A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter is a little late, I got sidetracked this afternoon. This is the second of the two flashback/backstory chapters and takes places two years before the start of the story. Enjoy!

So far this archery tournament was, in Oliver's professional opinion, boring. The kids had just finished shooting, which hadn't been entertaining at all. Some of them hit their targets, however, most did not. So he stood off to the side with his hands in his pockets, silently cursing the Arizona heat. 'Why is it so hot? God next time I build a new factory I'm doing it somewhere with more moderate temperatures.' Yeah, that sounded good. He sighed internally and ran his hands over his eyes. All he wanted was a day to relax and get away from the stress of his incompetent workers. So when he'd heard about this tournament, it had seemed like a good idea. Now though he was regretting that seeing as how all this was doing slowly killing him in heat and aggravating him due to the number of shots being missed. Not to mention there were no seats provided, everyone brought their own, so he'd been standing for hours. It certainly wasn't improving his mood. 'Everyone here is incompetent. All of them.'

His eyes swept the crowd of adults who were getting ready to shoot next. 'They'll all be just as bad,' he thought bitterly. Not that he expected everyone to be as good as him, who could be, but he'd been expecting some level of competence! He was going to just leave when he saw something that made him stop. On the edge of the group of adults was a much smaller, red-haired figure. The boy turned around and Oliver was surprised to discover he was….a kid! 'He can't be any over the what….10? 11?' He was young for sure. Barely bigger than the longbow in his hand. 'He's not…competing is he?' He hadn't competed with the kids. Oliver was certain he would've remembered this kid, so he must've been competing with the adults. 'Who the hell does this kid think he is?!' Oliver crossed his arms as he examined the child. He didn't look nervous, the way you'd expect most kids to be going up against adults to be. Clearly, the adults around him were thinking the same thing Oliver was. The kid didn't appear to be fazed though.

The whistle blew and the kid stepped up to the line with the other archers. Oliver watched carefully, tracking the kid's every movement. 'He has to be confident if he's shooting with that bow.' The kid kept his bow pointed at the ground while the others around him pointed their arrows at the targets. This only peeked Oliver's interest in the kid even more. When the whistle blew again the kid raised his bow, drawing the strong back with apparent ease. The whistle blew three more times, and the kid fired his arrow. It hit the bullseye, but before Oliver could register his surprise, the kid had fired off another arrow. 'Damn he's….not incompetent.' He stood up straighter as the kid hit his third bullseye. They weren't even clustered. The kid had lined them up in a row across the center of the bullseye!

'Holy shit! Who the hell is this kid?!'

The kid ran over to an older man who was sitting in a folding chair ten feet off to Oliver's right. The kid embraced the man, who Oliver guessed….might have been his father? Except the man looked nothing like the kid. He glanced around and saw two of the other competitors are whispering and looking at the kid. 'Well, he's not making any friends.' Oliver directly observed the kid while they went through the next round. He sat on the ground, leaning against the man's legs comfortably. When it was his turn again, the kid jumped up. He said something to the man, but Oliver was too far away to hear it. His eyes followed the boy as he ran over to the judges' table to get his number verified. 'Let's see if he can pull off that win again.' His eyes never left the kid, closely examining his stance, his grip, every aspect of the small red-head's shooting. Once the timer stopped again Oliver's eyes traveled to the target.

Six perfect bullseyes.

Not just perfect, the kid had lined up his arrows so perfectly that they fletchings of the arrows barely touched! Oliver's eyes followed the boy as he retrieved his arrows and rejoined the old man. He started to move subtly closer, trying tonged close enough to overhear them. He froze when the kid suddenly turned his head. In one smooth motion he pivoted his body away and pulled out his phone so he could pretend to text. Once he was pretty sure the kid wasn't looking anymore he turned back again. He saw them post the standings and smiled. As calmly and nondescript as possible, Oliver joined the crowd of people going to look, only a foot behind the red-headed kid. He waited until the kid found his own score, eyes traded on the box after the boy's finger left it. The kid slipped away but Oliver stepped forward to look. "Second place," he whispered. He stepped away and walked back, once again watching the boy. He could've used the sheet to check the kid's name, but he simply shrugged.

'His name doesn't really matter,' Oliver thought dismissively. 'The only thing that matters is his shooting.'

The kid was up again, so Oliver resumed his post, this time moving subtly closer so he could have a better vantage point. 'Let's see you pull the hat trick.' Hat trick indeed. This time the kid's arrows made an 'X' in the center of the target. Oliver smiled and absent-mindedly stroked his goatee. The kid received several angry looks but seemed completely unfazed as he retrieved his arrows. 'This kid is really something.' He didn't want to get ahead of himself, but his brain was already imagining what he could with a kid who had this kind of skill. He glanced around and discovered two of the men who'd just been competing were at the judges' table. 'Let me guess: those two so-called 'archers' are mad because of some kid has proven to them how incompetent they are.' Sure enough one of the judges gestured to the kid.

Oliver stealthily slipped closer, pulling out his phone and putting it to his ear so it wouldn't look like he was eavesdropping.

"Can I help you?" the kid asked, snark practically dripping on his every word.

"Son we've received several complaints about your conduct during this competition," a judge said, sounding very much like he was trying to keep his cool.

"Conduct? What do you mean? Have I said something to offend or demean someone?"

"Well no, but-"

"Oh then did I cheat?"

"Not that we can tell-"

"How has my conduct been reportable then?"

"Your sportsmanship is reprehensible."

"Me?" Oliver's teeth ground at the fake shock in the kid's voice. "I would never. What sportsmanship rule from the rulebook have I broken?"

"Believe me, I'm looking for one," another judge said distractedly.

The first judge sighed. "The other competitors feel….threatened-"

"I'm not threatening anyone," the kid said in his own defense. "I'm just shooing to the best of my ability. Isn't that the point of an archery competition?"

"…Yes, I suppose it is."

"So I haven't broken any rules and I'm just shooting my best, then why are we speaking?" It took every ounce of self-control Oliver had not to turn around and slap the mouth off that kid.

'What a cocky little shit,' he thought, clenching one of his fists. He took a deep breath and unclenched it slowly, which caused him to miss what the judges had said in return.

"Would you prefer I don't shoot to the best of my ability? You want me to throw the match?" Wow, the kid still sounded way too over-confident.

"Never mind," the first judge said quickly. "Just go."

"Nice talking with you gentlemen."

Oliver turned and watched the kid go. He stepped away, putting his phone away as he did. The conversation had put a slight damper on his mood. 'That kid needs a serious attitude adjustment,' he thought angrily as he walked back to his spot. 'He's a cocky little shit who should learn some respect.' He crossed his arms as he watched the kid. He was talking to the old man again, that confident smirk still on his face. Just looking at it made Oliver wan to slap the kid. Luckily, the kid's number was called again and he was able to redirect his attention to the kid's archery. Whether it was from the heat, or he was just getting tired, the first thing Oliver noticed was that the kid's form was getting sloppy. His stance wasn't quite as clean as it should've been, and he was holding the bow way too tight. 'He's putting too much tension on the string like that. If he adjusted his grip he could get a much more even shot off.' Despite the what now seemed like glaring flaws in the kid's form, he pulled off a reasonable performance.

'Four out of six,' Oliver noted, feeling slightly agitated at the kid's inaccuracy. 'Not good, but better than everyone else.' The kid got his medal and ran over to the old man. 'He's cocky, sloppy, and a brat.' And yet Oliver couldn't stop staring. This kid irritated him, but he had to know more. Sloppy and cocky or not, he'd just beaten every adult here. That in mind, Oliver took a deep breath and put on his best businessman smile. He approached the boy, who was hugging the old man.

"That was quite an impressive win," he said casually. The boy turned around and Oliver got his first good look at the kid. He was kind of small but built enough for archery. His bright green eyes scanned Oliver, clearly taken aback by the billionaire's appearance.

"Thanks." the boy smirked. "Nice goatee."

"Roy," the old man said in a warning tone; clearly wanting the boy to behave himself. Oliver fought to keep the smile on his face.

"You don't like it?" Oliver asked playfully, running his hand over it.

"I'm sorry for my son, he's a little vocal."

"That's ok. Kids will be kids." He smiled down at the boy. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your win. For someone of your age, it's very impressive."

"Thank you."

"I'm Oliver Queen." He stuck his hand out, unsure of the kid would shake it. Fortunately, he did.

"Roy Harper," the boy said politely.

"Well Roy, I was wondering if I could treat you and your father to some ice cream."

"That'd be-" Roy stopped suddenly, and Oliver felt a spike of alarm. "Thanks, Mr. Queen, but we should probably pass."

"Nonsense," the old man said. "You should go."

"You're tired-"

"Mike was giving us a ride back anyways. If Mr. Queen doesn't mind dropping you off afterward…"

"Not at all," Oliver said with an easy smile. If his father didn't come, that was all the better. It'd be much easier to interrogate the kid without the old man around.

"You sure?" Roy asked him.

"Of course. You deserve to have a good time." Oliver was mildly surprised this old man was willing to let his son go with some strange man they'd just met. He glanced around and realized several people were watching them; particularly the man who was walking towards them. That was probably why.

'Close-knit community,' he thought. 'Makes, sense. Small town.'

"Ok!" Roy gave his bow to his father, along with his quiver. He gave him another hug, then passed him off to his friend, who gave Oliver a look.

"Ready?" Oliver asked Roy.

"Let's go." He walked beside Oliver as they left the park where the competition had been held.

"Right over here." Oliver glanced down and almost smirked at the shocked look on the kid's face. 'He probably hasn't seen too many nice cars in a run-down place like this.'

"Whoa. Nice car."

"Thanks," Oliver said as they got in. "It's a rental."

"Are you from around here?" Roy asked as Oliver drove away.

"No, I'm just in town on business. I'm from Star City."

"Star City? Where is that?"

"California. Near San Fransisco."

"Cool. Turn right here. I know a great place."

"You're the boss."

"Why were you at the competition?"

"I'm a bit of an archer myself and I thought it might be fun. Good thing I did too or neither of us would get ice cream."

"True. This is it." Oliver parked and followed Roy to the ice cream shop. Even though it was less of a shop and more of a shack. Not even that, and it was a pitiful sight to the billionaire.

"Go ahead and get whatever you want." Roy ended up getting a triple scoop of chocolate and Oliver got strawberry. They got a table in the sun and Roy dug into his. 'Pace yourself, Queen,' Oliver reminded himself silently. He didn't want to scare the kid off. Of course, he was also a kid, so he was probably too stupid to figure out what was going on. "Have you been an archer for a long time?"

"Since I was 5. So….7 years." So he was 12.

"Only 7?"

"I practice a lot. After-school every day and on the weekends."

"Don't you have friends?"

"Not really."

Oliver nodded. He was a loner. Good. "Do you do competitions like this often?"

"Kind of. I do that one every year and others nearby."

"Do you always get first place?"

"Yup."

"Wait, really?" Part of him was convicted Roy was just bragging and being cocky again. 'Relax,' Oliver told himself silently. 'The ice cream guy is watching us.' He glanced back at the shack. Not so subtly, but yes.

"Oh yeah. That's why I was competing with the adults. I kept getting perfect scores against other kids."

"Well then." Oliver had to really try not to get his hopes up. There was no way this kid was as good as he claimed to be.

Roy took a bite and Oliver could tell he was being surveyed by his companion very carefully. "You said you were from Star right?"

"I did."

"Isn't the Green Arrow from there?"

Oliver felt his muscles tense involuntarily. Half from the reminder of his alter ego being brought to the front of his mind (try not to think about the scum running free in my city) and half because it was his knee-jerk reaction. "Yes… Why?"

"He's the greatest archer in the world!"

Oliver made a confused face. In general, the outside world tended not to understand his mission, or why what he did was so important. The world was generally content with the corruption and filth that had taken over the city. "You think so?"

"Sure! I mean….I've only ever heard what Brave Bow says he does."

"Brave Bow is…."

"My dad. Raymond Begay."

"Oh right. He tells you about Green Arrow?"

"Well, a few years ago I overheard some kids at school talking about this amazing archer in Star City. Brave Bow says I don't need to watch the news about him because it might not be what I think it is."

"He does?"

"Yeah. All I know is Green Arrow is the best archer in the world and he fights crime."

"….That's it?" Roy nodded. "And you….look up to him?"

"He's my hero."

Oliver smiled. "Fascinating."

"Have you ever met him?"

"Me? No, I'm just businessman. I don't have anything to do with that….vigilante nonsense."

"Brave Bow thinks it's nonsense too."

"I will say though, the Green Arrow is a great hero."

"He is?"

"He'd do whatever it takes to keep Star City safe. Don't you think that's a good hero?"

"Of course!"

Oliver smiled even more. This was too perfect. A prodigy archer who was just ignorant enough about Green Arrow to look up to him? How much better could this get? "Did Brave Bow teach you archery?"

"Yeah…." Roy's face fell suddenly and he looked down at his ice cream.

"Something wrong?"

"No…" His voice got choked-up and he took a deep breath.

"You sure? You seem kind of upset." Not that Oliver particularly cared about Roy's problems, but he had a feeling this was probably important.

"It's nothing…." His voice was shaking now.

"I know we just met, but you can tell me. Whatever is. Maybe I can help."

Roy shook his head. "You can't."

"How do you know?"

Roy looked at him and Oliver was unfazed, but more intrigued, at the devastated look on his face. "Can you cure cancer?" Oliver gave him an unsure look. "Brave Bow has liver cancer."

"Oh."

"It's terminal. He-he's going to die."

"…Oh." There was an awkward silence. "How long-"

"A few weeks probably. We've known for the last few months."

"Do you have any family you're going to live with?"

Roy shook his head. "I'm adopted and Brave Bow is the only family I have." He looked up at Oliver. "When Brave Bow dies I have to leave the reservation and go live in a foster home."

So that's how it could get better. He resisted the urge to smile, but thankfully Roy was looking down. 'The stars have aligned.' Roy looked back up at him and Oliver had composed his face into a mask of concern. "Maybe it won't be so bad."

"It won't be home." He wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry we're supposed to be celebrating."

"It's fine."

Roy finished the last couple of bites of ice cream. "Thanks for the ice cream Mr. Queen."

"You're welcome and call me Oliver."

"Oliver."

"Come on, we should get you home or your dad will start to worry."

"Did you have fun at the competition today?" Roy asked Oliver as they got in the car.

"I did. Although seeing the 12-year-old blow all the adults out of the water was the best part." Roy smiled. Oliver followed the boy's instructions as he drove him home. "What're you going to do with that medal?"

"Put it on my wall. I have a whole bunch of them hanging up. You wanna see?"

Oliver smiled. "Sure." He wanted to see if this kid was really as good as he claimed to be.

"Cool."

When they got to the house Roy hopped out and ran up the front steps. It was a single story house, although Oliver thought was using the term loosely, made of sun-washed, wooden boards. Roy opened the door and Oliver followed him inside. The story wasn't much different inside. It was largely one room with a kitchen cornered off by a counter that separated it from a table that had phone books propping up two of the legs. One the left was a living room area with a couch pushed agent the far wall and an ancient tv facing it by the windows opposite. On the far side of the room, by the corner was a door. If he glanced down the hall he could make out two more doors facing each other in the tiny hallway. All in all, Oliver was pretty sure his bedroom as bigger than this place. "Brave Bow, I'm home! I'm gonna show Oliver my medals!"

"I hope you're not bothering him too much Roy," Brave Bow said. He was laying on the couch, covered in a blanket despite the desert heat.

"It's no bother at all," Oliver assured him.

"This way." Roy led the man into his bedroom; the door that led to the living room. The room was tiny, with a bed that almost stretch the length of the room. The wall perpendicular to the door was covered in medals, all hanging on individual nails. Next to Oliver on his right was a dresser with clothes hanging out of it.

'This is more like a closet,' Oliver thought.

Roy took off his medal from around his neck and hung it on the empty nail on his wall. "See?" He waved his arm in front of them.

"Wow. You've got a lot." Most of them were gold, with first place imprinted on the front.

"28 to be exact."

"You're 12 right?"

"Mhm! At least half are first place."

"That's really impressive."

"Thanks." Roy led him back into the main room. He went over to his father. "Brave Bow, Oliver is an archer too."

"Well, he was at an archery competition Roy," his father smiled.

"Can he come back sometime so I can show him my bow?"

"Why don't you show him now?"

"I would love that, but I have to go," Oliver said. Truly he didn't, but he wanted a reason to come back. "But I'll be in the area for a little while as long as I'm getting my factory off the ground."

"Well….as long as he's not going out of his way, I see no reason why Oliver can't come back sometime."

"Cool!"

"Show your guest out Roy."

"Right, right." Roy led Oliver over to the door. "Thanks again for the ice cream."

"You're welcome," Oliver smiled. "I promise I'll be back soon and you can show me that bow of yours."

"Of course!"

"Bye Roy."

"Bye Oliver."

Oliver left, almost humming with happiness as he walked back to his car. This was too perfect. Perfect wasn't even the word to describe it! What were the odds, the god given odds, that he'd find this young, prodigy archer, who was about to become an orphan and had nowhere to go? He smiled to himself as he drove. 'He's perfect,' Oliver smiled. "Absolutely perfect." Of course, the idea of having a burden like taking care of a kid did weigh on him a little bit. "The things I could do with him though." That was true. With the proper training and an attitude adjustment, Roy could be an excellent addition to Oliver's arsenal. Of course, there was always the chance Roy wouldn't take to his…methods. "That can be easily fixed though. He's young and stupid. It'd be too easy for me to manipulate him into agreeing with me." He sighed. Did he really want this kid? Truthfully, no. "He'd be useful though. My mission could be so much more efficient if I could cover twice the ground." Not to mention, that Oliver knew if he could get deep enough into Roy's head, should he die on the job, someone would be there to carry on his mission. He smirked. "Looks like I'm getting a kid."

— —

Oliver had to force himself to stay away from Roy for a couple of days. He didn't want to come on too strong. If he did, he would've scared the kid off. For once, this made him happy the people building his factory were so incompetent because it gave him something else to focus on. Even if that focus made him want to kill people. Thankfully, the weekend came and he decided that it was ok to go back and see Roy. As he drove, he tried to figure out the best way to do this. 'I need Roy to trust me. I need him to like me.' Which was why he was making this long trip. "He's just a stupid kid. This should be too easy." When he made it to the house, he knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later.

"Hello, Mr. Queen," Roy's father said.

"Good morning Mr. Begay," Oliver said with a smile.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" He shut the door and limped his way back to the couch.

"I had some free time and I remembered I told Roy I'd come see his bow."

"Oh yes, he was really excited about that." He covered himself with the blanket, once again despite the heat. "He usually doesn't have anyone to talk about archery with besides me."

"That's too bad."

"Yes, it is." Sadness crept in on the old man's exhausted face, but he shook it away quickly. "Roy is out back. Down that hallway."

"Thanks." Oliver made his way quietly down the small hallway. He pushed the screen door open and stepped down onto the ground. Roy was shooting at a target 15 yards away, apparently oblivious he was being watched. "That's some nice shooting," Oliver said. Roy's arm jerked in surprise, causing his next arrow to miss the target. "Whoops."

"You came back," Roy said in surprise.

"I did promise to come see your bow."

Roy smiled as he held it out to the man. Oliver took it from him carefully so he could examine it. "It's wooden. Brave Bow made it for me himself."

"It's very nice craftsmanship. He has a good eye." It really was a nice bow. So nice it almost made him jealous. Oliver handed it back. "It's an interesting choice of bow for someone your age."

Roy shrugged. "I've been using them for years."

"You ever use a compound or a recurve?"

"No. Do you?"

"I use a variety." He looked past Roy to the target. "How long have you been practicing?"

"Today? Since sun up."

"That long?"

Roy nodded. "I practice all day when I don't have school."

"No wonder you're such a good shot. You must really like archery kid."

"I love it! It's the best thing in the whole world." He turned around to fire another arrow, missing the look on Oliver's face.

"I'm glad you think so." He walked a little closer to Roy. "You ever do anything besides archery?"

"Watch tv. I go hiking with Brave Bow. I play basketball sometimes." He shot another arrow. "Some boys in my class let me play if they have uneven numbers. I don't exactly have a lot of friends." He shot another arrow. "Especially lately." He hit another bullseye. "All my friends are more like "I'll eat with you at lunch and let you play ball" type friends and less "I'll hang out with you on the weekend" type friends."

"I see. It's ok. I didn't have a lot of friends when I was your age either and I turned out fine."

Roy smiled at him. "You're rich too."

"That's just money I inherited from my dad. The company too."

"That's pretty sweet."

"Yeah it's-" Oliver phone went off. Dammit. "Excuse me." He stepped away. "What?!" he snapped quietly into the phone. He didn't want his temper to scare Roy.

"I'm sorry Mr. Queen.." the manager said, clearly scared about pissing off his boss. "It's just…"

"Spit. It. Out."

"We're having a problem with setting up some of the machines-"

"Can't you handle it? Isn't that what I pay you for?"

"It's just that the contractors are behind and seeing how you're the big boss-"

"Fine, fine. I'll be there in a few hours."

"Thank you, Mr. Queen-" Oliver hung up, swallowing his irritation. 'Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots.' He turned back to Roy, who had shot 15 more arrows. All bullseyes.

"How long was I gone?"

"I'm fast," Roy smiled.

"Yeah, I see that."

"Who was that?"

"The manager of my factory, I have to go."

"Oh." A look of disappointment passed over the teen's face and Oliver could've smiled. Oh, this would be way easier than he thought.

"I'll try to swing by again, maybe we can shoot together."

"Really?"

"Why not? I'm the big boss I can take days off whenever I want."

"Ok. Bye Oliver." Roy shot off five more arrows in rapid succession.

"Bye Speedy." Oliver smiled to himself as he turned away. 'I'll definitely see you again soon.'

— —

Unfortunately, the incompetence of not only his manager but his regional president and contractors proved to keep him busy. Every time he put a proverbial, or real, fire another one popped up. Eventually, though, he was able to pull himself away from the project, more for the safety of those he was working with and made the trip to the reservation. While he drove he tried to think of some reason for him to be there. He thought back to their earlier conversations. 'Roy said his father takes him hiking.' It was perfect. He could get Roy away from his father and get him alone. He smiled to himself as he pulled up in front of the house.

Roy opened the door when he knocked on it. "Oliver!"

"Hi Roy," Oliver smiled. Roy let him in and shut the door. "Sir."

"Afternoon Mr. Queen," Brave Bow said. He tried to sit up, but Roy ran over.

"Don't," the boy told him, making his father lay down again. "You're in pain, you should be resting." He went over to the kitchen counter and looked through the medications.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Brave Bow asked Oliver.

"Well, I needed a day off and I thought I'd take a hike in these lovely mountains," Oliver said, trying to appear as friendly as possible.

"There's a lot of great hiking paths around here," Roy told him, forcing three pills into Brave Bow's hand. "Here." He knelt down and lifted his father's head while he helped him take the medication.

"I was hoping you two might know anyone who would be willing to act as a guide for me? I'm terrible with directions and I get lost so easily—"

"Roy could show you," Brave Bow suggested. "I've taken him up there hundreds of times."

"You need me here," Roy protested.

"No. You need some fresh air. Go get your shoes on."

"He knows where he's going?" Oliver asked.

"He knows exactly where he's going."

"As long as you don't mind him coming…"

"He really needs to get out of the house. Kids his age are supposed to be out playing while they're on break from school. I don't want him cooped up in here all the time." The conversation stopped abruptly as Roy came back.

"Did you have a specific path in mind?" Roy asked Oliver as he dumped two water bottles into his canteen.

"No, but I'm sure you know a good one."

"I do." Roy hung his canteen over his body and tightened the straps. He knelt down in front of his father. "If you need anything make sure—"

"I will call Mike," Brave Bow said. "Promise." Roy gave him a gentle hug. "Be good and make sure you give Oliver the best view."

"I will." Roy followed Oliver out and hopped, no need to open the door, into his jeep.

"Which way?" Oliver asked.

"Head down this road." Roy pointed down the dirt road that the house sat on. "Turn left up ahead."

"You come out this way a lot?"

"Kind of. Brave Bow and I go hiking on this trail a lot."

"So you know it really well?"

"Don't worry. We won't get lost. Right there. That lot."

"Lot?" Oliver asked as he parked. "Roy, this is a dirt circle."

"Lot." Roy hopped out and Oliver followed. "This way." He found the trail easily and led Oliver towards the mountain. They made their way up the mountain-side, following the dusty trail. Truthfully, this was nothing for Oliver physically; nor was it anything worse than what he'd faced on the island. However, he followed Roy, stumbling every now and again, acting like a stupid city boy.

'If Roy feels like he's in control he'll be able to trust me easier.'

About halfway up Roy looked back at Oliver. "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine." He forced his voice to sound a little winded to further sell to Roy he wasn't a threat and just a friend city-dweller. It seemed to work because Roy smiled in an incredibly amused way.

"Yeah. Sure." He handed Oliver his canteen. "You didn't bring water."

"Thanks, kid." Oliver took a drink and handed it back. "This the end?"

"Nope." Roy slipped his canteen back over his body. "Halfway point."

"What?!"

Roy laughed. "Come on, let's go."

An hour later Roy pulled himself over the last ridge. He looked back at Oliver. "Need help?"

"Nope." Oliver pulled himself up and stood next to Roy on the cliff. "Nice view."

Roy nodded. They could see the whole town and the next town over from this cliff. "It's my favorite." He sat on the edge and Oliver joined him.

"You don't have views like this in Star. All I see from my office is more buildings."

"I've never seen a city."

"Really?"

"I've barely been off the reservation. Never south of Flagstaff though. Or been to Flagstaff."

Ironic, since that's where Oliver was staying and where his factory was being built. "Huh. Brave Bow bring you up here a lot?"

"He likes it up here. He says its peaceful."

"You guys don't exactly have a lot of neighbors, I imagine it's not exactly rowdy." Oliver took a sip from the canteen. "You said Brave Bow adopted you, right?"

Roy snorted. "Do I look like his birth son?"

"Good point. When did he adopt you?"

"When I was two and a half. My dad….my dad was a forest ranger. He died in a forest fire."

"He did?"

"Yeah. Brave Bow and some other men from the reservation were there and my dad got them out but….he died from the smoke inhalation after going back into the flames so many times."

"That's too bad. What about your mom?"

"What about her? She took off just after I was born."

"She did?"

"That's what my dad told Brave Bow. You know on his deathbed and all that. I don't even know her name."

"Huh."

"What about your family?"

"I don't have any."

"You don't?"

"I lost my parents when I was about your age."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks. You know Roy, if you don't have any friends….I'd like to be your friend?"

"You would?"

"Of course. We have a lot in common, don't we?"

Roy thought about it. "Yeah, I guess we do."

"You remind me of a younger version of myself. Just grow to make better life choices." Roy laughed. "So, friends?"

"Yeah." Roy bumped his fist. "We're friends."

'Too easy,' Oliver thought with a smile. 'This will be too damn easy.'

— —

It was only a few days later that Oliver decided he needed to go back to the reservation. This time though, he brought his bow and quiver. 'This way, I can connect with him and test him a little more one on one.' He pulled up in front of the tiny house and walked up, casually swinging his bow in his hand. He knocked and it was Raymond Begay who answer. "Good afternoon," he said in a tone that was usually reserved for investors.

"Good afternoon to you as well Mr. Queen," the old man replied. He let the billionaire and practically hobbled back over to the couch. "I see you've come prepared to shoot." Once he was sitting he held out his hand. "May I?" After briefly weighing his options, Oliver handed over his bow. Brave Bow looked it over with a slow, yet visibly well-trained eye. "It's a nice bow. Looks expensive."

"I only use the best equipment. Roy told me you built his."

"I did. I wanted him to have a bow he could grow into, as well as something nice considering how hard he practices." HE handed the bow back to Oliver. "That's an interesting color for a bow, especially for someone from Star City."

"What'd you mean?"

"You might be just a businessman Mr. Queen, but surely even you know about the Green Arrow."

"I've heard about him."

"Are you a fan of his?"

"A fan? I don't think he has any of those…besides Roy."

"Yes… Unfortunately…." The disgust in the old man's voice was evident.

"I'm guessing you're not though."

"Roy is young. He sees pictures of the Green Arrow and hears about his…. vigilante mission and thinks him to be some….modern day Robin Hood."

"But you disagree?"

"Whole-heartedly. I think he's more like the Sheriff of Nottingham with Robin Hood's stolen bow and misguided morals."

"…..You do?"

"Yes. He's a murderer disguised as a hero, which is why I hoped Roy would grow out of his fascination with him. I never allowed him to know the truth about Green Arrow to protect him."

"You want to protect him from the truth?"

Brave Bow nodded. "I'm his guardian Mr. Queen. It's my job to protect him." Oliver almost rolled his eyes. "However, it does bring me some comfort to know my own would never want to be like the Green Arrow and do what he does, the way he does it."

"You think so?"

"The boy I raised would never agree to methods like those." For a moment, Oliver was afraid he'd been figured out. His brain was stumbling over itself to figure out what to do or say before the old man smiled at him. "I'm sorry for that tangent…. Roy says my mind is going a bit."

"Not at all."

"Roy is out back if you'd like to shoot with him. I know he'd love it."

"Thank you." Oliver shook his head as he made his way to the backyard. As he stepped out into the hot sun, he saw Roy finishing his shooting and reaching for his canteen. "Hi." Roy obviously hadn't heard him and the canteen jumped between his hands for a few seconds before he caught it.

"You surprised me," Roy said.

"Clearly."

"What're you doing here?"

Did the kid really not see the bow and quiver? Oliver held up the recurve bow in his hand. "I did say we'd shoot together sometime." The bright look on Roy's face almost made him stumble back in shock. "Unless you don't want to-"

"I do! I do! Was there!" Oliver watched as Roy ran with surprising speed to the target and retired his arrows. The boy held half the arrow out to him. "Here you go."

"I already got my own." Oliver turned slightly so Roy could see the quiver. "Thanks though."

"You can shoot first."

"Alright." Oliver selected an arrow and nocked it to his bow. The distance of the target was a joke to him. A such, he only needed a second to aim before he loosed the arrow and it hit the dead-center of the bullseye.

"Good shot." Roy fired his own arrow, which landed next to Oliver's.

"You too. Want to have a competition?"

"Sure."

"Ok." Oliver had some suspicions about this kid being a fast shot, so he quickly devised a test. "I'm going to time us for….1 minute. He held out his phone for Roy to see. "We'll see who can shoot more arrows." He definitely didn't miss the smirk on the kid's face. Still an over-confident brat.

"Got it."

"Ready….go." At first, Oliver was going easy on the kid, But when he realized Roy was 5 arrows ahead, he stepped up his pace. By the time the timer stopped, he was actually shooting at his fastest. Somehow though, Roy actually did beat him.

"I won."

"I see that."

"I'll get the arrows." Roy ran to the target while Oliver rubbed his goatee and studied the boy. How he could shoot that fast was a mystery, but he could and that was all Oliver cared about. "You're arrows are really nice."

"Thanks." The two of them went back to regular shooting and Oliver tried to think of anything else he should test Roy on. "How far away do you think the target is?"

"Um…10 yards?"

"Pretty close. Good guess. Good thing there's plenty of space out here."

"I know." Within a split second decision, Oliver aimed his arrow at the end of Roy's. Unfortunately, the materials the arrow were made of weren't conducive to his plan. "You missed. Guess you aren't as good as you thought."

Oliver's hand tightened around his bow. This kid's attitude was seriously grating on his already, very short nerves. "Oh really? Why don't you take a closer look?" He took a moment to try and calm down as he watched Roy examine the arrow in the target.

"You tried to split my arrow!"

"I did. I think the arrows are made of the wrong material for that though." Roy's smile took him by surprise once again.

"You're just like Robin Hood!" Oliver's mind flashed back to his earlier conversation with Brave Bow.

"I'm Robin Hood?"

"You shoot like him."

Before Oliver could answer, his phone went off. He pulled it out and swore quietly under his breath. More real and proverbial fires to put out. "I have to leave."

"You do?" The disappointed tone in Roy's voice almost made Oliver smile. Looks like the kids was getting attached to him already. "But we're having fun."

"Sorry Roy, made we can do it again sometime."

"Ok. Well…bye."

"I'll see you later." Oliver made a quick good-bye to the boy's father before he left. Their conversations as replaying in his head as he drove away. 'I clearly can't allow Begay to figure out I am the Green Arrow. Thankfully Roy has been kept so ignorant.' He remembered what the old man had said about Roy never agreeing to the Green Arrow's methods. He scoffed. "That almost sounds like challenge old man, and I never turn down a challenge."

— —

In a way, the incompetence was proving to be kind of a blessing right now. On the one hand, Oliver was furious his regional president had somehow forgotten several important papers Oliver needed to sign for the contractors. However, it gave him another perfect opportunity to get Roy to trust him. He pulled up in front of the decrepit house to talk to Roy. He walked up the front steps and knocked on the door.

Roy opened the door. "Oliver."

"Hi. Bad time?" Roy looked a little stressed.

"Uh…." Roy glanced back at his father. "Kind of."

"Who is it?" Brave Bow asked him.

"It's Oliver." Roy let him in and shut the door.

"Good Morning, Mr. Queen."

"Morning," Oliver nodded.

"What brings you here?"

"Well, I have to go to Phoenix tomorrow for a meeting and go over a few papers with the division of my company there. I thought maybe Roy would like to come with me."

"Really?" Roy asked. Oliver smiled when he saw the slight excitement on the boy's face.

"You've never been to the city and it's a really long drive to make alone."

"Brave Bow needs me."

"No, no," Brave Bow said, holding Roy's hand. "You should go."

"Really? I can skip school?"

"Yes. It's not every day you get a chance to go into the city."

"So, is that a yes?" Oliver asked him.

"Yeah!"

"Alright. I'll pick you up bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Cool."

When he was back in his hotel room, Oliver couldn't fight the smile on his face. This was going way better than he thought it would go. "I'll have that kid soon enough." There was only one problem though…his father. So far the old man seemed to be about as clueless to Oliver's intentions as Roy was. "He's obviously getting weaker, but is he really getting any more dead?" It was starting to worry Oliver. "If he's not dead by the time I leave, Roy might not want to go with me." Roy wouldn't even have a reason to go with Oliver if Brave Bow was still alive. Unacceptable. "But if I'm not around when he's at his most vulnerable, he might not reach out to me." An idea started to form in his mind and he grabbed his laptop.

The next morning he set out for the reservation before the sun was up. The sooner he got to Roy, the more time he could spend getting to him. Clearly, this was the right track, considering that when he knocked on the door he barely had to wait a minute before the door opened.

"Hi, Oliver!" Roy beamed.

"You're eager today," Oliver smiled. "Mr. Begay…."

"Morning, Mr. Queen." Roy knelt down and gave him a hug. "Be good."

"I will.

"Do what Mr. Queen says and don't run off by yourself."

"I won't."

"Make sure you have fun."

"I will." Roy gave him one last hug before he followed Oliver out of the house.

"Excited?" Oliver asked him they got in the car.

"Yeah!" Once they left the reservation Roy looked at Oliver. "Is Phoenix a lot like Star?"

"Kind of. There're some differences."

"No Green Arrow."

"That's true."

The ride down was long but more or less enjoyable. Conversation was a little hard with the wind beating against them in the convertible, but that didn't stop them. Roy told Oliver about some of his favorite competitions he'd competed in and found out more about Oliver's life.

"You were really stranded on a desert island?!"

"You think I'd joke about something like that?"

"It's just….shipwrecked on a desert island? That's like something out of a movie."

"Trust me, kid, it was nothing like a movie. I was hungry, thirsty, alone. I spent a year if my life on that island."

"Were you scared?"

"I was at first. After a while, though I figured out it was eat or be eaten. When you're faced with odds like that, what can you do but survive?"

"Did anyone miss you?"

"Eh…not really."

"Was it fun?"

"Fun?! No running water for a year and you think I had fun?!"

"It could've been."

Oliver laughed. "I did feel….rejuvenated though."

"What does that mean?"

"It means….I felt refreshed."

"Why?"

"I learned something very important on that island." Roy gave him a curious look. An odd look crossed Oliver's face as he thought about his days back on the island. "I learned that sometimes you have to do unpleasant things to get a pleasant outcome."

Roy snorted. "That's awfully deep for an island with no people on it. You're just making it up." He glanced off to the side, which Oliver was grateful for, as he had to tighten his grip around the steering wheel.

'Arrogant little shit.' Roy definitely needed an attitude adjustment.

"Is this it?!"

"Yes. We're here."

"Whoa. These buildings are so tall!" His innocence filled Oliver with an almost glee.

'He's so simple-minded. This is almost too easy. I'll impress him with the glamor of my life. This kid will be putty in my hands in no time.' This trip would go a long way to do that. "I have some papers to go over at the office," Oliver said as they pulled into a parking garage. "After that though, we can walk around and see the city."

"Sweet."

"If you're interested, I heard there's a baseball game tonight. We can go if you want."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Roy stayed close to Oliver once they were in the building. Oliver smiled. Roy was already trusting him enough that he was seeking Oliver's protection in an unknown situation. 'This is far better than I could've hoped.' When Roy took an unconscious step towards Oliver as the security guard approached them, he put a gentle hand on Roy's back for a second.

"Mr. Queen," the man said shaking his hand. "Mr. Cahill asked me to escort you upstairs."

"Lead the way," Oliver replied gesturing.

"Who's Mr. Cahill?" Roy asked quietly as they were lead over to an elevator.

"He's the president of the company here in Phoenix. He has the papers I need to sign."

Roy never took his eyes off the guy with the gun, which Oliver definitely noticed. "Why does he have a gun?"

"He's a security guard. They all have guns." Oliver smiled at him. "Don't worry. Unless you're here to kill me or steal my company's secrets, he won't pull it on you." They walked into Cahill's office and the man smiled at Oliver.

"Mr. Queen," Mr. Cahill said, shaking his hand. "Nice to see you. Who's this?"

"This Is Roy," Oliver said, putting an arm around Roy's shoulders. "He's a new friend keeping me company."

"Nice to meet you, Roy."

"You too," Roy responded. Oliver felt a spark of pride that Roy didn't shrug his arm off.

"Where are those papers?" Oliver asked, stepping forward.

"They're right here sir." Oliver looked over the papers quickly, not trusting the morons who worked beneath him to have gotten the details right. He did a quick read of the paperwork, then put his signature on it. "Make sure these get to the right managers," he said, sliding them to Cahill. "Or you'll be looking for a new job."

"Of course Mr. Queen," Cahill said nervously.

"This factory shouldn't have required me to take weeks out of my very busy schedule, you know, running the entire company, in order for it to get off the ground."

"Yes, Mr. Queen. I'll make sure everything else goes smoothly and on schedule."

Oliver took a deep breath, resting the urge to smash the man's head into the desk. "Its. Already. Behind. Schedule. Just. Get. It. Done."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

Oliver glanced around and saw Roy staring out the window. "Roy," he said. Roy turned around. "Ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Where are you two off to today?" Mr. Cahill asked as he locked the papers in a file cabinet.

"Well, we should probably get lunch after this. Then we'll walk around. Maybe go to the science center or the zoo."

"I think the D-backs are playing tonight."

"We're going tonight. Right, Roy?" Roy nodded.

"Good. Here." He took out his wallet and handed Roy a $20. "Get yourself a souvenir."

"Thanks!"

Oliver smiled. "Come on Roy." He guided the boy out of the office and back towards the elevator.

"That was really nice of him."

"He's just trying to make nice with the kid hanging out with the boss." And possibly try to save his own skin. Besides, Roy didn't need to think anyone else really cared about him. That could deter him from Oliver's influence. He put his arm around Roy again. "So, science center or zoo?"

"Zoo!"

"Zoo it is."

Oliver spent the rest of the day trying to impress Roy and make sure the kid liked him. He took him to an expensive restaurant and let Roy order whatever he wanted. Then they went to the zoo and he entertained Roy's childish whims of seeing all the animals and reading every single information plaque about them. After the zoo, they went to Chase Field and Oliver found himself pleased at Roy's amazement by the access he had. The VIP box was far nicer than anything he knew Roy had experienced.

"This is amazing!"

"Glad you like it."

They were served dinner there too and Roy bought a jersey from the souvenir stand and a hat. "For Brave Bow," he explained to Oliver's questioning look.

"Ah."

The game wasn't particularly intriguing. Oliver was never interested in sports and he was usually busy with more important things. Like eradicating filth from Star City's streets. It was late by the time the game ended, but he didn't mind. A day spent earning Roy's trust and admiration was well spent in his mind. "That was awesome!"

"Glad you had fun."

As they got into the car Roy glanced up. "Huh."

"What?"

"There aren't as many stars here."

Oliver glanced up. "It's because of the light pollution. Cities have more lights so they block out the stars."

"Oh." That was a stupid thing for him to think.

By the time they were pulling up in front of the house, Roy was still wide awake; despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. "Home sweet home," Oliver said, turning the car off.

"Thanks for today," Roy said, just able to see Oliver in the light from the porch light. "It was awesome!"

"I'm glad you had fun. Thanks for keeping me company on the long drive."

"Anytime." He got out and ran up the front steps.

Oliver smiled to himself as he drove away. "Soon," he mused. "Soon."

— —

The following Friday Oliver was in his hotel room when someone knocked on the door. He answered it to find a man in a hotel uniform.

"A package arrived for you Mr. Queen," he said, handing a small box wrapped in brown paper to the billionaire.

"Thank you," Oliver said, handing the man a generous tip. He shut the door, unable to help smiling as he unwrapped and opened the box. "One more trip," he mused as he eyed the bottle of pills. He went over to the desk and opened the bottle. "One more trip, just to make sure I've really got him." He tipped the pills out on to the desk and spread them out so they weren't in piles. "And if I do…" He grabbed a rock he'd picked up the previous day and brought it down on the first pill, crushing it into powder. "Then I'll make sure he's the rest of this goes smoothly." He smiled as he crushed another pill. "After this weekend I'll own him."

Later that day Oliver once again made the trip down to the reservation. He had barely even knocked on the door when it opened.

"Hi, Oliver!" He let the man in without hesitation. "It's Oliver."

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Oliver said. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Brave Bow's bad today. I'm taking care of him."

"Oh. I had a very long and rough week, and I decided I needed some fresh air. I was looking to go camping this weekend since it's my last weekend down here. Roy told me you guys go camping a lot and I was wondering if you knew of some good places."

"…..yeah….we…know some," Brave Bow managed.

"You been camping before?" Roy asked him.

"Of course I have. If you count my crazy year-long island vacation as camping."

Roy smirked. "I don't think so."

'Arrogant little shit..' Oliver bit back his annoyance. "You know any good places or not?"

"Yeah, but they're more for experienced campers not city folk like you."

"Experienced like you?" Roy shrugged. "Come with me then."

Roy frowned. "Really?"

"Well, I obviously need an experienced hand or I could die out there. How about it? We can go for the weekend and I'll have you back here on Sunday in time for school."

"I….think its a….great idea," Brave Bow said, trying to sit up.

"Lay down," Roy told him. "Really?"

"Of course. You love camping. You go, show Oliver how a pro does it."

"You need me here."

"I'll be fine. I have friends who can check on me."

"Well….ok."

"Take some of our stuff."

"Sure. Come out back." Roy led Oliver to the backyard. Against the back of the house was a metal shed. Roy slid the door open, wincing as the heat hit his face. "Let's see."

"This should be fun," Oliver said as Roy unloaded the stuff from the shed.

"Oh yeah. There's a great place an hour from here."

"Good." Roy helped Oliver get the camping stuff into his car. "You sure about this? No offense Oliver, but you seem a little too….preppy to go camping."

"…..I think I might surprise you." Oliver looked at him. "I have to grab some things, but I'll pick you up in a few hours."

"Ok. See you in a few." Oliver got food and other supplies for the trip. He made sure the bag of crushed pills was well hidden in his car so Roy wouldn't find it. Not that Oliver really thought he was, considering how gullible and stupid the kid was. Oliver had been able to win him over in a matter of a few weeks after all. When he went back to get Roy, he hadn't even made it to the door when Roy opened it. "Hi, Oliver!"

"Hi, Roy. Ready?"

"One sec!" Roy ran back and gave Brave Bow a hug. "You'll be ok?"

"I am….perfectly capable of…handling myself. Have fun."

Roy ran out of the house and threw his bag into the car; then quickly followed it. "Let's go!"

"Tell me where to go."

Oliver was proud of the way he pretended to be so terrible at camping. He acted stupidly when asked to do the simple task of smoothing out the campground. He pretended to be useless when trying to set up a tent, so he was demoted to gather rocks for a fire pit. Oliver managed to get all the rocks without hurting himself; a fact that Roy didn't fail to tell him, and Oliver had to once again remind himself smacking Roy wouldn't win the kid over. He was so close, he had to keep it together. It was almost dark by the time they finished, so they cooked hot dogs over the fire and Roy gave him a lesson in constellations.

"Are you sure that's what they're called?" Oliver asked him.

Roy scoffed. "Are you questioning me?"

"And if I am?"

Roy sighed. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You can shoot, camp, hike, read the stars. Anything you can't do?"

"Not really."

Day Two consisted of hiking on nearby trails and Oliver "accidentally" grabbing a cactus. In truth, he'd felt much worse pain in his life and it further solidified Roy's view of him as a stupid, yet harmless businessman. After Roy was done laughing he helped get the spines out of the billionaire's hand. At one point he took a drink from his canteen and Oliver smiled. Finally using his skills, he slipped away and hid behind a ridge he'd found a few yards back. Within minutes he could hear Roy calling for him. "Oliver? Oliver! Oliver!" The increasing panic in the kid's voice made Oliver smile.

'Yes,' he thought. 'Roy's attached enough to get worried about me.' He saw nothing wrong with making the kid sweat a little, just so see how far he could push this.

"Oliver! Oliver!" As Roy moved down the path Oliver followed him, always keep a distance and stay hidden. After 15 minutes he deiced Roy had more than proven his loyalty to his new friend. "Oliver!"

"Roy!" he called back.

"Oliver!"

"Roy!" Only a few seconds later Roy appeared over a small peak. "Roy!" Oliver put his hands on Roy's shoulders. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"What? I-I've been looking for you!"

"Me? You're the one who left the path."

"What? No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did! I turned around and you were gone!" Roy blinked. "You really scared me, kid."

"I-I'm sorry. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." Oliver could've jumped for joy. Not only had Roy proven his loyalty, but he was so stupid Oliver had been able to change reality itself and convince the kid of something that hadn't happened. 'He's definitely ready.'

"It's ok." Oliver pat him on the back. "Come on, let's head back to camp."

"Ok." They made more food by the fire for dinner and even s'mores. Oliver pretended he was bad at making those too and purposefully made his marshmallows catch on fire. By the time Oliver was dropping him off back home Roy was slightly sunburnt, but all smiles.

"I'll go put the gear away." Oliver helped him get it into the backyard, then went back inside. "Your son is home safe and sound."

Brave Bow smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Would you like some water? It's pretty hot out today."

"Yes…thank you…"

Oliver went over to the kitchen and pulled a water bottle out of the fridge. He opened it and stealthily slipped the bag of power out of his pocket. He carefully poured half the bag into the bottle, then put the cap back on and shook it. He waited until all the powder and dissolved before adding more. He then gave the bottle to Roy's father. "Here you go." Brave Bow took several large sips, clearly thirsty. Before Oliver could go, the old man grabbed his wrist.

"I want to thank you….for what you've done for Roy… It's been so hard on him lately…. I worry….about what will happen to him when I'm gone… If he'll be taken care of…."

"I'm sure whoever takes Roy in will make sure he's well taken care of."

"I hope so… Thank you though….for keeping him company… Showing him a…good time…"

"Believe me, it was my pleasure." Brave Bow released him and Oliver stepped back. 'Stupid, old man. I'll make sure Roy reaches his full potential. You can count on that.'

Roy rejoined them. "Thanks for the weekend," he said.

"It was fun for me too." Oliver looked at his watch. "I should go."

"I'll walk you out." Roy followed Oliver back to his car and stood next to it. "You're going home soon?"

"Yeah. Hopefully, the building didn't burn down while I was gone. Here." He got something out of the glove compartment and handed it to Roy.

"A business card?"

"If you need anything, anything at all, call me."

"Ok. Bye, Oliver."

"Bye, Roy."

As Oliver drove he smiled. "Now we wait."

— —

The next morning, Oliver was nervous. He worried something had gone wrong like maybe he'd gotten the dosage wrong. Or that Roy would lose his card. He paced a little bit, trying to stay calm as hours passed and noon approached. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered. "All of this hard work can't be for nothing. Come on." Finally, just after noon, his phone rang. "Hello?" Oliver answered. The person on the other line didn't say anything. "Hello?"

"O-Oliver?"

"Roy? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"Brave Bow's dead."

'It worked,' Oliver thought proudly. 'My plan really worked.' He fought to keep the smile off his face. "Where are you?"

"Um…" There was a momentary pause. "DHS. Flagstaff." Still so perfect.

"Hang tight, I'll be right there."

"Ok." Oliver hung up and smiled widely.

"It got him. Hook, line, and sinker." Oliver went straight down to DHS to collect his prize. He walked inside, flashing his best smile.

"Can I help you?" a man asked.

"I was wondering if I could talk to someone about taking in an orphaned kid. Roy Harper."

"You're…You're Oliver Queen."

"Yes, I am."

"…wait right here sir."

Oliver waited somewhat impatiently as the man left. Only a couple of minutes later Roy came into view. "Oliver!" He ran to the man and Oliver knelt down to meet him, putting his hands on Roy's shoulders.

"I got here as fast as I could," Oliver said.

"Excuse me sir, but do you know him?" a man asked, looking at Oliver suspiciously.

Oliver stood up, putting his hands on Roy's shoulders. "I'm a friend."

Roy nodded. "He is!" the kid insisted. "We-we go camping together and hiking and he shoots with me and we even went to Phoenix last week!"

"You did?" the man asked.

Roy nodded again. "Oliver cares about me a lot. He's a really good friend." That made Oliver squeeze the boy's shoulders in pride.

'Good Roy.' Oliver looked at the man. "Can we have a minute?"

"Um….yeah…You can use my office." Carlos led them back to his office with Oliver's hands never leaving Roy's shoulders. Once they were there, he shut the door as Roy sat down. Oliver crouched down in front of him.

"You ok?" Oliver asked.

"I-I don't know…"

"Listen…I have a secret to tell you." This was probably the biggest risk of all. Trusting Roy with his secret identity.

"What?"

Oliver looked around, then leaned in close to whisper in Roy's ear, "I'm the Green Arrow."

"Really?"

"Really." Oliver put his hands on Roy's shoulders. "Believe me." There was a moment of silence from Roy as he thought over the reveal.

"Ok."

"You believe me?"

"I do."

"Good. Roy, you have an amazing talent with archery. Like nothing I've ever seen."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was wondering…if you want…do you want to come back to Star City with me? Do you want to help me protect it from terrible people?" Roy stared at him. "I know this is a lot to take in, but like I've said: I see a lot of me in you, Roy. I know you want to help people like I do." Roy nodded. "You can honor Brave Bow's memory by using the skills he taught you for good. So, what do you say? You in?"

Roy swallowed. Slowly, he put his hand on Oliver's shoulder and nodded. "I'm in."

Oliver smiled. 'I thought as much.'