Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

The Warehouse

I kept my eyes trained on the floor, trying to become invisible. I didn't meet anyone's wandering gaze and kept my head down. The pale numbers on my wristwatch displayed the time, but the fact that it was late did nothing to slow the bustling streets of Gotham City.

Citizens dressed in long trench coats passed me without a second glance, most of their eyes glued to their cell phones or on the sidewalk ahead. Yellow taxi cabs with chipped paint whistled past on the road, and police sirens wailed distantly somewhere in the city. When I believed no one was paying attention, I banked right and slipped into an ally, avoiding garbage cans and suspicious scorch marks on the brick walls.

My eyes swept over the dark corners of the walls, searching for anything potentially threatening. The alleyways of Gotham were usually avoided if you could help it. Dark shapes often lingered in shadows, preying on women or their shiny purses. Smoke and steam rose from the exhaust pipes that decorated the repellent alleyway. Crude graffiti covered most of the walls.

Huddled against a dumpster was a snoring homeless man, covered in grime and dirty blankets. Homeless people weren't an unusual sight, but you had to be careful. Crazies weren't particularly difficult to find here. Once, a man tied a tablecloth around his shoulders and went around hollering he was Batman. To prove it, he tried leaping off the fire escape. An ambulance was called shortly after.

I glanced up at the muggy sky, my heart pounding the closer I neared my destination. A long gust of cold wind blew through the narrow backstreet. Saltwater, I thought. I was close. Within a few minutes, I had reached the city's massive cargo harbor.

The Harbor was located at the very edge of the city, right on the water of the Atlantic Ocean. Inside a tall electric fence was a massive maze of fright crates, roads, and warehouses. Long, steel, color coordinated intermodal crates were stacked on top of one another, creating an immense labyrinth. Some stood as high as 32 feet.

Past the storage lots were the docks. Enormous cargo ships loaded with goods floated listlessly in the water while the hefty quay cranes slowly unloaded the ship. Down by the docks, I knew there were dozens of employees busy at work: all dressed in vests and hard hats, manning equipment and and getting the cargo onto semi trucks.

I crouched low to the ground and breathed into my clammy, gloved hands. The next part of my route didn't seem to get easier, no matter how many times I'd done it. The tall electric fence stretched across the entire perimeter of the harbor, with sharp barbed wire encircling the top. Security cameras were posted every so often at intervals, all with blinking red lights to inditcate they were online.

My hand strayed to my pocket, checking for the flash drive tucked safely inside. I checked my watch again. 12:41. I inhaled through my nose and out through my mouth, my breath misting in front of me. I tried to pop my neck like in the action movies, but it didn't make me feel any more qualified to be doing this.

I watched a freight truck round a corner, the loud vehicle disappearing behind a wall of stacked, and silently counted under my breath. I glued my eyes to my digital watch, waiting for Linh's bug to delay the current. When the number switched, my trembling legs pushed off the ground and I made a break for it.

Thanks to Dr. Linh's friends, I had about two minutes to clear the fence before the cameras and the electrical current turned back on. If I wasn't over in time, I would miss my transaction, or I'd be turned into a deep fried Jackie-on-a-fence. I couldn't decide which was worse.

My legs pumped underneath me as I sprinted for the fence. My shadow stretched underneath me as I passed a street lamp. As soon as I was in reach, I jumped and grabbed hold of the fence. To my relief, I was not electrocuted. Without wasting any time, I began my climb.