Chapter 22:
Oliver walked into the room. Chien and Katya followed behind him ,as representatives of the Bratva and the Triad respectfully. Aresia joined them, as Oliver's bodyguards, and naturally, Talia and Nyssa joined them. Several of Diaz's former men and women walked up to Oliver. Their eyes fell on Oliver, and this group of dangerous women.
"What you did was very foolish," Oliver said. "You put your future behind the wrong man."
"Did you do it?" one of them asked. "Did you really kill Diaz?"
Oliver motioned for Aresia who put up a video. The battle between Oliver and Diaz showed with Oliver murdering Diaz. Then, they filmed Diaz's body being set on fire. All of them watched as this group of dangerous women and one dangerous man.
"I can sense deception," Katya said. "One of you is going to try and assassinate my master. I would not think you would do something stupid."
The Kryptonian whipped out her hand and slammed it to the throat in the man in question. The man fell down to the ground and the others gasped the moment she pulled back. The man struggled for one final breath, but with his throat crushed, he could not move. The Red Daughter's efficiency had not been disputed.
"She was kind in killing him quickly," Talia said. "Some of you no doubt have their doubts."
"We just...we thought that Diaz would…"
"Money? Power?" Oliver asked. "It was all about Diaz and it was all about his insecurities. He could have been something, but he wasted a lot of time on petty matters. I do not do such a thing. You either stand next to me, or…."
Oliver motioned towards the man which Katya pulled back. The man's throat crushed, and none of them wanted to stop the same fate. One of the women stepped forward.
"We will tell you everything, we will follow you, great one," she said.
The others nodded in response. Chien just eyed them, as did Talia and Nyssa. They were followers, most of them. Warm disposable bodies who could be thrown out to make up the numbers in a battle against another threat. Few had any ambition other than that. While some might have potential, that would be a matter which would be assessed at another time.
All they could do was wait and see.
"Yes, you will," Oliver said.
"You've learned by this point, that anything that happens in this city, is run by him," Talia said. "Anyone who goes against him, will fall. Already, at this point, we've improved the Starling City Police Department, to make them better equipped at dealing with the lower end gangs, so we can focus on the bigger picture."
Through funding as Oliver Queen, he managed to help the SSPD. McKenna had been his eyes and ears on the inside, and gave him information on who was trustworthy and who was corrupt. Oliver hoped that he would have less a problem now that Diaz was eliminated.
"And those who try and go up against Ra's al Ghul will fall,' Nyssa said.
"Is there anyone who would join the man on the floor?" Aresia asked.
Katya once again looked them over with a malicious grin. Their hands remained visible. They wanted to give her no reason to attack them, to lash out and strike them. They were afraid. Fear was a powerful weapon and one which Katya used to keep the people she ruled back home under line.
"Kneel before Ra's al Ghul," Katya said.
They all dropped to their knees before them. The group of women just all smiled and Oliver nod.
"I'm glad we have an understanding. And we should have no problems going forward."
Oliver inclined his head towards the example Katya made. It was amazing how people fell into line, when their lives had been at stake.
Central City's newest protectors came up at the right time. Thanks to the new wave of meta-human criminals, a higher class of criminals than they ever dealt with in the past, the Central City Police Department was woefully underprepared to deal with them. Thankfully, the two speedsters had been helping them clean up the city.
If they only knew they were the daughters of one of the CCPD's best detectives. Still, the press beloved these two like none other and they excitedly followed their exploits.
"Impulse? That's the name they're going with?"
Brianna just smirked at Iris's indignant look. It suited her so very well. Brianna could not help and wrap her arm around Iris and pull her into an embrace.
"To be fair, sis, you do jump into matters sometimes," Brianna said. "Sometimes it works well, but when it doesn't…."
Iris shook her head. Impulse, well she could get used to it, Iris guessed. Not her first choice for a name, but whatever. It was just one of those things that happened. They returned to Star Labs after stopping another one of the many meta-criminals they fought.
Of course, it was not just other meta-criminals.
"What would you have named yourself?" Brianna asked.
"Umm, I really haven't thought about that?" Iris asked. "But, if they were going on names, after that incident the first time out where your costume almost burned away, it's lucky they wouldn't call you the Streak."
Brianna shook her head. She had gotten better.
"Well, I still managed to beat the bad guy," Brianna said. "That's all that counts."
"So, Flash and Impulse? The newest heroes of Central City?"
They almost jumped halfway up in the air. Iris turned to Oliver who stood in the shadows, with half of a smile on his face. Iris walked over to him.
"How do you do that? How do you keep getting the drop on us?"
Brianna could answer her sister for Oliver.
"It's a ninja thing," Brianna said. "How have you been?"
"Busy, as the two of you have been," Oliver said. "I've just been in town, finishing up some business. Last week, Caitlin told me about some of your escapades. You're fast on your feet, but are you two quick with your minds? That could make all of the difference in the world if you go up against someone faster than you."
Brianna shuddered at the thought. The mysterious figure in yellow which haunted all of Brianna's deepest darkest nightmares and was a part of her fractured psyche was most certainly faster than her.
"Let's see what you two can really do," Oliver said.
Oliver set up a training room for both Brianna and Iris. Iris thought it would be a piece of cake given how quick the two of them.
"You know there's some kind of catch, right?" Brianna asked. "Because, he's not going to go in without a plan. He plans everything I'm pretty sure he's thought about ten steps ahead of us by this point. I just don't know what."
"Oh, you just overthink things, Brie."
"Are you sure it's not because you don't underthink things?"
Oliver cleared his throat and got the attention of both Iris and Brianna. The two speedsters wondered what the game was. Oliver did think several steps ahead of them.
"So, what do you want?" Iris asked.
"Attack. As fast as you can."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Alright?"
Brianna took half of a step back and watched Iris go in as fast as she could. Her super fast punch would have taken many people out. Well, not Oliver, because Oliver used Iris's own momentum against her. He swung her and slammed Iris at an intense speed against the wall. She hit hard and smacked hard into the wall.
Iris pinched her nose to stop the bleeding. Oh, her nose would heal pretty fast, but her pride, not so much.
"Your first lesson is you move too fast, the sudden stop is even harder," Oliver said. "All it takes is an instant to turn a person's momentum around on them."
Brianna zipped to the side and tried to catch Oliver off guard. Oliver blocked her attack and then hit a nerve ending behind Brianna's leg. That made her topple over, her legs twitching.
"What did you do to her?" Iris asked.
"That's a secret you learn later," Oliver said. "But, she'll regain the feeling in her legs, right about now."
Brianna still wobbled for a good ten seconds before she regained control. Iris locked her eyes onto Brianna and the two swallowed the lumps in their throat. They were trying to figure out how to best go in and they decided on one last ditch movement.
Iris zipped to the left and Brianna came in for the right. Naturally, Oliver crossed both of their attacks and allowed the lightning bolts to hit each other and the force to knock them out.
Oliver whipped out his bow and fired an arrow. Iris zipped to the right. She stuck her tongue out before the arrow fired back and wrapped Iris up in thick cords and slammed her down. She vibrated through it, but this allowed Oliver to disable Brianna with a similar attack.
"You want to watch your back at all times," Oliver said. "You thought you ducked the shot. I purposely missed, so you could get hit in the back end."
The two speedsters regrouped, but they saw Doctor Morgan-Wells wheel up in her wheelchair and lock eyes onto both of them.
"Continue," Tess said. "This is educational."
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Iris said. "If I'm going to be tied up, there better be a bed involved."
"Maybe later," Oliver said. "Get up and try again."
Oliver opened the door of his hotel room and Chloe entered the room.
"Heard you were in Central City," Chloe said.
"Likewise with you," Oliver said. "Surprised, you didn't take a day off to recover from everything."
"Hey, you can't take a day off, not in my business," Chloe said. "You are a day behind, you're yesterday's news. And in today's world of over sensationalized click-bait, you have to be on top of things. I just wish everyone was so prone to move from outrage to outrage at the speed of the Flash, because we lose sight of what's important."
Chloe sighed. She hated what modern media had become. She strived to do what she could as independent journalist, but the big dogs always muscled in and tried to snuff out the little guy, because they challenged the narrative which they tried to control.
"So, you were the one that coined that name?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah, thought it was fitting," Chloe said. "Impulse more so, given she tends to be the one to jump into situations. Wonder what her deal is."
"Oh, she's just eager to prove herself," Oliver said. "And listen ,for the record about Diaz I'm…."
"Don't say your sorry," Chloe said. "Because, if I wanted to live a safe life, I would be an accountant, and not a reporter. Or something less dynamic. Besides, it was exciting."
"I still haven't thanked you properly about cracking the lid open on the entire Emiko thing," Oliver said. "Hopefully, that's the end of family secrets."
"Here's hoping," Chloe said with a smile. "But, it's exciting. Real journalism I mean, not crappy click-bait or faux social outrage. We're not too much unlike. It's just, our weapons are different."
"Well, you are a brave woman," Oliver said. "And I'm glad…."
Chloe did the bravest thing she could think of and kissed Oliver. She did not want this moment to be too sappy. And instead of it being too sappy, it got a bit steamy. Oliver's hands moved underneath Chloe's skirt and felt up her stocking clad legs and kissed her deeply, more deeply than ever before.
"I want you," Chloe breathed in Oliver's ear. "Won't you take me?"
"If that's what you want."
"Oh, dozens of different women can't be wrong, why should I argue?" Chloe asked with a cheeky smile.
Oliver guided Chloe into his hotel room and locked the door behind her. They helped each other out and now they would enjoy each other in different ways.
The Shameless Smut Commences In the Next Chapter.