Canary Cry

Chapter 13: Downtime

Gotham City

August 27, 06:17 EDT

Goldfinch used the crates around her as springboards, hefting her batons over her head, newly outfitted with tasers on the ends, and tried to land a hit on Clayface. Only to be swiped out of the air with the force of a sledgehammer and slammed into a wall.

Her head snapping back and hitting the cement hard, black spots and stars exploding across her vision as she blinked hard, trying to get back up to her feet. Forgetting about screaming after trying it before and having it only result in slowing him down as he would just reform.

To say they were getting their asses handed to them was a disgusting understatement. Aqualad had made a careless play, and the plan crumbled in seconds when faced with the villain, it wasn't like their heroic leader to make stupid mistakes, and it had cost them.

Goldfinch fell as her world tilted, her head hitting the ground and knocking her out right beside her fallen teammates.

The blonde awoke to a familiar headache, groaning as hands grabbed her arms and helped her sit up.

"Take it easy GF." The blonde opened her eyes when Robin's voice sounded in front of her.

"Clayface-" Goldfinch's slightly out of focus eyes whipped around the space.

"Taken care of, don't worry."

"That's your job, I won't take it from you." Goldfinch huffed out a tired laugh, regretting it when her entire body ached. Her eyes fully taking in her surroundings and seeing the Dark Knight talking to Miss M and Kid Flash. "Why's Bats here?" He didn't usually come in person to oversee missions.

"He just had to swoop in and save us, no big." Robin said sarcastically, sitting down next to Goldfinch, leaning back against one of the many storage crates in the warehouse.

"Great," Goldfinch pinched the bridge of her nose as the pounding in her head spread across her forehead and behind her eyes. "That's just... Great."

~~*~~

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 27, 07:30 EDT

"Recongized, Robin, B-0-1. Goldfinch, B-0-4. Superboy, B-0-5. Miss Martian, B-0-6. Kid Flash, B-0-3. Artemis, B-0-8. Aqualad, B-0-2."

The computer called out through the echoey mission briefing and training room, not helping Kate's headache, that has only gotten worse. The team trudging into the cave, exhausted and covered in clay.

"I need to speak with Aqualad. The rest of you hit the showers and head home." Batman said, the team not needing much prodding to follow his orders, Kate internally hating that it was a Friday and that she had to go to school because of a history test she had in fifth. A test she hadn't studied for and would definitely fail with her current head trauma making it impossible to string together more than a handful of coherent thoughts.

"Are you still coming over after school?" Robin asked suddenly from beside Kate, the blonde flinching at the jump scare, having thought he stayed back with Aqualad and Batman.

Now was not the time to be asking her questions, evidence of that being when Robin had to ask again as she started zoning out, internally questioning what she had just been thinking about. "Kate?"

"Huh?"

"How hard did you hit your head?" Robin asked in concern, Kate just blinked and shook her head.