Hayley entered the Cortex only to suddenly duck and narrowly avoid having her head cut off by the boomerang. She stood and turned, pulling out a knife and throwing it in one smooth gesture. The knife hit the boomerang, which flew off its haphazard course and buried itself in a pipe.

Cisco came running out of his lab area. "That's my bad!" he called, pointing at the boomerang. "That's on me!"

They all collectively flinched as broken equipment crashed and shattered on the floor. Joe straightened up.

"I want that Arrow out of my city," he insisted to Barry. "Tonight." He walked past Hayley and out of the Cortex.

Hayley turned to Barry. "What's going on here?" she asked. "I mean, I know Joe isn't my biggest fan, but I don't even get a welcome back?"

Barry sighed and turned to her, rubbing his neck. "Joe and Dr. Wells don't like the Arrow. Say he's dangerous."

"He is," Hayley agreed. Barry looked ready to argue, so she elaborated. "So am I. So are you. Everyone in this building is dangerous. And they're sort of right. Central City isn't really the kind of city that heroes like the Arrow need to be in."

Barry opened and closed his mouth a few times, staring at her. Finally he shook his head and walked out of the room.

Hayley turned to watch him. "What?" she asked the room. Cisco cleared his throat.

"I think he expected you to agree with him."

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Oliver dropped down through the skylight of the storage facility and started stalking through the halls.

"Do you think he does everything fast?" Diggle asked in his ear. "Like, like, how fast do you think he goes to the bathroom after he's eaten something?"

Oliver shook his head. "This is you watching my back?" he asked.

In the car, Dig rolled his eyes a little. "Mirakuru soldiers are one thing, but this..."

"Whatever he can do now," Oliver answered, "he's the same Barry we met last year."

"Well, if you're so adamant about not teaming up with him, what are we doing here?"

"He's a good kid, and it's just a name, Diggle." Oliver crashed into the office and nocked an arrow. "The man who rents this storage unit," he growled, pulling back the string. "I want. His. Name."

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Hayley walked off the elevator and went immediately for the stairs, hoping she could pass by without being seen.

"Parker!" She cringed, and turned around.

"Heeey, Captain," she waved. "Fancy seeing you here. In the precinct. That you're the captain of."

Singh was not amused. "My office, now!"

"Yes, sir," Hayley answered. She followed him into his office, looking anywhere but at him.

This was not going to end well.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Hayley reached the door of Jitters at same time as Barry. He reached over her and opened the door.

"Hey," he greeted. "How'd it go with Singh?" Hayley followed him inside and walked with him towards Oliver and Felicity.

"Not well," she answered. He gave her a questioning look. "He asked me why I went to Starling."

Barry nodded understandably. "And you can't tell him because it was somewhat illegal and definitely a secret."

"Yeah." The two of them stopped at the counter and ordered their drinks to go. When they got them, they continued on to their friends. Oliver looked at Barry.

"The bad guy you're looking for," he said softly, "the one who robbed the bank, his name is Roy G. Bivolo."

"Uh, thanks," Barry looked completely bewildered. "How did you find that out?" Oliver just stared at him. "The guy's still alive, right?" His eyebrows raised in concern.

Oliver, in typical Oliver fashion, offered a look of confirmation but Hayley could see the exasperation in his eyes.Evidently, Barry could see it as he shrugged and offered a weak, "I'm just asking."

"Given the Hood's reputation," Hayley cut in, eyeing Oliver, "it's a valid question."

Barry shook his head, confused. "I thought you didn't want to help."

Oliver leaned forward a little, a hint of a smile on his face. "I'm not," he insisted. "It's just a name."

All further conversation was cut off by Iris' arrival. "Alright," she said, setting two coffee mugs down on the table and briefly greeting Barry and Hayley. "One non-fat latte, extra sugar for Felicity," she slid the mug over to Felicity, "and one coffee, black, for Oliver." She handed him the mug and leaned forward, smiling. "I brewed you a fresh pot, so..."

Oliver's "Ollie Queen" mask fell firmly into place. "Thank you," he said to Iris, smiling gently.

"Yeah," she sighed. Without taking her eyes off Oliver, she hit Barry's arm. "Barry, um, can I talk to you for a second?"

Barry rubbed his arm. "Yeah." They walked off together.

Hayley pulled a chair up to the table and sat down. "So I don't think I'll be able to get back to Starling anytime soon," she informed. "Singh wasn't happy with me and I'd like to keep my job."

Oliver nodded. "Thea will be disappointed," he said. "She was enjoying having you there." Felicity was quiet.

Hayley sighed. "I know, I enjoyed being there, but I can't lose this job, because SHIELD will ask questions I don't want to answer."

Oliver gave a hum of understanding. Finally taking notice of Felicity staring, both archers turned to her.

"Felicity," Oliver acknowledged. "This is me noticing you staring."

Felicity took a sip of her coffee before answering. "We need to help Barry with his case," she told him. "Why don't you want to help?"

"Because Barry doesn't really want my help," Oliver insisted. "He only thinks he does."

"No, I think he really wants you here," Hayley muttered into her coffee. Oliver frowned at her.

"Harrison Wells and Barry's cop foster dad both said you were dangerous and a bad influence," Felicity said, drawing Oliver's attention back to her. "Barry defended you."

Oliver smiled wryly at her. "You're going to hock me about this until I say yes, aren't you?"

Felicity grinned back. "I'm a hocker." Oliver groaned, but got up and went over to Barry.

"Nice job," Hayley complimented Felicity. She stood and picked up her coat. "Hey, I've got to get back to work, I'll see you later."

"Ok."

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

The next day, Hayley sat against the wall outside the warehouse Team Arrow had commandeered. "Are you sure about this?" she questioned Oliver, looking up from her bow. "I mean, shooting him?"

"He heals fast," Oliver shrugged. Hayley rolled her eyes at his back and stood up.

"Where is that boy?" she wondered, walking over to stand beside Oliver.

"Late," Oliver said simply. "Now take your position."

Hayley walked off the porch, then jumped and grabbed the edge of the roof. She hauled herself up and onto the roof, then crouched behind a wall, waiting until it was time to shoot Barry.

Oliver was facing the field when Barry ran up.

"Hey," Barry greeted.

"You're late," Oliver said, turning to Barry. "Barry, how can you have super-speed and still not be on time?"

"Sorry," Barry said sheepishly. "I guess the super-tardiness kinda neutralizes it." He shrugged, looking around. "So how do we catch Bivolo here?"

"Oh, no, we don't here," Oliver corrected. Barry looked at him, confused. "We're here to train."

"What? Like Rocky?" Barry asked. Oliver ignored him.

"I read your friend Iris' blog post on the Flash, and I visited all the crime scenes you fought at."

Barry looked at him strangely. "Don't you sleep?"

Oliver ignored both him and the faint "No, he doesn't" from above them. "Last month you took on a man named Leonard Snart."

Barry interrupted. "We call him Captain Cold."

"We can talk about you giving your enemies silly nicknames later," Oliver told him. Barry snorted.

"You mean like over coffee with Deathstroke and the Huntress?" he snarked. Hayley, on the roof, snickered quietly.

"The point," Oliver reasserted, "is that you engaged Snart on a commuter train, which he derailed."

Barry looked indignant. "Okay, there may have been some damage, but I got the job done, I was the hero."

Oliver turned fully to face him. "Barry, when you approach a new environment, do you case every inch of it?" he asked. The speedster opened his mouth and then closed it, not answering. "You could. You have the time. But you don't. You just run in blind." Barry looked down, suitably reprimanded. Oliver's voice softened. "There's a difference, Barry, between having powers and having precision."

Barry looked back up at him, vaguely offended. "When I came to you thinking about going out and helping people, you said I could be an inspiration," he reminded Oliver.

"Living this life..." Oliver sighed. He started walking into the yard, Barry following. "Well, it takes more than a mask. It takes discipline. And since you are probably as stubborn as I am..." Oliver pulled his bow off his bike. Barry's face morphed into a look of panic.

"What is that for?!"

"You're going to run over there," Oliver instructed calmly, gesturing towards a spot about hundred yards away, "you're going to come back at me, and you're going to get hit with an arrow."

Barry laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm not."

Oliver laughed right back. "Yes, you are."

Barry laughed some more, nodding mockingly. "Okay, I will humor you." He sped off and a few seconds later yelled back to Oliver. "Ready?"

"Ready," Oliver breathed. He lifted the bow and pulled it back. Barry came running right at him, and Oliver loosed the arrow when he got close enough. Barry caught it.

"Nice try," Barry said sarcastically. Oliver pressed a button on his remote and the two remote controlled bows loosed two arrows into Barry's back. A third, silver arrow came from the roof and hit him.

"Gah!" Barry screamed. He stumbled forward. "Ah!" He looked up at Oliver, panting. "What? You shot me!"

"I heard you heal fast," Oliver said unapologetically. He walked over and yanked the arrows out. Barry screamed again.

"Oh, god," he moaned in pain, following Oliver slowly back to the warehouse. He glanced at the arrows Oliver held. "Is that one of Hayley's arrows?"

"Yeah," Hayley answered, having come down from the roof. Barry gaped at her in shock. "Sorry, Sonic," she continued, not sounding very sorry at all. She shrugged. "Training, you know?"

"You shot me!"

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Muffled arguing floated through the door of Singh's office. Barry stood leaning against Eddie's desk. He glanced to his left when Iris came up beside him.

"Hey," she greeted. "What's up?" Barry sighed, rubbing his eyes. He winced as the movement pulled on his still sore shoulders.

"Eddie's making his case for the taskforce again," he explained tiredly. Iris looked up at him, confusion etched on her face.

"I thought the Captain shot him down already," she said.

"Well, apparently he's got a new argument." The door to Singh's office opened and both Iris and Barry snapped to attention. Eddie walked out first, going right to Iris. Joe came over to Barry, looking annoyed.

"The Arrow made another appearance last night," he said as soon as they'd walked out of earshot of Eddie and Iris. Joe pointed accusingly at Barry. "And you forgot to tell me that you got Bivolo's name from shooting that storage guy in the leg."

Barry cringed. "Technically, I didn't shoot him."

"Well, what word would you use to describe how you got this info?" Joe asked rhetorically. "I'm gonna go with torture."

"I'd go with 'the fear of god'," Hayley came out of nowhere. She handed Joe a file. "Ballistics report from the bank." Joe thanked her, watching Barry, surprisingly, almost glare at Hayley.

Barry shook his head, taking his attention back to the conversation at hand. "I don't..." he trailed off, then sighed. "The Arrow gets results."

"He's a crazy man," Joe reiterated. Hayley frowned.

"Look, I don't actually disagree with you at the moment," Barry snapped, "but we wouldn't even have Bivolo's name if it weren't for the Arrow. So maybe instead of judging him, you should just be thanking him."

"Two things I won't be doing in this life," Joe said flatly, pointing at Barry with the file, "playing professional baseball, and thanking that lunatic." Barry rolled his eyes at Joe and walked off, saying nothing to Hayley.

Joe turned to her. "I know why he's upset with me, but why you?" She looked unbothered by Barry's cold shoulder.

"I shot him," she stated nonchalantly.

"YOU WHAT?!"