Thanagarian

Chapter 20

Trust her? Trust the kid that tried to kill me? Why were first days so bad for me, my first day of school I fell and cracked my head open, my first day with Jet and I lost him on my way home. My first day with Hawkgirl and I puked my brains out, my first day with Garth and he gets stabbed, my first day knowing this kid and I almost drown. Twice! Yet, she seemed to be in danger with this battle thing...

"Fine." I relented.

"Follow me!" She lead me to the closest door and opened it. "When I say 'go' you go in there and stay in there." She told me.

"No," I said sarcastically. "I'm just gonna walk in, then walk out three seconds later." But I went in, and she slammed the door. I ruffled my wings with annoyance, sending droplets of water flying as I took in my surroundings. I was in a pantry, and there were chocolate bars. I heard a crash and quickly grabbed a few and dropped them in my chest plate, tucking them securely in my bra. Hey, you use what you have!

The girl opened the door and I pretended to look innocent, walking out and looking at the huge puddle on the floor. "Now that we aren't in a life or death situation anymore.. Hello, Abigail Miller. I'm Tia Isling, it's a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand. I fluffed the grey feathers on my wings one more time, then took it, trying not to crush it.

"Thanks, can I have my axe now?"

"Your welcome, I mean I did summon it."

"I meant for healing my rib cage. But thanks for getting rid of that..." I looked over her shoulder at the puddle. "-thing." I finished.

"Wanna be friends?" She asked, kind of out of the blue.

"Sure, but don't kill me, and don't die. My friends tend to be accident prone." I said, dead serious. "Also, what is this thing about a battle royal and a fight to the death? Is it real or were you making it up?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "And can I have my axe back?"

"It's a long story, I guess it will be worth telling, Thanagarian."

She led me back to the kitchen, Echo was still absent, and she proceeded to tell me everything, from meeting the Echomnia to the battle to present day. Explaining her magic. "That's great, a fight to the death and all, but when you run out of manna do you have to go hand to hand?"

"Yeah." She said. "I'm kind of scared for that."

"Hey," I said, leaning back and resting my boots on the table. "I fight like that every day. Axes are hard to use in close quarters. I could teach you something."

"You could? That's great!"

"Yep." I said, popping the 'p.' Then I made my move. I dropped a cookie, then when I bent down to pick it up I grabbed the legs of her chair and pulled them out from under her, sending her falling to the ground. She held her hands up and a blue light glowed from her palms.

"Nope, no magic. Unfair advantage! You have no manna left, remember?"

"Right, sorry." She said, picking herself up. I then dropped my shoulder and bowled into her, sending the pads for her stomach. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I lifted her up, then fell on top of her. I rolled off and took up a fighting stance just like Hawkgirl taught me, trying to ignore the crinkling of candy wrappers coming from my chest. She leaped up and faced me, her hands in front of her. "Good." I said. "You're learning. Reaction, Recovery, Retaliation!" I said. "The three 'r's of fighting."

She went running for me and grabbed me around my abdomen but I swung myself up so I was sitting on her shoulders. Her legs buckled and she fell. I jumped off and she got back up. This time she went at me with her fists but she was sloppy, like me when I first started.  "Your strength doesn't come from your arms, you have to keep a solid core for a solid punch. She took a deep breath and then sent a punch. I grabbed it and it actually forced my arms back a little. "Good!" I said. She threw her other fist at me and it hit my stomach, forcing the breath out of me.

Reacting fast I grabbed her second fist so both her arms were held still. "Now," I began. "Your arms are down. What do you do?" She kicked out a leg but I sent mine for the leg she was standing on and she went tumbling to the ground. I offered my hand and she took it, brushing herself off.

"Your best bet in that situation would have been a head butt, go for your opponent's chin or nose with the crown of your head. I have a helmet on, so it would hurt like hell."

"Why do you wear a helmet? Can I see your face?"

"I wear a helmet because I just do, and no you can not."

She reached for it but I grabbed her hand and looked her fiercely in the eye. "No. You. Can. Not." I repeated.

"Sorry," She replied. "I just really want to see your face."

"Maybe when you give me my axe back and let Garth go."

"He's almost healed, then you can have both. Can you take it off now?"

I sighed, a promise is a promise. I put my hands on either side of the mask and slowly lifted it away, sending tendrils of red hair over my face. I could imagine what she saw, the face of an ordinary thirteen year old girl. Freckles, green eyes, bruises from my fight with the echomnia, and a swollen eye.

"Okay, you saw it." I said, dropping my mask back on my head. I turned away at the flutter of wings and saw the fox fly in.

"The boy is healed." She said. "You may take him now." I held out my arms and she put a sleeping Garth in them, he had shorts on and his leg was bandaged. He had a shirt on that had most of the back cut out so his limp wings would fit through. Echo showed us to the door and I took off, my wings working double time to carry us both. When I made it to the warehouse I dumped the kid on the bed and took the chocolate bars out of my bra. I sorted them out and was gathering them up when a hand took one.

"Hey!" I yelled, turning around to see Garth. He was standing just fine, the magic stuff must really work. He opened the wrapper and took a bite of the candy inside. "A little melted, but good!" He exclaimed.