Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.
Oliver attended the gala as the reporters started to shoot questions.
"Oliver, what's it like to be out of prison?"
"How does it feel to be back home with everyone knowing you're the Green Arrow?"
"Are you gonna put on the hood now that you're back?"
"I have not decided yet whether I will put on the hood and all I can say is that I'm happy to be back with my friends and family. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them after the event but I'd like to enjoy some time with people I care about if you won't mind." Oliver said and walked past the reporters, ignoring further questions.
They entered the main hall, when a familiar face approached. "Excuse me. Queen!"
"Max Fuller." Oliver said with a sour taste on his tongue.
"Hey, man, I know we've had some bad history." Max smiled.
"You, uh, had your bodyguards kick the crap out of me and Tommy at your club." Oliver reminded.
"Right. Well, you slept with my wife. Well, now my ex-wife." Max said and Oliver winced before Max smiled. "Dude, all that is in the past, OK? You're the freaking Green Arrow."
"Yeah." Oliver smiled. "Look, Max, if you won't mind, I'd like to catch up with my friends and—"
"Yeah, sure." Max nodded as Oliver walked past them and approached Felicity, who hugged him.
"Hey." Felicity said.
"Hi." Oliver smiled as they both felt the atmosphere become awkward. "So… it's been a while since…"
"Since we broke up because you turned yourself in." Felicity took a breath. "Look, when I found out, I didn't react well but now I understand why you sacrificed your freedom to stop Diaz. But… I think we've both been through too much crap for us to handle it. I mean, Diaz almost killed me and William, if not for Sara and I mean… you both can look out for yourselves and I guess she understands you better than I do. I'm sorry about how I freaked out, when I found out about the deal you had made but I get it now."
"We were great friends, Felicity, but we both know it never would have worked out between us." Oliver said and Felicity nodded after a moment.
"I guess it wouldn't have. And I know how much Sara meant to you and if she makes you happy, then I'm happy for you too, really." Felicity said before they approached the table, where were Diggle, Lyla, Dinah and Curtis.
"I never got to ask you. What was your first meal when you got back?" Curtis asked.
"Well, I missed Big Belly Burger." Oliver smiled.
"Taking a while to get those sea legs back, huh?" Diggle asked.
"Speaking of, you thinking about getting back out there, trying that old suit on for size?" Rene inquired.
"Shh, shh. No, no, no. He's absolutely not, just like we don't do that anymore." Dinah reminded.
"Dinah's right. I'm very much enjoying not being in prison." Oliver said.
"Besides, I think that the New Green Arrow fills the shoes pretty well." Sara added and everyone nodded, though Dinah and Diggle frowned.
"So what now?" Rene asked.
"I don't know. Find a different way to help the city, way you guys did." Oliver said.
"Maybe I could help the SCPD." Sara noted.
"Well, isn't this a lovely reunion?" Laurel said as she approached.
"We're friends with her now?" Lyla asked, confused.
"It's more like frenemies." Dinah corrected.
"It's a long story." Diggle said.
"Relax. I'm just here keeping up appearances. D.A., remember?" Laurel reminded.
"I think we all owe a 'thank you' to Laurel, I mean, if not for her, Ollie would still be in prison." Sara reminded.
"That's true. I'm very grateful." Oliver said as he turned to Laurel. "I know that I haven't always given you the benefit of the doubt, so..."
"Well, you should thank Sara as well." Laurel reminded.
"Welcome. Thank you all for attending this evening." Pollard said as she approached the mics on the stage. "I would like to introduce this evening's honoree, Mr. Oliver Queen."
The crowd applauded as Oliver approached the mics. "Thank you, Mayor Pollard." He cleared his throat. "I used to believe that justice was as simple as putting criminals behind bars but then I spent some time in prison, and I realized that the truth is nowhere near that black and white. The truth is that our institutions have a long way to go before they achieve true justice."
Suddenly, they heard an arrow whoosh and destroying a fuse box as the room went dark before Oliver saw the guards being shot down and caught one of the arrows before it could hit someone else and Oliver took a look at it, recognizing it as the Green Arrow's, making him wonder what was going on.
"The attack perpetrated by the Green Arrow this evening is further proof why we, as a city, cannot trust men that hide behind masks. There is a reason why the anti-vigilante law exists. Thank you." Pollard said.
"That wasn't Roy." Sara whispered as the Team Arrow talked in private.
"No one doubts that, but the real question is, who did it and why?" Oliver said.
"Either way, if someone is setting him up, we need to let him know." Diggle said and Oliver and Sara nodded.
"I'll try to reach out, let him know." Sara said.
"Meanwhile, we should look into the copycat and I can't think of a better way to investigate a copycat Green Arrow than with the original." Dinah said, turning to Oliver.
"I can, with my help, because I'm not sitting this one out." Rene offered.
"I appreciate it, but there's nothing left to be done tonight, so go home. Let my guys work the scene. And if I need help, I'll call you tomorrow." Dinah said as they left.
Rene's apartment
"So, we need to find anything that would exclude Roy as a suspect." Oliver said as they examined the footage, while comparing them with the files Dinah had collected on the New Green Arrow.
"Pollard's on the warpath." Dinah said as she entered.
"That's OK. Forensics pull anything from the scene?" Oliver asked.
"Well, nothing we didn't already suspect. Arrows are consistent with the vigilante's." Dinah said as she pulled out a plastic bag with the arrow. "Here. Take a look."
"Thank you." Oliver said as he took a closer look at the arrow. "Well, they're both handmade. The materials in the arrowhead seem to match. This would be difficult to replicate."
"But not impossible, right?" Rene pointed out.
"The security camera footage?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah, but you're not gonna find much. The killer was off-camera." Dinah said as she turned on the laptop and the footage.
"His arrows weren't. If this guy is as precise with a bow and arrow as Rene says, then he would've had a target. Based on the trajectory, that guy." Oliver pointed at the man that would have been shot, if not for Oliver catching the arrow as Dinah zoomed in.
"Oh, wait a minute. That's... that's Clayton Ford. He's a rich dude who actually helped the Glades. He funded a clinic." Rene said.
"It's obvious it wasn't Roy but who would want Ford dead?" Dinah wondered.
"Good question." Oliver said.
Later, the Glades
Oliver entered the clock tower and looked around before he sensed someone jumping down and was behind him and turned around and smiled.
"Hey, Roy." Oliver said.
"Hey." Roy said, as they hugged each other.
"Thank you for trying to continue my mission but I can't ask you to put yourself at risk." Oliver said.
"Are you kidding me? Dinah and the cops certainly didn't help things much and Pollard has framed me for the things that I've been trying to prevent." Roy said.
"Roy, it's not that, I'd never forgive myself if you ended up in prison because of me again." Oliver said as he raised his hands.
"Look, I appreciate your concern but who trained me how to be a vigilante? I got this, don't worry." Roy assured.
Oliver sighed, knowing that all he could do was to trust his protégé. "Someone's posing as the Green Arrow and framing you. The copycat went after Clayton Ford earlier tonight. Do you know something about it?"
"I don't know. Ford's been trying to help the Glades and I don't know why would someone want him dead." Roy wondered.
"Or go to such lengths to frame you for his murder." Oliver added.
Later, SCPD
Oliver and Rene returned to SCPD as the reporters started shooting questions.
"Mr. Queen. Mr. Queen. Mr. Queen. Do you know who the new Green Arrow is?"
"Are you helping with this investigation?"
"I have no comment, guys."
"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell is this?" Dinah demanded as she approached the reporters. "You all know the precinct is off-limits."
"Captain Drake, care to comment?" One of the reporters asked.
"The SCPD does not comment on ongoing investigations." Dinah reminded.
"But I do. The vigilante didn't do it." Rene said.
"OK. Can somebody please get these guys out of here?" Dinah ordered, turning to the officers before she dragged Rene away. "Not helping."
"Hey. Why does the mayor have to have all the fun?" Rene shrugged and Dinah sighed in exasperation.
"Maybe meeting at the precinct wasn't the best idea." Oliver said.
"Yeah. Well, I thought the jig was up after you were spotted last night. Oh, and speaking of last night, turns out we were right about your Green Arrow clone. He is innocent." Dinah said.
"How do we know?" Oliver inquired.
"Remember our second suspected target, Clayton Ford?" Dinah asked and Oliver nodded. "My guys found him dead across town."
"OK. What do we know about the Ford murder?" Oliver asked.
"Emerald arrow, center... chest, same as Hutchinson." Dinah explained.
"Someone's going through a lot of trouble to pin this on the new Green Arrow." Rene noted. "We really need to come up with a better name for him."
Oliver took a look at the evidence board. "He's making everyone, including Pollard, look away. The question is from what?"
"Well, Ford may have known. He was trying to skip town when he was killed." Dinah handed Oliver a file. "He found him with bags packed and ready to go, clothes and cash."
"Yeah, he knew he was the target." Rene realized.
"What the hell is going on?" Pollard demanded upon entering. "Last time I checked, Mr. Queen and Mr. Ramirez were not employed by the SCPD."
"Well, they're just here giving statements." Dinah said.
"That the vigilante didn't do it. Yeah, I heard." Pollard nodded before looking at Oliver and Dinah in disgust. "You know, it's no big surprise that the old Green Arrow would be supporting the new one, but I expected more from my police captain."
"You telling me how to conduct my investigation, Ms. Mayor? Because last I checked, I was still in control of this precinct." Dinah reminded.
"I hired you to restore the city's faith in this department. That means bringing that vigilante to justice. And if you can't do that, I will find someone else who can." Pollard sneered as she left.
"She may be the tiniest, most unpleasant person I've ever met." Rene noted.
"You have to listen to her, but I don't." Oliver said.
"What are you thinking?" Dinah asked.
"It says here both victims were members of the same society at Yale." Oliver said as he read the file. "I know a guy. Max Fuller, he was a member, too. I could go see him, gather some intel. I'll be in touch if I learn anything, all right?"
Dinah nodded as Oliver left the precinct.
Later, Star City
"Five fully-stocked bars, three private lounges, and the sound system is the best... outside of Europe." Max said as he and Oliver walked down Max's nightclub. "A.I. adjusts the acoustic environment based on capacity. Right this way here."
They walked up the stairs, entering Max's office.
"That's a ton of security you got down there, Max. It must be costing you a fortune." Oliver noted.
Max chuckled. "Not when you pay for them with crypto you mine yourself. All it costs me is the little USB drive I put it on." He picked two glasses from a table. "Scotch? It's a 25-year."
"Why not?" Oliver said as Max handed him the glass and they raised them. "We can toast your new club."
"Hey. Toast to your new prison and Green Arrow-free life." Max said as they clinked their glasses. "It's really got to piss you off, though, huh? Seeing some lame copycat screw up everything you sacrificed for."
"I wanted to speak with you about that. The last two murders weren't connected to the vigilante." Oliver said.
Max nodded as they sat down. "So the rumors are true. You are helping the cops investigate this. How can I help?"
"You were a member of the Scroll and Key back at Yale." Oliver said.
"Allegedly. It is a secret society." Max noted.
"Fair point." Oliver nodded. "How well did you know Clayton Ford and Sam Hutchinson?"
"Clay and Hutch. Well enough to mourn them." Max said, looking sad. "But we'd sort of fallen out of touch."
"Ford looked like he was trying to skip town before he died, like he knew the hit was coming, but we just... we don't know how." Oliver said.
"You're looking for skeletons." Max realized.
"And are we gonna find any?" Oliver inquired.
"I know you're not supposed to talk ill of the dead or whatever, but, you know, there were always rumors that they had shady business dealings going on with the Triad, I believe." Max said and Oliver nodded. "So who knows? Maybe they got in over their heads."
"Probably." Oliver nodded as he got up. "I won't take up any more of your time. Thank you, Max."
"You mind if I ask you a question?" Max asked as Oliver turned to him. "They sent you to prison for helping this city. Why the hell should you care about any of this?"
"Old habits." Oliver shrugged. "I guess some people don't change that much after all."
Later, Oliver's apartment
"Felicity, can you look into Max Fuller?" Oliver asked over the phone.
"Isn't that the guy who owned Poison six years ago and kicked you, Tommy and Laurel out, when you came back from the island?" Felicity asked.
"He's somehow connected to the murders, I don't know if he's behind them but he's definitely hiding something." Oliver explained.
"I'll see what I can find." Felicity said.
"Thanks." Oliver said as he hung up and was watching TV with William.
"So you're going out as the Green Arrow again?" William asked.
"Not really. I'm just… trying to do the right…" Oliver trailed off, when he sensed something.
"What is it?" William asked.
"Get down!" Oliver tackled William to the ground as the door burst out from the hinges and an archer in a black outfit entered, firing arrows and shattering the bottles and the computer screen. "William, stay down!"
William nodded as Oliver engaged the archer. They exchanged few blows before Oliver kicked him back and they continued fighting until Oliver slammed him against the door as it shattered.
"Who are you?" Oliver demanded but the archer was quiet before Oliver decided to knock him out, knowing that he could not torture him and then picked his phone, calling Dinah.
"All right. As soon as the doc gives the OK, we'll take him into the station for questioning. In the meantime, we'll go through his effects, see what we can find out." Dinah said.
"Thank you." Oliver nodded.
"You're welcome." Dinah said as she left.
Sara then entered. "I got here as soon as I heard, you OK?" Oliver nodded as Sara hugged him tightly. "I should've known something like this was gonna happen."
"We're gonna find who's behind this." Oliver promised.
Later, SCPD
"Hey. How's it going with the hitman?" Oliver asked as he entered Dinah's office.
"Good. He's still recovering, but we got an ID thanks to A.R.G.U.S." Dinah said as they went to the evidence board. "Frank Cassaday, otherwise known as 'the Mirror.' Specializes in kills via mimicked M.O."
"Proof the vigilante didn't do it, but who ordered the hits?" Rene wondered.
"Where'd you find that?" Oliver asked, pointing at a photo of a flash drive, recognizing it.
"I found that on Cassaday. Why? You recognize that?" Dinah asked.
Oliver sighed. "Fuller. He used those to pay his muscle in the club. This was Fuller. He ordered the hit on Hutchinson and then Ford and then me once I got too close."
"Why? I mean, he's a rich douchebag, but I didn't peg him to be a killer." Rene wondered.
"Felicity looked into Fuller, he had secret business dealings with both Hutchinson and Ford. And if they were going to cut ties with him, this is a good motive for murder." Sara said.
"All right. Well, the hit on you failed, so that means Fuller's gonna know something's up soon if he doesn't already, right? I'm gonna send SWAT in while we still have the element of surprise." Dinah said.
"It's not that simple. Fuller's in there right now with at least twelve hired guns, and the club is at capacity." Oliver said.
"Things can get out of hand quickly." Sara explained.
"Guys." Rene gestured for them to talk somewhere in private as they followed him and he lowered his voice. "It won't get messy if the Green Arrow goes in. The O.G. one."
"No. I... I can't risk being separated from my family, Rene. I can't do it." Oliver protested.
"I might know a way you can." Dinah said.
"Even if you did, Pollard would never stand for it." Oliver said.
"Pollard wanted me to restore the city's faith in this department, and that is never gonna happen if we keep treating our heroes like criminals. It's time the mayor realizes that." Dinah argued.
"Dinah, I trust you, but you have to be sure." Oliver noted.
"Half this city believes in the vigilante because they were hoping it was you. Now they don't have to hope anymore." Dinah said.
Oliver sighed and nodded. "OK."
"What about Roy?" Sara asked.
"I think I have an idea, that is, if Roy is up for it." Dinah smirked.
Later, the Arrow lair
Oliver looked around the bunker that had been destroyed by Diaz.
"The bunker has seen better days." Oliver said.
"Yes, it has." Diggle said as he handed Oliver the case with the Green Arrow suit. "It didn't seem right coming back here after the team disbanded."
"Thanks for bringing this. The FBI still has mine." Oliver said.
"It's a good thing you made another one." Diggle said.
"Yeah." Oliver nodded.
"Does that mean you changed your mind about breaking the cycle of violence?" Diggle asked.
"That cycle is always going to be with me, no matter what I do. Not fighting back was never an answer. This is bigger than a cycle of violence." Oliver said as he picked the eye mask. "The Green Arrow always going to be what this city needs and if they'll hate me for it and if the people I care about, suffer for it, all I can do is fight back hard and not give up."
Diggle nodded. "Good luck, Oliver."
Star City
Oliver was at an exit to Max's nightclub. "I'm in."
"Copy that. We're ready." Dinah said.
"Keep your men in position and wait for my word. I don't want to tip our hand or panic the crowd." Oliver said.
"Let's hope you're not rusty." Dinah quipped as she reached for her radio. "All units, stand by."
Oliver entered the nightclub through the fire exit and shot a camera and closed the door as the guards opened fire. The guards entered but Oliver grabbed one of them and fought his way through, shooting down the guards and using them as human shield as they tried to fire back and beating them up.
"Oliver, do you have Fuller?" Dinah asked.
"I'm about to." Oliver said before more guards showed up.
Oliver threw a guard through the window and jumped down into the club area as Max tried to run and held a woman at gunpoint. "Stay back!"
"Drop the gun, Max." Oliver ordered, notching an arrow.
"I'll shoot." Max warned.
"Hiring killers is easy." Oliver said as he shot the gun off Max's hand. "Taking the shot yourself isn't."
"You're a vigilante. You don't have the authority to arrest me." Max said smugly.
"She does." Oliver said.
On cue, Dinah and the SCPD entered, apprehending Max. "Max Fuller, you are under arrest for the murder of Clayton Ford and Sam Hutchinson."
Later, SCPD
"Take Mr. Fuller into booking." Dinah said as she handed Max to one of the officers before they saw a very furious Pollard in Dinah's office.
"Should I give you two a minute?" Oliver asked.
"We do this together." Dinah said as they entered her office. "Ms. Mayor, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You've got some nerve. I want Mr. Queen booked in violation of the anti-vigilante law." Pollard said.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible." Laurel said upon entering. "You see, I have the original reports and witness statements claiming that the Green Arrow, not Oliver Queen, saved the people in Starling Palladium, and didn't cause the fire, as you claimed, to make SCPD look better and actually, a lot of people in the city council are starting a referendum to repel the anti-vigilante bill, me included."
"You think I'll actually let that happen?" Pollard challenged.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, not unless you want to face an impeachment." Laurel said and Pollard glowered before turning to Oliver with narrowed eyes.
"This isn't over. Not even close." Pollard promised.
Oliver's apartment
"So, just like old times?" Felicity asked.
"Guess so." Oliver said.
"I'm sorry about how many people we have lost because of it." Felicity said as she turned to Sara, who was with William at the table. "Look, if you make each other happy, don't let her go this time. I want you to be happy."
"I hope you'll find what you're looking for too." Oliver said as she kissed Oliver on his cheek and they hugged before Felicity left.
"Well, just like old times?" Sara said.
"Maybe—" Oliver stopped, when suddenly, a dark-skinned bald man with triangle-shaped haircut wearing an armor with golden decors and a cloak appeared in the room.
"Hello, Oliver Queen." The man said.
"Who are you?" Sara demanded as she picked a knife.
"I am Mar Novu. The Monitor. And I have a task I have burdened Mr. Queen with. A crisis is imminent. And I need his help." Novu said ominously.
"What crisis, what are you talking about?" Oliver demanded.
"I have chosen you and Sara Lance and Barry Allen and Kara Danvers to test you, because a threat is imminent… that shall destroy the entire multiverse." Novu said and the next thing they knew, there was a blinding glow of light.
In case, I didn't make it clear in the notes at the beginning of the first chapter, Oliver and Felicity are not in a relationship anymore, since, quite frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if Felicity was done after Oliver had turned himself in to stop Diaz and as much as Oliver/Felicity was fixed in Seasons 6-7, I still don't support it and it's obvious that they were better off as friends, rather than lovers.
And the fight between Oliver and Felicity in 7x08, while understandable, was also annoying. I mean, I get why Oliver was upset about Felicity owning a gun and crossing lines he would never expect her to, but Oliver had been in prison for seven months and Felicity almost got killed by Diaz, so of course she would be trying to toughen up a bit, so it's not like one could take a side in the argument.
Honestly, with Pollard's anti-vigilante attitude, one had to wonder, if she was corrupt and was also on the List and it's ridiculous how she basically became a rip-off of J. Jonah Jameson and tried to blame the Green Arrow for all the mess that had happened in the city and it wouldn't surprise me if she was crooked, so, no sympathies for her.
And as I've said in the beginning of the story, I'm skipping Elseworlds, since the hate for Oliver and the outcome of Season 7 and Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover and Arrow finale soured it for me and am heading now to the events of Season 8 and the deal Oliver made with Novu will be different than from the show and that will be revealed later.
So, what do you guys think?
Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.