A/N: Okay, so the reason I'm doing another update right now is because I'm actually not going to be getting on my computer for a little while. I am in the midst of attempting to take a break from writing but as long as I get on my computer, I'm tempted to write. The only way this probably works is if I don't get on my computer, which means I won't be able to post any chapters. This is partly for my own mental health, as well. So, just so everyone knows, this story won't be updated for a little bit.
Clark Kent would ask how they kept getting into these situations, but he already knew the answer: he and Lois were too damned inquisitive (or nosy depending on who you were talking to), and Jimmy followed their lead. As a result, the three of them were currently surrounded by a gang of thugs in the Glades, about twenty feet from their rental. "This one's on you, Lois," he said mildly. "You're the one who wanted to investigate the recent upsurge in violence in the Glades."
"Well, you didn't argue that we shouldn't, so I say you're as much at fault as I am," Lois said.
"Guys, is this really the time for one of these arguments?" Jimmy asked, eyeing the men who had them surrounded nervously. What were they waiting for? Why weren't they beating them up or robbing them or whatever it was they planned to do?
One man stepped forward and grabbed Lois' chin. "Scream for us, darlin'," he sneered drunkenly.
"You're not scary enough for me to scream," Lois said.
"We can make you scream if that's your preference," said the man.
"I don't know, I'm pretty tough," Lois said.
"Honey, is it really wise to antagonize the man?" Clark asked mildly.
"Yes," Lois said after a moment. "Yes, it is." Clark and Jimmy both sighed. Lois would never change. Clark mentally prepared himself to use his powers to get them out of this mess… and then an injection arrow blossomed in the chest of the man who had told Lois to scream. He grunted even as more arrows flew into their midst, binding the men around them or injecting them with Green Arrow's special derivative of tetrodotoxin. The men collapsed even as the Daily Planet trio turned and found Green Arrow walking up to them, a motorcycle purring a little ways away.
"You three have a penchant for finding trouble," Green Arrow observed, casually kicking one of the squirming men in the head and knocking him out.
"Occupational hazard for an investigative journalist," Lois said smartly. She gestured at the thugs around them. "Seems you made short work of this bunch. Any comment on the recent rise in gang violence here in the Glades? Wait, let me get a recorder." Lois searched her purse for one of her handy devices while Green Arrow just looked at her in amusement and her partners did the same in exasperation. "Ah, here we are!" Lois said brightly as she pulled out a recording device. She activated it. "So, again, Mr. Queen, what is with the recent upsurge in gang violence in the Glades?"
"It's quite simple, Miss Lane," Green Arrow said after a moment. "Tempest's leader has put out a bounty on me. If I understand it right, the bounty is now two million dead, four million alive. He finds it amusing to use the very people I'm trying to help to hunt me down, preying on their desperation and, in his mind, proving to me that they're not worth saving, that they will turn on me in an instant. But I believe that while there are some who will always let their desperation decide their path, there are many others who would defy this man's expectations of the people of the Glades. I believe the people here can be better, stronger than Tempest and their leader believe. These people are not the animals he views them as."
"That's quite the hopeful attitude, Mr. Queen," Clark said, even as Jimmy was snapping pictures of the downed thugs and one of Green Arrow in his new uniform (it was the first clear image of Green Arrow's new outfit, all the others being grainy blurs, and Jimmy wasn't about to miss the opportunity to land the best picture possible). "If I may ask… you've ditched the mask but kept the hood and the voice modulator. Why is that?"
"The mask symbolizes a separation of identities, hiding one's true self from the world," Green Arrow replied. "My two identities are one now. That is undeniable. The hood is a way of remembering two people, the Chinese general and his daughter, who both taught me how to be an archer. They both wore the original hood on my original uniform before me, and I wore it to honor them. I felt it only right to keep the hood, even if it's different, to continue honoring them. As for the voice modulator?" He grinned at them. "Helps to scare witless idiots like these out of their tiny minds. A voice modulator doesn't work for everyone, mind, but for some of us, it's just another tool in our arsenal."
"Interesting," Clark mused as he wrote what Green Arrow said down.
"Are you concerned that this bounty could see the people you care about targeted?" Lois asked.
"That is a constant worry," Green Arrow admitted. "I especially worry over the safety of Laurel and my sister, Thea. Yes, I was forced to disown Thea, essentially, but I still love her, and she could always end up a target, even with the security her father provides to keep her safe from 'the animals'."
Lois' eyes narrowed in speculation. "You've used 'the animals' to describe how both the leader of Tempest and Malcolm Merlyn see the people of the city," she said. "Is there a connection there, or is it coincidence?"
"No comment," Green Arrow replied. "And I would prefer if you didn't print that kind of speculation, Miss Lane."
"I would need to get more for that kind of story, anyways," Lois said after a moment, "and something tells me you're the only one who could connect the dots for me right now." Green Arrow shrugged in response. "How did you get back into action so quickly?"
"I'd set up a secondary base for if the Bunker was ever compromised," Green Arrow said. "It included new gear I could use." Green Arrow smirked. "I've learned the value of redundancies, and please, Miss Lane, make sure that that quote gets into the article you're bound to write from this interview."
"Oh, I will," Lois said, "though I wonder what the relevance is."
"Let's just say Tempest's leader and I had a little chat one time and he said I should learn the value of redundancies," Green Arrow said with a smirk. "I thought he'd like to know I had already learned that lesson when he said it."
"I see," Lois said while Clark wrote that down. "I get the impression you enjoy thumbing your nose at Tempest's leader."
"It's a hobby," Green Arrow said with a shrug. "It's been especially amusing when he hasn't realized I was doing it."
"So, you interacted with him as Oliver Queen," Lois said.
"Again, Miss Lane, speculation, and no comment," Green Arrow said.
"I'll get the truth eventually," Lois promised.
"I'm sure you will," Green Arrow said. "Now, the three of you had best get out of the Glades. They're no longer safe for strangers." He smirked. "I'll escort you to your car." He led them to their car down the street, then headed back for his bike.
"Well, we got the story you were looking for," Clark said mildly as he started the car. "Not to mention circumstantial evidence that Malcolm Merlyn and Tempest's leader are one and the same."
"I hoped you caught that," Lois said. "And talk about a story. A long-term conflict between the two most powerful billionaires in Starling City? That's like a once in a lifetime sort of thing, Clark. That'd be like if Max Lord and Lex Luthor started seriously competing with one another instead of giving each other compliments. If that is the case, it's definitely going to be one hell of an interview when all is said and done. I wonder what he plans to do after he beats Tempest."
"Who knows?" Clark said as he pulled the car away from the curb. "He might just stay on the run, fighting for the city, until he's caught. Or he could decide his fight is over and turn himself in."
"I guess we'll find out," Lois said speculatively. "Now, get us back to the hotel. I've got to write this story up and get it off to Perry. I want to make the morning edition if I can." *1*
*DC*
Dinah Laurel Lance was working late in her office at C.N.R.I., working out the budget for the rest of the month thanks to the influx of funding from the fundraiser Oliver had thrown for the firm. John Diggle was outside talking with Sara, who had shown up after her flower shop closed. Laurel knew Sara thought she worked too hard, but this was important. The budget had to be set so they knew how much they could spend on each case (which was considerably expanded thanks to the generosity of the donors that Oliver and Laurel together had managed to convince to part ways with sizable donations). Each donation had been confirmed, with only Lex Luthor rescinding his donation. While they could have used the five hundred thousand he had offered, Laurel had to admit that knowing what he got up to in his labs made her happy they hadn't taken his money, since it would be easy to consider it blood money. Then again, the same could be said for any of the donors, depending on if they were on the List and would eventually get a visit from Oliver once he had dealt with Tempest.
There was suddenly the sounds of fighting outside, and Laurel heard the sharp retort of a pistol once, twice, three times. Then three men managed to push passed whatever defensive line Sara and Dig represented and burst into her office. "We got the bitch!" one of the men crowed, and they moved forward, their intent to abduct her clear in their attitudes and the eager expressions on their faces.
Laurel stepped around the desk and delivered a sharp forward kick to the stomach of the lead man, sending him stumbling back, mentally thanking the fact that today she had worn flats and a pantsuit instead of a skirt and high heels. Laurel delivered a right cross to the jaw of the next man to lunge at her, sending him stumbling back. The third man came straight at her, hands outstretched and aiming for her neck. Laurel ducked under his arms and came up behind him, delivering a quick kidney shot before grabbing the back of the man's shirt and delivering three solid blows to the back of his head. The man whirled, using one arm to swipe her arm away from him, which caused her to stumble. Then a pair of hands grabbed her ankles and pulled hard. Laurel fell forward, catching herself with her hands before her face met the floor.
Before the men could do much more, Sara and Dig were there. Dig put a round in the leg of the man standing in front of Laurel while Sara delivered quick, debilitating blows to the men behind Laurel, including the one holding onto her ankles. Laurel pulled her feet from the man's grasp and stood. "I guess these guys wanted to get a chance at the bounty," she quipped shakily, before sighing. "Guess I'll call the cops. Hope Dad's not going to show up." *2*
*DC*
Green Arrow:
Hunted Man
by
Lois Lane & Clark Kent
Malcolm Merlyn fumed as he read the article by the Daily Planet's premier reporters which was essentially an impromptu interview Oliver had given the duo in the Glades last night. Like all of the duo's stories, it was front page news, and now everyone knew about the bounty on Green Arrow's head. The reason for Malcolm fuming was that Oliver was clearly using this opportunity to try and appeal to the 'better natures' of those animals living in the Glades, if there was such a thing. Malcolm had his doubts that Oliver's pleas would fall on listening ears, but there was always the chance the filth believed in their precious savior and decided to fulfill his hopes in their general nature. There was also the little message that Oliver specifically wanted Lois Lane to report, the one about him learning the value of redundancies.
Oliver was not acting like a typical vigilante, and that was making it difficult to turn people against him. He was intervening in ordinary crime and helping people. He wasn't killing his targets, merely exposing what he deemed their 'corruption' and allowing either the S.C.P.D. or the F.B.I. to take them down. He was actively working with law enforcement, to a degree, instead of disdaining them the way most vigilantes did. Well, somewhat. He did disdain the S.C.P.D. because of their ineffectiveness, but he worked with the F.B.I., and that was causing Malcolm problems.
Malcolm closed down the app on the tablet (newly-purchased by a guilty-looking Thea who explained what had happened to the last one, which Malcolm told her he understood) and finished getting ready for the day. He had breakfast with Thea to get to, then a long day at work.
*DC*
Thea Merlyn was still waking up with the help of the coffee that she had had at breakfast, sitting in the back of one of the Merlyn family's town cars. Sitting on the seat beside her was a tablet with the Daily Planet's impromptu interview with her psycho brother. Thea just couldn't understand the obsession those reporters had of painting Oliver as some kind of heroic figure struggling against titanic odds. He was a lunatic who had attacked his own family, traumatizing her, and he deserved to go to prison. The only reason for him to go to a psychiatric facility would be to show he wasn't in his right mind when he signed over custodianship of the Queen fortune and controlling interest in Queen Consolidated to his working-class girlfriend, which would let Thea's father wrestle control of both away from Laurel and keep it in trust for Thea until she could inherit it, as was her right. That she was not a Queen and couldn't actually inherit the fortune 'by right' didn't occur to the young and arrogant heiress.
The town car was partway to Berlanti Preparatory when it happened. Something slammed into the side of the car, sending it rolling, throwing Thea about like a rag doll inside. Finally, the car stopped rolling, resting on its roof. Thea, who hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, lay on the inside of the roof, dazed with a bloody gash on her forehead. The door to the back was opened, and a pair of rough hands grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her out, riding her skirt up her thighs. Thea tried to shove her skirt back down even as she felt something tighten over first her ankles, then her knees. Her hands were grabbed and pinned behind her back, and the same tightening sensation was felt at her wrists and elbows. A foul-smelling and foul-tasting rag was shoved into her mouth, and then duct tape was being slammed into place, locking the rag in her mouth. She was carried by two men to a nearby town car, trunk open, and thrown in the back. Thea lost consciousness as the trunk door slammed shut.
*DC*
Henry Allen walked down the chain-link corridor leading to the outside world, smiling and nodding at a couple of guards, who gave the same in return. After twelve long years, he was a free man. The person responsible for his wife's murder had been killed and the man's will had included a confession that had seen the D.A. move heaven and earth to get Henry's conviction overturned in record time. At least now, Henry knew the truth. Harrison Wells had used an experimental technology to disorient he and his son before killing his wife, and then had been keeping an eye on Barry all of these years. It sickened Henry that his wife's murderer had been watching his son, and while Henry was a compassionate man by his very nature as a doctor, he could only hope that Wells was rotting in a special level of hell for everything he had done to Henry's family.
Henry's eyes crinkled as he smiled at the sight of his son sitting against a car, a wide smile on his face as he approached, meeting Henry halfway. The two hugged for the first time in twelve years, and Henry almost wept at the fact that his son was in his arms. "I'm so glad you're out of there, Dad," Barry said, pulling away and wiping a few tears from his eyes.
"And I'm glad to be out of there," Henry said as the two began to move to the car. "Is this yours? It looks nice."
"Uh, yeah," Barry said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I decided to make good use of some of Wells' blood money and buy my own car since I can afford it now. I'm gonna try not to use his money too much, if I can help it, but if I can better my life, both of our lives, then I will, because he owes us so much more than that."
"Yes, he does," Henry said as they got into the car. "And its alright that you used his money to buy this, Barry. The fact that you don't like using his money speaks well of you. So, what exactly did he leave you, besides the confession?"
Barry started the car as he said, "He left me most of his fortune, all of his properties, and ownership of S.T.A.R. Labs. He also left me a letter to explain his reasoning. I'll let you read it now that you're out of there. But one of the things he revealed in that letter was he's basically made sure that I can't be a scientist, at least not in Central City. He wanted me to be forced to become a C.S.I. if I stay here."
"So, what do you plan on doing?" Henry asked as the car pulled away and did a U-Turn, heading back to Central City. "Because I'll be honest, Bar. I'm not sure I can stay in a city where the people thought the worst of me."
"I've been looking into places I could work," Barry said, "and there's a couple of places. Both are in cities that are a little… grimmer than Central City, but I'm in favor of one over the other."
"What are they?" Henry asked.
"The Applied Sciences divisions of both Wayne Enterprises and Queen Consolidated are hiring, and they're both cutting edge," Barry said. "I could fulfill my dream of making new technologies for C.S.I. work, because I know you can't be the only person who's ended up framed for a crime they didn't commit, and I want to help those people, too. I'm favoring Queen Consolidated over Wayne Enterprises, though. Wayne Enterprises might be more prominent, but Queen Consolidated is still on the West Coast, and it's only six hundred miles away. We could still see Iris and Joe, especially since I could afford to either bring them up to Starling or bring us back down to Central City."
"I've heard rumors in Iron Heights about a vigilante in Starling City," Henry said mildly. "They say he goes after the wealthy."
"Only the ones whose gains are ill-gotten," Barry said. "Green Arrow wouldn't go after us when I only inherited Wells' estate. He goes after people who have victimized the people of Starling City in some way. Adam Hunt was going to kill a lawyer who was prosecuting him in a mob-style hit. Martin Somers was tied up with the Chinese Triad, who the Green Arrow crushed in one night. James Holder's company made faulty smoke detectors for low-income housing. Jason Brodeur was dumping toxic waste in the Glades. Leo Mueller made a living selling military-grade weapons to street gangs. The Bratva is self-explanatory. Emily Pollard was in cahoots with a pair of domestic terrorists. And Gregory Kullens had taken kickbacks as well as being a patron of the Triad's prostitution ring. These were not good people. We are. We've got nothing to worry about if we move to Starling, Dad, except for the crime rate there, which has gone down since Green Arrow showed up."
"You admire him," Henry said. It wasn't a question, and Barry nodded.
"I do," Barry said quietly. "With Jason Brodeur, he proved that a man convicted of killing his wife and sentenced to death was in fact innocent and that Brodeur's bodyguard was also his fixer and had killed the man's wife. Obviously, that resonated pretty deeply with me. I kind of hoped he might branch out, investigate what happened to you."
"I see," Henry said. "How does Joe feel about you admiring Oliver Queen?"
"He doesn't understand it, but he's accepted that I'm always going to be a little different than he'd like, believing in the impossible and such," Barry said. "Especially now that I've been proven right with Wells using that experimental tech to fool us that night. If that hadn't happened, he'd probably be a little more judgmental."
"So, Starling City?" Henry said after a moment. "I suppose we could do it."
"It's also one of the places Wells had a property," Barry admitted. "A penthouse suite in downtown Starling. So, we wouldn't have to worry about finding a place right away. We'd be able to stay there, at least until we decided to find someplace else. I know I don't want to stay there longer than needed."
"That sounds good," Henry said. "Have you told Joe and Iris this, yet?"
"Not yet," Barry said. "I want to wait a bit, but I'll tell them soon. Today is about celebrating your release. They're both looking forward to seeing you. Joe's probably going to apologize. He's already apologized to me a half-dozen times even though I told him Wells fooled all of us."
"I don't blame Joe," Henry said. "As much as I hate to say it, they had all of the evidence they needed. Like you said, none of us knew about Wells' technology and therefore our story about the lightning storm would've sounded like a half-assed attempt to bluff my way out and you being a loyal son."
"Yeah, I suppose it would have," Barry said with a sigh. "At least you're out now, and Wells can't hurt us anymore."
"That's right, son," Henry said. "Look on the bright side of all of this." *3*
*DC*
Oliver Queen settled in front of the computers as he sipped a cup of coffee. Naomi was still sleeping, Oliver letting her have a lie-in since they had had a late night last night. Oliver brought up the newsfeed for Channel 52, and felt his heart stop for a moment as he read the caption for one video. Merlyn Heiress Abducted! Feeling a little frantic, Oliver clicked on the video, expanding it.
Susan Williams appeared on the screen. According to the time stamp in the corner, this had aired around nine a.m., thirty minutes ago. "This is Susan Williams with a breaking news bulletin," Susan said. "Thea Merlyn, daughter of Malcolm Merlyn and sister of Oliver Queen, has been abducted while on her way to school. The kidnappers sent a video to Channel 52, which we will now play for you. We warn you, the video is not for the faint-hearted."
The kidnappers' video began playing. Thea was in the center of the screen, tied to a chair, a ball-gag like those used in BDSM sex games inserted into her mouth. Oliver could hear his sister crying, and his heart ached for her. "This is a message for the Green Arrow," a voice said, and Oliver's fists clenched as he recognized the voice of Morgan Edge, the crime lord from Metropolis that he had had a run-in with and who had promised he would visit Starling to get revenge on Moira. "You know who I am. You know what I'm here for. Surrender yourself to us at the place where your family failed this city by noon, or your sister will be taken from here and made to serve out the debt owed. Noon, Mr. Queen, and no later." The video ended and cut back to Susan.
"The identity of the kidnappers remain unknown and the location is still being determined, but it is clear that Green Arrow is being drawn out into a conflict of some kind," Susan said. "This may even be connected to the bounty on Oliver Queen's head as reported by the Daily Planet in their morning edition. Whatever the case, our hopes and prayers go out to the Merlyn family that this can be resolved peacefully and without bloodshed."
Oliver closed down the video clip, suddenly feeling wide awake. Edge had Thea, and it was unlikely he would release her if Oliver gave himself up to them. No, Edge would probably have Thea 'work off' Moira's debt, and a man like Edge probably had added thirty years' interest to that. The location was obvious to someone who had spent time there when it was in its ruined state along with Edge's words. They were holding Thea in the ruins of the steel factory, again to send a message to Oliver since he was (technically) the last Queen left.
Oliver stood. He needed to get Naomi up here, and then it would be time to move.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Chapter Notes:
*1* And so the intrepid reporters and their faithful photographer continue to dig for the truth of what is going on in Starling City and begin to make connections to certain things, even if they don't have the full picture just yet.
*2* This scene was meant to show that Laurel is taking to Sara's lessons well, but she still has to learn how to keep an eye on her surroundings, among other things.
*3* And so Barry ends up applying to Queen Consolidated after all even without a personal invitation from Oliver, and he and Henry are planning to move to Starling for a fresh start.