Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

The Shipment

Bruno whipped around, jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with hatred.

"You ratted us out!" Bruno yelled in outrage.

My heart was pounding so loudly against my ribs, I felt like it would burst from my chest. Fear and adrenaline pumped through me as Bruno's accusation shot through me like an arrow.

"I didn't! I swear!" I stammered.

I pushed myself to my feet, broken glass shards stabbing through my gloved fingertips. I wanted to plead for my innocence, but my tongue felt like it was a block cement. A thick vein bulged from Bruno's neck as he let out an enraged cry. He lunged at me, but I was faster. My instincts took hold of me and I dove to the side, pulling my gun from my waistband in one move. I had it pointed at his leg right before I was roughly tackled to the ground by someone.

The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I was swiftly pinned to the ground. My forehead smacked painfully against the cement and my gun skittered out of my grasp. The edges of my vision became fuzzy. I groaned and tried to lift my head and caught sight of a lock of red hair. Whisper.

With my cheek still pressed against the cold cement, I could make out Bruno's hulking figure standing over us. He slung a heavy weapon from atop a crate onto his body, quickly strapping it to himself. The ringing in my head made it hard to register what Bruno was saying.

"Take care of the girl and make sure every crate gets through that Boom Tube! The Justice League could be here in a matter of minutes. In the mean time, I'll handle him. You four!" Bruno pointed. "You're with me."

"With pleasure." I heard Whisper smoothly reply.

The sound of clomping boots faded, and then I was alone with Whisper. I didn't have enough information to understand exactly who Bruno was going to handle and why he needed backup, but it was soon forgotten. I felt her slender hand slip inside my sweatshirt pocket, withdrawing the plastic red card. My eyes widened and panic seized me.

"No! Give it back!" I pathetically demanded.

I tried to squirm free, but she only pressed her forearm harder between my shoulder blades, crushing my ribs against the pavement. I gasped for air, my lungs struggling under the pressure.

"Sorry, honey." Whisper cooed in my ear.

The sharp ring of an unsheathed knife was enough to send my heart into overdrive. My black hood was yanked off my head. Whisper lightly traced the tip of the knife down my cheek.

"Looks like you've outgrown your usefulness." She breathed against my ear.

Twisting my body, I tried in vain to wiggle out of her painful grasp. I prepared myself for the bite of her blade, but I never came.

"Get off her!" A voice yelled.

There was a flash, and Whisper shrieked and the knife was knocked from her grasp. Seeing as she was momentarily distracted, I yanked back my elbow and drove back it as hard as I could. I didn't see it make contact, but I could feel my elbow hit her nose and the sound of her grunt in pain. I scrambled out from under her, scooting backwards as far as I could.

"You're going to regret that." Whisper spat, fire blazing in her eyes.

She wiped at her nose, red blood trickling from one of her nostrils. My gaze flickered to my gun, only a few yards away from me. If I made a wild dive, I might be able to reach it in time. But I wasn't the one she was talking to.

Whisper bared her teeth and flicked her wrists, sending her glowing whips snapping against the ground. I followed her eyes to see a lean silhouette standing near me.