DarkWing (Final Editing in Progress)

Chapter 12 - Reflections

I woke up to find Wulf, Jinx and Drake staring at me cockeyed. I was blinded by the sun reflecting off the metal walls of the warehouse. I rubbed my dazed eyes as I sleepily asked, "What is it?"

"Dude," Wulf said. "What's up with the bird?"

I stopped rubbing my left eye and pulled my hand away so I could look at Wulf. He was staring at me left shoulder, and I turned my head. There was Death. She was staring right at me with her head turned like a dog does when you speak to it. I quietly laughed a little but then it all came back to me. Before I knew it, my smile quickly faded, so quickly that I knew the others had noticed.

"Don't mind her..." I replied, my voice still half asleep, but my mind sharply woken by the thoughts of the previous night's events.

"Her?" Wulf asked sarcastically. "It's a her? Did you check?" he asked, obviously implying something that I don't want to try to imagine right now.

"She told me," I responded sharply. It was too early for me to come up with something clever.

"You can speak to her," Jinx said understandingly.

"We can understand each other. I don't really understand what's happening, but I can do it with all other ravens."

"You mean telepathy," Drake butted in.

"I guess." My head began to hurt. I didn't understand it myself, and here I was, forced to explain it before I could even really wake myself up. I began to start to pity myself, when I realized, "Where's Shadow?" They all simultaneously motioned their heads upwards, and I glanced at the ceiling. There she was, hanging as usual, sound asleep in her dark corner. Her wing looked as if it was never hurt in the first place. "Wow."

"She's a fighter," said Jinx. "Can't keep her down for long."

"I'll say," I said, stunned and relieved at the same time. It wasn't serious, but she should have been handicapped for almost month, yet here she was, completely healed in a matter of hours. "What was in that Corrector formula..." I thought to myself.

"Uncontrollable..." Death whispered.

I knew I was the only one that could hear her, and I probably looked insane when I turned to her and asked, "What?" Her thoughts went silent, and I turned to the others. They all stared at me, puzzled. I looked at them, and took a deep breath. "Don't mind me," I said as I ran my hands through my hair, trying to tear away the sleepy fog filling my head.

"Is this gonna be a regular thing, bird whisperer?" Jinx asked jokingly.

"You're not gonna start flirting with her, are you?" Drake added. They all laughed. I smiled.

"Ha. Ha." I responded. "Very funny guys. Sure, pick on the guy who talks to his bird. At least I don't lick myself."

"Hey!" Jinx and Wulf yelled in unison. Me and Drake looked at each other and laughed. Then, I looked over at Wulf, who was staring intently at Death.

"Wulf..? Have you eaten yet today?" I asked. His eyes shifted to me. "Don't even try," I said jokingly. He looked down, slightly ashamed.

"I'm gonna head out," Wulf said.

"Yeah, I think I'll go too," Drake added. They both began walking toward the door.

I began to wonder what time it was. "The sun is at it's peak." I turned my attention to Death, and when she read my thoughts, "I am sorry. I sense you are displeased. I will try to respect your... what does this word, privacy, mean. To be honest, this concept is foreign to me, to ravens."