Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

The Watchtower

"Alrighty, here goes nothing." I walked slowly towards Dinah's table. 

"Place it on the back of her neck- that will help the cure get to her nervous system quicker." Dr. Roquette called out. 

I nodded numbly as I gazed over the body of my mentor. Dinah looked peaceful in her slumber- her hair in a blonde halo around her head. But I knew in Savage's hands, the Black Canary could do as much damage as an entire army. One well-timed breath from her could level our entire team. We needed her on our side. 

But it was more then that. 

Dinah was family to me. I didn't know what I would do if I lost her too. With twitching, nervous fingers, I brushed aside Dinah's hair. Muttering a prayer, I placed the rectangular chip onto the back of her neck. Oddly enough, it seemed to dissolve right into her skin.  

I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest. Watching. Waiting. Hoping she'd wake. 

"It may take some time." Dr. Thompkins told me. 

And take some time it did. The doctors monitored Dinah's vitals, making sure her brain activity didn't plummet or that her heart didn't stop. I felt like a nervous wreck, pacing back and forth, my finger tapping against my folded arms. 

But eventually, I felt a tug in my stomach. A small one, just like I'd felt with Queen Mera's baby. I gasped, whirling around just as Dinah's dark eyelashes fluttered. She groaned through her cotton gag, her blue eyes murky and out of focus. She tilted her head, scanning the room until she found me. She squinted her eyes before murmuring my name, barely intelligible. 

"Ahh-ckie?" 

My moves were mechanical. Without thinking, I ran to her. But before I could tear off her gag and release Dinah from her restraints, Kaldur stuck his arm out, catching me before I got to her. 

"Wait." Kaldur blurted. "We do not know if it worked." 

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. He was right. I needed to ask her a question only Canary would know. If Savage was still pulling the strings... perhaps she wouldn't be able to pick out a detail so specific. I thought for a moment before deciding on one. 

"What's my real hair color?" I asked.

Wally slowly pulled down the gag, ready to replace it with lightning speed if Dinah made any threatening moves. 

"Blonde." Dinah answered. 

The room was silent. A grin grew on my face. It was her. It was really her. Kaldur didn't stop me this time when I threw myself at her table, my nimble fingers quick to untie her wrists. Dinah's head still looked like it was spinning, but even she was able to manage a smile for my sake. 

"Wait, what?!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 

I felt like I was going to be sick. Of course I'd been in a plane before, but I'd never been to space! To reach the atmosphere, the Bioship had to travel approximately 25,000 miles an hour. As we rose in the sky, I feared I was about to make a very colorful display of my dinner on the floor. But one thing was certain; rollercoasters were officially ruined for me. 

When we finally breached past the Earth's gravitational pull, the Bioship slowed to a stop. Kid Flash and Miss Martian didn't seem phased in the slightest, but I think it was safe to say I wasn't the only one affected by the sudden change in velocity. Several of my friends remained frozen in their seats, their hands gripping the armrests of their chairs or taking deep breaths. I closed my eyes and choked back the bile threatening to rise in my throat. There was no way I was throwing up.