What If?

Making The Call

Chapter 21

A Wildcat Cometh!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea you see within this story. Now.. Let's roll on!

It had been a long month since the fall out between Oliver and his mom, and with Raisa as well. To say that things had not been pleasant would be an understatement. He was barely even speaking with Thea and Tommy as well since then too. It hadn't helped that Thea stomped on his foot and hit him on the back of his head after she found out what he did. The apples she also started to leave laying around where she knew he'd see them definitely didn't help either. Nor the t-shirts with apples on them or the blasted documentaries on apples she kept somehow finding. Needless to say, Oliver either kept as much to himself as possible in his room or stayed outside somewhere on the grounds to avoid his sister, their mom, and Raisa. He had even tried the medications for the depression and PTSD the doctor believes he has a few times as well but hated how they pretty much made him feel useless. Something he was sure he had mentioned to his mom once, but his memory was a bit foggy in that area considering how out of it he was thanks to the meds at the time.

He was at least however taking the one for the infection from both the cut on his arm and the tattoo Slade's thug had given him on the Amazo. Even though he felt he didn't need it, but decided to do so anyway since it would at least get rid of one issue for him. Nicely enough he did realize he wasn't feeling as irritable from those two areas anymore. Currently however, he was focused on a mission that would at least help resolve one of the issues he had in his household. Said mission? Locating wherever the heck Raisa was and finally apologizing. Looking back on what he did with her and later his mom really made him feel ashamed of himself.

He finally managed to find her in the mansion's laundry room separating the whites from the colors. He cleared his throat a few minutes after he realized how into her work she was. The sound startled the woman and she turned around to see who it could be who would do that. "Oh! You startled me there!"

Oliver only smiled at her and to her immense surprise hugged her. Something that also alarmed her quite a bit as he hadn't exactly been the hugging type since he'd been back. "Mr. Oliver? Is everything okay?" She asked him worriedly when she pulled back enough to look him in the eyes.

It warmed his heart considerably to hear her call him that. "I could lie about how things are okay, but I'd be lying. I just... I just wanted to hug you Raisa. Hug you and apologize." His tone was sincere and serious, something that honestly had tears welling up in the older woman's eyes and made her initiate the hug this time.

"Oh Mr. Oliver, it warms my heart greatly to hear this from you." Which was something she honestly wasn't expecting him to do considering how he could be back in the day. But this right here is a clear sign to her on how much he has changed to become the man she knew he could be if he truly wanted.

"Your warmed heart is my happiness ma'am." He told her honestly with that smile still on his face and feeling a weight off his shoulders from her accepting his apology.

He looked past her to where the dirty clothes were and then looked back at her again. "How about I help you out with this?" She looked at him in surprise before turning to look behind her and realizing what he meant.

"Oh no Mr. Oliver, you don't need to do that." Though secretly she wouldn't mind seeing how he would be able to handle it. If only to spend a bit more time with him even if doing the laundry took a bit longer than expected.

"I don't need too, but I want too. Besides its time someone helped you out when you do so much for us." He stated reasonably making her swell a bit more with pride.

"Oh very well then Mr. Oliver. Let's get started!" And so the two did and in the end, Raisa would be pleasantly surprised at how well a job he did. When she later asked him about it, he simply told her that someone he knew in Hong Kong pretty much made him do his own laundry as she wasn't about to do it. Leaving Raisa to really wanting to thank the woman who helped, if even just a little to grow up while he was gone.

Later that night...

Oliver was out in the Glades in full gear, prepared for a night of taking down crooks and drug dealers so that others could be just a bit safer. He was glad he hadn't taken any of the meds that day that would have left him feeling useless as he was looking to relieve a little tension. Though admittedly today had been one of the better days he'd had in awhile due to the time he spent with Raisa. And currently he was taking a little break on a rooftop near some gym when he heard a commotion going on below him. Looking down he saw three guys harrassing one lone man. He was debating on whether or not he should get involved when the lone guy started to fight the three on his own, but during the fight one of the men pulled out a gun. Forcing the fighter to hold up in his arms in surrender. He could somewhat hear the cocky thug yelling at the lone man about how he was out of luck this time.

Quickly firing off an arrow into the man's hand that held the gun and causing him to howl in pain from it. He then made his way down as quickly as he was able too and headed straight for the thug and would be shooter. "You're lucky I didn't aim somewhere more fatal, now get your friends and get out of here." his voice modulator made him sound way more menacing and it was just the thing he needed too when dealing with wastes of life like this.

"Agh! Oh yeah weirdo!? What are you gonna do about it when there's only one of you and 5 more of me? Huh!?" And true to his word, five more of his friends joined in on the fun while the other two were still thankfully knocked out.

"Well, this is a fine mess to be into tonight." The hassled individual muttered a bit loudly to himself.

Oliver looked over at the man and noticed that he looked rather lean with a clean shaven head. The fact he seemed not too bothered about the whole thing suggested to him that he'd been in a situation like this before. "It could always be worse." He decided to say.

He got his own look from the man in return for that. Who obviously wanted to ask how it could be but didn't think he wanted to know. As is he still had enough on his mind after that whole fiasco with his partner during his own time as a vigilante.

"So boys, what do ya say to a little house cleanin'?" The man Oliver shot in the hand earlier asked.

"Ooh yeah I'm down! That way we can take over baldy boy's gym for ourselves! Yah ha ha ha!" A purple haired punk called out and looked to be high if his twitching and red eyes were any kind of indication.

That received a chorus of agreements from the remaining thugs. "Well you heard 'em fellas, I guess its just not your lucky night." The lead thug said with a menacing smile on his face as they started to advance.

This action prompted Oliver and the man he saved to look at one another. "So two on 6 then?" Oliver only nodded an agreement and they too walked towards the thugs.

What followed was a rather brutal fight that would leave the bunch considering another safer career or a long hospital stay followed by time in prison for their past crimes. After it was all over, the two victors looked at one another again. "Hey man, thanks a lot for helpin' out. But take it from me, what you're doing in that get up? Just stop before its too late." He hoped he could get through to the bow wielding man who just helped him out.

Oliver only looked at him for a moment before responding. "Was happy to help, and if you're trying to save me then don't bother. I'm already commited to this no matter how long it takes me." The other man could hear the seriousness in the archer's voice. Course it helped that the modulator was still on so he would have sounded pretty darn serious either way.

He sighed to himself in resignation after a few minutes of thinking as the archer went to tie up the thugs for the cops to come and get. "Look, you obviously need a little training and as much as I don't like the thought of anybody doing the work of a vigilante, why don't you come inside and I'll help you out with a few tips as a way of payment for tonight?"

Oliver looked over at the man before responding. "I don't do what I do as payment."

"I get that, trust me. But what could it hurt huh?" Oliver had to admit that the man had a good point.

"If you insist, maybe while we're doing that you can tell me about why you seem so against vigilantism."

The lean man nodded his own approval as he obviously didn't mind sharing that even if it was a bit on the painful side. As to him, maybe if he told his story it would get this guy to stop. "By the way, I'm Ted Grant but sometimes I get called Wildcat. Or well, I used too anyway." He reached out with one of his hands for the archer to shake.

Something Oliver did as while he might be a jerk at times, he wasn't going to be rude to the offer of a handshake. Some of what his parents tried to get through to him did manage to stick after all. "Nice to meet you." Was all he would say.

Ted motioned for him to follow and as the two walked into the gym the thugs wanted, Oliver realized that this was actually in fact the man's gym itself. Ted also made a quick call to a police station for them to come pick up a few thugs near his gym. "By the way, if you don't mind my asking. Just who are you? And don't worry, being a former vigilante like you I'm not about to betray any kind of secrets." As after all, it'd be likely that nobody would believe him anyway!

The tone in his voice showed Oliver that he was being sincere in what he was saying. And feeling that he could trust the man, he lowered his face mask and as well as his hood. "Huh, well I sure as Hell wasn't expecting that." Was the shocked response he got, which only made him smile.

"Yeah, I doubt anybody would expect a former playboy punk like me to be doing this." This gained him a laugh from Ted.

What was supposed to be a few training tips for Oliver, turned into a full night of training exercises as the two got to know one another. And Oliver wondered many times through out the night if he could get the man back out on the streets with him. As it would be good to have someone helping him out, even if it was just back up on occasion. Even after he learned of the man's story he still told Ted that he had no intent on stopping what he was doing. Ted figured that maybe with his training, Oliver would manage to stay alive and maybe finally get some sense knocked into him somehow with out it being a possibly fatal thing.

Author's Notes: Terribly sorry on the short delay with this, work is well.. Work. Hopefully this was done in a believable way with the interactions with Raisa and the introduction of Wildcat. And if anyone noticed, I left a possible clue in this that will be explored pretty soon by way of an action on Moira's part.