The Night of the Undertaking…
Oliver in his green hood and leather suit raced into the building in search of Laurel. He should have guessed Malcolm would have a second device. As he made his way around the corner of the building when it began to shake becoming more unstable. He hurried through the hallway when the ceiling above him gave out falling on him.
He fell unconscious for a brief moment before waking up under a pile of rubble. He tried to push the debris off of himself but felt very weak and cold. He looked down at his chest to see a pipe was sticking out of it. Blood was streaming down his chest. Of all the injuries he's had in those five years away and his time back home this one was the worst. He suddenly realized the rubble on top of him was being lifted off of him. He looked up to see Tommy slightly bruised in the face trying to lift the rubble off Oliver.
"Tommy," Oliver gasped.
"Save your strength," Tommy said still trying to free Oliver.
The building shook some more as more blood began to fall from Oliver. "Tommy…you have to go," Oliver pleaded.
"I saved Laurel I can save you to!" he shouted finally managing to move some of the rubble on Oliver only to really see how badly he was hurt.
Oliver reached out grabbing Tommy by the arm. "You have to go."
"Oliver…I can-
"Tommy…I came back to this city to try to right my father's wrongs. I know I've walked down a dark path since I came back but I always had noble intentions. I know you see me as a…killer…just know that…I will always…think of you as a brother."
"Oliver stay with me," Tommy begged as tears began to fall down his eyes.
"Tommy…you're not your father…you're a better man than him…you're a better man than…me."
Oliver's eyes closed as his final breath left his body. Tommy fell to his knees holding his friend. "It should have been me! OLIVER! It should have been me!"
2 YEARS LATER
Laurel Lance sat in her office doing paperwork late at night. Being assassin DA was a tasking job but the good she was able to accomplish was worth it. It's been two year since the Glades fell at the hand of Malcolm Merlyn costing the life of Oliver Queen. Only a few knew the truth that Oliver was found wearing the Hoods leather suit. With help from her father she along with Oliver's allies Diggle and Felicity were able to hide the truth from the media. She has not heard from Tommy since that night he saved her life. In fact no one has heard from him outside Merlyn Global that he still is managing to run wherever he is.
As for the city, things have not gotten much better since that night. Crime is at an all-time high and criminals practically run the streets and government. The Glades were being rebuilt slowly having the homeless population at an all-time high since then.
She looked to the clock on the wall and decided to call it a night. Packing up her things she left the office exiting the building. Walking to her car she started going through her purse to pull out her keys. In the reflection of the car window she could see men approaching behind her. She grabbed the mace in her bag turning quickly to shoot the first one in the eyes. He screamed in pain as the other two rushed her pushing Laurel against the car.
"Our boss would like to offer you deal in exchange for your life," one of the thugs said.
Before they could continue one of the thugs fell to the ground in pain. Both Laurel and the other guy holding her looked up to see a man in a green hood reminiscent of the one Oliver wore. Only this guy was wearing a sleeveless suit with shoulder pads. He was holding a crossbow with bolts around his belt. He had fired one of them into the guy's leg.
"The Hood," the thug said going for his gun.
The man in the green hood fired multiple shots into the man's arm making him drop the gun holding his arm in pain. The hooded man rushed the thug pushing him against the car with full force and then tossing him to the ground and started delivering strong punches to his face.
Laurel stunned at what she just witnessed felt a moment of shock and then rage.
"Who are you!?" she demanded to know. "I know you're not the original."
She wasn't able to get a look at his face because of the hood and the fact he wore a mask over his eyes. She could see he had a thick beard that also didn't help with distinguishing him. He took off up the first fire escape he could vanishing out of sight.
The next day Laurel started investigating this new hood and found…absolutely nothing. All she could find was the reports of the hood imposters that have been around since the actual Hood fell off the scene. The only other vigilante activity was The Canary who was harder to keep track of than Oliver was as the Hood. She had a habit to sticking to the Glades but really didn't have an agenda like Oliver had. She helps when she can around town but never goes after the big name gangsters who run the city. Laurel had no idea who this new Hood could be but she was going to make it her job to find out.
In an old warehouse located on the edge of the Glades a man in his mid to late twenties walked in through the back entrance. He was wearing a big coat with a hood over his head, his hands in his pockets. He walked down stairs into the lower parts of the building turning on the lights. In the basement there was work benches full of equipment and supplies. There was a training dummy in a corner and bullseyes painted on the wall in the far end of the room with crossbow bolts all over it. The man took off the large coat and hood reveling a body that was toned from constant training. He had a thick unkempt beard and a full head of black hair. This man was known to many as Tommy Merlyn or as the rest of Starling will come to know him as the new Hood. He made a vow the night Oliver died and he was going to fulfill what Oliver set out to do. Right the wrongs of their fathers and he was going to start with the list. After Oliver's funeral Tommy saw to it to find out whatever he could about his best friend's crusade. He found the list along with his friend's base of operation. He knew of his allies Diggle and Felicity of course but wasn't looking for their help in what he was about to do. He heard that Felicity left the city and started working for STAR Labs. Diggle went back to the army for another tour. He wasn't going to put people in harm's way for his agenda. He loved Oliver but he isn't going to drag anybody he cares about into this. He had a plan to help the city and he had the resources to do so. He left to receive the training he needed and although it has been two years since he made that choice he has learned much from many people who were willing or could be payed to train him. He isn't as good as Oliver was but he had to come home sooner rather than later with the way the city was going. He knows of another vigilante that sticks to the Glades going by Canary but she isn't here to make a change that is clear.
Tommy sat down at a table where the List was lying on and then there was his list. First thing to do was to stop the Hood imposters that are tarnishing Oliver's legacy, then to disable all organized crime starting with the top where the money comes from, after he does that he will take out the crime bosses one by one till there is nothing but scrap from there empire left.
The next day Tommy decided to visit his friend Oliver. In the cemetery Tommy slowly walked up to the gravestone where Oliver lied in peace. The wind blew brushing against Tommy's thick hair and beard as he just stood in thought. He heard walking behind him turning to see another man approaching. He had a think beard to with baggy clothes holding a rake. his long hair almost covered his face.
"Never seen you visiting before," the man said to Tommy.
"Just got back in town," he replied looking at the man.
Tommy didn't see it at first but when the man turned Tommy saw he had an eye-patch.
"I think Oliver here gets more visitors than anybody," he said raking the leaves on the ground.
"He was a good friend," Tommy said. "Almost like a brother," he added sadly.
"I know what that's like," the man said with a hint of disappointment.
"You got a brother?" Tommy asked.
"Use to," the man said looking at Oliver's gravestone. "I better get going. Got a lot of leaves to take care of."
"Didn't catch your name," Tommy called as the man was walking away.
"Wilson," he said not turning around.
Tommy had a strange feeling about that guy but he wasn't going to worry about it. This was the night he was going to start making a difference and he knows here the Hood imposters hide out and he was going to make sure they didn't disrespect Oliver's memory anymore.
A/N: Now I know this is probably random but I wrote this a while back and was just curious to what you all thought about it. Had an idea for a Tommy Arrow story for a while but just never knew how I wanted to execute it. The idea is obvious but what if Oliver died that night of the Undertaking. If you think about it, it would really change things. Would Sara ever come out to her family, how would Thea and her mother handle it, would Barry become the Flash, what would Slade have done if he lost his meaning to live which was revenge on Oliver. Not sure when or if…no lets go with when I continue this to be optimistic. This is just a TEST chapter to see what I could do with this idea. I do think I will go in a more mature route for a story like this like maybe a M rating if I felt up to touching on other subjects like drug addiction and so on. I guess time will tell.
More Earth 2 stuff coming soon just wanted to try something new.
Till next time!