Birds of Blue: Book One - C.J.

Prolouge: Yesterday

     Laughter. Who would have thought that night had originally been consumed with laughter? Colorful lights cascaded over the grinning faces of families. The scent of fried food and candy apples permeated the air. Children with wide eyes gazed upon the giant tents and exciting rides in wonder.
     Two children in particular. Twins, a boy and a girl, smiled up at their parents and criticized their handmade uniforms. They stared out into cavernous big top, enlivened by the growing crowd. The two sets of cobalt eyes settled on the aerialist platform, ready to take up their family's mantle.
     It had been almost two hours and the show was running immaculately. Finally, Mr. Haly stepped into the main ring. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you now, the grand finale! Please welcome the fearless, the fantastical, the Flying Graysons! Performing their death defying stunts without the safety of a net!" The crowd burst into raucous applause as the children's family ushered them towards the wooden pillars.
     The twins began to climb the rungs with their family behind them. As they were scaling the metal bars the girl's foot slipped, but before she could fall her mother had caught her, like always. They continued up the ladder and onto the platform followed by their cousin, aunt, uncle, mother, and father.
     The act commenced without a hitch, their parents swinging first, doing flips so daring the crowd dropped their jaws. Their cousin swung next, then their aunt, followed by their uncle. The crowd was awestruck as the aerial stunts became more complicated and extravagant. The girl felt something off and leaned her head upwards. The audience roared as they performed another trick. The boy stepped onto the edge of the platform, ready to swing into his mother's open arms, a proud gaze rested upon the twins. The girl's eyes widened as the the cable snapped, within a hairs breath of a second grabbed her brother's uniform collar and pulled him back to safety.
"DICK!"
"C.J.!"
A collective gasp filled the tent, preceded by two bloodcurdling screams.

-------------------(TIME SKIP!)------------------

     A few weeks had passed and the twins were now living with billionaire Bruce Wayne as his wards. The girl couldn't say she didn't like the man, he just wasn't around too often, and her brother seemed too detached and distraught. He began lashing out when she tried to speak with him, as if she could never share his pain. Things had changed, everything was different and strange to her now.
     She wasn't entirely lonely though, Mr. Wayne's butler, Alfred, was nothing but nurturing and attentive. She also had her music. Not even the world stopping in it's tracks could keep her away from music.
     One night Mr. Wayne was at a charity benefit and her brother was sound asleep as she crept downstairs to her new favorite spot in the manor, the library.
     It was silent in the library. She could think there. The vast spaces made her steps echo throughout the room. She sat herself down in a cozy, leather armchair after pulling Sheila Fredward's Introduction to Composition and Music Theory. As interesting as the book was, her eyelids couldn't help but close.
     It was almost midnight when she woke up to the sound of footfalls. Her eyes fluttered open in time to catch a glimpse of Alfred marching by. 'That's strange, Alfred dusted and reorganized the library with me this morning. He usually isn't up this late.'she thought. She carefully removed her sneakers and placed them gently on the chair. She lowered her sock-covered-feet onto the hardwood floor and trailed him until he came to a halt. The Englishman reached for an olive colored book on the 8th shelf from the ground. Instead of the book coming off of the shelf smoothly, it only reached halfway and sounded like someone was turning a ratchet. Suddenly the wall turned and took Alfred with it, leaving a new set of books in its place. She rubbed her eyes and decided she would investigate tomorrow after school, after all it was late.
     The next afternoon she headed straight for the library, she told Alfred she wanted to get a head start on her homework. It was 3:30 pm so her brother would be in his room sulking over his homework, Mr. Wayne was at work until 6, and Alfred dusts the game room until 4 before he starts dinner. This gave her plenty of time to snoop around.
     Once she reached the library she sat in her chair and decided to retrace her steps. She wandered down the same passages as yesterday and came upon the same bookshelf. She was only about four and a half shelves tall, so she raised her left foot on top of the first shelf and her right foot on the second. She raised herself to the second shelf and her tiny hands reached for the olive book. As she tugged on it the wall shifted and turned, she almost lost her balance.
     This side of the bookshelf  emptied into an express elevator. She looked at the button panel and to her surprise only had three buttons labeled one and two, this made sense considering Wayne Manor only had two floors, but the third button had a bat symbol on it, the bat symbol. Her curiosity got the better of her and she pressed the bat button.
     The elevator opened to reveal a cave filled with computers, vehicles, suits, a t-rex, and a giant penny. She treaded toward the computer and turned her eyes to the screen. She noticed a file named 'Grayson' and clicked on it. Images popped up, of the circus, her parents corpses, everything about that night was on that file, including a name. Tony Zucco. A mobster who threatened Mr. Haly, the circus owner, for protection money.
     She knew about Mr. Wayne's parents and understood why he became Batman. He was grieving and in pain, like her. He became a beacon of protection in order to prevent what had happened to him to happen to anyone else, but it did. It happened to her and her brother, and now she was determined to help. She knew Mr. Wayne would never let a nine-year-old girl put herself in danger by assisting him. At that moment she knew, she wasn't going to be C.J. Grayson, the circus orphan.
     Alfred knew what Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson could never. In that moment she became Blue Jay, Savior of Gotham.