Arrow: Scars
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC and plot. The rest is owned by DC Comics.
a/n I hope you like this version of Arrow, it's certainly running around my head for a while now.
Chapter 1: Regrets.
My name is Olivia Queen. For 5 years I have been stranded on an island. Only one thought kept me going...Survive. In order to do that, I was molded into someone else, something else.
Thin hands grasped the rough surface of the large jagged formation. Hands that were small, yet sturdy; frail. The hooded figure pull itself up, eyes surveyed his surrounding. The petite frame jumped at the last stretch of surface. Swift and agile, he landed in its feet, balancing with one knee on the ground, as his body twisted about, looking for something. Isles and a vast sea was all that was in sight, until a spotted a vessel came into view.
Reaching over his shoulder, was a lanky arm that now held a bow the size of his torso. Reaching over once more, it grasped an arrow with a darkened head and flitting it forcefully over the rocky surface; a spark was created. As the flame laid ablaze at the head of the arrow, the draw string was tightened.
The once lanky arm was now replaced with years of muscles tearing and rebuilding itself into something stronger. The sturdy hand held onto the neck of the bow and aimed precisely at the shore a hundred meters away.
The string was released from the slender fingers and his calloused palm, and flew into the air, slicing what could have been several walls of air currents. Landing in a pile of bamboo covering a small bomb. As it combusted, the wind blew at the hooded figure and his...no..her hood slipped to reveal an unmarked face, sun kissed skin by the gods with deep emerald green eyes that shined in the sunlight. Golden locks shimmered as the wind blew at her. Pink, full lips pursed in a frown as she watch the vessel draw near.
As fast as she could draw her bow string, her legs flew in the Forrest. She flew. Until she came upon the open shore line, standing high as the shock faces of her 'saviors' surrounded her.
They led her onto the fishing boat and was given a blanket. It wasn't all that soft and warm, but it sufficed as a barrier against the harsh wind. She didn't talk when the Chinese men tried to comfort her, or when asked her name: only when she was given a choice of destination.
Shado spoke of a place her father visited every summer. To honor her memory, she choose that place to further her training. It didn't matter because she didn't find the need to go home yet, so she choose to solidify her resolve. You could say that she was afraid of what her family would think of her, but she had too many loose ends. For half a year she trained in the Shennongjia Virgin Forest. Marking her place within the wild leopards tribes as one of their own, she hunted with them. Knowing that once she stepped foot in America her hunt for the list would begin.
As the years passed she had created a local legend for herself. The forest spirit clothe in mother's nature. She punished illegal poachers and saved many lives. Some even worship her presence and thus a shrine was created to honor her. She thought nothing of it, however, it didn't matter what she did as long as she got stronger. The word strong was never good enough, she needed the strength to overcome her sins on the island. As a foundation she used the strength of the Mirakura as a reference point. The poachers were just the beginning, she knows what the serum could do and she tried her closest to imitate its strength in training. It's the least she could do.
Despite that she is only a woman. She can only get so strong. Day and night she curses her disadvantage, but is reminded of her advantages also. Yes, she is small, but she is agile and swift, a leopard waiting for it's prey. She watches and learns from the animals there, their unnamed intelligence and adaptations astounds the ex-sorority teenager. What's even better is that she gained an ally during her run-in with illegal activities, such as saving a person from execution-who just so happens to be skilled in martial arts.
By this time she was fluent in chinese and they spoke often for he was her only source of conversation. They also fought and trained. His name was Xian Li and much like his father he enjoyed the martial arts. That is until he passed away and thugs came and took away his house. He was forced to join a local mafia to avenge his father, for he found out that his father had not peacefully die, but had been murdered instead for a piece of land.
It just so happens that the tattoo on her back was used as mark from the mafia group that Xian Li joined. She filed that fact away as she was taking a bath in the mountain's hidden springs.
He came and went from the city to the cave that hid their lives. She felt at peace for once. Her training was going smoothly, and she found a friend. That is until she overheard some tourist discuss about the man-made earthquake in Starlight city. The voice at the back of her head nagged at her to stay and further her training. But her heart fell as she thought of her family's safety.
She ventured into the city with Xian Li to find the Mafia group. They were not pleased to find a foreigner in their territory, much less the fact that she demanded them to-dare she say it-take her to their leader.
Their encounter went much like this: the five men were closing in on her. Hovering above her, their eyes locked onto her green ones, and in a mocking gesture, one of the man's hand went and patted her head. " A girl like you should just stick to the whore houses around the corner." In all countries, especially in military runned countries-much like this one- patting one's head was considered a sign of subordination and weakness. Since she understood every word that came from his lips, her hits were quick but heavy.
As fast as lightning, she disarmed the men around her. She then proceeded to throw them to the ground with the help of her size. With a punch she swung with the force of bullet and knocked a thug behind her; swinging her leg around she roundhoused kicked a man's temple to her left. As he was knocked out of balance she grabbed him and threw him to the man holding a gun to her right. Catching the gun midair, she pointed it towards the man behind her and pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through the man's quadriceps, making him fall down in agony. Finally she dodged the punches coming from her left and jabbed his diaphragm. Using his recovery time, she slid her leg behind his and pushed him off balance. As he tried to get up Olivia pointed the gun to his forehead. His leg that was in midpoint of sanding up lowered and rested on the ground alongside his other knee. He was at the mercy of the girl's determination. She smirked at the older man from above. It wasn't like the other smiles you would see on her face. She now knew how to intimidate someone, and so now this smile was evil, sinister, yet held a chaotic beauty to it. "Now lets see if you're more willing to help now?"
Their leader was not what she pictured him as. Instead of a scruffy-looking man with bulging arms, he was a slender man with a head full of hair, a stereotypical look for a man his age. He had on him a gray dress suit decorated with an orange handkerchief in his breast pocket, and a casual smile on his face. "What could I do to help you young lady."
" I need you to help me with something."
"And that something is?"
"I need money to go to America"
"As you can see here, Ms…?"
" Richards. "
"Yes, Mr. Richards, I'm running an organization that has taken over almost two thirds of all of China. I do not have time for your trifles. I see from the video recordings that you know how to carry your own weight. I'll see to it in time tha- "
Oliver stomped towards the glass desk, receiving the attention of gunbarrels, yet she slammed down her hand on the table, " I don't have time! But I will have your head if you don't get me what I need."
The men around her moved closer and she grasped her swiss army knife at her side,"Hold!" the kingpin's arm was raised, " Why are you going so far? forgianer, do you not fear me? Do you not fear death?"
"A friend of mine once said that death is only an illusion and that living is the real fear. I believe him."
"Wise words,"
" From a wise man. He saved me, and I would never forget him. His daughter had this tattoo in the same spot. "
" Say, was his name, perhaps, Yao Fei?" asked the man.
" You're Baixing Gao? He told me that he had a friend while in the liberation army.I'm guessing that's why you use the dragon, it wa-"
" Yes, he and I were inseparable. It's nice to know that my friend has made others, care to tell me how he is?"
Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but closed it in hesitation. Calming her emotions she announced, "Yao Fei's dead, and so is his daughter. I'm sorry."
He nodded his head as he contemplated the news. He smiled once more and waved the others away.
"Any friend of his is a friend of mine, I'll have you your things in the morning. My secretary here would work out all of your troubles for you and it may be mere speculations, but your name is not Ryan Richards is it?"
She softly smiled and simply said "I'll see you in the morning."
She was led into a room with plush pillows and a king sized bed. The secretary said that her new identity would be completed in the morning so she should rest until then. So she did.
Never did a warm shower feel so good. She scrubbed her body, which only reminded herself of her scars that marked her body. Washing her hair felt amazing as she changed her thoughts Gods! She washed away the layers of dust and grime on her skin. When she came out, an unfamiliar person in the mirror stared back at her. She had scars littered across her body. Her hair had reached an unbearingly long length once again. Feeling too fatigued she wore the soft bath robe, turned off the light in the bathroom and walked into the dark room. Once she reached the bed, she ran her hands across the silk sheets. The foreign texture pulled her under the covers and she fell asleep for once with the lights of civilization out her window sills.
On the plane ride, she thought of all that happened in the five years that she was away. The shipwreck with Laurel's sister, she would never forgive her sister's killer: me. She thought about the island, the things she had to do to survive. All the blood that is on her hands, since her encounter with Yao Fei. The attack on the camp, the moment when she bashed a skull of a stranger and her mistakes with Sara and Slade...Shado..
Her hands trembled at it's feeling. The thought ran around and around her head everyday, and she still have yet to come to terms with it. Her hands are now violently shaking, for others to believe that she is perfectly sane, she covered her hand with the other, hoping for it's movements to stop.
As she stared out the window, she was reminded of how a cold blooded kill she is now. It was a massacre. She snapped and now she's running. Afraid now of what the human instinct could accomplish for it's survival. She couldn't go home, Theo... Mom... Laurel must be furious. She chuckled to herself, at the thought of Laurel giving her yet another lecture of her job. She had murdered her only sister. A betrayal that must not be forgiven.
She was a murderer.
I'm a monster..
Now she's going home... No... She can't... Her father had given her a mission. As much as she misses her family, no harm could... would ever reach them as long as she's alive. So she planned.
The dots would be too easily connected. For now, she decided, she would live in The Glades, away from the light of her family and away from the views of others. She would build her foundation there, make sure everyone is okay. No long would she be the carefree ignorant girl from five years ago; and she would cross out every name on the list and then go home to her family.
She specifically chose a hoodie to wear so she could avoid familiar faces. Avoiding all the people, she walked into the airport unnoticed with nothing on her. Arriving at the passport check she was reminded of her new alias: Ryan Richards, 25, 5'9"; parents died in a car accident and lived in China for ten years and finally coming back to Starling city.
What she saw on the news shocked her. No. The Glades was destroyed, or at least half of it. No, no. Then there it was. The news report, big letters across the screen.
MOIRA QUEEN CONFESSES TO EARTHQUAKE DESTRUCTION.
NO!
R&R plz!