Chapter 7

It was Saturday morning at nine A.M., more than a little early to be visiting a man he swore to hate and put in prisoner, but there was Captain Lance ringing the doorbell of the Queen Mansion. He was there because it was the right thing to do considering the man saved his life and the life of the men following him. Much to his surprise it was his daughter Laurel who answered the door.

"This is a surprise," said Laurel. "Why are you here, dad?"

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Are you going to cause trouble?" she asked.

"No," he huffed.

"Come in," she invited him.

Not paying attention to the new visitor, Thea came out of one of the many rooms. She stopped looked at Laurel then her father and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Dig is making breakfast for everyone. He says all that Oliver has in the house is already prepared food, so he and Lyla are making a quick drive to the local store to buy supplies than he's making pancakes. I think we are going to have something healthier for lunch. You have any requests?" she asked Laurel.

"Pancakes is fine just as long as there is coffee, too. I really need a damn cup of coffee," said Laurel.

"Oh, there will be coffee. Believe I need to talk to my brother about running out of coffee," said Thea who then looked at Lance.

"Pancakes okay with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine," he answered.

Thea floated off in the direction of the kitchen Lance assumed. He knew that this first floor had a dining room, a parlor, a living room, a study, and a kitchen. There were probably more rooms like a sunroom and so, but he had never seen them.

"I guess you are staying for breakfast, too," said Laurel.

"I came to check on him, maybe even talk to him if I can," said Lance.

"Captain Lance, it's a pleasure to see you," said Walter Steele, who just came out of what he remembered as the living room.

"Mr. Steele," Lance greeted him.

"I suppose you are here to check up on poor Oliver. It appears his nighttime duties are rougher than his daytime ones," said Steele.

Lance looked at the man with a slight expression of confusion on his face. It seemed that Walter Steele knew who Oliver Queen really was, too. Did everyone except the police know he was the Green Arrow?

"I thought I owed him that much," said Lance.

"You probably owe him much more than that. I know I do. He saved my life," said Walter, who then looked at Laurel. "I am going into the study. I want to get ahead on some business items so that Oliver's schedule is cleared for a while. Please have Thea ring me in the first floor study when breakfast is ready."

He smiled at Laurel, who nodded in the affirmative. Walter turned and left father and daughter in the front hall.

"So, how is he?" asked Lance.

"Two broken ribs, a fairly serious concussion, a strained knee, and a lot of bruises," she said. "He's in much better shape than he should be in considering a ceiling fell on him and an RPG exploding a little to close to him."

"Can I see him?" asked Lance.

"You looking to arrest him?" asked Laurel.

"No, I'm not looking to arrest him," sighed Lance.

"I'll check with Felicity to see if he can have any visitors," said Laurel.

"Miss Smoak is his gatekeeper?" asked Lance.

A hint of sadness entered Laurel's eyes. She hid it quickly, though.

"Felicity and Oliver are in a relationship with each other, a very close relationship. She is guarding him like a lioness right now," said Laurel.

"Oh," was Lance's response.

"Wait here and I'll go talk to her," said Laurel.

Laurel headed up the grand staircase. Lance waited. He knew that Oliver and his former vigilante team were on the outs with each other, but he wasn't surprised to see them here protecting him.

Thea drifted back into the room holding the cutest biracial baby. Lance looked at them.

"Say hello to Captain Lance, Sara," said Thea.

Baby Sara smiled at Lance then hid her face on Thea's tiny shoulder.

"Sara?" he said the name.

Thea smiled then said, "She is named after your daughter Sara."

"Really," he said. His daughter who once again had been resurrected from the dead, but he didn't get to see because some kind of time travel chose her to be part of team to stop a villain who was trying to change the time line and takeover the world. His daughter who he refused to accept as a hero, but that was what she was, just like her sister Laurel.

"I am babysitting. I'm about to go in the parlor and let her down. She loves to scoot along on these floors. Did you know she is just about ready to walk?" Thea said.

"No, I didn't know," Lance smiled.

"Do you want to join us?" Thea asked.

"He can't," said Laurel from the stairs. "Felicity gave her permission for you to see Oliver."

"Maybe you can join us when you come down," said Thea.

"I'd like that," he said.

Thea and baby Sara headed off to the parlor. Lance looked at his daughter.

"She's named after Sara," he said.

"I know. We mourned and honored Sara. We didn't get drunk and try to destroy the man who Sara loved. Yes, Sara loved Oliver, more than I realized. Nyssa and Oliver are her two great loves of her life," said Laurel. "I'll show you where the master bedroom is."

Laurel headed back up the stairs with Lance following her. They headed down a hallway then took a right and at the end of the hallway Felicity was standing outside a door. Lance noticed that she looked tired, as she stood there in her jeans and a casual shirt. Her arms were wrapped around her torso, her hair was in a ponytail, and her glassed were on. Considering how she looked she should be unintimidating but there was an aura of protectiveness about her that made him happy that he had his service weapon with him.

Laurel stopped and motioned her father on. As he passed she whispered, "Good luck."

Lance continued down the hallway stopping in front of Felicity, who he towered over. She raised her chin and pointed it at him.

"Oliver said he'd see you," she started, "but if you upset him, I will personally kick your ass. I will use my tablet to wipe out your retirement fund, put your bank account to zero, and make all your credit cards overdrawn. Do you understand me, Captain Lance?"

"I don't intend on upsetting him," Lance defended himself.

"I mean it, Captain Lance. He doesn't deserve to be hounded by the police when he is trying to save police lives. You have your reasons to hate Oliver and want to put him in prisoner, but when he is willing to sacrifice himself to save lives, including your own, you should maybe cut him some slack," lectured Felicity.

"Miss Smoak, I swear I'm not here to cause trouble," he said.

"I used to trust you, but not so much now," Felicity said.

"I understand that," Lance said. "Listen, there are plenty in this house with weapons. If I misbehave you can send them after me."

Felicity nodded her head then she opened the door and entered the master bedroom. Lance followed her. He was taken back at how large the bedroom was. Besides a California king bed there was a leather sofa that could fit four people, armchair, and loveseat hovering around a fireplace. There was also a large desk by the windows with the balcony. Even if all this furniture, there was plenty of space. He wished his apartment was so roomy.

Oliver was sitting up in the bed. He looked ashen with his shirt off and his ribs trussed up. There was only one small lamp on in the room generating little light.

"Captain Lance, where any of your men hurt?" Oliver asked him.

Lance watched as Felicity sat down on the bed beside Oliver and took his right hand in her left hand. Oliver closed his eyes as if he was fighting back pain or something.

"My men are fine. How are you?" asked Lance.

"Worst part is the concussion. It makes me nauseous, light sensitive, and I have a grade A headache," Oliver told him.

"Everything else is alright?" asked Lance.

"Fine," Oliver answered.

Felicity snorted bringing a momentary glare from Oliver, which was washed away by a wave of pain and nausea. Oliver closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead for a moment. Felicity glared at Lance.

"I'm here to see how you are and to tell you something. All the men of the Vigilante Task Force have resigned and returned to their former duties. I've also resigned my position heading the task force. I go back to the 12th Precinct on Monday. I don't want to chase your ass any more," Lance stated.

"My ass appreciates that, Captain Lance," Oliver said then attempted a smile but it turned into a grimace because of his headache.

Lance grimaced in sympathy. Felicity started to move, like she was getting out of the bed. Lance motioned her to stay.

"I can find my way out," he said.

"Thank you, Captain," said Oliver.

Felicity didn't speak. She just nodded. Lance turned to leave. He started towards to the door when he heard.

"Oliver, lay your head down in my lap and I'll rub your temple," she said softly to him.

He exited the bedroom leaving Felicity to tend Oliver. Lance smiled as he stood in the hallway. Thea had invited him to help her babysit. He decided he wanted to take her up on babysitting. Baby Sara was named for his Sara, so it was about time he got to know her.

Arrow

Four days in bed, mainly because of the concussion, had made Oliver beyond restless. He had reached the level of a two year old on a sugar high. Exercise, training, any physical activity was necessary or he was going to run a marathon in his bed. Luckily for Oliver, Felicity, who refused to leave his side, found a compromise since his ribs still needed rest and his concussion was better but not passed. He was going to give her a tour of his new base.

Driving his Maserati Coupe, Oliver parked in one of the QI shipping containers that hid the entrance he used for his bike. He locked the container up then he and Felicity walked to the side entrance of abandoned Star Lab warehouse that was built on top of the abandoned Star Lab underground lab. Oliver pressed in a coed to the keypad and the door unlocked. They stepped into the building but it was the building. This particular entrance was actually an elevator to the Oliver's new base.

With a quick jerk the elevator headed down stopping as abruptly as it started. The doors opened and the lights to the base automatically went on. Felicity stepped out of the elevator and a big smile crossed her face. What Oliver saw as a completed base, especially with all the items Lyla added while Oliver was laid up, Felicity saw possibilities.

She rushed over to the computers and other tech and started examining it. Oliver followed her.

"Good, usable, but definitely upgradeable," she said to herself. "Now A.R.G.U.S. console with a direct feed to their satellites, this I can live with and a Doppler radar."

She looked at Oliver and asked, "When did you become interested in the weather?"

"Lyla thought it might be interesting to track storms in and around Starling City, just in case this Damien Darhk uses the weather as his weapon against Starling City."

"That's actually makes sense. Barry has dealt with metahumans who manipulate the weather," said Felicity.

Oliver looked at his watch making Felicity frown.

"Dig is picking up your team from the airport," said Felicity. "They should be here soon. I look forward to meeting Dr. Holt."

"I have more to worry about than Damien Darhk," said Oliver.

"Ohh, that's right," said Felicity.

She sat down and started to type away on one his computers. Oliver watched as her fingers flew across the keyboard. A smile cracked his face. Within five minutes she had retrieved files from her protected cloud and opened them on his computer.

"John King, wealthy, very wealthy man, who specializes in coming into cities and helping to rebuild infrastructure and gentrifying neighbors," Felicity announced.

"And he wants me dead," said Oliver.

"Ah, that's because it's all a front. What he does is come into a city, underbids on infrastructure contacts in order to gain some control over what neighborhoods get to rebuild. Two or three dummy companies of his will go into poor neighbors, force people to either leave or sell their homes for cheap. They buy up property, which is then bought by the city at a much higher price. The properties he does maintain are highly profitable. He builds retail stores and apartment buildings on them," Felicity explained.

"He wants the Glades and I'm in his way with what I doing with QI," stated Oliver.

Felicity smiled then continued, "He also consolidates gangs and pushes certain drug dealers and suppliers out business replacing them with his own people and his own drugs."

"Where did you get all this information?" asked Oliver.

Felicity looked at him and smiled then said, "I've been working on finding out everything I can about John King and his businesses. I have tracked down dummy companies, fronts, drug connections, and more."

"I love you, Felicity," smiled Oliver.

She blushed. Oliver reached over and gently stroked her cheek.

"Send a copy of all the information you have on John King to the Starling City Police Department, the DA's Office, and Starling City Tribune," said Oliver.

"We don't have the time to deal with King solely, so we get others investigating him, too," Felicity stated. "I like that. Oliver, you surprise me."

"You mean I'm not a complete waste," he smiled.

"No, you are an excellent choice in mates... I mean dates not mates," said Felicity. "We are partners and we are lovers, but we aren't mates because mates implies a ceremony having taken place, and there hasn't been a ceremony or even a discussion of one. Okay, I'm not shutting up, am I? This babble stops in 3,2,1."

"A ceremony, huh? Have you thought much about ceremonies?" he asked her.

"You mean like the marriage ceremony that took place in Nanda Parbat between you and Nyssa Al Ghul?" Felicity retorted.

"That marriage doesn't exist. I am not Al Sahim Warif Al Ghul. I am Oliver Queen. Also, my intended really doesn't like me," he said.

"She seemed protective and obedient the last time I saw her," Felicity accused him.

"That's because I was trying to kill her father. She agreed with that," noted Oliver.

"Not buying it," pouted Felicity.

"Anyways, I don't remember there being a marriage license. It wasn't a real marriage and it has never been consummated," said Oliver.

Felicity smart phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and answered it. While she talked on the smart phone, Oliver made a mental not to have Malcolm Merlyn annul his marriage to Nyssa. Felicity hung up.

"Dig is here with your guests. He needs to know how to enter," she said.

"I'll go get them," replied Oliver.

As he turned to go over the elevator, Felicity called him.

"Oliver."

He turned and looked at her.

"Maybe I have thought about a ceremony once or twice," she admitted.

"Me, too," he smiled then he turned and continued to the elevator.

Arrow

Cisco had added a three D printer, two new computers, and some equipment Oliver assumed he used when building his toys. With the help of Felicity Michael Holt had six new upgraded computers dominating the command and control. His new team were making themselves at home. Lyla had a bed area sectioned off and five single beds setup along with a playpen for Sara and a long with a crib for sleeping. Lyla was getting the baby food ready fro Sara, who was seated in the highchair in the kitchenette area, while Oliver walked around in his black boots and emerald green leather pants and nothing else. He had just finished the salmon ladder and now was toweling off.

"Look, Sara, Uncle Oliver is all sweaty," said Lyla.

Sara laughed and made a sound that sounded slightly like her saying Olive. Lyla laughed at this.

"Johnny will love that Sara is trying to say your name," smiled Lyla. "I'll have to teach her Green Arrow next."

"Great, I'm going to be outed by your daughter," said Oliver.

"This is going to be so cool," Cisco excitedly crowed as he ran up to Oliver with a new arrow in his hand. "This is an EMP arrow. Once it hits its target it emits an EMP pulse which disables all tech in a thirty yard radius."

"Remind me not to use this around Felicity," Oliver said. "Put it in my quiver."

"King has the penthouse apartment in the Majestic Hotel. He has been besieged by media and police the last two days because of information leaked to the police, DA, and a local newspaper," said Holt. He smiled at Oliver. "You intend on visiting him tonight."

"I want him out of the city and gone so we only have to concentrate on Damien Darhk and the HIVE," said Oliver.

"I've tuned up some of the tech in your hood and," said Holt, who then grabbed a pair of high tech goggles that had a greenish tinged glass, "I believe these are an improvement to your mask. Cisco and I worked on it. These goggles not only act as a mask but when you touch the right side the lenses are night vision."

"Also," added Cisco, "if you touch the left side of the goggles the lenses becoming a targeting computer. It follows your eyes then you blink twice and it targets whatever you are looking at. It will then supply wind, distance, and temperature."

Holt tossed him the goggles. Oliver tried them on. He whipped his head around and ran over to the training area to do a forward roll on the mats. After testing them for several minutes, he stopped.

"Do they fog up?" he asked.

"Cold or heat, they will not fog up," said Holt.

"Well, they allow me excellent field of vision," he said then looked at Lyla. "How do you like them?"

"I like them. And their green," she smiled.

"Okay, it looks like I have a new high tech mask," said Oliver. "I'm going to suit up the rest of the way."

Arrow

Oliver used his skills both from the island and the League of Assassins in order to break into the penthouse apartment of the majestic. Disabling the security system, Oliver started to walk around the apartment. It didn't take him long to come across two of King's bodyguards. They were both dead. Oliver kneeled down and examined them. Each had a sword through their hearts. Sword. League of Assassins or the HIVE?

"Base," he whispered into the comm in his hood.

"Yeah, GA," replied Cisco.

"GA?" said Oliver.

"Yeah, Green Arrow," replied Cisco.

"I'm looking at King's bodyguards. They are both dead," said Oliver.

Suddenly, Michael's voice came over the comm and said, "Do you mind if Cisco taps into your lenses so we can see what you see?"

"You can do that?"

"Yup," answered Cisco.

"Do it," ordered Oliver.

"Turned the bodies over," instructed Michael.

Oliver did so. For several moments, Oliver stared at the backs until Michael spoke.

"Entry wound is in the back coming out of the front," said Holt.

"I'm moving on," said Oliver.

He continued through the penthouse until he stumbled upon a dead woman. She was blond around thirty and very attractive. It appeared that she had been stabbed by a sword, also.

"We have documented the death and wounds on our end," said Michael.

Oliver continued. He reached the main living area. There he saw another body on the floor. Walking up to it, he saw it was a headless body. Headless. And the head was nowhere to be found. Oliver examined the body.

"Oliver, is there somehow you can get a fingerprint for us to run?" asked Michael.

Oliver took the right hand and dipped the index finger in the pooled blood at the head of the body. He then grabbed a glass and made a blood fingerprint on the glass. Over the comm he heard Cisco making a gagging sound and Lyla chuckling. Oliver stared at the fingerprint.

"We are running the fingerprint through databases," said Michael.

It took several minutes then Michael came back on the comm.

"The body belongs to John King," said Michael. "It looks like someone killed him."

"I'm getting out of here. I'll be back at base in fifteen to twenty," said Oliver.

"We'll be here," said Michael.