Thanagarian

Chapter 28

**A six month TS brought to you by my laziness and excitement to start the next book**

Brian and I had become such good friends we may even be called a couple. In fact, we kind of were. The first time he'd said: "I love you." I was completely surprised.

"But how could you?" I countered. "You don't even know what I look like, you don't even know who I am!"

"I don't need to know what you look like, all I know is your beautiful inside and out, and nothing will ever change that. And I do know who you are, you're a hero. And that's good enough for me."

Eventually I came to agree with him, and I loved him too, although whenever he said I love you my only reply was: I do too. I had never told him I loved him, but I knew he understood that I did love him, with all my heart.

Rocket grew up, and still she remained silent. Garth struck out on his own three months ago, to National City. As he put it, "New York already has a hero, they don't need another." Hawkgirl barely came to visit anymore either.

So it was just me and Rocket. Misty came to visit often, bringing along Goose and sometimes Thanagar. He and Rocket quickly became best friends, and she would sit at the door and wait for them whenever I told her they were coming.

Every day she got smarter and smarter, until she could even outsmart me. One of the games we loved to play was hide and seek, I would hide and she would find me. The longest it ever took her to find me was fifty seconds. Misty bought her a puzzle toy a while ago, it was a ball that had to roll a certain way for the cookie to fall out. She figured it out in ten minutes.

I taught her to sit, stay, shake, lay down, roll over, play dead, beg, jump, frame, freeze, play tag, walk, jog, and run, all on command. She was so smart, in fact, that she learned tricks faster than I could find new ones. The one trick she refused to learn was speak, she never made a sound. But I didn't mind, I loved her anyway.

Life was the best it had ever been, I had a boyfriend, I had a best friend, I had an amazing dog, and crime in New York was at an all time low. All because of me. The police radio was often silent now, just a steady stream of words about traffic violations. The city was at ease, and so was I.

However, like all good things, it wasn't meant to last. One morning after Brian and I had flown to Ellis Island and gotten ice cream he told me he had to go to the bank, and then he told me a Misty Fact: How Hamilton had founded the first national bank.

I had laughed and flown him back to the rooftop, the same place we had met months ago. He swung down the ladder just like every day, and was gone. I had gone back to the warehouse, fed Rocket, wrestled with her, then the radio came on:

"Bank holdup on thirteenth street, suspect is armed and holding hostages."

Brian.

I grabbed my mask and my ax, then took off. My wings worked harder than ever before, cutting through air as I made a desperate beeline for the bank.

When I got there it was surrounded by cops, the chief was talking through a megaphone. I crashed through the door and rolled, sending glass shards flying.

"Run!" I screamed, and most of the hostages went running out the door. Police flooded in and surrounded the man, who held Brian at gunpoint. I drew my ax and pointed it at the man too, as he clutched Brian to his chest. Then, before the police could, he shot Brian in the stomach. I screamed, Brian screamed, gunshots ripped through the air, the man fell, officers fell, blood made the floor slick, and Brian slumped against the wall, his hand to his stomach.

"Brian!" I screamed, in tears.

"Wings," He began, his breathing labored. "Be the hero you were meant to be."

I grabbed his hand and took off, heading for the nearest hospital, across the Hudson River. His blood soaked hands kept slipping from mine. We were halfway there.

"Hold on Brian! Hold on!" I called through gritted teeth, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. "Almost to the river!" I informed, almost losing him. "Just hold on!"

We were above the river, the sparkling, murky water lapping softly. Then he fell. Blood caught the sun and I gasped, screaming his name. Then I dove. I dove for him, my wings folded against my back as I tried to catch up to him. I did, wrapping my hand across his stomach, and I heard gasps from people on the bridge. But we were too close, too close.

I felt water fill my mouth and nose, and Brian suddenly became weightless. No. No! I was not going to lose him! My wings weighed me down, pulling Brian with them. I fought them, I fought with everything I had left, and my masked face broke the surface. I pulled Brian up behind me, brushing away the bloody water from his face. When I moved him over my shoulders crimson liquid leaked from the corner of his mouth and I cried again.

I swam towards shore as fast as I could manage, towing him behind me. I arived on the shore and fell to my knees, coughing up water. Medics gabbed him and rushed him to an ambulance, and a police officer grabbed my shoulder.

"Good work Hawk Kid, who knows what would have happened if you hadn't saved him."

Yes, who knows?

I was brought to the hospital too, and was treated for all the water I had swallowed. As i walked out I spotted Misty.

"Mi-" I began, but she saw me, and her face hardened.

"You!" She said, her tone dripping poison. "Hero. Some hero. What hero kills someone? You're no more of a hero than your stupid Jet is alive!"

My heart clenched and I fought tears once again.

"No wonder you wear a mask, you must be afraid to show your face!"

Lin put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off, anger radiating from her every move.

Then she sang: "Baa baa black sheep have you any soul?"

I felt my muscles flex, and anger started to work my muscles against my will.

"I don't even know your name." She spat.

"Abi." I said, my voice deathly calm and quiet. "It's Abi."

Then I fled out the door and was gone.

I managed to find Brian's hospital room, and I stayed outside the window until Misty was gone. Stupid Misty. I gently worked the window open and stepped inside. His vitals were weak, and from what I'd heard from the nurses he wouldn't make it through the night. I held his hand, and his eyes opened.

"Brian?" I asked, pushing his chestnut hair from his freckled face.

"Wings." He whispered, his voice weak and hard to hear. "Be... be a he- hero."

I kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Brian, I love you."

"I do... too." He managed, his hand becoming slack in mine. I heard voices and footsteps, then the door handle turned. I put his hand on his chest, looked one last time at the person I loved, then I was gone.