Author's Note and Disclaimer:
The new character here is named Broderick Westberg, who is from Green Arrow (DC Rebirth) comic book series as Chief of Seattle Police, trying to make his city safe, and as you have gathered, here he's gonna try to make things harder for both the Arrow and Canary.
I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.
Sara, Sin and Riley had in their hands gamepads, playing a racing game.
"Come on, come on…" Sin muttered. "Aw, man!"
"Too slow!" Riley laughed.
"Just wait, you little rat!" Sara growled, not taking her eyes off the screen as their cars were reaching the finish line. "No!" She moaned.
Riley laughed. "Well, someone here needs more experience on console."
"Kids, you have five minutes or your eyes are gonna explode." Nicole said.
"OK, Mom." Riley nodded. "One more time?"
Sin's phone rang as she picked it up. "Hello? What has he… Figures." She sighed in annoyance. "Yeah, I'll be there." She hung up as Sara turned to her, noticing the look in her eyes.
"Roy?"
"Uh-huh." Sin nodded.
"What has he done now?" Sara asked.
Sin cleared her throat. "Did you know that lately the medicine transport to Glades Memorial have been hijacked?"
SCPD
"How many times do we have to do this, Roy?" Laurel sighed as she sat across him at the desk. "Do you have any idea how much you could have been hurt tonight? Or someone else?" She snapped at him. "You're not a vigilante, you could have been killed or worse!"
"I wouldn't have to if the cops were doing their jobs or if the vigilantes were back in town." Roy drawled.
"They've shown up last week." Laurel said.
"But just like with the cops, almost no one is looking out for the Glades." Roy snapped.
"And that leaves you to do the job? You do realize that I can charge you with obstruction right now." Laurel hissed.
"Go ahead." Roy said. "It's not like I haven't been behind bars before."
"I won't." Laurel uncuffed him. "But you need to promise me that you're gonna leave the job to the professionals."
"Who? The cops?" Roy asked sarcastically.
"I think you and I both know who I had in mind." Laurel gave him a pointed stare as Roy raised his brows but before he could speak up, Oliver, Thea, Sara and Sin burst in.
"What happened? Are you hurt?" Thea asked worried as she measured Roy's appearance.
"Fender bender."
"He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time." Laurel said as she uncuffed him. "But, please, promise me that you'll stay out of trouble and leave this to the professionals."
"Might as well tell him to give up breathing." Thea grumbled, rolling her eyes as she and Sin dragged Roy out.
"What did he do?" Oliver asked.
"What do you think?" Sara gave him a pointed stare as it hit him.
"Oh."
"He's looking for you." Laurel said. "He won't stop until he finds either of you."
Sara nodded. "I've seen that look before. He's lost and angry. He needs guidance."
"I'll talk to him." Oliver left the interrogation room.
Sara sighed. "I think I know how Nicky felt when she had to bail out Henry."
"Yeah, I called Commissioner Gordon in Gotham and checked Henry's record after our… reunion." Laurel tensed. "And here I thought that you and Ollie had trouble with the law."
"Yup." Sara said, popping the 'p'. "You have no idea. He'd give Nicky a heart attack."
As Laurel and Sara were walking out, they saw a man shout at Oliver, who together with Diggle were entering the car as someone smashed the rear window.
"Spare us your mercy visits, Queen!" Sebastian Blood yelled.
"I really hate that guy." Sara grumbled as she and Laurel glared at him.
Three years ago, South Africa
"Dad?" Riley gasped.
The mercenaries stared at the man with dragon tattoo. "Isn't your family in Gotham?" The man with dark complexion and brass knuckles with claws asked.
"They were. Last time I checked." The man with dragon tattoo knelt down, hugging Riley, who started to cry as he returned the gesture.
"I thought you were dead! Uncle Hank said you were dead!"
The man smiled, wiping his eyes. "Well, to be fair, he had every reason to think that." He glanced towards Sara. "She's your friend?"
"Who was dragged here with your stepson because of these jackasses!" Sara snapped.
"I'm sorry about that." The man sighed as he got up. "They're coming with me."
"No, they're not!" The man with dark complexion protested. "You know the rules, Dragon!"
"This is my family, Turner!" The man with dragon tattoo shot back as the man with dark complexion nodded.
"Fine. But you're gonna explain yourself to the boss later." Turner walked away as the man with dragon tattoo helped Sara on her feet.
"I am truly sorry about this, this is all a huge misunderstanding. My name is Richard." He offered his hand. "And you are Riley's friend, right?"
Sara stared at the man, not wanting to ruin the happy moment Riley had with him. "Sara." She shook her hand with him. "Where are we?"
Richard sighed. "Follow me. I promise you, I'll try my best to get both of you out of here as soon as I can."
Present, SCPD
Quentin was at his desk, drinking from his mug of coffee before noticing Pike entering with a man around forty years old and with a beard. "Now, I would like to introduce you to the new chief of Starling City Police Department, replacing our previous chief, Brian Nudocerdo, who had been accused of accepting bribes and was forced to resign after the hostage situation last Christmas and the unfortunate incident in the Glades. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Chief Broderick Westberg."
The policemen gave a polite applause to the man, who stepped up as Pike blended in with the crowd of officers.
"Thank you. I have come here to bring the law and order to Starling City that it needs, after I've heard about the corruption in the very roots of the department, who was supposed to uphold the law and order but preferred their own complacency and money over the people they vowed to protect. And as a first act, I am instating a special task force that will, under my supervision, finally apprehend the two vigilantes, who have been active in Starling City for the past year." Westberg summed up. "In the afternoon, Lieutenant Pike and I will conduct interviews with the policemen, who will help us finally stop these misguided idealists, who have been sowing chaos in this beautiful city, so that we can finally do our job properly."
A pit of dread set in Quentin's stomach, who, as soon as Westberg finished his speech and the applause ended, went outside and dialed Oliver's number.
Queen Consolidated
"Thank you, Zehra." Oliver said as his secretary poured him a coffee, while she looked at the TV, where was a news bulletin of the mob in front of Glades Memorial, with Blood in charge, harassing Oliver.
"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Ollie. If anything, they should blame Malcolm Merlyn, not you." She told him sadly. "Besides, didn't he leverage your mother?"
"They want their pound of flesh and since it can't be Mom, it has to be either me or Thea." Oliver pointed out.
"But hasn't your family already suffered enough? Your Dad, then you and the island, now your Mom…"
"People need someone to blame." Oliver said simply as Zehra nodded.
"Look, if you need to talk, I'm here for you, as your friend, OK?" Zehra offered.
"I'll tell you if I need anything. That's all for now." Oliver nodded, smiling as Zehra smiled back before his phone rang. "Chloe? Uh-huh. I'll be there. And Sara…OK." He hung up before he turned to Zehra again. "I'm sorry, I have a meeting. If something happens…"
"I'll call you." Zehra nodded as Oliver stood up from his desk.
Later, FEMA Facility
Men on bikes stormed into the facility as they shot the man on sight and went to the narrow gap between the two trucks, about to kill another man, who begged for his life before…
"Down!" The Arrow barked as the man crouched, while two arrows shot the gunmen in their shoulders as they fell on the ground.
"Make your delivery!" The Canary ordered as the man was entering the truck but suddenly, a 'woosh' sound cut the air as a karambit knife hit the man's throat, killing him as he fell down.
"The Emerald Archer and the blonde Canary." China White said mockingly as both vigilantes glared at her. "I feared the two of you had perished in the quake, denying me the opportunity to pay you back in full for your past interference in my business."
"Your business is going under." The Canary hissed.
"Permanently!" The Arrow finished as he fired an arrow when a man slid down the sides of the trucks as a set of steel claws was set into the brass knuckles he held, while the Canary glared at the man, who had sliced the arrow with his knuckles. Someone she had hoped she would never have to meet again…
"I don't think my new friend agrees with you." China White said. "You see, our new partnership was easily cemented. See, I was eager to see the two of you dead and he was eager to kill both of you."
The Arrow kept firing arrows as the man sliced each of them through with his claws, while China White entered the truck.
"No kill shots?" Turner smiled. "I was promised a fight; I hope you haven't lost your nerve."
"He's mine." The Canary hissed as the Arrow followed the truck that China White hijacked, while she engaged Turner, blocking his claws with her batons as Turner cornered her to a narrow gap, slicing steam pipes as he raised his brows in recognition as his claws locked with her batons.
"Well, well, well, small world, isn't it? You still have scars to remember me by, I hope, blondie."
"You're gonna pay for what you did!" The Canary snarled as she kicked him back but at the hearing of sirens, they stopped their quarrel as Westberg and Pike and more officers entered the building, forcing both of them to flee as Turner ran away and the Canary used her grapnel gun and fired at the ceiling.
The Arrow kept following the truck but as he saw the police cruisers entering the scene, he rushed to his bike and fled the scene as well.
Later, the Lair
"You two keep finding new ways to scare the hell out of me." Chloe grinned as she stitched Oliver up. "Can't believe the cops went after you instead of them."
"The authorities have always gone after the vigilantes." Oliver pointed out. "But this time it was different."
"How so?" Chloe asked.
"Because they got in our way!" Sara exploded as she got up and punched the training dummy hard.
"I know that look." Chloe seemed worried, while Oliver and Diggle stared, confused. "What happened?"
"Turner." Sara said simply as Chloe nodded in understanding.
"Son of a bitch."
"Who?" Oliver asked.
"Did you meet a guy with steel claws there?" Chloe turned to him as Oliver nodded. "His real name is Benjamin Turner. Also known as Bronze Tiger." She explained. "We've had some run-ins with him in the past. He almost killed Henry and Sara and threatened Riley on more than one occasion."
"So, what are you gonna do about him?" Diggle asked.
"Send him right where he belongs." Sara hissed.
Three years ago, South Africa
Sara and Riley followed Richard to a small cabin as he opened the door and Riley looked around. "Whoa."
"Riley, can you give me and your friend a minute?" Richard asked as Riley nodded, going to a bedroom before Sara followed him to a dining table. "Have a seat." Sara sat down, measuring Richard with her gaze for anything suspicious. "How did you get here?"
"Ask those idiots out there." Sara said sarcastically. "We were on our way to the airport, when your friends kidnapped us."
Richard sighed. "Damn it. I've been worried about this. They're looking for laborers."
"I'm not some slave! And Riley's just a kid! What the hell are you doing?" Sara demanded, outraged.
"Look, calm down." Richard raised his hands. "Let me explain. But before I start, I need to ask you, how much did Nicky and Hank tell you about me and how long have you known them?"
Sara shrugged. "Nicole and Riley for five months. Henry a bit longer, almost a year."
"And have they ever mentioned me?" Richard asked.
"They think you're dead." Sara sighed as Richard nodded.
"I swear I wanted to reach out but I have my hands tied here, so to speak." He said, guilt in his eyes.
"What happened between them and you?" Sara asked.
Richard took a breath. "Henry told you he was a PMC?" Sara nodded. "Well, he and Ian, Nicole's fiancé and Riley's biological father, used to work for me. I'm one of the people who trained them before Henry joined CIA. Ian and I offered him a job, Henry accepted but to sum it up, one job in Gotham went sideways and Ian sacrificed himself to save us. After that, I became close with Nicole, when she was pregnant. Me and Hank were there for her. I helped raised her kid for a while and I was about to purpose to her but then, I had a mission and…" He paused as Sara noticed the look of guilt on his eyes.
"What happened?" She asked.
"This." Richard looked around. "They call themselves the Longbow Hunters. They're trying to rule these parts. Remember the guy with claws?" Sara nodded. "Ben Turner. He almost killed me but instead, practically made me join them, I went through an initiation and haven't been able to reach out since them."
"Three years." Sara hissed. "You didn't reach out for three years because of some mercenaries?" She demanded, outraged. "What about your own family?"
"It was not that simple." Richard said calmly. "You need to understand how dangerous they are. I doubt they'll hurt Riley but they'll try to make a move on you, though I see you can handle yourself. If you want to survive, you need to trust me."
Sara narrowed her eyes but realized that she had no choice than to play along. For now, at least. "What do you want me to do?"
Present, Queen Consolidated
"Zehra, can you please make sure that these invitations will get to where they're supposed to?" Oliver asked as he showed her a list of names.
"What are you doing, Ollie?" She asked, confused.
"It's for benefit. I want to show Blood that I can be trusted." Oliver said as she nodded, worried.
"Are you sure it's a good idea? I just don't want that guy to crucify you, OK?"
"Trust me." Oliver smiled as she chuckled.
"Last time you told me that, I ended up with a hell of a hangover, alone, naked, on your couch, with my hands tied and Laurel almost literally wet herself with laughter and Tommy kept avoiding his gaze at me, like if he thought I was about to chew his head off, for a month."
Oliver laughed. "In his defense, you did break his nose and make a black eye on him in front of hundreds of people, including me, Laurel and the chancellor for ditching you."
Zehra blushed and giggled. "I admit, not my finest moment but he did have it coming." She and Oliver smiled before getting serious and clearing her throat. "Look, as your friend, I want you to be sure you know what you're doing. If you're gonna fall into your old habits, Rochev's gonna gut this company from the inside out." She then looked at her watch. "We better dress up. It's gonna start in an hour."
"I'll head home for my other suit." Oliver got up from the table.
Later, Queen Manor
Sara was helping Oliver with his dress. "You're looking quite fine."
Oliver smiled as his phone rang. "Yeah, Chloe?" He turned on the speaker.
"Oliver, I know when the next shipment of pharmaceutical is gonna leave."
"When?" Sara asked.
"Five minutes ago. I know this sucks but… which suit are you gonna wear tonight?"
"The one he's got on right now." Sara said. "Chloe, you're still in contact with your friends, right? How fast can they get here?"
"I'll try to reach out but can't guarantee anything."
Queen Consolidated
"Ollie, where have you been?" Laurel rushed to him as soon as she saw him.
"Well. The problem from yesterday hasn't been solved, so I needed to reach out to Sara." Oliver said quickly as Laurel nodded in understanding.
"OK."
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Blood said, smiling.
"I'm sorry, traffic was awful." Oliver said apologetically as he approached the podium and cleared his throat. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the delay. Now I know there has been a lot of negative attention towards the Queen family since the Undertaking and I know how you may feel about me and my sister Thea but to make things clear, my family did not support the Undertaking. The only members of the Queen family who followed actions of Malcolm Merlyn was my father, who had intended to back out, so Merlyn sabotaged the yacht, murdering him and condemning me to five years on Lian Yu and my mother, who was leveraged into assisting him by threatening mine and Thea's life. I understand your anger towards me and my sister, however unjustified it may be, but I am here to try to redeem my family's name and hopefully with your help, rebuild what has been lost in the quake and restore our city to it's greatness."
Oliver stepped down, while Blood stepped up. "Ladies and gentlemen, Oliver Queen." The crowd applauded as Laurel smiled at him.
Zehra then approached him quietly. "I know you like being 'fashionably late' but please, never do that again. Your company has already more than enough bad PR and I actually like my job."
Oliver smiled at her.
Elsewhere in Starling City
The Canary rode the bike down as she threw a knife, taking one of the men, who were entering a truck down as China White and Turner dodged before the blonde stepped down.
"On time to die." China White smirked. "Where's your friend in green hood?"
"Preoccupied elsewhere." The Canary sneered.
"All alone to have fun with…" Turner smiled amused.
"Canary, I've planted an old video feed to Pike and Westberg and their Anti-Vigilante task force, they're not getting in your way any time soon." Chloe said.
"Copy that, Watchtower." The Canary noted before dodging Turner's attack and blocking White's strikes. "Come at me!"
"With pleasure!"
One of the men tried to carjack the FEMA truck before Diggle threw him out from the driver's seat, pummeling his chest and throwing him in the container. "Healthcare has enough problems without you, punks!"
As the Canary kept fending both assassins off, someone whistled from behind Turner as he turned around and then ran off as a man in hockey mask fired from his guns, while Diggle drove the truck down the road.
"You're not the only ones allowed to bring some friends!" The Canary yelled before she ran off. China White followed the truck as she jumped on the container.
"I'm clear!" Diggle said.
"That makes one of us." The Canary sighed before following Turner to search him in a maze of crates before he ambushed her and she hissed in pain.
Diggle was ambushed by China White as he rammed the truck into some debris, causing for White to fall off the truck and Diggle to hit his head and as he recovered, he went out, searching for her.
The Canary kept searching for Turner as she spun around, throwing a knife as Turner blocked with his claws. "You still haven't learned? Knives won't stop me, blondie."
"But she will." The Canary quipped as Turner scowled, when suddenly, a batarang stuck out from his back and electrocuted him, knocking him down on the ground. The Canary smiled at the red-haired girl with a black hoodie, who showed up from the shadows. "Thanks."
"Now we're even." Barbara smiled.
"Enjoy lifetime in jail, you son of a bitch." The Canary sneered at Turner before she tapped her comms. "Dig, are you there? Diggle?"
Diggle went out, his gun ready as China White ambushed him behind the corner of the truck and was about to deliver a killing blow, when the Canary drove down with her bike with Barbara and fired from her gun a special bola round, restraining White's hands to a nearby pole.
"You have changed." White smirked. "You would have killed me by now if you haven't."
"The police can take care of them." The Canary said. She was about to walk away with Diggle and Barbara as White spoke up.
"They will always see you as their enemies." The Canary turned around to face White, glaring. "You and the archer will never be anything but criminals to them. Which means neither of you will never be a hero."
"As long as this city is safe, it doesn't matter." The Canary murmured as she walked away with her partners as Barbara smiled.
"What?"
"You remind me of a good friend of mine."
Three years ago, South Africa
"We have a new recruit among us!" Richard shouted to the ring of mercenaries. "I would like to initiate her to the Hunters!"
"This little girl?" Turner laughed as he eyed Sara shamelessly. "She could be a good distraction but…"
"She can fight, I can assure you!" Richard promised.
"Very well." Turner took his jacket off as Richard pushed Sara forward, who looked at him nervously.
"You want me to fight him?" Sara whispered, frightened. "I won't stand a chance!"
"Trust me." Richard whispered, giving her an assuring look. "Let the fight begin!"
Turner threw a punch as Sara dodged, trying to kick Turner but it barely fazed him as he grabbed her by her leg and slammed her to the ground as she groaned in pain. Richard tossed her a pair of metal sticks as Sara got up, grabbing her weapons and attacking Turner, roaring in rage.
Present
Roy was taking out a pallet of empty bottles before realizing someone was sneaking up on him as he whirled around and threw a red flechette as the Arrow caught it a few inches from his face, to Roy's shock. "I've been looking for you." He said after a moment of stare.
"You need to stop." The Arrow growled.
"You saved my life!" Roy yelled. "Made me realize it wasn't much of a life. But I could do what others couldn't or are too afraid to do. I could help you save this city."
"You're untrained." The Arrow disagreed.
"I can fight." Roy argued.
"You can take a beating; there's a difference." The Arrow shot back.
"Then teach me!" Roy begged. "Let me help the two of you."
"OK. You can help us but not by taking on the Triad or the cops." The Arrow gave in.
"Then how?"
"To do what we do, we need intel." The Arrow said. "You can be our eyes and ears in the Glades. That's how you can save this city."
"How do I contact you?" Roy asked.
The Arrow tossed the flechette on the ground. "Leave that in the alley wall, then we'll know to contact you." He walked away.
Fyff's House
"Sara, are you OK?" Chloe asked as she watched the TV with Barbara and Sara.
"Yeah but Nicky…" Sara turned to the bedroom. "Lately, she seems… depressed." She noted, worried.
"She used to love watching movies with us." Barbara said. "She's been like that before, when Ian died."
"Her fiancé, I know." Sara nodded.
"And now Hank's gone and he hasn't been answering our calls." Barbara noted, worried.
"Is Henry OK?" Sara asked Chloe.
"He's in regular contact with Jack but you know Nicky. She always has to look out for her brother."
"Where is he, anyway?"
"In Russia. That's all I know." Chloe shrugged. "They're keeping it hush-hush."
Unknowing to either of them, someone in a black hood was observing the three girls from a window in a distance.
Author's Note:
So, what do you guys think?
Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.
