Chapter Four: Fifth Day of Sable
Five days. Five. Sable had been at the Hall of Justice for five days with minimal human contact. It wasn't unexpected just tiresome and admittedly lonesome as well. They had been feeding her the three times daily as she had requested but it was beginning to make her feel like a pet. Black Canary was her only regular visitor, along with the doctor; they both came with the intention of checking her wounds the Doc with the added bonus of iron supplements that honestly made Sable feel much healthier.
Canary always stayed longer than the Doc to chat about trivial things like training that Sable wasn't allowed to participate in and to get information on certain people they were fighting. Sable always gave vague answers even though they were villains here they had still been friends of hers.
Batman had shown up once to get a feel of what they were up against when fighting the evil Blackout; he'd made it his personal mission that she would be caught. Sable had given as much information as she dared she knew that the other Sable wasn't as skilled or strong from reports that Batman had brought in so she deliberately left out some of her more advanced abilities. It wouldn't do to tell the League all of her secrets.
As Sable contemplated these past events a knock vibrated against the door of her designated room. She called out that whoever was there could come in it's not like they couldn't get in even if she did say no. The handle turned leisurely and Sable knew that it was Canary before the hero ever showed her face.
"How's it going?" Canary asked, though Sable was sure that the blond knew that particular question irritated her.
"It's not going anywhere, it's stationary, idle, still, unmoving, it's fucking boring too." Sable complained she had never been below voicing her opinion about her treatment. Canary smiled at the younger girls' attitude she wouldn't be expecting the news that Canary brought with her.
"Well, then get your ass moving because we have training to do." Canary told and held the door open. Sable shot up from her lounging position like Canary had lit herself on fire. Canary laughed at Sable's reaction and motioned for her to head out into the hall.
"You're not joking are you? Because you wouldn't want to disappoint me." Sable warned as she exits the standard room she had been occupying. Canary closed the door behind them and started leading Sable down the hall.
"You sound like an awful first date." Canary teased.
~Scene Change~
"Move, keep moving! Dodge!" Canary yelled out commands hands on her hips and silently analyzing the younger girl. Sable was highly skilled, League Level even but Canary wasn't about to let the amber eyed girl know that. They had been training for over an hour and Sable had just recently broken a sweat, Canary would note her stamina in her file.
"Are we going to do anything except avoidance tactics?" Sable asked when she noticed a lull in the onslaught of the holographic fighter. She swiped the back of her hand across her perspiring brow and quickly brought her hands back up to guard her face. Canary also noted the girl's style, boxing with some Chinese martial arts influence she could possibly fly to some extent too.
"Avoiding blows is important in battle, if you take a mortal wound you're out…permanently." Canary explained in her demanding tone and kept watching the black hair girl dodge fatal blows. At the reprimand Sable clenched her jaw wanting to slug the damned hologram but kept her anger in check. Instead of a fist an idea struck her.
"You'll learn more if I'm trading blows with this empty data sack." Sable knew she was pushing it but she really needed to vent some of her frustrations out. Crying in her room like some princess just wasn't doing the trick anymore. Every minute she spent alone with her own thoughts were consuming her in rage, weakness, and helplessness, she was driving herself crazy. Sable dunked under a strike that would have knocked her unconscious and chanced a brief look at Black Canary. The blonde's eyes were narrowed thinking deeply on what Sable had proposed, though Sable could tell by her second glance that Canary was not going to agree. Sable grimaced and launched herself into an aerial roll, the momentum slinging her hair all about her. She landed beside Canary and back stepped to avoid a teeth shattering kick.
"Another half hour of this and I'll see about bringing in a punching-bag." Canary finally said a half smirk drawing up one corner of her lips. Sable blinked rapidly at the information and turned her head to look at Canary.
"Really?" Sable asked glee filling her voice. Canary gapped at Sable, her eyes going wide for a hologram was poised for an uppercut on the shorter girl. Before a sound could come out of Canary's mouth Sable preformed a stand still back-flip ending in the same spot and took several steps back from the hologram.
"Are you joking?" Sable asked again, her hopes slowly fading. Black Canary released the breath that she had sucked into her lungs. Despite only knowing the yellow eyed girl for a little under a week she couldn't say she wasn't somewhat attached to the girl and seeing her narrowly escape that harsh blow had sent her heart into her throat.
"Pay attention or I'll take back what I said." Canary snapped knowing it was from worry but Sable didn't need to know that. Sable didn't talk for the rest of training and expertly avoided all of the attacks by her singular hologram opponent. There had been more close calls as Sable grew more tired but she had handled herself.
"You did well." Canary praised off handedly but the compliment seemed to roll off of Sable. Canary thought it odd because most people liked to have nice things said about them. That would go in her notes as well. Sable stood catching her breath and raised the end of her shirt to wipe her face off. Canary spotted the fading bruises on her stomach and still wondered how she had acquired so many.
Once Sable had quit huffing she turned to Black Canary with a smart smile on her face. Canary raised an eyebrow to the girl, wondering what was up her sleeve.
"Who has the high score on this thing?" Sable asked though had a suspicion as to who it may be. Canary smiled knowingly and pressed some buttons on the wall activating the holographic image display.
"Surprisingly…" Canary paused for dramatic effect. "The Flash." She continued in a mock announcer voice. Sable smiled and glanced over the list spotting her highlighted name near the bottom at number eighty-three.
"How far does the list go?" Sable asked a little impressed with her performance and Canary's praise sunk in a bit more than it had. Canary shut down the mini console and shrugged her shoulders as an answer.
"How 'bout I go get that punching-bag?" Canary gestured to the door. Sable nodded but offered no other acknowledgement as her thoughts were slowly being consumed by her distressed feelings again. Canary told Sable to remain in the training room to which Sable hardly heard but automatically nodded.
While Canary was gone Sable stared at the floor remembering her father's voice. He had always been there, never down about his situation but she was feeling sorry for herself though she lamented that she may never see her father again. Her despair grew.
Sable was brought from her dark musing when Canary returned with The Green Lantern and the punching-bag which was being levitated by the green light being emitted by GL's ring.
"Hey, I hear you're new?" GL greeted while Canary rolled her eyes behind him. Sable forced a smile for the green clad hero.
"Something like that." Sable didn't elaborate assuming that most of the League already knew about her circumstances. GL hooked the punching-bag to the ceiling and looked around it at the demure girl.
"Do you know what you're doing with this thing?" Green Lantern asked giving the bag a light tap. Sable spotted his arrogance immediately and smiled apologetically.
"Unfortunately, I do." Sable replied secretly liking how GL's face fell. He recovered quickly and Canary sighed audibly at his antics.
"Who taught you to box then?" GL countered crossing his arms in a rather smug manner. Sable's gaze became distant and Canary shoved GL roughly.
"My dad, before he got sick." Sable finally said not meeting any of their eyes. Black Canary glared at The Green Lantern and silently passed the padded gloves to Sable.
"Uh…Sorry for bringing up bad memories." GL apologized awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and looking guilty.
"They aren't bad…just…conflicting at the moment." Sable tapped the bag with one fist and then followed up with the other. Green Lantern didn't reply back, he vaguely knew of Blackout's situation and he believed that she was taking it in better stride than he would.
"We'll leave you to it then, I'll come back to check on you in an hour or so." Canary nudged GL out of the room like a child and quietly locked the door behind them as it was protocol.
"She has some rage built up, doesn't she?" GL had observed Sable only a few moments and he was sure anyone else would have noticed the same. Canary nodded walking down the hall in sync with the taller man. They entered a room making the occupants seven in total. Batman, Superman, The Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Wonder Woman all stood facing a large screen. It was video surveillance of Sable who was weakly taking jabs at the punching-bag.
"She has incredible skill." Wonder Woman remarked, they had all been observing Sable since her training began. J'onn hmmed in agreement but they were all still wondering one thing 'Why was she going at the punching-bag so weakly'?
"I believe she's struggling with herself. She knows she's powerful but she also knows she's powerless to get home." The Flash offered flicking his eyes over to his companions. They all seemed to agree but they all still had their questions.
"Sable will likely struggle with those thoughts throughout her stay." Wonder Woman replied with pity for the girl.
"There's something else there as well. She's focused; intent." Batman motioned to the screen and they all glued their eyes to it, watching the ember eyed hero adjust her stance.
"Energy levels are fluctuating." J'onn pointed out on a smaller monitor with varying gauges. Everyone straightened their backs.
"Do you think she's planning an escape?" The Green Lantern asked; the girl did seem like a wreck when he had met her. Canary shook her head causing Superman to shift uneasily.
"I don't believe she would attempt an escape. She knows and believes that we're good. I think it's something else." Canary moved her attention back to the monitor, watching Sable's movements like a hawk. Canary hoped she was right in defending the younger girl.
Sable's eyes were dry from staring at the punching-bag for so long. She hadn't taken her eyes off the thing since she had been left alone with it. Sable had been studying the sack of sand and nylon wondering what kind of approach she should take in destroying it.
Her electrical powers were fluctuating and she could tell she was being watched by tracing the circuits within the room. She thought momentarily about overloading the video camera but knew that whoever was in that room would rush in to subdue her if she did.
So Sable kept lightly punching the stretch nylon until her anger began to surface again. With every light tap that connected Sable grew angrier. Soon she was deftly slugging the bag and a scowl deeply marring her face. Her already narrowed eyes squinted into daggers and paid the red that swept into her vision no mind.
She was angry, and frustrated, and pissed off, and sad, and absolutely sick with herself. She felt worse than when her mother had died when she was still in grade school. Sable knew that her emotions were flying off the handle but the thoughts playing in her mind were too much. She may never see her father again and that's what she feared the most, so she kept punching.
The punching-bag was still swinging when Black Canary eased herself back into the training room. They didn't look at each other and the only noise that permitted the air was Sable's sharp breaths and the sputtering of sand hitting the floor. Sable's knuckles felt like cinder blocks had been dragged over them and they were bleeding like it too. She was out of breath, unable to lift her arms and her feet were wading in fine grain sand.
"We need to talk." Canary's eyes finally found Sable's and there was no joking to be had by the look. Sable moved away from the mess she had made.
