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schrijverr · 4 months

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Tomorrow Will Be Different 3

Chapter 3 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, Akio and Oliver are on the run to get the news of Oliver's survival out. It ends up in a chase across Hong Kong and a splash in the media.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: violence, unnamed character death

~~~

Chapter 3: Breaking News

Maseo wasn’t lying when he said they were moving in on all of them. With so much time that passed between now and when they first went underground, Shrieve must be as anxious for results as Oliver was before getting Maseo’s message.

When he tries to get back, he spots quite a few of the men following them. He has to go through a few shops and even over a few roofs to stay out of sight. With Akio in tow, it won’t be as easy, might even end in a fight.

The Sheung Wan business district is near the botanical garden, but Oliver also picked it, because it’s near the American embassy. If Maseo wants him to get his face plastered everywhere and a high chance of visibility in America that’s where he needs to show up. He’ll have to risk Shrieve getting in and hope he can contact his mom and agent Micheals before that.

By his estimate, the embassy is about 20 minutes walking from their office building. With the amount of force on the street, he’ll have to risk bringing his self made bow. The higher visibility will be worth the extra protection it will give.

He forgoes changing his clothes, after today there is no more ruse to keep up, moving fast is more important now.

Akio looks surprised but delighted when he un-barricades the door. “Oliver, you’re back early! Did you find them?”

Oliver smiles at him. Despite the bad news that they can’t go see them yet, the fact that he has news of them, is worth the moment of danger the two are about to face. Seeing Akio’s face explode in happiness at it is the best thing Oliver has seen in three years.

“You did?” he asks, excitedly.

“I have a letter from them for you,” Oliver says, taking it out his pocket and giving it to Akio. He isn’t going to get the kid to move until he has read it anyway. So he uses the time Akio takes to read the letters to pack up all the important stuff.

He grabs a few changes of clothes, the small amount of money they have, Akio’s game and a few snacks. It’s not much and they’ll have to leave the suit case and all their blankets behind, but if all goes well, they should be in America before they know it, with all the comforts his family can provide.

With everything securely in the backpack, he slings his homemade quiver on his back too. It’s a bit of a struggle, but soon he has it to his liking.

When he looks over, Akio is reading the last of his letters and once he’s done, Oliver asks: “Wanna tell me what your parents said, buddy?”

Akio looks a little sad as he looks up to Oliver. “They say they cannot come see me yet. I want to see them, but it is dangerous. The bad men are still out there. But they say you are going to take me with you, that we are going on vacation, like you said by the boat. Are we going on your plane?”

“Maybe,” Oliver tells him, not wanting to make promises he can’t keep. He feels for the kid, being separated from your parents fucking sucks. However, he is glad that Tatsu and Maseo gave him something to tell Akio and that they ensured Akio will listen to him.

“Otōsan and Okāsan say they are going to join us when they can, will you send the plane to them?” he asks, eye wide with hope.

“The second they call, I will do anything to get them to you,” Oliver promises, because that is one he can keep. One he is going to keep, no matter what. Getting Akio to his parents is his most important mission.

“Thank you,” Akio exclaims, throwing his arms around Oliver.

Oliver hugs him back, giving himself a second to breathe and take in the moment. Once they get out there, it’s going back to being a shit show, he needs this moment of peace before he can face it.

He lets go after a second and squats down to be at Akio’s level. Seriously, he says: “Once we get outside, we’re going to try and stay out of sight again. Remember when we came here? How we had to hide from the bad man?”

Akio nods.

“They are still out there, so we have to watch out. We are going to the American embassy and then I am going to have to talk to a bunch of people, but I am never going to leave your side. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Akio answers dutifully.

“Good kid,” Oliver smiles, ruffling his hair again.

With that said and done, they’re ready to go. The arrows are a little less suspicious, since they’re partially hidden by the backpack, but the bow is harder to hide. Oliver tries to keep it close to his side and as much under his jacket as he can, but it gets a few looks anyway.

Still, he is happy that he has it with him. He has a small knife with him as well, but he is most confident with the bow and it’ll give him range.

Oliver is especially happy for it when they get spotted after only five minutes outside. Being outside as a duo makes them easier to recognize and it’s clear that Shrieve’s men remember that Oliver had been with Akio the day they disappeared. Maybe his luck thus far has been mostly dependent on the fact they are looking for two, not one.

It’s also clear that they aren’t looking to talk to them. There’s only a yell to someone else, before bullets start whizzing in their direction.

He tugs Akio into an enclave and readies his bow, nocking the first arrow and taking a breath, before he steps out from it and aims without thinking, muscle memory taking over. He lets the arrow fly and steps back, not even looking to see if it hits, the gurgling tells him it does.

Oliver doesn’t waste any time, nocking the next arrow and shooting the second pursuer, looking for more as he does.

There were four total, now only two. So, he repeats it two more times, barely managing to dodge all the bullets.

When all the men are down, he immediately grabs Akio’s hand and starts running. They’ve caused a lot of commotion and Oliver is sure that the reports of arrows will have Shrieve’s men swarming their location within minutes.

However, it’s clear that Akio’s days of inaction have made an impact on his stamina, which had already been lesser due to him being an untrained child. They can’t run the entire way to the embassy.

This is confirmed when more of Shrieve’s men show up. He and Akio have to zig zag, using stalls to hide behind as people panic. Oliver is shooting down their pursuers expertly, but for every soldier he takes down, another takes their place.

It’s slow going and the adrenaline is coursing through his veins. He can’t let Akio die on his way to safety. He’ll never forgive himself.

They round another corner, cutting through a building. Oliver is glad he knows these streets well after nearly two weeks. They are getting close. If they exit the building, it’s only a little further. If they can slow down those in pursuit and run, they can make it there.

But Akio can’t make the distance running and Oliver can’t shoot and carry Akio at the same time.

Before they can exit, he takes a second to scope out the distance. For now they’re hidden with a few exits they can emerge out, which gives them a few precious seconds Oliver needs to come up with a plan.

The embassy is in sight, but he doesn’t have enough arrows to shoot all of Shrieve’s men. The ones that remain will get them before they can get inside.

However, there is a reporter on the steps. He hasn’t been keeping up with international news, so he has no clue what they’re reporting on. But Oliver does know media well. He easily recognizes the CNN logo; they’re American. He’s also pretty sure they’re live.

Maseo asked him to make his return public, right? Can’t be more public than that. Plus, he doubts Shrieve wants his men to shoot down an American journalist on live TV.

Oliver turns to Akio and says: “Brace yourself, I’m going to step out, shoot the last of my arrows, then grab you and run. Hold onto me when I do.”

Akio nods again. He looks scared, yet determined. Oliver hates how used Akio has gotten to all this, how strong he has to be. Still, in this moment, he is grateful for it.

He takes a deep breath, having used the mirror he made his arrows out of to check their positions, then he steps out, rapidly firing the last of his arrows. His targets fall, but he doesn’t stay to watch, he has already dropped his bow and scooped up Akio.

It’s strange how familiar it is to carry Akio as they run for their lives. Not a thing he would have ever expected to become normal for him when he got on the Queen’s Gambit.

They don’t get too far, before bullets are flying. However, these men were trying to blend in, so they carry hand guns, not rifles, which means Oliver’s zig zagging can save them from their lesser aim.

As he runs, he keeps his eyes on the reporter. She flinches when she hears the gun shot and the camera whips their way. He admires her for not running, but staying to report. It works in his favor too. This is breaking and likely streaming on TVs all over America.

Once he gets close there are less bullets. Shrieve’s men indeed don’t want to hit the reporter and have to come down from the surrounding buildings to get a shot on them again.

It’s in that window of opportunity that Oliver takes the microphone out of the reporter’s stunned hands with the arm not holding Akio, asking: “Is this live?”

She gives a quick nod, eyes wide.

Oliver turns to the camera and loudly says: “I’m Oliver Queen. I’m alive. I’m in Hong Kong. Someone had taken me along with others. I escaped. Send help. A man has this boys parents and Waller, a woman.”

He sets down Akio at that, turning him towards the camera and keeping himself between the men’s pistols and Akio. “This is Akio. Akio Yamashiro. He’s with me.”

It is critical that he gets both their faces clearly on camera. Everyone now knows that Oliver Queen is alive and that Akio falls under his protection. If either of them were to be killed now, it will be at the very least national news.

The woman is clearly a reporter, because she recovers admirably quick. “Oliver Queen, the shipwrecked billionaire?”

“Yes, that’s me, got fished right out the sea by those people. I’ve been their captive ever since,” he answers, starting to herd the group towards the embassy. “We have to move now, they’re right behind me. Get to the embassy.”

That news does make both her and the cameraman move. Both have witnessed the bullets flying not moments before, so they don’t question his statement at all. He has certainly made a splash.

Akio dutifully walks in front of him, quiet and a little intimidated by the woman and the camera lens that are in his face. For Oliver it’s strangely familiar. Just three years ago having reporters zoom around him was his normal, now it’s bullets.

While they walk, the reporter keeps looking back. Oliver can’t blame her, he does the same. But it seems the men fell back the second he got himself and Akio in view of the camera and said their names loudly.

The safety of fame. Of being alive.

God, he’s alive. He is going home.

In all the excitement he hasn’t even thought about that part. His whole being was so focused on keeping Akio safe and getting the message out so his parents can be saved too, not to mention stopping Shrieve before he killed an entire city, that he never thought about what taking the steps to make that happen would mean for him.

Oliver was home a little earlier, he could have stayed. He was in their living room. He was right there. But he left.

His father wants him to right his wrongs, Oliver doesn’t know what that means, but he knew then that he couldn’t let the Triad sell a bio weapon right in their city. Stopping that deal felt right, felt like what his father meant.

It was also supposed to be his ticket home.

He thought that had been voided when on the docks. Hell, he has practically kissed his return home goodbye these past weeks to keep Akio safe. He was fully prepared to leave everyone he used to know and love behind to reunite the Yamashiro family.

In hindsight, it is kind of scary how easy it was to make that decision. He wants to go home. Of course he wants to go home, he has missed everyone so much. But now that is here, he is scared of what will happen.

Last time he could go home, he could return as being found somewhere. Amanda erased the past three years of torment as easily as she used him for them. It is in her interest for no one to think Oliver could be connected to anything she had done. He would have been able to return home as a castaway, alone on an island for three years. That’s gone now.

Now he is going home with a story about having been captured that he hasn’t fleshed out at all. He left a trail of bodies behind him to get to the embassy. He appeared miraculously resurrected on live TV with people shooting at him.

Everyone will have questions.

Like the reporter. She doesn’t waste a moment. She has taken back her microphone from Oliver and is already interviewing him as they walk the last bit to the embassy. “Where have you been all these years? You disappeared on the North China sea three years ago. How did you get here?”

“We went down in a storm. I managed to hold on to some of the rubble of the boat. A freighter fished me out of the sea,” Oliver answers, remembering what Sara told him. He hopes that she doesn’t mind him borrowing form her to make sure his story has verifiable facts.

“Did the boat take you here?” she asks.

Oliver pushes open the door, letting Akio go in first, as the reporter and cameraman follow. Being inside instead of out in the open, relaxes Oliver slightly. He doesn’t answer her, ushering Akio to a chair and setting him down.

He kneels in front of him and gently asks: “Are you okay?”

Wordlessly Akio nods. This must be overwhelming. But Oliver also sees him frown slightly as he looks at the reporter, then back at Oliver. Akio has noticed that his story is a little off. At the very least, not what he’s been told.

Oliver is grateful the kid is a polyglot at this point and knows Mandarin, since Oliver has no knowledge of Japanese or Cantonese. In Mandarin, he says: “Say nothing, okay?”

“Okay,” Akio agrees, also in Madarin.

“Good kid,” Oliver smiles, ruffling his hair.

The reporter looks between him and Akio, then asks: “Who is this child you have with you? You said you were captured together.”

She has enough footage of Akio for the kid to be safe, Oliver decides. So he stands up and blocks the view of the camera, so Akio is left alone, crossing his arms. The reporter is next to camera now, the lens entirely focused on him as she holds out her microphone eagerly. This will likely be the highlight of her career.

“Akio won’t be talking to you,” he tells her. “We just got out of something very rough. We had to leave his parents behind. You leave him alone or you will be in trouble with me. Do you understand?”

He can see that she calculates the risks of pushing anyway in her mind. However, Oliver knows he has become quite intimidating. So, she says: “Of course. Can we expect answers from you? Do you know who held you captive?”

“I don’t know what his name was,” Oliver says, not wanting to give Shrieve a reason to silence him, before help can get there. “I never saw his face, none of them. I can’t give you more than that and I’m not saying more until I’ve spoken with someone from the government. Thank you for hearing me out, but I won’t be saying more.”

With that he says: “Come on, Akio.” The boy follows him easily, the two of them having built a strong report. The reporter tries to follow, but Oliver is already talking to someone from the embassy, explaining his situation and getting them a private space.

It’s really happening. He’s going home.

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