Author's Note and Disclaimer:
This is a sequel to my story 'Eternal Flames'. There are gonna be some appearances of Batman characters throughout the story but this is mainly Arrow fandom. I am considering writing more sequels, covering Year Three, Four and Five but that depends on the reception this story gets.
Most of the story will follow the canon but I might diverge from the main plot from time to time and I might be involving my own OCs, just for the sake of Sara's own backstory I'm doing here.
I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.
Hope you have fun
With regards
Bl4ckHunter
Sara, Chloe and Diggle jumped down from the plane, opening their chute as they landed on beach of Lian Yu. Taking off their backpacks with chutes, Sara looked around, scowling. "I never thought I would be back here again."
"I know this place brings back bad memories but we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to." Chloe pointed out as they put down their backpacks with parachutes.
Sara then noticed a half orange, half black mask on a post, with an arrow sticking out of its left eyehole as she sneered at it, dreadful memories dredging up.
"Is that…" Chloe trailed off.
"Yeah." Sara nodded, thinking of the most painful death Slade could get. "Good riddance on that son of a bitch."
They all entered the forest. "Be careful, there are landmines around here." Sara warned as Diggle and Chloe were cautiously watching their steps, while going deeper into the forest until Sara led them to a wreckage of a plane as she smiled. "I can't believe that thing is still standing."
"What is it?" Diggle asked.
"This is where Ollie and Slade have been living, at least, when I was with them." Sara said. They cautiously entered the fuselage as Sara called out. "Ollie! Are you here?"
Then, on cue, a shadow dropped on Chloe, who spun around and shoved the shadow back, revealing it to be no one else than Oliver. "Nice welcome, Oliver." She said sarcastically.
"You shouldn't have come here." Oliver said, looking at both blonde girls and Diggle.
"So, this is where you lived the first two years." Diggle looked around the fuselage.
"It's good to see you." Oliver said. "But neither of you should have come here. I know why you came but I'm not going back to Starling City. I can't." He said in self-loathing. "I can't. My mission, my father's list, it was a fool's crusade. And I failed. Malcolm Merlyn destroyed the Glades. Tommy died. And the Hood couldn't stop it. So, don't ask me to put it on again. Ever."
"You did what you could, Ollie." Sara held his hand. "Don't blame yourself."
"How can I not? We were supposed to stop the Undertaking and…"
"You can't save everyone." Sara reasoned, remembering Slade and Shado. "Besides, we didn't come here for the vigilante but for Oliver Queen."
"Your mother's trial's coming up. Thea needs you. Your family needs you." Diggle listed. "And your family business too. The Undertaking made a bad PR on QC, and it's being currently in a hostile takeover by Stellmoor International. They've torn down every company they've gotten their hands on. Lot of people are getting fired, last month, some blonde IT girl, a very good one, lost her position there."
"I get why you had to leave, Ollie." Sara said. "I've been where you're at. I've lost a friend too, when I was away and I turned my back on everyone I cared about. Trust me, it's not a permanent answer. I missed you. We all did." She put her hand on Oliver's breast as he stared into the sad eyes of his lover.
Three years ago, South Africa
"Goodbye, Barbara." Sara hugged her at the hospital entrance. "I'm glad that you're back on your feet."
"I hope you'll recover soon too." She smiled before grabbing her backpack and leaving.
"She was nice." Sara smiled as Henry chuckled.
"Yeah. She is." He nodded. "You're making progress. Does it still hurt?"
"The pain comes and goes." Sara admitted.
"Don't worry, just a few more weeks of physiotherapy, then we'll get you on the first plane back to Starling City." Henry promised.
Present, Starling City
Sara took a breath as the limo drove down the Glades and Oliver stared in horror at the devastation after the Undertaking. He scowled upon seeing the sign on the wall. "Who's Blood?"
"An alderman from the Glades trying to save this city." Diggle explained. "Trying to fill in your shoes."
Chloe handed Oliver a file. "Thought you might want to see this. The VP of Stellmoor International's acquisitions is Isabel Rochev."
"Rochev?" Oliver repeated.
"You know her?" Sara asked.
"Her name was on Dad's list but I couldn't figure out why." Oliver explained and Sara took a breath as he pulled out the List. It was now or never…
"Look, Ollie, I…may not have been completely honest with you back on the island because I didn't want to make you feel guilty. We didn't bring you back here just because of your family."
"Why then?" Oliver inquired, turning to Sara.
"After the Undertaking, when you went missing, I just couldn't bring myself to being the Canary either." Sara admitted. "It… just reminded me of how we could not save Tommy." Oliver nodded, understanding. "But then… few weeks ago… something happened."
"What?" Oliver asked, not liking where this was going.
"Your… actions have inspired some copycats. They've been on their own vigilante spree for a while now." Sara said as Oliver sneered. "Except, they don't hold back. Put a few people in the morgue."
Oliver shook his head in disapproval, scoffing. "You gotta be kidding me. I don't do that anymore, Sara!"
"I'm not asking you to come back, I get that if you don't want to but you need to know how serious this is." Sara explained. "This city might still need the Hood and the Canary. I cannot take them on alone."
Oliver sighed. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, I want to check in on Thea. Where is she anyway?"
As the limo dropped Oliver at the Verdant, Sara knocked on the door at Henry's house as a blonde woman in mid-30s hugged her. "Good God, you have no idea how happy I am to see you." Nicole said.
"Yeah." Sara nodded.
"Did you find him?" Nicole asked as Sara nodded again.
"Is Henry back?" Sara asked.
Nicole shook her head. "He hasn't been answering my calls either and Jack keeps telling me not to worry but… he's my little brother, you know." Sara nodded. "It's my duty to be worried about him. It's been two months." Sara entered as a punk teenage girl hugged her.
"Sara!"
"Hey, Sin." Sara laughed. "How have you been?"
"I'm good." Sin shrugged, looking around. "Man, this is so much better than in the Glades."
Nicole laughed. "At first I was worried she might be a bad influence for Riley but… I admit I had pegged you wrong." She smiled at Sin, who shrugged.
Verdant
"It's like you have a death wish; and guess what, it's going to come true!" Oliver heard Thea yell as he entered.
"Yeah, well, someone has to do something." Roy shot back. "And stand up for what's right, like they did."
"The vigilantes." Thea scoffed in realization. "Who haven't been seen since the earthquake, which means they did get buried alive and aren't coming back."
"I'm back." Oliver smiled as Thea turned around, hugging him tightly.
"Ollie!" She let him go as she turned around. "Ah, you remember my friend Roy."
"Still here?" Oliver asked, a little agitated at Roy's presence near his sister.
"Always." Roy said a little nervously as he shook his hand with Oliver.
"So, how was Europe?" Thea asked as Roy backed off. "You never texted, no postcards; almost like you're on the island all over again."
"Yeah, sorry, I was kind of distracted. With snow skiing, waterskiing. A lot of skiing." Oliver followed Thea to a bar. "I heard rumors that my club is under new management."
"Ah, actually, it's my club now and you're not getting it back." Thea said firmly.
"You're not old enough to drink." Oliver pointed out.
"But I am old enough to run a bar." Thea countered.
"Have you made it to Iron Heights?" Oliver asked.
"To visit the woman who dropped a city on five-hundred innocent people? No, thank you." Thea deadpanned.
"Thea… that's not what Mom did." Oliver sighed.
"Right, she had no choice." Thea said venomously. "But guess what, she did. A choice not to be a mass murdered and I have a choice too. So I choose not to be her daughter." She smiled at Oliver. "But I am so happy you are home." She walked towards the bar. "Honestly, I need to deal with our liquor distributor, who shorted me on yesterday's delivery and one of my bartenders called in sick, so…" She then noticed the expression on Oliver's face. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing. It's… It's nice to see you like this." Oliver said.
"Like what?" Thea asked suspiciously.
"Together." Oliver and Thea smiled at each other as they saw on TV a news report of Central City S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator construction.
Later, City Hall
Sara entered the City Hall as she saw her father talking to Laurel, who both approached her and hugged her. "You're back." Laurel smiled. "And Ollie…"
"I found him and told him everything." Sara said. "He… he hasn't made up his mind. He still blames himself for Tommy, you know."
Both Laurel and Quentin had solemn expressions on their faces.
"I get why he left but as much as I don't approve of it, this city still needs you two." Quentin pointed out. "These Hood copycats have no restraint or honor. Look, if not Oliver, then maybe you could…"
"No." Sara said instantly. "It's not that I don't want to but Ollie inspired them. It's his responsibility and besides, with their firepower, I'm not sure I can defeat them alone."
The next day, Queen Consolidated
"They're in the conference room, Mr. Queen." A secretary said as she let Oliver in.
"Thank you, Zehra." Oliver nodded, approaching the woman from Chloe's file.
"Isabel Rochev."
"Oliver Queen." They shook hands. "Sorry I'm late."
"For this meeting or a career in business?" Isabel said icily.
"I didn't realize hostile takeovers are filled with so much hostility." Oliver sat down.
"Not at all. I'm actually in quite a good mood." Isabel replied.
"Really? So destroying companies agrees with you?" Oliver asked.
"Winning agrees with me."
"You haven't won yet."
Isabel smiled. "Since you majored in dropping out of college, let me put this in terms that are easy for you to understand. You control 45% of Queen Consolidated stock. I control 45%, leaving 10% outstanding. But, in two days, the board will release the final 10%."
"And I'll buy it before you do." Oliver said.
"With what money?" Isabel taunted. "I doubt your trust fund is that large and no angel investor will go near the company that built the machine that destroyed half the city. Companies rise and fall, Mr. Queen." She said. "Your company has fallen."
Suddenly, three men in paintball masks, wearing hoods, in their hands automatic guns burst into the room, knocking one of the board members out, aiming at Oliver. "Oliver Queen, you have failed this city!" One of the men yelled as Diggle drew his gun, firing at the copycats, while everyone ducked and as one of them neared Oliver, Diggle took him down as Oliver jumped through the window, grabbing a chain to the blinds, swinging down few floors before bursting into an empty office, groaning as he hit the floor.
Later, as the Hoods had escaped, Oliver approached Isabel in the trashed boardroom. "Miss Rochev, I'm sorry about this."
"Because they were after you?" Isabel asked.
"Because what happens in this building is my responsibility." Oliver replied.
"Only for the next forty-eight hours." Isabel grinned, walking away.
"Oliver, are you alright?" Quentin, in his police uniform asked as he nodded. "I'm glad that you're back. Really. These guys…"
Oliver sighed. "I haven't made up my mind if I'll be doing this again yet, Detective."
"It's 'officer' now, Oliver." Quentin said. "Look, I may not approve of what you do but… I think it's time that our mutual friend showed up again." He pointed out and Oliver growled upon seeing Laurel, Sara, Chloe and Diggle, who followed him to his office.
"You could have stopped those guys, Oliver." Diggle said.
"Not without giving everyone in that room a pretty good idea of what I'm capable of." Oliver retorted.
"I think what John means is that he's wondering if you avoided taking them on." Laurel pointed out. "And honestly, so are more people in this room, Ollie."
"I told you before, I did not come back to Starling City to be the vigilante." Oliver snapped.
"But they came after you, Oliver, you could have taken them out." Diggle shot back.
"No, I couldn't, Diggle." Oliver sighed. "Look, there's a part of being the Hood that almost none of you are considering. The body count."
Suddenly, it hit Diggle, Sara, Chloe, Laurel and Quentin.
"Tommy." Sara said solemnly.
"After he found out my secret, do you know what Tommy called me? A murderer. And anyone that I kill dishonors his memory." Oliver said guiltily as Sara looked down, her own guilt of killing dredging up, understanding what was Oliver going through.
"Then don't. I mean, it's not like you've killed every guy you've faced." Laurel pointed out.
"It's not that simple, Laurel." Sara argued, seeing Oliver's point. "Look, you've never been to war. You don't know what it can do to you and how it can change you in ways you don't even recognize yourself anymore. Every single moment becomes 'kill or be killed', it's not something you can just turn on and off."
"And that's what kept me alive." Oliver added coolly. "And that's why you should have left me on that island." He grabbed his jacket and walked out.
"Wait, where are you going?" Chloe asked.
"You guys won't help me save my family's company, I'm going to talk to someone who will."
Three years ago, South Africa
Sara was finally going out from the clinic with Henry as his sister and nephew and Chloe were waiting on her.
"Hey." Chloe hugged her tightly as she returned the gesture back.
"You've grown up." Nicole smiled.
"Hi, guys." Sara smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"Wanted to see you were OK." Chloe said.
"Hey, Riley." Sara hugged the boy.
"Are you coming with us?" Riley asked.
"I think it's time to go home." Sara shrugged.
But as they were driving down the road, suddenly, two SUVs with armed men stopped them.
"Oh, crap." Henry groaned.
"That's not good." Nicole muttered.
"Stay in the car." Chloe ordered as she went out, talking to the militia. "Excuse me, what's going on?"
"This path dangerous. A warlord is trying to take over this area, if you want to drive down the safe route, turn back." The man said as Chloe nodded, then went back to the car.
"Damn it." Chloe groaned as they turned around. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
"What's going on?" Sara asked.
"They've been having a problem with a new group of mercs for the past month." Henry explained. "But why would they come here? This is a small town, and as a base of operations it's useless."
A few miles later, they stopped at a gas station, refueling the car as Sara groaned at the heat burning. "I hate Africa."
"That makes more of us." Nicole muttered before looking around. "Riley? Where are you?"
"Riley!" Henry called out.
"Oh, God…" Sara whispered.
"No, no…" Nicole panicked as Chloe held her arms, consoling her.
"Nicky, we'll find him, I promise."
Chloe and Sara scoured the area as Sara found Riley in tall grass, kneeling as he was watching at ants. "Riley!" She called out as he turned around.
"Hey, Sara."
"Riley, you can't just go off like that again." She warned. "Your Mom and Uncle have been worried."
Riley nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I was just watching those ants."
Sara smiled as she grabbed him by his arm. "Come on, let's go back to your Mom and Uncle before they freak out…" Suddenly, she and Riley were ensnared in a net and being dragged down the ground. "Hey! What's going on? Let us go, you bastards!"
"Mom! Uncle Hank! Help!"
Present, Iron Heights
Oliver was visiting Moira, who was wearing grey prison jumpsuit as they smiled at each other.
"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't make it here sooner."
"Oh, no, no, no." Moira shook her head. "Please, Oliver, there are going to be enough apologies with me apologizing to you for the rest of my life."
"You don't have to." Oliver assured her. "You saved hundreds of lives."
"And killed hundreds more, including Tommy." Moira looked down guiltily.
"That was Malcolm." Oliver argued as Moira smiled.
"Your sister doesn't see it that way. And, you know, my attorney is thrilled." She said. "If my daughter can't forgive me, she's not too optimistic about twelve strangers in a jury box. All right, enough of that. How has it been going at Queen Consolidated?" Oliver looked surprised as she smiled. "Yes, we do get the news in here, Oliver."
"Right."
"You know, if I'd known the key to taking your rightful place at the company was its demise, I would have declared bankruptcy a year ago." Moira said.
"I don't know if I'll get to run it for long." Oliver admitted. "Stellmoor. Their VP is coming at us hard."
"Isabel Rochev." Moira sighed.
"Yes."
"Do not trust that woman, Oliver. She is dangerous."
"Well, mom, everywhere I look, there are no good options; I don't know what to do."
"You don't have to do it yourself, this is a family business." Moira pointed out as Oliver smiled.
"I love Thea but I don't think that she wants anything to do with it."
"I wasn't talking about Thea." Moira said.
Fyff's House
"You think Ollie will come around?" Laurel asked.
"I… I don't know." Sara admitted. "I tried to stop them but their weapons are military grade. I can't stop them alone. At least not without too much collateral damage. I had hoped Ollie would come around but… honestly, I don't blame him." She sighed.
"Neither of you is to blame for what happened to Tommy." Laurel tried to assure her.
"I wish I could believe that." Sara said as she drank her glass of water.
Nicole went to her room in her bathrobe as Laurel glanced at her. "She's been kind of a mess lately."
"After what happened, do you blame her?" Sara asked.
"No." Laurel shrugged. "Where's Henry anyway?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while." Sara admitted. "All I know that he's in deep cover. I hope he's OK."
Then, Laurel's phone rang as she picked it up. "Hey, Dad, is everything… wait, Thea was what?"
Verdant
"We'll get your sister back." Quentin promised Oliver as Sara followed him and Laurel approached her father.
"Dad, what happened?"
"The Hood copycats. They were looking for Oliver here but when they couldn't find him, they took Thea instead." Quentin explained as a pit of dread formed in Laurel's stomach.
"I'm sorry…" Roy said apologetically to Laurel as she and Quentin noticed, where was Sara following Oliver as they both smirked.
Oliver flipped the switch and looked impressed as Chloe and Sara smiled at him. "We've made some improvements when you were gone."
"Just in case you wanted to come back."
"Thea's boyfriend said that one of them was missing part of his hand; maybe a veteran?" Oliver said.
Chloe approached the computer. "There might be some hospital records of people that have had surgical amputations of that kind. I just need to cross-reference his race and age…" She pulled out a profile. "Jeff Deveau. Caucasian. Late 30s. Ex-marine."
"Would explain how he can handle himself." Diggle noted. "Did he lose his hand overseas?"
"In the earthquake." Chloe corrected. "He and his wife were trying to make it across 52nd Street Bridge when it went down. She died in the crash."
"So, it's personal." Sara realized. "And his phone records? He must have associates."
"A church in the Glades. A support group of people, who have lost their loved ones in the quake, calling themselves 'Standing Strong'." Chloe said.
"Great place to meet three other guys angry as you, looking for a little payback." Diggle noted.
"Chloe, can you get an address?" Sara asked as Chloe wrote it down on a piece of paper, then she went to a table, opening a case.
"You might need this, Ollie. CIA-issued. Custom made." She said. "What do you think?"
Oliver tried the bow. "It's perfect."
Sara took a breath. "Ollie. I agree that some people deserve to die… but killing doesn't always have to be the answer. There's always another option."
"They have my sister…" Oliver growled as he looked at his vigilante suit and the green hood. "What other option is there?"
Later, elsewhere in Starling City
One of the men aimed at Thea's head, when a flying arrow disarmed him as they saw the Hood on the balcony. "Get away from her!" The Hood snarled as the copycats fired at him but the Hood jumped down, hiding behind a pillar as they were nearing him, only for the two of them to be swiftly taken down by the Canary, who showed up from the corner, while another one aimed at her, only to realize his gun was empty as the Hood lunged at him, trading blows before the Hood whacked him in the face with his bow, knocking him out. Then, they heard Thea screaming on the upper level as the Hood ran upstairs, glaring as he notched an arrow at the man, who was using Thea as a human shield.
"Let. Her. Go." The Hood snarled.
"You want to save her?" The man asked incredulously. "There was no justice for people like the Queens until you showed us how to get it. You showed us."
The Hood frowned before letting go of the bowstring as the arrow hit the man in his shoulder, causing for him to fall over the railing as Thea ran away, only for the Hood to grab him by his arm, stopping his fall before the man aimed the gun at him. "You shoot me, we both die."
"You'll drop me anyway." The man sneered. "I know you. You're a killer."
The Hood growled in frustration before pulling the man back up and knocking him out as the Canary smiled at her partner proudly.
Later, elsewhere in Starling City
Quentin, in his officer uniform, was giving a speed ticket to a driver before walking down the alley, only to see four men trapped by arrows at a fence as the Hood showed up from the shadow. "Are they…" The Hood nodded as Quentin lowered his gun. "Funny. Typically when I bring in guys that you've gone after, they're a little more dead."
"I'm trying another way." The Hood replied as he turned around, firing a grapnel arrow and flying up on the roof as Quentin stared.
The Hood landed on the roof as the Canary chuckled. "I'm not saying that killing is not an answer… but there are other options. I know it's not easy… but we can try, right?"
"I guess." The Hood nodded.
Fyff's House
Nicole was watching the news about the arrest of the Hoods as she picked up her phone. "Hey, Hank. I understand if you can't call me back at the moment but… it's been two months. And honestly, I'm worried, OK? You haven't reached out and I get if you can't right now but… I need to know you're alright. Please. I need to know something. Just… text me or anything. You're my little brother, you know and… I have to know that you're alright." She hung up and stared at the family photo, on which was younger Nicole, her brother, son, a man with dragon tattoo on his arm, smiling and a red-haired girl with glasses as she wiped her tears. "What is happening with the men in my family… first Ian, then Richard, now you…"
Elsewhere in Starling City
Roy was walking down the alley, calling Thea before noticing three punks harassing a young girl as he approached them, trying to fend them off, only to be taken down quickly before, suddenly, a shadow of a man dropped on the thugs, beating the punks brutally in a matter of moments with his bare hands, taking them down as Roy stared. He couldn't see the man's face but he saw the dragon tattoo on his arm as Roy stared, amazed as the man jumped on the ledge. "Where the hell did you come from?"
The man briefly glanced at Roy before vanishing into the shadows.
The Lair
"So, everything's good at the company?" Chloe asked.
Oliver nodded as Sara smiled. "We're getting back to the vigilante business?"
Oliver shook his head. "No. I spent the last year trying to avenge my father. If we're gonna do this, it has to be about honoring Tommy. I need to become the man he hoped I could be." He looked at his partners. "You guys have helped me take the first step."
"And what's step two?" Sara asked. "Saving this city?"
Oliver nodded. "But not as… vigilantes, who are just crossing names off a list and trying to jump towards the first problem they can snuff out. This city needs something more."
"It needs heroes, Oliver." Diggle agreed.
"The Hood and the Canary." Chloe muttered. "Nice name for a heroic duo."
"No, I don't want to be called the Hood anymore." Oliver shook his head.
"So, how do you want us to call you?" Sara asked as Oliver looked at the arrow in his hand, considering.
Three years ago, South Africa
Sara and Riley were pulled out from the van ungently as they tried to struggle out from the strong grip of their captors. "Let us go, you sons of bitches!" Sara yelled furiously as Riley kicked one of the men in the crotch.
"You little brats!" One of the mercs slapped Riley on his face as he spat at him.
"Go to hell!"
The mercenary glared at the little boy as he pulled his brass knuckles, to them attached steel claws, only to be stopped by a man, who had a dragon tattoo on his arm.
"I should teach you some manners, you little…"
"Don't!" The man with dragon tattoo ordered calmly. "Leave me with them." The mercenary nodded as he walked away and Sara and Riley widened their eyes in disbelief as they looked at the man, recognizing him from Henry's and Nicole's family photos. "I'm sorry about their manners, they…" He then frowned as he recognized the boy, widening his eyes in disbelief as well. "Riley?"
Riley could let out only one word. "Dad…"
Author's Note:
So, what do you guys think? Is it good? Is it bad? Should I continue?
Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this.
And the character, Zehra Darvish, here was a CFO of Queen Industries and Oliver's friend in comics, here, she's gonna have a similar role and just to add a face, imagine she's being played by Julia Stiles
With regards
Bl4ckHunter