#moira green

[kent-farm]

—Arrow, “Year’s End”

[sunset-nymph]

I think the problem with the Arrow is that almost all of the female characters are made to be hated.

[schrijverr]

Tomorrow Will Be Different 22

Chapter 22 out of 26

Instead of managing to meet up later, Oliver has to keep running with Akio. The only way to keep them safe is to go public with Oliver being alive, leaving him back home in charge of Akio, while Tatsu and Maseo are still in the wind

In this chapter, Oliver, Diggle, Tatsu and Maseo have to deal with A.R.G.U.S. and America bureaucracy, before they can go to the Queen Mansion.

On AO3.

Ships: tatsu x maseo

Warnings: none

~~~

Chapter 22: Testimonies and Debriefs

In Washington DC two cars are waiting for them. Since Diggle and Oliver are off the record, they’re not allowed to accompany Tatsu and Maseo to the government building where they have to testify against Shrieve.

The only reason Oliver lets them out of sight, is because Lyla will be with them and she promises they can call Akio in the car. If they’re letting their arrival out of containment, they can’t make a disappearance permanent without raising red flags.

Still, the hours they have to wait are torture. The first two hours are filled with Diggle and Oliver giving a mission reports of went down in Japan, but after that it’s just waiting.

After an hour or so of just him and Diggle in a waiting room, an A.R.G.U.S. agent comes to bring them the stuff they left behind on the plane. Diggle goes to call Carly and Andy Jr., while Oliver cringes as he looks down at all the missed messages from his mom, sister and Akio.

Maybe he should’ve said goodbye, but in the moment, it seemed like too much to handle. Now reaching out seems like a lot to handle too.

In Osaka he was confronted once more with how different he is now. During the debrief he mentioned the explosion and they confirmed that 15 bodies were recovered. He didn’t feel a thing about that then, and he doesn’t now. That probably makes him a bad person.

It’s not like he completely minds being a bad person; being a bad person has kept him alive for the past three years, has ensured Tatsu and Maseo are now here to reunite with Akio. A lot of bad people accomplish good things. Like Amanda Waller.

However, being around bad people can make you a bad person, again see what Amanda did with him. He doesn’t want to make those around him a bad person too.

He won’t be around Akio for long enough to influence him, but what about mom, Speedy, Tommy, Raisa, hell, even Laurel or Diggle, maybe Felicity. He’ll be around them for long enough. He can’t hide these parts for forever.

Those years are a permanent part of him. They’re lodged deep inside his soul and still haunt him every day.

Oliver can’t just stop scanning every crowd for potential threats, mapping the best exit routes and cataloging all potential weapons. Can’t stop seeing violence as a posssible answer to solve his problems.

If he has to repress that for the rest of time, he’ll probably explode.

However, running away from home also isn’t the answer. Looking through the frantic messages from his family tells him that much. He doesn’t want to hurt them like that, even if it is to protect them from himself. That will be backup plan Z, not sooner.

Perhaps if Diggle stays, he can convince him to spar with him. Take a beating and give one to get it out of his system.

In that moment, the revelation from the shower returns to him. That he’d like to do something good anonymously. His father’s notebook is still in his pocket and he has everything else from the island too, which was among the gear Lyla got him. He can use the bow and the hood to work down the list and right his father’s wrongs, detox the city from its poison.

The idea is very appealing and he mentally starts working out the details, the process keeping his mind busy enough that all the messages aren’t so overwhelming anymore.

He calls Akio first. The kid picks up in seconds, excitedly saying: “Oliver! You got them! Otōsan and Okāsan called, they are going to be here soon.”

“They are, buddy. You’re going to see them real soon,” he says, smiling at the excitement in Akio’s voice.

“Thank you. I knew you would get them. You always keep your promises.”

Oliver knows that isn’t true, that he promised Slade he’d help him get off the Lian Yu, Yao Fei that he’d keep his daughter safe, Sara that she’d make it home. However, when Akio says it, he can almost believe it. “Yeah, I try.”

“Are you going to be here soon?” Akio asks.

“I don’t know. Your mom and dad are answering some questions, but it might take a while. The second they’re done, we’re coming home, though.”

“And that will be soon?”

Oliver isn’t sure what to answer to that. He has no clue how long Tatsu and Maseo will be held until it’s all cleared up. With American bureaucracy, it can take hours, days, or months, even years. The only confidence he has that it will be today is that they’re in the waiting room, but for all he knows they’re waiting to get put in a hotel or something.

“Oliver?” Akio prompts, a small frown audible at the lack of response.

He is saved by an unlikely hero; his mom. He can hear her in the background of the call asking: “Is it your parents again, Akio? Did they say where Oliver is?”

“No, it is Oliver,” Akio answers.

Moira gasps and her heels click quickly over the hardwood floors. “Can I speak to him for a moment?”

“Yes, you can,” Akio says, his voice further from the receiver.

“Oliver?” his mom sounds a lot like when he called her after those three years and guilt churns in his gut at that.

“Hi, mom,” he greets softly. “I’m so sorry for disappearing like that.”

“Oh thank God. You have no idea how worried I was. Never do that again.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Oliver promises, vowing to himself to keep it. He never wants to make the life of his loved ones more difficult.

In the background, he can hear Akio ask: “Can you ask him when he will be home?”

“Of course,” Moira directs to him, before repeating to Oliver: “When will you be back? Akio’s parents said they’re in Washington DC. Are you there too?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. I can’t say much yet, but Tatsu and Maseo need to give their side of the story, you know, what happened between me leaving and- and nearly everyone dying,” he doesn’t have to fake how his voice turns a little strangled at the end, remembering how none of the prisoners of Ivo’s ship, bar Anatoli maybe, made it out of there. He was responsible for that and he feels that weight every day.

“Oh my poor boy, that- that must be so hard,” Moira says sympathetically.

“Only Tatsu and Maseo lived,” Oliver gasps, tears welling up as the cover story and memories run together in his mind.

His mom doesn’t know what to say to that and Oliver can’t blame her. The things he’s seen are beyond the norm. Some days he barely knows how to live with it, how to conceptualize it all, so how would anyone who didn’t live it know what to say?

“I’m sorry,” he says, because apologizing for his outburst is easier than letting it be real. He clears his throat. “Uhm, I don’t know how long we’re going to be, but they haven’t put us up in a hotel, so it should be today.”

“We’ll be waiting up for you,” Moira promises and the words settle something warm inside him. It has been so long since he had some place to return home to, people who’d miss him. The concept is still weird, but in a good way.

“Thank you,” Oliver smiles. “Can you give the phone to Akio so I can say goodbye?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” his mom’s voice still sounds strange at his concern for Akio. Oliver thinks she’s never going to get used to who is now. Maybe with time. He hopes so.

Akio gets the phone and says: “Moira says we are waiting up, does that mean you will be home tonight?”

“I’ll try to be. Might get late, but I’ll wake you when we get there,” Oliver says.

“Good, I missed you.”

It does a lot of things to Oliver’s heart that Akio means him too, not just his parents. That Oliver is important enough to him to be missed. Fuck, it’s going to hurt to let him go, no matter how good a hands he’ll leave him in and how much more Tatsu and Maseo deserve to fulfill the role he has these past few weeks.

But he can’t verbalize any of that, doesn’t want to put that on Akio’s shoulder. So he smiles, because you can always hear a smile, and ignores his wet eyes as he whispers: “I missed you too, buddy.”

He contemplates calling Thea too, but she’ll probably hear from his mom and Akio and he doesn’t have the energy to have another one of those calls. So he snaps a picture of himself, carefully making sure the backdrop reveals nothing and there’s no left over grime on his face. He captures it: alive, then presses send.

Diggle is still off having his own conversation. He’s probably more used to talking to family than Oliver is and the conversation is easier to maintain.

Unsure of what else to do, he dials the same number he did yesterday. Within seconds, he is greeted with: “Hello? This is Felicity Smoak, Queen Consolidated I.T. department.”

“I made your deadline. Back in the States, even called my mom,” Oliver informs her.

Felicity obviously isn’t expecting him to call, because she takes a few moments to process before replying. “Oh, Mr. Queen. Of course. Hi, yes. It’s good to hear from you. Not because I expected to hear from you, I’m not your girlfriend or something. Not that it’d a hardship to be your girlfriend, I’m just not your girlfriend. I didn’t mean to imply anything with that. I know I’m not your type- I mean, I don’t expect you to want to sleep with me. I mean, you do have a reputation, but I didn’t mean anything like that with it. Anyway, my mouth is running off, so I am going to stop now.”

She takes a deep breath, then starts over: “I meant to say: I’m glad you called, because I have been worried after what you had me do yesterday and I know you mom was too, so it’s good to hear that you’re safe.”

Oliver can’t help but huff out a short breath of laughter, which isn’t helped by Felicity’s soft muttered: “G-d, can’t go a day without humiliating myself.”

He decides to let her have most of her dignity and doesn’t respond to ninety percent of what she has said. “Truly, Oliver is fine. And I appreciate your concern. I’m all good.”

“That is good to hear.” Felicity sounds relieved that he doesn’t mention anything else from her ramble. She gathers herself and asks: “Was that all or can I help you with something else, Oliver.”

She’s testing out how his name sounds on her lips and he smiles involuntarily. Felicity truly is just a bright person, he’s drawn to her. However, it’s dangerous to let himself form attachments to anyone, especially people without his darkness. So he just says: “That was all, Felicity,” before saying his goodbyes and hanging up.

Diggle returns shortly after and the two resume their waiting. It’s not until three hours later, so six total, that Tatsu and Maseo enter accompanied by Amanda.

Oliver rises immediately when she enters, not out of any respect, but his instinct screaming not to be caught unawares by a predator. “Amanda, good to see you free,” he grins cockily, trying to cover that reaction to her.

Amanda gives him a mild smile, before greeting in turn: “Mr. Queen, good to have you back for another mission.”

“Mission is over, got debriefed and everything,” Oliver replies sharply, not giving her a second to think he’s actually back.

“Yes, I assume you will want to return home accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Yamashiro.”

Suspicion creeps up Oliver’s spine as he returns: “Yes, will that be a problem, Director Waller?”

“No,” Amanda says, smiling sharply since she knows she got on his nerves, that she still has that effect on him. “Mr. Yamashiro has officially earned his release from A.R.G.U.S. service with his testimony. They’re free to return to the public. We’ll release a statement about their survival tomorrow morning.”

“That is good to hear,” Oliver smiles. “Would it be too much to ask for transport home. You did kind of summon us away from it on short notice.”

While Amanda is still smiling politely, it is clear that she isn’t amused. She never is and Oliver doubts that’ll ever change. “Agent Micheals will have to return to Starling to finish her charade there. You can drive with her.”

“Thank you, I would say till next time, but let’s not and say we did,” Oliver says, before walking out of there, the others at his heels.

Once they’re over the threshold, Maseo leans in and says: “You can at least try to be polite to her, so we stay out of trouble.”

“You know me, Maseo. I’m never out of trouble,” Oliver grins, feeling too light and happy to care about all that right now.

“Let him have his fun, Waller is no longer our problem now,” Tatsu says, surprising Oliver, since she has never backed him up a day in her life. “Tell us more about how Akio is doing.”

“Well, you’ll loathe to hear that I’ve turned him into a spoiled American,” Oliver jokes. “I taught him to forget how to do his laundry and got him hooked on cheeseburgers.”

Now Tatsu is glaring at him. Oliver is almost entirely sure she doesn’t mean it, but not entirely. She never fully liked him and she might believe him. So to be sure, he quickly adds: “I’m joking. Well, about the laundry part. I did feed him cheeseburgers, but also veggies, I swear.”

At that Tatsu allows a bit of a smile to appear on her face and Oliver is now sure she was playing with him. He glares back, but knows it doesn’t have the same impact as hers. His glare can be intimidating, she just knows him too well to feel it.

The three of them are crammed in the backseat (not literally, the A.R.G.U.S. car is quite spacious), while Diggle takes up the front seat next to Lyla.

Tatsu and Maseo talk a little about how their weeks of hiding have been and how they ended up on that Yakuza ship. However, it’s mostly Oliver, who tells them all about what he and Akio have been up to, making sure to not leave anything out. These are his parents, they need to know what their child has been through, so they can support him.

Diggle pipes up sometimes, adding his own anecdotes or insights, but remains quiet mostly. Oliver is grateful for him, the man has a higher regard for his time as Akio’s guardian than Oliver has of himself.

When they arrive at the mansion, Oliver leans over to Diggle and asks: “Is this delivery also your resignation?”

“I’ll be here tomorrow morning, sir,” Diggle smiles and Oliver can’t help but smile back.

“Good, see you then,” Oliver says, glad Diggle is still on his side. Then he says his goodbyes to Diggle and Lyla, making sure to give the latter his thanks for her help.

He gets out of the car and sees Tatsu and Maseo stare at the mansion. It’s his childhood home, so he sometimes forgets it can be a lot to some. Cautiously, he asks: “Are you good?”

“That is a big house,” Maseo says.

“I get now why you did not know how to do your laundry,” Tatsu comments.

Oliver laughs, but before he can reply, the door is swung open. The other must have been looking out the window to wait for the car. Lit from the back stands Akio, face bright with a big smile as he exclaims: “Otōsan! Okāsan!”

[mallowmaenad]

i fucking hate activision-blizzard and overwatch bit i miss people playing doll with the evil witch healer and the swedish white woman healer to do medical drama yuri that was good

[kuramassss]

Im gonna start write fanfics with characters x reader, so im taking requests for:

DC Fem characters:

Raven

White Canary

Black Canary

Black Siren

Laurel Lance

Thea Queen

Sara Lance

Harley Quinn

CW Characters:

Supergirl

Kara Danvers

Alex Danvers

Overgirl

Red Daugher

Nia Zal

Black Canary

Black Siren

Laurel Lance

Sara Lance

Ava Sharp

Charlie

Caitlyn Snow

Killer Frost

Thea Queen

Shado

Jessie Wells

Overwatch Characters:

Ashe

Tracer

Widowmaker

D.Va

Ana Amar

Pharah

Mercy

Mei

Bridget

Junker Queen

Echo

Moira Odelion

[barrysbaby]

I would just like to note that Moira's eyes are hazel. Thank you.

[coochiequeens]

Advocates on the right side of history don’t punch horses.

An Australian politician is set to be expelled from the Liberal Party after she attended a pro-woman rally critical of gender ideology this week. Moira Deeming, who represents the Western Metropolitan Region in the Parliament of Victoria, is being scrutinized by her own party after attending a public Let Women Speak event in Melbourne on March 18.

The rally Deeming attended was part of the Australian “Let Women Speak” tour hosted by British women’s rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen, the founder of Standing for Women. Keen has hosted rallies across the UK, USA, and Australia encouraging women to use her platform to speak about how gender ideology has impacted their lives.

Keen’s events typically draw both counter-protesters and detractors, and the event in Melbourne this week was no different. The rally was faced down by trans activists and required a heavy police presence to keep the protesters at bay. Violent trans activists reportedly attacked police horses, punching them in the stomach, attempting to get at the female speakers. 

During the rally, a trans activist rushed the stage and seized the microphone as one woman spoke about women’s suffrage in Australia and explained that Aboriginal women did not gain the right to vote until 1962. The activist, who was male and wearing a wig, was quickly restrained by private security. 

Due to the threat of violence presented by the counter-protesters, police shut the rally down early.

Just after the rally concluded, Keen said in a YouTube livestream that the police appeared to be genuinely concerned about the rapidly escalating aggression during the event.

“We needed more police than I’ve ever seen to stop violent trans activists getting to us, who punched horses in the stomach,” Keen said in a video posted the next day.

A separate demonstration was held by a group of around 20 men who were reportedly members of the National Socialist Network, a neo-Nazi group. According to witnesses who were on the ground, the men had attempted to antagonize the trans activists, chanting “pedophile” and “communist” at the crowd while raising their arms in a Nazi salute.

Without any consultation from the women’s side, police onsite allegedly allowed the far-right group onto the steps of the Parliament building where they remained for around 15 minutes, posing with their hands in the air and holding a banner that read, “Destroy [Pedo] Freaks.”

Deeming appeared in a livestream with Keen after the rally where they discussed the day’s events. During the stream, Deeming spoke positively about the event, which she said allowed women to unite for their “basic human rights.” She also expressed concern about the police seemingly allowing the neo-Nazi group into the pro-woman area.

“There was a group of masked men who came in … we didn’t know who they were,” Deeming said during the livestream. “The police, for some reason that I do not understand, ushered them in and let them take photos on the steps next to us.” She went on to say she was horrified when she witnessed the men give a Nazi salute. 

Following the event, Deeming took to her Twitter to condemn the far-right group and express disappointment in the police for allowing them to get so close the women’s rally.

Despite Deeming’s condemnation of the neo-Nazi detractors, John Pesutto, the Leader of the Australian Liberal Party, released a statement accusing Deeming of being part of the neo-Nazi demonstration. 

“Yesterday afternoon, Victorians witnessed an abomination on the steps of the Victorian Parliament when neo-Nazi protesters engaged in an affront to the values we should all hold dear as Victorians,” Pesutto said in the statement.

“The violence, prejudice and hate that these protesters conveyed by their odious actions will never be acceptable in our State. I condemn them and commit to opposing such hate wherever it may exist.”

He then explained how he confronted Deeming about her involvement and was moving to expel her from the Liberal Party despite her repeatedly stating she had no involvement with the separate far-right demonstration. 

The women attending the Let Women Speak event had also not committed any illegal acts and had formal permits for their rally. Many of the women also experienced violence and aggression from counter-protesters, including Deeming, who reported being kicked in the shin by a trans activist.

Later, Deeming released a further statement addressing the situation. 

“I have been informed that there will be a vote in the Liberal Party room to determine whether I should be allowed to remain or be expelled from the Parliamentary Party. Let me be clear – I have done nothing wrong. Those who organized the Let Women Speak event on the weekend have done nothing wrong,” Deeming said in the opening of her statement published on Twitter. 

She then went on to explain that Standing for Women is a reputable group supported by women around the world, from many different political backgrounds and religious orientations.

“I and the other attendees were horrified to see masked men all clad in black inside the buffer zone. We thought that we were going to be attacked. However, the police did not seem worried and were talking with them over at the edge of the line.”

Deeming continued: “After the event I was informed that these masked men had in fact mounted Parliament House steps outside of our view on the other end and performed a Nazi salute, and that members of the [Standing for Women] group asked the police to make them leave, but were informed that the Police had no powers to move them on due to Labor’s removal of those powers.”

She denied any assertions that the attendees or organizers were affiliated with the Nazi detractors, and condemned their actions.

“I completely reject the beliefs of National Socialists (Nazis) and I have seen first-hand the impact that the Holocaust had on a family member. None of those organising the event had any involvement with these men, as has been confirmed by Victoria Police, the Australian Jewish Association and all the organisers themselves.”

In addition to Deeming refuting any association with the neo-Nazi contingency, the group associated with the far-right similarly denied any involvement with the women’s rally. 

During the rally, a member of the public confronted the group about their reasons for marching, one of the neo-Nazis expressed a lack of support for both the pro-trans side and the pro-women side. He called the pro-trans side “pedophiles” and “pedophile supporters.”

When asked what he thought of Let Women Speak, he said: “What rights don’t women have these days? We’re here for the little boys.” He then claimed that due to feminism, boys as young as 7 are forced to stand up in school and apologise for rape.

A member of the National Socialist Network, David Hiscox, published an article on his blog denying support for Kellie-Jay Keen, and calling her an “atheist radical feminist” who promotes “lesbianism.”

In an article published by XYZ, an influential propaganda outlet for the broader neo-Nazi movement in Australia, Hiscox claimed Keen’s intention was to reduce the white birth rate. Hiscox also stated his Neo-Nazi group’s goal for turning up at the rally was to hijack Keen’s fight against gender ideology as she was “misdirecting them to reinforce the progress of Liberalism and maintain support for Israel.”

Hiscox wrote: “Both the groomer ideology of ‘trans’ activists and the lesbianism promoted by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull are forms of Liberalism directed by the Globohomo regime at White people in order to undermine white families, birthrates and social cohesion.”

On Hiscox’s Twitter account, he celebrated the National Socialist Network’s successful hijacking of the event saying: “The rightful pushback against groomer propaganda cannot be allowed to be dominated by radical feminist atheists who will merely reinforce the gains of cultural Marxism.”

Despite efforts by trans activists to link the neo-Nazis to Keen and her rally, the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) condemned the far-right men as invaders who “saw an opportunity to hijack the event for their own publicity.” The AJA also called out the police for allowing the men to access the steps of Parliament undeterred. 

In a statement on their Facebook page, the AJA wrote: “Yesterday a ‘Let Women Speak’ rally was held in Melbourne featuring visiting British women’s advocate Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (also known as Posie Parker) as well as local women. This movement is concerned that biological men are undermining the integrity of women’s sport and spaces such as bathrooms … AJA unreservedly condemns the Nazis who invaded the rally. These ugly thugs likely saw an opportunity to hijack the event for their own publicity.”

The statement continued: “There was some very odd policing. While the Victorian police held back the trans activists who arrived to disrupt the rally, they did not do the same to the Nazis.”

The AJA then slammed politicians for associating the women’s movement with the Nazis, saying Let Women Speak had nothing to do with them. 

“The Nazis were condemned by the women’s rally organizers – one contacted AJA in distress explaining what had happened. The ‘Let Women Speak’ organizers had nothing to do with the Nazis. It is shameful that some politicians and media are now trying to smear this women’s movement with the false accusation of involvement with Nazis.” 

Despite credible evidence to the contrary, many Australian politicians have continued to claim that the ‘Let Women Speak’ rally was associated with the neo-Nazis, particularly members of the Australian Green Party. 

In a now-deleted tweet, party leader Adam Bandt wrote: “I’m disgusted by the anti-trans rally in Melbourne yesterday, protected by their allies: saluting neo-Nazis. The banners they march under and the hate they espouse have no place here or anywhere.”

In the wake of the public outcry over the presence of neo-Nazis close by the women’s rights event, it has come to light that the Australian Greens of Victoria recently investigated a transgender member of the party for statements that were reportedly supportive of pedophilia and Nazism.

Just days before the rally, Australian lawyer Nina Vallinscondemned the Greens for not adequately disciplining Bianca Haven, a trans-identified male who has held senior positions in the party, after he defended pedophilia and incest and expressed views sympathetic to the Nazis on his personal Twitter account. After an internal investigation, Haven was only censured, prompting anger from some who had called for suspension or expulsion.

Vallins was present at the rally and used her microphone time to explain that the Greens had failed to suspend Haven for his tweets, but had suspended her for 6 months after she tweeted that domestic violence survivors were entitled to single-sex resources.

Responding to the criticism, Keen has urged her followers to not get distracted. 

“I promote women’s voices, without distraction, because contrary to popular belief women are enough,” Keen said on Twitter while sharing one of the speeches from a woman at her rally which went viral. 

Speaking with NZ Herald, Keen stated, “They’re absolutely not associated with me whatsoever. I absolutely abhor anything to do with Nazis. It’s preposterous they even exist in 2023.”

She also expressed support for Deeming after it was announced the Liberal Party of Australia had expelled her.

Keen’s rallies have on several occasions drawn crowds of trans activists who have either threatened violence or physically harmed participants.In November 2022, two women were assaulted by a man at a London rally in Hyde Park.

In May 2022, another woman was assaulted by a black-clad trans activist in Manchester. After her rally in Bristol, a gang of men in all black, who were primarily members of Bristol Anarchist Federation, followed a group of women to a local pub and blocked them in. 

During the US leg of her tour, at least nine people were arrested in Manhattan during protests that broke out in opposition to the Let Women Speak event.

[rewriting-thearrowverse]

This was after my extended break from the story, only finishing it around a year later. This one, I posted in March, 2024

𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝟏 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝟓: 𝑫𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅 (𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝟏)

Author's Note:

Hello friends. I know I said that things wouldn't change much until my season 2 book... But apparently I lied to myself and you guys.

I wanted to stay somewhat true to the comics in this storyline with Black Canary, so I wanted her to have a proper amount of training. Perhaps even to the point that she'd be a better fighter than Oliver like in comics.

But also, I wanted to start showcasing that through more than just her random flashbacks, where I have to hold back. As I don't accidentally want to reveal too much.

Additionally, I'll probably be skipping the recaps from now on, except for from season to season because, this is a book. Not a TV show, even if it is based around one.

There are many changes in this storyline, such as Jay Garrick and Wildcat. But I assure you I want to try and make this as close to a rewrite as I can. That is all for now.

𝐘𝐚𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐢 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 "𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫."

*𝐹𝑙𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘*

𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐘𝐚𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐢 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭.

"𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥."

𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐭.

"𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭?" 𝐇𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬

"𝐓𝐫𝐲. 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞. 𝐀𝐢𝐦. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞." 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭.

𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰. "𝐓𝐫𝐲."

𝐇𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞.

"你會死得很慘" (Nǐ huì sǐ dé hěn cǎn)

"𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧?" 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲." 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭.

𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭. 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐝𝐮𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.

"𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞." 𝐇𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐧, 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝.

"𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞! 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!"

Oliver is being walked to the Police Precinct

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*𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫*

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦.

They begin taking his fingerprints.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵.. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵."

His mugshot is taken

In the interrogation room, Oliver sits across from Quentin

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"I'll be asking you a few questions, standard procedure for the report."

"Have you ever been arrested? Never mind, I know the answer to that. Many times."

"This is a mistake." Oliver said

"My only mistake was not shooting you at the docks when I had the chance." Quentin retorts

"I'm not who you think I am."

"You're exactly who I think you are. A dangerous menace who hurts anyone in his path. But instead of the rich playboy routine, now it's bows and arrows."

"Detective.. I know you hate me, and I understand.. But that doesn't make me a vigilante." Oliver sighs

"No, that's what the footage from Unidac industries proves."

"And Like I said, I ran up the stairwell when I heard shooting. I saw a duffel..thought maybe it was the shooter's...And there was a green hood in it."

"And what, you took it home with you? Because we can't find it anywhere."

"And harassing Adam Hunt? That just happened to take place across the street from your welcome home bash."

"Those were coincidences." Oliver said

"Not when they pile up like that. That's evidence."

An officer walks in and says "His parents are here."

"Tell them to wait."

Moira barges through the door, shortly followed by Walter.

"I want to see my son!" She said

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation!" Lance says in an irrate tone of voice.

"Detective Lance! I know you hate my family, but I never expected you to go as far as arresting my son without any grounds whatsoever!" Moira yelled

"I have evidence."

"Which you can present to Mr. Queen's attorney when he arrives.. But until then this interrogation is over." Walter said

"Fine. You have 15 minutes." He says walking out the door

"Detective Lance appears to be on some kind of personal Vendetta." Walter remarks

"He is.. He blames me for the death of his daughter."

"And apparently he also thinks I dress up in a green hood... And shoot people. With arrows."

"The important thing is to keep quiet until your attorney gets here." Moira says

Oliver looks up at them dead in the face and says "I want Laurel.

This causes them both to scoff.

" brilliant." Walter complained.

"I don't think we can count on your ex to properly represent this case." Moira said

"Laurel is honest. She was raised to do what's right. That includes defending the innocent. She knows this could never be me.."

"Walter, you agree he's on a vendetta.. And I believe Laurel can get him off of it."

Moira Queen walked into the office of CNRI, where she found Laurel.

"Laurel.."

"Mrs. Queen, I saw the news. I'm so sorry."

The story flashes over the news and Moira sighs

"These charges are ludicrous."

"I know.. If you don't mind.. Could you tell me who's representing him?"

Moira sighs.

"That's why I'm here. He wants you."

"He didn't-" Laurel said somewhat shocked.

"I know. I told him it was a bad idea, but honestly I'm desperate because he said if you don't represent him, he wants no one."

"Oliver realizes the position this puts me in right? Not only do I know him personally.. But my father was the arresting officer." Laurel sighs

"Moira.. I'm really sorry about Oliver-"

She was cut off.

"No apologies. Your Idealism.. For all his mistakes, I believe it is why my son is so smitten with you."

"But either way.. I knew it was a bad idea, and he never should've asked. I wish I didn't make you uncomfortable." Moira says

At the People's Court, Oliver Queen sits by himself without a lawyer.

✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠

"Docket 81941. People vs Oliver Queen." The man read out the charges as Oliver made his way to the front.

"Where's your representation?" The judge inquired

"I'll be representing myself." Oliver said.

"That doesn't seem like the wisest plan, Mr Queen." The Judge said

"I think it is, because I am innocent." He said as he took his seat.

"We'll consider that your plea then." She continued

"And as to bail-"

The prosecutor stands up and says "Considering their wealth, there is virtually no amount that would guarantee his presence at trial."

Laurel was walking in as she spoke, "So I guess it's a good thing this case is purely circumstantial."

"Dinah Laurel Lance, your honor. Representing Oliver Queen."

"Mr. Queen's wealth should not deprive him of the ability to be released on bail while under the presumption of innocence."

The prosecution argues "He's a flight risk."

"Then minimize it. The defendant would be willing to submit to home confinement and electronic monitoring through a UKG45 ankle monitoring device." Laurel says

"No he wouldn't" Oliver interjects

"Sold" The judge says

"Bail is set at $15 million. Bond is at 5 million. Defendant to see probation for the fitting of an ankle device." The judge said, as she hit the gavel.

Oliver smirked at Laurel "I knew you couldn't resist saving my ass."

"You know, you're lucky I don't hate you anymore. Because I like you enough to defend you against my father." She reminded him

"No worries, it'll be just like old times."

"Not exactly like old times-" she quickly cut herself off

"The good news is there's no way you're this vigilante."

"I agree."

"He's actually trying to change things in this city. And that's not your style."

That stung.

Back in the living room of the mansion an officer is fitting the ankle monitor on Oliver.

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He noticed his mother looking down..

"Mom, it's not that bad." He said

"This device has a direct line to the precinct. Stay on the property, no issue." The officer said

"Any questions?"

"I'm having a sizeable get together tomorrow evening, and it's likely to go out to the pool." Oliver said as Tommy looked at Moira concerned

"Pool deck is fine. But step on the grass, and a SWAT team will be here to subdue your ass." The officer said as he left.

"A sizeable get together?" Moira questions

"I'm going to be confined to the house for the foreseeable future... I might as well make the most of it." Oliver said

"It's going to be themed... I'm thinking prison. The invite will say 'come before Oliver Queen gets off' "

Tommy sits next to Oliver.

"You know.. A party may not be in the best of taste... Considering the circumstances"

"That's why I'm having it. I want people to know, I'm not worried about this."

"That makes one of us.." Moira says

Laurel followed her father into her house and spoke up, preparing for the storm, "Before you start yelling-"

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She was cut off, "Why would I yell? You're only defending the man that killed your sister."

"Oliver didn't kill Sara."

"If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been on that boat." He retorted

"Is that why you're trying to make him out to be.. the Robin Hood that kills?" she asked

"No, it is the video tape, is the suspicious timing, that is the reason!" He raised his voice slightly

"You know the man we're talking about, right? It's Oliver Queen. He wrecks cars and dates fancy models. But he doesn't kill people."

"No, he just uses them, like he used Sara and like he used you, and he's only asked you to be his lawyer to get at me." He said

"No, he asked me to be his lawyer to get through to you."

She took a deep breath. She didn't want to fight with her father. He was the only family she had now to speak with. Considering her sister was dead and she had that falling out with her mom.

But she continued. She was already heated.

"You hate the Hood and you hate Oliver, and you want more than anything for them to be the same person."

He looked away

"But Oliver isn't the reason Sara died."

"Or the reason mom left."

"I don't have to listen to this." He pushed past her, and made his way to the door.

"By the way..." She called out, causing him to look back.

"You're not the only one who misses them."

Oliver was completing research on his computer, in his bedroom when there was a knock on the door.

✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠

"Yeah?"

Diggle walked in.

"Thank you for coming."

"Shut the door." Oliver said

He shut the door and walked towards Oliver as he spoke, "I guess it was just a matter of time before the police caught up with you."

"Except they didn't." He responded

"Oliver, they got you on video."

His response was also calculated. The same way as his plan.

"I knew the security camera was there, just like I knew the police would review the footage and arrest me."

He looked up at him, "All part of the plan."

"So you wanted to get arrested?" His tone was one of confusion.

"Well, I returned to Starling City and a few days later, the vigilante appears."

"Sooner or later, somebody was going to make the connection."

"So what part of serving yourself up to the cops will help you avoid going to prison for the rest of your life?" Dig asked

"There's more to it."

"Well, there better be, for your sake, because your family is freaking out downstairs." He was skeptical and a little annoyed.

"Oliver, your mother and your sister just got you back, and now you're going to put them through a trial, maybe even worse?"

"Don't you care?"

"Of course I care." He responded.

There was a brief pause.

"The mission comes first."

Oliver turned his laptop around so Dig could see it. There was an open article on it.

"Who is he?"

"Leo Mueller, a German arms dealer."

Oliver showed him the information as he spoke, "Suspected in the theft of a hundred M249 squad automatic weapons."

"Okay.."

"Last night he arrived in Starling City to sell the guns."

"Oliver, don't you imagine there's enough trouble you're in this week than to go after this guy?" He questioned him

"I imagine what would happen if a street gang got their hands on millitary-grade hardware." He replied

"I imagine our city's streets turned into a war zone."

"But you're under house arrest, Oliver, which means you can't just go after this guy." Diggle reminded him.

"Look.. for now, I would just like you to shadow Mueller. I would like you to track his movements. I want to know where the buy is happening."

"Ok." He was still a bit skeptical

"And how am I supposed to track him?"

There was a smirk on his face, "Well, you know us billionaire vigilantes... we do love our toys."

Diggle made his way back to the Hideout.

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He turned on the lights, and was shocked as he looked to see all of the stuff.

"Wow!" He exclaimed

He walked over to a table, where Oliver had arrows set up. And his curiosity got the better of him so, naturally, he poked the tip of the very sharp arrow head and exclaimed "Ow!"

He quickly shook his hand.

There was a case in front of him labelled Locator Transponder GPS, which he opened. When he looked inside, he said "Ooh."

It cuts to Queen Consolidated, In Walter's office. He looks on and out of the window. Then a man enters his office.

He took the device out of the case and clicked a button on it. It had green dots that were flashing with a low beep. He smiled and said, "Oh, That's sweet."

When the door was shut behind him, he said, "You wanted to see me sir?"

"No, I didn't."

"In fact this meeting isn't taking a place."

He nodded his head and followed Walter to take a seat at his desk.

"How long have you been head of security at Queen Consolidated, Josiah?" he asked as he took his seat.

"Going on seven years now, sir."

"Sounds about right... But what I'm about to tell you will test the bounds of your discretion."

"You're aware of 'The Queen's Gambit' , Robert Queen's ill-fated yacht?"

Josiah nodded his head in confirmation.

"I found it." Walter replied bluntly

"Sir, the boat went down in the North China sea, Five years ago." He was confused

"Which is why my discovery of its remains in a warehouse downtown, was unexpected to say the least." he responded

"I want you to transfer those remains to a secure location. Can I count on you?"

Josiah let out a nervous chuckle before asking, "What's going on sir?"

"That is very much what I'm trying to determine."

At the Police station, Laurel walks into a room with Oliver, where her father is already waiting with the DA.

They took a seat and the woman spoke up, "Thank you both for coming."

"No. Thank you, It's nice to get out of the house."

"I'll cut right to it," She started

Laurel sat across, her hands were folded and she had a small smile on her face.

The woman looked at Lance as she spoke, "Detective Lance arrested your client without consulting my office first."

She looked back to them, "So congratulations, I am willing to consider a plea in this case."

"Absolutely not." He said

Laurel turned her head so quick, with a 'Are you fucking kidding me right now' type of look.

He looked back with a 'I got this' type of look.

"Mr. Queen spent five years in seclusion on a deserted island, cut off from civilization." Spencer continued,

"It is quite possible he's suffering from some form of post traumatic stress."

"Given that, we would accept a plea of insanity, conditional on a period of indeterminate incarceration at a psychiatric facility."

He tried to interrupt through it, but was cut off before finally speaking. "No, thank you. I'm not crazy."

"Finally, something we can agree on." Lance interjected.

"He's not a nut. He's a killing machine."

Laurel didn't feel that now was the time to mention that would, in fact, make him a nut if it was the case. But Oliver Queen? He couldn't kill. She could kill much easier than he ever could..

But, she was brought back out of her thoughts. "Actually, I'm neither."

"There is nothing you can say to me that I'd believe." Lance said in irritation to Oliver.

Oliver appeared to be thinking as he stammered, "I'll take a polygraph."

Laurel turned over and whispered, "Polygraphs are inadmissible-"

"In front of a jury," He interrupted

He asserted his voice, "I'll take a polygraph in front of him."

Lance was narrowing his eyes, like staring down the common enemy.

"He's the one I need to convince."

Laurel made a face at him, one that could definitely scare anyone, and then she fixed her expression before turning around and speaking up.

"I'm going to need a minute."

Quentin and Spencer got up, leaving the room. He looked back at Laurel before she shut the door.

"You're looking at life in prison. What Spencer just offered you is a gift."

"I'm not crazy. I am innocent. I kind of want to take the polygraph."

She sighed,

"And If I take it and fail... Then, I will consider making a deal."

"Fine. I'll set up the poly. And I'll tell Spencer that we aren't pleading out."

"But Oliver, You're family just got you back. You have friends... So think about what's gonna happen if this doesn't go our way."

"And don't think you're the only person with something to lose."

She walked to the door, "I'll be right back."

*Flashback*

✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠♫✧𖣠

Back on Lian Yu, Oliver is being led by two masked men, covered head to toe in black, as he's handcuffed.

He was shoved into a tent by one of the men, and then pushed into a post. The impact caused him to groan in pain.

There was a man seated at a desk in front of him, "Please, sit."

"You're making me feel rude."

He was gasping and struggling as he made his way over. He grunted as he took a seat.

"I do apologize for my men's treatment of you."

He opened a can, and began pouring it into a glass. He observed as Oliver's eyes were trained on it,

"They're trained to view any stranger as hostile."

Oliver could sense the fake friendliness as he said, "I'm Edward Fyers by the way."

"And you are?"

He was distracted for a second before responding and fixing his gaze. "I'm Oliver Queen."

"I was shipwrecked here. I don't... know for how long."

"My family has money. They have lots of money... You would be, very well compensated for my rescue."

"Well... I look forward to that, but for the moment, let's just talk." he responded

"About what?" He asked confused

"Well, for instance.."

He turned around to grab something.

He flipped over a photo as he spoke up. "This gentleman."

"Do you know him?"

Oliver's eyes trained on the photo, and a look of realization came across them. It was Yao Fei in some sort of uniform.

He shook his head, "No." he replied

"No?" he asked

"No. Who's he?"

Fyer's expression changed, now it was mean as he leaned back.

"You're a poor liar."

"I've been polite. I'll offer you one more chance before my manners leave me."

Oliver was a little nervous when he spoke.

"Hey, hey. I don't know this guy. I thought I was on this island all by myself." He claimed

"Do you know what this island is named?" Fyers asked

He shook his head no.

"We're on Lian Yu. Mandarin for Purgatory..."

"And I can make it feel like hell." He stood up.

"I don't know why you're protecting him." He was angry

"You're young, foolish."

"Perhaps you don't know why either."

"Think on that when you're begging for death."

As he turned around and walked off, there was a look of distress present on Oliver's face.

Oliver turned around as he left the tent, hearing him say, "He's yours now."

In came a heavily armored man wearing a half black and half orange mask. The only things you could see were the eyes.

Thea was on her phone, at the Pool deck of the mansion when Oliver peered his head slightly passed the door.

➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴

"Hey Speedy," He said, grabbing her attention.

"One of the workers left a keg too far from the bar, can you ask them to move it please?"

He lifted his leg, "I got the ankle... thingy."

"I don't want to set off a SWAT Invasion."

She looked at him, she was worried and upset.

He took a deep breath and made his way over to the pool chair, "Hey."

He sat, facing her as he said, "All this stuff? It's gonna be fine, I promise."

"Yeah, well.. When you and dad left on the yacht, you promised me I'd see you in a few days. Which didn't happen." There was a hint of snark on her last sentence

"This is different than that. I didn't do any of this stuff, you know that. Right?" he said

She looked off, distanced, almost.. "You're out all the time... You have those scars. And since you've been back, you've been acting really weird."

"None of this makes me some Robin Hood wannabe."

She took something out of her pocket, "And you get me this."

It was the Hozen, "I mean, it's an arrowhead."

"Oh, man." He exhaled

"Thea, i bought that in the gift shop of the Beijing airport."

She looked down. She didn't completely believe him.

"Now I'm sort of happy I didn't buy you the shot glass with the panda on it, Cause then you'd be worried I was Panda Man."

She let out a chuckle, then a brief pause.

"You know, i knew you couldn't be this person." She said

"I just can't... lose you again."

"Deal." He said

Moira walked into Malcolm's office at Merlyn Global.

"Moira, thank you for coming on such a short notice."

She took a seat as she spoke, "Yes, could you make this quick? I'm in the midst of somewhat of a family emergency."

"Of course. It's all over the local news." He let out a chuckle

"Possibly even national."

"I know what you're thinking." She said

"Do you?" He said sternly

"My son is not the man targeting the list. The charges are preposterous."

"Not according to the district attorney, assistant district attorney, Investigating Detective in the police department that filed charges against him."

"That detective has a vendetta against my family." She exclaimed

"Why?" He asked

"Is there something untoward about your family?" his guard made eye-contact with Moira, and she looked back down

"If so, something really needs to be done about that."

She looked back to the guard again.

[jinxxed-vexx]

I want Moira O'Deorain carnally.

[akariamai]

Glitch [Part 1]

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Pairing: Tommy Merlyn x Reader

Word Count: 1221

Meeting Tommy Merlyn was not something you expected to happen within your lifetime. You lived worlds apart despite living within Starling City for the entirety of your lives. He basked in the high life society while you primarily stayed cozied up within your condo. Your lives coinciding felt like a glitch. A sporadic moment in a hectic reality just waiting to drop a bombshell disrupting the peace you’ve ever known.

It began with a work email. Your catering business has somehow garnered the attention of one of the assistants working for Moira Queen. It was a surreal moment of your life as you could not fathom how they became aware of your business. To this day, it was still a mystery.

You worked your ass off for each piece to be perfect and delicious. You called up some friends to help you with delivering them to the Queen Mansion. You nor your friends have ever seen the mansion in person. Decorated so gratifyingly that it established an elite lifestyle. One you and your friends could only dream of but never touch. Thea Queen���s sweet sixteen would be the talk of the city and you had but a small part in making it the best day of her teenage years. You were thankful for this opportunity.

The door of the Queen Mansion was wide open. Busy bodies rushing back and forth with decorations barely being hung up. There he stood nearby the stairwell. He diligently surveyed the chaos stirring within the mansion. His only source of entertainment until the guest arrived. He wore an awfully expensive black tux. His presence radiated a sort of authority, a type you were vastly unfamiliar with.

Moira spotted the dishes and instantly began instructing you where to place the food. It was then that he noticed your semi-muscular frame. She attentively inspected your work for a solid second as your friends placed them onto the table, leaving you to verify the flawlessness of each piece. “These look wonderful.” She placed her hand onto your shoulder as you proceeded to unveil the rest. “That’ll be all.”

You nodded before responding, “Thank you.” That’s where it should’ve ended. A brief minute of residing in the same room at the same time. A moment where the planets and the fates and the stars aligned. Laying the groundwork for the glitch to spark an incomparable possibility. An unlikely  window of opportunity for magic to captivate even the utmost bachelor in all of Starling City.

He was spellbound by your beauty, enthralled by your stance, and intended to become acquainted with you. His good looks, he thought, would help drastically but much to his disappointment you’d barely looked at him as you leisurely fled the mansion. He attempted to woo you with his lifestyle and money but you weren’t taking the bait. In fact, you barely muttered a few words to him as he tried to dazzle you. It was slightly frustrating but something kept him from relenting.

Within the entirety of his womanizer life, women came easy for him. It was his last name attracting the attention of women or his ridiculously handsome face (at least he thought so) that usually did the trick. But his usual antics weren’t working. For the first time, he had to work for acknowledgement from a woman and he rather enjoyed it. The rush of knowing his time with you was limited and every action could either disconnect from each other's lives permanently or become the start of something new.

He knew your job ended the second you’d dropped the food off and rectified what could’ve been disturbed by the car ride. His window was slowly coming to a close and you’d be lost forever in the sea of women that inhabited the city. He needed to arrange for more time, allowing his charm to fulfill its purpose and enchant you into his arms.

“Can I have a business card?” You nodded, digging into your pocket and handing him the card one of your friends digitally designed. All you wanted was to cuddle into your bed while silently stressing over the review that would soon loom over your head. A terrible review from Moira Queen will utterly destroy your business. You were dying for the days to come to progress so you could know the fate of your business. You were so busy ensnared into your thoughts that you didn’t notice Tommy Merlyn was flirting with you. Frankly, a panic attack was undoubtedly ensuing your figure as you left.

It wasn’t until a few days later that you’d realized that Tommy Merlyn was trying to pursue you romantically and the thought initiated a hearty roar of laughter. You regarded it as utterly ridiculous. Enough so that you’d poked fun at the situation you’d found yourself in with your friends. Knowing nothing remotely romantic could unravel between the two of you, you dismissed his attempt as a spur of the moment relapse on his part. He wasn’t a one-girl type of guy. His past (and very public) relationships presented as such and you were not looking for a short time. You wanted something more intimate and profound. Something the man the media portrayed could not approach if he continued on with his lack of self-control.

Unexpectedly he popped back into your life as he contacted you. Hiring you for an event he’d be hosting and imparting an invitation to you and your friends. When you relay the message you’d experience endless teasing by your friends. It was, according to them, another chance to have Tommy swoon over you. You took their bantering in stride as nothing, absolutely nothing will occur between the two of you. You were searching for something more than merely sex and didn’t want to be included in his ever growing list of one-night stands nor suffer through the heartbreak that would possibly hover over the hypothetical relationship. It was just something you did not want to bear.

He was, without a doubt, charming in his own right. He’d fished for little nuggets of specifics. Details of one such as preferred hobbies, cherished memories, and everything in between. Nothing a person who desired a one-night stand would seek. He was different from what the media had plastered all over the television and magazines. He seemed genuine when he indicated his want to get to know you on a personal level. Even admitting the entire event was assembled to grasp a fraction of a chance to encounter one another again.

It only brought more questions than answers but with a little convincing from your friends, you decided to give him a chance. It progressed slowly. Dates at Big Belly Burgers and stolen kisses under streetlights. You’d realized just how big his heart was and how much love he could muster for the people around him. Almost too much as most was at the cost of his mental state. He recognized the amount of devotion you dedicate to cooking. So much so he once decided to cook for you. He captured your heart the second he tried to cook Fettuccine Alfredo using a cookbook he’d soon give to you.

An inconceivable relationship blossomed over a mere glitch in reality and you both thank whatever gods or fate for allowing such a circumstance to transpire.

Masterlist

[what-is-canon]

[schrijverr]

Tomorrow Will Be Different 18

Chapter 18 out of 26

Instead of managing to meet up later, Oliver has to keep running with Akio. The only way to keep them safe is to go public with Oliver being alive, leaving him back home in charge of Akio, while Tatsu and Maseo are still in the wind

In this chapter, the revealed information forces Oliver to say goodbye to Akio, who doesn't want him to leave. However, he has to if they ever want to see Tatsu and Maseo again.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none

~~~

Chapter 18: Clandestine Goodbyes

The sweet he got at the coffee shop doesn’t feel like enough to soften the blow he’s about to land on Akio. A naive part of himself had hoped he would return with the news that they were okay and found, maybe even a phone that Akio could call them on. But obviously that is not what has happened.

Oliver opens the front door with slight apprehension, tentatively stepping in and looking around the hall, waiting for someone to appear.

He doesn’t have to wait for long, because within seconds Akio comes skipping into the hall, nearly bowling Oliver over when he starts to slow down a little too late. It’s clear he’s been sitting on the stairs this whole time to wait for him.

Once Akio has regained control of all his limbs, he looks up at Oliver with big hopeful and excited eyes. “Did you talk to Otōsan and Okāsan? Did they find them?”

How is he going to explain this to Akio? How is he going to break the news that his parents have sort of been located, but are still in danger and the only way Akio is going to see them again, is if Oliver leaves him behind.

“Oliver?” Akio asks, his face dropping as the silence drags on and he realizes Oliver can’t have good news if the silence lasts.

“They’re alive,” Oliver says, because he has to tell Akio something and this is the one positive thing he has.

“Can I go see them soon?” Akio has perked up slightly at Oliver’s words, but there is something timid in his tone, as if he knows he should expect disappointment.

In this moment, Oliver flounders and he wonders again why Tatsu and Maseo have trusted him with their son’s life. He is so not qualified for this. He should have never been allowed to be responsible for something so precious. Akio used to be a happy kid, now he expects to be let down. Like everything else, Oliver breaks the good things, instead of keeping them safe.

“You can see them soon,” Oliver says, because he doesn’t want to disappoint Akio. He is going to do everything is his power to do right by Akio. To preserve the good.

“I can?” Akio exclaims, surprised and thrilled.

“Yeah, buddy,” Oliver smiles, handing him his peace offering sweet treat. “Here, go to my room and eat this. I’ll say hi to mom and Speedy, then come tell you everything. Sound okay?”

“Sound okay,” Akio confirms happily, before racing away.

Once he is out of sight, Oliver sighs deeply. “I probably fucked up. How the hell will I tell him I’m leaving him here?”

“Everyone taking care of a kid thinks they’re fucking up,” Diggle actually replies to his self deprecating comment, causing Oliver to shoot him a surprised look. Diggle shrugs: “Like I said, I got a nephew. I tell myself that every day.”

The assurance gets a smile out of Oliver, who centers himself, then faces what’s ahead. “Well then, lets see how much I fucked up or if this whole shit show is salvageable.”

“Ollie!” Thea exclaims when he pops his head into the living room. She is allowed to skip school since learning will be difficult today anyway with everyone wanting to question her about the news that broke that morning.

Moira immediately enters upon hearing Oliver is back. She asks: “Oh my beautiful boy, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, mom,” Oliver assures her, faking a smile. “Just looked at a bunch of pictures of dead bodies. Not how I imagined my day to be. Going to retreat to my room for today.”

“Were… Were they…” Thea starts, never finishing her question.

However, Oliver knows what she is asking. The smile now becomes genuine, because despite it all, he has hope. “Tatsu and Maseo weren’t in the pictures.”

“Oh thank God,” his mom says as Thea loudly yells: “Fuck yeah.”

“Thea!” Moira admonishes, while Oliver quickly retreats. He doesn’t want to talk to them more, he already has a hard enough conversation with Akio ahead.

Akio is sitting on his bed, munching on the sweet. In a way it reminds him of their first night here, which already seems to long ago, but was only four weeks back. It’s crazy to think he has only been responsible for Akio for six weeks. It feels much longer.

When he enters, Diggle stays outside to make sure no one will overhear or disturb them. Oliver mourns the disappearance of his moral support slightly.

“Hey, buddy,” he greets and Akio’s eyes snap to him, eager for what he is about to say.

“Did you talk to them?” he asks. “Did they say when they’re coming here? Or when I’m going there?”

Oliver sits next to him on the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees. After a moment, he says: “I didn’t talk to them. They’re no longer in Hong Kong.”

“That is good, right?” Akio asks. “Hong Kong is where the bad men are. You can send your plane to where they are now and get them.”

“I wish I could, Akio, but they’re on a ship right now. They got on two days ago and aren’t going to get to land until the day after tomorrow,” Oliver says.

“So it’ll take two days before I can see them, maybe three,” Akio calculates quickly.

Okay, this isn’t working. He can’t sugar coat this or lead Akio on with hope, he’ll just have to rip the band aid off. “Your parents are in trouble, Akio. The ship they got on isn’t filled with nice people, but ones who want them to do bad things. You’re going to see them again, but in order for that to happen, I need to go get them out of there.”

“You’re going to leave?” Akio frowns, worry marring his young features.

Oliver nods: “I have to, I’m sorry.”

“Can I come with you?” Akio pleads, eyes big and watery.

It breaks Oliver’s heart, but he has to shake his head no.

“But what if something happens to you? You can’t leave again.”

“I’ll come back,” Oliver promises, like he’d done every day before leaving when they were camping out in that office in Hong Kong. “You know I always do.”

“But what if you don’t this time, then I’ll have nothing,” Akio argues, obviously scared. He grabs Oliver’s shirt sleeve, clutching on tightly and not planning on letting go.

“You’ll have my mom and Speedy and Tommy,” Oliver says gently. “And that is only if I don’t come back, which I just promised I will. You’re only going to have to miss me for a little bit, then you’ll see me and your parents again.”

“I don’t want you to leave me here,” Akio says, tears welling up in his eyes. “What if I need you and you’re not here?”

Oliver’s heart breaks. He knows he has gotten attached to Akio, but it’s clear the reverse is also true. He is reminded that even though they’re getting better, Akio still clings to him more than he does not, like the time he showed up to Oliver’s lunch with Laurel, because he was worried. Oliver leaving will be hard on him.

“I know, buddy, I also don’t want me to leave,” Oliver tells him, pulling him into a hug.

Akio burrows into his side, tears soaking into Oliver’s clothes. “Then why do you have to go?” he sobs.

“Because it’s the only way to get your parents back,” Oliver says.

“Can’t the other people do that? Lyla and the people you and Otōsan worked with. They came by our house sometimes, they looked scary. Why can’t they go get Otōsan and Okāsan?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Like you and your friend were complicated?”

“Somehow even more complicated than that,” Oliver sighs, wishing he could explain it in a way that would make this easier instead of scary.

They fall quiet for a moment, then softly Akio asks: “And there’s really no other way to get them back?”

“There isn’t,” Oliver informs him sadly.

“And you’re going to be safe? You’re going to come back?”

“I’m going to be as safe as I can be, Diggle will come with me to make sure. And I promise that I’ll come back,” Oliver answers. It’s a promise he isn’t sure he can keep, but damn if he isn’t going to do everything in his power to try.

“…Alright then,” Akio says. “But you’re coming right back?”

“Of course,” Oliver smiles, giving Akio a little squeeze.

He gives both Akio and himself a moment. He isn’t sure who needs it more. Logically, he knows Akio will be safe here, the Queens have good security and Shrieve has been arrested and his men taken off the streets, but irrationally, he can’t help but be worried.

Before it becomes impossible, he extracts himself from Akio’s hold. Worried, Akio immediately asks: “What are you doing?”

“I’m writing a letter for my mom and Speedy that you can give to them when they notice I’m gone,” Oliver answers. “Like you, they don’t want me to go, but unlike you, I can’t tell them why I have to. So, this is so they won’t worry.”

“You’re not going to say bye?” Akio frowns.

“No,” Oliver says and it hurts. He never properly said goodbye when he left on the Queen’s Gambit and back then he thought he’d be back in no time, now he’s going to knowingly walk into something more dangerous and he can’t do the one thing he regretted so much last time.

Hence the letter.

And because, you know, he doesn’t want to make Akio responsible for explaining his sudden disappearance.

“If either of them ask, you didn’t know I was going to go. You were coming to check up on me in my room and found the letter,” Oliver says. “I’ll call you before I can get on the plane, so you’ll know when it’s okay to go show them the letter. Can you do that?”

Akio nods seriously. He’s been unwillingly drafted into this life and he stays so strong under it, even though he never should have been in that position.

“Good kid,” Oliver ruffles his hair anyway, because he can’t change that now.

He quickly writes down a vague placating note for his family, before packing some last minute stuff. Once that is done, he informs Diggle of the plan, who takes his bag to put in the car, before ‘going home for today’. Then Oliver gives Akio one last hug, before sneaking out the window and off the property to meet back up with Diggle.

They drive to Queen Consolidated, much to Diggle’s confusion. Oliver explains: “We need some more intell and I know who to ask.”

That is enough to content Diggle, who parks in the garage and follows Oliver into the elevator to a low level floor filled with cramped offices.

Seeing her again is weird. He knows her face well, despite having seen it once in real life. After his break in here, he’d had to describe her a few times and check with photo references if they found the right person, so they could track her for a few days to see if she noticed him. She didn’t, but he remembers her credentials.

Armed with the knowledge that she thinks he’s cute, he sends her his most charming smile as he pretends to have to check who she is. “Felicity Smoak?” She looks up, red pen between her lips. “Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.”

“Of course,” she says, snapping back into motion after the obvious surprise of finding him in her office. “I know who you are, you're Mr. Queen.”

“No, Mr. Queen was my father,” Oliver corrects. He has never liked being called Mr. Queen and he likes it even less now after a few horrible people used it.

“Right, but he's dead. I mean, he drowned. But you didn't, which means you could come down to the I.T. department and listen to me babble. Which will end. In 3... 2... 1.”

She’s kind of cute too, he thinks, just as he had when he first saw her. But he doesn’t have time to actually do something, nor does he feel the drive to do so. He just uses the emotion to further charm her. “I need some help finding something online and they told me that you were the person to come and see.”

“Sure, what can I do you for?” Felicity asks, before blushing and course correcting. “I mean, not do you, do you, but help you. It wasn’t meant like that.”

“It’s alright,” he smiles, finding himself a little charmed as well. “My friend Kevin ordered some weird fancy Chinese vase online, but the shipping company is being weird about it. So, I offered to fly it here, I just need to coordinate with my pilot, but I have no clue where and when exactly the ship is arriving in Japan.”

“And your friend Kevin also doesn’t know?” Felicity asks pointedly, not believing a word he’s saying.

“Nope, just have the ship’s AIS identification,” he says with an oblivious smile, as if he doesn’t notice her skepticism.

“Well, I am the right person at least. Give me the code and I’ll have your information in no time,” she tells him, agreeing to help, despite what she thinks of his story.

She wasn’t bragging about her skills and they’re leaving her office minutes later with all the information about the ship they need. Oliver thanks Felicity with another charming smile, hoping she’ll forget the whole thing or isn’t too chatty about it.

His face drops back to serious once they’re in the elevators. Diggle comments: “Your cover story sucks.”

“Maseo always came up with them,” Oliver replies.

Down in the garage, they take a less obvious looking vehicle to drive to the airport. Oliver puts on clothes to minimize recognition and attention, still able to disappear into a crowd, as Diggle organizes everything with the Queen jet.

Oliver would have preferred to fly commercial to avoid notice, however, he won’t get through the baggage check with the stuff he’s carrying. So instead they tell the pilot they’re going to Hong Kong with a refuel in Japan. With their skill, the pilot won’t notice they’re not in the plane, until he’s already in Hong Kong.

Before he gets on the plane, he calls Akio to say goodbye and tell him to wait as long as he can before showing them the letter, but it’s fine to do so from now on.

The kid’s voice is morose as he talks to Oliver and nothing Oliver says can cheer him up. It fucking sucks. The possibility of getting his parents back should be a joyous thing, but that has been ruined now. Fucking Waller.

To leave it on a positive note, he ends the call with their chant: “Tomorrow will be different, Akio. I will get your parents and we’ll all come back home safe.”

“Tomorrow will be different,” Akio agrees and Oliver is happy to hear a bit of determination and liveliness back in Akio’s voice.

They both need to have hope.

~~

A/N:

I love that I managed to get Felicity in here! She's my favorite character, so I really wanted to, but it felt unrealistic to shoehorn her in before, but I did it :D

[wildlyfamousmusic]

[rewriting-thearrowverse]

It said I finished writing this one on May 2, 2023

𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝟏 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝟑: 𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑮𝒖𝒏𝒎𝒂𝒏 (𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝟏)

*Oliver's Voiceover*

To my family, I am the son and brother who returned home after 5 years on a deserted island. To the rest of the city, I am someone else, I am something else. Which is why they'll never know. I've targeted an elite brand of criminal. A corrupt, dangerous cancer.

Cancers like James Holder. A man who has put defective smoke detectors in low income homes in the glades. There's been many fires and funerals. Cancers can be treated. All it takes is the right instrument.

Holder is standing on the rooftop near his pool as he talks on the phone. "Other than the bill from my legal team, I feel pretty good."

"And now that the lawsuit has been settled, I can focus on Unidac Industries."

"Okay, I'll see you in the office tomorrow."

He drops the phone on a pool chair and looks out at the skyline, until an arrow goes through his bottle of wine.

"I have armed security inside." Says James.

"All I have to do is call out."

"Go ahead. They can't hear you." The hood says as he drops their guns in front of him.

"What the hell do you want?"

"How many people died in those fires?" The hood asks

After no response, he yells "How many?!"

"The courts say you don't owe your victims. I disagree."

"James Holder."

"You-" he is cut of as a red dot appears on his chest and James Holder is shot into his pool through the white bathrobe.

The Hood shoots an arrow at the sniper. Who then returns with 4 more shots, one of them hitting him in the shoulder.

➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳

Back in his lair, Oliver is taking the bullet out and stitching up his wound.

*Oliver's Voiceover*

He crosses James Holder off the list.

It's no surprise someone as corrupt as James Holder has more than one enemy

Oliver notices something wrong as he feels off.

He looks at the gauze and bandages

The bullet. Poison.

*Flashback*

Oliver wakes up in a cave next to the hooded man.

"Who are you, and why did you shoot me?" He asks

The man responds as he removes his hood "Bǎohù nǐ" (to protect you)

The man gives him herbs and drink. As Oliver takes the drink, the man pulls the arrow out of his shoulder, causing him to scream.

Oliver wakes back up in the lair, as the computer beeps he realizes the time. "Dammit"

➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶

Oliver walks into the living room. To see the cops around his family. "What happened? Is Thea okay?"

"Her and her friends broke into a store to try on some dresses. Lit up the breathalyzer like a Christmas tree." Diggle answers.

"And you?"

"You mean when I said I had to go to the bathroom at dinner and never came back?" Oliver says

"Guess from now on I'll be watching you pee."

Walter sees the cops out. "Thank you for everything, Gentlemen. I'll show you out."

Moira sighs as she talks to Thea. "Last time it was public intoxication. Now it's breaking and entering. How we're moving up in the criminal world."

"When you pay off the store owner, you should check out their killer outfits."

Exasperated, she says "Thea, get ready for school."

"I think I'm gonna take a sick day." Thea says

"Fine. Get some sleep."

As Thea walks away she looks at Oliver "You look like crap."

Oliver walks over to Moira in disbelief "You're letting her play hooky?"

"When she gets like this, it's better to give her space."

"She's testing you."

"Who'd she pick that up from?" Moira retorts

"You know mom.. Giving us space is the opposite of what we need. You guys would've let me get away with murder.. What I needed was parenting.. And I see that now." He says before walking away.

At the crime scene the cops are recovering evidence.

"No, it doesn't make sense." Says Lance

"Come on. Wealthy dirtbag. Red meat for the hood. Besides we found arrows on the scene." Says Hilton

"Except, the cause of death was a bullet in the chest. The Hood doesn't use firearms."

"Probably finally figured out there's easier ways to kill people."

"He's a whack job, like you said." Says Hilton

Back in his lair he samples his blood for the poison.

*Oliver's Voiceover*

The bullets were laced with Curare. A rare, deadly poison. And the M.O of Deadshot.. A hired assassin, killing all over the globe for money.

I was going to give James Holder a chance. But he never did. He has no code, no morals and no honor. This makes him more dangerous than anyone on my list.

In fact it puts him right at the top.

➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴

Oliver walks in the upper level with Tommy and Diggle. "So what do you think? This would make a good spot for a nightclub right?"

"Pretty cool. But I wouldn't recommend calling it Queens for...obvious reasons."

Oliver chuckled lightly and points across saying "Private office."

"For the private one on one meetings I'm sure, and the occasional two on one..." Tommy says

"Do you really want to do this... Considering you have no experience in running... Well anything?"

"We could scope out the competition.. Max Fuller's new club, poison is opening downtown."

"Max Fuller?" Oliver asks in disbelief

"Yeah."

"Tommy. I slept with his wife." Oliver sighs

"Before the wedding."

"It was the rehearsal dinner."

"Come on, that was years ago. Besides, who stays mad at a castaway?"

Oliver looks at him totally unconvinced.

'Hey, sorry. I gotta go." Says Tommy.

"It's all good."

Oliver turned to Diggle and asked "What do you think?"

"Well sir, I'm here to provide security, not commentary." He says

"Come on, speak freely."

"Well this is the glades right?" He starts

"All your rich white friends wouldn't come here on a bet."

"I'm Oliver Queen, people would stand in line for hours, if I opened a club."

"And no one living in the glades would see a penny of those cover charges." Diggle retorts

"We can make it successful, gentrify the neighborhood."

"And I was wondering when we'd get to that. The rich white knight coming in to save the disfortunate. And all by himself."

"Wow." Oliver chuckles

"You don't think very much of me, do you?"

"No sir, I actually have a high regard for how perceptive you are."

*Oliver's Voiceover*

The Nightclub will stand as the Alibi of where Oliver Queen spends his nights.

-----------------------

Back at CNRI Laurel is looking at articles on Oliver and staring hard at his picture when Johanna speaks "Hey do you have the Jergens Depos?"

"Yeah, they're somewhere around here." Laurel responds as she quickly closes the screen out."

"What are you doing?" Johanna asks

"Nothing.."

"I literally just caught you trolling for articles on the ex that cheated on you with your sister."

"Jo!" Laurel yells

"Look, okay.. You're stuck in the past. The only physical relationship you've had since Oliver, was his best friend."

"You need to move on."

"I appreciate your concern, but I have a lot to do. "

"No no no. We're gonna go dancing, take some shots, dance with me we don't know and stay out way too late."

"Pretty sure that's how my parents met."

Johanna looks at her and sighs "yeah. You're going out tonight. Maybe you'll find a date and a better sense of humor while you're at it."

Laurel rolls her eyes.

Thea is getting ready for school as Moira walks into the room. "You need to come home after school."

"I can't. Margot and I are going to the mall." Says Thea

"Tell her you're gonna have to cancel, you're grounded for 2 weeks." Says Moira

"I've never been grounded." Thea scoffs

"You've also never committed larceny."

"Why start caring now, after 5 years?" Thea asks

"I always have." Moira retorts

"But paying off store owners to keep your record clean.. Clearly this isn't working."

"So you're gonna teach me?" Thea scoffs

Thea thinks a moment "It's Oliver right? His judgemental hypocrisy is finally reaching you too."

"No, I don't need him to tell me how to parent you."

"You'll be home by 4." Moira reaffirms.

"What are you gonna do? Call the cops on me. Tell them I say hi." Thea says smugly as she walks off.

➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳

Oliver walks into the Glades wearing a baseball hat. He walks to the side of the building where the shooting took place and starts taking mental notes, using photographic memory he places where each of the bullets would have landed.

He pulls a bullet out of the wall.

➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶◈◉◈➴◈◉◈➶

Back in the Police station the ballistics come back on the murder.

"Based on the size of the wound.. He was shot twice by 7.6 millimeter rounds from about 100 yards away." Said Hilton

"So your theory is not only the hood switches to firearms, but now he's an expert sniper." Says Quentin sarcastically (Laurel had to learn the sass from someone..)

"We also found traces of curare in Holder's bloodstream."

"So he switches from arrows to poison sniper bullets? I'm not buying it."

"We still found arrows on the scene."

Quentin begins to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna get my own evidence."

-----------------------

Back in his lair Oliver investigates the bullet

*Oliver's Voiceover*

7.62 millimeter rounds. Money trail leads back to the Bratva. Finally some good luck.

➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴◉◉➴

Quentin reinvestigates the crime scene before the scene changes to Oliver walking into an auto body shop.

"Я ищу Алексея Леонова" Oliver says as he walks in (I'm looking for Alexi Leonov)

"Здесь нет никого с таким именем" (there is no one here by that name)

"не здесь. но ваш подвал под" (Not here, but your basement underneath)

The mechanic comes with a gun pointed at Oliver, who then tightens his grip on the man's arm, causing him to drop the gun.

"я Братва. Я хочу видеть Алексея Леонов" (I'm Bratva, I want to see Alexi Leonov.) Oliver says as he shows the tattoo on his body.

➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳

They three men walk down to the Garage.

"Pleased to meet you. We meant no disrespect to a captain, particularly an American one." Says Alexi Leonov

"Now, how may I be of assistance?"

"Looking for a hired gun, one used by the organization before. His calling card is a 7.6 millimeter round laced with curare." Oliver says

"I don't know this man."

"But you can find who does."

"First we drink to each other's health. Then I find your mystery man." Says Alexi

"That is, after I confirm you really are Bratva captain."

"If this is false, I will have my mechanic find and kill you and your family."

Back in the Queen living room a new report is on the TV. "Carl Rasmussen was found shot dead this evening, leaving behind 2 children and a wife."

"The cops haven't commented on whether there is a connection between him and the murder of James Holder."

It cuts to Walter with the cops in the living room. "Carl was a titan."

"A titan who was looking into buying out unidac industries, as yourself."

"I don't think I like where this is going." Moira mutters

"The point is, the list of buyers is thinning out." Says Quentin

"What exactly are you implying here, detective?" Moira asks

"Only that your husband is also looking into buying, but the competition seems to be dropping like flies."

"I'm sure this has nothing to do with how you feel about my family." Moira retorts.

Quentin scoffs.

"The buying is through an auction with many possible buyers. So if I was the killer, I'd have a whole lot of killing to do by tomorrow." Walter responds

"We're just checking in with the buyers, telling them to keep safe is all." Says Hilton

"And I'm just Overwhelmed of Mr. Lance's concern for our safety."

"Thank you gentleman, but Mr. Diggle, our security consultant is making sure everything is taken care of." Says Walter.

At Max Fuller's club, Oliver and Tommy enter. "Ha ha. This is gonna be killer." Tommy says

"If Max sees me here, I agree." Oliver responds

"If you're gonna run a business, you need to take some risks." Tommy says

Diggle is behind the line as the bouncer says "I don't see your name on the list."

"Mr Queen." He calls out

Oliver walks back and points at him saying "I have never seen this man in my life."

"Ever." He says as he walks away from Diggle's dumbfounded expression.

They can hear dancing as they see Laurel.

"Doesn't you going out to have fun violate some kind of law on a stone tablet?" Tommy says

"That's cute, Tommy." She says Sarcastically

"And I see you're up to your usual hunting patterns.

"Just trying to see what passes for fun around here now. After 5 years." Oliver say

"Well... I'm sure you'll find it just hasn't been the same without you."

Thea runs up to Oliver clearly drunk saying "I'm so wasted right now!"

Laurel sighs, knowing all too well and Tommy looks away.

Laurel remembered Sara just like this. She knew it hurt to see siblings on a Path of self destruction. She just hoped Oliver's return could somehow help Thea. Even if it is 5 years late.

"I thought you were grounded." He says

"Yeah..I am. Thanks for that by the way." She says with a hint of a glare.

"You're going home. You're done." He says

"What are you gonna do? Tell mom?" She asks

"Thea! Don't you see you're hanging with the wrong people?!" He asks

"You're one to talk. Take a look at your best friend." Thea starts

"Thea maybe you shouldn't-" Tommy is interrupted by Thea

"Tommy I think your bff has a right to know."

Laurel sighs.

"Let's go." He says firmly

"They never told you they were screwing while you were gone, huh?" Thea says

"Oliver-"

"It's okay." Oliver says as he grabs Thea's arm

"We're done for the night."

"Hands off me! You're not my father." She says

"And you're barely my brother." She says walking off

[fletchingsandstars]

READ THE TAGS FIRST

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Green Arrow (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Moira Queen & Oliver Queen & Robert Queen Characters: Oliver Queen, Robert Queen, Moira Queen Additional Tags: Blood, Gore, Nightmares, ollie's parents are eaten by lions, Arrowfam Week 2022, prompt - dreams Series: Part 3 of And I Know No One Will Save Me, Part 3 of Arrowfam Week 2022 Summary:

Ollie's parents died after being eaten by lions and Ollie is being eaten by guilt.

PLEASE READ THE TAGS!

[playitandmakeitsincere]

Ryan: Next step is to fold in the cheese. Sisky, frantically stirring: What does that mean? What does fold in the cheese mean? Ryan, scoffing: You fold it in. Sisky: I understand that, but how? How do you fold it? Sisky: Do you fold it in half? Like a piece of paper and drop it in the pot, or what do you do? Ryan: Sisky, I cannot show you everything. Sisky, still stirring: Okay, well cAN yOU SHOW ME ONE THING?