Oliver Queen
Oliver tried to plan his explanation to Felicity and Thea as he travelled home. He wished he could take off his helmet; he loved the feeling of riding on his motorcycle without it. The wind going through his short hair, the feeling he could do anything, go anywhere, be anyone. But he couldn't. he had commitments and responsibilities, responsibilities that he was about to shirk to go off to another dimension.
Kara had offered to fly Oliver back, barely containing a huge grin, but Oliver politely declined. He had wanted the clarity and solitude of his bike.
There were times like this when Oliver inexplicably missed the island. He supposed it was something about the simplicity; it might have been hell, but at least life on the island had a clear goal, and defined villains.
Oliver passed the "Welcome to Star City," sign, and Oliver couldn't help grimace at the lie of it. That sign told visitors that Star City was a happy, colorful hub of activity. While Oliver believed that the city could become that again, right now it presented itself much like the sign, a dream covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime. As mayor, it was Oliver's job to clean it.
Lately, Oliver had secretly begun to believe that the job was bigger than him. He was starting to think he was superfluous. His team had become almost self-sufficient, and his city might be beyond saving. If this was the case, what was his role in Star City?
He supposed this was one of the reasons he agreed to go to National City with Kara. He needed a break— some time to put his head on straight. A clear, easy task like training this "Guardian," would present the perfect opportunity. Of course, when Oliver said easy, he meant an easy task for him.
Oliver smiled at the hell he planned to unleash on James Olsen, but it quickly turned into a grimace. He once again had an image of the Green Arrow standing in front of a building with a sign saying "Vigilante Institute."
How had his one-man crusade to save a single city turned into this? It was baffling that he, Oliver Queen, billionaire playboy and reformed spoiled brat had not only saved the world once, but twice. It was a struggle for Oliver to keep in mind that he actually had helped. Being surround by super powers had a tendency of making Oliver's fighting ability feel irrelevant. Yes, he was much more comfortable with the opposition in Star City. Here he fought human threats, threats that he could defeat.
Oliver soon found himself pulling into his parking spot outside of the lair. Oliver really hated that title, it felt like a comic villains hideout. But it was better than the Arrowcave, and he had to call it something.
Hopefully Thea was already there, Oliver thought as he pressed the secret button on the wall. He had texted both Felicity and Thea before he left Central City, in hopes to leave as soon as possible.
He was pleased to see both Felicity and Thea sitting in the lair, talking to each other in hushed tones. They both looked to Oliver as he walked in, and Thea stood up.
"Oliver? What's going on? You sounded weird on the phone," Thea said, walking towards him.
"I'm going to be leaving town for a little while, Speedy."
"Okay, well how long is a little while?"
"I don't know yet. As long as I need."
"And where will you be going on this vacation of yours?"
"National City. With Kara. She needs my help with something."
"Is she alright?" Thea said, worry in her voice.
"Yes! Yes, she's fine. She has a powerless friend she needs my help training."
"So you're going to an alternate dimension, a different earth, to help train some wannabe hero?"
Oliver felt his hand clench for a bow that wasn't there. "No, I'm going to help a friend, who is worried about someone she cares about."
Thea nodded pensively, sitting back down, this time on the stairs.
After a moment of quiet, Oliver looked to Felicity, "You have been uncharacteristically quiet."
"Well, what is there to say? Your mind seems made up," Felicity answered, in an undecipherable tone of voice. Oliver nodded in response, so Felicity continued, "And what about the rest of Team Arrow? And your job as the mayor?"
"Well, the team has been pretty self-sufficient for a while now. Dig can lead them. As can you," he said with a soft smile that only seemed to come out around Felicity.
"And what if they're not enough? What if we need the Arrow?"
"Then I can help," Thea said, standing up again. Oliver and Felicity both turned to her, shock on their faces.
"Speedy, I thought you wanted out?'
"I did. I mean, I do. But I can do this. I think getting out of town will be good for you, Ollie. And I can cover for you at work."
Oliver smiled at Thea thankfully. He would never stop being in awe and gratitude of his little sister.
"Oliver, this is your operation. How do you expect to leave? You started this—"
"And I left once before," Oliver cut Felicity off. An expression that Oliver couldn't read clouded her face as he continued, "And it turned out fine. I'm not leaving for good, just a little while. If an emergency comes up, I am just one trip to Central City and a dimension hop away."
"He calls it a vibe," Felicity muttered.
"I am not calling it that," said Oliver stiffly. Felicity smiled at the familiarity of the moment.
"Fine," she took a deep breath. "I get it Oliver, I do. I'm just… gonna go tell the team. Have a safe trip."
With that, Felicity quickly left the cave. Oliver almost started after her, but Thea grabbed his arm before he could.
"She just needs time to process, Ollie. You have to see what this looks like to her."
"What do you mean," Oliver said, his eyebrows knitting together.
"You said that you left before, right? Well the last time you left it was with Felicity. To live a normal life. With Felicity. You have to see how it looks for you to have used that as an example."
"Speedy, this is nothing like that, it was just an example!" Oliver said, becoming exasperated. Oliver supposed that he would always love Felicity, but it felt too far away now. Something felt different, and their dynamic had shifted.
Thea sat down on the stairs, "And I know that! And Felicity does too. She just needs a minute."
Oliver sat next to her, looking at her with confusion. "Why are you so okay with me leaving?"
"Because when I was having a hard time you let me go and sort it out. And you're my brother. I've seen you struggling, Ollie. I think it'll be good for you to get away from Star City. Do I wish that it was to the Bahamas you were going to as opposed to a different dimension? Of course. But as long as you're happy," Thea said, wrapping her arm through Oliver's and leaning her head on his shoulder.
"And…" She trailed off.
"And what?" Oliver asked.
"I think going anywhere with Supergirl might be the best thing for you."
"I don't—"
"No, hear me out. Ever since you were stranded on the island you've been plagued by this darkness you feel inside of you. Well, Kara has also been through impossible circumstances, and look at her. She practically glows! I think spending time with someone like that might help you."
"Speedy, I'm going to help her and her friend."
"I know that, Ollie, but that doesn't mean that you can't be helped along the way," Thea said with a small smile. Oliver didn't know how to respond, so he just sat with his little sister, the last member of his family, and considered what she had said.
Kara Zor-El
Kara could barely contain excitement as she waited for Oliver to return. She had gone on a rescue with Barry, and she had insisted on racing him back to Star Labs. They had tied, but Kara was pretty sure Barry had let it happen. Now, Kara was running on Barry's super speed treadmill as Cisco and Barry watched.
Impulsively, Kara turned at started running backwards, turning her head to smile and wave at Barry and Cisco, even though only Barry would be able to see it.
Oh! Kara knew what she wanted. Before Cisco could blink, Kara had left and returned, this time with a box of donuts. She stepped back on the treadmill, eating and running for another five minutes. She then went to join Cisco and Barry, this time at a human pace.
They both reached for a donut, only to find 3 left of the dozen Kara had gotten. They looked at her as she said "sorry," with a mouth full of donut and a huge smile on her face.
She couldn't help it, the grin hadn't faded since Oliver left for Star City. Other than Barry, her sister and friends at home had never met anyone from this part of her life, and Kara was beginning to realize that it was more important to her than she realized.
She had Kal, yes, but it was different. He had started so much earlier than she had, he felt like a supervisor or a seasoned veteran who gave her guidance. Clark was like her Obi-Wan! Or Yoda. But these people, her friends, were her equals. They were new, relatively untested. They had a lot of heart and a lot of gumption. Most hadn't been doing this for more than a few years, and they were learning and adapting just like she was.
She beamed at the word friend. Oliver had said yes, they had to be well on their way to becoming friends. Kara felt incredible. If she had been human, she might have said that she felt like she could fly.
Kara was spinning in one of the lab's chairs when Oliver returned, a worn green bag on his shoulder. He was in casual clothes, but had his quiver and bow on his back.
He went straight to Barry once he entered. Kara could hear him say to Barry, "I will be back soon. If it feels like it's taking too long, come check. And, Barry, I'm leaving a lot of people I care about—do you think,"
Barry finished Oliver's thought, "that I can check in every once and while? Of course Oliver. Now go and have a good time," Barry said, clasping Oliver's shoulder.
Oliver smiled at Barry and turned to Kara, "You ready?"
Kara's beam returned, "Absolutely."
She took out the gadget that Cisco had given her, and opened a portal. "After you," she gestured to Oliver. He grinned slightly, waved at Barry, and walked through the gateway.
Kara gave Barry a hug, and followed after Oliver.
As she stepped through the dizzying portal, she was greeted with something she probably should have expected.
Oliver was standing in the middle of the DEO, with about seven agents surrounding him all with guns aimed at him, including Alex. Oliver, in turn, had his bow out and three arrows notched and ready to fire.
What a great way to start this little experiment.
