Fawkes

Long Time No See

After school, I entered Mount Justice for training, relieved when Black Canary said we weren't sparring today. I didn't know how much more fighting I could handle.

We were all gathered around the knives, and I only listened to what everyone was saying when my name was mentioned.

". . . is very tuned with the skill, so if you're having trouble you can ask her."

"What?" I blinked.

Black Canary looked amused, "it's all right, Hershey. I didn't expect you to listen."

"Ooooooh. Burn." Wally grinned as our instructor turned around and headed to the computer. I laughed at her comment and turned to the rest of the team.

"Seriously," I said, "does anyone want to fill me in on what we're doing?"

"Throwing knives, shitstick." Robin patted my shoulder with an amused shake of his head.

I flicked his arm away and nodded, "So you all wanna see how it's done? Say no more."

I picked up a knife with my right hand, turning it around to feel its weight before grinning.

"I don't expect you guys to be as good as me." I walked over to the targets, "Hell, I should get that written on a T-shirt. It applies to my life too often."

They all rolled their eyes as I tossed the knife up and down.

"That being said, I don't want any whining if you miss the target completely." I threw a pointed glance at Wally and he threw his hands up into the air.

"Why are you looking at me?"

I turned away, the ghost of a smile on my face, "Don't be too impressed. Try to keep your hats on, you know?"

And swiftly, I tossed the blade to my left hand, clenching around it before hurling it at the target. However, my form was interrupted by a white hot pain shooting through my hand, and the knife changed its course, landing in one of the outer rings of the target as I gasped at the sudden pain.

"Woah!"

"Wow, that was terrible."

"This is embarrassing."

I ignored their comments, just staring down at my left hand and ultimately, the burn I had received from earlier today.

Soon they were looking at me, and Aqualad was the first to notice, "Hershey, your hand."

I looked up from where I was frowning at my injury, but the rest of the team had already come over.

"Damn it. Here I was thinking we just crushed her pride."

I grinned at Wally, "In your dreams, Red."

Robin was at my side in a flash, inspecting my fingers with a furrowed brow.

"When did this happen? And why haven't you treated it?" He sounded concerned as he scolded me.

"Uh, earlier today. I was messing around with the ovens at school."

"That's from a school oven?" Artemis laughed, "Are you that stupid?"

"If it's from an oven, then why is it burnt on the front and the back?"

I looked back at Robin, who hadn't believed my lie, and shrugged.

"I really am that stupid?" It ended up sounding like more of a question, but none of them believed me any longer thanks to the Bird Boy's comment.

"What really happened?" M'gann chimed in.

I sighed, pulling my hand away from Robin and walking past them, "I had an encounter with someone at school. A substitute teacher that seemed to be paying me too much attention."