The Lair


"So, what did you tell Detective Lance that allowed us to leave?" asked Harry, after a long walk that took them out of the Glades, and to the Downtown area of Starling City.

"I just told him something." said Oliver, not trying to be very descriptive of his conversation, leading Harry to believe that there was a bad confrontation between the two of them.

"I don't get it, you told him something, and he just let us go, well, I know for a fact you didn't say we took those guys down, otherwise we would be in jail right now for murder." said Harry, as the two walked down the sidewalk to Harry's motorcycle.

"I told him what he needed to know, that two very strong men in hoods came in, and took them down, they were wearing green and red suits, and had a bow and a sack of arrows each, that is basically the truth. We are two archers." said Oliver.

"Sorry for me not being happy, but do we really need to get word of us being out there fighting crime already? It's only been two days Ollie, and I'm pretty sure we need to wait a bit longer for us to start the fight to save the city."

"Harry, it's not going to matter, it's not like they're going to send a swat team after us for one little incident, if anything they'll just being searching for the archers who killed the thugs." When Oliver said that, one thought came over Harry's mind.

"Why were they asking about the Queen's Gambit and what we knew? You don't think..." started Harry, but then Oliver gave a look telling him to knock it off.

"They were probably thinking we had some sort of prototype on the yacht that went down, so they could excavate it, and which they couldn't, because it hasn't been found, or at least that we know of." said Oliver.

"I don't know, something just doesn't seem right here. Two days after we arrive, we're kidnapped, and interrogated to find out information about the yacht, that doesn't sit well with me. Someone is hiding something, I just have that feeling." said Harry, and Oliver sighed as they reached the motorcycle.

"I know your gut hasn't lied to you yet Harry, but I think you're wrong on this, and if you're driving this, how am I getting home?" asked Oliver, and Harry made sure no one was around.

"Leave that to me..." said Harry, and pointed to the motorcycle. "You can drive it. I have my own ways of getting around."

"Let me guess, you want to have a race? You'll be on the rooftops and I'll be driving."

"How about it? We can just say it's training." Oliver nodded and hopped on the motorcycle as Harry climbed up to the roof of the building.

"Well, I want to show you the Lair... but you think you can keep up?" asked Oliver.

"You know, I was wondering the same thing. I think I know where you're going, let's see who can get there first."

"You're on."


The Queen Industrial Inc. Steel Fabrications plant had been abandoned for a few years now, and this seemed like the perfect place for the two's plans. To set up their equipment and suits, so they didn't have to constantly hide it. The building had enough of a space and height that they could easily train, and look at the list's names.

"So, the Queen Industrial Plant? I would have thought... oh who am I kidding? I couldn't have thought of anything better." said Harry, as the two walked to the door of the Industrial Plant.

The whole moment made Harry feel like a kid in a candy store, as all he saw was sweet goodness, or in Harry's case, one hell of a training spot... and Oliver probably noticed the look on Harry's face, as he smiled at him, and Harry had he been something like a cartoon, or the commercials, where the bird went crazy for cocoa puffs, he'd be bouncing around the room.

It was just pure heaven for Harry, which if anyone had seen what went on in the mind of Harry Potter they might wonder if the guy was sane... this was perfect for them, but they were going to have to do some work.

"So, what do you want to do?" asked Oliver, not wanting to take control, as when it came to training, Harry was the best, but when Harry took his jacket off revealing a tattoo going down his arm that resembled tribal ink.

"Let's get this place into shape... I'd say we get some tools and knock some walls down... literally." said Harry, and Oliver nodded, before Harry noticed the bag Oliver left for them to use. It was full of tools. He smiled brightly, before walking over to the bag, and pulled out the tools such as sledge hammers and so on.

"Alright, let's get to work." said Oliver, and then Harry nodded, before making the first hit on the wall.

Harry put up a couple lights as the sun started going down, and he looked down at the tatau... it was fully down his arm, just a little bit above his wrist, and three distinct animals on it, the shark, the spider, and the eagle... The Shark equaled combat and healing... The Spider equaled stealth... and the Eagle equaled endurance and hunting... together they made the perfect predator, that's what Harry had to become on Lian Yu, a predator, someone the criminals, assassins, military, and so on would be afraid of, Harry had to become something else... he became the Red Arrow... and Oliver became the Hood, all that Harry knew was that Oliver didn't like the idea of being called the Green Arrow or Arrow. Harry didn't mind being called the Red Arrow, he was just that... the Red Arrow... at times Harry didn't think there was no Harry Potter... all there was, was the Red Arrow... there was the mission, the mission and nothing else but the mission.

Survive... keep moving, stop the criminals who threaten the innocent, and get off the island. That was his mission, he had made a promise to Oliver, and Oliver had promised him that they'd get off the island... no matter what. They made it off... but now, his next mission had began, and Harry found himself wondering... would he have to be what he was on the island again? He didn't want to be that Harry again... he didn't want to be a ruthless killer. He didn't enjoy killing those people, he had to do it so he could survive and get home... to Starling City. Home for him, was Starling City... home, was his "brother" Oliver. The two had faced multiple things and survived, they had survived more than anyone else in Starling had ever faced.

"Well old man, guess it worked out didn't it? You were a smart guy... I did have to embrace my dark side... but not this time. Not ever again."

Harry noticed Oliver was doing pull ups on a pipe hanging on a rack. "Going right into the work are you?" asked Harry, as Oliver went to using one hand as he did the pull ups.

"Better to keep in shape, than losing our skill. You sure seem upset, what's wrong?" asked Oliver, as he lifted a couple more times, as Harry scratched the back of his head.

"Well, god knows what will happen if we lose our touch for archery." said Harry, before Oliver stopped for a second, and shook his head as reply, and Harry saw a large part of the room seemed to go downstairs. Harry walked over to it, and walked down the stairs, and saw the room, before having a large grin on his face. "Oliver! I found our spot to keep our equipment!"

Oliver dropped down from the pipe, and walked downstairs, seeing the room, and nodded, before his arms went under Harry's armpits, and over the shoulders, trapping Harry.

"Don't you know I can break out of this, you've tried this so many times." said Harry, before doing a backwards headbutt, making Oliver dizzy for a second, allowing Harry to break free, and turn to Oliver, who came out of his daze.

"Well, wanted to see if you remembered." said Oliver, rubbing his nose. Harry thought for a moment to think of what Oliver was going to do in a second, and Oliver seemed to already be one step ahead, as Harry was slammed into the ground.

"Okay, I see how it is..." said Harry, chuckling, and then spun around, and put his arm out, tripping Oliver as he spun around, and Harry launched to his feet, before Oliver started laughing.

"Well..." said Oliver, and then got up, before the two started to walk upstairs. "What were you talking about?" Harry showed his tatau.

"I was thinking that if I ever have to do what I did on the island I might as well go back there... I'm not going through that again Oliver, it nearly destroyed me, I nearly went over the edge."

"Then let's make sure we don't have that incident again. But however, you need to set up your training regime as you are starting to look a little... weaker."

"Sorry for being hit in the stomach with a gun Oliver, it's not like I could have instantly gotten free and stopped him. You know I could have... I have to look weaker than what I really am." said Harry, and threw his hands in the air. "So glad I'm not in England."

"Well, you do know that we are basically famous here, as you were on the island with me, and now living with the luxurious Queens." said Oliver.

"Yeah, but I'm not always in the news, or anything." said Harry, as the two reached the pipe Oliver was doing pull ups on.

"Yet... I mean, once we start the list, we will be on the news, a lot." said Oliver, and Harry smiled.

"I would rather be on the news as an unknown archer rather than regular Harry Potter being on the news." said Harry.

"Yeah, but knowing our reputation, we'll be on the news both sides of our identities." said Oliver, and Harry stood below the pipe, before cracking his knuckles, and taking a breath, and jumped to the pipe, and grabbed hold of it, before doing a full 360% front spin.

"Well, I guess it's inevitable, with the fact we just got off the island. And us being right on the spotlight for the next few days, before it starts to die down a little." said Harry.

"It might just be a little longer than a few days." said Oliver, as Harry did a large of amount of pull ups.

"It will die down though, so who cares, as long as I can be kind of normal, I'll be nice and happy." said Harry, before seeing that Oliver was looking at his phone.

"Should we get some supplies for this place, to make it a little more, oh I don't know, brighter in here?" asked Harry, and Oliver nodded.

"I'm calling the house to let them know we'll be home late." said Oliver, before getting on his phone. Harry closed his eyes, as he propped himself on top of the pipe, and sat down on it.


"I still don't understand why you persist on doing that." said Oliver, as Harry hung from the pipe like a bat.

"I like the blood rushing to my head, helps me think." It was true, he did this a lot, because it helped him think about stuff. Right now, he didn't have anything to think about, so, that didn't make any sense for Harry to be doing this.

"And you vomit afterwards," said Oliver, and Harry laughed, before looking at the watch Thea had given him, it was oddly cold against his skin, even though it was on him for almost a full day now. "What's your record anyway?"

"One hour of doing this, right now, it's been about fifty minutes, going on fifty-one." At first, when Harry started this, he couldn't stand even five minutes, but since the time passed, he found he could stay this way for a longer amount of time, each amount of time he did this about five times, before he was able to do it longer.

"Is it because you have some desire to be a bat or something?" asked Oliver, and Harry chuckled, before closing his eyes.

"No, I just figure..." Harry started to swing slightly, like a paddle-ball. "That if the time came, and I was taken captive, and held upside down for a large amount of time, it would help, if I was able to take the blood going to my head. You should do the same."

"I am not being a bat for an hour." Harry gave an scowl, before rubbing his now sleak jet black hair backwards, revealing his scar, that was suddenly not faded whatsoever. "It un-faded."

"How is that even possible?" asked Harry, confused, scars only faded, was it possible for it to un-fade, or get refreshed?

"I don't know, I think the blood is all against it," said Oliver, as Harry looked at the watch again, fifty-two minutes, only eight minutes left before he could stop, if he was going to indeed, vomit.

"Sure... like that's even plausible." said Harry, and then Oliver went out of the room for a second, before coming back in with two old, worn out looking rectangular crates that Harry knew exactly what was inside. "So, I take it instead of waiting a few days, we're going straight into it?"

"No, not until we're sure of our first target, and totally off topic, you're turning green." Harry swallowed air, and felt better, as he closed his eyes again.

"I don't know why you think that it's an assassination style target. That's what you act like it is. We're saving Starling City, not taking money from it. We are not assassins, and if that what it turns to, I'm out," said Harry, taking in a deep breath.

"Yeah, like we'll take money to take the list down, and Harry, that's the thing about you... for someone who doesn't want attention, you sure know how to get it, and you want to be normal, when you act different than other people, you're basically the next evolution of man kind."

"I want to be normal. And I'm not the next stage of evolution, just the result of being famous very young, and end up being thrown on an island for five years. I'm just a different person, what's so wrong with that?" asked Harry, before finally opening his eyes, and seeing it had one minute to go before an hour was up. In between the two conversing, it seemed to be like two minutes before the other spoke, so it didn't really help the mood, right now, Harry felt like a vampire about to have a wooden stake be jammed in his heart.

"When are you going to let them know you're alive? Or are you going to at all?" asked Oliver, before Harry swung back and forth about ten times, until he had enough momentum and speed to reach the pipe, and got right side up, and dropped down onto the ground, and stood there for a moment, as the blood went out of his head.

"I haven't really figured out a way to tell the Ministry yet... if I even do what am I supposed to say to him? Oh, hey guys, I don't think you know this, but I'm your savior that died five years ago in the Pacific Ocean, but in fact didn't, and was stranded on an island for five years, and I've been speaking to nobody for the whole time, not even wanting to reveal that I was alive to you? That would probably cause more problems than necessary," said Harry, walking over to Oliver at a table with the crates set on it.

"It will come to you, just give it enough time... Who knows, it might be good to see your friends again. You may just go back to England if you missed them enough." Harry caught the last sentence, and the way Oliver said that, it made Harry feel weird.

"You think I'm going to leave just because of two people?" asked Harry, and Oliver kept quiet for a moment. "I have a family here Ollie. You, Mrs. Queen, Walter, and Thea. The Queens are my family, Ron and Hermione are just memories of my old life. They aren't going to be in my life, I already decided that, they don't need to know that I'm an archer who fights crime, that'll really raise me up higher than I already am."

"Alright," said Oliver, not saying anything else, keeping quiet, and Harry felt an odd mood fall over the building. Oliver wouldn't say anything, but he knew there was something Harry wasn't saying just yet, but he knew if eventually he kept pressing the matter Harry would tell him what the problem was.

"Let's go back to the manor, they'll be expecting us anytime now." Oliver nodded, before the two closed up the building, and drove to the Mansion.

Harry lightly held the necklace in his hand as he remembered the moment he truly became The Red Arrow.

"Harry... you... you killed him."