"I didn't make it?" A young hero asked in a saddened, childish tone.
"I'm afraid not. You had a lot of things going for you, but some of the leaguers thought you were too inexperienced." Black Canary placed her hand on the rejected girl's shoulder. She hated the fact that the Justice League had crushed this teen's dreams so many times. "I'm very sorry. Why don't you go visit Wally? He talks about you a lot you know."
"He has his own things to worry about. Artemis and he have that apartment now, right? I'm sure they're busy."
The rather ignored protégé had applied for the Justice League two years in a row, but long before that had been pestering for a sidekick position. Although she was always sure of her abilities, the constant rejection took its toll. She purged all the faults she could find in herself, but it was never enough. SHE was never enough.
Black Canary flashed a sympathetic smile as the failed leaguer zipped up her jacket and left the office.
It was dark as she walked along the rainy streets of Washington D.C. She was planing to take the bus home, well, to her crappy apartment in a shady part of Gotham (not that much of Gotham isn't shady, though), and she didn't even care that she was still in her crime suit. (As she called it.) A car alarm went off about a block away, and the sound of glass being smashed could be heard. The sidekick wannabe removed her jacket in a fluid movement, now prepared to kick some serious butt. She ran toward the vehicle and sprung into the air, not caring enough to think up a snarky taunt like she usually did. Her well placed foot slammed into the car thief's rib cage, emitting a satisfying crunch. That was one way to get her frustration out. Obviously angered, the man pulled out his .38 pistol and aimed for her chest. As he fired, the skilled hero lost her balance, dogging the bullet enough for it to graze her Kevlar shirt which fitted tightly around her shoulder. She bounded over the frustrated goon and onto the hood of a gorgeous sports car, carefully preventing a dent. Grabbing the man's head, she smashed it against the parking meter in front of him. Poor guy. With a broken nose, he was really mad, bashing his fist into the side of the rejected hero's left ear. After she finished giving the guy a friendly concussion, she slapped handcuffs around his wrists, and scolded herself, "I'm off my game! This shouldn't have taken so long!" The gunshot prompted the police's arrival, and the gifted crime fighter disappeared just in time. "I could stop by Wally's just to say hi..." The girl remarked to herself as she pulled up her hood, walking toward the bus station. "I think I can catch it in time."