Turns out our screamer was some lady getting mugged. I'd been running around Happy Harbor and Gotham for as long as I knew Canary. Point to that story, I knew shortcuts. I could have gotten to her quickly and on my own but something made me grab hold of the closest hand and pull them along. Turns out it was M'gann.
"Fly!" I ordered.
She obeyed, her skin turning green.
"Where?" she asked.
"There!" I replied.
She flew over a building and I dropped my hold on her wrist, dropping right onto said mugger.
"Hey, fool," I greeted, pinning his arms behind his back.
He struggled beneath me.
"Don't bother," I said.
"Ai, I need a hand!" he yelled.
A hand grabbed the collar of my blazer, pulling me off. I looked up at Aisha in shock.
"Hey kid," she greeted.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
She shrugged.
"Since I bailed on Sportsmaster, works hard to find. So I've been reduced to a common mugger."
Aisha shrugged.
"What can ya do?"
"You can stop," I snapped.
Aisha's eyes narrowed.
"Little girl, not all of us have the luxury of a clean slate or the luxury of time."
"What do you mean? What's time got to do with this?"
Aisha sighed.
"Kid, I'm…sick," she replied.
"What do you mean by sick?" I demanded.
"Sick as in dying," Aisha replied.
"Hey, Ariel!" Wally yelled.
His voice startled me.
"Bad guys mine!" he yelled.
I turned to see what the heck he was talking about . While I'd been focused on Aisha, her partner had run away but had run into Wally's grip. Whatever. I turned back to Aisha.
"Please tell me you're joking," I begged.
Aisha shrugged as if it was nothing.
"Kid, people come, people go. What's it matter?" she asked.
"You matter to me!" I practically yelled.
Aisha smiled at me.
"And that's why I didn't tell you. You need different friends besides me."
"I have friends!" I argued.
Aisha leaned closer.
"Besides Sanchez?"
I said nothing.
"Take it from me, kid," Aisha said. "Don't spend your life pushing people away because eventually you're going to want them around and they're going to be too far away."
With that, she stood, a small tornado surrounding her and lifting her away. I watched her go. How was it possible for someone like her to be sick. I jumped a bit as a hand came to rest on my shoulder. It was Kaldur.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"Why do you ask that?"
"You're crying," he said.
Gently, I touched my face. I was crying. I as going to lie and say I was okay but Aisha's words came to me and I hugged Kaldur tightly.
"Can we please go home?" I asked.