Thanagarian

Chapter 12

I limped after Hawkgirl as she led the way to the teleports, Courtney walking beside me. I took my position, crouching down and holding onto Jet's collar, while Hawkgirl went to the control table for the location. "Wait!" Stargirl said. "Can I go with her? We can trade back when you wanna go home." Hawkgirl sighed.

"Fine, get on the teleport."

"Yes!" She pumped her free fist in the air and ran to stand next to me, putting the butt of her staff down with a thud.

A few seconds later we were back at the warehouse... and we weren't alone. The intruder was in the fridge, just a few feet ahead of us. She hadn't noticed our presence, but her dog did. The three legged shepherd looked surprised and I took that moment to limp across the room and grab my mask while Courtney used the cosmic energy from her staff to bind the dog's mouth shut. She held Jet's collar with the other hand and struggled to keep him away from the white dog.

I slid the mask onto my face and and Stargirl used her staff to lift the dog up and put her on the other side of the room. Of course as soon as Courtney let the shepherd go she began to bark and snarl. The girl whipped around from the fridge to face us. Jet was returning the shepherd's every bark with a vicious one of his own. Courtney bopped him on the her with her staff, then put it in defense position as the girl turned to face us.

I moved my axe to match Courtney's staff and stood with my legs far apart. The shepherd had dashed across the room and was standing in front of the girl. She knelt down and put her hand on the shepherd's head. "Easy, Angel. Easy." Angel, so that was the dog's name. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Who are you?" Courtney challenged.

"Misty, you?" She replied, crossing her arms. Her eyes fell on me and they lit up. "Wings!"

Courtney pointed at me with her left hand and at the girl with her staff. "You guys know each other?"

"Yeah." I answered. "I saved her." There was a pause, then I added, "Twice." Misty smiled.

"My first New York City superhero, and I'd thought I'd seen it all." She put a hand on her hip. "So what are you guys doing here? And how did you get so beat up, Wings?"

I let Jet go and he ran to my bed, leaping up and claiming it once more. "We're here on a mission. And saving the world." I replied, poking Stargirl in the ribs to make her play along.

"Ow." She complained, putting her hands on her rib.

"Whoops." I said, shooting her a look. "My bad." She bit her lip, then nodded her head ever so slightly. "Yep, got a super criminal to take down. Sent here on a secret mission." Okay, she was really over playing it. Misty shot a suspicious glance in our direction before she nodded slowly. "Huh." She said quietly.

"Well we'd better go." I said, indicating the door. "Don't worry about Jet, he won't bother you if you don't bug him. He lives here."

"Oh." Said Misty. "Great." I nodded, then spread my wings and tossed my battle axe so I could catch it handle up and put it in my belt loop. I turned around and opened my wings as Courtney hovered a few feet off the ground. "See you around, Misty, don't die." I said as I soared out the window. "I'll try, but I won't make any promises!" She called after me. Courtney followed, gliding behind me. "So, whatcha wanna do?" She asked."

"Dairy Queen, follow me! And it's the only thing I could probably eat." I said as I banked sharply. She followed me as we soared over New York City until I reached the place my Mother took me when she had off. I landed, pointing my toes so I could keep my balance and landed without stumbling. I ran forward a few paces to keep from falling on my face. I adjusted my mask, pulled up my shirt, took a deep breath, folded my wings, and walked up to the stand. "Hello, I'd like an extra large chocolate ice cream in a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles." I looked at Courtney. "What do you want, Stargirl?"

She smiled and read the menu, using her staff to hold her place. "Uh, I'll have the.. hmm, no, maybe... no, no, Ooh! I'll have rainbow sherbet." The dazed woman nodded and handed us our ice cream. Stargirl tasted hers and made a face. "Ew, I should have gone with the mint." I laughed. "Your loss."

"Can I have some of yours?"

I looked at her, making a face behind my mask. "No way, you get what you get."

"Hey, ladies!" Someone called. "Smile!" We turned around and saw a man holding a camera. We smiled, Courtney held up her staff and I opened my wings wide. The camera flashed and the man made a thumbs up. "Great! Thanks!" We nodded, then continued our walk down 5th avenue. "That's gonna be in the papers." Courtney commented.

"Great, can't wait to see what Hawkgirl will think." When we got back to warehouse Misty and Angel were gone, leaving just Jet alone and sulking. "Oh, Jettie Bettie." I teased as I walked in and saw him in the blankets. "Your emotions are so delicate." Courtney laughed.

"He's worse than a teenager." I walked over to him and hugged him, flipping his ears.

"I love you Jettie Bettie." He sighed, I sighed, and Courtney gagged at her ice cream. She dumped it in the trash and wipe her hands on hers shorts, suspending her cosmic staff in its own energy so her hands were free. As soon as she was done she picked up the staff and looked at me and Jet. At that moment there was a flash of light and Hawkgirl was standing in the center of the room. "Whelp, better go." Said Courtney. "See ya around."

"See ya around, Courtney."

Hawkgirl looked at the sulking Jet, the empty ice cream cone in my hand, and Courtney's rainbow mouth before raising an eyebrow behind her mask and asking, "What did I miss?"