Chapter 53: Change of Tactics
Within a few minutes, the League brought Green Arrow back to S.T.A.R. Labs, Roy trailing behind as he watched the downed hero nervously. Once they were all inside, Felicity, Caitlin and Cisco turned to greet them. The three of them went pale at the sight of the downed Oliver.
"Holy… what happened?" Cisco questioned.
"Get a medical gurney, now!" Felicity ordered.
Flash sped off, returning moments later with the requested gurney. Arrow was laid out on it as Roy hastily explained what happened.
"We were chasing down the Count when he fell off the roof. The Count knocked me out for a sec and stabbed him with a syringe of some kind."
"Vertigo," Wonder Woman realized. "It has to be."
"Arrow must've been hit with a massive overdose," GL deduced.
"Worse," Felicity realized. "The three of us found out that Vertigo is essentially poison that's been heavily diluted. I think- I think the Count used pure Vertigo on him."
Everyone was taken aback by that.
"You… you can help him, right?" Roy asked.
Felicity was panicking, clearly overwhelmed. However, Diggle quickly perked up and grabbed Flash.
"Go back to the bunker. There's a wooden crate with chinese symbols on it. Open it and grab a red pouch with hemp drawstrings. Hurry!"
Flash nodded before running off. While they waited for his return, Batman turned towards Roy.
"You said you and Green Arrow encountered the Count, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," Roy confirmed. "Sleazy guy, late twenties, clearly a fan of his own product, and definitely unstable. Looked like the Mad Hatter from once upon a time, only with a lot more eyeshadow."
"It gives us something to go on, at least."
"So…" GL spoke up. "How'd you get mixed up with Green Arrow?"
Roy turned to the Lantern, hesitating for a moment before lowering his hood.
"He saved my life," he answered. "A couple months after the Undertaking, things were really bad in the Glades. I ended up crossing this gang banger who set up in my neighborhood, and found myself beaten up in an old warehouse. I was pretty sure I was gonna end up just another nameless dead guy on the floor, then he showed up."
Roy pulled the flechette out of his pocket.
"Knocked the guy's gun out of his hands with this. He took him down like it was nothing. I remember the guy asking why he should spare me since I was just some nobody. He told him that killing me… would rob me of the chance to become something better. Something better for Star City… the words stuck with me ever since."
Wonder Woman looked at Roy, seeming to understand how he felt. Just then, Flash returned with the red pouch in hand.
"Here!" he let out, handing it to Felicity.
She took the bag, fishing out some herbs from inside. She then stuffed several into Oliver's mouth.
"What are those?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Herbs from Lian Yu," Felicity answered. "Arrow said they can cure most ailments. Hopefully, it can at least curb the effects of the Vertigo."
Diggle brought over some water and helped Arrow down the contents. Arrow coughed a little before his body eased up and he fell unconscious.
"Did it work?" Roy asked.
"Yeah," Diggle confirmed. "He just needs a few minutes for the herbs to take effect. Same thing happened to me when I was hit with curare."
"If this works on Arrow, then perhaps it could help to save Perdita," Wonder Woman said, looking down at the bag of herbs.
"We'll see how Arrow handles it," Batman insisted. "Then we'll consider it as a potential cure."
"Guess all we can do now is wait," Flash lamented.
…
Meanwhile, in a secluded warehouse in the Glades, the Count stepped inside, looking around the dank interior.
"Interesting venue you chose," he spoke to seemingly no one. "Very atmospheric. Though between you and me, you stick out like a sore thumb out here."
"That is why I leave my business in Star City to you," a voice commented from the shadows. "Despite your shortcomings."
"I managed to take out the Green Arrow, didn't I?"
"You've inconvenienced him. I have no doubt the League will work overtime for a cure now that one of their own is infected."
"So, what do you suggest?"
"We need to speed up our plans. One way or another, Queen Perdita needs to die."
…
Back in the bunker, Green Arrow slowly started waking up, seeing everyone standing over him.
"Oh thank God you're ok," Felicity let out.
"The Green Arrow lives," Clsco quipped.
Arrow shot him a glance as Diggle and Batman helped him up.
"What happened to the Count?" he asked.
"He got away," Roy reported, causing Arrow to look over in surprise.
"What is he doing here?"
"Making sure you came out alive," Diggle told him. "You got drugged, and with a pure version of Vertigo."
"Luckily, your little bag of herbs seemed to do the trick," Flash spoke up, dangling the pouch from his finger.
Arrow quickly snatched it out of his hand.
"The herbs…"
"We think we can use them for a cure for the Vertigo."
"Yeah… yeah, that can work."
"Man, are you okay?" Roy asked, eying him nervously. "You sound… off."
"I'm fine!" Arrow snapped, causing everyone to jolt a little. "I'm fine… What happened with the Count? Do we have any leads? Any idea who he really is?"
"Nothing yet," Felicity told him. "The kid was able to give us a description, but haven't been able to get a match yet."
"Keep me posted," Arrow replied, getting to his feet.
"Whoa,' Diggle interjected, catching Arrow by the arm. "Where the hell are you going? You were just poisoned, man. You need to lay down and rest."
"Need to meet with Detective Lance," He whispered, pulling himself free.
"You need to rest!" Diggle snapped.
He just walked off, leaving the heroes confused and frustrated.
"Is he always like that?" Roy asked.
"More or less," Diggle replied, wiping his face and letting out a breath. "Damn..."
"Heh… I should probably get going myself."
"Where will you go, kid?" GL questioned. "No offense, but after this, I'll bet my ring you're on the Count's radar."
"I know how to cover my tracks. Besides, got somebody that's gonna be worried about me before long."
"Then take this," Batman spoke, handing him a red cellphone. "Gives us a means for you to contact us if something happens."
Roy took it, nodding before shoving it into his pocket and pulling his hoodie up. Diggle approached up, putting an arm on his shoulder.
"I'll walk you out," he offered.
"Thanks."
…
Later at SCPD, Quentin Lance was speaking with some of his officers as Oliver walked in.
"I want men patrolling the exterior of the hospital at all times," he instructed. "And double the guards inside. I want eyes on the Queen at all times."
"Bad time, detective?" Oliver spoke up, getting Quentin's attention.
"Oliver?" Quentin let out, turning to him. "You look horrible."
"So I've been told. Listen, I was wondering if I could talk to you in private?"
"Uh… sure."
The two quickly stepped into Quentin's office, closing the blinds so they had some privacy.
"What's up?" Quentin asked.
"I was hoping you could talk to Judge Brackett about easing up on Thea. She made a mistake to be sure, but she doesn't deserve this…"
"I don't disagree, but Brackett's been dead set on stomping out Vertigo in Star City. Your sister is a high profile target, and he thinks showing that even the great Queen Family can be punished will be enough of a deterrent."
"And opinions on the Queen Family aren't strong as is."
"Sadly, no," Quentin nodded. "Look, Oliver, I wish I could help you. I really do." He sighed, rubbing his face. "Unfortunately, nothing short of capturing the manufacturer of this damned drug will get Brackett off your sister."
"Believe me, I've been working on it.
"So I've noticed. Been meaning to talk to you about that, actually. Should I be concerned about some kind of relapse from you?"
"Nobody's died."
"No, but they're certainly worse for wear. Look, I've been letting you do your thing cause you promised you were doing things differently. You swore to me, on Laurel's grave, that you weren't going to kill anymore. But there are guys out there who think there's too much of the Hood in the Arrow."
Oliver turns away in frustration, but as he does, sees someone familiar standing outside the office. A man of chinese descent, wild hair and beard, wearing a green hood over his head. They locked eyes for a second, then the man vanished when a cop blocked Oliver's view of him.
"Oliver?" Quentin asked.
Oliver just walked out, not saying a word as he tried to catch up with the man in the hood. He made his way past the crowd of cops, only to see that the man had vanished. Looking around the room, he caught a glimpse of the green hood making its way towards the exit. Oliver moved after it, making his way outside. Once he was out in the parking lot, he could see the hooded man standing there, his back to Oliver.
"It is good to see you again, Oliver," the man told him, his accent thick and instantly recognizable.
"Yao Fei..."
The man turned around, revealing himself to be Oliver's former mentor.
"How… how are you here?"
"That does not matter. What I have come to say does."
"Wh-what's that."
"That you must stop. Your fight is over. Put down your bow."
"I can't. Not while this city still needs me. Not while my family still needs me."
"If you truly want to help your city, and your family… then you will stop fighting. Before there's nothing left for you to protect."
Yao Fei's words left Oliver feeling utterly hollow.
"Oliver," Quentin's voice called out, snapping him out of his trance. "Oliver, what the hell? What was that?"
"What do you-" Oliver began to respond as he turned back to Yao Fei, only to find he wasn't there.
"Oliver, what's going on?"
"I… nothing. Just… can you do what you can? Please?"
Quentin sighed in response.
"I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything."
"Thank you," Oliver replied before walking off.
…
Meanwhile, Roy made his way back home, where Thea was waiting up for him.
"Roy!" she let out as he walked in the door. "Where the hell have you been?!"
"Sorry, I had to take care of something," he replied.
She then happened to look down and saw something sticking out of his hoodie pocket. She reached for it and pulled out the flechette.
"What's this?" she asked.
"It-... it's..."
"Oh my god," Thea let out. "Were you… were you out there trying to- to help the Arrow?!"
"Maybe. So what if I was?"
"Damnit Roy, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?! You could have gotten hurt! You could've been KILLED!"
"I did it to help you. To take down the guy selling the Vertigo."
"And what would happen if you'd been shot? Or doped up until your brain shut down?! What then, huh?!
"It wouldn't have come to-"
"But what if it did?! If I had lost you, I don't know if I could…"
She paused, the tears building up in her eyes telling Roy everything he needed to know.
"So what's why you've been so hard on Oliver lately," he pieced together. "You're afraid of being alone."
Thea let out a breath before finally facing Roy again.
"My mom's in jail, my dad's dead, so is Laurel, Tommy's… just up and gone. Oliver's the only family I have left. I know he's busy with the company and all, it's just…"
Roy placed a hand on her shoulder, seemingly easing her.
"I know. And I know my being out there only adds to the fear, but I'm not going anywhere."
Thea sniffed, tears welling in her eyes before grabbing him and pulling him into a hug. She buried her face in his chest and broke down. Roy just held her close, letting her cry as he gently caressed her head.
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, the heroes were going about various things when Green Arrow returned, rubbing his head and trying to alleviate a growing headache.
"Hey," Flash noted as he entered. "You ok?"
"I… I don't know," GA admitted. "I think I'm starting to lose it…"
"What do you mean?" GL asked.
"I-... I keep seeing someone I shouldn't… someone who's been dead for nearly six years now."
"Could be an adverse effect to the Vertigo in your system," Caitlin assumed. "I can take a look if you'd like."
"Please," GA all but begged.
He held out his arm, allowing Caitlin to draw some blood. As Caitlin got to work, Felicity continued monitoring traffic cameras around the city, hoping to catch sight of the Count. Finally, something caused her computer to ping, to which she immediately went over to check.
"Guys, I think I got something!" she told them.
Everyone quickly crowded around as Felicity pulled up the footage on screen.
"Just got a hit on someone matching Roy's description of the Count."
Arrow leaned in, getting a good look of the man as he got out of a car in a back alley.
"That's him," he insisted. "Where is he now?"
"Taking the pass from mainstreet to Jordan… oh no… he's headed for the hospital
"He's going after Perdita," Wonder Woman realized.
"Guess since he knows we're onto him, felt like taking the direct route," GL noted.
"His vanity is gonna cost him," Green Arrow declared, turning to leave.
"Whoa, man," Diggle cut off. "If you're not feeling a hundred percent-"
"It doesn't matter. This guy needs to go down."
"He will," Batman reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But in your present condition, you're a liability. We'll handle this."
Arrow looked back at the others, seeing that they were thinking the same thing as Batman.
"Fine," Arrow relented. "I'll be standing by at the Bunker."
"Hey, you don't need-" Cisco began to speak before he walked off.
"Let him go," Felicity told him. "He just needs time to think."
"Time we don't have," Batman told them. "Let's move."
..
Outside the hospital, the Count stepped out of his car, walking towards a group of thugs all arming themselves to the teeth.
"Alright gentlemen, let's make this short and sweet," the Count instructed. "Go in, take care of the Queen, get out. Screw this up, and you'll wish you took a bullet. Got it?"
All the thugs nodded in response.
"Alright. Let's get this over with."
The group made their way to the back entrance, kicking down the door and moving inside. As they made their way through the building, they were confronted by some security guards.
"Freeze!" one of the guards declared.
The thugs just turned towards the guards and proceeded to open fire on them. Before the bullets could hit, a green energy shield suddenly appeared, blocking them. The guards looked up to see Green Lantern hovering over them.
"Evening gentlemen," he greeted. "Anything I can help you with?"
Two of the thugs opened fire on Green Lantern as the rest of the group moved on. GL shielded himself from the bullets before shoving the shield forward the thugs, slamming them into the wall and knocking them out.
…
The group made their way to a nearby stairway. The Count quickly made his way up some of the stairs before turning back to his cohorts.
"Come on!" he called out. "We need to keep moving before more of those 'heroes' show up."
The thugs all nodded, weapons at the ready. Before they could all make it, Wonder Woman's lasso shot out, wrapping around one of the thugs. She yanked hard, pulling the thug to the ground and knocking him out. The other thugs opened fire on Wonder Woman, forcing her to deflect them with her bracers. Two of the thugs stayed behind to occupy Wonder Woman as the others moved on up, still shooting at her. Quickly, Wonder Woman darted forward and batted one thug away before turning to the other and grabbing his gun, crushing it.
…
On the stairs, the thugs continued moving up the stairs, some of them looked up and down for any sign of the heroes.
"All clear, boss," one of them informed.
That's when the lights flickered ominously.
"Dammit," the Count let out.
The thugs look up to see the silhouette of Batman dropping down and landing on the railing, grabbing one of them before shooting up back into the darkness. The thugs began open firing at the top of the stairwell
"Move!" the Count called out. "Now!"
All of them began running up the stairs, some of them shooting wildly into the air hoping to hit Batman. If they did, they couldn't tell in the dense gloom of the , the thugs reached the floor they were after, prompting them to rush in. as they did, a bat-grapnel snagged one of the thugs in the back, pulling him back and dragging him off into the darkness.
…
Meanwhile, Oliver was in the midst of training, trying to get his mind and his body back under control. He took his bow, arrow, and a tennis ball and got into position. He then tossed the ball into the air and notched his arrow, getting ready to fire. Finally he let the arrow go, allowing it to sail towards his target. Instead of hitting the tennis ball though, it was caught by another figure from Oliver's past, one he never thought he'd see again.
"Nice aim, kid," a man with an eyepatch over his left eye sneered, snapping the arrow in his hand.
Oliver lowered his bow in shock as the man threw the pieces of the arrow aside.
"Slade…" Oliver let out.
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Oliver was left in utter shock as the man looked around the Bunker, marveling at everything,
"Nice place you got here. Better than the crap holes we were forced into back on the island."
"You're not real…"
"Neither are you," Slade countered, stopping in front of the suit he wore as the Hood. "you claimed that this crusade was to make up for your father's sins… but we both know that was a lie. It was to atone for your own."
"Get out," Oliver snapped. "You're just in my head. You're not real. You're not here."
"And you're not a hero. The League's right about you. You're unstable, out of control, no better then the rest of the filth that infests this city of yours."
Oliver turned away in frustration, but Slade was far from done with him.
"Don't turn your back on me!"
"You're gone…" Oliver insisted
"Wherever I am… I think it's time you joined me."
Slade then rushed forward and shoved Oliver into a nearby shelf. Oliver quickly turned around and tried swinging his bow at him. Slade easily dodged the attacks before Slade grabbed the bow and struck him in the chest. This knocked him back as Slade threw the bow aside.
"They say a coward dies a thousand deaths," Slade remarked. "But even that wouldn't be enough for you."
"You have no idea what I've been through," Oliver snarled. "What I have lost."
"Laurel. Thea. Your mother. All of whom are suffering or dead to their association with you."
Oliver lunged at Slade, only for him to dodge his attack. Oliver collided with a pillar in the room, causing his anger to rise. He turned towards Slade again and just swung at him wildly. Slade dodged each strike before grabbing his arm and twisting it, causing him to kneel over in pain. Slade then wrapped his other arm around his neck, pulling him in close.
"That island didn't make you strong, kid," Slade told him. "It revealed just how weak you are."
He then threw Oliver right through the display with his Lian Yu hood, shattering the glass and sending the display everywhere. Oliver grunted in pain, picking himself up to see that Slade was gone, leaving only the trashed bunker in his wake.
...
Back at the hospital, the Count and the last of his men made it to the floor where Perdita was laid up. After checking around to make sure the coast was clear, they moved across the hallway towards Perdita's room. As they ran through the hallway however, something fast wooshed in and grabbed one of the thugs, throwing him into a wall and knocking him out. Similar things happened to two more of the thugs so that the Count was the last one remaining. Just as he grabbed hold of the door, he looked back to see that he was all alone. Just then, the Flash appeared in front of him, a smug grin on his face.
"Hate to break it to you, pal," he spoke. "But you're the only one left. You might as well stand down."
"I don't think so," the Count replied.
The Count then threw a needle full of Vertigo at Flash, prompting him to dodge it before speeding towards him. Before he could reach him though, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him, causing him to collapse and crash into the wall. The Count took this opportunity to move into Perdita's room and draw a gun. Flash slowly picked himself up just as the Count leveled his weapon. Musturing all his strength, Flash zoomed into the room and rammed right into the Count, sending him crashing into a wall and knocking him out. The two collapsed on the ground, Flash groaning as he turned to Perdita, still asleep in her bed.
…
Back in the Bunker, Oliver was doing his best to clean up after his dream fight with Slade. As he swept up the broken glass, the elevator door opened up, allowing Diggle and Felicity to come out.
"Hey," Diggle called out. "They managed to take down the Count-"
The two suddenly realized the state of their base.
"Oh my god," Felicity let out. "Oliver, what happened?"
"I… I don't know. "
"You had another hallucination, didn't you?" Diggle assumed.
"Slade Wilson. Someone I… once knew. This time, it got physical. It was… it was like he was in here fighting me."
"We need to get back to S.T.A.R. Labs," Felicity decided. "Maybe Cisco and Caitlin found something that can help."
"Yeah… yeah, that sounds good."
…
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin was mixing a few chemicals with the herbs supplied by Green Arrow, testing it against the Vertigo mixture.
"C'mon..." Caitlin let out. "Please work."
After a few seconds, the solution changed color, much to her excitement.
"Yes. yes!"
"You got it?" Cisco asked, rolling over in his chair.
"I got it. I finally got a cure for the Vertigo poison. This should be able to counter the poison's effects."
"What is wonderful news," Wonder Woman commended as she and the other heroes returned.
"I should have a full sample to give to the Queen in a few hours."
"So that's it then," GL recognized. "We got the Count, the Queen's as good as cured. Mission accomplished."
"It's not over until we find out who hired the Count, and why," Batman reminded him.
"Shouldn't be too hard," GL remarked. "Just a few minutes with the Count and-"
Just then, the door opened, allowing Green Arrow to enter the room.
"Uh, hey," Flash greeted. "We got the guy."
"Heard," Green Arrow replied. "I was actually wondering if the test results on my blood came back yet."
"Uh, let me check," Caitlin volunteered, moving to another computer.
She pulled up the results, looking surprised at the results.
"Ok… this is odd."
"Why?" Arrow asked, walking over. "What's wrong?"
"That's just it, nothing. Your blood's completely clean."
"Then why am I hallucinating?"
"Honestly, I can't say. Maybe it's stress, or the Vertigo… triggered something."
"So it's just in my head," Arrow realized. "Fantastic."
Arrow just turned to leave.
"So… should someone talk to him?" Cisco asked.
"I'll talk to him," Flash volunteered.
Flash went off to catch up with Green Arrow.
…
Green Arrow walked outside towards his bike, about to get on when Flash sped up to him.
"You doing ok?" Flash asked.
"Well, considering I can't help my city, my sister pretty much hates me, and I'm apparently losing my mind, how do you think I'm doing?" Green Arrow retorted.
"By my guess, not well. But it's more than that, isn't it?"
Arrow just sighed before turning to him.
"Each one of these… ghosts… They tell me I'm unable to save this city. Unable to be a hero. And I can't help but wonder if they're right."
"Come on, you honestly can't believe that can you?"
"Why not? I couldn't stop Malcolm Merlyn. I couldn't stop the Undertaking. I couldn't stop the Count. Name one heroic thing I've done that hasn't ended in tragedy?"
"You saved the Queen. When she first showed up in Star City, and those men attacked? It wasn't us that made sure she got out alive, that was you. That was the Green Arrow. And Roy told us how you saved him, inspired him to want to do more. Be more. That's heroism. Not just saving lives, but inspiring people to become their best selves."
Arrow was taken aback by Flash's words, not expecting him to be so encouraging.
"...wow. That's… that's a lot. Was pretty sure you hated me like everyone else.
"I never hated you. Maybe a little judgemental, yeah, but that's only because I know you can do better. Just need to be a little less Hood, and a little more Green Arrow."
"Old habits, I guess. I've fought against dark forces for so long, that I convinced myself that the only I could confront the darkness was to be darkness."
"Maybe not. I've fought against my fair share of darkness myself. But when I do, it's not what I'm fighting against that motivates me. My friends, my family, the people I'm fighting for. That's what keeps me running. Maybe it can help you too."
Arrow just sighs in response.
"Maybe. Thanks again for taking down the Count."
"No problem. Caught me off guard with that dizzy-spell, but-"
"Wait, dizzy-spell?" Arrow cut off. "What do you mean?"
I mean I ran into the room to stop him and suddenly the entire room just went sideways. It was like I'd been stuck on a merry go round at super speed.
"That's… that's what happened to me."
"When you got poisoned?"
"Just before. I was about to nail the Count, then something caused me to collapse."
"Think the Count caused it?"
"Not sure," Arrow replied, climbing onto his bike. "But I'm gonna find out."
…
At SCPD headquarters, Quentin was in interrogation with the Count, who's neurotic and unpredictable behavior was quickly getting on his nerves.
"Alright, pal," Quentin let out in frustration. "We've been at this for hours. How about just cutting the crap and telling us who paid you to kill the kid? It'll go a lot smoother for all of us."
The Count didn't answer, merely drumming his fingers on the table while his eyes darted everywhere, a small giggle slipping out every now and then.
"You know, I'd love to help you," the Count replied. "The name's right on the tip of my tongue… oop, there it goes. So sorry."
Quentin just sighed before getting back to his feet.
"I'm gonna step out," he told him. "And when I get back, we're gonna have a nice long talk about straight answers."
"The good cop, bad cop routine?" the Count guessed. "Really?"
Quentin just rolled his eyes as he walked out, running right into Green Arrow as he stepped out.
"Geez!" Quentin practically yelled. "You have to do that all the time?"
"He talking?" Arrow asked.
"Nah, just screwing with me. He's about a second away from making a deal."
"Let me try."
"I don't know. I need him alive and in one piece. I let you in there, I highly doubt that will happen."
Arrow smirked before setting his bow down and unclipping his quiver, setting it aside.
"Just five minutes. That's all I need."
Quentin looked at the weapons, then let out a breath before picking them up.
"These will be in my office. Five minutes, and you tell me everything, got it?"
Arrow nodded before heading inside. The Count looked up in surprise as Arrow sat down across from him.
"Well, isn't this a surprise," the Count remarked.
"Who hired you?" Arrow asked.
"Really? You honestly think I'll tell you just like that?"
"You will if you wanna walk out of here alive."
The Count chuckled in response.
"You seemed to have left your toys at home. Can't shoot me without a bow."
"Oh, I don't have to lay a finger on you. Besides, it's not gonna be me you have to worry about. It's your employer."
"What are you talking about?"
"You're a loose end now. Even if you don't tell me anything, he'll just see you here and assume you'll talk. If I had to wager a guess, he'll poison you with your own supply, and it'll be written off as another junkie ODing on his own product. I doubt it'll even make the tabloids. But help me take him down… and maybe, just maybe you'll make it out of this alive."
The Count paused for a moment, taking in Arrow's words.
"... well, the guy never gave me a name. All I ever got was that he's Vlatvian, and pretty wealthy from all the scratch he was forking over.
"From the queen's country and willing to pay. Doesn't give me much."
"There is one more thing. He had a special crest on his tie. Gold, with a picture of a starling on a branch. Almost looked like some sort of weird, european lord thing.".
"... thanks."
Arrow got out of his seat and walked out.
…
Arrow then made his way to Quentin's office, filling him in on what the Count had said.
"And that's all he gave you? Rich and a picture of a bird?" Quentin inquired.
"That's it. I know it's not a lot, but it's more than what we had."
"Alright, so how do we wanna play this?"
"Search for family crests of Vlatvian origin that have birds on a branch. If we can narrow down the family, we can begin working on motives."
"Right."
Arrow reclaimed his bow and quiver and was heading out when he caught a news broadcast playing on a TV. It showed Werner Zytle being interviewed about the continuing crisis.
"I would like to express my undying gratitude to both the men and women of the Star City Police Department, and the Justice League for bringing in the culprit and finding the means to cure my niece of this terrible affliction. I am being told that the cure can be administered this very night."
Arrow stopped listening after a point, noticing a golden seal on Werner's tie. Having a thought, he went for his comms.
"Overwatch, pull up some info on Werner Zytle. What position does he hold in the royal court?"
"One second… got it. Get this, Werner Zytle… is a Count. What are the odds?"
"Pretty good," Arrow remarked before heading off.
…
Later that evening, Werner Zytle was in his hotel penthouse, speaking on the phone with someone.
"Alright then. I'll be there shortly."
He then hung up and reached for a bottle of champagne. He poured himself a glass and prepared to drink when he saw something in the reflection. He spun around and saw Green Arrow standing before him.
"Werner Zytle. You have failed this city."
"Really?" Werner replied, taking a sip of his drink. "And how have I done that?"
"You were the one to hire the Count. You paid to have your own niece killed!"
"Did I now? Such bold claims. I don't suppose you have any… proof of this?"
"The Count remembered the crest pinned your crest, the royal seal of Vlatvia," Arrow remarked, drawing an arrow. "And you're next in line for the throne. You'd have everything to gain from her death."
Werner remained silent, simply placing his glass on the table. He then suddenly spun around and held out his hand, suddenly causing Green Arrow to feel disoriented, just like before.
"You… you caused… the vertigo," Arrow mustered, letting his arrow fly and causing it to miss.
"Count Vertigo to you, peasant," he replied as Arrow keeled over. "And before this night is through, it will be King Vertigo."