Thanagarian

Chapter 24

"Abi, are you dead?"

"Shut up, Garth." I mumbled.

"Hey, I'm not some nine year old kid. At least, I hope I'm not."

I opened my eyes. I recognized the metal walls of the watchtower and someone with a staff beside me. When I tried to sit up the pain in my chest caused me to gasp and fall back onto the bed. 

"Ow." I gasped.

"What did you think, you'd heal over night? Well, two nights actually... two nights and three days."

"Two nights and three days!" I repeated in wonder.

"You were drugged most of the time..."

"That's comforting." I grumbled.

"You woke up a few times but it was only for a few minutes and you were groggy and... out of it."

"How bad?" I asked.

"You asked Hawkgirl if she washed your favorite pants and told Jon to, quote on quote, get a life."

"Jeez,"

"Yeah, you woke up that way a few times. You talked a lot too, something about this kid on a rooftop..."

"What?" I asked, trying to look innocent. "Oh, that kid." I quickly filled in. "He found me after I crashed."

"Well it must have been a pretty nasty crash, you have a concussion and several broken ribs, you also partially dislocated your shoulder and cracked a tooth. Not to mention the hole in your wing..."

"No wonder I feel like I just died a few times."

"I can get Jon and he can drug you again."

"No, please do not." I said, faking fear.

Courtney sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. "Yeah, he scares me too sometimes."

"It's not as much him as the drugs..."

"Teen prevention!" Courtney said in a high voice, lifting her staff like a general rallying troops. I laughed, but quickly regretted it as pain seared through my chest. Courtney say me grimace and stood up, picking up her staff. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Hawkgirl will probably be in soon." She paused at the door with her hand on the knob. "And Abi?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't die."

"I'll try." I said from my bed. Courtney stepped out and Hawkgirl came in.

"Hey kid, I couldn't find your favorite pants." She smiled and I smiled back.

"I probably wouldn't be able to get them on anyway, I can even stand."

"You'll be able to soon, I made Jon let you keep your axe."

"Never leave home without it. Speaking of which, did Garth burn it down yet?"

"You can ask him yourself."

"So I'll take that as a no."

I heard the door open and the clicking of a dog's toe nails on the floor alongside the slapping of bare feet. "Hey! You think I'd burn the warehouse down?"

I groaned. "Do you want the answer to that?" Rocket trotted over and put her paws on the bed. I stroked her head gently while Garth ranted on about he was 'responsible' or something. Hawkgirl eventually shot him down by asking how many criminals he'd caught but by then I was exhausted and my head hurt real bad.

"Come on Garth," Hawkgirl began, shepherding him out of the room. "let Abi heal in peace."

"Fine." He agreed. "Rest in pieces Abi!"

"Real comforting!" I called back. "Real comforting!" I heard him laugh, then call Rocket. She came running and the door slid shut behind them. I sighed and rested my head on the pillow, looked like I was in for the long haul.

A week later I could sit up and stay that way and Jon said my ribs were healing well. My concussion was almost gone and my wing was pretty much healed. My dislocated shoulder felt like never happened and I was feeling a bit better every day. My mind wandered to the kid on the roof top often, and New York. Was it in peril? What about Misty, how was she? And Tia, was she fighting for her life right now? Was Echo drinking more tea?

I knew one thing for sure, I couldn't wait to get home. Without the sun I woke up only when someone came to see me and slept whenever I wanted. My hours were very messed up and I could only imagine how tired I would be when I returned to earth.

Courtney came to visit me often and I became pretty close with Supergirl, or Cara as she insisted I called her. All in all I didn't mind the low stress environment of the Watchtower, but I missed the familiar concrete walls and tile floors of the warehouse. Finally I was cleared to go back and Garth, Rocket, and I stood ready on the teleport.

Rocket remained silent the entire time and when we got back she just went and sat down on the rug. Garth gave her a cookie while I looked around. Not much had changed, Garth's trucks littered the floor alongside Rocket's toys. "Garth," I said. "Pick up your trucks, someone's gonna break their neck."

"Come on!" He whined. "It promotes agility!"

"Until someone dies!"

"Fine." He groaned, sticking out his lower lip. "You're such a mom."

"That's my job." I shot back, opening the fridge. I saw salami on the shelf and with a gag shoved it all the way to the back. I really hated salami. I had just rescued a bag of rolls from a certain fate by Rocket when the monotone chant of police voices was interrupted by a stern sounding female voice. "Speeding car down thirty first street, all units report. Barricade the Holland Tunnel. I repeat, barricade the Holland Tunnel."

I turned around and went for the closet, reached in and grabbed my mask. When I turned around Garth had a mask on too, and was wielding a sword. "Can I come?" He begged. "I trained with Black Canary, Hawkman taught me how to fly and fight, and gave me a mask just like his! Please! I can handle myself now! I have a name too! It's Redtail, like the hawk!"

I groaned, I was going to have to work with him soon enough. "Fine." I relented.

"Yes!" He yelled, pumping a fist in the air. A few minutes later we were ready. His costume consisted of a red 'x' across his chest with the Thanagarian crest in the center. His pants were green and his boots were red and on his belt on his left hip hung a sword in its sheath. His mask was similar to Hawkman's, with larger wings on the sides and a longer hooked nose, like a beak. His mask completely covered his black hair but his green eyes were still visible.

"Let's kick butt." He said, drawing his sword.