar. Green Arrow grabbed the bar with both hands and dug in with his heels. In moments, the interior of the bar was a miniature cyclone; chairs, drinking mugs, and human bodies were thrown about like straws in a hurricane.
"Santa H. Claus on a bicycle!" Green Arrow exclaimed, impressed.
Finally, Red Tornado stopped his cyclone. The interior of the bar was a mess; everything was overturned, in disarray. Groaning bodies lined the floor.
"I believe the fight is over," Red Tornado said.
"I don't hear any arguments," Green Arrow said. "Come on, let's interrogate one of the Spiders, if any of 'em are still conscious."
Green Arrow and Red Tornado found two conscious Spiders, and hauled them to their feet. One of them was the one who had first challenged Green Arrow.
"You ready to answer my questions now, cuddles?" the archer asked. "Or shall the Maytag Repairman here put you on spin-dry again?"
"Man, I'm tellin' you, you got no beef with us!" the young punk avowed. "We haven't been anywhere but here, all night!"
"You're saying you know nothing about a kidnapping?"
"Kidnapping?" the punk cried, his eyes wide with genuine surprise.
"Cindy Caldwell," Green Arrow said. "Little girl, eight years old. Never made it home from school today."
"Man, the Spiders don't do that kind of stuff!" the punk swore. "Anyone said we do is lyin'! Kids, man! We don't touch kids! I've got me a little brother, and anyone touches him answers to me!"
"You sound sincere," Red Tornado said. "And yet, an eyewitness described your gang tattoo on the kidnapper's arm."
"Hey, Lennie," the other punk said to the spokesman for the gang, "what about Crispy?"
"Oh, man!" Lennie swore. "I knew that creep would get us into trouble!"
"Crispy?" Green Arrow asked. "Want to elaborate?"
"His name's Chris Pulaski," Lennie said. "Chris P, get it? He tried out for our gang, made it in, barely. But he was whack, man! This guy was freakin' crazy! We kicked him out, told him not to show his face on our turf again!"
"He has the tattoo?" Red Tornado asked.
"Yeah, sure. Got it before we realized what a nut job he really is."
"Crispy, he's got bright red hair?" Green Arrow asked.
"Naw, man, he's as bald as an eight-ball!"
"Right answer," Green Arrow grinned. "Where can we find this Crispy?"
"Last I heard," Lennie said, "he was livin' in a boarded-up grocery on Morton Avenue!"
"Thanks," Green Arrow said. "And, er, sorry about the shake-up."
"Hey, it's cool," Lennie said. "Honest mistake. But when you find Crispy, you give him one for us, k?"
"K," Green Arrow promised.
Part Ten
Weisinger's Grocery had once been a focal point of what was once a thriving neighborhood. In recent years, big supermarket chains and a rapidly-declining neighborhood had forced the tiny mom-and-pop grocer out of business; the store stood boarded up and empty now, like a monument to a dead era.
Green Arrow and Red Tornado stood across the street from the grocery, keeping to the shadows.
"Two-story building," Green Arrow said. "Here's the plan. You can fly, so you go in through a window on top level. I'll break in the front. We'll catch Crispy between us, if he's in there."
"A good plan," Red Tornado said. "When shall we execute it?"
"How long you figure it'll take you to get to the top floor window from here?"
"Approximately six point oh nine seconds. Allowing for the wind."
"Right. Yeah. Well, on the count of three I'm going to fire a smoke-arrow through the front window, then rush the door. When I reach the door, you take off. Got it?"
"I have it."
"One. Two; three!"
With a barely-audible twang, the arrow flew from the bow. It crashed through the front window, flying unerringly into a small gap between two boards. Instantly the front of the store was filled with thick, choking smoke. Green Arrow reached the front door and kicked it open with one mighty kick. He nearly ran headlong into a fleeing youth, bald and wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt. His forearm showed the Jade Spiders tattoo. Chris Pulaski took one horrified look at Green Arrow, then spun on his heel and bolted back into the smoke. The archer followed him into the blinding cloud, heard the pound of his feet on stairs. Then he heard a scream of horror and grinned to himself; the fleeing kidnapper had met Red Tornado. More pounding feet above; the young punk trying to run. Suddenly there was a crash, and, amid a shower of plaster and splintered wood, Pulaski's body fell through the ceiling and landed on the floor of the main storefront with a loud thud.
Red Tornado flew down through the hole, his whirling body dissipating the smoke. Green Arrow was kneeling over Pulaski's body.
"He ran from me," Red Tornado said, "and he plunged right through the floor upstairs."
"Must have been rotten from years of disrepair and bad weather," Green Arrow said grimly. "The punk broke his neck in the fall. He's gone."
"That is extremely unfortunate," Red Tornado said. "If Cindy Caldwell is not here, he cannot tell us where she is."
"I know," Green Arrow said, grimly.
Part Eleven
Green Arrow stood in the middle of the abandoned store, staring grimly down at the body of the kidnapper. Cold, impotent rage was written large on his bearded face.
Red Tornado flew gently down the stairs. "I have searched the entire building, for the fourth time," the android said. "Cindy Caldwell is nowhere to be found."
"Figures, doesn't it?" Green Arrow said bitterly. "He's dumb enough to snatch the wrong Caldwell girl but smart enough not to stash her where he crashes. She could be anywhere in the city. She could starve to death before we find her. And I promised her parents!" The archer shouted the last sentence, as he whirled around and put his fist through the rotting, crumbling wall. He withdrew it and, massaging it with his other hand, turned to see Red Tornado examining Pulaski's shoes.
"What are you doin', Tobor?" he asked.
"Do you see these blue spots on Mr. Pulaski's footwear?" The android asked, without turning.
"Yeah, blue paint," Green Arrow said. "Not much of a lead. There're probably six dozen places in the city where he could have picked up blue paint stains."
Red Tornado stared intently at the blue stains. "My computer brain is performing a spectrographic analysis of the paint," Red Tornado said. "Unless there is a serious GIGO error in my information, it is the type of paint used for automobile bodies."
"Auto paint?" Green Arrow asked, snapping to attention. "Hey, there used to be an auto detailing shop about three blocks from here!"
"Indeed?" Red Tornado asked, rising to his feet.
"Yeah, it went out of business about three, four years ago," Green Arrow said, creasing his brow in though. "Let me see, the name of it was..." A broad grin spread across the archer's face. "Pulaski's Custom Auto Shop!"
Part Twelve
"Cindy!" Mrs. Caldwell screamed with delight, as her little girl ran into her arms. She hugged her daughter tightly to her, not wanting to ever let her go again.
"Sirs... Mr. Arrow... Mr. Tornado," Caldwell stammered. "I-I don't know what to say! There just aren't words -- if you only knew -- I don't--"
"I get it, Mr. Caldwell," Green Arrow smiled warmly. "We're glad to be of service. I tell you, I get fifty times as much satisfaction from cases like this than I do from punching out jerks in Halloween costumes."
Caldwell smiled, on the verge of tears. "We'll never forget you, either of you. You'll be in our prayers forever."
"Well, thanks," Green Arrow said. "I could use all the help I can get." He held out a green-gloved hand. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Caldwell." The happy father gripped the hand and wrung it exuberantly. He repeated the gesture with Red Tornado, who returned his smile.
The Caldwells insisted on Green Arrow and Red Tornado staying for coffee and cake, which Red Tornado declined. The android did, however, allow Cindy Caldwell to sit on his knee as she told the story of her kidnapping and rescue to her parents. It was nearly midnight before Mrs. Caldwell finally took Cindy upstairs to bed; the little girl protested, but her father's assurance that Santa wouldn't come unless she was in bed persuaded her.
On their way out, Red Tornado turned to his comrade. "May I ask a question, Oliver?"
"Shoot," Green Arrow said.
"Twice tonight, you defended me. Once to Captain Monahan and once to the inebriated gentleman in the bar."
"Yeah, so?"
"May I ask why?"
Green Arrow stopped dead in his tracks. "Huh? Why? What kind of question is that?"
"You are always making humorous references to my android existence," Red Tornado pointed out. "Using epithets like 'Rust-Bucket', 'Tin Man', et cetera. I gathered, from that, that you found me offensive."
"Whoa!" Green Arrow snapped. "Why didn't you ever mention this before?"
"I am acclimated to mistrust and prejudice against me due to my android status," Red Tornado said. "I don't let it bother me anymore. But your actions tonight indicate that I may have prejudged you."
"I'll say!" Green Arrow said. "Reddy, that's just the way I am! I call Hawkman 'Buzzard-Beak' and 'Featherbrain', but we're still buddies! I just have a big mouth, that's all. You're a damned sight more human than some flesh n' blood folks I've met; Pulaski back there, for example."
"I take your point," Red Tornado said. "Oliver, I believe we have reached a new understanding." The android held out his golden-gloved hand. "Friends?"
Green Arrow took the hand firmly and shook it. "Friends, Reddy."
"Thank you... Beard-Face," Red Tornado said. Green Arrow goggled at him, and burst out laughing.
THE END