He moved swiftly through the dark forest, like the river flows between the riverbanks. He was running like the devil himself was at his back, which he was, as a matter of fact. Cerberus was chasing him.
A couple of hours previously, he had been watching the guards over the tall garden wall of the mansion. He noted their schedule, the paths they were patrolling, where the cameras were installed, and which could be the best way in to the patio were Bertinelli was sitting. He was his target. It was time to put an end to his reign of terror. This man was a criminal, like all the others he was dealing with, but this one was even worse than the rest. He was cruel for no reason, just for the adrenaline rush it provided him. Oliver wanted to give him a warning, one last chance to change and step back, before putting an end to his life. His modulated voice and a faceless threat were usually enough, but something told him this wasn't the last time he'd set foot on this property.
When he thought he had figured out the best way in, he drew his bow and sent an arrow flying through the dark sky, splitting the air until it embedded itself into the wall. He scaled the garden wall and jumped into the yard, satisfied that his plan was going down as expected. As he stepped out of the shadows, he heard one of the guards giving an order.
"Cerberus. Attack."
Oliver thought it was intimidating to name a dog after the three headed guard of the underworld. A tranquilizer on his arrowhead would have been enough if the one who had named the dog had a better sense of humor. But it was a name that perfectly fit what he was staring at. It wasn't exactly a three headed mythological beast; it was three dogs attached together with a single chain. Well trained to move like one.
That was an unexpected development, for which his arrows couldn't provide a useful solution. And he couldn't hurt some innocent creature, even in self-defense. Their owners' actions weren't their fault.
He chose the only given solution.
Run.
He ran like his life depended on it. Which it did. He was running full force when he approached the barrage created by the river. There was a cliff. He had forgotten about it, but it was too late to do anything about it now. His only choice at this point was to jump.
It wasn't exactly a blind leap of faith. When he had passed through earlier, he had noticed that there was a crew building a stage for an upcoming concert or an event of some kind. There were games and other entertainment structures, and a huge air mattress for base jumps.
When he reached the end, he pulled his feet off the ground in a running jump, flying through the air as he fell.
The lights were focused to the stage. The music was loud, too loud. When he landed, the crowd that had already been there for quite some time cheered him. He climbed down from the air mattress he had landed on and froze, instantly worried that he might be exposed, that somebody might identify him.
Every single person in the crowd was dressed in white, from top to bottom. Some of them were wearing protective glasses and some more weird looking and overdressed they wore even gas masks. He definitely stood out like a sore thumb, the only one wearing color. At least his hood wasn't totally out of place in this strangely dressed crowd.
Suddenly, on a signal from the singer, a horn sounded, and everyone started to throw colored powder in the air. The music got louder and the rhythm picked up the pace. The crowd was jumping up and down, waving their hands above their heads.
It must have been one of those color festivals, and it seemed like a lot of fun. If it wasn't for the fact that he was out as the Arrow, he would have stayed. But he couldn't risk being recognized, and there were too many people.
He started walking, blending into the colorful crowd, and bumped into a girl, sending her stumbling forward. His hands shot out, catching her before she fell, steadying her. She turned, and their eyes locked.
Dressed in white and covered in splashes of color, she was indistinguishable from anyone else in the crowd - except maybe for her eyes. He was pretty sure that in daylight, they would be a piercing blue. And they were literally mesmerizing. They both stood there, completely still, as the crowd continued to go crazy around them. Caught in this strange moment, all he could do was hold on to the quirky girl in front of him, until a thin but lovely voice broke through his thoughts.
"You're supposed to wear white. The colors don't look good on green leather," she teased him. "But I can fix this." Reaching into a pouch at her waist, she threw a handful of red powder all over him. "There. Makes a good contrast. Now at least you stand out a bit more," she added, giggling.
"I…I have to go," he stammered, turning away from her and melting into the crowd.
As soon as he got home, he switched on the TV. Turning to the news, he waited to hear even the slightest mention of his "visit" to Bertinelli's Mansion. It didn't take long for the anchor to announce that the police were looking for a man in a green hood, in connection with a burglary that had taken place at the mansion of biggest crime boss in the city.
His blood froze in his veins as he realized that the girl he had encountered at the festival would be able to place him in the area at exactly the time the alleged crime was committed. If she remembered him.
And not only his blood froze, but his limbs went numb and his entire body tensed at the thought of the colored fingerprints he had probably left on the blue-eyed girl's white shirt. Proof of the Arrow's true identity might be right there on her unwashed clothes. How could he have been so careless?