++++++ This literally took weeks for me to write. I'd get a couple hundred words out than the muse would leave me. Still having not had the baby I am so freaking drained and tired. Hopefully he'll come out soon and I can get back to writing. Love you all! You're so patient ++++++

Thirty-Four

The final touches were ready.

Training can only prepare you for so much.

Personal doubt doesn't exist here.

Do what your body tells you.

Follow your instincts.

The hostages are you first priority.

Felicity and I didn't speak on the way to the Watchtower nor did we speak when we suited up. She did give me a cautionary glance when she thought I wasn't looking, checking out my scars and war wounds I suppose. This made me feel bad, it wouldn't take long for scars to start making their own appearance on her as well.

I pulled my hair back out of my face and tied it back before pulling the mask and wig on. Felicity silently put her own gear on. In the mirror I watched her, she seemed pretty confident in what she was doing. I smiled slightly, seeing her in her suit for the first time, it fit perfectly.

The suit itself was similar to mine with the leather corset top with the long sleeves and gloves to match, there was a section on the inside of the right arm where Felicity would be able to insert her tablet device and cover it so it looked like a part of her suit. The leather pants had various weapon sheaths for throwing knives and the like as well as a belt pouch that she could take optional extras in if she needed it. The boots were flat and sturdy but with room enough for a long hidden blade-similar to mine in a way. The entire suit was a dark, deep blue colour with a blood red domino mask and a matching blood red wig to cover her blonde locks.

Grabbing the tablet off the bench, I handed it to her so she could connect it. Whilst Felicity did this, silently I picked up a long wooden box off the bench and handed it to her. "We can go over blade care when we get back," I told her. "But for now, this is Zhìhuì."

Felicity opened the box and pulled out the long blade. The scabbard and handle were made of the same dark blue leather material as her suit, two small buckles were attached to the scabbard that would prevent the weapon as a whole from being lost before drawn. "Zhìhuì," she repeated, drawing the sharp weapon.

"It means wisdom," I smirked. "Because let's face it, you're the brains of the outfit." I took the katana from her and slipped it in through the loops on the back of her suit before fixing the buckles. As I did this, Felicity pulled the coms off the chargers and handed me one after she'd connected hers.

She tossed me my bike helmet and the two of us headed down to the garage where our bikes were stored. Two identical Yamaha YZF R1's sat side by side, one painted black and purple with Shade delicately painted along the left side, the other painted black and blue with Cypher painted down the right side. Felicity had taken a three hour course over a three month time span to learn how to drive a motorbike. Easier to weave in and out of traffic in and also escape the police.

I put my helmet on and got on, speeding off with Felicity close behind me.

We arrived at the warehouse not long before Oliver, Felicity hacking into the police bands whilst I scanned the warehouse itself. The entire place was rigged to high hell. "Place is wired with Mercury switches to Semtex charges," I groaned. "No way we're getting in there."

"The police want to diffuse one for HRC," Felicity told me. "They said it will take a while."

I paused, hearing a slight switch in the sounds behind us. "Nice of you to join us," I smirked, still looking through my scope. "Fashionably late, Hood."

"Last place I expect you to be," he replied. "New friend?"

"Hood, Cypher, Cypher, Hood," I answered, introducing them. "Dark Archer has all the exits booby trapped with Mercury switches to Semtex charges," I told him. "But we can get through one of the windows. Cypher's main job is the hostages."

Oliver scanned the building. "Middle window is open," he pointed out. "This archer is most likely waiting for us."

I nodded in agreement. "Cypher, can you block the signal to the charges?"

"I can try," she confessed, sounding a little nervous. "You two go, I'll follow behind. If not, I can take the hostages to the roof and get the police to bring in a helicopter. Then come back."

I shook my head. "No. Once the hostages are safe, you're a target. Make sure there's no one else here backing up the other archer." I tucked my scope back into my belt and took a few steps back before leaping off the building.

Oliver followed.

The two of us landed on the fire escape near the open window.

"New partner?" Oliver questioned.

I rolled my eyes as I climbed into the building. "Yes. And she does know who you are if that's your next question." I drew a throwing knife and started sneaking along the catwalk, searching for the hostages.

Oliver found them.

"They're Cypher's job," I reminded Oliver. "Trust me, she's good. Just needs the experience." I put my arm on his shoulder as he went to step forward. "Trust me, just this once, Hood."

He paused and nodded just once.

The two of us continued on through the warehouse, stopping when we reached an empty space, void of everything but a single solitary figure. I bit the inside of my lip when I saw what he was wearing. The uniform of the League of Assassins, something I'd never told Oliver about.

Don't start second guessing yourself, I warned my own brain. You've got this.

"Thank you for coming," the archer seemingly smirked. "I knew I'd have to do something dramatic to get your attention."

"What do you want with us?" Oliver demanded to know.

He made a weird sound that sounded like a laugh. "What any archer wants-to see who's better."

I raised an eyebrow. "Clearly I don't need to be here."

He suddenly fired off a single arrow at me, once which I barely managed to avoid, the tip slicing skin open on my neck. "You're expendable." He fired off another shot, the arrow landing in the wall behind me as I ran off to the left.

Olive fired off his own shots, the Dark Archer deflecting them and firing his own shots. I threw a knife at him, he deflected it with ease. Jumping up over a random box, I ran at the archer, he deflected my blow, hitting me across the face with his bow.

He and Oliver exchanged blows, the Dark Archer was seemingly better than both of us put together. "First Hunt, then Ravich, and now you," he sneered. "I know about the list, and the man who authored it wants you dead."

He fired an arrow at me, the tip hitting me in the left bicep, piercing all the way through. I groaned and took cover behind a pillar. This wasn't going good. Gripping the shaft of the black arrow, I pulled it out of my arm and tucked the arrow into my sleeve, not willing to leave my blood behind. Feeling the blood dripping down my arm, I got to my feet and launched myself back into the fight.

Throwing a punch at the Dark Archer, he deflected it whilst striking Oliver across the face. He punched me twice in the stomach before throwing me across the floor. Ignoring Oliver, he came over to me and struck me in the face a couple times, knocking back any attack I threw at him.

I kicked him in the knee and jumped up.

He hit me with his bow right in the knee and kicked me several times in the chest before Oliver got off a shot at him. The archer was toying with us.

"Go!" Oliver shouted at me. "Shade! For once in your life-" He grunted when the archer punched him in the face. "-Just do as you're told!"

"The hostages are safe," Felicity spoke suddenly. "The police are coming in."

I threw a knife at the archer. "The hostages are safe!" I shouted at Oliver. "Let's go!"

Oliver ignored me.

I struggled to my feet, ignoring the various wounds I was supporting.

Everything seemed to slow down when I saw the archer fire an arrow at Oliver, it hitting him in the back followed by another and another. I growled and slammed into the archer, hopefully giving Oliver the time to escape.

The sound of smashing glass alerted me to exactly what had happened and as I headed for the same window.

"Nothing's ever that easy," the Dark Archer sneered behind me.

Half expecting an arrow in my back, I heard the clashing sound of metal on metal.

My head shot up and I saw Felicity standing there, katana held out in front of her. The arrow must have deflected off the blade. Lucky bitch. She had a small smirk on her face but just enough to not really be noticed.

The archer seemed to be glaring at Felicity as she stood there. He fired again and she deflected the arrow again.

"Run!" she shouted at me.

I got up and limp ran over to the window. She put her arm around me and the two of us jumped out of the same window Oliver had gone out of.

"Jesus that guy is good!" she gasped.

"Better than us," I confessed with a wince. I felt like one giant bruise. I didn't think that anything was broken but it would be a couple weeks before I was back out, couple months for Oliver. "How the hell do I explain this to Roy?" I asked her as we found Oliver in the alley. I changed the frequency on my com. "Dig, it's Shade. Can you follow this signal and come pick us up?"

Silence. "Shade?"

"Need help," I told him. "Preferably a hospital. Oliver's hurt pretty bad."

"On my way."

"You're hurt badly," Felicity argued with me.

"Just get me back to the Watchtower," I snapped.

"You're going to the hospital," she snapped back. "So help me god, Shade."

I slumped back against the wall and sat there waiting for Diggle to get here. I'd let my fear get the better of me.

Who was the other archer?