Of Ashes and Embers

Therapy Session

I am so bored. Canary is training with the team. For some reason, it is mandatory for me to be here, but I have not been allowed to actually train against any of them. Which, I raise my brow as Zatanna once again hits the ground, I'm starting to think is for the better anyways. I'll give Robin, Aqualad, and Artemis come credit, they are good fighters, but the rest? Not really. They have some potential, but they have very obvious patterns or rely on powers too much, actually both. Except for Zatanna, she just can't fight without magic which is so unbelievably stupid. I'm surprised she's survived any sort of battle or fight against well... anyone.

I sit across the room with my back against the wall. It's been about a week since I got here, I think, and later today is apparently when we're starting my therapy sessions, that will also be with Canary. She apparently wanted to give me time to "settle in" as she called it. But for now she's currently trying to train her students. She has Zatanna get up and Artemis leaves the mat.

"OK, try and go against me and then we'll discuss with the team," Canary states. Once again, I am not surprised when her back hits the mat rather quickly. Everything was wrong with her attempt. Canary helps her to her feet. "Anyone see what went wrong," she directs to her students on the sideline. No one answers. They have to know but I don't think they want to say, for some weird reason. I shrug, if no one else will answer than I will.

"Her stance for starters, off balance and too wide to get good movement if she needed to dodge. She fights with a very obvious pattern that easy to learn and take advantage of. She came at you loudly and almost immediately, with a kick, which is horrible to start with as you showed by grabbing her leg," I say, there's more but I don't like how everyone is staring at me now. Zatanna looks like she wants to murder me. As if she could even hurt me.

"Well why don't you fight her then," Zatanna snarls.

"Fine," I respond and push myself up.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Ember your back is still healing," Canary says, voice soft but she's looking at Zatanna in a way that I haven't seen before. I shrug as I step onto the mat.

"I've fought with much worse, I'll be fine," I tell her. She sighs but shifts her stance to be at the ready. For a moment we're both tense but still. Neither of us wanting to make the first move. Out of all the League members, Canary was not one that came up in training, despite the fact that she is good at what she does. I don't think she plans on using her powers which puts her at a disadvantage for sure. She's not going to move as slow as some of the bigger guys I've fought so using her momentum as a weapon might not work as well. I'm thinking head and torso would be the best targets though. I rush at her and she blocks a hit, aimed for her stomach, with her forearm. Before trying to retaliate, of which I block. Canary and I go back and forth, and often at the same time, trying to land a hit. We both do, but neither of us are going down. It becomes like a dance or something and I realize that its actually fun and a good challenge. We're on par with one another when we don't have weapons and she doesn't use her powers. Eventually we both stop, breathing hard and sweating, still standing. She relaxes her stance and I slowly follow suit. She chuckles a little and shakes her head.

"Well done, Ember," She praises. Praises. I feel a small smile on my face as she wipes the sweat off of her face. It's been awhile since I've been in a fight like that with someone. Granted I neither won or lost with the Atlantean but there was always something else affecting our fights. Sportsmaster made sure that he always had the advantage in training, so it wasn't often that I won against him. Other members were usually only a slight challenge to get down except for the one...I feel myself shiver. He is amazing at, well everything, but training with him was literal hell and I'm glad it was only occasional. I still don't know why he even agreed to do sessions with me in the first place. He was brutal and nearly impossible to please, and I had heard that he had a history with girls around like fifteen, so the man made me nervous.