After escaping the Calculator's clutches Roy was finally free, he was living in Metropolis working at a branch of Sherwood Florist, if any of his old friends saw him now they would laugh so hard seeing him handle flowers for a living. Roy didn't care, Metropolis's economy was far better than Star City so the pay was good and living in the City Of Tomorrow was wonderful and eye opening. He was sitting outside on a stool among the flowers on his phone, when his favourite customer came over.
"Hi there Conner." Came the voice of Chloe a reporter at the Daily Planet.
Roy took a second to react still getting used to his new name. "Hi there Chloe how are you?" He finally said putting his phone away and standing up to greet her.
"I'm fine Conner, you ok?" She said happily giving him a hug.
"So what can I get ya?" He said happily.
"What do you have for an I'm sorry?" She asked.
"Well I think a white rose would do nicely, it signifies that you give up but also that you love them." Roy said picking one up.
"Thank you Jimmy will love it." She said handing him the money. "Oh yeah did you hear, The Black Canary died." She said to him in a serious but sad voice.
"What!?" Roy said in shock.
"I know she was my favourite, can't believe that she was a district attorney the whole time. Oliver Queen said so at her funeral, I wrote about it in the Planet." Chloe told him wondering why he had a lifeless expression. "Conner you look like a lost puppy, is something wrong did you know her?" She asked him putting her hand on his shoulder.
Roy snapped out of it and turned to her. "Sorry um have a wonderful day Chloe."
"Um sure seeya." She said walking off.
Roy stood in the middle of the bustling streets completely flabbergasted at what he heard, Laurel was dead, someone who he thought of as a big sister was dead and what made it worse was that Oliver didn't tell him.
He asked for a couple days off from his boss and booked a flight to Blüdhaven, he couldn't take a direct one as of fear of being recognised. Oliver left him a trust in an offshore bank account when he left so he could afford everything in his new life. Once he got to Blüdhaven he rented a car and headed to Star City. When he got to Oliver's office he pulled up his red hoodie and looked around so that no one could recognise him. He walked through his office which was in terrible shape as if it hadn't been used in weeks.
He made his way to the back office and placed his hand on the scanner.
"Recognised Arsenal 04" came from the speaker above it.
The wall slid open to reveal an elevator, he walked in contemplating what to say to Oliver once he saw him, maybe they had faked her death too, Roy thought. He heled out hope but once the door opened to the lair and he saw Oliver and Diggle sitting in the centre with dead expressions on their faces he died on the inside. They hadn't noticed him walk in so he made his way up the steps to the platform when they finally noticed him and looked up in shock.
"Roy what the hell are you doing here?" Oliver asked standing up to greet him hiding his depressed look.
"I heard about Laurel's death from a friend, please tell me you faked it?" Roy asked blinking back tears.
Oliver and Dig looked at each other then back at Roy.
"Listen I need you to sit down." Oliver said holding his arm and leading him to a chair.
Oliver than told him, every last excruciating detail about what had happened to his ex-girlfriend. Roy just sat there not saying anything, waiting for Oliver to finish so he could collect his thoughts. During the conversation Diggle walked out there room with an angry look on his face. Once Oliver had finished Roy's heart sank, she was dead it seemed like just yesterday the two were together fighting Brick.
"Roy are you ok?" Oliver asked him while placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked getting angry.
"Roy listen I"
"No you listen I get that I'm not part of the team anymore and that I was free from the vigilante business but I still had a right to know what had happened." Roy angrily told him while getting up.
"After all that happened with Darhk and my son."
"You have a son?" Roy interrupted.
"I just forgot to tell you." Oliver said sighing.
"You know I didn't tell you this before but after we thought you were dead I started drinking, a lot." Causing Oliver to raise an eyebrow. "It was small at first just a drink a day to keep my nerves down, but it got worse. I couldn't stop I was finishing a bottle of whisky a day, between you dead and the cop I killed I couldn't take it. But guess who noticed, Laurel. She could easily tell I guess it was because of her past but she was there and she helped me. She was there for me when you weren't and I know it was my choice to leave but whenever I felt like going back on the alcohol I gave her a call, and she talked me through it. For some reason I don't know why but I couldn't seem to talk to you about it."
"You did hardly call me I thought it was Calculator but even now."
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to drop that all on you."
"No Roy it's healthy, you need to get it out." Oliver said sitting up and looking at him.
Roy took a deep breath and looked up at his mentor. "So you have a son?"
"Yeah back when I was in college, I messed up and well got a girl pregnant, she faked a miscarriage I didn't find out about him till last Christmas."
"What's his name?"
"It's William" Oliver answered making Roy smile. "What?" He asked noticing the smile.
"That's my middle name" Roy said making Oliver smile giving him a hug.
"Laurel, I miss her" Roy said after the hug concluded.
"I do too."
"Oliver can I have my suit back?"
"How come?"
"The Arrow died, not Arsenal."
"Follow me" Oliver said taking him to the back and retrieving his suit from a store room, handing it to him in a silver briefcase. But before Oliver let go of it he placed his hand on top of Roy's. "Listen Roy you got out of this, are you sure you want to go back?"
"Definitely, as far as I know Metropolis doesn't have any superheroes might as well fill the spot." Roy said making Oliver smile and he removed his hand.
"Roy I put S.T.A.R Labs' number in the case, call it when you need to order new arrows or replace parts." Oliver said to him as he walked him to the elevator. "So you live in Metropolis, what's your new name?"
"It's Conner Hawke but I think Red Arrow will be a nice companion." Roy said stepping inside the elevator.
As the doors closed and as Roy left, Oliver said to himself "Goodbye son."