I know, I know, it's been awhile... I had a bit of writer's block but here's the next chaper... Reviews are appreciated!

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"Put me down!"

Bart lowered the struggling blond and she spun around, her fists beating against his chest ineffectively.

"How could you, Bart? How could you?! How could you betray Oliver like that? After everything he's done! He saved you!"

He grabbed her arms. "Calm down Chloe! Calm down! I had to do it. I had to!" He shook her slightly. "He was killing you!"

She yanked herself away, backing away from him. "Killing me? Bart, you're delusional!"

He raised a hand, face crumpling at her retreat. "Chlo... please. Don't be like that. Don't you understand-?"

"No, you don't understand Bart. Oliver is trying to stop the evil people are spreading through the world like Lex Luthor and you've turned around and are now helping Lex?" She raised a hand, pointing a finger. "No, you have to bring me back to Oliver. Now. We have to go back. We have to fix this before it's too late."

Bart stared hard at her. "I saved you. I saved you from Oliver and all you have to say is 'Bring me back. Lex is evil.' Don't you know that I know that?" Some of his old cockiness came back. "Lex Luthor has nothing on me. I didn't give him any info that he needed, that he didn't already have. I don't care about Oliver. I don't care about his pissing contest with Lex. I care about you. By the time Lex tries something, we'll be long gone. I can take us to the other side of the world like that-" He snapped his fingers. "You never have to worry about anything ever again."

She had inched away from him until her back was against the door, hand fumbling for the doorknob. "Bart you sound like a lunatic. You think Lex is just going to let you walk away from all this? He's a maniac." She wondered whether she'd be able to get out of the room and lock the door before he could get to her. Close. It would be close.

Before she could make a move, the door swung open behind her and Lex's silky voice reached her ears. "You wouldn't have made it, Chloe." He pushed her back into the room. "It is good to see you though." His hand lingered on the small of her back as he guided her towards the middle of the room. "You weren't thinking of leaving without saying goodbye, now were you?"

She spun, raising her eyes, preparing to use the full force of her powers on him. "Let me-"

"Go?" He smirked.

Nothing. She could do nothing against him. She could barely see his eyes behind the heavily tinted glasses. They looked like normal sunglasses except the slight greenish tinge when the light caught then a certain way.

"I've been watching you, Chloe. Keeping tabs, if you will, after your little run-in with my men in London." He bent his head, his lips millimetres from her ear, his voice dropping low and seductive, "You're a hard woman to track down, Miss Sullivan."

She felt a breeze and then she was on the other side of the room, Bart standing protectively in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, Lex. You said that after all this, Chloe was mine. You said, I could have her free and clear. That was our arrangement."

Lex cocked his head, indifferent. "Was it? I don't remember. You don't happen to have that contract on you, do you Bart?"

"Bart!" Chloe called out but it was too late. The taser hit him from behind and he crumpled to the ground. She turned to face Lex fully. "What are you going to with me?"

He spread his hands. "Put you in a front row seat in the downfall of the Justice League."

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"Chloe?" Oliver pushed open the door but found his office empty. His breath froze in his throat and his chest tightened. "Chloe? Chloe?!" He searched the room quickly.

"Boss?" A.C. rushed in. His eyes darted around the room, seeking out potential dangers. "What's wrong?"

Oliver turned, eyes wide. "She's gone. Chloe's not here."

"What d'you mean she's not here?" A.C. questioned, moving into the room.

"I mean, she's not here. She's not hiding in the closet or under the couch cushions. She's just not here." He threw out his hands helplessly.

"And neither is Bart."

They both turned to the doorway where Victor stood.

Oliver frowned. "What?"

"Maybe they stepped out for a coffee?" A.C. offered weakly.

Oliver shook his head. "She wouldn't. She knows that she has to keep out of sight. Especially after what happened last time."

"What about Bart?" Victor mused.

A.C. nodded. "He has been a bit jumpy lately. But it's Bart, man. He's not exactly mastermind material. What would he do with Chloe? Where would he take her?"

Before the other two could reply, a knock on the door made them all jump.

Oliver's eyes darted from Victor's face to A.C.'s. They both retreated into the back bedroom to suit up as he moved to the front door. He pulled it open to find the last person on earth he expected on the other side.

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"What? Couldn't get tickets ringside and had to settle for HD?" Chloe snarked, glaring at Lex from where she was sitting.

He smiled back. "Ah Chloe. Always a quick comment. Can't have you getting in the way to save your boyfriend and his band of circus freaks."

She froze. Did Lex know-?

"I don't know how much money he paid the Green Arrow to get him to work for him but now that's all over. I know where he's keeping them and after tonight Luthorcorps' not going to have any problems with them ever again."

Mentally, she sighed in relief. Bart obviously hadn't told Lex everything. At least he'd kept his mouth shut about that one fact. "What are you going to do, Lex?"

He smirked. "Why? Are you going to beg for their lives? Try to barter for them? I'm going to need a little more than just words if you're going to change my mind."

She closed her eyes in disgust.

"If you're not in the mood, I've got something a little more exciting." He pressed a few buttons on his console and a screen lowered in front of them. It clicked on and sharpened to a view of the apartment complex the Justice League had been staying in.

Her breath hitched and she mentally kicked herself for reacting at all. She hoped Lex hadn't noticed but when she glanced at him and saw his smirk, she closed her eyes momentarily.

"I know, I know, 'How could Lex have known?' Bart lied to you. He gave me everything."

She glared back at him.

"What? No quick quip? Then we'll start the show." He turned back to the screen. "Begin Operation Ares."

"Yes sir."

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Lana fidgeted, clasping and unclasping her hands. "Mr. Queen."

"Oliver, please, Miss Lang. Do you want something to drink? Tea or water?"

She shook her head. She hadn't even entered the apartment – she just stood in the doorway, eyes wide with fear, jaw clenching and unclenching. "There's something I have to tell you."

"At least come in. It's safer." He moved back to let her in. For a split second when he'd opened the door, rage had filled him. Rage that Lex would use his own wife to get the Justice League. But then the fear in her eyes changed his mind.

She entered, eyes darting around. "I can't stay long. He thinks I'm at lunch with Nell. I need to talk to you about Bart Allen."

Oliver's swallowed hard. "Where is he? Where's Chloe?"

"He had this plan to get Chloe and he was using Bart as a means to an end. He knows everything. About the Justice League. About Chloe being infected. You have to find her. You have to protect her."

He nodded. "We'll get her back. But what about you? Lex could find out about this meeting, Lana. We can protect you."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. But you have to get Chloe away and keep her safe."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I-I don't know."

"I think you do," he pressed. "Lana, you came to help me, help us find Chloe."

"Okay. I think she's being held-" Before she could continue, the building was rocked with an explosion. Her wide eyes met his. "Oh god. He's here."

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"We gotta go, boss!"

Victor and A.C. came bolting down the hallway in full gear.

Oliver pushed Lana gently towards them. "Get her out of here. I'll be right behind you." He turned to Lana. "Lana, please-"

"Don't worry. I won't."

He moved into his room to get his own gear on. Glancing out the window, he watched the team coming in the front door. No doubt another coming in the back and judging from the regular whoomp-whoomp of rotors overhead, he could bet there was another coming down the stairs from the roof. Good thing he had an exit strategy.

When he got to the exit point, Victor and A.C. were already clipping a harness onto Lana. "Ready?" he asked. "What's the hold-up?"

A.C. clipped himself in ahead. "We were just checking to see if Bart had told Luthor about our exit strategy. Just waiting for you, boss."

Oliver permitted himself a short smile, barely visible under his hood. "So I could be the guinea pig?"

"Nah. Too much of a pansy to go first." He jumped and slid down, landing lightly on the ground. He raised a hand and opened the com. "All clear, boss."

Lana slid next.

As Victor prepared to slide, the door behind them, the first team entered intent on capture, or worse.

"Go!" Oliver yelled. "I'll take care of them!" He turned, slamming the first into a wall, hitting the second in the face, then grabbing the third by the throat. "Go!"

Victor took a last look then jumped.

Oliver threw two more back then ran towards the line, hoping he'd given Victor enough time to get down. He jumped, grabbing for the line and sliding down. He landed hard on the ground, rolling awkwardly. Getting back up to his feet too late, realizing that a fourth team had gone around. Bart had told Lex.

They were surrounded.

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