The Lion's Falcon (chap.1)

I took a sip of my hot chocolate, licking off the whipped cream that stuck to my lip. "this is the life." I sighed. Sitting here, in my favorite restaurant. VV's Cafe was my favorite place in the world. Old man Vinny definitely knows what I like, that's for sure! Maybe it has something to do with the fact I've come here every day but Thursdays since I was two, always in 'disguise'. Old man insisted. what a worrier. The door bell chimed, meaning someone had come in. a waitress in popped out of the back room, smiling and coming to get the visitor seated. Oh, i remember Margie! We used to play chutes and ladders every Tuesday night when I was little. Her thick ball of curly red hair bobbed up and down as she hurried by me, then she froze. And...trembled? "F-Fallon" She murmered, her muuddy brown eyes briefly searching my face before flashing up at the door again, "Help." "Give me all the cash in the register." A rough young voice demanded. Geez, what a meanie. Ruining a perfectly good day like this. I looked up, he was maybe a little taller than me, greasy blond hair tucked under a grubby green baseball cap, pale skin, but definitely muscular. Given he's a cutie, I guess I could let good manners slip. Except for the part where he scared poor Margie! What the heck can you steal from a cafe, anyway? I slid out of my usual booth, positioned right next to the door for quick escapes, and took up a new position, standing defensively in front of the man at the register. Old man Vinny. "WHO ARE YOU!?" the kid yelled nervously, spinning to point his little 'gun' at me. "~Who am I, who am I?~" I sang, laughing. The kid was holding what looked like a water-gun he painted black. I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Still, anybody who thinks they can threaten my Vinny like that is going to have to pay. "Old man." I said, not taking my eyes off the kid and his toy, "You and Margie should probably back up. Because now," I broke into a grin, "Now I'm angry." Hesitantly, Vinny backed away, I saw his head of dark grey hair out of the corner of my eye, heading towards the back room with Margie and the few customers they had. "Take it easy on him, will you?" He called. ha. Not a chance. First I gotta get him outta here. What's the use of fighting to protect this place If it gets turned to rubble in the process? "Are you a-a hero, or somethin?" The kid squeaked. Wow, this guys a wimp. Still, might as well have some fun. "Hmmmm....' i murmured, feigning thoughtfulness. "I'm not a hero, but i'm not a villain." The kid growled. He's feistier than i thought. "what are you then!?" He demanded. "A falcon." And with that I threw myself forward, smashing into the guy with enough force to send us both staggering out the door, the bell chiming fiercely. We stumbled onto the sidewalk, people screaming and running away from the brawl. I pinned him easily, drew back my fist, and connected with a loud crack that sent his hat sailing into the air. "Gah!" he cried, his arms flew up, grasping his nose. "You little!" He struggled then threw me off of him, and I thunked down on my back with a sharp stab of pain that shot through my entire body. guess I'm a little rusty, huh? Oh! I patted my head. "Hey!" I yelled angrily. The kid threw himself on me, now i'm pinned. "Old man Vinny bought me that hat you little!" I grabbed both of his hands. He's going the regret this! he's going to regret, and then he's going to die! I threw myself into the air. into the sky. I never really thought much about flying. It was just something I could do, ya know? People breathe, I breath. People walk, I walk. People run, I run. People dream...I fly. And, i get angry. "THAT WAS MY FAVORITE HAT, YOU MEANIE-FACE!" I yelled, "NOW YOU HAD BETTER APOLOGIZE!!!" "ARE YOU OUT OF YOU MIND!" he yelled, flailing wildly. "LET GO, LET GO!" I grinned, stopping mid-air. Below, people looked really tiny, they stopped and stared, some of them pointing. I grinned. "~okie doke~" I sang. and I let go. "NO!!!" He grabbed my oversized winter coat, hanging on for dear life. "Hey!" I yelled, "that's my disguise! Let go!" Too late. The zipper popped, then snapped and the entire thing pulled me down a few frightening feet before plunging, dragging the boy with it. I watched the shock and fear dawn on the kid, no older than me, as he fell. "You're a girl!?" He asked incredulously. That little! Of course I'm a girl! the image of Vinny flashed in my mind. 'take it easy on him, will you?' Crap! I'm so sorry Vinny! I rocketed downward, arm outstretched to grab the kid. Not gonna make it! He's gonna-FLASH- "what the..." I murmured. I eased my self to the ground, a pang of relief flooding me when my feet touched the sidewalk. "Were's the jerk?" "Hey you!" Someone called. I looked out across the street and there, on the roof of a flower shop, was a figure. Hey! Isn't that the meanie sitting next to the figure? "We don't take too kindly to people messing with our city." the figure growled. "TITANS, GO!" Titans...what? Who the heck are the- "Fallon!" I spun and saw old man Vinny running towards me, his wrinkled face filled fear. "Run! please, go!" "what are you talkin about, old man?" I demanded. "Too late!" someone yelled. I spun in time to see a van, shrouded in some strange dark aura, fling itself at me. "Vinny!" I screamed, I flung myself at the old man, skirting along the sidewalk and lugging the old man with me. The van narowly missed us and the cafe, taking out the abandoned electronics store beside it with a deafening crash and the sound of breaking glass. I flew up, along the side of the buildings, then set Vinny down on a roof, he should be safe...right? I breathed in and out, calming myself. Here we go. I jumped. and again. and again. Finally, I caught the wind and hauled myself through the air. A flash of green zoomed by my face. What the-in the sky across from me was a girl, young and beautiful with long red hair. Flying. Like me. What's going on!? She raised a glowing green hand and fired another shot. that's it, I've had enough of this. "That's It! I am so out of here!" I growled angrily. My 'costume' as Vinny called it, now free from the disguise, shone in the yellow light that surrounded me. The costume wasn't really a costume at all. I mean, I wear the thing everyday for Pete's sake! A one piece with no sleeves and a bottom part only going to mid-thigh, it was a shiny almost spandex looking texture. bright yellow (my favorite color) With two large holes that exposed the white leotard I wore underneath. On the top of the leotard, showing through the top hole, was a big burgundy letter F. It stands for Fallon, of course. Or Falcon. Old man vinny said Falcon was cooler. I told him he was senile. I inhaled slowly, concentrating on warmth. Thinking warm thoughts always helps me with my powers. that's Why I had trouble flying after I set Vinny on the roof. Too nervous. I thought about Vinny, and Margie, and the solitary, dry humored fellow I like, the one who always sits in the corner. Something whizzed by me, right by my head. My eyes snapped open, my concentration lost. "Hey! that wasn't-" I stopped. Someone's coming! A boy was swinging at me, grasping some sort of grappling hook-like rope. He had short black spiky hair that looked purposely styled to look like a porcupine's butt. A white mask adorned his face, framing his sharp cheek bones. And he's wearing spandex. A lot of spandex. Red and green, with little gold trinkets. Spandex. On a guy. I burst into laughter, contorting into impossible positions mid-air and just laughing my butt off. "Get a costume check!" I managed to choke out. I didn't even care that he was only a few feet away, still mid-swing, his quill-butt hair jabbing forward like it was going to shish-kabob me. The kid growled fiercely. I ignored the fact that I myself was wearing a similar flashy costume. The kid let go of the rope, lunging through the air like a predator, arm outstretched towards me. I grinned deviously. "~sorry!~" I sang, "Not today." Warm thought. Rush of warmth and strength. I held my breathe as I was enveloped by a familiar yellow glow, in the familiar shape I'd grown to love. Then everything went pitch black. The falcon just caught her prey.