Chapter Four

Roy followed four men into the warehouse. Of course, he took the scenic route traveling from roof top to roof top and in through a broken widow. Making himself comfortable on a beam, he prepped his bow with an arrow with a small explosive charge, as below him the four men he followed hooked up with six men. They were there to exchange money for drugs.

"Mortimer, you have the money?" asked one of the six men.

Mortimer snapped his fingers and one of his men tossed a backpack onto the floor in front of the six. A man came forward, unzipped the bag, and took out a stack of twenties. He tossed it to the man who first spoke. He caught the money and smiled.

"I have the last supply of vertigo for you," he said then he waved one of his men forward.

The man brought a briefcase forward and dropped it at Mortimer's feet then he returned to the group.

"Any chance of getting more?" asked Mortimer.

"The formula died with the Count, although there is someone calling himself Count Vertigo but he's in jail. You can't make vertigo from prison," he said.

Before the conversation could continue Roy shifted on the beam and prepared to fire his arrow. Unfortunately, the wood he balanced himself on was old and rotten and cracked before he could fire. The sound of the cracking wood drew everyone's attention and they pulled their weapons and began to fire. Roy felt the wood beneath his feet crack further and break from the bullets and a burn in his side from the grazing of a bullet. He made a jump to another beam. It was his only chance not to fall to his death.

As the men fired on Roy they didn't noticed a green clad archer entering the warehouse. Oliver fired four arrows in quick succession each hitting their mark which was the shoulder of men firing at Roy. His fifth arrow was the case with the vertigo and exploded destroying the drug. After that he attacked the remaining men taking them out with a combination of grace and ferocity.

Roy steadied himself on a new beam and watched Oliver cleanup the men. He watched as Oliver efficiently took everyone out then he turned and looked up at Roy. Roy couldn't see his eyes from beneath his green hood.

"Arrow," Roy said.

Oliver didn't reply but quickly notched an arrow. Roy didn't noticed that the new beam he was on was another rotten beam. The wood snapped and he started to fall, but Oliver fired his arrow sending a life-saving line to Roy. By the time Roy made it to the floor of the warehouse, Oliver was gone. He didn't wait to talk.

Roy shook his head, "Okay, that was strange."

Outside of the warehouse Oliver got on his motorcycle and he took off. He had removed the tracker from the bike, as well as the GPS. In no way was he going to let anyone follow him and ascertain where he was going to stow his quiver. He was on his own once again until he could deal with Malcolm Merlyn and Ra'a Al Ghul. Until then he was going to stay away from those he loved and considered family. They were not going to be put into danger because of him.

Arrow

"I'm sure it was Oliver," stated Roy.

Diggle worked on patching his wound, as Felicity, Lyla, Laurel, and Captain Lance watched. Once Roy had returned from his patrol, he signaled to Diggle that he needed help. Since it was nearing midnight, the small group made their way down to the lair leaving Thea and Ray Palmer to face midnight with the crowd.

"Someone should tell Thea that her brother is alive," Roy said between grimaces as Diggle stitched him up.

"No, not yet. We have to find out what happened to Oliver and why he hasn't come to us," said Felicity.

"I agree. If Oliver isn't contacting us, it is for a good reason," said Laurel.

"Shall I assume that the Arrow is back on duty?" asked Captain Lance.

John looked up from his first aid work and smirked.

"I think we can assume that Oliver is back to being the Arrow and back to carrying all burdens all by himself," said John. "Whatever happened to him it has put him back in island mode."

Felicity walked over to her computers and started working. John finished up with Roy then walked over to her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"He's good at avoiding being seen and found when he wants to be, but I'm better. I'm going to find him, Dig," she said.

He smiled and then sighed.

"Whatever you need from me I'll do," said John.

Without taking her eyes from her computers, Felicity nodded. She knew that she could trust Roy and Dig. Laurel was more complicated because she suspected that Laurel still had feeling for Oliver and Captain Lance just wanted things to be like they were before he knew it was Oliver who was the Arrow. She had to depend on Team Arrow to bring him home.

Arrow

Oliver definitely knew how to avoid CCTV cameras when he wanted to avoid them. He also knew how to avoid people. Long ago he had setup a third sight which he purchased when he still had money. It was a loft in one of the worst neighborhoods in the Glades. There he had access to a freight elevator that allowed him to bring his bike into his loft space, which was part workout area, part research center, and part bedroom. This was a home for the Arrow not Oliver Queen. Oliver knew that other than to deal with a few issues, Oliver Queen didn't exist for now.

After taking off his leather uniform and hanging it up, he grabbed one of the many burner phones he had lying around and called Walter Steele's home number.

"Hello," answered Walter.

"Walter, it's Oliver. I'm back in town," he said.

"Oliver, son, I'm glad your back. I have some good news for you. I recovered part of your trust fund, including stock in what is now Palmer Technologies. All in all I recovered roughly seventy million dollars," Walter explained.

"Walter, I can't thank you enough," said Oliver.

The money would allow him to operate as Arrow fulltime without a problem.

"You just need to come to my office and do some paperwork," he said.

"How about Thea?" he asked.

"Thea asked me not to pursue recover of her trust fund. She told me that she had enough money from a trust fund that Malcolm Merlyn had setup for her," he answered.

Malcolm Merlyn. He'd need to deal with him eventually but not now. Now it was time to get the attention of the League of Assassins. With the Arrow back in town they'll send an assassin or tow to investigate. He wouldn't be surprised if it was his old friend and associate Maseo or Nyssa. They didn't matter. He needed to face Ra's Al Ghul again and this time defeat him.

"How about Tuesday around lunch? We can catch up and do business," said Oliver.

"I look forward to it, Oliver," Walter said then he hung up.

He had begun his effort to face Thea from the League of Assassin.

Arrow

Ray, Felicity, and two technicians reviewed the look of the hologram exosuit of A.T.O.M.. If Ray agreed with the final changes, it was going into manufacturing.

"Red and blue, I like the colors," smiled Felicity.

"It should add five to ten percent in strength and excellent mobility and agility," said Ray.

"I tell you that mobility and agility will be important. You can't just use superior firepower," said Felicity.

Ray looked over at her with a smirk, "Like the Arrow? I know you've made a study of him."

"Um not really a steady just a keen interest. He has saved Starling City several times and he is very, very, agile," she said then blushed.

"I see," smiled Ray. He looked down at the tablet in his hands and made a thumbprint on the approval section. He then tossed it to one of the technicians. "It's ready for manufacturing and Alpha testing."

"Yes, sir," replied the tech.

The two men left the lab leaving Felicity and Ray. He looked over at her. Although they had shared a great deal of time together, including a kiss he didn't regret, he still felt that she was keeping a great deal of herself secret from him.

"Dinner?" he asked.

"Tonight?"

He chuckled, "To start with. If it goes well maybe we can try again and again."

"I have something to do tonight," she said.

"Cancel it. Come to dinner with me," he said.

"Ray, I really have something to do," she said.

The something to do was looking for Oliver. She needed to find him, to talk to him, even to hold him.

"Okay then tomorrow night and don't say no," Ray said.

"Alright, tomorrow night," she agreed.

Arrow

Facial recognition software picked up nothing. Roy and Diggle tried to get to a crime scene where the Arrow was spotted but he was gone by the time they got there. Laurel and Wild Cat went out patrolling as they did together on occasion and found no sign of him. Oliver was a ghost in the city.

Felicity spent hours at her computers generating more searches. If she could get one small lead on him, she could trace it all the way back to him. And she was dying to see him. Roy and Diggle entered the Arrow Lair.

"We completely missed him," Roy said with anger in his voice.

"He took out a group of gangbanger who have been intimidating small businesses for money. The police were putting them in cars and ambulances when we got there," said John.

Felicity swung around in her chair and stared at them. She wasn't happy.

"He knows us to well. We have to start thinking out of the Felicity box in order to find him," said Felicity.

"The Felicity box?" grinned Roy.

"Yes, the Felicity box," Felicity said defiantly.

"Okay, how?" asked John.

"We have to set a trap for him."

Arrow

Captain Lance stood on the roof wearing plainclothes and a winter overcoat. He was waiting for the Arrow, who contacted him. Looking out over the city from the rooftop Lance exhaling sending a stream of breath into the air.

"Hello, detective," said Oliver, who landed on rooftop without a sound.

Lance turned around and faced him.

"You've been missing," he said.

"I was almost dead, but I'm better," he responded.

"Who almost killed you?" he asked.

"Ra's AL Ghul," answered Oliver.

"League of Assassins. They are a nasty bunch even if my daughter is part of them," said Lance.

"I need to face him again," said Oliver. "Once they realize I am alive they will send assassins to check me out. When that happens certain people are going to need fulltime protection," said Oliver.

"Miss Smoak is one of them, right?" Lance replied.

"I'd like them out of the city somewhere safe. Can you help me with that?" he asked Lance.

"I can try. What about ARGUS?" asked Lance.

"Amanda Waller usually asks for too high of a price for her help," said Oliver.

"If they agree to it, I can work something out," said Lance.

"Good," said Oliver.

Oliver turned to leave. He started to walk towards the edge of the roof when Lance stopped him.

"I know who you are," he called to him.

Oliver stopped walking. He liked his anonymity with Lance. It made things easier, but now that was gone. He took a deep breath.

"I know you don't like me, detective," said Oliver without the voice modulator.

"I don't hate you anymore and I do admire you. That island changed you for the better," said Lance. "I know you paid a steep price for the change, but you really are a better man."

Oliver took a deep breath. He didn't know how to respond.

"Protect them, detective. I won't be able to," he said then pulled out one of his grappling arrows and fired it then swung away leaving Lance alone on the roof.

"Yeah, that island change him a lot," mumbled Lance.