A/N- After numerous requests, I had taken down the chapter 7 to make edits on the main fight scene in this chapter. I would like to thank highlander348 for assisting me and listen to me vent. I would also like to thank highlander348for accepting the position of being my beta for the rest of this story.
Lance, walked into CNRI to see both Laurel and Thea sitting on the couch discussing The Hood. The son of a bitch who had the gall to pin him to his own police cruiser and all but commanding him to assist him in taking out a gun-for-hire.
"What were the fighting styles he used, Laurel? Perhaps we might be able to narrow down where he has been if we operate on the assumption he trained in those martial arts in their country of origin."
"Apart from archery? Combat Sombo, Muay Thai and Wing Chun Kung-Fu. So, if we are going by regions, you have Russia…"
Quentin felt a sense of pride for his two remaining daughters. Laurel had been able to dissect and analyse The Hood's fighting styles, while she was in a life or death situation, not to mention her seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of martial arts. While Thea was eager to learn and was helping her surrogate sister attempt to profile their common foe with the SCPD, in a way that they never would have thought of.
A formidable duo. Sisters in arms. His Daughters. He found his mind wondering if Sara was there, would she have been working side by side with Laurel and Thea?
"Which is pretty obvious with what you were mumbling about when I got you home," Thea noted, with thinned lips.
Quentin gritted his teeth. After hearing about what happened to his Baby Girl, That Green bastard would be lucky if he even made it to a cell. He shook his head. No, a quick death would be too easy for him. Lance wanted him to rot in the darkest cell available and throw away the key.
"Or South East Asia and or China." Laurel finished her sentence. "That's a large list of places he could have trained if he even trained there at all."
Lance moved from the doorway, and sat down next to them, Thea offered him either the Banana bread, cake, or a variety of fruits.
"What's with the fancy spread, girls?" He asked as he helped himself to a slice of the decadent chocolate layer cake.
"Payment from people who couldn't afford legal counsel, so they paid us back with food," Laurel answered. Then pointed at the table with an assortment of homemade desserts and baskets of fruit. "Take them all to the precinct. God knows we can't eat all of this food."
Lance nodded appreciatively, as he wiped some of the chocolate off his face with a napkin. "Hey, I know that you," He said looking at Thea. "Will be going to the auction, I was hoping that our friendly Birds will come, and keep an eye out. In case we can't see or are too busy evacuating."
Laurel looked at her dad, quizzically. "What's up? We normally come to you."
"Yeah, well. There's an assassin going around, and The Hood is involved somehow." He said with a hint of desperation. "The point is; I need people I can trust to either take them out or slow them down, enough for us to catch them."
The truth was, following the clean up after Brick was caught, the SCPD, had lost too many cops, and their reputation was tarnished. Having his girls as their back up, lends the SCPD, some form of legitimacy with the people of the city.
The girls nodded as he continued, as he handed his daughter a small shoe box. "Between, The Hood, The Triads, and now this Hitman, I need to make sure that my two girls are safe."
Laurel opened the box to reveal two Glock 26's sat in the small cardboard box. "Dad?"
"Strap them to your boot or something." He looked between his only living daughter and a girl who has somehow, wormed her way into his heart. A young woman who was a daughter to him in all but name. "Both of you."
Thea took the second pistol, studying the firearm in her hand, before looking at Detective Lance. "I already have a bow."
"It's a backup. If you're disarmed, or whatever. Call it a piece of mind for me." The girls nodded, as Laurel hugged her father. "The serial numbers are scrubbed off. No one can trace the gun back to you two. They are clean. It's also a hair trigger."
He then closed his eyes and then opened them to look at his girls. "A pistol and a hair trigger will beat a bow and arrow. Especially after your last run in. Promise me if and when the time comes, neither of you won't hesitate to shoot to kill?"
Both nodded but didn't know if they had it in them to end a life or kill again, in Laurel's case.
"Look, girls. I'm not gonna lie to you, The Hood approached me. He was the one who told me about this assassin. So, if either of you two feels like your life is in danger, you shoot to kill. No one will fault you for protecting yourselves against known killers. "He then looked at Laurel. "Especially after what he did to you, baby."
Both sisters glanced at each other and he knew that they were having a silent conversation. He assumed it meant that this was the opportunity they were looking for; to have Robin Hood arrested.
Oliver watched as Thea was talking to their mother and Walter. His eyes scanned the area, to see someone, he hadn't expected at the auction. Laurel. She was talking to her father, and both of their eyes were scanning the location.
He supposed she was there to support his family, and Walter at the auction.
Her eyes were watching something occur, Detective Hilton was escorting Patel out of the premises. He knew that Lance was unlikely to pass up the opportunity to protect people, even if the source was from someone he didn't trust.
But Oliver knew from researching; The Turf Wars, he realised that Black Canary was receiving inside information, and despite the Detective's preaching of never going outside the law to get justice, the man would blur those lines if he could help save people.
And so, Detective Lance had colluded with a vigilante— The one that Oliver had killed. The detective was a lot more heated than he usually was when he had met The Hood. But both of them knew he couldn't divulge that information. Eventually, Lance had reluctantly accepted his help.
It was one of the things he always admired about Quintin Lance. He had morals and ethics but was willing to cast them aside if it meant that his city was safe. Just as he was attempting to do.
He then walked over to his stepfather, Walter. It was something that he still had to get used to. "Walter, I heard on the radio, that someone was hunting down people looking to purchase Unidac Industries."
Walter gave him a polite smile. "Yes, that seems to be the Starling City's Police Department's leading theory. At least judging by their presence here, and Detective Pike's questioning."
Oliver was surprised that Lance hadn't questioned Walter. Perhaps, with his bond with Speedy, by virtue of Laurel, he had to pass the job to an impartial colleague, in order to not make waves. This was something he hadn't anticipated, the lack of hostility or aggressiveness from the Lance patriarch.
He knew that the Detective didn't like him, especially with what happened to Sara, but he was at the very least, trying to be amicable when around Thea or Laurel.
"I think that we should be careful. My mother already lost a husband." He persisted, he couldn't risk his mother losing another husband, and Thea, another father. Despite her newfound maturity, he would always see her as the little feisty girl who was always on his heels.
Walter gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I appreciate the concern, son. But your mother isn't concerned, she invited your sister."
Oliver spotted Thea, talking with his mother and signalled Digg to follow. As he approached his family, Oliver spoke. "Digg, I need you to escort my family to safety." He then looked around for Laurel, his other family. His home. But he couldn't see her. "Where's Laurel?"
Before anyone could answer, a gunshot was heard, and a waiter was killed. Lance had tackled Walter to the ground. When he looked back to his family, he noticed Thea had already disappeared.
She likely fled for safety. He supposed.
He rushed up the stairs, to his duffle bag that was hidden in the rubbish bin. He pulled out the bag to reveal his green hood.
The Hood smashed into the location Deadshot was sniping from. He ducked and rolled to cover, avoiding the spray of bullets. Eventually, he found cover behind a thick concrete support column. Every so often, he would poke out of cover and let loose several arrows at the hitman.
"Drop your weapons!" A modulated female voice echoed the deserted wing of the hotel, that was obviously in the middle of heavy maintenance.
The Hood scowled. The Red Archer's student was here, the one the Bratva warned him about.
The new Birds would be, no doubt, seeking revenge, just like he had for Akio with Shrieve.
Deadshot chuckled. He seemed undaunted by the unannounced third party. "I admire your work, Hood. Why don't you extend me some professional courtesy?"
"I don't murder." He said as he saw the dying body of the woman who saved his baby sister, how she had died slowly, and alone.
"You've taken lives" Deadshot scoffed.
"Both of you have." A second disguised female voice said. "Match made in heaven." He assumed this one was the Red Archer.
"I kill for the good of others…" The Hood felt the need to defend his position to the two female vigilantes, for a reason he couldn't explain.
"You tried to kill someone. Someone who protects the little guy!" The first modulated voice said as Deadshot was looking around trying to find the three vigilantes.
The Hood gritted his teeth. The Red Archer was out for blood. Not that he didn't deserve it, but he had a mission to atone for his family's sins, and The Red Archer wasn't going to take that away from him, he didn't know her, nor did he owe her his life.
"I don't take kindly to attempted murder, especially when someone does it to me!" The first voice said. This made The Hood feel uneasy.
Apparently, Black Canary was more resilient than he had assumed. And now she brought back up. He hadn't anticipated a reprisal from the Red Archer for a long while. Let alone, an ambush with the thought-dead vigilante.
He poked his head out again, to see Deadshot move towards some scaffolding, that was disturbed, likely by one of The Birds.
As the hitman looked around, The Hood fired an arrow, impaling him in the eye.
As he hadn't heard his other foes, for a few minutes, as he walked out into the open, he saw Black Canary. Standing above Deadshot's body with a scowl pointed towards him.
She looked different. Gone was the platinum blonde wig, and she had a new suit, it was still completely black, but she had fishnets around her shoulders, and coat-tails fluttered behind her, reminiscent of wings tucked behind her.
Not unlike, an angel, or a bird.
"It's time to face justice for your crimes, Robin Hood." She said curtly.
"Not interested, Pretty Bird." As he pulled an arrow from his quiver, he felt an arrow pierce his shoulder, through the back, causing him to drop the arrow in his hand with a pained grunt.
The Red Archer.
"Turnabout is fair play." The Red Archer said mockingly before her voice became something akin to a growl. "My sister gave you a warning, and you threw it back in her face, buy trying to kill her! You are going to rot in prison, and Brick will have a new playmate in his cell. You can come willingly or with a bruised body and ego."
"This is your final warning! Surrender and lower your hood or I will yank it off! Robin Hood this isn't Sherwood. If you wanted to do some good in the first place you should have supported a charity." He heard Black Canary menacingly.
He remained grounded to his spot like she had a few weeks ago as he considered his options. He wasn't about to cower to them. He had to fulfil his father's dying wish, something that neither of these vigilantes would understand.
When they realised, he wouldn't give up his crusade, he was flung back through the scaffolding behind him, by a high-pitched sonic boom.
As he dazedly stood up, he noticed that the two foes had escaped, though a token from Black Canary remained, an incessant high-pitched ringing in his ears. All of a sudden a bola came spinning out of the darkness wrapping around Oliver's legs and causing him to trip and hit the floor hard.
He grunted as he looked from the ground he watched as the silhouettes of Black Canary and The Red Archer advanced upon him. He fought his sense of vertigo and opened his eyes to see The Red Archer holster her bow and pull out a sword. Next, to her he saw Black Canary pull out a cable tie, The Hood pulled out a folding knife and quickly cut the bola wrapped around his legs while reaching for a trick arrow in his Quiver and flicked a switch that set off a timed flash-bang.
"You made your choice. Hope you enjoy bunking with the buddies of the men you killed." The Red Archer said mockingly.
"The SCPD is going to have a nice chat with you when you regain your senses." Black Canary said as she inched closer.
As the flashbang arrow exploded, The Birds shielded their faces. He knew he had to flee, there was no time to take either of these two out, before the army of police barge into the abandoned wing.
While they were temporarily distracted, he fled down the fire escape, once he was down one floor, and about to exit through a door, a red arrow narrowly missed his hand. He looked over his shoulder to see The Red Archer slowly making her way down the stairs, with her bow drawn. Her partner must be minding the body of Floyd Lawton until the police would take over.
The Hood swore under his breath, as he heard Detective Lance telling his men to converge to the west stairwell.
The Hood jumped down the stairs, narrowly avoiding another couple of arrows. He could hear them, whizzing, as they narrowly missed him. He vaguely heard the projectiles hitting the concrete wall, and dropping to the floor.
He promptly opened another door, dropping a timed flashbang, before seeing a pale Diggle. The man was clutching his shoulder and leaning against the handrail.
The Hood ran to a pillar, snapping the arrow in his shoulder, before helping his Bodyguard to safety.
He could hear the many footsteps that belonged to a small contingent of police officers, followed by their moans and yelps as the flashbang arrow exploded before their eyes.
He kicked open a large window, shattering it into small shards. He then quickly shot a grapple arrow to a nearby rooftop. He picked Diggle over his shoulder and fled into the darkness.
It was then, when he reached a nearby ally, that realised that The Birds had planned to incapacitate him and leave him to the cops.
Like he left her for dead.
The Birds had wanted to let the SCPD have a win. A chance for the police to win back some of the respect back, that they have lost in the last year.
They will have to be disappointed. If Black Canary wasn't going to go down easy, neither was he!
Lance swore under his breath, as he and Hilton removed their kevlar vests. He had returned to the scene where The Hood had murdered Floyd Lawton. The rogue vigilante had seemingly changed his MO.
He turned to see Officer Perry walking towards his daughters, dressed in what he calls 'their uniforms.' He walked over to see what the young officer was doing.
Perry walked up to The Birds of Prey with a slight aura of trepidation and awe. Amongst the men and women or had served and watched his eldest daughter fight off and defend their city against the Brickwell and his cabal and the newest batch of officers, held both female vigilantes with the highest of esteem.
Perry smiled awkwardly as she asked if she could have a selfie with them. Of course, being the women they are, they graciously accepted.
He rolled his eyes to the back of his head and had to try to hold back a chuckle, as Speedy grabbed the officer's phone, and started taking photos.
He sighed, as more officers started to want signatures or photographs, he chuckled lightly, before bellowing at them to go back to their work, asking if they were police officers or teenage girls attending a boy band concert.
Oliver walked away from Digg, who had just woken up and took a swing at him. The bodyguard looked around the bunker Oliver had created. "You're the Vigilante?"
Oliver nodded, as Diggle continued. "You lost your mind on that island."
Oliver shrugged. "Possibly. But I also picked up a couple of things as well."
He needed Diggle to understand his mission. One thing he had learned during his tenure in hell, was that when you lose, you learn from your mistakes, and learn from your enemy.
Black Canary had almost died, she should have died, if not for her partner. Someone she could trust implicitly to cover her back. Her sister? That's what the younger woman hidden behind the crimson hood had said. She Had provided triage and helped the Pretty Bird regroup and prepare for their next fight.
And they took him unawares. And now he was going to follow in her sable coloured boots, and procure himself a trusted ally.
"Like what?" Digg asked, sarcastically. "Archery?"
"Clarity," Oliver answered, ceasing Digg's sarcastic questions. "Starling City is dying. It's being smothered by the criminal elite, who only care about their bottom line, and not the people they trample over."
Diggle scoffed. "Someone… Some people already have that covered. Black Canary, The Red Archer they took down Brickwell, The Bratva and the corruption in this city's justice system."
Oliver shook his head. "The Birds, they have tunnel vision, they see there's an issue like I do, but they are either too idealistic or stubborn to realise that they are treating the cancer, not exercising it."
"And what?" Digg asked. "You're what? Gonna be a one-man army? You lost against those two!" He said, pointing at Oliver's bandaged shoulder, and the purple bruises that he received from being thrown harshly back by Black Canary's scream, that forced him to collide with the scaffolding.
Not long after he had helped Digg survive, the continual ringing in his ears had slowly begun to ebb away.
"No. I want you to join me." The man was special forces, he could see the way he postured himself before they met. He carried the same air of martial etiquette that Slade and Maseo had held themselves with. "Special Forces, out of Kandahar, it's perfect."
"You speak as if you were a soldier, but you're not." The bodyguard said, raising himself from the impromptu bed. "You're a criminal. And a murderer."
Oliver returned home, he knew that after Diggle had calmed down, he would see the truth. He sighed as he walked through the vast mansion, that still didn't feel like home, as he walked up to the stairs, he felt the familiar unnerving feeling of his hairs standing up.
He turned to see Laurel standing there. "Where were you?" She asked, as her eyes carefully scanned him for injury. He was thankful that the bruises and his puncture wound were hidden beneath his dress shirt and blazer.
"What are you doing here?" He hadn't expected her to come near him for a long while.
Laurel sighed, then spoke. "I heard about the shooting. I already saw Thea, and I wanted to make sure that you were too."
"You did?" He asked. He didn't sense any deception in her eyes, but as Tommy has repeatedly pointed out, Laurel, as he had changed. And looking into her beautiful green eyes, that were filled with apprehension, and hurt, showed him that she hadn't changed too much. She was still the caring girl he fell in love with years ago.
"Yeah." She nodded. He noticed that she had masked her hurt, from him not believing her. "I knocked on the door, and I found a family terrified for you." She looked like she was about to say more but stopped herself.
"Oh..."
"Oliver, are you so self-centred that you don't care or think that others care about you, and love you? Especially after you avoided being shot at? Oliver, you only just got home."
Oliver nodded. He would have to remember that he wasn't alone any more. That he had others who needed him. And trust Laurel for unknowingly pointing out one of his flaws as The Hood. First, Black Canary, showing him the necessity of a team, and now Laurel reminding him he was more than the hood, he wore.
"You're right, Laurel." He said. "And I'm sorry. Not just for this, but for using what you said to guide me, and perverting it. I shouldn't have embarrassed you, not hurt you like that." He said thinking about his father's memorial and the Queen Consolidated's applied science division.
Laurel looked stunned for a moment, before hiding it behind a mask, as she did earlier. "I made peace with your selfishness a long time ago, but your Mom, Walter and Speedy. They don't deserve that. You have to think of how your actions affect others, it doesn't happen in a vacuum."
"Thank you for coming." He said softly, to show her that he meant it.
He then watched her leave, he wanted to beg her to stay. To apologise properly, but he let her go.
"That was harsh." He heard Speedy say, as she gently rubbed his back.
She had unwittingly snuck up on him again. Was he losing his senses?
"You okay?" She asked softly.
Oliver nodded numbly. "Sure." He said, sounding more vulnerable than he has in years, he's not sure how he feels about that. "Second time tonight a close friend of mine has given me a good dressing down."
Thea sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, he forced himself to ignore the pain, and enjoy being with his baby sister. Oliver was reminded how she used to do that when she was younger when they would watch cartoons or a movie and she would always rest her head on his shoulder. It was one of the small things he missed during those five years.
"If it helps..." She said, breaking the contemplative silence. "Laurel says a lot during the heat of the moment. But it means she cares enough about you, if she didn't, she wouldn't have said a word."
Oliver nodded. It was a hard day, losing to The Birds, women with the best of intentions, but misguided and have been getting in his way.
Then being taken out to the woodshed by both Diggle and Laurel. He was just glad that Speedy still had his back.
"I am sorry about not telling you and the others that I was fine."
Thea nodded. "You've been alone for a long time. It will take a while before you can adjust, and remember that you no longer have to only ensure your safety." She then patted his forearm gently. "There is also this remarkable technology called a cell phone, you can talk to anyone, regardless of location." She added with a cheeky smirk. "Perhaps, you should invest in one?"
That was the Speedy, he remembered from five years ago. His feisty smart-ass sister. "Nice, Thea." He said with a slight chuckle. He then looked at his little sister and gave his sister a playful scolding. "No more sneaking up on me, Speedy. Or I will have to rename you, sneaky."
Thea grimaced. "Uh, no." She said, before giving him a mischievous smile and a wink, before ascending the stairs to find her room.
