Chapter 1: Identity Part 1
It seemed like a normal night in Starling City. The streets were filled with the rush of cars cruising down the highway and the chatter of its citizens talking to one another about their common problems and interests. It was one of the few peaceful moments the city had seen in months.
That silence was broken with the sound of police sirens blaring across the night sky. An intense police car chase had broken between officers of the Starling City police department, and a group of three criminals that had robbed a small pawn shop in the glades that was damaged by the quake. The chase had been going on for nearly ten minutes at this point, passing several city blocks. Their chase had sent them into a section of the glades that was hit more heavily by the quake that others. It had finally gotten to a point where one of crooks that was in the back had gotten out an automatic rifle and started shooting at the police car following them. In retaliation, the officer on the passenger side took out his sidearm and returned fire.
This whole ordeal was being viewed by a man in a green hood armed with a bow and arrow perched on a rooftop. With the enemy car in his sights, he drew an arrow from his quiver and, once he was sure the projectile would hit its target, released it. The arrow flew through the air, connecting with the rubber tire of the crooks vehicle. With the tire out, the car swerved out of control and ran dear on into a building that was under reconstruction. A woman who was walking by saw the oncoming vehicle and jumped out of the way before it collided with the wall. As the crooks got out stumbling from the collision, one had a sudden idea and grabbed the girl as the cops pulled up.
"Follow us and she dies!" the crook shouted as the three of them went inside.
The cops decided to head around the building and go in the back as above them, the man in the green hood fired another arrow with a zip line attached at the wall of the building and zipped across it towards the building.
Inside the building, the crooks continued through the building with the woman screaming all the way through.
"Will you shut up!" the thug carrying her shouted, causing her to stop shouting. "Look lady, you behave yourself long enough for us to get out of here, and you'll get out of here in one piece."
"Funny," a booming voice called out spooking the three crooks and the woman. "I was about to say the same thing to you."
"Who's there?" one crook shouted aiming his gun around the room. "Show yourself!"
Before any of them could react, the gun of the crook that last spoke was shot out of his hand. The three looked to see an arrow wedged into the gun. The three looked up to see standing on an unfinished floor, a man in a green hood aiming a bow and arrow at them.
"I thought you were dead." The disarmed goon shouted in disbelief.
"You thought wrong" the Hooded man responded before firing an arrow into his shoulder causing him to fall to the ground in pain. The goon holding the hostage threw her to the ground as he and his companion opened fire on the man in the hood. The hooded man ran across the floor avoiding the oncoming gunfire until the amount of floor under him had run out. He quickly jumped from the floor he was on to the ground below, firing two arrows at once. One disarming one guy and one piercing the others shoulder causing him to fall to the ground. As the hooded man landed, the final crook ran towards him swinging one fist after another. The hooded man used both his free hand and his bow to block each of his blows. He then delivered a right cross to the jaw, and then knocked him out using his bow. Once all his opponents were down, the hooded man walked over to the woman the crooks took hostage. The woman looked up to see her rescuer. She had heard reports of a hooded vigilante attacking the wealthy a few months back, but she couldn't believe that this was the same man they were talking about.
"Are you alright?" he asked offering a hand up. Reluctantly, she took it.
"Yeah." She responded shakily as she stood up. "T-thank you."
"Not a problem." The vigilante responded with a slightly visible smile on his face. Just then he heard cops coming in from the back entrance. He quickly made his way to the front entrance.
"Wait!" the woman called out. The hooded man stopped for a moment. "What's your name?"
The hooded man turned his head to face her.
"It's Green Arrow."
With that, he made his way outside and fired a replink arrow at a nearby building zipping away. Leaving the woman surprised as the police finally made it inside to arrest the men.
…
Back at the somewhat dubbed 'Arrow Cave', Oliver Queen had just returned from his rounds of vigilante for the night. He was greeted by the friendly faces of his partners in crime fighting, John Diggle and Felicity Smoak.
"Nice work out there." Felicity complimented as Oliver put up his bow.
"Thanks." Oliver responded.
"Looks like crusade 2.0 is off to a great success." Diggle noted. "Word about 'Green Arrow's' work is spreading across the city."
"In a good way I hope." Oliver joked somewhat.
"From some yes." Diggle answered. "Others though…"
"Like the police?" Oliver guessed.
Diggle just nodded.
"Guess I shouldn't be too surprised." Oliver commented.
Diggle was about to say something, but Oliver's phone went off. Oliver was quick to answer it when he saw it was his sister, Thea.
"Hey." Oliver answered.
"Hey. Are you near the club?" Thea asked.
Um," Oliver hesitantly answered since his base of operations was directly under the 'Verdant' Club that Thea (and he previously) owned. "Yeah I'm close."
"Good Because I need a ride to the police station."
"The police station? Why?"
"It's Roy."
…
Roy Harper was currently leaving police custody at the Starling City Police Department. After the vigilante saved his life from a revenge seeking psychopath a year ago, he had tried taking on street crime in the Glades. And more often than not, it got him into trouble with the police. This was one of those times. He was then greeted by Oliver and Thea as he walked out of a police interrogation room.
"What happened?" Thea asked looking at his bruised face. "Are you hurt?"
"Fender bender." Roy shrugged off.
"He totaled his car," District Attorney Laurel Lance answered. "Playing Hood JR."
"At least it wasn't my car." Roy retorted.
"Don't even." Thea interjected. "I've already called an attorney-"
"That won't be necessary." Laurel interrupted. "We're not pressing charges. As long as he stops looking for trouble."
"Might as well ask him to stop breathing." Thea responded.
"I'll try and talk to him." Oliver offered.
"Ask him if he knows anything about the vigilante." Laurel asked surprising Oliver. "He's obviously formed some kind of connection with him maybe it goes both ways."
"I don't think the Hood would be someone to have a groupie." Oliver confessed still a bit off put by her request.
"That's the thing." Laurel responded. "We don't know anything about him except that whenever he shows up, all hell breaks loose. It has to end."
With that Laurel walked off and Oliver went over to speak with his sister's boyfriend.
"Thea, could you ask Mr. Diggle to bring the car around?" Oliver asked.
"I'll always remember you fondly." Thea said sarcastically as she left the two alone.
"Save the speeches." Roy started. "Your Ex-Girlfriend already made one on me. Still, no effect."
"I used to be a lot like you Roy." Oliver shared.
"I doubt that." Roy countered. "I spent more time in the back of cop cars than limos."
With that, he tried to walk away, but Oliver grabbed his arm and turned around to face him.
"The world doesn't work anymore." He explained. "It broke a long time ago, but it was like you were the only one who noticed. That makes you angry."
With that he let go of Roy's arm.
"And you're afraid that that anger is gonna burn you up inside if you have to live in the world one second longer knowing that you could do something to fix it. I think it's gonna put you in a hospital. Or worse."
"Well I'll take worse." Roy responded. "It's better to be dead than in a hospital these days. Right?
That last comment confused Oliver.
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.
"Been to the Glades Memorial lately." Roy responded.
"No but I didn't read it was damaged in the quake."
"It wasn't. The medicine that FEMA's been sending to the hospital is being hijacked."
That really caught Oliver off guard.
"So if they don't resupply, they'll be forced to close." Roy finished.
"By who?" Oliver asked.
"I don't know." Roy answered sounding angrier. "The doctors and nurses are already bailing on the place and the cops. The cops barely venture that deep into the glades. So I guess that leaves only me!"
Roy noted how reserved Oliver seemed at the moment.
"What does it take to make you angry?" He asked before walking off. Leaving Oliver alone.
He didn't know how to stop Roy from getting himself hurt, but he did know his next mission, to stop the hijackers and get that medicine to the hospital.
…
The next day, Oliver and Diggle payed a visit to Glades Memorial. Sufficed to say, it was in about as bad a shape as Roy had said as the halls were filled with patients. All of whom looked like they were suffering.
"Survived the quake, and then they end up here." Diggle commented. "From one hell to the next."
"Yeah, whoever's been stealing from here," Oliver added. "They won't be for much longer."
After completing their 'inspection' they preceded to leave. Only to find that someone was holding a press conference right outside the hospital.
"This city is failing on all counts," he stated to the reporters and supporters present.
"Who's that?" Oliver asked.
"Sebastian Blood," Diggle answered. "The Alderman I told you about. Not too shy about sharing his opinions."
"Which are?"
"Which are that the Glades have been abandoned. And no one gives a damn about these people."
"He hasn't met us yet." Oliver responded as the two walked out the front door.
"We cannot stand by while the doctors, on the other side of those doors," Blood continued. "Are working with the bare minimum of resources because the police department already sees us as a lost cause."
This seemed to get Oliver's attention.
"Meanwhile, thieves are seeking to make a quick buck off the misery of the Glades."
It was at that moment that Blood caught notice of Oliver's presence.
"Oliver Queen isn't it?" Blood asked, earning a nod from Oliver.
"Alderman," Oliver greeted.
"What brings you to Glades Memorial Mr. Queen?" the Alderman asked. "I assume someone of your means could afford the best medical treatment money can buy."
This started to rattle Oliver a bit.
"And I can assure you you're not gonna find that here."
"That's wrong sir." Oliver finally spoke. "The people of the Glades have suffered too much not to have access to basic medical services."
"Well that's very compassionate of you to say," Blood complimented walking closer to him. "Although I wonder where your families concern for its fellow citizens was when they ordered the construction of the earthquake machine that killed five hundred and three people."
This caused a massive uproar among Blood's supporters, and Oliver took this as a que to leave.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to atone for my families' culpability in this tragedy." Oliver reassured as he and Diggle started to walk off.
"Well I'm sure the people of the Glades I represent will sleep better knowing that." Blood responded. "If they still had a place to sleep."
That last comment got Oliver's attention again, causing him to turn and face Blood.
"If their homes hadn't crumbled around them," he continued. "If their stores and businesses' hadn't been condemned!"
With that, Oliver left, with the sounds of Starling's citizens berating him.
"Spare us your mercy Mr. Queen!" Blood shouted as Oliver got into his car. "You've done enough for this city already!"
As the two drove off, they were still being surrounded by protestors and reporters. One such protestor used his sign to smash the back window of Oliver's car. He was unharmed, but he knew he had to take action against this crisis. As both Oliver Queen, and Green Arrow.
…
That night, Oliver returned to his base of operations to prepare for his new mission.
"Never thought I'd day this, but I'm actually getting more work done in the basement of an abandoned steel factory than in the corner office of a high rise." Felicity nonchalantly commented. No doubt due to Oliver moving her from her normal job in the IT department to his secretary so they could be in close contact with each other about their nightly activities. (Don't take it that way.)
"What do we got?" Oliver asked ignoring her comment.
"FEMA is shipping 100,000 units of medical grade opium to Glades Memorial." Felicity answered.
"When?"
"Truck is scheduled to leave the FEMA depot in 20 minutes."
"Not if these thieves have anything to say about it." Diggle remarked.
"Bad luck for them," Oliver responded. "I have something to say about it."
With that, he suited up and headed out.
…
At the FEMA depot, two men dressed full in black came in on motorcycles and started opening fire on the men set to deliver the supplies. Once most of them were dead, they got off and made their way for the trucks. They saw one driver left and prepared to shoot.
"No. Please." The driver pleaded.
Before they could open fire-
"Down!" he heard a voice call out.
He obeyed and it was revealed that Green Arrow was right behind him. He released two arrows that struck the assailants in the shoulders.
"Make your delivery." He ordered.
The driver acknowledged and made his way to the truck. Before he could open the door however, he was struck in the neck with a knife, effectively killing him. As his dead body fell to the ground, it was revealed that his killer and the mastermind of this theft, was a very familiar enemy.
"The Emerald Archer." The voice of his foe called out.
"China White." Green Arrow observed as the Triad leader rounded the corner of the truck.
"I thought you had perished in the quake." She admitted.
"Disappointed?" he asked in a previously unknown joking manner.
"Hardly," she responded. "I am glad you survived. Now I can pay you back in full for your past interference in my business."
"Hate to break it to you, but your business is going under. Permanently."
He pulled out an arrow and shot it at China White. Before it could make contact however, a second figure came down from a top the trucks and sliced the arrow with what looked like metal claws on his hands.
"I don't think my friend agrees with you." China White responded as Green Arrow slowly backed away from his opponents. "Meet Bronze Tiger. Our new partnership was easily cemented. I was eager to see you dead, and he was eager to kill you."
Not wasting any time, Arrow fired again, only for Bronze Tiger to slice the arrow. He tried firing multiple times, but each shot was cut to pieces by Bronze Tiger.
"No kill shots?" Tiger asked while China White was getting into one of the trucks. "I was promised a fight. Hope you haven't lost your nerve."
"Find out." Green Arrow challenged.
With that, Bronze Tiger charged towards Green Arrow. He brought one of his claws up to strike, but it was blocked but Green Arrow's bow. He aimed for a low strike, but Arrow deflected that one as well. Bronze Tiger then unleashed a barrage of strikes at intense speed. Green Arrow continued to block each blow as the two combatants moved further through the depot.
The two kept exchanging blows at the sound of police sirens filled the air. Arrow was able to get Bronze Tiger in his grip as police officers approached the two.
"Starling City Police!" an officer shouted as several guns locked onto the two of them. "You're surrounded! Put down your weapons or we will open fire!"
In an instant, Green Arrow ducked as Bronze Tiger sliced at him, breaking open a pipe and shooting steam in his face. Arrow then used this steam as a cover for his escape. Bronze Tiger made his escape as well as the police opened fire on both of them. One of the officers' bullets was able to hit Arrow in the leg as he made his escape. Running out of options, he pulled out one of his flechette's and threw it on the ground to act as a smoke bomb, then fired a replink arrow at a rooftop and zipped up towards it.
Once on the rooftop, he tried walking forward, but the injury in his leg made that difficult.
"Oliver?" Felicity called. "Oliver, are you there?" The police band is going crazy."
"I'm alright." He reassured. "They got away with the shipment. I'm gonna rendezvous with you guys and-"
Before Oliver could finish, a very high pitched sound rang out causing Oliver to fall to his knees and cry out in pain. He was forced to his hands and knees as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"So you're the Hood." A female voice remarked. "Have to say I'm not impressed."
He looked up to see a woman with blonde hair in a black outfit and mask standing over him with a baton in her hand.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm the justice you can't run from." She answered before swinging her baton at his face.
The strike knocked Arrow to the ground. He quickly got back up and faced his fast approaching attacker. She then threw two punches, one after another, but Arrow was quick to deflect them. She then tried to kick at his head, but he ducked under it. She then struck him in the chest with her baton causing him to stagger back, and with his injured leg he was forced to his knee.
She brought her leg up to kick him in the head, but he grabbed it before it could make contact. He then took the opportunity to push the leg forward causing her to fall to the ground. He then got up and drew an arrow from his quiver. The woman looked up in time to see him pointing an arrow at her.
"You gonna kill me?" She asked. "Like you killed Malcolm Merlyn?"
"I'm not a killer." Green Arrow informed.
"We both know that's a lie." The woman shrugged off.
"I'm fighting to save this city." Arrow continued. "I'm assuming you are too."
"Yeah." The woman confirmed getting to her feet. "And that includes saving it from you."
"I have you dead to right." Arrow informed. "You won't even get to reach your sonic device in time."
The woman just smiled.
"What device?" She asked.
With that, she let out a scream that sent out a shockwave that pushed Green Arrow all the way to the other side of the roof, causing him to land on his back. Once the screaming stopped, the woman started to walk over to Arrow. Thinking fast, Arrow rolled off the edge of the building. The woman then ran to the edge to see Green Arrow zipping away on a zip line arrow, leaving her alone and frustrated.