All City
"Hey Barry," Oliver said almost timidly as he spotted the young streetwalker. It was odd not hearing Barry speak first.
"Hey," Barry muttered. It had been a week and a half since Oliver had slipped Barry the money for taking care of him. He'd had to track him down to another street corner since Barry had apparently abandoned the one by his home.
"How are you doing?" Oliver asked.
"I'm working," Barry muttered. "So you're either buying or your walking."
"Buying," Oliver said before he could think it through.
Barry looked at Oliver with a scrunched brow that read both confused and annoyed. "None of this watch a movie bullshit."
"No," Oliver swallowed. "Whatever you say."
The two drove in awkward silence back to Oliver's town home. When he pulled up in front of the home Barry got out of the car without a word. Together they walked up to the front of the home and Oliver let him in.
Barry's clothes were tattered, the jeans had more holes than stitches it seemed and his shirt was far too threadbare for the temperature.
"Aren't you cold?" Oliver asked.
"Johns don't pick up hookers in parkas. They want to make sure they're getting a good deal," Barry replied. All humor and happiness was gone and it made Oliver feel cold.
"Listen… Barry I'm…" Oliver started.
"So what do you want? A blowjob? My ass?"
"Barry," Oliver gasped. "Please just."
"You have two choices Oliver," Barry interrupted. "Blowjob or ass."
Oliver huffed; his mouth formed a straight line of frustration.
"Okay that's it, I'm out of here," Barry turned and walked towards the door.
"Blowjob!" Oliver said before he could think about it any harder. He couldn't lose Barry, so if this is was Barry needed to stay than he'd do it.
Barry froze for a moment. It was as if he hadn't expected an answer. He paused a moment longer before turning back around and walking Oliver into the living room. Oliver had no control over the situation. He had given himself over to Barry who led him to an armchair, the same one Barry had marveled over nearly a month prior.
"One hundred," Barry said holding a hand out. Oliver knew from before that Barry always asked for the payment in advance. He also remembered the old price of a blowjob being eighty, but Oliver was too afraid to lose Barry if he haggled.
After taking the money Barry pushed Oliver into the armchair and got down on his knees. He reached out and grabbed Oliver through his jeans. Oliver wasn't hard, he didn't know if he'd be able to get hard. He didn't want this. That was a lie. He wanted it and he just couldn't admit it to himself. What he didn't want was this situation.
Barry kneaded Oliver through his jeans for a moment and Oliver began to feel his member reacting to the attention. It had been a long while since Oliver had taken care of himself in that regard, so it seemed his downstairs brain was up for anything despite Oliver's qualms.
Barry unbuttoned the jeans and pulled the zipper down. He hadn't met Oliver's eyes and that made the whole experience feel even more distant. He yanked on the jeans so that they rested midway down Oliver's hips revealing a tight pair of black boxer-briefs that sported a thick ridge that started at his crotch and pointed down his right leg.
Barry reached out and touched Oliver's dick through his underwear. The touch made Oliver spasm a bit, with so much less fabric the sensation was so much more acute.
"Barry," Oliver gasped as Barry took hold of his shaft.
"I want you to call me Grant," Barry remarked coldly. Grant was the name Barry reserved for his johns. It was for people who didn't really know Barry.
Oliver lightly pushed Barry off of him. "Barry please."
"It's Grant."
"Grant," Oliver said softly. It felt wrong. "I'm sorry."
"Are we not doing this?" Barry said coldly.
"I can't," Oliver said, despite his erection.
"Fine," Barry said standing. Without returning Oliver's money, Barry walked out of the home, after making a point to slam the door.
3 years ago
"Congrats Barry," Iris smiled and hugged him. "We made it."
Barry laughed. They'd both just finished their respective degrees, though it seemed Iris was already planning on grad school. Barry had lucked out with an internship at a lab in Central City. Everything was great.
Well almost everything.
Barry had love Iris since before he knew what love was. The pain he felt constantly being around her was beginning to be too much and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.
"We did," he flashed that smile.
That night, while Iris and Joe slept, Barry snuck out. Despite the fact that he was twenty-two he still felt like he was a kid when he was under his adoptive father's house.
On the outskirts of a Central City there was a dive bar called Purple Heys that catered to a predominantly gay crowd. It acted as a safe place for gay guys in the city, especially the closeted ones, to let loose and be free. Barry had been a few times during college. Some nights in the dorm he just couldn't take it and needed a release.
Soon he found himself calling upon trips to Purple Heys to make up for rejections from Iris. Every time she didn't notice his feelings or she mistook one of his attempts to ask her out he would drive out to the bar and just dance his feelings away. On especially rough nights he'd have a meaningless fling with a guy. Barry was smart enough to know it wasn't healthy but he wasn't healthy enough to be smart, never had been.
"Hey," a gruff voice grunted beside Barry at the bar. It was a relatively quiet night. The bar, which usually sported a few college students, was emptier since most were likely celebrating their graduations with family and friends elsewhere.
Barry turned and saw a hulking man with a square jaw and tattoo on his arms, which were highlighted by his sleeveless workout shirt.
"Hi," Barry tilted his head. "Do I know you?"
"My name is Tony," he clarified.
Barry swallowed. It was Tony Woodward, Barry's arch nemesis from high school. His numero uno bully.
"Guess not. I'm Grant," Barry lied quickly.
Tony offered a nervous smile. "Hi Grant."
Jeez, he was cute when he was petrified. Barry would have never guessed that he could think of Tony that way.
Tony's smile faded a bit when Barry didn't say anything else. He nervously offered, "Would you like a drink?"
Barry, still a bit dumbfounded at his current situation, finally gave Tony a smile. "I'd love one.
Present day
Mad cackling filled the quiet night as two young men bounded down the streets. The first man, wore a bright red collared shirt, popped with another collared shirt under it of bright yellow. A fan of bright colors, Antonio always wore at least two bright ones with each ensemble. He flipped two cans of spray paint in each hand.
"Here!" He exclaimed as he artfully crafted his signature tag on a blank, brick wall.
His friend, in a ratty white shirt with a black vest tossed and spun a machete as he stood watch. With a machete-wielding friend like him no one ever even tried to stop them from tagging something.
"All right Dregz! Let's move!" The Antonio yelled. They continued down the street, leaving behind a bright tag.
"Hi Oliver," Felicity said as Oliver bounded down the steps into the basement. Every time she said his name it sounded like an accusation. Oliver knew that it was in his head, but he'd avoided talking to her about what she had walked in on and she hadn't mentioned it.
"What's wrong with him?" Roy asked from behind Oliver as he grabbed his deep red leather from his manikin.
"Lay off Roy," Felicity joked. "He's still a little off from the poison."
"You'd think after two weeks it'd be out of his system," Roy laughed. "I'm out, let me know if you need me." With that Roy bounded out for a night of patrol.
"Thanks," Oliver muttered. Felicity had done a good job of making up excuses for Oliver even though she didn't know what she was excusing.
"Happy to help," she smiled a small, sad smile. "Oliver, you know you can talk to me… about anything."
Oliver turned to really look at her for the first time that night. She was dressed fancy again. "You look nice," he tried to deflect.
Felicity looked down at her clothes as if she'd just noticed them. "Oh, thanks. Nice try though," she chuckled. "I'm here for you."
"I know," Oliver nodded reverently. "But for now I just want to hit something."
Felicity wrapped her arms around Oliver and squeezed him tight in a hug. His arms just hung at the sides awkward as he looked down on the top of her head.
"You just look like you needed it," Felicity said. "Now go get the bad guys!"
Oliver heard mad cackling, nothing said 'villain' like a mad cackle. He repositioned himself on the rooftop so he could see down into an alley. Two men were down in the dark, one dressed in bright colors was spray painting a wall while the other acted a lookout.
The lookout was who worried Oliver; dressed in tattered clothes the guy was huge, with long brown hair framing a mask that covered the space around his eyes. In his hands was a machete that could do some real damage.
Oliver usually didn't bother with a petty crime like vandalism, but he didn't like the idea of a guy like that, with a machete like that, out on the streets. He fired and arrow and swung down the attached chord.
"Now that's what I call an entrance!" The brightly colored graffiti artist exclaimed. "Get him Dregz."
Dregz grunted and lunged at Oliver. He attacked with his machete, which Oliver easily parried, only to find out that the he had used the machete as a decoy because his other fist connected solidly with Oliver's cheek.
Oliver smacked against the cold concrete hard but stood up quickly and shook off the hit. This guy may not be as easy of an opponent as Oliver thought he'd be. Oliver quickly knocked an arrow and fired it at Dregz's thigh but the behemoth sliced the arrow with his machete and grinned.
Oliver grimaced and knocked to arrows this time. Dregz easily knocked both arrows out of the air with his machete again.
"Take a whiff!" The other guy said from behind Oliver. Dregz had distracted Oliver and he hadn't noticed the other had snuck behind him. The brightly colored one spray something from an aerosol paint can before he jumped away and positioned himself behind Dregz.
Oliver felt dizzy for a brief second before a familiar smell assaulted his senses. It was so painful and familiar but for a brief moment Oliver couldn't place it. He hadn't smelled it a long while and he didn't know it was something he had missed so painfully.
"Hey Oliver," a familiar voice said. When Oliver looked up he saw that Dregz and the brightly colored one had left. On the wall was a tag that read 'Ozone was here'. Oliver figured that was the brightly colored one's name. "Oliver," the voice said again.
Oliver turned, the familiar smell still present and saw something he couldn't believe. "Tommy?"
3 years ago
After weeks of fooling around together at Tony's apartment, Barry had just started to feel a little empty. The arrangement hinged on no one ever knowing that Tony was gay. He assumed Barry was too, only because Barry had never wanted to defend his bisexuality.
"We could go out," Barry suggested when Tony asked what he wanted to do. Barry actually felt something for the big lug. He was sweet when they were together and he worked well as a placeholder, a distraction so he wouldn't think about Iris.
"Yeah right," Tony laughed. "Are you fucking crazy? I can't be seen out with you!"
"Gee thanks," Barry muttered.
"No Grant," Tony cooed. He knew when to turn on the sweet charm he kept hidden. Barry had gotten used to Tony calling him Grant. "You know what I mean, no one can know about me."
"No one would know we were together," Barry urged.
Tony thought for a while before hesitantly agreeing. The two went one Central City's bland Italian restaurants that offered the free breadsticks and unending salad. Neither Tony nor Barry was rich. As per Tony's request they drove far out to the other side of Central City where no one could possibly recognize them.
"This is nice," Barry smiled. Tony offered a shy smile back.
"Yeah."
Barry placed a hand lightly on top of Tony's. Tony reared back in an instant, his smile faded immediately. "What do you think you're doing?" He hissed.
Barry hung his head. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"Jesus Grant," Tony grumbled. "I'm not a fucking fag."
Present day
"Hi Oliver," Tommy said softly.
"But, you're… you're dead," Oliver tried to shake the image from his head. The smell, the familiar scent… it was Tommy.
"I'm back," Tommy smiled, light tears shone in his eyes. Oliver reached out to touch the mirage. Tommy reached out and grabbed Oliver's hand. It was solid… real. He was really here.
"Tommy I'm so sorry," Oliver said immediately.
"Oh Oliver," Tommy said sweetly. Then his eyes darkened. "No you're not. Not yet. But you will be."
Then the world went dark.
"Hey!" A voice echoed in the murky darkness. "Hey Arrow dude! Get up!"
Oliver lunged up, immediately feeling for his hood, which was still securely on his head.
"You okay?" The voice asked. As Oliver's sight cleared he recognized his waker. "Cisco? Cisco Ramon?"
"The one and only!" Oliver recognized the hooker from when he and his team had saved him from being wrongfully arrested.
"What are you doing here?" Oliver winced as he touched the back of his head. Tommy had hit him hard.
"You're in my territory," Cisco replied waving a hand at the dark empty street. "It's a little late now, normally I would've tagged out, but my last john dropped me off here a bit later than usual. That's when I saw you swoop down all heroically."
"So you saw everything?" Oliver asked.
"Most everything. I had to hide once you started fighting that big dude. I came out when I didn't hear any voices and you were down and out."
Oliver cursed under his breath. He needed to know if Tommy was real or if he'd been in his imagination.
"I've never seen anyone try and take down Ozone, especially with Dregz hanging around him," Cisco remarked.
"You know those guys?" Oliver groaned as the pain in his head strengthened.
"Oh yeah, everyone knows Ozone's tags," Cisco exclaimed. "He's a street artist."
"He's a criminal," Oliver replied.
"Yeah well so am I," Cisco puffed out his chest.
Oliver just let the argument slide. "What do you know about Ozone?"
"Just his tags," Cisco pointed up to the blue and yellow 'Ozone was here' text on the brick wall. "Sometimes he does big ones like that, sometimes he just does his signature."
"His signature?"
"Yeah," Cisco thought for a second, as if trying to remember what it looked like. "He does an O like this and then a Z." In the grime on the side of a dumpster Cisco drew a large O with a small z attached at the bottom right.
"Oz?" Oliver asked.
"Stands for Ozone and Dregz. From O to z. Get it?"
"Funny," Oliver chuckled humorlessly. "They always work together?"
"Never seen them apart," Cisco replied.
"Thanks," Oliver nodded. He paused for a moment. He knew this was a stupid idea but he couldn't help himself. "How is Barry?"
Cisco tilted his head a bit. "What happened between you two?"
"I don't want to talk about," Oliver groaned. "I just want to know if he's okay."
"Yeah, I mean he's healthy. But he's sad," Cisco said. "He saved me through you once. I'd like to return the favor. So I'm going to ask you to talk to him. Set things straight."
"I don't think that'll help," Oliver grunted before he fired his grappling arrow and flew out of the alleyway.
3 years ago
Two months later Barry still spent a majority of his time at Tony's. Summer break was long and uneventful since his internship wouldn't start until September. Tony was a good distraction. Well not good, but it did the job. Sometimes Barry had a great time. They had some hot fun and some laughs. But other times he left feeling sick and disgusted with both Tony and himself.
Barry was a smart guy. He knew what he was doing was bad for him, but like an addict he couldn't stop. At least until the one day that he went to Purple Heys instead of visiting Tony.
They hadn't expressly said they would hang out, but Tony had assumed it because it was a part of their routine now. Barry felt like he needed a night away from Tony so he went to the bar instead. Barry refused to admit that he and Tony were dating. He couldn't possibly be dating someone who didn't even know his real name. But it seemed Tony thought different.
While dancing with a very nice skinny kid that had nervously asked for a dance, Tony came barreling in and threw the kid off of Barry. The kid landed on another guy, unharmed.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Tony demanded.
"I was just dancing," Barry tried. Before dating Tony, Barry had only ever been bullied into submission once and that was at the hand of Tony.
"Come on," Tony commanded. "We're going."
Barry couldn't believe it, but he went with his head hung low. Something had happened to him over that summer. He'd lost his fight and his will. He'd let it happen to himself and he had no one else to blame.
Present day
"Hey Barry," Cisco called out as he fell into their bed.
"Hey," Barry muttered as he turned towards the wall, away from Cisco.
"I ran into your boyfriend," Cisco teased.
"My what? Who?" Barry turned back and faced Cisco. The small twin bed didn't offer much room, but the two had become accustomed to talking to each other with their noses nearly touching.
"The Vigilante," Cisco grinned. "I saw him fight some guys."
"Is he okay?" Barry asked, concerned.
"He is now, he didn't win. It was Ozone and Dregz so I don't think he was ready for how serious they are," Cisco analyzed. "But I made sure he was all right. No one got a look under that hood. No one 'cept you."
"Stop asking, Cisco," Barry mumbled.
"No I know! I'm not," Cisco smirked. "He asked about you though."
"What'd you say?" Barry's concerned morphed into mortification.
"I said you guys should talk," Cisco grew serious. "Something's up. We all know it. You need something and I don't think any of us can help."
"Yeah well he can't help either."
"Why are you so concerned about a graffiti artist?" Diggle asked as the team convened after the patrol.
"It's not Ozone I'm really concerned about, it's his bodyguard, Dregz."
"Yeah," Roy nodded. "Especially if he was able to take you out alone."
"I'll look into it," Diggle nodded. "But I've got to get home."
"I'm heading out too," Roy said. "I'll see if any of my old street buddies know anything!"
"Thanks guys," Oliver waved as they left.
"You okay?" Felicity asked.
"Felicity," Oliver moaned. "You gotta stop asking me if I'm okay."
"I make no promises," Felicity crossed her heart ceremonially.
Oliver took a deep breath. He needed to confide in someone. "Felicity, something else happened in the alley."
Felicity's smile turned concerned. "What happened?"
"I saw Tommy."
Felicity's concern deepened.
"No, I know what you're going to say," Oliver quickly defended. "But he was real. I could see him, smell him, touch him. It was all real. I swear!"
"Did he say something?" Felicity asked. She seemed to be suspending reality to allow Oliver to get it out.
"Yeah," Oliver winced. "He said I'd be sorry. He's actually the one who knocked me out."
"Oliver," Felicity began.
Oliver held up a hand. "No you're right I'm crazy. I just need some rest."
Felicity huffed. "I think we should talk…"
"Good night Felicity," Oliver called out as he ran out of the basement.
"Nice one Dregz!" Ozone cheered. His eyes were bright and mad behind the large glasses, tinted baby blue. "You really showed that Arrow douche a thing about the OZ!" Ozone had begun to refer to himself and Dregz as the O.Z.
Dregz grunted in response.
"Now for phase 2," Ozone grinned maliciously.
"Hi," Felicity said as she pulled her coat tight against the cold wind.
Barry looked like a spooked cat. "Umm…"
"We need to talk," Felicity said plainly.
"How did you find me?" Barry asked. He'd changed up his street corner to avoid a confrontation like this. Though to be honest he'd expected Oliver to be the other party, not Felicity.
"Oh Barry," Felicity joked. "I can find anyone and anything I want."
"That's terrifying."
"Good," Felicity laughed. "Channel that fear. Something is up. Oliver is down. You seem more down than the last time we met."
"Felicity, I'm a hooker," Barry admitted. He didn't want to throw Oliver under the bus, which he assumed admitting that Oliver hung around with hookers would do. Barry believed in his code. But he needed Felicity to understand so she would leave him alone.
"I know. Barry Allen of Central City. Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude," Felicity listed. "Disappeared from Central City three years ago from the adoptive home of Joe West. Father in jail, mother dead."
"Please! Stop!" Barry interrupted.
"Sorry," Felicity squeaked. "I get carried away some times."
"I noticed," Barry replied deadpan.
"My point is, I don't actually know you. I know your facts, I know your job, but I don't know you. I assume Oliver does. He doesn't get attached to many people but he was clearly attached to you. I thought…" Felicity swallowed her words and started again, her voice far more shaky. "I thought Oliver was straight. I even thought for a while that we…"
Barry frowned. "Oh, I had no idea. I'm sorry."
"No, it's not your fault. We just… didn't…" Felicity stopped in thought. "That's history. I didn't know he was…"
"Gay?" Barry supplied.
"Yeah, I have no problem with gay people," Felicity quickly amended.
"It was just a shock," Barry offered.
"Exactly."
"And remember he could be bisexual," Barry suggested.
"You're right," Felicity nodded. The suggestion seemed to quell some of whatever was dancing in her head.
"Well just the fact that you're trying to help him out is a great sign that you're a good friend."
"So will you help me help him?" Felicity asked.
"No," Barry frowned. "Because I'm not a good friend. I shouldn't have pried my way into his life in the first place."
Barry turned and walked away while Felicity called after him to no avail.
3 years ago
Barry scooped a forkful of spaghetti and took a bite. Tony was right, he was a horrible cook. Most of what Tony said was mentioned off hand, like a joke. But Barry knew the truth behind it. There was never a 'just kidding.' Tony meant every word.
As he put the fork back onto his still half-full plate, Tony stepped in and grabbed the plate.
"I wasn't finished," Barry said timidly. He hardly recognized his own voice anymore.
"Don't need you getting fat," Tony laughed. "Then what good would you be?"
The joke made Barry feel sick to his stomach. Not because Tony was a douche, but because he knew Tony was right. He was worthless and useless. He'd spent his life pining over a girl he'd never get when someone like Tony was there for him. But now with each passing days Barry felt his emotions dull to nothingness. He rarely saw Joe and Iris. When he did manage to visit they always grilled him about where he'd been which of course he could never tell the truth. They were always so worried and it annoyed him.
Days later everything came to a head. Tony, tired from work just wanted to relax. He asked Barry to go grab him dinner, takeout not home cooked since 'that would just make him sicker.'
When Barry refused Tony laid a single, hard punch on his cheek. Barry fell like a sack of flour. Tony apologized profusely but the damage had been done. The punch was enough to dislodge Barry from the relationship.
During the night he left Tony's home, bought a train ticket, and was heading for Starling City the next morning.
Unfortunately after those months with Tony, Barry knew he wasn't good for anybody, he was worthless. He couldn't cook, he couldn't maintain a relationship, all he could do was sex. Luckily a place like Starling City had a job for him.
Present day
"Felicity?" Oliver squinted through tired eyes. "What are you doing here?" Oliver had left hours ago. He had already changed into his loose sweatpants that hung impossibly low and a Starling City hockey jersey from his childhood that was just a little bit too short.
"Listen," Felicity pushed past Oliver into the home. "I know that something is going on with you. I know that you don't want to talk about it. Because you're Oliver Queen, emotion suppresser extraordinaire, which by the way, not healthy, especially for someone who patrols the city with a bow and arrow, but that's beside the point. We are going to do some serious emotional surgery tonight."
"Felicity I don't…" Oliver started to whine.
"Emotional surgery!" Felicity interrupted forcefully. "And our tools will be named Ben and Jerry with a side of Baileys and hot chocolate."
Oliver opened his mouth to argue but stopped. Felicity looked ready to attack and he figured his best bet would be to just go with it.
"I brought Singin' in the Rain, also," Felicity added with a pout. "That's very important."
Debbie Reynolds started singing Singin' in the Rain in A-flat when Felicity started to cry (for the second time) as she heaped another spoonful of Americone Dream from the melting pint in Oliver's grasp. Felicity snuggled closer into Oliver's side and he pulled her tighter with the arm wrapped around her shoulder.
You Are My Lucky Star started up and Felicity turned her head and hid it in Oliver's shoulder and she wailed a bit harder. He chuckled deep in his chest.
"You're my lucky star, Felicity," Oliver said softly.
"Shut up you big oaf," Felicity play punched his arm. "This movie gets me every time."
Oliver smiled. He did feel better. The ice cream and the classic film was the perfect pick-me-up.
"I know you don't want to talk about it," Felicity mumbled. "But you need to figure something out."
"I know," Oliver whispered.
"Do you love him?" Felicity asked.
Oliver paused for a moment before answering, "I hardly know him."
"Yeah, but do you love him?" Felicity asked again.
"He's a guy," Oliver deflected.
"What's gender got to do with love?" Felicity quoted.
Oliver deflated.
"I think that's enough surgery tonight," Felicity mumbled sleepily. Jeez it was after three in the morning. Oliver lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bed. After tucker her in carefully he made his way back to the couch and wrapped himself in his afghan and fell asleep.
"Oliver," Diggle grunted into the phone. "You better come see this."
"Okay. On my way," Oliver affirmed as Diggle gave him the address. His back ached from a night on the sofa, but he wasn't about to make Felicity sleep on it. "We're on the job!" Oliver cheered as he rifled through his dresser. Felicity grumbled sleepily.
"Come on sleepy head," Oliver laughed.
"Why are you so happy?" Felicity moaned.
"You're a great surgeon," Oliver said as he shucked off his pants and pulled on his designer jeans.
Felicity stared for a moment before saying, "Well it was just a quick fix. You have to do the big one."
"Let's talk about you," Oliver smirked. "You've been dressing up lately."
Felicity smiled. "You noticed?"
"Of course!"
"It's still early. We've been on a few dates but I like him," Felicity said softly.
"I'm happy for you," Oliver said. He meant it.
"What does it mean?" Roy asked.
Oliver, Felicity, Diggle, and Roy all stood and stared at the huge graffiti scrawled across Verdant.
THE QUARTET IS COMING
"The Quartet?" Roy asked.
"It can't be anything good," Felicity moaned.
"It's on Verdant," Diggle pointed out.
"An even worse sign," Oliver admitted.
"It means they know that Oliver is the Arrow. Whoever they are," Felicity added.
"Wonderful," Oliver mumbled.
Oliver and Diggle spent the morning and afternoon trying to figure out more about the looming threat the Quartet could pose. The team had assumed that Ozone and Dregz made up half the quartet, but there was no sign of the other two members, if it really was four members like the name suggested.
They returned to Verdant to find a guest with Felicity and Roy.
Oliver fumed at the sight of Barry in the base of operations for the Arrow. "What is he doing here?" Oliver asked with venom.
Roy held up his hands and then pointed inconspicuously at Felicity.
"Felicity?" Oliver pressed.
Barry looked annoyed to be spoken about so fragrantly while he was present in the room.
"We need a consultant. Barry knows some about Ozone and Dregz and his connections could tell us even more," Felicity defended. "Plus, it was better than inviting Cisco."
Oliver took a deep breath and was about to argue back.
"Ozone's real name is Antonio Mango," Barry said before Oliver could protest.
"How do you know that?" Oliver asked.
"He was a…" Barry looked up at Diggle and Roy. "A client. Once."
Oliver pursed his lips but bit his tongue.
"He's dangerous."
3 years ago
"You selling yourself?" A crazed voice called out.
Barry jumped. "Um… no!"
"Name's Antonio Mango," Antonio said. "This here's Dregz." The behemoth of a man beside the colorful Antonio nodded once.
"Nice to meet you," Barry said carefully. It was his second night in Starling City and he was already almost out of money and hadn't been able to figure out the ins and outs of being a hooker.
Antonio shook a spray can. "Want to have some fun tonight? I promise it'll be worth your while…"
Barry nodded nervously.
Present day
"Antonio Mango was a nobody three years ago," Barry explained. "He was doing bit street art and getting by through theft with the help of his crony Dregz."
"What happened?"
"Mango started doing big-picture heists. He used knockout gas in his aerosol canisters and managed some big-ticket items. Dregz was always there to clean up any mess."
"Were you a part of this?" Oliver accused.
"No!" Barry exclaimed. "We just met for that first night. After that I met Cisco and found my way a different way. But I remember Mango. He was the first person I met in this town. Now his tags are infamous."
"So what's the Quartet?" Roy asked.
"I have no idea," Barry shrugged. "If they're really bad news, Mango is probably least of your worries. To my knowledge he hasn't intentionally killed anyone."
"Great," Oliver mused.
"Dregz is probably a different story though."
Patrol that night consisted of Diggle, Roy, and Oliver spreading out and canvassing for more information and hopefully spotting another tag.
Oliver was feeling a bit tired, leftover exhaustion from his late night the night before with Felicity.
"Oliver," a voice said from behind Oliver. The scent of his lost friend wafted towards him and Oliver knew that Tommy was with him again.
"Tommy?" Oliver asked quietly as he turned to face the man.
"Hi Oliver," Tommy replied. He offered a small, sad smile.
"It can't be you, you're dead," Oliver said. He felt as though he'd regressed to childhood. He cleared his throat and he gruffed his voice. "You're not Tommy."
"I am, and guess what… I'm part three," Tommy smiled. "It feels great to belong to something."
"Part three?" Oliver asked.
Dregz and Ozone stepped up beside Tommy. "Yep," Tommy smiled. "Three of four."
Oliver immediately knocked an arrow and fired at Ozone. Dregz sliced the arrow out of the air. Ozone hadn't even reacted to the attack. He had trusted that Dregz would defend him.
"They're here!" Oliver shouted into his earpiece. Dregz lunged before Oliver could say anything else. Hopefully Felicity would rally his location to Diggle and Roy.
Oliver grappled with Dregz. The man was took strong and he pinned his arms above him.
"Sleep tight," Ozone said as he spray something from his aerosol can.
"Is he okay?" Barry paced back and forth quickly. He ruffled his hair and grabbed it a few times.
"I'm sure he's fine," Felicity asserted. She wasn't actually sure, but Barry was new to the Arrow dynamics and one of them needed to be levelheaded. Felicity had just never imagined a day when that would be her.
"He's going to be fine," Barry repeated like an asylum patient. "He's going to be fine."
Thirty minutes later Diggle and Roy helped a drugged Oliver down into the basement of Verdant. Painted on Oliver's chest was Ozone's Oz tag.
"They're just playing with us," Diggle said.
"They could have killed him easily," Roy added.
"Oh my god!" Felicity was shocked.
"Tommy," Oliver said hazily. "Tommy!"
Barry ran up to Oliver and grabbed his head. "Are you okay?"
"Hi Barry," Oliver said through half-lidded eyes. His pupils were dark and wide with the effects of the drug.
"This is Mango's concoction. Get him on the table," Barry ordered. It seemed the idea of helping Oliver snapped him out of his crazed mood of before.
3 years ago
"It's just chemistry," Barry said. He was itching to please his new friend. "See, and now you can switch your paint canister from paint to knockout gas."
"Oh man! Grant you are the MAN!" Antonio jumped up and down with excitement. Dregz grunted in agreement. "This is sick!" Antonio leapt in front of Dregz and showed off the small switch on the bottom edge of the canister that Barry had added to switch from paint to Barry's special knockout gas. Dregz just smiled toothily.
"We gotta try it out!" Antonio asserted. "Let's rob someone."
Dregz nodded. Barry swallowed nervously. "Yeah…"
Present day
"How do you know what to do?" Felicity asked as Barry mixed some household chemicals into a syringe that Felicity had luckily had handy.
"It's just chemistry," Barry asserted.
"Yeah, I know chemistry, but this is more than that," Felicity continued.
Barry froze for a moment. "I haven't been truthful. I didn't just spend one day with Mango. I spent weeks. I helped him create the gasses he uses."
"Barry," Felicity admonished as she buried her face in her hands.
"I can fix this!" Barry said. "Let me fix this!"
He plunged the syringe into Oliver's chest. For a moment silence reigned over the hideout as all four conscious team members stared in nervous anticipation. Oliver gasped as he sat up in one quick movement.
"Tommy!" Oliver shouted.
"Oliver!" Felicity yelled. "You're under Verdant!"
Oliver looked around like a spooked animal for a moment before the comfortable setting visibly eased his nerves.
3 years ago
Barry snuck away while Antonio and Dregz robbed a rich couple with the help of Barry's knockout gas. Barry ran as far as his legs would take him. They took him straight into the unsuspecting body of someone else who'd been standing around a corner.
"Hi," a kid with long brown hair said as he helped lift Barry up.
"I'm sorry!" Barry said frazzled. "I wasn't paying attention."
"That's no problem." The kid seemed to size him up before he stuck out a hand and said, "I'm Cisco. What's your name?"
Present day
"Hey you," Barry said nervously.
Oliver stood on his doorstep in nothing but gym shorts. Barry looked around. The streets were still empty, as the city hadn't completely woken yet. Barry spent the night nervously figuring out how to apologize for misleading the crew.
"You lied," Oliver said. If the cold air was bothering him, he didn't show it.
All Barry wanted was to be asked in. "I was scared."
Oliver pursed his lips.
"I'm sorry," Barry said. "I'm sorry I wasn't truthful. It's just there were people in the room I didn't know and I just…" Barry made some unreadable gesture with his hands.
Oliver's expression softened. "Come in."
"Oliver I'm so sorry for everything I did. I'm sorry for Mango… I'm sorry for invading your personal Arrow Cave…"
"Don't call it that…"
"And I'm sorry for what I did here," Barry motioned to the armchair.
Oliver looked over at the armchair. "I'm sorry too, Barry."
Barry had a feeling that Oliver didn't really know what he was apologizing for. So he figured he'd cut the guy some slack and explain. "It's just when I helped you, with the poison bullet… I felt like I was a part of the team. You know, helping the Arrow Man out."
Oliver shook his head vehemently at the mention of the name.
"I didn't feel like a hooker anymore. I didn't feel like street trash," Barry said softly.
"Barry… you're not…"
Barry held up a hand. "When you paid me. It made me… No it reminded me…" Barry hiccupped.
Realization fell across Oliver's face and he instantly pulled Barry in for a tight hug. "Oh Barry. I'm so sorry."
Barry liked having his head pressed against Oliver where he could hear Oliver's voice rumbling in his chest. The warmth made him feel alive again.
"I'm still learning how not to be a billionaire playboy," Oliver admitted. Barry chuckled humorlessly at that. "Sometimes I fuck up bad."
"I've been fucking up for three straight years," Barry replied.
Oliver smiled. "You've saved me three straight weeks in a row. You can't be doing that bad."
Barry smiled back. It was the first real, radiant Barry smile that Oliver had seen in a long while. Once he saw it, he couldn't fathom how he lived without it.
Diggle, Barry, Roy, and Oliver stood around the table at the Arrow Cave. Oliver mentally cursed himself for referring to it as that.
"Where's Felicity?" Roy asked.
"She's on a date," Oliver smiled. He was glad to give her the first part of the night off. "So let's start by talking about the Quartet."
"So there's Ozone and Dregz," Diggle said.
"And Tommy," Oliver added adamantly.
"And Tommy," Diggle allowed even though everyone else didn't believe Oliver. "Who's the fourth?"
"This is a nice restaurant," Felicity said politely.
"It's my favorite," her date replied in a thick Russian accent.
"I've had a great time with you Alex," Felicity said.
Alex, with a dark scar down his eye smiled. "Me too Felicity. I've got a great night planned tonight."