Legends Pt. 2
Chapter 39
I was lead to a room for women only, I guess these guys still had comic 70's rules… Women and men sleep in opposite beds and not in the same room unless married…
Shyira didn't mind as long as I was with her and safe, the others were taken down the hall to rest… It had been a trialing day for all of us.
"Tala… You okay?" Shyira asked me.
"Honestly? I don't know…" I say rubbing my arm.
"It's… A lot to take in huh?" She sat on one bed.
"Yeah… It kinda is… But this answers some questions on how I got to your world right?" I forced a smile.
"You don't have to fake it… We're all happy to get you home… But we're all so close now, it's sad to have to say good bye." She tells me.
"I know… I know…" I sat with her and she wrapped a wing around me gently.
"Even if we have to say good bye… We'll always remember you." She smiled weakly.
"As if I could ever forget this!" I laughed weakly and rubbed my eyes gently.
Shotzey whined and jumped up next to us, "What… What will we do with him?" She asked.
"Maybe… Maybe Flash could take him? I don't know yet… I don't want to think about it…" I shake my head and hugged my dog tightly.
He could only lick my cheek free of tears and whimper, he knew something was wrong, but he didn't understand that all his kisses couldn't make our problem and sorrow go away…
"We'll worry about it later… YOU need to rest! You and J'onn gave us a scare today!" She forced herself to be… Well, herself…
"You need to rest too." I smiled back weakly.
"I will, but I want to talk to Lantern first… Knowing him, he's probably pacing a dent in the floors…" She rolled her eyes.
"Good point… Night…" I toed off my shoes and crawled into bed.
She turned off the lights and closed the door gently.
Why am I running?
What's going on?
I don't dream…
Wait…
This isn't even a normal dream like in my world…
I was tripped by rubble and I covered my head as a bright orange light exploded around me.
The screams were deafening. The heat was… Unbearable… I can't… I CAN'T BREATHE!
"SOMEBODY! HELP ME!"
I coughed violently, the dust and ash making my lungs burn…
"My eyes! I can't see!" They watered up so bad, no matter how hard I tried to scrub them, they would just water right back up!
I felt someone grab me up… Green Guardsman…
He dragged me away from the open and into a broken down building, he was… Oh god… What happened to him? He was beaten near death and his suit was shredded!
"Stay… Low…" He fell to the ground and passed out!
"No!" I grabbed his shoulder and turned him on his back, his skin was so pale…
I pulled off his mask and was horrified to see his face burned…
Did a bomb go off around here? Where is everyone else?
I touched his neck to check for a pulse… But… There was nothing…
He used the last moment of his life… To save… Me?
"HELP! HELP SOMEBODY!" I screamed loudly.
"HELP US! PLEASE! SOMEBODY! HELP US!"
"Tala! Open your eyes!"
I gasped so hard I choked on the air I was trying to get in my lungs.
I was turned on my side and I felt a hand on my back, voices were all around me and my sight was a little blurry…
"Tala, you're alright! Breathe!" I hear someone tell me.
I looked up and it was J'onn, he looked pale and shaken like I felt right now.
"What is going on?" We hear someone throw the door open and everyone ran in.
"J'onn! What happened? You just bolted!" Wally asked.
"Tala was distressed… I felt her mind reaching out wildly…" He hugged me tightly as I finally got my breathing under control.
I hugged him back, just to ground myself.
"Is she okay? What happened?" Lantern walked up.
"Nightmare… Just a horrible… Horrible nightmare…" I say weakly.
"Try night terror… Kid you tore up the sheets..." Lantern held up the linen scraps that were once curled tightly in my hands.
"Oh… Sorry… I don't know what happened…" I say weakly.
"It's alright now darlin'! Come on… Let's get you some fresh clothes and a hot bath to calm you down…" Siren came in and pulled me to my feet.
I slowly stood up but my legs were like jelly, she had to support me the rest of the way to the bathroom.
"I don't know Siren… I don't really dream anymore in their world…" I say as she poured in some bubble bath in the water.
"Everyone has dreams dear…" She tried to comfort me.
"Not like this… I haven't been like this since… Since…" I trailed off thinking of my father.
She saw my hesitance and sat on the edge of the tub.
"Oh darlin', don't worry about it right now… Whatever it was it's over now, and you're okay." She pets my hair gently and I sighed.
"Thanks… I'll try…"
"Good! Now, you take a nice bath and take some time to get yourself together again." She handed me some towels.
"Thanks again." I smiled weakly.
Clean and in my now cleaner clothes, the others were waiting for me with the rest of the Justice Guild. Lantern was the first to see me walk in.
"Kid, you okay?" He asked walking up to me.
"Honestly? I don't know…" I say weakly.
I leaned my head to his chest and just leaned against him.
He used one hand to rub my back, "We're here for you when you're ready to talk… You know that right?" He asked.
"Yeah… Yeah. I know." I smiled weakly and closed my eyes.
"We can talk about it when we get home, I promise I will tell you guys." I say.
"Good… come on, the others are waiting." He ruffled my hair gently.
The morning was rough on everyone it seemed, but the Justice Guild looked cheerful as ever. I ended up taking Shotzey outside on his leash with Ray, he was really interested in my pup's training.
"Excuse me children!" We hear.
I was surprised as the chief of police and an office walked up to us with a note in hand.
"Chief!" Ray blinked surprised.
"We have something for the Guild. It is important." He said, however, he didn't sound… Worried? He looked rather calm about the whole thing…
Odd…
"They're all inside. Come with us." I say.
Shotzey sniffed at the chief and looked at him wearily.
Once all inside, they handed Tom the envelope, apparently the villains we were mistaken for the day before were leaving clues for the Guild, some sort of game?
"Seriously… This is just down right weird…" I huffed to Flash as they started reading off the letter.
"No joke… But this is a comic world…" He could only shrug.
To the Justice Guild,
Prepare for our most fiendish plot of all! A crime spree based on the 4 elements of the Ancient World: fire, air, water, and earth. Catch us if you can!
Dastardly yours,
The Injustice Guild
"What kind of criminal tip off the authorities?" Hawkgirl asked him.
"The worst kind. I doubt there's enough good between the four of them to care for a wounded puppy." Green Guardsman said lowly.
Shotzey whined loudly at that and pouted up at me.
"Oh my good boy…" I cooed at him gently.
"Justice League, we need your help." The Speedster said tossing the letter in the trash bin.
"You can count on us." Lantern nodded.
"Should be easy enough." I smiled.
"Ray, the Decoder Rings!" The Speedster nodded to him.
"Decoder rings!" I smiled excitedly as Ray ran by me to a bookshelf and pulled a book out, only for it to move the WHOLE shelf and revealed a podium and a small box with a velvet cushion holding a good few of rings.
"We don't have time to induct you with a formal ceremony, but consider yourselves honorary members of the Justice Guild." He handed out rings to us.
I was jittery with excitement and I slipped the ring on quickly and smiled widely.
"I don't believe it… you could order rings JUST like these off the back of the old comic books." Lantern said in awe as he slipped his new ring on.
"I know right! My dad kept his as a collector's item! We keep it in good condition and protect it as a treasure… Mom loved my dad's childish side… She promised us that no matter what we wouldn't sell it even if we were offered a million dollars…" I say fondly as I rubbed my fingers over the round surface.
I jumped as Flash rested his hang on my shoulder.
"S-sorry! Not the time!" I blushed brightly.
"No way kiddo! That's… That's a nice memory." He smiled as he hugged me.
"Oh help me please… I didn't mean to start this!" I whined.
"We should split into teams if we're to have any hope of defeating the Injustice Guild." The Speedster said.
That instantly got Flash off me and standing next to Siren.
"Let's just go with the person on our left! So, I guess it's you and me huh?" He smiled charmingly and looked to her flirty like.
I rolled my eyes and groaned annoyed with my friend/brother so quickly flirting with her.
"Can I come? Can I? Can I?" Ray asked excitedly.
I looked at Ray stunned, really? I barely get allowed to go missions with asking and puppy eyes. I mostly get pulled into the insanity, and since he is a minor, they surely wouldn't risk his health and safety of this young man! I mean, he was just a little younger than me!
"I would hesitate to put the boy in harm's way." J'onn started.
"Sure thing little buddy!" Catman said smiling.
"Oh Boy!"
Oh… I guess this is Comic rules… The young ward watches the battle and doesn't take part like I do… And as well, I don't usually stand by like a good little girl scout.
As everyone started out the door Lantern and I were stopped by Tom.
"I will remain behind to work on the Trans-Dimensional Gateway. Getting you all home is of equal importance." He says seriously.
"Thank you… Really." I smiled at him gratefully.
"Ladies first." Green Guardsman held the door for me and Hawkgirl.
"Right…" Hawkgirl looked a little annoyed with chivalrous act at the moment.
I giggled and nodded to him kindly.
"Okay, you're with me kiddo!" Hawkgirl wrapped her arm around my shoulder.
"Huh, uh okay. Hang on." I looked at her a little alarmed.
"Is it alright if I have Shotzey stay here? He's already been outside and he's house trained. He also doesn't chew on anything." I asked Guardsman.
"I don't see why not! And even if he got into a little trouble it would be alright because he's still just learning." He smiled and patted Shotzey's head lovingly.
Shotzey barked happily and licked his hand.
"Hear that boy. You be good okay." I smiled and scratched his ear.
He gave a wide smile and panted happily.
Hawkgirl kept an arm around my waist and I held her mace in arm.
"You sure this is a good idea? I mean usually I'm with Flash or Lantern." I say.
"Exactly. We don't get missions together often. Been a while since you and I had a good one together." She smiled and winked.
"Aaaaaand, you don't want me to get hurt around them again right?" I smiled wearily.
"Yup." She popped the p at the end.
GUYS…
OMG…
THIS YEAR HAS ME SO EXHAUSED...
Where do I start? We moved… I got a new job when I settled into our new apartment… My brother had another kiddo… Then COVID happened and then there was the tornado that tore up everything down the street… OH! My gallbladder is giving out on me! I thought I was getting IBS because I already have a lot of stomach issues since I was younger so why not? But I got testing done and my gallbladder isn't working as well as it should be so I'm just sick all the time and now I'm exhausted…
I have a surgery date set up to have it removed so FINGERS CROSSED the pain and nausea just goes away once the faulty organ is removed.
SO, I'm really, really, REALLY behind on my chapters, and what better time to work on them than when I'm on sick leave for my surgery!
I hope to have another chapter up soon after this one is posted so I hope you all enjoy! If you see something wrong, let me know and I will fix it as SOON as possible! Or if you just wanna leave a comment, I won't argue!
I will post another chapter to make up for all the months I've missed soon!
Peace out!
~*~Katie Gibbs~*~