Thanagarian

Chapter 11

I fell asleep in the cafeteria and woke up to something poking me. I pulled my wings around myself and looked up through half closed eyes, my face the very picture of lack of amusement. Courtney stood there, holding her staff and trying to hold back a laugh with Hawkgirl trying just as hard. As soon as my eyes opened they both lost it, bending double and clutching their sides. Soon they were both crying from laughing so hard and Courtney was on the floor, tears squeezing out from behind her mask. I looked up and made a face. "I see sleep is hard to come by here." Courtney and Hawkgirl were still recovering from their laughter and I stood up, spreading my wings. "Okay, who's idea was this?"Hawkgirl pointed at Courtney whose eyes widened as she slowly backed away.

I rubbed my eyes and turned around, searching for breakfast. "Expect the favor to be returned." She looked at Hawkgirl. "Please protect me!" Hawkgirl snorted.

"You brought this upon yourself." She said, turning and walking out only after she'd taken muffin from the tray. I watched her go, tossing the muffin from hand to hand as she walked with her mace swinging from its belt. I laughed. "Well, it's just me and you." I teased, Courtney faked a gulp of fear and started at the other end of the buffet. I piled eggs, french toast, muffins, bacon, bagels, waffles, and a glass of orange juice on several plates and brought them back to my table, almost dropping them several times.

I finally got them there safely and sat down with a fork ready to stab. Courtney sat down across from me with a meager helping of eggs and buttered toast. I looked with wide eyes, "That's all you're gonna eat?" I asked.

"Yeah, some people don't have bottomless pits for a stomach." She slapped her thigh. "Everything I eat goes right there." I laughed between bites, no, forkfuls of french toast, as my breakfast quickly vanished. By the time I finished Stargirl still had some eggs on her plate. "You gonna finish that?" I asked.

She sighed, "You can have it." She pushed her plate towards me and I dumped it onto my plate, mixing them with leftover syrup. After my huge breakfast Stargirl gave me a tour and I found Jet with Mr. Terrific in the command center. "Did he behave himself?"

"We had a small...incident...." Mr. Terrific said, indicating the plastic garbage bin full of paper towels. "But the Watchtower doesn't have any dog bathrooms so it's understandable."

"I'm sorry about that." I said.

"Don't be," He replied. "It happens to the best of us."

I picked the black shepherd up and started to leave when I ran into Black Canary and Green Arrow. "I've heard you're a pretty good fighter." Canary said.

"I guess," I replied. "I've only ever taken down a drunk guy harassing this kid."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Better than nothing, I'll meet you in the gym?"

"Sure." I replied, trying to keep Jet close as he struggled to get to Canary. She smiled and stroked his head. Stargirl took me back to Hawkgirl's room and I put Jet down inside along with some newspapers so generously donated by The Flash. The door slid closed and I took a deep breath, turning to look at Courtney. "Will I get my butt kicked?"

"One hundred percent chance." She said with a grin. We walked the short distance to the gym where Black Canary was waiting. I matched her stance and swung a punch. She ducked and grabbed my arm, throwing me to the ground. Courtney gasped, Green Arrow groaned, and Black Canary offered my her hand. Two hours later it hurt to move my everything and all Canary had to show for it was a small bruise under her eye and a mark on her arm where I'd bitten her.

"You're pretty good, Kid." She said while I was painfully walking towards Hawkgirl's room. She handed me a towel to wipe the blood off my face and I took it, gently trying to rub the blood off. However it was already dry so I had no luck. Black Canary dropped me off at the door and turned to leave. "Anytime you want to train, just come on over."

"Thanks." I said, trying to move my swollen jaw as little as possible. She nodded, then walked away with Green Arrow. Courtney looked at my swollen, bruised and bloody face and made a face. "You look horrible."

"Thanks Captain Obvious." I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome Lieutenant Sarcastic." She said happily. I mock scowled, then opened the door. Within a second Jet was on us, panting and shedding and whining excitedly. Stargirl dropped her cosmic staff and gathered Jet into her arms, rubbing his back and sending clumps of fur floating into the air. Hawkgirl came in the door close behind us. "Hey Abi, I think we should-" She looked at my face and her words trailed off. I started for the door. "Let's go."

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please comment or ask questions or suggest ideas, I'd love to hear them!