Is anyone still reading this? xD lol next chapter!
An hour later Red Arrow heard the minions coming once again; and he was ready.
He knew that they'd be expecting him to be half frozen to death, cold and miserable. With careful estimation, Red had guessed they would be here in approximately an hour. As soon as he heard their footsteps, he decided to discard his beloved scarf.
Moving quickly, he slid across the icy barren floor to Green Arrow's window. Although he held contempt for the idea of giving his scarf away, much less to the man who thought so little of him, he didn't have any other option. The minions couldn't know that he had been keeping warm all this time thanks to his mysterious benevolent benefactor.
As he slipped the scarf away, he couldn't help but peek into the similarly iced adjoining room. And when he did, he did a double take.
Green Arrow wasn't there.
Puzzled, the young super stumbled back and temporarily lost his footing.
Wincing from the floor, he continued to stare at the hole in disbelief.
G.A. had /never/ been there. Here he had been, cursing him out and swearing his existence when he had been gone…maybe even gone before he had woken up.
Or worse; maybe the cold had killed him first.
A strange conflicting feeling struck Red Arrow as he considered the last option.
But before he could analyze it further, the door behind him gave way to a heavy pounding.
Red whipped his head in the direction, and fell to the floor so he would appear as if he were just barely waking up.
As the door opened, a few Shadows that Red didn't recognize entered the room.
The super let a visible shudder wrack his body.
"He is weak, let us take him to The King," one hissed.
The other seemed to agree and Red Arrow felt the first grasp him under the arms while the other picked up his legs.
He did his best to swallow the acuity of the pain in his broken wrist when the Shadow moved it.
Red Arrow was led back into the main room of the warehouse.
He had his eyes half-cracked; for that was as open as he would dare to have them. His blue gaze fell upon the small assembled mass of Shadow Thieves…he counted only three to be present, including the two which held him now.
Off in the corner lay the broken generator he had tried to start running during his fight with his kidnapper.
To his right was Green Arrow in a cage.
Another wave of actual cold wracked his body, but part of him felt at ease when he caught sight of the green-clad superhero.
Green Arrow seemed, however, very disturbed to see him.
The Shadows set him down before the only other shadow in the room. Up close, there was no mistaking it; this was the Shadow King.
"Given up, Red Arrow?"
There was something about the way the villain said his name which made Red mad.
"Don't worry, there is no such thing as too much modesty or nobility here. You are with friends; and you will be part of a brand new nation."
He knelt by Red Arrow and whispered in his ear.
"And then we will get rid of the dead weight here-"The King paused to nod toward G.A. "Next will be your friendsss."
Red shifted slightly, so he could gaze upon the ugly thing fully. His face was grotesque and crooked in the dim lighting. His eyes were nothing but sifting pools of inky blackness.
But his perverse grin had to be the worst. He was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing.
Red's gaze hardened from behind his mask.
He half-whispered and half-growled in return,
"No."
A look of pure hatred crossed The King's face and he stood all the way.
"Masster, what is wrong?" one of the thieves who knelt behind Red Arrow asked.
"He is still not broken."
"What will you have us do, my Lord?"
The King looked down upon Red Arrow with a look of resignation and disgust.
After what seemed like hours had passed, he spoke.
"We will break the new Archer girl instead. Kill this one."
A large explosion shook the room.
The Shadow King looked up and Red Arrow could feel the grip the other two Shadows behind him loosen as they did too.
Simultaneously, Green Arrow appeared from the resulting smoke.
"After him!" The King bellowed, letting loose the two Shadow Knights behind him.
Hands free, Red Arrow started up when The King forced him back down with a boot to the side of his head.
"I'll kill you myself," he hissed.
Just then, one of the Shadows Green Arrow was fighting knocked into The King. The two went sprawling to the floor.
"Roy!"
Red Arrow twisted his head in Green Arrow's direction and saw his former mentor fighting off the remaining Shadow.
The thief was bearing down on him, but Green Arrow shoved him off with a knee to the head and a grunt. "I nabbed a few of my arrows. Come on!" he continued before taking to his feet.
Red Arrow pushed himself up this time, but immediately felt the debilitating pain. Fighting through it, he hoisted himself into a staggering stance.
Green Arrow was running at him.
"Don't let him get away!" The King suddenly barked from behind Red Arrow.
The other Shadow was running at him as well.
"Shit," Red made a stumbling break for Ollie, trying to make it to him before the shadow behind got to him.
G.A. wrapped an arm around Red's torso as he reached the ginger. Then he looked up as he quickly retrieved his last arrow from his belt. On this one he clicked a button and threw it toward the ceiling.
It shot with amazing accuracy, and speed. Upon hitting the ceiling a grappling hook jumped out and Red Arrow and G.A. were zipping upward.
But they were not quick enough.
Red grunted with pain as he felt the claws of the Shadow Thief sink into his leg.
He looked down, only to find that his companions were holding fast to the Shadow and trying to tug himself and G.A. back to the ground.
Red kicked for a few seconds, before finally getting his other leg to kick the boot off.
He and G.A. soared to the ceiling.