The Archery War: Merlyn VS Red Arrow
By: Malaizjan P.J. Shultz
Assisted by: Reina Grayson
Merlyn was enjoying the chase as Red Arrow leaped from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of the villain.
But that was what Merlyn had wanted.
Merlyn entered the abandoned Star Airport and waited for Red Arrow. He watched him from his perch which gave him easy access to the windows.
Roy Harper stood before the back entrance of the abandoned airport. He wanted to go in. But he knew better. Last time he blindly rushed in...well, he didn't want to this time. His tapped his comm. "Red Arrow to Nightwing."
"Nightwing here. Go."
"I got Merlyn cornered at the old Star City Airport. But I think I'm being set up. I need immediate back-up."
"This is Archeron. I'm 4 blocks out."
"No, not y-" but Vincent was already gone.
Roy swore.
"I'll send Orin and Kaldur." Dick said back over the open link.
"This is Red Hood. I'll be there in a sec. Got Damian with me." Jason chimed in.
"Crap...I don't need all of you."
"Decide then," Nightwing told him.
"Jason and Damian. Although get Kaldur and Orin to stop Archeron."
"Ok-" then Dick got cut off.
"No way! I'm already half a block away!"
"No son. Stay away from here!"
Vincent blew "raspberries" over the comm.
Roy shook his head.
"Kaldur, get my son. Now, please!"
"Dad, you do that and I'll hate you forever!" Vincent cried.
"I can't lose you, Vincent, I already lost Reiena and almost lost your sister, I won't lose you!"
"I can't be hurt." Then the comm cut out.
Then Vincent jogged up to his dad. "So deal."
"You really want to enter this resurrected archer war?"
"I'm an archer. I think Green Arrow would understand if I helped."
Roy sighed. "Fine, but DO AS I SAY on this mission."
"I will dad."
Jason and Damian boom tubed in.
Damian had his katana blade and Jason his guns. The two looked eager to start.
"Nightwing, don't tell Siren or Red Bird. I can't let them in on this."
"I know, Roy."
"Thanks." Roy logged off.
"I get one shot at him...for fire bug and Liv….no worries, just ONE shot."
"Fine, fine. But you guys need to follow my lead." With that, Roy cautiously entered with Jason picking up the rear.
Roy was the first one inside. The others were behind him and slowly fanning out to the sides. Roy saw the disrepair of the old airport. He remembered the battles he and Ollie did in there, saving dignitaries and free world leaders from assassins and suicide bombers...
Vincent kept his dad in his sights, and he watched the shadows with his borrowed vision. He moved his head slowly and spotted a line right at his dad's chest level. "Dad!" he hissed. "Stop!"
"The kid has skills, but that won't stop me from killing him after I kill you, Red Arrow."
Roy did and felt the line instantly. It wasn't snug but almost. He backed away slowly so he didn't trigger it.
An arrow sung through the air but Vincent knocked it off course with his own arrow.
Three more arrows came out above them but two batarangs and a bullet knocked them out.
Jason was next to Roy instantly. "He's gunning for you, Roy. He wants to screw with you."
"Noticed." Roy said sarcastically.
There was a creek. Then a rumble.
The second floor balcony that had been near the second floor food court crashed down to the first floor, separating Vincent from the others.
"ARCHERON!" cried Roy.
Jason and Damian took off to see if they could get around it.
Vincent looked around and he was in near blackness.
"Hope this works." He whispered to himself. He took a breath and let it out slowly. He then let his altered vision take over. He saw Merlyn running at him from the side to swing his bow at his head. Vincent blocked it with his own bow.
"I am impressed."
"And you haven't seen HALF of what I can do."
Vincent swept Merlyn's legs from him.
Merlyn fell back but stabbed Vincent's right leg with a hidden knife.
Vincent cried out as he went to one knee. He fired arrow after arrow at Merlyn, who nearly got nailed as he ran off to hide. "Come find me, BOY!" Merlyn challenged, then he shot an explosive head and the ceiling above him collapsed into a pile keeping Vincent trapped in that area.
"And you'll LOSE that challenge!" Vincent cried out.
Vincent pulled the knife out and placed his hands over the wound.
When Roy heard his son cry out, he shot an arrow to get to the second floor and with Jason and Damian holding on, they were pulled to the stairs on the second floor.
Roy ran to a corner of the second floor and pushed the rocks there aside.
Jason and Damian joined in and they were moving the rocks away quickly.
Vincent saw the light that was growing. He limped over to that light and waited until he saw an opening big enough for him to get out through.
Roy smiled as he saw his son coming out of the blocked area and he grabbed him and got him to sit down.
Damian quickly dug into his belt for some gauze, but then they all saw something happening to the wound.
It healed up.
"What the-?" Damian asked.
Jason smiled. "Meygan...that girl is in for some pain."
"I know. I can hear her swear at me," Vincent whispered. "Dad...he's trying to separate us."
"He won't succeed again, but we need to find him. Each archer goes with a bat." Roy said, knowing that was the best idea.
"I got Vincent." Damian declared.
"What? Didn't want the old one slowing you down?" Jason joked.
"How about we just think of it as the generation heroes are together." Roy said with a smile.
"Oh yeah. The old thing," Jason countered.
Damian shook his head. He took Vincent off to the left.
Roy sighed. Seeing his son walk away was hard.
"Hey, Damian's good, he's probably on Merlyn's level of assassin training. Vin's in good hands."
"I know..."
BBBBBBBBBBBB
Rini and Reilie were playing in the backyard with Meygan watching them and sunbathing at the same time. The girls were having fun and Meygan was enjoying her freedom from the numbness she had felt for most of her life.
"Reilie, stop that, you can't keep freezing my water spells with your ice breath." Rini softly said, but Meygan heard her and smiled.
Just then, Meygan felt a sharp pain in her leg.
Meygan snapped up in her lounge chair and grabbed her calf.
"What the..." Meygan said out loud; then she figured it out and connected to her bond brother. 'Vincent, what the hell are you doing?!'
'Fighting evil archers. I'm ok.'
"Well I'm not!" Meygan said back.
"You're not what, Mommy?" asked Reilie.
"Just something to do with my bond with Vincent, he's fighting enemies and he got hurt. The injury came to me. Don't worry girls; I'm okay, just going to cuss out your uncle."
"Sway!" said Reilie as Rini looked alarmed.
"Will that happen with me and the twins?" Rini asked as she came to her mother's side.
"It might...you kids are very young," Meygan answered honestly. To Vincent, she said, 'I'm going to kick you! Why am I not with you?!'
'One word: retired.'
'Smart-ass.'
'I was on patrol when dad called in for help, I was the closest.'
'Just be more careful.' Then Meygan signed off.
Rini then created a tidal wave, which Reilie froze over with her breath. "Reilie!" she cried softly, stomping her foot.
Knowing that her sister wasn't going to stop because she was the annoying little sister, she turned to their mother.
"Mommy...I want to learn as much as I can about the bond." Rini said as she crawled onto her mom's chair then saw her mom's leg.
"Ok Rini. What would you like to know?" Meygan asked.
"When we're heroes...will I get Jason's injuries too?"
"It depends how close you get with Jason. I hung out with Vincent and got to know him really well. You two...don't really do that."
"What am I supposed to do?" Reilie asked.
"Fly over the house for me."
"We talked the day they were born, Jason needs me more than Bruce." Rini said as a sad look came to her eyes.
"And that's true."
"He's such a troublemaker, mommy." Rini said.
"Which is why he needs an anchor. That anchor is you, Rini."
"So when I bonded with Bruce….it was to help keep him hydrated, but he won't need me as much?"
"It's not always about needing you. I never bonded with Brian but he needed me. Vincent didn't need me but I bonded with him…to be his angel."
"So I'm Jason's angel...cool." Rini said with a smile.
"It won't be easy. When Brian and Vincent got together, mischief insanity ensued."
"Did anything funny ever happen to them because of their mischief?"
Reilie got to the top of the house and grabbed the window as her concentration broke. "MOMMY!" Reilie cried.
Taking Rini in one arm, Meygan flew up and took Reilie into the other.
"Oh man..." Meygan said. "Are you okay sweetie?"
"Yea…thanks mommy." Reilie remarked.
With both girls, she eased back to the ground. "That was pretty good, Reilie," Meygan boosted.
Reilie blushed at the compliment.
"To answer you, Rini; one time DOES comes to mind..."
Mathen and Olivia Grayson's Home
Olivia ran to her house. She knew where Roy and Vincent were. Artemis was prepared to go back them up if needed. Problem was, no one thought of HER as an archer.
She had been training in secret all this time, to have her dad's skills and more. She was a blend of both her dad and her mom-why couldn't she show that to the villains too?
She went to the den closet and getting to her knees; she undid the false wall and pulled out her father's bow and arrow. "Hope you're watching over me dad." Oliva said.
Tonight, Star City will learn that it has another archer to protect it.
Tonight, Siren will be more than her voice.
Orin and Areina Grayson-'ahm's home
Areina was going crazy; she didn't want to lose her dad again...and ESPECIALLY didn't want to lose her little brother. She KNEW something was up when Dick refused to tell her where they were. With the help of her hacking skills (thanks to her uncle); Areina was able to get into Watchtower's computers from her personal one without being detected and found out that Merlyn was at the Star City Airport.
Orin'ahm had just come home from Atlantis, and he saw his wife getting ready to go out...but to where was worrying him.
"Honey?"
"You should have told me...I'm going to help my dad and little brother." Areina said; having read the transcript of the conversation.
"Roy didn't want you anywhere near this...hell, Olivia doesn't even know." Orin said.
"I'm going...just try and stop me." Areina said as she placed her silver domino mask over her eyes.
Orin'ahm sighed...then pulled some water from the nearby sink. Areina was shocked...but she knew he didn't want to do it. However she wasn't going to back down. "You want to do it...fine...I'll fight to go save my brother and dad."
Orin was quick and created a water dome around her; then she started to shiver as the temperature began to drop. It wasn't long before she fell to the floor unconscious.
"I'm sorry; but your father doesn't want you anywhere near this." Orin said as he picked her up after the water dome vanished and carried her to the basement then walked out two minutes later.
He then reached up to his comm. "Aunt Serenity...I need you to come do a lockdown spell."
It was in an instant that Serenity appeared.
"For Areina?" Serenity asked.
"Yes..." Orin said with a heavy heart.
"Then go find Olivia. She got by Mathen and Terry. Intercept her before she gets to Star City," Serenity said quietly.
"Damn it...archers are annoying by birth." Orin said.
"Olivia wasn't raised an archer," Serenity corrected.
"But she has the blood of one in her."
"Yes."
"Please, just make sure Areina can't get away." Orin said and he was gone.
Serenity sighed. She went to check on her niece.
Artemis held out a bow for her young daughter to use. Today, Artemis was going to teach Iesha archery. She was staying away from the war. But Iesha needed to protect herself.
For the last 6 years, Iesha had managed to keep her speed under control.
It was time to move her forward.
Iesha eagerly took the bow and squealed.
"Ok. See the target in front of you?" Artemis said gently.
"Can I shoot it?!" Iesha asked quickly.
"Relax. Take the arrow and place it on these grooves." Artemis helped her daughter set up the arrow. "Ok. Aim at the center red spot."
"Ok!" Iesha let the arrow go too soon. It sailed past the target and struck the tree 20 yards away.
"Oh boy..."Artemis murmured.
"I got a tree, mommy!" Iesha said excitedly.
"Iesha...you were supposed to get the target." Artemis gently reminded her daughter.
"Oops." Iesha reloaded another arrow and set her eyes on the target. She waited a few seconds before releasing it.
It sailed toward the edge of the target and stayed. "I did it!" Iesha cried.
"Good girl."
Twenty Minutes later…
Artemis shook her head as her daughter had managed to shoot the hover car, the fence, the sand, a turtle crawling on the sand and her dad's forehead.
Iesha was so happy to be shooting her bow with the suction cup tip arrows that she wasn't really aiming them. She just fired one after the other.
Wesley was flying along the beach, hovering above the sand. He didn't pay attention to what Artemis and Iesha were doing.
Iesha shot off an arrow and it sailed right for the beach. She saw that it was heading for Wesley. "WES! LOOK OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUTT!" she shouted.
Wesley turned about to see who spoke and got shot in the rear with the arrow. He jumped forward a bit. "HEY!" he cried.
Iesha raced over to him, blushing. "Um...sorry?"
"Ie! I am not a target!" Wesley cried, pulling the arrow away from his butt.
"I got carried away." Iesha said.
"I see." He handed the arrow back. "Where IS the target?" he asked.
"Over by my back gate," Artemis said, jogging off. "Sorry Wes. You ok?"
"Yeah. Iesha, how did you miss that big target?" Wesley asked.
Iesha blushed.
Wesley shook his head.
Artemis realized that maybe her daughter needed a bit more structure in shooting arrows...
Iesha smiled when Wesley held out his hand to her. She dropped the bow and took his hand.
The pair then strolled along the beach.
Artemis picked up the bow. Iesha wasn't getting it back until she was 18. That Artemis knew now. She sighed. It looked like she was going to go after Merlyn after all…
Star City
Olivia may not have been trained by Dick Grayson growing up, but her mother taught her a lot about sneaking around undetected. She was closing in on the airport...about five blocks away...when suddenly a water wall stopped her.
"Olivia, your brother doesn't want you in this fight." A voice said.
"Aqualad...back off..." Olivia warned.
"No, Roy doesn't want you there, and it's NOT just because you're pregnant." Orin'ahm said as he came out of the shadows.
"I'm my father's daughter. I will help him. And if you want to stop me, then I can say only one thing...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Olivia unleashed her Canary Cry suddenly and at a higher registry than normal.
Orin was thrown back and almost off the roof...if it hadn't been for his other water bearer. He righted himself, and was ready for a real fight.
Olivia didn't wait for Orin to get settled. As he righted himself, Olivia started to sing hypnotically.
Orin tried to fight the voice but he couldn't. "Liv..." Orin gritted but then his train of thought was gone.
Olivia smiled as she neared him. Sing still, she gave her instructions: "Go home to where your wife is and stay with her. Go make a baby or something..."
Orin turned on his heels and walked back to ward his home, forgetting about Olivia.
"Now I can help my family." Olivia said and with that she took off for the airport.
She placed a hand on her stomach for a few moments then lowered it so she didn't give anything away.
Twenty Minutes Later
Areina was fuming as she tried everything she could think of to get out of the basement. It was about 10 minutes ago that she figured out that Serenity must have reinforced the entire wall, ceiling and windows to keep her there.
"I'm going to kill Orin!" she shouted in frustration.
It was just then that the basement door opened and closed behind the person coming in.
Orin saw his wife and came out of his trance. "What...how..." Orin started saying.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!" Areina screamed.
Orin then realized that where he was and knew he was in trouble. "Your father didn't want you to help him. So I had to be sure you couldn't get out!"
"You got Aunt Serenity's help...I hope you got her to undo it before you closed the door."
Orin turned around to stare at the door. "Um...I don't think I did. It'll open by 8 am tomorrow."
Areina sighed in frustration. "Great." Then she got to thinking. "...um...why DID you come down here?"
"Olivia used her Siren's Call on me. She must've commanded me to come here."
Areina laughed.
"What's so funny? She nearly blew me away with her Canary Cry! It's...much stronger now."
"I thought Uncle Dick trained you boys against EVERYTHING." Areina said as she caught her breath.
"Not her. Not when she's so...determined..." Orin sat down by the door.
Areina saw the frustration in her husband's body language and sat beside him. "Do you remember anything of her command, or is that just a blank spot?"
"To come here...um make a baby or something... yeah, that was part of it."
Areina blushed. "Well...maybe we could TRY."
Orin looked to his wife. "Are you sure? You were just mad at me a minute ago."
"Well, I did have some time to get my frustration out...guess I just want to have some make up time." Areina said as he voice got seductive.
Orin caught his wife around the waist and hauled her into his lap. "Ok...we can try." He grinned before he kissed her.
Star City Airport
After Vincent was rescued, the 4 pressed on to the upper floor of the airport. Jason saw the trip wire at Damian's chest and stopped everyone from moving against it.
Damian pulled a knife and after everyone backed up, Damian cut the line.
An arrow sailed passed Damian from the left and ended up in a pillar, which blew due to rigged explosives.
Everyone ducked from the falling debris but then the League of Assassins came and went right for Jason and Damian, leaving the archers alone.
Damian cut one in the shoulder; a second lost a hand as a bullet went past him and nailed a blow-dart assassin in the collar bone area.
Merlyn waited as the other assassins did their job and pulled Jason and Damian away from Roy and Vincent. He watched as the entire Assassins League ranks came at them and he aimed his arrow carefully.
Roy heard the whistle of the arrow and ducked as it sailed over him and into the pillar behind him.
Vincent fired one back at the direction of the arrow.
Merlyn felt the arrow scratch his cheek as it embedded itself into the wall right next to his head. He fired back with three arrows at the pair and moved away from his spot so quietly.
Roy and Vincent rushed where Merlyn had been and then two beeps were their only warning. They dove out of the way but the blast still caught both from behind.
Vincent got slammed into the floor as debris fell on him, his ears ringing.
Roy was able to move fast enough to avoid the debris headed at him. But Merlyn came out of nowhere and slammed the butt of his bow into Roy's chest, and the pain robbed Red Arrow of his breath.
The kick to the back of his shins threw him forward and down but Merlyn got caught rushing Roy with Roy punching Merlyn back in the stomach.
Vincent groaned as he tried to move but he was hurt bad.
Roy got up despite the pain as Merlyn kicked him in the jaw. Roy stumbled and pulled off firing an arrow off-balanced and it fell at Merlyn's feet, and it exploded, throwing the evil archer back.
"Well now Red Arrow...it's time to prove that I'M the better archer." Merlyn said as he got back to his feet and rushed him with a punch.
Roy countered and the pair countered the other for a minute before Roy jump-kicked Merlyn back and fired an arrow at him.
Merlyn was just as quick and countered with his arrow.
Both arrows collided and exploded.
Roy rushed to his son's side and Vincent moaned. "You killed Arsenal."
"And your point is?" Merlyn said nonchalantly.
"You planned that all along," Roy accused.
"Arsenal was determined to prove that he could train protégés better than Green Arrow. And he did...and I thanked him in kind."
"Asshole," Roy hissed.
"And you're supposed to be dead. You being alive ruins everything. Why couldn't you stay dead?!" Merlyn fired two arrows.
Roy countered, and both of his cancelled Merlyn's out of the air. "Because my family needed me."
"Like your son there? Or the daughter I shot as a message to you? Or Siren, Green Arrow's joke of a daughter?"
"Canary will blow your eardrums out the next time she sees you," Roy said, standing up and moving away from Vincent. "Siren's not a joke."
"Let the songbird come after me. This Merlyn will take her down too."
Roy fired a smokescreen arrow at Merlyn. Roy laughed a bit as the arrow's smoke surrounded Merlyn.
"You really think you can kill Canary? Hell, even I'M not on her level, and you think you are?" Roy said as he circled around Merlyn, but speaking gave away the heroic archer's location.
But Merlyn reached out and caught Roy's face and head-butted him.
Roy staggered.
Merlyn hooked his leg behind Roy's neck and jumped onto his back.
As Roy reached back to throw him, Merlyn caught the arm and twisted it hard.
Roy screamed as his elbow popped out of place. Roy went to his knees
Merlyn then tried to dig out Roy's eyes.
An arrow coming his way had Merlyn leap away.
Vincent was on his knees, in pain, but his bow was in front of him. "Get away from my dad!"
While the archers fought, Red Hood and Robin were still battling the League of Assassins and a small bomb had them going over the edge of the second floor.
As both Jason and Damian fell, Jason caught the hole of a pillar and righted himself as he landed on the first floor. Damian landed next to him, katana drawn as he spotted them before Jason did.
Red Hood and Robin were staring down a hundred assassins. And those assassins looked ready to tear the pair apart. Without saying a word, the pair was back to back and Jason drew out his guns and aimed them at the assassins.
"So, want to have a contest?" Jason asked.
"Such as?" Damian asked.
"See who can take down more? Winner gets a spa day from the loser."
"A spa day? What's the matter, old man? You need to rest them old bones?" Damian teased.
"You're just 20 years younger than I am...but I was thinking of giving it to Meygan...WHEN I win."
"Then I'll give mine to Areina." Damian then cut the nearest assassin.
Jason shot two in the knees.
The contest was on.
The assassins surged forward at them.
Jason kicked and punched and blocked multiple assassins as he took them down. He felt Damian move as a whisper as he effortlessly took down other assassins.
Damian grinned as he dodged knifes and throwing stars aimed to kill him. He could hear Jason grunt as his kicks broke bones and assassins went down.
"What's your count...junior?" Jason asked.
"23."
"Hah! 25!" And Jason landed a punch on an assassin's nose and broke it.
"Guess I'll just have to step up my game then." Damian said with a smirk.
Damian then leaped over Jason and took another assassin out.
"Oh no you don't, junior!" Jason then tossed a rising assassin into a group coming at him. Red Hood then charged into the next group.
Damian followed, not wanting to be out-done.
The pair took out the next group of assassin with ease.
Then a grenade rolled at them. Both leaped away as it exploded.
Jason recovered the fastest, and shot the next 4 advancing on him.
Damian slowly came to and he rolled away from a sword coming at his head and kicked that assassin in the head
Jason then shot another in the shoulder, then the hand to knock the knife from that hand.
The assassin threw a throwing star and it hit Jason's upper arm.
Jason pulled it out and launched it into that assassin's shoulder.
Damian popped-flip back to his feet and sliced the next assassin across the stomach.
The assassin fell back. "37."
"34. Crap." Jason started to hustle to get caught up and beat Damian. Jason then threw a batarang from his inner jacket pocket at a group of assassins hanging back.
It exploded in the middle of the group.
Damian took a more silent approach, ascending on the downed group to take them out before the smoke cleared.
"Hey! Get your own!" Jason yelled as he kicked an assassin in the back, then shot the next one.
"Any are up for grabs...grandpa."
"I'll show you grandpa!" Jason then aimed one gun at Damian.
Damian's eyes went wide.
Jason fired three shots.
Those shots each took down an assassin behind Damian.
Jason smiled before punching one assassin and taking him out without his guns.
Damian's nose flared.
The anger rose.
Damian then set out to take them all out. He moved quickly, attacking ruthlessly at who remained.
One assassin managed to hold Damian at bay, countering him with an equal anger, which halted Damian's progress.
Damian and this last assassin were equally matched...which didn't make sense. Damian was not only trained by the league of Assassins, but Batman as well...how could this assassin know ALL of his moves. Just as the assassin used a pepper bomb to blind Damian, Jason was behind the assassin waiting for his little brother to back away.
As Damian backed away, Jason kicked out a knee from behind.
As the assassin turned to meet the threat known as Jason, Jason threw a punch, and the assassin blocked it.
"Screw it." Jason shot the assassin in the stomach.
"RED HOOD!" Damian cried out...even HE knew about the no killing...and having been an ex-assassin, he knew it was hard NOT TO.
"Relax, Robin; rubber bullet, hurts like hell and the pain knocks you out...want to try it." Jason said with a smile.
The assassin laughed. "You're weak, Red Hood. Lord Ra's will have you. That's a promise."
Jason then smacked him in the jaw with the butt of his gun, breaking the jaw.
The assassin went down...and stayed down.
"No more assassins, junior."
"So...I got 50...what about you?"
"51."
"Damn you." Damian said with a sour look on his face.
"This grandpa can still dish out pain. But keep trying," Jason teased. "You owe Meygan a Spa Day."
"Alright...but to be honest...Areina gets one too, my treat."
"Sending them both? I'm game."
"They need it after what the Master did to them recently."
"Yep."
"How about we go check on those silly archers." Damian stated.
Then they saw the section of the second floor give way and Vincent hung on.
"I think I agree!" Jason took off.
"Wait for me!" Damian was right behind him.
"Get moving... grandson."
Outside the Airport
Olivia was at the airport and she looked over by the baggage loading area. Her eyes danced with happiness. She knew she had to be careful. And yet she was going to prove that she was indeed the daughter of Green Arrow and Black Canary.
Vincent fired another arrow at Merlyn and the evil archer kicked Roy from him and knocked the arrow away with his reinforced bow.
Vincent got to his feet. "You're history, Leon."
"Like you can even fight." Merlyn said with a laugh in his voice. Merlyn came at him but he was blocked and countered by Vincent and Merlyn knew that he had an equal in hand-to-hand with Archeron. So Merlyn pulled out a gun and shot Vincent in the thigh and Vincent's legs went out.
"Cheating BASTARD!" Vincent cried out as he bled. But Vincent fired off one last arrow before he got shot and that arrow landed by Merlyn, and a sonic echo smacked him into the nearest wall.
Vincent went to his med kit and tied off the flow of blood before getting up again.
But Merlyn fired off a stream of arrows at Vincent.
Archeron backed up against the railing of the second floor after the last arrow backed him up there.
Merlyn shook his head and walked toward Vincent, bow ready to first a silver-glinting arrow. "You should've minded your own business boy!"
"You started this war between archers...and I intend to see it through."
"Ok then. Consider yourself...schooled."
The floor under Vincent shook.
Then it gave out.
Vincent grabbed the jagged edge of the floor and held on for dear life.
Under him, the floor was broken up into sharp pieces and Damian and Jason were trying to get to the archers around all the debris on the first floor.
Merlyn stood over him, a gleeful smile in his eyes. "This is how all archers will die. Hanging on…then falling to their deaths."
Roy then jumped Merlyn from behind, and he was forced to back away as Vincent struggled to pull himself up.
Roy and Merlyn fell to the floor 20 feet away and they were wrestling each other for the upper hand.
Punches were thrown; faces got bruised and noses were bleeding.
Merlyn caught a fist from Roy and pulling out a knife, stabbed Roy's hand, then his arm and finally his stomach before Roy was pushed away. Then Merlyn took to sitting on Roy, and stabbed him again in the other arm and as the knife was raised again, Roy caught the arm with the knife and held it at bay as the blood fell back to his body from his arms.
"How does it feel to see your blood fall from your worthless body, Red Arrow?" Leon sneered.
"I've dealt with it before, and I'll survive this!" Roy said.
Merlyn put on a burst of strength and the knife plunged into Roy's shoulder and he bit his lip as the knife was pulled out to stab again.
An arrow went through Merlyn's hand, and stayed there.
Merlyn looked away to see where it came from, and a second one got him in the shoulder. Merlyn got up and away and a third got him in the shin area of his leg before he even got to his bow.
As he picked it up, Olivia stood at the other end with her bow ready and as ALL the archers looked at her….they saw something incredible. Behind the new archer was the spirit of Green Arrow, and he seemed to be guiding his daughter's hand as she readied another arrow. What shocked everyone was that she put her bow down and smiled at Merlyn.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Her Canary Cry slammed him into the wall and held him there just as Vincent was able to climb up. Both he and Roy covered their ears.
Merlyn had no defense for it and as soon as he went limp, Olivia stopped shouting.
Merlyn fell to the ground, unmoving.
"Dumbass." Olivia commented.
"Liv...you aren't...supposed to be...here." Roy panted as she went to him with a med kit in hand.
"Like anyone could stop me. I'm an archer by birth, and I had to be here." Olivia said.
Olivia quickly patched Roy up in a few minutes' time and then Vincent as he crawled to the pair.
Jason and Damian made it back to the second floor, both sporting minor injuries and shocked to see Olivia there.
"What the HELL!?" Jason cried out.
"Get the Tube going. Now. Roy lost too much blood," Olivia ordered. She then rubbed her belly.
Vincent reached out to her but Siren waved his offered hand off.
"You are in no condition to be helping!" Damian told her in a scolding voice.
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Olivia told him.
"Liv...they're right; I'm your older brother...you should have stayed away…" Roy said...then he fainted from the blood loss.
Olivia snorted and helped Vincent to his feet. "Too bad Roy. You needed it." She then helped Vincent through the Tube.
Jason and Damian managed to get Roy up and carried him through behind them.
Eight AM the next day
Serenity came to check on Areina, and was surprised that Orin couldn't stop Olivia. Everyone was safe...well ALIVE should be said, and so she went to let her niece out of the basement.
She got to the door and unlocked it. She peeked inside and blushed right away.
Orin and Areina were sleeping, both naked and Areina was on top of Orin. He held her to him tightly.
Serenity cleared her throat, and the couple woke up. They were shocked and scrambling to get dressed.
"Oh man...sorry..." Areina blushed in embarrassment as she pulled her Red Bird suit on.
"So this is what you were doing instead of tracking down Olivia?" Serenity teased.
"No...Olivia used her Siren's call on me..." Orin admitted.
"Well, she's ok. Not hurt in any way. Merlyn though…I think he's wishing he didn't start this archer's war again..."
"Oh?" Areina asked. "How bad did my dad and brother beat him up?"
"Well...Olivia did the major damage actually."
Areina and Orin were shocked.
"So...should I check for a baby?" Serenity asked teasingly.
"No...to be honest, I felt a super rise in temperature before we found out about the twins, and I'm not feeling that within me now. But we WILL be trying again...won't we sweetie."
"Oh we will..." Orin reached for Areina's butt and grabbed it.
"Ah!" Areina squealed in surprise AND pleasure.
Serenity giggled. "Well, come out when you're ready, you two. The spell's done." Serenity smiled as she walked away from them.
"I do need to check on Dad and Vincent." Areina said. "Then we can come back home...I mean Kaldur DOES have the twins." Now she was smirking.
Orin pouted. "Ok..."
Serentiy then poked her head back in the door. "Oh, better check on Damian and Jason as well."
"Why...?" Orin asked.
"They were all there." And with that the sorceress left out.
"Yeah, we better check on them." Areina took her husband's hand and they walked out of the basement.
Metro Tower, Five Minutes Later
When Areina and Orin got to Metro Tower, Jason was reloading his guns as Damian cleaned his katana. The pair weren't speaking but it was obvious that respect had been earned last tonight. They were outside of the Infirmary when the young couple walked up. "Hey fire bug," Jason said in greeting.
"How bad are they?" Areina asked.
"Your dad lost a lot of blood but he'll pull through. Vincent's healing and getting his balls handed to him by Meygan." Jason answered.
Areina giggled a bit at that last part, but she knew her family needed her.
The Infirmary door opened and Meygan paused in the doorway. "And you're going to stay here, rest, and heal then leave so I can break off parts of your anatomy. You should have called ME to come in." Meygan stepped out of doorway and it closed. "Hey Areina. Your dad's resting."
Areina was worried.
"He's ok. Go sit with him. You too Orin. I got a feeling he'll be happy to see you." Meygan then headed out, shaking her head.
"But I'm ok!" Olivia said as she walked into the area where the four were at.
"And you're 3 months pregnant! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PULLED SUCH A STUNT!" Dinah cried as she followed her daughter.
"Mom, I was careful!" Olivia yelled back.
"You are to never, EVER go after Merlyn until AFTER YOUR BABY IS BORN!" Dinah yelled.
"I'm an archer too! And if I hadn't gone, Roy would be dead!" Olivia cried.
Areina knew that Dinah was just being overprotective again, so Areina stepped in to see if she could defuse the situation before Dinah unleashed her canary cry.
"Dinah, to be honest, I would have been there if it hadn't been for Orin knocking me out and having Aunt Serenity magically lock me in the basement."
Then Olivia gasped and doubled over as she held her stomach.
Damian moved so fast, he helped Olivia sit down. "Breathe. Relax."
Dinah and Areina were right there with them. "So...you got locked in the basement?" Dinah asked Areina.
"Yea, but I forgave Orin...hours later." Areina said as she blushed. "He didn't want me there then Liv used her siren call and got him locked down there with me.
Dinah shook her head. "I wish Olivia had followed Orin. Then she would've been safe."
"Well I DID follow her orders...if you want to know how strong her siren's call is getting." Orin said as HE blushed.
Olivia blushed. "You two made a baby?"
Jason choked on his laughter.
"No, but we did have fun trying." Areina said as her blush deepened.
Jason put his guns away. "Man, I better leave before you tell me to make a baby with Kori." And Jason high tailed it out of there.
Damian smiled.
Olivia felt the pain go away. "I'm good. The pain stopped."
"Let me get Molly, Liv." Dinah then left to search for the young healer.
"I'm going to go yell at my father and brother, you going to be alright with Orin staying here till Molly comes?" Areina said.
"Yeah. Areina, I had to go. Merlyn didn't get a chance to kill them. I shot him 3 times. Then screamed at him."
"I understand, and I WOULD have helped you." Areina said as she glared at her husband then walked into the infirmary.
"I guess you're in the doghouse," Olivia commented.
"Just wanted to keep her safe...which I should have tried harder to do with you." Orin said.
"Be lucky I didn't shoot you with any arrows."
"I am."
Within the Infirmary
Vincent groaned when Areina walked in. He already heard it from Meygan. Now here came his sister.
"Oh yea, you're in trouble, but first I want to check on dad." Areina said, her voice very stern.
"Meygan already laid claim to my...privates..." Vincent said squeamishly.
"Oh believe me, those are the LEAST of your worries with me." Areina said as she sat next to Roy. "You going to be alright, dad?"
Roy opened his eyes drowsily. "Mmmmm..."
"I think dad's still out of it," Vincent said with concern.
"What the hell happened to him..." Areina asked as she stayed by her father.
"Merlyn kept stabbing him." Vincent answered.
"Next time I see him..." Areina said. "So, how bad were your injuries?"
"Got shot. Nearly fell off the second floor."
Roy blinked his eyes and focused on his daughter. "Areina?"
"Hey." Areina said with a smile.
"I am so happy you weren't there. He's worse that the original."
"Thank Orin'ahm for that." Areina said.
"And Olivia…I'm going to ring her neck for taking such a risk."
"Dinah was close to a canary cry yelling at her about it."
"I think Olivia would've countered it."
"I don't know about that, but I'm actually glad she was there to save you." Areina said as tears started to show in her eyes
Roy moved his bandaged arms around his daughter and hugged her.
"I remember losing you once...I didn't want to again." Areina said as she cried softly.
"I know." Roy then saw Vincent limp to them and hugged the two of them.
Roy moved an arm to hug his son too.
"Hey Vincent...did mom take to you when you and Meygan were back in the past?" Areina asked as the hug broke up.
"Yeah. A bit."
Roy laughed a bit. "Yea, she did; I guess because she knew my archery skills would live on through you."
"Dad, I'm just glad you're alright." Areina said.
Roy shifted in the bed before getting serious. "Ok. Now that I got you two here, you will listen to me."
The kids gulped.
"Neither one of you better go after Merlyn. I will. Dick will. Jason, Damian and Wally will. NOT YOU TWO."
"We're..." Areina said but Roy weakly lifted a hand to make her stop.
"This Merlyn is more brutal. Vincent proved tonight that although I was there, he still got hurt. I'm not going to chance either of you two getting hurt or worse with him around. Artemis and Reiena gifted me with you two. I refuse to let him take pot shots at you."
"But if he tracks us down?" Vincent asked.
"Then you give that bastard a very hard time. And take out body parts. You defend yourselves. Call for back up. I don't care. Hurt him before he hurts you. Got it?"
"Alright," Areina and Vincent said at the same time.
"Oh dad, I'm surprised you slept through Meygan's yelling," Areina added.
"No I didn't. I heard her. I just pretended to be out." Roy grinned.
Vincent's jaw dropped and Areina just laughed.
"And Meygan was upset that you didn't call her."
"Thanks dad. Love you too." Vincent said sarcastically.
The doors slid open and Orin walked in with Olivia. She smiled as Orin joined his wife at Roy's bedside.
"Olivia. We need to talk, sis."
Olivia bravely walked to Roy's bed side. "Ok."
"First, are you ok? Is the baby ok?"
"Yeah. We both are. I won't be able to bail you out again, Roy." Olivia tried to joke.
Roy shook his head. "What you did tonight was reckless. You could've gotten hurt, lost the baby, whatever. But you didn't. And I'm glad."
"Roy-"
"I'm your big brother; I have to look out for you." Roy said. "Ollie would've wanted me to do that. He lives through you. And I'm not chancing Merlyn going after you again."
"I know. But tonight I got brave enough to try and help. He broke into my home, tried to hurt me; he didn't but I wanted him to know that I wasn't going to forget that."
"So much like Ollie." Roy lowly said.
"Really?" Olivia said, sounding hopeful.
Roy took her into his arms and held her. "Yeah; you are. He would be so proud. But no more going after Merlyn. Ok?" He let go of her.
"Ok. Molly said no more running around at night."
"And I know Mathen will be watching you," Areina added.
Olivia blushed.
Roy smiled. He did wish GA was there; to see his legacy live on through him and Artemis…and Olivia, not to mention the next generations of born archers: Vincent and young Iesha.