Chapter 34: Fractures
Oliver barged into the meeting room and drew his bow. "Who the fuck wants to explain just what the fuck happened?" He snarled pointing his bow with the poison arrow in at J'onn and Stargirl.
"We changed the plan and adapted." Stargirl said nonachantly.
"That I know, what I want to know is why." Oliver demanded.
"Ollieā¦" Dinah said coming up to him, he didn't look at her, and instead kept his bow fixed on both Martian Manhunter and Stargirl.
"The plan we had was simple, we would let Superman take Harley Quinn and then we'd use the tracking device to see where he kept her and what he did to her. We'd also use the bug I'd planted in her to fan out and plant bugs on the other members of the League to ensure we could keep watch over them." Oliver said. He hadn't felt comfortable about doing that, but Dinah had convinced him it was necessary to ensure that they didn't harm Roy.
"Well, there was a change of plan." Courtney said simply.
"Why?!" Oliver snarled. "Why did you change the plan? You nearly got Roy killed, you unleashed a gas that is going to cause harm to whoever goes in that area for weeks, and you've got Superman pissed off. You know what that's going to do?"
"The plan changed because we felt that Harley Quinn would be more useful to us in our possession than in Superman's possession." J'onn said. "After all she can be used to cause discord between Batman and Superman."
"You want her to cause division between Batman and Superman, whilst also endangering Roy's life?" Oliver demanded, feeling his arms begin to ache the longer he held the bow like this. He'd been hesitant to explain to the Resistance about how he'd kept Harley a prisoner or a hostage or whatever and how Roy wanted to use that to get her off his back. They'd surprisingly agreed to the plan, but clearly that had changed or perhaps they'd never meant to actually stick with it.
"Roy knew what he was getting into." Courtney said simply. "Whatever comes his way is on his own head."
Oliver almost let the arrow loose but he didn't, somehow miraculously he held on. "You're sick."
"Not as sick as someone who kept Harley Quinn a prisoner in his Arrow Cave for a month before deciding to make use of her. Not as sick as someone who was willing to hand her over to Superman." Courtney snapped.
"We both know Superman was going to hold a trial. You heard him as good as I did." Oliver snarled.
It was Courtney's turn to snort. "Come off it Oliver. You know what he's done across the world, what he did in the UK. He wouldn't give her a trial, he'd execute her."
Oliver shook his head, he agreed with what Clark had done in the UK, those rapists had deserved what was coming to them, but this? He'd heard it in his friend's voice. Clark was going to honour his promise to Roy and give the woman a trial, but now? Now he wasn't sure. He was about to respond when another voice spoke.
"What's done is done. There is no point fretting over it." Oliver tensed then when he saw two figures walk into the room. One was Captain Atom and the other one was a fat black woman who carried herself as if she owned the place.
"What are you doing here Waller?" Oliver snarled.
"Ensuring that the President's investment pays off." Waller said simply. "You can lower your bow, Queen, you won't be needing it now."
Oliver looked at Dinah who nodded and so he slowly lowered his bow and sheathed the poison arrow. That done he looked back at Waller and snarled. "Talk and talk fast."
Waller smiled. "Same old Oliver Queen always desperate to get things done quickly. Very well. The resistance exists because the President and the US government tolerates it. The President does not trust Superman and as such wants heroes to stand against him. Hence why Captain Atom is on your side and not killing every single one of you. As to what happened with Ms Quinn. That was also on the President's orders. She is more valuable to us alive and in our custody than outside and in Superman's custody or dead. She has useful information both about the Batman and the Joker. She knows how the Joker thinks and that will be beneficial to us in the future."
"Why?" Oliver demanded. "The Joker is dead, so unless you're planning on bringing him back from the dead, I don't see what good it would do."
Zatanna shifted slightly then and Oliver looked at her. "You didn't bring him, back did you?"
"No!" Zatanna said.
"She didn't and he's not back from the dead. But his voice and his memories are going to be useful to us." Waller said.
"So, what, you're just going to use an echoed projection of the Joker's voice to cause doubt and chaos in Quinn's mind and to ensure that she starts acting like the Joker to push Superman and Batman apart?" Oliver asked.
"To put it bluntly, yes." Waller said.
"That's wrong and disgusting. You're a sick fuck." Oliver snapped. He looked at Courtney and J'onn. "You can't be okay with this, can you? This goes against everything we stand for."
J'onn's expression was blank when he replied. "It is a necessary evil."
Oliver looked at J'onn and then at Courtney and then at Waller. "Well you can all get the fuck out of here. I'm out." With that he turned and walked towards the exit but before he did Waller spoke.
"Be careful of what you do Mr Queen. It would be a shame for something to happen to Mr Harper and Ms Dearden."
Oliver turned around, drew his bow knocked it and let the poison arrow loose. He then turned around and walked out. He was done with this shit.
