Thanagarian

Chapter 10

I watched the girl and her three legged shepherd from above, clutching an angry Jet to my chest. To keep him quiet I sang our song, it was pretty much just a couple words repeated over and over: "Hey, Jettie Bettie of mine, everything about you is especially fine. I love what you are, I love what you do, and ooh, I love you." One ear cocked back to listen and I buried my face in the scruff of his neck, singing all the while. I felt a breeze and there was Hawkgirl, crouching next to me on the steel beam. She put her arm around us and turned on the com in her ear. "Jon, get us out of here."

There was a flash of light and a light sensation similar to flying and there I was, in the middle of the Watchtower. Stargirl, Green Arrow, Question, Atom Smasher, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Black Canary, Super Girl, Batman, S.T.R.I.P.E, Dr. Fate, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Fire, Flash, Vigilante, Shining Knight, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel, Vixen, everyone my several pets were named after and more, within the same walls. I put Jet down and grabbed his collar to prevent him running away and making a beeline for the food. Hawkgirl slapped my shoulder. "Congrats, Kid, first dog on the Watchtower."

Flash stopped in front of us to ruffle Jet's ears. "So this is the famous Jet I hear so much about?" I nodded, my mouth seemingly incapable of forming words at the moment. "Looking good, Dog, looking good." He said. Hawkgirl began to walk away and I followed, dragging an over-stimulated Jet behind. "Where's the-"

"Three lefts and a right, fourth door down."

"Thanks."

I was walking down the hallway with Jet beside me when I heard footsteps behind me. "Are  you the legendary Hawk Kid?"

I rattled the feathers on my wings. "You tell me." When I looked to my side Stargirl was walking next to me, her cosmic staff in hand. "I didn't know I was legendary though."

She snorted. "Of course you are, do you know how many apprentices Hawkgirl's taken on?"

"I dunno, a few?"

"You, just you. Where you heading?"

"Cafeteria. Coming?"

"I guess so."

I followed Hawkgirl's instructions and some added directions from Stargirl to finally end up in the cafeteria, my favorite place. When the door slid closed behind us I let Jet go. As soon as he felt the leather around his neck slacken he was all over Stargirl, panting and shedding and jumping. "Jet, down." I said, pushing his shoulder down. Stargirl slid to the floor with him and pulled him into her lap until he collapsed, his eyes half closed and tail thumping her leg wildly. She roughed up the fur around his neck and pulled him up and scratched his chest, his hind leg kicking wildly. "What a goof." She said, pushing him off and brushing the dog hair off her costume. "How old?"

"Six." I answered, busy filling my plate with food. Cupcakes and chocolate and other sweets that Hawkgirl never got me crowded my plate, I really missed that stuff. I sat down and Stargirl joined me, sitting across the table. "What do you have a hyper metabolism thing like Flash?" I looked at the heap of food on my plate. "And if I do?"

She laughed. "I'm Courtney, by the way, Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore"

"Abigail." I replied. "Abigail Victoria Miller. But you can just call me Abi." I started eating my cake just as Hawkgirl walked in. "Hey Star, I see you met Abi." I stopped the cake halfway to my mouth when Courtney asked why we were up at the Watchtower. "This kid came in to he warehouse and genius here left all her stuff there." Hawkgirl clipped her mace back on her belt and looked at my plate. "Eating healthy I see."

"Hey!" I defended myself. "You never get this stuff for me!"

"There's a reason for that."

"You're such a Mom sometimes." Courtney laughed when Hawkgirl made a face, then stole a cupcake. "Oh, and I'm bad!" I exclaimed. Hawkgirl laughed.

"I can't be bad, I'm such a Mom." Hawkgirl said with a smirk. This demanded a serious counter attack. However before I could open my mouth with a smart retort Black Canary had spotted Jet laying at Courtney's feet and began to pet him. Hawkgirl took her chance and flew away, leaving nothing but a swirling grey feather. "I love him!" Black Canary said. "He's so sweet!" Lucky dog. I nodded, halfway through a Funfetti cupcake and loving every second of it.

That night I fell into my couch bed in Hawkgirl's room and looked at the stars behind the window. Jet jumped up next to me and fell asleep half on the couch and half off, and a quarter draped over my legs. Soon they went numb but I didn't have the heart to move the sleeping dog off. I folded my arms behind my head and sighed, listening to the silence. I wondered if that girl was still in the warehouse with her three legged dog, or if it was still raining, or what criminals got away back in New York. I wondered if Misty had stayed out of trouble or if she was being harassed again. Above all I wondered if I would ever be a hero as great as Hawkgirl, known and loved by all.

Finally I could take the big questions no longer. I lifted Jet off my legs and he wasted no time in scrambling to Hawkgirl's bed, taking advantage of her huge bed. "Weirdo." I whispered. I stretched, opening my wings fully and sticking out my arms as far s they would go. The doors slid open and I walked out into the hallway, going wherever my feet took me. The Watchtower was silent except for the quiet whir of machinery. I walked past doors labelled with my favorite hero's names and I felt a wave of excitement at being this close. Before long I was hopelessly lost in the endless corridors of the Watchtower, and enjoying every minute of it.