Chapter 3

Birds of Prey


When Jessica's atoms reemerged twenty-two thousand miles above her apartment in Texas, her screaming preceded her arrival by about five seconds. One moment she had been standing in her living room, surrounded by piles of dirty clothes, and the next she was standing atop a raised platform in an otherwise ordinary-looking lobby. If it hadn't been for the teleporter pad straight out of Star Trek, she might've thought she was in her therapist's waiting room.

"How do you like the view?" Diana asked. Jessica was so enamored by her new surroundings that she'd completely forgotten about her childhood hero standing beside her, but turned and finally saw what she was pointing at, and her jaw promptly hit the floor.

"Oh my God..."

Outside a large viewing window was the Earth in all its glory, hanging in the vastness of empty space with nothing but stars to keep it company.

'The Watchtower!' she screamed internally. 'I'm on a space station! Deep Space Nine always was my favorite.'

"Quite the view if I do say so myself," Diana said. "As someone born centuries before the Roman Empire, I don't think I'll ever get fully accustomed to it."

Jessica barely heard her, and her bare feet guided her over to the window as if on their own accord. She might've pressed her face to the glass if she hadn't been vaguely aware of Wonder Woman watching her. "I'm in space." She reached out and touched the glass which was cool against her skin. "It's beautiful..."

Diana's reflection smiled back at her. "Yes she is. My people refer to her as Gaea, mother of Titans and Goddess of the Earth. In fact, she is the Earth."

The Earth, or Gaea as she called it, was spinning ever so slightly, and after a bit of concentration, Jessica found Opal City. Somewhere in the convoluted mess that was the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, was a suburb with her apartment, and fifteen minutes from that was the house she grew up in.

"Everything's so small." She looked beyond the Earth into the void, and her knees nearly buckled. There was nothing except the never ending expanse of space.

"You can fly out there if you'd like," Diana said. "Green Lantern rings allow the wearer to breathe in and survive the vacuum of space. Not to mention planetary travel."

Jessica shuddered. "I think I'm going to be sick..."

Diana laughed and guided her away from the window. "It can be quite overwhelming the first time. I reacted much the same way actually. My first time returning to Earth, I couldn't thank Hera or Gaea enough, and may have built an altar or two out of gratitude. How about we get something to eat? The food here is divine, and that's coming from someone who's eaten mana with literal gods."

Jessica nodded and followed, her feet slapping the cold floor. She hadn't thought much about Greek mythology since high school, and didn't want to embarrass herself or offend her childhood hero by saying something silly. If she ever returned to Earth however, or Gaea as Diana called it, Jessica was certain she was going to get on her knees and kiss the ground, and consider going to Sunday Mass.

She was led through several identical looking corridors and occasionally past men and women in uniforms who acknowledged the pair with respectful nods but otherwise went on about their business, of which Jessica could only imagine the importance of. She was even more self-conscious than usual, walking without shoes and wearing wrinkled clothes, but if anybody noticed, they kept their criticisms to themselves.

'How could anyone just walk past Wonder Woman like that?' she wondered after another group of workers passed them. Not only was she the most famous woman on Earth, but even Jessica had difficulty not staring at her hourglass figure.

"The living quarters on this level belong to the men and women that keep the Watchtower operational," Diana explained. "They don't all necessarily make their homes here, few do actually, but it's a place to go and relax if nothing else. You'll find that most everyone in uniform is part of the superhero community. They're not just people we trust with our secrets and livelihoods, they're friends and family. The higher up the Watchtower you go however, the more security clearances you need. As this sector's Green Lantern, that pretty much makes you an honorary Justice League member. We can even visit the control room later if you'd like."

"W-what!?"

Diana chuckled and dragged her along. "We'll talk about it another time. Don't worry, we don't make new members wear the chicken suit anymore."

Jessica's knees nearly buckled again, and she was just on the verge of having another panic attack when an alluring aroma made her forget all about her troubles, and instead focus on her empty stomach.

"You have your pick of breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Diana said. "We're in the middle of the dayshift right now, but we use the terms 'night' and 'day' pretty loosely around here. Don't worry, it shouldn't be too crowded."

The thought of being the new girl in the lunchroom at school made Jessica want to run and hide in the library, but it would've been easier to cut off her arm than escape the grasp of Wonder Woman. She hoped her hand wasn't shaking too much, or sweating, but after turning one final corridor, Jessica found that Diana was right. The cafeteria was almost completely deserted, with only half a dozen men and women in uniforms sitting at tables, as well as a few superheroes she didn't recognize.

Diana exchanged pleasantries and introduced them to Jessica, but none paid much attention to her, for which she was grateful. Nobody asked why she wasn't wearing shoes. They simply smiled, said hello, and wished her a good day. The perfect conversation with strangers as far as she was concerned.

Before she knew it, Jessica was walking through an empty line with a tray in front of her. "We do things buffet style around here," Diana said. "We don't want anyone with superpowers getting cranky after a long shift. Help yourself."

Diana got a plate of baked chicken with a salad on the side, but Jessica simply stared, unsure where to start, and afraid of looking like a glutton. Eventually she decided there wasn't any harm in trying one of everything, that way it'd look like she was simply sampling the menu. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten an actual meal, and her stomach growled every time something new caught her eye.

She somehow restrained herself from piling dessert onto her plate, and followed Diana to a refrigerator where the drinks were kept. Jessica had difficulty not staring at her plate and salivating, but was still fascinated by her new surroundings. Everything was very ordinary and nothing like she had imagined, though in truth she had never given much thought to where superheroes drank coffee and ate breakfast.

Jessica might've thought they were still in Opal City if it hadn't been for the Earth hanging on nothing outside the floor to ceiling windows. Jessica did her best not to look, and followed Diana into another room where an entirely new sight held her gaze and made it impossible to blink. One that she had imagined countless times while praying in her apartment but never expected to actually see. A living, breathing angel...

She gasped, nearly dropping her tray. "What's wrong?" Diana followed her line of sight and smiled. "I see. Why don't I introduce you to some of my colleagues."

Diana led her to the table where a red-haired angel was playing chess with a beautiful blonde in a leather jacket and fishnet stockings, watching the board the way a predator watches their prey.

"Ladies-" Diana said- "I hope we're not interrupting. I'd like to introduce you to the new Green Lantern of Earth. Jessica Cruz. Jessica, these are my colleagues and some of my closest friends, Shayera and Dinah. You probably know them better however as Hawkgirl and Black Canary."

The blonde's grimace morphed into a smile. "Welcome to the Justice League, Jessica. Have they put you in the chicken suit yet?"

Jessica didn't answer, and instead continued staring at the redhead with gray wings folded against her back. Instead of white robes or armor like angels were usually depicted, Shayera was wearing a yellow crop top and matching pants outlined in black.

'She looks like The Bride from Kill Bill!' Jessica thought to herself.

Shayera glanced up and studied Jessica from head to toe with an expressionless face. "You could've at least let her put shoes on," she said finally.

"Where's the fun in that?" Diana took a seat at the table. "So, who's winning?"

"Who do you think's winning?" Dinah asked sarcastically, already putting the game away. "Even Batman can't beat her, and I've seen him play four dimensional chess with fifth level intellects."

"Doesn't stop him from trying, or you for that matter."

"It was either that or checkers, and even Bats won't play her in that."

"Y-you're-" Jessica stuttering caused them both to turn. "You're Hawkgirl!" she practically screamed.

Shayera nodded. "I haven't gone by that name for a few years now. Not since, well, you know."

"Since you betrayed Earth and the Justice League?" Diana asked with a sly grin.

"Technically I was an undercover agent for Thanagar, which means I betrayed them more than I did you."

The tray in Jessica's hands shook as she fully expected her two childhood heroes to come to blows, but Dinah merely rolled her eyes, and both Shayera and Diana smiled and laughed at what might've been a running joke between them.

"Have a seat, Jessica," Shayera said. "We don't bite. Much. You wouldn't be any good at chess, would you?"

Jessica stared blankly at her as if she'd just spoken an alien language, but finally glanced at the seat between her and Wonder Woman. With the tray still shaking, she took a seat, but continued staring at the two founders of the Justice League as if she were in some kind of fever dream.

"Maybe I should introduce her to Oracle," Dinah said, a mischievous grin on her face. "The Birds are a little short staffed at the moment, and we could use the extra firepower."

Shayera laughed. "Call me when you do. I want to see this."

"Oracle?" Jessica asked. She couldn't recall hearing a superhero with that name, but hadn't paid much attention to superhero news. She usually wasn't even aware when the Earth was under attack or had been saved, again.

"Sitting at this table are four of the strongest women in the Justice League," Dinah said, gesturing toward Jessica, "and we're all scared of a germaphobe in a wheelchair."

"And with good reason," Diana added. The women laughed as if it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard, but Jessica just sat there, smiling politely as though she was in on the joke. They weren't laughing at her, which was all that really mattered.

"You could've just taken her to the Hall of Justice," Shayera said. "You didn't have to teleport the poor girl off-planet without shoes on."

"I could've," Diana agreed, "but as a Green Lantern, Jessica's jurisdiction is technically space, not Earth. Besides, the food here is better."

Jessica's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and took a bite in hopes of silencing her stomach, but soon found that she couldn't stop. While the other women picked at their plates and discussed all things superhero related, most of which surrounded their significant others, Jessica listened intently between bites.

Dinah, who seemed to prefer being referred to as Canary, had beaten up some thugs the night before in Star City, and Shayera had caught a criminal peddling alien weapons in Gotham. Wonder Woman on the other hand had been fighting Cheetah for what they supposed had been the hundredth time that year. Once they had gotten business out of the way, they switched to gossiping about their colleagues and archnemeses, most of which went right over Jessica's head.

The women used superhero names and secret identities interchangeably, making it sometimes difficult for Jessica to follow along, and she was too afraid to speak up for fear of them remembering she was still there. Even before locking herself away, Jessica preferred listening and letting others do all the talking, and she could have listened to her heroes all day.

Canary's voice was smooth, husky, and most of all, soothing. Jessica felt herself relax every time she spoke, and could've easily drifted asleep listening to her. Shayera was the exact opposite. Her voice was abrasive and loud, but never without humor, and was brimming with confidence. It reminded Jessica of Phoebe, and she couldn't help but smile whenever she talked about hitting someone twice her size with a mace. Shayera hit a LOT of villains with her mace Jessica learned.

"So how's Ollie doing without Hal?" Diana asked.

"Miserable," Canary laughed. "He may have put a wedding ring on me, but we all know who he's really married to."

The other women laughed, Jessica included. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun with a group. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other family gatherings were stressful, and birthdays always made her feel self-conscious and guilty. She hated being the center of attention, but despite being a stranger amongst them, Shayera and Canary made her feel welcome, and didn't ask her a single question or prompt her to speak if she didn't want to.

After an hour or two she still wasn't used to the esteemed company she was keeping, but she chimed in every once in a while, making the women laugh with her wry sense of humor. It reminded her of high school, but instead of the popular girls shunning her, and Jessica gladly avoiding them, today she was sitting at the table with the most powerful and most famous women on Earth, perhaps even the entire galaxy.

'Your anxiety is the lowest it's been since we met,' the ring said. Jessica nearly jumped out of her seat, but besides a sideways glance and smile from the others, the women continued talking as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

The constant updates about her anxiety levels had gotten old. All the ring did seemingly was tell her what she already knew, but for once, Jessica liked what she heard. The voice in her head chiming in at inopportune times however she could do without.

"Maybe Shayera and I can help you get accustomed to the ring," Canary said suddenly. "She's dating John Stewart, the second Green Lantern of Earth, and my husband might as well be married to Hal Jordan, the senior Lantern of this sector."

Jessica swallowed and nodded. "I-I'd like that. If you don't mind, that is."

"We might not be Green Lanterns ourselves," Diana said, laying a hand atop Jessica's, "but there's probably nobody in the Justice League with more experience than us working alongside them."

Shayera laughed. "You couldn't ask for better teachers. You might have big shoes to fill, but Hal and John don't exactly have a lot of patience with rookies, or senses of humor for that matter, and Guy is, well, Guy. You'll probably get along with Kyle well enough, but he's hardly around these days. Nope, your best bet is to stick with us."

"Speaking of which," Canary said, rising to her feet. "You and Diana have work to do, and we should probably get going. My shift starts in fifteen minutes. Oracle's got me hunting an arms dealer somewhere in the Middle East." She gestured toward her clothing. "It's not exactly an undercover operation if you catch my drift."

Shayera rose as well. "And I'm helping Batman hunt down alien tech in Gotham. Personally, I'm hoping it's The Penguin. He threatened to make me a flightless bird like him last time I broke his nose."

"Be safe, my sisters." Diana got to her feet and gave the pair a hug, and it dawned on Jessica that every mission could very well be a hero's last.

"It was an honor meeting both of you," she blurted out.

Both women smiled. "The honor is all ours," Canary said. "It's not everyday you get to meet a Green Lantern." She laid a hand on Jessica's shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice that lulled her into a trance. "We'll talk again real soon, Jessica. I get the feeling you and I are going to be really good friends."

Jessica nodded, her eyes glazed over, unsure what was even really being said, only that everything was going to be alright.

"Don't beat her up too bad, Diana," Shayera said. "Leave some for the rest of us." With a wink the two women strolled off, and Jessica watched them go, still in disbelief, but suddenly afraid of what they were going to say when her back was turned.

'They must think I'm pathetic and a waste of a Green Lantern's ring,' she thought to herself.

'Incorrect,' the ring said. ''Poor girl' was Shayera's exact words leaving the room, and Black Canary agreed.'

"That doesn't make me feel any better..."

Without warning Diana grabbed Jessica's tray and dumped its remaining contents in a nearby trash can, and set it aside. "Well, Jessica," she said. "Are you ready?"

"R-ready for what?"

"Ready to become a superhero?"


(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. There really wasn't much debate which superheroes Jessica was going to meet on The Watchtower. Hawkgirl and Black Canary just seemed natural fits to me, though I did consider having a brief interaction with Shining Knight and Vigilante. Canary being the team's therapist in "Young Justice" just made her the perfect choice to be Jessica's therapist going forward, and I like the idea of Canary's voice being soothing to people (when she wants it to be). I like to think that the meeting was prearranged by the women in order to help Jessica, and besides her being a Green Lantern and MAJOR powerhouse for the League, I like to think all three women honestly want to help her. There are many heroes in the DCAU and various universes that have gone through some kind of trauma, and I like to think it's something they try to help each other through even if subtly. There's more to being a hero than having superpowers and saving lives, and I like to think of DC's heroes as being heroes in all things.

Not gonna lie, it was really nice to write a more uplifting chapter for this story. "Avoiding the Limelight" covers some really dark subject matter, but it's important to me that it's portrayed as realistically as possible. Not only do I want to be respectful to Jessica Cruz's character, but I also want to be mindful that her struggles are very real and resonate with her fans.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and wonderful readers such as yourself. God bless)