Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

Not a Noodle

This was it. My first day training with my new team. My finger tapped anxiously against my hip, where my arms were wrapped self-consciously around my waist. I had been training with Dinah for months, but it had always been just me and her. Now, there were eyes watching every embarrassing slip up I would ever make. Is this what being on the Great British Bake-off feels like?

Except for Superboy and M'gann, I was the least skilled in hand to hand combat, me only being in training for about three months. I think I was slowly catching up, but that was only because Black Canary was my training mentor. But honestly, how skilled did you need to be if you could throw a car with your mind or stop a bus with your bare hands?

That being said, I think it was fair to say that put me back at the bottom of the list.

I felt myself longing for the comfort of my baggy sweatshirt, where I felt I could melt away from all of these eyes. I fought hard to keep my nerves at bay, remembering to breathe evenly to keep my thundering pulse in check. I didn't want Superboy hearing it and catching on. Meanwhile, everyone else seemed totally at ease, lounging around a white picnic table when they weren't sparring. M'gann had made Muddy Buddies, and the rest of the Team had regularly been snacking on them throughout training. Everyone except for me. I kept having to remind myself to unclench my fists.

Dinah stood at the opposite she observed the training matches between Artemis and Robin, and Kid Flash and Aqualad. She looked fearsome in her Black Canary suit, her blue eyes darting between the opponents in the ring. I wasn't a pro at combat, but my time training with Black Canary allowed me to observe and recognize certain things about a fight.

Although both were seasoned legacies, I could tell Kid Flash's moves were sloppy compared to Aqualad's. Even though Kid Flash was quick, Aqualad seemed to have little trouble keeping up with his attacks. The Atlantian patiently parried blows from his opponent before catching an opening. With a carefully calculated blow, Aqualad step sided a punch before knocking him to the ground with a swift kick. Glancing away from her own match, Artemis was trying not to snicker as Wally very ungracefully managed to hold his footing. I noticed a bit of powdered sugar on his nose.

Along with serving as my temporary guardian and fake-mentor, Canary had also taken the opportunity to oversee the Team's training. This included regular visits to the Cave a few times a week to check up on progress and spar with us, and to deliver her world famous speeches about teamwork. Of course, Dinah and I still continued one on one training back at the Nest, letting me continue to advance on my own.

The night we had returned from our reconnaissance mission in Bialya, I had priorly asked everyone to tone down the story a bit just so Black Canary wouldn't lose her crap. However, no matter how mild we put it, Canary might as well have had visible steam coming out of her ears as we gave the report. She was not happy. I mentally prepared myself for an earful in the morning, even though the whole memory-fiasco wasn't even my fault.

When we were finally dismissed, M'gann was able to show me to my room. It was very bland, with a bed against one wall, a desk, a closet, and a small bathroom. Dinah had been kind enough to bring my few belongings, (basically all clothing) and put them in my closet when I was on the mission. I nearly wept with joy when I saw the bed, but before I did anything, I took a perimeter sweep of the room. I checked for any hidden cameras, and made sure the bolts in my vents were extra secure and the door sealed before I stripped out of my sweaty suit and took the quickest shower of my life before changing into pjs, grabbing a knife and a dart gun and stuffing them under my pillow before slipping into bed.

Meanwhile, living with three superheroes was by far the weirdest part of my day. Yeah, I know I used to live with a member of the Justice League, but she was far better at appearing like she was completely ordinary.