Canaries (Earth 111)

Dinah Lance sighed, shrugging off her reinforced leather jacket and taking a moment to stretch her exhausted muscles.
Three months now. For three months, she and the rest of the Birds of Prey had been investigating a gang of people traffickers, suspected of selling sex slaves across the world. They'd had them. Canary, Huntress and Starling had stormed the restaurant they were using as a cover, taken out a few dozen armed guards, and found...
Nothing.
They'd scattered their operation and slipped out from right under their noses.
Frustrating would be putting it mildly.
After spending a few hours pummeling out her stress on a practice dummy, a gloriously warm shower to help relax her muscles and a few more hours spent scrutinizing the case notes for any hidden detail she may have overlooked, Dinah was pretty much ready for bed.
That was when the knock came at her door.
She checked the clock. It was approaching five in the morning, and the sun was only just beginning to rise.
Making only a passing effort to conceal her irritation -it would hardly be fair to explode at some good-intentioned neighbour just trying to drop off some misplaced mail- she forced a smile onto her face and walked towards the door.
Then she froze.
The door was ajar. She definitely remembered locking it. She always locked it. She'd made a habit of, however tired she was, thoroughly checking every door and window into her apartment the second she came home.
Call it paranoia. After a few years in her line of work, you very quickly learned that paranoia could save your life.
The muscles tensed again and she started moving, creeping ever so cautiously closer. She could easily kick a man in the throat from a standing start, and she was ready to do just that. Even Helena was impressed by the power she could get behind a kick. Helena didn't impress easily.
No signs of forced entry. The door had been unlocked. She pushed it closed, slotted in the key and twisted until she heard the familiar clunk. Whoever was in here wasn't getting out without at least a few dozen broken bones.
She heard a cough from the other room. Rushing through, she was confronted by three men, two carrying submachine guns. Vaulting over the coffee table and swinging a leg out, she caught the nearest gunman across the jaw, and heard it shatter. His body crumpled almost perfectly in sync with her landing, and didn't get up. She was already moving. An elbow to the nose and a jab to the throat dropped the other intruder. That left only one. Unarmed.
In her experience, the unarmed ones were usually the most dangerous. The ones with active metagenes, or mystical powers, or just a lifetime's training. They were the ones who didn't need weapons to be dangerous. They were the ones like her.
Tensed and ready to unleash a Canary Cry, she circled the room, gradually walking closer.
He smiled. Reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. An old watch, hanging from a silver chain, like the ones stage magicians used in hypnosis acts. He began to swing it, ever so gently, back and forth, and despite herself, she stopped everything to watch it.
Back and forth.
"Evening, Miss Lance. Good to see the subliminals in my lair made your mind nice and ready."
"Unhh..." was the only response she could muster. The tensed muscles relaxed, going as limp as wet noodles. Her arms dangled uselessly by her side. Her legs gave way and she fell back into the nearby chair. And yet still, her eyes remained glued to the watch.
Back and forth...
"You're probably wondering how I got in? Well. You would be, if you could think of anything right now...easy. I had a little chat with your pal Starling after you raided my business earlier. The music in the restaurant? It was laced with subliminals, prepping your minds to be completely hypnotized the moment you saw this watch. Starling told me everything, Dinah. She was even nice enough to lend me the key you gave her."
"Nnnh..."
Back and forth...
"You put a lot of my employees in hospital tonight. And they'll end up in police custody as soon as they're well enough. You blew the restaurant cover. I'm going to have to relocate the operation, employ more soldiers...you little bimbos cost me quite a bit of money tonight."
"Uhhhh..."
Back and forth...
"So I think it's only fair that you all repay me. I'm happy to let you all work off your debt...with interest. Starling's already agreed, and I'm pretty sure you're going to nod that pretty little head along to everything I say..."
The watch rose by a few inches, then fell again. Dinah's head tilted up and down to follow it.
Back and forth...
"Good girl. You work for me now, Dinah. Understand?"
Back and forth...

EGADS! What's this? The Black Canary, mindlessly mesmerised and at the mercy of a criminal, destined to be nothing more than a mere pawn in his master plan?
Will our heroine ever be able to snap out of it? Tune in next week to find out! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!




WOO, FIRST UPLOAD OF 2016! ^.^
Uber thankies to DaveLemon for the edit! The model featured is Katheryn Winnick, who will always be my first choice for Canary if I'm ever in any position to cast anything related to the Birds of Prey.
Feel free to hop in with an RP if you want, and as always any feedback is appreciated.
Happy New Year, y'all!

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