Hello sunshines.

Apologies for the delay. I am blaming it ALL on relationship drama and uni work; two things I hate.

Now for something I LOVE; Posting a new chapter :)

Xx

Chapter Six; Truth or lies.

'I can't figure out what you hate more – The fact that my plan works or that you didn't come up with it first' – Lex Luthor (Season 1, Episode Hothead)

Lex made a statement to the press, then an even clearer statement to Chloe.

'Get me Green Arrow.'

She stood behind the plan 100%. The murderer needed caging. Robbery can be forgiven but she held a darker part of her soul for those that killed. Of anyone she could not stand… however good the thrill, however amazing the kiss, however promising the talents were; Arrow would be gone soon.

Lex approved her strategy and gave her all the numbers she would need. He'd be gone by tonight. No-one else would be hurt by him.

"We didn't…" Dinah stated. Her voice filled with knowledge and confidence, but in those two seconds of silence that followed, doubt took hold and her walls crumbled. "Right?" she asked to the silent room.

"We can't have…" Ac answered, but unsure of his confidence in the fact. He stood back against the cold wall, trying to avoid pacing like Dinah was, trying to avoid biting his nails like Bart, trying not to look guilty like everyone else was.

"You checked." Dinah told Victor in testing way. He confirmed with a nod.

Silence enveloped the room.

Nine dead.

Had they killed nine people?

"You did check?" Dinah asked again, the only one comfortable with breaking the quiet.

"Yes. I checked." Vic answered, controlling the temper than Dinah stirred when she wouldn't settle.

"Are you sure?"

"Damn it Dinah! Three were there. You, Ac and Bart. No-one else!" Vic snapped.

"I'm just asking!" she argued back. "I'm not going down for murder when it's your fault!"

"We're not going down for murder!" Victor spat back, losing the lid from his anger.

"Really? Nine charred bodies say different!" Anger burned in her eyes, was she really a murderer? Had she crossed her own line?

"We di-" But Victor was cut off by Dinah's rage, fuelled by heavy guilt and inward distaste.

"We were lucky to get out ourselves. If Bart hadn't sped me out I'd be part of that death toll having my teeth identified too!"

Lifeless silence enveloped the room.

Bart watched, nervous in the quiet as Dinah boiled back down to a simmer and sat herself down. Vic huffed, questioning what he had seen. Ac was locked inside himself, he saved lives, he didn't sign on to be a murderer.

"Alright. Vic, get on the computer and get me into the city's records." Victor looked up to Oliver, questioning what he heard. "Find me some names to those bones." Vic complied without even asking why.

Dinah wasn't that type.

"Ollie, they're dead! Gone! We don't need to know how many kids we're putting in therapy. We don't need to send flowers to their wives!"

"I saw that screen last night Dinah. There were only three heat signals anywhere close to the building. We did not kill those workers."

"Then who did? The Easter bunny?"

"Think." Oliver invited. "Where better to store your disloyal workers?"

"Hell of a jump don't you think? Sure, Lex's not the most ethical man but this is pushing it a bit."

"They're missing persons." Victor spoke up. "Some missing over three months." he continued.

"They were already dead." Ac spoke from his corner of solitude, piecing together the truth. "Lex killed them."

"And he knew we'd be heading for that facility sometime soon." Oliver finished.

"Lex framed us." Bart concluded, meeting the eyes of everyone in the room. The eyes all held the same flicker of anger. Behind the anger came a lick of relief, they were clean, they were safe.

"Woah. Guys!" Eyes turned back to the computer as a wild beeping occurred. Files were deleted before their eyes. "Someone's deleting the records, making them nameless."

Chloe sat before Lex's computer. Lex sat on the desk watching her every click.

"Have their families been told?" she asked quietly. Lex nodded.

He'd approached her that morning as soon as he'd been told of the names and asked her to remove the records. They were good workers and the families had expressed to not have their names splashed across the media in association with the terrorists. Naturally, Chloe had asked why they must be anonymized illegally at the very source, but Lex had expressed a need on this matter and that he'd promised their families privacy.

Chloe did as she was asked, making sure their names would say buried. It felt like she was deleting their very memory, but if it was what the families wanted then she would abide.

Another news update had Lex's statement about the terrorism event and that the families wished for the names to be kept anonymous. Chloe watched the news on every station that showed it, yet all said the same information. No mention of the Green Arrow or any other organisations. But she knew it was him, it was the same pattern. Late night, Lex's facility, explosives on all structural arcs to ensure irreparable damage, no security feeds or links. Only one thing differed from normal, and that was the casualties. But after tonight, he would never be a cause of death again.

Everything was set.

She just had to hope he would show. He said he'd see her again, and she was standing in the worst part of suicide slums hoping he'd show. It's not like she could send him a text. Her only option was to wait. Then a quick push of a button would have two of the best from Lex's wide payroll to assault him to the point of knockout. A limo ride with him hogtied then Lex could have the pleasure of unveiling the criminal. But still, she was the main point here. Playing bait.

This time however, there was no evil scum waiting around the corner to draw his attention. She'd just have to wait him out.

A game of Sudoku on her mobile later and the play started its first act.

"So it is true. I was told a petite blonde was taking relaxation time in a back alley." She looked up and down the alley. "Up here blondie." Her eyes found him atop the rooftops. As much as it hurt, she would have to play the actress again and act like the flirtatious brat she once had been. Yelling murderer wouldn't get his trust.

"You really favour the dramatic entrances don't you?"

"It gives me a unique style." he wittily answered back.

"And I thought that's where you were going with the leather fetish."

"Don't be like that; we both know you love it too." She couldn't quite see, but it seemed like he was grinning. "Now why don't you run along back to the bear's house goldilocks?"

"I need to talk to you." Pain ran across her voice, it didn't need to be faked.

"You already are."

"It's not exactly a matter I'd feel comfy shouting in an alley in the slums." He nodded then disappeared from sight. The next thing she knew he'd taken her bait and appeared around the corner, to lean against the wall with a smile and relaxed pose.

"Alright. What's troubling you princess?"

"Lex." Chloe didn't come unprepared; she needed him as close as possible so he couldn't run. Her finger still hovered over the speed dial button on the mobile behind her back. "He's not too happy about our little exchange of words while he was unconscious."

"Sorry to hear that. Did you tell him you were leaving for a real man?"

"A real man that wears a mask and lurks behind corners terrified some small woman's going to hurt him?" she questioned and the hit to his ego was big enough to have him step forward and come closer to her.

"We both know who you really want to be with." he purred seductively. "Otherwise you wouldn't be waiting for half an hour in a cold alley to see me."

"It's urgent…" The right amount of inflection in her tone had the cocky attitude wiped clean.

"What did he do?" He didn't quite know how she was so enchanting to him, but he was liking her more with each sighting. He needed to get her from the deep claws of the Luthor.

Chloe wrapped her free hand into her side, feigning unconscious movement.

"Nothing too bad… I just thought you might be able to help…" She let her face fall and like magic he came closer to her. Her finger pressed the speed dial behind her back. She felt like crying, with no idea why.

Had she wanted this murderer so badly?

What was wrong with her?

"Tell me what he did." The smile was long gone. "Did he hurt you?" The disgust covered the question and from her eyes he could see the answer was painful. "The bastard!" he hissed and came closer still. Was that a tear? His gloved hand came to wipe under her eye, she ducked from his touch. Did she fear him now too? "I swear, I won't hurt you." The comfort in the tone had her eyes water even more.

Why couldn't she find a nice guy?

Why did she fall for the scum of the earth?

Why could they pretend so well?

Instead she got bastard after bastard. This one was no different.

A glimpse of movement came to her vision past Arrow.

They were here.

"Lex wanted me to give you a message." She stared into his lenses. She dropped the façade and showed the mobile from behind her back. "He looks forward to seeing you." She stepped back and the two hired muscles came to block him in the alley. Arrow's confusion cleared and turned to anger. But as angry as he was for her trick, he couldn't shake the feeling of truth he got from her. She was either a hell of a devoted actress, or those tears were real, that fear in her eyes was real. And it made it impossible for his anger to be directed towards her. He watched as she took place against the wall, no escape attempt. He could admire that, and after he'd dealt with these idiots he'd get a truth from her one way or the other. Even if she had to be drugged and put over his shoulder to be locked inside his home for the next few months, he would get the truth from her.

"That wasn't a very nice trick goldilocks. Don't think I won't be paying you back." She didn't even have the energy to think of how she'd be paid back, she knew he wouldn't be in any position to carry anything out.

"Like those nine workers. Was that payback? Or just collateral damage?" She couldn't help but blurt it out. She had to see his face, to see the smile of the murderer acknowledged for his work. But it was no smile.

"Look Goldi, I didn't kill those people." Was that why she looked at him so broken?

"Save your lies." And with a nod she had his full attention on the men who drew closer, hungry for blood.

These men were armed and dangerous. They could take out a master of any form of martial arts and above all things; they were extremely expensive assassins that enjoyed dragging pain out for as long as possible before the kill.

This time however, a little extra money had made them slaves to the Luthor dollar and they were instructed to bring Arrow back alive and restrained.

She watched from her place against the wall as Arrow turned to each with a tactical observation from his defensive stance. "Okay. Which one of you two ugly monsters wants first try?" Chloe smiled at his light humour, but quickly dropped, knowing he wouldn't be as light soon. She almost didn't want to watch, but it felt like she was abandoning him if she were to leave. Her feet couldn't move even if she wanted to.

The man on the left moved first, his fingers aimed for a pressure point he could disable Arrow with. Chloe saw the deflection of the move, but then it became a blur of fists, too complex for her to follow.

The verbal fighting dropped after the first line and now the physical did the talking. Punches landed to both fighters. Grunts and gasps left each. But she knew Arrow wasn't with the upper hand. Another few steps played before the other hired hand joined, he jabbed a kick to Arrow's kneecap, sharply setting him down, a whack to the back of his neck had him on the floor. The two clearly worked well as a malicious sadistic team, kicking the dog even when he was down.

Chloe wanted to scream to stop, that it was enough and he needed no more. The words were on the edge of her tongue, itching for her to say them as knuckles came into him again. Did a murderer deserve this? Was this too far? Before she could justify any reasoning, it was the force of steel toe cap boots slammed into his ribs with a crunch that went past the line.

"Stop!" Her commands were cut short, the black uniformed man shuddered and collapsed to the floor. He turned as he fell, the electricity of whatever arrow used jerking the body like a tazer shock.

Chloe silenced again watching as Green Arrow pushed himself back to standing. A feat that was amazingly impressive considering the beating. Chloe met his lenses with sorrow, her eyes filled with water. Arrow winced as he straightened, hugging his ribs. But the victory of standing was cut short, the gun barrel fired loudly down the alley like a car backfire, a rubber bullet hitting the upper thigh of the leather glad fighter and putting him instantly back down to the concrete groaning in pain. Chloe felt her knees give out and she dropped to the floor.

"Miss, call the car. We can't stay long." The order brought her back to life, his gun still aimed at the man on the ground in agony, the bullet pointed to his nerves. "Ma'am!" he hissed again and she dug out the phone, the guilt eating at her. No matter how much she shoved her emotions back down, it wasn't good enough to assure her it was the right thing to be doing. Still, Chloe hit the dial and the car started its journey from two streets over, out of view.

He was for her freedom, she reminded herself. No more calls from Lex, no more illegal jobs, no more running from cops, no more avoiding customs, no more faking identity, no more hiding. She could settle down somewhere nice, she could get an honest job earn an honest wage and build a home far from her past. Lex would have caught him anyway, she justified. She may as well get something out of the act. More importantly, it wasn't just for her; it was for the nine workers he took the lives of. Arrow's head dropped from her vision and she forced herself back to her feet, looking to the hired muscle.

"No. That's enough." she berated, when the second, and still standing, assassin twitched his finger over the trigger aiming at Arrow's stomach.

"I don't take orders from you. I'm paid to bring him unable to move, he's still alive and kicking." Chloe stepped forward again, confidence building as she defended the man on the ground.

"You take your pay check from my boss, but I am in charge of this project so you will obey me, and I'm telling you he needs no more. Tie him and he won't be going anywhere."

"Take a step back Miss before you ruin your Prada heels." She took another step closer. The gun turned to her. "I said step back and shut up. Or you'll be added to the delivery." Then, as fast as she could blink, the assassin before her was on the floor, the gun kicked aside.

What had happened?

She looked over; there was no Green Arrow anymore.

Was he alright?

"You're alright now." A shadowed figure reassured her. "Did they hurt you?" Numbly Chloe shook her head, and it pieced together.

"You work with the archer." she stated, realising he'd been saved by a teammate who thought Chloe was the damsel Arrow was trying to save. "Is he alright?" she asked it before her mind could even think about it.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry. Go home and rest." Then as fast as he had arrived, he was gone and she was alone in the alley with two unconscious assassins. The car arrived in a screech of tyres against the entrance and she watched the men as they read the situation and their faces turned from shock into a composure of action. They drew guns, searching the empty alley for what nightmare could lurk in the shadows.

Chloe was stunned silent. Arrow had more players, that was a twist she hadn't expected. Did they work for him, or he for them? Just the one, or more? All super-powered? Did Arrow have a power? Well, apart from the addiction to leather and arrows.

Arrows!

With a burst of energy she ran to the other black covered man on the floor with the arrow in his leg. Maybe she could find answers from this. With a look back and seeing the others still busy, she carefully tapped a finger against the arrow, finding it without charge and tugging it from the man's leg. It was small, maybe not intended to be fired from a bow like the others. Maybe it was just a last resort, but it packed a hell of a punch. Absently she checked for a pulse, making sure the punch hadn't been fatal. It hadn't, but it didn't mean it wasn't amazing.

The sound of shoes hitting the ground moved her again and the muscle arrived for the next unconscious warrior. Chloe stood quick and put the arrow in her bag. She didn't know why, but she wanted to keep this for herself, and not Lex's grubby fingers.

"Miss, what happened?" One asked, hurrying her to the car as the others finished in the alley.

"Later." she simply replied and with everyone inside they sped back to the mansion and to a very disappointed and angry Lex. Her treasure sat in her purse, guarded by both her hands.

"How did this happen?" Lex raged, pacing the floor in front of all the people involved. "Tell me how this happened!" But before anyone who was brave enough could speak Lex was at it again. "I presume he actually showed up." That instantly got Chloe off the hook. "And from the state of my hired help I know they were there." That got the employees in his private hospital off the hook. "I want to know how from that point onwards things went downhill! I pay for results, not failure."

"Mr Luthor, when we arrived they were already out, just the Miss left." A head nodded Chloe's way, though none of them knew her name. Lex never told staff her real identity, they just called her Miss, or Ma'am. Those who could be trusted knew her first name, but even those who he put his life in the hands of knew not of her background history. Darren was the only one with a few clues, he had signed away his information to keep his job.

Lex followed the nod, knowing she'd be the only one with information.

"Get out!" he shouted at the staff and he watched them scatter. Chloe didn't move from her spot, knowing she was the silent exception to his order. He made his way to the liquor stand, pouring himself a small drink and shooting it back down. She didn't read what it was, but it was strong enough to quell Lex's temper. "Do you want to tell me how this happened?" he asked, his anger simmering, but threatening to blow over if she didn't give him what he wanted.

"Arrow doesn't work alone Lex." she stated, when his expression didn't include a raised eyebrow she continued her statement with an accusation. "But you already knew this." He didn't disagree. "And didn't tell me."

"I thought it was irrelevant." he spoke dismissingly with a wave of his hand.

"So when I asked for all the information on Arrow, it didn't cross your mind to include things like this."

"Chloe, the more you know, the more at risk you are. I kept this from you to keep you safe."

"Well whoever it was knocked out your hired help and took Arrow. Then, he came back to ask me if I was alright. It doesn't exactly sound like mastermind criminal behaviour Lex. He believed he was saving me."

"Chloe, you might be expecting horns and a pointed tail, but not all men of evil wear their colours so brightly. Some hide behind the rouse of friendship or sainthood."

"Then why knock out both your men, when it would have been so much simpler to just kill me to get at you. Or kidnap me. It's not like he didn't have the skill."

"Chloe." He stepped towards her, hands on her shoulders. "I do my very best to keep everything associated with you as far from me as possible. It's probable he had no idea you even worked for me. He just saw the men and took them out, 'aiding' you in the process. It isn't everyone they target Chloe. Just rich men they wish they could be, they see you as too small on the food chain to bother with." His thumbs rolled over her shoulders. "And I couldn't be happier about that fact. You should be happy you're safe."

"I appreciate you keeping me out of the association Lex. But I want those files by the morning. And if you happened to have omitted anything else, include that before I find out again." She shrugged off his hands and left him in favour of her room. The arrow was still in her bag, still on her mind.

If she could locate the story behind the specialized arrows, she could follow it to the green knight and his merry band.

As promised, she awoke to a box of files on 'team-mates' of Arrow. It seemed in total they had almost as many crimes as she did. Theft, violence, destruction of property, you name it. Were they accomplices in the murders? Why would Arrow deny his part in the murders? Was it possible it was some other people? Lex had more enemies than fingers, it would be plausible.

"Chloe!" Lex's bad mood sailed to her ears seconds before the doors burst apart and let in the wolf. She rolled her eyes and stood from the couch where she was sat with the papers. "Tell me you have something!" He paced to her then stopped dead, looking for a golden egg in the files of papers.

"Not yet, but I-" Before she could touch the paper she wanted to show him he cut her off.

"Then find it! I want him off my mind. He's costing me more than I'd care to part with." With a heavy exhalation he turned to leave again.

"Lex, I-"

"Find me something Chloe!" Lex hissed. Careless for her.

Chloe rubbed her fingers over her temples trying to soothe the ache and sunk back into the couch.

Whatever had happened to Lex in the last few hours in his meeting had obviously rubbed him the wrong way. If she had to gamble it would be easy to say Arrow had destroyed one of his pet projects beyond repair and the estimate cost of restarting from scratch had come to Lex. It wasn't a long shot.

It annoyed her no end that she was Lex's punching bag for his bad moods, but despite his darkness, he was worth saving. It wasn't his fault he turned out this way. Anyone fathered by Lionel Luthor would have the same approach to life, some would crumble but she believed strongly that Lex could be saved, he had escaped Lionel's lasso more times than she could count, and his fire would keep burning any ties Lionel tried to set down. Lex just needed a gentle hand and he'd be free of the demons from his parentage. He wasn't beyond saving.

Arrow though…

He was a liar and a murderer in addition to his previous crimes. He'd crossed the line between good and evil.

Lex… well, Lex only line danced using it, he never jumped quite as far past as Arrow.

With a sigh, Chloe turned back to the papers.

Accomplices. Was it possible Arrow told the truth? That HE didn't kill them? He did have other to help just as able to take lives.

AC one was named, clearly a codename like all the others, he seemed to favour the waters and from Lex camera's he could be classed as equally as dangerous as the others.

Canary was the only female, previously hired by Lex and changed sides to the persuasion of Arrow. No reason why, no notice of how, just the lure of evil called to her and Arrow supplied. Able to break glass and ear-drums with the parting of her lips. Bad taste in fashion…

Cyborg. Lex included little background on the man other than the fact he was mostly machine, and mostly his. But through continuous upgrades and a LOT of money spent on research all of Lex's ties had been severed, the machine now belonged to his fighters. It was clear that this one would be her personal competitor in the department of technological warfare. Not that she'd admit it out loud, but some of this gear was impressive. Some days she would have killed to have half the software he did, but… it would come with a few downsides. Still, the things he would have in him currently, as an upgrade from Lex's original work… well, to say the least, she would love to get to look at them.

'Boy scout' they called him. No images, no video footage. No knowledge at all. Just the scraps of metal doors he would leave behind. This was the man she met the other night, the one that 'saved' her. The one who vanished Arrow from beneath her feet, the one who kindly approached her to see if she was alright. The papers named the man 'the blur'.

Which led her eyes to the last man, one also with the ability to move as fast as a blurred caption of the eye. Faster actually.

Impulse.

Also known as Flash.

Also known as Bart.

Also known as her old friend.

She'd met Bart while she was under Lionel's thumb. He was a teen who wanted to court her across the world. One that ran to Mexico for her favourite dish on her birthday. One that made life seem to have that silver lining.

Lionel had soon turned it all to black. He'd moved her to the other side of the world on a seconds notice and she'd been told to focus on work and not some teenage crush.

If only it had been allowed to go that far, she never saw Bart again, never had a chance to see where it would go. After a few weeks of no word in her new country she moved on. She never told Lionel he had any powers… she knew the consequence. And now here she was looking at his blur across a video screenshot. How did he get so tangled up in this mess?

She laughed internally, how had she gotten herself so tangled in Lex's mess? She could hardly judge a man she knew as a petty criminal. She supposed there was no other route for those who committed crime as teens. But for him to escalate to murder?

No, it was too big a leap. Bart was too kind a soul to do that.

He was, she repeated to herself. It had been a good couple of years since she knew him. Time changes people. They get desperate.

Chloe shook her thoughts from the past. This was happening now, she needed to sort this out. Lex only wanted Arrow, he would only get Arrow. And she would get her freedom.

First things first. Her mind went to the arrow hidden in her purse. She needed to find out what it was made of, who made them, who sold them. More importantly, who bought them. Find the buyer: find the user.

A smile crossed her lips. It wasn't half as difficult as Lex made it out to be. But this victory was hers, she'd find this all on her own, and she knew exactly where to start. Downtown Metropolis, in the darkest dankest pit of delinquents where she fit so well: Suicide Slums.

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Questions, Corrections, Comments & Reviews are all welcome.

Thanks for reading.

Xx