A/N: This is a sequel to Protecting the Innocent. It would be nice if you read the first story since I've set up the characters, but not necessary. I'm going to try to explain what's relevant. First sequel! Hope you all enjoy.
"Crime rises as The Hood remains silent since The Undertaking-" the news reporter droned through the TV.
"The Hood, the Hood, that's all they ever talk about," a police officer mumbled under his breath. "As if that bastard actually helped the city."
"When he started patrolling the streets, crime did take a dive," a man in handcuffs commented.
"Shut your mouth, Willis," the officer snapped. "Interesting, how so many people put that vigilante up on a pedestal and where is he now? If he's not dead he probably ran away because he realized he couldn't hack it. Meanwhile, good officers like Lance over there get demoted for being an idiot and siding with the thug."
Willis snorted. "He knew what would happen."
"Leave me out of this," Officer Lance, formally known as detective, growled as he went past the desk that used to belong to him. He couldn't put the blame on The Hood. At least, not this time. Lance had helped save the Glades from complete destruction. They had no way of knowing that there were two earthquake devices. His reward was a demotion since he worked with the vigilante. But he didn't regret his actions. And he would be damned if this was the end of his career.
Stepping out of the main police office, Lance nearly bumped into a young woman. "Excuse me," he grumbled, swinging his hand away with the terrible office coffee.
The woman looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, Officer, um, Lance," she said, reading the name off his badge. "Could you help me? I'm looking for the commissioner's office."
"Up one flight of stairs," he said, indicating where the stairs were with his finger. She looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Dark brown hair sporting a bob cut and piercing green eyes. They danced with mirth.
"Thanks," she said.
"Sure, Miss-"
"Matherson, Tiberia Matherson, but you can call me Ria," she said, holding out her free right hand. "I'm going to be Commissioner Nudocerdo's temporary secretary."
No, he didn't know her. He nodded, shaking her hand before heading outside. "Oh, good luck up there," he said.
"Thanks," she called out.
Tiberia rushed up the stairs on her way to her first day on the job as the secretary to the police commissioner. It had been two weeks since the Undertaking and Oliver's disappearance. A lot had happened during that time, and yet nothing of importance. Despite her promise to Oliver that she would watch over the city, Ria had to deal with her own demons first of apathy. There was so much to do that it completely overwhelmed her. She could barely do anything for herself and she promised to keep Starling City safe? Where to start? It didn't help that Felicity and John had gone their own ways. Without Oliver they didn't know what to do themselves. Felicity went back to focusing on her work in Queen's Industry, while John had gone to bodyguard another rich person.
Not that Ria openingly asked for their help. They didn't owe her anything and it wasn't like they had all worked together on purpose. So, she realized that she needed to start small. She had briefly contemplated on joining a construction crew, testing her powers to help reconstruct the damage that was done in the Undertaking. But it was a little bit out there. What if something fell or someone saw her using her powers. She wasn't ready to reveal to the world what she could do. And becoming a police officer was out of the question. But luck was on her side. After getting her original identity back, she applied to become the secretary for the police commissioner. The original secretary was looking for temporary help. Not a set occupation, but at least it was something. Plus, it got her into the police department and possible help her get leads in helping stop specific crimes, not just random ones.
"Oh good you're here," Brenda, the secretary, stated, looking relieved the moment she spotted Ria. "I've managed to get a temporary office set up for you." She motioned for Ria to follow her down the hall, not even giving the young woman time to think. "With the Undertaking we've been swamped and I have so much to do. I need help."
Ria nodded. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm a quick learner."
"Let's hope so," Brenda muttered.
Ria could barely keep her attention on the woman as she was described what she needed to do. The room was tiny, literally a closet transformed into a temporary office. No windows, way too cramped.
The day was torturously long for Ria. Most of it was spent on the phone, fielding calls while typing out reports. Brenda hadn't stayed long, after showing her the basics the woman disappeared, only coming in twice to check up on her. Once to remind her about her lunch break, and the other time to watch her work. It never occurred to Ria just how much writing the job would entail.
None of her plans panned out. She had hoped that she would be sent to give someone something so she could have an excuse to wander the station briefly. And, she wanted to start her search on what happened to Officer Jackson Green. The man had tried abduct her, forcing her to breakup with Oliver, causing the two of them to be apart for a couple of months. Sure, she found out that her mother was still alive, in a coma but alive. And that Malcolm Merlyn had her this entire time, allowing Ria and her father believe the woman was dead. But, Ria was never given the time to truly explain things to Oliver. He'd left shortly after the Undertaking, guilt and disappointment weighing him down.
Ria pushed Oliver out of her mind. He would come back, and they would have that long talk that they needed to have. For now, she had other things to worry about. For all intents and purposes, Jackson had disappeared. She would have thought he was dead in the pile of rubble that was once a newly construction psychiatric hospital that Joseph built to keep her prisoner.
Joseph, her childhood friend. He'd grown up with her, played with her, loved her. She never felt the same way toward him. To her, he was basically her brother. His older brother was practically her uncle. They were a family in her eyes. He'd gotten caught with her and had been experimented on as she had. Only, his mind broke. To protect himself he joined Dr. Hedler.
Diggle had given Ria a hard drive that contained information pertaining to Dr. Hedler's experiments. Evidently, Moira Queen had the hard drive as well as select photos or Ria's mother.
Ria gulped. She'd only seen one video that Diggle directed her too. As for the rest, she couldn't bring herself to see the doctor's face just yet.
They had survived. Ria's father, uncle, Malcolm, and another man went to save her. They were successful but at a great cost. The place she was kept at was destroyed, many people were killed. Her father was one of those people, and she had believed Hedler as well as Joseph were in that count. The last year's events proved that she was wrong. As for how Joseph found and convinced Jackson to join him she wasn't sure. But, until she knew exactly where he was, dead or alive, she had to keep her guard up. If Jackson didn't know what she could do, he definitely knew the night he tried to abduct her. She'd fought back after getting a safe distance away from Oliver. She'd fought and discovered that she was capable of basically flying. A skill she wanted to practice more.
Truth be told, she was finding it easier to use her abilities. She wasn't sure if it was because of the short amount of time she spent with Malcolm and him teaching her. Or possibly the tea he had her drink. Tea she'd reaquired after raiding the house he had her in.
She glanced down at the clock on the desktop. It was a little bit past five. She wasn't sure how she completed all the tasks that were required of her for the day. Turning off her computer, Ria organized her desk to make it look less messy before heading out to see Brenda.
"Is it five already?" Brenda asked, spotting her nearly immediately.
Ria nodded in response.
Brenda sighed letting out a small smile. "Luckily. This is a nine to five job. So even if Commissioner Nudocerdo ends up having to stay out later we don't. Time to go home. You can leave if you-"
"Mrs. Philips," Commissioner Nudocerdo said as he walked out of his office. He wore a uniform as well as a bulletproof vest. "Prepare yourself for a lot of calls tomorrow."
Brenda stepped out of her office, hastily falling into step with the commissioner. Ria followed behind them, trying to make it seem that she wasn't there as she listened carefully.
"Got a tip that a bunch of Iron Height prisoners are holding up in a condemned apartment complex it looks like," he paused just before the main doors and turned, eyes landing on Ria.
"Oh, this is Tiberia Matherson, my assistant till things calm down," Brenda introduced.
"Pleasure," Ria said, trying to sound cheerful, reaching her hand out toward him. There was something about the man that she didn't like.
He didn't look at her hand, only nodding his head. "Information that you will hear in this office is highly confidential," he snapped. "Telling anyone could bring about serious consequences."
Ria raised her hands in the air in a shrug. "Not like you told me where."
He turned away from her as she started to speak, but she finished despite that.
"Have a good night, Mrs. Philips, and you to Ms. Matherson." He pushed the door open. It appeared as if all the police cruisers were stationed outside, lights on, waiting for him.
Brenda sighed. "Well," she grumbled. "Guess we should be ready for a lot of paperwork tomorrow."
Ria shrugged. "At least you've got me to help."
"Thank God," Brenda said. "Get a good night's sleep. Don't want you coming to work tired."
Ria nodded her head. "Sounds good," she said. She waved at the woman, before going to her car and getting in. She watched the last police cruiser take off. If she was looking for a sign this was clearly it. She knew where they were going.
Ria picked up her cellphone and stared at it. There was no one to call. Not yet at least. Clenching tightly to the steering wheel she made up her mind. She had to restart somewhere. And helping the police in the raid seemed like the right thing to do.
It didn't take her long to reach the old warehouse where she still stored her items including her suit. With Oliver gone, and his base closed it didn't seem right for her to move in there just yet.
She had various versions of her suit, all mostly black it was their lining that was different in color to match her various wigs. She liked to keep people guessing, not quite ready to commit to a look. Choosing her blue wig, she placed her sias in her belt and mounted her motorcycle.
Although the city was huge, she had a strong feeling that the raid was happening in The Glades. Flashing police lights, and blocked off streets only confirmed her hunch. She drove past a police barricade and turned a corner into an alleyway. Getting off her bike, she quickly climbed up a fire escape to get a better view. There were several buildings in close proximity. There were too many possibilities for her to randomly choose one and it to be the right one was slim.
An explosion caught her attention. Ria ran, launching herself from one building rooftop to another, running to save energy. All the time focusing on an apartment building, smoke billowing out of the third floor. Three figures pushed out onto the roof. Pops echoed softly. Gun! They were firing down at the police below. There was no time to figure out how to ride her motorcycle in, past the police. She had to get there now. She didn't even slow down, when she reached the last building that was close enough. There was quite a distance between the two, but she couldn't allow herself to think about it and jumped. She propelled herself, landing on the roof a little too quickly, forcing herself to tuck and roll.
Rising, she spotted three men, who fired down at the police. They hadn't noticed her. The idiots were together. Ria grabbed the man in the middle, using his falling body to push one of his mates to one side, while using her left leg to kick in the knee of the other man. The three men dropped onto the ground. Guns clattering as they landed with a thud.
Zipties! She'd have to invest in zipties.
Tightly wrapping her arm around the middle man's throat, she pushed the guns away with her other hand. His buddies frantically looked around, trying to figure out what was going on and what to do. She felt her first opponent's body go limp. Not wasting time, she pushed him away and ran at the second man. She blocked his punch, returning one of her own and hitting him in the side.
A biting pain ran across her back, momentarily distracting her. The man took his chance, kicking her in the chest. She stumbled back, sensing the man behind her as he tried to attack her again. Half turning, Ria unsheathed her sais, blocking the knife attack and twisting as she did so. Goosebumps ran through her body at the sound of fingers breaking.
The first man tried to kick her again, but she pushed herself back, rolling on the ground once to get away from them. Raising to one knee, she held her sais in front of her. The man who kicked her pulled out a combat blade of his own, joining his buddy who switched hands.
"You fucking bitch. You broke my fingers!" the second man spat.
Witty retorts vacated her mind, much to her disappointment.
"You're dead," the first man yelled.
As one, the two attacked her. She parried their blows. Despite their initial attack, they weren't coordinated enough. They each tried to attack her every chance they got, swinging erratically. Untrained. Not that they couldn't beat her. One wrong move from her end or one right move from theirs could bring her down.
Her muscles remembered the training she received as a child. Lessons that had stuck well, despite not using her skills as much as she should have. But her muscle memory gave her more confidence in her fighting.
She hit one of the men with the butt of her sai, causing him to cry out in pain and cover his face. One powerful kick to the stomach, brought him down to his knees. Just as she smashed his face with her knee, his partner grabbed her arm. He tried to twist it to gain the advantage, but she spun, losing her grip and dropping her sai.
He quickly picked it up, clasping it tightly as she danced back. Why hadn't she taken up nunchucks? Harder to master, easier for anyone who wasn't familiar with them to get hurt.
She blocked his lunge and twisted the weapon out of his hand, catching it as it fell. Pain shot through her body, and she momentarily lost her breath as he punched her in the stomach. She'd gotten to close. But she had to. Rolling away from him, she jumped back onto her feet.
Breathe, she commanded. Not that her body listened to her.
He ran at her, refusing to give her time to catch her breath.
Gathering up some energy, she swung. He tried to dodge her punch, but miscalculated. Her fist connected with his jaw. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and didn't move.
Three down, many more to go. Part of her wanted to appreciate her handy work, but there was no telling how much help the officers needed. She opened the door leading off the roof and ran down the stairs, into the top floor.
The building groaned, forcing to her to stop momentarily. It was a condemned building. How many people could it support? Cautiously, she walked down the hall. All the doors she passed were opened. As if the police had already searched the area. A door at the end of the hall was closed, raising her suspicions.
"Tell them the sixth floor is cleared!" a man commanded, his voice muffled by the door.
Ria paused. She couldn't hear the reply, but there was little doubt in her mind that the man's life was in danger.
"Are you ready to die, pig?" a menacing voice teased. "By your own gun, too."
Rai held her breath. She didn't know what was on the other side of the apartment door. Preparing to shield herself, Ria rammed into the door, sending it flying open. A sharp sting ran across her left shoulder, an audible pop registered in her mind. She threw her sai, mind focused on the man holding the gun in the air aimed at her.
Her sai hit him and he cried out, dropping the gun. Not even waiting for the go ahead, she ran at him, ducking as he swung and ramming her knee into his stomach. He gasped, trying to catch some air. She didn't give him much time, catching his wrist in her other sai she twisted it, causing him to drop the gun.
She dodged another swing and moved behind the man. Before he could turn, she jumped on his back, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulled. He roared and ran back, hitting her against the wall. She didn't expect the sudden pain. It'd been awhile since she'd been knocked against a wall. She tightened her grip as a precaution.
"Freeze!" the officer yelled, gun pointing at the two of them.
She couldn't let go. She was winning. The man stopped moving, dropping to his knees, before finally losing consciousness. Ria moved away, eyes focusing on the gun.
"Put your weapon down!" the officer commanded.
She instinctively tightened her grip on her sai, sharp pain shooting from her left arm as she did so. The bullet must have grazed her earlier.
"I'm not your enemy," she said, her voice alternator helping to mask her further. Not that she recognized him.
"I said, put your weapon down," he repeated.
The door opened, both Ria and the officer glanced at the intruder. The man with the gun sneered, raising his weapon and firing at them. The officer ran at her, instinctively diving to push her down while firing his gun. She held her hand out directing energy at the gunman and pushing him back. She saw him get launched off his feet, while at the same time she was pushed down by the officer. The gunman hit the wall strong enough to leave an impression, before he slid down.
Ria hit the ground hard, the officer's body didn't help as his added weight pressed her harder into the wooden floor. He didn't wait to see if she was alright and quickly got off her, running to the gunman and kicking the gun away. The man didn't move. He turned the man onto his stomach and tied his hands with a ziptie.
Ria rose, her body grumbling at her efforts. A nice hot bath. She couldn't wait to get home and soak herself in a nice hot bath.
The officer turned to face her as she made her way to him, stepping into the hallway.
"Thank you," she said, tensing up just a little. She didn't want to hurt the man, but there was no way she was going to let him arrest her. Part of her struggled with reaching out her hand to him. But that was too friendly of contact.
Movement to their right, forced the two of them move closer together and focus their attention on their new target.
"Please don't shoot!" An old woman cried out. She appeared to be in her sixties at least. There was blood on her forehead from having been hit by something or someone. "Please. I know I shouldn't have squatted, but I lost my home-"
"Officers report," Nudocerdo's blared over the officer's radio.
"This is Officer Daily on the sixth floor, got a couple of perps tied up. Take your time," he said into his radio, eyeing Ria. He turned his back to the two, clearly indicating that she should leave. "He'll arrest the old woman too," Daily muttered.
Ria glanced at the old lady then motioned for her follow.
"Thank you, bless you," she cried out.
Ria reentered the apartment she'd just left. There was a fire escape that she'd spotted during her battle. It wasn't difficult to slide through the open window and onto the fire escape. Surprisingly, there were no police on the ground below. She helped the old woman get down then away from the building, guiding her through some back alleys until the sound of the sirens were far enough away.
"You're a sweet dear," the woman said, touching Ria's arm.
"I'll help get you to a shelter," Ria said, pulling away from the woman. Her sense were on high alert, she couldn't afford to get distracted.
The old woman shook her head. "There is no need. I'm afraid I lied to the officer, but I was afraid. I was visiting my son. He's a good boy, he just-" she paused. "Has his own problems." The old woman reached out toward Ria, but she instinctively took a step back.
"I'm sorry," Ria said, feeling terrible about her reaction.
"Of course, dear, of course," the woman said, showing a perfect smile. "Do not fear. I know my way home from here. Best you take off as well. Police aren't too keen on vigilantes running around and taking the law into their own hands. I hope to see you again, dear."
"I plan on staying in Starling City for a while, ma'am," Ria replied, her feelings of unease slowly dissipating. A smile broke across her face. "And you can call me River. I can escort you-"
Something flashed through the woman's eyes. Happiness? "There is no need for a further escort," the woman interrupted. "Busy road is right there. I'll be able to hail a taxi. Have a good night, vigilante River."
Before she could protest, the old woman bounded down the street as if she were a teenager.
Ria didn't move, watching the woman until she was out of sight, before turning to head back to the building. Bright police lights forced her to climb the nearest building, using the fire escape to get up onto the roof and look out. The cops had officially closed in and were already taking out prisoners. She wasn't needed anymore. At least she was somewhat helpful. The three men on the roof must have delayed the police somewhat.
It took her a little bit longer than usual to find her motorcycle. She hadn't realized just how far she had practically flown across the rooftops. Starting the bike up, a wave of exhaustion hit her as did a small headache. It was something that she had to deal with when it came to using her powers. They drained her. But she felt considerably less shitty than she had a year ago.
A bath. That's all she needed. A nice long hot bath to soak away her wounds. But first-
Ria stopped her bike behind Verdant, and entered the building using the back entrance into Oliver's secret base. She stopped in the middle of the main floor, looking around. It was a good size and far better than where she was hiding out. But it wasn't hers and she didn't feel right moving in without permission.
She took off her mask and voice modulator before slowly removing her jacket. Pain shot along her back. The wound probably wasn't that bad, but she'd have to get home and inspect herself through the mirror. Placing her equipment on a table, she looked around.
The place was a little dusty. At least, that's what her mind told her. How dusty could a place be after two weeks of no use?
So many "what ifs" bombarded her mind. She tried to shake them away. Her ultimate pet peeve was asking "what if". Her father always told her that the past was what shaped a person and brought them to wherever they were. Her life had led her to Starling City and Oliver. She just had to believe that he wasn't completely gone from it already.
A small wooden crate lay on top of a table. Tentatively, she opened it. She knew what was inside, his suit. Rather ridiculous to leave it out in the open, but for now the club was closed. She lifted the lid and gently touched his suit. She'd figured out who he was before he realized she was also a vigilante. They never had the chance to work together on a plan and go out to execute it. The idea was exciting, if it ever came true. What a partnership, the two of them going out to fight crime together, working as one.
A good shiver ran down her spine.
The door opened, forcing Ria out of her fantasy. Instinctively, her hands reached out and grabbed onto her sais. There were only three people who could open the door that led to the club. Still, she held her breath, waiting.
A man quickly, but quietly, walked down the stairs gun in hand.
"Ria," John muttered, letting out a sigh of relief as he spotted her. He holstered his weapon. "What are you doing here?"
"Were you expecting trouble?" she asked, detaching her voice modulator as she spoke. "Why come in here armed?"
The lights flickered, brightening the basement.
"That was me," Felicity's voice piped up as she walked down the stairs. "I set up an alarm system for the back door for now. Let me know if anyone used it to come in. Just in case."
Just in case Oliver comes back without telling anyone, Ria thought nodding her head with approval. "Sorry to scare you guys. I just-"
"You're hurt," Diggle growled.
Ria looked at her shoulder, the only wound he could have seen. "Just a graze," she said with a smile. There had been pain, but her adrenaline had kicked in when the door opened.
John reached the ground floor and quickly moved to a corner of the room, pulling out a first aid kit.
She smiled at Felicity, who still wasn't sure how to react around her. They'd only met a handful of times. "I really didn't mean to bother you two. I was out for the night and decided to visit this place."
John let out a notable "tsk" spotting her back.
"That bad?" she asked.
"I don't think so," he replied.
Felicity's eyes filled with worry.
"You should see the other guys, Felicity," Ria teased.
"Sit," John commanded, motioning to a stool. She obeyed him, lifting her shirt over her head as she did. She wasn't about to say no if John was going to patch her up.
"What happened?" Felicity asked. The worry didn't leave her face.
Ria shrugged then hissed as John placed something soft, but clearly dabbed in alcohol, on her back. The biting pain was oddly relieving.
"I got a job working at the police station as the commissioner's temporary secretary. And awesomely, found out that they were raiding an apartment tonight. So I decided to help."
"Did anyone see you?" John asked.
"Yes, and no," she replied.
Felicity's face changed slightly. She was still worried, but there was something else. "You're not always going to get that lucky," she said.
Ria chuckled. "Yeah, I know."
"Felicity," John said in a strong voice.
"Oliver's not here, Digg," she said defensively. "It's what he would have wanted if he were."
"Oliver likes to work alone." He finished with Ria's back, moving to check on her shoulder.
"It's kind of easier to just trust yourself," Ria said. Her voice was softer than she meant it to be.
John grunted at her words. "It doesn't look like you need stitches."
"Thanks, Diggle," Ria said, putting her shirt back on.
Felicity glanced at her computer station then back at Ria. "Oliver had a list."
"Yeah, I just kind of look for trouble."
"Why?" John asked.
Ria shrugged her shoulders, wincing in pain at her movement. "It's just. I want to help people, but I've always been alone. It's always just been me. I don't have the technical skills to hack. And I've never lived in a place long enough to develop friendships and trust. So, I just look for trouble, and have this uncanny ability to find it."
"I can help with that," Felicity said, dropping into her computer chair. "I can set up a system to look for trouble. Or we can see if there are any names on Oliver's list that he didn't get to?"
Ria momentarily panicked. She was being an inconvenience. She shouldn't have come. The two probably thought it was their duty to help keep her safe. "You don't have to Felicity. Honestly-"
"Felicity," John said, placing his hand on Ria's good shoulder, keeping her seated.
The blonde woman swiveled in her chair, eyes staring at the two. "Oliver is coming back," she said defiantly. "I know he's coming back. But until he does we should figure things out while he's away. Plus-" She paused, fidgeting with sudden nervousness.
"What's wrong, Felicity?" John asked.
"I kind of bought some new equipment before he left. And they delivered them, but I didn't have time to install everything."
A surprised chuckle escaped John's lips.
Ria looked up at John as Felicity focused her attention on him. Not that Ria was sure exactly why, but it was almost as if the two women were asking for his permission. Permission or not, Ria wasn't about to stop with her vigilante work.
John met Felicity's eyes before focusing his attention on Ria. "Are you up for this?" he asked her.
A large smile escaped her lips. "Diggle, even if you don't help me I'm still going to go out there to kick butt," she said.
"It's Digg to my friends, Ria," he said, giving her good shoulder a light squeeze before letting out a sigh. "Then I guess we're doing this."
Felicity squealed with happiness as she clapped her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm just too excited. Alright."
"First things first, Ria leave your things here. I'll take you two home. Get rested and tomorrow after work we'll meet back here."
A wave of butterflies filled Ria's stomach as she followed the two up the stairs. She'd always been alone. It'd always been her. But now she had people willing and able to help her. She couldn't wait to work with the two of them.