"Politics is the gateway to more legitimacy and even more opportunities for criminal exploits." The advice rang through his mind as he thought back to his days sitting in foxholes with his squad during the war. 

Martucci had ended up in the military even though he had family ties to the New York mob. A bit more idealistic than his family, he wanted to fight for his country before truly getting involved in the life. Plus he figured he'd learn a trick or two that would help him dominate the criminal underworld of the east coast. He kept trying to talk Wally into going political alongside his criminal element in New York. Together they'd 'be unstoppable' according to Martucci. It wasn't the craziest idea and now sitting in this coffee shop, Wally was considering attempting such a plan. 

Wally knew that he couldn't go too big as it could bring too much unwanted attention to him and the people he worked with, but if he aimed just high enough it could change a lot of things for them. The target position was going to be an Economic Development Director and it wouldn't be easy. He'd have to really work his way into attaining the position through bribes, intimidation, murder, and at the same time painting himself as a legitimate business man. 

His one hope was that he could use his Veteran status from the war to help gain some favor in the city. Everyone loved a good war hero story and he had the medals to support it. His main competition for the position was going to be a man who was known as Erich "The German" Muller. 

There wasn't a lot of information that Wally could find on the man, but he had a lot of support from the lower class in the city. It also didn't hurt him that he was wealthy enough to buy some support from people who were a bit higher in social standing. If Wally wanted to win he'd either have to outplay this Muller fellow or he'd have to kill him. At least he'd try the former for a while until the latter option became necessary. This sort of exposure to the public wasn't something that Wally could risk and come out a failure. 

"So, you're Mr. West I assume?" A man with a briefcase was standing over Wally and his coffee. 

"That's me." He stood up and shook the man's hand. 

Wally had arranged for an interview with a small local newspaper to announce his plans to try to get the position of Economic Development Director or EDD for short. It was his first step of many in order to assure his success and he hoped that the interview didn't go south. Murdering a journalist was not part of the plan. 

"Well it is great to meet you. I cannot wait to get this interview done and written up for our paper. To be honest with you I'm surprised that you didn't go to a larger paper for this. The amount of people who read our paper isn't that large compared to most." He sat down and took out his notepad as he spoke.

Wally chuckled, "Well, I tend to prefer supporting the little guy rather than those who have already tasted success. Besides an interview I was hoping to make a donation to your paper in order to help support further printing of issues."

"Well....I don't know what to say sir. That's incredibly generous of you. I do hope that you aren't trying to ensure positive portrayals of yourself though. One thing our paper stands for is integrity." He seemed a bit uneasy at this point.

"Don't worry. Whether you like me or not and whether or not your write something positive about me is beside the point. If I want to take on this position in the cities government then I need to put my money where my mouth is. If I'm unsupportive of the local businesses when it comes to my own money then why should I be trusted to use other peoples money to do so." Wally smiled and motioned for the coffee shop owner to come bring the man a coffee of his own. 

"Oh, no thank you. I actually don't drink coffee." He took out his pen from his coat pocket, "So I wanted to ask you about your time served over seas. I did some research and you received multiple medals for your service. What exactly did you do over there? Since many of the records have been either destroyed or redacted."

The man's questioning put Wally on edge as it felt less 'heroic' and more 'evil' with the way that it was worded. Maybe supporting the little guy wasn't a great idea after all. A highly negative story could really boost readership and possibly this man's career compared to a positive spin on his life. 

"Well, I did some things beyond enemies lines in order to relieve some of the pressure on our boys at the front. What I did exactly is either in reports or I'm not at liberty to discuss it. I had no hand in any 'destroyed' reports and honestly never tried to look into them myself so I really can't help you in why that would be so." He took a sip of his coffee. 

"No need to be defensive Mr. West. I'm just curious on whether or not you were conducting missions that perhaps would be frowned upon if they came to light. Perhaps you were over there killing politicians or participating in the targeting of officers. Any comment on those theories?" The man's demeanor became more serious.

"Honestly I was mostly just a disruptive force trying to delay or destroy supplies. Nothing more. I figured this interview would be more about my hopes to launch my political career to be honest. I'm not sure why odd conspiracy theories are coming into play here." Wally began to feel the want to get rid of this reporter rather than finish the interview. 

"I apologize Mr. West. I guess perhaps I didn't get enough sleep and those missing reports really got into my head. Let's get back on to more important things. Another major issue I find with you attempting to launch a political career besides your shady military history is the fact that you are suspected to have ties to the Los Angeles mob. Honestly some people think you may even be a high ranking member of an organization that has been acting from the deep shadows compared to other criminal entities." He leaned forward as he unknowingly sealed his fate. 

"Well, Mr. Peterson." With the speed he had been saving up he zoomed the man outside and into an alleyway. Holding him up against a wall and vibrating his hand.

"To be truly honest with you. I did kill many high ranking officers and politicians in Germany. I am also the right hand man to a criminal leader here in Los Angeles. What I am not though, is a man who would allow such a pitiful reporter to destroy my plans. All you had to do was write a nice piece supporting my choice to run for Economic Development Director and things could have gone so well for you. I suppose I might need to just trash the one on one interview and go for a more public announcement. I do thank you for taking the time out of your day to see me though. Unfortunately your newspaper is going to have a job opening now." Wally began to move his hand forward and the man began to beg him to stop.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! I can do what you want. I'll write whatever story you want. I'll cover anything you need. There's no need for such extremes. I won't cause any trouble for you. I don't even expect you to stay true to your word about the donation. Please just let me go and I'll write an excellent piece on you." He smiled.

"Well, now that you put it that way." With one quick motion Wally's hand entered the man's chest and he slumped over. 

Pulling away from him, the man fell to the ground. A car pulled up at the end of the alley and out came some of Wally's men who took away the body. His top bodyguard Artie came over to him and lit a cigarette.

"Didn't go so well, eh boss?" He laughed.

"I'm going to need you to take all his belongings, search his apartment for anything linked to me, then burn down the paper he works for, and eliminate anyone he interviewed about me. You can get that done right? No need for me to replace you too I hope." He looked at Artie.

"Of course boss. I've never let you down before and you know I love to get my hands dirty." With that he went back to the car and it drove off. 

"I guess this is going to be more difficult than I anticipated." He walked out of the alley and began to make his way down the sidewalk back towards Downtown. 

There was plenty more work to be done....

Los Angeles Shipping Yard

Hours after step one failed...

The interview option went south quickly and now it was time to try to see if maybe he could talk his rival into stepping down before Wally even announced his candidacy for the position. If he was able to do so then it would look like the two had no connection to one another as long as he timed it all right. He hoped that either with enough money or possibly some other arrangement he could convince Erich Muller to step aside. 

Without knowing much about the man he wasn't sure how this meeting would go or not....

A few hours of waiting and eventually a car could be seen pulling into the warehouse lot. The car stopped and the lights turned off before a figure could be seen stepping out of the passengers side. The figure slowly approached Wally where he was leaning against some boxes that were waiting to be sent off on some cargo ship to god knows where. 

"Hello Mr. West. I'd be very happy to meet you if I had any idea why I was here. My people tell me you have something extremely important to discuss. So, let's begin discussing." His German accent wasn't too strong which at least told Wally he'd been in the United States for a decent amount of time.

"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about your plan to run for the Economic Development Director position. It's a noble cause and I'm sure you have some great plans, but I was hoping that perhaps we could come to some sort of arrangement where you step aside. I have plenty of wealth and connections across the country. I'm sure I could meet any requirements you might deem necessary for you to accommodate my request." Wally smiled and offered the man a cigarette. 

"You know, I figured the man who gave me nightmares in the trenches of Germany would be much less of a talker. I honestly assumed I'd be walking into a trap tonight. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet the 'Der Rote Geist' in person." As he spoke Wally knew that this second task would be just as impossible as the first. 

Before Wally could begin to deny, Muller pulled out a German style pistol and pointed it at him....

"I assume that your disappearance during the war had to do with the loss of whatever abilities allowed you to cause such havoc among our ranks. They used to describe how fast you would move. The only reason the Americans would stop using you would be if you couldn't do it anymore. So I assume dodging a bullet is out of the question." He smirked.

The truth was that if Wally hadn't used his powers earlier that day then dodging a bullet would be a breeze, but at this point he was still recharging. His powers still had not truly come back to him as he'd hoped. 

"Well, I can't say that you aren't an intelligent fellow. How did you figure out that it was me? That information never left a small circle of people. Most of whom died serving this country or dissapeared later on when they returned home." He tilted his head hoping to get the truth of it.

"Mr. West you truly don't know how deep my connections run do you? I know who you work for here in this city. I also know the abilities that people say you have or should I say had. Whatever the case may be, I am a simple man and adding two and two together is easy even for me. You will not intimidate me out of running. What I can promise you is that I will not run a dirty campaign. I will beat you using democracy. This is not like the trenches of Europe, you no longer keep me up at night." With that he turned and began making his way back to his vehicle. 

"Understand this Mr. Muller. If you do not step down then I cannot promise you that I will run a clean campaign. I cannot promise your safety either. I'd not underestimate what I'm capable of still. You have my number. If you change your mind at any time then you may call me and we can discuss your stepping aside." Wally could hear the man laughing as he entered the car which angered him to no end. 

He figured politics would be filled with people who didn't have the balls to stand in his way, but apparently Los Angeles was filled with men who didn't know the idea of 'backing down'. This was going to be more difficult than he ever imagined. Hopefully he could use his connections and money throughout this city and country to turn this whole plan around. Otherwise bodies would need to start dropping at a higher rate.

Front Steps of Town Hall

Monday Morning: Days after meeting Mr. Muller.

The press was eager and filling the street in front of Town Hall where Wally had called the meeting. Today was the day that he would announce his plans to take on Erich Muller in order to take on the task of continually developing the city of Los Angeles. It was a thriving city filled with wealthy people, but there were also areas of the city that needed stronger economic influence in order to bring the city higher. 

He knew that if he accomplished a successful campaign that he would be able to not only develop the city further, but fill the pockets of the criminal element of the city. This position would help them further their own plans and their own economic development. Having somebody on the inside of the cities government would pave the way for just about anything they wanted to accomplish. Money was the way to truly create change here on the west coast. 

He had been reading his notes for the speech over and over making sure that he wouldn't forget any details. It was the most important part of this plan after the failure of the first two parts. This had to go perfectly which involved a great speech as well as being ready for any questions that came his way afterward. It was time....

He stepped forward to the microphone and smiled at the crowd that stood before him. There were some town hall employees, civilians, and reporters all mixed together. It was a good turnout and hopefully it would become the launching point of his successful political career. He cleared his throat and readied himself to speak.

"Good morning citizens of Los Angeles, the local reporters, and everyone else in attendance. I'm glad you could all meet me here today on this beautiful sunny morning here at Town Hall." He turned and looked at the large stone building standing behind him.

"This is an important building in our city. Where work is done to hopefully continue building an amazing city for other parts of the country to look at with awe. Today I am announcing my hope to join those who work here in developing this city. I am announcing my candidacy for the position of Economic Development Director for the city of Los Angeles." He paused for a moment as cameras began to flash and some reporters already had their hands raised for questions.

"Okay, okay. I'll get to question in a moment. I just have a few things I'd like to say before we begin that segment of today's gathering." He smiled as the hands lowered and the attention was focused on him.

"I want to bring major changes to this city. It is not easy to do so and I know I will have to work night and day to accomplish them. There is plenty of business development to be had in specific areas of this city that are struggling. We can also continue to support the areas that have found success already. I've run my own business here in LA for quite some time and found great success. So I understand that business world quite well. I've put a lot of my time into developing my relationships and my bank account in order to eventually have the chance at enacting major change in this city." He could see some people were nodding in approval while some were still unsure if this was purely political speak. 

"There is no city I'd rather see flourish than this one. With the support of the people I can make a real difference. Possibly this will be just the first stepping stone on my way to other positions. For now I just want to do some good by helping develop this city economically. Help this city develop strong businesses so that they can then use that success to support others around them as I want to do. If we have a strong middle class in this city then we can truly help one another build something special here on the west coast. If the city succeeds then the people who live here will succeed with it." Wally looked out through the crowd and could see Mr. Muller towards the back.

"Ah, my main opponent to my dreams is here with us today. Mr. Muller who is a man that I respect for what he wants to accomplish as well. I can't say that we don't share most of the same dreams for this city. I just believe that I will end up being the better man for the job. I would happily bring him on as an adviser as well if I am the winner in our little race. I know his ideas will be invaluable." He smiled and waved at Muller who smirked before turning and walk away with his people. 

"So who has the first question?" Wally turned back to the journalists who had been waiting patiently. 

"Sir! I'm with the Los Angeles Gazette. Many of us have never truly heard of you till today. While your pizza place has become a known destination of the city for citizens and tourists alike, why don't we know more about you?" The man inquired. 

"Well, to tell you the truth. I've always been a modest man who wanted to just do right by his friends, family, and countrymen. I've never tried to be one who stood out or garnered any fame. I served this country during the great war years ago and since then I've been on a long road to this day. Building a business, building connections, helping my neighborhood, and just planning for a future where I could do more. Fighting for this country is an honor and something every man should do if the call arises. When the fighting is over though, each man should try to help his community to become something greater." Wally saw that his answer was well received by the people and the reporters as a few even clapped and cheered. 

"Over here Mr. West! I'm from the Hollywood Observer. There has been some speculation as to why your business has been so successful and I was wondering if you'd be open to answering to these speculations. Some people believe that your restaurant is part of illegal money laundering for the mob. Is there any truth to that?" The man clearly knew a bit more than others just as the first journalist Wally had tried to talk to.

"There is no truth to such an idea. I came back from the war after saving up every penny I could. My father passed away while I was overseas and left some money as well as the building to me. He had originally used the building for a dry cleaning business. I used the money to gut the building and re-invent the inside to accommodate a restaurant. That's the simple truth to it. I have no connections to the criminal element of this city. I will have no connections to them. I'll use this position to counteract them and their influences on the businesses of this city. Town Hall will not bend to the will of those people if I have anything to say about it." Wally felt happy with that answer as he had created a paper trail years ago to help legitimize his business when he returned from the war and took up where his younger self left off when he ran back in time. 

"That is all I have time for folks. If you want to possibly sit down for a one on one interview with me about my goals then get in touch with my people. We'll be running things from out of the upstairs of my pizza place where I have a couple of nice offices. I hope to have your support in this endeavor." He waved and began to make his way down the steps to his vehicle where his men were waiting patiently to take him to his business.

Wally let out a sigh as he sat down in the back of the vehicle next to Artie, "Well, today went much better than the other day. Maybe this plan will work out after all. I just need to make sure we keep tabs on the press and anyone else who could dig too deep into my business and my past. Nothing can get in the way of this Artie." 

The two nodded at each other and then spent the rest of the drive in silence.

LA Ball: Political Gathering

Weeks into the campaign.

The campaign was going smoothly thus far with only one hiccup where Muller attempted to blame Wally for a hit and run accident that took place. Wally legitimately had nothing to do with the incident, but some newspapers ran with the possible conspiracy. Others described it as it was, which was paranoia and political games. The benefit of this whole fiasco was that it opened up an opportunity for Wally in his battle with 'The German'. 

In preparation for the event Wally purchased an excellently tailored suit for himself. It was a grey suit with a subtle red tie which all fit together perfectly. He didn't want to blend in with the rest of the crowds simple outfits during such a crucial night in his campaign. 

"Are all the arrangements set?" He turned to his bodyguard who nodded silently.

There wouldn't be much time for Wally to mingle with what he had planned. He would have to make sure that he was in position at the right time and avoiding use of his powers to do so would be ideal. The one man he wanted to make sure he greeted was Erich Muller. That was going to be key to his plan this evening. 

The venue was quite large for the event as the city spared no expense for their political and social elite. The 'main event' of the political arena so far had been Wally and Erich. Every speech, debate, photo, interview, and handshake was watched underneath a microscope. The position had never had so much excitement before as it was usually viewed as a boring economic position. Men like Erich and Wally knew how important the position could be though so they were fighting as hard as possible to win. 

"There he is boss." His man pointed over to the left side of the room. 

Wally's luck couldn't have been any better with Erich's positioning. He made his way over to greet the man as quickly as possible...

"How are you Erich!?" He smiled and extended his hand for a shake which was quickly smacked away in anger.

"You know exactly how I am. Fearing for my life the longer you are in this race. What's next in your plan? Are you going to poison my food?" It was hard for Wally to know if the man truly believed the lies or if he just wanted to play up the negative image of Wally.

"I've told you repeatedly. I had nothing to do with that and I have no intentions of trying to harm you. This is a political battle and nothing more. You really need to come back to reality." Wally shook his head and began to turn around.

As he did a man approached him with heavy footsteps. His hand went inside his jacket and reappeared with a revolver which he promptly aimed at Wally and squeezed the trigger. The man had no idea that the person who paid him worked for Wally, so the shot was aimed a bit too well. The bullet was heading straight for Wally's lung so he had to use his powers just enough to grab the bullet and redirect it somewhere less fatal. 

As time sped back to normality the bullet entered and exited Wally's abdomen sending him to the floor in a crumpled heap. The man was tackled by security and beaten to a bloody pulp before they dragged him off. At the police station the man would be interrogated and the information would come to light that he was paid to take out somebodies rival. 

Wally's men quickly helped carry him out of the venue and to the car where they would drive him to the hospital. This would help complete the evening's plan and he would just have to wait till the news broke of what the gunmen admitted. With any luck Erich would either be arrested or his political career would be destroyed by tonight's events. Either outcome would be ideal.

Hospital, Downtown LA.

The following day

Wally had been 'lucky' enough to have the bullet miss every vital organ and go straight through his abdomen. After some minor care and a night of rest he was able to leave the hospital. As he exited the building through the front doors he was overwhelmed by the media since they wanted to get his input on the previous nights events.

"Mr. West! Are you okay? Have you heard the news about last nights events?" The first reporter yelled at him.

"I'm feeling great for somebody who was shot last night. I'm honestly not sure what you're referring to with your secondary question." Wally kept making his way towards the street where his car was parked.

"You haven't heard? The gunman confessed to and is quoted saying 'I was hired to shoot somebodies rival and that's all I knew.' He basically all but said the name Muller." The reporter replied.

Wally stopped in front of his car and turned around, "I don't think Mr. Muller would go to such an extreme as political assassination. Are you sure this isn't just hearsay? I know that Erich believed I had involvement in his accident earlier this month, but I can't imagine he'd come after me in such a way."

"It's all confirmed sir. I mean they can't directly connect him by name, but that's the prime suspect for your shooting." The whole group of reporters were eagerly waiting for him to say something 'juicy'. 

"I have no real comment on this. I'd like to wait for all the facts to come out and for the police to finish a thorough investigation. I won't be jumping to conclusions. Maybe a rival owner of a pizza place hired him for all we know." The last comment brought about some laughter.

Wally did not want to come off as paranoid or to suggest the claims were true. It was better to come off as the more sensible of the two men locked in this political battle. It was not his intention to get too involved in things now as his part was already done with taking that bullet. It was up to the newspapers and police at this point. 

He got into the car and closed the door behind him to avoid any further questioning. Artie was driving as they pulled away from the curb and he peered into the mirror with a smile. 

"So, things went pretty well boss. Now what?" He hadn't had much time to talk with Wally besides the initial planning of last nights events.

"Now we wait and hopefully Erich destroys himself now. The way he has been acting lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he said something that became the final nail in his coffin." He smiled and turned to look out the window as they drove home. 

It was time to rest a bit and let the news build up around Mr. Muller.

Town Hall

Weeks after the shooting

The office was quite nice and bigger than Wally had even expected it to be. As he walked around it he began planning where everything would go. The view out the window wasn't the best, but he couldn't complain now that he had found success in the political arena. A knock came at the door, followed by his assistant's voice.

"Sir, the press is here to ask you a few questions about your confirmation as Economic Development Director. So whenever you're ready we can begin." She walked away and allowed Wally a moment to ready himself. 

The press began taking pictures immediately once Wally exited his office. Hands and words came flying from the group...

"Hold on, hold on. We need to keep this orderly otherwise I'll be heading back to my office." He smirked at the group as they quieted down. 

"Sir, how do you feel about the way you got to this position? It has become quite the controversial story with the political demise of Erich Muller." The journalist pulled out his pad and pen. 

Just one week earlier...

The news took such a strong hold of the story surrounding Muller and the shooting of Wally that it became a very ugly demise for Mr. Muller. They wouldn't relent on questioning him about the shooter even once the police found no proof of his involvement. The constant questioning eventually go to him though and he hit a breaking point one day in front of the media.

"Do you truly want us to believe that you had nothing to do with the attempted murder of a man who was your political rival? A man who you accused of attempting to take your life? How can we be sure that you didn't stage the car incident and then went after him when that plan failed?" The reporter truly pushed past the line of decency to go after Muller.

The anger could no longer be hidden from his face as he began to answer, "You god damn idiots have no idea who it is that I'm going up against. The man is behind all of these things. The car accident and the shooting. He wants that position so bad that he would take a bullet for it. I wish that the shooter had been successful with his task...."

The color drained from his face as the words left his mouth since it was the first time he had not fully denied the accusations. In this case he was almost admitting his involvement and at the least he was wishing death upon his opponent. The media grabbed this remark and ran with it until Muller had no other decision but to drop out of the race.

Without anybody to oppose Wally, he took the position and was confirmed instantly by the city council.

"I cannot control what my opponents do. I was quite shocked when I heard of the man's comments towards my life. I had only wished to run a clean race and if I won I wanted to bring the man on to work alongside me. Unfortunately some people have other intentions in life with how they want to achieve their goals. I hope that he can someday find work that brings him happiness." Wally kept a straight face as he responded. 

"So have you heard the news that Mr. Muller has decided to travel back to Germany and leave this life behind? He continually tries to state that you are an evil man with a past that most would not believe." The news was actually a shock to Wally as his people had not reported this to him.

"This is the first I'm hearing of it and I hope that the man is happy back in his homeland. I've not had the opportunity to see Germany outside of the war. Although I hear things are not great over there at the moment. Perhaps he will be able to get into politics and enact some good change over there." He smiled and looked over at the clock.

"Just one more question Mr. West! What do you plan to work on first with your new found position?" Finally a question that was directed towards his own future.

"Well, I haven't truly decided on what would be best to work on first. My hope is to truly develop a stronger business district in the city. I also hope to help keep the movie industry thriving out in Hollywood. I think that the future of this city will be strongly tied to the film industry." He smirked at his knowledge of the future before waving at the crowd in front of him.

"Thank you for your time Mr. West!" One of the reporters yelled as they were escorted out of the building. 

As Wally made his way back into his office he could sense that something wasn't quite right. He made his way over to his drink tray and poured himself a whiskey....

"Anything for you?" Wally said to whoever was sitting in his office.

"No, I'll be quite fine without sharing a drink with you Der Rote Geist. I've come here to do one thing before I head back to my homeland." As he finished his statement he could hear the hammer of a revolver click into place.

With a blur of motion Wally made his way over to Erich and disarmed him before holding him up against the wall...

"You just couldn't go home and grow old? What an unfortunate mistake. You know I've been saving every bit of energy I have for the possibility of this moment. You couldn't imagine what I was even capable back during the war or even before I ended up there. The things I've seen and done would blow your mind." He smirked as Muller struggled to break free of his grip.

"Wh...wh....w...." He struggled to speak.

"Why? Why am I going to kill the man who is in my office to murder me? Well that's self defense isn't it?" He chuckled, but weakened his grip.

"Why can't my nightmare end? Why have you plagued me for so long?" He seemed to actually be drunk already with some tears appearing in his eyes.

Wally sighed and shook his head before putting his vibrating hand through the man's chest, "There. Your nightmare is over finally."

He let the body slump to the floor before going over to his phone and dialing his men downstairs. After only a few minutes Artie appeared in his office with a few men behind him. They were a bit shocked to see the body on the floor.

"He came here to kill me. Obviously it didn't go too well for him. I need you to take care of this Artie and make sure nobody sees a thing. I have to go meet up with Zoom to discuss the future of this office and what I can do for this city." He walked out of the office and left his men to take care of the mess.