Bluejay: The Protégé of Black Canary

The Rescue

I teleported to the Cave, the aura of distress still heavy in the air. Kaldur was there with Wally in the training room, and I was told to suit up. If Zatana's spell was successful, we were to leave immediately. I nodded and hurried to my room.

It was a little bit of a wrestle to get my glove over my bandaged hand, but I managed it. I silently thanked Dinah for including padding in my gloves. At the thought of her name, my heart twinged in pain. Our relationship over the past few weeks had been very strained, starting when I'd encountered the Intergang in the mall without telling her, and breaking into Dr. Linh's apartment certainly hadn't helped.

We hadn't talked much about it, but now I regretted it. What if I never saw Dinah again? Even though we weren't on the best terms, Dinah was still much more then my mentor. If today didn't go as planned, I might be losing the only two parents I'd ever had...

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing loudly from my pocket. I pulled it out to see Dick's name on screen. I gasped, instantly jumping to the worst conclusion. Had he been hurt? Stranded? Maybe a child needed help! I practically smacked the phone to my face.

"Dick! Dick, are you alright?" I asked frantically, heading for the doorway.

Hearing my alarmed tone, he was quick to reassure me of his safety.

"Jackie, I'm fine I'm fine!" Dick insisted with a hearty chuckle.

I sighed with relief, my body relaxing. I backed away from the door I'd almost charged out of and sank onto my bed. My heart rate still felt spiked, but I could feel it slowing to normal.

"Thought you might have been dangling over a bridge or something." I confessed.

He laughed over the phone.

"How would I even get in that situation?" He questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"With the day we've had so far? Wouldn't surprise me too much." I muttered.

Dick sighed. "You're not wrong. How are you doing? I just wanted to check on you because I knew you'd be worried about your dad."

It was like I'd been shocked with electricity. Dick didn't know anything about my father... right?

"What?" I squeaked.

"I- I just mean- all the adults have disappeared, right? So obviously you'd be worried about your parents? Uh, both of them, I meant?" Dick fumbled with his words, a hint of panic in his voice.

I covered the phone with my hand to avoid him hearing the crazed laugh/sigh of relief that escaped my lips. He really freaked me out for a moment. I massaged my forehead as I held the phone to my ear again.

"You're right, I guess I am a little worried." I lied. I was way past 'little'. "What about you?"

I heard a breath escape him.

"Bruce and Alfred are okay. They're tougher then they look." He chuckled again, but his voice sounded tight.

I frowned.

"You don't have to put up a front around me. I'm always here if you need to talk." I told him gently.

Things had changed between us at the bookstore, hadn't they? Dick was important to me, and I wanted him to feel like he could be honest around me, especially if he was scared.

"I know, Jacks, and I really appreciate it. And you're right- I'm worried too." Dick admitted. "But it'll all be okay. I'm better then all these poor kids I've been collecting."

I hummed in agreement as I made sure my shoelaces were secure. I remembered the tear streaked faces of little children, traumatized with the their parents vanishing, being stuck in a car, or however else we found them.