Cam knew Wally well enough to know that he had been shaken up by the whole Doctor Fate experience. He also knew that he would not admit it for anything- especially not to M'Gann or the others. Or even Cam himself.

But Cam resolved to keep an eye on his best friend in case he did feel like talking. (Well of course Wally talked- the hard part was getting him to shut up- but it was not likely he would get around to admitting his feelings about anything serious.) Wally spent most of their non mission time with the Team in trying to date M'Gann.

Of course, Cam had to admit to himself that talking about his own feelings wasn't something that he was all that comfortable with himself. That made his first mandatory meeting with Black Canary more than a little awkward.

Black Canary was a member of the Justice League, but she was not one of the heroes that Cam had met through Caitie or Barry. Unlike Ray Palmer, she was not a scientist. She was not stupid; Cam knew that within a few minutes of meeting her. She was disturbingly observant.

"So, Cameron … or would you prefer that I call you Cam?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you want is fine." He didn't like to look her in the eyes. She seemed to see a lot he would prefer she didn't.

"Searching for Kent Nelson was your first mission with the team, wasn't it?"

"You know it was."

"And it proved to be quite dangerous, didn't it?"

"Yes. Abra Kadabra is a bit scarier than I thought he would be from Flash's stories." He blinked. "But I know that Red Tornado didn't expect that we would be facing any kind of danger when he sent us after Kent Nelson. He's very concerned with our safety."

"Yes, none of us knew that Kent was in that much danger." She sighed sadly. "He worked with my mother in the Justice Society. I knew him growing up. He used to show me mummy movies and we'd laugh at how bad they were."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Cam said automatically.

"Thank you." Black Canary steepled her fingers. "You're all so young- and you especially haven't been in the Life for very long. It must have been hard to see a man die."

"I wasn't there when he died. That was Wally." He shrugged.

"But he was the first dead body you've ever encountered, wasn't he?"

"No," Cam admitted. "No he wasn't."

"Who was your first?" Black Canary asked him in a voice that sounded a lot more casual than it should have.

Cam froze. "You know?"

"I don't know anything, Cam. And anything you tell me remains in this room. I won't tell anyone."

"Not even Caitie?"

"Not even Caitie."

"The guard," Cam looked down at his hands. They were shaking. "The guard that last time that Dad took me on a heist-"

"You didn't kill him, Cam. I know that much."

"No. I didn't."

"He made you watch, didn't he? Your father made you watch as he killed the guard."

"Y-yes." Cam looked away. "I should have stopped him. Caitie would have stopped him."

"Cameron, you were a child. Your father was a full grown man who's had decades to grow into his power. There is no way that you could have saved that man."

Cam said nothing.

Black Canary waited for a moment longer. "Frost didn't want you to join the Team, did she?"

"No. She thought I wasn't good enough."

Black Canary raised an eyebrow. "That's not the impression I got, Cameron. She's extremely concerned with your welfare." She lowered her voice and land a hand on his. "She loves you, Cameron."

"I know," Cam admitted. She shouldn't, he wanted to say but did not. Her life would be better without me in it.

But he knew better.

"She's very proud of you, Cameron."

Cam shrugged. "That's silly. She shouldn't be."

"Why not?"

"I'm stupid." He hadn't meant to say it, but he hadn't been able to control himself. "Caitie- Crystal- even Dad. They're all brilliant scientists. I try as hard I can- study as much as I can- but I'm just not smart enough. I suck at science. Dad always said I was stupid and he was right ..."

"He was not right!" Black Canary showed genuine anger on her face for a moment and then she forced herself to relax. "Cameron, I've seen your school records. Your father barely let you have any kind of schooling while you were with him. You were years behind when Caitlin became your guardian. And you've caught up, Cameron! You're far smarter than you give yourself credit for..."

"But science-"

"There's different kinds of genius, Cameron. You're an amazing scupltor. You could easily obtain a college scholarship on that alone ..."

"Caitie wants me to go to college ..." But it would be a waste of her money for me to go …

"I think you would do well in college, Cameron." Black Canary smiled at him. "And I think the Team will be good for you."

Cam stared at her in surprise. He had been half-afraid that Canary was going to recommend that he be taken off the team. "But why?"

"There is an element of danger, I admit, but you've got a chance to have some amazing friends. You have a chance to see parts of the world that most people don't even know exist." Black Canary smiled. "And maybe they'll be able to convince you of what I already know."

"What's that?" Cam asked her.

"That you are an exceptional young man. You can go now, Cameron. We'll talk again soon."

I hope not, Cam thought to himself as he made his escape.

"Hey, Kid."

Jade was sitting in the kitchen when he got there. "How'd it go?"

"If I were twenty-one I'd be going to a bar," Cam admitted. "That was rough!"

Jade laughed. She didn't do that often. She was slightly older than Kaldur, and tended to be sarcastic more than not. But in her own way, she had gone out of her way to be friendly to Cam. "You should try having her as your personal mentor!"

Cam stared at her. "You're kidding! You- and her?"

"Yes. I was fourteen when I met her." Jade said nothing for a moment. "It was a bad time for me. A very bad time."

He suspected it had something to do with her father and sister, but he didn't ask her to elaborate. It didn't seem to be a Jade thing. "Wow."

"Yes. She can be a lot." Jade finished her orange juice. "But she's the best."

"I can believe that." And he did.

Jade walked over to the fridge and pulled out a sports drink. She tossed it to Cam. "Here you go, kid. Finish that off and then we'll get started."

"Started on what?"

"Started on training. You need a lot of work if you're going to hang with the Team." Jade smiled. "But I think you can handle it."

"I hope so," Cam told her.

And he drank.