"Oliver."
"Hi" speeding on the motorcycle the DEO had provided him, Oliver replied to Kara's disapproving voice as it blared out on his ear-piece.
"Where are you?" asked Kara.
"Just tending to some Green Arrow business."
"You promised you would be here. Alex is bringing her… boyfriend to meet us and you said you would be here."
"Yeah, I know. I promise, I'll be there."
"You better, or else I'm going to kick your ass myself!"
Oliver couldn't help but grin a little as she hung up her phone. He had promised to be at Al's Bar for Alex, but he also gave Kara the night off again as he took to the streets of National City as the Green Arrow. He was currently chasing a black Mercedes-AMG. A report of a gunshot and a car explosion had come up on DEO surveillance, and Oliver got a look at the perpetrator just before he sped off in the car. Clearly a professional hitman.
Oliver was struggling to keep up with the Mercedes as it sped through the city, with the minimal night-time traffic allowing the driver to have plenty of space to put his foot down on the pedal. After continuing to chase it for another minute, they found themselves on a long stretch of road with no intersecting streets. Oliver looked ahead and recognising a right bend coming up on the road ahead. For the first time in the chase, there was only one direction that it could go. As it drove ahead, Oliver took a right turn into a narrow alleyway, driving full throttle through it onto a road on the other side. As soon he was out of the alleyway, he took a sharp left turn.
Speeding ahead until he found himself on the perpendicular road, he stopped in the middle of street as he spotted the black Mercedes racing towards him. Quickly hopping off his bike, he swiftly nocked a flashbang arrow and fired it at the bonnet of the car. Oliver hastily jumped out of the way as the car continued to hurtle towards him. He felt it graze his foot as he jumped out of the way. Immediately upon landing, Oliver rolled back up onto one knee and nocked an explosive arrow, firing it at the rear of the car. On impact, the explosion lifted the back of the car into the air, flipping it over.
Oliver cursed under his breath as he watched the car roll over multiple times on the street, eventually coming to a stop when it was turned upside down. He ran towards it, hoping that the driver was still alive. Any hope of that was lost when the car suddenly burst into flames. With no screams coming from inside the vehicle, Oliver could only assume the driver was dead before the flames engulfed him. With nothing more than he could do, Oliver moved to walk back to the bike, but something caught his eye… Next to the car, a large piece of paper on fire.
Oliver hastily jogged over to it, hoping that it could provide a clue before it was completely burnt out. Half of it had already been burnt, and Oliver waved it in the air to put out the flame as he picked it up. It was an envelope, but it was empty. Oliver glanced back inside the car, spotting another piece of paper burning. He could barely make out what was on it before it completely turned to ash in seconds. That paper must have been what was inside.
Oliver looked back at the envelope in his hand. One side was blank. Turning it over, he spotted only one word written on it. A surname, the person it must have been addressed to.
Lacroix…
Just under fifteen minutes later, Oliver had already cleaned up and was just about to enter Al's Bar. He couldn't believe how fast the days on Earth-38 were going. He only had three more days left. He attended another game night, which was just as fun as the first night. Mon-El's training was going excellently, and although Kara was busy, he cherished whatever time they spent together. He and Mon-El began to develop an unlikely friendship, and Oliver definitely enjoyed spending time with and training him.
The only real problem that he had encountered and was persisting was James. He was still refusing any help, and he was past the point of being stubborn. He was more childish at this stage. He'd found out that Winn was James' tech guy, but didn't bother to say anything. If anything did happen to James, at least Oliver wouldn't be at fault for not trying to have helped him.
He entered after giving the passcode to the person at the door. He immediately spotted the table where Winn, James and J'onn were sitting. Thank goodness for Oliver, Alex hadn't arrived yet. He looked to the bar, seeing Kara and Mon-El talking to each other. Mon-El recognised him, and waved as Kara did too when she saw him. He returned the waves with a smile, as he headed to the table and sat next to Winn.
"Oliver! Just in time" said J'onn, as Oliver joined them on the table.
"Sorry, I got stuck in traffic" replied Oliver blankly.
"Oh yeah, sure, traffic" said Winn sarcastically, joking as he obviously knew that Oliver was busy as the Green Arrow.
Oliver and James shot each other a simple nod, as they set aside their differences for tonight because it wasn't about them. It was about Alex. As he sat at the table, Oliver began to pay attention to the news report on Lillian Luthor's trial. He heard how Lena had called the cops on her own mother, and he admired it in some way. He knew of his mother's involvement in The Undertaking for months, but he was reluctant to even question her about it, nonetheless expose her publically for it.
"Another round is on its way" said Kara as she returned to the table and next to Oliver, "You okay, J'onn?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just… the first time I've been in this bar since, uh… M'gann left" replied J'onn.
"Hey, I am, I am really excited to meet Alex's new mystery man" said Winn trying to lighten the atmosphere of the table.
"Hey, do we know what, um, what he does for a living? Alex's guy" asked James.
"Cop" replied Kara
"Yeah, no way Alex Danvers dates someone who doesn't own a firearm" joked Winn. Oliver noticed Alex approaching the table with… Maggie? Her police friend?
"Hey you guys!" said Alex nervously, "Hey, um… You all remember Maggie, right?"
"Yeah. Good to see you again" said James, as everything became clear. Oliver realised that Alex coming out meant that she for sure would be in Sara's line of sight now. Perhaps on another Earth, they would have been a thing.
"Alex! I… I didn't know. Did you know?" asked Winn to J'onn.
"Yes, I knew, I'm psychic" replied J'onn.
"How come you never said anything before?" asked Alex.
"It's not for me to say. Good for you, Alex."
"Drinks up!" said Mon-El, as he arrived at the table with a tray of drinks, "Here we go, bubbly club soda for the lady. Thank you. Oh, hey, hi. What's up?" he said, noticing Alex standing next to him.
"Um, well, I just wanted to let you know that Maggie and I are dating" replied Alex.
"Oh, that was the thing. Okay, okay, is that like a problem here on Earth or…"
"Well, on Earth, you know, not everybody supports ladies loving ladies."
"Oh, on Daxam it's the more the merrier" joked Mon-El, "Drinks for you guys?"
"Hey, do you play pool?" asked Maggie to Winn.
"Yeah" replied Winn insecurely.
"No, you don't" quipped James.
"It is geometry with sticks, folks. Pool is easy. Let's go do it" said Winn, as they all rose from the table.
"Alex, my money's on your girl" joked J'onn.
"Don't worry Winn, if you screw up, I'll take over" said Oliver, before walking up next to Kara, "I take it she doesn't know James is the Guardian, right? Or that I'm the Green Arrow?" he asked.
"No. Lucky her" replied Kara, as they turned to face the TV, where the news broadcaster was reporting that Lena Luthor will testify against Lillian in court, "Oh, what an awful thing to have to do."
"From what I've heard, the Luthors aren't exactly the best bunch of people" replied Oliver, remembering when he briefly heard of Superman's many battles with Lex Luthor.
"Yeah, but she's not like them. She knows Lillian is evil, she's doing the right thing, even though she still loves her mother. What she did was brave. I should go see her. She could probably use a friend."
Just as Kara finished her sentence, a white pool ball flew past Oliver and Kara, barely missing them as it collided with several glasses on the counter.
"Sorry!" said Winn, sheepishly.
"I think you should go see her" said Oliver, smiling as he turned back to Kara before walking over to Winn, who gladly handed him the pool stick.
Author's Note: The next chapter will be up very soon. I like the dynamic that I feel Oliver and Mon-El will have built up, so the next chapter will feature an Oliver/Mon-El bromance scene!
