Chương 26: Gotham Tour Guide
It's a good thing I was walking with J'onn, I felt like I was in a daze. It really felt a bit like walking around with earplugs on. You could make out a sound and strain you mind to make it out but the thing was you didn't want to hear it so a circular struggle.
J'onn finally had to put his hand on my shoulder to direct me so I would not stumble into people. It was taking a while to get the hang of it. Walking back after the shopping trip I was much steadier, and it started to feel like I had the hang of blocking the world out. Later I would work on letting it back in, but I would do it in stages.
When we returned to the Scrap yard J'onn took me to the office so I could meet the person that ran the yard for the League. His name was Arnie Cunningham, a very small built elderly man with lots of grease under his fingernails. He was a bit of a serious person I could tell but the stars in his eyes when he talked about repairing cars shined bright for an older guy.
"So, this is the kid who will be staying here for a time eh John?" Arnie said after shaking my hand.
"It's a good spot for him to train and get some experience under his belt Arnie." J'onn returned.
"I would love to be able to take a look around and see if I can find something to keep my hands busy during the day as most of my needed experience will come at night I assume." I added to the conversation.
"Well if you will be coming and going at night you better ask Tango, Cash, Sylvester, and Kurt. They don't take too kindly to new people jumping in their yard at night. I'll put in a word for ya, but it's on you to get em to like ya." Arnie says.
J'onn replies, "Something tells me they will get along with him just fine."
I smile "I'll talk to them and we will settle it out, be sure not to hesitate to put me to work while I'm here sir. It will make me feel better when I ask questions and bother you to share your thought on vehicles."
After I settle into the room I'll be occupying over the Auto shop, J'onn bids me farewell and heads back to the Watchtower to get ready for his time at monitor duty.
I put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that had a Tap Out logo with a broken skull laying on its side. Then I headed downstairs and followed my nose to the Dog kennel to meet my night guards. I never realized that I had my senses enhanced so much in just my normal body. Both smell and hearing went up a few notches and even my sense of taste increased. I just thought the food was great, now I know I just taste more.
I circle around the kennel and get upwind of it, so the guys catch my sent before I show up all surprise like and we get off on the wrong foot (Well wrong paw I guess).
I get about 15 feet from the kennel and stop so they can get a good look at me. I also take the chance to get a good look at them. Arnie had described them to me, so I knew already that Tango and Cash were the two Rottweilers and Sylvester and Kurt were both Pit bulls.
Slowly walking forward, I held out some treats I had for them. Once I got up to the kennel fence, I saw Tango lick his lips and start to stretch his neck out but a slow warning growl from Kurt made him pull back. Kurt was what many called a land hippo, all grey and low to the ground, but that warning growl told me who was in charge in this kennel.
Seeing four bowls with slots for food I placed a treat in each one before pulling the lever that dumped all four treats into each bowl at the same time. The Rotty's went straight for the treat, but Sylvester who is black and white colored came to the fence to get an extra sniff of my sent and Kurt just watched me. I side eye watched Kurt who hadn't moved making sure to not challenge him with my gaze and send a mental feeling of friendship.
Anyone who has a dog knows they react not only to the word but to the feeling and emotion associated with saying it. Don't get me wrong, I love talking to dogs, but I think they learn our emotions much faster than we learn theirs. I talk to them a bit, so they know my voice, but I keep all my words even and friendly.
Eventually Sylvester loses interest in me and grabs his treat then lays down to enjoy it. I decided that was enough for a first meeting and started to wander around the junk yard hoping to find an unpolished gem that no one else has seen.
My two dream cars were the 1966 Chevelle SS and the 1965 Buick Skylark but I knew there was no chance to see those here. Something that old would have been recycled long ago.
I just wander around for the evening poking my nose in things here and there until night arrives. Once it does, I relax my skin back to green and head for the roof. One of my best upgrades from the last week of training is that Morph has decided he can shift into a tight onesie that goes from my knees to my neck, leaving my arms bare. I was rather happy that he could become clothes, but he won't do anything more than a skintight suit. At least it will save my modesty when crime fighting requires me to shift.
After waiting about 20 minutes I said, "You should always try to approach downwind, your sent is easily detected with some training."
Wearing black boots, green pants, a red shirt with the traditional yellow R on his chest completed with a black cape with a yellow liner. Robin, the boy wonder stood on the roof with me and even with my hearing I could barely catch the sound of his arrival.
"You talk like the Bat. It's amazing how much you look like Garfield Logan, but your posture and mannerisms are nothing like his. Your balance seems to be off a bit as well, like you are suppressing one of your senses. I assume it's the telepathy you got from the extra kick of Martian DNA?" Robin says in an analytical voice.
"He is a good teammate in the Titans, though he jokes around a lot. I think he does it to hide his hurt from the world, also to hide a sense of inadequacy that he holds for some reason." Robing finished.
"The kid has had a short, rough life with a lot of loss. Keep him away from that Dick Mentallo as much as you can. That will help with his self-esteem, he should have never stayed with that guy. But he felt he would bother M'egan so he chose to stay." I say.
"So, what's on the agenda today my Gotham Tour Guide?" I ask.
"Today I think it would be best to do a small patrol and get to know how the other works." Robin said.
"Sounds good to me, I'll keep in touch with my Telepathy as much as I can. It's still hard to focus on one thing, but in short bursts it will be ok, I think." I reply.
Without saying anything he pulls out his grapple device, fires it and once it attaches to a building he is pulled along. I quickly change into an owl and follow along, not going too fast, just staying over his shoulder. Watching him float through the air I had to ask myself who really belonged there, in the air he seemed like a bird himself. His body shifted and he subconsciously followed the easiest wind pattern to go the direction he wanted to. He made it look like he was truly flying and the rope he held onto was just there as a guide.
He was a wonder to watch as he definitely belonged to the sky's much more than the night, though he used both with ease. After a short time, he waved towards me, and I linked us mentally. {What's up Robin?}
{Let's take the north finger bridge and head towards Brentwood Academy, I'm hearing rumors about increased drug sales in that area.} Robin says. {You lead and I will follow until I see something then I will let you know; my eyesight should give us the visual advantage.} I replied and we both resumed our journey.
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