by Mike Luoma
the world... goes... black.
Souverain comes to a short time later. It doesn't feel like time has passed. Her head is throbbing. A similar feeling to a hangover, yet somehow more powerful, more insistent. And she hasn't been drinking.
Where am I? Dirt floor. Quiet.
Oh. The tunnels.
How did I get here? The girl? Did she get away?
Souverain struggles to her feet. Dizzy. She's awfully dizzy.
She tries to focus.
There's no sign of the girl. But Souverain is in the tunnels. Somebody had to help her get here, the shape she's in.
Hope she got away. If I'm alive, she must have.
Souverain puts one foot in front of the other, and slowly makes her stumbling way through the tunnels back to the Green Zone. She finds her barracks and strips off her Souverain gear with her head pounding. She puts her gear away in the bottom of her footlocker, and falls into her bunk.
"I fell? I guess," Lane says.
"You fell? From where?" The doctor asks.
"Um, out of bed?"
Lieutenant Lane is trying to explain why she has a concussion to the consulting physician at the base hospital. She found herself waking up in a hospital bed here this morning.
"Then it's a good thing this one has rails to keep you safe," the doctor says. "These floors are pretty hard. Could knock you out for another three days," the doctor cracks back at her. Before he can press her he's interrupted by the appearance of the Colonel at the hospital room door.
"Lieutenant Lane!" the Colonel calls out. "I thought I told you not to get into any trouble this week!"
"Sorry sir," Lane responds. "I, uh, fell out of bed and hit my head."
"So I hear. And that's all I know, Lane," the Colonel says. "You know what I mean?"
"Please, sir?" Lane says. "Don't make my head hurt any more than it already does?"
"Ha! Touche!" The Colonel enjoys the laugh. Then he produces the base newspaper and lays it on the bed in front of Lane. "You might want to read today's front page later. When your head is up to it."
"Really?"
"Seems that vigilante Souverain was at it again. Last night."
The Colonel pauses, lets his statement sink in.
"Wait. Last night?" Lane asks as she realizes what he's saying. "But the doctor said I've been here for three..."
"Uh uh uh!" the Colonel interrupts. "Don't tell me things I don't want to know!"
"Gotcha."
"Funny though, Lane. Our reports tell us Souverain looks a little smaller than she used to. Anyway. Thought you'd enjoy that. Get better – you want to be able to leave when we go home in three days, don't you?"
"Yessir!"
Lane smiles.
I may be going home... but Souverain might not be leaving Iraq after all!
The End...
...For now! You can enjoy more adventures with Souverain, including her origin story by Ben Ferrari and another trilogy of linked short stories written By Mike Luoma and Illustrated by Ben, in Souverain #1 from Earthbound Comics – get a digital download at DriveThruComics:
https://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product/96675/
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Thank you for reading!