Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

Metropolis Mall

I wasn't sure it was possible to be more anxious outside of school, but boy was I wrong. Being at Metropolis Mall on a Saturday felt like the equivalent to sticking my head in a hive of bees. Groups of women laughed with each other, different branded bags hanging from their elbows. Children were giggling on a nearby mini merry-go-round, while a group of teenage boys mingled around the escalator. (Seriously, why do they do that?)

Kiosks lined the middle of the mall's walkway, selling anything from essential oils to uniquely flavored popcorn. The retailers were trying to flag down anyone they could get, waving samples of lotion or toys to try and snag a child's attention. The air was loud and full of chatter as the people around us were utterly oblivious to the danger they could be in. My hands gripped the paper Panda Express cup in front of me tightly, my knuckles nearly white. My eyes scanned the mall cafeteria, searching for any familiar faces that could belong to the Intergang. 

Using the information we had gotten from Aaron Gillespie's smartphone, Robin and I discovered that this mall in Metropolis could be a drop zone between the Intergang and one of their business partners. So, without telling Batman, we decided to take matters into our own hands. Disguised in our casual clothes, we were all positioned strategically across the mall, ready for action. 

Artemis and M'gann patrolled the second floor, while Wally guarded the Southern entrance near the playpen for children. Kaldur remained in the camouflaged Bioship that hovered above the mall, his eyes focused on the parking lots and surrounding highways for any suspicious cars or people. Connor had the Northern entrance, and Robin and I were positioned in the food court. 

If our information really was correct, then that meant the Intergang was somewhere, planning something in this mall. It would be a lie to say that the thought of encountering them again didn't terrify me. The last time I'd been around the Intergang, they had all been ordered to kill me if they couldn't capture me. Feeling sweaty, I adjusted my cap and tugged at the collar of my suit that was concealed under casual clothing. 

"It's okay to be nervous, Jackie." Robin told me. 

I looked back towards him across the small table we shared. He wore a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt under his jacket, and looked painfully at ease despite the situation we were in right now. I for one, felt like having a meltdown.

"What do you mean? I'm not nervous." I tried to defend myself. 

He didn't seem so convinced as he replied, "Your finger doesn't think so." 

Robin gestured to my tapping on the cup I was holding. I stopped. I'll admit, I was jumpy. Earlier, a pair of girls had giggled and pointed in our direction. I nearly went into a fritz before I realized they were probably just dumb teenagers ogling at Robin, and not criminal masterminds. 

"I'm fine." I insisted and took another cautious look around. 

"You haven't touched any of your food." He noticed, pointing his fork at the plastic bowl in front of me. 

Twirling his fork in his fingers, Robin reached over the table and speared one of my shrimps and popped it in his mouth. 

"Yeah I have. See?" I said and twirled around some noodles to prove it. "Also, I think it would have been less weird if you just showed up in your costume rather than wearing your sunglasses indoors." I told him honestly, wincing as I brought my straw to my lips.

Robin frowned in mock offense. "Plenty of people wear sunglasses inside! See, look at that guy!" 

Robin pointed across the cafeteria to a guy in the Pizza Hut line. 

"Robin, I'm pretty sure he's blind. He's got a service dog." I pointed out. "And a white cane."

He sucked a breath of air through his teeth.