"Oliver, I'm Bruce Wayne. You can call me Bruce or Mr. Wayne" Bruce said condescendingly.
Oliver brushed it off. "Bruce, I believe you know somebody, a friend of mine"
"Laurel?" Bruce suggested "I do. She is a very special friend to me too".
"Look, man, do you know who took her?" Oliver pleaded.
"No, but I trust Commissioner James Gordon and the GCPD to handle her disappearance smartly" Bruce uttered in a dismissive tone.
Oliver did not stay to duke it out with Bruce Wayne. He had bigger fish to fry than his ego. He got back to his hotel room. Thea was sitting at the desk. "I visited the police commissioner at the station today claiming to be Sara. I have a lead on this guy that Gotham City calls, 'The Joker'. Can you believe that name?"
"Yes," Oliver responded shortly.
"Anyways, he's bonkers and he's been obsessively looking for Laurel for like weeks. I think he found her somehow. He's really dangerous and he is most likely hurting her, Ollie" Thea looked insecure.
"Speedy, I need you keep your thoughts straight because I won't lose Laurel ever again". Thea could see tears beginning to form in her brother's eyes.
"Oliver? Don't tell you're in love with Laurel still" she said, somewhat nervously.
"Oh my god" Oliver stuttered. "Thea, the night I thought I lost her, she told me that I was the love of her life. She said she knew she wasn't the love of my life. I let die believing that she wasn't the love my life and I have just been barely getting by for the past two years without her. Thea, I love Laurel so much. I never stopped. Dinah Laurel Lance's life was the very best part of my life"
"Ollie, Laurel is still out there. You have the chance to tell her what you're telling me" Thea exclaimed excitedly.
"Where is The Joker's base of operations?' Oliver demanded.
"The police have had trouble pinning this nut to one location" Thea replied in defeat. "But maybe Batman knows..." she offered.
"So tonight, you and I Speedy, we find Batman," Oliver said affirmatively.
Green Arrow and Speedy were zipping through Gotham City on Oliver's motorbike with one goal: finding Gotham's black-masked defender. They stopped outside a building with the label Arkham Asylum. The two hooded archers discussed a plan to corner the Dark Knight for the information they needed.
"I just hope his ego isn't the size of yours, Green Arrow. That would serve no benefit to us" Speedy commented. Oliver and Thea argued quietly until Oliver nocked a bola arrow to his bow and moved into a firing stance. Thea's eyes widened as she saw Batman forcibly moving a man toward the building. The man turned around and swung a punch at Batman, which Batman blocked and then swung twice back. After the Dark Knight had delivered the man to the asylum, Oliver was hit in the head with some kind of weapon. His forehead above his eyebrow opened up. The weapon flew back into Batman's hand.
Batman hoisted himself up to Green Arrow and Speedy's level with a grappling hook and Oliver lowered his bow. Batman spoke "I don't want this city's streets running wild with vigilantes in the night. Whatever crusade you two are beginning ends tonight".
Green Arrow ignored him. "Batman, where does The Joker operate out of? I need to know now" he cried out.
"Absolutely not," Bruce fired back, "The Joker is criminally insane. You two don't have what it takes to bring him down, I am even still struggling to defeat him and the two of us have been fighting for years. You two should just go home".
"With all due respect," Thea said, "Green Arrow and I are not leaving without the information".
Batman huffed and pulled his Bat Stungun out of utility belt. He attempted to fire it at Speedy, but she fired a magnetic trick arrow which ripped the gun from Batman's hand. Batman let out an angry sneer. "I don't want to hurt the two of you" he called out them.
"We don't have to hurt each other" Green Arrow suggested. Batman charged forwards and Green Arrow slid underneath his legs. Batman's face collided with Speedy's compound bow. It did not do much to orient The Dark Knight as he was protected by his mask. Batman stumbled into a squatted position and he reached for his stun gun which was still stuck to Speedy's arrow. His gloved hand touched it, and then felt severe pain in his back and blacked out.
He woke up laying on the sitting room couch of Wayne Manor. He was still in his costume, minus his mask. He lifted his head and found he was in the room with Alfred, Barbara, and the two archers. He panicked.
"Calm down, Bruce. We are not going to tell anybody you're Batman" Oliver said.
"It makes sense that Laurel would hang out with you while in Gotham; she is a known adrenalin junkie" Thea added.
"Oliver?" Bruce questioned. Oliver nodded. "and who's your friend in red?'
Oliver and Thea lowered their hoods. "This is Thea Queen. My little sister" Thea extended her hand and Bruce took it and pulled himself to standing position.
"So, Laurel's your friend and you think The Joker has her?" Bruce clarified.
"Yes," Oliver confirmed.
"We think that too" Bruce admitted. "I have experience fighting The Joker. I will rescue Laurel. You should know Laurel is happy here in Gotham. She hasn't mentioned a desire to return to Star City".
Oliver moved both his eyes sideways and bit his lower lip. "Okay," he finally said.
"Can I offer either of you some coffee?" Alfred interjected in order to diffuse the situations growing awkwardness.
"No, thank you" Thea declined quietly on behalf of both her and her brother.
"Listen," Oliver said "You and your team can have Laurel once I know she is safe. But I loved Laurel first, Bruce. And I am going to help you rescue her"
Bruce rubbed his lips. "Let me think about it" he replied. He got up to walk by Oliver, but Oliver stopped him by gripping his shoulder.
"You take all the time you need to think about it, Bruce. In the meantime, don't get in my way of doing what is necessary to rescue Laurel" Oliver said.
Thea and Oliver were leaving Wayne Manor after staying for a brief dinner. A framed photograph stopped Thea in her tracks. She saw Bruce and Roy standing with their arms around one another in what appeared to be a boardroom. "Ollie..." she breathed, pulling her brother back a step. "Bruce knows Roy".
Before Oliver could find the right words, Thea was marching back down the hallway. "Mr. Wayne,... Mr.-Mr. Wayne" she yelled. Oliver ran after his sister.
"What is it ?' Bruce asked, annoyed.
"How do you know Roy Harper? He is in a photograph with you hanging in the front hall" Thea declared.
"I do not know who Roy Harper is," Bruce told Thea truthfully.
"Bullshit" Thea called "He's got his arm around you in the photo".
"Mr. Queen, Ms. Queen, please," Bruce said wearily. "Alfred, show them their way out".
Back in their hotel room, Thea sat at the foot of her bed, looking unsatisfied. "What's wrong?" Oliver asked, concerned.
"Ollie, if Roy is here, in Gotham" She stopped and Oliver kneeled down next to her.
"Thea, after we rescue Laurel from The Joker, we'll get you the closure you need with Roy" Oliver promised "We won't leave Gotham until we do"
Laurel woke up and couldn't move her mouth. She sat straight up and looked in the full sized mirror The Joker had placed there to mock her. Her teeth were yellow and grotesque. The corner's of her lips were drawn up into a permanent smile that she could not move. She skin was dry, bleached and damaged and her long blonde hair was gone and replaced with a short black bob. Blood leaked off her lower lip. She tried to talk, cough, or even swallow, but these simple reflexes were now impossible. She was very uncomfortable and every time she breathed her chested ached excruciatingly.
The Joker walked in. "Good," he said. "You're awake, Dinahmyte. We have so much work to do". He handed her a gun and the metal felt ice cold on her feverish skin. "I took the liberty of supplying your trademark. Your gun doesn't shoot bullets; it shoots dynamite pellets. Neat, right?" he cackled and it sounded like a roar in Laurel's head.
Dinahmyte walked into Arkham Asylum with The Joker in her ear. She approached Jeremiah Arkham. The Joker knew that Arkham was planning to waste the building as he was unstable.
Dinahmyte looked at him with just her smile. "What? Who are you?" he asked.
She extended her hand and he took it. She led him to where The Riddler was sitting, incarcerated. She pointed to his keys. He took them out with a shaking hand and unlocked The Riddler's room. "Mr. Nigma, this beautiful woman wants to see you".
The Riddler looked up and Dinahmyte's blood ran cold. "This is justice for Roy Harper you son of a bitch," she thought to herself. She lifted her gun and pulled the trigger. The dynamite pellet hit Edward Nigma's stomach and after a minute, his digestive system painted the walls. Dinahmyte locked eyes with Doctor Arkham who nodded his head. "Boom" he uttered.