Alright, here I am with another chapter...
Every time Oliver flew in an airplane he remembered the crashed plane he lived in on Lian Yu. It brought some good memories, but also the worst possible nightmares.
He was picked not far from the bar by two men who were clearly Argus agents, and Sasha, who upon Amanda's order would be stuck with him throughout the entire mission. So far he learned that she preferred being called Alex, and that she was Russian, but her family moved to America when she was young. This explained the ease with which she spoke in Russian and in English.
When the plane landed in Vladivostok, he and Alex were escorted to a hotel where all necessary gear was waiting for him. Waller was kind enough to provide him with a glock, a few knives, and a sniper rifle. There was also a bulletproof vest that could be worn under a regular shirt, an expensive suit, and cash.
He reread Tsarov's file once more, before getting dressed. He hid the knives making sure he could easily access them during a fight.
Alex was already waiting for him by the door, wearing a short pink dress. She gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement as he opened the door and put on his playboy persona.
The drive didn't take long, and soon he was forced into a giant gallery with an arrogant smirk on his lips pretending to enjoy his surroundings. Alex forced a glass of champagne into his hand while offering him a slight smile.
As they walked around the gallery playing the roles of a rich couple looking for a good cause to put their money into, they looked around waiting for Tsarov to show up. Time passed and the man was nowhere to be seen, and evidently his discomfort was beginning to show, as Alex struck up a conversation.
"You could relax and enjoy this a little."
He looked down at her.
"I would enjoy it if it wasn't one of Amanda's little missions. These have a tendency of going wrong."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Amanda? So you and boss are on a first name basis?"
He rolled his eyes.
"She is not my boss."
Alex huffed lightly as she finished her glass of champagne.
She was about to continue their little chat, but was interrupted when Tsarov entered and walked nearby.
Remembering the building plans Waller gave him, he quickly figured out that Tsarov was headed to his office. He grabbed Alex by the hand and quickly dragged her after Tsarov.
Tsarov walked behind a corner into a thin hallway filled with armed guards. Oliver pressed his back against the wall, staying away from the guards' view, and waited for Tsarov's office door to close. Luckily he had enough time to count the 5 guards that stood there, and their positions.
The door click was heard soon enough.
Not a second passed before a knife was jammed into the nearest guard's neck by Alex. This caused the other guards to snap their attention to them. They put their weapons up aiming at Alex. He pulled the knife from his shoe and threw it at the nearest guard with one quick move, killing him.
The next moment Alex and he were both crouching behind the wall, hiding from the row of bullets flying their way. He sent a quick glance at the agent, and finally saw why Waller sent her with him.
Unlike most people, she didn't have a scared face. No, she had a slight grin as she waited for the guards to cease fire. He shook his head slightly to himself.
The bullets stopped, and the guards were slowly making their way towards them. The moment one of the guard's foot appeared in front of Oliver, he stabbed him in the leg. He then proceeded by disarming the guard, and shooting him in the head from the taken gun.
Meanwhile Alex slit the throat of another guard.
He picked up the knife from the dead body, and joined Alex on her way to Tsarov's office. The fifth guard was already knocking at the door, calling Tsarov's name.
Tsarov was smart enough as he didn't open the door upon hearing the plea.
Alex shot the guard in the head.
It was too late to do it quietly or cleanly. The building was already being evacuated, and the cops would be there in mere minutes.
Alex dragged the body away from the door, letting him kick it down.
The moment the door opened, they were met with more bullets. They were both forced to get down on the floor.
He looked around. Alex was on the ground, stuck in an uncomfortable position that wouldn't allow her to kill Tsarov.
He was forced to crawl up to the desk behind which Tsarov sat. When he got close enough he took out his knife. Tsarov stopped firing, waiting for him to stand up from behind the desk.
But Oliver didn't stand up. He reached under the desk and stabbed Tsarov's foot, causing the man to let out an ear piercing cry. The next thing he knew, Tsarov had a bullet in his shoulder, thanks to Alex.
He stood up and disarmed the man, shoving him into the chair. He placed the blade by Tsarov's neck.
He could have simply killed the man then and there. But he promised Anatoly to send his regards. So instead he pressed the knife into the skin enough to draw blood, but not enough to kill.
"Ты знаешь кто я такой?"
(do you know who I am?)
The man spat at his feet.
"Пошёл нахуй!"
(fuck off!)
Oliver clenched his jaw.
"Нет видимо не знаешь…"
(It seems that you don't…)
He turned the knife around in his hand and pushed it into the bullet wound, making TSarov scream while trying to get away. But Alex was there to hold him down.
"Я Оливер Куин, капитан Братвы"
(I am Oliver Queen, kapitan of the Bratva.)
The man kept screaming even when Oliver put the knife away. The man took a few deep breaths before speaking.
"Что тебе нужно от меня?"
(What do you need from me?)
Oliver shrugged, feeling untouched by the situation.
"Ты портишь нам бизнес."
(You're messing with our business.)
Before the man could reply, Oliver jammed the knife into Tsarov's leg.
"Скажи мне где девочки!"
(Tell me where the girls are!)
The man seemed to find it somewhat amusing.
"Или что? Убьешь меня?"
(Or what? You'll kill me?)
Oliver narrowed his eyes at Tsarov.
"Скажи мне где девочки, или я сделаю так что последние твои мгновения будут адскими."
(Tell me where the girls are, or I'll make your last moment hellish.)
The man made a stoic face, but Oliver could see the fear in his eyes.
So he put the knife near the corner of Tsarov's right eye and began cutting it out.
Immediately Tsarov began speaking.
"Они в подвале! Под клубам рядом с отелем."
(They're in the basement! Beneath the club by the hotel.)
Oliver put the knife away and nodded to Alex, letting her know that she could let him go.
"You can go. I have to finish it myself. Call your boss."
She raised her eyebrow, but left without questions.
When Alex was out of the room, Oliver turned back to Tsarov, who was clearly thinking that it was over.
But it wasn't.
Before the man could even blink, Oliver's knife was piercing his right eye.
The blade was long enough to kill him almost instantly, as he had already lost too much blood from the bullet wound.
Oliver took the knife out and pierced the other eye.
Taking the two eyes out of the sockets, he placed them on the desk in front and took the black Sharpie that was lying nearby.
He left a small note for Tsarov's men. Hopefully they would find this before the police stormed the place.
The note read "Братва следит за предателями". Meaning that Bratva is watching out for traitors.
Less than a month ago he had left a similar message on a drug dealer's body while on a mission as the Hood.
Now Tsarov's men would know for sure that the Hood was here, and that he was working with the Bratva.
Wiping his hands on his own suit, he quickly made his way out, before anyone could show up. He soon caught up to Alex, and the two of them were picked up by another Argus agent.
They were both returned to the hotel, where later that evening they saw, as on almost every knews chanel they broadcast the video of how the cops discovered girls who were kept in cages and used as sex slaves.
And for a moment, he felt like a good man. He felt as though he had a purpose in life. A greater purpose than simply being a gangster or a vigilante.
He had the skills to save lives. He could bring justice to those that could not get it themselves. And he had the opportunity to do it without breaking the law.
Amanda was right. His skills could be used in many ways.
And maybe Killing was sometimes the only way to get justice.
What he finally understood is that he could use his darkness to help bring light and justice to others. He has given away pieces of himself, and become a monster over the years. Nothing more than a cold blooded killer. But he has also become a weapon.
And the weapon wasn't bad. The weapon was simply a tool. The only thing that mattered is the way in which the weapon was used.
Argus had the resources that were needed to save lives. And he was one of those resources. At least according to Amanda.
He looked over at Alex, and wondered for the first time since he met Waller.
What if he joined Argus?
What did he join of his own free will?
On his own conditions?
He could help people. He would do the dirty work to make the world a better place.
A place where young girls like his sister weren't being taken advantage of.
Perhaps this could be his redemption...