Bellamy stood his bow steady as the red lights from the SWAT teams' guns dotted his chest. He had no way out. This many people in a tight space, even if he managed to cause a diversion that gave him enough time to dodge the first volley a lot of innocent people, including his sister, would be hit in the crossfire. He also couldn't surrender, if he was arrested everything would fall apart. There were so many criminals the police were not prepared to deal with in this city. The city needed him, not to mention he couldn't bear to see his sister's face if she saw who it was under the hood.
"Put your weapon down." Octavia ordered firmly, the sharp edge of victory clear in her voice.
He didn't move a muscle his eyes tracking the various guns aimed at him. If he tried to move, there was a high chance his sister would be hit. Why wasn't she wearing a bulletproof vest!? "I can't do that." He paused, thinking of how to get out of this. "I'm not your enemy."
Octavia looked like if she could kill him with her eyes she would be doing so. "Then. Put. Your. Weapon. Down."
He felt a bead of sweat drip down his spine. He had no option but to surrender. His life, his city, his friends, none of it was worth his sister's life. Slowly, hesitantly, he started to loosen the draw on his bow. He knew the look on his sister's face. She was daring him not to comply. She would walk through hell without flinching with that expression. There was no talking himself out of this. His mind was screaming at him as he further slackened his draw only the barest of pressure on the string keeping the arrow live. His arms dropping lower as he forced himself to disarm, desperately hoping for a miracle to save him.
The skylight above their heads crashed down around him. He ducked snapping his attention to the person falling through the shards of glass to ascertain if they were a threat. For a second he took in the form of a woman with long red hair, tight black leather, and a mask. Then hell descended. A distant part of himself was aware that the small circular device in her hand was what caused the noise, but most of him was reeling from the worst noise he'd ever even imagined could exist. It was excruciating, his ears screamed in pain, he could feel the sound behind his eyes echoing around in his skull. He and everyone else hit the ground scrabbling desperately at their ears. The glass in the windows shivered, quivered and then shattered from the sheer frequency of the sound.
As suddenly as it'd started it ended and an iron grip on his bicep yanked him to his feet and towards the now empty windows. His training and years of combat experience were the only reason his feet followed automatically. He leapt out of the window with the stranger without a second though. She'd given him his miracle and he was going to take advantage of it. By the time the first gun shot went off at their backs, he was already falling onto the neighboring rooftop and running beside the masked figure. Dropping down the fire escape between buildings, they both hit the ground in an alleyway.
Panting, he shook his head to get rid of the still persistent ringing in his ears and examined his savior properly. He could see her back as she walked away from him. She was wearing tight leather gear. He could see the material was clearly designed to deflect damage. "Why'd you help me?" He demanded.
The woman turned her head, her dark hair shifting to reveal a side profile. She didn't reply though, just facing forward again and then moving quickly. With a short jump, her first foot hit the top of a car parked in the alley. Using it as a springboard she practically flew up over the rail on the emergency stairs against the wall and was up and out of sight in seconds.
Bellamy stood there his heart still beating out of his chest from his narrow escape watching where his rescuer had disappeared. It left one burning question, who on earth was that woman?
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Monty spun in his swivel chair at the sound of someone coming down into the lair. He spotted Bellamy and felt a whoosh of relief. "Oh thank god." They'd spent the last half hour in the lair desperately trying to find their friend.
"The police scanner has been blowing up for the last half hour." Miller said, with the strain easy to be heard in his voice as he reprimanded Bellamy. "Octavia called in half the force."
Monty felt his fingers shaking from the stress of the whole thing. "Yeah, cause apparently going after the criminals just isn't in style anymore."
Bellamy dropped his bow into its case before facing them. "To her, I am the criminal." He looked utterly crushed by this fact.
"Since when?" Raven asked, her usual lack of sensitivity apparent. "Like I don't know if you all remember last year but she called us into help or well our boy in green, same difference. What changed exactly? Cause Octavia on a warpath is scary as fuck."
Green gloves creaked from the pressure Bellamy was putting them under as he clenched his fists. "She saw me."
"Saw you?" Miller asked, sounding alarmed.
"The night of the quake, she saw me leaving her law offices while Atom was dead inside. She knows I failed him." His voice cracked. "How can she do anything other than blame me for not saving him?"
"Oh that's bullshit." Raven snapped. "You're the only reason more people didn't die. She's taking out her grief on you and if we don't' do something about it soon, it's going to get her killed or fired. Crusades like this don't last long without results."
"She's my sister!" Bellamy protested. "A lot of people hate the Arrow. I failed over three hundred people lately! An entire region of our city is a war zone in all but name because of my failures."
"Okay," Monty interrupted recognizing a self-blaming Bellamy episode. He'd be back to acknowledging it wasn't his fault in a few hours. Octavia always had the ability to turn him into a basket case. "How did you get out of there? There was a full SWAT team and they said they had you before the comms went down on us."
Bellamy ran his hand through his hair. "I had help from a woman in black. She had red hair and a mask."
"So, more copy cats like the Hoods?" Miller asked, falling back into business mode.
"No," Bellamy shook his head. "She wasn't like them. She's highly trained, she was able to take a two story drop without flinching and how she moved was professional. She used a sonic…thing."
Raven made a noise of interest. "What type of sonic 'thing'?" The sarcasm at Bellamy's terminology clear.
Monty would have laughed if he still wasn't settling from the earlier scare. Still, he found Bellamy's look of confusion rather priceless.
"I don't know, I'm a bartender not a scientist. It was loud, painful, the glass shattered. My ears are still ringing." He shrugged. "She had to have had ear protection though, she didn't even flinch and she was herding me out before anyone recovered enough to even try and stop us."
Raven blinked. "So it was portable. How large of a device was it?"
"Uh…like a baseball, it kinda glowed?" Bellamy said gesturing helplessly.
Raven sat down at her computer station in the lair and started typing. "I haven't heard of any tech like that outside of a few early prototypes we mocked up last year. Nobody should have touched those though."
Miller seemed to realize Raven was out of the conversation with her tech hunt. Crossing his arms, he asked the question that Monty had been wondering himself. "Any idea why an unknown woman would help you?"
Monty piped in, adding to Miller's question. "How did she know to help you? Cause we didn't even know till Octavia triggered her silent alarm for the SWAT in the building."
Bellamy's face hardened. "I don't know, and we need those answers. I don't like the idea of another player in town. If she's as skilled as I think, she could be a threat."
Monty nodded and resigned himself to a long night of research. "I'll check it out."
Raven spun around in her chair and leveled a glare at Bellamy, surprising them all. "What I want to know is why you were in Octavia's office in the first place? I mean, she's declared you public enemy numero uno. She's used all of her pull with the DA to put pressure on you. So, what the hell were you thinking going to her not once but twice?"
Bellamy shifted uneasily before slumping against the table in defeat. "I thought I could make her understand that I'm not the bad guy." He cut off whatever Raven was going to say. "I get it, I was wrong."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Kane was eating a sandwich in his squad car when the radio crackled to life. "All units, 10-78 at second and Fletcher. Please respond. Over."
Setting his sandwich down in the passenger side seat, he pulled his radio to him and clicked it on before replying. "Kane, Patrol Delta Charlie 52, 10-60, Officer Responding. Over." He said into the handheld.
"Negative, DC-52." The radio crackled. "Disregard 10-78 and resume patrol. Over."
He paused as he had been reaching to turn his key in the ignition. Frowning he picked up his mic again. "According to whose orders? Over." He asked, feeling confused.
"Lieutenant Sydney. Over." The radio broadcast.
His hand dropped down and he frowned. Something was up and they were cutting him out of it. Whatever was going on was big and if they didn't want him in it, that meant personal. A flash of fear raced through him. The only personal thing he had left was his step kids Bellamy and Octavia. If something had happened to them... He reached out and started the car. To hell with orders.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Detective Bryne was examining the crime scene when she saw Kane arriving on the scene. "Shit," she waved off a couple of the patrol officers that moved like they intended to cut off the man. She walked quickly to cut off her former partner herself. He saw her and made his way towards her instantly.
"Bryne, what the hell is going on here. Why did Sydney take me off my beat?" He demanded, a slight edge of panic running through him that Bryne picked up on thanks to years of working as his partner.
"Marcus, you need to leave. We have it handled." She said as she was then forced to follow in his wake as he moved ever closer through the crowd of techies and officers towards the crime scene.
"What is handled?" He demanded before falling silent having clearly gotten a good look at the body.
She cringed as she saw him taking in the scene. It was hard to hear he spoke it so quietly, "Barton Mathis."
"That's what the M.O. indicates." She responded, though she knew just as well as Kane did that their murderer was Barton Mathis. The deranged serial killer had been caught by Kane in the first place. She knew the case backwards and forwards, as did he. This case had dug hooks into her partner's soul and not let go. It was the cause of his divorce, or well one of them. She watched her former partner carefully.
Kane defended against what the posed body was telling them. "He's in jail serving consecutive life sentences."
"Marcus, he got out." She said bluntly. "In the quake, several of the prisoners managed to escape. Mathis was one of them. They've been keeping it hush hush."
Kane let out a strangled sound. "It won't stay quiet with him dropping bodies posed and dressed like dolls with their esophagi filled with plastic!"
She didn't cringe at his raised tone. It was to be expected. They all had cases that hooked them like this one had hooked him. "You're not on the case."
"Why? No one knows Mathis better than I do. I caught him before, I can do it again." He asserted.
Bryne reached out, grabbing his arm. "Come on Marcus, you know how this case got in your head last time. I've got all your notes and case files. Sydney's orders." That was that. She knew when to follow orders and this was one of those times. They'd been given for good reason after all. "If you go anywhere near this, she'll have you arrested for obstruction."
Kane looked at her helplessly twisted up, trying to make sense of this. She could see it in him. "Bryne, please."
"I'm sorry Marcus, orders are orders."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Raven was examining schematics on the old sonic weaponry project from Griffin Inc while Miller and Bellamy wrestled on the mats. The ever present clicking of Monty typing and the grunts and thumps from Miller and Bellamy sparring was comforting. She was brought out of her thoughts when Monty spoke up as his typing ceased.
"I've got some police files that may involve our mystery ninja." He said proudly.
Raven chucked a bolt at his smug face as he called their mystery woman a ninja. He'd been calling her that ever since Bellamy had reiterated that the woman wore all black and was good at climbing buildings. "Have any details for us there Mont?"
"They all describe a woman in black attacking criminals. So far, she's put three would be rapists in the hospital. If she's killed anyone, I haven't found anything on it yet." He sounded kinda disappointed to still not know everything.
Raven whistled at the news. "So, we're sending her a gift basket, right?"
Bellamy shot her a dirty look as he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his truly fantastic abs. "How sure are you?" He asked.
"Broken limbs, and a case of ruptured eardrums so the sonic thing is possibly part of her M.O." Monty replied.
"That's her." Bellamy declared before frowning. "She's targeting criminals?"
"Pay attention." Raven snarked at the dude. He may be pretty but he wasn't the brains of their operation, how he'd managed before them was a mystery. "Misogynistic criminals too. So, I reiterate, gift basket?"
Miller pulled on a shirt with a grunt. "First the Hoods and now her, looks like you started a movement."
"I don't want a movement." Bellamy said, looking serious. "So, we catch her. We're not letting the city get overrun with vigilantes."
Raven opened her mouth to point out that he wasn't actually the king of the city like he seemed to think sometimes when Monty's phone started ringing. She rolled her eyes, of course Bell was saved by the bell. Irony had to have its day after all.
Monty picked it up and checked the caller ID. "It's Kane?" He answered quickly. "Hi Officer?"
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Kane felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he made his way to the roof of the police department. It was already dark out as he heard the door close behind him. Glancing around, he tried to ascertain if the Arrow was here yet or not. Turning around, he saw him. The vigilante was standing on the edge of the roof, he was silhouetted by the lights of the city, his features as hidden as ever. He was grateful that the vigilante spoke and didn't wait for him to come up with what to say. It was going against almost everything he'd believed and done as a cop to come to a man who functioned outside of the law. Hell, the man was a killer.
"So…" The deep clearly altered voice of the Arrow rang out over the building. "You found a way to contact me using Mr. Green."
"I knew he worked for you." Kane shrugged. Really, the Arrow shouldn't be surprised. He'd had Monty in his interrogation room right before the quake for hacking things that 'coincidentally' matched up with Hood activity. It was also Monty's opinion on the Arrow that was why he was even willing to do this. "He vouched for you."
He walked over to where the Arrow was standing abnormally still. "You told me that you were trying to help without dropping bodies. Is that still true?"
The Arrow dropped down off the edge of the building onto the roof properly. "I haven't broken my word yet."
God this was a horrible idea, but he'd made his decision. "I need your help." He breathed in, centering himself. "I have always believed that we didn't need to go outside the law to find justice, but I'm not so sure anymore."
The Arrow moved slightly, opening his body up to him. It was a classic use of body language that was meant to gain trust. Kane was slightly insulted the Arrow thought it would work on him. "What's happened Officer?"
He shoved the file he had been holding at the Arrow. "Bartin Mathis. The media calls him the Dollmaker. He suffocates his victims with a flexible polymer that he pours down their throats and then he dresses them up like dolls. I caught him, but he got out because of the quake and he's killing again now."
"This file is from six years ago?" The Arrow questioned from where he was standing holding the file.
"Personal file." Kane grit his teeth. "They've taken me off the case because I lost myself in it last time. They're not going to catch him before he drops a lot of bodies."
"Why not let the police do their jobs? Trust that your co-workers will have your back." The Arrow asked.
Kane lifted his chin. "They're so stretched they can't even risk the panic of letting the public know that he's out killing again. You told me you were trying another way, I am too."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Clarke got up from her desk. She needed a break from the paperwork. Ontari was breathing down her neck about her charitable investments. The damn woman seemed to think bettering the community should only be done as a public relations gesture and that actual meaningful investment was pointless. As she strode to the elevator Lincoln fell into step with her.
"Al'asad?" He questioned as the doors dinged open.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Please Lincoln, Ms. Griffin if you must. We are leaving the office. I can't plan another investment dinner. I truly cannot take one more order form for flowers that are a waste of money."
He gave her a sharp nod of assent as he stood at her back as the elevator went down to the first floor. "Where are we headed then?"
"Verdant, I should check in with our friend in green and make sure he isn't doing anything monumentally stupid like visit his sister in her office again." She really ought to have smacked the moron after pulling him out of it but she'd been nervous that he'd recognize her. After all, a mask wasn't much of an identity concealer.
Lincoln hummed. "So the tracking beacon you attached to his quiver hasn't been found, despite you using it?" The man sounded insulted at the Hoods stupidity in not checking for bugs.
"He hasn't thought to check for a tracker. Though if you could get ahold of some more covert intelligence gathering tech that would be helpful. It could be beneficial to listen in on his plans." It was hard not to shake her head at the thought of Bellamy's foolishness in regards to his sister.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny piece of tech. "Would a compact microphone that relays to our phones suffice?"
She looked at him in surprise and caught the mischievous look on his face. "I'm happier I selected you for this mission every day Fannon."
He was clearly pleased at the praise and use of his true name. Before she could say anything else, they were making their way through the lobby and out to the garage. She really ought to invest in better cars for the company. She'd carried out dozens of hits on various officials and business people who used vehicles nearly identical to hers. Knowing in detail how she'd murder herself in her own car was not a particularly comforting thought. She dropped into the back seat while Lincoln climbed into the driver's seat. As they pulled out of the garage, she shucked off her business jacket. "Swept the car for bugs today?"
"Of course." Lincoln replied, sounding offended.
She hummed in respect of his answer. "Tell me, why did you choose Fannon as your name when you were reborn into the league?"
His eyes found hers in the rear-view mirror. He seemed to debate replying before he did. "I had severe PTSD after I got back from the war. They had us draw to express things. I never gave it up after I was discharged. It was the one good thing that came out of what I did."
"What country did you come from originally?" She found herself asking. Her ally and companion interested her. Also, the reminder that she was still in the league was needed. The time since her last contact with Lexa was beginning to scare her.
"Spain." He replied shortly. After a brief pause, he continued. "Why did you choose Al'asad?"
She looked out the window at the passing streets, still clean and orderly so very far and yet so close to the devastation in the Glades. "When I was a girl, my father used to say that a Griffin was a bird and a lion but that I never learned how to fly. I never understood what he meant till I woke up in Lexa's care and knew I could never leave free. So, I swore myself to the League." She laughed under her breath. "Bellamy and Raven would say that I don't know how to take it easy, or to give myself a break."
As they drew ever closer to the club, Lincoln asked another question. "Why couldn't you go home after the Heir found you?"
She tapped her fingers against the armrest. "They said I was soft when I first joined, a spoiled princess who did not understand the value of life. That Lexa was bewitched by my charms to allow me to take the trials, but I'd already killed and that was the kindest thing I did. When the doctor found me, I could do nothing. So, I assisted him because it guaranteed my life. He had so many experiments to perform on his prisoners, I became very good at keeping them alive. Since I could keep some of them alive, there was less suspicion when I let a few die. When I had the chance to kill the man perpetrating the horror, I sent an innocent man strapped with explosives to him. I had hope that his sacrifice would kill the man who threatened us all. I couldn't return to the life of Clarke Griffin after what I'd done. After all, I'd already become someone different."
"They should not have doubted the Heir's judgment." Lincoln said solemnly. "They still should not." He said darkly.
Clarke laughed. "Ontari getting to you then?" She waved him off before he could reply. "She disapproves because I am a woman and cannot give Lexa an heir. Ra's does not approve for the same reason."
"You protect the Heir. Surely, Ontari could bare the next heir." Lincoln said sounding annoyed.
"She's too proud to accept any man save for the bat from Gotham as the father of any child of hers." Clarke breathed a relieved breath as they approached the bar. "Honestly, there are ways to produce an heir that don't require Lexa to take a husband of appropriate skill and pedigree. Ra's however, is a man of tradition and he will be until he is forced to change."
Lincoln took a sharp breath. "You are a good match for the heir." He pulled into a parking place and stopped the car.
Clarke reached forward and clasped his shoulder. "Thank you, but the challenge for power you are imagining will never happen. Lexa would never rebel against her duty, and Titus will accept her decision eventually. There isn't much point in convincing her to take a husband when she'd kill the man on the principle of the thing."
Lincoln relaxed, his implied support of her in a possible conflict between Ontari and Lexa for the position of heir was near treasonous. She squeezed his shoulder one last time before exiting the car. Slipping in the back entrance and down into the basement was child's play. Coming down the stairs, she realized that it wasn't going to be the laid-back visit she had been hoping for when she planned this. The lair was a hive of tension and activity. "I can see this isn't a good time."
Raven's head snapped up to her from where she was breaking down what looked like chemicals on a clear piece of glass. "Yeah, unless you know how to find a serial killer we're kinda busy."
"I assume you called in sick then?" She asked amused as she walked over to the table and started leafing through the file on the serial killer. She'd never heard of the Dollmaker but she could see that he'd been active while she'd been out of the city.
Monty piped up from where he was…doing something. "Raven and I have food poisoning from a late night run for sushi while working overtime last night."
Miller made a grunt of amusement from where he using google. She could sympathize. Frowning, she flipped through some of the paper work. "So, he has no family, friends or known associates in the city?"
"More like the world." Monty muttered. "Man is an antisocial psychopath."
"Did you try his lawyer?" She suggested.
Raven looked over at her. "His lawyer?"
"Everyone in the States is allowed a defense attorney. Attorneys spend hours for months with clients with as… festive... of records as him. I would start with the attorney. He's guaranteed to know something."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Bellamy was overwhelmed. He had a thousand things to be doing and he didn't know how to handle them all. His sister was trying to destroy him. There was a highly trained individual with unknown loyalty and goals running around the city, and now there was a serial killer who turned people into dolls was murdering people. Kane was apparently working behind his supervisor's orders which was just… so weird, and to top it all off he still had to show up for his shifts at the club. So, he was going to do something he truly loathed, delegate.
Gearing up and then waiting in the alleyway behind the club was boring, but he knew Jasper would be heading out with the trash soon. His team was tracking the serial killer who didn't even have a victim type beside female and pretty. For god's sake, he didn't even stick to a racial type. How Kane had arrested the man was beyond him and highly impressive. With an annoyed grunt, he shifted some. Really, people should appreciate how much work went into intimidating entrances.
Finally, he heard Jasper's footsteps and the clinking of the glass in the plastic crate he was carrying. He waited till Jasper was setting the crate down and his back was fully towards him. Dropping silently to the ground, he waited for Jasper to turn towards him. Sure enough, the kid nearly jumped out of his skin as soon as he caught sight of him.
Jasper sounded fairly scared though he was trying to conceal it as he greeted him. "Hey, I was wondering when I'd see you again."
"There's someone new in town. A woman. She's targeting men who victimize women."
Jasper scoffed, his posture relaxing. "I've met her."
"Can you find her again?" He asked, pleased this was already going better than he'd hoped.
"Yeah." He said, somewhat defensively.
Bellamy could feel his relief at having at least one of his duties addressed. "Find her but do not engage."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
"Wells!" Abby exclaimed as she rushed to hug the precious boy.
He pulled her into his broad arms. It always came as a shock to her, how grown up the little kid she used to have to wipe ice cream off of was. He was a tall and handsome man now and it gave her a pang of regret that she was going to miss more of him growing up due to the actions of his father. It didn't take more than a glance after hugging him, to realize her daughter hadn't come with him. "Clarke's not coming?" She let out, feeling a crushing weight suffocating her.
He grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "She's just busy saving the company. She'll be at the hearing and wanted me to tell you she's sorry she couldn't make it."
Abby dropped down onto the bench on her side of the table, her heart felt like it was cracking in two. "She just got here and she can't even leave the company for an hour to see me?" She plastered on a knowing smile. "She'd be here if she wanted to be."
Wells sat down across from her. "Look it's all been a lot for her. A month ago, she was a nobody pseudo doctor in the middle of nowhere and now she's home but everything has changed while she was away from home." He reached across the table, pulling her hands into his. "She just doesn't know how to handle it, so she's trying to fix what she can."
"And I'm something she can't fix?" Abby said wryly. "I get it," she cut him off. "She can't forgive me for what I did."
Wells shook his head. "If that was the case, she wouldn't have helped pick out an outfit for your hearing." He gave her a comforting smile. "She cares, she just doesn't know how to show it. She's different now Abby."
Abby pulled a hand back and sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "I'm sorry, this place just makes me expect the worst."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
"Tony Danielle?" Kane asked as he knocked before walking into the office of Barton Mathis' attorney. The man was pulling on his suit jacket in the dim light. Kane could almost appreciate why the Arrow insisted on the whole shadows and trickery thing. This was kind of thrilling.
Tony glanced over his shoulder. "Something I can help you with officer?"
"Barton Mathis, according to the case files you handled his post-trial appeals and I'd like to know where he is." Kane squared his shoulders, standing between the man and the exit.
"So, you can give him a parking ticket or something?" The lawyer asked with a hint of disbelief and a lot of sarcasm in his voice. Walking forward, clearly ignoring him in favor of gathering his things, Tony continued. "If you wanna talk to me about one of my clients, come back with a detective's shield or a court order."
Kane definitely understood why the Arrow chose this method now. He had moved past uncomfortable with breaking the law to mildly giddy with his ability to not let scumbags like this man push him around with laws meant to protect decent people.
"What, you find that funny?" The lawyer snapped.
He couldn't help it. "A little bit." He admitted. After all, he could see the vague shape of the Arrow walking past the shuttered windows behind Tony's back.
The deep voice that sometimes sounded like a man who'd been chain smoking for years and sometimes was clearly a voice changer echoed out. Chain smoker today then. "Where do we find him?"
"Iron Heights prison." Tony replied instantly.
"He got out." The Arrow replied.
Clearly confused, the lawyer replied in some surprise. "What? How?"
"You spent hours with him!" There was actual anger in the Arrow's tone now. Kane felt a prickling of apprehension at that fact. "Where would he run? WHERE!?"
"I don't know, I swear!" The lawyer defended himself. His voice wavering in abject fear.
Kane watched as the Arrow took a deep breath and then let his shoulders fall. It was almost unbelievably fast. One second he was standing there, the next he'd shot an arrow grazing the lawyer's cheek. He jumped forward. "What are you doing?! That could have killed him!"
"He'll live. There's no way I could miss from this range. Though I could do some more target practice if you want me to prove my accuracy. It's not like it matters if I miss." The Arrow brushed his panic off casually. He drew another arrow and prepared to release it, the threat obvious from his tone.
Kane could see the classic good cop bad cop dynamic the Arrow was setting up but it was far more extreme than anything with which he was typically involved. Nonetheless, he went along with it, hoping it would produce results. "You can't kill every annoying lawyer you come across. I'm a cop it's my job to protect this man, I won't let you hurt him! Just let me talk to him. I'm sure he will tell me what he knows once he knows the stakes involved."
"Like you could stop me from killing him if I wanted to." The Arrow scoffed. "Fine. He won't talk to you and when he doesn't, I'll get to practice my aim." The Arrow said seriously with threat thick in his gravelly voice.
Resting his hand on his gun, he glared at the vigilante. "Just don't do anything stupid alright." With that, he turned his glare on the lawyer. "I suggest you start talking now. I'm not sure if I can convince him not to hurt you unless you give something up that can help us find your client."
The lawyer was clearly terrified though he was trying to hide it. "Alright! I honestly don't know much. Mathis was never the confiding sort, but there is one place I know where he might be." He admitted, his speech hurried and desperate. "He didn't tell me about it but he couldn't hide his obsession. He was always drawing it. His cell walls were covered with sketches of the place."
Kane was amazed their good cop insane cop routine was working so well. He didn't question it too much though. He had to find the dollmaker, it had to be him, it was his responsibility. "Where was it? Was it in Starling?"
"Yeah, it was the Bisque Museum. When I asked him about it he said the building reminded him of Germany where porcelain dolls were invented." The man shivered, clearly creeped out by the memory of interacting with his client.
As soon as he finished explaining, the Arrow disappeared into the shadows, obviously leaving to investigate the information received. Kane paused. "I wouldn't report this to anyone. You won't be believed and I might not be able to stop the Arrow from retaliating." After delivering his warning, he too made a quick exit.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Bellamy strode down the hallway of the ratty apartment building across the street from the Bisque museum with Kane following behind him. "Lady at the desk said that a guy matching Mathis' description checked in last week to room 52. He paid in cash, in advance." Kane said as they approached the afore mentioned room.
Kane stuck his arm out stopping his forward approach. "No bodies, we're doing this the right way. We arrest him."
"You asked for my help and I'm no cop." Bellamy rasped in annoyance. "Still, I won't torture him unless it's necessary."
"I'm still a police officer." Kane protested fiercely.
Bellamy rolled his eyes under his hood. "Do you want to catch him or not?"
"Let's go." Kane muttered as he drew his pistol and walked around him heading for the door first.
As if that would stop him, Bellamy thought. They may have played a game with the lawyer but Mathis was a different animal all together. Regardless he let Kane lead them, it was just a serial killer. It wasn't like the sicko could take him and his step-father. Kane was still a competent and well trained machine. He stayed back as Kane kicked in the door and burst in, leveling his gun. Bellamy could tell instantly that no one was in. Side stepping in behind the man cautiously, he checked for trip wires or other traps. Something was off about this situation. The fact that sitting at the end of the bed was doll with a newspaper article on the capture of the dollmaker was an indication they had most certainly been expected. He shivered, he was suddenly glad that they'd never had the money and O had never had the inclination for porcelain dolls.
He had an arrow on his string instantly when he saw the thin metal string that had been attached to the door. Snapping his head back to the front, he felt dread as he heard the phone ring. Kane seemed to ignore all common sense and picked up the phone. He could hear Mathis' voice through the phone.
"Detective, it's been too long."
Bellamy hit the communication button on his suit. "Monty I need a trace at this location, now."
"You sick son of a bitch." Kane growled into the phone.
The playfully amused voice on the other end came through clearly. "Sick? I've never felt better. Fresh air agrees with me.
"I caught you before. It's just a matter of time before I do it again." Kane said with all the righteous anger in his soul.
"Maybe so, but in the meantime, I have someone who would like to say hello to you. Say hello dear." There was a brief moment of silence before they could hear the sound of a woman shrieking. The killer's voice continued as if there wasn't a woman crying out inconsolably in the background. "She's a little inarticulate."
Kane's voice went completely hard and almost desperate. "She's done nothing to you! Don't hurt her, just let her go. The one you hate is me not her."
"And allow her to wither away in a mediocre and forgettable life?" He seemed to almost caress his words. "No, she deserves so much better. She deserves to see her beauty preserved pristinely forever. Don't worry, I will turn her into something special."
Kane's hands whitened as he gripped the phone almost to the point of breaking.
"Now pay attention Detective. What comes next is really quite exquisite. The sound of an esophagus slowly hardening is like a symphony."
Bellamy hit his com. "Monty, anything?!"
"I've got nothing! He's blocking the trace."
Kane, who'd looked up at him inquiringly when he'd heard him address Monty, glared back down at the phone. "Barton! Don't do it! I'm begging you! Is that what you want? I am begging you, please just stop!"
The shrieking sounds stopped. "I'm not doing this for you. It's for the world to enjoy. After all, everyone loves a pretty doll."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Kane had never thought he'd be breaking into a private lab, that was contracted to examine crime scene evidence for the police. However, when it came to Barton there were few lines he was not willing to cross. Still, following the Arrow after being assured that the cameras had been taken care of was disconcerting. No matter how much anger was burning in his gut he was still a cop. "So, why do we need to break in the old-fashioned way?"
The rasp of the Arrow replied. "Because we may have hacked in a few too many times."
"They took their system offline?" He asked in disbelief.
"They took their system offline." The Arrow confirmed, and if he didn't know better he'd assume that was a touch of humor under that hood of stoicism.
Kane flattened himself against a wall seeing a security guard turning onto their hallway up ahead. Before he could make so much as a squeak of protest, the Arrow had shot a dart into the man's neck. The guard collapsed to the ground. He grimaced. "I'm so glad you invited me to tag along. Watching you take down my coworkers is my idea of a good time."
"Tranq dart, he'll be out for at least thirty-six minutes." The once more humorless voice of the Arrow replied, ignoring his attempt at a quip.
Kane shut the door as they entered the server room. "Yeah, I remember." Waking up after being hit felt like waking up with a hangover. He did not want to exchange places with the unfortunate guard.
The Arrow walked to the central computer and stuck a memory stick into the computer. "You're up Monty."
"So, this is what a typical night is like for you? Just a little breaking and entering and then you're on your way." Everyone seemed to ignore him as Monty's voice came in over the Bluetooth the Arrow had shoved at him when he'd picked him up for this little adventure.
"Right, toxicology up first." Monty said as the sound of keys began to click. The screens around the room started to have multiple documents of numbers and graphs pop up on them.
Kane frowned. "What are all these?"
The smug voice of Monty came through the line. "Chemical ingredients of all the victim's cosmetics. What their skin cream, nail polish, and blush is made of."
"Wait, wait, stop. Scroll back." He ordered and waited till the information that had caught his eye returned. "There. This one, Ethyl Paraben, Sodium Laureth Sulphite. I've seen this before."
The sound of clicking over that they heard over the Bluetooth sped up before slowing again. "It's the skin cream. The lab techs found traces of it around the fingers. Probably something she used before he grabbed her."
"Skin cream." He could feel his brain firing as he drew connections. "Mermaid something. One of his victims from the last run, she had this in her purse and I had the lab analyze it. It's why I recognized the chemicals."
"Monty." The Arrow started.
"Already on it green dude." Monty said.
An ad for Mermaidian skin cream popped up on the computer screen. Kane looked over at the back of the Arrow's head. "How the hell does he do that?"
"It's Mermaindian's primary formula that they use in all their skin cream." Monty confirmed
"Two victims with the same taste in hand cream, that could just be a coincidence are there any more." The Arrow muttered.
"Let me check. They didn't run that amount of testing on all the women's bodies but of the four they did. All four had traces of that hand cream." Monty reported.
"That is not a coincidence." The Arrow pointed out what they all were thinking
"He could be putting it on their bodies afterwards as part of his staging." Monty pointed out trying to ensure they didn't go too far with this.
Kane stared at the screen. "Even if he does, it is a lead we can use. Monty at how many stores is that hand cream sold? Maybe we can find footage of him casing the joint for victims or buying it to put on the bodies."
Monty's voice came over. "It's sold at too many stores for us to use it as a practical means of narrowing down our search for him. I can run a facial recognition program focusing on the cameras of stores nearby where the victims lived and worked but it's still a long shot. I'll send out an email blast to all of the stores that the product is defective. That may buy us a few days if it is a key part of his ritual."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
"Jordan!" The voice of the old greying street peddler called out to him. "It's been a while."
Jasper checked over his shoulder that no one was watching. His hands tightened on the crate of champagne he'd nicked from the shipment to the bar. "I've been busy."
"I can see that." The man said, taking a look at the high-end liquor. "I'll give you a hundred."
"Four." Jasper said, staring at the man in disbelief.
"Two-five." He counter offered.
"Done, if you throw in some information." Jasper said while pulling the champagne just out of reach of the street seller.
The peddler scoffed while grabbing the liquor and loading it up into his van of stolen goods.
Jasper followed him. "Come on man, you've got your finger on the pulse of this city. Nothing happens that you don't know about. I'm looking for someone." He threw his hands up slightly. "A redhead, likes black leather."
"Sounds like your type." The man snarked.
Jasper grinned, "Beats the crap out of guys with a bo staff?"
"That still sounds like your type." The man finally turned to face him.
"I just want to put eyes on her. What do you know?"
"Not much." The guy hunched his shoulders forward. "You know Monroe? She's dating that gal Harper. She has braided hair, leather jackets, and a nose ring."
"I know her." Jasper recognized the description easily enough.
"She's been seen hanging around with your black leather 'friend'. I'd start there."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Wells squeezed Abby's shoulder and tilted his head towards the back of the courtroom where Clarke was entering. He was relieved that he was right. Abby's face seemed to melt into one of happiness as she spotted her daughter approaching. Clarke slid onto the bench beside him.
Abby reached over the divide, grasping Clarke's hand. "I was worried you wouldn't come."
"Nothing could have kept me away." Clarke said with a reassuring smile before settling in to wait for the hearing to begin.
Wells turned as the Judge called the court to order.
"Docket ending 4587, State vs Griffin." The judge accepted the file of papers and pushed his reading glasses up. "All right, I'll hear your motions. Ladies first."
Callie Cartwig, Abby's lawyer, stood up to present her motion. "Your Honor we would like to be heard once again on the issue of bail. Ms. Griffin has languished in Iron Heights prison for five months now."
"And in those five months, did the 305 people she's charged with killing miraculously return from the dead?" The judge cut across. "If not, I'm a little unclear on how the passage of time is relevant."
"Might I remind the court that the defendant is to be presumed innocent." Callie countered.
"No need." The Judge leaned back in his seat. "I went to law school. It's where I learned that bail once denied cannot be set in absence of the change of circumstance. Ms. Trikru what do you have for me?"
The tall intimidating woman Indra stood without a second glance towards Abby. Wells felt himself bristling but remained calm. "Your honor the State has no pre-trial motions to make at this time, but we would like to serve notice to the defense that the prosecution will be pursuing the enactment of Proposition 7."
Wells was shocked at how fast Cartwig stood up in response. "Your honor! I would like to conference with the District Attorney."
"There's really no need, nor obligation for us to meet." Indra replied still not facing away from her position looking straight forward and towards the judge.
Cartwig was visibly upset and shocked. "What about professional courtesy? I would like to have a conversation with you before you seek the death penalty."
Wells froze in horror and could feel Clarke turn to stone beside him as murmurs broke out through the courtroom.
"Your client aided and abetted an act of mass murder. One conversation won't convince me that Abby Griffin shouldn't be the three hundred and sixth fatality."
The judge banged his gavel as the court erupted into noise. He jerked as he felt Clarke move forward, placing her hand on her mother's shoulder and whispering something into her ear. Whatever it was, he could tell it was supportive and he felt himself breathe easier. His family was going to be okay. If Clarke thought they could fight this, they could fight it.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Jasper approached the braided and leather coated back of who he was fairly sure was Monroe. Tapping her shoulder, he ducked a backhand from the girl spinning around. As a side note, he reminded himself that touching a stranger in this part of the city was a stupid idea. He'd been spending too much time with Maya in the better parts of town. "Whoa. It's okay. You're Monroe though right?"
The girl frowned. "What's it to you? What do you want?" She asked, taking a step back cautiously.
Jasper ignored the tension in her frame. "I'm looking for a friend of yours. She's a redhead, wears black leather head to toe."
Monroe frowned and gave him a quick once over. She took another step back, then dropped her head and shoulders and took off down the street. Jasper swore and took off after her. If she was running, she must know something. She was fast and clearly knew the area but he was fast too. He was hot on her heels and was up and over the chain-link fence right after her. The parking lot was hard to navigate but it was easy enough to keep her in sight. She took sharp turns and used her knowledge of the area to slow him down but he wasn't from these neighborhoods for nothing. He barely paused to think it was odd when she ran right into an abandoned building. Panting, he followed her up the stairs and into an empty room.
Frowning, he glanced around at the plastic sheeting and abandoned construction equipment. He realized he was inside the clock face with some surprise. Turning, he went to see if she'd ducked behind some of the plastic when his world went black.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Octavia had become a bit of an expert at being kidnapped over the course of the last year. Hell, just a few weeks ago a group of Hood copycats had grabbed her. No one had told her that being a lawyer involved kidnapping. It was getting truly ridiculous and she was going to have to learn how to get out of rope, because apparently just knowing how to pick the lock on handcuffs wasn't going to cut it. Serial killers went old school apparently.
Attempting to scream was pointless with the damn gag. So, she was stuck gnawing at the gag as best she could. Once she got her mouth free screaming would be her best chance at rescue, plus it opened up the option that she could bite the man if he tried to get close to her again. She had not been expecting to be grabbed on her way to her car. She was investing in some motion detectors in her car when she survived this because some two-bit hack of a serial killer was not going to be how she ended up dead. Stopping her desperate attempts at freeing herself, she froze. The door the van was rolled open, because of course it was a van, and a body was thrown in with her before the door was shut. Her eyes widened as she recognized the unconscious body next to her, it was Kane.
-TLOTLOTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Monroe gleefully flicked the unconscious Jasper's face to wake him. "Hey!" She slapped him lightly as she saw him waking. "Goggles, wake up sweet cheeks."
He squinted up at her while blinking. "Wha…?"
"My friend here's got some questions for you." She grinned while stepping back from the zip tied boy as her friend, Al'asad, squatted down beside him. In the few weeks she'd known the woman, she'd learned little about her except she had a major weakness for curly fries or really junk food of any kind. Well, that and that she was scary as hell. It was awesome. There were plenty of crooks down here in the glades and she seemed to be interested in the little ones that the Arrow didn't bother with in his crusade for justice. She'd have to be an idiot to not notice how the local gangsters were disappearing and that they were the sort that women knew to avoid. It didn't strike her as a coincidence.
So, really serving some jackass who thought he could get info out of her up on a platter to the woman seemed like a good move. Al'asad might be scary as hell, but she was 'her' scary lady. And she'd cared enough to come straight over after she'd called in to say she'd caught a dude asking questions. It was nice to be valued. Also, she needed to get a leather corset like that for her girlfriend cause, wow.
"Who sent you?" Al'asad asked. Monroe was surprised to hear she was using a voice changer.
The dude made a stuttering sound. "Who, what?" He curled himself up so that he could sit up in a more dignified position. The way he was looking around in confusion was adorable.
Al'asad didn't seem to be taking any bullshit as she slapped her metal pole across the boy's face.
He hissed out in pain. "Could you avoid the face? I have a disapproving girlfriend."
"Who do you work for?" Al'asad continued tapping her metal staff under his chin forcing him to look her in the eye.
Jasper's features wrinkled further. "Work for?"
Al'asad raised her stick like she was going to whack him again when Taylor Swift's Romeo and Juliet started blaring from the guy's pocket. Monroe felt her face shifting into a massive smile. If this dude made it out in one piece, she was going to make him her bitch for having that as a ringtone. Her friend/employer/leather clad leader dropped down grabbing the phone out of his pocket and killing the song.
"Hey! You can't go through my phone!" The guy protested, despite blushing a bright red.
Al'asad ignored him before her face twitched slightly and she dropped the phone on the ground and looked up at her. "Let him go."
"Seriously?" Monroe asked as she watched her companion stand up and jump out of the fucking window. She gave a low whistle. That girl was hard core. Looking down at the zip tied idiot that apparently wasn't a threat, she grinned. "Guess it's your lucky day lover boy."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Bellamy yanked on his gear as fast as he could while Miller drove like a maniac down the road in Maya's van. "Can't you go any faster?" He demanded while lacing up his boots.
"I don't know if you noticed but there's traffic and we didn't have time to get the bike." Miller snapped from the front seat.
Bellamy glanced out the front window of the van and felt his lungs threaten to freeze. With this traffic, they'd never get there in time. "I'm going to the warehouse now. O's tracker hasn't moved for the last hour."
"Bell, he'll have hostages, you need me!" Miller protested.
Sliding the door open, he glared at the back of Miller's head. "I need to protect my sister." Jumping out, he weaved through the nearly unmoving cars, ignoring the looks he was getting. Seeing an oncoming motorbike, he close lined the rider off of it. Barely sparing a glance to make sure the rider was still alive, he swung his leg over it and took off towards the warehouse. Bugging his sister after the Hoods incident was truly one of his better decisions.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Clarke clicked off the mic she'd attached to the inseam of Bell's hood. "Did you get that?" She asked into the mike connecting hers and Lincoln's helmets as they wove through traffic on her bike.
"Yes, but perhaps we should invest in a suit for me." Lincoln commented.
She considered it. Really, after what Jaha had done running around being seen in league gear, it had end up being associated with terrorist actions. So, having Lincoln wear the same uniform seemed foolish. "We can look into it after we take care of this. At least you had a ski mask in the glove box."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Kane fought against his bonds, the handcuffs digging into his skin causing blood to trickle down from them. He couldn't get to Octavia, who was strapped to an upright metal sheet of some sort with a hose strapped into her mouth. The funnel and heating jar of plastic wasn't necessary for him to know what was going to happen. He let out a cry of rage as he tried to break free.
"Isn't this nice, all of us here together." Mathis remarked casually from where he was sitting on a stool watching the drama unfold in front of him. "It's like Thanksgiving."
He didn't bother telling Octavia to stay calm. His daughter looked like she was going to bite through that hose and or murder Mathis with eye power alone. There was no preventing the destruction that would happen if she got free. Really it was almost fortuitous she couldn't talk, negotiating when the other hostage was spewing death threats was not useful. "Mathis, I know you hate me but this isn't necessary."
Mathis didn't seem to respond as he inspected the equipment he had ready for his ritual. "My daughter has nothing to do with this. Kill me, let her go." He tried futilely. What made it worse was he knew it was futile but he had to try. "She never did anything to you, she's not your type. Look at her, she has callouses and spends too much time in the sun. I doubt she even knows what Mermaidian is. Just let her go."
Mathis finally looked at him. "Now why would I do that? Look at her, she's so lovely." He walked towards Octavia's immobilized form. He tapped her cheek gently. "Maybe a little too much melatonin in her skin, but...it's the imperfections that make art sublime."
"I am the one who put you away." He leaned as far forwards as his bonds allowed him. "She had nothing to do with it."
His composure broke. "SHE HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!" Mathis roared into Kane's face. "She's your world, she's your very soul! You know I could kill you, I could maim you, I could slice you into a thousand pieces, but if your soul remains intact what have I done? Huh!" He grabbed the jar of liquid plastic and stepped towards the funnel at the end of the hose.
Kane fought harder, feeling the blood running faster down his fingers as he struggled desperately to get free. "I'll kill you if you do this!"
Mathis ignored him and dumped the jar of plastic down the funnel. With the clear hose, he could see it running down the tube towards Octavia's throat.
"O, listen to me okay." Kane spoke desperately, he'd screwed up so badly with the kids but they were still his. They may not have been his by blood they were his in every way that mattered. All he could think of was teaching the little girl with pigtails how to ride a bike even after she'd lost two teeth falling off of that bike just the day before trying to learn on her own. "Look at me okay, just keep looking at me."
Mathis was watching eyes alight. In a soft voice, he spoke as if to a lover. "If you struggle, it will just cost you valuable air and ruin the beauty of your pose but I suppose there is a certain artistry in the way man grasps vainly at life."
An arrow whistled through the air. Kane was so relieved he barely bothered to be impressed that the Arrow had managed to sever the tube going into Octavia's mouth while dropping from the rafters. He wouldn't have believed it a few months earlier but the sight of the Arrow dropping down reassured him.
The Dollmaker ducked behind Octavia's still tied form before taking off out the nearest exit from the room. Kane swung his head back, seeing the form of a familiar green leather clad man, who seemed to be torn between giving chase and staying and protecting them. "We'll be fine. Get the bastard!"
The Arrow gave him a brief nod before taking off out of the door after the man. Kane nearly slumped against the pole he was attached to by his own handcuffs. They were going to be okay. The Arrow could take care of a simple serial killer no problem. So, he nearly had a heart attack when a second shrouded figure dropped down on to the floor silently. He didn't recognize this one. He was dressed in black hoodie, what looked like office slacks and a ski mask. Kane breathed in, prepared to scream for the Arrow. When the wan raised his hands quickly in a sign of surrender. A low voice rasped out against the stillness. "I mean you no harm."
"The hell?" Octavia let out a strangled sort of sound. "You look ridiculous."
The figure seemed to jerk slightly at the insult. "I got the call to assist the Arrow in his work." He gestured at his clothing as if apologizing for how ridiculous he looked.
"What do you want?" Kane demanded, pulling himself upright trying to summon some authority despite the situation.
"I can get you both out of your bonds." He pulled out what was obviously a lockpicking kit. He made his way over to Kane before quickly dropping down to deal with the handcuffs.
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Clarke had always mocked Lexa for her use of dramatic entrances whenever possible. Of course, she could understand why. The league's bread and butter was mystery and awe. So, making sure everyone was too afraid to act against them directly was important. Still, Lexa's fondness for aerial silks was something she had never understood. Which is why she knew it was a seriously bad sign for her hopes of making it through this separation that she was attaching aerial silks to the rafter. She could drop down to make quite a dramatic entrance without dying from the fall this way. She heard the commotion in the room she knew the killer was in and spun herself down in the silks. Lincoln could handle making sure the hostages survived. Her feet hit the ground just as the killer passed her. The look of shock and horror on his face at the sight of her was enough for her to reevaluate the aerial silk thing being useless as she snapped her bow staff out. She was going to make him bleed.
She stalked forward and swung her staff at an angle, sweeping Mathis' feet out from under him. As he struggled up to his feet again, she slapped him across the face with her staff cutting his cheek open from the force. He grunted and climbed to his feet only for her to viciously sweep his feet out from under him again, sending him crashing back to the cement floor. She snapped her staff up knocking his chin up in a vicious blow. He crawled backwards from her, blood flowing from his mouth where he'd clearly bitten himself. She paused her approach, noticing the change in the air as another person entered the room.
Two arrows went flying past her embedding themselves in Mathis' shoulders pinning him to the wall. "You're going back to prison." The Arrow rasped.
Clarke rolled her eyes and with a twist disconnected the two halves of her staff. With a sharp jerk of her arm she sent one half hurtling into the killer's chest, stopping his heart for good. "No, he's not." She looked straight at the Arrow as he stared at her in disbelief from under his hood. Stepping back, she tilted her head slightly before dropping a smoke bomb. Old fashioned but effective. She was out of the warehouse in moments and settled down beside Lincoln who was already perched on the neighboring roof.
"I hate ski masks." Lincoln informed her as she settled.
She smirked. "I'll be sure to give you more of a heads up next time you're needed."
"Why did we need to assist in this case?" Lincoln asked curiously. "The Arrow could have handled a simple serial killer."
"He would have let the man live." Clarke frowned. "I promised him I would protect his sister and leaving a serial killer with a grudge against his family alive seemed pointlessly risky."
Lincoln remained silent for a minute. "He will ask more questions now that you've shown yourself to him twice."
"We need to get a handle on his leanings towards the league if we mean to make him an ally." Clarke's face darkened. "As it stands, I could use friends like him while I deal with taking control of my father's company and the impending trial of my mother. He saved my life more than once on the island and I believe he can be a valuable ally if I give him the chance."
"You believe your mother innocent?" Lincoln asked in surprise.
Clarke grit her teeth. "I believe her to be a coward who allowed herself to be used. However, I don't think that deserves death."
"We've both killed for less." Lincoln cautioned.
"I won't interfere with the court." She said, feeling like a traitor to her family because she meant it. "Still, she chose to go against Jaha. For that she deserves a chance to do better."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Octavia shivered and pulled the emergency blanket around her shoulders. She was sitting on the back of the ambulance and staring at her feet. Barely glancing up as Kane sat down next to her, she spoke. "Why did he save me?"
Kane grabbed her hand awkwardly. "Look, I can't say I like the guy, or agree with his methods. Or even that I wouldn't like to see him locked up for what he's done, but we need him. For all his flaws, I really think that he's trying to help."
"I've been trying to destroy him!" She lifted her head and stared at Kane. "He should have let me die! Why didn't he?"
"Because he's a hero." Kane tilted back slightly. "I messed up when I was married to your mom." He squeezed her hand before she could interrupt. "No let me finish. After we thought your brother died, I threw myself into work. You and Bellamy are mine, maybe not by blood but you are. I was crushed by his death. Your mother lost herself at the end of a needle and instead of trying to help, I just spent more and more time in the office. You were the only one of us to do anything positive in your grief. I will always be unspeakably proud of you for that. Still, I think the Arrow is a bit like me in that way. He's trying to do his best and he's screwing up, but maybe we're better off with him than without him."
"You did not just compare murdering people to your work obsession." Octavia said in disbelief.
Kane snorted. "I think I did. Look, he saved you because that's his work. I don't know what messed him up that he thinks running around the streets in green leather is the answer to his problems. What I do know is that he's trying to do the right thing. I can respect that even if I disagree with his methods."
"Then why didn't he save Atom!" Octavia spat her pain and anger leaking out of her.
"Honey, I don't think the Arrow could have saved someone who had a building dropped on top of them." Kane said, always the voice of reason.
Octavia winced. Kane was right. Her voice cracked as she stared at the ground. "He was only there because I wouldn't leave. He was trying to get me out of there when he died."
"He loved you." Kane said softly and squeezed her hand. "You were stupid on the night of the quake." Kane's voice quirked slightly at that. "However, that doesn't make you responsible for what happened to him. You need to let this go or it's going to eat you up inside until there's nothing left."
-TLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOLTLOL-
Bellamy glared at the table where they'd laid out the reinforced silk and the metal half of a bo staff. They were the only physical clues they had. "We need to find her, now."
"Yeah what are we going to do when we do?" Raven asked, glancing around the room. "Cause, don't get me wrong but she's not striking me as evil."
"Raven's right." Miller crossed his arms. "Are we attempting to capture, negotiate, what?"
"I don't know." He said through his teeth. "She's capable of killing and experienced doing it. I'm not comfortable having an unknown with skills like that roaming my city."
"I'm with Bellamy." Monty piped up, saying his piece. "I mean she could be bad news. First thing we heard about Jaha was that he was killing some corrupt businessmen and look what his goals ended up being."
"Yeah, he killed them cause they crossed him." Raven lifted a brow. "This isn't the same situation though. I mean, I don't see how killing a serial killer, saving your green ass, and beating the shit out of lowlifes is some part of a giant evil plot."
Miller frowned. "She could be trying to get your attention."
Bellamy considered it. "She could have attempted to speak to me either of the last two times I've encountered her if that was her goal."
"So, we find her and then decide on a gift basket or turning her over to ARGUS?" Raven asked.
"First, we have to find her." Bellamy said seriously. "If she's on our side, we can talk to her. If not, I won't allow another Jaha to terrorize this city."
"Wait, what happened to the no killing thing?" Monty asked alarmed.
Bellamy clenched his fists. "If the choice is a new Jaha or my principles, then to hell with my principles."
