I watched as my wife got shot to death by a drug dealer from these streets. And for a long time, all I saw was red. Then I met Oliver Queen and their team, and they helped me channel my anger into a fight for a better life.
Truer words have never been spoken. Before he had met them his life had no purpose. Had no meaning. A wife gunned down before his very eyes without being able to do a damn thing about it. A death that had followed him everywhere. In his day thoughts. In his dreams every single night. A death that had changed him. Had changed the way he looked at life. The way he had lived. He just wished he could say now it was for the better but he would be lying. No, this change had cost him everything. Had cost him the very thing he cherishes the most. The very thing he had ignored drowning his sorrows away. Had taken his ill advised anger out on when he knew deep down inside she didn't deserve it.
Zoey. His baby girl. His little girl that he thinks about every single day. Just thinks about what she is like after not seeing her for so long. Has she grown up to be just like her mother? Was she doing good in school? Is she happy with the foster parents currently looking after her? So many questions that would remain unanswered. Especially now. Why he couldn't find the courage to get her back was still a mystery to him. Was it because he still blames himself for her mother's death? Was it because deep down he knew they shouldn't have gone down that alleyway on that night after knowing these streets so well. He couldn't be too sure. What he did know was slowly he was beginning to get the courage needed to make his voice heard and fight for custody back of his daughter. Of his last remaining link to his deceased wife. All thanks to them.
Team Arrow. A name he thought was rather corny the moment he heard it. A team he had followed closely through every single media outlet broadcasted live to the public. Followed every single news article written about them clipping the every picture displayed on the front page. A team that had slowly started to change his mindset. Slowly change the way he thought with everything he read. With everything he heard about them. These four unknown citizens going out of their way to protect the city they love. To risk their very lives to face those that wish to do harm to others. An honorable feat. A mission he would soon make his own as he trained in the shadows in hopes of one day meeting them. In hopes of joining their team and facing these corrupted criminals by their side. He just never thought it would become a reality. Never thought after months of training. After months of being out on his own taking down common street thugs he would be the one sought after. Be the one that they wanted to recruit. To be declared worthy of joining their elite squad of superheroes and super heroines. An honor he held proud. An honor he still holds proud. He just wished things could have turned out different.
Adrian Chase. Since the moment he laid his eyes on him he knew something was up. Knew something was off about that man. This sinking feeling in his gut whenever he would show up in the mayor's office with this twisted smile. But none could have seen it coming. Not even him had seen this coming. For this twisted and deranged man to be the very archer that tormented their team. The very archer that always seemed to be one step ahead of them at every turn. Had wormed his way into gaining their trust from the very beginning. Trust he had used to almost destroy them. There was no other way to describe it. The planning he had done. To plant a mole inside of their group. To be able to capture their leader without any resistance. To torture him for days before allowing him to go free once he had done something no one ever thought could be done. To break The Green Arrow. To fracture his resolute. To make this great hero question his ways to the point of considering an early retirement. A dangerous man that he won't shed a single tear over knowing he had gotten exactly what he deserved in the end.
Just not like this. Not how the conflict finally ended. There was no question in his mind that Oliver would come for them. There was no question in his mind that he would find a way to free all of them from this deranged man's grasp. There was no question in his mind that this deranged and revenge driven individual would fall on that day. He just didn't think he would take so many with him. Never thought this villain would win in the end getting exactly what he wanted. He could remember that day so well. Remember all of the explosions going off all around them. Could still remember the smell of the forests burning all around them. Can still remember the screams of panic coming from all around. A memory that still haunts his dreams. Even now as he slowly treks his way up through this rundown apartment complex to his only sanctuary to get away from it all. The only place he truly could ever call home. A place with so many memories good and bad. The place he had first moved into with his girlfriend. The place he had proposed in an unorthodox way. The place his baby girl had been conceived in.
A place with every step Rene takes up the stairwell he gets closer to. Gets closer to getting to kick off his shoes. Getting to lock away his problems from the rest of the world and take a few moments to catch his breath. To collect his thoughts while sitting in his favorite chair trying to come up with solutions. Such solutions that never come. Would never come to be. Just like what is happening out there every single night. They thought it would be simple. To be able to convince themselves that the job still needed to be done. That he wouldn't want them to stop looking over the city he loved just because he is gone. The very same conclusion every single one of them agreed upon in the end. To continue patrolling the streets every single night to honor his memory. To honor the sacrifices he had made to this once great city. Sacrifices that can still be felt by every single citizen that calls Star City their home. As for him? The way he feels about it? Things just don't feel the same. Would never feel the same again. The family atmosphere he would always feel whenever he would walk into The Lair was no longer there. No friendly smiles coming from Felicity as she sits behind her chair at the command center. No more friendly bantering between himself and Curtis. No more pointless arguments taking place. No nothing like that remains. In its wake is a chilling atmosphere. A serious atmosphere with every single person knowing what needs to be done that night with no words needing to be spoken.
Just like tonight. How the moment he had entered inside of The Lair he had been met with the same forced smile coming from Felicity that he has always been greeted with for the past couple of months now. The same tired look across her face before she would direct him to where he would be patrolling on that night and go completely silent for the rest of the night. The same old song and dance. A dance taking its toll on the quote bitch with wifi. He couldn't blame her. It was taking its toll on everyone. Things just weren't the same without him. The Green Arrow may still be out there. May still be seen by the public but things changed forever the moment he fell on Lian Yu.
Arriving just outside of her apartment reaching up to rub his tired eyes with a sigh taking a couple moments to compose himself reaching into his back pocket to retrieve his house key just as he opens his eyes and turns his sights to unlock the door instantly Rene pauses when he notices something. Notices the slight crack coming from his apartment door. A crack just barely giving off the faintest of lights coming from the inside. A sight that makes him go on high alert and quickly look around finding none of the other complex's occupants around before grabbing a hold of a concealed handgun he carries around in the back of his pants and cautiously pushes the apartment door open with his shoulder while he trains the firearm forward looking for any sort of movement. No such movement he finds as he silently makes his way through the apartment towards the source of the light. The light coming from the lamp inside of his living room next to his favorite chair. A light source he follows before his grip on the handgun tightens and his eyes harden when he finds the cause of this disturbance. A lone woman standing holding a framed photograph with her back turned towards him.
" Cute kid. She clearly takes after her mother."
Glancing over her shoulder as she sees Rene looking at her with nothing but anger while his firearm remains aimed at the back of her head sending a grin his way Laurel turns her head back forward to take one last look at the framed photograph in her hands. He was so predictable. They all are and he is no different. Everyone has something that gets to them. Has something that can anger them so easily and this was his. This man's daughter. A daughter that for some odd reason doesn't even live here. No matter this doesn't concern her. Would never concern her.
" Sore spot I see. I do wonder though. What would your wife say to you after knowing how you abandoned their child because you were too weak to be a father."
Already having a good idea of the reaction she is getting carelessly tossing the photo frame down onto the chair causing the sound of glass cracking turning around to face him seeing nothing but this cold fury in his eyes Laurel's grin returns in full.
" It's too bad but i suppose it's better this way. At least your child will be well taken care of and shown the love that you clearly have never shown her."
Unfazed from the way his thumb comes up, turning the safety off staring directly into Rene's eyes a predatory smile comes across Laurel's face. A smile that is unseen by a couple of passing by tenants that stop to look at the wide open doorway with intrigue before it turns into horror as the sound of gunshots coming from the inside echoes through the hallway. As flashes through the dark apartment are seen making every single one of them jump in shock and backpedal away from the apartment with haste. That is until a loud scream is heard causing them to shield their ears and to their shock they see Rene burst through the wall of the apartment and smack clean against a locked apartment door directly across from his own with a thud. A sight that makes everyone scream as they retreat away from the scene. A scene Laurel walks in on as she steps out through the opening in the wall to look down towards her fallen prey who looks up towards her with this tired look before his head slumps to the side.
This intense heat felt all across his body. Sweat dripping down from his forehead blocking his vision. Intense flames swallowing everything that is around him. Flames that mock him. Flames that silently call out to him as he finds himself kneeling on a wooden floorboard shielding his face with his hands. Shielding himself from the intense flames threatening to swallow him whole. Shielding himself from the intense heat. It was only a matter of time now. The flames keep getting stronger and stronger by the second. Keep getting closer and closer making his body feel like it's on fire. A rather fitting punishment for all those he had failed. For all those he had driven away out of his life. A sentencing he doesn't question. Doesn't argue against. Especially in this place. Inside of this building. On this island. An island that has taken so much from him. An island destroyed within a blink of an eye. A place he shouldn't be right now making him lift up his eyes.
No this place was no more. He had witnessed the explosions. Had seen the flames swallow this place whole. Had seen the carnage of what one man's sick and twisted fantasy could become. So why was he here? A question a lone man can't ponder for long before a loud scream is heard. A scream that snaps his head towards the side before his eyes go wide as saucers. His daughter. His eldest daughter screaming loudly through the flames. Screaming just begging for someone to save her. Just begging for the pain to end as she remains trapped under some debris. A sight he can't watch. A sight that makes his eyes get watery as he tries to make it up to his feet only to find his arms and legs not responding to his commands. Finding his hands and feet planted on the floorboards unwilling to move. Something that makes his eyes widen even further before he turns his sights back towards his daughter as her screams get louder. As her tear filled face looks at him pleading eyes just begging for him to save her. Just begging for her father to somehow make it through the flames to her. Screams that get louder and louder as the flames slowly consume her.
" Noooooo!"
Snapping upright from his lying position across his worn down living room couch feeling as though his lungs are on fire taking a couple of long deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down rubbing at his tired and bloodshot red eyes swinging his legs out letting out a sigh without lowering his hand from his face reaching out Quentin blindly reaches for his only comfort these days. It was the only way now. Especially after everything he had done. After everything he had failed to do. That day. That damn island. Even months after it still haunts him. Still plagues his dreams. He could have saved her. Should have saved her. Just what the hell had he been thinking? Why did he hit her the way he had? Why didn't he just pick her up from the ground and retreat off the island with her? So many questions he asks himself every single day. Asks himself every single night as he would down bottle after bottle remembering every little detail about that day. Remembering every so well like it was yesterday. Remember the flames that filled his vision. Remember the stench of burning bark coming from all around as he trekked through the smoke filled forests along with the rest of the survivors.
Survivor.
A word he has come to hate with a white hot passion. A word that forever he will be labeled as. A survivor. A man that has survived so much. Survived the horrible night of The Undertaking. Survived the fight against Damien Darhk and Hive. Survived the personal war between Adrian Chase and Oliver Queen.
Oliver Queen. A young man he hated for so long. A young man he had thought had taken so much from him for so long since the moment he had gotten on that damn boat with his youngest daughter. A daughter he thought he had lost. A daughter he mourned over for so long. A daughter years later would return to him by of all people the very young man he had come to despise. A young man that over time had somehow wormed his way into his heart. Had somehow become like a son to him though he would never say the words out loud. A young man that had lost his life on that island with the very monster that had brought them all there.
Feeling his fingers grazing the object he desires without opening his eyes snatching it up from the table and bringing it up to his lips after feeling nothing coming out from the inside snapping his eyes open lowering down the vodka bottle finding it to be completely empty letting out a growl without any hesitation rearing back Quentin chucks the empty bottle with all of his might through the darkness into a nearby wall causing the bottle to shatter into pieces upon impact. Darkness he can only stare at with nothing but fury as silent tears trickle down his cheeks. A silence that fills the air before an unexpected sound echoes through the empty apartment. The sound of a pair of heels changing against the wooden floor boards. A sound that goes unnoticed until they come to a stop before him making him look up. Making his eyes raise up from the living room table filled with empty bottles finding a lone figure staring down towards him. A figure he can't make out as they remain in the shadows until they inch forward revealing their face just enough for him to see. Reveal their dirty blonde hair. Reveal their piercing blue eyes.
" Laurel?"
A word that barely escapes Quentin's mouth before an empty bottle is smashed over the side of his head making his world go black.
