Chapter Thirty-Eight:
"I'm sorry about this considering everything that happened yesterday but I could really use your help," Lance said walking in exhausted and almost collapsing into a spare seat in the living room.
"What's wrong dad?"
'Cyrus Vanch has been released on a technicality," Lance explained.
"Oh god," Sara said horrified.
"Who is this man?" Shado asked to the relief of everyone else wondering who he was.
"He is a career criminal. We had him down for fifty-two different homicides, he was never getting out. He hired a new lawyer last week and today he is walking out. I spent the whole day going through every single bit of evidence. They have a whole storage room dedicated to the guy. But one piece of paper wasn't dated and he walks free," Lance raged.
"I know this may be a stupid question to ask to a cop but hypothetically do you want him to survive our visit?" Slade asked. Lance looked over shocked but Oliver shrugged.
"We killed for a pair of boots before, this guy really deserves it and it's clear the justice system can't do anything," Oliver said indifferently.
"What did I say about casually talking about murder," Felicity muttered.
"Well what's your idea then?" Shado asked agreeing with Slade's murder option.
"His DNA is on the system, I find an old case I could theoretically connect him too and then put him in security footage and fake make a concrete case. You go into work tomorrow and attempt to go through everything again and run a search on his face. Bam it comes up and he will be back in custody that afternoon," Felicity said trying to mimic Oliver's indifferent tone.
"I would love that option Felicity, I really would. But the lawyer twisted shit and I'm pretty sure there were bribes involved because we can't use any past cases as evidence against him," Lance said his hands in his head.
"What are their names?" Oliver asked pulling out his phone that had the list stored on it under porn thanks to Tommy's suggestion. Lance mumbled out their names and Oliver quickly flicked through it.
'Both of them are on the list, so is this Vanch guy," Oliver announced.
"So now can I kill them or just Vanch?" Slade asked. Oliver rolled his eyes at his friend.
"Honestly you get like a kid in a candy store when it comes to killing," Shado remarked fondly.
"I was trained to ensure the bad guys don't get to see another sunrise, and now I am surrounded by bad guys and the most I have done is act like a Texan mobster," Slade grumbled.
"If he tries anything I'll look the other way," Oliver promised causing Slade to grin happily.
"Thanks kid," Slade said cheerfully cause Lance to groan again.
"Okay, I want it noted that going to the bad guys house is not smart at all," Felicity said.
"Noted for the fifth time," Tommy said dryly.
"Five armed guards at the front, four at the back and three people inside probably armed as well," Felicity pointed out again as they got closer.
"Shado takes the front, and the kid and I will take the back, piece of cake," Slade snorted.
"Self confidence is a good thing unless you're Slade apparently," Lance muttered.
"Little spoiler Detective, Shado and Slade have both been holding back. Even that time they said they weren't they were. We will be fine, we've faced worse before and came out unscathed," Oliver reassured them.
"There was that one time," Shado began teasingly.
"Shado, let's not bring up that time," Sara said.
"Agreed," Slade and Oliver said together, slowly approaching the small mansion that Cyrus Vanch had already decided to call home.
"Yeah, we won't want to damage their over inflated egos Sara, they might not survive," Shado whispered as she closed in on her targets.
"Now," Slade breathed out all three of them launching simultaneously at the armed guards. While not one of them would admit to showing off they had all the guards down and unconscious in record time.
"Meet you inside Shado?" Slade asked.
"I'm already inside Slade, please do try and keep up," Shado whispered. Oliver snorted in response and heard similar sounds coming over through the comms. Oliver and Slade made their way through the house towards where Felicity had told them the heat signatures were coming from.
"Guys one of the heat signatures is fading. Whoever it is, is either dead or will be very soon," Felicity whispered urgently.
"Finish him," Lance ordered.
"What? This is a fresh crime, you can re-convict him," Oliver reminded him.
"And even if I do? With this hotshot lawyer of his and the corrupt judge he would be given a slap on the wrist, a fine at most. Just try and save the person he tried to kill if you can," Lance said resigned to what he just asked them to do.
"Shado?" Slade whispered.
"I'm at the door on the other side of the room, whenever you are ready Slade," Shado confirmed.
"Now," Slade whispered. Slade and Shado broke through the doors, Shado with a quick kick and Slade by rushing it. Shouts of alarm were heard and Oliver quickly entered and spotted the victim immediately. He quickly checked that Slade and Shado had Cyrus and the lawyer covered and rushed over to the lady bleeding out on the floor. Oliver quickly looked her over and then noticed the stab wound. He sighed with relief when he saw it wasn't near anything vital and quickly pulled the small med kit he kept with him. Hoping the hood and his hair and the fact she had almost passed out was keeping his identity safe he quickly put some gauze over the wound and wrapped it with a bandage tightly. Shoving the med kit back into his pocket and zipping it up he then began putting pressure on the wound.
"Deathstroke and Fei are almost done here, can you call an ambulance," Oliver whispered over the comms using Slade's code name and making one up for Shado as he knew the woman was still conscious and partly aware of what was happening. Slade's Deathstroke outfit and Shado's costume better hid their identity than his anyway.
"You really are a piece of work aren't you?" Slade growled as he continued to spar the man.
"Jealous?" Vanch asked. He quickly spun around and in a complicated maneuver sliced into Slade's arm causing Slade to hiss at the sudden pain. Shado was currently easing the lawyer into unconsciousness and was watching Slade concerned.
"Not jealous, because you are nothing compared to me," Slade snarled as he pulled his blade out from the holder behind his back and in one clean movement parted Vanch's head from his shoulders sending it flying. With a sickening thud it hit the massive fishtank built into the wall and slowly slid down leaving a trail of blood behind. Oliver was never happier when he heard the sirens and quickly motioned to the two to leave out the back entrance. They had only just made it to the van they had left parked in a security camera dead spot when Felicity's voice chimed in.
"Do I want to know what they noise was?" Felicity asked quietly.
"Not if Tommy wants to keep his dinner," Slade replied cheerfully.
"I seriously worry about you sometimes," Oliver decided to point out.
"Don't judge until you behead someone. It takes precision and being able to put a lot of force into the beginning until you sever the spine and then lowering it so you glide until you finish," Slade explained.
"Oh yeah, it's a real art form," Shado said dryly as Oliver began driving them home. She winced as she heard someone vomit through the comms.
"Tommy?" Shado questioned.
"Felicity and Lance," Tommy answered weakly.
"How's the arm?" Oliver asked.
"Just a scratch," Slade dismissed.
"Are you sure, you looked like you were in a lot more pain than just a scratch," Oliver insisted.
"Stop being a mother hen," Slade ordered and Shado chuckled.
Over the next month while ASIS sent spies out and built their case until it was completely rock solid, Oliver, Slade and occasionally Shado continued to take out crooks that were on the list that Lance couldn't deal with. Lance had been hesitant for a while but then Slade sat him down and explained that Vanch had gotten a quick clean death, a total of a few seconds of pain and then nothing, whereas the victim in the room was in pain for over ten minutes not to mention all his other victims. Lance had felt better after that and was glad that the lawyer and all the armed guards had been charged and imprisoned and they had found evidence proving the judge had been bribed and had prosecuted him too. It was after completing a mission that Oliver and Slade encountered another vigilante wearing a red hoodie protecting a woman.